florus hungaricus, or, the history of hungaria and transylvania deduced from the original of that nation, and their setling in europe in the year of our lord , to this dangerous and suspectful period of that kingdome by the present turkish invasion, anno . howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) florus hungaricus, or, the history of hungaria and transylvania deduced from the original of that nation, and their setling in europe in the year of our lord , to this dangerous and suspectful period of that kingdome by the present turkish invasion, anno . howell, james, ?- . [ ], [i.e. ] p. printed by w.g. for hen. marsh ..., london : . "decemb. . . imprimatur. william morice." -- opposite t.p. attributed by wing to howell. "the epistle dedicatory" signed: j.h. (i.e. james howell). numerous errors in paging. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng hungary -- history. transylvania (romania) -- history. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion decemb. . . imprimatur . william morice . florvs hvngaricvs : or the history of hungaria and transylvania deduced from the original of that nation , and their setling in europe in the year of our lord , to this dangerous and suspectful period of that kingdome by the present turkish invasion , anno . iohn chantry . sculp london , printed by w. g. for hen. marsh at the princes arms in chancery-lane . . to the right honourable iohn earl of bath , &c. may it please your lordship , this history ( written originally in latine by a noble hand , native of that kingdome ) was like a treatise of that deserving quality , addressed to the hands of two illustrious persons , whom the translatour ( sure of doing the authour no injury in this particular ) hath represented in your single self , to what advantage of lustre the world shall speak . for ( my lord ) it is not the design of this dedication to bring water to the ocean , ( although the ever-flowing tribute that is due to vertue is natural and necessary ) both because this streight and shallow , will not boast or presume to be proud of any additament to your fame ; & for that this candle in such day-light will prove but a faint and unobserved glimmering of that full splendour . actions and not words , have entertained the greatest part of your life , till the late blessed change , which shall never be mentioned but with your name ; pax nescit comitis non memor esse sui : insomuch that your lordship is a living epitome of our late war , and is read by most men with delight and admiration . vpon that account it is ( my lord ) that i humbly present to you this florus hungaricus and abridgement of their history , not knowing with whose sum of glory this compendium of so renowned a nation would better sute ; for from the founding of their empire , time hath had few respites , and but momentary vacations from military affairs . in which speculation ( my lord ) i am so much assured , that you are frequently conversant , and familiarly please your self in that heroical diversion , that i could not restrain the ambitious tender of this commentary ; which although very uneven , and abrupt of stile ( as could not be avoided in such a pent and narrow inconvenience of expression ) yet it hath plainly conveyed and continued the story . the endevour , what it is , is most humbly submitted to your lordships iudgement , and most submissively begs your protection and patronage , under which it doubts not to find acceptance with the world. ( my lord ) i am your most humble and obedient servant j. h. to the reader . the affairs and history of hungary variously agitated under several mutations and revolutions , are now presented to the world in an epitome , which neverthelesse comprehends most of the transactions in europe , and may intitle it self to be its remembrancer . this nation some ages before , not seen and unheard of , did out of its ruins rise to a mighty kingdome , and as it did so wonderfully increase , so did it with the same urgencies of fate , decline as fast , and again recover it self ; and so by the inconstancy of its fortune either added terrour or hope to its neighbours : for while this people struggled for empire , intending to heap up their glory in the splendor of one day , and would allow no futurities to their felicity , the justice of providence decreed them a laborious race , wherein their speed and strength hath been tired ; and by many uneven ascents and descents , almost wearied out of breath : in which time notwithstanding ( the space of twelve hundred years and upwards ) it hath effected so many great things both in war and peace , that it seemeth to have dared and accomplished things far beyond either its fortune or ability , commanding and extending its power so far over the adjoyning nations , that while its actions and story is read , both asia and europe are concerned , and are again subjected in the review , as tributaries to the renown of this empire . i must confesse that so many vicissitudes , and the grandeur of the subject do much discompose the contexture , but so that the shape of the majesty hereof will sufficiently appear , although it have not its full proportions . we consider therefore the hungarian nation according to these intervals or distances , the first age was most fierce and sanguinous , while they were under the darknesse of paganisme , which lasted almost years , during which time they exceeded the very beasts in all savage and barbarous cruelty . the following age under geysa and stephen , christian princes , until the reign of charles son of lewis , in which time passed years , was afflicted and sore put to it ; yet it made a shift to rear it self & raise its glory out of the dust. thence to our times have run years , in which its glories have been retrograde , and have verged to a decrepit and feeble estate , save that under k. matthias the kingdom mov'd its arms with some vigour , and seemed to be renewed to a fresh and active youth and virility . but matthias being taken away by the envyous destinies , the hungarians soon lost their ancient courage and vertue , suffering the turks to possesse themselves of the greatest part of their country ( which they are now like wholly to subdue ) while they were divided betwixt the interests of ferdinand the emperour , and iohn zapolyai vayvod of transylvania , pretenders to that crown ; so that hungary is to be sought in it self . for while the kingdome was insociable and coveted by many , it became burdened with more weight then it could bear ; and that government which might have been well supported and maintained by one , being shouldred by so many , fell with ruine to the ground . it is now redevable to the reader , that i give an account of what authors have been consulted in the compiling of this treatise ; many hungarian writers being waived because of their flattery and fondnesse of their own nation , or fabulous untruths ; of which sort are ranzanus , ritius , and others ; but one for all is bonfinius , who hath loaded the original of the hungarians with a multitude of fictions . thur●●zius hath done something better ; in the whole six hundred authours have been conferred ; but those to whom credence was due are onely these ; first nicholas istuamfi , a man conversant in the story who wrote his rationale from the life of matthias the first ; but because of his propense affection to the caesars ( for which teason he either neglects truth or conceals their vices ) fome rare , more ancient and modern writers have been contra-examined against him . next to him , flavius ascanius centorinus , who composed his history of the dacian wars out of the manuscript commentaries of ferdinand , and castaldus ( his general ) themselves . lastly , iohn michael brutus , who wrote of this matter by the command of stephen bathori king of poland , together with thuanus and some few not so eminent . the reader , it is presumed , will be hereby satisfied of the veracity and authority of this discourse , whose subject ( being so much a stranger ) needed a very ample certificate , for that impostures of these distant regions are very rife and frequent . all that is to be apologised and excused , is the style , which pretends to nothing but understandible english , shut up by such rigid clauses and restraints of matter , that it could not breath any free language . and when the reader shall have perceived how this volume is crowded to render it a manual acceptable to the diversion of curious and inquisitive men , he will no doubt vouchsafe a pardon to this endevour . vale. the history of hungaria and transylvania . this nation , not seen nor known in europe , before the decrepit estate of the roman empire , had their formidable extract from the extremest part of maeotis , inhabited by the massagetes , next neighbours to the dahi , as plinius , mela and ptolomy do report , though some authors have derived them from the parthians , both seated betwixt the rivers oxus and iaxarta . former times call'd all that tract of ground lying north and north-east , by the name of scythia , and under that general appellation the inhabitants were notified to the world , which now is distinguished into the different tribes of the present tartarian empire ; who at this day continue that vagrant , incursive , and predatory disposition , that brought these necessitous huns in vast multitudes into fertiler though never so distant regions . it will be therefore requisite to give some breif account of this nursery and source of so many martial nations , and particularly of this of the huns , because of this singular remarque , that none of her swarms besides , were ever blest with the christian faith ; and arrived to , and persisted in the glory of a kingdome and empire under the ensigne of the crosse , intire , separate and unmixt from other nations , in all the fortunes of war , and the variation of their estate . scythia by the ancients was divided into the european and asiatick ; the former made stretching it self from the springs of tanais by the banks of the lake maeotis and the euxine sea , to ister ( so named when swelled with the confluence of the danow , savus and dravus , great rivers by the city of belgrade ) the reason of which mistake was , for that they falsly supposed asia to be divided from europe by the tanais : for from taenarus the extreme promontory of peloponesus to the springs and rise of tanais , not more than half the line extending to the northern ocean , is comprehended ; that river arising in the confines of the greater russia , and the lesser tartary , from a lake called ivanowo iezcier , not out of the riphaean mountains , as is fabled by the ancients ; for that there are no such hills in nature , nor was it ever agreed among geographers where they should be sited . and it is since manifest that from the lake aforesaid there is as much space of ground lying between the sea , as is betwixt it and peloponensus , so that many places are assigned to asia in this region , which do truely belong to europe . this is the rather insisted , to rectifie the general mistake in most of the modern maps and descriptions of the world. the vastnesse of the asian scythia is so great , that its bounds were neither known in the past , not discovered to the present age ; circumscribed to the east with the opposite shore of unknown seas ; to the north with the frozen scythian sea ; to the west with the cimmerian bosphorus , maeotis , tanais , and a line drawn to the white sea ; to the south with the indies ; whence it comes to passe that the straight of anian is yet controverted ; some allowing no such sea ; others so narrow a one , that the scythians are feigned to have had their originals from america . the uncertainty of our knowledge of this countrey is imputed to this main cause , for that none of the mighty of the world could ever boast of a conquest thereof . we read of expeditions made against the scythians , both towards the east and the west , but no way remarquable for their progression . cyrus never reached iaxarta ; darius attempting the europaean scythians , came not to the mountains of dacia . trajan who went further then any of his predecessors , arrived not to the springs of marusius . the arms of alexander the great , the more inward inhabitants onely heard of , but felt not . and pliny complains that in his time the vastnesse of the maeotick lake was altogether unknown , some saying it was a gulf or bay of the sea ; others that it was divided from it by an isthmus or small piece of ground . and even now although zingis chan , and temur or tamerlane chan , attained the dominion of all scythia , and their acts are extant and read by many men in the arabick tongue ; yet the places thereof are so obscured by their barbarous and confused names that they afford imperfect light to any discovery . the very word scythian , in former times extended not its self further than to the taurica chersonesu ; led by which reason , strabo called that scythia the lesse , now termed by pinetus , precopsa and gazara , and even at this day , on the same account is tartaria the lesse denominated : for what ever ancient times called scythia , the greatest part thereof by the latter is called tartaria or tataria , the countrey of a most warlike nation , addicted to prey and robbery . the whole is almost desart and desolat , so that planocarpus the nuncio of innocent the fourth , found the better half of it to be sandy plains , and destitute of inhabitants ; who have no certain or fixt habitations , as counting it a sin and a crime to build a city ; ( as is reported of the ancient nomades , whose progeny these are ) but carry their tents about with them . this desart tartaria ( called in arabick , kafshak and barka , from whence the hungarians are deduced ) is shut up to the south with the caspian and euxine seas , and the interjacent hills of the circassian mamalukes , anciently caucasus . the east is limited by the chovaresmi , by strabo called chorasmasini ; by stephanus , chorameni ( a people derived from the massagetae and sacae , to whom bessus and spiramenes fled from the bactrians and sogdiani ) atcar and schagnak ; until ranging to other regions as far as turquestana ( which is seated betwixt oxus and iaxara , the peculiar derivation of the huns ) it joyns with the getae , and the chinese , who conterminate with the mogoles and the chattaei . on the north is the region of siberia , vast solitudes and desarts , and sands like mountains . lastly , on the west , russia , bulgaria , and the ottoman empire . there are many tribes of this people , but quite different in language , as much as the borderers differ in their several manners from the peaceable simple dispositions of the inlanders . the nation of the sythians , iustin affirms , to have been most ancient , although much disputed for antiquity by the aegyptians . for the mountainous places were first inhabited , then the plains . nor is there scarce any people of europe or asia , which have not been propagated out of the north , even the eastern parts as far as india , where under the name of parthians , as mentioned before , now called persians , they dilated their empire ; and the western , to the regions of polonia , germany , pannonia , and denmark ; known now and denominated from the seats of the sauromatae , goths , huns , and cymbri , cumani , comoiri , geloni , the same with the peucini ▪ othogothi , thuringi , eastern gotths , and gepidae originally deduced from the confines of tanais , and many more , to which are added the celtae ; part of whom had their seat in thracia , as another part of them gave name to the germans , gaules , and brittons ; so that the world hath been peopled in a manner out of these regions . but in the middle age of the world , those scythians were dreaded by fewer names , and renownedly by that of the huns , subdivided into the white and black by procopius ( to omit the gorths who are also allied to the said people by a neerer etymology , for that according to the aeolian dialect which rendred the scythian , the character 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . is added before the consonant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence are derived the goths , by barbarous pronunciation . the white were the people seated , as aforesaid , betwixt oxus and iaxarta , that gave name and being to the hungariane . but because no sure and undoubted authority thereof can be produced ( which may not be vvondred at , because the most certain things are scarce testifiable and mostly fabulous , and the romans after the decay of their empire intent to their ovvn , became ( as justly ashamed ) incurious of other affairs ) vve must content our selves vvith the best conjectures , and among others , with that of st. ierome , vvho writes , that the huns came from the massagetae , and the extremest parts of the maeotis ; and next with allusion of words , for that abtela and attila , the first whereof was the name of the euthalitan kings ( to which stock generally the huns are referred ) and the last of the hungarians , are names so alike that they cannot be discriminated . to omit many more witnesses , viz. menander , paulus diaconus , ammianus , and fernandes , who are copious in the proof thereof by divers most convincing arguments , to which we must refer the reader . certain it is , they were conterminous to the first extract of the turks now called turcomania , bordering northeast upon persia , where they inhabited until vanquished by their sultan or chan , in the time of iustinian , when part of them mixing and uniting with the turks , the other part fled northwards ; of whose remains descended the avares , who after their progenitors migration westward , combated often with the turks , and likewise by them at last worsted , seconded their fellows into europe . the western huns are those who at this day are called tartars , part of whom by the name of cimmerii since cymbri , possessed themselves of denmark . so that after the race of so many ages , the same quarrel is revived now under the same names of both nations , if we give credit to antiquity . next we consider the former inhabitants of hungary . the mysians inhabited both the banks of danubius , against whom darius led an innumerable army ; they were called by homer , galactophagi , milk-eaters , a generation of most just and honest men . of those a part were the getae , whose king dormichaetes so despised riches , that content with victory , he released lysimachus his prisoner , which simplicity is alledged to this day , as the cause of their servitude to other nations . syrmius had dominion afterward of the same nation , as king of the triballi , who for fear of alexander the great , fled into the island peuce , the fame of whom remains to this day , by that tract of ground which lies between varadin peter , and belgrade , called by his name syrmia . from these came those mysians , who possesed themselves of habitations between the lydians , phrygians , and trojans ; with an equal simplicity , as unwilling to obey , as ambitious of commanding . the daci , dahi , daae , and dahae are the same people ; part of them sate down by the mountainous places of transylvania , part between oxus and iaxarta , neer to the massagetes , which space of ground , because it is so great , strabo cannot be induced to assign the same originals to them both ; but how weakly , their migrations and invasions into remotest distanced regions do sufficiently evince . plinius makes no distinction between the daci and the getae , but onely of name ; for as cottisan is styled by horace , the king of the daci , so by suetonius , he is called prince of the getae : but strabo makes them thus to differ , the getae to be those whose country bended towards the east and the sea ; and the dacians those who stretched themselves oppositely towards germany , and the rise of the river ister ; although he presently adds , that they both use the same language . neither doth he herein agree with himself , because he makes the river marus or marusius , to glide through the getae , and fall into the danow , which by a due distinction should be said to passe by the countrey of the daci . for this river by herodotus termed maris , by others marsus or margus ; and by the hungarians , maros ; which ariseth from the carpathian hill belonging to the daci , bends towards the south , till before alba , winding to the westward , it is mingled with the tybiscus , from whence another error of the same authour is discovered , in that he writes that the marusius flows into the danow . nor are there wanting some ( iustus lipsius , and isaac causabon ) who expound that marus in tacitus of this marisus , by which name also cluverius understands morava , as giving name to moravia . of these nations as of servile manners and spirits , the names of slaves or servants were borrowed , represented in comedies ( as they either personated true , or seeming-true slaves ) by davus and geta , as the scholiast on aristophanes witnesseth , and is further proved by the authority of the comical apollodorus in one of his fables , where they are both named , and whence terence borrowed them , whence soon after the said names were applied to unlearned and ignorant men . hence the same terence , davus sum non oedipus , of no capacity to resolve riddles . this danubius , since mention is to be frequently made of it and occurs here ; eustathius the interpreter of dionysus , out of strabo and stephanus reports to have been once called matthoas ; but when the scythians in passing over it were sorely afflicted , it came to be called danusius or danubius , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or danum , in the macedon language signifying death , as plutarch witnesseth ; between which river and ister , peolomy and pliny so distinguish , that the upper part from axiopolis , which the pannonians and iazyges possesse , to its springs be called the danow ; and the rest to the sea-ward be named ister ; which difference at this day , is hardly or not at all observed . some have fabled that this river fell from the riphean hills , and that one of its arms disembogued it self into the adriatick sea. now that which afterwards more peculiarly was called dacia , comprehends at this time , transylvania , moldavia , valachia beyond the alps ; between the european sarmatia , and the rivers of danubius and tyra , and the iazyg●s metanastae : moldavia stretcheth it self to the euxine sea. transalpina along the banks of the danubius . transylvania is bounded and confined by the aforesaid principalities , white-russia and hungary . to the dacians between the carpathian mounrains and ister , the iazyges were conterminate , to these the pannonians , being encompassed with two great forrests , and three rivers , the savus , dravus , and ister . the grecians called them paeones , but wherefore doth not appear ; for that paeonia , according to iustin ptolomy , is sited in macedonia , whose inhabitants ( passing by an ancienter fiction of endymion's son ) are fabled by lazius upon the discomfiture given the macedonians by aemilius , to have retreated and planted themselves by ister . but dion cassius oppugning this errour , derives the name of the pannones from pannus , a word signifying cloth , of which they made themselves patcht clothes of divers colours and peices ; which observation of habit gave names to several of the ancient nations . greece was thereby termed palliata , i. e. cloaked . rome , togata , gowned . france was divided into togata & braccata , gowned and breeched . but i do not understand how the excellent isaac causabon , by the words of dion , can conceive that pannus was a word of the pannonian mother tongue as he largely shews , for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by dion is rather referrible to the custome of wearing the garment , than to the language of the nation ; nor is the word pannus of so modern an extraction but that it was well known to polybius and other grecians . by all which it may be supposed that by a small mutation from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the noted name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may arise , and be in use with the grecians , as is abovesaid . but to their story . the first captain that led the huns into these parts of hungary was belamber , incited thereto by a nobleman , ( who persuing a deer that took the great river tanais , ( the supposed bound of asia and europe ) to the other side , was ravished with the view of so delightful a prospect , and fruitful soil ) and by his own ambition of rendring himself famous and terrible to the world. his passage over the tanais , lost him a multitude of men ( for bridges and boats were , the one impossible , and the convenient use of the other not known ) yet not so disabled him but that he continued his expedition by the chearfulnesse of his people , and discomfited the * alani ; thence he turned his victorious arms towards the inhabitants of the black sea , and subduing them , perswaded them to take up arms with him against the mysians and dacians , the former possessors of servia , russia , bulgaria , moldavia , &c. who made stout opposition . when melamber , aged and wearied out , left the atchievement to his son mundzuch alias bendeguz , who defeated the goths ( after two unlucky and almost fatal combats ) then conquerours of pannonia and that tract of the world , and in a mortal battel slew the terrour of the huns , alatheus and saprax , the guardians of videricus king of the goths , and stretched his conquest over all the territory which lieth betwixt the river ister and borysthenes , which includes the country they now possesse . he dying left two sons ( the terrible ) attila and bleda , to the tuition of his brothers hottar and rugila , who having vanquished the eastern parts and utterly expelled the visigoths from all thracia , mastering also macedonia , and illyria , compelled or frighted the romans to purchase their peace with the present payment of l. of gold , and afterwards yearly , for pretended default whereof and other piques , attila marching through germany ruined argentorate , which he re-edifying caused to be called strasburg , and in the catalaunian fields , gave battel to aetius lieutenant to * valentinianus the emperour , assisted by the kings of the goths and gauls . attila had in his army . some say , thousand men , but the fate of europe strugling with this emergent and sudden danger , and loth to resign her glory to such a tumultuous and barbarous enemy couragiously maintained her title , and made the hun retreat with the common mutuall losse of thousand men , to his conquest of hungary ; to which he never had returned had the goths , or romans pursued their successe and victory . attila troubled with this his first disappointment resolved to recover the reputation of his puissance , and therefore having provided himself in five years vacancy from war of another terrible host , purposed by tyrol to descend into italy , but finding those difficult passes defended by valentinian , he turned his force upon dalmatia , and conquering the roman army near the tergestine bay , beseiged , and after three years leagure took and sackt aquileia . from thence he passed to vreona in italy , but advancing further towards ravenna was met in his way by pope leo ; and by him dehorted and intreated from a further pursuit of his successe . the event was not lesse wonderful then the former eruptions of this destroyer were unnexpected , but the reverence meeknesse , gravity and humility of those fathers of the church were even attractives to those savage barbarians . at the approach of them notwithstanding , the venetians then inhabiting the same lands which yet belong to their territory , fled to the islands in which their glorious seignory now continues , and laid the foundation of their greatnesse upon the fear of their ruine ; that which then was their temporary shelter proving the impregnable fortresse and defyant bulwork of christendome against all other invasions through a long duration of time and honour . attila at his return dyed in hungary , suffocated with blood which he used to excern by his nostrills in some abundance , but now falling into his mouth , whether by the judgement of god in satisfaction of all that he had so inhumanely spilt , or by practice of his brothers friends ( whom he had caused to be killed upon suspicion of his aspiring to the sole command ) who made a violent advantage of that infirmity and diverted its course , is not certainly delivered . to sum up the story of this attila for satisfaction of the reader i have adjoyned his title , not unlike that which the turkish sultans now use towards these very hungarians , retorting their own insolence and arrogance upon the impotent feeble remnant of that once mighty and most populous nation ; in haec verba ; attila the nephew of nimrod , nourished in engaddi , by the grace of god , king of huns , medes , goths , and dacians , the terrour of the world , and scourge of god. which last he added after his conference with an hermit . this ( however denied by some hungarian authors ) is reported by so many others , that the reader may give credit to it ; for though attila was not then a christian profest , yet certainly he was not altogether a pagan , as his assent to leo before-mentioned will partly evince . attila dying left two sons aladerick and chaback , who ( as the fortune of the world and war varies ) lost all with the same career of ruine as their father gained dominion by monstrous accessions ; for at his death the limits of his territories were on the one part stretched to the huns and iugri in scythia , and on the other to france , and italy ; so that this empire laboured under its own weight and fell by unnatural and intestine divisions . this same aladerick is supposed by many to have been begotten by attila upon honoria the daughter of the emperour valentinian , but this opinion is rejected by others , because they say attila died before she arrived at his camp. whatever his birth was , it was certain he was favoured by the princes of germany , and dieterick of verona , and aided against his elder brother , advanced to the supreme power by the huns , who notwithstanding as is usual in such fraternal and civil feuds , revolted soon after to aladerick , & so sheathing their swords in their own bowels , made easie way to their enemies designes of revenge against them . the first that engaged and encountered them was arderick king of the gepidae , who vindicated his people from the slavery of the huns , killing of them in one battel , and so pursued his successe upon their frighted remains that they lost all their several conquests at one breath ( aladerick himself coming to this bloody end , as a victime and sacrifice to those infinite slaughters that had been committed by his people ) for hereupon ardarick seized dacia ; the goths , both the pannonia's or hungary ; the alani or russes mysia ; while chaba the other brother difficultly recovered his countrey of scythia ; uto and ischalmus , with some others of his huns diverted into romania , whose posterity is remaining to this day in the town of gala●z . ermedzar and uzindur cousins of the said two captains , sate down between the rivers marusius and alutha , and by the ascents to the mountainous places of dacia , and to avoid the suspicion of the name of huns , called themselves * szekeli , which term or word signifieth a fixed place and habitation , not vagabonds or fugitives , for which their nation was now so infamous . the roman dominions being thus freed of the successors of attila , was anew oppressed with the alternate and vicissitudinary power of the rugi , goths , and lombards ; who successively by the crafty instigation of the feeble romans subdued one another ; the lombards assisted by swain k. of denmark , after other conquests seating themselves in pannonia : whither the a●ares ( not the same but another tribe of huns ) being beaten out of the northern scythia by the euthalitae * who had themselves been beaten by the turk● , in the year . after the incarnation , possessed themselves of the country of ister , having expelled the goths from taur●ca , and utterly extinguished the name of the gepidae . in their advance to pannonia ; alboynus captain of the longobards , to prevent the fortune of war with so necessitous a people , made a friendly composition with them , whereby it was agreed that the avares should be possessed of hungaria , upon condition to restore it again if the lumbards failed of their enterprize & design upon italy : but that succeeding , these huns being quietly possessed , stayed not here but invaded the territories of the romans ; from whom ( once defeated by them ) their leader under pretence of making baths , borrowed some carpenters , which he employed in making bridges over the dauubius , that he might more easily invade & infest their dominions . his first conquest by this means was of syrmia , by which his forces grew so terrible , that they were counted the avengers of the sins of the eastern europe ; having compelled the emperour maurice to purchase a peace of him with the sum of fourscore thousand pound of gold , which lasted no longer than two years ; for the barbarian regardlesse of his faith , demanded an increase of the tribute , and upon the denyal thereof seized strigonium and viminacum , and in several encounters greatly endamaged many of their provinces and wasted and consumed more of their legions . their empire or government continued after that time with very various fortune , at first with great overthrows often weakening their foster-friends the lombards , until the time of charles the great , when they grew into a coalition with the bojarij , from whom now came the new name of the bavarians , ( hateful enough to the boij or bohemians ) with whose king tùdun , charles the great and his son , managed divers wars , not with the hungarians themselves , as many have erroniously maintained . at which time ( as nothing gained by humane power is durable ) these avares either lost their name among other nations , or else were wholly cut off and extinguished . nicephorus saith the following huns or hungarians , dissolved their power and extirpated them ; the german writers assign charlemaigne to that work , as suidas doth the bulgarian's ; whence most certain it is to be concluded , that they stuck in all the snares , and by one or all of their hands came to the period of their name and greatnesse . but leaving them to that final suppression , let us consider from the premises , what sad and doleful ages those were that brought up the rear of the roman monarchy ! on which like a bear damned to the stake , so many fierce mastiffs were let fly together . but it is more wonderful how christianity amidst such horrid and continual subversions of things could ever get footing ? nay , dilate it self with the progresse of these infidels ? which though a diversion , i cannot but mind the reader for the honour and convincing verity of our religion , to take notice of . there being now no visible foot-steps remaining of the hungarian nation in this territory ; it shamed a noble people to bear the yoke of a forreign ruler , having been used themselves to govern and command others . and hereupon those huns who fled that great defeat given to attila's sons , & were scattered into transylvania & russia ( where now there is a tribe of them yet remaining towards siberia , called iugri by geographers ) impatient of their retirement and obscure condition , invited their kinred & countrey-men , who now had breathed from their expulsion out of europe into scythia , and siberia , and the northermost parts of europe , as aforesaid , to return again and make another venture with them for the restauration of their name and honour by their former conquests . little invitation served a penurious and warlike nation made and designed for great things and addicted to glory , besides that the dangerous condition of their europaean friends , who sculkt from the fury of the victorious goths , did urgently call for their assistance . in the year . seven several armies of them under seven leaders all vested with equall power invaded dacia again , and after some exploratory peace-pretending messages to suatopolugus then king of those countries proceeded to attaque him , who making resistance was defeated & driven beyond danubius ; thence pursuing their success they laid wast the whole country of illyria , and peirced into moravia and bohemia , and subdued all hungary , and as much more territory as is contained between the river gran , the swevian hills & from ister to the sea , extending it thence also towards the east . yet so uneven and fluctuating was their fortune , that though arnulphus the emperour was glad to seek and obtain peace of them , yet luithpoldus the emperours generall after arnulphus his decease , upon their return from a new incursion under chussales their king into germany the length of leagues on the north side of the danow , where they destroyed all before them , encountred them near vienna in austria , wearied with spoil and the length of the journy & overthrew them , of them perishing in that river whose banks had suffered so often by their bloudy & frequent inundations ; the rest were driven & pursued to presburgh , having lost their k. whose generous spirit could not endure the fatal dishonour of that bloody feild , wherein the huns were like again to have run the same hazard of their former ruine but that a mutiny amongst the victor army opportunely stopt a further pursuit . the news of this defeat did not long keep the huns at home but grown strong with rest , and more robust by the divisions of the germans , and having newly substituted dursack and bugoth , to the regal dignity , they again resum●d their former design ; which the next year they enterprised , possessing themselves of all paninonia , exhausted already by continual spoil , carrying also colonies , with them and placing them in the countries of the boii . to oppose them , lewis the emperour having called a counsell , and by their concurrence raised a great army , encountred them at * augusta vindelicorum , where he was worsted in a famous battel ; luithpoldus the former successeful general , with eysenrick his arch-sewer and counts , being slain on the place , together with most of the army . nor fared he better at his second conflict , having for safety of germany induced all the provinces to take sudden arms with him , being defeated by this stratagem ; the huns had fought almost to a desperate event , in the fields neer the leman lake , when advised by imminet danger , they counterfeited a flight , and by th●t means drew the enemy into the woods upon their ambushes , and there made a cruel and vast slaughter of them ; and following their good fortune , made havock of all the countrey round about with fire and sword in their usual manner , neither churches , monasteries , bishops , or priests escaping their sacrilegious and destroying hands . no stop being like to be put to their fury , they burnt down utinum , and passing the river oenus , dispeopled the canton of zurick , and compelling schleckdorp and damasia , beyond the iser , with other towns by famine and thi●st to surrender , demolished and ruined them . auspurg was served in the same manner , and numberless multitudes of men led captives like beasts after them , which luggage with their other spoils invited the boii to fall upon them , but they were so sharply entertained , that with the slaughrer there and in the whole territory the huns seemed to have made a final end at this one bout . ratisbone was now burnt by them , whence by osterhof they passed the d●nubius , puttin● the bohemians , franconians , and the adjacent nations to the sword , so that most of the rivers of germany were turned into blood , and lewis broken with so many mischiefs , glad to make the empire tributary to the huns , who leaving germany ( as prone to war , and enlargement of dominion , fell next upon the grecian empire ( which they had only touched in the former war ) by the beginning of the next spring , when passing through the mysia superiour and wasting thracia infesting also the macedonians , they conquered bulgaria ( which yet made some resistance ) and all those stranger countries , insomuch that constantine the colleague of alexander his uncle , refused not being terrified by these approach●s , the payment and tribute imposed on his cities . the huns being thus established and fixed in their former possession gained by their sword in hungary , it will be requisite to describe that tract of ground , which came under the said appellation and was then a most ample and spacious dominion . the kingdome of pannonia did not formerly exceed the banks of the danubius , and because it extended it self from the said river as far as the carpathian hills , which terminate the european sarmatia , it was called the hither and the further hungary . the upper part of the hither , contained styria and austria , the inferiour was all that tract of ground between the river dravus , the balaton lake ( which upon the coming of christ broke out in the country of gisa ) the desarts of vertha and the danubius . the further hungary separated by the carpathian hills from moravia of the marcomanni , silesia and poland contains that part of the iazyges metanastae , & dacia which is on this side the hills , which the river tybiscus runs thorough , arising from the maromorusian hills above zigeth * & between zemlin and salankien is mingled with the danube . between the rivers dravus and savus , lyeth sclavonia reaching as far as the river of hun. below savus lies croatia , both the bosnia's , dardania , now dalmatia ; the illyrians possesse the further parts , the same with the liburnians , bounded with the adriatick sea , and eastward with the river bosna : to this confine both the mysia's , the upper , in which is servia and rascia , and the lower now called bulgaria : for the bulgarians now comming from asia , compelled the bessi , ejected out of the lower mysia , to seat themselves in the upper : both of them lye between the danube , and mountain of hun : the danube emptying it self into the euxine sea. to the eastward of hither hungary lieth dacia betvveen the river tyra , the danube , and the sea , comprehending transylvania , moldavia , and transalpina , or valachia . transylvania is compassed with woods and hills , in manner and form of a crovvn . these countries being subdued by the huns they contented themselves with tribute for germany , who soon disdaining that servile under barbarians , under conrade duke of franconia , saluted caesar in place of lewis , and arnulphus the son of luithpoldus procla●med king of the boii , took arms again , but the b●ii were at the entrance of the war so consternated , that the huns with universal spo●l passed as far as the river oenus again : where arnulphus having selected the ablest souldiers , and secured the rest in the city , set upon them in their carlesse jollity , and encompassing them by surprize , made a great slaughter of some , and drove others into the river , and brought a general fear , greater then any before upon their whole army , which was freed thereof by the egregious vertue and valour of dursach , who in the very instant of the danger , compelled the bohemian weakned by so ●ierce a war , to strike a league and agreement with him . but the present disaster was expiated with great victories , the huns still hankered after italy the lady of so many pleasures : the dissentions between leo the fifth , sergius the third , and christopher the antipope , adding to their hopes as if designed for avengers of their pride and ambition ; hereupon passing friuli with spoiling and burning , they came as far as pavia , and by the river brenna , with a horrible carnage overthrew berengarius , who had amassed an innumerable host of the tuscans , volscans , and other nations of italy . which defeat was occasioned meerly by their contempt of the enemy , who having in vain after many prayers and intreaties voluntarily offered there delivery of their spoil , and a covenant or article of never invading italy again , upon condition of life and departure on horseback , took advantage of the negligence of the italians , and punished this their arrogance : for with three parties they surprized the secure bodies of the enemy , who staid expecting the return of their commissioners , sent with their denyal to the huns , and killed a great many with their drink in their throats : so those that could not be appeased with submission and gifts were now destroyed with fury & cruelty . all places now opened to their victorious arms , which are reported to have been so po●ent at this time , that they overran likewise the boiarij ( contrary to their agreement ) franconia and saxony , with vast depopulations : nor did their rage stop here , for within two years they peirced as far as basil , which having razed they wasted alsatia and lorrain , with so much ●●lerity , that conrade who purchased his peace with money , seemed conquered before any enemy was at hand . and such was the horrour of this defeat abovesaid , that the huns en●aged , abstained not from the flesh of the ●●ain , the cause of which being asked of le●el ( a hungarian captain taken prisoner at auspurg by conrade ) was thus declared . 〈◊〉 are the avengers of the sins of mankind , appointed by god for your punishment ; when we ●●sist from persecuting you , by the angry god , we are taken by you and destroyed . italy although so often chastised , yet nothing the wi●er , was distracted with various factions , lewis the son of ●oson relying upon the papal right , assumed to himself the imperial dignity , being assisted and encouraged by the lumbards , who would have berengarius devested of the dignity ; he being thu● between the hammer and the anvile , called in the huns , the sworn enemies of the faith : they under pretence of aid , undertake the expedition , and range through italy , killing and bringing to obedience lambert the archbishop of millan , heydelbert the captain of the guard or pretorium , with other rebels . berengarius not long surviving this victory , his son the second of that name succeeded him , against whom ro●e up rodolph , duke of burgundy his rival , to the dominion of italy , berengarius therefore diffiding in his own forces , as the heir of his fathers kingdome and manners , trod in the same track of an hungarian expedition , who in his cause wasting italy , soon after overthrew odelricus , the count of the place , or major domo , with his numerous army , as afterwards they took the marquiss adelbert & giselbert prisoners , but they were no sooner departed , then berengarius was overcome , and persidiously slain , though justly in respect of his cruelties to his own blood ; this murder of the king , gave good occasion to the huns to return into italy , where they again burnt ticinum , exercising cruelty as a virtue : and having plundered & undone the provinces laded themselves home with a most rich spoil . a german war followed this , henry sirnamed the fowler , son of conrade deceased , denied to pay the tribute now insolently and imperiously redemanded by the huns , who thereupon keeping their faith religiously with the boii , ( arnulph their king having fled to them in avoydance of the designs and snares of conrade but was afterwards brought back by the prudence of henry ) wasted transylvania , swevia , but cheifly saxony , the hereditary country of the emperour , who unable to endure this their haughty & presumptuous behaviour , with a well composed army surpriz'd them at meersburgh , in the confines of the thuringian saxons ; having given order to his men to receive their first flight of arrows upon their sheilds , discreetly and conveniently placed , and while they were fitting and preparing for another volley , to rush in upon them ; by which military policy the huns were driven foul upon one another and slain with a terrible slaughter , and germany thereby freed from a shameful and ignominious slavery . the remains and reliques of those hungarians which survived the battel , were slain by one anothers treachery and discovery ; the feigned and pretended reward whereof was impunity and pardon offered to such of them as should reveal their comrades and country-men ; so that no more then seven escaped to carry the news of this miserable defeat and disaster to pannonia and dacia ; the horrour whereof so stupified this nation , that during the raign of henry , they totally abstained from meddling with germany . until the time of otho the great , the hungarians therefore continued at home within their own walls ; but then it appear'd what power and prevalence shame hath over fear , although things be never so hazardous or desperate ; for having recruited themselves by a long quiet and cessation from war , with their former courage and force they invaded the limits of bavaria , while other parties of them wasted the trani , norici , and charini ; for which depredations they were to satisfie soon after to the utmost ; for berchtoldus duke of bohemia , overcame them neer valence , and with the sword and the river tranus , to which they fled , made an end of them all : with the same fortune they fought with the charini , where having lost their leaders and general they were forced to fly . to revenge these discom●itures taxis ( not yet advanced to the regal dignity ) undertook two other expeditions the one into austria , and the other against the said charini or carinthi , in the confines of italy , which he miserably havocked , but him berholdus his son so worsted and routed , that he was forced to sculk and sneak for shelter ; the cause of which calamity was his feirce and brutish valour ungovernable by any art or policy ; being beaten here he turned his fury upon italy , where he was appeased by ●erengarius the third , protector to lotharius , with ten bushels of money , which tribute was imposed upon the heads of those that gave suck , being as much as ●ugo had formerly paid . the cruelty of the huns was not yet quite allayed , when gerard the bohemian , and duke conrade , not long before banished by otho , fell a spoyling the churches , and robbing the monasteries , and distributed the ecclesiastical treasure among the hungarians , as yet pagans , now intending an irruption into hungary ; for bulczko the successor of dursach , having considered the past calamities , and the small ability of his present condition , dispatcht away embassado●s to otho under pretence of civility and good friendship ; but indeed to enquire of his present state , whether or no , it offered any advantage to his necessitous arms. these returned with an answer rather fitted to the flattery of the occasion , which bulzko sought , than any thing of truth . so that in the . year after lewis was slain at rhodanum ; with a men , commanded by himself and the tetrarchs , laetius , sura , taxus , and schaba ; such a number of meer hungarians being never seen before in those parts , he set upon germany ; when through fear of them as they passed , the whole countrey was abandoned , the cities either strongly fortified or deserted , the people betaking themselves to the inaccessible places of mountains and rocks for the safety of their lives . the huns in the mean while clambring over hills and peircing through woods , most horribly burnt and wasted all the countrey , and having desolated bavaria , passed beyond the rhine and under the conduct of conrade , subverted lorrain , wherein they violated all humane and divine things . otho almost stupisfied with the danger , with eight legions passed into switzerland , having made peace with the venetians , at the same time as the hungarians had defeated the bohemians in a sore battel , who guarded the passes . it was now observed , that the first onset of these barbarians was the most forcible and vehement , and that they raged because their time was short . the germans therefore beset them on every side , cutting off their straglers and foragers , and carried their successe to the camp , where the huns tired with fight and plunder were wretchedly vanquished , and the river lycus filled with their slain ; their general being taken was hanged upon a gibbet at ratisbone with some of his captains , the rest being dismaid , secured themselves in their entrenchments . by this battel the strength of the hu●s was wholly broken ; yet being made more tractble by this great slaughter , they were in a manner saved by this their ruine . the second book . as the precedent necessary requisite to conversion to christianity , divine providence was pleased by these frequent and ruinous losses and slaughters , upon the neck of one another , to bring these barbarous huns to an humble sense of their calamitous and ruinous condition , and by that prepare and soften their minds to the reception of the great evangelicall truth , against whose innocent doctrine , the applauses of their triumphs and the noising loud fame of their puis●ance and successe had out-dinn'd the trumpets of the prince of peace , so that ●he still voyce of the redeemer could not be heard in the thunder of their impetuous , pro●perous violences . taxis one of the tetrarchs dying valiantly in this last unfortunate encounter , the huns chose geysa his son , either for his fathers or ●his own piety's sake , for their king and governour . for as there are , as in time , so in all other things a kind of vicissitude ; the th year from the incarnation was not yet ended , when geysa washed in the saving fount by adelbert , began to propagate the worship of the true ●od and renouncing his idols to abolish all superstition , studying to take off that fierce and barbarous nation from the desire of war , and by christian marsuetude and sweetnesse to attemperate their minds and sences . to this he was the more incouraged by constantine the th . of that name emperour of the east , and the germans who mainly promoted it , as being highly affected with such glad tydings ; next he appointed priests and bishops , the untamed ●●ture of his people in vain resisting , and so reduced them , that abandoning barbarisme , and the worship of mars and hercules , they embraced the christian faith. the captives , ( of which in such a long tract of time there could be no small multitude carryed away by them ) industriously builded their churches and brought their children to be baptized . to the better effect of all which , geysa used the help 〈◊〉 a pilgrim a very holy man who being invited by him into hungary , chose to himself other collegues ; geysa also by the aid and arms o● the saxons and bavarians kept his enemies within their limits , so that the people of hungary found themselves obliged to him for their preservation , who like an auspicious star shined upon them in a night whose gloominesse portended it for the last of their existence , when sheathing their swords he dispelled such an angry tempest with a sudden serenity . he waged war in austria against his will which unjustly taken away by rodeger he restored to leopold , whose ●on being shortly after expelled , the hungarians under the conduct of abas recovered and held it until albert the son of henry the emperour restored it to germany . there were also other occasions of this difference , henry surnamed the holy , ●isseised his brother bruno of his dominions in ●amburg , who avoiding the danger fled to the hungarians , by whom meeting with the emperour then engaged in an expedition designed to the expulsion of hardwick out of lombardy , ●runo was reconciled and re-invested in his estate . and having thus setled this hungarian realm as part of christendom , i shall not be oblig'd to so prolix a narrative of their future actions as being better regulated and marshal●ed to history , which hath registred them with that of their neighbours : the rise and the fall of all powerfull things being that object which most men consider , because of most concern to the world , for all middle things the means of extremes are indifferent , and do not engage ordinary and common observation . stephen his son succeeded him both in dignity and vertue , at the same time when both the english , danes , polonians and hungarians had forsaken their false religions , pope boniface the th . was then also expelled by pope penedict , from rome , whence stephen was honoured with many presents , and a priviledge of conferring ecclesiastical preferments : his couragious zeal broke the many designs and attempts of his pagan subjects and relations , as his fortune gained him transylvania , then abounding with ancient wealth , and now subdued to a constant obedience and subjection to the hungarian scepter . he over came likewise the bulgarians a warlike and successeful people in the east , to whose emperor basilius , after this glorious defeat , they were forced to submit themselves . he had issue by his wife gisala the sister of the emperour , a son called emerick , who dyed in his minority , and to the great grief of his father , and the perpetual disgust of his mother ; in his room vazules stephens uncles son , was appointed and raised to the hopes of the throne . stephen dyed in the year of our lord . having reigned happily and prudently . years , a man of great humility and piety even unto superstition , in a very great and ample fortune , which is subject to presumption and pride , for which his widow was much hated and abominated . peter notwithstanding succeeded him , the son of his sister , who managed his power no better then he gained it , by the murther of vazules ; scandalizing the government by base covetousnesse and arrogance , from which crimes it had hitherto been inviolate : not knowing that things lifted up on high are more conveniently raised for a fall ; nor to be of more pernicious consequence to any fortune then the lest and supremest . he first banished gisala , then took away her dower , ( reputed a just judgement on her ) pillaged his people , and murthered his nobles ; whereupon ensued a conspiracy against him , which prevailed so , that the kingdome was transferred to abas , and the counsellors and partakers of peters exorbitances , slain by the popular rage . peter escaped to henry the emperour , who knowing him guilty of the defection of the bohemians , forbad him his presence , and cast him into chains , but by the intercession of albertus general of the eastern limits , and caesar's own generous sentiments for a person descended of a royal family , he was soon after taken into favour . abas was substituted in his place , by whom all peter's acts were rescinded , and the kingdome seemed to have recovered its former dignity , except that peter claimed it as hereditary , and abas that would command others , was a vassal to his own passions . the first thing he did , was by an embassie to explore the mind of the emperour concerning peter , but receiving dilatory answers , he made invasions , the one into bavaria where his army and general were defeated , the other into styria and carniola , whence he carried away a great many captives . this gave occasion to the princes of germany to assemble at colen , and by unanimous resolution there taken to invade abas , which enterprise so succeeded , that abas beaten in two battles , and having lost all his country , as far as the river gran beyond pre burgh , was forced to a submission , by which he was bound to receive gisala the banished queen , to restore austria , and other places , with the late captives : which articles he stood not to , but spighting his nobles , as the occasion of his misfortunes , under the pretence of convening them for advice , most treacherously flew them and their children : but this the more incensed others just indignation , so that the remains of them escaping to the emperor , engaged him and peter against abas . at raab a signal battel was commenced , where by the revolt of abas his army , by which they satisfied for their former defection from peter , abas was forced to fly and in the pursuit slain at sheba , as a victime and sacrifice to the ghosts of his murdered nobility . peter was again restored by the emperour , who in triumphal progresse rounded all hungary , and having received the royal dignity , by the election of the bishops assembled at alba , transferred it to peter , who returning to the same vitious and cruel excesses , neither mindful of his past , nor provident of his future fortunes , provoked the hungarians under two captains visca and brunna , to another combination and rebellion against him , but the design being timely discovered , the chief complices were most miserably tortured . yet the sedition abated not , for by another conspiracy inflamed by a general hatred against christian religion , scandalized by their kings enormous lives , the hungarians privily sent for andrew and leventa , according to the advice of king stephen , out of poland , whither they had been banished ; these lurking for a while at newhausel , ( now so called ) by the river nitre , and assisted by the inhabitants , wreaked their revenge designed against the king upon the religion , massacring a great number of bishops then assembled at pesth . peter presently thereupon being forsaken of his own , was drawn out of his hiding place in the mossonian grounds , and after his eyes were put out , had his privities cut off , which disgraceful maims he survived three years . so when prudence is wanting to the first fortune , the future is alwayes most dangerous . andrew succeeded in the year of christ , he repressed the innovated superstition , and punished with the sword or banishment such as had assisted him to victory in his irreligious cruelty . henry the third , emperour , then engaged in a papal war in italy , ( between benedict the , and sylvester the third , and clement the second , whom he placed at last in st. peters chair ) being no way at leisure to attend hungary ; but that at last by his power determined , he resolved to revenge the injury done to peter , invading first the southern parts of hungary , but was forced to retreat by the overflowings of the lakes and rivers ; the next expedition was by water , where he was worsted by a stratagem , the last by water and land , but with as had successe , having advanced so far , and streightned for provisions , that he was forced to desire license and leave to return . a peace ensued this kindnesse , and as a pledge thereof , the emperour gave his daughter in marriage to solomon ( the son of andrew ) now confirmed in the succession to the crown . bela ( the brother of andrew ) by whom he was made duke of pomerania , and had hitherto lived in great concord with him to the aggrandizing the hungarian felicity ; and a little before appointed by him to the kingly government , could not brook this his nephews advancement over his head : assisted therefore by many of the hungarians , and aided by the poles , as solomon by germany and ●ohemia by the interest of andrew , besides his standing legions , an engagement en●ed at the river tibiscus , with various fortune , untill the hungarians in detestation of the christian religion , and in revenge of the suppression of paganisme by andrew , revolted to bela , who thereby became master of the field ; andrew flying was trod down in the pursuit . bela used his victory with great clemency , freely giving life to the rebels , and dismissing the german prisoners ransome free ; and applying himself to the government , appointed markets and rates of things , lessened the taxes and impositions ; money being not as yet known . he repaired and new built several places , suppressed the peasants and boores , tumulting against the profession of the christian religion , by sudden force ; and though he gained the kingdome by violence and injury , yet he governed it with piety and justice ; and in the year . the third year of his reign , by a kind of earthquake at the town of demes which disjointed every part and member of him , he dyed . solomon within a month after his death was seated in his throne by the power of the emperour ; geysa and ladislaus the sons of bela , despairing of equal resistance , flying for refuge into poland ; but the german forces returning home , they resumed courage , prevailing with boleslaus the king of poland to derive the friendship contracted between their father and himself to them his sons ; boleslaus owing so much to the merit of the father , entred hungary with them , but by the mediation of the archbishop of strigonium , a peace was happily concluded between them , on condition that geysa and ladislaus should with the title of two dukes enjoy a third part of the kingdome , but the soveraignty should abide in solomon ; this agreement with some grudging suspicions lasted till solomon , by the assistance of the dukes , took belgrade , the rich spoils whereof , a fourth part being only allowed the dukes by the advice of one vidus , caused such a rupture , that both had present recourse to arms. the first encounter proved disastrous , but the second fortunate to the brothers , who had to their assistance twenty thousand bohemians ; this battel was fought by the vaccian forrest , and with great resolution on both sides ; vidus was here slain , and solomon thereby driven out of his kingdome . geysa , now swayed the hungarian scepter , being busied in prosecuting his late victory , for that solomon appeared in the confines towards presburgh , endevouring the restitution of his fortune by the aid of the germans , and other adjacent people ; and in this martial angry mood he lighted upon the bessi , who had undertaken for their liberty his final discomfiture , and severely chastised this their preingaged arrogance ; yet he advantaged not his ovvn affairs , till henry the emperour appeared in his quarrel , & first took newhausel and advanced as far as vacia , and seemed to threaten geysa's claim ; but what he wanted in strength to oppose , he was supplied with in craft and policy , to impose upon the germans , by a round sum of money sent them , upon which the emperour retired , intent upon a revengeful design against pope hildebrand . and here an end was put to the tragedies of so many kings , wherein we may observe by the way , that the emperours though superiour by power and victory , could never make good their pretended title to hungaria , nor those kings vvho adhered to , or made use of their arms to passe unpunished . geysa dyed by a natural death , the third year of his reign ; on vvhose affections desideriue the metrapolitan bishop is said to have had so much influence that he was once thinking to have rendred the scepter to solomon ; but bethinking himself that his privacy could not be without danger , and that it would be rashnesse to trust the will and pleasure of an enemy , he resolved to retain the government . ladislaus having gloriously passed the ducal dignity conferred on him by his brother , had the regal honour unanimously bestowed on him , as reputed a prince of very great virtue and piety , and though he refused the crown because solomon was yet alive , yet the pertinacious importunity of the hungarians overcame his modesty . he first restored the true worship of god , & the good laws of his ancestors then obliterated and disused . he was assisted by an opinion of the divine favour accompanying him in all his actions , then which there is not a better instrument and engine to govern the multitude , who conceived that the crown of hungary , * with which the princes are to this day inaugurated , came down from heaven upon the head of this ladislaus . he agreed with solomon , for a certain yearly revenue , but he musing on his ambition , designed on pretence of a friendly conference to betray him , but that being discovered , he seized on him and imprisoned him at visigrade , where being condemned , at the intercession of a nun admonished by heaven , as she boasted , he gave him life and liberty ; which courtesy he strait abused , by engaging cuteschus the king of the cumani to take his part , but unprosperously , his army being overpowered and discomfited , so that despairing of recovering the kingdome , and weary of the world , he put on sackcloth , and betook himself to the woods and caverns , living upon acorns and berries , and drinking the water of the lakes for his thirst , teaching the world the uncertainty of all worldly things , and that felicity can be placed no where but in death . it is reported he was seen once in the time of coloman the succeeding king , in whose reign he also ended his life , in the woods of istria . in the mean while , ladislaus reduced dalmatia , and made it a perpetual appendix to the hungarian dominion , together with croatia ; there after followed a war with the emperour of byzantium , or constantinople , but it eveened with losse to the hungarians , for which the bulgarian victory and conquest soon after made amends . the fury of the cumani could nevertheless not be restrained , till after three overthrowes , the last whereof was most couragiously desended , at the banks of ister , till ladislaus with his own hands very difficultly slew achus their general , whose death stroke and broke the constancy of this valiant enemy , whose confederates and auxiliaries the roxolani fell under the same fate , and precariously obtained their peace . poland was the next scene of his successe , the cause of which expedition was their expulsion of boleslaus his great friend and familiar , who flying into hungary , tormented with an evil conscience for the ills he had done , being become of a good , a very bad man , died there . the armies joyned in the confines of sauromatia , where he vigorously routed the poles ; nor desisted from his pursuit till he had sacked cracovia the metrapolis of that nation , when vladislaus the brother of boleslaus , besought him peace , which he obtained upon condition that miesco , boleslaus his son , should have the second dignity . the sword being now sheathed , he built his royal seat of varadin by the river chrysus . this city in our times was the chief and principal of the county of bihor , famous of old for the sepulture of kings , and the sanctity of the place ; on the north are hills planted with fruitful vines , and watered with ever-running rivulets ; the east aspects the baths and medicinal springs ; the other part the plain and the woods encompasse . these great things effected , this zealous religious captain even to the report of certain miracles wrought at his grave afterwards , received at bodrogh , embassadors from the kings of england , france , and spain , desiring his assistance in the sarazen war , which he denied not , but the embassie took not its effect , for he died in a new expedition against suatopologus of moravia , leaving by so much , a greater name , by how much his successors came behind him in prowesse and martial atchievements . colomannus , ladislaus dying without issue ; succeeded his uncle in the throne , though otherwise designed by him , for he preferred almus his younger nephew son of geysa , as abler in body and mind , to coloman the elder , whom he praedicted for a bloody man ; but the nobles sending for coloman out of poland , whither he had fled ( for fear of his uncles words ) crowned him their king , his brother almus being tituladed with a dukedome , and invested in a fourth part of the kingdom . being thus advanced , as prosperous things do search the mind with sharper pricks , he did not consider himself as a governour and his people as citizens , but as an absolute lord , aud they his slaves and vassals . about the same time peter the hermit brought the crusado into hungary , when famin and the plague throughout christendome seemed to prevent his most religious negotiation . neverthelesse in the year . gualterus sensavir was entertained by him , and passage given him , he paying such a certain rate for his provision , some of whose souldiers stragling and committing some little spoyle about belgrade , were seized and most basely and ignominiously handled , which gualter thought good to dissemble , intent upon his expedition ; peter the hermit marching the same way upon the s●me conditions , understanding at malevill , what had happened to his fellows , flew presently to his arms , and breaking open the gates of the city , entred and slew . hungarians ; but being pursued by coloman , to avoyd him , fell into the hands of the soldan of nicia , who had an army of forty thousand men , and lost more by his rashnesse and incogitance , than ever he could have gained with his greatest moderation . nor did godschalk the preist fare any better , for entring hungary upon the former terms , his souldiers from the affluence of provisions began to riot , & forgetting the lawes of hospitality , to abuse their entertainers . to represse this insolence , coloman made after them to belgrade with a great army , where ensued a battel , but with such equal fortune , that coloman having recourse to policy , prevailed upon them under pretences of civility and reconciliation , ( desiring onely the plunderers to be punished ) that they confiding in his words disarmed themselves , and were instantly when they no way suspected such usage , horribly destroyed , not one of them being left alive to carry the news of this massacre . the rear of those forces arriving at meersburgh a place encamped with the danow , lynx , and morasses ; and ignorant of what had happned to their followes , and knowing the agreement made for their passage , did wonder to see the straights shut to them , which , the king dreading the punishment of his perfidy had so commanded ; whereupon after a vain message to coloman , they besiged m●ersburgh , slew . of the hungarians ; but just as the town was brought to the utmost extremity , a panick-fear sei●ed on them , whereafter ensued a great slaughter of them , the rest saved themselves by ●light . but godfrey of bo●●ign anxious of the losse of those legions , succeeded better ; for having debated the businesse and received an account of the late slaughter by godfrey of ascha , he easily perswaded the hungarians to consent to another passage , at an enterview between them , to such a firm understanding , that coloman while yet godfrey was at the said malevill on the banks of savi●● having furnished him also with all manner of provisions , delivered to him his brother baldwin , whom he had left as hostage for the performance of the agreement ; though bonfinus reports that the duke having taken zemlin , opened his way by the sword , and compelled coloman being too weak to oppose him , to consent at last to passage through his dominions . there followed this feud a quarrel between coloman and his brother almus . one part of the kingdome adhered to the king , the other to almus ; both armies met at the river tybiscus by a town called varkon , where a truce being concluded on , it was further proposed , that the two princes , to save the lives of others , should determine their own quarrel by duel , ● custome then much in use in that warlike nation , which coloman refusing , the difference was for a while respited and both parties laid down armes , which presently were employed against the russes , but with ill successe ; he makes peace thereupon with the venetians , and in the mean time debaucheth the fidelity of the iadrenses their subjects , whom to reduce , ordephalus was commissioned , who recovered iadra with a bloody slaughter , and advanced his successful armes as far as croatia , but was at last by coloman , assisted by the styrians in the saccage of the coast of dalmatia , engaged and overcome ; and so all the places returned with iadra again to his obedience . hungary was now again divided by the factions of the brethren : almas twice suspected , and twice assisted by forrainers , was once more restored by the armes of hen. . emp. but such was the arrogance of colomans fortune that seizing upon him , he caused his , and his son bela's eyes to be put out , without any tryal or compearance afore judges ; whence several grudges and conspiracies of the nobles & secret seditious practises were occasioned & somented against him ; the effect whereof he prevented by sudden death , which happened in the twenty fifth year of his raign . stephen , for his sanguinous nature , as delighted in often seeing the punishments of the condemned ) by his father nick-named thunder , was therefore placed under the government and tuition of the most eminent persons for nobility and vertue , under whom what he gained in fame and estimation , so freed from them , he lost it as fast ; notwithstanding the first and longest part of his raign was very prosperous . his first enterprize was against the russes , to restore iarislaus to that government , who fearing his uncle uladomirs designs against him , had fled into poland ; but he dying , the war ended as soon as it was begun ; the next expedition was against the bohemians , where worsted at the first encounter , he recruited his army and overthrew them . thrice he turned his arms upon bulgaria , macedonia , and greece ; and taking belgrade razed zengminum ; afterwards he fought with various successes against calo iohannes emperour of constantinople , but finally had the better of it , forcing him to sneak home by by wayes from his progression as far as ister , and that not without a signal defeat given him in his retreat , at a town called mala scala : though bonfinius reports stephen to have been beaten at the river of carassus , and to have besought his peace . a polish war ensued this in favour of the russes against another iarislaus duke of halicia , whom boleslaus king of poland had resettled in his estate , wherein the pole , otherwise a very fortunate prince , was defeated by a stratagem of stephens , joyning himself to the rear of the polish army upon pretence of friendship . and so when he had wearied his cruelty abroad , he began to exercise it at home , vailing his sloth with severity , murdering his nobles , and ravishing their ladies : but in the twenty second year of his raign , troubled in conscience with the flagitiousnesse of his facts , he put himself into a monastery ; though others write he onely designed such a retirement . bela , his cousin german , who had his eyes put out as before , and flying was entertained at constantinople ( which was the cause of the quarrel between stephen and calo iohannes ) was by the wonderful inconstance of fortune called to a crown , from his banishment ; he had gained to his wife , helena daughter of vr●● count of augusta , by whom he had four sons , geysa , ladislaus , stephen , and almus : his adverse condition had so sweetned his felicity to him , that he wholly intended his repose , wherein he gave many signs of great abstinence and equity , notwithstanding he was not altogether faultlesse , for at an assembly or convention of the estates at arad , though he seemed to be averse to any execution , yet he so wrought upon the affections of others , that most cruel punishments were inflicted on the authours of his fathers occaecation . hereupon the sons of the oppressed solicite borichus , the bastard son of coloman , to assume the government , who with the assistance of some poles and russes , came as far as sajus , a river dividing both the armies , where by the discovery of the extraction of borichus , the poles deserted him , who was constrained to fly for his protection to emanuel ; bela freed from this danger , by advice of his courtiers , took away the lives of two of the cheifest noblemen of his kingdome ; and being given to drunkennesse , in which he was full of promises , soon after dyed . geysa presently took upon him the kingdome , and managed his first armes for the good of his subjects : for henry duke of austria , aided by the saxons and stirians , to whom were added the forces of the emperour conrade , by the means and endevour of count iulian took presburg : all their power he very gallantly first sustained , and then overcame in the desperation of the event , killing seven thousand of the germans , and taking their camp and baggage . his next war was for his confederates , for lodomirus aided by the cumani , attempted to dethrone minoslaus , whose sister geysa had married ; whom though with great losse by the russes and the cumani , he reinstated . the dalmatian war attended this , one in name but many in the atrocity and fortune of the war ; manuel the eastern emperor invaded dalmatia as his dominion , took the castle of rasus , and laid waste the circumjacent country , and upon the news of the advance of the hungarians , came as far as the river drina , which parts bosnia and servia , and devasted both the provinces , and in a set feild overcame the joynt forces of the confederates , who encouraged by fresh and choyce supplies , with the additions of the bessi , by the valour and presence of the emperour , were foyled again , and the despot ( or as the language terms him ) the archi-zupan of the country , was forced to submit to a tribute , which successe emboldned manuel to a further attempt upon part of hungary , where he re-took zeugmi●●● repaired , after a most gallant resistance , and captivated a great number of the people , while geysa was waging wat with the russians . for lodomir ●enewing his designs against minoslaus , was ripe for the revenge of geysa , when this diversion brought the hungarians back upon iohn cantacuzenus , whom they furiously and desperately set upon and overcame ; but another army being dispatched by manuel ( retreating ) under the command of boricza , dis-peopled a great tract of ground , and slew three brigades of hungarians . this quarrel continued between them upon punctilio of revenge , and maintainance of acquist , after three several treaties concluded and violated , till andronicus duke of naessa and braniczobe , by treaty yeilded him those places , whereafter followed many bickerings , concluded in a league . the holy war was now recommenced by conrade , and continued by lewis of france , both of which passed through hungary , but by the perfidiousnesse of manuci suffered excceedingly . in whose camp borichus the bastard , concealing himself , was taken and killed : geysa died soon after in the year . and in the th . of his raign . stephen the eldest son of geysa possessed a peaceful scepter , which he indulged the rather for his subjects sake , and to conciliate the wavering affections of the kingdom● his first effort was against pope adrian , quarrelling about the churches and bishopricks of istria and liburnia . in this war manu●● assisted him , which sorted not very luckily by reason of the hungarians intestine divisions for the uncles of stephen insinuating themselves into manuel's favour , ladislaus the elder uncle , by sundry artifices and collusions with that emperour possessed himself of the throne , vouchsafeing stephen the title of a dukedome who wisely absenting himself , the common fate of usurpation befel ladislaus , & restor'd stephen again , after months unjust detainer from the regality , by ladislaus and not much longer ; after stephen his second uncle , substituted to his brother by the same faction , when the people weary of them both , willingly received their exile king. but this was not done without much damage and danger to the kingdome by the armes and designs of manuel , who now pretended to hungary , so that after many conflicts and depopulations , stephen was invested in syrmia , without any claim to be made by him to hungary , which articles being broken on stephen , the uncles part , and he af●esh invading the dominions of his nephew , assisted again by the said emperour , was wholly outed of his principality , as his confederate manuel from his part of dalmatia . the uncle survived not long , being poysoned by one of his complices , who feared the revenge of their practises & conspiration against their soveraign . stephen being therefore fully established , the peace was confirmed at home , but disquieted instantly from abroad ; for manuel the emperour with the old pretence of assisting stephen , arrived at the banks of ister , and from belgrade marched to the seige of zeugminum which at last was yeilded to him , and with that also dalmatia and syrmia , assigned by the agreement for the inheritance of bela his youngest uncle , who had married a kinswoman of the emperours . but neither this dured long , for stephen impatient of this bargain sent an army under dionysius , to revenge the injury , who was prosperous in one encounter , but was fatally defeated in the next by the emperour . bela by the decease of stephen possessed himself of the kingdom , which by his allyance with the greek emperour was composed and secured ; in his person dalmatia and syrmia , were united to the crown of hungary , and made members thereof as of the same body . his converse in greece made him most excellent in the arts of government , he first divided the kingdome into provinces , cities , and boroughs , and made that institution in reverence of royal dignity , that complaints should not be obtruded orally to them , but by way of humble supplication and petition . he warred with casimirus king of poland , upon a quarrel supported by both of them , in reference to the dutchy of halicia , but being but an auxiliary feud it was soon ended : as he did compose those affairs of his son in law isaac angelus , the constantinopolitan emperor , a weak yet sacrilegious person . he reigned . years , and left a most flourishing kingdome to his son emerick . emerick was wholly indisposed to war , which the rather persued him ; for the venetians vex'd at , and disdaining the losse of dalmatia , making use of the land forces of baldwin earl of flanders , and boniface marquiss of montferrat , passing for the holy land in their shipping , as leagued with them in the expedition , ( notwithstanding the thunderbolt of pope innocents excommunication at the instance of stephen , who would have transferred the war to its proper place ) took iadra and reduced all the maritime part of dalmatia . but emerick was more fortunate at home , having defeated a conspiracy made against him by andrew and most of the nobility by a most innocent but majestick device , coming of a sudden into their armed company , with the crown on his head , which the hungarians do naturally reverence , whereupon they all sheathed their swords and craved pardon , and were most magnificently and freely remitted . he deceased in the eighth year of his reign , and was succeeded by ladislaus the third , who applying himself to the reformation of the government , and the lawes , unhappily dyed in the month after his inauguration . andrew the second , for his vertue , was next advanced to the regal dignity . he sadly affected with the discomfitures of the christians , went himself generalissimo into the holy land , and passing into asia overthrew the sultan abubeker , sirnamed seyseddine , and the successor of saladine . he took also damiata , and forced the sultan to retreat , to caire , where he breathed out his unhappy soul : nor was it doubted but that his victories would entitle him to the holy land the christians being both in the field , and in the seige far superiour , until the nile overcame them ; for the sultan breaking down the banks on both sides , the river swelling to its usual heigh , overflowed into their camp , whereupon pressed with hunger , also & overwhelm'd with misery , they capitulated for their permission of departure , with the surrender of damiata ; andrew bringing thence instead of victory the heads of st. stephen and margaret , the right hands of benedict , thomas , bartholomew , part of the rod of aaron , and one of the water-pots wherein christ wrought his miracle of wine . these things the hungarian writers with intrusive piety mainly defend . others say that he passed no further then iordan , and having washt himself thrice therein , as accounting himself disobliged from his vow , returned home . his justice was very remarkable , in that he justified bancbanus ( his deputy in his absence ) who had slain his queen , for that she had prostituted his wife to her vitious brother , who came to visit her . he forgave the venetian injuries , made excellent lawes , and vested a negative power in the nobles , to what should be enacted without their consent ; by gertrude he had three sons , bela , coloman , and andrew , and elizabeth his daughter , not to be passed , for her eminent piety , without honourable mention , she was married to the landgrave of hesse , who dying in the holy land , she betook her self to a monastery , and was five years after her death canonized by pope gregory the ninth , at which consecration was present at marpurg , frederick the emperour with divers other princes , vvith a conflux of nundred thousand persons . bela the th . of that name was saluted king , while his brother coloman having expelled daniel seized the government of halicia and lodomiria , himself being wholy addicted to peace and quiet , but herein fortune failed him , for the tartars , ( whose original described something largely by my author , but not to our present purpose we must here omit ) with whom joyned the cumani expelled by the same tartars from their seats a●d habitations in . ( by humble intreaties and profession of christian religion , after they had been denyed entrance or entertainment in russia ) having been admitted into hungary by the kings single consent , proved the first part of the ruine of that kingdom : for the hungarians offended with their peremptory carriage and finding little redresse ar court , fell ●pon them of a sudden and killed their king kuthenes , who being thus provok'd , kill slay and burn whatever they came near , and at last joyned themselves to the tartars , whose invasion being rumoured before , was imputed to some design of the kings , to keep the hungarians in peace with the cumani . now whilest peta one of the tartarian generalls ravaged poland , moravia , and silesia , as cadon another of their captains did russia , the emperour bathuy chan overthrew the palatine of hungary deserted of his people at russe-port , and utterly crushed the arch-bishop of colozza in a moorish ground , and laid wast all the countrey as far as vacia , and passing f●rther totally defeated and vanquished bela , striving in vain with the discords , negligence and hatred of his subjects . nothing remained to him in all hungary , but alba regalis , strigonium and the monastery of st. martins , nor was the multitude of the slain by weapons , smoak and clouds raised by magick art to be computed : three years the tartars continued this ruine , searching in the woods and caves for the miserable inhabitants , others with feigned letters they allured from their hiding places , all which they slew , so that the stench of the dead carcasses caused a plague and mortality , as a famine was occasioned by the devastation of the countrey . by which means the tartars were forced to abandon that kingdome , carrying away with them an inumerable company into intollerable slavery . the pope endeavoured to christianize this savage nation , and bathuy chan did grant a truce and protection to the monks , as mango was converted , yet the other leaders seeing the vices of the christians chose rather the mahometan infidelity . the tartars thus departed , bela by the aid of the knights of st. iohn of ierusalem who from the faction of rome had retired themselves into illyria , where he had weathered this storm , & others of the crusado , who were frequent in those parts of croatia and dalmatia , and the like assistance of the frangipans received again his desolate kingdome , with his four sons whom he had deposited in the fortresse of clissa . but no sooner was he seated , then a just occasion led him against frederick the emperour , who under pretence of sheltring him , had rob'd him of his treasure , but expiated that fraud by a just force which vanquished him at nova a city of austria whereby bela gained all his enemies wealth & began to revive the drooping spirits of the hungarians ; which while he intended by other alleviaments , the bohemian war recalled him , for primislaus that king the great friend of the emperour otho , so that he was called ottho ca●rus having married the widow of ●rederick attempted the recovery of styria and austria , not long possessed . a fierce and cruell battel was thereupon joyned in moravia , where the hungarians inferiour in number and exhausted with the late war , were overthrown and a peace made upon these conditions that the bohemians should enjoy austria and the hungarian stand seized of styria . stephen the fifth swayed the hungarian scepter , though not long , yet very gloriously , for he revenged his fathers discomfiture upon ottocarus , though at first he vvas worsted , afterwards he made an expedition against the bulgarians , people of the dacia aureliana , ( so called , for that emperors transplanting them in maesia from the new dacia ) & made them willing to pay that tribute which was due to his predecessors . he reigned but years , leaving hungary in a thriving condition . ladislaus the fourth , the son of stephen succeeded , and was scarce moneth● old in the government , when a new war succeeded the former , as if fortune had so ordered it , that the bohemian having ill used the . kings bela and stephens , should satisfie for his injuries to the third king ladislaus . moravia was the cause of the war , wherein ottocarus outstretched his bounds very immoderately . it was long consulted hereupon by the hungarians , how they should coun●erplot or oppose these enc●oachments , when the fates of themselves opened a way . the princes of the empire vvhile they soveraigned it themselves vvithout any chief or head , were variously opprest with the factions of the guelphs and gibellines , by which means it came to passe that the name of the counts of hapsburg , then obscure , igno●e , and unregarded , now exerted it self ; and afterwards augmented by riches and power in germany , and chiefly by the marriage of mary of burgundy , was thereby propagated far and wide , and became formidable to the whole world. rudolphus the major domo or mayor of the palace to ottocarus , was by the perswasion of venerus of ments , declared and appointed emperour , ottocarus could not brook a superiour , nor rudolphus endure a peace , ladislaus is therefore by him adopted and engaged as his confederate in the war , by which ottocarus was wholly routed and vanquished ; and beaten out of austria , shut up in the fiefs of bohemia and moravia . at the same time lascus niger the king of poland , had for protection & assistance addrest himself to ladislaus , being expelled his kingdome by conrade duke of massovia , which ladislaus readily granted , and in his aid forthwith subdued his rebellious subjects , this war was taken up by the revival of another by ottocarus , who no way enduring the dominion of rudolphus formerly his servant , stirred up oldamir the duke of the cumani , to invade hungary the emperors confederate , and for the better ligament of their new friendship , took to wife that dukes danghter kunigunda , unlawfully repudiating his former wife margareta ; the cumani aided by some tartars , came as far as the lake of hood , burning and spoyling all the country about . against these ladislaus fought successively , ottocarus himself after a total rout being slain in the battel . peace thereupon was granted to the queen of bohemia , on condition that her son wenceslaus should marry the daughter of caesar , and to hold bohemia from the emperour as his beneficiary . but though this last battel was so prosperously fought , yet was it the cause of greater evils , for the tartars and cumani that escaped , implored the assistance of their countrymen , who following their unknown and bloody tract in the year , broke into hungary , renewing and carrying the dismal slaughter of the former time as far as the province of pesth : whosoever they met with ( for the pleasure of the tyrant ) were consumed , others mancipated to perpetual slavery , very many with limbs cut off survived their punishment ; such as were left in the high-ways , sometimes by sight , often by their groans and howlings , knew their wives , husbands , children or parents ; by which barbarity the kingdome was so oppressed , that there were not cattel enough to draw the wains , and those the men drew , in contempt of the king , were called ladislaus chariots : for he having married the daughter of charles king of sicily , grew so outragious in his lust , and voyd of all fear and shame , that he stuprated the wifes of the cumani , and most libidinously vitiated them ; the which cumani ( as the friendship of princes not conciliated by vertue is very temporary ) at a large treatment given him at keretzegum , there slew him , and put an end to his flagitious practises . andrew the third , enjoyed the kingdome after ladislaus the nephew of andrew the second , by the daughter of the marquesse of este and son of stephen . boniface the eighth , obtruded charles robert , a youth of twelve years of age , the great grandchild of charles duke of anjo● , who at the sollicitation of pope clement the fourth , after many fruitlesse wars managed by the papacy , deprived manfred the bastard of conrade the emperour , of the kingdome of sici●ia , and suffred the same fortune by peter of arragon . this andrew , as he gained the kingdome by the love and affection of his subjects , so he maintained it by his own worth and vertue . he was in the beginning of his raign taken prisoner by albert of austria , adolphus of nassau then emperour , and after his enlargement at vienna , contracted with agnes the daughter of the said albert , which said contract upon his return was annulled by the states of hungary , as done in his restraint , which occasioned a war with various successes in austria , until intestine troubles forced albert to make peace , that he might bend his arms against adolph , whom he slew , and advanced himself ( though not unpunished for his disloyalty ) into the imperial throne . andrew in the mean while gently reduced the favourers of charles and the pontifical authority , by which he was invested ; but that len●i●y of his was abused to his contempt and avilement ; for the seditious practises of the same men , brought charls , andrew yet living , into hungary , but the danger rendring king andrew's authority more acceptable to his other subjects , restrained charles his advance . in the conclusion of his raign the venetians being excommunicated by the pope , for the seizure of ferrara , the iadrenses revolted to the hungarians , to reduce whom , belletus iustinianus was sent with a power ; but by the stratagems of the vaivod of dalmatia , was presently repulsed . andrew deceasing , the hvngarians being divided among themselves , one part of them acknowledged charles for king , others blamed the pope for meddling with a matter no way belonging to him , under pretence of religion : the generality therefore being of that opinion ; the arch-bishop of colozza , the bishop of varadin , and other their complices , invited wenceslaus ( son of wenceslaus the king of bohemia who refused ) to accept and entertain the crown ; wherein the strangeness of fortune is observable , that the issue of ottocar●● ( so odious to the hungarians ) should now be spontaneously desired of them . but that a●dent and sudden affection soon cooling , and charles his partisans , with the assistance of albert of austria ▪ infesting moravia with frequent incursions , wenceslaus the father mistrusting the levity of the hungarians , made an expedition into the kingdom , where finding his son neer pesth ( who came to meet him with his crown on his head , ●i●hly adorned ) he carried him away presently with him , together with his crown , into bohemia ; giving this reason to the demands of the hungarians , that he did it to avoid an imminent storm : hence a quarrel and hidden war : for uladislaus l●ctius being removed from the polonian scepter , flying to amadeus or es●●s , the palatine of hungary , watched an opportunity of recovering his kingdome from wenceslaus : whose government , being too heavy for the poles , the palatine levying an army soon re-settled his guest , and wenceslaus shortly after deceased , so that this was a kind of interregnum or vacancy . boniface the eighth , yet furiously persisting in execution of his purpose and designation of charles , by nicholas cardinal of ostia , with the usual anathema excommunicated the hungarians , who on the contrary declared the pope guilty of disturbing the peace , and interdicted his bishops in the same manner ( who at present seemed to acquiesce , awaiting a fitter opportunity the adverse party being too prevalent , for their revenge ) and the rather provoked by this papal thunder , proceeded to the election of otho the third duke of bavaria , to the kingdome , in the year of christ . he received the crown gratis from wenceslaus for which great sums had been offered by the hungarians , and was inaugured at alba re●alis ; and the better to win and insinuate himself into the favour of the nobles and people , he wore the crown ( which is had as before in the greatest veneration ) constantly in his progresses and publique appearances . once as he entered transylvania he lost the crown , being put up in a case and tied to his horses saddle , which was not found till next day , and this was taken for an unlucky omen of his expulsion first into russia , by which people he was for a while again restored , and his last final deprivation by ladislaus vaivod of the kingdome , who sided with charles and the papal pretences , though he had been one of the advancers of otho before . by this means much blood was spilt by those intestine divisions ; the cardinal gentilis being sent again with new curses and bans against the adversaries of charles , which brought innumerable mischief● both upon clergy , nobility , and people , most unnaturally divided one against another . these factions having so long opprest this nation , it was unanimously agreed to confer the supreme power upon a single person they chose thereupon in the feilds of 〈◊〉 charles the nephew of 〈◊〉 ●laudus king of ▪ sicily , by mary the daughter of stephen the fourth , and son of charles martell ; in whom the discords and feuds of the nobility were by his vertues reconciled . he was encircled in the presence of his father , with that crown which ladist●us had surrendred ▪ his first exploit and enterprise was against matthew trinesiniensis ; who had refused allegiance , whom he overcame in a bloody battel at cassovia ; but with great hazzard and dubious event ; his numerous troops of horse , among whom was a veterane tryed band of the knights of the order of st. iohn , turning their backs to a brigade of curassiers . nor did the conspiration cease here , for a bloody and ●nefarious design was laid at visigrade , where felicianus sakanus a special servant of the kings with a drawn sword , struck at him , who inclining his body , the blow cut off the fingers of the queen ; nor had the king escaped , had not the souldiers of the guard freed him ( being mounted ) from imminent death . the assassinate for terrour , was quartered , and his four quarters sent as a spectacle , through the kingdome , and his family and posterity utterly extinguished . intending now an expedition against the sarazens , a revolt of the valachians withheld him , he advanced therefore against bo●aradine the vayvod thereof , and compelled him with the expence of the war , to pay the yearly tribute ; but returning he was set upon by that perfidious nation in the abrupt and least passable places , and defeated , he himself changing his habit for his easier escape . others say he undertook this war upon no ground , and therefore they ascribe the event to his wickednesse ; burying the noble memorable acts of this man in this overthrow , who was so potent and prudent a prince , that most of the kings of his time were by his force or prudence obliged to him . he had to his wives , mary the daughter of casimir duke of poland ; beatrice daughter of the emperour , and elizabeth the daughter of uladislaus of poland ; by the last he had issue charles , who died at the years , as ladislaus at four months , end . his surviving son andrew had apulia ; lewis , hungaria for his patrimony . under this charles the realm recovered its former puissance , for he ruled over rama , servia , gallicia , saler●a , l●d●miria , cumania , and naples ; far famed , had he not begotten his son lewis , although that also , be attributed to his glory . the third book . lewis not inferiour to so great a father , and skilled in martial affairs , exercised his first arms against the insolence of the valachians and servians , who contemning his youth recoyled from the obedience they owed and performed to his father , but were reduced to the same conditions . those being subjugated he solemnly dismiss'd his mother , whose sanctity had procured her a veneration even unto superstition , to apulia , and thence to rome , requesting of his brother andrew the loane of thousand marks of gold , ( as the covetousnesse of the times then required ) for the price of his confirmation in the kingdom of naples : which affair concluded , he aided his adoptive father casimir ( who before had designed charls his natural son , but he survived not long after ) against iohn of bohemia and the lithuanians , whom he attempted to force to the belief of the christian religion , but found the difference betwixt words and swords . the bohemian advanced as far as cracovia , he again expelled out of that dominion , from whence he was not yet retired , but the tartars made another invasion into hungary , but neverthelesse were so well received by andrew the vaivod , son of ladislaus aforesaid , ( who avoiding their arrowes , came to handy blows with them , and the dint of sword ) that they were utterly overthrown , and their general atlamus taken prisoner , and the name of the tartar after this defeat not heard of in hungary for many years . with the same fortune he prevailed against the croats , in which expedition he was personally present , accompanyed with stephen neman prince of bosnia , whose daughter he had married , for while as yet he stayed in the confines of croatia , they submitted themselves , and took the oath of fidelity and allegiance : but the venetian war was bloody , who in spight of lewis , reduced schodra to their subjection , after he had lost many men in the attempt of relieving it . while these things were doing ; ioan the wife of andrew new-invested in apulia , for the love and lust of her adulterer the prince of tarentum , designed to transfer that kingdom with her self to his embraces , by the death of her husband , whom she hung with a silken halter . this fact obliged lewis to a just revenge , which to prosecute ( having in vain received letters from ioan in excuse thereof and by his answer declared her guilty of that and other precedent and subsequent crimes ) he marched into italy , where he was assisted by phillip of m●ntua , malatesta of ariminum , and other princes , whose governments by the sloth of charles the emperour were beco●e absolute tyrannies . by these arms he drove lewis prince of tarente the adulterer , and ioane his wife out of italy , to marseilles and avignion , and possessed himself of all the dominion of apulia , on that side the sea , & taking the duke of dyrrachium beheaded him by the common executioner , as he sent the brothers of the said lewis ( with the son of andrew as his ward ) bound in chains into hungary , whether , the pest raging in italy and depopulating many places , and whole provinces , he soon after followed , and placed stephen laskus his vaivod in transylvania . but the neapolitans rebelling , as not enduring a forraign government , the hungarians left in that kingdome , twice defeated them , once by a salley made by stephen the governour of naples , whom they had blocked up , and the next time by volphordus in plain battel , though he lost his life as the price of the victory ; when ioane having sollicited and obtained new supplies , at the instances of the pope , to whom as a gratuity she consigned avignion , and to whose arbitrement she submitted her cause , attempted again the recovery of the kingdome , whereupon lewis returning with wonderful fortune , took barletum , carnesium , where his life was neer endangered , luceria and salernum , ( with most of all the towns ) and placing garrisons therein in the year of jubile came to rome . the papal seat was then at avignion , wherefore the prefect of rome , nicolaus rentius , a man of eminent worth and virtue , meeting the king with the estates of the city , proffered him the absolute supreme power thereof , but he refusing , it was tendred to charles the fourth , out of fear of clement the pope , to whom , charles being of an abject spirit , delivered the said rentius captive . ioan in the mean while never left urging of clement to take her part , promising great advantages to satisfie his covetousnesse , if he would effect her restitution , which in fine , by much intreaty to lewis , who was religiously given , and could not be wrought upon any other way , was obtained at his hands . the venetians fell by his next arms , for lewis confederated with leopold of austria , and the cr●atians invaded the maritine part of dalmatia , in two inroads by friuli and istria , tarvisia frustrated his conquest , but spalatra , and other places opened their gates to the experience and courage of his veterane army , securing and confirming some places , and reducing others , among whom were the inconstant schodrians . the total of this expedition amounted to the acquists of that part of the venetian territory which extends it self from the bay of phanaticia , to dyrrachium , and all dalmatia , in lieu of those places taken in this war which by an agreement he surrendred . but this agreement lasted not long , both parties taxing each other , as the manner is , for the breach of it , though the fault was in the venetians , who engaging charles the emperour , invaded the dalmatians and croats , put by this treaty under the protection of lewis ; these invaders were encountred first successefully by paul , the son of ladislaus the vaivod , but unprosperously by stephen of transylvania , whose rashnesse and fury overthrew him , and made him a prisoner to the victor . thereafter many were the vicissitudes of fortune . lewis by this defeat , was perswaded by the croats to a two years truce , which expired , leopold growing insolent , was beaten by the venetians and recruiting himself for another encounter , was induced by lewis to another two years cessation , but he having underhand held intelligence with the genoese , privily prepared for a war , by the dread whereof the venetians with restitution of what they had got , were glad to descend and consent to a peace . the genoese nevertheless proceeding in their enterprize , reduced the venetians under the conduct of peter auria to extremity , but themselves afterwards puft up with successe , were subjected to the wheel of fortune by the invention of guns , and engine found out then by bertholdus niger ; in fine , lewis by land , and the genoese by sea , besieged and took clodia , when all parties wearied with the many miseries of the war , referred themselves to the arbitrement of the duke of savoy , who first of all ordered the razing of the castle of tened , as the occasion and continual foment of the quarrel , awarding also the decennial payment of thousand crowns , by the venetians to lewis , who content with the glory of his actions , and this incompetent sum in respect of his expences , ceased the war. while these things were acting in venice , pope urban excited lewis against ioane , because she took part with clement the seventh the antipope , who forthwith dispatcht away charles his son ( as some say ) others his nephew by andrew , who with men passed into italy , and was welcomed there with the acclamations of victory . he subdued sever●l towns , and mulcted the florentines in the sum of . thousand crowns . at rome , he was adorned with all the regal habiliments ; ioane placing her sole hope in the duke of anjou . she had intermarried for her fourth husband , otho of brundusium , the tarentine during in custody , and the king of sardinia her next husband dead in spain . otho though he took part with urban against the inclination of ioane , yet vvas constant to her against the hungarians , vvho took in several other tovvns . charles being arrived and introduced into naples , besieged ioan , vvho had shut up her self in castel novo . otho comes and besieges the city and the besiegers , till charles sallying out , he vvas after a gallant opposition by reason of a fall off his horse taken prisoner , and ioane hereupon despairing of any relief forced to surrender . but lewis of anjou , uncle and regent of charles the sixth of france , whom clement had invested and ●eoffed in the realms of apulia and sicilia ( as purchased from ioane ) with thousand horse ( the number of the foot uncertain ) passed into italy , whom charles inferiour in strength , so bafled with delayes , that his great numbers proving burdensome to him , and lewis dying thereupon , either by disease or poyson , the frenchmen two or three in company were glad to beg their way and departure home . lewis in his return out of italy to hungary , enterprized by nicholas the palatine upon bosnia , which had revolted from him , but he wearied out with the siege of sebenico , was easily overcome . better fortune attended him in his expedition against stratomirius , the prince of the bulgarians , who vanquished was taken captive at gemleick , but soon after by the good will of the king , and the liking of the kingdome restored to his principality . the family of the piasti failing in casimir , lewis was now crowned king of poland , the first of foraign princes that was chosen by them : the administration of this government he committed to his mother elizabeth , the customary delights of his native countrey inviting his return . nor did she continue long there , having by her levity and flexibility gained the love of some , but not the reverence of all persons ; wearied therefore with new commotions , she departed rather frighted then feared into hungary , but prefering the priviledge of absoluteness before the humours of another , she was soon induced to retire back again . in the mean while the nobles of the greater polonia created vladislaus the duke of cusavia , of a monk , to their king , whom sabinius though chief of the same counsel and combination with other of the nobility on the part of lewis overcame , and sent him captive to lewis , who by his extraordinary clemency , in which he was not superable , gave him an abby as satisfied in having reduced him to his former condition ; the same fate pursued the rebellious russes , who were now annexed to the crown of hungary , and several lords or vaivods set over them . hence jealousies and suspicions , and ill rumours among the polanders , which uladislaus prince of oppelon late governour of white russia fomented ; the reason of the kings erecting this nevv authority , vvas partly his propensity to his own blood & kindred , and partly because he believed that that country under the name of hallicia and lodomiria did belong to hungary . this indisposition of affairs , and the vvearinesse of those frequent journevs the king made into poland , vvho loved his ease and was delighted with home , caused him to appoint a triumvirate of polonian noble men to the administration of that kingdom . he himself intending the chastisement of the vayvod of valachia who had revolted from him , received an overthrow by his lieutenant ladislaus of transylvania , being shamefully beaten between the rocks and abruptnesses of novigrade , which loss he repaid to effect ; meeting the same enemy secure by reason of their late victory in the plains of bulgaria , & making them thereby to submit to their former tribute . about this time the cumani received the christian faith , and lewis upon the same religious account marched against the lithuanians ( who depredated russia ) and restrained , and upon their submission pardoned them , and restored to them their duke . lewis had daughters catharina , mary , and hedwiga ; catharine died young , mary with the succession to the crown , was married to sigismund , whose father was charls the th emperour ; hedwiga by the consent of the nobles of poland was chosen queen thereof , whom iagello great duke of lithuania afterwards married , and converted his kingdom to christianity , and by the name of uladislaus was worthily registred among the kings of polonia . lewis died at tyrnaw , to the great loss and detriment of hungaria , a man of a couragious and courteous mind , bountiful to learned men , and very skilful in astrology , for which he was stiled ordongos lajos by his people . he used in disguises to visit the towns and places neer his residence , inquiring into the lives and manners of his magistrates and himself , by which he might better correct what was amisse , and if report pleased him enjoy the happinesse and felicity thereof . mary the second daughter of lewis ( her sister hedwiga being married to the king of poland and settled there , by which means a strict league and union was begun between both nations ) was saluted with the title of king of hungaria ; she was betrothed to sigismund of brandenburg , but their minority hindred the present consummation of the match . she governed happily by the prudence of her ministers , and the beloved memory of her father , but as soon as she entrusted the whole menage of the state into the hands of nicholas gara the then palatine ( who by his insolence was unsufferable to the nobles ) a civil dissention , inflamed by the envy and hatred against him , arose in the kingdome , the secret design whereof was , the deposition of her from the throne . some of the grandees thereupon consulted to call in charles surnamed the little son , or as others , nephew of lewis ( who had relieved and afterwards distressed pope vrban ) and was now gloriously invested in the kingdom of naples ( out of italy , ) delegating to him upon this errand , the bishop of zagrabia , who effected the businesse notwithstanding the disswasion of charles his wife . his passage into hungary , was by the way of sipontus and zagrabia , where unexpectedly arrived , he pretended for his rapinous seizure of the scepter , the composure of those tumults and factions in the state. this caused sigismund ( whom his father in his life time had sent into hungary to be educated and fashioned according to the hungarian manners ) to fly into bohemia , while charles being honourably received evey where , surprized the castle of buda , and in presence of the queen and her grandmother ( who wisely tempered and dissembled their resentments ) caused himself to be crowned at alba regalis ; and not long after , was so inveagled and blinded by his parasites ( with whom he most delighted ) that he could not foresee the danger of his unjust usurpation . for the generality and the nobles being estranged in their affections , elizabeth the queen-mother , and the above-named palatine , under colour of a private conference at the house of blasius forgatz , there by a private hand assassinated him , upon the rumour whereof , the italians that came with him , covenanting for their safety , obtained a dismission into their own countrey . the queens were now in hopes of a plenary restitution , when the banus or prince of croatia took upon him the revenge of charles his death , assisted therein by some of his favourers , by whom elizabeth was drowned in the river of bruszula , and mary with somewhat better fortune preserved in custody ; the palatine and forgatz were both cruelly slain . sigismund having notice of charles his fate , and sensible likewise of the danger the queens were in , levyed a great army , for the expence whereof he pawned the marquisate of brandenburg to iodocus and procopius , his cousin germans . his fortune in this expedition was answerable to his strength ; for intent against the croatian , ( who frighted with the danger had articled for his indempnity with mary , whom he had set at liberty ) he possessed himself of that countrey with bosnia , and at quinque ecclesiae , put him to death with thirty of his partakers and conspirators against the queens . the bishop of zagrabia , in respect to his quality , had his goods onely confiscated . thus charles expiated his prodigious lust by the queens , as the queens for the ungovernance and breach of faith by the banus , and he for his cruelty by sigismund , whom hungary now acknowledged as their new and rightful soveraign , as the kingdome of naples did lewis the son of charles . sigismund maintaining his kingdome by the same prudence with which he recovered it , made an expedition against the valachians and moldavians , and slew their vaivod , stephen ; and annex●d them by oath of subjection to the crown of hungary . but war ceased not here , for alexander indevoured to restore the valachians to their liberty ; and being too weak and inferiour in force , called in the turks to his assistance , whom also sigismund put to a most shameful flight , and pursuing them as far as thrace , took in nicopolis . but the death of mary sowered the sweetnesse of this victory ; for uladislaus of poland now pretended a right to the kingdome , by vertue of the agreement made betwixt mary and his wife hedwiga . but iohn canysa the arch-bishop of strigonium , possessing the abrupt passages and difficulries of the mountains , kept out uladislaus , though the turks , far more dangerous , could not be repressed . their design was the recovery of nicopolis , in order whereunto they laid waste the adjoyning dominions of hungary , ( whither their arms in the minority of their empire had not yet reached ) but bajazet the fourth king , having vanquished mark the prince of bulgaria and lazarus the despot of servia , as on the asian side he had conquered the kindome of armenia ; thereafter infested phocis and thessaly , and now threatned with the siege of nicopolis , a further progresse of his victories . to avert this storm , sigismund dealt with him by ambassadors , but words not availing , he prepared with force to encounter this enemy , levying to that end a very select army of hungarians , germans , and french , resolving to crush and suppresse the rising greatnesse of the turk , before he grew too potent with so many additions , which his successful scymitar had annexed to his first mean and inconsiderable patrimony . in this expedition he was accompanied with iohn the hardy , son of philip duke of burgundy , who joyntly retook in many towns seized by the turks in bulgaria , and in one great battel carried away the victory , when the french-men according to the light humour of their nation , were so dissolved by lust and luxury , and became so arrogant withal , that they boasted they could sustain and support the falling heaven with their spears . bajazet having failed of his design upon constantinople , and risen from the seige thereof , was now in person before nicopolis , whither sigismund being also come , he put his army into battalia , giving the van to his hungarians , as best skilled in the turkish manner of fighting , and placing the french as his rear-guard ; who taking this for a disgrace , before sigismund had opened his battel , fell suriously open the turk , whose arrowes so galled and terrified their horses , that their riders being forced to alight , they ran soul upon the hungarians , who misgiving this for a rout ; fell into a present dismay , & thence to flight , wherein numbers of them perished in the danow , iohn of burgundy with abundance of other nobles , was taken prisoner and was ransomed with the sum of thousand crowns . sigismund doubtful of his life in a light galley escaped to constantinople , whence by rhodes , and so to daimatia , and by the help of the archbishop of serigonium , he recovered his kingdome . bajazet fortunated with this victory , not long after became far more miserable then the vanquished , ( so deceitful is the greatest assurance of humane things ) being overcome by tamerlane ( by my author called temir ) the great cham of tartary , and enclosed in an iron cage , made his footstool when he took horse , and wherein betwixt rage and impatient indignation he brained himself against the grates . the misfortune of this field , opened a way to the revenge of those persons who were related to the . noblemen , put to death by him at quinque ecclesiae , for by a potent conspiracy , in which ladislaus the king of poland was concerned ( by their invitation of him to assume the scepter ) sigismund was seized on a sudden , and put into the custody of the sons of nicholas the late palatine in the castle of soklos ( buda and the places confining with germany adhering to him notwithstanding ) which gave opportunity to ladislaus , to persue his design upon the kingdome of naples , ( newly transferred by pope alexander from lewis the son of charles aforesaid for his encroachment upon the church territory , to lewis of anjou ) which he reovered in his own right . he was now besieging the often mentioned * iadra , and had forced it from the venetians , when news was brought him that sigismund having over-perswaded , and by promises prevailed on the mother of the sons of nicholas the palatine , had obtained his liberty , and having privily passed into moravia and bohemia , had openly resumed his title and the government , and had put to death stephen the vaivod of transylvania , with some few others as the authors of the late treason against him . hereupon ladislaus thought best for the preservation of his own ( for another defection of the neapolitans was likewise suspected ) to part with iadra and his pretences upon the venetians for a sum of money , and to return : but sigismund had setled himself sure in the government , and was now engaged in a war against the people of bosnia , who had during these late troubles , renounced their allegiance to the crown of hungary . nor did he engage with better fortune against the turks , although weakned by a civil war between the five sons of bajazet , his lieutenant stephen● lossontius , aiding mark the vaivod of mold●via , who had shook off the turkish yoak , being discomfited , and the said vaivod deposed by mahomet the fift king of turky . who to prosecute this quarrel commanded isaac the bassa of bosnia , to invade hungary ; where notwithstanding he was defeated twice by nicholas pe●ri , yet by the negligence and divisions among the hungarians , he had at last the better of it , destroying by fire many towns and villages . rupert the emperour being deceased , pope iohn the . dealt with the german princes to elect sigismund in his place , as a person whose regal majesty , magnificence , and virtue , the skill and readinesse of many languages , did excellently adorn and prefer before all the princes , his cotemporaries , as inferiour likewise to none of his predecessors , if successe in battel , and chastity in bed had not been wanting . soon after his assumption to this dignity , he threatned a war against uladislaus of poland , but it was superseded by a truce , which a peace ensued . the turks busie encroachments disturbing and disseising his neighbours , he had belgrade consigned him by george bulchus the despot of servia , who had other places in hungary in exchange thereof : by which means the turks being put to a stand , he had leisure to employ his army against the venetians , aided by the florentines , who had seized several places , but after some bickerings this difference was also composed , for that sigismund was now engaged in a bohemian war in maintenance of his new title to that crown : about this time the councel of constance was held , and pope iohn convicted of . crimes , committed to the custody of lewis count palatine of the rhine , and otho colonn● by the name of martin the fifth , placed in the papal chair . at this same councel iohn hus and hierome of prague were condemned and burnt for heretiques , whose death was revenged by iohn zisca and procopius , to the great losse and detriment of sigismund , the great and professed enemy of the reformation . and that it might appear there was more than humane direction in the infliction of the defeats given him by zisca , . hungarians that followed sigismund perished by the breaking of the ice in one expedition . his raign was concluded with a rebellious insurrection of the boors and peasants , resolving to assert their liberty or perish rather than endure slavery ; and in this mood they raged with fire and sword , but their ungoverned and undisciplined multitude rendred them an easie conquest to a small party of experienced soldiers . sigismund departing from prague commended his son in law albertus to the nobles , and at his arrival at znoyma in moravia , departed this life , aged . years . he was a very active person , but little beholding to fortune , and by her means deceived in the constancy of his friends . he was a great favourer of learned men , affirming that precedency was justly due to them ; for that riches and regal pompe happen meerly by fate . he connived at and forgave barbara his wife , taken often in the act of uncleannesse , being himself a most infamous adulterer . albert , from duke of austria in a few months was made duke of luxenburg , marquiss of moravia , king of bohemia , and hungary ( though the latter complaining of the spoil and havock made by the turks in that kingdome during the absence of sigismund busied in the affairs of germany and italy , did with much reluctancy consent to his election ) as also of the romans . he swayed the scepter but two years , and was a notable evidence of the inconstancy of the world in his sudden advancement and as speedy fall. he was crowned at alba , whence coming to buda , the germans took upon them the civil administration of the city , together with the placing of officers , as more allied to him than the hungarians ; and in maintainance of this their intrusion , caused a chief noble man that stoutly opposed them to be put to death . this so enraged the hungarians that they flew to their arms , and killed all the germans they met or could tell where to find them , which bloody fury lasted till a certain monk prevailed them to surcease it . at this time the turks wasting rassia , and having subdued synderovia , george bulch●s the despot of the province , commiting the guard of the castle which was the chief residence of his government , to his two sons , betook himself with his third son lazarus for succour and aid into hungary , but albert intent upon his covetousnesse suffered the two princes to be taken , when although amurath ( as the turkish annals have it ) had married their sister some three years before , he caused their privities to be cut off , and their eyes to be put out , upon pretence that they assisted their father as then designing war against him . albert was upon his march when he understood of the taking of the castle ; which dismaying him , he encamped betwixt the river tybiscus and the danow , suffering amurath after the attainment of his design to retire unmolested . during which idling his soldiers got the flux , by inordinate eating of fruit , which same disease at the town of nesmel , took him also away at his return to hungary . elizabeth his wife , being left big with child , was urgent with the nobles that they would regard the issue of the king her husband she then went with ; and in the mean time to her delivery to create an interrex or protector ; to which motion those that were present agreed ; but others would have the scepter translated to uladislaus the third , king of poland , son of iagello aforesaid , by hedwyga a daughter of hungary , to whom the queen should be inter-married , and the posthume child to be instated in austria and bohemia . this counsel , the infancy of the prince and the noyse of the turkish arms did then advise ; whereupon a hasty embassy was dispatched to cracovia , but as speedily followed with the news of her being delivered of a son. the nobles at home now repented of their forwardnesse , but the ambassadors conscious to themselves how far they had gone , persisted in their errand , and notwithstanding the turks instances to the contrary , prevailed upon uladislaus to accept the crown . upon his approach into hungary , elizabeth , who had newly brought out the crown she had secretly purloyned from its place , and crowned her son ladislaus therewith ( for whose good and just government she and zecchius , with the count of cillia had pledged their oaths ) foreseeing the danger , conveyed the crown and her self and son , to frederick the third , emperour . soon after uladislaus arrived at buda , and having modestly declined the government , gently taxing the hungarians of their dissentions as the cause of so many changes , was the more unanimously complemented with the regal title ; zecchius and ladislaus gara , the friends of the orphan prince , being set at liberty performing their offices at his coronation , solemnized with the diadem taken from off the image of st. stephen . his great friends to this advancement were nicholas vylach governour of chroatia , and iohn huniades , who appeared like an auspicious star amidst the many factions in hungary : for the queen assisted by some castellanes and governours of strong holds , did cause great troubles to the king , especially ladislaus gara her former partaker , waged war and tryed the fortune of battel in her sons cause , but was defeated with great losse by huniades and vylach , as were afterwards zechi and gisera ; but to the common and great losse and diminution of the strength of the kingdome , notwithstanding that , iulian the pope's legate interposed the papal authority , by which no more than a cessation for a time , could be obtained . the death of the queen which now happned , serving rather as an incentive then allay to the passions of those who studied her deprived orphans right and interest . by this opportunity amurath the second , had enlarged his conquests in the extremest parts of hungary , and was now in person before belgrade , defended by iohn aurane brother of the prince , or lord of croatia , and so resolutely maintained by him , that after a seige of seven months in which all manner of force by assault and mines were tryed ( but by the valour and vigilance of the besieged repulsed and countermin'd to the losse of thirty thousand men ) the proud turk was constrained to dislodge , when invading the other parts of hungary , he took in novigrod in the confines of servia , abandoned upon his coming by the defendants , from whence also he dispatched isaac bassa of semendria to make a further incursion ; the hungarians by their discords being in no condition to withstand him , till at his return loaden with booty and innumerable christian captives , huniades having privily collected an army and passed the danow , met with him in the province of alba , neer to synderovia , and there vanquished him . to redresse this discomfiture mesithes bassa was employed to open a passage into transylvania by valachia , which at the instance of huniades had newly revolted , which he effected , havocking and laying wast the countrey , and having worsted huniades at the first encounter , was again by him engaged with a sudden raised army , and totally routed , himself , and his son , with twenty thousand turks being slain upon the place . a treaty was now with very unequal terms propounded ; which vladisla●s rejecting , abedin beg was sent by amurath to prosecute the same design upon transylvania and hungary , with an army of fourscore thousand men , at whose approach the valachians being in no capacity to resist him , by the advice of huniades , secured themselves in the inaccessible mountains and hills of the countrey , while the turk raged with all extremity upon what ever he found , till suddenly set upon by huniades with no more then fifteen thousand men at vaskapa , he was miserably overthrown , with the losse of thirty thousand men , and his own life . for this victory a three dayes thanksgivins was appointed , and the ensigns and spoils of the enemy hung up in churches , and huniades proclaimed and extolled as the bulwark and defence of christendome . hereby also the king was encouraged to make an invasion into the turkish territory , accompanyed by iulian the pope's legate , and a multitude of crusado's . at buda he passed the danow , huniades and george the despot , advancing before him , who by light skirmishes drove the enemy back , until the whole army was arrived to the very tops of mount haemus , where there are two passes into macedon and thrace , the one made by trajan , the other by the river saltiza , called by the turks , clissira isladina to this day ; other parties of the hungarians reducing most of the towns in bulgaria . against them amurath dispatcht casa●n bassa or caram beg , with turchan beg , with all the forces of romania and the achanzes , ( soldiers serving without stipend ) who were by the desperate valour of the hungarians utterly defeated , and casan himself taken prisoner . the report of this disaster reaching amurath he summoned and amassed the whole force of his empire ; but winter being far in , and the earth bound up with ice , while the king was upon his return , he retreated likewise , having effected nothing considerable , when perceiving by the calamity of so many misadventures , that his provinces must needs be exhausted by the continuance of the war , he submitted to the intreaty of a peace , using thereto the mediation of george the despot to huniades , and his to the king , who being newly at enmity with the emperour frederick , and his paternal kingdome of poland then in faction and troubles , consented to a ten years cessation , upon this condition , that george the despot should be restored to his principality of servia , his two sons enlarged , and prisoners freed on both sides , that the turk should quit claim to moldavia , but should retain bulgary . amurath having thus avoided the danger that threatned him in those quarters , carried it with him upon ibrahim the caramanian king , in asia the lesse , whom he subdued and vanquished but soon after received into favour . in the mean while eugenius the pope , the venetians and greek emperour , by many perswasions had induced uladislaus ( a young man not skill'd in the affairs of fortune ) to break the truce made with an infidel : and though huniades protested against it , as best able to judge of what would happen , by informing the king that his life and scepter might be taken away , but his truth and plighted faith was in his own keeping ; and that the space of life was short , but a blot of perfidiousnesse everlasting ; yet the king relying upon the pope's dispensation , ( as religion is the only governour of our affections ) and deceived with vain auguries , and the advantages of his puissance , armed himself to his own destruction . for having embodyed his pol●nian and hungarian forces he passed the danow and betgrade , where dracula the prince of moldavia having in vain laboured his desistance from the enterprise , joyned also . men with him . of this expedition amurath having intelligence sent him by mahomet beg governour of nicopolis , to his residence at magnesia , streightwayes crossed over into europe , and at an obscure village named varna , but famous for this great overthrow , joyned battel . in the left wing of the christian army huniades , and one michael niger the duke of scylagy , and brother of huniades , were placed . in the right wing stood bobricius a polonian knight , in the main battel the king. the turks first onset with great noise was upon the right wing , where they opposed camels and dromedaries to the horse , who being therewith affrighted , and the riders no lesse amazed , they were easily put to the rout : but in the left wing , and the main body , the king and huniades , had better fortune , utterly discomfiting both the wings of the infidels ; only amurath himself with his janizaries stood yet unmoved , who seeing the presentnesse of the danger , calling christ to be the avenger of this perfidy ( mr. knols in his turkish history relates , that he pulled the instrument of the truce out of his bosome , and held it up towards heaven ) with great fury prest upon the hungarians and made a very great slaughter , wherein uladislaus against the disswasion of huniades , rushing upon the enemy , by the fall of his horse that was run through , had his head cut off by cheser beg ; the rest of the army being disordered , and so hindering one anothers flight were for the most part slain on the place . huniades himself escaped by valachia , into transylvania , although for a while detained by dracula . there were reckoned to be slain of the kings side , and of the turks ▪ thousand . this was the end of uladislaus , whom because religion could not rule , the despiser of that religion did destroy . the epitaph on him was this . romulidae cannas , ego varnam clade not avi discite mortales non temerare fidem ; me nisi pontifices jussissent rumpere foedus , non ferret scythicum pannonis or a iugum . the hungarians being thus deprived of their king , conferred the kingdome upon ladislaus the son of albert , whom they had so long with-held from his right of inheritance , entrusting the government with huniades ( sirnamed corvinus ) with the administration of it , both as to war and peace ; who to be revenged of dracula for his detainer of him in his flight , seized him and his two sons . he dispatched likewise an embassy to caesar , concerning the redelivery of the king and crown which the mother of the present king had deposited with him , but neither intreat●es nor force afterwards , by incursions into austria , prevailed any thing . in the mean while the turk prosecuted his successe in hungary with a revenge worthy of so odious a perjury , when huniades in no condition to oppose him , by hidden wayes rendezvouzed an army in servia to recall the enemy to the preservation of his own countrey . to his assistance he invited first george the despot ; who pretending the late agreement , he drew in the beg of schodra ( who was the famous george castriot , called by the turks , scanderbeg , the son of iohn king of the epirots or triballi & had by fained letters of amurath's hand , possessed himself of croja the capital city , as by his valour and vigilance soon after , of most of the kingdome ; and maintained it in a war of . years ) and encamped in the plains of cossova , where he engaged the turks three whole dayes together : the first two dayes he had the better of them , but their numbers prevailed in the third : he himself flying was taken prisoner by george the despot , as an infringer of his oath ; but upon the hostage of his son ladislaus , set at liberty ; which the turk resenting , dispatched away frigez beg to invade servia ; to whose releif huniades seemingly reconciled to their despot ( now abominated ) but out of hatred to the name of the turks , speedily advanced , and with a great slaughter vanquished the enemy , taking the beg himself . a bohemi●● scuffle followed this , but was presently composed by the victorious fortune of huniades . at length the emperour restored ladislaus , whom the states of hungary complementd thereupon at vienna , and huniades renounced the administration . ladilaus to auspiciate his reign , came to presburgh , but would trust himself no further within the kingdome , for jealousies were fomented against huniades by ulrick count of cilia , formerly praefect of austria ; but ejected thence by the nobles , and received into favour by this king , who to compose the businesse was at last induced to come to buda . while he staid there amurath vext with his repulse at croja , had retired himself into a monastery , and mahomet his son and successor , after a seige of . dayes , took and sacked constantinople , to the shame and terrour of christendome : and having seized servia , with the silver-mine towns therein , from george the despot , bent his force upon belgrade ; which furiously attaquing , and thundring against the walls with his canons , huniades came in hast by water , to the releif of it ; and having made his way into the town , by a vigorous saley beat the enemy out of his entrenchments which they fired , and cloyed and nailed his great guns ; whereupon mahomet retired to his main camp , and thence next morning tormented & sick with the disappointment , fled in hast towards macedonia , but was not pursued , because huniades suspecting likewise some stratagem , contented himself with the slaughter of forty thousand turks . in this conflict huniades received a wound whereof he died ; others say , of a feaver . he was by birth a valachian , and from the place of it called corvinu ; as for the national glory of his atchievements he was called huniades : a person that with small power alwayes worsted great armyes . ladislaus who terrified with the turk's approach , had fled to vienna , came forward now to belgrade , to see the back-steps of the enemy : where resenting the slaughter of the count of cilia by ladislaus the son of huniades , though often provok'd thereunto , he caused him ( by the councel of some ill men ) to be b●headed , and his brother matthias to be imprisoned . but the year after , on the very anniversary of the said fact , as he was solemnizing his marriage in bohemia , he died there , and left another vacancy or interregnum in hungaria . in the beginning whereof michael szylagyi the kinsman of huniades ( supplied with good store of money by his sister elizabeth ) levyed an army in title of matthias ( who was newly sent by ladislaus , in custody , to george pogyb●ad king of bohemia ) as king of hungary , having in ladislaus's life time procured many friends that secretly favoured huniades and his family : others also , for fear of his power consented to his election , at an assembly of the states held at rakos , where his army guarded them . pogybrad certified hereof , inviting his prisoner to dinner , and setting him uppermost , aquainted him with the matter ; and having contracted his daughter to him , conducted him to moravia , where he was saluted king ; and thence in great pomp and magnificence conveyed to buda , where he confirmed and restored all former priviledges ; and by his care , felicity , vertue , and the majesty of his name , united all parties into a perfect peace ; which effected , he sent iohn vitesius the bishop of varadin , his adopted father , to frederick the emperour , to demand the crown ; which he , pretending the kingdome due to himself , and scorning the youth of matthias , refused ; and hereupon ensued a german war , enforced by the predatory eruption of iohn gisera or zisca the bohemian , who had twice worsted huniades himself . frederick , animated and incited by the lord or banus of croatia , invaded the sabarian province , taking the rebels to his assistance , and wasted the countrey far and near , till simon magnus commissioned and spirited by the king 's early courage , met him in the upper hungary , where he discomfited him ; permitting and conniving at the flight of the rebels , who afterwards proved caesar's worst and most dangerous enemies . by this successe caesar was at last constrained to yeild to the demands of matthias , who persisted in a prosecution of them by delivering the crown , adopting also matthias to his son , upon condition that if he died without issue , the emperour should succeed to the crown of hungary . the bohemian war was ended with the same felicity , by sebastian rozgonius , who hunted those predatory thieves out of their lurking places , amidst rocks , lakes , and other fastnesses ; yet so that some years passed before ziscra their chief captain , could be engaged ( several strong holds and passes being maintained by them ) till driven to the mountaines of poland , whence he addrest himself by humble supplication to the king , and was received by him into favour and preferment . telephus his associate had not the same hap , but prolonged a wretched life , in a begging starving condition . this is the larger mentioned for that it lasted almost five years before it was finished , and obliged the utmost endevours of the king , to the extirpation of so villanous a race of men , that disturbed the peace and security of his subjects . the turk during these wars , had put in for his share by invading the eastermost parts , in revenge of his belgrade defeat ; but was so well received by michael szylagy ( somewhile before in disgrace with his beneficiary the king his nephew , by usual court detraction and envy , and newly restored to all his honours and commands ) neer to the banks of savus , by a town called tutach , that it was a question whether there was more blood or water in that reach of the river . haly beg who was then bassa of mysia and commanded that army , flying to synderovia endevoured to repair his losse by a re-inforcement of his enterprise upon transylvania , but was overthrown again by pancratius neer temeswar . matthias in pursuit of this victory , seized dracula prince of valachia , the tributary of the turk : for by the articles between amurath the second , and uladislaus , that investiture was to be sole right of the kings of hungary ; and detained him . years a prisoner . from thence he marched to bosnia , the king whereof , stephen , being also despot of servia , in right of his wife the daughter of lazarus deceased , mahomet had caused as perfidiously as inhumanely to be flead alive , the just reward however of his base and prodigious lust , which divided his sons against him. matthias proceeded as far as the superiour ●osnia , and those parts which stretch themselves towards zara and epidaurus , and by the taking of iaycia , reduced the whole kingdome to his hungarian scepter ; mahomet with thirty thousand men came to relieve it , but hearing of matthias his approach sneaked cowardly home . hereupon the venetians ( with other princes , by their ambassadors ) were instant , for the prosecution of the war offering . crowns yearly , for the maintenance of it ; which being accordingly recommenced ; matthias frighted in the same manner at mahomet's appearance , repassed the savus out of r●scia , where he had taken streverich by emerick sepusius , and turned his army upon the frangepanes , who being fortified in the alpes of croatia , refused obedience , but assoon as the king was arrived at zagrabia , they thought best to comply . he tamed also the revolting transylvanians , as he quieted the seditious in moldavia and valachia , by the slaughter of of them : but his lieutenant michael scylagii , fought unprosperously with the turk , after a most bloody battle , himself being captivated , and although a prisoner of war , yet put to death by those savage infidels . a bohemian war ensued , fomented and enflamed by pope paul the second , who instigated matthias against george pogybrad his father in law , as an heretick , for owning the doctrines of iohn husse , &c. while an excellent opportunity against the turk engaged in a syrian & egyptian war , was by this means pretermitted . matthias in this war had the better of it , zealously executing the edicts & anathema's of the pope , against the bohemians , silesians , and moravians ; nor would a treaty of peace be hearkned to , the papists giving out , that no faith or communion was to be held with such heretiques . whereupon victorinus the son of pogybrade made new levies , but was unhappily worsted and imprisoned at vissigrade , while matthias having subdued spilberg and olmitz was master of moravia , and silesia at his devotion , and was solemnly also declared king of bohemia . pogybrad soon after dying , and by his misfortunes induced to favour matthias his succession to that crown ( his son having been gratis set at liberty a little before , upon the composure of the troubles in moravia ) he transacted with the states of bohemia for his inves●iture in that kingdom , but they had disposed of it to uladislaus son of casimir king of poland . in revenge whereof he issued like a tempest out of moravia into bohemia : but the pope being neutral in the concernments of two catholick princes , and the turks upon the banks of savus at the siege of sabaczium , besides ( which was worst of all ) a conspiracy was hatching at home , he effected nothing . this coniuration was so general , by which casimir was designed to this crown , that but . of . peers , or senators , were true to their allegiance , among these plotters the chief were vitesius the archbishop , ianus pannonius , and emericus scepusius the former favourers of , and reciprocally favoured by , matthias : the pretence of the defection was , that the church revenues , and other profits of secular offices , were employed solely in the carrying on of war. ladislaus at their invitation came and encamped between nitre and vacia , and was magnificently received by his partakers , but matthias upon the news of it speeding from buda to strigonium , prepared for an encounter , where by scepusius , whom he reclaimed , he so wrought upon vitesius the life of the faction , that upon his reconciliation , and indempnity promised to those that should return to their allegiance within three dayes , his competitor was presently abandoned , and left to reflect , and inveigh against the levity of the hungarians : nor was that all , but being circumvented at nitra , he hardly escaped with . of all his number , the pursuit not being given over , till his father by timely dispatches , interposed his requests for his dismission . notwithstanding matthias was not satisfied with this revenge , but continuing in the mountainous part of poland , watched an opportunity of further satisfaction ; as he punished vitesius and ianns , with other of the complices in the treason . while he staid hereabouts uladislaus stomaching the spoil of his countrey , with a just army opposed himself ; and so the businesse came to open war , which determined neverthelesse by a private stratagem in the most covert places and ambushes of that hilly country , in favour of matthias , who by his lieutenants iohn scepusius and paul kinifi , had also depopulated all the provinces as far as cracovia , and brought a miserable desolation thereabouts . by which means the pole was glad to quit his pretences to moravia , silesia , and lusatia , and to part with his claim to the crown of bohemia . during this agreement , solyman the beglerbeg of romania with a hundred thousand men , having in vain attempted scodra , came with an army into moldavia , whom stephen the valiant vaivod thereof overcame with so great a slaughter , that scarce a sign remained of so vast a multitude . to requite this victory , matthias besiged sabarium , whereat happned divers encounters , the besieged being potent and couragious , and the besiegers resolute and adventurous ; he himself for better view , passing in a common habit within the reach of their small shot , in a boat , accompanyed but with one soldier who was kill'd with a bullet ; fortune by a peculiar care of him ( as is her constant respect to such persons ) preserving him from the danger . in fine , by dissembling to rise from the siege , he lulled the garrison into security and then surprized them ; and for the better fortification of the castle , drew the river savus round about it ; and thereafter supplied with money from the pope for the better prosecution of the war , laid all waste as far as synderovia ; and in order to an opportune and commodious siege thereof built three strong castles , as a bridle to curb and represse their forraging for provisions . he was yet intent of carrying his successes fnrther , having embarqued to that purpose on the danow ( alibeg with a plundering party about temeswar , having been also newly defeated , so that there appeared no rub to his design ) when the arrival of his queen beatrice ( who by venice , dalmatia , and carniola had been honourably conveyed to alba , and there crowned , and the marriage celebrated at buda in the presence of all the nobles ) foftned and emasculated his spirit , and corrupted the souldiery , by idling amidst the vanity and luxury of the court , now addicted to sport and pleasure . nor could the calamitous condition of moldavia ( the noble vaivod whereof had in vain struggled against the potent and over-bearing force of mahomet , and saw his country vassaliz'd to that cruel enemy ) awaken matthias out of this sensual stupidity ; the queen proving as another capua to victorious hanibal , till such time as it was almost too late to resist , being on a sudden attaqued by frederick the emperour from the old grudge , although most ungratefully and unhandsomely , and the event was according . for matthias rousing himself followed the enemy into austria ( where the rascians in his service most cruelly raged ) and took in several towns , and was now before vienna , when the emperour ( of no martial disposition ) desired an accommodation , which matthias condescended to , so austria was again restored to frederick . in this war the pope and venetians withdrew their subsidy from matthias as engaged against a christian prince , whereupon ensued an aversness against that state , whose danger had linked their concern with his for some space of time before ; and by that means they lost scodra , croja , and the promontory of taenarus to the turk upon very base conditions , or very calamitous conquest ; that of schodra especially . the peace was now to be confirmed , which was agreed upon before betwixt uladislaus and himself ; and therefore both kings appointed an enterview at olmitz in moravia , where they appeared with a most splendid and pompous train , several theatres and other august temporary edifices being erected for the solemnity , where they treated one another most magnificently , and gave great largesses to the people : matthias not willing to be behind hand in state and grandeur upon such an illustrious occasion : but whilest he diverted himself here , solyman the beglerbeg of greece being advantaged by a dry summer , passed his army over the fords of the rivers savus and dravus , and coming as far as castle-iron , laid wast the whole countrey . the news of this made matthias quit his court-ship , and with all expedition to follow the enemy , who making hast away , he gave order to . of his readiest troops to pursue him ; the which forces over-took him laden with thirty thousand captives , at verbos in illyria , and so routed him , that the remains of his flying army durst not face about to three hundred croats , who alone pursued them ; by which victory , illyria was in a fair way to have been wholly assigned to this triumph , had not the emperour by an inroad towards raab recall'd him ; which injury so incensed matthias that he presently laid seige to mariaburg , and would hardly desist from the enterprize at the earnest entreaties of the pope , and frederick's ambassadors . mahomet the great , having taken scodra as aforesaid , was now returned to constantinople , and vext with the disgrace of solyman's defeat , had commissioned ali beg , isa beg , and balam beg , with sixty thousand men for transylvania , who proceeded with fire and sword as far as alba iulia ; within five miles whereof stephen bathori , the vayvod of transylvania , and paul kinisi count of temeswar , wtth a new levyed army of hungarians , valachians &c. encountered them , and after a long dispute in which the river marusus was filled with blood of both parties , by the valour and encouragement of kinisi totally overthrew them , thirty thousand turks being slain upon the place . the fame of this atchievement made the pope ( apulia in italy being sorely infested by the turks ) to intreat matthias as the onely competent help against those infidels , to undertake the defence of those parts , when at the same time he ungratefully inter-medled beyond his authority , in the placing and preferring bishops in hungaria ; matthias having substituted iohn the cardinal of arragon to be arch-bishop of strigonium in place of iohn of alemannia , his enemy and rebel . about this time died mahomet , leaving his two sons bajazet and zemes to strive for the empire ; the latter being discomfited in two battels , wherein he was assisted by the sultan of aegypt , fled to the grand master of the rhodes who sent him to rome , where at the instance and great bribes of bajazet , he was most unworthily poysoned by pope alexander the sixt ; matthias purposing to make good use of this occasion , had solicited caesar for a confirmation and security of the late peace , which being delayed till the opportunity was lost , and the turks in motion this way , he invaded austria and possessed himself of many towns again ( while bajazet had terribly ruined and wasted moldavia , and in requital thereof was defeated by lupus ( the noble and valiant despot of what remained in those parts ) in two battels : ) and after a six months regular seige took in vienna the capital city thereof ; as iohn scepuusis his leiutenant mastered neustria and other fortresses . the five years that matthias lived afterwards he wholly employed in reforming the manners of his subjects , now addicted to luxury and prone to all other vices ; and in providing for the future glory and magnificence of the succeeding kings , converting his iron into a golden palace ; and designing to build the city of buda after the italian way . he also highly fa●oured learned men , and resolved , upon the settlement of austria by a lasting peace , to employ all his power against the turks ; whereto he was encouraged by many princes , more especially by the snltan's of aegypt , who had lately vanquished ferhates bassa , the beglerbeg of caramania , & afterwards cheser beg , and achmet the mahumetanized son of stephen of bosnia aforesaid , with such a slaughter that it was credited to have exceeded that of tamerlane . but while he prepared for those things death prevented him , by the increasing pains of the gout . a person of great authority with all princes , and worthy to be extolled for his military experience , and his acts of peace ; and so much the more famed and desired by posterity , by how much his successors were inferiour to him in point of courage and vigilant prudence . upon the death of the king , corvinus the bastard son of matthias , having been fed with hopes of his succession to the crown , endevoured to effect it , while great competitors were transacting their interest with the states of hungary , viz. ladislaus king of bohemia , albert prince of poland , both brothers and sons of cassimir and and maximilian king of the romans ; but in conclusion ladislaus carried it by the major voyces , and by the instance and interest of beatrice the dowager queen , who had loved him in her husbands life time , and hoped now to be married to him , although she was by the judgement of god disapointed of her expectation . corvinus not brooking this , although he had articled upon the cession of his claim and delivery of the crown , which he had got into his custody , for an investiture as lord of bosnia , chroatia , and sclavonia , raised an army by the help of the governours of those provinces , but opposed at sarviza by stephen bathori and kinisi , commissioned by the states then assembled in great fear at pesth , he was worsted after a dismall encounter ( wherein brother engaged against brother ) and fled to quinque ecclesiae , where his souldiers broke open his treasure and carried it away . by this means the kingdome was setled in those parts , and ( corvinus submitting upon indempnity to his partakers , and the restoring of what had been taken from him ) uladislaus was crowned at alba regalis , but presently engaged in a war against his competitor and brother albert , who had seized cassovia , * cibinium , and other places , and in fine joyned battel , wherein by the prowesse of vladislaus and the defection of the cassovians , he was overcome , and striving to renew the war , was thrice afterwards beaten out of the field . maximilian's enterprize was more powerfull and fortunate , auspicated also by the viennians , who weary of a forraigners yoak , admitted his forces into the city , which scepusius the governour perceiving , he thought it most advisable to depart secretly out of the castle : and thereupon the other places of austria , returned to their former lord , who proceeded and reduced vesprinium and alba regalis in hungary , and had finished the conquest but that his germans not enduring the climate and other discommodities of the country , mutined for their pay : in the interim uladislaus had collected his army and was upon his march after maximilian , recovering the towns he had lost , and being bent upon a further revenge was diverted by a horrid invasion of the turks as far as the territories of varadin ( then in division by civil broyles ) having endangered belgrade by mastering two of the bulwarks . for which reasons vladislaus was induced to make peace with maximilian , though upon very dishonourable terms , by yielding austria , carinthia , carniola , and styria , seized and possessed by matthias , and delivering some castles of croatia , and sclavonia ; in lieu whereof caesar restored him unto places taken this war in hungary , upon condition of his succession , as was accorded with matthias . at the dyet held thereafter at buda , the kings marriage with beatrice was debated , but because of her sterility and in submission to the pontificall authority , she was put by , and ann the daughter of the prince of anjou , preferred to his bed . in the mean while bajazet made great preparations both by land and upon the ister , for an invasion of hungary , which caused double garrisons to be put into the frontier towns of severinum , sabaczia , and iaycia , and an army of thousand men under the conduct and supreme command of kinisius , to be instantly levyed ; bajazet came first to sophia , then to hadrianople by leisure , but dared not enter hungary , whither he dispatched dandes bassa to uscopia , while he diverted to maxastinum designing upon albania , and meditating a truce with uladislaus , which was accorded to ; neverthelesse respecting more the utility then the faith of the agreement , he sent away two bassa's , the one into valachia , the other to beseige severinum , the former was vanquished by that vayvod , and the other ▪ by kinisius , who also horribly slaughtered those ravenous pillaging bohemians , whom he had appointed for the guard of the confines against that enemy . iohannes corvinus likewise valiantly repulsed the turk from iaycia , but wearied with the refractory pride of the frangepanes , and other noblemen , resigned his government of bosnia , chroatia , and dalmatia , in whose place emericus drencenus was substituted by the king , who repressed the insolence of those grandees , now seeking for protection from the turks : which occasion being welcome to iacup aga , he presently made an incursion into the limits of carinthia , and carniola , and carried away a great prey and spoil by the confines of germany , when drencenus having reconciled frangepanes , with a sufficient army for number encountred him , but frangepanes again revolting , the hungarians were totally routed , and drencenus himself taken prisoner . this losse as is usuall in such cases , was imputed to the sloth of the king by the nobles , when their base covetousnesse was the onely cause of it ; the kings revennue being hardly able to maintain the expence of his family as became the dignity of a king , which poverty proceeded meerly from his honesty , and begat such a contempt of his authority , that he could not make the palatine desist from the seige of one of corvinus his castles , till the noble youth himself revenged the injury , and he was the rather thus slighted because of his ignorance in the hungarian tongue , answering nothing but * well well to what ever story . in the mean while kinisius repaired this late losse by an expedition with . men into mysia , where he took two castles the one of them by the exemplary courage of a chroat who alone maintained the rampire against the enemy till his fellows came to his assistance ; as by another irruption into servia ; having animated the king to a more vigorous prosecution of the war , and brought him upon that account to petri varadin ; whence kinisi with men , wasted and harrassed all the turks country as far as the suburbs of synderovia , with such a terrour that even constantinople it self trembled for fear of his approach . this noble person survived not long after , being in reference to the present state of affairs another huniades , dying also like him of a feaver . he so abhominated and resented the turkish barbabarities that he always retaliated upon them in a severer manner of torture and punishment . at last the king took courage by the good advice of his friends and councellors , and by force of arms reduced and tamed those seditious grandees of chroatia , the chief of whom were peter arch-bishop of colocza , and laurence duke of syrmia , in whose country the kings steward had been killed , this last he dispossessed of all his castles , and imprisoned at buda , newly before pardoned at the dyet there , by which means all those troubles were composed , and a three years truce confirmed by selymus , who had wrested the turkish empire from his father bajazet , which added something more to the kingdomes welfare . about this time dyed iohn corvinus , ( his widdow intermarrying with george marquesse of brandenburgh ) followed by peter gereb the palatine ( in whose place came emericus perenyi ) and stephen vayvod of moldavia , a person famous next matthias , for his services against the turk and tartars ; in whose room succeeded bogdanus . at buda a consult was managed by the faction of zapolianus or iohn scepusius the vayvod , and the eloquence of verbeczius of forbidding the crown to be ever conferred on forraigners ; as the siculi rebelled the same time and killed the collector of their dues to the king , but the authors were severely punished by paulus tomoraeus . nor ever were the hungarians more deceived then in this truce made with selymus , relying whereon they became defencelesse , for on a sudden all the country as far as the river dravus where it joyns with the danow , was laid wast and desolate : to second this calamity the countreymen and boors rebelled against the nobility , and for the greater enforcement of their designs joyned themselves with the forces raised by thomas the arch-bishop of strigonium , against bajazet's invasion , at the instinct of the pope , to keep the war out of italy at the charge of hungary . there being now upon the peace again , no use for these religious souldiers , they began to be burdensome to the noblesse , and admitted of the peasants as their associates : by , and of , these no lesse then are reported to have been slain in the space of four moneths , by which the sanctity of these crusado men may be guessed at . at last iohn the vayvod tamed this wicked crew by intollerable famine , and gave them the head of their captain one george szekheli ( notable formerly for his valour ) for food and victual . vladislaus to make up a stricter league with the house of austria , journyed now to vienna , where he had conference with sigismund of poland , and maximilian , by whom , mary his neice by philip , was betrothed to lewis , ladislaus his son , and mary his daughter to charles or ferdinand with a condition of succession in case of no issue ; against this contract and this last clause perinyi objected and though lame caused himself to be carried through the streets of presburg , where he noysed his dissent and refusal , and the invalidity of the match , as done without his ( principally ) and the nobles consent ; but being won by the grant of the office of crown-keeper , just as he should have subscribed the instrument , he died. in the interim iohn the vayvod elevated by his successe against szekelehi , besieged sarno a garrison of the turks , but was so cowardly frighted that he fled and forsook his great guns , at the news of the approach of baly beg , neverthelesse by the valour of michael praxius who sustained the van of the enemy , they were recovered . king ladislaus lived not long afterwards , fitter indeed for ease and quiet , then the rule of the stubborn and eff●ene hungarians ; but whether out of grief and vexation of mind , or the common course of nature , is uncertain . lewis his son succeeded him , having according to the late agreement , married mary the sister of charles the fifth , by their father philip the first of spain . in this prince all things , as his birth , succession , beard , wedlock , and death , were praeproperous and early . at the same time died maximilian , to whom , chiefly by the suffrage of frederick of saxony , succeeded charles the fifth , as did solyman just after the ratification of an eight years truce succeed his father selymus : divine providence so ordering it that those two great potentates should govern the world together , and restrain each other by a mutual dread of one anothers power and vertues . yet solyman was so great an esteemer of his own glory , and so unbounded in his conceits of it , that he demanded of lewis the purchase of a peace with him at a certain tribute , which being denyed , he invaded hungary , and wrested moldaviae , and valachia from that dominion , together with the greatest part of sclavonia . nothing withstanding his arms there but iaycia , defended by the signal valour of peter keglevitius . these victorious proceedings caused lewis to levy an army of . men ; but his exchequer not being sufficient to bear the expence , they were as soon dissolved . in the mean while belgrade ( so often maintained against the turkish power ) was now gained by the fortune of solyman , and the treachery of the governours , who would not admit the succour and assistance , brought by andrew bathori , into the town . hence the conquerour having received a losse from stephen bathori the palatine , who defeated pyrhus bassa , then wasting syrmia , and contented with his former success , dispatched a chiaux with offers of peace to the king ; but his youthful mind swayed by evil counsel and corrupted with the luxury of george marquisse of brandenburgh , was debauched into that perfidious basenesse , that he commanded the envoy to be privily put to death at tata , and for the concealment of the murther , his body to be cast into the fish-pond . solyman was then returned home to the enterprize of rhodes , and lewis his leiutenant had had some successes against the turks , especially christopher frangepanes not onely repulsed them from iaycia , but beat them out of their trenches and took their camp ; as tomori defeated ferhates begogli , while severinum was also reduced ; but the dissentions and divisions that arose in hungary among the nobility for the title of palatine , between verbeczius , zobius , and their party of the multitude against bathori legally so created ; besides that , the reformed religion now took footing in this kingdome , although endevoured by fire to be suppressed , but maintained by prynius in the county of bodrogh and by nadanyi at chrysus ; these concurrent mischeifs i say , brought solyman back into hungary , declaring his intention of revenge for the death of his messenger , which sudden appearance of his caused much dread and terrour , for that no present remedy could be thought on . notwithstanding lewis , without any aid from abroad resolved to encounter him with an army of twenty four thousand men , commanded by the arch-bishop of colocza , and george zapolianus , although disswaded by iohn scepusius and frangepanes , who would have had him withdrawn his person at least , which however would save the kingdome , and to have staid till he had collected the whole force of his kingdome ; but such was his heat and temerity , and the like proud humour of the nobility ( though it proved their common destruction ) the sign often of a great , but now of an unhappy resolution , that an engagement ensued at mohacz , where the hungarians were vanquished and put to a total rout . the king with his prelates and nobles ( to whom it was ignominous to fly and to survive their prince ) being killed on the place . at the news of this overthrow buda was abandoned , the queen with her best moveables flying to presburg , whence she retired to charles the fifth , her brother ; who deputed her to the government of the low countreys , where she presided thirty years , and afterwards weary of the world ( like him ) betook herself to a monastery , and was joyned with him in death . solyman entring buda , abstained from the usurpation of the regality , guessing that a kingdome so slightly gained , might as slightly be lost ; but forbore not the plunder of the countrey , asmuch as lyes betwixt the balaton lake , the danow , and tybiscus , being miserably depopulated . as to this tragedy , and the death of the king , there were many things that portended it ; as that he was born without any skin , which was supplied by the art of the physicians . besides a spectrum appeared before the gate of the castle of buda demanding conference with the king , which being not much regarded , vanished without any presage . and now when as yet the safety of the kingdome was not dispaired of , civil wars subserved fate and helped on the general ruine . the supreme power was unsociable , and interest would not be joyned by the presentnesse of the danger . armies were presently gathered , and as soon dismissed ; fortune not admitting two to the supremacy , & while all men stood still at gaze , the enemy took advantage to disperse them . the fourth book . vvhile this battel was fought at mohacz , iohn zapolyai scepusius the vayvod of transylvania , stayed at szeged , and cajoling the remains of the nobility , came to buda , where he perswaded perenyi the keeper of the crown , to deliver it to him ( conferring upon him therefore the praefecture of transylvania ) and thence speeded with them to alba regalis . a convention being here held , verbeczius opened the present state of affairs in favour of iohn , who was by the assembly accepted and styled king , having passed by ferdinand ; who as well by the favour and good will of many , as by the marriage of ann the sister of lewis , had a good claim and title to the kingdome ; wherefore iohn was advised to begin the war against him , but he following milder then safer counsel , and the opinion of frangepanes , dismissed his forces , hoping to gain the kingdome by largesse and bounty . at the same , bathori the palatine , the perpetual enemy of iohn , held a convention at presburgh , where he maintained the title of ferdinand , by whom perenyus at the solicitation of thurzo , and the confirmation of his former title was brought over , and the crown with the other royal ensigns conveyed into his hands . hereupon ferdinand was proclaimed and inaugurated by paul vardanus , and encouragement given by the hungarians readinesse to assist him . by which means iohn being forced to withdraw , convocated his faithfullest friends to gubaczium ; but not judging it safest to rely upon them , fled to tockay , intending to call the janizaries to his aid ▪ but while that was in agitation , caczianerus an● felsius discomfited his captains with a most cruel slaughter neer the same town , as others of his party were the second time vanquishe● at hernad by the same hand ; where the camp royally stored fell into the victors hands , so that tockay , agria , hatvanum , and all places as far as buda acknowledged ferdinand ; which mutation of affairs made iohn betake himself to the protection of iohn tarnovius the castellan of cracovia ; at whose entertainment of him , sigismund of poland connived , but by no means would assist him with men and money although his brother in law , as consciencious of that league which was between ferdinand and himself . caczinerus carying in the mean time all places before him . nor was frangepanes , iohn's firm friend , much more prosperous in illyria , although he made potent opposition and bestirred himselfe vigourously in his cause , for being shot at the siege of varasdin , which paul caprarius resolutely defended , he there with grief expired , and left that province without any further adoe , in the possession of ferdinand . these lamentable distractions gave occasion to the neighbouring garrisons of the turks to invade the same region and besiege iaycia , which they reduced with many other places ; the proprietor whereof carlovitius , the last of the torquati , dying at medvevarium greatly enriched the family of the noble serini . iohn thus turmoiled and stript of his kingdome , by the mediation of lascus the palatine of siradia proffered to joyn interest with the turk , having used also the diligent endeavours of andrew griti son of the duke of venice , for the accomplishment of this design ; a person of a narrow fortune , but vast hopes , who between flattery and crafty diligence , had gained favour at the port. at his instance solyman ( ambitious of glory ) by conferring a crown he had won , and obliging such an interest to his service , consented to the assertion of iohn's quarrel , rather inclined thereto by the unreasonable peremptorynesse of hoberdanschus a rash man , ferdinand's embassador , who demanded restitution of all places , even belgrade it self ; to which solyman answered , that he would reply to this haughty demand at the walls of vienna . iohn was neverthelesse not idle of himself , but having collected an army , for the furniture of which he pawned his jewels , appointed simon athinensis for his general , to whom adhered many nobles . these defeated liscanus and revayus , ferdinand's captains , while iohn progressing to lippa , met the grand seigniour at mohacz , who proceeded and came to buda , yeilded unto him by the treachery of the germans . this city the turk put into iohns possession , who now carried himself openly as king. strigonium was next yeilded by varadanus commended to iohns clemency by some friends : and now all hungary resounded with the noyse of these victories as far as vienna , whither solyman was come and laid formall siege thereunto ; but by the valour of philip count palatine , and nicholas count of salms , and the policy of ibrahim bassa , who favoured the christians , and therefore retarded the great guns , he was forced to rise after a month , with the losse of men ; and thence ( having established iohn the crown as it was carried up and down from its depository at visigrade , being taken with perenyus , who by the hostage of his son ( mahumetanized after ) was hardly set at liberty : solyman departed home ) when rogendorf soon besieged k. iohn and griti in buda , but they were at last relieved ; solyman also again returned into hungary the next year and besieged guntzium , but prevailed not against the courage and resolution of the governour : so that while he was engaged here , charles the emperour , and ferdinand , with an army of men , came to fight him ; but he terrified with their approch , by two wayes , hasted back again , the same ibrahim advising it for the destruction of one or both of the parties thus divided ; but charles glad to see him gone made no use of the advantage ; solyman left casnes with horse behind him to plunder the confines of germany , but frederick count palatine , general of the ayds of the empire , met him , and put every man of them to the sword. after this inglorious retreat , k. iohn , whether indeed a christian , or awed by fear perceiving the potency of ferdinand , by lascus besought his peace , which was suspended by a present truce . the commissioners of the two kings ( to ascertain the limits of their dominions ) met at strigonium , which town was sequestred into the hands of the king of poland , and frederick of saxony . this good work took its desired effect , while new storms arose in hungary about establishing a person in the place of the palatine banfi newly deceased , which dignity under the title of governour by the advice of lascus to k. iohn , was conferred on griti , who with great largesses had scrued himself into the esteem of the people ; but was so hateful to the nobles , and he consciously obnoxious to them , that by several artifices he made the cheif of them away . whereupon he returned to constantinople in hast , upon pretence of making way to a peace there , where his practises and concealed reserved designs , peices of which he had brokenly imparted , rendred him suspect to iohn for his intimacy with the divan . in the mean while solyman incited by his dreams to an expedition against the persians , dispatcht away a chiaux with the heads of the peace , which were , that clement the pope should be his father ; charles and ferdinand his brothers ; john shall stand to equal conditions , corone , bala , and badra , taken by the valour of andrew doria , shall be recompensed to charl●● by other places . but while the emperour delayed to render those towns , a most ignominious discomfiture of the coronenses by cayr●dine the turks admirall , broke off the frustrated league ; and so that agreement which might have been easily purchased , rose to the price of the ruine of hungary . griti was come back to transalpina by selistria accompanyed with . men , and every where proclaimed his title of governour , vapouring of his vertues which from a private person had raised him to a prince , and that to make peace betwixt emperours , could be nothing less than a divine and immortal action . as he passed the alps at corona , he was accosted by lascus with additional forces out of podolia , by whose assertion he was every where acknowledged as governour . invested with this force & power he sent for cibacus , who was one of those nobles that had disallowed his title , as vain and injurious while the k. was living ; who being betrayed by his servant ( corrupted by one docius an instrument of griti's by a silver cup , the reward of his treason , who told him there was no danger if he went ) npon his arrival the same night , as he was fast asleep in his tent , had his head severed from his body , aud carried to griti to feed and satisfie his most bloody and scelerate revenge . but divine justice was not far behind , for stephen maylat , and other noblemen , within eight dayes raising an army of sixty thousand men , pursued griti , who conscious of his vilanies and his usurped rackt authority , was upon the first news of their arming fled to meggyesium , where by the defection of the townsmen , the turks that were with him were all put to the sword ; his agent docius executed by the axe , and griti in his intended escape taken by the valachians , and offered by them as a victime to the ghost of cibacus . king iohn being required by solyman to aid griti , was nothing troubled when he heard of the news of this his rivals death ; for griti's design and last intendment was his substitution to the crown of hungary . he likewise for better security of the peace , imprisoned lascus , but put in mind of his former good offices converted his restraint into banishment . and here followed a rupture between iohn and ferdinand , leonard cackei delivering cassovia in the upper hungary which was assigned to ferdinand , to king iohn ; to requite which losse , the german attempted transylvania ; the szekelii , the reliques of the old huns , and the * szaszii , a colony of the saxons , seated in a province of that principality , being prone to revolt from the h●ngarian . but when the governours nyari and bamfi by their plundering of sacmar , had discovered the conspiracy , the design came to nothing and iohn soon recovered that town , with the losse o● gothard kunus his fast friend , and a tame white hart which ( like sertorius ) he had alwayes in his company ; the death of whom made him so furiously revengeful , that he put all the prisoners to the sword : while felsius , ferdinand's general , successfully proceeded , and threatned cassovia ; to secure which iohn dispatcht away george monachus , peter perenes , and francis debecus , with equal power and commission , whom felsius by delayes ( which begat a discord between the captains as is natural in competitions ) so necessitated , that forced to retire , he advantagiously set upon them , killing some and driving other some into the river tybiscus , aad together surprized tokay . that he gained not cassovia , the peace struck up at vaccia was the onely hinderance , whereby both kings were to hold what they then had in possession ; the issue of iohn to enjoy transylvania , opulia , and ratibor ; the league to be offensive and defensive , the one's enemies to be the others , and so contrarily , and to be obliged in the prosecution of one anothers designs ; so that the peace with the turk was as good as broken , or not at all regarded . hereupon ferdinand to represse the incursions of mahomet bassa of belgrade ( who had taken posegum , boczo , and beriszlone in sclavonia , and designing the siege of clissia , had erected two castles at salonas for obstruction of relief ) sent away peter crusitius into dalmatia , and cackzianerus to posega . peter was so fear stricken with amurath verbosanus , that many of his men dyed with meer apprehension of the danger : nor did cackzianerus come off much more gloriously , being accompanied with lodowick pecri , lodronius , albert sliccus , lodowick rhaetus , iohn ungnadius , bakitius , and other commanders , with horse , and foot , all which he led to destruction . he was come as far as valpone , and had laid seige to essecum , not aware that he was included betwixt posega the enemies garrison , and the danow , when mahomet , amurath , and cassonus , guessing rightly that they were distressed for victual , invented a new way of victory without fighting . for when cackzianerus perceived that neither the governour of zagrabia , no● the spoil of herman castle could afford a competence of victual , he resolved to retreat to valpone , in which march the way being before laid , and passes made good against him , he was set upon by the turks ; bakitius was killed in the streights , others pined with hunger , were wholly consternated . cackzianerus , pecri , and vnguadius , as a most shameful example , first flying away ; lodronius onely stood bravely to it , and fought to the last man ; the rest having no commanders , either confused or pent up in narrow places , were slain or taken prisoners , the camp and the kings great guns falling likewise into the possession of the enemy . this unhappy encounter and a designed revolt thereupon stood cackzianerus at the price of his head ; for with the same successe mahomet and amurath , took in dubicia , iassenocium , and soboczia , and brought a great dread upon both kings , besides that solyman exasperated against peter the cruel and feral vaivod of moldavia , had at the same time by his arms substituted his brother stephen in his place , peter being fled to csikium in transylvani● . hereupon ferdinand and iohn joyned ●orces , the germans amounting to , and the hungarians to thousand men ; at the news whereof , solyman by letters upbraided iohn with his perfidie , and arms taken against him his father , and so known a benefactor ; that he had aggravated his defection by a war , and multiplied one wickednesse by another ; on the other side iohn partly by words , and partly by gifts , endevoured to excuse the fact , conscious to himself also of the slaughter of griti , although not yet charged to him . he pretended that he took arms only to assist him his patron against peter , who● he had besieged in csikium , and to make good this particular d●d upon the surrender send him prisoner , to pacifie solyman , to constantinople yet was not moldavia thus setled , for stephen being a like tyrannical was destroyed by a conspiracy , and one alexius the son of elias , formerly prince , was inducted in his place , but he out of fear of the turks , intending a revolt to ferdinand , was driven out by peter , now restored again by solyman to his former dignity , who being more sanguinous then before ( punishing and torturing his innocent subjects , preventionally by the direction of this politique , that no wise prince afflicts his people because they have , but because they should not offend ) his savage government lasted not long , being succeeded therein by alexander . about the same time king iohn married isabel daughter of the king of poland , but while he mancipated himself to the pleasures of her bed , stephen maylat , and balassi , governours of dacia , quitted their allegiance , and revolted to ferdinand , whom notwithstanding , by the sudden assistance of valentinus tercock , he so quickly reduced , that they seemed to be engaged in the plot , and the defeat of it at the same instant . he dispossessed balassius of several castles , but at this supplication gave him his life ; for either revenge or oblivion follow punishment , and he that spares and is merciful , shews not only his clemency , but confirms his dominion : he besieged also forgarasse a castle of maylats , but being taken with a pain in his head , and gtown frantick therewith , at a town called szar sebessum , he died suddenly , having just before solemnized the birth-day of his onely son iohn sigismund . the civil war which had been laid by the intervention of treaties , now by the death of one of the treating parties broke out again ; essecius and verbeczius the administrators , having recommended their pupil to the tuition and guardianship of solyman , brought forth a banner , the staff of honour , and scymitar , the ensignes of his investiture in the kingdome , when they were indeed the badges of slavery , and so counted and derided by other men . as to ferdinand , he now thought it seasonable , while yet the peace was observed , by his ambassadors and heraulds to try the mind of the turk and the queen , willing rather to reduce the kingdom by fair means , than by blood-shed and war. but understanding that lascus his orator with solyman , was by him imprisoned , and nothing to be effected there , and that the count of salms was meerly delayed by isabel the queen , he proceeded to open hostility , leonard felsius his general reducing vissegrade , vaccia , and pesth ; but his attempt upon buda ( the discord arisen between his germans and hungarians , and their private conferences with their country-men ) unluckily disappoynted . more effectual was the eloquence of perenyus , who being brought over to ferdinand's side by szegessus his ambassador at the wedding of king iohn , where he set forth the power and fortune of charles the emperour , now carried with him alba regalis to the german party . nor was the turk lesse active and stirring , mahomet , amurath , and usref , coming in the depth of winter to the assistance of george mona●hus ( who from the king's fire-maker or ●eweller , was advanced to the highest dignities ) and peter petrovitius ( assigned guardians by the testament of iohn to his son sigismund ) and presently attaqued pesth ; but by the valour of fotiscus ▪ and speciacassius , whose vigorous salleys the turkish camp could not endure , they were repelled with great losse . this so encouraged ferdinand that rogendorf was sent to besiege buda , which monachus and his adherents had re-fortified and made good the walls and bulwarks with needful reparations , and now countermined the besiegers , when thomas bornemisza the provost of the town , and peter palcianus proffered to deliver it to revayus ▪ the time and place appointed , none but hungarians for the better concealing the designe to be engaged in it . all things thus fairly laid , and the general cocksure of the town , fortune shewed him what presumption and mistrust can do in the juncture of the greatest military affairs ▪ for he diffident of the hungarians , and relying upon the constancy of the germans , a● the hour and place agreed on , clapt them into the city , who being betrayed by their tongue , were fallen upon by those who would have been their friends in peace ; & so numbers of them slain , and the rest repulsed . nor did their ill fortune stay here , for mahomet and ulumas bassa of ●osnia , after a naval encounter , while he loytered before buda , landed upon him and over-threw his army , when specia●acassius from pesth fell upon the victors , and abated the dishonour of the day by a like slaughter and terrour brought upon the enemy , but yet so that the fame of solyman arrogated to it self the victory ; for that rogendorf wounded with a pole and flying for fear , died with grief and heartlesse ; his fleet made shift to escape , but his land forces were wholly lost . solyman was now in person again in hungary , & as a token of his affection to the young king , presented his mother with a babylonish garment , and jewells of inestimable value , as he did her son with horses richly trapped , desiring him to be brought into his camp , which request was observed as a command : whither being come , valentinus tercock one of his prime councellors , a man of a various and inconstant mind , was secured ; the child and the rest of his retinue was returned to his mother . verbeczius authour of this counsel of solyman's protection , survived not long after , but troubled in conscience with the evil thereof , gave notable proof of his hearty repentance . in conclusion , solyman by an instrument conferred transylvania , lippa , and temeswar , to the queen and his pupil ; when he swore by god , mahomet , his own head and sword , that he would render buda to the young prince ; in which city he now placed solyman bassa for governour in his own right and title . the queen guided by the necessity of the times , or afraid to dispute the businesse , accepted of the conditions and quitted buda , ever since remaining in the turkish power , as the metrapolis of what they hold in hungary , where solyman gave audience to the counts of salms , & herbensteyn , ferdinand's ambassadors , of whom he insolently , demanded , that their master should presently yeild hungary to him as his benefactour , and pay him a tribute for austria . it was bootlesse to make any reply to ●uch a formidable neighbour , for that the hungarians being deceived with this ostentation and shew of their king , and by their own means disabled from resistance , were not to be considered or relyed upon . the policy of solyman being herein agreeable to that of other potentates ; who to dissolve the present state , pretend the interest of the natural and rightful princes , not that they should govern or have any authority ; but themselves having once gained the people by such arts , make not nice to retain them in subjection by the extremest rigour and violence , as having a pretended good right by their former voluntary complyance and addresse to their auxiliary arms. the losse of buda put all germany into a trepidation as apprehending the vicinity of the danger . at spire and ratisbone , two aids were readily decreed ; maurice the young duke of saxony , offering his service with some voluntier troops at his own charge and raising : perenyus had got together fifteen thousand hungarians ; and paul the third , sent three thousand men under the command of medigius afterward pope pius the fifth , and alexander vitellius . nor were ferdinand's forces of his own levying fewer in number ; ioachim of brandenburg being constituted generalissimo . this was in the year of our lord . when solyman by his generals ulumas , amurath and others , timely opposed his arms. pesth was the first place of encounter , which vitellius , & sforza palavicinus having besieged by a stratagem of a sudden flight thence , the turks were brought by the ambuscadoes of perenyus , into an inclosure . here the turks desperation show'd its victorious effect , though repressed by maurice , and the courage of count nicholas serini's men ▪ pesth was hereupon reattempted , & upon the point of surrender when the germans failed vitellius ; and through the ill conduct , or faint-heartednesse of ioachim were upon their retreat and departure . perenyus was at the same time secured in neustria , as well for his present ambition upon the crown , as his former designs of revolting to the enemy . this enterprize upon pesth , solyman vowed to revenge ; to gratifie which , his chief commanders resolutely took in several towns , and among other prisoners upon surrender , at the delivery of nana , moreus the great bandit , who to save his life renounced his religion . other places , particularly valpone , bravely defended by michael archius against his said generals , he in person reduced , as he did also quinque ecclesiae or kerchen , socklosiae , and strigonium ; although such was the presumptuous confidence of lascanus , and salamanca two spaniards , the governours thereof , that they defied the joynt force of both emperours armies , if engaged against the town ; but their brag and vapour was well recompensed by solyman , who kept his word of quarter for life , no more than they did their duty and courage . tata was next taken , and alba regalis , a very defensible place , as standing in a morasse , and sacred for the sepultures of the kings of hungary , which should have spirited the garrison ; but by the death of varcocius the governour and the firing of the suburbs , which against his advice were left standing to the enemies advantage , it came by storm & the pressing of the turks upon the christians flying out of the said suburbs into the city , into his hands : most of the souldiers escaped over the bogs : to the burghers he shewed himself a fair and benign conquerour : ; while ferdinand was employed among the marcomanni in raising of new levies , a too late remedy to the bad estate of his affairs . and as if this had been the destined period of the kingdome , mahomet iahiogli the bassa of buda , and ussan of strigonium , having distressed visigrade for want of water , took in that town with many other places , which tired out with the calamity of the war , received the turkish yoke , as did several places in illyria from ulamas enforced by the same bassa , and the rather for that ferdinand had displaced peter keglevitius the governour . in whose room count serini was deputed as bildensteyu for styria , both of whom at the plain of selnicia mee●ing with the van of the turks , had terms of a truce offered them , and agreed ; but ulumas coming in the very juncture , the enemy took heart and treacherously engaged them . serini fled to conscha , bildensteyn in danger of drowning in his flight , was preserved by the gallantry and valour of stephen balletitius . this losse was recompensed by the defeat of the garrison forces of strigonium , under cufates and nasuff their colonels , who having taken leva ( the castle being yet notably maintained by melchior balassi ) in the arrogance of their victory were set upon by nyari and put to the slaughter , a number of captives being thereby also redeemed out of their hands . yet by this never so unequal ballance of affairs , did ferdinand obtain a peace of solyman , being intent upon a more unjust design , byassed thereto by the court of rome : for he was now famous for the smalchaldick war , which he managed with great renown to his vertues , by which he highly obliged those persons that suffered by the council of trent's peremptory decrees , and had no open or avowed patron , but maurice the elector of saxony . that war ended , ferdinand held an assembly of the states at tyrnaw , memorable for no other thing then the prosecution of two noble out-lawes , who had licensed to themselves a power and authority of mischief by fortifying of advantagious places ; their names were matthias baso , who was taken at muranum by the count of salms ( who built the fortresse of szolnoc ) and beheaded , and balassi his son in law , who escaped into transylvania . and thither the next story leads us , for george monachus , the raised favourite of k. iohn perceiving how inconsiderable the queens and her sons interest was like to prove in that pent and precarious principality , had privily ingratiated himself with ferdinand , renouncing his master to the count of salms , and abjuring the turk before andrew bathori at opulia , a greater infidel & more perfideous himself . the queen and petrovitius his collegue were not ignorant of these his practises , but could not remedy them ; she therefore designed a journey into poland , which george put by ; but hasty of his enterprize , seized the treasury and plundered it , and forced away the queen from cibinium , having collogued the siculi and saxons to be of his party . to the nobles oposing themselves against this upstart , as a person of a most sordid extraction , mahomet bassa joyned his troops ; but he and his confederates were soon vanquished , and george thereby made paramount in the government , when by a temporary peace he settled all things in statu quo ; but diffiding and conscious of his demerits towards his pupil prince , made an agreement with ferdinand , who thereby drew a war upon himself , greater than the advantage of his present acquist . george was hereupon presently assisted by ioh. baptista castaldus , famous in the german war ; bathori the future vaivod , sirotinius , and nadasdi , and took in alba , but restored the q. her treasure and rich movables , whom szasz sebessius advised to quit the crown and transylvania , and to accept of opulia and an hundred thousand guilders in name of a dower ; which the queen not daring to refuse , neither having command of her person , her mind , or her kingdome , consented to ; and so the regal ensigns were by her delivered to castaldus , while petrovitius yeilded temeswar , lippa , and other towns , to the same prevailing enemy . solyman enraged at these proceedings , imprisoned ferdinands ambassadour at constantinople , and sent away an army under mahomet , beglerbeg of romania , vlumas , achomet and cassonus into transylvania , with orders to reinstate the queen and her son , but under colour of their assistance to reduce the kingdome and that province to his own obedience , who without any considerable opposition took in most of the towns between temesus and marusius , while george and castaldus with other commanders , kept their posts about varadin and those parts , although not inferiour to the enemy , by which means lippa through the inconstancy of the citizens , came into the turkish possession , vlumas being placed governour there : temeswar was likewise attempted but valiantly defended , for that george beseiged lippa , and st. demetrius day was at hand , beyond which usually the janizaries will not continue in the feild . at lippa a cardinals hat procured by ferdinand was presented to george , who by distressing vlumas for provision , and repressing his salleys , had brought him to a surrender , upon terms of free departure , which castaldus dissented from , gr●dging that george should arrogate the supreme command to himself : neverthelesse vlumas having had some private conference with george was dismist with those terms , whom balassi and horvar contrary to articles set upon in his way , but so ineffectually that vlamas made shift to bring his broken forces to adrianople to the provocation of solyman , whom george would by no means have so incensed : and hence castaldus weary of a competitor took occasion to inject suspicions into the head of ferdinand , that george held intelligence with the turk , for which reason it was concluded between them that he should be removed . to effect which , sforza palavicinus andreas lopez , marcus ferrarus , with other spaniards were appointed , marcus in the morning twilight , ( as george quartered at alwinez where he was underwriting some petitions of his souldiers ) rushing into his chamber , ran him through , when sforza with ten others seconded that wound , and with the points and edges of their swords made an end of him , crying upon the name of christ : a deserved end for the betrayer and deserter of his prince and pupill , from whose father he had received such benefits , although the assassinates themselves came after to very untimely ends . pope iulius heard this fact with very great indignation , although palliated with his defection , &c. nor would admit of those excuses , nor be pacified with bribes , made and issued from that estate which george had left , and of which the assassinates were possessed , the turk being in a readinesse for a war , michael toth imparted a design upon segedine to castaldus , who warned all the governours thereabouts to be assistant to the enterprize , which succeeded with good effect , the town being taken , and the castle standing upon its last defence by the resolution of hederbeg the governour , when the hayducks drunk with the excellent wines of syrmia and baronya with which the town abounded , were in their drunkennesse surprized by notice given to haly bassa of buda , by a pidgeon sent from heder , and all the heyducks put to the sword , the chief commanders who did all they could to prevent that excesse ( among whom was aldana governour of lippa , and berezus ) hereby escaping , in lieu of whom the turks light upon another party under nagy and ter●ock , ignorant of what had happened , and captivated them all , as they further enlarged this successe by the taking of vesprinium , delivered by michael ferreus ( the chief governour peteone being excluded by him ) after a mutiny of the garrison caused by his covetousnesse . at the same time elias ( son of peter ) vayvod of moldavia by these alps , invaded hungary , and fa●ling into the richest and luxuriant parts of the country , was packing up a very great spoil , when banfius and other noblemen surprized him , and stripped him of his booty . but a greater danger was feared from achomet , who took temeswar , lozoncius after a forward defence , by the discord of the germans , being forced to yeild it upon terms , which in remembrance of that perfidy used towards vlumas were not at all regarded , and the garrison put to the sword. twenty several other places were either taken or yeilded , which had been formerly in their possession , and all the tract of ground between temesus and chrysus niger , reduced to their obedience . lippa also , although aldana the governour had boasted of the strength of the place , and his own resolution , was out of fear fired by himself , for which he had lost his head , but for the intercession of mary the empresse . dregelum was also taken , though so nobly defended by sondius , that they gave his dead body most honourable sepulchre . not to mention many other places , among the rest salgon , by a stratagem of a great log from the next hill , which the garrison were made believe for a great gun , so that it was with the turks the same thing to come and to conquer . at length erasmus theuffelus and sforza pallavicinus newly returned out of italy with . men , opposed themselves to this torrent , but by their hastinesse and impatience in not staying for the nobility at fileek , and all the elements conspiring their ruin ( their powder and ammunition being blown up at palastus ) they were beaten out of their camp , and both generalls taken prisoners , theuffelus denying himself was sowed in a sack and drowned afterwards in the thracian bosphorus , and sforza ransomed with . crowns , the other captives being set at so cheap a rate , that a german was sold for a peck of barley . szolnock was next attaqued by haly and achomet , and notwithstanding either the promises or threats of laurentius nyari delivered to them by the faint hearted garrison . thence the enemy with a hundred and twenty five thousand men came before agria , wherein were governours dobo and neskeyus , who had in vain implored aid and supplies from the emperour , assisted by some noblemen and . souldiers . it was a sharp and daring seige of both sides , the defendants in a bravery opening the bolikian gate and there after a fierce encounter slaying . turks , which courage of theirs so disheartned achomet that having lost . great shot against the town he broke up from before it , duke maurice ferdinands general having spent a whole summer in his station near raab , without any thing of moment effected against the enemy . the messengers of this successe at agria were richly rewarded , and dobo made prefect of transylvania , nekessius by an untimely and ungratefull accident was killed in a rustick tumult by an axe . ferdinand notwithstanding more afraid of fortune then desirous of conquest , preferred peace , to which purpose he commissioned antony veranczius , and francis zayus to the port , by whose means malvezius the former ambassadour was set at liberty , but he survived it not long , dying in his journey back again thither with a new commission . in his place augerius gislenius busbequius was substituted , but nothing more then a truce of six months could be obtained . the war being therefore continued , it was the good fortune as the valour of count nicholas serinus ( zrynyi by the hungarians ) to defeat vlumas and amurath of clissa by toploczia , who bearing up from this discomfiture plundered and spoiled several towns at their retreat ; while hameza the governour of sezeserinum by a surprize gained filek . busbequius was now returned re infecta from constantinople , without that ferdinand would relinquish transylvania ; and alys a chiaux being sent to bathori the vayvod , commanded him to expell the germans , a new prince of hungary to be chosen , or the queen restored ; to which demands bathori by the connivence of castaldus answered by the promise of a tribute in the name of the states , but for their wresting places out of the hands of those that had them in possession it was not in their power . hereupon aly bassa formerly governour of buda , but now prime vizier , beseiged sigeth most nobly even to admiration defended by stansitius , and preferved by a diversion given the enemy by the palatine nada●di who beseiged some towns of the enemy which toygon of buda had taken from the heyducks , enemies to both parties . aly thus necessitated to rise from zigeth passed the rinnia and came to meet nadasdi , but by the valour of serini and polbaylerus and the auxiliary's of telekessius and ruberius , and which is the main , the prudence and conduct of the generall , he was totally routed : when the palatine suspecting reinforcement of the enemy or contenting himself with the rescue of zigeth , returned to chorgond , where he joyned his forces with young ferdinand , who had obtained leave of his father to make tryall of his first arms in this war. the same hereof bred so great terrour among the turks , it being also rumoured that the christians overspread the whole plain , that aly bassa was preparing for a flight , having with all earnestnesse summoned mahomet the beglerbeg of romania to his assistance , but when upon nadasdi's retreat , it was conceived that he fled , aly returned to his seige of zigeth , but with worse fortune ; losing thousand men in the trenches , the fruit of his vain contempt of the christians . his departure young ferdinand by the advice of nadasdi suffered without any molestation , employing his army to the reduction of corone , and afterwards burnt down graeco-galla , st. martins and many other places , in which the avarice of the germans was so prodigious , that they searched the very entrayls of their enemy's for gold , which they supposed they might have swallowed . but affairs went not on so prosperously in transylvania , by reason of the misunderstanding between dobo and kendius the governours thereof , ( for castaldus either foreseeing the mischief or being called away by charles the fift had quitted that command ) dobo was constant to the king , kendi enclined to isabel and out of that respect and fear of the turks power alwayes impending , with a great party publiquely rebelled , and called in the queen ( who pretended to be unsatisfied of her agreement made with ferdinand ) out of poland , as he did likewise move solyman for assistance who , commanded cassonus and the vayvod of moldavia to that service ; but such was the diligence of dobo and his partisans tahy and zaberdini that the confederates were glad to sue for a . dayes truce at the expiration whereof upon pardon they rendred themselves : but their inconstancy upon the next advantage , under new pretences engaged them in the same designes ; for upon the departure of the imperial forces , kendi and balassi call in the queen , and now their businesse was ripe for execution : for huztum was at last yeilded to andrew bathory , as varadinum at the command of ferdinand , being wearied out with these troubles , with tockay by the revolt of francis nemeth to isabel , were likewise delivered ; and now the rebellion was so far spread , that it was high time for ferdinand to apply some excellent hand to the government , but the persons he named to it , proved very insufficient by their personall evils . during this dispute it proved dobo's hard fortune , when things were past remedy , to be seized ( at such time as he had news of his brothers captivity by , the turks , as calamity seldome comes alone ) by perenyi , with whom he had a controversie about the dignity of the crown keeper , in which restraint he was hardly used , to a very just but most envious imputation upon the faith of isabel , who had engaged for his liberty . these losses were a little alleviated by the good conduct of emerius telekessius deputed in the place of puchamus the former governour , who reduced many places , and maintained others against isabel standing near the tibiscus , but all was to no other effect then by those struglings to strengthen the common enemy against their country . for though the enemies effort in this juncture was distant as far as illyria , yet had it the better and facile execution , and although revenged at last by erd●edius the successour of serini to the government ; yet did it not any what allay those feuds at home , whereby tata was gained by hameza by stratagem , and komora , and austria exposed to their armes . the princes of germany were therefore prayed to assist ferdinand , who agreed to a double aid , the levying of forty eight thousand men , who by the turks cunning mention of a peace presently to be concluded , squandred away a whole summers time in their quarters , at raab to the great burden of those whom they came to releive , and did nothing worthy the noise of the very preparation . transylvania altogether as unhappy , now groaned under the oppression of its own princesse . bebecus her great friend and councellor was now delegated to solyman at constantinople , by whom he was favourably received , and honoured with the title of governour ; and the moldavian , and valachian vayvods subjected to him ; by which his power became suspect to the queen , as upon this account also , for that petrovitius and others , would have the young prince conveyed to varadin an university ( cambray the french ambassador urging the motion ) for that it would be dangerous to breed him to the distaff , lest effeminacy and luxury should corrupt his manners . hereupon the queen troubled , consulted with nisovius a polonian , to put the noble men to death , which was agreed on : petrovitius escaped a violent ( by hasting to a sudden and natural ) end , having named the queen and her son , his heirs . but bebecus , francis , and antonius kendy , who had stickled so much for her interest and party , payed for their fondnesse with the losse of their lives , their executioners being prepared by balassius , who for this service was invested with the supreme power of the army ; so sad and calamitous was the face and state of this principality . soon after died isabel , & ioh. sigism . her son endevoured the procuring of a peace , but his ambassadors taunting oration , wherein they said that the king of hungary , meaning iohn , desired but the bounds of the river tibisous , ( denoting no more then transylvania ) frustrated that impertinent solicitation ; and in the mean while balassius ( who in divers encounters had received some brushes from telekessius , and had incurred the hatred of transylvania ) with the money received for the payment of the army , ran away to caesar , bringing over with him sacmar , rivulinum , and other towns ; with the person and interests of nicholas bathori . iohn made complaints of this to the port , that peace was pretended while war was prosecuted ; but by the sagacity and diligence of busbequius his addresse and intrigues was dismist without remedy . not to mention the war in moldavia betwixt iacob heraclides , alexander , visnovecsius , and thomsa , competitors for that vayvodship , wherein both iohn , and ferdinand , and solyman were concerned , for that it would be too large a digression . the affairs of iohn grew worse and worse , for that solyman had consented to an eight years truce , after almost as many years solicitation . stephen bathori yet stuck firm to his part , with francis nemethi , who now joyntly besieged hadad , the town belonging to one sulyoccus , a noble man designing the part of ferdinand ; zayius and balassi came to the releif of it , when bathori advised against any encounter ; but nemethi disdaining the name of a coward would needs perswade him ; though to the losse of the whole army , great guns , with a camp excellently stored , and fifty three ensigns , being taken from the transylvanians : the subjects whereof awaiting the event of this battel took advice of fortune . the whole province was now in trepidation , and their security designed in poland , whither iohn sigismund was upon his departure , had not christopher bathori comforted him with the hopes of the turks assiastnce , by whom he might one day gain hungary also . accordingly ibrahim bassa of buda , and malchoczius of temeswar , came with forces and freed nemethum of the siege , but not from the fire which the south wind blew crosse the water to the other part of the town . at the same time zajus having carried away all the spoil and what was worth any thing set fire to zacmar which neverthelesse defended it self against the turks by the obstinacy of balassi shut up therein ; whose brother iohn coming to his releif with a thousand men , hasanes beg so suddenly routed , as putting his hopes of carrying the town in this exploit , that of the one side it would have been judged there were no other than beasts , as on the other side none but men. not to passe by the insolence of arslanes governour of posega in illyria for the turks , who having plundred all about monozlone , had now pitch'd his silk and golden tents under the soft murmur of the confluents , & as if the enemy were to be vanquished by his pleasures , was now diverting himself in all manner of luxury , when serini a●d tahi fell upon him , and without any difficulty took his tent furnished rather for entertainment than fight , and divided it among their souldiers . so that this civil conflagration , and the intermedling of the turks , had already ruined the people ; in the feilds was vastitude , in the camp want and penury , and the minds of men by their habitude to war , brutalized and transformed into savage principles . a peace therefore as the only and last remedy to this perishing state , was procured by busbequius , at the rate of the yearly tribute of thirty thousand pound : while ferdinand caused his son maximilian to be crowned king of bohemia , and elected emperour , to confirm that dignity in his family , as he did of hungary likewise ; the vanity of which solemnity ibrahim solyman's ambassador beheld and derided , as a prince vassaliz'd and engaged to his master and deprived of so much of his dominions , although the pomp was no way equal to the former triumphs on that occasion . at this inaugauration the hungarians were highly discontented that a palatine was not first created according to custome , a●d that the germans were not dismissed out of the kingdome ▪ but in vain : as was also the neer conclusion of a peace by the embassy of stephen bathori from iohn to ferdinand , the young man being perswaded by bad council , to continue the war in transylvania , the issue whereof was very unprosperous . and now died ferdinand of a consumptive feaver . a prince of a very singular modesty , justice , and tendernesse , having rescinded all the edicts of charles the fifth , against the protestants , and decreed to them liberty of conscience . his unhappinesse in war was rather imputable to the vast power of his enemies and the inconstancy of his own subjects , than his own insufficiencies , the lesse observable , from the vertues and imperial endowments of his son and successour maximilian in his kingdomes and the german empire , which he adorned with his justice and constant tenour of life as much as any of his predecessors in that dignity . nor was he lesse studious of the peace and tranquility of his realms , agreeing to the continuation of it at the instance of sabanus the envoy of solyman intent upon another war ; but iohn disturbed this serenity by his arms in transylvania , stephen bathori alluring the zacmarians to his side , while he himself recovered hadad , bathor , and st. martin and forced other places to condition for a truce of sixty dayes , as zayus and balassius being too weak to encounter him were mustering at cassovia , where they had been surprized and supprest by iohn , but for a storm of rain which hindred any possibility of marching , and sunk his carriages . maximilian being informed of his power , dispatcht away lazrus suendius and andrew bathori to oppose him , valuing the reputation of his first enterprize as of great moment to his future actions : and at the same time sent ambassadors with presents to solyman . suendius by the advantage of the ice , took toacky surrounded like a peninsula , by the confluence of the tybiscus and bodrogh ; sacmar submitted it self as erdoedium yeilded ; the like did szerenczium , and rivulinum to balassius , for that no releif was to be had from the turks , solyman being engaged by sea at the seige of malta , with a fleet of sail. in fine by the humble instances of bathori somlianus and nisovius , suendius , was intreated to a peace , but with very hard conditions . iohn to content himself with the county of bihor , and to quit his pretences to the regal title , and to yeild munkacksum and marmorussa . in sclavonia , mustapha the bassa of bosnia , having taken crupa in sight , and to the ignominy of auspurgerus , who dared not to encounter him , proceeded and stormed novia , and was thence prosecuting his fortune with fifteen thousand men , when petrus erdaedius but with fifteen hundred so lustily accosted him , that he put him to the rout , and slew the turks like so many sheep . nor did the peace in hungary stand firm and inviolable , for hidajetes a new envoy or chiaux solyman , had demanded tockay to be restored to iohn , by which encouragement bekessius and george bebecus ( the son of him that was put to death by isabel , who flying to ferdinand was intercepted by the turks , and begged of solyman by iohn , whom as his benefactour he was obliged to serve ) confer counsels and contrive a war ; so that the conclusion made between suendius , somlianus , and cracsianerus of poland ( who negotiated the accomodation by his kings order ) although ratified , took not its effect : somlianus ( for his prevarication with iohn ) in that treaty , being committed to custody . the war being commenced , the bassa of buda , and hasan beg of fueleck , assisted the transylvanian , who recovered ieneon , desvium , vilagosvarum , pancota , and lastly , after a difficult siege , the strong town of zacmar ; upon the surrender whereof , hasanes enraged for the losse of curtus his major slain during the seige , commanded the garrison to be put the sword , after articles of life and liberty . swendius although equal to the enemy yet delayed engagement , proffered by hasanes , knowing a new treaty was managed at vienna , which new stated the agreement , viz. iohn to have all places taken from him restored , and to be honoured with some present from the emperour . but caesar forbearing the the restitution of tockay , and lingering in other points to be performed on his part , solyman now years old , undertook his last expedition into hungary , and when disswaded thereto by albert vicius , and hoszutothius , maximilian's ambassadors , alleadging there was no mischief intended by their masters delay , he answered in a juvenile heat , that the end of his life was measured out to him , not by his length of years , but the extent of dominion . he was now arrived at belgrade ( where the news of the defeat of arslanes and his dislodgement from the siege of palotta by thurn , met him ) and there gave reception to iohn sigismund , having fetcht him from the other side of the danow in his own barge , and presented him with a stately horse , richly set out , on which he was brought through his guard of ianizaries to his own person ; sigismund himself had the honour of his right hand joyned with his , the rest of his train kissed solyman's knee or the hem of his vest. after some discourse and thanks rendred for his many kindnesses , and his aid and assistance anew implored against the germans , he drew out a petitionary paper containing the oath that solyman had took concerning the redelivery of buda , betwixt hope and fear of what would ensue such an addresse . but such was the generous freedome and clearnesse of solyman's nature , that to rid him of the anxiety he presently commanded his vizier mahomet to conforme in all things with the desire and request of his beneficiary . but mahomet taxing the ingratitude of iohn , upbraiding him with his own tendernesse , as having been more a father to him than solyman , and taking it in scorn that he should keep equal state with him before company , so wrought upon solyman by setting before him how many musselmens lives his quarrel and that place had cost him ; and that it was against the law of mahomet to yeild it to the christians ; that not onely the city was not rendred to him , but he dismist with a prohibition of any further speech or sight of the grand seigniour . at the same time portau bassa took gyula which ladislaus kereczsenius for a while resolutely defended ; but being corrupted by the enemy against the advice and intimation given him of the necessity of the turks departure , by stephen bathori , delivered it upon terms , which the perfidious enemy observed not , how ever by the favour of the night , and the reeds growing thereabouts , some few escaped . he himself , as a just reward for his treason , was by the command of the sultan , rolled down a hill in a barrel stuck full with nails . whos 's first attaque was upon the town of sigeth , wherein was governour count nicholas serini , with two thousand five hundred men ; an incompetent number to the defence of the place , which diverted the storm from agria ( at a town neer to which called soklos the bassa of bosnia had been slain ) upon it self . all military experiments were practised in this seige , the continual discharge of the cannons so rarefying the air , that the noyse of the leagure was heard as far as canisa . aly portau the general of the ordinance doing the part of a valourous and skilful commander , as well by diverting the course of the river , as bringing his men in person to the breaches . nor was serini lesse active and couragious filling the grafts with the slaughtered carcasses of the enemy ; from the shame whereof arose indignation and resentment of their losse , by which both towns the old and the new were taken and sacked . aly portau surviving not that effort , committed the prosecution of the castle to seysedin bassa now destitute of provision and wanting men the few defendants being tired out with constant duty . three dayes before the castle fell into the hands of the turk died solyman , labouring with an anxious expectation of its reduction , and wearied with old age , made more irksome by a pain in his leg and accelerated by the flux . his death was concealed by the policy of mah●met , until selym his son should be seated in the imperial throne , and several menacing edicts fainedly given out to make the turks desperate in the next assault ; when serini being disabled to hold out longer , opening the gates and encouraging his souldiers to die with him ( having put on a rich sute with a hundred peices of gold in his pocket , the reward of him that should kill him ) sallyed out with fury upon the enemy , and died nobly revenged in the midst of them , having slain during the siege no lesse than twenty some say thirty thousand men . the head of this famous person , was made a publique spectacle one whole day ; and the next by mustapha bassa of buda sent to the count of salms , and interred at csaktornya , but by the imperial army in veneration of his great and admirable actions solemnly attended to abdua , and there deposited . the said army , consisting with the aydes of the empire , of thousand horse , and thousand foot , paid chiefly with the money of pope pius the th . lay encamped about raab ( where a sad fire happened about this time ) not offering to stir to the relief of sigeth , nor to the suppression of iohn sigismond who aided with a great body of tartars ( his own army amounting to men ) had ruined the ter●itories of patach munkacks , and bereckshez , sparing neither age nor sex. tockay was defended against him by the valour of iacob ranuger , and matthias calvasius ; the same tartars continued this their ravage of both sides the tibiscus to the county of bodroch and samosch , intending the like upon ●ihor , to such a desolation of the country , that iohn afflicted with the sight of it , when he could neither regain the captives nor perswade them to desist their cruelty , near to debreczinum gave them battel , and victoriously freed his people of these locusts and destroyers ; as , while maximilian retired to vienna having fortified canisa , and thereafter disbanded his army , mahomet took in babozza , and with the honour of the campania retired to belgrade , having met selymus , in his return , at valkovar , who followed his fathers corps ( meanly attended in sign of humane frailty ) to constantinople , where it was interred in a most magnificent mosque built by himself in his life time . the war in transylvania was yet maintained betwixt maximilian and iohn by their generals swendius , and bebecus , who being inferiour in strength to swendius thought by pretences of his revolt to the emperour to gain time , but the sagacity of swendius disappointed his plot , several towns being taken from iohn by seige during this intrigue which we may not here enumerate ; iohn therefore joyned his army with hasan bassa of temeswar , who turned the scale of fortune and retook as many places , but in the midst of this successefull progesse he was violently afflicted with an arthritical distemper , which like a civil war in his microcosme imperseded his bent to the prosecution of his quarrel : nor did hasan at his departure meet with better luck at his arrival at dedesla , in the plunder whereof , his powder took fire and blew up turks into the air : by this means all parties were willing to a composure , which caesar ( the equallest esteemer of fortune , as preferring the commendation of his humanity , before the pleasure of revenge ) had by his ambassadors veranczius and tieffenbach effected at the port , selym being intent upon the conquest of cyprus . it was now the year . when this outward peace was blemished with a foul and most nefarious design against the life of max●milian , with the seizure of hungary , by dobo and balassius ( men highly obliged to him , and who had done him also many signal services ) at the instigation of iohn sigismund but motioned to them by george boscay . it was discovered by george rakoczi , and ruberus by the divine peculiar protection of kings : of this treason they were both by a publick solemn tryal convicted and left to the disposall of caesar , who ( although bal●ssius broke prison and incited the turks to new troubles , adding wickednesse to wickednesse ) pardoned them both with admirable clemency . so that neither way of open war , nor close treachery advantaging iohn , he ran into an extreme hardly suppo●able , clapping up an offensive and defensive league against the turk , and to be managed as caesar should upon occasion direct , thereby renouncing to the friendship protection and favour he had received all along from the ottoman family , which caused divers discourses and reflections upon him , ( but to be a christian or not a christian is of no concernment to the law of nations ) although maximilian at the same time being urged by the venetians and the pope to joyn with them in their league a while before the battel of lepanto ( when the turk lost sail of ships and galleys , and men , vluzales dexterously escaping with , and afterwards by his fabian delayes , restored their naval power ) most religiously refused . by this peace it was concluded that iohn should enjoy with the title of most serene prince of transylvania , the provinces of bihor , carasna , marmarosse , and the exteriour szolnoc , to have the same friends and enemies with caesar , selymus to be held in amity , and this treaty to be concealed ; but if it should happen that iohn should be expelled by the turks out of transylvania , he should then be invested in opulia ; all former differences to be put in oblivion and himself to be under the clientele of maximilian . with the confirmation hereof bekessius was sent to the emperour , where understanding by blaudrata that iohn could not live long , he designed the government to himself , delaying the ratification by pretences of his indisposition and grief ( and thereby his incapacity ) for the languishing condition of his prince ; who being a batchelor , and disappointed of the marriage of ioan daughter of albert of bavaria , added that grief to his other distempers ; which having horribly tortured him dayes together brought him to his death at georgyen , and was the last accumulation of the ruines of this family . a man of a sharp and quick spirit , but infected with the company of sordid and base people of both sexes , and thereby prone to all vices , but of all those his contempt of religion , was the greatest and most notorious . by his death bekessius took courage to pursue his ambitious designs , relying on the turk , and his interest in the souldiery , but selymus with the good liking of caesar also , having preferred stephen bathori , a man famous both for war and peace to that principality ; bekessius mad with rage and shame , that he should be deceived in the opinion he cherished of the souldiery ( which he had boasted abroad ) who concurred with fortune against him , posted to fogarasse and there laid up and secured iohn's treasure , endevouring all wayes and means to raise enemies against stephen ; but the troubles of mollavia by another change of their vayvods deferred the publick eruption of the intended hostility in which interval happened this phanatick story . one gregory carachondius of rivulinum , sirnamed black from the event of his exploit , under the specious vail of sanctity and pretence of revelations had inveigled the vulgar in the head that god would by him expell the turk out of hungary , hereupon having collected a rabble of men , ( who admired him not only for his spirit of prophesie , but his strength of arm , by which he would streighten a horse-shooe ) he marched to the seige of miklosum , where he said it was revealed him that either the walls would fall down of themselves , or the turks be b●rnt by fire from heaven , which the turks counterfeiting by setting fire to bundles of straw and reeds about the castle , these mad fellowes took it for fulfilling of his praediction , but when they perceived near at hand , that the walls and castle stood , they drew off very melancholly , and were in that mood set upon by sazvares governour of szolnoc and miserably slaughtered : notwithstanding their captain would not desist , but pretending this losse to have happened for their sins , he laid seige to zolnoc , where he was disappointed in the same manner ; from thence to debreczinum where for contempt of his authority , he commanded the mayor to be hanged , but a tumult preventing the execution , he was taken by the multitude and his head chopt off , and shewed for a spectacle of whimsicall ambition . yet was even this wild fellowes death ( such the madnesse of the infected herd ) endevoured to be revenged though after a short politique connivence suppressed by nicholas bathori . the like scene almost was acted in illyria by the boors there , who rebelled against the nobility and gentry , who had held them indeed in very hard servitude ; their number was ten thousand , who proclaimed one matthew geubecz for the king , and unmercifully handled their former masters , tearing like dogs those that resisted them . but men easily routed them . and their k. being taken , had his flesh pulled off with burning pincers , and a red hot iron crown put upon his head , expiating by that regall embleme his affront to the regall dignity . maximilian was now intent upon gaining the good will and favour of the estates towards the settling his family in the supreme power , having in his own sight caused his son rudolph to be crowned king at presburgh , notwithstanding that the burghers generally grudged that the germans were not removed out of the kingdome , nor a palatine created according to custome , besides that their liberties were infringed , &c. which inflamed at last into tumults and uproars . nor was stephen bathori's government quiet or composed , for bekessius neither reducible by his menacing edicts , nor the intreaties and perswasions of the nobility , was now beseiged in fogarasse , which being ill manned , he privately upon a swift asian horse escaped to caesar , the castle was after delivered by paul giula afterwards secretary to stephen , and with it all the treasure bekessius had hoarded , fortune and prudence deserting him together , for while he coveted titles beyond his reach , he lost an ample estate , in his power to have preserved it . amurath the d. succeeded selymus in the ottoman throne , having seen five of his brothers strangled in his presence , but more humanely inclined to a peace with christendom , as being by dream admonished to a war against the heretique persians . this tranquility stirs in poland succeeded ; for charles the ninth of france , dying , his brother henry newly made king of poland , withdrew suddenly thence , and left the poles in an interregnum and vacancy , as after they decreed at warsaw , but could not agree about the successour . the competitors were caesar , iohn of sweden , and ivan vasilowich duke of mosco , for as yet stephen bathori minded not the matter , thinking it above his reach ; but samuel sborovius then in exile in transylvania , for the slaughter of vapovius castellan of primislaw , having every where proclaimed the worth of the person , drew peter sborovius then palatine of cracovia , to his opinion ; stephen by their counsel therefore put in his name and stood for the election , by an unusual felicity being in a short time a baron , prince , and king. nor was he unworthy of his advancement . to detain him in transylvania , caesar commissioned bekessius to attempt it , who came with such sudden secrecy as far as radnot , that bathori knew not of an enemy , although in the middle of his principality , and had been easily conquered if bekessius had not lost by delayes what he had gained by his good speed ; for while he argued with bathori about articles of a new agreement , the form where of bathori , thus surprized , desired to be mended and mitigated onely , he called in mahomet the governour of lippa with his forces to his assistance , with which couragiously he vanquished bekessius . the hungarian prisoners he released freely , but his transylvanian rebels were thralled to the turks . such the calamity of victory , even when it favours good men , whose natural clemency it perverts by its revenge . bathori departing for poland , quitted transylvania to his brother christopher , having married neer this time with anne the daughter of sigismund augustus his late predecessour in that kingdome , whither bekessius ( fled from his discomfiture to scepusium ) with an admired confidence soon after followed , and in a prostrate manner addressed himself to the king , whose generosity not only forgave him , the most implacable of all his enemies , but preferred him to the command of the hungarian forces then serving him against the dantzickers quarrelling for their priviledges , and the muscovites , against both whom he was very successful , driving the last of the two out of livonia . in the mean time a quarrel and rupture happened betwixt the turks and the emperour about certain prisoners taken by a stratagem of balassi , in revenge whereof , aly beg of alba , seized several towns belonging to balassi ; and though istuanfi the emperors agent would have perswaded the bassa of buda that the league was still in force and those particular actions not to be construed as a breach thereof , yet the turks prone to a new war , invaded illyria and brought a great calamity upon it , defeating auspergerus the emperour 's general with all his army neer radonia , and after took in and burnt businium czasium , suacicium , and szrinyum , as he had before seized topusca , bonitium , and all the places between the rivers of colapis , dobra , and meresnicia . this year . died maximilian the emperour , worthily renowned to posterity for his moderation and justice , to whose supreme greatness , nothing was wanting but fortune . although he was very constant to the religion of his ancestors , yet was he not therefore severe to the protestants , as requiring piety onely : that speech of his to the bishop of olomucza leing very memorable , that christian religion teacheth rather to suffer killing , than to kill ; and that it is a grievous impiety to lord it over mens consciences , which is the same insolence as to invade heaven . rudolphus the second of that name emperour , succeeded his father to a troublesome and more unquiet government ; for the turks playing fast and loose with the late treaty of peace , had made an irruption into sclavonia , and taken gonsdansc in sclavonia , and spoyled their silver mines , and had opened a way for their excursions into carniola . to stop which danger lest his patience might embolden the enemy , rudolphus dispatcht away his uncle charles to that government ( as he did delegate his brother ernestus to the care of hungary ) while he intended some respite from businesse in bohemia . this viceroyship the hungarians highly stomached , requiring their election of a palatine , and their lawes , and inveighing against the intrusion of this new example . charles being arrived in illyria , quietly reduced all the places taken three years before by ferhates of bosnia , and founded carolostad in memory of his victorys ; the like successe had battyani against aly beg of sygeth , who designing to disturbe his fortifications at barcai in the very nick of the atchievement of his design , was by the policy of battyani encouraging his flying souldiers with the shout of the enemy runs , wrested out of a compleat triumph and made a sacrifice to the vindictive sword. the same event attended scanderbeg the son of the famous ulumas governour of posega , by whose overthrow illyria was reduced in a manner to rudolphus . and as if fate had treasured up her wrath against the turk for this time , sasvares the sanjack of szolnoc , thinking to have trapt colonitz and bathori , was caught himself ; for having surrounded the christians and opprest them with multitudes , even to desperation of any escape , just as they were yeilding to the sword of the enemy , came in to their rescue rajbicius sent from andrew barbelius the governour of agria , who flanking the turks with his musqueteers hem'd in three hundred of them and slew them , and took prisoners four hundred more , with thirteen ensigns ; which indignity sasvares proudly resenting as dishonourable for a musselman to be beaten by a christian , revengefully burnt and levelled several towns , and with a full prey was returning home when serinus and raibicius gave him the second course of the same entertainment , he himself stript of his vainglorious humour disguised in a horse-rubbers habit hardly escaping to tybiscus . the news of this overthrow was soon carried to constantinople , whereat sinan bassa the prime vizier , was transported into a most violent rage , encreased by another defeat given to ferhates bassa of bosnia , who with nine thousand men invading carniola , had been pitifully overthrown by the count of thurn & erdoedius falling on his reer , and with the losse of four men , killing four thousand : but these objections at the port ( as being done by way of reprizal and defence , the tucks being taken out of their bounds w●th christian booty ) paulus eyzingarus and henry lichtensteyn the emperours ambassadours so solved and satisfied , that amurath declared that they suffered in their own wrong , nor would he support them therein , to the disturbance of the peace . soon after dyed christopher bathori prince of transylvania , who had enjoyed his government the quiettest of all his predecessors , leaving his young son sigismund to his brother stephen , who committed him to the tuition of three noblemen , but they rivalling the power thereof to the detriment of the publique good , the governance of the prince was conferred upon iohn geczi the provost of varadin , a person eminent for his wisdome and integrity of life : at which time an epidemicall disease raged gradually through all the parts of europe , and in the month of september infested germany and hungary , it was called the morbus vervecinus , for that like sheep , the diseased were seized with a cold and a cough , there were also several earthquakes at presburgh , vienna , and zagrabia . at bihigium in chroatia in the middle of the night , a multitude of ducks and geese fought in the air , and next morning some thousands of them were found slain with mutuall wounds upon the grounds , affording plenty of good chear to the inhabitants . these portents signified the frequency of military actions ; hasan governour of sigeth depopulated all that hitherto untouch'd plat of territory , lying between the river mura and dravus , and through the easie pursuit of count serinus escaped with a great booty over the arrhabon to his garrison . palfi requited this by counter-designing against isaac of alba , whom missing in the dark , by day break he found and put to the rout . nadasdi , speciacassus , hussarus , and others took coppanum from the turks , and puft up with the fortune of the atchievement would needs beseige bnda , driving the cattell away from about the town , but ferhates now bassa of buda , so repayed their arrogance , that with the losse of ensignes , they fled for their lives . but a greater war impended out of poland , stephen bathori being deceased , equally lamented by the poles and transylvanians ; for the sborovian faction , whom stephen for their crimes had depressed , ( although his raisers ) had deprived iohn samoiscius ( who had married grisel the kinswoman of stephen ) of his chancellorship in that kingdome . at the next diet there appeared these competitors , piestas , one of the nobles , theodor duke of musco , maximilian the brother of caesar , sigismund son of iohn the third king of sweden , and the son of the tartar cham , who pretended his power and sufficiency of defending poland , his frugality and continence ; as to religion , their pope should be his pope , their luther his luther . in fine , sigismund by the endevour and interest of samoyscius carried it from them all , the sborovians labouring for maximilian , the lithuanians contrarily proposing the decision might be by lot ; but the sborovians would by no means consent to it . in the mean while zamoyschus aided by iohn geczi out of transylvania took cracovia and therein the regalia ; and lighting upon maximilian at clepardia , with the slaughter of a thousand , and three hundred prisoners , made him run to bicini , where being in vain perswaded to a safer refuge he was besieged and taken and custoded in rodlone ; his brother a most unactive prince regarding neither his honour nor the danger . the pope was therefore intreated to take the cause into his hands by his nuncio aldobrandinus afterwards clement the eighth , who so managed the businesse , that maximilian for his liberty with the further ransome of fourty thousand dollars , quitted his pretences to that crown , to which by the vanity of sborovius and stanislans , he had been a year so fondly wedded . to return to sazvares the busie governour of zigeth , now upon another excursion between the rivers mur and cernicia , where he ravaged with such insolence , that his officers suspecting his interception by some ambush or engagement , advised him to some private way of retreat , which he resecting and vapouring that he would face serini before his garrison of canysa , was encompassed at paulinum by the conjoyned forces of nadasdi trautmansdorff , battyani , and serini , and there with the slaughter of two thousand , and as many prisoners put to flight , he himself difficulty escaping , and respiting a death by the honour of the sword to a glasse of poyson , which to prevent strangling at constantinople , he took in his way thither , as he was commanded by the grand seigniour . the same fate besel ferhates bassa of buda , who having raised the contribution of the county to excessive rates , thereby to satisfie his rapine , and over and above to bribe out his oppression , which the poor peasants were unable to pay , was in his forcible levying of it ( though accompanyed with twelve thousand men ) totally routed by two thousand five hundred hungarians , under the command of sigismund racockzi , stephen homonai and other , between hernad and barsonyos , two thousand killed and four hundred taken , with the losse of six hundred . this defeat cost ferhates his life , the just price of his too eager covetousnesse , as the victory ascribed to the hungarians was particularly referred to those liberties and priviledges they lately enjoyed by the concession of rudolph at a late diet sometime before held in presburgh . but these were but pastime velitations and praeludia to the open war which ensued , ●or sinan & osman bassa having after many ill successes and losses especially in the late fight at masul in persia , concluded a peace with mahomet hodaband the king thereof , sought to peice up in the west what was diminished from their empire in the east , by transferring the war into europe , on which sinan was so resolutely bent , that to remove all opposition , he caused the mufti zealously inclined against the persian , to be poysoned ata banquet ; and hasanes of bosnia was ordered to seek an occasion of the rupture , which he expiated with his own life . the dance was begun by him in illyria , where between czisium and ivanicia , he committed terrible spoil , and took-several towns ; but upon his retreat to gradisca , labohatius , and michael szekely , set upon a regiment newly passed the river colapis , and cut it off in the view of hasanes , who durst not make to their relief . in the same havocking manner , hasanes surnamed the little , the governour of sigeth , took kiskamaromum by a sudden scalado , while the other mad with revenge , and assisted by rustan and erdeogli , encamping near colapis , took ranovicia and gara , and founded petrinia by a river of that name , which he afterwards finished . he stormed siscia , but was beaten off by the valour of n●cholas micacius , who incensed him yet further by a stratagem , for pretending a rendition of the town , he received by articles five hundred turks who were to take possession , all of whom he put to the sword. all these outrages did erdoedius the emperours governour , bear with till now , when taking arms he reduced monozlone , and hence occasion was taken by the turks to declare a war. for amurath being of himself sufficiently exasperated , was more enflamed by sinan , and therefore commands were sent away to hasanes to provide that the grand seigniours provinces received no damage , and if any were offered , to revenge it ; hereupon he besieged and took * bihigi●m , and by private wayes making towards erdoedius , surprized him , in his expectation of supply and assistance , with his camp and great guns . this losse charles the uncle of rudolph , the next governour no way remedied , things growing worse and worse every day in that province , no lesse then five thousand christians being trodden down & surcharged by numbers neer petrinia ; sciscia was the second and third time attempted by hasanes , such his thirst of revenge and the arrogance of his mind , with a battery of great guns . when fortune changed her countenance , for although the abundance of rain that fell of a sudden saved him the first of these times from an engagement by palfi and nadasdi , which was attributed to his conduct , yet the next bout he escaped not so , for having newly passed colapis and arrived at selinum , erdoedius with other of the nobility , and men , fell couragiously on him and shamefully vanquished him , turks being slain ( so that ordera and colapis were discoloured with blood ) among whom was mahomet the ●on of a sister of amuraths ( whose death at her solicitation did not a little put forward the intended expedition ) many spahi , officers , and men of note . hasan himself thinking to have escaped over the bridge , already thronged with the flying remains , was with some of his valientest souldiers forced off the bridge into the river and there drowned . the camp and rich tents with all the great guns , bag and baggage came intirely into the conquerours hands . so god arose in the revenge of this perfideousnesse , being most wise to know , most equal to discern , and most just to punish . petrinia had been at the same time demolished by erdoedius , but that his collegue having a longing eye upon a peace , diswaded him . amurath the more incensed by sinan and his sister , swore by god and mahomet , he would be revenged , and thereupon denounced war against the emperour , who first deprecated the same by his oratour poppelius whom with presents he dispatched to the port , alleadging that invaders are justly punishable ; but he perceiving the turks bent , openly declared , that if the war were brought upon his master , the perpetual law of nature had directed and principled men to resist and repel force and injury by any manner of defence . to which the matter being left , the money designed for the tribute was staid at vienna for better uses , as on the other side the embassador was confined to a private house . the war thus opened ; hasan now beglerbeg of gree●e , dislodged serini and ekenperg obstinately bent upon the reduction of petrinia , and by his peculiar fortune took the often mentioned siscia , the besieged being in no hope of relief . sinan being arrived in person , took vesprinium yeilded by speciacassius sor want of water , amidst so many springs , but possessed by the enemy : as palotta by the fear of ornandius was rendred to him likewise . to obviate his further progresse count palfi , serini , and count hardeck with foot and horse of veterane soldiers made up instantly to . by the confluence of voluntiers from all the towns hastned to engage him , but he retreating before them , and having stored his garrisons , they set down before alba regalis , the outward town whereof was taken from isaac the governour , by the valour of peter hussar , but while for want of great guns the seige was protracted , mehemet and hasanes with . select men came before the town unexpectedly , and there made a stand : mohemet in contempt of the enemy , as of an undisciplined and rude multitude , declaring , that they should have fair play for they lives ; but when both armies came to be ranged in battalia , they were so afraid of each others aspect and order , that they stood two hours gazing upon one another , without advancing a foot forward . at last palfi vigorously began upon the janizaries ( to whose valour encouragement is given , both by provision in their youth , and happinesse hereafter if slain in battel the only incentive to great actions , as rewards and pensions are allowed to prolifick parents according to the number of their sons , who succed likewise to their pay and stipend when deceased , by which means there ariseth a love of generation , and a vehement desire of dying ) who so stifly maintained their ground , that they covered it with their dead bodies rather then to flinch from it living serinus and hardeck did likewise so presse upon their horse , that in fine , of them , with . of their foot were slain upon the place . the news hereof being brought to sinan he hasted away back to constantinople , but the reason of his sudden departure was not to be guessed at . nor did christopher teiffenbach , bathori , and homonnai lesse bestir themselves , prompted thereunto by palfi , first reducing sabaton by rinia , then besieging filek the garrison whereof troubled with a new disease of the vertigo , at palsi's approach yeilded themselves , as did ten strong places more , the last of which was palanka : all of them with ca●sar's fortune , he came , see , and overcame . matthias being made governour of hungary , at which time also to the duke of parma succeeded ernestus in the government of the low countries ; palfi and hardeck to hold fortune by the forehead , resolutely and secretly attempted novigrad , the governour meheneth seeing as soon as hearing of them , who notwithstanding manfully defended the place , till matthias came into the camp , to whom it was honourably rendred the . year after its revulsion from the hungarian crown . with the same current of successe serini recovered bersencia , segusdium in illyria ; and tieffenbach forced iasbrynium , and besieged hatvan , which hasan of buda attempting to relieve with ten thousand men , was there vanquished , and ensigns , with . great guns left to the victor . but so speeded not matthias , who with an army of . thousand men besieged strigonium , for although he had intercepted their relief by the danow , by the valour of francis balassius , and was by the treason of the thracian soldiers , possessed of the old town , as of the mount of st. thomas , by the fall of caralibeg , and isaac the governours yet by a supply of . janizaries , who by negligence of the guards slipt into the town , and the news of the approach of sinan the vizier from constantinople , he broke up his siege ; although maximilian in trial of his better fortune against the turkish power in illyria , had razed petrinia , and had recovered rastowitz , gora , and siscia . sinan followed with a thousand turks , and thousand tartars , having reduced tata and st. martin , came and beleagured raab , by the ancienter name called iaurinum , governed by count hardeck , who gloried that such a singular opportunity was afforded him , wherein he might give proof of his virtue : but these proved but magnificent words : for perliny's mounts being taken by the resolute courage of the enemy , wherein ( for that perlini was famous for fortification ) the garrison mainly confided , and valentinus torus his bulwark subverted by mine ; the defendants who had no relyance now but upon matthias , attending the enemy neer at hand , grew faint-hearted . in the interim cazy general of the tartars , swimming the river over against st. vitus , was bravely received by palfius on the other shore , supplied with fresh men by matthias , who at the same instant gave notice to hardeck to make a brisk salley ; he himself making so vigorous an impression upon sinan's camp , reduced now to the number of thousand , that without doubt had not palfi received a dangerous wound , and could have been assisted with some naval power , the turks had been overthrown ; but being thus disappointed , he drew off in some disorder to ovarum , which sinan made advantage of , and slew a number of his men in his passing his bridge laid over the danow . hereupon hardeck and perlinius not willing to wait two dayes longer for relief from matthias , delivered raab , for which being seized , they were both condemned and beheaded at vienna . there were found in this well stored city guns ; of the garrison were slain , and dismissed . thereafter sinan forced papa , but from commorra he was repulsed with a vast slaughter of his men , in the opposite isle of czallok●es by the valour of praunius and starcitius , and obliged to rise thence by the fear of the approach of matthias ; notwithstanding at his return to constantinople he boasted that he had reduced caesar to the necessity of intreating a peace . indeed the emperour sent stanislaus paulovius , and wenceslaus berca his embassadors to the king of poland , requesting him to take arms with him against the enemy of the name of christ ; but samoiscius the great chancellor , and only minister of state , put them off contemptuously , telling them that his king was in league with the turks , and that christ required he should observe it : nor could they be ignorant what punishment both divine and humane attended the breach of the law of nations . sigismund bathori was more pliable . geczi his tutor was newly dead , leaving him at the age of . years under the protection of the turks , ( by which his provinces had flourished in all prosperity ) and a full exchequer , but his youthful mind transporting him to the desire of martial employment , restrained only by his faith given to infidels , his confessors perswaded him to send to rome to pope vrban the seventh for satisfaction of his conscience , whether he were bound to pay them tribute or no ? when by the jesuits oracle , who are never without a new device to perplexe and interrupt the general commerce of the world , he was easily solved and freed from all manner of obligation . after this discharge or dispensation , to colour his taking up arms , he objects against sinan bassa , his pride , arrogance , and several injuries sustained from him by his people , and therewith summons a diet or assembly at sebessum , where he opened his purpose , but the estates generally dissenting , and objecting the just defeat of vladislaus at varna , though absolved by pope eugenius , and that if glory were the incentive to the war , he should remove all impiety with which glory could not consist : but if wealth was aimed at the enemy was more potent , nor could it advantage any man when gained by infamy ; he dissolved this convention , and called another at thorda , where he declared that he believed in the roman catholick church , by which being set at liberty , he was ignorant how he could yet be obliged to his conditions with the turks ; but perceiving the same party to be too potent here also , he withdrew his presence , and having packt up his rich moveables , and committed the administration to his uncle balthasar , withdrew out of the principality with iosica his chancellor to kuevara . transylvania streight multiplied into division , for sigismund protested he would renounce the government unlesse the turk were abandoned by the estates , bidding the people to follow some few factious persons , and see what would come of it ; whereupon the vulgar in a rage , by a brute instinct readily complied with this princes will , none daring so much as to mutter against it , and sent away gabriel kendi with two other nobles to bring him back to claudianopolis , where by the instigation of stephen bockskay governour of varadin , and gasper cornissius governour of marmorusse , he was highly incensed against the chief of the refractory noblemen , whose blood he thirsted and liberally shed . their names were stephen lazar , and michael kalmandi , captains of his guard , alexander one of his former tutors , and prince of the senate , gabriel kendi , iohn ifju , gregory barnomiza , the son of him who was so renowned for his service at agria , and iohn forro the heads and ornaments of the kingdome , all of them ( such the rash fury and cruelty of sigism●nd ) of a sudden , and without any tryal or cause shown , beheaded in the market place of the said city . they all suffered with exemplary constancy , rather gratulating then grudging at their fortune , not a word coming from , though reproached by sigismund as they went to execution , in any unseemly regestion or complaint . not long after to satisfie his blood thirstinesse , his own uncle balthasor bathori , lupus kovasoczi , once his tutor , francis kendi , and iohn bornamisza , were strangled at gyula , whose large and inestimable revenues he seized to himself ; lonyas , salanczi , szylvasi , gerendi , obtained pardon for the same fault . sigismund boasted of this cruel fact as his justice , and while all other men trembled at the sight of it , he with a dire countenance unmoved beheld their tragedies . this perpetration over , by stephen booskay , he confirmed the league with the emperour against the turks , having engaged aaron and michael the vayvods of moldavia and valachia , in the same confederacy . by that conclusion betwixt the emperour and him , it was agreed that sigismund should hold and enjoy all dacia without any tribute by the title of high and mighty prince , as also what he should recover and take from the turks in hungary , without any pretensions by the emperour , but his family extinguished transylvania should be united to hungary ; he should marry maria christina daughter of charles the arch-duke ; & if it should happen that he were beaten by the turks , that he should have a retreat into bohemia or silesia . while this was transacting , amurath the grand signior dyed , and mahomet his eldest son succeeded , having solemnized his fathers funeralls with the death of of his brethren strangled by a bow string , which scelerate beginning of his raign the christians successe noted to the world : for caesar having implored aid throughout germany and italy , was supplied after this large manner . the pope sent . horse , and . foot under his generall sigismund francis aldobrandin , florence horse , and . foot , ferrara . mantua . tyrol . bavaria . foot , bohemia . horse , . dragoons , and . foot , sile●ia . horse , . foot , austria . horse , . foot , franconia horse , suevia foot , the nobility of the two last places and of the rhine by themselves foot , which were numerously increased by the hungarian army under count palfi . matthias was made by the emperour generalissimo , and under him charles count mansfield ( upon this occasion created a prince ) who had lately done the king of spain excellent service under ernestus in the low countries ; nor was he himself unfurnished of an army , carrying with him under his own ensigns , by the conduct of adolph swartzenburgh , &c. a . curassiers , . dragoons , and . walloon foot out of flanders . with this noble army ( and most strictly disciplined ) sufficient to terrifie the world , having traversed the county about alba to amuse the enemy , he came at last and clapt down before strigonium , & presently erected castles a futlong distant from one another on the mount of st. thomas for the security of his camp. twice by the tumultuary onset of the hungarians and walloons , were the walls attempted and they repelled , but the walloons enraged with the repulse , renewed it of themselves singly , possessed the rampire and drove the enemy into the inner town , while palfius took the fort of parcanum , on the other side the water opposite to strigonium and razed it , and with the same successe defeated their releif under hasan the beglerbeg , and the bassa of buda amounting to thirty thousand men , his own forces making no more than the tenth part of them . he was engaged in an ambuscade , but desperation not onely saved his own men but put the enemy to flight , neverthelesse he must have fallen by their fresh numbers but that the walloons came readily and unexpectedly to his assistance . but the turks through very fear , and the consideration of the losse of the town , came on very boldly ( mansfeld having taken the charles bulwark ) and engaged the besiegers in a most terrible and bloody fight ; but such was the chearful readynesse of the christians , advantaged by those castles aforesaid , which grivously annoyed the turke with shot , that of them were slain and their camp taken . immediately after which glory accrued to those other felicities and accomplishme●ts of the noble mansfeld , he fell sick of a surfeit by too greedy eating of melons a common disease among the germans in hungary ) and died before the town , much lamented and honoured by all men . the seige was neverthelesse continued by matthias , who had newly welcomed the duke of mantua to the camp , and the water-town gained when the same defeated turks endevoured again its releif ( their life and honour being concerned in it ) but were routed by the walloons again under oberenprucius , who came opportunely to the relief of nadasdi beset with their whole power , and too late expecting the succour of charles burgrave : which being told mahomet the governour of strigonium , distressed also for water , he yeilded the city the fifty second year after its captivity by solyman ; and now vissigrade , vaccia , and all the towns as far as pesth , resounded with this victory , which dismissed matthias to vienna , having placed palfi governour of strigonium , and sent maximilian with part of the army into upper hungary to have an eye to the affairs with triffenbach in those parts . in illyria , serinus and hebberstain took babocza ; erdoedius , &c. petrinia , restored to the turks with rastowitz and gara . greater was the effort as greater was the power of sigismund , who having solemnized his nuptials at alba iulia , with the two vayvods had shook off the turkish yoke , and had ignominiously treated his envoy . for his general george barbelius and his united nobility , took in a great number of towns ; michael the vayvod of valachia , and albertus kyrali sent him as his assistant by sigismund carrying the war further to prevent sinan's design upon them at home . by them floccium neer nicopolis was seized , arsena burnt , and selistria plundred ; achomat the eunuch sent by sinan to their seizure with twenty five thousand men , they engaged and totally routed , so that thrace seemed to be joyned to germany , and probably enough , if there had been as much prudence in retaining as there was valour in getting of it . michael returned to bucorestum , but kyrali sliding over the danow now frozen , warmed his fingers with the fire of several noted ●owns in bulgaria . sinan like a tempest departed from constantinople with menaces and curses against these revolters , took bucor●st , and fortified tergowist the metropolis of valachia ; michael and kyrali as unable to resist , passing over the untrodden alps ●o novigrad . in whose pursuit , sinan being himself engaged , sent away twelve thousand men to make an invasion upon his countrey , ten thousand of whom were presently slain , and a consternation brought upon the whole turkish camp ; even sinan himself was meditating of a flight , and hardly retained by the memory of his past actions , for he was so far forward , that he was crowded off the bridge , straitned with runnawayes , and two ▪ of his teeth beaten out ; the shame whereof converted into desperation , whereby he drove michael into his furthest retreats amongst rocks and precipices : to which streights reduced , he experimented the present deliverance of almighty god , being rescued by the advance of sigismund with an army of twenty thousand horse and thirty thousand foot , enforced by the siculi , cosacks , and valachians , upon promise of liberty . by the notable valour of these siculi , tergovist was regained , it being not advisable to leave any place possessed by the enemy in their reer . the news of this recovery made sinan fly to bucorestum , which town he burned , and destroyed all manner of provision , thinking want and hunger would have stopt sigismund's pursuit , and in great hast passed the danow , but not with such speed ; for sigismund being at his heels surprized eight thousand turks , the reer-guard of those christians he was carrying into captivity , of this side the river , every man of whom were presently put to the sword and killed in a moment . sinan hereupon partly with greif and old age , and not without suspicion of poyson , breathed out his unhappy soul , obnoxious to the revenge of the bassa's for the arrogance and insolence of his great fortune , which is subject not onely to others envy , but mens own miscarriages and misdemeanours . sigismund entrusting the reduction of the army to boczkay , arrived at stephanopolis , where he displaced aaron from his vayvodship of moldavia as suspect of perfidy , and settled stephen resvan ; but him , iohn samoiscius provoked by the slaughter & cruel usage of some podolians , overcame and vanquished after two or three successful encounters , and having taken him drove a stake through his groyns and set him aloft for a spectacle , substituting in his place ieremy mogilla , as tributary to the turk , but beneficiary to the kingdome of poland . nothing is to be mentioned of maximilian , but that he in vain besieged szolnoc , being destitute of firing in a very cold and unseasonable autumne , followed by a most rigorous winter . this february , sigismund disquieted with the care of the future , as the hatred of his past affairs , journyed to prague to the emperour , where he was honourable received ; but during his stay there was seized with a feaver which turned to the small pox ; at which time the siculi rebe●led , pretending they were deceived of their promised liberty , but were by boczkay soon reduced and severely punished . dalmatia had a share of these troubles , berthusius a knight of rhodes , having intelligence that ibrahim bassa governour of clissa , was at the mart of drilon , having acquainted lencovitius with his design , with five hundred segnians by a hole in the precipice of the rock not observed by the turks , crept into the fortresse , and mastered the turks , whom they slew betwixt sleeping and waking . ibrahim mad at this losse , came and besieged it with apardi bassa of bosnia , whom lencovitius with men drawn out of the adjacent garrisons drove with much gallantry out of their trenches and leagure , with a total rout ; but too secure of an unfledged victory , was by the unexpected return of ibrahim ( who had collected his scattered dispersed remnants among the hills and woods ) himself discomfited , remembring nothing of the encounter but the prey they had lost : lencovitius got into clissia , whence fearing the want of water , he escaped with men , leaving the rest to the sword or captivity ; and clissia fainting with thirst lost to the bargain . while caesar was busied at his diets held at prague , vienna , presburgh , and ratisbone , as sigismund at claudianopolis , * the noise of mahomets vast preparations had terrified all those parts of christendome . to be before hand with him therefore , herbersteyn , and dracovitius the successor of erdoedius ( a man whose noble acts had raised him beyond all accessions of felicity , so that he had nothing to fear but fortune ) invested constanicia , attempted to be relieved by apardis of bosnia , but he was beaten and the town taken ; with the like fate achomet the eunuch with noised to be a thousand men , coming too late to his assistance , besieged petrinia joyntly with him ; to the relief hereof drascovitius , lencovitius , erdeodus , and heberstayn , assayed to passe the colapis , but neither ford nor bridge being feasible , they retreated toward the head of the river , which the enemy mistaking for a flight , suddenly by swimming and wading passed over in pursuit of them , but was so gauled in his passage by musquet shot , and so well received at his landing , that happy was he could get back again , in which endevour many of them perished . at siscia● the christians found passage , and the enemy besieging it , whose scouts they put to flight , sending with them the terror and rumor of a numerous army , with which they advanced and besieged the besiegers , who valorously attempted to break through , or to carry the place , but were at last , what by the bullets from the castle , and the sword from the camp , reduced to the discretion of the victor . onely aphus and odaverdus , achomet's assistants escaped away . in hungary the ballance of ill fortune we●● equal , solyman bassa of temeswar , and en●nehan of belgrade , besieged lippa , whence the obstinacy of the besieged , and the fame 〈◊〉 barbelius had repulsed them , and sigismun● subdued nagylachum at the same time , toge●ther with the tartar cham , ( who in mo● savage manner destroyed the countrey ) in th● great plain betwixt belgrade and temeswar , a● pursued him almost . miles : maximili● also besieged hatvanum aided by swartzr●●burgh , his forces amounting to . foot , and . horse : the governour of this place was arslanes the son of saralibeg● , a youth of great virtue above his age , who by a fortunate and vigorous salley so terrified the general of the ordnance that he abandoned his battery . he was incited the more to this gallantry , by his mother fatima , a woman of a virile and noble spirit , who set before him the reward of victory or an honourable glorious death , if vanquished ; but such was his fatal oversight , that while his men wearied with toyle and anguished with wounds , were taking their repose by his order , and had abandoned their stations , the christians entred , and with turkish cruelty put them all to the sword. arslanes making a resolute opposition fell not unrevenged . this slaughter at ha●vanum , agria expiated ; for sultan mahomet with thousand men , a greater number then solyman e're brought into christendome , being arrived at belgrade sent away gyaffer bassa an eunuch before him to that place , the christians as accustomed to the war , being no way daunted at his approach . his first assault was with great constancy and courage repelled , and the maintenance of the town resolved on by tersco , nyari , and kinski the commanders , but the germans and walloons being afraid of their lives , articled and delivered it , although they saved not their lives thereby , being first stripped and then put to the sword. nyari hiding himself in their camp , as barisonius and kinnski in the belgrade tower , escaped away in the night . at length maximilian came to rimaszombathum , and at rimaszecsum sigismund bathori joyned his forces with him , amounting to thousand horse , and thousand foot . at keresture both armies engaged , and the turks by the valour of the fronteers of swarzemburgh's , palfi's , and kyrali's brigades , with the losse of . men , and . great guns , were driven back to the camp , which mahomet opposed to the christians ; maximilian seeing the presentnesse and heat of the souldiers , passed over the morasse before him , and came to succour his companions . hereupon ensued in the turks camp , great lamentation and fear , mahomet himself flying to szolnoc , while the slaughter was continued upon his men . and now without dispute the turk had been totally routed , when the christians neglecting the pursuit , and disorderly rifling their camp , were themselves put to flight . it is reported that there were not above . turks that made this first resistance , by whose hardnesse cicala bassa streight collected . thousand more , and furiously prosecuted this turn of fortune , slaying these camp pillagers like sheep : of whom ( by meer fear only ) . others say thousand were missing , with all the baggage which fell to the enemy : so that a brave victory was slot by covetousnesse . nor did the enemy carry away an unbloodyed conquest , leaving behind him twenty , others write , fifty thousand slain . mahomet to constantinople , and maximilian troubled in mind ( and having gathered his dispersion ) to vienna , while serini worsted the governour of zigeth ( puft up with this event ) at his siege of babocza , and palfi confirmed the wavering towns of strigonium and vacia . sigismund to be installed and honoured with the order of the godlen ●leece , took a journy to prague , appearing much troubled at this unhappy issue of the war , and the conscience of his facts , being by nature more difficile to blot out the memory of them , than to commit them in his anger ; and therefore now he resigned his principality for fear of the turk , and his own concerns to maximilian , although advised by caesar that the affections of the people were more enclined to a prince of their own nation , and that the present exigence of affairs could not but cause some discontents in the state ; notwithstanding he persisted in his humour , and gave a divorce to his wife , conditioning for the principality of opulia , fifty thousand pounds , and a cardinals hat to be obtained for him by the emperour ; he seeming to loath the unstable state of greatnesse , being yet himself the ficklest of all . maximilian stood more firmly to his businesse resolving to recompence his late losse ; and suddenly ( accompanyed by palfi and his other generals ) forced tata with a petard , and besieged papa ; the governour whereof semendrus had sent him word to know , whether he that had dared to fight with mahomet would try his force upon his castle ? if so , let him but come and give him liberty to draw his sword given him by the sultan ; and to a person of such valour and boldnesse as him , the gates should be opened . this garrison being forced at last to render , the walloons in revenge slew most of them , the rest were saved by the means of the above-named commanders . maximilian likewise beleagured raab ; but such was the confidence of aly bassa the governour thereof , that he set open the gates and drove the cattel out of the town to graze , shewing much jollity at the businesse ; for soon after came mahomet the vizier , with men , and took vacia and tata , after a siege of five weeks , & maximilian being of no competent force to oppose , having done sufficiently by defeating the tartars a little while before , retreated to csallokena , where he encamped , and built several castles to secure his entrenchments which mahomet attempting , was by the courage of colonitzius and nadasdi , with losse disappointed ; as was sigismund bathori with thousand before temeswar , from whence he was dislodged by a numerous multitude of turks and tartars ; but yet so easily that he took chanada in his return home . the estates being assembled at presburgh , stephen szulai , nicholas istua●fi , and bartholomew pecfi , were delegated to receive the government from sigismund , as being fully resolved for a private life , by the examples of dioclesian , who retired to salonas , and charles the fifth , to the monastery of iustus ; but with greater moderation than constancy : passing now from kovasockzium thorough hungary into silesia : so the hungarians , siculi , and saxons , swore allegiance to the emperour , against whom the turk having effected nothing by his chiauxes , threatned an army of three hundred thousand men ; but fortune had otherwise disposed a kindnesse for him at hand , by prompting swarzemburg and palfi to the recovery of raab , by the device of a petard and the secret close conveyance of the design . swarzemburg to this purpose chose out of his most daring souldiers , and palfi ; these without drum or trumpet passed over the memphon woods in the silence of the night being guided by felnemeth newly discharged out of the prison of that place : but nothing contributed so much to the successe of this enterprize as the confidence of the enemy , who boasted , that when the weather-co●k upon one of the towers should crow out , then raab should be regained by the christians . being thus arrived unseen or unheard , to the walls of the town , babacurtus to whom the lesser petard was entrusted , found the outward gate , and that leading to albae ( by the fatal negligence of the enemy ) not locked up , which he straightwayes opened , when they all took it for an omen that the presence of god was with them , and that he had been by prayers interessed in the attempt . to the inward gate the petard was applied which shivered it in peices , and broke the bars and hinges , making way for babacurtus and oberenpruccus , to enter and gain the market place . swarzemburgh staied at the gate careful of the event , as to avoyd confusion among one another , and to secure them of aid ; and now the enemy half naked ran to arms ; but as if cold water had been poured upon them , were assoon stupified and amazed ; yet at the last raged with such fury in revenge of their unavoidable death , that three ianizaries put five hundred to flight . in this hazzardous juncture palfius came to the succour of swarzenburgh , and one of his horsemen refusing to alight , dismounted first himself , and by his example animated the rest to follow him . a bloody fight being now renewed , haly bassa was slain , and the opened-day discovered an entire victory to the christians . a very great spoil was here divided ; an hundred eighty eight great guns sent to the emperour , by whom babacurtus the messenger was rewarded with gulders , & a anually ; swarzemburgh with a hundred thousand gulders , and the town of hustopecsium and government of raab ; palfius because it was a service due to his countrey , was very well content with a cup worth a thousand pound . but in transylvania fortune shewed her self partial in respect to this her indulgence at raab . michael the vayvod of valachia , a valiant prince , had voluntarily embraced the present state of the emperours affairs , by a league ratified with his commissioners at tergovistium , by which the sons of michael were to succeed their father in the principality ; to acknowledge the emperour without any tribute ; his family failing , the estates shall have the power of election ; the league to be offensive and defensive . this affair so happily transacted in valachia , was crossed by another in transylvania . sigismund with his usual inconstancy ( his crimes suffering him no where to be at quiet , but hurrying him from place to place ) in a disguise arrived in transylvania , and came to claudianopolis , pretending non-payment of his pension , and other dis-satisfaction ; and was there by the magistrates received as their prince , as to whose government they had been accustomed . the like did stephen bosskay captain of the guards , who partly with perswasions , and partly with terro●r , awed his collegue cornisius and moses szekely governour of the siculi , to a complyance with the faction ; the force and armed power whereof constrained the commissioners above-named , who had in vain expected sigismund racockzi the emperours general , to swim with the present current of affairs , and to complement his return to the government ; which the vulgar so madly entertained that they were ready to limb cornisius for putting them in mind of their oath to the emperour . the commissioners were soon after summoned to appear before sigismund , which as necessity required they obeyed , to whom he ( as his custome was ) excused the business , complaining that the principality of opulia answered not the promises made concerning it : but neverthelesse he would continue his faith to the emperour ; and so dismissed them to cassovia . the province thus in commotion , mehemeth satergis bassa with men , came to fish in those troubled waters ; and although deprecated by sigismund , laid siege to varadin ; the governour whereof george kyraly maintained it in the right of the emperour , who sent to him with supplies nyari and rederus . thirty dayes the city was besieged , at the expiration whereof the turks incommodated with rain and tempestuous weather were forced to rise : as did matthias the same day , and by the same intemperance of the weather from buda , having besieged it just so many dayes together ; but he lost not the whole expedition as did the turk , for in the beginning thereof he took palotta , vesprinium , and other places . sigismund thus established endevoured his reconciliation with the emperour , and received his wife again , so that there was again a right understanding , by the clemency and good nature of rudolphus , established between them ; insomuch that he sent basta with an army to aid him against the turks . but another freak taking him in the head , while he seemed to intend a firmer and stricter union , having substituted his uncle , cardinal andrew bathori , and the bishop of varmia ( by the policy of samoiscius , who designed upon these provinces ) to the government , he himself again repudiated his wife , and breaking off the treaty with caesar , privily fled into poland . by which means the principality was engaged in great troubles ; for the cardinal presently possessed himself of the whole country , whereupon ensued hostility betwixt him and maximilian ; basta with his army moving from cassovia to the expulsion of bathori , having obliged michael the vayvod of valachia to be constant to his late league ; who the better to conceal his design , pretended to take part with the cardinal , buying powder and bullets in his countrey which he intended to use against him ; and first took corona , and drew the siculi to his party , and in a sudden encounter , ( but obstinately maintained ) put andrew to flight , who hoping to escape over the oytozian alps into poland , was there torn in peices by the siculi . this event determined the allegiance of the transylvanians to maximilian , by his commissioners michael the vayvod , and basta mahomet the grand seigniour being deterred by his mother and his cheif sultana , from going any more in person to the war , having been so neerly endangered at keresture , that in his flight for hast he lost his turbant , committed the expedition to ibrahim his chief vizier . to be ready prepared against this invasion , zwarzemburg , palfi , and nadasdi , reduced tata , and attempted alba regalis by petards clapt to the gates ; but their designe being discoverd , the garrison salleyed out and routed the frenchmen that had the orders of the engine , and seized one of the petards , which was carried to buda , where the barbarians , not daring to discharge it , bastinadoed the frenchmen they had taken to the experiment , when it flew into peices and miserably mangled and killed the standers by . ibrahim being arrived , pretended peace and gave notice thereof to palfi , whereupon deputies met in the island of vizze , equally distant between strigonium and buda . the turk demanded fileck , strigonium , novigrad , raab , with future security ; the christians stand to their just possession of them ; that peace would be welcome , but not upon such terms . ibrahim perceiving no advantage could be expected this way , the christians also declining battel , made an irruption into the countrey , and most barbarously laid wast all that tract of ground which lies betwixt the rivers waegh , nitre and ippolus ; multitudes of sick and diseased persons at the pesthenian bathes , were abandoned to the cruelty of the enemy , and crawling in the roads made most horrible lamentations . nor spared he any place sacred , or profane , or condition of men ; of whom with children and infants crying after their parents , he carried away into captivity . this desolation swarzemburg helplessly beheld , although instigated by palfi to set upon those ravenous miscreants ; but he was loth to hazzard his army . palfi himself therefore impatient of the insolence , set upon a party of six thousand at palankin , and destroyed them ; and upon the retreat of ibrahim , with the highest rage burnt down , & took in several towns , and among the rest coppan , and dombo . it was now the year . famous for the great jubile of clement the eighth , when michael the vayvod of transylvania , elated with his prosperous successes , ambitiously affected the soveraignty of all dacia , and by keeping transylvania in his power began to be suspected by the emperour , as he was likewise hated by other of his neighbours for his invasion of moldavia , in prosecution of his quarrel against sigismund ; who to revenge his uncles death , did now instigate samo●schus to send aid to ieremy of moldavia , and to furnish him with an army for an expedition into transylvania , in which he was assisted by moses sz●kely , francis vas , and gabriel bethlen ( better known to the english by the name of bethlehem gabor ) michael having timely notice of their embodying ( leaving his wife and his son peterschones in transylvania ) speedily passed over the alps , and at nester fell unexpectedly upon ieremy and sigismund , and made a great slaughter of the poles and cossacks , with the discomfiture of thirty thousand of his enemies . by this victory he possessed himself of suchava and all moldavia ▪ and horribly havocked bessarabia , russia , and podolia . samoyscius impatient of this insolence , having collected an army at bosorum , wrested the victory out of the victors hands , and drove him out of moldavia iuto the abruptnesses of the mountains by the river sereczinum , whither having also pursued him by the incess●nt diligence of the cossacks , he thence drove him round into transylvania from whence he first began the war ; when judging it neither safe nor necessary to engage his polish army in an enemies countrey , he deputed michael szekhely to follow him & to seize the principality . this basta opposed , sending csaka as from the emperour , to bid them desist from invasion of his dominions ; to which when samoyscius answered that there was no other design , but to prosecute michael as the common enemy and onely cause of these troubles by the turks ; basta enough offended against michael , offered his own army to his suppression , upon the same account as csaki managed his commission to samoyscius , to gain the principality to himself . the vayvod understanding this conjunction , sent to desire leave that he might be heard in his own defence , which being denyed , he levyed an army of twenty thousand men ; but was again defeated and forced to fly to tergovistia , whence ( being betwixt the hammer and the anvile , basta & moses szekeheli ) he escaped over the severine alps to prague , where he hoped to vindicate and clear his actions , as csaki foolishly , yet impudently laboured , in the absence of maximilian , for his investiture in transylvania ; not considering that dignity is not hastily to be desired & prosecuted , although by a person of great merits : time must be attended in which it may appear that by such preferment a man hath rather given then received a benefit . as the distempers of the great ones were monstrous , so was the malign dispositions of the souldiery . the french garrison of papa mutyning for their pay , had seized and secured the governour michael marochi , and slew all that opposed them , conditioning with the turk , for their arrears , to deliver them the castle ; but the turk , either mistrusting them , or too tenacious of his money , made no use of the advantage . news hereof being brought to swarzemburg , he laid siege to them , losing a great many men by a fierce eruption of the french , who knew what they might trust to if taken , wherein himself also was slain by a bullet . rederus succeeded him in the supreme command , who beat the french back into the town and there closely shut them up ; but he also died of a sudden disease before the surrender , and left the atchievement to nadasdi ; who having reduced them to a dog-hunger , and starved them to skin and bone , made them yeild the place ; at which time some few were by the pittyful souldiers knockt on the head , the rest were tortured to death with most exquisite cruelties , some of them choaked to death upon the wheels of a water-mill , after many descents and ascents ; some roasted with a slow fire ; and others given to the dogs . transylvania is our next stage , troubled with a smatch of the same disloyalty to the emperour ; who delaying his answer to their commissioners , sigismund again stept in and recovered the principality , vacating those powe●s and instructions given them to treat . next he imprisoned cornifius , pancratius , senegus , and others , who favoured the emperours title . this afforded an occasion to michael's restitution , who being dismist from prague with a substitutory command and power , and seemingly reconciled with basta by th● mediation of gonzaga governour of varadin , joyntly engaged sigismund and his generals barbelius ( lame with the gout and cramp ) and moses szekehely , as their army ( in a confusion and without any care ) was descending from the mountain of doroslone , and soon put them to flight . here were slain ten thousand , and a hundred and thirty ensigns taken . this new successe so exalted the mind of the vayvod that he could in no wise brook basta's superiority ( by so many prosperous accidents transported indeed from a just and moderate man , to very ungoverned and rapinous actions . ) they were both at claudiopolis where the old grudge seemed to have been wholly forgotten , when basta by a crue of bloody walloons caused him to be assassinated ; and his companions and followers to be dispersed and to fly for their lives ; by which artifice and impudence together , he imposed on the emperour that he was killed in a fair manner and upon a just quarrel , which the emperour was glad to dissemble , while from this impune and flagitious fact he took courage to proceed to greater and more dedecorous and base practises . for now under colour of heresy and schism and the care of the emperour's revenue ; whatever silver or other moneys could be discovered was seized by him , so that the people when they looked for a protection , perceived their was no such thing meant them by this stork , who pilled and fleeced them to their skin ; glory is cherished by industry ; when there is no room for that , vertue her self is very unpleasant , and where rewards attend the vicious , scarce any will be good gratis . bistricia had refused to open the gates to him , which he forced and basely plundred , seizing all their best wealth in money and attire to his own use , and then gave it a spoyl to his souldiers , who left not a covering to the women . nay , so miserable was the calamity of the transylvanians at this time , that they were neer famished , all their cattel being driven into silesia ; and one measure of wheat sold at guilders , which money would have bought formerly two hundred . thus by leisurable degrees did the divine justice and indignation proceed to punish and revenge the breach of their league with the turks , the heavynesse of the infliction computing for the delay of it . sigismund fled to brassone to excite and engage the turks , in which affair after he had fruitlesly employed moses szekelehy , he began to sink and despond and finally cast himself upon the emperour , of whom after a truce condescended to by basta , he obtained pardon , and a yearly revenue of guilders , with the principality of lobkowitz which maintained him among the bohemians to an old & unreverenced age. but the stirs in transylvania ceased not with him : for another intestine war was kindled by moses szekelehi and bethlen gabor , in pretence of asserting their countrey , but really , it was a turkish design : these two basta encountered between alba iulia and varadgya , & after a bloody dispute put them to flight : both the captains escaped , but whither ? to bectessus the bassa of temeswar , as more humane then the german christians ; whose outrages and their generals uncontrolled power and insolence was solely imputable to the sloth and degenerous idlenesse of rudolph . basta used this victory with all extremity of fire ▪ and sword , to such a ruine and destruction of the commonalty , gentry and nobility , that they wished for turkish and tartarian slavery . the state of styria in the western parts of hungary was alike calamitous , groaning under the tyranny of the enemy and the pressures of their lawful soveraign . ibrahim bassa with the aga of the janizaries with a body of them amounting to twenty four thousand , arrived at mohacz intending the siege of strigonium ; but at the intreaty of nasaff governour of sigeth , whose contributaries herbensteyn had severely handled ; they first blocked up and took babocza , and then besieged canysa , where george paradyser was governour ( the same who perswaded the surrender of clissia in illyria ) who with the heighth of courage maintained it against the turks , after he had sustained great losse by the blowing up of his powder , which was supplied to him by george serinus ; and at the same time came matthias the arch-duke , and philip emanuel duke of mercoeur , with , others say but fourteen thousand to his releif . this duke did excellent service against the enemies horse , and in his last encounter with them gave them so notable a defeat , that it was not doubted but that the enemy would rise & be glad to be gone ; but provision being scarce in their camp ( of which the turks are alwayes frugal and yet better provided ) they were forced to forsake the town , and that in such haste and disorder , that paradyser daunted therewith ( although he knew the necessity of the turks departure ) for that the horse had nothing but a few leaves to feed upon , and was encouraged to hold out till their return , delivered the place to the enemy , upon condition of a free departure , which brought him to vienna , where being publiquely convicted he lost his head upon a scaffold , ibrahim after this acquist was very solicitous about a peace , but while it was negotiated he died . ferdinand , afterwards emperour , the nephew of rudolphus by charles his brother , was at this time governour of styria , carniola , and carinthia ; he in the year . had married mariana the daughter of will. duke of bavaria , which lady being a zealous catholick , would not enter the limits of his dominions until purged of haeresie , & the libertys granted to those of the augustan confession were taken away ; which the arch-duke at the instance of the jesuits rescinded , and by oath obliged himself to the pope that he would severely handle the professors of the protestant religion within his dominions , and hereupon they were either banished and forced from their houses , or plundred and killed , with such inhumanity that the papists blowing up their churches with gun-powder , raged against the bones of the dead and the graves of them , common and allowed to all men ; insomuch that what the turks had spared , was not spared by them . to these outrages , the protestants opposed the treaty at passaw ▪ and challenged the assurance and faith plighted by the arch-duke himself , by which in . he confirmed his fathers agreement with the states , during which space of eighteen years and upwards , he had received the sum of nine hundred thousand florens of the rhine , the price of their liberty of conscience ; but notwithstanding this manifesto they were commanded to depart , and those that stayed spoyled and undone . no hopes of redresse appearing , and the rumour of bozckay's proceeding in hungary in favour of the religion inviting them thither , they forsook their countrey and prosperously seated themselves there . to omit the barbarity practised on the inhumed corps ( as the demolishing of their churches at gratz ) of william zimmerman the protestant and an eminent minister of the place , which they threw into the river mur. but ferdinand's successe was answerable to this injustice , he was engaged in the siege of canysa ( assisted therein by aldobrand the popes legate with his italian forces ) wherein none but roman catholicks by the advice of sigismund count of thurn , afterwards drowned , were suffered to be listed , lest the impiety of the protestants might cause the enterprise to miscarry . the governour of the town was hasanes , who with men and as many more received from zigeth and buda , ( by the negligence of orphus gallonius the general of the ordinance ) resolutely maintained it ; this orphus in filling the ditches with wood from the adjoyning forrest ( which work went slowly forward ) was shot with a culverin bullet and killed . nor did caesar porta his successour make much more haste or speed , being tired out with the enemies salleys : no more then the relief from matthias to animate his cousin , which consisted of men led by christoph. roseworm , and the duke of mercoeurs leiutenant general : for by the unexperience of the general and officers ( who failing of their reinforced attempts had no mind to venture again ) they protracted so long , till cold winter with storms and frosts made them desert their stations ( a thousand horsemen being frozen stiff in one nights time ) being also surcharged with snow , hunger , wearinesse , and which is worst of all , over-watching in at●●nding the industrious enemy ; who now by their departure gained their ordinance ; and satisfied their cruelty upon the sick and wounded persons left behind . thus the protestants , who were scandalized from being present , were saved from the ruine that involved the papists . far more renownedly did the duke of mercoeur deport himself at alba , which he besieged with twenty thousand men ; christopher roseworm with great labour and diligence passing a thousand men over the bog to the subburbs , two whereof the insulary and the destiacan were easily gained , others being encouraged by the adventure to follow them . the enemy having nothing but the city to defend made a resolute resistance , but was in fine beaten off the walls , and the town regained in the year after it had been taken by solyman . this victory the licentiousnesse of the souldiers greatly blemished , the city being ransacked by them , where they spared not the bones of the kings from which the turks had religiously abstained . the new garrison consisting of a thousand german foot , and six hundred hungarians , was committed to the government of marcus insulanus , famous for his defence of varadin , and michael vatai . the report of this losse being brought to hasanes , he joyned with the vizier bassa , resolving to attempt mercoeurs camp , to whose rescue very opportunely came matthias ; the fight was managed with equal spirit and strength till the hungarians began to flinch , at which time amurath bassa of buda , with mahomet beg were slain with a bullet , which changed the fortune of the day , and put the turks to flight . there were slain . of them , but yet they gave not over their design , for the next year , the noble duke of mercoeur being dead at norimberg , hasanes returned to alba , and before the governors had repaired the ruins of the fortifications , was close at the walls , whereupon the germans basely betrayed the town . the garrison was dismissed , but insulanus and vatai being interrogated , if the delivery was made with their consent , to which they answered peremptorily in the negative , were both of them laid hold on , and made captives , the turks saying , that their promise was made to the willing , nor were they obliged to them with whom they had made no contract . to maintain this violent turkish war the estates of germany proffered months pay to the emperour , whose general roseworm , to recompence the losse of alba , besieged buda , while althamius who succeeded palfi in the government of strigonium valiantly gained pesth ; buda being hereby hard put to it , hasan with thousand men came to besiege it , and had beaten roseworm , who passed the danow to encounter him , to the very walls of pesth , when matthias came in and rescued him : but they parted so equally that both sieges were carried on at the same time , in which nothing was memorable but an engagement of craczius , the general of the horse , with the turks , in which he was worsted , until hasan for want of provision departed for belgrade , and left roseworm in his old leagure . the christians were much animated at the sight of it , taking in after him colocza , paxus , and other places . miles below buda , by the heyducks ; and the budenses the more spirited and quickned to a resistance , as they made appear in their salleys and resolute eruptions , seizing their very cannons , and nailing up their touch holes , which was acted while roseworm was playing at cards , and carelesse of the matter ; this dishonour was seconded with a greater danger , oner and ibrahim beg having drained the garrisons of alba , sygeth , and canysa , came afresh to their relief , but after a sharp conflict they were overthrown by nadasdi , &c. while collonicz sustained and repelled the besieged . notwithstanding such was the unclemency of the weather , by showers , frost , and snow , that matthias cursing the place where he had been so often unfortunate , was forced to draw off to winter quarters , leaving albert princestayn to the defence of pesth . the plague and earthquakes in h●ngary and austria this year denoted the ensuing mutations in the kingdome ; for the tartars and turks by a most sudden irruption laid wast all the country , extending westward to papa , the mountain of camenesum , and what ground lyes between the rivers dravus and the mur to perlatum , not without the indignation of count george serini , then lying on his death bed . transylvania was in the usual variable condition , there was a general famine , with a scarcity of money , and all other mischiefs arising thence ; the soldier demanded his pay and provision , which being not to be had , a defection followed , and the army marched to zacmar . upon their departure , moses szekhelij was constituted prince , and did homage to mahomet , and aided by bectessus the bassa of temeswar , and the affections of the people took in caransebesse , alba inlia , claudiapolis , * cibinium , and soon after possessed himself of all transylvania , but this good fortune lasted not long , for radulo the successor of michael in the vaivodship of valachia a friend of the emperours , and who made good his predecessors league , surprized him by night , routed his turks and tartars , and sent . standards to prague . there were slain in this fight moses himself , with many nobles , and . others , revenged in part soon after by the defeat of the count of solms who was sent prisoner to constantinople , the reciprocation of which ill fortune , befel the aforesaid bassa of temeswar , and albertus nagii , whom henry duval count of tampyrium , and lewis rakoczi totally vanquished , and again recovered transylvania to the emperour , who by the advice of iohn molard , and nicholas ●rukhayser , appointed a decemvirate for the government of the province , which continued till annulled by boczkay . things succeeded as prosperously in hungary , but the covetousnesse of the governours spoiled all ; nadasdi and collonicsius subdued laccu●● and bolondvarum , and cruelly wasted the country in revenge of the late irruption , and before amurath of buda could joyne with hasanes , forced him to fight and routed him , at last came hasanes , and faced roseworm encamped at strigonium , who no way declining the encounter , which lasted till evening with great fury , put the infidels to the run , ( the great guns having peppered the janizaries ) with the losse of men . the fruit of this victory was the reduction of hatvanum , newly restored to the turk , and the firm munition and strengthning of pesth . this year sultan mahomet , unable to go or scarce stand upon his legs by reason of his fatnesse , died among his concubines , pathick boyes , and troops of eunuchs , leaving his son achmet a stripling to the succession in the government , who presently applied himself to peace . in order whereto commissioners met in the fields neer to rakos , but the turks insisting on the restitution of strigonium and raab , and the emperour demanding canysa , the treaty came to nothing . the year . began with the old grievances in transylvania concerning religion , and the great church of cassovia , that had been granted by basta to the cannennicks of amna , besides that iohn barbianus the count of belgiocosa and the emperours governour in that town by his jesuiticall and most severe inquisition was horribly dreaded by the protestants , an infinite number of whom he had banished out of their countrey : about this time came an ambassadour from hodabanda king of persia , offering his assistance against the turk , in this j●ncture of the minority of achmet , and advising the christians to unity , which so encouraged rodolph , that he resolved to employ all his forces against that enemy . basta was therefore placed in the command of roseworm , thought too slow in the service , barbianus made governour of transylvania , and collonicz in the room of thurzo of that part of hungaria which lyes beyond the danow to dravus . hasanes hearing of these preparations took the feild and frighted the governour out of pesth and the garrison out of hatvanum , strigonium was by him in vain beseiged , & thereby the turkish power had in contempt , for that the hungarians perceived they were more oppressed by their own souldiers and the feuds of their commanders , then they were by their enemies . this , and some other instigations and instincts concerning their privileges , the insolence of the germans and the late inquisitions , caused them to adhere to stephen bocskay , then appearing in transylvania , to which province the turks had preferred gabriel bethlen , but he modester in prosperous then adverse fortune , had passed it to bocskay , and made himself a partisan to his designs , having with bectessus of temeswar , attempted lippa : but while he lingred there , lewis racokzi , and the count of tampirium , surprized their camp and made a great slaughter , the bassa and bethlen made a shift to escape half naked and half a sleep ; bethlen leaving his cloaths to be ransacked ; where were found some letters with the heads of the conspiracy agreed upon between bocskay and himself , which were afterwards confirmed by some of the prisoners . barbianus , the matter being so full of danger , instantly hasted to the camp at rokomaza , and put the souldiers in readinesse , and summoned bocskay , who made many tergiversations and delayes but denyed the confederacy . this encreased the suspition , and advised barbianus to put it to a speedy decision by battel . the heyducks were at first induced to take up arms with him , but understanding the peril of their religion , although their commanders had been newly ensnared by an oath of fidelity to caesar , they revolted to the confederates . thereafter ensued a fight at adorjanyum , where bocskay prevailed against becsius one of the emperours generalls , by a casuall firing of his train of powder , and took his camp richly furnished , which ill successe so ferretted barbiani shut up by forces on every hand , and informed likewise that valentine homonnai was declared for bocskay , that he departed from tockay , as he fled before from varadin ( mistrusting the defence of both places ) and came to cassovia where iohn bocacius the mayor of the city being a lutheran denyed him entrance , whose examples eperjessum , cibini●m the lesse and other places soon after followed . bocskay departing for cassovia , sent before him blasius lippai ( whom for his brute valour he raised from a sordid degree to a great command , and afterward for his insolence beheaded him , and reduced his wife to her former condition ) who was wellcomed and the magazines and treasures afterwards opened to bocskay , soon after saluted and presented there with all the princely ensignes and ornaments by rako●zi , homonnai , nyari and other the chieif noblemen ; in the mean while blasius lippai befieging barbianus in scepusium , was repelled by the valour of thurzo , as blasius nemethus the captain of the heyducks ranging for prey , was intercepted by basta , defeated , and his head struck off . basta with men shook the confidence of the confederates , whereupon they strengthened themselves with the assistance of mahomet the grand vizier , and encountred the imperiallists at the river moldava , where although they stood the first shock yet were they not able to endure the firm constancy of the germans ; who thereupon recovered szendreira and freed ruberus beseiged in tockay : basta being thus every day victorious admonished bocskay , to lay down his arms , and frame and compose his seditious mind to his duty and aleigeance ; to which bocskay answered , that war was better than peace unlesse transylvania were left wholly to him ; and the generals , governours , and castellanes of hungary be all of that nation , that the forraign souldiery be put out of the realm , and the free exercise of religion allowed . but this confidence of basta was soon blasted , for his coveteousnesse having made him odious to his souldiers who were without pay , they fell into a mutiny and assaulted him in his quarters ( the convoy of twenty nine waggons laden with money and cloth for the souldiery , themselves having stollen and carried them away , part into poland , and part to bocskay : ) neverthelesse having something pacified the souldiers he attempted cassovia but in vain , & thence retreated to leuchovia , his army deserting him in the way ; insomuch that francis redei with a small party of heyduhks , and the bent of the people , took in twenty towns : besides many castles betwixt the rivers sayon , ippolus , and waegh , revolted to him . these successes caused the emperour to send away the bishop of vesprinium , and sigismund forgacz his ambassadors to bocskay , to whom ( the turk being very observant and intent upon his actions ) he at the first audience publickly profest , that if they were sent from the hungarian nobility , their embassy was welcome and acceptable to him ; but otherwise , if they came from the emperour it was to no purpose , for that he had engaged so far that he could not possibly recede . at a diet held at szerencsium soon after , he laid down the causes of his present undertaking , namely , the defence of religion , the liberty and safety of the people . at the end of which oration he was confirmed by the estates in the principality , and the roman , lutheran , and calvinian doctrines received promiseuously . the cheif praefecture of transylvania , and the supreme command of the army was conferred , the first on sigismund rakoczi , the latter on valentine homonn●● from this diet in 〈◊〉 he returned into transylvania , where he was met with a turkish chiaux , who presented him with the usual ensigns of the investiture from the grand seigniour , to whom he dispatched ●way stephes corlatus , and george kikedi , his ambassadors with the homage and presents , the more envious , for that some german youths were added thereunto . from cassovia , rocskay invited stephen illyeshazi ( fled for his treason ) out of poland , and by the valour of the heyduckes took trincinum , f●eleck , zackmar ; as nitria by the inconstancy of the garrison was delvered to francis redei by sigismund forgacz the bishop of the place . which losses with want of money so disabled basta , besides that he was in great danger of his life , that he fled to presburgh , where collonitz endevoured to relieve him , but his souldiers turned sides ; tyrnaw hereupon yeilded , and stanislaus and christopher thurzo submitted to redejus . hence the war was carried into moravia by eight thousand heyducks and a thousand turks , commanded by dengelegius who brought away captives thence ; and tockay was at the last extremity delivered by reuberus , whose fidelity and valour bocskay himselfe commended . the revolt of the isle of csallockoes followed this rendition , and gave advantage to of the confaederates ( so were bocskay's party called ) to make an attempt upon presburgh ( burning in their way thither st. george and other towns ) whence being rejected by basta , they turned their invasion upon austria , which they destroyed as far as prinquelia . at the same time nemethus to enlarge this devastation passed the da●●bius at sabaria , to whom nadasdi and other noblemen for fear of their own territories , joyned themselves ; and even to the wonder of the barbarians , sacked all that tract of ground lying betwixt layla and arrhabon , pretending religion as the incentive to this im●ane cruelty ; although they unmercifully tortured the reformed ministers , and sold very infants for slaves to the turks , to such a detestation , that god caused blood to drop out of gold paid by a turk to a christian for one of those captives . this countrey desolated , he fell next into styria , and barbarously used the town , situated betwixt arrhabon , pingua , and lappinicia ; and had almost shook the allegiance of drascovitius the governor of illyria ; but he recovering himself , and assisted by : trautsmandorf , raised an army of ten thousand men and drove nemethus out of sclavonia together with his partakers , among whom were some tartars , to zigeth , coppan , and other their respective holds and garrisons : by which mean● drascovitius gained to himself great authority and renown . but these most horrid divisions hastned the common ruin ; for mahomet the now prime vizier , who had delivered strigonium himself to the christians , besieged it in person , which bocskay quarrelled , alleadging that by his league with them no city in hungary ought to be taken by the turks ; but being not master of himself , he sent homonnai either at the request or command of mahomet with men : and not long after the town within ten years of its reduction , was delivered by william oetingensis and his germans ; who diffiding in the hungarians dismist them out of the town , not to this onely disadvantage , for they presently thereupon joyned with redejus against the emperour , to whom ersek●yvarum was yeilded by the consent of matthias , upon the promise of rodejus that it should not come into the tark● ●●ands , but be restored when ever the wa● should be composed . mahomet the vizier now summoned boczkay to buda , to the solemnization of the marriage of the bassa of that city , who met him on his way as far as rakos , and introducted him in state , where boczkay did homage for transylvania , and submitted it under the protection of the turks : whereupon he was presented with a crown as king also of hungary ( supposed to have been the constantinopolitan emperours , or the despots of thrace ) and a sword embellished with gold , jewels , and other ornaments ; all which ( except the crown ) boczkay accepted , but that he refused , acknowledging caesar to have been duly crowned , for which his modesty was worthily praised , however he may be justly taxed of sedition and rebellion . by reason of this fealty the vizier made him tribute free for ten years , those expired , the yearly tribute of ten thousand guilders to be paid at the port for the upper transylvania , at which agreement the janiza●●es made great acclamations of felicity , as expecting a donative and gratuity . a diet was soon after held by boczkay at corpona , whither came sigismund forgacz from caesar , with conditions of peace , to which the turk engaged by the rebel bassa's of aleppo and caramania , was inclinable also in his own behalf , having first seen boczkays propositions . this overture came to a conclusion at vienna , managed by illyeshazi and mlasodo●itius , on the part of the transylvanian caesar consenting to whatsoever propositions , as knowing boczkay must ere long dye without issue . the terms were , a general and mutual amnesty and oblivion , a toleration of the roman , lutheran , and calvinian professions , a palatine to be elected by the votes of the hungarians ; the chambers and new courts to be abolished ; the treasury to be regulated by new commissioners , the hungarians to redeem the castles pawned to the germans ; the government to be administred by hungarians ; but raab and comorra may be governed by deserving germans ; all transylvania , with that part of hungary which sigismund bathori enjoyed , to belong to boczkay , together with the lordships of tockay , sacmar , &c. which for want of issue , shall revert to caesar : if the peace be not concluded with the turk they shall joyn arms ; bishops descended of the nobility to have voyce and place in counsel , others not . this was ratified by the dep●ties of all the upper hereditary provinces of the emperour and firmed by the eminentest nobility of both sides . varadin was herewith yeilded to bocskay , having all along been stoutly defended against him by baptista pecsius , as st. george and b●zinium were rendred to illyeshazi . the peace was also concluded with the turk for . years . achmet the sultan to call caesar father , he achmet son , both to be saluted by the name of caesars ; all differences arising to be composed by the governours of raa● and buda . the castles and fortresses to stand , but no new ones to be built , only the hungarians may repair vaccia ; caesar shall pay this year thousand imperials , but nothing afterwards ; every three years the emperours shall interchange presents , and a faithful friendship shall be consolidated between them . this transaction was followed by the death of boczkay , who professed himself willing to dye , so that he had had the opportunity of purging himself , before the world and the empire , of sedition . he declared valentine homonnai by his last will , for prince of transylvania , which homonnai gaped after , but the transylvanians chose sigismund rakoczi , and although he made great reluctancy pretending several excuses , yet at last they compelled him to clausenburgh , and made him assume the principality , while homonai mad with rage , having plundered boczkay's treasures committed to him , retired to ungnade ; by whose example szecfi and paul nyari shared the like entrustments among themselves , the deserved and desired end of goods got by violence and oppression . just before the confirmation of this turkish peace , an embassador from persia , came to prague , and there by extolling his masters power , and his resolution of destroying the o●toman name and nation , put a demur to the ratification , which passed not till somewhat after , when matthias the brother of the emperour , was possessed of the crown of hungary ; the turk was instant to have it finished , and stormed exceedingly at the delay , for that serdar bassa who had possessed himself of aleppo , damascus , and tripoli , with a formidable power , under smooth & dutiful pretences threatned constantinople . in the mean while ( and the licentious rapines of the heyducks upon all such intervalls ) matthias , his brothers viceroy , prepared his way to the crown of hungary , urged thereunto by illyeshazi , whose interest rudolphus had used at the diet at ratisbone to prefer ferdinand the nephew of charles his brother ; hereupon souldiers were listed by matthias , to obviate the designs of the spaniards , who would advance ferdinand as more catholick then himself : with these , under pretence of repressing the heyducks , he came suddenly to presburgh , and was received into the castle by the archbishop and cardinal pazman and illyezhazi , at whose instances he possessed himself of the crown . by him the late articles of vienna were confirmed ( the hungarians being obstinate to those terms ) and upon that score austria and moravia also joyned with him , and vowed to live and dye in his cause . having from hence raised an army of . thousand men , he marched to prague , where the emperour delaying of his grants to the bohemians , ( who had armed themselves in vindication of their religion , and the same priviledges with the papists ) found himself so disappointed , that he condiscended to the inauguration of matthias , in the kingdome of hungary . he arrived at presburgh the . of october , where he allowed the priviledges aforesaid , the election of a palatine within a year after the others decease , which dignity had been vacant . years , ever since nadasdi , together with the expulsion of the jesuits . from thence he went to cassovia , at which diet held there , sigismund racockzi , as prince of transylvania did him fealty , and soon after resigned the principality to gabriel bathori , having gained the confirmation from achmet , and an uninteressednesse from matthias . in all things , he shewed himself a person of great justice and modesty , in declining his assistance of the rebels in poland , and transferring this soveraignty to another , when he was so beloved and courted by the people . to passe by new commotions and discontents of the hungarians about their religion now invaded and infringed , but vindicated by the elector of saxony , and other protestant princes , who by arming themselves over-ruled matthias ; we return to matters of state : illyezhazi the new palatine , built a new fabrick in the castle of presburgh , for the conservation of the crown ; and collonicsius was advanced to a higher dignity in that kingdome , which had hitherto been in no condition to respect his merit . as to war it had its divertisement in transylvania ; radulo the noble vayvod of valachiae , refused homage to bathori , who incensed thereat ( and designing the seizure of all dacia which the turks had promised to boczkay ) raised a puissant army such as was hardly seen there before , and gave him battle at brassovia , where he was totally routed by the valour of the said vayvod ; which opportunity matthias in confederacy with that gallant person , so improved , that he possessed himself of clausenburgh , and other chief holds by his general forgacz , while bathori betook himself to the mountains . this enterprize was the more easily carried on against him , for that his prodigious lust made him odious to his subjects , whose beautifullest wives and daughters he frequently and most openly vitiated . notwithstanding such was his fortune , that he beat forgacz out of his dominions , and forced him to hide himself in the woods of bohemia , after he had suffered very great extremities . yet the same vicissitudinary fortune undid bathori , betrayed by his embassador andrew geczi to the grand seigniour , who designed the principality to himself , and whom the bassa of buda would have confirmed , but that bathori betook himself ( such the reciprocation of these interests ) to the protection & friendship of matthias , now elected emperour of germany , by whose assistance the at instance of thurzo the palatine in the room of illyeshaeci geczi was overthrown , & at the same time bethlen gabor substituted by the turks to the same dignity , at the price which bathori had payed for it . he enraged with this affront ( besides that he was a man of a most incredible strength ) ravagely fell upon his poor subjects , who yet again bore with him while he renewed his debaucheries , whose vengeance every one of the nobles incited . at this juncture bethlen made use of the turks power and subdued lippa , aradum , and other places , whose rendition made bathori , suspectfull of all people , to betake himself by a speedy flight from clausenburg to * varadin , where admitted into the castle , consultation was held concerning him by the nobles , who advised gregory nadanyj , and george szylasi to assassinate him , and they after some reluctancies of conscience animated by the mortall jealousie of decsius a preacher of the calvinist faction , whose wife bathori most leudly loved , at the second resolution assaulted & slew him in the street of varadin called velenze , as he was going to the baths . bethlen was immediately acknowledged by the transylvanians , and confirmed for his presents & acknowledgments , both by the turk and emperour . his first act was the vindication of bathori's death , by the popular fury permitted upon his assassinates , whom he summoned to the dyer ( with a salvo statu ) then held at medgysium . at the same time achmet was ready at adrianople with an army to invade hungary , but the emir of sidon ( who derives himself from godfrey of bu●loyn ) gave him a diversion ; as did the cossacks plague him in the euxine sea , by burning of his galleys , and infesting thracia also by land , but the chief remora of all was his death in the year . mustapha his brother succeeded him , but was presently deposed , and osman achmets son aged years was saluted emperour , who survived not long after , being strangled by daout bassa . not to mention the war now commenced between the emperour and the venetians about pyracies committed by the uschock● and chroats upon their maritine territories , as publick in a discourse by it self , which war was managed with great resolution by both parties in dalmatia and friuli . the event of this unkind war , redounded to a good and amicable understanding between matthias and ferdinand , who was now adopted to the crown , provided that he intermedled not during the life of the emperour ; and the next year he was crowned king of hungary , at which time three suns appeared denoting the mischeifs ( if they may be so construed ) that befell his dominions in the ensuing war of bohemia , first managed by ernest count mansfeld for the reformed , and count bucquoy for the emperour matthias , who wearied with a lingring and continual distemper having lived years , and governed hungary , as germany years , deceased with the blessings of a peace to his subjects . ferdinan the d . by the endevours of matthias being elected king , administred the government government by many alterations , the cause of which changes was the same with the usuall excesses of arbitrary innovation , for he recalled the jesuits in hatred of the protestants , and very much infringed the articles of bocskay , which made them have recourse to the count of thurn then in arms near vienna . at the same time the bohemian estates prevailing no more as to liberty of conscience , conferred the kingdome on frederick count elector palatine , who animated by his wife the only daughter of iames king of england , ( of whose assistance together with the dutch , he was made confident , as assured of a nearer help from bethlen gabor upon the same account of religion ) accepted thereof : the hungarians raised hereupon by teiffenback , thrust themselves into silesia , more intent upon the prey then studious of the cause , while bethlen having repulsed homonnai , who had introduced the jesuits into claudiopolis , either hung or banished them , publishing a proclamation against the entertainment or reception of any of that society . and now in pursuance of his confederacy with frederick the count palatine , he rushed into hungary , with an army of men , and great guns , where meeting with a discontented part of the nobles by the infringment of the abovesaid articles , and strengthned by them , he took in cassovia by his lieutenants redei and szecsi , and by fair words cajoled andrew docrius the generall of upper hungary by pretence of peace-making into a captivity in transylvania wherein he dyed . this proceeding so frighted the jesuits and friers , that they made what hast they could out of his way , so many places rendring themselves ( led by the examples of the mine towns , of which rosnoboyana was the first ) as fileck , v●●zia , tyrnaw , nitria , posing , &c. that they knew not where to be secure , only comorra and raab firmly garrisoned by austrians withstood his fortune . part of the army therefore was employedin an irruption into moravia , the other being joyned with thurn beseiged presburgh , wherein was the palatine of hungary with a small garrison , and some troops of bucquoy in the suburbs , the which he presently cut off , and thereupon the city yeilded it self with the crown & other regal ornaments , and gave him liberty by the seizure of some interjacent places , as viscetus and eberstorph to carry the terrour , with the sight of his arms , to vienna . but here the misfortune that befell george rakoczi , whom he had left his vicegerent in transylvania , impeded his further progresse : george honnonnai a firm adherer to the house of austria , having fled from his late defeat into poland , with a fresh supply thence , returned and encountred rakoczi , by whom he was worsted ; but recruited with present supplies engaged him again , which fight had lasted two dayes , when homonnai by the counterfeit of a flight drew him into his ambushes and there discomfited him , the foot were all of them slain , rakoczi and the horse escaped by flight . this emergency recalled gabor from vienna , after he had caused himself to be proclaimed king of hungary in defyance of ferdinand , and contracted a firmer league with the bohemians , to the designation of higher matters . ferdinand was absent at the diet at franckfurt , when the bohemians revolted , where having complained , as also to the kings of france and england of their insolence , he appointed maximilian of bavaria his generall the duke of saxony and the catholick elector being also made sure to his interest , and besides a truce was concluded on with gabor to michaelmasse . and now ready for a war in germany , the french suspended it by their interposition at ulms. that not proving durable , ioachim ernestus the marquesse of anspach , was entrusted by frederick with the charge of the palatinate and the government of heydelberg , who being ready to engage with maximilian , was not only diverted and recalled by spinola's arrivall , who took in oppenheim , baccharach , and other places , but corrupted also by his gold , although the prince of aurange had engaged to his assistance . maximilian freed of this enemy , marched to prague with an army of thousand men , attended with count bucquoy , whose troops in the night surprized the hungarians , sent to aid the palatine by bethlen , that were quartered upon the white-hill and carried away horses after a great slaughter committed on the riders . this ominous defeat so heightned maximilian that he dared the enemy to an engagement , against the advise of bethlen , who would have had the bohemians temporize till he could personally assist them , but such was the palatines fate , that a battel ensued , wherein at first by the rout of the young prince of anhalt , the bohemians seemed to be fortunate , but the sudden flight of . hungarians altered the case , and gave the imperiallists a compleat victory . frederick with his princesse fled to vratislavia , and bohemia as not long after moravia and silesia accepted of the emperours conditions . bethlen summoned a diet in hungary at ersekuyvarum , where partly betwixt force and good will he was again proclaimed king , the majesty of which title his valour ( as having been two and forty times present in battel ) magnificence and popularity very well suited , and now he began to act as a king ▪ tampirius generalissimo of hungary therefore opposed his army consisting of ten thousand men , and by water and land laid siege to presburgh , and took the suburbs and the fort before them ; but while he unwarily viewed the castle he was slain with a dart. the fall of the general made the souldiers desert the siege , and suffer bethlen to ravage austria , where he had effected great matters , but that the over-throw of his confederates at prague spoyled his designs . the elector palatine being yet at uratislavia in the marquisate of silesia , did very much urge him to proceed and to continue his successes , for that speedily he would bring an army out of england and denmark to his assistance . and indeed ernestus count mansfield , brother of charles that was so famous for the siege of strigonium , having gained pilsa and taborum , was advanced into the palatinate , and had reduced things there to some better conditlon ; but in the mean while bohemia was quite lost , the palatine proscribed , the jesuits restored , and the reformists driven out of the kingdome . the french king endevoured a peace between the emperour and bethlen at hamburg , but with no successe ; for gabriel would neither renounce his regal title nor give way to the estates of hungary to transact with ferdinand , but called in an army of turks and tartars , by which means he drew envy upon himself , and the estates grew eager against his government and returned to their former allegiance . george szecsi was first received into favour , who drew a great many with him ; and took francis redei away perforce , who languished away for greif not long after . as to matter of action , charles ●ongaevall count of bucquoy , having subdued and tamed the moravians , with an army of men , and great guns marched directly against bethlen , who retreating into transylvania , and the german and hungarian garrisons diffe●ing among themselves , recovered presburg , with tyrnaw , ovarum , schutt , and all that tract of ground as far as newhausel , which he also besieged , and brought it to extremity ; when stanislaus thurzo salleyed out upon the foragers , and lighting upon bucquoy , who too rashly engaged in their assistance killed him after sixteen wounds , his horse being shot under him ; his dead body with the slaughter of many imperialists , was brought off and redeemed from the hungarians , and in the beginning of iuly enterred at vienna . by his death the affairs of caesar were shaken , for the walloons refusing another general , gave opportunity to the enemy of reducing many places ; gabriel having raised a new army and overthrown the nobles of hungary ; ersekuyvarum was also abandoned by the garrison : so that finding the kingdome naked and destitute of defence , he joyned with the count of thurn and the marquisse of i●gerendorf and forced tyrnaw ; presburg he in vain attempted ; whence by the invitation of iagerendorf he made an irruption into moravia , and seized and pillaged several places ; but being opposed here by the emperours new generals , esterhasius , wallensteyn and hanibal donaw , who set upon him on every side , ( and iagerendorf departed from silesia , as his transylvanians for want of provision were privily slipt home ) he bethought himself of a peace , which at the instance of his ambassadors was first treated of at oedinburg , but conc●uded at szentmicklosium , whereby bethlen retaining tockay and cassovia , with seven other lordships in hungary , was to yeild up and resign the crown with all other places and cities in that kingdome ; to forbear the regal title and be content with the name of roman prince , should enjoy opulia and ratibor , the state of religion , and the jesuites to be restored to the places they were in before . thus the elector palatine was disappointed here also , as mansfield , and christian duke of brunswick had been unsuccessful against tilly , so that driven out of his haereditary countreys , he fled into holland ; the electoral dignity was conferred on maximilian of bavaria ; when , the estates of the empire perceived that the power they had given the emperour was used by him against themselves . iagerendorf being expelled out of silesia , again implored bethlen to the assistance and support of the churches ; whereupon the flame of the but newly quenched conflagration broke out again . bethlen delivered vaczia to the turks , with whom and the tartars to the number of eighty thousand excited by the count of thurn , he invaded hungary ; pretending first religion , then the money not paid , nor the conditions of the treaty at oedinburg performed . at tyrnaw he defeated the regiment of tieffenbach , and falling into moravia drove swarzemburg before him and besieged him in the metropolis , building four great bulwarks before that part of the city where the onely egresse was , and keeping strong guards on that side where it was fenced with the lake and woods : neverthelesse swarzemburg by a frugal apportioning of the allowance of provision , held out the place till the winter , when the grand seigniour being rightly informed of the quarrel by caesar , with the menace of his scymitar , recalled bethlen ; and the turks and tartars impatient of the delay and the cold , refused to obey him , altho●gh some of them were therefore hanged up : besides the aids out of germany appeared not , so that he was compelled to make a truce , and the garrison ( almost famished ) delivered from the siege . his title of the roman prince , or prince of the romans , was abolished ; his coadjutors the turks , left to get home as well as they could , in which return many were stripped and slain , and satisfied for their fellows cruelty , and plunder . in the beginng of may this year the peace was confirmed , and redintegrated : iagerendorf quite disseised of silesia , & thurn expell'd out of moravia , and bethlen deprived of that part he held in hungary , but restored to opulia , and ratibor taken from him in the beginning of these troubles : and lastly , the kingdome of hungary acknowledged her old soveraign , ferdinand ernestus eldest son of ferdinand the second , being crowned at ovarum , where were present his father , his queen and children , caraffa the popes nuncio , and the spanish and florentine ambassadors ; bethlen also sent his thither , being taken up with the solemnity of his nuptials with catharine the daughter of iohn sigismund marquiss of brandenburgh , who was married at alba iulia . at this diet at ovarum , great was the unanimity and concord of the estates , by whose resolutions the guards and forts against canysa were strongly fortified , the license of polygamy restrained , the road secured , and the tribute and tax duely settled , and other things enacted which concerned the safety of the kingdome . ezterhesius was substituted to the dignity of palatine in the room of thurzo . next succeeded the coronation it self : the regal diadem , robes , sword , and globe , with the noyse of the cannon , and the gladsome acclamation of the people ( wishing all happinesse to the king and kingdome thus restored ) were conveyed from presburg in this order ; first went the german trumpeters , then th● barons , the masters of the horse with their squadrons armed cap a pe ; next followed the hungarian noblemen , the deputies or governours of dalmatia , sclavonia , and croatia ; then the servants of the palatine covered with the skins of leopards and tigers , then the palatine himself in the middst between the german and hungarian barons , the crown and the other royal ensigns being laid upon a chariot . the cardinal peter pazman , and arch-bishop of strigonium , put the crown on the king's head in the great church ; where were present a great confluence of schollars to attend the cardinal , from the colledges of vienna , and tyrnaw , and elsewhere ; the hungarians being here asked if they did accept him for their king , with one voice answered , we do ; we will and require it , let the king live and reign long , and govern us . the king ( the divine service performed ) turned his chair towards the people , and laying the sword of st. stephen upon their shoulders , created four knights ; when mounting his horse , in an hungarian habit he galloped up a little hill , and there brandishing his sword four times to the four quarters of the world , thereby declared his majesty and his empire : medals of gold and silver being at the same time thrown among the people . for conclusion , he was nobly treated at a most sumptuous royal feast by the nobles . a new storm over-clouded this serenity : bethlen instigated by count mansfield in the month of iuly , invaded hungary again , whither the said count joyned with the duke of weymar ( being beaten out of germany , the netherlands and bohemia ) was bending his forces , but both of them although additioned by forces from bethlen , who resented his losse of opulia and ratibor , were vanquished by wallensteyn . who being afterwards recoyled by the turks about nitria , fought with dubious fortune against the said mansfeldians , still recruiting upon every disaster , as if they had been the sons of antaeus . but upon the news brought to bethlen that . thousand tartars his confederates were slain in poland , he found it high time to bethink of peace , by which on shameful conditions he departed out of hungary , & quitted his confederates mansfield and weymar , renouncing also his tartarian friendship , with an obligation to free all christian captives with the turks . mansfield suspecting this collusion , with his most expedite and nimble troops hasted to the venetians , leaving the rest of his forces to weymar , but taken in bosnia with a flux , proceeding ( as some report ) from poyson he took into his bowells , he expired his busie and versatile soul there . weymar also having possessed himself of hohenwold and iabelunca , and designing his efforts upon hungary , discontented with those practises of the transylvanian , soon wasted away , aged . years , much beloved and lamented by his party for his moderate , yet valiant actions and deportment in silesia . him bethlen followed , tortured with such an excessive pain in his feet , that he commanded the soles of them to be lanced , to give passage to the fluid humour ; to this was added the disease of the holy fire , which gave occasion to the papists invectives , that all the elements conspired against him , being persecuted with fire , water , iron , &c. and that his end was worthy of his actions . he bequeathed to each of the emperours a horse , with jewells , trappings , and furniture , worth . thousand guilders , to his wife a thousand guilders and as many thousand imperials , and florens , with royalty's , to hold and enjoy for her life ; having given this testimony of caesar , that it was a very hazzardous thing to war with him , as a person who was neither deprest with adverse nor lifted up with prosperous fortune . by his death cassovia , tockay , and all the places granted to him for his life , reverted to the emperour ; and his widow , although proclaimed prince of transylvania , yet wanting title and right as being a stranger , whether spontaneously , or against her will , quitted the administration , having procured stephon czakius whom she loved , to be named for prince , and indevoured at the ottoman port to have him invested ; but the transylvanians rejecting the princesse , were divided into two other parts , some would have stephen bethlen , the brother of the deceased gabriel ; others stood for george rakoczi , whose fortune and wonderful felicity , carried it from all his competitors , catharius the agent at constantinople , prevaricating and acting for rakoczi , as did several castellans by the liberality of the princess granted unto csakius , who took fortune to their counsellour , csakius speeds thither ; and comes to muncacksum , given him by the same hand and desired admission , but iohn balling the governour of the place presenting the ordnance against him , told him he had delivered it to rakoczi , and had received the hereditary government of it for his rendition . bethlen at the same time possessed himself of most of the other places in transylvania , but by the detestable disloyalty of his son stephen , and his son in law david zolyomi , and the disaffection of all forraign princes , he was forced to abandon his pretensions , for rakoczi invited by those two persons came to varadin , where by their suffrage and advancement , he wrested the principality from stephen , created prince thereof , who being of a mild and quiet disposition , and more desirous of a private life , by his own interest promoted rakoczi , against czakius , and forgave his son and son in law , not forgiven by god the just avenger of their unnatural offence , ( he himself receiving the name of governour : ) for not long after his son stephen , a youth otherwise of great learning and virtue , having been bred up with his brother peter at leyden , dyed at ecsedium , his body being horribly eaten up with worms : david zolyomi was committed to perpetual imprisonment by rakoczi , whom he had helped to prefer . caesar likewise had dispatcht esterhasius the palatine of hungary , with a strong army to possesse himself of transylvania , but before his arrival rakoczi had setled himself ; and by stephen bethlen the governour of dacia , pro hac vice , in an irruption into hungary , overthrew him and took several cities ; the sultan himself , while yet the peace was in force betwixt him and the emperor , of his own accord sending . men to ersekuyvarum to his assistance , in testimony of his affection to , and approbation of rakoczi , who wasted the countrey on purpose to divert esterhasius ; wherefore the emperour not willing to bring a greater war upon himself , by designing upon others , presently acquiesced . but this provocation determined not so on the part of rakoczi , whose offence thereat , the swede by an embassy to him , so aggravated ( finding the german war like to rest upon his own single shoulders ) by other fetches of the common cause of religion , &c. that rakoczi began to arm , intending at once to be revenged of caesar , esterhausius , and cszakius together , and to that purpose made sure of the protection and favour of the grand seigniour , who assented to his proposed enterprise , and commanded the bassa of buda and the moldavians to assist him therein . csakius no lesse vigilant in his affairs , being supplied with mony by gabors widdow , pressed an engagement with rakoczi , and continued and renewed it five several times by the indifference of fortune , yet so distastful to rak●czi , that he was willing to a peace , whereby csakius was to enjoy what he held in transylvania without any molestation . this province thus settled , arose another intestine feud ; stephen bethlen with peter his son , had killed a kinsman of rakoczi's , and suspecting his revenge , had gathered an army of turks and tartars , and brought them to gyula , out of meer fear intending to take upon him the government , which he had for quietnesse before resigned . rakoczi detesting this wavering faith of the turks submitted to the austrians , from whom he was supplied out of silesia with three regiments of foot and one of horse ; against those the turks opposed themselves , but by the cunning and policy of iames gyori ( a person skilled in their language who pretended to be faithful to bethlen , and betrayed his and their designs to rakoczi ) and by the valour of sigismund cornicsius , twenty five thousand of them were slain at szalcula . soon after david zolyomi having leavyed . horse to the assistance of the king of sweden , to whose war in germany the transylvanians were very much affected , rakoczi either true to the emperour , or suspecting this as ●ome design for his father in law , disbanded all his troops . this injury stuck so close to zolyomi that he resolved to kill him as he was a hunting , but his conscience reclaiming , he warned rakoczi that he should forbear hunting on his prefixed day , but to send some armed men , to such places , where they should find the assassinates prepared for the execution , who being accordingly discovered and slain , solyomi , bound in chains of the weight of pound was cast into a most squalid and dolefull dungeon , which had one onely prospect against a wall by a window , of a cubits length and bredth , where he was kept from any humane converse the whole course of his life : so that in what he sinned by advancing rakoczi before his father in law in that he was thus severely punished , alleviated onely by the honourable respects shewed him by vrbanus reoti the governour of the castle , who laboured all he could for his enlargement ; but neither caesars intreaties could prevail in that point . bethlen , when he could neither obtain oblivion and indempnity for his late actions , nor procure his son in law's deliverance , invited the turks again , who had excused their late expedition in behalf of bethlen , protesting their exact observation of the peace ; but the palatine versed in those frauds of the infidel listed the heyducks , and watched every event . many encounters happned betwixt rakoczi and bethlen , and oftentimes with losse to the turks , which so vexed the sultan that he commanded the vizier to be flead alive . but at last the businesse was composed by the mediation of friends , and bethlen restored acknowledge rakoczi , whom the turk again confirmed . ferdinand the second , being now deceased , his eldest son the third of that name , succeeded him in all his dominions , and seemed to have restored to hungaria and transylvania , a most blessed peace ; had it not been for the jesuites who raised new troubles : for the catholick nobles grudged that the protestants by the former war had extorted some things in favour of their religion , and the lutherans had built a very beautiful church at presburg , which caesar resenting had sent his inhibition , and disallowed his former concessions . the protestants hereupon addressed themselves to rakoczi as their sanctuary and anchor , who had been also offended with the emperour upon this account : there was found at varadin in the vault of ladislaus and sigismund , a treasure , with a crown , scepter , and jewells , one of which being a diamant ( as my authour hath it ) was as big as a hens egg set in a locket , which glittered and shone like a lighted torch , there being an anathema added that no man presumed to meddle with them , while the necessity of the castle should require it : these ferdinand demanded , but rakoczi refused them . add to this a worser evil ; it happned that so ne hungarian nobles , as forgaczi , illyeshazi , and others , turned roman catholicks , and some catholicks obtained lordships where the protestant religion was before exercised , which they took upon them to restrain , and converted their churches to catholick uses . these innovations and the force that obtruded them , rakoczi desired the emperour to remove , and to observe those immunities and priviledges which he and the estates had confirmed to the protestants ; but the emperour , either not valuing rakoczi , or secure of hungary ( for that the turk engaged in the east , had concluded a peace for twenty years ) put him off with continual delayes ; and raised an army of hungarians against the swede , who neverthelesse would not stir out of their countrey . rakoczi on the other side held intelligence with general torstenson then in silesia , and resolved to arm , having in vain mediated but for the restitution of three hundred protestant churches shut up by the emperour ; besides that there was a present pique and grudge between him and homonnai , who had driven away all the protestants out of his government , and had seized the wines of tockay , which were to be sent as the annual present to the grand seigniour . there was at this time at the transylvannia court , the ambassadors of poland , sweden , france , and austria ; the last of whom being slightly dismissed , rakoczi proclaimed open war against ferdinand the third , and with men invaded hungary ; the reasons of which , published in a manifesto were these ; that since the last nineteen years , hungary had been reckoned among the hereditary provinces , that civil and secular offices were conferred upon ecclesiastical persons , and lands of maintainance assigned them ; and protestants put by from all places , and iesuites introduced , against their consent and will. his first effort was upon the castles of homonnai , which he ruined and demolished , committing great slaughter and rapine , using f●re and sword to extremity . next he compelled cassovia to a surrender , in vain defended by count forgacz . to oppose his further progresse the emperour dispatched away count buchain with twenty thousand men , while the palatine was employed in raising eight thousand hungariaus ; the first encounter proved not so prosperous to the transylvanian ; but the continual revolt of the hungarians was cheaper then victory , which now favoured him in his repulse of adam forgacz , from rimaszombathum ; buchain was advised by nadasdi to make a diversion by the way of agria into transylvenia , and so hem him in by getting below him ; but in this he onely trifled away time , while rakoczi ( most of the strong places being possessed by the catholick party ) besieged tyrnaw , which at last opened its gates to general douglasse and his son sigismund , where the bishops and noblemen ( now crest-fallen ) humbly intreated canysius the protestant preacher of the place , to mediate with the victor that he would take them into his clemency ; which was granted at his intercession . and now rakoczi distrusting this eager favour of fortune , inclined to a composure , which caesar more desirous of , both for that the climate agreed not with his forrain souldiery , and the huge price of grain , the unsuccessful siege of cassovia , with the forced retreat of bouchain to presburgh , readily consented to , and hastily concluded , to the great vexation and anger of the swede . this peace was proclaimed on st. bartholomew's day , by which seven lordships in hungary were confirmed to the transylvanian , churches restored to the protestants , and the rest of their priviledges confirmed to them . torstenson thus forsaken of his confederate was abandoned by his fortune , and forced to rise from the siege of prunna . in the mean while died the palatine ▪ to whom drascovitius was substituted , and the instrument of the transylvanian pacification was made publick , notwithstanding both parties in hungary were as imbittered as ever about the extermination of the jesuits , and ready to draw one upon another . the next year ferdinand the fourth , was crowned king of hungary , the peace continuing with the turks , but so fallaciously that three hundred of them were got privily into raab , where being discovered by a woman , they were all of them slain and the city preserved by the divine favour and protection . in the year died prince rakoczi , to whom succeeded his son george ; as ferdinand the fourth , crowned king of the romans , a prince of more hopes then glory , after he had lived to the age of years , deceased in the year . and leopold ignatius his brother succeeded him in all his dignities , kingdomes , and dominions in the year the swede having invaded poland , and almost conquered the hither part ( so that the many garrisons he was forced to man , had almost drayned his army ) by his ambassadors invited prince rakoczi to the spoyl and his assistance ; and such was the evil fate of transylvania , and rakoczi in particular , that allured by the great advantages the ruin of that kingdom promised him , he confederated himself with the swede , maintaining correspondencies and intrigues with all his allyes , particularly , with the pretended protector of england , to whom he sent an envoy to transact his concerns of money ; to the payment whereof the king of sweden had by pact obliged the said usurper , the consideration and satisfaction whereof , are of no great moment to this discourse . the transylvanians betaking themselves to their arms , from which they had been longer disused than throughout the whole series of their history ( the turks having been sometime before engaged against the persians , and lately against the venetians , and labouring with their own mis-carriages and errours of government ) little imagined they should wear them so long ( if ever it be their hap to put them off without parting with their liberty and religion ) and to such a calamitous defence of their own countrey . in fine , an army of men was presently raised and put under the command of backos gabor , which were the van of those forces that rakoczi intended for this expedition , himself following in person with another army ; who as soon as they were entered poland in most horrible manner fell a ravaging and sacking the towns , and pillaging the churches , and defacing the beauties thereof in hatred of the roman catholick religion ; so that a fearful desolation was made as they passed . to passe by other occurrents of his proceedings in this kingdome , after he had joyned with the swedes , the enterprize of cracovia may suffice for instance of his hostility in this kingdome , which he besieged , and after a short defence had it surrendred to him ( the swedes and he , demolishing almost the city of casimir , built on the other side the weysel ) it being one of those places which was to be assigned him with the palatinate thereof , for his share , in recompense of his service . this place in the ballance of the swedish fortune being besieged by feild marshal lubomirsky , rakoczi came to its relief , and gave a notable defeat to the pole , who raised his siege and fled before him . the said prince afterwards embodying with the swedes in lithuania , took in the strong city of biscia litinsky being there personally present with the king of sweden , and where he took his last leave of him , returning to samoysch , to secure his footing and maintain what he had gotten ; but the danish war interveening and calling the king of sweden away to the defence of his own kingdome ; and the duke of brandenburgh falling off likewise , and renouncing that kings interest ; besides that , the pole had newly made a league with the house of austria , who upon caution and articles were to supply him with an army of men , then upon their march out of silesia ; rakoczi perceived that the whole brunt of the war was like to fall upon him , now deserted and abandoned by all his partakers . and therefore he thought it high time to apply himself to the wayes of peace ( the turk having also countermanded him sometime before at the instance of the polish ambassador at constantinople , who it was thought , had bribed rakoczi into that disfavour and hatred with the grand seignior , who now peremptorily commanded him , he having delayed to comply with his first orders of return , so surrender his principality to his cousin reada or radus ) and in tendency thereunto made offer of a surrender of all those places he had taken during this war , thinking thereby also to have satisfied the tukish emperour , provided he might have safe egresse out of that kingdome , which was now very hazzardous , for that the poles and austrians had way-laid him in the mountainous passages by which he must needs return . but the poles so stomached the loss & prejudice they received from him causelesly , especially his church-robberies , that they delayed him with an answer to this effect : that being tied to such articles with the house of austria , and the king of hungary , they could make no agreement without them : which artifice being understood by rakoczi , more forces drawing likewise against him ; besides that , another party of . of them had invaded his dominions in hungary , and in revenge burnt down thirty six villages ; he resolved to make his way with his sword while there was a possibility of effecting it , which with much difficulty and hazard , being several times set upon , and forced to fight his way ; by good guides and happy conduct he atchieved , but brought a sorry army home in comparison of what he marched out with . this same year died the emperour ferdinand the third , leaving behind him two sons , ignatius leopol●us , and charles ioseph ; the eldest of whom being a minor , much canvasing there was about the election of a caesar ; for that by the custome and golden bull of the empire no person under the age of eighteen years ( of which he lacked one ) is capable of being chosen to that dignity . notwithstanding he had been crowned king of hungary soon after the death of his brother ferdinand ( who as was mentioned before deceased in . ) with the usual solemnities , which we forbear to recite , because mentioned at large before . prince rakoczi being thus retreated into transylvania , was there again by a chiaux commanded to resign the principality to radus ; but he , hoping either to make his peace at the port with the usual purchase , and so countermine his enemies , or trusting at last to his interest in the souldiery , and his people , and his own abilities ( as indeed he was a prince very well skilled in military affairs , and of personal valour , and great spirit ) delayed any such surrender , but strengthned himself all that he could , and dispatcht away embassadors to crave aid of the neighbouring princes against this threatned encroachment of the t●rks , but the pole and the austrians had conceived such rancour against him , the first for his invasion , and the other for his league with the swede , that they abandoned him to his fortune . neverthelesse the princes of moldavia , and valachia , promised their assistance , as their common cause ; while the turk disturbed at home this year . by the mutininies of the janizaries and the insurrections of the bassa of aleppo , permitted rakoczi to be quiet ; but the next year he thrust in an army by way of valachia , against whom that vayvod making opposition was by them totally routed , and eight thousand of his men slain , and he forced by a timely submission and great presents and promises of hostility against rakoczi , to purchase his peace and establishment in his dignity . soon after the bassa of buda being commanded upon the same service , marched to lippa , and thence to arad town and castle , whose suburbs the transylvanians fired , which the turks officers who had the avantgurd perceiving and supposing the enemy had deserted the place , in great hast and disorder marched to the quenching of the flame ; but the transylvanian and hungarian forces not far distant , making advantage of this rout , and falling upon them in the smoke , so routed them that they were driven back to their body with great losse , where being received in with their waggons with which they were barricado'd , the whole army of rakoczi advanced , and with their great cuns so shivered them , that they were compelled to forsake their camp , and to fly , in which many of them perished in the river mor. there were here taken prisoners , mustapha beg , the bassa of agria , the coll. aga of the janizaries , the aga of buda , and aga of lippa , the beg of waitzen was drowned , with many other men of note . for this defeat the grand seignior threatned to flea the bassa of buda , if he did not presently bring him rakoczi's head , and forthwith imprisoned the emperours and the french kings ambassadours . in . the turk sent a greater force then before , into transylvania . in the mean while prince rakoczi march'd with a considerable force before hermanstad , and it came to a bloody encounter , wherein rakoczi deported himself valiantly , killing men with his own hand ; and so the infidels for that bout were forced to quit the field , and leave the victory to the transylvanians , leaving likewise upon the place , or turks , and tartars . rakoczi in the persuit received five wounds , and five dayes after this fight ( iune the sixth ) he was brought to great-waradiu , where he departed this life . the fall of this prince ballanced the advantage of the tictory , and exceedingly animated the turks , who pressing more and more eagerly upon the transylvanians , drove them every where to their strong holds : whereupon general souches had order from vienna , to draw toward transylvania , and make it good against the turks ; and he forthwith march'd thither with a considerable body , and possessed himself of several holds . iuly the of the same year , the turk with men laid close siege to great-waradin , which was stoutly defended by one collonel gaude a scotchman , the governour of the town . during the siege , the turk sent abroad strong parties to subdue smaller towns , forcing the people unto several works , as the building of bridges , and the like , putting them to the sword at last for their reward : at one time killing christians , and at another , loading wagons with christians heads which they carried away . on the of august , that brave souldier and governour collonel gaude was slain by a shot , and ( the besieged being left without any hope of relief ) this strong place surrendred unto the turk upon accord ; being a passage into transylvania , hungary , and poland . after the death of rakoczi , his cousin radus being disliked of by the turk as unfit for his designs , there started up one barckay a ●reature of the turks , making himself prince of transylvania , whom the turk protected and supplyed with forces , whereby he undertook to reduce several places , siding in pretence with general souches ( who well understood this violence of the turks , to be a design not only upon transylvania , but also upon the empire it self , ) and making large promises under hand , that whatsoever he got by the turkish ayd , was meant for the good of the emperour , to whom he intended a just and honourable restitution , reserving only waradin to remain under the power of the prince of ttransylvania ; but the matter proved otherwise in the end . toward the end of this year , a blazing-starre appeared with the tayl toward dalmatia , and the head toward transylvania , which the ensuing calamities portended sadly of the war. soon after this , the labolizish peasants rebelled against the christians in transylvania , whom they partly put to the sword , some they took prisoners , and others they sold to the turk , the right successour of rakoczi was remini ianos ( by many transylvanians received and entertained for such ) who was bitterly persecuted by barckay and the turks . in . ianos fought them at thassabat , and made a great slaughter : but at last , oppressed with numbers , he left transylvania , and retreated to tockay . and now it appeared that the turks businesse was not to stop there , but to fall also upon hungary . whereupon his imperial majesty granted commissions for the raising of an army , which was dispatched part of it into transylvania . in the interim ; count nichola serini began to look to himself , and raised a strong fort on the wall over against canischa naming it serinswar : getting together a strong body of croats , and other nations , that lay heavy upon the quarters thereabout : which the turks stomach'd not a little , however they carried it fair at present , and a while they talk'd of nothing but peace , but at last they brake out into high expressions , that they would have serinswar demolished , count serini punish'd , and transylvania subjected to the power of the turk by way of reparation . none of which followed ; but the christians lookt upon it as every mans interest to do his best to defend himself against the ambition and outrages of this common enemy ; and there being nothing now to be expected but a great turkish warre , which was already begun by parties ; the christians entred upon the borders of turky , drawing toward stul-weissenburg , and offen : and they subdued zamock , warda , erzy , and hirr : all these being inconsiderable houses , and castles , which with their defenders were blown up , and fired . while this was doing , the turks gathered together a mighty army consisting of asiatick , african , and europaean people . to this numerous army , they had likewise provided an incredible proportion of victuals , ammunition , and artillery . neverthelesse , several treaties were set a foot , which the turk so long insisted upon , till he had gained his end , and drawn a formidable power into the field , to break in upon the christians , who laboured as much as in them lay , to preserve the peace ; seeming to take small notice of the turks hostile preparations . the army of the christian : in hungary co●sisted of german soldiers , who had the turks for their open , and the hungarians for their private enemies ( the animosity being so great , that many times it came to blowes betwixt the germans and the hungarians . ) these troups finding themselves under many inconveniencies , partly from the hungarians , who denyed accommodation to the germans , and partly from diseases arising from the disagreement of the climate , were much weakned and diminished . hungary is questionlesse a very brave country , and abounds in wine and other fruits ; which taken to excesse , breed dangerous surfeits . the hungarians in their deportment are generally grave , and modest , but being affornted by the germans , and others not of their own religion , they are apt to revenge , and hard to be reconciled . toward the month of october , the dutch army was exceedingly pester'd with surfeits , so that betwixt those that dyed ; a number that lay sick , and others that were carried out of the country , it fell to a low ebbe : and moreover ; being then as far as clausenburg , in transylvania , they were put to some distresse for victuals and forage : the enemy increasing daily more and more against them for in those parts the turkish power was strongest . about this time , the upstart prince barckay fell into disgrace , and the turk preferred one apaffi to that dignity in his stead . against him , remini ianos bore up , opposing him , and his promoters in the head of men , and fortune so far befriended him in the first engagement , as to deliver his great enemy barkay into his hands , whose head he caused to be struck off , and then for a while the people flocked in to him , and augmented his army ; yet neither their aid nor his valor availed him when being surrounded on all sides , and striving to clear his passage , he seemed only careful how he might fall with honour : for his army through many skirmishes , diseases , and great scarcity of provision , was melted away , and hope of succour there was none left ; the german army by the like accidents being weakned and put to a retreat . upon these terms it was , that he committed himself to places of more security , and in sakmar , he with others , expected the issue of the treaty . but the turks , ( as has been said already ) making use of a treaty only for their own advantage , put themselves into a stronger posture : in the mean time discharging their choler with great indignation , as well against the valiant venetians , ( that have held them tack so long in candia ) as against the neutral valachians ; and now and then against the half-conquered transylvanians ; but not a word all this while , nor so much as a look of displeasure against hungary . this deceit of a treaty lasted till the year . and then the fury of these infidels brake out , not only upon transylvania , and hungaria ; but upon some of the emperours hereditary countries also . upon iuly the . the grand vizier came in great pomp and magnificence to offen , encamping himself in the pesterfield , being four german miles in compass . his army was upward of a hundred thousand men , above one hundred great guns , and of wagons , and beasts , a number not to be believed . his first work was to lay two ship-bridges over the danube ; the one near to gran , and the other not far from parkham . his forces being quarter'd about those parts in prodigious multitudes , it was as yet doubtful , whether he would fall upon newhausel , or raab ; having his eye indifferently upon both , and lying still for a good while without action . but the design had shew'd it self much sooner , if a continual fall of rain , and the overflow of the danube had not hindred him : however at length , he passed some thousands of his army over the bridge near parkham toward the side of newhausel ; when immediately a report was spread by some of the pesants that were turn'd to the turk , that the river had torn their ship-bridges , and that those turks that had passed over , were now cut off from the main body . this rumor it was that inveigled the governour of newhausel ( count forgatz ) into a couragious but an unhappy resolution , which was to fall upon those . turks , upon the supposition , that the miscarriage of the bridge had cut off their retreat . it is very true , that he was earnestly disswaded form that attempt , and told , that the body was greater then he imagined , but still persisting in his resolve to fight them , upon the of iuly , with his hungarians , hussars and heyducks , and troups of germans , and musquetiers ( in all strong ) he marched up to them , and finding the enemy four times stronger then he expected , became sensible of the abuse although alas ! for the infidels having gotten certain intelligence of the christians design , and of their coming , caused the bridges presently to be repaired , which they had purposely disordered , and marching over with a strong power surrounded them . the hungarians and hussars , that were appointed to stand for a reserve , seeing the enemy come on so strong , betook themselves to flight ; but the germans and heyducks that gave the onset behaved themselves stoutly , and sold a dear victory to the turks . at last by multitudes they were overcome , and those that could not get away were miserably cut , and mangled . forgatz , and some few others escaped to newhausel . this combat lasted about three hours , and about of the germans , and heyducks were put to the sword. after this victory , the turks being therewith encouraged , and the christians not a little dejected , the enemy made ready to lay a formal siege unto newhausel : which after many attempts and approaches they battered so furiously , that frederick and serin-sconces were beaten to the ground , and with incredible labour and delving , raised a mount of earth so high that from thence , they could command the town , and beat the besieged from the walls . whereupon the hungarians whispered one another to surrender , ( out of a fear to dispute it any longer ) which moved the garmans likewise to speak of an accord , and sent to the grand vizier demanding honourable conditions , whose answer was , that they should set down their own terms , leaving only their great guns in the fort. on the ' of september the christians marched out with sound , and armed men , and four peice of ordnance . at this surrender , the enemy got seventy piece of ordnance ; great store of arms , powder , wine , meal , and corn. in the mean while , some of tartars , moldavians , and valachians , as bad brutes as the worst of the infidels , drawn hither in hope of plunder , made their way over the waegh by force , puting those christians to the sword that guarded the pas● , and so crossing the mountains , they entred into moravia , and the parts about olmitz , which towns , together with a great number of the neighbouring villages , they burnt to the ground . their guides and leaders they had from among the boors of the country , who most unnaturally and treacherously shewed them the wayes and passes , and had therefore for their pains some share of the booty . this havock lasted in moravia dayes , and then they pass'd over the march-stream into austria ( at which time , the country people with their best moveables were fled to vienna . ) at length , having laden themselves with all manner of booty , they return'd to the camp at newhausel , where they exposed the men and beasts , which they had taken up in several places , to common-sale in the market : while these things were doing , the turks busied themselves against the fort serinswar , and by way of stratagem attempted clausenburgh in transylvania ; but at both places they were repuls'd with losse and shame . at which time count serini with a considerable body of croatians , and other neighbouring people ; made a sudden incursion into turky , to the great dammage of the infidels . at his return the said count was made generalissimo of all the emperors forces , then rendezvouzed at presburgh under their former general montecuculi . newhausel being reduced , which was supposed , and vainly hoped , would have disappointed the turks progresse , and successe for this year ( being declined so far as the depth of winter ) the grand vizier undertook some farther conquest ; and with his army , leaving a sufficient garrison , and other numbers to repair and better fortifie the fort , by bringing the river niutre round about it , marched towards presburgh , the capital city or mehropolis of lower hungary , and with his approach gave out ●umours of his resolution to attaque it , relying on his first fortune , and those popular insinuations he had spread abroad of his reality , justice , and tendernesse to such places as should come into his masters protection , with which thriving artifice he had already gained upon the credulity of most of the pesants and indefensible places . besides the honour of the place , as the repository of the crown of hungary ( which the hungarians most religiously reverence , as placing the safety and glory of their nation therein , and which being seized , would have intituled the winner and wearer to the kingdome ) the convenience thereof as freeing his way to vienna , on one part ; and to commorra , raab , or newhausel on the other ; and contrarily incomodating his attempt upon the island of schut , by its neighbourly correspondence and assistance in case of danger , where at present the general count serini was enquartered , was a great motive and enticement to an attempt against it . but such had been the vigilance and care of count strozzi , a famous and experienced souldier , in providing and furnishing the city , wherein the hope of the kingdome was concerned , and his courage , and all other excellent qualities of a governour , so known and believed by this discreet vizier , that contenting himself with the submission of modern , st. george , posing , and other places that lay open and exposed to his power , and the bravery and gallant designment of so high an enterprise , with the unimpeded conduct of the affair ; he retreated honourably : and as if he had proceeded so far meerly upon a plot and designe to surprize some places by his sudden return , he presently invested niutra , a place neer newhausel , and as well fortified , and more respected , because of its ecclesiastical concernment , as being a bishops see ; and by terrifying menaces and preparations for a storm , soon wrought upon the defendants to a surrender , who by the articles thereof were conveyed to presburgh . the speedy and lucky event of this rendition , was effectual to his practises on other places ; for upon the same score tyrnaw , and some other towns thereabouts , opened their gates and submitted to him , upon his common terms of religion and liberty ; which successe invited him to the siege of schinta , a very strong and considerable fortresse , and a magazine of a great and the best quantity of the emperours artillery ; but by the fidelity and valour of the governour and his men , was repulsed thence , and glad to abandon the enterprize , for that october was more than half spent , and the climate did much incommodate his asian and african souldiery . therefore to provide them of warmer winter quarters , to keep them well and in health against the spring , he repassed his great guns with some of his army , over his ship-bridge to gran or strigonium , rum ouring that when he had disposed of those unuseful peices in the depth of winter , he would return himself with his europeans to prosecute the war ; but in fine , he passed over his whole army , being followed in his rear , in expectation of advantage , by general serini , who having parted with general montecuculi ( conjoyned in attendance of the newhausel design upon the island of schut ) did at last cut off some six hundred janizaries , with two hundred pesonio's , or baggage people , engaged in the defence thereof , which they resolutely maintained , by barricadoing themselves among the waggons , so that serini's hussars were forced to alight and follow them a foot in their advantages , and there couragiously slew them . this was some expiation of that defeat given to count forgaz very near the same place , as a fortnight before his brother and he had defeated two great parties , but not with so great successe . this happned about the last of october , and so those parts of this side the danow , conceived some joyful hopes of a respit till the coming of the spring . but the vizier by those other after accessions had so strongly fixt himself , by leaving a garrison of . men in newhausel , and in niutre , besides a body of . men to be ready to assist upon all occasions , that the christians are still kept to their arms , to attend their motion and to guard themselves . and to increase the danger , apaffi the prince of transylvania , whom they looked upon as under a constraint of compliance with the turks , and a secret well-wisher to the christian cause , discovered himself a declared and profest enemy , being inveigled with an investiture of those places taken this campagnia , and upon the total conquest , with the crown of hungary ▪ for as soon as they were rid of the infidels , he wi●h his half christians , valachians , moldavians , intermixed with tartars , and his own plundering transylvanians , undertook the lieutenant-ship of the winter war ; those nations being better able , as inured to the climate , to undergo the extremities of the weather . apaffi's first designe was upon the berg towns , or mine-hills , whence the hungarian gold is fetcht , which as soon as he had parted with the grand vizier , then retreating to belgrade , he attempted , and this the easier for that there was no resistance in readinesse to oppose him ; the forces that were raised by the counts of cochary and tekelly , in the vpper hungary , for the most part ( for that the lower was already joyned with serini , or awed by the turks ) were a little before ( maugre the enemys design of impeding them ) already arrived to the grosse of the army ; which also for want of necessaries for man and horse , devoured by the turks was now dispersed into quarters . the two first obstacles of his design upon the mine-towns ; and which barred his entrance , were the two towns of levents and novigrad , reputed one of the prime places of upper hungary ; levents was also well appointed , having in it a castle manned with couragious souldiers , and firmed with thick walls , flankers , and turrets , that accordingly gave the enemy a rude and unwelcome entertainment , but their numbers being not to be wearied , and no relief to be expected by the besieged , it was yeilded by agreement , and the articles , according to the modern policy of the turks , punctually observed . from thence apaffi marched to novigrad , lying further in upper hungary , which after a stout but short resistance not without suspicion that the governour was of apaffi's party ( more obvious now by his retreat into the enemies countrey , and the neutrality or rather assistance of the whole province , as to the generality , towards apaffi ) was rendred likewise and the garrison dismist , but not into christian quarters , being set to work , and enjoyned to be in a readinesse to assist their late besiegers . the enemy encroaching thus upon the mine towns , some regiments which could be best got together , were sent to enforce them , and to hinder the enemy from settling their winter quarters in those places , which were neverthelesse much despaired of , for that apaffi with his aids threatned cass●via the metropo●is of vpper hungary with a present siege , as he did in effect beleagure fillek , some ten miles distant , prejudging that : the christians ▪ if once able to take the field , would carry the war into these quarters , of which therefore they would betimes possesse themselves ; and therefore notwithstanding the prevention aforesaid , they soon after seised on shoninitz , cre●nitz , and other towns of the mines ; and by threatning letters and summons terrified the people thereabouts to an acquiescence and submission under their command : they faced likewise tockay ( the strongest hold of all ) with parties ; but neither their courage , multitudes , practises , or hopes , served them to the adventure of a siege . naverthelesse to countenance such resolutions , they spread rumours abroad , as if the grand vizier would presently return , and orders were indeed to that purpose dispatcht to the magistrates of● frystad to make ready two bridges over the waegh , so broad as that whole squadrons might passe over there a breast , upon the design of another irruption into moravia . this news caused count serini , who till then continued in the island uf schut ▪ observing the designs of them at newhausel , to put himself into motion , which presented him with some considerable booties ( but inconsiderable parties ) designed for constantinople ; and that was all he was able to do ; the auxiliaries of the empire amounting in all not to above . men , under the command of the count of hohenlo , ( whose ancestors were famous in the low country war ) by their surfeits upon the fruits of the countrey , which are in great abundance in the hereditary dominions , being so diseased that they were in no condition or capacity for any field service ; to increase these auxiliaries the swedes were neer their arrival from bremen , with seven hundred horse well mounted ; but now like to have met with some danger at erford , as the hessen darmsted ayds perished with a greater misfortune upon the danubius in their passage to vienna . neither were the frontire garrisons better conditioned , by want of many necessaries , even raab , and commorra , where the officers that surrendred newhansel had ben newly acquitted , so that amidst so many exigences and streights every thing was feared to excesse . the emperour himself was at this time departing from vienna to the diet he had summoned at regenspurgh , to consider with the princes of germany of some quick expedient to redresse those evils , leaving the arch-duke charles ioseph , to govern in his absence , who ( to add affliction to misery ) is since deceased , and the direct line of the imperial family ( save in the person of the present emperour ) totally extinguished ; a matter of no small moment to some designs in the world , especially since the pope and the french were so neer a rupture ; yet to alleviate the present distresse , providence was pleased to bestow on the vigilance and conduct of count serini , a very remarkable successe . some forces of apaffi intermingled with tartars , and many turks , pursuing their design of another invasion into moravia ; having also an eye upon the island of schut , had privily laid a bridge over the river mur , and had passed two thousand horse already over it ; of which serini having good and timely notice by a discharge of a cannon , he rose from his post , and with his troops so fiercely charged them , that betwixt surprized and dismaid , and fairly worsted , they betook themselves back to the bri●ge , where rancountring with numbers of their fellows passing over in great haste to them , they could neither go forward , nor backward , but were forced to take the river , which spared none : there escaped very few of those two thousand . this was done in the morning , novemb. . when serini brought two field peices and . of his foot to face the enemy , who stood on the other side the water and managed a revengeful skirmish all the day long , and then retreated towards canisia , from whence they are dreaded to reinforce this their first attempt , being exceedingly enraged at this disgraceful disappointment . there was mention made in the diet , of mars . turenne to succeed in the supreme command in hungary , by means of an invitation and request to the french king , but it was more out of complement to oblige that king , then any such resolution of the states of the empire , who have found it the greatest difficulty of the whole affair as to the ricks aid , to satisfie the pretensions and ambitions of their own princes to that command , and in fine have concluded without constituting any generalissimo , but left the army to their distinct generalls of horse and foot. the emperours general is count mountecuculi , the feild marshalls are the paltsgrave of sultzbach for horse , and general spar a subject of the marquesse of brandenburg , of foot. over the ayds , the generall of horse is leopold marquesse of baden ; of foot , vlrick duke of wittenberg , with count fugger m. gen. of horse , duke adolph of holstein , duke gustave of durlach , ( the younger house of baden ) and baron de souches major general of foot. the ayds of the four circles of the rhine without their auxiliaries will amount to men , the other circles out of which the hereditary provinces of austria , bohemia , and are to be excepted will make as many more , which with the advanced by the pope , and the french forces , and the aforenamed auxiliaries will make up a body of men , besides the emperours own army , which will amount and is to be made up to men effectif . in the mean time of these consultations at regensburg , apaffi the prince of transylvania , was driving on his designs in that province , working upon the emperours necessities and the discontents of the garrisons of zekelkeyt and clausenburg , which in conclusion for want of pay , dismist their officers and submitted the towns to him , having been held by the emperour ever since the troubles and death of prince rakoczi . zacmar also wavered , but was happily reclaimed by some moneys that came opportunely , to satisfie the souldiers . the year proving very mild and gentle in the depth of winter , had frustrated many designes of the tartars , who had taken up their quarters in hungary to be ready for some invasion , whereupon overburdening the places and garrisons they were in , and provisions growing scarce , after some quarrels 'twixt the turks and them for victuall , they dispersed themselves for better accommodation . at the same time count nicholas serini the emperours general took advantage of this their separation , and the benefit of a sudden frost , and with his army consisting of between and men , among whom were the german ayds under count hohenlo , made an invasion into the turks countrey , in the lower hungary and parts of croatia , as far as esseck near the conjunction of the danow and the river dravus , a place infamous for the descent of caczianerus king ferdinand's the first 's generall , and the noble lodr●●us , defeated there hard by , by the policy of the turks , as mentioned before . this bridge it the onely passage the turks have , besides sudden shifts by boats , &c. for conveyance from belgrade , otherwise called greek we●ss●nburg , and those parts possessed by the turk , both for waggon and artillery , so that the 〈◊〉 count well knowing what disadvantage the breaking down thereof would cause to the turks designs at the approaching campagnia , resolved to destroy it or render it unserviceable to the enemy ; and fortune so favoured the enterprize , that maugre all opposition made by the enemy , he in one night and day had so maimed and disjoynted it , that a great part of it fell into the dravus , the rest being set on fire towards the turks side , but hastily quenched by them ; since when they have been very busie in repairing it , the grand vizier storming exceedingly , that it was no better defended , and ( for which he hath called the officers appointed to maintain it , into question for their lives ) but it is judged impossible , that it can be reedifyed this summer , so as to be made able to bear carriages , which will be a great stop to the turks progresse by way of lower hungary . count serini having finished this exploit with so good successe , laid waste all the countrey round about of this ( that is ) the northern side of the dravus , betwixt that and the danow , among which were many places formerly the possessions of his noble ancestors ( who enjoyed a 〈◊〉 and plentifull reven●ue in those parts , encreased by the additions of the patrimony of the carlovitii and torquati , which fell-likewise to them ) but now thralled to those infidels ; insomuch that some have reckoned ● vil●ages burnt by him , but the turk●sh desolation hath scarse left so many for him to destroy . this work being over , and having thus revenged himself for the spoil of his fortunes , he thought it time to return ; for that there were severall confident rumours that the enemy with a great body was marching after him , although it proved a meer lye raised and industriously spread by the turks for fear of further mischief to be done them by his staying in those parts , where h●s name was grown most formidable , and the effects of his conduct highly dreadful . but yet he made not such hast , but that in his way home he made a halt at quinque ecclesiae and summoned it , which the tow●men seemed to entertain , and by that means drew some of his forces not suspecting hostility under reach of their cannon , which they furiously discharged upon them , and killed some eminent officers and men of valour ; which action so incensed serini , that he gave order for a present storm , by which the town was mastered and entred , and the plunder thereof given to the souldiers , and soon after sack'd and set on fire , the souldiers and such as escaped , flying into the castle , which held out and was in prudence given over by the genera●l , whose men having been so much toyled and wearied already were in no condition for a seige , and a sudden attempt was improbable of successe . here were slain many officers , the greatest number whereof was of the germans under count holenlo . from hence , passing by zigeth ( the town and castle whereof were so famously defended by his grandfather as too tite and tedious a peice of work ) he fell upon segess a town distant westward two hungarian miles ( english ) from zigeth , which he took by assault , with the losse of more officers of note , requited upon the turks by a promiscuous slaughter of them all ( as for tartars no quarter was any where allowed them ) and there he left a garrison in the very midst of the enemies country and came home by canysia , which place he had designed to besiege , but his army being much diminished , the enterprize is laid aside , till he shall be recruited with new levyes , answerable to so great an undertaking , in which affair he is at present employed ; but it is feared the sudden appearance of the grand seignior who will open this campagnia in person , will put him on other councels and designes . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e the derivation of the huns scithia their place of extraction . it s description and division . the asian scythia . scythia now called tartary . it s desart and inhabitable side the antiquity of the scythians , their propagation . their change of name into huns. the destruction of the huns. the former inhabitants of hungary . the danubius . the description of dacia . pannonia whence so called . the invitation of the huns into europe . * or roxolans now russes . b●lamber their first captains conquest . attila his son succeeds him . * not chaalans in burgundy as is mistaken , by a place called maurice neer the river matrona or marn in france . the original of the venetians attila's death . his title . his two sons succeed . the intestine feuds of the huns their destruction ▪ * now called siculi . the lombards possesse hung●●y ▪ * the o●●ginal of the firrt huns. the avares poss●sse themselves of hungary . afflict the roman dominions . the avares extinguished . the remains of the old huns repossesse themselv●s their successes . the huns defeated by luithpoldus . * auspurg seated neer the river rhodanum , on whose banks this feild was ●ought . lewis the emperour defeated the second time by the hun● . their ravage and devastations . they invade grecia . the description of hungaria as then possessed by that nation . * not that in lower hungary . the germans arm against them . their second expedition into italy . the italians under berengrius vanquished . they master all places . the divisions in italy and rome . the huns third and fourth expedition into italy . the germans under henry the emperour , refuse the tribute . defeat the huns at meersburgh . the hungarians stunned & stupified withthe losse . their fortune changeth . huns invade italy again . as germany also . the huns totally and finally overcome by otho the great●● sense of misery the way to christianity . geysa the first king of hungary . his zeal to christianity . his actions . stephen the second king. his atchievments peter the d. king. peter deposed . abas the th . king. abas slain at sh●ba . peter restored . deposed by andre● & his eyes put out , &c. andrew the th . k. his war with germany . bela the th . king. his virtues solomon the th . k. bela's sons pacified . geysa the th . king. the emperors of germany no right in hungary . geysa dieth . ladislaus th . king his brother succeeds . * the reason why the hungarians have such a veneration for that sacred symbol of majesty . the strange forlorn condition of solomon . ladislaus his valour . russes . his successes . ladislaus invited to the holy land war coloman the tenth king. the crusado brought into hungary . peter the hermit's ●verthrow godscalk● like fortune by coloman ▪ godfrey of bollign his safe passage through hungary . feud betwixt the royal brethren . stephen the th . king. calo johannes defeated . stephen puts himself into a monastery , and resigns bela the th . king borichus the bastard son of coloman solicited to invade the government . geysa the . king. manuel the greek emperors exploits . the holy war resumed . stephen the th . king. bela the king. emerick the . k. andrew the k. his expedition into the holy land. bela the . king. the tartars invade hungary . the tartar r●vage the country stephen the k. ladislaus the th . king. the original of the house of austria . rudolphus emperour . the tartars reinvade hungary . andrew the k. andrew established in the government . wencess●us chosen king by the nobility . charles named for king , and imposed upon the hungarians by the pope . otho duke of bavaria chosen k. by the nobility . charles the k. of hungary . the virtues of charles lewis the . king. the tart●rs beaten and expelled out of hungary . the histor● of j●an the v●ulter●us qu ▪ of naples . lewis success against her . avignion how invested in the pope . lewis's successe against the venetians the genoese and venetian quarrel . invention of guns . joane taken in castel novo ●n naples . lewis of anjou invested in naples . lewis chosen king of poland . his exploits aainst his rebels . his death . mary notwithstand-ing her sex styled the . king. charles assassinated sigismund husband of mary undertakes and effects her restitutio●s . sigismund his 〈…〉 . mary dies , the title to the succession disputed . bajazet's great successes . the battle of nicopolis most fatal to the christians . bajaze● a sad spectacle of humane frailty . sigismund seized and made a prisoner . * the city of z●ra . sigismund ●reed . the hungarians ●●orsted by the turks . belgrad●● put into the possession of sigismund . the death of sigismund . albert of austria succeeds . the . k. rascia subdued by the turks . albert dies . divisions in hungary about a new king uladislaus of poland innaugurated . albert's relict wages war in right of her son. belgrade in vain beseiged by amurath . huniades his exploits and atcheivements . uladislaus his succesful invasion of the turkish territory . his victory over the turks . amurath begs a cessation . uladislaus perswaded by the pope to break his truce with the tu●k . the fatal battel of varna . ladislaus the . k. scanderbeg . huniades defeated in the plains of cossov● . constantinople taken by mahomet . belgrade besieged by him , defeated there by huniades . his●●amented death . a● interregnum in hungaria . matthias saluted the king. frederick the em●erour mal●s war against him . matthias his war with the band●ts of the mountains the turks make war against matthias . an expedition into bosnia . matthias ●●alous for the pope . a treasonable conspiracy against matthias . ladislaus defeated . matthias his war in poland . schodra in vain besieged . sabarium taken by matthias . matthias war against the emperor frederick . solyman the beglerbeg of romania defeated by him . defeats the turks in transylvania . his sucesse in austria . his vertues and commendations . his death . corvinus his bastard claims the crown . corvinus defeated . his submission and agreement . * hermanstaet . vienna restored to maximilian with other places in austria . uladislaus makes peace with maximilian . bajazet dareth not enter hungary . his bassa's defeated . diencenus defeated by jacup aga . * dobrse the same with the russes . kin●sius successes . his death . the king punisheth his seditious grandees . insurrections and outrages in hungary by the clergy souldiers . the death of king ladislaus . lewis succeeds his father ladislaus & is the . king. belgrade taken by solyman . the barbarous perfidy of lewis divisions and innovations about religion in hungary . lewis his unadvised rashnesse . the fatal battel of mohacz : lewis killed . buda taken by solyman . civil wars ensue this calamity . john named king by a convention of the hungaran nobility at alba regalis . john beaten and dispossessed by ferdinand . john flyes for shelter into poland . john complyes with the turks and joyns interests . solyman undertakes his cause and quarrel . vienna besieged . the siege raised . peace concluded betwixt john & ferdinand . griti's designs . solyman's terms of peace . griti ' s end. cibacus murdered by him . a rupture between k. john and ferdinand * siculi . felsius the emperours general 's successe . john and ferdinand friends . the lamentable defeat of caczianerus and lodronius the noble valour of lodronius . solyman accuseth j●hn of perfidy & ingratitude . his excuse new troubles betwixt both kings . the death of john. solyman invited to be guardian to his son. ferdinand ' s intrigues . buda besieged by rogendorf . defeated there . solyman in person again in hungary . caeesses the q. and her son. buda put into the turks possession . solyman's insolent demands to ferd●nand aids offered ferdinand . . solyman's su●cesses . strigonium taken . alba regalis yeilded to him . visigrade taken . count serini defeated by ulumas . a peace procured ferdinand george monachus his designs isabel the q. resigns her right and interest . solyman's resentment of these proceedings . the fatal end of george . george monachus assassinated . the attempt of the hungarians upon segedine . . vesprinium yeilded to the tu●ks . their further successes . theuffelus and pallavicinus defeated . agria nobly defended by dobo and neskeyus . . count serini his successes . aly the bassa of buda defeated . . dissentions ●n tran●ylvania between the governours . the emperours ●osses in transylvania . . the queens administration in transylvania . she puts sundry noblemen of her party to death . the death of q. isabel . john sigismund worsted in transylvania . arslanes defeated by count serini . the calamitous condition of transylvania and hungary . . the death of ferdinand . maximilian succeeds in the kingdome to his father ferdinand . maximilian's successes in transylvania . . a peace concluded between john and maximilian . new troubles in transylvania by the turks . composed again . solymans last expedition into hungary . . his enterview with john sigismund . john requests buda to be delivered to him but in vain . gyula betrayed to the turks by the governour kerecsenius . count nicholas serini besieged in sigeth . . solyman in the . year of his reign dieth at quinque ecclesiae three dayes before the surrender of sigeth . zigeth taken . the death of the noble count serini . john sigismund aided with an army of tartars . their cruel rapine makes him engage and vanquish them . various success●s in tran●ylvania . sig●smunds soul practises . . . the peace betwixt maximilian and sigismund . the death of sigismund . . bekessius his ambitious designes upon the succession , but conferred on stephen bathori . . a phanatick story in hungary . . the same acted in illyria . the seeds of new troubles in hungary . as also in transylvania . bekessius ruined . affairs of poland relating to hungary . bathor●'s successes . . elected k. of poland his generosity to bekessius . a new rupture with the turks . the death of maximilian . rudolphus the second succeeds his father maximilian . . the turks vanquished . . . prodigies in hungary . . frequent military actions in hungary . . affairs in poland . decemb. . anno regni . maximilian , rudolph's brother taken prisoner and civilly treated by samoyscius the chancellour of poland . . s●svares defeated , poysons himself . fe●hates bassa defeated by racockzi . . military actions in illyria by the rupture begun by bassa hasanes . * the place where the prodigy of the ducks and geese lately happened . the exploits of hasanes . hasanes rowed and drowned , tur●s slain sinan bassa arrives in hungary . has●nes & mehemet bassa defeated at alba regalis . . novigrad and other places reduced by the hungarians & the turks defeated . strigonium in vain besieged by matthias . raab besieged and taken by sinan bassa . the boldnesse and courage of the tartars co●nt hardeck the governour & perlini beheaded at vienna . . . novemb. young sigismund the prince of transylvania headily engages against the turks . his declaration thereof to the estates ; & their disallowance . his cruel proceedings with the refractory nobility . strangles his own uncle balthasor with others . his league with the emperour . mahomet the d. succeeds his father amurath . the large supplies given the emperour . count mansfield gene●all . . strigonium besieged by count manfeld . the courage of the walloons the turks attempting the releif of the town defeated , . slain . mansfeld dies of a surfeit . turks again defeated . strigonium yeilded sigismund's enterprises and successes conjoyned with the two vayvods of valachia and moldavia . sinan invades hungary . michael the vayvod distressed . sinan bassa defeated as he in flight passed over the danow sinan's death . revolutions in moldavia . . o●●ob . . the christians unsuccessful attempt on clissia . * clausenburg . the turks defeated before petrin●● in illyria . the affairs o● hungary . the siege of harvanum , taken by m●ximilian . agria yeilded to sultan mahomet in person . the battel of keresture betwixt mahomet and maximilian . . . oct. mahomet returns to constantinople . sigismunds despondencies and fluctuations . vascia's suuccesses in hungary . palfi's & swarzemburgh's successful enterprize upon raab . raab surprized & taken after a sharp & bloody dispute . sigismund resumes ●be principolity of transylvania by means of b●●zkay . sigismund's excuses . the turks intermeddle and besiege varadin but repulsed . sigismunds new practises . alba regalis attempted by petards in vain . ibrahim the cheif viziers expedition into hnngary . his ravaging crueltys the end of michael the valiant vayvod of valachia . samoyscius his revenge against him . michael defeated flyes to prague . csaki ' s intrigues . the french mutiny at papa . their punishment . sigismund resumes his principality . sigismund defeated . the vayvods assassinated . sigismund's & the transylvanians breach of league with the turks severely punished . affairs in illyria . canysa yeilded to the turks by paradyser for which he lost his head at vienna . ferdinands outrages against the protestants canysa besieged by ferdinand the siege broken up . alba regalis taken by the d. 〈◊〉 merc●ur . 〈◊〉 regained by the turks . the sieges of buda & pesth . buda's seige broke up . . * hermanstad . radulo the vayvods successes against the rebels in transylvania . sultan mahomet dies . persecution against the protestanes in transylvania . bocskay appears in transylvania . the imperiallists worsted by bocskay . bocskay's appearance in transylvania● assisted by the nobility . basta deserted by his souldiery for want of pay. bockskays ●nswer to the emperours ambassadours . his success●s . presburgh attempted and austria invaded by bockskay● partys . the like ravage made in styria by nemethus and others . s●rigonium 〈◊〉 again to th● tu●ks . in the th●●d year of the reign of 〈◊〉 boczkay doth homage to the great vizier at buda for transylvania . the emperor makes peace with bocskay , the reason thereof . the articles of the peace . peace with the turk also . the conditions of it . bocskay dyeth and appointeth homonnai for his successor but the people chuse rakoczi . matthias gains to himself the crown of hungary . matthias allows the hungarians their privileges . rakoczi ' s modesty . prince bathori defeated by radulo vayvod of valachia . he recovers his losses again . his infamous lust . * which he rode in one day being distant english miles . prince bathori assassinated by some of the nobles . achmet in preparation for war in hungary dies . sultan o●man strangled . the emperors matthias dieth . ferdinand the d . k. of hungary . the bohemian war in brief . bethlen gobor takes part with frederick k. of bohemia . bethlen ' s successes in hungary . rakoczi his vice roy defeated by homonnai . the marquesse of anspach his treachery . the treachery of the marquiss of anspuch . the king of bohemia defeated at prague . bethlen stiled king of hungary . tampiri slai● . bohemia lost . . newhausel besieged by bucq●oy . bucquoy slain . . gab●iel's new later● prises in hungary . a peace betwixt gabor & the emperour . . a new rupture on the part of bethlen g●b●r gabor deserted by the turk renews the peace with disadvantage . . ferdinand the d. k. of hungary . . the coronation of ferdinand the third . new stirs and an invasion into hungary by bethlen . the death of count mansfeld . and of the duke of weymar . sacer ignis and of bethlen gabor . anno . divisions in transylvania about election of a new prince . rakoczi established prince of transylvania . unnatural disloyalty punished . rakoczi incensed against the emperour . csakius forceth his peace from rakoczi . turks assist against r●koczi and are defeated . the vengeance that pursued david zolyomi . . bethlen raiseth a new war against rakoczi . troubles about religion in hungary . maintained and abetted by rakoczi . . . rakoczi sl●ghted by the emperour . . war proclaimed by rakoczi against ferdinand his manifest and successes . rakoczi yeilds to a peace with the emperour . . general torstenson abandoned by rakoczi . ferdinand the th . k. of hungary . . raab designed upon by the turks . rakoczi's and ferdinands death . the swedes invade poland . rakoczi joyns with him . the transylvanians ravage poland . cracovia taken by the swedes and rakoczi . rakoczi's actions in poland . deserted by the swede . rakoczi commanded by the grand seigniour to retire out of poland . and to surrender his principality . fights his way out of poland . . the death of eerdinand the d. emperour● the vayvod of valachia worsted in his quarrel . turks defeated at arad . the turks again defeated at hermanstadr . the death of rakoczi . varadin yeilded . remini janos the successor of rakoczi oppressed with numbers . a warbegun in hungary . the german army moulders away . j●mes forced to desist from his claime . the turks appear with a formidable army in hungary . count forgatz defeated . the siege of newhausel . an invasion into moravia . count serini made generalissimo . the grond vizier's aspect upon presburgh . niutra taken by the vizier . tyrnaw likewise and other places . comes before schinta in vain . the vizier departs out of hungary . his rear attaqued . apaffi appears for the turks . 〈◊〉 actions he attempts the mine towns. novigrad and leventz yeilded to apaffi . apaffi seizeth some of the mine towns. count serini moves from his quarters . the emperour to the diet at regensburg . the death of the arch-duke charles joseph . the turks defeated in their passage over the mur , by count serini . the force of the empire sum●ed up . severall places revolt in transylvania to ap●ffi . count serini's expedition into the turks country . the bridge of esseck burnt by him . count serini layes waste the country round about . the town of quinque ecclesiae stormed and sacked by him . s●gess taken and garrisoned by him . count strini's honourable return . a letter to the earle of pembrooke concerning the times, and the sad condition both of prince and people. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a letter to the earle of pembrooke concerning the times, and the sad condition both of prince and people. howell, james, ?- . p. s.n.], [london : . attributed to howell by wing and nuc pre- imprints. place of publication suggested by wing. dated by thomason: march . wing "second" edition. imperfect: faded, with print show-through and slight loss of print. reproduction of original in the trinity college library, cambridge university. eng great britain -- politics and government -- - . a r (wing h ). civilwar no a letter to the earle of pembrooke: concerning the times, and the sad condition both of prince and people. howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion to the earle of pembrooke : concerning the times , and the sa●● condition both of prince and people . the land mourneth because of oaths . printed in the yeare , . to the right honourable , philip earle of pembrook , and mountgomery , knight of the most noble order of the garter , and one of his majesties most honourable privy counsell , &c. my lord , this letter requires no apology , much lesse any pardon , but may expect rather a good reception , and thanks , when your lordship hath seriously perused the contents , and ruminated well upon the matter it treats of , with your second and third thoughts , which usually carry with them a greater advantage of wisedome : it concernes not your body , or temporall estate , but things reflecting upon the noblest part of you , your soule , which being a beame of immortality , and a type of the almighty , is incomparably more precious , and rendreth all other earthly things to be but bables and transitory trifles . now , the strongest tye , the solemnest engagement and stipulation that can be betwixt the soule and her creator , is an oath . i doe not understand common tumultuary rash oaths , proceeding from an ill habit , or heat of passion upon sudden contingencies , for such oaths bind one to nought else but to repentance : no , i mean serious and legall oaths , taken with a calm prepared spirit , either for the asserting of truth , and conviction of falshood , or for fidelity in the execution of some office or binding to civill obedience and loyaltie , which is one of the essentiall parts of a christian . such publick oaths legally made with the royall assent of the soveraigne , whom they receive both legalitie and life , else they are invalid and unwarrantable ; as they are religious acts in their own nature , so is the taking and observance of them part of gods honor ▪ & there can be nothing more derogatory to the high majesty and holinesse of his name , nothing more dangerous , destructive , & damnable to humane souls , then the infringment and eluding of them , or omission in the performance of them . which makes the turks , of whom christians in this particular may learn a tender peece of humanity , to be so cautious , that they seldome or never administer an oath to greek , jew , or any other nation ; and the reason is , that if that party sworn doth take that oath upon hopes of some advantage , or for evading of danger or punishment , and afterwards rescinds it , they think themselves to be involved in the perjury , and accessary to his damnation : our civill law hath a canon consonant to this , which is , mortale peccatum est ei praestare juramentum , quem scio verisimiliter violaturum ; 't is a mortall sin to administer an oath to him who i probably know will break it ; to this may allude another wholesome saying , a false oath is damnable , a true oath dangerous , none at all the safest . how much then have they to answer for , who of late years have fram'd such formidable coercive generall oaths , to serve them for engines of state , to lay battery to the consciences and soules of poor men , and those without the assent of the soveraign , and opposite point blank to former oaths they themselves had taken : these kind of oaths the city hath swallowed lately in grosse , and the country in detaile , which makes me confidently beleeve , that if ever that saying of the holy prophet , the land mourns for oaths , was applyable to any part of the habitable earth , it may be now applied to this desperate island but now i come to the maine of my purpose , and to those oaths your lordship hath taken , before this distracted time , which , the world knowes , and your conscience can testifie , were divers ; they were all of them solemn , and some of them sacramentall oaths ( and indeed , every solemn oath among the ancients was held a sacrament : ) they all implyed , and imposed an indispensible fidelity , truth and loyalty from you to your soveraigne prince , your liege lord and master the king : i will m●ke some instances : your lordship took an oath when knight of the bath , to love your soveraigne above all earthly creatures , and for his right and dignity to live and dye : by the oath of supremacy you swear to beare faith and true alleagiance to the kings highnesse , and to your power to defend all iurisdictions , priviledges , preheminences , and authorities belonging to his highnesse . your lordship took an oath when privie counsellor , to be a true and faithfull servant unto him , and if you knew or understood of any manner of thing to be attempted , done , or spoken against his majesties person , honour , crown , or dignity , you sweare to let , and withstand the same , to the uttermost of your power , and either cause it to be revealed to himselfe , or to others of his privy counsell : the oaths you took when bedchamber man , and l. chamberlain bind you as strictly to his person . your lordship may also call to memory when you were installed knight of the garter , ( whereof you are now the oldest living , except a k. of denmark ) you solemnly swore to defend the honour , and quarrels , the rights and lordship of your soveraigne : now the record tells us that the chiefest ground of instituting that order by that heroicke prince edward the third , was , that he might have choice gallant men , who by oath and honour should adhere unto him in all dangers , and difficulties , and that by way of reciprocation , he should protect and defend them ▪ which made alfonso duke of calabria , so much importune henry the eight to install him one of the knights of the garter , that he might ingage king harry to protect him against charles the eighth , who threatned then the conquest of naples . how your lordship hath acquitted your selfe of the performance of these oaths , your conscience ( that bosome record ) can make the best affidavit ; some of them oblige you to live and dye with king charles , but what oaths or any thing like an oath binds you to live and dye with the house of commons , as your lordship often gives out you will , i am yet to learne : unlesse that house which hath not power as much as to administer an oath , ( much lesse to make one ) can absolve you from your former oaths , or haply by their omnipotence dispence with you for the observance of them . touching the politicall capacity of the king , i feare that will be a weak plea for your lordship before the tribunall of heaven , and they who whisper such chimeras into your eares abuse you in grosse ; but put case there were such a thing as politicall capacity distinct from the personall ; which to a true rationall man is one of the grossest buls that can be , yet these forementioned oaths relate most of them meerly unto the kings person , the individuall person of king charles , as you are his domestick counsellor , and cubicular servant . my lord , i take leave to tell your lordship ( and the spectator sees sometimes more then the gamester , that the world extreamly marvels at you , more then others , and it makes those who wish you best to be transformed to wonder , that your lordship should be the first of your race who decerted the crowne , which one of your progenitors said , he would still follow , though it were thrown upon a hedge : had your princely brother been living , he would have been sooner torne by wild horses , than have binded against it , or abandoned the king his master , and fallen to such grosse idolatry as to worship the beast with many heads . the world also stands astonished , that you should confederate to bring into the bowels of the land , and make elogiums of that hungry people which have been from all times so crosse and fatall to the english nation , and particularly to your own honour : many thousands doe wonder that your lordship should be brought to persecute with so much animosity and hatred , that reverend order in gods church which is contemporary with christianity it selfe , and whereunto you had once designed , and devoted one of your dearest sonnes so solemnly . my lord , if this monster of reformation ( which is like an infernall spirit , clad in white , and hath a cloven head as well as feet ) prevailes , you shall find the same destiny will attend poore england , as did bohemia which was one of the flourishingst kingdoms upon this part of the earth ; the common people there , repin'd at the hierarchy and riches of the church , thereupon a parliament was pack'd , where bishop were demolished ; what followed ? the nobles and gentry went down next and afterwards the crown it selfe ; and so it became a popular confus'd anarchicall state , and a stage of bloud a long time ; so that at last , when this magot had done working in the braines of the foolish people , they were glad to have recourse to monarchy againe , after a world of calamities ; though it degenerated from a successive kingdome to an elective . me thinks , my lord , under favour , that those notorious visible judgements which have fallen upon these refiners of reform'd religion should unbeguile your lordship , and open your eyes : for the hand of heaven never appeared so clearly in any humane actions : your lordship may well remember what became of the hothams , and sir alexander cary , who were the two fatall wretches that began the war first , one in the north , the other in the south ; your lordship may be also pleased to remember what became of brooks the lord , and hambden ; the first whereof was dispatched by a deaf and dumb man out of an ancient church which he was battering , and that suddenly also , for he fell stone dead in the twinkling of an eye ; now , one of the greatest cavils he had against our lythirgie was a clause of a prayer there against sudden death , besides the fagge end of his grace in that journey was , that if the design was not pleasing to god , he might perish in the action : for the other wiseaker , he be sprinkled with his bloud ▪ and received his death upon the same clod of earth in buckingham shire , where he had first assembled the poore country people like so many geese to drive them gagling in a mutiny to london , with the protestation in their caps , which hath been since torn in flitters , and is now grown obsolet and quite out of use . touching pym and stroud , those two worthy champions of the vtopian cause , the first being opened , his stomack and guts were found to be full of pellets of bloud ; the other had little or no brain at all left in his skul being dead , & lesse when he was living : for hollis who carried the first scandalous remonstrance ( that work of night , & the verdict of a sterv'd jury ) to welcome the king from scotland and was the first of the five members who were impeached by his majesty ; he hath been since , your lordship knowes , the chiefe of the eleven members impeached by themselves , but with this difference , that they had justice against him , though the king could get none : but now that st. hollis with the rest are a kind of runnagates beyond the seas , scorn'd by all mankind , and baffled every where , yea , even by the boors of holland , and not daring to peep in any populous town but by owle-light . moreover , i beleeve your lordship hath good cause to remember , that the same kind of riotous rascals which rabled the king out of town , did drive away the speaker in like manner with many of the● membfps , amongst whom your lordship was fairly on his way , to seek shelter of their janizaries : your lordship must needs find what deadly fewds fall dayly 'twixt the presbyterian and independent , the two fiery brands that have put this poore isle so long in combustion . but 't is worthy your lordships speciall notice , how your dear brethren the scots ( whom your lordship so highly magnified in some of your publike speeches ) who were at first brought in for hirelings against the king for them , offer themselves now to come in against them for the king ; your lordship cannot be ignorant of the sundry clashes that have been 'twixt the city and their memberships , and 'twixt their memberships and their men of war , who have often wav'd and disobeyed their commands : how this tatterdemallian army hath reduc'd this cow'd city , the cheated country , and their once all-commanding masters to a perfect passe of slavery , to a true asinin condition ; they crow over all the ancient nobility and gentry of the kingdome , though there be not found amongst them all but two knights ; and 't is well knowne there be hundred of private gentlemen in the kingdome , the poorest of whom , is able to buy this whole host , with the generall himselfe , and all the commanders : but 't is not the first time , that the kings and nobility of england have been baffled by petty comp●nions : i have read of iack straw , wat tyler and ket the tanner , with divers others that did so , but being suppressed , it tended to the advantage of the king at last ; and what a world of examples are there in our story , that those noblemen who banded against the crown , the revenge of heaven ever found them out early or late , at last . these , with a black cloud of reciprocall judgements more , which have come home to these reformers very dores , shew , that the hand of divine justice is in 't , and the holy prophet tells us , when gods judgements are upon earth , then the inhabitants should learn iustice . touching your lordship in particular , you have not , under favour , escap'd without some already , and i wish more may not follow ; your lordship may remember you lost one son at bridgenorth , your deer daughter at oxford , your son-in-law at newbury , your daughter-in-law at the charter-house of an infamous disease , how sickly your eldest son hath been ; how part of your house was burnt in the country , with others , which i will not now mention . i will conclude this point with an observation of the most monstrous number of witches that have swarm'd since these wars , against the king , more ( i dare say ) then have been in this island since the devill tempted eve ; for in two counties only , there hath been neer upon three hundred arraign'd , and eightscore executed ; what a barbarous devilish office one had , under colour of examination , to torment poor silly women with watchings , pinchings , and other artifices to find them for witches : how others by a new invention of villany were connived at for seizing upon young children , and hurrying them on ship-board , where they were so transform'd , that their parents could not know them , and so were carried over for new schismaticall plantations . my lord , there is no villany that can en●er into the imagination of man , hath been left here uncommitted ; no crime , from the highest treason , to the meanest trespasse , but these reformers are guilty of . what horred acts of prophanesse have been perpetrated up and down ! the monuments of the dead have been rifled ! horses have been watred at the church font , and sed upon the holy table ! widowes , orphanes , and hospitalls , have been commonly robbed , and gods house hath been plundred more then any . with what infandous blasphemies hath the pulpits rung , one crying out , that this parliament was as necessary for our reformation , as the comming of christ was for our redemption : another belching out , that if god almighty did not prosper this cause , 't were fitting he should change places with the devill : another , that the worst things our saviour did , was the making of the dominicall prayer , and saving the thief upon the crosse . o immortall god , is it possible that england should produce such monsters , or rather such infernall fiends shap'd with humane bodies ! yet your lordship sides with these men , though they be enemies to the crosse , to the church , and to the very name of iesus christ ; i 'le instance onely in two , who were esteem'd the oracles of this holy reformation , peters and saltmarsh ; the first is known by thousands to be an infamous , jugling , and scandalous villain , among other feats , he got the mother and daughter with child , as it was offered to be publikely proved : i could speake much of the other , but being dead , let it suffice that he dyed mad and desperate . these were accounted the two apostles of the times . my lord , 't is high time for you to recollect your selfe , to enter into the private closet of your thoughts , and summon them all to counsel upon your pillow ; consider well the slavish condition your dear countrey is in , weigh well the sad case your liege lord and master is in , how he is bereav'd of his queen , his children , his servants , his liberty , and of every thing in which there is any comfort ; observe well , how neverthelesse , god almighty works in him , by inspiring him with equality and calmnesse of mind , with patience , prudence , and constancy ; how he makes his very crosses to stoop unto him , when his subjects will not : consider the monstrousnesse of the propositions that are tendred him , wherein no losse then crown scepter , and sword , which are things in-alienable from majesty , are in effect demanded ; nay , they would not onely have him transmit , and resign his very intellectuals unto them ; but they would have him make a sacrifice of his soule , by forcing him to violate that solemn sacramentall oath he took at his coronation , when he was no minor , but come to a full maturity of reason and judgement : make it your own case , my lord , and that 's the best way to judge of his : think upon the multiplicitie of solemn astringing oaths your lordship hath taken , most whereof directly and solely enjoyn faith and loyalty to his person ; oh my lord ! wrong not your soule so much , in comparison of whom your body is but a ragge of rottennesse . consider that acts of loyaltie to the crown , are the fairest columns to beare up a noblemans name to future ages , and register it in the temple of immortality . reconcile your self therfore speedily unto your liege lord and master , think upon the infinite private obligations you have had both to sire and son : the father kiss'd you often , kisse you now the sun lest he be too angry ; and kings , you will find , my lord , are like the sun in the heavens , which may be clouded for a time , yet is he still in his spheare , and will break out again , and shine as gloriously as ever ; let me tell your lordship , that the people begin to grow extream weary of their physitians , they find the remedy to be far worse then their former disease ; nay , they stick not to call some of them meer quacksalvers , rather then physitians ; some go further , and say , they are no more parliament , then a pye-powder court at bartholomew-faire , there being all the essentiall parts of a true parliament wanting in this , as fairnesse of elections , freedome of speech , fulnesse of members , nor have they any head at all ; besides , they have broken all the fundamentall rules and priviledges of parliament , and dishonoured that high court more then any thing else : they have ravish'd magna charta , which they are sworne to maintain , taken away our birth-right , and transgressed all the laws of heaven and earth : lastly , they have most perjuriously betrayed the trust the king reposed in them , the trust their countrey reposed in them ; so that if reason and law were now in date , by the breach of their priviledges , and by betraying the double trust that is put in them , they have dissolved themselves ipso facto , i cannot tell how many thousand times , notwithstanding that monstrous grant of the kings , that fatall act of continuance ; and truely , my lord , i am not to this day satisfied of the legality ( though i am satisfied of the forciblenesse ) of that act , whether it was in his majesties power to passe it or no ; for the law ever presupposeth these clauses in all con●essions of grace , in all patents , charters , and grants whatsoever the king passeth , salvo jure regio , salvo jure coronae . to conclude , as i presume to give your lordship these humble cautions , and advice in particular , so i offer it to all other of your rank , office , and orders , who have souls to save , and who by solemn indispensable oaths have ingaged them to be true and loyall to the person of king charles . touching his politicall capacity , which fancy hath been exploded in other parliaments ( except in that mad infamous parliament , where it was first hatched ) and acts p●ssed that it should be high and horrible treason to seperate or distinguish the person of the king , from his power ; i believe , as i said before , this will not serve their turne at the dreadfull bar of divine justice in the other world : indeed that rule of the pagans makes for them , si iusjurandum violandum est 〈…〉 dis causa violandum est , if an oath be any way frangible ▪ tis frangible for a kingdome : we find by wofull experience , that according to this maxime , they have made themselves all kings , by violation of so many oaths ; they have monopolized the whole power and wealth of the kingdome into their own hands ; they cut , shuffle , deal , and turn up what trump they please , being judges and parties in every thing . my lord , he who presents these humble advertisements to your lordship , is one who is inclin'd to the parliament of england in as high a degree of affection as possibly a free-born subject can be ; one besides , who wisheth your lordships good , with the preservation of your safety and honour , more really , then he whom you intrust with your secretest affairs , or the white iew of the upper house who hath infused such pernicious principles into you ; moreover , one who hath some drops of bloud running in his veines , which may claime kindred with your lordship : and lastly , he is one , who would kisse your feet , in lieu of your hands , if your lordship would be so sensible of the most desperate case of your poor country , as to employ the interests , the opinion and power you have , to restore the king your master by english wayes , rather then a hungry forrain people , who are like to bring nothing but destruction in the van , confusion in the reare , and rapine in the middle , should have the honour of so glorious a work , my lord , so , humbly hoping your lordship will not take with the left hand , what i offer with the right , i rest , your most truely devoted servant . finis . epistolæ ho-elianæ familiar letters domestic and forren divided into sundry sections, partly historicall, politicall, philosophicall, vpon emergent occasions / by james howell. correspondence howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) epistolæ ho-elianæ familiar letters domestic and forren divided into sundry sections, partly historicall, politicall, philosophicall, vpon emergent occasions / by james howell. correspondence howell, james, ?- . the second edition, enlarged with divers supplements, and the dates annexed which were wanting in the first : with an addition of a third volume of new letters. pts. ([ ], [i.e. ]; ; [ ], ; [ ], , [ ] p.) printed by w.h. for humphrey mosely ..., london : . added t.p. on p. [ ]: a new volume of familiar letters, partly philosophicall, politicall, historicall. the second edition, with additions. added t.p. on p. 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text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion epistolae ho-elianae . familiar letters domestic and forren ; divided into sundry sections , partly historicall , politicall , philosophicall , vpon emergent occasions : by iames howell esq one of the clerks of his late maties most honble privy councell . the second edition , enlarged with divers supplements , and the dates annexed which were wanting in the first , with an addition of a third volume of new letters . ut clavis portam , sic pandit epistola pectus . london , printed by w. h. for humphrey moseley , and are to be sold at his shop at the princes arms in st. pauls church-yard . . these ensuing letters contain for their principal subject a faithfull relation of the privatest passages that happen'd at court a good part of king jame's reign , and that of his late majesty . as also of such forren affairs which had reference to these kingdoms ; viz. of the wars of germany , and the transactions of the treaties about restoring the palanat , with the house of austria and sweden . the treaty and traverses of the match with spain . the treaty of the match with france . an exact survey of the netherlands . another of spain , italy , france , and of most countreys in europe , with their chief cities and governments . of the hans towns , and the famous quarrell twixt queen elizabeth and them . divers letters of the extent of christianity , and of other religions upon earth . divers letters of the languages up and down the earth . accounts of sundry embassies from england to other states . som pieces of poetry wherwith the prose goes interlarded . divers new opinions in philosophy descanted upon . passages of former parlements , and of this present , &c. among these letters ther goes along a legend of the authors life , and of his severall employments , with an account of his forren travells and negotiations ; wherin he had occasion to make his address to these personages , and persons underwritten . letters to noblemen . to his late majesty . to the duke of buckingham to the erl of cumberland to the erl of dorset to the erl of rutland to the erl of leicester to the erl of sunderland to the erl of bristol to the erl rivers to the erl of strafford to the erl of carberry ▪ to the l. vicount conway , secr. to the l. vic. savage to the l. herbert of cherberry to the l. cottington to the l. mohun to the l. digby . to the lady marchioness of winchester to the la. scroope to the countess of sunderland to the la. cornwallis to the la. digby ▪ to bishop v sher , lord primat of ireland to b. field to b. duppa to the b. of london to b. howell . to knights , doctors , esquires , gentlemen and merchants . to sir robert mansell to sir iames crofts to sir iohn north to sir edward spencer to sir kenelme digby so sir peter wichts to sir sackvill trever to sir sackvill crow to sir arthur ingram to sir thomas lake to sir eubule theloall to sir alex. ratcliff to sir edward savage to sir iohn smith to sir will : saint-geon to sir thomas savage to sir fran. cottington to sir robert napier to sir philip manwayring to sir bevis theloall . to doctor mansell to dr. howell to dr. prichard to dr. wicham to dr. i. day . to mr. alderman clethero to mr. alder. moulson to the town of richmond . to mr. r. altham to mr. d. calawall to cap. fran. bacon to mr. ben. iohnson to mr. end. and cap. tho. porter to mr. simon digby to mr. walsingham gresley to mr. thomas gwyn to mr. iohn wroth to mr. william blois to mr robert baron to mr. thomas more to mr. iohn savage to mr. hugh penry to mr. christoph. 〈◊〉 to mr. r. brown. to mr. william martin to cap. nicholas leat to mr. r. brownrigg . to mr. iohn batty to mr. will. saint-geon to mr. iames howard to mr. ed. noy to mr. william austin to mr. rowland gwyn to mr. will. vaughan to mr. arthur hop●…on to mr. thomas iones to mr. i. price to captain ol. saint-geon . with divers others . to his majesty . sir , these letters address'd ( most of them ) to your best degrees of subjects , do , as so many lines drawn from the circumference to the centre , all meet in your majesty , who , as the law stiles you the fountain of honour and grace , so you should be the centre of our happines . if your majesty vouchsafe them a gracious aspect , they may all prove letters of credit , if not credentiall letters , which soverain princes use only to authorize : they venture to go abroad into the vast ocean of the world , as letters of mart , to try their fortunes ; and your majesty being the greatest lord of sea under heaven , is fittest to protect them , and then they will not fear any human power . moreover , as this royall protection secures them from all danger , so it will infinitely conduce to the prosperity of their voyage , and bring them to safe port with rich returns . nor would these letters be so familiar , as to presume upon so high a patronage , were not many of them records of your own royall actions ; and 't is well known , that letters can tresure up , and transmit matters of state to posterity , with as much faith , and be as authentic registers , and safe repo●…itories of truth , as any story whatsoever . this brings them to ly all prostrat at your feet , with their author who is sir , your majesties most loyall subject and servant , howell . to the knowing reader . of familiar letters . love is the life of frendship , letters are the life of love , the load-stones that by rare attraction make souls meet , and melt , and mix , as when by fire exalted gold we fix . they are those wing'd pestillions that can fly , from the anartic to the artic sky , the heralds and swift harbengers that move from east to west on embassies of love ; they can the tropics cut , and cross the line , and swim from ganges to the rhone or rhine , from thames to tagus , th●…nce to tyber run , and terminat their journy with the sun : they can the cabinets of kings unscrue , and hardest intri●…acies of state unclue ; they can the the tartar tell , what the mogor or the great turk doth on the asian shore , the knez of them may know , what prester john doth with his camells in the torrid zone : which made the indian inca think they wer spirits who in white sheets the a●…r did tear . the luckie goose sav'd joves beleagred hill once by her noyse , but oftner by her quill : it twice prevented rome , was not o ▪ re-run by the tough vandal , and the rough hewn hun. letters can plots though mo●…lded under ground disclose , and their fell complices confound , witnes that fiery pile which would have blown up to the clouds , prince , peeple , peers , and town , tribunalls , church , and chappell , and had dride the thames , though swelling in her highest prid●… , and parboyl'd the poor fish , which from her sand●… had been toss'd up to the adjoyning lands . lawyers as vultures had soar'd up and down , prelats like magpi●…s in the ayr had flown , had not the eagles letter brought to light , that subterranean horrid work of night . credentiall letters , states , and kingdoms tie , and monarchs knit in ligues of amitie ; they are those golden links that do enchai●… whole nations , though discinded by the main ; they are the soul of trade , they make commerce , expand it self throughout the univers . letters may more than history inclose , 〈◊〉 choicest learning , both for vers and prose ; ●…ey knowledg can unto our souls display , ●… amore gentle , and familiar way , ●…e highest points of state and policy , ●…e most severe parts of philosophy ●…ay be their subject , and their themes e●…rich ●… well as privat businesses , in which ●…nds use to correspond , and kindred greet , ●…rchants negotiat , the whole world meet . ●…n seneca's rich letters is inshrin'd 〈◊〉 ere the ancient sages left behind : ●…y makes his the secret symptomes tell ●… those distempers which proud rome befell , 〈◊〉 in her highest flourish she would make 〈◊〉 tyber from the ocean homage take . ●…at antonin the emperor did gain ●…re glory by his letters , than his raign , 〈◊〉 pen out-lasts his pike , each golden lin●… ●…is epistles do his name inshrine , 〈◊〉 clius by his letters did the same , 〈◊〉 they in chief immortallize his fame . ●…ords vanish soon , and vapour into ayr , ●…e letters on record stand fresh and fair , 〈◊〉 tell our nephews who to us wer dear , 〈◊〉 our choice frends , who our familiars were . ●…he bashfull lover when his flammering lips ●…er , and fear som unadvised slips , 〈◊〉 boldly court his mistris with the quill , 〈◊〉 his hot passions to her brest ●…still ; pen can furrow a fond femals heart , pierce it more than cupide feigned dart : letters a kind of magic vertu have , and like strong philtres human souls inslave . speech is the index , letters ideas are of the informing soul , they can declare , and shew the inward man , as we behold a face reflecting in a chrystall mould : they serve the dead and living , they becom attorneys and administers : in somm , letters as ligaments the world do tie , else all commence and love 'twixt men would die . j. h. an extract of the heads of the choicest matters that goe interwoven 'mongst the letters of the first volume . the first section . of abusers of familiar letters . page . of somersets fall , and buckinghams rise . ●…listris turner executed in yellow starch at tyburn , and sir gervas elwayes on tower-hill , his memorable caution against swearing , and the lo. wil. of pembr●…ks noble act to his lady and children . sir walter rawleigh's sorry return from guiana , count gondamars violent prosecution of him , and a facetious tale of alphonso king of naples , &c. of the study of our common law , and what genius is aptest for it . ●…he tru manner of the surrendry of the cautionary towns , flishing and brill . the force of letters . a letter of love . som choice observations of amsterdam . . , of the university of leyden , and a clash 'twixt arminius and baudius . of grave maurice prince of orenge , and of his regul●… cours of life . ●… of antwerp , and her cittadell . ●… of france , of normandy , and th●… city of rouen . ●… of paris , and an odd mischance that befell a secreta●… of state there . ●… of luines the the favorite . ●… an exact relation from an eye-witnes of the assass●… nat committed on the person of henry the grea●… ●… his rare perfections , and divers wittie speeches 〈◊〉 his . ●… an exact relation of that monstrous death of the ma●… quis of ancre by an eye-witnes . ●… of st. malos , and the province of britany , the vicini●… of their language with the welsh . ●… of rochell and the humors of the peeple . ●… the strong operations of love , and a facetious tale 〈◊〉 the duke of ossunas . of the pyreney hills . of the noble city of valentia , and various effects 〈◊〉 the sun. ●… of alicant and the grapes thereof . ●… of carthagena . ●… of scylla and charybdis , mount aetna , and the vulga●… greek , &c. ●… of the admirable city of venice , her glass furnaces , with a speculation rays'd theron , her renowned arsenall and tresury , her age and constitution , her famous bucentoro , with a philosophical notion arising thence , &c. from to ●… of the vertu of letters . a letter of gratitude . some witty sayings of spaniards . some witty observations of rome , the manner of creating cardinals . of forren travell . of the gentle city of naples . a saying of king iames. a resemblance 'twixt the old lombards and the welsh . a witty saying of lewis the . of florence , genoa , luca , &c. of milan , and the duke of savoy . of the italian toung . of the humor of the italian . of the hideous mountains the alps , and of lion in france . of geneva , and a strange thing that happend at lion. the six famous verses made of venice . a notable magnanimous speech of a turk . the second section . my lord bacons opinion of monsieur cadenet the french ambassador about little men . two letters of endearments . a notable saying of the la. elizabeth . of sir robert mansels return from algier . queen anns death and the last comet . m. of buckingham made lord admirall , &c. the beginning of the bohemian wars . the palsgraves undertaking that crown . prague lost . spinola's going to the palatinat , the manner of taking oppenheim , and the unworthines of the marq. of ansbuck the german generall . the strange wonder in holland , of a lady that brought forth as many children as days in the yeer , &c. of the sailing waggon . ●… an elaborat survey of the seventeen provinces , the ground of their quarrell with the spaniard , the difference of government , and humors of peeple , from to the difference 'twixt the flemin , walloon , and hollander . the last french kings piety to his mother . phlebotomy much used in france . a congratulatory letter for marriage . a satyrical play in antwerp about the prince palsgraves proceedings . wars 'twixt the french king and the protestants . a famous speech of st. lewis . of the french favorite luines , and his two brothers cadenet and brand. the strange story of the maid of orleans , and how the english wer reveng'd of her . a facetious passage of the duke of espernon . the opinion of a french doctor of english ale. the french polette . the third section . gondamars first audience about the spanish match , and the ill augury that befell . sir henry montague made lord tresurer ; a facetious question ask'd him . cautions for travelling italy . k. iames his sharp answer to the parlement from newmarket about the spanish match , &c. his facetious speech of my lady hatton . of the synod of dort. archb. abbots disaster to kill a keeper &c. the french kings proceedings against the protestants , and the death of luines . of the infanta of spain , and her two brothers . the bold manner of petitioning the king of spain . som comendable qualities of the spaniards . of the old duke of larma . materiall thinks of the match . the witty speech of the marquis of montesclares . of count mansfields notable retreat to breda , his chiefest exploit . of our prince his arrival at the court of spain , his usage there , and som passages of gondamars . of his comportment in courting the lady infanta , &c. a witty saying of a spanish woman . of their baiting of bulls with men . verses upon the prince his wooing . the monstrous manner of osman the great turks death , with som observations theron . of his omino●…s dream , and the grand visiers prediction to sir tho. roe . a discours 'twixt our prince and the king of spain . of our prince his departure thence . how matters stood after his departure . preparations made for the wedding day . the earl of bristolls audience upon his receiving a new commission . probabilities that the spaniard intended a match with england . my lo. pagetts witty speech in parlement . of the bishop of halverstadt . the notable plot the two spanish ambassadors invented to demolish the duke of buck. the high proffers that wer made the earl of bristoll , if he would stay in spain . of the manner of the proceedings of the spanish match by way of comparison . the breach of the spanish match by a philosophical comparison . an abstract of the spanish monarchy , of its growth , of the soyl , and the humor of the inhabitants , from to of things happen'd at the siege of bergen op zooma . a pleasant tale of a lame captain . of the vertu of familiar letters . of that stupendous monument the escurial . of the late famous duke of ossuna , divers passages . of writing by cypher . a memorable passage of the jesuits . a facetious tale of a soldier . this third section contains divers intrinsecall passages more , of the treaties both of match and palatinat . the fourth section . of the jewels that were left in the court of spain , to be presented at the betrothing day . of the fruitfulnes of frendship . of count mansfelt . an exact relation of his late majesties death by an eye-witnes . of my lo : verulam after his fall . cautions for marriage . the disasterous death of young prince frederic . of the treaty of a match with france , and of cardinal richelieu . how lively letters represent the inward man. the capitulation of the match with france . of monsieurs marriage . the rare perfections of the late marchioness of winchester . of grave maurice's death , & of the taking of breda . the sorry success of our fleet to cales under the lord wimbledon . som advertisements to the duke of buckingham before the parlement . the tru nature of love . ●… of count mansfelt . cardinall richelieu's first rise . a facetious saying of the queen of france touching co : mansfelt . a clashing 'twixt buckingham and bristoll . a comparison 'twixt the infanta and the daughter of france . a facetious pasquil in rome . the speedy conclusion of the french match , and a facetious tale of the pope . ▪ her majesties arrivall in england . the dissolution of the parlement at oxon , and of the lord keeper williams . of the renvoy of her majesties french servants , &c. the reasons alleaged for lone-monies . a memorable example in the person of a spanish captain , how strangely a sudden conceit may work within us . the fifth section . a northern letter . our breach with france , and our ill success at the isle of rets . the lord denbighs sorry return from before rochell , of the wars in italy , about the dutchy of mantoua . a circumstantiall relation of the d. of buck death by an eye-witness . the lord of lindseys return from before rochel , the taking and dismantling of her by the french king. colonell grayes quick device to save his life out of a saltpit . a methodicall incitement for an oxford student . of the taking the great royall ship , the holy spirit of the french , by sir sackvil trever . a dehortatory letter from swearing , with examples of all sorts . a hymn therupon . the properties of a foot-man . of ben iohnsons genius . of tardy courtesies . som amorous sonnets of black eyes , &c. a check against habit of drinking . a poem upon the british language . a witty reply to sir ed : coke by a country man. a character of sir posthumus hobby . the first rise of the lord strafford . the king of swedens first rushing into germany . the king of denmarks ill success against tilly , and the favourable peace he obtained . of a ragged illegible hand . the proud inscription the french king left upon a triumphant pillar , on one of the alpian hills . of sir ken : digbies exploits against the venetian galleasses , &c. a geere put upon sir tho. edmonds being ambassadour in france . another geere of the french ambassadour . of sir tho. wentworth's violent rising up . of the king of swedens monstrous progres , his clashing with the english and french ambassadors . a letter of thanks . a discription of an ollapodrida . of the spanish inquisition . the death of the queen dowager of denmark , his majesties grandmother , the richest princess of christendom , &c. the sixth section . an exact relation of the erl of leicesters embassie to the king of denmark and other princes . som remarkable passages in the danish court. of hamburgh and the hans towns , their beginning , and the famous quarrell they had with queen eliza. the marvelous resemblance of holsteyn men with the english , &c. the king of swedens related by an eye-witnes , his aversion to the english , &c. the palsgraves death . the late pope's compliance with him . a strange apparition happened in the west , about a dying gentleman . of noy the atturney , and of ship-money . of the lord westons embassie to italy , and a clashing 'twixt my lord of holland and him . the queen mothers , and monsieurs retirement to flanders . a christmas hymn . of the condition of the jewes squanderd up and down the world , how they came to be so cunning and hatefull , from whence they expect their messias , &c. 〈…〉 the sudden comfort of letters . of a strange pattent given a scotchman . of atturney noy's death , and the od wil●… he made , &c. the arrivall of the prince elector , and of prince rupert to england , their designes . monsieur steales from brussells . a herald of armes sent from france to denounce war against spaine . of mountmorencys death . a memorable example of the force of affection in the person of a french lady . of peter van heyns mighty pla●…e prize , &c. of judgements fallen upon disobedient children . the earl of arondels return from the german diet. lorain taken by the french. of translations . the young prince electors ill success in germany , and prince rupert taken prisoner , &c. the most tragicall death of the erl of warfuzee at liege . upon ben iohnsons death . a method in devotion . razevil com from poland ambassador . the scots comanders returning from germany , flant at the english court. of the soveraign of the sea , her dimensions , and charge . of king edgar his mighty navall power , and lofty title , &c. of the heat and medicinall virtu of the bath . the splendor of the irish court. of a memorable passage in suidas touching our saviour . of edinburgh . a dispute 'twixt a vintner and a shoomaker about bishops . of that furious navall fight 'twixt oquendo and the hollanders in the downes . of chimistry . the revolt of catalonia , and the utter defection of portugal from the spaniard . the dolefull casting away of captain limmery's ship valued at ▪ pounds . of a hideous serpent found in a young gentlemans heart in holborn , and other ill-favoured auguries . of monstrous prophane epithets given the french cardinall . som facetious passages of the old duke of espernon . of comfort in captivity . of a miraculous accident happen'd in hamelen in germany . of the calamities of the times , of self examination . of merchant adventurers . of the late popes death , and the election of this by the spanish faction , his propensity to peace , and the impossibility of it . marquis pawlet his ingenious motto . of the ape of paris applied to these times . of affliction . of a tru frend . of a strange peeple lately discovered in spain . of moderation and equanimity ▪ of the fruits of affliction . of wiving . epistolae ho-elianae . familiar letters : i. to sir j. s. at leeds castle . sir , it was a quaint difference the ancients did put twixt a letter , and an oration , that the one should be attird like a woman , the other like a man : the latter of the two is allowd large side robes , as long periods , parenthesis , similes , examples , and other parts of rhetorical flourishes : but a ●…etter or epistle , should be short-coated , and closely couchd ; a hungerlin becomes a letter more hansomly then a gown ▪ indeed we should write as we speak ; and that 's a true familiar letter which expresseth ones mind , as if he were discoursing with the party to whom he writes in succinct and short terms . the toung and the p●…n are both of them interproters of the mind ; but i hold the pen to be the more faithful of the two : the toung in udo posita , being seated in a moyst slippery place may fail and falter in her sudden extemporal expressions ; but the pen having a greater advantage of premeditation , is not so subject to error , and leaves things behind it upon firm and authentic record . now , letters , though they be capable of any subject , yet commonly they are either narratory , objurgatory , consolatory , monitory , o●… cougratulatory . the first consists of relations , the second of reprehensions , the third of comfort , the last two of counsel and joy : there are some who in lieu of letters write homilies , they preach when they should epistolize ; there are others that turn them to tedious tractats ; this is to make letters degenerat from their tru nature . some modern authors there are , who have expos'd their letters to the world , but most of them , i mean among your latin epistolizers , go fraighted with meer bartholomew ware , with trite and trivial phrases only , listed with pedandic shreds of shool-boy verses . others ther are among our next transmarin neighbours eastward , 〈◊〉 , write in their own language , but their stile is so soft and 〈◊〉 that their letters may be said to be like bodies of lo●…se slesh without sinews , they have neither joyn●… of art , nor 〈◊〉 in them : they have a kind of simpering and ●…ank hectic expressions made up of a bombast of words and finical affected complement ▪ only : ●… cannot well away with such sleazy stuff , with such cobweb-compositions , where there is no strength of matter , nothing for the reader to carry away with him , that may enlarge the notions of his soul : one shall hardly find an apothe●…m , example , simile , or any thing of philosophy , history , or solid knowledg , or as much as one new created phrase , in a hundred of them ; and to d●…aw any observations out of them , were as if one went about to dis●…il cream out of froth ; insomuch that it may be said of them , what was said of the eccho , that she is a meer sound , and nothing else . i return you your balza●… by thi●… bearer , and when i found those letters , wherein he is so familiar with his king , so flat , and those to richelieu , so puff'd with prophane hyperboles , and larded up and down with such gross flatteries , with others besides which he sends as urinals up and down the world to look into his water , for discovery of the c●…azie condition of his body , i fo●…bore him further : so i am your most affectionate servitor , j. h. h'●…stminster , . julii . , . ii. to my father , upon my first going beyond sea ▪ sir , i should be much wanting to my self , and to tha●… obligation of duty , the law of god , and his handmaid nature hath imposed upon me , if i should not acquaint you with the course and quality of my affairs and fortunes , specially at this time , that i am upon point of erossing the seas to eat my bread abroad . nor is it the common relation of a son that only induc'd me hereunto , but that most indulgent and costly care you have been pleased ( in so extraordinary a manner ) to have had of my breeding ( though but one child of fifteen ) by placing me in a choice methodicall school ( so far distant from your dwelling ) under a lear●…ed ( though lashing ) master ; and by transplanting me thence ●…o oxford , to be graduated ; and so holding me still up by the ●…hin , untill i could swim without bladders . this patrimony ●…f liberall education you have been pleased to endow me withal , ●… now carry along with me abroad , as a sure inseparable tre●…ure ; nor do i feel it any burden or encumbrance unto me at all : and what danger soever my person , or other things i have about ●…e , do incur , yet i do not fear the losing of this , either by ship●…rack or pyrats at sea , nor by robbers , or fire , or any other casualty ashore : and at my return to england , i hope , at leastw●…●… shall do my endeavour , that you may finde this patrimony im●…roved somewhat to your comfort . the main of my employment , is from that gallant knight sir robert mansell , who , with my lord of pembrook , and divers ●…ther of the prime lords of the court , have got the sole patent ●…f making all sorts of glass with pit-cole , onely to save those ●…uge proportions of wood which were consumed formerly in the glasse furnaces : and this business being of that nature , that ●…e workmen are to be had from italy , and the chief materials from spain , france , and other forren countries , there is need ●…f an agent abroad for this use ; ( and better then i have offered their service in this kind ) so that i believe i shall have employment in all these countreys , before i return . had i continued still steward of the glasse-house in broadstreet , where captain francis bacon hath succeeded me , i should in a short time have melted away to nothing , amongst those hot venetians , finding my self too green for such a charge ; therefore it hath pleased god to dispose of me now to a condition more sutable to my yeers , and that will , i hope , prove more advantagious to my future fortunes . in this my peregrination , if i happen , by some accident , to be disappointed of that allowance i am to subsist by , i must make my addresse to you , for i have no other rendevous to flee unto ; but it shall not be , unlesse in case of great indigence . touching the news of the time : sir george villiers , the new favorit , tapers up apace , and grows strong at court : his predecessor the earl of somerset hath got a lease of ninety years for his life , and so hath his articulate lady , called so , for articling against the frigidity and impotence of her former lord. she was afraid that coke the lord chief justice ( who had used extraordinary an and industry in discovering all the circumstances of the poisoning of overbury ) would have made white broth of them , but that the prerogative kept them from the pot : yet the subservient instruments , the lesser flyes , could not break thorow , but lay entangled in the cobweb ; amongst others , mistris turner , the first inventress of yellow-starch , was executed in a cobweb lawn ruff of that color at tyburn , and with her i believe that yellow-starch , which so much disfigured our-nation , and rendered them so ridiculous an●… fantastic , will receive its funerall . sir gervas elwayes , lieutenan●… of the tower , was made a notable example of justice and terr●… to all officers of trust ; for being accessory , and that in a passi●… way only to the murder , yet he was hanged on tower-hill : an●… the caveat is very remarkable which he gave upon the gallow●… that people should be very cautious how they make vows 〈◊〉 heaven , for the breach of them seldome passe without a judgement , whereof he was a most ruthfull example ; for being in th●… low-countreys , and much given to gaming , he once made a solemn vow , ( which he brake afterwards ) that if he played abov●… such a sum , he might be hanged . my lord ( william ) of pembrook di●… a most noble act like himself ; for the king having given hi●… all sir gervas elway's estate , which came to above pound 〈◊〉 . he freely bestowed it on the widow and her children . the later end of this week , i am to go a ship-board , and first 〈◊〉 the low-countreys . i humbly pray your blessing may accompany me in these my travels by land and sea , with a con●…uance of your prayers , which will be as so many good gales to ●…ow me to safe port : for i have been taught , that the parents be●…udictions contribute very much , and have a kind of prophetic vertue ●…o make the childe prosperous . in this opinion i shall ever rest , broad-street in london , this . of march , . your dutifull son , j. h. iii. to dr. francis mansell , since principall of jesus ▪ colledge in oxford . sir , being to take leave of england , and to lanch out into the world abroad , to breath forren air a while , i thought it very ●…andsom , and an act well becoming me , to take my leave also of ●…ou , and of my dearly honoured mother oxford : otherwise both ●…f you might have just grounds to exhibite a bill of complaint , or rather , a protest , against me , and cry me up , you for a forgetfull friend ; she , for an ingratefull son , if not some spurious issue . to ●…revent this , i salute you both together : you , with the best of my ●…ost candid affections ; her , with my most dutifull observance , ●…nd thankfulnesse for the milk she pleased to give me in that exuberance , had i taken it in that measure she offered it me while ●… slept in her lap : yet that little i have sucked , i carry with me ●…ow abroad , and hope that this cours of life will help to concoct 〈◊〉 to a greater advantage , having opportunity , by the nature of ●…y employment , to study men as well as books . the small time i ●…upervis'd the glasse-house , i got amongst those venetians some ●…atterings of the italian toung , which , besides the little i have , ●…ou know , of school-languages , is all the preparatives i have made ●…or travell . i am to go this week down to gravesend , and so ●…mbarque for holland : i have got a warrant from the lords of ●…he councell to travell for three years any where , rome and s. omer excepted . i pray let me retain some room , though never so little , in your thoughts , during the time of this our separation , and let our souls meet sometimes by intercours of letters ; i promise you that yours shall receive the best entertainment i can make them , for i love you dearly dearly well , and value your friendship at a very high ra●…e : so with apprecation of as much happiness to you at home , as i shall desire to accompany me abroad , i rest ever , your friend to serve you , j. h. london this 〈◊〉 of march , . iv. to sir james crofts , knight , at s. osith . sir , i could not shake hands with england , without kissing your hands also : and because , in regard of your distance now from london , i cannot do it in person , i send this paper for my deputy . the news that keeps greatest noise here now , is the return of sir walter raleigh from his myne of gold in guiana the south parts of america , which at first was like to be such a hopeful boon voyage , but it seems that that golden myne is proved a meer chymer●… an imaginary ai●…y myne ; and indeed , his majestie had never any other conceipt of it : but what will not one in captivity ( as sir walter was ) promise , to regain his freedom ? who would not promise not onely mynes , but mountains of gold , for liberty ? & t is pity such a knowing well-weigh'd knight had not had a better fortune ; for the destiny ( i mean that brave ship which he built himself of that name , that carried him thither ) is like to prove a fatall destiny to him , and to some of the rest of those gallant adventurers which contributed for the setting forth of thirteen ships more , who were most of them his kinsmen and younger brothers , being led into the said expedition by a generall conceipt the world had of the wisedom of sir walter raleigh ; and many of these are like to make shipwrack of their estates by this voyage . sir walter landed at plymouth , whence he thought to make an escape ; and some say he hath tampered with his body by phisick , to make him look sickly , that he may be the more pitied , and permitted to lie in his own house . count gondamar the spanish ambassador speaks high language , and sending lately to desire audience of his majestie , he said he had but one word to tell him , his majestie wondring what might be delivered in one word ; when he came before him , he said onely , pyrats , pyrats , pyrats , and so departed . t is true that he protested against this voyage before , and that it could not be but for some praedatory designe : and that if it be as i hear , i fear it will go very ill with sir walter , and that gondamar will never give him over , till he hath his head off his shoulders ; which may quickly be done , without any new arraignment , by vertue of the old sentence that lies still dormant against him , which he could never get off by pardon , notwithstanding that he mainly laboured in it before he went ; but his majestie could never be brought to it , for he said he would keep this as a curb to hold him within the bounds of his commission , and the good behaviour . gondamar cryes out , that he hath broke the sacred peace twixt the two kingdoms , that he hath fired and plundered santo thoma a colony the spaniards had planted with so much blood , neer under the line , which made it prove such a hot service unto him , and where , besides others , he lost his eldest son in the action ; and could they have preserved the magazin of tobacco onely , besides other things in that town , something mought have bin had to countervail the charge of the voyage . gondamar alleadgeth further , that the enterprise of the myne failing , he propounded to the rest of his fleet to go and intercept some of the plate-galeons , with other designes which would have drawn after them apparent acts of hostility , and so demands justice : besides other disasters which fell out upon the dashing of the first designe , captain remish , who was the main instrument for discovery of the myne , pistol'd himself in a desperate mood of discontent in his cabin , in the convertine . this return of sir walter raleigh from guiana , puts me in minde of a facetious tale i read lately in italian ( for i have a little of that language already ) how alphonso king of naples sent a moor who had been his captive a long time , to barbary , with a considerable sum of money to buy horses , and to return by such a time . now there was about the king a kinde of buff●…n or jester who had a table-book , or journall , wherein he was used to register any absurdity , or impertinence , or merry passage that happened about the court. that day the moor was dispatched for barbary , the said jester waiting upon the king at supper , the king call'd for his journall , and askt what he had observed that day : thereupon he produced his table-book , and amongst other things , he read how alphons●… king of naples had sent beltran the moor , who had been a long time his prisoner , to morocco ( his own countrey ) with so many thousand crowns , to buy horses . the king asked him why he inserted that : because , said he , i think he will never come back to be a prisoner again , and so you have lost both man and money . but if he do come , then your jest is marr'd , quoth the king : no sir ; for if he return i will blot out your name , and put him in for a fool. the application is easie and obvious : but the world wonders extremely , that so great a wise man as sir walter raleigh would return to cast himself upon so inevitable a rock , as i fear he will ; and much more , that such choice men , and so great a power of ships , should all come home , and do nothing . the letter you sent to my father , i conveyed safely the last week to wales . i am this week , by gods help , for the netherlands , and then i think for france . if in this my forren employment i may be any way serviceable unto you , you know what power you have to dispose of me ; for i honor you in a very high degree , and will live and die , london , . of march , . your humble and ready servant , j. h. v. to my brother , after dr. howell , and now bp. of bristol , from amsterdam . brother , i am newly landed at amsterdam , and it is the first forren earth i ever set foot upon . i was pitifully sick all the voyage , for the weather was rough , and the wind untoward ; and at the mouth of the texell we were surprised by a furious tempest , so that the ship was like to split upon some of those old stumps of trees wherewith that river is full ; for in ages passed , as the skipper told me , there grew a fair forest in that chanell where the texell makes now her bed . having bin so rocked and shaken at sea ; when i came ashore i began to incline to copernicus his opinion , which hath got such a sway lately in the world , viz. that the earth as well as the rest of her fellow elements , is in perpetual motion , for she seem'd so to me a good while after i had landed he that observes the site and position of this countrey , will never hereafter doubt the truth of that philosophicall problem which keeps so great a noise in the schools , viz. that the sea is higher then the earth , because as i sail'd along these coasts , i visibly found it true ; for the ground here which is all twixt marsh and moorish , lies not only levell , but to the apparant sight of the ey far lower then the sea , which made the duke of alva say , that the inhabitants of this countrey were the neerest neighbours to hell ( the great abysse ) of any people upon earth , because they dwell lowest : most of that ground they tread , is plucked as it were out of the very jaws of neptun , who is afterwards pennt out by high dikes , which are preserved with incredible charge , insomuch , that the chief dike-grave here , is one of the greatest officers of trust in all the province , it being in his power , to turn the whole countrey into a salt lough when he list , and so to put hans to swim for his life , which makes it to be one of the chiefest part of his letany , from the sea , the spaniard , and the devil , the lord deliver me . i need not tell you who preserves him from the last , but from the spaniard , his best friend is the sea it self , notwithstanding that he fears him as an enemy another way ; for the sea stretching himself here into divers arms , and meeting with some of those fresh rivers that descend from germany to disgorge themselves into him through these provinces , most of their towns are thereby encompass'd with water , which by sluces they can contract or dilate as they list : this makes their towns inaccessible , and out of the reach of cannon ; so that water may be said to be one of their best fences , otherwise i beleeve they had not been able to have born up so long against the gigantic power of spain . this city of amsterdam , though she be a great staple of news , yet i can impart none unto you at this time , i will defer that till i come to the hague . i am lodged here at one mounsieur de la cluze , not far from the exchange , to make an introduction into the french , because i beleeve i shall steer my cours hence next to the countrey where that language is spoken ; but i think i shall sojourn here about two moneths longer , therefore i pray direct your letter●… accordingly , or any other you have for me : one of the prime comforts of a traveller is to receive letters from his friends , they beget new spirits in him , and present joyfull objects to his fancy , when his mind is clouded sometimes with fogs of melancholy ; therefore i pray make me happy as often as your conveniency will serve with yours : you may send or deliver them to captain bacon at the glasse house , who will see them safely sent . so my dear brother , i pray god blesse us both , and send us after this large distance a joyfull meeting . your loving brother , j. h. amsterdam , april . . vi. to dan. caldwall esq. from amsterdam . my dear dan. i have made your friendship so necessary unto me , for the contentment of my life , that happinesse it self would be but a kind of infelicity without it : it is as needfull to me , as fire and water , as the very air i take in , and breath out ; it is to me not onely neoessitudo , but necessitas : therefore i pray let me injoy it in that fair proportion , that i desire to return unto you , by way of correspondencee and retaliation - our first ligue of love , you know , was contracted among the muses in oxford ; for no sooner was i matriculated to her , but i was adopted to you ; i became her son , and your friend , at one time : you know i followed you then to london , where our love received confirmation in the temple , and else-where . we are now far asunder , for no lesse then a sea severs us , and that no narrow one , but the german ocean : distance sometimes endear's friendship , and absence sweetneth it , it much 〈◊〉 the value of it , and makes it more precious : let this be verified in us , let that love which formerly used to be nourished by personall communication , and the lips , be now fed by letters ; let the pen supply the office of the toung : letters have a strong operation , they have a kind of art like embraces to mingle souls , and make them meet though millions of paces asunder ; by them we may converse and know how it fares with each other , as it were by entercours of spirits . therefore amongst your civill speculations , i pray let your thoughts sometimes reflect off me ( your absent self ) and wrap those thoughts in paper , and so send them me over : i promise you they shall be very welcome , i shall embrace and hug them with my best affections . commend me to tom bowyer , and enjoyn him the like : i pray be no niggard in distributing my love plentifully amongst our friends at the innes of court ; let iack toldervy have my kind commends with this caveat , that the pot which goes often to the water , comes home crack'd at last ; therefore i hope he will be carefull how he makes the fleece in cornhill his thorowfare too often . so may my dear daniel live happy , and love his j. h. from amsterdam , april the . . vii . to my father , from amsterdam . sir , i am lately arrived in holland in a good plight of health , and continue yet in this town of amsterdam , a town i beleeve , that there are few her fellows , being from a mean fishing dorp , come in a short revolution of time , by a monstrous encrease of comerce and navigation , to be one of the greatest marts of europ : t is admirable to see what various sorts of buildings , and new fabrics , are now here erecting every where ; not in houses onely , but in whole streets and suburbs ; so that t is thought she will in a short time double her proportion in bigness . i am lodg'd in a french-mans house , who is one of the deacons of our english brownists church here ; 't is not far from the synagog of iews , who have free and open exercise of their religion here : i beleeve in this street where i lodg , ther be well near as many religions as there be houses ; for one neighbour knows not , nor cares not much , what religion the other is of , so that the number of conventicles exceeds the number of churches here . and let this countrey call it self as long as it will , the united provinces one way , i am perswaded in this point , there 's no place so disunited . the dog and rag market is hard by , where every sunday morning there is a kind of public mart for those commodities , notwithstanding their precise observance of the sabbath . upon saturday last i hapned to be in a gentlemans company , who shew'd me as i walk'd along in the streets , along bearded old iew of the tribe of aaron ; when the other iews met him , they fell down and kiss'd his foot : this was that rabbi , with whom our countrey-man broughton had such a dispute . this city , notwithstanding her huge trade , is far inferiour to london for populousnes ; and this i infer out of their weekly bills of mortalitie , which come not at most but to fifty or thereabout ; whereas in london , the ordinary number is twixt two and three hundred , one week with another : nor are there such wealthy-men in this town as in london ; for by reason of the generality of commerce , the banks , adventures , the common shares and stocks which most have in the indian and other companies , the wealth doth'diffuse it self here in a strange kind of equality , not one of the bourgers being exceeding rich or exceeding poor ; insomuch , that i beleeve our four and twenty aldermen , may buy a hundred of the richest men in amsterdam . it is a rare thing to meet with a begger here , as rare , as to see a horse , they say , upon the streets of venice , & this is held to be one of their best peeces of government ; for besides the strictnes of their laws against mendicants , they have hospitals of all sorts for young and'old , both for the relief of the one and the employment of the other ; so that there is no object here to exercise any act of charity upon . they are here very neat , though not so magnificent in their buildings , specially in their frontispices , and first rooms ; and for cleanlines , they may serve for a pattern to all people . they will presently dresse half a dozen dishes of meat , without any noise or shew at all ; for if one goes to the kitchin , ther will he scarce apparance of any thing , but a few covered pots upon a turf-fire , which is their prime fuell ; after dinner they fall a scowring of those pots ▪ so that the outside will be as bright 〈◊〉 the inside , and the kitchin suddenly so clean , as if no meat had bin dress'd there a month before : they have neither well or fountain , or any spring of fresh-water , in , or about all this city , but their fresh-water is brought unto them by boats ; besides they have cesterns to receive the rain-water , which they much use : so that my laundresse bringing my linnen to me one day , and i commending the whitenesse of them , she answered , that they must needs be white and fair , for they were washed in aqua coelestis , meaning skie-water . t were cheap living here , were it not for the monstrous accises which are impos'd upon all sorts of commodities , both for belly and back ; for the retailer payes the states almost the one moity as much as he payed for the commodity at first , nor doth any murmur at it , because it goes not to any favourit , or private purse , but to preserve them from the spaniard , their common enemy as they term him ; so that the saying is truely verified here , desend me , and spend me : with this accise principally , they maintain all their armies by sea and land , with their garrisons at home and abroad , both here , and in the indies , and defray all other public charges besides . i shall hence shortly for france , and in my way take most of the prime towns of holland and zealand , specially leyden ( the university ) where i shall sojourn some days . so humbly craving a continuance of your blessing and prayers , i rest may the . . your dutiful s●… , j. h. viii . to dr. tho. prichard , at jesus colledg in oxford , from leyden . sir , it is the royall prerogative of love , not to be confined to that small locall compasse which circumscribes the body , but to make his sallies , and progresses abroad , to find out , and enjoy his desired object , under what region soever : nor is it the vast gulph of neptun , or any distance of place , or difference of clime , can bar him of this priviledge ▪ i never found the experiment hereof , so sensibly , nor felt the comfort of it so much , as since i shook hands with england : for though you be in oxford , and i at leyden , albeit you be upon an island , and i now upon the continent , ( though the lowest part of europ ) yet those swift postillions my thoughts find you out daily , and bring you unto me : i behold you often in my chamber , and in my bed ; you eat , you drink , you sit down , and walk with me ▪ and my fantasie enjoyes you often in my sleep , when all my sences are lock'd up , and my soul wanders up and down the world , sometimes through pleasant fields and gardens , sometimes through odd uncouth places , over mountains and broken confused buildings . as my love to you doth thus exercise his power , so i desire yours to me may not be idle , but rows'd up sometimes to find me out , and summon me to attend you in iesus colledge . i am now here in leyden , the onely academy besides franiker of all the united provinces : here are nations of all sorts , but the germans swarr●… more then any : to compare their university to yours , were to cast new-inne in counterscale with christ-church colledge , or the alms houses on tower hill to suttons hospitall . here are no colledges at all , god-wot ( but one for the dutch ) nor scarce the face of an university , onely there are generall schools where the sciences are read by severall professors , but all the students are oppidanes : a small time and lesse learning , will suffice to make one a graduate ; nor are those formalities of habits , and other decencies here , as with you , much lesse those exhibitions and support for schollers , with other encouragements ; in so much , that the oxonians and cantabrigians — bona si suae norint , were they sensible of their own felicity , are the happiest academians on earth : yet apollo hath a strong influence here ; and as cicero said of them of athens , athenis pingue coelum , tenu●… i●…genia , the athenians had a thick air , and thin wits ; so i may say of these lugdunensian●… , they have a grosse ayr , but thin subtile wits , ( some of them ) witnesse else hernsius , grotins , arminius , and bandius ; of the two last i was told a tale , that arminius meeting baudius one day disguis'd with drink ( wherewith he would be often ) he told him , tu baudî dedecoras nostram academiam , & tu arminî nostram religionem . thou baudius disgracest our university ; and thou arminius our religion . the heaven here hath alwayes some clowd in his countenance ; and from this grossenesse and spissitude of air proceeds the slow nature of the inhabitants , yet this slownesse is recompenc'd with another benefit ; it makes them patient and constant , as in all other actions , so in their studies and speculations , though they use — crassos transire dies , lucemque palustrem . i pray impart my love liberally amongst my friends in oxford ; and when you can make truce with your more serious meditations , bestow a thought , drawn into a few lines , upon leyden , may the . . your j. h. ix . to mr. richard altham , at his chamber in grayes-inne . dear sir , though you be now a good way out of my reach , yet you are not out of my remembrance ; you are still within the horizon of my love : now the horizon of love is large and spacious , it is as boundlesse , as that of the imagination ; and where the imagination rangeth , the memory is still busie to usher in , and present the desired object it fixeth upon : it is love that sets them both on work , and may be said to be the highest sphear whence they receive their motion . thus you appear unto me often in these forren travels , and that you may beleeve me the better , i send you these lines as my ambassadors ( and ambassadors must not lie ) to inform you accordingly , and to salute you . i desire to know how you like ployden ; i heard it often said , that ther is no study requires patience and constancy more then the common-law , for it is a good while before one comes to any known perfection in it , and consequently to any gainfull practise . this ( i think ) made iack chaundle●… throw away his littleton , like him that when he could not catch the hare , said , a pox upon her she is but dry tough meat , let her go : it is not so with you ; for i know you are of that disposition , that when you mind a thing , nothing can frighten you in making constant pursuit after it , till you have obtained it : for if the mathematics with their crabbednesse , and intricacy , could not deter you , but that you waded through the very midst of them , and arriv'd to so excellent a perfection ; i believe it is not in the power of ployden , to dastardize or cowe your spirits , untill you have overcom him , at least wise have so much of him as will serve your turn . i know you were always a quick and pressing disputant in logic and philosophy , which makes me think your genius is fit for law , ( as the baron your excellent father was ) for a good logitian makes alwayes a good lawyer : and hereby one may give a strong conjecture of the aptnesse or ineptitude of ones capacity to that study and profession ; and you know as well as i , that logitians who went under the name of sophisters , were the first lawyers that ever were . i shall be upon incertain removes hence , untill i come to roüe●… in france , and there i mean to cast anchor a good while ; i shall expect your letters there with impatience . i pray present my service to sir iames altham , and to my good lady , your mother , with the rest to whom it is due in bishopsgate street , and elsewhere : so i am yours in the best degree of friendship , j. h. hague . of may , . x. to sir james crofts : from the hague . sir , the same observance that a father may challenge of his child , the like you may claim of me , in regard of the extraordinary care you have bin pleas'd to have alwayes , since i had the happines to know you , of the cours of my fortunes . i am now newly come to the hague , the court of the six ( and almost seven ) confederated provinces ; the counsell of state with the prince of orange , makes his firm residence here , unlesse he be upon a march , and in motion for some design abroad . this prince ( maurice ) was cast in a mould ▪ suitable to the temper of this people : he is slow and full of warines , and not without a mixture of fear , i do not mean a pusillanimous , but politic fear : he is the most constant in the quotidian cours and carriage of his life , of any that j have ever heard or read of ; for whosoever knows the customs of the prince of orange , may tell what he is a doing here evry hour of the day , though he be in constantinople . in the morning he awaketh about six in sommer , and seven in winter ; the first thing he doth , he sends one of his grooms or pages , to see how the wind sits , and he wears or leaves off his wascot accordingly , then he is about an hour dressing himself , and about a quarter of an hour in his closet , then comes in the secretary , and if he hath any privat or public letters to write , or any other dispatches to make , he doth it before he stirs from his chamber ; then comes he abroad , and goes to his stables if it be no sermon day , to see some of his gentlemen or pages ( of whose breeding he is very carefull ) ride the great horse : he is very accessible to any that hath busines with him , and sheweth a winning kind of familiarity , for he will shake hands with the meanest boor of the countrey , and he seldom hears any commander or gentleman with his hat on : he dines punctually about twelve , and his table is free for all comers , but none under the degree of a captain useth to sit down at it ; after dinner he stayes in the room a good while , and then any one may accost him , and tell his tale ; then he re●…res to his chamber , where he answers all petitions that were delivered him in the morning , and towards the evening , if he goes not to counsell , which is seldome ; he goes either to make some visits , or to take the air abroad , and according to this constant method he passeth his life . ther are great stirs like to arise twixt the bohemians , and their elected king the emperour , and they are com already to that height , that they consult of deposing him , and to chuse some protestant prince to be their king , som talk of the duke of saxony , others of the palsgrave : j beleeve the states here , would rather be for the latter , in regard of conformity of religion , the other being a lutheran . i could not find in amsterdum a large ortelius in french , to send you , but from 〈◊〉 i will not fail to serve you . so wishing you all happines and health , and that the sun may make many progresses more through the zodiac , before those comely gray hairs of yours go to the grave , i rest iune the . . your very humble servant , j. h. xi . to captain francis bacon , at the glassehouse in broad-street . sir , my last to you , was from amsterdam , since which time i have travers'd the prime parts of the united provinces , and ●… am now in zealand , being newly come to this town of middl●… borough , which is much crest-faln since the staple of english clo●… was removed hence , a●… is flishing also her next neighbor , since th●… departure of the english garrison : a good intelligent gentleman told me the manner how flishing and the b●…ill , our two cautionary towns here were redeem'd , which was thus : the nin●… hundred and odd souldiers at flishing , and the rammakins ha●… by , being many weeks without their pay , they borrow'd diver●… sums of money of the states of this town , who finding no hope●… of supply from england , advice was sent to the states-generall 〈◊〉 the hague , they consulting with sir ralph winwood our ambassador ( who was a favourable instrument unto them in this busines , as also in the match with the palsgrave ) sent instructions to the lord caroon , to acquaint the earl of suffolk ( then lord treasurer ) herewith ; and in case they could find no satisfaction there , to make his addresse to the king himself , which caroon did , his majestie being much incens'd , that his subjects and souldiers should starve for want of their pay in a forren countrey , sent for the lord treasurer , who drawing his majestie aside , and telling how empty his exchequer was , his majestie told the ambassador , that if his masters , the states , would pay the money they ow'd him upon those towns , he would deliver them up ; the ambassador returning the next day , to know whether his majestie persisted in the same resolution , in regard that at his former audience , he perceived him to be a little transported , his majesty answered , that he knew the states of holland to be his good frends and confederats , both in point of religion and policy ; therefore he apprehended not the least fear of any difference , that should fall out between them , in contemplation whereof , if they desir'd to have their towns again , he would willingly surrender them : hereupon the states made up the sum presently , which came in convenient time , for it serv'd to defray the expencefull progresse he made to scotland , the summer following . when that money was lent by queen elizabeth , it was articled , that interest should be payed upon interest ; and besides , that for evry gentleman who should lose his life in the states service , they should make good five pounds to the crown of england : all this his majestie remitted , and onely took the principall ; and this was done in requitall of that princely entertainment , and great presents , which my lady elizabeth had received in divers of their towns , as she pass'd to heydelberg . the bearer hereof , is sigr . antoni●… miotti , who was master of a crystall-glasse furnace here a long time , and as i have it by good intelligence , he is one of the ablest , and most knowing men , for the guidance of a glasse-work in christendom ; therefore according to my instructions , i send him over , and hope to ●…ave done sir robert good service thereby . so with my kinde respects unto you , and my most humble service where you know ●…is due , i rest your affectionate servent , j. h. iune the . . xii . to sir james crofts : antwerp . sir , i presume that my last to you from the hague came to safe hand : i am now come to a more cheerfull countrey , and amongst a people somewhat more vigorous and mettald , being not so heavy as the hollander , or homely , as they of zealand . this goodly ancient city me thinks looks like a disconsolat widow , or rather som superannuated virgin , that had lost her lover , being almost quite ●…erest of that flourishing commerce , wherwith before the falling off of the rest of the provinces from spain , she abounded to the envy of all other cities and marts of europ . ther are few places this side the alps better built , and so well streeted as this , and none at all so well girt with bastions and rampasts , which in som places are so spacious , that they usually take the air in coaches upon the very wals , which are beutified with divers rows of trees , and pleasant walks . the cittadell here , though it be an addition to the statelines and strength of the town , yet it serve●… as a shrew'd curb unto her , which makes her chomp upon the bit , and foam sometimes with anger , but she cannot help it . the tumults in bohemia now grow hotter and hotter , they write how the great councell a●… prague fell to such a hurliburly , that so●… of those senators who adherd to the emperour , were thrown ou●… at the windows , wher som were maim'd , som break their necks . 〈◊〉 am shortly to bid a farewell to the netherlands , and to bend m●… cours for france , wher i shall be most ready to entertain an●… commands of yours . so may all health and happines , attend yo●… according to the wishes of your obliged servant , j. ●… ▪ iuly . . xiii . to dr. tho. prichard at oxford , from roüen . i have now taken firm footing in france , and though france be one of the chiefest climats of complement , yet i can use none towards you , but tell you in plain down right language , that in the list of those friends i left behind me in england , you are one of the prime rank , one whose name i have mark'd with the whitest stone : if you have gain'd such a place amongst the choicest friends of mine , i hope you will put me somwher amongst yours , though i but fetch up the rear , being contented to be the i●…fima species , the lowest in the predicament of your friends . i shall sojourn a good while in this city of roüen , therfore i pray make me happy with the comfort of your letters , which i shall expect with a longing impatience : i pray send me ample advertisement of your welfare , and of the rest of our friends , as well upon the banks of isis , as amongst the brittish mountains . i am but a fresh ▪ man yet in france , therfore i can send you no news , but that all is here quiet , and t is no ordinary news , that the french should be quiet : but some think this calm will not last long , for the queen mother ( late regent ) is discontented being restrain'd from coming to the court , or to the city of paris , and the tragicall death of her favourit , ( and foster-brother ) the late marquis of ancre , lieth yet in her stomach undisgested : she hath the duke of espernon , and divers other potent princes , that would be strongly , at her devotion ( as 't is thought ) if she would stir . i pray present my service to sir eubule theloall , and send me word with what pace , iesus colledg new walls go up : i will borrow my conclusion to you at this time of my countrey-man owen . uno non possum quantum te diligo versu dicere , si satis est distichon , ecce duos . i cannot in one vers my love declare , if two will serve the turn , to here they are . wherunto i will add this sirname anagram . yours whole i. howel . aug. . . xiv . to daniel caldwall esq. from roüen . my dear dan. when i came first to this town , amongst other objects of contentment which i found here , wherof ther are variety , a letter of yours was brought me , and 't was a sh●… letter , for two more were enwomb'd in her body , she had an easie and quick deliverance of that twin ; but besides them , she was big and pregnant of divers sweet pledges , and lively evidences of your own love towards me , whereof i am as fond as any mother can be of her child : i shall endeavour to cherish and foster this dear love of yours , with all the tendernes that can be , and warm it at the fuel of my best affections , to make it grow evry day stronger and stronger , untill it comes to the state of perfection , because i know it is a true and real , it is no spurious or adulterated love : if i intend to be so indulgent and carefull of yours , i hope you will not suffer mine to starve with you ; my love to you needs not much tending , for it is a lusty strong love , and will not easily miscarry . i pray when you write next , to sond me a dozen pair of the best white kidskin gloves , the royall-exchange can afford ; as also two pair of the purest white wosted stockins you can get of women size , together with half a dozen pair of knifs . i pray send your man with them to vacandary the french post upon tower-hill , who will bring them me safely . when i go to paris , i shall send you som curiosities , equivalent to these ; i have here inclos'd return'd an answer to those two that came in yours , i pray see them safely delivered . my kind respects to your brother sergeant at court , to all at batter say , ' or any wher else , wher you think my commendations may be well plac'd . no more at this time , but that i recommend you to the never failing providence of god , desiring you to go on in nourishing still between us , that love , which for my part , no traverses of chance , of time , or fate , shall ere extinguish till our lives last date ; but a●… the vin●… h●… lovely el●… 〈◊〉 wire , grasp b●…th our hearts , and flame with fresh desire . roüen , aug. . . yours j. h. xv. to my father from roüen . sir , yours of the third of august , came to safe hand in an inclos'd from my brother ; you may make easie conjecture how welcom it was unto me , and to what a height of comfort it rais'd my spirits , in regard it was the first i received from you , since i cross'd the seas ; i humbly thank you for the blessing you sent along with it . i am now upon the fair continent of france , one of natures choicest master-peeces ; one of ceres chiefest barns for corn ; one of bacchus prime wine-cellars , and of neptu●…s best salt-pits ; a compleat self-sufficient countrey , wher ther is rather a superfluity , then defect of any thing , either for necessity or pleasure , did the policie of the countrey correspond with the bounty of nature , in the equall distribution of the wealth amongst the inhabitants ; for i think there is not upon the earth , a richer countrey , and poorer peeple . t is true , england hath a good repute abroad for her fertility , yet be our harvests never so kindly , and our crops never so plentifull , we have evry yeer commonly som grain from hence , or from danzic , and other places imported by the marchant : besides , ther be many more heaths , commons , bleak-b●…rren-hills , and waste grounds in england , by many degrees , then i find here ; and i am sorry our countrey of wales , should give more instances hereof , then any other part . this province of normandy , once an appendix of the crown of england , though it want wine , yet it yeelds the king as much desmeans as any one of the rest : the lower norman hath syder for his common drink ; and i visibly observ'd , that they are more plump and replet in their bodies , and of a clearer complexion then those that drink altogether wine . in this great city of roüen ther be many monuments of the english nation yet extant . in the outside of the highest steeple of the great church ther is the word god engraven in huge golden characters , evry one almost as long as my self , to make them the more visible . in this steeple hangs also the greatest bell of christendom , call'd d' amboise ; for it weighs neer upon ▪ fourty thousand pound weight . ther is also here saint oen , the greatest sanctuary in the citie , founded by one of our compatriots , as the name imports : this province is also subject to wardships , and no other part of france besides ; but whither the conqueror transported that law to england from hence , or whither he sent it over from england hither , i cannot resolve you . ther is a marvailous quick trade beaten in this town , because of the great navigable river sequana ( the seine ) that runs hence to paris , wheron ther stands a strange bridge that ebbs and flows , that riseth and fall's with the river , it being made of boats , whereon coach , and carts may passe over as well as men : besides , this is the neerest mercantil city that stands twixt paris and the sea. my last unto you was from the low-countreys , wher i was in motion to and fro above four months ; but i fear it miscarried in regard you make no mention of it in yours . i begin more and more to have a sense of the sweetnes , and advantage of forren travell : i pray when you com to london , to find a time to visit sir robert , and acknowledge his great favours unto me , and desire a continuance thereof , according as i shall endeavour to deserve them . so with my due and daily prayers for your health , and a speedy successefull issue of all your law-businesses , i humbly crave your blessing , and rest . your dutifull son , j. h. septemb. the . . xvi . to cap. francis bacon , from paris . sir , i received two of yours in roüen with the bills of exchange , ther inclos'd , and according to your directions i sent you those things which you wrote for . i am now newly com to paris , this huge magazin of men , the epitome of this large populous kingdom , and rendevouz of all forreners . the structures here are indifferently fair , though the streets generally foul all the four seasons of the yeer , which i impute first to the position of the citie being built upon an isle ( the isle of france , made so by the branching and serpentin cours of the river of seine ) and having som of her suburbs seated high , the filth runs down the channell , and settles in many places within the body of the citie , which lieth upon a flat ; as also for a world of coaches , carts , and horses of all sorts that go to and fro perpetually , so that somtimes one shall meet with a stop half a mile long of those coaches , carts , and horses , that can move neither forward nor backward by reason of some sudden encounter of others coming a crosse-way ; so that oftentimes it will be an hour or two before they can dis-intangle : in such a stop the great henry was so fatally slain by ravillac . hence comes it to passe , that this town ( for paris is a town , a city , and an university ) is alwayes dirty , and 't is such a dirt , that by perpetual motion is beaten into such a thick black onctious oyl , that wher it sticks , no art can wash it off of some colours , insomuch , that it may be no improper comparison to say , that an ill name is like the crot ( the dirt ) of paris , which is indelible ; besides the stain this dirt leaves , it gives also so strong a sent , that it may be smelt many miles off , if the wind be in ones face as he comes from the fresh air of the countrey : this may be ▪ one cause why the plague is alwayes in som corner or other of this vast citie , which may be call'd as once s●…ythia was vagina populorum , or ( as mankind was call'd by a great philosopher ) a great mole-hill of ants : yet i believe this citie is not so populous as she seems to be , for her form being round ( as the whole kingdom is ) the passengers wheel about , and meet oftner then they use to do in the long continued streets of london , which makes london appear lesse populous then she is indeed ; so that london for length ( though not for latitude ) including westminster , exceeds paris , and hath in mi●…hnelmas term more souls moving within her in all places . t is under one hundred yeers that paris is becom so sumptuous , and strong in buildings ; for her houses were mean , untill a myne of white stone was discover'd ●…ard by , which runs in a continued vein of earth , and is digg'd out with ease being soft , and is between a white-clay and chalk at first , but being pullied up , with the open air it receives a crusty kind of hardnes , and so becomes perfect freestone ; and before it is sent up from the pit , they can reduce it to any form : of this stone , the louvre , the kings palace is built , which is a vast fabric , for the gallerie wants not much of an italian mile in length , and will easily lodg men , which some told me , was the end for which the last king made it so big , that lying at the fag end of this great mutinous citie ; if she perchance should rise , the king might powre o●…t of the louvre so many thousand men unawares into the heart of her . i am lodg'd here hard by the bastile , because it is furthest off from those places where the english resort ; for i would go on to get a little language as soon as i could . in my next , i shall impart unto you what state-news france affords , in the interim , and alwayes i am your humble servant , j. h. paris , . of march , . xvii . to richard altham esquire ; from paris . dear sir , love is the marrow of friendship , and letters are the elixir of love ; they are the best fuell of affection , and cast a sweeter odour then any frankincense can do ; such an odour , such an aromatic perfume your late letter brought with it , proceeding from the fragrancy of those dainty flowers of eloquence , which i found blossoming as it were in every line ; i mean those sweet expressions of love and wit , which in every period were intermingled with so much art , that they seem'd to contend for mastery which was the strongest : i must confesse , that you put me to hard shifto to correspond with you in such exquisit strains and raptures of love , which were so lively , that i must needs judg them to proceed from the motions , from the diastole and systole of a heart truly affected ; certainly your heart did dictat every syllable you writ , and guided your hand all along : sir , give me leave to tell you , that not a dram , nor a doze , not a scruple of this pretious love of yours is lost , but it is safely tresur'd up in my brest , and answer'd in like proportion to the full , mine to you is as cordiall , it is passionat and perfect , as love can be . i thank you for the desire you have to know how it fares with me abroad ; i thank god i am perfectly well , and well contented with this wandring cours of life a while , i never enjoyed my health better , but i was like to endanger it two nights ago ; for being in som joviall company abroad , and coming late to our lodging , we were suddenly surprized by a crue of filous of night rogues , who drew upon us , and as we had exchang'd some blow●… , it pleas'd god , the chevatieur de guet , an officer , who goe●… up and down the streets all night a horseback to prevent disorders , pass'd by , and so rescued us ; but iack white was hurt , and i had two thrusts in my clock . ther 's never a night passeth , but some robbing or murther is committed in this town , so that it is not safe to go late any where , specially about the pont-neuf , the new bridg , though henry the great himself ●…ies centinell ther in arms , upon a huge florentine horse , and sits bare to every one that passeth , an improper posture me thinks to a king on horseback : not longsince , one of the secretaries of 〈◊〉 ( wherof ther are here always four ) having bin invited to the suburbs of saint germains to supper , left order with one of his laquays , to bring him his horse about nine , it so happen'd , that a mischance befell the horse , which lam'd him as he went a watring to the seine , insomuch , that the secretary was put to beat the hoof himself , and foot it home ; but as he was passing the pont-neuf with his laquay carrying a torch before him , he might ore hear a noise of clashing of swords , and fighting , and looking under the torch , ●…d perceiving they were but two , he bad his laquay go on ; they had not made many paces , but two armed men with their pistols cock'd , and swords drawn , made puffing towards them , whereof one had a paper in his hand , which he said , he had casually took up in the streets , and the difference between them was about that paper ; therefore they desir'd the secretary to read it , with a great deal of complement , the secretary took out his spectacles , and fell a reading of the said paper , whereof the substance was , that it should be known to all men , that whosoever did passe over that bridge after nine a clock at night in winter , and ten in summer , was to leave his cloak behind him , and in case of no cloak , his hat. the secretary starting at this , one of the camerades told him ; that he thought that paper concern'd him , so they unmantled him of a new plush cloak , and my secretary was content to go home quietly , and en cuerpo . this makes me think often , of the excellent nocturnall government of our city of london , wher one may passe and repasse securely all hours of the night , if he give good words to the watch. ther is a gentle calm of peace now throughout all france , and the king intends to make a progresse to all the frontier towns of the kingdom , to see how they are fortified . the favourit luines strengthneth himself more and more in his minionship , but he is much murmured at in regard the accesse of suiters to him is so difficult , which made a lord of this land say , that three of the hardest things in the world were , to quadrat a circl●… , to find out the philosophers stone , and to speak with the duke of luines . i have sent you by vacandary the post , the french bever and tweeses you writ for : bever-hats are grown dearer of late , because the iesuits have got the monopoly of them from the king. farewell dear child of vertue , and minion of the muse●… , and continue to love paris , . of may. . your j. h. xviii . to sir james crofts ; from paris . sir , i am to set forward this week for spain , and if i can find no commodity of embarcation at saint malos , i must be forc'd to journey it all the way by land , and clammer up the huge pyreneyhills , but i could not bid paris adieu , till i had conveyed my true and constant respects to you by this letter . i was yesterday to wait upon sir herbert croft at saint germains , where i met with a french gentleman , who amongst other curiosities , which he pleased to shew me up and down paris , brought me to that place where the late king was slain , and to that wher the marquis of ancre was shot , and so made me a punctuall relation of all the circumstances of those two acts ; which in regard they were rare , and i beleeve two of the notablest accidents that ever happen'd in france , i thought it worth the labour to make you partaker of som part of his discours . france as all christendom besides ( for ther was then a truce twixt spain and the hollander ) was in a profound peace , and had continued so twenty yeers together , when henry the fourth fell upon some great martiall design , the bottome whereof is not known to this day ; and being rich ( for he had heap'd up in the bastile a mount of gold that was as high as a lance ) he levied a huge army of men , whence came the song , the king of france with fourty thousand men , and upon a sudden he put this army in perfect equippage , and some say he invited our prince henry to come unto him to be a sharer in his exploits : but going one afternoon to the bastile , to see his tresure and ammunition , his coach stopp'd suddenly , by reason of some colliers and other carts that were in that narrow street ; whereupon one ravillac a lay jesuit ( who had a whole twelve month watch'd an opportunity to do the act ) put his foot boldly upon one of the wheels of the coach , and with a long knife stretch'd himself over their shoulders who were in the boot of the coach , and reach'd the king at the end , and stab'd him right in the left side to the heart , and pulling out the fatall steel , he doubled his thrust ; the king with a ruthfull voice cryed out , ie suis blesse ( i am hurr ) and suddenly the bloud issued at his mouth : the regicide villain was apprehended , and command given , that no violence should be offered him , that he might be reserv'd for the law , and som exquisit torture . the queen grew half distracted hereupon , who had been crown'd queen of france the day before in great tryumph ; but a few days after she had something to countervail , if not to overmatch her sorrow ; for according to saint lewis law , she was made queen regent of france during the kings minority , who was then but about years of age : many consultations were held how to punish revillas , and ther were some italia●… physitians that undertook to prescribe a torment , that should last a constant torment for three days , but he scap'd onely with this , his body was pull'd between four horses , that one might hear his bones crack , and after the dislocation , they were set again , and so he was carryed in a cart standing half naked , with a torch in that hand which had committed the murrher ; and in the place where the act was done , it was cut off , and a gauntlet of hot oyl was clap'd upon the stump , to stanch the bloud , whereat he gave a dolefull shrike , then was he brought upon a stage , wher a new pair of boots was provided for him , half fill'd with boyling oyl , then his body was pincer'd , and hot oyl powr'd into the holes ; in al the extremity of this torture , he scarce shew'd any sense of pain , but when the gauntlet was clap'd upon his arms to stanch the flux at which time he of reaking bloud , gave a shrike onely ; he boar up against all these torments about three hours before he dyed : all the confession that could be drawn from him , was , that he thought to have done god good service , totake away that king , which would have embroil'd all christendom in an endlesse war. a fatall thing it was , that france should have theee of her kings com to such violent deaths , in so short a revolution of time . henry the second running at tilt with monsieur montgomery , was kill'd by a splinter of a lance that pierc'd his eye : henry the third , not long after , was kill'd by a young fryer , who in lieu of a letter which he pretended to have for him , pull'd out of his long sleeve a knife , and thrust him into the bottom of the belly , as he was coming from his close stool , and so dispatcht him , but that regicide was hack'd to peeces in the place by the nobles : the same destiny attended this king by ravillac , which is becom now a common name of reproach and infamy in france . never was king so much lamented as this , ther are a world not onely of his pictures , but statues up and down france , and ther 's scarce a market town , but hath him erected in the market place , or ore some gate , not upon sign-posts , as our henry the eight ; and by a publick act of parliament which was confirmed in the consistory at rome , he was enti●…led , henry the great , and so plac'd in the temple of immortality . a notable prince he was , and of in admirable temper of body and mind , he had a gracefull facetious way to gain both love and aw , he would be never transported beyond himself with choler , but he would passe by any thing with some repartie , som witty strain , wherein he was excellent : i will instance in a few which were told me from a good hand . one day he was charg'd by the duke of bovillon to have chang'd his religion , he answer'd , no cosin , i have chang'd no religion , but an opinion ; and the cardinall of perron being by , he injoyn'd him to write a treatise for his vindication , the cardinal was long about the work , and when the king ask'd from time to time where his book was , he would still answer him , that he expected som manuscripts from rome before he could finish it : it happen'd , that one day the king took the cardinall along with him to look on his workmen , and new buildings at the louvre ; and passing by one corner which had bin a long time begun but left unfinished , the king ask'd the chief mason , why that corner was not all this while perfected ? sir , it is because i want som choice stones ; no , no , said the king , looking upon the cardinall , it is because thou want'●… manuscripts from rome . another time , the old duke of main , who was us'd to play the drol with him , coming softly into his bed-chamber , and thrusting in his bald-head , and long-neck , in a posture to make the king merry , it happen'd the king was coming from doing his ease , and spying him , he took the round cover of the close-stool , and clap'd it on his bald-sconce , saying , a●… cousin , you thought once to have taken the crown off of my head , and wear it on your own ; but this of my tail shall now serve your turn . another time , when at the siege of ami●…ns , he having sent for the count of soissons ( who had franks a yeer pension from the crown ) to assist him in those wars , and that the count excused himself , by reason of his yeers , and poverty , having exhausted himself in the former wars , and all that he could do now , was to pray for his majesty , which he would do heartily : this answer being brought to the king , he replied , will my cousin , the count of soissons , do nothing else but pray for me , tell him that prayer without fasting , is not available ; therefore i will make my cousin fast also , from his pension of . per annum . he was once troubled with a fit of the gout , and the spanish ambassador coming then to visit him , and saying he was sorry to see his majesty so lame , he answered , as lame as i am , if ther were occasion , your master the king of spain , should no sooner have his foot in the stirrop , but he should find me on horseback . by these few you may guesse at the genius of this spritfull prince , i could make many more instances , but then i should exceed the bounds of a letter . when i am in spain you shall hear further from me , and if you can think on any thing wherin i may serve you , beleeve it sir , that any imployment from you , shall be welcom to your much obliged servant . j. h. paris , . of may , . xix . to my brother dr. howell . brother , being to morrow to part with paris , and begin my journey for spain , i thought it not amisse to send you this , in regard i know not when i shall have opportunity to write unto you again . this kingdom since the young king hath taken the scepter into his own hands doth flourish very much with quietnes and commerce ; nor is there any motion or the least tintamar of trouble in any part of the countrey , which is rare in france . t is true , the queen mother is discontented since she left her regency , being confin'd , and i know not what it may com unto in time , for she hath a strong party , and the murthering of her marquis of ancre will yet bleed as som fear . i was lately in societie of a gentleman , who was a spectator of that tragedie , and he pleas'd to relate unto me the particulars of it , which was thus : when henry the fourth was slain , the queen dowager took the reins of the government into her hands during the young kings minority ; and amongst others whom she advanc'd signor conchino , a florentin , and her foster-brother was one ; her countenance came to shine so strongly upon him , that he became her onely confident and favourit , insomuch , that she made him marquis of ancre , one of the twelve marshals of france , governour of normandy , and conferr'd divers other honours , and offices of trust upon him , and who but he ; the princes of france could not endure this domineering of a stranger , therefore they leagu'd together , to suppresse him by arms ; the queen regent having intelligence hereof , surpriz'd the prince of conde , and clap'd him up in the bastile ; the duke of main fled hereupon to peronne in pycardie , and other great men put themselves in an armed posture , to stand upon their guard : the young king being told , that the marquis of ancre was the ground of this discontentment , commanded monsieur de vitry , captain of his guard , to arrest him , and in case of resistance , to kill him : this busines was carried very closely till the next morning , that the said marquis was coming to the louvre with a ruffling train of gallants after him , and passing over the draw-bridge at the court-gate , vitry stood there with the kings guard about him , and as the marquis entred , he told him , that he had a commission from the king to apprehend him , therefore he demanded his sword ; the marquis hereupon put his hand upon his sword , some thought to yeeld it up , others to make opposition ; in the mean time vitry discharg'd a pistoll at him , and so dispatch'd him : the king being above in his gallery , ask'd what noise that was below , one smilingly answer'd ▪ nothing sir , but that the marshall of ancre is slain ; who slew him ? the captain of your guard ; why ? because he would have drawn his sword at your majesties royall commission , then the king replied , vitry hath done well , and i will maintain the act : presently the queen mother had all her guard taken from her , except six men and sixteen women , and so she was banish'd paris , and commanded to retire to blois : ancre's body was buried that night in a church hard by the court , but the next morning , when the laquays and pages ( who are more unhappy here then the apprentises in london ) broke up his grave , tore his coffin to peeces , rip'd the winding-sheet , and tied his body to an asses tail , and so dragg'd him up and down the gutters of paris , which are none of the sweetest ; they then slic'd off his ears , and nail'd them upon the gates of the city , they cut off his genitories ( and they say he was hung like an asse ) and sent them for a present to the duke of main , the rest of his body , they carried to the new-bridg , and hung him his heels upwards , and head downwards upon a new gibbet , that had bin set up a little before to punish them who should speak ill of the present government , and it was his chance to have the maiden-head of it himself : his wife was hereupon apprehended , imprisond , and beheaded for a witch som few dayes after upon a surmise , that she had enchanted the queen to dote so upon her husband ; and they say the young kings picture was found in her closet in virgin-wax , with one leg melted away ; a little after a processe was form'd against the marquis ( her husband ) and so he was condemn'd after death . this was a right act of a french popular fury , which like an angry torrent is irresistible , nor can any banks , boundaries , or dike●… stop the impetuous rage of it . how the young king will prosper after so high , and an unexampled act of violence , by beginning his raign , and embr●…ing the walls of his own court with blood in that manner , ther are divers censures . when i am settled in spain , you shall hear from me , in the interim , i pray let your prayers accompany me in this long journey , and when you write to wales , i pray acquaint our frends with my welfare . so i pray god blesse us both , and send us a happy enterview . paris , . of september , . your loving brother , j. h. xx. to my cousin w. vaughan esq from saint malo. cousin , i am now in french britany , i went back from paris to roüen , and so through all low normandy , to a little port call'd granville , wher i embark'd for this town of saint malo , but i did purge so violently at sea , that it put me into a burning feavour for some few dayes , wherof ( i thank god ) i am newly recovered , and finding no opportunity of shipping here , i must be forc'd to turn my intended sea voyage to a long land journey . since i came to this province , i was curious to converse with some of the lower bretons who speak no other language but our welsh , for their radicall words are no other , but 't is no wonder for they were a colony of welsh at first , as the name of this province doth imply , as also the latin name ▪ armorica , which though it passe for latin , yet it is but pure welsh , and signifies a countrey bordring up the sea , as that arch heretick was call'd pelagius , a pelago , his name being morgan . i was a little curious to peruse the annals of this province , and during the time that it was a kingdom , ther wer four kings of the name hoell , whereof one was call'd hoell the great . this town of saint malo hath one rarity in it , for ther is here a perpetuall garrison of english , but they are of english dogs , which are let out in the night to guard the ships , and eat the gardens up and down the streets , and so they are shut up again in the morning . it will be now a good while before i shall have conveniency to send to you , or receive from you ; howsoever , let me retain still some little room in your memory , and somtimes in your meditations , while i carry you about me perpetually , not onely in my head , but in heart , and make you travell all along with me thus from town to countrey , from hill to dale , from sea to land , up and down the world ; and you must be contented to be sub●…ect to these incertain removes and perambulations , untill it shall please god to fix me again england ; nor need you , while you are thus my concomitant through new places evry day , to fear any ill usage as long as i farewell , st. malo , . of september , . yours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , j. h. xxi . to sir john north kt. from rochell . sir , 〈◊〉 am newly com to rochell , nor am i sorry that i went somwhat out of my way to see this town , not ( to tell you true ) out of ●…ny extraordinary love i bear to the people ; for i do not find ●…em so gentle and debonnair to strangers , nor so hospitable a●…●…e rest of france , but i excuse them for it , in regard it is com●…only so with all republic and hans towns , wherof this smels ●…ery rank ▪ nor indeed hath any englishman much cause to love 〈◊〉 town , in regard in ages pass'd , she played the most trecherous part with england of any other place of france . for the story tells us , that this town having by a perfidious stratage●… ( by forging a counterfeit commission from england ) induc'd the english governour to make a general muster of all his forces ou●… of the town ; this being one day done , they shut their gate●… against him , and made him go shake his ears , and to shift for his lodging , and so rendred themselves to the french king , who sen●… them a blank to write their own conditions . i think they have the strongest ramparts by sea of any place of christendom ; no●… have i seen the like in any town of holland , whose safety depends upon water . i am bound to morrow for bourdeaux , then through gascogny to tholouse , so through languedoc ore the hill●… to spain ; i go in the best season of the yeer , for i make an autumnall journey of it . i pray let your prayers accompany me all along , they are the best offices of love , and fruits of friendship ▪ so god prosper you at home , as me abroad , and send us in good time a joyfull conjuncture , rochell , . of october , . yours , j. h. xxii . to mr. tho. porter , after cap. porter , from barcelone . my dear tom , i had no sooner set foot upon this soyl , and breath'd spanish ayr , but my thoughts presently reflected upon you : of all my frends in england , you were the first i met here , you were the prime object of my speculation ; me thought the very winds in gentle whispers did breath out your name , and blow it on me ; you seem'd to reverberat upon me with the beams of the sun , which you know hath such a powerfull influence , and indeed too great a stroke in this countrey : and all this you must ascribe to the operations of love , which hath such a strong virtuall force , that when it fastneth upon a pleasing subject , it sets the imagination in a strange fit of working , it imployes all the faculties of the soul , so that not one cell in the brain is idle , it busieth the whole inward man , it affects the heart , amuseth the understanding , it quickneth the fancy , and leads the will as it were by a silken thred to cooperat with them all : i have felt these motions often in me , specially at this time , that my memory fixed upon you : but the reason that i fell first upon you in spain , was , that i remembred i had heard you often discoursing how you had received part of your education here , which brought you to speak the language so exactly well : i think often of the relations i have heard you make of this countrey , and the good instructions you pleas'd to give me . i am now in barcelona , but the next week i intend to go on through your town of valencia to alicant , and thence you shall be sure to hear from me further , for i make account to winter there . the duke of ossuna pass'd by here lately , and having got leave of grace to release some slaves , he went aboard the cape-gallie , and passing through the churm●… of slaves , he ask'd divers of them what their offences were , evry one excus'd himself , one saying , that he was put in out of malice , another by bribery of the judge , but all of them injustly ; amongst the rest , ther was one sturdy little black man , and the duke asking him what he he was in for , sir , said he , i cannot deny but i am justly put in here , for i wanted money , and so took a purse hard by tarragona to keep me from starving ; the duke with a litte staff he had in his hand , gave him two or three blows upon the shoulders , saying , you rogue what do you do amongst so many honest innocent men , get you gone out of their company ; so he was freed , and the rest remain'd still in statu quo prius , to tugg at the oar. i pray commend me to signor camillo , and mazalao , with the rest of the venetians with you , and wher you go aboard the ship behind the exchange , think upon barcelona , . of november , . your j. h. xxiii . to sir james crofts . sir , i am now a good way within the body of spain , at barcelona , a proud wealthy citie , situated upon the mediterranean , and is the metropolis of the kingdom of catalunia , call'd of old hispania ●…raconensis : i had much ado to reach hither , for besides the monstrous abrup●…es of the way , these parts of the pyreneys that border upon the mediterranean , are never without theeves by land ( call'd ba●…doleros ) and pyrats on the sea side , which li●… sculking in the hollows of the rocks , and often surprize passengers unawares , and carry them slaves to barbary on the other side . the safest way to passe , is to take a bordon in the habit of a pilgrim , wherof ther are abundance that perform their vows this way to the lady of monserrat , one of the prime places of pilgrimage in christendom ; it is a stupendous monastery , built on the top of a huge land rock , whither it is impossible to go up , or come down by a direct way , but a path is cut out full of windings and turnings ; and on the crown of this craggy-hill , ther is a fl●… , upon which , the monastery and pilgrimage place is founded , wher ther is a picture of the virgin mary sunburnt , and tann'd , it seems when she went to egypt ; and to this picture a marvallous confluence of people from all parts of europe resort . as i pass'd between so●… of the pyrency hills , i observ'd the poor labradors , som of the countrey people live no better then bruit animals in point of food , for their ordinary commons is grasse and water , onely they have alwayes within their houses a bottle of vinegar , and another of oyl , and when dinner or supper time comes , they go abroad and gather their herbs , and so cast vinegar and oyl upon them , and will passe thus two or three dayes without bread or wine , yet are they , strong lusty men , and will stand stiffly under a musket . ther is a tradition , that ther were divers mynes of gold in ages pass'd amongst those mountains : and the shepherds that kept goats then , having made a small fire of rosemary stubs , with other combustible stuff to warm themselves , this fire graz'd along , and grew so outragious , that it consum'd the very entrails of the earth , and melted those mynes , which growing fluid by liquefaction , ran down into the small rivelets that were in the valleys , and so carried all into the sea , that monstrous gulph which swalloweth all , but seldom disgorgeth any thing ; and in these brooks to this day som small grains of gold are found . the viceroy of this countrey hath taken much pains to clear these hills of robbers , and ther hath bin a notable havock made of them this yeer ; for in divers woods as i pass'd , i might spie som trees laden with dead carcases , a better fruit far then diogenes tree bore , wheron a woman had hang'd her self , which the cynic cryed out to be the best bearing tree that ever he saw . in this place ther lives neither english marchant or factor , which i wonder at , considering that it is a maritim town , and one of the greatest in spain ; her chiefest arsenal for gallies , and the scale by which she conveys her moneys to italy ; but i believe the reason is , that ther is no commodious port here for ships of any burden , but a large bay. i will inlarge my self no further at this time , but leave you to the guard and guidance of god , whose sweet hand of protection hath brought me through so many uncouth places and difficulties to this citie : so hoping to meet your letters in alicant , wher i shall anchor a good while , i rest yours to dispose of , j. h. barcelona , . novemb. . xxiv . to dr. fr. mansell , from valentia . sir , though it be the same glorious sun that shines upon you in england , which illuminats also this part of the hemisphear ; though it be the same sun that ripeneth your pippins , and our pomgranets , your hops , and our vineyards here , yet he dispenseth his heat in different degrees of strength ; those rays that do but warm you in england , do half roast us here ; those beams that irradiat onely , and guild your honey-suckled fields , do scorch and parch this chinky gaping soyl , and so put too many wrincles upon the face of our common mother the earth . o blessed clime , o happy england , wher ther is such a rare temperature of hear and cold , and all the rest of elementary qualities , that one may passe ( and suffer little ) all the yeer long without either shade in summer , or fire in winter . i am now in valentia , one of the noblest cities of all spain , situat in a large vegue or valley , above threescore miles compasse ; here are the strongest silks , the sweetest wines , the excellenc'st almonds , the best oyls , and beutifull'st femals of all spain , for the prime courtisans in madrid , and else-where are had hence : the very bruit animals make themselves beds of rosmary , and other fragrant flowers hereabouts ; and when one is at sea , if the wind blow from the shore , he may smell this soyl before he come in sight of it many leagues off , by the strong odoriferous sent it casts ; as it is the most pleasant , so is it also the temperat'st clime of all spain , and they commonly call it the second italy , which made the moors , whereof many thousands were disterr'd and banish'd hence to barbary , to think that paradise was in that part of the heavens which hung over this city . some twelve miles off , is old sagun●…o , call'd now morvied●…e , through which i pass'd , and saw many monuments of roman antiquities there , amongst others , ther is the temple dedicated to venus , when the snake came about her neck , a little before hannibal came thither . no more now , but that i heartily wish you were here with me , and i beleeve you would not desire to be a good while in england . so i am your j. h. valentia , march the . . xxv . to christopher jones esq at grays-inne . i am now ( thanks be to god ) come to alicant , the chief rendevouz i aym'd at in spain ; for i am to send hence a commodity call'd barillia to sir robert mansell , for making of crystall-glasse , and i have treated with signor andriotti a genoa marchant for a good round parcell of it , to the value of pound , by letters of credit from master richant , and upon his credit , i might have taken many thousand pounds more , he is so well known in the kingdom of valentia . this barillia is a strange kind of vegetable , and it grows no wher upon the surface of the earth , in that perfection , as here : the venetians have it hence , and it is a commodity wherby this maritim town doth partly subsist , for it is an ingredient that goes to the making of the best castile-soap : it grows thus , 't is a round thick earthy shrub that bears berries like barbaries , but twixt blew & green , it lies close to the ground , and when it is ripe , they dig it up by the roots , and put it together in cocks , wher they leave it dry many days like hey , then they make a pit of a fadom deep in the earth , and with an instrument like one of our prongs , they take the tuffs and put fire to them , and when the flame comes to the berries they melt , and dissolve into an azure liquor , and fall down into the pit till it be full , then they dam it up , and som days after they open it , and find this barillia-juyce turn'd to a blew stone , so hard , that it is scarcc mall●…able , it is sold at one hundred crowns a tun , but i had it for lesse ; ther is also a spurious flower call'd gazull that grows here , but the glasse that 's made of that is not so resplendent and cleer . i have bin here now these three months , and most of my food hath bin grapes and bread , with other roots , which have made me so fat , that i think if you saw me , you would hardly know me , such nourriture this deep sanguin alicant grap gives . i have not receiv'd a syllable from you since i was in antwerp , which transforms me to wonder , and engenders odd thoughts of jealousie in me , that as my body grows fatter , your love grows lanker towards me ; i pray take off these scruples , and let me hear from you , else it will make a schism in friendship , which i hold to be a very holy league , and no lesse then a piacle to infringe it , in which opinion i rest your constant friend , j. h. alicant , march . . xxvi . to sir john north , knight . sir having endur'd the brunt of a whole summer in spain , and tryed the temper of all the other three seasons of the yeer , up and down the kingdoms of catalunia , valentia , and murci●… , with som parts of aragon , i am now to direct my cours for italy ; i hoped to have embark'd at carthagena , the best port upon the mediterranean , for what ships and gallies get in thither , are shut up as it were in a box from the violence and injury of all weathers , which made andrea doria being ask'd by philip the second , which were his best harbours ? he answer'd , iune , iuly , and carthagena , meaning , that any port is good in those two months , but carthagena was good any time of the yeer . ther was a most ruthfull accident had happen'd ther a little before i came , for wheras five ships had gone thence laden with souldiers for naples , amongst whom ther was the flower of the gentry of the kingdom of murcia ; those ships had hardly sail'd three leagues , but they met with sixteen fails of algier , men of war , who had lain skulking in the creeks therabouts , and they had the winds , and all things else so favourable , that of those five ships they took one , sunk another , and burnt a third , and two fled back to safe harbor ; the report hereof being bruited up and down the countrey , the gentlewomen came from the countrey to have tydings , som of their children , others of their brothers , and kinred , and went ●…earing their hair , and houling up and down the streets in a most piteous manner : the admiral of those five ships , as i heard afterwards , was sent for to madrid , and hang'd at the court gate , because he did not fight : had i com time enough to have taken the opportunity , i might have bin made , either food for hadocks , or turn'd to cinders , or have bin by this time a slave in the bannier at algier , or tugging at an oa●… ; but i hope god hath reserv'd me for a better destiny ; so i came back to alicant , where i lighted upon a lusty dutchman , who hath carried me safe hither , but we were neer upon fourty days in voyage ; we pass'd by mallorca , and minorca , the baleares insulae , by som por●…s of barbary , by sardinia , cor●…ica , and all the islands of the mediterranean sea ; we were at the mouth of tyber , and thence forc'd our cours for sicilie ; we pass'd by those sulphureous fiery islands , mongibel , and str●…mbolo , and about the dawn of the day we shot through scylla and charybdis , and so into the phare of messina , thence we touch'd upon som of the greek islands , and so came to our first intended cours , into the venetian gulph , and are now here at malamocca , wher we remain yet aboard , and must be content to be so , to make up the month before we have pratic , that is , before any be permitted to go a shore and negotiat , in regard we touch'd at some infected places : for ther are no people upon earth so fearful of the plague , as the italians , specially the venetian , though their neighbors the greeks hard by , and the turks , have little or no apprehension at all of the danger of it , for they will visit and commerce with the sick without any seruple , and will fix their longest finger in the midst of their fore-head , and say , their destiny and manner of death is pointed there . when we have gain'd y'●…n maiden city , which lieth before us , you shall hear farther from me : so leaving you to his holy protection who hath thus graciously vouchsaf'd to preserve this ship , and me , in so long and dangerous a voyage , i rest yours j. h. malamocco , april the . . xxvii . to my brother dr. howell , from a shipboard before venice . brother , if this letter fail , either in point of orthography or style , you must impute the first to the tumbling posture my body was in at the writing hereof being a shipboard , the second to the muddinesse of my brain , which like lees in a narrow vessell , hath been shaken at sea in divers tempests neer upon fourty days , i mean naturall dayes , which include the nights also , and are compos'd of four and twenty hours , by which number the italian computes his time , and tells his clock , for at the writing hereof , i heard one from malamoeca strike one and twenty hours : when i shall have saluted yonder virgin city that stands before me , and hath tantaliz'd me now this sennight , i hope to cheer my spirits , and settle my pericranium again . in this voyage we pass'd thorow , at least touch'd , all those seas , which horace and other poets sing of so often , as the iornian , the aegean , the icarian , the tyrrhene , with others , and now we are in the adrian sea , in the mouth whereof , venice ▪ stands like a gold ring in a bears muzzle : we pass'd also by aetna , by the infames scopules , acroceraunia , and through scylla and charybdis , about which the ancient poets , both greek , and latin , keep such a coyl , but they are nothing so horrid or dangerous , as they make them to be ; they are two white keen-pointed rocks , that lie under water diametrically opposed , and like two dragons defying one another , and ther are pylots , that in small shallops , are ready to steer all ships that pasle : this amongst divers other , may serve for an instance , that the old poets used to heighten and hoise up things by their ayrie fancies above the reality of truth : aetna was very furious when we pass'd by , as she useth to be somtimes more then other , specialy when the wind is southward , for then she is more subject to belching out flakes of fire ( as stutterers use to flammer more when the wind is in that hole ) som of the sparkles fell aboard of us ; but they would make us beleeve in syracusa now messina , that aetna in times pass'd , hath eructated such huge gobbets of fire , that the sparks of them have burnt houses in malta , above fifty miles off , transported thither by a direct strong wind : we pass'd hard by corinth , now ragusa , but i was not so happy as to touch there , for you know non cuivis homini contingit adire corinthum : i convers'd with many greeks , but found none that could understand , much lesse pratically speak any of the old dialects of the latin-greek , it is so adulterated by the vulgar , as a bed of flowers by weeds ; nor is ther any people , either in the islands , or on the continent , that speaks it conversably , yet there are in the merea seven parishes call'd zacones , wher the originall greek is not much degenerated , but they confound divers letters of the alphabet with one sound ; for in point of pronunciation ther is no difference 'twixt upsilon , iota , and eta . the last i received from you was in latin , wherof i sent you an answer from spain in the same language , though in a courser dialect : i shall be a guest to venice a good while , therfore i besire a frequency of correspondence between us by letters , for ther will be conveniency evry week of receiving and sending ; when you write to wales , i pray send advise , that i am come safe to italy , though not landed there yet : so my dear brother , i pray god blesse us both , and all our friends , and reserve me to see you again with comfort , and you me , who am your loving brother , j. h. may the . . xxviii . to the honourable sir robert mansell , vice-admirall of england , from venice . sir , as soon as i came to venice , i applyed my self to dispatch your businesse according to instructions , and mr. seymor was ready to contribute his best furtherance : these two italîans who are the bearers hereof , by report here , are the best gentlemen-workmen that ever blew crystall , one is allied to antoni●… miotti , the other is cousin to mazalao ; for other things they shall be sent in the ship lion , which rides here at malamocca , as i shall send you account by conveyance of mr. symns : herewith i have sent a letter to you from sir henry wotton , the lord ambassador here , of whom i have receiv'd som favours , he wish'd me to write , that you have now a double interest in him ; for wheras before he was only your servant , he is now your kinsman by your late marriage . i was lately to see the arsenall of venice , one of the worthiest things of christendom ; they say ther are as many gallies , and galeasses of all sorts , belonging to saint mare , either in cours , at anchor , in dock , or upon the carine , as ther be dayes in the yeer ; here they can build a compleat gally in half a day , and put her a float in perfect equippage , having all the ingredients fitted before hand , as they did in three hours , when henry the third pass'd this way to france from poland , who wish'd , that besides p●…is , and his parliament towns , he had this arsenal in exchange , for three o●… his chiefest cities : ther are three hundred people perpetually hero at work , and if one comes young , and grows old in saint m●…es service , he hath a pension from the state during life : being brought to see one of the clarissimos that governs this arsenall , this huge sea store ▪ house , amongst other matters reflecting upon england , he was saying , that if cavaglier don roberto mansell were now here , he thought verily the republic would make a proffer to him to be admirall of that fleet of gallies , and galeons , which are now going against the duke of ossuna , and the forces of naples , you are so well known here ▪ i was , since i came hither , in murano , a little island , about the distance of lambeth from london , wher crystall-glasse is made , and 't is a rare sight to see a whole street , where on the one side ther are twenty furnaces together at work ; they say here , that although one should transplant a glasse-furnace , from murano to venice her self , or to any of the little assembly of islands about her , or to any other part of the earth besides , and use the same materials , the same workmen , the same fuell , the self same ingredients every way , yet they cannot make crystall glasse in that perfection , for beauty and iustre , as in murano ; som impute into the qualitie of the circumambient ayr , that hangs ore the place , which is purified and attenuated by the concurrence of so many fires that are in those furnaces night and day perpetually , for they are like the vestall fire which never goes out ; and it is well known , that some ayrs make more qualifying impressions then others , as a greek●…old ●…old me in sicily , of the ayr of egypt , wher ther be huge common furnaces to hatch eggs by the thousands in came●…s dung ; for during the time of hatching , if the ayr happen to come to be overcast , and grow cloudy , it spoyls all ; if the skie continue still serene and clear , not one egg in a hundred will misca●…ry . i met with camillo your consaorman here lately , and could he be sure of entertainment , he would return to serve you again , and i believe for lesse-salary . i shall attend your commands herein by the next , and touching other particulars , wherof i have written to captain bacon : so i rest venice , may the : . your most humble and ready servant , j. h. xxix . to my brother , from venice . brother , i found a letter of yours that had lain dormant here a good while in mr. symns hands , to welcom me to venice , and i thank you for the variety of news wherwith she went sreighted ; for she was to me , as a ship richly laden from london useth to be to our marchants here , and i esteem her cargazon at no lesse a value , for she inrich'd me with the knowledg of my fathers health , and your own , with the rest of my brothers , and sisters , in the countrey , with divers other passages of contentment ; besides , she went also ballasted with your good instructions , which as marchants use to do of their commodities , i will turn to the best advantage , and italy is no ill market to improve any thing ; the onely procede ( that i may use the mercantil term ) you can expect , is thanks , and this way i shall not be wanting to make you rich returns . since i came to this town i dispatch'd sundry businesses of good value for sir robert mansell , which i hope will give content : the art of glasse-making here is very highly valued , for whosoever be of that profession , are gentlemen ipso facto , and it is not without reason , it being a rare kind of knowledg and chymistry , to transmute dust and sand ( for they are the onely main ingredients ) to such a diaphanous pellucid dainty body as you see a crystal-glasse is , which hath this property above gold or silver or any other minerall , to admit no poyson ; as also , that it never , wastes or loseth a whit of its first weight , though you use it never so long : when i saw so many sorts of curious glasses made here , i thought upon the complement which a gentleman put upon a lady in england , who having five or six comly daughters , said , he never saw in his life , such a dainty cupboard of crystall-glasses ; the complement proceeds it seems from a saying they have here , that the first handsom woman that ever was made , was made of venice-glasse , which implies beuty , but brittlenes withall ( and venice is not unfurnish'd with som of that mould , for no place abounds more with lasses and glasses ) but considering the brittlenes of the stuff , it was an odd kind of melancholly in him , that could not be perswaded , but he was an urinal , surely he deserv'd to be piss'd in the mouth : but when i pried into the materials , and observ'd the furnaces and the calcinations , the transubstantintions , the liquefactions that are incident to this art , my thoughts were rais'd to a higher speculation ; that if this small furnace-fire hath vertue to convert such a small lump of dark dust and sand into such a specious clear body as crystall , surely , that gran universall-site , which shall happen at the day of judgment , may by its violent-ardor vitrifie and turn to one lump of crystall , the whole body of the earth ; nor am i the first that fell upon this conceit . i will in large my self no further to you at this time , but conclude with this tetrastic which my brain ran upon in my bed this morning . vistrea sunt nostrae comissa negotia curae , hoc oculis speculum mittimus ergo luis : quod speculum ? est instar speculi mea littera , per quod vivida fraterni cordis imago nitet . adieu my dear brother , live happily , and love ven : the . of june , . your brother , j. h. xxx . to mr. richard altham at grayes-inne , from venice . gentle sir , — o dulcior illo melle quod in ceris attica ponit apis . o thou who dost in sweetnesse far excell , that iuycc the attic bee store's in her cell . my dear dick , i have now a good while since taken footing in venice , this admired maid●… citie , so call'd , because she was never deflour'd by any enemy since she had a being , not since her rialto was first erected , which is now above twelve ages ago . i protest unto you at my first landing , i was for som dayes ravish'd with the high beuty of this maid , with her lovely countenance , i admir'd her magnificent buildings , her marvailous situation , her dainty smooth neat streets , wheron you may walk most dayes in the yeer in a silk-stockin , and sattin-slippers , without soiling them , not can the steets of paris be so foul , as these are fair . this beutious maid hath bin often attempted to be vitiated , som have courted her , som brib'd her , som would have forc'd her ▪ yet she hath still preserv'd her chastity intire ; and though she hath liv'd so many ages , and pass'd so many shrew'd brunts , yet she continueth fresh to this very day without the least wrinkle of old age , or any symptomes of decay , wherunto political bodies , as well as naturall , use to be liable . besides the hath wrestled with the greatest potentats upon earth ; the emperour , the king of france , and most of the other princes of christendome in that famous league of cambray would have sunk her , but she bore up still within her lakes , and broke that league to peeces by her wit ; the gran turk hath bin often at her , and though he could not have his will of her , yet he took away the richest jewell she wore in her cornet , and put it in his turban , i mean the kingdom of cypres the onely royall gem she had ; he hath set upon her skirts often since , and though she clos'd with him somtimes , yet she came off still with her maiden-head , though some that envy her happines , would brand her to be of late times a kind of concubin to him , and that she gives him ready money once a yeer to lie with her , which she minceth by the name of present , though it 〈◊〉 indeed rather a tribut . i would i had you here with a wish , and you would not desire in haste to be at grayes-inne , though i hold your walks to be the pleasant'st place about london ; and that you have there the choicest society . i pray present my kind commendations to all there , and my service at bishops-gate-street , and let me hear from you by the next post : so i am ven : . iun. . intirely yours , j. h. xxxi . to dr. fr. mansell , from venice . give me leave to salute you first in these sapphics . in●●●●● tendens iter ad britannam ch●●ta ▪ te paucis volo , 〈◊〉 gressum , verba mansello , bene noscis illum , talia perfer . finibus longè patriis hoellus di 〈…〉 , quantis venetium superb● civitas 〈◊〉 distat ab urbe plurimam mentis tibi vult salutem , plurimum cordis tibi vult vigorem , plurimum sortis tibi vult favorem regis & aulae . these wishes com to you from venice , a place wher ther is nothing wanting that heart can wish : renowned venice , the admiredst city in the world , a city that all europ is bound unto , for she is her greatest ram part against that huge eastern tyrant the turk by sea , else i beleeve he had over-run all christendo●… by this time : against him this city hath perform'd notable exploits , and not only against him , but divers other : she hath restor'd emperours to their throne , and popes to their chairs , and with her gallies often preserv'd saint peters bark from sinking : for which , by way of reward , one of his suceessors espo●…s'd her to the sea , which marriage is solemnly renew'd evry yeer in solemn profession by the doge , and all the clarissunos , and a gold ring cast into the sea out of the great galeasse , call'd the 〈◊〉 , wherin the first ceremony was perform'd by the pope himself , above three hundred yeers since , and they say it is the self-same vessell still , though often put upon the carine , and trim'd ▪ this made me think on that famous ship at athens ; nay , i fell upon 〈◊〉 abstracted notion in philosophy , and a speculation touching the body of man , which being in perpetuall flux , and a kind of succession of decayes , and consequently requiring ever and anon , a restauration of what it loseth of the vertue of the former alim●…nt , and what was converted after the third concoction into bloud and fleshy substance , which as in all other sublunary bodies that have internall principles of heat , useth to transpire , breath out , and wast away through invisible pores by exercise , motion , and sleep , to make room still for a supply of new nourriture : i fell , i say , to consider whither our bodies may be said to be of like condition with this bucentore ; which though it be reputed still the same vessell , yet i beleeve ther 's not a foot of that timber remaining which it had upon the first dock , having bin as they tell me , so often plank'd and ribb'd , caulk'd and peec'd : in like manner our bodies may be said to be daily repaired by new sustenance , which begets new bloud , and consequently new spirits , new humours , and i may say new flesh , the old by continuall deperdition and insensible transpirations evaporating still out of us , and giving way to fresh ; so that i make a question , whither by reason of these perpetuall reparations , and accretions , the body of man may be said to be the same numericall body in his old age that he had in his manhood , or the same in his manhood , that he had in his youth , the same in his youth that he carried about him in his childhood , or the same in his childhood which he wore first in the womb : i make a doubt , whither i had the same identicall , individually numericall body , when i carried a calf-leather sachell to school in hereford , as when i woar a lamskin hood in oxford , or whither i have the same masse of bloud in my veins , and the same flesh now in venice which i carried about me three yeers since , up and down london streets , having in lieu of beer and al●… , drunk wine all this while , and fed upon different viands ; now the stomach is like a crusible , for it hath a chymicall kind of vertue to transmute one body into another , to transubstantiat fish and fruits into flesh within , and about us ; but though it be questionable , whither i wear the same flesh which is fluxible , i am sure my hair is not the same , for you may remember i went flaxen-hair'd out ●…of england , but you shall find me return'd with a very dark brown , which i impute not onely to the heat and ayr of those hot countries i have eat my bread in , but to the quality and difference of food ; but you will say , that hair is but an excrementitious thing , and makes not to this purpose ; moreover , me thinks i hear yon say , that this may be true , onely in the bloud and spirits , or such fluid parts , not in the solid and heterogeneall parts : but i will presse no further at this time this philosophical notion which the ●…ght of bucentor●… infus'd into me , for it hath already made me exceed the bounds of a letter , and i fear me to trespasse too much upon your patience ; i leave the further disquisition of this point to your own contemplations , who are a far riper philosopher then i , and have waded deeper into , and drunk more of aristotles well ; but to conclude , though it be doubtfull whither i carry about me the same body or no , in all points that i had in england , i am well assur'd , i bear still the same mind , and therein i verif●… the old vers . coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt . the ayr , but not the mind they change , who in outlandish countreys range . for what alterations soever happen in this microcosm , in this little world , this small bulk and body of mine , you may be confident , that nothing shall alter my affections , specially toward you , but that i will persever still the same , the very same , j. h. ven. . iun. . xxxii . to richard altham , esquire . dear sir , i was plung'd in a deep fit of melancholly , satum had cast his black influence ore all my intellectuals , me thought i felt my heart as a lump of dow , and heavy as lead within my brest ; when a letter of yours of the third of this month was brought me , which presently begot new spirits within me , and made such strong impressions upon my intellectuals , that it turn'd and transform'd me into another man. i have read of a duke of milan , and others , who were poyson'd by reading of a letter , but yours produc'd contrary effects in me , it became an antidot , or rather ●… most soverain cordial to me , more operative then bezar , of more vertue then potable gold , or the elixir of ambar , for it wrought a sudden cure upon me : that fluent and rare mixture of love , and wit , which i found up and down therein , were the ingredients of this cordiall ; they were as so many choice flowers , strw'd here and ther , which did cast such an odoriferous sent , that they reviv'd all my sence●… , and dispell'd those dull fumes which had formerly ore clouded my brain : such was the operation of your most ingenuous and affectionat letter , and so sweet an entertainment it gave me : if your letter had that vertue , what would your person have don ; and did you know all , you would wish your person here a while ; did you know the rare beuty of this virgin-clty , you would quickly make love to her , and change your royall exchange for the rialto , and your grayes-inne . walks for saint marks place for a time . farewell dear child of vertue , and minion of the muses , and love still ven. . iuly . your j. h. xxiii . to my much honoured frend sir john north kt. from venice . noble sir , the first office of gratitude is , to receive a good turn civilly , then to retain it in memory and acknowledg it , thirdly , to endeavour a requitall , for this last office , it is in vain for me to attempt it , specially towards you , who have laden me with such a variety of courtesies , and weighty favours , that my poor stock comes far short of any retaliation ; but for the other two , reception and retention , as i am not conscious to have bin wanting in the first act , so i shall never fail in the second , because both these are within the compasse of my power ; for if you could pry into my memory , you should discover there a huge magazin of your favours ( you have bin pleas'd to do me present and absent ) safeiy stor'd up and coacervated , to preserve them from mouldring away in oblivion , for courtesies should be no perishable commodity : should i attempt any other requitall , i should extenuat your favours , and derogat from the worth of them ▪ yet if to this of the memory , i can contribut any other act of body or mind , to enlarge my acknowledgments towards you ; you may be well assured , that i shall be ever ready to court any occasion , wherby the world may know how much i am ven : . iul. your thankfull servitor , j. h. xxxiv . to dan. caldwall esq from venice . my dear d. could letters flie with the same wings as love useth to do , and cut the ayr with the like swiftnes of motion , this letter of mine should work a miracle , and be with you in an instant ; nor should she fear interception , or any other casualty in the way , or cost you one penny the post , for she should passe invisibly : but 't is not fitting , that paper which is made but of old ragg's wherwith letters are swadled , should have the same priviledg as love , which is a spirituall thing , having somthing of divinity in it , and partake●… in ●…elerity with the imagination , then which ther is not any thing more swift you know , no not the motion of the upper sphere the 〈◊〉 mobile , which snatcheth all the other mine after it , and indeed the whole macrocosm all the world besi●…es , except our earth ( the center , ) which upper sphere the astronomers would have to move so many degrees , so many thousand miles in a moment ; fince then , letters are denied such a velocity , i allow this of ●…ine twenty dayes , which is the ordinary time allow'd twixt venice and london , to com unto you , and thank you a thousand 〈◊〉 over for your last of the tenth of iune , and the rich venison feast you made , as i understand not long since , to the remembrance of the , at the ship tavern : believe it sir , you shall find that this love of yours , is not ill imployed , for i esteem it at the highest degree , i value it more then the treasury of saint mark , which i lately saw , wher amongst other things , ther is a huge iron chest as tall as my self , that hath no lock , but a crevice , through which they cast in the gold that 's bequeath'd to saint mark in legacies , wheron ther is ingraven this proud motto . quando questo scrimio s' aprirá , tutto'l mundo tremera . when this chest shall open , the whole world shall tremble ; the duke of ossuna , late vice-roy of naples , did what he could to force them to open it , for he brought saint mark to wast much of this tresure in the late wars , which he made purposely to that end , which made them have recours to us , and the hollander for ships , not long since . amongst the rest of italy , this is call'd the maidin citie ( notwithstanding her great number of courtisans ) and ther is a prophecy , that she shall continue a maid untill her husband for sake her , meaning the sea , to whom the pope married her long fince , and the sea is observ'd not to love her so deeply as he did , for he begins to shrink , and grow shallower in som places about her ; not doth the pope also , who was the father that gave her to the sea , affect her as much as he formerly did , specially since the extermination of the jesuits ; so that both husband , and father , begin to abandon her . i am to be a guest to this hospitable maid , a good while yet , and if you want any commodity that she can afford ( and what cannot she afford for humane pleasure or delight ? ) do but write , and it shall be sent you . farewell gentle soul , and correspond still in pure love with ven : . of iul. . your j. h. xxxv . to sir james crofts kt. from venice . sir , i receiv'd one of yours the last week , that came in my lord ambassador w●…ttons packet , and being now upon point of parting with venice , i could not do it without acquainting you ( as far as the extent of a letter will permit ) with her power , her policy , her wealth , and pedigree : she was built of the ruines of 〈◊〉 and padoüa , for when those swarms of tough northern peeple overran italy , under the conduct of that scourge of heaven attila , with others , and that this soft voluptuous nation after so long a desuetude from arms , could not repell their fury , many of the ancient nobility and gentry fled into these lakes and little islands , amongst the fishermen for their security ; and finding the ayr good and commodious for habitation , they began to build upon these small islands , wherof ther are in all threescore , and in tract of time , they conjoyn'd and leagu'd them together by bridges , wherof ther are now above . and this makes up the citie of venice ; who is now above twelve ages old , and was contemporary with the monarchy of france ; but the signory glorieth in one thing above the monarchy , that she was born a christian , but the monarchy not . though this citie be thus hem'd in with the sea , yet she spreads her wings far and wide upon the shore ; she hath in lombardy six considerable towns , padova , verona , vicenz●… , brescia , cromo , and bergamo ; she hath in the marquisat , bassan and castelfranco ; she hath all friuli and istria ; she commands the shores of dalmatia and slavonia ; she keeps under the power of saint mark , the islands of corfù ( anciently corcyria ) ceptalonia , zant , cerigo , lucerigo , and candy ( ioves cradle ; ) she had a long time the kingdom of cypres , but it was quite rent from her by the turk , which made that high spirited bassa , being taken prisoner at the battle of lepanto , wher the gran signor lost above gallies , to say , that that defeat to his great master was but like the s●…aving of his beard , or the pairing of his nails ; but the taking of cypres was like the cutting off of a lim , which will never grow again : this mighty potentat being so neer a neighbour to her , she is forc'd to comply with him , and give him an annuall present in gold : she hath about thirty gallies most part of the yeer in cours to scowre and secure the gulph ; she entertains by land in lombardy , and other parts . foot , besides some of the cantons of suisses whom she gives pay unto ; she hath also in constant pay . men of arms , and evry of these must keep two horses a peece , for which they are allowed . duckats a yeer , and they are for the most part gentlemen of lombardy : when they have any great expedition to make , they have alwayes a stranger for their generall , but he is supervis'd by two prov●…ditors , without whom he cannot attempt any thing . her great counsell consists of above gentlemen , and some of them meet evry sunday and holyday , to chuse officers , and magistrates ; and evry gentleman being pass'd . yeer●… of age , is capable to sit in this counsell : the doge or duke ( their soverain magistrate ) is chosen by lots , which would be too tedious here to demonstrat , and commonly he is an aged man who is created , like that cours they hold in the popedom . when he is dead ther be inquisitors that examin his actions , and his misdemeanors are punishable in his heirs : ther is a surintenden●… counsell of ten , and six of them may dispatch busines without the doge , but the doge never without som of them , not as much as open a letter from any forrain state , though address'd to himself , which makes him to be call'd by other princes , testadi legno , ahead of wood. the wealth of this republic hath bin at a stand , or rather declining since the portugall found a road to the east-indies by the cape of good hope ; for this city was us'd to fetch all those spices , and other indian commodities , from the gran cayro down the nile , being formerly carried to cayro from the red sea , upon camels and dromedaries backs , threescore dayes journey ; and so venice us'd to dispence those commodities through all christendom , which not onely the portugall , but the english , and hollander , now transport , and are masters of the trade . yet ther is no outward appearance at all of poverty , or any decay in this city , but she is still gay , flourishing , and fresh , and flowing with all kind of bravery and delight , which may be had at cheap rates . much more might be written of this ancient wi●…e republic , which cannot be comprehended within the narrow inclosure of a letter . so with my due and daily prayers , for a continuance of your health , and increase of honour , i rest ven : . of august , . your most ●…umble and ready servitor , j. h. xxxvi . to robert brown esquire , at the middle-temple , from venice . robin , i have now enough of the maiden citie , and this week i am to go further into italy ; for though i have bin a good while in venice , yet i cannot say i have bin hitherto upon the continent of italy , for this citie is nought else but a knot of islands in the adriatic sea , joyn'd in one body by bridges , and a good way distant from the firm land : i have lighted upon very choice company , your cousin brown , and master web , and we all take the r●… of lombardy ; but we made an order amongst our selves , that our discours be alwayes in the language of the countrey , under penalty of a for ●…iture , which is to be indispensably payed 〈◊〉 sy●…s made us a curious feast lately , wher in a cup of the richest greek we had your health , and i could not tell whither the wine or the remembrance of you was sweeter ; for it was naturally a kind of aromatic wine , which left a fragrant perfuming kind of farewell behind it . i have sent you a runlet of it in the ship lion , and if it com safe and unprick'd , i pray bestow som bottles upon the lady ( you know ) with my humble service . when you write next to master simns , i pray acknowledg the good hospitality , and extraordinary civilities i received from him : before i conclude , i will acquaint you with a common saying that is us'd of this dainty citie of venice . venetia , venetia , chi non te vede non te pregia , ma chi t'há troppo veduto te despreggia . english'd and rim'd thus ( though i know you need no translation , you understand so much of italian , ) venice , venice , none thee unseen can prize , who hath seen thee too much will thee despise . i will conclude with that famous hexastic which sanz●●●●●● made of this rare cite , which pleaseth me much better . viderat hadriatis venetam neptunus in undis stare urbem , & toti ponere jura mari ; nunc mihi tarpeias quantum vis jupiter arces o●●●ice , & illa tui moenia martis , ait , sic pelago tibrim praefers , urbem aspice utramque illam homines dices , hanc posuisse deos. when neptun saw in adrian surges stand venice , and give the sea laws of command : now jove said he , object thy capitoll , and mars proud walls : this were for to extoll tyber beyond the main ▪ both towns behold , r 〈…〉 men thou 'lt say , venice the gods did mould . sanz●●●●●● had given him by saint mark a hundred 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 evry one of these verses , which amounts to about pounds . it would be long before the 〈◊〉 of london would do the like : witne●… that ●…old reward , or rather those cold drops of w●… which were cast upon my countreyman sir hugh middleto●… , for beinging ware river through her streets , the most serviceable and 〈◊〉 sor●…est benefit that ever she received . the parcell of italian books that you writ for , you shall receive 〈◊〉 master leat , if it please god to send the ship to safe port ; and i take it as a favour , that you imploy me in any thing that m●…y ●…nduce to your contentment ; because i am your serious servitor , j. h. ven : . aug. . xxxvii . to cap. thomas porter , from venice . my dear captain , as i was going a shipboard in alicant , a letter of yours in spanish came to hand : i discovered two things in it , first , what a master you are of that language , then how mindfull you are of your frend ; for the first , i dare not correspond with you yet ; for the second , i shall never com short of you , for i am as mindfull of you , as possibly you can be of me , and som hours , my puls doth not beat more often , then my memory runs on you , which is often enough in conscience ; for the physitians hold , that in evry well dispos'd body , ther be above pulsations evry hour , and some pulses have bin known to beat above times an hour in acute feavours . i understand you are bound with a gallant fleet for the mediterranean , if you com to alicant , i pray commend me to francisco marco my land-lord , he is a merry drole , and good company : one night when i was ther he sent his boy with a borracho of leather under his cloak for wine , the boy coming back about ten a clock , and passing by the guard , one ask'd him whither he carried any weapons about him ( for none must wear any weapons there after ten at night , ) no quoth the boy being pleasant , i have but a little dagger ; the watch came and search'd him , and finding the barracho full of good wine , drunk it all up , saying , sirrah , you know no man must carry any weapons so late : but because we know whose servant you are , ther 's the scabbard of your dagger again , and so threw him the empty borracho ; but another passage pleas'd me better of don beltran de rosa , who being to marry a rich labradors ( a yeomans ) daughter hard by , which was much importun'd by her parents to the match , because their family should be thereby ennobled , he being a cavalier of saint iago ; the young maid having understood that don beltran had bin in naples , and had that disease about him , answered wittily , en verdad pro adobar mi la sangre , no quiero danar mi la carne ; truely sir , to better my blood , i will not hurt my flesh . i doubt i shall not be in england before you set out to sea , if not , i take my leave of you in this paper , and wish you a prosperous voyage and an honourable return ; it is the hearty prayers of ven : . aug. . your j. h. xxxviii . to sir william saint john knight , from venice . sir , having seen ant●…nors tomb in padoiia , and the amphitheater of flaminius in verona , with other brave towns in lombardy , i am now co●… to rome , and rome they say is evry mans countrey , she is call'd communis patria , for evry one that is within the compasse of the latin church , finds himself here as it were at hom , and in his mothers house , in regard of interest in religion , which is the cause , that for one native , ther be five strangers that sojourn in this city , and without any distinction , or mark of strangenes , they com to preferments and offices , both in church and state , according to merrit , which is more valued and sought after here , then any where . but whereas i expected to have found rome elevated upon seven hills , i met her rather spreading upon a flat , having humbled her self since she was made a christian , and descended from those hills to campus martius , with trasteren , and the suburbs of saint peter she hath yet in compasse about fourteen miles , which is far short of that vast circuit she had in claudius his time ; for vopiscu●… writes she was then of fifty miles circumference , and she had five hundred thousand free citizens in a famous cense that was made , which allowing , but six to evry family in women , children , and servants , came to three millions of souls , but she is now a wildernes in comparison of that number : the pope is grown to be a great temporall prince of late yeers , for the state of the church extends above . miles in length , and miles in breadth , it contains ferrara , bologna , romagnia , the marquisat of ancona , umbria , sabina , perugia , with a part of toscany , the patrimony , rome her self , and latium : in these ther are above fifty bishopricks , the pope hath also the dutchy of spoleto , and the exarchat of ravenna ; he hath the town of beneventa in the kingdom of naples , and the county of venisse call'd avignon in france ; he hath title also good enough to naples it self , but rather then offend his champion the king of spain , he is contented with a white mule , and purse of pistols about the neck , which he receives evry yeer for a heriot or homage , or what you will call it ; he pretends also to be lord paramount of sicily , ●…rbin , par●…a , and masser●… , of norway , ireland , and england , since king iohn did prostrat our crown at pandelfo his legat's feet . the state of the apostolie see here in italy lieth twixt two seas , the adriati●… , and the tyrrh●… , and it runs through the midst of italy , which makes the pope powerfull to do good or harm , and more capable then any other to be an umpire or an enemy : his authority being mixt twixt temporall and spirituall disperseth it self into so many members , that a young man may grow old here , before he can well understand the form of government . the consistory of cardinals meet but once a week , and once a week they solemnly wait all upon the pope . i am told ther are now in all christendom but sixty eight cardinals , wherof ther are six cardinall bishops , fifty one cardinall priests , and eleven cardinall deacons : the cardinall bishops attend and sit neer the pope , when he celebrats any festivall : the cardinall priests assist him at masse , and the cardinall deacons attire him . a cardinall is made by a short breve or writ from the pope in these words , creamus te socium regibus , superiorem ducibus & fratrem ●…ostrum : we creat thee a companion to kings , superior to dukes , and our brother : if a cardinall bishop should be questioned for any offence , ther must be twenty four witnesses produc'd against him . the bishop of o●…ia hath most priviledg of any other , for he consecrats and instals the pope , and goes always next to him : all these cardinals have the repute of princes , and besides other incomes , they have the annats of benefices to support their greatnesse . for point of power , the pope is able to put men in the field , in case of necessity , besides his navall strength in gallies . we read how paul the third sent charles the fifth twelve thousand foot , and . horse . pius the fifth sent a greater ayd to charles the ninth ▪ and for riches , besides the temporall dominions he hath in all the countreyes before named , the datary or dispatching of bulls , the trienniall subsidies , annats , and other ecclesiastic rights , mount to an unknown sum ; and it is a common saying here . that as long as the pope can finger a pen , he can want no pence . pius the fifth , notwithstanding his expences in buildings left four millions in the castle of saint angelo , in lesse then five yeers , more i beleeve then this gregory the fifteenth will , for he hath many nephews ; and better it is to be the popes nephew , then to be favorit to any prince in christendom . touching the temporall government of rome , and oppidan affairs ; ther is a pretor , and som choice citizens which ●…it in the capitoll : amongst other peeces of policy , ther is a synagog of jews permitted here ( as in other places of italy ) under the popes nose , but they go with a mark of distinction in their hats , they are tolerated for advantage of commerce , wherin the jews are wonderfull dextrous , though most of them be only brokers and lom●…rdeers ; and they are held to be here , as the cinic held women to be ●…alum necessarium . ther be few of the romans that use to pray heartily for the popes long life , in regard the oftner the change is , the more advantagious it is for the city , because commonly it brings strangers , and a recruit of new people . this ayr of rome is not so wholsom as of old , and amongst other reasons one is because of the burning of stubble to fatten their fields ; for her antiquities , it would take up a whole volumn to write them , those which i hold the chiefest are vespasia●…s amphitheater , wher fourscore thousand people might sit ; the stoves of anthony , divers rare statues at belveder and saint peters , specially that of laocoon , the obelisk ; for the genius of the roman hath alwayes bin much taken with imagery , limming , and sculptures , insomuch , that as in former times , so now , i beleeve the statues and pictures in rome , exceed the number of living people : one antiquity among other , is very remarkable , because of the change of language ; which is an ancient column erected as a trophey for duillius the consull , after a famous navall victory obtain'd against the carthaginians in the second punic war , wher these words are ingraven and remain legible to this day . exemet leciones maci●…rates castreis exfocient pugnandod cepet enque ●…avebos marid consull , &c. and half a dozen lines more it is call'd columna restrata , having the beaks and prores of ships ingraven up and down , wherby it appears , that the latin then spoken was much differing from that which was us'd in ciceros time . yeers after . since the dismembring of the empire rome hath run through many vieissitudes , and turns of fortune ; and had it not bin for the residence of the pope , i beleeve she had becom a heap of ●…tones , a mount of rubbish by this time ; and howsoever that she bears up indifferent well , yet one may say , qui miseranda videt veteris vestigia romae , ille potest meritò dicere roma suit . they who the ruines of first rome behold , may say , rome is not now , but was of old . present rome may be said to be but the monument of rome pass'd , when she was in that flourish that saint austin desired to see her in : she who tam'd the world , tam'd her self at last , and falling under her own weight , fell to be a prey to time ; yet ther is a providence seems to have a care of her still ; for though her ayr ●…e not so good , nor her circumjacent soyl so kindly as it was , yet she hath wherwith to keep life and soul together still , by her ecclesiastic courts , which is the sole cause of her peepling now : so that it may be said , when the pope came to be her head , she was reduc'd to her first principles ; for as a shepherd was founder , so a shepherd is still her governour and preserver . but wheras the french have an odd saying , that iamais cheval ny homme , s'amenda pour aller a rome . ne're horse , or man did mend , that unto rome did wend. truly i must confesse , that i find my self much better'd by it ; for the sight of som of these ruines did fill me with symptoms of mortification , and made me more sensible of the frailty of all sublunary things , how all bodies , as well inanimat as animat , are subject to dissolution and change , and evry thing else under the moon , except the love of your faithfull servitor , j. h. rome , septemb. , . xxxix . to sir t. h. kt. from naples . sir i am now in the gentle city of naples , a citie swelling with all delight , gallantry and wealth ; and truely , in my opinion , the king of spains greatnes appears here more emminently , then in spain it self : this is a delicat luxurious citie , fuller of true-bred cavaliers , then any place i saw yet . the clime is hot , and the constitutions of the inhabitants more hot . the napolitan is accounted the best courtier of ladies , and the greatest embracer of pleasure of any other peeple : they say ther is no lesse here then twenty thousand courtizans registred in the office of savelli . this kingdom with calabria , may be said to be the one moytie of italy , it extends it self . miles , and spreds in bredth ; it contains towns , it hath archbishops bishops , princes , dukes , marquisses , and barons . ther are three presidiall castles in this citie ; and though the kingdom abound in rich staple commodities , as silks , cottons , and wine , and that ther is a mighty revenue comes to the crown ; yet the king of spain when he casts up his account at the yeers end , makes but little benefit therof , for it is eaten up twixt governours , garrisons , and officers . he is forc'd to maintain spanish foot , call'd the tercia of naples , in the castles he hath in perpetuall garrison ; he hath men of arms , light-horse ; besides ther are five footmen enroll'd for evry hundred fire ; and he had need to do all this , to keep this voluptuous people in aw ; for the story musters up seven and twenty famous rebellions of the neapolitans in lesse then yeers : but now they pay soundly for it , for one shall hear them groan up and down under the spanish yoak ; and commonly the king of spain sends som of his grandes hither , to repair their decayed fortunes , whence the saying sprung , that the viceroy of sicily gnaws , the governour of milan eats , but the viceroy of naples devoures . our english merchants here , beat a considerable trade , and their factors live in better equippage , and in a more splendid manner , as in all italy besides , then their masters and principalls in london , they ruffle in silks and sattins , and wear good spanish leather-shooes , while their masters-shooes upon our exchange in london shine with blacking . at puzzoli not far off amongst the grotts , ther are so many strange stupendous things , that nature her self seem'd to have studied of purpose how to make her self there admir'd : i reserve the discoursing of them with the nature of the tarantola , and manna which is gatherd'd here and no wher else , with other things , till i shall see you , for they are fitter for discours then a letter . i will conclude with a proverb they have in italy of this people . napolitano , largo di bocca , stretto di mano . the neapolitans have wide mouths , but narrow hands . they make strong masculin promises , but femal performances ( for deeds are men , and words are women ) and if in a whole floud of complements one find a drop of reality , t is well . the first acceptance of a courtesie is accounted the greatest incivility that can be amongst them , and a ground for a quarrell , as i heard of a german gentleman that was baffled for accepting one onely invitation to a dinner . so desiring to be preserv'd still in your good opinion , and in the rank of your seravants , i rest alwayes most ready at your disposing , j. - h. naples , octob. the . . xl. to christopher jones esq at grayes-inne , from naples . honoured father , i must still stile you so , since i was adopted your son , by so good a mother as oxford : my mind lately prompted me , that i ●…ould commit a great soloecisme , if amongst the rest of my frends 〈◊〉 england , i should leave you unsaluted , whom i love so dearly ●…ell , specially having such a fair and pregnant opportunity , as ●…e hand of this worthy gentleman , your cousin morgan , who 〈◊〉 now posting hence for england : he will tell you how it fares ●…ith me ; how any time these thirty and odd months i have bin ●…ss'd from shore to shore , and pass'd under various meridians ▪ ●…d am now in this voluptuous , and luxuriant city of naples : ●…nd though these frequent removes and tumblings under climes 〈◊〉 differing temper , were not without som danger , yet the de●…ght which accompanied them was far greater ; and it is impossi●…e for any man to conceive the true pleasure of peregrination , ●…t he who actually enjoyes , and puts it in practise : beleeve it 〈◊〉 , that one yeer well employed abroad by one of mature judgment ( which you know i want very much ) advantageth more in ●…int of usefull and solid knowledge , then three in any of our ●…iversities : you know running waters are the purest ; so they ●…t traverse the vvorld up and down , have the cleer●…st under●…ndings ; being faithfull ey-witnesses of those things which ●…her receive but in trust , whereunto they must yeeld an intuitive ●…nsent , and a kind of implicit faith . vvhen i pass'd through 〈◊〉 parts of lombardy , amongst other things , i observ'd the phy●…gnomies , and complexions of the peeple , men and women , ●…d i thought i was in vvales , for divers of them have a cast of ●…untenance , and a neerer resemblance with our nation , then ●…y i ever saw yet : and the reason is obvious , for the romans●…ing ●…ing bin neer upon three hundred yeers amongst us , where ●…ey had four legions ( before the english nation , or language ●…d any being ) by so long a coalition and tract of time , 〈◊〉 two nations must needs copulat and mix : insomuch , that i beleeve ther is yet remaining in wales many of 〈◊〉 roman race , and divers in italy of the brittish . amongst 〈◊〉 resemblances , one was in their prosody , and vein of 〈◊〉 or riming , which is like our bards , who hold agnominations , a●… enforcing of consonant words or syllables , one upon the other●… be the greatest elegance : as for example in welsh , tewgris , 〈◊〉 dyrris ty'r derrin gwillt , &c. so have i seen divers old rimes italian running so ; as donne , o danno , ●…he febo affranto 〈◊〉 in selva salvo a me piu caro cuore , &c. being lately in rome , amongst other pasquills i met with 〈◊〉 that was against the scot , though it had som gawl in 't , yet it 〈◊〉 a great deal of wit , specially towards the conclusion ; so that think if king iames saw it , he would but laugh at it . as i remember som yeers since , ther was a very abusive 〈◊〉 in vers brought to our king ; and as the passages were a 〈◊〉 before him , he often said , that if ther were no more men england , the rogue should hang for it ; at last being com to 〈◊〉 conclusion , which was ( after all his railing ) now god preserve the king , the queen , the peers , and grant the author long may wear his ears . this pleas'd his majesty so well , that he broke into a 〈◊〉 and said , by my sol so thou shalt for me : thou art a bitter , 〈◊〉 thou art a witty knave . when you write to monmouthshire , i pray send my respects my tutor , master moor fortune , and my service to sir 〈◊〉 williams ; and according to that relation which was 'twixt us oxford , i rest naples , . octob. . your constant son to serve you , j. h. xli . to sir j. c. from florence . sir , this letter comes to kisse your hands from fair florence , a citie so beutifull , that the great emperour ( charls the fifth ) said , that she was fitting to be shewn , and seen onely upon holidayes : she marvailously flourisheth with buildings , with wealth and artisans ; for it is thought that in serges , which is but one commodity , ther are made two millions evry yeer : all degrees of people live here not onely well , but splendidly well , notwithstanding the manifold exactions of the duke , upon all things : for none can buy here lands or houses , but he must pay eight in the hundred to the duke ; none can hire or build a house , but he must pay the tenth penny ; none can marry , or commerce suite in law , but ther 's a fee to the duke ; none can bring as much as an egg or sallet to the market , but the duke hath share therinna : moreover , ligorn which is the key of toscany , being a maritim , and a great mercantil town , hath mightily inrich'd this countrey by being a frank port to all comers , and a safe rendevouz to pyrats , as well as to marchants . add hereunto , that the duke himself in som respect is a marchant , for he somtimes ingrosseth all the corn of the countrey , and retails it at what rate he pleaseth . this inables the duke to have perpetually men inroll'd , train'd up , and payed , and none but they can carry arms ; he hath light-horse in constant pay , and men at arms besides ; and all these quartered in so narrow a compasse , that he can command them all to florence in twenty four hours . he hath twelve gallies , two galeons , and six galeasses besides , and his gallies , are call'd , the black fleet , because they annoy the turk more in the bottom of the straits , then any other . this state is bound to keep good quarter with the pope , more then others ; for all toscany is fenc'd by nature her self , i mean with mountains , except towards the territories of the apostolic see , and the sea it self , therfore it is call'd a countrey of iron . the dukes palace is so spacious , that it occupieth the room of fifty houses at least ; yet though his court surpasseth the bounds of a duke's , it reacheth not to the magnificence of a king's : the pope was sollicited to make the gran duke a king , and he answer'd , that he was content he should be king in toscany , not of toscany ; wherupon one of his counsellors replied , that it was a more glorious thing to be a gran duke , then a petty king. among other cities which i desi●…'d to see in italy , genoa was one wher i lately was , and found her to be the proudest for buildings of any i met withall , yet the people go the plainest of any other , and are also most parsimonious in their diet : they are the subtillest , i will not say the most subdolous dealers ; they are wonderfull wealthy specially in money : in the yeer the king of spain owed them eighteen millions , and they say it is double as much now . from the time they began to finger the indian geld , and that this town hath bin the scale by which he hath conveyed his tresure to flanders , since the vvars in the netherlands for the support of his armies , and that she hath got som priviledges for the exportation of vvools , and other commodities ( prohibited to others ) out of spain , she hath improv'd extremely in riches , and made saint george's mount swell higher then saint marks in venice . she hath bin often ill favouredly shaken by the venetian , and hath had other enemies , which have put her to hard shifts for her own defence , specially in the time of lewis the eleventh of france ; at which time , when she would have given her self up to him for protection , king lewis being told that genoa was content to be his , he answerd , she should not be his long , for he would give her up to the devill , and rid his hands of her . indeed the genowaies have not the fortune to be so well belov'd , as other people in italy , which proceeds i beleeve from their cunningnes , and over-reachings in bargaining , wherin they have somthing of the iew. the duke is there but biennial , being chang'd evry two yeers : he hath fifty germans for his guard ; ther be four centurion●… that have men a peece , which upon occasions , attend the signory abroad in velvet coats ; ther be eight chief governours , and counsellours , amongst whom ther be five soverain syndics , who have authority to censure the duke himself , his time being expir'd , and punish any governour else , though after death , upon the heir . amongst other customs they have in that town , one is , that none must carry a pointed knif about him , which makes the hollander , who is us'd to snik and snee , to leave his horn-sheath and knif a shipboard when he comes a shore : i met not with an englishman in all the town ; nor could i learn of any factour of ours that ever resided there . ther is a notable little active republic towards the midst of toscany , call'd luca , which in regard she is under the emperours protection , he dares not meddle withall , though she lie as a partridg under a faulcons wings , in relation to the gran duke ; besides ther is another reason of the state , why he meddles not with her , because she is more beneficiall unto him now that she is free , and more industrious to support this freedom , then if she were becom his vassall ; for then it is probable , she would grow more carelesse and idle , and so could not vent his commodities so soon , which she buyes for ready money , wherin most of her wealth consists : ther is no state that winds the peny more nimbly , and makes quicker returns . she hath a counsell call'd the discoli , which pryes into the profession and life of evry one , and once a yeer they rid the state of all vagabonds : so that this petty , pretty republic , may not be improperly parellell'd to a hive of bees , which have bin alwayes the emblems of industry and order . in this splendid city of florence , ther be many rarities , which if i should insert in this letter , it would make her swell too big , and indeed they are fitter for parol communication . here is the prime dialect of the italian spoken , though the pronunciation be a little more guttural , then that of siena , and that of the court of rome , which occasions the proverb , lingua toscana in boca romana . the toscan toung sounds best in a roman mouth . the peeple here generally seem to be more generous , and of a higher comportment then elsewhere , very cautious and circumspect in their negotiation ; whence ariseth the proverb , chi há da far con tosco , non bisogna chi sia losco . vvho dealeth with a florentine , must have the use of both his ey'n . i shall bid italy farewell now very shortly , and make my way are the alps to france , and so home by gods grace , to take a review of my frends in england , amongst whom , the sight of your self will be as gladsom to me , as of any other ; for i professe my self , and purpose to be ever your thrice affectionat servitor , j. h. florence , novemb. . xlii . to cap. francis bacon , from turin . sir i am now upon point of shaking hands with italy ; for i am com to turin , having already seen uenice the rich , padoua the learned , bologna the fat , rome the holy , naples the gentle , genoa the proud , florence the fair , and milan the great ; from this last , i came hither , and in that city also appears the grandeur of spains monarchy very much : the governour of milan is alwayes captain generall of the cavalry to the king of spain thorowout italy : the dnke of feria is now governour , and being brought to kisse his hands , he us'd me with extraordinary respect , as he doth all of our nation , being by the maternall side a dormer . the spaniard entertains there also foot , light-horse , and men at arms in perpetuall pay ; so that i beleeve the benefit of that dutchy also , though seated in the richest soyl of italy , hardly countervails the charge . three things are admir'd in milan , the dome or great church ( built all of white marble , within and without ) the hospitall , and the castle , by which the cittadell of antwerp was trac'd , and is the best condition'd fortresse of christendom : though nova palma a late fortresse of the venetian would go beyond it , which is built according to the exact rules of the most modern enginry , being of a round form with nine bastions , and a street levell to evry bastion . the duke of savoy , though he passe for one of the princes of italy , yet the least part of his territories lie there , being squander'd up and down amongst the alps ; but as much as he hath in italy , which is piemont , is a well peepled , and passing good countrey . this duke of savoy emanuel , is accounted to be of the ancient'st and purest extraction of any prince in europ , and his knights also of the anunciade , to be one of the ancient'st orders ; though this present duke be little in stature , yet is he of a lofty spirit , and one of the best souldiers now living ; and though he be valiant enough , yet he knows how to patch the lions-skin with a fox-tail ; and whosoever is duke of savoy , had need be cunning , and more then any other prince , in regard , that lying between two potent neighbours , the french and the spaniard , he must comply with both . before i wean my self from ital●… , a word or two touching the genius of the nation . i find the italian a degree higher in complement then the french , he is longer and more grave in the delivery of it , and more prodigal of words , insomuch , that if one were to be worded to death , italian is the fittest language , in regard of the fluency and softnes of it ; for throughout the whole body of it , you have not a word ends with a consonant , except som few monosyllable conjunctions and propositions , and this renders the speech more smooth ; which made one say , that when the confusion of toungs happen'd at the building of the tower of babel ▪ if the italian had bin there , nimrod had made him a playsterer . they are generally indulgent of themselves , and great embracers of pleasure , which may proceed from the luscious rich wines , and luxurious food , fruits , and roots , wherwith the countrey abounds , insomuch , that in som places , nature may be said to be lena sui , a baud to her self . the cardinal medici's rule , is of much authority amongst them , that ther is no religion under the navill . and som of them are of the opinion of the asians , who hold , that touching those naturall passions , desires , and motions , which run up and down in the bloud , god almighty and his handmaid nature , did not intend they should be a torment to us , but to be us'd with comfort and delight . to conclude , in italy , ther be virtutes magnae , nec minora vitia , great vertues , and no lesse vices . so with a tender of my most affectionat respects unto you , i rest your humble servitor , j. h. turin , . novemb. . xliii . to sir i. h. from lions . sir , i am now got ore the alps , and return'd to france ; i had cross'd and clammer'd up the pyreneans to spain before , they are not so high and hideous as the alps ; but for our mountains in wales as eppint and penwinm●…ur , which are so much cry'd up amongst us , they are mole-hills in comparison of these , they are but pigmeys compar'd to giants , but blisters compar'd to impostumes , or pimples to werts : besides , our mountains in wales bear always somthing usefull to man or beast , som grass at least ; but these uncouth huge monstrous excrescences of nature , bear nothing ( most of them ) but craggy stones : the tops of som of them are blanch'd over all the yeer long with snows , and the people who dwell in the valleys drinking , for want of other , this snow-water , are subject to a strange swelling in the throat , called goytre , which is common amongst them . as i scal'd the alps , my thoughts reflected upon hannibal , who with vinegar & strong-waters , did eat out a passage through those hills , but of late yeers they have found a speedier way to do it by gun-powder . being at turin , i was by som disaster brought to an extreme low ebb in money , so that i was forc'd to foot it along with som pilgrims , and with gentle pace and easie journeys , to clime up those hills till i came to this town of lions , where a countrey man of ours , one mr. lewis , whom i knew in alieant lives factour , so that now i want not any thing for my accommodation . this is a stately rich town , and a renowned mart for the silks of italy , and other levantin commodities , and a great bank for mony , and indeed the greatest of france . before this bank was founded , which was by henry the first , france had but little gold and silver , insomuch , that we read how king iohn their captive king , could not in four yeers , raise sixty thousand crowns to pay his ransome to our king edward ; and saint lewis was in the same case when he was prisoner in egypt , wher he had left the sacrament for a gage ; but after this bank was erected , it fill'd france full of money ; they of luca , florence , and genoa , with the venetian , got quickly over the hils , and brought their moneys hither to get twelve in the hundred profit , which was the interest at first , though it be now much lower . in this great mercantil town , ther be two deep navigable rivers , the rhone and the sone , the one hath a swift rapid cours , the other slow and smooth : and one day as i walk'd upon their banks , and observed so much difference in their cours , i fell into a contemplation of the humors of the french and spaniard , how they might be not improperly compar'd to these rivers ; the french to the swift , the spaniard to the slow river . i shall write you no more letters untill i present my self unto you for a speaking letter , which i shall do as soon as i may tread london stones : your affectionate servitor , j. h. lions , . novemb. . xliiii . to mr. tho. bowyer , from lions . being so neer the lake of geneva , curiosity would carry anyone to see it : the inhabitants of that town , me thinks , are made of another past differing from the affable nature of those peeple i had convers'd withall formerly ; they have one policy , lest that their pretty republic should be pester'd with fugitives , their law is , that what stranger soever flies thither for sanctuary , he is punishable there , in the same degree , as in the country wher he committed the offence . geneva is govern'd by four syndncs , and four hundred senators : she lies like a bonetwixt three mastiffs , the emperour , the french king , and the duke of savoy , they all three look upon the bone , but neither of them dare touch it singly , for fear the other two would flie upon him : but they say the savoyard hath the justest title , for ther are imperiall records extant , that although the bishops of geneva were lords spirituall and temporall , yet they should acknowledge the duke of savoy for their superiour : this man's ancestors went frequently to the town , and the keys were presently tender'd to him . but since calvins time , who had bin once banish'd , and then call'd in again , which made him to apply that speech unto himself , the stone which the builders refused , is becom the head stone of the corner ; i say , since they were refin'd by calvin , they seem to shun and scorn all the world besides , being cast as it were into another mould , which hath quite alter'd their very naturall disposition in point of morall society . before i part with this famous city of lions , i will relate unto you a wonderfull strange accident that happen'd here not many yeers ago : ther is an officer call'd le chevalier du guet ( which is a kind of night-guard ) here as well as in paris , and his lieutenant call'd iaquette , having supp'd one night in a rich marchants house , as he was passing the round afterwards , he said , i wonder what i have eaten and drunk at the marchants house , for i find my self so hot , that if i met with the divels dam to night , i should not forbear using of her ; hereupon , a little after he overtook a young gentlewoman mask'd , whom he would needs usher to her lodging , but discharg'd all his watch , except two : she brought him , to his thinking , to a little low lodging hard by the city wall , wher ther were only two rooms : and after he had enjoyed her , he desir'd , that according to the custom of french gentlemen , his two camerads might partake also of the same pleasure ; so she admitted them one after the other : and when all this was don , as they sat together , she told them , if they knew well , who she was , none of them would have ventur'd upon her ; thereupon she whissel'd three times , and all vanish'd : the next morning , the two souldiers that had gon with lieutenant jaquette were found dead under the city wall , amongst the ordure and excrements , and iaquette himself a little way off half dead , who was taken up , and coming to himself , confess'd all this , but died presently after . the next week i am to go down the loire towards paris , and thence as soon as i can for england , wher amongst the rest of my frends , whom i so much long to see after this trienniall separation , you are like to be one of my first objects ; in the mean time , i wish the same happinesse may attend you at home , as i desire to attend me hom-ward ; for i am truly yours , i. h. lions , . decemb. . familiar letters . section ii. i. to my father . sir , it hath pleased god after almost three year●… peregrination by land and sea , to bring me back safely to london , but although i am com safely , i am com sickly : for when i landed in venice , after so long a sea-voyage from spain , i was afraid the same defluxion of salt rheum which fell from my temples into my throat in oxford , and distilling upon the uvula impeached my utterance a little to this day , had found the same chan●…ell again , which caused me to have an issue made in my left ●…rm for the diversion of the humour . i was well ever after till i came to rouen , and there i fell sick of a pain in the head , which , with the issue , i have carried with me to england . doctor harvy who is my physitian , tells mee that it may turn to a consumption , therfore he hath stopped the issue , telling me there is no danger at all in it , in regard i have not worn it a full twelvemonth : my brother i thank him hath been very carefull of me in this my sicknes , and hath come often to visit me ; i thank god i have pass'd ●…he brunt of it , and am recovering , and picking up my crums ●…pace . ther is a flaunting french ambassador com over lately , and i believe his errand is nought else but complement , for the king of france being lately at calais , and so in sight of england , ●…e sent his ambassador monsieur cadenet expresly to visit our king ; ●…e had audience two dayes since , where he with his train of ruffling long-haird monsieurs , carried himself in such a light garb , that after the audience , the king askd my lord keeper bacon what he thought of the french ambassador , he answer'd , that he was a tall proper man ; i , his majesty replied , but what think you o●… his head-peece ? is he a proper man for the office of an ambassador ? sir , said bacon ; tall men are like high houses of four or five stories , wherin commonly the uppermost room is worst furnished . so desiring my brothers and sisters , with the rest of my 〈◊〉 and friends in the countrey , may be acquainted with my safe return to england , and that you would please to let me hear from you by the next conveniency , i rest , lond. febr. . your dutifull son , j. h. ii. to rich. altham esqr. at norberry . salve pars animae dimidiata me●…ae ; hail half my soul , m●… dear dick , &c. i was no sooner returned to the sweet bosom of england , and had breath'd the smoak of this town , but my memory ran suddenly on you , the idea of you hath almost ever since so fill'd up and ingroft my imagination , that i can think on nothing els , the iove of you swells both in my breast and brain with such a pregnancy , that nothing can deliver me of this violent high passion but the sight of you : let me despair if i lye , ther was never 〈◊〉 long'd more after any thing by reason of her growing 〈◊〉 than i do for your presence : therfore i pray you make 〈◊〉 to save my longing , and tantalize me no longer ( t is but three hours riding ) for the sight of you will be more precious to me than any one object i have seen , ( and i have seen many rare ones ) in all my three year●… t ●…vell ; and if you take this for a complemen●… ( because i am newly com from france ) you are much mist●…ken in london , 〈◊〉 . . your j. h. iii. to d. caldwall esqr. at battersay . my dear dan. i am com at last to london , but not without som danger , and through divers difficulties , for i fell sick in france , and came so over to kent ; and my journey from the sea side hither , was more tedious to me than from rome to rouen , where i grew first indisposed ; and in good faith , i cannot remember any thing to this hour how i came from gravesend hither , i was so stupified , and had lost the knowledg of all things ; but i am com to myself indifferently well since , i thank god for it , and you cannot imagin how much the sight of you , much more your society , would revive me : your presence would be a cordiall unto me more restorative than exalted gold , more precious than the powder of pearl , wheras your absence if it continue long , will prove unto me like the dust of diamonds , which is incurable poyson : i pray be not accessary to my death , but hasten to comfort your so long weather beaten friend , lond. febr. . . j. h. iv. to sir james crofts at the l. darcy's in st. osith . sir , i am got again safely this side of the sea , and though i was in a very sickly case when i first arriv'd , yet thanks be to god i am upon point of perfect recovery , wherunto the sucking in of english air , and the sight of som friends conduc'd not a little . ther is fearfull news com from germany ; you 〈◊〉 how the bohemians shook off the emperors yoak ; and how the great counsell of prague fell to such a hurly b●…rly , that som of the imperiall counsellors were hurld out at the windows ; you heard also i doubt not , how they offer'd the crown to the d●…ke of saxony , and he waving it , they sent ambassadors to the 〈◊〉 , whom they thought might prove par negotio , and to be able to go through-stitch with the work , in regard of his powerfull alliance , the king of great britain being his father in law , the king of denmark , the prince of o●…nge , the marq. of brandenburg , the duke of bo●…illon his uncles , the states of holland his confederates , the french king his friend , and the duke of bavaria his near allye : the prince palsgrave made some difficulty at first , and most of his counsellors opposed it , others incited him to it , and amongst other hortatives , they told him , that if he had the courage to venture upon a king of englands sole daughter , he might very well venture upon a soveraign crown when it was tendered him . add hereunto that the states of holland did mainly advance the worke , and ther was good reason in policy for it ; for their twelve years truce , being then upon point of expiring with spain , and finding our king so wedded to peace , that nothing could divorce him from it , they lighted upon this design , to make him draw his sword ▪ and engage hi●… against the house of austria for the defence of his sole daughter , and his gran-children . what his majesty will do hereafter i will not presume to foretell , but hitherto he hath given li●…tle countenance to the busines , nay , he utterly misliked it at first ▪ for wheras doctor hall gave the prince palsgrave the title of king of bohemia in his pulpit prayer , he had a check for his pains ; for i heard his majesty should say , that ther is an implicit tie amongst kings , which obligeth them , though ther be no other interest or particular engagement ▪ to stick unto , and right one another upon insurrection of subjects ; therfore he had more reason to be against the bohemians than to adhere to them in the deposition of their soveraign prince : the king of denmark sings the same note , nor will he also allow him the appellation of king. but the fearfull news i told you of at the beginning of this letter , is , that ther are fresh tidings brought how the prince palsgrave had a well appointed army of about horse and foot near prague , but the duke of bavaria came with scarce half the number , and notwithstanding his long march , gave them a sudden battell , and utterly routed them ; insomnch that the new king of bohemia , hahaving not worn the crown a whole twelvemonth , was forced to flie with his qu●…n and children ; and after many difficulties they write , that they are come to the castle of castrein , the duke of brandenburghs countrey his uncle : t●…is news affects both court and city here with much heavines . i send you my humble thanks for the noble correspondence you pleased to hold with me abroad , and i desire to know by the nex●… , when you come to london , that i may have the comfort of the sight of you , after so long an absence . ma●…ch the . . your●… true servitor , j. h. v. to dr. fra : man●…ell , at all ▪ soules in oxford . i am returned safe from my forain employment , from my three years travell , i did my best to make what advantage i could of the time though not so much as i should ; for i find that peregrination ( wel us'd ) is a very profitable school ▪ it is a running academy , and nothing conduceth more to the building up and perfecting of a man. your honorable uncle sir r●…rt mansell who is now in the med●…erranean hath been very noble to me , and i shall ever acknowledg a good part of my education from him . he hath melted vast sums of money in the glass busines , a busines indeed more proper for a merchant , than a courtier . i heard the king should say , that he wondred robin mansell being a sea-man , wherby he hath got so much honour , should fall from water to tamper with fire , which are two contrary elements : my father fears that this glass-employment will be too brittle a foundation for me to build a fortune upon , and sir robert being now at my comming back so far at sea , and his return uncertain ; my father hath advised me to hearken after some other condition . i attempted to goe secretary to sir iohn ayres to constantinople , but i came too late : you have got your self a great deale of good repute by the voluntary resignation you made of the principality of iesus college , to sir eubule theloall , in hope that he will be a considerable benefactor to it : i pray god he perform what he promiseth , and that he be not over-partiall to north-wales men . now that i give you the first summon , i pray you make me happy with your correspondence by letters , ther is no excuse or impediment at all left now , for you are sure where to find me , wheras i was a landloper as the dutch-man saith , a wanderer , and subject to incertain removes , and short sojourns in divers places before . so with apprecation of all happines to you here and hereafter ; i rest , march . . at your friendly dispose , j. h. vi. to sir eubule theloall , knight , and principall of jesus coll. in oxford . sir , i send you most due and humble thanks , that notwithstanding i have played the truant , and been absent so long from oxford , you have been pleas'd lately to make choice of me to be fellow of your new foundation in iesus college , wherof i was once a member : as the quality of my fortunes , and cours of life run now , i cannot make present use of this your great favour , or promotion rather , yet i do highly value it , and humbly accept of it , and intend , by your permission , to reserve and lay it by , as a good warm garment against rough weather if any fall on me . with this my expression of thankfulnes , i do congratulate the great honour you have purchas'd both by your own beneficence , and by your painfull endeavor besides , to perfect that nationall college , which hereafter is like to be a monument of your fame , as well as a seminarie of learning , and will perpetuat your memory to all posterity . god almighty prosper and perfect your undertakings , and provide for you in heaven those rewards which such publick works of piety use to be crown'd withall ; it is the apprecation of your truly devoted servitor , j. h. london , idibus mar. . vii . to my father . sir , according to the advice you sent me in your last , while i sought after a new cours of employment , a new employment hath lately sought after me ; my lord savage hath two young gentlemen to his son●…es , and i am to goe travell with them : sit iames croftes ( who so much respects you ) was the main agent in this busines , and i am to goe shortly to longm●…ford in suffolk , and ●…hence to saint osith in essex to the lord darcy . queen anne is lately dead of a dropsie in denmark house ▪ which is held to be one of the fatall events that followed the last fearfull comet that rose in the tail of the constellation of virgo , which som ignorant astronomers , that write of it , would fix in the heavens , and that as far above the orb of the moon , as the moon is from the earth : but this is nothing in comparison of those hideous fires that are kindled in germany , blown first by the bohemians , which is like to be a war without end ; for the w●…ole house of austria is interessed in the quarrell , and it is not the custome of that house to sit by any as●…ront , or forget it quickly . queen anne left a world of brave jewells behind , but one p●…ero an outlandish man who had the keeping of them embeazled many , and is run away ; she left all she had to prince charles , whom she eve●… loved best of all her children ▪ nor do i hear of any legacie she left at all to her daughter in germany ; for that match some say lessened somthing of her affection towards her ever since , so that she would often call her goody palsgrave , nor could she abide secretary winwood ever after , who was one of the chiefest instruments to bring that match about , as also for the rendition of the cautionary towns in the low-countries flushing and b●…ill , with the rammakins . i was lately with sir iohn walter and others of your counsell about your law-busines , and som of them told me that master i. lloyd your adversary , it one of the shrewdest sollicito●…s in all the thirteen shires of wales , being so habituated to law-sutes and wrangling , that he knows any the least starting hole in every court : i could wish you had made a fair end with him , for besides the cumber and trouble ▪ specially to those that dwell at such a huge distance from westminster hall as you doe , law is a shrewd pickpu●…s , and the lawyer as i heard one say wittily not long since , is like a christmasse box which is sure to get whosoever loseth . so with the continuance of my due and daily prayers for your health , with my love to my brothers and sisters , i rest , your dutifull son , j. h. march . . viii . to dan. caldwall esqr. from the lord savages house in long-melford . my deare d. though considering my former condition of life i may now be called a countreyman , yet you cannot call me a rusti●… , ( as you would imply in your letter ) as long as i live in so civill and noble a family , as long as i lodg in so vertuous and regular a house as any ▪ i beleeve in the land both for oeconomicall government , and the choice company ▪ for i never saw yet such a dainty race of children in all my life together , i never saw yet such an orderly and punctuall attendance of servants ▪ nor a great house so neatly kept ; here one shall see nor dog , nor cat , nor cage to cause any nastines within the body of the house : the kitchin and gutters and other offices of noise and drudgery are at the ●…ag end , ther 's a back gate for beggars and the meaner sort of swains to come in at ; the stables butt upon the park , which for a chearfull rising ground , for groves and browsings for the deer , for rivulets of water may compare with any for its bignes in the whole land ; it is opposite to the front of the great house , whence from the gallery one may see much of the game when they are a hunting . now for the gardning and costly choice flowers , for ponds , for stately large walks green and gravelly , for orchards and choice fruits of all sorts , ther a●…e few the like in england : here you have your ●…on cr●…en pear and 〈◊〉 ●…n perfection , your muscadell grapes in such plenty that ther are som bottles of wine sent every year to the king ; and one mr. daniel a worthy gentleman hard by , who hath ●…in long abroad , makes good store in his vintage . truly this house of long-melford though it be not so great , yet it is so well compacted and contrived with such dainty conveniences every way , that if you saw the landskip of it , you would be mightily taken with it , and it would serve for a choice pattern to bu●…ld and contrive a house by : if you come this summer to your mannor of sheriff in essex , you will not be ●…ar off hence ; if your occasions will permit , it will be worth your coming hither , though it be only to see him , who would think it a short journey to go from saint davids head to dover cliff●… to see and serve you , were ther occasion ▪ if you would know who the same is , ' 〈◊〉 mar. . your j. h. ix . to robert brown esqr. sir ▪ thanks for one ●…rtesie , is a good vsher to bring on another , therfore it is my policie at this time to thank you most heartily for your late ●…opious letter to draw on a second : i say , i thank you a thousand times over for yours of the third of this present , which abounded with such vari●…tie of news , and ample well-couch●… relations , that i made many friends by it ; yet i am sory for the qualitie of som of your news , that sir robert mansell being now in the mediterranean with a considerable ●…avall strength of ours against the moors , to do the spaniard a pleasure , marquis spinola should in a h●…gling way , change his master for the time , and taking commission from the emperour , becom his servant for invading the palatinat with the forces of the king of spain , in the netherlands ▪ i am sory also the princes of the union should ●…e so stupid as to suffer him to take oppenheim by a parthian kind of back stratagem , in appearing before the town , and making semblance afterwards to go for worms , and then perceiving the forces of the united princes to go for succouring of that , to turn back and take the town he intended first , wherby i fear he will be quickly master of the rest . surely i beleeve ther may be some treachery in 't , and that the marquis of an●…back the generall was orecom by pistol●… made of indian ingots , rather than of steel , else an army of . which he had under his command might have made its par●…y good against spinola's lesse than . though never such choice veterans . but what will not gold do ? it will make a pigmey too hard for a gyant , ther 's no fence or ●…ortres against an asse laden with gold : it was the saying you know of his father , whom partiall and ignorant antiquity cries up to have conquerd the world , and that ●…e sigh'd ther were no more worlds to conquer , though he had never one of the three old parts of the then known world entirely to himself . i desire to know what is become of that handfull of men his majesty sent to germany under sir horace vere , which he was bound to do as he is one of the protestant princes of the union , and what 's become of sir arthur chichester , who is gon ambassador to those parts . dear sir , i pray make me happy still with your letters , it is a mightie pleasure for us countrey folks to hear how matters passe in london and abroad ; you know i have not the opportunity to correspond with you in like kind , but may happily hereafter when the tables are turnd , when i am in london , and you in the west . wheras you are desirous to hear how it fares with me , i pray know , that i live in one of the noblest houses , and best air of england : ther is a daintie park adjoyning wher i often wander up and down , and i have my severall walks , i make one to represent the royall exchange , ●…he other the middle isle of pauls , another , westminster hall ; and when i passe through the herd of deer methinks i am in ●…apside . so with a full return of the same measure of love , as you pleas'd to send me , i rest mar●…ij . . yours j. h. x. to r. altham esqr. from saint osith . sir , life it self is not so dear unto me as your friendship , nor vertue in her best colours a●… precious as your love , which was lately so lively pourtraied unto me in yours of the fifth of this present : me thinks your letter was like a peece of tissue richly embroderd with rare flowers up and down , with curious representation●… , and landskips : albeit i have as much stuff as you of this kind ( i mean matter of love ) yet i want such a loom to work it upon , i cannot draw it to such a curious web , therfore you must be content with homely polldavie ware from me , for you must not expect from us countrey folks such urbanities , and quaint invention , that you , who are daily conversant with the wits of the court , and of the inns of court , abound withall . touching your intention to travell beyond the seas the next spring , and the intimation you make how happy you would be in my company ; i let you know , that i am glad of the one , and much thank you for the other , and will think upon it , but i cannot re●…olve yet upon any thing . i am now here at the earl rivers , a ●…oble and great knowing lord ▪ who hath seen much of the world ●…broad ; my lady savage his daughter is also here with divers of 〈◊〉 children : i hope this hilary term to be merry in london , and amongst others to re-enjoy your conversation principally , for i esteem the societie of no soul upon earth more than yours : till then i bid you farewell , and as the season invites me , i wish you a merry christmas , resting december . . yours while j●…m . howell . xi . to captain tho : porter upon his return from algier voyage . noble captain , i congratulat your safe return from the streights , but am sory you were so streigh●…ned in your commission , that you could not attempt what such a brave navall power of ●…o ▪ men of war , such a gallant generall and other choice knowing commanders might have performed , if they h●…d had line enough ; i know the lightnesse and nimblenesse of algier ships , when i lived lately in alicant and other places upon the mediterranean , we should every week hear som of them chas'd , but very seldom taken ; for a great ship following one of them , may be said to be as a mastiff dog running after a hare ; i wonder the spaniard came short of the promised supply for furtherance of that notable adventurous design you had to fire the ships and gallies in algier road ; and according to the relation you pleased to send me ▪ it was one of the bravest enterprises , and had prov'd such a glorious exploit , that no story could have paralleld ; but it seems their hoggies , magitians and maribotts , were tampring with the ill spirit of the air all the while , which brought down su●… a still cataract of rain water●… suddenly upon you to hinder the working of your fire-works ; such a disaster the story tells us b●…fell charles the emperour , but far worse than yours , for he lost ships and multitudes of men , wh●… were made slaves , but you came off with losse of eight men only , and algier is another gets thing now , than she was then , being i beleeve a hundred degrees stronger by land and sea , and for the latter strength we may thank our countreyman ward , and 〈◊〉 the butterbag hollander , which may be said to have bin two of the fatallest and most infamoust men that ever christendom b●…ed ; for the one taking all englishmen , and the other all dutchmen , and bringing the spips and ordnance to algier , they may be said ●…o have bin the chief raysers of those picaroons to be pirats , which are now come to that height of strength , that they daily endammage and affront all christendom . when i consider all the circumstances and successe of this your voyage , when i consider th●… narrownes of your commission , which was as lame as the cl●… that kept it ; when i find that you secured the seas , and ●…rafick all the while , for i did not hear of one ship taken while you were abroad ; when i hear how you brought back all the fleet without the least disgrace or damm●…ge by foe or ●…oul weather ●…o any ship ▪ i conclude , and so doe far b●…ter judgements than mine , that you did what possibly could be done : let those that repine at the one in the hundred ( which was impos'd upon all the levant 〈◊〉 for the support of this fleet ) mutter what they will , that you went first to gravesend , then to the lands end , and after to no end . i have sent you for your welcome home ( in part ) two barrells of colchester oysters , which were provided for my lord of colchester himself , therfore i pre●…ume they are good , and all green finnd ; i shall shortly follow , but not to stay long in england , for i thin●… i must over again speedily to push on my fortunes : so my dear tom ▪ i am de todas m●…s entran●…s , from the center of my heart i am st. osith , december yours , j. h. xii . to my father upon my secona going to travell . sir , iam lately returned to london , having been all this while in a very noble family in the countrey , where i found far greater repects than i deserv'd ; i was to go with two of my lord savag●… sons to travell , but finding my self too young for such a charge , and our religion differing , i have now made choice to go over camerade to a very worthy gentleman baron althams son , whom i kn●…w in s●…anes , when my brother was there . truly i hold him to be one of the hopefullest young men of this kingdom for parts and person , he is full of excellent solid knowledg , as the mathematics , the law and other materiall studies ; besides i should have beed tied to have staid three years abroad in the other imployment at least , but i hope to go back from this by gods grace before a twelvemonth be at an end , at which time i hope the hand of providence will settle me in some stable home-fortun●… . the news is that the prince palsgrave with his lady and children are come to the hague in holland , having made a long progres or rather a pilgrimage about germany from prague . the old duke of bavaria his uncle is chosen elector and arch ▪ s●…wer of the roman empire in his place ( but as they say in an imperfect diet ) and with this proviso , that the transferring of this election upon the bavarian , shall not prejudice the next heir . th●…r is one count mansfelt that begins to get a great name in germany , and he with the duke of brunswick who is a temporall bpp. of halverstade , have a considerable army on foot for the lady elizabeth , which in the low countreys and som parts of germany is called the queen of boheme , and for her winning princely comportment , th●… queen of hearts : sir arthur chichester is come back from the palatinate , much complaining of the small army that was sent thither under sir horace vere , which should have been greater , or none at all . my lord of buckingham having been long since master of the horse at court , is now made master also of all the wood●…n horses in the kingdom , which indeed are our best horses , for he is to be high admirall of england , so he is becom dominus equorum & aquarum . the late lord thre●… ▪ cranfield grows al●…o very powerfull , but the city hates him for having betrayed their greatest secrets which he was capable to know more than another , having been formerly a merchant . i think i shall have no opportunity to write to you again till i bet other side of the sea ; therfore i humbly take my leave , and ask your blessing , that i may the better prosper in my proceedings : so i am , your dutifull son , j. h. march . . xiii . to sir john smith knight . sir , the first ground i set foot upon after this my second transma●… voyage was trevere ( the scots staple ) in zeland , thence 〈◊〉 sail'd to holland , in which passage we might see divers steeples and tur●…ets under water , of towns that as we were told were swallowed up by a d●…luge within the memory of man : we went afterwards to the hague , where ther are hard by , though in severall places , two wonderfull things to be seen , one of art , the other of nature ; that of art is a waggon or ship , or a monster mix●… of both , like the hippocentaure who was half man , and half horse ; this engin hath wheels and sayls that will hold above twenty people , and goes with the wind , being drawn or mov'd by nothing els , and will run , the wind being good , and the sayls hois'd up , above fifteen miles an hour upon the even hard sands : they say this invention was found out to entertain spinola when he came hither to treat of the last truce . that wonder of nature is a church-monument , where an earl and a lady are engraven with children about them , which were all delivered at one birth ; they were half male , half femal ; the bason hangs in the church which carried them to be christned , and the bishops name who did it ; and the story of this miracle , with the year and the day of the month mentioned , which is not yet years ago ; and the s●…ory is this : that countesse walking about her door after dinner , ther came a begger-woman with two children upon her back 〈◊〉 beg alms , the countesse asking whether those children were her own , she answered , she had them both at one birth and by one father , who was her husband ; the countesse would not onely give her a●…y alms , but revil'd her bitterly , saying , it was impossible for one man to get two children at once : the begger-woman being thus provok'd with ill words and without alms fell to imprecations , that it should please god to shew his judgment upon her , and that she might bear at one birth a●… many children as ther be dayes in the year , which she did before the same years end , having never born child before . we are now in north holland , where i never saw so many , amongst so few , sick of l●…prosies ; and the reason is , because they commonly eat abundance of fresh fish. a gentleman told me , that the women of this countrey when they are delivered , ther comes out of the womb a living creature besides the child call'd zu●…chie , likest to a bat of any other creature , which the midwi●…s throw into the 〈◊〉 , holding sheets before the chimney lest i●… should fly away . master altham desires his service be presented to you and your lady , to sir iohn franklin and all at the hill ; the like doe i humbly crave at your hands : the italian and french manuscripts you pleas'd to favour me withall i le●… at mr. seiles the stationer , whence if you have them not already , you may please to send for them . so in all affection i kisse your hands and am your humble servitor , j. h. trevere th of apr. . xiv . to ' the right honble , the lord vicount colchester , after earl rivers . right honble , the commands your lopp . pleas'd to impose upon me when i left england , and those high favors wherin i stand bound to your lopp . call upon me at this time to send your lopp . ●…om small fruits of my forren travell : marquis spinola is return'd from the palatinat , where he was so fortunat , that like caesar 〈◊〉 came , saw and overcame , notwithstanding that huge army of the princes of the union , consisting of forty thousand men , wheras his was under twenty , but made up of old ●…ough blades , and veteran commanders . he hath now chang'd his coa●… , and taken up his old commission again from don philippo , wheras during that expedition , he call'd himself caesars servant . i hear the emperor hath transmitted the upper palatinat to the duke of bavaria , as caution for those moneys he hath expended in these wars : and the king of spain is the emperors commissary for the lower palatinat : they both pretend that they were bound to obey the imperiall summons to assist caesar in these wars ; the one as he was duke of burgundy , the other of bavaria , both which countreys are ●…eudetarie to the empire , els they had incurr'd the imperiall bun ▪ it is'fear'd this german war will be as the frenchman saith , de longue halaine , long breath'd , ●…or ther are great powers on both sides , and they say the king of denmark is arming . having made a leasurely so journ in this town , i had spare hou●… to couch in writing a survay of these countreys which i have now traversd the second time ; but in regard it would be a great bulk for a letter , i send it your lopp . apart , and when i return to england , i shall be bold to attend your lopp . for correction of my faults ; in the interim i rest antwerp , may . . my lord , your thrice humble serviv . j. h. xv , a survey of the seventeen provinces . my lord , to attempt a precise description of each of the seventeen provinces , and of its progression , privileges and primitive government , were a task of no lesse confusion than labour : let it suffice to know , that since flanders and holland were erected to earldoms , and so left to be an apendix of the crown of france ▪ som of them have had absolut and supreme governors , som subaltern and subject to a superior power . amongst the rest the earls of flanders and holland were most considerable , but of them two he of holland being homegeable to none , and having friestand and zeland added , was the more potent : in processe of time all the seventeen met in one ; som by conquest , others by donation and legacie , but most by alliance : in the house of burgundy this union receivd most growth , but in the house of austria it came to its full perfection ; for in charles the fifth they all met as so many lines drawn from the circumference to the centre , who lording as supreme head not only over the fifteen temporall , but the two spirituall , liege and v●…recht , had a def●…in to reduce them to a kingdom , which his son philip the second attempted after him , but they could not bring their intents home to their aym , the cause is imputed to that multiplicitie and difference of privileges which they are so eager to maintain , and wherof som cannot stand with a monarchie without incongruity . philip the second at his inauguration was sworn to observe them , & at his departure he oblig'd himself by oath , to send still one of his own bloud to govern them : moreover , at the request of the knights of the golden fleece , he promised that all forren souldiers should retire , and that he himself would come to visit them once every seventh year , but being once gon , and leaving in lieu of a sword a distaff an unweldy woman to govern , he came not only short of his promise , but procur'd a dispensation from the pope to be absolv'd of his oath , and all this by the counsell of the cardinall granvill , who , as the states chronicler writes , was the first firebrand that kindled that lamentable and longsome war wherein the netherlands have traded above fifty years in bloud : for intending to encrease the number of bishops , to establish the decrees of the counsell of trent , and to clip the power of the counsell of state compos'd of the natives of the land , by making it appealable to the counsell of spain , and by adding to the former oath of allegeance , ( all which conduc'd to settle the inquisition , and to curb the conscience ) the broyls began ; to appease which , ambassadors were dispatch'd to spain , wherof the two first came to violent deaths , the one being beheaded , the other poysond : but the two last egmont and horn were nourish'd still with hopes , untill ' philip the second had prepar'd an army under the conduct of the duke of alva , to compose the difference by arms ▪ for as soon as he came to the government , he established the blo●…t-rad , as the complainants term'd it , a counsell of bloud , made up most of spaniards , egmont and horn were apprehended , and afterwards beheaded ; cittadells were erected , and the oath of allegeance , with the politicall government of the countsey in divers things alter'd : this powr'd oyl on the fire formerly kindled , and put all in combustion ; the prince of orenge retires , therupon his eldest son was surpriz'd and sent as hostage to spain , and above . families quit the countrey , many towns revolted , but were afterwards reduc'd to obedience , which made the duke of alva say , that the netherlands appertain'd to the king of spain not only by descent but conquest , and for cumble of his victories when he attempted to impose the tenth peny for maintenance of the garrisons in the cittadels he had erected at grave , v●…echt , and antwerp , ( where he caus'd his statue made of canon brasse ●…o be erected , trampling the belgians under his feet ) all the towns withstood this imposition , so that at last matters succeeding ill with him , and having had his cosen pacecio hang'd at flushing gates after he had trac'd out the platform of a cit●…dell in that town also , he receiv'd letters of revocation from spain ; him succeeded don luys de requiseus , who came short of his predecessor in exploits , and dying suddenly in the field , the government was invested for the time in the counsell of state ; the spanish soldiers being without a head , gather'd together to the number of ●… . and committed such outrages up and down , that they were proclamed enemies to the state : hereupon the pacification of cant was transacted , wherof amongst other articles one was , that all forren soldiers should quit the countrey : this was ratified by the king , and observ'd by don iohn of austria who succeeded in the government ; yet don iohn retaind the landskneghts at his devotion still , for some secret deffein , and as som conjectur'd for the invasion of england , he kept the spaniards also still hovering about the frontiers ready upon all occasion : certain letters were intercepted that made a discovery of some projects which made the war to bleed afresh ; don iohn was proclam'd enemy to the state ; so the archduke matthias was sent for , who being a man of small performance and improper for the times was dismiss'd , but upon honourable terms . don iohn a little after dies , and as som gave out of the pox ; then comes in the duke of parma , a man as of a different nation being an italian , so of a differing temper , and more moderat spirit and of greater performance than all the rest , for wheras all the provinces except luxenburg and henault had revolted , he reduc'd gant , tourney , bruges , malins , brussells , antwerp , ( which three last he beleagerd at one time ) and divers other great towns to the spanish obedience again : he had sixty thousand men in pay , and the choicest which spain and italy could afford . the french and english ambassadors interc●…ding for a peace , had a short answer of philip the second , who said , that he needed not the help of any to reconcile himself to his own subjects , and reduce them to conformity , but the difference that was he would refer to his co●…en the emperor : hereupon the busines was agitated at colen , where the spaniard stood as high a tipto as ever , and notwithstanding the vast expence of treasure and bloud he had bin at for so many years , and that matters began to exasperat more and more , which were like to prolong the wars in infinitum , he would abate nothing in point of ecclesiastic government : hereupon the states perceiving that king philip could not be wrought either by the sollicitation of other princes , or their own supplications so often rei●…erated , that they might enjoy the freedom of religion , with other infranchisements , and finding him inex●…rable , being incited also by that ban which was published against the prince of orenge , that whosoever killd him should have . crowns , they at last absolutely renounced and abjur'd the king of spain for their soverain ; they bro●…k his seals , chang'd the oath of allegeance , and fled to france for shelter ; they inaugurated the duke of aniou ( recommended unto them by the queen of england to whom he was a sut●…r ) for their prince , who attempted to render himself absolute , and so thought to surprize antwerp , where he receivd an illfavord repuls ; yet nevertheless , the united provinces , for so they termd themselfs ever after , fearing to distast their next great neighbor france , made a second proffer of their protection and soverainty to that king , who having too many irons in the fire at his own home , the ligue growing stronger and stronger , he answerd them that his shirt was nearer to him than his dublet ; then had they recours to queen elizabeth , who partly for her own securitie , partly for interest in religion reacht them a supporting hand , and so sent them men , money and a governor the earl of leicester , who not symbolizing with their humor , was quickly revokd , yet without any outward dislike on the queens side , for she left her forces still with them but upon their expence : she lent them afterwards some considerable sums of moneys , and she receivd flushing and the brill for caution : ever since the english have bin the best sinews of their war , and achievers of the greatest exploits amongst them . having thus made sure work with the english , they made young count maurice their governor , who for five and twenty years together held rack with the spaniard , and during those traverses of war was very fortunat : an overture of peace was then propounded , which the states would not hearken unto singly with the king of spain , unlesse the provinces that yet remaind under him would engage themselfs for performance of what was articled , besides they would not treat either of peace or truce , unless they were declar'd free states , all which was granted , so by the intervention of the english and french ambassadors , a truce was concluded for years . these wars did so drain and discommodat the king of spain , by reason of his distance ( every soldier that he sent either from spain or italy , costing him nere upon a hundred crowns before he could be rendred in flanders , ) that notwithstanding his mines of mexico and peru ▪ it plung'd him so deeply in debt , that having taken up moneys in all the chief banks of christendom he was forcd to publish a diplo●…a wherein he dispens'd with himself ( as the holland story hath it ) from payment , alleging that he had employed those moneys for the public peace of christendom : this broak many great banquers , and they say his credit was not current in sevill or lisbon his own towns : and which was worse , while he stood wrastling thus with his own subjects , the turke took his opportunity to get from him tunis and the goletta the tropheys of charles the fift his father . so eager he was in this quarrell that he imployd the utmost of his strength and industry to reduce this people to his will , in regard he had an intent to make these provinces his main randevous and magazin of men of war , which his neighbors perceiving , and that he had a kind of aym to be western monarch , being led not so much for love as reasons of state , they stuck close to the revolted provinces , and this was the bone that secretary walsingham told queen elizabeth , he would cast the king of spain that should last him years , and perhaps make his teeth shake in his head . but to return to my first discours whence this digression hath snatchd me , the netherlands who had bin formerly knit and concentred under one soverain prince , were thus dismembred ; and as they subsist now , they are a state and a province : the province having ten of the . at least , is far greater , more populous , better soyld , and more stor'd with gentry . the state is the richer and stronger , the one proceeding from their vast navigation and commerce , the other from the qualitie of their countrey , being defensible by rivers and sluces , by meanes wherof they can suddenly overwhelm all the whole countrey , witnes that stupendious siege of leyden and haerlam , for most of their towns the marks being taken away are inaccessible by reason of shelfs of sands . touching the transaction of these provinces which the king of spaine made as a dowry to the archduke albertus , upon marriage with the infanta ( who therupon left his red hat , and toledo miter the chiefest spirituall dignity in christendom for revenue after the papacy ) it was fringd with such cautelous restraints , that he was sure to keep the better end of the staff still to himself : for he was to have the tutele and ward of his children , that they were to marry with one of the austrian family recommended by spain , and in default of issue , and in case albertus should survive the infanta , he should be but governor only : add hereunto that king philip reserv'd still to himself all the cittadells and castles , with the order of the golden fleece , wherof he is master , as he is duke of burgundy . the archduke for the time hath a very princely command , all coyns bear his st●…mp , all placarts or edicts are publishd in his name , he hath the election of all civill officers , and magistrats ; he nominats also bishops and abbars , for the pope hath only ' the confirmation of them here , nor can he adjourn any out of the countrey to answer any thing , neither are his bulls of any strength without the princes placet , which makes him have alwayes som commissioners to execute his authority . the people here grow hotter and hotter in the roman cause , by reason of the mixture with spaniards and italians ; as also by the example of the archduke , and the infanta , who are devout in an intense degree . ther are two supreme counsells , the privy counsell , and that of the state ; this treats of confederations and intelligence with forren princes , of peace and war , of entertaining or of dismissing colonells and captains , of fortifications , and they have the surintendency of the highest affairs that concern the prince and the policy of the provinces . the privat hath the granting of all patents and requests , the publishing of all edicts and proclamations , the prising of coin , the looking to the confines and extent of the provinces , and the enacting of all new ordinances . of these two counsells ther is never a spaniard , but in the actuall counsell of war their voices are predominant : ther is also a court of finances or exchequer , whence all they that have the fingring of the kings money , must draw a discharge . touching matters of justice , their law is mixt between civill and common with some clauses of canonicall : the high court of parliament is at maline , whither all civill causes may be brought by appeal from other towns , except som that have municipall privileges , and are soverain in their owne jurisdictions , as mons in henalt , and a few more . the prime province for dignity is brabant , which amongst many other privileges it enjoyeth , hath this for one , not to appear upon any summons out of its owne precinct , which is one of the reasons why the prince makes his residence there : but the prime for extent and fame is flanders the chiefest earldom in christendom , which is three dayes journey in length ; ghent , its metropolis , is reputed the greatest town of europe , whence arose the proverb , les flamen tient un gan , qui tiendrá paris dedans . but the beautifullest , richest , strongest , and most privileg'd city is antwerp in brabant , being the marquisat of the holy empire , and drawing nere to the nature of a hans town , for she payes the prince no other tax but the impost . before the dissociation of the seventeen provinces , this town was one of the greatest marts of europe , and greatest bank this side the alpes , most princes having their factors here , to take up , or let out moneys , and here our gresham got all his wealth , and built our royall exchange by modell of that here . the merchandise was brought hither from germany , france and italy by land , and from england , spain , and the hans towns by sea , was estimated at above twenty millions of crowns every year ; but as no violent thing is long lasting , and as t is fatall to all kingdomes , states , towns and languages to have their period , so this renown'd mart hath suffer'd a shrewd eclipse , yet no utter downfall , the exchange of the king of spains money and some small land trafic , keeping still life in her , though nothing so full of vigor as it was . therfore there is no town under the archduke where the states have more conceal'd friends than in antwerp , who would willingly make them her masters in hope to recover her former commerce which after the last twelve years truce began to revive a little , the states permitting to passe by lillo's sconce which cōmands the river of skeld and lyeth in the teeth of the town som small cross-saild ships to passe hither : there is no place hath been more passive than this , and more often pillag'd ; amongst other times she was once plunder'd most miserably by the spaniards under the conduct of a priest , immediatly upon don iohn of austria's death , she had then her stat-house burn'd , which had cost a few years before above twenty thousand crowns the building , and the spoils that were carried away thence amounted to forty tuns of gold : thus she was reduc'd not only to poverty , but a kind of captivity , being commanded by a citadell , which she preferr'd before a garrison ; this made the merchant retire and seek a more free randevous , som in zeland , som in holland , specially in amsterdam which rose upon the fall of this town , as lisbon did from venice upon the discovery of the cape of good hope , though venice be not nere so much crestfall'n . i will now steer my discours to the united provinces as they term themselves , which are six in number , viz. holland , zeland , frisland , overyssell , gronninghen and utrecht , three parts of gilderland , and some frontire towns and places of contribution in brabant and flanders : in all these ther is no innovation at all introduc'd , notwithstanding this great change in point of government , except that the college of states represents the duke or earl in times pass'd , which college consists of the chiefest gentry of the countrey , surintendants of towns , and the principall magistrates : every province and great town choose yearly certain deputies , to whom they give plenary power to deliberat with the other states of all affairs touching the public welfare of the whole province , and what they vote stands for law. these being assembled consult of all matters of state , justice and war , the advocat who is prime in the assembly propounds the busines , and after collects the suffrages , first of the provinces , then of the towns , which being put in form he delivers in pregnant and moving speeches , and in case ther be a dissonance and reluctancy of opinions , he labors to accord and reconcile them , concluding alwayes with the major voyces . touching the administration of justice , the president , who is monthly chang'd , with the great counsell have the supreme judicature , from whose decrees ther 's no appeal , but a revision , and then som of the choycest lawyers amongst them are appointed . for their opidan government they have variety of officers , a scout , bourgmasters , a balue , and 〈◊〉 : the scout is chosen by the states , who with the balues have the judging of all criminall matters in last resort without appeal , they have also the determining of civill causes , but those are appealable to the hague . touching their chiefest governor ( or generall rather now ) having made proof of the spaniard , german , french and english , and agreeing with none of them , they lighted at last upon a man of their own mould prince maurice now their generall , in whom concurr'd divers parts suitable to such a charge , having been train'd up in the wars by his father , who with three of his uncles and divers of his kindred , sacrific'd their lives in the states quarrell : he hath thriven well since he came to the government ; hee clear'd friesland , overyssell and groninghen , in lesse than months : he hath now continued their governor and generall by sea and land above years ; he hath the election of magistrats , the pardning of malefactors , and divers other prerogatives , yet they are short of the reach of soverainty , and of the authority of the ancient counts of holland : though i cannot say 't is a mercenary employment , yet he hath a limited allowance , nor hath he any implicit command when he goes to the field , for either the counsell of war marcheth with him , or els he receives daily directions from them : moreover the states themselves reserve the power of nominating all commanders in the army , which being of sundry nations deprive him of those advantages he might have to make himself absolut . martiall-discipline is no where so regular as amongst the states , no wher are ther lesser insolencies committed upon the burger , no●… robberies upon the countrey boors , nor are the officers permitted to insult ore the common soldier : when the army marcheth , not one dares take so much as an apple off a tree , or a root out of the earth in their passage ; and the reason is , they are punctually paid their pay , els i believe they would be insolent enough , and were not the pay so certain i think few or none would serve them . they speak of sixty thousand they have in perpetuall pay by land and sea , at home and in the indies : the king of france was us'd to maintain a regiment , but since henry the greats death the paiment hath been neglected . the means they have to maintain these forces , to pay their governor ▪ to discharge all other expence , as the preservation of their di●…es which comes to a vast expence yearly , is the ancient revenue of the counts of holland , the impropria●… church living , imposts upon all merchandise which is greater upon exported than imported goods ▪ excise upon all commodities , as well for necessity as pleasure , taxes upon every acre of ground , which is such , that the whole countrey returns into their hands every three years : add hereunto the art they use in their bank by the rise and fall of money , the fishing upon our coasts , whither they send every autum●… above hulks or busses , which in the voiages they make , return above a million in herings ; moreover their fishing for greenfish and salmon amounts to so much more , and for their cheese and butter , 't is thought they vent as much every year as lisbon doth spices . this keeps the common treasury always full , that upon any extraordinary service or dessein ther is seldom any new tax upon the people . trafic is their generall profession , being all either merchants o●… mariners , and having no land to manure , they furrow the sea for their living ; and this universality of trade and their banks of adventures distributes the wealth so equally , that few amongst them are exceeding rich or exceeding poor : gentry amongst them is very thin , and as in all democraties little respected , and comming to dwell in towns they soon mingle with the merchant , and so degenerat : their soyl being all 'twixt marsh and medow is so fat in pasturage , that one cow will give eight quarts of milk a day , ●…o that as a boor told me , in four little dorps near herlam , 't is thought ther is as much milk milk'd in the year , as ther is rhenish wine brought to dort , which is the sole staple of it . their towns are beautifull and neatly built , and with uniformity , that who sees one , sees all : in some places , as in amsterdam , the foundation costs more than the superstructure , for the ground being soft , they are constrain'd to ram in huge stakes of timber ( with wooll about it to preserve it from pu●…rifaction ) till they com to a firm basis ; so that as one said , whosoever could see amsterdam under ground , should see a huge winter forrest . amongst all the confederat provinces , holland is most predominant , which being but six hours journey in breadth , contains nine and forty wall'd towns , and all these within a days journey one of another . amsterdam for the present is one of the greatest mercantill towns in europ : to her is appropriated the east and west indie trade , whether she sends yearly . great ships , with another fleet to the baltick sea , but they send not nere so many to the mediterranean as england : other towns are passably rich , and stor'd with shipping , but not one very poore , which proceeds from the wholsom policy they use , to assign every town som firm staple commodity , as to ( their maiden town ) d●…rt the german wines and corn , to midlebourgh the french and spanish wines , to trevere ( the prince of orenge his town ) the scots trade , leyden in recompence of her long siege was erected to an university , which with franiker in fris●…land is all they have ; haerlam for knitting and weaving hath som privilege , rotterdam hath the english cloth , and this renders their towns so equally rich and populous . they allow free harbor to all nations with liberty of religion , ( the roman only excepted ) as far as the iew who hath two synagogs allowd him but only in amsterdam , which peece of policy they borrow of the venetian with whom they have very intimat intelligence , only the iew in venice , in rome and other places go with som outward mark of distinction , but hear they wear none : and these two republicks , that in the east and this in the west , are the two remora's that stick to the great vessell of spain , that it cannot sayl to the western monarchy . i have been long in the survay of these provinces , yet not long enough , for much more might be said which is fitter for a story than a survay ; i will conclude with a mot or two of the people , wherof som have been renownd in times past for feats of war : amongst the states , the hollander or batavian hath been most known , for som of the roman emperors have had a selected guard of them about their persons for their fidelity and valeur , as now the king of france hath of the swisse : the frisons also have bin famous for those large privileges wherwith charlemain endowd them ; the flemins also have bin illustrious for the martiall exploits they achiev'd in the east where two of the earls of flanders were crownd emperors . they have all a genius inclin'd to commerce , very inventive and witty in manufactures , witnes the art of printing , painting and colouring in glasse ; those curious quadrants , chim's and dialls , those kind of waggons which are us'd up and down christendom were first us'd by them ; and for the mariners compas , though the matter be disputable twixt the neapolitan , the portugall and them , yet ther is a strong argument on their side , in regard they were the first that subdivided the four cardinall winds to two and thirty , others naming them in their language . ther is no part of europ so hanted with all sorts of forrener●… as the netherlands , which makes the inhabitants as well women as men so well vers'd in all sorts of languages , so that in exchange time one may hear . or . sorts of toungs spoken upon their bourses : nor are the men only expert herein , but the women and maids also in their common hostries , and in holland the wif 's are so well vers'd in bargaining , cifring and writing , that in the absence of their husbands in long sea voyages they beat the trade at home , and their words will passe in equall credit : these women are wonderfully sober , though their husbands make commonly their bargains in drink , and then are they most cau●…elous . this confluence of strangers makes them very populous , which was the cause that charles the emperor said , that all the netherlands seemd to him but as one continued town . he and his grandfather maximilian , notwithstanding the choice of kingdoms they had , kept their courts most frequently in them , which shewd how highly they esteemd them , and i beleeve if philip the second had visited them somtimes matters had not gon so ill . ther is no part of the earth considering the small circuit of countrey which is estimated to be but as big as the fist part of italy , where one may find more differing customs , tempers and humors of people , than in the netherlands : the walloon is quick and spritfull , acostable and full of complement , and gawdy in apparell like his next neighbor the french : the flemin and braban●…r , somwhat more slow and more sparing of speech : the hollander slower than he , more surly and respectles of gentry and strangers , homely in his cloathing , of very few words , and heavy in action , which may be well imputed to the quality of the soyl , which works so strongly upon the humors , that when people of a more vivacious and nimble temper com to mingle with them , their children are observ'd to partake rather of the soyl than the syre : and so it is in all animalls besides . thus have i hudled up som observations of the low countreys , beseeching your lopp ▪ would be pleas'd to pardon the imperfections , and correct the errors of them , for i know none so capable to do it as your lopp . to whom i am antwerp , maii. . a most humble and ready servitor , j. h. xiv to my br●…sher , master hugh penry upon his mariage . sir , you have had a good while the interest of a friend in me , but you have me now in a streighter tie , for i am your brother , by your sate mariage which hath turnd friendship into an alliance ; you have in your arms one of my dearest sisters , who i hope , nay i know will make a good wife : i heartily congratulate this mariage , and pray that a blessing may descend upon it from that place where all mariages are made which is from heaven , the fountain of all felicitie : to this prayer i think it no prophaness to add the saying of the lyric poet horace , in whom i know you delight much , and i send it you as a kind of epithalamium , and wish it may be verified in you both . foelices ter & amplius quos irrupta tenet copula , nec malis divulsus querimoniis suprema citius solvet amor die . thus english'd . that couple's more than trebly blest which nuptiall bonds do so combine , that no distast can them untwine till the last day send both to rest . so dear brother , i much rejoyce for this alliance , and wish you may encrease and multiply to your hearts content . may the . your affectionat brother , j. h. xvii . to my brother doctor howell from brussels . sir , i had yours in latin at roterdam , whence i corresponded with you in the same language ; i heard , though not from you , since i came from brussells , that our sister anne is lately maried to mr hugh penry , i am heartily glad of it , and wish the rest of our fisters were so well bestowd ; for i know mr penry to be a gentleman of a great deal of solid worth and integrity , and one that will prove a great husband , and a good o●…conomist . here is news that mansfel●… hath receiv'd a foyl lately in germany , and that the duke of brunswick , alias bishop of halverstadt hath lost one of his arms : this maks them vapor here extremely , and the last week i heard of a play the jesuits of antwerp made , in derogation or rather derision of the proceedings of the prince palsgrave , where amongst divers other passages , they feignd a post to com puffing upon the stage , and being askd what news , he answerd how the palsgrave was like to have shortly a huge formidable army , for the king of denmark was to send him a hundred thousand , the hollanders a hundred thousand , and the king of great britaine a hundred thousand ; but being asked thousands of what ? he replied the first would send . red herings , the second . cheeses , and the last . ambassadors ; alluding to sir richard weston , and sir edward conway , my lord carlile , sir arthur chichester , and lastly , the lord digby , who have bin all imploy'd in quality of ambassadors in lesse than two years , since the beginning of these german broils : touching the last , having bin with the emperor and the duke of bavaria , and carried himself with such high wisdom in his negotiations with the one , and stoutnes with the other , and having preserv'd count mansfiel●…s troups from disbanding , by pawning his own argentry and jewells , he pass'd this way , where they say the archduke did esteem him more than any ambassador that ever was in this court , and the report is yet very fresh of his high abilities . wee are to remove hence in coach towards paris the next week where we intend to winter , or hard by ; when you have opportunity to write to wales , i pray present my duty to my father , and my love to the rest ; i pray remember me also to all at the hill and the dale , specially to that most vertuous gentleman , sir iohn franklin . so my dear brother , i pray god continue and improve his blessings to us both , and bring us again together with comfort . iune . . your brother , j. h. xviii . to dr. the : prichard at worcester house . sir , friendship is that great chain of human societie , and intercours of letters is one of the chiefest links of that chain : you know this as well as i , therfore i pray let our friendship , let our love , that national ty of british love , that vertuous ty of academi●… love be still strengthned ( as heretofore ) and receive daily more and more vigor . i am now in paris , and ther is weekly opportunity to receive and send ; and if you please to send , you shall be sure to receive , for i make it a kind of religion to be punctuall in this kind of payment . i am heartily glad to hear that you are becom a domestic member to that most noble family of the worcesters , and i hold it to be a very good foundation for future preferment ; i wish you may be as happy in them , as i know they will be happy in you . f●…ance is now barren of news , only there was a shrewd brush lately twixt the young king and his mother , who having the duke of espernon and others for her champions met him in open field about pont de ce , but she went away with the worst ; such was the rare dutifulnes of the king , that he forgave her upon his knees , and pardon'd all her complices ; and now ther is an universall peace in this countrey , which t is thought will not last long , for ther is a war intended against them of the reformd religion ; for this king though he be slow in speech , yet is he active in spirit , and loves motion : i am here camrade to a gallant young gentleman my old acquaintance who is full of excellent parts , which he hath acquir'd by a choice breeding , the baron his father gave him both in the university , and the inns of court , so that for the time , i envy no mans happines . so with my hearty commends , and 〈◊〉 ●…ndear'd love unto you , i rest 〈◊〉 , . aug. ●… . yours whiles jam. howell . xix . to the honble . sir tho. savage , ( after lord savage , ) at his house upon tower-hill . honble . sir , those many undeserved favors for which i stand oblig'd to your self and my noble lady , since the time i had the happines to com first under your roof , and the command you pleas'd to lay upon me at my departure thence , call upon me at this time to give you account how matters passe in france . that which for the present affords most plenty of news , is rochell , which the king threatneth to block up this spring with an army by sea , under the comand of the d. of nevers , and by a land army under his own conduct : both sides prepare , he to assault , the rochellers to defend . the king declares that he proceeds not against them for their religion which he is still contented to tolerat , but for holding an assembly against his declarations . they answer that their assembly is grounded upon his majesties royal warrant , given at the dissolution of the last assembly at lodun , wher he solemnly gave his word to permit them to re-assemble when they would six months as●…er , if the breaches of their liberty , and grievances which they then propounded wer not redressed ; and they say this being unperform'd , it stands not with the sacred person of a king to violat his promise , being the first that ever he made them . the king is so incens'd against them , that their deputies can have neither accesse to his person , nor audience of his counsell , as they stile themselves the deputies of the assembly at rochell ; but if they say they com from the whole body of them of the pretended reform'd religion , he will hear them . the breach between them is grown so wide , that the king resolves upon a fiege . this resolution of the kings is much somented by the roman clergy , specially by the celestines , who have crowns of gold in the arsenal of paris , which they would sacrifice all to this service , besides the pope sent him a bull to levy what sums he would of the gallican church , for the advancement of this design : this resolution also is much push'd on by the gentry , who besides the particular emploiments and pay they shall receive hereby , are glad to have their young king train'd up in arms to make him a martiall man ; but for the merchant and poor peasan , they tremble at the name of this war , fearing their teeth should be set on edge with those soure grapes their fathers tasted in the time of the league , for if the king begin with rochell , 't is fear'd all the four corners of the kingdom will be set on ●…re . of all the towns of surety which they of the religion hold , rochell is the chiefest ; a place strong by nature , but stronger by art ; it is a maritim town , and landward they can by sluces drown a leagues distance : 't is fortified with mighty thick walls , bastions , and counters●…arps , and those according to the modern rules of enginry . this amongst other cautionary towns , was granted by henry the fourth , to them of the religion for a certain term of years , which being expir'd , the king saith they are devolv'd again to the crown , and so demands them . they of the religion pretend to have divers grievances ; first they have not been paid these two years the crowns which the last king gave them annually to maintain their ministers and garrisons : they complain of the kings carriage lately at bearn ( henry the greats countrey ) which was merely protestant , where he hath introduc'd two years since the public exercise of the masse , which had not bin sung there fifty years before ; he alter'd also there the government of the countrey , and in lieu of a viceroy , left a governor only : and wheras navarrin was formerly a court of parlement for the whol kingdom of navar , ( that 's under france ) he hath put it down and published an edict , that the navarrois should com to tolo●…se , the chief town of languedoc ; and lastly , he left behind him a garrison in the said town of navarrin . these and other grievances they of the religion propos'd to the king lately , desiring his majesty would let them enjoy still those privileges his predecessor henry the third , and his father henry the fourth afforded them by act of pacification : but he made them a short answer , that what the one did in this point , he did it out of fear ; what the other did , he did it out of love ; but he would have them know that he neither lov'd them , nor fear'd them : so the busines is like to bleed sore on both sides ; nor is ther yet any apearance of prevention . ther was a scuffle lately here 'twixt the duke of navers and the cardinal of guise , who have had a long sute in law about an abbey , and meeting the last week about the palace , from words they fell to blows , the cardinall struck the duke first , and so were parted , but in the afternoon ther appear'd on both sides no lesse than horse in a field hard by , which shews the populousnes and sudden strength of this huge city , but the matter was taken up by the king himself , and the cardinall clapt up in the bastile , wher the king saith he shall abide to ripen ; for he is but young , and they spake of a bull that is to come from rome to decardinalize him . i fear to have trespas'd too much upon your patience , therfore i will conclude for the present , but will never cease to profess my self your thrice humble and ready servitor , j. h. paris , aug. . . xx. to d. caldwall esqr. from poyssy . my dear d. to be free from english , and to have the more conveniency to fall close to our busines , mr. altham and i are lately re●…'d from paris to this town of poyssy , a pretty gentile place at the ●…oot of the great forrest of saint german upon the river sequana , and within a mile of one of the kings chiefest standing houses , and about miles from paris . here is one of the prime nunneries of all france . lewis the ninth , who in the catalog of the french kings is call'd st. lewis , which title was confirm'd by the pope , was baptiz'd in this little town , and after his return from egypt and other places against the saracens , being ask'd by what title he would be distinguish'd from the rest of his predecessors after his death , he answer'd , that he desir'd to be call'd lewis of poyssy : reply being made that ther were divers other places and cities of renown , wher he had perform'd brave exploits , and obtain'd famous victories , therfore it was more fitting that som of those places should denominat him : no , said he , i desire to be call'd lewis of poyssy , because there i got the most glorious victory that ever i had , for there i overcame the devill : meaning that he was christned there . i sent you from antwerp a silver dutch table-book , i desire to hear of the receit of it in your next : i must desire you ( as i did once at rouen ) to send me a dozen pair of the whitest kidskin glov's for women , and half a dozen pair of knit's , by the merchants post , and if you want any thing that france can afford , i hope you know what power you have to dispose of poyssy , septem . . . your j. h. xxii . to my father , from paris . sir , i was afraid i should never have had ability to write to you again , i had lately such a dangerous fit of sicknes , but i have now pass'd the brunt of it , god hath been pleas'd to reprieve me , and reserve me for more days which i hope to have grace to number better ; mr. altham and i having retired to a small town from paris for more privacy , and sole conversation with the nation ; i tyed my self to a task for the reading of so many books in such a compasse of time , and therupon to make good my-word to my self , i us'd to watch many nights together , though it was in the depth of winter , but returning to this town , i took cold in the head , and so that mals of rheum which had gather'd by my former watching turn'd to an impostume in my head , wherof i was sick above forty days , at the end they caute●…is'd and made an issue in my check to make vent for the impostume , and that sav'd my life : at first they let me bloud , and i parted with above fi●…y ounces in lesse than a ●…ortnight , for phlebotomy is so much practis'd here , that if ones little finger ake , they presently open ●… vein , and to ballance the bloud on both sides , they usually ●…et bloud in both arms . and the commonness of the thing ▪ ●…eems to take away all fear , insomuch that the very women when ●…hey find themselves indispos'd , will open a vein themselves , for ●…hey hold that the bloud which hath a circulation and fetcheth a ●…ound every hours about the body is quickly repair'd again ; i was eighteen dayes and nights that i had no sleep but short imperfect slumbers , and those too protur'd by potions ; the tumor at last came so about my throat that i had scarce vent left for respiration , and my body was brought so low with all sorts of physic , that i appeard like a meer skeleton . when i was indifferently well recover'd , som of the doctors and chirurgions that tended me , gave me a visit , and amongst other things they fell in discours of wines which was the best ; & so by degrees they fell upon other beverages , and one doctor in the company who had bin in england , told me that we have a drink in england cal'd ale , which he thought was the wholsomst liquor that could go into ones guts , for wheras the body of man is supported by two columns , viz. the naturall heat , and radicall moysture , he said , ther is no drink conduceth more to the preservation of the one , and the encrease of the ▪ other than ale , for while the englishmen drank only ale , they were strong brawny able men , and could draw an arrow an ell long , but when they fell to wine and beer , they are found to be much impaird in their strength and age ; so the ale bore away the bell among the doctors . the next week we advance our course further into france towards the river of loire to orleans , whence i shall continue to convey my duty to you . in the mean time i humbly crave your blessing , and your acknowledgment to god almightie for my recoverie ; be pleas'd further to impart my love amongst my brothers and sisters withall my kinsmen and friends in the countrey , so i rest paris , decembris . . your dutifull son , j. h. xxii . to sir tho. savage knight and baronet . honble sir . that of the fifth of this present which you pleasd to send me , was receiv'd . and i begin to think my self somthing more then i was , that you value so much the slender endevors of my pen to do you service . i shall continue to improve your good opinion of me as opportunity shall serve . touching the great threats against rochell , wherof i gave you an ample relation in my last , matters are becom now more calm and rather inclining to an accommodation , for 't is thought a sum of money will make up the breach ; and to this end som think all these bravado's were made . the duke of luynes is at last made lord high constable of france the prime officer of the crown , he hath a peculiar court to himself , a guard of a . men in rich liveries , and a hundred thousand livers every year pension : the old duke of lesdiguieres , one of the ancientst soldiers of france , and a protestant , is made his lieutenant . but in regard all christendom rings of this favorit , being the greatest that ever was in france since the maires of the palace , who came to be kings afterwards , i will send you herein his legend . he was boru in province , and is a gentleman by descent , though of a pettie extraction , in the last kings time he was preferr'd to be one of his pages , who finding him industrious , and a good waiter , allow'd him . crowns pension per annum , which he husbanded so well , that he maintaind himself and his two brothers in passable good fashion therwith . the king observing that , doubled his pension , and taking notice that he was a serviceable instrument and apt to please , he thought him fit to be about his son , in whose service he hath continued above fifteen years , and he hath flown so high into his favor by a singular dexteri●…ie and art he hath in ●…aulconrie , and by shooting at birds flying , wherin the king took great pleasure , that he hath soard to this pitch of honor . he is a man of a passable good understanding and forecast , of a mild comportment , humble and debonnair to all , and of a winning conversation , he hath about him choice and solid heads who prescribe unto him rules of policie , by whose compas he steers his course , which is likely will make him subsist long : he is now com to that transcendent altitude , that he seems to have mounted above the reach of envy , and made all hopes of supplanting him frustrate , both by the politic guidance of his own actions , and the powerfull alliances he hath got for himself and his two brothers : he is maried to the duke of montbazons daughter , one of the prime peers of france . his second brother cadanet ( who is reputed the wisest of the three ) maried the heiress of picardy , with whom he had l. lands a year . his third brother brand to the great heiress of luxemburg , of which house ther have bin five emperor ; so that these three brothers and their allies would be able to counter balance any one faction in france , the eldest and youngest being made dukes , and peers of france , the other marshall . ther are lately two ambassadors extraordinary com hither from venice about the valtolin , but their negotiation is at a stand , untill the return of an ambassador extraordinary which is gone to spain : ambassadors also are com from the hague for payment of the french regiment there , which hath bin neglected these ten years , and to know whether his majesty will be pleasd to continue their pay any longer ; but their answer is yet suspended : they have brought news that the seven ships which were built for his majesty in the tess●…ll are ready , to this he answerd , that he desires to have ten more built ; for he intends to finish that design which his father had a foot a little before his death to establish a royall company of merchants . this is all the news that france affords for the present , the relation wherof if it prove as acceptable as my endeavors to serve you herein are pleasing unto me , i shall esteem my self happy : so wishing you and my noble lady continuance of health , and encrease of honor , i rest paris , decembris . . your most humble servitor , j. h. xxiii . to sir john north , knight , sir , i confesse you have made a perfect conquest of me by your late favors , and i yeeld my self your cap●…if , a day may com that will enable me to pay my ransom , in the interim let a most thankfull acknowledgment be my bail and mainprise . i am now remov'd from off the sein to the loire to the fair town of orleans : there was here lately a mixt procession twixt military and ecclesiasti●… for the maid of orleans , which is performd every year very solemnly , her statue stands upon the bridg , and her cloths are proserv'd to this day , which a young man wore in the procession ; which makes me think that her story though it sound like a romance is very true : and i read it thus in two or three chronicles ; when the engl●…sh had made such firm invasions in france , that their armies had marchd into the heart of the countrey , besiegd orleans , and driven charles the seventh to bourges in berry , which made him to be calld , for the time , king of berry ; there came to his armie a shepheardesse one anne de arque , who with a confident look and language told the king that she was design'd by heaven to beat the english , and drive them out of france . therefore she desired a command in the ▪ army , which by her extraordinary confidence and importunity she obtain'd , and putting on mans apparell she prov'd so prosperous , that the siege ▪ was raisd from before orleans , and the english were pursued to paris , and forced to quit that , and driven to normandy : she usd to go on with marvellous courage and resolution , and her word was hara ha : but in normandy she was taken prisoner , and the english had a fair revenge upon her , for by an arrest of the parliament of rouen she was burnt for a witch . ther is a great busines now a foot in paris calld the polette , which if it take effect will tend to correct , at least wise to cover a great error in the french government : the custom is that all the chief places of justice throughout all the eight courts of parliament in france , besides a great number of other offices , are set to sale by the king , and they return to him unless the buyer liveth fourty dayes after his resignation to another : it is now propounded that these casuall offices shall be absolutly hereditary , provided that every officer pay a yearly revenue unto the king , according to the valuation and perquisits of the o●…ice : this busines is now in hot ●…gitation , bu●… the issue is yet doubtfull . the last you sent , i receivd by vacandary in paris : so highly honoring your excellent parts and me●…it , i rest , now that i understand french indifferently well , no more your ( she ) servant , but orleans , martii . . your most faithfull servitor , j. h. xxiv . to sir james crofts , knight . sir , vvere i to fraight a letter with complements , this countrey would furnish me with variety , but of news a small store at this present , and for complement it is dangerous to use a●…y to you , who have such a piercing judgment to discern semblan●…es from realities , the queen mother is com at last to paris , where she hath not been since an●…e's death : the king is also return'd post from bo●…deaux , having travers'd most part of his kingdom , he setled peace every where he pas'd , and quash'd divers insurrections , and by his obedience to his mother , and his lenity towards all her partisans a●… pont de c●… where above were slain , and notwithstanding that he was victorious , yet he gave a generall pardon , he hath gain'd much upon the affections of his people : his counsell of state wen●… ambulatory always with him , and as they say here , never did men manage things with more wisdom . ther is a war questionless a fermenting against the protestants , the duke of espernon in a kind of rodomontado way , desired leave of the king to block up rochell , and in six weeks he would undertake to deliver her to his hands , but i beleeve he reckons without his host. i was told a merry passage of this little gascon duke , who is now the oldest soldier of france ; having come lately to paris he treated with a pander to procure him a ●…urtesan , and if she was a damoisell ( a gentlewoman ) he would give so much , and if a citizen he would give so much : the pande●… did his office , but brought him a citizen clad in damoisells apparell , so she and her maquerell were paid accordingly ; the ne●… day after , som of his familiars having understood hereof began to be pleasant with the duke , and to jeer him , that he being a vis●…il routier an old tried soldier , should suffer himself to be so co●…end , as to pay for a citizen after the rate of a gentlewoman ; the little duke grew half wild hereupon , and commenc'd an action of fraud against the pander , but what became of it i cannot tell you , but all paris rung of it . i hope to return now very shortly to england , where amongst the ●…est of my noble friends i shall much rejoyce to see and serve you whom i honour with no vulgar affection , so i am your true servitor , j. h. orleans , martii . . xxv . to my cosen mr. will. martin at brussells from paris . dear cosen , i find you are very punctuall in your performances , and a precise observer of the promise you made here to correspond with mr. altham and me by letters . i thank you for the variety of german news you imparted unto me , which was so neatly couch'd and curiously knit together , that your letter ●…ight serve for a pattern to the best intelligencer . i am sorry the affairs of the prince palsgrave go so untowardly , the wheel of war may turn , and that spoke which is now up may down again . for french occurrences , ther is a war certainly intended against them of the religion here ; and ther are visible preparations a loot already ; amongst others that shrink in the shoulders at it the kings servants are not very wel pleas'd with it , in regard besides scots and swissers , ther are divers of the kings servants that are protestants . if a man go to 〈◊〉 ' di s●…ato to reason of state , the french king hath somthing to justifie this dessein , for the protestants being so numerous , and having neer upon fifty presidiary wall'd towns in their hands for caution , they have power to disturb france when they please , and being abetted by a forren prince to give the king law ; and you know as well as i how they have been made use of to kindle a fire in france : therfore rather than they should be utterly supprest , i believe the spaniard himself would reach them his ragged staff to defend them . i send you here inclos'd another from master altham who respects you dearly , and we remembred you lately at la pomme du pin in the best liquor of the french grape . i shall be shortly for london , where i shall not rejoyce a little to meet you ; that english air may confirm what forren begun , i mean our friendship and affections , and in me ( that i may return you in english the latin verses you sent me ) as soon a little little ant shall bib the ocean dry , a snail shall creep about the world , ere these affections dye . so my dear cosen ▪ may vertue be your guide , and fortune your companion . paris , martii . . yours while jam. howell . familiar letters . section iii. i. to my father . sir , i am safely return'd now the second time from beyond the seas , but i have yet no employment ; god and good friends i hope will shortly provide one for me . the spanish ambassador count gondamar doth strongly negotiat a match 'twixt our prince , and the infanta of spain , but at his first audience ther happen'd an ill favor'd accident ( i pray god it prove no ill augury ) for my lord of arundell being sent to accompany him to white hall , upon a sunday in the afternoon , as they were going over the tarrasse , it broke under them , but onely one was hurt in the arm ; gondamar said that he had not car'd to have dyed in so good company : he saith ther is no other way to regain the palatinate , but by this match , and to settle an eternall peace in christendom . the marquis of buckingham continueth still in fulnes of grace and favor ; the countess his mothes sways also much at court , she brought sir henry montague from delivering law on the k. bench , to look to his bags in the exchequer , for she made him lord high treasurer of england ▪ but he parted with his white staff before the years end , though his pu●… had bled deeply for it ( above l. ) which made a lord of this land to ask him at his return from court , whether he did not find that wood was extreme dear at new-market , for there he receiv'd the white staff . ther is now a notable stirring man in the place , my lord cranfield , who from walking about the exchange , is com to sit chief judge in the chequer chamber , and to have one of the highest places at the counsell table : he is maried to one of the tribe of fortune , a kinswoman of the marquis of buckingham . thus ther is rising and falling at court , and a●… in our naturall pace one foot cannot be up , till the other be down , so is it in the affairs of the world commonly , one man riseth at the fall of the other . i have no more to write at this time , but that with tender of my duy to you , i desire a continuance of your blessing and prayers . lond. march . . your dutifull son , j. h. ii. to the honble , m. john savage ( now earl rivers ) at florence . sir , my love is not so short but it can reach as far as florence to find you out , and further too if occasion requir'd , nor are those affections i have to serve you so dull but they can clammer ore the alps and apennin to wait upon you , as they have adventur'd to do now in this paper . i am sorry i was not in london 〈◊〉 kiss your hands before you set to sea , and much more sorry that i had not the happines to meet you in holland or brabant , for we went the very same road , and lay in dort and antwerp in the same lodgings you had lain in a fortnight before . i presume you have by this time tasted of the sweetnes of travell , and that you have wean'd your affections from england for a good while , you must now think upon home ( as one said ) good men think upon heaven , aiming still to go thither , but not till they finish their cours ; and yours i understand will be three years , in the mean time you must not suffer any melting tendernes of thoughts , or longing desires , to distract or interrupt you in that fair road you are in to vertue , and to beautifie within that comly edifice which nature hath built without you . i know your reputation is precious to you , as it should be to every noble mind , you have expos'd it now to the hazard , therfore you must be carefull it receive no taint at your return by not answering that expectation which your prince and noble parents have of you : you are now under the chiefest clime of wisdom , fair italy , the darling of nature , the nurse of policy , the theater of vertue ; but though italy give milk to vertue with one dug , she often suffers vice to suck at the other , therfore you must take heed you mistake not the dug ; for ther is an ill favourd saying , that inglese italionato , è diavolo incarnato ; an englishman italianat , is a devill incarnat . i fear no such thing of you , i have had such pregnant proofs of your ingenuity , and noble inclination●… to vertue and honor : i know you have a mind to both , but i must tell you that you will hardly get the good will of the latter , unless the first speak a good word for you : when you go to rome , you may haply see the ruines of two temples , one dedicated to vertue , the other to honor , and ther was no way to enter into the last , but through the first . noble sir , i wish your good very seriously , and if you please to call to memory , and examin the circumstance of things , and my carriage towards you since i had the happines to be known first to your honorable family , i know you will conclude that i love and honor you in no vulgar way . my lord , your grandfather was complaining lately that he had not heard from you a good while : by the next shipping to ligorn , amongst other things he intends to send you a whole brawn in collers . i pray be pleasd to remember my affectionat service to mr. tho. savage , and my kind respects to mr. bold : for english news i know this packet coms fraighted to you , therfore i forbear at this time to send any . farewell noble heir of honor , and command always lond. march . . your true servitor , j. h. iii. to sir james crofts knight , at saint osith in essex . sir , i had yours upon tuesday last , and wheras you are desirous to know the proceedings of the parliament , i am sorry i must write to you that matters begin to grow boysterous . the king retir'd not long since to new market not very well pleasd , and this week there went thither twelve from the house of commons , to whom sir richard ▪ weston was the mouth ; the king not liking the message they brought , calld them his ambassadors , and in the large answer which he hath sent to the speaker , he saith that he must apply unto them a speech of queen elizabeths to an ambassador of poland , legatum expectavimus , heralaum accepimus ? we expected an ambassador , we have receivd a herald ; he takes it not well that they should meddle with the match twixt his son and the infanta , alleging an example of one of the kings of france , which would not marry his son without the advice of his parliament , but afterwards that king grew so despicable abroad , that no forren state would treat with him about any thing without his parliament . sundry other high passages ther were as a caveat he gave them not to touch the honor of the king of spain , with whom he was so far ingag'd in a matrimoniall treaty that he could not go back : he gave them also a check for taking cognisance of those things which had their motion in the ordinary courts of iustice , and that sir edward coke , ( though these words were not inserted in the answer ) whom he thought to be the fittest instrument for a tyrant that ever was england ) should be so bold as to call the prerogative of the crown a great monster . the parliament after this was not long liv'd but broak up in discontent , and upon the point of dissolution , they made a protest against divers particulars in the aforesaid answer of his majesties . my lord digby is preparing for spain in qualitie of ambassador extraordinary , to perfect the match twixt our prince and the lady infanta , in which business gondamar hath waded already very deep , and bin very active , and ingratiated himself with divers persons of qualitie , ladies especially , yet he could do no good upon the lady hatton , whom he desird lately that in regard he was her next neighbor ( at ely house ) he might have the benefit of her back gate to go abroad into the fields , but she put him off with a complement , wherupon in a privat audience lately with the king amongst other passages of merriment , he told him that my lady hatton was a strange lady , for she would not suffer her husband sir edward coke to com in at her foredore , nor him to go out at her back dore ; and so related the whole business : he was also dispatching a l'ost lately for spain , and the post having receivd his packet , and kisd his hands , he calld him back and told him he had forgot one thing , which was , that when he came to spain he should commend him to the sun , 〈◊〉 he had not seen him a great while , and in spain he should be sure to find him : so with my most humble service to my lord of colchester , i rest london , mar. . . your most humble servitor , j. h. iv , to my brother mr hugh penry . sir , the welsh nag you sent me , was deliverd me in a very good plight , and i give you a thousand thanks for him ; i had occasion lately to try his mettle and his lungs , and every one tells me he is right , and of no mong●…ell race , but a true mountaneer , for besides his toughness , and strength of lungs up a hill , he is quickly curried , and content with short commons : i beleeve he hath not been long a highway traveller , for wheras other horses , when they pass by an inne or alehouse use to make towards them to give them a friendly visit , this n●…g roundly goes on , and scornes to cast as much as a glance upon any of them , which i know not whether i shall impute it to his ignorance , or height of spirit , but conversing with the soft horses of england , i beleeve he will quickly be brought to be more courteous . the greatest news we have now is the return of the lord bpp ▪ of landass , davenant , ward , and belcanquell , from the synod of dort , where the bishop had precedence given him according to his ep●…scopall dignity , arminius and vorstius were sore baited there concerning predestination , election , and reprobation ; as also touching christs death , and mans redemption by it ; then concerning mans corruption , and conversion ; lastly , concerning the perseverance of the saints : i shall have shortly the transaction of the synod . the jesuits have put out a gee●…ing libell against it , and these two verses i remember in 't . dordrecti synodus ? nodus ; chorus integer ? aeger ; conventus ? ventus ; s●…ffio stramen , amen . but i will confront this distich with another i read in france of the iesuits in the town of dole , towards lorain ; they had a great house given them calld l'ar●… ( arcum ) and upon the river of l●… , henry the fourth gave them la fleche , sagittam in ●…atin , where they have two stately convents , that is , bow and arrow ; wherupon one made these verses : arcum dola dedit , dedit ill is alma sagittam francia ; quis chordam , quam meruere , dabit ? faire france the arrow , dole gave them the bow , who shall the string which they deserve bestow ? no more now but that with my dear love to my sister i rest . london , aprill . . your most affectionate brother j. h. v. to the lord vicount colchester . my good lord , i receivd your lopps ▪ of the last week , and according to your command , i send here inclos'd the venetian gazet : for forren aviso's , they write that mansfelt hath bin beaten out of germany , and is come to sedan , and 't is thought the duke of bouillon will set him up again with a new army : marquis spinola hath newly sat down ▪ before berghen op zoom ; your lopp ▪ knows well what consequence that town is of , therfore it is likely this will be a hot summer in the netherlands . the french king is in open war against them of the religion , he hath already cleard the loire by taking ier seau and saumur , where mon●…r . du plessis sent him the keys , which are promisd to be deliverd him again , but i think ad graecas calenda●… . he hath bin also before saint iohn d' angeli , where the young cardinall of guyse died , being struck down by the puffe of a canon bullet , which put him in a burning ●…eaver , and made an end of him : the last town that 's taken was clerac , which was put to . crowns ransom ; many were put to the sword , and divers gentlemen drownd as they thought to scape ; this is the fifteenth cautionary town the king hath taken , and now they say he marcheth towards montauban , and so to montpelli●…r and nism●… , and then have at rochell . my lord hayes is by this time 't is thought with the army ; for sir edward harbert is return'd , having had som clashings and counterbuffs with the favorite luynes , wherin he comported himself gallantly : ther is a fresh report blown over , that luynes is lately dead in the army of the plague , som say of the purples , the next cousen german to it ; which the protestants give out to be the just judgement of heaven ●…aln upon him , because he incited his master to these wars against them . if he be not dead , let him dy when he will , he will leave a fame behind him , to have bin the greatest favorit for the time that ever was in france , having from a simple faulkner com to be high constable , and made himself and his younger brother brand dukes and peers ; and his second brother cadenet marshall , and all three maried to princely families . no more now , but that i most humbly kiss your lopps ▪ hands , and shall be alwaies most ready and chearfull to receive your commandments , because i am london , aug. . your lordships obliged servitor , i. h. vi. to my father , from london . sir , i was at a dead stand in the cours of my fortunes , when it pleas'd god to provide me lately an employment to spain , whence i hope there may arise both repute and profit . som of the cap●… merchants of the turky company , amongst whom , the chiefest were sir robert napper , and captain leat , propos'd unto me , that they had a great business in the court of spain in agitation many yeers , nor was it now their busines but the kings , in whose name it is followed : they could have gentlemen of good quality that would undertake it ; yet if i would take it upon me , they would employ no other , and assur'd me that the employment should tend both to my benefit and credit . now the business is this : ther was a great turky ship call'd the vineyard , sailing through the streights towards constantinople , but by distress of weather she was forc'd to put into a little port call'd milo in sardinia : the searchers came aboard of her , and finding her richly laden , for her cargazon of broad cloth was worth the first peny neer upon l. they cavell'd at some small proportion of lead and tin , which they had only for the use of the ship , which the searchers alleged to be ropa de contrabando prohibited goods ; for by article of peace nothing is to be carried to turky that may arm or vittle . the vice-roy of sardinia hereupon seizd upon the whole ship and all her goods , landed the master and men in spain , who coming to sir charls corawalles then ambassador at the cour●… ; sir charles could do them little good at present , therfore they came to england , and complaind to the king and counsell : his majesty was so sensible hereof that he sent a particular commission in his own royall name , to demand a restitution of the ship and goods , and justice upon the vice-roy of sardinia , who had so apparently broke the peace , and wrongd his subjects : sir charles ( with sir paul pi●…dar a while ) labourd in the business , and commenc'd a sute in law , but he was calld home before he could do any thing to purpose . after him sir iohn digby , ( now lord digby ) went ambassador to spain , and amongst other things , he had that particular commission from his majesty invested in him , to prosecut the sute in his own royall name : therupon he sent a well qualified gentleman , mr walsingham g●…sley to sardinia , who unfortunately meeting with som men of war in the passage , was carried prisoner to algier : my lord digby being remanded home ▪ left the business in mr cotingtons hands then agent , but reassum'd it at his return : yet it prov'd such a tedious intricate sute , that he return'd again without finishing the work ; in regard of the remoteness of the island of sardinia , whence the witnesses and other dispatches were to be fetchd . the lord digby is going now ambassador extraordinary to the court of spain , upon the business of the match , the restitution o●… the palatinate , and other high affairs of state ; therfore he is desirous to transmit the kings commission to ching this particular business to any gentleman that is capable to follow it , and promiseth to assist him with the utmost of his power , and he saith he hath good reason to do so , in regard he hath now a good round share himself in it . about this busines ▪ i am now preparing to go to spain , in company of the ambassador , and i shall kiss the kings hands as his agent touching this particular commission . i humbly intreat that your blessing and prayers may accompany me in this my new employment , which i have undertaken upon very good terms touching expences & reward : so with my dear love to my brothers and sisters , with other kindred and friends in the countrey , i rest london , sept. . your dutifull son , j. h. vii . to sir tho : savage knight and baronet , at his house in long-melford . honble sir , i receivd your commands in a letter which you sent me by sir iohn north , and i shall not fail to serve you in those particulars . it hath pleased god to dispose of me once more for spain , upon a business which i hope will make me good returns : ther have two ambassadors and a royall agent follow'd it hitherto , and i am the fourth that is employed in it : i defer to trouble you with the particulars of it , in regard i hope to have the happiness to kiss your hand at tower hill before my departure ; which will not be , till my lord digby sets forward . he goes in a gallant splendid equipage , and one of the kings ships is to take him in at plymouth , and transport him to the corunnia , or saint ande●…as . since that sad disaster which befell archbishop abbot , to kill the man by the glancing of an arrow as he was shooting at a deer , ( which kind of death befell one of our kings once in new forrest : ) ther hath bin a commission awarded to debate whether upon this fact , wherby he hath shed human bloud , he be not to be depriv'd of his archbishoprick , and pronounc'd irregular ; som were against him , but bishop andrews , and sir henry martin stood stifly for him , that in regard it was no spontaneous act , but a meer contingencie , and that ther is no degree of men but is subject to misfortunes and casualties , they declar'd positively that he was not to fall from his dignity or function , but should still remain a regular and in statu quo prius ; during this debate , he petitioned the king that he might be permitted to retire to his almes-house at guilford where he was born , to pass the remainder of his life ; but he is now come to be again rectus in curia , absolutely quitted and restor'd to all things : but for the wife of him which was killd , it was no misfortune to her , for he hath endowed herself , and her children with such an estate , that they say her husband could never have got : so i humbly kisse your hands and rest london , nov. . your most obliged servi●… . j. h. viii . to captain nich : leat from madrid , at his house in london . sir , i am safely com to the court of spain , and although by reason of that misfortune which befell mr altham and me , of wounding the sergeants in lombardstreet , we staied three weeks behind my lord ambassador , yet we came hither time enough to attend him to court at his first audience . the english nation is better lookd on now in spain than ordinary , because of the hopes ther are of a match , which the merchant and comunalty much desire , though the nobility and gentry be not so forward for it ; so that in this point the puls of sp●… beats quite contrary to that of england , where the people are ●…vers to this match , and the nobility with most part of the gentry inclinable . i have perusd all the papers i could get into my hands , touching the business of the ship - vineyard , and i find that they are higher than i in bulk , though closely prest together ; i have cast up what i●… awarded by all the sentences of view and review , by the counsell of state & war , and i find the whole sum as wel principall , as interest upon interest , all sorts of damages , and processall charges , com to above two hundred and fifty thousand crowns . the conde del real quondam viceroy of sardinia , who is adjudged to pay most part of this money , is here ▪ and he is mayordomo lord steward to the infante cardinall ; if he hath wherwith , i donbt not but to recover the money , for i hope to have com in a favorable conjuncture of time , and my lord ambassador who is so highly esteemd here , doth assure me of his best furtherance . so praying i may prove as succesfull , as i shall be faithfull in this great busines , i rest madrid , decem. . yours to dispose of , j. h. ix . to mr arthur hopton from madrid . sir , since i was made happy with your acquaintance , i have receivd sundry strong evidences of your love and good wishes unto me , which have tied me unto you in no common obligation of thanks : i am in despair ever to cancell this bond , nor would i do it , but rather endear the engagement more and more . the treaty of the match twixt our prince and the lady infante is now strongly a foot , she is a very comely lady , rather of a flemish complexion than spanish ; fair haird , and carrieth a most pure mixture of red and white in her face : she is full and big lipd , which is held a beautie rather than a blemish or any excefle in the austrian family , it being a thing incident to most of that race : she goes now upon , and is of a talness agreable to those yeers . the king is also of such a complexion , and is under twentie ; he hath two brothers , don carlos , and don herna●…do , who though a youth of twelve , yet is he cardinall and archbishop of toledo , which in regard it hath the chancelorship of castile annexed to it , is the greatest spirituall dignity in christendom after the papacy , for it is valued at . crowns per annum : don carlos is of a differing complexion from all the rest , for he is black haird , and of a spanish hue , he hath neither office , command , dignitie or title , but is an individuall companion to the king , and what cloaths soever are provided for the king , he hath the very same , and as often , from top to toe ; he is the better belov'd of the people for his complexion , for one shall hear the spaniard sigh and lament , saying , o when shall we have a king again of our own colour ! i pray commend me kindly to all at your house , and send me word when the young gentlemen return from italy . so with my most affectionat respects to your self , i rest madrid , . ●…an . . your true friend to serve you , j. h. x. to captain nic. leat , from madrid . sir , yours of the tenth of this present i receiv'd by mr. simon digby , with the inclosed to your son in alicant , which is safely sent . since my last unto you i had access to olivares the favorit that rules all ; i had also audience of the king , to whom i deliver'd two memorialls since , in his majesties name of great britain , that a particular iunta of some of the counsell of state and war , might be appointed to determin the business : the last memoriall had so good success that the referees are nominated , wherof the chiefest is the duke of infantado . here it is not the stile to claw and complement with the king , or idolize him by sacred , soverain , and most excellent majesty ; but the spaniard when he petitions to his king , gives him no other character but sir , and so relating his business , at the end he doth ask and demand justice of him . when i have done with the vice-roy here , i shall hasten my dispatches for sardinia : since my last i went to liquidat the account more particularly , and i find that of the crowns , ther are above forty thousand due unto you ; which might serve for a good aldermans estate . your son in alicant writes to me of another mischance that is befaln the ship amitie about mallorca , wherof you were one of the proprietaries ; i am very sorry to hear of it , and touching any dispatches that are to be had hence , i shall endeavor to procure you them according to instructions . your cosen richard altham remembers his kind respects unto you , and sends you many thanks for the pains you took in freeing us from that trouble which the scuffle with the sergeants brought upon us . so i rest madrid , ian. . yours ready to serve you , j. h. xi . to the lord vicount colchester from madrid . right honble . the grand busines of the match goes so fairly on , that a speciall iunta is appointed to treat of it , the names wherof i send you here inclos'd : they have proceeded so , far that most of the articles are agreed upon : mr. george gage is lately come hither from rome , a polite and prudent gentleman , who hath negotiated somthings in that court for the advance of the busines with the cardinalls bandino , lodovisie , & la susanna , who are the main men there to whom the drawing of the dispensation is referr'd . the late taking of ormus by the persian from the crown of portugall keeps a great noise here , and the rather because the exploit was done by the assistance of the english ships that were then therabouts ; my lord digby went to court and gave a round satisfaction in this point ; for it was no voluntary , but a constrain'd act in the english , who being in the persians port were suddenly embarqu'd for the service : and the persian herein did no more than what is usuall amongst christian princes themselves , and which is oftner put in practice by the king of spain , and his vice-roys , than by any other , viz. to make an embargue of any strangers ship that rides within his ports upon all occasion . it was fear'd this surprisall of ormus which was the greatest mart in all the orient for all sorts of jewells , would have bred ill bloud , and prejudic'd the preceedings of the match , but the spaniard is a rationall man , and will be satisfied with reason count olivares is the main man who sways all , and 't is thought he is not so much affected to an alliance with england as his predecessor the duke of lerma was , who set it first a foot 'twixt prince henry , and this queen of france : the duke of lerma was the greatest privado , the greatest favorit that ever was in spain since don alvaro de luna , he brought himself , the duke of uzeda his son , and the duke of c●…a his grand-child to be all grandes of spain , which is the greatest title that a spanish subject is capable of , they have a privilege to stand cover'd before the king , and at their election ther 's no other ceremony but only these three words by the king , cobrése por grande , cover your self for a grande , and that 's all : the cardinall duke of lerma lives at valladolid , he officiats and sings mass , and passeth his old age in devotion and exercises of piety : it is a common and indeed a commendable custom amongst the spaniard , when he hath pass'd his gran climacteric , and is grown decrepit , to make a voluntary resignation of offices , be they never so great and profitable , ( though i cannot say ler●… did so ) and sequestring and weaning themselves as it were from all mundan negotiations and encombrances , to retire to som place of devotion , and spend the residue of their days in meditation , and in preparing themselves for another world : charles the emperor shew'd them the way , who left the empire to his brother , and all the rest of his dominions to his son philip the second , and so taking with him his two sisters , he retir'd into a monastery , they into a nunnery : this doth not suit well with the genius of an englishman , who loves not to pull off his cloaths till he goes to bed . i will conclude with some verses i saw under a huge rodomontado picture of the duke of lerma , wherin he is painted like a giant bearing up the monarchy of spain , that of france , and the popedom upon his shoulders , with this stanza , sobre les ombros d'este atlante yazen en aquestos dias , estas tres monarquias . upon the shoulders of this atlas lies , the popedom and two mighty monarchies . so i most humbly kiss your lordships hands , and rest ever most ready madrid , febr. . at your lordships command , j. h. xii . to my father . sir , all affairs went on fairly here , specially that of the match ; when master endymion porter brought lately my lord of b●…istoll a dispatch from england of a high nature , wherin the earl is commanded to represent unto this king how much his majesty of great britain since the beginning of these german wars hath labourd to merit well of this crown , and of the whole house of austria , by a long and lingring patience , grounded still upon assurances hence , that care should be had of his honor , his daughters joynture , and grand-childrens patrimony ; yet how crosly all things had proceeded in the treaty at bruxells , manag'd by sir richard weston , as also that in the palatinat by the lord chichester : how in treating time the town and castle of heidelberg were taken , manbeim besieg'd , and all acts of hostility us'd , notwithstanding the fair professions made by this king , the infanta at bruxells , and other his ministers : how meerly out of respect to this king , he had neglected all martiall means which probably might have preserv'd the palatinat : those thin garrisons which he had sent thither being rather for honors sake to keep a footing untill a generall accommodation , than that he relyed any way upon their strength : and since that there are no other fruits of all this but reproach and scorn ▪ and that those good offices which he us'd towards the emperor on the behalf of his son in law , which he was so much encouraged by letters from hence should take effect , have not sorted to any other issue , than to a plain affront and a high injuring of both their majesties , though in a different degree ; the earl is to tell him that his majesty of great britain hopes and desires that out of a true apprehension of these wrongs offerd unto them both , he will as his dear and loving brother faithfully promise and undertake upon his honor , confirming the same under his hand and seal , either that heidelberg shall be within seventy days rendred into his hands ; as also that ther shall be within the said term of seventy days a suspension of arms in the palatinat , and that a treaty shall recommence upon such terms as he propounded in november last , which this king held then to be reasonable : and in case that this be not yeelded unto by the emperor , that then this king joyn forces with his majesty of england , for the recovery of the palatinat , which upon this trust hath been lost ; or in case his forces at this time be otherwise employ'd , that they cannot give his majesty that assistance he desires and deserves , that at least he will permit a free and friendly passage through his territories , for such forces as his mejesty of great britain shall employ into germany : of all which , if the earl of bristoll hath not from the king of spain a direct assurance under his hand and seal ten days after his audience , that then he take his leave , and return to england to his majesties presence , els to proceed in the negotiation of the match according to former instructions . this was the main substance of his majesties late letter , yet there was a postill added , that in case a rupture happen 'twixt the two crowns , the earl should not com instantly and abruptly ●…way , but that he should send advice first to england , and carry the busines so , that the world should not presently know of it . notwithstanding all these traverses , we are confident here , that the match will take , otherwise my cake is dow. there was a great difference in one of the capitulations 'twixt the two kings , how long the children which should issue of this marriage were to continue sub regimine matris , under the tutele of the mother . this king demanded years at first , then twelve , but now he is come to nine , which is newly condescended unto . i receiv'd yours of the first of september in another from sir iames crofts , wherin it was no small comfort to me to hear of your health . i am to go hence shortly for sardinia , a dangerous voyage , by reason of algier pirats . i humbly desire your prayers may accompany madrid , febr. . your dutifull son , j. h. xiii . to sir james crofts knight . sir , yours of the second of october came to safe hand with the inclos'd ; you write that there came dispatches lately from rome , wherin the pope seems to endevour to insinuat himself into a direct treaty with england , and to negotiat immediatly with our king touching the dispensation , which he not only labours to evade , but utterly disclaims , it being by article the task of this king to procure all dispatches thence : i thank you for sending me this news . you shall understand there came lately an express from rome also to this court , touching the business of the match which gave very good content ; but the dispatch and new instructions , which mr. endymion porter brought my lord of bristoll lately from england touching the prince palatinat , fills us with apprehensions of fear : our ambassadors here have had audience of this king already about those propositions , and we hope that master porter will carry back such things as will satisfie . touching the two points in the treaty wherin the two kings differ'd most , viz. about the education of the children , and the exemption of the infanta's ecclesiastic servants from secular jurisdiction : both these points are clear'd , for the spaniard is com from fourteen years to ten , and for so long time the infant princes shall remain under the mothers government . and for the other point , the ecclesiasticall superior shall first take notice of the offence that shall be committed by any spirituall person belonging to the infanta's family , and according to the merit therof either deliver him by degradation to the secular justice , or banish him the kingdom according to the quality of the delict , and it is the same that is practis'd in this kingdom , and other parts that adhere to rome . the conde de monterrey goes vice-roy to naples , the marquis de montesclaros being put by , the gallanter man of the two . i was told of a witty saying of his , when the duke of lerma had the vogue in this court : for going one morning to speak with the duke , and having danc'd attendance a long time , hee peep'd through a slit in the hanging , and spied don rodrigo calderon , a great man ( who was lately beheaded here for poisning the late queen dowager ) delivering the duke a paper upon his knees , wherat the marquis smil'd and said , voto a tal , aqu●…l hombre sube mas a las rodillas , que yo no hago a los pics , i swear that man climbs higher upon his knees , than i can upon my feet : indeed i have read it to be a true court rule , that descendendo ascendendum est in aula , descending is the way to ascend at court. ther is a kind of humility and compliance , that is far from any servile baseness or fordid flattery , and may be term'd discretion rather than adulation . i intend god willing to go for sardinia this spring , i hope to have better luck than master walsingham gresley had , who some few years since in his passage thither upon the same business that i have in agitation , met with some turksmen of war , and so was carried slave to algier . so with my true respects to you ▪ i rest madrid , mar. . your faithfull servant , j. h. xiv . to sir francis cottington , secretary to his highnesse the prince of wales , at saint james . sir , i believe it will not be unpleasing unto you to hear of the procedure and successe of that business wherin your self hath been so long vers'd in : i mean the great sute against the quondam vice-roy of sardinia the conde del real : count gondamars comming was a great advantage unto me , who hath don me many favors ; besides a confirmation of the two sentences of view and review , and of the execution against the vice-roy , i have procur'd a royall cedule which i caus'd to be printed , and wherof i send you here inclos'd a coppy , by which cedule i have power to arrest his very person , and my lawyers tell me ther was never such a cedule granted before : i have also by vertue of it priority of all other his creditors : he hath made an imperfect overture of a composition , and shewd me som triviall old fashion'd jewells , but nothing equivalent to the debt . and now that i speak of jewells , the late surprisall of ormus by the assistance of our ships sinks deep in their stomacks here , and we were afraid it would have spoild all proceedings ; but my lord digby , now earl of bristoll ( for count gondamar brought him ore his patent ) hath calmd all things at his last audience . ther were luminaries of joy lately here for the victory that don gonzalez de cordova got over count mansfelt in the netherlands with that army which the duke of bouillon had levied for him , but some say they have not much reason to rejoyce , for though the infantery suffer'd , yet mansfelt got clear with all his horse by a notable retreat , and they say here it was the greatest peece of service and art he ever did , it being a maxim , that ther is nothing so difficult in the art of war , as an honourable retreat . besides , the report of his comming to breda , caus'd marquis spinola to raise the siege before berghen , to burn his tents , and to pack away suddenly ; for which he is much censur'd here : captain leat and others have written to me of the favourable report you pleas'd to make of my endeavors here , for which i return you humble thanks : and though you have left behind you multitude of servants in this court , yet if occasion were offerd , none should be more forward to go on your errand , then madrid , mar. . your humble and faithfull servitor , j. h. xv. to the honble . sir tho : savage , knight and baronet . honble sir , the great busines of the match was tending to a period , the articles reflecting both upon church and state , being capitulated , and interchangeably accorded on both sides , and ther wanted nothing to consummate all things , when to the wonderment of the world the prince and the marquis of buckingham arriv'd at this court a friday last , upon the close of the evening ▪ they lighted at my lord of bristols house , and the marquis ( mr thomas smith ) came in first with a portmantle under his arm , then ( mr iohn smith ) the prince was sent for , who staid a while the to'ther side of the street in the dark , my lord of bristoll in a kind of astonishment brought him up to his bed chamber , where he presently calld for pen and ink , and dispacht a post that night to england to acquaint his majesty how in lesse then sixteen daies he was come safely to the court of spain ; that post went lightly laden , for he carried but three letters : the next day came sir francis cotington and mr porter , and darke rumors ran in every corner how som great man was com from england , and som would not stick to say amongst the vulgar , it was the king , but towards the evening on saturday the marquis went in a close coach to court , where he had privat audience of this king , who sent olivares to accompany him back to the prince , where he kneeld and kisd his hands , and hugd his thighs , and deliverd how unmeasurably glad his catholic majesty was of his coming , with other high complements , which mr porter did interpret . about ten a clock that night , the king himself came in a close coach with intent to visit the prince , who hearing of it , met him halfway , and after salutations and divers embraces which past in the first interview they parred late : i forgot to tell you , that count gondamar being sworn counseller of state that morning , having bin before but one of the counsell of war , he came in great hast to visit the prince saying , he had strange news to tell him , which was that an englishman was sworn privy counseller of spain , meaning himself , who he said was an englishman in his heart . on sunday following , the king in the afternoon came abroad to take the air with the queen , his two brothers and the infanta , who were all in one coach , but the infanta sat in the boot with a blew riband about her arm , of purpose that the prince might distinguish her : ther were above twenty coaches besides of grandes , noble men and ladies that attended them . and now i●… was publicly known amongst the vulgar , that it was the prince of wales who was com , and the confluence of people before my lord of bristolls house was so great and greedy to see the prince , that to clear the way , sir lewis div●…s went out and took coach , and all the crowd of people went after him : so the prince himself a little after took coach , wherin there were the earl of bristoll , sir walter ashton , and count gondamar , and so went to the prado , a place hard by , of purpose to take the air , where they stayed till the king past by : as soon as the infanta saw the prince her colour rose very high , which we hold to be an impression of love and affection , for the face is often times a true index of the heart . upon monday morning after the king sent som of his prime nobles , and other gentlemen to attend the prince in qualitie of officers , as o●…e to be his mayordom ( his steward ) another to be master of the horse , and so to inferior officers , so that ther is a compleat court now at my lord of bristolls house : but upon sunday next the prince is to remove to the kings palace , where ther is one of the chief quarters of the house providing for him . by the next opportunity you shall hear more , in the interim i take my leave and rest march , . . your most humble and ready servitor , j. h. xvi . to sir eubule theloall knight , at grayes-inne . sir , i know the eyes of all england are earnestly fixd now upon spain , her best jewell being here ; but his journey was like to be spoild in france , for if he had stayd but a little longer at bayon the last town of that kingdom hitherwards , he had bin discoverd , for monsieur gramond the governor had notice of him not long after he had taken post. the people here do mightily magnifie the gallantry of the journey , and cry out that he deserv'd to have the infanta thrown into his arms the first night he came : he hath bin entertaind with all the magnificence that possibly could be devis'd . on sunday last in the morning betimes he went to saint hieroms monastery , whence the kings of spain use to be fetchd the day they are crownd ; and thither the king came in person with his two brothers , his eight counsells , and the flower of the nobility : he rid upon the kings right hand through the heart of the town under a great canopy , and was brought so into his lodgings to the kings palace , and the king himself accompanied him to his very bedchamber . it was a very glorious sight to behold , for the custom of the spaniard is , though he go plain in his ordinary habit , yet upon som festivall or cause of triumph , ther 's none goes beyond him in gaudiness . we daily hope for the popes breve or dispensation to perfect the busines , though ther be dark whispers abroad that it is com already , but that upon this inexpected coming of the prince , it was sent back to rome , and som new clauses thrust in for their further advantage . till this dispatch comes , matters are at a kind of stand ; yet his highnes makes account to be back in england about the latter end of may. god almighty turn all to the best , and to what shall be most conducible to his glory . so with my due respects unto you , i rest aprill , ▪ . your much obliged servitor , j. h. xvii . to captain leat . sir , having brought up the law to the highest point against the vice-roy of sardinia , and that in an extraordinary manner , as may appear unto you by that printed cedule i sent you in my last , and finding an apparent disability in him to satisfie the debt ▪ i thought upon a new design , and fram'd a memoriall to the king ▪ and wrought good strong means to have it seconded , that in rega●… that predatory act of seizing upon the ship vinyard in sardi●… ▪ with all her goods , was done by his majesties vice-roy , his soverain minister of state , one that immediatly represented his own royall person , and that the said vice-roy was insolvent ; i desir'd his majesty would be pleas'd to grant a warrant for the releef of both parties to lade so many thousand sterills o●… measures of corn out of sardinia and sicily custom-free . i had gonf●… in the business when sir francis cottington sent for me , and requir'd me in the prince his name to proceed no further herei●… , till he was departed : so his highness presence here hath tur●… rather to my disadvantage , than otherwise . amongst other grandezas which the king of spain conferr'd upon our prince , one was the releasment of prisoners , and that all petitions of grace should com to him for the first month , but he hath been wonderfull sparing in receiving any , specially from any english , irish , or scot. your son nicolas is com hither from alicant , about the ship amity , and i shall be ready to second him in getting satisfaction , so i rest , madrid , iune . . yours ready to serve you , j. h. xviii . to captain tho. porter . noble captain , my last unto you was in spanish , in answer to one of yours in the same language , and amongst that confluence of english gallants , which upon the occasion of his highness being here , are com to this court ; i fed my self with hopes a long while to have seen you , but i find now that those hopes were impd with false feathers . i know your heart is here , and your best affections , therfore i wonder what keeps back your person : but i conceive the reason to be that you intend to com like your self , to com commander in chief of one of the castles of the crown , one of the ships royall : if you com so to this shore side , i hope you wil havetime to come to the court , i have at any time a good lodging for you , and my landlady is none of the meanest , and her husband hath many good parts ; i heard her setting him forth one day , and giving this character of him , mi marido ei buen musico , buen esgrimidor , buen eserivano , excellente arithmetico , salvo que no multiplica : my husband is a good musitian , a good fencer , a good horse-man , a good pen-man , and an excellent arithmetician , only he cannot multiply . for outward usage , there is all industry us'd to give the prince and his servants all possible contentment , and som of the kings own servants wait upon them at table in the palace , where i am sorry to hear som of them jeer at the spanish fare , and use other slighting speeches and demeanor . ther are many excellent poems made here since the princes arrivall , which are too long to couch in a letter , yet i will venture to send you this one stanza of lope de vegas . carlos estuardo soy que siendo amor mi guia , al cielo d'españa voy , por ver mi estrella maria. there are comedians once a week com to the palace , where under a great canopy , the queen and the infanta sit in the middle , our prince and don carles on the queens right hand , the king and the little cardinall on the infanta's left hand . i have seen the prince have his eyes immovably fixed upon the infanta half an hour together in a thoughtfull speculative posture , which sure would needs be tedious , unless affection did sweeten it : it was no handsom comparison of olivares , that he watcht her as a cat doth ●… mouse . not long since the prince understanding that the infanta was us'd to go som mornings to the casa de campo , a summer house the king hath tother side the river , to gather may dew , he did rise betimes and went thither , taking your brother with him , they were let into the house , and into the garden , but the infanta was in the orchard , and there being a high partition wall between , and the door doubly bolted , the prince got on the top of the wall , and sprung down a great hight , and so made towards her , but she spying him first of all the rest , gave a sh●…eck and ran back ; the old marquis that was then her gardien , came towards the prince , and fell on his knees , conjuring his highnesse to retire , in regard he hazarded his head , if he admitted any to her company ; so the door was open'd and he came out under that wall over which he had got in : i have seen him watch a long hour together in a close coach in the open street to see her as she went abroad : i cannot say that the prince did ever talk with her privatly , yet publickly often my lord of bristoll being interpreter , but the king always sat hard by , to over-hear all . our cosen archy hath more privilege than any , for he often goes with his fools coat where the infanta is with her meninas and ladies of honor , and keeps a blowing and blustering amongst them , and flu●…ts out what he list . one day they were discoursing what a marvellous thing it was , that the duke of bavaria with lesse then men , after a long toylsom march , should dare to encounter the palsgraves army , consisting of above ●… , and to give them an utter discomfiture , and take prague presently after . wherunto archy answered , that he would tell them a stranger thing than that : was it not a strange thing , quoth he , that in the year , ther should com a fleet of one hundred and forty sails from spain , to invade england , and that ten of these could not go back to tell what became of the rest ? by the next opportunity i will send you the cordovan pockets and gloves you writ for of francisco morenos persuming . so may my dear captain live long and love his madrid , iuly . . j. h. xix . to my cosen tho. guin esqr. at his house trecastle . cosen , i received lately one of yours , which i cannot compare more properly than to a posie of curious flowers , ther was therin such variety of sweet strains and dainty expressions of love : and though it bore an old date , for it was forty days before it came to safe hand , yet the flowers were still fresh , and not a whit faded , but did cast as strong and as fragrant a sent , as when your hands bound them up first together , only ther was one flower that did not savor so well , which was the undeserved character you please to give of my smal abilities , which in regard you look upon me through the prospective of affection , appear greater unto you than they are of themselvs ; yet as smal as they are i would be glad to employ them all to serve you upon any occasion . wheras you desire to know how matters pass here , you shall understand that we are rather in assurance , than hopes that the match will take effect , when one dispatch more is brought from rome which we greedily expect . the spaniards generally desire it , they are much taken with our prince , with the bravery of his journey , and his discreet comportment since , and they confess ther was never princess courted with more gallantry . the wits of the court here , have made divers encomiums of him , & of his affection to the l infanta . amongst others , i send you a latin poem of one marnieri●…s a valenciano , to which i add this ensuing hexastic , which in regard of the difficulty of the verse consisting of all ternaries ( which is the hardest way of versifying ) and of the exactness of the translation , i believe will give you content . fax grata est , gratum est vulnus , mihi grata catena est , me quibus astringit , laedit & urit amor , sed flammam extingui , sanari vulnera , solvi vincla , etiam ut possem non ego posse velim : mirum equidem genus hoc morbi est , incendia & ictus vinclaque , vinctus adbuc laesus & ustus , amo . gratefull's to me the fire , the wound , the chain by which love burns , love binds and giveth pain , but for to quench this fire , these bonds to loose , these wounds to heal , i would not could i choose : strange sickness , where the wounds , the bonds , the fire that burns , that bind , that hurt , i must desire . in your next , i pray send me your opinion of these verses , for i know you are a critic in poetry . mr vaugham of the golden-grove and i were camerades and bedfellows here many moneths together , his father sir iohn vaughan the prince his controuler , is lately com to attend his master . my lord of carlile , my lord of holland , my lord of rochfort , my lord of denbigh , and divers others are here , so that we have a very flourishing court , and i could wish you were here to make one of the number . so my dear cosen , i wish you all happiness , and our noble prince a safe and successfull return to england . madrid , aug. . your most affectionate cosen , j. h. xx. to my noble friend , sir john north. sir , the long look'd-for dispensation is come from rome , but i hear it is clogg'd with new clauses ; and one is , that the pope who allegeth that the only aim of the apostolicall see in granting this dispensation , was the advantage and case of the catholics in the king of great britaines dominions , therfore he desir'd a valuable caution for the performance of those articles which were stipulated in their favor ; this hath much puzled the busines , and sir francis cotington comes now over about it : besides ther is som distast taken at the duke of buckingham here , and i heard this king should say he will treat no more with him , but with the ambassadors , who he saith , have a more plenary commission , and understand the busines better . as ther is som darknes hapned twixt the two favorits , so matters stand not ●…ight twixt he duke and the earl of bristoll ; but god forbid that a busines of so high a consequence as this which is likely to tend so much to the universall good of christendom , to the restitution of the palatinat , and the composing those broils in germany , should be ranversd by differences twixt a few privat subjects , though now public ministers . mr washington the prince his page is lately dead of a calenture , and i was at his buriall under a figtree behind my lord of bristols house . a little before his death one ballard and english priest went to tamper with him , and sir edmund varney meeting him coming down the stairs out of washingtons chamber , they fell from words to blows ; but they were parted . the busines was like to gather very ill bloud , and com to a great height , had not count gondamar quasht it , which i beleeve he could not have done , unles the times had bin favorable ; for such is the reverence they bear to the church here , and so holy a conceit they have of all ecclesiastics , that the greatest don in spain will tremble to offer the mean'st of them any outrage or affront : count gondamar hath also helpt to free som english that were in the inquisition in toledo and sevill , and i could allege many instances how ready and chearfull he is to assist any englishman whatsoever ; notwithstanding the base affronts he hath often receivd of the london buys as he calls them . at his last return hither , i heard of a merry saying of his , to the queen , who discoursing with him about the greatnesse of london , and whether it was as populous as madrid , yes madame , and more populous when i came away , though i beleeve ther 's scarce a man left there now but all women and children ; for all the mem both in court and city were ready booted and spurd to go away . and i am sorry to hear how other nations do much tax the english of their incivility to public ministers of state , and what ballads and pasquils , and fopperies and plays , were made against gondamar for doing his masters busines . my lord of bristoll coming from germany to brussells , notwithstanding that at his arrivall thither , the news was fresh that he had reliev'd frankindale as he past , yet was he not a whit the less welcom , but valued the more both by the archdutchess her self and spino●… with all the rest ; as also that they knew well that the said earl had bin the sole adviser of keeping sir robert mansell abroad with that fleet upon the coast of spain till the palsgrave should be restord . i pray sir when you go to london wall , and tower hill , be pleas'd to remember my humble service , where you know it is due . so i am . madrid , aug. . . your most faithfull servitor , j. h. v. to the right honble , the lord vicount colchester . my very good lord , i receiv'd the letter and commands your lopp . pleas'd to send me by mr walsingham gresley ; and touching the constitutions and orders of the contratation house of the west indies in sevill , i cannot procure it for love or money , upon any terms , though i have done all possible diligence ▪ therin : and som tell me it is dangerous , and no less then treason in him , that gives the copy of them to any , in regard 't is counted the greatest mystery of all the spanish government . that difficulty which hapned in the busines of the match of giving caution to the pope , is now overcome ; for wheras our king answer'd that he could give no other caution than his royall word and his sons , exemplified under the great seal of england , and confirm'd by his counsell of state , it being impossible to have it done by parliament , in regard of the aversnes the common people have to the alliance ; and wheras this gave no satisfaction to rome , the king of spain now offers himself for caution , for putting in execution what is stipulated in behalf of the roman catholics throughout his majestie of great britain's dominions ; but he desires to consult his ghostly fathers to know whether he may do i●… without wronging his conscience ; hereupon there hath bin a i●…ta form'd of bishops and iesuits , who have bin already a good while about it , and the bishop of segovia , who is as it were lord threasurer , having written a treatise lately against the match , was outed of his office , banisht the court , and confin'd to his diocess . the duke of buckingham hath bin ill dispos'd a good while , and lies sick at court , where the prince hath no public exercise of devotion , but only bedchamber prayers , and some thin●… that his lodging in the kings house is like to prove a disadvantag●… to the main business , for wheras most sorts of people here hardly hold us to be christians , if the prince had had a palace of his own , and bin permitted to have us'd a room for an open chappell to exercise the liturgy of the church of england , it would have brought them to have a better opinion of us ; and to this end ther were som of our best church plate , and vestments brought hither , but never us'd . the slow place of this iunta troubles us a little , and to the divines ther are som civilians admitted lately , and the quaere is this , whether the king of spain may bind himself by oath in the behalf of the king of england , to perform such and such articles that are agreed on in favour of the roman catholics by vertue of this match , whether the king may doe this salva conscientia . ther was a great show lately here of baiting of bulls with men for the entertainment of the prince ; it is the chiefest of all spanish sports , commonly ther are men killd at it , therfore ther are priests appointed to be there ready to confess them : it hath hapned oftentimes that a bull hath taken up two men upon his horns with their guts dangling about them ; the horsemen run with lances and swords , the foot with goads . as i am told the pope hath sent divers bulls against this sport of bulling , yet it will not be left , the nation hath taken such an habituall delight in it . ther was an ill favord accident like to have hapned lately at the kings house , in that part wher my lord of carlile , and my lord denbigh were lodg'd ; for my lord denbigh late at night taking a pipe of tobacco in a balcone which hung over the kings garden , he blew down the ashes , which falling upon som parchd combustible matter , began to flame and spread , but master davis my lord of carliles barber leapt down a great height , and quencht it . so with continuance of my most humble service , i rest ever ready madrid , aug. . . at your lopps . commands , j. h. xxi . to sir james crofts , from madrid . sir , the court of spain affords now little news , for ther is a remora sticks to the busines of the match , till the iunta of divines give up their opinion : but from turky ther came a letter this week wherin ther is the strangest and most tragicall news , that in my small reading no sory can parallell , or shew with more pregnancie the instability and tottering estate of human greatnes , and the sandy foundation wheron the vast ottoman empire is reard upon : for sultan osman the grand turk . a man according to the humor of that nation , warlike and fleshd in bloud , and a violent hater of christians , was in the flower of his yeers , in the heat and height of his courage , knockt in the head by one of his own slaves , and one of the meanest of them , with a battle axe , and the murtherer never after proceeded against or questioned . the ground of this tragedy was the late ill success he had against the pole , wherin he lost about . horse for want of forrage , and . men for want of fighting , which he imputed to the cowardize of his ianizaries , who rather than bear the brunt of the battell , were more willing to return home to their wives and merchandizing , which they are now permitted to do contrary to their first institution , which makes them more worldly , and less venturous . this disgracefull return from poland stuck in osmans stomach , and so studied a way how to be revengd of the ianizaries ; therfore by the advice of his grand visier ( a stout gallant man who had bin one of the chief beglerbegs in the east ) he intended to erect a new soldiery in asia about damasco , of the coords a frontier people , and consequently hardy and inur'd to arms. of these he purpos'd to entertain . as a lifegard for his pe●…son , though the main design was to suppress his lazie and lustfull ianizaries , with men of fresh new spirits . to disguise this plot , he pretended a pilgrimage to mecha , to visit mahomets tomb , and reconcile himself to the prophet , who he throught was angry with him , because of his late ill success in poland : but this colour was not specious enough , in regard he might have performd this pilgrimage with a smaller train and charge ; therfore it was propounded that the emir of s●…dm should be made to rise up in arms , that so he might go with a greater power and treasure , but this plot was held disadvantagious to him , in regard his ianizaries must then have attended him : so he pretends and prepares only for the pilgrimage , yet he makes ready as much treasure as he could make , and to that end he melts his plate , and furniture of horses , with divers church lamps ; this fomented som jealousie in the ianizaries , with certain words which should drop from him , that he would find soldiers shortly should whip them . hereupon he hath sent over to asias side his pavilions , many of his servants , with his jewells and treasure , resolving upon the voyage , notwithstanding that divers petitions were delivered him from the clergy , the civill magistrate and the soldiery that he should desist from the voyage , but all would not do : therupon upon the point of his departure , the ianizaries and sp●…ies came in a tumultuary manner to the seraglio , and in a high insolent language disswaded him from the pilgrimage , and demanded of him his ill counsellors . the first he granted , but for the second , he said that it stood not with his honor , to have his neerest servants torn from him so , without any legall proceeding , but he assur'd them that they should appear in the divan the next day , to answer for themselves ; but this not satisfying , they went away in a fury and plunderd the grand visiers palace , with divers others ; osman hereupon was advis'd to go from his private gardens that night to the asian shore , but his destiny kept him from it : so the next morning they came armd to the court , ( but having made a covenant not to violate the imperiall throne ) and cut in peeces the grand visier with divers other great officers , and not finding osman , who had hid himself in a small lodge in one of his gardens , they cried out they must have a musulman emperor ; therfore they broke into a dungeon , and brought out mustapha osmans unkle , whom he had clapt there at the beginning of the tumult , and who had bin king before , but was depos'd for his simplicity , being a kind of santon or holy man , that is , twixt an innocent and an idiot : this mustapha they did reinthronize and place in the o●…toman empire . the next day they found out osman , and brought him before mustapha , who excus'd himself with tears in his eyes for his rash attempts , which wrought tendernes in som , but more scorn and fury in others , who fell upon the capi aga , with other officers , and cut them in peeces before his eyes : osman thence was carried to prison , and as he was getting a horsback , a common soldier took off his turban , and clapt his upon osmans head , who in his passage begd a draught of water at a fountain : the next day the new visier went with an executioner to strangle him , in regard ther were two younger brothers more of his to preserve the o●…tomans race , where after they had rushd in , he being newly awakd , and staring upon them , and thinking to defend himself , a robust boysterous rogue knockt him down , and so the rest fell upon him and strangled him with much adoe . thus fell one of the greatest potentats upon earth by the hands of a contemptible slave , for ther is not a free born subject in all that vast empire : thus fell he that entitles himself most puissant and highest monarch of the turks , king above all kings , a king that dwelleth upon the earthly paridise , son of mahomet , keeper of the grave of the christian god , lord of the tree of life , and of the river flisky , prior of the earthly paridise , conqueror of the macedonians , the seed of great alexander , prince of the kingdoms of tartary , mesopotamia , media , and of the martiall mammaluck●… , anatolia , bithynia , asia , armenia , servia , thracia , morta , valachi●… , moldavia , and of all warlike hungary , soverain lord and commander of all greece , persia , both the arabia's , the most noble kingdom of egypt , tremisen and african , empire of trab●…sond and the most glorious constantinople , lord of all the white and black seas , of the holy city mecha and medina , shining with divine glory , commander of all things that are to be commanded , and the strongest and mightiest champion of the wide world , a warrior appointed by heaven in the edge of the sword , a persecutor of his enemies , a most perfect jewell of the blessed tree , the chiefest keeper of the crucified god , &c. with other such bombardicall titles . this osman was a man of goodly constitution , an amiable aspect , and of excesse of courage , but sordidly covetous , which drove him to violat the church , and to melt the lamps therof , which made the mufti say that this was a due judgment faln upon him from heaven for his sacrilege . he us'd also to make his person too cheap , for he would go ordinarily in the night time with two men after him like a petty constable , and peep into the cauphhouses and cabarets , and apprehend soldiers there . and these two things it seems was the cause , that when he was so assaulted in the seraglio , not one of his domestic servants , wherof he had , would li●…t an arm to help him . som few days before his death , he had a strange dream , for hee dreamt that he was mounted upon a great camell , who would not go neither by fair nor foul means , and lighting off him , and thinking to strike him with his cimitier , the body of the beast vanisht , leaving the head and the bridle only in his hands ; when the mufti and the hoggies could not interpret this dream , mustapha his uncle did it , for he said , the camell signified his empire , his mounting of him his excesse in government , his lighting down his deposing . another kind of prophetic speech dropt from the grand visier to sir thomas roe our ambassador there , who having gone a little before this tragedy to visit the said visier , told him what whisperings and mutterings there were in every corner for this asiatic voyage , and what ill consquences might ensue from it ; therfore it might well stand with his great wisdom to stay it ; but if it held , he desir'd him to leave a charge with the chimacham his deputy , that the english nation in the port , should be free from outrages : wherunto the grand visier answer'd , trouble not your self about that , for i will not remove so far from constantinople , but i wil leave one of my legs behind to serve you , which prov'd too true , for he was murther'd afterwards , and one of his legs was hung up in the hippodrome . this fresh tragedy makes me to give over wondring at any thing that ever i heard or read , to shew the lubricity of mundan greatnes , as also the fury of the vulgar , which like an impetuous torrent gathereth strength by degrees as it meets with divers dams , and being come to the hight , cannot stop it self : for when this rage of the soldiers began first , there was no design at all to violat or hurt the emperor , but to take from him his ill counsellors , but being once a foot , it grew by insensible degrees to the utmost of outrages . the bringing out of mustapha from the dungeon , where he was prisoner , to be emperor of the musulmans , puts me in mind of what i read in mr. camden of our late queen elizabeth , how she was brought from the scaffold , to the english throne . they who profess to be criticks in policy here , hope that this murthering of osman may in time breed good bloud , and prove advantageous to christendom ; for though this be the first emperor of the turks that was dispatcht so , he is not like to be the last , now that the soldiers have this precedent : others think that if that design in asia had taken , it had been very probable the constantinopolitans had hoisd up another king , and so the empire had been dismembred , and by this division had lost strength , as the roman empire did , when it was broken into east and west . excuse me that this my letter is become such a monster , i mean that it hath past the sise and ordinary proportion of a letter , for the matter it treats of is monstrous , besides it is a rule that historicall letters have more liberty to be long than others : in my next you shall hear how matters pass here , in the mean time , and always i rest madrid , aug. . . your lordships most devoted servitor , j. h. xxii . to the right honble . sir tho. savage , knight and baronet . honble . sir , the procedure of things in relation to the grand busines the match , was at kind of a stand when the long winded iunta deliver'd their opinions , and fell at last upon this result , that his catholic majesty for the satisfaction of st. peter , might oblige himself in the behalf of england , for the performance of those capitulations which reflected upon the roman catholics in that kingdom ; and in case of non-performance , then to right himself by war ; since that , the matrimoniall articles were solemnly sworne unto by the king of spain and his highness , the two favorits , our two ambassadors , the duke of infantado and other counsellors of state being present ; hereupon the eighth of the next september , is appointed to be the day of desposorios , the day of affiance , or the betrothing day ; ther was much gladnes exprest here , and luminaries of joy were in every great street throughout the city : but there is an unlucky accident hath interven'd , for the king gave the prince a solemn visit since , and told him pope gregory was dead , who was so great a friend to the match , but in regard the busines was not yet com to perfection , he could not proceed further in it till the former dispensation were ratified by the new pope vrban , which to procure he would make it his own task , and that all possible expedition should be us'd in 't , and therfore desir'd his patience in the interim . the prince answer'd , and prest the necessity of his speedy return with divers reasons , he said ther was a generall kind of murmuring in england for his so long abseuce , that the king his father was old and sickly , that the fleet of shipe were already , he thought , at sea to fetch him , the winter drew on , and withall that the articles of the match were sign'd in england , with this proviso , that if he be not com back by such a month they should be of no validity . the king replyed , that since his highness was resolv'd upon so suddain a departure , he would please to leave a proxy behind to ●…ish the marriage , and he would take it for a favor if he would depute him to personat him , and ten days after the ratification shal come from rome the busines should be don , and afterwards he might send for his wife when he pleas'd . the prince rejoyn'd , that amongst those multitudes of royall favors which he had receiv'd from his majesty , this transcended all the rest , therfore hee would most willingly leave a proxy for his majesty and another for don carlos to this effect ; so they parted for that time without the least ombrage of discontent , nor do i hear of any engendred since . the last month 't is true the iunta of divines dwelt so long upon the busines , that ther were whisperings that the prince intended to go away disguis'd as he came , and the question being ask'd by a person of quality , ther was a brave answer made , that i●… love brought him thither , it is not fear shall drive him away . there are preparations already a foot for his return , and the two prexies are drawn and left in my lord of bristolls hands . notwithstanding this ill favord stop , yet we are here all confident the busines will take effect : in which hopes i rest madrid , aug. . your most humble and ready servitor , j. h. xxiii . to captain nich : leat at his house in london . sir , this letter comes to you by mr. richard altham , of whose sudden departure hence i am very sorry , it being the late death of his brother sir iames altham . i have been at a stand in the busines a gond while , for his highness comming hither was no advantage to me in the earth : he hath done the spaniards divers courtesies , but he hath been very sparing in doing the english any : it may be perhaps because it may be a diminution of honor to be beholden to any forraign prince to do his own subjects favors : but my busines requires no favor , all i desire is justice , which i have not obtain'd yet in reality . the prince is preparing for his jorney , i shall to 〈◊〉 again closely when he is gone , and make a shaft or a bolt of it . the popes death hath retarded the proceedings of the match , but we are so far from despairing of it , that one may have wagers thirty to one it will take effect still . he that deals with this nation must have a great deal of phlegme , and if this grand busines of state , the match , suffer such protractions and puttings off , you need not wonder that private negotiations , as mine is , should be subject to the same inconveniences . ther shall be no means left unattempted that my best industry can find out to put a period to it , and when his highnesse is gon , i hope to find my lord of bristoll more at leasure to continue his favour and furtherance , which hath been much already : so i rest madrid , aug. . . yours ready to serv●… you , j. h. xxiv . to sir james crofts . sir , the prince is now upon his jorney to the sea side , where my lord of rutland attends for him with a royall fleet : ther are many here shrink in their shoulders , and are very sensible of his departure , and the lady infanta resents it more than any ; she hath caus'd a mass to be sung every day ever since for his good voyage : the spaniards themselves confess ther was never princes so bravely wooed . the king and his two brothers accompanied his highnes to the escurial some twenty miles off , and would have brought him to the sea side , but that the queen is big and hath not many days to go ; when the king and he parted , there past wonderfull great endearments and embraces in divers postures between them a long time ; and in that place there is a pillar to be erected as a monument to posterity . ther are some grandes ; and count gondamar with a great train besides gone with him to the marine , to the sea side , which will be many days journey , and must needs put the king of spain to a mighty expence , besides his seven months entertainment here : we hear that when he past through valladolid , the duke of lerma was retired thence for the time by speciall command from the king , left he might have discours with the prince , whom he extremely desir'd to see : this sunk deep into the old duke , insomuch that he said that of all the acts of malice which olivares had ever done him , he resented this more than any : he bears up yet very well under his cardinalls habit , which hat●… kept him from many a foul storm that might have faln upon him els from the temporall power . the duke of uzeda his son finding himself to decline in favor at court , had retir'd to the countrey , and dyed soon after of discontentment : during his sickness the cardinall writ this short weighty letter unto him : dizen me , que mareys de necio , por mi , mas temo mis anos qué mis e●…igos . lerma . i shall not need to english it to you who is so great a master of the language . since i began this letter , wee understand the prince is safely embarqu'd , but not without som danger of being cast away , had not sir sackvill trever taken him up : i pray god send him a good voyage , and us no ill news from england . my most humble service at tower-hill , so i am madrid , aug. . . your humble servitor , j. h. xxv . to my brother , doctor howell . my brother , since our prince his departure hence , the lady infanta studieth english apace , and one mr. wadsworth and father boniface two englishmen , are appointed her teachers , and have access to her every day . we account her as it were our princess now , and as we give , so she takes that title : our ambassadors my lord of bristoll , and sir walter ast●…n , will not stand now covered before her when they have audience , because they hold her to be their princess : she is preparing divers suits of rich cloaths for his highness of persum'd amber leather , some embroder'd with pearl , some with gold , some with silver ; her family is a setling apace , and most of her ladies and officers are known already ; we want nothing now but one dispatch more from rome , and then the marriage will be solemnizd , and all things consummated ; yet there is one mr. clerk ( with the lame arm ) that came hither from the sea side , as soon as the prince was gon , hee is one of the duke of buckinghams creatures , yet he lies at the earl of bristols house which we wonder at , considering the darknes that hapned twixt the duke and the earl : we fear that this clerk hath brought somthing that may puzzle the busines . besides having occasion to make my address lately to the venetian ambassador , who is interressed in som part of that great busines for which i am here , he told me confidently it would be no match , nor did he think it was ever intended . but i want faith to believe him yet , for i know saint mark is no friend to it , nor france or any other prince or state besides the king of denmarck , whose grandmother was of the house of austria being sister to charles the emperor . touching the busines of the palatinate , our ambassadors were lately assur'd by olivares , and all the counsellors here , & that in this kings name , that he would procure his majestie of great britain entire satisfaction herein , and olivares , giving them the joy , intreated them to assure their king upon their honor , and upon their lives of the reality hereof ; for the infanta her self ( said he ) hath stird in it , and makes it now her own busines ; for it was a firm peace and amity ( which he confest could never be without the accommodation of things in germany ) as much as an alliance , which his catholic majesty aimd at . but wee shall know shortly now what to trust to , we shall walk no more in mists , though som give out yet that our prince shall embrace a cloud for iuno at last . i pray present my service to sir iohn franklin , and sir iohn smith , with all at the hill and dale , and when you send to wales , i pray convey the inclos'd to my father . so my dear brother i pray god bless us both , and bring us again joyfully together . madrid , aug. . . your very loving brother , j. h. xxvi . to my noble friend , sir john north knight . sir , i receiv'd lately one of yours , but it was of a very old date : we have our eyes here now all fixd upon rome , greedily expecting the ratification , and lately a strong rumor ran it was com , in so much mr clerk who was sent hither from the prince being a shipboard , ( and now lies sick at my lord of bristolls house of a calenture ) hearing of it , he desired to speak with him , for he had somthing to deliver him from the prince , my lord ambassador being com to him , mr clerk delivered a letter from the prince ; the contents wherof were , that wheras he had left certain proxies in his hand to be deliverd to the king of spain after the ratification was com , he desir'd and requir'd him not to do it till he should receive further order from england ; my lord of bristoll hereupon went to sir walter aston , who was in joynt commission with him for concluding the match , and shewing him the letter , what my lord aston said i know not , but my lord of bristoll told him that they had a commission royall under the broad seal of england to conclude the match ; he knew as well as he how earnest the king their master hath bin any time these ten years to have it don ; how ther could not be a better pawn for the surrendry of the palatinat , than the infanta in the prince his arms , who would never rest till she did the work to merit love of our nation : he told him also how their owne particular fortunes depended upon 't , besides if he should delay one moment to deliver the proxy after the ratification was com according to agreement , the infanta would hold her self so blemish'd in her honor , that it might overthrow all things . lastly , he told him that they incurr'd the hazard of their heads if they should suspend the executing his majesties commission upon any order but from that power which gave it , who was the king himself ; hereupon both the ambassadors proceeded still in preparing matters for the solemnizing of the mariage : the earl of bristoll had caus'd above thirty rich liveries to be made of watchet velvet , with silver lace up to the very capes of the cloaks , the best sorts wherof were valued at l. a livery : my lord aston had also provided new liveries , and a fortnight after the said politic report was blown up , the ratification came indeed complete and full ; so the mariage day was appointed , a terrass cover'd all over with tapestry was rais'd from the kings palace to the next church , which might be about the same extent , as from white-hall to westminster abbey , and the king intended to make his sister a wife , and his daughter ( wherof the queen was deliver'd a little before ) a christian upon the same day ; the grandes and great ladies had been invited to the mariage , and order was sent to all the port towns to discharge their great ordnance , and sundry other things were prepar'd to honor the solemnity : but when wee were thus at the hight of our hopes , a day or two before ; there came mr. killegree , gresley , wood and davies , one upon the neck of another with a new commission to my lord of bristoll immediatly from his majesty , countermanding him to deliver the proxy aforesaid , untill a full and absolut satisfaction were had for the surrendry of the palatinat under this kings hand and seal , in regard he desir'd his son should be married to spain , and his son in law remarried to the palatinat at one time ; hereupon all was dasht to peeces ; and that frame which was rearing so many years , was ruin'd in a moment . this news strook a damp in the hearts of all people here , and they wisht that the postillons that brought it , had all broke their necks in the way . my lord of bristoll hereupon went to court to acquaint the king with his new commission , and so propos'd the restitution of the palatinat , the king answer'd 't was none of his to give , 't is true he had a few towns there , but he held them as commissioner only for the emperor , and he could not command an emperor ; yet if his majesty of great britain would put a treaty a foot , hee would send his own ambassadors to joyn ; in the interim , the earl was commanded not to deliver the foresaid proxy of the prince , for the desposorios or espousall untill christmas : ( and herein it seems his majesty with you was not well inform'd , for those powers of proxies expir'd before ) the king here said further that if his uncle the emperor , or the duke of bavaria would not be conformable to reason , he would raise as great an army for the prince palsgrave ▪ as he did under spinola when he first invaded the palatinat ; and to secure this , he would ingage his contratation house of the west indies , with his plate fleet , and give the most binding instrument that could be under his hand and seal . but this gave no satisfaction , therfore my lord of bristoll i beleeve hath not long to stay here , for he is commanded to deliver no more letters to the infanta , nor demand any more audience , and that she should be no more stiled princess of england , or wales . the foresaid caution which this king offer'd to my lord of bristoll , made me think of what i read of his grandfather philip the second , who having been maried to our queen mary , and it being thought she was with child of him , and was accordingly prayed for at pauls cross , though it proved afterward but a tympany , king philip prepos'd to our parliament that they would pass an act that he might be regent during his or her minority that should be born , and he would give good caution to surrender the crown , when he or she should com to age : the motion was hotly canvas'd in the house of peers , and like to pass , when the lord paget rose up and said , i , but who shall sue the kings bond ? so the busines was dasht . i have no more news to send you now , and i am sory i have so much , unless it were better ; for we that have busines to negotiat here are like to suffer much by this rupture : welcom be the will of god , to whose benediction i commend you , and rest madrid , aug. . . your most humble servitor , j. h. xxvii . to the right honble the lord clifford . my good lord , though this court cannot afford now such comfortable news in relation to england as i could wish , yet such as it is , you shall receive . my lord of bristoll is preparing for england , i waited upon him lately when he went to take his leave at court , and the king washing his hands took a ring from off his own finger , and put it upon his , which was the greatest honor that ever he did any ambassador as they say here ; he gave him also a cupbord of plate , ●…alued at crowns : there were also large and high promises made him , that in case he●… feard to fall upon any rock in england , by reason of the power of those who malignd him , if hee would stay in any of his dominions , he would give him means and honor equall to the highest of his enemies . the earl did not only wave , but disdaind these propositions made unto him by olivares ; and said he was so confident of the king his masters justice and high judgment , and of his own innocency , that hee conceiv'd no power could be able to do him hurt . ther hath occurd nothing lately in this court worth the advertisement : they speak much of the strange carriage of that boisterous bishop of halverstad , ( for so they term him here ) that having taken a place where there were two monasteries of nuns and friers , he caus'd divers feather-beds to be rip'd and all the feathers to be thrown in a great hall whither the nuns and friers were thrust naked with their bodies ●…ld and pitchd , and to tumble among these feathers , which makes them here presage him an ill death . so i most affectionately kiss your hands and rest madrid , aug. . . your very humble servitor , j. h. xxviii . to sir john north. sir , i have many thanks to render you for the favor you lately did to a kinsman of mine , mr. vaughan , and for divers other which i defer till i return to that court , and that i hope will not be long . touching the procedure of matters here , you shall understand that my lord aston had speciall audience lately of the king of spain , and afterwards presented a memorial wherin ther was a high complaint against the miscarriage of the two spanish ambassadors now in england the marquis of inopifa and don carlos coloma , the substance of it was that the said ambassadors in a privat audience his majesty of great britain had given them , informd him of a pernicions plot against his person and royall authority , which was that at the beginning of your now parliament , the duke of buckingham with others his complices often met and consulted in a clandestin way , how to break the treatie both of match and palatinat : and in case his majesty was unwilling therunto , he should have a countrey house or two to retire unto for his recreation and health , in regard the prince is now of years & judgment fit to govern . his majesty so resented this , that the next day he sent them many thanks for the care they had of him , and desird them to perfect the work , and now that they had detected the treason to discover also the traitors , but they were shy in that point , the king sent again desiring them to send him the names of the conspirators in a paper , seald up by one of their own confidents , which he would receive with his own hands , and no soul should see it els ; advising them withall , that they should not prefer this discovery before their own honors , to be accounted false accusers : they replied that they had don enough already by instancing in the duke of buckingham , and it might easily be guest who were his confidents , and creatures . hereupon his majesty put those whom he had any grounds to suspect to their oaths : and afterward sent my lord conway , and sir francis cotington , to tell the ambassadors that he had left no means unassaid to discover the conspiration , that he had sound upon oath such a clearness of ingenuity in the duke of buckingham , th●… satisfied him of his innocency : therfore he had just cause to conceive that this information of theirs , proceeded rather from malice and som politicall ends then from truth , and in regard they would not produce the authors of so dangerous a treason , they made themselves to be justly thought the authors of it : and therfore though he might by his own royall justice , and the law of nations punish this excesse and insolence of theirs , and high wrong they had done to his best servants , yea to the prince his son , for through the sides of the duke they wounded him , in regard it was impossible that such a design should be attempted without his privity , yet he would not be his own judge herein , but would refer them to the king their master whom he conceiv'd to be so just , that hee doubted not but he would see him satisfied , and therfore hee would send an express unto him hereabouts to demand justice , and reparation : this busines is now in agitation , but we know not what will become of it . we are all here in a sad disconsolat condition , and the merchants shake their heads up and down out of an apprehension of som fearfull war to follow : so i most affectionatly kiss your hands and rest madrid , aug. . your very humble and ready servitor , j. h. xxix . to sir kenelme digby knight . sir , you have had knowledge ( none better ) of the progression and growings of the spanish match from time to time ; i must acquaint you now with the rupture and utter dissolution of it , which was not long a doing ; for it was done in one audience that my lord of bristoll had lately at court , whence it may be inferr'd , that 't is far more easie to pull down , than reare up , for that structure which was so many years a rearing , was dasht as it were in a trice : dissolution goeth a faster pace than composition . and it may be said , that the civill actions of men , specially great affairs of monarchs ( as this was ) have much analogie in degrees of progression with the naturall production of man. to make man there are many acts must procede , first a meeting and copulation of the sexes , then conception , which requires a well-disposed womb to retain the prolificall seed , by the constriction and occlusion of the orifice of the matrix , which seed being first bloud , and afterwards cream , is by a gentle ebullition coagulated , and turnd to a crudded lump , which the womb by vertue of its naturall heat prepares to be capable to receive form , and to be organiz'd ; wherupon nature falls a working to delineat all the members , beginning with those that are most noble : as the heart , the brain , the liver ; wherof galen would have the liver , which is the shop and source of the bloud , and aristotle the heart to be the first fram'd , in regard 't is primùm vivens , & ultimùm moriens : nature continues in this labor untill a perfect shape be introduc'd , and this is call'd formation which is the third act , and is a production of an organicall body out of the spermatic substance , caus'd by the plastic vertue of the vitall spirits : and somtimes this act is finisht thirty days after the conception , somtimes fifty , but most commonly in forty two , or forty five , and is sooner don in the male . this being done , the embryon is animated with three souls ; the first with that of plants call'd the vegetable soul , then with a sensitive , which all brute animals have , and lastly , the rationall soul is infus'd , and these three in man are like trigonus in tetragono ; the two first are generated ex traduce , from the seed of the parents , but the last is by immediat infusion from god , and 't is controverted 'twixt philosophers and divines , when this infusion is made . this is the fourth act that goeth to make man , and is called animation : and as the naturalists allow animation double the time that formation had from the conception , so they allow to the ripening of the embryo in the womb , and to the birth therof treble the time that animation had , which hapneth somtimes in nine , somtimes in ten months . this grand busines of the spanish match , may be said to have had such degrees of progression ; first there was a meeting and coupling on both sides , for a iunta in in spain , and som select counsellors of state were appointed in england ; after this conjunction the busines was conceiv'd , then it receiv'd form , then life , ( though the quickning was slow ) but having had nere upon ten years in lieu of ten months to be perfected , it was infortunately strangled when it was ripe and ready for birth ; and i would they had never been born that did it , for it is like to be out of my way : ol , and as the embryo in the womb is wrapt in three membranes or tunicles , so this great busines , you know better than i , was involv'd in many difficulties , and died so intangled before it could break through them . there is a buzz here of a match 'twixt england and france ; i pray god send it a speedier formation and animation than this had , and that it may not prove an abortive . i send you herewith a letter from the paragon of the spanish court doña anna maria man●…ique , the duke of maquedas sister , who respects you in a high degree ; she told me this was the first letter she ever writ to man in her life , except the duke her brother : she was much sollicited to write to mr. thomas cary , but she would not . i did also your message to the marquesa d' inososa who put me to sit a good while with her upon her estrado which was no simple favor : you are much in both these ladies books , and much spoken of by divers others in this court. i could not recover your diamond hasband which the picaroon snatched from you in the coach ▪ though i us'd all means possible , as far as book , bell and candle in point of excommunication against the party in all the churches of madrid , by which means you know divers things are recover'd : so i most affectionatly kiss your hands and rest post. yours of the . of march came to safe hand . madrid . your most faithfull servitor , j. h. xxx . to my cosen , mr j. price , ( now knight ) at the middle temple , from madrid . cosen suffer my letter to salute you first in this distich , a thamisi tagus quot leucis flumine distat , oscula tot manibus porto , pricaee , tuis . as many miles thames lies from tagus strands , i bring so many kisses to thy hands . my dear jack , in the large register or almanack of my friends in england , you are one of the chiefest red letters , you are one of my festi●…all rubriques ; for whensoever you fall upon my mind , or my mind falls upon you , i keep holy day all the while , and this happens so often that you leave me but few working days throughout the whole year , fewer far than this countrey affords , for in their calender above five months of the twelve are dedicated to som saint or other , and kept festivall ; a religion that the london apprentices would like well . i thank you for yours of the third current , and the ample relations you give me of london occurrences , but principally for the powerfull and sweet assurances you give me of your love , both in verse and prose . all businesses here are off the hinges , for one late audience of my lord of bristoll pulld down what was so many years a raising . and as thomas aquinas told an artist of a costly curious statue in rome , that by som accident while he was a trimming it , fell down and so broke to peeces , opus triginta annoram destruxisti , thou hast destroy'd the work of thirty years ; so it may be said that a work nere upon ten years is now suddenly sha●…terd to peeces . i hope by gods grace to be now speedily in england , and to re-enjoy your most dear society : in the mean time may all happines attend you . ad litteram , ociùs ut grandire gradus oratio , possis prosa , tibi binos jungimus ecce pedes . that in thy jorney thou maist be more fleet , to my dull prose i add these metric feet . resp. ad mare cum venio quid agam ? repl. tùm praepete penna te ferat , est lator nam levis ignis , amor , but when i com to sea how shall i shift ? let love transport thee then , for fire is swift . your most affectionat cos. j. h. march . . xxxi . to the lord vicount col. from madrid . right honble . your lopps . of the third current , came to safe hand , and being now upon point of parting with this court i thought it worth the labor to send your lopp s a short survey of the monarchy of spain ; a bold undertaking your lopp . will say , to comprehend within the narrow bounds of a letter such a huge bulk , but as in the bosse of a small diamond ring one may discern the image of a mighty mountain , so i will endeavour that your lopp . may behold the power of this great king in this paper . spain hath bin alwaies esteemd a countrey of ancient renown , and as it is incident to all other , she hath had her vicissi●…udes , and turns of fortune : she hath bin thrice orecome ; by the romans , by the goths , and by the moors ▪ the middle conquest continueth to this day ; for this king and most of the nobility proses themselves to have descended of the goths ; the moores kept here about . years , and it is a remarkable story how they got in first ; which was thus upon good record . there raignd in spain don rodrigo , who kept his court then at malaga ; he emploid the conde don julian ambassador to barbary , who had a daughter , ( a young beautifull lady ) that was maid of honor to the queen : the king spying her one day refreshing her self under an arbour , sell enamour'd with her , and never left till he had deslowrd her : she resenting much the dishonor , writ a letter to her father in barbary under this allegory , that there was a fair green apple upon the table , and the kings poignard fell upon 't and clest it in two . don iulian apprehending the meaning , got letters of revocation , and came back to spain , wher he so complied with the king , that he became his favorite : amongst other things he advis'd the king that in regard he was now in peace with all the world , he would dismisse his gallies and garrisons that were up and down the sea coasts , because it was a superfluous charge . this being don and the countrey left open to any invader , he prevaild with the king to have leave to go with his lady to see their friends in tarragona , which was . miles off : having bin there a while , his lady made semblance to be sick , and so sent to petition the king , that her daughter donna cava ( whom they had left at court to satiat the kings lust ) might com to comfort her a while ; cava came , and the gate through which she went sorth is call'd af●… her name to this day in malaga : don iulian having all his chief kindred there , he saild over to barbary , and afterwards brought over the king of morocco , and others with an army , who suddenly invaded spain , lying armles and open , and so conquer'd it . don rodrigo died gallantly in the field , but what became of don iulian , who for a particular revenge betrayed his own countrey , no story makes men●… . a few yeers before this happend , rodrigo came to toledo , where under the great church ther was a vault with huge iron doors , and none of his predecessors durst open it , because ther was an old prophesie , that when that vault was open'd spain should be conquered ; rodrigo slighting the prophesie , caus'd the doors to be broke open , hoping to find there som treasure , but when he entred , there was nothing sound but the pictures of moores , of such men that a little after fulfilled the prophesie . yet this last conquest of spain was not perfect , for divers parts northwest kept still under christian kings , specially biscay , which was never conquer'd , as wales in britanny , and the biscayners have much analogy with the welsh in divers things : they retain to this day the originall language of spain , they are the most mountainous people , and they are reputed the ancientst gentry ; so that when any is to take the order of knighthood , ther are no inquistors appointed to find whether he be cleer of the bloud of the moors as in other places . the king when he comes upon the confines , pulls off one shoo before he can tread upon any biscay ground : and he hath good reason to esteem that province , in regard of divers advantages he hath by it , for he hath his best timber to build ships , his best mariners , and all his iron thence . ther were divers bloudy battells 'twixt the remnant of christians , and the moors for seven hundreth yeers together , and the spaniards getting ground more and more , drive them at last to granada , and thence also in the time of ferdinand and isabella quite over to barbary : their last king was chico , who when he fled from granada crying and weeping , the people upbra●…ded him , that he might well weep like a woman , who could not defend himself and them like a man. ( this was that ferdinand who obtaind from rome the title of catholic , though some stories say that many ages before ricaredus the first orthodox king of the goths , was stil'd catholicus in a provinciall synod held at toledo , which was continued by alphonsus the first , and then made hereditary by this ferdinand . ) this absolute conquest of the moors hapned about henry the sevenths time , ' when the soresaid ferdinand and isabella had by alliance joynd castile and aragon , which with the discovery of the west indies , which happend a little after , was the first foundation of that greatnes wherunto spain is now mounted . afterwards ther was an alliance with burgundy and austria , by the first house the seventeen provinces fell to spain , by the second charles the fifth came to be emperor : and remarkable it is how the house of austria came to that height from a mean earl , the earl of hasburgh in germany . who having bin one day a hunting , he overtook ●… priest who had bin with the sacrament to visit a poor sick body , the priest being tyr'd , the earl lighted off his horse , helpt up the priest , and so waited upon him afoot all the while till he brought him to the church : the priest giving him his benediction at his going away , told him that for this great act of humility and piety , his race should be one of the greatest that ever the world had , and ever since , which is som . yeers ago , the empire hath continued in that house , which afterwards was calld the house of austria . in philip the seconds time the spanish monarchy came to its highest cumble , by the conquest of portugall , wherby the east indies , sundry islands in the atlantic sea , and divers places in barbary were added to the crown of spain . by these steps this crown came to this grandeur ; and truly give the spaniard his due , he is a mighty monarch , he hath dominions in all parts of the world ( which none of the four monarchies had ) both in europe , asia , africa , and america , ( which he hath solely to himself ) though our henry the seventh had the first proffer made him : so the sun shines all the foure and twenty houres of the naturall day upon som part or other of his countreys , for part of the antipodes are subject to him . he hath eight viceroys in europe , two in the east indies , two in the west , two in afric , and about thirty provinciall soverain commanders more ; yet as i was told lately , in a discours twixt him and our prince at his being here , when the prince sell to magnifie his spacious dominions , the king answer'd , sir , 't is true , it hath pleas'd god to trust me with divers nations and countreys , but of all these ther are but two which yeeld me any clear revenues , viz. spain , and my west indies , nor all spain neither , but castile only , the rest do scarce quit cost , for all is drunk up twixt governors and garrisons ; yet my advantage is to have the opportunity to propagate christian religion , and to employ my subjects . for the last , it must be granted that no prince hath better means to breed brave men , and more variety of commands to heighten their spirits with no petty but princely employments . this king besides hath other means to oblige the gentry unto him , by such a huge number of commendams which he hath in his gift to bestow o●… whom he please of any of the three orders of knighthood ; which england and france want . som noble men in spain can despend l. some forty , some thirty , and divers twenty thousand pounds per annum . the church here is exceeding rich both in revenues , plate , and buildings ; one cannot go to the meanest countrey chappell , but he will find chalices , lamps and candlesticks of silver . there are some bishopricks of l . per annum , and divers of l. and toledo is l. yearly revenue . as the church is rich , so it is mightily reverenced here , and very powerfull , which made philip the second rather depend upon the clergy , than the secular power : therfore i do not see how spain can be call'd a poor countrey , considering the revenues aforesaid of princes and prelats ; nor is it so thin of people as the world makes it , and one reason may be that ther are sixteen universities in spain , & in one of these there were fifteen thousand students at one time when i was there , i mean salamanca , and in this village of madrid ( for the king of spain cannot keep his constant court in any city ) there are ordinarily souls . t is true that the colonizing of the indies , and the wars of flanders have much drain'd this countrey of people : since the expulsion of the moors , it is also grown thinner , and not so full of corn ; for those moors would grub up wheat out of the very tops of the craggy hills , yet they us'd another grain for their bread , so that the spaniard had nought els to do but go with his ass to the market , and buy corn of the moon . ther liv'd here also in times past a great number of jews , till they were expell'd by ferdinand , and as i have read in an old spanish legend , the cause was this ; the king had a young prince to his son , who was us'd to play with a jewish doctor that was about the court , who had a ball of gold in a string hanging down his brest , the little prince one day snatcht away the said gold ball , and carried it to the next room , the ball being hollow , opend , and within there was painted our saviour kissing a iews tail : hereupon they were all suddenly disterr'd and exterminated , yet i beleeve in portugall there lurks . yet good store of them . for the soil of spain , the fruitfulnes of their vallies recompences the sterillity of their hills , corn is their greatest want , and want of rain is the cause of that , which makes them have need of their neighbors ; yet as much as spain bears is passing good , and so is every thing else for the quality , nor hath any one a better horse under him , a better cloak on his back , a better sword by his side , better shooes on his feet , than the spaniard , nor doth any drink better wine , or eat better fruit than he , nor flesh for the quantity . touching the people , the spaniard looks as high , though not so big a●… a german , his excesse is in too much gravity , which som who know him not well , hold to be a pride , he cares not how little he labours , for poor gascons and morisco slaves do most of his work in field and vineyard ; he can endure much in the war , yet he loves not to fight in the dark , but in open day , or upon a stage , that all the world might be witnesses of his valor ; so that you shall seldom hear of spaniards employed in night service ; nor shall one hear of a duell here in an age : he hath one good quality , that he is wonderfully obedient to government : for the proudest don of spain when he is prancing upon his ginet in the streets , if an alguazil ( a sargeant ) shew him his vare , that is a little white staff he carrieth as badge of his office ; my don will down presently off his horse , and yeeld himself his prisoner . he hath another commendable quality , that when he giveth alms , he puls off his hat , and puts it in the beggars hand with a great deal of humility . his gravity is much lessned since the late proclamation came out against ruffs , and the king himself shewd the first example , they were come to that hight of excess herein , that twenty shillings were us'd to be paid for starching of a ruff : and som , though perhaps he had never a shirt to his back , yet would be have a toting huge swelling ruff about his neck . he is sparing in his ordinary diet , but when he makes a feast he is free and bountifull . as to temporall authority , specially martiall , so is be very obedient to the church , and beleeves all with an implicit faith : he is a great servant of ladies , nor can he be blam'd , for as i said before he coms of a gotish race ; yet he never brags of , nor blazes abroad his doings that way , but is exceedingly carefull of the repute of any woman , ( a civility that we much want in england ) hee will speak high words of don philippo his king , but will not endure a stranger should do so : i have heard a biscayner make a rodomontado , that he was as good a gentleman as don philippo himself , for don philippo was half a spaniard , half a german , half an italian , half a frenchman , half i know not what , but he was a pure biscayner , without mixture . the spaniard is not so smooth and oyly in his complement as the italian , and though hee will make strong protestations , yet he will not swear out complements like the french and english , as i heard when my lord of carlile was ambassador in france , there came a great monsieur to see him , and having a long time banded , and sworn complements one to another who should go first out at a dore , at last my lord of carlile said , ô monseigneur ayez pitie de mon ame , o my ' . lord have pity upon my soul. the spaniard is generally given to gaming , and that in excesse ; he will say his prayers before , and if he win he will thank god for his good fortune after ; their common game at cards ( for they very seldom play at dice ) is primera , at which the king never shews his game , but throws his cards with their faces down on the table : he is merchant of all the cards and dice through all the kingdom , he hath them made for a penny a pair , and he retails them for twelve pence ; so that 't is thought he hath l. a year by this trick at cards . the spaniard is very devout in his way , for i have seen him kneel in the very dirt when the ave mary bell rings : and som if they spy two straws or sticks lie cross-wise in the street , they will take them up and kisse them , and lay them down again . he walks as if he marcht , and seldom looks on the ground , as if he contemnd it . i was told of a spaniard who having got a fall by a stumble , and broke his nose , rose up , and in a disdainfull manner said , voto a tal esto es caminar por la tierra , this is to walk upon earth . the labradors and countrey swains here are sturdy and rationall men , nothing so simple or servile as the french peasan who is born in chains . t is true , the spaniard is not so conversable as other nations ; ( unlesse hee hath travel'd ) els hee is like mars among the planets , impatient of conjunction : nor is he so free in his gifts and rewards : as the last summer it hapned that count gondamar with sir francis cotington went to see a curious house of the constable of castiles , which had been newly built here ; the keeper of the house was very officious to shew him every room with the garden , grotha's , and aqueducts , and presented him with some fruit ; gondamar having been a long time in the house , comming out , put many complements of thanks upon the man , and so was going away , sir francis whisper'd him in the ear and askd him whether he would give the man any thing that took such pains , oh quoth gondamar , well remembred don francisco , have you ever a double pistoll about you ? if you have , you may give it him , and then you pay him after the english manner , i have paid him already after the spanish . the spaniard is much improv'd in policy since hee took footing in italy , and there is no nation agrees with him better . i will conclude this character with a saying that he hath ▪ no ay bombre debaxo d'el sol , como el italiano y el español . wherunto a frenchman answerd , dizes la verdad , y tienes razon , el uno es puto , el otro ladron . englished thus , beneath the sun ther 's no such man , as is is the spaniard and italian . the frenchman answers , thou tell'st the truth , and reason hast , the first 's a theef , a buggerer the last . touching their women , nature hath made a more visible distinction twixt the two sexes here , than else where ; for the men for the most part are swarthy and rough , but the women are made of a far finer mould , they are commonly little ; and wheras there is a saying that to make a compleat woman , let her be english to the neck , french to the wast , and dutch below ; i may add for hands and feet let her be spanish , for they have the least of any . they have another saying , a french-woman in a dance , a dutch-woman in the kitchin , an italian in a window , an english-woman at board , and the spanish a bed . when they are maried they have a privilege to wear high shooes , and to paint , which is generally practised here , and the queen useth it her self . they are coy enough , but not so froward as our english , for if a lady go along the street , ( and all women going here vaild and their habit so generally like , one can hardly distinguish a countess from a coblers wife ) if one should cast out an odd ill sounding word , and ask her a favour , she will not take it ill , but put it off and answer you with some wittie retort . after they are commonly past child-●…earing , and i have seen women in england look as youthfull at , as some here at . money will do miracles here in purchasing the favor of ladies , or any thing els , though this be the countrey of money , for it furnisheth well-near all the world besides , yea their very enemies , as the turk and hollander ; insomuch that one may say the coyn of spain is as catholic , as her king. yet though he be the greatest king of gold and silver mines in the world , ( i think ) yet the common currant coin here is copper , and herein i beleeve the hollander hath done him more mischief by counterfeiting his copper coins , than by their armes , bringing it in by strange surreptitious waies , as in hollow sows of tin and lead , hollow masts , in pitcht buckets under water and other waies . but i fear to be injurious to this great king to speak of him in so narrow a compass , a great king indeed , though the french in a slighting way compare his monarchy to a beggars cloak made up of patches , they are patches indeed , but such as he hath not the like : the east indies is a patch embroyder'd with pearl , rubies , and diamonds : peru is a patch embroider'd with massie gold , mexico with silver , naples and milain are patches of cloth of tissue , and if these patches were in one peece , what would become of his cloak embroyderd with flower deluces ? so desiring your lopp . to pardon this poor imperfect paper ▪ considering the high quality of the subject , i rest madrid , feb. . your lordships most humble servitor , j. h. xxxi . to mr walsingham gresly , from madrid . don balchasar , i thank you for your letter in my lords last packet , wherin among other passages , you write unto me the circumstances of marques spinola's raising his leaguer , by flatting and firing his works before berghen . he is much tax'd here , to have attempted it , and to have buried so much of the kings tresure before that town in such costly trenches : a gentleman came hither lately , who was at the siege all the while , and he told me one strange passage , how sir ferdinando cary a huge corpulent knight , was shot through his body , the bullet entring at the navell , and comming out at his back kill'd his man behind him , yet he lives still , and is like to recover : with this miraculous accident , he told me also a merry one , how a captain that had a woodden leg booted over , had it shatterd to peeces by a cannon bullet , his soldiers crying out a surgeon , a surgeon , for the captain ; no , no , said he , a carpenter , a carpenter , will serve the tu●…n : to this pleasant tale i 'le add another that happen'd lately in alcala hard by , of a dominican fryer , who in a solemn procession which was held there upon ascension day last , had his stones dangling under his habit cut off insteed of his pocket by a cut-purse . before you return hither , which i understand will be speedily , i pray bestow a visit on our friends in bishopsgate-street : so i am ●… feb. . your faithfull servitor , j. h. xxxiii . to sir robert napier knight , at his house in bishops-gate-street , from madrid . sir , the late breach of the match , hatch broke the neck of all businesses here , and mine suffers as much as any : i had access lately to olivares , once or twice ; i had audience also of the king , to whom i presented a memoriall that intimated letters of mart , unless satisfaction were had from his vice-roy the conde del real ; the king gave me a gracious answer , but olivares a churlish one , viz. that when the spaniards had justice in england , we should have justice here : so that notwithstanding i have brought it to the highest point and pitch of perfection in law that could be , and procur'd som dispatches , the like wherof were never granted in this court before , yet i am in dispair now to do any good : i hope to be shortly in england , by god grace , to give you and the rest of the proprietaries , a punctuall account of all things : and you may easily conceive how sorry i am , that matters succeeded not according to your expectation , and my endeavours : but i hope you are none of those that measure things by the event . the earl of bristoll , count gondamar , and my lord ambassador aston , did not only do courtesies , but they did cooperate with me in it , and contributed their utmost endeavours ▪ so i rest madrid , . feb. . yours to serve you , j. h. xxxiv . to mr. a. s. in alicant . much endeared sir : fire , you know , is the common emblem of love , but without any disparagement to so noble a passion , me thinks it might be also compar'd to tinder , and letters are the proper'st matter wherof to make this tinder ▪ letters again are fittest to kindle and re-accend this tinder , they may serve both for flint , steel , and match . this letter of mine comes therfore of set purpose to strike som sparkles into yours , that it may glow and burn , and receive ignition , and not lie dead , as it hath don a great while : i make my pen to serve for an instrument to stir the cinders wherewith your old love to me hath bincover'd a long time ; therfore i pray let no covurez-f●…u bell have power hereafter to rake up , and choak with the ashes of oblivion , that cleer slame wherwith our affections did use to sparkle so long by correspondence of letters , and other offices of love . i think i shall sojourn yet in this court these three moneths , for i will not give over this great busines while ther is the least breath of hope remaining . i know you have choice matter of intelligence somtimes from thence , therfore i pray impait som unto us , and you shall not fail to know how matters pass here weekly . so with my b●…sa manos to francisco imperiall , i rest madrid , mar. . yours most affectionately to serve you , j. h. xxxv . to the honble . sir t. s. at tower-hill . sir , i was yesterday at the escuriall to see the monastery of saint laurence , the eight wonder of the world ; and truly considering the site of the place , the state of the thing , and the symmetry of the structure , with divers other raritles , it may be call'd so ; for what i have seen in italy , and other places , are but bables to it . it is built amongst a company of craggy-barren-hills , which makes the air the hungrier , and wholsommer ; it is all built of free-stone and marble , and that with such solidity and moderat height , that surely philip the seconds chief design was to make a sacrifice of it to eternity , and to contest with the meteors , and time it self . it cost eight millions , it was twenty four yeers a building , and the founder himself saw it finish'd , and injoy'd it twelve yeers after , and carried his bones himself thither to be buried . the reason that mov'd king philip to wast so much tresure , was a vow he had made at the battell of saint quentin , where he was forc'd to batter a monastery of saint laurence friers , and if he had the victory , he would erect such a monastery to saint laurence , that the world had not the like ; therfore the form of it is like a gridiron , the handle is a huge royall palace , and the body a vast monastery or assembly of quadrangular cloysters , for ther are as many as ther be moneths in the yeer . ther be a hundred monks , and every one hath his man and his mule , and a multitude of officers ; besides , ther are three libraries there , full of the choisest books for all sciences . it is beyond expression , what gro●…s , gardens , walks , and aqueducts ther are there , and what curious fountains in the upper cloysters , for ther be two stages of cloysters : in fine , ther is nothing that 's vulgar there . to take a view of every room in the house , one must make account to go ten miles ; ther is a vault call'd the pantheon , under the highest altar , which is all pav'd , wall'd , and arch'd , with marble ; ther be a number of huge silver candlesticks , taller than i am ; lamps three yards compas , and divers chalices and grosses of massie gold : ther is one quire made all of burnish'd brass : pictures and statues like giants , and a world of glorious things that purely ravish'd me ▪ by this mighty monument , it may be inferr'd , that philip the second , though he was a little man , yet had he vast gigantic thoughts in him , to leave such a huge pile for posterity to gaze upon , and admire his memory . no more now , but that i rest madrid , mar. . . your most humble servitor , j. h. xxxvi , to the lo : vicount col. from madrid . my lord , you writ to me long since , to send you an account of the duke of ossuna's death , a little man , but of great fame and fortunes , and much cried up , and known up and down the world. he was revok'd from being vice-roy of naples ( the best employment the king of spain hath for a subject ) upon som disgust ; and being com to this court , when he was brought to give an account of his government , being troubled with the gout , he carried his sword in his hand in steed of a staff ; the king misliking the manner of his posture , turn'd his back to him , and so went away ; therupon he was over-heard to mutter , esto es para serv●… muchach●…s ; this it is to serve boys : this coming to the kings ●…are , he was apprehended , and committed prisoner to a monastery , not far off , wher he continued som yeers , untill his beard came to his girdle , then growing very ill , he was permitted to com to his house in this town , being carried in a bed upon mens shoulders , and so died som yeer ago . ther were divers accusations against him , amongst the rest , i remember these , that he had kept the marquis de campolataros wife , sending her husband out of the way upon employment ; that he had got a bastard of a turkish woman , and suffer'd the child to be brought up in the mahumetan religion ; that being one day at high masse , when the host was elevated , he drew out of his pocket a p●…ece of gold , and held it up , intimating that that was his god : that he had invited som of the prime courtisans of naples to a feast , and after dinner made a banquet for them in his garden , wher he commanded them to strip themselves stark naked , and go up and down , while he shot sugar-plums at them out of a trunk , which they were to take up from off their high chapins ; and such like extravagancies . one ( amongst divers other ) witty passage was told me of him , which was , that when he was vice-roy of sicily , ther died a great rich duke , who left but one son , whom with his whole estate , he bequeath'd to the tutele of the iesuits , and the words of the will were , when he is pass'd his minority ( dar●…te al mio figlivolo quelque voi volete ) you shall give my son what you will. it seems the iesuits took to themselves two parts of three of the estate , and gave the rest to the heir , the young duke complaining hereof to the duke of ossuna , ( then vice-roy ) he commanded the iesuits to appear before him ; he ask'd them how much of the estate they would have , they answer'd , two parts of three , which they had almost employed already to build monasteries , and an hospitall , to erect particular altars , and masses , to sing dirges and refrigeriums , for the soul of the deceased duke : hereupon , the duke of ossuna caus'd the will to be produc'd , and found therin the words afore recited , when he is pass'd his minority , you shall give my son ( of my estate ) what you will ; then he told the iesuits , you must by vertue and tenor of these words , give what you will to the son , which by your own confession is two parts of three ; and so he determin'd the busines . thus have i in part satisfied your lordships desire , which i shall do more amply , when i shal be made happy to attend you in person , which i hope will be ere it be long : in the interim , i take my leave of you from spain , and rest madrid , mar. . your lordships most ready and humble servitor , j. h. xxxvii . to simon digby esq. sir , i thank you for the severall sorts of cyphers you sent me to write by , which were very choice ones and curious . cryptology , or epistolizing in a clandestin way , is very ancient : i read in agellius , that c. caesar in his letters to cajus oppius , and balbus cor●…lius , who were two of his greatest confident'st in managing his privat affairs , did write in cyphers by a various transportation of the alphabet ; wherof probus grammaticus de occulta litterarum significatione epistolarum c. caesaris , writes a curious commentary : but me thinks , that certain kind of hieroglyphics , the caelestiall signes , the seven planets , and other constellations might make a curious kind of cypher , as i will more particularly demonstrate unto you in a scheme , when i shall be made happy with your conversation . so i rest madrid , mar. . . your assured servitor , j. h. xxxviii . to sir iames crofts , from bilbao . sir , being safely come to the marine , in convoy of his majesties iewells , and being to sojourn here som dayes , the conveniency of this gentleman ( who knows , and much honoureth you ) he being to ride post through france , invited me to send you this . we were but five horsemen in all our seven daies journey , from madrid hither , and the charge mr. wiches had is valued at four hundred thousand crowns ; but 't is such safe travelling in spain , that one may carry gold in the palm of his hand , the government is so good . when we had gain'd biscay ground , we pass'd one day through a forrest , and lighting off our mules to take a little repast under a tree , wee tooke down our alforjas , and som bottles of wine ( and you know 't is ordinary here to ride with ones victualls about him ) but as we were eating , we spied two huge woolfs , who star'd upon us a while , but had the good manners to go a way : it put me in minde of a pleasant tale i heard sir thomas fair●…ax relate of a soldier in ireland , who having got his passeport to go for england , as he pass'd through a wood with his knapsac upon his back , being weary , he sate down under a tree , wher he opened his knapsack , and fell to som victualls he had ; but upon a sudden he was surpriz'd with two or three woolfs , who comming towards him , he threw them scraps of bread and cheese , till all was don , then the woolfs making a neerer approach unto him , he knew not what shift to make , but by taking a pair of bag-pipes which he had , and as soon as he began to play upon them , the wolves ran all away as if they had bin scar'd out of their wi●…s ; wherupon the soldier said , a pox take you all , if i had known you had lov'd music so well , you should have had it before dinner . if ther be a lodging void at the three halbards-heads , i pray be pleas'd to cause it to be reserv'd for me . so i rest bilbo , sept. . . your humble servitor , j. h. familiar letters . section iv. i. to my father from london . sir , i am newly returnd from spain , i came over in convoy of the prince his jewells , for which , one of the ships royall with the catch were sent under the command of captain love ; we landed at plimouth , whence i came by post to theobalds in less then two nights and a day , to bring his majesty news of their safe arrivall : the prince had newly got a fall off a horse , and kept his chamber ; the jewells were valued at above a hundred thousand pounds ; som of them a little before the prince his departure had bin presented to the infanta , but she waving to receive them , yet with a civill complement , they were left in the hands of one of the secretaries of state for her use upon the wedding day , and it was no unworthy thing in the spaniard to deliver them back , notwithstanding , that the treaties both of match , and palatinat , had bin dissolv'd a pretty while before by act of parliament , that a war was threatned , and ambassadors revok'd . ther were jewells also amongst them to be presented to the king and queen of spain , to most of the ladies of honour , and the grandees . ther was a great table diamond for olivares of eighteen carrats weight , but the richest of all was to the infanta her self , which was a chain of great orient perl , to the number of . weighing nine ounces . the spaniards notwithstanding they are the masters of the staple of jewells , stood astonish'd at the beuty of these , and confess'd themselves to be put down . touching the employment , upon which i went to spain , i had my charges born all the while , and that was all ; had it taken effect , i had made a good busines of it ; but 't is no wonder ( nor can it be i hope any disrepute unto me ) that i could not bring to pass , what three ambassadors could not do before me . i am now casting about for another fortun , and som hopes i have of employment about the duke of buckingham , he sways more than ever ; for wheras he was before a favorit to the king , hee is now a favorit to parliament , people , and city , for breaking the match with spain : touching his own interest , he had reason to do it , for the spaniards love him not : but whether the public interest of the state will suffer in it , or no , i dare not determine , for my part , i hold the spanish match to be better than their powder , and their wares better than their wars ; and i shall be ever of that mind , that no countrey is able to do england less hurt , and more good than spain , considering the large trafic and treasure that is to be got thereby . i shall continue to give you account of my courses when opportunity serves , and to dispose of matters so , that i may attend you this summer in the countrey : so desiring still your blessing and prayers , i rest , london , decemb ▪ ▪ . your dutifull son , j. h. ii. to r. brown esq. dear sir , ther is no seed so fruitfull as that of love , i do not mean that gross carnall love which propagats the world , but that which preserves it , to wit , seeds of friendship , which hath little commerce with the body , but is a thing divine an●… spirituall ; ther cannot be a more pregnant proof hereof , then those seeds of love , which i have long since cast into your brest , which have thriven so well , and in that exuberance , that they have been more fruitfull unto mee , then that field in sicily , call'd le trecente cariche●… , the field of three hundred loads , so call'd , because it returns the sower three hundred for one yearly ▪ so plentifull hath your love been unto me , but amongst other sweet fruits it hath born , those precious letters which you have sent me from time to time , both at home and abroad , are not of the least value ; i did always hugg and highly esteem them , and you in them , for they yeelded me both profit and pleasure . that seed which you have also sown in me , hath ●…ructified somthing , but it hath not been able to make you such rich returns , nor afford so plentifull a crop , yet i dare say●… , this crop how thin soever , was pure and free from tares , from cockle or darnell , from flattery or fashood , and what it shall produce hereafter , shall be so ; nor shall any injury of the heavens , as tempests , or thunder and lightning ( i mean no cross or affliction whatsoever ) be able , to blast and smutt it , or , hinder it to grow up , and fructifie still . this is the third time god almighty hath been pleas'd to bring me back to the sweet bosom of my dear countrey from beyond the seas ; i have been already comforted with the sight of many of my choice friends , but i miss you extremely , therfore i pray make haste , for london streets which you and i have trod together so often , will prove tedious to me els . amongst other things , black-friers will entertain you with a play spick and span new , and the cock-pit with another ; nor i beleeve after so long absence , will it be an unpleasing object for you to see , london , ian. . your j. h. iii. to the lord vicount colchester . right honble , my last to your lordship was in italian , with the venetian gazetta inclos'd . count mansfelt is upon point of parting , having obtain'd it seems the sum of his desires , he was lodged all the while in the same quarter of saint iames , which was appointed for the infanta ; he supp'd yestrnight with the counsell of war , and he hath a grant of men , english and scots , whom hee will have ready in the body of an army against the next spring ; and they say , that england , france , venice , and savoy , do contribut for the maintenance therof pound a month ; ther can be no conjecture , much less any judgment made yet of his design ; most sthink it will be for relieving breda , which is straightly begirt by pinola , who gives out , that he hath her already as a bird in a cage , and will have her maugre all the opposition of christendom ; yet ther is fresh news com over , that prince maurice hath got on the back of him , and hath beleaguer'd him , as he hath done the town , which i want faith to beleeve yet , in regard of the huge circuit of spinola's works , for his circumvallations are cry'd up to be neer upon twenty miles . but while the spaniard is spending millions here ●…or getting small towns , the hollander gets kingdomes of him els where , for he hath invaded and taken lately from the portugall part of brasil , a rich countrey for sugars , cottons , balsams , dying-wood , and divers commodities besides . the treaty of mariage 'twixt our prince , and the yongest daughter of france , goes on a pace , and my lord of carlile and holland are in paris about it , we shall see now what difference ther is 'twixt the french and spanish pace : the two spanish ambassadors have been gon hence long since , they say , that they are both in prison , one in burges in spain , the other in flanders , for the scandalous information they made here against the duke of buckingham , about which , the day before their departure hence , they desir'd to have one privat audience more , but his majesty denyed them ; i beleeve they will not continue long in disgrace , for matters grow daily worse and worse 'twixt us , and spain : for divers letters of mart are granted our merchants , and letters of mart are commonly the fore-runners of a war : yet they say gondamar will be on his way hither again , about the palatinat , for the king of denmark appears now in his necces quarrell , and arm 's apace . no more now , but that i kiss your lordships hands , and rest your most humble and ready servitor , j. h. london , febr. . iv. to my cos : mr. rowland gwin . cousin , i was lately sorry , and i was lately glad , that i heard you were ill , that i heard you are well . your affectionat cousin , i. h. v. to thomas iones esq. tom , if you are in healt●… , 't is well , we are here all so , and wee should be better had wee your company ; therfore i pray leave the smutty ayr of london , and com hither to breath sweeter , wher you may pluck a rose , and drink a cillibub . your faithfull friend , j. h. kentis , iune , . . vi. to d. c. the bearer hereof hath no other errand , but to know how you do in the countrey , and this paper is his credentiall letter ; therfore i pray hasten his dispatch , and if you please send him back like the man in the moon , with a basket of your fruit on his back . your true friend , j. h. london this aug. . . vii . to my father , from london . sir , i received yours of the third of february , by the hands of my cousin thomas gwin of trecastle . it was my fortune to be on sunday was fortnight at theobalds , wher his late majestie king iames departed this life , and went to his last rest upon the day of rest , presently after sermon was don : a little before the break of day , he sent for the prince , who rose out of his bed , and came in his night-gown ; the king seem'd to have som earnest thing to say unto him , and so endeavour'd to rowse himself upon his pillow , but his spirits were so spent , that he had not strength to make his words audible . he died of a feaver which began with an ague , and som scotch doctors mutter at a plaster the countess of buckingham applied to the outside of his stomack : t is thought the last breach of the march with spain , which for many yeers he had so vehemently defir'd , took too deep an impression in him , and that he was forc'd to rush into a war , now in his declining age , having liv'd in a continuall uninterrupted peace his whole life , except som collaterall aydes he had sent his son in law : as soon as he expir'd , the privy counsell sate , and in less then a quarter of an hour , king charls was proclaimed at theobalds court gate , by sir edward zouch knight marshall , master secretary conway dictating unto him , that wheras it hath pleas'd god to take to his mercy , our most gracious soveraign king iames of famous memory , we proclaim prince charles , his rightfull and indubitable heir , to be king of england , scotland , france , and ireland , &c. the knight marshall mistook , saying , his rightfull and dubitable heir , but he was rectified by the secretary . this being don , i took my horse instantly , and came to london first , except one , who was com a little before me , insomuch , that i found the gates shut . his now majesty took coach , and the duke of buckingham with him , and came to saint iames ; in the evening he was proclaim'd at white-hall gate , in cheapside , and other places , in a sad showre of rain ; and the weather was sutable to the condition wherin he finds the kingdome which is cloudy ; for he is left engag'd in a war with a potent prince , the peeple by long desuetude unapt for arms , the ●…leet royall in quarter repair , himself without a queen , his siser without a countrey , the crown pittifully laden with debts , and the purse of the state lightly ballasted , though it never had better opportunity to be rich then it had these last twenty yeers : but god almighty , i hope will make him emerge , and pull this island out of all these plunges , and preserve us from worser times . the plague is begun in white-chappell , and as they say in the same house , at the same day of the moneth , with the same number that died twenty two yeers since , when queen elizabeth departed . ther are great preparations for the funerall , and ther is a design to buy all the cloth for mourning white , and then to put it to the dy●…rs in gross , which is like to save the crown a good deal of mony ; the drapers murmur extremely at the lord cranfield for it . i am not setled yet in any stable condition , but i lie windbound at the cape of good hope , expecting som gentle gale to launch out into an imployment . so with my love to all my brothers and sisters at the bryn , and neer brecknock , i humbly crave a continuance of your prayers , and blessing to your dutifull son , j. h. london , decem. . . viii . to dr. prichard . sir , since i was beholden to you for your many favours in oxford , i have not heard from you , ( ne gry quidem ) i pray let the wonted correspondence be now reviv'd , and receive new vigor between us . my lord chancellor bacon is lately dead of a long languishing weaknes ; he died so poor , so that he scarce left money to bury him , which though he had a great wit , did argue no great wisdom , it being one of the essentiall properties of a wiseman to provide for the main chance . i have read , that it hath bin the fortunes of all poets commonly to die beggars ; but for an orator , a lawyer , and philosopher , as he was , to die so , 'c is rare . it seems the same fate befell him , that attended demosthenes , seneca , and cicero , ( all great men ) of whom , the two first fell by corruption ; the falrest diamond may have a flaw in it , but i beleeve he died poor out of a contempt of the pelf of fortune , as also out of an exeess of generosity , which appear'd , as in divers other passages , so once when the king had sent him a stag , he sent up for the underkeeper , and having drunk the kings health unto him in a great silver . guilt-bowl , he gave it him for his fee. he writ a pittifull letter to king iames , not long before his death , and concludes , help me dear soverain lord and master , and pity me so far , that i who have bin born to a bag , be not now in my age forc'd in effect to bear a wallet ; nor i that desire to live to study , may be driven to study to live : which words , in my opinion , argued a little abjection of spirit , as his former letter to the prince did of prophanes , wherin be hoped , that as the father was his creater , the son will be his redeemer . i write not this to derogat from the noble worth of the lord viscount verulam , who was a rare man , a man reconditae scientiae , & ad salutem literarum natus , and i think the eloquentst that was born in this isle . they say he shall be the last lord chancelor , as sir edward coke was the last lord chief iustice of england ; for ever since they have bin term'd lord chief iustices of the kings bench ; so hereafter ther shall be onely ketpers of the great seal , which for title and office , are deposable ; but they say the lord chancelors title is indelible . i was lately at grayes-inne with sir eubule , and he desir'd me to remember him unto you , as i do also salute meum prichardum ex imis praecordiis , vale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . london , ian. . yours most affectionately while , i. h. ix . to my welbeloved consin mr. t. v. cousin , you have a great work in hand , for you write unto me , that you are upon a treaty of mariage ; a great work indeed , and a work of such consequence , that it may make you or marr you ; it may make the whole remainder of your life uncouth , or comfortable to you ; for of all civill actions that are incident to man , ther 's not any that tends more to his infelicity or happines ; therfore it concerns you not to be over-hasty herein , not to take the ball before the bound ; you must be cautious how you thrust your neck into such a yoke , whence you will never have power to withdraw it again ; for the toung useth to tie so hard a knot , that the teeth can never untie , no not alexanders sword can cut asunder among us christians . if you are resolv'd to marry , choose wher you love , and resolve to love your choice ; let love , rather than lucre , be your guide in this election , though a concurrence of both be good , yet for my part , i had rather the latter should be wanting than the first ; the one is the pilot , the other but the ballast of the ship which should carry us to the harbour of a happy life : if you are bent to wed , i wish you another gets wife then socrates had ; who when she had scoulded him out of doors , as he was going through the portall , threw a chamber pot of stale urine upon his head , wherat the philosopher having bin silent all the while , smilingly said , i thought ofter so much thunder we should have rain : and as i wish you may not light upon such a xantippe , ( as the wisest men have had ill luck in this kind , as i could instance in two of our most eminent lawyers , c. b. ) so i pray that god may deliver you from a wife of such a generation , that strowd our cook here at westminster said his wife was of , who , when ( out of a mislike of the preacher ) he had on a sunday in the afternoon , gon out of the church to a tavern , and returning towards the evening pretty well heated with canary , to look to his roast , and his wife falling to read him a lowd lesson in so furious a manner , as if she would have basted him insteed of the mutton , and amongst other revilings , telling him often , thut the devill , the devill would fetch him , at last he broke out of a long silence , and told her , i prethee good wife hold thy self content , for i know the devill will do me no hurt , for i have married his kinswoman : if you light upon such a wife ( a wife that hath more bene then flesh ) i wish you may have the same measure of patience that socrates and strowd had , to suffer the gray-mare somtimes to be the better horse . i remember a french proverb : la maison est miserable & meschante , où la poule plus haut que le coc chante , that house doth every day more wretched grow , wher the hen lowder than the cock doth crow . yet we have another english proverb almost counter to this ▪ that it is better to marry a shrew then a sheep ; for though silence be the dumb orator of beuty , and the best ornament of a woman , yet a phlegmatic dull wife is fulsom and fastidious . excuse me cousin , that i jest with you in so serious a busines : i know you need no counsell of mine herein , you are discreet enough of your self ; nor , i presume , do you want advice of parents , which by all means must go along with you : so wishing you all conjugall joy , and a happy confarreation , i rest london , feb. . . your affectionat cousin , j. h. x. to my noble lord , the lord clifford from london . my lord , the duke of buckingham is lately return'd from holland , having renewed the peace with the states , and articled with them for a continuation of som navall forces , for an expedition against spain ; as also having taken up som moneys upon privat jewells ( not any of the crowns ) and lastly , having comforted the lady elizabeth for the decease of his late majesty her father , and of prince frederic her eldest son , whole disasterous manner of death , amongst the rest of her sad afflictions , is not the least : for passing over haerlam mere , a huge inland lough , in company of his father , who had bin in amsterdam , to look how his bank of money did thrive , and coming ( for more frugality ) in the common boat , which was oreset with merchandize , and other passengers , in a thick fog , the vessell turn'd ore , and so many perish'd ; the prince palsgrave sav'd himself by swimming , but the young prince clinging to the mast , and being intangled among the tacklings , was half drown'd , and half frozen to death : a sad destiny . ther is an open rupture twixt us and the spaniard , though he gives out , that he never broke with us to this day : count gondamar was on his way to flanders , and thence to england ( as they say ) with a large commission to treat , for a surrender of the palainat , and so to peece matters together again ; but he died in the journey , at a place call'd bunnol , of pure apprehensions of grief , as it is given out . the match twixt his majesty and the lady henrietta maria , youngest daughter to henry the great ( the eldest being maried to the king of spain , and the second to the duke of savoy ) goes roundly on , and is in a manner concluded ; wherat the count of soissons is much discontented , who gave himself hopes to have her ; but the hand of heaven hath predestin'd her for a far higher condition . the french ambassadors who were sent hither to conclude the busines , having privat audience of his late majesty a little before his death , he told them pleasantly , that he would make war against the lady henrietta , because she would not receive the two letters which were sent her , one from himself , and the other from his son , but sent them to her mother ; yet he thought he should easily make peace with her , because he understood she had afterwards put the latter letter in her bosome , and the first in her coshionet , wherly he gather'd , that she intended to reserve his son for her affection , and him for counsell . the bishop of lucon , now cardinall de richelieu , is grown to be the sole favorit of the king of france , being brought in by the queen-mother , he hath hin very active in advancing the match , but 't is thought the wars will break out afresh against them of the religion , notwithstanding the ill fortune the king had before mountauban few yeers since , wher he lost above of his nobles , wherof the great duke of main was one ; and having lain in person before the town many months , and receiv'd som affronts , as that inscription upon their gates shew , roy sans foy , ville sans peur , a king without faith , a town without fear ; yet he was forc'd to raze his works , and raise his siege . the letter which mr. ellis hicks brought them of mountauban from rechell , through so much danger , and with so much gallantry , was an infinit advantage unto them ; for wheras ther was a politic report rais'd in the kings army , and blown into mountauban , that rochell was yeelded to the count of soissons , who lay ●…hen before her , this letter did inform the contrary , and that rochell was in as good a plight as ever ; wherupon , they made a sally the next day upon the kings forces , and did him a great deal of spoil . ther be summous out for a parliament , i pray god it may prove more prosperous than the former . i have been lately recommended to the duke of buckingham , by som noble friends of mine that have intimacy with him , about whom , though he hath three secretaries already , i hope to have som employment ; for i am weary of walking up and down so idly upon london streets . the plague begins to rage mightily , god avert his judgments , that meance so great a mortality , and turn not away his face from this poor island : so i kiss your lordships hands in quality of lond. . feb. . your lordships most humble servitor , j. h. xi . to rich. altham esqr. sir , the eccho wants but a face , and the looking-glass a voice , to make them both living creatures , and to becom the same body they represent ; the one by repercussion of sound , the other by reflection of sight : your most ingenious letters to me from time to time , do far more lively represent you , than either eccho or crystall can do ; i mean , they represent the better and nobler part of you , to wit , the inward man ; they clearly set forth the notions of your mind , and the motions of your soul , with the strength of your imagination ; for as i know your exterior person by your lineaments , so i know you as well inwardly by your lines , and by those lively expressions you give of your self , insomuch , that i beleeve , if the interior man within you were so visible as the outward ( as once plate wish'd , that vertue might be seen with the corporeal eyes ) you would draw all the world after you ; or if your well-born thoughts , and the words of your letters were eccho'd in any place , wher they might rebound and be made audible , , they are compos'd of such sweet and charming strains of ingenuity and eloquence , that all the nymphs of the woods and the valleys , the dryades , yea , the graces and muses ' , would pitch their pavillions there ; nay , apollo himself would dwell longer in that place with his rays , and make them reverberat more strongly , than either , upon pindus , or parnassus , or rhodes it self ▪ whence he never removes his eye , as long as he is above this hemispher . i confess my letters to you , which i send by way of correspondence , com far short of such vertue , yet are they the true idaeas of my mind , and of that reall and inbred affection i bear you ; one should never teach his letter or his laquay to lie , i observe that rule : but besides my letters , i could wish ther were a crystall casement in my brest , thorow which you might behold the motions of my heart , — utinamque oculos in pectore pesses inserere , then should you clearly see without any deception of sight , how truely i am , and how intirely of febr. . yours j. h. and to answer you in the same strain of vers you sent me . first , shall the heavens bright lamp forget to shine , the stars shall from the azurd skie decline ; first , shall the orient with the west shake hand , the center of the world shall cease to stand : first , wolves shall ligue with lambs , the dolphins flie , the lawyer and physitian fees deny , the thames with tagus shall exchange her bed , my mistris locks with mine , shall first turn red ; first , heaven shall lie below , and hell above , ere i inconstant to my altham prove . xii . to the r. honble my lord of calingford , after earl of carberry , at colden grove , may. . my lord , vve have gallant news now abroad , for we are sure to have a new queen ere it be long ; both the contract and mariage was lately solemniz'd in france ; the one the second of this month in the louvre , the other the eleventh day following in the great church of paris , by the cardinall of rochefoucand ; ther was som clashing 'twixt him , and the archbishop of paris , who alleg'd 't was his duty to officiat in that church , but the dignity of cardinall , and the quality of his office , being the kings great almner , which makes him chief curat of the court , gave him the prerogative . i doubt not but your lordship hath heard of the capitulations , but for better assurance , i will run them over briefly . the king of france oblig'd himself to procure the dispensation ; the mariage should be celebrated in the same form as that of queen margaret , and of the dutchess of bar ; her dowrie should be crowns six shillings a peece , the one moitie to be paied the day of the contract , the other a twelvemonth after . the queen shall have a chappell in all the kings roiall houses , and any wher else , where she shall recide within the dominions of his majestie of great britain , with free exercise of the roman religion , for her self , her officers , and all her houshold , for the celebration of the mass , the predication of the word , administration if the sacraments , and power to procure indulgences from the holy father . that to this end , she shall be allow'd priests or ecclesiasticks in her house , and a bishop in quality of almoner , who shall have jurisdiction over all the rest , and that none of the kings officers shall have power over them , unless in case of treason ; therfore all her ecclesiastics shall take the oath of fidelitie to his majestie of great britain ; ther shall be a cymitier or church-yard clos'd about , to burie those of her family . that in consideration of this mariage , all english catholics , as well ecclesiastics as lay , which shall be in any prison meerly for religion , since the last edict , shall be set at libertie . this is the eighth alliance we have had with france , since the conquest ; and as it is the best that could be made in christendom , so i hope it will prove the happiest . so i kiss your hands , being your lordships most humble servitor , j. h. lond. mar. ▪ . xiii . to the honble sir tho. sa●… sir , i convers'd lately with a gentleman that came from france , who amongst other things , discours'd much of the favourit richelieu , who is like to be an active man , and hath great designs . the two first things he did , was to make sure of england , and the hollander ; he thinks to have us safe enough by this mariage ; and holland by a late league , which was bought with a great sum of money ; for he hath furnish'd the states with a million of liures , at two shillings a peece in present , and six hundred thousand liures every year of these two that are to com ; provided , that the states repay these sums two years after they are in peace or truce : the king press'd much for liberty of conscience to roman catholics amongst them , and the deputies promis'd to do all they could with the states generall about it ; they articled likewise for french to be associated with them in the trade to the indies . monsieur is lately maried to mary of bourbon , the duke of monpensiers daughter , he told her , that he would be a better husband , than he had been a suter to her , for hee hung off a good while : this mariage was made by the king , and monsieur hath for his apennage liures , annuall rent from chartres and blois , liures pension , and to be charg'd yearly upon the generall receipts of orleans , in all about pounds . ther was much ado before this match could be brought about , for ther were many opposers , and ther be dark whispers , that ther was a deep plot to confine the king to a monastery , and that monsieur should govern ; and divers great ones have suffered for it , and more are like to be discover'd . so i take my leave for present , and rest lond. mar. , . your very humble and ready servitor , j. h. xiv . to the lady jane savage , marchioness of winchester . excellent lady , i may say of your grace , as it was said once of a rare italian princess , that you are the greatest tyrant in the world , because you make all those that see you your slaves , much more them that know you , i mean those that are acquainted with your inward disposition , and with the faculties of your soul , as well as the phisnomy of your face ; for vertue took as much pains to adorn the one , as nature did to perfect the other ; i have had the happines to know both , when your grace took pleasure to learn spanish , at which time , when my betters far had offer'd their service in this kind , i had the honor to be commanded by you often . hee that hath as much experience of you , as i have had , will confess , that the handmaid of god almighty was never so prodigall of her gifts to any , or labour'd more to frame an exact modell of femal perfection ; nor was dame nature onely busied in this work , but all the graces did consult and co-operat with her , and they wasted so much of their tresure to in rich this one peece , that it may be a good reason why so many lame and defective fragments of women-kind are daily thrust into the world . i return you here inclos'd the sonnet , your grace pleas'd to send me lately , rendred into spanish , and fitted for the same ayr it had in english , both for cadence , and number of feet : with it i send my most humble thanks , that your grace would descend to command me in any thing that might conduce to your contentment and service ; for ther is nothing i desire with a greater ambition ( and herein i have all the world my rival ) than to be accounted madame your grace's most humble and ready servitor , j. h. lond. mar. . . x. to the right honble the lord clifford . my lord , i pray be pleas'd to dispence with this slownes of mine in answering yours of the first of this present : touching the domestic occurrences , the gentleman who is bearer hereof , is more capable to give you account by discourse , than i can in paper . for forrain tidings , your lordship may understand , that the town of breda hath bin a good while making her last will and testament , but now ther is certain news com , that she hath yeelded up the ghost to spinalo's hands after a tough siege of thirteen months , and a circumvallation of nee●…r upon twenty miles compas . my lord of southampton and his eldest son sickned at the siege , and died at berghen ; the adventrous earl henry of oxford , seeming to tax the prince of orange of slacknes to fight , was set upon a desperat work , wher he melted his grease , and so being carried to the hague , he died also : i doubt not but you have heard of graye maurice's death , which happen'd when the town was pass'd cure , which was his more than the states , for he was marquis of breda , and had neer upon thirty thousand dollars annual rent from her : therfore he seem'd in a kind of sympathy to sicken with his town , and died before her . he had provided plentifully for all his naturall children , but could not , though much importun'd by doctor roseus , and other divines upon his death bed , be induc'd to make them legitimat by marying the mother of them , for the law there is , that if one hath got children of any woman , though unmaried to her , yet if he mary her never so little before his death , he makes her honest , and them all legitimat ; but it seems , the prince postpos'd the love he bore to his woman and children , to that which he bore to his brother henry ; for had he made the children legitimat , it had prejudic'd the brother in point of command and fortunes ; yet he hath provided very plentifully for them and the mother . grave henry hath succeeded him in all things , and is a gallant gentleman , of a french education and temper ; he charg'd him at his death to marry a young lady , the count of solms daughter , attending the queen of bohemia , whom he had long courted , which is thought will take speedy effect . when the siege before breda had grown hot , sir edward vere being one day attending prince maurice , he pointed at a rising place call'd terbay , wher the enemy had built a fort , ( which might have bin prevented ) sir edward told him , he fear'd that fort would be the cause of the loss of the town ; the grave spatter'd and shook his head , saying , 't was the greatest error he had committed since he knew what belong'd to a soldier ; as also in managing the plot for surprising of the cittadell of antwerp , for he repented that he had not imployed english and french , in lieu of the slow dutch who aym'd to have the sole honour of it , and were not so fit instruments for such a nimble peece of service . as soon as sir charls morgan gave up the town , spinola caus'd a new gate to be erected with this inscription in great golden characters . philippo quarto regnante , clara eugenia isabella gubernante , ambrosio spinola obsidente , quatuor regibus contra conantibus breda capta fuit idibus , &c. t is thought spinola now , that he hath recover'd the honor he had lost before berghen op zoon three yeers since , will not long stay in flanders , but retire . no more now but that i am resolv'd to continue ever , london , mar. . . your lordships most humble servitor , j. h. xvi . to mr r. sc. at york . sir , i sent you one of the third current , but t was not answer'd ; i sent another of the thirteenth like a second arrow to find out the first , but i know not what 's become of either ; i send this to find out the other two , and if this fail , ther shall go no more out of my quiver : if you forget me , i have cause to complain , and more ▪ if you remenber me ; to forget , may proceed from the frailty of memory , not to answer me when you minde me , is pure neglect , and no less than a piacle . so i rest yours easily to be recover'd , j. h. ira furor brevis est , brevis est mea littera , cogor , ira correptus , corripuisse stylum . london of iuly , the first of the dogdaies , . xvii . to dr. field , lord bishop of landaff . my lord , i send you my humble thanks for those worthy hospitable favours you were pleas'd to give me at your lodgings in westminster . i had yours of the fifth of this present , by the hands of mr. ionathan field . the news which fills every corner of the town at this time , is the sorry and unsuccessfull return that wimbledons fleet hath made from spain : it was a fleet that deserv'd to have had a better destiny , considering the strength of it , and the huge charge the crown was at ; for besides a squadron of sixteen hollanders , wherof count william one of prince maurice's naturall sons was admirall , ther were above fourscore of ours ; the greatest joynt navall power ( of ships without gallies ) that ever spred sail upon salt-water , which makes the world abroad to stand astonish'd how so huge a fleet could be so suddenly made ready . the sinking of the long robin with souls in her , in the bay of biscay , erc she had gon half the voyage was no good augury ; and the critics of the time say , ther were many other things that promis'd no good fortune to this fleet ; besides they would point at divers errors committed in the conduct of the main design ; first , the odd choice that was made of the admirall , who was a meer land-man , which made the sea men much slight him , it belonging properly to sir robert mansell , vice-admirall of england , to have gon in case the high-admirall went not ; then they speak of the incertainty of the enterprize , and that no place was pitch'd upon to be invaded , till they came to the height of the south cape , and to sight of shore , where the lord wimbledon first cal'd a counsell of war , wherin som would be for malaga , others for saint mary-port , others for gibraltar , but most for cales , and while they were thus consulting , the countrey had an alarum given them ; add hereunto the blazing abroad of this expedition ere the fleet went out of the downs , for mercurius gallobelgicus had it in print , that it was for the streights mouth ; now 't is a rule , that great designs of state should be mysteries till they com to the very act of performance , and then they should turn to exploits : moreover , when the locall attempt was resolv'd on , ther wer seven ships ( by the advice of one captain love ) suffer'd to go up the river , which might have bin easily taken , and being rich , 't is thought they would have defrayed well neer the charge of our fleet , which ships did much infest us afterwards with their ordnance , when we had taken the forr of puntall : moreover , the disorderly carriage and excess of our land-men ( wherof ther were ) when they were put a shore , who broke into the fryers caves , and other cellers of sweet-wines , wher many hundreds of them being surprizd , and found dead-drunk , the spaniards came and toar off their ears , and noses , and pluck'd out their eies : and i was told of one merry fellow escaping , that kill'd an asse for a buck : lastly , it is laid to the admiralls charge , that my lord de la wares ship being infected , he should give order , that the sick men should be scatter'd in o divers ships , which dispers'd the contagion exceedingly , so that som thousands died before the fleet return'd , which was don in a confus'd manner without any observance of sea orders : yet i do not hear of any that will be punish'd for these miscarriages , which will make the dishonour fall more fouly upon the state : but the most infortunate passage of all was , that though we did nothing by land that was considerable , yet if we had stayd but a day or two longer , and spent time at sea , the whole fleet of galeons , and nova hispania , had faln into our mouths , which came presently in , close along the coasts of barbary , and in all likelihood , we might have had the opportunity to have taken the richest prize that ever was taken on salt-water . add hereunto , that while we were thus masters of those seas , a fleet of fifty sail of brasil men got safe into lisbon , with four of the richest cara●…ks that ever came from the east-indies . i hear my lord of saint davids is to be remov'd to bath and wells , and it were worth your lordships comming up , to endeavor the succeeding of him . so , i humbly rest lond. novem. . your lordships most ready servitor , j. h. xviii . to my lord duke of buckinghams grace at new-market . may it please your grace to peruse and pardon these few advertisements , which i would not dare to present , had i not hopes that the goodnes which is concomitant with your greatnes , would make them veniall . my lord , a parliament is at hand , the last was boisterous , god grant that this may prove more calm : a rumor runs that ther are clouds already ingendred , which will break out into a storm in the lower region●… , and most of the drops are like to fall upon your grace : this , though it be but vulgar astrology , is not altogether to bee contemn'd , though i believe that his majesties countenance reflecting so strongly upon your grace , with the brightnes of your own innocency , may be able to dispell and scatter them to nothing . my lord , you are a great prince , and all eyes are upon your actions , this makes you more subject to envy , which like the sun beams , beats alwayes upon rising grounds . i know your grace hath many sage and solid heads about you ; yet i trust it ●… will prove no offence , if out of the late relation i have to your grace , by the recommendation of such noble personages , i put in also my mite . my lord , under favor , it were not amiss if your grace would be pleased to part with som of those places you hold , which have least relation to the court , and it would take away the mutterings that run of multiplicity of offices , and in my shallow apprehension , your grace might stand more firm without an anchor : the office of high admirall in these times of action requires one whole man to execute it , your grace hath another sea of businesses to wade through , and the voluntary resigning of this office would fill all men , yea even your enemies , with admiration and affection , and make you more a prince , than detract from your greatnes : if any ill successes happen at sea ( as that of the lord wimbledons lately ) or if ther be any murmur for pay , your grace will be free from all imputations , besides it will afford your grace more leasure to look into your own affairs , which lie confus'd , and unsetled : lastly , ( which is not the least thing ) this act will be so plausible , that it may much advantage his majesty in point of subsidy . secondly , it were expedient ( under correction ) that your grace would be pleas'd to allot som set hours for audience and access of suters , and it would be less cumber to your self , and your servants , and give more content to the world , which often mutters for difficulty of access . lastly , it were not amiss , that your grace would settle a standing mansion-house and family , that suters may know whither to repair constantly , and that your servants evry one in his place , might know what belongs to his place , and attend accordingly ; for though confusion in a great family carry a kind of state with it , yet order and regularity gains a greater opinion of vertue and wisdom . i know your grace doth not ( nor needs not ) affect popularity : it is true , that the peoples love is the strongest cittadell of a soveraign prince , but to a great subject , it hath often prov'd fatall ; for he who pulleth off his hat to the people , giveth his head to the prince ; and it is remarkable what was said of a late infortunat earl , who a little before queen elizabeths death , had drawn the ax upon his own neck , that he was grown so popular , that he was too dangerous for the times , and the times for him . my lord , now that your grace is threatned to be heav'd at , it should behove evry one that oweth you duty and good will , to reach out his hand som way or other to serve you ; amonst these , i am one that presumes to doe it , in this poor impertinent paper ; for which i implore pardon , because i am lond. febr. . my lord , your grace's most humble and faithfull servant , j. h. xix . to sir j. s. knight . sir , ther is a saying which carrieth no little weight with it , that parvus amor loquitur , ingens stapet ; small love speaks , while great love stands astonish'd with silence : the one keeps a tatling , while the other is struck dumb with amazement , like deep rivers , which to the eye of the beholder seem to stand still , while small shallow rivulets keep a noise ; or like empty casks that make an obstreperous hollow sound , which they would not do were they replenish'd , and full of substance : t is the condition of my love to you , which is so great , and of that profoundnes , that it hath been silent all this while , being stupified with the contemplation of those high favours , and sundry sorts of civilities , wherwith i may say , you have overwhelm'd me . this deep foard of my affection and gratitude to you , i intend to cut out hereafter into small currents ( i mean into letters ) that the cours of it may be heard , though it make but a small bubling noise , as also , that the clearnes of it may appear more visible . i desire my service be presented to my noble lady , whose fair hands , i humbly kiss ; and if shee want any thing that london can afford , she need but command her and lond. . of febr ▪ . your most faithfull and ready servitor , j. h. xx. to the right honble the earl r. my lord , according to promise , and that portion of obedience i ow to your commands , i send your lordship these few avisos , som wherof i doubt not but you have received before , and that by ●…bler pens than mine , yet your lordship may happily find herein , somthing which was omitted by others , or the former news made clearer by circumstance . i hear count mansfelt is in paris , having now receiv'd three routings in germany ; 't is thought the french king will peece him up again with new recruits . i was told that as he was seeing the two queens one day at dinner , the queen-mother said , they say , count mansfelt is here amongst this croud , i do not believe it quoth the young queen ; for whensoever he seeth a spaniard he runs away . matters go untowardly on our side in germanie , but the king of denmark will be shortly in the field in person ; and bethlem gabor hath been long expected to do somthing , but som think he will prove but a bugbear . sir charls morgan is to go to germanie with ●… anxiliaries to joyn with the danish army . the parliament is adjourn'd to oxford , by reason of the sicknes which increaseth exceedingly ; and before the king went out of town ther dyed that very week , and two out of white-hall it self . ther is high clashing again 'twixt my lord duke , and the earl of bristoll , they recriminat one another of divers things ; the earl accuseth him amongst other matters , of certain letters from rome ; of putting his majesty upon that hazardous jorney of spain , and of som miscarriages at his being in that court : ther be articles also against the lord conway , which i send your lordship here inclosed . i am for oxford the next week , and thence for wales , to fetch my good old fathers blessing , at my return , if it shall please god to reprieve me in these dangerous times of contagion , i shall continue my wonted service to your lordship , if it may be done with safety . so i rest lond. of mar. . your lordships most humble servitor , j. h. xxi . to the honble the lord viscount c. my lord , sir iohn north delivered me one lately from your lordship , and i send my humble thanks for the venison you intend me . i acquainted your lordship as opportunity serv'd with the nimble pace the french match went on by the successfull negotiation of the earls of carlile and holland ( who outwent the monsieurs themselves in courtship ) & how in less than nine moons this great busines was propos'd , pursued , and perfected , wheras the sun had leasure enough to finish his annuall progres , from one end of the zodiac to the other so many years , before that of spain could com to any shape of perfection : this may serve to shew the difference 'twixt the two nations , the leaden-heeld pace of the one , and the quick-silver'd motions of the other ; it shews also how the french is more generous in his proceedings , and not so full of scruples , reservations , and jealousies , as the spaniard , but deales more frankly , and with a greater confidence and gallantry , the lord duke of buckingham is now in paris accompanied with the earl of montgomerie , and hee went in a very splendid equipage . the venetian and hollander with other states that are no friends to spain , did som good offices to advance this alliance ; and the new pope propounded much towards it ; but richelieu the new favorit of france was the cardinall instrument in it . this pope urban grows very active , not onely in things present , but ripping up of old matters , for which ther is a select committee appointed to examin accounts and errors pass'd , not only in the time of his immediat predecessor , but others . and one told me of a merry pasquill lately in rome ; that wheras ther are two great statues , one of peter , the other of paul , opposit one to the other upon a bridge , one had clapt a pair of spurs upon saint peters heels , and saint paul asking him whither hee was bound , he answered , i apprehend som danger to staie now in rome , because of this new commission , for i fear they will question me for denying my master . truly brother peter , i shall not staie long after you ▪ for i have as much cause to doubt , that they will question me for persecuting the christians , before i was converted . so i take my leave and rest london , may. . your lordships most humble servitor , j. h. xxii . to my brother , master hugh penry . sir , i thank you for your late letter , and the severall good tydings you sent me from wales ; in requitall i can send you gallant news , for we have now a most noble new queen of england , who in true beuty is beyond the long-woo'd infanta ; for she was of a fading flaxen-hair , big lipp'd , and somwhat heavy ey'd ; but this daughter of france , this youngest branch of bourbon ( being but in her cradle when the great henry her father was put out of the world ) is of a more lovely and lasting complexion , a dark brown , shee hath eyes that sparkle like stars ; and for her physiognomy she may be said to be a mirror of perfection : she had a rough passage in her transfretation to dover castle , and in canterbury the king bedded first with her ; ther were a goodly train of choice ladies attended her coming , upon the bowling-green on barram-down upon the way , who divided themselves into two rows , and they appear'd like so many constellations ; but me thought that the countrey ladies out-shin'd the courtiers : she brought over with her , two hundred thousand crowns in gold and silver , as halt her portion , and the other moitie is to be payed at the yeers end . her first suit of servants ( by article ) are to be french , and as they die english are to succeed ; shee is also allowed twenty eight ecclesiastics of any order , except iesuits ; a bishop for her almoner , and to have privat exercise of her religion , for her and her servants . i pray convey the inclosed to my father by the next conveniency , and present my dear love to my sister ; i hope to see you at dyvinnock about micha●…mas , for i intend to wait upon my father , and will take my mother in the way , i mean oxford , in the interim , i rest london , may , . your most affectionat brother , j h. xxiii . to my unkle sir sackvill trever , from oxford . sir , ●… am sorry i must write unto you the sad tydings of the dissolution of the parliament here , which was don suddenly : sir iohn e●…liot was in the heat of a high speech against the duke of buching●…m , when the usher of the black-rod , knock'd at the door , and signified the kings pleasure , which strook a kind of consternation in all the house : my lord keeper williams hath parted with the broad-seal , because as som say , he went about to cut down the scale , by which he rose ; for som it seems did ill offices 'twixt the duke and him : sir thomas coventry hath it now , i pray god he be tender of the kings conscience , wherof he is keeper , rather than of the seal . i am bound to morrow upon a journey towards the mountains to see som friends in wales , and to bring back my fathers blessing ; for better assurance of lodging wher i pass , in regard of the plague , i have a post warrant as far as saint davids , which is far enough you 'l say , for the king hath no ground further on this island . if the sicknes rage in such extremity at london , the term will be held at reding . all your friends here are well , but many look blank because of this sudden rupture of the parliament ; god almighty turn all to the best , and stay the fury of this contagion , and preserve us from ●…urther judgements , so i rest oxford , aug. . your most affectionate nephew , j. h. xxiv . to my father , from london . sir , i was now the fourth time at a dead stand in the cours of my fortunes , for though i was recommended to the duke , and receiv'd many noble respects from him , yet i was told by som who are neerest him , that som body hath don me ill offices , by whispering in his ear , that i was two much digbified , and so they told me positively , that i must never expect any imployment about him of any trust : while i was in this suspence , mr. secretary c●…way sent for me , and propos'd unto me , that the king had occasion to send a gentleman to italy , in nature of a moving agent , and though he might have choice of persons of good quality that would willingly undertake this employment , yet understanding of my breeding , he made the first proffer to me , and that i should go as the kings servant , and have allowance accordingly ; i humbly thank'd him for the good opinion he pleas'd to conceive of me , being a stranger to him , and desir'd som time to consider of the proposition , and of the nature of the imployment ; so he granted me four daies to think upon 't , and two of them are pass'd already . if i may have a support accordingly , i intend by gods grace ( desiring your consent and blessing to go along ) to apply my self to this cours ; but before i part with england , i intend to send you further notice . the sicknes is miraculously decreas'd in this city and suburbs ; for from two and fiftie hundred which was the greatest number that died in one week , and that was som fourty daies since , they are now fallen to three hundred . it was the violent'st ●…t of contagion that ever was for the time in this island , and such as no story can parallell , but the ebb of it was more swift than the tide . my brother is well , and so are all your friends here , for i do not know any of your acquaintance that 's dead of this furious infection : sir iohn walter ask'd me lately how you did , and wish'd me to remember him to you . so with my love to all my brothers and sisters , and the rest of my friends which made so much of me lately in the countrey , i rest london , aug. . your dutifull son , j. h. xxv . to the right honble the lord conway , principall secretary of state to his majesty , at hampton court. right honble , since i last attended your lopp . here , i summond my thoughts to counsell , and canvas'd to and fro within my self , the busines you pleas'd to impart unto me , for going upon the kings service to italy ; i considered therin many particulars , first the weight of the imployment , & what maturity of judgement , discretion , and parts are requir'd in him that will personat such a man ; next , the difficulties of it , for one must send somtimes light out of darknes , and like the bee suck honey out of bad , as out of good flowers ; thirdly , the danger which the undertaker must convers withall , and which may fall upon him by interception of letters or other cross casualties ; lastly , the great expence it will require , being not to remain sedentary in one place , as other agents , but to be often in itinerary motion . touching the first , i refer my self to your honours favourable opinion , and the character which my lord s. and others shall give of me ▪ for the second , i hope to overcom it ; for the third , i weigh it not , so that i may merit of my king and countrey ; for the last , i crave leave to deal plainly with your lopp . that i am a cadet , and have no other patrimony or support , but my breeding , therfore i must breath by the imployment ; and my lord , i shall not be able to perform what shall be expected at my hands , under one hundred pounds a quarter , and to have bills of credit accordingly . upon these terms , my lord , i shall apply my self to this service , and by gods blessing hope to answer all expectations . so referring the premisses to your noble consideration , i rest london , sept. . . my lord , your very humble and ready servitor , j. h ▪ xxvi . to my brother ( after ) dr. howell , now bishop of bristoll . my brother , next to my father , 't is fitting you should have cognisance of my affairs and fortunes . you heard how i was in agitation for an employment in italy , but my lord conway demurr'd upon the salary i propounded ; i have now wav'd this cours , yet i came off fairly with my lord ; for i have a stable home emploiment proffer'd me by my lord scroop , lord president of the north , who sent for me lately to worcester house , though i never saw him before , and there the bargain was quickly made , that i should go down ▪ with him to york for secretary , and his lordship hath promis'd me fairly ; i will see you at your house in horsley before i go , and leave the particular circumstances of this busines till then . the french that came over with her majesty , for their petulancy , and som misdemeanors , and imposing som odd penancy's upon the queen , are all casheer'd this week , about a matter of sixscore , wherof the bishop of mende was one , who had stood to be steward of her majesties courts , which office my lord of holland hath ; it was a thing suddenly don , for about one of the clock as they were at dinner , my lord conway , and sir thomas edmonds , came with an order from the king , that they must instantly away to somerset house , for there were barges , and coaches staying for them ; and there they should have all their wages paied them to a peny , and so they must be content to quit the kingdom : this sudden , undream'd of order , struck an astonishment into them all , both men and women ; and running to complain to the queen , his majesty had taken her before into his bed-chamber , and lock'd the doors upon them , untill he had told her how matters stood ; the queen fell into a violent passion , broke the glass-windows , and tore her hair , but she was calm'd afterwards : just such a destiny happen'd in france som years since to the queens spanish servants there , who were all dismiss'd in like manner for som miscarriages ; the like was don in spain to the french , therfore 't is no new thing . they are all now on their way to dover , but i fear this will breed ill bloud 'twixt us and france , and may break out into an ill-favour'd quarrell . master mountague is preparing to go to paris as a messenger of honour , to prepossess the king and counsell there , with the truth of things . so with my very kind respects to my sister , i rest lond. mar. . your loving brother , j. h. xxvii . to the right honble the lord s. my lord , i am bound shortly for york , wher i am hopefull of a profitable imployment . ther is fearfull news com from germany , that since sir charls morgan went thither with ●… men for the assistance of the king of denmark , the king hath receiv'd an utter overthrow by tilly , he had receiv'd a fall off a horse from a wall five yards high , a little before , yet it did him little hurt . tilly pursueth his victory strongly , and is got ore the elve to holsteinland , insomuch that they write from hamburgh , that denmark is in danger to be utterly lost : the danes and germanes seem to lay som fault upon our king , the king upon the parliament , that would not supply him with subsidies to assist his uncle , and the prince palsgrave , both which was promis'd upon the rupture of the treaties with spain , which was done by the advice of both houses ▪ this is the ground that his majesty hath lately sent out privy seals for loan moneys , untill a parliament may be calld , in regard that the king of denmark is distress'd , the sound like to be lost , the eastland trade , and the staple at hamborough in danger to be destroied , and the english garrison under sir charls morgan at sto●…d ready to be starv'd . these loan moneys keep a great noise , and they are imprison'd that deny to conform themselves . i fear i shall have no more opportunity to send to your lordship , till i go to york , therfore i humbly take my leave , and kiss your hands , being ever , my lord , your obedient and ready servitor , j. h ▪ xxviii . to mr. r. l. merchant . i met lately with i. harris in london , and i had not seen him two years before , and then i took him , and knew him to be a man of thirty , but now one would take him by his hair to be near threescore , for he is all turnd gray . i wonderd at such a metamorphosis in so short a time , hee told me 't was for the death of his wife , that nature had thus antidated his years , 't is true that a weighty setled sorrow is of that force , that besides the contraction of the spirits , it will work upon the radicall moisture , and dry it up , so that the hair can have no moisture at the root . this made me remember a story that a spanish advocat told me , which is a thing very remarkable . when the duke of alva was in brussels , about the beginning of the tumults in the netherlands , he had sat down before hulst in flanders , and ther was a provost marshall in his army , who was a favorit of his ; and this provost had put som to death by secret commission from the duke : ther was one captain bolea in the armie , who was an intimat friend of the provosts , and one evening late , he went to the said captains tent , and brought with him a confessor , and an executioner , as it was his custom ; he told the captain , that he was com to execut his excellencies commission , and marshall law upon him ; the captain started up suddenly , his hair standing at an end , and being struck with amazement , ask'd him wherin he had offended the duke ; the provest answer'd , sir i com not to expostulat the busines with you , but to execut my commission , therfore i pray prepare your self , for ther 's your ghostly father and executioner : so he fell on his knees before the priest , and having don , the hangman going to put the halter about his neck , the provost threw it away , and breaking into a laughter , told him , ther was no such thing , and that he had don this to try his courage , how be could bear the terror of death , the captain look●… ghastly up●… him , and said , then sir get you out of my tent , for you have don me ●… very ill office : the next morning the said captain bolea , though ●… young man of about thirtie , had his hair all turnd grav , to the admiration of all the world , and of the duke of alva himself , who questio●… him about it , but he would confess nothing . the next year the du●… was revok'd , and in his journey to the court of spain , he was to pas●… by saragossa , and this captain bolea , and the provost went alon●… with him as his domestics : the duke being to repose some days in s. . ragossa , the young ▪ old captain bolea told him , that ther was a thing in that town worthy to be seen by his excellency , which was a casa de locos , a bedlam-house , for ther was not the like in christendom : well said the duke , go and tell the warden i will be there to morrow in the afternoon , and wish him to be in the way . the captain having obtaind this , went to the warden and told him , that the duke would com to visit the house the next day , and the chiefest occasion that mov'd him to it , was , that he had an unruly provost about him , who was subject oftentimes to fits of frenzie , and because he wisheth him well , he had tried divers means to cure him , but all would not do , therfore he would trie whether keeping him close in bedlam for som days , would do him any good : the next day the duke came with ar●…ffling train of captains after him , amongst whom was the said provost , very shining brave ; being entred into the house , about the dukes person , captain bolea told the warden , pointing at the provost , that 's the man ; so hee took him aside into a dark lobby , wher he had plac'd som of his men , who muffled him in his cloak , seiz'd upon his gilt sword , with his hat and feather , and so hurried him down into a dungeon : my provost had lain there two nights and a day , and afterwards it happen'd that a gentleman comming out of curiosity to see the house , peep'd in at a small grate where the provost was ; the provost conjur'd him as he was a christian , to go and tell the duke of alva , his provost was there clap'd up , nor could be imagin why . the gentleman did the arrand , wherat the duke being astonish'd , sent for the warden with his prisoner ; so he brought my provost en cuerpo madman like , full of straws and feathers before the duke , who at the sight of him , breaking out into a laughter , ask'd the warden , why he had made him his prisener ; sir , said the warden , 't was by vertue of your excellenci●…s commission brought me by captain bolea : bolea step'd forth and told the duke ; sir , you have ask'd me oft , how these hairs of mine grew so suddenly gray , i have not reveal'd it yet to any soul breathing , but now i le tell your excellency , and so sell a relating the passage in flanders . and sir i have been ever since beating my brains how to get an equall revenge of him , and i thought no revenge to be more equall or corresponding , now that you see he hath made me old before my time , than to make him mad if i could , and had he staied som days longer close prisoner in the bedlam house , it might haply have wrought som impressions upon his pericranium : the duke was so well pleas'd with the story , and the wittines of the revenge , that he made them both friends ; and the gentleman who told me this passage , said , that the said captain bolea was yet living , so that he could not be less than ninety years of age . i thank you a thousand times for the c●…phalonia muscadell , and botargo you sent me ; i hope to be shortly quit with you for all courtesies , in the interim , i am york this of may. . your obliged friend to serve you , j h. postscript . i am sorry to hear of the trick that sir iohn aires put upon the company by the box of hailshot , sign'd with the ambassadors seal , that he had sent so solemnly from constantinople , which he made the world beleeve to be full of chequins and turky gold . familiar letters . section v. i. to dan. caldwall esqr , from york . my dear d. though i may be tearmed a right northern man , being a good way this side trent , yet my love to you is as southern as ever it was , i mean it continueth still in the same degree of heat , not can this bleaker air , or boreas chilling blasts cool it a whit ; i am the same to you this side trent , as i was the last time we cross'd the thames together to see smugg the smith , and so back to the still-yard : but i fear that your love to me doth not continue in so constant and intense a degree , and i have good grounds for this fear , because i never receiv'd one syllable from you , since i left london ; if you ridd me not of this scruple , and send to me speedily , i shall think , though you live under a hotter clyme in the south , that your former love is not only coold but frozen . for this present condition of life , i thank god , i live well contended , i have a fee from the king , diet for my self and two servants , livry for a horse , and a part of the kings house for my lodging , and other privileges which i am told no secretary before me had ▪ but i must tell you the perquisits are nothing answerable to my expectation yet . i have built me a new study since i came , wherin i shall amongst others meditat somtimes on you , and whence this present letter coms . so with a thousand thanks for the plentifull hospitality and joviall farewell you gave me at your house in essex , i rest york iulii . . yors , yors , yors , j. h. ii. to mr. richard leat . signor io , it is now a great while me thinks since any act of friendship , or other interchangeable offices of love hath pass'd between us , either by letters , or other accustomed ways of correspondence ; and as i will not accuse , so i go not about to clear my self in this point , let this long silence be tearm'd therfore a cessation rather than neglect on both sides : a bow that lies awhile unbent , and a field that remains fallow for a time , grow never the worse , but afterwards the one sends forth and arrow more strongly , the other yeelds a better crop being recultivated : let this be also verified in us , let our friendship grow more fruitfull after this pawse , let it be more active for the future : you see i begin and shoot the first shaft . i send you herewith a couple of red dear pies , the one sir arthur ingram gave me , the other my lord presidents cook , i could not tell where to bestow them better ; in your next let me know which is the best season'd ; i pray let the sydonian merchant io. bruckburst be at the eating of them , and then i know they will be well soak'd . if you please to send me a barrell or two of oysters which we want here , i promise you they shall be well eaten , with a cup of the best clarret , and the best sherry , to which wine this town is altogether adicted , shall not be wanting . i understand the lord weston is lo. treasurer , we may say now , that we have treasurers of all tences , for ther are four living , to wit , the lord manchester , middlesex , malborough , and the newly chosen ; i hear also that the good old man ( the last ) hath retir'd to his lodgings in lincolns inn , and so reduc'd himself to his first principles , which makes me think that he cannot bear up long , now that the staff is taken from him . i pray in your next send me the venetian gazetta . so with my kind respects to your father , i rest york , . iuly . . yours , j. h. iii. to sir ed. sa. knight . sir , 't was no great matter to be a prophet , and to have foretold his rupture 'twixt us and france upon the sudden renvoy of her majesties servants , for many of them had sold their estates in france , given money for their places , and so thought to live and die in england in the queens service , and so have pittifully complained to that king , therupon he hath arrested above of our merchant men that went to this vintage at bourdeaux . we also take som straglers of theirs , for ther are letters of mart given on both sides . ther are writs issued out for a parliament , and the town of richmond in richmond shire hath made choise of me for their burgess , though master christopher wansford and other powerfull men , and more deserving than i , stood for it . i pray god send fair weather in the house of commons , for ther is much murmuring about the restraint of those that would not conform to loan-moneys . ther is a great fleet a preparing , and an army of land-men , but the design is uncertain whether it be against spain or france , for we are now in enmity with both those crowns . the french cardinall hath been lately tother side the alpes , and setled the duke of nevers in the duchy of mantoua , notwithstanding the opposition of the king of spain and the emperor , who alleg'd that he was to receive his investiture from him , and tha●… was the chief ground of the war ; but the french arms have d●… the work , and com triumphantly back over the hills again . no more now , but that i am as always your true friend , j. h. march . . iv. to the worp ll mr alderman of the town of richmond , and the rest of the worthy members of that ancient corporation . sir , i receiv'd a public instrument from you lately , subscrib'd by your self , and divers others , wherin i find that you have made choice of me to be one of your burgesses for this now neer-approaching parliament ; i could have wish'd that you had not put by master wandesford , and other worthy gentlemen that stood so earnestly for it , who being your neighbors , had better means , and more abilities to serve you . yet since you have cast these high respects upon me , i will endeavor to acquit my self of the trust , and to answer your expectation accordingly : and as i account this election an honor unto me , so i esteem it a great advantage , that so worthy , and well experienc'd a knight as sir talbot bows is to be my collegue and fellow burgess ; i shall steer by his compas , and follow his directions in any thing that may concern the welfare of your town , and of the precincts therof , either for redress of any grievance , or by proposing som new thing that may conduce to the further benefit and advantage therof , and this i take to be the true duty of a parliamentary burgess , without roving at randum to generalls . i hope to learne of sir talbot what 's fitting to be don , and i shall apply my self accordingly to joyn with him to serve you with my best abilities : so i rest your most assured and ready friend to do you service , j. h. lond. march : . v. to the right honble the lo : clifford at knasbrugh . my lord , the news that fill all mouths at present , is the return of the duke of buckingham from the isle of ree , or as so●… call it the i le of rue , for the bitter success wee had there ; for we had but a ●…t entertainment in that sal●… island . our first invasion was magnanimous & brave , wherat neer upon french gentlemen perished , and divers barons of quality . my lord newport had ill luck to disorder our cavalry with an unruly horse he had : his brother sir charls rich was slain , and divers more upon the retreat , amongst others , great golonell gray fell into salt-pit , and being ready to be drownd he cryed out cens mill escus pour ma rançon , a hundred thousand crowns for my ransom , the french-men hearing that , preserv'd him , though he was not worth a hundred thousand pence . another merry passage a captain told me , that when they were rifling the dead bodies of the french gentlemen after the first invasion , they found that many of them had their mistresses favors tyed about their genitories . the french do much glory to have repell'd us thus , and they have reason , for the truth is , they comported themselves gallantly ; yet they confess our landing was a notable piece of courage , and if our retreat had been answerable to the invasion , we had lost no honor at all . a great number of gallant gentlemen fell on our side , as sir iohn heyden , sir io. burrowes , sir george blundell , sir alex. brett , with divers veteran commanders , who came from the netherlands to this service . god send us better success the next time , for ther is another fleet preparing to be sent under the command of the lord denbigh ; so i kiss your hands , and am lond. of sept , . your humble servitor , j. h. vi. to the right honble the lord scroop , earl of sunderland , lord president of the north. my lord , my lord d●…nbigh is returned from attempting to relieve rochell , which is reduc'd to extreme exigent ; and now the duke is preparing to go again , with as great power as was yet rais'd : notwithstanding that the parliament hath flown higher at him than ever ; which makes the people here hardly wish any good success to the expedition , because he is generall . the spaniard stands at a gaze all this while , hoping that we may do the work , otherwise i think he would find som way to relieve that town , for ther is nothing conduceth more to the uniting and strengthning of the french monarchy than the reduction of rochell . the king hath been there long in person with his cardinall , and the stupendious works they have rais'd by sea and land , are beyond belief , as they say . the sea-works and booms were traced out by marquis spinola , as he was passing that way for spain from flanders . the parliament is prorogued till michaelmas term ; ther we●… five subsidies granted , the greatest gift that ever subjects gave their king at once ; and it was in requitall that his majesty pass'd the petition of right , wherby the liberty of the free-born subject is so strongly and clearly vindicated . so that ther is a fair correspondence like to be 'twixt his majesty and the two houses . the duke made a notable speech at the counsell table in joy hereof , amongst other passages , one was , that hereafter his majestie would please to make the parliament his favorit , and he to have the honor to remain still his servant . no more now but that i continue lond. . sept. . your lordships most dutifull servant , j. h. vii . to the right honble the la : scroope countess of sunderland , from stamford . madam , i lay yesternight at the post house at stilton , and this morning betimes the post-master came to my beds head and told me the duke of buckingham was slain ; my faith was not then strong enough to believe it , till an hour ago i met in the way with my lord of rutland ( your brother ) riding post towards london , it pleas'd him to alight , and shew me a letter , wherin ther was an exact relation of all the circumstances of this sad tragaedy . upon saturday last , which was but next before yesterday being bartholmew yeeve , the duke did rise up in a well disposed humor out of his bed , and cutt a caper or two , and being ready , and having been under the barbers hands ( wher the murtherer had thought to have don the deed , for hee was leaning upon the window all the while ) hee went to breakfast attended by a great company of commanders , where monsieur soubize came unto him , and whispered him in the ear that rochell was relieved , the duke seem'd to slight the news , which made som think that soubize went away discontented ; after breakfast the duke going out , colonell fryer stepped before him , and stopping him upon som busines , one lieutenant felton being behind , made a thrust with a common tenpeny knife over fryers arm at the duke , which lighted so fatally , that hee slit his heart in two , leaving the knife sticking in the body ; the duke took out the knife , and threw it away , and laying his hand on his sword , and drawn it half out said , the villain hath killd me ( meaning as som think colonell fryer ) for ther had been som difference 'twixt them , so reeling against a chimney hee fell down dead ; the dutchess being with child hearing the noise below , cam in her night geers from her bed chamber , which was in an upper room , to a kind of rayl , and thence beheld him weltering in his own bloud . felton had lost his hat in the croud , wherin ther was a paper sowed , wherin he declared that the reason which mov'd him to this act was no grudg of his own , though hee had been far behind for his pay , and had bin put by his captains place twice , but in regard he thought the duke an enemy to the state , because he was branded in parliament , therfore what he did was for the public good of his countrey . yet he got clearly down , and so might have gon to his horse which was tied to a hedg hard by , but he was so amazed that he missd his way , and so struck into the pastry , where though the cry went that som frenchman had don 't , he thinking the word was felton , he boldly confessed t was he that had don the deed , and so he was in their hands , iack stamford would have run at him , but he was kept off by mr. nicholas , so being carried up to a tower captain min●…e toare off his spurrs , and asking how he durst attempt such an act , making him beleeve the duke was not dead , he answerd boldly that he knew he was dispatchd , for ●…was not he , but the hand of heaven that gave the stroak , and though his whole body had bin coverd over with armour of proof he could not have avoyded it . captain charles price went post presently to the king four miles off , who being at prayers on his knees when it was told him , yet he never stirrd , nor was he disturbd a whit till all divine service was don . this was the relation as far as my memory could bear , in my lord of rutlands letter , who willd me to remember him unto your ladyship , and tell you that he was going to comfort your neece ( the dutches ) as fast as he could : and so i have sent the truth of this sad story to your ladyship , as fast as i could by this post , because i cannot make that speed myself , in regard of som busines i have to dispatch for my lord in the way ; so i humbly take my leave , and rest stamford , aug. . . your lapp s most dutifull servant , j. h. ix . to the right honble sir peter wichts his majesties ambassador at constantinople . my lord , yours of the . of iuly came to safe hand , and i did all those particular recaudos , you enjoyned me to do to som of your ●…ends here . the town of rochell hath bin fatall and infortunat to england , for this is the third time that we have attempted to releeve her , but our fleets and forces returnd without doing any thing . my lord of linsey went thither with the same fleet the duke intended to go on , but he is returnd without doing any good , he made som shots at the great boom and other baricadoes at sea , but at such a distance , that they conld do no hurt . insomuch that the town is now given for lost , and to be passd cure , and they cry out , we have betrayd them : at the return of this fleet two of the whelps were cast away , and three ships more , and som five ships who had som of those great stones , that were brought to build pauls , for ballast and for other uses within them , which could promise no good success , for i never heard of any thing that prospered which being once designed for the honor of god was alienated from that use . the queen interposeth for the releasement of my lord of newport and others who are prisoners of war , i hear that all the colours they took from us are hung up in the great church nostredame as tropkeys in paris . since i began this letter ther is news brought that rochell hath yeelded , and that the king hath dismantled the town , and razd all the fortifications landward , but leaves those standing which are toward the sea. it is a mighty exploit the french king hath don , for rochell was the cheifest propugnacle of the protestants there , and now questionles all the rest of their cautionary towns which they kept for their own defence will yeeld , so that they must depend hereafter upon the kings meer mercy . i hear of an overture of peace twixt us and spain , and that my lord cottington is to go thither , and don carlos coloma to com to us . god grant it , for you know the saying in spanish nunca vi tan mala paz , que no fuera mejor , que la mejor guerra . it was a bold thing in england , to fall out with the two greatest monarchs of christendom , and to have them both her enemies at one time , a●…d as glorious a thing it was to bear up against them . god turn all to the best , and dispose of things to his glory ; so i rest london , sept. . your lordships ready servitor , j. h. x. to my cosen mr. stgeon , at christ-church college in oxford . cosen , though you want no incitements to go on in that fair road of vertu ▪ wher you are now running your cours , yet being lately in your noble fathers company , he did intimat unto me , that any thing which cam from me would take with you very much . i hear so well of your proceedings , that i should rather commend than encourage you . i know you wer remov'd to oxford in full maturity , you wer a good orator , a good poet , and a good linguist for your time ; i would not have that fate light upon you , which useth to befall som , who from golden students , becom silver bachelors , and leaden masters , i am far from entertaining any such thought of you , that logic with her quiddities , and quae la vel hipps , can any way unpolish your human studies : as logic is clubfisted and crabbed , so she is terrible at first sight , she is like a gorgons head to a young student , but after a twelve months constancy and patience , this gorgons head will prove a meer buggbear ; when you have devour'd the organon , you will find philosophie far more delightfull and pleasing to your palat : in feeding the soul with knowledge , the understanding requireth the same consecutif acts which nature useth in nourishing the body . to the nutrition of the body , ther are two essentiall conditions requir'd assumption and retention , then ther follows two more , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , concoction and agglutination or adhaesion ; so in feeding your soule with science , you must first assume , and suc●… in the matter into your apprehension , then must the memory retain and keep it in , afterwards by disputation , discours , and meditation , it must be well concocted ; then must it be agglutinate●… and converted to nutriment ; all this may be reduc'd to these 〈◊〉 heads , tencre fideliter , & uti faeliciter , which are two of the happiest properties in a student ; ther is an other act requir'd to goo●… concoction call'd the act of expulsion , which puts off all that is unfound and noxious , so in study ther must be an expulsive vert●… to shun all that is erroneous , and ther is no science but is full 〈◊〉 such stuff , which by direction of tutor , and choice of good book must be excernd : do not confound your self with multiplicity of authors , two is enough upon any science , provided they be plenary and orthodox ; philosphy should be your substantiall food , poetry your banqueting stuff ; philosophy hath more of reality in it than any knowledge , the philosopher can fadom the deep , measure mountaines , reach the starrs with a staff , and bless heaven with a girdle . but amongst these studies you must not forget the unicum necessarium , on sundaies and holy-dayes , let divinity be the sole object of your speculation , in comparison wherof all other knowledg is but cobweb learning ; prae qua quisquiliae coetera . when you can make truce with study , i should be glad you would employ som superfluous hour or other to write unto me , for i much covet your good , because i am london octob. . your affectionat cosen , j. h. xi . to sir sackvill trevor knight . noble onkle , i send you my humble thanks for the curious sea-chest of glasses you pleas'd to bestow on me , which i shal be very chary to keep as a monument of your love . i congratulat also the great honor you have got lately by taking away the spirit of france , i mean by taking the third great vessell of her sea-trinity , her holy spirit , which had bin built in the mouth of the texell for the service of her king ; without complementing with you , it was one of the best exploits that was perform'd since these warrs began , and besides the renown you have purchas'd , i hope your reward will be accordingly from his majesty , whom i remember you so happily preserv'd from drowning in all probability at st. anderas road in spain . though princes guerdons com slow , yet they com sure ; and it is oftentimes the method of god almighty himself to be long both in his rewards and punishments . as you have berest the french of their sain-esprit , their holy spirit , so ther is news that the hollander have taken from spain , all her saints ; i mean todos los santos , which is one of the chiefest staples of sugar in brasill . no more but that i wish you all health , honor , and hearts desire . london , of octob. . your much obliged nephew and servitor , j. h. xii . to captain tho. b. from york . noble captain , yours of the first of march was deliverd me by sir richard scott , and i held it no profanation of this sunday evening considering the quality of my subject , and having ( i thank god for it ) performed all church duties , to employ som hours to meditat on you , and send you this frendly salute , though i confess in an unusuall monitory way . my dear captain , i love you perfectly well , i love both your person and parts which are not vulgar , i am in love with your disposition which is generous , and i verily think you wer ▪ never guilty of any pusillanimous act in your life : nor is this love of mine conferr'd upon you gratis , but you may challenge it as your due , and by way of correspondence , in regard of those thousand convincing evidences you have given me of yours to me , which ascertain me , that you take me for a true frend : now i am of the number of those , that had rather commend the vertue of an enemy , than soeth the vices of a friend ; for your own particular , if your parts of vertue , and your infirmities were cast into a ballance , i know the first would much out-poise the other ; yet give me leave to tell you 〈◊〉 ther is one frailty , or rather ill favor'd custom that reigns in you , which weighs much , it is a humor of swearing in all your discours●…s , and they are not slight , but deep , far fetch'd oathes that you are wont to rap out , which you use as flowers of rhetoric to enforce a ●…aith upon the hearers , who beleeve you never the more , and you use this in cold bloud when you are not provok'd , which makes the humor far more dangerous ; i know many , ( and i cannot say i my self am free from it god forgive me ) that being transported with choler , and as it were made drunk with passion , by som sudden provoking accident , or extreme ill fortune at play will let fall oaths and deep protestations ▪ but to belch out , 〈◊〉 send forth , as it were , whole volleys of oaths and curses in a calm humor , to verifie every triviall discours is a thing of horror . i knew a king that being cross'd in his game would amongst his oaths fall on the ground , and bite the very earth in the rough of his passion ; i heard of another king ( henry the fourth of france ) that in his highest distemper would swear but ventre de saint gris , by the belly of saint gris ; i heard of an italian , that having been much accustomed to blaspheme , was wean'd from it by a pretty wile , for having been one night at play , and lost all his money , after many execrable oathes , and having offerd money to another to go out to face heaven and defie god , he threw himself upon a bed hard by , and there fell asleep ; the other gamsters plaid on still ▪ and finding that he was fast asleep , they put out the candels , and made semblance to play on still , they fell a wrangling , and spoke so loud , that he awaked , he hearing them play on stil fell a rubbing his eyes , and his conscience presently prompted him that he was struck blind , and that gods judgment had deservedly fallen down upon him for his blasphemies , and so he fell to sigh and weep pittifully , a ghostly father was sent for , who undertook to do som acts of penance for him , if he would make a vow never to play again or blaspheme , which he did , and so the candles were lighted again , which he thought were burning all the while ; so he becam a perfect convert . i could wish this letter might produce the same effect in you ; ther is a strong text , that the curse of heaven hangs always over the dwelling of the swearer , and you have more fearfull examples of miraculous judgments in this particular , than of any other sin . ther is a little town in languedoc in france that hath a multitude of the pictures of the virgin mary up and down , but she is made to carry christ in her right arm contrary to the ordinary custom , and the reason they told me was this , that two gamsters being at play , & one having lost all his money , and bolted out many blasphemies , ●…e gave a deep oath that that whore upon the wall , meaning the picture of the blessed virgin ▪ was the cause of his ill luck , hereupon the child removed imperceptibly from the left arm to the right , and the man fell stark dumb ever after'●… , thus went the tradition there ; this makes me think upon the lady southwells news from utopia that he who sweareth when he playeth at dice , may challenge his damnation by way of purchase . this in●…andous custom of swearing i observe reigns in england lately more than any wher els , though the german in his highest puff of pas●…ion swear by a hundred thousand sacraments , the italian by the whore of god , the french by his death , the spaniard by his flesh , the westiman by his sweat , the irish man by his five wounds , though the scot commonly bids the devill hale his soule , yet for variety of oaths the english roarers put down all : consider well what a dangerous thing it is to tear in pieces that dreadfull name which makes the vast fabric of the world to tremble , that holy name wherein the whol hierarchy of heaven doth triumph , that blisful name wherin consists the fulnes of all felicity . i know this custom in you yet , is but a light disposition , t is no habit i hope , let me therfore conjure you by that power of frendship , by that holy ligue of love which is between us , that you would suppress it before it com to that , for i must tell you that those who could find in their hearts to love you for many other things , do disrespect you for this , they hate your company , and give no credit to whatsoever you say , it being one of the punishments of a swearer as well as of a lyar not to be beleeved when he tells truth . excuse me that i am so free with you , what i write proceeds from the clear current of a pure affection , and i shall heartily thank you , and take it as an argument of love , if you tell me of my weaknesses , which are ( god wot ) too too many , for my body is but a cargazon of corrupt humors , and being not able to overcome them all at once i do endeavor to doe it by degrees , like sertorius his soldier who when he could not cut off the horse tayl with his sword at one blow , fell to pull out the hair one by one : and touching this particular humor from which i disswade you , it hath rag'd in me too often by contingent fits , but i thank god for it i find it much abated , and purg'd . now the only physic i us'd was a precedent fast and recours to the holy sacrament the next day , of purpose to implore pardon for what was pass'd , and power for the future to quell those exorbitant motions , those ravings and feavourish fits of the soul , in regard ther are no infirmities more dangerous , for at the same instant they have being they becom impieties . and the greatest symptom of amendment i find in mee is , because whensoever i hear the holy name of god blasphem'd by any other , it makes my heart to tremble within my brest : now it is a penitentiall rule that if sins present do not please thee , sins pass'd will never hurt thee . all other sins have for their object , either pleasure or profit , or some ayme and satisfaction to body or mind , but this hath none at all , therfore fie upon 't , my dear captain t●…e whether you can make a conquest of your self in subduing this execrable custom . alexander subdued the world , caesar his enemies , hercules ▪ monsters , but he that o●…ecomes himself is the true valiant captain . i have herewith sent you a hymn consonant to this subject ; because i know you are musicall and a good poet. a gradual hymn of a double cadence , tending to the honor of the holy name of god. . let the vast universe , and therein ev'ry thing , the mighty acts rehearse of their immortall king , his name extoll what to nadir from zenith stir twixt pole and pole. . yee elements that move , and alter every hower , yet herein constant prove , and symbolize all sower , his praise to tell , mix all in one for aire and tone to sound this peale . . earth which the center art and only standest still , yet move , and bear thy part , resound with ecchos shrill , thy mines of gold , with precious stones , and unions , his fame uphold . . let all thy fragrant flowers grow sweeter by this 〈◊〉 , thy tallest trees and bowers bud forth and blossom sair , beasts wild and tame , whom lodgings yield ▪ house dens or field , collaud his name . . yet seas with earth that make one globe flow high and swell , exalt your makers name , in deep his wonders tell , leviathan , and what doth swim neer bank or brim , his glory fcan . . yet airy regions all ioyn in a sweet concent , blow such a madrigall may reach the firmament : winds , hail , ice , snow , and perly drops , that hang on crops , his wonders show . . pure element of fire with holy sparks inflame this sublunary quire , that all one consort frame . their spirits raise , to trumpet forth their makers worth , and sound his praise . . yee glorious lamps that roul●… in your celestiall sphears all under his controule , who you on poles up bears him magnifie , yet planets bright , and fixed lights that deck the skie . . o heaven chrystalline , which by thy watry but do'st temper and refine the rest in azurd blue , his glory sound thou first mobile , which makst all w●●●el in circle round . . yee glorious souls who raign in sempiternall joy , free from those cares and pain which here did you annoy , and him behold in whom all bliss concentred is his laud unfold . . blest maid which dost surmount all saints and seraphins , and raignst as paramount , and chief of cherubins , chant out his praise who in thy womb , nine months took room , though crownd with rayes . . oh let my soul and heart , my mind and memory bear in this hymn a part , and joyn with earth and sky . let every wight the whole world ore làud and adore the lord of light . all your friends heer are well , tom young excepted , who i fear hath not long to live amongst us , so i rest , york , the of aug. . your true friend , j. h. xiii . to will : austin , esqr. sir , i have many thanks to give you for that excellent poem you sent me upon the passion of christ , surely you wer possess'd with a very strong spirit when you penn'd it , you wer becom a true enthusiasist ; for , iet me despair if i lye unto you , all the while i was perusing it , it committed holy rapes upon my soul , me ●…ought i felt my heart melting within my brest , and my thoughts transported to a true elysium all the while , ther were such flexanimous strong ravishing strains throughout it . to deal plainly with you , it wer an injury to the public good , not to expose to open light such divine raptures , for they have an edifying power in them , and may be tearm'd the very quintessence of devotion ; you discover in them what a rich talent you have , which should not be buried within the walls of a privat study , or pass through a few particular hands , but appear in public view , and to the sight of the world , to the enriching of others , as they did me in reading them . therfore i shall long to see them pass from the bankside to pauls churchyard , with other precious peeces of yours , which you have pleas'd to impart unto me oxford , aug●… . your most affectionate servito●… , j. h. xiv . to sir i. s. knight . sir , you writ to me lately for a footman , and i think this bearer will fit you ; i know he can run well , for he hath run away twice from me , but he knew the way back again , yet though he hath a running head as well as running heels , ( and who will expect a footman to be a stayed man ? ) i would not part with him , were i not to go ●…ost to the north. ther be som things in him that answer for his waggeries , he will com when you call him , go when you bid him , and shut the door after him ; he is faithfull and stout , and a lover of his master ; he is a great enemy to all doggs , if they bark at him in his running , for i have seen him confront a huge mastif , and knock him down : when you go a countrey journey , or have him run with you a hunting , you must spirit him with liquor , you must allow him also somthing extraordinary for socks , els you must not have him to wait at your table ; for when his grease melts in running hard t is subject to fall into his toes . i send him you but for tryall , if he be not for your turn , turn him over to me again when i com back , the best news i can send you at this time , is , that we are like to have peace , both with france and spain , so that harwich men your neighbours , shall not hereafter need to fear the name of spinola , who struck such an apprehension into them lately , that i understand they begin to fortifie . i pray present my most humble service to my good lady , and at my return from the north , i will be hold to kiss her hands , and yours , so i am london , of may. . your much obliged servito●… , j. h. xv. to my father . sir , our two younger brothers , which you sent hither , are disposed of ; my brother doctor hath placed the elder of the two with mr. hawes , a mercer in cheapside , and he took much paines in 't , and i had plac'd my brother ned , with mr. barrington , a silk ▪ man in the same street , but afterwards for som inconveniences , i remov'd him to one mr. smith at the flower-de-luce in lumbard-street , a mercer also ; their masters are both of them very wel to pass , and of good repute ; i think it will prove som advantage to them hereafter , to be both of one trade ; because when they are out of their time , they may joyn s●…ocks together ; so that i hope , sir , they are wel plac'd as any two youths in london , but you must not use to send them such large tokens in money , for that may corrupt them . when i went to bind my brother ned apprentice in drapers hall , casting my eyes upon the chimney peece of the great room i might spy a picture of an ancient gentleman , and underneath thomas howell , i asked the clerk about him , and he told me that he had bin a spanish merchant in henry the eighths time , and coming home rich , and dying a bachelor , he gave that hall to the company of drapers , with other things , so that he is accounted one of their chiefest benefactors . i told the clerk , that one of the sons of thomas howell came now thither to be bound , he answered that if he be a right howell , he may have when he is free three hundred pounds to help to set up , and pay no interest for five yeers . it may be hereafter wee may make use of this . he told me also , that any maid that can prove her father to be a true howell may com and demand fifty pounds towards her portion of the said hall. i am to goe post towards yorke to morrow , to my charge , but hope , god willing , to be here againe the next terme ; so with my love to my brother howell , and my sister his wife , i rest london sept. . your dutifull son , i. h. xvi . to my brother dr. howell at iesus college in oxon. brother , i have sent you here inclosed ; warrants for four brace of bucks , and a stag , the last sir arthur manwaring procur'd of the king for you , towards the keeping of your act , i have sent you also a warrant for a brace of bucks out of waddon chace ; besides , you shall receive by this carrier a great wicker hamper , with two geoules of sturgeon , six barrells of pickled oysters , three barrells of bologna olives , with som other spanish comodities . my lord president of the north hath lately made me patron of a living hard by henley , call'd hambledon , it is worth five hundred pounds a year communibus onnis , and the now incumbent dr. pilkington is very aged , valetudinary , and corpulent ; my lord by legall instrument hath transmitted the next advouson to me for satisfaction of som arrerages ; dr. dommlaw and two or three more have bin with me about it , but i alwayes intended to make the first proffer to you , therfore i pray think of it , a sum of money must be had , but you shall be at no trouble for that , if you only will secure it ( and desire one more who i know will do it for you ) and it shall appear unto you that you have it upon far better t●…rms than any other . it is as finely situated as any rectory can be , for it is about the mid-way twixt oxford and london , it lies upon the thames , and the glebe-land house is very large and fair , and not dilapidated , so that considering all things it is as good as som bishopricks ; i know his majesty is gracious unto you , and you may well expect som preferment that way , but such livings as these are not to be had every where . i thank you for inviting me to your act , i will ●…e with you the next week , god willing ; and hope to find my father there ; so with my kind love to dr. mansell , mr. watkins , mr. madocks and mr. napier at allsoules , i rest london , iune . . your loving brother , j. h. xvii . to my father mr. ben : johnson . father ben. nullum fit magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementi●… , ther 's no great wit without som mixture of madnes , so saith the philosopher , nor was he a fool who answered , nec parvum , sine mixtura stultiti●… , nor small wit without som allay of foolishn●… . touching the first it is verified in you , for i find that you have bin oftentimes mad , you were mad when you writ your fox , and madder when you writ your alchymist , you were mad when you writ catilin , and stark mad when you writ sej●…us ; but when you writ your epigrammes , and the magnetic lady you were not so mad ; insomuch that i perceive ther be degrees of madnes in you ; excuse me that i am so free with you . the madnes i mean is that divine fury , that heating and heighning spirit which ovid speaks of , est deus in nobis agitante calescimus illo , that true enthusiasm which transports , and elevates the souls of poets , above the middle region of vulgar conceptions , and makes them soar up to heaven to touch the starrs with their laurelld heads , to walk in the zodiac with apollo himself , and command mercury upon their errand . i cannot yet light upon doctor davies his welsh grammer , before christmas i am promiss'd one ; so desiring you to look better hereafter to your charcole fire and chimney , which i am glad to be one that preserv'd from burning , this being the second time that vulca●… hath threatned you , it may be because you have spoken ill of his wise and bin too busy with his hornes ; i rest westminster , iune , . your son , and contiguous neighbour , j. h. xviii . to sir arthur ingram at his house in york . sir , i have sent you herewith a hamper of melons , the best i could find in any of tothillfield gardens , and with them my very humble service and thanks for all favors , and lately for inviting me to your new noble house at temple newsam when i return to yorkshire ; to this i may answer you as my lord coke was answerd by a n●…folk countryman who had a sute depending in the kings-bench against som neighbours touching a river that us'd to annoy him , and sir edward coke asking how he call'd the river , he answerd , my lord i need not call her , for she is forward enough to com of her self . so i may say that you need not call me to any house of yours , for i am forward enough to com without calling . my lord president is still indispos'd at dr. nappiers , yet he writ to me lately that he hopes to be at the next sitting in york : so with a tender of my most humble service to my noble good lady , i rest london , iul. . your much obliged servant , j. h. xix . to r. s. esq. sir , i am one of them , who value not a curtesie that hangs long betwixt the fingers , i love not those viscosa beneficia , those birdl●…m'd kindnesses which pliny speaks of ; nor would i receive money in a durty clowt , if possibly i could be without it ; therfore i return you the courtesie by the same hand that brought it , it might have pleasur'd me at first , but the expectation of it hat●… prejudic'd me , and now perhaps you may have more need of it than westminster aug. . your humble servitor , j. h. xx. to the countess of sunderland at york . madame , my lord continues still in cours of physic at dr. nappiers , i writ to him lately , that his lordship would please to com to his own house here in st. martins lane , wher ther is a greater accommodation for the recovery of his health , dr. ma●…ern being on the one side , and the kings apothecary on the other , but i fear ther be som mountebanks that carry him away , and i hear he intends to remove to wickham to one atkinson , a meer quacksalver that was once dr. lopez his man. the little knight that useth to draw up his breeches with a shooinghorn , i mean sir posthumus hobby , slew high at him this parlement , and would have incerted his name in the scrowl of recusants , that 's shortly to be presented to the king , but i produc'd a certificat from linford under the ministers hand that he received the communion at easter last , and so got his name out ; besides , the deputy-lieutenants of buckinghamshire would have charg'd biggin farme with a light horse , but sir will. allford , and others joyn'd with me to get it off . sir thomas wentworth , and mr. wansford , are grown great courtiers lately , and com from we●…stminster-hall to white-hall : ( sir iohn savill their countrey-man having shown them the way with his white staff ) the lord weston tamperd with the one , and my lord cottington took paines with the other , to bring them about from their violence against the prerogative : and i am told the first of them is promis'd my lords place at york , in case his sicknes continues . we are like to have peace with spain and france ; and for germany , they say the swedes are like to strike in to her , to try whether they may have better fortune than the danes . my lady scroope ( my lords mother ) hath layn sick a good while , and is very weak . so i rest westminst . aug. . madame , your humble and dutifull servitor , j. h. xxi . to dr. h. w. sir , it is a rule in friendship , when distrust enters in at the foregate , love goes out at the postern ; it is as true a rule , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , dubitation is the beginning of all knowledge ; i confess this is true in the first election and co-optation of a friend , to com to the knowlege of him by quaeres and doubts ; but when ther is a perfect contract made , confirm'd by experience , and a long tract of time , distrust then is meer poison to friendship ; therfore if it be as i am told , i am unfit to be your friend , but westmin . oct. . your servant , j. h. xxii . to dr. h. w. sir , they say in italy , that deeds are men , and words are but women ; i have had your word often to give me a visit ; i pray turn your semal promises , to masculin performances , els i shall think you have lost your being , for you know 't is a rule in law , id●…m ●…st non esse , & non apparere . westmin . sept. . your faithfull servitor , j. h. to mr. b. chaworth : on my valentine mrs . francis metcalf ( now lady robinson ) at york . a sonnet . could i charm the queen of loves , to lend a quill of her white doves ; or one of cupids pointed wings dipt in the fair castalian springs , then would i write the all-divine perfections of my valentine . as 'mongst all flowrs the rose excells , as amber 'mongst the fragrantst smells , as 'mongst all mineralls the gold , as marble 'mongst the finest mold , as diamonds 'mongst jewells bright , as cynthia 'mongst the lesser lights ; so 'mongst the northern beauties shine , so far excells my valentine . in rome and naples i did view faces of celestiall hue , venetian dames i have seen many , ( i only saw them , touch'd not any ) of spanish beauties , dutch and french , i have beheld the quintessence , yet saw i none that could out-shine , or parallell my valentine . th' italians they are coy and quaint , but they grosly daube and paint , the spanish kind , and apt to please , but sav'ring of the same disease , of dutch and french som few are comly , the french are light , the dutch are homely . let tagus , po , the loire and rhine then vaile unto my valentine . heer may be seen pure white and red , not by feign'd art , but nature wed , no simpring smiles , no mimic face , affected gesture , or forc'd grace , a fair smooth front , free from least wrinkle , her eyes ( oy me ) like stars do twinkle ; thus all perfections do combine , to beautifie my valentine . xxiii . to mr. tho. m. noble tom , you desir'd me lately to compose som lines upon your mistresses black eyes , her becomming frowns , and upon her mask . though the least request of yours be a command unto mee , the execution of it a contentment , yet i was hardly drawn to such a task at this time , in regard that many businesses puzzle my pericranium . — aliena negotia centum per caput & circa saliunt latus . yet lest your clorinda might expect such a thing , and that you might incur the hazard of her smiles ( for you say her frowns are favors ) and that she may take off her mask unto you the next time you go to court her , i send you the inclosed verses sonet-wise , which happly may please her better , in regard i hear she hath som skill in music. vpon black eyes , and becomming frowns , a sonnet . black eyes , in your dark orbs dothly my ill , or happy destiny , if with cleer looks you me behold , you give me mines and mounts of gold ▪ if you dart forth disdainfull rayes , to your own dy you turn my dayes . black eyes , in your dark orbs by changes dwell , my bane or bliss , my paradise or hell. that lamp which all the stars doth blind , yeelds to your lustre in som kind , though you do wear to make you bright no other dress but that of night , he glitters only in the day , you in the dark your beams display . black eyes , in your two orbs by changes dwell , my bane or bliss , my paradise or hell. the cunning thief that lurks for prize , at som dark corner watching lies , so that heart-robbing god doth stand in your black lobbies , shaft in band , to rifle me of what i hold more precious far than indian gold. black eyes , in your dark orbs by changes dwell , my bane or bliss , my paradise or hell. o powerfull negromantic eies , who in your circles strictly pries , will find that cupid with his dart in you doth practise the black art , and by th' enchantment i 'me possest , tries his conclusions in by brest . black eyes , in your dark orbs by changes dwell , my bane or bliss , my paradise or hell. look on me , though in frowning wise , som kind of frowns becom black eies , as pointed diamonds being set , cast greater lustre out of iet , those peeces we esteem most rare , which in night shadows postur'd are : darknes in churches congregats the sight , devotion straies in glaring light ; black eyes , in your dark orbs by changes dweil , my bane or bliss , my paradise or hell. touching her mask , i will not be long about it . upon clorinda's mask . so have i seen the sun in his full pride orecast with sullen clouds , and lose his light , so have i seen the brightest stars denied to shew their lustre in som gloomy night , so angels pictures have i seen vaild ore , that more deuoutly men should them adore ; so with a mask saw i clorinda hide her face more bright than was the lemnian bride . whether i have hit upon your fancy , or fitted your mistresse i know no●… ▪ i pray let me hear what success they have ; so ▪ wishing you your hearts desire , and if you have her , a happy conferreation , i rest in verse and prose , westmin . . of mar. . yours , j. h. xxiv . to the right honble my la : scroop countess of sunderland at langar . madam , i am newly return'd from hunsdon , from giving the rites of buriall to my lords mother ; she made my lord sole executor of all . i have all her plate and houshold stuff in my custody , and unles i had gon as i did much had been embezeld . i have sent herewith the coppy of a letter the king writ to my lord upon the ●…esignation of his place , which is fitting to be preserv'd for posterity amongst the records of bolton castle . his majesty expresseth ●…herin that he was never better serv'd nor with more exactnes of fidelity and justice by any ▪ therfore he int●…nds to set a speciall mark of his 〈◊〉 upon him , ●…hen his health will ●…erve him to co●… to court , my lord carlet●…n deliver'd it me , and told me he never remembred that the king writ a more gracious letter . i have lately bought in fee farm wanless park of the kings commissioners for my lord , i got it for six hundred pound doubling the old rent , and the next day i was offer'd five hundred pound for the bargain , ther were divers that put in for'●… , and my lord of anglesey thought himself sure of it , but i found means to frustrat them all . i also compounded with her majesties commissioners for respit of homage for rabbi castle , ther was pound demanded , but i cam off for shillings . my lord wentworth is made lord deputy of ireland , and carries a mighty stroak at court , ther have been som clashings 'twixt him and my lord of pe●…brock lately with others at court , and divers in the north , and som as sir david fowler with others have been crush'd . he pleas'd to give me the disposing of the next attorneys place in york , and iohn lister being lately dead , i went to make use of the favor , and was offer'd three hundred pound for it , but som got 'twixt me and home , so that i was forc'd to go away contented with one hundred pecces mr. ratcliff deliver'd me in his chamber at grays inn , and so to part with the legall instrument i had , which i did , rather than contest . the dutchess your necce is well , i did what your la : commanded me at york house . so i rest westminster , this first of iuly , . madame , your lapps ready and faithfull servitor , j. h. xxv . to d. c. esqr. at his house in essex . my d. d. i thank you for your last society in london , but i am sorry to have found iack t. in that pickle , and that hee had so fa●… transgres●…'d the fannian law , which allows a chirping cup to satiat , not to sur●…t . , to ●…irth , not to madnes , and upon som extraordinary occasion of som rencounters , to give nature a 〈◊〉 but not a knock as iack did , i am afraid he hath taine such a habit of it , that nothing but death will mend him , and i find that he is posting thither apace by this cours . i have read of a king of navarr ( charles le mauvais ) who perishd in strong waters , and of a duke of clarence that was drownd in a but of malmesey , but iack t. i fear will die in a butt of ca●…ary . howsoever comend me unto him , and desire him to have a care of the main chance . so i rest york , iul. . yours , j. h. xxvi . to sir thomas lake knight . sir , i have shewd sir kenelme digby both our translations of martialls , vitam quae faci●…nt beatiorem , &c. and to tell you true he adjudg'd yours the better , so i shall pay the wager in the place appointed , and try whether i can recover my self at giocod ' amore , which the italian sayth is a play to cosen the devill : if your pulse beats accordingly i will wayt upon you on the river towards the evening , for a floundring fit to get som fish for our supper , so i rest iuly , . your true servitor , i. h. xvii . to mr. ben. johnson . father ben , you desir'd me lately to procure you dr. davies welsh grammer to add to those many you have , i have lighted upon one at last , and i am glad i have it in so seasonable a time that it may serve for a new-years gift , in which quality , i send it you ; and because 't was not you , but your muse that desir'd it of me , ●…or your letter runs on feet , i thought it a good correspondence with you to accompagne it with what follows . vpon dr. davies brittish grammer . t' was a tough task beleeve it , thus to frame a wild and wealthy language , and to frame grammatic toiles to curb her , so that shee now speaks by rules , and sings by prosodie ; such is the strength of art rough things to shape ' , and of rude comons rich inclosures make . doubtles much oil and labour went to couch into methodic rules the rugged dutch ; the rabbies pass my reach , but judg i can , somthing of clenard and quintilian ; and for those modern dames i find they three are only lopps cut from the latian tree , and easie t●…as to square them into parts , the tree it self so blossoming with arts. i have bin shewn for irish and bascuence imperfect rules couchd in an accidence : but i find none of these can take the start of davies , or that prove more men of art , wh●… in exacter method , and short way , the idioms of a language do display . this is the toung , the bards sung in of old , and druids their dark knowledg did unfold , merlin in this his prophesies did vent which through the world of fame bear such extent : this spoak that son of mars , that britain bold who first mongst christian worthies is inrolld : this brennus , who , to his desire and glut , the mistress of the world did prostitut . this arviragus , and brave catarac sole free , when all the world was ●…n romes rack , this lucius who on angells wings did so●…r to rome , and would wear diadem no more ; and thousand heroes more which should i tell this new-year scarce would serve me , so farewell ▪ cal. apr. . your son and servitor , j. h. xxviii . to the right honble the earl of bristol at sherburn castle . my lord , i attended my lord cottington before he went on his journey towards spain and put him in mind of the old busines against the vice-roy of sardinia , to see whether any good can be don , and to learn whether the conde or his son be solvent ; he is to land at 〈◊〉 , one of the kings ships attends him , and som merchant men take the advantage of this convoy . the news that keeps greatest noise now is , that the emperour hath made a favourable peace with the dane , for tilly had cross'd the elve , and entred deep into holstein land , and in all probability might have carried all before him , yet that king had honorable termes given him , and a peace is concluded ( though without the privity of england . ) but i beleeve the king of denmarc far'd the better , because he is granchild to charles the emperours sister . now it seems another spirit is like to fall upon the emperour , for they write that gustavus king of sw●…thland is struck into germany , and hath taken meclenburgh ; the ground of his quarrell as i hear is , that the emperour would not acknowledg , much less give audience to his ambassadors , he also gives out to com for the assistance of his allies , the dukes of pomerland and meclenburgh , nor do i hear that he speaks any thing yet of the pr. palsgraves business . don carlos coloma is expected here from flanders about the sam●… time , that my lord cottington shall be arriv'd at the court of spain , god send us an honourable peace , for as the spaniard saies , nun●…avi tan mala paz que no fuesse mejor , que la mejor guerra . london , may. ▪ your lordships most humble and ready servant , j. h. xxx . to my cosen i. p. at mr. conradus . cousin , a letter of yours was lately deliverd me , i made a shift to read the superscription , but within , i wonderd what language it might be , in which 't was written , at first i thought 't was hebrew , or som of her dialects , and so went from the liver to the heart , from the right hand to the left to read it , but could ma●…e nothing of it ; then i thought it might be the chineses language , and went to read the words perpendicular , and the lines were so crooked and distorted , that no coherence could be made ; greek●… ●… perceiv'd it was not , nor latin or english ; so i gave it for meere gibbrish , and your characters to be rather hieroglyphicks then letters . the best is , you keep your lines at a good distance , like those in chancery-bills , who as a clerk said , were made so wide of purpose , because the clients should have room enough to walk between them without justling one another ; yet this widenes had bin excusable if your lines had bin streight , but they were full of odd kind of undulations and windings ; if you can write no otherwise , one may read your thoughts as soon as your characters . it is som excuse for you , that you are but a young beginner , i pray let it appear in your next what a proficient you are , otherwise som blame may light on me that placed you there ; let me receive no more gibbrish or hieroglyphicks from you , but legible letters , that i may acquaint your friends accordingly of your good proceedings , so i rest westminst . sept. . your very loving cosen , j. h. xxxi . to the lo. viscount wentworth lo. president of york . my lord , my last was of the first current , since which i receiv'd one from your lordship , and your comands therin , which i shall ever entertain with a great deal of cheerfulnes . the greatest news from abroad is , that the french king with his cardinal are com again on this side the hills , having don his business in italy and savoy , and reserv'd still pignerol in his hands , which will serve him as a key to enter italy at pleasure ; upon the highest mountain 'mongst the alps he left this ostentous inscription upon a great marble piller ; a la memoire eternelle de lovis treiziesme , roy de france & de navarre , tres-auguste , tres-victorieux , tres-heureux , conquerant , tres-juste : lequel apres avoir vaincu toutes les nations de l'europe , il à encore triumphé les elements du ciel & de la terre , ayant passé deux fois ces-monts au mois de mars avec son armee victorieuse pour remmettre les princes d'italie en leurs estats , defendre & protegerses alliez . to the eternall memory of lewis the thirteenth king of france and navarr , most gracious , most victorious , most happy , most just , a conquerer ; who having orecom all nations of europ , he hath also triumph'd over the elements of heaven and earth , having twise pass'd ore these hills in the month of march with his victorious army , to restore the princes of italy to their estates , and to defend and protect his allies . so i take my leave for the present and rest , westmin . aug. . your lopp ▪ most humble and ready servitor , j. h. xxxii . to sir keneime digby knight . sir , give me leave to congratulat your happy return from the levant , and the great honour you have acquir'd by your gallant comportment in algier in reescating so many english slaves ; by bearing up so bravely against the venetian fleet in the bay of scanderoon , and making the pantaloni to know themselves and you better . i do not remember to have read or heard , that those huge galleasses of saint mark were beaten afore . i give you the joy also , that you have born up against the venetian ambassadour here , and vindicated your self of those foule scandalls he had cast upon you in your absence ; wheras you desire me to joyne with my lord cottington and others to make an affidavit touching bartholomew spinola , whither he be , vezino de madrid , viz. free denison of spaine , i am ready to serve you herein , or to do any other office that may right you , and tend to the making of your prize good . yet i am very sorry that our aleppo merchants suffer'd so much . i shall be shortly in london , and i will make the greater speed , because i may serve you . so i humbly kiss my noble ladies hand , and rest westmin , novemb. . your thrice-assured servitor , j. h. xxxiii . to the right honble sir peter wicths ambr. at constantple. sir , master simon digby delivered me one from your lordship of the first of iune ; and i was extremely glad to have it , for i had receav'd nothing from your lordship a twelvemonth before . mr. controuler sir tho. edmonds is lately return'd from france , having renew'd the peace which was made up to his hands before by the venetian ambassadors , who had much labour'd in it , and had concluded all things beyond the alps when the king of france was at susa to relieve casal . the monsieur that was to fetch him from saint denis to paris , put a kind of jeering complement upon him , viz. that his excellency should not think it strange , that he had so few french gentlemen to attend in this service to accompany him to the court , in regard ther were so many killd at the isle of ●…hee . the marquis of chasteau neuf is here from france , and it was an odd speech also from him reflecting upon mr. controuler , that the king of great britain us'd to send for his ambassadors from abroad to pluck capons at home . mr. bu●…lemach is to go shortly to paris to recover the other moity of her majesties portion ; wherof they say my lord of holland is to have a good share ; the lord treasurer weston is he who hath the greatest vogue now at court , but many great ones have clash'd with him : he is so potent , that i hear his eldest son is to marry one of the bloud royall of scotland , the duke of lenox sister , and that with his majesties consent . bishop la●…d of london is also powerfull in his way , for hee sits at the helm of the church , and doth more than any of the two arch bishops , or all the rest of his two and twenty brethren besides . in your next i should be glad your lordship would do me the favor , as to write how the grand signor is like to speed before bagda●… , in this his persian expedition . no more now but that , i always rest westmin . ian. . your lordships ready and most faithfull servitor , j. h. xxxiv . to my father . sir , sir tho. wentworth hath been a good while lord president of york , and since is sworn privy counsellor , and made baron and vicount , the duke of buckingham himself flew not so high in so short a revolution of time ; hee was made vicount with a great deale of high ceremony upon a sunday in the afternoon at vvhite-hall ; my lord powis ( who affects him not much ) being told that the heralds had fetch'd his pedigree from the bloud royall , viz. from iohn of gaunt , said , dammy if ever he com to be king of england i will turn rebell . when i went first to give him joy , he pleas'd to give me the disposing of the next attorney's place that falls void in york , which is valued at three hundred pounds . i have no reason to leave my lord of sunderland , for i hope hee will bee noble unto me ; the perquisits of my place , taking the kings see away , ca●… far short of what he promis'd me at my first comming to him , in regard of his non-residence at york , therfore i hope he will consider it som other way . this languishing sicknes still hangs on him , and i fear will make an end of him ; ther 's none can tell what to make of it , but he voided lately a strange worm at vvickham ; but i fear ther 's an impostume growing in him , for he told me a passage , how many years ago my lord vvilloughby , and he , with so many of their servants ( de gayete de c●…ur ) played a match at foot-ball against such a number of countrey men , where my lord of sunderland being busie about the ball , got a bruise in the brest , which put him in a swond for the present , but did not trouble him till three months after , when being at bever castle ( his brother-in-laws house ) a quaume took him on a sudden , which made him retire to his bed-chamber , my lord of rutland following him , put a pipe full of tobacco in his mouth , and he being not accustomed to tobacco , taking the smoak downwards , fell a casting and vomiting up divers little impostumated bladders of congeal'd bloud , which sav'd his life then , and brought him to have a better conceit of tobacco ever after ; and i fear ther is som of that clodded bloud still in his body . because mr. hawes of che●…p-side is lately dead , i have remov'd my brother griffith to the hen and chickens in pater noster row , ●…o mr. taylors , as gentile a shop as any in the city , but i gave a peece of plate of twenty nobles price to his wife . i wish the yorkshire horse may be fit for your turn , he was accounted the best saddle gelding about york , when i bought him of captain phillips the mustar-master ; and when he carried me first to london , there was twenty pounds offered for him by my lady carlile . no more now but desiring a continuance of your blessing and prayers , i rest lond. decem. . your dutifull son , j. h. xxxv . to the lord cottington , ambassador extraordinary for his majesty of great britain in the court of spaine . my lord , i receiv'd your lordships lately by harry davies the correo santo , and i return my humble thanks , that you were pleas'd to be mindfull ( amongst so many high negotiations ) of the old busines touching the viceroy of sardinia , i have acquainted my lord of bristoll accordingly . our eyes here look very greedily after your lordship , and the success of your embassie , and we are glad to hear the busines is brought to so good a pass , and that the capitulations are so honorable ( the high effects of your wisdom . ) for news : the sweds do notable feat●… germany , and we hope they cutting the emperour and bavarian so much work to do , and the good offices we are to expect from spain upon this redintegration of peace , will be an advantage to the prince palatin , and facilitat matters for restoring him to his country . ther is little news at our court , but that ther fell an ill-favoured quarrell 'twixt sir kenelm digby , and mr. goring , mr. iermin , and others at st. iames lately about mrs baker the maid of honor , and duells were like to grow of it , but that the busines was taken up by the lord treasurer , my lord of dorset , and others appointed by the king. my lord of sunderland is still ill dispos'd ; he will'd me to remember his hearty service to your lordship , and so did sir arthur ingram , and my lady , they all wish you a happy and honorable return , as doth lond. march , . your lopps most humble and ready servitor , j. h. xxxvi . to my lo : vicount rocksavage . my lord , som say , the italian loves no favor , but what 's future ; though i have convers'd much with that nation , yet i am nothing infected with their humor in this point : for i love favors pass'd as well , the remembrance of them joyes my very heart , and makes it melt within me ; when my thoughts reflect upon your lordship . i have many of these fits of joy within me , by the pleasing speculation of so many most noble favors , and respects ; which i shall daily study to improve and merit . my lord , your lopps most humble and ready servitor , j. h. westmin . mar. . xxxvii . to the earl of bristol . my lord , i doubt not but your ●…ordship hath had intelligence from time time what firm invasions the king of sweds hath made into germany , and by what degrees he hath mounted to this height , having but six thousand foot and five hundred horse , when he entred first to meclenburg , and taken that town while commissioners stood treating on both sides in his tent ; how therby his army much encreas'd , and so rush'd further into the heart of the countrey , but passing neer magdenburg , being diffident of his own strength he suffer'd tilly to take that great town with so much effusion of bloud , because they would receive no quarter ; your lordship hath also heard of the battell of leipsick , where tilly notwithstanding the victory he had got ore the duke of saxony a few daies before , receav'd an vtter discomfiture , upon which victory the king sent sir thomas roe a present of two thousand pounds and in his letter calls him his strenuum consultorem , he being one of the first who had advis'd him to this german war after he had made peace 'twixt him and the polander . i presume also your lordship heard how he met tilly again neer auspurg , and made him go upon a woodden leg wher of he died , and after soundly plunder'd the bavarian , and made him flee from his own house at munchen , and rifled his very closets . now your lordship shall understand , that the said king is at mentz , & keeps a court there like an emperour , there being above twelve ambassadors with him . the king of france sent a great marquis for his ambassador to put him in mind of his articles , and to tell him that his christian majesty wondred he would cross the rhine without his privity , and wondred more that he would invade the church-lands , meaning the archbishop of mentz , who had put himself under the protection of france ; the swed answer'd , that he had not broke the least title of the articles agreed on , and touching the said archbishop , he had not stood neutrall as was promised , therfore he had justly set on his skirts . the ambassador replied , in case of breach of articles , his master had eighty thousand men to pierce germany when he pleas'd ; the king answer'd that he had but twenty thousand , and those should be sooner at the walls of paris , then his fourscore thousand should be on the frontiers of germany . if this new conquerer goes on with this violence , i beleeve it will cast the pollicy of all christendom into another mould , and be get new maximes of state , for none can foretell wher his monstrous progress will terminat ; sir henry vane is still in germany , observing his motions , and they write that they do not agree well ; as i heard the king should tell him that he spoke nothing but spanish to him : sir robert anstruther is also at vienna , being gon thither from the diet at ratisbon . i hear the infante cardinal is design'd to com governor of the netherlands , and passeth by way of italy , and so through germany : his brother don carlos is lately dead . so i humbly take my leave , and rest my lord , your lopps most humble and ready servitor , j. h. westmin . apr. . xxxviii . to my noble lady , the lady cor. madam , you spoke to me for a cook , who had seen the world abroad , and i think the bearer hereof will fit your ladiships ●…urn . he can marinat fish , make gellies , he is excellent for a pickant sawce , and the haugou ; besides madame , he is passing good for an ollia ; he will tell your ladiship that the reverend matron the olla podrida hath intellectualls and senses ; mutton , beef , and bacon , are to her , as the will , understanding , and memory , are to the soule ; cabbage , turnips , artichocks , potatoes and dates , are her five senses , and pepper the common sense ; she must have marrow to keep life in her , and som birds to make her light , by all meanes she must go adorn'd with chaines of sausages ; he is also good at larding of meat after the mode of france . madame , you may make proof of him , and if your ladyship find him too sawey , or wastfuli , you may return him whence you had him , so i rest westmin . iun. . madame , your lapps most humble servitor , j. h , xxxix . to mr. e. d. sir , you write to me that t. b. intends to give money for such a place , if he doth , i feare it will be verified in him that a fool and his money is soon parted , for i know he wil be never able to execut it , i heard of a la●…e secretary of state that could not read the next morning his own hand writing , and i have read of caligulas horse that was made consull , therfore i pray tell him from me , ( for i wish him well ) that if he thinks he is fit for that office , he looks upon himself through a fals glass , a trotting hors is fit for a coach , but not for a ladies saddle , and an ambler is proper for a ladies saddle , but not for a coach . if tom undertakes this place , he wil be as an ambler in a coach , or a trotter under a ladies saddle , when i com to town , i will put him upon a far fitter and more feasable busines for him , and so comend me to him , for i am his and westmin . iune , . your true friend , j. h. xl. to my father . sir , ther are two ambassadors extraordinary to go abroad shortly , the earl of leycester , and the lord m'eston , this latter goes to france , savoy , venice , and so returns by florence a pleasant journey , for he carrieth presents with him from king and queen : the earl of leycester is to go to the king of denmark , and other princes of germany . the maine of the embassy is to condole the late death of the lady sophia queen dowager of denmark our kings grandmother : she was the duke of meclenburgs daughter , and her husband christian the third dying young , her portion which was forty thousand pound was restor'd fier , and living a widdow forty four years after , she grew to be so great a huswife setting three or four hundred people at worke , that she died worth neer two millions of dollars , so that she was reputed the richest queen of christendom : by the constitutions of denmark this estate is divisible amongst her children wherof she had five , the king of denmark , the dutchess of saxony , the dutchess of brimswick , queen ann , and the dutchess of holftein , the king being male is to have two shares , our king and the lady elizabeth is to have that which should have belong'd to queene anne , so he is to returne by the hague : it pleas'd my lord of leycester to send for me to baynards castle , and proffer me to go secretary in this ambassage , assuring me that the journey shall tend to my profit and credit ; so i have accepted of it , for i hea●… very nobly of my lord , so that i hope to make a boon voyage of it . i desire as hitherto your prayers and blessing may accompany me , so with my love to my brothers , and sisters , i rest , london , may , . your dutifull son , i. h. xli . to mr. alderman moulson governor of the merchant adventurers . sir , the earl of leicester , is to go shortly ambassador extraordinary to the king of denmark and he is to pass by hamburgh ; i understand by mr. skinner that the staple hath som grievances to be redress'd . if this ambassage may be an advantage to the company i will solicit my lord that he may do you all the favor that may stand with his honor , so i shall expect your instructions accordingly , and rest , westmin . iune , . yours ready to serve you j. h. xlii . to mr. alderman clethero , governor of the eastland company . sir , i am inform'd of som complaints that your company hath against the king of denmarks officers in the sound . the earl of leicester is nominated by his majesty to go ambassador extraordinary to that king and other princes of germany ; if this embassy may be advantagious unto you , you may send me your directions , and i will attend my lord accordingly , to do you any favor , that may stand with his honor , and conduce to your benefit , and redress of grievances , so i take my leave and rest , westmin . of iune , . yours ready to do you service , j. h. xliii . to the right honble the earl of leicester at pettworth . mr lord , sir iohn pennington is appointed to carry your lordship and your company to germany , and he intends to take you up at margets . i have bin with mr bourlamach , and receiv'd a bill of exchange from him for ten thousand dollars payable in hamburgh . i have also receiv'd two thousand pounds of sir paul pinder for your lordships use , and he did me the favor to pay it me all in old gold , your allowance hath begun since the twenty five of iuly last at eight pound per diem , and is to continue so till your lordship return to his majesty . i understand by som merchants to day upon the exchange that the king of denmark is at luckstadt , and staies there all this somer , if it be so , 't will save half the voyage of going to copenhagen , for in lieu of the sound we need go no further then the river of elve , so i rest , westmin . aug. . your lopp s most humble and faithfull servitor , j. h. xliiii . to the right honble the lord mohun . my lord , though any comand from your lordship be welcom to me at all times , yet that , which you lately injoynd me in yours of the twelfth of august , that i should inform your lordship of what i know touching the inquisition , is now a little unseasonable , because i have much to do to prepare my selfe for this employment to germany , therfore i cannot satisfie you in that fulnes as i could do otherwise . the very name of the inquisition is terrible all christendom over , and the king of spaint himself , with the chiefest of his grandes tremble at it . it was sounded first by the catholic king ferdinand ( our henry the eighths father-in-law ) for he having got granada , and subdued all the moors , who had had firm sooting in that kingdom about . years , yet he suffer'd them to live peaceably a while in point of conscience ; but afterwards he sent a solemn mandamus to the jacobin fryars to endeavour the conversion of them by preaching , and all other meanes ; they finding that their paines did little good , ( and that those whom they had converted turn'd apostats ) obtain'd power to make a research , which afterwards was call'd inquisition , and it was ratified by pope s●…xtus , that if they would not conform themselves by fai●…e m●…anes , they should be forc'd to it . the jacobins being sound too severe herein , and for other abuses besides , this inquisition was taken from them , and put into the hands of the most sufficient ecclesiasticks . so a counsell was established , and officers appointed accordingly : whosoever was found pendulous and branling in his religion was brought by a serjeant call'd familiar , before the said counsell of inquisition , his accuser or delator stands behind a peece of tapistry , to see whether he be the party , and if he be , then they put divers subtill and entrapping interrogatories unto him , and whether he confess any thing or no , he is sent to prison . when the said familiar goes to any house , though it be in the dead of night ( and that 's the time commonly they use to com , or in the dawn of the day ) all doors and trunks and chests fly open to him , and the first thing he doth he seizeth the parties breeches , searcheth his pockets , and take his keyes , and so rummageth all his closets and trunks : and a public notary whom he carrieth with him , takes an inventory of every thing , which is sequestred and despositated in the hands of som of his next neighbours ; the party being hurried away in a close coach , and clap●… in prison , he is there eight daies before he makes his appearance , and then they present unto him the cross , and the missall book to swear upon ; if he refuseth to swear , he convinceth himself , and though he sweare , yet he is remanded to prison : this oath commonly is presented before any accusation be produc'd ; his goaler is strictly comanded to pry into his actions , his deportment , words , and countenance , and to ser spies upon him , and whosoever of his fellow prisoners , or others can produce any thing against him , he hath a reward for it : at last after divers apparances , examinations , and scrutinies , the information against him is read , but the witnesses names are conceal'd , then is he appointed a proctor and an advocat , but he must not confer or advise with them privatly , but in the face of the court ; the kings attorney is a party in 't , and the accusers commonly the solé witnesses . being to name his own lawyers oftentimes others are discovered and fall into trouble : while he is thus in prison , he is so abhor'd , and abandoned of all the world , that none will , atleast none dare visit him . though one cleer himself , yet he cannot be freed , till an act of ●…aith pass ; which is don seldom , but very solemnly ; ther are few who having fallen into the gripes of the inquisition do scape the rack ; or the sambenito which is a streight yellow coat without sleeves , having the pourtrait of the devill painted up and down in black , and upon their heads they carry a mi●…er of paper , with a man frying in the flames of hell upon 't , they gag their mouths , and tie a great cord about their necks : the iudges meet in som uncouth dark dungeon , and the executioner stands by , clad in a close dark garment , his head and face cover'd with a chaperon , out of which ther are but two holes to look through , and a huge link burning in his hand : when the ecclesiastic inquisitors have pronounced the anathema against him , they transmit him to the secular iudges to receave the sentence of death , for church-men must not have their hands imbru'd in bloud , the king can mitigat any punishment under death , nor i●… a noble-man subject to the rack . i pray be pleas'd to pardon this rambling imperfect relation , and take in good part my conformity to your commands , for i am westmin . aug. . your lopps most ready and faithfull servitor , j. h. familiar letters . section vi. i. to p. w. esq at the signet office , from the english house in hamburgh . we are safely com to germany , sir iohn penington took us aboard in one of his majesties ships at margets ; and the wind stood so fair , that wee were at the mouth of the elve upon munday following . it pleas'd my lord i should land first with two footmen , to make haste to glukstad , to learn wher the king of denmark was , and he was at rensburgh , som two daies journey off , at a richsdagh an assembly that corresponds our parliament : my lord the next day landed at glukstad , wher i had provided an accommodation for him , though he intended to have gon for hamburgh , but i was bold to tell him , that in regard ther were som ombrages , and not only so , but open and actuall differences 'twixt the king and that town , it might be ill taken , if he went thither first , before he had attended the king. so i left my lord at glukstad , and being com hither to take up rich dollars upon mr. burlamac●… bils , and fercht mr. avery our agent here ; i return to morrow to attend 〈◊〉 lord again . i find that matters are much off the hinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 king of denmark , and this town . the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweden is advancing apace to find out wallestein , and wallestein 〈◊〉 and in all apparance they will be shortly engag'd . no more now , for i am interpell'd by many businesses ; when you write , deliver your letters to mr. railton , who will see them safely convey'd , for a little before my departure , i brought him acquainted with my lord ▪ that he might negotiat som things at court. so with my service and love to all at westminster , i rest hamburgh , octo. . . your faithfull servitor , j. h. ii. to my lord viscount s. from hamburgh . my lord , since i was last in town , my lord of leicester hath attended the king of denmarke at rensburg in holsteinland ; he was brought thither from glukstad in indifferent good equipage , both for coaches and waggons ; but he stayed som dayes at rensburg for audience ; we made a comly , gallant shew in that kind , when we went to court , for wee were neer upon a hundred all of one peece in mourning : it pleas'd my lord , to make me the orator , and so i made a long latin speech , alta voce , to the king in latin , of the occasion of this ambassie , and tending to the praise of the deceased queen ; and i had better luck then secretary nanton had , som thirty yeers since , with roger earl of rutland ; for at the beginning of his speech , when he had pronounc'd serenissime rex , he was dash'd out of countenance , and so gravell'd , that he could go no further : i made another to christian the fifth , his eldest son , king elect of denmark ; for though that crown be purely electif , yet for these three last kings , they wrought so with the people , that they got their eldest sons chosen , and declar'd before their death , and to assume the title of kings elect ▪ at the same audience , i made another speech to prince frederic , archbishop of b●…eme , the kings third son , and he hath but one more ( besides his naturall issue ) which is prince ulri●… , now in the warrs with the duke of sax ; and they say ther is an alliance contracted already , 'twixt christian the fifth , and the duke of sax his daughter . this ceremony being perform'd , my lord desir'd ●…o find his own diet , and then he fell to divers businesses , which is ●…ot fitting for me to forestall , or impart unto your lordship now ; 〈◊〉 wee staied there neer upon a moneth : the king feasted my lord once , and it lasted from eleven of the clock , till towards the evening , during which time , the king began thirty five healths ; the first to the emperour , the second to his nephew of england , and so went over all the kings and queens of christendom , but he never remembred the prince palsgraves health , or his neece's all the while : the king was taken away at last in his chair , but my lord of leicester bore up stoutly all the while , so that when ther came two of the kings guard to take him by the arms , as he was going down the stairs , my lord shook them off and went alone . the next morning i went to court for som dispatches , but the king was gon a hunting at break of day ; but going to som other of his officers , their servants told me , without any apparance of shame , that their masters were drunk over night , and so it would be late before they would rise . a few daies after we went to gothorp castle in s●…eswickland , to the duke of holsteins court , where at my lords first audience , i made another latin speech to the duke , touching his gran-mothers death ; our entertainment there was brave ( though a little fulsom ) my lord was log'd in the dukes castle , and parted with presents , which is more then the king of denmark did ; thence we went to husem in ditzmarsh , to the dutchess of holsteins court ( our queen anns youngest sister ) wher we had also very ful entertainment , i made a speech to her also , about her mothers death , and when i nam'd the lady sophia ▪ the tears came down her cheeks . thence we came back to rhensburg , and so to this town of hamburgh , where my lord intends to repose som daies after an abrupt , odd journey wee had through holsteinland , but i beleeve it will not be long , in regard sir iohn pennington stayes for him upon the river . we expect sir robert anstruther to com from vi●… hither , to take the advantage of the kings ship. we understand that the imperiall and swedish army have made neer approaches one to the other , and that som skirmishes and blows have bin already twixt them ; which are the forerunners of a battle . so my good lord i rest hamburgh , octo. . your most humble and faithfull s●…vitor , j. h. iii. to the right honble the earl r. from hamburgh . my lord , though your lordship must needs think , that in the imployment i am in ( which requires a whole man ) my spirits must be distracted by multiplicity of businesses ; yet because i would not recede from my old method , and first principles of travell , when i came to any great city , to couch in writing what 's most observable , i sequestred my self from other affairs , to send your lordship what followeth touching this great hans-town . the hans or hansiatic l●…gue is very ancient , som would derive the word from hand , because they of the society plight their faith by that action : others derive it from hansa , which in the gothic toung is counsell : others would have it com from han der see , which signifies neer or upon the sea , and this passeth for the best etymology , because their towns are all seated so , or upon som navigable river neer the sea . the extent of the old hans was from the nerve in livonia to the rhin , and contain'd great mercantil towns , which were divided to four precincts : the chiefest of the first pr●…cinct was lub●…ck , wher the archiss of their ancient records , and their prime chancery is still , and this town is within that verge : cullen is chief of the second precinct : erurswic of the third : and danzic of the fourth . the kings of peland and sweden have sued to be their protector , but they refus'd them , because they were not princes of the empire ; they put off also the king of denmark with a complement , nor would they admit the king of spain when he was most potent in the netherlands , though afterwards when 't was too late , they desir'd the help of the ragged staff ; nor of the duke of anjou , notwithstanding that , the world thought he should have married our queen , who interceded for him , and so 't was probable , that therby they might recover their privileges in england ; so that i do not find they ever had any protector , but the great master of prussia ; and their want of a protector did do them som prejudice in that famous difference they had with our queen . the old hans had extraordinary immunities given them by our henry the third , because they assisted him in his wars with so many ships , and as they pretend , the king was not only to pay them for the service of the said ships , but for the vessells themselves if they miscarried : now it happen'd , that at their return to germany , from serving henry the third , ther was a great fleet of them cast away ; for which , according to covenant , they demanded reparation ; our king in lieu of money , amongst other acts of grace , gave them a privilege to pay but one per cent , which continued untill queen mories reign ; and she by advice of king philip her husband , as 't was conceiv'd , enhanc'd the one to twenty per cent . the hans not onely complain'd , but clamor'd loudly for breach of their ancient privileges confirm'd unto them , time out of mind , by thirteen successive kings of england , which they pretended to have purchased with their money . king philip undertook to accommode the busines , but queen mary dying a little after , and he retiring , ther could be nothing don ▪ complaint being made to queen elizabeth , she answerd , that as shee would not innovat any thing , so she would maintain them still in the same condition she found them : hereupon their navigation and trafic ceas'd a while : wherfore the english tryed what they could do themselves , and they thrive so well , that they took the whole trade into their own hands , and so divided themselves ( though they bee now but one ) to staplers , and merchant adventurers , the one residing constant in one place , wher they kept their magazin of wool , the other stirring and adventuring to divers places abroad with cloth , and other manufactures ; which made the hans endevor to draw upon them all the malignancy they could from all nations : moreover the hans towns being a body politic incorporated in the empire , complain'd hereof to the emperor , who sent over persons of great quality to mediat an accommodation , but they could effect nothing . then the queen caus'd a proclamation to be punish'd , that the easterlings or merchants of the hans , should be intreated and us'd as all other strangers were within her dominions , without any mark of difference , in point of commerce . this netled them more , therupon they bent their forces more eagerly , and in a diet at ratisbon , they procurd , that the english merchants who had associated themselves into fraternities in embd●…n , and other places , should bee declar'd monopolists ; and so ther was a comitiall edict publishd against them , that they should be exterminated , and banisht out of all parts of the empire , and this was don by the activity of one suderman a great civilian ; ther was there for the queen gilpin , as nimble a man as suderman , and he had the chancelor of embden to second and countenance him , but they could not stop the said edict wherin the society of english merchants adventurers was pronounc'd to bee a monopoly ; yet gilpin plaid his game so well , that he wrought under hand , that the said imperiall ban should not be publish'd till after the dissolution of the diet , and that in the interim , the emperor should send ambassadors to england , to advertise the queen of such a ban against her merchants : but this wrought so little impression upon the queen , that the said ban grew rather ridiculous than formidable , for the town of embden harbour'd our merchants notwithstanding , and afterwards stode , but they not being able to protect them so well from the imperiall ban , they setled in this town of hamburgh : after this , the queen commanded another proclamation to be divulg'd , that the easterlings or hansiatic merchants should bee allowed to trade in england upon the same conditions , and payment of duties , as her own subjects ; provided , tha●… the english merchants might have interchangeable privilege , to reside and trade peaceably in stode or hamburgh , or any wher els , within the precincts of the hans : this incens'd them more , therupon they resolv'd to cut off stode and hamburgh from being members of the hans , or of the empire ; but they suspended this dessein , till they saw what success the great spanish fleet should have , which was then preparing in the yeer eighty eight , for they had not long before had recours to the king of spain ▪ and made him their own , and he had don them som materiall good offices ; wherfore to this day the spanish counsell is tax'd of improvidence , and imprudence , that ther was no use made of the hans towns in that expedition . the queen finding that they of the hans would not be contented with that equality she had offer'd 'twixt them and her own subjects , put out a proclamation , that they should carry neither corn , victualls , arms , timber , masts , cables , mineralls , nor any other materialls or men to spain or portugall . and after the queen growing more redoubtable and famous , by the overthrow of the fleet of eighty eight , the osterlings fell to despair of doing any good : add hereunto another disaster that befell them , the taking of sixty sailes of their ships about the mouth of tagus in portugall , by the queens ships that were laden with ropas de contrabando , viz. goods prohibited by her former proclamation into the dominions of spain : and as these ships were upon point of being discharg'd , she had intelligence of a great assembly at lub●…ck , which had met of purpose to consule of means to be reveng'd of her ; therupon she staid and seiz'd upon the said sixty ships , only two were freed to bring news what became of the rest . hereupon the pole sent an ambassador to her , who spake in a high tone , but he was answer'd in a higher . ever since our merchants have beaten a peacefull and free uninterrupted trade into this town , and elswhere within and without the sound , with their manufactures of wool , and found the way also to the white-sea to archangel and mosco : insomuch , that the premisses being well considered , it was a happy thing for england , that that clashing fell out 'twixt her and the hans , for it may be said to have been the chief ground of that shipping and merchandising , which she is now com to , and wherwith she hath flourish'd ever since : but one thing is observable , that as that imperiall or comitial bat , pronounc'd in the diet at ratisbon against our merchants and manufactures of wooll , incited them more to industry : so our proclamation upon alderman cockeins project of transporting no white cloths but died , and in their full manufacture , did cause both dutch and german to turn necessity to a vertue , and made them far more ingenious to find ways , not only to die , but to make cloth , which hath much impair'd our markers ever since ; for ther hath not been the third part of our cloth sold since , either here or in holland . my lord , i pray be pleas'd to dispense with the prolixity of this discours , for i could not wind it up closer , nor on a lesser bottom ; i shall be carefull to bring with me those furrs i had instructions for : so i rest hamburgh , octob. . your lordships most humble servitor , j. h. iv. to cap. j. smith at the hague . captain , having so wishfull an opportunity as this noble gentleman , mr. iames crofts who coms with a packet for the lady elizabeth from my lord of leicester , i could not but send you this frendly salute . we are like to make a speedier return than we expected from this ambassie ; for we found the king of denmark in he●…stein , which shortned our voyage from going to the sound : the king was in an advantagious posture to give audience , for ther was a parlement then at rhensburg , wher all the younkers met . amongst other things , i put myself to mark the carriage of the holstein gentlemen , as they were going in and out at the parlement house ; and observing well their physiognomies , their complexions , and gate , i thought verily i was in england , for they resemble the english more , than either welsh or scot , ( though cohabiting upon the same island ) or any other peeple , that ever i saw yet ; which makes me verily believe , that the english nation came first from this lower circuit of saxony ; and ther is one thing that strengthneth me in this belief , that ther is an ancient town hard by , call'd lunden , and an island call'd angles ; whence it may well be that our country came from britannia to be anglia . this town of hamburgh from a society of brewers , is com to be a huge wealthy place , and her new town is almost as big as the old ; ther is a shrewd jar 'twixt her and her protector , the king of denmark . my lord of leicester hath don som good offices to accommode matters : she chomps extremely , that ther should be such a bit put lately in her mouth , as the fort at luckstadit , which commands her river of elve , and makes her pay what toll he please . the king begins to fill his chests apace , which were so emptied in his late marches to germany : he hath set a new toll upon all ships that pass to this town ; and in the sound also ther be som extraordinary duties impos'd , wherat all nations begin to murmure , specially the hollanders , who say , that the old primitive toll of the sound was but a rose-noble for evry ship , but by a new sophistry , it is now interpreted for evry sail that should pass thorow , insomuch , that the hollander though he be a low-countrey man , begins to speak high-dutch in this point , a rough language you know ; which made the italian tell a german gentleman once , that when god almighty thrust adam out of paradise , he spake dutch ; but the german retorted wittily , then sir , if god spake dutch when adam was ejected , eve spake italian when adam was seduced . i could be larger , but for a sudden auvocation to busines ; so i most affectionatly send my kind respects unto you , desiring , when i am rendred to london , i may hear from you : so i am hamburg octob. . your faithfull frend to serve you , j. h. v. to the right honble the earl of br. my lord , i am newly return'd from germany , whence ther came lately two ambassadors extraordinary in one of the ships royall , the earl of leicester , and sir robert anstruther ; the latter came from vienna , and i know little of his negotiations ; but for my lord of leicester , i beleeve ther was never so much busines dispatch'd in so short a compas of time , by any ambassador , as your lordship , who is best able to judg , will find by this short relation : when my lord was com to the king of denmarks court , which was then at rhensberg , a good way within holstein : the first thing he did , was to condole the late queen dowagers death ( our kings gran-mother ) which was don in such an equipage , that the danes confess'd , ther was never queen of denmark so mourn'd for : this ceremony being pass'd , my lord fell to busines ; and the first thing which he propounded , was , that for preventing of further effusion of christian blood in germany , and for the facilitating a way to restore peace to all christendom , his majesty of denmark would joyn with his nephew of great britain , to send a solemn ambassie to the emperour , and the king of sweden , ( the ends of whose proceedings were doubtfull ) to mediat an accommodation , and to appear for him , who will be found most conformable to reason . to this , that king answer'd in writing ( for that was the way of proceeding ) that the emperour and the swede were com to that height , and heat of war , and to such a violence , that it is no time yet to speak to them of peace ; but when the fury is a little pass'd , and the times more proper , he would take it for an honour to joyn with his nephew , and contribut the best means he could to bring about so good a work. then ther was computation made , what was due to the king of great britain , and the lady elizabeth , out of their gran-mothers estate , : which was valued at neer upon two millions of dollars , and your lordship must think it was a hard task to liquidat such an account : this being don , my lord desird that part which was due to his majesty ( our king ) and the lady his sister , which appear'd to amount unto eightscore thousand pounds sterling : that king answer'd , that he confess'd ther was so much money due , but his mothers estate was yet in the hands of commissioners ; and neither he , nor any of his sisters , had receiv'd their portions yet , and that his nephew of england , and his neere of holland , should receive theirs with the first ; but he did intimat besides , that ther were som considerable accounts 'twixt him and the crown of england , for ready moneys he had lent his brother king iames , and for the thirty thousand pounds a moneth , that was by covenant promis'd him for the support of his late army in germany . then my lord propounded , that his majesty of great britains subjects were not well us'd by his officers in the sound : for though that was but a transitory passage into the baltic sea , and that they neither bought nor sould any thing upon the place , yet they were forc'd to stay there many daies to take up money at high interest , to pay divers tolls for their merchandize , before they had expos'd them to vent : therfore it was desired , that for the future , what english merchant soever should pass through the sound , it should be sufficient for him to register an invoice of his cargazon in the custom-house book , and give his bond to pay all duties at his return , when he had made his market . to this my lord had a fair answer , and so procur'd a public instrument under that kings hand and seale , and sign'd by his counsellors , which he had brought over , wherin the proposition was granted ; which no ambassador could obtaine before . then 't was alledg'd , that the english merchant adventurers who trade into hamburgh ▪ have a new toll lately impos'd upon them at luckstad , which was desir'd to be taken of●… . to this also , ther was the like instrument given , that the said toll should be levied no more , lastly , my lord ( in regard he was to pa's by the hague ) desir'd that hereditary part which belong'd to the lady elizabeth out of her gran-mothers estate , because his majesty knew well what crosses and afflictions she had pass'd , and what a numerous issue she had to maintain ; and my lord of leicester would ingage his honour , and all the estate he hath in the world , that this should no way prejudice the accounts he is to make with his majesty of great britain . the king of denmark highly extoll'd the noblenes of this motion ; but he protested , that he had bin so drain'd in the late wars , that his chests are yet very empty . hereupon my lord was feasted , and so departed . he went then to the duke of holstein to sleswick , wher he found him at his castle of gothorp , and truly i did not think to have found such a magnificent building in these bleak parts ; th●…e also my lord did condole the death of the late queen that dukes gran-mother , and he receiv'd very princely entertainment . then he went to husem , where the like ceremony of condolement was perform'd at the dutchess of holsteins court , his majesties ( our kings ) ant. then he came back to hamburgh , wher that instrument which my lord had procur'd , for remitting of the new toll at gluckslad , was deliver'd the company of our merchant adventurers ; and som other good offices don for that town , as matters stood twixt them and the king of denmark . then we came to stode , wher lesly was governour , who carried his foot in a scarfe for a wound he had received at bucks●…obo , and he kept that place for the king of sweden : and som busines of consequence was don there also . so we came to broomsbottle , wher we staid for a wind som daies ; and in the midway of our voyage , wee met with a holland ship , who told us , the king of sweden was slain ; and so we return'd to london in less then three moneths : and if this was not busines enough for such a compass of time , i leave your lordship to judg . so craving your lordships pardon for this lame account , i rest , lond. octo. . your lordships most humble and ready servitor , j. h. vi. to my brother dr. howell , at his house in horsley . my good brother , i am safely return'd from germany , thanks be to god , and the news which we heard at sea by a dutch skipper , about the midst of our voyage from hamburgh , it seems proves too true , which was of the fall of the king of sweden . one ierbire , who saies that he was in the very action , brought the first news to this town , and every corner rings of it ; yet such is the extravagancy of som , that they will lay wagers he is not yet dead , and the exchange is full of such peeple . he was slain at lutzen field battle , having made the imperiall army give ground the day before ; and being in pursuance of it , the next morning in a sudden fog that fell , the cavelry on both sides being engag'd , he was kill'd in the midst of the troops , and none knows who kill'd him , whether one of his own men or the enemy ; but finding himself mortally hurt , he told saxen waymar , cousin , i pray look to the troops , for i think i have enough : his body was not only rescued , but his forces had the better of the day ; papenheim being kill'd before him , whom he esteem'd the greatest captain of all his enemies ; for he was us'd to say , that he had three men to deal withall , a pultron , a iesuit , and a souldier ; by the two first , he meant walstein , and the duke of bavaria , by the last papenheim . questionles this gustavus ( whose anagram is augustus ) was a great captain , and a gallant man , and had he surviv'd that last victory , he would have put the emperour to such a plunge , that som think he would hardly have bin able to have made head against him to any purpose again . yet his own allies confess , that none knew the bottom of his designes . he was not much affected to the english , witnes the ill usage marquis hammilton had with his men , wherof ther return'd not , the rest died of hunger and sicknes , having never seen the face of an enemy ; witnes also , his harshnes to our ambassadors , and the rigid terms he would have tied the prince palsgrave unto . so with my affectionat respects to mr. mouschamp , and kind commend●… to mr. bridger , i rest westmin . decem. . your loving brother , j. h. vii . to the r. r. dr. field , lord bishop of st. davids . my lord , your late letter affected me with two contrary passions , with gladnes , and sorrow ; the beginning of it dilated my spirits with apprehensions of joy , that you are so well recoverd of your late sicknes , which i heartily congratulat ; but the conclusion of your lordships letter , contracted my spirits , and plung'd them in a deep sense of just sorrow , while you please to write me news of my dear fathers death . permulsit initium , percussit finis . truly my lord , it is the heaviest news that ever was sent me ; but when i recollect my self , and consider the fairnes and maturity of his age , and that it was rather a gentle dissolution than a death : when i contemplat that infinit advantage he hath got by this change and transmigration , it much lightens the weight of my grief ; for if ever human soul entred heaven , surely his is there ; such was his constant piety to god , his rare indulgence to his children , his charity to his neighbors , and his candor in reconciling disterences ; such was the gentlenes of his disposition , his unwearied cours in actions of vertue , that i wish my soul no other felicity , when she hath shaken off these rags of flesh , than to ascend to his , and coinjoy the same bliss . excuse me my lord , that i take my leave at this time so abruptly of you ; when this sorrow is a little disgested , you shall hear further from me , for i am west . of may. . your lordships most true and humble servitor , j. h. viii . to the earl of leicester at penshurst●… my lord , i have deliverd mr. secretary coke an account of the whole legation , as your lordship inordred me , which contain'd neer upon twenty sheets ; i attended him also with the note of your extraordinaries , wherin i find him somthing difficult and dilatory yet . the governor of the eastland company , mr. alderman clethero , will attend your lordship at your return to court , to acknowledge your favor unto them . i have delivered him a copy of the transactions of things that concern'd their company at rhensberg . the news we heard at sea of the king of swedens death is confirm'd more and more , and by the computation i have been a little curious to make , i find that he was kill'd the same day your lordship set out of hamburgh . but ther is other news com since , of the death of the prince palatin , who as they write , being return'd from visiting the duke de deux ponts to mentz , was struck there with the contagion ; yet by speciall ways of cure , the malignity was expelld , and great hopes of recovery , when the news came of the death of the king of sweden , which made such impressions in him , that he dyed few dayes after , having overcom all difficulties by concluding with the swede , and the governor of frankindall , and being ready to enter into a repossession of his countrey : a sad destiny . the swedes bear up still , being somented and supported by the french , who will not suffer them to leave germany yet . a gentleman that came lately from italy , told me , that ther is no great joy in rome , for the death of the king of sweden : the spaniards up and down , will not stick to call this pope lutherano , and that he had intelligence with the swede . t is true , that he hath not been so forward to assist the emperor in this quarrell , and that in open consistory , when ther was such a contrasto 'twixt the cardinalls for a supply from saint peter , he declard , that he was well satisfied that this war in germany was no war of religion ; which made him dismiss the imperiall ambassadors with this short answer , that the emperor had drawn these mischiefs upon himself ; for at that time when he saw the swedes upon the frontires of germany , if he had imployed those men and moneys , which he consum'd to trouble the peace of italy , in making war against the duke of mantova against them , he had not had now so potent an enemy . so i take my leave for this time , being westm. iune . . your lordships most humble , and obedient servitor , j. h. ix . to mr. e. d. sir , i thank you a thousand times for the noble entertainment you gave me at berry , and the pains you took in shewing me the antiquities of that place . in requitall , i can tell you of a strange thing i saw lately here , and i beleeve 't is true ; as i pass'd by st. dunstans in fleet street the last saturday , i stepp'd into a lapidary or stone-cutters shop , to treat with the master for a stone to be put upon my fathers tomb : and casting my eyes up and down , i might spie a huge marble with a large inscription upon 't , which was thus to my best remembrance : here lies john oxenham , a goodly young man , in whose chamber , as he was strugling with the pangs of death , a bird with a white brest was seen fluttering about his bed , and so vanish'd . here lies also mary oxenham , the sister of the said john who died the next day , and the same apparition was seen in the room . then another sister is spoke of . then , here lies hard by james oxenham , the son of the said john , who died a child in his cradle a little after , and such a bird was seen fluttering about his head , a little before he expir'd , which vanish'd afterwards . ▪ at the bottom of the stone ther is , here lies elizabeth oxenham , the mother of the said john , who died sixteen years since , when such a bird with a white brest was seen about hex bed before her death . to all these ther be divers witnesses , both squires and ladies , whose names are engraven upon the stone : this stone is to be sent to a town hard by exeter wher this happen'd . were you here , i could raise a choice discours with you hereupon . so hoping to see you the next term , to requite som of your favors , i rest westmin . iuly . . your true frend to serve you ▪ j. h. x. to w. b. esq. sir , the upbraiding of a courtesie is as bad in the giver , as ingratitude in the receiver ( though which you think i am loath to believe ) be faulty in the first , i shall never offend in the second , while vvestmin . . octob. . j. howell . xi . to sir arthur ingram at york . sir , our greatest news here now , is , that we have a new attorney generall , which is news indeed , considering the humor of the man , how hee hath been always ready to entertain any cause wherby he might clash with the prerogative ; but now as judg richardson told him , his head is full of proclamations , and divices , how to bring money into the exchequer . hee hath lately found out amongst the old records of the tower , som precedents for raising a tax cald ship-money , in all the port towns , when the kingdom is in danger : whether we are in danger or no , at present 't were presumption in me to judg , that belongs to his majesty , and his privy counsell , who have their choice instruments abroad for intelligence ; yet one with half an eye may see , wee cannot be secure , while such huge fleets of men of war , both spanish , french , dutch , and dunk●…rkers , som of them laden with ammunition ▪ men , arms , and armies , do daily ●…ail on our seas , and confront the kings , chambers ; while we have only three or four ships abroad to guard our coasts and kingdom , and to preserve the fairest flower of the crown , the dominion of the narrow-seas , which i hear the french cardinall begins to question , and the hollander lately would not vail to one of his majesties ships that brought over the duke of lenox and my lord weston from bullen , and indeed , we are jeer'd abroad , that we send no more ships to guard our seas . touching my lord ambassador weston , he had a brave journey of it , though it c●…st dear ; for 't is thought 't will stand his majesty in pounds , which makes som criticks of the times , to censure the lord tresurer , that now the king wanting money so much , hee should send his son abroad to spend him such a sum only for delivering of presents and complements ; but i believe they are deceiv'd , for ther were matters of state also in the ambassie . the lord weston passing by paris , intercepted , and open'd a packet of my lord of hollands , wherin ther were some letters of her majesties , this my lord of holland takes in that scorn , that he defied him since his comming , and demanded the combat of him ; for which he is confin'd to his house at kensinton : so with my humble service to my noble lady , i rest , westmin . ian. . your much obliged servitor , j. h. xii . to the lord vicount wentworth , lord deputy of ireland , and lord precedent of york , &c. my lord , i was glad to apprehend the opportunity of this packet to convey my humble service to your lordship . ther are old doings in france , and t is no new thing for the french to be always a doing , they have such a stirring genius . the queen mother hath made an escape to brussells , and monsieur to lorain wher they say , he courts very earnestly the dukes sister , a young lady under twenty ; they say a contract is pass'd already , but the french cardinall opposeth it ; for they say that lorain milk seldom breeds good bloud in france : not only the king , but the whole gallican church hath protest●… against it in a solemn synod ; for the heir apparant of the crown of france , cannot marry without the royall consent . this aggravats a grudg the french king hath to the duke , for siding with the imperialists , and for things reflecting upon the dutchy of bar ; for which he is hommogeable to the crown of france , as he is to the emperor for lorain : a hard task it is to serve two masters ; and an unhappy situation it is , to lie 'twixt two puissant monarchs ; as the dukes of savoy and lorain do : so i kiss your lordships hands , and rest my lord , your most humble and ready servitor , j. h. vvestmin . of april . . xiii . to my most noble lady , the lady cornwallis . madam , in conformity to your commands , which sway with me , as much as an act of parlement , i have sent your ladiship this small hymn for christmas day , now neer approaching ; if your ladiship please to put an air to it , i have my reward . . hail holy t●…de , vvherin a bride , a virgin ( which is more ) brought forth a son , the like was don , ne're in the world before . . hail spotless maid , who thee upbraid , to have been born in sin , do little waigh , what in thee lay , before thou didst lie-in . . three months thy womb , was made the dome of him , whom earth nor air , nor the vast mould of heaven can hould , 'cause he 's ubiquitair . . o , would ●…e daign to rest and raign i' th centre of my heart : and make it still his domicill , and residence in part . . but in so foul a cell can he abide to dwell ? yes when he please to move his herbenger to sweep the room , and with rich odors it perfume , of faith , of hope , of love. so i humbly kiss your hands , and thank your ladiship , that you would command in any thing that may conduce to your contentment . westmin . feb. . your lapp s most humble servitor , j. h. xiv . 〈◊〉 the lord clifford at knasburgh . my lord , i receiv'd your lordships of the last of iune , and i return m●… most humble thanks for the choice nagg you pleas'd to send me , which came in very good plight . your lordship desires me to lay down what in my travells ▪ abroad i observ'd of the present condition of the iews , once an elect peeple , but now grown contemptible , and strangely squander'd up and down the world. though such a discours , exactly fram'd , might make up a volume , yet i will twist up what i know in this point , upon as narrow a bottom as may be shut up within the compass of this letter . the first christian countrey that expell'd the iews , was england ; france followed our example next , then spain , and afterwards portugall ; nor were they exterminated these countreys for their religion , but for villanies and cheatings ; for clipping coins , poisning of waters , and counterfeiting of seals . those countreys they are permitted to live now most in amongst christians , are germany , holland , bohemia , and italy ; but not in those parts where the king of spain hath to do . in the levant and turkey , they swarm most , for the gran vizier , and all other great boshawes , have commonly som iew for their counsellor or spie , who inform them of the state of christian princes , possess them of a hatred of the religion , and so incense them to a war against them . they are accounted the subtill'st and most subdolous peeple upon earth ; the reason why they are thus degenerated from their primitive simplicity , and innocence , is their often ●…ptivities , their desperat fortunes , the necessity and hatred to which they have been habituated , for nothing depraves ingenuous spirits , and corrupts cleer wits more than want and indigence . by their profession they are for the most part broakers , and lombardeers , yet by that base and servile way of frippery trade , they grow rich whersoever they nest themselves ; and this with their multiplication of children , they hold to be an argument that an extraordinary providence attends them still . me thinks that so cleer accomplishments of the prophecies of our saviour , touching that peeple , should work upon them for their conversion , as the destruction of their city and temple ; that they should becom despicable , and the tail of all nations ; that they should be vagabonds , and have no firm habitation . touching the first , they know it came punctually to pass , and so have the other two ; for they are the most hatefull race of men upon earth ; insomuch , that in turkie where they are most valued , if a musulman com to any of their houses , & leave his shoos at the door , the iew dare not com in all the while , till the turk hath don what he would with his wife : for the last , 't is wonderfull to see in what considerable numbers they are dispers'd up and down the world , yet they can never reduce themselves to such a coalition and unity as may make a republic , principality , or kingdom . they hold that the iewes of italy , germany , and the levant , are of benjamins tribe ; ten of the tribes at the destruction of ieroboams kingdom were led captives beyond euphrates , whence they never return'd , nor do they know what became of them ever after ; yet they beleeve they never became apostats and gentiles . but the tribe of iuda , whence they expect their messias , of whom one shall hear them discours with so much confidence , and self-pleasing conceit , they say , is setled in portugall ; wher they give out to have thousands of their race , whom they dispense withall to make a semblance of christianitie , even to church degrees . this makes them breed up their children in the lusitanian language ; which makes the spaniard have an odd saying , that el portuguez se criò del pedo de un iudia . a portugues was engendred of a iews fart ; as the mahu●…ans have a passage in their alcaro●… , that a cat was made of a lions breath . as they are the most contemtiblest peeple , and have a kind of fulsom sent , no better then a stink , that distinguisheth them from others , so are they the most timorous peeple on earth , and so , utterly incapable of arms , for they are made neither souldiers nor slaves : and this their pusillanimity and cowardise , as well as their cunning and craft , may be imputed to their various thraldo us , contempt , and poverty , which hath cow'd and dast●…rdiz'd their courage ▪ besides these properties , they are light and giddy headed , much symbolizing in spirit with our apolalypticall zelots , and fiery interpreters of daniel and other prophets , wherby they often sooth , or rather fool themselves into som illumination , which really proves but som egregious dorage . they much glory of their mysterious cabal , wherin they make the reality of things to depend upon letters , and words : but they say that hebrew onely hath this priviledg : this cabal , which is nought else but tradition , they say , being transmitted from one age to another , was in som measure a reparation of our knowledge lost in adam , and they say ●…was reveal'd four times ; first to adam , who being thrust out of paradise , and sitting one day very sad , and sorrowing for the loss of the knowledg he had of that dependance the creatures have with their creator ; the angell raguel was sent to comfort him , and to instruct him and repair his knowledg herein : and this they call the caball , which was lost the second time by the floud , and ●…abell ▪ then god discover'd it to moses in the bush . the third time to solomon in a dream , wherby he came to know the beginning , m●…diety , and coasummati●… of times , and so wrote divers books , which were lost in the gran captivity the last time they hold , that god restor'd the cabal to esdras ( a book they value extraordinarily ) who by gods command withdrew to the wildernes forty daies with five scribes , who in that space wrote two hundred and four books : the first one hundred thirty and four , were to be read by all ; but the other seventy were to pass privatly amongst the levites , and these they pretend to be cabalistic , and not yet all lost . ther are this day three sects of iews ; the africans first , who besides the holy scriptures , embrace the talmud also for authentic ; the second receive only the scriptures ; the third , which are call'd the samaritans ( wherof ther are but few ) admit only of the 〈◊〉 , the five books of moses . the iews in generall drink no wine , without a dispensation ; when they kill any creature , they turn his face to the east , saying , be it sanctified in the great name of god ; they cut the throat with a knif without a gap , which they hold very prophane . in their synagogs they make one of the best sort to read a chapter of moses , then som mean boy reads a peece of the prophets ; in the midst , ther 's a round place arch'd over , wherin one of their rabbies walks up and down , and in po●…tuguez magnifies the messias to com , comforts their captivity , and rails at christ. they have a kind of cupboard to represent the tabernacle , wherin they lay the tables of the law , which now and then , they take out and kiss ; they sing many tunes , and adonai , they make the ordinary name of god : iehovah is pronounc'd at high festivalls ; at circumcision boys are put to sing som of davids psalms so lowd , as drowns the infants cry : the synagog is hung about with glass . lamps burning ; every one at his entrance puts on a linnen-cope , first kissing it , else they use no manner of reverence all the while ; their elders sometimes fall together by the ears in the very synagog , and with the holy utensiles , as candlesticks , incense-pans , and such-like , break one anothers pates . women are not allow'd to enter the synagog , but they sit in a gallery without , for they hold they have not so divine a soul as men , and are of a lower creation , made only for sensuall pleasure and propagation . amongst the mahumetans , ther is no iew capable of a turkish habit , unless he acknowledg christ as much as turks do , which is to have bin a great prophet , wherof they hold ther are three onely , moses , christ , and mahomet . thus my lord , to perform your commands , which are very prevalent with me , have i couch'd in this letter , what i could , of the condition of the iews , and if it may give your lordship any satisfaction , i have my reward abundantly . so i rest westmin . of iune . . your lordships most humble and ready servitor , j. h. xv. to mr. philip warrick , at paris . sir , your last unto me was in french of the first current , and i am glad you are com so safe from swisserland to paris ; as also , that you are grown so great a proficient in the language : i thank you for the variety of news you sent me so hansomly couch'd and knit together . to correspond with you , the greatest news wee have here , is , that we have a gallant fleet-royall ready to set to sea , for the security of our coasts and commerce , and for the soverainty of our seas . hans said the king of england was asleep all this while , but now he is awake ; nor do i hear , doth your french cardinall tamper any longer with our kings title and right to the dominion of the narrow-seas . these are brave fruits of the ship-moneys . i hear that the in●…ante cardinall having bin long upon his way to brussells , hath got a notable victory of the swedes at nordlinghen , where were slain , gustavus horn , and other of the prime commanders taken prisoners . they write also that monsieurs marriage with madame of lorain , was solemnly celebrated at brussels ; she had follow'd him from nancy in pages apparell , because ther were forces in the way . it must needs be a mighty charge to the king of spain , to maintain mother , and son in this manner . the court affords little news at present , but that ther is a love call'd platonick love , which much swayes there of late ; it is a love abstracted from all corporeall gross impressions , and sensuall appetit , but consists in contemplation and idaeas of the mind , not in any carnall fruition : this love sets the wits of the town on work ; and they say there will be a masko shortly of it , whereof her majestie , and her maids of honour will be part . all your friends here in westminster are well , and very mindfull of you , but none more often then westmin . iune , . your most affectionate servitor , j. h. xvi . to my brother mr h. p. brother , my brain was ore cast with a thick clowd of melancholy , i was becom a lump i know not of what , i could scarce find any palpitation within me on the left side , when yours of the first of september was brought me , it had such a vertue , that it begot new motions in me , like the load-stone , which by its attractive occult quality , moves the dull body of iron , and makes it active ; so dull was i then , and such a magnetic property your letter had to quicken me . ther is som murmuring against the shipmon●…y , because the tax is indefinit ; as also by reason , that it is levied upon the countrey towns , as well as maritim , and for that , they say n●… himself cannot shew any record : ther are also divers patents granted , which are mutter'd at , as being no better then monopolies : amongst others a scotchman got one lately upon the statute of levying twelve pence for every oath , which the justices of peace , and constables had power to raise , and have still : but this new patentce is to quicken and put more life in the law , and see it executed . he hath power to nominat one or two , or three , in som parishes , which are to have commission from him for this public service , and so they are to be exempt from bearing office , which must needs deserve a gratuity ; and i beleeve this was the main drift of the scot patentce , so that he intends to keep his office in the temple , and certainly , he is like to be mighty gainer by it ; for who would not give a good peece of money to be freed from bearing all cumbersom offices ? no more now , but that with my dear love to my sister , i rest westmin . aug. . your most affectionat brother , j. h. xvii . to the right honble the lord vicount savage , at long-melford . my lord , the old steward of your courts , master attorney-generall noy , is lately dead , nor could tunbridg-waters do him any good : though he had good matter in his brain , he had , it seems , ill materialls in his body , for his heart was shrivelled like a leather peny-purse when he was dissected , nor were his lungs sound . being such a great clerk in the law , all the world wonders he left such an odd will , which is short , and in latin : the substance of it is , that having bequeathd a few legacies , and left his second son marks a year , and pounds in money , enough to bring him up in his fathers profession ; he concludes , reliqua meorum omnia progenito meo edoardo , dissipanda ( nec meliùs unquam speravi ) lego . i leave the rest of all my goods to my first-born edward , to be consum'd or scatterd ( for i never hoped better . ) a strange , and scarce a christian will , in my opini●… , for it argues uncharitablenes . nor doth the world wonder less ▪ that he should leave no legacie to som of your lordships children , considering what deep obligations he had to your lordship ; for i am confident he had never bin attorney generall els . the vintners drink carowses of joy that he is gon , for now they are in hopes to dress meat again , and sell tobacco , beer , sugar and fagots , which by a sullen capricio of his he would have restraind them from . he had his humors , as other men ; but certainely he was a solid rational man ; and though no great orator , yet a profound lawyer , and no man better versd in the records of the tower. i heard your lordship often say with what infinit pains and indefatigable study he came to this knowledge : and i never heard a more pertinent anagram then was made of his name , william noye , i moyle in law . if ans be added , it may be applied to my country-man judge iones , an excellent lawyer too , and a far more gentile man. william iones , i moile in laws . no more now , but that i rest , westmin . octo. . your lopps most humble and obliged servitor , j. h. xviii . to the right honble the countess of sunderland . madam , here inclos'd i send your ladiship a letter from the lord deputy of ireland , wherin he declares that the disposing of the attorniship in york , which he passed over to me , had no relation to my lord at all , but it was meerly don out of a particular respect to me : your ladyship may please to think of it accordingly , touching the accounts . ▪ it is now a good while the two nephew-princes have bin here , i mean the prince elector , and prince robert. the king of swedens death , and the late blow at norlingen hath half blasted their hopes to do any good for recovery of the palatinat by land ; therfore i hear of som new designes by sea. that the one shall go to madagascar , a great island miles long in the east indies , never yet coloniz'd by any christian , and captain bo●…d is to be his lieutenant ; the other is to go with a considerable fleet to the west indies , to seize upon som place there that may countervail the palatinat , and sir henry mervin to go with him : but i hear my lady elizabeth opposeth it , saying , that she will have none of her sons to be knights-errant . ther is now professed actuall enmity twixt france and spain , for ther was a herald at arms sent lately to flanders from paris , who by sound of trumpet denounced and proclaimed open war against the king of spain and all his dominions ; this herald left and fixed up the defiance in all the townes as he passed : so that wheras before , the war was but collaterall and auxiliary , there is now proclaim'd hostility between them , notwithstanding that they have one anothers sister●… in their beds evry night : what the reason of this war is , truly madame i cannot tell , unlesse it bee reason of state , to preve●… the further growth of the spanish monarchy ; and ther be multitude of examples how preventive wars have been practis●… from all times . howsoever it is too sure that abundance of christian bloud will be spilt . so i humbly take my leave , and rest , westminster , iune , . madame , your ladiships most obedient and faithfull servitor , i. h. xix . to the earl of leicester at penshurst . my lord , i am newly returned out of france , from a flying journey as far as orleans , which i made at the request of mr. secretary wind●… . bank , and i hope i shall receive som fruits of it hereafter . ther is yet a great resentment in many places in france , for the beheading of montmorency , whom henry the fourth was us'd to say to be a better gentleman than himself , for in his colors he carry'd this motto , dieu ayde le premier chevalier de france : god help the first knight of france . hee dyed upon a sca●…told in tholouze , in the flower of his years , at , and hath left no issue behind , so that noble old family extinguish'd in a snust : his treason wa●… very foul , having received particular commissions from the king to make an extraordinary levy of men and money in languedoc , which he turn'd afterwards directly against the king , against whose person he appear'd arm'd in open field ; and in a hostile posture , for fomenting of monsieurs rebellion . the insante cardinall is com to brussells at last , thorow many difficulties : and som few days before , monsieur made semblance to go a hawking , and so fled to france , but left his mother behind , who since the arch-dutchess death is not so well look'd on as formerly in that countrey . touching your busines in the exchequer , sir robert pye we●… with me this morning of purpose to my lord tresurer about it , and told me with much earnestnes and assurance , that ther shall be a speedy cours taken for your lordships satisfaction . i deliverd my lord of lins●…y the manuscript he lent your lordship of his fathers embastie to denmark : and herewith i present your lordship with a compleat dia●…y of your own late legation , which hath cost me som oil and labor . so i rest always , westm. iune . your lopps most humble and ready servitor , j. h. xx. to my honored frend and fa. mr. ben : john●…n . fa. b●…n , being lately in france , and returning in coach from paris to roüen , i lighted upon the society of a knowing gentleman , who related unto me a choice story , wher●…f peradventure you may make som use in your way . som hundred and odd yeers since , ther was in france one captain coucy a gallant gentleman of an ancient extraction , and ▪ keeper of coucy ▪ castle , which is yet standing and in good repair . he fell in love with a young gentlewoman , and courted her for his wife : ther was reciprocall love between them , but her parents understanding of it , by way of prevention they shuffled up a forced match twixt her and one monsieur fai●…l , who was a great heir : captain coucy hereupon quitted france in discontent , and went to the wars in hungary against the turk , where he received a mortall wound , not far from buda . being carried to his lodging , hee languished som days ; but a little before his death , he spoke to an ancient servant of his , that he had many profs of his fidelity and truth , but now he had a great busines to intrust him with , which hee conjur'd him by all means to do , which was , that after his death , he should get his body to be opened , and then to take his heart out of his brest , and put it in an earthen pot to be bak'd to powder , then to put the powder into a hansome box , with that bracelet of hair he had worn long about his left wrist , which was a lock of madamois●…lle faiels hair , and put it amongst the powder , together with a little note he had written with his own bloud to her ; and after hee had given him the rites of buriall , to make all the speed he could to france , and deliver the said box to madamoiselle faiel . the old servant did as his master had commanded him , and so went to france , and comming one day to monsieur faiels house , he suddenly met him with one of his servants , and examin'd him , because he knew he was captain coucy's servant , and finding him timerous , and faltering in his speech , hee search'd him , and sound the ●…aid box in his pocket , with the note which expressed what was therin : he dismiss'd the bearer with menaces that he should com no more neer his house . monsieur faiel going in , sent for his cook and deliver'd him the powder , charging him to make a little well-relish'd dish of it , without losing a jot of it , for it was a very costly thing ; and commanded him to bring it in himself , after the last cours at supper . the cook bringing in the dish accordingly , monsieur faiel commanded all to void the room , and began a serious discours with his wife , how ever since he had married her , he observ'd she was always melancholly ▪ and he feared she was inclining to a consumption , therfore he had provided for her a very precious cordiall , which he was well assured would cure her : therupon he made her eat up the whole dish ; and afterwards much importuning him to know what it was , he told her at last she had eaten coucy's heart , and so drew the box out of his pocket , and shewed her the note and the bracelet : in a sudden exultation of joy , she with a far-fetch'd sigh said , this is a precious cordiall indeed , and so lick'd the dish saying , it is so pretious , that t is pity to put ever any meat upon 't . so she went to bed , and in the morning she was found stone-dead . this gentleman told me that this sad story is painted in coucy-castle , and remains fresh to this day . in my opinion , which vails to yours . this is choice and rich stuff for you to put upon your loom , and make a curious web of . i thank you for the last regalo you gave me at your musaeum , and for the good company . i heard you censur'd lately at court , that you have lighted too foul upon sir inigo , and that you write with a porcupins quill dipped in too much gall. excuse me that i am so free with you , it is because i am in no common way of frendship , westmin . of may. . yours , i. h. xxi . to captain thomas porter . noble captain , you are well returned from brussels , from attending your brother in that noble employment of congratulating the infante cardinalls comming thither . it was well that monsieur went a hawking away before to france , for i think those two young spirits would not have agreed . a french-man told me lately , that was at your audience , that he never saw so many compleat gentlemen in his life , for the number , and in a neater equipage . before you go to sea i intend to wait on you , and give you a frolick . so i am , de todas mis entranas . yours to dispose of , i. h. westmin . novemb. ●… . to this i le add the duke of ossuna's complement , quisiere aunque soy chico ser , enserville gigante . though of the tallest i am none you see , yet to serve you i would a giant be . to my cousin captain saintgeon . noble cousin , the greatest news about the town , is of a mighty prize that was taken lately by peter van heyn of holland , who had met som stragling ships of the plate-fleet , and brought them to the ●…exel : they speak of a million of crowns . i could wish you had been there to have shared of the booty , which was the greatest ●…n money that ever was taken . one sent me lately from holland this distic of peter van heyn , ●…hich savors of a little profaness . roma sui sileat posthàc miracula petri , petrus apud batavos plura stupenda facit . let rome no more her peters wonders tell , for wonders , hollands peter bears the bell . to this distic was added this anagram , which is a good one ▪ petrus hainu's . hispanus ruet . so i rest , totus tuus , yours whole , i. howell . westmin . iuly . xxiii . to my lord viscount s. my lord , his majesty is lately return'd from scotland , having given that nation satisfaction to their long desires , to have him com thither to be crownd : i hear som mutter at bishop lauds carriage there , that it was too haughty and pontificall . since the death of the king of sweden , a great many scotch commanders are com over , and make a shining shew at court , what trade they will take hereafter , i know not , having been so inur'd to the wars ; i pray god keep us from commotions at home , 'twixt the two kingdoms , to find them work : i hear one colonell lesley is gon away discontented because the king would not 〈◊〉 him . the old rotten duke of bavaria , for he hath divers issues abo●… his body , hath married one of the emperors sisters , a young lady little above twenty , and he neer upon fourscore ; ther 's another remaining , who they say is intended for the king of poland , notwithstanding his pretences to the young lady elizabeth ; about which prince razevill , and other ambassadors have been here lately but that king being electif must mary as the estates will have him his mother was the emperors sister , therfore sure he will not offe●… to mary his cousin german ; but t is no news for the house 〈◊〉 austria to do so , to strengthen their race . and if the bavarian hath male-issue of this young lady , the son is to succeed him in the electorship , which may conduce much to strengthen the continuance of the empire in the austrian family . so with a constant perseverance of my hearty desires to serve your lordship , i rest , my lord , your most humble servitor , j. h. westmin . sep. xxiv . to my cousin mr. will. saint geon , at st. omer . cousin , i was lately in your fathers company , and i found him much discontented at the cours you take , which he not only protests against , but he vows never to give you his blessing , if you perseve●… in 't ; i would wish you to descend into your self , and seriously ponder , what a weight a fathers blessing , or curse , carries with it ; for ther is nothing conduceth more to the happines or infelicity of the child : amongst the ten commandements in the decalog , that which enjoyns obedience from children to parents , hath only a benediction ( of longaevity ) added to it : ther be clouds of examples for this , but one i will instance in ; when i was in valentia in spain , a gentleman told me of a miracle which happen'd in that town ; which was , that a proper young man under twenty , was executed there for a crime , and before he was taken down from off the tree , ther wer many gray and white hairs had budded forth of his chin , as if he had been a man of sixty . it struck amazement in all men , but this interpretation was made of it , that ●…he said young man might have liv'd to such an age , if hee had been dutifull to his parents , unto whom he had been barbarously disobedient all his life-time . ther coms herwith a large letter to you from your father , let me advise you to conform your courses to his counsell , otherwise it is an easie matter to bee a prophet what misfortunes ●…il inevitably befall you , which by a timely obedience you may prevent , and i wish you may have grace to do it accordingly : so i rest your loving , well-wishing cousin , j. h. lond. of may. . xxv . to the lord deputy of ireland . my lord , the earl of arundell is lately return'd from germany , and his gallant comportment in that ambassie deserv'd to have had better success ; he found the emperor conformable , but the old bavarian froward , who will not part with any thing , till he have moneys reimbours'd , which he spent in these wars , and for which he hath the upper palatinat in deposito ; insomuch , that in all probability all hopes are cut off of ever recovering that countrey , but by the same means that it was taken away , which was by the sword ▪ therfore they write from holland of a new army , which the prince palatin is like to have shortly , to go up to germany , and push o●… his fortunes with the swedes . the french king hath taken nancy , and almost all lorain lately , but he was forc'd to put a fox-tail to the lions-skin , which his cardinall help'd him to , before he could do the work . the quarrell is , that the duke should marry his sister to monsieur , contrary to promise ; that he sided with the imperialists , against his confederan●… in germany , that hee neglected to do homage for the dutchy o●… bar. my lord vicount savage is lately dead , who is very much li●… mented by all that knew him ; i could have wish'd , had it pleas'd god , that his father in law , who is riper for the other worl●… had gon before him . so i rest westmin . apr. your lopps most humble and ready servitor , j. h. xxvi . to his honoured friend m is c. at her house in essex . ther was no sorrow sunk deeper into me a great while , than that which i conceiv'd upon the death of my dear friend your husband : the last office i could do him , was to put him in his grave ; and i am sorry , to have met others there , ( who had better means to come in a coach with six horses , than i ) in so mean equipage to perform the last act of respect to so worthy a frend. i have sent you herewith an elegy , which my melancholy muse hath breath'd out upon his herse . i shall be very carefull about the tomb you intend him , and will think upon an epiraph . i pray present my respects to mris anne mayne . so wishing you all comfort and contentment , i rest lond. mar. yours most ready to be commanded , j. h. xxvii . to mr. iames howard , upon his banish'd virgin , translated out of italian . sir , i received the manuscript you sent me , and being a little curious to compare it with the originall , i find the version to be very exact and faithfull : so according to your frendly request i have sent you this decastic . som hold translations not unlike to be , the wrong-side of a turky tapistry . or wine drawn off the lees , which fill'd in flask , loose somwhat of the strength they had in cask . t is true , each language hath an idiome , which in another couch'd comes not so home : yet i ne're saw a peece from venice come , had fewer thrums set on our countrey loome . this wine is still one-eard , and brisk , thought put out of italian cask in english butt . upon your eromena . fair eromena in her toscan tyre i view'd , and lik'd the fashion wondrous well , but in this english habit i admire , that still in her the same good grace should dwell : so i have seen trans - alpin cions grow , and bear rare fruit , remov'd to thames from po. lond. octo. . your true servitor and compatriot , j. h. xxviii . to edward noy esq at paris . sir , i receiv'd one of yours lately , and i am glad to find the delight that travell begins to instill into you . my lord ambassadour aston reckons upon you , that you will be one of his train at his first audience in madrid , and to my knowledg he hath put by som gentlemen of quality : therfore i pray let not that durty town of paris detain you too long from your intended journey to spain , for i make account my lord aston will be there a matter of two months hence . so i rest london , may. , your most affectionat servitor , j. h. xxix . to the right honble sir peter wicks , lo : ambassador at constantinople . my lord , it seems ther is som angry star that hath hung over the busines of the palatinat from the beginning of these german wars to this very day ; which will too evidently appear , if one should mark and deduce matters from their first rise . you may remember how poorly prague was lost : the bishop of halverstat and count mansfelt shuffled up and down a good while , and did great matters , but all came to nothing at last . you may remember how one of the ships-royall was cast away in carrying over the last , and the men he had hence perish'd many of them very miserably , and he himself , as they write , died in a poor hostrey with one laquay , as he was going to venice to a bank of money he had stor'd up there for a dead lift . your lordship knows what success the king of denmark had ( and our men under sir charles morgan ) for while he thought to make new acquests , he was in hazard to lose all that he had , had not he had favorable propositions tendred him . ther were ▪ never poor christians perished more lamentably than those we sent under m. hamilton for the assistance of the king of sweden , who did much , but you know what became of him at last : how disastrously the prince palatin himself fell , and in what an ill conjuncture of time , being upon the very point of being restor'd to his country . but now we have as bad news as any we had yet ; for the young prince palatin , and his brother prince rupert , having got a jolly considerable army in holland , to try their fortunes in germany with the swedes , they had advanc'd as far as munsterland , and westphalia , and having lain before lengua , they were forc'd to raise the siege ; and one generall ha●…zfield pursuing them , ther was a fore battell fought , wherin prince rupert , my lord craven , and others were taken prisoners . the prince palatin himself , with major king , thinking to get over the weser in a coach , the water being deep and not sordable , he sav'd himself by the help of a willow , and so went a foot all the way to minden , the coach and the coach-man being drown'd in the river : ther wer neer upon slain on the palsgraves side , and scarce the twentieth part so many on ha●…zfields , major gaeuts , one of the chiefe commanders , was kil'd . i am sorry i must write unto you this sad story ; yet to countervail ●…t somthing , saxen weymar thrives well , and is like to get b●…isac by help of the french forces . all your frends here are well , and remember your lordship often , but none more oft than lond. iun. . your most humble and ready servitor , j. h. xxx . to sir sackvill c. knight . sir , i was as glad that you have lighted upon so excellent a lady , as if an astronomer by his optics had found out a new star ; and if a wi●…e be the best or worst fortune of a man , certai●… you are one of the fortunat'st men in this island . the greatest news i can write unto you is , of a bloody banquet that was lately at liege ; wher a great faction was a somenting 'twixt the imperialists , and those that were devoted to france , amongst whom , one ruelle a popular bourgue-master was chief : the count of warfuzée a vassall of the king of spains , having fled thither from flanders for som offence , to ingratiat himself again into the king of spains favour , invited the said ruelle to a feast , and after brought him into a privat chamber , wher he had provided a ghostly-father to confess him , and so som of the souldiers whom he had provided before to guard the house , dispatch'd the bourgue-master ; the town hearing this , broke ●…nto the house , cut to peeces the said count , with som of his souldiers , and dragg'd his body up and down the streets . you know such a fate befell walstein in germany of late yeers , who having got all the emperours forces into his hands , was found to have intelligence with the swede , therfore the imperiall ban was not onely pronounc'd against him , but a reward promis'd to any that should dispatch him ; som of the emperours souldiers at a great wedding in egra , of which band of souldiers , colonell buttler an irishman was chief , broke into his lodging when ho was at dinner , kill'd him , with three commanders more that were at table with him , and threw his body out at a window into the streets . i hear buttler is made since count of the empire . so humbly kissing your noble ladies hand , i rest lond. iun. . your faithfull servitor , j. h. xxxi . to dr. duppa , l. b. of chichester , his highnes tutor at st. iames. my lord , it is a welbecoming , and very worthy work you are about , not 〈◊〉 suffer mr. ben. iohnson to go so silently to his grave , or rot so su●…ly : being newly com to town , and understanding that your iohnsonus virbius was in the presse , upon the solicitation of sir thomas hawkins , i suddenly fell upon the ensuing decastic , which if your lordship please , may have room amongst the rest . upon my honoured frend and f. mr. ben. iohnson . and is thy glass run out , is that oyl spent which light to such strong sinewy labours lent ? well ben ; i now perceive that all the nine , though they their utmost forces should combine , cannot prevail 'gainst nights three daughters , but one still must spin , one wind , the other cut . yet in despight of distaff , clue , and knife , thou in thy strenuous lines hast got a life , which like thy bays shall flourish ev'ry age , while ●…oc or bu●…kin shall ascend the stage . — sic vaticinatur hoellus . so i rest with many devoted respects to your lordship , as being lond. of may , . your very humble servitor , j. h. xxxii . to sir ed. b. knight . sir , i receiv'd yours this maunday-thursday : and wheras amongst other passages , and ▪ high endearments of love , you desire to know what method i observe in the exercise of my devotlons , i thank you for your request , which i have reason to believe doth proceed from an extraordinary respect unto me ; and i will deal with you herein , as one should do with his confessor . t is true , though ther be rules and rubrics in our liturgy sufficient to guide evry one in the performance of all holy duties , yet i beleeve evry one hath som mode and modell or formulary of his own , specially for his privat cubicular devotions . i will begin with the last day of the week , and with the latter end of that day , i mean saturday evening , on which i have fasted ever since i was a youth in venice , for being delivered from a very great danger : this yeer i use som extraordinary acts of devotion to usher in the ensuing sunday in hymns , and various prayers of my own penning , before i go to bed . on sunday morning i rise earlier than upon other dayes , to prepare my self for the sanctifying of it ; nor do i use barber , tailor , shoo-maker , or any other mechanick that morning ; and whatsoever diversions , or lets , may hinder me the week before , i never miss , but in case of sicknes , to repair to gods holy house that day , wher i com before prayers begin , to make my self fitter for the work by some praevious meditations , and to take the whole service along with me ; nor do i love to mingle speech with any in the interim about news or worldly negotiations . in gods holy house i prostrat my self in the humblest and decent'st way of genuflection i can imagin ; nor do i beleeve ther can be any excess of exterior humility in that place ; therfore i do not like those squatting unseemly bold postures upon ones tail , or muffling the face in the hat , or thrusting it in so●… hole , or covering it with ones hand ; but with bended knee , and an open confident face , i fix my eyes on the east part of the church , and heaven . i endeavour to apply evry tir●…le of the service to my own conscience and occasions ; and i believe the want of this , with the huddling up , and careless reading of som ministers , with the commoness of it , is the greatest cause that many do undervalue and take a surfet of our public service . for the reading and singing psalmes , wheras most of them are either petitions or eucharisticall ejaculations , i listen to them more attentively , and make them mine own : when i stand at the creed , i think upon the custom they have in poland , and else-where , for gentlemen to draw their swords all the while , intimating therby , that they will defend it with their lives and bloud ; and for the decalog , wheras others use to rise , and sit , i ever kneel at it in the humblest and trembling'st posture of all , to crave remission for the breaches pass'd of any of gods holy commandments ( specially the week before ) and future grace to observe them . i love a holy devout sermon , that first checks and then cheers the conscience , that begins with the law and ends with the gospell ; but i never prejudicat or censure any preacher , ●…aking him as i find him . and now that we are not only adulted but ancient christians , i beleeve the most acceptable sacrifice we can send up to heaven , is prayer and praise , and that sermons are not so essentiall as either of them to the tru practice of devotion . the rest of the holy sabbath , i sequester my body and mind as much as i can from worldly affairs . upon monday morn , as soon as the cinq-ports are open , i have a particular prayer of thanks , that i am reprieved to the beginning of that week ; and evry day following , i knock thrice at heavens gate , in the morning , in the evening , and at night ; besides , prayers at meals , and som other occasionall ejaculations , as upon the putting on of a clean shirt , washing my hands , and at lighting of candles , which because they are sudden , i do in the third person . tuesday morning i rise winter and summer as soon as i awake , and send up a more particular sacrifice for som reasons ; and as i am dispos'd , or have busines , i go to bed again . upon wensday night , i always fast , and perform also som extraordinary acts of devotion , as also upon friday night ; and saturday morning , as soon as my senses are unlock'd i get up . and in the summer time , i am oftentimes abroad in som privat field , to attend the sun-rising : and as i pray thrice evry day , so i fast thrice evry week , at least i eat but one meal upon wensdays , fridays , and saturdays , in regard i am jealous with my self , to have more infirmities to answer for , than other . before i go to bed , i make a scrutiny what peccant humors have reign'd in me that day , and so i reconcile my self to my creator , and strike a tally in the exchequer of heaven for my quie●…us est , ere i close my eyes , and leave no burden upon my conscience . before i presume to take the holy sacrament , i use som extraordinary acts of humiliation to prepare my self som days before , and by doing som deeds of charity ; and commonly i compose som new prayers , and divers of them written in my own bloud . i use not to rush rashly into prayer without a trembling precedent meditation , and if any odd thoughts intervene , and grow upon me , i check my self , and recommence ; and this is incident to long prayers , which are more subject to mans weaknes , and the devils malice . i thank god i have this fruit of my forrain travels , that i can pray unto him evry day of the week in a severall language , and upon sunday in seven , which in orisons of my own i punctually perform in my privat pomeridian devotions . et sic aeternam contendo attingere vitam . by these steps i strive to clime up to heaven , and my soul prompts me i shall thither ; for ther is no object in the world delights me more , than to cast up my eyes that way , specially in a star-light night ; and if my mind be overcast with any odd clouds of melancholly , when i look up and behold that glorious fabric , which i hope shall be my countrey heerafter , ther are new spirits begot in me presently , which make me scorn the world , and the pleasures thereof , considering the vanity of the one , and the inanity of the other . thus my soul still moves east-ward , as all the heavenly bodies doe ; but i must tell you , that as those bodies are over-master'd , and snatch'd away to the west , raptu primi mobilis , by the generall motion of the tenth sphere , so by those epidemicall infirmities which are incident to man , i am often snatch'd away a clean contrary cours , yet my soul persists still in our own proper motion : i am often at variance , and angry with my self ( nor do i hold this anger to be any breach of charity ) when i consider , that wheras my creator intended this body of mine , though ●… lump of clay , to be a temple of his holy spirit , my affections should turn it often to a brothell-house , my passions to a bedlam , and my excesses to an hospitall . being of a lay profession , i humbly conform to the constitutions of the church , and my spirituall superiors ; and i hold this obedience to be an acceptable sacrifice to god. difference in opinion may work a disaffection in me , but not a detestation : i rather pity , than hate , turk or insidell , for they are of the same metall , and bear the same stamp as i do , though the inscriptions differ . if i hate any , 't is those scismatics that puzzle the sweet peace of our church , so that i could bee content to see an anabaptist go to hell on a brownists back ? noble knight , now that i have thus eviscerated my self , and dealt so clearly with you , i desire by way of correspondence that you would tell me , what way you take in your journey to heaven ; for if my brest lie so open to you , 't is not sitting yours should bee shut up to mee ; therfore i pray let me hear from you when it may stand with your convenience . so i wish you your hearts desire here , and heaven hereafter , because i am yours in no vulgar way of friendship , j. h. london , iuly , . xxxiii . to simon digby esquire , at mosco , the emperor of russia's court. sir , i received one of yours by mr. pickhurst , and i am glad to find , that the rough clime of russia agrees so well with you ; so well , as you write , as the catholic ayr of madrid , or the imperiall ayr of vienna , where you had such honorable employments . the greatest news we have heer is , that we have a bishop lord tresurer , and 't is news indeed in these times , though 't was no news you know in the times of old to have a bishop lord tresurer of england . i beleeve he was meerly passive in this busines ; the active instrument that put the white staff in his hands , was the metrapolitan at lambeth . i have other news also to tell you , we have a brave new ship , a royall galeon , the like , they say , did never spread sail upon salt-water , take her true and well compacted symmetry , with all dimensions together ; for her burden , shee hath as many tuns as ther were yeers since the incarnation , when she was built , which are sixteen hundred thirty and six ; she is in length one hundred twenty and seven foot ; her greatest breadth within the planks , is fourty six foot , and six inches ; her depth from the breadth is nineteen foot , and four inches : she carrieth a hundred peeces of ordnance wanting four , wherof shee hath three tyre ; half a score men may stand in her lantern ; the charges his majesty hath been at in the building of her , are computed to be fourscore thousand pounds , one whole years ship-money : sir robert mansell launc'd her , and by his majesties command call'd her , the soverain of the sea : many would have had her to be nam'd the edgar ; who was one of the most famous saxon kings this island had , and the most potent at sea : ranulphus cestrensis writes , that he had four hundred ships , which evry yeer after easter , went out in four fleets to scour the coasts . another author writes , that he had four kings to row him once upon the dee . but the title he gave himself , was a notable lofty one , which was this ▪ altitonantis dei largiflua clementia qui est rex regum , ego edgarus anglorum basileus , omnium regum insularum oceanique britanniam circum●acent is , cunctarumque nationum quae infra eam includūtur , imperator & dominus , &c. i do not think your gran emperour of russia hath a loftier title ; i confess the sophy of persia hath a higher one , though prophane and ridiculous in comparison of this ▪ for he calls himself , the star high and mighty , whose head is cover'd with the sun , whose motion is comparable to the aethereall firmament , lord of the mountaines , caucasus and taurus , of the four rivers , euphrates , tygris , araxis and indus ; bud of honour , mirrour of vertue , rose of delight , and nutmeg of comfort ; it is a huge descent methinks to begin with a star , and end in a nutmeg . all your friends here in court and city are well , and often mindfull of you , with a world of good wishes , and you cannot be said to be out of england , as long as you live in so many noble memories : touching mine , you have a large room in 't , for you are one of my chief inmates : so with my humble service to your lady i rest lond. iuly , . your most faithfull servitor while j. h. xxxiv . to dr. tho : prichard . dear dr. i have now had too long a supersede as from employment , having engag'd my self to a fatall man at court ( by his own seeking ) who i hoped , and had reason to expect ( for i wav'd all other wayes ) that he would have bin a scale towards my rising , but he hath rather prov'd an instrument to my ruine : it may be he will prosper accordingly . i am shortly bound for ireland , and it may be the stars will cast a more benign aspect upon me in the west ; you know who got the persian empire by looking that way for the first beams of the sun-rising , rather than towards the east . my lord deputy hath made often professions to do me a pleasure , and i intend now to put him upon 't , i purpose to pass by the bath , for a pain i have in my arm , proceeding from a defluxion of rheum , and then i will take brecknock in my way , to comfort my sister penry , who i think hath lost one of the best husbands in all the thirteen shires of wales . so with apprecation of all happines to you , i rest london , feb. . yours while j. h. xxxv . to sir kenelme digby knight , from bath . sir , your being then in the country , when i began my journey for ireland , was the cause i could not kiss your hands , therfore i shall do now from bath , what i should have don at london . being here for a distillation of rheum that pains me in one of my arms , and having had about three thousand stroaks of a pump upon me in the queens bath : ▪ and having bin here now divers daies and view'd the severall qualities of these waters , i fell to contemplat a little what should be the reason of such an extraordinary actuall heat , and medicinall vertue in them . i have seen and read of divers baths abroad , as those of caldanel and avinian in agro senensi , the grotta in viterbio , those between naples and puteolum in campania ; and i have bin a little curious to know the reason of those rare lymphaticall properties in them above other waters . i find that som impute it to wind , or ayr , or som exhalations shut up in the bowels of the earth , which either by their own nature , or by their violent motion and agitation , or attrition upon rocks , and narrow passages do gather heat , and so impart it to the waters . others attribut this balneal heat unto the sun , whose all-searching beams penetrating the pores of the earth , do heat the waters . others think this heat to proceed from quicklime , which by common experience we find to heat any water cast upon 't , and also to kindle any combustible substance put upon 't . lastly , ther are som that ascribe this heat to a subterranean fire kindled in the bowels of the earth upon sulphury and bituminous matter . 't is true , all these may be generall concurring causes , but not the adaequat proper and peculiar reason of balneal heats ; and herein truly our learned countryman dr. iorden hath got the start of any that ever writ of this subject , and goes to work like a solid philosopher ; for having treated of the generation of mineralls , he finds that they have their seminaries in the womb of the earth replenish'd with active spirits ; which meeting with apt matter and adjuvant causes , do proceed to the generation of severall species , according to the nature of the efficient , and fitnes of the matter : in this work of generation , as ther is generatio unius , so ther is corruptio alterius ; and this cannot be don without a superiour power , which by moysture dilating it self , works upon the matter like a leav'ning and ferment , to bring it to its own purpose . this motion 'twixt the agent spirit , and patient matter , produceth an actuall heat ; for motion is the fountain of heat , which serves ●…s an instrument to advance the work ; for as cold dulls , so heat quickneth all things : now for the nature of this heat , it is not a destructive violent heat , as that of fire , but a generative gentle heat joyn'd with moysture , nor needs it ayr for eventilation : this naturall heat is daily observ'd by digg●…n in the mynes ; so then while mineralls are thus engendring , and in solutis principiis , in their liquid formes , and not consolidated into hard bodies , ( for then they have not that vertue ) they impart heat to the neighbouring waters . so then it may be concluded , that this soyl about the bath is a minerall vein of earth , and the fermenting gentle temper of generative heat that goes to the production of the said mineralls , do impart and actually communicat this balneal vertue and medicinall heat to these waters . this subject of minerall waters would afford an ocean of matter , wer one to compile a solid discours of it : and i pray excuse me , that i have presum'd in so narrow a compas as a letter , to comprehend so much , which is nothing i think , in comparison of what you know already of this matter . so i take my leave , and humbly kiss your hands , being allwayes from the bath ●… iuly , . your most faithfull and ready servitor , j. h. xxxvi . from dublin , to sir ed : savage knight , at tower-hill . sir , i am com safely to dublin , over an angry boysterous sea ; whether 't was my voyage on salt-water , or change of ayr , being now under another clime , which was the cause of it , i know not , but i am suddenly freed of the pain in my arm ; when neither bath , nor plasters , and other remedies could do me good . i deliver'd your letter to mr. iames dillon , but nothing can be don in that busines till your brother pain coms to town . i meet heer with divers of my northern frends , whom i knew at york : heer is a most splendid court kept at the castle , and except that of the vice-roy of naples , i have not seen the like in christendom , and in one point of grandeza , the lord deputy heer goes beyond him , sor he can confer honours and dub knights , which that vice-roy cannot , or any other i know of . trafic encreaseth heer wonderfully , with all kind of bravery , and buildings . i made an humble motion to my lord , that in regard businesses of all sorts did multiply here daily , and that ther was but one clerk of the counsell ( sir paul davis ) who was able to dispatch busines , ( sir will. usher his collegue being very aged and bed-rid ) his lordship would please to think of me , my lord gave me an answer full of good respects to succeed sir william after his death . no more now , but with my most affectionat respects unto you , i rest dublin , may , . your faithfull servitor , j. h. xxxvii . to dr. vsher lo : primat of ireland . may it please your grace to accept of my most humble acknowledments for those noble favours i receiv'd at droghedah , and that you pleas'd to communicat unto me those rare manuscripts in so many languages , and divers choice authors in your library . your learned work , de primordiis ecclesiarum britannicarum which you pleas'd to send me , i have sent to england , and so it shall be conveyd to iesus college in oxford , as a gift from your grace . i hear that cardinal barberino , one of the popes nephews , is setting forth the works of fastidius a british bishop , call'd , de vita christiana . it was written yeers after our saviour , and holstenius hath the care of the impression . i was lately looking for a word in s●…idas , and i lighted upon a strange passage in the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : that in the reign of iustinian the emperour , one theodosius a jew , a man of great authority , liv'd in ierusalem , with whom a rich goldsmith , who was a christian , was in much favour , and very familiar . the goldsmith , in privat discours , told him one day , that be wondred , ●…e being a man of such a great understanding , did not turn ▪ christian , considering how he found all the prophecies of the law so evidently accomplish'd in our saviour , and our saviours prophecies accomplish'd since . theodosius answered , that it did not stand with his security and continuance in authority to turn christian , but he had a long time a good opinion of that religion ; and he would discover a secret unto him which was not yet com to the knowledg of any christian : it was , that when the temple was founded in ierusalem , ther wer priests , according to the number of the hebrew letters , to officiat in the temple ; and when any was chosen , his name , with his fathers and mothers , wer us'd to be registred in a fair book . in the time of christ , a priest died , and he was chosen in his place ; but when his name was to be entred , his father ioseph being dead , his mother was sent for , who being ask'd who was his father , she answered , that she never knew man , but that she conceiv'd by an an●… : so his name was registred in these words : iesus christ the son of god , and of the virgin mary . this record at the destruction of the temple was preserved , and is to be seen in tyberias to this day . i humbly desire your graces opinion heerof in your next . they write to me from england of rare news in france , which is , that the queen is delivered of a daulphin , the wonderfull'st thing of this kind that any story can parallel ; for this is the three and twentieth yeer since she was married , and hath continued childles all this while ; so that now monsieurs cake is dough , and i beleeve he will be more quiet heerafter . so i rest dublin , march , . your graces most devoted , servitor , j. h. xxxviii . to my lord clifford , from edenburgh . my lord , i have seen now all the king of great britain's dominions ; & he is a good traveller that hath seen all his dominions . i was born in wales , i have bin in all the four corners of england ; i have trave●…sed the diameter of france more than once , and now i am com thorow ireland into this kingdom of scotland . this town of edinburgh is one of the fairest streets that ever i saw ( exepting that of palermo in sicily ) it is about a mile long , coming sloping down from the castle ( call'd of old the castle of virgins , and by pliny , castrum alatum ) to holy-rood-house , now the royall palace ; and these two begin and terminat the town . i am com hither in a very convenient time , for heer 's a nationall assembly and a parlement , my lord traquair being his majesties commissioner . the bishops are all gon to w●…ack , and they have had but a sorry funerall ; the very name is grown so contemptible , that a black dog , if he have any white marks about him , is call'd bishop . our lord of canterbury is grown heer so odious , that they call him commonly in the pulpit the priest of baal , and the son of belial . i 'll tell your lordship of a passage which happened lately in my lodging ▪ which is a tavern : i had sent for a shoo-maker to make me a pair of boots , and my landlord , who is a pe●…t smart man , brought up a chopin of whitewine ( and for this particular , ther are bette●… french-wines heer than in england , and cheaper ; for they are but at a groat a quart ; and it is a crime of a high nature , to mingle or sophisticat any wine heer . ) over this chopin of white wine , my vintner and shoo-maker fell into a hot dispute about bishops : the shoo-maker grew very furious , and call'd them the firebrands of hell , the pamlers of the whore of babilon , and the instruments of the d●…vill , and that they were of his institution , not of gods. my vintner took him up smartly , and said , hold , neighbour , there ; do not you know , as well as i , that titus and timothy were bishops , that our saviour is entitled the bishop of our souls , that the word bishop is as frequently mentioned in scripture as the name pastor , elder , or deacon ? then why do you inv●…igh so bitterly against them ? the shoo-maker answered , i know the name and office to be good , but they have abused it . my vintner replies , well then , you are a shoo-maker by your prefession , imagine that you , or a hundred , or a thousand , or a hundred thousand of your trade should play the knaves , and sell caltskin-leather boots for neats-leather , or do other cheats ; must wee therfore go barefoot ? must the gentle-cra●…t of shoo-makers fall therfore to the ground ? it is the fault of the men , not of rhe calling . the shoo-maker was so gravell'd at this , that he was put to his last ; for he had not a word more to say : so my vintner got the day . ther is a fair parlement-house built heer lately , and 't was hoped his maiesty would have tane the maiden-head of it , and com hither to sit in person ; and they did ill who advis'd him otherwise . i am to go hence shortly back to dublin , and so to london , wher i hope to find your lordship , that , according to my accustomed boldnes , i may attend you : in the interim i rest edenburgh . . your lordships most humble servitor , j. h. xxxix . to sir k. digby kt. sir , i thank you for the good opinion you please to have of my fancy of trees : it is a maiden one , and not blown upon by any yet : but for the merits you please to ascribe unto the author , i utterly disclaim any , specially in that proportion you please to give them me . 't is you that have parts enough to compleat a whole jury of men . those small perquisits that i have , are thrust up into a little narrow lobby ; but those perfections that beautifie your noble soul , have a spacious palace to walk in , more sumptuous than either the louvre , seralio , or escuriall . so i most affectionatly kiss your hands , being always westmin . decem. . your most faithfull servitor , j. h. xl. to sir sackvill crow , his majesties ambassador , at the post of constantinople . rigl●… honble sir , the greatest news we have heer now , is a notable navall fight that was lately 'twixt the spanierd and hollander in the downes ; but to make it more intelligible , i will deduce the busines from the beginning . the king of spain had provided a 〈◊〉 fleet of galeons , wherof the vice-admiralls of naples and portugall wer two , ( wherof he had sent advice to england long before . ) the design was to meet with the french fleet , under the command of the archbishop of bourdeaux , and in default of that , to land som treasure at dunkirk , with a recruit of spaniards which wer grown very thin in flanders . these recruits wer got by an odd trick ; for som of the fleet being at saint anderas , a report was blown up of purpose , that the french were upon the coasts ; heerupon all the youngmen of the country came to the sea-side , and so a great number of them were tumbled a shipboard , and so they set sai●…e towards the coasts of france ; but the archbishop it seems had drawn in his fleet : then striking into the narrow-seas , they met with a fleet of about sixteen hollanders , wherof they sunk and took two , and the rest got away to holland , to give an alarum to the states , who in less than a moneth , got together a fleet of about one hundred sail , and the wind being a long time easterly , they came into the downes , where don antonio d' oquéndo , the spanish admirall had stayed for them all the while . sir iohn pennington was then abroad with seven of his majesties ships : and don antonio being daily warn'd what forces were preparing in zealand and holland , and so advis'd to get over to the flemish coasts : in the interim with a haughty spirit , he answer'd , tengo de quedarme aqui para castigar estos rebeldes : i will stay here to chastise these rebels . there were ten more of his masties ships appointed to go joyn with sir iohn pennington , to observe the motions of these fleets , but the wind continuing still east , they could not get out of the river . the spanish fleet had fresh-waters , victualls , and other necessaries from our coasts for their money , according to the capitulations of peace , all this while ; at last , being half surprized by a cloud of hollanders , consisting of one hundred and fourteen ships , the launc'd out from our coasts , and a most furious fight began , our ships having retir'd hard by all the while : the vice-admirall of portugall , a famous sea captain , don lope de hozes , was engag'd in close fight with the vice-admirall of holland , and after many tough rancounters they were both blown up , and burnt together . at last , night came and parted the rest ; but six spanish ships were taken , and about twenty of the hollanders perish'd . oquendo then cross'd over to nardic , and so back to spain , where he died before he came to the court ; and 't is thought , had he liv'd , he had bin question'd for som miscarr●…ages ; for if he had suffer'd the dunkerkers , who are nimbler and more fit for fight , to have had the van and dealt with the hollander , 't is thought matters might have gon better with him ; but his ambition was , that the great spa●…ish galeons should get the glory of the day . the spaniards give out that they had the better , in regard they did the main work , for oquendo had conveyed all his recruits and tresure to flanders , while he lay hovering on our coasts . one thing is herein very observable , what a mighty navigable power the hollander is com to , that in so short a compas of time , he could appeare with such a numerous fleet of one hundred and fourteen sails of men of war , in such a perfect equippage . the times afford no more at present , therfore with a tender of my most humble service to my noble lady , and my thankfull acknowledgment for those great favours which my brother edward writes to me he hath receiv'd from your lordship in so singular a manner , at that port , desiring you would still oblige me with a continuance of them ; i rest , amongst those multitudes you have left behind you in england , lond. aug. . your lopp s most faithfull servitor , j. h. xli . to sir j. m. knight . sir , i hear that you begin to blow the cole , and offer sacrifice to demogorgon , the god of mineralls : be well advis'd before you engage your self too deep ; chymistry , i know , by a little experience , is wonderfull pleasing for the tryall of so many rare conclusions it carries with it , but withall 't is costly , and an enchanting kind of thing ; for it hath melted many a fair mannor in crusibles , and turn'd them to smoak ▪ one presented sixtus quintus ( sice-cinq , as queen elizabeth call'd him ) with a book of chymistry , and the pope gave him an empty purse for a reward . ther be few whom mercury the father of miracles doth favour : the queen of sbeba , and the king crown'd with fire , are not propitious to many : he that hath water turn'd to ashes , hath the magistery , and the true philosophers stone ; ther be few of those : ther be som that commit fornication in chymistry , by heterogentous and sophisticall citrinations ; but they never com to the phoenix nest . i know you have your share of wisdom , therfore i confess it a presumption in me , to give you counsell . so i rest westm. feb. . your most faithfull servitor , j. h xlii . to simon digby esquire , at the gran moseo in russia . sir , i return you many thanks for your last of the first of i●…ne , and that you acquaint me with the state of things in that countrey . i doubt not but you have heard long since of the revolt of catala●…nia from the king of spaine ; it seems the sparkles of those fires are flown to portugall , and put that countrey also in combustion . the duke of braganza , whom you may well remember about the court of spaine , is now king of portugall , by the name of el rey don iuan , and he is as generally obey'd , and quietly setled , as if he had bin king these twenty yeers there ; for the whole countrey fell suddenly to him , not one town standing out . when the king of spain told olivares of it first , he slighted it , saying , that he was but rey de havas , a bean-cake king. but it seems strange to me , and so strange , that it transforms me to wonder , that the spaniard being accounted so politic a nation , and so full of precaution , could not foresee this ; specially , ther being divers intelligences given , and evident symptoms of the generall discontentment of that kingdom ( because they could not be protected against the hollander in brasil ) and of som designes a yeer before , when this duke of braganza was at madrid . i wonder i say , they did not secure his person by ingaging him in som employment out of the way : truly , i thought the spaniard was better sighted , and could could see further off than so . you know what a huge lim the crown of portugall was to the spanish monarchy , by the islands in the atlantic sea ; the towns in afric ; and all the east-indies , insomuch , that the spaniard hath nothing now left beyond the line . ther is no offensive war yet made by spain against king iohn , she only stands upon the defensive part , untill the catalan be reduc'd ; and i beleeve , that will be a long-winded busines ; for this french cardinall stirs all the devills of hell against spain , insomuch , that most men say , that these formidable fires which are now raging in both these countreys , were kindled at first by a g●…anado hurl'd from his brain : nay , som will not stick to say , that this breach 'twixt us and scotland is a reach of his . ther was a ruthfull distaster happen'd lately at sea , which makes our merchants upon the exchange hang down their heads very sadly . the ship swan , wherof one limery was master , having bin four yeers abroad about the streights , was sailing home with a cargazon , valued at eight hundred thousand pounds , wherof four hundred and fifty thousand was in money , the rest in jewells and merchandise ; but being in sight of shore , she sprung a leak , and being ballasted with salt , it choak'd the pump , so that the swan could swim no longer : som sixteen were drown'd , and som of them with ropes of pearl about their necks , the rest were sav'd by an hamburgber not far off . the king of spain loseth little by it ( only his affairs in flanders may suffer ) for his money was insur'd , and few of the principalls , but the insurers onely , who were most of them genowayes and hollanders : a most infortunat chance , for had she com to safe port , she had bin the richest ship that ever came into the thames ; so that neptun never had such a morfell at one bit . all your frends here are well , as you will understand more particularly by those letters that go herewith . so i wish you all health and comfort in that cold countrey , and desire that your love may continue still in the same degree of heat towards lond. of mar. . your faithfull servitor , j. h. xliii . to sir k. d. knight . sir , it was my fortun to be in a late communication wher a gentleman spoke of a hideous thing that happen'd in high holborn , how one iohn pennant a young man of , being dissected after his death , ther was a kind of serpent with divers tails found in the left ventricle of his heart , which you know is the most defended part , being thrice thicker than the right , and in the cell which holds the purest and most illustrious liquor , the arteriall blood , and the vitall spirits . this serpent was it seems three yeers ingendring , for so long time he found himself indisposed in the brest ; and it was observ'd , that his eye in the interim grew more sharp ▪ and firy , like the eye of a cock , which is next to a serpents eye in rednes ; so that the symptome of his inward disease might have been told by certain exterior rays and signatures . god preserve us from public calamities ; for serpentin monsters have been often ill favoured presages . i remember in the roman story , to have read how , when snakes or serpents wer found neer the statues of their gods , as one time about iupiters neck , another time about minerva's thigh , ther follow'd bloudy civill war after it . i remember also , few yeers since , to have read the relation and deposition of the carrier of tewxbury , who , with divers of his servants , passing a little before the dawn of the day with their packs over cots-hill , saw most sensibly and very perspicuously in the air , muskettiers , harnassed men , and horse-men , moving in battell-aray , and assaulting one another in divers furious postures . i doubt not but that you heard of those fiery metcors and thunderbolts that have fallen upon sundry of our churches , and don hurt . unless god be pleas'd to make up these ruptures 'twixt us and scotland , we are like to have ill days . the archb. of canterbury was lately out-rag'd in his house by a pack of common peeple : and captain ma●…un was pittifully massacred by his own men lately ; so that the common peeple , it seems , have strange principles infus'd into them , which may prove dangerous : for i am not of that lords mind who said , that they who fear any popular insurrection in england , are like boys and women , that are afraid of a turnip 〈◊〉 like a deaths head with a candle in 't . i am shortly for france , and i will receive your commands before i go . so i am lond. may ▪ . your most humble servitor , j. h. xliv . to my lord herbert of cherbery , from paris . my lord , i send herewith dodonas grove couch'd in french , and in in the newest french , for though the main version be mine , yet i got one of the academie des beaux esprits heer to run it over , to correct and refine the language , and reduce it to the most modern dialect . it took so heer , that the new academy of wits have given a public and far higher elogium of it than it deserves . i was brought to the cardinall at ruelle , wher i was a good while with him in his privat garden , and it were a vanity in me , to insert here what propositions he made me . ther be som sycophants heer that idolize him , and i blush to read what profane hyperboles are printed up and down of him ; i will instance in a few . cedite richelio mortales , cedite divi , ille homines vincit , vincit & ille deos. then et si nous faisons des ghirlandes , c'est pour en couronner un dieu , qui soubs le nom de richelieu , resoit nos ●…oeus & nos offrandes . then richelii adventu rupellae porta patescit , christo infernales ut patuere fores . certainly he is a rare man , and of a transcendent reach , and they are rather miracles than exploits that he hath don , though those miracles be of a sanguin dy ( the colour of his habit ) steep'd in bloud ; which makes the spaniard call him the gran caga-fuego of christendom . divers of the scientific all'st , and most famous win here , have spoken of your lordship with admiration , and of your great work de veritate ; and wer those excellent notions and theoricall precepts actually applyed to any particular science , it would be an infinit advantage to the common-wealth of learning all the ▪ world over . so i humbly kiss your hands , and rest paris , april . . your lordships most faithfull servitor , j. h. xlv . to the right honble m ● elizabeth altham , now lady digby . madam , ther be many sad hearts for the loss of my lord robert digby ; but the greatest weight of sorrow falls upon your ladiship . amongst other excellent vertues , which the world admires you for , i know your ladiship to have that measure of high discretion , that will check your passions ; i know also , that your patience hath been often exercis'd , and put to triall in this kind : for besides the baron your father , and sir iames , you lost your brother , master richard altham , in the verdant'st time of his age , a gentleman of rare hopes , and i beleeve this sunk deep into your heart ; you lost sir francis astl●…y since , a worthy vertuous gentleman : and now you have lost a noble lord. we all owe nature a debt , which is payable som time or other , whensoever she demands it ; nor doth dame nature use to seal indentures , or pass over either lease or patent for a set term of yeers to any ; for my part i have seen so much of the world , that if she offer'd me a lease , i would give her but a small fine for 't ; specially now that the times are grown so naught , that peeple are becom more than half mad : but madam , as long as ther are men , ther must be malignant humors , ther must be vices , and vicissitudes of things ; as long as the world wheels round , ther must be tossings and tumblings , distractions and troubles , and bad times must be recempenc'd with better . so i humbly kiss your ladiships hands , and rest , madam , your constant servant , j. h. york of aug. . xlvi . to the honorable sir p. m. in dublin . sir , i am newly return'd from france , and now that sir edw. nicholas is made secretary of state , i am put in fair hopes , or rather assurances to suceed him in the clerkship of the counsell . the duke de la valette is lately fled hither for sanctuary ▪ having had ill luck in fonta-rabia , they say his proces was made , and that he was executed in effigie in paris . t is true , he could never square well with his eminency , the cardinall , ( for this is a peculiar title he got long since from rome , to distinguish him from all othér ) nor his father neither , the little old duke of espernon , the ancient'st soldier in the world , for hee wants but one yeer of a hundred . when i was last in paris , i heard of a faceti●…us passage ' 〈◊〉 him , and the archbishop of bourdeaux , who in effect is lord high admirall of france , and 't was thus : the archbishop was to go generall of a great fleet , and the duke came to his house in bourdeaux one morning to visit him ; the archbishop sent som of his gentlemen to desire him to have a little patience , for hee was dispatching away som sea-commanders , and that he would wait on him presently : the little duke took a pett at it , and went away to his house at cad●…llac som fifteen miles off : the next morning the archbishop came to pay him the visit , and to apologize for himself ; being com in , and the duke told of it , he sent his chaplain to tell him , that he was newly fallen upon a chapter of saint austins de civitate dei , and when he had read that chapter , hee would com to him . som yeers before , i was told he was at paris , and richelieu came to visit him , he having notice of it , richelieu found him in a cardinals cap , kneeling at a table altar-wise , with his book and beads in his hand , and candles burning before him . i hear the earl of leicester is to com shortly over , and so over to ireland to be your deputy . no more now , but that i am lond. sept. . . your most faithfull servitor , j. h. xlvii . to the earl of b. from the fleet. my lord , i was lately com to london upon som occasions of mine own , and i had bin divers times in westminster-hall , wher i convers'd with many parlement men of my acquaintance ; but one morning betimes , ther rush'd into my chamber five armed men with swords , pistolls and bills , and told me they had a warrant from the parlement for me ; i desir'd to see their warrant , they denyed it , i desired to see the date of it ▪ they denied it , i desired to see my name in the warrant , they denied all , at last one of them pull'd out a greasie paper out of his pocket , and shew'd me only three or four names subscrib'd , and no more ; so they rush'd presently into my closet , and seiz'd on all my papers , and letters , and any thing that was manuscript , and many printed books they took also , and hurl'd all into a great hair trunk , which they carried away with them : i had taken a little physic that morning , and with very much ado , they suffer'd me to stay in my chamber with two guards upon me till the evening ; at which time they brought me before the committee for examination , wher i confess i found good respects ; and being brought up to the close committee , i was order'd to be forth-coming , till som papers of mine were perus'd , and mr. corbet was appointed to do it : som days after , i came to mr. corbet , and he told me he had perus'd them , and could find nothing that might give offence ; heerupon , i desir'd him to make a report to the house accordingly ; which ( as i was told ) he did very fairly , yet such was my hard hap , that i was committed to the fleet , wher i am now under close restraint : and as far as i see , i must lye ●…t dead anchor in this fleet a long time , unless som gentle gale blow thence to make me la●…nce out . gods will be don , and amend the times , and make up these ruptures which threaten so much calamity . so i am fleet. nov. . . your lopps most faithfull ( though now afflicted ) servitor , j. h. xlviii . to sir bevis thelwall knight ( petri ad vincula ) at peter - house in london . sir , though we are not in the same prison , yet are we in the same predicament of suffrance ; therfore i presume you are subject to the like fits of melancholly as i : the fruition of liberty is not so pleasing , as a conceit of the want of it is irksom , specially to one of such free-born thoughts as you . melancholly is a black noxious humor , and much annoys the whol inward man ; if you would know what cordiall i use against it in this my sad condition , i le tell you , i pore somtimes on a book , and so i make the dead my companions , and this is one of my chiefest solaces : if the humor work upon mee stronger , i rouze my spirits , and raise them up towards heaven , my future countrey ; and one may be on his journy thither , though shut up in prison , and happly go a straighter way , than if hee wer abroad : i consider , that my soul while shee is coop'd up within these walls of flesh , is but in a kind of perpetuall prison . and now my body corresponds with her in the same condition ; my body is the prison of the one , and these brick-walls the prison of the other : and let the english peeple flatter themselves as long as they will , that they are free , yet are they in effect , but prisoners , as all other islanders are ; for being surrounded and clos'd about with salt-water ( as i am with these walls ) they cannot go where they list , unless they ask the winds leave first , and neptun must give them a pass . god almighty amend the times , and compose these wofull divisions , which menace nothing but public ruin , the thoughts wherof drown in me the sense of mine own privat affliction . so wishing you courage ( wherof you have enough , if you put it in practise ) and patience in this sad sad condition , i rest from the fleet , aug. , . your true servant and compatriot , j. h. lix . to mr. e. p. sir , i saw such prodigious things daily don these few yeers , that i had resolv'd with my self to give over wondering at any thing ; yet a passage happen'd this week , that forc'd me to wonder once more , because it is without parallel . it was , that som odd fellows went skulking up and down london-streets , and with figs and reasons allur'd little children , and so pourloyn'd them away from their parents , and carried them a ship-board for beyond sea , where by cutting their hair , and other devises , they so disguis'd them , that their parents could not know them . this made me think upon that miraculous passage in hamelen , a town in germans , which i hop'd to have pass'd through when i was in hamburgh , had we return'd by holland ; which was thus , ( nor would i relate it unto you wer ther not som ground of truth for it . ) the said town of hamelen was annoyed with rats and mice ; and it chanc'd , that a pied-coated piper came thither , who covenanted with the chief burgers for such a reward , if he could free them quite from the said vermin , nor would he demand it , till a twelve-month , and a day after : the agreement being made , he began to play on his pipes , and all the rats , and the mice followed him to a great lough hard by , where they all perish'd ; so the town was infected no more . at the end of the yeer , the pied-piper return'd for his reward , the burgers put him off with slightings , and neglect ; offring him som small matter , which he refusing , and staying som dayes in the town , on sunday morning at high mass , when most peeple were at church , he fell to play on his pipes , and all the children up and down , follow'd him out of the town , to a great hill not far off , which rent in two , and opened , and let him and the children in , and so clos'd up again : this happen'd a matter of two hundred and fifty yeers since ; and in that town , they date their bills and bonds , and other instruments in law , to this day , from the yeer of the going out of their children : besides , there is a great piller of stone at the foot of the said hill , wheron this story is ingraven , no more now , for this is enough in conscience for one time : so i am fleet. octo. . your most affectionat servitor , j. h. l. to my lord g. d. my lord , ther be two weighty sayings in seneca , nihil est infaelicius ●…o , cui nil unquam contigit adversi : ther is nothing more unhappy than he , who never felt any adversity : the other is , nullum est majus malum , quàm non posse ferre malum : ther is no greater cross , than not to be able to bear a cross . touching the first , i am not capable of that kind of unhappiness ; for i have had my share of adversity , i have bin hammer'd , and dilated upon the anvill , as our countrey-man breakspear ( adrian the fourth ) said of himself ; i have b●…n strain'd through the limbic of affliction . touching the second , i am also free of that cross ; for , i thank god for it , i have that portion of grace , and so much philosophy , as to be able to endure , and confront any misery : t is not so tedious to me , as to others to be thus immur'd , because i have bin inur'd , and habituated to troubles . that which sinks deepest into me , is the sense i have of the common calamities of this nation ; ther is a strange spirit hath got in amongst us , which makes the idaea of holines , the formality of good , and the very facultie of reason to be quite differing from what it was . i remember to have read a tale of the ape in paris , who having got a child out of the cradle , & carried him up to the top of the tiles , and there sat with him upon the ridg ; the parents beholding this ruthfull spectacle , gave the ape fair and smooth language , so he gently brought the child down again , and replac'd him in the cradle . our countrey is in the same case this child was in , and i hope ther will be sweet and gentle means us'd to preserve it from precipitation . the city of london sticks constantly to the parlement , and the common-councell swayes much , insomuch , that i beleeve , if the lord chancelor egerton were now living , he would not be so pleasant with them , as he was once to a new recorder of london , whom he had invited to dinner to give him joy of his office , and having a great woodcock ▪ pyserv'd in about the end of the repast , which had bin sent him from cheshire , he said , now master recorder you are welcom to a common-councell . ther be many discreet brave patriots in the city , and i hope they will think upon som means to preserve us and themselves from ruin : such are the prayers , early and late , of fleet , a ian. . your lopps most humble servi●…or , j. h. li. to sir alex. r. kt. sir , surely , god almighty is angry with england , and 't is more sure , that god is never angry without cause : now to know this cause the best way is , for every one to lay his hand on his brest , and examin himself throughly , to summon his thoughts , and win now them , and so call to remembrance how far he hath offended heaven , and then it will be found , that god is not angry with england , but with english-men . when that dolefull charge was pronounc'd against israel , perditio tua ex te israel , it was meant of the concret , ( not the abstract ; ) oh israelites , your ruin coms from your selvs . when i make this serutiny within my self , and enter into the closest cabinet of my soul , i find ( god help me ) that i have contributed as much to the drawing down of these judgements on england , as any other : when i ransack the three cells of my brain , i find that my imagination hath bin vain and extravagant ; my memory hath kept the bad , and let go the good , like a wide sieve that retains the bran , and parts with the flour ; my understanding hath bin full of errour and obliquities ; my will hath bin a rebell to reason ; my reason a rebell to faith , ( which i thank god i have the grace to quell presently with this caution , succumbat ratio fidei , & captiva quiescat . ) when i descend to my heart , the center of all my affections , i find 〈◊〉 hath swell'd often with timpanies of vanity , and tumors of wrath : when i take my whole self in a lump , i find that i am nought else but a cargazon of malignant humors , a rabble of unruly passions , amongst which my poor soul is daily crucified , as 'twixt so many theevs . therfore as i pray in generall , that god would please not to punish this island for the sins of the peeple , so more particularly i pray , that she suffer not for me in particular ; who , if one would go by way of induction , would make one of the chiefest instances of the argument . and as i am thus conscious to my self of my own demerits , so i hold it to be the duty of every one , to contemplat himselfe this way , and to remember the saying of a noble english captain , who , when the town of calis was lost ( which was the last footing we had in france ) being geer'd by a frenchman , and ask'd , now englishman , when will you com back to france ? answer'd , oh , sir , mock not , when then the sins of france are greater than the sins of england , the englishmen will com again to france , before the sac of troy , 't was said and sung up and down the streets . iliacos intra muros peccatur & extra . the vers is as true for sense and feet , intra londini muros peccatur & extra . without and eke within the walls of london there is sin . the way to better the times , is for every one , to mend one . i will conclude with this serious invocation . i pray god ave●… those further judgements ( of famin and pestilence ) which are hovering over this populous , and once-flourishing city , and dispose of the brains and hearts of this people , to seek and serve him a ▪ right . i thank you for your last visit , and for the poem you sent 〈◊〉 since . so i am fleet iun. your most faithfull servitor , j. h. lii . to mr iohn batty marchant . sir , i receiv'd the printed discours you pleas'd to send me , call'd the marchants remonstrance , for which i return you due and deserved thanks . truly sir , it is one of the most materiall and solid peeces i have read of this kind : and i discover therin two things ; first , the affection you bear to your countrey , with the resentment you have of these wofull distractions ; then , the judgement and choice experience you have purchased by your negotiations in spain and germany . in you may be verified the tenet they hold in italy , that the marchant bred abroad , is the best common-wealths man being properly applied : for my part , i do not know any profession of life ( specially in an island ) more to be cherish'd and countenanced with honourable employments than the marchant-adventurer , ( i do not mean onely the staplers of hambo●…ough and rotterdam ) for if valiant and dangerous actions do ennoble a man , and make him merit , surely , the merchant-adventurer deserves more honour than any , for he is to encounter not onely with men of all tempers and humours ( as a french counsellour hath i●… ) but he contests and tugs oftimes with all the elements : nor do i see how som of our countrey squires who sell calves , and runts , and their wives perhaps cheese and apples , should be held more gent●…le than the noble marchant-adventurer , who sells silks and sattins , tissues and cloth of gold , diamonds and pearl , with silver and gold. in your discours , you fore tell the sudden calamities which are 〈◊〉 to be fall this poor island , if trade decay ; and that this decay 〈◊〉 inevitable , if these commotions last : heerin you are prov'd 〈◊〉 a prophet already , and i fear your prophecie will be fully ac●…omplish'd if matters hold thus . good lord ! was ther ever pee●… so active to draw on their own ruin , which is so visible , that a 〈◊〉 man may take a prospect of it . we all see this appa●…ently , and hear it told us every minut ; but we are fallen to the ●…ondition of that foolish peeple the prophet speaks of , who had eyes 〈◊〉 would not see , and ears but would not hear . all know ther is nothing imports this island more than trade ; it is that great wheel of industry , which sets all other a going ; it is that which preserves the chiefest castles and walls of this kingdom , i mean the ships ; and how these are impair'd within these four yeers , i beleeve other nations ( which ow us an invasion ) observe and know better than we ; for truly , i beleeve a million ( i mean of crowns ) and i speak within compas , will not put the navy royall in that strength as it was four yeers since , besides the decay of merchants ships . a little before athens was orecom , the oracle told one of the areopagitae , that athens had seen her best daies , for her wooden walls ( meaning her ships ) were decayed . as i told you before , ther is a nation or two , that ow us an invasion . no more now , but that with my most kind and frendly respects unto you , i rest alwayes fleet may , . yours to dispose of , j. h. liii . to my honoured frend mr. e. p. sir , the times are so ticklish , that i dare not adventure to send you any london intelligence , she being now a garrison town , and you know , as well as i , what danger i may incur ; but for forren , indifferent news , you shall understand that pope u●…ban the eighth is dead , having sate in the chair above twenty 〈◊〉 a rare thing ; for it is observ'd , that no pope yet arriv'd to th●… yeers of st. peter , who they say was bishop of rome twenty an●… five . cardinall pamfillo , a roman born , a knowing man , and ●… great lawyer , is created pope by assumption of the name of in●…cent the tenth : ther was tough canvasing for voices , and a grea●… contrasto in the conclave , 'twixt the spanish and french faction , wh●… with the barberini , stood for sachetri , but he was excluded , as 〈◊〉 so another 〈◊〉 ; by these exclusions , the spanish party , whe●… of the cardinall of 〈◊〉 was chief , brought about barberio●… 〈◊〉 joyn with them for 〈◊〉 , as being also a creature of the dece●…sed pope . he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuncio in spain eight yeers , so that it conceiv'd he is much devoted to that crown , as his predecess●… was to the french , who had bin legat there neer upon twenty yeers , and was godfather to the last king , which made him to be fleurdelizé , to be flowerdeluc'd all over . this new pope hath already pass'd that number of yeers which the prophet assignes to man , for he goes upon seventy one , and is of a strong promising constitution to live som yeers longer . he hath but one nephew , who is but eighteen , and so not capable of busines ; he hath therfore made choice of som cardinalls more , to be his coadjutors ; pancirellio is his prime confident , and lodg'd in saint peters . t is thought he will presently set all wheels a going to mediat an universall peace . they write of one good augury amongst the rest , that part of his arms is a dove , which hath bin alwaies held for an emblem of peace ; but i beleeve it will prove one of the knottiest , and difficult'st tasks that ever was attempted , as the case stands 'twixt the house of austria and france , and the roughest and hardest knot i hold to be , that of portugall ; for it cannot yet enter into any mans imagination , how that may be accommodated , though many polliticians have beaten their brains about it . god almighty grant , that the appeasing of our civil wars prove not so intricat a work , and that we may at last take warning by the devastations of other countreys , before our own be past cure . the write from paris , that sir kenelm digby is to be imployed to rome from her majesty in quality of a high messenger of honour , to congratulat the new pope , not of ambassadour , as the vulgar give out ; for none can give that character to any , but a soverain independent prince ; and all the world knows , that her majesty is under couvert baron , notwithstanding , that som cry her up for queen regent of england , as her sister is of france . the lord aubeny hath an abbacy of one thousand five hundred pistols a yeer given him yeerly there , and is fair for a cardinalls har. i continue still under this heavy pressure of close restraint , nor do i see any hopes ( god help me ) of getting forth , till the wind shift out of this unlucky hole : howsoever , i am resolv'd , that if innocence cannot free my body , yet patience shall preserve my mind still in its freeborn thoughts : nor shall this storm slacken a whit that firm ligue of love , wherin i am eternally tied unto you . i will conclude with a distic , which i found amongst those excellent peems of the late pope . quem validè strinxit praestanti pollice virtus , nescius est solvi nodus amicitiae , fleet , iun. . your constant servitor , j. h. liv. to the l. bishop of london , late lord tresurer of england . my lord , you are one of the miracles of these times , the greatest miror of moderation our age affords ; and as heertofore when you carried the white staff , with such clean incorrupted hands , yet the crosier was still your chief care ; nor was it perceiv'd that that high all-obliging office did alter you a jot , or alienat you from your self , but the same candor , and countenance of mecknes appeard still in you , as whosoever had occasion to make their address to your gates , went away contented , whether they sped in their busines , or not ( a gift your predecessor was said to want . ) so since the turbulency of these times , the same moderation shines in you , notwithstanding that the miter is so trampled upon , and that ther bee such violent factions a foot , insomuch , that you live not only secure from outrages , but honor'd by all parties : t is true , one thing fell out to your advantage , that you did not subscribe to that petition which prov'd so fatall to prelacy : but the chief ground of the constant esteem the distracted world hath still of you , is your wisdom and moderation , pass'd and present : this puts me in mind of one of your predecessors ( in your late office ) marquis pawlet , who it seems sail'd by the same compass , for ther being divers bandings , and factions at court in his time , yet was he belov'd by all parties , and being ask'd how he stood so right in the opinion of all , he answerd , by being a willow , and not an oak . i have many thanks to give your lordship for the late visits i had , and when this cloud is scatter'd , that i may respite f●…ee ayr , one of my first journeys shall be to kiss your lordships hands : in the interim , i rest ▪ the fleet , sept. . your most devoted and ready servitor , j ▪ h. lv. to sir e. s. knight . sir , though i never had the least umbrage of your love , or doubted of the reality therof , yet since i tell into this plunge , it hath been much confirm'd unto me . it is a true observation , that amongst other effects of affliction , one is , to try a frend ; for those proofs that are made in the fawnings , and dazling sun-shine of prosperity , are not so clear , as those which break out , and transpeer through the dark clouds of adversity . you know the difference the philosophers make twixt the two extreme colors black and write , that the one is congregativum , the other disgregativum visus : black doth congregate , unite , and fortifie the sight ; the other doth disgregat , scatter , and enfeeble it , when it fixeth upon any object : so , through the sable clouds of advers fortune , one may make a truer inspection into the brest of a frend . besides this , affliction produceth another far more excellent effect , it brings us to a better , and a more clear knowledge of our creator ; for as the rising , and setting sun , appears bigger unto us , than when he is in the meridian ( though the distance be still the same ) the cause wherof is ascrib'd to the interposition of mists , which lye twixt our eyes and him ; so through the thick fogs of adversity ( which in this point are as pellucid and diaphanous as any chrystall ) we com to see god , and the immensity of his love in a fuller proportion . ther cannot be clearer evidences of his care , than his corrections ; when he makes the world to frown , then he smiles most upon us , though it be through a mask ; besides , it is always his method , to stroke them whom he strikes . we have an ordinary salute in english , god blesse you ; and though the verb be radically deriv'd from the dutch word , yet it would bear good sense , and be very pertinent to this purpose , if we would fetch it from the french word blesser , which is to hurt : this speculation raiseth my spirits to a great hight of comfort , and patience , that notwithstanding they have been a long time weigh'd down and quashd , yet i shall at last ore●…om all these pressures , survive my debts , and surmount my enemies . god pardon them , and preserve you , and take it not ill , that in this my conclusion , i place you so neer my enemies : whatsoever fortune light on me , com fair or foul weather , i shall be still fleet , of aug. . your constant servitor , j. h. lvi . to tho. ham. esqr. sir , ther is no such tresure as a true frend , it is a tresure far above that of saint marks in venice ; a tresure that is not liable to those casualties , which others are liable unto , as to plundering and burglary , to bankrups and ill debtors , to firing and shipwracks ; for when one hath lost his fortunes by any of these disasters , he may recover them all in a true frend , who is alwayes a set and staple commodity : this is verified in you who have stuck so close unto me in these my pressures ; like a glow-worm ( the old emblem of true frendship ) you have shin'd unto me in the dark : nor could could you do offices good to any that wisheth you better ; for i always lov'd you for the freedom of your genius , for those choice parts and fancies i found in you , which i confess , hath made mee more covetous of your frendship , than i use to be of others ; and to deal clearly with you , one of my prime arrands to this town ( when this disaster fell upon me ) was to see you . god put a speedy period to these sad distempers ; but this wish , as i was writing it , did vanish in the impossibility of the thing , for i fear they are of a long continuance : so i pray god keep you , and comfort me , who am the fleet , may . ▪ your true frend to serve you , j. h. lvii . to phil. warwick esquire . sir , the earth doth not always produce roses and lillies , but shee brings forth also nettles and thistles : so the world affords us not always contentments and pleasure , but somtimes afflictions and trouble ; ut illa tribulos , sic iste tribulationes producit : the sea is not more subject to contrary blasts , nor the surges therof to tossings and tumblings , as the actions of men are to encombrances and crosses : the ayr is not fuller of meteors , than mans life is of miseries ; but as we find that it is not a clear skie , but the clouds that drop fa●…es , as the holy text tells us , so adversity is far more fertil than prosperity , it useth to water and mollifie the heart , which is the center of all our affections , and makes it produce excellent fruit , wheras the glaring sun-shine of a continuall prosperity would enharden and dry it up , and so make it barren . ther is not a greater evidence of gods care and love to his creature than affliction ; for as a french author doth illustrat it by a familiar example , if two boys should be seen to fight in the streets , and a ring of peeple about them , one of the standers by parting them , le ts the one go untouch'd , but he falls a correcting the other , wherby the beholders will infer , that he is his child , or at least one whom he wisheth well unto : so the strokes of adversity which fall upon us from heaven , shew that god is our father , as well as our creator : this makes this bitter cup of ●…ffliction becom nectar , and the bread of carefulnes i now eat , to be true ambrosia unto me . this makes me esteem these walls , wherin i have been immur'd these thirty months , to be no other than a college of instruction unto me ; and wheras varro said , that the great world was but the house of little man , i hold this fl●…ct to be one of the best lodgings in that house . ther is a peeple in spain call'd los pattuecos who som threescore and od yeers since wer discoverd by the flight of a hawk of the duke of alva's ; this peeple , then all savage ( though they dwelt in the center of spain , not far from toledo , and are yet held to bee part of those aborigines that tubal cain brought in ) being hemm'd in , an●… imprison'd , as it were , by a multitude of craggy huge mountains , thought that behind those mountains ther was no more earth : i have bin so habituated to this prison , and accustomd to the walls therof so long , that i might well be brought to think , that ther is no other world behind them . and in my extravagant imaginations , i often compare this fleet to noah's ark , surrounded with a vast sea , and huge deluge of calamities , which hath overwhelmd this poor island . nor although i have been so long aboard here , was i yet under hatches , for i have a cabin upon the upper deck , whence i breath the best ayr the place affords ; ad heerunto , that the society of master hopkins the warden is an advantage to me who is is one of the knowingst , and most civill gentlemen that i have conversd withall . moreover ther are heer some choice gentlemen who are my co-martyrs , for a prisoner and a martyr are the same thing , save , that the one is buried before his death , and the other after . god almighty amend these times , that make imprisonment to be preferd before liberty , it being more safe , and desirable by som , though not by from the fleet , nov. . . your affectionat servitor , j. h. lviii . to sir ed. sa. knight . sir , vver ther a physitian that could cure the maladies of the mind , as well as those of the body , hee needed not to wish the lord major , or the pope for his uncle , for he should have patients without number : it is true , that ther be som distempers of the mind that proceed from those of the body , and so are cureable by drugs and dyets ; but ther are others that are quite abstracted from all corporeall impressions , and are meerly mentall ; these kind of agonies are the more violent of the two , for a●… the one use to drive us into fevers , the other precipitat us oftentimes into frensies : and this is the ground i beleeve , which made the philosopher think , that the rationall soul was infus'd into man partly for his punishment , and the understanding for his executioner , unless wisdom sit at the helm , and steer the motions of his will. i thank god i have felt both ( for i am not made of stone or steel ) having had since i was shut in heer a shrewd fit of the new disease ; and for the other , you must needs think that thirty one months close restraint , and the barbarousnes of the times , must discompose and torture the imagination , somtimes with gripings of discontent and anguish , not as much for my own sad condition , as for my poor countrey and frends , who have a great share in my nativity , and particularly for your self , whose gallant worth i highly honour ; and who have not been the least sufferer . the moralist tells us , that a quadrat solid wise man , should involve and tackle himself within his own vertue , and slight all accidents that are incident to man , and be still the same etiam si fractus illabatur orbis ; t●…er may be so much vertue and valor in you , but i profess to have neither of them in that proportion . the philosopbers often prescribe us rules , that they themselves , nor any flesh and bloud can observe : i am no statue , but i must resent the calamities of the time , and the desperat case of this nation , who seem to have faln quite from the very faculty of reason , and to be possess'd with a pure lycanchropy , with a wolvish kind of disposition to tear one another in this manner , insomuch , that if ever the old saying was verified , homo homini lup●… , it is certainly now : i will conclude with this distic , they err , who write no wolves in england range , her men are all turn'd wolves , o monstrous change ! no more , but that i wish you patience , which is a flower that grows not in evry garden ; your faithfull servitor , j. h. from the fleet , decem. . . lix . to my noble frend mr. e. p. sir , i have no other news to write to you hence , but that levantanse los muladares , y abaxanse los adarues , the world is turn'd topsey turvey . from the fleet , jan. . . yours , j. h. lx. to tho. young esq sir , i receiv'd yours of the fifth of march , and 't was as welcom to me as flowers in may , which are now comming on apace ▪ you seem to marvell i do not marry all this while , considering that i am past the meridian of my age , and that to your knowledge ther have been overtures made me of parties above my degrees . truly in this point i will deal with you as one should do with his confessor ; had i been dispos'd to have married for wealth without affection , or for affection without wealth , i had been in bonds before now ; but i did never cast my eyes upon any yet , that i thought i was born for , wher both these concurr'd . t is the custom of som ( and t is a common custom ) to chuse wives by the weight , that is , by their wealth : others fall in love with light wives , i do not mean venerean lightnes , but in reference to portion : the la●…e earl of salisbury gives a caveat for this , that beauty without a dowry ( without that unguentum indicum ) is as a gilded shell without a kernell ; therfore he warns his son to be sure to have somthing with his wife , and his reason is , because nothing can bee bought in the market without money . indeed t is very fitting that hee or shee should have wherwith to support both , acording to their quality , at least to keep the woolf from the door , otherwise 't were a meer madnes to marry : but he who hath enough of his own to maintain a wife , and marrieth only for money , discovereth a poor sordid disposition . ther i●… nothing that my nature disdaines more , than to be a slave to silver or gold ; for though they both carry the kings face , yet they shall never reign over me , and i would i were free from all other infirmities as i am from this : i am none of those ma●…monists who adore white and red earth , and make their prince's picture their idoll that way ; such may be said to be under a perpetuall eclips , for the earth stands alwaies 'twixt them , and the fair face of heaven . yet my genius prompts me , that i was born under a planet , not to die in a lazaretto . at my nativity , my ascendant was that hot constellation of cancer about the midst of the dog-daies , and as my ephemerides tells me , mars was then predominant : of all the elements fire swayes most in me ; i have many aspirings ▪ and airy od thoughts swell often in me , according to the quality of the ground wheron i was born , which was the belly of a huge hill situated south-east , so that the house i came from ( besides my father and mothers coat ) must needs be illustrious , being more obvious to the sun-beams than ordinary . i have upon occasion of sudden distemper , sometimes a madman , somtimes a fool , somtimes a melancholy od fellow to deal withall , i mean my self , for i have the humors within me that belongs to all three , therfore who would cast herself away upon such a one ? besides , i came tumbling out into the world a pure cadet , a true cosmopolite , not born to land , lease , house or office ; 't is true , i have purchas'd since , a small spot of ground upon parnassus , which i hold in fee of the muses , and i have endeavoured to man●…e it as well as i could , though i confess it hath yeelded me little fruit hitherto : and what woman would be so mad , as to take that only for her joynture ? but to com to the point of wiving , i would have you know , that i have , though never married , divers children already ; som french , som latin , one italian , and many english ; and though they be but poor bra●…s of the brain , yet are they legitimat , and apollo himself vouchsafed to co-operat in their production : i have expos'd them to the wide world , to try their fortunes ; and som ( out of complement ) would make me believe they are long liv'd . but to com at last to your kind of wiving , i acknowledge , that marriage is an honourable condition , nor dare i think otherwise without profanenes , for it is that epithet the holy text gives it : therfore it was a wild speech of the philosopher to say , that if 〈◊〉 co●…rsasition could be without women , angells would com down and dwell amongst us ; and a wilder speech it was of the cynic , whe●… passing by a tree wher a maid had made her self away , wish'd , that all trees might bear such fruit . but to pass from these mothe●… ▪ ten philosophers , to a modern physician of our own , it was a mo●… unmanly thing in him , while he displaies his own religion , to wish that ther wer a way to propagat the world otherwise than by conjunction with women , ( and paracelsus undertakes to shew him the way ) wherby he seems to repine ( though i understand he wa●… wiv'd a little after ) at the honourable degree of marriage , which i hold to be the prime link of human society , the chiefest happines of mortalls , and wherin heaven hath a speciall hand . but i wonder why you write to me of wiving , when you know i have much ado to man or maintain my self , as i told you before ; yet , notwithstanding , that the better part of my daies are already threeded upon the string of time , i will not despair , but i may have a wife at last , that may perhaps enable me to build hospitalls ; for although nine long lustres of yeers have now pass'd ●…re my head , and som winters more , ( for all my life , considering the few sun-shines i have had , may be call'd nothing but winters ) yet , i thank god for 't , i find no symptom of decay , either in body , senses , or intellectualls . but writing thus extravagantly , me thinks i hear you say , that this letter shews i begin to dote , and grow idle , therfore i will display my self no further unto you at this time . to tell you the naked truth my dear tom ; the highest pitch of my aym is , that by som condition or other , i may be enabled at last ( though i be put to sow , the time that others use to reap ) to quitt scores with the world , but never to cancell that precious obligation , wherin i am indissolubly bound to live and die from the fleet , of aprill , . your true constant frend , j. h. ad librum — sine me , liber , ibis in aulam , hei mihi , quòd domino non licet ire tuo . ovid. to his book . thou mayest to court , and progress too and fro , oh , that thy captiv'd master could do so . a new volume of familiar letters , partly philosopicall , politicall , historicall . the second edition , with additions . by james hovvell esq. ut clavis portam , sic pandit epistola pectus . london , printed by w. h. for humphrey moseley , and are to be sold at his shop at the princes arms in st , pauls church-yard . . to his highnes iames duke of york ; a star of the greatest magnitude in the constellation of charles-wayn . sir , this book was engendred in a cloud , born a captive , and bred up in the dark shades of melancholy ; he is a true benoni the son of sorrow , nay , which is a thing of wonderment , he was begot in the grave by one who hath been buried quick any time these five and fifty months : such is the hard condition of the author , wherin he is like to continue , untill some good angell roll off the stone , and raise him up , for prisoners are capable of a double resurrection ; my faith acertains me of one , but my fears make me doubtfull of the other , for , as far as i see yet , i may be made to moulder away solong among these walls , till i be carried hence with my feet forward : welcom be the will of god and the decrees of heaven . your highnesses , most humble and most obedient servitr. james howell . from the prison of the fleet. this may day . the stationer to the reader . it pleas'd the author to send me these ensuing letters as a supplement to the greater volume of epistolae ho-elianae , wher they could not be inserted then , because most of his papers , whence divers of these letters are deriv'd , were under sequestration : and thus much i had in commission to deliver . humphrey moseley . a new volume of familiar letters . i. to master tho. adams . sir , i pray stir nimbly in the busines you imparted to me last , and let it not languish ; you know how much it concerns your credit , and the conveniency of a friend who deserves so well of you : i fear you will meet with divers obstacles in the way , which if you cannot remove , you must overcom : a luke-warm irresolute man did never any thing well , evry thought entangles him ; therfore you must pursue the point of your design with heat , and set all wheels a going : t is a true badge of a generous nature being once embark'd in a busines to hoise up , and spread every sayl , main , ●…isen , sprit ! , and top sayl , by that means he will sooner arrive at his port : if the winds bee so crosse , and that ther be such a fate in the thing , that it can take no effect , yet you shall have wherwith to satisfie an honest mind , that you left nothing unattempted to compassit , for in the conduct of human affairs t is a rule , that a good conscience hath always withi●…dores enough to reward it self , though the success fall not out according to the merit of the endeavor . i was according to your desire , to visit the late new maried couple more than once , and to tell you true , i never saw such a disparity between two that wer made one flesh in all my life ; he , handsom outwardly , but of od conditons ; she excell●…otly qualified , but hard favord ; so that the one may be compard to a cloth of tissue doublet , cut upon course canvas ; the other to a buckram pettico●…t lin'd with sattin : i think cloth●… had her fingers smutted in snuffing the candle , when she began to spin the thread of her life , and lachesis frownd in twisting it up , but aglaia with the rest of the graces wer in a good humor , when they form'd her inner parts : a blind man is fittest to hear her sing , one would take delight to see her dance if mask'd , and it would please you to discours with her in the dark , for ther she is best company , if your imagination can forbear to run upon her face : when you marry , i wish you such an inside of a wife , but from such an outward phisnomy the lord deliver you , and westm. of aug. . your faithfull frend to serve you , j. h. ii. to mr. b. j. f. b. the fangs of a bear , and the tusks of a wild bore , do no●… bite worse , and make deeper gashes than a goose-quill somtimes , no not the badger himself , who is said to be so tenac●…s of his bite , that he will not give over his hold , till hee feels his teeth meet , and the bone crack : your quill hath prov'd so to mr. in-iones but the pen wherwith you have so gash'd him , it seems was made rather of a porcupine , than a goose quill , it is so keen and firm : you know anser , apis , vitulus , populos & regna gubernant ; the goose , the bee , and the calf ( meaning wax , parchment , and the pen ) rule the world , but of the three , the pen is most predominant ; i know you have a commanding one , but you must no●… let it tyrannize in that manner , as you have don lately ; som give out ther was a hair in 't , or that your in●… was too thick with gall , els it could not have so bespartered and shaken the reputation of ●… royall architect , for reputation , you know is like a fair struct●… long time a rearing , but quickly ruin'd : if your spirit will not let you retract , yet you shall do well to repress any more copies of the satyr , for to deal plainly with you , you have lost som ground at court by it , and as i hear from a good hand , the king who hath so great a judgment in poetry ( as in all other things els ) is not well pleased therwith . dispense with this freedom of westmin . iuly , . your respectfull s. and servitor , j. h. iii. to d. c. esqr. sir , in my last i writ to you that ch. mor. was dead , ( i meant in a morall sense ) hee is now alive again , for he hath abjur'd that club which was used to knock him in the head so often , and drown him commonly once a day : i discover divers symptoms of regeneration in him , for hee rayls bitterly against bacchus , and swears ther 's a devill in evry berry of his grape , therfore he resolves hereafter , though he may dabble a little somtimes , he will bee never drown'd again : you know kit hath a poetic fancy , and no unhappy one , as you find by his compositions , you know also that poets have l●…rge souls , they have sociable free generous spirits , and the●… are few who use to drink of h●…licons waters , but they love to mingle it with som of lyaeus liquor to heighten their spirits . ther 's no creature that 's kneaded of clay , but hath his frailties , extravagancies and excesses som way or other , for you must not think that man can be better out of paradise than he was within 't : nemo fine crimine , he that censures the good-fellow commonly makes no conscience of gluttony , and gormandising at home , and i believe more men do dig their graves with their teeth than with the t●…kard . they who tax others of vanity and pride , have commonly that fordid vice of covetousnes attends them , and he who traduceth others of being a servant to ladies , doth baser things : we are no angels upon earth , but we are transported with som infirmity or other , and 't will be so while these frail , fluxible humors reign within us , while wee have ●…luces of warm bloud running through our veins , ther must be ofttimes som irregular motions in us . this as i conceiye is that black beane which the turks alchoran speaks of when they feign , that mahomet being asleep among the mountains of the moon , two angels descended , and ripping his brest , they took his heart , and washed it in snow , and after pull'd out a black bean , which was the portion of the devill , and so replac'd the heart . in your next you shall do well to congratulat his resurrection or regeneration , or rather emergency from that course hee was plunged in formerly you know it as well as i ; and truly i beleeve hee will grow newer and newer evry day ; we find that a stumble makes one take firmer footing , and the base suds which vice useth to leave behind it , makes vertue afterward far more gustfull , no knowledg is like that of contraries : kit hath now o●…e-com himself , therfore i think he will be too hard for the devill hereafter . i pray hold on your resolution to be here the next term , that we may tattle a little of tom thumb , mine host of andover , or som such matters , so i am west . . aug. . your most affectionate servitor , j. h. iv. to t. d. esquire . sir , i had yours lately by a safehand , wherin i find you open unto me all the boxes of your brest ; i perceive you are sorehurt , and wheras all other creatures run away from the instrument , and hand that wounds them , you seem to make more and more towards b●…th ; i confess such is the nature of love , and which is worse , the nature of women is such , that like shadows the more you follow them , the faster they fl●… from you . nay some femalls are of that od humor , that to feed their pride , they will famish affection , they will starve those naturall passions which are owing from them to man ; i confess coynes becoms som beauties if handsomly acted , a frown from som faces penetrats more and makes deeper impression than the fawning , and soft glances of a mincing smile , yet if this coynes and these frowns savor of pride they are odious , and t is a rule that wher this kind of pride inhabits honor sits not long porter at the gate . ther are som beauties so strong that they are leagerproof , they are so barricadoed that no battery , no petard , or any kind of engin sapping or mining can do good upon them ; ther are others that are tenable a good while , and will endure the brunt of a siege , but will incline to parley at last , and you know that fort and femall which begins to parley is half won ; for my part , i think of beauties as philip king of macedon thought of cities , ther is none so inexpugnable but an asse laden with gold may enter into them ; you know what the spaniard saith , dadivas quebrant anpeñas , presents can rend rocks ; pearl and golden bullets may do much upon the impregnablest beauty that is ; it must be partly your way : i remember a great lord of this land sent a puppie with a rich coller of diamonds to a rare french lady madam st. l. that had com over hither with an ambassador , she took the dog , but returnd the coller , i will not tell you what effect it wrought afterwards : 't is a powerfull sex , they were too strong for the first , the strongest , and wisest man that was ; they must needs be strong when one hair of a woman can draw more then a hundred pair of oxen , yet for all their strength , in point of value , if you will beleeve the italian , a man of straw is worth a woman of gold ; therfore if you find the thing pervers , rather then to undervalue your sex ( your manhood ) retire hansomly , for ther is as much honor to be won as an hansom retrait as at a hot onset , it being the difficultest peece of war ; by this retrait you will get a greater victory then you are aware of , for therby you will over-com your self which is the greatest conquest that can be ; without seeking abroad , wee have enemies enough within doors to practise our valour upon , we have tumultuary and rebellious passions with whole hosts of humor●… within us , he who can discomfit them is the greatest captain and may defie the devill ; i pray recollect your self , and think on this advice of your true and most affectionat servitor , westm. decem. . j. h. v. to g. g. esq at rome . sir , i have more thanks to give you then can be folded up in this narrow paper , though it were all writ in the closest kind of stenography , for the rich and acurat account you please to give me of that renowned city wherin you now sojourn : i find you have most iudiciously pryed into all matters both civill and clericall , especially the latter , by observing the poverty and penances of the fryer , the policy and power of the iesuit , the pomp of the prelat and cardinall : had it not bin for the two first , i beleeve the two last , and that see had bin at a low ebb by this time ; for the learning , the prudentiall state , knowledge and austerity of the one , and the venerable opinion the peeple have of the abstenious and rigid condition of the other , specially of the mendicants , seem to make som compensation for the lux and magnificence of the two last : besides , they are more beholden to the protestant then they are aware of , for unles he had rise up about the latter end of the last century of yeers , which made them more circumspect and wary of their waies , life , and actions , to what an intollerable high exces that court had com to by this time , you may easily conjecture . but out of my small reading i have observed that no age ever since gregory the great hath passed , wherin som or other have not repind and murmurd at the pontificall pomp of that court , yet for my part i have bin alwaies so charitable as to think that the religion of rome , and the court of rome were different things . the counterbuffe that happen'd 'twixt leo the tenth , and francis the first of france is very remarkeable , who being both met at bolonia , the king seemd to give a light touch at the popes pomp , saying , ' t was not used to be so in former time . it may be so , said leo , but it was then when kings kept sheep , ( as we read in the old testament . ) no , the king replyed , i speak of times under the gospel , then , rejoind the pope , ' t was than when kings did visit hospitalls , hinting by those words at st. lewis who used oft to do so . it is memorable what is recorded in the life of robert grosted bishop of lincoln who liv'd in the time of one of the leo's , that he feard the same sia would overthrow l●…o , as overthrew lucifer . for newes hence , i know none of your friends but are at well as you left them , hombres y hembras : you are fresh and very frequent in their memory , and mentioned with a thousand good wishes and benedictions ; amongst others you have a larg room in the memory of my lady elizabeth cary , and i do not think all rome can afford you a fairer lodging . i pray be cautious of your carriage under that meridian , it is a searching ( inquisitive ) air , you have two eyes , and two eares , but one toung , you know my meaning ; this last you must imprison ( as nature hath already done with a double fence of teeth and lipps ) or els she may imprison you , according to our countryman mr. hoskins advice when he was in the tower. vincula da linguae , vel tibi lingua dabit . have a care of your health , take heed of the seren's , of exces in fruit , and be sure to mingle your wine well with water : no more now , but that in the large catalog of frends you have left behind here , ther 's none who is more mindfull of you then your most affectionat and faithfull servitor , j. h. vi. to dr. t. p. sir , i had yours of the tenth current , wherin you write me tidings of our friend tom d. and what his desires tend unto ; in my opinion they are somwhat extravagant . i have read of one , that loving honey more then ordinary , seem'd to complain against nature , that she made not a bee , as big as a bull , that we might have it in greater plenty , another who was much given to fruit wished that pears and plums wer as big as pumpions , these wer but filly vulgar wishes ; for if a bee wer as big as a bull , it must have a sting proportionable , and what mischiefs do you think such stings would do , when we can hardly endure the sting of that small insected animal as now it is ? and if pears and plums wer as big as pumpions 't were dangerous walking in an orchard about the aurumnall equinoctiall , ( at which time they are in their full maturity ) for fear of being knocked in the head ▪ nature the hand maid of god almighty doth nothing but with good advice i●… we make researches into the true reason of things , you know wha●… answer the fox gave the ape when he would have borrowed par●… of his taile to cover his posteriors . the wishes you write that t. d. lately made , wer almost a●… extravagant in civill matters , as the afore mentioned were in naturall , for if he were partaker of them , they would draw more inconveniences upon him then benefit , being nothing sortable either to his disposition or breeding , and for other reasons besides , which i will reserve till my coming up , and i pray let him know somuch from me , with my commendations , so i rest westmin . sept. . yours in the perfect'st degree of frendship , j. h. vii . to mr t. b. merchant in sevill . sir , though i have my share of infirmities as much as another man , yet i like my own nature in one thing , that requitalls to me are as sweet as revenges to an italian ; i thank my stars i find my self far proner to return a courtesie then to resent an injury : this made me most gladly apprehend the late occasion of serving you ( notwithstanding the hard measure i have received from your brother ) and to make you som returns of those frequent favors i received from you in spain , i have ta'ne away ( as you may perceive by the inclosed papers ) the weights that hung to that great busines in this court , it concerns you now to put wings unto it in that , and i beleeve you will quickly obtain , what useth to be first in intention though last in execution , i mean your main end : i heartily wish the thing may be prosperous unto you , and that you may take as much pleasure in the fruition of it , as i did in following of it for you , because i love you dearly well , and desire you so much happines , that you may have nothing but heaven to wish for ; in which desires i rest . white-hall , may , . your constant true frend to serve you , j. h. viii . to doctor b. sir , vvheras upon the large theoricall discours and bandings of opinions we had lately at gresham college , you desired i should couch in writing what i observed abroad of the extent and amplitude of the christian common-wealth in reference to other religions , i obtained leave of my self to put pen to paper , rather to obey you then oblige you with any thing that may adde to your judgement or enrich that rare knowledge i find you have already tresured up ; but i must begin with the fulfilling of your desire in a preambular way for the subject admits it . 〈◊〉 a principle all the earth over , except amongst atheists , that 〈◊〉 verum est a deo , omne falsum est a diabolo , & omnis error ab homine ; all truth is from god , all falshood from the devill , and all error from man ; the last goes alwaies under the visard of the first , but the second confronts truth to the face and stands in open defiance of her , error and sin are contemporary , when one crept first in at the fore-dore , the other came in at the postern , this made trismegistus , one of the great lords of reason , to give this character of man , homo est imaginatio quaedam , & imaginatio est supremum mendacium ; man is nought else but a kind of imagination , and imagination is the greatest lie ; error therfore entring into the world with sin among us poor adamites , may be said to spring from the tree of knowledg it self , and from the rotten kernells of that fatall apple : this , besides the infirmities that attend the body , hath brought in perversity of will , depravation of mind , and hath cast a kind of cloud upon our intellectualls that they cannot discern the true essence of things with that clearnes as the protoplast our first parent could , but we are involved in a mist , and grope as it were ever since in the dark , as if truth wer got into som dungeon , or as the old wisard said into som deep pit which the shallow apprehension of men could not fathom : hence comes it that the earth is rent into so many religions , and those religions torn into so many schismes , and various forms of devotion , as if the heavenly majesty were delighted as much in diversities of worship as in diversities of works . the first religion that ever was reduced to exact rules and ●…iruall observances was that of the hebrews , the ancient peeple of god , called afterwards iudaisme , the second christianity , the third mahometisme which is the youngest of all religions ; touching paganisme , and heathenish idolatrie they scarce deserve the name of religion , but for the former three ther is this analogy between them , that they all agree in the first person of the trinity and all his attributes ; what kind of religion ther was before the floud , it is in vain to make any researches , ther having bin no monuments at all left , ( besides that little we find in moses and the phaenician story ) but seths pillars , and those so defac'd , that nothing was legible upon them , though iosephus saith that one was extant in his daies : as also the oke under which abraham feasted god almighty , which was yeers after . the religion ( or cab●…l ) of the hebrews was transferred from the patriarchs to moses and from him to the prophets . it was honoured with the apearance , and promulgations of god himself , specially the better part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i mean the decalogue containing the ten commandements , 〈◊〉 being most of them morall and agreeing with the common notions of man are in force all the world over . the jews at this day are divided to three sects , the first , which is the greatest , are call'd the talmudists , in regard that besides the holy scriptures they embrace the talmud , which is stuff'd with the traditions of their rabbins and ca●…ams ; the second receive the scripture alone ; the third the pentateuch only , viz. the five books of moses which are called samaritanes . now touching what part of the earth is possessed by jews , i cannot find they have any at all peculiar to themselves , but in regard of their murmurings , their frequent idolatries , defections , and that they crucified the lord of life , this once select nation of god , and the inhabitants of the land flowing with milk and hony , is becom now a scorned squandered peeple all the earth over , being ever since incapable of any coalition or reducement into one body politic ; there where they are most without mixture is tiberias in palestine which amurath gave mendez the jew , whither , and to ierusalem , upon any conveniency they convey the bones of their dead friends from all places to be reinterred : they are to be found in all mercantile towns and great marts , both in africk , asia , and europe , the dominions of england , of the spaniard and french excepted , and as their persons so their profession is despicable , being for the most part but brokers every where : among other places they are allowed to be in rome her self near st. peters chair , for they advance trade whersoever they com ; with the banks of mony , and so are permitted as necessary evills : but put case the whol nation of the jews now living were united into one collective body , yet , according to the best conjecture and exactest computation that i could hear made by the knowingst men , they would not be able to peeple a countrey bigger then the seventeen provinces : those that are dispersed now in christendom , and turky , are the remnants only of the tribes of iuda , and benjamin with som levites which returned from babylon with zerubbabel : the common opinion is , that the other ten are utterly lost , but they themselves fancy that they are in india a mighty nation environed with stony rivers , which alwaies cease to run their course on their sabbath , from whence they expect their messias who shall in the fulnes of time ore run the world with fire and sword , and reestablish them in a temporall glorious state ; but this opinion swayes most among the orientall jews , wheras they of the west attend the coming of their messias from portugall ; which language is more common among them then any other : and thus much in brief of the jews as much as i could digest , and comprehend within the compas of this paper-sheet and let it serve for the accomplishment of the first part of your desire ; in my next i shall give you the best satisfaction i can concerning the extent of christianity up and down the globe of the earth , which i shall speedily send , for now that i have undertaken such a task my pen shall not rest till i have finished it , so i am westmin . aug. . your most affectionat ready servant , j. h. ix . to doctor b. sir , having in my last sent you somthing touching the state of iudaisin up and down the world , in this you shall receive what extent christianity hath , which is the second religion in succession of time and truth ; a religion that makes not sense so much subject to reason , as reason succumbent to faith : ther is no religion so harsh and difficult to flesh and bloud , in regard of divers mysterious positions it consists of , as the incarnation , resurrection , the ●…nity , &c. which as one sayd , are bones to philosophy , but milk to faith. ther is no religion so purely spirituall and abstracted from common naturall idea's , and sensuall happines as the christian : no religion that excites man more to the love and practise of vertue , and hatred of vice , or that prescribes greater rewards for the one , and punishments for the other : a religion that in a most miraculous manner did expand her self and propagat by simplicity , humblenes , and by a meer passive way of fortitude , growing up like the palm tree under the heavy weight of persecution ; for never any religion had more powerfull opposition , by various kinds of punishments , oppressions and tortures which may be said to haue deckd her with rubies in her very cradle ; in so much that it is granted by her very enemies , that the christian in point of passive valour hath exceeded all other nations upon earth : and ▪ t is a thing of wonderment how at her very first growth , she flew over the heads of so many interjacent vast regions into this remote isle so soon , that her rays should shine upon the crown of a british king first of any , i mean king lucius , the true proto christian king in the daies of eleutherius , at which time she receiv'd her propagation ; but for her plantation she had it long before by som of the apostles themselves . now , as christian religion hath the purest and most abstracted , the hardest and highest spirituall notions , so it hath bin most subject to differences of opinions and distractions of conscience , the purer the wheat is the more subject 't is to tares , and the most precious gems to flaws . the first bone that the devill flung was into the eastern churches , then twixt the greek and the roman , but it was rather for jurisdiction and power then for the fundamentalls of faith , and lately twixt rome and the north-west churches : now the extent of the eastern church is larger far then that of the roman ( excluding america ) which makes som accuse her as well of uncharitablenes as of arrogance that she should positively damne so many millions of christian souls who have the same common simboll of faith with her , because they are not within the close of her fold . of those eastern and southeast churches , ther are no less the●… eleven sects , wherof the three principallest are the grecian , th●… iacobite , and the nestorian , with whom the rest have som dependence or conformity , and they acknowledg canonicall obedience either to the patriarch of constantinople , of alexandria , of ierus●…lem , or antioch : they concur with the western reformed churches in divers positions against rome , as in deniall of purgatory ; in rejecting extremeunction , and celebrating the sacrament under both kinds ; in admitting their clergy to marry ▪ in abhorring the use of massie statues , and celebrating their liturgie in the vulgar language ; among these the russe , and the habassi●… emperours are the greatest , but the latter is a iew also from the girdle downward , for he is both circumcised and christened , having received the one from salomon , and the other from the apostle saint thomas ; they observe other rites of the leviticall law ; they have the cross in that esteem that they imprint the signe of it upon som part of the childs body wh●…n he is baptized ; that day they take the holy sacrament they spit not till after sunset , and the emperour in his progresses as soon as he comes to the fight of a church , lights off his camell , and foots it all along , till he loseth the sight of it . now touching that proportion of ground that the christians have on the habitable earth , ( which is the main of our task ) i find that all europe with her adjacent isles is peepled with christians , except that ruthfull country of lapland where idolaters yet inhabit ; towards the east also that region which lieth 'twixt tana●… and boristhenes the ancient countrey of the goths is possessed by mahumetan tartars ; but in these territories which the turk hath 'twixt the danube and the sea , and 'twixt ragusa , and buda , christians are intermixt with mahometans , yet in this cohabitation christians are computed to make two third parts at least , for here and elsewhere , all the while they pay the turk the quarter of their encrease , and a sulta●…y for every poll , and speak nothing in derogation of the alcoran , they are permitted to enjoy both their religion and lives securely . in constantinople her self under the grand signiours nose , they have twenty churches , in saloni●…e ( or thessa●…onica ) . ther are churches under the metropolitan of philippi , as many under him of atheus , and he of corinth hath about an hundred suffragan bishops under him . but in africk ( a thing which cannot be too much lamented ) that huge extent of land which christianity possessed of old 'twixt the mediterranean sea , and the mountaine atlas , yea as far as egypt , with the large region of nubia , the turkes have overmastered : we read of bishops met in synods in those parts ; and in that province where old carthage stood , ther wer bishops under one metropolitan ; but mahometisme hath now overspread all there about , only the king of spain hath a few maritim ●…ownes under christian subjection , as septa , tonger , oran and others . but through all the huge continent of afric , which it estimated to be thrice bigger then europe , ther is not one region entirely christian , but habassia or ethiopia , besides ther is in egypt a considerable number of them yet sojourning : now habassia according to the itineraries of the observingst travellers in those parts , is thought to be in respective magnitude as big as germany , spain , france , and italy conjunctly ; an estimate which comes nearer truth then that which som make , by stretching it from one tropic to the other , viz. from the red sea to the western ocean ; ther are also divers isles upon the coast of afric that are coloniz'd with christians , as the madera , the canari●… , cape verd , and saint thomas ; but on the eastside ther 's none but zoeotora . in asia ther 's the empire of russia that 's purely christian , and the mountain libanus in syria ; in other parts they are mingled with mahometanes , who exceed them one day more then another in numbers specially in those provinces ( the more 's the pitty ) where the gospel was first preached , as anatolia , armenia , siris , mesopotamia , palestina , chaldea , assiria , persia , the north of arabia , and south of india ; in som of these parts i say , specially in the four first , christians are thick mixt with mahometanes , a●… also in east india since the portugalls discovery of the passage by the cape of good hope , christians by gods goodnes have multiplyed in considerable numbers , as likewise in goa since it was made a●… archbishoprick , and the court of a viceroy : they speak also of a christian church in quinsay in china the greatest of all earthly cities ; but in the islands thereabouts called the philippinas , which they say are above in number , in thirty wherof the spaniard hath taken firm footing . christianity hath made a good progres , as also in iaponia : in the north-east part of asia som yeers since , christianity had taken deep root under the king of tenduc , but he was utterly overthrown by chingis one of his ow●… vassalls , who came therby to be the first founder of the tartarias empire , this king of tenduc was the true prester iohn , not the ethiopian king of the habassins , as scaliger would have it , whose opinion is as far distant from truth in this point , as the southernest part of afric from the northeast part of asia , or as a iecobite is from a nestorian : thus far did christianity find entertainment in the old world , touching the new , i mean america ▪ which is conjectured to equall , well near , the other three parts i●… magnitude , the spanish authors and merchants ( with whom ●… have conve●…sed ) make report of a marvelous growth that christianity hath made in the kingdomes of mexico , peru , brasil , & castilia delore , as also in the greater islands adjoyning , as hispaniola , cuba , portoric●… , and others , insomuch that they write of one ancient priest who had christned himself savages som yeers after the first discovery ; but ther are som who seeming to be no frends to spaine , report that they did not baptize half so many as they butcherd . thus have you as compendiously as an epistle could make it , an account of that extension of ground which christians possess upon earth , my next shall be of the mahometan , wherin i could wish i had not occasion to be so large as i fear i must be ; so i am sir , westmin . aug. . your respectfull and humble servant , j. h. x. to doctor b. sir , my two former were of iudaisme and christianity , i ▪ com now to the mahometane the modernst of all religions , and the most mischievous , and destructive to the church of christ , for this fatall sect hath justled her out of divers large regions in afric , in tartarie , and other places , and attenuated their number in asia which they do whersoever they com ; having a more politic and per●…icious way to do it then by fire and fagot , for they having understood well that the dust of martyrs were the thrivingst seeds of christianity , and observ'd that ther r●…ignes naturally in mankind , being compos'd all of one lump , and carrying the same stamp , a generall kind of compassion and sympathy , which appeares most towards them who lay down their lives , and postpose all worldly things for the preservation of their consciences , ( and never any diedso , but he drew followers after him ) therfore the turk goes a more cunning way to work , he meddles not with life ●…nd limbe to prevent the sense of compassion which may arise that ●…ay , but he grinds their faces with taxes , and makes them inca●…able of any offices either of authority , profit or honor , by which meanes he renders them despicable to others , and makes their ●…yes irksom to themselves : yet the turks have a high opinion of christ that he was a greater prophet then moses ; that he was the s●… of a virgin who conceiv'd by the smell of a rose presented to her by gabriel the angell , they beleeve he never sinn'd , nay in their alcoran they term him the breath and word of god , they punish all that blasphem●… him , and no iew is capable to be a turk but he must be first an abdula a christian , he must eat hogs flesh , and do other things for three daies , then he is made a mahometan , but by abjuring of christ to be a greater prophet then mahomet . it is the alfange that ushers in the faith of mahomet every where , nor can it grow in any place , unles it be planted and sown with gunpowder intermixt ; when planted , ther are divers waies of policy to preserve it , they have their alcoran in one only language , which is the arabic , the mother toung of their prophet , 't is as bad as death for any to raise scruples of the alcoran ; therupon ther is a restraint of the study of philosophy , and other learning , because the impostors of it may not be di●…cernd ; the mus●… is in as great reverence among them , as the pope is among the romanists ; for they hold it to be a true principle in divinity , that no one thing preserves and improves religion more then a venerable big●… pious esteem of the chiefest ministers ; they have no other guide o●…●…aw both for temporall and church-affairs then the alcoran which they hold to be the rule of civill justice , as well as the divine cha●… of their salvation ; so that their judges are but expositors of tha●… only , nor do they trouble themselves , or puzle the plaintiffe with any moth-eaten records , or precedents to entangle the busines , but they immediately determine it , according to the fresh circumstances of the action , & secundum allegata , & probata by witnesses ; they have one extraordinary piece of humanity to be 〈◊〉 tender of the rationall soul , as not to put christian , jew , gree●… or any other to his oath , in regard that if for som advantage 〈◊〉 gain or occasion of inconvenience and punishment any should 〈◊〉 sweare himself , they hold the imposers of the oath to be accessary to the damnation of the perjurd man ; by these and divers oth●… reaches of policy ( besides their arms ) not practis'd elsewhere they conserve that huge bulk of the ottoman empire which exten●… without interruption ( the hell●…spont only between ) in one cont●…-nued peece of earth two and thirty hundred miles , from buda 〈◊〉 hungary to a good way into persia ; by these means they keep al●… their religion from distracting opinions , from every vulgar fa●…cy , and scismes in their church , for ther 's no where fewer th●… heer ; the difference that is , is only with the persian , and that 〈◊〉 in fundamentalls of faith , but for priority of government in 〈◊〉 of religion . this so universall conformity in their religion , is ascrib'd as to other politic institutions , so specially to the rigorous inhibition they have of raising scruples and disputes of the alcoran under pain of death , specially among the laity and common peeple , whose zeal commonly is stronger then their judgment . that part of the world wher mahomet hath furthest expanded himself is asia , which as i said before , exceeds afric in greatnes , and much more in peeple ; he hath firm footing in persia , tartary ( upon the latter of which the musulman empire is entayld ) in turcomania it self , and arabia , four mighty kingdomes ; the last of these was the nest wher that cocatrice egge was hatched , which hath diffus'd its poyson so far and near , through the veines of so many regions ; all the southerly coasts of asia , from the arabian bay to the river indus is infected therwith , the vast kingdom of cambaia and bengula , and about the southpart of the inhabitants of malabar have drank of this poyson ; insomuch that by no wrong computation it may well be said that mahometisme hath dispersed it self over almost one half of the huge continent of asia , besides those multitudes of isles , specially seven , moldivia , and ceylan , the sea coasts of sumatra , iava , sunda , the ports of banda , borneo , with divers other wherof ther are many thousands about asia , who have entertaind the alcoran : in europe the mahometanes possess all the region twixt don and meper , call'd of old tanais , and 〈◊〉 , being about the twentieth part of europe , the king of poland dispenceth with som of them in lituania : touching greece , macedon , thracia , bulgaria , servia , bosnia , epire , the greatest part of hungary and dalmatia , although they be wholy under turks obedience , yet mahometans scarce make the third part of the inhabitants . in afric this contagion is further spread ; it hath intoxicated all the shore of ethiopia as far as mosumbic , which lyeth opposite to the midst of madagascar ; 't is worse with the firm land of afric on the north and west parts , for from the mediterranean sea to the great river niper , and along the banks of nile all egypt and barbary , with lybia and the negro's country , are tainted and tand with this black religion . the vast propagation of this unhappy sect may be ascribed first to the sword , for the conscience commonly is apt to follow the conquerer ; then to the loose reines it gives to all sensuall liberty , as to have eight wives and as many concubines as one can maintain , with the assurance of venerean delights in a far higher degree to succeed after death to the religious observers of it , as the fruition of beautifull damsells , with large rowling eyes , whose virginity shall renew after every act , their youth shall last alwaies with their lust , and love shall be satiared with onely one , where it shall remain inalienable . they concu●… with the christian but only in the acknowledgment of one god , and in his attrib●…tes : with the iew they symbolize in many things more , as in circumcision , in refraining from swines flesh , in detestation of images , and somwhat in the quality of future happines , which , as was said before , they place in venerean pleasure , as the jew doth in feasting and banquetings , so that neither of their lawes have punishment enough to deter mankind from wickednes and vice , nor do they promise adaequat rewards for vertue and piety ; for in the whole alcoran , and through all the writings of moses ther 's not a word of angelicall joyes and eternity : and herein christianity far excels both these religions , for she placeth future happines in spirituall , everlasting and unconceivable bliss , abstracted from the fading and faint grossenes of sense ; the jew and turk also agree in their opinion of women , whom they hold to be of an inferiour creation to man , which makes the one to exclude them from his moscoes , and the other from his synagogues . thus far have i rambled through the vast ottoman empire , and taken a cursary survey of mahomets religion ; in my next i shall tak the best view i can of pagans and idolaters , with those who go for atheists ; and in this particular , this earth may be said to be worse then hell it self , and the kingdom of the devill , in regard there are no atheists there , for the very damned soules find and feel in the midst of their tortures that ther is a god by his justice and punishments ; nay the prince of darknes himself and all the cacadaemons by an historicall faith beleeve ther is a god ; wherunto the poet alludes very divinely ; nullos in inferno est atheos , ante fuit . so i very affectionatly kiss your hand , and rest , westmin . . aug. . your faithfull ready servitor , j. h. xi . to doctor b. sir , hhaving in my three former letters washed my hands of the mahometan and the iew , and attended christianity up and down the earth , i com now to the pagan , idolater , or heathen , who ( the more to be lamented ) make the greatest part of mankind ; europe her self , though the beames of the cross have shin'd upon her above these sixteen ages , is not free of them ; for they possess to this day lappia , corelia , biarmia , scrifinnia , and the north parts of finmark , there are also som shreds of them to be found in divers places of lutuania , and somogitia which make a region nine hundred miles in compas . but in afric their number is incredible , for from cape blanc the most westerly point of afric all southward to the cape of good hope , and thence turning by the back of afric to the cape of mozambric , all these coasts being about the one half of the circumference of afric is peepled by idolaters , though in som places intermixt with mahometans and christians , as in the kingdom of congo and angola : but if we survey the inland territories of afric between the river of nile , and the west sea of ethiopia , even all that countrey from about the north paralell of ten degrees , to the south paralell of six degrees , all is held by idolaters , besides , the kingdom of borno , and a great part of nubia and lybia , continue still in their old paganisme , so that by this account above one half of that immence continent of afric is peepled by idolaters . but in asia , which is far more spatious and more populous then afric , pagans , idolaters , and gentiles , swarm in greater numbers , for from the river pechora eastward to the ocean , and thence southward to the cape of cincapura , and from that point returning westward by the south coasts to the out-lets of the river indus , all that maritine tract which makes a good deal more then half the circumference of asia is inhabited by idolaters ; so are the inland parts : ther are two mighty mountaines that traverse all asia , taurus and imaus , the first runs from west to east , the other from north to south , and 〈◊〉 quarter and cut that huge mass of earth into equall parts , this side those mountaines most of the peeple are mahometans , but tother side , they are all idolaters : and as on the firm continent paganisme thus reigns , so in many thousand islands that lye squandred in the vast ocean , on the east and south east of asia , idolatry orespreads all , except in some few islands that are possess'd by spaniards and arabs . lastly if one take a survey of america ( as none hath done yet exactly ) which is estimated to be as big as all the old earth , idolaters ther possesse four parts of five ; 't is true som years after the first navigation thither , they were converted daily in great multitudes , but afterwards observing the licentious lives of the christians , their greedines for gold , and their cruelty , they came not in so fast : which made an indian answer a spanish fryer who was discoursing with him of the joyes of heaven , and how all spaniards went thither after this life , then said the pagan , i do not desire to go thither if spaniards be there , i had rather go to hell to be free of their company : america differs from the rest of the earth in this , that she hath neither iew nor mahometan in her , but christians and gentiles only : ther are besides all those religions and peeple before mentioned , an irregular confus'd nation in europe call'd the morduits ; which occupy the middle confines betwixt the tartars and the russe , that are mingled in rites of religion with all those that have been fore-spoken ; for from the privy members upward they are christians in regard they admit of baptisme , from the navell downward they are mahometans or iews for they are circumcis'd , and besides they are given to the adoration of heathenish idolls : in asia ther are the card●… which inhabit the mountanous country about mozall , between armenia and mesop●…tamia , and the druci in syria who are demi mahometans , and christians . now concerning pagans and heathenish idolaters wherof ther are innumerable sorts up and down the surface of the earth , in my opinion those are the excusablest kind who adore the sun and moon with the host of heaven , and in ireland , the kerns of the mountains , with some of the scotch isles , use a fashion of adoring the new moon to this very day , praying she would leave them in as good health as she found them , this is not so gross and idolatry as that of other heathens ; for the adoration of those glorious celestiall bodies is more excusable than that of garlick , and onions with the egyptian , who i think ( with the sicyonian ) was the ancientest idolater upon earth which he makes thrice older than we do , for diodorus s●…culus reports that the egyptian had a religion and kings , eighteen thousand yeers since : yet for matter of philosophy and science , he had it from the chaldean , he from the gymnotophists and brachmans of india , which countrey as she is the next neighbor to the rising sun , in reference to this side of the hemisphear , so the beams of learning did first enlighten her : egypt was the nurse of that famous hermes trismagistus , who having no other scale but that of naturall reason , mounted very high towards heaven , for he hath many very divine sayings , wherof i think it not impertinent to insert here a few , first he saith , that all humane sins are veniall with the gods , impiety excepted . . that g●…odnes belongs to the gods , piety to men , revenge and wickednes to the devills . . that the word is lucens dei silius , the bright son of god , &c. from egypt theoricall knowledg came down the nile and landed at som of the greek islands , wher 'twixt the , , and the century of yeers after the creation , there flourished all those renowned philosophers that sway now in our schools ; plato flew highest in divine notions , for som call him another moses speaking athenian ; in one of his letters to a friend of his , he writes thus , when i seriously salute thee , i begin my letter with one god , when otherwise with many , his schollar aristotle commended himself at his death to the being of beings ; and socrates may be said to be a martyr for the first person of the trinity : these great secretaries of nature by studying the vast volume of the world came by main strength of reason to the knowledg of one deity or primus motor , and of his attributes ; they found by undenyable consequences that he was infinite , eternall , ubiquitary , omnipotent , and not capable of a definition ; which made the philosopher , being commanded by his king to define god , to ask the respite of a day to meditat theron , then two , then four , at last he ingeniously confessed that the more he thought to dive into this mystery , the more he was ingulph'd in the speculation of it : for the quiddity and essence of the incomprehensible creator , cannot imprint any formall conception upon the finite intellect of the creature , to this i might refer the altar which saint paul found among the greeks , with this inscription , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ to the unknown god. from the greek isles , philosophy came to italy , thence to this western world among the druydes , whereof those of this isle were most celebrous , for wee read that the gauls ( now the french ) came to britanny in great numbers to be instructed by them . the romans wer mighty great zelots in their idolatry , and their best authors affirm , that they extended their monarchy so far and neer , by a particular reverence they had of their gods , ( which the spaniard seems now to imitate ) though those gods of theirs wer made of men , and of good fellows at first , besides in the course of their conquest , they adopted any strange gods to the society of theirs , and brought them solemnly to rome , and the reason as one saith was , that they believed the more gods they had the safer they were , a few being not sufficient to conserve and protect so great an empire : the roman gentiles had their altars and sacrifices , their archflamins , and vestall nuns ; and it seems the same genius reigns still in them , for in the primitive church , that which the pagans misliked most in christianity was , that it had not the face and form of a religion , in regard it had no oblations , altars & images , which may be a good reason why the sacrifices of the mass and other ceremonies wer first instituted to allure the gentiles to christianity . but to return a little further to our former subject in the condition that man-kind stands now , if the globe of the earth wer divided to thirty parts , t is thought that idolaters ( with horror i speak it ) having as i said before , the one half of asia and afric , both for the inland country and maritim coasts with four parts of five in america inhabit twenty parts of those regions that are already found out upon earth , besides in the opinion of the knowingst and most inquisitive mathematitions , ther is towards the southern clime as much land yet undiscovered as may equal in dimension the late new world , in regard , as they hold ther must be of necessity such a portion of earth to balance the centre on all sides , and t is more than probable , that the inhabitants there must be pagans . of all kind of idolaters those are the horridest , who adore the devill whom they call tantara , who appears often unto them specially in a haraucane though he be not visible to others ; in som places they worship both god and the devill , the one , that he may do them good , the other , that they may do them no hurt ; the first they call tantum , the other squantum . 't were presumption beyond that of lucifers or adam's for man to censure the justice of the creator in this particular , why hee makes daily such innumerable vessells of dishonor ; it is a wiser and safer course far to sit down in an humble admiration and cry out , on the profound inscrutable judgments of god! his ways are past finding out , and so to acknowlege with the divine philosopher , quod oculus vespertilionis ad solem , idem est omnis intellectus humanus ad deum , what the eye of a bat is to the sun , the same is all human understanding to god-wards . now to draw to a conclusion , touching the respective largnes of christianity and mahometisme upon the earth , i find the first to exceed , taking the new world with the old , considering the spacious plantations of the spaniard in america , the colonies the english have there in virginia , new-england and charibbi islands ; with those of the french in canada , and of the hollander in east india : nor do i find that ther is any region purely mahometan without intermixtures , as christianity hath many : which makes me to be of a differing opinion to that gentleman , who held that christianity added little to the generall religion of man-kind . now touching the latitude of christian faith , in reference to the differing professors therof , as in my former i shewd that the eastern churches were more spacious than the latin or roman ( excepting the two indies ) so they who have fallen off from her in the western parts are not so far inferior to her in europe as som would make one beleeve ; which will appear if we cast them in counterbalance . among roman catholicks ther is the emperor , and in him the king of hungary , the three kings of spain , france , and poland ; all italy , the dukes of savoy , bavaria , and lorain , the three spirituall electors with som few more ; touching them who have renounc'd all obedience to rome , ther are the three kings of great britain , denmark and swethland , the duke of saxon , holstein , and wittemberg : the marquis of brandenburg , and baden , the landgrave of hesse ; most of the hansiatic towns which are in number ▪ som wherof are equall to republiques , the ( almost ) seven provinces the hollander hath . the five cantons of swiss and geneva , they of france who are reputed the fift part of the kingdom ; the prince of transylvania , they of hungary , and of the large kingdom of bohemia , of the marchisats of lusatia , m●…ravia , and the dukedom of silesia ; as also they of the huge kingdom of poland , wherin protestants are diffus'd through all quarters in great numbers , having in every province their publick churches and congregations orderly severed and bounded with diocesses , whence are sent som of the chiefest and most principall men of worth , unto their generall synods : for although ther are divers sorts of these polenian protestants , som embracing the waldensian or the bohennic , others the augustane , and som the helvetian confession ; yet they all concur in opposition to the roman church ; as also they of the anglitan , scotican , gallic , argentine , saxonick , wirtinbergick , palatin , and ●…elgick confessions : they also harmoniously symbolize in the principall atticles of faith , and which mainly concern eternall salvation , as in the infallible verity and full sufficiency of the scriptures , divine essence , and unity of the everlasting god-head , the sacred trinity of the three glorious persons , the blessed incarnation of christ , the omnipotent providence of god , the absolute supream head of the church , christ himself , justification by faith through his merits , and touching the nature of lively faith , repentance , regeneration , and sanctification , the difference between the law and the gospell , touching free will , sin , and good works , the sacraments , their number , use and efficacy , the marks of the church , , the resurrection and state of souls deceased : it may seem a rambling wild speech at first view , of one who said that to make one a compleat christian , he must have the works of a papist , the words of a puritan , and the faith of a protestant , yet this wish if well expounded , may bear a good sense , which were unfitting for me to give , you , being better able to put a gloss upon it your self . thus learned sir , have i exercis'd my pen , according to my small proportion of knowledg , and conversation with books , men and mapps , to obey your desire , though in comparison of your spacious literature i have held all this while but a candle to the sun , yet by the light of this small candle you may see how ready i am to shew my self westmin . aug. . your very humble and affectionat servitor , j. h. xii . to mr. t. w. sir , i am heartily glad you have prevaild so far with my lady your mother as to have leave to travell a while , and now that you are bound for france and italy , let me give you this caution to take heed of a speedy frend in the first , and of a slow enemy in the second ; the courtesies of an italian , if you suspect him jealous of you , are dangerous and so are his complements , he will tell you that he kisseth your hand a thousand times over , when he wisheth them both cut off . the french are a free and debonnaire acostable peeple , both men and women ; among the one , at first entrance one may have acquaintance , and at first acquaintance one may have entrance ; for the other , whereas the old rule was , that ther could be no true frendship without commessation of a bushell of salt , one may have enough there before he eat a spoon-full with them . i like that frendship which by soft gentle pauses steales upon the affection , and growes mellow with time , by reciprocall offices and trialls of love , that frendship is like to last long , and never to shrink in the wetting . so hoping to enjoy you before you go , and to give you a frendly ioy , i rest westmin . feb. . your most affectionat servitor , j. h. xiii . to sir tho. hawk . knight . sir , i was invited yesternight to a solemne supper by b. i. wher you were deeply remembred , ther was good company , excellent chear , choice wines , and joviall welcom ; one thing interven'd which almost spoyld the relish of the rest , that b. began to engross all the discourse , to vapour extremely of himself , and by villifying others to magnifie his own muse ; t. ca. buz'd me in the eare , that though ben had barreld up a great deal of knowledg , yet it seems he had not read the ethiques , which among other precepts of morality forbid self-commendation , declaring it to be an ill favourd solecism in good manners ; it made me think upon the lady ( not very young ) who having a good while given her guests neat entertainment , a capon being brought upon the table , instead of a spoon she took a mouthfull of claret and spouted it into the poope of the hollow bird ; such an accident happend in this entertainment you know — proprio laus sordet in ore ; be a mans breath never so sweet , yet it makes ones prayses stink , if he makes his own mouth the conduit pipe of it ; but for my part i am content to dispense with this roman infirmity of b. now that time hath snowed upon his pericranium . you know ovid , and ( your ) horace were subject to this humour , the first bursting out into , iamque opus exegi quod nec iovis ira , nec ignis , &c. the other into , exegi monumentum ae're perennius , &c. as also cicero while he forc'd himself into this exameter ; o fortunatam natam me consule romam . ther is another reason that excuseth b. which is , that if one be allowed to love the naturall issue of his body , why not that of the brain , which is of a spirituall and more noble extraction ; i preserve your manuscripts safe for you till your return to london , what newes the times afford this bearer will impart unto you . so i am , westmin . apr. . sir , your very humble and most faithfull servitor , j. h. xiv . to my cosen mr. i. p. at graves-end . cousin , god send you a good passage to holland , and the world to your mind when you are there ; now , that you intend to traile a pike and make profession of arms , let me give you this caveat , that nothing must be more precious to you then your reputation ; as i know you have a spirit not to receive wrong , so you must be carefull not to offer any , for the one is as base as the other , your puls will be quickly felt , and triall made what mettle you are made of after your first coming , if you get but once handsomly off , you are made ever after , for you will be free from all baffles and affronts . he that hath once got the same of an early riser , may sleep till noon ; therfore be wondrous wary of your first comportments , get once a good name , and be very tender of it afterwards , for 't is like venice glass quickly crackd , never to be mended , patched it may be ; to this purpose take along with you this fable : it happen'd that fire , water and fame went to travell together ( as you are going now ) they consulted , that if they lost one another , how they might be retreevd and meet again ; fire said wher you see smoak ther you shall find me , water said wher you see marsh and morish low grounds , there you shall find me ; but fame said , take heed how you lose me , for if you do , you will run a great hazard never to meet me again , ther 's no retreeving of me . it imports you also to conform your self to your commanders , and so you may more confidently demand obedience , when you com to command your self , as i doubt not but you may do in a short time : the hoghen moghen are very exact in their polemicall government , their pay is sure though small , . s. a week being too little a hire , as one sayd , to kill men . at your return i hope you will give a better account of your doings than he who being ask'd what exploits he had don in the low countrys , answerd that he had cut off a spaniards leggs , reply being made that that was no great matter , it had bin somthing if he had cut off his head , o said he , you must consider his head was off before ; excuse me that i take my leave of you so pleasantly , but i know you will take any thing in good part from him who is so much westmin . . aug. . your truly affectionat cosen , j. h. xv. to cap. b. much endear'd sir , ther is a true saying that the spectator oft times sees more than the gamester ; i find that you have a very hazardous game in hand therfore give it up and do not vie a farthing upon 't . though you be already imbarqued , yet ther is time enough to strike sail , and make again to the port , otherwise , t is no hard matter to be a prophet what will becom of you ; ther be so many ill favoured quicksands , and rocks in the way , ( as i have it from a good hand ) that one may easily take a prospect of your shipwrack if you go on ; therfore desist as you regard your own safety , and the seasonable advice of your westminst . may , . j. h. xvi . to mr. thomas w. at his chamber in the temple . sir , you have much streightned that knot of love which hath bin long tied between us , by those choice manuscripts you sent me lately , amongst which i find divers rare pieces , but that which afforded me most entertainment in those miscellanies , was doctor henry kings poems , wherin i find not onely heat and strength , but also an exact concinnity and evennes of fancy : they are a choice race of brothers , & it seems the same genius diffuseth it self also a ▪ among the sisters : it was my hap to be lately where mistress a. k. was , and having a paper of verses in her hand i got it from her , they were an epitaph and an anagram of her own composure and writing , which took me so far that the next morning , before i was up , my rambling fancy fell upon these lines . for the admitting of mistris anne king to be the tenth muse. ladies of helicon do not repine i adde one more unto your number nine , to make it even , i among you bring , no meaner than the daughter of a king , fair basil-ana , quickly passe your voice , i know apollo will approve the choice , and gladly her install , for i could name , som of less merit goddesses became . 〈◊〉 anna king. f. c. soares higher and higher every day in pursuance of his platonic love , but t. man. is out with his , you know whom , he is fallen to that aversness to her , that he sw●…ares he had rather see a basilisk than her . this shews that the sweetest wines , may turn to the tartest vinegar ; no more till wee meet , westmin . feb. . yours inviolably , j. h. xvii . to the lord c. my lord , ther are two sayings which are father'd upon secretary walsingham and secretary cecil , a pair of the best weighd statesmen this island hathbred : one was used to say at the councell table , my lords stay a little , and we shall make an end the sooner : the other would oft-times speak of himself , it shall never be said of me that i will d●…fer till to morrow what i can do to day : at first view these sayings seem'd to clash with one another , and to be diametrically opposite , but being rightly understood , they may be very well reconcil'd : touching the first , 't is true , that hast and choler are enemies to all great actions ; for as it is a principle in chimistry that omnis festinatio est a diabolo , all hast comes from hell ; so in the consultations , contrivings and conduct of any busines of state , all rashnes and precipitation comes from an ill spirit : ther cannot be a better pattern for a grave and considerat way of deliberation than the ancient course of our high court of parliament , who when a law is to be made , which concerns the welfare of so many thousands of men , after a mature debate and long discussion of the point beforehand , cause the bill to be read solemnly three times in the house , ere it be transmitted to the lords , and there also 't is so many times canvas'd and then presented to the prince : that which must stand for law , must be long stood upon , because it imposeth an universall obedience , and is like to be everlasting according to the ciceronian maxime , deliberandum est diu quod stat●…endum est semel : such a kind of cunctation , advisednes , and procrastination is allowable also in all councells of state and war , for the day following may be able commonly to be a master to the day passed , such a world of contingencies human actions are subject unto : yet under favour i beleeve this first saying to meant of matters while they are in agitation and upon the anvill , but when they have receiv'd form and are fully resolv'd upon , i beleeve then nothing is so advantagious as speed ; and at this , i am of opinion , the second saying aimes at , for when the weights that use to hang to all great businesses are taken away , 't is good then to put wings unto them , and to take the ball before the bound , for expedition is the life of action , otherwise time may shew his bald occiput and shake his posteriors at them in de●…ision : among other nations the spaniard is observ'd to have much phlegme , and to be most dilatory in his proceedings ; yet they who have pryed narrowly into the sequell and success of his actions , do find that this gravity , reservednes , and tergiversations of his , have turn'd rather to his prejudice than advantage , take one time with another : the two last matrimoniall treaties we had with him , continued long , the first 'twixt ferdinand and henry the seventh for catherine of aragon seven yeers ; that 'twixt king iames , and the now philip the fourth for mary of austria lasted eleven yeers ( and seven and eleven's eighteen ) the first took effect for prince arthur , the latter miscarried for prince charles , and the spaniard may thank himself and his own slow pace for it , for had he mended his pace to perfect the work , i beleeve his monarchy had not received so many ill favour'd shocks since . the late revolt of portugall was foreseen , and might have bin prevented , if the spaniard had not bin too slow in his purpose to have sent the duke of braganza out of the way upon som employment as was projected . now will i reconcile the former savings of those two renowned secretaries , with the gallant comparison of charles the emperor ( and he was of a more temperat mould , than a spaniard , being a flemin born ) he was us'd to say , that while any great busines of state was yet in consultation we should observe the motion of saturn which is plumbeous long and heavy , but when it is once absolutely resolved upon , then we should observe the motion of mercury the nimblest of all the planets , ubi desinit saturnus ibi in●…ipiat mercurius . wherunto i will adde , that we should imitate the mulberry , who of all trees casts out her buds latest , for she doth it not till all the cold weather be passed , and then she is sure they cannot be nipped , but then she shoots them all out in one night , so though she be one way the slowest , she is another way the nimblest of 〈◊〉 . thus have i obeyed your lordships command in expounding the sense of these two sayings according to my mean apprehension but this exposition relates only to publick affairs , and political●… negotiations , wherin your lordship is so excellently versed ; 〈◊〉 shall most willingly conform to any other injunctions of yo●… lordships , and esteem them alwaies as favours , while i am westmin . sept. . j. h. xviii . to sir i. browne kt. sir , one would think that the utter falling off of catalonia and portugall in so short a compass of time should much lessen the spaniard , the peeple of both these kingdoms being from subjects becom enemies against him , and in actuall hostility : without doubt it hath done so , yet not so much as the world imagines ; t is true in point of regall power , and divers brave subordinat commands for his servants , he is a great deal lessened therby , but though he be less powerfull , he is not a penny poo●…er therby , for ther comes not a farthing less every yeer into his exchequer , in regard that those countries wer rather a charge than benefit unto him , all their revenue being drunk up in pensions , and payments of officers and garisons ; for if the king of spain had lost all except the west indies , and all spain except castile her self , it would little diminish his treasury ; touching catalonia , and portugall , specially the latter , 't is true they were mighty members of the castilian monarchy , but i beleeve they wil sooner want castile than castile them ; because she fill'd them with treasure ; now that barcelona and lisbon hath shaken hands with sevill , i do not think that either of them hath the tith of that treasure they had before ; in regard the one was the scale wherby the king of spain sent his mony to italy , the other , because all her east indian commodities were barter'd commonly in andal●…zia and elsewhere for bullion ; catalonia is fed with money from france , but for portugall she hath little or none ; therfore i do not see how she could support a war long to any purpose if castile were quiet , unless souldiers would be contented to take cloves and pepper-corns , for patacoon●… and pistolls . you know money is the sinew and soul of war : this makes me think on that blunt answer which captain talbot return'd hen. the from calais , who having received speciall command from the king , to erect a new fort at the water gate , and to see the townwell fortified , sent him word that he could neither fortifie nor fi●…ifie without money . ther is no newes at all stirring here now , and i am of the ialians mind that said nulla nuova , buona nuova , no news good news . but it were great news to see you heer , whence you have bin an alien so long to holborn , iune . . your most affectionat frend , j. h. xix . to captain c. price . cosen , you have put me upon such an od intri●…t peece of busines , that i think ther was never 〈◊〉 ●…ike of it , i am more puzled , and entangled with it , than oft times ▪ use t●… be with my bandstrings when i go hastily to bed , and wan●…●…u a fair femall hand as you have to unty them ▪ i must imput●… 〈◊〉 this to the peevish humor of the peeple i deal withall ; i find it true now that one of the greatest tortures that can be in the negotiation of the world is , to have to doe with perverse irrationall half-witted men , and to be worded to death with nonsence ; besides as much brain as they have , is as full of scruples , as a burr is of prickles , which is a quality incident to all those , that have their heads lightly ballasted , for they are like buys in a barrd port , waving perpetually up and down . the father is scrupulous of the son , the son of the sisters ▪ and all three of me , to whose award they referr'd the busines three severall times : it is as hard a task to reconcile the fan●…s of st. sepulchers steeple which never look all four upon one point of the heavens , as to reduce them to any conformity of reason ; i never remember to have met with father and children , or children among themselves of a more differing genius and contrariety of humors , insomuch that ther cannot be a more pregnant instance to prove that human souls com not ex traduce , and by seminall production from the parents . for my part i intend to spend my breath no longer upon them , but to wash my hands quite of the busines , and so i would wish you to do , unles you love to walk in a labyrinth of bryers , so expecting with impatience your return to london , i rest westmin . apr. . your most faithfull servitor , j. h. xx. to my cosen mr. i. p. at lincolns inn. cosen , the last week you sent me word , that you wer so crampd with busines , that you could not put pen to paper ; if you write not this week , i shall fear you are not only crampd but cripled ; at least i shall think you are crampd in your affection rather than your fingers , and that you have forgot how once it was my good fortune to preserve you from drowning when the cramp took you in st. iohns pool at oxford . the cramp , as i take it , is a sudden convulsion of the nerves . for my part the ligaments and sinews of my love to you have been so strong , that they wer never yet subject to such spasmaticall shrinkings and convulsions . now , letters are the very nerves and arteries of friendship , nay , they are the vitall sp●…rits and elixar of love , which in case of distance and long absence would be in hazard to languish , and quite moulder away without them . amongst the italians and spaniards 't is held one of the greatest solecismes that can be in good manners , not to answer a letter with like civility , by this they use to distinguish a gentleman from a clown ; besides they hold it one of the most ●…ertuous ways to employ time . i am the more covetous of a punctuall correspondence with you in this point , because i commonly gain by your letters , your stile is so polite , your expressions so gallant , and your lines interspers'd with such dainty flowers of poetry and philosophy . i understand ther is a very able doctor that reads the anatomy lecture this terme , if ploydon will dispense with you , you cannot spend your hours better than to hear him . so i end for this time , being crampd for want of more matter , and rest west . iul. . your most affectionat loving cosen , j. h. xxi . to my nephew j. p. at st. johns in oxford . nephew , i had from you lately two letters , the last was wel freighted with very good stuff , but the other , to deal plainly with you , was no●… so ; ther was as much difference between them , as twixt a scots ▪ pedlars pack in poland , and the magazine of an english merchant in naples , the one being usually full of taffaty , silks and satins ; the other of calicoes , threed-ribbands , and such polldavy ware ; i perceive you have good comodities to vent , if you take the pains : your trifles and bagatells are ill bestowed upon me , therfore heerafter i pray let me have of your best sort of wares : i am glad to find that you have stor'd up so much already ; you are in the best mart in the world to improve them ; which i hope you dayly do , and i doubt not when the time of your apprentiship there is expir'd , but you will find a good market to expose them for your own and the publick benefit abroad . i have sent you the philosophy books you writ to me for ; any thing that you want of this kind for the advancement of your studies , do but write and i shall furnish you : when i was a student as you are , my practise was to borrow rather than buy som sort of books , and to be always punctuall in restoring them upon the day assign'd , and in the intrim to swallow of them as much as made for my turn ; this obligd me to read them thorow with more haste to keep my word , wheras i had not been so carefull to peruse them had they been my own books , which i knew wer always ready at my dispose . i thank you heartily for your last letter , in regard i found it smelt of the lamp , i pray let your next do so , and the oyl and labor shall not bee lost which you expend upon westm. aug. . your assured loving uncle , j. h. xxii . to sir tho. haw . sir , i thank you a thousand times for the choice stanzas you pleas'd to send me lately : i find that you wer throughly heated , that you wer inspir'd with a true enthusiasme when you compos'd them ; and wheras others use to flutter in the lower region , your muse soars up to the upper , and transcending that too , takes her flight among the celestiall bodies to find a fancy : your desires , i should do somthing upon the same subject , i have obeyd , though i fear not satisfied , in the following numbers . . could i but catch those beamy rayes , which phaebus at high noon displayes , i 'de set them on a loom , and frame a scarf for delia of the same . . could i that wondrous black com near , which cynthia ▪ when eclips'd , doth wear , of a new fashion i would trace a mask therof for delia's face . . could i but reach that green and blue , which iris decks in various hue , from her moist bow i 'de drag them down , and make my delia a summer gown . . could i those whitely stars go nigh , which make the milky way in skie , i 'de poach them , and at moon-shine dress to make my delia a curious mess. . thus would i diet , thus attire my delia queen of hearts and fire , she should have every thing divine that would befitt a seraphin . and 'cause ungirt unbless'd we find , one of the zones her wast should bind . they are of the same cadence as yours and aireable , so i am westm. sept ▪ . your humble servitor , j. h. xxiii . to the r. h. the lady eliz. digbye . madame , it is no improper comparison , that a thankfull heart is like a box of precious ointment , which keeps the smell long after the thing is spent : madame , ( without vanity bee it spoken ) such is my heart to you , and such are your favors to me , the strong aromatic odor they carryed with them , diffus'd it self through all the veins of my heart , specially through the left ventricle , wher the most illustrious bloud lyes , so that the persume of them remains still fresh within me , and is like to do , while that triangle of flesh dilates and shuts it self within my brest ; nor doth this perfume stay there , but as all smells naturally tend upwards , it hath ascended to my brain , and sweetned all the cells therof specially the memory , which may be said to be a cabinet also to preserve courtesies , for though the heart be the box of love , the memory is the box of lastingnes , the one may be term'd the source whence the motions of gratitude flow , the other the cistern that keeps them . but your ladiship will say , these are words onely ; i confess it , 't is but a verball acknowledgment ; but , madame , if i wer made happy with an opportunity , you should quickly find these words ●…urnd to actions , either to go , to run or ride upon your arrand ; in expectation of such a favorable occasion , i rest , madame , your ladiships most humble and enchained servitor , j. h. west . aug. . xxiv . to sir i. b. noble sir , that od opinion the jew and turk have of women , that they are of an inferior creation to man , and therfore exclude them , the one from their synagogues , the other from their meskeds , is in my judgment not only partiall , but profane ; for the image of the creator shines as clearly in the one as in the other , and i beleeve ther are as many female-saints in heaven as male , unless you could make me adhere to the opinion that women must be all masculine before they be capable to be made angels of . adde heerunto that ther went better and more refined stuff to the creation of woman than man ; 't is true , 't was a weak part in eve to yield to the seducements of satan , but it was a weaker thing in adam to suffer himself to bee tempted by eve being the weaker vessell . the ancient philosophers had a better opinion of that sex , for they ascribed all sciences to the muses , all sweetnes and morality to the graces , and prophetic inspirations to the sybills . in my small revolving of authors i find as high examples of vertue in women as in men , i could produce heer a whole regiment of them , but that a letter is too narrow a field to muster them in , i must confess , ther are also counter instances of this kind : if qu ▪ ●…bia was such a precise pattern of continency , that after the act of conception , shee would know her husband no more all the ●…me of her pregnancy till she had been delivered ; ther is another example of a roman empress , that when she found the vessel f●…ugheed , would take in all passengers , when the barn was ▪ full any one might thresh in the haggard but not till then ▪ for fear the right father should be discovered by the countenance of the child ▪ but what need i go so far off to ●…ake the ashes of the dead , ther are living examples enough pro and con of both sexes , yet woman , being as i said before , the weaker vessell , her failings are more ve●…iall than those of man , though man indeed being more conversant with the world , and meeting more opportunities abroad ( and opportunity is the greatest bawd ) of falling into infirmities as he follows 〈◊〉 worldly negotiations , may on the tother side be judg'd the ●…ore excusable . but you are far fitter than i , to discourse of this subject , being better vers'd in the theory of women , having had a most vertuou●… lady of your own before , and being now linked to another . 〈◊〉 wish a thousand benedictions may fal upon this your second choice ▪ and that — tam bona sit quam bona prima fuit . this option shall be my conclusion for the present , wherunto i ad that i am in no vulgar degree of affection west . . aug. . your most humble and faithfull servitor , j. h. xxv . to mr. p. w. sir , ther are two things which ad much to the merit of courtesies , viz. cheerfulnes and speed , and the contraries of these lessen the value of them ; that which hangs long twixt the fingers , and is don with difficulty and a sullen supercilious look , makes the obligation of the receivers nothing so strong , or the memory of the kindnes half so gratefull : the best thing the gods themselves lik'd of in the entertainments they received of those poor wretches baucis and philemon , was open hearty looks , — super omnia vultus , accessere boni — a clear unclouded countenance makes a cottage appear like a castle in point of hospitality , but a beetle-brow'd sullen face makes a palace as smoaky as an irish hut : ther is a mode in giving entertainment , and doing any courtesie els , which trebly binds the receiver to an acknowledgment , and makes the remembrance of it far more acceptable . i have known two lord high tresurers of england of quite contrary humors , one successively after the other , the one though he did the suters busines , yet he went murmuring , the other , though he did not , was us'd to dismiss the party with som satisfaction : t is true , money is welcom , though it be in a dirty clout , but 't is far more acceptable if it com in a clean handkercher . sir , you may sit in the chair , and read lectures of morality to all man-kind in this point , you have such a dextrous discreet way to handle suters in that troublesom office of yours , wherin as you have already purchased much , i wish you all increase of honor and ●…ppines , your humble and much obliged servitor , j. h. xxvi . to master f. coll. at naples . sir , t is confess'd i have offended by my over-long filence , and abus'd our maiden frendship ; i appear before you now in this white , sheet to doe penance , i pray in your next to send me an absolution ; absolutions they say are as cheap in that town , as curtesans , wherof 't was said ther wer on the common list , when i was there , at which time i remember one told me a tale of a cal●…brian who had bugger'd a goat , and having bought an absolution of his confessor , he was ask'd by a frend what it cost him , he answered , i procured it for four p●…stolets , and for the other od one , i think i might have had a dispensation to have maried the beast . i thank you for the exact relation you sent me of the fearfull earthquakes and fires which happened lately in that countrey , and particularly about vesuvius ; it seems the huge giant whom the poets say was hurld under the vast mountain by the gods for thinking to scale heaven , had a mind to turn from one side to the other , which hee useth to do at the revolution of evry hundred yeers , and stirring his body by that action , he was taken with a ●…t of the cough , which made the hill shake , and belch out fire in that hideous manner . but to repay you in the like coin , they send us stranger news from lisbon , for they write of a spick and span new island that hath peep'd up out of the atlantick sea , near the tarc●…ras , which never appeard before , since the creation , and it begins to be peepled already ; me thinks the king of spain needs no more countryes , hee hath too many already , unles they wer better united . all your frends here are well , and mind you often in town and countrey , as doth westmin . apr. . your true constant servitor , j. h. xxvii . to mr t. lucy in venice . sir , your last you sent me was from genoa , where you write that gli mariti ingravidano l●…r moglie cento miglia lontano , husbands get their wives with child a hundred miles off ; 't is a great vertue i confes , but 't is nothing to what our east india mariners can do heer , because they can do so , forty times further , for though their wives be at ratcliffe , and they at the red sea , though they be at madagasca●… , the magors court , or iapan , yet they use to get their wives bellies up here about london , a strange vertue at such a huge distance , but i beleeve the active part is in the wives , and the husbands are meerly passive , which makes th●…m among other wares to bring home with them a sort of precious hornes , the powder wherof , could one get som of it , would be of an invaluable vertue ; this operation of our indian mariner at such a distance is more admitable in my judgement than that of the weapon salve , the ung●…entum armarium , for that can do no good unles the surgeon have the instrument , and bloud , but this is don without both , for the husband contributes neither of them . you are now i presume in venice , there also such things are don by proxy , while the husband is abroad upon the gallies , ther be others th●…t shoot his gulf at home . you are now in a place wher you may feed all your senses very cheap , i allow you the pleasing of your eye , your eare , your smell and tast , but take heed of being too indulgent of the fist sense : the poets feign that venus the goddess of pleasure , and therfore call'd aphrodite , was engendred of the froth of the sea ( which makes fish more salacious commonly , than flesh ) it is not improbable that she was got and coagulated of that foam which neptune useth to disgorge upon those pretty islands wheron that city st●…nds . my lady miller commends her kindly unto you , and she desires you to send her a compleat cupboard of the best christall glasses murano can afford by the next shipping , besides she entreats you to send her a pot of the best mithridate , and so much of treacle . all your frends here are well and joviall , t. t. drank your health yesternight , and wish'd you could send him a handsome venetia●… cour●…isan inclos'd in a letter , he would willingly be at the charge of the postage , which he thinks would not be much for such a light commodity . farewell my dear tom , have a care of your courses , and continue to love him who is westmin . ian. . yours to the altar , j. h. xviii . to mr. t. jackson . at madrid . sir , though a great sea severs ●…s now , yet 't is not all the water of the ocean can drowne the remembrance of you in me , but that it floats and flows daily in my brain ; i must confess ( for 't is impossible the mind of man should fix it self alwaies upon one object ) it hath somtimes its ebbs in me , but 't is to rise up again with greater force ; at the writing heerof 't was floud , 't was spring-tide which sweld so high , that the thoughts of you overwhelm'd all others within me , they ingross'd all my intellectualls for the time . you write to me fearfull news ●…ouching the revolt of the catalan from castillia , of the tragicall murthering of the viceroy , and the burning of his house ; those mountaneers are mad lads . i fear the sparkles of this fire will fly further , either to portugall or to sicilia and italy , all which countries , i observ'd the spaniard holds as one would do a woolf by the ●…ar , fearing they should run a●…ay ever and anon from him . the newes here is that lambeth house beares all the sway at white-hall , and the lord deputy kings it notably in ireland , som that love them best , could wish them a little more moderation . i pray buy suarez works for me of the last edition , mr. william pawley , to whom i desire my most hearty commends may be presented , will see it safely sent by way of bil●…ao ; your frends here are all well , as is thanks be to god , holborn , mar. . your true friend to serve you , j. h. xxix . to sir edward sa. knight . sir edward , i had a shrewd disease hung lately upon m●… , proceeding as the physicians told me from this long reclused life , and close restraint , which had much wasted my spirits and brought me low : when the crisis was past , i began to grow doubtfull , that i had but a short time to breath in this elementary world , my feaver still encreasing , and finding my soule weary of this muddy mansion , and me thought more weary of this prison of flesh , than this flesh was of this prison of the fleet. therfore after som gentle slumbers , and unusuall dreames about the dawnings of the day , i had a lucid intervall , and so i fell a thinking how to put my little house in order , and to make my last will. heerupon my thoughts ran upon grunnius sophista's last testament , who having nothing else to dispose of but his body , he bequeathed all the parts therof in legacies , as his skin to the tanners , his bones to the dice makers , his guts to the musitians , his fingers to the scriveners , his toung to his fellow sophisters , ( which were the lawyers of those times ) and so forth : as he thus dissected his body so i thought to divide my mind into legacies , having as you know little of the outward pelf and gifts of fortune to dispose of , for never any was less beholden to that blind baggage . in the highest degree of theoricall contemplation , i made an entire sacrifice of my soul to her maker , who by infusing created her , and by creating infused her to actuate this small bulk of fl●…sh , with an unshake●… confidence of the redemption of both in my saviour , and consequently of the salvation of the one , and resurrection of the other : my thoughts then reflected upon divers of my noble frends , and i ●…ell to proportion unto them what legacies i held most proper ▪ i thought to bequeath unto my lord of cherbery , and sir k. dig●…y that little philosophy and knowledg i have in the mathematicks ; my historicall observations and criticall researches i made into antiquity , i thought to bequeath unto dr. vsher lord primate of ireland ; my observations abroad , and inspection into forrein states , i thought to leave to my lord g. d. : my poetry such as it is , to mistress a. k. who i know is a great minion of the muses : school languages i thought to bequeath unto my dear mother the vniversity of oxford : my spanish to sir lewis dives , and master endimion porter , for though they are great masters of that language , yet it may stead them somthing when they read la picara iustina : my italian to the worthy company of turky and levantine merchants , from divers of whom i have received many noble favours : my french to my most honoured lady the lady cor , and it may help her somthing to understand rablais : the little smattering i have in the dutch , british , and my english i did not esteem worth the bequeathing : my love i had bequeathed to be duf●…'d among all my dear frends , specially those that have stuck unto me this my long affliction ; my best naturall ●…ffections , betwixt the lord b : of br. my brother howell , & my three dear sisters , to be transferr'd by them to my cousins their children : this little sackfull of bones , i thought to bequeath to westminster abbey , to be interred in the cloyster within the southside of the garden , close to the wall , wher i would have desired sir h. f. ( my dear frend ) to have inlayed a small peece of black marble , and caus'd this motto to have bin insculp'd upon it , huc usque peregrinus , heic domi , or this , which i would have left to his choice , huc usque erraticus , beie fixus ; and instead of strewing my grave with flowers , i would have desired him to have grafted theron som little tree of what sort he pleas'd , that might have taken root downward to my dust , because i have bin alwaies naturally affected to woods and groves , and those kind of vegetables , insomuch that if ther wer any such thing as a pythagorean metempsuchosis , i think my soul would transmigrat into som tree , when she bids this body farewell . by these extravagancies , and od chimera's of my brain , you may well perceive that i was notwell , but distemper'd , specially in my intellectualls , according to the spanish proverb siempre desvarios 〈◊〉 la calentura , fevers have alwaies their fits of dotage . among those to whom i had bequeath'd my dearest love , you wer one , to whom i had intended a large proportion , and that love which i would have left you then in legacy , i send you now in this letter , for it hath pleased god to reprieve me for a longer time to creep upon this earth , and to see better daies i hope when this black dismall cloud is dispell'd ; but com foul or fair weather , i shall be as formerly fleet , mar. . your most constant faithfull servitor , j. h. xxxi . to the right honourable the lady wichts . madam , since i was hurl'd amongst these walls , i had divers fits of melancholy , and such turbid intervalls that use to attend close prisoners , who for the most part , have no other companions , but confus'd troops of wandring cogitations ; now , melancholy it far more fruitfull of thoughts than any other humour , for it is like the mud of nile , which , when that enigmaticall vast river is got again to her former bed , engendreth divers sorts of new creatures , and som kind of monsters ; my brain in this fleet hath bin often thus overwhelmd , yet i never found it so muddy , nor the region of my mind so much clowded , as it was lately after notice had of the sad tidings of master controulers death ; the newes heerof struck such a damp into me , that for s●…m space me thought , the very pulse of my bloud , and the motions of my heart wer at a stand ; for i was surpriz'd with such a consternation that i felt no pulsations in the one , or palpitations in the other . well madam , he was a brave solid wise man , of a noble free disposition , and so great a controuler of his passions , that he was alwaies at home within himself , yet i much fear , that the sense of these unhappy times made too deep impressions in him . truly madam , i lov'd and honour'd him in such a perfection that my heart shall wear a broad black ribband for him while i live , as long as i have a retentive faculty to remember any thing , his memory shal be fresh within me . but the truth is , that if the advantagious exchange which hee hath made were well considered , no frend of his should be sorry ; for in lieu of a white staffe in an earthly court , he hath got a scepter of immortality ; he that had bin ambassadour at the port to the greatest monark upon earth where he resided so many yeers an honour to his king and countrey , is is now arriv'd at a far more glorious port than that of constantinople , though as i intimated before , i fear that this boysterous weather hath blown him thither before his time . god almighty give your ladiship patience for so great a loss , and comfort in your hopefull issue ; with this prayer i conclude my self , madam , your lapp s most humble and sorrowfull servant , j. h. from the fleet , aprill . xxxii . to mr. es. counsellour , at the middle temple . sir , i had yours this morning , and i thank you for the newes you send me that divers of my fellow sufferers are enlarg'd out of lambeth , winchester , london , and ely house : wherunto i may answer you as the cheapside porter did one that related court newes unto him , how such a one was made lord treasurer , another chancellour of the exchequer , another was made an earle , another sworn privy counsellour , i , said he , yet i am but a porter still ; so i may say , i am but a prisoner still notwithstanding the releasement of so many : mistake me not as if i repin'd heerby at any ones liberty ; for i could heartily wish that i were the unic martyr in this kind , that i were the figure of one with never a cypher after it , as god wot ther are two many , i could wish that as i am the least in value , i 〈◊〉 the last in number . a day may com that a favourable wind may blow that i may launch also out of this fleet , in the mean time and alwaies after i am fleet , feb. . your true constant serv●…tor , j. h. xxxiii . to mr. r. b. at ipswich , gentle sir , i value at a high rate the sundry respects you have bin pleas'd to shew me ; for as you oblig'd me before by your visits , so you have much endeerd your self unto me since by your late letter of the current : beleeve it sir , the least scruple of your love is not lost ( because i perceive it proceeds from the pure motions of vertue ) but returnd to you in the same full proportion ; but what you please to ascribe unto me in point of merit , i dare not own : you look upon me through the wrong end of the prospective , or rather through a multiplying glass , which makes the object appear far bigger than it is in reall dimension ; such glasses as anatomists use in the dissection of bodies which can make a flea look like a cow , or a fly as big as a vulture . i presume you are constant in your desire to travell , if you intend it at all you cannot do it in a beter time , ther being little comfort , god wot , to breath english aire , as matters are carried : i shall be glad to steed you in any thing that may tend to your advantage ; for to tell you truly , i take much contentment in this inchoation of frendship , to improve and perfect which , i shall lie centinell to apprehend all occasions . if you meet master r , brownrigg in the countrey , i pray present my very kind respects unto him , for i 〈◊〉 my self to be both his , and fleet , aug. . your most affectionat servitor , j. h. xxxiv . to cap. c. price prisoner at coventry . cosin , you , whom i held alwaies as my second self in affection , 〈◊〉 now so in afliction , bei●…g in the same predicament of sufferance though not in the same prison as i ; ther is nothing sweetneth frendship more than a participation and identity of danger and durance : the day may com that we may discourse with comfort of these sad times , for adversity hath the advantage of prosperity it self in this point , that the commemoration of the one , is oft-times more delightsom than the fruition of the other : moreover adversity and prosperity , are like vertue and vice ; the two foremost of both which , begin with anxieties and pain , but they end comically in contentment and joy ; the other two quite contrary , they begin with pleasure , and end in pain , ther 's a difference in the last scene . i could wish if ther be no hopes of a speedy releasement you would remove your body hither , and rather than moulder away in idlenes , wee will devoutly blow the coale , and try if we can ex●…lt gold , and bring it o're the helm in this fleet ; we will transmute metalls , and give a resurrection to mortified vegetables , to which end the green lyon and the dragon , ye demogorgon and mercury himself with all the planets shall attend us , till we com to the elixer , the true powder of projection which the vulgar call the philosophers stone : if matters hit right we may heerby get better returns than cardigan silver mines afford : but we must not melt our selves away as i. meridith did , nor do as your countryman morgan did . i know when you read these lines , you l ' say i am grown mad , and that i have taken opium in lieu of tobacco : if i be mad , i am but sick of the disease of the time which reigns more among the english , than the sweating si●…knes did som six score yeers since amongst them , and only them , both at home and abroad . ther 's a strange magot hath got into their brains , which possesseth them with a kind of vertigo , and it reigns in the pulpit more than any wher else ; for som of our preachmen are grown dog mad , ther 's a worm got into their toungs , as well as their heads . hodge powell commends him unto you , he is here under hatches as well as i ; howsoever i am still in fair or foul weather , fleet , ian. . your truly affectionat cosen to serve you , j. h. xxxv . to the right honourable the lord of cherberry . my lord , god send you joy of your new habitation , for i understand your lordship is remov'd from the kings-street to the queens : it may be with this enlargment of dwelling , your lordship may need a recruit of servants : the bearer heerof hath a desire to devote himself to your lordships service , and i find that he hath a concurrence of such parts that may make him capable of it ; he is well studied in men , and books , vers'd in busines of all sorts , and writes a very fair hand ; he is well extracted , and hath divers good friends that are dwellers in the town , who wil be responsible for him : moreover besides this letter of mine your lordship will find that he carrieth one in his countenance , for an honest ingenious look is a good letter of recommendation of it self ; if your lordship hath not present occasion to employ him , hee may bee about you a while like a spare watch , which your lordship may wind up at pleasure . so my aym being to do your lordship service , as much as him a pleasure by this recommendation , i rest fleet , iul. . your l●…pps most humble servant , j. h. xxxvi . to mr. r. br. gentle sir , yours of the fourth current cam safely to hand , and i acknowledg with much contentment , the fair respects you please to shew me ; you may be well assur'd that the least grain of your love to mee is not lost but counterbalanc'd with the like in full weight ; for although i am as frayl a peece , and as full of infirmities as another man , yet i like my own nature in one thing , that i could never endure to be in the arrear to any for love ; wher my hand came short , my heart was bountifull , and help'd to make ●…n equall compensation : i hope you persist in your purpose for forren travell to study a while the world abroad ; it is the way to perfect you , and i have already discover'd such choise ingredients , and parts of ingenuity in you , that will quickly make a compleat gentleman . no more now , but that i am seriously fl●…t , iuly . . yours to dispose of j. h. xxxvii . to sir l. d. in the tower. sir , to help the passing away of your weary hours between those disconsolat walls , i have sent you a king of your own name to bear you company lewis the thirteenth , who , though dead three yeer●… since , may peradventure afford you som entertainment , and i think that dead men of this nature are the fittest companions , for such that are buried alive as you and i are . i doubt not but you who have a spirit to overcom all things , will overcom the sense of this hard condition , that you may survive these sad times and see better days , i doubt not , as weak as i am , but i shall bee able to doe it my self , in which confidence i stile my self , fl●…t , feb. . your most obliged and ever faithfull servant , j. h. my most humble service to sir j. st : and sir h. v. xxxviii . to master r. b. gentle sir , i had yours of the second current by master bloys , which obligeth me to send you double thanks , first for your letter , then for the choice hand that brought it me . when i had gon through it , me thought your lines wer as leaves , or rather so many branches , amongst which ther sprouted divers sweet blossoms of ingenuity , which i find may quickly com to a rare maturity ; i confess this clyme ( as matters go ) is untoward to improve such buds of vertue , but the times may mend , now that our king with the sun ; makes his approach unto us more and more , yet i fear we shall not com yet a good while to our former serenity , therfore , it wer not amiss in my judgment if som forraign ayr did blow upon the foresaid blossoms , to ripen them under som other meridian in the interim , it is the opinion of fleet , aug. . your very respectfull frend to dispose of j. h. xxxix . to mr. g : c. at dublin . sir , the news of this week , have been like the waves of that boysterous sea , through which this letter is to pass over unto you ; divers reports for peace have swoln high for the time , but they suddenly fell low , and flat again . our relations heer , are like a peal of bells in a windy blustring weather , somtimes the sound is strong on this side , somtimes on that side of the steeple , so our relations sound diversly as the ●…yr of affection carries them , and somtimes in a whole volley of news , we shall not find one true report . ther was in a dunkirk ship taken som months ago , hard by ar●…ndell castle , amongst other things a large picture seas'd upon , and carried to westminster hall , and put in the star-chamber to be publickly seen ; it was the legend of conanus a british prince in the time of gratian the emperor , who having married ursula the king of cornwalls daughter , wer imbarqued with virgins for britany in france to colonize that part with christians , but being by distress of weather beaten upon the rhine , because they would not yeeld to the lusts of the infidels , after the example of ursula they wer all slain , their bodies wèr carried to colen wher ther stands to this day a stately church built for them : this is the story of that picture , yet the common peeple heer takes conanus for our king , and vrsula for the queen , and the bishop which stands hard by to be the pope , and so stare upon it accordingly , notwithstanding that the prince there represented , hath sandalls on his feet after the old fashion , that the coronets on their heads resemble those of dukes and earls , as also that ther are rays about them , which never use to be applyed to living persons , with divers other incongruities : yet it cannot be beaten out of the belief of thousands heer , but that it was intended to represent our king and queen , which makes me conclude with this interjection of wonder , oh the ignorance of the common peeple ? fleet , aug. . your faithfull frend to command , j. h. xl. to master end. por. at paris . sir , i most affectionatly kiss your hands for the account ( and candid opinion ) you please to give me of the history i sent her majesty of the late k. her brothers reign , i return you also a thousand thanks for your comfortable advice , that having bin so long under hatches in this fleet i should fancy my self to bee in a long voyage at sea : t is true , opinion can do much , & indeed she is that great lady which rules the world ; ther is a wise saying in that countrey wher you s●… journ now , that c●…st nest pas la place , mais la pensée qui sait la prison , 't is not the place but opinion that makes the prison , the conceit is more than the condition : you go on to prefer my captivity in this fleet to that of a voyager at sea , in regard that he is subject to storms and springing of leaks , to pyrates and pica●…oons , with other casualties ; you write i have other advantages also , to be free from plundering , and other barbarismes , that reign now abroad ; 't is true i am secur'd from all these , yet touching the first , i could be content to expose my self to all those chances , so that this wer a floating fleet , that i might breath free ayr , for i have not been suffered to stir ore the threshold of this house this four yeers ; wheras you say i have a book for my companion , 't is true , i convers somtimes with dead men , and what fitter associats can ther be for one that is buried alive ( as i am ) than dead men , and now will i adventure to send you a kind of epitaph i made of my self this morning , as i was lolling a bed , heer lies intomb'd a walking thing , whom fortune ( with the states ) did fling between these walls ; why ? ask not that , that blind whore doth she knows not , what . t is a strange world you 'll say , when men make their own epitaphs in their graves , but we that are thus buried alive , have one advantage above others , that we are like to have a double resurrection ; i am sure of one , but if these times hold , i cannot ascertain my self of the other , for i may be suffered to rot heer for ought i know : it being the hard destiny of som in these times , when they are once clapp'd up , to be so forgotten as if ther wer no such men in the world . i humbly thank you for your avisos , i cannot correspond with you in that kind as freely as i would , only in the generall i must tell you , that we are com to such a pass , that the posie which a young couple did put upon their wedding ring , may fit us in the generall , which was , god knows what will becom of us . but i trust these bad times will be recompenced with better ; for my part that which keeps me alive is your motto ther of the house of bourbon , and t is but one word , l'sperance . so i pray god preserve you , and fleet , ian. . your most faithfull humble servitor , j. h. xli . to master j. h. at saint johns college in cambridge . master hall , yours of the thirteenth of this instant cam safely , though slowly , to hand , for i had it not till the twentieth of the same , and the next day your essayes were brought me ; i enterrain'd both with much respect , for i found therin many choice and ripe notions , which i hope proceeds from a pregnancy rather than precocity of spirit in you . i perceive you have entred the suburbs of sparta already , and that you are in a fair way to get the town it self , i know you have wherwith to adorn her ; nay you may in time gain athens her self , with all the knowledg she was ever mistris of , if you go on in your carreer with constancy ; i find you have a genius for the most solid and ●…everest sort of studies , therfore , when you have pass'd through the briers of logic , i could wish you to go strongly on in the fair fields of philosophy and the mathematics , which are true academicall studies , and they will afford rich matter of application for your inventive spirit to work upon ; by all means understand aristotle in his owne language , for it is the language of learning ; touching poetry , history , and other humane studies , they may serve you for recreation , but let them not by any means allure your affections from the first . i shall delight to hear somtimes of your proceedings , for i profess a great deal of good will unto you , which makes me rest your respectfull frend to serve you , j. h. fleet decem. xlii . to my b. the l. b. of b. in france . my good lord and br. although the sense of my own hard condition be enough to make me melancholy , yet when i contemplat yours , ( as i often do ) and compare your kind of banishment with my imprisonment , i find the apprehension of the first wherin so many have a share , ads a double weight unto my sufferings , though but single ; truly these thoughts to me are as so many corrosives to one already in a consumption . the world crys you up to be an excellent divine and philosopher , now is the time for you to make advantage of both ; of the first , by calling to mind that afflictions are the portion of the best theophiles ; of the other , by a well weigh'd consideration that crosses and troubles are entaild upon man-kind , as much as any other inheritance : in this respect i am no cadet , for you know i have had a double if not a treble share , and may bee rather call'd the elder brother , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i hope i shall not sink under the burden , but that we shall be both reserved for better days , specially now that the king ( with the sun and the spring ) makes his approach more and more towards us from the north. god almighty ( the god of our good old father ) still guard you and guide you , that after so long a separation we may meet again with comfort to confer notes and recount matters pass'd ; for advers fortune , among other properties , hath this for one , that her present pressures are not so irksom , as the remembrance of them being passed are delightsom . so i remain your most loving brother , j. h. fleet , maii. . xliii . to sir l. dives in the tower. sir , among divers other properties that attend a long captivity , one is that it purgeth the humors , specially it correcteth chol●…r , and attempers it with phlegme , which you know in spanish is taken for patience : it hath also a chymicall kind of quality to refi●…e the dross and feculency of a corrupt nature , as fire useth to purifié metalls , and to destroy that terram adamicam in them as the chymist calls it , for demogorgon with his vegetables partak'd of adams malediction as well as other creatures , which makes som of them so foul and imperfect , nature having design'd them all for gold and silver at first , , and 't is fi●…e can only rectifie , and reduc●… them towards such a perfection . this fleet hath bin such a furnace to me , it hath bin a kind of perillus bull , or rather to use the paracelsian phrase , i have bin heer in ventre equino in the limbec and crusible of affliction : and wheras the chymist commonly requires but daies antequam corvus in columba●… vertatur , before the crow turnes to a dove ; i have bin heer five times so many daies , and upward . i have ●…een heer time enough in conscience to pass all the degrees and effects of fire , as distillation , sublimation , mortification , calcination , solution , descension , dealbation , rubification , and fixation , for i have bin fastned to the walls of this prison any time these fifty five moneths ; i have bin heer long enough , if i wer matter capable therof , to be made the philosophers stone , to be converted from water to powder which is the whole magistery : i have been besides , so long upon the anvill , that me thinks i am grown malleable , and hammer proof , i am so habituated to hardship : but indeed you that are made of a choicer mold , are fitter to be turned into the elixer than i who have so much dross and corruption in me , that it will require more paines and much more expence , to be purg'd and defecated : god send us both patience to bear the brunt of this fiery tryall , and grace to turn these decoctions into aquam vitae , to make soveraign treacle of this viper . the trojan prince was forced to pass over phlegeton , and pay charon his freight , before he could get into the elyzian fields , you know the morall , that we must pass through hell to heaven , and why not as well through a prison to paradise , such may the towre prove to you , and the fleet to me , who am from the prison of the fleet , feb. . your humble and hearty servitor , j. h. xliv . to the right honble the lord r. my lord , sure ther is som angry planet hath lowred long upon the catholic king ; and though one of his titles to pagan princes be , that he wears the sun for his helmet , because it never sets upon all his dominions , in regard som part of them he on the to'ther side of the hemisphere among the antipodes , yet me thinks that neither that great star , or any of the rest are now propitious unto him ▪ they cast it seems more benign influxes upon the flower de lu●… which thrives wonderfully , but how long these favourable aspects will last , i will not presume to judge , this among divers others of late , hath bin a fatall yeer to the said king , for westward he hath lost dunkirk ; dunkirk which was the terror of this part of the world , the scourge of the occidentall seas , whose name was grown to be a bugbear for so many yeers , hath now changed her master , and thrown away the ragged staffe ; doubtles a great exploit it was to take this town : but whether this be advantagious to holland ? ( as i am sure it is not to england ) time will shew ; it is more than probable that it may make him careless at sea , and in the building and arming of his ships , having no enemy now near him ; besides i believe it cannot much benefit hans to have the french 〈◊〉 contiguous to him , the old saying was ayezle francois pour ton 〈◊〉 non pas pour ton voison : have the frenchman for thy frend , not 〈◊〉 ●…hy neighbour . touching england , i believe these distractions of ours have bi●… one of the greatest advantages that could befall france , and they happened in the most favourable conjuncture of time that migh●… be , els i beleeve he would never have as much as attempted dunkirk ; for england in true reason of state had reason to prevent nothing more , in regard no one place could have added more to the navall power of france ; this will make his s●…iles swell bigger , and i ●…car make him claim in time as much regality in these narrow sea●… as england her self . in italy the spaniard hath also had ill successes at piombino , and porto longone : besides they write that he hath lost i l prete , & il medico , the priest and the physician , to wit the pope , and the duke of florence ( the house of medici ) who appear rather for the french than for him . ad to all these disasters that he hath lost within the revolution of the same yeer the prince of spain his unic son in the very flower of his age being but seventeen yeers old . these with the falling off of catalonia and portugall , with the death of his queen not above forty , are heavy losses to the catholick king , and must needs much enfeeble the great bulk of his monarchy , falling out in so short a compas of time one upon the neck of another , and we are not to enter into the secret counsells of god almighty for a reason . i have read 't was the sensuality of the flesh that drave the kings out of rome , the french out of sicily , and brought the moores into spain , where they kept firm footing above seven hundred yeers : i could tell you how not long before her death the late queen of spain took off one of her chapines , and clowted olivares about the noddle with it , because he had accompanied the king to a lady of pleasure , telling him , that he should know , she was sister to a king of france , as well as wife to a king of spain ; for my part , france and spain is all one to me in point of affection . i am one of those indifferent men that would have the scales of power in europe kept even : i am also a philerenus a lover of peace , and i could wish the french were more inclinable to it , now that the common enemy hath invaded the territories of saint mar●… . nor can i but admire that at the same time the french should assaile italy at one side , when the turke was doing it on the other : but had that great navall power of christians which wer this summer upon the coasts of toscany gon against the mahometan fleet which was the same time setting upon candie , they might in all likelihood have achieved a glorious exploit , and driven the turke into the hellespont . nor is poor christendom torn thus in peeces by the german , spaniard , french and sweds , but our three kingdoms have also most pittifully scratch'd her face , wasted her spirits , and let out som of her illustrious bloud , by our late horrid distractions : wherby it may be infer'd that the musti and the pope seem to thrive in their devotion one way , a chief part of the prayers of the one being , that discord should still continue 'twixt christian princes , of the other , that division should still increase between the protestants ▪ this poor island is a wofull example th●…of i hear the peace 'twixt spain and holland is absolutely concluded by the plenipotentiary ministers at munster , who have beat their heads so many yeers about it , but they write that the french and swed do mainly endeavour , and set all the wheels of policy a going to puzzle and prevent it ; if it take effect , as i do not see how the hollander in common honesty can evade it , i hope it will conduce much to an universall peace , which god grant , for wa●… is a fire struck in the devills tinder box . no more now but that i am , my lord , your most humble servitor , j. h. fleet , decem. . xlv . to mr. e. o. counsellour , at grayes inne . sir , the sad tidings of my dear frend doctor prichards death sunk deep into me , and the more i ruminat upon 't , the more i resent it : but when i contemplat the order , and those adamantine laws which nature put in such strict execution throughout this elementary world ; when i consider that up and down this frail globe of earth we are but strangers , or sojourners at best , being design'd for an infinitely better countrey ; when i think that our egress out of this life , is as naturall to us as our ingress ( all which he knew as much as any , ) these thoughts in a checking way turn my melancholy to a counter passion , they beget another spirit within me : you know that in the disposing of all sublunary things , nature is gods handmaid , fate his commissioner , time his instrument , and death his executioner ; by the first we have generation , by the second , successes good or bad , and the two last ▪ bring us to our end ; time with his vast sith mowes down all things , and death sweeps away those mowings : well , he was a rare , and a compleat judicious scholar , as any that i have known born under our meridian , he was both solid and acute , nor do i remember to have seen soundnes and quaintnes with such sweet straines of morality concur so in any . i should think that he fell ●…ick of the times , but that i knew him to be so good a divine and philosopher , and to have studied the theory of this world so much , that nothing could take impression in him to hurt himself , therfore i am content to beleeve , that his glass ran out without my jogging : i know you lov'd him deerly well , which shall make ●…e the more fleet , aug. your most affectionat servitor , j. h. xlvi . to i. w. esq at grayes inne . gentle sir , i value at a high rate the fair respects you shew me , by the late ingenious expressions of your letter ; but the merit you ascribe unto me in the superlative , might have very well serv'd in the positive , and 't is well if i deserve in that degree . you write that you have singular contentment and profit , in the perusall of som things of mine , i am heartily glad they afforded any entertainment to a gentleman of so choice a judgement as your self . i have a foolish working braine of mine own , in labour still with somthing , and i can hardly keep it from superfetations , though oftimes it produce a mouse in lieu of a mountaine ; i ●…ust confess it's best productions are but homely and hard fa●…our'd , yet in regard they appear handsom in your eyes , i shall 〈◊〉 them the better , so i am , sir , yours most obliged to serve you , j. h. fleet , ian. . xlvii . to mr. tho. h. sir , though the times abound with schismes more than ever ( 〈◊〉 more is our misery ) yet , i hope , you will not suffer any 〈◊〉 creep into our frendship , though i apprehend som feares therof b●… your long silence , and cessation of literall correspondence ; yo●… know ther is a peculiar religion attends frendship , ther is according to the etymologie of the word , a ligation and solemne 〈◊〉 the res●…inding wherof may be truly call'd a schisme , or a 〈◊〉 which is more ; ther belongs to this religion of frendship 〈◊〉 due rites , and decent ceremonies , as visits , messages and 〈◊〉 sives ; though i am content to beleeve that you are firm in th●… fundamentalls , yet i find under favor , that you have lately 〈◊〉 ●…en short of performing these exteriour offices , as if the ceremo●…●…ll law were quite abrogated with you in all things : frends●… also allowes of merits , and workes of supererogation somtimes 〈◊〉 make her capable of eternity : you know that pair which wer 〈◊〉 ken up into the heaven , and placed amongst the brightest stam●… for their rare constancy and fidelity one to the other ; you kno●… also they are put among the fixed stars not the ●…ratices , to 〈◊〉 ●…her must be no inconstancy in love ; navigators steer their cour●… by them , and they are their best frends in working seas , 〈◊〉 nights , and distresses of weather , whence may be infer'd that 〈◊〉 frends should shine clearest in adversity , in clowdy and doubtf●… times . on my part this ancient frendship is still pure , 〈◊〉 dox and incorrupted , and though i have not the opportunity ( 〈◊〉 you have ) to perform all the ●…ites therof in regard of this rec●… life , yet i shall never erre in the essentialls , i am still yours 〈◊〉 though i cannot be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for in statu quo nunc i am grown 〈◊〉 less and good for nothing , yet in point of possession i am as 〈◊〉 as ever fleet , novem. . your firm inalterable servitor , j. h. xlviii . to mr. s. b. merchant , at his house in the old jury . sir , i returne you those two famous speeches of the late queen elizabeth , with the addition of another from ba●…dius at an embassy heer from holland ; it is with languages as 't is with li●…uors which by transfusion use to take wind from one vessell to another , so things translated into another tongue lose of their primative vigor and strength , unless a paraphrasticall version be permitted , and then the traduct may exceed the originall , not otherwise though the version be never so punctuall , specially in these orations which are fram'd with such art , that like vitruvius his palace , ther is no place left to ad one stone more without defacing , or to take any out without hazard of destroying the whole fabric . certainly she was a princess of rare endowments for learning and languages , she was bless'd with a long life , and triumphant reign attended with various sorts of admirable successes , which will be taken for som romance a thousand winters hence , if the world lasts so long : she freed the scot from the french , and gave her successor a royall pension to maintain his court ; she help'd to settle the crown on henry the greats head ; she gave essence to the state of holland ; she civiliz'd ireland , and suppres'd divers insurrections there ; she preserv'd the dominion of the narrow seas in greater glory than ever ; she maintain'd open war against spain when spain was in her highest flourish for divers yeers together , yet she left a mighty treasure behind , which shewes that she was a notable good huswife ; yet i have read divers censures of her abroad ; that she was ingratefull to her brother of spain , who had bin the chiefest instrument under god to preserve her from the block , and had left her all queen maries jewells without diminution , accusing her that afterwards she should first infringe the peace with him , by intercepting his treasure in the narrow seas , by suffering her drake to swim to his indies , and rob him there , by fomenting and supporting his belgique subjects against him then when he had an ambassador resident at her court : but this was the censure of a spanish author , and spaine had little reason to speak well of her ; the french handle her worse , by terming her , among other contumelies , l' 〈◊〉 de ses propres vassaux . sir , i must much value the frequent respects you have shewn me , & am very covetous of the improvement of this acquaintance , for i do not remember at home or abroad to have seen in the person of any , a gentleman and a merchant so equally met , as in your , which makes me stile my self , fleet may , . your most affectionat frend to serve you , j. h. xlix . to dr. d. featley . sir , i received your answer to that futilous pamphlet , with your desire of my opinion touching it . truly sir , i must tell you that never poor curr was toss'd in a blanquet , as you have toss'd that poor coxcomb in the sheet you pleas'd to send me , for wheras 〈◊〉 fillip might have fell'd him , you have knock'd him down with a kind of herculean club sans resource . these times ( more 's the pitty ) labour with the same disease that france did during the ligue , 〈◊〉 a famous author hath it prurig●… scripturi●…ntium erat scabies temp●…rum . the itching of scriblers , was the scab of the time ; it i●… just so now , that any triobolary pasquiller , evry tr●…ssis agas●… any sterquilinious raskall , is licenc'd to throw dirt in the faces 〈◊〉 soveraign p●…inces in open printed language : but i hope t●… times will mend , and your man also if he hath any grace , you ha●… so well corrected him , so i rest fleet , aug. . yours to serve and reverence you , j. h. l. to captain t. l. in westchester . captain l. i could wish that i had the same advantage of speed to send unto you at this time , that they have in alexandre●…ia , now call'd scanderoon , when upon the arrivall of any ships into the bay , or any other important occasion , they use to send their letters by pigeons , trained up purposely for that use , to aleppo and other places ; such an airy messenger , such a volatil postillon would i desire now to acquaint you with the sicknes of your mother in law , who i beleeve will be in another world ( and i wish it may be heaven ) before this paper comes to your hands ; for the physicians have forsaken her , and doctor burton told me 't is a miracle , if she lasts a naturall day to an end , therfore you shall do well to post up as soon as you can , to look to your own affairs , for i beleeve you will be no more sick of the mother ; master davies in the mean time told me he will be very carefull , and circumspect that you be not wrong'd . i receiv'd yours of the tenth current , and i return a thousand thanks for the warm and melting sweet expressions you make of your respects unto me ; all that i can say at present in answer , is , that i extremely please my self in loving you , and i like my own affections the better , because they tell me that i am westm. decem. . your entirely devoted frend , j. h. li. to my honorable frend sir c. c. sir , i was upon point of going abroad to steal a solitary walk , when yours of the twelfth current came to hand , the high researches , and choice abstracted notions i found therin seem'd to heighten my spirits , and make my fancy fitter for my intended retirement and meditation ; ad heerunto that the countenance of the weather invited me , for it was a still evening , it was also a clear open sky , not a speck , or the least wrinkle appeard in the whole face of heaven , 't was such a pure deep azur all the hemisphere over that i wondred what was becom of the three regions of the ayr with their meteors ; so having got into a close field , i cast my face upward , and tell to consider what a rare prerogative the optic vertue of the eye hath , much more the intutitive vertue of the thought , that the one in a moment can reach heaven , and the other go beyond it : therfore sure that philosopher was but a kind of frantic fool , that would have pluck'd out both his eys because , they wer a hinderance to his speculations : moreover i began to contemplat as i was in this posture the vast magnitude of the univers , and what proportion this poor globe of earth might bear with it , for if those numberless bodies which stick in the vast roof of heaven , though they appear to us but as spangles , be , som of them , thousands of times bigger than the earth take the sea with it to boot , for they both make but one sphear , surely , the astronomers had reason to tearm this sphear an indivisible point , and a thing of no dimension at all being compar'd to the whole world ; i fell then to think that at the second generall destruction it is no more for god almighty to fire this earth , than for us to blow up a small squibb , or rather one grain of gun-powder : as i was musing thus , i spyed a swarm of gnats waving up and down the ayr about me , which i knew to be part of the univers as well as i , and me thought it was a strange opinion of our aristotle to hold that the least of those small insected ephemerans should be more noble than the sun , because it had a sensitive soul in it , i fell to think that the same proportion which those animalillios bore with me in point of bignes , the same i held with those glorious spirits which are near the throne of the almighty : what then should we thinke of the magnitude of the creator himself , doubtles t is beyond the reach of any human immagination to conceive it ; in my privat devotions i presume to compare him to a great mountain of light , and my soul seems to discern som glorious form therin , but suddenly as she would fix her eyes upon the object , her sight is presently dazled and disgregated with the ●…efulgency and coruscations therof . walking a little further i spyed a young boysterous bull breaking over hedge and ditch to a heard of kine in the next pasture , which made me think that if that fierce strong animal , with others of that kind knew their own strength , they world never suffer man to be their master ; then looking upon them quietly grasing up and down , i fell to consider that the flesh which is daily dish'd upon our tables is but concocted grass , which is recarnified in our stomacks , and transmuted to another flesh ; i fell also to think what advantage those innocent animalls had of man , who , as soon as nature casts them into the world , find their meat dress'd , the cloth laid , and the table cover'd , they find their drink brew'd and the buttery open , their beds made , and their cloaths ready ; and though man hath the faculty of reason to make him a compensation for the want of these advantages , yet this reason brings with it a thousand perturbations of mind , and perplexities of spirit , griping cares , and anguishes of thought , which those harmles silly creatures were exempted from : going on , i came to repose my self upon the trunk of a tree , and i fell to consider further what advantage that dull vegetable had of those feeding animalls , as not to be so troublesom and beholding to nature , nor to be so subject to starving , to diseases , to the inclemency of the weather , and to be far longer liv'd : i then spyed a great stone , and sitting a while upon 't , i fell to weigh in my thoughts that that stone was in a happier condition in som respects , than either those sensitive creatures or vegetables i saw before , in regard that that stone , which propagates by assimilation as the philosophers say , needed neither grass nor hay , or any aliment for restauration of nature , nor water to refresh its roots , or the heat of the sun to attract the moisture upwards to encrease growth as the other did : as i directed my pace homeward , i spyed a kite soa●…ing high in the ayr , and gently gliding up and down the clear region so far above my head , i fell to envy the bird extremely , and ●…epine at his happines that hee should have a privilege to make a nearer approach to heaven than i. excuse me that i trouble you thus with these rambling meditations , they are to correspond with you in som part for those accurat fancies of yours you lately sent me . so i rest holborn , mar. . your entire and true servitor . j. h lii . to master sergeant d. at lincolns ▪ inn. sir , i understand with a deep sense of sorrow of the indisposition of your son : i fear he hath too much mind for his body , and that he superabounds with fancy , which brings him to these fits of distemper proceeding from the black humor of melancholy : moreover i have observed that hee is too much given to his study and self-society , specially to convers with dead men , i mean books : you know any thing in excess is naught : now sir wer i worthy to give you advice , i could wish he wer well married , and it may wean him from that bookish and thoughtfull humor ; women wer created for the comfort of men , and i have known that to som they have prov'd the best heleborum against melancholy : as this course may beget new spirits in him , so it must needs ad also to your comfort . i am thus bold with you , because i love the gentleman dearly well , and honor you , as being west . iune , . your humble obliged servant , j. h. liii . to my noble lady , the lady m. a. madame , ther is not any thing wherin i take more pleasure , than in the accomplishment of your commands , nor had ever any queen more power o're her vassalls , than you have o're my intellectualls ; i find by my inclinations , that it is as naturall for me to do your will , as it is for fire to fly upward , or any body els to rend to his center ; but touching the last command your ladiship was pleased to lay upon me ( which is the following hymne ) if i answer not the fulness of your expectation , it must be imputed to the suddennes of the command , and the shortnes of time . a hymne to the blessed trinity . to the first person . to thee dread soveraign , and dear lord , which out of nought didst me afford essence and life , who mad'st me man , and , oh , much more a christian , lo , from the centre of my heart all laud and glory i impart . hallelujah . to the second . to thee blessed saviour who didst free my soul from satans tyrannie , and mad'st her capable to be an angel of thy hierarchy , from the same centre i do raise , all honor and immortall praise . hallelujah . to the third . to thee sweet spirit i return that love wherwith my heart doth burn , and these bless'd notions of my brain i now breath up to thee again , o let them redescend , and still my soul with holy raptures fill . hallelujah . they are of the same measure , cadence , and ayr , as was that angelicall hymne your ladiship pleased to touch upon your instrument , which as it so enchanted me then that my soul was ready to com out at my ears , so your voice took such impressions in mee , that me thinks the sound still remains fresh with westm. apr. . your ladiships most devoted servitor , j. h. xliv . to master p. w. at westminster . sir , the fear of god is the beginning of wisdom , and the love of god is the end of the law ; the former saying was spoke by no meaner man than solomon ; but the latter hath no meaner author than our savior himself ; touching this beginning , and this end , ther is a near relation between them , so near , that the one begets the tother ; a harsh mother may bring forth somtimes a mild daughter , so fear begets love , but it begets knowledg first , for — ign●…ti nulla cupido , we cannot love god , unless we know him before ; both fear and love are necessary to bring us to heaven , the one is the fruit of the law , the other of the gospell ; when the clouds of fear are vanish'd , the beams of love then begin to glance upon the heart , and of all the members of the body , which are in a maner numberless , this is that which god desires , because , 't is the centre of love , the source of our affections , and the cistern that holds the most illustrious bloud ; and in a sweet and well devoted harmonious soul , cor is no other than camera omnipotentis regis , 't is one of gods closets , and indeed nothing can fill the heart of man whose desires are infinite , but god who is infinity itself : love therfore must be a necessary attendant to bring us to him ; but besides love ther must be two other guides that are requir'd in this journey , which are faith and hope , now that fear which the law enjoyns us , turns to faith in the gospell , and knowledg is the scope and subject of both , yet these last two bring us onely towards the haven , but love goes along with us to heaven , and so remains an inseparable sempiternall companion of of the soul : love therfore is the most acceptable sacrifice which we can offer our creator , and he who doth not study the theory of it heer , is never like to com to the practise of it heerafter : it was a high hyper physicall expression of st. austustine when he fell into this rapture , that if hee wer king of heaven , and god almighty bishop of hippo , he would exchange places with him , because he lov'd him so well . this vote did so take me , that i have turn'd it to a paraphrasticall hymn , which i send you for your violl , having observed often that you have a harmonious soul within you . the vote . oh god who can those passions tell wherwith my heart to thee doth swell ! i cannot better them declare than by the wish made by that rare au●…elian bishop who of old thy orac●…es in hippo told . if i were thou and thou wert i , i would resign the deity , thou shouldst be god , i would be man , is 't possible that love more can ? oh pardon , that my soul hath tane so high a flight and grows prophane : for my self my dear phil , because i love you so dearly well , i will display my very intrinsecalls to you in this point , when i exmine the motions of my heart , i find that i love my creator a thousand degrees more than i fear him , me thinks i feel the little needle of my soul touch'd with a kind of magnetical attractive vertue , that 〈◊〉 alwaies moves towards him , as being her sum mum bonum , the ●…rue center of her happines : for matter of fear , ther 's none that 〈◊〉 fear more than my self , i mean those frailti●… which lodg within 〈◊〉 and the extravagancies of my affections and thoughts , in this particular i may say , that i fear my self more than i fear the devill 〈◊〉 death who is the king of feares . god guard us all , and guid us 〈◊〉 our last home through the briers of this cumbersom life ; in this ●…yer i rest holborn , mar. . your most affectionat servitor , j. h. lv. to the right honourable the lord cliff. my lord , since among other passages of entertainment we had lately at the italian ordinary ( where your lordship was pleas'd to honour us with your presence ) their happen'd a large discourse of wines , and of other drinks that wer us'd by severall nations of the earth , and that your lordship desir'd me to deliver what i observ'd therin abroad , i am bold now to confirm and amplifie in this letter what i then let drop extempore from me , having made a recollection of my self for that purpose . it is without controversie that in the nonage of the world , men and beasts had but one buttery which was the fountaine and river , nor do we read of any vines or wines till two hundred yeers after the flood , but now i do not know or hear of any nation that hath water only for their drink except the iaponois●… , and they drink it hot too ; but we may say that what beverage soever we make either by brewing , by distillation , decoction , percolation or pressing , it is but water at first , nay wine it self is but water sublim'd , being nothing else but that moysture and sap which is caus'd either by rain or other kind of irrigations about the roots of the vine and drawn up to the branches and berries by the virtuall attractive heat of the sun , the bowells of the earth serving as a limbec to that end , which made the italian vineyard-man ( after a long drouth , and an extream hot summer , which had parch'd up all his grapes , ) to complain that per mancamento d'acqua , bevo del'acqua , se io havessi acqua , beverei el vino , for want of water , i am forc'd to drink water , if i had water i would drink wine ; it may be also applied to the miller when he hath no water to drive his mills . the vine doth so abhor cold , that it cannot grow beyond the degree to any purpose ; therfore god and nature hath furnish'd the northwest nations with other inventions of beverage . in this island the old drink was ale , noble ale , than which , as i heard a great forren doctor affirm , ther is no liquor that more encreaseth the radicall moisture , and preserves the naturall heat , which are the two pillers that support the life of man ; but since beer hath hopp'd in among us , ale is thought to be much adulterated , and nothing so good as sir iohn old castle and smug the smith was us'd to drink : besides ale and beer , the naturall drink of part of this isle may be said to be metheglin , braggot , and mead , which differ in strength according to the three degrees of comparison : the first of the three , which is strong in the superlatif , if taken immoderately , doth stupifie more than any other liquor , and keeps a humming in the brain , which made one say that he lov'd not metheglin because he was us'd to speak too much of the house he came from , meaning the hive : sider and perry are also the naturall drinks of part of this isle ; but i have read in som old authors of a famous drink the ancient nation of the picts , who lived 'twixt trent and tweed and were utterly extinguished by the over-powring of the scot , wer used to make of decoction of flowers , the receipt wherof they kept as a secret and a thing sacred to themselves , so it perish'd with them : these are all the common drinks of this isle , and of ireland also , where they are more given to milk and strong waters of all colours , the prime is vsquebagh which cannot be mado any where in that perfection , and wheras we drink it heer in aqua vitae measures , it goes down there by beer glassfulls , being more naturall to the nation . in the seventeen provinces hard by , and all low gernmany , beer is the common naturall drink , and nothing else , so is it in westfalia , and all the lower circuit of saxony , in denmark , swethland , and norway ; the prusse hath a beer as thick as hony , in the duke of saxes country , ther is beer as yellow as gold made of wheat , and it inebriates as soon as sack. in som parts of germany they use to spice their beer , which will keep many yeers , so that at som weddings ther will be a but of beer drunk out as old as the bride . poland also is a beer country , but in russia , muscovie , and tartary they use mead , which is the naturallest drink of the country , being made of the decoction of water , and hony , this is that which the ancients call'd hydromel ; mares milk is a great drink with the tartar , which may be a cause why they are bigger then ordinary , for the physicians hold , that milk enlargeth the bones , beer strengtheneth the nerves , and wine breeds bloud sooner than any other liquor . the turke when he hath his tripe full of pelaw , or of muton and rice , will go to natures cellar , either to the next well or river to drinke water , which is his naturall common drink , for mahomet taught them , that ther was a devill in evry berry of the grape , and so made a strict inhibition to all his sect from drinking of wine as a thing prophane ; he had also a reach of policy therin , because they should no●… b●… in●…umbred with luggage when they went to war as other nation●… do , who are so troubled with the carriage of their wine and beverages : yet hath the turk peculiar drinks to himself besides , ●… sherbet made of juice of lemon , sugar , amber and other ingredients ; he hath also a drink call'd cauphe , which is made of a brow●… berry , and it may be call'd their clubbing drink between meale●… which though it be not very gustfull to the palate , yet it is ver●… comfortable to the stomack , and good for the sight ; but notwithstanding their prophets anathema , thousands of them will venture to drink wine , and they will make a precedent prayer to thei●… soules to depart from their bodies in the interim , for fear she partake of the same pollution : nay , the last turk died of excess o●… wine , for he had at one time swallow'd three and thirty okes ●… which is a measure near upon the bignes of our quart , and tha●… which brought him to this , was the company of a persian lor●… that had given him his daughter for a present , and came with him from bagdat ; besides one accident that happened to him was , th●… he had an eunuch who was used to be drunk , and whom he had commanded twice upon pain of life to refrain , swearing by mahomet that he would cause him to be strangled if he found him the third time so , yet the eunuch still continued in his drunkenes ▪ heerupon the turk conceiving with himself that ther must needs be som extraordinary delight in drunkenes because this man preferred it before his life , fell to it himself , and so drunk himself to death in asia ther is no beer drunk at all , but water , wine , and an incredible variety of other drinks made of dates , dried raisons , rice , divers sorts of nutts , fruits and roots : in the orientall countries as cambaia , calicut , narsingha , ther is a drink call'd banque , which is rare and precious , and 't is the height of entertainment they give their guests before they go to sleep , like that nepenthe which the poets speak so much of , for it provokes pleasing dreames , and delightfull phantasies , it will accommode it self to the humor of the sleeper , as if he be a souldier he will dream of victories and taking of towns , if he be in love he will think to enjoy his mistress , if he be covetous he will dream of mountaine●… of gold , &c. in the moluccas and philippines ther is a curious drink call'd tampoy , m●…de of a kind of gilliflowers , and another drink call'd otraqua that comes from a nut , and is the more generall drink . in china they have a holy kind of liquor made of such sort of flowers for ratifying and binding of bargaines , and having drunk therof , they hold it no less than perjury to break what they promise , as they write of a river in bythinia , whose water hath ●… peculiar vertue to discover a perjurer , for if he drink therof , it will presently boyl in his stomack , and put him to visible tortures ; this makes me think of the river styx among the poets which the gods were used to swear by , and it was the greatest oath for performance of any thing . nubila promisse styx mihi testis erit . it puts me in mind also of that which som write of the river of rhine for trying the legitimation of a child being thrown in , if he be a basterd he will sink , if otherwise he will not . in china they speak of a tree called maguais , which affords not only good drink being pierced , but all things else that belong to the subsistence of man ; they bore the trunk with a n●…wger , and ther issueth out sweet potable liquor ; 'twixt the rinde and the tree ther is a cotton or hempie kind of moss which they wear for their cloathing ; it beares huge nuts which have excellent food in them ; it shoots out hard prickles above a fathom long , and those arme them , with the bark they make tents , and the dotard trees serve for firing . afric also hath a great diversity of drinks , at having more need of them being a hotter countrey far : in guiney or the lower ethiopia ther is a famous drink call'd mingol , which issueth out of a tree much like the palm , being bored ; but in the upper ethiopia or the habassi●… countrey , they drink mead decocted in a different manner , ther is also much wine there ; the common drink of barbary , after water , is that which is made of dates : but in egypt in times passed ther was beer drunk , call'd zithus in latin , which was no other than a decoction of barly and water , they had also a famous composition ( and they use it to this day ) called chiffi , made of divers cordialls and provocative ingredients , which they throw into water to make it gustfull , they use it also for fumigations , but now the generall drink of egypt is nile water , which of all waters may be said to be the best , insomuch that pindars words might be more appliable to that than to any other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . it doth not only fertilize , and extremely fatten the soil which it covers , but it helps to impregnat barren women , for ther is no place on earth wher peeple encrease and multiply faster ; 't is yellowish and thick , but if one cast a few almonds into a potfull of it , it will becom as clear as rock water , it is also in a degree of lukewarmnes as martialls boy tolle puer calices tepidique toreumata nili . in the new world they have a world of drinks , for ther i●… no root , flower , fruit or pulse but is reducible to a potable liquor , as in the barbado island the common drink among the english , is mobbi made of potato roots : in mexico , and peru which is the great continent of america , with other parts , it is prohibited to make wines under great penalties for fear of starving of trade , so that all the wines they have are sent from spain . now for the pure wine countries , greece with all her islands , italy , spain , france , one part of foure of germany , hungary , with divers countries therabouts , all the islands in the mediterranean and atlantic sea , are wine countries . the most generous wines of spain , grow in the mid-land parts of the continent , and saint martin beares the bell which is near the court ; now as in spain so in all other wine countries one cannot pass a daies journey but he will find a differing race of wine ▪ those kinds that our merchants carry over are those only that grow upon the sea-side , as malagas , sheries , tents , and aligants ; of this last ther 's little comes over right , therfore , the vinteners make tent ( which is a name for all wines in spain except white ) to supply the place of it ; ther is a gentile kind of white wine growes among the mountains of galicia , but not of body enough to bear the sea , call'd ribadavia ; portugall affords no wines worth the transporting ; they have an od stone we call yef which they use to throw into their wines , which clarifieth it , and makes it more lasting . ther 's also a drink in spain call'd al●…sha , which they drink between meales in hot weather , and 't is a hydromel made of water and hony , much of the tast of our mead : in the court of spain ther 's a german or two that brews beer ; but for that ancient drink of spain which pliny speaks of , compos'd of flowers , the receit therof is utterly lost . in greece ther are no wines that have bodies enough to bear the sea for long voyages , som few muscadells , and malm●…es are brought over in small casks ; nor is ther in italy any wine transported to england but in bottles , as verdé and others , for the length of the voyage makes them subject to pricking and to lose colour , by reason of their delicacy . france participating of the clymes of all the countries about her , affords wines of quality accordingly , as towards the alpes and italy she hath a luscious rich wine call'd frontiniac ; in the countrey of province toward the pyr●…nies in languedoe ther are wines congustable with those of spain ; one of the prime sort of white wines is that of beaume , and of clarets that of orleans , though it be interdicted to wine the kings cellar with it in regard of the corrosivenes it carries with it ; as in france so in all other wine countries the white is called the female , and the claret or red wine is called the male , because commonly it hath more sulpher , body and heat in 't : the wines that our merchants bring over upon the river of garond near bourdeaux in gascogny which is the greatest mart for wines in all france ; the scot because he hath alwaies bin an usefull confederate to france against england hath ( among other privileges ) right of preemption or first choice of wines in bourdeaux ; he is also permitted to carry his ordnance to the very walls of the town , wheras the english are forc'd to leave them at blay a good way distant down the river : ther is a hard green wine that grows about roch●…ll and the islands therabouts , which the cunning hollander somtime used to fetch , and he hath a trick to put a bag of herbs , or som other infusions into it ( as he doth b●…imstone in rhenish ) to give it a whiter tincture , and more sweetnes , then they reimbark it ●…or england , where it passeth for good b●…hrag , and this is called stooming of wines ; in normandy there 's little or no wine at all grows , therfore the common drink of that countrey is cyder , specially in low normandy ; ther are also many beer houses in paris and elsewhere , but though their barley and water be better then ours , or that of germany , and though they have english and dutch brewers amongst them , yet they cannot make beer in that perfection , the prime wines of germany grow about the rhine specially in the pfalts or lower palatinat about backrag , which hath its etimologie from bacchi a●…a , for in ancient times ther was an altar erected there to the honour of bacchus , in regard of the richnes of the wines . here and all france over 't is held a great part of incivility for maidens to drink wine untill they are married , as it is in spain for them to wear high shooes or to paint till than ; the germain mothers , to make their sons fall into hatred of wine , do use when they are little to put som owles eggs into a cup of rhenish , and somtimes a little living eel which twingling in the wine while the child is drinking so scares him that many com to abhor and have an antipathy to wine all their lives after . from backrag the fi●…st stocks of vines which grow now in the grand canary island were brought , which with the heat of the sun and the soyle , is grown now to that height of perfection , that the wine which they afford are accounted the richest , the most firm , the best bodied and lastingst wine , and the most defecated from all earthly grossenes of any other whatsoever , it hath little or no sulphur at all in 't , and leaves less dreggs behind , though one drink it to exces ; french wines may be said but to pickle meat in the stomack , but this is the wine that disgests , and doth not only breed good bloud , but it nutrifieth also , being a glutinous substantiall liquour ; of this wine , if of any other , may be verified that merry induction , that good wine makes good bloud , good bloud causeth good humors , good humors cause good thoughts , good thoughts bring forth good works , good works carry a man to heaven , ergo good wine carrieth a man to heaven ; if this be true surely more english go to heaven this way then any other , for i think ther 's more canary brought into england then to all the world besides , i think also ther is a hundred times more drunk under the name of canary wine then ther is brought in , for sherries and malagas well mingled pass for canaries in most taverns more often then canary it self , els i do not see how 't were possible for the vintner to save by it ; or to live by his calling unless he were permitted somtimes to be a brewer . when sacks and canaries were brought in first among us , they were us'd to be drunk in aquavita measures , and 't was held fit only for those to drink of them who us'd to carry their leggs in their hands , their eyes upon their noses , and an almanack in their bones ; but now they go down every ones throat both young and old like milk . the countries that are freest from exces of drinking are spain and italy ; if a woman can prove her husband to have been thrice drunk , by the the ancient laws of spain she may plead for a divorce from him : nor indeed can the spaniard being hot brain●… bear much drink , yet i have heard that gondamar was once too hard for the king of denmark when he was here in england ; but the spanish souldiers that have bin in the wars of flanders will take their cups freely , and the italians also ; when i liv'd to ' 〈◊〉 side the alpes , a gentleman told me a merry tale of a liguria●… souldier who had got drunk in genoa , and prince doria going horseback to walk the round one night , the souldier took his horse by the bridle , and ask'd what the price of him was for he wanted horse , the prince seeing in what humor he was , caus'd him 〈◊〉 be taken into a house and put to sleep : in the morning he 〈◊〉 for him and askd him what he would give for his horse , sir , 〈◊〉 the recovered souldier , the merchant that would have bought 〈◊〉 yyesternight of your highnesse , went away betimes in the morning the boonest compagnions for drinking are the greeks and germains ; but the greek is the merrier of the two , for he will sing and dance and kiss his next compagnion ; but the other will drink as deep as he ; if the greek will drink as many glasses as ther be letters in his mistresses name , the other will drink the number of his yeers , and though he be not apt to break out into singing , being not of so airy a constitution , yet he will drink often musically a health to every one of these . notes , ut , re , mi , ●…a , sol , la ; which , with his reason , are all comprehended in this exameter . ut relevet miserum fatum solitosque labores . the fewest draughts he drinks are three , the first to quench the thirst pass'd , the second to quench the present thirst , the third to prevent the future : i heard of a company of low dutchmen that had drunk so deep , that beginning to stagger and their heads turning round they thought verily they were at sea , and that the upper chamber , wher they were , was a ship , insomuch that it being soul windy weather they fel to throw the stools , and other things out of the window to lighten the vessell for fear of suffering shipwrack . thus have i sent your lordship a dry discourse upon a fluent subiect , yet i hope your lordship will please to take all in good part ▪ because it proceeds from westmin . octo. . your most humble and ready servitor , j. h. lvi . to the r. h. the e. r. my lord , your desires have bin alwaies to me as commands , and your commands as binding as acts of parliament ; nor do i take pleasure to employ head or hand in any thing more then in the exact performance of them ; therfore if in this crabbed difficult task , you have bin pleas'd to impose upon me about languages , i com short of your lorships expectation , i hope my obedience will apologize for my disability : but wheras your lordship desires to know what wer the originall mother tongues of the countreys of europe , and how these modern speeches that are now in use wer first introduced , i may answer hereunto , that it is almost as easie a thing to discover the source of nile , as to find out the originall of som languages , yet i will attempt it as well as i can , and i will take my first rise in these islands of great britain and ireland ; for to be curious and eagle-eyd abroad , and to be blind and ignorant at home ( as many of our travellers are now a dayes ) is a curiosity that carrieth with it more of affectation than any thing els . touching the isle of albion or great britany , the cambrian or cymraccan tongue commonly call'd welsh ( and italian also is so call'd by the dutch ) is without controversie the prime maternall tongue of this island , and connaturall with it , nor could any of the four conquests that have bin made of it by roman , saxon , dane or norman ever extinguish her , but she remaines still pure and incorrupt ; of which language ther is as exact and methodicall a grammar , with as regular precepts , rules , and institutions both for prose and verse compild by doctor david rice as i have read in any tongue whatsoever : som of the authentiquest annalists report that the old gaules ( now the french ) and the britains understood one another , for they came thence very frequently to be instructed heer by the brittish druydes which were the philosophers and divines of those times , and this was long before the latin tongue came a this side the alps , or books written , and ther is no meaner man 〈◊〉 caesar himself records this . this is one of the fourteen vernacular and independent tongues of europe , and she hath divers dialects ; the first is the cornish , the second the armonicans or the inhabitants of britany in france , whither a colony was sent over hence in the time of the romanes . ther was also another dialect of the british language among the picts , who kept in the north parts in northumberland , westme●…land , cumberland , and som parts beyond tweed , untill the whole nation of the scot poured upon them with such multitudes that they utterly extinguish'd both them and their language . ther are som which have been curious in the comparison of tongues , who believe that the irish is but a dialect of the ancient british , and the learnedst of that nation in a privat discourse i happened to have with him , seemd to incline to this opinion ; but this i can assure your lordship of , that at my being in that country i observ'd by a privat collection which i made , that a great multitude o●… their radicall words are the same with the welsh , both for seale and sound , the tone also of both the nations is consonant , ●…or when i first walked up and down dublin markets , me thought verily i was in wales , when i listened unto their speech ; but i found that the irish tone is a little more querulous and whining than the british , which i conjecturd with my self proceeded from their often being subjugated by the english. but my lord you would think it strange that divers pure welsh words should be found in the new found world in the west indies , yet it is verified by som navigators , as grando , ( hark ) n●…f ( heaven ) lluynog ( a fox ) pengwyn ( a bird with a white head ) with sundry others , which are pure british , nay i have read a welsh epitaph which was found there upon one madoc a british prince , who som yeers before the norman conquest not agreeing with his brother then prince of south - wales went to try his fortunes at sea , imbarquing himself at milford haven ▪ and so carried on those coasts : this if well prov'd might well intitle out crown to america , if first discovery may claim a right to any country . the romans though they continued heer constantly above yeers , yet could they not do as they did in france , spain and other provinces , plant their language as a mark of conquest , but the saxons did , coming in far greater numbers under hengist from holstein land in the lower circuit of saxony , which peeple resemble the english more than any other men upon earth , so that 't is more than probable that they came first from thence , besides ther is a town there call'd lund●…n , and another place named angles , whence it may be presum'd that they took their new denomination heer ; now the english though as saxons ( by which name the welsh and irish call them to this day ) they and their language is ancient , yet in reference to this island they are the modernst nation in eu●…pe both for habitation , speech and denomination ; which makes ●…e smile at mr fox his error in the very front of his epistle before the book of martyrs , wher he calls constantine the first christian emperour , the son of hellen an english woman , wheras she was 〈◊〉 british , and that ther was no such nation upon earth cal●…ed english at that time , nor above yeers after , till hengist invaded this island and setling himself in it , the saxons who came with him , took the appellation of english men . now the english speech though it be rich , copious , and significant , and that ther be di●…ers dictionaries of it , yet under favour , i cannot call it a regular language in regard though often attempted by som choice ●…its , ther could never any grammar or exact syntaxis be made of it ; yet hath she divers subdialects , as the western and northern english , but her chiefest is the scotic which took footing beyond tweed about the law conquest ; but the ancient language of scotland is irish , which the mountaineers and divers of the plain , retain to this day . thus my lord , according to my small modell of observation , have i endeavoured to satisfie you in part , i shall in my next go on , for in the pursuance of any command from your lordships my minde is like a stone thrown into a deep water , which never rests till it goes to the bottom ; so for this time and alwayes i rest , my lord , your most humble and ready servitor , j. h. vvest . aug. , lvii . to the right hon. the earl r. my lord , in my last i fulfild your lordships commands , as far as my reading and knowledge could extend , to inform you what wer the radicall primitive languages of those dominions that belong to the crown of great britaine , and how the english , which is now predominant , entred in first , i will now hoise saile for the netherlands , whose language is the same dialect with the english , and was so from the beginning , being both of them derived from the high dutch ; the danish also is but a branch of the same tree , no more is the swedish and the speech of them of norway and island ▪ now , the high dutch or teutonic tongue is one of the prime and most spacious maternall languages of europe , for besides the vast extent of germany it self with the countreys and kingdoms before mentioned wherof england and scotland are two , it was the language of the goths and vandalls , and continueth yet of the greatest part of poland and hungary , who have a dialect of hers for their vulgar tongue ; yet though so many dialects and subdialects be deriv'd from her , she remains a strong sinewy language pur●… and incorrupt in her first centre towards the heart of germany : som of her writers would make the world beleeve that shee was the longuage spoken in paradise for they produce many words and proper names in the five books of moses which fetch their etymology from her , as also in persia to this day divers radicall words are the same with her , as fader , mocder , broder , star : and a germain gentleman speaking heerof one day to an italian , that she was the language of paradise , sure said the italian ( alluding to her roughnes ) then it was the tongue that god almighty chid adam in ; it may be so , replied the germain , but the devill had tempted eve in italian before : a full mouthd language she is , and pronounc'd with that strength as if one had bones in his tongue insteed of nerfs . those countreys that border upon germany as bohemia , silesia , poland , and those vast countreyes north-eastward as russia and muscovia speak , the slavonic language ; and it is incredible what i have heard som travellers report of the vast extent of that language , for besides slavonia it self , which properly is dalmatia and libin●…ia , it is the vulgar speech of the macedonians , epirots , bosnians , servians , bulgarians , moldavians , rascians , and podolians , nay it spreads her self over all the easterne parts of europe , hungary and walachia excepted , as far as constantinople , and is frequently spoken in the seraglio among the ianizaries ; nor doth ●…e rest there , but crossing the hellespont divers nations in asia have her for their popular tongue , as the circassians , mongrelians and gaza●…ites : southward , neither in europe or asia doth she extend her self further to the north parallel of forty degrees ; but those nations which celebrate divine service after the greek ceremony , and profess obedience to the patriark of constantinople , as the russ , the muscovit , the moldavian , ruscian , bosnian , servian , and bulgarian , with divers other eastern , and north-east peeple that speak slavonic , have her in a different character from the dalmatian , croation , istrian , polonian , bohemian , silesian , and other nations towards the west : these last have the illirian character , and the invention of it is attributed to st. ierom , the other is of cyrists devising , and is call'd the servian character ; now , although ther bee above threescore severall nations that have this vast extended language for their vulgar speech , yet the pure primitive slavonic dialect is spoken only in dalmatia , croatia , liburnia and the countreys adjacent , wher the ancient slavonians yet dwell , and they must needs be very ancient , for ther is in a church in prague an old charter yet extant given them by alexander the great , which i thought not amiss to insert heer . we alexander the great of king philip founder of the grecian empire , conqueror of the persians , medes , &c. and of the whole world from east 〈◊〉 west , from north to south , son of great jupiter by , &c. so calld ; t●… you the noble stock of slavonians , and to your language because 〈◊〉 have been unto us a help , true in faith , and valiant in war , we confi●… all that tract of earth from the north to the south of italie from 〈◊〉 and our successors , to you and your posterity for ever ; and if any other nation be found there let them be your slaves . dated at alexandria th●… . of the goddess minerva , witnes ethra and the eleven princ●… whom we appoint our successors : with this rare and one of th●… ancientest record in europe , i will put a period to this second account i send your lordship touching languages ; my next shall be of greece , italy , fance and spain , and so i shall shake hands with europe , till when , i humbly kiss your hands , and rest , west ▪ of aug. . my lord , your most obliged servitor , j. h. lviii . to the right hon. the e. r. my lord , having in my last rambled through high and low germa●… bohemy , denmark , poland , russia ; and those vast north-ea●… regions , and given your lordship a touch of their languages , ( fo●… 't was no treatise i intended at first , but a cursory short literall account ) i will now pass to greece and speak somthing of that large and learned language , for 't is she indeed upon whom the bean●… of all scientificall knowledg did first shine in europe , which she afterward diffus'd through all the western world . the greek tongue was first peculiar to hellas alone , but i●… tract of time the kingdom of macedon , and epire had her , then sh●… arrived on the isles of the egean sea , which are interjacent and divide asia and europe that way ; then shee got into the fifty thre●… isles of the cyclades that lye 'twixt negrepont and candy , and so go up to the hellespont to constantinople ; she then crossed over to anatolia , wher though she prevail'd by introducing multitudes of colonies , yet she came not to be the sole vulgar speech any where ther●… as far as to extinguish the former languages : now anatolia is th●… most populous part of the whole earth , for strabo speaks of sixteen severall nations that slept in her bosom , and 't is thought the two and twenty languages which mithrydates the great polyglot king of p●…ntus did speak wer all within the circumference of anatolia in regard his dominions extended but a little further : she glided then along the maritime coasts of thrace , and passing byzantium got into the out-lets of danube and beyond her also to taurica , yea beyond that to the river phosis and thence compassing to trebizond she took footing on all the circumference of the euxine sea : this was her course from east to north , whence we will return to candy , cyprus and sycily , thence crossing the phare of messina , she got all along the maritime coasts of the tirrh●…ne sea to calabria : she rested her self also a great while in apulia ; ther was a populous colony of greeks also in marseilles in france , and along the sea coasts of savoy : in afric likewise cyr●…ne , alexandria , and egypt with divers other , were peepled with greeks : and three causes may be alleged why the greek tongue did so expand her self , first it may be imputed to the conquests of alexander the great , and the captains he left behind him for successors ; then the love the peeple had to the sciences , speculative learning , and civility wherof me greeks accounted themselves to bee the grand masters , accounting all other nations barbarians besides themselves ; thirdly , the natural inclination and dexterity the greeks had to commerce , wherunto they employed themselves more than any other nation except the phaenician and armenian , which may be a reason why in all places most commonly they colonized the maritime parts , for i do not find they did penetrate far into the bowells of any countrey , but ●…iek'd on the sea side in obvious mercantile places , and accessible ports . now many ages since the greek tongue is not onely impaired , and pittifully degenerated in her purity and eloquence , but extremely decayed in her amplitude and vulgarnes : for first ther is no trace at all left of her in france or italy , the slavonic tongue hath abolished her in epire and macedon , the turkish hath outed her from most parts of anatolia , and the arabian hath extinguished her in syr a , palestine , egypt , and sundry other places ; now touching her degeneration from her primitive suavity and elegance , it is not altogether so much as the deviation and declension of the italian from the latine , yet it is so far that i could set foot on no place , nor hear of any peeple , wher either the attic , doric , eoli●… or bucolic ancient greek is vulgarly spoken ; only in som places near heraclea in anatolia and in p●…loponesus ( now call'd the morea ) ▪ hey speak of som towns called the lacocones which retain yet and vulgarly speak the old greek but incongruously , yet though they cannot themselves speak according to rules , they understand thos●… that do : nor is this corruption happened to the greek language , as it useth to happen to others , either by the law of the conqueror , or inundation of strangers , but it is insensibly crept in by their own supin●… negligence , and fantasticknes : specially by that common fatality and changes which attend time and all other sublunary things : nor is this ancient scientificall language decayed only but the nation of the greeks it self , is as it wer mouldred away and brought in a manner to the same condition , and to 〈◊〉 contemptible a pass as the jew is : insomuch that ther cannot be two more pregnant instances of the lubricity and instablenes of man-kind as the decay of these two ancient nations , the one the select peeple of god , the other the most famous , that ever was for arts , arms , civility and government ; so that in statu quo nunc they who term'd all the world barbarians in comparison of themselves in former times , may bee now term'd more than any other barbarians themselves , as having quite lost not only all inclination and aspirings to knowledg and vertue , but likewise all courage and bravery of mind to recover their ancient freedom and honour . thus have you my lord , as much of the greek tongue as i could comprehend within the bounds of a letter , a tongue that both for knowledg , for comerce , and for copiousnes was the principallest that ever was ; in my next i will return nearer home , and give your lordship account of the latin tongue , and of her three daughters the french , italian and spanish , in the interim you find that i am still west . iul. my lord , your most obedient servitor , j. h. lix . to the right honorable the e. r. my lord , my last was a pursuit of my endeavours to comply with your lordships desires touching languages , and i spent more oyl and labour than ordinary in displaying the greek tongue , because we are more beholden to her for all philosophicall and theori●… knowledg , as also for rules of commerce and commutative justice , than unto any other , i will now proceed to the latine tongue , which had her source in italy , in latium call'd now ●…ompagna di roma , and received her growth with the monstrous en●…ase of the city and empire ; touching the one , she cam from poor mud walls at mount palatine which wer scarce a mile about it first , to be afterward fifty miles compas , ( as she was in the reign of aurelianus ) and her territories which wer hardly a days jour●…eys extent , cam by favorable successes and ●…ortune of war to be above three thousand in length , from the banks of rhine , or rather fr●…m the shores of this island to euphrates , and somtimes to the ri●…er tigris : with this vast expansion of roman territories the tongue also did spread , yet i do not find by those re-searches i have made into antiquity that she was vulgarly spoken by any nat●…on or in any entire countrey but in italy it self ; for notwithstanding that it was the practise of the roman with the lance to usher in his laws and language as marks of conquest ; yet i believe his tongue never took such firm impression any where , as to becom the vulgar epedemic speech of any peeple els ▪ or that she was able to null and extinguish the native languages she found in those places wher she planted her standard : nor can ther be a more pregnant instance hereof than this island , for notwithstanding that she remain'd a roman province four hundred years together , yet the latine tongue could never have the vogue heer so far as to abolish the british or cambrian tongue . 't is true that in france and spain she made deeper impressions , the reason may be in regard ther wer far more roman colonies planted there , for wheras ther wer but four in this isle , ther wer nine and twenty in france , and fifty seven in spain , and the greatest entertainment the latine tongue found out of italy her self , wa●… in these two kingdoms ; yet i am of opinion that the pure congruous grammaticall latine was never spoken in either of them a●… a vulgar vernacular language common amongst women and children ; no nor in all italy it self except latium : in afric , though ther wer sixty roman colonies dispers'd upon that continent , yet the latine tongue made not such deep impressions ther nor in asia either , nor is it to be thought that in those colonies themselves did the common souldier speak in that congruity as the flamins , the judges , the magistrates and chief commanders did : when the romans sent legions , and planted colonies abroad 't was for divers politicall considerations , partly to secure their new acquests , partly to abate the superfluous numbers and redundancy of rome , then by this way they found means to employ and reward men of worth , and to heighten their minds , for the roman spirit did rise up , and take growth with his good successes , conquests , commands and employments . but the reason that the latine tongue found not such entertainment in the orientall parts , was that the greek had fore-stall'd her , which was of more esteem among them because of the learning that was couch'd in her , and that she was more usefull for negotiation and trafic , wherunto the greeks wer more addicted than any peeple : therfore though the romans had an ambition to make those forren nations that wer under their yoak to speak as wel as to do what pleased them , and that all orders , edicts , letters , and the lawes themselves civill as well as martiall , wer publish'd and executed in latine , yet i believe this latine was spoken no otherwise among those nations than the spanish or castillian tongue is now in the netherlands , in sicily , sardinia , naples , the two indies , and other provinciall countreys which are under that king : nor did the pure latine tongue continue long at a stand of perfection in rome and latium it self among all sorts of peeple , but she receiv'd changes and corruption , neither do i beleeve that she was born a perfect language at first , but she receiv'd nutriment , and degrees of perfection with time , which matures , refines and finisheth all things : the verses of the salii compos'd by numa pompilius wer scarce intelligible by the flamins and judges themselves in the wane of the roman common-wealth , nor the laws of the decemviri : and if that latine wherin were couch'd the capitulations of peace 'twixt rome and carthage a little after the expulsion of the kings , which are yet extant upon a pillar in rome , wer compar'd to that which was spoken in caesars reign . after , at which time the latine tongue was mounted to the meridian of her perfection she would be found a●… differing as spanish now differeth from the latine : after caesar and ciceroes time , the latine tongue continued in rome and italy in her purity four hundred yeers together , untill the goths ▪ rush'd into italy first under alaric , then the hunns under attila , then the v●…ndalls under gensericus , and the heruli under odoacer who was proclaimed king of italy , but the goths a little after under theoderic thrust out the heruli , which theodoric was by zeno the emperor formally invested king of italy , who with his successor reign'd there peaceably sixty yeers and upwards ; so that in all probability the go●…hs cohabiting so long among the italians must adulterat their language as well as their women . the last barbarous peeple that invaded italy about the year ▪ wer the lombards , who having taken firm rooting in the very bowells of the countr●…y above yeers without interruption during the reign of twenty kings , must of necessity alter and deprave the generall speech of the naturall inhabitants , and among others one argument may be that the best and midland part of italy chang'd its name and took its appellation from these last invaders , calling it self lombardy , which name it retains to this day : yet before the intrusions of these wandring and warlike peeple into italy , ther may be a precedent cause of som corruption that might creep into the latine tongue in point of vulgarity ; first the incredible confluence of forreners that came dayly far and near , from the coloniz'd provinces to rome , then the infinite number of slaves which surpassed the number of free citizens , might much impair the purity of the latine tongue , and lastly those inconstancies and humor of novelty , which is naturally inherent in man who according to those frail elementary principles and ingredients wherof he is compos'd , is subject to insensible alterations and apt to receive impressions of any change . thus , my lord , as succinctly as i could digest it into the narrow bounds of an epistle , have i sent your lordship this small survay of the latine , or first roman tongue ; in my next i shall fall aboard of her three daughters , viz. the italian , the spanish , and the french , with a diligent investigation what might bee the originall native languages of those countreys from the beginning before the lat●…ne gave them the law ; in the interim i crave a candid interpretation of what is passed , and of my ●…udiousnes in executing your lordships injunctions , so i am west . iul. . . my lord , your most humble obedient servant , j. h. xl. to the right honble the e r. my lord , my last was a discourse of the latin or primitive roman tongue , which may be said to be expir'd in the mark●… though living yet in the schools , i mean she may be said to be defunct in point of vulgarity any time these yeers pass'd : out of her urne have sprung up the italian , the spanish and the french , wherof i am now to treat , but i think it not improper to make a research first what the radicall prime mother tongues of these countreys wer before the roman eagle planted her talons upon them . concerning italy , doubtles ther wer divers before the latin did spread all over that countrey , the calabrian and apulian spoke greek , wherof som reliques are to be found to this day , but it was an adventitious no mother language to them ; 't is confess'd that latium it self and all the territory about rome had the latine for its maternall and common first vernacular tongue , but toscany and lig●…ria had others quite discrepant , viz. the hetruscane and mesapian , wherof though ther be som records yet extant , yet ther are none alive that can understand them ; the oscan , the sabin and tusculan , are thought to be but dialects to these . now the latine tongue with the coincidence of the goths language , and other northern peeple , who like waves tumbled off one another , did more in italy then any where else , for she utterly abolished ( upon that part of the continent ) all other maternall tongues as ancient as her self , and therby her eldest daughter the italian came to be the vulgar universall tongue to the whole countrey ; yet the latine tongue had not the sole hand in doing this , but the goths and other septentrionall nations who rush'd into the roman dition , had a share in 't as i said before , and pegg'd in som words which have been ever since irremovable not only in the italian , but also in her two younger sisters the spanish and the french who felt also the fury of those peeple : now the italian is the smoothest and softest running language that is , for ther is not a word except som few monosyllables conjunctions and propositions , that ends with a consonant in the whole language , nor is ther any vulgar speech which hath more subdialects in so small a tract of ground , for italy it self affords above eight . there you have the romane , the toscane , the venetian , the mil●…tz , the neapolitan●… , the calabresse , the genoevais , the picmonlez , you have the corsican , sycilian , with divers other neighbouring islands ; and as the cause why from the beginning ther wer so many differing dialects in the greek tongue was because it was slic'd into so many islands ; so the reason why ther be so many subdialects in the italian is the diversity of governments that the countrey is squandred into , there being in italy at this day two kingdomes , viz. that of naples and calabria ; three republicks , viz. venice , genoa and luca , and divers other absolute princes . concerning the originall language of spain it was without any controversie , the bascuence or cantabrian , which tongue and territory neither roman , goth , ( whence this king hath his pedigree , with divers of the nobles ) or moore , could ever conquer ; though they had overrun and taken firm footing in all the rest for many ages , therfore as the remnant of the old britaines heer , so are the ●…scainers accounted the ancient'st and unquestionablest gentry of spain ; insomuch that when any of them is to be dubbed knight , ther is no need of any scrutiny to be made whether he be clear of the bloud of the morisco's who had mingled and incorporated with the rest of the spaniards about yeeres : and as the arcadians and attiques in greece for their immemoriall antiquity , are said to vaunt of themselves , that the one are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the moone ; the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 issued of the earth it self , so the ●…iscayner hath such like rodomontados . the spanish or castilian language hath but few subdialects , the portugues is most considerable touching the catalan , and valentiane ; they are rather dialects of the french , gascon or aquitani●… ; the purest dialect of the castilian tongue is held to be in the town of toledo , which above other cities of spain hath this priviledg to be arbitress in the decision of any controversie that may arise touching the interpretation of any castilian word . it is an infallible rule to find out the mother and ancient'st tongue of any countrey , to go among those who inhabit the barren'st and most mountainous places , which are posts of security and fastnes , wherof divers instances could be produc'd , but let the biscayner in spain , the vvelsh in great britain , and the mountaineers in epire serve the turn , who yet retain their ancient unmixt mother tongues , being extinguish'd in all the countrey besides . touching france it is not only doubtfull , but left yet undecided what the true genuine gallic tongue was , som would have it to be the german , som the greek , som the old british or welsh , and the last opinion carrieth away with it the most judicious antiquaries ; now all gallia is not meant by it , but the countrey of the celtae that inhabit the middle part of france , who are the true gaules ; caesar and tacitus tell us that these celtae , and the old britains ( wherof i gave a touch in my first letter ) did mutually understand one another , and som do hold that this island was tied to france , as sycily was to calabria , and denmark to germany by an istmos or neck of land 'twixt dover and bullen , for it one do well observe the rocks of the one , and the cliffes of the other , he will judge them to be one homogeneous piece , and that they wer cut and shivered asunder by som act of violence . the french or gallic tongue hath divers dialects , the picard , that of iersey and garnsey ( appendixes once to the dutchy of normandy ) the provensall , the gascon or speech of languedoc , which scaliger would etymologize from languedo'uy , wheras it comes rather from langue de got , for the saracens and goths who by their incursions and long stay in aquitain corrupted the language of that part of gallia : touching the britain and they of bearn , the one is a dialect of the welsh , the other of the bascuence ; the vvall●…n who is under the king of spain , and the liegois is also a dialect of the french , which in their own countrey they call romand : the spaniard also terms his castilian roman , whence it may be infer'd that the first rice and derivation of the spanish and french wer from the romane tongue , not from the latine , which makes me think that the language of rome might be degenerated and becom a dialect to our own mother tongue ( the latine ) before she brought her language to france and spain . ther is besides these subdialects of the italian , spanish and french another speech that hath a great stroke in greece and turky call'd franco , which may be said to be compos'd of all the three , and is at this day the greatest language of comerce and negotiation in the levant . thus have i given your lordship the best account i could of the sister dialects , of the italian , spanish , and french ; in my next i shall cross the mediterranean to afric and the hellespont to asia , wher i shall observe the generall'st languages of those vast continents where such numberless swarmes and differing sorts of nations do crawl up and down this earthly globe , therfore it cannot be expected that i should be so punctuall there as in europe , so i am still , my lord , your obedient servitor , j. h. wystmin . . iul. . lxi . to the right hon. the e. r. my lord , having in my former letters made a flying progress through the europaean world , and taken a view of the severall languages , dialects , and subdialects wherby people convers one with another , and being now windbound for afric , i held it not altogether supervacaneous to take a review of them , and inform your lordship what languages are originall independent mother tongues of christendom , and what are dialects , derivations , or degenerations from their originalls . the mother toungs of europe are thirteen , though scaliger would have but eleven ; ther is the greek , the latine , the dutch , the slavonian , the vvelsh or cambrian , the bascuence or cantabrian , the irish , the albanian in the mountaines of epire , the tartarian , the old illirian , remaining yet in liburnia , the iazrgian , on the north of hungary , the cauchian , in east frizeland , the finnic , which i put last with good reason , because they are the only heathens of europe ; all which were known to be in europe in the time of the roman empire ; ther is a learned antiquary that makes the arabic to be one of the mother toungs of europe , because it was spoken in som of the mountains of south spain , 't is true 't was spoken for divers hundred yeers all spain over after the conquest of the moors , but yet it could not be call'd a mother toung , but an adventitious toung in reference to that part of europe . and now that i am to pass to afric which is far bigger than europe , and to asia which is far bigger than afric , and to america which is thought to be as big as all the three , if europe her self hath so many mother languages quite discrepant one from the other , besides secondary tongues and dialects which exceed the number of their mothers , what shall we think of the other three huge continents in point of differing languages ? your lordship knowes that ther be divers meridians and clymes in the heavens whence influxes of differing qualities fall upon the inhabitants of the earth , and as they make men to differ in the idea's and conceptions of the mind , so in the motion of the tongue , in the tune and tones of the voice , they com to differ one from the other : now , all languages at first were imperfect confus'd sounds , then came they to be syllables , then words , then speeches and sentences , which by practice , by tradition , and a kind of naturall instinct from parents to children , grew to be fix'd . now to attempt a survay of all the languages in the other three parts of the habitable earth wer rather a madness than a presumption , it being a thing of impossibility , and not only above the capacity , but beyond the search of the activ'st , and knowingst man upon earth : let it therfore suffice while i behold those nations that read and write from right to left , from the liver to the heart , i mean the africanes , and asians , that i take a short view of the arabic in the one , and the hebrew or syriac in the other , for touching the turkish language , 't is but a dialect of the tartarian though it have received a late mixture of the armenian , the persian , and greek tongues , but specially of the arabic , which was the mother tongue of their prophet , and is now the sole language of their alchoran , it being strictly inhibited , and held to be a prophaness to translate it to any other , which they say preserves them from the encroachment of schismes . now the arabic is a tongue of vast expansion , for besides the three arabia's it is becom the vulgar speech of syria , mesoptoamia , palestine and egypt , from whence she stretcheth her self to the streight of gibraltar , through all that vast tract of earth , which lieth 'twixt the mountain atlas and the mediterranean sea , which is now call'd barbary , where christianity and the latine tongue with divers famous bishops once flourished . she is spoken likewise in all the northern parts of the turkish empire , as also in petty tartary , and she above all other hath a reason to learn arabic , for she is in hope one day to have the crescent and the whole ottoman empire , it being entail'd upon her in case the present race should fail , which is now in more danger than ever , in 〈◊〉 whersoever the mahometan religion is profes'd , the arabic is either spoken or taught . my last view shall be of the first language of the earth , the ancient language of paradice , the language wherin god almighty himself pleas'd to pronounce and publish the tables of the law , the language that had a benediction promis'd her because she would not consent to the building of the babylonish tower ; yet this holy tongue hath had also her eclypses , and is now degenerated to many dialects , nor is she spoken purely by any nation upon the earth , a fate also which is befallen the greek and latine ; the most spacious dialect of the hebrew is the syriac which had her begining in the time of the captivity of the jews at babylon , while they cohabited , and wer mingled with the chaldeans , in which tract of seventy yeeres time the vulgar sort of jewes neglecting their own matern●…ll tongue ( the hebrew ) began to speak the chaldee , but not having the right accent of it , and fashioning that new learn'd language to their own innotation of points , affixes and conjugations , out of that intermixture of hebrew and chaldee , resulted a third language call'd to this day the syri●…c , which also after the time of our saviour began to be more adulterated by admission of greek , roman , and arabic : in this language is the talmud and targum couch'd , and all their rabbins , as rabby ionathan , and rabby oakelos with others have written in it : insomuch that as i said before , the ancient hebrew had the same fortune that the greek and latine tongues had , to fall from being naturally spoken any where , to lose their generall communicableness and vulgarity , & to becom only school & book languages . thus we see , that as all other sublunary things are subject to corruption and decay , as the poten'st monarchies , the proudest republiques , the opulentest cities have their growth , declinings , and periods ; as all other elementary bodies likewise by reason of the frailty of their principles , com by in sensible degrees to alter and perish , and cannot continue long at a stand of perfection ; so the learnedst and more eloquent languages , are not free from this common fatality , but they are liable to those alterations and resolutions , to those fits of inconstancy , and other destructive contingencies which are unavoidably incident to all earthly things . thus my noble lord have i evertuated my self , and strech'd all my sinnews , i have put all my small knowledge , observations and reading upon the tenter to satisfy your lordships desires touching this subject ; if it afford you any contentment i have hit the white i aimed at , and hold myself abundantly rewarded for my oyl and labour : so i am , my lord , your most humble and ever obedient servitor , j. h. vvestm . iul. . xliii . to the hon. master car. ra. sir , yours of the th current was brought me , wherby i find that you did put your self to the penance of perusing som epistles , that go imprinted lately in my name ; i am bound to you for your pains and patience ( for you write , you read them all thorough ) much more for your candid opinion of them , being right glad that they should give entertainment to such a choice and judicious geetleman as your self : but wheras you seem to except against somthing in one letter , that reflects upon sir vvalter raleigh's voyage to guyana , because i tearm the gold mine he went to discover , an ayrie and supposititious mine , & so infer that it toucheth his honour ; truly sir , i will deal clearly with you in that point , that i never harbour'd in my brain the least thought to expose to the world any thing that might prejudice , much less traduce in the least degree that could be , that rare and renowned knight , whose fame shall contend in longaevity with this island it self , yea with that great vvorld which he historiseth so gallantly ; i was a youth about the town when he undertook that expedition , and i remember most men suspected that mine then to be but an imaginary politic thing , but at his return , and missing of the enterprise , these suspitions turn'd in most to reall beliefs that 't was no other . and king iames it that declaration which he commanded to be printed and published afterwards touching the circumstances of this action ( upon which my letter is grounded , and which i have still by me ) tearms it no less ; and if we may not give faith to such publick regall instruments , what shall we credit ? besides , ther goes another p●…inted kind of remonstrance annex'd to that declaration which intimates as much ; and ther is a worthy captain in this town , who was a coadventurer in that expedition , who , upon the storming of st. thoma , heard young mr. rawleigh encouraging his men in these whods , com on my noble hearts , this i●… the mine we com for , and they who think ther is any other , are fo●…lt . add heerunto that sir richard baker in his last historicall collections intimates so much , therfore 't was far from being any opinion broach'd by my self , or bottom'd upon weak grounds , for i was carefull of nothing more , than that those letters , being to breath open air , should relate nothing but what should be derived from good fountains ; and truly sir , touching that apologie of sir walter rawleighs you write of , i never saw it , and i am very sorry i did not , for it had let in more light upon me of the cariage of that great action , and then you might have bin well assur'd that i would have don that noble knight all the right that could be . but sir , the severall arguments that you urge in your letters are of that strength , i confess , that they are able to rectifie any indifferent man in this point , and induce him to believe that it was no chymera , but a reall mine ; for you write of divers pieces of gold brought thence by sir walter himself , and captain kemys , and of som ingotts that wer found in the governours closet at st. thoma , with divers crusibles , and other refining instruments ; yet , under favour , that might be , and the benefit not countervail the charge , for the richest mines that the king of spain hath upon the whole continent of america , which are the mines of potos●… , yeeld him but six in the hundred all expences defrayed , you write how king iames sent privately to sir vvalter being yet in the tower , to intreat and command him , that he would impart his whole designe unto him under his hand , promising upon the word of a king to keep it secret , which being don accordingly by sir vvalter rawleigh , that very originall paper was found in the said spanish governours closet at st. thoma ; wherat , as you have just cause to wonder , and admire the activeness of the spanish agents about our court at that time , so i wonder no less at the miscariage of som of his late majesties ministers , who notwithstanding that he had pass'd his royall word to the contrary , yet they did help count gondamar to that paper , so that the reproach lieth more upon the english than the spanish ministers in this particular : wheras you allege that the dangerous sicknes of sir vvatler being arrived neer the place , and the death of ( that rare sparke of courage ) your brother upon the first landing , with other circumstances discourag'd captain kemys from discovering the mine , but to reserve it for another time , i am content to give as much credit to this as any man can ; as also that sir vvalter , if the rest of the fleet according to his earnest motion had gon with him to revictuall in virginia ( a country wher he had reason to be welcom unto , being of his own discovery ) he had a purpose to return to guyana the spring following to pursue his first designe : i am also very willing to believe that it cost sir vvalter rawleigh much more to put himself in equipage for that long intended voyage , than would have payed for his liberty , if he had gon about to purchase it for reward of money at home , though i am not ignorant that many of the co-adventurers made large contributions , and the fortunes of som of them suffer for it at this very day . but although gondamar , as my letter mentions , calls sir walter pyrat , i , for my part am far from thinking so , because as you give an unanswerable reason , the plundering of st. thoma , was an act done beyond the equator , wher the articles of peace 'twixt the two kings do not extend ; yet , under favor , though he broke not the peace , he was said to break his patent by exceeding the bounds of his commission , as the foresaid declaration relates , for king iames had made strong promises to count gondamar , that this fleet should commit no outrages upon the king of spain's subjects by land , unless they began first , and i beleeve that was the main cause of his death , though i think if they had proceeded that way against him in a legall course of triall , he might have defended himself well enough . wheras you alledg that if that action had succeeded , and afterwards been well prosecuted , it might have brought gondamar's great catholic master to have been begg'd for at the church dores by fryars , as he was once brought in the latter end of queen elizabeths days ; i believe it had much damnified him , and interrupted him in the possession of his west indies , but not brought him , under favor , to so low an ebb ; i have observed that it is an ordinary thing in your popish countreys for princes to borrow from the altar , when they are reduc'd to any straights , for they say , the ●…iches of the church are to serve as anchors in time of a storm ; divers of our kings have don worse , by pawning their plate and jewels : wheras my letter makes mention that sir walter rawleigh mainly laboured for his pardon before he went , but could not compas it , this is also a passage in the foresaid printed relation , but i could have wish'd with all my heart he had obtaind it , for i beleeve , that neither the transgression of his commission , nor any thing that he did beyond the line , could have shortned the line of his life otherwise , but in all probability wee might have been happy in him to this very day , having such an heroic heart as he had , and other rare helps , by his great knowledg , for the preservation of health ; i beleeve without any scruple what you write , that sir william st. geon made an overture unto him of procuring his pardon for l. but whether he could have effected it i doubt a little , when he had com to negotiat it really : but i extremely wonder how that old sentence which had lain dormant above sixteen yeers against sir walter rawleigh could have been made use of to take off his head afterwards , considering that the lord chancellor verulam , as you write , told him positively ( as sir walter was acquainting him with that proffer of sir william st. geons for a pecunia●…y pardon ) in these words , sir , the knee timber of your voiage is money , spare 〈◊〉 purse in this particular , for upon my life you have a sufficient par●… for all that is passed already , the king having under his broad seal made you admirall of your fleet , and given you power of the martiall law over your officers and soldiers : one would think that by this royall patent , which gave him power of life and death over the kings liege peeple , sir walter rawleigh should becom rectus in ●…ia , and free from all old convictions ; but sir , to tell you the plain truth , count gondamar at that time had a great stroak in our court , because ther was more than a meer ●…verture of a match with spain , which makes me apt to believe that ▪ that great wise knight being such an anti-spaniard , was made a sacrifice to advance the matrimoniall treaty : but i must needs wonder , as you justly do , that one and the same man should be condemned for being a frend to the spaniard , ( which was the ground of his first condemnation ) should afterwards lose his head for being their enemy by the same sentence : touching his return i must consess i was utterly ignorant that those two noble earls thomas of arundell and william of pemb●…oke wer ingaged for him in this particular , nor doth the prin●…ed relation , make any mention of them at all , therfore i must say that envy her self must pronounce that return of his , for the ●…quitting of his fiduciary pledges to be a most noble act , and wa●…ing that of king alphonso's moor , i may more properly compare it to the act of that famous roman commander ( regulus as i take 〈◊〉 ) who to keep his promise and faith return'd to his enemies ●…her he had been prisoner , though he knew he went to an inevi●…able death : but well did that faithles cunning knight who betray●…d sir walter rawleigh in his intended escape being com ashore , fall to that contemptible end , as to dye a poor distracted beggar in the 〈◊〉 of lyndey having for a bag of money falsified his faith , confirm'd by the tye of the holy sacrament as you write , as also before the yeer came about to be found clipping the same coin in the kings own house at white-hall which he had receiv'd as a reward for his perfidiousnes , for which being condemned to be hang'd , hee was driven to sell himself to his shirt , to purchase his pardon of two knights . and now sir , let that glorious and gallant cavalier sir walter rawleigh ( who lived long enough for his own honor though not for his countrey , as it was said of a roman consull ) rest quietly in his grave and his vertues live in his posterity , as i find they do strongly , and very eminently in you ; i have heard his enemies confess that he was one of the weightiest and wisest men that this island ever bred , mr. nath. carpenter a learned and judicious author was not in the wrong when he gave this discreet character of him , who hath not known or read of that prodigy of wit and fortune , sir walter rawleigh , a man infortunat in nothing els but in the grea●… of his wit and advancement , whose eminent worth was such both in domestic policy , forren expeditions and discoveries , in arts and literature , both practic and contemplative , that it might seem at once to conq●… bo●… example and imitation . now sir , hoping to be rectified in your judgment touching my opinion of that illustrious knight your father , give me leave to kiss your hands very affectionatly for the respectfull mention you please to make of my brother once your neighbor ; he suffers , good soul , as well as i , though in a differing manner ; i also much value that favourable censure you give of those rambling letters of mine , which indeed are nought els than a legend of the cumbersom lif●… and various fortunes of a cadet ; but wheras you please to say , that the world of learned men is much beholden to me for them , and that son of them are freighted with many excellent and qaaint passages delivered in a masculine and solid stile , adorn'd with much eloquence , a●… stuck with the choicest flowers pick'd from the muses garden ; wheras you also please to write that you admire my great travells , my stren●…ous endeavours , at all times and in all places to accumulate knowledg , ●…y active laying hold upon all occasions , and on every handle that mig●… ( with reputation ) advantage either my wit or fortune : these high gallant strains of expressions , i confess , transcend my merit , and are a garment too gawdy for me to put on , yet i will lay it up among by best reliques , wherof i have divers sent me of th●… kind : and wheras in publishing these epistles at this time you please to say , that i have don like hezekiah when he shewedhis treasures to the babylonians , that i have discovered my riches to theev●… who will bind me fast aud share my goods ; to this i answer , that i●… those innocent letters ( for i know none of them but is such ) fall among such theevs they will have no great prize to carry away , it will be but pettylarceny ; i am already , god wot , bound fast enough , having been a long time coopt up between these walls ▪ bere●…t of all my means of subsistence and employment , nor do i know wherfore i am heer , unless it be for my sins ; for i bear as upright ●… heart to my king and countrey , i am as conformable and well affected to the government of this land , specially to the high court of parliament as any one whatsoever that breaths air under this meridian , i will except none : and for my religion i defie any creature 'twixt heaven and earth that will say , i am not a true english protestant . i have from time to time employ'd divers of my best frends to get my liberty , at leastwise leave to go abroad upon bail ( for i do not expect , as you please also to beleeve in your letter , to be delivered hence as saint peter was by miracle ) but nothing will yet prevail . to conclude , i do acknowledg in the highest way of recognition , the free and noble proffer you please to make me of your endeavors to pull me out of this dolefull sepulcher , wherin you say i am entomb'd alive ; i am no less oblig'd to you for the opinion i find you have of my weak abilities , which you please to wish heartily may be no longer eclypsed , i am not in despair , but a day will shine that may afford me opportunity to improve this good opinion of yours ( which i value at a very high rate ) and let the world know how much i am , fleet , may , . sir , your reall and ready servitor , j. h. lxiiii. to mr. t. v. at brussells . my dear tom , vvho would have thought poor england had been brought to this pass ? could it ever have entred into the imagination of man that the scheme and whole frame of so ancient and well-molded a government should bee so suddenly struck off the hinges , quite put out of joynt , and tumbled into such a horrid confusion ? who would have held it possible that to fly from babylon , we should fall into such a babel ? that to avoid superstition some peeple should bee brought to belch out such horrid prophanenes , as to call the temples of god the tabernacles of sathan ; the lords supper a two-penny ordinary ; to make the communion table a manger , and the font a trough to water their horses in ; to term the white decent robe of the presbyter the whores smock ; the pipes through which nothing came but anthems and holy hymns , the devills bag-pipes ; the liturgy of the church , though extracted most of it out of the sacred text , call'd by som another kind of alchoran , by others raw porredge , by som a peece forg'd in hell ; who would have thought to have seen in england the churches shut and the shops open upon christmas day ? could any soul have imagined that this isle would have produc'd such monsters , as to rejoyce at the turks good successes against christians , and wish hee were in the midst of rome ? who would have dream't ten yeers since , when arch-bishop lawd did ride in state through london streets , accompanying my lord of london to bee sworn lord high tresurer of england , that the mitre should have now com to such a scorn , to such a nationall kind of hatred , as to put the whole island in a combustion ; which makes mee call to memory a saying of the earl of kildare in ireland , in the reign of henry the eighth , which earl , having deadly feud with the bishop of cass●…es , burnt a church belonging to that diocess , and being ask'd upon his examination before the lord deputy at the castle of dublin , why hee had committed such a horrid sacrilege as to burn gods church ? hee answered , i had never burnt the church unles i had thought the bishop had been in 't . lastly , who would have imagined that the accise would have taken footing heer ? a word i remember in the last parliament save one , so odious , that when sir d. carleton then secretary of state , did but name it in the house of commons , hee was like to be sent to the tower ; although hee nam'd it to no ill s●…nse but to shew what advantage of happines the peeple of england had o're other nations , having neither the gabells of italy , the tallies of france , or the accise of holland laid upon them , yet upon this hee was suddenly interrupted , and call'd to the bar ; such a strange metamorphosis poor england is now com unto , and i am afraid our miseries are not com to their height , but the longest shadowes stay till the evening . the freshest news that i can write unto you is , that the kentish knight of your acquaintance whom i writ in my last had an apostacy in his brain , dyed suddenly this week of an impostume in his brest , as he was reading a pamphlet of his own that cam from the press , wherin hee shew'd a great mind to be nibling with my trees ; but he only shew'd his teeth , for he could not bite them to any purpose . willi. ro : is return'd from the wars , but he is grown lame in one of his arms , so he hath no mind to bear arms any more , he confesseth himself to be an egregious fool to leave his mercership , and go to be a musqueteer : it made me think upon the tale of the gallego in spain , who in the civill wars against aragon being in the field he was shot in the forehead , and being carryed away to a tent , the surgeon search'd his wound and found it mortall ; so he advis'd him to send for his confessor , for he was no man for this world in regard the brain was touch'd ; the soldier wish'd him to search it again , which he did , and told him that he found he was hurt in the brain and could not possibly scape , wherupon the gallego●…ell ●…ell into a chafe , and said he lyed , for he had no brain at all por que si tuviera seso , nunca huniera venido a esta guerra , for if i had had any brain , i would never have com to this war : all your frends heer are well , except the maym'd soldier , and remember you often , specially sir i. brown , a good gallant gentleman , who never forgets any who deserv'd to have a place in his memory . farewell my dear tom : and god send you better dayes than we have heer , for i wish you as much happines as possibly man can have , i wish your mornings may be good , your noons better , your evenings and nights best of all ; i wish your sorrows may be short , your joys lasting , and all your desires end in success ; let me hear once more from you before you remove thence , and tell me how the squares go in flanders : so i rest , fleet , aug. . your entirely affectionat servitor , j. h. lxv . to his majesty at oxon. sir , i prostrate this paper at your majesties feet , hoping it may find way thence to your eyes , and so de●…cend to your royall heart . the forren minister of state , by whose conveyance this com●… , did lately intimat unto mee , that among divers things which go abroad under my name reflecting upon the times , ther are som which are not so well taken , your majesty being inform'd that they discover a spirit of indifferency , and luke-warmnes in the author ▪ this added much to the weight of my present suffrances ; and exceedingly imbitter'd the sense of them unto me , being no other than a corrosif to one already in a hestic condition : i must confess that som of them wer more moderat than others ; yet ( most humbly under favor ) ther wer none of them but displayed the heart of a constant true loyall subject , and as divers of those who are most zealous to your majestics service told me , they had the good succes to rectifie multitudes of peeple in their opinion of som things ; insomuch that i am not only not conscious , but most confident that none of them could tend to your majesties disservice any way imaginable : therfore i humbly beseech , that your majesty would 〈◊〉 to conceive of me accordingly , and of one who by this recluse passive condition hath his share of this hideous storm ▪ yet he is in assurance , rather than hopes , that though divers cross-winds have blown , these times will bring in better at last . 〈◊〉 have bin divers of your royall progenitors who have had as shrewd shocks ; and 't is well known , how the next transmarine kings have been brought to lower ebbs : at this very day he of spain is in a far worse condition , being in the midst of two sorts of peeple , ( the catalan and portuguais ) which wer lately his vassalls , but now have torn his seals , renounc'd all bonds of allegeance , and are in actuall hostility against him : this great city i may say is like a ches-board chequer'd , inlayd with white and black spots , though i believe the white are more in number , and your majesties countenance by returning to your great counsell and your court at white-hall would quickly turn them all white : that almighty majesty who useth to draw light out of darknes , and strength out of weaknes ▪ making mans extremity his opportunity , preserve and prosper your majesty according to the prayers early and late of your ma●…esties most loyall subject , servant ▪ and martyr , fleet . septem . . howell , lxvi . to e. benlowes esqr. upon the receipt of a table of exquisit latine poems . sir , i thank you in a very high degree for that precious table of poems you pleas'd to send me : when i had well viewd them , i thought upon that famous table of proportion , which ptolomy is recorded by aristaeus to have sent eleazar to hierusalem , which was counted a stupendious piece of ▪ art , and the wonderment of those times : what the curiosity of that table was , i have not read , but i believe it consisted in extern mechanicall artifice only : the beauty of your table is of a far more noble extraction being a pure spirituall work , so that it may be call'd the table of your soul , in confirmation of the opinion of that divine , though pagan philosopher , the high wing'd plato , who fancied that our souls at the first infusion wer as so many tables , they were abrasae tabulae , and that all our future knowledg was but a reminiscence ; but under favor these rich and elaborate poems which so loudly eccho out your worth and ingenuity deserve a far more lasting monument to preserve them from the injury of time than such a slender board , they deserve to be engraven in such durable dainty stuff that may be fit to hang up in the temple of apollo ; your eccho deserves to dwell in som marble or porphyry grot , cut about parnassus mount neer the source of helicon , rather than upon such a slight suprfiecies . i much thank you for your visits , and other fair respects you shew me ; specially that you have enlarg'd my quarters 'mong these melancholy walls , by sending me a whole isle to walk in , i mean that delicate purple island i receiv'd from you , wher i meet with apollo himself and all his daughters , with other excellent society ; i stumble also ther often upon my self , and grow better acquainted with what i have within me and without mee : insomuch that you could not make choice of a fitter ground for a prisoner , 〈◊〉 i am , to pass over , than of that purple isle , that isle of man you see●… me , which as the ingenious author ▪ hath made it , is a far more dainty soil than that scarlet island which lys near the baltic sea . i remain still wind-bound in this fleet , when the weather mend●… and the wind sifts that i may launch forth , i will repay you your visits , and be ready to correspond with you in the reciprocation of any other offices of frendship , for i am , sir , your affectionat servitor , j. h. fleet , aug. . lxvii . to my honourable la : the la : a. smith . madame , vvheras you wer pleas'd lately to ask leave , you may now take authority to command me ; and did i know any of the faculties of my mind , or lims of my body that wer not willing to serve you , i would utterly renounce them , they should be no more mine , at least i should not like them neer so well ; but i shall not be put to that , for i sensibly find that by a naturall propensity they are all most ready to obey you , and to stir at the least beck of your commands as iron moves towords the load-stone ; therfore madame if you bid me go , i will run ; if you bid me run , i le fly , ( if i can ) upon your arrand ; but i must stay till i can get my heels at liberty from among these walls , till when , i am as perfectly as man can be , madame , your most obedient humble servitor , j. h. fleet , may. . lxviii . to master g. stone . sir , i heartily rejoyce with the rest of your frends , that you are safely return'd from your travells , specially that you have made so good returns of the time of your travell ; being as i understand , come home fraighted with observations and languages ; your father tells me tha the finds you are so wedded to the italian & french , that you utterly neglect the latine tongue , that 's not well , though you have learnt to play at baggammon , you must not forget irish , which is a more serious and solid game ; but i know you are so discreet in the course and method of your studies , that you will make the daughters to wait upon their mother , & love stil your old frend : to truck the latine for any other vulgar language , is but an ill ba●…ter , it is as bad as that which glaucus made with diomedes when he parted with his golden armes for brazen ones ; the procede of this exchange wil come far short of any gentlemans expectations , though haply it may prove advantagious to a merchant , to whom common languages are more usefull . i am big with desire to meet you , and to mingle a days discours with you , if no●… two , how you escap'd the claws of the inquisition , wherunto i understand you wer like to fall , and of other traverses of your pe●…egrination : farewell my precious stone , and beleeve it , the least grain of those high respects you please to professe unto me ▪ 〈◊〉 not lost , but answer'd with so many cara●…ts : so i rest , 〈◊〉 . novem. ●… . your most affectionate servitor , j. h. xlix . to mr. j. j. esq. sir , i received those sparkes of piety you pleas'd to send me in a manuscript , and wheras you favour me with a desire of my opinion concerning the publishing of them ; sir i must confess that i found among them many most fervent and flexanimous strains of devotion ; i found som prayers so piercing and powerfull that they are able to invade heaven , and take it by violence , if the heart doth i'ts office as well as the toung : but sir , you must give me leave ( and for this leave you shall have authority to deal with me in such a case ) to tell you , that wheras they consist only of requests being all supplicatory prayers , you should do well to intersperse among them som eucharisticall ejaculations , and doxologies , som oblation●… of thankfulnes ; we should not be allwayes whining in a puling petitionary way ( which is the tone of the time now in fashion ) before the gates of heaven with our fingers in our eyes , but we should lay our hands upon our hearts and break into raptures of joy and praise , a soul thus elevated is the most pleasing sacrifice that can be offer'd to god almighty , it is the best sort of in●…ense : prayer causeth the first showr of rain , but praise brings down the second , the one fructifieth the earth , the other makes the hills to skip ; all prayers aim at our own ends and interest , but praise proceeds from the pure motions of love and gratitude , having no other object but the glory of god , that soul which rightly dischargeth this part of devotion may be said to do the duty of an angell upon earth . among other attributes o●… god , praescience or fore-knowledge is one , for he knowes ou●… thoughts , our desires , our wants long before we propound them ▪ and this is not only one of his attributes but prerogative royall , therfore to use so many iterations , inculcatings , and tautologie●… , as it is no good manners in morall philosophy , no more is it i●… divinity , it argues a pusillanimou●… and mistrustfull soul : of the two , i had rather be overlong in praise , than prayer : yet i wou●… be carefull it should be free from any pharisaicall babling ; prayer compar'd with praise , is but a fuliginous smoak issuing fro●… the sense of sin , and human infirmities , prayses are the true cleer sparks of pietie , and sooner fly upwards . thus have i been free with you in delivering my opinion touching that piece of devotion you sent me , wherunto i ad my humble thanks to you for the perusall of it , so i am fleet , sept. . yours most ready to be commanded , j. h. lxx . to captain william bridges in amsterdam . my noble captain , i had yours of the tenth current , and besides your avisos , i must thank you for those rich flourishes wherwith your letter was embrodered evry where ; the news under this clyme is that they have mutinied lately in divers places about the excise , a bird that was first hatch'd there first amongst you ; heer in london the tumult came to that height that they burnt down to the grownd the excise house in smithfield , but now all is quiet again ; god grant our excise heer have not the same fortune as yours there , to becom perpetuall ; or as that new gabell of orleans , which began in the time of the ligue , which continueth to this day , notwithstanding the cause ceas'd about threescore yeers since ; touching this i remember a pleasant tale that is recorded of henry the great , who som yeers after peace was established throughout all the whole body of france , going to his town of orleans , the citizens petitioned him that his majesty would be pleased to abolish that new tax ; the king asked who had impos'd it upon them , they answered monsieur de la chatre , ( during the civill wars of the ligue ) who was now dead ; the king replied monsieur de la cha'tre vous a liguè qu'il vous desligue , monsieur dela chatre ligu'd you , let him then unligue you for my part ; now that we have a kind of peace , the goals are full of souldiers , and som gentlemens sons of quality suffer daily , the last week judge riv●…s condemn'd four in your county at maidstone assizes , but he went out of the world before them though they wer executed four daies after ; you know the saying in france , that la guerre sait les larrons , & la paix les ameine an gibet , war makes thieves , and peace brings them to the gallowes . i lie still heer in limbo , in limbo innocentium , though not in limbo infantion , and i know not upon what star to cast this misfortune ; others are heer for their good conditions , but i am heet for my good qualities as your cosin fortescue geer'd me not long since , i know none i have , unless it be to love you , which i would continue to do , though i tug'd at an oar in a gallie , much more as i walk in the galleries of this fleet : in this resolution i rest fleet , sept. . your most affectionat servitor , j. h. lxxi . to mr. w. b. at grundesburgh . gentle sir , yours of the seventh i received yesternight , and read ore with no vulgar delight ; in the perusall of it mee thought to have discern'd a gentle strife 'twixt the fair respects you pleas'd to shew me therin , and your ingenuity in expressing them , who should have superiority ; so that i knew not to which of the two i should adjudge the palm . if you continue to wrap up our young acquaintance , which you say is but yet in fasciis , in such warm choice swadlings , it will quickly grow up to maturity , and for my part i shall not be wanting to contribute that reciprocall nourishment which is due from me . wheras you please to magnifie som pieces of mine , and that you seem to spy the muses pearching upon my trees , i fear 't is but deceptio visus , for they are but satyrs , or happily som of the homelier sort of wood nymphs , the muses have choicer walks for their recreation . sir , i must thank you for the visit you vouchsafed me in this simple cell , and wheras you please to call it the cabinet that holds the jewell of our times , you may rather term it a wicker casknet that keeps a jet ring , or a horn lantern that holds a small taper of cours wax ; i hope this taper shall not extinguish heer , and if it may afford you any light , either from hence or heerafter , i should be glad to impart it in a plentifull proportion , because i am sir fleet , iuly , . your most affectionat frend to serve you , j. h. lxxii . to i. w. of grayes inne , esquire sir , i was yours before in a high degree of affection , but now i am much more yours since i perus'd that parcell of choice epistles you sent me ; they discover in you a knowing and a candid cleer soul , for familiar letters are the keys of the mind , they open all the 〈◊〉 of ones breast , all the cells of the brain , and truly set forth the inward man , nor can the pensill so lively represent the face , as the pen 〈◊〉 the fancy : i much thank you that you would please to impart them unto fleet , april , . your most faithfull servitor , j. h. lxxiii . to cap. t. p. from madrid . captain don tomas , could i write my love unto you , with a ray of the sun , as once aurelius the roman emperour wish'd to a frend of his , you ●…ow this cleer horizon of spain could afford me plenty , which cannot be had so constantly all the seasons of the yeer in your clowdy ●…yme of england ; apollo with you makes not himself so common , 〈◊〉 keeps more state , and doth not shew his face , and shoot his ●…ams so frequently as he doth heer , where 't is sunday all the 〈◊〉 : i thank you a thousand times for what you sent by mr gres●… and that you let me know how the pulse of the times bears with you ; i find you cast not your eyes so much southward as you were us'd to do towards us heer , and when you look this way you cast a clowdy countenance , with threatning looks ; which maket me apprehend som fear that it will not be safe for me to be longer under this meridian . before i part i will be carefull to send you those things you writ for , by som of my l. ambassadour aston's gentlemen ; i cannot yet get that grammar which was made for the constable of castile , who you know was born dumb , wheri●… an art is invented to speak with hands only , to carry the alphab●…t upon ones joynts , and at his fingers ends , which may be learn'd without any great difficulty by any mean capacity , and wherby one may discours and deliver the conceptions of his mind witho●… ever wagging of his toung , provided ther be reciprocall knowledge , aud co-understanding of the art 'twixt the parties , and it i●… a very ingenious piece of invention . i thank you for the copie of verses you sent me glancing upon the times ; i was lately perusing som of the spanish poets heer , and lighted upon two epigrams , or epitaphs more properly , upon our ▪ henry the eighth , and upon his daughter queen elizabeth , which in requital i thought worth the sending you : a henrique octavo rey de ingalatierra mas de esta losa fria cubre henrique tu valor , de una muger el amor , y de un error la porsia como cupo en tu grandeza , dezidme enzañado ingles querer una muger a lospies , ser de la yglesia cabesa ? pros'd thus in english , for i had no time to put it on feet . o henry more than this cold pavemeut covers thy worth , th●… love of a woman and the pertinacy of error ; how could it sub●… with thy greatness , tell me o cosen'd english man , to cast th●… self at a womans feet , and yet to be head of the church ? that upon queen elizabeth was this . de isabela reyna de ingalatierra aqui yaze iesabel , aqui lanueva athalia , del oro antartico harpia , del mar incendio cruel : aqui el ingenio , mas dino de loor que ha tenido el suelo , si para llegar al cielo no huuiera errado el camino . heer lies iesabel , heer lies the new athalia , the hrapy of the western gold , the cruell firebrand of the sea ; heer lies a wit the most worthy of fame which the earth had , if to arrive to heaven she had not mist her way . you cannot blame the spaniard to be satyricall against queen elizabeth , for he never speaks of her , but he fetcheth a shrink in the thoulder ; since i have begun i will go on with as witty an anagram as i have heard or read , which a gentleman lately made upon his own name tomas , and a nun call'd maria , for she was his devota ; the occasion was , that going one evening to discours with her at the grate , he wrung her by the hand , and joyn'd both their names in this anagram , to maria mas , i would take more ; i know i shall not need to expound it to you ; heer unto i will add a strong and deep fetch'd character , as i think you will confess when you have read it , that one made in this court of a cour●…san . ere 's put a tan arte●● qu'en el vientre de tu madre tu tuvistes de manera que te cavalgue el padre , to this i will joyn that which was made of de vaca husband to iusepe de vaca the famous comedian , who came upon the stage with a cloak lin'd with black plush and a great chain about his neck , wherupon the duke of mediana broke into these witty lines . con tanta selpa en la capa y tanta cadena de oro , el marido de la vaca que puede ser sino toro ? the conclusion of this rambling letter shall be a rime of certain hard throaty words which i was taught lately , and they are accounted the difficulst in all the whole castilian language , insomuch that he who is able to pronounce them , is accounted buen romancista , a good speaker of spanish : abcia y oueia y piedra que rabeia , y pendola ●…as oreia , y lugar en la ygre●…a , dessea a su hijo la vieia . a be and a sheep , ●… mill , a jewell in the eare , and a place in the church , the old woman desires her son . no more now , but that i am , and will ever be , my noble captain in the front of madrid , aug. . your most affectionat servitors , j. h. lxxiv . to sir tho. luke , knight . sir had you traversed all the world over , specially those large continents , and christian countries which you have so exactly surveyed , and whence you have brought-over with you such usefull observations and languages , you could not have lighted upon a choicer piece of womankind for your wife ; the earth could not have afforded a lady , that by her discretion and sweetnes could better quadrate with your disposition : as i heartily congratulat your happines in this particular , so i would desire you to know that i did no ill offices towards the advancement of the work , upon occasion of som discours with my lord george of rutland not long before at hambledon . my thoughts are now puzzled about my voyage to the baltie sea upon the kings service , otherwise i would have ventur'●… upon an epithalamium , for ther is matter rich enough to work upon : and now that you have made an end of wooing , i could wish you had made an end of wrangling , i mean of lawing , specially with your mother , who hath such resolutions wher she once takes : law is not only a pickpurse , but a purgatory ; you know the saying they have in france , les plaideurs sont les oyséaux , le palais le champ. les iuges les rets , les advocats les rats , les procureurs les souris del ' estat , the poor clients are the birds , westminster hall the field , the judge the net , the lawyers the rats , the atturnies the mice of the common wealth ; i believe this saying was spoken by an angry clyent ; for my part i like his resolution who said he would never use lawyer nor physitian but upon urgent necessity : i will conclude with this rime puuvre playdeur , jay gran pitie de ta douleur . westmin . may , . your most affectionat servitor , j. h. lxxv . to mr. r. k. dear sir , you and i are upon a journy , though bound for severall places , i for hamborough , you for your last home , as i understand by doctor baskervill , who tells me much to my grief , that this hectieall disease will not suffer you to be long among us : i know by som experiments which i have had of you , you have such a noble soul within you , that will not be daunted by those naturall apprehensions which death doth usually carry along with it among vulgar spirits : i do not think that you fear death as much now ( though it be to som ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as you did to go into the dark when you wer a child ; you have had a fair time to prepare your self , god give you a boon voyage to the haven you are bound for ( which i doubt not will be heaven ) and me the grace to follow , when i have pass'd the boysterous sea , and swelling billows of this tumultuary life , wherin i have already shot divers dangerous gulfs , pass'd o're som quick sands , rocks , and sundry ill favor'd reaches , while others sail in the sleeve of fortune ; you and i have eaten a great deal of salt together , and spent much oyl in the communication of our studies by literall correspondence and otherwise both in verse and prose , therfore i will take my last leave of you now in these few stanza's . . weak crazy mortall , why dost fear to leave this earthly hemisphear ? where all delights away do pass , like thy effigies in a glass ; each thing beneath the moon is frayle and sickle , death sweeps away what time cuts with his sickle , . this life , at best , is but an inn , and we the passengers , wherin the cloth is layed to som , before they peep out of dame nature's dore , and warm lodgings left , others ther are must trudg to find a room , and shift for fare ? . this life's , at longest , but one day , he who in youth posts hence away , leave 's us i'●…h morn , he who hath run his race till manhood , part 's al noon , and who at seventy odd forsakes this light , he may be said to take his leave at night . . one past makes up the prince and peasan , though one eat roots , the other seasan , they nothing differ in the stuff , but both extinguish like a snuff ; why then fond man should thy soul take dismay , to sally out of these gross walls of clay ? and now my dear frend adieu , and live eternally in that world o●… endles bliss wher you shall have knowledg as well as all things els commensurat to your desires ; wher you shall cleerly see the reall causes , and perfect truth of what we argue with that incertitude , and beat our brains about heer below , yet though you be gon hence , you shall never die in the memory of westmi . aug. . your j. h. lxxvi . to sir r. gr. knight and bar. noble sir , i had yours upon maunday thursday late , and the reason that i suspended my answer till now , was , that the season engaged me to sequester my thoughts from my wonted negotiations to contemplat the great work of mans redemption , so great , that wer it cast in counterballance with his creation , it would out-poyze it far , i summond all my intellectuals to meditat upon those passions , upon those pangs , upon that despicable and most dolorous death , upon that cross wheron my saviour suffer'd , which was the first christian altar that ever was , and i doubt that he will never have benefit of the sacrifice who hates the harmeles resemblance of the altar wheron it was offer'd ; i applied my memory to fasten upon 't , my understanding to comprehend it , my will to embrace it ; from these three faculties , me thought i found by the mediation of the fancy som beames of love gently gliding down from the head to the heart , and inflaming all my affections ▪ if the human soul had far more powers than the philosophers afford her , if she had as many faculties within the head as ther be hairs without , the speculation of this mystery would find work enough for them all ; truly the more i scrue up my spirits to reach it , the more i am swallowed in a gulf of admiration , and of a thousand imperfect notions , which makes me ever and anon to quarrell my soul that she cannot lay hold on her saviour , much more my heart , that my purest affections cannot hug him as much as i would . they have a custom beyond the seas ( and i could wish it wer the worst custom they had ) that during the passion week divers of their greatest princes , and ladies will betake themselves to som covent or reclus'd house to wean themselves from all worldly encombrances , and convers only with heaven , with performance of som kind of penances all the week long ; a worthy gentleman that came lately from italy , told me that the count of byren now marshall of france , having bin long persecuted by cardinall richelieu , put himself so into a monastery , and the next day news was brought him of the cardinalls death , which i believe made him spend the rest of the week with the more devotion in that way . france braggs that our saviour had his face turnd towards her when he was upon the cross , ther is more cause to think that it was towards this island , in regard the rays of christianity first reverberated upon her , her king being christian yeers before him of france , ( as all historians concur ) notwithstanding that he arrogates to himself the title of the first son of the church . let this serve for part of my apologie : the day following , my saviour being in the grave , i had no list to look much abroad , but continued my retirednes ; ther was another reason also why , because i intended to take the holy sacrament the sunday ensuing , which is an act of the greatest consolation , and consequence that possibly a christian can be capable of ; it imports him so much that he is made or marr'd by it , it tends to his damnation , or salvation , to help him up to heaven , or tumble him down headlong to hell : therfore it behoves a man to prepare and recollect himself , to winnow his thoughts from the chaff and tares of the world beforehand ; this then took up a good part of that day to provide my self a wedding garment , that i might be a fit guest at so precious a banquet , so precious , that manna and angels food are but cours viands in comparison of it . i hope that this excuse will be of such validity that it may procure my pardon for not corresponding with you this last week . i am now as freely as formerly ▪ fleet , . aprill , . your most ready and humble servitor , j. h. lxxvii . to mr. r. howard . sir , ther is a saying that carrieth with it a great deal of caution , from him whom i trust god defend me , for from him whom i trust not , i will defend my self . ther be sundry sorts of musts , but that of a secret is one of the greatest ; i trusted t. p. with a weighty one , conjuring him that it should not take air and go abroad , which was not don according to the rules and religion of frendship , but it went out of him the very next day ; though the inconvenience may be mine , yet the reproach is his , nor would i exchange my dammage for his disgrace ; i would wish you take heed of him , for he is such as the comic poet speaks of plenus rimarum , he is full of chinks , he can hold nothing ; you know a secret is too much for one , too little for three , and enough for two , but tom must be none of those two , unless ther wer a trick to sodder up his mouth : if he had committed a secret to me , and injoynd me silence , and i had promis'd it , though i had bin shut up in perillus brasen bull , i should not have bellowed it out ; i find it now true that he who discovers his secrets to another , sells him his liberty , and becoms his slave : well , i shall be warier heerafter , and learn more wit , in the interim the best satisfaction i can give my self is to expunge him quite ex alb●… amicorum , to raze him out of the catalogue of my frends , ( though i cannot of my acquaintance ) wher your name is inserted in great golden characters ; i will endeavour to lose the memory of him , and that my thoughts may never run more upon the fashion of his face , which you know he hath no cause to brag of , i hate such blat●…roons odi illos seu claustra erebi ▪ — i thought good to give you this little mot of advice , because the times are ticklish , of committing secrets to any ; though not to from the fleet , . febr. . your most affectionat frend to serve you , j. h. lxviii . to my hon. frend , mr. e. p. at paris . sir , let me never sally hence , from among these discon●…olat walls , if the literall correspondence you please to hold so punctually with me be not one of the greatest solaces i have had in this sad condition ; for i find so much salt , such indearments and flourishes , such a gallantry and nea●…nes in your lines , that you may give the law of lettering to all the world : i had this week a twin of yours , of the and current , i am sorry to hear of your achaques , and so often indisposition there , it may be very well ( as you say ) that the air of that dirty town doth not agree with you because you speak spanish , which language you know is us'd to be breath'd out under a clearer clyme , i am sure it agrees not with the sweet breezes of peace , for 't is you there that would keep poor christendom in perpetuall whirle-winds of war ; but i fear , that while france sets all wheels a going , and stirres all the cacodaemons of hell to pull down the house of austria , shee may chance at last to pull it upon her own head : i am sorry to understand what they write from venice this week , that ther is a discovery made in italy , how france had a hand to bring in the turk , to invade the territories of saint mark , and puzzle the peace of italy , i want faith to beleeve it yet , nor can i entertain in my brest any such conceit of the most christian king , and first son of the church , as hee terms himself : yet i pray in your next to pull this thorn out of my thoughts , and tell mee whether one may give any credit to this report . we are now ●…ot-free as touching the northern army , for our dear brethren have truss'd up their baggage , and put the tw●…d 'twixt us and them once again , deer indeed , for they have cost us first and last , above nineteen hundred thousand pound sterling , which amounts to neer upon eight millions of crowns with you there : yet if reports be true , they left behind them more than they lost , if you go to number of men , which will be a brave race of mestisos heerafter , who may chance meet their fathers in the field , and kill them unwittingly ; he will be a wise child that knows his right father ▪ heer we are like to have four and twenty seas emptied shortly , and som do hope to find abundance of tresure in the bottom of them , as no doubt they will , but many doubt that it will prove but ●…um tolosanum to the finders , god grant that from aereans wee turn not to be arrians : the earl of strafford was accounted by his very enemies to have an extraordinary talent of judgment and parts , ( though they say he wanted moderation ) and one of the prime precepts he left his son upon the scaffold was , that he should not ●…ddle with church-lands , for they would prove a canker to his estate : heer are started up som great knowing men lately that can shew the very track by which our savior went to hell , they will tell you ▪ precisely whose names are written in the book of life , whose no●… ▪ god deliver us from spirituall pride , which of all sorts is the most dangerous : heer are also notable sta●…-gazers , who obtrude to the world such confident bold predictions , and are so familiar with heavenly bodies , that p●…elomy , and tychobrach were but ninnies to them ; we have likewise multitudes of witches among us , for in essex and suffolk ther wer above two hundred indicted within these two yeers , and above the one half of them executed , more i may wel say , than ever this island bred since the creation , i speak it with horror , god guard us from the devill , for i think he was never so busie upon any part of the earth that was enlightned whith the beams of christianity , nor do i wonder at it , for ther 's never a cross left to fright him away : edenburgh i hear is fallen into a rel●…pse of the plague , the last they had rag'd so violently , that the fortieth man and woman lives not of those that dwelt there four years since , but it is all peepled with new faces ; don and hans , i hear are absolutely accorded , nor doe i believe that all the artificers of policy that you use there can hinder the peace , though they may puzzle it for a while , if it be so , the peeple which button their doublets upward will bee bettor able to deal with you there . much notice is taken that you go on there too fast in your acquests , and now that the eagles wings are pretty well clyp'd , 't is time to look that your ●…ower-de-l●…e grow not too rank , and spread too wide . wheras you desire to know how it fares with your ma●…er , i must tell you , that like the glorious sun , he is still in his own orb , though clowded for a time that hee cannot shoot the beams of majesty with that lustre hee was wont to do : never did cavalier wooe fair lady as he wooes the parliament to a peace , 't is much the head should so stoop to the members . farewell my noble frend , cheer up , and reserve your self for bet●…r days ; take our royall master for your pattern , who for his longanimity , patience , courage and constancy is admir'd of all the world , and in a passive way of fortitude hath out-gon all the nine vvorthies . if the cedar be so weather-beaten , we poor shrubs must not murmure to bear part of the storm ; i have had my share , and i know you want not yours ; the stars may change their aspects , and we may live to see the sun again in his full meridian ; in the in●…erim com what com will , i am fleet , feb. . entirely yours , j. h. lxxix . to sir k. d. at rome . sir , though you know well , that in the carriage and cours of my rambling life , i had occasion to be as the dutchman saith , a landloper , and to see much of the world abroad , yet me thinks , i have travell'd more since i have been immur'd and martyrd 'twixt these walls than ever i did before , for i have travelled the isle of man , i mean this little world , which i have carryed about me and within me so many yeers , for as the wisest of pagan philosophers said , that the greatest learning was the knowledg of ones self , to be his own geometrician : if one do so , he need not gad abroad to see new fashions , he shal find enough at home , he shal hourly meet with new fancies , new humors , new passions within doors . this travelling o're of ones self , is one of the paths that leads a man to paradice ; it is true , that 't is a dirty and a dangerous one , for it is thick set with extravagant desires , ' irregular affections and concupiscences , which are but od comerades , and often times do●…ly in ambush to cut our throats ; ther are also som melancholy companions in the way , which are our thoughts , but they turn many times to be good fellows , and the best company ; which makes me , that among these disconsolat walls , i am never less alone , than when i am alone , i am oft times sole , but seldom solitary : som ther are , who are over-pestered with these companions , and have too much mind for their bodies , but i am none of those . ther have been ( since you shook hands with england ) many strange things happened heer , which posterity must have a strong faith to believe , but for my part i wonder not at any thing , i have seen such monstrous things : you know ther is nothing that can be casuall , ther is no success good or bad , but is contingent to man , somtimes or other , nor are ther any contingencies present or future , but they have their parallels from times passed : ●…ot the great wheel of fortune , upon whose rim ( as the twelve signs upon the zodiac ) all worldly chances are emboss'd , turns round perpetually , and the spokes of that wheel , which point at all human actions , return exactly to the same place after such a time of revolution ; which makes me little marvail at any of the strange traverses of these distracted times , in regard ther hath been the like , or such like formerly ; if the liturgy is now suppress'd , the missall and roman breviary was us'd so a hundred yeers since ; if crosses , church-windows , organs and fonts are now battered down , i little wonder at it , for chapells , monasteries , hermitages , nunneries , and other religious houses , wer us'd so in the time of old king harry ; if bishops and deans are now in danger to be demolished , i little wonder at it , for abbots , priors , and the pope himself had that fortune heer an age since : that our king is reduc'd to this pass , i doe not much wonder at it , for the first time i travell'd france , iewis the thirteenth ( afterwards a most triumphant king as ever that countrey had ) in a dangerous civill war was brought to such streights , for he was brought to dispence with part of his coronation oath , to remove from his court of iustice , from the counsell table , from his very bed-chamber his greatest favourtis ; hee was driven to bee content to pay the expence of the war , to reward those that took arms against him , and publish a declaration that the ground of their quarrell was good , which was the ●…ame in effect with ours , viz. a discontinuance of the assembly of the three estates , and that spanish counsells did praedominat in france . you know , better than i , that all events , good or bad , com from the all-disposing high deity of heaven , if good , he produceth them , if bad , he permits them ; hee is the pilot that sits at the stern ▪ and steers the great vessell of the world , and wee must not presume to direct him in his cours , for he understands the use of the compas better than we ; hee commands also the winds and the weather , and after a storm hee never fails to send us a calm , and to recompence ill times with better , if we can live to see them , which i pray you may do , whatsoever becomes of your still most faithfull humble servitor , j. h. from the fleet , lond. mar. . lxxx . to sir k. d. at his house in saint martins lane. sir , that poem which you pleased to approve of so highly in a manuscript , is now manumitted , and made free denizen of the world ; it hath gon from my study to the stall , from the pen to the press , and i send one of the maiden copies heerwith to attend you ; 't was your judgment , which all the world holds to be sound and sterling , induced me heerunto , therfore , if ther be any , you are to bear your part of the blame . holborn , ian. . your most entirely devoted servitor , j. h , the vote , or , a poem royal , presented to his majesty for a new-yeers-gift , by way of discourse 'twixt the poet and his muse. calendis ianuarii . poema 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the world 's bright ey , times measurer , begun through watry capricorn his cours to run , old ianus hastened on , his temples bound with ivy , his gray hairs with holly crownd ; when in a serious quest my thoughts did muse what gift , as best becomming , i should chuse , to britains monarch ( my dread soveraign ) bring , which might supply a new-years offering . ●… rummag'd all my stores , and search'd my cells , wher nought appear'd , god wot , but bagatells : no far fetch'd indian gem cut out of rock , or fish'd in shells wer trusted under lock , no piece which 〈◊〉 strong fancy hit , or titians pensill , or rare hylliards wit , no ermins , or black sables , no such skins , as the grim tartar hunts or takes in gins ; no medalls , or rich stuff of tyrian dy , no costly bowls of frosted argentry , no curious land-skip , or som marble piece digg'd up in delphos , or else-where in greece ; no rom●…n perfumes , buffs or cordovans made drunk with amber , by moreno's hands , no arras or rich carpets freighted o're the surging seas from asia's doubtfull shore , no lions cub or beast of strange aspect , which in numidia's fiery womb had slept , no old toledo blades , or damaskins , no pistolls , or som rare-spring carrabins , no spanish ginet , or choice stallion sent from naples or hot africs continent : in fine , i nothing found i could descry worthy the hands of caesar or his eye . my wits wer at a stand , when , loe , my muse ( none of the quire , but such as they do use for laundresses or handmaids of mean rank i knew somtimes on p●… and isis bank ) did softly buz , — muse. — then let me somthing bring , may hansell the new-year to charles my king ▪ may usher in bifronted ianus — poet. thou fond fool-hardy muse , thou silly thing , which 'mongst the shrubs and reeds do'st use to sing , dar'st thou perk up , and the tall cedar clime ▪ and venture on a king with gingling rime ? though all thy words wer pearls , thy letters gold , and cut in rubies , or c●…st in a mould of diamonds , yet still thy lines would be too mean a gift for such a majesty . muse. i le try , and hope to pass without disdain , in new-yeers gifts the mind stands for the main . the sophy , finding 't was well meant , did daign few drops of running-water from a swain ; then sure , 't will please my liege , if i him bring , som gentle drops from the castalian spring ; though rarities i want of such account , yet have i somthing on the forked mount . t is not the first , or third access i made to caesars feet , and thence departed glad . ●…or as the sun with his male heat doth render nile's muddy slime fruitfull , and apt t' engender , and daily to produce new kind of creatures of various shapes and thousand differing features , so is my fancy quickned by the glance of his benign aspect and countenance , it makes me pregnant and to super●…aete , such is the vigor of his beams and heat . once in a vocall forrest i did sing , and made the oke to stand for charles my king , the best of trees , wherof ( it is no vant ) the greatest schools of europe sing and chant : there you shall also finde dame a arhetine , great henries daughter , and great britains queen , her name engraven in a lawrell tree , and so transmitted to eternity . for now i hear that grove speaks besides mine , the language of the loire , the po and rhine . ( and to my prince ( my sweet black prince ) of late , i did a youthfull subject dedicate . ) nor do i doubt but that in time my tre●…s will yield me fruit to pay apollo's fees , to offer up whole hecatom●…s of praise to caes●…r , ●…f on them he cast his rays , and if my lamp have oil , i may compile the modern annalls of great albion's isle to vindicate the truth of charles his reign , from scribling pamphletors who story stain with loose imperfect passages , and thrust lame things upon the world , t'ane up in trust . i have had audience ( in another strain ) of europs greatest kings , when german main and the cantabrian waves i cross'd , i drank of tagus , seine , and sate at tybers bank , through scylla and charybdis i have steer'd , wher restles aeina belching flames appear'd , by greece , once palla's garden , then i pass't now all o're-spread with ignorance and wast . nor hath fair europ her va●…t bounds throughout , an academe of note i found not out . but now i hope in a successfull pro●…e , the fates have fix'd me on sweet englands shore , and by these various wandrings 〈◊〉 i found , earth is our com●…n mother , every ground ma●… be one's countrey , for by birth each man is 〈◊〉 this world a cosmopolitan , a free-born bu●…gess , and receives therby h●… 〈◊〉 fr●…m nativety : nor is this lower world but a huge inne , and men the rambling p●…ssengers , wherin s●…m do warm lodgings find , and that as soon as out of natures ●…lossets they see noon , an●… find the table ready laid ; but som must for their commons trot and trudg for room : with easie pace som climb promotions hill , som in the dale , do what they can , stick still ; som through false glasses fortune smiling spy , who still keeps off , though she appears hard by : som like the ostrich with their wings do flutter , but cannot fly or soar above the gutter . som quickly fetch , and double good-hopes cape , som ne'r can do 't , though the same cours they shape ▪ so that poor mortalls are so many balls toss'd som o'r line , som under fortun 's walls . and it is heavens high pleasure man should ly obnoxious to this partiality , that by industrious ways he should contend , nature's short pittance to improve and men●… ; now , industry ne'r fail'd , at last t' advance her patient sons above the reach of chance . poet. but whither rov'st thou thus — ? well ; since i see thou art so strongly bent , and of a gracious look so confident , go , and throw down thy self at caesars f●…et , and in thy best attire thy soveraign greet . go , an auspicious and most blissefully yeer w●…sh him , as e'r sh n'd o'r this hemisphear , good may the entrance , better the middle be , and the conclusion best of all the three ; of joy ungrudg'd may each day be a debter , and evry morn still usher in a better , may the soft gliding nones and every ide , with all the calends still som good betide , may cynthia with kind looks and 〈◊〉 rays , one clear his nights , the other gild his days . free limbs , unp●…ysic'd health , due appetite , which no sauce else but hunger may excite , sound sleeps , green dreams be his , which represent symptomes of health , and the next days content ; chearfull and vacant thoughts , not always bound to counsell , or in deep idea's drown'd : ( though such late traverses , and tumults might turn to a lump of care , the airiest wight ) and since while fragile flesh doth us array , the humors stil are combating for sway , ( which wer they free of this reluctancie and counterpois'd , man would immortall be ) may sanguin o'r the rest predominate in him , and their malignant fiux abate . may his great queen , in whose imperious ey reigns such a world of winning majesty , like the rich olive or falernian vine swell with more gems of cians masculine ; and as her fruit sprung from the rose and luce , ( the best of stems earth yet did e'r produce ) is tied already by a sanguin lace to all the kings of europe's high-born race , so may they shoot their youthfull branches o'r the surging seas , and graff with every shore . may home-commerce and trade encrease from far , that both the indies meet within his bars , and bring in mounts of coin his mints to feed , and banquers ( trafics chief suporters ) breed , which may enrich his kingdoms , court and town , and ballast still the coffers of the crown , for kingdoms are as ships , the prince his chests the ballast , which if empty , when distres't with storms , their holds are lightly trimm'd , the keel can run no steedy cours , but toss and reel ; may his imperiall chamber always ply to his desires her wealth to multiply , that she may prize his royall favour more than all the wares fetch'd from the great mogor , may the b grand senate , with the subjects right put in the counter-scale the regall might the flowrs o' th' crown , that they may prop each other , and like the grecians twin , live , love together . for the chief glory of a people is , the power of their king , as theirs is his ; may he be still , within himself at home , that no just passion make the reason rome , yet passions have their turns to rouse the soul , and stir her slumbring spirits , not controul , for as the ocean besides ebb and flood ( which c nature 's greatest clerk ne'r understood ) ●…s not for sail , if an impregning wind fill not the flagging canvas , so a mind too calm is not for action , if desire heats not it self at passion's quickning fire , for nature is allow'd somtimes to muster her passions so they only blow , not bluster . may iustice still in her true scales appear , and honour fix'd in no unworthy sphear , unto whose palace all access should have through virtues temple , not through plutos cave . may his tru subjects hearts be his chief fort , their purse his tresure and their love his port , their prayers as sweet incense , to draw down myriads of blessings on his queen and crown . and now that his glad presence , did asswage , that fearfull tempest in the north did rage , may those frog vapours in the irish skie , be scatter'd by the beams of majesty , that the hybernian lyre give such a sound , may on our coasts with joyfull ecchoes bound . and when this fatall planet leaves to lowr , which too too long on monarchies doth powr his direfull influence , may peace once more descend from heaven on our tottering shore , and ride in triumph both on land and main , and with her milk white steeds draw charles his wain , that so , for those saturnian times of old , an age of pearl , may com in lieu of gold. virtu still guide his cours , and if ther be a thing as fortune , him accompanie . may no ill genius haunt him , but by 's side , the best protecting angell ever bide . may he go on to vindicate the right of holy things , and make the temple bright , to keep that faith , that sacred truth entire , which he receiv'd from d salomon his sire . and since we all must hence , by th' iron decree stamp'd in the black records of destinie , late may his life , his glory ne'r wear out , till the great year of plato wheel about . so prayeth the worst of poets to the best of princes , yet the most loyall of his votaries and vassalls james hovvill ▪ finis . additionall letters of a fresher date , never publish'd before , and composed by the same author . vt clavis portam , sic pandit epistola pectus . london , printed by w. h. for humphrey moseley , and are to be sold at his shop at the princes arms in st , pauls church-yard . . to the right honorable edvvard earl of dorset , &c. my lord , the two preceding dedications being the one to a king , the other to a prince , i hope this third ( consisting all of new matter ) will be the more excusable that i make to your lpp ; who , if ther were a generall muster of mankind , and due regard had to gallantry and worth , would appear like a king among princes , and a prince among peers . i humbly pray , that for want of a better thing to comply with the season , this may pass for a new-years gift , which i wish may carry with it as many good omens , as it doth orizons , that a thousand benedictions may fall upon you , and your noble family this new yeer , and all the yeers of your life , which i pray may be many , many , many , because i have long since resolv'd to live and die , my lord , your most humble and obedient faithfull servit r , james hovvel . calendis ian. . additionall letters of a fresher date . i. to the r. h. ed. earl of dorset , ( lo. chamberlain of his majesties household , &c. ) at knowles . my lord , having so advantagious a hand as doctor s. turner , i am bold to send your lordship a new tract of french philosophy , call'd l'usage de passions , which is cryed up to be a choice peece ; it is a morall discours of the right use of passions , the conduct wherof as it is the principall employment of virtu , so the conquest of them is the difficultst part of va●…or : to know one's self is much , but to conquer one's self is more ; we need not pick quarrells and seek enemies without doors , we have too many inmates at home to exercise our prowess upon , and ther is no man let him have his humors never so well ballanc'd , and in subjection unto him , but like muscovia wives , they will oftentimes insult , unless they be check'd , yet wee should make them our servants , not our slaves . touching the occurrences of the times , since the king was snatch'd away from the parlement , the army they say , use him with more civility and freedom , but for the main work of restoring him he is yet , as one may say , but tantaliz'd , being brought often within the sight of london and so off again ; ther are hopes that somthing will be don to his advantage speedily , because the gregarian soldiers and gross of the army is well-affected to him , though som of the chiefest commanders be still averss . for forren news , they say st. mark bears up stoutly against mahomet both by land and sea : in dalmatia he hath of late shaken him by the turban ill-favoredly ; i could heartily wish that our army heer were there to help the republic , and combat the common enemy , for then one might be sure to dye in the bed of honor. the commotions in sicily are quash'd , but those of naples increase , and 't is like to be a more raging and voracious ●…ire than vesuvius , or any of the sulphurious mountains about her did ever belch out ▪ the catalan and portuguez bait the spaniard on both sides , but the first hath shrewder teeth than the other , and the french and hollander find him work in flanders . and now , my lord , to take all nations in a lump , i think god almighty hath a quarrell lately with all man ▪ kind , and given the reines to the ill spirit to compass the whole earth , for within these twelve yeers ther have the strangest revolutions , and horridst things happen'd not only in europe but all the world over , that have befallen man-kind , i dare boldly say , since adam fell , in so short a revolution of time : ther is a kind of popular planet reigns every where : i will begin with the hottest parts , with afric , where the emperor of ethiopia ( with two of his sons ) was encountred and kild in open field by the groom of his camells and dromedaries , who had leavied an army our of the dreggs of the peeple against him , and is like to hold that ancient empire in asia . the tartar broke o're the four hundred mil'd wall , and rush'd into the heart of china , as far as quinzay , and beleagerd the very palace of the emperor , who rather than to becom captif to the base tartar burnt his castle , and did away himself , his thirty wives and children . the great turk hath been lately strangled in the seraglio his own house : the emperor of moscovia going in a solemn procession upon the sabbath day , the rabble broke in , knock'd down , and cut in peeces divers of his chiefest counsellors , favorits , and officers before his face , and dragging their bodies to the market-place , their heads were chopp'd oft , thrown into vessells of hot water , and so set upon poles to burn more bright before the court gate : in naples a common frute●…er hath raised such an insurrection , that they say above m . have bin slain already upon the streets of that city alone : catalonia and portingall have ▪ quite revolted from spain . your lordship knows what knocks have been 'twixt the pope and parma ; the pole and the cosacks are hard at it ; venice wrastleth with the turk , and is like to lose her maiden head unto him , unless other christian princes look to it in time : and touching these three kingdoms ther 's none more capable than your lordship to judge what monstrous things have happend ; so that it seems the whol earth is off the hinges : and ( which is the more wonderful ) all these prodigious passages have fallen out in less than the compas of yeers . but now that all the world is together by the eares , the states of holl ▪ would be quiet , for advice is com that the peace is concluded , and interchangably ratified 'twixt them and spain , but they defer the publishing of it yet , till they have collected all the contribution money for the army : the spaniard hopes that one day this peace may tend to his advantage more than all his wars have don these fourscore yeers , relying upon the old prophecie , marte triumphabis batavia , pace peribis . the king of denmark hath buried lately his eldest son christian , so that he hath now but one living , viz. frederic , who is arch-bishop of breme , and is shortly to be king elect. my lord , this letter runs upon universalls , because i know your lordship hath a public great soul , and a spacious understanding , which comprehends the whole world ; so in a due posture of humility i kiss your hands , being , my lord , your most obedient and most faithfull servitor , j. h. from the fleet , this of ian. . ii. to mr. en. p. at paris . sir , since we are both agred to truck intelligence , and that you are contented to barter french for english , i shall bee carefull to send you hence from time to time the currentest and most staple stuff i can find , with weight and good measure to boot ; i know in that more subtill air of yours tinsell somtimes passes for venice●…eads ●…eads for perl , and demicastors for bevers ; but i know you have so discerning a judgment , that you will not suffer your self to be so cheated , they must rise betimes that can put tricks upon you , and make you take semblances for realities ▪ probabilities for certainties , or spurious for tru things : to hold this litterall correspondence i desire but the parings of your time , that you may have somthing to do , when you have nothing els to do , while i make a busines of it to be punctuall in my answers to you : let our letters be as eccho's , let them bound back and make mutuall repereussions ; i know you that breath upon the continent have cleerer ecchoes there , witnes that in the twilleries , specially that at charenton bridge , which quavers and renders the voice ten times when 't is open weather , and it were a virtuous curiosity to try it . for news , the world is heer turn'd upside down , and it hath bin long a going so , you know a good while since we have had leather caps , and bever shoos , but now the arms are com to be leggs , for bishops laun-sleeves are worn for boot-hose tops ; the wast is com to the knee , for the points that wer used to be about the middle are now dangling there ; boots and shoos are so long snouted that one can hardly kneel in gods house , where all genuflexion and postures of devotion and decency are quite out of use : the devill may walk freely up and down the streets of london now , for ther is not a cross to fright him any where , and it seems he was never so busie in any countrey upon earth , for ther have been more witches arraign'd and executed heer lately than ever were in this island since the creation . i have no more to communicate unto you at this time , and this is too much unless it were better ; god almighty send us patience , you in your banishment , me , in my captivity , and give us heaven for our last countrey , wher desires turn to fruition , doubts to certitudes , and dark thoughts to cleer contemplations : truly , my dear don antonio , as the times are , i take little contentment to live among the elements , and ( wer it my makers pleasure ) i could willingly , had i quit scores with the world , make my last account with nature , and return this small skinfull of bones to my common mother ; if i chance to do so before you , i love you so entirely well that my spirit shall visit you , to bring you som tidings from the other world ; and if you preceed mee , i shall expect the like from you , which you may do without affrighting mee , for i know your spirit will be a bonus genius . so desiringo know what 's becom of my manuscript , i kiss your hands , and rest most passionately your faithfull servitor , j. h. the fleet , febr. . iii. to master w. b. sir , i had yours of the last week , and by reason of som sudden encombrances i could not correspond with you by that carrier : as for your desire to know the pedigree and first rise of those we call presbyterians , i find that your motion hath as much of piety as curiosity in it , but i must tell you 't is a subject fitter for a treatise than a letter , yet i will endeavor to satisfie you in som part . touching the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is as ancient as christianity it self , and every church-man compleated in holy orders was called presbyter , as being the chiefest name of the function , and so 't is us'd in all churches both eastern and occidentall to this day : wee by contraction call him priest , so that all bishops and arch-bishops are priests though not vice versa : these holy titles of bishop and priest are now grown odious among such poor s●…iolists who scarce know the hoties of things , because they savor of antiquity : though their minister that officiats in their church be the same thing as priest , and their superintendent the same thing as bishop ; but because they are lovers of novelties , they change old greek words for new latine one 's . the first broacher of the presbyterian religion , and made it differ from that of rome and luther was calvin , who being once banished geneva , was revok'd , at which time he no less petulantly than prophanely applyed to himself that text of the holy prophet which was meant of christ , the stone which the builders refused is made the head stone of the corner , &c. thus geneva lake swallowed up the episcopall see , and church lands wer made secular , which was the white they levell'd at . this geneva bird flew thence to france and hatch'd the hugueno●…s , which make about the tenth part of that pe●…ple ; it took wing also to bohemia and germany high and low , as the palatinate , the land of hesse , and the con●…ederat province●… of the states of holland , whence it took flight to scotland and england ; it took first footing in scotland , when king iames was a child in his cradle , but when he came to understand himself , and was manumitted from buchanan , he grew cold in it , and being com to england hee utterly disclaim'd it , terming it in a public speech of his to the parliament a sect rather than a religion : to this sect may bee imputed all the scissures that have happen'd in christianity , with most of the wars that have lace●…ated poor europe ever since , and it may be c●…ll'd the source of the civill distractions that now afflict this poor island . thus have i endeavoured to fulf●…l your desires in part , i shall enlarge my self further when i shall be made happy with your conversation he●…r , till when , and always , i rest yours most affectionatly to love and serve you , j. h. from the fleet , this of novem. . iv. to sir j. s. knight , at rouer . sir , of all the blessings that ever dropt down from heaven upon man , that of his redemption may be call'd the blessing-paramount ; and of all those comforts , and exercises of devotion which attend that blessing , the eucharist or holy sacrament may claim the prime place ; but as ther is devotion , so ther is danger in 't , and that in the highest degree , 't is rank poison to som , though a most soveraign cordiall to others ad modum recipientis , as the schoolmen say , whether they take panem dominum , as the roman catholic , or panem domini , as the reformed churches ; the bee and the spider suck honey and poison out of one flower : this , sir , you have divinely express'd in the poem you pleas'd to send me upon this subject ; and wheras you seem to wooe my muse to such a task , somthing you may see she hath don in pure obedience only to your commands . vpon the holy sacrament . . hail holy sacrament , the worlds great wonderment , mysterious banquet , much more rare than manna , or the angels fare ; each crumm , though sinners on thee feed , doth cleopatra's perl exceed : oh how my soul doth hunger , thirst , and pine after these cates so precious , so divine . . shee need not bring her stool as sone unbidden fool , the master of this heavenly feast invites and woos her for his guest , though deaf and lame , forlorn and blind , yet welcom heer shee 's sure to find , so that she bring a vestment for the day , and her old tatterd rags throw quite away . . this is bethsaida's pool that can both clense and cool poor leprous and d●…seased souls , an angel heer keeps and co●…trouls , descending gently from the heavens above to stir the waters , may he also move my mind , and rockie heart so strike and rend , that tears may thence gush out with them to blend . this morning fancy drew on another towards the evening as followeth . as to the pole the lilly bends in a sea-compas , and still tends by a magnetic mystery , unto the artic point in sky , wherby the wandring piloteer his cours in gloomy nights doth steer ▪ so the small needle of my heart mov's to her maker , who doth dart atomes of love , and so attracks all my affections which like sparks fly up , and guid my soul by this to the tru centre of her bliss . as one taper lightneth another , so were my spirits enlightned and heated by your late meditations in this kind , and well fa●…e your soul with all her faculties for them , i find you have a great care of her , and of the main chance , prae quo quisquiliae caetera . you shall hear further from me within a few days , in the interim be pleas'd to reserve still in your thoughts som little room for your most entirely affectionat servitor , j. h. from the fleet , of decemb , . v. to mr. t. w. at p. castle . my precious tom , hee is the happy man who can square his mind to his means , and fit his fancy to his ●…ortune ; he who hath a competency 〈◊〉 live in the port of a gentleman , and as he is free from being a 〈◊〉 constable , so he cares not for being a justice of peace or 〈◊〉 ; he who is before hand with the world , and when he ●…oms to london can whet his knife at the counter gate , and needs ●…ot trudg either to a lawyers st●…dy or scriveners shop to pay fee 〈◊〉 squeez was . 't is conceit chiefly that gives contentment , and 〈◊〉 is happy who thinks himself so in any condition though he have 〈◊〉 enough to keep the wolf from the door , opinion is that great ●…ady which sways the world , and according to the impressions 〈◊〉 makes in the mind renders one contented or discontented . now touching opinion , so various are the intellectualls of human ●…reatures , that one can hardly find out two who jump pat in ●…ne : witnes that monster in scotland in iames the ths reign , ●…ith two heads one opposit to the other , and having but one bulk 〈◊〉 body throughout , these two heads would often fall into alter●…ations pro & con one with the other , and seldom were they of one opinion , but they would knock one against the other in eager disputes , which shews that the judgement is seated in the animall parts , not in the vitall which are lodg'd in the heart . we are still in a turbulent sea of distractions , nor as far as i see is ther yet any sight of shore . m. t. m. hath had a great loss at sea lately which i fear will light heavily upon him ; when i consider his case , i may say that as the philosopher made a question whether the marine●… be to be ranked among the number of the living or dead ( being but four inches distant from drowning , only the thicknes of a plank ) so 't is a doubt whether the merchant adventurer be to be numbred twixt the rich or the poor , his estate being in the mercy of that devouring element the sea , which hath so good a stomack that he seldom casts up what he hath once swallowed . this city hath bred of late yeers men of monstrous strange opinions , that , as all other rich places besides , she may be compar'd to a fat cheese which is most subject to engender 〈◊〉 gots . god amend all , and me first , who am fleet , this st. tho. day , yours most faithfully to serve you , j. h. vi. to mr. w : blois . my worthy esteemed nephew , i received th●…se rich nuptial favours you appointed me fo●… hands and hat , which i wear with very much contentment an●… respect , most heartily wishing that this late double condition m●… multiply new blessings upon you , that it may usher in fair and go●…den daies , according to the colour and substance of your brida●… riband , that those daies may be perfum'd with delight and ple●…sure , as the rich sented gloves i wear for your sake ; may suc●… benedictions attend you both , as the epithalamiums of stell●… i●… statius , and iulia in catullus speak of ; i hope also to be marrie●… shortly to a lady whom i have wooed above these five years , but ●… have found her ●…oy and dainty hitherto , yet i am now like 〈◊〉 get her good will in part , i mean the lady liberty . when you see my n. brownrigg , i pray tell him that i did not think suffolk waters had such a lethaean quality in them as to cause such an amnestia in him of his frends heer upon the thames among whom for reality and seriousnes i may march among the foremost , but i impute it to som new task that his muse might haply impose upon him , which hath ingross'd all his speculations ; i pray present my cordiall kind respects unto him . so praying that a thousand blisses may attend this confarreation , i rest my dear nephew from the fleet this of march , . yours most affectionately to love and serve you , j. h. vii . to henry hopkins esq ●…ir , to usher in again old ianus , i send you a parcell of indian perfume , which the spaniard calls the holy ●…erb in regard ●… the various virtues it hath , but we call it tobacco ; i will not ●…y it grew under the king of spains window , but i am told it ●…as gather'd neer his gold-mines of potosi , ( where they report ●…hat in som places ther is more of that oar than earth ) therfore it ●…ust needs be precious stuff : if moderately and seasonably ta●…en ( as i find you alwaies do ) 't is good for many things ; it helps dige●…ion taken a while after meat , it makes one void ●…heum , break ●…ind , & it keeps the body open ; a leaf or two being steept ore-nigh●…●…n a little white wine is a vomit that never fails in its operation : ●…t is a good companion to one that converseth with dead ●…en , for ●…f one hath bin poring long upon a book , or is toild with the pen , ●…nd stupified with study , it quickneth him , and dispels those clouds that usually oreset the brain . the smoak of it is one of the wholesomest sents that is against all contagious air●… , for it oremasters all other smells as king iames they say found true , when being once a hunting a showr of rain drave him into a pigstie for shelter , wher he caus'd a pipe full to be taken of purpose ; it cannot endure a spider or a flea with such like vermin , and if your hawk be troubled with any such , being blown into his feathers it frees him ; it is good to fortifie and preserve the fight , the smoak being let in round about the balls of the eyes once a week , and frees them from all ●…heums , driving them back by way of repercussion ; being taken backward t is excellent good against the cholique , and taken into the stomack 't will heac and cleanse it ; for i could instance in a great lord ( my lord of sunderland president of york ) who told me that he taking it downward into his stomack , it made him cast up an impostume , bag and all , which had bin a long time engendring out of a bruise he had receiv'd at football , and so preserv'd his life for many yeers . now to descend from the substance and the smoak to the ashes , 't is well known that the medicinall virtues therof are very many , but they are so common that i will spare the inserting of them heer : but if one would try a pretty conclusion how much smoak ther is in a pound of tobacco , the ashes will tell him ▪ for let a pound be exactly weighed and the ashes kept charily and weigh'd afterwards , what wants 〈◊〉 a pound weight in the ashes cannot be denied to have bin smoak which evaporated into air ; i have bin told that sir walter rawleih won a wager of queen elizabeth upon this nicity . the spaniards and irish take it most in powder or smutchin and it mightily refreshes the brain , and i believe ther is as muc●… taken this way in ireland , as ther is in pipes in england ; one shall commonly see the serving maid upon the washing block , and the swain upon the plowshare when they are tir'd with labour ▪ take out their boxes of smutchin and draw it into their nostrills with a quill , and it will beget new spirits in them with a fresh vigou●… to fall to their work again . in barbary and other parts of africa 't is wonderfull what a small pill of tobacco will do ; for those who use to ride post through the sandy desarts , where they meet not with any thing that 's potable or edible somtimes three daies together , they use to carry small balls or pills of tobacco which being put under the toung , it affords them a perpetuall moysture , and takes off the edg of the appetit for som daies . if you desire to read with pleasure all the virtues of this modern herb , you must read doctor thoriu's paetologie , an accurat peece couc●…d in a strenuous ●…reroic verse full of matter , and continuing its strength from first to last ; insomuch that for the bignes it may be compar'd to any peece of antiquity , and in my opinion is beyond 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so i conclude these rambling notions , presuming you will accept this small argument of my great respects unto you ; if you want paper to light your pipe this letter may serve the turn , and if it be true what the poets frequently sing , that affection is fire , you shall need no other than the cleer flames of the donor's love to make ignition , which is comprehended in this distic . ignis amor si sit , tobaccum accendere nostrum , nulla petenda tibi fix nisi dantis amor. if love be fire , to light this indian weed , the donor's love of fire may stand in steed . so i wish you as to my self amost happy new yeer ; may the begining be good , the middle better , and the end best of all . ianuary : . your most faithfull and truly affectionat servant , j. h. viii . to the right honble my lo. of d. my lord , the subject of this letter may peradventure seem a paradox to som , but not , i know , to your lordship when you have pleas'd to weigh well the reasons . learning is a thing that hath bin much tried up , and coveted in all ages , specially in this last century of yeers , by peeple of all sorts though never so mean , and mechanicall ; every man strains his fortunes to keep his children at school , the cobler will clout it till midnight , the porter will carry burthens till his bones crack again , the ploughman will pinch both back and belly to give his son learning ; and i find that this ambition reigns no wher so much as in this island . but under favour , this word learning is taken in a narrower sense among us , than among other nations , we seem to restrain it only to the book , wheras , indeed , any artisan whatsoever if he know the secret and mystery of his trade may be call'd a learned man ; a good mason , a good shoomaker that can manage saint crispins lance handsomly , a skillfull yeoman , a good shipwright , &c. may be all call'd learned men , and indeed the usefullest sort of learned men , for without the two first , we might go barefoot , and ly abroad as beasts having no other canopy than the wild air , and without the two last we might starve for bread , have no commerce with other nations , or ever be able to tread upon a continent : these with such like dextrous a●…tisans may be tearmed learned men , and the more behoovefull for the subsistence of a countrey , than those polymathists , that stand poring all day in a corner upon a moth-eaten author , and converse only with dead men ; the chineses ( who are the next neighbours to the rising sun on this part of the hemisphere , and consequently the acutest ) have a wholsom peece of policy , that the son is alwaies of the fathers trade , and 't is all the learning he aimes at , which makes them admirable artisans , for besides the dextrou●…nes and propensity of the child , being descended lineally from 〈◊〉 many of the same trade , the father is more carefull to instruct him and to discover unto him all the mystery therof ; this general●… custom or law , keeps their heads from running at random after book learning and other vocations : i have read a tale of r●… grosthead bishop of lincoln , that being com to his greatnes he had a brother who was a husbandman , and expected great matters from him in poinc of preferment , but the bishop told him , that i●… he wanted money to mend his plow or his cart , or to buy tacklings for his horses , with other things belonging to his husbandry , he should not want what was fitting , but he wish'd him to aim no higher , for a husbandman he found him , and a husbandman he would leav●… him . the extravagant humour of our countrey is not to be altogether commended , that all men should aspire to bocke learning : ther is not a simpler animall , and a more superfluous member of a state , than a meer scholer , than a only self pleasing student , he i●… — tellur is inutile pondus . the goths forbore to destroy the libraries of the greeks and italians , because books should keep them still soft , simple , or too cautious in warlike affairs . archymedes though an excellent engineer when syracusa was lost , was found at his book in his study intoxicated with speculations ; who would not have thought another great learned philosopher to be a fool or frantic , when being in a bath he leapd out naked among the peeple and cryed i have found it , i have found it , having hit then upon an extraordinary conclusion in geometry ? ther is a famous tale of thomas aquinas , the angelicall doctor , and of bonadventure the seraphicall doctor , of whom alex. hales ( our countreyman and his master ) reports whether it appeard not in him that adam had sinn'd : both these great clerks being invited to dinner by the french king of purpose to observe their humors , and being brought to the room where the table was layed , the first fell a eating of bread as hard as he could drive , at last , breaking out of a brown study he eryed out conclusum est contra manichaeos ; the other fell a gazing upon the queen , and the king asking him how he lik'd her , he answered , on sir , if an earthly queen be so beautifull , what shall we think of the queen of heaven ; the later was the better courtier of the two . hence we may infer , that your meer bookmen , your deep clerks , whom we call the only learned men , are not alwaies the civillest or the best morall men , nor is too great a number of them convenient for any state , leading a soft sedentary life , specially those who feed their own fancies only upon the publike ●…ocke . therfore it wer to be wishd that ther raignd not among the peeple of this land such a generall itching after book-learning , and i beleeve so many ●…rce schools do rather hurt than good : nor did the art of printing much avail the christian common wealth , ●…t may be said to be well near as fatall as gunpowder , which came up in the same age ; for , under correction , to this may be part●…y ascribd that spirituall pride , that variety of dogmatists which 〈◊〉 among us ; add heerunto that the excessive number of those which convers only with books , and whose profession consists in them , is such , that one cannot live for another , according to the dignity of the calling ; a physitian cannot live for the physitians , a lawyer ( civill and common ) cannot live for lawyers , nor a divine for divines ; morcover , the multitudes that profess these three best vocations , specially the last , make them of far less esteem . ther is an odd opinion among us that he who is a contemplative man , a man who wedds himself to his study and swallowes many books , must needs be a prosound scholler , and a great learned man , though in reality he be such a dolt that he hath neither a retentive faculty to keep what he hath read , nor wit to make any usefull application of it in common discours , what he drawes in , lieth upon dead lees , and never grows ●…it to be broachd : besides , he may want judgement in the choice of his authors , and knows not how to turn his hand either in weighing or winnowing the soundest opinions : ther are divers who are cryed up for great clerks who want discretion . others , though they wade deep into the causes and knowledg of things , yet they are subject to scrue up their wits , and soar so high , that they lose themselves in their own speculations , for , thinking to transcend the ordinary pitch of reason , they com to involve the common principles of philosophy in a mist , instead of illustrating things they render them more obscure , instead of a plainer and shorter way to the palace of knowledg , they lead us through bryery odd uncouth paths , and ●…o fall into the fallacy call'd notum per ignotius . som have the ●…ap to be tearmed learned men , though they have gatherd up but the scraps of knowledg heer and there , though they be but smatterers , and meer sciolists scarce knowing the hoties of things , yet like empty casks , if they can make a sound , and have a gift to vent with confidence what they have suckd in , they are accounted great schollers . amongst all book-learned men , except the divine to whom all learned men should be laquays , the philosopher who hath waded through all the mathematiques , who hath div'd into the secrets of the elementary world , and converseth also with celestiall bodies , may be term'd a learned man : the criticall historian and antiquary may be call'd also a learned man , who hath convers'd with our fore fathers , and observ'd the carriage , and contingencies of matters pass'd , whence he drawes instances and cautions for the benefit of the times he lives in : the civilia●… may be call'd likewise a learned man if the revolving of huge volums may entitle one so , but touching the authors of the common law , which is peculiar only to this meridian , they may be all carried in a wheelbarrow , as my countreyman doctor gwin told judge finch : the physitian must needs be a learned man , for he knows himself inward and outward , being well vers'd in autology , in that lesson nosce teipsum , and as adrian the sixt said , he is very necessary to a populous countrey , for were it not for the physitian , men would live so long , and grow so thick , that one could not live for the other , and he makes the earth cover all his faults . but what doctor guyn said of the common law-books , and pope adrian of the physitian , was spoken , i conceive , in meriment ; for my part , i honour those two worthy professions in a high degree : lastly , a polygot or good linguist may be also term'd a usefull learned man , specially it vers'd in school languages . my lord , i know none of this age more capable to sit in the chair , and censure what is true learning , and what not , then your self , therfore in speaking of this subject to your lordship , i fear to have committed the same error , as phormio did in discoursing of war before hanniball . no more now , but that i am , my lord , your most humble and obedient servant , j. h. to doctor j. d. ix . sir , i have many sorts of civilities to thank you for , but among the rest , i thank you a thousand times ( twice told ) for that delightfull fit of society , and conference of notes we had lately in this little fleet-cabin of mine upon divers problems , and upon som which are exploded ( and that by those who seem to sway most in the common-wealth of learning , ) for paradoxes meerly by an implicit faith without diving at all into the reasons of the assertors : and wheras you promised a further expression of your self by way of a discoursive letter what you thought of copernicus opinion touching the movement of the earth which hath so stirr'd all our modern wits ; and wherof sir i. browne pleased to oblige himself to do the like touching the philosophers stone , the powder of projection , and potable gold , provided that i would do the same concerning a peepled countrey , and a species of moving creatures in the concave of the moon , which i willingly undertook upon those conditions , to acquit my self of this obligation , and to draw on your performances the sooner , i have adventured to send you this following discourse such as it is touching the ●…nary world. i believe 't is a principle which no man will offer to controvert , that as antiquity cannot priviledg an error , so novelty cannot prejudice truth : now , truth hath her degrees of growing and expanding her self as all other things have , and as time begets her , so hee doth the obstetritious office of a midwise to bring her sorth ; many truths are but embryos or problemes , nay som of them seem to bee meer paradoxes at first ; the opinion that ther were antipodes was exploded when it was first broach'd , it was held absurd and ridiculous , and the thing it self to be as impossible as it was for men to go upon their heads with their heels upwards , nay 't was adjudged to be so dangerous a tenet , that you know well the bishops name who in the primitive church was by sen●…ned of condemnation sent out of this world without a head to go and dwell amongst his antipodes , because he first haten'd and held that opinion ; but new our late navigators , and east-india mariners , who use to cross the equator and tropiques so often , will tell you , that it is as gross a paradox to hold ther are no antipodes , and that the negative is now as absurd as the affirmative seem'd at first : for man to walk upon the ocean when the surges were at the highest , and to make a heavy dull peece of wood to swim , nay fly upon the water was held as impossible a thing at first , as it is now thought impossible for man to fly in the aire , sails were held then as uncouth , as if one should attempt to make himself wings to mount up to heaven a la volee : two hundred and od yeers agoe he would have been taken for som frantic fool that would undertake to batter and blow up a castle with a few barrell●… of a small contemptible black powder . the great architect of the world hath been observ'd not to throw down all gifts and knowledg to man-kind consusedly at once , but in a regular parsimonious method , to disperse them by certain degrees , periods , and progress of time , leaving man to make industrious researches and investigations after truth , he left the world to the disputations of men as the wisest of men saith , who in acqui●…ition of naturall truths went from the hysope to the cedar ; one day certifieth another , and one age rectifieth another ; the morrow hath more experience than the precedent day , and is oft-times able to be his school-master ; the granchild laughs at some things that were don in his gransires dayes : insomuch that hence it may well be inferr'd , that naturall humane knowledg is not yet mounted to its meridian , and highest point of elevation . i confess it cannot be denyed without gross ingratitude , but we are infinitely obliged to our fore-fathers for the fundamentalls of sciences , and as the herald hath a rule mallem cum patribus , quàm cum fratribus errare , i had rather erre with my fathers than brothers , so it holds in other kinds of knowledg . but those times which we term vulgarly the old world , was indeed the youth or adolescence of it , and though if respect be had to the particular and personall acts of generation , and to the relation of father and son , they who fore-liv'd and preceded us may be called our ancestors , yet if you go to the age of the world in general , and to the tru length and longaeui●…y of things , we are more properly the older cosmopolites : in this respect the cadet may be term'd more ancient than his elder brother , because the world was older when he entred into it ; moreover , besides truth , time hath also another daughter which is experience , who holds in her hands the great looking-glass of wisdom and knowledg . but now to the intended task , touching an habitable world , and a species of living creatures in the orb of the moon , which may hear som analogie with those of this elementary world ; although it be not my purpose to maintain and absolutely assert this problem , yet i will say this , that whosoever cryeth it down for a new neotericall opinion , as divers do , commit a grosser error than the opinion may be in its own nature : for 't is almost as ancient as philosophy her self , i am sure , 't is as old as orpheus , who sings of divers fair cities and castles within the circle of the moon ; moreover the profoundest clerks and most renowned philosophers in all ages have affirmed it : towards the first age of learning among others pythagoras and plato avouch'd it , the first of whom was pronounc'd the wisest of men by the pagan oracle , as our solomen is by holy writ . in the middle age of learning plutarch speaks of it , and in these modern times the most speculative and scientificall'st men , both in germany and italy seem to adhere to it ; subinnuating that not only the sphear of the moon is peepled with selenites or lunary men , but that likewise evry star in heaven is a peculiar world of it self , which is coloniz'd and replenish'd with astrean inhabitants , as the earth , sea and air are with elementary , the body of the sun not excepted , who hath also his solar creatures , and they are accounted the most sublime , the most pure and perfectest of all : the elementary creatures are held the grossest of all , having more matter than form in them ; the solar have more form than matter , the selenites with other astraean inhabitants are of a mix'd nature , and the nearer they approach the body of the sun , the more pure and spirituall they are : were it so , ther were som grounds for his speculation who thought that humane souls be they never so pious and pure ascend not immediatly after their dissolution from the corrupt mass of flesh before the glorious presence of god presently to behold the beatificall vision , but first into the body of the moon , or som other star according to their degrees of goodnes , and actuat som bodies there , of a purer composition ; when they are refind theie they ascend to som higher star , and so to som higher than that , till at last by these degrees they be made capable to behold the lustre of that glorious majesty in whose sight no impurity can stand ; this is illustrated by a comparison , that if one after hee hath been kept close in a dark dungeon a long time , should be taken out , and brought suddenly to look upon the sun in the miridian , it would endanger him to be struck stark blind ; so , no humane soul suddenly fallying out of a dirty prison as the body is , would be possibly able to appear before the incomprehensible majesty of god , or be susceptible of the brightnes of his all-glorious countenance , unless he be fitted therunto before hand by certain degrees , which might be don by passing from one star to another , who , we are taught differ one from the other in glory and splendor . among our modern authors that would furbish this old opinion of lunary creatures , and plant colonies in the orb of the moon with the rest of the celestiall bodies , gasper galileo galilei is one , who by artificiall prospectives hath brought us to a neerer commerce with heaven , by drawing it sixteen times nearer the earth then it was before in ocular appearance by the advantage of the said optic instrument . among other arguments which the assertors of astrean inhabitants do produce for proof of this high point , one is , that it is neither repugnant to reason or religion to think , that the allmighty fabricator of the univers , who doth nothing in vain , nor suffers his handmaid nature to do so , when he created the erratic and fixed stars , he did not make those huge immense bodies , wherof most are bigger than the earth and sea though conglobated , to twinkle onely , and be an ornament to the roose of heaven , but he plac'd in the convex of every one of those vast capacious spheres som living creatures to glorifie his name , among whom ther is in evry one of them one supereminent like man upon earth to be lord paramount of all the rest ; to this haply may allude the old opinion that ther is a peculiar intelligence which guides and governs every orb in heaven . they that would thus colonize the stars with inhabitants do place in the body of the sun , as was said before the purest , the most immateriall and refined'st intellectuall creatures , whence the allmighty calls those he will have to be immediately about his person , and to be admitted to the hierarchy of angels ; this is far dissonant from the opinion of the turk , who holds that the sun is a great burning globe design'd for the damned . they who are transported with this high speculation that ther are mansions and habitable conveniences for creatures to live within the bodies of the celestiall orbs , seem to tax man of a high presumption , that he should think all things were created principally for him , that the sun and stars are serviceable to him in chief , viz. to measure his daies , to distinguish his seasons , to direct him in his navigations , and powr wholsom influences upon him . no doubt they were created to be partly usefull and comfortable to him , but to imagine that they are solely and chiefly for him , is a thought that may be said to be above the pride of lucifer : they may be beneficiall unto him in the generation and encrease of all elementary creatures , and yet have peculiar inhabitants of their own besides to concur with the rest of the world in the service of their creator . 't is a fair prerogative for man to be lord of all torestirall , aquatic , and airie creatures ; that with his harping iron he oan draw ashore the great leviathan , that he can make the camell and huge dromedary to kneel unto him , and take up his burthen , that he can make the fierce bull though ten times stronger than himself to endure his yoke , that he can fetch down the eagle from his nest , with such priviledges , but let him not presume too far in comparing himself with heavenly bodies , while he is no other thing than a worm crawling upon the surface of this earth : now the earth is the basest creature which god hath made therfore 't is call'd his footstool , and though som take it to be the centre , yet it is the very sediment of the elementary world , as they say the moon is of the celestiall ; t is the very sink of all corruption and frailty , which made trismegist say that terra , non mundus est nequitiae locus , the earth , not the world is the seat of wickednes ; and though , t is true , she be susceptible of light , yet the light terminats only on her superficies , being not able to enlighten any thing els , as the stars can do . thus have i proportioned my short discours upon this spacious problem to the size of an epistle , i reserve the fulnes of my opinion in this point , till i receave yours touching copernicus . it hath bin alwaies my practice in the search and evenulation of naturall verities , to keep to my self a philosophicall freedom , as not to make any ones opinion so magisteriall and binding , but that i might be at liberty to recede from it upon more pregnant and powerfull reasons : for as in theologicall tenet 't is a rule , quicquid non descendit a mont●… scripturae ta●…em authoritate contemnitur , qua approbatur , whatsoever descends not from the mount of holy scripture , may be by the same authority rejected as well as receiv'd : so in the disquisitions and winn●…wing of physicall truths , quicquid non descend●…t a monte ratio●…s , &c. whatsoever descends not from the mount of reason may be as well rejected as approved of . so longing after an opportunity to pursue this point by mixture of oral discours , which hath more elbow room than a letter , i rest , with all candor and cordiall affection , fleet , this of novem. . your faithfull servant , j. h. x. to the right honble the la. e. d. madam , those rays of goodnes which are diffusedly scatterd in others , are all concentred in you , which were they divided into equall portions were enough to compleat a whole jury of ladies ; this , drawes upon you a mixture of love and envis , or rather an admiration from all who know you , specially from me , and that in so high a degree , that if you would suffer your self to be ado●…d , you should quickly find me religious in that kind ; howsoever i am bold to send your ladiship this , as a kind of homage or heri●… or tribut or what you please to tearm it , in regard i am a true vassall to your vertues ; and if you please to lay any of your commands upon me , your will shall be a law unto me , which i will observe with as much allegiance as any branch of magna charta , they shall be as binding to me as lycurgus lawes were to the spartans , and to this i subscribe fleet , this of aug. . j. h. xi . to mr. r. b. esquire , at grunsburgh . sir , vvhen i orelook'd the list of my choicest frends to insert your name , i paws'd a while , and thought it more proper to begin a new collaterall file , and put you in the front therof , where make account you are plac'd . if any thing upon earth , partakes of angelic happines ( in civill actions ) 't is frendship , it perfumes the thoughts with such sweet idaeas , and the heart with such melting passions ; such are the effects of yours to me , which makes me please my self much in the speculation of it . i am glad you are so well return'd to your own family , and touching the wheelwright you write of , who from a cart came to be a captain , it made me think of the perpetuall rotations of fortune , which you know antiquity seated upon a wheel in restles though not violent volubility ; and truly is was never more verified than now , that those spokes which were formerly but collaterall , and som of them quite underneath are now coming up apace to the top of the wheel , i hope ther will be no cause to apply to them the old verse i learnt at school , asperius nihil est humili cùm surgit in altum . but ther is a transcendent over-ruling providence who cannot only check the rowlings of this petty wheel , and strike a naile into it that it shall not stir , but stay also when he pleaseth the motions of those vast spheres of heaven wher the stars are alwaies stirring , as likewise the whirlings of the primum mobile itself , which the astronomers say drawes all the world after it in a rapid revolution . that divine providence vouchsafe to check the motions of that malevolent planet , which hath so long lowr'd upon poor england , and send us better daies . so sal●…ting you with no vulgar respects , i rest my dear nephew yours most affectionatly to serve you , j. h. fleet , this of iuly . . xii . to mr. en. p. at paris . sir , that which the plots of the jesuits in their dark cell●… , and the policy of the greatest roman catholic princes have driven at these many yeers , is now don to their hands , which was to divide and break the strength of these three kingdoms , because they held it to bee too great a glory and power to be in one hereticall prince his hands ( as they esteem'd the king of great britain ) because he was in a capacity to be umpire , if not arbiter of this part of the world , as many of our kings have bin . you write thence that in regard of the sad condition of our queen , their countrey-woman , they are sensible of our calamities , but i believe , 't is the poqulass only , who see no further than the rind of things , your cabinet counsel rather rejoyceth at it , who , or i am much deceiv'd , contributed much in the time of the late sanguine cardinall , to set a foot these distractions , beginning first with scotland , who you know hath always serv'd that nation for a brand to set england a fire for the advancement of their own ends ; i am afraid we have seen our best days , we knew not when we wo●…e well , so that the italian saying may be well applyed to poor england , i was well , i would be better , i took physic and dyed . no more now , but that i rest still yours entirely to serve you , j. h. fleet , ian. . xiii . to john wroth esq. at petherton park . sir i had two of yours lately , one in italian , the other in french , ( which , were answered in the same dialect ) and as i read them with singular delight , so , i must tell you , they struck an admiration into me , that in so short a revolution of time you should com to be so great a master of those languages both for the pen and 〈◊〉 ; i have known divers , and those of pregnant and ripe capacities , who had spent more oyl and time in those countreys , yet could they not arrive to that double perfection which you have , for 〈◊〉 they had got one , they were commonly defective in the other : therfore i may say that you have not spartam nactus which was but ●… petty republic , sed italiam & gelliam nactus es has orna , you have 〈◊〉 all italy and france adorn these . nor is it language that you have only brought home with you , 〈◊〉 i find that you have studied the men and the 〈◊〉 of those nations you have convers'd withall ; neither have you cou●…ted ●…nely all their fair cities , castles , houses of pleasure , and other places of curiosity , but you have pryed into the very mysteries of 〈◊〉 government , as i find by those choice manuscripts and observations you have brought with you ; ●…n all these things you ●…are been so curious , as if the soul of your great uncle who was 〈◊〉 ambassador in the imperiall court , and who held cor●…espondence with the greatest men of christendome in their own ●…anguage , had transm●…grated into you . the freshest news heer is , that those heart-burnings , and fires of civill commotion●… which you left behind you in france , cover'd over with thin ashes for the time , are broken out again , and i be●… they will be never quite extinguished till ther be a peace or ●…uce with spain , for till then ther is no hope of abatement of taxes ; 〈◊〉 't is fear'd the spanish will out-weary the french at last in 〈◊〉 , for the earth her self , i mean his mines of mexico and 〈◊〉 affoord him a constant and yeerly tresure to support his ar●… , wheras the french king digs his tresure out of the bowells ●…nd vitall spirits of his own subjects . i pray let me hear from you by the next opportunity , for i shall ●…old my time well employed to correspond with a gentleman of ●…uch choice and gallant parrs ; in which desires i rest your most affectionat and faithfull s●…rvitor , j. h. ●… aug ▪ xiv . to mr. w. b. how glad was i , my choice and precious nephew , to receiv●… yours of the ▪ current , wherin i was sory , though satisfie●… in point of belief to find the ill fortune of interception which be fell my last unto you . touching the condition of things heer , you shall understand that our miseries lengthen with our days , for though the sun and the spring advance nearer us , yet our times are not grown a wh●… the more comfortable : i am afraid this city hath foold her self in to a slavery , the army , though forbidden to com within ten miles of her by order of parlement , quarters now in the bowells of her ; they threaten to break her percullies , posts and chains to make her pervious upon all occasions , they have secured also the tower , with addition of strength for themselves , besides a famine ▪ doth insensibly creep upon us , and the mint is starv'd for want of bullion ; trade which was ever the sinew of this island doth visibly decay , and the insurance of ships is risen from two to ten in the hundred ; our gold is ingrossed in privat hands , or gon beyond sea to travell without licence , and much i beleeve of it is return'd to the earth ( whence it first came ) to be buried where our late nephews may chance to find it a thousand yeers hence if the world lasts so long , so that the exchanging of white earth into red , i mean silver into gold is now above six in the hundred ; and all these with many more are the dismall effects and concomitants of a civill war. t is tru we have had many such black days in england in former ages , but those paralleld to the present are as the shadow of a mountain compar'd to the eclipse of the moon . my prayers early and late are , that god almighty would please not to turn away his face quite , but cheer us again with the light of his countenance , and i am well assur'd you will joyn with me in the same orison to heavens gate ; in which confidence i rest your most affectionatly to serve you , j. h. from the fleet , of decemb , . xv. to sir k. d. at paris . sir , now , that you are return'd , and fix'd a while in france , an old servant of yours take's leave to kiss your hands , and salute you 〈◊〉 an intense degree of heat and height of passion : t is well you ●…ook hands with this infortunat isle when you did , and got your ●…iberty by such a royall mediation as the queen regents , for had ●…ou staid , you would have taken but little comfort in your life , in regard that ever since ther have bin the fearfullest distractions heer that ever happen'd upon any part of the earth , a beluin kind of im●…nity never rag'd so among men , insomuch that the whole countrey might have taken its appellation from the smallest part therof , and be call'd the isle of dogs ; for all humanity , common honesty , and that mansuetude with other morall civilities which should distinguish the rationall creature from other animalls , have been lost heer a good while ; nay , besides this cinicall , ther ●…s a kind of wolvish humor hath seizd upon most of this peeple a ●…u lycanthropy , they so worry and seek to devour one another , so ●…hat the wild arab and fiercest tartar may be call'd civill men in comparison of us , therfore he is happiest who is furthest off from this wofull island . the king is streightned of that liberty he formerly had in the isle of wight , and as far as i see may make up the number of nebuchadnezzars yeers before he be restored : the parlement persists in their first propositions , and will go nothing less . this is all i have to send at this time , only i will adjoyn the tru respects of from the fleet , this of may , . your most faithfull humble servitor , j. h. xvi . to mr. w : blois in suffolk . sir , yours of the seventeenth current came safely to hand , and 〈◊〉 kiss your hands for it , you mention there two others that cannot , which makes me condole the loss of such jewells , for i esteem all your letters so , being the precious effects of your love , which i value at a high rate , and please my self much in the contemplation of it , as also in the continuance of this letter-correspondence , which is perform'd on your part with such ingenuous expressions , and embroder'd still with new florishes of invention ▪ i am stil under hold in this fatall fleet , and like one in a tempest a●… sea who hath been often near the shoar yet is still toss'd back by contrary winds , so i have had frequent hopes of freedom , but som cross accident or other always intervened , insomuch that i am now in half despair of an absolut release till a generall gao●… delivery ; yet notwithstanding this outward captivity , i have inward liberty still i thank god for it . the greatest news is , that between twenty and thirty thousand well-armed scots have been utterly routed , riffed , and all taken prisoners , by less than english ; i must confess 't was a great exploit wherof i am not sorry , in regard that the english have regain'd hereby the honor which they had lost abroad of late yeers in the opinion of the world , ever since the pacification at berwick , and divers traverses of war since . what hamiltons design was , is a mystery , most think that he intended no good either to king or parlement . so with my dayly more and more endeared affections unto you , i rest yours ever to love and serve you , j. h. fleet , may. . xvii . to mr. r. baron in paris . gentle sir , i receiv'd , and presently ran over your cyprian academy with much greedines and no vulgar delight , and , sir , i hold my self much honor'd for the dedication you have been pleas'd to make thereof to me , for it deserv'd a far higher patronage ; truly , i must tell you without any complement , that i have seldom met with such an ingenuous mixture of prose & verse , interwoven with such varieties of fancy , & charming strains of amorous passions , which have made all the ladies of the land in love with you : if you begin already to court the muses so hansomly , and have got such footing on parnassus , you may in time be lord of the whole hill , and those nice girles , because apollo is now grown unweldy and old , may make choice of you to officiat in his room , and preside over them . i much thank you for the punctuall narration you pleas'd to send me of those commotions in paris , i believe france will never be in perfect repose while a spaniard sits at the stern , and an italian steers the rudder ; in my opinion mazirini should do wisely now , that he hath feather'd his nest so well , to truss up his baggage and make over the alps to his own countrey , lest the same fate betide him as did the marquis of ancre his compatriot . i am glad the treaty goes on 'twixt spain and france , for nothing can port●…nd a greater good to christendom , than a conjunction of those two great luminaries , which if it please god to bring about , i hope the stars will change their aspects , and we shall see better days . i send heer inclosed a second bill of exchange in case the first i sent you in my last hath miscarried : so , my dear nephew , i embrace you with both my arms , and rest fleet , this of iune , . yours most entirely to love and serve you while , jam. howell . xviii . to mr. tho. more at york . sir , i have often partak'd of that pleasure which letters use to carry along with them , but i do not remember to have found a greater proportion of delight than yours afford me ; your last of the fourth current came to safe hand , wherin me thought each line , each word , each syllable breath'd out the passions o●… a cleer and candid soul , of a vertuous and gentle spirit ; truly sir , as i might perceive by your ingenious and patheticall expressions therin , that you were transported with the heat of tru affection towards me in the writing so was i in the reading , which wrought upon me with such an energy that a kind of extasie posses●…'d me for tho time : i pray sir go on in this correspondence , & you shall find that your lines will not be ill bestowed upon me , for i love and respect you dearly well , nor is this love grounded upon vulgar principles , but upon those extraordinary parts of virtu and worth which i have discover'd in you , and such a love is the most permanent as you shall find in fleet of sep. . your most affectionat oncle , j. h. xix . to mr. w. b. º maii. sir , your last lines to me were as delightfull as the season , they were as sweet as flowers in may , nay they were far more dragrant than those fading vegetalls , they did cast a greater suarity than the arabian spices use to do in the gran cayro , where when the wind is southward , they say the ayr is as 〈◊〉 as a persum'd spanish glove ; the air of this city is not so , specially in the heart of the city , in and about pauls church where horse-dung is a yard deep , insomuch that to cleanse it would be a●… hard a task , as it was for hercules to cleanse the augean stable by drawing a great river through it , which was accounted one of his twelve labors : but it was a bitter taunt of the italian who passing by pauls church , and seeing it full of horses , now i perceive ( said he ) that in england men and beasts serve god alike ▪ no more now , but that i am your most faithfull servant , j. h. xxi . to sir paul pindar knight , upon the version of a●… italian peece into english , call'd st. pauls progress upon earth , a new and a notable kind of satyr . sir , st . paul having descended lately to view italy and other place●…●…s you may trace him in the following discours , he would no●… take wing back to heaven before he had given you a speciall visit ▪ who have so well deserv'd of his church heer , the goodliest pile o●… stones in the christian world of that kind . of all the men of our times , you are one of the greatest examples of piety , and constant integrity , which discovers a noble sou●… to dwell within you , and that you are very conversant with heaven ▪ so that me thinks i see st. paul saluting and solacing you in thes●… black times , assuring you that those pious works of charity yo●… have don and daily do ( and that in such a manner that the lif●… hand knows not what the right doth ) will be as a triumphant chariot to carry you one day up to heaven to partake of the same beatitude with him . sir , among those that truly honor you , i am one ▪ and have been so since i first knew you , therfore as a small testimony heerof , i send you this fresh fancy compos'd by a noble personage in italian , of which language you are so great a master . for the first part of the discours which consists of a dialog ▪ 'twixt the two first persons of the holy trinity , ther are example●… of that kind in som of the most ancient fathers , as apollinariu●… and nazianzen , and lately grotius hath the like in his tragedy o●… christs passion , which may serve to free it from all exceptions . so ! most affectionatly kiss your hands , and am sir , your very humble and ready servant , j. h. fleet , martii . xx. to sir paul neale knight , upon the same subject . sir , saint paul cannot reascend to heaven before he gives you also a salute , my lord , your father having bin a star of the greatest magnitude in the firmament of the church . if you please to observe the manner of his late progress upon earth , which you may do by the guidance of this discours , you shall discover many things which are not vulgar , by a curious mixture of chur●…h and state-affaires ; you shall feel heerin the pulse of italy , & how it beats at this time since the beginning of these late wars 'twixt the pope and the duke of parma , with the grounds , procedure , and success of the said war , together with the interest and grievances , the pretences and quarrells that most princes there have with rome . i must confes , my genius hath often prompted me that i was never cut out for a translator , ther being a kind of servility therin ; for it must needs be somwhat ●…dious to one that hath any free-born thoughts within him , and genuin conceptions of his own ( wherof i have som though shallow ones ) to enchain himself to a verball servitude , and the sense of another . moreover translations are but as turn-coated things at best , specially among languages that have advantages one of the other , as the italian hath of the english , which may be said to differ one from the other as silk doth from cloth , the common wear of both countries where they are spoken : and as cloth is the more substantiall ▪ so the english toung by reason 't is so knotted with consonants is the stronger , and the more sinewy of the two ; but silk is more smo●…th and slik , & so is the italian toung compar'd to the english. or i may say translations are like the wrong side of a turky carpet , which useth to be full of thrums and knots , and nothing so even as the right side : or one may say ( as i spake elsewhere ) that translations are like wines tane off the lees , and powr'd into other vessels , that must needs lose somwhat of their first strength and brisknes , which in the powring , or passage rather evaporates into air . moreover touching translations , it is to be observ'd that evry language hath certain idiomes , proverbs and peculiar expression●… of its own which are not rendible in any other but paraphrastically , therfore he overacts the office of an interpreter who doth esslave himself too strictly to words or phrases : i have heard of an exces among limmers call'd too much to the life , which happens when one aimes at similitudes morethan skill ; so in version of languages one may be so over-punctuall in words , that he may mar the matter ; the greatest fidelity that can be expected in a translator is to keep still a foot and entire the tru genuin sense of the author , with the main design he drives at ; and this was the principall thing which was observ'd in this version . furthermore let it not be thought strange that ther are som italian words made free denizens of england in this discours , for by such meanes our language hath grown from time to time to be so copious , and still growes more rich , by adopting or naturalizing rather the choicest forren words of other nations , as a nosegay is nothing els but a tuft of flowers gatherd from divers beds . touching this present version of italian into english , i may say 't is a thing i did , when i had nothing to do ; 't was to find somthing wherby to pass away the slow houres of this sad condition of captivity . i pray be pleas'd to take this as a small argument of the great respects i ow you for the sundry rare and high vertues i have discover'd in you , as also for the obligations i have to your noble lady whose hands i humbly kiss , wishing you both , as the season invites me a good new yeer ( for it begins but now in law ) as also a holy lent , and a healthfull spring . fleet , martij . your much obliged and ready servant , j. h. xxii . to dr. w. turner . sir , i return you my most thankfull acknowledgments , for that collection , or farrago of prophecies as you call them , ( and that very properly in regard ther is a mixture of good and bad ) you pleas'd to send me lately ; specially that of nosterdamus , which i shall be very chary to preserve for you , i could requite you with ●…ivers predictions more , and of som of the british b●…rds , which were ●…hey translated to english would transform the world to wonder . they sing of a red parlement and white king , of a race of peeple which should be called p●…ngruns , of the fall of the church , and divers other things which glance upon these times . but i am none of those that afford much faith to rambling prophecies , which , ( as was said elsewhere ) are like so many od graines sown in the vast field of time , wherof not one in a thousand comes to grow up again and appear above ground . but that i may correspond with you in som part for the like courtesie , i send you these following prophetic verses of white-hall , which were made above twenty yeers ago to my knowledg upon a book call'd balaams ass , that consisted of som invectives against king iames , and the court in 〈◊〉 quo tu●…c ; it was compos'd by one mr williams a counsellor of the temple , but a roman catholic , who was hang ▪ d drawn and quarter'd at charing cross for it , and i believe ther be hundreds that have copies of these verses ever since that time about the town yet living , they were these . som seven years since christ rid to court , and there he left his ass , the courtiers kic'd him out of doores , because they had no grass , ( grace . ) the ass went mourning up and down , and thus i heard him bray , if that they could not give me grass , they might have given me hay : but sixteen hundred forty three , who so ere shall see that day , will nothing find within that court , but only grass and hay , &c. which was found to happen true in white-hall , till the soldiers comming to quarter there trampled it down . truly sir i find all things conspire to make strange mutation●… in this miserable island , i fear we shall fall from under the su●…ter to be under the sword , and since we speak of prophecies , 〈◊〉 am afraid among others that which was made since the reformation will be verified , the church man was , the lawy●…r is , the soldier shall be . welcom be the will of god , who transvolves kingdoms , and tumbles down monarchies as mole-hills at his pleasure , so i rest my dear doctor , fleet , aug. . your most faithfull servant , j. h. xxiii . to the honble sir edward spencer knight , at his house near ▪ branceford . sir , vvee are not so bare of intelligence between these walls ▪ but we can hear of your doings in branceford ; that so generall applause wherby you were cryed up knight of the shire for middlesex , sounded round about us upon london streets , and echo'd in every corner of the town ; nor d●… i mingle speech with any though half affected to you , bu●… highly approves of and congratulates the election , being glad that a gentleman of such extraordinary parts and probity , as also of such a mature judgement should be chosen to serve the public . i return you the manuscript you lent me of daemonologie , but the author therof and i are two in point of opinion that way , for he seems to be on the negative part , and truly he writes as much as can be produc'd for his purpose . but ther are som men that are of a meer negative genius , like iohannes ad oppositum , who will deny , or at least cross and puzzle any thing though never so cleer in itself , with their but , yet , if , &c. they will flap the lie in truths teeth though she visibly stand before their face without any visard , such perverse cross-graind spirits are not to be dealt withall by argumente , but palpable proofs , as if one should deny that the fire burns , or that he hath a nose on his face , t●…er is no way to deal with him , but to pull him by the tip of the one , and put his finger into the other : i will not say that this gentleman is so perverse , but to deny ther are any witches , to deny that ther are not ill spirits which seduce , tamper and convers in divers shapes with human creatures , and impell them to actions of malice , i say that he who denies ther are such busie spirits , and such poor passive creatures upon whom they work , which commonly are call'd witches , i say again , that he who denies ther are such spirits , shewes that he himself hath a spirit of contradiction in him , opposing the current and consentient opinion of all antiquity : we read that both iews and romanes with all other nations of christendom , and our ancestors heer in england enacted laws against vvitches , sure they were not so silly as to wast their brains in making laws against chymeras , against non entia , or such as plato's kt●…etismata's were : the iudaicall law is apparant in the holy code , thou shalt not suffer a witch to live ; the roman law which the decemviri made , is yet extant in the twelve tables , qui ●…ruges incantassent paenas danto , they who should inchant the fruit of the earth let them be punish'd ; the imperiall law is known by every civilian , hi cùm ●…ostes naturae sint supplicio afficiantur , these , meaning witches , because they are enemies to nature let them be punish'd ; and the acts of parlement in england are against those that invoke ill spirits , that take up any dead man , woman or child , or take the skin or bone of ay dead body , to employ it to sorcery or charm , wherby any one is lam'd , or made to pine away , &c. such shall be guilty of ●…lat ●…elony , and not capable of clergy or sanctuary , &c. what a multitude of examples are ther in good authentic authors of divers kinds of fascinations , incantations , prestigiations , of philtres , spells , charmes , sorceries , characters and such like , as also of magic , negromancy , and divinations ; surely the witch of endor is no fable , the burning of ioan de' arc the maid of orleans in roven , and of the marchioness d'ancre of late yeers in paris are no fables : the execution of nostredamus for a kind of witch , son●… fourscore yeers since is but a modern story , who among other things foretold , le senat d●… londres tuera son roy , the senat of lond●…n shall kill their king. the best historians have it upon record how charl●…mains mistress incha●…ed him with a ring , which as long as the had about he ▪ he would not ●…uster her dead carkase 〈◊〉 be carried out of his chamber to be buried , and a bishop taking it out of her mouth , the emperour grew to be as much bewitch'd with the bishop , but he being cloyed wi●…h his excess of favour , threw it into a pond , wher the emperours chiefest pleasure was to walk till his dying day . the story tells us how the wald●…nses in france wer by a solemn arrest of parlement accus'd and condemn'd of witchraft ; the malteses took saint paul for a witch : saint augustin speaks of women who could turn men to horses , and make them carry their burthens ; danaeus writes of an enchanted staff which the devill summoner like , was us'd to deliver som market-women to ride upon . in som of the northern countries 't is at ordinary to buy and sell winds , as it is to do wines in other parts ; and hee●… of i could instance in som examples of my own knowledg . every one knows what o●…aus magnus writes of erich's ( king of swethland ) corner'd cap , who could make the wind sift to any point of the compass , according as he turn'd it about . touching diviners of things to com which is held a species of vvitchcraft , we may read they were frequent among the romanes , yea they had colleges for their augu●…s and aruspices , who us'd to make their predictions somtimes by fire , somtimes by flying of fowl , somtimes by inspection into the entrails of beasts , or invoking the dead , but most frequently by consulting with the oracles , to whom all nations had recours except the iew●…s . but you will say that since christianity displayed her banners , the cross hath scar'd away the devill , and struck the or●…cles dumb , as plutarch reports a notable passage of thamus an italian pilot , who a little after the birth of christ , sailing along the coasts of calabria in a still silent night , all his passengers being asleep , an airie cold voice came to his eares saying thamus , thamus , thamus , the great god pan is dead , who was the chiefest oracle of that country ; yet though the light of the gospell chas'd away those great owls , ther be som bats and little night birds that fly still abroad , i mean petty spirits that by secret pactions , which are made alwaies without witnes , enable men and women to do evill . in such compacts beyond the seas the party must first renounce christ , and the extended woman meaning the blessed virgin , he must contemn the sacraments , tread on the cross , spit at the host , &c. ther is a famous story of such a paction which fryer louis made som half a hundred yeers ago with the devill in marseilles , who appear'd to him in shape of a goat and promis'd him the enjoyment of any woman whom he fancied , with other pleasures for . yeers , but the devill being too cunning for him put the figure of i before , and made it yeers in the contract , ( which is to be seen to this day with the devills claw to it ) at which time the fryer was detected for witchcraft and burnt , and all those children whom he had christned during that term of yeers were rebaptized , and the gentlewomen whom he had abus'd , put themselves into a nunnery by themselves . heerunto may be added the great rich widdow that was burn'd in lions , because 't was prov'd the devill had lain with her ; as also the history of lieutenant iaquette which stands upon record with the former , but if i should insert them heer at large it would make this letter swell too much . but we need not cross the sea for examples of this kind , we have too too many ( god wot ) at home : king iames a great while was loth to beleeve ther were witches , but that which happend to my lord francis of rutlands children convinc'd him , who were bewitch'd by an old woman that was servant at belvoir castle , but being displeas'd , she contracted with the devill who convers'd with her in form of a cat , whom she call'd rutterken to make away those children , out of meer malignity , and thirst of revenge . but since the beginning of these unnaturall wars ther may be a clowd of witnesses produc'd for the proof of this black tenet , for within the compas of two yeers neer upon three hundred witches were arraign'd , and the major part executed in essex and suffolk only : scotland swarmes with them now more than ever , and persons of good quality executed daily . thus , sir , have i huddled together a few arguments touching this subject , because in my last communication with you , me thought i found you somwhat unsatisfied , and staggering in your opinion touching the affirmative part of this thesis , the discussing wherof is far fitter for an elaborat large treatise than a loose letter . touching the new common-wealth you intend to establish , now , that you have assign'd me my part among so many choice legislators , somthing i shall do to comply with your desires , which shall be alwaies to me as comands , and your comands as lawes , because i love and hono●…r you in a very high degree for those gallant free-born thoughts , and sundry parts of virtu which i have dis ▪ cern'd in you , which makes me entitle my self fleet this of febr. . your most humble and affectionat faithfull servant , j. h. xxiv . to sir william boswell , at the hague . sir , that black tragedy which was lately acted heer , as it hath fill'd most hearts among us with consternation and horror , so 〈◊〉 believe it hath bin no less resented abroad ; for my own particular the more i ruminat upon it , the more it astonisheth my imagination , and shaketh all the cells of my brain , so that somtimes i struggle with my faith , and have much adoe to believe it yet : i shal give over wondring at thing any heerafter , nothing shall seem strange unto me , only i will attend with patience how england will thrive now that she is let bloud in the basilicall veine , and cur'd , as they say , of the kings evill . i had one of yours by mr. iacob b●…eue , and i much thank you for the account you please to give me of what i sent you by his conveyance . holland may now be proud , for ther is a younger common-wealth in christendom than her self ▪ no more now but that i alwaies rest sir , your most humble servitor , j. h. fleet , of mar. . xxv . to mr. w. b. at grundsburgh . sir , never credit me if liberty it self be as dear to me as your letters , they com so full of choice and learned applications , with such free unforc'd strains of ingenuity , insomuch that when i peruse them , me thinks they cast such a kind of fragrancy , that i cannot more aptly compare them , than to the flowers which are now in their prime season , viz. to roses in iune : i had two of them lately , which me thought were like quivers full of barb'd arrowes pointed with gold , that penetrated my breast . — tali quis nollet ab ictu ridendo tremulas mortis non ire sub umbras . your expressions were like those mucrones and melliti globuli which you so ingenuously apply mine unto ; but these arrowes of yours though they have hit me , they have not hurt me , they had no killing quality , but they were rather as so many cordialls ; for you know gold is restorative . i am suddenly surpriz'd by an inexpected occasion , therfore i must abruply break off with you for this time , i will only add , my most dear nephew , that i rest iune the . . yours entirely to love and serve you , j. h. xxvi . to r. k. esquire at st. giles . sir , difference in opinion , no more than a differing complexion , can be cause enough for me to hate any ; a differing fancy is no more to me , than a diffring face ; if another hath a fair countenance , though mine be black , or if i have a fair opinion , though another have a hard favourd one , yet it shall not break that common league of humanity which should be betwixt rational creatures , provided he corresponds with me in the generall offices of morality and civill uprightnes , this may admit him to my acquaintance and conversation , though i never concur with him in opinion : he beares the image of adam , and the image of the allmighty as well as i ; he had god for his father , though he hath not the same church for his mother . the omniscient c●…cator as he is only kardiognostic , so he is the sole lord of the whole inward man , it is he who reignes ore the faculties of the soul , and the affections of the heart , 't is he who regulates the will , and rectifies all obliquities in the understanding by speciall illuminations , and oftentimes reconciles men as opposit in opinion , as meridians and parallells are in point of extension , wherof the one drawes from east to west , the other from north to south . som of the pagan philosophers specially themistius who was praetor of byzantium , maintain'd an opinion , that as the pulchritud and preservation of the world consisted in varieties and dissimilitudes ( as also in eccentric and contrary motions ) that as it was replenish'd with such numberles sorts of severall species , and that the individualls of those species differ'd so much one from the other specially mankind , amongst whom one shall hardly find two in ten thousand that have exactly ( though twins ) the same tone of voice , similitude of face , or idaeas of mind , therfore the god of nature ordain'd from the beginning , that he should be worship'd in various and sundry forms of adorations , which neretheles like so many lines should tend all to the same centre . but christian religion prescribes another rule , viz. that ther is but 〈◊〉 via , una veritas , ther is but one tru way to heaven , and that ●…ta narrow one , wheras ther be huge large roads that lead to ●…ell . god allmighty guid us in the first , and guard us from the se●…d , as also from all cross and uncouth by-paths , which use to ●…ead such giddy brains that follow them to a confus'd laberinth of ●…rors , where being intangled , the devill as they stand gaping 〈◊〉 new lights to lead them out , takes his advantage to seize on ●…em for their spirituall pride , and ins●…briety in the search of more ●…owledge . . iuly , . your most faithfull servant , j. h. ut clavis portam sic pandit epistola pectus , clauditur haec cerâ , clauditur illa serâ . as keys do open chests , so letters open brests . an index of the principall matters contained in this second tome of familiar letters . encouragements to hasten a busines . a strange disparity 'twixt a married couple . the power of the pen. ●…dvice against detraction . ●…f the generall infirmities of men . ●…f naturall corruption . ●…f the passions of love , and the humor of women . ●…f a clash that happen'd 'twixt leo the tenth , and the french king , and their witty answers and replies . ●…he saying of robert grosthead bishop of lincoln , touching the pope . ●…dvice to silence . ●… letter of thanks , and for forgiving injuries . ●…f religion in generall . ●…f the religion of the jewes , and their sev●… ▪ all sects . of christianity and the difficulties that attend it . ●… england one of the first christian countries . ●… the cause of the first division 'twixt the eastern an●… western churches . ●… of the eastern church . ●… the extent of christianity . ●… the lamentable decay of christianity in afric . ●… of mahometism , with the beginning and policy therof . the reverend opinion the turks have of christ , and th●… virgin mary . the vast extent of mahometism . the concurrence of the jew with the christian an●… jew . ●… of the pagans or heathens religion and their extent ▪ the best sort of pagans . the degrees how phylosophy did propagate it selfe ▪ ●… a comparison in point of extent 'twixt all religions . som advices for a young traveller . of vaine glo●…y . ●… of the arrogance of the romanes . ●… advice to a young soldier . the fable of fire , water and fame . a letter of advice to give over a businesse . ●… of secretary walsingham , and secretary cecill . ●… a rare comparison of charles the emperor . ●… the mulberry a pattern of wisdom . ●… of the falling off of catalonia and portugall from th●… king of spain . ●… of extravagant humors . ●… a letter of reprehension for silence . of the virtu of letters . advice to be carefull in epistolizing . an amorous poem . a letter of gratitude . an apologie for women , and of their virtues and vices . of the mode of entertainment . an apologie for not answering a letter . a facetious tale of a neapolitan . of a monstrous new island sprung up in the atlantic sea . of the fearfull earthquakes in italy . of gen●…a , venice , &c. a letter of love . of grunnius sophista's last will. of melancholy . a facetious tale of a porter . a letter of frendly respects . the difference twixt prosperity and adversity . a letter of recommendation for a servant . what a supernumerary servant is like to advice to forren travell . of partiality of newes . of the abuse of a great picture taken at arundell . an epitaph upon the author . an encouragement to an vniversity scholar . of crosses and troubles . of chymicall knowledg . of dunkirk and the taking of it . the turks prayer . of the peace 'twixt spain and holland . a letter of condolement and mortality . the authors apologie for himself . a letter of frendly reprehension for neglect . of qu. elizabeths virtues and vices . the french satyr of her . of the exorbitant liberty of printing . for the speeding of a letter . of post pidgeons . privat contemplations of the author upon divers objects ▪ a remedy against melancholy . a letter of complement to a lady . a hymn to the trinity . saint austins notable wish couch'd in verse . of the fear and love of god. of wines in generall . of ale , beer , and all sorts of beverages drunk in the known world . of the wines of spain , italy , france , and germany . of the nile water . of metheglin , meath , and braggot , sider and perry . how the germans drink healths . the difference 'twixt the greek and german in drinking . a strange tale of som dutch drunkards . of toungs in generall . of the british toung and her dialects . the irish a dialect of the welsh . welsh words found in america . the ground of the appellation of englishmen . fox his gross error at the beginning of the book of martyrs . when the english toung took footing in scotland . of the german toung , and the extent of it . som persian words consignificant with the dutch. of the slavonic language , her dialects , and vast extent of it . above all other languages the slavonic hath two characters . a charter of alexander the great , yet extant upon the walls of a church in prague . of the greek toung , her growth and progress . the pittifull decay of the greek toung . how strangely the greeks are degenerated above all other nations . the ancient monstrous extent of the greek toung . of the latine toung and her degrees of perfection . the greek always more esteem'd than latine in the east and west . how the latine did refine her self . of the sundry barbarous peeple that invaded italy . of the italian , spanish and french languages . of the arcadians . where to find the tru ancient speech of any countrey . of the mother toung of europe . a philosophicall reason of the diversity of toungs . of the vast extent of the arabian toung . of the hebrew . languages subject to corruption and change as other things . of sir walter rawleigh's voyage to guiana , and a judgment upon 't . of the excise . a facetious tale of the earl of kildare . of my lord carleton . a facetious tale of a spanish soldier . frendly wishes . a comparison 'twixt the case of the king of england with other kings . a letter of respects to a lady . a caution not to neglect the latine for any vulgar language . of praises to god , and how they are the best oblations . a facetious tale of henry the fourth of france . america only free from mahometisme . the alchoran brought in by the alfange . arabic the sole language of the alchoran . of the black bean in mahomets heart . of vanity of beauties . the mendicant friers make a kind of amends for the excesses of the cardinalls and bishops . of borrowing and buying of books . canary the best of wine . christianity more subject to variety of opinions than any other religion , and the cause therof . advice from attempting a busines . reputation like a venice glass . a fable of fire , water , and fame . advice to a young soldier . a facetious tale of a soldier . two famous sayings of secretary walsingham and cecill . of delay in busines . of dispatch . the mulberry an embleme of wisdom the famous saying of charles the fift . of matches 'twixt england and spain . of the falling off of catalonia and portugall from the king of spain , and a judgment upon it . the vertu of money . a famous saying of cap. talbot . of a hard intricat busines . of the vertu of letters . a letter of reprehension for careles writing . som amorous stanza's . a letter of gratitude . an apology for women . of good and bad women . of free courtesies . a courtesie may be marr'd in the mode . an apology for silence . a tale of a n●…apolitan confessor . a new island discover'd hard by the terreras . of the hill vesuvius . som rarities of venice . of the genoways . of our indian mariners . grunnius sophista's last vvill. the authors last testament . of melancholy . a facetious tale of a porter . a modest reply of a letter of praise . a letter of patience . of chymistry . of the diseases of the time . a letter of recommendation . of superflu●…us servants . an advice to travell . of reading of books . of partiality of news . the history of conanus and the virgins mistaken . of prisoners . the authors epitaph . advice to a cambridg scholar . a letter of comfort . the effects of imprisonment . of chymistry . of dunkirk . a letter of state. a tale of the late queen of spain . the turks prayer . of nature , fate , and time. a consolatory letter . a modest reply to a letter encomiastic . a letter of reprehension for not writing . of q. eliz. pro & con . how the spaniards charge her . of futilous writers . of speeding letters . a letter of meditation . the advantage of marriage . a letter of complement to a lady . a hymn to the blessed trinity . st. austins wish in a hymn . of fearing and loving of god. a large discourse of all sorts of beverages that are us'd on earth . of all sorts of wines . the riddle of the vineyard man. of german and greek drinkers . of sir walter rawleigh . of the pittifull condition of england . a congratulatory letter from travell . of prayer and praise . of the excise . a tale of monsieur de la chatre . the power of letters . som spanish epitaphs . of french lawyers . a letter congratulatory for mariage . a lettee consolatory to a sick body . stanzas of mortality . of the passion week . a caution for imparting secrets . a letter of intelligence . of autology . a letter of consolation . a large poem . self-travell one of the ways that lead us to heaven . ut clavis portam , sic pandit epistola pectus : clauditur haec cerâ , clauditur illa serâ . as keys do open chests , so letters open brests . an index to the last parcell of epistles . of the use of passions . passions like muscovia vvives expect to bee check'd . the conquest of ones self the greatest point of valour . of the wars of venice . the fearfull commotions of naples . the horrid commotions in ethiopia . strange revolutions in china . the monstrous insurrections in moscovia . a prophecie of holland . a letter of correspondence . letters compared to ecchoes . of heaven . endearments of love . of the presbyter and his first rise . of calvin his prophane appplications . of geneva . king iames calld presbytery a sect. redemption the blessing paramount . the eucharist the prime act of devotion . a hymn upon the holy sacrament . a rapture . the happiest condition of life . opinion the great lady that rules the world . conceit the chiefest thing that makes one happy . of the strange monster in scotland . the incertain state of a merchant adventurer . a mariner scarce to be ranked among the living . a rich city like a fatt cheese , subject to maggots . congratulations to a marryed couple . of tobacco , and the virtu of it . a strange cure wrought upon my lord scroop by a pipe of tobacco . the way to know how much smoak ther is in a pound of tobacco . of doctor thorius paetologie . the differing modes of taking tobacco . a distic of tobacco . of learning in generall . handi-crafts men may well be term'd learned men . a wholsom peece of policy of the chineses . a tale of bishop grosthead . a meer scholar a useless thing . a facetious tale of thomas aquinas and bonadventure . a speech of alexander hales . the generall itching after book-learning hurtfull to england . gunpowder and printing about a time , and both hurtfull . the true learned men . a jeer upon the common lawyer . of the physician . pope adrian's speech . of the lunary world . antiquity cannot priviledg an error . novelty cannot prejudice truth . of the antipodes . the method how god powres down his blessings . the following day wiser than the formost . the cadet older than his elder brother . of experience . the prime philosophers held ther was a world in the moon . a notable comparison . vvhat kind of creatures are thought to be in the body of the sun. of galileo's glasse . the turks opinion of the sun. the earth the basest of creatures . of trismegistus . the prerogatives of man. a letter of complement to a lady . of frendship . of fortunes wheel . the power of god. what use france hath made of scotland . an italian saying appliable to england , the old plot of the jesuit now don in england . a letter of congratulation from forren travell . what a traveller must carry home with him besides language . 't is probable the spaniard will be to hard for the french. a letter complaining of the hard condition of england . another of the miseries of the time . a conjunction 'twixt spain and france the wholsom'st for christendom . a letter of endearment . of paul's church . of translations . the english and italian compar'd . translations like wines taken off the lees and powr'd into botells . how the english language grows rich . what is chiefely expected from a faithfull translator . of prophecies . the strange prediction of nostredamus . som wonderfull prophecies of the welsh bards reflecting upon these times . a prophecie of white-hall . a prophecie for the soldier . of witches . how perverse men must be used in disputation . all nations enacted laws against witchcraft . the act of parlement in england against witches . the imperiall law against witches . the judaicall and roman law against witches . nostredamus his notable prediction reflecting upon england . a notable story of charlemain . saint austin and danaeus his opinion of witches . ola●…s magnus his opinion of king ericus case that could comand the winds . of the oracles . a memorable story out of plutarch . the oath that witches use to take . the famous tale of frier louis in france . of rutterkin the witch that inchanted my lord of rutlands children . a letter of frendly endearments . england cur'd of the kings evill . of differences in opinion . difference in opinion should not dissolve the bonds of human society . one of the speciall priviledges of god allmighty . themistius his opinion touching the worship of the creator . of spirituall pride the greatest engin the devill useth to destroy peeple . teao●… . ther are divers other private short leters which may be said to be as small shallops attending greater ships , therfore they must not be expected to carry so much ballast : and this hath bin the usuall method of epistolizing amongst the ancients . finis . to the intelligent reader . amongst other reasons which make the english language of so small extent , and put strangers out of conceit to learn it , one is , that we do not pronounce as we write , which proceeds from diuers superfluous letters , that occur in many of our words , which adds to ●…e difficulty of the language : therfore the author hath taken pains to ●…trench such redundant , unnecessary letters in this work ( though the printer hath not bin so carefull as he should have bin ) as amongst mul●…itudes of other words may appear in these few , done , some , come ; which though wee , to whom the speech is connaturall , pronounce as mo●…syllables , yet when strangers com to read them , they are apt to make ●…em dissillabls , as do-ne , so-me , co-me ; therfore such an e is superfluous . moreover , those words that have the latin for their originall , the author prefers that orthography , rather then the french , wherby di●…ers letters are spar'd , as physic , logic , afric , not physique , logique , afrique ; favor , honor , labor , not favour , honour , labour , and very many more , as also he omits the dutch k , in most words ; here you ●…all read peeple not pe-ople , tresure , not treasure , toung , not ton-gue , &c. parlement not parliament , , busines , witnes , sicknes , not businesse , witnesse , sicknesse ; star , war , far , not starre , warre , farre , ●…nd multitudes of such words , wherin the two last letters may well be ●…ar'd : here you shall also read pity , piety , witty , not piti-e , pieti-e , ●…itti-e , as strangers at first sight pronounce them , and abundance of such 〈◊〉 words . the new academy of wits call'd l'academie de beaux esprits , which ●…he late cardinall de richelieu founded in paris , is now in hand to ●…form the french language in this particular , and to weed it of all su●…erfluous letters , which makes the toung differ so much from the pen , 〈◊〉 they have expo●…'d themselves to this contumelious proverb , the ●…renchman doth neither pronounce as he writes , nor speak as he ●…inks , nor sing as he pricks . aristotle hath a topic axiom , that frustra fit per plura , quod fi●… potest per pauciora , when fewer may serve the turn , more is in ●…in . and as this rule holds in all things els , so it may be very well 〈◊〉 in orthography . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e capitoll . liv. powder-plot . notes for div a -e ital. spanish . french. arthur . notes for div a -e quodā cum streptu as pliny saith . notes for div a -e a arhetine id est virtuous . anagram of henrieta . b the parlement . c hippocrates . d king iames. som sober inspections made into those ingredients that went to the composition of a late cordial, call'd a cordial for the cavaliers for the satisfaction of som, who mis-apprehended the author. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) som sober inspections made into those ingredients that went to the composition of a late cordial, call'd a cordial for the cavaliers for the satisfaction of som, who mis-apprehended the author. howell, james, ?- . howell, james, ?- . cordial for the cavaliers. [ ], p. printed for henry brome ..., london : . a reply to sir roger l'estrange's a caveat to the cavaliers. includes (p. - ) the text of "a cordial for the cavaliers" signed: j.h. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng l'estrange, roger, -- sir, - . -- caveat to the cavaliers. great britain -- politics and government -- - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - amanda watson sampled and proofread - amanda watson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion som sober inspections made into those ingredients that went to the composition of a late cordial , call'd a cordial for the cavaliers . for the satisfaction of som , who mis-apprehended the author . london : printed for henry brome , at the gun in ivy lane , . so● i 〈…〉 s m●de into those ingredients that went to the c 〈…〉 of a l●●e c 〈…〉 ll , call'd a cordial for the cavaliers . the author in the first place begi●● wi●h very re 〈…〉 l epi 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the ca●●lie●s , p 〈…〉 g them i● 〈◊〉 of the ●ig●e●t re 〈…〉 d that 〈…〉 e 〈◊〉 is capable of , which they m●y w●ll e●pect , for shewing themselfs , in such 〈…〉 e 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 , so good c 〈…〉 , so good s●●j●cts , ●nd so good 〈◊〉 , towards their c 〈…〉 , th●ir ki●g , ●nd their c 〈…〉 . then the author de 〈…〉 by d●g●ees to the other re 〈…〉 s , which they t●ey may cl●im 〈◊〉 due , from their king and c 〈…〉 y , 〈…〉 g ●●em , that their condition is far from being d 〈…〉 t , which words are equivalent , as if he h 〈…〉 said they might rest c●nfident , that they s 〈…〉 〈◊〉 r 〈…〉 s f●om the other t●● , therfo●e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inti 〈…〉 n ●o his majesty , and the pa●lement , in order theru 〈…〉 , which hath produc'd no small effects since , for divers cavaliers , whose wants wer● apparant and pressing , have bin releev'd , i say , ther is an intimation that the service of the cavaliers being for the public good , 't is reason , ( all the reason in the world , ) they shold be satisf●ed o●● of the p●bl●c 〈◊〉 , ●he●of the commons in parlement are the dispensers , therfore it is in them , to furnish his majesty to that end , and 't is soly in the king to give public rewards , in allusion whereunto , his majesty ●ath bin pleas'd to say , th●t n●ne sh●●d 〈…〉 e the 〈◊〉 to re●●rd the cavali●rs but he ●imself . and 〈…〉 y , ●nder favour , never any ▪ so 〈…〉 in p●ince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and honorable ground to conse● 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 no story can shew that ever any stuck so stoutly to their prince and principl●● ●s the l●●e cavaliers did , or e●●● shew'd a clearer affecti●n , for they expo●'d their lifes and livelihoods for him , when , in the eye of ●uman● judgment , hi● case was desperat , the 〈…〉 bels ●aving all the imag●●●ble advantag●● that could ●e , for they had the ci●y , the sea , and the s●●t on their side , yet the cavaliers , transported by the fr●● 〈◊〉 of loyal ▪ hearts adher'd unto him s●ill , 〈◊〉 ●ith 〈…〉 nding the hug● disprop●●tion , a●d in t 〈…〉 y 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ngth ; ●●y ▪ though they knew ▪ he had no money to pay them , and truly ther 's no nation can parallel such a love ; the german will speak high words of his love to the keysar , the sp●niard , and french will cry out vivele roy , but not one of them will stir a f●ot for king or keysar , without money , for their pay , and hopes of som recompence besides ; which the spaniard ▪ useth ●o claim as his due by the name of ay●●l● de costas ; to this purpose ther is a notable passage that happen'd twixt p 〈…〉 the second and a t●ledo cap●ain , who being return'd from the wars of the netherlands , went to see the king , who was then at the escurial . it was the captains chance to meet him ( incognito ) as he was a hunting ther , being alone , and strayed from his servants , the king saluting the captain a●k'd him where he was going ? he said , that he was lately returned from flanders , with his wounds and sca●s about him to give d●n pbelippe 〈◊〉 account of his se●●ices , and to demand a reward of him ; the king ask'd , whether he had his sala●y payed him ? 〈◊〉 , quoth he , i must confess i ●●ve th●ugh i stayed somtimes long enough for i● , but i am come now for an ay●d● de costas , for som reward besides ; but , put case the king will not do it ▪ th● captain answer'd , voto a di●●●u●b●s● mi mula en el culo , if he will no● let him kis● my m●●e in the t●yl ; thereupon the king with a smile ask'd his name , who told him he was call'd captain rodrigo del rio ; the king said senior captain rodrigo i see you are a stout man , the counsel of war sits to morrow , where if you make your addresses , and bring with you a sufficient certificat of your services , i shall procure you admittance to the king and counsel , by giving your name to the door-keeper before hand ; the next day the captain being let in , and seeing the king with all the counsel bare about him , the king told him , well captain , do you remember what you said yesterday , and what the king shold do to your mule , if he gave you no reward extraordinary ? the captain being nothing at all daunted , said , truly sir , my mule is ready at the court-gate , if ther be occasion . the king liking the stoutness of the man commanded . crowns to be given him , and . rialls for an annual pension during life : the condition of the english cavaliers is much more considerable , for the spanish captain had all his arreares pay'd him , which our cavaliers have not ; now , ther is no a●tizan or labourer whatsoever that deserves his hire , more then the soldier , who besides his hard duties and toyle , ventures both life and lim for his wages . then comes the author of the cordiall in an humble way , to speak of his majesties condition at present , how lightly the coffers of the crown are yet ballasted , what vast summes have bin taken out of them to discharge such indispensable arrears , and how unable he is to do what he so heartily intends , with what convenient speed he may ; then he gives a touch at some roundheads that were rais'd , who , computed with the civaliers , are not one for twenty , which , under favor , holds tru , take all professions together ; for go to the church ther are twenty five bishops for one ; go to deans , canons , prebends , ther is forty to one ; go to the parochial ministers , wherof ther be above . in the land , ther is above fifty to one ; go to the universities , how many heads of houses , and fellows of colledges have bin thrust out , and cavaliers put in their rooms ? go to the city , scarce any roundhead hath receav'd favor . the lieutenant of the tower and six commissioners of the custom house , with divers other officers , all cavaliers ; go to the twelve judges ther are ten to two ; go to the sargeants , with other officers at law , go to the army and life-guard ; go to the court above and below stairs , the odds more then twenty to one holds for the cavalier : t is tru , fom few are crept in into offices , but 't is for their mon y , whereof i beleeve the king hath no knowledg ( and 't is only god almighty is omniscious . ) touching those lords of the privy-counsel , i take leave to say , that we stood without the curtain and could not see what was contriv'd within , for his majesties coming over , where the consultation of the said privy counsellors with other choice lords and persons ( that were the kings confidents to that end ) did very much avail to bring the business about ; though indeed , as the case then stood , it may be said that no humane wit or power , but it was pure omnipoten ce which did the work : but let it not offend any to remember , that divers great kings have bin enforc'd to raise and reward those that were once their very enemies for a time ; the kings of france , at the pacification of nants , and the treaty of loudun , were , by article , to confer honors , in lieu of punishments , upon divers who in open field fought against them ; and the last king was to remove his bosomest counsellor from him , as sillery , and others ; that hee shold approve of all actions pass'd as done for his service , &c. and all this by public edict , which was verified by parlement . in such a posture , it seems , were things in our edward the seconds time , when dining in westminster-hall upon a great festival , ther came a minstrell-woman on horse-back to shew som sports , and going about the table she left a paper behind , as stow hath it in his survey of london page . as also daniel in his history of edward the second , which paper was as followeth , our soverain lord the king hath nothing courteously respected his knights that , in his fathers time , and also in his own , have put forth their persons to divers perils , and have utterly lost or greatly diminish'd their substances , to the honor of the said king , and he hath enrich'd abundantly such as have not born the weight , as yet , of the businesse . the author of the cordial proceeds then to his majesties great clemency , wherat som seem to except ; 't is tru in som cases , that he who spares the guilty wrongs the innocent ; and 't is as tru , that th innocence of a cavalier is to be prefer'd before the repentance of a roundhead ; but the world knows what rules of mercy his father ( of ever blessed memory ) prescribes him in his sacred legacies ; moreover , ther 's a world of examples how , after a civil war , such acts of indemnity , such amnestia's and general pardons were granted of necessity , for if the law were permitted to pass in such cases , the king might hang up half his subjects ; yet , it cannot be denyed , but that it is a very sad case , that one shold have my horses in his stables , my hangings and housh old-stuff in his house my oxen in his plough , my books in his study , my jewels upon his wifes fingers , which he had rob'd me of , with other things , and that i shold not have the benefit of the law to recover them ; yet , touching that , let it be also consider'd how many hundred cavaliers have bin restor'd since to their real estates , and offices , which , though it cannot be call'd properly a reward , yet it is a cleer benefit we receav'd by the kings coming , which benefit we were in despair of but twenty moneths since . then the author goes on with som encouragements , not as if he went about to read a lecture of patience , it being not only an unseasonable thing , but a peece of impertinency , to preach patience to those who are upon point of sinking or starving ; as , god wot , too many of the royalists are ; only he gives a hint , that they shold stil keep up their spirits , ther being no doubt but that his majesty being so so●sible of their condition , and the parlement being made up of so many worthy and discerning gentlemen , they will put him in a capacity to take them into due and speedy consideration , as it is well hoped they will do upon their re-accesse , which purpose that cordial may do more good then they are aware . to conclude , he who with a sober and wellbiass'd judgment will examine that cordial , will find , that ther is never a line , word , or syllable therin , but breaths out the spirit of a perfect cavalier , as above twenty other several peeces of the same author publish'd upon emergent occasions , do breath besides , ther is no fretful drug , or the least corrosive dram in it , but all gentle lenitifs , therfore he wonders how it should stir up such malignant humors in any , unless it were in them , who having somthing lying upon the stomack , made wrong use of that cordial to cast it up . in fine , the author of that cordial is very confident , that ther will be such a noble consideration had of the cavaliers , that they shall have cause to say to his majesty , as the grave of fustemburg said to charles the fift after the wars of saxony , who having don notable exploits in that war , and the emperour acknowledging it , sir , said he , if ther be occasion again , i will feed upon one arm , and fight with the other , to do your majesty service . for the fuller infomatrion of the reader , the cordial it self followes . a cordial for the cavaliers . worthy , and deserving gentlemen , in the affairs and traverses of this life , it is a tru rule ( and 't is a comfortable one ) . that he who dischargeth a good conscience , of his own , wherewith to reward himself , though he receive no compensation from any where else : the world knows , and envy it self doth acknowledg , that in the late confusions ( which were of that length that might have shaken the firmest spirits in their loyalty ) you have discharg'd a good conscience three ways , towards your creator , towards your country , and towards your king ; your religion bound you to the one , nature to the other , and your alleageance to the third ; and although many of you have not yet receiv'd what you expected for the two last , yet touching the first ( wherunto the other conduce ) you are sure to have such a reward one day , that will not onely be above all merit , but beyond all imagination , in the kingdom of eternity . adde hereunto , that i hold your condition to be far from being desperat , but that you may receive rewards , at least som consideration from the other two , viz from your king and country ; for the present parlement , which represents your whole country , being compos'd of so many wise , and well-weighed gentlemen ( wherof divers hath bin co sufferers with you ) will , as it is well hoped , out of a sense therof , have such reflections upon your sufferings and services , both active and passive , that they will enable his majesty , whom the law stiles , the fountain of honor and bounty , and wherof indeed no other power shold partake with him , i say it may well be hoped , that this parlement , before their recess , will put his majesty in a capacity , and humbly advise him , if not to reward you , yet to relieve your present wants in such a measure , that the steed may not starve , while the grass grows . you know well that the king hath bin among us but a little more then the compass of one year , and his grandfather henry the great of france , was above years ( which is an age in our law ) before he could requite those , who stuck to him not much above months , in making him master of the elowerdeluces ; you know the vast debts his majesty hath pay'd both by sea and land , which yet were not his own , nor his kingdoms , but of that accursed usurping commonwealth , which exhausted more of the publick treasure , then all the kings of this land , since gold and silver was first coind in its you know he is so shortned , that he hath not yet provided bread for all of his own house ; he is in such a condition , that he cannot give his royal aunt that treatment which might be expected ; he hath not wherwith to go his progress : consider what vast expences his fleets at sea , his life-guard , with other garrisons do stand him in , as also what debts he drew upon himself so many years beyond the seas , for his necessary subsistence , &c. novv , vvhereas som object he hath revvarded roundheads , truly i believe if a catalogue vvere made of those upon vvhom he hath confer'd honor or office since his return , ther vvill be found above tvventy cavaliers for one of any other upon vvhom he hath set any marks of favour . 't is tru , albeit he came not in by the presbyterian , yet he could not have come in without him so peaceably , though som alledg that vvhat the presbyterian did , vvas not as much out of a love to the king , as out of a hatred he bore to the independent , vvho may be said to have us'd the presbyterian a● the fox useth to deal vvith the badger , vvho having found out his chamber in the earth , 〈◊〉 ●o betrayeth it , that the badger comes thither no more , and so the fox makes himself master of the hole . wheras som except against his majesties lenity , and indulgence , let them know that mercy is the inseparable inmate of a magnanimous brest , and that the noblest way of revenge is to forget , and scorn injuries ; i have read in story , that one thing which made lewis the twelf of france most famous was a speech which drop'd from him , when being advis'd by som of his counsell to punish such and such as were profess'd enemies unto him while he was duke of orleans , he answer'd , that the king of france doth not use to revenge the injuries of the duke of orleans ; no more ( with most humble submission be it spoken ) doth king charles rese●t much the wrongs that were done to charles stuart . therfore , noble cavaliers , possess your souls with patience , we have a most gracious king who is in the meridian of his years , and will live to reward all in time . in the confus'd medley of mundane affairs , the proverb often is verified , some have the happ , but some stick still in the gapp , som have the fortune of preferment , som not , and 't will be so to the worlds end . the author hereof though during the many yeers that he was in prison for his loyalty , had three sworn over his head in an office of credit that he shold have had de jure , yet it nothing discomposeth him , being more then in h●pe of a compensation som other way . and as we have a gracious , so have we a glorious king , the most glorious that ever wore these three crowns , for all the eyes of christendom are fix'd upon him with a kind of astonishment and admiration , and not only of christendom , but of all the world besides , for 't is written that the great t●●k shold say , if he were to change his religion , he wold fall to worship the god of king charles of england , who hath do●● such miracles for him , such miracles that no story can parallel : and certainly , god almighty must needs love him for whom he doth miracles : which that his divine majesty may continue to do , are the incessant prayers of iul●● ● . j. h. finis . the nuptialls of peleus and thetis. consisting of a mask and a comedy, or the the [sic] great royall ball, acted lately in paris six times by the king in person. the duke of anjou. the duke of yorke. with divers other noble men. also by the princess royall henrette marie. the princess of conty. the dutchess of roquelaure. the dutchess of crequy. with many other ladies of honour. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the nuptialls of peleus and thetis. consisting of a mask and a comedy, or the the [sic] great royall ball, acted lately in paris six times by the king in person. the duke of anjou. the duke of yorke. with divers other noble men. also by the princess royall henrette marie. the princess of conty. the dutchess of roquelaure. the dutchess of crequy. with many other ladies of honour. howell, james, ?- . [ ], ; [ ], , [ ] p. printed for henry herringman, and are to be sold at his shop at the ancor in the lower walke of the new exchange., london, : . the comedy has a separate dated title page, pagination and register. possibly translated from the tedide of diamante gabrielli. cf. bm, v. , col. . annotation on thomason copy: "may ". reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng buti, francesco, d. . -- nozze di peleo e di theti. gabrielli, diamante. -- tedide. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the nvptialls of pelevs and thetis . consisting of a mask and a comedy , or the the great royall ball , acted lately in paris six times by the king in person . the duke of anjou . the duke of yorke . with divers other noble men . also by the princess royall henrette marie . the princess of conty . the dutchess of roqvelaure . the dutchess of crequy . with many other ladies of honour . london , printed for henry herringman , and are to be sold at his shop at the ancor in the lower walke of the new exchange . . the stanzas of the royall ball , with the argument of every scene of the comedy , which gives occasion to every entry in the ball . the argument . peleus king of thessaly being enamored with thetis , and crossed by two potent rivalls , jupiter and neptune , doth so carry the business by the counsells of chiron , and by the succour of prometheus , that both the gods are at the end excluded of their pretentions ; neptune desists by reason of his old age , and jupiter being the elder of the two , but much more considerable , doth voluntarily renounce his interest . whereupon thetis being plainely perswaded of the constancy , and fidelity of her lover , gives her consent to marry him , so the nuptialls are celebrated with a great concourse of gods and goddesses . prometheus also having done good service in the business , and to put a period to his troubles , is there also present , and brings with him the liberall and mechanick arts which hee had invented ; discord also would faine have been there , but that she was ashamed to appeare upon the theatre , having been chac'd out of france , and it had been to no purpose for her to disturb so ioyfull a meeting . the singers . two rivers of thessaly . epidan and onochone jupiter neptune juno mercury peleus king of thessaly thetis chiron prometheus a quire of water-nymphs a quire of syrens & tritons a quire of priests of man . a quire of all the deities . the dancers . apollo , and the nine muses . magicians . fishers of corrall the furies of jelously savage men and women . the dryads or wood-nymphs . cavaliers of thessaly chirons academists peleus his courtiers thetis young maids of honor the liberall & servile arts love iuno hymen hercules the harmony of the sphears . to the most excellent , and high-born lady , the lady katherine marchionesse of dorchester , &c. madam ; i believe , no discerning reader will question my judgement in point of election , nor accuse my election of much presumption in dedicating this princely new piece to your ladiship . touching the first , the fancy comming from that country which doth challenge as much interest in your illustrious blood as england , i humbly conceived it might well become your ladiship to be patronesse thereof . touching the second reason , it having been not onely represented , but acted so many times ( and reserv'd yet for entertaining pimentel the spanish ambassador ) by a great king in person , with such a number of princes , princesses , nobles , and above a hundred representators besides , so that the charge of the scene and shewes amounted to half a million of french liures ; but above all , it being an invention so cryed up , so well contriv'd and trac'd , so full of wit , and variety of musicall airs , with other gentilesses ; i deem'd it would be a thing not unworthy of your ladiships private entertainment . lastly , madam , the fancy being so fresh , and sutable to the season , it comes to usher in a happy and healthfull spring to your honor , attended with affluences of all felicity present and future , according to the humble and pregnant votes of my most highly honored lady , your thrice-obedient and devoted servitor jam . hovvel . the first of may . the prologue . apollo and the nine muses , epidan and onochone rivers of thessaly , a quire of water-nymphs . at the opening of the theater , apollo and the muses appeare upon the top of a mountaine , on both sides thereof run two rivers of thessaly , and the water-nymphs being separated in two quires , fall into the prayse of apollo , inviting him to come downe and give a happy augury to the loves of peleus ; the said mountaine stoopes by little and little , whereupon the rivers and nymphs retiring , apollo and the muses fill the stage , and compose the first entry of the ball . the first entry . apollo and the nine muses . the king represents apollo , madam henriette princesse of england . represents erato . madamoisella ofvilleroy . represents clio. the dutchesse of crequy represents euterpe . the dutchesse of roquelaure represents thalia . the princesse of conty represents vrania . madam de monlovet represents terpsicore . madam de saint simon represents calliope . madam d'olonne represents melpomene . madamoiselle de gourdon represents polyhimney . the nvptials of peleus and thetis ; or ; the great royall ball . the king of france representing apollo . more bright and better made then all the gods , superior to the rest of dëities by ods , my forespeaker with immortal beams is crown'd , victorious beauties i raise from the ground , i after glory alwaies run , not after daphne whom i shun . that fierce destructive python i did quell , that ugly horrid serpent hatch'd in hell , rebellion , which had poyson'd farre and neare faire france i chac'd from off this hemispheare : i rather had this monster slay , then with my daphne sport and play . yet it must be at last , early or late i must a femall court , it is my fate , and though i am all god , yet there 's a shee , whom with love glances i must deifie . and what nymph , goddesse , queen , or muse to be my daphne would refuse . madam henriette the princesse of england , representing the muse erato , which fell to her by lott . my stemm is more then of a mortall race ; for to great henries granchild all give place : my innocent and young aspect , inspires both pitty and respect ; and he who loudly would complain of princes falls and peoples raign , of angry starrs , and destiny , let him but cast his eyes on me . madamoiselle de villeroy representing clio , the inventresse of history . i turn this charming look sometimes to doomsday book ; these eyes , where in his throne love sits , make many mone ; my rosy cheeks , my quickening fire , madd the beholders with desire : and though i am but a young thing , blown as it were but in this spring ; my office is the history to tell of what a thousand yeers ago befell . madam the dutchess of crequy , representing euterpe , the inventresse of musique . the mouth of fame doth tell , in mine the graces dwell : so red , so small , loves queen had not , nor ere was seen ; a hundred beauties more i have in banke and store ; yet none esteemes them lesse : i nature rather blesse for those inward parts i have , which will last me to my grave . though i with musique use to cheer the mind , yet in my pipes no foulenesse you shall finde . m. the dutchesse of roquelaure , representing thalia , the inventresse of comedy . there is no heart so free but it will yeeld to me ; i have the true supremacy of beauty both in front and eye : my glances able are for to recover the sickest amorist , the palest lover : my comedies , if that you listen well , are able to redeem a soul from hell . madame the princesse of conty , representing vrania the inventresse of astronomy . the starres in their carreer are not so bright and cleer as is my minde , which 'bove the elements doth soar to view those high syderian tents . this port , this countenance , and eyes shew i did drop down from the skyes . i study their aspects and influence , their motions , & what good descends from thence . madam de montlouet representing terpsicore inventresse of dances and masks . if for a mortall i am taken , you may perchance be there mistaken , i dart a ray will pierce the heart , and make the center of it smart : i carry such a majesty , which represents divinity : the graces all in me do dwell , contending which shall bear the bell : i doe preside in maskes and dances , wounding the looker with my glances . m. the dutchess of san simon representing calliope , the inventresse of heroick poesy . beauty a treasure of high rate is my companion and my mate ; of vertues i have such a store , that could enrich a thousand more : i raise my spirits to enhance , ( when i am in poetique trance ) by high heroick verse the acts of noble champions and their facts : the sock i scorn , the buskin me doth raise to immortality . madam d' olonne representing melpomene , the inventresse of tragaedy . although my countenance be grave , yet pleasure and delights i have ▪ i look on death and destiny , yet are my straines divinity : the passages of vertue i rehearse , though in an elegiack tragick verse . madamoiselle de gourdon representing polhymny , the inventresse of vocall musique . a hundred objects i do see , although at my nativity they say i hooded was , my song will carry one to heaven along , the various postures i do show will make the gods themselves to bow ; i am the glory of our hills , where joy both heart and spirit fills . the first act . the first scnee , where appears a grott open on both sides . chiron , peleus , a dumb quire of magicians . chiron adviseth peleus either to abandon love , or not to lose higher hopes ; perswading him , that the old age of his rivals , might happily give him some assurance , yet he exhorts him for preventing the violence that jupiter might perchance offer to thetis , to go upon mount caucasus , and implore the help of prometheus , who with the fire he stole from heaven , had brought thence all the great and sublime sorts of knowledge ; and prometheus would be glad to oblige peleus in such an occasion to crosse the passion of jupiter , who made him endure such cruell torments ; peleus approves of chirons counsell , whereupon the magicians , as they dance , use a charm , carrying him away in a flying chair . the second entry . magicians . the count of lude , the marquis of villequire , and of genlis , the lords bontemps and cabou , the lords verbec , baptista , and lambert . the count of lude representing a magician . let my heart go loose more then to one , if i do love but three , i leasure have to sell love by retale ; i cry ; i sigh , and ready am to hang , yet then i vanish in the height of passion . the marquis of villequier representing a magician . the beauty which me charmes is like the spring , wee ought to love each other , she is fierce , and so am i . a young sorceresse may well become a magician of twenty years . the marquis of genlis representing a musician . who can make scruple of my art and skill , my reasons in due time have energie enough ; if i look fair in any part , i' st not a trick of magique art ? the second scene , which opens within a perspective where a sea is seen . thetis , neptune , a quire of syrens ▪ and tritons , a quire of dumb fishers for corrall . thetis appears upon a great shell attended by a halfe demy water god , being encompassed by a fair troop of corrall fishers ; on the other side neptune appears upon another great shell drawn by four sea horses , and begins to vent his passion to thetis ; but when he perceives that she despiseth him , he suddenly leaves her , and retires with all his train in choler , and striking the sea with his trident , he rais'd such a horrible tempest , that thetis with all her corrall fishers was forced to descend , who being very joyfull to escape the storm , make a dance among themselves to cheer and entertain her with delight . the third entry . a half sea-god leading thetis attended by twelve fishers of corrall . mounsieur the count of st. aignan prime gentleman of the kings chamber , is the half sea-god . the fishers of corrall . the duke of anjou the kings onely brother , the duke of york , the duke danville , the count de g'viche , the little count of aignan , the marquis of mirepoix , mounsieur saintot , mounsieur de la chesnay , the lord bruneau , s. fre. l'anglois , and raynal . the count saint aignan representing a demy sea-god , beginns . i have enhanc'd my gallantries so high , that neptunes court is glorified thereby . they equall the exploits of paladins , whose fame the earth with ecchos dims , what a poor thing it is to be a demy-god by land or sea ? yet i am one , i 'de have it known , it is no stain but a renown , in the fair field of love for to be so where joy & sadness , flowers and weeds do grow : and for the water-nymphs none can express better then i whether th' are fish or flesh . a madrigall . with a nymph both fair and cruell ; the fates have call'd me to a duell my torments endlesse are , my brest with the sea surges have like rest . the duke of anjou representing a fisherman . . in my fine hooks ther 's danger , then beware i am a fairer fisherman by far , then love himself my hook and line can catch a creature though divine . . husbands their cares do double , lest one day i fish within their ponds and catch the prey , so subtill is my wit , that none can see where i do fish those things which flow from me . . i will launce out when age improves my flanks , in the mean time i keep upon the banks for corrall on vermilian lipps i fish , and who will hinder me to have my wish ? the duke of yorke representing a fisherman . t' is not for me to fish for corrall here , i to another coast my course must steer , a fatall ground which seas surround . there i must fish upon an angry main , more then two crowns and scepters to regain . the duke damville representing a fisherman for corrall . i have the same bait , hook and line i had when i could scarce tell nine , a few there are though nere so fair , if i am set can ' scape my flaxen net . the count of guiche representing a fisherman . upon the side of a still peacefull pond i use to fish , and dare not go beyond ; the time will come that i may also seek the rivers banks , and happly a sea-creek . the little count of aignon representing a fisherman . as streight and slender as a rush i use to cast my line , and push it on , but i do onely catch small things , i cannot yet attach great wel-grown fishes , one might make good cheer with those i cannot take . the maaquis of mirepoix representing a fisherman . of this sweet trade of fishing i intend to be one day a master , and so mend my fortunes , now , the greatest skill of a true fisherman is to be still , and patient for a while , to make no hast so he may compasse well his ends at last . the third scene . thetis , jupiter , juno , a dumb quire of the furies of jealousie ▪ jupiter being encompassed with pomp and majesty , descends from the air in midst of a great cloud , and propounds to thetis all the tender & passionate things which might oblige her to be his spouse ; but shee refuseth this honor out of high respects she ow'd to juno , who had been so carefull of her education ; whereupon jupiter was upon point of carrying her away ; but as he was wrapping her within the cloud wherein he descended , iuno comes in a whirlwind not so violent as her rage ; and after a loud fit of scolding , having brought the furies along with her , the earth open'd and disgorgeth a huge horrid monster ; at sight hereof iupiter letting go his prey , and putting off his design till a more convenient time , returnes to heaven . in the mean time the furies extreamly well pleased to have so opportunely done such a piece of service to iuno , dance all before her , whereupon the goddesse iuno having thanked thetis for her vertuous resistance , takes the furies up with her in the same whirlwind which brought her down to persecute iupiter in his repose , and in his glory . the fourth entry . the king , the duke of ioyeuse , the marquis of genlis , mounsieur bontemps , the lords de lorge , verpre , beauchamp , mollier , le vacher , desairs , dolnist , baptiste . for the king representing a fury . spain , fly from this yong fury , fly away , she comes to daunt thee , and with torch in hand through every corner she doth force her way , to find thee out , 'gainst her thou canst not stand . she persecutes the bad , and makes them read their guilt within their looks , nay , the same time they mischief work , and do commit the crime , she glides into the conscience fear and dread . the duke of joyeuse representing a fury . believe me not , to trust in me forbear , a fained sweetnesse on my front i wear , of me there may be some mistakes , for i do hide my claws and snakes . the marquis of genlis representing another fury . my face is lovely , sweet and debonnair , such as an honest fury ought to bear . my heart some poyson may contain , yet serpents lodge not in my brain . the second act . the first scene . which represents the top of caucasus . prometheus , peleus , a quire of dumb men , and savage wmen . peleus being conducted by savage men and women , meets with prometheus upon a rock with his eagle which gnawes upon his heart , and having made a light comparison of their torments , prometheus assures him that the oracle of delphos had foretold that thetis should bear a son greater then his father ; and that iupiter also without doubt should be constrained to renounce his pretention , and that mercury having been sent in his behalf to iupiter , to acquaint him with the saying of the oracle , the businesse should end to his contentment : peleus hereupon returnes to thessaly extreamly comforted , and the savages upon hopes that prometheus should be freed from his torment , and that peleus should obtain his hearts desire , could not more lively expresse their joy then by a dance . the fifth entry . the lords of chesnay , and joyeux , the lords la marre , monglas , laleu , raynall , roddier , all savages . wee value beautious cheeks , and how they must be used we also know , nor such rude savages are we , but civiliz'd we soon may be . the second scene . which discovers a place of gold and stones . jupiter , mercury , a dumb quire of wood-nymphs . jupiter meets with mercury in this fair palace which he had caus'd to be prepar'd in the secret place about caucasus , to celebrate his nuptialls there without the knowledge of iuno , and devising the means how to conduct thither the new spouse ; mercury gave him notice what the oracle had said ; iupiter being therewith surpriz'd , and fearing that the same distaster might befall him there , which had happen'd 'twixt him and saturn , makes love to yield to ambition , and retires to heaven after he had commanded mercury to make it known that he would think on 't no more , nor do an act so injurious to his authority ; the dryades being land-nymphs , fell to be jealous of the good fortune of thetis a sea-goddesse , being there as spies to give account to juno of all the purposes of jupiter , and they expresse by a dance the joy they conceived that jupiter had altered his resolutions . the sixth entry . dryades or wood-nymphs . the king , the dukes of joyeuse , and of roquelaure , the marquis of genlis , mounsier bontemps , the lords of lorges , desairs , le vaiser , verpre , beauchamp , molier , d'olivet . for the king representing a dryade . . a nymph as great as generous , in oaks as green as pretious i lead a happy traine : my youthfull branches taper so , as if to heaven they would grow , and starres salute would fain : they spread and shoot so bravely out , that they the glory of their root will not betray . . by their rind you well may know with what strength and sap these grow , and whence it springs . they may be fit caesars to make , or alexanders for to shake , with thousand earthly kings . . about this proud and royall tree others do grow , but modestly they creepe more humble then the grasse , so that one day 't wil come to passe , this tree of heaven may be made unto the europian world a shade . the duke of ioyeuse representing another wood-nymph . while the seasons , rude and cold , i wonder none with me makes bold my wood hath this rare quality , it shall burn , warme , and make no noyse at all . the duke of roquelaure representing also a dryade . . some hold me for a merry wench , and that i care not much for continence , i am the greatest babler i confesse , and imitate vergonda by my tresse . . there is no forrest but doth feel the strokes of my victorious steel , as soone as i doe haunt a cops of wood , to bring the axe among them were as good . . i have my vanities , besides my age by right of impudence sometimes doth rage , and if a tree cleffed may chance , they presently impute the cause to me . . but to conclude , sweet nymphs , my pleasures shall never hurt yours , therefore doubt not at all ; to my beloved trunk i le so adhere , that for to injure others none shall feare . the marriage of genlis representing the last dryade . within the bottom of a grove a satyre thereabouts did rove , who held my honor at a bay , but hard it was for to display whether a reall satyre , or one clad like satyres , or indeed a true dryad . the third scene . which represents a theater , and at the end of a prospective , a statue of god mars . a quire of mars his priests , with another dumb quire of thessalian knights . the cavaliers of the principall city of thessalia being afflicted for the cruelty of thetis against peleus their monarch , do bring in a combat at barriers to the honor of mars : in the mean time they offered sacrifices on the other side to the same god , with supplications , that he would imploy his credit with venus for the returne of peleus , and for mollifying the heart of thetis ; at this same time the statue of mars having spoken and foretold all good auguries , the knights quit their armes and dance . the seventh entry . a combat at barriers by the knights of thessaly . the count of saint aignan chiefe of the defendants . defendants young beaufort , san maury , desens , derville . m. beaufort chiefe of the appellants . appellants gamard , clinchant , ourdanlt , de hallus . for the count sant aignan representing a thessalian knight . attend me lawrells , this combat 's made to gain the glory of those irons which hold me captive , therefore i must be more bold then any , and employ my trusty blade . what force can lance or sword against me then afford ? the third act . first scene . which represents the portall of thetis palace . peleus , chiron , a quire of chiron's academists . peleus being returned from caucasus , and living with chiron , doth resolve by his advises to present himselfe to thetis , and to make his addresse to her with amorous patheticall prayers , which he might do the more confidently by reason of jupiter's declaration , wherein hee resolved not to think any more on her ; the disciples of the said chiron , the inventor and master of many differing professions frame a dance to expresse the joy they conceived for the return of peleus . the eight entry . chiron making his academy to dance for the entertainment of peleus . mounsieur hesselin master of chirons academists . the academists habited like indians . the king , the lords saintot , bon● emps , and cabou , the lords mollier , bruneau , langlois , beaucham , le vacher , baptiste , d'olvet , and de lorges . chiron the centaure who was to be represented by mounsieur hesselin . be not my friends at all astonished to see a man onely for back and head , he happy is who is a beast backward , and not above the brest . i find no incommodity that i am such a prodigy , half a man somtimes may need half a horse for better speed . when i have moraliz'd by sense , ( within my cell ) neat and distinct unto the stable , i withdraw me thence , from reason taking pleasure in instinct . the master of the academy represented by master hesselin . if that my pride appear , i reason have , for i instruct all gallant men and brave , lucre makes me not mercenary , but i do teach all frank and free , if 'mong my schollers * one be pleas'd to pay , i can afford the rest a good long day . for the king representing an academist . this young academist doth learn so well his part , that all the rest he doth excel ; his present ( and his future ) grandeur show all mortall his high vertues are below . this master piece to perfect , it seems that fortune with nature did cooperate . the bodies exercise is his delight against his own in many an eager fight ; he beaten hath the iron , and made them fly a fair presage of future victory he greater things prepares ; and spain shall find how dextrous he will prove in every kind . he cannot broke any should him exceed , whether he runnes , or leaps , or mounts the steed , in dancing neatly none surpasse him shall , the world admires him , only the ladies are wary , nor dare they what they thinke declare . the second scene thetis , peleus , a dumb quire of peleus courtiers , and the little maids of honor of thetis court . peleus doth all he can to gain the good grace of thetis , but she continues still in the same rigor , and as proteus daughter , takes advantage of the priviledge of her birth to deceive peleus by various shapes , yet he faints not in the pursuit , but begins to adde boldnesse to affection : at last thetis transformes her selfe to a rock , which peleus embraceth , and protesteth to perish rather then forsake her ; at this last proof of constancy and love , thetis yeelds , and accepts him for her husband ; hereupon all peleus court falls into an excesss of gladnesse , which makes the courtiers to fall a dancing . the ninth entry . courtiers . the duke of candale , the marquis of villequier , and of genlis the count . for the king who should have represented a courtier . this youthfull courtier hath so high a look , as if for some great king himselfe he took , he 's forward , bold , and cannot be alone , nothing doth please him more then to come on : he sure will something do : the charge we see he hath is honourable , and for his age very considerable , some lofty spirits would be glad with lesse , but he doth farre more glorious things professe , sure he will something do . he ordinary titles doth excell , he would do better , though he now doth well , had he no processe with a neerally , which yet doth set an edge on majesty , sure he will something do the duke of candale , representing a courtier . the court would not so splendid be and brave , were i not there , nor halfe that lustre have : we are the ' ffects of one another , we laugh , and play and sport together , the courtier may do fortune a good turne as well as she to him — the marquis of villequier , representing another courtier . fortune and love are two odd things , the one is blinde , to'ther hath wings , it is a tedious task and doubtfull gain the true good-will of either to obtain ; for me , i like the lover , who doth go by way of storming , and ends quickly so . i will not knock too long at one hearts dore , lest in the mean time i lose hundreds more . the marquis of genlis representing a courtier also . in the court a number te●ds to divers projects , divers ends , all opposed to one another , the sisters oft do cross the brother , touching my selfe , i hope to expedit my businesse by my charming face and witt . the last scene . thetis , peleus , a quier of all the deities , prometheus , a dumb quier of loves , hercules , hymen , juno , dumb personag●s , a so a dumb quier of the liberall and mechanick arts , a celestiall harmony . thetis and peleus appear , being seated upon a high throne , whereof the upper part changeth to a prospective of the firmament where the loves are seated ; and the other part of the scene formeth it selfe into a cloud , athwart whereof all the dieties do glitter , being invited to the marriage : hercules brings with him prometheus freed by jupiters order ; in the mean time , juno and hymen accompanyed by the intelligences that compose the celestiall harmony , descending in a great engine , all which being joyned to the liberall and mechanick arts , which were the invention of prometheus who conducted them thither , a great dance is formed on earth below , while the little loves make another in the heavens above at the same time . the last entry . the liberall arts . madam de brancas , madamoiselle de mancini , madamoiselle de mortsmart , madamoiselle de la riviere bonnevill , madamoiselle de fovilloux , madomoiselle destree , madamoiselle de la loupe . madam brancas represents geometry . i trace the earth all over by account , as farre as pindus or parnassus mount ; i corinth view , where every one cannot arrive , 't is i alone who can by land-skips , mapps , and instruments , measure all regions , and their vast extents . madamoiselle mancini , representing musique . in me a comely spritfull grace , makes vnisons throughout my face : a charming harmony moves betwixt lips and eye : sometimes i melt , bring sadnesses and smarts , which shews i am not welcome to all hearts . madamoiselle de mortmart , representing logique . my youth , my hue , my eyes do prove , the strongest reason in the school of love is beauty , 't will convince the most austere , and make a fool of a philosopher : i pray let this serve for an argument , i merit on parnassus hill a tent . madamoiselle d' estre , representing astronomy . my mind is not so mussled 'mong the clouds , but i can know the causes which by crouds puzzle us here below ; the starres when i was born , did smile at my nativity , the heavens did powre their graces in such store , that ever since it makes me them adore . madamoiselle delle rivere bonnevill represents grammar . though young and innocent , i have some fitts of the green sicknesse , yet i well may sit among these sisters , to my a. b. c. ther 's not an art but 't is an obligee : the ground-work i do lay , cut out , and trace , therefore on phocis hill let me have place . madam de fovilloux representing rhetorick . i usefull am at court , hearts will not yield i snatch away , and so do winne the field , i conquer with my tongue which i do file , when i a charming beauty would beguile . madamoiselle de la loupe representing arithmetick . my youthfull charms make many hearts with grones , and sighes , and sobs to smart beyond computing , yet could i to number them my selfe apply , but that thereof i make a smal account , they to so many cyphers do amount . madam de commenge representing iuno . having immortall beauty in my face , where roses bloom , and lillies still have place , what reason is there i should jealous be ? poor mortalls be not so deceiv'd in me ; i jealousie do scorn with foul disdain , i 'le neither give nor take it , 't is a grain of cursed , seed that naturally doth bear a dry black leaf , which will the heart strings teare . hymen represented by the duke of ioyeuse . i am as serious , as cupid is a sot , i turn his flames to vertue every jot , madam de puy knowes well no blonden is so frequent with chast maids though full of wish . the duke damville representing hercules . in the behalf of love whose pleasing bait , have done me such good offices and bad , i must begin my labours , and go clad on venus shrine , and altars for to wait ; i find my veines and passions all as hot my heart as vigorous as 't was at first , ther 's nothing in me that 's decay'd a jot , for glory also i ne're more did thirst : only my feet are not so quick , as when i deceive did my host , and may agen . the mechanique arts . the king represents represents warre , the count st. aignan represents agriculture , de verpre represents navigation , de lorges represents hunting , le vacher represents a goldsmith , beauchamp represents a painter , d' olivet represents chirurgery . the king representing warre . peace , sure thou 'lt come at last so much desir'd , who hast to heaven thy self so long retir'd and we must be thankfull to warre for thee . behold she comes , and she to me is sent to make me have a timely sentiment of europes dolefull case , lo , she doth bring lawrels & palms , fit presents for a king . ye charming femals , from your eyes it is , that warrs and tumults rise you dart the thunderbolts of strife , you have your trumpets , drum and fife , venus we know is mars his wife . the count saint aignan represents agriculture or husbandry . by toyling much both night and day in mars his field , & venus dales , i glory have obtain'd , they say , having still propitious gales ; i have got laurells , but the bloom is pass'd , the fruit is not yet come . a quire of loves . the duke of anjou the kings brother , the count of guiche , the marquis of villeroy , the little count of saint aignan , little rassent page of the chamber , laleu , donart and aubry . for mounsieur , representing the first love . ladies , from this tender spray there may some danger come one day , ye with caresses flatter him , he you , ye kiss , & hugg him , but you 'l find it true , it is a lions cubb which you do stroke , who with his paw in time may make you smoke ; he sports with you , he smiles and mocks , playes with your jewells , fancies , locks , but take yee heed , for he at length will gather more encrease of strength ; yet , i foresee he will wean quite himself from all such soft delight ; and marching in the steps of his great sires make glory the sole queen of his desires . the count of guyche representing another love . all those loves i do behold brighter then the burnish'd gold , are nothing if compar'd with me , whether fire , or light they be , i do discover in effect i am all love , when i reflect upon my self — the marquis of villeroy representing another love . i peep to hear what lovers say , when they whisper sport or play ; and sometimes lay traps in their way . for the little count of saint aignan representing another love . if hee be as discreet as is his mother , he will neglect the love of any other , but if the father he be like unto , he mistresses will have & beauties wooe . for litle rassent representing another love . our talents are diversified , each one hath his perfections aside ; for me , till i have wings , 't is meet i fence my self with feet . finis . the nuptials of peleus and thetis . a new italian comedy , whence the preceding mask was extracted ; made english by a nearer adherence to the original , then to the french translation . — non seria semper . london . printed for henry herringman , at the anchor . the prologue . apollo and the muses upon the pierian mount ; quires of water-nymphs upon the banks of epidano and onochono , rivers of thessaly . the nymphs to apollo . o living treasure of the glorious sky , who by thy piercing all surveying eye dost in thy golden armor conquer night , and so in triumph usher'st in the light : among the glittering stars thou dost not shine with greater lustre , then amongst the nine aonian sisters ▪ o descend and daign , great god , ( leaving a while olympian raign ) to feast with us : a joyful augury vouchsafe to peleus passions , whose pure brest may justly merit hymen for his guest . to the eternal lawes of love , the highest gods and saints above are subject : monarchies and scepters yield ▪ to love , and crown him victor in the field : act i. scene i. chiron , peleus , a quire of dumb magicians . chiron . why do you thus your self torment ? peleus . chiron , how shall i find content ? chiron . pursue your hopes , and onward go ▪ peleus . is 't possible i should do so ? when on my heart a beauty lies that is descended from the skies ; a beauty that 's all moving and immense , that hath o're me such an omnipotence ? moreover , i two rivals have , no less then gods , who me outbrave for neptune with his trident , and great jove are my competitors for thetis love . chiron . peleus , why do you thus your self torment ? peleus . chiron , where is it i should find content ? chiron . then follow your fair hopes , and onward go . peleus . how is it possible i should do so ? chiron . listen to me , gray hairs do but in vain attempt young beauties , they will them disdain though they be gods : neptune is rich in yeers as well as treasure , thetis will him jeer . for jove , besides his age , his rapes and wiles , how he so many ladies did beguile will make her shun him : but if you desire to compass your designes , and quench your fire , behold those magies that with charmed flight will guide you safely to prometheus sight , who being bold and wise , is th'only man who in this enterprise you pleasure can : he is no friend to jove , who him torments with such eternal pangs , therefore he will , to help you , exercise his utmost skil . wherefore take my advice , and hence away to india , through the air cut out your way . delay is alwayes dangerous to lovers , he ne're obtain'd his ends who hums and hovers . peleus . this aiery journey i will undertake , but though herein fortune my friend i make yet are my hopes but smal , i have a hint , that thetis's cruel , and her heart is flint . chiron . when modest beauties to excuses fall , you must not presently it rigor call . the heart oft-times desires what lips deny , for a huge distance doth betwixt them lye . peleus . could it unto my love-sick thoughts appear that what you say hereto is true and clear , those pangs i suffer in my brest would turn to case , delight and rest . but fall what will my fate portends . i still will glory in my ends , which an unmeasurable joy distils , and my so high-swoln heart with comfort fils . chiron , peleus . let a true lover never lose his hope or courage when he wooes : the more his suff'rance is , the more sweetness is kept for him in store . in cupids gentle kingdom nothing is impossible , but one may gain his wish . chiron . go on then happily , for who doth know but that your constancy may tell you so ? peleus . on , on , then to my magies i will go . the second scene . thetis , neptune , a quire of tritons , and meremaids , with a quire of corral-fishers . the quire of tritons and meremaids . at such a splendid glorious show , what heart but would turn fire and tow ? a pomp so rare , a sight so fair , is able to perfume the air : nor morn nor sun did ever view so bright and ravishing a hue . at such a splendid glorious show , what heart but would turn fire and tow ? neptune . there is no fence i find , love will invade my mind . in these moist fields my rivers run in vain , to quench my fire , or tepifie my pain ; though i in midst of waters lye , yet do i melt , dissolve and fry ; but thetis , you at last will find it true , to be more fool unto your self , then you are cruel unto me . will you refuse the richest of the gods , him who doth use to give those gems that beauties do adorn , thence , where the queen of love her self was born ? thetis . aurora commonly doth rise cheerful and smiling to our eyes but suddenly we oftentimes do see , she fals a weeping upon flower and tree . if you desire the cause i should unfold , it is because her * consort is so old . neptune . thetis , be not deceiv'd , though i be gray , my waters still are green , and so they may be wholsomer then springs , which by and by pon the least drowth grow shallower and dry . youth is unstable , heady , rash ; but age is constant , cautious , provident , and sage . thetis . i do confess , that you discourse , and reason like a quaint amorist , although the season of love in you be past . it was for love the heavens made youth , for which the gods above have journeyed down to earth ; no other age is fit a female beauty to engage . neptune . perfidious thing , i plainly now do find , thou art unto another more inclin'd . come winds and tempests , and with my lament your blasts unite ; come , come incontinent , let hispid blust'ring boreas from the north , bring all the haracanes and whirlwinds forth , blow off , and banish from my kingdom quite this impious girle so full of hate and spite . revenge the quarrel of your king , and with your vengeance justice bring : shall she in my dominions dwel , who hath inflam'd my heart with fire from hel ? chorus . ingrateful , rash , and foolish nymph , canst thou slight thus the greatest of the gods below ▪ the grief will be thine own when thou art wiser growne . neglected amorists may learn from hence , against blind cupids arrowes a true fence ▪ disdain of beauty a revenge may be , though not of love th'expected remedy : the third scene . thetis , juno , jupiter , a quire of the furies of jealousie : thetis now that the fury of the wind hath left so sweet a calm behind : now that the storm is gone , i pray let me alone to vent unto my self my moan . oh me , i find that ambushes are laid . to take me and entrap poor silly maid : what will become of thee my heart ? th'art like to suffer many a smart . oh me , oh me , poor heart what will become of thee ? thy chastity love studies to surprize . he 's sly and cunning , though not alwayes wise ; he armour hath of every sort for to assault a female fort : he prayes , complains , and pines , he menaceth and whines now , if another god should joyn with him , who can me then essoyn ? oh me , oh me , poor heart what will become of thee ? jupiter . what can blest heaven me avail , if still of my desire i fail ? celestial joies , if they to sorrow turne , far worse then all tartarean tortures burn ▪ o thetis , thou alone hast made me quit my throne , thou giv'st him law , who gods doth aw● it is my destiny and luck , by thee for to be deadly struck ; and that which is the greatest wonder , thy beauti 's stronger then my thunder . but come , o come , my fair , increase my blisse , and let 's cohabit both in pardise . thetis . o no , not so . jupiter . come and be partner of my throne which hymen offers thee alone ; that empire love hath thee design'd , come , come my fair , be not unkind . thetis . o no , not so ▪ the heavens forbid i should be said , ( poor innocent and silly maid ) ▪ for to be such a rebel as to wrong her * bed who train'd me all along from my first cradle : i had rather dy a thousand deaths , and scorch in tartary . jupiter . if you will use such slight apologies , to him who can command both lair and skies ; to cleer your error , and my pain asswage , i must use force , my dear , but far from rage . cloud , gently take her up . thetis . oh me . jupiter . what ails my soul ? thetis . aime , who helps me ? jupiter . what mortal creature 's hee can thee reprize from me ? juno . disloyal jove , is it my hapless fate thou should'st so oft thy faith thus violate ? but since in heaven no justice can be found , or piety among the stars , the ground shall ope , and styx shall belch forth furies fell : come then appear , ye gastly dames of hell ; and help to vindicate the justness of my fate . jupiter . farewel my thetis , so enchanting bright , but know i do not thee abandon quite . thetis to juno . great goddesse , i no pardon crave of thee , but pity ; though infortunate i be , yet i am guiltless , and from foulnesse free . juno . such hazzards to escape is no offence , much less misfortune or incontinence . thetis and juno . sweet gratitude doth alwayes rest in a' well born gentle brest : the gods desire no more for those blessings in such store , which on us mortals ev'ry hour they in silver showres do pour . act ii. scene i. peleus , promethus , a quire of dumb men , and savage women . peleus . infortunate prometheus , how thine eternal torments are like mine ! prometheus . ah , who is he ▪ thus speaks to me ? peleus t is peleus king of thessaly , who may thy mate for torture be . prometheus i from the body of the sun stole fire e're scarce the world begun . peleus and i some fiery glances took from thetis all inchanting look . prometheus jove chastneth my temerity by this voracious * bird you see . peleus prometheus , it is jove the very same torments likewise with jealousie my flame . prometheus but yours one day may find allay . peleus but when , and how ? prometheus ah , ah , my torments grow . peleus o cruel pangs some truce and respit give , prometheus may with counsel me relieve . prometheus i have receiv'd advice from mercury , the * thunderer will thetis fly , and his ambition place ( as you shal prove ) before her beauty , or his flames of love ; to credit this you may be bold , for by the oracle it is foretold . peleus if it be true what issues from that vioce , my soul shal carols sing , my heart rejoice there never was so coy and cruel she , but only sought by one , may conquered be . prometheus go , go , return where thou didst leave thy heart , thou shalt find ease for thy corroding smart . in the vast sea of love who e're doth sail must lose no wind , and then he may prevail . peleus for this sweet counsel thou hast given me , may heaven , o prometheus , set thee free . prometheus the thunderer may be lesse cruel unto me . prometheus , peleus o dear , and solacing , sweet blissful hope , how comforting art thou to those who cope with rigid beauties ? thou dost periods put to black despair ; the gods did justly shut thee out of hell ; thy breath though ne're so small would ease the damned souls in pluto's hall . peleus to the savages and you my faithful guides unto this place , enjoy the comforts also i embrace ; be all partakers of my hopes , and share some of my joyes , which past expressions are . the second scene . jupiter , mercury , a quire of dumb dryads , or woo'd nymphs . jupiter well , what did the oracle at delphos say touching my love to thetis , tell me , pray . mercury apollo from the tripod did pronounce , the * son of thetis ( all will see ) shall greater then his father be . jupiter how can that be ? unless the fates renew in me my * sire's example , and make 't true . mercury that which prometheus told me also is no less infallible and true then this . jupiter then i do find that it doth me behove to leave commanding heaven , or not to love . mercury which do you most desire , to serve or domineer ? jupiter i hold love's golden fetter , then any empire better , the one doth thousand sweets instil , th'other the brain with cumbers fill . mercury permit me , mighty jove , to tell you 't is folly of a mortal still to wish , under the vail of good , to meet the bad , which goes in vertues habit often clad . but you which o're the spheers do sway , and such coruscant beams display ; can you be so transported , as endure that a blind lying boy should you allure , who will vapour every where , that he did fetter jupiter . thetis , suppose , an idle wench should prove : have you not goddesses enough above ? if you olympus loose , where will you find throughout the world a kingdom of that kind ? jupiter in your discourse you go so strongly on that makes me half of your opinion . mercury nor can you any true content obtain whilst you are compast with a double pain . juno pursues you with her furies here , and thetis may perhaps flye from you there ; the one is doubtful , th'other is jealous still , both may confederate to crosse your will . jupiter 't is true , that juno me pursues , and raiseth furies by whole crews . mercury she every where doth stir and wheel about , she doth disturb all heaven to find you out . jupiter then mercury , go and proclaime from pole to pole that i disclaim thetis , and will no more my honour maim . go speedily . mercury jove , i wil fly . jove fair wood nymphs let this day be festival that i my wonted freedom did recal , which impious fate and beauty did conspire to captivate with false and fatuous fire . fair wood nymphs let this day by all be kept hereafter festival . the third scene . a quire of priests , a dumb quire of cavaliers at barriers . the quire of priests . great god of war , the prop , defence and stay of empires , intercede that peleus may ( by favor of that * goddesse whom alone thou do'st adore , and art to serve so prone ) return to sway again fair thessaly : behold that amourous warrier with mild eye . and you brave champions propitious make our vowes and altars ; let the welkin quake with the high clashings of your barriers . peleus at his return will pay you your arrears . one of the priests . but stay a little , stay , our oracle will something say . the oracle at last the king of thessaly shall home return with mirth and glee . the quire of priests o newes more rare then indian pearle , and sweeter far then that hyblean juice the attic bee stov'd in her cell for joves nativity ; and will king peleus come agen ? then thessaly shall swarm with men . o newes more rare then indian pearle , and richer far . act iii. scene i. peleus , chiron , a dumb quire of chirons , academists , or disciples . peleus . for him who parts from his delight time makes too quick and rapid flight , but who is travelling to see his love , each moment unto him an age doth prove . hope still with doubts , fruition with fear is commonly attended every where . chiron . i with my companions here did think to find you full of cheer . now that you are a champion o're the gods , of whom for faith and love you have such odds ; why do you thus afflict your self with pain ? faint heart did ne're a ladies favour gain . chiron . sometimes my spirits are alert and high , then they begin to languish presently ; because i fear that thetis heart may marble prove ; hence comes my smart . chiron . you are deceiv'd ; when thetis knowledg had you left fair greece , and undertook so bad and hazardous a journey to find ease , the fury of your passion to appease ; she with a pitying paleness then was struck , and sighing said , the stars send him good luck . go , lay close siege , and let her see you are resolv'd for battery . the female who believes she's truly lov'd , need not by too long prayers to be mov'd . peleus . your counsel 's good : now with alacrity i will both love and fortune try ; and of the business you shall quickly see i 'l make a shaft or bolt . but where is she ? chiron . i 'l go in quest of her . in the mean time let my disciples dance , we will be fortunate in spite of chance : the second scene . thetis , peleus , a quire of peleus courtiers . thetis love , if you will enter like a friend , lay down your armes , let peace attend your purposes , and so you may be welcome , and so win the day . if boisterously you me assault , come not neer me , but make a halt : be sure not to torment my heart , or with your passions make it smart . peleus . o thetis , you desire to shun that which your self to me have done . thetis ohime . peleus . my dear , what do you fear ? thetis ohime , when you were far from hence love did do much for you ; but now you are so neer , i fear with violence he will assault me with his bow . i pray retire . peleus . will you with such a heart of flint and steel convert those pleasing passions which i feel to pangs ? shall he still languish with tears , with doubtfulness and anguish , who loves your eyes more then the stars or skies ? thetis these words an amorous pleasure do instil into my brest , my thoughts with fancies swill ; fool that i am , i who have made a vow to any love enchantments ne're to bow ; i who two gods for marriage did refuse , shall i yeild now and love-sick grow ? i pray retire . peleus . from those fair eyes i will not part , who have infus'd into my heart grief , and content , with constancy ; all trophies of your chastity , and of my faith : where ere you go i will adore your shadow too and fro . thetis to her self 'gainst such a charming violence if i can find no guard or fence , i 'l have recourse for quenching of this fire unto the arts of proteus my great sire . peleus will then desist , unless he fall in love with lions , monsters , rocks and all . peleus . dear , what 's that you whisper ? thetis may your laments find their contents . peleus oh pleasing accents ! thetis . but peleus now i wil you disabuse , they are fain'd fancies which you thus amuse when you made me the object of your mind you took me for a nymph , but you shall find i am a ravenous lion , a hard rock , a monster that wears clouds in lieu of smock . peleus . my sweetest friend , what do you now intend ? thetis . i 'l wrap my self within that cloud : peleus do not do so , for i shall cry aloud . o heaven bless me , what do i see ! can such a beauteous creature turn to be a beast of such immane ferocity ? you cannot fright me , or make an escape , my thetis i 'l pursue in any shape . what do i see ? this shape becomes you well , and shewes that you are cruel , fierce and fell . but all this cunning will not serve your turn , the more you horrid are , the more i burn . a sacrifice of sighes and groans i 'l offer though you change to stones . dear , take your shape again , and ease me of this pungent pain . thetis . o god , the more i monstrous make my self in show , the more my spirits melt , and gentle grow . i am almost in love . peleus almost ! that word my panting brest doth pierce , and shewes you still are cruel , fell and fierce , in lieu of solacing my love-swoln mind , it leaves a double agony behind , ohime , what lions , monsters thus oppose my vertuous love , and make themselvs my foes ? thetis to her self . i know not where to turne , my spirits are in such a strange confusion , yet i dare not say i love as yet ; my hot desire i will suppress and quench this raging fire . the tongue shall give my heart the ly ; i 'l make no haste , though i must yeild at last , there is no remedy . peleus dear thetis , cast on him a pitying eye , whose brest for thee with candent coles doth fry . thetis to her self . distracted soul , 't is too too true , i must bid now virginity adieu . but sure my lips and faltring tongue doth err , oh did my heart do so ; i must prefer the heart before the tongue , because the last ▪ less noble is ; i' th heart dame nature plac'd the pure arterial and illustrious blood ; i fear that i am too well understood . by peleus . ohime , by soft degrees i find that cunning little god , though blind , doth make his way into my brest , maugre my self , i must make him my guest . yet i must try once more this boy to mock , and turn my self into a senseless rock : peleus have i again lost thetis ? is she gone ? must i to stones and rocks make now my moan ? o precious cristal rock , thou now dost hold a gem more rich then diamond or gold ; i fear that at the foot of this hard rock my hope will shipwrack by a fatal shock . but for strong water made of mercury , i 'l try with tears this rock to mollifie . my heat is such , 't will me to ashes turn , then will i make this precious rock my urne . the rock vanisheth ▪ whereupon thetis resumes her shape and speaks . love , lo , i yield , i can no more resist thy all subduing power , or persist in my first purposes , thy dart hath split in two my tender heart . who have no hearts at all are only fit to cope with thee , and fence away thy hit . lo peleus i am thine . peleus in a kind of rapture . hold heart , do not too wide thy self dilate , lest by excess of joy i draw my fate too soon upon me , and so dye ere i make use of victory . and you my faithful followers rejoice , and cleave the air with your triumphing voice : you have been sharers of my misery , now you shall share of my prosperity . the last scene . thetis , peleus , prometheus , a quire of deities , * hercules , juno , hymen , with the liberal and servile arts . thetis and peleus now our desires do flame with equal fires . and there doth nothing want but constancy , for to complete both our felicity . peleus . thetis , thou art my chiefest good . thetis and you my heart and precious bloud . thetis and peleus behold the gods are come to be our guests , and learn of us what it is to be blest . prometheus peleus , we now are both from tortures free ; you hymen help'd , and hercules help'd mee . and to oblige us further , they are here to mingle joy with us , and make good cheer . the quire of deities to them who languish in pain and anguish , love gives at last a sweet repast . thetis , peleus , prometheus just heaven ne're fails , and powers above to recompence a vertuous constant love ; grief , cares , and pain turn all at last to gain . by this we find adversity to be the surest road to true felicity . finis . machine-generated and other supplemental data notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- * [ king . ] notes for div a e- * titan . * juno . a cloud appears . juno with the help of the fishers and furies redeem her notes for div a e- * a vultur preying upon his heart which still renewes . * jove . * achilles . * saturn thrust out of 〈◊〉 by jupiter his son . * venus . notes for div a e- a cloud appears , wherein thetis enters . the cloud vanishes and thetis turns her self into a lion she transforms her self into a monster . thetis resumes her self . thetis doth metamorphose her self into a rock . he embraceth the rock , and weeps upon it . the courtiers ▪ sing . * who had freed prometheus . known defects for a .xml defect summary missing or defective tokens duplicate missing known defects on page a - -a untranscribed duplicate on page -a, word known defects on page a - -b untranscribed duplicate on page -b, word known defects on page a - -a incomplete or missing word on page -a, word : bon● known defects on page a - -b incomplete or missing word on page -b, word : te●ds known defects on page a - -a incomplete or missing word on page -a, word : personag●s known defects on page a - -a incomplete or missing word on page -a, word : aw● parthenopoeia, or, the history of the most noble and renowned kingdom of naples with the dominions therunto annexed and the lives of all their kings : the first part / by that famous antiquary scipio mazzella ; made english by mr. samson lennard ... ; the second part compil'd by james howell, esq., who, besides som [sic] supplements to the first part, drawes on the threed [sic] of the story to these present times, ; illustrated with the figures of the kings and arms of all the provinces. descrittione del regno di napoli. english mazzella, scipione. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing m estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) parthenopoeia, or, the history of the most noble and renowned kingdom of naples with the dominions therunto annexed and the lives of all their kings : the first part / by that famous antiquary scipio mazzella ; made english by mr. samson lennard ... ; the second part compil'd by james howell, esq., who, besides som [sic] supplements to the first part, drawes on the threed [sic] of the story to these present times, ; illustrated with the figures of the kings and arms of all the provinces. descrittione del regno di napoli. english mazzella, scipione. lennard, samson, d. . howell, james, ?- . [ ], , , [ ] p. : ports., coats of arms printed for humphrey moseley, and are to be sold at his shop ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. includes index. "a catalogue of mr. howells works in several volumes": [ ] p. at end. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create 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were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng heraldry -- italy -- naples. naples (kingdom) -- history. naples (kingdom) -- kings and rulers. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion parthenopoeia , or the history of the most noble and renowned kingdom of naples , with the dominions therunto annexed , and the lives of all their kings . the first part by that famous antiquary scipio mazzella , made english by mr. samson lennard , herald of armes . the second part compil'd by iames howell esq who , besides som supplements to the first part , drawes on the threed of the story to these present times , . illustrated with the figures of the kings , and the arms of all the provinces . — vidi sub rupe micantem parthenopem egregiam — london , printed for humphrey moseley , and are to be sold at his shop at the princes armes in s. pauls church-yard , . and as we read of one of her princes , alphonso duke of calabria , came and obtaind of henry the eight ( your progenitor ) to be made knight of the english order of saint george , that thereby he might have protection from him , being soveraign of the order , against charls the th . of france ( as the laws of the garter tyed henry unto ) so she comes to install herself in your lordships favor , to be protected and sheltred against any blasts of obloquy that may chance blow upon her in this more bleak and colder clime . lastly , she coms with commission to inform the world , how much ( for such frequent noble favors ) i am london calendis maij . my most highly honored lord , your obedient and truly devoted servitor , iam : howell . to the reader . when rome shrunk into a pigmies skin from that gigantic stature she was once of , ( in those dayes when the tyber did out-swell the ocean ) naples may be sayd to have stuck closest to her of any , and continues so still ; for to this day she ownes her for her mistress , and lady paramount , in recognition wherof the spanish king payes her a heriot , with a rent of seven thousand duckets every saint peters eve , till which be done he lyeth under the curse of the church which is quickly on and off . now the kingdom of naples being so delicat a peece of the europaean continent , and having had such vicissitudes , and various turns of fortune , may well deserve for those two respects , to have a chronicle of it self in one entire peece , which was not done yet under this meridian . touching first , all do acknowledg that for delicacy of all things , either for common use , pleasure , or wonderment , naples may be call'd natures darling , who seems to study how to make her self admir'd in divers places ; ceres and the god of wine strive there for mastery ; she abounds with silks , oyles , fruits , flowers , roots , fowl , fish , and flesh , with an incomparable race of horses , as also with such a choice of fragrant wines , that she may be call'd bacchus his inner cellar : it is also the country where manna is gather'd , and she hath the best medicinall baths that the earth affords . now this rare fertility may be impted , not so much to the heat of the air , as to the sulphureous quality and heat of her soyl also , which though it be over-violent in som places , causing incendiums and earthquakes , ( the one if the irruption of the fire be deep , the other if it be neer the superficies ) yet this fire dilating it self up and down through her bowels , it makes the womb of the earth more prolificall . touching the territories annexed to her dominions , som of them as apul●a may contend with her for fecundity , but others not ▪ specially calabria which compard to naples may be sayd to be a course list at the side of a peece of fine scarlet . now , for the inhabitants ( wheron the second reason depends ) they may be sayd to have much of vertue and no less of vice , and were they cast into a balance one could hardly discern which scale wold be traboccant and over-poising ; they are magnificent both in houses and habit , they are free and full of complement , yet though the hall be commonly open , the closet is shut , though the face be unclouded ( viso sciolto ) and free , yet the heart is close and reservd : the same may be sayd of the mouth and the hand , when the first open's widest the other is closest shut ; they are in their method of devotion , pious and charitable , their stately temples , and monasteries demonstrat the one , and their lazarettos , or houses for the poor do verify the other , specially that of monte de pietà , an hospital of . duckets of yeerly revenue , whose officers upon som festivals go in gowns of white sattin . now , for the mass of ordinary peeple , as there is a common saying of england , inghilterra buona terra , mala gente , england is a good country , but the people are bad ; so there is a worse saying of the napolitan , that it is vn paradiso piantato da diavoli , it is a paradis peepled by devils ; indeed the napolitan according to the quality of the soyl is of a fiery boyling nature , which makes the spaniard ride him with a bitt and a martingall , he hath as many whirlwinds in his brain and quicksands in his brest , as the french or any other nation ; witness else their sundry innovations , for naples had in two yeers no less then five kings of severall countries , insomuch that i have not read of any politicall instrument so often out of tune , having had forty popular revolutions in less then four hundred yeers , yet none that brought a ruine with it . touching this last revolution in the yeer . it was the violent'st of all , it was like a candle burning at both ends , the common peeple were all as mad as if they had bin bit by a worse thing then the 〈◊〉 : in which revolution there were so many prodigious things happend , that were they not recent , and don as it wer but t'other day they wold be held for meer romances ; for it requires a strong faith to beleive that in so well a policed christian citty , so replenishd with nobility , gentry , and gown-men of all professions as naples is known to be , there shold be such horrid barbarismes committed ; that this tumult from a small spark shold com to be so huge a fire , from a little source shold com to be such a rapid torrent , that from a weak blast it shold so suddenly com to such an impetuous whirlwind , that it shold begin with a score of boyes , pursued and ended with so many thousands of men ; that a young barefooted tatterdemalian retaylor of fish , shaking off his blew wascot and red greasy bonnet , shold so suddenly com to have such an ascendent upon the spirits of the peeple , as within three or four dayes to govern naples in chief , and being clad in cloath of silver to ride so triumphantly with naked sword in hand ( and his brother as despicable a thing as he in cloath of gold ) attended with an army of fifty thousand men , and so march up to the castle where the vice-roy kept his court , where he forc'd him to grant whatsoever he proposed ; that in so short a tract of time he shold mount to such a despoticall , or rather imperiall power for nine dayes together , as to give the law to nobility , gentry , and comminalty , that his single warrant shold have authority enough to chop off any mans head , to plunder and burn any palace , wherof there were above sixty that became sacrifices to vulcan by the fury of the peeple , which was more raging then the flames of the fire ; insomuch that it may well be sayd the napolitan courser never foam'd so much at the mouth before : 't is true he was galld with gabels , which found way from the roots under ground to the tops of trees upon all sorts of fruits ; masanello got all those gabels and taxes to be utterly damn'd , with all other that were impos'd upon the citty of naples , and other places above a hundred years before ; which being done the fickleness as well of fortune as of the common peeple , was never more confirm'd then in the handling of this man , for having lorded it and signoriz'd in naples more then ever the great turk did in constantinople for nine daies ( for he prov'd but a nine dayes wonder ) the tenth day he was slain by the same peeple that rais'd him , his body was dragg'd up and down the streets and hurl'd into a ditch , his head chop'd off and put upon a pole , which yet the same peeple took out the next day , and washing it clean , they sow'd the head to it again , and perfuming both , they carried him in a solemn procession up and down the citty , with thousands of torches and so buried him in the honorablest way that could be in the great cathedrall church . now in this prodigious revolution ther wer many things of extraordinary remark that are considerable ; first , it was prophesied by the fiery mountain vesuvius hard by , and by rutilio bennicasa an astrologer ; vesuvius gave warning of it som yeers before , for the great vorago or fiery gulph , of about a mile and a half circuit which rageth in the head of that mountain , did belch forth greater flakes of fire then ordinary , the ashes wherof fell thick on the streets of naples , and besides caus'd such an earthquake , that the vice-roy thought it safer to ly som nights in the fields at the sign of the moon , then in his castle : now these unusuall motions and expectorations of fire in vesuvius or mount summa , hath bin alwayes held a presage of som popular insurrection ; besides , as these propheticall effects surpass any humane brain , so did the naturall causes of those horrid vesuvian fires transcend the capacity of pliny , who in searching the causes therof was stifled by the smoak , as aristotle , another of natures secretaries , was swallow'd by the sea as he was diving into the causes of the ebbs and tides therof . touching bennicasa's prediction , his book is extant wherin he punctually fore-tels that ther shold be a horrible popular sollevation in the year . now , this number seven had much to do with this tumult , for it happend in the seventh month of the yeer , on the seventh day of the month , on the seventh hour of the day , in the seventeenth month of the duke of arco's government , masanello had seven secretaries , and as before , it happend in the year sixteen hundred forty seven . moreover it is remarkable how when this convulsion happend in naples , it diffus'd it self by a miraculous suddenness to the remotest parts of that long kingdom , as if it had bin done by intercourse of spirits , and the news therof transported by a supernaturall way ; insomuch that this commotion may be sayd to be like a great pond frozen over , where if the ice break in one place it will commonl● crack all over . another thing of remark is , that doctor m●iello the kings protophysitian in naples shold make such an operative figg for the fisher-man that shold so infatuat him , and by a strange kind of intoxication make him act orlando furioso . moreover it is remarkable , how before this , masanello having done the work for the peeple , was so modest that he threw away and toar his cloth of silver suit , and taking his fisher-mans habit again , sayed , that that profession was less troublesom unto him , as we read of the metemphycosist pythagoras , who sayd , that he did lead a merrier life when he was a frog , then when he was a philosopher : this of masanello's may be sayd to be such a metemphychosis , and as there is a trick by subtilty of art to blow up a small pill of past to the bignes of a canon bullet , so by the puff of popular air , masanello may be sayd to have swell'd to that hugeness . furthermore it is remarkable , that a shower of musket bullets shold be shot by the banditi at masanello , and none shold have power to penetrat his body . lastly , it is to be admir'd that in so few months after ( for the convulsion did not cease with masanello ) there shold be so perfect and bloody a civill war twixt naples and her own castles , wherin there happen'd above an hundred skirmiges , above . bullets were shot off from sea and castles , & above . from the citty . it is also worthy of admiration what reverence the peeple in the rough of their fury did alwaies bear to the arch-bishop of naples the common father of the citty , for had it not bin for him , the whole town in all probability had bin turn'd to a heap of ashes , which ( as a world of examples more might be produc'd ) may serve for a pregnant instance to prove , how avaylable to a state the reverence of the chief governors of the church is , for suppressing of uprores ; now , this reverence is to be supported by a stately gravity and large revenues accordingly , to oblige the peeple , and draw an aw from them by works of charity ; and where this revenue with other kind of gartuitie ▪ fayls ; farewell all reverence to the church . in the ensuing story the reader shall find all these passages related , as also an accurat view of the whole country ; he also shall be acquainted with their kings , amongst whom he shall meet with two more memorable then others ; which were charles the fift , and philip the second ; the first among various exploits he atchiev'd , both in europe , america , and afric , at last he invaded and conquer'd himself , in resigning by a free spontaneous act all his earthly power , possessions , and so many crowns to gain one the more easily in the other world , by making himself of a mighty monarch an obscure monk , that therby he might not only with more convenience study the theory of mortification , but put it in practise . the second is memorable for his close and abstruse method of government , for by his own hand-writings , and out of his privat closet in madrid ( where he alwaies mov'd as in his orb ) he communicated the beams of his power and commands to the old and new world , as far as the antipodes , like the sun , who though he never stir from the ecliptic , yet out of his luminous sphere doth use to disperse his rayes through the whole universe . to conclude this late motu● trepidationis in naples , as also that of sicily , with the utter revolt of portugal and commotions in catalonia , as also the loss of so many towns about flanders which were given in ransom for francis the french king , as likewise the rending away of the county of rossillon , hath given so shrewd a ●heck to the spanish monarchy , that she is still a branling ever since , having made her so thin of men at home , and mony abroad , and plung'd her in such a bottomless gulph of debt , that the whole revenue of naples which is above three millions per ann : is scarce able to pay the genoways , and other banks , their yeerly interest ; and the spanish monarchy is like to continue still in this shaking aguish posture while this fiery cardinal sits at the french helm moving upon the principles of his predecessor , who may be sayd to be two fatall ●ngins raisd up to unhi●ge the world. i. h. sen s●o , non segnesco . the chief ingredients that go to the composition of this historicall survey . i· the scituation of the citty of naples . ii. the names of the severall provinces , and the quality of the country . iii. the customes of the peeple , and the famous men naples hath producd . iv. an account of the revenues , imposts , donatives , and other perquisits of the crown . v. a history of the kings of naples with their titles and stile . vi. the names of the barons with their armes as also of the spirituall power vii . a discourse of the kingdom of jerusalem , and how it is appropriated to the kingdom of naples , &c. viii . an exact relation of the procedures of the spanish match with england , &c. ix . the revolt of catalonia . x. the revolt of portugal . xi . the severall pretentions of right and title to the crown of portugal . xii . the tumults of sicily . xiii . the three late horrid revolutions of naples . xiv . of the duke of ossuna vice-roy of naples , of his extravagancies and the strange articles exhibited against him. xv. the catastrophe of olivares the great spanish favorit , and the causes of his downfall . xvi . a true relation of the suspectfull death of don carlos prince of spain never yet so much discovered to the world. upon the citty of naples , first call'd parthenope , or the virgin-citty . salve parthenope , decora salve . parthenope , a citty bright as gold , or if the earth could bear a richer mold , is com to greet great britain queen of iles , and to exchange som silks for vvooll , she smiles to find that cloath shold wear and feel so fine as do her grograns , she doth half repine , that lemsters ore , and spires of fallow'd grass the leafs of mulberries shold so surpass which so abound in her , with every thing , which pleasure , vvealth , or vvonderment can bring that nature seems to strive whom she shold please herself , or vs , with rare varieties . there , her own bawd to be , she may be sayed , as if the vvanton with herself she played . let england then strow rushes all the way to welcom in the fair parthenopey ; for i dare say she never yet came o're in such a garb to visit any shore . i. h. a table of the most notable things that are contained in the first part of the history of naples . acerra , a city , and why so called acidola , a spring of an admirable nature adria , a city in apruzzo , now called atri alphonso the first of aragon king of naples alphonso the second , king of naples amalfia , a city . by whom it was built annibal the carthaginian falls in love in apulia or pugl●a apruzzo citra , the ninth province of the kingdom apruzzo ultra , the tenth province of the kingdom aquila , metropolitan city in apruzzo , . how many churches are in it , ib. nature and custom of the aquilans , ib. how many armed men it can set forth upon occasion ib. adriatick sea , why so called , and where it ends arms of terra di lavoro arechi , dukes of benevento arms which the province of principato citra carries in its colours arms of principality ultra arms of basilicata arms of calabria citra arms of calabria ultra arms of the land of otranto arms of the land of bari arms of apruzzo citra arms of apruzzo ultra arms of the county of molise arms of capitanata ascoli in apruzzo , restored to the church by queen giovanna asturno , a hill where the royal hunting is in the land of lavoro aversa , a city , by whom built , and famous men of it b basilicata , fourth province of the kingdom barletta , a famous town benevento , a city , by whom it was built how it came into the churches hands basignano , and other towns and cities in the province of calabria bitonto , a city in the land of bari boiavo , a city in capitanata borrello , and other towns in calabria ult . brutii , whence called , . brindisi , and by whom it was built , . body of st. nicholas in bari , . bodies of saints found in the province of bari , ib. body of s. thomas aquinas , . bounds of the land of apruzzo , . c calabria citra , the province of the kingdom , . calabria ultra , the province in the kingdom , . capitanata , the province , . why so called , ib. charls the of anjou , king of naples , . charls the . king of naples , . charls the of durazzo , king of naples , . charls the . king of naples , . charls the emperor , & king of naples , . catanzaro , chief city of calabria , . campania the happy , why so called , . castle of vovo , . casasana , a most delicious place , built by charls the second , . capua a city , . sackt and rebuilt , . casetta , a city , by whom it was built , . capre of partivento , . castle at mare volturno , . campo basso , a chief town in the county of molise , . cava , a city , and its beginning , . caliph king of egipt , friend to the amalphitans , . charles the great disguised to see the princess arrechi , . capa of palinuro and molpa , . calabria citra , a province , why so called , . calabria ultra , a province , . its fertility , ib. cardinal pascasius his soul , . cape of the pillars , . crickets and their properties , city of chie●i metropolitan of apruzzo , counts and dukes of puglia and calauria , . coronation of the kings of naples , . coast of amalfi , . cosenza , chief city of calabria , . cotrone , a city in calabria , . county of molise , province , . its bounds , and things whereof there is plenty , ibid. conradus the fourth emperor , and seventh king of naples , . cuma , a city , . custom of the sheep of puglia , and the revenues of it , . country-house of scipio and lelius , cicero his country-house , where the emperor adrian was buried , ▪ charls king of naples drives out the saracins d. discourse of the kings of ierusalem donatives given by the kingdom of naples to their kings court dukes of benevento , . dukedom of benevento usurped by the greeks , ibid. death of alexander king of the molossians , . e. effigies & lives of the kings of naples , euoli a famous town in the principality citra , . the noble families of the said town , . f. frederick the second emperour , and sixth king of naples , . ferrante the first of arragon , eighteenth king of naples , . ferrante the second , the one and twentieth king of naples , . frederick king of naples , . ferdinand the catholick king of naples , . flora and its riches , . fertility of the province of the prinpality citra , . fairs and noble families of salerno , . female become male , . fountains , rivers and lakes in the kingdom of naples , . fondi a city in the land of lavoro , . fens and marshes of the kingdom , . fishes bred in the sea belonging to the land of lavoro , . g. gaeta a citie and its gulf , . giovanna the first , twelfth queen of naples , . gelasius the second , the fifth pope . . giovanna the second , queen of naples , ▪ giovanna the third , queen of naples , giacomo sanazaro , . g●avina a citie , why so called , . gulfs and capes of the sea in the kingdom . . gulf of salerno , . gulf adriatick where it begins , . gulf of the famous citie of venice , ibid. great constable , . great admirall , ibid. great justice , . great chamberlain , . great protonotary , ibid. great chancellor , ibid. great steward , . h. henry , the sixth king of naples , hunting of swordfishes , . hills in the kingdom of naples , ● . how long the samnites warred against the romans , . i. island of capri , . ischia , ibid. islands of eolia , . ionick sea where it begins , . iohn of procida caused the sicilian vespers , . l. ladislaus fourteenth king of naples , . lakes of the said kingdom , . lewis the king of france , & king of naples , ● ▪ lake of celano , . lake of averno , : lanciano a citie in apuzzo , . land of lavoro its praises , . lewis king of italy , . land of otronto seventh province of the kingdom ▪ . land of lavoro why so called , . land of bari , eight province , . lives & portraitures of the kings of naples , . m. manfredi eighth king of naples , . massa a citie , . marigliano , . manna what it is , and how it is ingendred , . matera , a citie in the land of otronto . , . mines which are in the kingdom , . misenus , aeneas his trumpeter , ● . miracle of saint pantaleon his blood in ravello , . martian water brought to rome , . mines in calabria , . mine of bolearmonick in the said citie , . mines and bathes in the land of lavoro , . manner of writing used by the kings of naples to divers kings and princes , . mount st. angelo and its description , . mount of somma ▪ . mount casino , . destroyed by the saracens , . mount virgin a famous monastery , . mount of salt in the said province , . mount leone a place in calabria , . n. nature of the territory of the land of lavoro , . nature and qualities of the inhabitants , . naples faithfull to the romans , and its praises and arms , , . nisita an island why so called , . names of the viceroys of naples from the year . . nola a noble citie and its citizens , . of the cattell which had custom paid for them in the kingdom of naples in the year . . nucera , . o. origine and difference of the crowns of the noblemen of the kingdom of naples , . otho the sixth emperour seeketh to take away the body of st. bartholomew of benevento , . otranto a citie of the kingdom , . how far it is distant from greece , ibid. p. patria a lake , . , piacenza a citie , why destroyed by the romans , . principality citra , second province , . principality vltra , third province , and why so called , . procida , why so called , . philip the second , king of naples , . philip the third , king of naples , . physicians famous in salerno , . q. qvalities of the inhabitants of basilica●a , . qualities of the inhabitants of calabria , . qualities of the inhabitants of the land of otronto , . qualities of the inhabitants of the land of bari , . r. renato of anjou , king of naples , . reggio a citie of calabria , . revenues the crown of spain hath in the kingdom of naples , . rivers in the kingdom of naples , . rock of mondragone , . rhodes how it came into the hands of the knights of st. iohns order , . ruggiero first king of naples , . robert the . king of naples , robert guiseard duke of puglia , . s. saracens gain a great number of places in capitanata , . st. thomas aquinas , . st. german why so called , . st. paulino inventes of bells , . sanseverino , . salerno why so called , . saracins come over into calabria , . sarno , a river , . st. antony , abbot , of whence he was , . saint vito and his body within the demains and territory of evoli , . s. bartholomew apostle in benevento , . scituation of calabria in ancient times , . saint thomas apostle , and his body , where they are , . st. erasmus which appears to seafaring men , ibid. sessa a citie , and why so called , siccardo duke of benevento , . sea-compass , whose invention , . t. tancred fourth king of naples , . taranto a chief citie , . temple floriano , . temple of iuno in basilicata , . titles of dignity used by the kings of this kingdom , . tower of the grecian and of the annunciata , . totila king of the gothes , . troy of puglia , by whom built , . tremiti , anciently called the diomedean islands , . traietto , . tranie , a citie . v vlesti a destroyed citie , . volturnus a river , . vniversity of salerno by whom founded , w. wines and oyls made in the land of lavoro , . woods which are in the kingdom . a collection of the prime materials that go to the structure of the second part of the history of the kingdom of naples , with the additions to the first . a alphonso duke of calabria , made knight of the english garter in policy in epist. ded . a strange prediction of benincasa before the last tumults in naples , in proem . a rare observation in the number seven ib. the advantage which a due reverence to the church carrieth with it to a state , in proem . an abridgment of the expeditions and exploits of charls the fift fol. of don antonio of portugal of antonio perez . ib. a cross alliance betwixt france and spain , a relation of the marriage betwixt them at the confines ib. a letter from the last king of france to his new queen , with her answer a treaty of a match betwixt prince charls and the infanta of spain the arrival of the said prince in spain , and the circumstances ib. a high speech of olivares at the princes coming ib. another speech of gondamars an appearance of the infanta two daies after in publick , with a blew ribond about her arm that the prince might distinguish her ib. a censure of the english that came with the prince ib. a notable saying of archy ib. a high passion shewed by the prince to the infanta ib. a civil answer by the prince to the popes complement a discreet answer to another speech of the king of spain's the amorous parting of the king of spain and the prince ib. an inscription thereupon a rupture of the spanish match a libel against spain a pithy , but punctual relation of the late prodigious revolutions in naples , and how it was suppressed arettus jest , of the neapolitan b bacchus hath his inner-cellar in naples in proem . the battel of s. quinten on s. laurence's day the battering canons heard from calais to antwerp boccolini had his bones crushed by baggs of sand , whereof he died buckingham the breakneck of the spanish match buckingham , olivares , and bristol clash one with another ib. buckingham makes use of the parlament to break the match buckingham not beloved in spain by what reasons one may conclude the spaniard did really intend a match with england ib. bristol and ashton like to clash about a letter sent from the prince ib. the bold spirit of young don carlos , philip the second 's son exemplified buckinghams parting speech to olivares olivares his answer ib. olivares forced to part covertly from the court of spain betwixt two jesuits c the cause of the dedication of this work to the marquis of hartford , in epist. ceres and bacchus strive for mastery in naples in proem . comparisons of the last tumults in naples , in proem . a comparison of philip the second , in proem . a character of charls the fifth charls the fifth , first of the austrians , who mounted the neapolitan courser ib. some critical censures upon charls the fifths resignations the conquest of portugal , the last great exploit of philip the second the close illegible countenance of philip the second a comparison betwixt them of milan and naples a contract betwixt rome and naples at delphos ib. a character of the count of olivares the great favorit the sad catastrophe of him ib. his witty speech touching the queen of spain ib. a character of the neapolitans conde de castrillo , present viceroy of naples , helpt to put down olivares d the dutchy of calabria compared to naples in point of fertility in proem . the duke of alva , though in disgrace , yet employed for the conquest of portugal by philip the second don alonzo de vargas reduceth saragoza the duke of parma's protestation at his entrance into france ib. a witty dialogue betwixt almansor , king of granada and naples of the nature of the neapolitan horse the difference betwixt rome and naples don gaspar de gusman , first favorit of this king of spain don philip the second thought to be accessary to escovedos death an apology for the extraordinary actions of kings ib. don lewis de haro , the present favorit of spain , olivares nephew donna maria the infanta caused mass to be sung for the prince his good voyage to england don balthasar the young prince , helped to put down olivares donna anna de guevara her wise speech with another of the queens , e earthquakes and incendiums in naples , and their cause in proem . the expeditions of charls the emperor the exploits of charls the emperor ib. examples produced of the admirable temper of philip the second ● examples of his piety examples of his charity ● of escovedo , secretary to don iohn the expulsion of the moors from spain the motives which induced philip the third to banish them ib. the english ambassador gave the first advice of an intended insurrection of the moors ib. an epitaph put on masanello eraso , a great wise man , secretary to charls the fifth an elogium of charls the fifth the extraordinary policy of philip the second , to suppress the dangerous insurrection of saragoza f french compared with the neapolitan in proem ▪ five kings of several nations in naples in years in proem . forty several revolutions in naples in a short time in proem . fortune being a woman , loves youth best france the greatest one knot of strength a-against spain the fleet . the four acts for which philip the second was censured the fare betwixt naples and sicily filomarin● , the archbishop of naples , from utter destruction first foundress of naples was a young grecian lady the formidable insurrections of naples suppressed principally by young don iohn of austria g great works of charity in naples , in proem . the greatest conquest charls the emperor made , was of himself in proem . of the gout the guysards take calais on christmas day from the english genovino , an old priest and cunning fellow , made masanello's chief privy counceller the duke of guise comes from rome to naples , the people entertain him for their general , and is treated with highness young don iohn of austria takes him prisoner , and sends him to spain the duke of guise breaks out of prison in madrid , and is taken again at victoria , but released by the mediation of conde the lord goring doth notable service in catalonia grandees of spain curbed by olivares ib. gennaro the next great rebel to masenello executed ib. h the heriot and rent which naples paies yearly to the pope in proem . the history of naples never brought to england till now in proem . how francis the first was taken prison in italy the hearts of kings , as their waies should be sometimes inscrutable henry the sixth of england compared with philip the third of spain henry the fourth of france compared to a barber ib. how he shaved philip the second while q. eliz. held the basen ib. how philip the second rid the neapolitan courser off his leggs ib. the hazardous night-plo● of don iohn , and how it took wonderfull success for reducing of naples henry the eight , protector of the duke of calabria , in epist. ded . henry de gusman , olivares bastard , his legend i inhabitants of naples have the face open , the heart shut in proem . the inconstancy of the vulgar in proem . the insurrection of aragon the insurrection of sicily under the marquiss de los velez the hideous insurrection of naples a little after ib. d. iohn of austria arives at naples , where he doth notable exploits , and reduceth the city don iohn composeth the tumults of sicily he takes barcelona with the help of the lord goring an inhuman piece of vilany discovered in naples ib. iulian valcasar , olivares bastard inducements to believe that the spaniards did really intend a match with england an italian libel englished iulian valcasar , base son to olivares , changes his name to don henry de gusman k the killing of masanello in proem . king of spains vast expences in the belgians wars kings of spain might have fild their palaces with gold , had it not been for those wars king philip the second 's wise speech in his sickness another to his son when he left him the bloudy whip ib. another when he took the extream unction another when he was expiring ib. king philips epistles called el prudente , by the conclave ib. king philip the third was the first prince of all spain of ratscini de medice the king of spain excommunicated every year by the pope the king himself clears olivares of any fault the kings phisician , mayello , gives masanello a figg at a banquet king philip a great reverencer of the church king of spain and prince of wales take mutual oaths for performance of articles l the lazaretto in naples that hath crowns in annual rent , in proem . the legend of philip the second 's life the league of france , a hydra of many heads the legend of philip the third of spain a clash betwixt him and critoval de mora , when his father was a dying a notable libel against the spanish government in italy the lamentation of naples for the tyranny of the spaniards the letter which the king of spain writ to the duke of braganza , upon the revolt of portugal the letter which the duke of braganza writ in answer ib of the duke of le●ma lemsters ore compared with naples silk in proem . in luniginiana three marquisses were found upon one tree eating figgs to preserve them from starving d. lewis de haro olivares his nephew , now favorit of spain m manna , and excellent medicinal baths in nap●●s in proem . masanello as po●ent in naples as the turk in constantinople in proem . masanello a nine daies wonder in proem . masanello shakes off his cloth of silver suit , and takes again his fishermans habit in proem . masanello compared to puff-past in proem the meditation of heaven the best philosophy the marriage betwixt mary of england , and philip of spain mary of england thought to be pregnant , being sick of a tympany ib. mary a dozen years older then philip ib. the wise motives induced q. eliz. to refuse part of france the main policy of the spaniards in italy , is to joyn naples and milan the mighty losses the spaniard hath received by the revolt of portugal masanello first followed by the boyes then by men ibid. he shakes off his fishers slop , and goes clad in cloth of silver , his wife , brother , and children in cloth of gold he prognosticates his death more nobles in naples then any where else n naples the darling of nature in proem . of the neapo●itan horse in proem . a notable saying of severus the emperor at york a notable saying of henry the fourth of france ib. a notable saying of charls the emperor , when he took francis prisoner the notable speech of charls the emperor at his resignation ib. another notable saying of charls about his secretary eraso ib. a notable saying of ferdinand the emperor ib. naples the first kingdom passed over to philip from his father a notorious saying of philip the second ib. a notable saying of an old captain to charls the emperor ib. a notable saying of philip the second a notable letter of king philip to aragon the notable speech made upon the news of king philip the seconds death notable speeches of massanello to the people and viceroy naples a bawd to her self in proem . naples called first in octavians time a notable story of a neapolitan courser sent henry the fourth naples fendetary to rome the neapolitan full of noble friendship o the ocean outsweld once by the tyber in proem . the strange operation of an italian fig upon masanello in proem . of the two french cardinals in proem . oran reduced by mendoza ossuna , a little man , but of a mighty spirit , viceroy of naples the odd articles exhibited against him how he used the courtesans of naples ib. how he made a frivolous expencefull war against the venesians how he used a barber shaving his wife the dutchess how he kept a morisco courtesan , and got a bastard of her how he was outwitted by cardinal borgia , who succeeded him how he was sent prisoner to spain , his wife 's high language , and his own to the king the c. of ognate , viceroy of naples he comports himself with extraordinary prudence and success ib. of olivares his bastard of a horrid tragedy in the city of nocera olivares never gave audience to women free from corruption , and indefatigable in the kings service ib. p st. peters eve the king of spain a heriot , and an annual rent to the pope in proem . a proverb of naples in proem . a proverb of england in proem . a philosophical digression our passions our greatest foes ib. penion de velez conquered by mendoza a punctual relation of the education of the prince don carlos another of his sickness another of his death the pope prejudiced by the nearness of so potent a neighbour as the spaniard the prince of sanza beheaded at naples the subtile way how he was surprised in rome at mass ib. puzzolo the great bandito is rewarded for the act ib. a portentous accident hapned in & about the tercer●s , how a new island popp'd up out of the sea perrone , the notorious bandito hanged by masanello p●rthenope , the first name of naples the parlament of england cryed up by the people in the streets of naples a parallel betwixt rome and naples q a question whether vertue or vice reigns most in naples in proem . queen eliz. offered a part of france in the time of the league queries made into the life of olivares the grand favorit of spain the cross winds which blew upon spain all the time of his government , with a recapitulation of all her losses his way to endear the duke of braganza unto the king ib. the too much confidence he had of portugal , and the high answer he sent the dutchess of savoy , then vice-queen there a question made by braganza , whether he should accept of the crown of portugal , but excited thereunto by his wife ib. her notable speech ib. the quarrel betwixt the spaniard and portugal , stated in point of right of succession the queen the greatest cause of olivares downfall a clash betwixt the queen and the said olivares ib. queries how the spaniard got first footing in italy r rome shrunk into a pigmie's skin from what she was in the proem . rome still lady paramount of naples in the proem . the resignation which charls the emperor made to his son of the retiredness of philip the second of spain the reward which spain gave a polititian the restitution of those jewels the prince left in spain for the infanta , notwithstanding the breach of the treaty the reign of this king of spain less succesfull then of his predicessors the first race of the neapolitans a remarkable story of the marquiss oliverio a remarkable story of the neapolitan revenge ib. the revenues of naples above three millions yearly in proem . not able to pay the king of spains interest to genoa ibid. a relation of the revolt of portugal rome hath more men , and naples more people ; rome hath more comendams , and naples more cavaliers s the sulphurious quality of the soil , cause of the fertility of naples in proem . a saying of pythagoras in proem . the shaking condition of the monarchy of spain in proem . self-conquest the greatest victory the strange carriage of a spanish captain towards king philip the second a strange opinion the spaniards had of the english since they dserted rome the spanish ambassadors plot against buckingham in england the subtil information which they gave king iames against him the solemn complaint which sir walter ashton made in spain against the said ambassador the whole plot detected in the said complaint the spanish ambassadors instead of punishment , are rewarded ib. spain and england break out into a short war ib. seven secretaries attended masanello a strange tale of a neapolitan horse towards his rider a strange story of olivares his bastard a saying of olivares at his fall t the tumults of masanello like a candle burning at both ends in proem . the conquest of the philippine islands by philip the second the successes of this world compared ib. the disasters of philip the second ib. the ill successes of mestogan ib. the ill success at los gelues ib. the ill success at granada the ill success at goletta d' tumi ib. the notable temper of philip the second ib. the grounds that philip the second pretended for invading of england ib. the ill offices which q. eliz. did philip of spain ib. the disaster of the invincible spanish armada the taking of cales by the earl of essex ib. the tragical end of masanello two pound of brains found in olivares skul when he was opened a huge tempest role when he was going to be buried ib. v more vicissitudes in naples then in any other country in proem . ve●●vius fires prophetical in proem . de valdes gets florida from the french the vow made by philip the second to build the escurial the vastness of that building being called the eight wonder of the world a very great clash in naples betwixt the duke of matalone , and the prince of sanza vasconcellos the portugal secretary murthered viceroy ognate did notable service in naples viceroy of naples , the duke of arco's reproached by young don iohn of austria an vniversal sadness in spain for the breach of the match with england w the wonderfull progress of masanello in a few daies in proem . the witchcraft of the mahumetan wise sayings of philip the second upon sundry occasions his wise comportment towards an insolent captain his wonderfull temper ib. of the four vvives of philip the second his wise comportment and sayings upon the death of his eldest son a wise speech of charls the emperour , concerning kings another touching spain and england a wise speech of this king of spains nurse ● waies extraordinary that olivares had to enrich himself waies extraordinary to raise the king money ib. sir walter ashtons memorial to the king of spain for the miscarriage of his ambassadors in england wise waies which philip the second had to decide controversies the description of the kingdom of naples . the kingdom of naples , otherwise called the great sicilia which from faro lieth as it were almost an island inclosed with three seas , the tirren , ionian , and adriatick , hath in circuit a thousand four hundred and twenty miles , being accounted only by land from the mouth of the river vsent to that of tronto , a hundred and fifty miles . these two rivers , the one runneth into the tirren , the other into the adriatick seas , where are contained , besides a little part which there remaineth of latium , many regions which the people of the country call for their greatness , provinces , the which ( according to the division made by the emperor frederick the second , by king charls the first , by king alfonsus the first , by the catholick king , and by don ferdinando the catholick king ) are these , the land of lavoro , the principality on this side , the principality on the other side , basilicata , calauria on this side , calauria on the other side , the land of otronto , the land of bary , abruzzo on this side , abruzzo on the other side , the county of molise , and capi●anata : there are also adjacent unto the said kingdom , under every province , certain islands very near lying round about , as in the tirren sea , directly against terracina , and at gaeta are ponza , and pandaria , now called palmarola , by pliny called pandatena , and by strabo , pandria and pandaria , and directly against mola palmosa is parthenope , so called by ptol●my , now commonly called bentetiene , and against pozzuolo is ischia , which anciently had three names , inarime , pitacuse , and enaria . there are near ischia , prochita , and the isle nessi , the one now called procita , and the other nisita . there is against the cape of minerva , the isle capri , and sirenusse directly against passitano , which are two little isles , the one called gale , the other st. peter . opposite to tropeia , and to ricadi , are the isles eolie , which were only inhabited by the lipari , which compasseth sixteen miles , all the rest are solitary and desert , and retain also the ancient names of stromboli , and vulcan , from whence continually ariseth fire and smoke ▪ in the adriatick coast are rasato , and gargano , directly against varrano , and the four isles of diomedes , which now by one name are called tremite , which are but little ; but of the two greater , the first is called st. mary of tremite , the other st. doimo , and the two lesser , the one gatizzo , and the other capara . these are the isles of any name , except the rocks which are comprehended in the confines of the kingdom of naples . this fortunate and great realm exceedeth all other kingdoms , not only by reason of the situation , lying in the midst of the fifth climate , which is held the most temperate part of the world , but also for the great abundance of all good things , being not any thing to be desired , which is not there to be found , of so great perfection , and in so great plenty . it is inhabited by people so warlike and generous , that herein it gives place not to any other country , i will not say only of italy , but of all the world besides ; being a thing well known to all men , that the most valiant nations , the piligni , the samniti , the marsi , the frentani , being so well known in the wars of archidamus , and of cleonimus the spartan , of agatocles the sicilian , of alexander the epirote , of pyrrhus of molossus , and hanniball of carthage , and in the civil wars of iulius caesar and pompey , and other romans , these people have valiantly demeaned themselves , and in latter times have also declared their prowesse , and manifested every one their noble acts in the wars which they had against alericus and totila , ancient enemies of these noble provinces . this happy kingdom hath also produced excellent wits in all learning and wisdom , as in philosophy , aistossenes , architas , and euritus of tarentum , filolous , aremeones , tela●ges , aristeus , and rodippus , born at cotron , androdamus of reggio , parmenides , zenon , and leucippo of scalea , hippasus of metapont , pythagoras , timeo , xenon , filodamus , and euetus of locris , a country worne out with antiquity ; ocelus of lucania , stratonicus of cuma , st. thomas of aquin : nearest to this our age , the light of all learning was born at naples ; and of a more later time augustin , nifus of sessa , and simon portius a neopolitan ▪ neither will i conceal the glory of the poets and orators which have honoured this kingdom . ennius , an ancient poet was of the country of puglia rudia , lucillus of arunca , near to benevento , pacuvius a tragical poet of brindese , venosa may boast for bringing forth horace , as also sulmona ovid , regio of theagenes , ibicus , cle●mines , and of lodwick parisetus a youth , croton of orpheus , turia of stesicorus , a lirical poet , nola of st. paulinus bishop , napes of achias the master of cicero , of pub. statius , of marinus , and excellent orator and philosopher , disciple of proelus , of porcellus , of iohn pontanus , and iacobus sannazaco , amiternus of salust , capoa of vittor bishop , an eloquent orator , and learned astrologian , aquin of iuvenal , and of marcus tullius cicero the very lightning of eloquence . this said noble kingdom hath brought forth not only men , but also learned women , which have been very excellent in philosophy , as themistoclea the sister of pithagoras , of whom she learned many notable things , and damea the daughter of the same pithagoras , who sufficiently expressed her learning in expounding the difficult opinions of her father ; no less myan and arignote her said daughters , have been excellent in the same profession . artea the daughter of aristippus , after the death of her father , maintained while she lived , most gloriously the school , and held the chair of philosophy . in the art of poetry have been very excellent , perilla the wife of ovid , claudia wife of p. statius papinius neapolitan , violentilla , wife of aruntius stella neapolitan consul , and a famous poet ; luscina the daughter of stesicorus , a poet of metaurus in calabria . and those that were not born in this kingdom , have esteemed it a place worthy of their life , of their leisure , and of their studies , as plato , vergil , livy , and plotin , which had their habitations in villages in divers places of the kingdom , and there composed their works holding famous schools ; for which cause it may truly be accounted a happy kingdom . but since these few things are touched in general , but as it were passing by for the knowledg thereof , i will now endeavour to handle them in particular , and with a very distinct order , whereby every one shall clearly understand how many good and beautifull things that whole world containeth in it ; and that through the excellency thereof , have repaired thither so many and so strange nations , as never the like have past into any other kingdom or province , as well to inhabit , as to sack and ransack the same . and to speak of the most ancient , thither have come the coni , the sicli , the morgeti , the enotri , the pelasgi , the ausoni , the etoli , the arunci , the etrusci , the osci , the opici , the cimerii , the lapigi the liburni , the illirii , and other people which are of later memory , even continuing to this our time , as the greeks , goths , lombards , saracins , normans , germans , frenchmen , spaniards , and also the turks have attempted to overcome it . but leaving to discourse any more in general , i will proceed with a particular narration of every province in this kingdom . the land of lavoro , the first province of the kingdom of naples . the fortunate and happy province of the land of lavoro , called of the latines , terra laboris , hath on the east the river silare , on the west garigliano , now called liris , on the north the apennin mountains , and on the south the tirrene sea : the length thereof wanteth little of a hundred miles , and the breadth thirty : it hath been inhahited by the osci , the arunci , the volosci , the ausoni , the cimerii , the samniti , the cumani , and the picentini . it hath four principal rivers , garigliano , vulturno , sarno and sele , which as they are between them , little wanting of an equal distance , so alwaies in most places they cannot be waded . this country was also called of the latines , campania felix , it was called happy for the fertillity and fatness of the earth , which is so much , and in such sort , that here ceres and bacchus strive together for the greatest soveraignty : it attained the name , of the largeness of the fields , it was also called the old campania , as a difference from the new , that is , campania of rome , and now from the leborine fields , which are near capoa , it is called the land of lavoro . the fields of this province , lie under moist and mistie hils , and are all , as it were , in a plain , and the benefit of this land ( briefly to declare the nature of the earth ) is , that the superficial or uppermost part thereof is very drie and dustie ; but within , so spongeous and moist , like to a pomice that sucks in the water , whereby no small profit ariseth also from those hills , for that the showers descending from them , are dispersed over all the valley , and so not over-watering the earth , nor making it too soft , but apt and easie for tillage ; the same ground sendeth not out that received moisture in any springs or fountains , but temperateth it , and concocting within it , holds it as nourishment unto it . corn is sowed once in a year , and oats and flax twice every year . dionysius of alicarnassus saith , that in his time was successively gathered in one year , three sorts of fruits , that is , one in the spring , another in summer , and the third in autumn . in this most plentifull region the trees flourish twice in a year , and there is found all delights for the pleasure of men . in this noble province , are large and fertile fields , pleasant and fruitfull hils , thick and delightfull woods , fresh and clear springs , and pleasant lakes : moreover there are places in the manner of spacious amphitheaters wrought amongst the hils , by that great workmaster nature , to yield delight in the hunting of wild . beasts that are inclosed therein ; and to declare the great abundance that is there , i will begin with flying fowles , whereof there are great plenty , that is to say , pheasants , partridges , goodwittes , woodcocks , snites , quails , and divers others . in like sort there are of four-footed beasts , as wild boars , harts , goats , hares , conies and foxes ; of ravenous creatures there are wolves , and of those that are fatted it is very plentifull . there are also in places near the mediterranean shore , great vaults and caves , with the foundations of sumptuous buildings , which yields no small wonder to every one that beholds them , with other strange works wrought , as well by the wonder of nature , as also by curious art and the emulation thereof , which procures no small admiration to all that knows not the powerfulness of art and nature . the sea of this most happy province aboundeth with divers sorts of excellent fishes , as sturgions , mullets , tonnies , and sundry other fishes . neither is there less abundance in the kinds of shel-fishes , as of oysters , muscles , cockles , periwincles , and infinite others . of minerals it is very rich in gold , silver , alume , brimstone . besides this , it is endued with so many medicinable and wholsome bathes , which in the spring , and other times of the year , heals infinite people of many strange and incurable diseases . so that that great grandmother nature , hath bestowed so great abundance of her benefits , that it seems she is delighted therein . the which the writer polybius considering , which was the master of scipio africanus , wrote these words near sipontino , est enim campanus ager copia rerum , & fertilitate regionis , ac amaenitate & pulchritudine loci excellentissimus , nam in littore maris positus est , & ex eo universo terrarum orbe venientes in italia innumerae gentes consunt . and hannibal , that great carthaginian captain , beholding the delightfulness of this happy region , and the beauty thereof , purposing to assemble his army , which he caused to winter therein , returned from thence nice , dainty , and full of the delicacie of campania , said , as it is written in strabo , in the end of the fifth book , victor ipse periclitor , ne host is praeda siam : quippe qui milites viros dederim faeminas recipiam . the campanians ( saith cicero against rullus of the law agraria ) superbi bonitate agrorum , magnitudine fructuum , salubritate aeris , & pulchritudine regionis this province doth likewise deserve great praise for the diversity of wines which it bringeth forth , so much esteemed both in ancient and later times , as the most delicate of sorrento , which tiberius cesar , and physitians so much commended ; the wine massico , now called massaquano , brought from the mount massico , which is near carinola , in the territory of the people equani , among which is massa and vico : the most excellent falerni so much pleasing to the roman emperors , of whom iulius caesar , as pliny writeth , honoured his feasts and most sumptuous banquets which he made in rome and principally that wherewith in two and twenty thousand chambers he feasted all the romans . there are the tears and greek wines so much celebrated by pliny ; the most odoriferous wine nolano , and that of vico no less wholsome then pleasant in taste , with others very excellent and delicate wines , which are preferred before all others in the plentifull tables of the greatest lords . the oyles are in no less esteem , which are there made , and chiefly those of massa , of sorrento , of vico , of gaeta , and of the isle of capre . and no less fruitfull is this fortunate country of the best cattle , as oxen , cowes , fat weathers , hogges , and calves , whereof the most excellent are those of sorrento . there is also made the finest silks , which merchants buy more then any others , for the goodness thereof . it is very plentifull in heards and droves of cattel , and serviceable horses for warr. and to conclude , this province worthily deserveth all praise for the excellent things that are therein , wherefore it is no marvel if ancient writers call this the most beautifull and excellent region of the world , having a most temperate and delicate air , and so fruitfull a country , that in all times of the year there are heard divers and sundry birds to sing . here in the spring time , and even in the corn , where are not sowed , do grow lillies , violets , and roses of excellent and delicate savour , so that the earth never ceaseth to bring forth ; for which cause it is commonly said that campania yieldeth most oyntment , others say most oyle , being also made in naples the best and most excellent conserve that may be found , through the great goodness of the roses . this country bringeth forth people of an indifferent stature , and of a fair complexion , valorous minded , and very wise both in councel , and the managing of worldly affairs , ingenious and apt for learning , and more then measurably warlike both on foot and horse , from whence generally appeareth a certain mind to command . having now declared the sundry benefits and celestial favours of this most noble region , i will now handle in particular , where i left at the city of ansure , now terracina , in a part of latium , was founded the city of fondi , standing placed in the way appia , twenty miles distant from terracina , of strabo , pomponius , mela , silus an italian , and of ptolomy called fondi ; but of antonius fonde , the territory whereof bringeth forth excellent wines , which are much commended of pliny , and of strabo , and martial writeth , that by any means the wines of fondi must not be suffered to wax old . haec fundana tulit felix autumnus opimi expressit mulsum consul , & ipse bibet . soterus , bishop of rome , was born in this city , who governed the church of god years moneths , and daies . this city suffered much loss by ariadeno , barbarossa the turk , captain general of the navy of soliman emperor of turks in the year . at which time all the citizens that were found therein were made slaves . passing along towards formie , on the left side , is villa castello , from whence descended the roman emperor galba , on the right side appeareth the lake fundano , called by pliny , fundano , although it be written fandano by some corrupt writers : this said lake is full of fishes , and very great eeles . five miles from thence remaineth the foundations of the city mamurri , of whom horace saith , in mamurranum lassi deinde urbe manemus . passing hence by the rough and stony way appia , near the most high steep mountains is the land of atrio , now called itro , the country of the lamury citizens of rome , five miles almost , but somewhat out of the way appia , on the right hand is gaeta , upon the shore so called ( as strabo and virgil affirm ) of the nurse of aeneas , which died and was there buried ; and although the gulf of gaeta , and the strong rock thereof be sufficiently known , and much renowned , especially in ancient time , yet was it not a city untill the saracins destroyed formie , which was in the year of christ . and then was the reliques of the worthy st. erasmus transferred from formie to gaeta , and it was by pope gregory the th made a bishops sea. this city was very faithfull to king ladislaus , from whom for this cause it attained many priviledges , and so strong was the castle thereof , that it was held one of the keys of the land , and therefore was there alwaies held a strong garison of soldiers , gaeta hath alwaies the best haven : which as spartianus writeth , was repaired with great cost by antonius pius . this city had great honour by galasius second , bishop of rome , by that famous thomas of viao , of the order of preachers general , and after cardinal of the church r. this excellent man past to a better life at rome the of august in the year . and moreover about our time iohn tharcagnota hath been very famous , whose history is generally known to all . following on the said way , there are seen even to mola ( which are five miles ) delightfull gardens near the crooked shore of the sea under gaeta , full of green flourishing oringes , lymons , and other pleasant fruits , environed with delightfull christaline streams , yielding much content to the beholders thereof . proceeding somewhat forward , in following the aforesaid pleasant way on the sea-side , is seen the beautifull city mola , built by the ruines of the ancient city formia , now called ormia , which a little distance are seen the foundations of formia , built by the laconi ( according to pliny ) and was so called by the conveniency of the haven ( as strabo writeth ) this ancient city was the habitation of antiphate king of the lestrigoni , most cruel tyrants . mola hath very fair and fruitfull territories , some think that mola was so named of the wharfs , or rather of the mills which are therein turning by the continual course of water which plentifully riseth from the bottom of the hils . in this country was the fair and delightfull village formiana of scipio and lelius the true and faithfull friends ; which afterward was purchased by cicero , and throughout all this country , which is from mola to the river garigliano , are seen the ruins of great buildings , whereby it may be thought that those places in ancient time were much inhabited , being the most delightfull , pleasant , and fruitfull that the roman empire had . after mola , three miles upon a little hill , is the castle honorato , in the way hercolantea , builded by honoratus of gaeta , county of fondy : not far off is the hill cecubo , which stretcheth to the gulf of gaeta ; this hill is much renowned for the excellency of the wines thereof , which are much commended by horace , by martial and strabo , following that way towards the mouth of the river garigliano , where it runneth into the sea before clanino , is liris , so much celebrated for the overthrow which the saracins had by pope iohn the th , and for the victory obtained by consalvo ferrando , of cordova against the french , to whose only valour was attributed the victory of them , and the flight of the turks , whereby he gained the glorious sirname of great captain , a favour vouchsafed from heaven , whereof the world hath so few . this said river riseth from the appennine mountains , and passeth by the territory of vestino , near to the country of fregelle , now a famous city , and goeth by luco , or rather the sacred wood , sometimes honoured of the minturnesi , which was near the said city . on the left side of the said river is seen upon a little hill the city of traietto , builded near to the place where was the city of minturne , the ruines whereof are now to be seen , and almost the whole theatre , and the ancient aquiducts ; minturne was builded by the ausoni , and was afterward a roman colony , and was divided by the river , near the mouth thereof . it was in the time of pope marcellinus , honoured with a general councel , and it was one of the cities ▪ which for the grievance of the air , was priviledged by the romans both from the wars and other burthens and impositions . cai. marius flying hither secretly , hid himself in a moorish or fenny place , and beholding an asse to go very pleasantly to the water to drink , took it for a good presage , or a token of good fortune , re-inforced his army , and putting to sea , entred rome victoriously . from thence leaving the confines of this region of latium , we enter on the right hand into the land of lavoro , and the hill which is in the entrance of the land of lavoro , very near to the mouth of garigliano , hath many famous names , for in some place it is called gauro , in other massico , and in some other gallicano ; that part thereof that is nearest to garigliano , is called gauro , from whence the river hath been called gaureliano . pliny saith that this gauro , as also the hill vessuvio , near naples , yieldeth sulphur or brimstone , which the hot-waters sufficiently declare , which at this present are seen to issue and boyle , where now is the tower of the bathes , and the bathes themselves . after minturn the first land that is nearest in the land of lavoro on this side , was trifano , situated by livy between minturn and sinuessa , the next following was sinuessa , five miles ( as strabo saith ) from minturn ; but it is ten miles , as it now appeareth ; livy saith that there were two colonies brought about the territory vestino and falerno , one at the mouth of garigliano , which was minturn ( as is said ) and the other in vestino , which confineth with the territory of falerno , where first there was a greek city called sinope , which was builded by the sinopesi , and was by the roman colony called sinuessa , because it joyned near to the city sessa : here died old turpillus that comical poet ; many ruines of this city are to be seen on the land , but more in the sea , and the haven thereof had a large key or wharlf made by mens labour , at the top of the hill called dragone , saith livy , that fabius maximus led his army by the top of the mount massico , forbidding passage to hannibal , and that the souldiers of hannibal sackt the country even to the water sinuessano , from whence it seemeth that the mount massico , whereon fabius maximus held his army , is a part of the same hill which reacheth from sessa to carinola . in the place of sinuessa two miles from thence upon the hill , is the fort of mondragone honoured with the dignity of a dukedome , the town whereof stands in the plain less then a mile from the sea ; where sinuessa was , is nothing seen but the baths , which as strabo saith , doe cure many diseases , and especially help women that ate baren . after the fort of mondragone upon the hill massico which is full of villages , from the part towards the sea there is no land or castle ; but from that part which is towards garigliano , between the sea , garigliano , the way appia , and the mount massico , is no more plain then eight miles every way , and is manured and inhabited with much people , and is now called the villages of sessa , which plain in the happy time of the romans , was very fruitfull , three full meadows abounding with much grass , as martial affirmeth : near cascano one of the said villages , is a vein of gold , which king alfonsus the first made use thereof , but now it is fallen to decay , because they say it yields not sufficient profit into the kings exchequer ; yet the reverend majesty of the roman commonwealth did not so , for that they respected no other end then the common utilly , caused the mines to be digged , for the relief of those poor people that laboured therein . now turning us into the way appia , as it passeth by the foot of the hill massico , is the ancient city sessa , called of the latines suessa , anciently named pometia , and sometimes arunca , builded , as some say , by hercules , it hath been inhabited by sundry people , the first was said by the arunci , and the ausoni , and the seclecini , and after by the volosci , and last of all the vestini , as it appears in sundry places of livy , the territory whereof is very fertile of all sorts of fruits , but particularly corn , wine , and oyle , which for great abundance , the citizens thereof say proceeds from the excellency of the air , and that sessa was so called , as it were suavis sessio being so well and so excellently situated , and therefore the emperor claudius growing sickly and weak , went thither to recover his health . sessa was a priviledged city of the romans , that worthy philosopher and phisician augustine nifo hath in these our daies much honoured this city . the arms of this city is a lyon rampant gules in a field or , it hath the dignity of a dukedome , the lord whereof is don antonio of cordova , duke of somma , nephew to that noble lord consalvo ferrando of cordova . going from sessa by the way appia , on the right hand of massico eight miles is carinola , sometime called cal●no , an ancient city , joyned on the one side to the territory of falerno , and on the other to the hill massico , the fields falerni stretch from carinola to cassilino , which was afterwards called casteluccio , and was here joyned with the field stellato , more pleasant then any other part of italy , as livy writeth . the hill massico stretcheth beyond the city of tiano , and of calvi , called long since cales , even to cajazza , which the ancients have called calatia , this hill is extended with a back on the left hand from calvi to venafro , and from thence directly to volturno , another part boweth on the right hand , full of woods and caves , and goeth to caianello , sometime called calicula : and to vulturno on the right hand of the mouth of vulturno was sometime a city called also vulturno , as livy witnesseth , and was where we now see the land called castello , to the sea of vulturno ; not far from the sea is to be seen patria , builded upon the ruines of linterno , which was the town of scipio africanus , where he made choice to live when he betook himself to a voluntary exile , and where he spent the latter part of his life : it is said that he caused to be written on his sepulchre , ingrata patria non possidebis ossa mea . there is near linterno , among the ruines thereof , the fountain of water acidula , which water is said to make a man drunken as wine ; and the shepherds report ▪ that whosoever drinketh of this water , is delivered from all pain of the head ; and we having a desire to make trial thereof , found it to savour well as all other , and although a certain fume ascendeth up the nose in smelling it , as wine useth to doe ; yet drinking but a little we could not perceive the effects thereof , which it procureth in drinking . five miles from linterno is cuma , between which two places where the shore is crooked between the pool and the sea , was the town of servilio vacia , of whom seneca speaketh . cuma was builded by the galcidesi , and the cumei ; the leaders of the colonie which came thither to inhabit , were hippocle cumeo , and megastene calcidese , which agreed between them , that from the one it should take the inhabitants , and from the other the name ; although some say it was named cuma from the waves ( for cuma is as much as to say onda ) for being near the stony shore it is full of mighty rocks , continually beaten with the waves of the sea. near cuma is the promontory miseno , where was buried misceno the trumpeter of aeneas , and between these two is the lake acherusia , which is a moor or marsh of the sea very muddy , leaving miseno , near under the promontory is the lake : from thence the shore fetcheth a compass making a gulf where is the castle baia , and the baths of warm water , no less profitable for health , then delight . baia was so called by baio the companion of vlisses , which was there buried . near baia is the lake locrino ( in the time of the romans ) within it was the renowned lake averno . the lake lucrino was so called by the profit of the fishes and oysters that were taken there . following the shore is the city of pozzuolo , which in former time was the harbour of the ships of cumani , builded upon the hill. in the time afterward of the wars of hannibal , the romans replenished it with people ; and of the ditches named it pozzuolo . others affirm that it was so named by the ill savour of the water ; which from bale even to gumeo is generally felt . following then that shore from pozzuolo , are seen many springs of wholsome and medicinable water on the shore near the ruines ; departing from pozzuolo , and going by the way which leadeth to naples , are great ruines of buildings on every side for the space of a mile . at the end of these ruines is the court of vulcan , now commonly called solfatara , which is a plain inclosed round about with smokie hills , in the manner of fiery fornaces , from whence out of divers places arise very stinking exhalations , and the plain is all full of sulphure , and sometime it boileth out more then eight hand breadths in height , and being mixed with the earth it seemeth black , and in in such sort that it may rather be called dark clay , then water . here amongst those natural things that is worthy consideration , it seemeth that the watry humour preserveth the sulphure in such manner , that during all the time it continually burneth it consumeth not , and the fire abideth in the same holes , the water issuing by the same passage . this place was also called of ancient writers campo flagro , as it were a burning field from whence the poets feign , that there was the battel of the giants with hercules , and that the flashing of their wounds , and the conquest of the giants , do cause such and so great ebolitions of fire and water . bending afterward to the north a little from thence is the hill asturno very high , in the midst whereof is a plain very low , reduced into a circle , being two miles in circuit , where is a little pool with sulphure water , which issueth out on every side very beneficial to those which are diseased . this plain is compassed with a hill which every carrieth an equal height ; in one side whereof is a very thick wood , planted in such sort that all italy yields not a place more beautifull and more pleasant for hunting . this wood hath great plenty of acorns and other fruit and food for cattel , and is full of wild hoggs , goats , harts , and other kinds of wild beasts which entring in of themselves , or forc'd by others , can come no more out again . the top of this hill is very large , for it reacheth more then the space of five miles ; this place is commonly called listroni , a place reserved for the kings hunting . returning to the way which goeth from pozzuolo to naples , is seen the place where was the village of cicero , so named at this present , where was buried the emperor adrian , which died at baia ( as spartiano writeth ) where the temple was afterward consecrated by antonio his successor in the place of the sepulchre . following yet the said way is seen great ruines of the village of lucullus , which he had near naples ( according to plutarch ) where likewise he caused to open the stony hill with the iron , which carried the water of the sea into the lake agnano , which was included in those hils . on every side of this open country appeareth high rocks , near which are the ruins of stately buildings . passing by the said way to the lake are the baths of the lake agnano , which are certain little close● vaulted rooms , from whence there riseth certain hot vapours , in such sort , that a man entring in naked presently falleth into a sweat ▪ and therefore they are called sudatorii . they dissove the raw and crude humours in man , they lighten the body , comfort the weak , heal the intrails , drieth the fistula and the ulcer in the body , and easeth the pain of the gout ; here st. germano bishop of capoa , is said to find the soul of pascasio cardinal , as st. gregory relateth in the fourth book of his dialogues . a little farther on the right hand , at the foot of the high rock ( which compasseth in the lake ) very near to the same is a hole not very deep in the rock , nor very large nor high , where any living creature being cast in , dieth sudden●y , which afterward being presently taken out and cast into the water of the said lake , reviveth again . pliny maketh mention of this hole in his second book , where he saith , alii spiracula vocant , alii charoneas scrobes mortiferum spi●atum exalentes . the said lake bringeth forth no other thing but frogs ; and in the spring are often seen many heaps of serpents , which are there drowned and stifled in the water by the providence of god , which suffereth them not to encrease , being so hurtfull and venomous to the nature of man. afterward we come to pausilipo , which had that name for the pleasantness of the air , which so well agreeth with the situation , helping much the infirmity of weak minds for the expelling of melancholy : here cesar had a fish-pond , wherein a fish lived sixty years . and the bottom of this pleasant hill was all full of gardens , and fruits and delightfull villages ; and that part towards the sea , was not far from the city of naples , near the shore whereof were an infinite number of habitations which time hath utterly ruinated . after followeth the cave of cocceio , which some attribute to lucullo , and others to basso , made after the fashion of that of cuma , whose entrance is open , and with so great largeness , that three carts may there pass in rang , and by little and little the light entreth at the windows in the top , which in many places are cut out in the upper part of the hill , and in the right side from the passage of the cave in the way towards naples is the sepulchre of virgil , and by that which doth appear , this was a chappel compassed and vaulted with arches , and smoothly walled about with marble , and within were places for images to stand in , without , opposite to the chappel is an epitaph in white marble , with these modern verses , qui cineres tumuli haec vestigia ? conditur olim ille hoc qui cecinit pascua , rura , duces . going then towards naples appeareth the little hil olimpia , now piaggia , called of the neopolitans chiaia where are so many goodly buildings , among the which there is one made by m. giacomo sanazaro , so great a friend to the muses , as any in these our daies , called merguglino , and in latine , mergeline , celebrated by him in his book de partu virginis . a little farther near unto the city is the little isle of megary , now called the castle of vovo , where remaineth a good garison of souldiers . last of all is the fair and royal city of naples , at the first called sirena , where parthenope arrived carried by the fortune of the waves , who changed the name , being newly re-inhabited , according to the oracle of the cumani , which before they had destroyed ; it flourished and increased again by the union and amity of the palepoli , being alwaies faithfull to the people of rome , under whose empire it continued with great glory and renown , untill it sell together with the rest of italy into the hands of the goths , and other barbarians , who expelled by the normans , was governed by them , and made the head of the kingdom , from whose dominion succeeded the house of suevia , by means of the queen constance the only heir ; from whence it came to pass , charls having killed tancred , and subdued coradine under the french , and after succeeded by means of queen ione of arragon , now it remaineth in peace and tranquility under the protection of the catholick king philip , and so populous , that it is not inferior to any other city whatsoever , excelling in nobility and riches , all other in the world ; there continually repaireth sundry nations from all parts of europe , there are assembled the most part of the noble families , and there also florisheth the study of the laws , and all good learning . it standeth at the bottom of little hils , which compass it in the manner of a bow or arch. the gulf cratera is directly opposite unto it , so called in ancient time , for that miseno , and the promontory of minerva , now called campanella , with the isle of capri , compasseth it in the fashion of a cup. a cup which may be truly called a cup or goblet of silver , since the purity and calmness of the water resembleth in outward shew , quicksilver . naples hath on the east side , fields , which in length joyn to the plains acerram , and in breadth pass to the foot of vesevo , now called somma . strabo saith , that in his time did spring at naples , hot waters very commodious to make baths , little inferior to those of baia ; but that they were of less quantity . the arms of this city was a field per fesse or . and gu . which arms were given by great constantine the emperor . near naples is the greek tower , first called herculea of hercules , which came thither with many ships , after he left nontiata near the ancient stabie . at this place standeth aloft that famous hill of somma , called vesevo , and vesuvio , about which are situated many pleasant villages , except in the top where the poets feign remain the shoulders of the giant porfirius . in the time of the emperor titus , with a general fear to all those in the fields , and destruction of them which were nearest , it cast out from the top thereof great flames of fire , and balls of sulphure mine , and burning stones , where pliny died , the great preserver of the latine tongue , whilst he desired to see the great exhalations of that hill , which cast the ashes even into africa . going a little farther is the city of castel , by the sea of stabia , so named by the city stabbia , which was not far off , which had been destroyed by l. silla ▪ this castle is situated in a corner of the mount gauro , where it beginneth to stretch towards the west , which maketh the promontory of minerva . here , about the distance of a mile , through the delight of the place , king charls the second builded a royal palace , calling it for the sweetness of the air , the wholsome house ; which afterward king rubert enlarged , giving it greater beauty and ornament ; which place is now possest by the noble family nocera , king ferrant the first having bestowed it on pietro nocera , his chiefest favorite , which for his great valour , was afterward by king ferrant the second made general of the gallies . this country aboundeth with great plenty of clear water , and great store of the best fruits ; and for the facility and easie access of the place , hath much traffick : according to the division of strabo , of ptolomy , and of sempronio , this city should be placed in the country of the picentini , which is now called the province of principato ; but we have thought best to confine it in the land of lavoro , because it is situated in the gulf of cratero . within a little is the beautifull city vico , builded by the people equani , then followeth the city sorrento very ancient and noble , situated on the top of the hill , whose prospect is the sea : although it be not of that greatness as formerly it hath been ; it hath a very fertile and delightfull territory , garnished with vines and oringes , and other fruitfull trees . this city was builded by the greeks , and was called petra syrenum . in this city lived antonio the abbot , a most holy man , and famous for his miracles , whose body remaineth even now as a testimony of his divine miracles ( as they say ) towards those which are oppressed with spirits . then from sorrento a mile ▪ is the city of massa , newly named , to the which paolo portarello , that excellent poet , and great humanist hath now , and alwaies giveth everlasting glory . from hence then is seen the solitary hill atheneo , the which because it joyneth not with any other hill , passeth along towards the west , and is otherwise called the hill massa , it was also called prenusso , sirreo , minervio , and the hill equano ; in the top of the promontory is to be seen a great part of the temple of minerva builded by vlisses . under the side of the said promontory are certain desart and stony islands , called the sirenes ; in one whereof , from that part which lieth towards surrento , in ancient time , was a rich temple , where were certain very ancient gifts , long since presented by the inhabitants of the country for the worship and reverance of that holy place , the reliques whereof are now to be seen . here endeth the gulf called cratera , included within two promontories , miceno and ateneo , which lie towards the south ; which gulf is almost wholly planted with houses , and goodly gardens , opposite to the which riseth out of the sea , the isle of capri , the first delightfull place of tiberius caesar , but now ordained for exiles and banished people : here twice in a year are quails taken . directly against miseno is the isle of prochita , now called procita , the which ( according to strabo ) is a part of pitecuse , procita was so called ( as pliny saith ) by the depth thereof ; for by miracle the said isle rise of it self out of the bottom of the sea. but as dionisius of alicarnaseo affirmeth , that it was named by a beautifull young man , a trojau , called procita , which came thither to inhabit . whereof servio upon these verses of virgil saith , in his book , tum sonitu prochyta alta tremit , &c. saith that it had that name from protheus , which signifieth spread or dispersed , to the which opinion agreeth the greeks , and almost all the latines . silio the italian in his book , speaking of procida , saith thus , apparet prochyta saevum sortita numanta , apparet procul inarime , quae turbine nigro fumantem premit iapetum : flammasque rebelli ore rejectantem , & si quando evadere detur bella iovi rursus , superisque iterare volentem . within this isle is a fair country well replenished with people , which hath the same name , and is very famous for the abundance of corn that is gathered within it , and for the taking of partridges and pheasants , whereof there is great plenty . the lord of this isle in former time was iohn of procida a phisitian , a man very famous , who fearing not the power of king charls of angio , to revenge a great injury , took sicilia , with that famous slaughter of the french , commonly called the sicilian evening ; and he had done greater matters if he had been permitted . this iohn was in great esteem with iames king of arragon , after whose death king peter his son knowing the valour of iohn : le dio ( dice il zurita ) en el reino de valencia para el , y sus successores las villas , y castillos de luxer , benyzano , y palma , con sus alquerias . he gave him ( as saith zurita ) in the kingdom of valentia to him and his successors , the towns and castles of luxer benyzano and palma , with their bordering villages . from this man descended the family called procita , which are now very great in the kingdom of catalogna , and enjoyeth the countie of almenare . in the said isle in a fair church , with great reverence is preserved the body of st. margarite the virgin and martyre , which was carried thither from antiochia . salvo selano the phisician honoureth much this isle , now living in naples with great renown , who hath written upon the aphorismes of hyppocrates . the said isle is distant from naples twelve miles , and in composs seven . a little from procita lieth the isle ischia , formerly called inarime , pithecusa and enaria , very famous not only for the fable which the greeks feigne of the giant tipheo , strucken with iupiters thunder-bolt , but also for a fortress there , being so great that it is held the second key of the kingdom . the said castle was builded by alfonsus of medina , king of arragon , first of this name , king of naples , who because it was so well fortified , caused it to be called ischia , which hath given the name to the whole island , especially because all the other ancient names were forgotten . this castle is very strong by the natural situation thereof , and is built upon a very high hill , and the passage thereto very steep , and the way for the most part is cut out of the rock with mens labour , and the entrance is so difficult and streight , that two souldiers may easily guard it . hither ferdinando the son of alfonsus the second of arragon , king of naples retired himself for his security , when charls the eight king of france had victoriously entred naples . in the year . the said island sustained great hurt , for being therein certain veins of sulphure ( whereof the island is very full ) the fire kindled , and running through it , burnt a great part , even to the city of ischia , now called gironda , and the fire continued one month and a half , burning many men and other living creatures , whereby the inhabitants were inforced to abandon the place , flying out of the isle , some to procida , some to capri , some to pozzuolo , and some to naples . and of this fire the marks yet appear , where neither grass nor any other thing doth grow , and that for the space of more then two miles , which place the citizens call the cremata . this isle is in compass miles , where is a fair city , to the which are subject eight hamlets , or small villages . this said isle is very fertile , and bringeth forth all so●ts of corn and there is made excellent wine , and hath mines of gold , which were together found with the sulphure , in the year . by bartholmew perdice genoway . it is every where full of villages , very thick and close adjoyning , there is one very high hill , which is very difficult for a man to climbe , in the top whereof riseth a spring , called the fountain aboceto , all the rest of the isle hath great scarcity of water . the shores of this isle are rather crooked then streight , the air there is very healthfull and pleasant , and in it are many and sundry baths , with those so marvelous sands , all things fit to heal divers sorts of infirmities , and many incureable , of the which we have sufficiently written in the book of the antiquities of pozzu●la , by me not long since published , to which i refe● the reader . this isle was first inhabited by the licii , which after the death of oroute their king , were driven out by eneas . afterward came thither the people arimni , and within a while the calcidii . there lieth with great reverence in two honourable churches of this isle , the bodies of st. restituta , virgin and martyr , and of st. olivata her sister ( which , as is said ) do infinite miracles . of this isle was fabius , seleucus , oronre , that excellent cosmographer and singular poet. sailing from hence more forward towards naples , near the mount pausilippo , is the isle of nisita , of the latines called nosium , and nesis , which had a fair and goodly fortress made by the dutchmen of amalsi , with a most secure haven called agliono , very commodious . nisita was so called ( as the poets feign ) by a nimph of the sea , the daughter of nereus and doride , gods of the sea ▪ for the truth is , that nesis in greek , is an island , it was in ancient time the town of brutus , that worthy roman ; and in our daies there was found in a sepulchre a dead body of wonderful greatness , imbalmed , which had about the neck a chain , with a jewel of gold , with this inscription , m. a. acilius , c. f. i.i.i. r. leaving this isle is another much less , which is rather a rock , i may say it was and is commonly called gaiola ; but in my opinion it should be called gaia , if yet that particle ola , were not adjoyned thereto for a diminutive , signifying the smallness and beauty thereof at an instant , for being very delightfull and pleasant , and made in the fashion of a theater , where also appeareth the marks of an inclosed park for the keeping of wild beasts , and the temple of neptune which was there in old time , so that to every one that comes thither , it seems a place of great delight . these then are the cities upon the sea of happy campania , and the isles that are thereabout . but in the land of naples the principal city is capoa , situated on the side of vulturno , upon the way appia , twelve miles distant from the sea ▪ it was in former time as great as any in italy , except rome , the first and chiefest , the senat of rome once purposed to go to inhabit there . the opinions of the building of this city are divers , and first cato and sempronius saith , that it was builded by the osci ; others , as virgil , lucan , silius , dionisius of alicarnassus , and suetonius say that it was builded by capi , the companion of aeneas , and that by him it was afterward so named . others say that remus , the son of aeneas builded it , and called it capoa , from capi the father of his grandsire . strabo is of another opinion , saying it had this name from the large fields wherein it standeth , whose first inhabitors were the opici , and ausoni , and the osci , which were driven out by the cumani , and afterward these by the toscans , by whom capoa was made the head of twelve cities builded by them in these places , and of this opinion seemeth to be eustaccius , livy , pliny , and annius diodorus and others say that it was so called for the great capacity and largeness which it hath to produce and bring forth necessary things for the sustenance of living creatures ; and in truth the territory thereof is most excellent above all other countries of the world . this city , as livy declareth particularly in many places , was of great wealth and authority , and in the time of the great prosperity and delights thereof , was the seat and habitation , and as it were a second natural country to hannibal , and in the time of the siege of casilino , wintred there with his army , which became corrupt , effeminate , and lazie through the many delights and pleasures thereof : but coming afterward into the power of the romans , it was as it appeareth to some , that capoa was by them utterly ruinated , for being strong , a near neighbour , and alwaies their enemy : but the utility and most fertile territory was the safety thereof , that it was not ruinated , because the multitude of colonies might have a place and a dwelling in this country and territory , and the houses themselves were builded of the common treasury of rome : yet nevertheless there was not left any signe , or any body of a city or councel , or any authority , the which marcus tullius declareth more largely in one of his orations , calling the capoans proud and arrogant , through the bounty of the earth , and the abundance of all things which they had . but there was since ( contrary to the opinion of tully , by iulius caesar in his first consulship ) carried to capoa one colony of romans , and those new inhabitants undoing and pulling down certain ancient sepulchres to build little houses in their villages , purposing to imploy those stones , and using therein much labour and diligence , passing up and down discovered certain vessels of antick work , found in a little table of brass , wherein was written , capi , the builder of capoa to be here buried , with letters in greek words to this effect , that whensoever the bones of capi shall be discovered , at the same instant one of the kindred of iulo must be slain with a sword by the hands of his own friends and kindred , and after be revenged with grievous afflictions and the ruine of italy . this same capoa was by gensericus king of the vandals razed and destroyed , with sword and fire six hundred years after it had been subject to the romans ; but since the goths & ostrogoths being chased away by narsete eunuco captain to the emperor iustinian , was newly inhabited again . and about a hundred years after was destroyed and ruinated anew by the lombards ; but with the reliques builded of the inhabiters again , two miles distant from the ancient place . since by conradus king of naples , son of the emperor frederick the second , the walls thereof were thrown to the ground , because the capoans were known to be contrary to the manfredi , with the neopolitans ; wherefore he ransackt and sackt it , and did therein harm enough . it sustained great calamity in the time of pope alexander the sixth , being sacked and robbed by the french sent by lewis the twefth king of france , to the conquest of the kingdom of naples , against king frederick of arragon ; now it remaineth well fortified by the providence of philip of austria , the most puissant catholick king , under whose protection it resteth most secure . pliny in the description of italy , speaking of capoa , saith that there is the field leborino , much more pleasant and delightfull then any part of all italy ; and he in another place calleth leborino the excellent territory of capoa ; and to declare what it is , the territory thereof is all plain , which stretcheth from tifata ( which is the hill above capoa ) even to naples and pozzuolo ; and from capoa to the mouth of vulturno , where it entreth into the sea. capoa being so hated and defaced by the romans , and twice ruinated , the people near adjoyning disdained to be any longer called campani , desiring to avoid this infamy , and this danger to be hated and undone for this name , changed the name , being called by their ancient name , leborini , and so much their constant perseverance prevailed , that that which before was wont to be called campania , was called the land of lebore : but since the word being corrupted by people , was called the land of labore ; from whence grew the opinion , that this should be because , as it were all pains ( for so the word labore signifies ) should there be well bestowed ; and some others have said , that it should be so called from the great and difficult pains that is required in the subduing of it . f. l. sosipatro charisio , a most ancient gramarian was a citizen of capoa , whose works have been found by iano parasio . victore , called the capoan , bishop , and a famous astrologian , and an excellent orator ▪ hath given great honour to this city , who lived in the year of christ . likewise pietro of vineis , was also a citizen , a learned lawyer , which was in great favour with the emperor frederick the second , king of naples : but the emperor had afterward a certain suspicion of him for a conspiracy that was de●ised , banished him , where through grief he died , having first composed a book of consolation : of this pietro , dante maketh mention in the first part of the cant. saying , i am he which holdeth both the keys . iohn antonio campano hath also given no small reputation to this noble city , of whom raffaello voluterano writeth , that he know him , being a child , attended the keeping of sheep , and being apt and urged by nature , endeavoured by all means to attain learning , wherein he so much profited , that he was esteemed worthy to read in the schools of paris , being entertained by the paragians with a large stipend , and so much he increased in fa●● and learning , that pius the second afterward made him bishop of apruntino . this learned man left behind him many works , of the which was the book of the acts and famous deeds of braccio of montone . he writ the life of the worthy prince frederick duke of vrbin , and the life of pope pius the second . moreover in these our daies camille pellegrino ▪ and beneditto of vva , excellent poets , whose works are well known , have , and alwaies give everlasting honour to this noble city . and with these hath also been very famous iohn battista , an eloquent orator . afterward from capoa , eight miles distant is aversa ▪ a noble and a rich city , builded upon the ruines of the ancient attella , often remembred by livy and marcus tullius . atella was the well-spring of lascivious verses , and wanton and effeminate behaviours ; whereupon the compositions , and lascivious comodies and dishonest , were called atelliane . boyes and girls were taught certain lascivious verses , and to that purpose did come with a certain composed measure , and wanton carriage of the body , and roling the eyes to pronounce them with so great immodesty and lascivious behaviours , at the tables of dishonest persons , and on the stages , that there wanted nothing but the dishonest and carnal conjunction together . but of better discipline was the beginning of aversa , the which by averso the norman , a famous captain , was first built , and afterwards was beautified by robert guiscardo , a worthy and a valiant man. this city was ruinated and defaced even to the foundation by charls the first of angio king of naples , for the rebellion of the house rebursa : but it was afterward newly re-edified and beautified by charls the second , king , his son . this city is great , and much inhabited , and is one of the principal in the land of lavoro , as well for the vicinity and neighbourhood of the city of naples , from the which it is not distant more then seven miles , as also for the fertilty of the pleasant and beautifull fields thereof , the which being inclosed in six miles , spread between naples and capoa : and a little more towards linterne , compassing a great part of the leborine fields , sometime very famous , and now called gaudo . moreover this city is very honorable for the bishoprick , which yieldeth eight thousand crowns yearly , and is now under the authority of the worthy and reverend lord don pietro orsino , a prelate ( as it is commonly said ) of great clemency and wisdom , whereby he is loved and honoured of all . this city had many famous men very expert in the law ; as cavello barnado president of the kings chamber , felice barnada , tomaso grammatico , a famous councellor for the deciding of controversies , scipio cutinar●o , regent of the councel of italy in spain , marc. of mauro , president of the summaria . in philosophy have been many learned , as bartholmew of donato , which writ a discourse de corporeitatis luca prassitio , which subtilly and wittily writ ten disputations against augustine : nifo of sessa , very learned are these treatises , de immortalitate animae : and de prestantia literarum supra arma , wherein he exprest great learning , and in these daies together with these the reverend father alfonso of marco , of the reformed order of preachers , who for his good and examplary life , shineth as the sun in darkness , he hath learnedly writ upon logick , natural philosophy , the soul , metaphysick , and de ente rationis , and he is now commenting the same of st. thomas , and if god permit him life , we may expect other learned works to proceed from him . in the aforesaid city are these noble families , altimaro , cutinario , gargano , grimaldo , landulfo , pacifio , scaglione , silvestro , simonello , tufo , ricardo , della valle , and others . not far from aversa is marigliano in a good soil , and is wholly walled about , and by the ancients called merlianum and marianum , the citizens whereof say , that it was so called by c. marius the founder thereof , and it is now indued with the dignity of a marquiss , under the jurisdiction of the house of montenegro ▪ innocentius the third , bishop of rome , hath much honoured this land , being born there ; and at this present r. d. iacobo marotta a learned philosopher , who hath written upon the predicables and predicaments of the logick of scotus , & de triplici intellectu , humane , angelical , and divine , and read in the common schools of naples , the metaphisicks with a wonderfull concourse of students . afterward appeareth the city acerra , called by strabo , acerrae , which was burnt by hannibal the carthaginian : but was again newly re-edified by the romans , whereof livy often maketh mention , and virgil calleth the territory thereof very good and fertile . near to which city runneth the river glanio , very hurtfull to the country through the continual inundations , and therefore is almost disinhabited . acerra was builded by the people nasamoni , who in honour of iupiter feretrio made a high altar after the fashion of a little ship , whereupon they burnt great abundance of sweet odours , wherefore it was called acerra by the nasamoni , which opinion alexander of alexandro neopolitan confirmeth in the chapter of his third book , speaking of their gemali : acerra erat ara constituta ubi odores incenderet , quae acerra dicta erat à nasamonibus populis . some are of opinion that an altar so called , was only devised by the nasamoni , but that numa pompilius erected the temple of iupiter feretrio . festo believeth that feretrio was so called by bringing of peace , although plutarch saith that he should be so named by the wounding of enemies : whereupon propertio writeth a learned elegy of iupiter feretrio thus , nunc iovis incipiam causas aperire feretrii , armaque de ducibus trima recepta tribus . to which temple the ancients when they obtained victory of their enemies , consecrated all their best and richest spoils . departing from acerra , is the river glanio ; which springeth from the hill above sessua , by ancient writers named clanius , whereof virgil maketh mention in two of his georgicks thus , talem dives arat capua vicina vesevo . ora jugo & vacuis clanius non aequus acerris . probus writeth that the river clanio took that name from the giant clanio . afterward is seen sessula , distant from acerra four miles , called by strabo , suessula , and by livy in many places , and in his seventh book sheweth that in this city was a great battel between the romans and the samnites , where the samnites were put to flight by m. valer. this city is almost now ruinated . afterward appeareth from the north part , the hils of capoa , called by livy , tifata , these hils are above capoa , and above all this country , the which pass along even to the territory of nola. afterward is the river isclero , and the river sorritello ; and not far off upon a fair hill is the aierola , an excellent country , honoured with the dignity of a dukedom under the family caracciola . from aierola five miles is in a fair plain , arienzo , a country full of worthy and honourable people , called of the latines , argentum , the territory whereof is very fertile and full of fruit , and especially of percope , where they grow more common in this country then any other , verily these fruits are to be preferred before all others for their delicacy and great goodness these said trees live not above five years , and it is necessary that the seeds or carnels thereof be sowed towards the east , in a place where the cold cannot hurt them , for cold is a great enemy to these trees ; the fruit thereof is of the colour of gold with red spots , and a slender rine , and weighs a pound and more according to the place where they be planted . not far off upon a steep and pleasant little hill is the city of caserta , replenished with worthy and honourable people , the original whereof is uncertain , the citizens of it affirm by ancient tradition , that it was builded by the sessulani and galatini , others believe from the reliques of the second capoa in the hill trifisco , and last of all others say that it should be builded by the longobards , and was made a cathedral church by alexander the fourth , bishop of rome . the lords of aquino ruled this city a long time ; afterward it came under the counts of tilesia , of the noble family siginulfa , and lastly giulio antonio acquaniva , a noble lord , possest it with the title of a prince . the noble family of santori hath much honoured this city , of which that excellent doctor of law , lonardo , hath been much renowned who left to the world a worthy and honourable issue , from whom descended the famous and reverend giulio antonio santoro , cardinal of the church of rome , and francesco antonio , archbishop of severin● his brother , men no less famous for learning , then for sincerity of life . going a little farther is mataloni , of some called magdaloni , and of others metalionis , which hath the dignity of a dukedome , subject to the noble family of carrafi . near which upon a hill is the fair city of venafro , named by strabo , venafrum , the plain whereof pliny calleth fertile and full of olives : whereupon martial praising the oyle , saith , hoc tibi campani sudavit bacca venafri vnguentum quoties sumis , & istud oles . this city in the time of our ancestors had the title of a county under the pandoni gentlemen of naples , after the which it came under the dominion of the worthy lords of lanoia , princes of sulmona , but now it is in the kings hands . going a little farther is the noble & ancient city of sora , so called both now , and in old time , which in the time of the romans was the principal city of all sannio ▪ pliny placeth it in the first region , and ptolomy in latium , and strabo describeth it in happy campania . we following the division of the kings court , place it in this province of the land of lavoro , or happy campania . livy saith that the said city was made at one and the same time a colony of the romans , with alba , which was of the territory vestino ; but possest by the samnites . this which livy saith , that sora should be of the territory vestino , is true , for this reason , that the city vestina being near garigliano , in the plain of sessa , that which was from the mouth of the river even to sora , by the river garigliano , all under one only name of vestini became so called , and garigliano and sessa were comprehended under the self-same of vestini . livy saith that the sorani becoming rebels and joyning with the samniti , went against them with all their force , and saith that in this rebellion the sorani cut in pieces the roman colonies that were there ; which stirred so great desire of revenge , that at length the city was taken by treason , one of sora bringing in ten romans secretly into the castle , whereupon the citizens broke up the gates in the night and fled away , and the roman army freely entred in , and there were taken of the sorani , authors of the rebellion , and the death of the roman colonies , and were carried bound to rome , and cruelly beaten in the market-place , and afterward put to death to the great contentment of the people , which desired as their proper interest , that in their colonies their citizens might be secure . but within awhile following the romans sent another colony to sora under the consulship of l. genutio , and of servio cornelio , the which for a long time remained there peaceable : but in the time afterward of gregory the ninth , was destroyed by the emperor frederick the second ; and for all this , was by the same citizens repaired , and in process of time increased in much honour and riches , and is now reputed one of the best cities in all that province , and is adorned with the title of a dukedome . the said city on the one side is compassed with a stately and strong wall , and the other is defended with the river fibreno , which hath its beginning under the mountains of capistrello , which is a country in the apennin , eight miles above sora , which river entreth into garigliano ( called in old time liris ) near the monastery of st. dominico of cisterniensi . this river aboundeth with water , and seemeth to be that which according to pliny cometh from the lake fucino , which in the beginning is divided into two branches , whereof that on the left hand , by means of the high and steep mountains is very swift , but that on the right hand running by a rock , and falling not from that hight as the other , passeth with a pleasant current very calm and beautifull . these two branches being joyned again together under sora , make an island very delightfull , and of much traffick , which the ancients have called interamina . following the course of these rivers , are these countries following torre , campolato , isoletta , and colledrago . now above the isle before named , which with those two arms makes garigliano , there are very high hils , and almost wholly disinhabited ; and on the right hand there is a country above those rough and cragge hils , very pleasant , called comino , which is invironed with very high hils , and hath seven countries wel inhabited that is , vicalvo , alvito , santo donato , settefrati , piacinisco , gallinaro , and casalviero . this country was in old time called comino , of a city which was there so called , whereof livy speaketh in many places , and chiefly in the tenth book , where he saith , that it was taken by spurio carvillo consul , being entred within it , and his souldiers retired , which had the guard of the market-place , there was given to papirio the consul eleven thousand and thirty men , the first being killed by four thousand three hundred and eighty . in this same country on the right hand under the hils is atina , an ancient city , which was one of those five which made arms for the aid of turnus , against aeneas , according to virgil in the seventh of eneidos , quinque adeo magnae positis incudibus urbos tola novant , atina potens , &c. at the side of the said city runneth the river melfa , which riseth in the apennin hils , and entreth into garigliano , near pontecorvo , a city whereof virgil and livy make mention . coming down into the bottom of this country on the side of the said river , under the castle of casalviero on the left hand , is a little country which they call schiavi ; and yet lower upon a very rough and craggie hill is arpino , a famous city , whose stately walls yet standing declare the greatness thereof ; and although it hath been the natural country as well of caio . marius as of marcus tullius , the one the mirror of chivalry , the other of eloquence , yet that preferring learning before martial affairs , used for the arms m. t. c. under arpino on the left hand near the river melfa is fontana , a little country ; and hard by is arce , a worthy city , the territory whereof aboundeth with great store of excellent fruits , and hath a goodly fortress , and is beautified with the title of a dukedom . not far off followeth the city aquino , called in old time aquinum , which is almost ruinated , whose reliques manifestly declare what great estimation it had in former times , where apparently are seen the ruines of stately buildings , with goodly statues of marble . both now and ever aquino hath received much honour by giovenale a satyrical poet , and victorino an excellent geometrician , who flourished in the time of leo the first ( according to the opinion of some ) he found the computation of easter , according to the course of the moon , at the perswasion of pope hillary . moreover pescenio negro emperor of rome , hath honoured this country , as herodian declareth in his second book of his cesars . and although the said city be almost ruinated , nevertheless it hath the dignity of a county . here robert guiscardo the norman was created with great solemnity duke of apuglia and calauria , by gregory the seventh , bishop of rome , in the year . as biondo writeth in his histories , and platina in the life of the said gregory . but above all , that angelical doctor st. thomas , hath most honoured aquino , the which though born in naples , is sirnamed of aquino , because his ancestors possest that country , with other cities and lands . iohn menardo saith , that the said angelical doctor was of the house of frangipane ; others say that he was of the noble family of sammacula , and that afterward from that seignory ( as we have said ) which they had of aquino , they were sirnamed of aquino , the which family was much advanced by adinolfo , county of aquino , for as much as by the common consent of the gaetani , he was created duke of their city ; among the ancient poets , rinaldo of aquino hath been very excellent , of whom monsignor pietro bembo maketh mention in his epistles . now coming again into our former order , leaving the ancient city of aquino , there is on the left hand roccasecca , and on the right hand upon a high hill is the famous and worthy monastery of monte casino , builded upon the ruines of the noble city of casino , an ancient colony of the romans , and a worthy city of the lat●nes , which ( as livy writeth ) had a colony brought together with minturn , the which in the time of the romans was very famous , for that noble and stately temple of apollo , which had a hundred and fifty high and mighty pillars . the said monastery was builded by st. benedict norsino , for his monks , in the year of christ ● where totila king of the goths going to visit him , understanding he had a spirit of prophesie , and purposing to make tryal , if that which had been reported were true , put on lackies apparel , causing another to go before him , cloathed in kingly ornaments , which feigned himself to be totila ; but the saint knowing of god the deceit sent unto him with a cheerfull countenance to stay with the rest of his company , and pointing to the king which was basely appareled , requesting him to come into the monastery . but neither this , nor other the like signes of sanctity , which st. benedict declared to the lombards , were sufficient to restrain the unbridled fury of these barbarians , that they might not destroy this monastery , the which was foretold to the monks by their father st. benedict . it was afterward repaired again upon the first foundations , and also enlarged years after by petronio petronasso bresciano , through the perswasion of pope gregory the second , as paulo diacono writeth , and elia capriolo , in his third book of the brescian histories . the revenue of these monks yearly , was more then fifty thousand crowns . there lieth with great devotion in the said monastery , the bodies of many saints and blessed people , especially that of s. benedict norsino , the founder and head thereof , and of st. scolastica his sister , whose holy bodies were there found in the year . whereby it seemeth that that cannot be true , which paulo diacono writeth of them , saying , that in the year , in the time of gisulfo , prince of benevento ▪ the said holy bodies were carried by certain frenchmen into france , where to the honour both of the one and the other , were builded two royal monasteries . the which opinion is so much the less true , as that pope zachary affirmeth to have seen the bodies of these two saints with his own eyes in the mount casino many years after ; wherefore we will give more credit to the report of a chief bishop , and to the bodies which were found and seen in the year . then to the opinion of paulo diacono . pliny declareth in the fourth chapter of his seventh book , that in the said city of casino in the time of the consulship of licinio crasso , and of caio cassio longo , a girl in a certain house b●●●me a boy , which by commandment and advice of their southsayers was carried 〈◊〉 left in an island abandoned . at the foot of the mount casino is saint germano , a new city , so called by the name of a holy abbot which built it . going farther is theano , called by pliny and strabo , theanum sidicinum , a city whether augustus sent a colony ; and not far off is calvi , an ancient city which was builded by calai , the son of borea , which came into these places after the return of the aragonanti , as silio declareth in his eight book , although livy and festo affirm that the first inhabiters were the ausoni . afterward we come to piedemonte of alife , a good and a plentifull country , and full of worthy people , where through the commodity which they have of the water , is made good cloth of wooll ; out of this country hath risen many excellent men , indued with much learning , among the which these are of the greatest note , philippo francisco of piedemonte , which commented the poetry of horace , lodovico paterno , an excellent vulgar poet ; but in these our daies the said country is much renowned , by means of certain gentlemen which being contented with their retired estate , live vertuously , employing the time in the exercise of divine learning , and some of them in giving councel to others in the profession of the laws . of the same country was nuntio tatiaglia , which composed the practice of the civil and criminal lieutenantship . following the same way is lauro , situate in a pleasant and delightfull place . this city was builded by ruberto orsino , count of nola , as cantalitio the poet writeth in his fourth book , where he saith that the said count built it , because that great captain consalvo ferrando of cordova received in the said place the crown of laurel , after he had the victory of the french. this country hath the title of a marquis , the lord whereof is don scipio pignatello , a most worthy man , and of very honourable and vertuous qualities . a little farther is palma , which belongeth to the said marquiss , the which castle was also builded by the said count of nola , and to this intent i will not omit to speak of the plain of palma , so much commended for the hunting there , where that great alfonsus the first of arragon , king of naples , built to this purpose a sumptuous palace , which afterward was destroyed by charls the eight , king of france , although the reliques are yet to be seen . hard by is the ancient and noble city of nola , so called by strabo in his fifth book . this city was builded ( as trogo affirmeth ) by the giapigii ; but according to solmo by the tirii . it was very great in old time , this city , as ambrogio leoni declareth in his first book of nola , that the wals thereof ( as he saith ) were in compass paces , having twelve parts , and was built round . nola may boast , that the emperor octavius augustus the monarch of the world died therein , in honour of whom , tiberius his successor in the empire , builded in the said city a stately temple , the reliques whereof are yet to be seen : there are also to be seen in this place , many reliques of ancient and stately buildings ; now it is not so great ; though it be very populous . the amorous flora was of this city , who dying , left her only heir of all her jewels and riches the people of rome , and so much money was there found in her house , with the iewels which they sold , as were sufficient to build the walls of rome , and also to redeem the commonwealth : wherefore the romans , because she had her beginning at rome , and also had left all her goods to the commonwealth , built a most sumptuous and stately temple in memory of her , from whose name they called it floriano , wherein every year , on that day which she died , they celebrated the feast of the goddess flora. suetonio tranquillo saith , that the first feast which the emperor galba celebrated in rome , was the feast of amorous flora , in the which all the romans , both men and women might lawfully commit any lascivious dishonesty , which then was accounted the most holy , that which that day was most dishonest . st. felix bishop hath given great honour to this city , whose body lieth in it , and as they say , there riseth continually manna out of his holy bones , whose life was written by st. paulino bishop of this city . st. paulino was the inventor of the use of bels , an instrument utterly unknown to the ancients , which is now so necessary in the church of god : he gave it the name of campane , because he invented it in campania , where is the aforesaid city of nola , of the which he was bishop ; and that the citizens ever since glorying therein ( as rightly they may ) have alwaies used to give a bell for the arms of the city . and to say something of the famous counts of nola ; monsignieur guido da monforte was the first thereof , a most noble and valiant gentleman of france , which came with charls the first of angio to the conquest of the kingdom , with whom he was in great estimation , and having one only daughter , called anastasia , married to romano orsino , chief justice of the kingdom , who by the death of his father in law , succeeded in the county , which was the first of the family of orsina , which had seigniory in the kingdom . the posterity of this man have proved all worthy men and very valiant ; but the matchless paragon of all was ramondo , which florished in the time of charls the second , for being chased away and forsaken by his father , went into soria , after he had in a journey into the holy land , done many valiant exploits against the moors , and overcome in a private combate , a most fierce and mighty saracin , who carried a rose upon the top of his wreathed turbant , returned home into the kingdom with great honour , and for a token of that victory , joyned it with much glory to his arms , whereupon through his great magnanimity and valour , was made prince of taranto . that principality hath been continued even to this present , one of the most important members of the kingdom , for it contained very much land , and cities of greatest importance , which for brevity i omit to name ; so that ramondo being a very mighty and great lord , the house of orsina was very famous through all italy . r●mondo married the lady mary of eugenio ▪ of an honourable proginy in france , who after the death of her husband ; having the tuition of her children , became queen of naples , at such time as king ladislao besieged her in taranto , who being not able to subdue her , resolved to take her for his wife , and so by that means to possess the inheritance of the children of ramondo , of whom the first was iohn antonio , who redeemed the principality of taranto with money from iames , husband of queen ione . this iohn antonio increased much his patrimony with lands of great importance , and was highly favoured by alfonsus of arragon , king of naples , who made him great constable , which is the chiefest of the seven offices in the kingdom , with a hundred thousand duckets yearly for a pension . and to return to the counts of nola , they were great l●rds , for they possest sarno , tripalda , palma , avella , lauro , forino , ascoli , and other lands . but afterward felice orsino , prince of salerno succeeded in the county , who having little experience in worldly affairs , through the d●●●ension and division of the kingdom , lost his state in 〈◊〉 time after the death of his father . and king ferrant the first gave salerno to robert 〈◊〉 , and nola , tripalda , ascoli , lauro , and forino , to orso orsino , 〈…〉 great chancellor of the kingdom , and partner with him in the wars against iohn antonio orsino ; whereupon the line of romano orsino , which had ruled nola almost two hundred years , was extinguished , and the principality of salerno , rose of the house of orsino years after he had it . but this line afterward of the count orso , continued but a small time , for the lady santola , a citizen of nola , by whom he had two sons , the one duke of ascoli , and the other a knight , lost all their inheritance through the wicked means of their mother , who lewdly justified of her own accord , that they were not begotten by the count orso , were deprived of all their right by king ferdinando , who gave the county of nola , with cimitino , avella , monforte , lauro , palma , and ottoiano , to the count nicola orsino of pitigliano , whose successors possest it untill the year . the which don arrigo , in serving the french , lost his life and his state also ; and so ended the line of the counts of nola , which were so famous in this kingdom . now returning to our former order , i say , that from the city of nola are also sprung many other famous men , as well adorned with learning , as with military discipli●e , which would be too teadious to repeat , and therefore i re●er the reader to ambrogio lione , who very exactly nameth and describeth them all . but for us it shall be only sufficient to name the noble families , which the said leone writeth of , which are in the said city , and are these following , albertino , alfano , barone , capos●rosa , candido , cesarini , coriale , carmignano , campobascio , de ferrariis , de elia , freccia , fellecchia , fontana , rosa , del iodice , ioseph , infante , de gennaro , maffei , marifeulo , morra , mastril●o , mazzeo , notariis , de palma , perarii , perrigioanni , rehi , risi , santori , sassolani , &c. and at this present the bishop of this city , fabritio gallo neopolitan , a prelate ( besides his learning ) a man of sincere and pure life , who with much diligence composed a sinodal book of his diocess . there are many other places , the which i think not fit to recite all , but the greatest and most important i have not omitted any , but the small and little , as those which are thought to be of little or no account , i have neglected , assuring you , that to the integrity and soundness of the work , it shall not fail in any momentary matter . the arms of this noble country is in a field asur●● cornucope in salter thorow the middle of a crown the first of ●eres , the other bacchus or ; the which arms signifie the great fertility and abundance of the country , which as it were queen of every other province , exceeds them in all the benefits of nature . whereupon in confirmation of what i have said , i will concluded with l. floro , who speaking thereof , thus writeth , omnium non modo italia , sed toto orbe terrarum pulcherrima campaniae plaga est : nihil mollius coelo ; nihil uberrius solo , nihil hospitalius mari . denique bis floribus vernat , ideo liberi , cererisque certamen dicitur . hic illi nobiles portus caieta , misenus , & tepentes fontibus baiae , lucrinus , & avernus , qu●dam maris otia . hic amicti vitibus montes ●aurus , falernus , massicus , pulcherim●s omnium vessuvius , aetaeni ignis imitator . vrbes ad mare , formiae , cumae , neapolis , herculanium , pompei , & ipsa caput urbium capua , quodam inter tres maximas , romam , carthaginemque numerata , &c. the principality on this side the second province of the kingdome of naples . the ancient inhabiters of this province were called the picentini : but arechi the second , th duke of benevento , in the year . much enlarged his dukedom , for as much as he not only subdued by force of arms the picentine people , but also the irpini , whereupon growing proud , usurped the title of prince , and was the first in italy that attributed to himself that title , and so commanded that his state should be no more called a dukedom , but a principality . and from hence perhaps it so came to pass , that within a while after from that new title of prince , all that part of the picentini , and of the people irpini , by one only name were called principato . the confines of the picentini , according to strabo , ptolomy , and sempronius , hath on the west the happy campania , on the north the irpini , on the east the river silaro , and basilicata ▪ and on the south the tirren sea. this said country was within the said limits in breadth miles , and in length , beginning from sirenuse even unto the mouth of the river silaro furlongs , which is miles . but according to pliny only . the circuit of which country contained a part of old campania . the romans brought these people from adria to inhabit here about the borders of pestano . but afterward being confederate with hannibal the carthaginian , the romans for this cause became afterwards their enemies , who in disdain drove them out of the country , and were forced to dwell elsewhere , as some report , their principal city was picentia , as pliny testifieth , the which are also so named by pomponius and silius in his eight book , from the which these people derive the name picentia , of the picentini , as some say . others affirm that the sabines having chosen of a new people , ce●ain colonies , sent them under the conduct of pico , which brought them into the borders of pestano , and there built the city of picentia , from whence they were afterward called picentini . others say that they were so called of piceno , from whom their fore-fathers draw their first original , and that from their city the people were so called . and last of all others say from pico , their captain , they had that name , which led the first colony of sabines into a part of pestano . the territories of this province are very fruitfull in many places of all sorts of corn , and have sufficient store of cattel ; and where there is not that abundance of these things yet that great mother nature yieldeth other things very plentifull , which in time of harvest sufficiently appears , that even among themselves there seems a certain emulation . besides this , the sea , which every where with great abundance of divers sorts of fishes , both shel-fish and others , furnish it , as it were glorying it self comes nothing behind the other . to conclude , the greatest part of this region bringeth forth corn , wine , oyl , rice , and all other sorts of pulse . and those places which are any thing scarce of these things , besides divers excellent fruits , yield hony , silk , bombace , and saffron : whereupon many say this region is seasoned and tempered with all the graces . it is also adorned with pleasant woods , and thick and shady groves , and hath high and stately mountains , and delightfull hils , with great plenty of springs and sweet waters . on the sea-side it hath many secure & safe havens , and goodly shores , and the places much inhabited ; it hath besides all sorts of fruitfull trees , and particularly those which were transported by hercules unto us out of media , as citrons , limons , and oringes , which the beautifull nymph amalfi planted in the pleasant vallies of this country , a place which seemeth to the beholders thereof , a most beautifull embrodery or arras work , where the nearer a man cometh , the more pleasure increaseth both to the eyes and the nose , besides the mirtle trees , the bayes , the gelsomine , the roses , the rosemary , and flowers of sundry kinds , and other the like plants , from whence proceeds such a fragrant smell , which mingled with divers odours , yields an admirable sweetness . who can be able to declare the ornament and furniture of the vines , from whence are had such sweet and delicate wines ? verily the places of this region are so delightfull and pleasant , that they are worthy to be numbred among the most beautifull and most delicate of all italy . and here the air is temperate and wholsome , and through all the year excellent hunting ▪ both for fowls and beasts . in truth the territory of this beautifull region is such , that all italy hath not almost the like , wherefore it may be called a perfect work of nature . in praise whereof that learned iulius cesare scaligero composed these verses , quae borcae g●lidas furias contemnit ovantis : torva procellosi despicit arma noti medorum , & silvis foecundas provocat auras , fundit , & à biseris indica dona jugis . protinus autumnus veris cum tempore certat , et ver cum autumni tempore certat item huc accessit hyemes venerantibus uda capillis , et peperit mirans , & sibi poma legit . tuta mari fruitur : terrae dominatur amarae , et coeli mutat jura . quid ergo ? dea. but having now made a description of this country , which beginneth at the mouth of the river sarno , leaving the castle of stabie , going by the mediterrane , four miles distant from the said river , is the city noceria , whereof m. tullius and livy makes often mention ; now called of the pagans nueera , because the saracins held it a certain time , their army being overthrown at garigliano by pope iohn the tenth . this said city is indued with the dignitie of a dukedom under the family of carrafa . and in this city among others , are these noble families , pagano , rinaldo , and vngro . on the right hand of nucera are certain hils , in the midst whereof lieth the land of tramonti , so called because it is situated between the hils . at the side of these hils on the left hand , near to a very pleasant valley , is sanseverino , a good and an excellent country , from whence ( as some affirm ) the noble family of sanseverino derive their original , whereof have descended more excellent warriers then were in the trojan horse , of whose noble deeds histories make sufficient mention , and whereof we have also discoursed in the noble families of naples , whereto i refer the reader . but returning to the said country ( although it be of a later time ) nevertheless is very famous for the excellent wines that are had out of the fertile valleys thereof , which the latines call amineum vinum , whereof virgil saith , sunt & animeae vitis firmissima vina . some had opinion that from the ruines of the ancient city of aminio , sanseverino should be builded , in which noble country are many worthy families , as the curiale , capacini , caiano , folliero , dell ' abbadessa , pandone , pescara of sarno , sambarbato . somewhat lower into the said valley is a country called the water of mela , of the latines named aqua malorum , where died queen margarite of durazzo , wife to charls the third , king of naples . near to the said country is a certain river which passeth a few miles , but dives under the earth , running through certain holes and channels in the ground unseen , the space of a hundred paces , and then riseth out again so great and clear as at the first . on the right hand of the valley , and of the river , upon a hill , is the city of cava , so named by the situation where it standeth . for that adalferio pappacarbone , a noble salernitan in the year . drawn with holy zeal to do penance for his sins , retired himself into this place , abiding in a certain cave . the fame of his vertuous and holy life , encouraged many to do the li●e , whereupon in process of time it came to pass that place was much frequented for the worship and reverence of the sacred hermitages and churches that were there ; for the which guaimaro the sixth , prince of salerno in the year . built for the benefit of the monks of the order of s. benedict , a sumptuous and stately monastery , and indued it with great revenues . in process of time following , the said monastery was given in commendum to certain prelates , but came afterward into the possession of the cardinal olivero carrafa , who understanding the good life of the said monks restored it to them again , pope leo the tenth agreeing thereto ; at which time the cavaioli desired of the said pope a bishops sea , which they obtained , and moreover was ordained that for maintenance of that pastoral charge , the monastery aforesaid should give yearly to the bishop a thousand and eight hundred duckets of revenue ; and so it appeareth that the cavaioli had made a great beginning to their cathedral church . thus much concerning the original of this city , where are these noble families , anna de curtis , gagliardo , longo , ponza , rocca , and tosone . the cavaioli are ingenious men , and of great traffick ; but above all , full of spirit and courage , wherein generally appeareth in them a ready inclination to fight , and are very obstinate in their opinions , and therefore very litigious , and full of contention with every one . returning to the shore of the sea , from nuceria eight miles , leaving the castle amare , and on the left hand also passing by a great and mighty high hill , where from the side that lieth towards the north is gragnano and littere , small countries , in the plain going by the side of high and spacious mountains , which pass along to the terrene sea , makes the cape of minerva or ateneo , called also pren●sso , sirreo , and the hill equano , which is now so called by the amalfi , in which arm of land are these cities , vico , sorrento , and massa , which we have described in the province of the land of lavoro , being so divided by the kings court. in the aforesaid arm of land endeth the haven of crattera , or rather the gulf of surrento , made of two promontories , that is by miseno and ateneo , which lieth towards the south . now all the circuit which is in that bending , which is of this promontory towards the east even to the nearest places of the territory of salerno , now belonging to old campania ( as strabo affirmeth ) is called ( as ●ath been said ) the coast of amalfi , from the city of amalfi , where lieth a pleas●nt and an excellent country to the south , which is in length little less then twenty miles ▪ here between the stony and craggie rocks and steep hils , lieth pasetano , praiano , trani , and the noble and pleasant city amalfi , in the which in a most sumptuous and stately church , is preserved with great reverence the body of st. andrew the apostle , where continually attendeth a priest which hath charge thereof , which ( they say ) accustometh to bestow on every one that comes thither , certain viols full of clear and sacred liquor , by the citizens called manna which ( as they say ) continually issueth from that holy body , the which was brought thither by pietro capoano of amalfi , and cardinal of st. marcel , which was in the year . the head of the said glorious saint in the time of pope pius the second , was transported to the worthy city of rome in the year ● . where now it is most religiously kept . there is also the church of the capuocini , called the canonica , the way whereof is very rough and difficult , where is a reliquary made by the said cardinal , wherein is preserved a great number of the reliques of saints . when i was there , i repuested the keeper of the place to give me a note of them , the which because he could not instantly do it , he sent it me afterwards to naples , written by that good religious man in verse , which followeth ; the which pleased me so well , as to impart unto posterity those reverend and holy reliques , religio , vel casus si huc te duxerit hospes , condita sanctorum cernere corde kara clauditur , ô , tectis , quantus thesaurus inistis accedens sacris , collige , sisquo memor lumine nam tremulo spectabis brachia cosmae carne , cruore , cute , & cum unguibus illa simul . sanguis inest christi : quo dura ex morte redemptus es mortalis homo ? respice , plange , geme . emicat hic ligni pars sancta ex cruce recisi : et tumuli sacri , spinaque morte dei. nam caput hic dioniedis adest venerabile cruce : ictu , iacobe , alto est saucia calva tua . basilii caput est : romani signa colenda : accedunt mentes eustachii ●ssa pias , hic stephani , hic zacheriae fulgentis , & ossa , insontis turbae frustula mult● jacent pangratii cerebrum est : catharinae , ac optima mala : vrsula jamque suo sanguine corde movet . ossa hic marci adsunt . grisostomi , & ossa ph●lippi ; qui moveant nostras , excipiani que preces , plurima sanctorum monumenta hic deinque fragrant : quae carvere suo , haud , nomine , nota mihil haec ut scuta potes miserae tutamina vitae voce vocare diu , quaerere mente pi●i haec tibi succurrent posituro morte dolores namque sodalis eris , dum soci usque comes namque dies aderit supremi transitus orbis ; qua potes istorum scandere laetus ope . nunc calamum sumpsi , nunc haec tibi scripta notavi vive praecor felix , & memor ipse mei . of what great power and authority the said city hath been , the stately buildings that were therein sufficiently testifie , where at this present a great part of the sumptuous arsenal or store-house is yet standing , wherein the amalfitani kept their arms and weapons . in what time , or by whom the said city should be builded , there is no certainty ; for some believe that in the year . certain worthy romans which departed from the city of melfi , and here residing , should build the said city , calling it amalfe . others attributing a more ancient original , say that it was builded by amalfo a roman , and captain of the emperor constantine in the year . and finally others say , that a certain worthy roman lady called amalfe , the daughter of marco marcello ruffo , builded it , and that by her name it was named amalfe . it increased in process of time with much people , and was govern'd many years as a commonwealth under dukes , and oftentimes made war with the salernitani , and others which sought to trouble them , and often had the better , and especially of strangers , it became very famous for the traffick of the citizens thereof , the which for the great number of ships which they had sailing every where , had great merchandize , whereupon through the traffick which they made in the year . obtained the favour of calife king of egipt , whereby they got safe conduct freely to traffick into all his territories , through the which favour , with large and bountifull gifts which the merchants of amalfi bestowed upon him , bound him in such manner , that they obtained what they would , and in particular had licence to build in ierusalem a church , with a house near to the holy sepulchre of christ , to receive the latine passengers which came to visit those holy places , the which church was consecrated to st. mary , commonly called the latine , for a difference of the other places which they had near about the greeks and sorians ; whereupon in a while after they built another house under the title of st. mary magdalene , where they received with all true charity and courtesie , all women that came to visit that sepulchre . but so great a number of people repairing thither , and the place being little and narrow , they made an hospital under the name of st. iohn baptist , and with the alms which was gathered of other devout people , maintained the hospital , in which place they constituted a head , which they called a governor or rector , whereupon after a certain time , a governor of the said place named gera●do in the year . having a long time govern'd the aforesaid hospital , began to bear together with his associates , a white cross in the midst of the brest , on a black garment , and instituted and established a rule of life after the order of st. augustine . the same did agnesa , which was prioress of the monastery of women . the said religion was afterward approved by pope honorius the second , in the year . the rule which was confirmed , went so well forward , that through the liberality of princes they got great riches , and ramondo of poggio was created great master thereof . ierusalem being afterward taken in the year . by salandine emperor of the turks , the said knights in the year . had for their habitation the isle of rodes of isancio angelo the second , emperor of constantinople , whereupon by means of their habitation they were called knights of the rodes . all this we thought good to say , for to declare that this noble and sacred religion of the knights , sometime of st. iohn of ierusalem , afterward of the rodes , and now of malta , have had their beginning from the said amalfitani . arrigo pantaleon speaking hereof , in his history thus writeth , anno . interea amalfitani celebris , ac pia gens italiae varias merces , easque in solitas , & turcis gratissimas in orientem navibus devexerunt , est autem amalphia civitas exterioris italiae , inter mare & montes eminentissimos sita , ab oriente habet salernum , ab occidente surrentum , & neapolim , ab austro siciliam tyrrheno mari sejunctam . ob has ergo novas merces caliphae aegiptio , caeterisque praefectis ac incolis syriae erant acceptissimi , ita ut magistratuum licentia omnes regiones , & urbes circumire , atque merces distrahere omni metu se posito libere poterant . illi autem christianae religionis , & paternarum traditionum memores quoties occasio dabatur loca sancta visitabant . quia verò hierosolymis nullum haberent domicilium , ut in aliis maritimis civitatibus , amicis collectis , calipham aegiptium adeunt , ac per ejus proceres oblato scripto impetrant ut praesidi hierosolymorum nunciaretur ; quo turcarum amicis in ea parte qua christiani habitant locus amplissimus ad aedes oportunas construendas designetur . hac occasione oblata , pecuniam passim à mercatoribus colligunt , & ad lapidis jactum ante januam ecclesiae dominicae resurrectionis , in honorem dei , & virginis mariae monasterium erigunt ; quinetiam alias aedes adjungunt , quae ad usus monachorum , atquae suae gentis hospitium satisfacerent . hoc fundamento jacto , ex amalphia monachos , & abbatem ●o transferunt , & locum ritu romanae ecclesiae deo , & matri virgini consecrant : unde locus ille monasterium de latina semper dictus fuit . cum autem eodem tempore etiam sanctae viduae omnibus laboribus & periculis contemptis ea loca invisirent , nec inter se , mulieribus oratorium , & propriam domum extruxerunt , ubi postea monasterium mariae magdalenae peccatricis fuit constitutumut certus monialium numerus ibidem peregrenantibus foeminis inservirent . paulò post etiam debet caliphae filius cum romano argiropilo ●mperatore constantinopolitano foedus iniit , atque christianis facultatem concessit templi dominicae resurrectionis recuperandi , itaque ecclesia illa circa annum salutis millesimum quadragesimum octavum restaurata fuit , constantino monaco sumptus suggerente , &c. in amalfi the year . was found to the glory of the amalfitani by flavio di gioia the mariners compass by the vertue of the adamant stone , with the sea-card so necessary for pilots , and sea-men , the which invention was wholly unknown in former time , having no other help then the shadow of the sun , and the north star , as it appeared in that voyage of lucano , when pompey after his discomfiture in thessalia , going to lisbone to fetch his wife cornelia , making a journey afterward by sea towards egipt , demanded of the master of the ship , and the mariners , in what manner they guided their bark in a direct course to perform their voyages , where they knew no other way then what we have said . in old time pilots and sailers were accustomed every year to offer in the chiefest church thereof , bountifull and rich gifts , in a gratefull remembrance of so great a benefit ; since the beginning of this excellent invention , they found out not only the longitude of the distance of every place , and the direct way from one place to another , but also to avoid contrary winds , the traversing of the waters , the fear of shipwrack , the danger of rocks , and the incounter of rovers and pirats , whereupon iohn pontano calleth the said city magnetida , and antonio panormitano in praise thereof made this verse following , prima dedit nantis usum magnetis amalphis . the said city is very pleasant for the beautifull gardens that are there , and for the great plenty of water , which yieldeth great commodity in the making of wollen cloath , and iron , and paper , which are there wrought . there are in this city these noble families , alamagni , amallano , afflitto austericcio , bembo , brancia , bonito , capoano , cometurso , comite castello , corsari , alias don musco , cappa santa , d' arco dentice , del iodice , de domio marino , de fusolis , de platamono , favaro , molignana , marramaldo , petrarca , pisanello del barone guglielmo . the arms of this city have been a field per fesse gu . and ar. plain crosses counter-changed , the which signifie no other then a unity and consort of things , which we have declared of the said city . not far from amalfi is the beautifull and rich country of mairue , full of honourable people , called by the letterati , maiorium , which was builded by sichinolfo longobard , prince of salerno in the year . although some affirm that it had its beginning of sicardo duke of benevento , brother of the said prince . the citizens thereof were almost all merchants , and very ingenious ; it hath had at sundry times men of great worth , as vinciguerra lanario , which was lieutenant of the kings chamber , iohn antonio lanario , councellor , and afterward regent of the councel of italy in spain with king philip , by whom through his worthy merits he was created count of sacco . and moreover in those daies , that worthy and learned man farrante imperato hath much honoured that country , an excellent and most diligent searcher , and conserver of all the riches of nature , and is very learned in the experience of simples , whereupon to his great charge hath collected so many divers things , and procured them from sundry parts of the world , which yield no small wonder to every one that sees them , for the which cause many learned men come from far countries , allured through the same of this man , to see in naples his admirable and rare studie . he hath composed two learned works , the one a history of natural things , and the other of treacle , the which works are sufficiently known to the world . he maintains how in naples his most honourable house , with great courtesie and kind entertainment , of the which the city of scala may well boak , that the said family descended from it , which florished with military men . going a little higher , appeareth minori , a little city which is very delightfull for the pleasant gardens thereof full of oringes , citrons and limons , and other fruits . afterward in the top of a hill is the city ravello , full of goodly buildings , and the seat of nobility , where in the principal church thereof is preserved within a grate , the miraculous bloud of st. pantaleone , which being black , and hard as a stone , the day before and after its feast ( as they say ) is liquid and moist , as it was at the time when it was first spilt . the noble families of the said city are these following , acconciaioco , alfano , bove , campanile , confalone , citarella , castaldo , curtis , de vito , de insola , fenice , de foggia , frezza , fusco , grifone , iusti , longo , muscetola , marra , peroto , rogadei , rufula , rustico , sasso , sconciaioco , and others . in these daies paolo fosco bishop of sarno , hath much honoured this city , who writ two learned books , one of visitation and church-regiment , the other de singularibus in jure pontificio . going a little farther is scala , re-edified by the longobards , in which city were these noble families , afflitti , alfani , marini , atrara , bondello , bonito , cavaliero , frisaro , grisone , mansella , pando , rufola , samnella , sasso del cardinale , staivano , sebastiani , and others . the said city was burnt at the same time with amalfi , by the emperor lotharius the third , because they had been very favourable to ruggiero the norman , king of naples , which was in the year . but was afterward by the same citizens newly repaired . descending after towards the shore of the sea , going from amalfi , and sailing towards the east , is a little promontory called the cape of orso , very memorable for the victory count philip , lieutenant to andrea doria had there , then admiral of the king of france , against the empereal army , where were taken prisoners , the marquiss of vasto , and ascanio colonna , with the death of don vgo de moncada viceroy of naples , and of don pietro di cardona , and others ; which thing was the cause that andrea doria left the service of the french king , and joyned with the emperor charls the fifth . the occasions that moved doria to leave the french party , we have discoursed at full in the lives of the kings of naples , and besides in the annals of the said kingdom . going along by the continent of the land , you come to vieteri , called of the latines , vicus veterum , and vetus vrbs , where are many delightfull and pleasant villages , and going a little farther a mile distant from the sea , appeareth the most ancient and famous city of salerno , the head both of this region , and also of basilicata , builded near the river of silare , which riseth from the apennine , where also springeth drumento , which runneth down into the adriatick sea , the said city is situated at the foot of an arm of the apennine , it hath in the front or fore-part , fertile and spacious fields , behind and on the left side high mountains , on the right side the t●rrene sea , which is so near , that the wals are watred therewith ; and from which a gulf very perilous is so named , which mariners now call the gulf of salerno : which by the latines is named sinus pestanus , from the ancient city of peste , which is now wholly ruinated , as is to be seen in the midst of the shore . through all the territory of salerno , are seen pleasant garden● ful of oringes , limons and citrons , and other excellent fruits , and al the year there are flowers , which seem as a perpetual spring , through the happy influence of the heavens , wherefore horace saith , quod sit hiems veliae , quod coelum valla salerni . and therefore all the fruits that grow there are of singular perfection , and especially pomgranates , and the appian apple , whereof is written , omnia mala , mala , preter appia salernitana . the grain rice , which is there in great abundance , is very excellent and worthy praise ; there are also precious wines , and most pleasant in taste . salerno was so named by the river silare , whereof lucan speaketh in his second book , radensque salerne tecta siler . but who should be the founder thereof , no writer hath made any mention . yet the citizens say , that sem , the son of noe built it , and for authority thereof , alleadg an ancient hymn which their clergy were wont to sing the of may , in celebrating the feast of the translation of st fortunato , caio , and anthe , the which hymn thus beginneth , o salernum civitas nobilis quam edificavit sem noe filius non tuis sed sanctorum meritis collaudaris . it is true that it was an ancient colony of the romans , who fortified it , and put therein a strong garison of souldiers , for the doubt and distrust they had of the picentini , lucani , and brutii , which were assembled together with hannibal , whereof strabo in the end of his fifth book thus vvriteth . picentum vero metropolis erat quòndam picentia , nunc verò per vicos vitam agunt , ab romanis expulsi propter initam cum annibale societatem . quo quidem in tempore , pro militari officio , & viatoris publici aut tabellaris operam explerent assignati sunt , quem adm●dum , lucani , & brutii easdem ob causas . paulum autem supra mare romani salernum custodiae gratia in eos munierunt , &c. afterward under the triumvirat of ti. sempronio longo consul , and of m. servilio , and of c. minucio , thermo ; was made a colony at the same time with pozzuolo , vulturno , linturno , and buxento , and from that time following was that city confederate with the romans , and govern'd as their commonwealth , nor ever was it unfaithfull unto the reverend majesty of the roman empire , by which means it increased in honour , and grew very populous ; but alwaies defended it against the fury of barbarians . but italy being afterward overrun by the longobards , salerno came also under their dominion , and so in the year of christ . sicardo the . duke of benevento , and fifth prince , being slain by naningone radelchi the treasurer took the principality of benevento , all things being then in hurly-burly : the salernitans grudging at that election , and to be alwaies subject to the beneventani , with secret practises attempted to wring the seigniory from the hand of radelchi , and to give the same to sichinolfo , the brother of the late slain sicardo , who was then in prison at taranto ; but they perceiving so great an enterprise could not be well undertak●n without the help of the amalfitani , made league with them , and so by common advice sent a bark well armed , under shew to buy certain earthen vessels , which with great secricy they sent to taranto , where the bark arived , and they landed those to whom the charge of so great affairs were committed , so ordered the matter that they came thither by night , and not knowing where to remain , were received by the gaoler , under whose custody that miserable sichinolfo continued , whom they corrupted with money , and made so drunk with wine , became therewith so drowsie , that easily they brake up the prison , and released sichinolfo , wherewith they merrily entred their bark and came to salerno , where the name of sichinolfo being advanced by his partakers and favorites , they drove away and killed the officers and adherents of radelchi , and proclaimed him prince and lord in the year . there joyned with sichinolfo , landolfo , count of capoa , and likewise in favour of him came orso , and radolmondo , the one lord of cou●a ; and the other of agerenza . radelchi seeing so dangerous a conspiracy at hand , and fearing though he delayed no time , they would notwithstanding gather greater force , with an incredible courage caused his people to be assembled , and got together a goodly army , wherewith he came against salerno , whom sichinolfo deferred no time to incounter ; having all these people united together , salernitani , capoani , argentini , and conzani , and coming with him to hard strokes , remained conqueror , having put the beneventani to slight , and many of them cut in pieces , won their quarters , and took from them many ensignes . whereupon with plenty of spoil and glory , entred salerno with great triumph ; and having got so great strength , which was not only sufficient to defend , but also to assail the enemy in his own quarter , with a mighty army came against benevento . but the beneventani being not able to indure , that to the ill-fortune of the first overthrow should be annexed new ignominy , became so desperate to be thus disparaged , charged the back of sichinolfo with the uttermost of their fury , forcing them to retire , and turn their back , having put to the edg of the sword not a few of those which were not speedy for their own safety . the saracins of sicilia understanding these stirs , unwilling to omit so good an occasion , incontinently entred calauria , and overcame taranto , going against puglia , a city of the same province , put it to sword and fire . in the mean time lodovico king of italy being invited by londone , count of of capoa , son of landolfo , to yield some redress to the afflicted state of the longobards , having cut the saracins in pieces , made division of the principality between sichinolfo and radelchi , who remaining prince of benevento , with the bounds of that state , and sichinolfo possessing the rest , with title of prince of salerno , which was in the year . and so was made the division of the principality of benevento between these lords ; and now began the title of the principality of salerno . the arms of these princes now laid aside ▪ sichinolfo no long time after enjoyed the fruits of his great labours , being assailed with a grievous sickness , departed this life , having by itta his wife left one only son , by the name of his grandsire called sicone ; who being also a child , left him to the tuition of pietro his gossip . sichinolfo reigned little more then ten years with fame and the reputation of a liberal and a valiant man , to whom radelchi was not much inferior , who having reigned twelve years lacking one month , died the year ● . leaving heir of his estate his son radelgario . lodovico king of italy being gone , the saracens that held the city of bari , began by little and little to spread over puglia , and to prey and spoil the country , the which thing proceeding happily , partly encouraged them to spread even to the tirrene sea , forraging and miserably spoiling calauria , and partly to run thorow all the principality of benevento , whereupon the longobards being unable to resist so many evils , recalled lodovico again into italy , who delayed no time to come , and having with many battels brought the saracins to extream misery , conceiving indignation against sicone , banished him from salerno , and constituted prince thereof ademario son of pietro . to ademario succeeded danferio , and to him guaiferio , and next after guaimaro , who died the year . by whose death his son gisulfo succeeded in the principality , in whose time things were in some quiet . in the year the body of st. matthew the evangelist was brought to salerno , which had been first in ethiopia , where he suffered martyrdom ; and after in brittain , was found by revelation of the same saint , the authors of that age write , that three years after were seen two suns , and that in the month of iuly , two daies together , all the sea which is between naples and cuma , became sweet . gisulfo was a mercifull and valorous prince , and began in the honour of the said saint , a magnificent and stately church , beautified with high and mighty pillars of marble , and under the alter bestowed the sacred body of the said saint , ( where they say ) is seen much manna , which alwaies issuing from his reverend bones , are often the occasion of admirable effects . gisulfo dead , the principality fell to landolfo , who being possest with zealous and holy devotion , continued monk , and in the year resigned his state to guaimaro , the son of the other guaimaro . in the year after . the emperor corrado entring italy for the displeasure he conceived against the archbishop of millan , and understanding the injuries and tortures which the prince of capoa had do●e to the monks of casino , being very dishonest and wicked , the emperor came with his army to the mount casino , and again understanding the lamentations and complaints of the fathers , incontinently went to capoa . the prince fearing him , retired into the fort of st. agata ▪ the which he one day doubting his ill dealings , had caused to be very strongly fortified ; whereupon the emperor being not able to lay hold of him ▪ deprived him of the principality , and gave the same to guaimaro , prince of salerno . guaimaro being now become a mighty prince , through the uniting together of so many great possessions , received ambassadors from mainace , lieutenant of the emperor of greece , desiring him to give him aid of his normans , he being with a mighty army of grecians , and many calaurians , and puglians , in expedition to expell the saracins out of sicilia . to whom the prince sent guglielmo , dragone , and vnfrido , the sons of tancred with other normans , a small number , but valiant people , with the which they recovered a great part of sicilia . now the prince guaimaro growing proud with so great felicity ill intreated the salernitani , whereby becoming odious to all , they took one day occasion , that as he went to recreate himself upon the shore of salerno , to assault him , and gave him deadly wounds ; and afterward in contempt of him , they drag'd him a long time about the walls of the fortress and the city . but guido lord of surrento inviting the normans to aid him , neglected not the revenge of his brothers death , having recovered the city , and put gisulfo his son into his fathers seigniory , executed . for the death of the prince . but within a few years following , gisulfo grew into controversie with ruberto normando , duke of puglia his cousin , the duke with a strong siege begirt salerno , where finding the prince grievously sick , died not long after , and so came the principality of salerno under the normans , who after with the title of king , governed the whole kingdom , from whose dominion in the year . it fell into the house of suevia , by the right of queen constance , the only heir thereof , from whence it came to pass in the year . that charls of angio having slain manfred , and overcome currandine under the french , created his first begotten son , cal'd charls the lame , prince of salerno , who succeeding in the kingdom , was the second of that name . afterward the kingdom came under the durazze , which queen ione the second having a desire to recompence in some measure the services which antonio colonna had done for her , created him prince of the said city , which seigniory retained certain years , untill alfonsus of arragon the better to settle his foot in the kingdom , having with large promises drawn unto him raimondo orsino , count of nola , a puisant lord , to bind him the more unto him , made him prince thereof , which dignity remained no long time in that house , for that it fell into the kings exchequer by rebellion of daniel orsino , the which principality king farnando in the year . gave to ruberto sanseverino count of marsico , his great admiral . notwithstanding that seigniory continued not long with them , for that ferrant the third , prince , made rebellion against the majesty of cesar , whereby all his estate was confiscate ; and so from thenceforth the said city was made a part of the kings demesnes ; now it remaineth peaceable under the protection of the most potent catholick , king philip. all this i thought good to declare , the better to satisfie the reader , how this famous city came under princes , and last of all their kings . but now returning to speak of other things , which give no small ornament to this city ; one thing is the publick and famous school , which for a long time hath alwaies florished in every faculty , and especially in philosophy and phisick , for which it was called the city hippocratica ; francisco petrarea speaking thereof in his commentary , thus writeth , fuisse hic medicinae fontem testator antiquitas , and although it be a most ancient famous uniuersity ; nevertheless it is said , that in the year of christ . charls the great instituted it , at which time two others were founded by him , the one in paris , and the other in bologna . this city is very plentifull of all necessary things for the sustenance of living creatures , and in it is the kings audit , and the treasury of the province . the citizens thereof are very ingenious and nice , and very much inclined to the exercise of weapons , and learning , and to all vertuous indeavours , they are also very courteous and modest , and generally in all appeareth a certain natural civility : the nobility is divided from the people in three quarters or courts , which they call seggi , and are these , portanova , portaretese , elo campo , in the which seggi are these noble families following . in portanova are aversani , capograssi , comiti , dello iodice , grillo longo , mazza , morra , pagano , pinto , santo mango , salernitano , de stafano del barone d' accadia , scattaretichi , serluchi , & vicarii . in portaretese are these , aiello , coppola , capoano , curiale , del pezzo , guarna , pagliari , pantoliano , prignano , manganaro , porta , rascichi , rugiero , and vivaldo . in the segge of campo , castellomati , cavaselice , david del regente , del pezzo , granito , guardato , grillo , ruggio , sciabichi , solimeni , and trentacapilli . there are also many other ancient and noble families , the which for that they are not comprehended in any of the said seggs , i think it not amiss at this time to make no mention of them . and therefore you are to understand , that although of the family of pezzo there is mention made in two of these seggs , yet for all that are they not two different families , but one and the same , being a thing very manifest , that their original came from collen , a famous city of germany , where at this present is a branch of the ancient stock , and descended from iohn del pezzo , a valiant and famous captain , which wandring along time , served in the wars both here and there , whereupon by means of the wars which were in italy , came hither , following the faction of the arragonese , and as he was very expert in military discipline , shewing much maturity of wit , and invincible courage of an excellent mind , and incomparable wisdom to resolve the difficulty of the affairs of warr. he was in great estimation with alfonsus the first king of arragon , from whom he obtained many bountifull and rich gifts . of the valour and magnanimity of the said iohn , a certain large priviledg maketh sufficient mention , which i have seen , made by the same king , under the date of castiglione of peschiera , in the year . and of ianuary , in the which priviledg was decreed that one pietro de biscolis should not presume to bear for his arms , a lion se●ant or . with the tail through his legs , and turning up towards the head above a fesse ar . in a field gu . declaring that these arms were the ancient ensignes and coat armor of the said family . besides , the said family prospereth in many other corporations , in divers places , as pietro de pezzo descending of iohn , went to amalfi to the government of that state , was comprehended in the number of the nobility of that city , and luke his brother serving the duke of amalfi , marquiss of guasto , in the wars of lombardy , being a captain of much renown , in his return , passing by rome , was by the decree of the senate made with his successors of the race and line of the roman senators , the which line is now to be seen , in the segge of the nobility of campo , in salerno . and francesco del pezzo the son of pirro , being by the favour of king philip created auditor of the same province , was reckoned among the nobility of the segge of portaretese . this family hath alwaies had excellent men , both in learning and military affairs . and among others , don ieronimo del pezzo , a noble man , well qualified , which for his excellent parts was by the favour of king philip , honoured with the order of the knights of st. iames. and among the rest iohn andrea , knight of st. iohn of malta , which valiantly fighting in the enterprise of zara died there ; and now liveth with much honour , silvio , knight of the same malta , and of sincere life and singular learning besides the lord cesare del pezzo bishop of sulmo . what they were in old time their royal issue sufficiently declares ; the men of this family have been lords of many castles and great revenues . but in these daies they possess the barony of st. mango in cilento , and the barony of prato ▪ st. pro in the county of aquila● the one is baron tiberio del pezzo descending of luke , a lord of most pleasing behaviour , and a great lover of vertue ( which is one of the rarest noble men of these daies ) the other possesseth hortenzio del pezzo doctor of law , and descended from pirro before said . now returning to salerno , in whose reverend churches the bodies of many saints are in rest , whereof marc. antonio marsilio colonna , arch-bishop of the same city , very largely discourseth . many ingenious and learned persons have given great ornament to the said city , as in phisick matteo silvatio , who at the instance of king rubert writ aphorisms , of phisick : trota , or trotula de ruggiero , a woman of great learning , which composed a book de morbis mulierum , & eorum cura , and another de compositione medicamentorum . abella which very learnedly writ two books in verses , the one de atrabile , the other de natura seminis humani . mercurial composed four books , the first de crisi , the second de febre pestilentiale , the third de cura ulcerum exteriorum , and the last de unguentis . rebecca guarna writ de febribus de urinis , & de embrione . boccuccio grillo writ de differentiis pulsuum , & de febrium causis . iohn of proeida , although he were lord of the isle of procida , notwithstanding he was an excellent phisician , and composed a learned work of phisick , and was the author of the sicilian evening against the french. in the same profession there have been in these latter daies very excellent men , as paolo , grisignano , francesco d' alfano , antonello , and iohn cola di rugiero . in the faculty of the law were very famous pietro bailardo , of whom the gloss maketh mention in l. quinquepidum , c. finium regendorum . iohn cola de vicario , an expert ▪ doctor , which is much commended by iohn vincenza , in the deciding and defining of freedoms and priviledges , charls de ruggiero for his learning was a counceller of great estimation , of whom afflitto testifieth in his definitions . tomaso de simeone , whose works not long since were committed to the press by sebastian maffa . iohn angelo papia , a most worthy and famous doctor now liveth , and hath read years continually in the publick schools of bologna . pirro alfano , a man of excellent fame , whose writings are a sufficient testimony . no less famous have been iulio pomponio lieto , masuccio guardato , iohn andrea longo , and andrea guarna , which composed that excellent and learned discourse , entituled , bellum grammaticale ▪ benedetto ruggio being a very famous rhetorician , was sent by king alfonsus , ambassador to the state of venice , where he died , whose funeral marc. antonio sabellico performed in the behalf of the said state , extolling his singular vertues . moreover this city hath no little fame for the two mighty fairs , which are there every year , the one the third of may , and the other the of september , the first continueth eight daies , and the other ten , where merchants come almost from all parts of italy , sicilia , schianonia , graecia , and asia , and other nations to sell their wares . this city contended with capoa for the precedence , and in the general assembly of the states in the publick parliament at naples , which could not be finished for the obstinacy and wilfulness of the factions , the claim and contention , the catholick king ferdinando , moderated so the matter ▪ that he appointed capoa to speak , saying , that it should speak before salerno . the arms of this city is in a field azur under the evangelist s. matthew the protector thereof , fix barrs ar. and gu . the which ensignes are the arms of hungaria , which charls the second of angio king of naples gave to the said city , because his wife mary the only daughter of king stephen , succeeded in the aforesaid kingdom of hungary , the said king charls being before ( as hath been declared ) created prince of salerno . leaving salerno and sanseverino , twelves miles off , upon the side of a hill is sarno , the town lieth beneath in the plain , and the castle is seated higher upon the hill , which overlooketh both the town and the country . from hence walking towards naples , about a mile and half , we encounter the head of the river sarno , over the which is an entrance or passage guarded with a tower , naturally fortified by the river and the hill ; the which place by the inhabitants of the country is named the mouth of sarno : the said country is adorned with the dignity of a count , subject to the family tuttavilla . there are in it these noble houses , abbignente , alteda , balzerani , lupo , pandone , mont●oro , romandia , de specchio , and others . six miles after we come to montoro , and not far off is the worthy country of montecorvino , built in a beautifull valley at the foot of a hill , near the which , in a place which they now call pattipaglia , are seen the ruines of the stately and ancient city of picentia , called by strabo , picentum , which was destroyed by the romans , because it was confederate with hannibal the carthaginian . eight miles off , near acerno is seen among the hils , campana , a city so called because it is situated in the borders of the province of happy campania , and the said city is invironed by two little rivers , the one called atro , and the other tempsa , the which are full of fish ; and the territory thereof is part plain , and part hilly , where are thick woods of oak , and therefore very good hunting both for fowls and beasts , the plain thereof is almost all full of olive trees , and vines , and in the desert hils are often taken goodly airs of strange falcons . of this city was the holy man st. antonio a monk of the order of st. benedict , who in the year , being created by his monks , abbot in the monastery of the city sorrento , went thither , where living godly , there died afterward , whereupon in token of his good life , god shewed after his death many miracles , and in particulars towards those which are visited with evil spirits , whose holy body the sorentini with great reverence keep within their city , neither stick they to say that he was their citizen . there are in the said city , these noble families , bernalla , campanino , ciminello , greco , guerrieri , de nigris , viviano , tercasia , and others . now liveth with much honour to this city ▪ augustino , and detio bernalli , both doctors of the law , and very learned , and great lovers of vertue . the said city was in the time of the ancient kings indued with the dignity of a count ; but in the year . the emperor charls the fifth advanced it to the title of a marquiss , in the person of honorato grimaldo genoway , lord of monaco , under the enstalement ( to speak like a lawyer ) to hold it as a feuditory liegman , and not with the succession of inheritance , whereby he that is lord of the castle of monaco , and shall defend it at the pleasure of the king of naples , doth succeed to the said marquiship . eight miles distant is the country of conturso , the which is compassed with the rivers sele and negro , it hath a most pure climat , and a plentifull territory ; of the said country was that excellent and learned man antonio pepi , called by his sirname peperone , which was judge of the great court of the vicaria in naples , and writ a book de omni vero officio . iohn cola pepi was very inward with the king farnando , which for his great skill and experience in the laws , was by the said king made his counceller , and to iames his brother he gave the bishoprick of capaccio . no less learned in these daies is sertorio pepi , a man singularly qualified and very faithfull . this noble family hath for a long time ruled the said country , with other castles . going then four miles is quaglietta , a little castle ; and no more then miles distant , but from salerno . we come to the fair and ancient country of evolo , by ptolomy called ebulum , which was builded by the people eborini , so naming it by the first son of iupiter king of athens , the said city stands not far from the river sele , and the river tusciano , the current or stream passeth along by the walls thereof , named by the country people , toliero , which virgil calleth tanagro , when he saith , sicci ripa tanagri . the river sele called by strabo , siler , riseth in the apennine , where the river aufido hath his beginning , which runneth by apulia , and falleth into the ionian sea , near barletta three miles ; but sele runneth towards the south , and leaving campania by basilicata , in the end falleth into the tirrene sea. the said river ( according to strabo , pliny , and sillio italico ) hath the property to change into a stone whatsoever is put therein keeping the colour , and the first form thereof . it is reported by grave and credible authors , that in the time of ione of angio , the first of that name , queen of naples , took the scepter of the kingdom , a woman of ev●li , having brought forth a son , became her self a man. it is also verified that in the year ▪ in the same city , a woman called emilia , maried to one antonio sponsa , after she had lived years with her said husband , was changed to a man , and pontano which knew her , testifieth that afterward she exercised the office of a man , and besides took a wife , and that allowing her a dowry , by commandment of king ferdinando , the judge inforcing the said antonio to yield it her . the same iohn pontano , a man rather divine then mortal , witnesseth in his tenth book of celestial things , which antonio panormita reciteth , that a woman of gaera , after years she had been used by her husband , her natural member suddenly altered , and she became a man , wherefore to avoid the scorns that were made thereof both by men and women , became a frier , and so lived all the remainder of her life , where the said pontano affirmeth to have known her , and that she was buried in rome in the temple of minerva : therefore that seemeth not so wonderfull which pliny writeth in the fourth chapter of the seventh book of his natural history , which things , with all that appertain , seem rather impossible then miraculous ; nevertheless for my self i cannot deny the authority of such persons , and especially that which philosophy cannot only not deny , but also approve , for that according to philosophers and phisicians , the man differeth not , nor is known from the woman by any member , but by being either too hot or too cold , because the nature of man without all doubt is more hot then that of women , and by the power of this heat it so falleth out , that nature driveth out that member in men , which in women by reason of their coldness , remaineth inward , whereupon it may be , that after some certain time , or by some meat , or the air , or by some other occasion that coldness may be so inflamed and heated , that it may now do that , which in the birth it could not . but returning to evoli , the said city hath very fertile territories , and spacious fields , abounding with all good things beneficial for the use of living creatures , whereof the said city glorying , beareth for arms , the four elements . the bones of st. berniero lie with great reverence in it , in a glorious church , dedicated to st. peter the apostle , at whose sepulchre ( as they say ) god sheweth wonderfull miracles towards those which are possest with evil spirits . from the said country eight miles , near to the river silare is the reverend church of st. vito , where resteth his said holy body , together with modesto and crescentia the nurse ; whereupon all those which are bitten with mad-dogs repair hither , and by the intercessions of the said st. vito ( as they say ) are presently healed . there are in the said country these noble families , caravita , clario , corcione , christophero , crispo , fulgione , fiorenza , gentilcore , granato , giuliano , ligoro de loisio , malacarne ; marcancione , mirto , monaco , millone de novellis , orso , della porta , perretta , ragoni , raghi , russo , saceo , troiano , and others . going from evoli no more then twelve miles , is aquaro , a good country , so called for the abundance of water which invironeth it round about . that r. padre matthia iuono , sirnamed aquario , of the order of preachers , hath given great honour to this country , of the learning of this man , many works written by him are sufficient testimony , that is to say , certain learned discourses upon all the principles of logick , natural philosophy , metaphisick , and the soul , upon the four books of sentences , and another book in particular of the exquisite learning of the controversies between st. thomas and all the other doctors and philosophers , with a brief discourse de memoria artificiali , & de significationibus terminorum juxta doctrinam sancti thomae . the said learned man died in the year . walking a little forward is the country of olivito , the natural country of camillo borrello , an excellent lawyer . olivito was so named because the territory thereof is full of olives . but leaving these mediterranean places , and walking the ruinous way by the shore , we come to agropolo , where is reported , that through the delicacy of the air , women at twelve years of age are capable of husbands , like to the cipriots , which at that time lose their virginity . after we come to the castle of abbate , is the cape of licosa , first called the promontory of possidoniate ; hard by is the castle of bruca a relique of old velia , with the river electe , which taketh the name from the city of elea , and hither the romans sent to celebrate their accustomed sacrifice to ceres their goddess . before the country of elia are the two little isles of enotrie , which have two little artificial havens , the one called isacia , and the other pontia . afterward appeareth upon a high hill ▪ cammerota , in a small circuit of ground , builded ( as some affirm ) by the reliques of the ancient city of molpa , which standeth but a little distant . going afterward some few miles is a goodly fortress ▪ near policastro , with the gulf which the ancients call the haven saprico , is the city of sapri , now named bonati . within the land is capaccio , novi , and the valley of diano , a litle from whence upon a hill is a country called atane , on the other side is polla , tito , and sala , so called because the hils are full of sage , whereupon because in this valley riseth a great spring of water which the city of diano takes the name from , atane of atteone , tito of titan , which is the sun , apolla of apollo , it seemeth from the resemblance and near affinity of these names , and from the pleasantness of the country the fable might here have had its beginning of atteone , the son of aristeo , with diana . after followeth the fenn with the rich monastery of st. laurence , possessed by the carthusian monks , and not far distant is laurino , saponara , and marsico , with many other places . but to conclude , touching this province it remaineth that i now declare the disposition and nature of these people , which are of a strong constitution , and naturally merry , ready in arms , desirous of learning , wary in their affairs , and given both to pleasure and profit , they are also painfull and industrious , and inclined to traffick ; the gentlemen are comely and neatly attired , nothing differing from the manner of the neopolitans ; but the common people respect not so much civility , for as much as they cloth themselves with cloth made of course wooll , and base attires on the head . all the men in general are very jealous , both of their honour and their wives , whereupon proceeds the old proverb , picentinorum zelotypia . in bargaining and contracting their affairs , it behoveth a stranger to be very wary , for what with deceitfull and flattering speeches and many oaths , they easily deceive those that buy any thing of them . the arms of this country is per fesse ar . & sa ▪ unto a sea-compass , four wings extended and fixed in salter , with the north-star in chief sinister or . the which said arms declare unto us that in this province was found ( as hath been said ) the mariners compass , with the vertue of the adamant stone and the sea-card , by flavio di gioia , whereupon the two fields , the one signifieth the day , the other the night ; the four wings which are joyned to the sea-compass , declare the four cardinal winds , and chiefest in the world , that is to say , the east , the west , the north , and the south ; the shining star signifieth the north star , wherewith through that excellent invention , pilots and mariners might sail both day and night with any wind . the principality on the other side the third province in the kingdom of naples . the people of the principality on the other side , are part of the ancient irpini , and derive this name from lupo , which conducted them into this province to inhabit , for so much as the sabines call lupo , irpo , the which strabo declareth in the end of his first book , saying , ordine de hinc sunt hirpini , & ipsi samniticae gentis . qui quidem ex lupo nomen adepti fuerunt , qui eis in deducenda colonia dux oblatus est samnites enim lupum vocant hirpum . the limits of these people were on the east lucania , at this present called basilicata , on the south a part of the said basilicata , with the picentini , and the happy campania , on the west the sabines and the vestini , on the north the apennine hils , and the plain apuglia , now called capitanato , with the saracins and the peligni . there is also contained in this province a country , now called the dale of beneventana , the principal part of all sannio , where have been done greater exploits , and more in number then in any other part of italy . this country hath higher hils then the apennine , from whence proceed in certain places little brooks , and from almost immeasurable cliffs and rocks , which is the cause of many rivers , streams , lakes and springs , it stretcheth in length ( going along by the apennine ) miles from the head of vulturno , to the beginning of the river silare in basilicata , and of so many rivers which water this valley ( except some few ) all first fall into the river sabato , and afterward into vulturno , so that from the lower part , sabato seemeth a snag , or a branch of a tree , among all the other boughs thereof . in matese , which is a promontory of the apennine , did inhabit the most valiant people of all sannio . of these people which remained upon these hils , livy saith that they were alwailes faithfull to the sannites , neither could the roman army go much before them . the principal city of this region is benevento , edified ( as servio affirmeth ) by diomedes the greek ▪ and livy saith that it was first called malvento , and that it was made a colony of the romans at the same time with arimino , under the consulship of p. sempronio , and ap. claudio . the said city was maintained many years in great peace under the government of the romans , untill the coming of tottila , king of the goths into italy , who destroyed it with great slaughter , and so remaining ruinated for certain years , was afterward repaired and possest by the longobards more then two hundred years , at which time they became lords of italy , and established their siege or ●ea● in the said city , and named it the dukedom of benevento ▪ the which dukedom contained all happy campania , which we now call the country of lavoro , except pozzuolo and naples , the greater part of the sannity , of benevento , isernia ▪ and guasto , even to the river pescara , which of the ancients was called aterno ; and all that which was contained under the name of feligni , of marsi , and of marrucini , now commonly called abruzzi . the first duke of benevento which began to reign in the year : was zotone , which reigned twenty years , to whom succeeded in the dukedom , arechi , sent thither by agisulfo , king of the longobards , who ruling years , died , left his successor aione his son , which died in the year . aione dead , rodoaldo five years quietly possest the dukedom , who died in the year . and left grimoaldo his brother to succeed him , a worthy warrier , who became king of the longobards , the year . whereupon romoaldo his natural son remained duke of benevento , which reigned years , and died in the year . whom grimoaldo the second , his son , succeeded , which reigning three years , and died the year . and left the seigniory to gisulfo his brother , who having reigned , as erechemperto saith , years , died the year . and left romoaldo the second , his son , successor and heir of the dukedom , which held that seigniory years , and died in the year . by the death of romoaldo , gisulfo the second , his son succeeded in the state , and died in the year . after gisulfo , luitprando took that dukedome , which reigned years , died the year . and arechi the second succeeded him , which was a valiant and a worthy prince , and as we have elsewhere said , was the first of all the dukes of benevento , which caused himself to be entituled prince , and perhaps lord of all others , which untill that age had but the particular title of lordship . he would also wear a crown upon his head , and caused himself to be anointed by bishops , and in the end of his priviledges and letters papents , and other writings , caused this to be added , scriptum in nostro sacratissimo palatio ; the which dignity , in what manner he obtained it , is not known ▪ except it were granted by king desiderio , whose son in-law he was . great were the wars of this king which he made with the romans , and the bishops that lived in those daies in rome ; so that adrian which at that time ruled the apostolick sea ▪ was inforced for his refuge to slie to king charls for aid of the french , in such manner that stephen the second his predecessor , through the to●l and travel which king astolfo urged him unto , was constrained to submit himself unto the power of king pepin the second , father of the said charls , who for his great enterprises was afterward sirnamed the great . then came king charls in the aid of adrian , and overcame king desiderio , and took him prisoner in the year . in the month of may , and absolutely took the kingdom of italy from the hands of the longobards , the which for the space of ● years possest the same ; but he thought himself no absolute conqueror unless he subdued the prince arechi , especialy for that by the right of his wife he pretended a title to the kingdom of italy , he made war against him . but the prince knowing his power unable to resist the puissance of so mighty a king , which was now come to beleaguer the city of benevento , was constrained to accept such conditions as were offered unto him , acknowledging himself from thence forward to be under the crown of france . many notable things are written by the longobards of this arechi ; for because that when charls sent unto him ambassadors from salerno to perform the covenants agreed between them , disguised himself through the fame of his great renown into the habit of a royal ambassador , to see himself the prince arechi , and having seen the magnificence and splendor of his court , the number of knights that attended him , his great abundance of plate , his stables full of excellent horse , and the majesty with the which he gave audience , and the wisdom wherewith he answered , returned to his people with great admiration , often times saying , that the prince arechi and his court was far more excellent then the fame thereof . he bestowed much labour and great cost to repair , and newly to fortifie salerno , that he might have one secure fortress upon the tirrene sea. there repaired unto his court , paolo diacono when he fled to st. mary of trimiti , whether he was confined by charls the great , and was by him and his wife well entertained . finally , arechi being of the age of years , died the of august , in the year of our lord . having reigned prince years and months . arechi dead , grimoaldo the third , his son , succeeded in the state , which with king charls and pepin , made great wars , and died the year . having reigned years and months . by the death of grimoaldo , was created grimoaldo the fourth , son of delrico which was treasuror of prince grimoaldo ; but making himself odious to some , was slain in the year of our lord . having reigned years lacking months . great contention suddenly arose among the beneventani about the principality : but in the end sicone , a noble lord , was created , which died in the year . and reigned years and months . sicone dead , his son sicardo succeeded in the state , which made great wars with the saracins that molested the kingdom : but perceiving afterward they had set foot in sicilia , and therefore doubting left in time they would overrun all the islands of that sea , sent through all those places to search out the bodies of saints , which were there found , and caused them to be brought to benevento with great reverence . among which the most excellent and worthiest work he did , was , that he caused the body of st. bartholmew the apostle , to be brought from lipare . sicardo was slain the year . having reigned years wanting months . after the death of sicardo , radelchi his treasuror got the principality of benevento , which reigned years , and died the year . in whose principality succeeded radelgano his son , which died the year . and left his successor radelchi his brother , though by some writers he is called adelgisio , which fled into corsica the year ( as regione saith ) . afterward gauderi the son of radelgario got the principality of benevento , who held it but two years and half , and to him succeeded the year . radelchi his cousin , son of the prince radelchi , and held the principality years lacking months . the principality of benevento came into the possession of aione , the year . under whose regiment , and the ensuing lords , the saracins being almost the space of years setled in a place called garigliano , committed infinite evils through the country of lavoro . among other mischiefs which were done in the year . they burnt the monastery of monte casino . not long after departed basilio , emperor of constantinople , the year . to whom succeeded leone his first begotten son , in which time the prince aione taking occasion by the death of the emperor , the greatest part of his state revolted ; whereupon leone having endured this injury certain years , at length in the year he sent against him a strong army , under the command of simbatizio patrizio , who being three months encamped about benevento , happily subdued it years after it had been possessed by the lombards , beginning from zotone the first , duke of benevento untill to this time . simbatizio patrizio having possest the dukedom of benevento , used the authority of a prince ; after whom came giorgio patrizio , by whom the said state was governed years and months . coming afterwards in the year guido , marquiss of toscana drove away the greeks , and held the seigniory about years , to whom presently followed radelebi , the which held it two others , untill it was possest by at●nolfo castaldo of capoa , in whose house the principality of capoa was joyned with that of benevento , who maintained it a long time in great prosperity . atenolfo being now made castaldo of capoa , was afterward in the year . entituled prince of capoa and benevento , in the which house for the space of years that seigniory remained . atenolfo died the year . and atenolfo and landolfo his sons succeeded him in the principality . atenolfo died about the year . and the principality only remained to landolfo , which by that most valiant prince luitprando , received many overthrows , and died the year . and left that principality to his son pandolfo , which was sirnamed iron-head . the prince pandolfo departed this life the year . and left eight sons , whereof landolfo his first begotten had the principality , and died the year . and landenolfo took the government of the state , which was slain the year . the prince landenolfo dead , his brother laidolfo succeeded in the seigniory , which continued not long in the principality , in whose place was in the year . created prince pandolfo of st. agata his son , in which year the emperor otho the third was crowned in rome , under whose principality historians recite , that the emperor going about to take away from benevento the body of st. bartholmew , the apostle , there was given him instead thereof the body of st. paolino , bishop of nola ; of which deceit being informed , made war with the beneventani , but growing grievously sick , raised his siege , and as he much desired , returned into germany , little regarding the heat of summer ; being come into his natural country , departed this life the year of our lord . and so the beneventany were delivered of so grievous a war. henry the second succeeded in the empire by the election of the princes of germany , who in the year . levying a mighty army came into italy to the prejudice of the greeks , and understanding the ill demeanor and most wicked proceeding of the prince pandolfo , took the prince prisoner , and carryed him along with him into germany , and the principality of capoa he bestowed upon pandolfo count of tiano . henry the emperor having builded in bamberg , a city of germany , a noble church in the honour of st. george , and desiring that the same might be consecrated as a cathedral church , benedict the consenting thereto obtained with condition , that the said church should give by way of tribute yearly to the bishop of rome , a mark of silver with a white horse well furnished ; but within a while the bishop receiving in gift from the emperor benevento , the tribute from the church of bamberg was discharged , by this means then benevento came under the dominion of the church , which we have declared in our history of the lives of the kings of naples , and after we have declared how ruberto guiscard having possest benevento , being desirous to expell the saracins out of italy , came to the parlament in the city of aquila in the year ▪ with pope nicolas the second , which was much laboured by the roman barons , and guiscard having with great humility adored the pope made peace with him , and he restored the city of benevento , and all other places which he held belonging to the church , whereupon the pope did not only receive him into grace and favour , but created him duke of puglia and caulauria , and so ruberto was now made a vassal of the church . benevento being afterward possest by ruggiero the norman , king of naples , william his son who succeeded in the kingdom , restored it to pope adrian the fourth , as a thing properly belonging to the church , whereupon he was by him confirmed in the kingdom , the emperor frederick the second , and king of naples , having been excommunicated by gregory the ninth , disdaining the same , ruinated and made spoil of the said city , and threw the walls even to the ground ; being afterward repaired by the citizens thereof , was by charls of angio , the first of this name , sacked , because they were known to be favourable to king manfred ; and although this city sustained so many spoils , yet the citizens thereof alwaies repaired it . st. gianuario martyr , was bishop of benevento , whose body lieth with great reverence in the principal church of naples , where ( as they say ) are seen many miracles of his holy blood . there was born in benevento , felix the fourth , called the third ; victor the third , and gregory the eight , bishops of the holy church of rome , which were of exemplary life , and indued with learning . orbillio grammatico was very famous in the time of cicero , which for his austerity and severe speech , was by horace called the wonder . rofredo and odofredo , lawyers of great fame were thereof , from whence afterward descended the house of the odofredi in bologna , alberto morra cardinal , and dionisio which was also a cardinal , angelo catone , a learned philosopher was count and arch-bishop of vienna . marino bilotta was president of the chamber under king ferrant the first . mercurio of vipera was dearly beloved of the roman bishops , and imployed in divers affairs , and afterward made auditor of rota ▪ pietro of the worthy family candida , was councellor of state , and captain of the principal fortress of the kingdom under king ferrant the first . bartholmew camerario , a famous lawyer , having been from the beginning in most honourable imployments in the service of the emperor charls the fifth , was made lieutenant of the kings chamber , with title of keeper of the patrimony . he was in great account with pope paul the fourth , by whom he was created in rome purveyor of the store , and general of the army ; he was afterward entertained by king francis in france , and made his councellor . leonardo grifo most expert in the affairs of the church of rome , whereupon he was created arch-bishop of this country . thomaso controviero , a man of princely behaviour , was in great account with paul the sixth , by whom he was created bishop of the city of penna , and vice-legat of bologna , and had been advanced to greater honour if the death of the pope had not hindred it . gabriel de blasio , being a man of great vertue , was made judge of the vicaria , and of the kings councel . two men of the family bilotta have carried great honour in their country , which florished in the time of our fore-fathers , the one called iohn camillo , the other s●ipio , of whom the first being a man much learned in many sciences , was by the king imployed in divers honourable affairs , and was created the first exchequer-advocate of the vicaria , and afterward of the sommaria . and the second was a most vertuous and a good man , and was general commissary of the kingdom against malefactors , which through his good government brought them into peace and tranquility , and in reward had the office of exchequer-advocate of the vicaria , which his brother held , and had enjoyed , if untimely death had not prevented it . this famous city hath also brought forth many excellent men in arms , of whom omitting to speak , i refer the reader to the histories which largely discourse thereof , among whom two have been very famous in the time of our fore-fathers , as hectore savariano a valiant souldier of his age , of whom giovio in the life of leo the tenth maketh honourable mention . and andrea candido , prior of barletta , knight of the rodes . there are in the said city these noble families , aquino , avolos , bilotti , bottini , candidi , capassi , calendi , capobianchi , caraccioli del leone , contestabili , controvieri , del ' aquila , di blasio , di enea , del sindico , della vipera , egittii , filingieri , grisi , laurentii , leoni , mascambroni , mazzei , mazzilli , monforti , morri , pesci , sallaroli , savariani , tu●i , vico , vintimiglia , vitro , the arch-bishop of this city hath bishops his suffraganes , which number no other place of christendom hath equalled . this city is situate in a plain place , near a plain full of little brooks of water , with many hils round about very plentifull , and distant from naples miles . writers affirm that in the division that was made of the roman empire between charls the great , and f.l. nicesero the greek , the dukedom of benevento , and the city of venice were appointed as the limits and confines between the one and the other ▪ now because we have sufficiently discoursed of benevento , we will declare the quality of this country , the which although it be full of hils , is nevertheless very pleasant through the variety of the situation , high , low , plain , and very commodious for tillage , because the country is wholly inhabited , and aboundeth with all good things . the hils are covered with vines and fruitfull trees , the dales and plains with corn , and gardens , there are also thick woods , and watered with many rivers , and store of cattel , of corn , wine , oyle , flax , apples , chesnuts , both great and small nuts , pears , and other fruits of great goodness and perfection ; whereby in time of harvest it doth appear that it contends in equal comparison with other plentifull provinces , and above all there is excellent hunting both for fowles and beasts . the aire is subtle and wholsome although cold ; there are moreover in this country in the territory of prata , mines of gold and silver , which for that they yield no great profit , are not much regarded . distant from benevento little less then ten miles , is the valley of caudina , where was the ancient city of caudio , the reliques whereof yet appear ; and not far from thence is the ancient harpino , now called arpata , which is very near to the gallows of caudine , very famous for the overthrow which the romans had there , where the consul and the roman army by deceit inclosed , were constrained by the sannites to pass shamefully under the yoke , the which place the country-people now call the streit of arpaia , which stands but a little distant from the city , the which is indued with the dignity of a marquiss , subject to the house of guevara . on the other side of the valley caudina , are these countries , st. martino , st. angelo a scala , afterward cometh the same river , which joyneth with the river sabato , which riseth from montevirgine , a high and spacious place , in the valley whereof , the first country which is there is altavilla , afterward is the castle of montefredano , and near the valley is the ancient city of avellino , which is now written in the exchequer roll avellinensis , but in the books of the roman court , avellinus episcopus ; and the territory thereof aboundeth with great store of small nuts , and therefore by the latines they were called avellanae nuces . the said city is dignified with the title of a prince , which the family caracciola the red possesseth . then followeth mercuriale , now called mercugliano , the country of the holy hospital of the annunciation of naples ; and above that hill is the noble church and monastery of montevirgine of white monks , of the order of st. benedict , which was builded in old time in honour of cibele , mother of the gods ; but changed by the christians into the honour of the glorious mother of god our saviour , the virgin mary , a place of so much beauty and sanctity , which not only excelleth in fame through all this kingdom , but through all italy , and beyond ; whereupon at two several times of the year , that is to say at whitsontide and our lady day in september , there concurs and flocks together from far and near places , innumerable people bringing all sorts of presents . this monastery is the head of the said congregation of montevirgine , and therein are continually resident monks . in the church there is a reliquary , which the monks of the same place say , that a greater is not in all christendom , for so many bodies of saints , and other reliques that are therein , among which there are to be seen ( as they say ) the entire bodies of the three children which were put into the flaming furnace . there are other notable things , as the sepulchres of kings , and other princes . the founder of this holy place was william of vercelli , of whose life , manners , and miracles , and of the things abovesaid , who desireth to have a full and true satisfaction thereof , he may read the history of the original of the notable things of montevirgine . six miles from benevento upon a very high hill , is seen the country of montesuscolo , where resideth the kings audit of the province , and every sunday is held a market with great concourse of people . and a little distant is the castle , and montemileto , which hath the title of a county . afterward we come to the hils of the apennine , which are called monti tremoli , where ariseth the river sabato , which passing by low places , in the end is joyned with the river vulturno . antonio in his book of remembrance , calleth this river sabbatum ; but the people of the country name it the river of benevento , because it runneth near the said city . afterward we come to these countries , montefalcione , candida and serpito ; but above the high and difficult mountains , called monti tremoli , above named , appeareth the city vulturara . above benevento little more then the third part of a mile , runneth the river calore into the river sabato ; on the right hand whereof , which bendeth towards the hils and mountains , which we have said to be above benevento , are these castles and countries , pia , chiusano , the old castle , and a little above montella , an excellent and goodly country , indued with the title of a count. over the river calore two miles from sabato , the emperor valentine made a great and magnificent bridg , joyning with the way appia , which was therefore called valentino , which is now all ruinated . on the left side of the said river are these countries , apice , where was another goodly bridg , which was joyned with the said way appia , and then mirabella , tauraso , cursano , bagnulo , cassano , nusco . and afterward beginneth the apennine to rise , where springeth the river calore , and on the other side of the hill in like sort riseth the river ausido , which the country people call lofanto , which passeth through apuglia , and runneth into the adriatick sea. then cometh on the right hand of calore the river tripalto , which is near the populous country of tripalta , which hath the honour of a dukedom , in the principal church whereof lieth with great reverence the body of st. ipolistro martyr and priest. on the right side of the said river is a long and spacious wood , called by the same name tripalta , near the which on the side of this river are situated these countries , bonito , grottamenarda , flumari , and vico. on the left side of the said river is melito , amando , zuncoli , and then up towards the apennine is a great back of the hill called gr●m● , which through the great difficulty to climb up , is called crepacore , upon the which hill springeth the river moscano , which runneth into calore , in the same place where entreth the river tripalto . on the right hand of moscano is corsano , and montecalvo , and in the distance which is between the said rivers upon a pleasant hill is the city of ariano , called in old time ara iani , of a famous temple which was there , and dedicated to ianus . on the right side of moscano are these countries and castles , montemale , buon , albergo , casalalbore , and the freemens castle . afterward is to be seen the mouth of the river tamaro , which runneth into calore , and hath as great plenty of water as any other above named ; and between the said two rivers ; as it were in the midst , is paluda , a populous and principal country , and somewhat higher on the right side of tamaro are these countries and castles , sain●● iorio , molinara , reino , santa maria del colle , where died iacobo caldora a famous and a valiant captain , cercello , cassano , and santa croce . here beginneth a mighty great wood which incloseth on both sides the apennine hils , so that one part stretcheth even to fortore , a river of puglia , the other to tamaro , the which wood is four miles in breadth , and twenty in length . on the left hand of tamaro are these countries , pietrapulcina , pavoni , pestolo , fragnito , campolottara , the monastery of giulietto , morcone , and in the apennine , supino , an ancient country , whereof livy maketh mention . then followeth altavilla before named , which hath the dignity of a count , subject to the noble house of capoa , above the which , in a hill of the apennine is to be seen castellovecchio , near which riseth the river tamaro . having now described this region ▪ it remaineth that we now discourse something of the inhabitants therein , the which are very sturdy and strong , and of healthfull complexion , and all are exercised and expert in arms , and in learning they grow excellent which apply themselves unto it . but in merchandize they are little imployed , which so falleth out because every man is contented with his own goods . those in general which dwell in the country are attired after the fashion of the neopolitans , but not the women , the which go diversly apparelled , and very few use to wear a mantle upon their gown , they dress their heads with base attires , only covering them with a broad linen cloth , neither do they wear pantosles , but shooes and chopineos . the natural colour of the people inclines more to white then a swart colour , in reasoning and discoursing they are very stately and disdainfull , and great braggadochios , but very obedient to their superiors . the arms which this region have used is a field per fesse gu . and argent , a crown in chief or ▪ the which arms i think signifie no other then that new title of prince , which the valorous arechi the second , the fourteenth duke of benevento gave in the time that he subdued the picentine people to his dominion , whereupon by the field gu . and ar . would manifest the vertue and courage of this country , which was in the said arechi , and for the crown of gold , which little or nothing differeth from a regal crown , i think signifieth the new lordship , as hath been declared . basilicata , the fourth province of the kingdom of naples . a part of montagna , sometimes named lucania , and another of puglia , were in ancient time called by one only name basilicata , but from whence the said name should proceed is not certainly known : but some think , although they have it not from any great authority , that this province was by an emperor of constantinople , given in dowry with one of his daughters . others affirm , and more probably , that it was so called by basilio , a man very valiant in arms , which in those daies possest all these places , and from this province , and from the country of otranto , with his industry and valour drove away the greeks and carthaginians that were established therein . the river silare divideth this province from vestini , and from happy campania . it hath on the south the tirrene sea , on the east the river lavo , with the brutii , and part of magna gretia , and on the north the pugliesi , the pecutii , with a part of the irpini . these people lucani had their original , according to pliny , from the sanniti , which are now called abruzzesi ; but first the possidoniati inhabited there , a people of magna grecia , afterward the morgeti , seculi , italiani , enotri and pelasgi , and at length the said sanniti were afterward called lucani , the which were a long time popularly governed by themselves , and were so called by lucano a captain , which with a colony of sanniti came into this place to inhabit . the first elephants that were ever seen in italy , were brought hither in the wars of king pyrrhus , and were called lucan buls , in respect of lucania , which was in the year after the building of rome ● . this province is for the most part mountainous and hilly , but yet very fertile in all sorts of grain , and yieldeth excellent wines , for the vines grow to a wonderfull greatness , which proceeds through the perfect temperature of the air , and the ground where they are planted , and for the most part were joyned to the oppi , and embracing and taking hold of them , stretch out their boughs on every side , and in time of vintage is often seen one only vine to be able to make a but or hogshead of wine . moreover this excellent country yieldeth in abundance corn , oyl , hony , wax , annis , corianders , saffron and bombace , of which things the country of tursi , called in old time tarsia , doth most exceed . in this excellent province through the delicacy of the air the trees and roses florish twice in a year , where in every place is seen great abundance of divers sweet and pleasant fruits ; there are also most beautifull gardens , the which for so much as they are watred with pleasant rivers , bring forth excellent citrons , oringes , and limons . on that part which stretcheth towards the sea , the pleasant fields yield no small delight to the beholders thereof , and all the year there is excellent hunting both for fowls and beasts . and it is no less plentifull in heards of cattel and hoggs ▪ wherewith the people of the country make great store of sausages , and sopressate , very excellent and good , which the lucan latinists so call because they were invented by the lucani , whereupon martial thus saith , filia picenae venio lucanica porcae , plutibus hinc niveis grata corona datur . the sea thereof aboundeth with excellent fish , and yieldeth shel-fish of a delicate and pleasant taste , which have within them an excellent pearl . but in describing the country of this province , i will begin from the mouth of the river sele , where it runneth into the sea , that is to say , here from it i will follow along the shore of the sea , even to the river lavo , where it runneth into the sea , afterward i will describe the places of the medeterrane . departing then from the mouth of sile , and walking along the shore of the tirrene sea we come to a place where was the temple of iuno the argive built ( as strabo affirmeth ) by iason ; and going from thence seven miles , is the place where was possidonia , by strabo called pesto , which was built near the sea by the doresi , and afterward magnificently inlarged by the sibariti . servio reciting the authority of virgil in the fourth book of his georgicks , saith thus , biferique rosaria peste . he placeth the said city in calauria , wherein he was deceived , it standing in basilicata . also ovid maketh mention of this city in his first book de arte amandi , saying , caltaque pestanas vincat odore rosas . the ancients call the gulf of the sea which lieth hereby , sinus pestanus ▪ but now mariners call it the gulf of agropoli , and others of salerno , the which gulf beginneth at the shore of the picentini , and so compasseth even to the promontory of possidoniato . peste was called by the greeks possidonia , the which city the ancient ruinated buildings are now to be seen half in the sea : little more then eight miles farther on the shore is to be seen agropoli , and castello del abbate , where is made the best malmsie : directly against it is a little isle called leucosia , by the name of a sirene which did there inhabit ; and going no more then nine miles appeareth castello amare of bruca , with the large and spacious wood , where was the ancient hyela , by virgil called velia . opposite to the place where velia stood , are in the sea to be seen two little islands , called enotrie , the one is named pontia , the other isacia . and for as much as i have written of these six places in the province of the principality on this side , i will speak no farther thereof , and especially having counted them among the places of the said region , though perhaps they rather belong to basilicata . a little farther is to be seen pisciotta , by strabo called pyxuntum oppidum . and from thence two miles appeareth the cape of palinuro , named by the ancients , promontorium palinuri , which was so called by palinuro the pilot of aeneas ship , of whom virgil writeth in his sixth book . having past the cape of palinuro , there is to be seen upon a promontory the ruines of molpa , which was by bellisario captain of the emperor iustinian destroyed . entring now into the land from the sea a mile on the side of the hill is to be seen the emperial fortress , and among the hils standeth francavilla , where is a sumptuous monastery of cathusians . afterward at the foot of the mountain is noia ; and farther within the hils is st. arcangelo , roccanova , castelonova , and episcopia , a country very fertile , whereof the ancient lord is francesco antonio of porta , a gentleman of salerno , whose worthy family was much ennobled by the kings of this kingdom . then followeth claramont , senisi , and the city tursi , distant from the sea fifteen miles , and from the river acri two ; and the said city hath the dignity of a duke , which lately king philip gave to don carlo d' oria , the son of iohn andrea prince of melfi , admiral of the sea. a little farther among the hils is st. mauro and ferrandina , in a populous country made by ferrandino the son of alfonsus the second , king of naples , being duke of calauria . walking yet among the hils , appeareth pesticcie ; and returning by the shore of the sea is the mouth of the river vaisento , where it falleth into the sea ; going a little farther we discover a large and a goodly plain , and half a mile from the sea is to be seen the ruines of the noble city of metaponte , built by the pilii , which came hither from troy with nestor . metaponte was destroyed by the sannites . in the said city dwelt pithagoras a long time , where he died , which after his death the metapontini made of his house a temple , and there adored him as one of the gods. to the which city ippaso , a most excellent philosopher , disciple to pithagoras , hath given much honour . now upon the said ruinated city is corn sowed , and in the end of the territory thereof ( as strabo declareth ) ended the limits of grecia magna . leaving the place where stood metaponte four miles , and from the sea but one , upon a place somewhat elevated , is to be seen twenty high and mighty pillars of marble placed in two ranks , which the country people say that there was the school of archita the tarantine , and passing within the country is the river vasente , and two miles from the said river , at the foot of the hill is pomarico a good country , and the hill miglionico , and six miles distant stands grottola , adorned with the dignity of a marquisat , the lord thereof is alfonso sances decano , one of the councel of state ; and going not far is grassano , and montescagioso . within a mile of bradano . descending towards the sea at the foot of the hils appeareth tricarico , a very honourable and beautifull city ; and ascending up the hils is the city of montepeloso . and ten miles from hence following the right side of the river bradano , is the city of venosa , called by pliny , venusia ; patercolo writeth , that it was a colony of the romans , the which livy confirmeth , which was in the year . under the consulship of p. galba , and c. cotta , horace that eloquent lirical poet hath given much honour to this city , it is adorned with the dignity of a prince , subject to the family gesvalda . from it fifteen miles appeareth canoso , whether terentio varonne the roman consul did retire with fifty of the remainder of the cavaliery at that famous overthrow which hannibal gave to the romans at canna , where l : paulo emilio the other consul was slain . six miles after appeareth lavella , which hath the title of a marquisat , subject to the family of tufo ; then cometh potenza , a populous and rich city upon the apennine , to the which sebastian barnaba a neopolitan gentleman the bishop thereof , now giveth no small ornament , a prelat of sincere life , and indued with great learning . the said city hath been a long time possest with the title of a count by the house of gevara , which through defect of issue male , is now conveyed to the family of noia prince of sulmona . going on the left side is seen the noble and rich city of melfi , from whence iohn andrea d'oria admiral of the sea by the grace and favour of king philip hath the title of prince , a noble man , well experienced in sea affairs , and very honourable . and following the same way is spinazzola , and not far off is stigliano , which hath the title of a prince , which lewis carrafa duke of mondragone enjoyeth , a very rich lord , and much affected to poetry . coming now to a conclusion of this province , the which produceth tall and strong men , with black hairs , azured eyes , and of a white complexion , and generally all are accustomed to cut their beards very short , and also the hair on their heads , their manners and conditions are divers , and in their apparel somewhat base and rude , except those which inhabit in the city , which go very civil , and have good behaviour and conversation , but the common people are very rustical and barbarous , they imploy themselvs to nothing but tillage and hunting , and wrestling , and all practice arms , in so much as there is not a child that knows not how to discharge a pistol and caliver . they little apply themselves to learning . the women are not fair , and basely attired without any ornament or handsomness , but very painfull , and carry great burthens upon their heads . the arms of this province is or , a fesse , counterindented asure voided of the field , in chief an eagles head arrached proper and crowned of the first , which arms signifie the victory which the lucani had , having expel'd and driven away all the greeks out of their country , whereupon the lieutenant of the emperor of constantinople flying with other captains , were drowned in the river bradano . calauria , on this side the fifth province of the kingdom of naples . towards the south in the utmost confines of the kingdom , lieth the ancient province of calauria , in the south part of italy , included within the terrene , sicilian , and ionian seas , like the figure of a beast with six heads , and is in circuit miles . in this excellent and fruitfull province grows almost all things , not only necessary for the sustenance of living creatures , but also for the delights and pleasures thereof . it is all full of pleasant and fruitfull hils , mountains and vallies : the fields are like those of campania felix , they are watred with springs and christaline fountains . here is had all sorts of corn , sundry wines , and in great abundance , all kinds of fruits , oyle , sugar , hony , wax , saffron , bombace , annis and coriander seeds . there groweth gum , pitch , turpentine , and liquid storax . in former time it was never without mettals , but at this present it doth much abound , having in most places divers sorts of mines , as gold , silver , iron , marble , alabaster , cristal , marchesite , three sorts of white chaulk , virmilion , alume , brimstone , and the adamant stone , which being in the fifth degree , draweth not iron , and is in colour black . there groweth hemp and slax of two sorts , the one called the male , the other the female : there falleth manna from heaven , truly a thing very rare ; and although there is not gathered such abundance of silk , yet i dare say there is not had so much in all italy besides . there are also bathes , both hot , luke-warm , and cold , to cure many diseases . near the seaside , and likewise on the mediterrane are goodly gardens full of oringes , citrons , and limons of divers sorts , it is watered with many rivers . there are on the hils of the apennine , thick woods of high firrs , holms , platanes , oaks , where grows the white odoriferous mushrome which shineth in the night . here is bred the soft stone frigia , which every month yields a delicate and wholsome gum , and the stone aetites , by us called the stone aquilina . in this province there is excellent hunting of divers creatures , as wild hoggs , staggs , goats , hares , foxes , porcupines , marmosets . there are also ravenous beasts , as wolves , bears , lyzards , which are quick-sighted , and have the hinder parts spotted with divers colours . this kind of beast was brought from france to rome in the sports of pompey the great , and hunters affirm this beast to be of so frail a memory , that although he eateth with hunger , if he chance to look back , remembreth no more his meat , and departing searcheth for other . the sea then which lyeth upon this happy country , aboundeth with great store of excellent fish , and in many places grows both white and red coral , and near the shore is found the touch-stone which trieth gold and silver from all other mettals . this province is of greater antiquity then any other in all italy , because it was begun to be inhabited before the floud by aschenaza the son of gomero , the nephews of noe , into which place being come where now is regio , through the amenity and temperature of the aire very delightfull , made there his habitation , and founded a city which by his own name he called aschenaza , and the inhabiters thereof were called aschenazei ; which that it may seem true , iosephus which lived in the time of the emperor titus , in his first book of jewish antiquities testifieth saying , aschenaz inslituit aschenazeos , qui nunc rhegini vocantur à graecis . the same also st. ierome confirmeth in his hebrew questions upon genesis saying , aschenas graeci rheginos vocant . the like name of a city was not heard of among any other people except that in calauria , the which city was afterward by the overthrow called of the greeks rhegium ; sicilia being in the same place divided from italy through the violence of an earthquake . calauria was called by sundry names , at the first it was called ausonia by the valiant ausonii , the inhabiters thereof , or as some affirm by ausono the son of vlisses , it was afterward by the oriental greeks called hesperia , because it is situate in the west . five hundred sixty seven years before the destruction of troy it was called enotria by enotro of arcadia , which with a colony came to inhabit in the middle of ausonia , where he builded many cities , the principal whereof was pandosia : this name of ausonia continued many and many years , untill italo was by the enotri created king , from whom they named the said region italia . this italo being a man very ingenious , taught the enotri the manner to till and ear the ground , and to shear their sheep , and lived but nineteen years , and left morgete his son heir of the kingdom , the which ordained that by his name italy should be called morgetia . morgete dead , and the people not contented to continue his name , in as much as he was odious unto them , the name of italy was renewed again , and they called the country italia , the which name continued a long time untill the greeks came to inhabit there ; and then they called it magna gretia , for the frequency of the great number of learned scholars which came thither to hear the philosopher pithagoras ; but as the poet archilao saith , t●was so called through the great multitude of greeks which inhabited there , being drawn through the fertility and pleasures of this countrey ; whereupon ovid in his fourth book de factis thus saith , itala nam tellus graecia major erat . it was afterward by the latter greeks , which came thither to inhabit called calauria , which in our tongue signifieth abundance of all good things , and truly so is it , because there is no place , i will say not only in all italy , but in all europe , that may contend with this , there being not any thing necessary for the life of man , or which may yield delight , that is not in great abundance , and with all perfection : so that corresponding in every part , the effects agree with the name thereof , as plainly appears , that nature it self cannot be more delighted in it self , yielding so many benefits as any country whatsoever . all this country was devided by the apennine into two parts , and that part which was toward the ionian sea was called magna grecia , the which also contained a part of lucania ( now called basilicata ) and did stretch from regio even to taranto . the other part was by the greeks called bretia , from bretio the son of hercules , and of the latines brutia , and stretched from regio to the river laus , now called laino . it hath lately been divided by the kings court into two provinces ▪ whereof the one is called calauria on this side , the other calauria on the other side ; that on this side containeth a great part of magna grecia , and of the brutii , and endeth with basilicata ; and from the one side where is the head of the river acri , and of the other where runneth the river lavo , stretcheth from one sea to the other , except that part which lieth in the east , and is joyned with calauria on the other side . as touching those people which dwell upon the tirrene sea , where the brutii in old time inhabited , are both in nature and manners more temperate and staid then those near the ionian sea , who are more fierce and craftie , as also their colour bewraieth , for the other are white and red , these dark and brown . and for so much by the kings court it is divided into two parts ( as hath been said ) in the superior and inferior , in the one is the cape cosenza , in the other catanzaro ; the one hath cities , the other . and in all three hundred sixty seven with countries and castles . but entring into the particular description of calauria on this side , having past the river turbolo , the ancient bounds of the people lucani , there appeareth turture , in the territory whereof grow many sugar canes ; almost opposite standeth the isle of dimi , scalea , and the river lavo , even where the ancient lucani did arrive : then followeth cerella , belvedere , bonifati and citracro , where are often made many vessels through the great commodity of timber , and pitch , whereof that country doth much abound ; within upon the banks of lavo , is the city of lanio , built upon the ruines of the ancient lau , and the said city is honoured with the dignity of a marquiss , subject to the family of cardin●s : not far off is campotenese , which had this word from the ancient temesini ; having been their territory . on the right hand is the hill apillonio , where is such plenty of excellent pasture , that the best cheese is there made in all those parts ; on the left side is morano , a populous and a rich country , which antonio pio , in his commentaries calleth summuranum , where is made excellent cloth , and every year there is a fair with great concourse of people there about ; the territory thereof is very fruitfull and fertile , and there is made very fine silk , and manna gathered , and on the hill there are infinite store of excellent simples . not far distant from the said country springeth the river sybari , where was the ancient syphei , the ruies are to be seen , whereof livy maketh mention . going thence four miles is saracena , in a good country , called by stefano , sestium , which was built by the enotri , in whose territory is made singular wine , and excellent oyle ; it hath besides mines of gold , and of lead , of alabaster and cristal . near hand about five miles distant is to be seen the ancient country of altemonth , called balbia , which is not certainly known , whether it was built by the ausoni , or enotri . the wines which are there made have a very delicate taste , whereof pliny in his book much commends , and prefers before all the wines of calauria , from whence in their most costly and sumptuous banquets was alwaies the wine of balbano . and atheneo making mention thereof in his first book , thus writeth , vinum balbinum generosum , & admodum austerum , & semper seipso melius nascitur . in the principal church of this country lieth with much reverence the body of st. paolo of malta , brother of st. dominico . there are in the said territory natural hils of white salt , and they are no otherwise cut then if they were stones , and there is alabaster , and two rich mines of gold , of silver , and iron , and the azured lazul stone . and at the foot of the apennine in the territory thereof groweth cristal , and white chalk ; and the river grondo passeth through the said territory , being very full of eeles and trouts . this country was given with the title of a count in the year . by king ferrant of arragonia to luca sanseverino prince of basignano , which now in the said house is maintained . next after followeth the city of st. mark , called by the latines argentanum ; and a little distant is the ancient city meluito , so called for the plenty of vines which grow there ; but in old time it was called temesa , in which place by the providence of god haunted an evil spirit a long time for the death of hippolitus the companion of vlysses , which was there slain against all humanity ; whereupon rose the proverb among the ancients , aderit genius temeseus . noting hereby that gods vengeance never faileth to reward such wickedness , if by humane means it be not punished . the said city was built by the ausoni , which strabo affirmeth in his sixth book , saying , alao prima urbs brettiae tempsa , quam auxonii condiderunt , nostrae autem aetatis homines tempsam etiam vocitant . temesa was a bishops sea , as appeareth in the councels , when hillary the bishop thereof came to the fourth roman sinod under the popedom of agathon . and the territory thereof is very fat and fertile , and yieldeth excellent wine , oyle , hony , fine silk , grain , and other corn , and all kinds of fruits , and from heaven descendeth manna , and there is made great store of bird-lime and glue . hard by is foscaldo , where is great abundance of sugar , hony , wine , corn , and other fruits . the said country is honoured with the dignity of a marquiss . a little higher is the country of lattarico , which by livy is called hetriculum ; hard by standeth torano , and regina , called in old time herinium , built by the enotri , in whose territory is made great abundance of oyle , there is also mines of brimstone , saltpeter , and alabaster ; and a little farther is situate the city montalto , by barrio called vffugium , it had sometimes a bishops sea , which dignity was joyned to cosenza . it hath a good territory , which yieldeth grain , oyle , and other fruits , and there is made great abundance of silk , there is also alabaster , and brimstone , and every year there is a very great fair. it hath the dignity of a dukedom , the lady whereof is the lady mary of arragon , in whom endeth the line of old alfonsus of arragon , king of naples , the which state by marriage fell into the family of moncada . going now towards the sea we may behold paula , a name corrupted , derived from ancient patycos , very famoms for being the natural country of st. francis , the author of the order of the minimi ; hard by is st. nocito , very famous for the excellent sweet wine ; then cometh castellofranco , with the river campagnano , called in old time acheronte , where was slain ( even as he was foretold by the oracle ) alexander , king of molossi , mean while he not understanding the cautions of the devil , rested secure , having avoided another river of the same name in epiro . the words of the oracle were these , aeacida cave accedas ad aquam acherusiam , et pandasiam , quod ibi tibi laetum decretum est . near hand is seen cerisano , called in old time citerium ; and upon the side of the river crati , and of basenta is the famous city consenza , full of people , rich , and very ancient ; it was a colony of the lucani , in old time it was the chief city of the brutii , but now the head of this province . the said city is situate between hils and dales , it hath before it a great plain which stretcheth very near forty miles , and is called the villey of crati , it is compassed with hamlets or villages , which for the most part are very great . it aboundeth in all things which may be desired either for profit or humane pleasure ; it hath brought forth many excellent men , and among others , the abbot giacchino , indued ( as dant saith ) with a prophetical spirit , who was of one of the villages of cosenza , called celico . st. thelesphoro , iano parassio , antonio telesio , iohn baptista d'amico , coriolano marticano , and berardino martirano , which was also secretary of the kingdom , pi●tropaolo parisio , a famous doctor of law , which was made cardinal by pope paul the third , borardino telesio , which writ against the philosophy of aristotle , iohn maria barnauda , sertario quattromani , giovanpaolo d' aquino , prospero parisio , and iacobo of gaeta . in this city are these noble families , abenante , aquino , andriotto , aloe , amico , arnoni , alimena , arduino , barono , bernando , beccuto , bombino , bonconto , britto , bovi , bonaccursi , cavalcante , ciacci , caputo , casella , cozzi , cicala , caroleo , curatore , celso , clavelli , dattil● , donato , domanico , f●rrao , farrao d' epaminonda , farrao d' antonello , fera , favoro , figlino , franza , gaeta , gaeta d' marc. antonio , garofalo , giannochiri , gaeli , gioanni , giaccino , gadi , longo , longobuccho , migliar●se , marano , monaco , martorano , maurello , minardo , moyi , materi , massaro , mirabello , mangoni , nero , poglisi , peloso , pellegrino , pascale , passalacqua , poerio , parisi di ruggiero , parisi di mario , pantuso , quottromani , roccho ruggiero , rangi , russo , scaglione , spatasora , ser●alo , della motta , sersale di guido , sambiase , spirito , sirisanto , spina , sanf●lice , stocca , tilesio , testo , toscano , tarsii , tirello , velle , and others . the arms of this city is seven hils vert , in a field or . from hence on the right hand lieth the wood brutiana , which the people of the country call for the excellency thereof sila , not so hideous and terrible in winter through continual snow and ice , as it is pleasant and delightfull in summer , where the fresh and cheerfull air , with many rivers full of excellent fish , and the divers sports of fowling , and hunting of wild beasts , and the infinite heards of cattel which there seed upon the plentifull fruits thereof , represent in effect that which the poets feign of their arcadia . not far distant lieth carolei , called by the latines ixias , built by the enotri . and walking a little farther appeareth bisignano , a good and plentifull city , much inhabited , which hath the title of a principality subject to the family sanseverina . stifano calleth this city besidia , which according to barrio was built by the ansoni ; and very near lieth tarsia , called capresis . returning towards the sea we come into these countries , fiumefreddo , bello-monte , and the city amontea , which was an episcopal seat , but now united with the church of trop●ia . a little farther is aiello , called by bario , tylesium , which hath a strong castle , and a fruitfull territory , with a wood where is great sport in the hunting of divers living creatures . this country holdeth the title of a marquiss , and the lord thereof is alberico cybo , prince of massa , no less worthy of honour for his learning then his chivaldri . near to aiello is the hill cocuzzo , where it seemeth that the apennine exceeds it self in height . then followeth martirano corrupted from the ancient name of mamerto , whose citizens shewed themselves no less faithfull to the people of rome , then valiant in arms , they only fighting with pyrrhus , one of the best souldiers of the world , the which they performed so couragiously , that pyrrhus being mindfull of the valour of the brutii , and of the death of his alexandro , durst not any farther hazard his fortune . from thence afterward lieth on the side of the sea , nocera , the reliques of the ancient terinia , which was destroyed by hannibal , they being not able to defend it : and here runneth ( according as the ancients affirm ) ligia , one of the sirenes upon the mouth of the river saccuto . then followeth castiglione , the cape of subero , where pyrrhus disbarked himself coming from sicilia ; after cometh st. eusemia , which stephano saith is called lametia , where is a gulf so named , very full of coral , and the best tunny ; and a little distant lieth nicastro , and here the emperor frederick barbarossa made for delight and pleasure , convenient baths , and excellent hunting both for wild beasts and fowles , the first which began in italy to be delighted in hauking with falcons , which in former time was unknown , although some write that anasilao was the first . not very far is tiriolo , the reliques of old tirio , where the apennine is drawn into so narrow a point , that the rain-water which descendeth from the ridg of some one house , falleth on the left side into the terrene sea , and on the right into the adriatick . and coming now to an end of this province , which hath for the arms thereof , a cross bastonesa , in a field ar. the which ensignes and arms had its original in the time that boemundo the norman , duke of calauria came with twelve thousand choice souldiers in aid of the holy land , whereby through his prowesse and valour was afterward made prince of antioche , and forsomuch as the enterprise was very famous and honourable , therefore i believe the said province gave these arms , representing thereby the great voyage which the said duke made . calauria , on the other side the sixth province of the kingdom of naples . calavria on the other side , is a province which containeth a good part of magna grecia , and of the brutii , and passeth from the one and the other side of the apennine , to the ionian and terrene seas , and is divided from calauria on this side by the mediterrane above cosenza , going by a direct line to the one and the other sea , into the ionian near stromboli , and into the terrene at the gulf ipponiate , which is the gulf of st. eufemia , and these are only the confines of the said province where the brutii sometimes inhabited : from that part which lieth towards the north , except a little , is wholly compassed with the sea ; on the east is the ionian , on the south sicilia , and on the west the terrene , which is the utmost limits of the kingdom . it is partly plain , and partly mountainous ; it hath fair and fruitfull hils , woods , rivers , and fountains , great plenty of corn , vine , olives , and every other thing necessary for the sustenance of living creatures : there are horses and heards of cattel very plentifull , and great abundance of woll , and of the best and finest silk . in this province are pits of gold , of silver , and great plenty almost of all mettals ; it hath many hot baths which cure divers infirmities , and to conclude , it is a country indued with all good things , for the which it may be called a most happy region . the men of this country ▪ as also of all calauria , after other ancient names which they had , were called bretii , and they were so called from brettio the son of hercoles , as stephano writeth in his book of the city , and ermolao upon stephano ; and as it appeareth by many greek monuments , which are declared with great learning by pierio valeriano , and by many antiquaries . iustine and trogo say that they were called brutii , of brutia a maid . iohn annio affirmeth that they were so called by bruto ombrone a most valiant captain . calepino and nicholas perotto say they are called brutii , a brutis moribus ; but this is a vain thing , and an idle conjecture of them . guarino not well understanding strabo , addeth to his translation many things of his own conceit , strabo saying that brutii fuerunt rebelles lucanorum , he addeth here that they were fugitives , a name which was given to servants ; but we finding in histories , and principally in iustine , that these were children , and not servants of the lucani , forsomuch as the lucani were accusto●ed to bring up and foster their children in the field after the manner of the s●ar●ans ; but their children misliking that manner of education , opposed themselves against their fathers , that is to say the lucani , and went to inhabit in calauria . these people in process of time became so mighty , that they feared not any , whereby ( for as much as their country was not well able to contain them ) they made spoil of the places near unto them , and expel'd the natural inhabitants , the which they often attempted , being allured through the sweetness of the booty . the ancient limits of the brutii were the river lavo , or lao , now called the river laino ( measuring along the shore of the sea ) and the streight of sicilia , the space between these bounds is according to strabo furlongs , which contains miles ; but according to the description of ptolomy , these were the limits , on the west the river lavo with the lucani , on the south the terrene sea with faro of messina , on the east part of the ionian sea , on the north magna grecia , with the river chrati . and to make a description of this province , i will begin from the cape of subero , where pyrrhus king of the epirots coming from sicilia , disbarkt himself . not far off is triolo , the reliques of old tiro , where the apennine hils are very narrow ; and then is malda built by the saracins , which hath a very fruitfull country . from hence on the sea at the mouth of amato , is angitola , where dionisius often desired to unite the said haven with that of squillia . afterward appeareth pizzo in a very spacious and pleasant place , with the little islands itacensi , which perhaps had this name because vlysses arrived there . then cometh bevona planted with goodly gardens of citrons and oringes , the ancient harbour of hipponio , which the countrey people now call monteleone , which lieth in a pleasant prospect with many fields round about ; the said city was founded by the greeks , and they called it hipponium , because it was builded according to the likeness pnd similitude of a horse , for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greek tongue signifieth a horse , the which city ( as the histories thereof recite ) was in compass eight miles , wholly built with bricks , the ruines whereof are at this present to be seen ; this noble city had very pleasant and delightfull fields which compast it round about . poets have feigned that when ceres travelled in search of her daughter proserpina that was stoln away , remained here that winter to gather roses and other pleasant flowers , where also continues the three festival daies which the tyrant agatocles so long since ordained . pestino a famous writer was of this city , which is celebrated by macrobio in his sixth book de saturnali , in this word transmicto , dominico pizzimetti a learned philosopher was also of the same city , which translated out of greek into latine the predicaments of archita tarentino . the ancient vibo was destroyed by the agareni in the time of blessed nilo , and the like ruine sustained terino , tauriano and trischene . and this noble territory is very fertile , for it bringeth forth grain , barley , beans , fitches , and other corn ; there are also planted great store of sugar canes , a thing very rare in italy . this country is adorned with the dignity of a duke . after followeth soriano , whch hath the title of a count. then cometh arena , and ascending up the apennine is the goodly monastery of st. stephen del bosco , built by rugiero the norman , where is kept ( as we have said ) with many other reliques the body of st. bruno . from hence on the right hand appeareth borrello , and melito an honourable and an ancient city which was builded by the milesii , a people of asia ; for as herodotus writeth in his sixth book , mileto a city of asia being conquered and overcome by darius , the inhabiters which departed from the ruine thereof , being deprived of their natural country , came with their wives and children together with the sanni into regio , where they were received by anasilao lord of the country , to whom he gave so much territory as they built therein a city to inhabit , the which they called ( as we have said ) melito ; these in process of time , the country being too little , many of them went into messina , but being expel'd by the inhabiters of the country , went to the isle of malta . there is to be seen in the said city of melito , a stately and magnificent church under the name of the trinity , which is beautified with stately pillars of marble , which the duke ruggiero the norman caused to be transported from the ancient hipponio ; the said church was by the mediation of the said duke consecrated by pope calisto the second , in the year of our lord . where at this present is to be seen the fair and costly tomb of marble of the duke ruggiero . that holy paolo of the order of preachers was of the said city . walking towards the shore of the sea is briatico , which hath the title of a marquisat , and tropea hath this name from the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for that ariving there , the current of faro is turned back , very dangerous to sailers , near which hercoles arived coming from spain , whereupon that place was afterward named the harbour of hercoles . here butteth out into the sea the cape of vaticano , and near at hand is ioppolo , and nicotera , augmentned by the ancient ruins of medama , and rosarno ; there is the river metramo , in whose waves , according as the ancients were accustomed , feeling themselves opprest with any sin , were freed by their washing themselves therein , as orestes who thought hereby to be purged from the murther of his mother ; a little farther was the ancient metauro , which boasted much of stesicoro , though with little right the sicilians challeng him to themselves ; and after is discovered tauriano : and from hence on the sea is gioia . a little distant remaineth seminara , a countrey well inhabited , in whose territory the frenchmen were overcome by consalvo fernandes of aghilare in the time of lewis the king of france . and near the mediterrane under a great descent of the apennine , called by the country-people aspromonte , riseth as it were a rock between two rivers : the country of sinopoli is adorned with the ancient dignity of a count , the jurisdiction whereof is from the house of ruffa . there was born in this country that holy man paolo of sinopoli , fryer of the order of saint francis , called the minori of osservanza , whose reliques are reverendly preserved in the city of nicotera . going a little farther is oppido , which hath the title of a count , and terranovo , a populous city , which is adorned with the dignity of a dukedom . not very far is polistena ; against the castle whereof lie the isles eolie , the which have this name from eolo , which the poets feign to be the god of the winds , knowing by the nature of the place their change and alteration ; of these isles lipare was only inhabited , whose circuit is miles , sometimes a colony of the gnidii , which were very strong at sea , and made long resistance to the improvident assaults of the toscans , and of their first fruits they oftentimes consecrated to the temple of apollo at delphus . the said isle is distant from sicilia miles ; strabo and pliny call this isle meligone , which is very famous as wel for the fruitfulness of the ground , as also for the delicacy and sweetness of the fruits , and the great plenty of alume which it yieldeth ; the said isle was at the first ●nhabited by lipareo the son of ausonio king of italy , who being at discord with his brothers , came hither with divers soeldiers to remain , and here built a city , which by his own name was called lipari , the which city was alwaies faithfull to the kings of naples , from whom in recompence it obtained many priviledges and freedoms ; but finally in the month of iuly it was destroyed with sword and fire by ariadeno barbarossa , captain of the turkish army ; but it was suddenly repaired again by the emperor charls the fifth . the other isles are not manured nor inhabited , whereby their ancient names yet continue , that is to say stromboli , and vulcano , from whence continually riseth smoke , and sometimes flames of fire with horrible noise and thundring . here we may see bagnara , where the women for their beauty and comliness appear like nymphs ; and here is the general fishing for the sword-fish , called by pliny xiphia , the which is done ( as strabo declareth in his first book of geography ) in this manner following , which manner is also recited by polybius . first of all one is appointed as a spie to stand in a high place , being as a common guard or defence for all the fishers , the which are dispersed into many little boats of two oars , remaining in every one two of them , one which guideth the boat with two oars , the other to wound the fish with an armed sphear , which he standing on the fore-deck , or head of the boat , holdeth in his hand ; so soon as the spie maketh a signe that the fish is discovered rising with the third part of his body above the water , he with the oars roweth near the boat , and the other preparing his blow wounds him with a wonderful agility , then snatching out the sphear , the iron remans behind , which being broad-headed , and so wel accommodated , that easily a man may wound with it , and as easily leave it in the wound ; to the iron is tied a long little cord , which goes so far with the wounded fish , that beating himself and labouring to escape , becometh weary : then they draw the fish to the shore , or get him into one of their little boats , if he be not over-great ; and if it so fall out the sphear be cast into the sea , it cannot therefore be lost , because that being made part of oak , and part of firr so well joyned together , the weight of the oak drawing one end under the water , the lightness of the firr causeth the other end to rise up , so that it may easily be taken . moreover it falleth out sometimes , that he which roweth is wounded in the boat , so great is the sword of the fish and his fierceness , that this labour is no less dangerous then the chasing of the wild boar. some say that this fishing was learned in the time of vlysses , which came into these places . afterward appeareth upon a great rock , sciglio , by pliny called scylleum oppidum , which also holdeth the name of scilla the daughter of forco , which while the ancients say should be turned into a rock , according to the fable , was a horrible and hideous monster which devoured ships , noting that great danger of pharaoh , where the roaring and terror of the waves , and the fearfull aspect of the sands , represent very often to passengers which there sail , the great horror and dreadfull fear , oftentimes bringing death it self . this place was fortified by anasilao against the tuscans , where spartaco was overcome by marco crasso , he in vain purposing to escape in the dead time of the night : and the said city is adorned with the dignity of a prince . continuing the beautifull coast of this country , we may behold the ancient cemi , now called coda della volpe , and catona , with fiumara di muro , and regio , called of the latines regium iulium , which is one of the most ancient cities of all italy , builded ( as hath been said ) by eschenes the nephews son of noe , to whom the greeks gave this name because from that place sicilia was separated from italy through the violence of an earthquake , the which virgil confirmeth in his third book of eneidos , saying , haec loca vi quandam vasta convulsa ruina ▪ tantum aevi longiqua valet mutare vetustas . dissiluisse ferunt , cum protinus utraque tellus vna foret , venit medio vi pontis , & undis hesperium siculo latus abscidit , arvaque & urb●● lictore deductas angusto interluit aesto . this city maintained the commonwealth thereof a long time , and was destroyed by dionisius of siracusa , but being afterward repaired and beautified by iulius cesar , suffered many ruines , and last of all by ariadeno barbarossa that famous captain of the turkish navy . in the territory of this city on the right side , the grashoppers make a wonderfull noise , and on the left they are still , the which by poets is attributed to the cursings of hercoles , being therewith disquieted in his sleep ; but more truly it so hapneth by the dew which falleth there in the night , because those creatures receive not so much heat to make a noise , although some affirm they have another kind of voice then the other , where also they declare the fable which chanced to ariston and eunamo , the musician of the grashopper , supplying to the one the sound of the string which he brake in his citaren , the which the ancients kept in remembrance a long time . in regio is made the best silk , and excellent wine , whereof atheneo in his first book thus saith , vinum rhegium cum surrentino pinguius sit , usque ad annum quintumdecimum est utile . the earthen vessels that are there made are much commended , and in old time also were made excellent dishes and vessels , as pliny reporteth in his . book , saying , rhegium inquit siglina , & plastice nobilitatur . and in another place saith , nobilitatur rhegium patinis . this city had in old time many excellent philosophers , and learned men , as aristides , aristocrates , demostenes , athosione , calais , eurchyde , eliacone , hipporco , mnesibolo , obsimo , phytio , selinusio , and theocle , of the which eliacone hipparco and phytio , were excellent philosophers ; to hipparco plato entituled a book de studio lucrandi . androdamo and theetheo were also of regio , two philosophers and lawyers . now going a little further we come to the promontory of leucopetra , so called by the shining stones that are there , which mariners now call the cape dell arme . afterward appeareth the promontory of hercules , which the countrey-people at this present call the cape of partivento : a little further is mendalaia , afterward brancaleone , bruzzano ; this cape in old time was called zeffiro , where the moors arived in the year . which afterward destroyed a good part of the kingdom . strabo speaking of this cape thus saith , zephirum promontorium agri locri à quo locrenses zephiri dicti sunt : pliny saith that in this promontory is included the first harbour of europe , from the which the seas have their name . then follows bianco , from whose country is had great store of wine ; going a little further is discovered potamia , which aboundeth with great store of the best hony ; and a little below is motta bovalina , whose territory is very fertile , yielding good wines , and there is gathered no small quantity of manna , and in the pleasant fields do naturally grow great plenty of medicinable hearbs ; here through the amenity of the air is seen as it were a perpetual spring , and in every place is excellent fowling for partridges , quails , and other fowls . gismondo loffredo possesseth this country , which by the grace and favour of king philip , hath besides it , newly obtained the title of a marquiss . not farr off is to be seen condoianni , called in old time vria , the which country hath the dignity of a count. and a little distant from hence is the ancient and noble city of geraci , called in old time locri. by whom the said city should be built , writers hold divers opinions , for dionisius aphro in his book de situ orbis writeth that locri was builded by the queen of the locresi , and thus saith , hinc ab boream zephiri , quae summa vocatur , sub qua sunt locri celeres , qui tempore prisco . illuc reginam propriam venere secuti ausoniamque tenent , qua currit slumen halecus . others hold opinion that it was built by aiace oileo , or by the naricii his companions , confirming it with the words of virgil in his third book of eneidos , saying , hic , & nariiti posuere moenia locri , this first city used of all others , the written laws of the greeks , and were a long time governed by that commonwealth , and grew very famous for the government of zeleuco their lawgiver , who was so severe against adulterers , that he refused to pardon his own son taken in adultery , he would to the end the rigor of his laws should be observed , which commanded that the proof of this crime should be deprivation of both the eyes ( he reputing these two as it were one thing ) was himself first deprived of one eye , and his son of another : this city also was very famous through timeo the philosopher , and eunomo the musician , and eutimo atleta , who was so strong that he did bear upon his shoulders a stone which two oxen were scant able to draw . likewise this city hath been very glorious for the sumptuous and admirable temple of proserpina , whereof livy maketh such honourable mention in his , and book . the said temple was spoiled for the riches therein by pyrrhus , and by dionisius the tyrant ; and last of all it was robbed by p. plemnio the roman legat. nevertheless they all sustained the punishment of divine vengeance , the one whilst he went up and down the shore , through fear restored the sacriledg , was afterward slain by argus ; the punishment of the other was imposed upon his son , being therefore deprived his kingdom by god , which often punisheth the sins of fathers in their children , and the other by authority of the senate died miserably in prison . there are in the territory of the said city excellent baths of brinish and sulphure water , which help and cure many diseases , and are very good for barren women . here are made very fair earthen dishes , and great abundance of the best and finest silk , excellent oyl , capers , corianders , and most delicate manna . but to the end the reader may be well satisfied , i will say somewhat of the said manna which is so much commended by phisicians . manna then ( as that learned mattiolo saith ) is a certain dew , or sweet liquor which falleth in the night from the air upon the leaves , and the boughs of trees , and upon the grass and herbs , and upon the stones , and likewise upon the earth , the which afterward growing very thick within a certain space of time , becometh grainy like gum , and this is properly called manna on the leaves , and is a small grain transparent and heavy , like to a little grain of white mastick , and of a sweet and pleasant taste . after this , that on the boughs holds the second place , and the third is that on the stones , and on the earth , the which hath a bigger grain , and nothing so pure a colour , and this is gathered in the morning before the heat of the sun , forasmuch afterward as the sun dissolving it , it is easily converted into air , and therefore some of them use , which gather it when any great plenty falls , to cut off the boughs of the trees in the morning betimes , and to carry them into the fields in the cold air , where through the hardness they gather it wi●h the greater ease . averroe was of opinion , and many other besides him , that the ancients , and especially galen , knew not this manna . manna falleth in the nights in the summer season when the air is coldest , and the day before very hot and dry , for the learned interpreters of nature say this proceeds of the light vapours from the earth and the water . forasmuch as being first purified and concocted by the sun ; it is to be thought that by the cold of the night following it becomes thick . and besides it is to be understood , that that manna which falls upon fig-leaves , and the ash is whitest and most gummie ; but that which falleth upon the leaves of peaches , of almonds , or oaks , is liquid , and in taste and colour like honey . therefore we may easily believe , that not by its own nature , or of it self , manna becommeth gummy , and is made thick like unto mastick ; but these accidents cause these effects upon the leaves and trees where it chanceth to fall . neither is that to be believed which many report thereof , that manna before the canicular daies , sweateth in calauria , without falling from the air , even from boughs , and likewise from the bark of the bodies of the ash and plum-trees , and to be ingendred naturally of it self in these trees , and to sweat out of them , in like manner as gum sweateth from divers other trees , wherein they are much deceived ; forasmuch as that which sweateth from these trees in the canicular daies , is no other then the celestial manna descending there in the next succeeding months of may and iune , sucked up by the bark , and drawn out again in such manner as a man draweth a drop of oyl out of a piece of woollen cloath that is fallen upon it , and so it afterward comes to pass , being incorporated with the rine of the tree , issueth out again , drawn by the violent heat of the canicular starr , and is there thickned , and becomes grainy in the manner of gum . it is evidently seen , that that which falleth from the air is better preserved by the ash and the plum-trees , then any other kind of tree or plant whatsoever ; and therefore it is not to be admired if the most sottile and thin part entreth and penetrateth through the pores thereof , being there preserved , doth not corrupt in a long time . manna is ( according as avicenne and mesue relates ) of an equal temperature , more inclining to heat then otherwise . but according to averroe , it is hot and moist , it loosneth the body , although but weakly by it self alone , and therefore it is given to women with child , and to little children without any hurt or fear ; being mingled and wrought with medicines , it increaseth their vertue . it gently and easily purgeth choler , taketh away thirst , openeth and mollifieth the parts of the brest , and of the throat ; but it cannot be preserved in the true perfection thereof above one year . leaving the said city two miles , we come to the river buthroto , whereof livy maketh mention ; and not far off is the little castle of siderono , with the river locano which is full of fish ; and a little above is grotteria , which is six miles from the sea , and from ieraco ten . barrio is of opinion that the said city was builded by idomeneo , king of candia , called by the ancients castrum minervae . the territory thereof is very fruitfull and fertile , because that besides the great abundance of fruit , of oyl , of almonds , of silk , and of the best hony ; it hath very delectable and pleasant gardens full of oringes , citrons , limons , and pomgranates , and in it are mines of gold and lead . the said country is adorned with the dignity of a marquiss subject to the house of aragona d' ayerbe . departing from grotteria we come to mottagioiosa , called by pliny and by mela , ministra , where is made good wine , oyle , and silk , and there is also mines of salt. near the sea is roccella , called in old time amphissia , whereof ovid in the book of met. maketh mention , saying , levibusque amphissia remis saxa sugit . this country hath lately been honoured with the dignity of a prince , by the favour of king philip. following the same way , we come to the mouth of alaro , which the ancients called sacra ; after we incounter mottapaganica , we come to monesteria , very famous for the excellent cheeses , and flax that are made there ; a little higher appears the ancient promontory of cocinto , which is now called the cape of stilo , which according to the opinion of some , is the longest in all italy , there are digged round about it many mines of gold , of silver , and iron , and of steel . from the point of the abovesaid cape beginneth the ionian sea ; and afterward is stilo , a good and populous country , whose territory is very rich of mines of gold and silver , and other mettals . and there is also made very excellent flax , capers saffron , bombace , and it standeth from the sea five miles . tomaso campanella of the order of preachers , was born in this country , and telesiano the philosopher , the which hath learnedly writ eight books of disputations against the peripateticks in favour of berardino telesio , and is now at this present writing de sensu rerum , where he shews he understands all things . a little distant is santa caterina , and badolato , a country very delightfull , where is made excellent wines , oyl , hony , and very fine silk , and also is gathered great store of manna , to the which country giulio berlingiero , and giovandomenico greco , excellent lawyers , at this present yield much honour . after followeth satriano , called of the ancients caecinnum , from whom the river taketh the name , which runneth but a little from thence , of the which thucidides in his third book maketh mention , saying , laches , & atheniensis egressi è navibus nonnulla loca locridis juxta caecinnum amnem locrenses ad arcendam vim occurrentes cum proxeno capatonis silio circiter trecentos caeperunt , detractisque armis abierunt . afterward is to be seen petrito , a little castle situate in a pleasant seat , where is made excellent good wine ; not very far is claravalle , which for the goodness of the flax , contends with alexandria for the precedence . then followeth soverato , whose territory is garnished with beautifull gardens of citrons , limons , and oringes , where near to the fountain meliteo , is to be seen an oak whose leaves never fals . and afterward is squillaci , a noble and an ancient city , built , as some affirm , by the ausoni , or by the enotri . of this city thus writeth strabo , scyllaceum atheniensium colonia , qui menestei comites fuere : from the name of this city , the gulf of squillaci taketh its name , so perilous to sailers , whereof grows the proverb , naufrag●● scyllaceus . squillace was a colony of the romans , as c. velleio patercole writeth in his first book ; to the which city cassiodoro , munk of the order of st. benedict hath given great ornament , which writ many books upon divers matters ; and among others , composed the tripartite history in books , and a book de ratione animae , and another upon the canticles ; he writ another book of etimologies , with a catalogue of all the roman consuls . he lived in the time of iustine the old emperor , and died in the year of our lord . the said city is honoured with the title of a prince , subject to the house of borgia , wherein with much reverence is preserved the body of st. agatio . here leaving the river crotalo , and roccella , upon a high hill is catanzaro , a noble and populous city , the which was builded by fagitio , lieutenant in italy for the emperor nicephero . and catanzaro was so called of the greek word catizo , which in latin signifieth sedeo , to which the excellent situation and the workmanship of silk , and cloath bringeth great profit , it is one of the fairest and principal cities of calauria ; and at this present it is the head of this province , and in it resideth the kings audit. in the chiefest church thereof lie with great reverence , the bodies of st. vitaliano , and theodoro , martyrs , whose holy lives are written by the reverend paolo regio , bishop of vico. hard by is to be seen the city of taverna , which standeth near the wood sila . this city had its original from the ancient treschinesi , the which being in the year . ruinated by the saracins , was afterward reedified within the land in a most strong and inpregnable place ; but sustaining afterward divers calamities , was again newly built by the citizens thereof two miles distant , under a most delicate temperature of air . in the territory of this city groweth the odoriferous turpentine which macedonia , damasco , and syria so much esteemed the having thereof . this city hath received much honour by iohn lorenzo anania , an excellent divine and cosmographer , which hath writ the universal fabrick of the world , and a learned discourse of the nature of devils . towards the sea-side is to be seen simari ; and a little distant is the city trichenesi , which had very stately buildings in the old time ; but at this present the reliques are scant to be seen . then followeth the city belcastro , which some say was the ancient chona . this city boasteth much of st. thomas of aquin , affirming that he was there born , where they say he did the miracle of the roses , for which they cease not to contend with the neopolitans , saying he was of their city ; this worthy saint died in the monastery of fossanova , in the territory of terracina , in the year of our lord . near unto it is mesuraga , called in old time reatinum , builded by the enotrii , of the which country was the worthy matteo vidio , of the order of the minori , whose body with honour lieth in the city of taverna . not far distant standeth policastro , called by the ancients petilia , which was builded by philotete , the son of piante , companion of hercoles : of this city virgil in the . book of aeneid , saith thus , hic illa . dulcis melibaei parva philoctetae subnexa petilia muro . this city was a colony of the romans , the which was many times defended with much valour against the assaults of hannibal , by whom being at length taken , was destroyed . then follows siberna , an ancient and an honourable city , now called santa severina , which is situate on a high hill in the mids between two famous rivers , very strong by nature ; and after is the rock where are digged great hils of salt. from hence leaving the river tacina , appears cutro , which aboundeth with excellent flax ; and a little above is the castle , which some say should be the place named by the latines , castra hannibalis . then appeareth the isle and the cape of pillars , before called the promontory lacinio , and was so called of lacinio a famous pirat which went robbing up and down , and was afterward slain by hercules , who built there a sumptuous temple to iuno , which eneas honoured with a cup of gold ; this place was very famous for the school of pithagoras , and for the ashes of filotete , which laid upon the altar , was not dispersed with the wind . this cape of pillars in these latter times was so called by the many and great pillars which are there standing of the said ruinated temple . leaving this cape , where beginneth the second gulf of the mediterrane , is the famous city of cotrone , in old time one of the greatest and chiefest cities of maegna grecia . the opinions of writers are divers , by whom the said city should be builded , for some affirm that it was built by lacinio corcireo . ovid , and strabo say it should be misilo ; pithagoras more ancient then these , writeth that hercules built it . this city was very famous because the philosopher pithagoras was a citizen thereof , from whose school proceeded more philosophers then were captains in the trojan horse , and also for orpheus the poet , and democides the phisician , so much esteemed of the king of persia ; besides the beauty of the women have been much commended , for zeuxses portraying images in the temple of iuno , took them for his pattern , and for the sports and exercises of atleta , where was milo , so strong that he used to carry a bull ; and egone which in running overtook the young heifers , cutting from them their hoofs , and making afterward a present thereof to his amarillis . walking along we come to the city cariati which hath the dignity of a prince ; and not far off lieth calopizzato , crusia , and the noble and ancient city rossano , built by the enotri ; iohn the . bishop of rome , which was born there , honoureth much this city . a little farther within the land , is longobucco , where are sound certian mines of silver ; from thence descending towards the sea , we may see corigliano ; and not far off is cassano , in so fair and temperate a country , as it is not inferior to the best part of all the land of lavoro ; and here within the circuit of this pleasant country was the ancient city of turio , which at this present the people of the country call terranova : trogo writeth in his book , that the said city was builded by filottete , the which was much ennobled by herodotus , having writ therein his histories , in which city he also died , as pliny saith ; from the same city octavius augustus had his beginning . and this city hath also been the natural soil of many roman bishops . then appears towards the sea-side , trebisazze , albidona , amendolara , and the river semio , called in old time siri , by the city of siro , which stood very near , which was afterward named heraclea , to whom the statue of minerva bred great wonder , in turning and rouling the eyes against the ionii , which sacking and spoyling the city , respected it not . the men of this province are of a white complexion , of indifferent stature , and strong , crafty , firm and resolute in their opinions , hardy and stout , much inclined to learning and arms ; they use daggs , swords , and pikes . the gentlemen attire themselves after the neopolitan fashion , and likewise the women ; but those which live in villages are very rude and barbarous . the arms of this province are per salter or . . pates gules ; and on the second partition or so many crosses bastone sa. the which two crosses signifie the two calaurias ; and the other partitions are the arms of aragon . these arms were invented by don ferdinando of aragon , duke of calauria , the son of alfonsus the first , king of naples , for that he would not otherwise express them , that although the region of calauria was divided by his father into two provinces , nevertheless he was lord of them both . the countrey of otranto , the seventh province of the kingdom of naples . the fair and rich province of the country of otranto , called in old time iapigia , as solon saith , of iapige the son of dedalus , which came thither with many people to inhabit . these people had their original from latii , and as others say , from the cretians , which with the illerians came into this utmost bound of italy . this province was also called salentina , from the promontory salentino , at this present named the cape of santa maria ; but as festus saith , of salo , which is to say the sea which compasseth it almost round about , except a little part which joyneth with the firm land ; others affirm that it was called salentina of the people salentini , which came with the cretians hither to inhabit . it was afterward called messapia , of the captain messapo , which came from peloponesus with a colony into this region . and not long after it was named by the creeks , calauria . and finally from the city of otranto , all this region is called the country of otranto . the figure and form of this province is an out cape of land , which is one of the three angles or corners of italy , wherein endeth one of the two principal capes , wherein is a part of the apennine , and here as is commonly thought , ends the adriatick sea , and is united with the ionian . verily this province seemeth as another chersonesus , lying under a pleasant air . the circuit thereof is little more then miles , whose istmus is between taranto and monopoli , not exceeding the space of miles ; in the which peninsula , although the superficial part of the earth for the most part be rough and stony , nevertheless being ploughed up , discovereth excellent mould , and although there be little store of water , it yields good pasture for cattel , and bringeth forth wheat , wine , barley , oats , olives , citrons , excellent musk-millions , figgs , apples , pears , limons , oringes , oxen , asses , mules of the best breed , and such abundance of saffron , that it seems to be rather the proper fruit of this country , then of carthage . the great plenty of o●l which is there made , seemeth a thing incredible to those which have not seen it , whereby all the kingdom doth not only abound therewith , but also the greatest part of italy ; and every where is excellent fowling , and hunting both for conies and hares . and although the air be very wholsome , yet the leprosie is very common , by the means , as i think , of eating pork , and drie figgs , the ordinary food of the common people . the springs of water are partly sweet , and partly gross and brackish . in this country is bred the tarantola , whose venom is driven away with sound and singing , the which galen also affirms , with the authority of theofrastus , of certain other creatures . there are also bred the chersidri , and there is no part of italy more troubled with grashoppers , which devour all things where they come , and in one night consume the ripest fields . but nature hath provided a remedy by the means of certain fowls , which they call ganie , which destroy this vermin . the hail also much hurteth this province , which almost every year doth some spoil . the thunder is there felt , as in the country of lavoro , both in summer and winter . but coming to the description of this province , beginning at the river bradano , is taranto , a worthy and an ancient city , which some say had that name from the river tara , and others from tara the son of neptune , and others impute the original to hercoles . this city so increased by the means of falanto the spartan , who governing under the democratical regiment , contended sometimes with the lucani , and sometimes with the senate , being alwaies aided by strange captains , having sometines the help of alexander , and sometines of pyrrhus , became so rich , that there was no city except siracusa , that brought greater riches to the people of rome ; it glorieth much in her archita , that admirable mathematician , which caused a dove of copper to fly round about the city , and of aristosseno the musician . taranto lieth between two seas , whereof the one is called the great , the other the little ; in the lesser which is in compass miles , there runneth in many springs , and the river galeso , by means whereof , and the calmness of the water , there are many fishes , and no less then in the sea of constantinople . the city standeth in an island like unto a ship , having bridges to pass over into the continent ; here the ebbing and flowing of the sea is very violent ; on the other side with a ditch made by mens labours , is joyned the little sea with the great , the which ditch is able to receive a gally , where at this present is the city , esteemed one of the strongest forts of the kingdom , where was the first fortress which fardinando of aragon king of naples repaired . of this country there is no more to be said , then that which horace saith , ille terrarum mihi praeter omnes , angulus ridet . coasting from hence is cesaria , a place ruinated by those of gallipoli , with the lower sea , full of great skuls of fishes ; not very far is gallipoli , a city very fair and populous , which pliny calleth anza , but pomponius mela nameth it gallipolis , the said city was built by the greeks , which being afterward droven out by the gauls , called it gallipoli . the said city is situate in a narrow piece of land , running into the sea in the fashion of a frying-pan , in whose utmost part is that most impregnable city , both for the situation , the wall , and the castle , because the steep and craggy rocks rampire it ; where in the wars between the aragonesi and the french , defended it self in the behalf of aragon , with great commendation . that excellent philosopher iohn baptista crispo , hath much ennobled this city , who hath writ books de ethnicis philosophis caute legendis , and three others de animarum statu ex hac vita migrantium . departing from thence is vgento , and the cape of luca , called in old time the promonto y of iapigio ; and in this place was the famous temple of minerva , where was kept the arms and the chain of diomedes ; this cape is now called the cape of santa maria , in the end of the country , so named at this present by the sumptuous church here builded in honour of the glorious mother of our lord , called of the ancients promontorium iapigium , and of pliny , ara iapigia . this cape riseth out as a front or brow of lacinio , compassing on both sides the gulf of taranto . then followeth castro , a place to be noted for the ruines it sustained by the turks , in the time that soloman attempted the enterprise of italy . not far from thence is the cape and the famous city of otranto ; here acomat bascia first mustered his souldiers in italy , having destroyed this city according to the manner of mahomet . his prince , he made new fortifications in the city , whereupon were afterward made by our ancestors so many fortresses through all europe , that they seemed invincible . and this city is so near to greece , that it is scant distant miles , and therefore in this place i think first pirrhus , and after m. varro purposed to joyn italy with greece by a bridg of ships . here also begins the adriatick gulf , which is divided from the ionian sea , as it were by a line or path , although many say it hath its beginning from the mount st. angelo ; or rather according to some , from ancona . this great gulf had its name from the city of adria , the which lying crooked as it were a horn , more then any other gulf of the mediterrane , even to tieste , separating italy from sclavonia , being on the right side full of havens , and having very few on the left , and oftentimes so tempestuous , whereupon grew this proverb amond the ancients , adria furiosior ; it is now called the gulf of venice , that famous city giving the name by a ring of gold , which the duke casteth in on the ascention day , the popes legat being present . and continuing this course are to he seen near the lake of liminiti certain ruins , which declare the greatness of the emperor adrian . after comes the haven of st. cataldo , and brindesi , which was sometimes one of the chiefest cities in italy ; for all the shipping from the east arived here ; and now through discord and dissention it is half desart . and therefore the aire is very unwholsome , a thing which hapneth to all great cities , why the air is no better , is the want of inhabitants ( because they dry up the moist and moorish places with their tillage , and cut down the woods that are too thick , and with fire purge the ill air , and with high buildings have that which is good ) so contrarily there is nothing worse then the solitude of great cities , because not only they are deprived of the abovesaid helps , but of the houses themselves , and their ruine is the receptacle of corruption , which appeared in aquileia , rome , ravenna , alexandria in egipt , and also bagdel . for the which cause the greeks did not too excessively inlarge their cities . plato would not that his should exceed five thousand families ; aristotle , that all his people at one instant might hear the voice of the crier . the haven of brindesi is like to the head of a hart , whose horns compass the city within it , because it is divided in two , it is barred up with a chain , the outward part is guarded by two rocks , and an island , the mouth of it is very deep , but in the wars between k. alfonsus and the venetians , a ship sunk to the bottom , which choked it in such manner , that hardly a gally can pass . here we incounter two vallies digged by hand , which brings in the sea on the right hand , and the left side of the city lieth in such sort , that it makes almost an island . it hath two fortresses , one within the two horns , built by the emperor frederick the second of square stone , very beautifully built ; the other in the ●sle of st. andrea . at the mouth of the outward haven , built by king alfonsus of aragon . strabo cals this city brundusium , and others write that it was builded by the etoli , and afterward inhabited by the cretesi , which came with theseus and gnoso , and at last it was a colony of the romans , and in old time was of so great power , that l. floro saith it was the head of the salentini . m pacuvio , the tragical poet , the nephew of ennius on whose tomb saith a. gellio , was ingraven this epitaph . adolescens , temetsi properas , hoc te saxum rogat , vt se aspicias ; deinde quod scriptum est , legas . hic sunt poetae pacuvii marsi sita ossa ; hoc volebam , nescius ne esses : vale . there lieth with great reverence in the principal church thereof , the bodies of st. theodoro and pelino , martyrs , and there is to be seen all the whole tongue of st. ierome . the noble families that are in this city , are these following , balzo , bove , caracciolo , catignano , cuggio , d' eredia , fornaro , pando , pascale , pizzica , ramondo , scomafora , sasso , tomasino , villanova , vacchedani , and others . between brindesi and otranto , every place is full of olives ; but from brindesi to ostuni ( for the space of miles ) there is nothing but bushes and woods . brindesi is distant from rome miles , and from durazzo . on the mediterrane lieth in a corner of the river bradano , matera , the which some say should be acheronitia , matera is distant from gravina twelve miles , and is very famous for the strangeness of the situation thereof , and for the multitude of people , and in it is a mine of boalarmonack , which is of excellent nature to heal a wound , and the bloudy flux , and the biting of venomous creatures ; and moreover there is a mine of saltpeter . eustachio , said to be of materea , was a citizen thereof , a phisician which in verse writ of the vertue of the baths of pozzuolo , and also m. vito of matera , a very learned man of the order of st· dominick , was a citizen thereof , as the chronicle of the order of preachers makes mention , saying , nec defuit italia dare nobis fratrem vitum de matera sydus , atque alterum longe clarius . following that way , we come to motola , misagne , and otra , which hath the title of a marquiss : and a little farther appears the ruines of baleso , but without that famous fountain , being either lost , or otherwise having changed its course . afterward is to be seen leccie , where resides the councel of state and the nobility of the province , which hath such a residence , such buildings , and the precinct of such a country , and so great civility , that it seems as a little naples . carlo sigonio cals this city aletium , and others licium , which as some write was built by idomeneo a greek , captain of the cretian souldiers , and called it litio , of his own country . others say that it was not idomeneo , but malennio king of the salentini that built it ; but howsoever it is not to be doubted but it is ancient . afterward it increased in people by the ruine of lupia , and of rudia the natural place of the poet ennius , which as cicero writeth , upon his tomb were ingraven these verses , aspicite o cives senis ennii imaginis urnam , hic vestrum panxit maxima facta patrum . nemo me lacrimis decoret , nec funera fletu faxit ? cur ? volito viva per ora virum . this city hath an excellent fruitfull territory with pleasant gardens , and about it is a grove of olive trees of forty miles , which yields a very fair prospect . within the said city besides many goodly churches , there are also convents of friers , of munks , and two honourable and worthy hospitals . the citizens thereof are generally given to arms and learning , and all apparel themselves very costly . this city hath brought forth among others , excellent men of war , as leonardo prato knight of ierusalem , bailief of venosa , which as bembo writeth , was one of the best captains of his time , and in the enterprise of the rodes kild in a single combat a turkish giant , which very often had overcome valiant christian captains , he being very expert in the wars , served the commonwealth of venice with such general applause , that after his death the said commonwealth erected a statue of marble , which at this present is to be seen in the church of st. iohn and paul , with this subscription , leornardum pratum militem fortissimum , & ex provocatione semper victorem . praefectum ferdinandi junioris , & frederici regum neap. ob virtutem terrestribus , navalibusque preliis foelicissimum magnis , clarissimisque rebus pro veneta republica gestis , pugnantem ab hoste cesum . leonardus loredanus princeps , & amplissimus ordo senatorius prudentiae , a● sortitudinis ergo , statua haec aequestri donandum censuit . scipio ammirato , an excellent historian , liveth at this present with much honour to this city , which for his rare qualities is much esteemed by the duke of tuscan . going a little forward through this pleasant and delightfull country , is situate upon a hill the city ogento , by ptolomeo called vxentum , which hath the title of a count subject to the house of orsina ; and walking certain miles appeareth the fair country of st. pietro in galatina , the natural country of marc. antonio zimara , and of theophilus his son , an excellent philosopher . departing from thence , and walking a mile appeareth soleto , called by pliny soletum , of which place was matteo , called of soleto , the famous nigromant . hard by is the worthy country of galatena , to the which antonio ( called the galatean ) hath given great honour , a philosopher , orator , poet , and an excellent cosmographer , whose works are well known , he was dearly esteemed of king fardinando of aragon , and of king frederick , from whom he obtained many bountifull gifts ; he departed this life with much honour in the year of our lord . in the city of lecce , on whose tomb remaineth this epitaph : qui novit medicas artes , & sydera coeli hac galateus humo conditus ille jacet qui coelum , terramque animo concepit olympum cernite mortales quam brevis urna tegit . the fields of this country are fruitfull , and yield all sorts of corn , wine , and oyle ▪ the marquiss thereof is cosmo pinelli , the son of galeazzo , duke of acerenza , a lord warthily qualified , very vertuous and kind , and as he hath an honourable presence , and a princely port , loves not only arms , but learning also , wherein is added further perfection in the full felicity of a flowing wit , graciously to express his noble and high magnanimity , whereby he doth not a jot degenerate from his worthy progenitors . walking along we may discover certain small villages and castles here , and there near these places , which being of no great importance , i think best to omit . going from galatena six miles , appeareth paravita , and nardo , a city very fair and ancient , which ptolomy calleth neritum , where is often seen in the air , the southwind blowing , as it were in a glass , the likeness of those things which are round about , the common people that knows not the reason or cause thereof , imputeth it to a diabolical illusion , whereas the reason is the disposition of the place , and the quality of the air , which is made thick through the superfluous and excessive humidity opposite unto it : hard by are to be seen the ruines of veste , where not long since were discovered certain epitaphs of the ancient letters of messapie . afterward we come to casalnuovo , edified by the ruines of the ancient mandurio , which hath a very fruitfull territory . but coming now to an end of this province , it remaineth that we declare something of the inhabitants , the which generally are very strong , and of a comely constitution , simple in behaviour , and more neat then those that dwell near unto them , their proper language seems to be divers , for some speak with the pallat , others with the pallat and the brest , and in all appears a strong and ingenious wit , and in their apparel very decent and comely . they apply themselves much to arms , and those that are exercised in learning prove very excellent . whereupon i do believe that which a wiseman feigned , that here mars and minerva should incounter , only for that it seemeth that the most part of men therein are imployed in learning and arms. the arms of this province is or . four pales gu . a dolphin proper , in his mouth a cressent argent . the original of the which arms was in the year . at the time that alfonsus of aragon duke of calauria , the son of ferdinando the first king of naples , drove away the turks from the city of otronto , and other places ; whereupon the men of this province willing to shew that great service which the king had done for them , in delivering them from the hands of the wicked tyrant mahumet the second , emperor of the turks , for this cause devised the said arms , declaring by the four pales gu . in the field or . the arms of the king fardinando of aragon . the dolphin was no new invention , but very ancient , for so much as the monuments declare , that the dolphin with neptune were the proper ensignes of the country of the salentini ; but only they added the half-moon in the mouth of the dolphin , noting thereby that the new seigniory which the tyrant mahumet endeavoured to hold in this worthy province , was by the care and diligence of the valiant alfonsus , and the vertue of the inhabitants thereof taken from him : the countrey of bary , the eighth province of the kingdom of naples . the fertile and fruitfull province of the country of bary , was in old time called apulia pucetia , of pucetio the brother of enotrio , and son of licaone , which with many followers departed from greece years before the wars of troy , and setled themselves in this place , the which people were sometimes called pucetii , and sometimes pedicoli , and were the first men sent out of greece to dwell elsewhere . also the said people which inhabited between the territory of taranto , brindesi , and the river aufido , were named etoli , of etolia of greece , the people whereof came into these places to inhabit , as certain writers affirm , the pediculi being droven from thence , remained therein . what these pediculi were , strabo declares in his sixth book , and pliny in the third ; and say that they were nine youths , and as many wenches which departed from illiria , and here inhabited , from whom descended people , and to the end they might dwell the more securely , built many castles , and were called pediculi , that is to say , boys or children . at this present it is called the land of bary , from the city of bary , anciently called iapigia , and baretum , the head of this province , in the which city in a stately church wherein with great reverence is preserved the body of st. nicholas , sometimes bishop of licia , from whom continually issueth ( as is said ) a certain liquor , called by the citizens manna , which is an admirable thing , and the priests which have the keeping thereof use to bestow on those that come thither , little viols of glass full of the said manna . the said church is served by a hundred beneficed priests . the bounds of this province was according to strabo and pliny , from the territory of taranto , and of the brindesi , along unto the river fortoro , from thence by the mount gargano , and towards the adriatick sea , or rather ionian ( according to ptolomy ) even to the lucani , and the irpini , and the sanniti , and so the said bounds have on the south the salentini , lucani , and irpini , on the north the coast of ionian , and adriatick , on the west the river fortoro , the limit of the caraceni , and ferrentani , now called abruzzo . the goodness and fertility of this province is very great , for it yields grain , wine , oyl , barley , beans , fitches , annis , comin , coriander , saffron , and bombace . there are great woods of almons and olives , so bigg-bodied and so high , that it seems that nature hath brought them forth as a wonder unto men . and to be brief , so great is the difference of these trees , from those which grow elsewhere , as is between the wild olives and those which are planted , and also of the greatness of the bodies , and their admirable height , with the fashion of their boughs , whereupon the ancients have said that they were dedicated to minerva , and have also feigned that in these places was hanged filida the nymph ; and is no less plentifull of oringes , limons , and other the like fruitfull trees , as well for the benefit of living creatures , as for pleasure ; besides there is excellent hunting , both for fowls , and also wild beasts . the sea thereof hath great store of good fishes , the air is very chearfull and temperate , but the waters are otherwise , for they are gross and brackish . there are on the side of the sea these cities and countrys following , barletta , of later latinists called barolum , a worthy city , rich and full of people , built by the inhabiters of canusio , but inlarged by the emperor frederick the second . in the midst of the market-place of this noble city is a great statue of mettal of ten yards high of the emperor frederick , although the barletani affirm that it is the image of the emp. heraclio , nevertheless the first opinion is truest . there is also a very strong castle , which is accounted one of the four that are so famous in italy . presently follows the fair , city of trany , named by pliny , trinium ▪ built by terreno the son of diomides and repaired by the emperor trajan . hard by is molfetta , a city full of civility , which with the title of a prince is possest by the lord don ferrant gonzaga , chief justicer in the kingdom . nicolo , sirnamed of giovenazzo , companion of st. dominick , gave the name to this city , to whom was revealed the manner of conveying his bones , as is to be read in the book of the famous men of the order of preachers . walking along we come to mola , saint vito , polignano , st. stefano , and villanova . farther within the land are these cities , monopoli , built by the ruines of egnatia , to which city hath grown great honour by bartholomeo sibilla of the order of preachers , an excellent philosopher and divine , and c●millo querno , a singular poet who lived in the time of pope leo , ostuno , ceglie , conversano , gioia , rotigliano , altamura , acquaviva , cassano , monorvino , modugno , terlizzi , rutigliano , quarato , pulignano , and biseglia , called in old time vigile , a noble city and full of traffick , wherein was found the bodies of st. mauro bishop of sergio , and pantaleone , martyred for the christian faith , being revealed to francesco del balzo d' andri , lord of this city , who caused them to be put with great reverence in an honourable sepulchre , from which riseth ( as they say ) continually a precious liquor called manna . after follows bitetto , ruvo , and gravina a great city , very fair and civil , the which with the title of a duke is anciently possest by the worthy family orsina , don antonio ors●no is the present duke thereof , a young man , which is very likely to imitate the honourable steps of duke ferrant his father of worthy memory . and the said gravina was the garner and store-house of puglia , for the inestimable quantity of corn which was gathered in the territory thereof ; and there is one notable thing which is there done every summer by the stork , whereby the country receiveth no small benefit by the destruction of serpents which breed there too plentifully ▪ which the storks feed upon ; whereupon i will not conceal the manner observed by this bird in killing that venomous creature , as the people of the country report , and is at all times to be seen . the stork hath a very long beak , bigg and sharp pointed , and making one of his wings to serve as a buckler , which is very great among the bigg quils thereof , thrusteth his beak in and out , being accompanied with a very long neck , so fiercely pricketh and gripeth his enemy , untill he kill him , and afterward taking him in his mouth carrieth him to his nest , oftentimes flying within the view of the city . and it is to be noted that in this combat was never seen any stork killed by the serpent ; whereupon the dukes have alwaies observed by a penal act to punish whomsoever killeth any stork , and therefore they live familiarly with them . the arms of gravina are certain ears of corn , and bunches of grapes , to declare how much the territory thereof aboundeth with these two sorts of fruits , that is to say corn and wine , whereupon some think from thence it taketh its name . in this province is bitonto , so called as it were bonum totum , it is a rich and a populous city ; the territory thereof is very fertile , for so much as it yields besides wine , oyle , and corn , almons , and oringes , and limons in great abundance . iulius acquaviva duke of atri was marquiss of bitonto . this country is famous by the means of antonio the divine , an excellent preacher , and mariano likewise a divine of great name in his time . cornelio musso the bishop doth also increase the honour of this city , an admirable and incomparable preacher , whose works are generally known . there is andri the renowned and beautifull city , and likewise canosa , near ancient canna , where maherbal captain of the horse said unto hannibal , vincere scis annibal , sed victoria uti nescis , because he obtaining the victory of canna , went not presently to rome , as he was advised . in this province are bred a great multitude of venomous serpents , called the tarantole , which latinists call phalangi , which are certain living creatures little differing from the likeness of a frog , which with often biting , so envenometh that the infection cannot be cured , but with musick , dansing , singing , and colours , and without these means they cannot live . the men of this province are generally of great courage , and very forward in military affairs , but very frail , and unable to incounter adversity , whereof grew this proverb , that in the beginning of the battel they are more then men , but in the end less then women . they are for the most part of a swart complexion , and of a tall stature , in conversation courteous , and painfull in their affairs , they abstain marvelously from stealing , in taking parts , and in bargaing they are very honest , and seldom is any contention among them , the women are beautifull , loving , and compleat . some have thought , because there is no iron in this country , they had in old time little use of swords , but only a long staff pointed with a little iron , which served them to fight and defend themselves ; but having the enemy in a streight , or a little distant , the footmen cast darts and other weapons , going to skirmish , they wore only one coat , they had their targets painted with divers colours , and very few used any mail ; but at this present it is otherwise ; for there is not a boy that knows not how with good aim to discharge a peece , and almost every one is trained up in the practice of military affairs . the arms of this province is per salter azur and argent , a crosier or bishops staff or . these arms as i think , signifie by the corners , the bounds thereof , which divide it from the other provinces , and by the bishops staff , should seem to declare the devotion of st. nicholas , and so much the more we may believe it , in so much as the body of the said saint lieth in the principal city of this city . abruzzo on this side the ninth province of the kingdom of naples . abrvzzo is the coldest part of all the kingdom , but the province is very famous , for the puissance and glory of the ancient sanniti , which are the pentri , amiternini , precutini , marci , caraceni , vestini , marracini , and irpini ; although pliny also addeth the frentani , and peligni . all these people descend of the sannity , from the city of sannio , called in old time samnum , where the sabines remained , being arived in these places , from whom the said sannity derive their original . of what power and authority these people have been , would be a thing no less difficult then tedious to recite , insomuch as their empire became so great , that they overan , sacking and spoyling even to ardea of the latines , and also to campania felix , whereby they held war in these countries the space of years , oftentimes incountring the romans with victory , and after divers fortunes both on the one and the other side , in the end they became so subject by the means of the fabii and the papirii , both the fathers and their sons , that they could never any more strive against them . the history is well known of the famous exploit at the gallows of caudine , when under the consulship of vetturio and posthumio , the romans being there intrapped , were afterward inforced by pontio captain of the sanniti , to pass dishonourable under the yoke , the which being indured by the romans with a silent disdain , within awhile after was revenged with a notable overthrow given unto them under the most valiant cursor l. papirio , the which is discoursed at large by titus livius . at this present ( as is elsewhere declared ) where is named the gallows caudine , is called the streight of arpaia , and where the romans past under the yoke , is the yoke of st. mary , and the valley caudine is eight miles distant from benevento . strabo speaking of the sannity , thus saith , sannites postremo à sylla deleti sunt , quos cum caeteris italis bello fractis , solos arma retinentes , ac romam oppugnantes , vide●et , alios in fuga cecidit , alios abjectis armis se dedentes ad quatuor millia in villa publica , quae in campo martio est trucidavit , fractisque proscriptionibus , non ante destitit , quam universum sannitium nomen deleverit , aut italia fugarit . the region of sannio was more in length then in breadth , for it had on the north the ferentani and pugliesi , on the south the campani and lucany , on the west the ausoni with piligni , and on the east the same lucani and pugliesi . the worthiest people of all the sanniti were the pentri , caraceni and hirpini ; from whom this country of abruzzo derived its name , there are sundry opinions , for some say , they were called by the latines aprutium , because it is mountenous and full of wild hoggs . others affirm that a part of abruzzo being sometimee inhabited by the precutini , time having corrupted the word ▪ instead of precutio , was called aprutio . i name this province abruzzo , as it is by the kings court , and as at this present it is commonly called , changing the letter p. into b. . the bounds of abruzzo had on the east the river fortore , tronto on the west , on the north the adriatick sea , and on the south the apennine hils , and moreover also it had on the east the plain puglia , with the river fortore , on the west part of the sabines , picentini , and campani , with latium , the equicoli along the apennine , as much on the one side of the said hill , as is on the other . it now taketh its beginning from the mouth of the river pescara , and goeth along the shore of the adriatick sea , even to the mouth of fortore , where it ends with capitanato , leaving by that province the city of teramo , and between the land with abruzzo on the other side , and that branch of the river pescara , which rising from the streight of valata , passeth by the foot of the apennine against the land of popoli , and near it entreth into the valley called itramonti ; leaving all the country which hath the river on the right side ; and a little higder above the marsi are the apennine hils , where the river sangro springeth , which riseth from that obscure valley of barrea , which they call the kings valley , in the plain near the castle of sangro , which divides this province from the county of molise . this province is partly plain , and partly mountainous , and hath great plenty of rivers , and great and thick woods , and the territory thereof is very fertile , for it bringeth forth wine , grain , oyle , rice , barley , and other corn , and everywhere is gathered great abundance of excellent saffron ▪ and although the air be somewhat cold , nevertheless the amenity of the country is sweetned thereby with so good a temper , and such plenty of fruits , and heards of cattel , and abundance of wild beasts , besides ravenous creatures , as wolves and bears . some think that the frentani were the most valiant people of all italy , but ( as i think ) they were much deceived , having not first well considered the words of pliny , who describing the region of the frentani , saith it makes the fourth , which from the river tiferno beginneth the fourth region of the frentani , so that by these valiant people he meaneth the frentani themselves , and the marrucini , which came afterward , and the peligni , and the precutini ; and who readeth the roman histories , may know that the squadrons of the peligni were preferred before all the latine nations . the principal city of this region is called at this present civita di chieti , named by ptolomy teatea , and of pliny theate , and also of strabo , theate , and was so called by theata the mother of achilles . both these said authors write , that this city was the chief and principal head of the marucini , as likewise silio affirms the same , saying , marhucina simul frentanis aemula pubes , corfini populos , magnumque theate trabebat . this city is situate upon a very high hill , distant from the adriatick sea no more then seven miles , it was destroyed by pepin the son of charls the great , for taking part with the longobards ; but it was about two hundred years following repaired again , and became so pleasing to the normans for the most pleasant situation thereof , that gotfredo the brother of ruberto guiscardo , in the time of pope nicholas the second possessing this province , made the said city the head of all the country of abruzzo , the territory thereof is very excellent , and bringeth forth all necessary things , as well for profit as pleasure . beyond the river sangro among the peligni is the ancient city of orton upon the sea , being by strabo called ortonium , and of cato , ortonum ; but ptolomy nameth it orton . and strabo writeth that it was in old time called petra piratorum , because the rovers and pirats retired hither when they had robbed at the sea ; in the which city is to be seen in a very stately church , where with great reverence is preserved the body of st. thomas the apostle , with his ancient tomb , in which church appeareth alwaies upon the steeple when any ship is in danger at sea , the miraculous light of st. heramo , which the ancients attributed to castor and pollux , although philosophers affirm that it naturally proceeds from the repercussion of the air through the winds and water , which seemeth very unlikely , because there is not so much as the leaf of a tree that moveth without the providence of god ; how should this light casually chance , the sea presently becoming calm , and the sailers in safety , which in that perilous state called faithfully upon the name of god ? neither can it be by the means of any evil spirits , for never is shewed any deed of piety but by some celestial and divine means , and especially towards the faithfull . not far distant from ortona , is to be seen ferentana , at this present corruptly called francavilla , because it was often possest by the french ; this city was ( according to razano ) the head of the frentani . from the river sangro , or sanguine , called in old time saro , four miles distant ; and as far from the sea is lanciano , a noble city , called by pliny , anxium , and of ptolomy , anxanum : here at two several times in the year , that is to say in the month of may and august , do merchants assemble almost from all parts of europe , asia , and from other parts , where is a principal mart or fair very famous through all the world : on the right hand of lanciano , at the foot of the hill is maiella and palumbaro ; and on the right hand of the river sangro , near the sea , is the monastery of st. iohn , where sometimes was the famous temple of venus ; and above are these countries , fossaceca , and the fort of st. iohn ; and a little higher on the side of sangro are seen the great ruines of the city of bica , which the country people call seca ; on the right hand cometh the river aventino , and joyneth with sangro , and near the foot of maiella are these countries , civitella and lama , and on the right hand of the river aventino is palena , the word being corrupted in place of peligno , near the which appears the ruines of the ancient city sometimes the chief and head of the piligni , called superequani . this country is ennobled with the dignity of a count , the lord whereof is matteo of capoa , prince of couca , a very rich lord , and a great lover of learning . but returning behind lanciano , going along the shore of the sea , we come to the mouth of the river foro , which riseth from the mount maiella , where it entreth into the sea , near the which is the castle tollo , and on the left side thereof near unto it is miglionico ; and a little higher is fara , and before it is rapino , and near to maiella is penna . after the mouth of the river foro , is to be seen on the sea the mouth of the river lento , which also riseth from maiella . on whose right side ( but yet very near ) distant from the sea but five miles , appears villamania , above the which ( nevertheless under maiella ) is the castle petrono , near to the which is the fort of montipiano , and above the fountain from whence the river lento springeth , is castel menale . and somewhat lower upon the mediterrane is bucchianico , a civil country , honoured with the dignity of a marquisat , the territory whereof is very fertile , and hath great plenty of olives ; going a little farther we come to the noble and fair city of solmona , by strabo called sulmo , and likewise ptolomy and cato so name it ; the said city was built by solemo of frigia the companion of aeneas . that eloquent poet ovid nasone , was here born , as he witnesseth in the book of de tristibus , in his tenth elegy , sulmo mihi patria est gelidis uberimus undis , millia qui novies distat ab urbe decem . and the poet martial in the first book of his epigrams declares the same , saying , mantua virgilia gaudet , verona catullo , pelignae gentis gloria dicar ego . this city hath the dignity of a principality , the lord thereof is don horatio of noia , a most generous knight . departing from sulmona we come to the river aterno , now called pescara , from the city of pescara , which is very near , built by the ancient city of aterno , from whence the river hath its name . the said city is ennobled with the dignity of a marquisat , possest by the family davolo . going a little farther towards the mediterrane , is the little castle of cantalupo , situated at the foot of a hill , under the which most miraculously doth flow a liquor called the stony oyle , the which is very carefully gathered for the vertue and medicinable operation . afterward appears caramanico , a noble country , the territory whereof is very fertile ; and a little beneath is to be seen cusano , in whose higher parts the river librata endeth in pescara , in old time called albula , into the which runneth two little rivers , which also descend from maiella , in the midst whereof is the country of lietto manupello , in whose territory is a mine of pitch , which was found the year . and it is in the manner of tarr . being now come to an end of this province , it remains that i declare somewhat of the inhabitants . the people of this country are very tall and strong , and in countenance not much unlike the french nation ; in bargaining with strangers they are simple and courteous , full of courage , and much affected to the profession of arms , wherein they grow to great perfection ; they are not very costly in their apparel , but much given to hunting , they are also well inclined to learning , and apply themselves much to the study of the law , and phisick . the arms belonging to this province , is or . a wild boars head couped in pale on bas , a yoke in chief gu . noting as i think thereby , the great abundance of wild hoggs that are therein , and with this , that memorable exploit that chanced between these people and the romans , as it is before recited ; moreover it may be said , that these two charges should signifie the same service , placing the head of the boar as a fierce and cruel beast , for the arrogancy of the romans put under the yoke . but i refer my self to better judgment . abruzzo on the other side the tenth province of the kingdom of naples . the worthy and renowned alfonsus of aragon , the first of this name , king of naples , willing to take away the continual strife which fell out among the collecters of the impost and custom of abruzzo , divided the said province into two parts , and so that which is included in aterno , and the hills of marsi , is called abruzzo ulteriore , which i am now to handle . this part contained the marrucini , piligni , and ferentani , and part of the sanniti : abruzzo is now divided from campania of rome between the region of the equicoli , and a little river of obscure name , having on the one side certain vaults and caves , and on the other a high hill. it is divided from the province of abruzzo on this side by a branch of the river pes●ara , running from the foot of the apennine above raiano , and directly against popoli endeth its course : and a little higher by the apennine hils , near the head of the river sangro , between pesco and sarli , and gioia , and above the lake fucino , in the utmost parts of the marsi . by the same hils which lie towards the south it is also divided from the country of lavoro , by the river garigliano , even at the spring which riseth by the valley of orvito under the fountain , near to balzorano , cometh abruzzo on this side to joyn with the territory of sora. and these places end not only with the marsi , the marrucini , the peligni , the ferentani , the vestini , the sanniti , and the preguntini of abruzzo , but also with the territory of naples . this countrey is both in men and situation very strong , it hath great plenty of corn , heards of cattel and wine , it hath many rivers , and an excellent air , there is great variety both for hunting and fowling , there are also bears , and great store of wolves . but now coming to describe in particular the rivers , and the cities which are in this province , i will begin from the shore where is a castle called montepagano ; and going along twelve miles upon the sea-side , is to be seen the river viciola , which springeth from the apennine near the mount corvo , and running along , entreth into the river tordino , by pliny called iuvan●●o , which also floweth from the apennine , near to the foot of the said hill corvo . among the said rivers appears teramo , a city full of civility , the bishop thereof is ennobled with many titles of dignity , and the lord is called a duke . the said city is the head of all this country , named by pliny and ptolomy , interamnia , the which name it had because it is situated among the rivers , for a little above it runneth into tordino , a swift stream called fiumicello , near the which are three countries so near , that they are all called by one only name campio . above the fountain of the river vicola , are these castles , bisigno and rugnano , from the river tordino to the river vomano , by the sea-side are only six miles , and between the one and the other are many countries and castles , some in the midst , and others nearer to the one then the other , because the rivers in their courses make many turnings . it were requisite to declare with what order all these are placed from the head to the feet , and first is murro , locaristo , guardia di vomano , the old castle , transmondo , cauti●no , forcella , miano , rapino , colle vecchio , forna●olo , montorio , poggio , vmbreco , and rosseo : and where vomano springeth from the apennine , are many villages well inhabited , as compotosto , and poggio , which is a castle , and massione on the left hand of vomano ; and within the country are situated these castles , motola , monteverde , and montegualco ; and here endeth ( as pliny saith ) the precutini . and following the same course , we come to speak of the marrucini , which livy saith , caused themselves voluntarily to be enrolled among the souldiers that went with scipio into africa . now then after the river vomano , comes another river called piomba , where is another castle which is called porto d'adria ; and a little higher is a country called silva ; five miles within the land , and almost in the midst between the said two rivers , upon a high hill is the city of atri , called in old time hadria , which was a colony of the romans . here was born ( as celio the spartan writeth ) the roman emperor adrian . p. vittore believeth that the adriaetick sea had its name from this city , the which also sesto aurelio affirms in his book of cesars . above atri , or hadria , upon the right hand of the river piomba , is the castle of celino , and above where this river springeth , is the country of schiarano , on the left side of piomba , two miles within the land , is civita s. angelo , which pliny and ptolomy names angolo ; above the said country , near the river , is the little country of hece . from piomba , three miles from the sea , is another river called salino ; on the right hand whereof on the shore is a castle called porto s. angelo , and a little above within the country entreth into salino another river called sino , which floweth from the apennine , at the foot of the hill corvo , on whose right side are eight countries and castles , the which shall be named the one after the other , cassilento , montesicco , pignano , bisento , corvignano , serra , and valviano ; and a little below the mouth of the river sino , doth also run into salino another river called tavo , which riseth near corvo in the apennine . in the midst of these rivers , five miles distant from the sea , is civita di penna , an excellent country , and very famous in old time , pliny calleth this city pinna , and placeth it among the vestini . of this city was the most valiant young man pluton , of whom valerius maximus maketh mention ; but much more it is honoured for bringing forth that famous lawyer , called luca of penna , who learnedly writ upon the three books of the code wherein appears his great knowledg both in divinity and the law , and particularly of the constitutions in the municipial laws and customs of this kingdom , as he sheweth to be very judicious and skilfull in divers places , and especially in law-causes , de senten . advers . fiscum latis retractandis lib. . in the rubrick c. de magistris sacr . scrinioruus lib. . where he teacheth the office of a principal secretary of the kingdom . and in the l. à palatinis , c. de privilegiis corum qui in sacro palatio militant , where very diffusedly he disputeth of one of the prin●ipal constitutions of the kingdom , alleadging andrea of isernia , prince of the feudists . all this i thought good to declare , what a worthy man hath been of this city , although otherwise modern writers have fasly christned him for a frenchman , defrauding his country , where at this present in the hall of the publick palace is to be seen his ancient picture , with the late named young pluton , and besides yet standeth his house where he dwelt . afterward not much distant from the river tavo , appears above the hils the pleasant country of laureto , and the hill corvino . then cometh near upon the shore the mouth of the river aterno , now called pescara , which is one of the principal rivers of the country ; and near the monastery of casanova , runneth into it another river which riseth on the right hand on the side of the apennine called nuria , on whose right side are montesilvano , spotorio , moscuso , pianello , and capogatto , all castles ; and under the fountain of the said river is the noble monastery of casanova , of the order of cistello , which is not only beautified with sumptuous buildings , but with great riches . above nuria on the right hand of pescara , are rossano , alendo petranico , the towers of antonello , and a little above is castiglione . and coming down from thence we incounter a river called capod ' acqua , who hath a very great spring , and near the fountain is offena , and on the left hand is busso , between the which two castles , but two miles distant is capistrano , the natural place of the holy iohn capistrano of the order of the minors of st. francis , who in his life did many miracles . above capistrano within the land is carapello , and at the ascent of the hils near to the river pescara , is vetorito , and raiano ; and going but a few miles higher upon the ridg of a hill is to be seen the ruinated city of amiterno , by strabo named amiternum , whose magnificent buildings both of the theatre , and certain great churches , and mighty towers declare what greatness it was in old time , and livy writeth that spurio cornelio carvilio the consul , took amiterno , and there were cut in pieces citizens , and made prisoners , and notwithstanding the same livy addeth , that l. scipio going into africa , they voluntarily offered themselves to go with him in that action with the umbri , norcini ▪ and the reatini ; amiterno is called by virgil , full of towers . there are to 〈◊〉 among the ruines of the said city , graven in marble , the triumph of the sannites , when they caused the roman army to pass under the yoke at the gallows of caudine , and the sepulchre of the daughter of druso , and near to the theatre is the temple of saturn the founder thereof . this city had among other famous citizens caio crispo salustio , proconsul for cesar in africa , and the first writer of the roman history , and the bishop vettorino , who died for the faith of christ , as ptolomy and lippomano saith , in the empire of nerva , whose name remaineth in a castle built 〈◊〉 the stones of those ancient ruines , where are his bones and martyrs ; by whom the said city was destroyed i cannot yet understand . going from hence two miles 〈◊〉 civita tomassa , a little castle , in whose circuit are to be seen many ruines of ancient buildings , with many inscriptions , which apparently shews that here was the ancient city of foruli , celebrated by virgil in his seventh book of eneid . and of silio italico in his eight book , and strabo maketh also mention thereof , and placeth it among the sabines . and following that way about three miles there are to be seen great foundations of square stones , which the country-people call furconio , whereupon it is not to be doubted that there stood the city of furconio , the which was not so ancient nor populous , nor so rich as amiterno , but of greater dignity and honour in the time of the christians , for in all the councels for the space of years following , which had been in rome or any other place of italy , we read the bishop of forconio . here was thrown down from a high tower , that young and holy man massimo , whose miracles moved pope iohn the . and the emperor otho to visit his reliques , giving to the bishoprick twenty thousand crows yearly , of the which it is almost wholly deprived , and by alexander the fourth bestowed upon the city aquila . in this place is the furnass wherein giusta , a most holy virgin , was condemned to be burnt , but by the providence of god was delivered by an angel , and inclosed in the mount offido , which is now called bazzarano . the said city was destroyed by the longobards , the people whereof being dispersed , were united with the amiternini , abiensi , and the people duronii , which likewise fled the wrath and fury of the longobards ; and so under the conduct of an amiternin their captain called aquila , they built in a pleasant place upon the ridge of a plain and low hill , a city called by the name of their captain , aquila ; which in process of time increasing with people , was beautified , and afterward inlarged by the emperour frederick the second king of naples , to the greatness which now it seems , a city truly very worthy , famous and rich , and the head of this province . here pope nicolas the second , being much molested by the roman barons , came to the parliament with robert guiscard the norman , who restoring benevento , and all that which he held of the church , was by the said pope created duke of puglia and calauria ; the which ( as we have also declared in the lives of the kings of naples ) was in the year . the said citie is in compasse four miles , and without the walls it hath a very pleasant vally of excellent pasture , compassed with trees , and watred with crystalline and fresh springs , besides the profit which proceeds from the river aterno , which dividing it with a pleasing current , yeelds also a great commodity by the mills . the length of this plain is not above four and twenty miles , and three in breadth ; but every where fruitfull . it hath great abundance of all sorts of wood , and plenty of corn , wine , oyl , and every other thing which serveth for the use of living creatures : their orchards are such as neither through cold , or the heat of summer they ever fail in yeilding their fruits . whereupon martial saith , nos amiternus ager , felicibus educat hortis . the wares and merchandise wherein this citie most abounds , are very fine flax , saffron , silk , cloth , wooll , great plenty both of great and small cattell , that it serves the most part of italy with flesh : the horses are excellent coursers and very swift . there are in this city an hundred and eleven churches all richly beneficed ; and besides , they have many reliques of saints , among the which are the four protectors of the citie , carefully and richly kept , and faithfully worshipped . and within a coffin of silver ▪ of the value of crowns , is to be seen the body of st. bernardino senesi of the order of the minors of st. francis , the first reformer of the regular life of that religion . and in the church of collemaggio are to be seen the bones of st. pietro of marrone , called celestino the fifth . the other two protectors , that is to say , st. massimo in duomo , and st. equitio in st. lorenzo , and every one of these had a statue or image from the middle upward , of their naturall bigensse of pure silver . moreover , there is besides the said churches twelve magnificent and stately monasteries of religious nuns . this citie is much commended for the conserves and preserves that are there made : the citizens thereof for the most part , exercise merchandize , and making of cloth , and in every thing shew prompt and ready wit : in arms they are fierce and cruell , and very costly and magnificent in civil matters ; they are courteous , & in their apparell and conversation very civill . the lady margarite of austria , the naturall daughter of the emperour charls the fifth , governed this citie many years , the citizens for the benefit they received by her , made her a stately palace in length hands breadth , and in breadth an hundred and sixty , with an hundred windows round about , a very costly building . but it is not fit that i should omit the remembrance of the strong & wel fortified castle which is in the said citie ; for to them that know it ▪ it seems one of the goodliest forts in all italy . this citie by the tolling of a bell is able to arm . men . it hath a great county , rich and much exercised in arms , the situation is for the most part mountainous and strong . pontano speaking of this citie , thus saith : — auctus post civibus , atque opibus prolatis etiam confinibus , facta est aquila urbs quidem ipsa civibus , auctoritate , & opibus clara , regionisque totius caput . and in another place speaking thereof , saith the like words ; nam & populus ipse , quamquam lanificio deditus , ac texture , maxime tamen bellicosus est , finitimisque undique formidini , nec minus regibus qui neapoli imperant . and iohn albino in his . book de bello intestino , alphonsi . aragonei ducis calabriae , declaring the riches and great power thereof , thus writeth , reges praeterea urbes , caeterosque primores , per tot annos tributo exaustos , veteri quodam odio in regem , apostolicae sedis signa intrepide secuturos , populis insuper quotidianis injuriis supra modum lacessitis invisos , rerum omn ium egenos , undique bello cintos , brevi regno ejici posse praesertim , quod ditissima , ac populosissima urbs aquila ▪ totius regionis caput , apostolicae sedis imperium datis obsidibus subire deposcit , cujus urbi● defectionem ad aragonci nominis internecionem satis esse putaret , &c. aquila was made ( as we have said ) a bishops seat by pope alexander the fourth , in the year of our lord . the which bishop , besides many other prerogatives which he hath , acknowledgeth not any other metropolitan , or any other superior , except the bishop of rome . basilio pignatell , a neopolitan gentleman , is now bishop of this city , a most carefull and vigilant prelat , and of great sincerity of life . there are in this city many noble families , which are these following , angisili del cardinale antonelli , alfieri , angelini , baroni , baroncelli , branconii , bucciarellis , camponeschi , caselli , carli , called cardicchi , caprucci , castiglioni , colantonii , crispo , dragonetti , emiliani , eugenio de matteis , emiliani , franchi , gigli , lucentini , piccolomini , legistis , lepidi , lepori , maneri , mariani , mattucci , micheletti , nardi , oliva , orsegli , pasquali , porcinarii , prati , pica , paoli , perelli , rustici , rosis , rivera , simconi , vgolini , salvati , trentacinque , valla , vetusti , vinio , zechieri . the families extinguished are these following , bonaginiti , findazi , roiani , pretatti , camponeschi , gaglioffi , mozzapiedi , todini , miraluce , cocci , and orsegli . there are besides many other honourable families of strangers , indued with all true nobility , which being more then we purposed to speak , we will at this time omit . the said city hath brought forth many excellent men , and famous as well in arms as in learning , as ansalda of aquila , general of the army of william the evil , king of naples and sicilia , antonuccio camponesco , general of king ladislao , and captain of the venetians , and was afterward by pope eugenio the fourth , created general of the holy church , minicuccio vgolino , captain of king alfonsus of aragon , guelfallione fonticulano , was general of the perusini , against braccio , and took in battel nicolo piccinino , and to his great honour defended padova from the fury of the venetians ; geronimo gaglioffa was a colonel of charls the eight king of france , and master of the camp of king lewis the twelfth in the conquest of the kingdom of naples ; francesco rustico was captain of the crossbow-horsmen of king ferdinando the second . in learning there have been very famous men , as pietro , called scotello of aquila , a religious frier of the order of st. francis , which learnedly writ upon the four books of the master of sentences . iohn aquilano , a frier also of the order of saint francis , a famous preacher of his time ; he composed a book which he entituled , viti●rum lima . francesco vivio , a most famous lawyer , who now liveth , and hath lately publisht the forest of divers opinions , and hath done many things besides , and of the decisions of the kingdom , of the audience of the country of bary , where he was the kings auditor , whose works are very profitable to the professors of the law. giovanni crispo , called de monte , writ three books of law , one de gradibus , the other de haered . qui ab intest . de . and the last de actionibus . gioseppo rustici , a doctor of great account , which is now a counceller of the great duke of tuscane , hath written and published a treatise , an , & quando liberi in conditione positi vocentur , and very shortly he is to publish another discourse . de utraque conditione si sine liberis decesserit , ad l. cum avus , f. de cond & demonst . iacopo carli , a learned doctor , hath written in law a book entituled , gemmatus pavo in quo juris canonici , & civilis materiae tanguntur . alexander trentacinque , a most noble and renowned doctor of law , writ de substitutionibus , with other subtile and witty advisements . iohn aquilano , a famous phisician , writ a discourse de sanguinis missione in pluritide . bernardino cerillo writ the annals of the city of aquila , his natural country , and the history of his time . serifino aquilano was the mirror of his time for poetry , whose works are well known , over whose sepulchre aretino caused these verses to be ingraven , qui giace , serafin partirti hor puoi , sol d' haver visto il sasso , che lo serra assai sei debitore a gli occhi tuoi . here lieth serafin depart in peace , enough thou art indebted to thy eyes to have seen the stone under which he lies . sebastian aquilano ▪ a phisician , hath published a discourse de morbo gallico , and another de febre sanguinis . cesar campana , which now abideth at vicenza , hath writ with an eloquent stile in the vulgar tongue the history of the world. iohn angelo contecelli hath published a discourse de differentiis febrium , and another de sanguinis missione . blasio pico a phisician hath writ the contemplative grammer . angelo fonticulano , a worthy historian , writ very eloquently in the latin tongue the wars of braccio of montone with the aquilani . there remain many other noble and learned men , which have much ennobled this city , as i have understood ; but because i have no true information thereof , i think it not amiss to omit them . the territory of this city brings forth besides other things , great abundance of saffron ▪ which as the aquilani themselves affirm , there is made thereof every year more then ● crowns . above aquila in the apennine under the river of pescara ▪ is monte reale , called in old time monte pireo , but inlarged and beautified by king charls the second of angio , abandoning the first name , it is a city very fair civil , and rich , compassed round about with a very strong wal ; here with great reverence lieth in the church of st. mary of piano , the body of saint d●minick , of whom the chronicle of st. francis maketh mention ; and in the church of st. augustine is to be seen the body of st. andrew , which in token of his holy life it pleaseth god ( as they say ) to shew many miracles . there now liveth with much honour to this country , pe●tio , pompeo , and iohn circii , all three doctors of law , and great learned men , of whom there is much commendation by vivio in the forest of common opinions . the territory of this country is very fertile , for the spacious vallies and pleasant hils yield grain , wine , fitches , beans , slax , hemp , and other fruits . a little distant from the said country is the river pescara , and at the mouth thereof on the left side is the city called pescara , named by pl●●y and ptolomy , aterno , a most ancient city , which they also so called the said river , which according to the common opinion was held the swiftest and cold●st of all the rivers in italy . the said country is honoured with the dignity of a marquisat subject to the house of avolo . somewhat higher in pescara runs another river called alba , and into alba cometh two little streams , which flow from the mount maiella , between the which is manopello ; and a little higher on the side of maiella is the fort of molise ▪ and undernea●h is cosano , and upon the bank of pescara is torre , a little country ; and on the side of the river pescara is lucolo , a populous country ; and not very fa● is caramanico , a very good country , and hard by lieth cantalupo , in whose territory riseth under a hill , a quick spring of petronical oyl . near the bank of pescara is the country of tocco , which hath an excellent territory , wh●re is made the best oyl in all abruzzo , and the purest wine ; and four mile 〈◊〉 popoli ▪ a most noble and populous country which hath the title of a dukedom , it is very strong every way , partly by the rivers which cannot be past as a pl●sh of water , and also by the forts which guard it as a wall. and going certain miles we come to tagliacozzo , a country well inhabited , and very rich ; but not very ancient , it hath the title of a dukedom , governed by the family colonna but we are now come to the country of the marsi , destroyed long since by hannibal , with all the other people round about ; in this country was a city called valeria , the natural country of pope boniface the fourth , who obtained of the emperor phocas the temple pantheon in rome , dedicated to all the gods of the gen●iles , which he dedicated to all the saints . this city in the time of the longobards , had the name of marsi changed into valeria ; pliny saith that marsi was a city from whence all the country took its name . these people were also called marruvii of virgil , when in his seventh book he saith , quin , & marruvia venit de gente sacerdo● . the which words servio declaring , saith , that they were the people maruvii , which inhabited neer the lake fucino , as it were inhabiters about the sea , so called for the greatness of the lakes which were in those dayes , although others affirm it was so named by marro their king , the companion of marsia . and the said servio saith , that medea which followed iason , came at length into italy , and taught certain people which inhabited neer the lake fucino , the way to charm snakes and serpents with words , and likewise shewed the remedies against the venom of these creatures , whereupon it was by these called medea angitia , as if it vexed and afflicted the serpents with their charms : the which people were also named agnitii , of which virgil in his seventh book thus saith , et marsis quaesitae in montibus herbae , te nemus angnitiae , vitrea te fucinus unda . pliny saith , that in his time this generation of marsi also continued , descended ( as he supposed ) from the son of cerces and therefore had this vertue against serpents . guilio capitolino writeth , that the emperour heliogabolus gathered a great company of serpents with the incantations of the marsi , the which he caused on the sudden to be thrown in the place where the people assembled , to see their publique sports ; whereupon many being bitten , fled with great terror . neither is it to be held as a fable which is written of these incantations , because the prophet david singing his psalms , makes a similitude of the deaf adder which stoppeth his ears to avoid inchantments . and st. augustine expounding it saith , that that similitude was meant of the marso , which maketh his charm to draw the adder out of his dark obscure hole into the perfect light ; and the serpent which loveth darknesse to avoid the sound of the charm , which he knoweth will inforce him , layeth one of his ears to the ground , because he would not hear ; and the other he covereth with his tail . livy writing the wars of italy beginneth from the marsi , calling it marsica , and among the people that rebelled against the romans , here he nameth the marruci , and the marsi , and in another place saith , that the marsi being overcome by l. murena , and cecilio pina , desired peace of silla . in the which war m. t. cicero , being a follower and fighting therein , grew into so great a mislike of the romans cruelty , that he utterly abandoned his military profession , and wholly imployed his time to the study of learning : whereupon it so fell out , that rome had yet a wit comparable to the greatnesse thereof . silio italico speaking of the marsi , thus saith , marsorum novit terra gens nota per omnes et bellare manu , & chelydris cantare saporem vipereumque herbis hebetare , & carmine dentem . aeaetae prolem ; angitiam mala gramina primam . monstravissae ferunt , tactuque domare venena . et lunam excussisse polo , stridoribus amnes frenantem , ac sylvis montes undasse vocatis , sed populis nomen posuit metuentior bospes , quum fugeret phrygios trans aequora martiarenos , migdoniam phochi superatus pectine loton marruvium veteris celebratum nomine marri vrbibus est ille caput interiorque per udos alba sedet campos , pomisque rependit aristas caetera in obscuro famae , & sine nomine vulgi , sed numero castella valent , & milite forti . now ten miles distant from tagriacozzo is the fishy lake of celano , or rather of alba , or of marsi , named by strabo the lake fucinus , and likewise of other writers , the which for the length thereof seemeth as a sea , being thirty miles in compass ; and hath in it great plenty of fish , and excellent fowling for mallards , wygens , wild geese , swans , and moor-hens . there is in this lake a fish ( according to pliny ) which hath eight pair of fins , all other fishes besides having but four . the water of this lake was brought to rome by martio being edile ; whereupon by his name it was called the water martia , which was reputed the best water of all the conduits in rome . gallano a grave writer reherseth , that in the said lake was drowned archippa , a very goodly city , which was builded by marsia king of the lidi . and suetonius writeth that the emperor claudius maintained eleven years continually men to damm up the said lake . there entreth into the said lake the river giovenco , and runneth upon the water , to be discerned in such manner , that as it cometh in running upon it , so it returns without mingling it self therewith , as pliny testifieth , and vibio sequestre , by whom it is named pitornius , thus saith , pitornius fluvius , per medium lacum fucinum marsorum ita decurrit , ut aqua ejus non misceat stagno . round about it are these castles , paterno , transaco , s. apetito , giaiano , avezzano , s. iona , magliano . celano is under the title of a count very rich , and a populous country , and the bounds of the country of the latines . there was of this country ( as is read in the book of the conformity of st. frances in the rubrick de provincia pennensi ) st. thomas which writ the first legend of st. frances , and composed the sequence of the dead , which was sung in the mass , that is , dies irae , dies illa solvet seclum in favilla , &c : this city was destroyed by the footmen of the emperor frederick the second king of naples , because the citizens thereof were confederate with otho duke of saxony , yet it continued not long but the said citizens newly repaired it . three miles distant from the lake upon a high hill towards the apennine , appears the ancient ruines of the city of alba of marsi , which was made a colony of the romans at the same time with sora , whither were brought six hundred inhabitants : l. genutio , and servilio cornelio being consuls , as livy declareth . this city was one of the twelve colonies that refused to aid the romans in the time of hannibal . this city was accounted by pliny in the fourth region , wherefore silio maketh mention in the eight after this manner , alba sedet campos , pomisque rependit aristas . from alba four miles distant at the foot of the hils is cesa , a little castle , the natural place of pietro marso , a man very learned , as his works do well testifie , and especially his commentaries made upon silio italico . and going up certain miles into the region of the pregutini is the river castellano , which descendeth from a valley of the apennine , named the valley castellana , and runneth for a little space towards ascolo , and after a while endeth in tronto , which compasseth the said city on the other side . strabo , pliny and ptolomy , placeth the city of ascolo in piceno , but to me it seemeth better to account the said city in this present province of abruzzo on the other side , not only because it is on this side tronto , but also for that in former time it was under the jurisdiction of the kings of naples , but queen ione the second restored it to the church . the said city is situate upon a very strong place , fortified with a good wall , and compassed with high hils ; it aboundeth with all things necessary for the sustenance of living creatures . bettutio barro , a most eloquent orator was born in ascolo , to whom cicero gave the honour of the victory above all the poets of that age , as it appears in bruto , and ventidio basso the victorious captain of the romans , which went with an army against the parthians , of whom were written these words , but too nipping , now he is made a consul , which lately was a mule-keeper ( forasmuch as before he had the command of mules ) of whom the satyrical giovenal saith in the seventh satire , si fortuna volet , fies de rhetore ▪ consul , si volet haec cadem , fies de consule rhetor. ventidius , quid enim , quid tullius ? an ne a●iudque sydus , & occulti miranda potentia fati . ascolo had also pope nicholas the fourth , a learned , wise , and a vertuous man , as petrarck and platina among the pontifical bishops declares ; although biondo saith he was the third ; likewise cecco de ascolo was a citizen thereof , an astronomer , a great philosopher , and a famous negromancer . and enoc , an eloquent orator indued with the greek and latine tongues , through whose diligence were found out marco celio apitio , and pomponio porfirione upon horace in the time of pope nicholas the fifth . the same city hath also brought forth gratiadio of the order of preachers , an excellent divine and philosopher , which writ the commentaries upon the old art , eight books of natural philosophy , and three of aristotle , de anima , wherein he sheweth his great learning . afterward going along from vallecastellana , we come to the rich and populous country of amatrice , situated under the fountain of tronto . then followeth civitella , lying not far off among the hils , in a country very strong through the nature of the place , and the strong wall that compasseth it round about , which country was valiantly defended by the duke of guise . now being come to tronto , in the which place are not only the bounds of the pregutini and sanniti , which are in abruzzo , but also of the territory of the kingdom of naples , i am now forced to finish the description of this province , somewhat noting the nature of the inhabitants , which are of a bigg and tall stature , strong bodied , of a white complexion , fierce countenance , and a resolute mind , courteous towards strangers , in bargaining simple , accustomed to the mannaging of arms , and much inclined to wars , and very cruel to their enemies . they are also very forward in learning . the men which inhabit in the city are seemly and civilly apparelled ; but those that live abroad in the hils and mountains are very barbarous and unhandsom , for they cloath themselves with very course and base cloath . the arms of this province is azure upon three mounts united and fixed in bass or , an eagle displayed ar● crowned of the second . the which arms some think , that the eagle signifieth the standard which was taken in battel from the romans ; although others suppose it signifies the emperor adrian , which was born in hadria a city of the province , and say that three hils or declares the fertility and riches of the country : neither are their opinions to be mistaken which say that the eagle signifieth the city of aquila it self , the head and principal of all the country . the county of molise , the eleventh province of the kingdom of naples . the county of molise is the least province in the kingdom , for it is part of sannio , wherein is esernia , and boiano . this province was so called from the city of molisia , from whence they also had their name which governed this country , and pontano witnesseth that in his time there was also standing the noble house of molisia , the which he setteth down in his fifth book of the history of the neopolitan war ; cui adjungitur ab iisdem quaestoribus : sannii quoque pars ea , in qua est bovianum , & aesernia , qui ager recenti nomine est molisius , molisio ab oppido , à quo originem duxere qui agro quondam imperaverunt . qua re familia quoque molisia hodie agnoscitur . the inhabiters of this country are the sanniti , frentani , and caraceni , the confines of the which people anciently were ( according to ptolomy ) the river fortoro on the east , the river sanguine on the west , the adriatick sea on the north , and the apennine hils on the south . at this present the bounds thereof extend not so far in respect of the new division made by the kings exchequer , of which country now a great part is under capitanato , the principality on the other side , the country of lavoro and abruzzo . pliny declaring the confines of the frentani , writeth thus , flumen portuosum frento , teanum apulorum , itemque larinum , cliternia , tifernus amnis , inde regio frentana ; and in another place saith , in ora frentanorum à tife●no flumen trinium portuosum . oppida histionium , buca , ortona , aternus amnis . intus anxatini cognomine frentani , c●rentini supernates & infernates , lanuenses . these people were so named of the citie frentana neer to teano of puglia , the which citie at this present is called francavilla . these people becoming very puissant , made war against the romans ; but being overcome , ( as livy writeth ) by the consull q. aulio in the year . with one battell , were sworn to the keeping of their faith , and so obtained peace from the senate . caesar maketh mention of the frentani in the first book of his commentaries , and also polybius . and cato writeth , that these people had their originall from the liburni , and dalmati , and afterward from the toscous , and their principall citie was larino . this province is almost wholly plain , and hath a very plentifull territory ; for it yeildeth grain in great abundance , and all other sorts of corn , there is also flax , silk , bombace , saffron , annice , corianders , hony , and good wines , and very fruitfull trees , and great plenty , the air is temperate and healthfull , sweet rivers , and great store of cattell ; there is excellent hawking and hunting , but no ravenous creature is therein except wolves . i will begin to describe this countrey from campobasso , a city built in the midst of the hills , on this side the apennine , from boiano twelve miles distant , for here begins the first countrey of puglia . the said countrey is very populous and rich , from whence the counties of campobascio have had their originall and surname . going from this countrey towards luceria four miles , is campo di pietra , which hath a good territory ; and following that way no more then six miles , appears upon the top of a high hill the castell pietra ; and from hence five miles is macchia , which hath the title of a county . and from campobascio sixteen miles , is the castle celantia , and from hence seven miles is riccia . opposite to whom is gambatesa , and after eight miles , is the castell of motta ; and a litle higher are these cities and castles , st. gintiam coletort , geldono , and in the top is circo the great , where the river fortore springeth : six miles from thence is vinchiaturo , afterward is baronello , busso , ratino , rocchetta , montesaggiano , and following that way neer the river fortore are these countries and castles , petrella castel de lino , morrone and giovenisso . then we come to very large and spacious fields , which continue the space of eighteen miles , even to the sea , and therein are to be seen the ruines of the ancient gerione , so often named by livy , neere whose walls he writeth that hanniball made his stay . upon the hills which joyn with the apennine , and are above the fountain of vulturno , on the right hand , are these castles , montenegro , riofreddo , and a little below is the castle forolo , so called also in old time : then coming down by the course of the river three miles , neer fornello is a new countrey , but very populous and rich , which yeilds the best wine in all the countrey : directly against fornello , there belongs to vulturno a vally called porcina , and then somwhat lower there entreth into vulturno , a river which comes from esernia , an ancient colony of the romans , to which city that learned lawyer andrea of rampino , called by the surname of esernia , hath given much honor , whose works are of great estimation with learned men : he was a man of great account , and of the counsell of queen ione the first , and ( as liparulo writeeth ) was slain by currado of gottis , a dutch baron for giving judgment against him . this citie hath a very fruitfull territory , and the citizens for the most part are imployed in merchandise . not far off is supino , a fair and an ancient citie , called in old time sepinum ; of whom pliny calleth the inhabiters sepinates . ascending then towards the mediterrane , within a mile of the river fortore , and eight miles from the sea , is the noble castle guilliniaco , and as much more higher is guardia alferes , so named , above the which is lupara , cartabuttaccio , and lucito which hath a fair and fertile territory , the lord thereof is alfonso pescicello a neapolitane gentleman , a generous young man , and wise , and much inclined to learning . and keeping on that way , there is to be seen limosano , castelpignano , rochetta , casal reparando , and lespineto which was repaired by queen ione the first , by the mediation of pietro cardillo a neapolitan , her favorite . of the which mention is made in the register of the exchequer rolls of the said queen ; of which family there remains at this present a branch of the old stock , even that learned ottanio cardillo , a man indewed with much knowledge , and liveth with great renown . then a little forward appears boiano , a city once esteemed the richest , & as it were the principall of sannio , whereof livy maketh oftentimes very honorable mention , and sometimes saith , that it was sack 't and ransack't by the romans , and was more prey'd and spoyl'd then ever was all sannio besides . moreover , silio italio maketh mention thereof when speaking of the samnits , he saith , affluit , & samnis , nondum vergente favore ad poenos , sed nec veteri purgatus ab ira qui batulum , mucrasque colunt , boviana quique exercent lustra aut caudinis faucibus haerent . et quos aut rufrae , aut quos aesernia , quos ve obscura incultis herdania misit ab agnis brutius haud dispar , animorumque una juventus lucanis excita jugis , hirpinaque pubes . in the book of the colonies is thus written , bovianum oppidum lege iulia , milites deduxerunt : sine iter colonis populo iter amplius non debetur quam pedes ager ejus per centurias , & scâmna est designatus . ptolomy calleth the said citie bucianum . the said citie is adorned with the dignity of a duke . not very far from boiano is the hill fiterno , which proceedeth from the apennine , from whom the river fiterno , now called fortore hath the name . passing from thence towards the sea , and going towards termine , is the mouth of the river trinio , which pliny calleth trinium portuosum , on whose left side five miles off , is castelluzzo roccavivara , and the noble citie of trivento , honored with the title of a county , possessed in the time of the king of aragon by iacobo caldora , a most valiant captain , but it is now governed by the house of afflitto . the most reverend bishop thereof iulius caesar mariconda a neapolitan gentleman , and a prelate of no lesse learning then sincere life , graceth now this citie with his great vertue . then follows salicito , fossaceca , bagnulo and civita nova . and coming now to an end of this province , i will speak of the inhabiters thereof , which are very strong and valiant , and much inclined to arms ; they are also obstinate in their opinions , and in bargaining with strangers very crafty and subtile , for the most part they exercise merchandise and husbandry , they apparel themselves more for their own ease , then with any decent or comely civility , although the women more respect strait lacing then seemly attire . this province useth for the arms thereof in a field gu : a star of points ar : within a border of ceres : what the said arms doth signifie , i do not well understand , yet thus much i may say , that the garland of ceres signifieth the great plenty of corn which this countrey yeilds ; and by the star argent , noteth the great good will & love of the people which they have to retain the memory of the family of balzo , which in former time governed almost all this whole countrey , with other places of great importance in the kingdom ; whereto i give so much the greater credit , insomuch as the house of balzo gave in their arms a star ar : in a field gu : therefore i think it very fit not to neglect this opinion in the present description of this province , although some think that the star signifieth the prosperity of the countrey , whereof the poet saith , — subitoque fragore intonuit latuum de coelo lapsa per umbras stella facem ducens multa cum luce cucurrit . among the romans the star was placed above the heads of romulus and remus , which sucked the teat of the wolfe , signifying the custody of their proper genio or good spirit , who preserved them being children . capitanata . the twelfth province of the kingdom of naples . this noble and fruitfull province of pugliapiana , which at this present is called capitanata , was anciently named iapygia , daunia , mesapia , and apulia . the said province stretcheth from the river lofanto , where the country of bary endeth , and passeth to the river of frontone ( now called fortore ) containing in breadth all between the apennine hils , where are the irpini and the sanniti , and the adriatick , or rather ionian sea , so that on the east it hath the country of bary , with the river lofanto , on the south the apennine with the irpini and sanniti ; on the west the ferentani and carraceni , with the river frontone , and on the north the adriatick or ionian sea. iohn pontano in his second book of histories handling many things , saith that in the time of the first normans ▪ and afterward the greeks , this province was called catapaniata , because those that were sent to rule here by the emperors of constantinople , were called in the greek tongue catapini , and that afterward by corruption of the word , it was called the province of capitanata , and those that governed it capitani . the words of pontano are these . apuliae pars ea , que ab ●rentone flumine , hodie fortorium est , ab aufidi ripas , sua nunc appellatione est capitanata : quae normanorum prius , ac graecorum temporibus fuerat catapaniata : quòd qui ejus moderatione esset ab imperatore . constantinopolitano praepositus , diceretur graeco nomine catapanus : quae vox contractis , atque immutatis literis recentioribus , versa , est in capitanatam , quique catapanus fuerat in capitinium . quae verò calabriae pars olim fuit , in qua tarentum , brundusium , ac salentinorum maritima est ora , ea ab hydrunto oppido , ad quod est ab macedonia epiroque , quam brevissima ad navigatio hydruntina hodie terra dicitur . at qui est ab au●ido tractus ad calabriae , hoc est , hydruntinae fines terrae : quo intractu sunt ad mare posita barolum , tranum , vigilae , melficta , iuvenatium , barum , polygnanum , monopolis ? ab urbe baro , quae caput olim regionis fuit barensis vocitata est terra : regiorum quaestorum constitutione ac jussu . post eam montana loca , quaeque olim fuere illinc lucaniae , hinc apuliae , iisdem illis temporibus vocari coepta basilicata . quae appellatio unde potissimum ducta sit , jure anceps est , ac dubium . sunt enim qui existiment , haud satis tamen certis auctoribus , constantinopolitano olim ab imperatore regionem eam filiae , ac genero traditam dotis nomine : veri autem aliis videtur esse similius , à basilio quodam fortissimo viro dictam : qui per illa tempora loca ea tenuerit , deque regione ipsa , tractumque omni salentino , graecos industria sua pepulerit , atque poenos , &c. this province ( as is said ) was in old time called iapygia , of iapyge the son of dedalus , as herodotus affirmeth ; but as servio saith upon this verse of virgil , victor gargani condebat iapygiis agris . he saith that iapygia was a part of puglia wherein standeth the hill gargano , which reacheth even to the adriatick sea. it was also called mesapia of the people mesapii which inhabited in a part thereof ; although others say that it was so named of king mesapo , the son of neptune . being afterward possest by dauno the son of pilumno , and of king danae , the grandsire of king turnus , all that country was called daunia . after him diomedes coming with a great number of the people etoli there to inhabit , he divided the country between himself and diomedes . afterward it was named apulia of apulo , a most ancient king of these places , which came hither to inhabit a long time before the wars of troy ptolomy divideth puglia , the one part from ti●erno to the city of bary , called daunia , and from thence unto the salentini ( which are the people of the cou●try of otronto ) called peucetia· puglia came to the knowledg of the romans rather through wars then friendship , for ( as livy writeth ) with the rebellion of the sannites the romans had also puglia their enemy , whose territory was laid waste and spoiled by them , and at sundry times after ( as it appears in livy ) came into the power of the romans . all this region was from the beginning in great prosperity : but hannibal and other wars that succeeded him , destroyed it and left it desolate , the which strabo confirms in his sixth book , when writing thereof he saith , priori tempore universae hujus terrae secunda fortuna florebat , postea vero , & annibal sequentia bella desertam illam reddiderunt . this most fruitfull province bringeth forth great store of wheat , barley , and other corn , and more plentifull then any other part of italy , although many fields are reserved for the pasture of sundry flocks of sheep which are brought from abruzzo . the earth or soil although it be sandy and light , and the grass which grows thereon be small and slender , it is nevertheless very fruitfull , and storeth naples , slavonia , venice and tuscane , with plenty of flesh . this region indureth much water , whereupon the poet horace saith that apulia is full of silk , and in some places it wanteth trees : the air is temperate , but in the summer season it is so much 〈◊〉 ●ith heat , that it is not only hurtfull to strangers , but even to the natural 〈◊〉 of the country . all this region is very plentifull of every thing , both horses and excellent sheep , the wool is softer then that of taranto , but not so fine , the hony there is much commended , the vallies which lie by the plains , makes it a very pleasant country , whereby all the province is much inhabited , so that it hath in all ten cities , and towns and castles ; the cities are st. angelo , manfredonia , siponto , lesina , vieste , ascoli , bovino , volturara , te●mole , troia . this province containeth the hill gargano with the appurtenances thereof , which stretching out as it were an arm of the apennine towards the adriatick sea compasseth in the lowest descent thereof , which ends in the plain ● miles , where appears all the ri●hes of puglia with plenty of water ; it is also very well garnished , and also richly furnished with trees , and phisical herbs ▪ for the which there repairs from far countries i●finite herbalists and simplis●● , whereupon it seem● that nature hath indued it with so great perfection 〈◊〉 ●or the p●e●●den●e and p●ima●y with all the other hils of the orient . diomedes purposed to make the said hill an island , because the istmus thereof is no more then two miles broad , but this and other works he undertook , were left imperfect , because he returned home to his own house where he ended his life , although some write that he remained here during his life . others feigning , report that he vanished into the isle of diomedes , and that his companions were transformed into fowls . in this country is bred the tarantola , whose venom ( as is before declared ) is cured with sounds and singing . here also breeds the chersidri , or the cavalette , which the country people call brucoli , which being dispersed here and there , do feed and wholly devour all the fields with infinite hurt and spoil . in the top of the said hill is the famous and noble city of st. angelo , from the which at this present for the most part the hill is so called , for the archangel st. michael which appeared there , where is to be seen the most devout and honourable cave , and holy temple dedicated in honour to the archangel st. michael , which ( as every one knoweth ) is one of the most famous oratories in all christendom , and is at all times visited and frequented with great superstition of infinite people . the said city is very populous , and strong by nature , and exceeds in the plenty of all things necessary for the sustenance of living creatures . this place being possest by the saracins , they fortified it and held it a long time , untill grimoaldo the fifth duke of benevento , and king of italy went with an army against them , and almost slew them all , which was in the year . grimoaldo being dead , the saracins newly possessed it again ; but the emperor charls the great and king of france coming into italy , after he had overcome them , put them all miserably to death with the edg of the sword . but now seeing a fitting occasion is presented unto me to declare what the said church was , and the beginning of the building , and the great devision thereof . here is a cave or vault in a main rock in the aforesaid hill , which descendeth many steps very low , before the which descent are in the same rock certain buildings wrought by hand , where are tables written of infinite miracles and favour● by god vouchsafed unto men through the intercession ( as they say ) of that saint . below in the cave is a great dore of brass very curiously wrought , which entreth into that wonderfull vault , the house of the most holy archangel st. michael , which standeth towards the east , and round about it is alwaies to be seen to distill a pure liquor . in the midst is a little quire , which is ascended by four steps ; but as a man approacheth near to the holy altar of the angel , he is suddenly strucken with great devotion in the contemplation of high and celestial things . there is to be seen the little altar consecrated by the holy archangel st. michael , where he hath left the print of his foot , the which little altar stands upon another altar curiously wrought , where the priests commonly say mass. on the left side are certain other altars cut out of the rock , all very commodious to say mass. the floore of the cave is paved with white and red marble well mixed and divided . without above the vault there is a very fair and pleasant wood , very strange and wonderfull to those that behold it , because that through a great brow of the hill not any tree can be discerned , and that which yields the greatest wonder of all is , that so many great trees grow upon the main rock . the cause why this place was dedicated to st. michael , our ancestors say grew by this accident : in the year of our lord . in the second year of pope galasio the first , and the third year of the emperor anastasius , there was a citizen of siponto , called gargano , a man far richer in cattel then any one in the country , the which under the custody of many heardsmen gras●ing upon the hill gargano , had a bull which was strayed among the woods , and seeking him a long time through those parts , in the end , one day found him feeding before the dore of the said cave , wherewith gargano being offended , put an arrow into his bow , and shot to kill him ; but scant had the arrow touched the bull , but it rebounded back , and with the point strook gargano , the which being held as a great miracle by the heardsmen that were there present , perswaded gargano to find out some holy man of sincere life and great authority ▪ to whom he 〈◊〉 this accident . the which lorenzo hearing ( which was accounted so religious a man ) admiring at so great a miracle , caused the people to fast three dayes , and with many prayers reconciling themselves unto god. the fast ended , and divine service solemnly celebrated , the night following st. michael appeared to lorenzo , said unto him : by the will of god , and through my means , it is so come to passe , o lorenzo , that the bull hath discovered this place chosen by my self , where i desire a church should be made to my name , that i might have a dwelling upon the earth amongst men : declare to the citizens , that in this place i am to pardon in the name of god the sins of the people which repair hither . the which vision , after lorenzo had rendered due thanks unto god , he declared it . then with generall procession and many ceremonies , they went very religiously to the holy cave , where with great devotion they said solemn service , and so to the honor of st. michaell the archangell , the place was dedicated . the pope understanding thereof sent three bishops to consecrate the church , and the angell appeared again saying , that needed not to be consecrated by humane means , which was consecrated by divine providence , and that in token and sign thereof , they should find the print of his foot upon the altar . the morning following they went in procession , and so finding it , after they had all yeilded due thanks unto god , consecrated another hill hard by , which at this present is called the holy hill , whither repair infinite people with great devotion on every side . now not long after the neapolitane army coming to seponto , after it had sack't benevento , the people betaking themselves to prayer , after they had fasted three days , the night following the angell appeared in sleep to lorenzo , admonishing him , that the next morning he should cause all the people to arm themselves , and to assail their enemies camp , and he would aid them therein the people beleeving the words of lorenzo , marched with their army into the fields , and invaded their enemies , upon whom came from heaven even at an instant , so horrible a tempest with lightning and thunder , that the enemies army was not onely scattered and disperst , but most of them cruelly slain . now the faith and devotion of the people greatly increased , and with much alms and great gifts of gold and silver , the church was very richly beautified and inlarged . all this which is rehearst , his own legend testifieth ( which you may believe if you please , and also the learned iohn pontano in the second book of the neapolitane war , writeth , whose words are these , nec vero alienum fuerit ( quoniam in templi mentionem maxime augusti incidimus : ad cujus antrum ab ultimis terrarum finibus annis singulis plurimi mortales selvendis votis accedunt ) de ejus initiis : quaeque ab antiquis auctoribus habeo comperta , pauca pro meo instituto referre . est nativa specus durissimo è saxo , in quam multis gradibus : caeterum non lato admodum aditu descenditur : specularibus quibusdam lumen praebentibus . vestit cam parte superiore , qua nativa ipsa quidem , ac perimosa testudo est , è quercu vasta proceritate lucus , muris tamen circundatus , pecori nequa pateat ingressus . ante vero antrum in imum descenderis , qua specus diffunditur , mira animum religio subit , loco ipso sub obscuro , & horrido , solaque natura constituta . admonent religionis tabellae , votaque passim suspensa , titulos indicantia . vbi vero arae admotus ad numinis procumbes statuam , loco solo , & ab hominum accessu s●moto , repente inhorrescit tacito metu animus : atque in divinarum tantum rerum cogitationem versus , in preces suppliciaque effunditur . augent venerationem aliae item arae nullo sumptu , nullo artificio factae , quibus natura ipsa videtur locum statuisse . cur autem michaeli potissimum dedicata specus fuerit , haec à majoribus tradita comperior , annos quidem supra noningentos , atque amplius repetita , qua quidem tempestate heruli , goti , barbaraeque aliae quaedam gentes per italiam bacchabantur . garganum quendam civem sipontinum cujus praegrande armentum gargano pasceretur in monte , à quo & ille nomen duxisset cum armentalem taurum , qui oberraverat , per silvas suis cum pastoribus quaeritaret , inventum tandem eum ab ejus , de qua dictum est , speluncae hostium pascentem animadvertisse , itaque ira percitum , contento arcu , summis in illum viribus sagittam emisisse , eamque ubi tauri tergus attigisset , retro flexam è vestigio , recurvataque spiculi acie sagittatorem p●tiisse . quae res inter pastores in religionem , cum esset versa , tum garganum rem hanc sacerdoti expositurum , laurentium adiisse , probatissimae vitae antistitem , ibi illum recognita , factique admiratione ductum , dierum trium jejunio indicto , multis etiam adhibitis precibus deum esse consulendum : gargano respondisse . itaque absoluto jejunio , re sacra rite facta , noctu dormiente laurentio astitisse michaelem angelorum principem admonent●m his verbis . mea opera , ac dei jussu factum laurentii , qui taurum indicem esse voluerim b●silicae hujus , quam mihi ad inhabitandum cum hominibus in terris paravi . haec mea est basilica , meum hoc sacrarium apud mortales futuro . enuntia haec civibus , in monente me , per te intelligant , ea in spelunca , iis in adytis aboliturū esse me mortalium peccata , qui ad eam confugerint . quo accepto oraculo antistes somno exitus , ubi deo gratias egisset , re populo indicata , summa civium cum frequentia venerabundus , indictis supplicationibus pontisicis habitu amictus , ascenso monte ad speluncam procedit , sacraque ibidem peracta re , non tamen ut ingredi antrum ausus esset quisquam multis cum precibus decantatis rite divinis laudibus , deo gratias egit — nomenque michaelis per omnes laudes celebratum . ritique rebus his peractis sipontum rediit , magna civium laetitia , ingentique vrbis universae gaudio . nec vero multis post dicbus . neapolitanorum exercitus , quorum opes profligatis beneventanorum rebus abunde tum pollentes erant : sipontum obsedit . igitur solicito de populo suo antistiti , post indictum dierum trium jejunium , quo triduo fuerant etiam indutiae ab hoste impetratae , astitit rursus dormienti michael , admones , & pie , & rite factum , quod per jejunium , ac preces à deo auxilium implorasset : michaelem se angelorum principem jussu dei illa dicere , imperareque uti insequenti dio de quarta hora , populus ▪ universus arma caperet , in hostemque repente irrueret , se ipsum armatum in acie civibus affuturum . haec igitur populo tuo experrectus dissere , ac bono animo esse jube . hora igitur dicta , armatus atque ad pugnam instructus civis hostem negligentius agentem improvisus invadit , fundit , sugat validis adeo repente exortis procellis , summoque è montis jugo prorumpentibus terrifico impetu fulminibus , uti maximè foeda tempestatis vi , ac fulgurum sescenti ex hoste examinati referantur . fugatis igitur , ac caesibus hostibus , sacris deo optimo maximo ; ac michaeli rit● factis , cum antistes decrevisset speluncam ipsam ( uti moris est : christianique ritus ) dedicare gelasium pontificem maximum , per id tempus soracte agentem de ea dedicatione consuluisset : astitit illi tertio inquiens , mihi egomet nulla adhibita hominum aut arte , aut opera vacuum feci hoc saxum , mihi egomet desertum humano cultu montem dextra hac subaperui , mea ego in lapide hoc vestigia infixi , mihi ipsemet aedem hanc statui , sacrarium feci , basilicam dedicavi . quaecunque igitur ab hac aede basilica , sacrario humana dedicatio absit , ritusque omnis abesto humanus , michael ego sum , qui hoc excavato saxo , hoc antro , hoc habitaculo : his assidue manantibus stillis ablaturus sum , ac deleturus , mea ad aram consugientium mortalium errata . age eaepergiscitor sacerdos , civibusque haec tuis disserito , cumque iis simul rem divinam illic facito , neque adesse antro meo sacrario meo , meaeque basilicae , tuque poplusque tuus mortales denique omnis placatum atque propitium sciunt , &c. on the side of this hill , which lieth towards the east , is the citie vieste ▪ in old time called vestice which hath a very fair haven , from whence pope alexander the third , aided by william the second , king of naples , departed towards venice with thirteen gallies to be reconciled to the emperour frederick barbarossa . this citie was destroyed in the year by acomat bascia , generall of the army of mahumet , the second emperour of the turks , whilst he attempted the subduing of italy . among other captains and men of special note which valianty fighting died in the defence of the said citie , diu giaime of aierbo of aragon , innico de vera , guilio acquaviva , carlo stella , diomedes of tolfa , and francisco son of the famous doctor paris de apuzzo councellor of king ferrant , whose nephews sons of the said paris , i know in naples , and are my very dear friends , neither do they any jot degenerate from their worthy progenitors , for iohn iacobo and iohn carlo are doctors of the law and very learned , and iohn baptista de apuzzo his brother , is imployed in the kings affairs . the said citie was suddenly repaired by king ferdinando , at the intercession and mediation of antonio miroballo lord thereof . ptolomy saith , that here being the second head of the mount gargano , endeth the adriatick sea , and beginneth the ionian . neer the sea side passing over the river lofanto appears the place where was the ancient citie of salapia built by elsia rodiano , but according to varro by diomedes ; and here hanniball the carthagenian being at the first so fierce a warrior , became inamored of a woman , which made him so effeminate as impaired much his reputation . not very far is the lake of andoria , by pliny called mandurium ; hard by is mansredonia augmented by the ruines of siponto , where at this present is a great concourse of merchants , conveying from thence great plenty of corn ; this city is very populous and civil , and in it are these noble families , beccarini , gentile , del avantaggio , caverletta , minadois , nicastro , visco , tontoli , and others . but first before i proceed any farther to declare what the monte gargano is here towards the sea , i will finish that which lieth upon the river fortore : above sanseverino four miles is torre the great , which is a country that hath the title of a dukedom subject to the house of sangro , which lieth from fortore twelve miles ; and as much above torre the great is castelluccio ; and a little from thence is monte rotano , and somewhat higher is celenza , which hath a very fruitfull territory , and is adorned with the title of a marquisat , the lord whereof is carlo gambacorta a neapolitan gentleman , a very famous and worthy lord , whose honourable actions are well known , having many years with so much wisdom and valour governed through the grace and favour of king philip , the two povinces of principato , and basilicata , and at this present with great honour ruleth and governeth this present province . not far from cilenza is a country called st. marco , and near that is volturara , which hath a good territory , and the lord thereof holdeth the title of a marquiss ; and not far off is the country of st. gaudio , and a little above is rosseno , and beyond that , near the river of fortore , is the castle montefalcone . the river fortore runneth into the sea near the lake of lesina , which contains miles in compass ; and a mile from this lake , and four from the sea , is the city of lesina , from whence the lake hath taken its name , the which city was built by the men of the isle of lesina of slavonia , some say that the saracins spoiled the said city . leandro alberti believeth that the aforesaid lake is named by pliny in the . chapter of his third book lacus pantanus , which breeds good fishes , and great eels , and at all times there is good fowling for wild geese , mallards , and swans . within the land four miles above lesina , and within a mile of fortore upon a high hill is cerra capriola , in a populous and a civil country , the which is well known through all the kingdom for the toll or custom of cattel , which pass through it from divers countries to winter in puglia , and for the custom of sheep , where they pay in that place so much for every beast by the head . somewhat higher are these countries and castles , st. martino , colletorto , s. guilian , macchia , which is adorned with the dignity of a count subject to the house of regina ; and not farr off is petra di cratello , campo di pietra , geldono , and in the top is circomaggiore , near the which springeth the river fortore ; then on the left hand of fortore is st. nicandro , five miles from the sea , and near the lake of cesina on that side which is nearest the mount gargano ; then farther within the land is porcina , a populous and a civil country , where is also a very stately magnificent palace made by the emperor frederick the second , for a retiring house of pleasure after his sports of hunting in those parts . going six miles forward we come to st. seniero , a country very rich , noble , civil , and populous , whose territory is so fertile that it is not inferior to any in this province ; the said country hath lately been innobled by the kings favour with the dignity of a prince , which the family of sangro possesseth . strabo writeth in his sixth book , that in the territory of daunio ( although that imperfect and corrupt book nameth it saunio ) at a hill named drio , in the manner of a wood , was in his time two temples , the one in the very top , assigned to calcante , that whosoever came to demand any thing of the oracle , sacrificed a black ram , lying down themselves upon the skin . the other temple was dedicated to podalirio ; below at the very foot of the hill , distant from the sea a hundred furlongs . from the which temple did spring a little brook very wholsom and comfortable to cure the infirmities of cattel ▪ therefore it may the better be believed , that such temples have been in these places hereabout , for strabo saith , in agro daunio circa tumulum , quem drion nominant , basilicae monstrantur ? una quidem calchantis in summo ●erti●è , & cui petentes oracula ingrant●m im●lant arietem , & strata in pelle dormiunt . altera podalirii in insima montis radice posita , abest à mari stadiorum circiter c. ex ea rivulus manat , ad omnis p●corum morbos salutaris . now it is time to return to the mount gargano , or rather st. angelo , to the end i may the better describe certain places which are there . in the midst then of the said hill , where is the fair and spacious plain of ●lorishing and pleasant pasture , is to be seen the country of st. iohn ritondo , where every year on the of iune are assembled the bailiffs and officers thereabout , a chief and principal magistrate coming thither in the name of the king , the which after they have well considered the store of grain , barley , and other corn , with a general consent they proclaim a price of all victuals . not far from the said place are cagnano , and carpino , which have a fruitfull territory ; the baron thereof is antonio nava , so honourable and worthy a lord , and so vertuously given , as he is generally honoured and loved of every one , and hath been the special occasion that this work is published the second time . at the foot of the said hill near manfredonia is st. vito , a very great country , but wholly abandoned for the great abundance of serpens that are therein . not far off is the castle arignano , and st. nocandro . departing then from the foot of the mount gargano , and leaving the places near adjacent , we come to foggia in a populous country , which hath a very fertile and fruitfull territory , yielding great plenty of grain , barley , and other sustenance . some say that it was built of the ruines of the ancient city of argirippa , the which ( as strabo●aith ●aith ) was in old time one of the greatest cities in italy , and was first called argostippium , afterward argyripa , and at the last arpe , and saith that it was builded by diomedes . at this present liveth with great honour to the said city , giovanbattista vitale , a very plausible and pleasant poet of our age . but it is not fit i should smother in silence the custom of the sheep of puglia , which is one of the greatest revenues that the king hath in the kingdom , and consisteth in the rents of the herbage , which cometh every year into the kings exchequer by the officers for the pasture of sheep , and greater cattel , of the which rents in truth , some pay duckets for a hundred sheep , and some . and some and a half , and some . and some . and some . and some carlins for a hundred , and others crowns for a thousand . but of greater cattel some pay duckets and a half for a hundred , and others and a half , and some duckets and three quarters the hundred ; whereupon the said receiver satisfieth to the masters of the herbage , according to the quality and goodness of the pasture ; as it falleth out . as in the year . there was allowed to the said custom four millions four hundred seventy one thousand and four hundrey ninty six sheep ; and of greater cattel nine thousand and six hundred . of which sheep and cattel in general is paid unto the kings receit six hundred and two and twenty thousand and a hundred seventy three duckets and seven carlins , of the which sum is abstracted duckets for the payment of the herbage to divers particular persons , with the alms bestowed upon the poor , and other charges , yielding to the kings exchequer . the which sum of money was carried into the kings general treasury . this kind of payment of custom hath been very ancient , for the like was paid in the time of the romans , as it appears by varro , and other ancient writers . but this kingdom being invaded by divers nations , the custom decayed through the extremity of long wars , untill the time of the worthy and renowned alfonsus of aragon , first of this name , king of naples ; who newly restored it in an excellent order , and constituted francisco malubre , commissary for the reformation thereof , and was the first receiver , to whom he allowed for his pains duckets with the pasture of a thousand sheep , as marino trezza in his second book de sub . feu . the which the excellent lawyer carlo tapia neapolitan , relateth with great learning and eloquence , in the first book of his commentaries in the rubrick and final law , f●de constitutionibus principium num . . this worthy man liveth with much admiration for his vertue and honourable qualities , and at this present with general applause exerciseth the office of the criminal judge of the great court of the vicaria . departing from foggia miles , appears upon a little hill , situated in a plain , the fair city of luceria , in the which city in the time of strabo , was the stately temple of minerva , where were many and rich gifts , the which city was the ancient seat of the daunii , and was also built by diomedes . it is true , that it was destroyed in the time of strabo ; whose ruines even at this present declare how great it was , and what power and authority it had ; it was afterward repaired with the fragments of the old ruinated buildings , and so continued even to the time of constantius the son of constantine the third emperor of constantinople , who destroyed and spoiled it in the time of vitaliano bishop of rome , as paolo diacono writeth in his fifth book , and biondo in his ninth book of histories . where having slain all the citizens , sackt it , and afterward burnt it ; yet within a little time following it was reedified , but nothing so fair and magnificent as at the first . the which city being given by the emperor frederick the second , to the saracins , was so strongly fortified that it became very powerfull , commanding and domineering over all the bordering places ; neither was any man able to expel them untill the year ▪ charls the second king of naples after many conflicts confounded them , and inforced them to forsake their hold . the territory of the said city is very plentifull , and yieldeth all sorts of victuals . to the which city twice in the year do assemble almost all the merchants of italy , grecia , sicilia , and slavonia , and from other countries to traffick and sell their wares ; and this city is the head of the whole province , for there resides the kings audit with his vice-roy . in the church of st. dominicho , which is therein , lieth the body of st. augustine the hungarian , of the order of preachers , sometime bishop of the city , where he is highly reverenced by the people , and was canonized by the holy church , naming him st. augustine , by consent and agreement of the apostolick colledg ; god shewing to his creatures ( as they they say ) how acceptable the merit of this man was unto him , in the bestowing upon them infinite favours by the means of his sepulchre . from luceria eight miles upon a small hill is the noble and rich city of troia , which hath a fertile and plentifull soil ; under the north side of this little hill runneth the river chilone , which flows from the apennine , this city was builded by bubagano catapano of greece , and not a captain of the greeks , as frier leandro affirmeth . of the original thereof leo bishop of ostia maketh mention , after whom carto sigonio a diligent writer of histories in our time , following , accounteth the building thereof about the year . some hold opinion that it was the ancient esana , which was beaten down by the emperor constantine . there are in the said city these noble families , de claritiis del vasto , lombardo , palonibo , de tucciis , gioioso , de rubeis , sangro , saliceto , silvei , sassone , tancredo , and others . here was held a councel in the year . by pope vrban the second , for to reform certain customs of the clergy , as biondo and platina declare in the life of the said bishop . in the principal church that is therein , lies the bodies of eleutherio martyr , st. pontiano bishop , st. secondino , and of st ▪ anastasio . walking along by the fields , we may see the castle carignola , where the french men were overcome , the duke of nemors their captain general and vice-roy of naples ; for lewis the twelfth king of france and naples being slain , by consalvo ferrando of cordova , captain of ferdinando the catholick king of spain , having in his company the valiant captains , fabritio and prospero colennesi , romans , in the year . as we have written at large in the lives of the kings of naples . going a little farther in the descent of the apennine , appeareth orsara , and afterward the city of bovino , the lord whereof hath the title of a duke . four miles farther is dellicito ; and from hence seven miles is the ancient city of ascolo , innobled with the dignity of a prince . and this city is sirnamed by writers , ascolo satriano , as a difference from that of abruzzo . this city was ruinated by ruggiero the norman , having understood they purposed to rebel against him , his father being then in dalmatia , the which was afterward repaired again by his father , but not with that greatness . walking then towards the sea , we come to the sumptuous and stately church dedicated to st. leonard by the emperor frederick the second , where is a worthy monastery assigned to the dutch knights of the order of st. mary of prusia , allowing them great revenues , who governed the said holy temple a long time with great religion and devotion . in the ●nd they decaying , the said monastery was given in commendum , whereby at this present it is very ill governed . this worthy church is in great reverence not only with the people near inhabiting , but also among all the italians ; and there are to be seen great heaps of iron pieces of sundry fashions , as chains , shackles , collers , and others of like sort to hold prisoners , and to inchain men , the which were all ( as they say ) miraculously delivered , and the persons set at liberty through the prayers and intercessions of that worthy st. leonard , both from prisons and the gallies , in the church resteth his said body . directly against this province are situate the isles of trinity , which was in old time called diomedes , which had that name for the fable which the greeks feigned upon the companions of diomedes transformed into fowles , being of the bigness of the magot-a-py , seeming also in their tune to imitate a humane voice , but not so pleasing , according to the fixions of the poets in the ancient time of the forein greeks , the which declared with their singing and flying , the content of their arival , being shunned and despised of all others , bewraying by the clapping of their wi●gs , and their pittifull scrieking , the contempt of their company ; but now in truth they are much available , and do great good by their fatness , to those which are benummed , or swoln in any member with any cold humour . there is in this isle a fortress , and a very fair monastery of canonical regular priests . the women of this province are all in general very fair , the men great and well proportioned , but inclining to a brown complexion , which proceeds of the great heat . their proper language is all after one manner , but somewhat rude and impolished . they have very strong arms , wherefore they often exercise wrestling , and the managing of weapons . they are not very neat and curious in their apparel , but very ingenious and sharp witted , they follow not the affairs of the sea , for almost all employ themselves in the profit of the fields . they inhabit in castles and cities , and in the time of tillage , and the gathering in of their fruits they go to the fields with carriages of bread and wine , and other necessary things for so many daies , and with their oxen they remain day and night untill they have tilled and sowed , or gathered in their grain , barley , and other corn ; that being done , they fire the straw , and returning with the rest home to their dwellings , where they continue till time requires again to manure and sow their ground . they are all rich and very courteous and carefull to keep their word , and in bargaining very free . the arms of this province is azure on a mount of ceres fixed on bass st. michael or . the which arms signifie the apparition of the angel saint michael upon the mount gargano , and the ears of corn the great plenty of the province . a description of the kingdom of naples the second book . we having finished the first book of the description of the provinces of this kingdom , it were requisite to speak more particularly as we have promised ; to the end the reader may be the better satisfied of so much as he desires to know thereof . the kingdom then of naples ( as hath been said ) is divided into provinces , the which contains popularities , of which there are archbishops , and bishops , and countries ; in which places live at least two millions of people ; for in the province of the country of lavoro was taxed in the kings schedule by families the principality on this side by families the principality on the other side by families basilicata by families calauria on this side by families calauria on the other side by families the country of otronto by families the country of bary by families abruzzo on this side by families abruzzo on the other side by families the county of molise by families capitanata by families whereupon the abovesaid number of families being collected together , make in all ● . and this is the number at this present of all the families in the kingdom ; in the which number the city of naples is not comprehended , nor the hamlets belonging thereto , for the freedom and priviledges which the neapolitans hold . the revenue of the crown both in the ordinary and extraordinary , ariseth very near to three millions of crowns , yet excepting the donative : which is now reduced into an ordinary revenue . the dignified or titular barons of the kingdom in this year . are . whereof are princes , dukes , marquisses , and earls ; but the barons without title are about . the which are all bound to serve personally for the de●ence of the kingdom . the duke of alba in the year . in the war against pope paolo the fourth , had thousand footmen , hundred armed men , and a thousand seven hundred light-horsemen . now at this present the king maintaineth ordinarily for the defence of the kingdom , spanish footmen under many captains , with a master of the camp , and an auditor ; and this corporation of people is called the third of naples . in the castles of the kingdom , and fortresses made for the guard and defence of the sea are held footmen ordinarily spaniards , comprehending also the officers which remain in the castles for the service of them . there are also armed men ranged into companies , that is to say five spanish , and eleven italians , men in a company ; there are besides reserved for the viceroy-general of the kingdom a hundred men , and for the great constable . but for light-horsmen there is not above ranged into five companies . and for the guard and service of the viceroy he hath an hundred almain holbardiers , besides a hundred gentlemen , that is to say spaniards , and italians , that are continually attendant , whose duty is to frequent the court , to accompany the viceroy in time of peace and war , and therefore they are bound to have their arms and their horses . moreover for occurrences in defence of the kingdom , there is maintained in exercise of the war an army of footmen of the kingdom , the which hath not been very long since it was ordained , for because that in all the provinces of the kingdom there are ordinarily limited five footmen for every hundred family ; these footmen in every country of the kingdom are chosen by the electors of that country ; therefore if the souldiers named do not please their captains , they ought to chuse others that may content them ; these footmen are bound both in the occurrences of the kingdom , and out of the kingdom to serve five years , and then in change of them to chuse others . and in the same manner is paid to the said souldiers , to captains , ensigns , sargeants for that time which they serve , the same pay that is given to spanish footmen and their officers . these souldiers of this new army ( which together are so named ) enjoy certain priviledges of freedom . the strength of the kingdom consisteth also in gallies , with their helps which are . but the principal fortresses are naples , with three castles , gaeta la mantia , trani , cotrone , gallipoli , monopoli , taranto , bary , brindesi , with the fortress of st. andrea , barletta , otranto , manfredonia , monte de st. angelo , and towards the mediterrane , capoa , cosenza , catanzaro , civitella , aquila . all the men in general are strong , valorous , painfull , well made , and comely , ingenious , courteous , inclined to piety and vertue , desirous of novelty , litigious , given to pleasure , religious aad devout , the which the many and great magnificence of the churches , and riches of the clergy do testifie . in the wars they declare their valour and courage . the nobility are liberal , magnanimous , warlike , and make particular profession of policy and chivalry . now forasmuch as we have spoken somewhat of the revenues of the crown in this kingdom , it will not be amiss to discourse more particularly thereof . the revenues of the crown in the noble and most happy kingdom of naples . before i discourse of the revenues which the king of spain hath in this noble kingdom of naples , it were requisite for the better satisfaction of the reader , first to declare in what manner the kings in former time have received it . therefore to let you understand that under the kings of the normans the revenues pertaining to the king was received by a price , that is to say for every twelve marks of revenue was paid three fiorines . the which continued untill the time of the emperor frederick the second , who disliking that kind of payment , called a general parlament , where assembled all the barons and feuditarie persons of the kingdom , subject unto him , and thither also repaired all the chief magistrates of the cities and countries , after the king had made an excellent oration in commendation of the kingdom , he exhorted them all , that for a general benefit , and aid , and confirmation thereof , should be decreed and ordained a certain and ordinary revenue , to the end that the poor might not be oppressed by the rich and mighty ; but that every one might pay so much as were fit and requisite . this proposition of the king seemed unto all just and convenient , and so willing to satisfie the desire of the king , desired eight daies respit to consult thereon , which was gently granted unto them . after which time expired they met the of april . at the parlament in the castle of vovo , where was decreed and concluded by all the barons , feuditaries and burgises of the cities and countries , that the regal revenues for the aid and defence of the kingdom , should be received by collections per aes , & libras , that is to say , he that had most wealth should pay most , and who had not should pay least , the which payments because they were not sufficient for the supply and succour of the kingdom , they increased it to the number of six collections , and these were called ordinary exchequer payments , as luca da penna testifies in the l. . num . . c. de indic . lib. . and antonio capece in the invest . ver . feudorum clausulae ver . collectis colum ▪ . in fi . & in prin . and andrea of isernia in c. . & extraordinaria , in prin . & ●um . . quae sint reg . the which likewise fabio giordano neopolitan in his chro●●ele thus writeth , post quam neopolitanum regnum in federici secund . imperatoris 〈◊〉 ionem veuit , noluit ille , ut redditus , ad fiscum pertinentes licitacione exiger●t●● quemadmodum à superioribus regibus factum erat , nam usque ad ej●s tempora 〈◊〉 ●●odenis marchis , t●es argentei flor●ni solvebantur , hinc animadvertus provi●●●●mperator pauperes haec ratione nimium vexari , & opprimi , anno millesimo 〈◊〉 ducentesimum decimum octavum , octavo kalendas maias in arcem lucullia●●● , castellum normandiacum etiam dictum ; publica comitia haberi voluit , quò convenientibus omnibus fere regni hujus regulis , & feudatariis , sic dictis , oppidorism dominis , atque etiam nonnullis urbis praetoribus fredericus ex excelsa sede , regalique solio elegantem , ac doctam in regni laudem orationem habuit ; universos abhortatus , ut pro publico omnium commodo stabilique regni quasi praecidio praecipuus , ac certus quidam per singulos annos censu● designaretur , ne singuli nimis , ac ultra modum vexarentur . imperatoris oratio universis placuit , à quo satis humaniter octo dierum spacium his fuit concessum , ut ea de re inter se maturius deliberarent , quo dierum curriculo elapso cuntis regulis visum fuit , ut regni census post hac non licitacione , sed per collectas colligerentur , ut qui plura possideret bona , plus solveret ; qui verò pauciora , minus , hic exactionis modus ad breve duravit tempu● , ●am cum non esset satis ad regni necessitatibus subveniendum , procedente tempore crevit usque ad sex collectas , quae ab omnibus solutiones siscales vocabantur . this manner of receiving of collections continued untill the time of the most famous and renowned king alfonsus of aragon , who purposing better to establish the affairs of the kingdom , assembled in naples the day of february a general parlament , and required that in place of the six collections , should be levied on every family ten carlines . and although matteo de afflitto in the cap. & plaustorum num . quae sint reg . saith that that parlament was held in the city of benevento , nevertheless in the chapters of the kingdom , cap. . regis alfonsi appears the contrary , because he saith that the said parlament was held in naples in the church of st. lorenzo . in the year following , the of september ( as it is noted in the register intituled literarum curae secundi anni . fol. ▪ which is preserved in the royal chamber of the summary ) the said king being in the greek tower , caused there a general parlament to assemble , where the king so propounded , that he maintaining so great an army , as well by land as sea , to no other end and purpose but to secure and defend the kingdom from the incursions and invasions of enemies , which neglected no oportunity to prejudice and indanger it , the royal revenue of the kingdom being not sufficient , he was inforced either to increase it , or to give way to the enemy , therefore he had considered that for an universal benefit , it would do well that there should be imposed five other carlines on every family besides the ten , the which payment being not grievous nor heavy but lawfull and honest , may be easily supported of all : and to the end they may know , it is not our purpose to impose new taxes , nor through a covetous and greedy desire to heap treasure together , but only to secure them from the tyranny of others , and therefore at this present i promise to give to every family of the kingdom a bushel of salt . the king having finished this speech , they all cryed out with a loud voice , saying , whatsoever your sacred majesty commands shall be done , and in token of faithfull subjects , since that you have vouchsafed to bestow salt on your most loyal kingdom , we humbly desire that your sacred majesty will accept of us in behalf of the whole kingdom , two grains more for a family , as a gratification for the said salt , which shall be at the appointment of your majesties officers , the which was accepted of the king ; the number of which families as it then appeared in the royal taxation , with all the cities and countries of the kingdom ( except ● families of the exempted and disburthened countries untill this new and last numeration , which was in the year . ) were families , and the sum of money which was gathered of these payments amounted to duckets , under which number of families the albanesi , and illirici are not comprehended , which under one only name are called slavoni , the which payed no more then eleven carlins the year , therefore they had no salt given them , and every year were numbered , being lawfull for them to go from one place to another in the kingdom , the number of which extraordinary families were . and payed according to the said taxation every year . duckets and ten grams . there are also exempted from the said usual and common payment the companies which have perpetual free priviledges , which import duckets , two carlins , and seven grains , the which with the noble city of naples , are in all the provinces of the kingdom ( as we have before said ) in number . there are also exempted the universities which are free for some prefixed time , which pay not the said payments , which import duckets , eight carlins , and eight grains , the number whereof are but four . they are also excepted which pay by covenant and agreement , which import duckets eight carlins and three grains , and are companies . moreover there are exempted many particular men which hold priviledged immunities , which import duckets , two carlins and five grains . so there is received clearly , exempting the priviledged universities , those that are free for a time ; and the universities which pay by covenant , and the priviledged men duckets , six carlins , and seven grains . this then is the ordinary payment which the king receiveth every year of all the families of the kingdom . there is likewise another ordinary payment called adogo , which signifies royal service , this is payed by the feudaries in place of personal service , because every one is bound to present himself personally before the king when he goeth to war. at the which service the feudary was bound personally to be ready with his only person , when he possessed an intire fee. it was held an intire fee , when the revenue thereof did amount to ounces , the ounce is duckets , by the which intire fee the said feudary was bound to continue his said service the space of three months at his own charges with three horses and arms , as andrea de isernia affirms in c. . similiter potest , nu . . ver . in reg. sici . de cap. qui cur . vend . and capece in the cap. imperialem , praeteraea si quis in feudatus col . ver . item nota quod quando de prohib . feu . alie . per feder . and in the decision . nu . . neither was the feudatary inforced to serve longer then the said time , unless the king would have him near unto him for his service , and then the king ought to give him pay , the which appears in the chapters of king charls the second , which begins item statuimus quod comites , barones , &c. the which three months of service which the said feudist ought to do , should begin to be counted from the day that the muster was taken , the which that great feudist andrea d' isernia thus declareth in consti . hostici . . col. ver . sed quaero quando , & à quo tempere . but if the feudist serve not personally , he ought to provide another fit to send in his place , that may content the king , as was ordained by the emperor in cap. imperialem , firmiter de probib . feu . alien . per feder . and this was when the feudist did possess the said whole entire revenue ; for when the revenue did not arise unto the said quantity of . ounces , then more fees or tribute were joyned together , that might make up the whole fee of ounces , and so amongst them sent one souldier with three horses and arms , which for three months followed the kings service , from the which conjunction of feudists , as andrea d' isernia saith in cap. . num . . versi & quantum adoha●●entum de contro . feu . apud par . term . this said royal service was called adogo , as it were a uniting . and in very truth , although the said feudists contribute their money to the said service of the king , at that time which they paid for the said whole fee of ounces the half , and somewhat more , that is to say ten ounces and a half ; yet for all this they shall pay at this present , that is for every hundred duckets of revenue he payeth the half , which are duckets and five graines besides for a ducket more , which are in all duckets and a half , and this payment is meant when the fee consisteth in slaves . but if the fee be without slaves , because the feudist could not have aid or assistance , he ought only to pay six ounces . and if the fee consisteth in money , that is to say in penal payments , or alienated revenues established , he payeth only five ounces because that revenue may be augmented , as isernia saith in cap. . fin . quis dicatur dux , marchio , and in the cap. imperialem . firmiter in . col . ver . idem videmus quod solvitur . so in like manner to do that royal service when the feudists have not the whole fee , they are to joyn together in the manner abovesaid , and to pay for one souldier , according to the said sum of ten ounces and a half , the which the said isernia saith in the said cap. . nu . . de contro feu . apud par . ter . di vers . & quantum ad adohamentum . and moreover also it standeth in the election of the feudatory , if he will personally serve , he cannot be inforced to pay for the kings service ; but if the feudist be not fit and able , or not in health , he ought then to send another in his place of sufficient strength and ability , the which the aforeleadged author writeth in the said chapter imperialem , firmiter , nu . . for these services then which belong to feudists , are certain slaves , or rather lands to help towards the moyety of the said service held by the barons at the rate of five carlins a family , for these families which the universities are taxed , if the land consist not of so many families , which at the rate of five carlins a family , comprehendeth not the moyety of the payment of the said taxation of the baron , that university or countrey is not bound to any further charge , but for so many families as are taxed , paying at the rate of five carlins a family , and for that which wanteth the baron is enjoyned to pay together with some other moiety which he hath . but if the number of families be so many that the payment of every family at the aforesaid rate of five carlins exceed the moity of the contribution which belongs to the university , then that overplus which groweth is to be divided among the families , to the end that the only moity which belongs to the aid and help of the baron may be received . of which afflitto doth very largely discourse & in cap. caroli . which begins comites barones , sub rubr . de subven . vassall . the which help of vassals was thus devided by charls the second , as it is noted in the said chapter . comites , barones , & feudatarii , sub rubr . de subven . vassal . afterward the kingdom came into the jurisdiction of ferdinando the catholick king , who understanding the many contentions and strifes which were in the kingdome between the barons and vassals for the payment of this imposition of the adogo , to settle things in order , appointed that all the barons and feudists , with their revenue should be noted , and that all the cities , and countries , and families of the kingdom should be newly numbred , and ordained that the helps of the moity of the taxations which the vassals paid to the feudists by reason of the kings service , should be no more received by the feudists , but by the kings treasurers and officers . the sum at this present did amount , which was paid every year by the feudists into the kings exchequer to duckets , and as many more were received of the vassals . but the whole intire adogo which every province paid , wherein the barons and feudists of the kingdom were taxed , appears here under-written . the country of lavoro duckets the county of molise , duckets the principality on this side , duckets the principality on the other side , duckets basilicata , duckets calauria on this side , duckets calauria on the other side , duckets the country of otranto , duckets the country of bary , duckets ● abruzzo on this side , duckets abruzzo on the other side , duckets capitanata duckets the sum of the duckets , when it hapneth in the kingdom to bestow a donative upon the king , the barons use to examin what every one of them holds , deviding the payment by the rate which they pay of the adogo , the which adogo ( as we have said , which at this present is present is paid ) is duckets , ● . . for the hundred , if the fee consist in vassals ; but being without vassals , he payeth for his adogo duckets and a quarter , which is the moity of the whole fee ; but if the baron possesseth a fee that is disinhabited , he payeth for the taxation of the adogo duckets for a hundred . and it is also to be understood , that when the baron or feudist dieth , the heir of the dead doth not pay for the first year the adogo into the kings exchequer ; but the year ended , after the death of the said baron , the heir payeth his livery , which payment is half the revenue which the baron hath by the year ; and if it so fall out that the heir do not reveal the death of the baron , the year being past he forfeits nine times the value , which the livery of the baron importeth , therefore when the livery is paid , all the countries and debts are levied which the dead baron is found to have . the cities also and lands of demains pay the livery to the king every fifteen year , even as at the death of a baron , thus have i briefly declared the ordinary impositions which the families and feudists of the kingdom pay . now remain eth to declare the extraordinary payments which every family paieth yearly into the kings exchequer . first of all every family payeth four grains , the which payment is received every month . this imposition was made by don pietro of toledo viceroy of the kingdom the second of may . the which first imposed three grains upon the spanish footmen to pay , and appointed the said payment to be received every fourth month , as it appears by a letter of the said don pietro , inserted in the letters of the kings chamber , under the date of the . of may . in the year after . in the month of september , the said imposition was increased to four grains , as it is expressed in a letter of the said viceroy inclosed in a commission of the kings chamber , dated the third of september . at the last in the year . don perasenno de rivera duke of alcala ordained that the said imposition should be received of all the families of the kingdom according to the former order , th● which even at this present is received . the imposition levied on the free companies , the which pay no other impositions then above written , containeth yearly for the number of ordinary families duckets six carlins , and six grains ; and for extraordinary families duckets and carlins , the which sum joyned together are duckets carlins grains . there is also an imposition paid for the wages of the barigelli of the fields , which are those that guard and keep the high-wayes , and goe against outlaws . this imposition was made by don pietro of tolledo the third of august in the year . only in the provinces of the principality on this side and the other , and the county of molise , capatanata , and basilicata , to avoid the robberies which were daily committed , for which cause were appointed the universities to pay all those losses which were there committed . it was afterward ordained that the said imposition should be gathered of all the provinces except the land of lavero ; but for the service which the said barricelli did in that province , they should be payed out of the kings exchequer . the said imposition was received of every province diversly , the which we have declared in their places . this imposition riseth to duckets , seven carlins and two grains yearly . there is another imposition which is paid for the guard and defence of the towers and castles , the which imposition was instituted by don perasanno de rivera duke of ascala , to the end the kingdom might be secure from rovers , by the which imposition all the whole kingdom payed for every family seven grains , and the twelfth part of a grain . but the countries which were distant twelve miles from the sea payed the half of the said payment , the which amounted to duckets yearly . there was likewise gathered of the universities the payment for the building of the castles , when they were builded , and there was received according to the payment which they paid for the guard of the said castles . and because at this present there are not any castles builded in the kingdom , therefore that payment is no long●r continued : there was also gathered another imposition of three grains of every family of the kingdom for the repairing of the streets and high-waies of the kingdom . this imposition was instituted by the duke of alcala the of iuly . as it appears by a letter inserted in a commission of the kings chamber of the summaria , dated the first of iuly , registred in the royal register , litterarum curiae xxi . fol. . the which payment containeth duckets yearly . the families also of the kingdom payed grains for to pay the souldiers and men of arms which guarded and defended the kingdom , this payment in the year . was received grains for a family , in the year after . the kingdom being augmented by the means of don iohn manriquez viceroy of the kingdom , the said payment was deducted to grains . and last of all because the number of families were very much increased , it was brought to grains a family , the which payment amounteth yearly , excepting the free universities duckets two carlins and eight grains . finally the universities and families of the kingdom pay two grains through the decay of families . these are extraordinary payments , which the families of the kingdom pay into the exchequer . also the kings exchequer receives from the said kingdom other revenues and rents , which consist in divers things , which are these following , the custom of the sheep of apulia , which is one of the principal revenues which the king hath in the kingdom , the which consisteth in the herbage , which the kings customer renteth every year to the husbandmen for the pasture of sheep , and greater cattel , whereof some pay thirteen duckets and eight carlins for a hundred sheep , and some twelve , and some ten and a half , and some six , and some three , and some fifteen carlins for a hundred , and some twelve crowns for a thousand ; but for greater cattel there are some which pay thirty seven duckets and a half for a hundred , and others twenty two and a half , and others eighteen duckets and three quarters . therefore the receiver satisfieth to the masters of the herbage according to the goodness and qualitie of the pasture : as in the year . there was assigned to the said custom four millions , four hundred seventy one thousand , sheep , and of greater cattel nine thousand six hundred , of which sheep and greater cattel is paid into the kings exchequer duckets and seven carlins , from the which sum is deducted duckets and five carlins and two grains , for the payment of the herbage given to divers particular persons , with the alms bestowed upon the poor , and other charges , returning into the kings exchequer duckets , four carlins , and five grains and three quarters , the which sum is carried into the kings treasury . this customary payment hath been very ancient , for in the time of the romans the like was payed , as it appears in varro , and other ancient writers . and as we have before said , the kingdom being invaded by divers nations , the custom decayed through the long wars , untill the coming of the worthy and renowned alfonsus of arragon , first of this name king of naples , the which newly restored it , in the year . with excellent orders , and made francesco maluber commissary for reformation thereof . in the year . lewis the twelfth king of france , having devided the kingdom with king ferdinando the catholick king , and apuglia and calauria being alotted to king don ferdinando , he created frederick menidois neopolitan cust●mer of the sheep , who received by means of the rents of the herbage duckets . the french king perceiving so great a revenue , challenged the custom , saying it belonged unto him , through which discord after long wars , the frenchmen were driven out of all the kingdom . leaving as an example for others , that who seeks all , commonly loseth all . the second revenue is the custom of silks ▪ which is one of the best revenues in the kingdom , and this is in the province of calauria , for all the silk which was there made , and in other places , they anciently paid five grains in the pound . this custom was in the year . by king ferdinando the first , sold to the prince of bisignano for eighteen thousand duckets . in the year after . don pic●ro of toledo viceroy of the kingdom , imposed five tornese more upon the pound , and assigned it to the said prince , because of the right which he pretended unto the county of milito . this revenue now yields seventy thousand crowns yearly . in the same year the said don pietro in the name of the emperor charls the fifth imposed five other grains more upon a pound of silk , and this he did because of the fortifying of the castle of cotrone . in the year . don berardino of mendozza , being viceroy of the kingdom , ordained that of all the other provinces should be gathered one carlin for a pound of silk , and appointed that that imposition should be paid in the time that the silk grows . afterward don francesco pacecco , cardinal saguntino , viceroy of the kingdom , imposed in the year ▪ upon all the silk which went out of the kingdom another carlin in the pound . last of all in the year . don iohn zunica , prince of pietra pertia , purposing to take away the deceits which by means of the said extractions were committed , with the will and consent of the kings collateral councel , ordained that even as in the province of calauria was received fifteen grains on the pound at sund●y times , he would have the same at one entire payment , that is , to be paid in the time that the silk grows ; and also he would that in the other provinces should be received two carlins on the pound . by the which order the said revenue was much augmented . to the which imposition is also annexed saffron , of which is paid one carlin the pound . the receit of this revenue ariseth yearly to the summe of duckets . the third revenue is the custom and profit of iron , the which imposition was ordained by the emperor frederick the second , who made it unlawfull for any man to bring iron into the kingdom to sell , except to the kings paymasters or tenants , and the price was rated throughout all the provinces . the which custom although at sundry times it was diversly received , nevertheless at this present for the most part , the third part thereof is paid , which is the half of the price , which is paid for the iron brought into the kingdom to the paymasters . therefore the said price is imposed by the kings chamber of the summaria , over which before the price was established , it caused to be taken in naples a diligent information of ●hat it stood the rentmaster in . and so goes the fourth part of steel , and the fifth of pitch , the which revenue amounteth to the sum of duckets : and according to the same rent go the custom of the mercerie wares of calauria . the fourth revenue is the regal custom , and the greatest storehouse of the city of naples , because there is received grains by ounce of all the merchandize which are sold by the merchants , by reason of the custom there are received also divers other payments , that is to say grains by the ounce by reason of the storehouse : the which custom amounteth to duckets . the fifth revenue are the royal customs of the merchandize of the provinces of the countries of otranto , bary , basilicata , and capatanata , the which revenue ariseth to duckets . the sixth revenue is the regal custom of the thirds of wine , which is half the price of the wine which is paid to the king , being called the custom of the thirds of wine , as a difference from another which is paid to the city of naples the revenue of this royal custome amounteth to duckets : the seventh revenue is the new impost of oyl and sope , which is paid at the rate of one carlin for every stare , which is the measure of oyl in naples so called , the which revenue containeth duckets . the eighth revenue is the new impost of wine which is transported out of the kingdom , the which revenue ariseth to duckets . the ninth revenue is the custom of playing cards , this new custom was imposed in the year . and for every pair of cards the customer received a carlin , which yielded duckets . the tenth revenue is the custom of the marketplace of maiure , called otherwise the place of small-wares , the revenue whereof ariseth to duckets . the eleventh revenue is the custom of eggs , kidds , and birds , which are brought into the city of naples , which ariseth to duckets . the twelfth revenue is the impost of artificial or inforced manna which is payd at the rate of one carlin the pound , which contains duckets . the thirteenth revenue are the two races of horses which the kings court maintains in puglia and calauria , which is received by the sale which is made of the said horses , and other things , duckets . the fourteenth revenue are the profits , forfeitures , and compositions which proceed from the kings chamber , and from the great court of the vicaria , and from the kings audit of the provinces of the kingdom , which yearly amount to the sum of duckets . the fifteenth revenue is the custom of horses which are bought of strangers in naples , which importeth duckets . the sixteenth revenue is the due of ius salmarum for the conveying of grain , barley , and pulse , which is transported into the kingdom , the which revenue ariseth to duckets . the seventeenth revenue are the customs which are commonly called the fines of the annunciata , which consist in a certain duty , and is received at the four gates of the city of naples and in the market-place of the said city is received the kings due for the slaughter of cattel . and this revenue of the fines of the annunciata , was so named because the king don frederick of arragon , having taken up a certain quantity of money at interest of merchants , he agreed with them that they should be paid out of those duties , therefore he appointed that they should alwaies be paid by the masters and governors of the hospital of the annunciata , to the end every one might be satisfied his due . the which even to this present with great diligence is received by the said governors , paying it to the said creditors , and the overplus of the said revenue they return into the kings general treasury . this revenue ariseth yearly to duckets , which dischargeth the said debt , the which doth amount yearly to duckets , three carlins and three grains , so there remain to the king no more then duckets . the eighteenth revenue are the helps and aids of tuscan , which do amount to duckets . the ninteenth are the revenues of the city of vesti , of st. severino , and of the fee of tacina , and many others , the which sum imports duckets . the twentieth revenue is the new imposition upon brimstone which is digged in the kingdom , and is paid at the rate of three carlins for a kintal , the which commodity is now omitted . the revenue is the new imposition of hemp , which is paid at the rate of carlins for the kintal , the which commodity is also omitted . the twenty two revenue is a new imposition upon the infidels , which are ransomed and are received in this sort , from two hundred crowns downward is paied eight duckets by the poule , from two hundred to five hundred is paid ten crowns by the poule , from five hundred to a thousand is paid fifteen crowns by the poule , and when the ransom is of some quantity , the more is paid in respect of the said taxation . the twenty third revenue is the custom of the extraction of salnitro , which is received at the rate of a crown for a kintall , the which commodity is omitted . twentifourth revenue is the industry and labour of salt , and salt-pits of the kingdom ; and although at this present there is not any commodity thereby , nevertheless the king hath a rent , and according to the charge of the said rent , they are constrained to fetch salt out of the kingdom , to maintain their store-houses furnished , and for the provision of officers and other occasions , the kings court payeth to the rent-masters by the year duckets , and receiveth no profit or benefit by the sale , but they are bound to deliver to the universities of the kingdom bay salt at the rate of a bushel for every family by the year , and when they give white salt , they are bound to give the more according to the rate that the bay salt is valued . and so they are enjoyned to give to all the officers and servants of the kings chamber , salt answerable to the rate of the charges which they are above enjoyned . the twentififth revenue are the duties for the custom of grain , barley , and pulse , going out of the kingdom , the which is laid up for the store of the kingdom , but being brought out , there is great abundance . the twentisixth revenue is the devolution for the dead , and the end of the lines of barons of the kingdom , and of offices that are void by the death of them that held them ; but because these things are extraordinary , there is no particular account kept of the revenue thereof . the twen●iseventh revenue are the liveries of heirs , profits of penal amerceaments , forfeitures of statutes , incroachments , and other extraordinary revenues which falls to the king , through many and sundry causes ; which being no certain nor constant revenues , i make no distinction of them . but as it is judged by iohn baptista d' assaro , cesard d' acampora , and alfonso crivella , the most diligent and reasonable arbitrators of the kings chamber , say the revenue is worth duckets . moreover the king hath in this kingdom cathedral churches , the which held more then fifty thousand crowns yearly . he hath also profit from many abbots , which are the ancient patrons of the kingdom , the which yield ten thousand crows yearly . the sum of the revenue which the king hath in all the kingdom ( except the donatives ) is two millions , nine hundred ninty six thousand , nine hundred thirty seven duckets , seven carlins and four grains . thus have i briefly discoursed , only to note the greatness of his noble kingdom the which is not to be wondred , that at sundry times there have repaired so many sorts of barbarous nations from farr , and even remote parts of the world ( as is well known ) to make spoil thereof . but now through the providence of god , it remaineth in much peace , and secure under the protection of the puissant king philip d , the people having never enjoyed so peaceable a times , with the great benefit and abundance of all things . the donatives which have been made at sundry times by the noble city of naples and the kingdom to their kings . among other priviledges which the faithfull city of naples and the kingdom holdeth , one is , that the king cannot for any occasion demand a donative or assistance ; nevertheless it hath been known that in times of calamity and the great necessitie of their kings ▪ they have been succoured and assisted with all their strength , their money , and their men . therefore for these worthy deeds they have deserved to be called no vassals , but faithfull friends . i now purposing to discourse of the donatives which have been made unto the kings , beginning from the year . and having a desire for no other cause there to begin , but because from thence i have had a true information of writings , being alwaies a more laudible thing to declare few things and true , then many and ambiguous . in the year then . the last of the month of ianuary , was held a general parlament by the deputies of the noble city of naples , in the monastery of mount olivet , where met ( according to the custom ) the princes , dukes , marquisses , earls , barons and feudists , and burgises of the cities , and free towns in the kingdom , in which general parlament was concluded , that to the catholick king ferdinando , in respect of the former wars , and the present affairs , and to maintain the kingdom in peace , should be given a donative of three hundred thousand duckets the which being propounded , the speaker or advocate of the cities and common-wealth , after he had used some few plausible words , desired that besides that day , they might have three daies respit to consult thereon . and the time being come , it was generally concluded , that it should be paid in this manner , that is to say , by the rate thereof , the barons should pay fifty thousand duckets , levied by the rate o● the adogo , and that the said sum should be all paid by august and the remainder the people of the whole kingdom should pay , as well landed men , as he barons , eleven carlins a family , that is to say three carlins the next months of april or may , and three the months of october and november of the same year . and two in the months of february and march in the year . and three in the month of october the same year . of which donative was no man exempted , except the noble city of naples , and the hamlets belonging thereto . the of november in the year was held ( according to the custom ) a publick and general parlament , in the which the barons of the kingdom considering the great charges which charls the fifth had been at , then king of the romans , about his coronation in aquisgrane , they gave him thirty thousand duckets , and concluded that it should be paid within the time of three years , levying the first payment of the three , at the birth of our lord next ensuing , in the year : and was levied in the selfsame manner , which was paid to king ferdinando , neither was it permitted that any person should be exempted , except the city of naples . in the year . the first of september was held in the monastery of mount olivet , a publick parlament , where was concluded that to the emperor charls the fifth , for the necessity which he had to pay his army , should be given him two hundred thousand duckets , which should be received at three payments , that is to say , at easter , the birth of our lord , and in august , and it was decreed that of this donative not any person , though priviledged , should go free , except the city of naples and the hamlets belonging thereto . the of the month of iuly . in the monastery of mount olivet ( according to the accustomed manner ) was held a general parlament , and concluded that to the emperor should be given thousand duckets by reason of his army which he had in lumbardy , and of this payment were only freed the venerable churches , and hospital of the annunciation , with the city of naples , and the hamlets . the of may . was held a general parlament , where having a principal respect to the wars which the emperor made with the turk , and although the kingdom had been much exhausted through long wars , dearth , and pestilence , nevertheless the barons shewing a generous mind to serve the emperor , made a donative of six hundred thousand duckets , of which the barons paid an adogo and a half , not by the way of an adogo , but a pure and free donative , and the remainder the people paid . this donative was levied and paid in four years , and thereof was only free the city of naples , and the jurisdictions of the annunciation . the of august . was held ( according to the accustomed manner ) in the monastery of mount olivet a general parlament , where with a general consent was agreed , that there should be given unto the emperor one hundred and fifty thousand duckets to the end to chace away the fleet of the turks , which had given out to invade the coast of the kingdom , and this donative was levied at three payments , that is to say at september next ensuing , at the birth of our lord , and at easter ● . and the barons contributed for the aforesaid donative fifty thousand duckets , the which payment they paid not by way of an adogo , but as a simple donative , and the remnant of a hundred thousand duckets were paid by the people . from the which payment was not exempted any person , though he were priviledged , except the famous and renowned city of naples , and the hospital of the annunciation . in the year . on the eight day of the month of ianuary , in the church of st. laurence was by the deputies of the renowned citie of naples , held a general and publick parlament , at the which ( according to to the usual manner ) met the princes , dukes , marquisses , earls , barons , feudaries of the kingdom , and also the burgises of the cities and free towns , in the which parlament considering the charge of the emperor to return into spain , it was concluded there should be given him a donative of a million , and fifty thousand duckets , and this donative was the greatest that ever was made to any king whatsoever of the said kingdom , and was enacted with these conditions and covenants following , that is to say , that the quantity which was to be paid by the barons might be so much as would amount to the sum of three adogoes , but yet not by way of an adogo , but as a free donative , according to the taxation which at this present is to be seen in the royal chamber of the summaria , and the remainder was appointed that the people , cities , countries , and castles of the kingdom should pay . of which donative fifty thousand duckets were levied in a year , and the barons payed thereof one adogo ; but for the contribution of the million , which was agreed to be paid in five years , the two adogos were not paid , and the people discharged the rest . the emperor seeing the great affection which the kingdom did bear unto him , purposing in some measure to remunerate their good will towards him , granted both to the kingdom and cities , many priviledges . in the year . and the day of march , according to the accustomed order , was held a publick parlament in st. laurence , where was decreed that there should be given to the emperor a donative of thousand duckets , and that of it the barons should pay so much as did amount to the quantity of half an adogo , not by way of an adogo , but as a simple donative , and the remainder to the complement of the said sum , the people should pay . the which donative was levied and paid in five thirds , and the city of naples was exempted , and the lands of the venerable church and hospital of the annuntiation . in the year . the of march was held a publick parlament ( according to the accustomed manner ) in st. laurence , and was concluded , that in regard of the occurrences which the emperor had to pay his army , should be given him a donative of thousand duckets , with condition that the barons part should be so much as would amount to half an adogo , not by the way of an adogo , but as a free donative , and the rest the people , cities , countries , and castles of the kingdom should pay . the said donative was received in three thirds , and payd . in the year . the of november was held ( according to the usual manner ) a publick parlament in st. laurence , where was agreed that it were requisite to sustain and succour the great necessity , and charge which the king was at for the defence and security of the kingdom : but the kingdom being greatly exhausted , there should be given a donative of the quarter of an adogo , but not by way of an adogo , but as a simple donative , and the cities , countries , and castles should pay grains for a family . in the year . the of iuly was held ( according unto the accustomed manner ) a publick parliament in st. laurence , wherein seeing the necessity of the king , and the great preparation of the turk to invade the kingdom , to the end souldiers may be entertained , and also to fortifie and provide that the cities and countries may be able to resist the said invasion , it was concluded that there should be given a donative to the emperor of thousand duckets ; of which the barons paid an adogo and a half , yet not as an adogo , but as a simple and free donative , and the remnant the people of the kingdom paid . in the year was held ( according to the accustomed order ) a publick parlament in st. laurence , wherein was agreed that a donative should be given to the emperor of a hundred and fifty thousand duckets , and fifty thousand more to make the compleat sum of thousand , and it was ordained that it should be given by reason of the want of money . in the year . was held ( according to the usual manner ) a publick parlament in st. laurence , wherein was decreed that to the emperor should be given a donative of thousand duckets , to pay the spanish footmen , the repairing of the streets and lakes . in the year . was held ( according to the accustomed order ) a publick parlament in st. laurence , wherein was concluded , that to his catholick majesty should be given a donative of thousand duckets . in the year . was held ( according to the ordinary manner ) a publick parlament in st. laurence , wherein was decreed , that for the marriage of the lady mary of austria the emperours daughter , should be imposed five carlins on a family , the which sum importeth a hundred and fifty thousand duckets . in the year . was held ( according to the accustomed manner ) in st. laurence , a publick parlament , wherein was decreed that there should be given to his majesty , a donative of thousand duckets , of which donative the barons paid thousand duckets , and the rest the people of the kingdom . in the year . was held ( according to the wonted manner ) a publick parlament in st. laurence , wherein was concluded that there should be given unto his majesty a donative of thousand duckets , and thousand duckets was granted , which was given unto the viceroy , because he was a great favourer of the kingdom with his majesty . in the year . was held ( according to the accustomed manner ) a general publick parlament in st. laurence , wherein was decreed , that there should be given to his majesty a donative of thousand duckets . in the year . was held ▪ according to the accustomed order , a general publick parlament in st. laurence , where was concluded that there should be given to his majesty for the payment of his army , thousand duckets . in the year . was held ( according to the wonted manner ) a publick parlament in st. laurence , where was decreed that there should be given to his majesty a hundred and six and fifty thousand duckets to pay the companies . in the year . was held ( according to the accustomed manner ) a publick parlament in st. laurence , where was concluded that there should be given to his majesty duckets . the which sum of money was devided in this manner , that is to say , the city of naples should pay duckets , and the barons duckets , and the rest the people should pay . in the year . was held ( according to the usual manner ) a general publick parlament in st. laurence , where was concluded , that for the great necessity which his majesty had to pay the spanish footmen , and the dutch companies , there was granted unto him a hundred thousand duckets , and this payment was devided between the barons and the people of the kingdom . in the year . was held a general parlament in st. laurence , where was decreed that there should be given to the king a million of gold , and thousand duckets to the viceroy of the kingdom , and besides nine thousand and two hundred duckets to signor marc. antonio colonna , the which donatives were paid by the barons and the people of the kingdom . in the year . was held a publick and general parlament in st. laurence ▪ where was concluded , that to the kings majesty should be given a million and thousand duckets , and to the excellency of the viceroy of the kingdom thousand and five hundred duckets , the which sum of money the barons and people of the kingdom paid . in the year . was held a publick and general parlament in st. laurence , where was decreed that to the kings majesty should be given a million of gold , the which donative the barons and people of the kingdom paid . in the year . was held a publick and general parlament in st. laurence , where was given to his majesty a million of gold , and sixty thousand duckets to the renowned prince of spain , and duke of c●lauria his son , the which sum of money the barons and people of the kingdom payed . in the year . was held a publick and general parlament in st. laurence , where was given to the king a million and two hundred thousand duckets , the which donative the barons and people of the kingdom paid . in the year . was held a publick and general parlament in st. laurence , where was decreed that to his majesty should be given a million and thousand duckets , the which donative was paid by the barons and people of the kingdom . in the year . was held a publick and general parlament in st. laurence , where was concluded that to the kings majesty should be given a million and thousand duckets , the which donative the barons and people of the kingdom paid . in the year . was held a publick and general parlament in st. laurence , where was given to his majesty a million and thousand duckets , the which donative was divided between the barons and the people of the kingdom . in the year . was held a publick and general parlament in st. laurence , where was concluded that to the kings majesty should be given a million and two hundred thousand duckets , the which donative was devided between the barons and the people of the kingdom . in the year . was held a publick and general parlament in st. laurence , where was decreed that to his majesty should be given a million and two hundred thousand duckets , the which donative was paid by the barons and people of the kingdom . in the year . was held ( according to the accustomed manner ) a publick and general parlament in st. laurence , where was concluded , that to the kings majesty should be given a million , and two hundred thousand duckets , the which donative was devided between the barons and people of the kingdom . in the year . the second day of ianuary was held a publick and general parlament , and was decreed , that to the king should be given a millon and two hundred and fifty thousand duckets , the which donative was paid by the barons and people of the kingdom ▪ in the year . was held ( according to the usual manner ) a publick and general parlament in st. laurence of naples , where was concluded that to the kings majesty should be given a million and two hundred thousand duckets , the which donative was paid two parts by the people of the kingdom , and one by the barons , of which payment only the city of naples , and the territories of the annuntiation were free : in the year : according to the custom , was given a donative to the king , of a million and two hundred thousand duckets . in the year . was given , according to the usual custom , a donative to the king of a million and two hundred thousand duckets . in the year . was given by the barons and people of the kingdom , a donative to the king of a million and two hundred thousand duckets : in the year : was given , according to the accustomed manner , a donative to the king of a million and two hundred thousand duckets : in the year . was given a donative to the king of a million and two hundred thousand duckets : a description of the rivers , lakes , fountains , baies , mines , hils , and woods , which are in this kingdom . a the river acida runneth near niceto , now called donato . the river amaseno runneth near abbadia . the river alabro runneth near supino the river albula , otherwise called matrino , runneth near musignano . the river aterno , now called pescara , runneth near to civita di chieti the river avinio runneth near fratte the river aventino runneth near the fort of rasino the river alandra runneth near sala the river acheronte , now called campagnano , runneth near castello franco , called in old time pandosia , where was slain ( as he was foretold by the oracle ) alexander king of molossus , whilst he understanding not the deceits of the devil , remained secure , having escaped another river of the same name in his own country of epire. the river ancitula runneth near francica the river alaro , called in old time sacra , runneth near roccella the river aesaro , called also aesano , runneth near st. severina , and the city of cotrone the river alex runneth near the city of alesio the river areus runneth near cosenza the river arentho runneth near cosenza the river abuceto hath his original from the hill abuceto , which is in the isle of ischia the river angitula runneth near angitula the river agatha runneth near regio the river aterno , now called pescara , runneth near pescara the river alba runneth near manupello the river asinella runneth near vasto the river ag●ra , is in calauria , and runneth into faro of m●ssina the river alore in calauria the river au●ido hath his original from the hils hirpini , and runneth by canosa , and after into the adria●ick sea ▪ by some it is called canne , in respect of a city of the same name , not far off , which is very famous for the great victory of hannibal , by the overthrow which he gave to the roman army , by which victory hannibal had from the hands of the roman knights three bus●●ls of rings of gold ; the said river is now called lofanto the river anfure , now called ufente , runneth near the city of terracina , called in old time ansure the river acri runneth near saponara the river arnone runneth near castelluccia b the river bathino , called in old time tordino , and juvatino is near montepagano the river basento runneth near cosenza , which river is very famous for the sepulchre of alaricus the goth ▪ with certain treasure that is there hid , and the ●light of the emperor otho , which was overthrown by basilius the greek . the river bato runneth near scalea . the river bradano runneth through basilicata c the river calore runneth near benevento , and riseth in the mountains of crepacore the river cervano runneth into the haven of taranto , called the little sea the river coraco runneth near roccella the river croccia runneth near simari the river crate runneth near cosenza , the water whereof maketh hair yellow , and woll white the river cratallo runneth near catanzaro the river cacino runneth near seminara the river cardono runneth through the territory of cosenza , and is full of golden sand the river cato castro runneth near mantea the river cochile , called in old time sibari , whereupon sicel●o in the year of the world . saith , the ancient city sibari was builded , the which increased through the amenity of the country in such greatness , that it could arm sometimes three hundred thousand men ; this river runneth near cassano the river coloneta runneth near rossano the river calabrice entreth into the river sibare , and runneth near pagiano the river clanio , called also glanio , runneth near cerra the river canne runneth three miles distant from the city of venosa , and entreth into the river lofanto , near the which rive was in old time the beautifull city canne , called of the latines canusium , the which place is so famous ( both by poets and historians so much named ) for the great overthrow which hannibal gave to the romans , thorough the tim●rity and presumption of terentius varro , as livy apparently declares in his book , and sillio italico in his book , plutarch in the life of hannibal , and of scipio , with many other writers , in the which overthrow was slain the consul , p. emilio , l. ascilio , l. furio bicacculo , treasurers of the wars , military tribunes , and many pretors , councellers , and ediles , whereof were gn. servilio , and gn. minutio numantio , the which had been the year before master of the cavaliery , and senators . there was slain in this great overthrow footmen , and of the roman cavalry , and as many of their friends and con●ed●rates and many prisoners taken . ptolomeus otherwise nameth this place canusium , and martial making mention of canne , thus saith , haec tibi turbato canusina simillimamulso munus erit gaude , non fiet cito anus ▪ the river clanto runneth near loriano the river cosano runneth near asserolo the river casinio now called sanguino , runneth near venafro the river cales runneth near the ancient city of cales , now called calvi the river cerbalo runneth near civitella in puglia the river calabrice runneth near fagliano , and entreth into the river sibare d the river diama passeth near to cerella e the river esaro runneth near the city of corrone the river eterno passeth near teano the river evoli passeth near evoli f the river f●●miceilo runneth near the city of termole the river f●umiculo runneth near civitella the river fiterno , now called salino , passeth near the city of s●lino the river freddo passeth near the city of freddo the river frento , otherwise called fortore , runneth near larino a ruinated city the river furore passeth near vieteri the river fanes , called also siris runneth near the city of benevento the river fineto passeth near regina the river fibrena runneth between the city of arpino and sora g the river glanco passeth near valerosa the river gineto , called also thieto , runneth near the said country the river gronde passeth near the territory of balbino in calauria the river garga runneth two miles distant from the country of summoranno the river grande runneth near altomonte the river galesso runneth into the haven of taranto , called the little sea the river garigliano , called in old time ganicus , and now liris , passeth near the ancient city of minturna , destroyed long since i the river isauro passeth near the city of nieto , now called donato the river isclaro passeth near the city of caserta the river isauro runneth near the city of agatha the river ispica passeth near the city of pietra fitta the river ipoleto passeth near nicastro l the river lite , called in old time liris , and sometime glanicus , is now called garigliano ; the said river runneth between arce and sora ; pliny saith that this river hath its original from the lake fucino the river librata , of the ancients , and among others , pliny calleth it albula , for the whiteness thereof ; the said river passeth into abruzzo , and runneth not far off from civitella of tronto . this river springeth from the apennine the river leudo runneth near the country of paolo the river lavo , called also laino , runneth near scalea the river lento passeth near the monastery of st. liberatore , and the city of frantana , now called francavilla ; this river springeth from the hill maiella the river lucinio passeth near rossano the river linterno passeth not very far from the river vulturno the river lofanto called also aufido , runneth near canosa , by pliny it is named aufidus , and it is also so called by strabo , by pomponius mela , and by other ancient writers . this river riseth from a little fountain of the apennine hils , among the irpini , not far distant from the city of nosco , and from hence descendeth as a little brook of water , which in summer , the course or current thereof can hardly be perceived to run miles ; but in the winter season it is so much augmented by other rivers and streams which pass into it , and besides through the showers and dews that are very often in that season , it overfloweth the greatest fields of puglia , so comforting and watering the country , that it seems a large , long , and great sea the river larasca springeth in taranto m the river melpi runneth near the city of the ancient atinagia , now ruinated the river moscano passeth near piesco the river metauro runneth near maida the river mesina runneth near policastro the river moro passeth near ortona to the sea the river moncata runneth near lacania , and maida in calauria , in the territory of which country grow the plantane trees , a thing very rare in italy the river medama passeth near belloforte the river metauro passeth near nicotera the river marno passeth near terranova the river melfa runneth near the ancient city of atina , which was one of the five cities which were built for the defence of turnus against eneas , as virgil saith in the seventh book of his eneidos the river musanio springeth in the mountains of crepacore n the river nursa passeth near the abby of st. clement the river neta passeth near torana and regia the river neeto passeth neere crotrone o the river ocinaro , called also sabatio , passeth near martorano the river obvio passeth near capestrano p the river piomba runneth near toritto the river paola runneth near the city of paola the river pratello passeth near piedemonte the river petrace runneth near gioia lhe river pesipo runneth near nicastro the river panopleto passeth near maida the river pitornio runneth near the lake fucino the river plumba passeth near hadria r the river rufeo runneth near caramanico the river raino runneth near paleno the river reatio runneth near messuraca , called in old time reatium s the river sabuto passeth near nocera , and the ancient city of teberina , which was destroyed by hannibal of carthage ( and as the ancients do affirm ) ligia , one of the sirenes inhabited upon the mouth of the said river the river sebeto , called by the latines sebethos , is a little river which passeth without the walls of the noble city of naples , which the neopolitans call the river magdalena , by reason of a church dedicated to the said saint , near which the said river passeth , papin . statio makes mention of the said river u● his first book de selve , saying , et pulchra tumeat sebethos alumna . it is also named by virgil , by statio , and by colomella , and by many other writers the river senno , called in old time siri , runneth near amendolara , and the ancient city of sino , which was afterward named heraclea , where the statue of minerva is very famous , which rouled the eys against the ionii which sackt the city , not respecting it the river sapre runneth near the ancient city of sapri , now ruinated the river semiro runneth near squillace the river seminara runneth near the said country the river sebatio , called also ocinaro , passeth near abatio the river salinello , called also suino , passeth near villanto the river sino runneth near corvignano the river sarno , called also scafato , passeth near the city of sarno the river soricella runneth near grotta the river sabaro , called by the latins sibaris , runneth near the ancient city of turia , in calauria , the water whereof being drank by oxen , sheep , and other cattel , makes their skins to become black , where very near is the river crate , which worketh the contrary effect the river saro , now called sangro , passeth near fossa ceca the river sento runneth near the hill zalario the river scosa passeth near niceto the river sagara , very famous in calauria , for the cruel battel between the locresi and the crutonesi t the river targine passeth near crotone the river tauro passeth near civita di penna the river tara riseth under massafra near taranto the river tordino , called by pliny , vivantium , runneth near the ancient city of flaviano , now called castello nuovo the river trinio runneth near vasto aimone the river tamaro passeth near castello franco & the city of morcone the river tiro runneth near the territory of baldino in calauria the river trero passeth near ceccano the river tavo runneth near the city of tavo the river tinnaria runneth near paola the river turbido passeth near torano the river triferno , called also piferno , passeth near termole the river tropoalto runneth near ariano the river trigno hath his beginning from vasto , and fetching a compass , divideth puglia from abruzzo . the river tronto , called by ptolomy in his third book truentinum ; and by strabo druentum , and by pomponius mela is named truentium ; this river riseth from the apennine . strabo and pliny saith that in old time was builded the castle truento , near the mouth of the river , by the people tiburni of dalmatia , and called it truentium , which at this present remains not any mention thereof , neither can it be known whether the river was named from it , or it from the river ; this river runneth within miles of crapolle v the river ufente , called in old time ansure , from the ancient city of ansure , now called tarracina the river viciola runneth near canzano the river vomano , called also homano , runneth near calvano the river volturno passeth near the ancient volturno , now it is called the river of capua , because it runneth by the said city the river variano passeth near cusano the river verre runneth near bello-monte the river vado runneth near sinopoli the river verde springeth in the hill maiella , between the monastery of st. martine , and the castle faran , of the peligni ( now called abruzzo ) the said river runneth near the city of casale , and of colle macine . vpon the bank of the said river was the body of manfred , king of naples , buried by the commandment of the pope , and upon his tomb was ingraven this epitaph , hic jaceo caroli manfredus marie subactus , caesaris haerede non fuit urbe locus , sum patris ex odiis ausus confligere petro mars dedit hic mortem , mors mihi cuncta tulit . of the hils which are in the kingdom . abuceto is a very high hill in the isle of ischia , called in old time enaria , inarime , and pithecusa , upon the which hill springeth a river of the same name . aburno is a hill in the province of lucania , now called basilicata , which was a part of calauria . this hill is called of the latines alburnus , because it is all white . virgil makes mention of the said hill in the third of his georgicks , saying , primus alburnum volitans . atheneo , a hill called in old time prenusso , sirreo , minervio , and the hill equano , and now it is called the hill of massa , from the city of massa which stands but a little distant from the city of surrento . there is to be seen on the said hill towards the sea , a great part of the ancient temple of minerva . astruno is a high hill , which standeth but a little distant from pozzuolo , in the midst of which hill is a plain very low , reduced into a circle , two miles in compass , where is a little pool with sulphure-water which issueth out on every side , very comfortable and wholsome for those that are diseased and feeble . savonarola maketh mention of the said baths , calling them astrana . vgolino cals them struna balnea . circello , named by the latines mons cerces , and circeus , and of ptolomy , girceum promontorium . this hill lieth near to gaeta , and was so called of circes , the daughter of the sun , and the nymph perse , sister of aethe , king of the colchi , the great magitian , who being married to the king of the sarmatians , poisoned him through the desire she had to domineer and bear rule her self , the which was the cause that she was chased away by all the people , and so she came to inhabit in this hill , which did abound with great plenty of excellent hearbs , and there made her residence , with the which hearbs the ancients have feigned that she transformed men into beasts . there was upon the said hill in old time a very beautifull and goodly city of the same name , with the temple of circes , and the obscure cave of minerva , where was shewed in the time of strabo for the truth thereof , a cup wherein vlisses drank . into the said city tarquin the proud brought many inhabitants , because the fields pometini very large and fair were near the sea , subject to the said plain , as dionysius of alicarnassus writeth in his fifth book , and livy in the first . much is written of the said hill in many places , both by dionysius , strabo , livy , pliny pomponius , mela , solina , procopio , and also virgil in his seventh book . the said city being afterward ruinated , in place thereof was made a very strong castle , which was a secure passage for many roman bishops . the hill carcino , now called capo di stilo , and by ptolomeo named promontorium carcinum , is the longest promontory in all italy ▪ as pliny writeth by opinion of others . barbaro in the corrections of pliny , saith that it ought to be called cocintum , as the ancient books of pliny declare , and also of polybius ; barbaro besides saith , that the book of pliny was corrupted when he saith the castle of carceno was near to petilia , because he should have said caecinum , of which speaketh filisto saying thus , caecinum est oppidum non multum à sicilia distans . the cape of squillace is a hill upon the which in old time was the city of squillac● called by pliny , scyllatius , and by strabo , by solinus , and by pomponius , mela scyllatius . the said city was builded by the atenesi , the companions of menestro , which arived there . crepacore is a great back or brow of the apennine , the which for the steepness and difficult ascent hath been so called , yet in old time it was called grumo , from the which flowes the river moscano . the said hill is near to the cave menarda . cecubo is a hill which joyneth to the gulf of gaeta , and near castellone ; the said hill is very famous for the excellent wine it yields , for it bringeth forth the strongest grape , the wines of cecubo are accounted with the best , as the fondani and setini , whereof martial saith , caecuba fundanis generosa coquuntur amydis vitis , & in media nata palude viret : casino is a high hill , which is not very far from the city of aquino , and the castle secca , both being in campania felix . in the said hill was in old time the city of casino , a colony of the romans , as titus livius writeth in his ninth book , declaring that thither was brought a colony at the same time with minturn . and also antonio in his commentary speaketh likewise thereof in his book ; and strabo saith that in his time there was the glorious city of the latines . and sillo nameth it thus in his twelfth book , nymphisque habitata casini , rura evastantur : here was the temple of apollo , where was afterward builded the stately monastery of casino , so named by the ruinated city . the said monastery was built by st. benedict for his monks , although the buildings of the monastery at this present are not those which the father st. benedict builded , for not long after his death all things were ruinated by the longobards , totila king of the goths moved by the sanctity of st. benedict , went up into the said monastery , purposing to try if that were true which he had heard say of him , that is to say , that st. benedict through a prophetical spirit did know any secret or hidden thing , apparelled himself like a page , causing another to go before him cloathed in kingly attire , who feigned himself to be totila , but the saint knowing of god the deceit , requested him with a cheerfull countenance to come in with the rest of his followers , and pointing to the king which was so basely attired to come foremost into the monastery . but neither this , nor any other signes of sanctity which st. benedict shewed to the longobards , were sufficient to bridle the fury of these barbarians from the spoil of this monastery , the which had been foretold to the monks by the father st. benedict . it was afterward reedified upon the first foundations , and also enlarged about a years after by petronio petronasso bresciano , through the perswasion of pope gregory the second , as paolo diacono writeth in his sixth book of the histories of the longobards , and elia capriolo in his fifth book of his brescian histories . the monks thereof have more in revenue every year then fifty thousand duckets . in the said monastery do lie the bodies of many saints , and chiefly that of st. benedict the founder and head thereof , and of st. scolastica his sister , whose bodies were found in the year . pliny declares in the fourth chapter of his seventh book , that in the said city of casino , in the time of the consulship of lucinius crassus , and of caio cassio longo , a certain girl was converted to a male kind , which by advice of the south-sayers was carried away into a desert island . caulo , called in old time caulon , is a high hill in calauria , upon the which is situated the city of caulonia , near locri , the said hill is very full of vines , whereupon the ancients consecrated it unto bacchus . virgil speaketh of this hill in the third of the eneidos saying , caulonisque arces , & naufragum scyllaceum . pliny in the third book and tenth chapter also discourseth of the said city , strabo in his sixth book , pomponius mela in his second , and stephano of the city cals it caulonia . christs hill is a high hill , which is near the city of pozzuolo , in the very same place which was called the bath of trepergole . it is said that in the time that our saviour jesus christ arose from death to life , and descended into hell , at his resurrection he took the said great hill and stopt the hole or mouth of hell which he made coming from thence , and for this cause ( they say ) it was called christs hill ; whereupon the poet eustasius thus saith , est locus australis , quo portam christus averni fregit , & eduxit mortuus inde suos haec domus est triplex , hinc jure tripergula dicta . vna capit vestes , altera servat aquam , vtilis unda satis multum sudantibus aufert defectum mentis , cum gravitate pedum . haec stomachi varias facit absentare querelas , flebile de toto corpore tollit onus . debilis , atque piger , quibus est non multa facultas , consulimus tali ut saepe fruatur aqua . hujus amator aquae symptomata nulla timebit , incolumi semper corpore laetus erit . but i believe with the holy catholick and apostolick church , that our saviour jesus christ the son of the omnipotent god , descended into hell , as all the prophets and holy apostles have said ; and i also believe that he arose the third day from death , as the scriptures verify unto us ; but that he should rise from this place , or any other , i am not so foolish to affirm it , or say that which i know not : for which thing i think better ( as st. augustin saith in the upon gen ) to doubt , de occultis quam litigare de incertis . cibele is a hill near the city of mercogijacono , on the top whereof was in old time a stately temple dedicated to the honour of cibele , mother of the gods. antonio pio in his commentary maketh mention of this hill , describing the way from benevento to the pillars ; he placeth first mercuriale , and afterward cibele ▪ mother of the gods. the said temple was afterward dedicated by st. william unto the virgin mary ; the which hill after the consecration above-said , the name of cibele was changed into the name of virgine , as it is called at this present , and the congregation of the fathers which are there is called de monte virgine . this high hill is separated from the apennine , and also from the other hils , except they touch a little at the bottom . in the great altar of the said church are preserved the bodies of the three children which by the commandment of nechadonozor king of babylon were put into the burning oven , because they would not adore the golden image . in the said church is a reliquary of so much beauty and ornament for the gilding of the place , and for the many reliques put in fair vessels of silver and gold , that it would be very difficult to find a better , and perhaps not the like in all christendom , as all strangers say which come thither from far countries . in the said hill , whether by the will of god , whom it pleaseth many times to work marvailous effects in sundry particular places , or by any other accident , neither within the monastery , nor the distance of paces round about , can be eaten or carried any flesh , or eggs , or milk , or any white-meat whatsoever , but presently it corrupts and becomes full of worms , although it be powdered , boiled , baked , rosted , or howsoever , the which thing is so manifestly known to all men , that of all those which come thither at all times of the year , none dare carry any thing , and if any w●ll carry , it will not be without that aforesaid signe . epopon was a hill in the isle of ischia , from whence fire ascended with great fury , but is now become plain . falerno is a hill near to pozzuolo , the which was so named of a man , as servio writeth , the wine took its name of falerno , which is very excellent that is had from this hill , whereof sillio speaketh in his seventh book : gravidae cui nectare vites , nulli dant praelis nomen praeferre falernis . and pliny in the sixth chapter of his fourteenth book doth largely discourse of the said wine . whereupon varro in praising italy , thus saith , quid in italia utensile non modo non nascitur , sed etiam non egregium non fit ? quod far comparandum campano ? quod triticum apulo ? quod vino farlerno ? quod oleum venafrano ? many writers make mention of the wine falerno , among whom tibullo thus saith , nunc mihi fumosos veteris proferte falernos . and the same saith , non tibi si pretium campana terra daretur : non tibi si bacchi cura falernus ager . martial also speaketh of it saying , resinata bibis vina falerna . the said place is now called the fort of mondragone , and the territory thereof passeth along even to volturno . in the plain of the said hill is campo stellato , now called the territory of carinola , and also by the common people it is called mazzone . of what excellency this field stellato was , may easily be understood by the words of cicero written in his orations against the laws de campi , forasmuch as in it he was forced to perswade that the field stellato by no means ought to be sold by the magistracy of ten men , when he saith , at enim ager campanus , hac lege amittitur , orbis terre pulcherrimos . whereupon cicero declares that it was the proper ground of the people of rome . suetonius writeth that cesar divided the field stellato between citizens of rome , to get the good will of the people . guaro , or gualdo , called by the latines , mons guarus , & gauros , but now commonly called the hill barbaro , the said hill is not very far from the lake averno , the foot whereof stretcheth even to cuma , and to baia. this hill bringeth forth very fruitfull vines , the which three times in a year yield excellent grapes , and very precious and pure wine , for which cause the poets feigned that here was the habitation of the nymphs . ausonius makes mention , idyl . . pli. . cap. . and book , cap. . lucan lib. . floro . in lib. . cap. . giovenal , in the and sat. galen . methodi , de cib bonis , & malis suc . cap. . & . de antidot . gioviano pontano in the partheniae , cicero against rullo . statio lib. . gargano is a famous hill , and standeth in the plain puglia , now called the province of capitanata . there are in the said hill some pleasant woods , and although for the most part it be without trees , nevertheless there are gathered many kinds of medicinable herbs for divers infirmities ▪ this high and famous hil proceeeth from the apennine , and the circuit round about even to the lowest dissent , contains ● miles , and on the top of the hill is the renowned and noble city of st : angelo , from the which all the hill is now so called , and there is a very fair and goodly church in the honour of st. michael the archangel , whether infinite people resorts from sundry places of christendom , with great superstition and frequency at all times . many ancient writers make mention of this hill gargano , among whom is strabo , pliny , pomponius mela , and virgil in his book , saying , victor gargani condebat iapygis . and lucan in the . apulus adriacas exit garganus in undas . and horace in the second of his verses saith , querceta gargani laborent . hermete is a pleasant hill which approacheth even to the city of naples , and is commonly called the hill of s. hermo , because in the top thereof there is a castle of the same name , made by king charls the second of angio. that excellent poet pontano saith in his lepidinia , that the said hill was so called by the fair nymph hermete which dwelt in the eminent and highest part of this hill. galen and martial call it trifolius mons of the three-leafed grass , which grows there every where . hidro is a high hill which is in the province of the country of otranto , the which hill is called by the latinists hydruntum , and by pliny and strabo , hydrus , and hydruntis . the hill miseno , or the promontary of campagna felix , stands but a little distant from cuma , it is named misenus by strabo , dionisius of alicarn . pliny ▪ antonino , virg. tacitus in his , , and book , and by ptolomy it is called promontorium misenum . likewise sillio makes mention in his . it was so named according to dionisius in his first book by miseno , a worthy man , and a follower of aeneas which died there , the which virgil affirms in his book of eneidos , when he reciteth that miseno being dead , eneas wholly discomforted , demanded of achate , what they should do , and where they should bury him . and at the last was here buried , and of him was called miseno , for before the coming of eneas the said hill was called aereo . for virgil saith in the sixth of the eneid . praeterea jacet exanimum tibi corpus amici . and somewhat lower , quem socium exanimum vates , quod corpus humandum diceret ▪ atque illi misenum in lictore sicco vt venere vident indigna morte peremptum : misenum aeolidem , quo non prestantior alter aere ciere vos , martemque accendere cantu , hectoris hic magni fuerat comes . and a little farther , nec minus intereà misenum in lictore teucri flebant : & cineri ingrato suprema ferebant . in describing the manner of his grave after a few verses saith , at pius aeneas ingenti mole sepulchrum imposuit , suaque arma viro , remumque tubamque monte sub aerio , qui nunc misenus ab illo dicitur , aeternumque tenet per secula nomen . pomponius mela , and solinus say , that this miseno ( from whom the said hill taketh its name ) was the trumpeter of eneas . and servio upon the third and sixth of the eneid . saith that eneas being desirous to raise the souls of the dead which remained in hell , out of the lake averno , but being unable to do it , unless he first kil'd some man , and after sacrificed him to the gods of hell ; to this effect he killed his beloved trumpeter miseno , and after the sacrifice ended he obtained his desire . upon the said hill was in old time a tower called faro , on the which both day and night did burn a continual light , as a signe for marriners to sail with the more security . the said hill is streightned in the manner of a promontory of three breadths compassed with the sea , and in the said cape where it begins to be narrow , although it be naturally full of caves , it is so hollow and vaulty by means of the buildings that are thereon , raised and supported with pillars , and built with marble , that it seems as a hill down-hanging , and within there was ( as is to be seen ) baths , and very delicate banqueting places , among the which there was one called the cave traconaria , so named of traconibus , for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , signifieth water-courses , as francisco titelmanno noteth in psalm . the said cave is very large , long , and high , built in an admirable manner , and part of it is standing , and part half ruinated , and also some part wholly gone . that part which is to be seen lieth in this sort , it hath in the midst an entrie of handsbreadth in length , and in breadth , having on both sides four lodgings vaulted in largeness some and some hands breadth , being between some of them the space of hands breadth , and between others . in these spaces are dores , every one the breadth of hands , the one distant from the other , except the first distance , which is in the entrance . but the other distances between the said dores are equal . the arches are supported and made with cross interlacing . it is a thing very certain ( as it is commonly judged of all ) that the said caves were made to preserve water . on that side of the hill which lies towards cuma , the said hill hath a poole of the sea called mare mortuum , and round about upon the brow and edg of the main-land appear the ruines and goodly foundations of ancient buildings , and this was the place where suctonius saith that octavius augustus kept his army by sea near miseno , for the guard and defence of the terrene sea , of france , spain , mauritania , and of africa , and of the isles which lie in the midst thereof , of the which army plinio veronese was captain at the time that the hill vesuvio burnt , where he died whilst he attempted to see the great exhalations of that hill , which cast the ashes even into africa , siria , and egipt , afterward within the land appears foundations , incredible to those that have not seen them , where they now say is a wonderfull lake , for these being ( as it seems ) the foundations of a goodly palace that was in this part , which remaineth there standing , supported with very high pillars , being a hundred and sixty paces long , and in breadth . and so fair that it seems new , and i believe it was the palace of l. lucullus , which he had near baia to dwell pleasantly in the time of winter , because it stands in a very warm place . whereof plutarch maketh mention in the life of the said lucullus , declaring that l. lucullus having invited pompey in the summer season to his house frascato , which is near rome , seemed to jest and flout at him , saying he was not well advised , to build so goodly and stately a house as that was , being full of so many open galleries , and broad windows , and exposed both to the winds and cold ; that though in summer he might well inhabit , yet in winter time it was utterly to be abandoned . to which he saith , that lucullus also scoffingly , answered him , that pompey was deceived in him , because he had better played the wise crane , then he had done , for that house he only built for the summer-season , having another as fair at baia for the winter , where was a continual spring . the tombs and reliques of this palace , and other ancient monuments , which are half standing and half ruinated , which are to be seen in these places , are such , that it seems as if there had been an absolute city , rather then a house . of the said hill miseno , strabo makes mention in his fifth book , cicero in the second of his filippice , antonio in his commentarie , ptolomy in his third book , suetonius in the cap. . plin in the . cap. . tacitus in the book , sill. in the . proper . in the . and in the . statio in the sat. . and of modern writers iohn pontano in his book of the warrs of naples . massico is a famous hill which stands in campania felix , and is now called the fo●● of mandragone , of a certain city that is there , which hath the title of a duke . this excellent hill is very famous , as well in old time as in these our daies , for the singular and delicate wine which it yields , being of a golden and amber colour , of a sweet and odoriferous savor , and of a most delicious and pleasing taste ; these vines grow in the top of the hill the territory thereof in old time extended even to the walls of sinuessa , a colony of the romans , and with the back and ridg thereof the said hil stretcheth to cali , now named calvi , even to the left side of the territory of venafro , so that it confined on the one side with the territory of falerno , now called gaudo , which in like manner brought forth these precious and excellent wines of the colour of gold , which were so pleasing to the roman empero●s , and of whom iulius cesar , as pliny in the cap. of the lib. writeth , honoured therewith his feasts , and most renowned banquets which he made in rome . of this hill massico , virgil maketh mention in many places , and chiefly in the second book of his georgicks , saying , sed gravidi fruges , & bacchi massicus humor . and in the of eneid . verunt soelicia baccho massica . sillio itallico in his book , massicus uviferis addebat nomina globis and the same saith in another place , massica sulcabit mulcere falernus in aevo . and horace in his first book of verses , est qui nec veteris pocula massici . of the wine falerno , galen makes mention in his second lib. de ar . cur . de san : tuen . cap. , and in cap. . and in many other places ; and if any man desires to know more , he may read persius in the third satyr , giovinal in the sat. . sillius in the lib. tibullus in the second ; horace in the second book of verses , ovid in the fourth de ponto , titus livius in the first , plin. the book cap , . macrobio the third de saturnali , l. floro in the first book , and of modern writers , iacobo perfetto , and iohn baptista in the book of the nature of wines . minervio is a hill , or rather a promontory which standeth directly against the isle of capre , where upon an arm of the hill are situate these cities , surrento , massa , and vico. the said hill by pliny and pomponius nola , is called promontorium minervae , and by strabo it is named sirreum atheneum & prenussum . now it is called the cape of campanella , because there stands a tower as a guard which with the sound of a bell makes a signe of the discovery of such ships and gallies as sails upon the coast. maiella is a very high hill which is separated from the apennine , and standeth in the province of the peligni , and sanniti , now called abruzzo , the said hill is discovered very far through the great height thereof , whose top is almost continually covered with snow ; it is very rough and craggie ▪ and the passage very difficult to the top on every side , near to the which are many cities and towns , many rivers flow from it , and there are many woods full of wild beasts , and chiefly bears and wolves . st. peter of morovo the hermit , inhabited in this high hill , being afterward called pope celestine the fifth , from whom the religion of the celestini had their original . olibano , now called the hill libano . the said hill stands but a little distant from pozzuolo , and is full of very hard flint-stones , and therefore very barren and without trees , it was called olibano , because in greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as to say , all , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 barren . suetonius saith in his fourth book , c. : that the roman emperor ca. caligula caused the said hill to be cut and digged , and commanded that all the streets in italy should be paved with the flints thereof . antonino panormita makes mention of the said hill in his fifth epistle , directed to nicolo piscicello archbishop of salerno . at the foot of the said hill , on that side which lies towards the isles of nisita , are two baths , the one called the little bath , and the other the stony bath ; it was called the little bath , for the little fountain thereof , nevertheless it is of so great vertue and efficacy , that the weak and diseased think that here is not only water ▪ but even god himself , because it comforteth the head , the stomack , and all the other parts of the body , it cleareth the cloudie thickness of the eies , and restoreth a weak sight , it drives away the quartane , continual and quotidian feaver , and to conclude , it cureth any grief , caused by what disease soever . the neopolitans were wont to make use of this water before any other . whereupon the worthy poet eustasius of matera speaking of this bath saith , inter aquas pelagi proprè littus sub pede rupis , magnus in effectu fons breve nomen habet . balneolum dictum tantae virtutis amicum , vt patiens illic sentiat esse deum . nam morbo quocunque dolet , seu rheumate quovis , lotus aqua tali tempore liber abit , et caput , & stomachum , renes , & caetera membrae comfortat , tepidam si renovabis aquam . haec prodest oculis , oculorum nube fugata , consumptos reficit , quos tenet aegra fames . materiamque rudem consumit , & amphimerinen . plus aliis hoc gens parthenopaea sovet . of this bath savanarola , vgolino , and franciotto makes mention , calling it balneum foris crypte ; mengo saith that the mine thereof is alume , copper , and iron . under the rock of the said hill olibano ( as we have before said ) is the stony bath , and is so called because the said fountain springeth from a rock ; this bath breaketh the stone in the bladder , provoketh urine , purgeth the sand , and expelleth gravel , it healeth the pain of the head , cleareth the sight , maketh the deaf to hear , and driveth the sound and noise from the ears , it greatly comforts the heart and the stomack . the water of the said bath drank luke-warm , purgeth the intrails and inward parts . of this stony bath thus writeth eustasius , cui petra dat nomen , mirum reor esse lavacrum , quod lapidem possit frangere , nomen habet . infestos capiti solet hoc arcere dolores . auribus auditum praestat , & addit opem . lumina tergit , nebulis maculosa fugatis , pectoris , & cordis esse medela potest . vesicas aperit renes expurgat arena , interiora lavat potus , & hujus aquae . quam pluries vidi calidam potare petrosos , queis vrina fuit post lapidosa satis . vos igitur , quibus est durus cum pondere mictus , assiduus talis liberat usus aquae . from that part of the hill which lyeth towards pozzuolo , at the foot thereof is another bath called ortodonico , and is so named because it springeth in the bishops garden , the passage into it is to be descended by certain stairs , and the dore thereof standeth towards the south , and therefore it is very dangerous for a man to enter into it , because the south wind blowing , the heat of the exhalations inclosed , seeking to get out , easily stisleth whosoever is within it ; but the water being carried out , it reviveth and comforteth the bodies which are made faint and feeble through feavers , helpeth the stomack , and taketh away the nauseousues and desire to vomit , and cureth the feaver . alcadino writeth of this bath in this sort , haec manet absconso telluris lympha meatu , hanc via sub terris plena timoris habet . tu cave ne subeas thermas spirantibus austris , ne calor inclusus sit tibi causa necis . haec aqua mira nimis consumptis est bona valde , restaurat corpus nobilis usus aquae . infirmos sicubi febris tenuaverit artus , et putat extremam tristis ad esse diem . has fidens intrabit aquas , & sepe frequentans , sentiet in robur se rediisse vetus phthisis , ephermerine febres & nausea turpis . pellitur his thermis , hectica victa fugit . palinuro is a promontory so named in the province of the principality on this side , and of the ancients was called the promontory of palinuro , from which a little distant was in old time the ancient city of hielia , which was afterward called velia , and ( as strabo saith ) was endued with excellent laws and statutes , and invironed with a strong wall , and valiant people , and contended a long time with the lucani , and possidoniati . of the which city the ruines are to be seen , and was distant from possidonia , ( as strabo saith ) furlongs ; writers affirm , and especially pomponius mela , and servio upon this verse of virgil. in . nigens crudelis , &c. that the said province of palinuro was so named of palinuro of phrigia , a stiler of eneas ship , which was there buried of which mention is made in many places , and among others in the seventh book , where he doth describe very particularly his death , and his grave , much commending him . the promontory poss●untio of the province of principato on this side , is now called the cape of pisciotta ; strabo calleth the country , the river , and the haven possiuntum . pausilipo is a very pleasant and fruitfull hill of campania felix , wholly manured and adorned with goodly towns and villages , and is but a mile distant from naples , and stretcheth towards the south even to the sea , making many dales , which is the cause that all the discents and banks are very pleasant and delightfull through the many va●lies . there are also many gardens full of fruitfull trees , and especially oringes , citrons , limons , and other fruit . pliny saith in his . book , and cap. . that in this pleasant hill cesar had a very beautifull house with fish pools , wherein was cast a fish by pollione vedio ▪ which lived years ; pollione was lord of the said place , and dying , bequeathed it ( as dion saith ) to augustus . this house was near to the highest part of the said hill , in the place which is now called the fatal cave , where at this present are to be seen the baths which cesar had there , whereupon by this it may be judged how pleasant this excellent hill hath been , and especially for the banishing of sadness and melancholy from frail and feeble minds ; for which cause it hath that greek name , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth in latine queis , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as to say sadness . near the side of this pleasant and delightfull hill , are to be seen round about infinite buildings of antick stately workmanship , which time hath utterly defaced ; and on the side towards naples , is the fair village of the prince of stigliano , called serena , and towards chiaia at the foot of the hill is the pleasant place of morgilino , so named by the swimming of the fishes , where the learned iacobo sannazaro the darling of the muses composed his divine eg●ogues , and reedified a church to st. mary of the birth , in whose honour he composed latine verses , a most excellent and rare work of the deliverance of the said virgin , in which church in a goodly tomb of marble , with his picture carved thereon is he buried , on the which sepulchre the cardinal pietro bembo caused this epitaph to be ingraven , d. o. m. da sacro cineri flores , hic ille maroni syncerus musa , proximus , ut tumulo : at the foot of the hill on the side towards the sea , is the delightfull place of st. mary of piedigrotta , and on this side lieth the cave of cocceio , which some attribute to basso , and some to lucullus , made after the manner of that of cuma , the which is wholly cut artificially out of the rock . upon the hill in the right side towards the entrance of the cave , in the way towards naples , is virgils sepulchre , the which neither biondo nor razzano could find . but being found in these daies , i went to see it with that excellent lawyer fabio di giordano , a worthy poet , and a great herbalist , and a searcher of antiquities , and with us also went the lord geronomo colonna , and paolo portarello , persons of great judgment and wisdom : being come to the place , we found upon the said cave a chappel smoothly vaulted round about with marble , and within were places for images to stand , in the midst was a tomb of marble with four little pillars likewise of white marble , the which supported a coffin whereon were ingraven these verses , mantva me genuit , calabri rapuere , tenet nunc parthenope , cecini paseua , rura , duces . opposite thereto without the chappel , was an epitaph of white marble , with these modern verses ingraven , qui cineres tumulo haec vestigia ? conditur olim ille hoc qui cecinit pascua , rura , duces . after we had well considered the place , and among other things worthy to be noted , which we beheld looking up to the top of the said chappel , was a great bay-tree naturally growing , for the roots thereof took hold through the chinks and crevises of the wall. whereupon i presently thought that this was the very true sepulchre of virgil , and that nature had caused that bay-tree to grow as a signe to discover unto us that here lay the ashes of that great poet ▪ so seignieur colonna said ▪ my masters , this requi●●th matter for us to do something worthy memory , and he would not de●ert from thence till every one of us had made certain verses ; and because i was the youngest of the company ▪ he said unto me , seignieur scipio ▪ by the rule of the law , you ought to begin first . and so presently we made those verses . quod sacr● va●is cincres , tumulamque maronis sponte sua hic viridis laurus adulta t●gat . indicat , & musis , & di●is s●●iper amicum virgilium , speret cui fore nemo parem . then said the worthy fabio , busta ubi grandi loqui s●eterant ▪ tumulumque maronis , vastaque saculorum pondera saxa ruunt : delphica formosis increvic frondibus arbor : atque injussa sacras explicat alta comas ne tanti cineres vati● sine honore jacerent , ossicium praestat laurus amica suum . seignieur fabio having ended , d. paolo began to say , quod super hunc tumulum crevit parnasia laurus sponte sua manesque pios atque essa maronis atque loci genium viri●ant● protegat umbra divini vd●is signat reverenter honores vt quoniam nemo ante illum ▪ nec post erit unquam qui sid ruris opes , tali vel carmine reges diceret , illius vigat per secula nomen laurus ut haec tumulo foliis frondentibus extat , observatque memor sacri monumenta poetae . sarno is a hill so called of the city of sarno , which is situated at the foot of the hill , where also a river taketh its name which runneth hard by , near to the mouth whereof was pompey , and not far from the hill vosco●o , as pliny saith , they were named the pompeians ( as solino affirmeth by hercoles ) which brought thither his oxen with great pomp from spain . the pompeians had a long country full of goodly villages . the said country began at the point where is now the tower of the annuntiation , and stretcheth even to castello à mare , beyond the river sarno . in old time ( as strabo declares ) in these places did first inhabit the osci , and after the toscani , the peligni , and also the sanniti , the which were driven out by the romans . this pleasant country yieldeth excellent wines . pliny writeth in the . cap. of the book , that the said wines grew still to their greatest perfection and goodness even till ten years , age not any thing impairing them . this fair and pleasant country of the pompeians , was for the most part destroyed by an earthquake in the time of nero , which was one of the best parts of the province of campania felix . taburo is a high hill near capoa ; in old time it was called mons taburnus , as virgil declareth in the of the georgicks , neu segnes jaceant terrae , juvat ismara bacco conserere , atque olea magnum vestire taburnum . and elsewhere of the said hill , and particularly in the twelfth book is made mention , saying , at velut ingenti sylvae summoque taburno . trifolino is a hill which joyneth even with the city of naples , and called by the common people , the hill of st. hermo , and sometimes of st. martino , because upon the top of the said hill there is a very fair church , and a monastery of carthusian monks , under the name of st. martin ; the other church of st. hermo stands within the castle , which was builded by charls the first of angio king of naples , for a defence and guard of the said city . the said castle was newly fortified by the emperor charls the fifth . all this hill is beautified with goodly buildings , and other worthy edifices ; this pleasant hill yieldeth excellent wines , which are much commended by galen salubrium . & de antid . and martial in xenia speaking of the wine trifolino , thus saith , non sum de primo fateor trifolina lyaeo inter vina tamen septima vitis aero . it is called the hill trifolino by reason of the three-leafed grass , which growes there very plentifully . tifata is a hill which lies above capoa , whereof sillio speaketh , tifata umbrisico generatum monte calenum . titus livius likewise nameth it in the seventh and twentisixth book , describing that hannibal departing from the brutii , came into these places to relieve capoa , besieged by q. fulvius , and appius claudius , the roman consuls , and pitcht his camp in a valley but a little distant from the said hill , with the greatest part of his army , and with eliphants . vesevo , or vesuvio , is a hil that stands over against naples , and opposite to the pompeians , divided on every side with high hils , and hath at the foot thereof round about many pleasant woods , but in the top is very dreadfull , hideous , and unpassable , in the midst whereof is a great hole made with fire , which seems as a theatre digged even out of the bowels of the hill , from whence in old time did ascend great abundance of fire . of these flames beroso the caldean in his fifth book of antiquities maketh mention , saying , that in the last year of the king arli , the king of the assirians , the said hill burned . suetonius in the life of titus saith , that in the time of the said emperor it yielded also great abundance of fire . of the like fire in the same manner relateth dion the greek ; the said fire burned two cities that stood near unto it , that is to say , erculanio , and pompey . after the fire had continued three daies and three nights , it cast so many ashes with so great violence , that they were carried with the force of the wind even into africa , into syria , and into egipt ; whereupon pliny being desirous to see the cause of these fires , went even to the tower ottavi , and there was stifled with the smoke which rose from the said hill . this burning was the cause that the curati were created in rome for the country of lavoro , whose office was to provide for those inconveniencies in all that country . vesevo is now much tilled , and yieldeth excellent greek wine , and great store of corn , and there is also gathered great plenty of good fruits ; it is now called the hill of somma , because it standeth over against naples . on the one side it hath the fields , on the other the sea ; at the foot of the hill is the fair city of somma , which is adorned with the title of duke . of the said hill thus saith sillio italico in the book , monstrantur veseva juga , atque in vertice summo depasti flammis scopuli , fractusque ruina mons circum , atque aethnae satis carentia saxa . and martial in the book of his epigrams , hic est pampineis viridis , vesuvius umbris praesserat hic madidos nobilis uva locus . haec juga quam nysae colles plus bacchus amavit hoc nuper satyri monte dedere choros . haec veneris sedes lacedaemone gra●ior illi hic locus herculeo nomine clarus erat cuncta jacent flammis , & tristi mersa favilla nec superi vellem hoc licuisse sibi . some say that vesuvio was so called for the sparkles of fire which in old time it cast out , as it were full of sparkles , for in old time a sparkle was called vesuvia . others say that it was also named vesbio , of vesbio captain of the pelasgi , which did domineer and command the said hill. servio was deceived in expounding those words of virgil in the . saying , et vicina veseva ora jugo . because he saith that vesevio is not the same that is vesuvo , and that the first standeth in liguria , from whence the river po floweth , and that the second is in campania felix . nevertheless by the authority and testimony of excellent and grave writers , that hill of liguria hath been called vesuvio . fenns . the fenn pontana , called of the latinists palus pontina , was so named ( as strabo saith ) from the city of pometia , sometimes a colony of the romans , made at the same time with suessa , according to t. livi●s in his book . it proceedeth of two rivers , the one called aufido , the other vfente ; of the first virgil maketh mention , saying , et in mare volvitur vfeus . and in the . vfeus insignis fama . now it is vulgarly called aufente , and also baudino . this fenn is so large , that as pliny saith , with the authority of mutiano , that there were cities . titus livius writeth in his book , that the said fenn was dried up by the consul cornelio cethego , and the ground became solid and firm to sow corn . but in process of time , care being not had thereof , it returned to its pristinate state , and was all filled with water ; the which theodorico king of the goths noting , caused it to be made drie another time . at this present the said fields are become for the most part so moorish , as well by the means of the said rivers , as the great flowing of the waters , which spring from the bottom of the bordering hils round about , and there settle and remain , their ancient passages being stopt , whereby they were wont to depart and pass into the sea. so by this means there is to be seen a great moor : upon this fenn or moor was the city of terracina , called in old time ansure , which was the chief and head city of the vlosci . strabo saith that in former time it was called trachina , which is to say sharp and rough , by reason of the stony ●ils where it is situate . servio saith , that in terracina was adored a little iupiter called ansur● , which in greek signifies as it were not shaven , because he had no beard by reason of his youth ; whereupon martial in the of his epigrams , writing to faustine , thus saith , o nemus , ò fontes , solidumque madentis arenae , lictus , & aequoris splendidus anxur aqueis . and horace in h●s poetry saith , sterilique diu palus , aptaque remis vnicas urbes alit : & grave sentit aratrum . servio also saith , that not very far from terracina , was a city called satura . suetonius tranquillus writeth that tiberius being invited to a feast at terracina , in a place called pretorio , suddenly fell from aloft many great stones , which kild many of his friends and followers , and himself hardly escaped . spartiano saith , that antonino pio repaired the haven of terracina . this city had also the immunities and priviledges of anzo , and of hostia , the which were likewise suspended at the coming of asdrubale into italy . acherusa is a fenn or moor , which is now called coluccia , and are certain waters of a rusty iron colour , which amaze whosoever see them , and overspread much ground between capoa and aversa , infecting the air , and making the earth unfruitfull , through the great abundance in that plain , whereby the country becomes altogether unprofitable . it stretcheth even to cuma , overflowing every place , the which is so plain , that the water runneth not , but in summer is accustomed to be drie . of the which water none in old time would taste , believing it was an infernal water , which distilled from the near adjacent waters , through the great heat of fl●giton ; whereupon they builded there a temple to pluto the god of hell. the ancients have also said that hercules at his departure from hell , took the crown from the head of oppius , and planted it for a memorial on the side of the said moor ; whereupon the poets afterward feigned that all the poppies that grew there had black leaves . pliny makes mention of this moor in his book , strabo in the book , sill. in the . virgil in the of eneid . saying , vnum oro , quando hic inferni janua regis dicitur , & tenebrosa palus acheronte refuso . of lakes . ansanto , of the latinists called amsanctus , is a lake which lieth between lucania and the irpini , the water whereof yieldeth a stinking savour like brimstone , and therefore all the fowles that fly over it fall down dead to the earth . cicero nameth this lake in the of divinat . saying , mortifera quaedam pars est , ut amsancti in hirpinis , & in asia plutonica , quae vidimus . and virgil in the . of the eneid . est locus italiae in medio sub montibus altis , nobilibus , & fama multis memoratus in oris . amsancti valles . agnano is a lake which lieth near pozzuolo , and is invironed with high rocks , the said lake is very deep , and yieldeth not any thing but frogs . in the spring time there are often seen many heaps and bundles of serpents , which are smothered and stifled in the water by divine providence , the which permitteth not that they multiply and increase , being so pernicious to humane nature . averna is a deep lake which is three miles distant from cuma , and is called of the latinists avernus , it was so named ( as nonio marcello saith ) for the mortal and deadly savour of the water against birds and fowles , which incontinently die if they fly but over it . it is compassed round about with high hils , except at the entrance . round about it are very delightfull and pleasant places ; in this lake were men sacrificed , and here also , as homer declareth , was elphenore slain by vlisses , and sacrificed , and likewise miseno by eneas . the water of this lake hath a brackish and salt taste , and a black colour . in old time the said lake was invironed with thick woods , through the shadow whereof it was alwaies obscure and fearfull ; whereupon augustus caused all the woods to be cut down : on the left hand in the turning of the lake , is the cave of sibilla ; and a little farther near the water is the temple of mercury , the ruines whereof are yet to be seen . of this lake aristotle maketh mention , de admirabilibus mundi . valer. flac. lib. . seneca in troade . . curt. lib. . dion . in . of antiquities , vibio sequestre , nonio marcello , strabo , pontano , in the . and especially virgil in the ▪ saying . inde ubi venere ad fauces graveolentis avern● tollunt se celeres . and a little farther , quam super ●aud ullae poterant impune volantes tendere iter pennis , talis sese halitus arris , faucibus effundens supera ad convexa fetebat , vnde locum grai dixerunt nomen averni . very near the lake averno is the lake lucrino , whereof we will speak in its place . andoria is a lake in puglia , and named by pliny , mandarium , and by boccas in his book of lakes andurium , from a castle very near unto it , called andurio , the said lake is not very far from the shore . the lake fucino , named by strabo , lacus fucinus , and likewise by other writers , the said lake is commonly called celano . this lake is in the country of the marsi , now called abruzzo on the other side ; it is in compass miles , and is very full of excellent fishes , where is also great fowling for mallards , wild-geese , and swans . round about the lake are the castles of st. apetito , and st. iona , and these other places and cities also paterno , transaco , giagano , avezzano , magliano , and celano , is under the title of a count , a very rich and populous country , from whose name this lake was also called celano . the river giovento entreth into the said lake , and runneth upon the water easily to be perceived , in such manner , that as it entreth in , and runneth upon it , so also it returns without mingling it self with it . in the said lake was swallowed up the magnificent city archippa , built by marsia , king of the lidi . iohn pontano declareth in his book de magnificentia , that the emperor claudius maintained eleven years continually thousand men to dam up this lake , the which water martia in his edileship conveyed to rome , and called it by his name , which was esteemed and commended before any other water that was brought thither ; martial besides makes mention of this lake , saying , fucinus , & pigri taceantur stagna neronis . lusina is a lake so called of lusina , a city of capitanata ▪ this lake is distant from the said city little less then a mile , near to the which the river for●ore runneth into the sea. this lake is forty miles in compass , and by pliny is called lacus pantanus , which breedeth excellent fishes . lucrino is a lake near the gulf of bain , in campania felix , directly against pozzuolo , it is commonly called the lake of licola . this lake lucrino was fortified by hercoles to keep his oxen he brought from gerion : it was afterward much better amended and ordered by agrippa . strabo saith that he made it in that sort that boats might pass into it ; some say that this lake lucrino was so called de lucro , that is to say from the gain and commodity that arise of the fishes that are therein taken , and from this lake there goeth a way to averno . in this lake lucrino , there is plenty of oysters , whereof martial speaketh , non omnis laudem , preceumque aurata meretur sed cui solus erit concha lucrina cibut . and in another place saith , ebria baiano veni modo conca lucrino nobile nunc sitio luxuriosa garnum . pliny writeth in the lib. cap. . that in the time of augustus , there was a dolphin in this lake lucrino , and that a poor mans son which daily went to school to baia by pozzuolo , seeing him , began to call him simon , and very often with pieces of bread which he carried for this purpose , so inticed and allured him , whereupon the dolphin grew greatly in love with him ; by which means being called by the boy at any time whatsoever , though he were hid , and in the bottom of the lake , nevertheless he would presently come and take the meat from the boys hand , and afterward suffer him to mount upon his back , laying down his sharp fin , and so take him up and carry him to pozzuolo , playing with him through a great part of the water , and in like manner would return with him , and this he continued for many years , until the boy died ; and the dolphin coming to his accustomed place , and missing him , so lamented and sorrowed , till in the end he pined away ; and also died with very grief . the lake of patria is a very great lake , and full of fish , and i● near to linturno in campania felix . on the right hand of the said lake , not very far from the sea is to be seen at this present , a tower not very ancient , called patrio , built upon the ruines of linterno , which was the town of scipio africano , for ptolomeo , pliny , and mela , and livio , placed linterno between vulturno and cuma : scipio africano made choice to live rather in linterno , as a voluntary exile , then to abide in rome among such ungrateful people , because he had experience of that true proverb , that a benefit is seldom rewarded but with ingratitude . scipio dying , left in his will , that this epitaph should be ingraven upon his tomb , devicto hannibale capta carthagine , & aucto imperio , hos cineres marmore tectus habes , cui non europa , non obstitit africa quondam ( respice res hominum ) quam brevis urna praemit . the lake fondano , named fandanus through the error of pliny , instead of fundanus , as the learned barbaro noteth . the said lake is in the province of the country of lavoro , near formia , and villa castello . there are very good fish had from this lake , and especially great eels . the fame and report being every where spread , that s●ipio remained at linterno , thither repaired certain notorious pirats to visit and honour him , drawn by the fame and renown of his many victories . by this clearly appears the force of vertue , how powerfull and puissant it is even amongst all people , that it inforceth not only the good to love it , but also the wicked and reprobate to honour and embrace it . salapia is a lake in pugli● daunia , which is now called the province of capitanata : the lake varrone , called in old time gerne , lieth in the province of capitanata ▪ and is thirty miles in compass , where are these cities , cappino , cognato , and iscitella . the said lake breedeth very good ●ishes and eels . of the woods . agnitia is a wood which standeth near the city of alba in the territory of the marsi , now called abruzzesie , of it virgil maketh mention in the seventh book . the wood hami , called in old time sacer lucus , this sacred wood is three miles distant from cuma , a city of campania felix . the said wood , with the temple standing upon a high hill , was within a mile and half of the baths of tripergota ; the which hill was planted on every side with sumptuous buildings even to the top . of this hill livy maketh mention in his third book ab urbe cond . saying that they sacrificed there in the night . we have written at large thereof in the book of the antiquities of pozzuolo , whereto i refer the reader . lusilla is a wood in length three miles , where are very goodly pastures for droves and heards of cattle . it is distant from lusilla two miles , and a little more from the ancient lavo , called laino , a city of calauria on this side . daunia was in old time a very fair wood all of oaks , in the midst whereof was a stately temple dedicated to iupiter dodon●o , whose statue was very much honoured , because it revealed things by the means of a pidgeon . this wood stood in puglia , and was so called of dauno the son of pilumno , and of da●ao the grandfather of turnus , which ruled puglia , the which province was afterward called daunia . sila , called for the excellency thereof , sila brettiana , is a very fair wood , which contains miles in compass , and standeth near cosenza , a city of calauria on this side ; this famous wood is not so hideous and loathsome in winter , through the continual snow and ice , as it is pleasant and delightful in summer , where the fresh air with delicate streams of water full of fish , the sundry parts in fowling and hunting , the infinite droves and heards of cattel which plentifully feed , represent in effect that which the poets feign of their arcadia . in this wood are trees which yield pitch and excellent turpentine , whereof strabo in his book thus saith , est syla picis , ferax optime brettiana dicta proceris arboribus & aquis recentibus r●ferta ad longitudinis . of this sila , virgil maketh mention in the book , saying , ac velut ingenti syla , summove taburno . cum duo conversis inimica in praelia tauri frontibus incurrunt , pavidi cessere magistri stat pecus omne metu mutum , mussamque juvencae quis p●cori imperiet , quem tota armenta sequantur . dioscorides in his first book doth much commend the pitch which comes from thence , and galen also doth greatly praise it in his book de antido . and in the de copia medicamentorum , and in other places ; it is also commended by paulo agineta in the third book de arte medendi , of aetio in the fifteenth book of pliny , of columella , of vegetio , and of scribonio an excellent physician , which florished in the time of the emperor tiberius of the mines in the kingdom . in the province of the country of lavoro , called in old time campania felix . in the isle of ischia , called in old time enaria , is a mine of gold , and of alume , the which bartholomeo perdice genoway found in the year . in the territory of pozzuolo is a mine of alume , of brimstone , of copper , of iron , and of saltpeter . in the territory of sessa is a mine of gold and silver . in the hill of somma , called vesevo , and vesuvio , are mines of gold , brimstone , and alume . in the province of the principality on this side . in the territory of olibano is a mine of silver . in the province of the principality on the other side . in the territory of prata is a mine of gold and silver . in the province of abruzzo on this side . in the territory of lietto manupello , is a mine of pitch in the manner of tarr , and is of the same operation that pitch is , this was found in the year . in the territory of the country of cantalupo , at the bottom of a hill doth flow a certain liquor called petronical oyle , which is very soveraigne and medicinable . in the province of the country of otranto . in the territory of the city of matera , are mines of bolearmenick , and of a certain earth called by the latinists terra lennia , and terra sacra , it is much commended by galen , and many other physitians , as an excellent remedy to heal wounds , and the bloudy flux , and pestilent diseases , and the biting of venomous creatures , and to preserve a man from poyson , and to vomit poyson already taken , and for other infirmities . there is also a mine of natural and artificial salt-peter . in the province of calauria on this side . in the territy of the country of martorano , is a mine of steel . in the territory of the city of cosenza , near the river iovinio , are mines of gold , and iron ; and in a place commonly called macchia germana , is a mine of gold , of lead , and brimstone ; and a little farther in another place called miliano , is a mine of salt and alume . in the territory of pietr● fitta , near the river ispica , are mines of steel , lead , and salt. in the territory of the country of regina , are mines of alabaster , of brimstone , and of coperas . in the territory of the country of longobucco , are mines of silver , and quicksilver . in the territory of rossano are mines of salt , and of alabaster , and the marchesite stone . in the territory of alto monte are mines of gold , of silver , of iron , and of alabaster , and there grows cristal , and there also mighty hils of white salt . in the province of calauria on the other side . in the territory of the city of regio are mines of alabaster , of brimstone and saltpeter . in the territory of the city of taverna is a mine of antimonium , which is a stone of the colour of lead , and very brittle , like that which grows in britany . in the territory of the country of agata is a mine of iron , and steel , and of the adamant stone . in the territory of belforte , is a mine of gold , and of iron , and there grows coprass and cristal . in the territory of calatro is a mine of iron . in the territory of belvedere are mines of silver , of iron , of brimstone , of alume , of salt , and of white and black alabaster , and there grows a stone which shineth like silver . in the territory of soriano , is a mine of quicksilver . in the territory of nicastro is a mine of quicksilver , and there are also goodly hils of mixed marble in the territory of mesuraca is a mine of earth , which yields a colour called of latinists giluus . in the city cotrone grows a thistle which yieldeth mastick , and also it grows in castrovillare , and in many other places of calauria . and to conclude , calauria is a very goodly region , and yieldeth plenty of all good things . the castles and forts of defence which are in the kingdom of naples , with the number of souldiers which remain in every guard , and their monthly pay . the names of the castles the number of souldiers the pay , what it monthly imports in naples are these castles ,   duckets : . the new castle . . . . the castle of eramo . . . . the castle of vovo . . . the castle of baia. . . the castle of the isle ischia . . the castle of gaeta . . . the castle of capoa . . . the castle of aquila . . . the fortified castle of brindesi . . the castle of leccie . . . the castle of otranto . . . the castle of civitella . duckets , . . the castle of pesara . . . the castle of viesti . . . ● the castle of momfredonia . . . the castle of barletta . . . the castle of bary . . . the castle of monopoli . . the castle of brindesi . . the little castle of brindesi . . the castle of cosenza hath only a capt. with the pay of crowns monthly ▪ the castle of gallipoli duckets : . . the castle of taranto . . the castle of cotrone . . the castle of bi●eglia hath but only a captain the castle of st. germano hath only a captain with the allowance of duckets yearly the castle of trani hath only a captain with the pay of crowns monthly in the isle of nis●ta the court maintain●th a ga●ison   duckets . the fort of the city of aman●e● maintaineth souldiers . the fort of st. cataldo maintain there . in the isle of tipare are two gunners a catalogve of the earls and dukes of puglia and calauria ; and of all the kings of naples , normans , s●evi , angioini , durazzeschi , aragonesi , castilliani , & austriaci . although i have more at large written in another book of the lives of all the kings which have ruled the kingdom of naples ; but being now to speak of the same subject , i will handle every thing with as much brevity as may be , hoping that as it will be no small ornament to this work , so it will give no little contentment to the reader . it is then to be understood , that in the year of our lord . the last year of the reign of lewis the fifth king of france , avaliant norman souldier , and of great magnanimity , called tancred , having twelve sons which he had by two wives , that is to say , of moriella lucha his first wife , he had frumentino , gotfredo , sarno , tancred , malugero , dragone , godfredo , and alberedo ; of the second wife , called fresanda rotaria , the daughter ( or as some write ) the sister of the earl of altavilla , he had guglielmo feraback , vnfredo , ruberto , guiscard , and ruggieri bosso , with these twelve sons tancred determined to seek out some new country to inhabit , and to try some new and better fortune , with hope to find some other place to live better , and more richly , through his industry and wit ; and coming into italy , first arived in romagna , and perceiving that landolfo prince of salerno , was much opprest through the excursions and outroads of the saracins , sent in his aid six of his sons , who being well provided by the prince , both of horse and arms , in three battels wherein they incountred the enemy , made an admirable slaughter of them , whereupon they returned as it were in triumph to salerno , and were by the prince and all the people received , and with much intreaty were sollicited to remain in that court. but they declaring that what they did was not for any human pomp , nor for any other end but the service of god , refusing all gifts , returned to their own habitation . but within a few years following , there fell certain controversies between pandolfo of st. agata , and guaimaro prince of salerno , pandolfo sent ambassadors into romagno , requesting guglielmo , dragone and vmfrido , three sons of tancred , with many promises and offers to serve under his pay ; which that he might the better do , in the manner of another narsetes , sent them not only rich furniture for horses , and costly apparel for themselves , but great store of money . these worthy men made no delay to come to the prince pandolfo , through whose assistance the enemy being foild , was forced with shame and sorrow to retire ; but pandolfo being brutish and ungratefull , made no great account of them , which they perceiving , for this cause , the time of their service being expired , took part with guaimaro , who by their worthy deeds , in a short time recovered much . through these famous atchieuments the normans gained the reputation of valiant warriers with every one . in the mean time died tancred their father , which was earl of altavilla , the which count descending to gugli●lmo ferrabach his eldest son , omitted no time to go into normandy to take possession thereof , where after he had setled the affairs of his state , returned afterward into italy , bringing with him no less then fifteen thousand normans into romagna , and in process of time got not only the dominion thereof , but also the most part of tuscan . things resting in this manner ▪ the saracins possest all sicilia , and sardinia , and many times did much prejudice the coast of italy , whereupon pope sergio the fearing , and much suspecting they would overrun all italy , demanded aid of guglielmo ferabach . guglielmo through the perswasion of the pope , went in this expedition with eleven thousand of his souldiers , together with maniace , captain of michele paslagone the greek emperor , to the recovery of sicilia , and with much valour and courage expeld the saracins ▪ out of all the ●sle ; but maniace not observing the agreement , that what was gotten should be equally divided between them , farabache growing wrathfull , past with his normans into puglia , making a mighty slaughter , subdued the greasted part , and finding a fit and secure place builded the city of melsi in a difficult place , and well fortified by nature . the which maniace understanding , came upon him with a strong army ; but ferabach braving the enemy , which besieged him , being wearied with travel , came out against them , and encountring them , gave them a mighty overthrow near the river of lofonte in puglia , the normans remaining conquerors , and so rich both of reputation and spoil , mounted mightily in state , indeavouring both by might , and other military means to obtain other places and cities in puglia , the which atchieuments succeeding with so great felicity to the normans , it followed that all puglia came into the possession of the said guglielmo , who through his valiant acts , had the name of ferabach , that is to say , strong-arm , of which dominion he afterward took the title of an earl. afterward guglielmo died in the year of our lord . and because he left no child , his brother dragone succeeded in the county , which was lord of venosa , who had at his beginning a great overthrow by melo , captain of the greek emperor , and lost a great part of puglia ; but being aided by guaimaro , prince of salerno , he oftentimes fought with the greeks , without any advantage ; yet in the end in a great conflict he overthrew and dissolved the greek army , and not only recovered that which he had first lost , but also got many castles and holds , which the enemies possest upon the sea-coast of puglia . at this time the emperor henry the second came into italy , and having pacified the affairs of the church , went into the kingdom , and confirmed to dragone the county of puglia , from whom he received not only much money , but had also the best and fairest horses that were in all the kingdom . the emperor departing italy , the earl dragone moved the beneventani to war , and in two battels which he made , his army was overthrown , and he flying , was slain by the enemies . his brother humfrido took the possession of the earldom , at which time guaimaro prince of salerno was cruelly murdered by his own people , and his son was made prince , with the help of the normans , which the said count laboured with long war ; in the end the count ill demeaning himself with the pugliesi , was for his cruel nature slain in the year . baielardo his son succeeded in his fathers dominion , the which being chased away in the same year by ruberto guiscard his uncle , this ruberto became the fourth earl of puglia , who being a valiant man at arms , and of a great spirit , suddenly besieged reggio , and having taken it , went with prosperous victory subduing other parts and cities of calauria to his dominion . afterward he returned into puglia , took troia , and in such manner never rested , taking from hand to hand many cities , and brought all the normans of that country under his empire ; and being fully resolved to continue no longer an earl , with a general consent caused himself to be called duke of puglia and calauria . at this present nicholas the second , bishop of rome , being much incumbred with the roman barons , came in the year ● . to the parlament with guiscardo , in the city of aquila , and guiscard having with much humility adored the pope , made peace with him , and restored unto him the city of benevento , and all other places that he had belonging to the church , for the which the pope not only received him into grace and favour , but confirmed and invested him with the title of duke of puglia and calauria . the which act was registred and confirmed with a solemn oath , and so ruberto was now made a vassal and liegeman of the church . sigonio writeth two acts of the oath which ruberto at this present made to the pope , the one to pay the yearly tribute , the other loyalty and homage , the which two acts i thought good to insert in this place , to the end the reader may know how the ecclesiastical jurisdiction began in the kingdom of naples : the first is in this sort . ego robertus dei gratia , & st. petri dux apuliae , & calabriae , & utroque subveniente futurus siculis ad confirmationem traditionis , & ad recognitionem fidelitatis de terra s. petri , promitto me quotannis pro unoquoque jugo boum pensionem duodecim denariorum papiensium persoluturum b. petro , & tibi d. meo nicolao papae , & omnibus successoribus tuis , aut tuis , aut tuorum successorum nunciis ad s. resurrectionem obligans me , & meos haeredes , sive successores tibi , & successoribus tuis . sic me deus adjuvet , &c. the second is thus : ego robertus dei , & s. petri gratia dux apuliae , & utroque subveniente futurus siciliae ab hinc in posterum fidelis ●ro s. romanae ecclesiae , & apostolicae sedi , & d. meo nicolao papae . neque ero auctor , aut adjutor , ut vitam , aut membrum amittas , aut capiaris mala captione , consilium quod mihi credideris , & ne enunciem imperaris , non enunciabo in tuum detrimentum sciens s. romanae ecclesiae ubique adjutor ero ad tenenda , & acquirenda regalia s. petri , ejusque possessiones pro viribus meis contra homines , & adjuvabo te , ut securè , & honorifice tenens pontificatum romanum , terramque s. petri ▪ et principatum nec invadere , nec subigere tentabo , nec praedari contendam sine tua , tuorumque successorum licentia . pensionem de terra s. petri , quam ego teneo , aut tenebo , sicut statutum est , recta fide studebo , ut quotannis ecclesiae romanae persolvam , omnes ecclesias , quae in mea consistunt ditione cum earum possessionibus in tua potestate dimittam , & defensor ero earum ad fidelitatem romanae ecclesiae . et si tu , vel tui successores antè me ex hac vita decesserint , pro ut monitus fuero à primis cardinalibus , clericis , & laicis romanis , opem feram , ut pontifex erigatur , & ordinetur ad honorem s. petri. haec omnia suprascripta servabo s. r. ecclesiae , & tibi & successoribus tuis ad honorem s. petri ordinatis , qui mihi firmaverint investituram à te mihi concessam . sic me deus adjuvet , &c. afterward by commandment of the pope , ruberto went with his army against the roman barons , and never ceased untill he had subdued them all , and made them obedient to the pope . having then a purpose to expell the saracins out of sicilia , made many progresses into that isle , took messina , surprised rimeto , built in the valley of demona , the castle of st. mark ; and from hence returning into the country of otranto ▪ took taranto by assault , four years after it was besieged , through the faction of argirizo of bari , returned again into sicilia , and with a puissant army besieged palermo , the which city when he had taken , committed the government of that isle to his brother ruggieri bosso , determined for a difference risen between him and the prince gisulfo his brother in law , to subdue salerno , whereupon with a mighty siege he begirt the said city , into the which he entred by a breach in the wall , and easily obtained it , as he had done many other places , and so became lord of salerno in the year . and without any delay followed the conquest of the rest of campania , and forsomuch as he had an ingenious and deep conceit , took advantage by the dissention and ill government of the grecian princes , purposing to make war upon them , because many years before they attended no other thing but the chasing and dispossessing the one the other . then he past the sea with an army of thousand ●ighting men , and meeting with the army of alessio , gave him a mighty overthrow . not long after pope gregory the being afflicted with cruel war by the emperor , henry the . requested aid of ruberto guiscardo , and for to induce him the rather to his desire , they met together at aquino , and after at ceperano , and there the pope confirmed to roberto the same things which nicholas the second , and pope alexander had first granted unto him . and so roberto was again made a liegeman of the church , and took his oath in this manner , ego robertus apuliae calabriae & siciliae dux , post●ac ero fidelis tibi domino meo gregorio pontifici , neque auctor ero , aut operam dabo , ut vitam , aut membrum amittas , aut dolo malo capiaris consilium , quod mihi communicaveris , in tui damnum sedens non enunciabo . s. romanam ecclesiam . & te adjuvabo , ut teneas , acquiras , & desendas regalia sancti petri , ejusque , possessiones pro meis viribus contra omnes homines , praeter partem firmanae , marchiae , & salernum , & amalsim de quibus adhuc non est decretum , & adjuvabo te , ut tutò , & honorificè teneas pontificatum . terram s. petri , quam nunc tenes , vel habiturus es , post quam sciero tuae esse potestatis , nec invadere , nec acquirere conabor , nec praedari audebo , sine tuo , tuorumque successorum permisit : pensionem de terra s. petri quam ego teneo , aut tenebo , quot annis bona side persolvam s. romanae ecclesiae , omnes ecclesias , quae in ejus sunt ditione , tuae potestati dimittam , easque desendam . si tu , aut sucdessores tui ante me ex vita ingraverint , pro ut monitus fuero auxilio ero , ut pontifex eligatur , & ordinetur . guiscardo having finished his saying , gregory thus replyed , ego vero gregorius pontifex investa ●e roberte de terra s. petri , quam tibi concesserunt antecessores mei nicolaus & alexander . de illa autem terra quam injuste tenes , salernum dico , & amalsim , & partem marchiae firmanae , nunc te putienter sustin●o in considentia dei omnipotentis , & tuae bonitatis , ut tu postea ad honorem s. petri ita te geras , sicut & te gerere , & me suscipere decet sine periculo animae tuae , & meae . presently ruberto answered in this manner , ego robertus dux ad confirmationem traditionis , & recognitionem fidelitatis , de omni terra , quam ego teneo propriè sub domino meo , promitto , me quotannis pro unoquoque jugo boum pensionem duodecim denariorum papiensium soluturum b. petro , & tibi domino meo gregorio pontifici , & omnibus successoribus tuis , aut tuis , aut successorum tuorum nunciis , ubi dies sanctae domini resurrectionis advenerit . within a while after the emperor henry begirt pope gregory with a very dangerous siege , the which guis●ardo understood , being in grecia with one part of his army , leaving the other to his son boemund , came with all celerity to relieve the pope , and entring in by the port del popolo , drove the emperor away by force , & deliver'd the pope from the siege , and conveyed him to montecasino , and afterward to salerno , where he liv'd the remnant of his life . guiscard afterward returned to his enterprises beyond the sea , where having done many worthy exploits beseeming a most valiant prince , died in corfu of grecia the year of our lord . in the month of iuly , being years of age , his body was afterward conveyed into italy , and buried in the city of venosa in apulia . ruberto was of a high spirit , provident , and very ingenious , whereupon he was called by the normans for his sirname , guiscardo , which signifieth subtile and witty . he had successively three wives , the first was albereda , sister to the prince of capoa , which brought him ruberto , who died young , and boemundo . sigelaica his second wife , sister to the prince of salerno , by whom he had ruggieri , sivardo , and eria . of his third wife , named isabella , the daughter of vgone , the first of this name , king of cypris , he had not any child . after the death of ruberto , boemundo his eldest son was altogether imployed in the war which he had in grecia ; in the mean time ruggiero his younger brother , with great cunning , took upon him the government of the dukedom of apulia and calauria , and obtained of pope vrban the second , the confirmation of the state , in the councel which was held in the city of troia , the which boemund understanding , came with his army to drive him away ; but forune offered him the opportunity of a more glorious enterprise , forsomuch as in he councel held in france , in chiaromonte of alvernia , the voyage beyond the sea to recover the sepulchre of christ from the hands of the infidels was made manifest , whether went so many christian barons , french , germans , and englishmen ; boemond being of a generous mind , and full of magnanimity , animated by emulation of the glory of so many honourable men which went in this noble enterprise , leaving all things to his brother , went with these to the conquest of the holy land , where having streightly besieged antiochia , took it , and was therefore by the general consent of the army , for that enterprise , made prince , and earl of tripoli : he afterward married constance , the eldest daughter of philip king of france , which brought him a son named boemund , which succeeded in the said principality . but returning to ruggieri , who having held the dukedom of calauria and apulia years , died in the year . and left william his eldest son , his heir , born of adelandra his wife , daughter of robert frisone earl of flanders . this duke william peaceably possest his state , and made pope galasio his special friend , by whom he was invested in the said dukedome of apulia and calauria in the year . the year following the duke thinking to marry the daughter of iohn comneno , emperor of constantinople , being promised unto him , imbarked himself to go thither , and committing the tuition of his state to pope calisto the second . in the mean time the year . ruggieri earl of sicilia his nephew , the sonne of the aforesaid ruggieri bosso , following so fit an oportunity , nothing esteeming the pope , invaded calauria , and before the pope could well bethink himself how to relieve it , he had got the possession of all calauria and apulia . the duke william being deceived , and returned without his wife , retired himself to the prince of salerno his kinsman , where not long after , without leaving any issue , he died in the year . the kings of naples . ruggieri . king of naples . rvggieri by force of arms , and by the right of inheritance , being lord of so great a state , with whose power the pope honorius the second being not able to contend , made peace with him , and received of him an oath of loyalty and homage , and so created him duke of apulia and calauria . the said act was solemnly done and registred in troia , a city of puglia , in the year . afterward ruggieri began war with the prince of capoa , and so afflicted him , that in the end he usurped his principality , but growing proud with this great prosperity , would be no longer called duke of apulia and calauria , and earl of sicilia , but entituled himself king of italy ; the which thing honorius seemed to dissemble ; but innocentio the second which succeeded him , could not by any means indure , being moved with rage , without measuring otherwise his strength , raised a sudden tumultuous army , and with all expedition and violence came against ruggieri , which knew nothing of that preparation , that he chaced him from st. germano , and through all the country of abadia , and besieged him being within the castle galluccio , above sessa , where flying , was forced to retire back again . the other william , son of the besieged ruggieri understanding thereof , with great celerity came to relieve his father , and did a very admirable exploit , in breaking their forces , and taking the pope prisoner , with many cardinals , and at the same instant delivering his father from the siege . ruggieri through his great courtesie and reverence used to the pope , obtained without the title of king , particularly the city of naples , which till this time had been under the greek empire . ruggieri perceiving the good will of the neopolitans , created knights . innocentio being set at liberty , returned to rome , and found that in his absence had been created one pietro an ante-pope , the son of pier leone , a very powerfull and factious citizen of rome , which was called anacleto the second . innocentio having no doubt thereof , with the help of the pisani , past into france . ruggieri went to benevento , and visited anacleto , and obtained the title and crown of king of both the sicilies , which was done the of iuly . and was the first that in this part of italy had the title of king , and was made a liegeman and vassal of the church , : the which instalment ( as sigonius noteth ) was the same that the aforesaid pope innocentio afterward confirmed in the year . declaring him lawfull king of sicilia , duke of apulia and calauria , and prince of capoa ▪ ruggieri having performed many noble enterprises , died in the year . being years of age , his body was laid in a costly and stately tomb of porphery in the church of monreale of palermo , where these verses are ingraven , si fastus homines , si regna , & slemmata ludunt , non legum , & recti sit norma rogerius ist is est lusus rebus , comite à quo nomine natus virtutem his splendor situs diademàque regum , vixit ann . lix . regnavit an . xxiii . menses v. obiit an . mclii . ruggieri had four wives , the first was airolda , the daughter of the earl of caserta ; the second was called albira , daughter of the king of spain ; the third named sibilla , sister of the duke of burgony ; the fourth was called bettrice , which was the daughter of the earl of resta ; of his two first wives he had not any children , sibilla brought him ruggieri , which was duke of apulia and amalso , and guglielmo which was prince of capoa and salerno , which died both in their fathers time . of bettrice his last wife he had william , prince of taranto , which was afterward king of naples , and a daughter named constance , who by the advice and councel of the abbot giachimo calaures , the king put her into a religious house of nuns . he had a base son called tancredi , who was earl of leccie , and king of naples . william the wicked , the . king of naples . william , called by his sirname the wicked william , the first begotten son of ruggiero his father , succeeded in the kingdom , and in the beginning of his state usurped by force of arms ceperano with the suburbs of benevento , and banco , with other places belonging to the church ; for which cause he was excommunicated by pope adrian the fourth , and deprived also of the title of king , and discharged his subjects of their obedience towards him . william conceiving a most violent hatred against the pope , raised a mighty army with a purpose to go for rome , but being for his perverse nature hated of his barons , many of them rebeld against him , and called the pope into the kingdom . the which was the occasion that william changed his purpose , and converted his fury against the prince of capoa which had been the author of that conspiracy . the pope which saw all the kingdom in arms , with admirable celerity made a mighty army pass to benevento , and without any resistance took a great part of the kingdom , by the which victory the barons which called him , did swear unto him loyalty and homage . william understanding that emanuel , emperor of constantinople , and frederick barbarossa , the first emperor of germany , made expedition to aid the pope , therefore he thought it his best way to be reconciled with the church , sent an honourable ambassage to the pope , wherein much humbling himself , desired to be restored to the grace and favour of the church , and possession of his kingdom , and promised to restore whatsoever he wrongfully detained from the church . the pope willing to extinguish the war , went to benevento , and expected william , who prostrate at the popes feet , desired absolution , and took an oath of loyalty and homage , and first restoring whatsoever he had taken from the church , was invested in the kingdom the year . william afterward lived alwaies in peace with the church , but was ever much troubled and molested by his barons , and hated of the people , and sirnamed for his evil conditions , william the wicked . he departed this life the year of our lord . and lived years , and in the principal church of palermo , near his fathers tomb was buried . he had by his wife margarite the daughter of garzia , the second king of navar , ruggieri , which was proclaimed king by the sicilians . william prince of taranto , which succeeding in the kingdom , was called william the good , and henry prince of capoa . william the good , . king of naples . william prince of taranto , called the good , as differing from his father , was after his death crowned king at eleven years of age , and presently pardoned all those which had been rebels to his father , and took away all the grievances imposed by him upon the people ; defended alwaies the affairs of the roman church , against whosoever sought to molest it ; and especially in the time when the emperor frederick barbarossa strongly besieged pope alexander the : within anagni . whereupon alexander ignorant of the coming of william , not only with great courage and stoutness maintained the pontifical dignity , but many times foiled the imperial army . but being afterward perswaded by philip king of france to retire with his honour from the said siege , had from king william a gally , which for that purpose he had secretly sent , wherein he being imbarked with certain of his cardinals , went to clarimont in france , for his better security , where he excommunicated and deprived the said frederick of the empire , and aggravated likewise the censure against octavian the false usurping pope . william strongly armed himself both for sea and land against andronico the emperor of constantinople , for the injuries done in italy . he afterward defended the city of tire , and with his navy foiled the forces of salandine , and afterward cleared the sea from rovers : and this good king having honourably ended all his actions , after he had reigned years , and lived . died in palermo in the year of our lord . his body with great honour , ione his wife , sister to king richard of england , caused to be laid in a tomb of marble , curiously wrought and embossed , upon which caused this inscription to be ingraven . hic situs est bonus rex gulielmus : the said sepulchre being ruinated and spoiled through the injury of time , hath newly been very magnificently repaired and renewed with fair marble by the archbishop of torres , where this new epitaph is to be read . in●lita quas verbis , sapientum turba recenset virtutes solus factis , hic praestitit omnes , egregius quare bonus est cognomine dictus vtque bonus magno longe est praestantior illo . major alexandro sic rex guillielmus habetur , artibus ipse etenim pacis , bellique fuisti , clarus , ut semper justa , ac pia bella gerebas , sic quoque laeta tibi semper victoria parata est : et nunc ne vilis , jaceas rex optime , praesul , te decurat tumulo hoc ludovicus torrius hoc ipso in templo quod tu guillelme dicasti . tancred the . king of naples . tancred earl of leccie , the natural son of king ruggieri , and unkle to the good william , was by the death of his nephew , which had not any child , created king of both the sicilies in the year : pope celestine the third being desirous to bring the kingdom under the jurisdiction of the church , as feuditory of the apostolick sea , invested in the year . henry the sixth emperor , the son of frederick barbarossa , with these conditions , that he should recover at his own charge the kingdom of the two sicilies , with acknowledging the church , and to pay the accustomed tribute ; and to the end it might seem more colourable , and be the better done , he gave under a pretence of inheritance , as a dowry for his wife constance , the lawfull and natural daughter of the aforesaid ruggieri , whom secretly he caused to be brought from the arch-bishop of palermo , from the monastery of st. mary , in the city aforesaid , where she was abesse , being now years of age , very unfit for the procreation of children , dispensing with her , although she had been a profest nun , and crowned them in rome , of both the sicilies in the year . the first thing then which henry did , he went to besiege naples ; but in the beginning of the third month , the plague growing very hot , he returned into germany without any more adoe . the emperors army being departed italy , tancred having recovered his kingdom at the same time , among these affairs , his son ruggieri died , which was also crowned and proclaimed king , and had married irene , the daughter of the emperor isacio ; and within a little while after him , tancred his father , conceiving so passionately the death of his son , growing grievously sick , died . his body was buried in the principal church of palermo , and in the same tomb they laid his son ruggieri . tancred departed this life in the end of the month of december , the year of our lord . having reigned little more then eight years . he left behind him three daughters , and one son called william , whom sibilla his mother caused instantly to be crowned king of sicilia . the emperor henry understanding of the death of tancred , pretending that the kingdom appertained to him , as before is recited , returned from germany in the year . and with a mighty army entred the kingdom of naples , which he finding full of civil discord , easily obtained without the loss of much bloud , and took prisoner magarito , king of albania , which was come thither in the aid of tancred . he had afterward sibilla in his hands , the late wife of tancred , together with his son william , and three daughters , that is to say alteria , constanza , and modonia , and sent them all prisoners into germany , and afterward caused william to be gelded , to the end he should be unable to beget children , and afterward blinded him , and then released the said daughters . alteria was married to the earl gualtiero of brenna , son of the earl girardo of brenna , and brother of iohn of brenna , which was afterward king of ierusalem . modonia was married with iohn sforza , frangipane , a roman lord , which was earl of tricarico . constanza was the wife of pietro ziano , earl of arba , and duke of venice , who being old , with the consent of his said wife , became a munk of the order of st. benedict , which was in the year . thus ended the ancient and noble masculin race of the norman guiscards , in the kingdom of naples and sicilia , which from the time of william ferabach continued years , and governed the kingdom of naples and sicilia , with much honour and renown . svevi . henry the suevian , sixth emperor , and fifth king of naples . henry the emperor having extinguished the male-issue and progeny of the normans , and remained absolute lord of both the sicilies , caused frederick his son to be crowned by the electors of the empire , king of germany . afterward purposing better to establish the affairs of the kingdom of naples , sent thither a lieutenant one of his barons called marqueredo d' amenueder , whom within a few months following he created duke of ravenna , and romagna , and marquiss of ancona ; and at the same tine gave to philip duke of suevia his brother , the dukedom of toscane , with the lands of the countess mattilda . so henry being carefull to range his army to invade england , for certain hatreds conceived against richard the first king of that land , altered his mind in messina , through his delight in hunting , being in the time of harvest , whereupon the feaver growing grievously upon him , ended his life the of may , in the year having ruled the empire years , and governed in peaceable possession the kingdom of naples and sicilia four years and one month . his body with the stately pomp of solemn obsequies , was buried in the church of monreale in palermo , in whose sumptuous tumb of porphyrie is ingraven this epitaph . imperio adjecit siculos henricus utrosque , sextus suevorum candida progenies . qui monacham sacris uxoris duxit ab aris , pontificis scriptis hic tumulatus inest imperavit an . men . . obiit messanae anno . frederick . emperor , and . king of naples . frederick the second emperor , the son of the aforesaid henry , succeeded in the kingdom of naples and sicilia , and because he was a child , and but three years of age , constanza his mother , caused him to be crowned king of both the sicilies , and with him , in his name began to govern the kingdom , and had the enstalment of the kingdom from pope innocent the third , in the year . frederick being of perfect age , married iola , the only daughter of iohn count of brenna , and of mary the daughter of king conrado of montferrato , and for her dowry among other things , had the title and the right of the kingdom of ierusalem , and hereupon frederick , and all the rest which succeeded in the kingdom of naples , were called kings of ierusalem . in the year . two years after his coronation of the empire , frederick being in grace and favour with the pope honorius the third , and with the church , made and published in rome that law which beginneth , ad decus seu nos fredericus , the which law is registred in the book of the feuds , under the title de statutis , & consuetudinibus contra libertatem ecclesiarum , the which law the said pope confirmed and approved . frederick also made at the same time the constitutions of the kingdom , which afterward the learned doctor afflitto expounded . frederick having ordered his affairs in germany , went in the time of gregory the into soria , and after much wars , made peace with salandine for years , and for that cause had ierusalem , and all the kingdom thereof , except a few certain castles , whereupon on easterday in the year . he took the crown of that kingdom in the city of ierusalem . afterward there grew between him and pope honorius great discord , because he took upon him to bestow the bishopricks in sicilia , and frederick pretending he might lawfully do it , and dispose at his own pleasure by reason of a bull , which by pope vrban the second was granted to ruggieri the norman , concerning the monarchy of the said isle , the pope misliking the presumption and ostentation of frederick , excommunicated him , and deprived him of the empire and the kingdom , the which censure pope innocent the fourth confirmed in the year . frederick lived five years after in continual trouble and vexation , and at length having ruled the empire years , and the kingdom of naples and sicilia . and that of ierusalem . died of an infirmity that grew in his throat , the of december , in the year . in the castle of f●orentino in apulia , having lived years . manfred his base son caused his body to be carried with great pomp and honour into sicilia , to the stately church of monreale in palermo , and there buried him in a sumptuous tomb of porphiry , whereupon these verses were ingraven . qui mare , qui terras , populos , & regna subegit , caesareum fregit subito mors improba nomen , sic jacet , ut cernis fredericus in orbe secundus , nunc lapis hic totus , cui mundus parvit arcet . vixit an . . imperavit an . . regni hierusalem an . . regnorum utriusque siciliae ● . oblit an . domini . he left of six wives which he had , many children ; of the first , which was constance of aragon , the sister ( or as others write ) the daughter of don ferdinando king of castile , he had conrado , which died young . henry and giordiano ; henry was king of the romans , who in the year . he put to death because he favoured the popes faction . of iola his second wife , the daughter of iohn of brenna king of ierusalem , he had conrado , which was emperor of germany , and afterward king of naples . of agnese his third wife , the daughter of otho duke of moravia , he had not any children . of ruthina the fourth wife , the daughter of otho earl of vvolfferzhausen , he had frederick , which died in his infancy . of elizabeth his fift wife , the daughter of lewis duke of bavaria , he had agnese , which was married to conrado the landtgrave of turingia . of matilda his last wife , daughter of iohn of england , he had henry , which was king of sicilia , and constance , who was married to lewis the landtgrave of nescia ; frederick had also by blanca anglana of aquosana his concubine , these children , manfred prince of taranto , and usurper of naples , enzo king of sardinia , anfisio , of whom he made small account , and frederick prince of antiochia . of daughters he had ann , which was married very young to iohn dispote of romania . of henry , and of margarite the daughter of lupoldo duke of austria , was born frederick , which was duke of austria , and henry . of conrado and of elizabeth the daughter of otho duke of bavaria , came coradine , which coming to the conquest of the kingdom , was taken by charls of angio king of naples , and beheaded . of manfred his natural son , which married helena the daughter of michel dispote of romania , came henry , godfrey , aufisio , and elena . conrado the . emperor , and . king of naples . conrado the son of frederick understanding the death of his father , came with a great army into the kingdom , and was received with great joy and honour by manfred , in barletta of apuglia ; and being informed that naples , capoa aquino , and the whole abby of st. germano , were become rebels through the instigation of the earl of caserta , and dinoted to the church , conceived thereat so great indignation and ire , that with his army he wasted and overrun the country , and made tomaso earl of cerra to come and submit himself to his mercy , and had by agre●ment st. germano , and all the state of the earl of caserta . he afterward besieged capoa , and having spoiled and destroyed all the country , took the city , and threw the walls thereof to the ground : he did the like to aquino , the which he sacked and burned . afterward he besieged naples both by sea and land , and after eight months had it by agreement ; but they not observing their covenants , he caused afterward the walls to be ruinated , and the fortresses of the city , and many noble houses of gentlemen and citizens he banished . conrado having naples , at the same instant had the rest of the kingdom . he now remaining in peaceable state , and given to his pleasures , being inhumane and of a cruel nature , caused henry his nephew to be slain upon the high-way , the son of henry , king of the romans , which was come from sicilia to visit him . but that revenge was not long delayed , for manfred his natural brother , which endeavoured by all means to become king , with a poysoned potion upon a light occasion kil'd him , which was in the year . and the of iune , having held the empire years and months , and the kingdom of naples and sicilia years and daies . his body was buried in the principal church of naples , under a little narrow marble stone . conrado before his death made his will , and ordained his youngest son his heir general , born of elizabeth the daughter of otho duke of bavaria . manfred the king of naples : manfred prince of taranto , the natural son of the emperor frederick the second , having usurped the kingdom , was by pope alexander the fourth excommunicated . the said pope died within a while after , and pope vrban the fourth , a frenchman , was created in his place , who fearing the threatnings of manfred , called unto the conquest of the kingdom charls of angio , earl of province , brother of st. lewis the king of france , to whom he gave the oath of both the sicilies , with the right and title of the kingdom of ierusalem , and at his own charge should maintain the war , and conquer it . charls being animated by his brother and others of the nobility , with a valorus courage undertook this famous enterprise . in the mean time vrban died , leaving the papacy to clement the . in whose popedom , charls with a most glorious army came to rome in the year . and was then with beatrice berenguer of aragon his wife , in the church of s. iohn lateran , by pope clement again invested , with solemn ceremony , and crowned with an imperial crown , king of both the sicilies , and of the kingdom of ierusalem , and made exempt from the empire , with covenant that neither he nor his successors that should be chosen emperors , should by any means accept thereof , the which was done with solemn oath , and so charls was made a liegeman and feudary of the church , and promised to pay for tribute a yearly rent of thousand mark● to the bishops of rome . charls towards the end of february in the year . came into the kingdom , and incountred with manfred , and after divers fortunes , both on the one and the other side , charls remained conqueror , and manfred was overcome . manfred reigned years months , and daies . angioini . charls of angio , the king of naples . charls remaining conqueror , was received by the neopolitans with royal pomp , and proclaimed king , and having ordered the affairs of both the kingdoms , was made by clement the . deputy of the empire of italy . understanding afterward that corradine the suevian , the son of the emperor conrado , sometime king of naples , was come with a mighty army to recover the right of inheritance of his kingdoms , made great preparation of war. corradine entreth the kingdom , and after divers and sundry skirmishes , at length corradine was overcome , and flying disguised , was taken in asturi by iohn francipane lord of that place , which sent him to charls , who after he had kept him more then a year in prison , caused him to be beheaded in the midst of the market-place of naples , which was in the month of october . and so charls with little labour recovered all the kingdom . he made afterward great wars with the saracins , and especially with arageno king of tunis , because that barbarous king refused to pay the tribute , which was accustomed to be paid to the kings of naples , charls did in such wise afflict him , that he inforced him not only to pay the charges of that war , but also doubled the tribute . in the year following , . vgone lusignano the of this name , king of cypress , and mary the daughter of melisenda , and of raimond rupini , prince of antiochia , contending about the inheritance of the kingdom of ierusalem . mary being at variance with vgone , came to rome , and caused the said king vgone to be convented before the pope ; the pope by his decree commanded that the examination and decision of the cause should be determined by the barons of the holy land , and the master of the hospital and the temple , who were accustomed to have a voice in councel in the election of the kings of ierusalem . the which the princess mary considering , being a woman very aged ▪ faint , and wearied with travel , and the dangers of so long a journey , being advised by her friends ▪ and by pietro manso knight of the temple his ambassador , compounded with king charls , and receiving of him a great sum of money , resigned all her right and title which she had unto the said kingdom . whereupon charls afterward by means of the pope , obtained a favourable sentence , and was declared lawfull and absolute king of that kingdom , as well by the ancient right of f●ederick , as also by that of mary . charls afterward for the more security of things , sent the earl ruggiero sanseverino governor into soria , who in the name of charls , received the faith and oathes of homage of the knights and barons which were in the kingdom . by these aforesaid reasons , all the posterity of the said charls , and also all the other kings of naples , as heirs , are always intitled kings of ierusalem . charls reigned years , moneths , and days . charls the second , king of naples . charls the second , son of charls of angio , reigned years and days . charls was also king of hungary by the right of mary his wife , the daughter of stephen , the . of the name , the king of that kingdom , who being slain by the cumani , ladislao the fourth son of the aforesaid stephen died without any heir . whereupon charls , as husband of mary , was crowned king of that kingdom , together with charls mart●l his son . robert . king of naples . robert the third begotten son of charls the second , reigned years , four moneths , and days . this robert was a wise and prudent king , he made honorable wars with henry the seventh emperour , with frederick king of sicilia , & in tuscane in behalf of the florentines , where in the famous overthrow of montecatino , between the guelfi and gibellini , he lost philip prince of taranto , and pietro earl of graunia his brothers . he sent his son charls , sirnamed without land , against frederick king of sicilia , and went against castruccio castricani the head of the gibellini in the time that the dominion of fiorenza was given to charls without land . robert was a religious king , and a lover of the learned , whereof two things do sufficiently witnesse ; the marvellous stately church , and other things which he builded in naples , and the great familiarity with the two tuscane lights of learning , petrarke and boccace had with him . robert died the of ianuary , . ioan . queen of naples . joan . of this name , neece to robert , and daughter of charles without land , called also famous for his prowesse and valor , succeeding in the kingdom , was married with andreasso of hungary , her cousin germain once removed , to whom she gave herself and kingdom in dowry . but afterward she being not able to endure the insolency of her husband , oftentimes falling into discord , caused him unawares to be hanged by the neck in a gallery , in the year . the which being done , was married again to lewis the son of philip prince of taranto , the brother of king robert. after whose death was married anew with giac●mo of aragon , the infant of majorica , who living also but a small time , joan in the year . was married once again , and took for her husband otho of este , duke of brunswich in saxonie . she afterward favouring the part of clement antipope , was by the censure of vrban the sixth deprived of her kingdom , and charls of durazzo invested therein , and so through fear she adopted for her son lewis duke of angio , the second begotten son of iohn king of france . charles of durazzo being come with a most puissant army into the kingdom , had ione in his power , and caused her to be hanged . ione reigned . years . months and . days . dvrazzo . charls the . of durazzo the king of naples . charls of durazzo , the third of this name , king of naples , remained absolute possessor of the kingdom ; he had great wars to preserve and defend it , and especially with lewis of angio : and being afterward called into hungary to take the possession of that kingdom , went thither , and was solemnly crowned in alba reale ; but afterward by the means of the old queen elizabeth , was kild in a parliament , which was in the year . through the right that charls had in the aforesaid kingdom , all his successors , and the other kings which succeeded in the kingdom of naples , were called kings of hungary . charls reigned four years , three moneths , and nine dayes . ladislao the fourteenth king of naples . ladislao after the death of his father had great troubles by lewis of angio. in the year . being requested by the barons of hungary to take the crown of that kingdome , as belonging unto him by lawfull inheritance , went thither ; and coming to zara , was received with great joy of all , and the fifth of august by the bishop of strigonia ( according to the accustomed order ) was crowned king of hungaria , dalmatia , croatia , servia , galitia , lodomeria , comaria , and bulgaria . he returned into italy , and after he had setled the affairs of the kingdom , being desirous to enlarge his dominion , dominiered even to rome , wherein he entred in triumphant manner , being called with the cries and clamors of the soldiers , emperour of rome , which was the of aprill in the year . and having in the end disquieted italy , and himself , died the sixth day of august in the year . without leaving any child , having reigned eight and twenty years , eight moneths and thirteen days . ione , queen of naples . jone the second of this name , after the death of ladislao her brother , succeeded in the kingdom . but growing afterward into discord with pope martin the . was deprived of her kingdom ; and lewis the . of angio , duke of lorain and bar , the son of the second lewis , was proclaimed king. the which thing was the only foundation and ground of all the mischiefs which for a long time afterward followed to the miserable and unhappy kingdom . for the queen was constrained , being not able to defend herself against the power of lewis and the pope , to adopt for her son alfonsus king of arragon and sicilia , the son of king ferdinando . alfonsus being called by the queen , abandoned the assault and siege of the castle of bonifatio , the principal fort , and of greatest importance in the isle of corsica , and provided gallies well furnished , and other barks , and led with him many valiant captains , and came to naples in the year . now began the queens affairs to appear , which before was trod under foot , and to change countenance ; and what through counsel , courage , and the aid of king alfonsus , the queen was at liberty , and her affairs increased with much reputation . but the year following , ▪ the queen growing contentious with him , under colour of ingratitude , sought to annihilate and disanull the said adoption , and adopted for her son , calling to her assistance the same lewis , thorow whose war she was constrained to make the first adoption , and chased away alfonsus by force of arms from all the kingdom , and so lived peaceably all the rest of her life . the year . lewis dyed ; and before a year was expired from the time of his death , the queen received continual molestations and prejudice by iohn antonio orsino prince of taranto , and by giacomo caldora , and other followers of the aragonesi , thorow the vicinity and neighbourhood of sicilia , where alfonsus maintained a great army . so partly being oppressed with a feaver , and troubled with a discontented mind , in the year . the second of february , the life , the line of charls . of angio , & the house of durazzo of the french blood , which only rested in her , ended all regality , having reigned years , moneths , and days . and because she had no child , she made her heir ( as was reported ) renato of angio duke of lorain , and earl of provence , the brother of lewis her adopted son . after the death of the queen , the neapolitans created sixteen men of the principal in the city , which they called governors , because they should have care and charge of the city , and of the kingdom . these sixteen governours , in all the business and affairs they dispatched , writ thus the title of their government , concilium & gubernatores reipublicae regni siciliae ordinati per clarae memoriae serenissimam & illustrissimam dominam nostram dominam ioannam secundam , dei gratia hungariae , hierusalem , & siciliae reginam , &c. within a little time after rose in the citie divers contentions , because pope eugenio the fourth understanding the death of ione , sent a legate to naples the bishop of recanati , and patriarch of alexandria , giving the governors to understand , and the councell of the citie , that the kingdom of naples was fallen to the church as his feud or fee , willing them not to bestow the dominion upon any but him whom he shall nominate and invest king. the governors answered , that they would have no other king but renato duke of lorain , whom their queen had left as her successor . by this means the kingdom understood the admonition of the pope , and the answer of the governors , wherewith many of the princes and barons of the kingdom much misliked the succession of renato ; and being published that that will and testament was falsly forged by the neapolitans ; one part of the barons , and people which were of the faction of the aragonesi , called king alfonsus of aragon : whereupon through contrary consents and inclinations rose the sactions of the angioini and aragonesi . the governors being likewise at discord among themselves , the whole kingdom was divided , and put into great trouble and molestation . in the mean time the greatest part of them sent ambassadors to marseli● for renato . that part of the duke of s●ssa , the earl venafro , and many other barons , called alfonsus , who being full of military courage , and inflamed with an incredible desire of glory , having his army ready in the year . came to gaeta , and was received by the duke of sessa , and besieging the said citie , came with his navy to battell with bai●gio captain generall of the fleet of the genowayes , and alfonsus valiantly fighting , was at length overcome , and taken prisoner , and carried to the custody of philip duke of miltane , who afterward knowing the singular vertue of alfonsus , being desirous to hold , him his companion and friend , made a league with him , and suffered him to go at his own pleasure , together with the other lords which were also prisoners . angioini . renato of angio the king of naples . renato of angio being at that time prisoner to iohn duke of burgonie , the neapolitane ambassadors deprived of all hope to have renato , caused isabellae his wife to come in his stead , a very wise and worthy lady , who made great wars with alfonsus . afterward renato being set at liberty by the duke of burgonie , in the moneth of may . came to naples , whose coming gave great hope and expectation to the angioini , and was royally received , and presently prepared all necessary things for the wars , and retained many principall and , excellent captains , through whose valour he obtained all calauria , and the dukedome of mel●i , in abruzzo he had at his command many places . in the moneth of iune , . he had from pope eugenius the instalment of the kingdom of naples and ierusalem . many actions and battels fell out between renato and alfonsus ; but at length the party of the aragonesi prevailed . alfonsus in moneth of iune . by the way of an aquaduct , which brought water into the city , took naples , and the third day with the will of renato he had the castle of capoa and other forts . renato growing into despair not to be able to recover the kingdom , with isabella his wife , and his children , returned into provence , where he past all the rest of his life in peace , having held naples , and part of the kingdom in an uncertain and troublesome possession four years and ten days . being come to the age of years , married ioan della valle , a noble french lady , with whom too excessively satisfying his pleasure , became weak and feeble , and so died the of fbruary in the year . and was buried in nansi , a plentifull place , and a principapll city of the dukedom of lorane , and upon his tomb these four verses engraven . magnanimum tegit hoc saxum , fortemque rhenatum , mortales heu , qua conditione sumus , invidia factis hujus fortuna subinde ne tanti , & tanto celsus honore foret . aragones i. alfonsus . of aragon , called by his surname , the magnanimous , king of naples . alfonsus king of aragon and sicilia , after many dangers and infinite travell , entred naples in triumph upon a golden chariot ; and by the means of francesco orsino president of rome , made peace with the pope eugenio , and obtained a very large instalment of the kingdom , for he was also invested in the kingdom of hungary , by the right of ioan his mother : and besides that , obtained from the said pope , that faculty and power , that ferdinando his naturall son was ordained his heir , and to succeed after his death in the instalment and possession of the kingdom : the which investing was likewise afterward confirmed by pope nicolas the fifth . alfonsus was very magnificent in buildings , he reduced the new castle in naples into the form it now appears , truly a very royall and stately piece of work . he enlarged mola , and caused the fens about the city to be made dry . he took the isle of zerbi , overcame in battell the king of tunis and made him tributary , and subdued certain cities in barbary ; he oftentimes sent armies against the turks , and at the instance of the pope , chased away francesco sforsa della marca . he was very studious in learning , and made great account of learned men , whereof he kept very many in his court. and to conclude , he was a prince of great magnanimity . he reigned sixteen years , one moneth , and one and twenty days . he died the of june in the year . being years of age : he had for his wife , mary the daughter of henry the third king of castile , surnamed the weak , by whom he had no childern . the neapolitans buried the body of alfonsus with a stately funerall , and laid him in a coffin covered all with cloth of gold , the which at this present is to be seen in the vestry of st. dominick in naples , and at the foot thereof are these verses , inclytus alfonsus , qui regibus ortus iberis hic , regnum ausoniae primus adeptus adest . ferdinando . of aragon king of naples . ferdinando the first of this name , after the death of his father , succeeded in the kingdom , and was by the institution of pope pius the second , anointed and crowned king by latino orsino the cardinall . but very often was like to lose it through many wars , and espe●ially by iohn of angio , the son of renato , which had a great train and troop of the barons of the realm , which drew unto them a great number of rebels . in the year died . ( as is declared ) renato of angio , who having no male children , made heir of all his state and inheritance . charls of angio earl of main his brothers son , who dying within a while after without children , bequeathed his inheritance to lewis the . king of france , to whom not onely descended , as supream lord , the dukedom of angio , but also of all provence . ferdinando having afterward intelligence , that charls the . king of france , made preparation with a mighty army to recover the kingdom of naples , by the right of the angioini , who by the death of king lewis his father was interessed therein , began to make provision of men ; and being very carefull in the preparation of the war , growing sick , died the of ianuary in the year . having reigned years , moneths , and days . alfonsus . the king of naples . alfonsus the second of this name , after the death of ferdinand his father , obtained the kingdom ; and in the beginning of the fourth moneth was crowned in the cathedrall church of naples by iohn borgia cardinall of montereale , legate of pope alexander the sixth , with greater pomp and majesty then was ever used to any king of naples , but understanding that charls the . k. of france , gave order for the pretended war , fearing because he was become odious to the people of the kingdom , through his austerity , resigned the kingdom to ferdinando his son duke of calauria , a young man much differing from him in nature , which every one loved , and retired himself into the countrey of mazara in sicilia , being before time given unto him by don ferdinando the catholique king of spain , where he spent the remainder of his life , having reigned one year and three days . frances i. charls the fourth the twentieth king of naples . charles de valois the eighth of this name king of france , and fourth of the same name king of naples , came in the beginning of ianuary . to rome with a mighty army . pope alexander full of incredible fear and anguish , fled into the castle of st. angelo . but the king having no purpose to offend the pope , met with him , and concluded friendship , and a perpetuall confederacy for the common safety & defence . charls was invested conditionally by the pope of the kingdom of naples , and obtained also from the said pope zizimo gemni ottoman● the brother of bajazeth , emperour of the turks . after charls had re●●●ined a moneth in rome , he past into the kingdom , and although some small resistance was made by ferdinando , at length he got the dominion of the whole kingom ▪ ferdinando after that the c●stles of naples were yeelded , departed with fourteen gallies ill ●rmed into sicilia . charls after he had pacified the kingdom , demanded of the pope the ●ree installment of the realm of naples , the which although it were at rome granted him , yet it could not be thought sit in respect of the aragon●si , whereupon the pope refused to give it him . charls afterward being departed to return into france , many of the barons rebelled through the severity and cruell demeanor of the frenchm●n . whereupon ferdinando was recalled , who chased away the adversaries . charls reigned ten moneths and days , he died a sudden death the ●ight before the of aprill in the year of our lord . being returned f●om playing at tennis . he was buried in the church of st. denis of paris in france , and on his tomb this epitaph was engraven . hic octave jaces fran●orum carole 〈◊〉 , cui victa est forti brit●nis 〈…〉 parthenop● illustrem tribuit capti●a t●●iumphu● , claraque fornovio pug●●● pera●●a sol● . caepit henricus regno depulsus ajuto bellare auspici●s sceptra britan●● tuis . o plures longinqua dies si futa d●●issent te nullus toto major , in orbe foret . aragones i. ferdinando the second the ● king of naples . ferdinando the second of this name , a valiant man , endued with princely qualities of liberality and clemency , who for to strengthen and corroborate his affairs with a more firm conjunction with ferdinando the catholique king of spain , took for his wife ( with the popes dispensation ) ioan his aunt , born of of ferdinando his grandsire , and ioan the sister of the aforesaid king ; and at the same time had of pope alexander the sixth , the instalment of the kingdom . and being placed in great glory , fell sick and died the . of october in the . he reigned one year , moneths and days . frederick the king of naples . frederick prince of taranto , the son of ferdinando the first , by the death of his nephew succeeded in the kingdom , & in the year . obtained of pope alexander the sixth , the instalment of the kingdom . and being much troubled with continuall war , because charls the . king of france , died without leaving any children , the kingdom fell to lewis duke of orleans , as the neerest in blood by the masculine line , and was the twelfth of this name . this lewis came upon him with a mighty army ; but ferdinando the catholique king being confederate with lewis to his own prejudice ( for a displeasure conceived against frederick ) yet conditionally , that lewis should divide the kingdom with him . frederick that was not able to make head or resist the puisance of so great forces united against him , especially finding his kingdom exhaust , and ill provided , retired into the isle ischia neer to naples with all his family , and afterward gave his kingdom wholly into the possession of king lewis his enemy , not bequeathing any thing to the catholique king ferdinando , reputing himself to be ill dealt withall by him , that in stead of a friend and defender , he was come to the contrary to dispossess and deprive him of his kingdom . frederick was very courteously received by lewis , and he assigned unto him the dukedom of angio , and so much revenue as amounted yearly to thirty thousand crowns ; and the french king obtained in recompencee from king frederick all the right and interest which he had in the kingdom . within a little time following frederick fell sick at torse in france , where his pain increasing upon him , died the ninth of september in the year . he had to his wife being prince of taranto , the lady n. della valle bertania , of the worthy family of alibret , blood in gasconie , the kinswoman of the father of charls the eighth , king of france , by whom he had one onely daughter called the lady carlotta , which was brought up in the french court , and afterward succeeded in her mothers inheritance . of his second wife isabella the onely daughter of pirro del balzo prince of altamura , and duke of andry , he had six children , that is to say , three male and three female ; the male children were don ferdinando duke of calauria , and prince of taranto . don cesar and don alfonsus , the which two last died in their fathers time . the women kind , the first named the lady iulia , was married in the year . to giorgio paleologo duke of montferrato , and marquis of sanluzo , of the noble blood of the emperours of constantinople . the lady isabella and the lady caterina were never married . the queen isabella after the death of king frederick , seeing herself deprived of all humane comfort , because that being discharged of that kingdom by the king of france , by reason of the articles of peace concluded between the catholique ferdinando and the said king , returned with her children to ferrara , where she was very courteously received by duke alfonsus of este her kinsman , where she died in the year , her children remaining desolate : and much persecuted by fortune , went to valentia in spain , where was the duke ferdinando their brother ; and no long time following , the one after the other died . and in the year . the fifth of august , the aforesaid duke ended his life , without leaving any issue . and so in him was extinguished the progeny of the old king alfonsus of aragon . frances i. lewis the king of france and king of naples . lewis the twelfth of this name king of france , divided with the king of spain , according to their covenants , the kingdom of naples , and obtained of pope alexander the sixth the instalment , according to the tenor of those conditions which he had made . but in the year . their lieutenants growing into difference about the confines , fell to arms , and at last the frenchmen were driven out of that kingdom , through the valour of that worthy captain consalvo fernando ; and ferdinando the catholique king remaining absolute possessor thereof . king lewis held the realm of naples one year and ten moneths ; but in france he reigned sixteen years , and died in the beginning of the year . aragones i. ferdinando the catholick king of naples : ferdinando the catholique remaining absolute lord of the kingdom , maintained it in great peace all the time of his life , and obtained of pope iulio the second the investing of all the kingdom . finally , after many victories atchieved in divers parts , he died in madrigaleio a city of castile , the day of ianuary in the year . having been king of naples twelve years and three moneths . his body was buried in the royal chappell of the city of granata , and upon his tomb this inscription was engraven mahometicae-sectae prostratores , & haereticae pravitatis extinctores ferdinandus aragonum , & helizabetha castellae , vir , & uxor unanimes catholici appellati , marmoreo clauduntur hoc tumulo . ione the third , queen of naples . ione the third of this name , daughter of ferdinando the catholique king , being now the widow of philip archduke of austria , succeeded in the kingdom , and having fourteen moneths governed all her kingdoms , substituted her heir charls her eldest son ; who had scant accomplished years of age . charls remaining at brussels in flanders & being much exhorted by the emperour maximilian his grandsire , reformed in the year . the order of the knights of the golden fleece , and so reduced them to the number of . and because many through death were void , he elected to the said order amongst others , these lords , francis . king of france , don ferdinando infant of spain , emanuel king of portugal , lewis king of hungary , frederick count palatine , iohn marquis of brandenburgh , charls de lannoi lord of sanzelle . moreover , don lodovico of vaimonte , great constable of the kingdom of navarre , took in naples the possession of the kingdom for the said queen . charls so soon as he was invested by the queen his mother , sailed into spain , and was received of all the people with infinite joy ; but yet many of the greatest nobility , and principall of the kingdom , would not accept him as king , but onely as prince , for offering wrong to the queen ione , since by testament of the catholique king her father it was decreed , that after the death of ione , charls of austria should succeed : upon the which succession grew great tumults and contentions ; but in the end things were well qualified , admitting him for king , together with the queen his mother , to be done with this condition , that the affairs of the kingdom should be governed in both their names , the money stampt , and so all other business whatsoever . and so once again on the . of march , in the year . the said queen confirmed to charls the former endowment . the year ensuing the of april , charles was proclaimed king together with his mother : and the of the moneth of may prospero colon●a took in naples the possession of the kingdom in the name of charls , which was done with all solemnity . charls then being received to the administration of spain , sent also to the administration of all the other kingdoms . in the year . charls elected into the number of the knights of the golden fleece , in place of gismondo k. of polonia lately dead , christerno k. of denmark , and frederick of toledo , duke of alva . in the mean time died the emperour maximilian , and the electors of the empire assembled according to their ancient custome , at francford , a citie of low germany , for the election of a new cesar ; and by a general consent the of june in the year . they chose emperour charls of austria king of spain . ione having reigned ( as we have said ) absolutely moneths , and together with charles the emperour her son years , and four moneths , retired herself to tordezilla a citie of spain ; where within a little while after she ended her life the thirteenth of aprill in the year . avstriaci . charles emperour , and king of naples . charls the fifth emperour , after the death of ione his mother , remained absolute lord of all his kingdoms ; and being ( as is said ) elected emperour , the same year past the sea from spain into flanders , and from thence into germany , where he was received in the moneth of october in aquisgraue , a noble city both for the ancient residence & the famous tomb of charls the great , with a mighty concourse of people was first crowned . in the moneth of january . charls celebrated his marriage in hispali with isabella of portugal his wife , the sister of king iohn of portugal . afterward he went into spain , where being arrived , proceeded very severely against many who had been authors of sedition ; all the other he pardoned and discharged . and to joyn with justice and clemency examples of gratitude and remuneration in the acknowledging of that wherein he was ingaged to don ferdinando of aragon , duke of calauraia , ( who having refused the crown and the kingdom of spain offered unto him by the states thereof , though he were a prisoner ) set him at liberty , and with great honor called him to the court , and married him to the richest princess then living , even the widow of the catholique king ferdinando , by which means he much gladded the people , and the duke received honor , liberty , and infinite wealth , and was created for his life time viceroy of valentia . the emperour without any charge , or the expence of a peny , got the friendship of the duke , the love of the people , and great security to his state. the year ensuing . on the of may the emperess isabella was delivered of her son philip in the citie of castilia , through whose happy birth was made every where generall seasting and triumphs . in the moneth of october . the emperour by the death of don carlo de lannoi , sent for his viceroy into naples don hugo moncada , a man very expert in arms , and a valiant captain , in the which year monsignor odetto fois lotrecco went with thirty thousand footmen and six thousand horsmen into the kingdom of naples , in the name of king frances , and overcame melfi , venosa , and many other places in basilicata and apulia , and with the success of victory besieged naples , the which siege continuing certain moneths , in the mean time andrea d'oria sent the count philip d'oria his nephew with eight gallies to annoy the gulf of naples ; wherewith moncada being much discontented , seeking to remedy the same , he caused to arm six gallies and two foists which were within the haven , and putting therein the very flower and principall of the people that were in the citie , he in his own person , with the marquis of vasto , ascanio colonna great constable , cesare ferramosca , and many other worthy men , with a resolution to encounter the enemy , and confidently to overcome , were imbarked there . the count which suddenly perceived the imperiall gallies to go forth of the haven , retired himself presently to the sea , and encountring together at the cape of orso , the imperiall forces were overcome , and there dying with many others , don vgo , and were taken prisoners the marquiss vasto , and colonna the great constable , with other worthy men . the count obtaining the victory , presently victoriously went to genoway to find the admirall andrea his uncle , who disdaining the dealing of the french king , because he had taken from him the office of the admiralty and generall of the sea , and given it to monsignor barbigios ; he agreed by the means of vasto with the emperour , and brought genoway and savona under his crown . whereupon he went with all expedition into the kingdom in the behalf of the emperour , and discharged the french army which lay at the siege of naples . afterward charls made peace with the french king , and gave him for wife the lady elinora : and the king forsook barletta , and that which he held in the kingdom of naples , and payed to the emperour for a fine , one million and two hundred thousand crowns , and yeilded up unto him all the right and possession that he held in the dukedom of millane and the kingdome of naples . the emperour having ended his peace , went by sea to genoway ; from thence he past to bolonia , where in the moneth of february . was by pope clement the seventh , which was come thither with his whole court to that effect , and was solemnly crowned with the imperiall crown . afterward the emperour departed from bolonia , & went into germany , and what he afterward did there , is written in histories . in the year . charls having made a voyage to tunis , & there subdued m●leasson the lawfull king of the moores , and made him his feudary with certain conditions . went into sicilia . from whence afterward he departing , came to naples the of november in the same year , and entred in , in triumphant manner ; where were made him by the citie many triumphant arks and huge colosses , with divers and learned inventions . charls remained with great delight in feasting and tilting all that winter in naples ; where understanding that the french king was entred into italy with his army , and not knowing to what end and purpose , was much moved and displeased with him , went to rome , and so proceeded in his journie . but at length the emperour becoming a mortified man , and growing into contempt of the world , being unwiliing to sustain any longer the heavy burthen of the empire , wisely determined to renounce it : and to that end having caused all the knights of the order of the golden fleece to assemble at brussels , and all the states of the low countries , the first thing he did the of october in the year . he made king philip his son head of the knights of the golden fleece , and after dinner solemnly resigned unto him all flanders , with the other states , and titles , and right of burgony , descending unto him from his predecessors . not long after the emperour continuing his determination , resigned and renounced in like manner in brussels to the forenamed king philip , the kingdom of spain , sicilia , majorica , minorica , with the new countries called america , and the new world , reserving onely certain rents and revenues to sustain himself and his family , reduced to a small number of servants . his majesty also giving not onely full and absolute power to the king of the romans his brother , to govern and rule ( as some write ) the empire in his place , but also freely resigned the title , the scepter , and imperiall dignity . so cesar voluntarily deprived himself of his monarchy , a thing truly worthy of consideration , that from the emperour lotharius till this present , never in so many ages chanced the like , although amurath the great turk resigned the empire of constantinople to mahume● his son . in september charls departed from brussels with a great fleet towards spain , carrying with him queen elinor and queen mary his sisters , and so sailing with fair weather and a prosperous wind , they soon arrived in safety . charls constantly persevering in his purpose , retired himself to the monastery of of st. iusto , neer to the village called sciarandiglia eight leagues from the citie of piacenza in the realm of castile , where living godly , and with great devotion , he ended his dayes the of september in the year , being of the age of years . having ruled even to the time of his renunciation years , moneths , and dayes the empire , and years and moneths the kingdom of naples , which he resigned to his son philip. he was married ( as is before declared ) to isabella of portugall , the sister of iohn king of portugall , by whom he had the catholique king philip , and two daughters , the one called the lady mary , which with the popes dispensation was married to maximilian king of bohemia , the son of the emperour ferdinando his brother . the other called the lady ione , was espoused to iohn the king of portugals son . he had children by another naturall means , as don iohn , and margarita , which was first married to alexander de medici duke of florence , and afterward to octavio fernese prince of parma and piacenza . upon the supulcher of this invincible emperour , are engraven these two epitaphs . . liquisti exuvias gelido sub marmore , sed non quantum eras caesar marmor , & urna capit . pro tumulo ponas orbem , pro tegmine coelum , pro facibus stellas , pro imperio empireon . . non aurum , non marmor erunt , non gemma , sed omnis carole terra tui corporis urna decens , conteget immensum quantum patet undique coelum , sol tibi funerea pro face lumine erit , proque tua memori fama , pro nomine stabit aeternum tempus , quod tua facta notet . natura effundat lachrymas , elementa gemiscent . persitient tumulum vix satis ista tuum . philip of austria king of naples . philip of austria , the most puissant catholique king , which reigneth with all triumph and honor , after he was invested in the kingdom , and the title of the kingdom of ierusalem by the emperour his father , by reason of the ensuing marriage between him and queen mary of england , he sent in his name to naples the marquess of pescara , to take the possession of the kingdom . afterward in the year . pope paul the fourth entring in , invaded marc antonio colonna of paliano , and spoyled the rest of his estate , and ministred occasion of war to the king. whereupon the duke of alva the kings lieutenant , with an army of twelve thousand footmen , and fifteen hundred horsmen , invaded the dominion of the church , and the war ensued , called war of campania of rome , which continued a year . afterward peace was concluded between the pope and the king. in the mean time queen mary the wife of king philip died , without leaving any children . the king after many controversies had with henry the second king of france , made peace with him in the year . and for a greater confirmation thereof , and true reconciliation , the catholique king married isabella the daughter of the most christian king , who died in child-bed in the year . psalm . domine salvum fac regem , & exaudi nos in die qua invocaverimus te . the titles of dignity which all the kings of this kingdom have used . . rogerius dei gratia siciliae , & italiae rex , christianorum adjutor , & clypeus rogerii primi comitis haeres , & silius . . gulielmus dei gratia siciliae rex , & christianorum defensor . . gulielmus . divina favente clementia rex siciliae , apuliae dux & princeps capuae , religionis christianae adjutor & defensor , &c. . tancredus d. gratia siciliae rex , ac aletii comes . . henricus . dei gratia invictissimus romanorum imp. semper augustus ac siciliae rex . . imperator fredericus . romanorum caesar semper augustus italicus siculus , hierosolymitanus arelatensis foelix victor , ac triumphator . . conradus . divina favente clementia electus romanorum imperator semper augustus , ac siciliae , & hierusalem rex . . mansredus d. g. siciliae & hierusalem rex , ac tarenti princeps . . carolus dei gratia rex hierusalem , siciliae , ducatus apuliae , & principatus capuae , almae urbis senator , princeps achaiae , andagaviae , provinciae , forcalquerii , & corciadoni comes , ac romani imperii in tuscia per sanctam romanam ecclesiam vicarius generalis . . carolus . d. g. rex hierusalem , siciliae , vngariae , ducatus apuliae & principatus capuae , provinciae , & forcalquerii , ac pedimontis comes . . robertus d. g. rex hierusalem , & siciliae , ducatus apuliae , & principatus capuae , provinciae , & forcalquerii , ac pedimontis comes . . ioanna d. g. regina hierusalem & siciliae , ducatus apuliae , & principatus capuae , provinciae , & forcalquerli , ac pedimontis comitissa . . carolus . d. g. rex vngariae , hierusalem , & siciliae , provinciae , & forcalquerii , ac pedimontis comes . . ladislaus d. g. vngariae , hierusalem , siciliae , dalmatiae , croatiae , romae , serviae , galitiae , lodomeriae , comuriae , bulguriaeque rex , provinciae , et forcalquerii , ac pedimontis comes . . ioanna . d. g. vngariae , hierusalem , siciliae , dalmatiae , croatiae , romae , serviae , galitiae , lodomeriae , comuriae , bulguriaeque regina , provinciae , forcalquerii , ac pedimontis comitissa . interregno . consilium , & gubernatores republicae regni siciliae ordinatis per clarae memoriae serenissimam & illustrissimam dominam , nostram dominam joannam secundam , dei gratia ungariae , hierusalem & siciliae reginam . . renatus d. g. vngariae , hierusalem , & siciliae rex , andagaviae & bari , lotharingiae dux , pontis marchio , comitatumque provinciae , forcalquerii , cevoviam ac pedimontis comes . . alfonfus d. g. rex aragonum , siciliae citra , & ultra farum , valentiae , hierusalem , vngariae , majoricarum , sardiniae , corsicae , comes barchionis , dux atenarum & neopatriae , ac etiam comes rossilionis , & ceritaniae , &c. . ferdinandus aragon , d. g. rex siciliae , hierusalem , vngariae , valentiae , &c. . alfonsus . aragoneus d.g. rex siciliae , hierusalem et hungariae , &c. . carolus . d.g. rex francorum , neapolitanorum et hierusalem . . ferdinandus . aragoneus d. g. rex siciliae , hierusalem , &c. . fredericus aragoneus d.g. rex siciliae , hierusalem , &c. . ludovicus d.g. francorum , neapolitanorum et hierusalem rex , dux mediolani . ferdinando the catholique king having divided the kingdom with lewis king of france , did intitle himself so long as he so continued , duke of apulia and calauria . . ferdinandus et elizabeth dei gratia rex et regina castellae , aragonum , siciliae , granatae , toloti , valentiae , galitiae , majoricarum , hispalis , sardiniae , cordubae , corsicae , giennis , algarbii , gibraltaris , et insularum canariae comes , et comitissa barchinonae , domini viscayae , et molinae , duces calabriae et apuliae , ac athenarum , et neopatriae , &c. after the said king had chased away the frenchmen from all the realm , and made himself absolute lord thereof , he used this title , ferdinandus d.g. rex catholicus castellae . aragonuum . utriusque siciliae . hierusalem . granatae . toleti . valentiae . galitiae . majoricarum . hispalis . sardiniae . cordubae . corsicae . giennis . algarbii . gibraltaris . insularum canariae ▪ comes barchinonae dominus vizcoyae et molinae . dux athenarum et neopatriae . comes rossilionis et ceritaniae . marchio oristanii et gotiani . . ioanna . d. g. regina castellae ▪ aragonum . utriusque siciliae . hierusalem . granatae . toleti . valentiae . galitiae . majoricarum . hispalis . sardiniae . cordubae . corsicae . giennis . algarbii . gibraltaris . insularum canariae , comitissa barchinonae . domina vizcayae et molinae . ducissa calabriae . athenarum et neopatriae . comitissa rossilionis et ceritaniae . marchionissa oristanii et gotiani . . carolus . divina favente elementia romanorum imperator semper augustus rex germaniae , et ioanna ejus mater , et eidem carolus dei gratia reges castellae . legionis . aragoniae . utriusque siciliae . hierusalem . vngariae . dalmatiae . croatiae . navarrae . granatae . toleti . vulentiae . galitiae . majoricarum . hispalis . sardiniae . cordubae . corsicae . murtiae . giennis . algarbii . alzezirae . gibraltaris . insularum canariae . indiaram . et terrae firmae . maris oceani . &c. rex . archidux austriae . duc burgundiae . lotharingiae . brabantiae . stiriae . corinthiae . carniolae . lymburgiae . lucembargiae . geldriae . calabriae . athenarum . neopatriae . virtembergae . &c. comes flandriae . habspurgi . tirolis . barchmonae . archois et burgundiae . comes palatinus . hannoniae . hollandiae . selandiae . ferretti . kiburgi . namurei . rossilionis . ceritaniae et zutphaniae , &c. lantgravius . alsatiae . marchio burgoniae . oristani . gotzani . et sacri romani imperii . princeps sueviae . cathalaniae . asturiae . dominus phrisiae . marchiae sclavonicae . portus naonis . biscayae . molinae . salinarum . tripolis et mechliniae . &c. the title which charls used afterward , when he was absolute king. carolus . divina favente clementia romanorum imperator semper augustus , rex germaniae . castellae . legiones . aragoniae . utriusque siciliae . hierusalem . vngariae . dalmatiae . croatiae . navarrae . granatae . toleti . valentiae . galitiae . majoricarum . hispalis . sardiniae . cordubae . corcicae . murtiae . giennis . algarbii . alzezirae . gibraltaris . insularum canariae . iudiarum et terrae firmae . maris oceani . &c. rex archidux austriae . dux burgundiae . lotharingiae . brabantiae . stiriae . corinthiae . carniolae . limburgiae . lucemburgiae . geldriae , calabriae . athenarum . neopatriae . virtembergae . &c. comes flandriae . habspurgi . tirolis . barchmonae . archois et burgundiae . comes palatinus . hannoniae . hollandiae . selandia● . ferretti . kiburgi . namurci . rossilionis . ceritaniae et zutphaniae . &c. lantgravius . alsatiae . marchio burgoniae . oristani . gotzani . et sacri romani imperii . princeps sueviae . cathalaniae . asturiae . dominus phrisiae . marchiae . sclavonieae , portus naonis . biscayae . molinae . salinarum . tripolis . et mechliniae . &c. . philippus d. g. catholicus defensor fidei , hispaniarum , utriusque siciliae . hierusalem . portugalliae . vngariae . dalmatiae . croatiae . sardiniae . corsicae . majoricarum . insularum canariae . orani . insularum indiarum . terrae . firmae . et maris oceani . archidux austriae . dux burgundiae . mediolani . lotharingiae . brabantiae . limburgi . lucemburgi . geld●iae . calabriae . athenarum et neopatriae . marchio sacri romani imperii oristani● et gotiani . comes barcinonis . ruscinonis . ceretaniae . flandriae . artesiae . hannoniae . hollandiae . selandioe . namurci . zutpheni . burgundiae . haspurgi . et tirolis , dominus cantabriae , molinae . phrisiae . mechliniae . vltrajecti . transisalanae . & gruningae , &c. of the coronation of the kings of naples . i have thought it a thing very fit and convenient , having declared what the kings were of this noble and renowned kingdom , to receive also the manner and the ceremony which is used in the time of their coronation . but before i proceed any further , it is to be understood , that there are but only four kings that are crowned and anointed by the order of the pope , as is noted in the records of the roman church , the which alberico de rosato also confirmeth , which are these following , the king of ierusalem , the king of france , the king of naples , commonly called sicilia , and the king of england . all the rest are crowned by their archbishops or bishops by a certain custome . the emperour is anointed and crowned in the same manner as are the said four kings , and therefore all the other kings are called by the name of highness , and not majesty , except those that are annointed by the order of the pope , as is said . in the coronation then of the king of naples the pope sendeth a cardinall his legate , or a patriarch , but he must have holy orders , because the said legate not having the said holy orders , another ought to come which hath the said dignity . there also assembles ( according to the accustomed manner ) all the archbishops of the kingdome , which crown this prince with the greatest pomp● and state that may be done to any christian king. the principall thing before the king taketh this dignity , the seven officers of the kingdom , which are seven principall secular lords , that meet together at this coronation , are cloathed in purple , lined with ermins , with very rich attires upon their heads , and repair together with the recorder of the citie into the cathedrall church of naples , where is the ancient tomb of charls of angio , which was the first that was crowned with an imperiall crown , and invested king of both the sicilles and ierusalem ; and there the apostolike legate , with the other archbishops pontifically clothed with miters and rochets , and the other prelats in purple vestments , attend the kings coming at the church dore. afterward when the king cometh that is to be crowned , he entreth into the said church , accompanied with all the princes , dukes , marqueses , earls , barons and lords of the kingdom , and the legat suddenly kissing his forehead , receiveth him , and saith unto him with an high and intelligible voyce these words , i am come by the appointment of the supream bishop pope n. to crown thee king of naples and ierusalem . after the archbishop with the other , that have charge to say service in the said church , receive the king at the altar , and there causing him to kneel down , and after is made by the archbishop of naples , of capoa , and of salerno , devout prayers for his majesty , one of the bishops demandeth of him in latin , if he will promise to maintain always the faith and christian religion ? defend the widows , the fatherless , and the poor ? establish the kingdom , and minister justice to every one ? and last of all , if he will always yeild due honor to the supream bishop ? to all which things the king answering , he will , two archbishops take him by the arm , and lead him to the altar , where he solemnly sweareth to observe all that which the archbishop hath demanded of him . this done , the archbishop of naples demandeth with a loud voyce of all the princes , if they will promise loyalty and service to his majesty ? where being answered by all , that they will very willingly . then two archbishops lead him into the vestry , and being there apparelled with sandalles , richly set with jewels and pearls , with a surplice like a minister , and a cope , lead him again to the altar , and saying certain prayers , the cardinall legate accompanied with the archbishops , rising from their seats with miters on their heads , go unto him , and finding the king kneeling , with a loud and solemn prayer recommend him unto god , in whose hands are all empires , that it would please him to make his kingdom stable and perpetuall , replenished with victory , piety , and honor . the king remaining on his knees , one of the archbishops goeth to the altar , and beginneth the letany , and devoutly prayeth for his majesty , the archbishop of naples , with the rest of the bishops undoing his surplis , with certain zealous prayers , anoint his shoulders and his right arm , to signifie , that he sustaineth the burthen of the affairs of the kingdom , and draweth his sword for the conservation thereof : and moreover , the royall purple robe reaching down even to his foot , lined with fables , and richly embrodered with gold and pearl , signifieth charity . that done , he still remaining in devout meditation , the apostolick legat standing , the king kneeling before him , delivereth into his hand the golden scepter , all wrought in the top with pearls and jewels , wherewith religiously he commands the people . then he puts a naked sword into his right hand , wherewith he pursueth his enemies in the name of christ. after that he puts a ring on his finger , and a bracelet upon his arm , to the end he may be faithfull and pure in good works . then he presenteth unto him the golden apple , to figure the kingdome , which he ought to govern with singular piety , vertue , and perseverance . and finally , he putteth upon his head the imperial crown , divided into two parts , garnished with many jewels , to signifie honor and glory , the king religiously remaining on his knees , the three archbishops lifting him up , lead him to the altar , where again the lords that have the offices of the kingdom , cause him to swear to do the duty of a good prince , and to observe the priviledges & immunities of the citie and kingdom . afterward they lead him to sit on the left hand not far from the legate in a chair of state covered with cloth of gold , and the legate with a loud voyce proclaimeth him king of naples and ierusalem : and the seven officers of the kingdom , with the recorder , in token of obedience kisse his hand , and the like is done by the princes and nobility of the kingdom these ceremonies finished , the king receiveth the communion , where begins to sound the organs , trumpets , cornets , and other instruments , discharging the artillery , and making great triumph and joy ; and so mass being ended , the king useth to invest many lords into their states . the king being mounted upon his horse , entreth under the canopy embrodered with gold , in the top whereof gently wave up and down the kings arms , both of the kingdom , of the citie , and of the provinces , carried by men of dignity and honor , which at one and the same time succeed in their honors and in their labours . then beginneth the order of the pomp and state to march forward ; the which i will omit to declare , lest i should seem too tedious , leaving it to every one to consider thereof . and this great king is exempted from the empire ▪ neither acknowledgeth he any superior being a feudist of the church , the which andrea d' sormia confirmeth in his preambles concerning tribute in the ninth column : and likewise mattheo d' afflitto , & many other worthy lawyers discourse thereof , the which the most say , that the king of naples is one of the aforesaid four kings that are anointed , and crowned by the order of the pope . besides , he goeth before the elected emperour being not crowned ; because that before his coronation he is called king of the romans : but being anointed and crowned , he is then called the roman emperour . moreover , the said four kings do not follow behind the emperor , as other kings that are subject to him , but go by his side ; whereby it appeareth , that the king of naples is one of the great kings of the world , as well in dignity as honor of the empire , therefore i think it not much expedient to take any great pains in expressing it , since the reputation thereof is well known to all that have any experience in learning . sufficient is said hereof , for the emperour charls the . in the year . marrying his first begotten son philip prince of spain , to queen mary of england , would not invest him with any other title , then the kingdom of naples and ierusalem , to the end he should not be inferior to so great a queen . and so much concerning the coronation of the kings of naples . a brief discourse of the kings of iervsalem ; beginning from godfrey , where is shewed the true cause , why the kings of naples are intituled to that kingdom . the subject of this discourse we have here to handle , requireth that i also shew and declare the reason and cause by what right all the kings of naples have been intituled to the kingdom of ierusalem , a discourse both for the greatness and excellency of the matter , worthy to be known , from the true understanding whereof , every one may evidently see and perceive the great dignity and honor of the kings of naples , and by what right and title the said kingdom more justly belongeth to them then any other . for the better knowledge whereof it is necessary i briefly begin from the first christian king of that kingdom . after the death of godfrey , was baldwin beforesaid count of edissa his brother made king of ierusalem in his place , which was a man of great valor , for he wan the citie of tiberiade in galile , sidon , accaron , and many more upon the sea-coast , and with the help of the genoways and venetians afterward overcame the strong citie of tolomaida , he had also the castle of soball , which stands upon the river of iordan , and did much increase his dominion . at length having reigned years , ended his life without children , and was buried in the same sepulcher with his brother . by the death of baldwin , was baldwin the second of burges . in france , made king by the generall consent of the christians , who was cousin germain to the two aforesaid kings of ierusalem ; and in the second year of his reign , the prince of the turks in asia minor , coming upon gaza with a mighty army , he valiantly encountred , overcame , and took him prisoner . and in the year following , the king of damasco suddenly besieged the gates of ierusalem with fifteen thousand fighting men : baldwin couragiously issuing out , and valiantly charging them , at length put them to flight , and slew two thousand of them , and took their king with a thousand prisoners , and lost but onely thirty men . not long after , balach king of the parthians arriving with a mighty army , encountred with baldwin hand to hand , overcame him , and carried him prisoner to cairo , with many christian noble men . but at length baldwin with the said christian nobility , were released with the payment of a great sum of money , and the king returned to ierusalem , where reigning thirteen years , died without issue male ; and fulk count of anjou his son-in-law , succeeded him in the kingdom , who had married his daughter melesina , against whom the barbarians durst never move any war , because of his two sons baldwin and almerich , expert and valiant souldiers , who being imployed as deputies in his affairs , executed many great slaughters on the turks . after this valiant king had reigned years , running in hunting after a hare , his horse falling with his head downward , died presently . whereupon his son baldwin the great , and third of this name , was made king , who took ascalon and gaza , ancient cities , and gave them to the knights of the temple . baldwin performing other famous and worthy deeds of arms , after he had reigned years , died , and was buried in the holy temple with the other kings , and almerich his brother succeded in the kingdom , a valiant man , who had many conflicts with the turks , and took the citie of alexandria in aegypt . afterward he went against the great and mighty citie cairo , called in ancient time carra , and besieged it ; and being very likely to win it , notwithstanding through the instigations of the citizens , received a great sum of money , left the siege , and returned again to ierusalem , and not long after died , having reigne years , leaving behind him three children , baldwin , sybilla , and isabella ; to whom succeeded in his kingdom baldwin the fourth of this name , his first begotten , who though he had the leprosie , notwithstanding he did very valiantly and politickly govern the kingdom , and having no wife , yet because the realm should not want a sufficient heir to succeed him , he married his sister sybel to william longspath , marquess of montferrato ; and isabell his youngest sister he promised with jewels & treasure to erfrando of tours , governor of the rhodes . this marquess william had the government of ierusalem ; but being a weak & impotent king , did notwithstanding many famous and worthy deeds ; but he little enjoyed the benefit of his victories , for that in the beginning of the second year of his reign he died , and left after him one onely son , called baldwin : baldwin the king being desirous to provide for his nephew , married again his sister sybell to guy of puite lubrun , son of hugh lubrun duke of merchia and governor of lusignon in france , with this agreement , that after his death the said guy should govern the kingdom till baldwin his nephew were of sufficient age . but guy carrying himself haughty and over-proud in the government of the said kingdom , was dismist again by baldwin the king : this was in the year . moreover , he procured pope lucius the third to annoint and crown his nephew king baldwin the fifth being but a child , and appointed him bertrand count of tripoly his governor and protector of the kingdom . thus king baldwin the fourth reigning years died , leaving count tripoly tutor ( as is said ) of young baldwin the fifth ; but he resigning his charge , being withstood by sybel the mother of the boy , and guy her husband : but in the beginning of the eighth moneth the little king baldwin died ; whose death the mother concealed so long , as the effecting of her intended purpose required , insomuch that what with flattering and fair words , and with large gifts she wan the patriark eraclio , with the nobility and principal men of authority in the kingdom , to create guy her husband king. the count understanding this , fuming thereat , being incensed with rage , and envying the prosperity of guy , made peace with salandine king of the sarasins , promising to aid him against king guy . the salandine being now at peace with the christians , found opportunity by the discord of these princes to break it ; because the christian prince of montreale , which governed the countrey from that to the river iordan , being on every side inhabited with sarasins who continually carried their commodities to ierusalem without the kings knowledge , suddenly brake the truce ; for the salandine saw the time was now come which he long expected , assembled together fifty thousand horsmen , and an infinite company of footmen without number , and got many cities of the christians , and increasing their army with the people of the countrey , took ierusalem by covenant after they had besieged it one moneth . this was done the second of october in the third yeare of king guy , having been in the possession of the christians years . salandine entring ierusalem , caused first the steeples and bells to be thrown down , and of the churches he made stables for his horses , onely he reserved the temple of solomon , which was washed with rose-water at his first entrance . afterward he went to tolomayda and besieged it , wherein was the king and sybel his wife , with four children , who with the children died together of a bloody flux . now ( as we have said before ) was promised to erfrando of turon master of the rhodes , a noble young man , isabel to wife , the sister of sybel , a virgin , and also the daughter of baldwin the fourth , and sixth king of ierusalem , who now by the death of sybel was next heir to her fathers kingdom . this expectation increased a better regard of the barons and christian princes towards erfrando . but conrado longspath marquess of monferrato understanding the sudden death of sibel and her children , being desirous of soveraignty , and also enamored of isabel his neer kinswoman , secretly stole her away , but with her own consent , and conveyed her to tyre , and there privatly married her . and so all the right of the kingdom of ierusalem came to him by his wife isabel ; whereupon he was intituled king of that kingdom . the year after philip king of france had sollicited richard king of england to go into soria ; but king richard defer'd his going till the year following . richard afterward observing his promise , came to messina in the moneth of september , where philip also was , from whence they departed having a prosperous wind . philip in a short time arrived at tolomayda ; but richard by a tempest was driven to cyprus , where chirsack duke of the island , denied him harbour ; whose discourtesie he took with such discontent , as by meer force surprized the island , and sacking it , planted a strong guard of his own people , and from thence passed to tolomayda to joyn with the christian army . not long after he sold the said island to the knights of the temple for a hundred thousand crowns , who ill governing the same , were forced by the power of the cypriots to depart thence , and so the knights restored it again to richard , who likewise returned them their money ; and with the same conditions the year , gave it to guy of puite lubrun lusignon in france , husband to isabel , sister of king baldwin , who before was enforced to flye ierusalem , in consideration whereof he resigned unto him all the title and interest he had to the kingdom of ierusalem ; and for this cause the king of england began to be called king of ierusalem ; and king guy took the possession of cyprus , and was called king of the said isle . the which right to the kingdom of ierusalem was nothing , because the same by all law now justly belonged to isabel the daughter of king baldwin , wife of conrado marquess of monferrato ; therefore can no right or title be attributed to the king of england herein . not long after the king conrado of monferrato was slain in tyre by two sarazins called arsacides , not leaving any male children , but one onely daughter called mary . the queen isabel married again , and had to her husband henry count of campania , who indowed her with the signiory of tyre : but that unhappy young man , living not many years with his wife , unfortunately sell from a loft or chamber in his own palace , and so died , leaving three daughters , agnesa , melisina , and alicia . queen isabel remaining thus a widow , married again the third time with almerick puite lubrun lusignon , king of cyprus , who by the death of guy his brother , succeeded in the said kingdom , and was second king of cyprus ; and in the right of isabell his wife was also called king of ierusalem , by whom he had three children , amarin , sybilla and melisenda , but amarin died young . king almerick married sybil to livon , king of armenia ; and melisenda the youngest daughter was married to raymond rupini , nephew of the said king of armenia , and his successor in the kingdom ; the which raymond was then prince of antioch . of this melisenda wife of prince raymond rupini , was born that mary , who in the year , resigned to charls of anjou king of naples the claim and title she pretended to the kingdom of ierusalem . at length king almerick died , leaving his kingdom of cyprus to hugo his son , whom he had by a former wife , the which hugo not long after the death of his father , married isabell the daughter of henry count of ciampania , and of his stepmother ; and not long after the death of almerick died also the queen isabel his wife , who by her will and testament bequeathed the kingdom of ierusalem to mary her daughter , whom she had by conrado of monferrato her first husband , recommending the tuition of her to the society of the hospitalers and templers , whom she appointed her guardians or overseers . afterward in the year iohn count of brenne coming to rome , having the title of king of ierusalem , by the right of mary his wife , daughter ( as is beforesaid ) of king conrado of montferrato , being much honored , and presented to the pope , going to pisa to procure aid for his enterprise into soria , gave to the emperour frederick the second king of naples lately excommunicated ( but now reconciled to the church ) his onely daughter called iole to wife , whom he had by mary his wife , and in dowry with her all the right and title he had to the kingdom of ierusalem . whereupon frederick , and all other that succeeded him in the kingdom of naples , were called kings of ierusalem . and this is one of the reasons why all the kings of naples are invested with the title of ierusalem . afterward frederick in the time of gregory the ninth , in the year , being as it were inforced , went into soria , yet managed his affairs with such power and authority , that he agreed to conclude a peace with the soldian for ten years , who restored unto him ierusalem , with all the territories and kingdom thereof , except some few little castles : whereupon the easter following in the year . he was crowned in ierusalem , and caused the citie of ioppa now called zaffo , to be repaired and newly reedified . the emperour setling and securing all things to his content , returned home into his kingdom ; and in glory of so great triumph and victory , brought with him elephants , panthers , dromedaries , leopards , white bears , lyons , linxes , or spotted beasts . after this the kingdom of naples and sicil came into the power and jurisdiction of charls of anjou count of provence , for the right and title that his predecessors had , descended to him as lawfull king thereof . but fortune willing to confirm and establish his right , without any crosse encounter , it came to passe that hugo puite lubrun lusignon the second of this name king of cyprus , married alicia the third daughter of isabel queen of ierusalem , and of count henry of ciampaania ; the which thing discontenting the princess mary daughter of melisenda and raymond rupini , prince of antioch and borgne , complained much of king hugo , that being her kinsman , would usurp the title which was her right by melisenda her mother being the second daughter , and not alicia his wife , who was the third begotten . hugo not onely little esteemed her complaints , but also otherwise did ill intreat her whereupon the disdainfull princess mary came to rome , pretending her right to the aforesaid kingdom of ierusalem as the neece of queen isabel the daughter of almerick naturall king of the said kingdom , summoned king hugo before the pope , and so began the stir and contention of the title and possession of the said kingdom : the matter being much debated by the ambassadors of king hugo , who knowing it to be far more available for them to have the deciding and determining of the cause committed to the barons and nobility of the holy land ; the pope at the first instance referred the judgement and deciding of the matter to the patriark of ierusalem , the masters of the hospitall and the temple , and other the barons and nobility of the holy land , who were wont to have a voyce in councell , and election of the kings of ierusalem ; the which the princess mary perceiving , being a woman of great age , weary and irksom of travell , and the perils of so long a journey , being advised by her friends , agreed with charls of anjou , receiving of him a great sum of money , renounced all her right and title , and resigned wholly unto him all her interest whatsoever to the kingdom of ierusalem , confirming the same by authentick and solemn writings , which was in the year . whereupon charls afterward by means of the pope , was proclaimed by lawful sentence , king of that realm , as well by the ancient right of the emperour frederick , as also that of mary ; insomuch that by the reasons aforesaid it plainly appeareth , that the right and title of the kingdom of ierusalem lawfully belongeth to the kings of naples , and to none other ; and so the supposed titles both of the king of england , and also of the king of cyprus , are little or of no worth . wherefore i do not a little marvell that this last right and title was unknown both to pandolfo colennuccio , that writ a brief epitome of the kingdom of naples , and also to iacobo mainolda , who composed that book of the title of philip king of spain , naples and ierusalem , seeing the history is so apparent . but to return to the matter , charls for the better security of his affairs , sent suddenly the count ruggier sanseverin governor into the holy land , who took an oath of the knights of the temple , and barons of the realm , of ●ealty and homage in the name of charls : and so king charls enjoyed not onely the said realm , but also by the means of ruggier and other captains , held a great part of aegypt . and we have often understood of many brethren of st francis , and other persons worthy credit that have been in ierusalem and in other places in aegypt , that in many stately buildings in those places , there is yet seen the arms of king charls ▪ the which doe manifestly shew the great power and valor of that good king. but since occasion is now offered me , it will not be amiss if i shew what the arms of the kingdom of naples are , although we have writ thereof , at full , in the book of the life of the kings of naples ; but being rather enforced through the envy of some who have written concerning the arms of the said kingdom , and briefly discourst thereon . the ensign or arms then of this most noble kingdom , is a field azure , replenished with flour de lices or , which at first was charged with a labell of four points gules , being carried as the impress of charls the first of anjou , with this motto or emblem , noxias herbas , what time he came to the winning of the kingdom of naples , and to expell and drive away king manfred enemy to the church , whom he overcame and slew . charls in remembrance of so happy a victory , beautified the kingdom with these arms , holding that field and flour de lices with the labell for a particular arms in memory of the said happy victory . stopping the mouths of those envious backbiters , who say the arms of this noble kingdom , was an ass devouring his old furniture or trappings upon him , looked backward for new , meaning thereby the instability of this happy kingdom , loving always new governors like the asses figure , which was devised by gross asses , to dishonor and discredit this noble kingdom ; but it is certain this little kingdom hath sustained great oppression , they imputing it to no other sense , have feigned this asinine simplicity ; which saying the envious have not stuck to publish in books . manner of writing used by the arragonian kings of naples writing to divers princes . king alphonso to the emperour of germany , was wont to write in parchment in th'infrascribed manner . to the most renowned prince , and most excellent lord , frederick emperour of the romans , for ever royall . the subscription was thus , alphonsus by th'grace of god king of th' aragons , sicilie on this side and beyond the pharos , valentia , jerusalem , hungaria , the majorcas , sardinia , corsica , &c. greeting , and increase of prosperous successes . and so in the occurrences he used to write . most renowned and most excellent prince , we would intreat your soveraignty , or your mightiness . to the emperour of constantinople . to the most renowned and most excellent lord drage paleologo , emperour of the romans , for ever royall , our most dear kinsman . the subscription was as above . to prester iohn of india . to the most eminent and most unconquerable monarch , lord isaack prester iohn , sonn of david , lord of the tables , mount sinai , aethiopia , king of kings , our most dear brother . the subscription in the manner aforesaid . to the great turk . to the most renowned prince amorat bechi , great lord of the theucrians , our most dear friend . to the great soldan of babylon . to the most illustrious prince abuysac iamac , great soldan of babylon . to the king of france . to the most renowned prince charls king of the french , our most loving kinsman and friend . to the king of england . to the most renowned prince henry , king of england , our most dear kinsman and friend . to the king of cyprus . to the most worthy prince iohn king of cyprus , our most dear kinsman and friend . to the king of castile and leon. to the most renowned and illustrious prince , don henrich king of castile and leon , our very dear and very loving cousin . to the queen of arragon . to the most illustrious queen , our most dear and most beloved wife , and lieutenantess generall . to the king of portugall . to the very ilustrious prince don alfonso king of portugall and algarue , our very dear and well-beloved cousin . to the king of navarre . to the most illustrious prince don iohn king of navarre , our very dear and much beloved brother and lieutenant generall . to the king of granada . to the high prince don machand king of granada , our very dear and much beloved friend . to the king of tunis . to the most illustrious prince don octunne king of tunis , our very dear and much beloved friend . to the dolphin of france . to the most illustrious prince lewis , dolphin of usania , our most dear kinsman . to the prince of austria . to the most illustrious and our very dear and much beloved cozen , henry prince of austria , first born in the kingdoms of castile and leon. to the duke of cleves . to the most illustrious prince iohn , duke of cleves , our most dear kinsman and friend . to the duke of osterlich . to the illustrious and mighty albert duke of osterlich . to the duke of brittannie . to the illustrious and mighty peter duke of brittannie , our most dear kinsman and friend . to the duke of burgundy . to the most illustrious prince philip duke of burgundie , our most dear kinsman and friend . to the duke of burgundie his eldest son . to the most illustrious prince charls , first born of the most illustrious duke of burgundie and lord charlois our most dear kinsman . to the duke of savoy . to the illustrious and mighty prince lewis duke of savoy , chablays our , most dear kinsman . to the earl of foix. to the respected and excellent gascon earl of foix , our most dear kinsman and friend . names of all the vice-roys of naples ▪ which began in the year . year of christ. number of vice-roys .   consalvo fernandes of the house of aghilar a cordonese by nation , duke of terranova , who for his famous victories was called the great captain . don iohn of arragon , duke of ripacursa . don raimondo of cardona count of albento .   * don bernardino villamarino . * . don francis remolinis cardinall of sorrento were both lieutenants . don charls della noia .   * andrew carrafa count of st. severina was a lieutenant . don vgo of moncada . philibert of chalon prince of orange . pompey colonna cardinall . don piedro de toledo , marquis of villafranca . don lewis of toledo was lieutenant . don pietro pacecco cardinall seguntine .     * don bernardine of mendoza was lieutenant . don ernandez alvarez of toledo duke of alva . bartholomew cardinall of cuova .     * . don frederico de toledo . * . don iohn marique were lieutenants one after the other . don perafan duke of alcala . antony perrenotto cardinall of granvela . don innico of mendoza marquis of mondesela . don iohn zunica prince of pietra precia . don peter giron duke of ossuna . don iohn de zunica count of miranda . don henry de gusman count of olivares . don ferdinand di castra count of lemos and of andrada : marquis of sarria and count of villalua , went ambassador to rome , sent by philip the second , and left in the kingdom for lieutenant don francisco his son , who governed with great wisdom . the seven principall offices of the kingdom . high constable . there are seven principall or chief offices in the kingdom , the first whereof is , the great or high constable , who stands in place of generall , or the kings lieutenant in the wars which happen in the kingdom ; and in such a case orders and provides for all such things as belong to the militia . this office lasts as long as the war : and when the king creates such a one , he puts a golden truncheon in his hand saying , take this sacred truncheon in thy hand to drive away and keep back the enemies and opposers of my people . and this word constable , much used amongst tuscan writers , did anciently signifie a captain of a quantity of cavallery . but in process of time by constable was meant a commander of foot-soldiers , the captains of horse beginning to be called conductors . bembo in his latin history calls the constable centurion of soldiers . in the kingdom of naples the office of constable signified not onely a captain , but one of far greater authority , it being of the seven offices the greatest : and as it hath been always conferred upon great lords , so we see it at this day setled upon the person of n. he by right commands all martiall persons , as well afoot as on hors-back ; and in royall parliaments sits next the king on his right hand . pontanus in the fourth book of his history of naples speaking of the office of the constable , refused that word as too base and abject , and not roman , and so named him in latin magnus militiae magister , the great master of the militia . some would liken the office of great constable to the praefectus praetorio , yet there seems to be a difficulty in it , seeing the praefectus praetorio was always created out of the knightly order , which rule is not observed in the high constable who is alwayes selected from among the greatest and most illustrious barons of the kingdom , i believe their opinion was grounded upon this , that the praefectus praetorio was next to the prince a supream office , depending upon none else , over all the militia , just as the high constable is amongst us ; he hath ● duckets a year pay , and pretends in time of service when the war is without the kingdom , he ought to have it double : whereupon there is a consultation depending in the royall chamber , which is yet undecided . high admirall . the high admirall is the second office of the kingdom : and though the great iustice have pretended to have the second place ; yet there arising many years ago , a controversie for precedencie between the duke of somma , high admirall , and the duke of amalfi chief justice , and the question being , which of them should at that time precede , it was thus judged , that for the present the duke of somma as high admirall , should precede the chief justice , and this was done in a summary kind of judgment : for the viceroy who was at that time , having called together the regents before he went to the chappell on a sunday morning , he caused this question to be resolved standing , so far that the usher was commanded to say , that his excellency commanded the high admirall should go before the chief justice , not debarring howsoever the chief justice of any reasons which he might hereafter alledge for himself . signior agnolo of costanzo told me that one of those regents being called by the viceroy that very morning wherein he had commanded the usher to publish that order , had told him they were moved to give sentence on the high admirals behalf ; because there was a very ancient record sound in the kings chancery , by which it plainly appeared , that in a parliament held in the time of charls the third , king of naples , thomas marzano count of squillace , high admirall , preceded rogger acclocciamuro chief justice . and this record is likewise made mention of by martin frezza in his first book de subseudis pag. . num . . and though in the parliament held by king alphonso in benevento , they seemed to sit in another order , yet because there was no authenticall record thereof extant , as of that of charls the third , judgement was given on the high admirals side ; and so much the rather , because it seems to be very just , that the generall of the sea , who is the admiral , should immediatly follow the land generall , which is the constable . this office alone , of all the other seven , retains to this hour its jurisdiction , which all the rest have lost . and from this also hath been taken away the generalship of the gallies of the kingdom , though there yet belongs unto him a very large jurisdiction both in naples and elswhere through all the kingdom ; over all those which any way by industry live upon the trade of the sea. the great court of admiralty hath its name of great , even just as that of the vicaria , and its tribunall is governed by one or more judges , according to the high admirals pleasure . he chuses his lieutenant , who carries in his hand the staff of jurisdiction , as the regent of the vicaria doth : and he as well as the judge , hath a place in the royall chappell , next to the last judge of the civill vicaria , as frezza saith , lib. . pag. . num . . he may likewise appoint fifty men for the guard of his person , with fifty constables on horseback , and commensali , or fellow boorders , and other persons , as is contained in his priviledges , which may go armed in the citie of naples , and all the kingdom over with any manner of arms , though they be prohibited by the law . he hath also all his houshold officers , and such officers also as belong to his court. he appoints in every sea-town a vice-admirall , a register , and two marshals : and in every province a provinciall vice-admirall with six marshals , and all subject to his jurisdiction . all shipwracks either of infidels or unknown masters are his . when he purposes to keep court for execution of justice , he sets up his flag , hath a captain of the guard , and his marshals . his stipend is , besides six duckets a day , which all the other six officers have , which comes every year to duckets ; every moneth a hundred duckets as he is generall of the sea : he hath for every bark or boat , a carline , by reason of their pennons which are certain little flaggs with the high admirals arms upon them , which every master of boat or bark is bound to carry by his lanthorn , none can put any vessels to sea against the infidels without his license , for which he is to pay a certain rate ; and of the prizes also when any are taken , there belongs a share to the high admirall ▪ he hath also all the bodies of the vessels which are taken , with other pledges , and those which by chance are sunk in the sea ; he hath also i know not how many barrows of salt of the old measure for his house provision . he pays no custome or toll , nor gives no account for any thing he exports out of the kingdom by sea , though others pay for such things . he hath moreover very many other prerogatives and preheminencies , which may be read in the orders of the office of the high court of admiralty , which for brevity i omit , of which to this day the high admirall is possessed . chief iustice. the third office is that of chief iustice , which hath the supream place of exercising justice , as well civill as criminall in the whole kingdom of naples . his lieutenant is called the regent of the vicaria , and hath his judges both criminall and civill , and his tribunall is the court of the vicaria . the chief iustice his stipend is two thousand one hundred and ninety duckets ; and the regent hath six hundred duckets , he hath also the profits of the licenses of the sword , which are two and twenty grains and half , for every license , which may come every year to two thousand duckets . high chamberlain . the fourth office is that of high chamberlain , & is so called by reason he hath partciular care of the royal chamber , and every thing else therby belonging to his king. his lieutenant hath his tribunall , called the chamber of the summaria , where there is nothing treated of neither by his lieutenant nor by the presidents but of such differences as arise between private men , and the kings treasury or exchequer . his stipend is two thousand one hundred and ninety duckets ; and hath moreover ius tappeti of the captainships which are given within the lands of demains of the kingdom for the administration of justice , and for some he hath six duckets a year , for some three , and for some twelve , when they are dispatched : he receives also of barons which pay homage to the royall court eight carlines for an ounce , for any such sum the said homages amount unto , which one year with another are judged to amount to two thousand duckets a year . he hath moreover from the royall court bushels of salt , and fine sugar-loaves every year . has lieutenant hath one thousand duckets a year stipend , and the presidents six hundred , and they also have their emoluments . grand protonotary . the fifth office is that of grand protonotary , to which office at first belonged to read before the king , and keep all his writings . then the catholick king transferred the care of that to the secretary of the kingdom , and to the clerks of commissions ; so that whereas this office was at first of great authority , so now there remains nothing to the vice-protonotary , but the creating of notaries and judges of contracts , and legitimating of bastards . the stipend he hath is according to the rest . he hath moreover the emoluments of notaries , and of judges of royall contracts which are made within the kingdom , & the legitimations which are granted , the dues of which emoluments belonging to him , are these : for a notariship two duckets , and six for the judgement when it is all over the kingdom ; but when it is for a province , four duckets , and for every legitimation a ducket ; which emoluments are thought to be worth to him yearly ● duckets . high chancellor . the sixth office of the kingdom is that of high chancellor , which serves both for secretary and chancellor in occurrent businesses , and he keeps the royall seal . he takes care also when any one will take the degree of doctor , to have him examined by the colledge of doctors ; by which being approved for sufficient , in the kings name he gives him his degree . this office was wont to be given by our french kings to prelats . his stipend differs not from the other . he hath moreover the emoluments of the students which come to the doctors of the law , and of physick , which are worth some duckets a year . he hath power to chuse and appoint his vicechancellor , who paticipates of his emoluments . high steward . the seventh office is high steward , who hath particular care of providing all things which concern the kings daily ordinary diet , and his court. the name of such an office is thought to have come out of france , from whence came also that of marshall , which as we may perceive , seem to have a kind of conjunction and affinity together . athenaeus a very subtile indagator of antiquities , calls the steward elatrus : he saith moreover there was such an office very much respected amongst the ancients ; he hath two thousand one hundred and ninety duckets a year . a discourse of the order and the fashion or form of the crowns of the nobility of the kingdom of naples . first of all , before i declare how many , and who be the intituled lords of this famous kingdom , i esteem it a thing very convenient briefly to set down ( forasmuch as the quality of the matter so requireth ) the differences of the crowns which they use : and although many excellent lawyers have written thereon , nevertheless ( as i have said ) the subject thereof so requiring , i think it fit to discourse something thereof , the better to satisfie the reader , and to leave nothing unperfect . athenaeo then writeth that the crown was invented by our ancestors as a badge of honor for the ornament of the head , wherein the beginning and foundation of the senses being placed , nature hath put as it were in a rock and fortresse of the whole body , that power of the soul which we call reason or understanding . aristotle was of opinion that the crown was first invented by quaffers and drinkers , to repress the force and inflammation of wine ; which ascending with the fume into the head , moveth some pain in that part ; the which thing being found to be true , it might be then ( because it gave also ornament and comeliness ) the means to increase the wonderfull estimation thereof : whereupon by some were added certain little birds , because pinching another mans forehead suffered him not to sleep , it was also in great use among lovers . the greeks in the solemnity of their sports , used a crown of the pine tree , the achaians smallage , the cappadocians mugwort . pliny affirmeth , that the first that was crowned was libero , after whom the use of that ceremony so much increased among the greeks and the romans , that in the end it was brought upon the altars in sacrifice in victory , and in their sacred contentions ; whereupon ambition always increasing , men used to sit with crowns on their heads in their feasts and bankets . at last crowns entring in among souldiers and men of war , armies began to give it to their captains to honor them , and very often generals were crowned therewith , which carried themselves valiantly in any honorable act , either by valor or manhood ; and the like honor was also done to others by the people and the senate . whereupon the lawyers reasoning to this purpose of the crown , have written , that it was granted sometimes in token of empire and honor , sometimes for industry and military reward , and sometimes in sign of spirituall victory . theophrastus describeth three sorts of crowns , one of sweet odoriferous flowers , another of flowers that have no scent , the third of leaves and green boughs of trees , the fourth which was added by the rich crassus , was made of gold & silver by the imitation of leaves , which he did expose to the view of other men in his sports and games . but passing over this ancient barbarous rudeness , and resting in the now last use of crowns , which are made of massie gold and silver , intermixed with beautifull ornaments of pearls and pretious stones , transforming the leaves into sharp poynts , and other curious work , which yeild a pleasant and beautiful object to the eye . the custome of the athenians was to crown their worthy and vertuous citizens with a wreath of two olive boughs : but we speaking again of the first crowns , which take their names of the effects for which they are imployed ; for that of bayes is given to him which goeth in triumph , and is called the triumphale , for the bayes is a token of joy and victory . posthumio tuberto in his triumph for overcoming the sabins , with little blood , wore a crown of mirtle . likewise the ovale crown was given to him which had got a citie not by force but by friendship and covenant . moreover , he that had delivered a citie from siege , had given him a crown of the grass growing in the territory wherein they were besieged , and this crown of grass was called ossidionale . who first mounted upon the walls of the enemy , to him was consecrated a crown of gold , with the form of battlements of the wall ; and this kind of crown was called murale , and the emperour did give it with his owns hands . who first entred into the enemies camp , to him was given the crown vallare , which was also called castrense , which was of gold in the form of a bulwark . who first in battell at sea boarded the enemy , to him was presented the crown navale , which was of gold in the fashion of a ship : the first that had this crown was m. varro , for overcoming the navy of pirats and rovers , and this en. pompeius gave him . the crown which was given to those which had preserved any citizen in battel , received in token of safety from him , a crown called civica , which was first of oke , and afterward of holm . finally , those which were accustomed to be made of metall in recompence of worthy deeds , were the vallari , or castrensi , the murali , and the navali , these were of gold , as were also those in process of time of bayes , whereupon it was called crown gold , which was given to those who had the crown made them for triumph . but none among the aforesaid crowns was ever more noble or more glorious with the romans then that of grass , after which the civiche , the tirumphale , and those of gold were the next in estimation , because that all the other crowns captains did give to souldiers ; but this of grass was presented by the whole army , as to the preserver thereof . and sometimes the senate did give it , and the people of rome to some particular person , as to fabius maximus when hannibal departed italy , and which was also given to augustus when he shut the temple of ianus , and made peace both by sea and land . now concerning the royall crown according to the use in these days , was by the ancients in no such sort observed , athough the priests of persia , and the kings did wear a round wreath of linnen , and the meonii , the syrians , the phrygians and the lydians the miter , the which is now used by our bishops as an ornament over the scutchions of their arms , signifying thereby the nobility of their house , and their divine profession : but in exchange of the crown the king had the scepter , the chair of state , the purple robe wrought with gold , and carried a diadem , upon their heads , which was a roll of white linnen , which the kings were wont to wear upon their heads , an invention ( as i think ) of the egyptians and the hebrews , who using to anoint their kings upon the temples or sides of the head , did roll a veil round about , that the sacred oyntment might not be wip'd away . whereupon to this purpose we find , that alexander the great took from his head the diadem , to put it upon lysimacus , who whas therewith wounded in the forehead , the which accident was prognosticated by the future reign of lysimacus . and that pompey surnamed the great , was envied because he did wear a wreath upon his knee , for a certain hurt that did much offend him , as though he would aspire to the kingdom of rome . now concerning the use of this crown according to the modern custome , the emperours and kings which descended from the romans , were wont to send to those whom they exalted to any royall dignity , a crown in token of honor . and moreover the invention came from them ; for it is not long since this ceremony was exercised by the chief bishops & emperours , forsomuch as it was not honor enough for the pope , as election should be made of that supream degree , to sit in st. peters chair . but this ceremony gathering daily greater force , was introduced , that between the solemnity of the masse he should be crowned by the hand of the bishop of ostia . and likewise the coronation of the emperours was unknown in the first ages of the empire ; for the first of the roman emperours that put a golden crown upon his head , was ( as aurelius victor declares ) the emperour aurelianus , who ruled the empire in the year of christ . and used apparrell embrodered with gold and pearl , and full of pretious stones . afterward dioclesian ( as eutropias writeth ) begun the fashion of the royall state of a king , because that not onely in his apparell , but even in his shooes had pretious stones embrodered , causing others to do him honor and reverence , and was the first that would be adored . but the first of all the emperoers which received the crown of the roman empire from the pope , was charls the great , who having setled the affairs of italy , of france and germany , came to rome , & with all the honor that might be , was placed in the seat of pope leo the third , which through the envy of some men was deposed from the papacy . charls the great was crowned in the year of our lord . the pope having celebrated the 〈◊〉 upon the reliques of st. peter , by the consent and desire of the p●●ple of rome , declared charls emperour of the romans , and put an imperiall crown upon his head , the people making great applause and acclamation , and proclaiming with a loud and high voyce three times , to charls august crowned by god , the great and peaceable emperour , life and victory . and the pope anointed him with oyl and balm consecrated to this effect , together with pepin his son , whom he pronounced king of italy ; the which things were all done in the year of our lord . and so charles began to occidentall empire of germany , which to this present hath continued with great honor and glory . whereupon the emperours which succeeded him , imitating charls , either because that action seemed unto them worthy observation , or perhaps because they desired by that means to maintain the title of the empire , which leo gave to charles , as is said , they followed from time to time the custome to be crowned . in this manner also were together with the power annexed the demonstrations of regall or princely fortune , of the which demonstrations of honor they participating more or lesse , the which did participate more or lesse of kingly fortune , from thence proceeded the use of crowns and chaplets , signifying royall or princely dignity , or the honor of a duke , or lordly power & authority , because that the roman empire being fallen from the greatness therof , and barbarians coming into italy , who like the inundation of a mighty river , carrieth with it infinite damage , replenished unfortunate italy with their brutish manners ; whereupon miserably fell to the earth , not onely the beauty of the roman tongue , and the perfection and propriety thereof , but all that semblance and similitude of the ancient customes , and new titles , new fashions , and new lawes were intruded : the word prince was taken for a new kind of dignity , which being inferior to a king , and imperiall preheminence , taketh the precedence of dukes , marquesses , and earls . the first which used this name in italy , was , as we have declared ( and according as leone cardinall and bishop of ostia saith in his history casinense ) about the year of our lord , arechi the second , . duke of benevento , who having inlarged his dukedom , would have his said state no longer called a dukedom , but a principality , and caused himself to be anointed and crowned by his bishops ; and in the end of his letters and charters of priviledge , caused them to to be thus dated , scriptum in nostro sacratissimo palatio . afterward his successors continuing , used to do the like . whereupon by their example the princes of capoa , of taranto , and of salerno being allured thereunto , caused themselves also to be annointed and crowned by their bishops . these titles at the 〈…〉 of the kings , were given unto their children , nor any except the blood royall 〈…〉 partakers of these titles . whereupon of the children of ruggiero , the first king of the kingdom of naples and sicilia , ainulfo was prince of capoa , and gulielmo which afterward succeeded in the kingdom , was prince of taranto . charls of aujou the first of this name , king of naples , ordained , that his eldest son should be named prince of salerno ; whereupon charls the second in the time of his father was intituled prince of salerno , and charls the son of charls the second , before he came to the kingdom of hungary , was also called prince of salerno . but because his brother ruberto , and not he , succeeded in the kingdom of naples , which was then called duke of calauria , from thence it so came to pass , that from that time forward they were no more princes of salerno , but the kings first begotten son was called duke of calauria . so was charls called his father living , the worthy son of ruberto ; so was ferdinando the son of alfonsus king of arragon , who first conquered naples ; and so was alfonsus the squint-eyed the son of ferdinando ; but it so falling out , that old ferdinando alo living , to alfonsus his son was born a son whom he also named ferdinando , to him ( because his father duke of calauria lived ) was given the title of the principality of capoa . the first which was called prince of taranto , not descending of the blood royall , was iacobo del balzo the son of francisco , which was also the first that of no princely family was called duke of andri . and so much concerning the title of a prince , which signifying the dignity , signiory and jurisdiction which 〈◊〉 holdeth , so it is lawfull for them to place over their scutchion , or coat , armour , o●●heir family , a crown made after this fashion , in this kingdom after the dignity of a prince , the next is the state of a duke , which taketh place before a marquess and an earl. these dukes have above their arms a round hoop without any points or work above : but in place of the points there are certain pearls , and round about are certain pretious stones , after the manner which here underneath appears . the which fashion , although it be now decayed , i have thought good to declare , to the end the truth thereof may be known , the first title of a duke in this kingdom , was that of benevento , instituted in the year . but after they came under the jurisdiction of the king , the first being not descended of princely blood , was francisco del balzo ( as hath been said ) made duke of andri , by queen ione the first . not long after was iacobo marzano , made duke of sessa by king ladislaus , and so others from time to time , whereof the number at this present is very great . this dignity of a duke increased to a very high and eminent degree , the which chanced not to any of the other aforesaid dignities , because charls the . king of france being possest of this kingdom , created giliberto of borbona earl of montpensier his lieutenant generall of the kingdom archduke of sessa , and so the said borbana afterward caused to be set upon his arms a great purple cap , garnished with a golden hoop , set full of pretious stones , with certain points without pearls in the top , but onely put in the sides thereof , to the end the dignity of a prince might have its place , and that he also might be known for an archduke . the which crowns as well of the archdukes as the dukes , are to be used in the manner abovesaid , that whosoever ascendeth to that dignity , ought not to augment it with flourishing , or otherwise with the ornament of jewels or pretious stones , for in so doing , they seem to usurp a greater dignity then belongs unto them , for which as the lawyers say , they ought to be punished . and here it is to be noted , that they are not pointed in that manner as some of them have formerly used , that is to say , after that fashion , as their ancestors have had them , because they as they were free lords , and acknowledged not any superior , ( as before hath been declared in the discourse of the principality on this side ) might lawfully do it ; the which is now otherwise , the kingdom being under the dominion and jurisdiction of kings . after these the next in degree are the marquesses , the which are adorned with a hoop set with pretious stones , without any thing above , and with a very small appearance thereof above the arms , after this manner . bi●ndo and pietro razzano say , that the word marquess signifieth in the lombard tongue a perpetuall magistrate , or a perpetuall lordship ; but according as mario equicola saith in his commentaries of the marquesses of mantua , signifieth in the i●alian tongue , a president . alciato that excellent lawyer , saith that the word marquess is a dutch name , and that it signifieth a master of the horse , forasmuch as the germans call a horse marca , and in the french tongue marcare is as much as to say , to ride . in this kingdom as the name of a duke and an earl came the soonest , and that of a prince first , before in any other place , so that of a marquess appeared long after ; for the first was cecco dal bargo that was made marquess of pescara by king ladislaus . then follow the earls , called in latine comiti , because they were sent from the train and followers of the emperours to rule and govern some province , or some part thereof . also an earle , according to luca de penna , may put upon his arms , in place of a crown , a plain hoop , differing nothing from that of a marquess , save onely the want of jewels and pretious stones , as the earls of altavilla , of aquino , of conza , of marsico , of nola , of isernia , of milito , of potenza , of troja , and others anciently have used . the earls had their precedence in the parliaments of all the other lords and barons which had no title ; being created by the ancient kings with great state and solemnity , as appears in vgone falcando , where he speaketh of the promotion of riccardo di mandra , constable of the county of molise , comes creatus tubis , tympanis , cimbalisque de more solenniter prae untibus . finis . charles the fift emperour , and the th . king of naples . for compleating the history of naples , i will take my rise from a high-ground , , from that heroick prince that top of men , carlos quinto ; who was the first of the austrian family , that saluted in person the fair parthenope , and mounted the napolitan courser . from him we will go regularly on , and draw the thred of the story to his great grand-child philip the fourth now regnant . the emperour charles the fift , is famous for divers high feats of magnanimity and prudence , but the greatest and difficultest exploit that ever he did , the most signal victory that ever he obtained through-out the whole course of his life which had bin so active , was that conquest he made of himselfe , when he brought his passions and height of spirit to be so succumbent and co●chant , and to stoop unto him in so low a posture , that stripping himself of all his imperial and royal robes ( which he had worn in so much glory the first . yeers , the other . from sixteen to six and fifty ) he reach'd them with his own hands , the one to his brother ferdinand , to put on , the other to his son philip , denuding himself thereby of all earthly power , command , and wealth ; and pulling off , as it were , all his clothes therby before he went to bed , and burying himself ( in a dark cloyster ) before he was dead : an act without controversy most heroick , and discovering a high soul ; for as while we sojourn here among these frail and mutable elements , the conduct of our passions is held by the philosophers to be the principall busines of vertu , so the conquest of them is the noblest part of valour ; a man need no● go abroad to seek enemies , wheron to exercise his courage , if he descend into himself he shall find foes enough at home ; i mean those inmates and innated rebellious appetits , those tumultuous irregular humors which lodg within him , and to give them the check , is the hardest part of the play we are to act upon this worldly stage . charles the emperour did this , when he had but newly finished the eleventh lustre of his age , being then not . yeers old ; nor did he thus controll himself , by abandoning the pomp and glory of this life , and avoiding publick care , that he might retire to a country house of pleasure , to hawk and hunt , or use such pastimes , but he remov'd from so many thrones to enter himself into a monastery ( or hermitage rather ) that by that reclus'd life he might sequester himself from all mundane negotiations and delights , to have more vacancy , not only to study the theory of mortification , but put it in practise : besides this reason he declard at his resignation , that he was now weary of the incombrances of worldly affairs , wherewith he had bin laden so many yeers , for which he was becom now unweldly in regard of age , as also being afflicted with frequent fi●ts of the gout , which made him so crazy and unapt for government , having us'd tassata stirrops for divers yeers . one of his predecessors , severus the emperour was of an other humor , for he being very sick of the gout at the citty of york , as the story tells us , one of his nobles attending him at that time , told him , that the world did admire how he could govern so many separated nations , and make such remote expeditions , being so subject to that arthriticall lame disease , whereunto the emperour with more vigor then ordinary , answer'd ; sir , i would have you know , that i rule the empire with my head , and not with my feet , with my temples , not with my toes . hereunto may be not impertinently answer'd , that memorable answer which the late henry the great of france gave to a spanish ambassador , who coming to visit him when he was sore sick of the gout , and condoling his indisposition , he suddenly rise up off his couch , and told him , ventre de saint gris sil y avoit ocasion vostre maistre n● auroit pas plustost le pied dans lestrier , qu'il ne me trouveroit monte a cheval non obstant la g●●te . by the belly of saint gris , if there were ocasion your master ( meaning philip the d. of spain ) shold not have his foot sooner in the stirrop , then he shold find me on hors-back , notwithstanding the gout . but touching charles the emperour , whereof we have spoken ; it is much that he shold be so subject to the gout , if stirring and motion be a supersedeas against it as the physitions hold , because few princes had bin so active as he from his very youth ; for he made nine journies into germany , seven to italy , ten to flanders , four to france , two to england , and two expeditions to afric ; he had made eight voyages on the mediterranean sea , and three on the ocean . and what a world of achievements did he perform in these expeditions ? he sent away the great solyman weeping from before the walls of vienna , and so stoppd that huge torrent of destruction , which was like to have overwhelm'd all germany , and quickly after the rest of christendom ; he made barbarossa that formidable pyrate , and his dragon the admiral gal●on wherein he sayl'd , to ●ly before him ; what notable conquests were those of goletta and tunis , where the roman eagles had not flown since the time of scipio and hannibal , and had not the emulation of som christian princes found him work at home , and diverted him , he in all appearance had conquered and civiliz'd all barbary . to return to europe , he took the duke of cleve with all his towns and territories , he quash'd the duke of sax : who was head of the lutheran party , he imprison'd the duke of milan , he subdued and sack'd rome , he tam'd the mutinous city of gant , where he first breath'd aire and had bin rock'd in his cradle ; he pierc'd the very heart of france , forcing that king to fly to the turk for his assistance against him , whom he afterwards took prisoner ( being the day he was born upon ) yet touching that action ( as he himself confess'd ) though charles had more of fortune therein , yet francis had got as much of glory , considering all circumstances , being taken with naked sword in hand , among a throng of fighting enemies , all about him weltring in blood , colours flying , and victory fluttering on both sides with doubtfull wings : the full discovery of the new world was made in his raign , with the mines of peru ; in fine , he had such a continuall tide of good success , that it seems that age was design'd for his glory . he had twenty pitcht battels , and above three hundred sieges ; nor did he know what a repulse was , but only at algier , marseilles & mets , where the wind blew strongly in his face , insomuch that among the caesars , charlemain may be sayd to be only parrallell to charles le q●int . all this he intimated in a fluent and vigorous swelling oration before the two queens , elianor of france , and mary of hungary dowager his sisters , divers knights of the golden fleece , and a great confluence of nobles at the act of renuntiation , in bruxells ; but now he sayd further , he wold court fortune no longer ( who being a female loves young men best ) and therefore he would recommend his son unto her . he wold no longer hold those scepters which he could not sway , nor , a sword that he could not draw out , yet he said , that by this surrendry he did not retire himself from either imperial or regal power , out of any apprehensions of any fear of future dangers , or revolts , or the power of any potentates upon earth , nor out of a resentment of any ill success pass'd , or the least distrust of the divine providence , and any disaffections of his subjects , but soly to wean himself from the world , and have better opportunity to make his account with heaven . after such generous expressions and a little pausing , he concludes thus in spanish . que porsus indisposit●ones a que le avian reducido los traba●os del espiritu estava resuelto de pouer todo el peso de los negocios sobre los ombros de su hijo , y hermano , y assi desde ●atonces renunciava en el uno el imperio , y en el otro las coronas d' espana , y de las diez y siete provincias de flandes , y desobligava a todos sus sudditos del juramento de fidelidad que le avian hecho . in regard of those distempers which the agitations of his spirit had reduc'd him unto , he was resolv'd to pass over the weight of all businesses upon the sholders of his son and his brother ; therefore from that time forward he renounc'd and transferr'd the empire to the one , and the crowns of spain with all the seventeen provinces to the other , disobliging and absolving all his subjects from that oath of alleagiance which they had sworn unto him ; whereupon his son philip kneeling before him bare-headed , his father melting all into tears ( with divers of the spectators ) he put the crown upon his head giving him his benediction & therewith the soveraignty of all his dominions , that being disburden'd hereof he might the more easily go on in his journey to the port of happiness , and dispose himself to the meditation of the supream good , which is the best philosophy , the highest wisdom , and most consummated felicity . as he was doing this he presented to the young king his son , don francisco eraso , who had bin secretary , and a most loyall confident of his many years ; insomuch that at parting , he sayd , quanto os he dado este dia no es ●anto ●emo daros mi eraso . that which i have given you my son at this day , is not so much as the giving of my eraso unto you . a little after he sent the imperiall crown to his brother ferdinand , by william prince of orenge who was slain afterwards , contracting with his sons ; ferdinand shew'd himself shy at first in accepting of it , because t was too heavy for his sholders , at last he took it , saying , no ac●tara si no convini●ra a la conservation de ●●s salud , pero procuraria imitar sus virtudes en parte , ya que en todo era impossible a la mayor capacidad . he wold not accept of such a crown , did it not conduce to the preservation of his majesty his brothers health , but he would endeavour to imitate his vertues in part , for to imitate them all was impossible for the greatest capacity . the criticks of those times did pass various censures upon this rare transaction , upon this high affair of state , the sound whereof quickly pass●d to both the poles , som taxt charles of a kind of ( laschete ) of pusillanimity and desection of spirit in doing this , others of too much indulgence of himself , and for his corporall ease , others gave out he did it because he fore-saw those fearfull tumults which happend afterwards in the low countreys by the lutheran party : but the soberst sort of impartiall men did impute it soly to his indisposition of health , and that this retirednesse might tend to the advantage of his body and soul , which those multiplicities of cares , that attended so many crowns as he wore , debarrd him of . it was a saying of one of our english kings , that if one did but know the weightines of a crown he wold not take it up , though he shold stumble at it in the high way : if this may be a caveat to those who are in health , much more shold it be to those that are indisposd and of crazy wasted constitutions : as the gifts of nature are more excellent then those of fortune , so are they , by a well regulated soul to be preferrd before them . the ensignes of majesty , as the scepter , the diadem , the throne , are glorious objects to behold , but when the rackings of the gout , the colick , or other infirmities wholy distemper him that hath them , a healthfull peasan is farr more happy , then such a prince , if placed in opposition ; such a king may be sayed to be tantalizd all the while , for though he have an a●●luence of all things about him , yet he cannot tast of any with a true relish ; so that what shold procure his happines , encreaseth his punishment , for though he can comand all , yet he cannot convert any thing to his own comfort , when the agonies he suffers make those which are gustfull to others to becom gall to him . the pangs of the gout alone are able to convince zeno and his senselesse sect of stoiks , who deny all pain and passion ; for all those pleasing ideas which the conceit of majesty and greatnesse use to instill into the brain , cannot countervail those torments which som diseases use to inflict upon the body ; therfore doubtles charls the fift had more reason to preferr his health before his crowns , it being a jewell so precious , that all the diadems on earth have not the like inchacd in them : it was the speech of valentinian , that an emperour ought to dye standing on his feet , now if he ought to be found dying in that posture , much more ought he to appear so living : t is true we read of som generalls who have commanded in their litters ( as sir francis vere was carryed in a chaire at the battail of newport to direct the army ) but these examples are very few . but we will return to take leave of charles the fift ; a little after , this once mighty monarch , and now mortified man , removd to flushing , to embark himself with his two royall sisters for spain ( the foresayd mary queen of hungary , and leonora queen dowager of france ) and thence to the haven of eternall rest ; being there , he was so thin attended , that one night he had not a servant to light som who came to visit him down the staires but did it himself : thence he hoisd sayl for castile , where he cloysterd himself in the monastery of saint iusto , and that small remnant of time he livd there ( which was not above two yeers ) he imployd in divine seraphicall speculations , in divers sorts of penances , concurring with sundry acts of piety and pitty . thus this great h●ro became a hermit , this glorious monarch became an obscure m●nk , and certainly he well deservd to have worn so many crowns who did so freely quitt them , obeying therin onely the motions of his own soul , without any shew of constraint , or the lest appearance of suspecting the alleagiance of his pe●ple . now touching that arthriticall torturing disease which afflicted the emperour charles , his son and immediat successor had much more cause to be subject therunto , in regard of his sedentary and reposefull life , in regard that he kept for the most part in his closet , wher he wold write himself his own letters , dispatches , and instructions : there he might be sayed to have a prospective , through which he beheld what was a doing in the old and new world , yea as farr as the antipodes : his closet was the center whence the lines of his comands were drawn to the circumference , of so many vast remote regions , as will appear in the history of his life , which in regard he was a prince of a strange mould , of a close dark nature , that his thought could seldom be penetrated , i will spend more oyle then ordinary to illustrat his raign . the life and raigne of philip the second , th king of naples . philip of austria ( second of that name ) succeeded caesar his imperiall father in all his hereditary dominions by a voluntary free resignation , wherin he might be sayed not to be beholden to death , as other heirs apparant use to be , but to his fathers free designe : but touching the kingdom of naples , it was transferrd unto him before ▪ to countenance his second marriage with mary queen of england and ireland : there wanted not som critiques that wold have derogated from the worthinesse of that spontaneous act of the emperours , saying , that king philip was overheard to say a while a●ter that the second day after the resignation was the first day of his fathers repentance : but sure that could not be , if the historians who were then contemporaries may be beleevd , for this was don by a long moulded preceding resolution , as they write , in regard that the emperour had a design to do it six yeers before , when he was but fifty yeers of age ; the ground of which proceeded from the speech of an old captain of his , who desiring a passe to retire from armes , told him , sir , he who hath a care of his soul must put an intervall twixt the affaires of the world and death . and now to the intended task . philip the second was born in valladolid upon a tuesdey the . of may . in the chair-ship of clement the seventh , a little before that his fathers armie had assaulted and sackt rome , but without the knowledg of the emperour himself , and the consent of his viceroy of naples at that time , which was the cause that philip was not baptiz'd with such ecclesiasticall pomp and solemnity that is usuall ; at ten months and twenty dayes old he was declar'd prince of castilia and aragon in the monastery of saint hierom in madrid , his parents being present : when he had arriv'd to seven yeers of age ( wherin nature doth use to make som visible change , in the progresse of humane life ) his father commanded a house and family to be settled for him ; at which time doctor siliceo ( who was afterward bishop of toledo , and cardinal ) was appointed to be his preceptor , who taught him to know , to love , and fear god , to read , and write , to understand the latin , italian , & french tongues , and to have som knowledg in the mathematiques : his mother the empresse , daughter to emanuel king of portugal , dyed a few yeers after at toledo where philip was bred , leaving him about twelve yeers of age , at which time he began to rule spain in the absence of his father , being assisted by cardinal tabera , the duke of alua , and others : at fifteen yeers of age he was sworn prince of aragon , where he was intitled governour according to the custom : at sixteen yeers of age he maried the lady maria infanta of portugal , daughter to iohn the third , a creature of exquisit bewty , being of the same age with philip. som few yeers after he was call'd by his father to flanders , leaving the government of spain to arch-duke maximilian his cosen , and king of bohemia and hungary . he pass'd over to italy in a fleet of thirty eight gallies , under the command of andrea doria , and landing at genoa , he pass'd through milan and mantova to germany and so to brussels ; having their receiv'd divers good documents from his father , taken a survey of the nether-lands , italy and germany , whither he attended the emperour his father to a diet at auspurg , having purchas'd all this experience , he went back by his fathers order to spain , having receiued a new commission to govern there in chief , and in the indies also : a while after there was an ouverture of marriage made twixt him and queen mary of england , which was quickly agreed upon , therefore he embark'd himself at the groyn ( corunnia ) in a fleet of sixty eight ships , wherein was a regiment of four thousand spaniards , among whom were divers noble men and persons of quality : being arriv'd in england and royally attended to london , the nuptials were celebrated in great magnificence ; hereupon king philip took share with his wife in the government , by the title of king of naples , hierusalem , england , and ireland , but afterwards the parliament ( when he was departed ) began a cavil and wold not have him stil'd king of england , but husband to the queen of england , during his abode in england , his queen and he liv'd in a sweet way of conjugall love , notwithstanding their disparity of yeers , she being above a dozen yeers elder ; it was thought once she was with child , therefore she was prayed for at saint pauls cross , but in lieu of a pregnancy it prov'd a tympany , a tumor , or mole , proceeding from indisposition of body : all the while he liv'd in england he advanc'd the roman religion , but being call'd away by his father to flanders , the reform'd religion began to take footing again ; after he was departed from england , calais was taken by the duke of guyse , who in the dead of winter did suddenly sit before her and began his batteries so furiously , that the noyse of his canons were heard as farr as antwerp neer a hundred miles distant : king philip while he cohabited with his wife often advisd her to have a speciall care of calais , and afterwards upon a treaty of peace twixt spain and france , one of the articles were that calais should be surrendred to the queen of england , but she dyed in the interim . the family of caraffa , who were neer allied to pope paul the fourth , wold needs advise his holines to recouer the kingdom of naples for the apostolicall see , the times being propitious to such a work : their counsail prevaild in regard that france obligd her self to assist him , but though the attempt went very far , yet it could not take effect ; that clowd being scatterd in italy , and the truce being expird with france , a new war began wherin he gaind that famous victory of saint quintin , which he took upon saint laurence day , and for the advantage of his advenues he was forcd to batter down a monastery of fryers , but with a resolution and vow , that if it would please heaven to give him the victory he wold erect such a house of religion to the honor of god , and of the martyr saint laurence that the world had not the like , which he performd accordingly at the escuriall . a peace being concluded afterward with france , and having put all things in a settled and good posture in flanders , leaving there his sister the dutchesse of parma to govern , he made sayl for spain , but as he landed at laredo , a furious tempest did rise wherin divers of his ships perishd who were very richly laden . not long after this his return to spain , the moores of granada did cutt him work to do , and it provd a tedious and difficult task to subdue them , which yet he atchieved at last after many traverses of warr : in the greatest fury therof , king philip marryed the arch-duchesse the eldest daughter of the emperour maximilian , who was brought in great pomp from germany to spain . at the earnest sollicitation of pope pius the fift he entred afterward into a league with his holines , and the republic of venice against selim the great turk , who a little before had taken the ile of cyprus from the signiory ; he writ● back to the pope , that he held his request therin to be equivalent to a command , and so he sent order to his viceroys of naples and sicily to levy forces accordingly ; which they did , sending don iohn of austria his naturall brother , to be his generalissimo , therupon happend that famous naval fight in the gulph of lepanto , upon the successe wherof the incolumity of all italy depended , but it pleasd god to affoord the christians a most triumphant and blissefull victory ▪ which if they had pursued , they might in all probability have overmasterd all greece , but their own dissentions hinderd the work : the neapolitan squadrons did most signall services in this great expedition , for which king philip sent a letter full of grace and thanks , with an inlargement of som priviledges , to the most faithfull city of naples . philip had now waded through sundry sorts of difficulties , having putt a period to the war with the caraffa's and the pope , made peace with the french , and debelld the mahumetans ; therfore he addicted himself to erect works of piety , and among other , that stupendous fabrique at the escuriall , but as he was most busy about it , newes came to him of the troubles of flanders , and it was the unluckiest newes that ever was brought to spain , considering what a long lingring war they brought , wherin all the princes of christendom were directly or col●aterally engagd , it is as impossible to beleeve as to write the strange and various traverses of those warrs , the multitudes of men who lost their life 's therin , so that those provinces were calld sepulchra hispanorum , the incredible masse of treasure which was expended , for the mines of mexico and those of potosi were almost exhausted to feed these warrs , which had they not happend , the kings of spain might have pavd their courts and tild their palaces with gold and silver ; yet in the greatest brunt and fury of these warrs , philip made a conquest of portugall , for se●ing his title wold not be accepted , wherby he alledged right of succession , he made it good with his sword , and subdued the whole kingdom , wherin as he sayed he verified t●e saying , that — arma tenenti omnia dat qui justa negat — to atchieve this mighty exploit , whom shold philip employ but the duke of alva , who had so trampled upon the belgians , and though he was then in disgrace with the king , and in prison by his immediat command , yet he had studyed his humor so well , how ambitious he was of glory , and how many proofs he had made of his fidelity and courage , that though he would not admit him to his presence and to kisse his hands , yet he sent him a commission to be his generalissimo in that expedition : nor was philip out of his account , or deceavd in his judgment of the genius of the man , for he executed his commission with such an exactnes of fidelity , with such rare successe , and in so short a compas of time that one must have a strong faith to believe , with what facility he reducd all lusitania , which provd a mighty addition to the spanish monarchy , for therby the east indies , so many islands in the atlantic sea , with divers territories in afric fell under the castilian yoak : but as henry the seventh of england was hanted with walking spirits ( who sayed they were edward the fift ) whom he chasd away by sprinkling of blood , so was philip the second troubled with two hermits , who one after the other sayed they were don sebastian , and so drew a considerable party after them , but they were found to be counterfeits , and so executed accordingly . moreover don antonio naturall son to lewis one of the uncles of don sebastian , pretended right to the crown ( as he had had , had he bin legitimat ) therfore he fled to queen elizabeth of england for succour , who accordingly furnisht him with considerable forces by sea and land , under drake and norris , but all wold not do . no sooner had philip thus securd and quieted the kingdome of portugal , with the vast territories therunto annexed , but new work was cut him out in aragon , where a hideous insurrection happened , which grew from the imprisonment of antonio perez , the famous secretary of state , king philip left him to the ordinary course of justice , and being accusd of homicide to have slain escovedo , don iohn of austria's secretary , and according to the lawes of spain being rackt therefore , he confest the fact , but he alledged , he did it by the king his masters command ; and being pressd to discover the causes , he answerd , they were so secret that they were not fit to be publisht . t is true that philip did not much resent the death of escovedo , because he had buzzd odd councels into the eares of don iohn of austria , as to marry without the kings privity elizabeth queen of england , to conquer algier or tunis , and crown himself king afterwards . antonio perez by his wives subtlety made an escape out of prison , and posted away to aragon with two confidents of his , where he found such potent and popular friends that gave him sanctuary and protection ; and they drew a considerable party after them to this purpose . now as one insolency drawes on another , they took opportunity hereby to say , that it was a breach of their priviledges to have a stranger to be their vice-roy , as also to introduce the inquisition wherunto perez was like to be put over . this commotion was like to be of very dangerous consequence , for the common people of saragossa began to be very violent in it , king philip raisd an army of . foot and horse , under the command of don alonso de vargas , a veteran and a great experiencd captain ; they of aragon having notice hereof , were preparing another army in opposition , but the king with his own hand writ to them a gracious letter in these words . no aver levantado aquel exercit● si no para passar a francia , que el era mejor aragonez , que los que aconse javan se le estorvasse el passo , y se maravillava mucho se creyes cosa que a el aun no avia passado por el pensamiento , y menos romper l●s privilegios a un reyno a quien amava tanto the army which he was a raising was to no other end but to pass to france , he was a better arrogonian then those who gave advice that this army shold be stopd in the passage , and he wonderd much that credit shold be given to things that never entred into his head , where he never habourd the least thought to infringe the priviledge of a kingdome , which he lovd so well . this letter was like a gilded pill with strong drugs within , for no sooner was the letter sent , but don alonso followd with his army and came to the gates of sarogosa , his soldiers crying out for france , for france , don alonso being entred , the chief justice of aragon thinking to fly away was apprehended , and according to a private order don alonso had from the king to dispatch in the first place don iohn de nuza , y que a un mismo punto le avisasse de su prision y de su muerte who shold have notice at the same instant of his imprisonment and death : don iohn being thus apprehended was hurried into a coach , and two jesuits to prepare him for death , he askt by vertue of what sentence , hereupon they shewd him that short order , which philip all of his own hand-writing had delivered don alonso . that don iohn de nuza was the prime officer of the kindom of aragon ; a goodly fair young man , and of a gallant presence , therfore his death was very much lamented , specially being descended of the most illustrious and ancientst families of that kingdom ; many other persons of quality and the chief ring-leaders of this tumult were executed , and their heads and members set up in quarters upon the gates of the city ; antonio perez had made his escape from saragosa two daies before towards france , to the country of bern , where katherine queen of navarr and mother to henry the fourth , gave him protection and entertainment , whereupon a publick ban was proclaimd that whosoever could bring him alive , or dead should have . crowns , therfore not finding himself secure so neer spain , he fled to england , and thence removd to paris , where he did lead the remainder of his life ▪ gazd upon as he passd the streets as a strange monster of fortune , but cryed up for a person of notable sound parts , and politick speculations . a little after king philip , his generall don alonzo having already dispatcht the principalst part of the business before him , made a kind of progress to his kingdom of aragon , and convokd a parliament to meet at tarasona , but a generall pardon preceded his summons , only the town of tervel and albarracin excepted with . persons besides , which he afterwards forgave , so he confirmed unto them such priviledges as he thought ; he enacted new lawes , and repeald many old , so the kingdom gave him a present of about four hundred thousand crowns , so he returned triumphantly from aragon to castille , having thus deprest the courage of that high crested people ; and if ever that aphorism was verified ; viz. that rebellion supprest makes the prince the stronger , surely it was in this great action , as may be inferrd out of the former transactions in that kingdom . upon crushing of this aragonian cocatrice in the shell , there was a monstrous strange hydra engendred in france with i cannot tell how many heads : the huguenots began to be potent and turbulent there , the queen-mother katherine de medicis , with the guisards were great bigots , and abhorring that faction , being most fervent in the advance of the roman cause , they made war against the huguenots , upon those grounds ; therupon philip being the catholick king , could do no less in the quarrell of the holy church then reach his arme and assist them which he did , by sending order to the duke of parma his governour in flanders to that end , who accordingly rusht into france and pursued his march as far as the walls of paris : at his entrance into france he repaird to the cathedrall church of meaux where he protested and solemnly swore , that he came to france with that army ( which consisted of . foot and . horse ) to no other intent but to deliver the oppressed friends of the king ( then under minority ) from the violence of rebells and heriticks , in which quarrell he wold expose his person to any perils whatsoever , and he knew every soul under the banners of his catholike majesty which were in this army wold do the like : having receivd this speciall command and knowledg of his sayd majesties pleasure accordingly : this intricat and mysterious war calld the ligue lasted by intermissions in france above thirty yeers , and it came to such a multiplicity of interests that every province became frontire to one another , insomuch that that gallant & entire compleat kingdom was like to be cut into fragments & cantonizd . queen eliz : of england was offerrd by the hugonots a good part , but fore-seeing what confusion it wold bring , and how much it wold enfeeble the power of that kingdom , which is the greatest one knot of strength and entire power that is able to counterbalance that of the monarchy of spain , she refused the proffer , and rather assisted the preservation of the regall power in that kingdom . king philip having don such signall services for the roman catholicks in france , & having wownd himself out of the ligue from warring against heritiks ( as he calld the hugonots ) he turnd his sword against infidels , he sent a puissant army both by land and sea , under don francisco de mendosa , who was commander in chief for the conquest of oran upon the coasts of barbary , which design provd so succesfull that it took effect , yet not without much expence of blood and treasure , which made the triumph more glorious for — turpis sine pulvere palma : having thus reducd oran , and som territories circumiacent from mahumetismie , and the half moon to be under the standard of the cross , he pursued his good fortunes and assaulted another fort in barbary , calld penion de velez which he also carried but not without som difficulty . after a little breathing from beating the turk in barbary , he had opportunity to meet him at malta , which being besiegd by solyman , he sent to his viceroy of naples and sicily to make what strength they could to assist the great master and knights of that noble order ; the siege provd very obstinat for four months and the canons played upon the walls of malta incossantly , which batterd som of them down to the ground , destroyed multitudes of houses , killd within the town . of all ages and sexes , with . cavalliers , and commanders of all nations , who had sacrified their lives for the preservation of malta , and therby transmitted their fame to posterity . don garcia de toledo hereupon returnd triumphantly with his fleet to naples , where the three castles and the church of carmine saluted him , with sundry volleys of great shot . the next design was no less succesfull to philip , for he made himself absolut master of melilla , notwithstanding that the mahumetans added witch-craft to their stratagems of war to over-throw the spaniards . a little after philip understanding that florida which belongd to him by right of discovery , being part of new-found world , was colonied and usurpd by a plantation of french hugonots , whom he abhorrd as hereticks in his opinion , the chief wherof was iohn riblaut , king philip commanded eight galeons with . soldiers to be made ready at ca●es , & appointed pedro melendez de valdez commander , in chief giving him the title of adelantado or governour of florida , after a prosperous navigation thither , he assaulted a fort which the french-men had built , and he pursued the point of his design with that vigor , that he subdued it with the loss of a . men , and so driving the french into the mountains and desarts , he made himself master of the country upon michaelmas day . the next yeer he sent sea and land forces towards the luzones ilands which ly the south-east , which had bin discoverd by magellan before . and he imployed upon this service michael lope de legaspe , who had such prosperous success , that arriving at the i le of zebu he was receivd with much humanity and frendship by tupas who ruld ther as king ; so he built ther a town calld saint michel with a strong fort , and having som fryers aboard he raysd ther the standard of the cross , and many of the indians were reducd to christianity in a short time , acknowledging the catholic king for their lord paramount ; many iles more ( wherof ther is such an infinity ) rendred themselfs , and in honor of the king they were christned las philippinas , making a town calld manila the chief , wher afterwards the christian vice-roys resided : and much about that time the frontire town twixt champagne and germany took his name , and is calld philipsburg to this day . all this while king philip had the wind in the poupe , and fortune on the fore-castle , but now growing old that inconstant female fell from him , and turnd her back , and as commonly one good success coms not alone , so disaster and misfortunes when they once com they com like the surges of the sea , and one wave upon the neck of another : and indeed the affairs of this instable world are nothing but vicissitudes composd of good , and bad events . the first frown tha● fortune did cast upon king philip was under the command of the conde of alcaudete at mostagan in barbary , wher the said conde was slain by the forces of the xariphe , a petty morisco king ; and so the enterprizd fayld . not long after the napolitan gallies with other christian forces had very lamentable success at los gelves neer tripoli , wher most of the christian fleet perishd : don alvaro commander in chief was taken prisoner and presented to piali the turks general ; but ther was a great deal of rashness and imprudence usd in the conduct of that expedition , which hapned in the yeer . for had the christian army set upon tripoli , which was a place not so strong in the ey of reason and all humane probability , they might have taken it , having a competent strength to do it , for the army consisted of . soldiers besides commanders , . galeons and . gallies , but as marriages , so victories are decreed in heaven . another disastrous accident hapned in the port of herradura in the kingdom of granada , wher don iohn of mendosa son to bernardin de mendoza vice-roy and captain-generall of naples , who having a considerable fleet wherin ther were . land soldiers , which were to be quarterd in the kingdom of valentia wher an insurrection was feard , there blew upon a sudden such a furious gust of an east-wind , that most of the fleet perishd , and above . souls . but this mis-fortune was inferior to that which hapned three yeers after , which was in . when aluch-ali that famous turkish generall came with a formidable army to the coasts of barbary , wherwith he made himself master of goletta and tunis , wher above . peeces of ordinance were found , which the enemy made prize of with other rich booties ; they destroyed all the churches and monasteries , except the great church which was preservd by a ransom of money . this crowd of disasters ushering in one another , besides that costly and remote war in flanders , might in any mans judgment , have daunted the spirits of king philip , who before had bin so long habituated to good success , for as the morall philosopher tells us , miserum est fuisse felicem , one of the worst kind of unhappiness is to have bin happy ; but he was a prince of a marvailous aequanimity and temper , one who had long studied the mutable condition and lubricities of this world , insomuch that these crosser traverses did rather heighten his mind then depress it ; for not long after he riggd a mighty fleet upon a great dessign , no less then for the conquest of england , which he thought to swallow at a bit , which shews that neither his spirits nor treasure was wasted , notwithanding the vast expences in the flemmish wars , and so many millions that he buried in building the escuriall . the ground of this hardy enterprize upon england , was that he had receivd divers indignities and his subjects much damage from his sister queen elizabeth , though for his part he ever since the death of his wife queen mary , forbore to do any thing that might displease her , during his aboad in england , he had don her such signall and high favors , as to preserve her head from the scaffold , to have her allowance enlargd , to divert her sister from a design she had to send her beyond sea to be a nun ; and at his departure from england he desired not to carry with him but one ring of l. price , nor demanded he any thing of his wifes moveables after her death : and lastly he had shewed no small love for comprehending the surrendry of calais to the english in his treaty of peace with france ; but in lieu of these plums he gave her , she threw the stones at him , by assisting don antonio the bastard , against him about the title of portugal , by fomenting his own naturall subjects against him , in the revolt of the confederat provinces , as far as to send a governor of her own amongst them , by giving commissions to rob him in the indies , by intercepting som of his treasure in her own seas going to flanders , by wronging som of the haus towns who were under his protection : these with sundry lucitements more , causd philip to prepare this powerfull fleet to be quit with her at once for all old scores , and if all things had fallen right in the intended conjuncture , ther was proportion enough of strength ( to speak without flattery ) that might in all probability have subdued england ; for ther were . galeons , and gallies ; ther wer . fighting men aboard , neer upon . canons with bullets , amunition , and all things requisit ; the duke of parma was to cross over from flanders with . fighting men , more horse and foot , but he wanted a fleet to transport them , which was the greatest over-sight the spaniards committed in the tracing and conduct of this business ; but this mighty invincible armada vanisht away into smoak , by contrary winds and horrid tempest which attended the fleet , from beginning to ending ; for many ill-favord accidents happened at the very beginning , which might presage the disasters following : the generalissimo the marquess of san-cruzd , a long experienc'd and fortunate captain dyed a● he was ready to set sayl for the expedition ; the duke of medina being chosen in his place , as soon as he launchd out , he was beaten by an impetuous storm in the bay of biscay upon the coasts of france , where he lost divers bottoms , and the winds were so cross , that wheras they thought to visit england in may they came not till iuly , wher they had such rough welcom that . of their men were made food for hadocks , three parts of four of their navy were sunk , burnd , or taken , and those which scapd could not return the same way they came , but coasting by denmark and norway fetcht a compass about ireland , and so came home pittifully shatterd , torn , and tatterd . this provd a heavy loss to spain which she could not repair ( as they say ) twenty yeers after : the english push on their good fortune , and the next yeer take cales , which they sackt and plunderd ; divers ill successes did consecutively happen divers yeers to king philip , so that his fortune made him som amends , with his age , but the reduction of portugal under the crown of castile , which in modesty he calld an vnion rather then a conquest , though it was a tru one : he seald all his exploits with this , and it was the last great action of his life , for ever after he meddled little with public business , but transmitted them to his son who usd to sign and seal most dispatches . king philip was now entring upon his . yeer ( but a good while before he grew valetudinary and weak ) for twelve yeers before his death he drank not a drop of wine , nor did he eat b●t at set hours , and then by weight and sparingly to starve his gout , wherwith besides other indispositions he was tormented many yeers , insomuch that death did not surpize and assault him upon a sudden , but she gave him fair warning before-hand ; ther wer divers incisions made into one of his legs , and he was content to have one of his fingers sawd off to stop a gangrene that happened ther ; at last it grew to be the pediculary disease , all which he endurd with much humility and wonderfull courage ; it might be sayd that his body was the field wher his foes wer incampd , and he the combatant , they wer both quarterd together ; he billited and fed his own enemies who wer all his inmates : during his sickness he had frequent symptomes of mortification which encreasd with his agonies . the last . daies before his death he took the communion fourteen times , and confessed so often ; he began to put his house in order , and to prescribe the mode how he wold be buried , causing them to open his fathers coffin , and to take the mesure of it , for he wold be buried in the same posture , which was in the frock of a poor fryer : the chirurgeons being lancing of his knee one day , the prince his son askt him whether it did not pain him much , he answerd , mucho mas me duelen mis pecados , my sins pain me much more : in the height of his anguishes his speech usd to be , padre eterno tu voluntad se haga y no la mia ; eternall father thy will be done and not mine . som daies before his last he calld for the prince his son , and told him , no se sentia con fuerças ni capacidad para advertirle lo que era necessario para el govierno de tantos pueblos que dexava a su cargo , mas que dexava un papel en poder de su confessor , en que hallaria los mas saludables consejos de sus experiencias , y los mas justos avisos que su conscientia le dicto my son , i do not find my self now to have strength or capacity enough to communicate unto you what is necessary for the government of so many peeple which are to fall under your government , but i have left in the hands of my confessor a paper , wherin you shall find the wholsomst advise that my experience and conscience could dictat ; so he causd him to read what saint lewis of france sayd to his son philip before his death ; afterwards he commanded an ivory cabinet to be brought , whence he took out a plain crucifix of wood , and a penitentiall whip all blooded , saying , wheras others use to leave rings and jewels at their death to them whom they love most , i leave you , my son , this discipline ( meaning the whip for so they call it in spain ) which he conjurd him upon his blessing to make often use of , for as he sayd , con esta disciplina podria mesclar su sangre con la de su padre y su abuelo in using this you may mingle your blood with that of your fathers and grand-fathers : and touching that plain crucifix , he told him that his grand-father dyed having it in his hands , and so would he , wishing his son to do the like . the next day he took the extream unction at nine of the night , desiring first to be informd by the arch-bishop of toledo how it was usd to be usd , for he had never seen it don before ; he had the prince his son ther present , to whom for all his spirits were so much wasted , he made this rare speech . he querido , hijo mio , os hallassedes presente en esta hora , y viessedes como yo he recebido la santa vnction lo uno porque no os suceda lo que o mi , y tengais la ignorancia que yo , lo otro paraque veais en que paran las monarquias deste mundo ; ya veys , hijo mio , como dios me ha despojado de la gloria y magestad de rey para daros a vos esta investidura , a mi me pondran dentro de pocas horas una pobre mortaja , y me ceniran con un pobre cordel , y a se me ca● de la cabes a la corona , la muerte me la quita para daros la a vos . dos cosas os encomiendo mucho la una que permanescais siempre en la obediencia de la santa iglesia catolica ; la otra que hagais justicia , y ameis a vuestros vassallos , pues vendrá tiempo en que esta corona se os cayga de la cabeca como aora a mi , vos sois mancebo yo lo he sido , mis dias estavan contades , ya se han acabado , dios sabe los que tendreis de vida , y tambien han de tener fin , y assi es menester no desany daros en lo que tanto importa , sino mirar como vivis , porque la muerte os halle en buen estado siempre que os llame my son , i was willing you shold be present at this hour , now that i am taking the holy unction for two respects , first , that you might be not so ignorant hereof as i have bin ; secondly , that you may be an ey-witness what becoms of worldly monarchs ; you see alredy , my son , how god hath disrobd me of the glory and majesty of a king , to transfer this investiture to you , they will very speedily wind me up in a poor sheet and gird me about with a poor girdle ( meaning saint francis cordon ) the crown is upon point of falling off my head , death takes it from me to give it you ; i recommend unto you two things , first , that you wold continue constant in the holy catholic church : secondly , that you wold cause justice to be don to your subjects , and that you wold love them , for the time will com that the crown will also fall from off your head , as it doth from mine ; you are young and i am old , my daies wer reckond , and the score is onw striking off , yours also must have an end , therefore it behoves you not to be careless how much it imports you , but be heedfull what life you lead , that death may find you in a good condition when he summons you away . afterwards he much recommended unto him a war against hereticks , and peace with france , ; the prince thinking that he was now expird , and to settle the marquess of denia his favorit , afterwards duke of lerma , he demanded the golden key of his closet of don christo val de mora , he answerd , that he could not do it while the king was living ; the prince being a little movd therat don christoval complained to the king , who although he likd not his sons demand por ser algo temprana , because it was somwhat to early , yet he commanded don christo val to deliver it him , and aske him pardon ; now , the king had a year before turnd his face to the wall towards death , and his back to the world , from all troublesom businesses , so that the prince signd most commissions all the while . so on sunday about five in the afternoon upon the day of rest , philip went gently to his last , and he fell with the fall of the leaf in september , being seventy one yeers of age , to which age none of the austrian family ever arrivd , as it was observd . the last words which he breathd were these , yo muero como catolico christiano en lafe & obediencia de la iglesia romana , y respeto al papa como a quie● trae en sus manos las llaves del cielo como al principe de la iglesia , y teniente de dios sobre el imperio de las almas . i dy a catholic christian , in the faith and obedience of the roman church , and i respect the pope as him who carries in his hands the keys of heaven being prince of the church , and gods lieurenant over the empire of souls . thus philip el prudente philip the prudent ( for that epithet was given him afterwards by a parliament in spain , and confirmd solemnly afterwards in a consistory at rome ) took his last farewell of this world , wherin he had bin salted , as it were so long , by so many incumbrances and sicknesses . the report of his death made a great sound up and down the world , specially in rome wher it was much resented ; for the pope calld an extraordinary consistory the next day , wherin he declard that if ever the apostolick see had cause of grief and affliction , it was for the decease of this prince , because the holy church had left her greatest champion , and her persecutors their potentst enemy , whose life was no other then a continuall combat against apostacy and error ; so he compard him to david in his hatred of gods enemies , to salomon in wisdom , to josias in reformation of holy things , to jacob in patience , to augustus in valour , to trajan and theodosius in obedience to the holy church ; but ther wer two things that comforted him for so great a loss , his so immutable and rocky perseverance in his religion , his admirable resignation of his will to god , and his incredible patience in his suffrances which wer so many . by this pathetic speech did clement the th . as it wer canonize king philip , and endear his memory to the catholic world : in spain the condolement for his death was so universall , that every one did put himself in mourning for him , which they wore so long , that finding a kind of gravity as well as conveniency in black the spaniards are more addicted to that colour then any nation ever since ; and questionless he was a prince of a rare temper , of a large soul , and extraordinary intellectuals ; he was devoted to his religion in an intense degree , for he wold often say , si el p●incipe su hjjo fuera hereje , scilmatico , diera el mismo la lenapara quemarle ; if the prince his son wer a heretick or schismatic he wold himself find fuel to burn him : what a world of pious works did he erect , first , he founded the church of saint barnaba ▪ the apostle in the escurial , he built half the convent of saint philip in madrid , he added a cloyster to our lady of hope in ocana , another to the lady 〈◊〉 wher he also built a royall chappel ; he gave seven thousand crowns to saint hieronimo , seven thousand more to saint benet in valladolid , with a perpetuall rent of eight hundred crowns per an : to the great church there , eighteen thousand crowns to the minorits of madrid ; he made a large colledg of antonio perez house , endowing with large rents and calling it saint isab●l : he sent mighty presents to loreto , he contributed much for erecting the monarchy of the mintins in madrid , he founded that of saint paul in arevalo , he gave our lady de gu●dalitire twenty thousand crowns , and so much to the lady of monserrat , he erected many bishopricks , augmented the number of prebends in granada , and not long before his death he founded a monastery of augustins in huesca , he founded also divers hospitals up and down in spain ; but what shall we say of the royal monastery of saint laurence in the escurial , it is better to let it alone , because it is impossible to speak enough of it , being the eighth wonder of the world ; let it suffice that it cost above twenty millions the building , and after it was finishd the founder had the t●uition and pleasure of it for many yeers : it wold require a volume of it self to relate what religious houses he built beyond the seas in his severall dominions ; ther wer forty convents erected in the indies by his speciall order and charge , and if other kings are prayed for as being great benefactors , if they built a colledg or a church or an hospitall ; what prayers and prayses did this king deserve ? moreover he causd the holy bible to be expurgd and to be printed in eight stately toms upon his own charge . much more might be spoken of his inclinations to piety in his way ; now touching his iustice which next to religion is the greatest colman that supports a kingdom , ther be divers examples therof , for he was the common arbiter of difference betwixt princes , he ended the contest between ferrara and luca , betwixt the venetians and the malteses , twixt genoa and savoy , twixt savoy and mantova . he was also very munificent , and an exact rewarder of services , insomuch that old commanders , knowing his disposition that way , wold com and boldly demand ayuda de costas , or a speciall reward from him , notwitstanding that they were payed all their arreares before : one day there happend a facecious passage twixt an old captain who had servd him long in the belgian warrs , and being delayed by the councell of state , he went to find the king , who was then at the escuriall , where it happend he was a hunting ; the captain takes his mule and meeting the king single by himself in the field , the king began to discourse with him , and askd him what he was , the soldier thinking he had bin som privat man ▪ told him all , how he had servd don philip so many years in the netherlands , and now he was com to demand his reward from him , the king replied , asking him whether don philip owd him any thing in point of pay , no , answerd the captain ; then sayed the king you can demand nothing of right , being satisfied all your arreares , and i beleeve don philip having so many irons in the fire , and being deeply in debt himself will hardly give you any thing , the captain broke off abruptly and sayed , pues que me bese la mula in el culo , then let him kisse my mule in the tayle ; the king calld him again , and askd him what addresses he had made , he told him that he had often attended the councell of state and warr with his memorialls , but he could do no good , for he could never light upon the king there ; well , sayed the king , the councell of state and warr sit to morrow and i shall be there , for i am an officer in that councell , therfore if you com i shall let you in , and you shall see don philip himself to whom you may make your own tale ; the king presided himself the next day in the councell , and gave speciall order that if such a man came , giving a description of him , and his name which he had learnt of him , he shold be let in ; the captain being entred , and seeing the king there and all the councel bare-headed before him , though he knew him to be the same man whom he hed met the day before in the escurial , & knew him also now to be the king , yet he was not much out of countenance ; the king askt him whether he rememberd what discourse had passd betwixt them in the field the day before , yes sir , sayd the captain , then you remember you sayed , that if the king would not give you a reward he might kiss your mule in the tail , sir , answerd he again , senot lo dicho dichio ▪ mi mula esta debaxo a la puertu , sir , what i sayd , i sayd , and my mule is below at the court gate ; the king was not awhit movd hereat , but gave him his hand to kiss , and commanded a good reward to be given him ; yet king philip gave another kind of answer to another soldier who petitioning him for som act of bounty , he told him ▪ si a todos los que me piden daria , presto pediria yo , if i should give to all those that petition me , i shold com to beg my self : and it is a rule in government , that he who knows not how to deny knows not how to raign . he had a marvailous equality of mind , and constancy of disposition , which rendred him a great master of his passions , and to have an absolut empire over them : neither good or bad news could move him , or make him go from home , or depart from his wonted self , neither the one could transport him to extraordinary fits of joy , nor the other to dumps of sadness , he was of such an admired temper , i will produce a few instances ; the worst newes that ever came unto him was the dismall ill successe of his fleet in the yeer ▪ and when the courtier that brought him the first tidings came puffing & blowing with a halter about his neck , he was then looking upon a mason settling a corner stone in the escurial but before he wold ask him a question or receave the packet , he stayed till the mason had don his business , then reading the letter of advice from the duke of medina with all the circumstance of tha● deplorable expedition to england , without the least motion or change of countenance , he sayed onely , welcom be the will of god , i sent my cosen the duke of medina to fight with men not with the elements : two of the most comfortable tydings that ever came unto him , wer those of the battail in the gulph of lepanto , the other of the conquest of portugal ; when the maiden news of the first was brought him , being heightned with much eloquence and exaggeration of speech , yet nothing could move him to go from himself , but without the least motion of extraordinary joy , he gravely answerd mucho ha aucenturado mi hermano don iuan , my brother don iohn last venturd very far , and it was the first time he stild him brother : touching that of portugal , when the fi●st intelligence was brought how the duke of alua had discomfited the forces of don antonio , and made himself master of lisbon , and so of portugal , one of the greatest additions that ever befell the spanish monarchy , he calmely sayed el duque de alua es un gran capitan , y muy hombre de bien . the duke of alua is a great captain , and a very honest man ; he was usd to have a saying often in his mouth el tiempo y yo para otros dos , time and i will challenge any two in the world : indeed he was mighty deliberat and cautious in all his undertakings and somwhat slow in councell , remembring the saying of his father the emperour , that kings shold be like saturn , which as it is the highest so it is the slowest of all the planets in point of movement ; now slowness carrieth with it commonly a stately kind of gravity which he affected much , and therin was a tru spaniard , who will hardly change his pace though it be with a whip . he very much honord the sacerdotall dignity , esteeming that reverence which he did to gods ministers to reflect upon his own divine majesty , a gentleman of toledo shott a musket at a canon of the church , though it missd him yet he causd the gentleman to be beheaded , and another for giving but a cuff to a capuchin fryer ; ther was a process of fower and twenty yeers standing in valentia , who shold give the pax at mass to the priest , the vice-roy or the arch-bishop , the duke of naiara had contested much for it ; not long after king philip came to his city of valentia upon som signall ocasions , and being at a conventuall masse in a monastery , he commanded him who carried the pax to give it first to the arch-bishop , & so the suit was ended ; he held that a reverend aw to the governors of the church was the prime support of piety , they having charge of the noblest part of man which is his soul : and herein he was much in the right , for wher this awfull reverence is lost , nothing but sacriledg , confusion , and heresy will follow , as we find by late woful experience , besides this reverence to church-men is often very available to compose tumults : as he did put a sudden end to that church contestation betwixt the arch-bishop and vice-roy , so he had a magisteriall and majestick way of reconciling differences and emulations among his nobles : in a parliament he had once summond ther fell a high debate twixt the two great cities of toledo and burgos ( the one being the head of old castile , the other of the new ) who of them shold speak first , and the debate grew very high , phillip hearing of it came with all the ensigns of majesty to the parliment-house , and ended the difference by this witty way , hable burgos , que por toledo hablare yo , let burgos speak , for toledo i will speak my self , so they did acquiesse , but which of them had the better , i leave it to the judgment of the reader . thus the practise of this king may be a pattern for all princes to govern by , his way of ruling may be a rule to raign by , the manner of his living and dying may be a rule to dy and live by ; yet a little before his death he commanded christoval de mora to burn all his privat papers . philip the second had four wifes , the first was the infanta of portugal donna maria , the second was mary queen of england , the third isabel the eldest daughter of france , and the fourth , anne the emperours daughter ( his neece ) of whom he had philip the third who succeeded him ; he had in all five sons and three daughters , don carlos was his first begotten , who dyed in the flower of his age , but because ther have bin and continue to this day divers dark discourses of the cause of the princes death , i will be more large in the relation according to the manuscript i had from a person of knowledg and honor . don carlos eldest son to philip the second of spain , was born in valladolid somtimes the court of the catholic kings : in his fathers absence he was , being com to the age of foutteen yeers , bred under the king of bohemia his uncle , who then governd spain , with his ant donna iuana , during that charge they had of him , they wer more carefull of the conservation of his health and growth , then of his education , shewing herein too much indulgency , and suffering him to have his will too much ; his father at his return to spain observd in him som wildish humors which he connivd at thinking that time wold correct them ; at sixteen yeers of age he was sworn prince in the city of toledo , with the greatest solemnity that ever was seen in spain ; his father then sent him and his uncle don iohn of austria , together with alexander prince of parma , to complutum or the university of alcala to get somthing of the latin toung , and som knowledg in the mathematicks ; it happend that in a waggery climing up a ladder as he came down he fell so unluckily , that he was mortally hurt in his skull and back-bone , the king went instantly to see him , when he found him in a swown , all the churches prayed for him , and the body of saint diego which is the greatest relique they have in alcala was brought , and put upon him a good while , he then began to com to himself again , so a while after by the care and skill of andria basili he was cured , but to make vent for som congeald corrupted blood that was within , he was forcd to open part of the pericraniu● , which made him ever after to be of a weak brain , subject to extravagancies ; he wold somtimes go up and down his fathers house and abuse his servants , he wold hurl out som out at the windows , kick and cuff others : one time he made his shoomaker to eat a peece of his boots , because they wer too streight for him ; cardinal espinota coming one day to court he grappld him by the rocket , and threatned him by the life of his father . these and such like exorbitances did much afflict don philip his father , who once intended to have sent him to flanders , upon the beginning of the commotions there , and withal the emperor ferdinand seemd to invite him , offring the infanta dona anna to him in marriage , but the prince continuing in his maddish fits , the king alterd his resolution and sent thither the duke of alua , who coming to kiss the princes hands before his departure , he told him in a great fury , that he shold not go to flanders , for the voyage belonged unto him , and if he contradicted him he wold kill him : a little after he writ to divers of the grandees , that they wold assist him in a business which much concernd him , they returnd a respectfull answer , that they were ready to serve him in any thing , so it were not against his father : these letters were sent to king philip , and don iohn of austria being then at court discoverd unto him the extravagant designs of the prince , which was to steal away to germany , to marry his cosen the emperors daughter , having for his jorney sent him from sevill . crowns , and he exspected ● . more ; king philip being then at the escurial , and having timely notice hereof , came presently to madrid , whither he sent for the duke of feria with others of his privy counsellors ; in the dead of night he went with them to the prince his quarter , the first who entred was the duke of feria , the prince ●●aring upon him from his bed , sayed , duke what do you here this time of night ? presently after appeard his father wherat the prince started , saying , que es esto quiere me matar vuestra magestad , what 's this , will your majesty murther me ? the king answerd , no , si no poner orden en vuestra vido quietaos , no , but to take order for the preservation of your life , be quiet ; so he took his sword which was by his beds-head , and causd a steel cabinet to be carried away , telling him it shold be returnd him again , after som papers of his were perusd ; so the king departed leaving a guard upon him : there was a huge murmur the next day all the court over , that the prince shold be thus made a prisoner , being the greatest heir in the world , but the king the next day writ to all his vice-roys and chief officers , that they shold not much wonder at this sudden action or be too inquisitive to know the cause of it , or trouble themselves to intercede for the prince , let it suffize for them to know that it tended to the common good , that he was his father , and knew what belongd to things : he sent also to all the ambassadors at court , not to intermeddle , or trouble themselvs about this business ; the prince being thus restraind , and his humors being as fiery as the season , which was the dog-daies , he drunk much water coold with snow out of an artificiall fountain he had , which with som other excesses and disorders made him fall into a double tertian , he afterwards fell a vomiting , and to a dysentery proceeding from the extream cold water he usd to drink so much : the kings physitians did carefully attend him , and usd what art cold do ; but the disease provd mortall , and beyond cure ; hereupon the councell ●at to advise whether it was fitting for the king to go visit him , som wer of opinion that the prince was well disposd to dy a good catholic , and the sight of his father might happily discompose him , yet the king went in and gave him his benediction , but stayed not , and so returnd with more grief and less care : a little after the prince expird being twenty three yeers old , he had made his will before , which he deliverd his secretary , wherin he desird his father to forgive him , and to give him his blessing , to pay his debts and give his movables to churches and hospitals , and that his body shold be buried in toledo , which was performd : his funerall was prepard the same day he dyed , for at seven in the evening the grandees carried his body out to the court-gate , wher the nuncio with other ambassadors and a great concours of noblemen were ready to attend the herse . the hard destiny and death of this great young prince with the extraordinary circumstances therof may teach the world this lesson , that the love of a father must give place to the office of a king , and that jealousy among princes works more powerfully then naturall affections . . this was one of the four acts for which king philip made himself so subject to be censurd abroad in the world , for papers flew in many places that h● had poysond his son. . the second was in the transaction of the business of aragon , where he was taxd to have falsifyed his own manifesto , wherin he declard that the army under don alonso de vergas was intended for france , wheras it proovd afterwards to have bin expresly raysd to surprize saragosa . . the third was the business of portugal , for wheras he had declard that he was willing to refer the right of title to that crown to the decision of the pope , he invaded and conquerd the country before the nuncio cold com to the spanish court , though he knew he was upon his way and already landed in spain to that purpose ; but he sent speciall commission to the towns through which he was to pass , that they should entertain and regalar him som dayes , while in the interim he did his business in portugal . . the fourth was the conniving at the murther of escovedo secretary to don iohn of austria which was perpetrated with his privity , as antonio perez confessd upon the rack , which made this character to be given of him , that there was but a little distance betwixt don philips risa y el cuchillo between his smile and the scaffold , his prudence somtimes turning to excess of severity . but as the hearts of kings are inscrutable , so their waies shold be , their actions somtimes must be attended with politicall cunning ▪ and extraordinary power to crush cocatrices in the shell to prevent greater inconveniences , as god almighty , whose immediat vicegerents they are , doth use sometimes his omnipotence in exceeding the rules and common course of nature . philip the third , xxviii king of naples . philip the third of austria fift son to philip the second , by donna anna the emperors daughter , and his fourth wife succeeded his father in all his dominions , both in the new and old world ; he was born the th . of april , . in the palace of madrid , and was christned upon the feast of philip and iacob , the first of whom may be sayed to be his god-father , six yeers after he was created prince of castile in the monastery of saint ieronimo ; the next yeer after he was created prince of aragon in monson , the next yeer after he was created prince of navarr , in the cathedrall church of pampelona , and lastly prince of portugal , which made him to have this priviledg above all his predecessors , to be the first who was prince of all spain , in regard lusitania had not bin before under the crown of castile till the raign of philip his father ; he was a weakly sick child for many yeers at first , yet he survivd his four brothers ; ( viz. don carlos , don fernando , don carlos lorenzo , and don diego ) so easily is humane judgment deceivd . the first thing he did was the sending of a new vice-roy to the kingdom of naples , then , after that long destructive war in the nether-lands which had so ragd in his fathers time , he made a truce with the hollanders , but in these ambiguous words son contento de tratar con vos otros como con estados libres , i am contented to treat with you as with free states , wherby according to the spanish exposition of those words , he intimated they were no free states , by vertu of this word as , for it is a rule in logic , that nullum simile est idem . no thing that is like a thing is the same thing ; therfore if he treated with them as with free states , they were no free states : this truce afforded much matter of discourse for the criticks of those times . he did this by the advice principally of the marquess of denia afterwards duke of lermanhom whom he took for his privado or his favorit , to whom he transmitted the guidance of all great affairs being conscious of som imbecillities of his own , wherin he discoverd a great point of wisdom , whose chiefest part is for one to know his own infirmities and incapacities . but i should have spoken first of the peace he had made with england , which preceded this , and was the first great action he did , when he began to sit at the healm of that mighty vessell ; i mean the spanish monarchy , which in his fathers time had b●n tossd and weather-beaten by so many impetuous and fierce tempests : to conclude this peace , he imployed the chiefest officer of spain , the constable of castile in a very high and magnificent equipage , in correspondence wherof england sent her high admirall ; herein he followd the counsell of charls the fift his grand-father , who had this saying often in his mouth , con todo el mundo guerra , y puz con ingalat jerra , with all the world have war , but with england do not jar . before this embassy to england the common people of spain were made to believe by their preaching jesuits , that english-men since they receded from the roman church were strangly transformd , som had f●ces like hogs , som like dogs , som like munkies , but the constable at his return did rectifie his country-men in this point . philip being now in peace with all christian princes , and being addicted to devotion in a high degree , he thought it a work acceptable to god almighty , and agreeable to the office of a catholi● king to cleer spain of the mahumetan moriscos who had planted themselves ●her above seven hundred yeers : he put the business to many serious deliberations , the result wherof at last was , that it wold be a high act of christian piety , and gratefull to heaven , so there was a royall ban of banishment publisht against the moriscos who were dispersd up & down specially in the maritime parts of spain , which border upon the mediterranean sea in great multitudes , to the number of many hundred thousand souls , who were all hurried over to barbary , but permitted to carry with them all their movables , and make sale of their other goods , the king providing ships , and paying for their transfretation ; the motive that inducd philip to this act was , that he thought it a thing unpleasing to god , that so many infidels and mahumetans shold mingle so thick with christians , that many thousands had bin bapti●d , but they apostatizd and grew greater enemies to chrsts then before , that there were sundry plots and machinations discoverd , as also the intelligence they kept with the turk the common enemy of spain . the first advice whereof was given by the english ambassador the earl of notingham , who brought letters with him that had bin sent king iames , how the sayed moriscos had a secret design to introduce the great turk , and so to joyn with him for the conquering of spain , as the conde don iulian did with the moors . henry the fourth of france sent him also intelligence tending to that end . so in a short time the country was rid of them , as it was formerly of the jewes , in the time of ferdinand and isabella ; but there were som incommodities followd , for spain was much depopulated and impoverisht hereby , specially for corn and other vegetals , for those moriscos were an industrious people , & wold grub up corn and pulse with other things , out of the tops of those craggy hills wherwith spain is bunchd in most places , so that the spaniard who naturally is slothfull unless it be in the wars ( as the turks are ) had nothing to do , but having put on his sword and swelling ruff , but go with his ass to the market , and buy corn of the moriscos , who usually fed upon bread made of maiz , or some other pulse , so that the spaniards for the most part did eat by the sweat of other mens brows . philip the third having as formerly it was spoken , concluded a peace with england , and a truce with the dutch , passd most part of his raign in quietness , which suted best with his disposition , he being a prince wholly devoted to exercises of piety , being alwaies fingring his beads ; he sympathizd in nature much with edward the sixth of england , but was not so infortunat as he , for he preservd what his father left him , wheras the other lost france where he had bin crownd king in his cradle . and this happiness of philip may be imputed to the sage conduct of the duke of lerma , who was a sound and well-weighd minister of state , of a debonnair and affable deportment quite contrary to the genius of his successor olivares who was of a rough rigid humor . philip the third after he had reignd . yeers died , as he lived in a sweet peaceable way , and he was called philip el bueno , philip the good , as his father was calld philip the prudent . philip the third to pay his fathers creditors , and disburden the crown of those vast arrears wherwith it was most heavily laden , in regard of so many irons he had to beat all his life-time , was forcd to inhance the gabels , and lay new impositions , as in other places so specially in the kingdom of naples : now those who cut out philip the second most work to do , were henry the fourth of france , and elizabeth queen of england , the one was sayed to play the barber and shave him , which harry did so nimbly and dextrously as if he had bin born to the trade , and old bess held the bason while he washd philips head and face , but it was given out that he did this without camphire ball , or any soap at all , but with stale ly and strong standing urine . there was about that time a witty italian author , whose fancies are fresh to this day , who being no friend to the spaniard , writ many things by way of drollery against his mode of government in sicilie , milan and naples , specially in the last ; and as he descants upon the servitude which that wavering and wanton people were reducd unto , for their so frequent sollevations and revolts , he sayeth , that to punish with som severity the napolitans for thier infidelity and murmurings against their former kings , it pleasd the majesty of the heavenly judg to deliver them into the hands of pharo to receive law from him , meaning the spaniard , who having felt the pulse of that luxurious people , by his interior cabinet councell , was advisd that there was no better way to preserve naples in a constancy of obedience , then to bring down the flesh , and tame that hot metteld , and spirited horse or courser which she gave for her ensign : therupon there were appointed riders , grooms , smiths , and others to look to him , and break him , they found that he was so wanton that he wold hardly receive bit , bridle , or saddle , that he was of a mighty strength , therfore it was fitting so pamperd an animal shold be brought low and mortified : somthing was don in charles the fift's time to this purpose , but his son philip did finish the work , who had almost rid him quite of his legs ; insomuch that at the beginning of philip the thirds raign , there was a speciall ●unta appointed to meet in the piazza at naples to take a view in what case he stood ; the poor beast was brought forth , and he was grown so feeble that his legs could hardly serve him to be softly led into the market-place : it was a most pittifull object to see how that generous courser who had once so much spirit and strength as to carry two kings at once , shold becom now so weak and meagre that he could not bear a pigmey , one might now tell his ribs , his back also was miserably gald by carrying of panniars , and withall he was found full of bunches , his feet foundred and one of his nostrils slit , yet those who had the chief care of him , kept locks on his feet , and a strong halter about his neck and face , with dark spectacles on his eyes ; now there was exquisit search made in the junta how he was grown so poor , answer was made , that though he be low in flesh , yet he is as high in spirit as ever he was , and was ever and anon ready to kick and winch , therfore it was fitting that the allowance of provander which he hath now shold be rather diminisht then mended ; therfore the grave members of the junta appointed that the rack shold be raisd a span higher , and that the third part of his provender shold be taken off . when this hapned , their chancd to be present in the piazza , som learned men and philosophers , who resenting much , and taking to heart that wofull spectacle , out of pure pitty askt the junta how they could find in common compassion , which obliges every one to be good to his beast , to diminish the nutriment of that poor animal , who was so wasted and worn away , that there scarce remained any thing of him but flesh and bone ; the oldest man of the junta gave a short answer to the sayed philosophers , telling them that they shold do better to attend their own calling , to dispute of entities and quiddities , then to intermeddle with politicall matters , wherin they seemd to be such simpletons : for in case that caprichious beast were usd better , he wold quickly repay their mildness with biting & kicks , as he had most ingratefully usd som of his former riders who were so open handed unto him , divers of whom he had thrown of into ditches , by his excess of mettle , and if one shold mend his commons that instable animal wold foam at the mouth as much as ever , and raise tumults and seditions against his benefactors and keepers : therfore whosoever will enter into an exact and judicious ponderation of things and of the tru mode wherby that flouncing animal shold be kept , he must not look upon the meagernes of his belly , or buttocks , but upon the mischievous quality of his genius , who is still as caprichious a lover of novelty as ever he was : therfore wo be to the catholic king if that ferocious napolitan horse shold have strength and opportunity to put in execution what he doth incessantly cast and chymerize in his own brain against the present government ; therfore if any thing be to be complaind of it proceeds from the ill nature of the beast , rather then the severity of the spaniards ; nor can any deny but it is a high point of wisdom , & no less of charity with well weighd councels and prudent artifices to take of by way of prevention the means of doing ill from him who alwaies intends mischief , and is not capable to judg when one doth use him well and do him courtesies , insomuch that there is no medicament can cure the chanchrous humours of the napolitan , then by applying therunto som corrosives of the spanish severity . the same author proceeds further ▪ and fains that almansor king of granada , meeting casually with the kingdom of naples , they joyntly condole their calamitous condition of servitude causd by the tyranny of the spaniards , as they walkd and mingld speech a good while together , almansor observd the fashion of that chain which the kingdom of naples carried on his legs , because it lookd like a morisco manufacture , and surely he had seen and handled that chain before , so looking neer upon it , he struck his breast in a kind of astonishment , saying that he was well aquainted with that chain , for it was the very same wherwith he and his antecessors the morisco kings had kept most of the kingdoms of spain the space of seven hundred yeers and upwards in obedience and servility , therfore he earnestly desired to know how , by whom , and when naples had got on that chain . the kingdom of naples answered , a most excellent memory hast thou king almansor , for this unhappy chain which i carry was brought first from spain by gonsaluo de cordova calld the great captain , therfore it is very likely that it is the same you speak of ; and now it is above an age passd , i mean a century of sad winters that i am fallen into such a deplorable kind of slavery , wherof i know not whether i shall ever rid my self , because i find that the spaniard is mounted to such a height of power that it hath made me loose all hopes i should have in the arme of man for recovery of my lost liberty , it is the only omnipotent hand of god can do it , by doing such another miracle as he did in the red sea. almansor replyed , the calculation falls pat you speak of , for it was about the very same time that the spaniard shook off the chain wherwith you go now bound ; but let it not be uncouth unto thee most noble naples , to relate how it was possible that the spaniard shold impatronize himself so easily of a kingdom so far distant from him by sea and land : naples rejoynd , it was by fraud that the spaniard introducd himself to italy , for by pure force he could never have made such acquests so far beyond the proportion of their strength ; therefore listen well to me , and you will be astonisht of the large conscience which one king of spain carried about him , though he made himself appear to the world like another saint macarius-painted upon som wall . alphonso my king to draw on his last , and my principall ruine , gave isabel his neece ( for i will take the rise of my relation from this unlucky marriage ) to iohn galeazzo duke of milan in marriage ; in regard of the stupidity of iohn lodwick sforza occupied the state of his nephew , king alfonso as nature obligd him thought to prevent that usurpation , lodwick knowing well that he could not com to the end of his aimes without the destruction of my kings , took a precipitat resolution to call in the french for the conquest of me , an action which afterwards prov'd so funestous to all italy : my kings therupon to counterbalance france , had recourse to that holy soul ferdinand king of aragon their cosen , who shewd himself so loving a kinsman , and faithfull confederat , that in lieu of chasing away the french he parted stakes with them , and divided me amongst them , but afterwards they fell out like dogs about a bone , and ferdinand made the french find their way again ore the alps to repass shamefully to their country ; so ferdinand made himself my absolute soveraign , and without any scruple of conscience ▪ and for my kind invitation he was the first who gave me this chain you see , which as you say is of the manufacture of barbary : and this the holy ferdinand did so a little after that he had receivd the title of catholic king from the apostolicall see ; nor do i think king almansor that you ever heard or read of an act of more infidelity and ingratitude , by saracen , infidel , or pagan . almansor went on , and sayed , truly i have conversd with divers chronicles , wherin i have met with many odd foul traverses of state done by ambitious princes in hope to raigne , but touching this act of ferdinand , i do not remember to have read any that can parallell it . naples sayed again , but o king almansor if your nation kept fast spain so many yeers in that chain , what way did they use to shake it off ? almansor sayed , that cursed union which was made twixt castile and aragon by the nuptials of ferdinand and isabella , was the cause of my ruine , and of my successors after me , as also of the servitude wherof you complain , a most fatall union , which all the potentates of europe , specially of italy , have as much cause to curse to this day , as i have ; for the jealousies twixt the castilians and aragonians securd alwaies my kingdom of granada : add hereunto that the countenance and succours which the popes gave to ferdinand did accelerat the work . hold there , king almansor , sayed naples , for since you were cast out of spain , the popes have sufferd more by the ambitious designes of the catholick kings then they did before ; for nothing could be so disadvantagious to rome , as to have so potent a prince so neer a neighbour unto her , witness that siege and lamentable sack which she sufferd so soon after my servitude by the spaniard bourbon being his general , wherby he hansomly payed her for that assistance she gave him for the conquest of granada ; since which time the ambition of spain hath bin felt in italy , and in other places so that it had bin more for the tranquility of europe that the moors had still continued in spain . add hereunto that these new additions of power to spain have tended much to the disorders ever since that have hapned unto you in matters of religion ; the jealousies that germany had of the growing greatness of charles the fift , were the cause that many princes revol●ed from him and rome ; but since the spaniards have taken such firm footing in italy , the main reach of their policy is to joyn me and milan in one entire peece , by subduing all the interiacent territories , which if it happen , farewell the freedom of all italy as well as mine . but sayd almansor , how are the milaneses usd your conterranean fellow subjects ? naples answerd , that they of milan were washd only with dashes of rain water , but a whole deluge hath over-whelmd me : moreover the disposition of the lombard differs from mine , for the noble-men and gentry there are more free and resolute , and more far from vice , they are better patriots and carefull of their countries liberty , insomuch that i dare say , if there were but one tru cremona brain among my napolitan barons it wold be enough to dash that forcd donative which is exacted of me ever and anon , which brings me often to feed upon bread and onyons : add hereunto that the confines of the grisons , of the duke of savoy , and the venetian who are all jealous of the king of spains growing power makes him proceed with more discretion and caution in his territories in lombardy . this dialog twixt naples and almansor being ended , the same author faignes all the states of europe to be summond before the oracle at delphos to be weighd in a great balance held by lorenzo de medici , where the monarchy of spaine making her apparance in a high majestic garb , among other passages , there was a book presented unto her by one of the witts , the substance wherof was to discover a way for spain to reduce to her ancient splendor and freedom the most noble parthenope , and the once most florishing kingdom of naples , wheras by plundrings of the soldiers , the corruption of the iudges , the fleecing of the barons , the rapacity of the viceroys , who are sent thither as hoggs to a sty only to fatten , the former lustre of that delicate countrey is quite decayd . the author receavd twenty crowns of the spanish monarchy for a guerdon for this book , promising that she wold deliver that discours and avisos to her confessor to consider of : another pure polititian presented her with a treaty clean contrary , shewing her a way how the napolitan courser might be brought to bear a pack-saddle of a heavier burden , and to be made so docil , that he might be fitt to draw her coach upon ocasion : to the author of this discours the monarchy gave crowns , and a little after he was grandee of spain . at this great assembly in delphos ther was a contrasto happend twixt rome and naples , who shold have the precedency ; it was decided , that for the majesty of a citty , naples must eternally vayle to rome , and rome to naples , for a delicat situation ; that rome must confesse there are more people in naples , but that naples must acknowledg ther are more men in rome : moreover it was necessary that the witts and wines of naples shold be transported to rome to receave perfection ; it was also decreed that naples had more skill to break colts , and rome to tame men ; it was confessd further that ther were more cavaliers in naples , and more c●mendums in rome : that among the romans they were only calld knights who carried a red crosse upon their garments , but in naples all men indif●erently might be calld knights , because the spaniard made them carry crosses upon their very skins . thus this ingenious italian doth descant upon the comportment of the spaniard in italy , and his book kept a great noise in the world , but the spaniard owing him a revenge , and after a strict and long inquisition , not lighting upon him in any of his own dominions , there were two valentones , two banditi , two hirelings for bloud , found him out in verona , and watching their oportunity , they went to his lodging , under colour of a visit , and every one of them having a bagg of sand in his pockett , they so crushd his bones , that they rattled within his skin , and having so dispatchd poor boccolini out of this world , they fledd , having stoned him to death with sand. philip the fourth of avstria , xxix . king of naples . philip the third left behind three sons and two daughters : the sons were philip ( who succeeded him in all his dominions ) with charles and ferdinand , who was cardinal and arch-bishop of toledo ; they both dyed young in the meridian of their yeers , one in spain , the other being governour of flanders ; the two daughters were anna of austria , and the infanta donna maria ; the first was married to lewis the thirteenth king of france yet living , the other to the emperor ferdinand now raigning ; king philip was but young when he took the reins of the government , being but sixteen yeers of age : there was a treaty commen●d a little after for a cross mariage twixt spain and france , which took ●ffect though there was much opposition in france about it made by them of the religion and their party ; the ceremonies of these reciprocall nuptials were performd the one at burgos in spain , the other at bourdeaux in france . in the first the duke of lerma married the infanta by commission from king lewis ▪ in the second the duke of guyse married isabel daughter of france by proxy from king philip ; the exchange of the two princesses was made upon a river calld bidasso hard by saint iohn de luz which separates the two nations : there were two stately barges provided to transport them , with divers sorts of inventions of wit : the spaniards on their side had a huge vast globe , representing the world raisd upon a pavilion very high , which made an ostentous shew ; the duke of guyse took exception at it , protesting that he wold never bring ore the princess till the sayd globe was taken down , which was done accordingly ; the next day the young queen came to bayon , where luynes then favorit to the french king attended her with a letter all written with the kings own hand , in these words . madam , since i cannot , according to my desire find my self neer you at your entrance into my kingdom , to put you in possession of the power i have , as also of my entire affection to love and serve you ; i send towards you luynes one of my confidentst servants to salute you in my name , and tell you that you are expected by me with much impatience to offer unto you my self , i pray therfore receive him favourably , and believe what he shall tell you : madam from your most deer friend and servant , lewis . luynes delivered her also from the king two rich standerds of diamonds ▪ which she receivd and kissd , and from her own table she sent him a dish of meat ▪ in the morning she returnd the king this answer . sir , i much rejoyced at the good news luynes brought me of your majesties health , i com therwith , being most desirous to arrive where i may serve my mother , and so i am making hast to that purpose , and to kiss your majesties hands , whom god preserve . anne . the kingdom of naples to congratulat the kings espousals , presented him that yeer with a donative of two millions . not long after there was a treaty set on foot for a mariage twixt the prince of wales , and the infanta donna maria the kings second sister , but there had bin an ouverture made before by the duke of lerma , for a match twixt our prince henry of england and the eldest infanta anne now queen of france , as hath bin spoken . this treaty with england was above ten yeers in agitation , it was a web that lay long upon the loom of policy , and afterwards was torn off being just wrought to the point of perfection : by the endeavours of count gondomar in england , and the earl of bristol in spain , matters were brought to such a hopefull pass , that it inducd the prince of wales to undertake that hazardous youthfull journey to spain , traversing the whole diameter of france under a disguise , being accompanied with the duke of buckingham , who was not only his companion but had bin his chiefest counsellor herein ; they came both in an advantagious time to paris , for they were admitted to see a mask , being carnival time , wher the prince had a full view of the lady henri●tta maria , who was designd by heaven to be his wife afterwards , though he little dreamt of such a thing then ; thence by the name of iac and tom : smith : they posted to spain , but two daies after t was discoverd in the french court what they were , therefore being sent after withall possible speed , if they had stayed but three hours longer at bayon monsieur gramond had had order to stay them . being arrivd at the earl of bristols house in the court of spain at the close of the day , in the evening he was struck with amazement to see such objects there , having no fore-knowledg at all of the plot , saying , i am afraid we are all undone ; the next day there was a buz abroad that som great man was com from england , but none imagind he could be the prince : in the evening of the next day , the duke of buckingham went in a close coach to the king of spain , where he had privat audience , and he was returnd no sooner but olivares was sent to visit the prince , which was done with extraordinary expressions of joy and complement , oliuares saying , that spain and england wold divide the world betwixt them ; the next day , somwhat late at night the king himself came in a close coach to visit him , but the prince having notice of it met him half way , so they greeted one another with mutuall embraces , there were divers great lords appointed to be the prince his officers and a part of the royall pallace was preparing for his quarter , whither the next sunday he removd and rod in triumph , under a large canopy of state , the king accompanying him all the way , and giving him still the upper-hand , all the grandees , noblemen , and officers attended them in the same manner as they usd to do at a coronati●n : now it seems that gondamar was the chief man who tracd this journey , for the next day after the prince his arrivall he was made privy counsellor , and suddenly after coming to visit the prince , he told him , that he was com to tell him strange news , which was , that an english man was sworn that morning privy counsellor in spain , meaning himself in point of affection : the third day after the prince had bin there , the king of spain with the queen and the infanta , who wore a blew ribon about her left arme , that she might be distinguisht , came abroad in an open stately way , of purpose that the prince might see his mistress , which he did out of a close coach ▪ wherein count gondamar attended him , with the english ambassadors . so much for matter of ceremony ; now touching the substance of the business it self , when the prince came thither , matters had bin brought to that perfection by the activity of ambassadors , that there wanted nothing for the consummating of all things but the popes dispensation , which upon news that the prince was com to spain , was retarded , and som advantages taken to clog it with further clauses ; the pope demanded caution for performance of such articles that were granted , in favor of the roman catholicks in england upon this match ; hereupon sir francis cotington rid post about it from madrid , touching that point king iames answerd , that he wold take his oath upon the evangelists to accomplish the said articles , and his son the prince shold do the like ; his privy counsellors also shold firm and subscribe the sayed articles , and this was all the security king iames cold give : now wheras the pope demanded that som roman catholic prince should undertake for him and his son in point of performance of articles , he answerd , that he had not such an interest in any such prince , so matters began to gather ill blood , and were allmost quite off the hinges , insomuch that there was a dark rumour abroad , how the prince had a design to get away privatly , and in a disguise as he came ; the english-men that were then attending the prince , wherof there were a good number that were dyeted at the kings house , and waited upon by spaniards , wold often times break out into bold speeches , by disdaining the dyet and barrenness of spain , and jeering their processions , wherat there were exceptions taken , and the main business receivd som prejudice by their indiscretions : archey the fool , being then in madrid , was admi●ted one day to see the king of spain at dinner , where he ●ell a tal●ing and strutting up and down , the king asked what he sayd , an interpreter told him that the fool sayed , king iames his master was likest to god allmighty of any king upon earth , the king asking him his reason , he replyed , that god allmighty had but one s●n , and he sent him to be crucified among iewes , so the king of england had allso but one s●n , and he sent him to be crucified among spaniards . in the interim the prince shewd himself passionatly in love with the infanta ▪ and courted her in a very high way ; he had the sight of her often in public , and at comedies , which are once a week in the kings court , where he wold fix and fasten his eyes upon her immovable a long time , without looking upon the action of the stage-players , to the wonder of the spectat●rs . the king had the other side of the river man●●●mares , wheron his royall pallace stands a somerhouse of pleasure , where the infanta was usd to go betimes in the morning to gather may dew , the prince got up betimes one morning , and taking mr ed : porter only with him , he got into that somer-house , and was let in into the fore-garden , but no further , because the infanta was in the other , therupon the prince got on the top of the wall , and leapd down where the infanta was , she espying him gave a kind of s●rich , wherupon the old marquess who attended her ( with som women ) came and kneeld before the prince , desiring him to advance no further , because his life lay upon it , for he was to admit no man breathing to the company of the infanta who was then his charge , so the prince retird , the marquess waiting upon him to the door of the garden , and opening it with much humility , wheras before he had com ore the wall. as matters were thus at a doubtfull stand , because of the popes demand in point of caution for the performance of those capitulations which were stipulated in favour of the english catholicks , by vertu of this match , the king of spain gave the prince a visit , and told him , that rather then a treaty of so many yeers agitation shold fall to the ground , and that those noble affections which he had shewd his sister ( for whom he had put hi● person to so much hardship and hazard by that heroik journey ) shold be now quite frustrated , he himself wold undertake to satisfie the pope in this point ▪ and offer himself to be a pledg and bail for the king of great britan , and his highness to perform the sayed capitulations ; the prince thanked him in the highest degree that could be , saying , that this favour transcended all the rest wherof he had receivd such multitudes from his majesty : hereupon the pope being thus contented , there were bonefires of joy , baiting of bulls with men , and other actions of triumph in the court of spain ; so the dispensation being compleatly com a little after from rome , the desposorio's , or the day for a contract betwixt the infanta and the prince was nominated . in the interim the nuncio was privatly admitted with a letter from the pope to visite the prince , who made him this civill answer by an interpreter ; that he kissd his holyness feet for the favor and honor he did him , which was to be so much the more esteemed , by how much the less it was deserved by him , but his holines shold see for the future what he wold do , and he doubted not but his father wold do the like , so that his holines shold not repent himself of what he had done . a little after the king and the prince had a solemn enterview in the privat gallery , for signing , sealing , and swearing unto the articles . the king had the patriarch of the west-indies , the duke of infantado , oliuares , and gondamar with him ; the prince had the duke of buckingham , the earl of bristol , and the lord a●hton with him : so the patriarch administred the oath upon the holy evanglists unto king and prince , which they interchangeably took . but as heaven would have it , som few daies before the betrothing day was com , it chancd that pope gregory the th . dyed , and vrban the . who succeeded him fell suddenly sick ; hereupon the king of spain gave the prince another visit , telling him that he had received ill news from rome , for his holy father the pope was dead , who was so good a friend to this match , & now he cold proceed no further for the compleating of the work without a ratification of the former dispensation by the present pope , whom he was to obey as his spirituall father , which task he wold undertake to do by his own ministers without puting his highness to any trouble , and the busines was of that consequence that he feard it wold require som time , in regard of the indisposition of the new pope , therfore he desired his highnes patience in the interim , and now that he had stayed so many yeers for a wife , he shold not think it much to stay a few months longer ; the prince answerd , that he was sorry for the news from rome , and wheras his majesty had a spirituall father , he himself had a naturall father to obey , who was now becom crazy and indisposd in his health , which encreasd by his so long inexpected absence from him being his only son , therfore he had sent him a peremptory command to be in england in such a month because winter came on a pace , to which purpose he had sent a royall fleet for him under the command of the earl of rutland ; besides , he had intelligence that there were some murmurings in england for his so long abode in spain , which might break out into dangerous consequences , and hazard the rupture of the match which had there so many enemies among the puritans : moreover he sayed , that when he came to spain he thought he came not to treat of a marriage , but to fetch home a wife whom he was loth to trust with any but himself ; the king replyed , then your highnes may please to leave a proxy behind you to do the work , and i shall take it for an honor if you make me your deputy to perform the rites of the espousals , which upon the faith of a catholic king shall be performd the same week , after that the ratification shall com from rome , to which purpose he wold engage his contratation house in sevill , if need requird . the prince shewd himself to be mightily taken with this proposall , so he left two proxies behind in the earl of bristols hands , one for the king and another for don carlos his brother , to be his substitutes the wedding day ; so the prince put himself in an equipage for his return to england , and the king with his two brothers and grandees accompanied him beyond the escuriall on his way , and wold have done it to the sea-side , had not the queen bin then big with child : at their parting king and prince often embracd one another , but oliuares and buckingham did not part so kindly , for the duke told him that he was infinitely beholden to their majesties of spain for many royall favors , as also to the lady infanta , and that he wold live and dy there servant , and continu to do his best offices for continuance of peace twixt tht two crowns , but for your self count oliuares he sayed , i must tell you plainly you have disobligd me so far , that i cannot make further profession of friendship unto you without flattery ; oliuares turnd about and made this short answer , aceto lo diesto , i accept of what you say , and touching the first part of your speech , if you perform what you promise you will do well , and i must tell you that your own safety depends upon it , but for any particular correspondence of friendship twixt you and me , it matters not much , and so i bid you farewell . thus the king of spain and the prince of wales parted with many interchanges of endearment , in a field calld el campa de balsain ▪ not far from the escuriall at the bottom of a great hill , upon which departure this monumentall inscription was erected . in campo balsain . heic ; ubi fausta sors tulit , ad praerupti montis radices in latè patente campulo , solenni regum venatione nobili , sed in solenni rei e ventu longè nobiliori ; philippus quartus hispaniarum indiarumque rex catholicus , & carolus seremissimus wallie princeps pactis cum maria serenissima infante nuptijs , ad quas petendas ( — ) it fama per orbem ) in hesperiam properabat , dextras dederunt , & in amplexus mutuo ruentes pacis & amicitia aeterna faedera nodo astrinxerunt herculeo : o magnum & invictum regum par , sine pari , nullus mehercule hercules contra duos , ipsi potius contra omnes , perfidia fremente duo aleydae solo & salo iusuperabiles ; siste fama , non plus ultra ; viderunt , suspexerunt , stupuerunt duo austriacae sobolis incrementa maxima carolus & ferdinandus serenissimi infantes , gasper oliviariorum excellentissimus comes , a belli statusque concilijs , sacri cubiculi , & regis stabuli summus praefectus , didacus carpentis marchio cui fas per sacratioris aula limen ; ex britannis johannes comes bristoliae orator extraordinarius , gualterus astonus eques & legatus ex munere baro kensingtonius praetorianae militiae angliae dux posteritati sacrum . in the field of balsain . here by the conduct of a propitious star at the foot of a craggy mountain in a spacious field , ennobled by the common hunting of kings , but grown more noble now for the solemn event of the thing ; philip the fourth catholic king of both the spaines and the indies , and charles the serenissim prince of wales , nuptials being agreed upon with the lady mary the serenissim infanta , to seek which ( sa the fame of it flies through ●he world ) he posted to spain , the said king and prince plighted their troths , and running into mutuall embraces they tyed with an herculean knot , an eternall league of peace and friendship : o mighty and invincible peerles pair of kings , no hercules can be against these two , and they two enough against all ; let disloyalty rage never so much , two alcides insuperable both by land and sea. fame stop thy mouth , for thou canst go no further ; two of the royall branches of the austrian tree don carlos and don ferdinand saw , beheld , and stood astonisht hereat , as also gaspar the most excellent count of olivares , chief gentleman of the sacred bed chamber , and of the royall stables , as also didacus marques of carpio who had the golden key , among the british heros iohn earl of bristol ambassador extraordinary , and walter ashton ambassador ordinary , with the baron of kensington , captain of the english praetorian bands . sacred to posterity . in this inscription the duke of buckingham was not mentiond , though he was there present all the while , which shews that the spaniards did not so much affect him , yet was he at first much esteemd , in regard of the charge and trust he had being the princes gardian , but afterwards he began to grow out of request by his french carriage , and over familiarity with the prince &c. insomuch that his commission being examind it was found to be signed only by king iames and the prince , wheras the commission of bristol and ashton was signd also by the privy councell , and exemplified under the great seal of england . therfore the king of spain being instructed by olivares , sent him word that he shold not trouble himself any further in point of audience about the match , for he was resolvd to treat only with the two ambassadors , who had a more plenary power , and understood the busines better ; so il blood began to engender betwixt olivares , buckingham , and bristol . the prince was attended by som of the grandees , and count gondomar to the sea-side , where being com not without som danger , aboard the prince-royall , he sent mr. clerk a creature of buckinghams to madrid , with a privat letter to bristol , not to proceed in the busines of the match till further order from england notwithstanding that the ratification shold com from rome ; clerk lay in bristols house , but was not to deliver him the sayed letter till the ratification shold com , the earl of bristol suspecting such a thing , causd a rumor to be spread that the ratification was com , hereupon the letter was deliverd him , so he went to confer with my lord ashton about it , who was in joint , commission with him to conclude the match ; he askt him whether upon that letter he wold suspend the busines of the match , and ashton answering , that the letter was to be obeyed , bristol replyed , that then he wold protest against him , telling him that they had a royall commission under the broad seal of england , signd , and seald by king , prince , and councell , therfore he conceivd that a privat letter from any other could not have power to suspend the kings immediat command but his own counter-command ; he alledgd also that if when the ratification came , they shold delay a moment of the time in point of proceeding , the infanta wold hold her self disparagd in point of honor ; he subjoynd that this match tended to the restitution of the palatinat , and settling of an eternall peace in christendom , which he knew wel the king their master did desire with that vehemency , so he brought ashton to joyn with him in pursuance of the busines , which was at so fair a pass , that they both made of them a great number of rich liveries against the wedding day , the infanta went by the name of princess of wales , and the english ambassadors wold not be coverd before her , she had got som extraordinary masses to be sung for the prince's safe return to england : she had divers new sutes made for the prince of rich perfumd cordovan , som embroyderd with perl , som with gold , some with silk ; she studied the english language , and wore chapins or high shoos , which no young ladies usd to do in spain , till they are either betr●thd or married : moreover the king of spain had a purpose to make a daughter of his a christian , and his sister a wife the same day , and to that end had commanded that the baptism and the marriage shold be solemnizd together ; to which end a long tarass was raysd from his royall palace to the next church , all coverd with rich tapistry ; all the grandees were summond to be then at court , and the great ordinance were ordered to be discharged in all the maritime towns upon such a day : so the long wishd for ratification came at last compleat and full , but ( as the stars wold have it ) as the busines was upon its last period there come four posts from england within the space of hours with a new commission from king iames to the earl of bristol , intimating that wheras he treated before singly of a match , he shold now joyn the palatinat with it , and have a categoricall conclusive answer from the king of spain for the restitution of it ; for he wold not marry his son with joy , and leave his daughter in tears ; this struck a strange kind of consternation in the hearts of all men at madrid , who wishd that the postillions which brought the new commission to bristoll had all broke their necks on the way : the infanta retird her self , and wore a kind of mourning for som daies , and an universall sadness appeard in all faces . hereupon the earl of bristol going to the king of spain to demand a surrender of the palatinat , he answer'd that it was not in his power to do it , for hee could not command an emperour in whose hands it was , with whom if england would entertain a treaty , if the emperour and the duke of bavaria wold not com to terms of reason , the same arm which got the sayd palatinat for his oncle ( the emperour ) shold joyn with the king of england to reconquer it for his son in law ; but this not satisfying , bristol receiv'd letters of revocation , and so going to take his leave of the king , he pulld off a ring of l. price off his finger and gave it him , sending him afterwards a cup-board or old plate valued at . duckets . the prince at his departure left a great rope of pearl and many boxes of jewels more for the infanta , valued at . crowns ; but she would not receive any till the nuptiall day , so they were kept in the custody of one of the secretaries of state : but notwithstanding that intelligence was sent how the two treaties of match and palatinat were dissolv'd by act of parlement in england , and that they were preparing for a war , yet the spaniard comanded the sayd jewels to be deliverd up to the english ambassador , which after were sent safely to england : out of the premisses it may be inferrd that the spanyard did really intend a match with england , which he saith he hath not broken to this day : in spain the king was young and his favorit old , it was clean contrary in england which made the world abroad to wonder that king iames shold be transported by the councell of a young favorit , as to suffer him to strain the conscience of his son so far as to break the match ; now , most remarkable it is , that as the parlement serv'd him for an instrument to do it , so the parlement was the chief instrument afterwards of his ruin . thus the spanish match which amus'd the world so long , and assorded such matter of discours was suddenly dashd , that fabrique which was a rearing so many yeers , and brought to such a point of perfection that it only wanted a cover , fell down in a moment . a little before these times the duke of ossuna a little man , but of a mighty spirit , was vice-roy of naples , where he had comitted more extravagances then any vice-roy ever did ; he raisd a war against the venetian for a property of dominion in som part of the adriatic gulph , wherin he causd the signory to spend much treasure , but afterwards it was found that this war was grounded rather upon the capricio of his brain , then any just reason : therupon the king of spain sent the cardinall borja to seize upon the government of naples , and send home the duke prisoner if he found cause ; the cardinall carried the busines very privatly , and being com to a little iland neer naples , the sagacious duke smelling somthing , sent a bishop to entertain and wait upon him , but it was indeed to serve as a spy to observe his motions . the cardinal made a shew to go a hunting one day in a sedia , wher he had appointed one to be habited just like him in another sed●a , the bishop being in the field all the while , and seeing a man like him in the sedia , he thought the cardinal was still there , but the cardinal had privatly got away to the marine , where he had a soldiers habit for a disguise , and a felucca ready for transporting him to naples , leaving the bishop waiting stil upon the counterfeit cardinal in the field , & having divers confidents in the castle where the duke was , he got thither at the close of the day , over a small draw-bridg , and surprized the duke : so signal being given to the town the bells rung , and the great guns went all suddenly off , so the collaterall councell came to salute the new vice-roy , and ossuna was sent prisoner to spain , with these severall accusations . accusations wherewith the most faithfull citie of naples doth charge the duke of ossuna . i. that against his majesties will he entertained a great number of soldiers , who by their miscarriages have committed many outrages , rapes and robberies , and if any complaind against them , the plaintiffs were sent away with threatnings and checks insteed of satisfaction from the duke . ii. he did put his majesties patrimony in distribution , as it appeares by the accounts of the kings chamber , besides he wasted much of the common treasury of the town , depriving her of many priviledges . iii. when he sent soldiers to be billeted in divers parts of this kingdom , the poor people to rid themselves of the trouble & charge , us'd to resort to the marchiones of campolataro , whom they were forced to bribe with presents to do them good offices . iv. he causd divers of his majesties subjects to be taxd with som enormous offences ; which he did , because they shold stand in the more awe of him : and being convinced by subordination of false witnesses , they were us'd afterwards to compound the business by bribes . v. he entertaind the sayd marchioness de campolataro publiquely for his concubine , to which he us'd to send the marquis out of the way upon remote employments . vi. when gabriel sanchez his chief chaplain left him , he sayd that hee would have never gone from the duke if he had gone duly to masse , and observ'd other divine exercises , besides he never saw him confess , or come to the communion . vii . he tooke out of the church of the annunciation the box wherein the holy sacrament was kept , and never restor'd it again . viii . he committed rapes upon many young mayds , he committed with a woman before the holy alter , and with another in the chancell of st. maries church ix . he frequented nunneries to profane sacrilegious ends . x. he made a feast of flesh for all the courtisans in naples upon maundy thursday , and was never us'd to observe fasting dayes . xi . he made another feast to som of the principall courtisan● of naples in don pedro de toledo's garden , whom he made to confes with how many church-men they had traded , commanding an inventory of their names to be taken . xii . he would often take juana maria a common courtisan into his coa●h and goe abroad with her . xiii . he had always a morisco slave in his house , of whom he got a bastard , which hee sufferd to be brought up in the mahametan religion , and being dead , he was buried after the rites of turky . xiv . he did his utmost endeavour to put debate between the gentry and cominalty that they might both make their recours to him . xv. as the holy eucharist was a elevating , he took a piece of gold out of his pocket , and stood adoring it . xvi . the same time as cardinall borgia came to naples , he attempted to make himself master of the two castles , and intended to besiege them . xvii . hee procurd many blanck papers of the gentlemen and nobles with their hands and seals underneath , whereby he made levies of great summs out of the duana by way of donation . xviii . he wastfully and unprofitably spent a masse of money against the republic of venice , transported therunto meerly by an extravagant humor , to revenge his particular quarrels . xix . he had suspectfull intelligence with the grand visier , and som of the turks bashas . xx. he did many other acts of obscenity and wantonnes , as inviting so many of the fairest concubines into his garden , where he had provided a luscious banquet for them ; after which he commanded them to strip themselves stark naked , while he with a hollow trunk shot comfets at their naked bodies , which they were to take up standing upon their high chapins . xxi . that he causd a barber to strip himself stark naked , and shave his duches below being also naked , and he all the while standing with a great knife to cut off his privy parts if he found any motion in them all the while . moreover having extraordinary forces by sea and land , he grew so insolent that he began to chop logic and capitulat with the king his master , proposing unto him that he shold continue in this government four yeers longer , that he shold send him commission to pursue the war against the venetian for dominion of som part of the gulph , with other extravagances . the former accusations were sent to madrid with the duke of ossuna , with sundry more , yet was he admitted to kisse the kings hand ; but coming with his sword like a cane in his han● , because he was troubled with the gout , the king observing his posture , and turning his back upon him , went away to his private gallery , whereat the duke was over-heard to mutter esto el tratar con muchachos , this it is to treat with boyes ▪ a little after he was confind to a countrey house hard by , whence at last he was permitted to com prisoner to his hou●e in madrid , being grown so weak that he was carried in a bed upon the sholders of men : so he died a little after , and at his death he protested , that the worst thing that ever he had done against spain , was , when he made his eldest son whom he could never ab●de . the duchess his wife came one day and presented a printed memorial in a very high language , to sollicit the king for her husbands release , and among other motifs in her petition one was , that som of her ancestors ha● brought more lands & lordships to the crown of spain , then som of his majesties progenitors wer worth . ther were two cardinals , borgia & sapata who consecutively succeeded the duke of ossuna , but neither the taxes lessened , nor the times mended any thing under their government , but the people were still pittifully peeld up and down , which made one to drop down this satyre in divers copies up and down the streets . lamento de napoli . pletá , pietá che ogni speranza e vana porgi remedio a i miei christiani accio non sian strutati da marani pater noster . questi son quei che sua dura croce sempre t' han fatto , ed anchor ti farcen guerra , et peggio ti furan se fosse in terra qui es in caelis . quando son questi in nostre case intrati con le coron● in mano humanamente ne van devoti , e pajan certamente sanctificetur dal primo giorno in poi si san patroni , ne pensan de acostarti a loro intorno perche renegan mille volte il giorno nomen tuum la prima cosa che fá lo spaguuolo per tutti lati latua casa squadra , et quando vede cosa che gli agrada adveniat dicendo ad patron traes a ca de todo co ' l petto gonfio ; & con il viso altiero che non gli bastarebbe un giorno intiero regnum tuum traes aca pollos , y de gallinas si non os matare con un cuchille , che convien dir a tal con basso ciglio fiat . credo che sia per nostri gran peccati che sotto posti siamo a tal gente , e certamente ognun crede che sia voluntas tua signor ti prego per la tua passione che libera rarei voglia di questi cana et fa che non ne sia tra nostre mani sicut in caelo anchor ti prego per la tua bonta che questi che non credon nel vangelo maledetti si sian sempre in cielo si cet in terra o dio del cielo e pur gran cosa questa . son tanto rei , perfidi & prophani che vogliono ancho dar a lor cani panem nostrum vn pover huomo che va a guadgnare in caepo dell ' anno non fá alcun profitto perche questi mangiano il suo vitto quotidianum . et se qual cosa habbiamo da mangiare , che servar vogliam per l' altro giorno subito si stan dicendo intorno da nobia ▪ hodié . et se di questi noj ci lamentiamo vengono sopra noj con tanto ardire che senza dubbio siam forzati a dire dimitte nobis et se in tutto no li contentiamo metton tutta la casa in disbaratto ●●i●ando contra noi non haver ●att● debita nostra appresso a questo ogni male e poco per voler contentar tutte lor voglie ●oglion anchor dormir con nostre moglie sicut & nos . et se qual cosa noi gli diciamo voto a dios os dare de cuchi lladas tal che por nollevar de bastonadas dimitti●●s vn altra cosa mi manoava a dire , son tanto rei , perfidi ed avari che voglion anchor riscuoter j danari debitoribus nostris gran dio dacci nostra libertade anticha , & da qui avanti sotto il jugo de usurpanti ne nos inducas sotto il francese piu franchi vissimo , má so questi remanemo tutti diventati pur schiavi , & per forza indutti in tentationem che habbia haunto piu variabil fato che noi non e's nation nissuna no vengi frá noi altro com ossuna sed libera nos a malo mentre che di noi tenghin ●il governo questi maluaggi altieri popoli non possiamo dire que di napoli nam tuum est regnum . the lamentations of naples . pitty , o pitty , for all hopes are vain , releive my oppressed christians that they be not torn to peeces by barbarians , o our father ; these are they who under the hard cross have made and will make war against thee and they wold use thee worse if thou wert on earth , which art in heaven . when these scabbs enter our houses devoutly with their beads in hand they seem so holy as if their mouths were hallowed they make themselves masters the first day , and look about what things are fit for prey then they prophane a thousand times a day thy name : the first thing a spaniard doth he skulking goes in every part of the house and if there be any thing that like 's , he sayes , let come bring hither sirrah , he sayes unto the master with a swelling breast and such high looks , as if with the giants he wold assault thy kingdom sirrah , bring here those hens and capons or els i will hurl thee out of thy window , so he obeys , saying with a trembling voice thy will be done . o lord i implore thee for thy passion to free us from these ravenous wolfs , and grant that justice may be done in earth as it is in heaven . and if perchance we have any thing in store , and reservd for another time they presently cry out and bawl give us this day a poor man who goes to gain a living , at the yeers end can scarce put up a penny , for these spanish dogs continually devour our daily bread and if by chance they go upon the score , which they too often use to do , with swelling words and threats they say forgive us our debts , and we must do it with speed wiping off their scores in their presence , so that we must forgive them not as we forgive our debtors great god restore us our liberties , with our ancient laws and customes , under the iron yoak of usurpators , and lead us not we livd far better under the french but under this half-moorish people we are becom pure slaves , and daily brought into temption . there is no people hath had and felt more miseries and chances then we , lord let there not com among us another ossuna , but deliver us from evil , while these tyrants sit at the healm and grind our face ni this manner , lord , it cannot be sayed that naples for thine is the kingdom . it hath been formerly related how illfavoredly matters went betwixt england and spain after the return of the prince of wales , for the treaties both of match and palatinat were dissolvd by act of parliament , where the puritan bore the greatest sway , and the duke of buckingham made use both of parli●ment and puritan to bring that work about , but there being at that time two ambassadors extraordinary in england , and finding that it was chiefly by the practises of buckingham that the match was broken , they practisd also how they might break his neck , and demolish him ; likewise king iames was old , and they knew the least thing wold make impressions of jealousie in him , therfore by a notable way of plotting they gave him intelligence at a privat audience , of a dangerous conspiracy against his royall authority , by the duke of buckingham and his complices ; the manner of which conspiracy may be best understood out of the following memoriall or information that sir walter aston , remaining still ambassador in spain , did present unto that king , which was as followeth , and being so remarkable a passage , i thought it worthy to take place here . to the king sir , sir walter aston ambassador to the king of great , sayth , that the king his master hath commanded him to represent unto your majesty , that having declard to your majesty the reasons why he could receive no satisfaction by your majesties answer of the fift of january , and that therby according to the unanimous consent of his parliament he came both to disolve the treaties of match and palatinat , he hath receivd another answer from your majesty , wherin he finds less grounds to build upon , and having understood that neither by the padr . maestro , or your majesties ambassadors , who have assisted these daies passd in his court , there was somthing to be propounded , and declard touching the busines of the palatinat , wherby he might receive contentment ; the sayed ambassadors untill now have not sayed any thing at all to any purpose , which being compard with other circumstances of their ill carriage , he gathers and doubts that according to the ill affection and depraved intentions wherwith they have proceeded in all things , but specially in one particular , they have labourd to hinder the good correspondence , and so necessary and desired intelligence should be conservd with your majesty . furthermore he saith , that the king his master had commanded him to give account to your majesty that in an auaience which he gave to the marquess of inoiosa , and don charlos coloma , they under cloak and pretext of zeal , and particular care of his person , pretended to discover unto him a very great conjuration against his per●●n and royall dignity , which was that at the beginning of this parliament the duke of buckingham had consulted with certain lords and others of the arguments and means which were to be taken for the breaking and dissolving of the treaties both of match and palatinat ; and their consultations passd so far , that if his majesty wold conform himself to their counsels , they wold give him a house of pleasure whither he might retire himself to his sports , in regard that the prince had now yeers sufficient , and parts answerable for the government of the kingdom . the information was of that quality , that it was sufficient to put impression in him of an everlasting jealousie , in regard that through the sides of buckingham they wounded the prince his son , together with the nobility , for it is not probable that they could bring to effect such a design without departing totally from the obligation of that faith and loyalty , which they owd to his person and crown , because the lords made themselves culpable as concealors , nor is it likely that the duke wold put himself upon such an enterprize , without communicating it first to the prince , and knowing of his pleasure . but because this information might be made more cleer , his majesty did make many instances unto the sayed ambassadors that they wold give him the authors of the sayed conjuration , this being the sole means wherby their own honor might be preservd , and whereby the great zeal and care they pretended to have of his person might appear : but the sayed ambassadors in stead of confirming the great zeal they made profession to bear him , all the answer they made him consisted of arguments against the discovery of the conspirators , so that for confirmation of the sayed report , there r●maind no other means then the examination of som of his councell of state , and principall subjects , which was put in execution accordingly , whom he causd to be put to their oathes in his own presence ▪ commanding that such interrogatories and questions shold be propounded unto them that were most pertinent to the accusation ▪ so that not the least part , particle , or circumstance remaind which was not exactly exa●ind and winnowed ; and he found in the duke , with the rest who were examind a ●●eer ▪ and sincere innocency , touching the accusations and imputations wherwith your majesties ambassadors had chargd them . this being done , he r●turned to make new instances unto the sayed ambassadors , that they wold not prefer the discovery of the names of the conspirators to the security if his royall person , to the truth and honor of themselves , and to run the hazard of an opinion to ●e h●ld and judgd the authors , and betrayers of a plot of such malice ▪ sedition , and danger , but the sayed ambassadors continued still in a kn●tty kind of obstinacy , resolving to conceal the names of the conspirators , notwithstanding that he gave them audience afterward● , wherin the marquess of inoiosa took his leave . but a few dayes after they desird new audience , pretending that they had somthing to say that concernd the public good , and condu●d to the entire restitution o● the palatinat , and thereby to the confirmation nnd conservation of the friendship 〈◊〉 your majesty ; but having suspended som few daies to give them audience , thinking that being therby better advisd they wold think on better courses , and discov●r the authors of s●p●rnitious a plot , and having since made many instances to that effect , and attended the success of so long a patience ; he sent his secretary sir edward conway with sir francis cotington secretary to the prince , commanding them that they shold signifie unto the sayd ambassadors , that he desired nothing more then continuance of the friendship betwixt the two crowns , therfore if they had any thing to say , they shold communicat it unto the sayed secretaries , as persons of so great trust which he sent therfore expresly to that end , and if they made any difficulty of this also ▪ then they might choose amongst his councell of state those whom they likd best , and he would command that they shold presently repair unto them : and if this also shold then be inconvenient , they might send him what they had to say in a letter , by whom they thought fittest , and he wold receive it with his own hands . but the ambassadors misbehaving themselfs , & not conforming to any thing that was thus propounded , the sayd secretaries according to the instructions which they had receav'd , told them that they being the authors of an information so dangerous and seditious , had made themselfs incapable to treat further with the king their master , and were it not for the respect he bore to the catholic king his dear and beloved brother their master , and that they were in quality of ambassadors to such a majestie , he wold and could by the law of nations , and the right of his own royall iustice proceed against them with severity a● their offence deserv'd , but for the reasons aforesayd , he wold leave the reparation thereof to the iustice of their king of whom he wold demand and require it . in conformity to what hath been said , the said ambassador of the king of great britain saith , that the king his master hath commanded him to demand refaction and satisfaction of your majestie against the said marquis of inojos● and don carlos coloma , making your majestie the iudg of the great scandall and enormous offence which they have committed against him , and against public right , expecting iustice from your majestie in the demonstrations & chastisement that your majestie shall infli●t upon them , which for the manner of his proceeding with your majestie , and out of your majesties own integrity and goodnes ought to be expected . furthermore the said ambassador saith that the king his master hath commanded him to assure your majestie , that hitherto ●e hath not intermingled the correspondence and friendship he holds with your majestie , with the faults and offences of your ministers , but leaves , and restrains them to their own persons , and that he still persever's with your majestie in the tru and ancient frendship and brotherhood as formerly , to which purpose he is ready to give a hearing to any thing that shall be reasonable , and give answer thereunto ; therefore when it shall please your majestie to employ any ambassador thither , he will make them all good entreaty , and receive them with that love which is fitting . for conclusion the said ambassador humbly beseecheth your majestie that you wold be pleas'd to observe & well weigh the car and tendernes wherewith the king his master hath proceeded towards your majesties ambassadors , not obliging them to any precipitat resolutions ; but allowing them time enough to prove , and give light of that which they had spoken : and besides , by opening them many ways wherby they might have complied with their orders if they had any such , which cours if they had taken , they might will have given satisfaction to the king his master , and moderated the so grounded opinion of their 〈◊〉 proceedings against the peace , together with the good intelligence and correspondence twixt the two crowns . walter ashton . this memorial kept som noise in the court of spain for the present , and the world expected that the sayd ambassadors at their return shold receive som kind of punishment ▪ or at least some marks of the kings displeasure , but clean contrary , the one was promoted to be governour of milan , and don carlos coloma going to flanders , continued still in employment , and encrease of favour . so ther was a warr menacd but not denouncd between england and spain , which lasted not long , being meerly navall , for in the compass of a short time ther was a peace peecd up again twixt the two crowns , insomuch that trade after this small in e●ruption did res●●rish mightily , specially in the dominions of naples . the duke of medina de las torres being viceroy in that kingdom , ther hapned an extrao●dinary accident ; the occasion was given at a ball where ther was a great confluence of the principall noblemen and ladies . the duke of matalone the chief of the carassas and potentest familie in that kingdom conceivd he had receivd an affront from the prince of sanza at the ball , wherupon he hird a valenton or swashbuckler to d●y-beat and cane ●im . he●upon the prince went and raised forces in campania , and so thought to revenge a privat injury in a public way , the viceroy having notice of it ▪ raisd another considerable army which dispersed the other , so that the prince of sanza was forc'd to fly to ●ome whe● he took sanctuary ; the dukes of medina and matalone devisd how they might seize upon him , so there was a paction made with iulio puzzolo , a great bandito at such a price , who going disguisd to rome about it , and understanding who was prince sanzas mistress , and where he usd to hear mass , he sent a message to him into the church , that his sayed mistre●s was fallen very sick , the●fore she desird to speak with him out of hand , so going up into the coach , which he thought had bin sent for him , that stood at the church-door , the bandito with his complices surprizd him , and hurried him away to naples , where a little after he was beheaded : the pope sent six hundred light-horse presently after to redeem the prince , but the bandito was too nimble for them , and wheeling about by infrequented waies , had got into the territories of naples before , whence he carried him away cleer , and so receivd his price of blood , and they promised reward . philip the fourth entring young into his government , took the count of olivares for his privado and chief pilot for the conduct of all state affairs , a man wonderfull sedulous , but not so succesfull , for the king grew alwaies to be on the loosing hand , while he put him at the helm . one of the first losses he had was that of ormus the chiefest mart in the world for all sorts of jewels ; so that if the earth were compard to a ring , ormus might be calld the gemm of that ring : it was taken by the assistance of three english merchants ships , who were then upon the coasts of persia ; the sophy embargud and hired them for the service , promising them the spoyles of the church , and of the monasteries of ormus , being encouragd hereby they fought notably , and helped to finish the business , so accordingly they had the plunder of all the religious houses in ormus , which they carried aboard , and it was an incredible masse of treasure they took , specially in jewels , but it did not prosper , for the english ship pearl being the admiral and laden with that rich spoil , perisht in the port with all her cargazond , the other two making for england , one of them was cast away in alto mari , in open sea , the other being com into the narrow seas , as she set sail upon a sunday morning , a horrid tempest did rise , which was so impetuous , that by the fury therof she was carried away to the coasts of holland , where she perisht , but captain cartwright had preservd himself with a girdle of jewels about him of six thousand pounds value , which did not peosper , for going to russia to push on his fortunes he grew to be extreamly poor : a little after goa fell from the spaniard , many towns in flanders were lost , the condado de rossillon at the foot of the pyrenean hills , with the kingdoms of catalonia and portugal quite revolted from him ; the first flew off because of the free quarter the castillian soldiers took as they passd through catalonia towards italy , and the fry grew suddenly so furious , that the vice-roy himself was murthered in his coach with others ; the kings seals were all broken , and they put themselves under the protection of the french. touching portugal they took the advantage of those comotions in catalonia , and likewise quite revolted from the castillian , whom they hate above all other mortalls . they crownd iohn duke of braganza for their king , under whom the government in a very short time was so generally establishd , as if it had bin a hundred yeers a doing . it seems that after the revolt of catalonia , there were som fears had of portugal , and jealousies of the duke of braganza , therfore to put him out of the way he wa● proferd to be the governor of milan , but he made a modest excuse ; then it was given out cunningly that the king was going in person to catalonia , therfore notice was given , that the duke of braganza with the rest of the nobles shold attend the kings standard , but he still excusd himself : hereupon the king of spain to endear the duke , or rather to secure him unto him the more , sent him a commission to be generall of all the militia of portugal , referring it to his free election where to fix , and in what place he pleasd neer lisbon the capitall citty : and withall he sent him for supply of his privat occasions , a royall token of sixty thousand duckets , but it seems t was a crown that he aimd at ▪ not duckets , 〈◊〉 none of these proffers or reall favours could detain him from shaking off all alleageance to king philip , neer whom he was bred most part of his yeers ; the dutchess of savoy king philips ant then governess in lisbon , had formerly sent advices one upon the neck of another , how she apprehended som fear of an insurrection in portugal , but olivares slighted her avisos , giving out that she was a silly woman , fitter to govern a family then a kingdom , therfore he sent her word , that if she did not comprehend the services of state , at least she shold not detect them . not long after som of the chief nobility had a clan●ular close meeting at lisbon , where it was proposed that the kingdom shold be reduced into a common-wealth , but that design provd but an embryon which dyed suddenly , before it could receive any shape ; then the arch-bishop of sevill stood up , and councelld them to cast their eyes upon the duke of braganza , the native and rightfull heir : the motion was approvd of , so one gaston cotigno a pragmaticall man , and a nimble smoothd toungd instrument for such a business , and one who abhorrd the castilians to the very death , was employd unto the duke then at a privat house of his ; he told him , that now there was a pregnant opprtunity offerd for him to recover his ancestrall right to the crown of portugal , that fortune seldom proffers a man a kingdom ; he told him of the fair hope to bring the business about , he told him of the generall inclinations of the nobility and clergy , specially of the arch-bishop of lisbon , the universall disgust , and hatred of the people towards the castillian : he bid him look upon the present face of things , which seemd to smile upon and invite him , how that the house of austria was at a low ebb , distracted with wars on every side , the castillians had work enough cut them by the catelans , nor could he want succours and auxiliaries from france , and others that did emulat the greatnes of spain , therfore he advisd him to take time by the fore-top , for he is bald behind . the duke after a long pauze , thankd him and the nobility for their good affections towards him , but this was a business of that hazard and consequence that it requird som deliberation ; that he knew well there was no medium betwixt a throne and a scaffold , and so shewd himselfe irresolute for the present . the next night taking advise of his pillow , and communicating the whole busines to his wife , sister to the duke of medina sidonia a female of a masculine courage , and being anxious within himself whether he shold hearken to the proposals of the nobility , or go to madrid to prevent all hazards ; his lady told him , my friend , if thou goest to madrid , thou dost incur the danger of loosing thy head , and if thou acceptest of the crown thou dost but run the same hazard , therfore consider well whether it be not better to dye nobly at home then basely abroad . being incited by these words , he sent word presently to the nobility , that he wold conform himself to their councels , and was resolved to live and dy , and run the same adventures with them ; so they securd all places of fastnes in lisbon , and though there were spanish and swisse guards there , yet there was killd but one swits in all the bustle , besides vasconcellos the secretary of state , who managd all things before under the lady governes or vice-queen , but was extreamly hated , so he was murtherd in a cup-board within his own chamber , where he was usd to lock up all his letters and papers , among whom he fell , being shot with a pistoll as he had shut himself among them . hereupon the cry went all over lisbon , viva el roy don iuan el quarto , god save king iohn the fourth ; yet in all this hurly-burly the vice-queen was dealt civilly withall ; and when som of the nobility came to her , she made this discreet speech unto them , being nothing at all daunted , that if this insurrection had no other aime but to revenge themselves of secretary vasconcellos , the busines was done , therfore she assurd them upon returning to their obedience to gain them a generall pardon from the king her lord and nephew : but they answerd her in short , madam , we have now no other king but king iohn , wherof we com to give you notice , so they removd the vice-queen from the royall palace to another house , leaving a band of soldiers for her security . the arch-bishop of lisbon , who was the chiefest stikler in this desperat busines , to cover this insurrection with some signal act of devotion , came forth in a solemn procession , carrying in his hand the chiefest relique of lisbon , which is one of the nailes wherwith christ was naild to the cross : besides , it was delivered in a sermon , that in the person of the duke was verified a certain apparition of christ to king alphonso , as he was upon point of giving battell to ●ive moorish kings , by which he was promised not only victory , but that he and his successors shold raign to the sixteenth generation , at which time his race shold be thought extinct , but it shold florish again when it shold be least of all thought upon , which prophecy fell pat upon the motions of the present times . there was then in lisbon the count de la puebla olivares kinsman , with other castillians who were kept for hostages for som portugals that were in the spanish 〈◊〉 . upon thursday after , the new king made his entrance into lisbon where the clergy gave him . m. crowns , the nobility . m. and the cominalty one million of gold , to hansell their new king. the carriage and courage of the vice queen the dutchesse of savoy was very commendable in these confusions , for wheras the new king sent her a complement to ascertain her of such civilities that were sutable to a princesse of her rank , provided she wold forbear all discourse and practises wherby to infuse any opinion prejudiciall to the now establishd government , yet she notwithstanding with much stoutnes ( but with expressions of thankfulnes to the duke , for she wold not stile him king ) fell into a large and grave exhortation to those nobles that were sent to her to lay aside all vain hopes , and not to cozen themselves , but to return to their old alleagance according as they were obligd by oath , not doubting but they should all find pardon . thus what the spaniard had possessd in so much peace for sixty yeers , was snatchd away from him in less then six dayes ; news hereof being brought to madrid , it strook a strange consternation in the thoughts of all people , but olivares came smiling to the king● saying , sir , i pray give me las albricias to hansell the good news , for now you are more absolute king of portugal then ever , for the people have forfeited all their priviledges by this rebellion , besides the estate of the duke of braganza , with all his complices are yours by right of confiscation , so that you have enough to distribute among your old loyall servants by way of reward : but herein olivares did notably dissemble his passion , for it was discoverd that these sad tydings sunk deeper into him th●n any . the new king iohn was married to a castilian the duke of medinas sister , who was governor in chief in andaluzia , therfo●e upon som ombrages of fear that he might be seducd , he was by a plausible message sent for to madrid , but as soon as he came his person was securd , and another sent to succeed him . upon the first intelligence that came to spain how bragansa had bin proclaimd , king philip sent him a letter to this effect . duke and cosen , som odd news are brought me lately which i esteem but folly , considering the proof i have had of the fidelity of your house , give me advertisement accordingly , because i ought to expect it from you ; do not draw a trouble upon your self , and hazard not the esteem i make of your life , to the fury of a mutinous rabble , but let your wisdom comport you so , that your person may escape the danger , my councell will advise you further : so god guard you , your cosen and king. unto this letter answer was made as followeth . my cosen , my kingdom desiring its naturall king , and my subjects being oppressd with taxes , and new impositions , have executed without oposition that which they had oftentimes designd , by giving me the possession of a kingdom which appertains unto me , wherfore if any will go about to take it from me , i will seek justice in my armes ; defence being allowable , god preserve your majesty , don john the fourth , king of portvgall . this huge loss and horrid disaster gave a shrewd alarm to the spanish monarchy , for there fe●l from her by this revolt the east-indies , the tercera , islands , the kingdom of algarve , brasile , and all she had in afric , except the town of ceuta , which is the only appendix that remains to spain of the large dominions of portugal , but t is like a small crust left of a christmas loaf . a little before this revolt there was a portentous strange accident hapned neer the tercera ilands which are subject to the crown of portugal , for in one of them there was a town built upon the sea-side under divers clifts and rocks ▪ among which there was a great lough , which suddenly one day broak out into a fearfull fire , proceeding it seems from som bituminous matter in the bottom , the flakes of fire and smoak did so darken and obnubilat the whole region of the cir●umambient air for many daies , that they of the town beneath thought verily the day of judg●ent was com , for they could go ankle deep in the ashes which the fire drove to the streets , at last the huge lake came tumbling down the hills , and carryed many of them with part of the town into the sea : this was held to be an ominous thing and to presage som great change ; but the yeer following there hapned a stranger thing , for a new iland poppd out of the sea therabouts , and peed above water which was never seen before . now ●is worth the while considering what a mighty alteration it hath made in the christian world , to set down the right of title , that both the king of spain , and the house of bragansa hath to the crown of portugal , therfore we will plant here the tree of their genealogy , that the reader may pass his judgment accordingly . the fortunat and famous alphonso having in the yeer . obtaind a mighty battell against the moors in portugal , by the unanimous consent of the people he was chosen king , and solemnly crownd in lamego , and his posterity made capable to succeed him to all perpetuity ; all which was confirmd afterwards by the pope ▪ among other lawes which the three estates being assembled at lamego did enact , one was this ; let it be a law for ever that the king of portugals eldest daughter marry a native of portugal that so the crown never descend to a stranger ; and in case she shold marry to a prince who is a stranger let her not be queen , for we will never have our kingdom go out of the race of the portugals , who have made us kings by their own valor , and by the effusion of their own blood without forraign assistance . now don emanuel was the fourteenth king of portugal from don alphonso , and had for his issue six sons and two daughters , as followeth . . the prince don iohn his eldest . . the infanta donna beatrix , who was married to the emperor charles the fift , by whom he had philip the second . . the infanta dona , married to emanuel duke of savoy . . the infant don luis who left behind don antonid an illegitimat son. . the infant don fernando dyed without issue . . the infant don alfonso arch-bishop of lisbon , and cardinal never married . . the infant don henry cardinal and arch-bishop of dragon . ● . the infant don edward who left two daughters , the eldest was mary wife out of the kingdom to alexander farnesse duke of panna , the younger was married to don iohn duke of bragansa . after the death of emanuel succeeded his eldest son don iohn who was named before , and was called iohn the third , whose onely son called also iohn dying before his father , left behind him don sebastian who succeeded his grand-father , and was slain without issue at that notable battell in barbary . where most of the nobility and flower of portugal did also fall : upon the death of sebastian the crown returnd to the eldest survivor of his grand-fathers brothers , viz. henry the cardinal , whose old age as well as his function made him incapable of marriage , he raignd peaceably two ye●rs ; after his death there were no less then eight pretenders to the crown . . the people claimd right to elect their own king , jure regni . . the pope challengd iure divino to be arbiter herein , in regard that alfonso the first king made himself feudetary to the see of rome . . don antonio gave out he was no bastard , but his father don luis was lawfully married . . katherine de medici queen regent of france , claimd a right as descending from don alphonso the third , since whom al● the kings of portugal have bin no better then usurpers . . philibert duke of savoy , son to one of king emanuels daughters . . ranuccio duke of parma claimd the crown in right of his mother mary , daughter to don duarte king emanuels youngest son. . katherine dutchesse of braganza claimd the crown as being born in portugal , wheras all the rest were aliens , according to the primitive law made in don alphonsos time . . philip the second claimd the crown by right of his mother the empresse , being heir male of don emanuels eldest daughter . now touching the first pretender , which was the people , it was answerd , that untill the royall line of a kingdom be quite extinct there can be no right of election in them . touching the titles of the rest they were solemnly debated in many universities , but most concluded for king philip , first in regard that the kingdom of portugal had bin before alphonsos time , an : . under the protection of the crowns of castile and leon wherof he was king. secondly , because he could not properly be calld an alien , because he was born upon the continent of spain , wherof portugal is part , being calld according to the old division hispania lusitanica . thirdly he might claim it , a digniori partu , because he was the first male of an empress , who had bin also first daughter of portugal . besides this fatall defection of the kingdom of portugal , with the sundry dominions far and neer , that belongd unto it ; there were many other cross traverses besides that happend to the spanish monarchy ; there was an illfavourd fire kindled in palermo in sicily , which by a popular fury did so rage , and was like to be so destructive that the marquess de los velez the then vice-roy , was forcd to publish a manifesto , wherin to content the rabble ; he took off and abolishd to perpetuity the taxes that were layed upon meat , wine , oyle , and cheese : moreover the people having in the sayed mutiny broke open the prisons and let out the prisoners , the vice-roy was constraind to publish another instrument wherin he pardond all such prisoners , as also those who let them out , and all this was don , sub verbo & fide regia . the kingdom of naples which is also sicily ( beyond the phare a little arm of the sea , and thought at the creation to be one entire continent ) having intelligence how well their neighbours and fellow-subjects had sped , the tother side by that popular insurrection , thought that they were as free born people as the sicilian , and did contribute more to the spanish greatnes , their donatives , therfore they might very well deserve and expect as good usage as they : there had bin not long before a new tax layd upon all fruits green & dry , which amounted to about eighty thousand duckets yeerly . the duke of arcos then vice-roy was often told that there was an universall muttering at this tax , which might beget dangerous consequences : hereupon som commissioners were appointed to consult how som other way might be taken to raise monies for the king , as also to repay those sums that had bin imprested , and already lent upon the credit of the sayed fruit tax . at that time there was in naples a young fellow about four and twenty yeers old , who got his living by retayling of fish up and down , he was of a stirring and spritfull humor , of a confident speech and utterance : this poor retayler of fish calld thomas anello and by contraction masanello , observing what discontents and mutterings raignd in every corner about this tax upon fruit , with divers others ; and the next day meeting with a great company of boyes in the market-place , he made them follow him up and down the streets , with sticks and canes in their hands , making them cry out , let the pope live , let the king of spain live , but let the ill government perish . this and such like doctrine being infusd by masanello into his young schollers , the shop-keepers laught at him as he went , asking him whether he were not frantic or foolish , but he told them , yee laugh at me now , but you shall see shortly what masanello can do , let me alone , if i do not free you from the slavery of so many taxes let me be held infamous for ever . at which speech the laughter encreasd , but masanello grew more and more intentious about the work , so that he enrol●d the names of divers boyes twixt , , and . yeers old , so that at last he made a regiment of two thousand , the next day being a festivall , he marchd with his brigade of boyes after him , and it chancd that being in the market-place the fruiterers , and costermongers , or shop-keers fell out about the paying of the new tax , and the baskets of fruits were thrown down , and the boyes fell a gathering and eating of them in the streets , masanello encouraging them all the while ; hereupon the lord anaclerio the elect of the people , threatning him with whipping and the gallies , not only the fruiterers but other people threw apples and pears into lord anaclerios face , and masanello gave him a good thump upon the breast with a stone ; so with much ado the lord elect broke his way in a coach through the crowd ▪ and leaping into a boat or feluca he scapd . upon these hope●ull beginnings the rabble flockd together in many places protesting to pay no more gabell , and crying still let the king live and the ill government dy ; so now masanello began to be attended with men as well as boyes , and leaping up upon a stall which was in the market-place among the fruiterers , he sayed with a loud voice to this effect , making this noble speech as if he had bin inspird . rejoyce my dear companions , and country-men , give god thanks and the glorious virgin , the time of our redemption draws neer . this poor fisher-man barefooted whom you see , shall a● another moses who freed the israelites from pharaohs rod , free you in like manner from all gabels and impositions ; it was a fisher-man , i mean saint peter , who reducd rome from satans slavery to the liberty of christ ; now another fisher-man who is masanello shall release naples , and with the city of naples a whole kingdom from the tyranny of tolls . from henceforth yee shall shake off your necks the intolerable yoke of so many grievances which have depressd your spirits hitherto ; to effect which i do not care a rush to be torn in peeces , and dragd up and down the gutters of naples : let all the blood of my body spin out of my veins , let this head skip off my sholders by a fatal steel , & be pearchd up in this market-place upon a pole , yet i shall dy contented and glorious , it will be an honor and a triumph unto me that my life and blood perishd in so glorious a conquest . this speech did wonderfully work upon the people , whose hearts were ready to cooperat with him , so for a handsom beginning the toll-house for fruit with all the books of accounts were burnt to the ground , with much of the customers goods which were shewd there : hereupon the shops were shut up and down almost through all the city , and the keepers of them went to other quarters of the city where the toll-houses for corn , flesh , fish , salt , wine , oyle , cheese , and silk , stood , all which they burnt to the very earth , withall the writing and custom house books , as also all the hangings and houshold-stuff were hurld into a great straw-fire , together with som chests of moneys and plate , and all burnt : and in this confusion there was this strickt point of government already , that it was de●th for any one to pourloin or take away any thing out of the fire for his own use . the people all this while having met with no opposition at all , grew to be above ten thousand in number , and they made towards the vice-roys palace , many of them holding loafs of bread upon the tops of their pikes , which was then very deer , because of the toll upon corn ▪ there were som among the brigads of boyes who carried black clowts upon the tops of their canes , crying out in dolorous notes as they passd , have pitty upon these poor souls in purgatory , who not being able to endure so many grievances seek how they may escape away ; o brothers joyn with us , o sisters assist us in so just a cause : in such dolefull tones they went about , and coming to saint iames prison they freed there all the prisoners and admitted them to their society : at last they came under the vice-roys window and made a hideous cry , that they wold be freed not only of the fruit gabell , but of all other , specially that of corn ; the vice-roy out of his balcone promisd them very fair to take off quite the fruit tax , & half of that of corn , but this not suffizing they rusht into the vice-roys palace , notwithstanding the german and spanish guards which were there , and breaking through all the rooms they came at last to that room where the vice-roy was shut up under lock , which they broke open , but the vice-king was fled , and thinking to go to the castle where his lady was retired , he found the draw-bridg up , and so came back and fled to a franciscan monastery ; while the rabble was in his palace they did much mischief , and pursuing him still , and understanding that he was retired to the monastery , he was forcd to com out and to shew himself . the people then though in the height of fury grew somwhat more temperat , saying , most excellent sir , for the passion of god disburden us of these gabells who suck our blood , let us but breath and have no more slavery . the vice-roy giving them the charmingst language he could , causd little cedules signed by himself and seald with the kings seal affixed , to be dispersd amongst them , wherin the sayd tolls were taken off ; afterwards he threw som peeces of gold and rials of eight among them , so by that costly cunning be got away from among the rabble for that time , to a church hard by where they still pursued him , and wold not be satisfied till they had a perfect instrument for the taking off the tax upon fruit and bread , the confusion grew higher and higher till the arch-bishop filomarmi came , to whom they shewd som reverence being their metropolitan and common father , and he at last brought them an instrument signd by the vice-roy for abolishing the foresayd tolls ; so that gave som contentment for the present , but the torrent encreasd presently with greater floods of water , for that instrument of the vice-kings being read in the market-place , the cry was that it was imperfect , for they wold be free from all kinds of tolls since the time of charles the emperor , hereupon they went to the prince of bisignano the chief of the caraffas desiring him to be their leader and advocat to the vice-roy ; he went with them and being com to the great church de carmine , he stood up in a high place with a crucifix in his hands , and conjurd the people for the love of god and the most blessed virgin , to be pacified a while , and he promisd them by oath , to procure for them from the vice-roy whatsoever they desird : but this wold not quiet them , but they rushd into the prisons and set loose the prisoners ; they went to the dogana or toll-house for corn , with faggots on their backs , and pitch and fire in their hands in a great fury : prince bisignano not being able to take them off though he labourd earnestly , they put fire on all sides , and besides the houses , they turnd rich houshold stuff , sedias , and ready money all to ashes . the prince being but crazy in point of health , grew weary of heeding such an unruly rabble , therfore he rid himself of them at last by a stratagem ; the people hearing that bisignano was gon , & wanting a head they cryed out for masanello , who having accepted of it , he began more eagerly then ever to invite the people , insomuch that he in lieu of water to quench this fire threw oyle upon t to make it burn more furious . the next day másanello captain-like divided the people into companies and regiments , nothing but clashing of armes within the city , whether the country swains came with pikeaxes shovels and spades ; nay , the women appeard armd with shovels , spits , and broaches , and the common cry went let the king live and the toll perish , our gabels our tolls , let them go to the devill to maintain his kingdom of darknes ; let the raisers of them those dogs dy , who being transformd to wolfs have devoured the flesh of innocent lambs , let them vomit the blood they have suckd into the cinders of their burnt wealth , those domestic and insatiable leeches of naples , let these drones and wasps be driven away who have suckd the sweet hony of the bees . with such cries and screekings they stounded the very air in such pitteous accents , which were enough to soften the hardest marble , and draw tears from the pumice stone . thus horror , blood and amazements raignd in every corner ; so order was sent by masanello to all the thirty six precincts of naples to arm under an irremissible penalty of having their houses burnt ; now there being som want of gun-powder they went to a house to buy som , but being refusd they threw fird matches into the house , which taking hold of the powder-barrels blew up above sixty inhabitans , and it gave such a crack as the galeon som daies before did in the port which was blown up , being not known whether it was done by chance , or by pure malice ; then they went to the kings magazin of powder , but there was a course taken with that before , for the kings labourers had put it in water , by way of prevention ; in the interim the vice-roy fortifieth himself in castle nuovo having taken in a thousand germans at the gates , eight hundred spaniards with a thousand italians , well armd with pike and musket ; the vice-roy sent a note to masanello ( the generalissimo of the rabble ) by som of the collaterall councell , wherin he promisd to take off all gabels as was desird , but this wold not suffice , but masanello wold have have a ●estitution of the priviledges granted by charles the emperor , whose statue he had over the door of his house ; he proposd also that the clerk of the market shold be nominated for the future , by the faithfull people of naples , that the old office of capo popolo shold be revivd , and that he shold be namd by the citizens without any recourse to the vice-roys . hereupon the vice-roy sent the duke of matalare , with divers other popular lords to ride up and down the city and to assure them that his excellency was ready to give all possible satisfaction : they answerd , that they desird no more but to have the priviledges of charles the emperor restord , wherby it was decreed that no new impositions should he layd upon the faithfull people of naples without the consent of the holy apostolic see ; now since all gabels from that time have bin imposd without his consent ; som few of small consequence excepted , it was just they shold be abolishd ; moreover the people desird the original of those priviledges of charles quinto which was in the archives of saint laurence : the lord chief prior was employed to find out the sayed original which he shewd the people , but som doubting whether it was a counterfeit one , the good old prior had met with death , had he not found a way of escape . there was appointed to be about the person of masanello an old priest by name genovino , a● also a notable bandito calld perrone , these two being coadiutors to masanello gave out a list of sixty and odd houses or palaces rather , of them who had farmd the gabels from time to time , who having enrichd themselves , and grown fat with the blood of the people , it was thought fit that they shold be made examples and a terror to others , so the sayd houses with abundance of most costly houshold-stuff , as also their coaches and their coach-horses were pittifully burnt , and with so much order and neatnes of hand that he hazarded his life who shold embezel the least thing , therupon one taking away but a little towell was killd , another for the crouper of a horse had fifty lashes , and divers other after they had confessd to their ghostly fathers , were hangd up by the sole command of masanello ; and it was very dangerous to shew any countenance of pitty at the burning of the sayed houses ; besides all kind of rich utensiles , there were pictures , bracelets , chains of gold , with great store of ready money thrown into the raging fire in the market-place , with huge out-cryes of the people round about in such words , these goods are our bloods , and as they burn so the souls of th●se dogs who own them deserve to fry in hell-fire . while the people wer thus raging , the vice-roy by the advice of the great collaterall councell , had causd an instrument to be fairly printed , contianing an abolition of all gabels since charles the fift , and besides a generall pardon to all ; this instrument was sent to the market-place , and the vice-roy finding that the noble-men were out of request with the people , he imployed two advocates to treat with them , but all wold not do , for they found som flaw in the sayed instrument , therfore they demanded the original of the grand priviledg given by charles the fifth . the people in this condition were like a huge river , which by an extraordinary glut of rain having broke her banks , and risen out of her wonted bed to ramble abroad , can hardly be brought in again : the vice-roy and councell labourd to make up the breaches , but all yet in vain ; so they continued still burning the houses of the gabeliers or customers , and finding in one of their houses the picture of the present king of spain , they preservd it and carried it publickly up and down the streets with this cry , let our king live a thousand years , and the ill government ●ternally perish , among others which went armd there was a regiment of women which went strutting up and down the streets with muskets on their sholders , and som with pikes , at last the grand priviledg of carlos quinto was found , and as the last remedy it was sent from the vice-roy by filomarini the common father of the citty , being arch-bishop therof , to the market-place , with a writing underneath , wherin the vice-roy obligd himself to observe firmly for the future every particular of the sayed character which he desired shold be publisht in the great church of carmine , which filomarini did accordingly in a most solemn manner , and presently therupon this proclamation issued . philip by the grace of god king , &c. don rodrigo pone de leon duke of arcos , we by an everlasting priviledg , do grant to the most faithfull people of this most faithful citty of naples , that all gabels and impositions be extinct and abolishd which were layd upon the citty of naples and the kingdom from the time of the emperor charles the fift of happy memory until this hour : moreover we grant a generall pard●n for any offence whatsoever , committed since the beginning of this present revolution to this point of time , as also for every offence and inquisition passd that related to the sayed revolution , given in castle novo , th . july . el duca de arcos , donato coppola secretary to the kingdom , the sixth day after the composition masanello was made generalissimo or tribune of the people , and by the advice of cardinal filomarini was inducd to have a parley with the vice-roy in the castle , therfore he clad himself in cloath of silver , with a huge plume of feathers in his hat , mounted upon a gallant courser , with a naked sword in one hand , and in this equipage he marchd to the castle attended by . m. armd men , the cardinals coach came next masanello , and upon the left side of the coach mareo d' amalphi masanellos brother , did ride all in cloath of gold being also well mounted and having sword and dagger sutable : the captain of the vice-roys guard , but without armes came a horse-back to meet masanello saluting him in the name of his master , and welcoming him to the castle , where being entred he made a speech unto the people , to this effect . my dear and much beloved people , let us give god thanks with eternall sounds of iubile , that we have recov●rd our former liberties , but who would have thought we shold have com to so fair a pass ; they may seem dreams or fables , yet you see they are reall truths , let infinite thanks be given to heaven , and to the most blessed virgin of carmine , and to the paternall benignity of this most reverend bishop our shepheard ; then he took from his bosom the charter of charles the fifth , with the new confirmation signd by the vice-roy and collaterall councell , and with a loud voice , sayed , now are we exempted and free from all gabels , we are easd of so many weights , all impositions are taken off , now is restord the dear liberty in which rests the happy memory of king ferdinand and charles the emperor , i for my own particular desire not any thing , i do not pretend any thing but public good as this most reverend arch-bishop knows well ; i told him often of my right intentions , i was offerd two hundred crowns a month during life provided i shold proceed no further , but wold be an instrument to accomodate all things , i ever refusd the offer : moreover had it not bin to perform the promise i was tyed in to his eminence , i wold not have apparrelld my self as you see me , i wold never have shaken of my mariners we●ds , for i was born such , such a one i livd , and such a one i mean to live and dy : after the fishing of public liberty which i have made in the tempestuous sea of this afflicted citty , i will return to my hook and line , not reserving to my self as much as a nail for my own dwelling ; i desire no more of you but when i am dead you wold every one say an ave maria for me , do you promise me this ? yes , they cryed out but a hundred yeers hence ▪ he replyed , i thank you , desiring you not to lay down your armes till a confirmation com from spain , of all these priviledges from the king our soveraign , trust not the nobility for they are traytors ▪ and our enemies ; i go to negotiat with the vice-roy , and within an houre you shall see me again , or at least to morrow morning , but if to morrow i be not with you , put to fire and sword the whole citty : well , well though what hath hitherto passd hath not much pleasd the vice-roy , yet his majesty will find that he hath not lost any thing by it , only som of the nobility ( our enemies ) have lost by it , who will return to their former beggery , those ravenous wolfs who bought and sold our bloods , never regarding the glory of god , the service of his majesty , or the common good of citty and kingdom : now the temples of the spanish monarchy shall be adornd with the most precious crown that ever she bore upon her head ; that which shall be given by us hereafter shall be all the kings , and not as in former times , for when we gave him any treasure it vanisht away , and was half drunk up by his officers . having spoken thus , he turnd to the bishop , saying , most eminent lord , bless this people , which he did ; so thinking to go on with his calvalcata , the number of the people was so great that it filld all the castle , and so hindred the passage , therfore because going to treat of peace , t was unseemly that such a confusd rout shold go along ; he commanded upon pain of life that no body shold make one step further , which was observd with marvellous obedience ; so there went only with him arpaia , genovino , his brother and the arch-bishop whom the vice-roy came to meet to the top of the stairs , masanello putting himself at his feet he kissd them in the name of the people , thanking his excellence for the grace he had done them touching the capitulations , saying , he was com thither , that his excellence might do with him whatsoever he pleasd , either to hang him , to break him upon wheels , or tear him with wild horses ; but the vice-roy made him rise up , saying , he never knew him to be culpable , or that he had offended his majesty in any thing , therfore he may rejoyce for he shold alwaies be well regarded by him : the vice-roy then brought him to an open balcone that the people might see him to avoid all jealousies ; so they fairly concluded the peace and parted , masanello being confirmd by the vice-roy to be captain-generall of the people . the next morning masanello put off his cloth of silver-sute , and took again the habit of a marriner , yet was he obeyd and feard as much as formerly : he wold rise betimes and give audience in the market-place out of a window which was in his house , whither they wold reach him petitions on the tops of pikes , he had alwaies an archibuz ready cockd hard by him , which was of som terror to those who came to petition or sollicit about any business . by these furious traverses and popular confusions matters at last came to that point of perfection that the originall charter of charles the emperor having bin publickly producd , revivd , and ratified , the vice-roy issued forth this generall indulgence in the kings name and his own . philip , by the grace of god king , &c. don rodrigo ponce de leon duke of arcos , we by an everlasting priviledg do grant to the most faithfull people of this most faithfull citty of naples , that all gabels and impositions be extinct and abolishd which were layed upon the sayed citty of naples , and the kingdom from the time of the emperor charles the fift of happy memory , untill this hower : moreover we grant a generall pardon for any offence whatsoever committed , since the beginning of this present revolution to this point of time , as also for every ●ffence and inquisition passd that related to the sayed revolution . given in castle n●ovo th . of iuly . subscribed the duke of arcos . as this was to be publishd , there intervend an ill-favord accident which much puzzled the busines , for there entred into the city . banditi brought in by perrone , who had bin admitted to be a confederat or counsellor to masanello , after their entrance ther hapned som difference twixt them and masanello upon a jealousie , that they had intelligence with the duke of mataloni ( which was true enough ) therupon som seven of those banditi shot at one time at masanello , but none of the bullets could penetrat him , but to the astonishment of the world , they only singd som part of his shirt and so he dropd down ; which preservation was imputed to a medail of the lady of carmine that he wore about his neck . perrone with most of those banditi were killd and executed , and having found that they had complotted with mataloni against the people , don ●●seppe carasfa brother to the duke of mataloni was found out and most miserably butcherd by the fury of the people . masanello improvd every day in strength and the opinion of the people , insomuch that perrone being now dead he soly raignd , and the gran signor was never obeyed and feard in constantinople as he was in naples . his warrant alone was sufficient to fetch any ones head , to fire and plunder any palace as divers were ; he commanded that all men shold go without cloaks , gowns , or wide cassocks , for fear any armes might be hid under , and he was generally obeyd , for noble-men and church-men went up and down the streets en cuerpo ; he commanded also that all women shold go without fardingalls , and that they shold tuck up their coats when they went to church which was punctually observd ; he disarmd all the nobility and gentry , and sent for what sums he pleasd from merchants and others , upon pain of fire and plunder . those interruptions which the treaty of peace receivd by the coming in of the banditi , were at l●st taken away by the prudent carriage of the arch-bishop filomarini , so that at last there was a solemn meeting of the vice-roy and masanello in the great church of naples , where before the great altar the charter of charls the fift was read & sworn unto by the viceroy with a general pardon masanello standing all the while with a naked sword in his hand on one of the staires of the alter till all was don : then te deum was sung , which with the loud acclamations of the people made the very walls to ring agen , and re-echo with joy : after this masanello did king it higher and higher , and one day his wife and children went in a stately coach , she in a gown of cloath of gold , and her children in silver , to give the dutchess of arcos a visit in the castle , where she had provided a sumptuous banquet for them , giving them jewels and other rich presents at their departure , and a little before the end of the banquet masanello himself came very glorious , where t was thought he took a figg which wrought afterwards upon his head-peece , that he became to be twixt frantic and fool ; he wold as he went along cut , slash , and killd som , he causd a baker to be clapd in an oven , and burnt alive for making light-bread , one time he leapd into the sea clothes and all to cool himself : he had got a catalog of all the rich merchants and cittizens , and sending for them , he made them under-write for payment of such a sum for the service of his catholic majesty , for whom he intended to raise five millions , as an acknowledgment for taking down the taxes ; he commanded an order to be publishd that none under pain of death shold depart from naples without his warrant , wherupon divers noble-men wold com to wait upon him for pass-ports , and a gentleman of quality of aversa coming one day unto him for a pass-port he gave him a kick in the buttock . thus he tyrannizd more , & more & , having commanded som to be beheaded upon a sunday morning , with much ado the arch-bishop prevaild with him to defer the execution , it being not sitting to pollute the holy sabboth with such sacrifices of humane blood . a little after he went from the market-place accompanied with a huge company of the riff-raff of the people all the way a foot to the castle , having one stocking on and the other off without band , hat , or sword , where being entred the first word he spoke to the vice-roy was , that he must eat , for he was ready to perish for hunger , that you shal , signor masanello , sayd the vice-roy , so , as he was calling for somthing , no , my lord sayd , let us go to take fresh air at posilipo , and ther eat together , the vice-roy excusing himself he went without him , & threw som peeces of gold into the sea ▪ making the marriners duck for them and find them agen : so he feasted his body there very pl●●tifully having drunk for his own share a dozen bottles of lacrymae christi ; the operation of this wine , with the agitation of his body began the next day to work upon his brain , which made him extravagant ; he sent for that rare artist fonseca , and commanded him to make som peeces in marble and brass with this inscription , thomaso anello of amalphi ▪ prefect and captain●generall of the most faithfull people of naples . thus his head having climd so high began to turn more and more and to grow insolent , no law could bound his commands for life & death , he wold be more then the sea , who though a raging element , yet is contented to hold himself within his bounds ; he wold be more then the heavens , who though of such infinit vastnes yet keep themselves within their due circumference : the glorious sun confines it self to the ecliptic , but nothing could bound the vast desires of this fisher-man , in whom was truly verified that asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum , he was so tossd with odd fancies that they bereft him of his naturall nocturnall repose , they kept him from seeing that huge precipice which was before him , the steps wherby we mount to greatnes are slippery , the top is an earth-quake , the descent perpendicular , the sight whereof doth use to dis-compose the mind of man , and alienat him from himself , specially when honor falls upon a low subject , and of a base carat , who being mounted high looks like a munkey clad in scarlet , now greatnes serves som men to bring them to their ruin , as long ha●● servd absol●n to destroy himself . as he was domineering one day in the great market-place , caesar spano an ancient captain of very good respect came to him about som business , but he struck and wounded the old captain , giving him two cuts on the face , going on a little further he met with one who he was told was thought to be a spy , therupon suddenly before any process formd against him he causd his head presently to be chopd off ; he met another who told him his wise was subornd & carried away by an old bawd , therupon he conducting masanello to the house where she was with another man , he presently commanded her to be hangd up , and the man to be broken upon wheels . after dinner he sent a menacing message to the duke ferrante caracciolo , that upon pain of death and the firing of his palace , he shold com in person to the market-place , because that morning the sayd duke had not com out of his coach to do him reverence ▪ the vice-king was passive all this while , and extreamly vexd with these deportments of masanello , but he durst not apprehend him b●cause he was still backd by the besotted people , and while he was consulting of the means how to redress matters , there came to the castle old gen●vino and arpaia two of the greatest confidents masanello had , who began to complain bitterly against the extravagances of masanello , and one of them had receivd a box on the ear by him , yet they knew not how to right themselves , he having at his beck . m. combatants well armd ▪ yet they told the vice roy that most people began to dislike him for his cruelties , and if it wold please him to publish another ban for the observance of their priviledges , it wold be a means to make all the people return to him , wherunto the vice-roy did readily condescend , and it was done accordingly : it chancd that masanello at that time was gone in the dutchess the vice-queens coach to posilipo to recreat himself , where he went to the office of the gallies , and appointed other commanders and captains ; at his return to the market-place he met with genovino and arpaia , whom he threatned because they had not attended him to posilipo , nay ▪ threatned to fire the whole citty , because he perceivd that they declined in their wonted respects to him , and so he brandishd his sword to and fro ; hereupon the captains of the people with som ado brought him to his own house , where they put an extraordinary band of soldiers to guard him that night , the next day as the chief of the people were consulting how to declare anew the authority of the vice-roy , an unlookd for accident happend , which did cooperat with their designs ; for marco vitale masanellos chiefest secretary ( wherof he had seven in all ) passing by the castle-gate , and meeting with som soldiers that were banded together , he proudly askd them why and by whose authority they had taken up armes , one of the captains gave a stout answer that it was by the authority of the vice-roy ; well , well sayd vitale , i am now going to the market-place and thy head shall pay for it , therupon the captain drew his sword and gave him a shrewd slash , which being seconded by a musqueteer , the secretary fell down dead , and the people hearing therof as he was going to be buried , they tore his coffin chopd off his head and draggd his carkass up and down the streets . that day was one of the greatest festivalls of naples , for it was the feast of the glorious virgin of carmine , whose church was scituated in the great market : masanello had got into the sayd church , where he attended the archbishop to sing mass , being com , masanello told him , most eminent lord , i perceive now that the people will abandon me , and go about to deprive me of my life , therfore i beseech your eminence to send this letter from me to the vice-roy , wherin there is a resignation of all my authority into his hands ; so going up the degrees of the altar , and having a crucifix in his hands , he re-commended himself with much tendernes to the people , that they shold not now shake him off having venturd so much for them ; then a while after he fell a doting , and accusing himself of his life past , and exhorting every one to make the like confession before the feet of his ghostly father , that gods anger might be appeasd , so he went on in many ridiculous expressions , and som of them savouring of heresie , therfore his guard forsook him , and the arch-bishop got him to be conducted to a dormitory within the cloyster of the church to be dryed for he was all in a sweat , having refreshd himself ther and being leaning over a balcone , four resolute gentlemen came to find him out , and seeing him in so good a posture , dischargd four severall muskets at him , so he presently fell , crying , ah ingratefull traytors , and so fell ; hereupon a butcher chopd off his head , which being put upon a lance they carried up and down the street : the grosse of the common people were so daunted hereat , that they lost their former spirits , and went all skulking away , nor did any dare to do any outrage to those who killd their captain-generall : so his body was draggd up and down the gutters and afterwards hurld into a ditch ; therupon all the nobility , gentry , and officers got a horsback and went to the castle to congratulat the vice-roy , for the riddance of this popular tyrant : an hower after the vice-roy shewd himself and came down from the castle in a stately cavalcata , to the great church where solemn thanks were given , and the head of saint germaro the chief protector of naples was taken out and put upon the high altar , where extraordinary jubiles were sung for the quietness re-obtained by the death of so base a rebell , who by the secret judgments of god had spilt so much blood , consumd so many palaces , reducd to ashes so much wealth , and made himself so formidable that he terrified both town and country , yet a fatall instrument of the indignation of heaven , being offended with the sins of that luxurious citty , who as somtimes he punishd the egyptians with small contemptible creatures , as flyes , lice , and frogs , so he chastizd the napolitans by so despicable a person . from the great church the vice-roy rid to the market-place , where there ecchoed in the air this note , let the king live , let the vice-roy live , and let filomarini live , the restorer of his countries peace : it is reported and printed that a little before masanellos death , san germaro was seen over the great church with a sword in his hand , and many persons were examind upon oath about that vision , besides a bright star was seen which presaged peace and happiness . thus finishd the life and raign of masanello , having prognosticated it himself som dayes before , when going up the market-place , he sayed , that what he did was for the universall good of the people , but he knew well that when he had brought the business about he shold be murtherd , and draggd up and down the streets of naples , yet he desird the people shold remember what he had done , and sing som dirges for his soul. as the raign of this ephemeran monster was violent , so it was but short , for from first to last it continued not to ten compleat dayes , insomuch that those lyricall verses may be truly applyed to him . quem dies vidit veniens superhum hunc dies vidit sugiens jacentem . the vice-roy fearing som after-claps , fell a fortifying himself mainly , insomuch that that very night ther entred into the citty six hundred horse with wonderfull secrecy , who went also to the palace and tendred their service , and so betook themselves to divers posts : but the day following the bread which is the staff of life fell to be eleven ounces lighter , wherupon the popular fire burst out again , which took hold of the bakers furnaces and goods : they went in multitudes to find out the body of masanello which was cast into a ditch , they took it out , washd and perfumd it , and so carried high upon a bier to the gate of the holy spirit , where they took down his head , and sowing it to the rest of the carkass they brought it to the great cathedrall church , with no less solemnity then lamentation , so he who was cursd and draggd up and down the dirtty channels the day before , is the next day following bewayld , missd , and prayed for ; so there was order taken for his exequies which were celebrated in marvailous pomp , above a thousand priests went before him with torches in their hands , the white boyes of loreto did attend the hearse , drums and trumpets sounded the dolefull march , and as he lay lifted up very high upon his funerall bed a crown was put upon his head , and a scepter in his hand , so he enjoyed after his death those ensigns , the authority wherof he usurpd in his life . he was carryed about all the five pr●cincts of naples in this state , and passing by the vice-roys there they made a halt under his very balcone ; at last two howers within night they carried him back to the great church where he was buried in a particular chappell , with this inscription upon his hearse . nobilium tyrannide inusitatis oppressi●nibus & angarijs in regnum , cives & exteros praeter rerum & naturae or●inem violenter extortis , repressa ; virgini dei matri carmeli die . julij , . gabellis publicis , facinorosis secretis patriae hostibus , incensis , fugatis , prefligatis , sublatis ; inconcussa fide servata : ferdinandi primi , & frederici aragonensium regum , caroli quinti imperatoris caesaris confirmatis , renovatis aureis privilegijs . philippo quarto rege cath●lic● , dom : roderico pons de leon duce d● arcos regis vicem gerente , thoma anello de amalphi invicti populi duce , pristina libertate redemptus fidelissimus populus neapolitanus , mausolaeum in reportatae victoriae memoriam posteris excitamentum p●suit . the tyranny of the nobles being repressd , who beyond the order of things , and rules of nature did so violently extort unusuall taxes and services from kingdom , cittizens , and strangers . an unshaken faith being kep● to the blessed virgin the mother of god in the church of carmine the seventh of iuly . the gabels being abolishd , the public facinorous and secret enemies of our country being subdued , banishd , burnt , and extinguishd . the golden priviledges of ferdinand the first , of fredric king of aragon , and of charles the emperor being confirmd and renewd . philip the fourth being catholic king , and don rodrigo pons de leon duke of arcos being vice-roy , thomas anello of amalphi being generall , the most faithfull people of naples , and public liberty being redeemd . this monument was erected in memory of the victory obtaind , and for an encouragement to all posterity . thus the body of masanello being redeemd from dust and dirt , together with his memory was honord by the neapolitan people ; nor did the insurrection dy with him , but it revivd and gathering new strength it ragd again as furiously as ever , not only in naples it self but in all the terri●ories , as bitonto , nocera , abruzzo , cosenza , and other places in apulia and calabria . the people of naples chose for their elect don francisco turaldo prince of massa , and the first thing he did was to command ten spaniards heads to be fixd on poles , and carryed in triumph up and down the citty ; he interdicted also that nothing either for back or belly shold be carried to the castle where the vice-roy was , he causd the whole citty to be entrenchd , and canons planted in divers places , now the people thought they had all the justice in the world to continue in armes till the confirmation of what the vice-roy had stipulated before , were com from the king of spain , as it was agreed it shold be sent three months after . in the mean time don iohn of austria was com hard by with a fleet of five and forty galeons , and sent word to the citty that if they were desirous to have a peace and generall pardon , the people shold lay down armes and send them to the vice-roy to the castle ; this they wold not do , but offerd to lay them up in their houses untill the treaty shold be concluded , so matters fell off the hinges more then ever , the three castles shot at the town by land , and don iohn by sea with his great guns from his galeons and gallies , which made such a hideous noise as if heaven and earth wold meet , and in the town the huge canons from the tower of carmine played incessantly ; so there grew a perfect war twixt the cittie and the castles , a great number of fair houses were burnt , heads chopd off , and the great bell of saint laurence rung out for signall of war ; the spaniards on the one side put all to fire and sword , the people on the other side burnt the goods , and destroyed the houses of any whom they suspected : many bloody skirmiges happend in divers places ; don iohn sent a cavalier of quality to the captain-generall of the people to know the ground of this fury , and why they were so active in their own destruction with the ruine of so many innocent souls , and such a glorious citty , but word was sent him back that when the confirmation was com from the court of spain they wold send him a civill answer , till then t was but just they shold stand upon their guard , and repell any force by that power which god and nature had given them for the defence of themselves and their liberties , together with their wives and children , yet with this resolution to continue in a constant obedience to his catholic majesty , and not to listen to the enchantments of any forrain prince , who began to tamper with them already for a revolt . the duke of mataloni in these confusions did many materiall services to the spaniards , by sending them recruits of horse and foot from the country ; at last the people grew jealous of their elect and captain-generall prince turaldo , and so gave him his pass-port to hasten to the other world without a head , so they chose in his place one gennaro arnese , a man of a far inferior quality . in this hurly-burly the french king sent the people a proffer of two millions of gold , with twenty galeons , eighteen gallies , and forty tartanas , which message was sent by a person of quality from ●he french ambassador resident at rome ; the citty embracd the proposall , and so employd an express to go to rome and treat ; so a little after the cry up and down the streets of naples was viva la francia , let france live , and in som places let the parliament of england live , which continued divers daies . don iohn of austria and the vice-roy having notice of these practises twixt the citty and france were much troubld therat , thereupon they got the pope to us● his spirituall armes , so this nuncio in naples desired to have audience in his holines name , gennaro arnese gave it him all clad in cloth of silver , the nuncio told him that he had receivd an express mandamus from his holines , brought by a person of quality to exhort the city to conform to a serious treaty of peace , otherwise the holy church must do her duty : gennaro answerd that there could not be expected a sudden answer to so grave a message , therfore the most faithfull people desird som respit of time to consult of it ; so the nuncio parted , and som did laugh in their sleeves at him , insomuch that this message took no effect at all . the next day after there was a feluca discoverd chasd by two gallies , but narorwly scaping them she came safe to port , & she brought in her the duke of guise ( with foru servants only ) who was all this while at rome ; he was receivd into the town with wonderfull applause , he told them that his christian majesty had an army in a readines to assist the most faithfull people , so they resolvd to make him their generall , and the next day he went to the arch●bishops palace to take an oath of fidelity to the people , which he did upon the hearing of masse and receiving the holy communion . now the napolitan nobles had a considerable army in the country about , therfore the duke of guyse desired to have six thousand foot and a thousand horse to go find them out , which he did at aversa , but he was utterly routed , with losse of above three hundred upon the place , and many more wounded , and so returnd to naples . the sixth of december there was a truce concluded for three howers , during which time , don iohn sent notice to the citty of a letter sent from his catholic majesty , wherin he ratified all the capitulations of peace agreed on by the duke of arcos , the letter being sent to the elect of the people , and communicated to the duke of guise , the sayd duke seemd to exhort the people to accept of it , in regard their king had therin made concession unto them of so many signall graces ▪ therupon the rabble of the people boyling with heat cryed out , that they wold be cut to peeces rather then be slaves to the spanish nation any longer , therupon the duke took a medail from his brest , and told them his christian majesty had given him that medail for a pledg , that whensoever he sent to him for an army , he shold have one forthwith , and he told them there was one already prepard , therfore he desired that som felucas might be dispatchd towards tolon to hasten their coming , which was done accordingly : so it was decreed that the duke of guise from that day forward shold be treated with highness , others w●ld have him in imitation of venice to be tearmd doge of the napolitan republic . a few dayes after the french fleet was discoverd which consisted of eight and twenty vessels , the arrivall therof did fill and affect the whole citty with such a tripudiant humor of joy , that people went dancing and singing up and down the streets ; the french fleet appeard in form of a half moon , but durst not com in reach of the three castles , or the spanish fleet then in port , but kept their distance , yet they landed divers sorts of provision for the use of the citty , they came up to the point of pusilipo and got off cleer again . the first day of the yeer there came letters from divers places in apulia , that they had twenty thousand good combatants in a readiness to assist the royall republic of naples : the duke of arcos began now to be disaffected by the royall party as well as by the people , insomuch that the high collaterall councell in the castle sent him word that he shold forbear sitting among them any longer , but that his highness don iohn shold govern , who therupon sent for the sicilian fleet ▪ to com for the succour of naples , as also for three regiments from milan ; a little after the duke of arcos departed with his family , and don iohn was heard to say vayase en h●ra mala che ha hecho perder este reyno a mi padre , let him go in an ill hower for he hath lost my father this kingdom . don iohn being sworn vice-roy , causd a generall pardon to be publishd , wherupon the grave judg onufrio made a pathetic oration to the people , who had a verend opinion of him , that since the duke of arcos with the chief incendiaries were gone , and that they had now a kings son so gallant a young prince to gorevern them , it was high time that they shold return now to their old obedience to their monarch , and lawfull king who had preservd them in peace and plenty so many yeers , &c. but the people lent a deaf ear to his speech , so that the next day there was new money stampd with the armes of the royall republic . the first of february . the castle of saint elmo erected the royall standard upon the discovery of three gallies wherin was embarkd the conde d' ognate , who had receivd a commission at rome , where he was ambassador to be vice-roy of naples , all the castles saluted him , as also the great bastion of carmine from the citty , the first did it with powder only , but the last with bullets , wherby som of the gally-slaves that rowd him were slain : there arrivd from malaga a vessell with five hundred fresh spaniards , and thirty thousand duckets for the service of the vice-roy , and this galeon gave notice of eight more that were coming : there arrivd likewise a great supply from genoa , both of men ▪ mony , and amunition ; there came also an ambassador from malta with a goodly retinue of cavaliers , which did much enhearten the royall party . the french fleet having landed , as formerly was spoken , som provision and commanders in naples , was constraind by distress of weather to leave the coasts with the lo●s of divers ships and marriners ; now the spaniards had securd and strongly fortified the port of nisita , and there being a fleet of ships expected from province , with provision of corn which were to sayl that way , the duke of guise went with a considerable army of horse and foot , with a train of artillery for the reduction of that place to the royall republic , for it was a place of great importance . the conde d' ognate now that the duke of guise was gone with a good part of the strength of the citty , fell upon this design which provd as happy as it was hazardous . about twelve a clock at night , having with extraordinary acts of devotion implord the assistance of heaven , young don iohn of austria and the sayd conde with a great number of barons cavaliers , and other ventrous spirits marchd silently down towards the citty ; they had a train of choise artillery , with good store of fire-works ; don iohn came first to the cisterna d'oglio with all his brigade , and causd the church of jesus which was contiguous therunto to be gently opened , where having made ardent prayers to the redeemer of man-kind , he desird father gerunda to confess him , and administer him the holy communion : thus he began to fall to work , and commanded a wall to be batterd down which joynd to san sebastian , and so he passd without interruption to porta alba ; being advancd so far , he got a horse-back , and rid confidently towards constantinople street through a crowd of the citty arcabusiers , wherof som shot , others being amazd at the suddennes of the thing stood astonishd , thence he went on to saint aniellos street and the virgins quarter where the most civill sort of people dwelt , who were from the beginning the most loyall to the king : the arch-bishop filomarini was appointed to meet him , which he did with other lords ; thence he pursued his way to the duke of guises palace , and after som musket-shot the palace yeelded , for the great canons which were there planted wold not go off though there was fire put to them , which was held miraculous , and so much heightned his spirits , finding that all things conjurd to make this attempt prosperous ; he marchd thence to the great market-place , and being com neer the great bastion of carmine where gennaro arnese was with a choice guard of three hundred men , he sent him word it was fitting that bastion shold be put into his hands for his catholic majesties service , and if he wold not conform to so just a proposall he left him to consider what a high act of disloyalty it wold prove ; arnese consulting with his best thoughts came forth and prostrating his person before him , presented him with the keys ; hereupon don iohn inordred a cavalier of malta to publish a generall pardon , with an abolition to all gabels new and old , provided that every one wold return to his former alleagance ; the people with loud acclamations answerd that they wold be well satisfied herewith , if don iohn himself wold declare this with his own mouth , which was done accordingly . so this noble and magnanimous exp●oit took effect without any effusion of blood , except the death only of two spanish captains , and one of the peoples , which may be imputed first to a speciall providence of god almighty then to the prowesse of a young generall , and lastly to the prudence of a grave vice-roy : add hereunto that the absence of the duke of guise condued much for the facilitating of this great design . the citty of naples being thus suddenly redued . don iohn sent in quest of the duke of guise to the country hard by , who after som resistance was ta●en prisoner , and clapd up in the castle of capua , the high collatterall councell adjudgd him to dy , but young don iohn overruld the sentence , and so sent him captif to the court of spain , where having bin prisoner a good while he made an escape as far as victoria , within a dayes journy of france , but notwithstanding his disguise he was discoverd and so clapd up again in prison , where he continued till the prince of conde leaguring lately with the spaniard got him released . there were gibbets put up in divers places of the citty to execute the chiefest incendiaries , but at the cryes of the women and children to don iohn he commanded them to be taken down , yet after this his departure the vice-roy dispatched many , and gave them pass-ports for the other world , among others too gennaro arnese who had bin capo popolo with divers others , and a long time after the inquest and execution of som of the chief ring-leaders continued by the noble sagacious proceeding of the foresayd new vice-roy the conde d' ognate , a notable minister of state , having bin traind up therunto by sundry embassies abroad , as well to england as to other countries . not long after young don iohn of austria weighs anchor , & with a royal fleet of galeons and gallies made sayl for sicily , having bin so wonderfully fortunat as to extinguish that prodigious fire that had ragd so violently in town and country , which , the capitall citty being reducd , quickly conformd it self to its old obedience : nor was this youthfull generall succesfull only in naples , but also in composing the affairs of sicily which also was in a dangerous disorder ; add hereunto the reducing lately of catalonia , by making himself master of that proud metropolitan citty of barcelona , after a bloody stubborn siege of two and twenty months , where the lord goring his lieutenant did signall services , no less heroik then hazardous . during these hideous combustions in naples , there was a notable peece of inhumane villany discoverd sutable to those times , which was this , one francisco severino a public notary had a sister who was a young widdow , but being to pay her six hundred duckets towards her dower , he clapt her up with a little daughter of hers in a dark cave twixt four walls , where he fed them with bread and water with som few roots for seventeen yeers together ; this widdow had a son under the tutele of an uncle all the while , who being com to yeers demanded of the sayd notary his mothers dowry , thinking she had bin dead ; the rumor hereof flying among the people , being in armes , they rushd into the notaries house , the women in the cave hearing an extraordinary noise began to shriek , which being heard they broke down the wall , where they found two women like savages or furies , with long dischevelld hair dangling about their sholders , hereupon the villany being discoverd the notary was put to exemplary punishment . these risings of the napolitan people and those of sicily , with other unlucky travers●s gave a shrewd shock to the spanish monarchy ; it shook also olivares the great favorit of the catholic king , and that so ill favourdly , that his utter downfall followd : now in regard that this favorit slept in the kings bosom , and swayd the monachy of spain so long , it will not be improper to insert here a short legend of his life . he was born in rome during his fathers embassy there in the ( unlucky ) palace of nero , and being a younger brother , at his coming to spain , he became a student in the law in salamanca , and then got a lay prebendary in sevill which was his first preferment ; having got som subsistence and knowledge , he came to court , and insinuated into the favor of this king then prince so dextrously that he came afterwards to have an absolute power over his inclinations , after the fall of the duke of lerma and don balthasar de zuniga , upon whose ruines he built his fortunes : in a short time after the death of philip the third , he was made master of the kings wardrobe , master of the horse , great chancellor of the indies , which offices with som comanderies he got of the three equestrall orders of saint iago , alcantara , and calatrava were worth him communibus annis . crowns but he had other reaches to grow rich , for when the galeons set forth from sevill , and the caracks from lisbon every yeer for the indies , he usd to embark in them great cargazons of corn , wine , and oyle , custom free , all which grew in his county of olivares , and with the proceed of those commodeties there were jewels , silks , and spices , bought and sold afterward for his account , wherby he could not choose but gain many millions ; for engrossing the kings favor more entirely , he had a way to restrain the grandees , but whom he pleasd , from being about the kings person , and for the queen she was only co-partner of the kings bed , but he kept her from having any power at all in other things ; he found divers inventions for inhancing the royall revenew , as that all offices and benefices which were bestowd , shold pay half a yeers in-com to the king , which was calld mediannates : there were waies also found out to decry and raise the value of coin , and not long before his fall there was a project calld papell sellado , which was that no legall instrument , not so much as a bill obligatory shold be of force , unless it were written in the kings paper with a particular seal to it , and all public notaries with others were to buy these seald papers at the rate the king imposd upon them , by these means there was a computation made that above two hundred millions of gold came extraordinary to the kings coffers in his time : now these new things being imposd upon catalonia and portugal , which claim more priviledges of enfranchisements then castillia , it was among other the ground of their revolt . now there were many things conspird to demolish this grand minion of the catholic kings . first , a series or crowd of ill successes which tumbled one upon the neck of another , both in the indies as the loosing of ormus and goa , as also in europe , and in spain her self by the revolt of catalonia and portugal , in flanders by the loosing of many towns which francis the first had payd for his ransom . nor was there any signall exploit worth the speaking atchievd all his time , but that of spinolas when he took the palatinat , secondly , the disaffection of the queen whom he may be sayd to have kept to her needle and distaff all the while , who one day broke out into such a passion against him having done her som ill office a little before , that meeting him in a lobby she took off one of her chapines and banging him ill favourdly about the pate , sayed , that she wold have him know that she was daughter to henry the great , as well as wife to the king of spain : but this breach was made up presently , by the patience and humble protestations of the conde , never to offend her for the future . awhile after the kings affairs necessitating him to go in person to catalonia , he left the queen governesse of madrid , during which time she wonderfully gaind upon the affections of the people , by allaying the austere humor of the spaniard with the affability of the french : at the kings return she took heart then to speak of his affairs of state , of the interest of his monarchy , of the revolt of kingdome , ruine of armies , and how all things went from bad to worse , and were like to continue so , if they whom his majesty intrusted most with the management of his affairs did not look better to things : this discourse sunk somwhat deep into the kings brest , which made his thoughts to reflect upon olivares his chief minister ; and now the ice being broken the next night after donna anna de guevara the kings nurse , took heart of grace to speak also to the king , having put her self in a convenient place where the king was to pass , where falling on her knees she told him , that she was not there to beg any grace at his majesties hands , but to render the crown of spain the greatest service it cold receive , therfore her motherly affections enforcd her to discover to his majesty what perhaps others durst not adventure to do for humane respects ; so she presented unto him the generall affliction of his people , the sad condition of his kingdom , the many unfortunat successes which happend by sea and land , shewing him that these evills were the judgments of heaven , for suffering the government of his kingdoms which god almighty had appointed only for himself , to continue in the hands of another ; she sayd that it was high time for his majesty to be now out of his nonage , and that he should not incense the indignation of heaven , by suffring his poor subjects to be longer abusd , at least that he wold have compassion on the prince his son who ran a hazard to be simple king of castile or less , so she concluded that if she had offended his majesty she was ready to receive what punishment he pleasd , being well contented having given her milk for the good of his majesty , to sacrifice also her blood if need requird . the king hearkned unto her all the while with much attention , and answerd t is all truth that you have sayd : add hereunto that there was another thing happend that provd fatall to the duke , which was that the infanta margarita of savoy who had bin governess of portugal , having bin restraind som yeers from coming to the court by the practises of olivares , at last venturd to com thither , and by the queens favour she was admitted to speak with the king , where with stout and pressing reasons she made it appear that the loss of his kingdom of portugal was to be imputed principally to the carelesness of the conde , for she had often written to him in what a hazardous discontented state that country was , but to her avisos and letters she receivd from him odd uncivill messages , telling her that she was fitter to govern a family then a kingdom , and bidding her that if she comprehended the mysteries of state , at least she shold not discover them ; this speech made deeper impressions on the kings heart then any of the rest , for it was most home and plain , insomuch that this was the mortall wound which was given olivares . thirdly , the designs he had to aggrandize his base son who had gone many yeers by the name of iulian valeasar , and had married a common strumpet , being of a dissolute one himself , and under that name of valeasar he had born arms in flanders , italy , and the indies , where he was like to be hangd ; yet olivares having no children of his own nor like to have any , sent for him , for donna margarita spinola a merchants daughter , ( and somtimes a concubine of olivares ) took it upon her death that olivares had got him by her ; so being com to court olivares had his name changd to don henry pbilip de gusman , he procurd him also to be divorcd from his first wife , and proposd a marriage for him with the high constable of castiles daughter , donna iuana de velasso prime lady of the court , which took effect ; so having provided a great palace for him , the grandees and ambassadors came to give don henry the conjugall joy , treating by the title of excellency , and sending him presents , he was declard gentleman of the kings bed-chamber , and to be president of the indies : but don henries carriage was so ridiculous and so unsutable to a noble-man that there were libells made of him up and down ; this strange design of olivares got him much hatred , specially from the marquess of carpio , who had married his sole sister , by whom he had don luis de haro the present , who was common heir in law to olivares , and was like to be deprivd of it by the foresayd bastard ; but upon the fall of the conde down fell also his bastard , and the constable of castile sent home for his daughter , saying , that he had rather have his daughter to be reputed a whore , then to continue wife to such a rascall . fourthly , the just hatred which the grandees and noble-men conceivd against him did accelerat his ruin , specially the marquess of carpio his brother-in-law , whose son though a very hopefull gentleman he could not abide , though his nephew by his only sister . lastly , the little prince don balthasar helpd to push him down , who though he was fourteen yeers of age yet by the practises of the duke he had no court , or servants settled for him , but was still left under the government of women ; now it was about the prince that the king first discoverd his displeasure to olivares , for asking him what lodgings in the palace were fittest for him , and he answering those of the infante cardinal , the king replyed , and why not yours ? for they were my fathers , and mine also while i was prince : this struck an earth-quake in the dukes brest , so that evening the king writ a note to him with his own hand that he shold intermeddle no more with his affairs , but retire to loches a place hard by madrid untill further order ; the next day his wife came weeping to the queen to intercede for her husband , but the queen answerd her very calmly lo que hecho dios , lo● vassallos , y lot malos sucessos no lo puede deshazer el roy ni yo , neither the king nor i can undo that which god almighty , the subjects , and ill successes have done . so a few daies after olivares went to loches in a close privat coach at the back-gate of the court , for fear of the fury of the people , and he was seated between two jesuits as if he had bin going to execution , which was a true morall one ; but som two yeers after death the common executioner of all man-kind took him away . the next day the king calld a councell of state where he made a speech unto them , that he had deprivd the conde duke of olivares of his service not for any crime that he had committed , but to give satisfaction to his subjects , therfore his desire was that the memory of the conde duke might be kept in esteem among all men for the good services which he had so faithfully rendred to the crown so many yeers , protesting for the future not to give the title of privado , or favorit to any minister whatsoever , being resolvd that all weighty matters shold pass through his own hands . this was the sad catastrophe of olivares his greatnes , a man nothing of so candid and debonnair dispositions as his predecessor , witnes his disaffection to his neerest kindred , as also to the duke of lerma , against whom he discoverd much malevolence to his death ; among others , one passage was , that when the prince of wales was to pass by valladolid where lerma livd , he had a speciall mandat sent him to absent himself in the interim from the town till the prince was gone ; this went to the heart of the old duke , who sayd therupon , that olivares had done him from time to time many ill offices , but this carried more malice then any of the rest , which he much resented in regard he had so earnest a desire to see the prince and to speak with him , he having bin the first who put the treaty of alliance on foot , therfore it was suspected that he wold have discoverd somthing unto him prejudiciall to spain . but to give don gaspar de olivares his due , he had solid and sufficient parts for a great minister of state , his passions were very high for the greatning of his master , to the transactions of whose affairs he indefatigably addicted himself ; he was a professd enemy to all presents , he never usd to give audience to ladies , or any women , but wold receive their busines by letters . lastly , the greatest fault which i find he could be guilty of was , that he was not so succesfull as he was sedulous . thus fell that huge swayer of the spanish monarchy above thirty yeers , and it seems with the kings favor , his spirits quickly fayld him ; for removing from loches to toro , he there met with his last about sixteen months after . his body being opend there was found in his skull above two pounds of brains , and at the day of his buriall , there was a huge tempest fell with extraordinary fulgurations and cracks of thunder , as we read , that when katherin de medici was buried in france , there fell such a hidious storm that fifty sayl of merchant-men were cast away upon the coasts of britany : the sorest enemy olivares had was the queen , which made him say that muger hizo echar el primer hombre fuera de'l parayso ; y muger hizo echar a mi fuera del palacio , a woman was the cause that the first man was thrust out of paradice , and a woman was the cause that i also was thrust out of the kings palace . the conde de castrillo brother to the marquess of carpio , who was brother-in-law to olivares , was one of the chiefest engins which helpd to pull down this great tree , being a sober and wise well weighd man : he is now vice-roy of naples having succeeded the little conde d ognate who had done such signall supererogatory services in suppressing those horrid tumults in naples where the power of spain was upon point of sinking ; and his wisdom was no less discernd in settling peace , and stopping the wide breaches wherwith that kingdom had bin so miserably rent , as also in finding out and punishing the chiefest incendiaries , wherof there were divers who felt the sharp sword of nemesis ; and lastly , for devising waies to raise sums countervaylable to those gabels and taxes , which the king was enforcd to abolish by the fury of the people . and now will i take leave of the gentle parthenope , that three castled and high crested citty , but a few words further of her pedigree before we part ; she was built presently after the wars of troy by a young grecian lady calld parthenope , whose statue is to be seen there : she was daughter of eumelus son to admetus king of thessaly , after her fathers death she consulted with the oracle at delphos what her fortunes shold be , the oracle told her that she was designd for another country , to be the foundress of a noble citty which shold be famous all the earth over , therfore she embarkd her self with divers more , and sayling along the tyrrhen sea , she landed at last in the next promontory to naples , whence as the legend tells a white dove conducted her to that palce , where naples now stands , where she began to build and trace a citty , which she calld by her own name parthenope , or the virgin citty , which appellation continued till octavianus the emperor who first calld her neapolis , or the city of navigation , she being in rising postures like an amphitheater on the sea-side , and wonderfull comodious for trafic , she abounds with silks , oyles , flowers , fruits , and a most generous race of horses , as any place upon the earthly globe : as her horses are generous , so they are observd to be more docile , and neer to rationall creatures then any where else , for which this instance shall be producd ; cardinall bentivoglio sent henry the fourth of france a choice napolitan courser with his keeper ; when the horse was brought before the king , he commanded one of his riders to mount him , who neither with switch or spur wold scarce stir or shew any feats of activity , the king herupon and the beholders began to disparage the horse , taking him for som dull jade , hereupon the king desird an italian rider to mount him , the horse when he saw his own rider ready to back him , fell a trembling all over , but the rider being got up he began to prance and flounce so nimbly as if he wold have flown into the air , to the amazement of all the spectators , so king henry with the present beggd the rider of the cardinall , whom he entertaind all his life-time . the napolitan being born in a luxurious country is observd to be the greatest embracer of pleasure , the greatest courtier of ladies , and the most indulgent of himself of any other nation , insomuch that no command of the king can make a napolitan gentleman to go upon any service for three months in sommer till the heats are over : they are full of noble friendship one to another , and somtime they make their love to men controul their lust to women ; as there was a notable example these late yeers in the person of the young marquess oliverio , who being desperatly in love with the countess of castlenovo , layd siege to her a good while , and the count going to a country-house of his , and taking his countess and family with him , the marquess being more and more enflamd , goes to the country hard by one day a hawking and let flies his hawk into the count of castlenovos gardens , where it chancd he and his countes were walking , the marquess made bold to retreeve his hawk , the count with very high civilities did welcom him , and causd a banquet to be presently provided , where he and his lady entertaind him ; being gone the count began to commend the marquess , telling his wife that he was one of the hopefullst young noble men , and the fullest of parts of any in the whole kingdom ; these praises made such impressions in the countess that a little after he gaind her , so the time and place of pleasure being appointed , he was let in a privat way to her chamber , where she being a bed as he was undressing himself to go to her , she told him that he was beholden to the count her husband for this favor , for she never heard him speak so much in commendation of any ; is it so , sayd the marquess ? then i shold be the arrantst villan in the world to abuse so noble a friend , so he put on his dubblet agen , and departed ( but with much civillity ) in the very height and heat of lust , though he had so commodious conjuncture of time as his heart could desire . but as the napolitan have a high noble method of friendship amongst them , so are they as revengfull as any other italian : among a world of examples that could be producd , let this suffice ; in the ancient citty of nocera there were three young noble-men calld conrado , cesare , and alexandro , the eldest was prince of the place ( before charles the fifts time . ) there was and is still in nocera a strong castle where the prince conrado had a garrison wherof he made a confident of his captain , and keeper of the castle , the prince most of his time kept in his country-house and his brothers also , but somtimes he wold com and ly som dayes in his castle ; it fortund that his captain having a comly woman to his wife the prince fell in love with , and never left till he enjoyd her , which he had done often to the knowledg of her husband , so beating his brains how to be revengd he fell upon this way ; the prince being at his country-house ▪ the captain sent him word that there were two wild boares discoverd in the forrest hard by , therfore if he and his two brothers wold com such a day with their dogs , he doubted not but they shold find very princely sport ; so conrado came with his second brother cesare , but alexander could not com till two dayes a●ter , so the captain had provided a fitting supper for the prince and his brother , who had brought another noble-man with him to have part of the sport , the prince and the sayd noble-man lodgd in the castle , but cesare lay in the town ; the captain was wonderfull officious to attend the prince to his chamber , but having confederated with the chiefest of the garrison in the dead of night they rushd into the prince his chamber , and the first thing they did they chopd of his genitories , then his head , which they put to stand on a window , and quarterd the rest of his body ; this being done very silently , in the morning betimes they sent in the prince his name for his second brother to com in all hast ▪ when prince cesare came , the captain waited upon him to his brothers chamber , where the first object he beheld was conrados head upon a window and his members quarterd and strewd up and down the room ; ah , sayd cesare , is this the wild boar you writ of , yes , answered the captain , but i writ to you of two , so they fell upon him also , and made the like sacrifice of revenge upon him ; this being done the captain barrd up the gates , and going upon the walls of the castle he sent for the chief of the town , & made a speech unto them in what slavery they livd in under conrado , therfore if they ever desird liberty there was a fair opportunity offerrd now , because he had conrado in his custody , and he could do with him what he pleasd ; but the cittizens wold hearken to no such motion , so they sent speedy word to alexander the younger brother , who coming with som country forces , the citty joynd with them and beleagurd the castle , the captain finding his case to be desperat , takes his wife first on a high turret and hurld her down amongst them , then his children , and afterwards murtherd himself in the ey of all the citty . there is no country swarms with nobility more then the kingdom of naples , the number wherof do daily encrease , insomuch that the last account which was taken , there were in naples , calabria , and apulia , with the rest of the twelve provinces adjoynd , two thousand barons , fifty dukes , ninety marquesses , seventy earls and five princes ; but som of these nobles have but slender estates , as aretin reports , who sayes , that three marquesses in lunigiana were found eating of figgs off one tree to keep them from starving . now , though the spaniard entitle himself king of both the sicilies , yet he holds the latter , i mean the kingdom of naples in fee from the pope , whom he acknowledgeth to be lord-paramount therof by right of donation to the church ▪ therfore the spanish ambassador upon the vigile of saint peter , or every saint peters eve , presents the pope in his masters name with a heriot , and a rent ; viz. with a mu●e and seven thousand duckets in gold , at the reception wherof the pope answers , sufficiat pro hac vice , let it suffice for this time , and till this be done , the great catholic king lyeth under an excomunication , which in a short compass of time is layed on him , and taken off every yeer . i. h. senesco non segnesco . finis . a catalogue of mr. howells works in severall volumes . printed by m● humphrey mosely . i. mr. howels history of lewis the thirteenth king of france , with the life of his cardinal de richelieu . fol. ii. mr. howels epistolae hoelianae , familiar letters , domestick and forren , in six sections , partly historicall , politicall , philosophicall , the the first volume with additions . o. iii. mr. howels new volume of familiar letters , partly historicall , politicall , philosophicall , the second volume with many additions . o. iv. mr. howels third volume of additionall letters of a fresher date , never before published . o. v. mr. howels dodon as grove , or the vocal forrest , the first part in fol. o. o. with many additions . vi. mr. howels dodon'as grove , or the vocal forrest , the second part in o. never printed before . vii . mr. howels englands tears for the present wars . viii . mr. howels pre-eminence and pedigree of parliament , in o. in answer of mr. pryn. ix . mr. howels instructions and directions for forren travels , in o. with divers additions for travelling into turky , and the levant parts . x. mr. howels vote , or a poem-royall presented to his majesty , in o. xi . mr. howels angliae suspiria & lachrymae , in o. xii . tumulus thalamus two counter-poems , the first an elegy upon edward earl of dorset , the second an epithalamium to the lord m. of dorchester . xiii . parables reflecting on the times . xiv . a german dyet , or the ballance of europe , wherin the power and weakness , glory and reproach , vertues and vices , plenty and wants , advantages , and defects , antiquity and modernes of all the kingdoms and states of christendom are impartially poiz'd by james howell esq fol. xv. parthenopoeia , or the history of the most noble and renowned kingdom of naples , with the lists of all their kings ; the first part translated out of the italian by mr. samson lennard , the second part continued to these present times . by james howell esq more of mr. howels works printed by other men. xvi . the great french dictionary refind and augmented , in a large fol. xvii . a survey of the signory of venice , in fol. xviii . a dialogue twixt the soul and the body . xix . the first part of the late revolutions in naples . xx. the second part of the sayed resolutions . xxi . the warr of the iewes epitomiz'd . xxii . sir robert cottens works which he was desird to publish . xxiii . saint pauls progress upon earth . xxiv . a venetian looking-glass xxv . a winter dream . xxvi . the trance . or mercurius acherontious . xxvii . a dialogue twixt patricius and peregrin . xxviii . an inquisition after blood . xxix . the instruments of a king. xxx . the late kings declaration in latine , french , and english. xxxi . bella scoto-anglica , or the traverses of war twixt england and scotland . xxxii . mercurius hybernicus xxxiii . the process and pleadings in the court of spain for the death of mr. ascham , in fol. three of all which books are translations , the rest his own compositions . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e vfent is a river near the city of ansure , now called terracina for the roughness thereof : it was builded by ansurus the son of iupiter . the provinces of the kingdom of naples . see virgil in the end of the fifth book of aeneid●s , where he saith , iamque adeo scopulos syrenum , &c. the isles of diomedes , called by cornelius tacitus in his book trimerus . the praise of the kingdom . men and women endued with divers sciences . st. thomas aquinus , see lib. of metheora . turia is a country of calauria , anciently called meta●tos . marinus florished in the time of the emperor hadrian , and writ many questions of philosophy , as suida noteth . see stasius in the end of his book to claudia . the length and breadth of the land of lavoro . campania felix , why it was so called . the nature of the land of lavoro . trees flourish twice a year in this province . the great plenty both of fowls and wild beasts in the land of lavoro . the fishes which the sea of this province bringeth forth . mines and baths . of the wine . oyle , and living creatures which are in this province . see plutarch . the praise of this province . the excellent conserve of naples . the nature & condition of the people of this province . fondi . pliny lib. . cap : . the lake fondano . mamurry . gaeta . galasius second , bishop of rome mola . formia . the village of scipio and lelius . see martial , lib. x. epig●a . the castle honoratus . horace , lib. pr. the river garigliano . the overthrow given to the saracins by pope iohn the . consalvus ferrandus , grand captain of cordova . tratetto . minturne . the land of lavoro . garigliano . trifano . sinope , called sinuessa . turpillus the comical poet. the hill massico . the fort of mondragone . the villages of sessa . the city sessa . why it was called sessa . augustine nifo . carinola . the fields falerni , what they were , and how far they stretched . the fields stellato . calvi . cajazza . tiano . caianello . vulturno . patria . of the fountain acidula , and the property thereof . the city cuma . the town of servilio vacia . miseno ▪ trumpeter of aeneas bana , the lake averno , and pizzolo , why they were so named . soffatara . the hil asturno . listroni . the village of cicero , where the emperor adrian was buried . hot-houses . the soul of pascasio cardinal . see also iohn ●●ki● in his book of purgatory . pausilipo , a most delightfull place which according to dion , was possessed by vedio pollione , a roman , a man famous for no other cause then his wealth and cruelty , because in that place he had certain fish-ponds , wherein he used often times to cast in men , as food for his fishes ; and dying , le●t augustus his heir of pausilipo . virgil his sepulchre . chiaia giacomo sanazaro . the castle of vovo . naples alwaies faithful to the people of rome . the praise of the city of naples . the gulf cratera . the arms of the city of naples . the tower of greece , and of nuntiata . the hill somma casteth out fire . the death of pliny . the wholsome house , a most delightsome place builded by king charls the second . the city massa . the temple of minerva . the isle of sirenuse , see virgil in the end of his book of ene●dos ; now these islands are called under one name gallo ▪ where is the isle of capri. procita , why it was so called . dyonisius of alicarnaseo , in the first of the histories of rome . iohn of procicla , author of the sicilian evening . ieronimo zurita in the history of arragon . the family of procita in catalogna . the isle ischia . of the giant tipheo the poets speak diversly : for virgil in the of aeneidos saith , that here he was strucken with lightning by iupiter , in the which opinion agreeth lucan , but ovid saith it w●s in sicilia . alfonsus king of arragon and naple , was of the house of medina , so saith laonico . calcondile athenian in the history of the turks , in his fift book . gironda , an ancient city of the isle . bartholmew perdice genoway . the book of the antiquities of pozzuolo , written by the author of this work. the body of st. restituta virgin. the isle nisita , why it was so called . gaiola , why ●t was so called . the city capoa . capoa destroyed . the sepulchre of capi , the builder of capoa . capoa destroyed by genserico king of the vandals . capoa newly builed . the lombards destroy capoa . capoa re-edified . conradus king of naples cast the walls of capoa to the gr●und . capoa sacked by the french. the land of lavoro , why it was so called . f. l. sosipatro charisso . vittore bishop . peter of vineis iohn antonio campano . the city atella . the city aversa , by whom it was built . aversa destroyed by charls of angio , king of naples . don pietro orsino . the famous men of aversa . marigliano . the city acerra , why it was built . acerrr , why it was so called . the temple of iupiter feretrio . propertio in . the river glanio and the originall thereof . sessula the river isclero . aierola . the city caserta , by whom it was built lonardo santoro . mataloni . venafro . the city sora. the sorani cut in pieces the roman colonies . the romans take sora. the romans send another colony to sora. sora destroyed by the emperor frederick the second . the river fibreno , and the beginning thereof . the river liris , now called garigliano . an island , a most beautiful country , called by the ancients interamnia . comino , a pleasant country was ●o called by an ancient city of the same name . the city atina . the river melfa . the city arpino . the arms of arpino . the city arce the city aquino . giovenal , a satyrical poet. victorino , a geometrician . pescenio negro , emperor . st. thomas of aquin. gio menardo , in the book of epistles , in the epistle . adinolfo , count of aquino , and duke of gaeta . monte casino . totila , king of goths ▪ paulo diacono in his book of histories ▪ the city theano . the city calvi . the city lauro , by whom it was built . palma the plain of palma . the city nola. the death of the emperor octavius augustus . flora and her riches . the temple of flora. st. felix bishop . st. paulino the inventer of bels. the arms of nola. the first counts of nola . romano orsino was the first of that family that had lordship in the kingdom . wherefore the rose was adjoyned to arms of the house of orsina . iohn antonio orsino , prince of tarento . counts of nola. the names of the noble families of nola. the arms of this province of lavoro . arechi , duke of benevento , in the year . the confines of the picentini ▪ where the picentini dwelt . why the picentini were driven away by the romans . the city picentia . sundry opinions of the picentini . the fertility of the province . noceria . sanseverino . the water of mela. cava and the beginning thereof in the year . adalferio pappacarbone . guaimaro , prince of salerno , the . an . gargano . lettere . the cape of minerv● . the caost of amalfi . pasetano . praiano . trani . amalfi . the body of st. andrew the apostle : pietro capoan ▪ cardinal , in the year . the church of the capucines . a note of the holy reliques which are in canonica . by whom amalfe was builded , and why it was so called . amalfo a roman , captain of the emperor constantine . amalfa the d●ughter of m. marcello ruffo , roman . the calife of egipt , a great friend to the amalfi , anno . churches builded by the amalfi in ierusalem . the hospital of st. iohn baptist in ierusalem . pope honorius in the y●ar . ramondo of poggio , first great master of the knights of the hospital . how rodes came into the possession of the knights of st. ●ohn the amalfitani the founders of the religion of the knights of st. iohn see the history of henry pantaleon de rebus memor●bilibus ordinis johanitarum , rhodiorum , ant melitentium equi●um terra malique fortiter gestis . lib. . f. flavio di gioia , the inventer of the sea-card in the year . how they sailed in old time . pilots and sailers came every year to amalfi . mairue . the city ravello . the miracle of the bloud of st. pant●●eon . the noble families of ravello . paolo fosco . the city scala . the noble families of scala . the cape of orso . the river silare , and drumento . the gulf of salerno , by strabo called sinus pestanus . horace in his epistles . salerno , why it was so called , and by whom it was built . salerno , a colony of the romans . strabo , lib. . salerno a colony of the romans . salerno under the dominion of the longobards . sicardo , duke of benevento slain . sichinolfo , prince of salerno , an. 〈◊〉 . the saracins of sicilia enter calauria . lodovico king of italy maketh a division of the state. anno . the death of sichinolfo . sicone . lodovico , king of italy recalled by the longobards . adamario prince . danserio prince . guaiferio prince . guaimaro prince . gisulfo prince . the body of st. matthew the apostle brought to salerno . landolf prince . guaimaro the prince . the emperor currado entreth italy . guaimaro slain by the salernitans . ruberto normando count ▪ of puglia , and prince of salerne . king charls made prince of salerne . ramondo orsino count of nola. ruberto sanseverino , prince of salerno , . salerno a r●gal city . the university of salerno founded by charls the great , an ● . the disposition of the salernitans . the 〈…〉 of salerno marc. antonio marsilio colonna , archbishop of salerno . famous men in phisick . matteo silvatio trotula . abella . mercurial . rebecca guarna . boccuccio grillo . iohn de proeida ▪ author of the sicilian evening . paolo grisignano francesco de alfano . antonello di rugiero . pietro bailardo . iohn cola di vicario . carlo di ruggiero . iohn angelo papia . pirro alfano . pomponio lieto andrea guarna benedetto ruggio . the fairs of salerno . sarno . the river sarno . montoro . montecorvino . picentia , a famous city , why it was destroyed by the romans . acerno . the city campagna . st. antony the abbat , an . . conturso . quaglietta . evoli . virgil in the of his georg. a woman changed to a man. anno . iohn pontano , li. . 〈…〉 pliny , lib. 〈…〉 a woman may turn to be a man. the body of st. bernier● . the body of st. vito . the noble families of ev●ly . the country aquario . matthia iuono . the country of olivito . the country of agropoli . the air of agropoli , and the effect therof . the castle of abbate . the cape of licosa . the castle of bruca . the river electe . the isles of enotrie , isacia and pontia . the country of 〈◊〉 . the city molpa destroyed . the haven of saprico , now called the gulf of pulicastro . saponara . marsico . the disposition of the people of this province . a proverb . the arms of this province . strabo in his book . the ancient limits of this principality . the vale of beneventana , the principal part of sannio . the length of the valley of beneventana . the rivers sabato and vulturno . matese , a promontory of the apennine . the city benevento , by whom it was built . benevento possessed by the longobards more then years . the dukedom of benevento , how much it contained . the names of all the dukes of benevento . arechi the second of this name , duke of benevento ▪ who first undertook the dignity of a prince in italy . pope adrian . charls the great . the end of the kingdom of the longobards in italy . charls the great was disguised as an ambassador to see the prince arechi . the city of salerno fortified by arechi ▪ arechi died the year ● ▪ the saracins in sicilia . s● . bartholmew the apostle . monte casino destroyed by the saracins in the year . leone emperor of cons●antinople . the dukedom of benevento possest by the emperor of greece . castaldo was a certain dignity which the empero●s of greece were accustomed to bestow on their favorites ; which some say signifieth a lieutenant ▪ o● president . anno . the emperor otho the goeth about to take away from benevento the body of st. bartholmew the apostle . henry the emperor , by many named the first ▪ benedict the by some called the . how benevento came under the dominion of the church . ruberto guiscard created duke of puglia and calauria . ruggiero the norman , king of naples , possest benevento . bishops of rome . orbilio grammatico ▪ rofredo , and odo●redo , famous lawyers . angelo catone marino bilotta . mercurio of vipera . pietro candido ▪ bartholmew camerario . leonardo grifo . gabriel de blasio . iohn camillo . bilotta . s●ipio 〈◊〉 . hec●ore savariano . andrea candido . the noble families of benevento . charls the great , and f.l. nicesero divided the empire the year of our lord . the quality of the province ▪ the valley of caudina . the city caudio . hirpio , now called arpaia . the gallows of caudine . st. martino . st. angelo on scala . attavilla . montefredano . avellino . mercogliano . montevirgine . montesuscolo . monte tremoli . the river sabato . montefalcione . candida . serpito . vulturara . pia. chiusano . castello vetere . montella . apice . mirabella . tauraso . cursano . bagnulo . cassano . nusco . the river calore . the river 〈◊〉 . the river tripalto . bonito . grottamenarda . flumari . vico. melito . amando . zuncoli . the hill crepacore . the river m●●scano . corsano . montecalvo . ariano . montemale . casulalbor● . the freemens castle . padula . s. iorio . molinara . reino . s. maria del colle . cercello . cassano . st. croce . the quality and nature of the people of this province . the arms of this province ▪ the limits of the province of basilicata . the lucani and their original . elephants brought into italy , see pliny lib. . chap. . the fertility of the province . martial lib. ▪ the temple of iuno the argive . possidonia . the gulf of agr●poli . velia . pis●iotta . the cape of palinuro . molpa . the imperial rock . francavilla . noia . st. arcangelo . roccanova . castellonova . episcopia . claramont . senisi . tursi . st. mauro . ferrandina . pesticcie . the river vaisento . metaponte . pomarico . miglionico . grott●la . montescagioso . the river bradano . tricarico . montepeloso . venosa . can●sa . lavello . potenza . melfi . stigliano . the condition of the inhabiters of this province . the arms of this province . the fertility of calauria . the divers mines in calauria . the excellent hunting in calauria . the sundry names of calauria . the city pandesia . king italo : king morgete . why it was called magna grecia . why it was c●lled calauria . the ancient situation of calauria . bretia . the river laus the river turbolo . the isle of dim . scalea . lanio . the hill apollonio . morano . the river sibari . saracena . altomonte . hils of salt. st. mark. a proverb . foscaldo ▪ lattarico . torano . regina . montalto . paula . st. nocito . castellofranco . the death of alexander king of molossi foretold by the oracle . cerisano . cosenza . the wood sila . bisignano . tarsia . fiumefreddo . bellomonte . amontea . aiello . marti●an● . nocera . castiglione . st. eusemia . nicastro . tiriolo . the arms of this province . the fertility of this province . brutii , why they were so called . the error of some writers about the name brutii : the bounds of the brutii . triolo . malda . pizzo . bevoua . montel●one . soriano . arena . b●rrello . melito . b●iatico . tr●pea . nicotera . metauro . tauriano . gioia . seminara . sinopoli . oppido . terranova . polistena . the isles eoli . lipare . bagnara . the taking of the sword fish , how it is done , and by whom it was invented . sciglio . coda della volpe . fiumara di muro . regio . grashoppers & their natures . the worthy men of regio . the cape of partivento . potamia . motua bovalina of zeleuco the law giver , & his ●everity timeo the philosopher . eunomo the musician . eutimo atleta . the temple of proserpina . what manna is and how i● cometh . the temperature of manna . livy , lib . siderono . grotteria . mottagioiosa , roccella . mottapaganica . the promontory of cocinto , now ● called the cape of stilo . the ionian sea , where it beginneth to be so called ▪ stilo . badolato . satriano . petrito . soverato . squillaci . a proverb . catanzaro . taverna treschinesi . simari . trischenesi . belcastro . the calaur●si say that s. thomas of aquin was born in belcastro mesuraga . policastro s. severina , cutro . the cape of pillars . castra hannibalis . cotrone . see plutarch in communio , and st. thomas in the book of the methe●ra : of aristotle . rossano . longobucco . turio . the quality and disposition of the men of this province . the form and figure of this province . the circuit of this province . the quality of the earth . the great plenty of fruit in this province . why the disease of the leprosie reigneth in this country . chirsidri . the description of the country . taranto . archita the mathematician . the river galesio . the situation of the city of taranto . cesaria . gallipoli . vgento . castro . otranto . the distance between otranto and greece . where the adriatick gulf beginneth . why it was called the gulf of venice . the lake of liminiti . brindesi . plato and aristotle , how great they would have a city to be . the haven of brundesi . by whom brindesi was built . matera . the mine of boalearmonack . the poet eustachio . motola . misagne· otra . leccie . the epitaph on the tomb of the poet ennius . bembo in the ● . book of the history of venice . this leonardo prato guicciardino , and others say , was of naples , but it is not true . ogento . st. pietro in galatina . galatena . cosmo pinelli , marquiss of galatena . paravita : nardo . casalnovo mandurio . the nature & quality of the inhabitants of this province . the arms of the region of otranto . the limits & fertility of this country of bari . the fable of the nymph fillida . barletta . the city trani don ferrant gonzaga , prince of molfetta . nicola di giovenezzo companion of st. dominick . monopoli . the city gravina , why it was so called . the batel which the stork makes with the serpent . bitonto . cornelio musso bishop of bitonto . adri. canosa . the tarantole and their nature , see alexander of alexandria in the lib. of thes . geniale . cap. the quality and condition of the men of this province . the arms of this province , and the signification thereof . the sanniti & their inhabiters . how long the war continued between the sannites and the romans . the valley of caudine . the confines of the country of the sannites . who were the worthiest people of the sannites . why it was called abruzzo the limits of abruzzo where abruz●● hath its beginning . peligni the most valiant people of all italy . civita di chieti ▪ the chief city of this province . pepin the s●n of charls the g●eat , for what cause he destr●yed civita di 〈◊〉 . gotfredo the the norman made civita di chieti the principal city of abruzzo . orton . the body of st. thomas the apostle . the light of st. heramo , which appeareth to sailers when they are in great danger . the city ferentana , now called francauilla . lanciano . the river foro . tollo . miglionico fara rapino penna the river lento villamaina petrono the sort of montepiano castel menale bucchianicho the city sulmona , the natural place of the poet ovid. the river aterno , now called pescara . the stony oyl which riseth in the territory of cantalupo caramanico . cusano . the mines of pitch which are in manupelli . the nature & condition of the people of this province . the arms of this province , and what they signifie . the limits of abruzzo on the other side . the fertility of this province . montepagano . the river viciola . the river tordino . teramo . campio . bisigno . rugnano . murro . locaristo . guardia di vomano . caste vecchio . transmondo . cautiano . forcella . miano . rapino . montorio . compotosto . poggio . 〈◊〉 monteverde . montegualco . the river piomba . porta d'adria . silva . hadria , now called atri , where the emperor adrian was born . from whence the adriatick sea had its name . celino . schiarano . civita st. angelo . ilece . the river salino . porto st. angelo . the river sino . cassilento . pignano . serra . the river tavo . civita di penna . valerius maximus de pietat● erga parentes . luca de penna . laureto . the 〈◊〉 corvino . the river aterno , now called pescara . the river nuria . montesilvano . moscuso . pianello . capogatto . rossano . alendo . castiglione . offena . busso . capistrano . carapello . vettorito . raiano . amiterno . livy lib. . virgil. lib. . crispo salustio . civita tomassa . foruli . furconio . the hil offido . the city aquila . robert guiscard the norman created duke of puglia and calauria . . the number of the churches of aquila . the nature● ▪ and manner of the aquitani . pontano de bello neapolitano . the noble families in aquila . monte reale . the river pescare . pescara , called in old time aterno . the river alba . manopello . the foot of m●lise . t●rre . luculo . caramanico . cant●lup● . 〈…〉 b●n●face , the pop● when the n●me of the m●rsi were changed . the marruvii . virgil lib. . the agnitii . virgi lib. . livy lib. . m.t. cicero abandoned the wars , and applied himself to the study of learning . the lake fucino , now called celano . the water martia brought to rome . the city archippa drowned in the lake celano . pliny lib. . vibio sequestre . paterno . transacco . giviano . celano . wherfore the emperor frederick destroyed celano . the city alba. livy lib. . cesa . pietro marso . the river castellano . the river tronto . ascolo . ascolo restored to the church by queen ione the second . bettutio barro , a famous orator . the famous men of 〈◊〉 ventidio ba●● pope nicholas the . amatrice . civitella . the nature & quality of this province . the arms of this province . pontano . lib. . the ancient bounds of this country . plin. lib. . c. the originall of the 〈◊〉 the things most plentiful i● this countrey . the description of this province . campobasso . campo di pietra macchia ▪ celentia , riccia , gambatesa . the castle of motta . st iulian , colletort ▪ gel●ono . circo . the river fortorio . vinchiaturo . baronello , busso , m●rrone . gerione , livy lib. ● . montenegro , riofredo , forolo , fornello . the vally porcina , esernia , andrea of esernia , a famous doctor of th● law , supino , guilliniaco , lupara , catabuttaccio lucito , limosano , castelpignano , rocchetta , casal reparande lespinato , reg●st reginae , anno . ● , litera a , f●l . , boiano . livy lib. , & . slio lib. . the hill fiterno . the river fortore . the river trinio . roceavivara . trivento . iacobo caldora . salicito . fossaseca . bagnulo . civita nova . the nature and condition of the people of the countrey . the armes of this province , and what it signifieth . the bounds of capitanata . why it was called capitanata . p●ntano lib. . de bello neap. te●r● hydruntina . barens●is regio . b●silicatata . why it was called iapigia mesapia . daunia apulia how puglia came into the hands of the romans hannibal did much harm to puglia , strab. lib. . the things which are most plentiful in capitannta the nature of the earth the number of the cities , countries , and castles that ●re in the said provinces the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 hil garga●● ▪ the city of s. angelo . the saracins possest th●se places , and when they were driven away . the description of the holy cave of s. angelo . the cause why this church was dedicated to st. m●chael the archangel . an. ● . pontano lib. . templum s. michaelis in monte gargano . laurentio an●●sio . sipontum . vieste ▪ vieste destroyed by the turks . king ferdinando repaireth again vieste . the end of the adriatick sea . the citie salapia where hannibal was inamored . the lake of andoria . mansredonia . castelluccio . monte rotano . celenza . st. marco . volturara . st. gaudio : rosseno . montefalcone . lesina . the lake of lesina . serra capriola . st. martino . colletorto . st. iuliano . macchia . campo di pietra ▪ geldono . circomaggiore ▪ st. nicandro . porcina . st. seniero . strabo . lib. . the temple of calcante , & of podaliero . st. iohn ritondo . cagnano . carpino . st. 〈◊〉 . arign●no . st. nicandro . foggia . 〈◊〉 ▪ the custom of the sheep . the number of the cattel that were customed in the year . the custom of the revenue of the sheep made in the year . the payment for sheep hath bin very ancient in the kingdom . alfonsus of aragon , king of naples 〈◊〉 to the c●stom of sh●●p . luceria of the the pagans . paolo diacono , lib. . charls the king of naples drove the saracins from luceria , and from all the kingdom . the body of st. augustine in luceria . by whom troia was built . the councel of troia . the bodies of saints in troia . ascolo di satriano . the church of st. leonard given to the knights of st· mary of prusia the isles of diomedes . now called trinity . the quality & condition of the people . the arms of this province . notes for div a -e the nature & disposition of the people . the royal revenue under the kings of the normans was received by a price . what a whole intire fee was andrea d' isernia . capece . a feudary was bound but to months service . the chap. of king charls . the feudary when he served not personally to what he was bound . afflitto . charls . places of demains which yay the livery . extraordinary payments , on whom , and when it is imposed . the imposition of grains made by don the sum of the imposition for the castles the sum of the imposition for repairing the highway● . the sum of the payment for the soldiers and men of arms . the custom of the sheep of apulia . the custom of puglia very a●cient . the custom of puglia newly instituted by king alfonsus . the cus●om of silk sold to the prince of bisignano . the sum of the imposi●ion upon s●●k and saffron . the custom or iron ▪ and by whom 〈◊〉 w●s ●●s●ituted . the great custom of naples and the revenue thereof . the sum of th● 〈◊〉 r●venue . t●e reven●● of 〈◊〉 cu●●om of 〈◊〉 . of oyl and sope. of wine conveyed out of the kingdom . the custom of cards . of eggs , birds , and kidds . of manna . of the race of horses . of forfeitures to the king of horses that are bought . of the conveying of corn . the revenue of times , why it was so called . the aids of tuscan . the revenue of the city of viesti and others . a new imposition upon brimstone . the new imposition on hemp . a new imposition on the infidels . the due of salnitro . the industry and labour of salt. the duties of the commodities of grain and others . the end of the lines of barons , and the kings offices that are void . the revenue of liveries of heirs and forfeitures and others . the cathedral churches of the kingdom . the abbats of the kingdom . circes the daughter of s●le , and perse. totila king of the goths apparelled like a page . petronio petronasso reedified the monastery of the hill casino . a girl converted to a male . the belief of the au●h●r . the hill cibele , now called monte virgine . the bodies of sidrack mesheck , and abedneg● preserved in monte virgine . the admirable 〈◊〉 in monte virgine . flesh and milk carried into monte virgine , become● full of worms . the fertility of the hill gauro . why it was called the hill miseno . the hill miseno , called in former time aereo . aeneas kild his trumpeter miseno , and sacrificed him to the gods of hell. the tower of faro . octavius augustus kept his fleet in ma●● morto , for the defence of the tirrene sea. pompey flouteth l. lucullus . the answer of lucullus . the authors which make mention of the hil miseno . the hil massico . the wine f●lerni in great estimation with the romans . the author● which make mention of the hil massico . the authors which make mention of the wine of falerno . minervio . maiella . olibano . the emperor c. caligula caused the hill olibano to be cut . the bath of the rock , and the vertue thereof . the bath ortodonico , why it was so called . palinuro . the city hielia . why it was called palinuro . pausilipo . virgils sepulchre . a bay-tree that grew naturally over the sepulchre of virgil. sarno . the country of pompeians one of the beautifullest parts of campagna spoiled by fire of the hill vesuvio . see corn tacitus in book of histories . the wine of trifolino . lib. . why it was called the hill vesevo . cornel. cetego , the consul dried up the fen pontina . iupiter ansure . the lake averno . plin. lib. . cap. . plin. lib. . cap. . the lake lucrino , why it was so called . the history of a dolphin . the sepulchre of scipio africano . a proverb . see the elegy of giovio in the life of scipio afr. phil. lib. . columella lib. . vegetio . l . the saracius possess sicilia . ferabach maketh warr with the greek● . guglielmo ferabach count of puglia . the death of guglielmo 〈◊〉 , count of puglia . the count of puglia consumed by the emperor henry the to dragone . . vm●rid● count of puglia . anno. . baielardo , count of puglia . roberto guiscard ▪ count of puglia . ruberto guiscard attributeth to himself the title of duke of puglia and calauria . nocolas the bishop of rome , came to the parlament with guis●a●do , an . . robert guiscard invested with the dukedom of puglia and calauria . the oath of loyalty and homage of duke robert● . the second oath . p●terno taken by robert guiscard . salerno taken by guiscardo in the year . pope gergory the con●●emed to ruberto the dukedom of puglia and calauria . the investing made by pope gregory . ruberto delivereth pope gregory being besieged . the death of duke ruberto guiscardo an . . ruggieri the norman , duke of apulia and calauria . boemund created prince of antiochia . ruggieri died in the year . vvilliam the norman , duke of apulia and calauria in the year ● . ruggieri , count of sicilia , the son of ruggieri bosso , possesseth the dukedom of puglia and calauria . an. . the death of duke william . an ● . ruggieri entituleth himself king of italy . innocent the ● warreth upon ruggieri . duke ruggieri besieged in the castle galluccio . ruggieri delivered from the siege . the city of naples given by the bishop to duke ruggieri . ruggieri created king of both the ci●ilies an ▪ . sig●nius in his ● book of histories an . the death of king ruggieri , anno . an. . william excommunicated by adrian the . the pope is called into the kingdom . william maketh peace with the pope anno . anno . anno . henry the . emperor , by some called the . constance a nun , given for wise to the emperor , henry the . the coronation of the emperor henry , & constance , an . ● . ●●ples besieged . the death of ruggieri , the son of king tancred . king tancred died in the year . the wife and children of tancred . the emperor henry entreth the kingdom , and taketh it . the wife and children of tancred made prisoners . anno . henry the emperor 〈◊〉 in the year . an. . the coronation of frederick the emperor , an . . why the kings of naples are intitled kings of ierusalem , anno . a law made by frederick . frederick the emperor crowned king of ierusalem , an. . discord between the pope and the emperor frederick . the death of the emperor frederick . the wife and children of the emperor frederick . the natural children of the emperor frederick . anno . capoa , naples , and aquino t●ken by the emperor conrado . henry slain . the death of conrado . anno . an. . anno . for the better understanding of the reader , the said bettrice of aragon was the daughter of don raimondo berenguer of aragon , earl of province , and of bettrice the daughter of thoma● earl of savoy , which was married with charls of angio . . the which bet●trice as the eldest of all the other sisters , inherited the said count of province . berenguer is as much as to say berengarius in latine , and was a name of honour among the spaniards for the many victories which the most valiant berenguer obtained . anno . mary resigneth to king charls the kingdom of ierusalem . see the register of king charls . of the year ●●d . . li●era a. ●ol . . anno . anno . anno . anno ● . anno . anno ▪ this alfonsus was the ● . ●f that name k. of aragon and 〈…〉 in the history of the tu●ks in the . book w●ites that that k. ●lfonsus of aragon was of the house of med●na . anno . anno . king alfonsus taken prisoner anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno ▪ anno . anno . anno . anno . anno : charls marrieth isabella of portugall . anno . the birth of philip king of spain . anno . monsig . lotrecco besiegeth naples . this siege was the of april . the battell of the emperours gallies with the genoways . the victory of the count philip d'ori● . andrea d'oria ▪ leaveth the service of the french king , and the cause why . peace made with the french king , anno charls the fifth crowned emperour . anno . the enterprise of tunis . charls the fifth goeth in triumph through naples . novem. . . the resignation made by charls . of his kingdom to philip his son . the resignation of the empire made by the emperour charls . anno . the death of charls the . anno . the wife and children of charls . anno . charls of angio was the first that was crowned with an imperiall crown , king of both the sicilles . the kings of naples are written sacred royal majesty . see the gloss in the preambles of the constitution of the kingdom in the second colum . what the annointing of the kings shoulders and right arm signifie . the royall purple rob● signifieth charity . tullius hos●●●●u● king of rome after he had overcome the 〈◊〉 , was the best king that use● the purple robe . the golden scepter & the sword , the one signifieth that he commandeth the people , and the other that he pursueth the enemies in the name of christ. the ring and the bracelet signifie faith and purity . the apple signifieth the kingdom . the crown declareth glory . the king of naples is crowned with an imperiall crown . edissa a city of mesopotamia , from whence tobias sent his son to gabellus , and where thaddeus the apostle was converted to the christian faith . the victory of baldwin . baldwin taken prisoner fulk of an●o● king of ierusalem . the death of baldwin the . almerick succeeded baldwin . the death of almerick . marquess of monferrato the governour of ierusalem . the death of baldwin the . the death of baldwin the . jerusalem taken by the soldan . conrado longa●patho marquis of monferrato made king of ierusalem . cyprus surprised by the king of england . the knights of the temple made governors of cyprus . guy of lusignon first ●ing of cyprus . the death of king con●●do . the death of henry earl of of ciampania . almerick king of cyprus , the third husband of isabel. iohn count brenne was made companion of the empire of constantinople . the emperour frederick taketh ierusalem . anno . this hugo for his vertue and valor was called the great . mary the daughter of melisenda , and of raimond giveth her right to k. charls . king charls of angio is proclaimed lawfull king of jerusalem . ruggieri sanseverina sent to govern ●erusalem . the arms of the kingdom of naples . athenaeo of the invention of the crown . aristotle of the crown . libero according to pliny , was the first which was crowned . three sorts of crowns according to theophrastus . the crown of crassus . of the distinction of the crowns of herbs . posthumio tuberto used a crown of mirtle . the crown civica was of oke . the crown vallare . the crown murale . the crown navale . the crown of grass among the romans was held most glorious . fabius maximus . the royall crown not used in old time . what the kingly ornaments were in old time . the purple robe as martial declareth , was the ornament of a magistrate , whereupon he thus saith , divisit nostras purpura vestra togas . and in another place saith , purpurate foelix te colit ●●nis honos . from whom the use of the crown descended . the bishop of ostia crowneth the pope . aurelianus was the first that wore a c●own of gold . lamp●idio a grave author writeth , that the first of the roman emperours , which wore apparell of silk , was heliogabalus . charls the great the first that was crowned by the hand of the pope . three crowns belong to the roman emperours , the first is of silver , which is taken of the kingdom of germany in the city of aquisgrain . the second is iron , of the kingdom of lombartly in medina neer millan , the which crown is of ancient workmanship without flowers , or points , made within as a plain hoop of iron , which binds in the temple ; but without is beautified with gold , and pretious stones , the which sheweth that the roman empire hath the strength of iron by military power . the third crown is then of gold , of the empire of rome , which the pope giveth in the church of st. peter . arechi duke of benevento , was the first that was called prince the dignity of the principality of salerno . how the kings elde●● son was intitled duke of cal●●ria . the first prince of capoa . see luca di penna in l. . c. de auro coronario , lib. . & in l. . c. de authle . cassaneus in catalogo gloriae mundi , in . par . concl. . archduke of sessa . luca de penna in rub. c. de comitibus , lib. . this dignity was by charls the great , & his son , bestowed on those which were their deputies . afterward under the german empire that title was of a proper power and authority . marino frezza in . lib. de suffendi in the chap. quis dicatur comes , nu . . a brief account of the royal matches or matrimonial alliances vvhich the kings of england have made from time to time since the year to this present collected by a careful collation of history with records. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a brief account of the royal matches or matrimonial alliances vvhich the kings of england have made from time to time since the year to this present collected by a careful collation of history with records. howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed by j.g. for h. brome ..., london : mdclxii [ ] imperfect: print show-through. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng marriages of royalty and nobility. great britain -- kings and rulers. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a brief account of the royal matches or matrimonial alliances , vvhich the kings of england have made from time to time since the year . to this present . collected by a careful collation of history with records . london , printed by i. g. for . h. brome at the gun in ivy-lane , mdclxii . a preamble . the saxons having succeeded the romans in the sway of this country , as they changed the name thereof from britain to england , so the government also came to be altered , and diffused to an heptarchy or septemvirat , for there rul'd here seven kings at once ( such as they were ) for the space of . years and more , during which time as the government was confus'd , so the history is full of distraction and incertitudes , there being scarce any authentic record to be found for asserting any thing ; in somuch that what is written of that heptarchy is believed rather in courtesie , or by an implicit faith then otherwise . but since egbert king of the west saxons came by his prowess and policy to be sole king of england , which was above . years since , the current of history runs more cleer , and the renown of the succeeding kings rang lowder beyond the seas , which made forren princes to seek alliances and confederations with us . therefore touching the present design , we will take our rise from that time when england came to be a monarchy , and first of king ethelwolph the son of the foresaid egbert , anno dom. . king ethelwolph the second english monark , having visited pope gregory the fourth at rome , and returning through france , married the lady judith , called in those dayes the perl of beuty , daughter to charles the bald , who was then emperor and king of france . king edward the outlaw ( as they call'd him ) married the lady agatha daughter to the emperor hen. . king athelstans sister was married to otho the emperor . the lady margaret daughter to king edmund ironside coming to be queen regnant , was married to malcolme the third king of scotland , anno . whence king james and his progenitors are lineally descended . king canutus ( the first of the three danish kings which raigned here about . years ) married the lady emma sister to the duke of normandy , and guinhilda his daughter by her was married to the emperor hen. . king edward the confessor , or st. edward took a wife at home ( as all the rest of the saxon kings did , except the above-mentioned ) viz. the lady editha daughter to the earl godwyn . we come now to the norman and english kings after the conquest . king william the first , or the conqueror married the lady maude daughter to the earl of flanders . king william the second called rufus had no wife , but divers natural children , among whom the lord bertran was most advanced . king henry the first married . the lady matilda or maude , daughter to malcolme king of scotland by margaret sister to edgar atheling , whereby the saxon or english blood royal was restored , he had by her maude the empress , but left . natural children besides , viz. seven sons , and seven daughters . king stephen married the lady matilda the late duke of bullens daughter , but had no issue lived ; he left two natural sons , whereof the one was made earl of norfolk , the other abbot of westminster . king henry the second son of maude the empress ( by ieffrey plantaginet her second husband ) married elenor the divorced wife of lewis the seventh king of france , by whom he had divers children , and left besides some natural children by rosamund . king richard the first married the lady berengania daughter to the king of navarre . king iohn married three wives , two at home , and one abroad , viz. alice daughter to the earl of morton , and avice daughter to the earle of gloucester , and having no issue of neither , he married isabel heiress to the duke of angoulesme in france , of whom he had hen. . ( who succeeded him ) and richard who was earl of gloucester , and crown'd king of the romans . king henry the third married elenor daughter to raymond earl of province in france , by whom was edward the first , the scourge of the scots , and edmund crouchback duke of lancaster , who was the ground of the feud 'twixt the two roses . king edward the first married two wives , the first was eleanor daughter to ferdinand k. of spain , by whom he had four sons , and nine daughters ; his second wife was margaret eldest daughter of philip the hardy king of france . king edward the second of caernarvon ( the first install'd prince of wales ) married isabel daughter of philip le bel ▪ king of france . king edward the third married . philippa daugher to the earl of henault , by whom he had seven sons , and five daughters , the eldest was the black prince , who married at home , viz. the lady joan daughter to the earl of kent , though twice a widow ; he had two base sons , sir robert clarendon , and sir john sounder . richard the second married two wives , viz. the lady anne daughter to the emperor charles the fourth . his second wife was isabel daughter to charles the sixth king of france . king henry the fourth married two wives , the first at home , viz. the lady mary daughter of humphrey bohun earl of hereford , &c. his second wife was joan daughter to charles king of navarre . king henry the fifth married yhe lady katharine daughter to charles the sixth of france , who being left a young widow married owen tewdor of wales , who was grandfather to hen. . and thereby restored the british royal blood , uniting it with the english. king henry the sixth was married to margaret daughter to reyner earl of anjou , and king of jerusalem , scicily , and aragon . king edward the fourth married elizabeth widow of sir john grey . richard the third married the lady anne daughter of richard nevil earle of warwick , widow to ed. prince of wales , son of hen. . king henry the seventh married the lady elizabeth daughter to edw. the fourth , heir to the house of york , who united the two roses . king henry the eight had six wives , whereof three were katharines , two were forreners , the other four born within the realm ; of which wives , he was divorced from two , and two were beheaded . his first wife was katharine daughter of ferdinand king of spain , a most pious lady , from whom after . years cohabitation he got to be divorced . the second , anne daughter of sir tho. bullen earl of wiltshire , and ormond . the third was jane seymor daughter to the earl of hartford . the foursh was anne of cleve , from whom he was divorced . the fifth was katharine widow to the lord latimer , and daughter to tho. howard duke of norfolk beheaded and buried in the tower with anne of bullen . the sixt was katharine parr , sister to the marquess of northampton . queen mary was married to philip the second king of spain . king iames married the lady anne daughter to frederick the third king of denmark . king charls the first married the lady henrietta maria youngest daughter to henry the great of france , which was the eighth royal alliance that was 'twixt england and france . king charls the second married the lady katherine sole daughter to don john the fourth king of portugal , and sister to don alonso the sixth now regnant . there was a matrimonial alliance once before 'twixt the blood royal of england and portugal , which was about anno . between iohn the first , king of portugal , and the lady philippa daughter to iohn of gaunt duke of lancaster ; king iohn had five sons by her , the two eldest with the father were all three knights of the garter at one time ; the youngest son was henry , who being a speculative studious prince was much addicted to the mathematicks , and specially to the art of navigation , which induced him to set forth some ships for discovery of new countries , and his design succeeded so well , that in the first voyage , he discovered the azores & other islands in the atlantick sea , next the coasts of gu●ney , cape verd , and so at last the passage by the promontory , or cape of good hope to the east indies , which discoveries have proved so gainful and glorious to that nation ever since . by the former alliance , it may be said that portugal married with england , by this england hath married with portugal . and as the former was the fortunatest alliance that portugal ever made by their own confession to this day ; so may this prove to england : may all the blessings of heaven be poured down upon it according to the due and daily devotions of all true-hearted subjects , and particularly of i. h. finis . lustra ludovici, or, the life of the late victorious king of france, lewis the xiii (and of his cardinall de richelieu) divided into seven lustres / by iames howell, esq. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) lustra ludovici, or, the life of the late victorious king of france, lewis the xiii (and of his cardinall de richelieu) divided into seven lustres / by iames howell, esq. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. : port. printed for humphrey moseley, and are to be sold at his shop ..., london : . reproduction of original in cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng louis -- xiii, -- king of france, - . richelieu, armand jean du plessis, -- duc de, - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion lustra ludovici , or the life of the late victorious king of france , lewis the xiii . ( and of his cardinall de richelieu . ) divided into seven lustres . consilium armorum cardo . by iames howell , esq. london , printed for humphrey moseley ; and are to be sold at his shop at the prince's arms in s. pauls church-yard . . to the grovving glory of great britain , the hopes of our crown , and the crown of our hopes prince charles , at his court in caesaria , by vulgar contraction called iersey . sir , i present your highnes with the life of your royal oncle of france , a successfull and triumphant king both at home and abroad throughout the whole course of his raign , and that , in so constant a degree , as if fortune herself had bin his companion , and victory , his handmayd : they attended him o're the alps ; they usher'd him o're the pyreneys ; they were his harbingers o're the rhine , and they brought his horses to drink of the danube ; they were his pilots at sea , and they fill'd his sayles upon the ocean , where he was incomparably more powerfull then all his progenitors . nor would i adventure to expose thus to the present world , and transmit to future ages the raign of a for ▪ rein king , had not i bin spectator of divers of his exploits ( and had occasion also to make my addresse to his cardinal ; ) for the rest , i have labour'd to gather as faithfull instructions and authentic notes as i could , and those not upon loose trust or from light persons ; the relations , which are the ingredients of this story , were not taken at the porters lodge , but above staires , and most of them from the counsell table , and courts of parliament . this victorious king began to bear arms and wear buff , about the same yeers that your highnes did , for before he was thirteen , he suppress'd in person two insurrections in poitou , and britany ▪ he quell'd divers more , which at last turn'd to his advantage , as we find great trees growing towards their full consistence , corroborat and take firmer rooting being shaken with tempests , by the resistance they make : so by debelling so many civill commotions he came to finde his own strength the more , and to be fear'd as well as belov'd of his subjects , and a mixture of these two passions make an excellent government ; for though the strongest cittadel of a king be his peoples love , and their hearts his best exchequer , yet it is observ'd , that love without feare commonly turns to scorn , and fear without love turns into hatred . in the perusall of this royal story , if your highnes please to observe the circumstances and grounds of some intestin broyles , you shall find that divers of them have a neer analogie with these of england , for many grew from discontents , that the great convention of the three estates was discontinued , and that france adhaer'd to spanish counsels , with other resemblances besides ; of these and other kind of commotions there happen'd above ten in this kings raign : nor is it any news to hear that france , hath such fits of distemper , or indeed any countrey else , that labours with superfluous humors , i mean that swels with exces of people and plentie ; for as the natural body when it is too repleat must have some vent , just so , the political , must have some evacuations at home or abroad when it is too full , and t' will thrive the better upon 't afterward . if we cast our eyes upon the great world we shall find restlesse motions , reluctations and combatings between the elements ; yet we cannot call this any incongruitie or disorder in the frame of things , but it tends to the conservation of the whole , and may be said to keep nature herself in action and health ; that the earth trembleth , the sea tumbleth , that the aire is alwayes in agitation , that 't is rent with thunder , coruscations , and other meteorological impressions ; that all the elements are in an incessant feud , it is for the vniversal good , and to keep things vigorous , and fresh ; so in man who is the microcosm , the little world , and made up of elements , there be passions and humors which are in perpetuall reluctance within him , and so break out into tumults , preliations , and war ; and where this war is well grounded , 't is wholsom , and the victories that are acquir'd thereby , are decreta caeli , the decrees of heaven , but in an ill grounded war they are no other then faelicia scelera , fortunat villanies : moreover , to transcend the elements , if we mark the course of the heavenly bodies themselfs , there are crosse motions amongst them , they are in perpetuall revolutions and circumgyrations , nay , there are branlings and trepidations amongst them , ( which yet the wisest of philosophers held to be no other then an harmonious sound , and sweet regular symphony , ) and as the gran vnivers runs thus alwayes round , and carryeth all bodies after it ; so man , who is part or rather the epitome thereof , specially in reference to his actions , may be said to dance in a circle ; for there is not any thing now acted , but may be parallell'd , and exemplified by some age or other . therefore among other excellent fruits of story this is none of the least , to put one off , from wondring at any thing , because he meets with precedents and patterns of all sorts in former times ; he that wil observe how some of the great roman emperors were content to live in capreae ( a petty island ) how the princes of italy fled to the lakes of venice for safetie , how some of our kings to the isle of man , how charles the seventh had no other town to keep his court in but bourges in berry , one of the smallest provinces in all france , which made him call'd a good while king of berry ; with a world of such examples , will nothing wonder that your highnes keeps his court now at iersey . nor is this present story a plain down-right confus'd narration of things , for to compile such a work , is as easie as to make fagots , or to trusse up a bundle of straw ; but ( besides other observations and excursions ) that which the author chiefly aymes at , is to make the method of providence in dispensing judgements , and to make a research of the causes of them de longue main , for they seldom come immediatly one upon another , but many yeers , and sometimes a whole age intervenes between the judgement and the cause . furthermore , i have bin carefull in this story to vindicat england touching the circumstance of some traverses of state and war , twixt her and france , during this kings raign , which are misreported by the french chroniclers : there will be other censures found here besides , but this i have done as he that kill'd the serpent upon the childs head without touching his body . it remains , that i implore your highne's pardon not for the subject of this work , because 't is rich and royal , but for the forme thereof , if it be not found adaequat to the height of the matter , according to the desires and endeavours of your highne's most obedient most loyal and most humble servant ▪ from the prison of the fleet this midsommer day . hovvell . historiae sacrum . immortal queen , great arbitresse of time , bright torch , and herald of all-conquering truth , which things , yeers thousands pass'd kepst in their prime , and so bear'st up the world in constant youth , making that morn , man first was made of clay , appear to us as fresh as yesterday : rich magazin of patterns , that may serve as spurs to vertue , or as curbs to vice , which do'st brave men embalm , and them conserve longer then can arabian gumms or spice , and of their memory dost mummy make , more firm then that hot lybia's sands do cake ; rare garden , and rich orchard , wherein grow fame's golden apples , honor's choisest flow'rs , which twistest ghirlands for the learned brow , and with thy branches mak'st triumphant bow'rs , inoculat this bud on thy great tree , that it may burgeon to eternity . i. h. of the late french king and his cardinall . the proem . i attempt the life of a potent king , with the sway of a prodigious favorite , for there are prodigies in fortune as well as in nature ; if the exploits of the one , and the policies of the other were cast into counterballance , i know not which of the scales would outpoise : both of them have got high seats in the temple of immortalitie , and registred their names ( though in deepe sanguine characters i confesse ) in the great booke of fame . concerning the first , as i disdaine to be a parasite to my owne prince in any sordid way of flatterie , much more to a forreiner ( though living ; ) so i shall be very carefull not to detract any thing from the honour of this great prince , who had inhaerencies enough , and realities of his owne , without need of any forc'd encomiums , or flourishes of art to render him glorious : and had the strength of naturall parts , and gift of expression been answerable to the successe and bravery of his outward actions ; had his ( theoricall ) knowledge of vertue been equall to his ignorance of vice , he had been a miracle among monarks . for the second ( his plenipotentiary minister ) had he been as active for the universall good and incolumitie of christendome , as he was for the interests and safety of his owne countrey : or had he been of another coat , and in lieu of being a priest , bishop and cardinal ; had he been knight , baron and marshall , it had put a farre clearer lustre ( though with lesse noise ) upon his abilities , which were not common ; and he had the opportunity and advantage to shew them upon so high and open a theatre , that he made the whole europaean world his spectator : indeed a sword hangs not handsomly by a churchmans side , and a morrion upon a mitre shewes ill-favouredly : but me thinks i heare this martiall prelate passe it over , as pope iulius the second did upon like occasion , who having had a long feud with the emperour frederick ( against whom he had fought twelve battels ) and being one day gently admonish'd by the archbishop of ostia who had consecrated him ( and whose peculiar jurisdiction it is to consecrate all popes ) how s. peter his first predecessor was commanded to put up his sword , t' is true said iulius , our saviour gave the prime apostle such a command , but t' was after he had given the blow , and cut off malchus eare . so this adventrous cardinall got out his masters sword to cut off the excrescencies , and to loppe the luxuriant boughes of that broad-spreading austrian tree , fearing they would extend and shoot out into france ; as also to clip the wings of the imperiall eagle , who was in a faire way to recover some of his old feathers , i meane those hansiatick and other free townes in germanie , who had emancipated themselves time out of minde for money , and by other meanes from the empire : but having not finish'd the worke , both of them have left the weapon still unsheath'd , and dropping pittifully with christian blood , and heaven onely knowes , when it will be put up againe . now to proceede more regularly in my intended storie , i will begin with the monarch , and then fall upon the minister , it being consentaneous to reason , and congruous to good manners , that the master should have prioritie of the servant , though i am not ignorant how some mercenary chroniclers would hoise the cap above the crowne ; they seeme to attribute the successe and glorie of things more to the minister , praising him with greater industry and heat ; they would cut his name in marble , and his masters but in freestone : by a new astronomy they make such a constellation of him as should give a greater lustre in the french firmament , then the sunne from whence he had deriv'd all his light : others goe further , and seeme to idolatrize him , by calling him the good genius and tutelar angel of his countrey , and that he was as necessarie for the government of france , as god almighty was for the universe : nay some soare higher , and by monstrous parasiticall reaches of prophanenes would make the world believe that the almightie had imparted unto him some of his own peculiar attributes , as to make him omniscious , cardiognostick , and to worke without the concurrence of second causes ; which made one futilous pamphleter fall into an egregious bull , while scruing up his wit to hoise him aloft , he call'd him the person in the trinitie . such scriblers as these are a more sordide sort of flatterers , then those we read of , who lick'd up dionysius his spittle , and in my judgement are a scandall to the noble french nation ; besides , they rather eclipse then illustrate his worth ; for his very enemies confesse , that his merit had matter enough for modestie her selfe to work upon without such ridiculous hyperbolies , and forc'd transcendencies ; for vertue ( whereof there shin'd in him many eminent pieces ) is of her selfe so amiable and powerfull , that shee attracts all eyes upon her , and extorts praise and admiration from foe as well as friend . the truth is , that all those yeares this great minister sate at the helm , may be term'd a time of miracles , by that prodigious course of constant successe matters had abroad and at home , as if he had struck a nail in fortunes wheele , that shee should not turne all the while . yet let me tell you , there wanted not those that writ as satyrically of him , as others did sycophantically , as will appeare in his life ; for though his habit was in grain , yet there were many foul spots cast upon it , insomuch that the spaniard , with other nations , thought it would never be fit to make reliques of , because it was so deeply drencht in blood ; nay some of his owne countreymen , specially the poore face-grounded peasan , doe much doubt whether he that was so much deified upon earth , will ever be a saint in heaven . but now to the maine designe the life of lewis the thirteenth , and to take him in all his proportions we will go first to his cradle , and begin with his nativitie and dauphinage ; then we will on to his minoritie or bassage ; and thence to his majoritie and raigne , and so our storie shall grow up with him in dimensions and yeares . of his nativitie and dauphinage . lewis the thirteenth ( second french king of the bourbon line ) had for his father henry the great , and the great duke of toscanies daughter for his mother ; the first we know was sent out of the world by ravaillac , the second by richelieu , as some out of excesse of passion doe suggest : for this great queene having conceived a deep displeasure , and animositie against him , and not liking his counsels , and course of policy to put quarrels , and kindle a war betwixt her children , in a high discontentment she abandon'd france , and so drew a banishment upon her selfe , which expos'd her to divers encumbrances , removes and residences abroad , and this some thinke accelerated her end : for great spirits have this of fastnesse and constancie in them , that where their indignation is once fixed , for having their counsels cross'd , their authoritie lessen'd , and the motions of their soules resisted , they come ofttimes to breake , rather then bow : as we see the huge cedars , who , scorning to comply , with the windes and stormes , fall more frequently , then the willow and poore plying osier , who yeeld and crouch to every puffe . but to our chiefe taske . when the sixteenth christian centurie went out , lewis the thir teenth came into the world , and he began the seventeenth , being borne in the yeere sixteene hundred and one , about the antumnall equinoctiall , which was held to be a good presage , that he would prove a good iusticer : the queene had a hard delivery , her body having beene distemper'd by eating of fruit too freely , so that when the midwife brought him forth to the king , and to the princes of the blood in the next roome , who , according to the custome of france , use to be present for preventing of foule play for an heire apparant of the crown , his tender body was become black and blue with roughnesse of handling , and the midwife thinking to have spouted some wine out of her mouth into his , the king tooke the bottle himselfe , and put it to the dauphins lips , which reviv'd his spirits . his publique baptisme was not celebrated till five yeers after at fontainebleau because the plague was in paris , and the solemnitie was greater in preparation and expectance , then it was in performance . the king would have had him nam'd charles , but the mother over-rul'd , and gave the law in that point , and would have him called lewis . paul the fifth was his godfather notwithstanding that the spanish faction did predominate in the conclave at his election , which happen'd about the time the dauphin was borne : and the french ambassadour then at rome meeting with the spanish , at saint angelo , and telling him ilmio rè há fatto un maschio , my king hath made a sonne : the spanish ambassadour answer'd , & il mio rè há fatto un papa , and my king hath made a pope . it seemes that mercury the father of eloquution , and who hath the powerfullest influence ore the tongue , was oppressed by a disadvantagious conjunction with a more praedominate planet at his birth , which appear'd by that naturall slownesse he had in his speech , as lewis the sixt his predecessor ( and last emperour of the six french kings ) had . but a rare thing it was , and not to be paralleld in any age , that two of the greatest kings of europe , i meane the dauphin we now write of , and his majesty of england now regnant , should come both into the world within lesse then ten moneths compasse , the one in november , the other in september next following ; i say a most rare thing it was that it should so fall out , that as they were contemporaries in yeares and raigne , the same kinde of utterance should be coincident and connaturall to them both , though the haesitation be lesse in him of november : besides , it seemes he is richly requited with the advantage of an incomparable imperious pen , wherein nature joyning hand with art , hath made him so rich a compensation , that he may well claime the palme of all his progenitors . but now againe to our infant dauphin , which the english with other call dolphin commonly , but very corruptly ; for 't is not from a fish , but a faire province that he derives this appellation the very instant he comes into the world ; the ground whereof was this . humbert last dauphin of viennois having lost his eldest sonne in that famous battaile of crecy against the english , and his tother sonne having died of a fall from betwixt the fathers armes as he was dallying with him ; the said humbert being oppressed by the duke of savoy and others , transmitted and bequeathed as free gift the brave province of dauphinè unto philip of valois then king of france , with this proviso that his eldest sonne ( and so of all successive kings ) should beare the title of dauphin to perpetuity during their fathers lifes , holding it , as he did and his progenitors had done , in fee of the empire . this was the sixteenth dauphin since the first , who was charles the wise in the yeare . whereby i observe that the precedent title of the presomptif heire of the crowne of france , is not so ancient by halfe a hundred of yeares , as the title of prince of wales to the heire apparant of england , which begun in edward the firsts time , who conferred that honour upon his sonne edward of caernarvon . but this title of dauphin seemes to have a greater analogie with the dukedome of cornwall , which title was confer'd first upon the black prince , because this as that of dauphin needes no creation , for ipsissimo instante , the very moment that any of the king of englands sons come to be heire apparant of the crowne , he is to have liverie and seisin given him of the dutchy of cornwall , with all the honours and lands annexed for his present support . touching those publike passages of state that happened during the dauphinage of lewis the thirteenth , while henry the fourth lived , we will nor meddle with them , because we would not confound the actions of the father with those of the sonne ; he was educated with that speciall care and circumspection wherewith the dauphins of france are wont to be bred , as also with that freedome from overmuch awe , and apprehensions of feare , which is observed in the french breeding generally , because the spirits may not be suppressed and cowd while they are ductible and young , and apt to take any impression : he was not much taken with his booke , nor any sedentary exercise , but with pastimes abroad , as shooting at flyes and small hedge birds , to which end his father put to him luynes who had many complacentious devices to fit his humour that way , for which petty volatill sports he soard at last to the highest pitch of honour that a french subject could flie unto , for of a gentleman in decimo sexto , he was made duke , peer , and lord high constable of all france ; but he had the advantage to have the managing of his masters affection while it was green and pllable , and he did it with such dexterity , that those stamps which he made upon it then , continued firme and fresh to the last , as will appeare hereafter . and now must we passe from his dauphinage to his minoritie , his father being now defunct ; and t is a sad tale to relate the manner how his father was forcd out of the world , but told it must be , because it is a necessary appendix to our storie . there was gentle calm through all christendome , and france had not the least share of it , having continued twenty yeares together in a constant repose without the least tintamar or motion of arms ( a rare thing amongst so spritefull and quicksilverd people to whom peace becomes a surfet any longer then they have pickt up their crumbs for a new warre ) i say there was a catholick peace throughout europe , when henry the fourth of france would needs get a horseback upon a great martiall designe , which was a mysterie for the time , for all men stood at a maze what he meant , the businesse was carried so closely ; whereupon he raiseth a potent armie of horse and foot . but behold the greatest example of the lubricity and instablenes of mundane affaires , and of the sandie foundation whereon the highest pomp and purposes of men are grounded , that any age can parallell ; for this great king , as i told a little before , having a most potent and irresistible armie compos'd of . combatants , all choise men , led by veteran commanders , and the most expert europe could affoord , in a perfect equipage ; having also a mount of gold as high as a lance estimated at sixteene millions to maintaine this armie ; having assured his confederates abroad , settled all things at home , causd his queene to be crownd in the highest magnificence that could be , and appointed her regent in his absence , behold this mighty king amongst these triumphs of his queens , being to go next day to his armie , when his spirits were at the highest elevation , and his heart swelling with assurances rather then hopes of successe and glory , going one afternoone to his arsenal , he was stopd in a small street , by so contemptible a thing as a colliers cart , and there from amongst the armes of his owne nobles , he was thrust out of the world by one of the meanest of his owne vassals , who with a prodigious hardinesse putting his foot upon the coach wheeles , reachd him over the shoulders of one of his greatest lords , and stabd him to the very heart , and with a monstrous undauntednesse of resolution making good his first stab with a second , dispatchd him suddenly from off the earth , as if a mouse had strangled an elephant . — sic parvis pereunt ingentia rebus . the french stories speake of divers auguries and predictions of his death ; but i will insert here a passage or two that are not found in any printed author , therefore not vulgar , and our intent is to refrain from stuffing this piece with any thing that hath bin too much blown upon ; the first is a prophecie in an italian manuscript from a good hand , written above an hundred yeares since , which runnes thus . vn gran ré di francia havendo le spalle al papa voltate , s'inchinera poi a roma , & al piu alto della sua ' gloria li taglierá la vita , vn coltel feroce , che n'andará la voce per tutto'l mundo . thus rendred into english. a great french king , having his face turn'd from the pope , shall then embrace the roman faith , but after , he at highest pitch of majesty shall by a fatall knife be rent , to all the worlds astonishment . to this may be added the speech of francisco corvini a toscan astrologer , who the night before henry the fourth was slaine leaning upon a balcon in florence , which is neer upon . miles from paris , and prying into the motions of the starres , he suddenly broke out of his speculation into these words ; tomorrow one of the greatest monarchs of christendome will be slaine ; and the very next day the mortall stab was given by ravaillac , who had been seen often a little before at brussels , and was observd to have frequent accesse , and much privacie with marquis spinola , which many wondred at being so plaine a man ; a melancholy odde humorist he was , one who had at times some flashes of illuminations , as his friends gave out : now , such is the strength of imagination , and force of fancie , that having let in false ideas into the braine , and being fomented by some fatuous zeale , it hurles a man headlong oftentimes upon desperate attempts , and undertakings of inevitable danger , making him misprize his owne life , so that he may be master of anothers , especially when the enterprize is heated with hope of fame , revenge , or merit . thus fell one of the compleatest kings under which the flower de luces ever flourishd , a sprightfull and well tempred prince , excellently versd in the studie of men , alwayes well disposd , pleasant and wittie , close in his counsels , and constant in his purposes , parsimonious , yet open handed to cadets whom he lovd to see about him rather then elder brothers whom nature had already advanced . and lastly ( though this be but a quarter character of him ) a great discerner and rewarder of worth and vertue , a brave qualitie and one of the prime requisits in a king ; for subjects are industrious , or dissolute , they aspire to vertue and good parts according as their prince hath judgement to distinguish and value their worth , and so to employ and advance them . the memory of this king is yet as fresh in france , as if he had been ta'ne away but yesterday , and his death was resented abroad as well as at home , being universally honourd by all nations , for the worst that his very enemies reported of him was , that he was a great courtier of ladies , whereupon this petulant anagram was made of him . henricus borbonius . hircus in orbe bonus . but take the aspiration away ( and with it let the aspersion go ) this befits him better . cyrus in orbe bonus . having spoken this little of the fathers death , t is time now to returne and pursue the life of the sonne , and bring him to his minoritie ; yet though a minor , he is absolute king , he is already regnant , though his mother be regent : and in regard method is a mighty advantage to memorie , and that the logician gives us a good rule , qui benè dividit , benè docet , a good divider makes a good disciple : we will make a quinquenniall partition of his raigne , we will divide it to so many lustres of yeares , and in the first his minoritie shall be included . the first lustre ( or five yeares ) of lewis the thirteenths raigne , and of his minoritie . though the sun was thus set in a dark ruddy cloud in the french firmament , yet no night ensued , for another suddenly riseth up , and shoots his rayes through every corner of that part of the hemisphere , king lewis the thirteenth . the season that he began thus to display his early beames , being the moneth of may , corresponded with the verdant time of his age , being not yet full nine yeares old , so he was cradled first in the fall , and came to the crowne in the spring . the report of the monstrous parricide committed on the person of henry the fourth did penetrate all hearts , and made a strange kinde of consternation to seise upon the minds of men , though it was no new thing in france to have their king torn away from them so , for it was fresh in the memorie of many thousands how two and twentie yeares before henry the third was dispatchd in that manner , though the assassin found his tombe in the very place where he did perpetrate the fact . the court of parliament suddenly met that afternoon and declared dame mary de medici queene regent , which was the next day confirmed by the young king himselfe sitting on the bed of iustice ; this was done without any opposition or scruple at all , for king henry had designd her for regent before , during his absence in the warres , and the reverence that all had to the judgement of so wise and welbelovd a king advantagd the worke , with a favourable conjuncture of some other circumstances , for both the princes of the blood were then absent , the count of soissons was farre up in the countrey where he had retird not without some discontentments ; the prince of conde was in italy , to whom an expresse was suddenly sent , but the count of fuentes then governour of milan had given him the newes before of king henries death , and as some say , labourd to infuse into him some aspiring thoughts for the protectorship , and so to embroyle france , which tooke no effect ; there were also two great armies afoote , one under l'esdigueres in dauphine , the other under the command of the duke de nevers in champany , ready to suppresse any insurrection . the queen mother being thus establishd in her regency , shee put three things in present consultation : . the securitie of the kingdome . . a satisfaction to iustice for the assassinat . . the obsequies of the dead king. for the first , it was thought fitting to re-publish the edict of nants in favour of them of the religion . and now the author craves leave to give this advertisement by the way , that though his intent be to draw ( as well as he can ) the acts of this king to the life , yet the reader must not expect to have them here in their full length , and in all their dimensions ; he must not thinke to finde edicts , declarations , articles of treaties , letters and such like in their entire bodies here , he leaves that to the french chroniclers , such publike exemplarie precedents being more proper and usefull to the people who live under that government , yet , care will be had to insert here the substance of all such acts , and not to pretermit any thing that is materiall , and conducing to the exactnesse of the storie . the first act of state , as i said before , was the reviving of the edict of nants to content them of the religion , who after the king are the powerfullest bodie in france , having so many strong presidiarie townes for their securitie , insomuch that they may be said to be a kinde of republike in a realme ; yet france receives this advantage of them , that they are a meanes to keepe the king more narrowly within his bounds , and make him more cautious in his actions ; they may be said to be like goats among sheepe whose smell keeps them from the shakings and other diseases , so they keep the regall power from excesses . in the declaration wherein the foresaid edict was incorporated , there was also some clauses of compliance that reflected upon the citie of paris , which was also to be pleasd : then the princes of the blood were invited , and expresses sent for them to come to the court , governours of provinces were permitted to remain still in their commands , and divers other acts of compliances and policie pass'd , for prevention of discontentments , and insurrection . concerning the second which was a satisfaction to iustice , and how ravaillac should be offer'd up as a victim to her , much paines were taken ; at his first examination they would have perswaded him that the king was not dead but like to recover , whereat he smil'd saying , that he knew well enough the worke was done , for t' was not he , but the hand of heaven that had don 't ; then being ask'd how he durst embrue his hands in the bloud of gods anointed , the most christian king , and his soverain naturall prince ; at the word most christian he smild again in a sleighting manner : being search'd there was found about him a paire of beads , and a heart made of cotton with a piece of wood in 't , which he was made to beleeve was a part of that very crosse whereon christ suffer'd . all meanes imaginable were essayed to make him discover if he had had any instigators or complices in this infandous plot ; but he still answerd positively , and constantly he had none at all , saying , he durst never speake of it to his confessor for feare of discovery , for so he might have bin punish'd for the will , without the deed ; yet a iesuite and a cordelier who were his ghostly fathers were strictly examin'd , but nothing could be had out of them ; hereupon there rose a nice question amongst the divines , whether the priest be bound to reveale the confession of his penitent , but 't was onely propounded and so left problematicall and indecided for that time . every one did whet his invention to devise some exquisite lasting torment for ravaillac ; the butchers of paris , who are habituated in bloud , propos'd a way to flay him , and the torture of excoriation should continue three daies ; others gave the draught of an instrument in form of an obelisk where he might be press'd , and the torment should last a long time ; others found out a way to have his body cut quite off , from his hips downward , and his bowels to be clap'd presently upon a hot yron plank , which should preserve the other halfe of the body in pangs of agonie a long while : but the court of justice thought it not fit to invent , or inflict any other punishment upon him but what the lawes allowed ; therefore he was condemn'd to be carried in a tombrell naked in his shirt with a flaming torch of two pound weight in his hand to the common place of execution , where holding the knife wherewith he had perpetrated that most abominable parricide , his hand should be first pierc'd with the said knife , and so to be burn'd with fire of sulphur upon the stage : that he should have buskins fill'd with boyling oile applyed to him , that he should be pincer'd in the paps , thighes and braun of the legs , and that boyling lead should be powr'd into the one , burning rozin into the other , and wax melted with sulphur into the third ; that his body should be torn afterwards by horses , all his members burn'd , reduc'd to cinders , and thrown into the aire ; that the house where he was borne in angoulesme should be raz'd to the ground , and that none presume to build upon that piece of earth ; that within fifteene daies after the publication of this sentence , his father and mother should quit the kingdome , and never return ; that his brothers , sisters , uncles and others should never afterwards beare the name of ravaillac under paine of being hang'd and strangled . this dismall sentence was executed to the very height of torture , and extended to the utmost length of time , affection of sense , and possibilitie of nature , for there were waies invented to keepe him from syncops and fits of swounding : before , at the beginning , and in the midst of all his torments there could be no other confession extorted out of him , though he was sifted with all the sagacitie that could be , but that the motives which impell'd him to such a desperate attempt , were certaine revelations , that he saied he had had , which he afterwards call'd tentations , and that he thought he should do a work acceptable to god , to take away a king that was a favourer of heretiques , who went about by the armie he had then afoote to perturbe the peace of the catholike church , and make warre against the pope . the people in generall did love the deceased king so passionately , that nothing but imprecations and curses could be heard ecchoing from them , so that none did pray with him when he was upon the scaffold for the salvation of his soule , and for his body , when it was torne by the horses , happie was he that could get any piece of it , so that he was burnt in more then twenty places up and downe the citie in severall fires ; so nemesis had her glut . ravaillac being thus extinguish'd , and as it were annihilated , the next care of the queene was to give rites of buriall adaequate to so glorious a king. his heart the iesuites had , for he had promis'd them to be depositaries and guardiens of it in his life time , notwithstanding that one of their societie had once attempted to murther him ; so in extraordinarie pomp his heart was carried to la flecle , and his bodie to saint denis ; and henry the third who had layn all the while at compeigne , was sent for to beare him companie ; so that as they had the like destinie in their death , so they came to take their last lodgings the same time in saint denis , whither , they say no french king went with his good will. the latter of the two , whom we will call hereafter henry the great ( that title being entayl'd upon him by the universall suffrage of all ) was condol'd with farre more regret then the former , and divers to this houre weare a constant anniversarie mourning for him that day he was kill'd ; amongst others her majestie of great britain continueth it , who was then a cradle-infant , and barberino at that time nuncio in france ( and after created pope by the name of vrban the eighth ) comming to congratulate her birth , and finding that the queen mother had bin better pleas'd if she had borne a male ; he told her , madame , i hope to see this , though your youngest daughter a great queene before i die , the queene answer'd , and i hope to see you pope ; both which prophetick complements prov'd true , and within a short time one of another . a litle after ravaillac , was burn'd also the great spanish jesuit mariana , i mean his book de rege & regis institutione , wherin he holds that a tyrant or hereticall prince may be made away by violent meanes ; moreover by the same arrest of parliament , the colledg of sorbon was commanded to publish their ancient decree passed by one hundred fortie one doctors of the sacred faculty of theology in the yeer . which was confirm'd two yeers after by the famous counsell of constance , viz : that it is not lawfull to any , for what cause whatsoever , to attempt any thing upon the sacred persons of kings , and soverain princes . which doctrin and solemn decree was then published to quell and confound that execrable position which was than dogmatiz'd , and broach'd up and down , viz : that a tyrant whosoever he be , may and ought to be lawfully , and meritoriously kill'd by his own vassall or subject whosoever he be , and by that any means whatsoever , principally by secret ambushes , treasons , flatteries , or other such wayes , notwithstanding any faith or oth whereby the subject is oblig'd to such a tyrant , &c. which tenet being then pronounced pernicious and hereticall , impious and diabolical by the said colledg and counsell , was now also by choice theoloques of the said family adjudg'd to be an error against the holy catholic faith , and the fundamentalls of morality , opening a gap to rebellion , and atheisme , to a violation of all bonds of humane obedience , and government , and tended to bring confusion , and a hell upon earth . the iesuits were murmur'd at , as fautors of the foresaid opinion of mariana , whereupon cotton ( then preacher to the king ) publish'd a declaratory letter to vindicat their society , and shew their conformity of doctrin to the foresaid decree of the counsell of constance , in which letter he protested in the name of the rest , that , that opinion of mariana was a particular fancy of his own , and so to be restrain'd to his person only ; that it is so disapprov'd and exploded by their society , that some of them have compil'd , and expos'd to the open world sundry treatises in confutation of it , and condem'd it in two provinciall congregations held in paris and lion in the yeer . where their reverend general claudius aquariva was present , and there the soverain puissance , and authority of kings was acknowledg'd , and in temporal matters to hold soly of god himself ; the substance of father cottons declatory letter tended all to this effect , though it gave not so full a satisfaction to all men . this was that cotton who was so much favor'd by henry the great , which gave him occasion to answer certain deputies of rochel upon a petition they once presented unto him , that he could not hear them then , for his eares were stopp'd with cotton , whereupon was made this epigram of him. quand le roy fait ses pas , pere cotton l'accompagne ; mais le bon prince ne scait pas , que le fin cotton vient d'espagne . thus english'd , when the king abroad doth walk , father cotton finds him talk , but the good prince doth not attain , that the fine cotton com's from spain . the formidable army which henry the great had rais'd , was now disbanded by command , and only . kept still a foot in champagny which were reserv'd to assist the german princes , who were then in motion of armes upon this occasion . william duke of iuillers and cleves being dead without heir male , the right of succession was debated by other princes his allies ; but the emperour alledging that the duchy of iuillers was a fief moving of the empire , invested leopold his cousin german in the possession of it , who by armed hand seizd upon the town and castle of iuillers . the opposit princes having besieg'd him there , sent to france for help : hereupon marshall de la chastre march'd with those . auxiliaries , and his conjunction with the other princes was so fortunat that iuillers was rendred up upon composition to the duke of newburg , and marquis of brandenburgh , but with this proviso that the roman religion should still have free exercise there . this relief of iuillers was the first forren act that happen'd in the raign of lewis the thirtteenth , and the expedition was intended before by his father . although in successif hereditary kingdomes ( as france and england , where the law sayeth the king never dieth ) the act of coronation be not so absolutly necessary , as to appertain to the essence of the thing , yet hath it bin used as a ceremony not superfluous for the satisfaction of the people . hereupon there were great preparations made for the crowning , and the anointing of the young king with the holy oyle , which is kept alwayes in the town of rheims in a little vial ; and the french faith is , that it is part of the same oyle wherewith clovis ( who was the first christian king of france converted by his wife above . yeers since ) was anointed , and that a dove brought down in her beak the said vial into the church , and so vanish'd , which oyl they say continues fresh and sweet , and without diminution to this day ; the said vial was once caried away by the english , but it was recovered by the inhabitants of povilleux , for which they enjoy divers priviledges to this day . this ceremony of coronation in france is a very solemn thing and continues above eight houres long , without intermission . the twelve peers are the chiefest actors in it , whereof there are six spiritual , and six temporal ; the last six have now no being in france but only in name : for they ought to be the dukes of burgundy , normandy , and aquitain , the earls of tholouse , flanders , and champagny , all which are represented by deputies in this act : one of the first circumstances in this ceremony is , that two bishops come and knock in the morning at the kings bed-chamber dore , the great chamberlain asks them what they would have , they answer , lewis the thirteenth son to henry the great ; the lord chamberlain replies , he sleeps . the bishops a while after knock gently again , and demand lewis the thirteenth whom god had given them for their king ; so the dore opens , and he is caried in solemn procession to the great church . at the communion he takes the bread and the wine , to shew that his dignitie is presbyterial , as well as regal ; the parisians are bound to provide certain birds , which are let loose that day up and down the church , whereof one was observ'd to sit and sing a great while upon the canopy that was caried over the kings head , which was held to be an auspicious augury : grace before and after diner , is sung before him , and the sword is held naked all the while ; with a multitude of other ceremonies : the king seeming to be tyred having bin so many hours in the church , and born the crown on his head , with divers other heavy vests upon his body , was ask'd what he would take to take the like pains again ? he answer'd , for another crown i would take double the pains . the king and queen regent being return'd to paris , the scene where the last act of this pomp should be perform'd , before the triumph was ended there was a dash of water thrown into their wine , by news that was brought of an insurrection that was in berry by florrimond de pay lord of vatan , who undertook to protect certain salt merchants by arms , which he had leavied , but he was quickly suppress'd , and his head chop'd off , divers of his complices hang'd and strangled : this was the first flash of domestic fire that happen'd in the raign of lewis the thirteenth , which was the more dangerous , because the said lord of vatan was of the religion , and 't was fear'd the whole body of them would have abetted him . there arise a little after two ill-favour'd contentions twixt church-men which kept a great noise for the present ; one was of the iesuits , who presented a remonstrance to the court of parliament , that by vertu of an edict of henry the great , . they might be permitted to open their colledg of clermont for the instruction of youth , and to erect classes for the public lecture of the sciences in a scholary way : the rector of the universitie seconded by the sindic of sorbon with the whole body of academiks oppos'd it mainly ; the first thing the court ordred was , that the jesuits should subscribe to a submission and conformitie to the doctrin of the sorbon schoole in these foure points . . that the pope hath no power over the temporalls of kings , and that he cannot excommunicat them , or deprive them of their kingdoms . . that the counsell is above the pope . . that the ecclesrastiques are subject to the secular and politic magistrat . . that auricular confessions ought to be reveal'd which concern the state , and lifes of kings and soverain princes . all which propositions tended to the maintenance of royal authoritie , the conservation of the sacred persons of kings , and the liberties of the gallie church . the jesuit shrunk in their shoulders at this motion , so one in the name of the rest answer'd , that amongst their statuts there was one which oblig'd them to follow the rules and laws of those places where they were ; therefore they could not promise their general would subscribe to the foresaid propositions , but their provincial in france should do it with the whole colledg of clermont , which was done accordingly ; yet the parliament could never be induc'd to passe a decree whereby they might be authorized to open their colledg in paris for the education of youth ; though afterwards the king and queen regent by sole advise of the counsell of state , notwithstanding the opposition of parliament , and universitie pass'd an edict in their favour : and this was done out of pure reason of state , for the world knows what dangerous instruments jesuits are , if offended . the other scuffle amongst church-men was of a greater consequence which was thus . the iacobins ( who are the chiefest order of preaching friers ) have a generall chapter every three yeers in paris ; this convention happen'd this yeer , and divers tenets were propounded there ; one amongst the rest was , that in no case the counsell is above the pope . there sate in this assembly many eminent persons as the cardinal of perron , the popes nuncio , with divers other great prelats ; there were also some presidents of courts there , and counsellors , and the provost of paris : amongst others hacquevill president in the great chamber of parliament at the debatement of the said thesis , stood up and averr'd that it was heretical ; whereat the nuncio was offended , and after some heat of argument pro and con , cardinal perron took the word , and said , that this controversie being not of faith , it might be lawfull for them tother side the alps to hold it affirmative , and for those of this side , negative , but to condemn one another positively thereupon , was to bring a schisme into the church . great was the confusion and clashings that grew out of this : till morelles a spaniard who sate in the chaire stood up , and protested that this position was propounded only as problematicall , without dessein to determin any thing thereupon . another enlarg'd himself further , saying , that they tother side the hils have their reasons for the affirmative part , and others for the negative . the french acknowledg sufficiently the hierarchy of the church , and in consequence of that they receive the decrees and ordinances of the vicar of christ in every thing that concerns spirituall matters , points of faith , and policy ecclesiastic : they make their addresses to him for dispensations to hold incompatible benefices , to be promoted to prelacy or other dignities being not of age , for degrees of kinred and affinitie in mariages ; they hold with all antiquity that it belongs to the pope to indict oecumenical and universal counsels , to approve , ratifie , and authorize their decrees ; and in this sense the pope may be said to be above the counsell : but if the pope should under pretext of spiritual jurisdiction attempt to enervat , and lessen the temporal power of kings , which they hold immediatly and foly from the great god , it is then lawfull for them to appeal to a generall counsell ; and in this sense the counsell may be said to be above the pope . richer the syndic of sorbon was hottest of any that assisted in this dispute for the negative part , and writ a book entitled de ecclesiastica et politica potestate , which was condemn'd by the solemn censure of cardinal perron , and sundry other great prelats who held a congregation purposely about it , but with this modification , provided , that the rights of the king and crown of france with the immunities and enfranchisements of the gallican church be not prejudic'd : but they condemn'd the syndiks book , because he went about to turn the hierarchy of the church , which is a monarchy , into an aristocracy . richer was thrust out of his sindicship for the said book , though directly against the statuts of the colledg of sorbon , whereof one is , that no syndic be dispossess'd of that place but with his own free will : and thinking to plead this , the counsell of state overrul'd the case , and a mandamus came in the kings name to proceed in the election of a new syndic . there issued also out a declaration , wherin the king sharply reprehends the congregating of the said bishops without his royal commission , and for passing a generall , extravagant and incertain censure of the said book ; wherein they seem'd to rebuke , and approve ; confirm and condemn the tenets thereof , whereof most were orthodoxal ; which tended to puzzle the brains of men , and form scrupulous imaginations in their intellectuals , whence might ensue dangerous consequences . thus those high contentions were hush'd which were like to have usher'd a shrewd schisme into the gallic church , had not moderation guided the helm ; moderation that sage sober matron , the inseparable attendant of true sapience , and policy , and happy are those counsels , those soverain courts and parliaments where she sits in the chaire . this yeer . was remarkable for the interchangeable alliance that was made twixt france and spain , the french king being affianced to the infanta anne of austria ; and the prince of spain ( now philip the fourth ) to the eldest daughter of france madame elizabeth of bourbon ; the great duke of mayn , great in constitution as in qualitie , being one of the goodliest personages of europe , was employed ambassador to spain . he made his entrance to madrid with . sumpter mules , . houshold officers came after , two by two , and . pages with a querry before them , and their governor behind . then followed the duke himself accompanied with the prince of tingry , . earls , . marquises , . lords , and above . gentlemen . he was brought in by . spanish ginetts ; at his lodging he had ten coches every day attending besides his own three . the busines it seems , was wrought to his hand before his coming , for he met with no difficulties at all : the contract of the mariage was in spanish and french , but the french was first sign'd : though the other first read . the dotal portion was but . crowns on either side , which was payed and no purse open'd , being a crosse mariage , the summe of the dowry was so moderat , because there might peradventure happen an occasion of restitution . but the wonder was not so much at the smalnes of the dowry as of the joynture of both princesses , which was but . crowns yeerly rent . much praecaution was us'd by the spaniard , that , to correspond with their salic law in france , the infanta should renounce all right of succession to the crown and dominions of spain known or unknown . the duke of mayn was much honor'd for the time , and once the king took him out of purpose to ride by his side through the town ; under pain of indispensable death , none was to draw sword against any frenchman while he was there ; the duke was presented with a chain and hatband valued at . crownes with four ginetts . and hoping it might prove a good omen for the prosperitie of the match , the feast of saint lewis was commanded to be celebrated with as much solemnitie , and held as holy as any other saints day in the whole calender . the duke of pastrana came that summer to paris in another such splendid equippage , and concluded the counterpart of the match . sundry sorts of triumphs pass'd in paris upon these reciprocall contracts ; but the two princes of the bloud would take no share in those public solemnities , but retir'd from court in disgust ; causing some confidents of theirs to blaze abroad the grounds of their grievances , which were , that the queen regent did not communicat unto them the most important affaires of state ; that she had concluded the foresaid mariages without their advice ; that they were untimely and praecipitat , considering the age of the princes : that the queen steer'd the great vessell of the state by a forren compasse : that the masse of treasure left by the last king was exhausted , with such like . but a way was found to comply with them for that time , so they both return'd to court , where soissons died a little after . but there was a more dangerous consequence then this like to ensue ; for the said match , and so much intimacy with spain bred ill bloud amongst them of the religion , and fill'd them with ombrages of fear , it might turn to their prejudice and danger one day , in so much that a disposition of rising was discover'd in them generally ; which was aggravated by an ill-favour'd accident that happen'd in the town of nismes in languedoc , where one of their prime preachers ferrir being turn'd roman catholic , the rabble of the town sack'd his house , burnt his books , grub'd up his vineyards , and plunder'd all he had ; the king being offended hereat remov'd the presidial court and seneshalship thence to beaucaire . one morgard an astrologer publish'd some praedictions of his in print grounded upon the crosse conjunction of some malignant planets , wherein he positively foretold very great commotions that were ready to arise in france ; and the fall of some great men . but by decree of parliament he was condemn'd to the gallies , where in lieu of handling his astrolab , he was put to tug at an oare ; this , the poor star-gazer could not foresee , though his other praedictions prov'd all true . now , touching sydereal observations , and praedictions of astrology though they be at best , but conjecturall , yet are they not altogether to be contemn'd , albeit that scarce one in a hundred hit ; there is a multitude of no mean examples that may be produc'd , one was pointed at in the proem of this peece . and divers know how the yeers of the late erl of pembrook were precisely limited by a genethliacall calcule . we read that otho the emperour commanded all astrologers to quit his dominions by such a day ; the astrologers sent him word , that since he had assign'd them a day to go out of the empire , they would assign him another to go out of the world , for by such a day he should be no more among mortals ; which prov'd true . this was contrary to a passage of edward the confessor king of england , who , when an astrologer came , and told him , that he had taken great pains to pry into the horoscope of his nativitie , and found that his majesty should dy in such a moneth ; the king answer'd , i can go neerer to work then so , for i can foretell thee the very hour of thy death , which will be to morrow at two a clock in the afternoon precisely , so that thou canst not avoyd it : so he commanded him to be tryed and executed accordingly . but although it be presumption in man to determin any thing peremptorily out of their observance of the motions of celestiall bodies , yet it must be granted that the said bodies by their perpetuall influxes having dominion over every thing that is natural in man , as the body , the masse of bloud , the organs and sensual appetit , they may dispose his humors and inclinations to peace or war , to obedience or insurrection , to love or hatred accordingly . for if comets , as we find by wofull experience , which are of a far baser and more grosse extraction , being meer meteorologicall stuff , are thought to have a virtual power to make impressions upon the air , and to leave infectious qualities behind them in the regions thereof , which use to work upon human bodies in contagions , and upon their humors to suscitat the minds of men to tumults , and war , much more may the stars claym such a power : nevertheles although astra regunt homines , although it be allow'd that the stars praedominat over every thing that is corporeal in man , it follows not , that this dominion extends to his intellectuals and to those actions which depend upon the absolut empire of the will , and other faculties of the soul which are purely spiritual ; but though this should be partly granted , yet if we consider the union that is twixt the soul and the senses ( being inmates of one house ) which is such , that she cannot produce any act if they do not contribut , and present the object which is the intelligible species , it may well be inferr'd that the faculties of the soul operat by the ministery of the senses , and sensual appetit ; and the sensual appetit by influxes from heavenly bodies , which may be said to have power to incite though not to force the will and affections of men to commotions and war ; and according to their various conjunctions and oppositions , their anglings and culminations to cause good or bad effects , which may prove inauspicious or successefull ; as some astrologers observ'd when his majesty of great britain ( then prince of wales ) went to spain to fetch a wife , there was then a conjunction twixt iupiter and saturn which is always held malevolent , so that journey had no successe ; but whither am i thus transported by this speculation from my intended road ? but without consulting the stars ▪ it was easie for any one of a mean foresight to be a prophet of some sudden commotions to arise , considering how matters then stood in france ; for the marshal of ancre ( an italian ) had then the vogue , having engrossed to himself by the favor of the queen regent the managing and transaction of all the greatest affairs of state ; a man not so despicable as the french annalists make him , for his grandfather was secretarie of state to cosmo de medici , and by birth , breeding and courage was a gentleman ; besides his wife had suck'd of the same milke as the queen regent did , for her mother had bin her nurse . but it seems d'ancre had scrued up the strings of authoritie too high , and so they came not only to jar , but to crack at last . there were printed this yeer two latine books which kept a great clatter all christendome over ; one was writ by schoppius , calld ecclesiasticus ; the other by becanus , calld controversia angliae de potestate regis et papae . they both trenchd highly upon regall power . the first had base touches of scandall upon henry the great , and his late majesty of england ; in so much that by a solemn sentence of parliament it was burnt in paris : so france was revengd on the book , and england had some revenge on the body of the author . for he being in madrid , and sir iohn digby ( now earl of bristol ) being ambassadour there , master george digby his kinsman ( a generous hardy young gentleman ) encountting the said schoppius he gave him a faire large cut athwart the face , and so stigmatiz'd him to the view of the world , which visible mark he wore to his grave . touching the other book of becanus : the syndic of sorbon petitiond the queen regent that it might receive the same doome , and that the sacred faculty of theology might be permitted to put forth some public instrument to condemn the doctrin thereof ; the queen advis'd them not to determin any thing thereon as yet , nor to make such noise , or take so much notice thereof . but they press'd further , alledging it wold be a shrew brand to the sacred faculty to pass over so slightly such a scandalous book , that derogated so much from the authority of kings , and particularly of the most christian , with silence . for posteritie will interpret this silence to be a consent to the tenets thereof . but they were still put off , and in the interim there came news from rome that a decree was published by the pope wherein the said book was condemn'd and adjudg'd to contain many false , rash , scandalous and seditious things respectively , and therefore to be no more printed or publishd , but to be put in the second classes of indexes , untill it be corrected , and the correction approv'd according to the rules of the index . in the said decree the word respectively some imagined to be inserted of purpose , as an evasion , to shew that the jesuits do not absolutely condemn the doctrin of becanus , but only as it invades the prerogatives of the french crown . they of the religion , as i told you before , suspected some ill consequences of the crosse match with spain , and feared it would prove crosse to them in time ; moreover the princes of the bloud , and others repin'd at the power of d' ancre , whereupon the duke of bovillon prime marshall of france , ( and prime machinator of this tumult ) came to visite the prince of conde , and made a solemn studied speech unto him as followeth . my lord , it would be impudence in me to represent unto you the deplorable estate of france , whereof you have more knowledge then i : or to touch the arrogance of conchiny , which you must needs daily resent ; or to make his power suspected , which is the next dore to tyranny ; or to exhort you to oppose his pernicious desseins : the consideration of your own safety with that of france , is enough to rouze up your generous thoughts , and to administer counsell to you who are the most judicious prince of europe : moreover in such a manifest and urgent affair as this , ther 's no need of remonstrance , consultation or exhortation , but to apply some sudden , and actuall remedy : therefore i addresse my self now to your excellence , not onely to offer you my means , but my person ; as also . men , who would esteem themselves happy to serve you , and will hold it a glory to employ their bloud to the last drop under your conduct , for the good of the state , and your just defence against this faquin florentin , this florentine porter , who plots the ruin of all those princes , and peers of the kingdom , who would oreshadow his advancement , and hinder to establish his tyranny : the difference of religion which we professe , ought not to empeach a strong and solid union between us , in the conjuncture of so common a danger ; considering that while we endeavour our own safety , we secure the state generall , and incolumity of our countrey ; which are conditions inseparable from the kings service , whose sacred person is not safe enough under the irregular ambition of a stranger ; which his majesty himself begins now to perceive , and seeing his liberty engag'd , fears the ambition of this tyrant , and will find himself oblig'd to those that can rid him of him . my lord , you are well assur'd that the greatest part of the princes finding themselfs involv'd in the same interest with you , are touch'd with the same resentments , and dispos'd to joyn with your excellence in a project as glorious , as necessary ; for doubtles the gentry of france in whom consist the sinews of our armies , being naturally averse to the commandements of a stranger , will run unto you from all parts to assist you with their armes ; touching the towns , you need not doubt , but a good part of them which are under the government of the princes will declare themselfs for you . and i give you certain assurance , that they of the religion ( which are the strongest , and best provided with soldiers , artillery , ammunition , and victualls of any other ) will declare themselfs for your party , as soon as you shall publish your laudable intentions by some manifesto . it concerns your excellence therefore my lord , to take hold of time by the foretop , for the restauration , and safetie of the state in generall , and your own in particular , and of all the princes , and gentry of the kingdom : but if you let occasion escape you , know that she is bald behind , and you shall never be able to catch her again : besides the armies which you might justly raise now , during the kings minority , and by reason the government is usurped by an alien ( who hath not so much as the quality of a gentleman ) wold be hereafter felony and treason under the majority and liberty of our lawfull monark . the prince was a subject fit to be wrought upon , and ready to receive any print , for he could not brook the exorbitant power of d' ancre , therefore having assurance that the dukes of nevers , main , longueville , luxemburg , and the said bovillon would follow him , he retires to mezieres upon the frontire of champany ; he made choice of that place because it was his patrimony , and that he might have a sure rendevous of sedan if need required : the duke of vendosme thinking to retire to britany was arrested in the louure , but he got loose by a trick ; and the chevalier his brother was sent to malta . the foresaid male-contented princes recruted dayly in champany , but had the young king got a horsback and pursued them presently though with a petty army , the countrey wold have riss with him , and so he had prevented their encrease , and driven them in all probabilitie to sedan , where he might have kept them in exile , with a small army on the frontires ; and his counsell was much tax'd for not advising him so : but in lieu of arms he sent ambassadors and epistles after them to perswade their return , or , if they refused , to amuse them till he might raise forces sufficient to encounter them ; to which end he sent to swisserland for . men ; but bovillon by his artifice hinder'd that design from taking its full effect . thus a fearfull storme was like to fall on france , for the male-contents dispers'd themselfs to divers strong holds ; longuevill went to picardy , main to soissons , bovillon to sedan , and vendosme was as busie as any other to raise the countrey in britain , conde continued still at mezieres , nor could any letter from king or queen regent sent by the duke . of ventadour reduce him ; he writ to the queen that the ill government , which he imputed not to her , but to ill counsellors , were the cause of his retirement , who because they might have the sole direction of things , hindred the convocation of the states generall which were used to assemble always in the kings minority : he complain'd that the mariages with spain were precipitated : that the authority of the parliament was diminished , the church-men trampled upon , the nobles undervalued , the people laden with gabells and tallies , divisions sowed in sorbon , and the university ; with divers other soloecismes in the present government . in his conclusion he insists much upon the convocation of the states generall of the kingdom sure & free , a suspension of the mariage with spain , and so concluds with much complement . these were specious pretences , but they were as so many imaginary lines drawing to one reall center which was the marq : of ancre who indeed was the sole grievance , and not he neither , but his power and privacy with the queen regent , which they thought to demolish by arms. the queen regent in her answer to conde reprocheth him , that he had not imparted these things privatly to her to whom he had perpetual acces ; that notwithstanding he seems to cast the fault upon certain counsellors , yet all bounds upon her by reflection : she declares that long before the reception of his letter , she had resolv'd , and to that end there were public dispatches abroad to summon the convocation of the states generall ; she takes exception that he should call them estats seurs & libres , states sure and free , which made her conceive a violent jealousie of some artifice on his side , to sow seeds of difficulties in the said great assembly : she alledgeth that from the beginning she imparted both to him and the co : of soissons the mariage with spain , that they approved of them and subscribed the articles ; that the late king declared his inclination unto it when don pedro de toledo pass'd through france . and so she concluds with exhortation that he wold appear in the assembly of the three estates , and bring with him all his confederats , to contribut the great zeal they professe to the common good of the kingdom : the queens letter was large , and in it there was a curious mixture of meekness and majestie . the duke of vendosme sent her also two letters , but he could get no answer to either . thus a fearfull black clowd hung over poor france , which the queen mother essayed by all means possible to dissipat before it shold break out into a tempest of intestine war , therefore , the king and she descended to send again the duc of vantadour accompanied with the presidents of thou and ieanin with others to draw conde to a treaty of accord ; which at last was agreed upon , and the prime capitulations were these . . that the states generall shold assemble in the town of sens within such a time , wherin the deputies of the three orders may safely and freely make such remonstrances and propositions that they shall hold in their consciences to be profitable for the common good , for the redresse of disorders , and conservation of public tranquillity . . his majesty being willing to gratify the prince of conde , hath upon his prayer and instance , and upon assurance of his future affection and fidelity , accorded to put into his hands the castle of amboise as a gage till the states generall dissolve , and . men for garrison in the said castle . . that . men shall be entertain'd in mezieres , . in soissons whereof the duc of main is governor , till the states generall have risen . . that letters shall be sent from his majesty verified by the court of parliament , wherin his majesty shall declare unto the world that there was no ill intention against his service , by the said prince and his associats ; therfore that they shold be never prejudic'd for the future in their estates or persons . . that in consideration of the expences the said prince might be at in this business , his majesty accords to give him . franks to dispose of as he shall think fit . . that the eldest sonne of the duke of nevers shall succeed his father in the government of champany . these with divers other articles of this kind , the king was induc'd ( i will not say inforc'd ) to condescend unto for preventing of greater evils ; and it was call'd the treaty of saint-menehou ; and one would have thought that a gentle calme should have follow'd , and that the meeting of the states general would have perpetuated it ; but behold two ill-favor'd accidents , like two impetuous puffs , put things again in disorder : the one was that the duke of vendosin would not put blavet into the hands of the marquis of caeuures according to the kings command , but stood still upon his gard in britany . the second was an affront which conde alledg'd to have receiv'd from the bishop of poitiers , who would not suffer him to enter the town ( as he pass'd to his government of dauphine and secur'd the castle of amboise ) being sought unto by the governor the duc of roanez to establish his authoritie there . the bishop arm'd first , and the town after his example . conde writes a letter to the queen regent which did not please her well , for he subscribes himself only her thrice-humble servant and neveu , whereas he was us'd to write your thrice humble , and thrice obedient servant , and subject . the marquis of bonnivet a creature of condes had not yet dismissd all his troupes , therefore under his authoritie he harasseth and plunders all the countrey about poitiers , sacks the bishops house and commits many sacrilegious and execrable outrages ; the young king hearing this , gets presently a horsback , and sends the duke of main before to stop the ravages of bonnivet , so he followeth after , and passing by orleans , blois , tours , and chastel le heraud a cautionary town of them of the religion ( who notwithstanding presented the keys to his majesty as he pass'd ) he came to poitiers ; where he reconcil'd the prince of conde and the bishop ; caus'd bonnivet to disband his forces compos'd of picaroons and vagabonds , thence he went to nants , where also he rang'd the duke of vandosme to obedience , dismantled the fort at blavet and so having in a short compasse of time compos'd and quash'd all things he returns triumphantly to paris , where an ambassadour was attending him from zuric , who desir'd to enter into an alliance with him , as the rest of the cantons had . this was the first exploit that lewis the thirteenth did in his own person , which like the rising sun dispell'd those frog vapors that hover'd in poictou and britany : and it was held a good augury for the future . the presence of a king is oft-times very advantageous ; for rebellion durst never stare long in the face of majesty , which useth to lance out such penetrating refulgent rayes , that dazzle the eyes of traytors , and put them at last quite out of countenance . with this achievment we will conclude his minority , and his mothers regency ; and as this first expedition of his prov'd lucky , so was his whole life attended with a series of good successes , as if fortune her self had rid with him all the while upon the same horse . and now must we put a period to the first lustre of lewis the thirteenths raign , and with it to his minoritie or bassage ; we proceed to his second lustre wherewith his majoritie begins being arriv'd to the yeer fourteen . the second lustre of the life of lewis the th . raigne , and of his majoritie . and now our story must mount up to his majority , and follow him to his full age , wherein he entred at fourteen yeers , and the broken number of the lords yeer was coincident , being sixteen hundred and fourteen ; but i have read an old author who writes , that without any consideration had of yeers , the french kings arrive to maturitie , and are capable to sway the scepter , when they come to be as high as a sword , let their age be what it will. in the former chapter we told you that by vertue of the treatie of st. menehou the queen regent had promis'd , and was oblig'd to the princes by capitulation to summon the states generall , and suspecting there might be some desseins against her authoritie , she endevour'd to prevent it divers wayes . first , in the mandats sent to the governors of provinces , and towns for the elections of deputies , there were speciall cautions inserted , to choose no factious persons ; the second means was to defer the convocation of the states generall , till the kings majority was declar'd , that so his authoritie might be the more compleat and absolut , whereby he might have a greater power to take into his hands her interests , and oppose such resolutions that might prejudice them . lastly , whereas the said convocation was appointed first to be at rheims , then at sens , she sent summons abroad that it should be held at paris , where the king was strongest by the residence of his servants , the affections of all orders of people , and the assistance of the ordinary court of parliament which is still there sitting , though it was us'd to be ambulatory with the kings court. now , the difference which is in france between an assembly of the three estates , and their parliaments is , that the former hath an analogie both in point of institution , power , and summons with our soverain high court of parliament in england , compos'd of lords and commons , wherein the king sits as head , and it is he alone who opens and shuts it with his breath ; this being the greatest of all assemblies , treats of matters touching the universall good of the state , and the making , correcting or repealing of laws , and it is the highest sphere which gives motion to all the rest . the parliaments of france , whereof there are eight , have not the same latitude of power , yet are they supreme courts , or sessions of justice , where mens causes and differences are publikly determined in last ressort without any further appeale ; and any peer of france by right of inheritance hath a capacitie to sit there . the day being assign'd for publishing the kings majority , the queen regent and he with his now sole brother the duke of anjou , ( for his brother the duke of orleans was lately dead ) went in a stately solemn maner to the court of parliament , accompagnied with the prime prelats , and peers of the kingdom , and amongst them there were fower cardinalls ; a contestation happen'd 'twixt the cardinalls and peers for precedency ; because the twelve peers of france , before an ordinance made by henry the third , preceded any prince of the bloud at the coronation and sacring of the king , and the declaration of his majority was an act reflecting on that . yet the king inordred the priority for that time to the cardinalls , because they were princes of the church universal , which made the peers retire from the court lest it might serve for a precedent to future ages . the court being sat , and all silenc'd the queen regent riss up , and said , that she prais'd and thank'd god to have afforded her grace to bring up her son to the yeers of his majority , and to maintain his kingdom in peace the best she could : that now he being come to age , she transmitted the government to him , exhorting the company there present , and all other his subjects to render him that service , obedience and fidelity which is due unto him as to their king. the chancelor hereupon pronounced the arrest of the court , importing a verification of the declaration of his majesties majority ; which was done in a solemn studied oration . this great solemnity did not end so , but it was accompagnied with four wholsom edicts , as the first fruits or hansels of his raign . . the first aym'd at a general concord 'twixt his subjects , by strict injunction of observing the edict of nantes concerning them of the religion . . the second aym'd at a generall obedience , prohibiting all ligues , confederacy and intelligence with any strange prince or state under pain of lifs . . the third against duells . . the fourth against blasphemy and swearing . thus ended the regency of maria de medici in form , though not in effect , for she swayed a good while after as queen mother in all counsels , the king reposing still his chief confidence in her ; during her regency she did many public things which discover'd a pious and princely soul ; amongst others she provided divers hospitalls in the suburbs of saint german for the relief of the poor , the aged , and sick , and to set young people at work ; which will continue there as long as the walls of paris for monuments of her honour and charity . the king having notice that the deputies of the three states were com , he sent the b p. of paris to warn them in his name to fit themselfs for receiving the grace of god , that so a blessing might fall upon their consultations ; to which purpose three daies fast was enjoyn'd them , to prepare them the better for the holy communion , which was also inordred them . so according to ancient custom a generall procession was made , wherein divers ranks of fryars and hopitalers went before , then followed the deputies of the third estate , who took place according to the rank of the . governments of france , and made in number . the nobles followed them ; in number . they of the clergie went last , who made . so that in all they came to . which number i observe is inferior to that of the english parliament , where the members of the house of commons alone which corresponds the third estate in france , come to neer upon . after these the king himself followed on foot , accompagnied with the queen and the princes and peeres . the next day after , all met in bourbon house hall where the young king told them , that having not long since declar'd his majority , he thought fitting to convoque the states generall of his kingdom , to begin his raign by their good advice and counsell , to receive their complaints , and provide for redres accordingly , as it should be more amply told them by his chancelor , who took the word therupon . this generall overture and ceremony being ended , the states generall spent some daies to visit one another , and to choosing of their three praesidents or prolocutors which they presented to the king with protestation of all fidelity and obedience . the next day they took the communion all in one church , going six at a time ( viz. two of every order ) to the holy table . the munday following they reassembled intending to fall close to work , but their proceedings were retarded by some differences which interven'd touching the rank of the . provinces or governments , and this clash kept a great noise ; till the king interpos'd therin his authority , and by the advice of his privy counsel , which they submitted unto , made this decision marshalling the . governments thus : . the isle of france , ( whereon paris stands ) . burgundy , . normandy , . guyen , . britany , . champany , . languedoc , . picardy , . dauphine , . provence , . lionnois , . orleans . this being regulated by the king , they fell to the main work , and three propositions were made ; the first by the clergy wherewith the nobles joyn'd . . that the counsell of trent should be publish'd through france . . that the venality and selling of offices should be suppressed . . that the king should acknowledge in this assembly to have no other superiour power on earth in his temporalls , and that he held the crown immediatly of god alone . this last proposition was put on by the third estate , against the intention and without the concurrence of clergy and nobles , of purpose to hinder the concession of the other two , because divers of the third estate were favourers of them of the religion and financiers . the first proposition was couch'd in these termes . that the oecumenical counsel of trent be receiv'd and publish'd in your realms , and the constitutions thereof kept and observ'd ; but without prejudice to your majesties rights , the liberties of the gallic church , the priviledges and exepmtions of chapters , monasteries and cominalties which his holinesse shall be prayed , may be reserv'd , and to remain in their entire strength , so that the publication of the said counsell may not prejudice them any way . the third estate protested against this , alledging these reasons ; that in the said counsell there were divers decrees , whereby the spirituall , invaded the temporall rights . that it would be a thing not only prejudiciall but dishonourable for france to approve of a counsell , wherein the most christian king had received a palpable injury in the persons of his ambassadors , who were postpos'd to them of spain , which caus'd them to retire , and quit the said counsell in sense of that indignity offer'd to them who personated the first son of the church in so public a convention . they excepted also against that clause that the pope should be prayed , the liberties of the gallic church might be preserv'd , for that was to submit them to a forren power , to the papall authoritie ; whereas the said liberties are independent , and originally inhaerent in the gallican church , and contemporary with christianity it self ; the difference 'twixt liberties and priviledges being this , that the latter presuppose the concession and grant of some superior power , but liberties are originall , and immemorial possessions , and equall to inheritances . touching the second proposition of the clergy and nobles against the venality and merchandising of offices , it was wav'd , because divers of the third estate were either financiers , or officers of justice , which places they had bought , and so had power to sell them again for money . touching the third proposition that concern'd the independency of the french crown which was presented by the commons in opposition to the first proposition made by the clergy and nobles for the publication of the counsell of trent ; the one being made out of a zeale to the state civil , the other to the state spiritual , there were hot bandings on both sides ; the third estate or commons would have it declared for a fundamentall law , that the king being supreme and absolute in his own dominions , there is no power on earth , either spirituall or temporall , that hath any right to deprive him of his crown , or to dispense and absolve his subjects from their allegiance unto him : this was done to extinguish that dangerous doctrin broached by som , how it was lawfull to kill tyrants , and if the roman bishop had power to declare kings tyrants , their lifes would be expos'd to the passion of every pope , and so to perpetuall apprehensions of danger . the clergy and nobles finding how pertinacious and resolute the commons were in this point for securing the lifes of their kings , and fearing it might breed a schisme 'twixt the apostolicall see , and the monarchy of france , cardinal perron a man of high merit and moderation , was sent to make a remonstrance unto them , which he reduced to three heads . . that it is not permitted upon any cause whatsoever to kill a king. . that the kings of france are soverains in all degrees of temporal soverainty within their realm . . that there is no case , wherby subjects may be absolved from their oth of fidelity to their prince . concerning the first two he pronounc'd them as absolut and categoricall ; but touching the last the cardinal said , that in regard it might usher in a schisme , he left it as problematicall , not positif . the president or speaker of the commons answer'd , that the third proposition being politicall , he conceiv'd it concern'd not the doctrin of faith , and consequently could not introduce any schisme ; much bussling there was about this point , the commons being very eager in it , having the parliament of paris siding with them , who pass'd an arrest in favour of them accordingly : but the king evok'd the difference to himself commanding that nothing should be determin'd theron ; in regard that he being assured of his own right and possession , it appertain'd not either to the states , or to the court of parliament , or any other arbiter whatsoever to take cognisance thereof ; and remarkable it was , that the king did not evoke and call that matter to himself and to his counsell , according to the ordinary form , but absolutly to himself and his own person . but although the king commanded the said decree of the court of parliament to be suspended , the attorney generall made such diligences , because he was a friend to the businesse , that divers copies were sent abroad . the great assembly drawing now towards a closure , they brought their cayers , or papers of grievances to the king at bourbon house hall ; the bishop of luson ( after cardinall of richelieu ) was prolocutor for the clergy ; the king presently delivered the said cayers to his chancelor , promising them an answer with all convenient expedition . thereupon a little after he sent for them to the louure his royal palace , and told them that in regard of sundry affairs of great importance he could not answer their cayers so soon as he desired , but he would give speedy order to do it , in the interim they might carry along with them to the countrey an assurance of the satisfaction they expected touching the chiefest articles ; for he was resolv'd to suppres the selling of offices , to ease his people of tallies and subsidies , to cause a research to be made into the misdemeanures of his receivers and financiers ; and lastly , to retrench the multiplicitie of offices and pensions , which were encreas'd from about two millions of franks , ( which was the stint in the former kings raign ) to four millions , which make four hundred thousand pounds sterling . observ'd it was that the marshall of ancre , while this busines of retrenching officers and pensions was in hottest agitation amongst the states , got three new tresurers of pensions to be created , from whom he drew neer upon one hundred thousand pound sterling , as you will find hereafter when it will be thrown into his dish . this was the first and last assembly of the three estates , or parliament general , that was held in the raign of lewis the thirteenth , which it seems found his grave then , for there hath bin none ever since , and there is litte hopes of its resurrection , while the clergy and nobles continue so potent , who finding that the third estate began to tamper with the popes jurisdiction , and church matters , have wrought means to hinder their meeting any time these . yeers and upwards . this yeer died queen margaret the last branch of the valois , being come of the loyns of thirteen successif monarks of that line , a lady of a rare attracting exterior bewty , she had a high harmonious soul , much addicted to music , and the sweets of love , and oftentimes in a platonic way ; she would have this motto often in her mouth ; voulez vous cesser d'aymer ? possedez la chose aymée . will you cease to love ? possesse the thing you love . she had lodg'd henry duke of guyse who was kill'd at blois so far in her heart , that being afterwards married against her will to henry the fourth , and divorc'd by mutuall consent , she profess'd she could never affect him ; she had strains of humors and transcendencies beyond the vulgar , and delighted to be call'd venus urania . she would have philosophers and divines in her house , and took pleasure to hear them dispute , and clash one with the other ; she entertain'd fortie priests , english , scots , and irish ; she would often visit hospitals , and did divers acts of charitie to satisfie for the lubricities of her youth . there was an accident happen'd this yeer in paris that made a mighty noise for the time ; two of the kings gards having fought , and the one being kill'd , the other fled into sanctuary to the abbey of st. germain ; the duke of espernon fetch'd him thence by force : complaint being made to the king , he put him over to the court of parliament to receive his doom for infringing the priviledges of the church , and commanded him to deliver the prisoner again to the sanctuary , or he would fetch him away himself ; the old duke did so , and coming to the palace to appear before the parliament , a ruffling company of souldiers and cadets follow'd him who did some acts of insolency against the lawyers by kicking them with their spurs in the hall where none should come spurr'd ; this aggravated the busines , but the duke made a long submissive speech to the parliament , wherein he acknowledg'd his error , concluding with an apology , that they would excuse him if his discourse did not content their learned eares , for having bin all his life time a captain of foot , he had learnt to do better then speak . the prime president then rise up , and said ; that since the king in imitation of his progenitors intends to be more inclin'd to sweetnes and clemency , then rigor : the court by his expresse command , and in consideration of your long services , beleeving the good rather then the bad , doth graciously interpret the actions of an ancient officer of the crown and peer of france , and so receives your excuses : hoping that this will occasion you , and your children to render the king and the state such services as you are oblig'd to do , and for the futur that you will contain your self within the bounds of that respect and honor which you owe to this court. there was mention made a little before how the assembly of the states generall was dissolv'd , and that having deliver'd their cayers of complaints to the king , they were dismiss'd but with large parol promises only ; we related also how the arrest made in the parliament of paris in confirmation of the opinion of the third estate touching the independency of the crown of france , was commanded by the king to be suspended , and that nothing should be determin'd therein . this gather'd ill bloud , which bred ill humors , and so brake out into divers distempers afterwards , as will appear : for as in the naturall body , if upon taking of physic , the superstuities be onely stirr'd , and not purg'd , it doth more hurt then good , and makes the drug to remain in the stomach undigested ; so in civil corporations , if abuses be only moved , and not remedied , it makes the body politic worse then it was . the parliament of paris was sensible how the arrest wherein they concurr'd with the third estate was slighted , and countermanded , therefore they publish'd an order , that , under the good pleasure of the king , all princes , dukes , peers , and officers of the crown which are capable of sitting and have deliberative votes in that court , should repair thither by such a time , to consult of matters tending to his majesties service , &c. when this order pass'd the prince of condé was promis'd to be there , but he was counter-commanded by the king , nor did any of the rest appear : yet the parliament went on and fram'd a remonstrance of abuses in government which by their deputies they sent to the king , and being come to the louure they danc'd attendance there a good while , and afterwards they were brought up by a back odd way to the kings presence , where the queen mother was also present and divers princes ; the prime president made an oylie complemental speech full of protestations of loyalty to his majesty , and afterwards delivered the cayer of remonstrances , which was read aloud by one of the secretaries of state , wherein the parliament instanced in divers grievances , and that they resented nothing more , but that in the face of the whole state , the royal power was rendred and left problematical , and doubtfull . the young king was not well pleas'd with this remonstrance , and the queen mother much lesse ; who told them that the king had just cause to be offended with the parliament , because against his command they had meddled with matters of state , and that she was not so short sighted , but that she could perceive how these things reflected upon her regency , which they had formerly highly approv'd of , and the assembly of states general had also thank'd her for . then the chancelor took the word , telling them that they had bin misinform'd in many things which they took upon trust , and that they were much out of their account , in that they alledg'd that the expences were greater , and the receipts lesse under this king , then his father , who reserv'd but eight thousand liures , every yeer , not two millions , as they pretended . so the prime president , and the rest of the parliaments delegats were dismiss'd with little or no countenance at all ; the counsell of state spoak high language , averring that the passing of the foresaid public order to invite the princes , and peers to meet in parliament upon extraordinary occasions , without his majesties leave , was an open , and insupportable attempt upon his authoritie now that he is declar'd major , as also upon the authoritie of that counsell ; therefore an arrest issued out , that the parliaments remonstrances were false , calumnious , and full of malice and disobedience , and that therefore they should be drawn off the register of the said parliament , and suppress'd for ever , with an inhibition that the said court should not meddle with matters of state but by the kings command . before this arrest was publish'd , the parliament mainly endevour'd to give some contentment to their majesties ; therefore they employ'd again the prime president with others , to declare the great displeasure the court had , that their remonstrance was not agreeable to their majesties wils , protesting that it was never the intention of the court to touch upon their actions , or the queens regency , whom they acknowledg'd to have oblig'd all france by her wise conduct and care she had both of the kings person , and the state , that as they could not , so they would never attempt any thing upon royal authority , what they had don was to testifie the zeal which they owe , and will shew eternally to their majesties persons ; that they most humbly desir'd them to remember that the very next day after the death of henry the great , their majesties were pleas'd to honor that court with their presence , desiring them to contribut their good counsels for the conduct of the public affairs , which oblig'd them to present the foresaid remonstrances , &c. so they concluded with all possible submission , and a desire that the said arrest of his counsel of state should not be publish'd . this took away somthing of the inflamation for the time , but it cur'd not the wound , which began to fester more and more , and so gangrend that the whole body politic was like to perish . for what the court of parliament sought by supplication , the prince of conde not long after sought by the sword , who having divers of the greatest princes , and them of the religion ligu'd with him , brought their petition upon the pikes point ; conde flew to that height , that he proceeded not by way of remonstrance , but , as if he had bin a prince absolut , by way of manifesto . he was then in picardy whither the king had sent divers letters by persons of good quality , to invite him to come to court , and to accompany him in his voyage to guyen to fetch the infanta , but all would not do ; for old bovillon had infus'd other counsels into his head , and so he publish'd a manifesto that the cause of his retirement from the court , was the insolent deportment of the marshall of ancre , the dissipation of henry the greats treasure , the introduction of strangers , of iewes , sorcerers and magicians , by the said marshall ; and so he concluded king-like , ( parlant en sire ) wherefore we pray and warn all the the princes , peers , and officers of the crown , and all such as call themselfs french to succour and assist us in so good an occasion : and we require and adjure all forren princes and strangers , all the allies and confederats of this state to give us ayd and assistance , &c. these were the specious pretences that caus'd this manifesto , which divers forren princes took in foul scorn , that he should require them , being but a vassal himself ; the truth is , there was but one generall grievance , and that was the marshall of ancre a confident of the queen mothers , whom she had brought with her from italy , his wife having bin her foster sister ; he had the greatest vogue at court , which being a stranger made him repin'd at . the king and the queen mother were then resolv'd upon a journey to burdeaux to receive the infanta , and to deliver the daughter of france for the king of spain : conde disswades the king from the voyage by letters , which were not well taken . so while the one prepares for his journey , the other arms for a war , and gets on his party longueville , bulloin and mayn , who had concluded the match with spain , yet refus'd to attend in the jour ney ; thus a fearfull clowd hung over france , yet nothing could deter the king from going to fetch his wife , and the queen mother said , that all the power of earth should not hinder him : besides he was straitned for money for so long and costly a voyage , nor would the chamber of accounts verify in letters to take any out of the bastile ; whereupon the king went himself in person accompagnied by the queen his mother , his chancelor , secretaries of state , and others , in whose presence the coffers were open'd and two millions and a halfe of liures , which make . pounds sterling were taken out , and deliver'd to the treasurer of the privy purse . the king being to begin his journey , the first thing he did was to secure paris , so he left mounsier de liencour governour thereof , and to authorise him the more , he admitted him to the court of parliament by letters patents which the said court did verifie , notwithstanding the harsh answer they had had to their late remonstrance at the louure : the marshal of ancre was sent to amiens with a considerable army : and another army was left under the command of the marshal de bois daufin consisting of . foot , . horse , and . carrabins , to make head against the mutiners . so the king and his mother accompagnied with the dukes of guyse , elbaeuf , and espernon , with a good number of gentlemen , with . light horse , his guard of suisses and others , making in all . foot , parted from paris towards bourdeaux , and being come to poictiers madame his sister which was to be sent to spain fell sick of the small pox , which detaind the court there five weeks , and so much retarded the journey . in the intrim the princes forces encrease and prosper exceedingly , having had the best in three rencounters : old bovillon had got . reiters from the marquis of brandenburg , who joyn'd with them , they got over the loire maugre the royall army under bois dauphin . the duke of vandom was then with the king , and he gave him commission extraordinary to make levies of horse and foot , and having by virtu thereof rais'd an army of . combatants , he declar'd himself afterward for the princes , and employ'd them against the king. he who did thrive best amongst the royalists was the marshal of ancre who in the interim had taken corbes , and clermont . the king caus'd a declaration to be publish'd , wherein conde and all his adhaerents were proclaim'd traytors , and sent it to paris to be verified by the parliament , which was never more puzzled in any busines ; those that were averse to the match with spain , and favour'd the mutineers endevour'd to elude the registring of the royal declaration , alledging that the princes of the bloud being the prime peers , could not be censur'd there without their peers , and that the presence of the king himself was requisit , without which his bloud could not be judg'd . after tough altercations the voices of the court were reduc'd to two opinions , one was of . voices , who order'd that the declaration should be registred , but the person of the prince excepted for a moneth , during which time he should be warn'd to submit himself to his majesty and all others should lay down their arms . the other opinion was caried by . voices , which was , that the court order'd , that the reasons for which they could not and ought not to proceed , to verifie the said declaration , should be sent to the king ; condé to make his quarrel more colourable , and being heightned by the said arrest of the parliament of paris , added divers articles more to his manifesto , viz. . that further research be made for the assassinat of henry the great . . that a reformation be made of the kings counsell . . that the grievances of the three estates be answer'd , with divers other . they of the religion were yet neutrals , and thinking to fish in these troubled waters propos'd these high demands . . that the independence of the french crown be declar'd . . that the counsell of trent be never publish'd in this kingdom . . that his majesty shall be desir'd to declare that upon his coronation oath for extirpation of heresies , he understood not or comprehended his subjects of the religion . . that in all public acts it shall be inserted no more the pretended reform'd religion , but only , religion . . that their ministers shall be payed by the king , &c. these with divers other propositions were first made at grenoble where the king permitted them to assemble , but lesdigueres could not endure them there , therefore they remov'd to nismes , and thence to rochell , notwithstanding that the king commanded the contrary . the prince of condé had an agent in the assembly , who much press'd them to enter into the ligue with him , which they did at last , and writ a letter to the king of the cause of their conjunction with condé . and as the king was importun'd by them of the religion one way , so was he sollicited by the roman catholiques of bearn on the other side , that his majesty would please to restablish them in the possession of their goods , whereof they were depriv'd by iane d'albret his paternal granmother . amongst these counter-distractions , there came news unto the king that the . suisses which he had from the protestant cantons , had quitted his pay and party and return'd to their own countrey by the perswasion and practises of them of the religion . madame the kings sister being recover'd , he went to bourdeaux where the spanish ambassadour came to demand her for the prince of castile ; the duke of guise had a procuration to marry her the next day , which he did the cardinal of sourdis officiating , and the pietie of the king much appear'd in the ceremony , because he commanded the cardinals chaire should be put on a higher ground then his . the same day the duke of lerma married the infanta of spain in burgos for the king of france . these nuptial ceremonies being perform'd , madame , now princesse of castile , departed from bourdeaux conducted by the duke of guyse , and in regard a rumor ran that they of the religion , as also the count of grammont with others who were said to have ligu'd with condé , had way-laid the young bride , the king commanded all the regiment of his gard to attend her ; putting himself in the interim in the hands of them of bourdeaux . the exchange of the two princesses was made upon a river call'd bidasso hard by st. iohn de luz which separats those two mightie kingdoms , there were two stately barges to waft them , the spaniards on their side had a huge vast globe representing the world , rais'd upon a pavilion very high which made an ostentous shew ; the duke of guise took exception at it , and protested he would never bring o're the princesse till it was taken down , which was done accordingly . the next day the young queen came to bayon , where luynes , then favorit to the king , attended her with a letter all written by the king himself in these words . madame , since i cannot , according to my desire , find my self neer you , at your entrance into my kingdom , to put you in possession of the power i have , as also of my entire affection to love and serve you ; i send towards you luynes one of my confident'st servants to salute you in my name , and tell you , that you are expected by me with much impatience to offer unto you my self . i pray therefore receive him favorably , and to beleeve what he shall tell you , madame , from your most deer friend and servant lewis . luynes deliver'd her also from the king two rich standards of diamonds which she receiv'd and kiss'd ; and from her table at supper she sent a dish of meat unto him ; in the morning she return'd this answer to the king. sir , i much rejoyc'd at the good news luynes brought me of your majesties health , i come therewith , being most desirous to arrive where i may serve my mother , and so i am making hast to that purpose , and to kisse your majesties hand , whom god preserve as i desire : anne . being come afterwards to bourdeaux , they both receiv'd the nuptial benediction in magnificence , according to the qualitie of the act and the persons , and medals were made and thrown up and down with this motto — aeternae foedera pacis , pledges of eternal peace : but the poet that made that peece of verse for a motto was no good prophet ; for the eternal peace he spoake of , lasted not many yeers between the two nations , who notwithstanding that nature hath conjoyn'd them neer enough in point of local distance , there being but a small river , whereon the two princesses were exchang'd , that severs them , yet there is no two people on earth are further asunder , and more differing in disposition , affections and interests , being herein right antipodes one to the other . by this alliance is verified the saying of the italian , that kings may wed , but kingdoms never . it appears also hereby , what a hard destiny , and sorry condition attends the daughters of soverain princes , who are commonly made sacrifices of state , and oblations for politicall respects , being also to be maried to aliens , and oft-times to husbands of a different religion , they are wood by proxy , they must choose by picture , fancy upon trust , and tied in a knot indissoluble to one they never saw but in effigie perchance , and afterwards they must be contented to be unpatriated , disterr'd , and as it were banish'd for ever from their own sweet native soyle , and the ayr they first breath'd : yet as the civilian saith , although they are the end of the house whence they come , they are the beginning of that wherein they enter . while the king was celebrating his nuptials in his town of bourdeaux by divers inventions and exercises of pastime and pleasure , as masks , tilting , playes , bals , and dances , condé with his confederats , leads another kind of dance up and down france , but while he danc'd and revell'd thus , the poore countrey sung lachrymae , being pitifully oppress'd , torn and harass'd in most parts , there being six or seven armies in motion on both sides : he encreas'd mightily by concourse of partisans , by conjunction of them of the religion , and by divers successfull rencounters ; the king on the other side was at a very low ebb , having exhausted that two millions and a half of liures he had taken himself in person out of the bastile , and being put to hard shifts to get money to defray his ordinary expences , the town of bourdeaux to her eternal glory , shew'd herself carefull of his honor and supplied him . add hereunto that two whole armies fell from him , that of the suisse consisting of . and that under the duke of vendosm being the greater of the two , the one only left him , the other turn'd against him , and the whole body of them of the religion declar'd it self against him , and actually help'd the other side : moreover , his parliament at paris would not verifie his edicts . yet in the midst of all these straits , he marcheth resolutly from bourdeaux with his new queen to joyn his army with bois dauphin , with a purpose either to present battaile to the adverse party , or to draw them to a treaty ; espernon met him in the way with . foot , and . horse . the duke of nevers did very much labour and made journeys to and fro for an accommodation , and his endevors took so good effect , that a conference was agreed on at lodun ; where commissioners were appointed , and did meet on both sides : in the interim the duke of guyse perform'd a notable exploit , with . of the kings prime horses , wherwith he set upon three regiments of condés at nantueil , which he slew , took , and put to flight , carrying all their colours to the king for a present . hereupon a suspension of arms was accorded through all the kingdom , except in anjou , perch , and the frontiers of britany where vendosm continued all acts of hostility , notwithstanding that he had his deputy at the conference . the king was then advanc'd to chastel le heraud , where villeroy deliver'd him the articles of the truce sign'd by the princes , and where a legat came from the pope to deliver him the imperial sword , and to the queen the rosetree of flowers , and leaves of gold . thence the king went to blois where after a long debate , an edict of pacification was publish'd upon the treaty of lodun , which consisted of . articles , wherein all the princes , with their adhaerents , as also they of the religion found satisfaction , and divers persons of base condition were nominated therein , which the world cryed shame upon . by this edict the king approv'd of all actions pass'd , as having bin done for his service , and by consequence tacitly disadvow'd what he and his counsell had ordain'd to the contrary . the former arrests of the court of parliament of paris which the king had suspended were reestablish'd , and they of the counsell of state annull'd , and many high demands were accorded to them of the religion ; the chancelor sillery , and divers others who were the kings favorits before , were outed of their offices . besides the said edict there were also secret articles condescended unto , containing rewards and honors to some particular men in lieu of punishment and they were presented in a privat close way to the parliament to be verified with the gran edict ; the court wav'd them a while , but afterwards by expresse commandment of the kings , and by a declaration he made that those secret articles contain'd no more then what was granted in the secret articles of the edict of nants already verified by the same court , the businesse pass'd , though with much reluctancy , for if those of nants were verified , what need these being the same , have a second verification ? this , as it were enforc'd verification , was accompagnied with letters patents from the king in special favor to the prince of condé ; and others letters in favor of them of the religion , by which his majesty declar'd , not to have understood his subjects of the reform'd pretended religion in the oath and protestation he had made at his coronation , to employ his sword and power for the extirpation of heresies ; which put the world in an astonishment , because it made the meaning of the taker of that oath , and of the prelat who administred it , to differ . this turn'd afterwards rather to the disadvantage then the benefit of the demanders , for those hard and high termes which reflected so much upon the conscience of a yong king , stuck deep in his breast , nor could he ever digest them , as will appear in the ensuing story : nor was his honor thought much to suffer hereby , being newly come out of his nonage , little vers'd in the art of government , and having not attain'd that courage and yeers which use to strike awe into subjects . this shrew'd tempest being pass'd , the weather broak up and clear'd ; and the king brought his new queen to paris , having surmounted such a world of difficulties , and waded through a sea of troubles ; he had bin absent thence neer upon a twelvemoneth , therefore you may well imagin with what joy , and triumph the parisians receiv'd him ; observable it is that in this voyage the king notwithstanding that he had condescended to hard capitulations , yet he attain'd his main ends , which was to perfect the alliance with spain , and to fetch home his wife in safety , which he did maugre the great martiall oppositions that were made by most of the princes of france who malign'd the match . in this yeer there happen'd some ill-favor'd jarrs in italy twixt the dukes of savoy , and mantova , about monferrat ; the king employed thither the marquis of coeuures to compose the difference , but he return'd without doing any good , notwithstanding that the ambassador of his majesty of great britain joyn'd with him ; he sent afterwards the marquis of rambovillet , who caried himself with more addresse , for he tamper'd with the affections of the french and suisses , which made the better part of the duke of savoys army , with such dexterity , that the duke entring into a diffidence of them , hearkned to a treaty . don pedro de toledo then governor of milan was arm'd for the mantovan , and by this treaty both parties were to disband ; in the interim if the spaniard attempted any thing upon monferrat , france should assist his highnes of savoy . but the spaniard though he attempted nothing , yet he reinforc'd his troupes , which struck an apprehension of fear into the venetians ( who of all nations are most eagle-ey'd to foresee dangers ) because there was a small difference twixt them , and the archduke of grats about the uscochi , which made them confederat , and co-arme with the savoyard : there were great forces on both sides , and don pedro took verselli , & damian , but his majesty of france employ'd thither mons. de bethune , who procur'd a treaty in pavia to that end , which took effect ; but the spaniard afterwards delaying to give up vercelli , modene luynes kinsman was sent thither who did the work ; the difference also twixt the republic and the archduke of grats was accommoded by french intercession , so that in lesse then a twelve moneths , four ambassadors went from france to italy . about this time the lord hayes , afterwards earl of carlile , came in a very splendid equippage to paris , to congratulate , in his majestie of great britain's name , . the alliance with spain : . the arrivall of the new queen : . the kings return to paris : . the end of the late wars . the french chroniclers relate that his chiefest arrand was to propound a match between the prince of wales , ( now king of england ) and the lady christina , second daughter to henry the great ; but they are much mistaken ; for the said ambassador might happily have instructions to look upon and view the said lady , but for any overture of mariage , much lesse any proposition there was none , the intents of england ayming then more southward , and there was matter enough for an ambassador extraordinary besides at that time . the king , the two queens , and the whole court being now settled at paris , the discontented princes repair'd also thither , but conde being newly recovered of a dangerous sicknes , ( which some took as a judgement upon him ) lagg'd behind , and excus'd his coming till all the articles of the late treaty were perform'd , whereunto the king may be said to be no lesse then compell'd , being , among other ties forc'd to revoke part of the solemn oth he took at his coronation , that therby they of the religion might rest contented : at last conde came , and was entred into a perfect redintegration of grace and favor at court with the rest of his confederats . so after such turbid times there was an intervall of faire weather , but the ayer was suddenly ore ' cast again with clowds , and the chief meteor whence they sprung was the power and privacy of the marshall of ancre at court. the queen mother had advice of certain clandestine meetings , and secret consultations held to alter the government , and to demolish ancre ; hereupon themines ( who receiv'd the truncheon to be marshall the same day ) apprehended the prince of conde in the louure , and carried him thence to prison ; the report hereof startled divers others , and old bovillon being then at a sermon in charenton , durst not come back to look upon the bastile ; so he with the dukes of mayn , nevers , guyse and divers other retir'd and arm'd under pretence of reforming of abuses in the state , and for the public good . poore france , how often hath privat interest of some aspiring spirits bin term'd in thee by the specious name of public good ? how often have thy discontented grandees ground the faces of thy innocent peasants ? how often hast thou turn'd the sword into thine own bowels , and swomm in the blood of thine own children ? how often have thy towns bin turn'd to hospitals , thy fields to desarts under the gilded pretext of reformation ? the arrest of conde alarm'd all france , and a politic rumour was spread in paris that the marshall of ancre had murther'd him in the louure , though he was then at amiens . miles off . this made the beast with many heads run furiously to his house in the suburbs of saint german , which they sack'd and plunder'd most pitifully , they unplank'd his roomes , grub'd up his trees , and committed divers barbarismes besides . the king caus'd a declaration to be publish'd full of vigorous expressions tending to this purpose . lewis by the grace of god king of france and navarr , to all who shall see these present letters , greeting . it is with incredible regret which pierceth our very heart , that we must so often employ our authority to represse the mischievous desseins of them , who seek the raising of their fortunes , in the ruines of our estates , and in the prodigious cruelty of civill wars , take an unbridled libertie to doe what law and reason forbids : and we are the more sensible hereof , because the remedies we must use , for the safety of our person , and the welfare of this kingdom , must diffame our own blood , and render it culpable of impiety both against us , who are in place of a father to our subjects , as also against their own countrey which is reverenc'd as a mother by all people though never so barbarous . so he goes on to relate the treaty at lodun , and the last pacification which had cost him twenty millions of liures ; and what grace he had done to conde and his complices . yet the exces of our grace and favor hath not bin able to represse the disordinat wills of them , who find no rest but in trouble , and ground their hopes upon our destruction : for before and after the return of our cousin the prince of conde to paris , there have bin nocturnall assemblies held in saint martin and other places with consultations to debauch and abuse the people , and undermine those who have martiall offices under us , and to excite them to commotion ; curats and preachers have bin tampered withall to vent scandalous doctrin , and meanes were consulted on to seize upon our royall person , and our most honored mother , and to cantonize france under the specious vayle of reforming the state : all which hath bin told us by some of the best of our subjects who were present at some of their consultations , and close meetings ; and we were also advis'd by forren ambassadors to have a care of our self , &c. this was the substance of the kings declaration , but all would not do , to contain the princes within the bounds of obedience , many of them had retir'd to picardy , and seiz'd upon divers places which they fortified apace . a little after the prince of conde was clap'd up , the duke of vendosm was seiz'd on , but he scap'd by a wile ; the chancelor and secretaries of state with other officers were chang'd ; and in this hurly burly the young bishop of lucon afterwards cardinal of richelieu , having bin design'd for ambassador to spain , was made principall secretary of state. the marshal of ancre , notwithstanding that he had understood how he was hated in paris , and that his house was so plunder'd in a popular furie , yet was he nothing daunted , but comes boldly to court , and presently three armies were rais'd and appointed to represse the mutiners ; one under the duke of guyse who was charm'd to come in by the queen mother : the second under marshall montigny ; and the third under the count of auvergne , ( who was freed from his . yeers close imprisonment in the bastile for that purpose ) and had already besieg'd the duke of mayne at soissons , and much straitned him . while this huge storme was dropping pitifully upon poor france , there were secret consultations held by some in the louure how to hurle him into the sea who was the cause of the tempest , which was cryed up to be the foresaid ancre . he knew too well how he was malign'd in court and countrey , and the young kings affection towards him began now to brandle , and all this was by the suggestions of luynes , who was one of the greatest confidentst the king had , having bin his servant from his childhood , and was vers'd in his genius more then any : ancre had practis'd to remove him from the kings person , with some others whom he suspected to do him ill offices . besides this fewd 'twixt the king and princes , there was another petty war then a foot betwixt the duke of espernon , and the rochellers , the ground whereof was that they would not acknowledge him governor of the countrey of aunis , and of their town , which he pretended to derive by patent from the raign of henry the third . he had also a grudge unto them that they had debauch'd the conscience of the count of candalle his son by inducing him to abjure his religion , and to professe theirs ; espernon was commanded to wave that quarrel , and to come to assist against the princes : divers others were wrought upon to abandon their party ; amongst the rest the duke of nevers was much sought , and he refusing , he was accus'd to have said , that he was descended of a better house then the queen mother ; which he utterly disavowed , and offer'd to combat the raiser of that report in duel . the obloquy and hatred of ancre encreased daily , and the executing of colonel stuard and hurtevant , with erecting of new gibets in divers places about paris , and one upon the new bridge hard by the louure in terrorem , — all which was imputed to the marshall of ancre , exasperated the humors of the parisians against him more and more , in so much that it was an easie thing to be a prophet what would become of him . luynes with others at court infusd daily new thoughts of diffidence of him into the young king , who had taken exception at some personall comportment of his , by putting on his hat when he play'd with him at biliards : so in a close cabinet consultation twixt the king , luynes , and vitry who was captain of his guard , the king gave him command to seize upon the said marshall of ancre , and in case of resistance to kill him ; the businesse was carried wonderfull close , and two dayes after the marshall entring the louure , vitry was prepar'd with his guard about him , and while the marshall was reading of a letter , vitry comes and grapples him by the shoulder , and told him he was commanded by the king to arrest him ; me ? said ancre , yes you by the death of god , ( mort dieu ) repli'd vitry : hereupon ancre laying his hand upon his sword to deliver it , as most thought , vitry with a loud voyce cri'd out , kill him , thereupon he received three pistols shots into his body , and was presently dispatch'd ; vitry with naked sword in his hand cri'd out , that none should stir ; for he had executed but the kings commands . hereupon those hundred gentlemen which had attended the marshall that morning to the queens court where he was us'd to go the back way slunk away : and not one drawn sword appear'd amongst them . the king being above in a gallery and hearing a noise below , ask'd what the matter was ? one answerd , that the marshall of ancre was kill'd , and being told the manner , he said , i will make good what vitry hath done , and giving a caper , he said , i am now king of france , i have no competitor . vitry presently after broke into leonora's chamber ancres wife seiz'd upon her person , upon all her trunks and cabinets , where in gold , and jewels there was the value of above an hundred thousand pounds sterling . her chamber was next the queen mothers , who sending in for vitry , ask'd him without any shew of dismay whether he had kill'd the marshall ; yes madame , said he : and why ? because the king had commanded me . ancres body was buried in a little church hard by the louure , and stones laid and flatted upon the grave , but the next morning , the laquays of the court , and rabble of the city , came and digg'd up his coffin , toare his winding sheet , and dragg'd his body through the gutters , and hang'd it upon the new gibet which he had commanded to be set up upon the new bridge , where they cut off his nose , eares , and genitories , which they sent for a present to the duke of mayne at soissons , and nayl'd his eares to the gates of paris , the rest of his body was burn'd , and part of the ashes hurl'd into the river , and part into the ayer . his wife was then imprison'd , search'd and raz'd for a witch , though little or no proofs ( god wot ) were produc'd against her , only that she employ'd some jews ; as also that she had bewitch'd a spanish ginet the duke of mayn had at soissons which he should have mounted one morning , but mounsier maurice his son who was keeper of one of the chiefest academies of paris riding him before , and the horse having pranc'd and curvetted a good while under him , he suddenly fell , gave a grone and so breath'd his last , and the rider was taken up for dead , and continued in a sleepy trance . houres together . so she was also executed afterwards , and the difference twixt her husband and her was this , that she had the favor to dye after sentence was given , and he before , for his indictment was made after his death , and then his sentence pass'd when he was in tother world . thus conchino conchini ( a florentin born ) marquis of ancre , and marshall of france was demolish'd , or rather extinguish'd , in a most disastrous manner , and his wife leonora galligay beheaded , who shew'd a notable roman resolution at the block ; their estate , which was not above four thousand pound sterling per an . was given to luynes most part of it ; they left one only male child who being young was sent to italy , where he lives to this day in a noble equippage by the title of earl of pena : though pronounced ignoble in france by an arrest of the court of parliament : a stout man this marquis of ancre was , a good soldier , and a compleat courtier , he was endowed with divers good parts , only he wanted moderation , and therein he did degenerat from an italian . there were divers censures abroad of this act of the young kings , and indeed it was the worst thing he did in all his life , being an act fitter for the seraglio , then his castle of the louure : for the wisest sort of men wonder'd that he should stain the walls of his court , with a christians bloud in that manner , without any legall proceeding against the party . he sent letters to the severall princes that were in arms , to content them , as also to satisfie the world ; and all of them of this tenor following . my cousin , i doubt not but in the cours of affairs which have pass'd since the death of the late king my lord and father ( whom god absolve ) you have observ'd how the marshall of ancre and his wife abusing my minority , and the power which they acquir'd upon the spirit of the queen my mother , have projected to usurp all authority , to dispose absolutly of all matters of state , and to deprive me of the means to take cognisance of mine own affairs ; a dessein which they have push'd on so far , that hitherto there hath remain'd unto me but the sole name of a king , and that it was a kind of capital crime for my officers and subjects to have acces unto me , and to entertain me with any serious discours ; which it pleasing god to make me perceive , and to point out the danger which my person and state were like to incur by such an exorbitant ambition , being compell'd by some considerations , and inspir'd by counsel from above , i resolv'd to secure the person of the said marshall , and therefore i commanded the captain of my guard to arrest him within my castle the louure ; which he attempting to do , the said marshall being well accompagnied offerd to oppose my said command , and certain blows being given the said marquis fell down dead , &c. so he tells him that he intends for the future to take the reins of government into his own hands . wherefore he exhorts him to returne neer his person , and take his due rank in court and counsell . and concludes that if he renders proofs answerable to the esteem he makes of his affection towards him , he will be ready to acknowledge it . many letters went abroad from the king of this tenor , and they took such effect that all arms were thrown down every where , and the princes repair'd to court : now and not before it may be said that the king began to raign : by this change , france chang'd her countenance , old officers were restor'd to their places ; sillery was made chancelor again , du vair , and villeroy were restor'd with divers others ; and the bishop of lucon left the secretariship of state , and retir'd , though he was offer'd to be still of the privy counsell if he would stay . the queen mother shew'd her self a true queen of her passions herein , for though her favourit , and foster sister were torn away from her thus , yet such was her temper , that she discover'd no extraordinary resentment , that which she said , she took ill was , that the king did not impart unto her his intentions , for she would willingly have concurr'd to do all things to his contentment ; the king appointed her the castle of blois to reside in , and coming to take his leave of her , he thanked her for the pains she had taken in government , but he resolv'd to sit now at the helme himself , and if she would be a good mother to him , she should find him a good son. the marchiones of ancre was not executed till the queen was gone from paris , at her arraignment she shew'd an amazonian courage , and the subtilty of her spirit put all men in admiration ; she denied , with much disdain , all kind of witchcraft and sorcery , ( and indeed the proofs were little or none at all against her ) she confess'd that she had convey'd some moneys out of the kingdom , but it was either for the kings service , or for her own utility ; for the first , it deserv'd rather a reward , for the second there was no law against any stranger to do the like ; she acknowledg'd to have receiv'd divers favors of the queen her mistresse in whose service she had employ'd her whole life , and to receive favors from great princes was never held a crime till now ; she often dehorted her husband from some violent courses he took , which made her make a separation of her estate from his , fearing that some funestous accident might befall him ; but it being granted that she had conceal'd the defauts of her husband , there was never any law that could punish , much lesse condemn a wife for that ; in conclusion , she defended herself with that caution and courage , that many of the judges were of opinion that banishment was enough for her ; but the quality of the times , and state of things transported the judges to extraordinary rigor . upon the scaffold she carried herself with such a scorn of death , and with that exemplary piety and patience , that she mollified the hearts of all the spectators , and sent hundreds away with wet eyes , amongst whom were divers of those who had embrued their hands so barbarously in her husbands bloud . vitry had the truncheon to be marshall of france hereupon , and out of the ruins of ancre luynes rais'd his fortunes , which may be said to be three stories higher , for he suddenly hois'd not only himself but his two brethren , cadenet & brand , to an incredible height , which made one fix upon the louure gate this pasquil aux trois rois , at the the three kings ; some cryed out that the tyranny was not chang'd but only the tyrant ; that the same tavern stood still , only it had a new bush . luynes had given him the marquisat of ancre , and all the stable possessions of the marshal : but du vair a good while would not let it passe the great seal , in regard that by an arrest of the court of parliament all their stable goods were confiscated and reunited to the crown , and he stood stiffe in this untill the king had given him the bishoprick of lysieux , and having then fixed the seal , the french pasquin began to tell him , et homo factus sum ; a little after the king married his favorit luynes to the duke of montbazons daughter , he gave the duke twenty thousand pound sterling , and made him governor of the isle of france , the duke of main being translated to guyen . the king desiring to be in good intelligence with all his subjects , fell upon a new reach of policy by the advice of his counsell , which was , that in regard he had found that the assembly of the states general brought with it more trouble then utility , in regard of the discrepant humors and interests which such a number of men of various conditions , professions and religions carried with them , instead of the states general , he convokes an assembly of notables as he term'd it , compos'd of some selected persons out of every order , whereunto should be added some counsellor out of every court of parliament . which being fewer in number would not breed such a confusion ; and this assembly should be equipollent to that of the states general , and their acts so obligatory . to this end the kings writs were issued out , the day and place appointed which was the citie of roven ; all solemnly met there in the archbishops hall , where after the king , the chancelor made a grave oration , that his majesties pious intentions to call them thither , was to regulat and police the state , and to ease the subject . the first four daies were spent in settling the ranks of the deputies ; and a great clash fell twixt the nobles , and the deputies of parliaments , whom the nobles said they had reason to precede , in regard they took them to be but members of the third estate , but they disadvow'd that qualitie , and stood to their soverain jurisdiction which extended over the nobles as well as other persons ; nor could they be call'd the third estate , because they never us'd to meet in the assembly of the states generall ; the nobles alledg'd the lustre of their birth , the excellence of the profession of armes above the gown , strengthning their cause with divers other arguments : but the difference being left undecided , the king resolv'd that the nobles should be plac'd about the person of the king ; but with this proviso , that it should not prejudice the second rank they have by fundamentall right in the convention of the states generall , which is next the clergie ; and for delivering of opinions , the king inordred , that in matters concerning the church the clergie should vote first , in matters of war the nobles , in matters of law the officers of justice , in matters of the revenue of the crown , the exchequer men , and financiers . in this assembly were agitated and concluded many wholsome things ; first , . that the secret affairs of state be communicated to few , and those of known probity , and prudence , for fear of discovery . . that the expence of the kings house , and the salary of military men be regulated . . that pensions be retrench'd . . that a course be taken to regulat gifts and rewards which are to be made in silver . . that it be illegal to sell any offices in the kings house , in war , or government . . that reversion of offices , and benefices be restrain'd , because it gives occasion to attempt upon the life 's of the living incumbents , and takes away the kings liberty , to advance persons of merit , taking also from the persons themselfs , the encouragement of doing better by hope of advancement . . that the annuel right be suppress'd . . that the venality of offices be prohibited . . that small wrangling courts , and the number of pettifoggers be retrench'd , and that all causes be brought to the soverain courts . these in grosse were the results of this assembly which proceeded with a great deal of harmony , the king himself was present most of the time , and in his absence monsieur presided ; there pass'd also a law to permit the jesuits to open their colledg of clermont in paris , and to endoctrinat young youth in the sciences ; but the universitie of paris to make this edict illusory , made two decrees , by the first , it was ordred that none should be admitted to the course of theologie , unlesse he have studied three yeers under the public professors of the faculty of theologie in sorbon ; and that he be put to his oath not to have studied in any other colledg . the second was , a prohibition to all principals of colledges , for admitting any , but those that go to the lectures of the professors of the said universitie , and that none shall enjoy the priviledges of scholarity if he studieth not under those professors . an indifferent moderat man said that there was no way to end this quarrell , but that the jesuits might be united to the body of the universitie , and so submit themselfs entirely to their laws and ordinances . we will conclude this lustre with a horrible fire that hapned in the citie of paris in the chief palace of iustice , it rag'd most in the great hall where the lawyers and counsellors use to meet , where also the statues of the kings of france are set up , and are rank'd according to the times of their raign in excellent sculpture , all which were utterly reduc'd to cendres , with the table of marble about which the judges were us'd to sit ; the cause of this fire is to this day unknown ; but it might be very well interpreted to be a visible judgment from heaven upon that place and palace for the hard measure of justice , the marshall of ancre and his lady had received a little before ; which makes me call to mind a latin verse , i have read upon a stat-house in delph in holland , which had bin burnt in like maner and reedified , not one other house about it receiving any hurt . cive , quid , invito , proh sola , redarguit usta haec domus , illaesis aliis ? — discite iustitiam moniti , & non temnere divos . an end of the second lustre . the third lustre of the raign of lewis the thirteenth . vve ended the last lustre with the end of the old palace of justice in paris by an unknown furious fire , which made the disaster more horrid . we will begin this with bone-fires of joy , for the mariage of the lady christina , second daughter of henry the great , to the prince of piedmont , who came in person to paris to do his own busines : he comported himself with that addresse , that politenes , that bravery of spirit accompagnied with such gentlenes , that he gain'd much upon the french nation ; the busines was not long a finishing , for henry the great was well pleas'd with an ouverture that had bin made formerly by the said prince for the eldest daughter , who was maried to spain : she had for her dower . thousand french liures , which comes to one hundred and twenty thousand pound sterling ; besides the rich jewels she caried with her . the queen mother was all this while at blois ; and som ombrages of distrust hung 'twixt the king and her ; for the bishop of lucon being by command removed from her , mounsieur roissy was sent expresly by the king to attend her , whom the queen took to be no other then a kind of spy , to watch over her actions ; nor was she invited to the marriage of her daughter , which was solemniz'd at paris ; and with this mariage it seems the king did consummat his own by bedding with the queen his wife , which he had not done since he had maried her at burdeaux almost four yeers before , where he lay with her only two hours ; and though this was done for fear it should hinder his growth , and enervat his strength , yet there were some whispers that it was done with an intent to be divorc'd from her , and luynes was blamed for it ; hereupon he finding the king one night inclinable , took him out of his bed in his armes , and casting his night-gown over him he carried him to the queens bed ; the nuncio , and spanish ambassador were so joy'd at this , that they presently dispatch'd expresses to carry the news , and bonefiers were made thereupon both in rome , and madrid , for there were some surmises abroad that so long a separation from bed , would turn in time to an aversion , which might draw after it a repudiation , and so a divorce . while the king was thus confirming his own , and celebrating his sisters nuptialls in paris , there were tydings brought that his mother got out of blois castle , and was convey'd away secretly in the night through a window which was towards the moate , where she glided down a good height upon a counter scarp , and so made an escape . the king had sent father arnoul the director of his conscience a little before under colour of complement to visit her , but the design was to draw from her a solemn oath , that she would not come to the kings court without his preadvertisement , and approbation , which oath she took upon the evangelists : he sent her also word , that he and the prince of piemont now her son in law would come to visit her ; but she knew well enough how matters were carried at court , and so she gave little credit to those endearments , fearing there was too strong a drug under the pill . her escape was trac'd by espernon the little gascon duke who had bin from the beginning a great servant of ladies , there had bin divers clashings and counterbuffs 'twixt him and the gown-men of the law ; amongst others du vair the then lord keeper and he could not agree ; du vair did him ill offices to luynes , who began to malign him more and more . so the little duke had two mighty enemies at once , the one full of cunning , the other of credit with the king , therefore being at the town of metz , the king sent him order not to stir thence , because there were like to be wars in germany ; espernon sent answer that he being in the next place to germany had receiv'd certain advice that there are no commotions like to be there , that his majesties service , and his own affairs were all in a disarray in guyen , and that he knew not in what to serve him there , unlesse it were to convey his packets to and fro ; therefore he humbly desir'd his majesties permission to go for guyen whither some pressing occasions call'd him , and that la vallette his son shall render him a good account of that place . the queen mother and he had much privat intelligence , and she sent him an expresse to complain unto him of her hard condition , and withall she sent the originall of a late letter unto her from the king , wherein he permits her to go to any town or place throughout his dominions ( his own court excepted ) , so in conclusion she prayes and conjures him as he was a cavalier to help her out , and conduct her to angoulesme . the old duke was glad of this advantageous conjuncture of things , therefore without any further attendance of the kings pleasure , he suddenly leaves metz commanding the gates to be close shut for two dayes after his departure , and so went towards the queen mother with a resolution to intermingle his interests and dangers with hers ; so he employ'd le plessis a confident of his , who receiv'd the queen first of all out of the castle window ▪ and convey'd her over the river in the dead of night , where she met the archbishop of tholouse after cardinal de la valette with . horse , and a little further the duke himself with . great horse , for he would have no more , for making too great a noise , so he attended her to angoulesme . the king resented to the quick this presumption and hardinesse of the duke , who being asked how he durst venture upon so dangerous an enterprise , he answer'd , because i would have two cables to my ship in a storme that was like to fall upon me . the king hereupon frames an army to chastise the insolence of espernon ; the duke of guyse was commanded to come from province , and the duke of mayn from guien , to meet him about angoulesme with forces . some held it to be a derogatory and unbefitting thing in the king to keep such a stir for to have a revenge upon his own mother , and upon a vassal , and an old officer of the crown , and so advis'd his majesty to go thither with his ordinary guards : others counsel'd him to separat the interests of the queen mother from the dukes , and to send a person of quality to her to dispose of her to a conformity to his pleasure , and to leave the duke to stand upon his own legs . to which purpose divers were sent unto her from the king , but in vain , for she could never be brought to abandon the interests of espernon who had expos'd himself to such dangers for her . hereupon the bishop of lucon ( afterwards cardinal of richelieu ) who was retir'd to avignon , and had been in great esteem with her formerly , was sent for by the kings command to atetnd the queen , and being a man of eloquence , and of powerfull reasons , he moulded the queens mind as he pleas'd , and fitted it for a reconciliation ; being thus prepar'd , the king sent marossan unto her to assure her of the obedience and love of a son ; and withall to demand of her a dimission of the government of normandy for other places which she should have in exchange . she as'kd marossan whether he brought any letters from the king about that , he said no , because the king at the first enterview would speake with her by word of mouth about it , but he was resolv'd not to write to her : and why so ? replied the queen . madame , said he , i have not in charge to tell you the reason , but if you command me i will ; you will do me a pleasure , said she ; it is , madame , because the king having written unto you a letter full of affection at blois wherein he was willing you might go into any other place within his kingdom , you gave the letter to the duke of espernon , thereby to affoord him means to colour his conveying you away from blois and conduct you hither ; for fear therefore that you would doe the like again , he is resolv'd to write no more unto you of any matter of moment . the queen enlarg'd her self upon that subject , saying , that any body would do as she did being in captivitie , there being nothing that the brute animals desire more then freedom , and therefore this inclination was not to be wondred at in rationall creatures ; so she came to the point and conform'd her self to the kings desires in every thing . matters being brought to this passe , the king suffer'd the prince of piemont to go visit her , which he had long desir'd with much impatience ; being come with his brother prince thomaso neer angoulesme , espernon with a hundred great horse went to meet them , in a handsome equippage ; the prince stay'd there some dayes to wait upon his new mother in law , and at his departure she gave him a diamond of high price which was the emperour ferdinands her grandfather , and so he return'd to the king. a while afterthere was an enterview appointed 'twixt the king and his mother at cousieres a house of the duke of monbazons in touraine ; the duke of espernon attended her to the farthest limits of his government , and at parting she gave him a rich diamond , conjuring him never to part with it , but that it might be preserv'd from father to son as an eternall gage of her gratitude , and in memory of the gallant and most signal service which he had render'd her to the hazard of his life and fortune : the duke us'd to wear the said diamond afterwards upon his finger in a ring upon festivall dayes which he said cost him two hundred thousand crowns . the queen being come to the place of meeting , luynes who was now made duke and peer of france , and governor of normandy , was sent from the king before-hand ; after his first audience the queen brought him to her cabinet where she melted into passion , and complain'd of the hard usage she had receiv'd , which she would quite forget ; yet she could not refrain from falling still upon the mention of her hard usage , which did her no good afterwards , for luynes thereby fear'd that matters pass'd had taken such lasting impressions in her , that they could never be defac'd ; and considering the vindicatif spirits of the nation whence she came , he still mistrusted if she return'd to court , she would project some way of revenge , &c. the king came the next day in coach with the young queen , his two sisters , and the two princes of savoy , to the house where the queen was , and there was a compleat glorious court , the mutual demonstrations and postures of tendernes which mother and son shew'd at their first enterview , melted the hearts of all the spectators . a few daies after all parted , the king and his queen towards paris , the queen mother to anger 's , and the princes of piemont put themselfs in their journey to crosse the alps. a little after the prince of condé was enlarg'd , and the king sent him this letter by his favorit . my cosen , i will not tell you how much i love you , you see it . i send my cosen the duke of luynes unto you , who knows all the secrets of my heart , and will open them unto you : come away as soon as you can , for i expect you with impatience , in the interim i will pray god to preserve you in his holy grace . lovis . luynes having taken his oath as duke and peer of france in the court of parliament , he moved the king to perfect the number of the cavaliers of his order , the order of the holy ghost , who being an hundred by the primitive institution were now diminished to twenty eight , so there were divers more created to the number of fifty nine , whereof luynes two brothers cadenet and brande were two : luynes plot was to ingratiat himself hereby into the nobility , but it prov'd otherwise , for the competitors that were excluded , grew to be more bitterly his foes , then they who were instal'd knights became his friends . much murmuring also was at his two brothers , this order being the next degree to bring one to be duke and peer of france . as the ceremonies of these new knights were a performing , the two princes of the bloud , condé and soissons being at court , as the king was ready to sit down at diner , the steward of the houshold deliver'd the towell to soissons to give the king ; condé perceiving it , would have had it from him , but he would not part with it , so they fell to high words , one saying it was his right as he was prime prince of the bloud , the other as he was gran master of france ; as they were debating the point in hot termes , the king sent for his brother , to whom the count of soissons deliver'd it ; so with much ado the king made them both friends upon the place , and the next day many hundreds of gentlemen appearing on horseback , and offring their service on both sides , there came out a strict order from the king , there should be no more stirring in the businesse . it fortun'd about this time that the young queen fell sick , and there were extraordinary offices of devotion performed for her recovery , and a generall procession ordred , where the whole court of parliament assisted in their red robes : the queen being recover'd she employed the fifteen thousand crowns which the king had given her for a ball to works of piety and charity . the kings exchequer was at a very low ebbe at this time , whereupon there came out an edict call'd the bursall edict which tended to raise money , and the king mistrusting the verification of it by the court of parliament , went thither himself in great state , where the lord keeper made a speech a bout it : the prime president answer'd him boldly , that the court receiv'd violence to verifie such edicts without any precedent deliberation , that being well assur'd of the goodnes and justice of his majesty the court imputed this disorder to ill counsell , and therefore desired the names of them who gave him this damnable counsell should be given up and registred in parliament to be proceeded against accordingly ; servin the kings advocat was more hardy , saying , that his majesty did wrong himself to come to parliament to authorise by his presence , that which could not be done with reason and justice . yet the edict pass'd , and that afternoon , the court of parliament was commanded to wait at the louure , where his majestie told them , that he was ill edified by their remonstrances , which he found very insolent ; the lord keeper told them , that to some ill purpose they thought to separat the king from his counsell , by blaming the one , and exempting the other , for being inseparable , the offence must bring the blow upon both together , a thing not to be endured by a soverain prince , who is to exspect punctuall obedience from his subjects ; so the prime president making a large apologie , at last they were dismiss'd , with recovery of the kings grace . the prodigious and violent promotions of luynes in dignity , power , wealth and command , made him the object of envy to some , of hatred to others , of amazement to all ; nor was he contented to hoise himself so , but he must pully up his two brothers along with him ; so there was a kind of generall discontentment fomented in the hearts of the people , which was aggravated by the late shift the king had made to get money , and the clash he had with the parliament of paris ; so mens minds were susceptible and ready to receive any impressions of mislike against the present government . the duke of mayn had a particular discontentment , that cadenet , afterwards duke of chaune which was erected into a pairrie a peership of france , had maried the heiresse of peguigny , whom he had sought for wife ; so he with divers other princes started out and put themselfs in armes ; the count of soissons , vendosm , and the gran prior of france his brother ( both naturall sons to the last king ) went to the queen mother at anger 's , who quickly entred into the league ; they of the religion offer'd her conjunctive forces , which she wav'd , but the duke of mayn presently accepted of them , which made his army swell to . and upwards . hereupon the king sent the duke of montbazon to invite the queen mother to court , and to assist in counsell , but she excus'd herself by indisposition of body ( though it was only of mind : ) he sent again the archbishop of sens unto her with a second invitation to court and he would meet her in the way as far as orleans , but she continued still distrustfull , and jealous of some plot upon her , thinking that fistula dulce canit , volucrem dum decipit auceps . she inveighs bitterly against the present favorits how they exhausted the kings tresure , offended most of the princes , and dispos'd of all offices and honors , making men of mean extraction lately knights of the holy spirit , and excluding ancient gentlemen of merit ; these complaints she couch'd and enlarg'd in two letters , one to the king himself , the other to the parliament of paris , which the court would not open but sent them to the king. the discontented princes grew daily more and more powerfull , so it was high time for the king to get a horsback , which he did , and march'd first to normandy , where the duke of longueville had arm'd , having bin at the parliament of roven , to tell them that the ground of his grievance , as of the rest of the princes , was the indirect and violent means that luynes us'd to establish his own authority , and advance his monstrous fortune , &c. longueville understanding the king was advancing to roven retir'd to diep with three hundred gentlemen , who thought to make the town of roven to side with them , but the kings presence scared them all away ; there the king sate himself in parliament , and suspended longueville of the government of that great province , and put also divers of his complices out of office ; and so having secur'd roven , he went to caen where the gran prior had put a strong garrison in the castle to stand for the princes , crequy had laid a siege to the castle before the king came , and held it hot play , for the castle was extremly well fortified both with bones and stones ; the king immediatly upon his arrival sent prudent , whom the gran prior had plac'd in the said castle , a summon to render it , prudent refus'd , hereupon there was a proclamation publish'd , that whosoever would bring prudent living or dead unto the king , he should have a reward of ten thousand crowns ; this made prudent tremble , and to apprehend some danger within , as well as from without , for the sound of ten thousand crowns made a mighty noise , and might work upon the garrison it self . so he sent to crequy to know truly of him , whether the king was there in person or no , for if he were , he had rather die twenty deaths then hinder the triumph of his first arms , so he gave up the castle without capitulation , and the king pardoned all : some gave advise to raze the castle , but being built at first to stay and repell the forces of the english , and being fair , large and strong , it was suffer'd to stand , for it might be serviceable again against that nation . the report of taking caen castle added much to the kings honor , and struck a terror in the mutineers . he march'd thence to mans and thence towards anger 's to his mother , in the way there were six or seven castles that discharg'd their garrisons , and rang'd themselfs to the kings obedience . being at mans there came some gentlemen to tell him from the queen mother that she was ready to conform her self to his majesties pleasure , and therefore desir'd a treaty with this proviso , that all the rest who were now in arms for her assistance might be included in the articles ; the king sent her word , that as he distinguish'd her person from theirs who were now in rebellion against him , so he would separat her interests from theirs ; for he well considered that she was his mother , they but his subjects ; qualities so distant , that it was not fitting to confound them , and involve her in the same treaty . yet nevertheles he was willing to be gracious to all for what was pass'd , provided they would incontinently disarm , and implore mercy . luynes also sent her a complement by the same messenger , that there was no desire so ardent in him , as to see her again with the king , as well for her own contentment , as for the repose of the realm ; but notwithstanding this gracious proffer , they stood still in arms in anger 's where there were eight thousand foot , and one thousand two hundred horse well appointed , and a great confluence of nobles . anger 's being a huge vast town , and the royal army being but sixteen thousand foot , and one thousand five hundred horse , the counsell of war determ'd , that it was more advantagious to attaque pont de cé not far of , then lye down before anger 's ; so crequy was sent with fifteen bataillons to that purpose , there was a furious fight twixt the sons forces and the mothers ; at last the son prevail'd , and entirely routed the enemy with slaughter of five hundred men ; the next day the castle of pont de cé rendred it self ; the garrison was us'd very favorably , and all the domestic officers of the queen mother who had born arms there , were sent unto her for a present . there was then a resolution to set upon anger 's , but the king would not hearken unto it while his mother was in the town ; hereupon she sent the cardinal of sourdis , and the bishop of lucon to the king to tell him , that she threw herself between his arms , to submit her will and all her inclinations to his commands , beseeching his majesty that his grace might extend to all those that had assisted her . the king condescended to every thing , pass'd an act of abolition of all former faults , and the articles of the treaty were sent to paris to be verified by the court of parliament ; so the son and the mother had another enterview at brissac , where their actions , port , gesture , words and tears , wrought much upon the affections of all the beholders . the king having in lesse then . dayes , quell'd this dangerous rebellion which like a hydra consisted of many heads , his thoughts then reflected upon the ecclesiastic's of bearn , who pretended , and had consequently petition'd often unto him how much they suffer'd by them of the religion ; so he sent the queen to paris , and he took the road of bearn a frontier place towards spain , fastning navar to the foot of the pyrenean hills ; he took saint iohn d' angeli in his way , where the town complain'd of a cittadell which the duke of rohan would have built to keep them in captivitie ; he left a new governor there behind him , and sent to espernon to have a care of the place ; thence he went to blay ( the key of bourdeaux ) where he depos'd the marquis of aubeterre the governor , and giving him the truncheon of marshall , and . crowns for recompence , he put in his place brentes third brother to luynes after duke of luxenburg : at bourdeaux he made an edict for the reestablishment of the roman catholics of bearn in their primitive possessions , and sending it to pau where the chief councell of bearn resides to be verified , they refus'd to doe it notwithstanding two jussions of the king to that effect . iane d' albret , henry the greats mother , first planted the reformed religion in bearn , taking the revenues of the roman clergy to maintain the ministers , she raign'd divers yeers , and her son henry the fourth succeeded , who after he was king of france reestablish'd a few bishops there , who gave some satisfaction for the time : the present king his son , out of a greater zeale to rome , would put all things in statu quo priùs , and would have the church lands entirely restor'd , and for the maintenance of the reformed ministers he was willing to part with eighty thousand franks yeerly out of his own revenue : yet the counsell of pau would not ratifie his edict , which counsell was divided to three opinions . . the first opinion was utterly to reject the kings edict , and to detain still the possessions of the church . . others thought it was fit to give the king some contentment , but in appearance only , and to verifie the edict , assuring themselfs that it could never be put in execution , it would meet with so many difficulties . . others thought it best to delay the verification to another time . the king understanding that they were thus chopping of logic , and that the synod also which was there then sitting , did mainly resist the verification of his edict ; he resolves to go thither himself , though many disswaded him from the journey by reason of the uncouth wayes , the sory lodgings , the waters in some places poyson'd by sorcerers , and the scarcity of provision , in the lands of bourdeaux . but none of these reasons could deter the king , therefore he prepares for his voyage , and in the interim he sent a person of quality to the rochellers to acquaint them with the elusory answers which the bearnois made to his commands , and therefore he advis'd and requir'd them to have nothing to do in this busines ; they of rochell little regarding what the king said , but undertook the protection of the bearnois . the king being advanced in his journey neer pau , the inhabitants sent to know how he would be receiv'd , the king asked if there were ever a church in the town , if there were , he would enter as their soverain , if not , he would receive no honor in a place where god almighty had no house to be honor'd in , so he entred without any ceremony ; they of the religion making three parts of the people forbore to send commodities to pau market during the kings sojourn there , to constrain him to go away the sooner ; so that his train made hard shift to subsist all the while . he goes thence to navarrenz seven leagues neerer the hills , a strong tenable place having . peeces of ordnance , and . culverins , the old governor bertrand de sales sent the keys of the town to the king , where he peaceably entred contrary to all expectation ; he put in a new garrison of french there , and plac'd another governor , giving for recompence to the old . franks : he also caus'd masse to be sung there which had not bin done fifty yeers before ; so having settled all things at navarrenx he return'd to pau , where the great church which they of the religion had turn'd to a temple was restor'd to the priests , and two thousand crowns given for satisfaction ; in fine having cast the church into its old mould , and the military with the civill government into a new , and leaving a competent strength with la force to preserve both , he took post , and came safely and triumphantly to paris in a few dayes . the bearnois made their addresses to the french churches , and exhibited their complaints unto them , and for their justification they alledg'd two reasons . one was a possession of fifty yeers continued without interruption of those revenues the king had ravish'd them of . the second was , an ordinance of the states generall of bearn confirm'd by a declaration of henry the great to that effect . the roman catholiks answer'd , that for the possession they speak of , it was violent ▪ and accompagnied with rebellion and felony ; touching the assembly of the states generall which they urg'd , it was altogether illegal , because the first and most noble part which was the clergy was excluded by a cruel persecution , and for henry the great , he was then himself a persecutor of the catholiks . the french reformed churches which are neer upon eight hundred , did much resent the usage of the bearnois , thereupon there was a great assembly held at loudun without the kings permission , wherein they resolv'd to assist their brethren of bearn . they drew up cayers or papers to present unto the king containing sundry demands . . the first , that his majesty would please to revoke his arrest given in favor of the ecclesiastiks of bearn . . a continuation of their cautionary towns foure yeers longer , the time being now expir'd . . they demanded leave to change two governors which were turn'd catholiks . when these papers were presented to the king , he sent their deputies word by condé and luynes that his will was , that first of all they should separat the assembly , and six moneths after their separation they should be favourably answer'd . they prai'd this promise might be digested in writing to an act ; they were answer'd , that it was an indecent and derogatory thing for a monark to treat in that manner with his subjects , as if his word were not sufficient : the deputies receiv'd little satisfaction in this , so they returnd to loudun wher the assembly continued still notwithstanding two declarations publish'd by the king , wherein they were commanded to separat upon pain of being proclaim'd traytors . they little valu'd the kings declarations , but dissolving their assembly at loudun , they sent summons up and down to meet at rochell , where in a greater eagernes , and zeal to the cause then before , they solemnly conven'd , notwithstanding another new prohibition of the kings verifi'd by the court of parliament in paris ; hereupon the busines was put into deep deliberation at the counsell of state , whether the king should declare war against the whole body of the religion , or particularly against those that had met at rochell : and the latter opinion took place , for these reasons . . first , it could not stand with justice to force consciences to quit that beleef which had bin so long tolerated . . secondly , that declaring a war against the whole body of them of the religion might bring in forren ayd . . thirdly , that if a war were pronounc'd in generall , many of the kings best servants would be involv'd therein , and provok'd , as the duks of trimoville , bovillon , lesdigueres , suilly , chastillon , brassai , montgomery , blamville , with divers other of his best sort of subjects . the king in regard his treasury was much drain'd was loth to plunge himself in a serious war again the rochelers , therefore to comply with them , he accorded a continuation of their cautionary towns for five yeers longer , notwithstanding that they demanded but foure . he also gave them leave to change the governor of lectour castle , and to choose a new counsellor in the parliament of paris , two things they insisted much upon , but they prevail'd little with them unlesse the late edict of bearn were revok'd : hereupon the gran assembly at rochell reinforc'd it self , and went on more roundly then ever , there were also up and down the countrey divers other meetings , as synods , colloquies , circles , and demy-circles which conven'd , and consulted . they of rochell went higher and higher , they had a new public sealemade , they establish'd a new court of admiralty , and stamp'd new coines : they made . ordinances , which were printed , and commanded to be strictly observed through all the reformed churches : they nominated governors of provinces , and impos'd taxes at pleasure . the king was much incens'd at these traverses , yet nothing could move him to declare war against the whole body of them , notwithstanding that he was offer'd six hundred thousand crowns yearly by the ecclesiasticks , viz. two hundred thousand by the pope ; two hundred thousand by the colledge of cardinalls , and two hundred thousand by the french clergy . la force whom the king had left governor of bearn , did not put the kings commands in execution as he expected , therefore the duke of espernon was sent thither with an army , and settled all things according to the kings pleasure , and made la force quit the countrey , who was proclaym'd traytor , and the marshall of themines put in his place ; though afterwards la force recovered his repute with the king , and receiv'd the truncheon to be marshall of france , and grew to be a great confident . the king having now taken a resolution of war against the rechellers , intended to make a lord high constable of france , thereupon it was offer'd the old duke le'sdigueres provided he would go to masse , which he waving , luynes undertook it ; which drew much more envy upon him then formerly . the king put out a declaration that it was not against religion , but against rebellion that he proceeded , therefore he offer'd to take into his protection all those reformed churches that would contain themselfs within the bounds of their obedience to him , and not adhaere to the assembly at rochell ; which declaration was verified in parliament with much solemnity : so he march'd towards the loire , and being neer saumur a town of the greatest consequence that the reformed churches had , he sent to monsieur du plessis mournay that he desired to lodge in the castle that night with his queen ; the old governor being above eighty yeers of age was so surpriz'd with this message that it put him to his wits end , for he made full account the king would have lodg'd in the town , as other kings had ; and as he was consulting what to do with much perplexity , the guard of swisses were at the castle gate ; so he peaceably let them in , the king followed presently after , who charming the old man with complement , made him discharge his garrison ; so the castle and city was secur'd for the king. yet the governor which he left in the castle was a reformist , who was the count of sault , monsieur crequy's son . the reductiono and assurance of saumur was a mighty advantage to the king for the advance of his present dessein , in regard that saumur for her situation was one of the importantst towns that they of the reformed religion had , in regard it tied normandy , britany , anjou , and mayn , with poitou , tourain and other countreys circumjacent , where they were strongest , besides it lay upon the loire , and it was the probablest place to stop the kings passage , which they endevor'd to doe afterwards at saint iohn d' angely . from saumur the king marched to touars a town of the duke of trimovillies where he was receiv'd with all honor and obedience by the duchesse in the dukes absence ; from thence he pass'd through divers towns of the reformed religion , where in some places he chang'd the governors , so he came to moart where paraberre the old governor afterward turning roman , entertaind him with all kind of compliance . so he found little or no opposition at all till he came to saint iohn d' angely where soubize had cast himself in with . men ; a formall siege was planted before the towne . the king had . foot , and . horse , the flower of the cavalry of france , and espernon came with . foot more of gascons and bearnois ; a herald of arms was sent to summon soubize , who being let a little in at one of the gates in his rich coat he pronounced alowd these words : to thee benjamin of rohan , lord of soubize , i come and command thee in the kings name my soverain lord and thine , to open unto him the gates of this town , to deliver it unto him as his own , and to go out presently with all those that assist thee , otherwise i declare thee a rebell and a traytor against divine and humane majesty in the highest degree , thy houses and castles to be raz'd , thy goods confiscated to the king , and i declare thee and all thy posterity yeomen . soubize answer'd , that he was a most humble servant and subject of the kings , but being there in quality of a soldier , the execution of the kings commandment depended on the assembly of rochel , who had committed unto him the government of the place ; this he spoak with his hat on , thereupon the herald replied , know that neither as captain , or soldier , thou oughtst to answer me with thy head cover'd , when i speak to thee in the name of the king thy soverain lord and mine . then haute fontaine took the word , saying , that the lord soubize having never seen such summons , was excusable . this answer and cariage of soubize that he should prefer an ordinance of the assembly , before his royal declaration , nettled the king extremley , so the siege was poursued very eagerly , a mine or two sprung , and a generall storm appointed , but in the interim there were deputies sent to constable luynes to treat , he sent them back with this answer , that the king did not use to treat with his subjects : hereupon they return'd with commission to implore grace , so the king publish'd a short proclamation to this effect . that his majesty being contented to admit of a treaty , at the most humble supplication many times reiterated by them which are in the town of st. john d'angely ( or angerry ) he was pleas'd to vouchsafe a generall pardon to all , provided they ask it , and swear , never to bear arms again against his service , &c. so they came out and soubize kneel'd unto the king and promis'd to observe the conditions his majesty requir'd . thus saint iohn d' angely was yeelded upon saint iohn baptists day the patron of the place after fortie daies siege , which was furious and very hot for the time , divers lords and gentlemen of quality lost their lives there , the prince of ienvill was hurt , so was the duke of elbeuf , the marquis de la valette , de saint claumont , crequy , with divers others ; the cardinal of guyse fell down at the puffe of a canon bullet which put him in such a burning feavor that he died before the town , as also the marshall of brissac : the king commanded a convent of capuchins to be built forthwith , the wals to be raz'd , and commanded it should be call'd no more a town , but a village ; and to be nam'd lewis-bourg . the rendition of this town , was seconded with good news from the prince of condé and the count of saint paul who had taken gergeau , and sancerre , which with saumur , were all they had upon the loire . while the king was before saint iohn d' angely , a remarkable passage happen'd twixt sir edward herbert now baron of cherberry ( then ambassador for his majesty of great britain in france ) and the great favorit and constable luynes : which was thus . sir edward herbert had receiv'd privat instructions from england to mediat a peace for them of the religion , and in case of refusall to use certain menaces ; hereupon he coming to the army , and finding the approches to the said town were almost finish'd , he hastned his addresses to the king for an audience : the king referring him to luynes , and desiring that what he had to say might be first imparted unto him , he went accordingly to luynes lodgings , and deliver'd his message so , that he reserv'd still the latter part , which was menace , untill he heard how the busines was relish'd ; luynes had hid behind the hangings a gentleman of the religion , who was upon point of turning roman , that being an earwitnes of what had pass'd between the english ambassador and luynes , he might relate unto them of the religion what little hopes they were to expect from the intercession of the king of england : the ambassador and luynes having mingled some speeches , the language of luynes was very haughty , saying , what hath your master to do with our actions ? why doth he meddle with our affairs ? sir edward herbert replied . it is not to you to whom the king my master owes an account of his actions , and for me it is enough to obey him. in the mean time , i must maintain that the king my master hath more reason to do what he pleaseth to do , then you have to ask why he doth it ; nevertheles , if you desire me in a gentle fashion , i shall acquaint you further . whereupon luynes bowing a little said , very well ; the ambassador answer'd . that it was not on this occasion only , that the king of great britain had desir'd the peace and prosperity of france , but upon all other occasions whensoever any troubles were rais'd , in that countrey . and this he said was his first reason . the second was , that when a peace was settled there , his majesty of france might be better dispos'd to assist the palatin in the affairs of germany . luynes said , we will none of your advices . the ambassador replied , that he took that for an answer , and was sorry only , that the affection and good will of the king his master was not sufficiently understood , and that since 't was rejected in that maner , he could do no lesse then say , that the king his master knew well enough what he had to do . luynes said , we are not afraid of you ; the ambassador ( smiling a little ) replied , if you had said you had not lov'd us , i should have beleev'd you , and made you another answer ; in the mean while , all i will tell you more is , that we know very well what we have to do . luynes hereupon rising a little from his chaire with a fashion and a countenance much discompos'd , said , by god if you were not monsieur l' ambassadeur , i know very well how i would use you ; the ambassador herewithall rising also from his chaire said , that as he was his majesties of great britains ambassador , so he was also a gentleman , and that his sword , whereon he laid his hand , should do him reason if he took any offence : after which luynes replying nothing , the ambassador went on his way towards the doore , to which when luynes seem'd to accompagny him , the ambassador told him , that after such language , there was no occasion to use ceremony , and so departed , expecting to hear further from him . but no message being brought him from luynes , he did in poursuance of his instructions demand audience of the king at cognac , st. iean d' angely being now rendred , who granting it , where he did in the same termes , and upon the same motives mediat a peace for them of the religion , and receiv'd a far more gentle answer from the king. the marshall de saint geran coming to sir edward herbert told him in a friendly maner , you have offended the constable , and you are not in a place of surety here , whereunto he answer'd , that he held himself to be in a place of surety , wheresoever he had his sword by him . luynes little resenting the affront he receiv'd from sir ed. herbert , got cadenet his brother duke of chaune with a ruffling train of cavaliers , neer upon a hundred , ( whereof there was not one , as cadenet told king iames , but had kild his man in duel ) ambassadour extraordinary to england a little after , who misreporting the clash 'twixt sir ed. herbert and luynes , prevaild so far , that sir ed. herbert was presently revok'd , to answer the charge that should be laid against him . in the mean time the earl of carlile that dexterous courtier was employ'd extraordinary ambassador to france for accommodating le mal entendu which might arise 'twixt the two crowns ; carlile was commanded to inform himself of the truth of the businesse afore mention'd , and he could meet with no relation but what luynes had made himself : wherein more affronting and haughty expressions were laid to sir ed. herberts charge then had truly pass'd , for though the first provocation came from luynes , yet the ambassadour kept himself within the bounds both of his instructions and honor ; but as my lord of carlile was ready to send this mis-information to england , the gentleman formerly spoken of who stood behind the hangings , came to the earl of carlile and said , that he ow'd so much unto truth and honor that he could doe no lesse then vindicat cavalier herbert from all indiscretion and unworthines , and thereupon related the true circumstances of the businesse . the earl of carlile being thus rectified in the knowledge of the truth , gave account to king iames accordingly , who cleer'd sir ed. herbert , and resolv'd to renvoy him ambassador to france , whereof he having notice , kneel'd to the king before the duke of buckingham , and humbly desired that since the busines was public in both kingdoms he might in a public way demand reparation of m. luynes : for which purpose he beseech'd his majesty that a trumpeter if not a herald might be sent on his part to m. de luynes to tell him that he had made a false relation of the passages before mentioned , and that sir ed. herbert would demand reasons of him with sword in hand on that point ; the king answering that he would take it into consideration . luynes a little after died , and sir edward was again sent ambassador to france . but to return to our former road , besides those places formerly mentioned , the towns suilly , merac and caumont were also taken for the king , but the latter two by the duke of mayn governor of guyen : all poitou being reduc'd to royall obedience , and setled , the king resolv'd to go for guyen to suppresse the duke of rohan and la force who were in arms , and had a considerable army : he left behind the duke of espernon with . foot , and . horse to beleager rochell , and stop the advenues in the interim . so he advances to guyen , and divers places in the way open'd their gates unto him , till he came to clairac , where he found a tough resistance ; he lost before the town the great lord of thermes , and sundry persons of quality besides ; in so much that he would give no generall pardon but reserv'd five for death , and there were most pittifully drown'd and kill'd in the town above . whereof there were above . gentlemen . the king having reduc'd clayrac , though it cost him dear , his thoughts then reflected upon montauban which after rochell was the prime propugnacle , and principallest town of security they of the religion had in the whole kingdom . there was a royall summons sent before , and it was accompanied with a large persuasive letter from the duke of suilly ( who was one of the chiefest grandes they had of the reformed religion ) to induce them to conformitie and obedience ; some interpreted the letter to a good sense , but the populasse , by the instigation of the ministers , would not hearken to it ; this was that duke of suilly that had bin a favorit to henry the fourth , whom he had reduc'd from a roman to be a reformist when he was king of navar onely , and perswading him to become roman again , the duke bluntly answer'd ; sir , you have given me one turn already , you have good luck if you give me any more : thereupon the siege began , and the great duke of mayn who had newly come with additionall forces to the king began the first battery and spent . cannon bullets upon them , a breach was made , but with losse of divers men of note amongst the royallists ; the marquis of themines breath'd there his last : and not long after the brave duke of mayn himself peeping out of a gabion within his trenches , was shot by a common soldier from the town ; the parisians were much incens'd for the losse of the duke of mayn , therfore as some of the reformed religion were coming from charenton-sermon they assaulted them in the way , hurt divers , kil'd some , and going on to charenton , they burnt the temple there ; but a few nights after two great bridges ore the seinn were burnt quite down to the water in the city of paris , and a great store of wealth consum'd , and it was interpreted to be a just judgement from heaven for burning of charenton temple . the duke of angoulesm was sent to counter-car the forces of the duke of rohan who was then in motion in guyen , and angoulesm was so succesfull that he gave him a considerable defeat , by taking the strong fort of fauch , in defence whereof . of the reformists were slain . the contagion rag'd furiously in the kings army before montauban , and divers persons of quality died of it , amongst others the archbishop of sens brother to cardinall perron , and the bishops of valentia , carcassona , and marseillis , and pierre matthieu the historiographer added to the number of the dead . this , with the approach of winter caus'd the king to raise his siege from before the town , having lost above five hundred noblemen and gentlemen of qualitie , besides thousands of common souldiers . during this pertinacious siege before montauban there was a remarquable thing pass'd , which was this . there was a cunning report rais'd in the kings army that rochell , which was then also beleaguer'd by the count of soissons , and the duke of guyse , the first by land , the other by sea , was rendred upon composition ; this report was made to fly into montauban , which must needs strike a shrewd apprehension of fear into her ; they of rochell hearing of it , articled with master hicks an english gentleman ( now sir ellis hicks ) who spake the language perfectly well , that if he would undertake to carry a letter into montauban , he should receive a noble reward ; master hicks undertook it , and passing through the army that was before rochell came to tholouse , where my lord of carlile was then ambassador extraordinary ▪ master hicks meeting with master fairfax a young gentileman ( brother to the now lord fairfax ) he did associat much with him ; they both went to see the siege before montauban , and being gentlemen and thought to be of the english ambassadors train , there was little heed taken of them ; they got one day between the kings trenches and the town , and hicks being very well mounted told fairfax , if you love your life follow me , so he put spurs to his horse & having showers of shots powr'd after him he came safe to the gates of montauban , and so he deliver'd the intrusted letter , which brought news in what a good posture rochell was ; this so animated the besieged , that the next day they made a sally upon the kings forces ; and did a notable execution upon them , and a little after the siege was rais'd ; so master hicks besides the honor of the act had a guerdon equall to the importance of the service , and danger of the attempt ; but master fairfax ( who was inscious of the dessein ) staying behind and being apprehended , was put to the torture , and a diaper napkin dipt in boyling water was squeaz'd down his throat , whereof he died : a hard destiny of a most hopefull young gentleman . within the compasse of this yeer there died paul the fift , philip the third of spain , the arch-duke albertus in flanders , cosmo de medicis gran duke of toscany , and cardinall bellarmin ▪ to whom may be added also the duke of luynes lord high constable of france , who died in longuetille , a small town in languedoc , of the purple feavor ; he was one of the greatest favourits , for so short a time , that ever were in france , since the maires of the palace from whom emperours afterwards issued ; his countrey was provence , and he was a gentleman by descent though of a petty extraction ; in the last kings time he was preferd to be one of his pages , who finding him a good waytor , allowed him three hundred crowns per an . which he husbanded so frugally , that he maintain'd himself and his two brothers in passable good fashion . the king observing that , doubled his pension , and taking notice that he was a serviceable instrument , and apt to please , he thought him fit to be about his son ( the dauphin ) in whose service he had continued above . yeers , & by a singular dexteritie he had in faulconry he gain'd so far upon the young kings affection , that he soard to that high pitch of honor. he was a man of a passable understanding , of a mild comportment , humble and debonnair to all suters , but he was too open in his counsels and desseins ; he had about him good solid heads who prescrib'd unto him rules of policy , by whose compasse he steer'd his cours ; he came at last to that transcendent altitude , that he seem'd to have surmounted all reaches of envie , and made all hopes of supplanting him frustrat , both by the constant strength of the kings favor , and the powerfull alliances he had got for himself , and his two brothers : he married the duke of montbazons daughter ; his second brother cadenet the heiresse of pequigny with whom he had . pound lands a yeer : his third brother married the heiresse of luxemburg , of which house there have bin five emperors ; so that the three brothers with their alliances were able to counterbalance any one faction in france : he left two living monuments of his greatnes behind him , which were his two brothers , one whereof was marshall , but both of them dukes and peers of france . the repulse before montauban , and the death of luynes gave some matter of resentment to the king for the present , but he quickly pass'd it over : and having settled matters to his best advantage in guyen , he return'd to bourdeaux , and so came to keep his christmas at paris . the spring following he gets a horseback again , and it was high time for him , in regard there was a generall insurrection of them of the religion both in dauphiné , languedoc , guyen and poitou . in the last soubize had got a considerable army of . foot , and . horse , and . pieces of ordnance . the king parts from paris upon palm-sunday which was cryed up to be a good augury that he would return with the palm the emblem of victory ; so marching to poitou , he found out soubize entrench'd in certain little islands call'd rie & perier : upon the kings approach soubize abandons the place , and with a few horse got along the sands to rochell ; the whole army being thus left headlesse , in a fearfull consternation all began to flie , and some thought to save themselfs through the marasse , where many hundreds miserably perished , those that stayed behind the king were pardon'd , only . were hang'd for example , and they were some of those that had taken an oath at saint iohn d' angely never to bear arms against the king ; there were kill'd and drown'd in all above two thousand reformists in this rencounter . after this royan was rendred after a pertinacious siege ; and a great slaughter on both sides ; the king thence marcheth to guyen , where the duke of elbaeuf had done divers exploits ; insomuch that in a short time all the towns of guyen were reduc'd to the king except montauban ; amongst others there were three towns call'd tonnenx knotted one in another , which were utterly extinguish'd , with prohibition for any ever to build there again . being in carcassona upon his march to montpellier , there were two signall things done , soubize was proclaim'd traitor for flying to england to sollicit for forrein ayd ; and old lesdeguiers , was made constable of france ; chastillon also a little after came to be marshall for giving up aiguemortes ; the first had that high office , provided he would go to masso , which he did ; but the last persisted still in his religion . the king appear'd now in person before montpellier , and a great deal of earth was thrown up by his pioners before he came , the trenches being almost finish'd , there were divers furious sallies from within ▪ and assaults from without happen'd in this siege , and many gallant gentlemen lost , amongst others the young duke of fronsack unic son to the count of saint paul , was condol'd with much regret . and the king was like to have had the same fortune there , which he had before montauban , had not the duke of vendosme come with a timely supply of five thousand fresh combatants . the duke of rohan , and constable lesdiguieres , old in yeers and new in office , had privat meetings ; the former going into the town , carried the busines with that power , and wrought so far upon the affections of the inhabitants of montpellier , that he made them inclinable to let in the king , provided that their fortifications might continue entire , and that they might be exempt from cittadel , governor or garrison , upon such termes , they with the whole body of the religion would conform themselfs to a generall peace , which was a little after proclaim'd before montpellier in form of an edict , to this effect . that the edict of nants , with the secret articles thereunto annexed should be inviolably kept , as under the raign of henry the great ; that the exercise of the catholic roman religion should be reestablish'd where it hath bin interrupted , and the ecclesiasticks restor'd to all their goods ; that likewise they of the reformed religion should exercise it freely in all those places , where it was practis'd before these commotions ▪ that all new fortifications should be demolish'd , specially in the islands of re & oleron , and the old wals only stand ; that all assemblies particular and generall be prohibited to them of the p : reformed religion for the futur , unlesse it be upon affairs purely ecclesiastic , under pain of the crime of treason ; that an abolition be granted of every thing pass'd except of those execrable cases reserv'd by the article . of the edict of nants ; that catholicks as well as reformists be chosen promiscuously in civill offices , &c. this being done , the deputies of the reformed churches coming to attend the king , they were made to stoop at the entrance of the kings lodging , and afterward having first desir'd pardon , they presented the keys of the town unto him ; so the next day he entred the town , and having settled all things thereabouts , the king went to provence , and so to avignon the popes town , where the old duke of savoy came to visit him ; thence he returns to lyon , where he found the two queens ; the prince and princesse of savoy came also thither to attend him . geneva likewise sent thither her deputies , who made an oration to the king upon their knees all the while . from lyon he came triumphantly to paris to begin the new yeer , . in peace , after such a long martial progres . while the king was himself in person up and down poitou and guyen to represse them of the religion ; the duke of guyse by sea , ( who had an auxiliary fleet of eight of the king of englands ships joyn'd with him for which the duke of buckingham was afterwards questioned in parliament ) and the count of soissons by land did pinch the rochellers ; soissons rais'd up a strong tenable bulwark , which he call'd lewis-fort , that commanded the chanell sea-ward , and gave the law by land. the generall pacification published at montpellier was but a peece slightly plaister'd over , it was far from searching the bottom , from cleansing and curing the wound , for many discontents raign'd still amongst them of the religion , they complain'd that lewis-fort before rochell was not demolish'd being a new fortification , and they spoak of other grievances ; the king on the other side complain'd , they had not reestablish'd the ecclesiasticks in their primitive possessions , nor chosen catholicks in civill offices . this being profoundly debated in the counsell of state , some , as the church-men , and nobles , gave their opinion , that , rather then to be in such continuall trances and alarms , his majesty should with his main entire strength apply himself to extinguish both the rebellion and the heresie ( as they term'd it ) totally together , as the effect with the cause ; because his majesty was not in case to do any thing abroad , while they were left so strong at home , for as one of the counsellors said , he that hath theeves to his neighbours dares not goe far from home . others were of a contrary opinion , that it was very requisit there should be a generall peace now 'twixt the french people , because of the businesse of the valtolin , where the spaniard had a purpose to block out france in all places towards italy , which was very necessary to be prevented , so that it was not fit to enfeeble france at this time by attempting to extinguish them of the religion , and to plunge the whole countrey in an intestine war , for it was as if one would cut off his left hand with the right . this last counsell took more with the king , and so he left no way unessayed to reunite all his subjects : hereupon to content the reformists , he caus'd their temples to be reedified , he appointed . franks for the payment of their ministers , and permitted them to call a synod at charenton , with divers other acts of compliance ; provided , that on their part they should entertain no strangers for preachers , nor admit ministers into politic assemblies . in these difficulties and anxious traverses of things , the king made the cardinal of richelieu his principall minister of state , chiefe of his counsell , and director generall under his authority in the government of the state. he made this election by the advice of the queen mother principally , nor was it an improper choice , for the party had a concurrence of high abilities in him , answerable to that transcendent trust : and he prov'd , as will appear by the sequele of things , a succesfull instrument ; though many doubt whether his counsel was as succesfull to france , as it was fatall to the rest of christendom , which he hath plung'd in an eternall war : touching this we leave the ingenious reader a freedom of censure , according as his judgement shall be guided by an unpartiall , and unbiass'd relation of matters , as they ly connected in the ensuing part of this story . thus our third lustre concludes , with the commencement of richelieus greatnes . the fourth lustre of the life of lewis the thirteenth . vve began the last lustre with the espousals of the lady christina , second daughter of france , with the prince of piemont , this begins with the mariage of the lady henriette marie de bourbon , the yongest royall branch of henry the great ; and this was the first great act that the cardinal of richelieu performed , after he was come to the superintendency of affairs of state. france had two causes of perpetuall apprehensions of fear , one external , th' other internal ; the still growing greatnesse of spain without , and they of the religion within doors , which were made frequent use of by any discontented princes upon all occasions ; and were cryed up by the jesuits to be as matches to set france on fire at any time ; therefore the first gran dessein that he projected with himself was to clip their wings , and diminish their strength , by dismantling their cautionary towns , and making them dismisse their garrisons : the cardinal knew the king his master did not affect them since the treaty at lodun , wherein they forc'd him to put another interpretation upon his coronation oth , then his conscience did dictat unto him , or the prelat , who administred it unto him , meant ; which appear'd in a churlish answer that he gave them not long after when he was solicited to prolong the terme of holding their cautionary towns as henry the third , and henry the great his father had done . which answer was , that what grace the first did shew you , was out of fear , what my father did , was out of love ; but i would have you know , that i neither fear you nor love you . to compasse that great work of taking from them their garrison towns , it was thought very expedient to secure forren princes from assisting them , specially england , and the united provinces ; touching the latter , they were charm'd with money ; for in a fresh treaty , the king accorded them a million of franks , and six hundred thousand franks every one of the two yeers next ensuing ; which they were to re-inburse the next two yeers that they should conclude a peace or truce with spain . the holland-ambassadors who were employed in this treatie did promise the king that there should be libertie of conscience given the catholiks at his majesties request ; that the states should associat the french with them in the commerce of the indies , give them some choice ports for traffic , and repaire some depraedations they had made by sea ; but the money being once got , there was little care taken to perform these promises ; which were no more then parol engagements or rather complements ; whereupon an ambassador was expressely sent to complain hereof , but he effected little . to secure england from succouring them of the religion , the first overture that the erl of holland made for an alliance was yeelded unto ; to whom the erl of carlile was sent in joynt commission to conclude it ; the king told them , that he took it for an honour , that they sought his sister for the sole sonne of so illustrious a king his neighbour and allie ; onely he desir'd that he might send to rome to have the popes consent for better satisfaction of his conscience , and in the mean time the english ambassadors might send for a more plenary power to england ; so in lesse then the revolution of nine moons this great businesse was propos'd , poursued and perfected , whereas the sun ran his carreer through the zodiac ten times before that spain could come to any point of perfection ; this may serve to shew the difference twixt the two nations , the leaden heel'd pace of the one , and the quicksilver'd motions of the other ; it shewes also how the french is more round and frank in his proceedings , not so full of scruples , reservations and jealousies as the spaniard : and one reason that the statists of the time alledg'd why spain amus'd the english , and protracted the treaty of the match so long , was , that all the daughters of france might be first married to prevent an alliance 'twixt england and her . there was a concurrence of many things that favor'd the effecting and expediting of this alliance : some previous offices and letters of invitation from france , wherein there were strains of extraordinary endearments , wherewith the king of great britain corresponded also in an unusuall stile , as appears by this letter following . most high , most excellent , and most puissant prince , our most deer , and most beloved good brother , cousen and ancient ally : although the deceased king of happy memory was justly call'd henry the great , for having re-conquer'd by arms his kingdom of france , though it appertain'd unto him as his proper inheritance ; yet you have made now a greater conquest ; for the kingdom of france though it was regain'd by the victorious arms of your dead father , it was his de jure , and so he got but his own : but you have lately carried away a greater victory , having by your two last letters so full of cordiall courtesies , overcome your good brother , and ancient ally , and all the kingdoms appertaining unto him ; for we acknowledge our self so conquer'd by your more then brotherly affection , that we cannot return you the like : onely we can promise and assure you upon the faith of an honest man , that you shall have alwayes power not onely to dispose of our forces and kingdoms , but of our heart and person , and also of the person of our son if you have need , which god prevent : praying you to rest assured that we shall not onely be far from cherishing , or giving the least countenance to any of your subjects , of what profession soever of religion , who shall forget their naturall allegiance unto you , but if we have the least inkling thereof , we shall send you very faithfull advertisement : and you may promise your self that upon such occasion , or upon any other which may tend to the honor of your crown , you shall alwayes have power to dispose freely of our assistance , as if the cause were our own ; so upon assurance that our interests shall be alwayes common , we pray god , most high , most excellent and most puissant prince , our most deer , and most beloved brother , cousen and ally , to have you alwayes in his most holy protection . newmarket . of february , . your most affectionat brother , cousen , and ancient ally , iames k. the critiques of the time did much censure this letter in regard king iames seems to dis-invest himself utterly of all title to france thereby , because he confesseth henry the fourth to have not onely reconquer'd it , but to have a naturall right unto it in the said letter . the former treaty for the infanta of spaine did facilitat also the hastning of this businesse , and made it lesse knotty , in regard that the matrimonial capitulations which in effect were the very same with those of the infanta's , had bin beaten and moulded a long time before upon the spanish anvill , and so made smooth and passable : they were in substance these that follow . . that the french king should make it his busines to procure a dispensation from rome within three moneths . . that for the celebration of the act of affiancing , the king of great britain should depute whom he pleas'd , and that it be done according to the roman rites . . that the mariage be solemniz'd in the same forme as that of queen margaret , and the duchesse of bar was . . that she be attended to the sea side upon the charge of france . . that the contract of mariage be publiquely ratified in england without intervention of any ecclesiastic ceremony . . that free exercise of religion be granted unto madam her self and all her train , and to the children that her servants shall have . and to that end they shall have a chappel in every one of the kings royall houses , or any where els where she shall keep her court. . that preaching , and the administration of the sacraments of the masse , with all other divine offices be permitted her , as also the gaining of all indulgences and jubils from rome ; and that a church-yard be appointed wall'd about to bury catholiks according to the rites of the roman church , all which shall be done modestly . . that she shall have a bishop for her almoner who may have power to proceed against any ecclesiastic under his charge according to the canonicall constitutions : and in case the secular court shall seize upon any churchmen under his jurisdiction , for any crime which concern'd not the state , he shall be sent back to the said bishop , who taking cognisance of the delict , shall degrade him , and so return him to the secular power ; and other faults , all church-men under him , shall be sent to him to be proceeded against accordingly , or in his absence to his vicar generall . . she shall have . priests of her house , and if any be a regular he shall be allow'd to weare his habit . the king of great britain and his son shall oblige themselfs by oath not to attempt any thing upon the conscience of madam to induce her to renounce her religion . . all her domestiques shall be catholiques and french which she shall bring with her , and in their roomes when they die , she shal be allow'd to choose other french catholiques but with the consent of the king of great britain . . her dowry shall be eight hundred thousand crowns , whereof the one moity shall be pai'd the yeeve after contract , the other a yeer after , and in case she survive her husband the said dowry shall be entirely return'd her whether she desire to live in england or france . . but if there remain any children of this mariage , then she is to have back but two thirds of the said dowry . . and in case madam die before the prince without children , the moity of the said dowry shall be only return'd , and in case she leave children all shall go amongst them . . madam shall be endow'd with a joynture of eighteen thousand pound sterling per an . which comes to sixty thousand crowns : and his majestie of great britain shall give her besides the value of fifty thousand crowns in jewels , whereof she shall have the property , as of those she hath already , and of what shall be given her hereafter : he shall be also oblig'd to maintain her and her house , and in case she come to be a widow , she shall enioy her dower , and jointure which shall be assignd her in lands , castles and houses , whereof one shall be furnish'd and fit for habitation , and that the said joynture be pay'd her wheresoever she shall desire to reside : she shall have also the free disposing of the benefices and offices belonging to the said lands , whereof one shall have the title of duchy or county . . that she shall be permitted whether she have children or not , to return to france , and bring with her her movables , rings and jewels , as also her dowry , and the king shall be bound to have her conducted to calice upon his charge . . the contract of the mariage shall be registred in the court of parliament of paris , and ratified in that of england . . all her servants shall take this following oath , i sweare and promise fidelitie to the most gracious king of great britain , to the most gracious prince charles , and to madame henriette marie daughter of france , which i shall most faithfully and inviolably keep ; and if i know of any attempt against the said king , prince , and lady , or their estates , or against the public good of the kingdoms of the said king , i shall forthwith denounce the same to the said king , prince , and lady , or others who shall have it in charge . this was the substance of all the matrimoniall capitulations which were digested to . articles , with a penalty of four hundred thousand crowns upon either of the two kings which should infringe any of them . besides these , there were some privat articles accorded in favour of the roman catholiks in england and ireland , but far from the latitude of a public toleration . upon the ending of this great treaty with france iames the first of england , and sixth of scotland ended his life in his palace at theobalds ; a little before , he broak out into a very passionate speech to his lords of the counsel of the king of france ; saying , my lords , the king of france hath writ unto me that he is so far my friend , that if ever i have need of him , he will render me offices in person whensoever i shall desire him ; truly , he hath gain'd upon me more then any of his predecessors , and he may beleeve me , that in any thing that shall concern him i will employ not only my peoples lifes , but mine own ; and whosoever of his subjects shall rise against him either catholiks or others , shall find me a party for him : 't is true , if he be provok'd to infringe his edicts , i shall impart as much as in me lies , by counsell and advice to prevent the inconveniences . then falling upon the perfections of madame henriette marie , he said pleasantly , when she is come over i will denounce war against her , because she would not read my letter , nor my sons , as i understand , before she had first receiv'd command from the queen her mother ; yet i have cause to thank her , because that after she had perus'd them , she put mine in her cushionet , and the other in her bosome , intimating thereby that she would rely upon me ( for counsell ) and lodg my son in her heart . king iame's death retarded a while the proceedings of the match , for things were at a stand till his exequies were pass'd , which were perform'd with a magnificence sutable to so great a king. this ceremony being ended a procuration was sent the duke of cheureuse from his majesty of great britain to be contracted unto the lady henriette and then to marry her in his name , which was done with extraordinary celebrity , the one in the louure , the last in the great church of paris by the ministery of the cardinall rochefaucaud ; a little before there was a clash twixt him and the bishop of paris , who urg'd , it was his right to officiat in his own church , but the cardinal being a prince of the church universall , being also gran almoner which makes him chief clark of the court , and cardinal richelieu , who had now the greatest stroak in the state , favoring his own habit and the hat more then the mitre , the cardinal carried the day : this solemnity was perform'd to the very height of greatnes and splendor ; and such was the bravery of the english ambassadors the earls of carlile and holland , that they seem'd to outshine the french that day in their own sphere ; one half of the dowry had bin delivered before upon the contract , which was in all , as was said before , eight hundred thousand crowns , and it was more then the eldest sister had by two hundred thousand crowns , and double as much as the second had , the one having but six hundred thousand , the other but foure hundred thousand crowns to their portions . the contract and mariage being thus finish'd , the duke of buckingham came a fortnight after with admired gallantry , to demand the queen of great britain for the king his master , and to attend , and conduct her over to england . the queen mother accompagnied her as far as amiens , monsieur her brother to bullen , whence a fleet of twenty galeons royall transported her to dover . this was the eighth nuptiall conjunction of the rose and flowerdeluce that hath happend 'twixt england and france . the first was in the yeer . 'twixt charles the first of france , and the lady ogine daughter to edward the old king of england , . yeers before the norman conquest . the second twixt henry the third of england , and margaret daughter to lewis the seventh of france . the third was between edward the first of england , and the lady margaret daughter to philip the hardy of france . the fourth 'twixt edward the second of england , and isabel daughter to philip the faire . the fifth was 'twixt richard the second of england , and elizabeth daughter to charles the sixth . the sixth 'twixt henry the fifth of england , and catherin daughter also to charles the sixth of france . the seventh was 'twixt lewis the twelfth of france , and mary daughter to henry the seventh of england . the eighth was this 'twixt charles stuard prince of wales , and henriette marie of bourbon youngest daughter to henry the great : so in these eight matches england hath had six daughters of france , and france two of englands . as soon as this great nuptiall pompe was pass'd , there came tydings that soubize upon a new discontent of them of the religion , had a great fleet of ships at sea , and surpriz'd the port of blauet in britany , which is a faire and large haven deposited to the spaniard in time of the ligue , and restored to henry the great at the peace at vervins ; soubize enterd the haven with eleven sayle of men of war , and took and carried away six great ships whereof some belong'd to the duke of nevers . this rendred them of the religion powerfull at sea , and because their ships might have choise of harbors , they seiz'd upon the islands of re , and oleron where they began to fortifie . soubize sayles up the garond towards bourdeaux with a fleet of seventy sayles of all sort which made him master of the sea , and landing a considerable number of land forces at the land of medoc , they of bourdeaux joyning with toiras sent him a shipboard again with losse , and so he return'd to rochell . a little after he sets out to sea again , and takes divers prises , extremely interrupting all traffic on those coasts ; hereupon the king sent to the hollander to hyre twenty sayle of men of war , according to the late treaty ; which were accordingly sent him under admirall hauthain ; these joyning with another fleet of the duke of monmorency made a considerable naval power ; monmorency was very eagar to set upon soubize and the rochell fleet , but he found the hollanders bacward and cold , being charm'd by letters and a remonstance annexed unto it sent to hauthain by two french ministers , and two dutch merchants from rochell , wherein they made piteous complaint that the king had performed little or nothing at all of the treaty before montpellier , and that the utter ruine of the whole body of the religion ( which was the same with that of holland ) was intended , therefore they did efflagitat , and conjure the said admiral hauthain to lay his hand on his heart and conscience , and not to contribute to so damnable a dessein . this remonstrance wrought much upon hauthain and dorp his vice-admiral , in so much that he publiquely declar'd unto the duke of monmorency that he had commission in expresse termes from his masters the states , to reduce monsieur soubize to his duty , either by reason or force ; that he understood how he was ready to conforme himself to the first , and to that effect he and his brother the duke of rohan with other towns of their party , had deputies employed to the king to desire peace which was in a good forwardnes ; therefore it was needlesse to force them to their duty , which were willing to do it of their own motion . so the hollanders refus'd to fight , yet the rochell fleet not fully knowing their intention fell unwares upon them and burnt their vice-admirall , but attempting to boord some french , they were repuls'd with the losse of three hundred men , and four barks full of hurt men : this nettled hans , & afterwards seriously he joyn'd with the french royall fleet , which had receiv'd an addition of seven english ships under the command of chevalier de ris , and twenty two more under the marquis of royan ; so that the whole number coming to sixty six sayles , they divided themselfs to three squadrons : in the first was monmorency and hauthain ; dorp commanded the second , and the third was under manty monmorency's vice-admiral : soubize had got into the isle of ré where he had intrench'd himself , but a considerable army of the kings landing there , there were divers furious and bloudy skirmishes , wherein there fell on soubizes side above eight hundred ; and so many more drown'd in flight : the royallists also lost there a great number , but they made themselfs masters of the island ; soubize got away in a shallop , and ( as the enemy gave out ) left his hat and sword behind him , so he went to england . there was also a great sea fight neer la fosse de loy'e where the royallists took nine ships , burnt one , and attempting to boord their admiral , call'd the virgin , and being grappled with her , all that were upon the upper deck being kill'd , they who had got under hatches desperatly put fire in the gunpowder , and blew her up with three hundred soules in her , whose members floted afterwards up and down the waves , a piteous and horrid spectacle to see : three of the kings ships being grappled with her were also burnt . the duke of monmorency , the isle of ré being already reduc'd , went then to oleron which he took and secur'd for the king. while these fearfull traverses of war happen'd before rochell , the duke of rohan was very busie in languedoc ; and entertain'd a treaty with the spaniard , but camredon his agent was surpriz'd , and had his head chopt off at tholous . constable lesdigueres was upon point of passing the alps with an army at this time to italy ; but the commotions of languedoc were such that he was diverted , and commanded to march thither against the duke of rohan ; the king endevouring to win rohan by acts of grace offer'd him a prime command in the army that was to go for italy against the spaniard , and his brother soubize the command of ten galeons , but the motion was not hearken'd unto . espernon and themines did divers exploits up and down languedoc this yeer , specially before montauban , where they of the town lost eight hundred men in two sallys they had made . they of the religion being now much quail'd by divers ill successes they had receiv'd by sea and land , had recourse to the king with a submissive querulous remonstrance of their miseries . he that brought it seem'd to reproach the rebellion in general , but he excus'd the rochellers , declaring ore tenus to the king , how they were bereft of their priviledges , how their walls were batter'd , their vines pluck'd up , how their tillage ceas'd , and their traffic was ruin'd ; and while others of his majesties subjects have slept in their beds under the public faith of peace , they have watch'd upon his walls to repell the injuries of a particular war ; in fine this usage being capable to make wild the gentlest spirits hath made them apprehend the blow of their utter ruine . it is true , that they had bin forc'd to put the law of necessitie in practise , which they do not alledge to justifie themselfs , they have rather words of execration against those subjects which dare raise armes in prejudice of their princes under what pretext whatsoever ; but only to make his majesty see that they have held it necessary to do well , in doing ill , and that they are more worthy of pity then pain : thus they accus'd themselfs , and were come hither to crave pardon of his majesty : whom they adjur'd and beseech'd by his royall naturall goodnes , and by the glory their ramparts have gain'd to have conserv'd his majesty in the reignes of henry the great , to restore them to liberty , and to forget their faults , &c. upon this petition the king intended to shew them some grace , but with this proviso , to separate the rochellers from the conditions he vouchsafed to the whole body of the religion that they might be the more humbled , and so to take from them the presumption they us'd to attribut to themselfs to have a kind of authority over the rest , and from the other churches the confidence and repute they had of them ; so by reiteration of divers supplications they obtain'd at last these conditions . . that the counsel and government of rochell be put in the hands of the body of the town as it was . . that they receive an overseer of justice , to hinder dissensions and factions . . that all new bastions and fortifications be demolish'd , and that she be reduc'd to her ancient circuit , . . that his majesty shall be receiv'd into the town with all due respect and reverence whensoever he please . . that they of the town shall not keep any vessels of war in their haven , and those that go abroad in course and to traffic shall ask leave of the lord admiral . . that the goods appertaining to ecclesiastics , be restor'd , &c. these being sent to rochell , montauban , castres and other places were accepted , and a public act pass'd ; that the foresaid conditions were taken as a most speciall testimony of his majesties clemence . there followed a great calm in france after this , and all forces were withdrawn from before rochell , except the garrison in lewis fort. so the king had now opportunity to look abroad , and the first place he cast his eye upon was the valtolin , and the grisons , which border upon milan : the king of spain and the arch-duke leopold his cousin german , were call'd in there to preserve the catholicks from the oppression of the protestants who were powerfull , so coming to the said assistance they took divers old forts and erected new which they secur'd with garrison : the spaniard hereby had an extraordinary advantage to convey any forces from italy to germany upon all occasions . the protestant grisons had recourse to the king of france , and he undertook their protection ( according to an old league in lewis the twelfth his time ) not as much out of any great good will he bore them , but to deprive the spaniard of that advantage , therefore he sent the marquis of caeuures ambassadour to the cantons of suisse that were allies to france to exhort them to defend the valtolins . caeuures from ambassadour was made generall of an army a while after , and the venetians with the duke of savoy ligu'd with him ; he perform'd divers exploits there , so that the truncheon of marshall was sent him ; the pope interpos'd also in this busines , and had forces there , and there were sundry skirmishes fought ; the spaniard told the pope lowdly , that he came thither to conquer heretiques , and the places which he had taken from them were by consequence justly acquir'd , and so might be justly kept , howsoever it was reason he should hold them untill his charges were reimbours'd : hereupon cardinal barberin was sent to france to accommode things , but little could be done for that time . this war of the valtolins begot another twixt the duke of savoy and genoa , the principall motive whereof was to divert the spaniard from the conquest of the valtoline . yet the savoyard alledg'd that the genois usurped divers places from him , that they had offer'd him some indignities , in defacing and vilifying his picture ; whereby they imitated the leopard who by the naturall hatred he beares to man useth to teare his image with his ongles and teeth , when he cannot exercise his fury upon his body . the old constable lesdiguieres notwithstanding that he had one foot in the grave , yet it seems he had an ambition to die in the field , therefore he made earnest instances to the king , that he would be pleas'd to employ him against the genois ; hereupon he clammer'd over the alpes to piemont , where he with the duke of savoy made an army of twentie five thousand foot , and four thousand horse , which they powr'd into the territories of genoa ; the constable with crequy his son in law had the vantgard ; the duke with the prince of piemont seconded , and they march'd severall roads ; the french took capriata which was taken by storm ; and all were put to the sword and plunder : the inhumanitie whcih the souldiers exercis'd upon the women , and maides rais'd an ill odor of the french in italy ; he took divers other places ; and the duke of savoy on the other side rendred himself master of sundry strong holds ; in the interim there were three spanish vessels which sayling from barcelona to genoa , were by distresse of weather forc'd upon the coasts of marseilles , and being out of any port of commerce they were seiz'd upon by the duke of guyse , hereupon the genois made a loud complaint in madrid , and the king of spain resented it so much , that a proclamation issued out to arrest all french vessels that were in any haven of spain , and also to seize upon all the marchants goods ; and it was thought there were neer upon two hundred thousand french then dwelling or trading in spain , and eighteen thousand in madrid it self of all sorts of marchants and pedlers . in correspondence to this ; the french king publish'd a declaration wherein he interdicted all commerce to spain . the violent progresse of the french and savoy army against genoa awaked all the princes of italy ; thereupon the king of spain armes mainly , in milan and naples . the emperour also sent a considerable number of horse and foot , and all conjoyn'd under the duke of feria , who was made generall by land , and the marquis of santacruz came with twentie two gallies , and five galeons by sea with four thousand combatants from sicilie to secure the sea of genoa , who had eighteen gallies besides in cours , and ten thousand men by land ; upon the appearance of this great army , most of those places which had rendred themselfs to france and savoy , open'd their gates to the spanish army at first approach ; they ravag'd the countrey of monferrat up and down , and came thence before ast a considerable frontire town of piemont . yet though there were five or six armies in motion that sommer in italy , there was no battail fought , but only sieges , and leagers , sallies and skirmishes ; the approach of winter brought a suspension of armes ; afterwards a treaty was appointed at monson , and twentie articles interchangeably accorded unto : so the war ended , and a peace was renew'd twixt all parties . the duke of savoy was neither himself , nor by his ambassador or deputy present at this treaty , which made him complain highly of the king of france , taxing him with infraction of faith , and of the late confederation between them : thereupon the king sent monsieur bullion to him in qualitie of ambassador to make an apologie , that his highnes should not impute this to ill faith , or any disrespect of him , or to any particular advantage his majesty hop'd to receive thereby for himself ; therefore his highnes should not except at the light omission of complements which had more of exterior apparance , then sincerity . bullion having notice that the duke would give him a solemn open audience in the presence of most of his lords and counsell , prepared himself accordingly ; and being come into the roome , the little duke began to speak very high language , thereupon bullion told him in his eare , that he perceav'd his highnes to be mov'd , therefore he pray'd him ( not as an ambassador , but as a privat man and his servant ) to speak of so puissant and illustrious a monark with that moderation , respect and reservednes , that his majesty might not be offended , and if his highnes thought to satisfie himself by words of advantage , nothing would remain unto him but repentance so to suffer himself to be transported by a disordred passion : for the main businesse , the king having obtain'd by the treaty at monson all that he and his allies could hope for if they had gain'd a battaile , as also the liberty of the grisons and the valtolines , his confederates ought not to take offence if he as the eldest , had treated himself alone for his cadets , a title which they had reason to esteeme for honorable : yet if notwithstanding these considerations his highnes desir'd to have satisfaction in a stricter way he would undertake his majesty should make him amends . in the interim he wish'd his highnes to think upon any thing wherein his most christian majesty might be advantageous unto him . the duke being calm'd by these words , answer'd , that he thought upon royalty , and if his majesty would approve of his design ( being already well assured of the popes good will ) he car'd not much for other potentats , and he would be contented to be treated by the king , in the same manner as the kings of france were us'd to treat the kings of scotland and navarr : by royalty he meant the kingdome of cypres , which title the ambassador told him could not be had without distasting the republique of venice , ( whose adoptif son he was ) and whereas he pretended some places in toscany , that could not be done without displeasing the queen mother . the king having dispos'd already of his . sisters , began to think on a match for monsieur his brother ; now it is the style of france to call the kings sole brother monsieur without any further addition , to distinguish him from others ; marie of bourbon daughter to the duke of monpensier was thought to be a fit wife for him ; hereupon the king mov'd it unto him , but he desir'd time to consider of it , because it was a business of the greatest consequence that possibly could import him , for a wife is the best or worst fortune that can befall a man in the whole cours of his life : there were some that whisper'd him in the eare to disswade him from the said match , 'mongst others the marshall of ornano his governor , who told him , that if he maried in france , all his means , credit and fortune would be bounded there , whereas if he maried some forren princesse , he might have some support , and a place to retire unto abroad upon hard usage at home , which would make him better esteem'd . this being brought to the kings eare , ornano with divers other were taken out of their beds in the dead of night , and clap'd in the bastile ; hereupon monsieur went to the chancelor d' haligre , and reproach'd him to have counsell'd the king to have his governor pluck'd away from him so ; the chancelor excus'd himself , and denied that he had given such counsell ; the king having notice of this poor answer of his chancelor , sent the next day for the seales , willing him to retire to his countrey house ; the duke of vendosm and his brother the gran prior were thought also to do ill offices in this busines which made them fall into some dislike , and so they were committed prisoners to the castle of ambois ; amongst other things wherewith vendosm was charg'd , one was , that he should say he would never see the king againe but in picture ; so he was put out of the government of britany , which was conferr'd upon marshall themines . cardinall richelieu having drawn a great deal of hatred upon himself about this match , he had a guard allow'd him , which was afterwards recented according as the measure of envie and danger accrued . the king being at nants in britany to settle that government , told his brother that he much desired he were married to madamoiselle monpensier for the good of his state , assuring him that he should find his own advantages in it : monsieur answer'd , that if his majesty judg'd that it would be for the good of his state he entirely conform'd himself to his pleasure ; thereupon he sent a long complement to madamoiselle monpensier , concluding that he would prove a better husband to her , then he was a servant : so the articles of mariage were drawn , and monsieur was to have for his appannage the duchy of orleans with other places to the sum of one hundred thousand franks annuall rent , all charges defrayed , so much more in pension , and by speciall warrant five hundred and sixty thousand franks yeerly upon the receipts of orleans ; which comes in all to about seventy thousand pounds sterlin per annum : so the cardinall of richelieu betroth'd and married them the next day at nants with as much solemnity as the place could afford . at this time there were whispers up and down france of divers plots that were to be put in execution ; some gave out the king intended to repudiat the queen ; others , that there was a design to clap up the king in a monasterie , and that monsieur should raign ; of this plot there was a whisper the mother was , because she alwaies seem'd to love the younger better then the elder . but i beleeve this was a groundlesse surmise . there were divers in prison that would have perswaded monsieur to a forrein match , and endeavour'd to crosse this ; amongst others the count of chalais was one , who was beheaded at nants , and there being no headsman in the town , a prisoner that was in for a capitall crime , undertooke the office provided he might have his pardon , but he manag'd the instrument so ill that he gave the count thirtie foure stroakes before he could separat the head from the body . sanctarellus the jesuit obtruded to the world dangerous tenets about this time , viz. that the pope hath power to depose the emperour , to admonish , and punish with temporall pains other princes , and absolve their subjects from their oath of fidelitie in case of heresie . the book was burnt in paris ; father cotton provinciall of the french jesuits , brought a public instrument from the chief of the colledge of clermont wherein their society did disadvow , and detest the said opinion of sanctarellus , which instrument was commanded to be put upon record . it was an ancient custom in france before the erection of sedentary parliaments whereof there are eight , to assemble once or twice every yeer the states general , which assembly was first call'd parlement , wherein they treated of the highest affairs of state , of making levies of money for the kings extraordinary occasions ; for punishing corrupt magistrats , and questioning any officers whatsoever upon the relations which were made by the deputies or members of the said assembly , which were call'd in old times missi dominici , viz. those who were sent by the lord or king ; this , as i said before in the second lustre , is equivalent to the high court of parlement in england , though in number it be inferior to it , in regard that this generall assembly of france consists but of foure hundred and odd members , that in england of neer upon seven hundred . since the settling of the said sedentary parlements , this great parlement hath bin seldom convok'd in france unlesse during the minority of the king : for which the countrey hath suffer'd much ; in regard this universall convention was us'd to keep good correspondence 'twixt the prince and his people , and the pecuniary levies which pass'd by their suffrages were given with more cheerfulnesse , and besides there was no need of so many collectors and receivors as are employed in the kings ordinary revenu , which are so numerous that the fourth part is drunk up among officers in fees and wages ; so that there hardly comes into the kings coffers cleer a quardecu in every crowne . this assembly of the three estates in france grew to be very rare , and in a manner obsolete , since the kings had power given them to impose public assessments , the ground whereof was this ; when the english had taken such firme footing in france that they had advanc'd as far as the loire , and besieg'd orleans , the assembly of the three states in these pressures being not able to meet after the ordinary maner by reason of the interposition of the enemy up and down , that power which was formerly inhaerent in the three states of making laws and assessing the subject with subsidiary taxes , was transmitted to the king himself during the war , which continuing long , that intrusted power grew in tract of time so habitual , that it could never be re-assum'd or the kings disvested of it : and that which made the busines more feasable for the kings was , that the burden fell most upon the comminalty , the nobility and clergy not feeling the weight neer so much : and it happen'd in so favourable conjuncture of time that the clergy and nobles were contented to have the peasans pull'd down a little , because not many yeers before in that notable rebellion call'd la iaquerie de beauvoisin which was suppress'd by charles the wise , they boldly put themselfs in armes against the nobility and gentry to lessen their greatnes : add hereunto as an advantage to the work , that this power being first transferr'd to charles the seventh , there succeeded him , a notable cunning king , lewis the eleventh , who knew well how to play his game ; for amongst all the rest he was said to be the first who put the french kings horce de page , out of their minority or from being pages any more , though thereby he brought the peasans to be worse then laquais . out of some distast the king took at the last convention of the three estates which was upon his entrance to his majority , he resolv'd to summon them no more , yet because he might be in good intelligence with his people , a way was projected to call an assembly of notables which should be equivalent to the states generall though fewer far in number , and some out of every one of the provinciall sedentary courts of parlement were chosen to joyn with them : such an assembly as this was held in roven ( as we mentioned before ) which did little good , therefore the king was advis'd to convoque such another at paris this yeer which was done accordingly . they met in the great hall of the twilleries where the king spoak to them thus : we protest before the living god , that we have no other ayme or intention but his honour , and the good and ease of our subjects : therefore in his name we conjure and pray you whom we have here convoqued , and , by that lawfull power which is given us over you , we command and expresly enjoyn you that without any other respect , or cōsideration whatsoever , without regard of pleasing or displeasing any person , you would afford us with all freedom and sinceritie those counsels which you shall judge in your consciences to be most wholesome and convenient to the advancement of the publique good . the cardinal de richelieu also made a long rhetoricall oration ( which you shall find in the legend of his life hereunto annexed ) but there was no great advantage accrued to the public by this assembly of notables though it lasted from the second of december , to the twenty fourth of february following . this yeer a passage happend in the court of england whence ensued ill-favord consequences , and no lesse then a war afterward 'twixt the two nations ; which was this , the train of french servants which the queen of great britain had brought with her at her first arrivall was suddenly dismiss'd to the number of one hundred and twenty ; in regard of no good offices they did twixt the king and queen , and for some petulant bold misdemeanurs of theirs , by imposing also certain odd superstitious penances upon the queen in prejudice of her health : besides , his majesty of great britain having settled a royall joynture upon her of neer upon one hundred thousand crowns a yeer out of the choicest demeans , royalties and houses he had in england , the bishop of mende sought to be surintendent , and steward of her lands , and others of her french servants expected to have offices in that kind , which the king would not hearken unto in regard the said french were unfit for those extern employments having not the language , or knowledge of the laws and customs of the countrey , therefore he desir'd them to rest contented with the domestic offices they had about the person of the queen ; they made a shew to be satisfied herewith , though palpable discontentments appear'd in their countenances and carriage afterward more and more . so they were suddenly discharg'd , and summon'd to quit the kingdom , and there should be order taken for all conveniences for their journey by land and sea , and the arrears of their wages and pensions were punctually paid them . the queen for the present took much to heart the renvoy of her servants , and the king her brother resented it also when notice was sent him , though it was nothing to be wondred at , for he himself had discharg'd the spanish servants his queen had brought with her not long after she came , in the same manner . the king of england dispatch'd a messenger of honor to the court of france to give a true information of matters , which affoorded but little satisfaction ; thereupon marshall bassompierre was sent ambassador extraordinary to england expresly about this busines , but matters were thrust so far off the hinges that they could not be set right again so soon . the french began the first act of hostilitie , and that before any public declaration was publish'd , by seizing a great number of english and scottish ships at blay , as they were returning from the vintage with cargazons of wines from bourdeaux , but the scots were releas'd , the english still stayed . a little after an edict issued out in the kings name to interdict all commerce and traffic with england , that no kind of grain , wines , or pulse should be transported thither , nor from thence to france any cloth , serges , woolls , lead , tinn , stuffs , silk stockings , with an enumeration of divers other commodities : by this one may observe , the advantage that england hath of france , in varietie and substance of marchandizes . the french chroniclers obtrude to the world divers wrong informations of this travers twixt england and france . . they relate that the french were casheer'd of the queens service with little or nothing at all of their wages , which is false , for they were payed to a peny , and many of them parted with gifts and much wealth . . they report that the queen out of her necessities had borrow'd much money of them , which was also a calumny , for there was never princesse liv'd in greater plentie . . they make the world beleeve that the first depraedations at sea , and acts of piracy were committed by the english , which is another falshood , for besides the seisure of the marchants at blay , where they came to reimbarque their ordnance , divers other praedatory acts were done by the french. . they publish also another imposture , that while the earls of carlile and holland were in the heat of the treaty of a match with england , the same time they did machinat the ruine of france ; the first time that england was ever taxed of double dealing . . that his majesty of great britain had no hand in the pacifications which were made twixt the king , and them of the religion , whereas his ambassadors and agents did alwayes follow the kings army to their excessive expences , and did perpetually negotiat in their behalf ; and became caution to them for performances on the kings side . thus a black cloud hung between england and france ; which broak out into a shrew'd , though short , tempest of war. the king of great britain riggs up his galeons , and in a very short time puts to sea a huge royall fleet in perfect equippage of . sayles , with an army of . combatants : which by the advise and directions of monsieur subize , and blancart , who had fled to england some moneths before , were to sayle towards rochell , and seize upon the islands of ré & oleron . in oleron the english , when they were in possession of guyen , made those famous maritim laws , which are observ'd by all the western world to this day : the duke of buckingham was chosen admiral by sea , and general by land of this great expedition ; who publish'd this following manifesto to the world . what part the kings of great britain have alwayes taken in the affairs of the reformed churches of this kingdom , and with what care and zeale they have labour'd for the good of them , is manifest to all , and the examples thereof are as ordinary , as the occasions have been : the now king , my most honor'd lord and master comes nothing short of his predecessors therein , if his good and laudable designes for their good had not bin perverted to their ruine , by those who had most interest for their due accomplishment : what advantages hath he refus'd ? what parties hath he not sought unto ? that by his alliance with france he might restore more profitably and powerfully the restitution of those churches to their ancient liberty and splendor ? and what could be lesse hoped for by so strict an alliance , and from so many reiterated promises by the mouth of a great prince but effects truly royall , and sorting with his greatnes ? but failings have bin such , that his majesty , by so many promises , and so straight an obligation of friendship , hath not only bin disappointed of means to obtain liberty and surety for the said churches , and to restore peace to france by the reconciliation of those , whose breath utters nothing else but all manner of obedience to their king under the liberty of their edicts : that contrariwise they have prevayl'd , by the interest which he had in those of the religion to deceive them , and by this means not only to untie him from them , but also to make him , if not odious unto them , at least suspected in perverting the means , which he had ordain'd for their good , to a quite contrary end : witnes the english ships not design'd for the extirpation of them of the religion , but to the contrary , expresse promise was made that they should not be us'd against them in the last sea-fight . what then may be expected from so puissant a prince as the king my master so openly eluded , but a thorough feeling equall and proportion'd to the injuries receiv'd ? but his patience hath gone beyond patience , and as long as he had hopes that he could benefit the churches by any other means , he had no recours by way of arms : so far that having bin made an instrument and worker of the last peace upon conditions disadvantagious enough , and which would not have bin accepted without his majesties intervention , who interpos'd his credit and interest to the churches to receive them , even with threatnings to the end to shelter the honor of the most christian king , under assurances of his part , not onely for the accomplishment , but also , for the bettering of the said conditions , for which he stands caution to the churches . but what hath bin the issue of all this but onely an abuse of his goodnesse ? and that which his majesty thought a soverain remedy for all their sores , hath it not brought almost the last blow to the ruine of the churches ? it wanted but a little by continuing the fort before rochell , the demolishment whereof was promis'd , by the violences of the soldiers and garrisons of the said fort and isles , as well upon the inhabitants of the said town as upon strangers , in lieu whereas they should have retir'd , they have bin daily augmented , and other forts built ; as also by the stay of the commissioners in the said town beyond the time agreed on , to the end to make broyles , and by means of the division which they made to slide among the inhabitants to open the gates to the neighbouring troupes , and by other withstandings and infractions of peace , i say it little faild , that the said town and in it all the churches had not drawn their last breath : and in the mean time while his majesty hath yet continued , and not oppos'd so many injuries , so many faith-breakings , but by complaint and treaty , untill he had receiv'd certain advice confirm'd by intercepted letters of the great preparation the most christian king made to powre upon rochell . and then what could his majesty of great britain do , but to vindicat his honor by a quick arming against those who had made him a complice of their deceits : and to give testimony of his integrity and zeale which he hath alwayes had for the reestablishing of the churches , an establishment which shall be dear and precious to him above any other thing ? this is the sole end of his arming at this time , and not any particular interest : yet whosoever would doubt hereof , let him consider the circumstance of times , and disposition of affairs as they stand now with the king my master . for who will beleeve that he can have any dessein upon france , or to have projected conquests here in a time so disadvantageous , having now for his enemy one of the puissantst king of the world ; and if he had such a design , surely he would have sent greater forces then i have now under command , whereof if the number were known they would be judg'd but auxiliaries only , and that their ayme is no other but for the good of the churches , which for so many important reasons and considerations he finds himself oblig'd before god and men to protect and succour . but if it be alledg'd that the king my master hath been mov'd to take up armes for other respects , as the detention and seizure of all the ships and goods of his subjects at bourdeaux , and other places of this kingdom , to the breach and manifest contravention of the peace 'twixt the two crowns , which in this point tend expresly to the irrepairable prejudice , yea to the totall ruine of commerce , in the rupture whereof the poore people of this realme being not able to vent their merchandises , groans not onely under the burden of so many taxes and impositions , but for the very necessities of life it self . that the apprehensions the king my master hath of the powerfull encrease of the most christian king by sea hath mov'd him to arme for preventing the growth thereof ; and lastly that being hopelesse of any accommodation of things , he hath bin constrain'd to put himself in armes . the answer to all this is , that whosoever will search the arrests , prises and seasures which have bin made on both sides , he shall find the king my master and his subjects have hitherto profited by this breach , and that it hath turn'd to their advantage . in the second place , he is so far off from being jealous of the pretended power by sea , and that he should have reason to hinder it , that there needs no more then for him to grant , when he thinks it fit , letters of mart to his subjects , and so these vain and feeble forces at sea might be dissipated without the employment of any fleet royall . finally , that there hath bin a necessity to arme thus , because there is no hope of accommodation otherwise , the contrary will be most manifest to him who will consider the researches which have bin made at severall times as well by their own ministers , as by the ministers of other princes to the king my master , to treat of accommodating things at their instigation . it appears by all this that the king my master hath not bin forc'd to arme for any particular interest , but only for the defence of the churches , for the security and freedom whereof he stood responsible : yet there are some who dare amuse the world that his majesty hath a particular dessein in it , and that he useth religion for a pretext to gain a party , by means whereof , and by which conjunction he hopes to push on his purposes to the end at which they ayme . no , no , our religion teacheth us otherwise , and the king my master's piety ( wherein he gives place to no man living ) will never permit him . his desscin is the establishment of the churches , his interest is their good , and his ayme their contentment ; that being done , these drums beating , these ensignes displayed shall be folded up again . and all this noyse of war shall be buried in night and silence , which would never have bin but for their cause . given aboard of our admiral this wensday the . of iuly , . buckingham . a good while before this fleet was under sayle , the french cardinal by some pensionary spies he had in the english court , had advertisement of the dessein , therefore there was a remonstrance sent from the king to his town of rochell to this effect . that they were french , and that the english were proud and insupportable , that having vain pretentions upon this kingdom , if they took any place it was to reduce it to slavery : that their ancestors being acquainted with the nature of the english chose rather to lose half their goods , then to be under their domination upon the accord made for the delivery of king john when he was prisoner in england : that his majesty had given proofs of the effects of his clemency so often , and with so much favor , that his grace seem'd to be above their crimes ; for their religion , if they thought to cast it upon the account , he left them the free exercise of it ; touching lewis fort , which seem'd to give some ombrage to their town , he assur'd them , that continuing within the bounds of their obedience , there should be a cours taken for their contentment , but if it should come into the hands of the english , doubtlesse they would turn it to a cittadell , to settle therein their tyranny ; that the present occasion was of that high importance , that it might entirely and eternally gain them the affections of their king by their fidelity , or that they might thereby offend him so sensibly , that they might render themselfs incapable of grace ever after , if they departed from their loyalty whereunto they were oblig'd as subjects towards their naturall prince , and as frenchmen against a strange nation , and an ancient enemy of france . by the duke of buckinghams manifesto it appears the king of great britain had divers grounds of war against france ; first , that his merchants were so abus'd , their ships seiz'd on , and their goods taken away ; secondly , that the french king grew so strong in ships , which in former times was us'd to be a sufficient motif for war of it self ; and lastly , that articles were not perform'd of the peace which was made with them of the religion wherein england was engag'd ; his majesty of great britain waves the first two , and layes hold of the last , whereby the french reformists had just cause to abet him in the quarrell it being more theirs then his ; though there were reports blaz'd abroad , of other odd motifs ; howsoever the policy of england was tax'd ( though her courage admir'd ) abroad to engolf her self into a war with france , when she had another great neighbour king already on her back in actual hostility . this fleet gave a mighty alarme to france , which made the king to send the duke of angoulesme before rochell with three thousand foot , and five hundred horse ; the king following a few dayes after fell sick upon the way , and monsieur was in mourning for his wife who died in child-bed of a daughter . the duke of angoulesms quarter-masters when they came to take lodgings for the billeting of the army in the small villages about rochell , took so much roome as would have serv'd an army thrice as great ; and this was done of purpose , for the report thereof being blown to rochell and so to the english fleet , the duke , upon soubize's advice , cast anchor at the isle of ré , whereas his first intention was for lewis fort upon the continent which dessein was diverted upon the ( false ) report of the greatnes of angoulesms army ; there were hardly . english landed upon the island of ré , but . french foot , and . choice horse who had layn invisible in a bottom all the while , appear'd , and charg'd them furiously , the french horse did wonderful bravely , and the english foot no lesse , who having scarce step'd ashore were set upon and divers driven into the sea and drown'd ; but by the brave example of their commanders they resum'd courage , and kill'd above one hundred and fifty of the enemies cavalry , put their foot to flight and remaind masters of the field ; there was good pillage found among the french horsemen that fell , divers of them being persons of quality , and young spirits , which being stripp'd , many had their mistesses favors tied about their genitories . at this first act of invasion the english loss'd some hundreds of men , amongst others blaneart monsieur soubize companion who had bin one of the chief tracers of this voyage in the english court , was slain upon the sands , and sir iohn heyden was kill'd too , who had afterwards honourable buriall . the next day the english horse landed , and so they began to intrench : the chiefest fort in the island was saint martin where monsieur toiras a choice man , had bin many dayes before ; he sent the next day in a bravado a page and a trumpet to tell the duke he meant to give him a breakfast , the page had twenty peeces , and the trumpet five given him : if the duke had gon presently in pursuance of his victory for that breakfast toward saint martin he might in all probability have taken the fort , but he stayed divers dayes neer the sea side , and in the interim toiras had time to fortifie : and the cause he stay'd his march further , was that soubize , & sir will : beecher had gon to rochell for more ayd which the duke expected ; but the rocheller gave them little countenance letting them in at the postern gate : toiras after the first , sent a second trumpet to the duke for burying the dead , offering a thousand pounds for his brothers body and others who were kill'd , but he had them gratis . soubize afterwards came with five hundred from rochell , and so the english army march'd towards saint martin , in the way there was the little fort calld lapree , wherein as there was advice had afterwards , there was but one old woman ; soubize counsell'd the duke to march another way through the vineyards , and to leave the fort ; this prov'd fatall , and indeed the greatest cause of the ruine of the english , for had they tane that little fort it might have serv'd for a handsome retreat : being come before saint martins fort sir io : burrowes view'd it , and said positively it was impregnable but by starving , and so advis'd the duke to take what booty could be had in that isle , and go to oleron ; but this counsell took not . while the english army lay before saint martin there was an engineer came out of the castle , who desired conference with the duke , but being suspected by his looks , he was search'd and a poyson'd dagger was found about him , wherewith , being put to the torment , he confess'd to have bin sent to kill the duke , so he had no quarter ; all the time the duke was there , though it was concluded by the counsell of war , 't was impossible to take the fort but by famin , yet no intrenchments were made all the while to block them up , but a way was taken to raise batteries before the army had made its approaches , which prov'd chargeable and fruitlesse , for with the infinit company of shot made against the hill , there was nothing done by way of breach , but more powder and shot spent then the spoyles of the isle was worth , and still the passage was open for the town round about to carry in any thing ; at last the english began to entrench , yet they could not hinder provision to come by sea from the main ; at last a sicknes happned in the army whereby many dropp'd away ; sir iohn burrowes was kill'd , and divers other ilfavor'd accidents fell out , and discontents began to be fomented , for there came divers messages from the cittadell to the duke which he made shy to impart to the counsell of war , whereat there was some distast taken . the king of france was now recover'd , and he & his cardinal were come before rochell ; there were all means under heaven us'd to preserve toiras , & the cittadel of ré , whereupon the king writ his letter encouragement unto him . monsieur toiras , understanding the rare vertis and courage wherewith you and the rest that are in that cittadel do defend your selfs against the english , i was willing to express unto you by this letter the singular satisfaction that i receive thereby ; therefore you ought to beleeve that i will acknowledge such signal service to every one who shall have a share therein , in such a manner that they shall beare all the dayes of their life 's some mark of honor according to their merits : therefore i desire you would send me the names of all those that are shut in with you in that cittadell , that neither gentleman , officer or soldier remain without his reward . this letter being safely arriv'd to toiras it rais'd every ones spirit to a great height of resolution ; as also the kings person being come so neer them . there were divers complements pass'd 'twixt the duke and toiras during the siege , and master io. ashburnham being sent to the cittadel upon a message , ( and afterwards to the king of france himself ) toiras was complaining of want of melons , the duke sent him a basketfull the next day ; he return'd the duke some bottles of orenge flower water , for which the duke gave the messenger twenty iacobuses , whereas troiras gave but five for the melons . when the english had planted a serious siege before the town , buckingham sent toiras this letter . monsieur ; the desire i have to witnesse upon all occasions how much i esteeme and prize persons of quality and merit , shall make me alwayes proceed towards them with all courtesie ; i think i have comported my self towards you in that manner hitherto , as far as the law of armes would permit me . in poursuance whereof before the quality of my affaires obligeme to take other counsels , and to alter my procedure , i thought good to exhort you to the consideration of your necessities , which you have already endured with much patience , and your courage haply might transport you to continue under vain hopes of succour , to the prejudice of your safety : for these reasons , and for the regret i should have to see greater displeasure befall you , we judge it convenient to invite you to render your self into our hands , with those that are of your company , and under your command , and withall the place possess'd by you , upon such termes of honor that you may not expect hereafter , if you oblige me to poursue the means i have in hand to accomplish my dessein , and that you let matters go on to extremity : so expecting your answer accordingly i rest , sir , your most humble and most obedient servant buckingham . toiras returned this answer . monsieur ; your courtesies are known to all the world , and being done with that judgement they use to carry with them , they ought to be chiefly expected by them who do good actions : now , i do not find there can be a better then for one to employ his life for the service of his king ; i am here to that purpose , with a number of brave men , 'mongst whom he that is the least resolut would not beleeve to have satisfied himself , if he did not surmount all difficulties to help to conserve this place ; in so much that neither despair of succour , nor fear of being ill us'd in point of extremity are able to make me quit so generous a dessein : besides i should judge my self unworthy of any of your favors , if i should omit the least point of my duty in this action , the issue whereof must needs be honorable ; and the more you shall contribut to this glory , the more i shall be oblig'd to be , monsieur , your most humble , and most obedient servant toiras . the english assayed all means imaginable to render themselfs masters of the cittadell by their ships and inventions at sea , and by assaults and storming a shore , nor did they fayle in any thing that human strength and courage could contribut ; they took divers bottoms as they were transporting provisions from the continent , but at last the marshall of schomberg had the hap upon a high floud , and in a dark night , to bring safely into the cittadell a mighty supply of all things that might conduce not only to releeve , but to raise the spirits of the souldier ; so the approach of winter , & sicknes with other inconveniences forc'd the english to be gone ; which the duke , though often advis'd and importun'd by the counsell of war was loth to do , having provision for two moneths longer , and that he must be forc'd to leave a number of sick men behind , to the mercy of the enemy : but after a conference with soubize he march'd away at last ; there was a great debate in the cittadell , whether the english should be poursued in the retreat , or whether a bridge of silver should be made them to passe quietly away ; the first opinion prevayl'd : so they had not march'd a musket shot from the town , but two hundred horse , & two thousand foot were at their heeles ; the english made a stand , to see whether the french would fight but they would not , so they continued their march till they came to la nova a little village where they made another stand , thinking the french would charge ; which they forboare still . thence they march'd to lewisbridg where they were to imbark , but before two regiments were pass'd over the bridg which was very narrow , the french fell upon the english horse in the reare , and routed them so that the foot could not charge , then they began to fly , and the enemy had the execution of five regiments which he put most to the sword except twenty officers , and one hundred common soldiers , divers also were drown'd in the salt-pits , and dikes ; so there perish'd in all neer upon two thousand besides the sick which were left before the cittadell , all whose throats were cut , and sent in a bark thrust from the shore to the english ships . my lord monjoy , now earl of newport , was there taken prisoner , old colonel gray was fallen into a salt-pit , and being upon point of being drown'd he cryed out cent mill escus pour marancon , a hundred thousand crowns for my ransom , so the noise of the mony sav'd his life : there were divers prisoners besides taken , but they were sent as a present to the queen of england to whom the king writ this following letter by le chevalier de la ramé , call'd du meau . madame my sister , it having pleas'd god to blesse my arms in such sort that my lord monjoy , colonel gray , divers captains , officers and gentlemen remaind my prisoners in the journey which pass'd at ré the eighth of this moneth ; i was willing to testifie unto all christendom , the speciall esteem which i make of your person , by sending unto you the said prisoners which i have let go upon their words for your sake . nothing having invited me thereunto but the friendship which i bear you , and the knowledge i also have that i cannot do an act more acceptable to the queen my mother , then to do for your sake what i would not do for any other . du meau will assure you of my health , i pray you have a care of your own which is most deer unto me , and i assure you that the world hath not a brother which makes more account of a sister then i do of you ; so i rest , my lady and sister , your most affectionat brother lewis . from the campe before rochell the last of november . . there were also forty foure colours taken which the king sent to the two queens at paris , and they hang to this day in the great church there . this was the dismall'st day that the english ever had in france , who in times pass'd perform'd such stupendous exploits in that countrey ; yet the invasion was made with much gallantry , for they might be said to have swom through water and blood to take footing on the island , which discover'd much of the ancient courage of the nation ; besides , they did before the cittadel as much as men could do , & upon their marching away they made two stands to draw schomberg to fight notwithstanding that they had not in number a quarter of the horse that he had newly transported from the continent . they took likewise divers prisoners of note who were released also without ransome by his majesty of great britain . divers omissions there were that prov'd fatall to this expedition : . the not speedy marching of the english army in poursuance of their first victory to the cittadell where toiras had time in the interim to fortifie . . the not taking of the little fort la prée in the way , which might have serv'd for a retreat . . that the duke did not follow the advice of burrowes to go to oleron a greater island , and afterwards of the knowingst colonels so often press'd upon him , to march away before schomberg came over , for so he might have made an honorable retreat then which there is nothing more difficult in the fait of armes , not is it any disgrace to go away in the night for preventing of being beaten in the day . monsieur soubizes counsell was the cause of these omissions , who was the main contriver of this infortunate voyage ( with blancart who fell at first landing ) and it seems a hard destiny hanted the said soubize ( though a worthy man of himself ) in all attempts from the beginning ; he was taken prisoner at saint iohn d'angely , he was forc'd to flye at royan , and twice ( with this time ) at ré ; he had but ill succes at medoc , and divers ill-favor'd encounters at sea , though he lost lesse honor there then a shore . some outlandish chroniclers would have it that there were three furies which impell'd the english to this expedition . . the ambition of buckingham . . the felony of soubize . . the rebellion of the rochellers : but these men write more out of passion then knowledge , for as i instanc'd in the beginning of this relation , there were divers causes to move england to armes as matters stood then . the king having had such rare successe against the english , he resolves upon the planting of a serious siege before rochell , thereupon order was given for an exact circumvallation by land , and pompco targon an italian engineer was employed for sea works : the said targon , being assisted with the cardinals headpeece , fell on a plot to raise a huge dike in the channell which the rochellers geer'd at first , but they found it the bane of their town at last . the rochellers had recourse to the king of great britain for protection , who resenting their sad condition employed two royall fleets for their succour which made but sory returns ; the duke of buckingham was to be general of the last , but he was tragically slain the day before he was to embark ; thereupon the earl of linzey went in his place , but before he appear'd before the town , targon had finish'd the gran dike , whereof the cardinal was dayly overseer , the king being then in paris ; there were certain kind of palissadoes and other strange fabriques rais'd in the channel to the wonderment of the world , for marquis spinola , at his revokment from flanders to spain , and passing by the kings army , said , he had never seen the like , being as trenches and barricadoes erected in the sea ; and they were done with that advantage that no navall power could do any good upon them ; in so much that the english fleet being arriv'd , the cardinal sent to the general , that he should have safe pasport to come a shore with six of his knowingst commanders , with permission to view the works , and if they thought in their judgements that the town was succourable , he would raise the siege without fighting a stroak : the general of this fleet was the lord rob : willoughby earl of linzey , whom the french chroniclers call willaby inghay , and the general of the former fleet they call count d'emby , in lieu of denbigh , so they call burrowes burrache , ashpernham hasburnim . and as in this relation , so every where els they seldom or never truly render the sirname of any english or german , which ( under favor ) is a great error , and a kind of stupidity and carelesnes in an historian . the king being return'd with the flower of all the nobility of france to the siege before rochell which had now lasted a long time , the town was reduc'd to an extreme exigent and want of provision ( having for greedinesse of mony sold upon high prises to the english being at ré much corn and other things ) therefore they came at last to a submission , their deputies making this speech to the king. sir , they who have bin a long time shut up in obscure prisons , when they come abroad cannot behold the sun without dazzling their eyes ; so we whom a long captivity hath kept reclus'd within our walls , coming now to appeer before your majesties face , we are not able to endure the brightnesse of it without dazzlement , and some horror of our faults pass'd which adds to our confusion : yet the goodnes of your majesty , whereof we have tasted the effects so often , and do now find , gives us the boldnesse to prostrat our selfs at your feet to implore pardon , which our frequent relapses into our crimes do not permit us to hope for , &c. so they go on with a protest and deep asseveration of their loyaltie for the future , wherein they will endeavor to surpasse all the rest of his subjects . the king answer'd . god grant that you have spoken to me from the bottom of your hearts , and that necessity rather then an acknowledgement of your faults hath put these words in your mouthes , you have made use of all means and inventions to withdraw your selfs from the duty of good and faithfull subjects , yet i cannot forbeare to let you feel the effects of my goodnes and mercy ; be wiser hereafter , and assure your selfs i will not breake my promise . at the beginning of the siege there were in the town about eighteen thousand souls , but at the reddition there were not five thousand ; and scarce one hundred who had strength to bear a musket ; an ounce of bread was worth half a crown , a pound of bisket seven crowns , an egg six shillings , a pound of horse-flesh ten shillings , a cabbage leaf three pence ; many dragg'd themselfs to the church-yards and made their own graves : a little before their reddition they married all the young maids in the town that were espousable who had any portions . the king caus'd all kind of fortifications new and old except those towards the haven to be raz'd , all bastions and the walls to be demolish'd , and the moats fill'd up ; so of a city she became to be an open village , without maire , sheriffs , or any other magistrat , the inhabitants to be contributory to all kind of taxes ; those ramparts that were built out of the ruines of churches and monasteries were employed for reedification of the former churches ; a great crosse was erected in the market-place , and a decree pass'd that there should be a solemn procession every yeer upon all saints day about that crosse in remembrance that the town was taken that day ; all their parishes were reduc'd to three ; in so much that as the quality of the place , so the whole government thereof was entirely alter'd , as if they had bin put to begin the world again . in the mean time while the king had triumphed thus over rochell , the duke of rohan was very active in languedoc , having considerable forces , which made the parlement of tholouze thunder out a furious arrest against him , that for his so many conspiracies , rebellions , disloyalties , and for bringing the english into france , and other most odious treasons he was depriv'd of the title of duke , made incapable of the benefit of the generall act of oblivion , that he should be drawn by wild horses , his body dismembred and burnt , his ashes thrown into the wind , his posterity declar'd peasants , his duchy reunited to the crown , and whosoever could apprehend his person and bring him living or dead , he should have one hundred and fifty thousand franks for a guerdon . the duke so little valued this sentence that he cau'd masvyer the chief president of tholouze to be hanged the next day in effigie in the town where he was . there was at this time in italy a former difference reviv'd 'twixt the duke of savoy , and the duke of mantova about monferrat , which had bin some yeers before accommoded by the intervention of france ; the emperour and spaniard were for the savoyard : hereupon don gonzalez de cordova besieg'd casal : the king of france thought it concernd his honor and safety to assist the mantovan who had been once his vassal when only duke of nevers ; therefore having settled all things at rochell , he marcheth with his army toward the alpes , but demanding passage of the duke of savoy , the duke a great while did complement with him ; hereupon he forceth his passage through snow and yce in the moneth of february and got over to susa in person , which was rendred unto him ; so the duke and he were upon good termes , and free passage accorded for his army to passe to piemont to raise the siege of casal , but gonzales by the advice of the duke of savoy , quitted the siege himself in the interim , and so retir'd to milan , and the king returned to france . while he was t'other side the alps at susa , by the interposition of the republic of venice , there was an overture made of a reconciliation 'twixt england and france , which quickly took effect . the king in his return ore the alps with his cardinal , caus'd a pillar to be erected in the common road upon one of the highest mountains with this ostentous inscription ; to the eternall memory of lewis the thirteenth , king of france and navarr , most gracious , most victorious , most happy , most just ; a conqueror , who having overcome all nations of europe , he hath triumphed also over the elements of heaven and earth , having twice pass'd ore these hills in the moneth of march with his victorious army , to restore the princes of italy to their estates , and to protect and defend his allies . being return'd to france , he heard the duke of rohan rov'd still up and down with forces in languedoc , and that he was upon point of entering into a confederation with the spaniard , to which purpose he employ'd one clausel to madrid , who propos'd that if his catholic majesty would be pleas'd to furnish him with . crowns annually , the duke of rohan would undertake to raise and maintain an army of twelve thousand foot , and twelve hundred horse to make what diversion his majesty would appoint , and to continue a war in france . there were divers other propositions tending to the kind usage of the catholiques , and withall a request that the dukes pension from fourteen thousand crowns , might be augmented to eighteen thousand , and that his catholic majesty would please to add to his brother soubize's pension of eight thousand crowns a yeer , two thousand more . for performance of these propositions the said clausel could give no other caution but the word of an honorable and most religious prince , meaning the duke . these offers were accepted by the spaniard , but the sum was reduc'd to three hundred thousand crowns payable in two payments every yeer . the articles being sent by clausel to france by a zeland gentleman , he was suspected and taken in a pond up to the neck , so he was hang'd at tholouse . the king at his return to provence took privas from them of the religion after many bloudy sallies and assaults on both sides ; a place of mighty consequence ; in the campe before privas the peace was proclaym'd 'twixt france and england to dishearten them in the town the more , for they thought that the king of great britain was still involv'd in their cause . this peace was negotiated by georgi and contarini ambassadors to the mayden republic , who yet may be call'd the mother of policy and able to read lectures on that thesis to the rest of europe ; nor did there small glory redound to her by her succesfull intervention herein , and by making her saint mark mediator 'twixt two such mighty monarks . the words of the proclamation before privas pronounc'd alowd by a king of arms were these . let the world know there is peace , amity , and good intelligence between his majesty and his good brother , and brother in law the king of great britain , acessation of all acts of hostility betwixt them and their subjects , with an entire confirmation of the ancient alliances , and of the articles and contract of mariage with the queen of great britain , and an overture of a free and safe commerce between the subjects of the two crowns : therefore all persons are prohibited to attempt any think in prejudice of the said peace under pain of being punish'd as disturbers of the public repose , &c. the generall articles also were signed there interchangeably in the ordinary forme , where of there were some extraordinary , as that in regard it would be difficult to make restitution on either side of divers prises which have been taken in this war , the two crowns are accorded , that there shall be no reprisall made by sea or in any other maner for that which is pass'd 'twixt the two kings and their subjects during the said war. and because there are divers vessels at sea , with letters of mart , which give commission to combat the enemies which cannot presently have notice of this peace , or receive order to abstain from acts of hostility , it is accorded that whatsoever shall passe the space of the two next moneths after this accord , shall not derogate from , or empeach this peace , or the good will of the two crowns . the king having dismantled privas , and secur'd other petty places , he march'd to alets a very considerable garrison town of them of the religion , which being also surrendred , he march'd to languedoc , took castres and nismes once the darling of rome when she had her legions in those parts , though now no town throughout france be a greater enemy unto her : these monstrous successes of the kings made the duke of rohan hearken unto a treaty , therefore being at anduza he convokes a kind of assembly of the chiefest of them of the religion to whom he made this notable speech . sirs : you know well enough that the king doing me the honor as to acknowledge me his kinsman , hath had particular consideration of me in all generall treaties made with your party , and that he hath made me to be perpetually sollicited to separat my self from you , with assurances that he would raise my condition to such a point , that might draw upon it the envy of the princes , and the greatest of his kingdom : neither are you ignorant that the generall interests of the party being deerer unto me then mine own , i have bin so far from lending an ear unto those charming propositions , that to the contrary i have broak with his majesty whensoever he hath refus'd or delay'd the execution of the edicts pass'd in favor of us , and exposing my self to his indignation i have run the hazard of my fortun , my honor , and life : gentlemen i pray do not think , that since our cause is conjoyn'd with that of god , but that i continu as strong a zeal and inclination as ever towards it : but in regard our affaires are in another condition perchance then you do imagin , i have call'd you hither to instruct you , and then to take such order that your wisdoms shall afford me to put in punctuall execution with as much fidelity as courage . you must then consider that any time these eight yeers that the king hath warr'd with us , heaven hath bin so favorable unto him , that it seems he rather went to the routing of our troupes then to combat , and by assaulting our strongest towns he prepar'd rather for triumphant entries , then sieges : so that now the number of our combatants , and the strength of our strongest places doth not serve as much to maintain our party , as to augment his glory : so many towns in poitou , saintonge , guyen , and languedoc which have not bin able toresist him as many dayes as we count moneths , are most sensible proofs hereof : rochell , alas ! ( with that he fetcht a profound sigh accompagnied with tears ) rochell which we thought inexpugnable , that prowd town one of the miracles of europe being now reduc'd to an open village on all sides , doth carry , and shall eternally beare the marks of the valour and good fortune of this glorious monark . having demolish'd this strong rampart of the gospel , by which the whole party subsisted , he hath penetrated the kingdom from one diameter to the other , and travers'd in five or six dayes the alps in the most rigorous season of the yeer , which julius caesar accounted amongst his heroiquest actions , and hannibal could not do it in fifteen dayes without inestimable losse ; he hath forc'd the passe of susa marching ore the belly of an army entrench'd and fortified in a straight . he hath deliver'd the duke of mantova from the oppression of the king of spain , and the savoyard , and oblig'd the latter who was author of the war to receive such conditions of peace that he pleas'd to prescribe him : repassing the alps with like celeritie , he hath depriv'd us of privas , and taken multitudes of places more by the terror only of his victorious arms. he is continually assisted by the cardinal of richelieu , who for the fertility of his invention , for the solidity of his counsels , for the secrecy of his desseins , for his hardines in execution , and for his addresse in all affairs of consequence , i would acknowledge him the greatest man of europe were he not born for the ruine of our party , and the abolition of the reformed religion . this young , generous , warlike king , though too much zealoused to popery , following in every thing the counsels of this priest as oracles , can we doubt but our defence , though lawfull , as being for religion , and liberty of conscience , be not an occasion to him to advance our destruction , under pretext of rebellion and felony ? after all that gentlemen , you must consider that the taking of rochell hath extinguish'd all factions throughout the kingdom which commonly serv'd to the encrease of our party ; in so much that of three hundred places good and bad , which we had formerly in our hands , we have not . remaining , without rents , without soldiers , or means to put into them all together as many men as would serve to preserve one alone : for although our parsons cry out daily in their chaires that we ought not to despaire of heavenly succour , yet receiving every day proofs of the wrath of the eternal , there is more appearance to expect punishment for our sins , then miracles for the re-establishment of our affaires . peradventure you will promise your selfs some great assistance from strangers , and specially from protestants , whom the conformity of religion which ties them to our interests , may oblige to assist us in so urgent necessity . but i pray consider that the germans have enough to defend themselfs from the oppression of the emperour , consider the elusions of the hollander , the impuissance of the savoyard who hath bled at the nose ; the lightnes of the english who have concluded a peace with france without comprehending us who were the sole object of the war : and if you stay for the offers of spain which loves not our nation , and our religion lesse , know that he studies how to engage us so far against the king , that we may become incapable of his grace , and that the succours wherewith he will supply us which is but a little money , will not serve but to prolong our ruine , by enfeebling france by our civill wars , and intestine broyles . for my self , i am now as much solicited as ever to abandon you , and to take advantagious conditions of his majesty , but i shall never hearken to any thing but wherein you may find your satisfaction in a generall treaty for the whole cause , as also particularly for your towns ; if your wisdoms find it to purpose that it be more expedient to seek our conservation with the exercise of our religion , and liberty of our consciences within the obedience which we owe to our lawfull prince , then in resistance , which , though just of it self , is held by the enemies of our faith no other then a rebellion and high treason , whereby under a more specious pretext , to exterminat and destroy us ; or if contrary to all appearance of human reason , you take a resolution to stiffen your selfs against so victorious and invincible a power , i resolve also to incur all hazards with you , though i am sory that neither the advancement of the faith can be found in my resolution , nor your security in my danger , nor your safety in my losse . this studied speech , with the sense of the late ill successe , and of the kings power , wrought so far upon the assembly , that it extorted a willingnes to submit unto a treaty which was propounded accordingly : so a little after there was a generall peace concluded with the reformists , and the king being in languedoc where the plague after this scourge of war , was very rife , he went therefore himself to paris , and left the cardinal behind to consummat all things ; who amongst other places , entred montauban where espernon met him and reentred into a perfect friendship with him : montauban following the example of all the rest of the towns dismantled herself of all new fortifications , and restor'd the church lands , &c. the cardinall being return'd to paris the peace with his majesty of great britain was solemnly renew'd and sworn unto ; but they of the religion took it ill that there was no mention at all made of them in the treaty , they having bin declar'd to be the object of englands last war with france . all the princes were commanded to be at this ceremony , and because a difference did arise for precedency 'twixt forrein princes of souverain houses , and the naturall sons of kings , a provisional order was made by the privy counsel , that every one should take place according to his seniority of age . thus our fourth lustre of the life of lewis the thirteenth , ends with an olive branch of a double peace , one with a forren prince , the king of great britain , which was solemnly sworn unto by both kings , sir thomas edmunds being ambassadour for the one , and the marquis of new-castle ( de chasteau neuf ) for the other . the second peace was concluded with his own subjects the whole body of the religion , whom he had now reduc'd to an exact rule of obedience , having seiz'd upon , dismantled and secur'd all their praesidiary towns which were neer upon fifty , whereof montauban was the last that left her mantle . so that they must hereafter depend no more upon garrisons but royall grace . a mighty work , then which nothing could conduce more to make him so absolut a monark . thus ends the fourth lustre . the fifth lustre of the life of lewis the thirteenth . the king having with such a strong hand put a period to the civill wars in his own kingdoms , by debelling his subjects of the religion , and utterly disabling them from banding against him for the future , in dismantling all the tenable towns they had for their security , and disguarding other places they held to the number of three hundred , of all military strength , whereby he brought them to depend totally upon his favor for their liberty , and the performance of the edicts granted in their behalfe , he now thinks upon another march ore the alps for the support of the duke of mantova once his vassall ( and still partly so ) being a frenchman by birth though not by extraction . and this he might now do with lesse fear then formerly , having quieted and secur'd all things in france ; according to the saying , frustrà foris agit bellum , qui domi timet incendium : he vainly combats abroad , who fears combustions at home . the duke of nevers being now settled in mantova the french grew powerfull in italy , which the spaniard could not well disgest ; thereupon a ligue was struck 'twixt the emperour and him , whereinto the duke of savoy entred afterward . the emperor questions the duke of nevers about mantova , though not for the title , yet for the investiture , which he was to receive from him . hereupon he sends an army to italy under the command of colalto a great captain , and marquis spinola , a greater , was generall for the king of spain , nor was the little duke emanuel of savoy inferior to either , who after henry the great 's death , assum'd to himself the title of the prime soldier of europe . now spinola being tyred with the lingring low countrey wars , and having recover'd the honor he had lost before berghen op some , by that notable exploit of taking breda , he procur'd his revokement from that service ; being come to spain there was some clashing 'twixt him and olivares about accounts ; yet was he sent to be governor of milan , and so was made generall of this war ; he struck like thunder into monferrat , and took nizza de la paglia , and six places more notwithstanding the opposition of toiras ( who had such successe against the english in the isle of ré ) and was now governor for the king t'other side the hills , and had shut himself in casal . colalto with the imperiall army enters the same time the territories of montava , and takes viadana , caneto , gazole , governo , and presents himself before mantova herself : where the venetians had sent . men for the security of the town . as the king of france was preparing for italy , there were two ill-favord accidents happen'd , one was that monsieur being mightily taken in love with the princesse mary the duke of mantova's daughter for a second wife , neither the king nor his mother would give their consent unto it ; which in discontentment made him leave france , and fly to lorain ; this sudden sally was like to breed ill bloud , for he publish'd a manifesto wherein he cast many aspersions upon the present government , and the boundlesse authority of richelieu ; but the businesse was taken up by the ministery of good heads , and monsieur was charm'd to france again by an addition of the duchy of valois , which was valued at one hundred thousand franks , yeerly to his former apannage . the other was an insurrection in dijon the chief parlement town of burgundy , where the king had erected a new court for the improvement of his revenues ; the officers of this new court grew odious , as all innovations are , which made the populasse to mutiny , specially the vineyard-men , who in confused troupes came into dijon , and did many insolences . the tumult came to that height , and was of that consequence that the king himself went thither in person to appease it ; which he did , by the assistance and sage conduct of the duke de bellegarde ; he passd ' an act of abolition , provided that a tax should be laid upon the comminalty for repairing the losses of some of his officers who had their houses burn'd , and were otherwise damnified in this popular fury . in the interim the cardinal with an army of twenty thousand foot , and two thousand horse ( effectif men ) were ready to traverse the alps towards italy , for it was not thought fit the king should venture his own person in the second expedition , because his physicians had discover'd some symptomes of an approching sicknes in him ; the cardinal was accompagnied with three marshals , crequy , la force , and schomberg , who were all generals of divers squadrons ; but the cardinal was chiefest director of the war ; nor did he wave the title of generalissimo . nor do there want presidents in france how cardinals have bin generals of armies which shall be produc'd in the life of richelieu hereunto annexed . the duke of savoy was somewat shy to let this army passe through the body of his countrey , or that there should be staples of corn erected in some towns for the supply of it ; which made the cardinall speak high language , demanding passage by vertue of the articles of the late peace at susa : so the duke was willing the army should passe by the river dovaire susine , but not by avigliana and through the plain of piemont . by this appears in what a disadvantagious posture nature hath placed some princes , whose territories are situate 'twixt greater potentates then themselfs , which ofttimes puts them to weare double faces , and play with a staff with two ends . such is the condition of the duke of savoy , who besides the abruptnes , and stupendous craggednes of most part of his countrey , is plac'd between two mighty monarks , the kings of france and spain , and is oftentimes put to his wits end how to comply with both , how to put off his hat to the one , and how to make a leg to the other . the prince of piemont came twise to confer with the cardinall , though much ado happen'd for the place of meeting : the prince offer'd in his fathers name to enter into an eternall ligue with his most christian majesty against the spaniard , upon condition they should never disarme till they had made an entire conquest of milan and genoa ; the cardinal held this proposition extravagant , and illusory , and made of purpose to render the king odious to italy by apprehensions of an endlesse war ; thereupon having receiv'd a positif commission from the king to make his passage by the sword , in case of further delay , he marched before pignerol , besieged it , and took it ; whereby there was a double advantage gain'd , a free passage for provision from dauphiné ; as also that the said pignerol enchaining , as it were , france to italy , commanded all the valley of piemont . the taking of pignerol extremely troubled the duke of savoy , therefore he had recourse to the popes nuncio to stir in the busines for an accommodation of things , signieur mazarini a moderate and well weigh'd gentleman was joyn'd with him , and the cardinal being return'd to lions where the king and two queens were , to give an account how matters stood ; after much consultation and canvasing of the busines to and fro , they propounded certain capitulations which they thought reasonable to both parties . the imperiall and spanish party though they did not disapprove , yet they delay'd to give up their resolution upon the said articles to gain time , and see what successe colalto should get before mantova , and spinola before casal the chief town of monferrat ; colalto a little after made himself master of mantova ; the french were mov'd at this , and that casal was in so dangerous condition , as also that the duke of savoy was now arming apace ; thereupon the king with his cardinal repasse the alps with an army of . foot , whereof there were . suisse , and . liegeois , and . horse , besides volonteers ; so he march'd to chamberry who presently yeelded , where conqueror like he dismiss'd the dukes senat , and established a counsell of his own ; he march'd thence to constans ; in the interim crequy impatroniz'd himself of divers other places in savoy ; in the heat of these actions the king had a desire to visit the queen at lyon , whither he came , but falling sick , and disabled to return himself , he sent the duke of monmorency , and the marquis de' fiat , who had bin ambassador in england , with a french army to joyn with marshall de la force t'other side the hills : the duke of savoy to prevent this conjunction , advanc'd as far as avigliana with . foot , and . horse made up of spaniards and germans ; the armies met , and there were some thousands kill'd on both sides ; prince doria was taken prisoner by the french , and divers other persons of quality , with seventeen colours which were sent to be hang'd up as trophies in the great church of paris : the french afterward took saluces , and so seiz'd upon all savoy by degrees : the losse of his town saluces sunk so deep into the dukes breast , that he sickned thereupon , and died foure dayes after ; whereby was verified the praediction of octavio lassani in an ephemerides he had publish'd a few yeers before , that duke emanuel should die suddenly after the taking of saluces , which prophecy he much spake of in his sicknes . a little after there was a furious fight neer carignan , wherein a great number of commanders and common soldiers were slain on both sides . signieur mazarini the popes agent stretch'd all the sinewes of his body , and strength of mind , to bring about a suspension of armes , and so to pave a way for peace ; which he did with much dexterity : so there were articles drawn , and command sent to spinola from spain , to condescend unto them ; the apprehension hereof wrought so powerfully upon the marquis that he should yeeld to a cessation before he had perfected his businesse before casal , which he gave out to have as sure as a bird in a cage , that he sickned thereupon , and died speedily after ; and being visited by monsieur toiras , who had bin governor of casal during the siege , he told him that they had taken away his honor : whereupon among other panagyriks that were written of him , this epitaph was made , which because it is somewhat extraordinary both for matter and wit , and being on so gallant a man i will here insert . spinola gist icy , passant , ce'st assez dit , car son nom dor ' navant doit servir a l' histoire , l'europe en mil endroits est tesmoin de sa glorie , sa valeur l'esleva , la vertu se trahit . pour avoir trop servi , l' espagnol le rendit , le teatre , & l' object de sa malice noire , l' honneur qu'on luy ravit illustre la memoire il le dit en mourant , & le ciel l'entendit . ne t'en estonne pas , les plus dignes services souvent en leur chemin trouvent des precipices , et de trop meriter on devient odieux . si verra l'en pourtant au succes de la guerre , que s'il eut pris plustost place dedans les cieux l'espagnol auroit pris moins de places en terre . thus rendred into english. heer spinola lie's hid , enough is say'd , his name hereafter will fill up a story , europe in thousand places tell 's his glory , his valeur rays'd , his vertue him betrayd . for having serv'd too well , the dons of spain made him the object of their lured hate , his ravish'd honor , give a longer date this fame , whereof he dying did complain : but marvell not , the highest services meet oft-times with ill-favor'd precipices ; exces of merit makes men odious : yet 't will appear by the succes of war , had spinola took place in heaven sooner spain had on earth t' ane fewer places far . the king this yeer had a very hazardous fit of sicknes , in so much that he was not onely prayed for generally throughout all the churches of france , but the extreme onction was once ready to be applied unto him . about the same time the q. mother began to be averse to the cardinal , which aversenes came by degrees , to a strong animositie and violent indignation against him , in so much that notwithstanding the interposition of the popes nuncio , and divers others , it was found incapable of reconcilement . the ground of it , as some thought , was , that he had not only advis'd but incited the king to war with her two sons in law the duke of savoy , and the king of spain : but more of this in the cardinals life apart . the three armies which the king had in italy were mouldred away above the third part , by the sword , and sicknesses which raign'd amongst them ; besides the king was so drain'd for money , that he had scarce one thousand pounds remaining ; and the soldiers being ready to disband beyond the hills for want of pay , the cardinal sent of his own moneys two hundred thousand franks , this kept the french together in italy till the peace was concluded ; which was done at last by the strenuous negotiation and new endevours of signieur mazarini the popes agent extraordinary , and pancirolle the nuncio by a treaty which was appointed to be held at querasque : hereupon there were commissioners interchangeably sent from the emperour and the king of france who manag'd the whole busines , because the spaniard would not be seen in it , for he came in only as an auxiliary : the two main articles of this treaty were in the behalf of the dukes of savoy and mantova ; viz. that the first , should have fifteen thousand crowns yeerly revenu for all rights and pretentions to montferrat : that the other should be put in present possession of the duchyes of mantova and montferrat , and have to that purpose a compleat investiture from the emperour . hereupon there were cautionary hostages put in the popes hands till performance of articles on both sides ; but by a secret capitulation , susa and avigliana which were part of the hostage , at the violent instance of the french commissioners were to be put into the hands of some of the swiss-cantons which were allied to france , in whom , ( though protestants ) it seems , the french king confided more in then in his holines ; this making of the grisons depositaries gave some discontentment to the spaniard which was accommoded afterwards . these so often traverses ore the alps , prov'd costly expeditions to france , both for men and money ; for there was an account made of thirty millions of franks which were expended in these wars , and above one hundred thousand french perished by the sword , sicknes , and famine : there were multitudes also fell on the other side , and all this hurliburly was chiefly for a meere ceremony , viz. an investiture : and poor europe hath often parted with abundance of her most precious bloud for such ceremonies , such any shadows , and formalities . the capitulations of the treaty at querasque were put in execution by all parties , and the places that were depositated for hostages in the popes and grisons hands were delivered accordingly on both sides at the time appointed : but the french after the expence of so much bloud and bullion were loth to part with italy so , therefore a privat treaty was set a foot 'twixt the king and the duke of savoy about pignerol ; it was propounded , that in regard his highnes had all his countrey entirely restor'd unto him , though orerun by the french armes , and that he had acquir'd part of monferrat by the last wars which conduc'd more to his advantage then to any others . and that whereas his most christian majesty understood that the spaniard remain'd still arm'd in milan , and had some desseins a foot which did menace no small danger both to the duke of mantova , and the confederat cantons of france ; and that he had intelligence from good hands how there was a civill war fomenting in france , by some mistrusts and divisions which were put between his majesty , his mother , and monsieur : therefore , lest his highnes might be tamper'd withall to favor the projects of the spaniard , to rid him of all scruples in this point , he desir'd that susa & avigliana , or pignerol & perousa might be put into his hands , to put french garrisons in them , till these dangers were pass'd . servient the french ambassador joyn'd with toiras manag'd this busines so dextrously that the duke accorded what was demanded for six moneths . hereupon the town and castle of pignerol with perousa was put into the hands of the suiss which the french had put formerly in susa : and by the same treaty his majesty oblig'd himself to defend the person and states of his highnes , if need requir'd with an army of twenty thousand foot , and two thousand horse ; provided his highnes should proportionably have in readines ten thousand foot , and fifteen hundred horse . the duke of feria fell into a fury when he heard of this accord , and call'd heaven and earth to witnes that it was an evident infraction of the treaty at querasque , by which the french were not to hold any place or passage into italy within the states of the duke of savoy : so the duke being lowdly reproach'd thereof by the spaniard , the answer he gave was , that he might dispose of his own as he pleas'd , &c. the six months being expir'd of holding pignerol , a motion was made to the duke , that , for his own safety , the security of mantova , and the french-confederat grisons , as also for freeing his majesty of all surmises , and the better enabling him to occur all desseins and dangers , his highnes would make an absolut sale and transport unto him of the town and castle of pignerol and perousa , for a valuable pecuniary consideration ▪ toiras and servient carried themselfs with such dextrous addresses that they induc'd the duke to hearken to this proposition , and afterwards they drew from him an absolut consent ; so a legal instrument was made , whereby an irrevocable transport and vent was made of the propriety , possession , and soveraignty of the town and castle of pignerol , riva , bodenasco , the higher biacasco , castagrande , and that which was within the confines of the said pignerol , the village and abbey of valdelemia , as also the village and fort of perousa , pinacle , villars , les porte , the great and small diblon and their confines , and other lands which are within the valley of perousa , ( excepting those which depend on the same valley on the left hand going from pignerol to pragelas , beyond the river chuson ) all other places shall be perpetually united to the crown of france upon the payment of four hundred ninety four thousand crowns in good money . this pourchase of pignerol brought with it another strong engagement 'twixt the king and the duke , viz. a ligue defensive and offensive , by vertu whereof the one was to furnish twenty thousand foot , and two thousand horse as formerly ; but the duke was scrued up to a greater number then before , being to furnish twelve thousand foot , and two thousand horse , upon necessitie of conjunction . our story hath sojourn'd a good while in italy , we must now crosse again the hills to france , where we find the queen mother and the cardinall irreconcilable notwithstanding that the king himself labour'd much in the busines ; her passion went so high that she resolv'd never to sit in counsell while the cardinall was there . this aversnes to the cardinal was also infus'd into monsieur , who abetted his mother , and espoused her quarrell ; so without the kings conge , he retires to orleans , and thence to lorain , the duke of bellegarde then governor of champany attended him all the way through that province , notwithstanding that he had an intimation to the contrary from the king himself who followed monsieur as far as dijon , but he was too swift for him , and so could not be overtaken . hereupon a declaration issued out wherein the count of moret monsieurs base brother , the dukes of elbeuf , of bellegarde , and of roanez , puylaurens , president coigneux , and monsigot , and father chanteloube were proclaym'd traytors , for infusing ill counsels into monsieur , and for accompagnying him out of the kingdom without his majesties consent ; this declaration was sent to be verifi'd by the court of parlement at paris , the court paus'd upon 't and excepting against the style and form of it delayed the verification putting the busines in deliberation , yet they all blam'd and unanimously condemn'd the ill counsels , and proceedings of monsieur ; the king taking an indignation at this delay , sent for the whole body of the parlement to attend him at the louure , where , by the mouth of the lord keeper , they receiv'd a severe rebuke , and the clerk of the court bringing with him the register of the act of deliberation upon the former declaration , was commanded to draw it off the file , and in the place thereof to put the arrest of the privy counsell , whereby the said act was annull'd ▪ with expresse inhibition to the said court of parlement , to put in deliberation for the future any declarations of that nature concerning affairs of state , but to proceed instantly to the verification , and registring of them . the queen mother was now retir'd to campeigne , where the marshall of estree had a garrison which she interpreted to be no other then a guard upon her , thereupon the king dismiss'd the said garrison : so she privatly got away thence in madame frenoys coach , accompagnied only with the said lady , and one of her chamber-women to avenes , which lies within the territories of the king of spain in the . provinces : and thence to bruxels , the archduchesse having come to meet her on the way as far as mons in henault . monsieur from lorain , and the queen mother from bruxells writ to the king , and complain'd bitterly against the cardinal how he would have removed her to moulins and anger 's where the contagion raignd , and so have thrust her into the jawes of death ; she conjur'd him to think on the relation of mother and son , and that she was the person most interessed in his preservation , yet the cardinal had pernicious intentions to make her die between fower walls ; this was the cause she left france , and to journey thirty leagues without eating or drinking ; she goes on in declaring how conformable she was to his will in all things , and how she respected his authority in the hands of her enemies ; and so concluds that not being suffer'd to live in france in the calm of her own innocency , the most sensible misery that could befall her was to be bereft of his presence , &c. besides this letter she sent another to the parlement at paris , with a remonstrance against the present government . the king returns her a harsh answer , and cleers his cardinal in all things ; and publish'd a declaration wherein he disadvowes that she was ever prisoner , but that she had liberty to choose any place throughout the whole kingdome to live in , except champany , and for more respect she should have the government of the place and province ; he declares further that her departure with his brothers , was plotted by those that are not only envious but enemies of the felicity of france ; therefore he prohibits and utterly forbids all his subjects of what quality or condition soever , to have intelligence or correspondence with his said mother and brother , or with any of their domestic servants , or with those that are partakers of their counsels under what pretence whatsoever . gustavus king of sweden having by the intercession of the ambassadors of his majesty of great britain and france , made his peace with the pole , strikes into germany , and like an impetuous torrent carries all before him for a time . he enters into an alliance with france , and in few dayes the treaty was concluded , whereof the articles were these that follow . . the present alliance which is made betwixt their majesties is principally for the defence of all their oppressed friends , and for the safety of commerce by sea ; to reestablish all the princes and estates of the empire in the same condition they were before the beginning of the german war , and to cause all forts and intrenchments upon the baltic sea to be demolish'd . . to this effect his majesty of sweden doth promise to entertain , and conduct upon his own charge an army of thirty thousand foot , and ten thousand horse into germany ; and the king of france promiseth to contribut every yeer for the maintenance of the said army one million of franks ( two shillings sterling a peece ) one moity in may , the other in november next following in paris or amsterdam , and that this alliance shall last to the first of march in the yeer . . that if it please god to favour the armes of the king of sweden he shall not alter or change the catholic apostolic roman religion in those places that he shall conquer , but he shall permit the inhabitants to have free exercise of their religion , according to the treaty at passaw , and the constitutions of the empire . . that he shall keep himself in good friendship and neighbourhood with the elector ( so he call'd him ) of bavaria , and with the catholic ligue , or at least in a neutrality , provided they do the like . . that no peace or treaty be accorded by one without the consent of the other . . that in regard this treaty was begun the last yeer , and in the interim his majesty of sweden hath bin at great expence , in consideration hereof his majesty of france shall deliver the summe of three hundred thousand franks in good letters of exchange , which ought not to be deducted out of those summes that were specified before for five yeers to come . these articles being agreed upon , the king of france sent them to the bavarian to approve of , and subscribe them , but the old duke suspended his resolution many moneths , and then the swed having gain'd the great battail of leipsic against the imperialists and the catholic ligue , the affaires of germany chang'd face : charnassé the french ambassador came from the swedish army not without some complaints to paris ; yet he was sent back with the marquis of brezé ambassadour extraordinary to the king of sweden to solicit still for a neutrality 'twixt his army , and that of the catholic ligue ; which was agreed upon , provided that the chief of the said ligue would separat their forces , and retire into their own territories ; this declaration of neutrality being brought to the bavarian he was willing to sign it , provided that the swed would restore what he had taken from the said catholic ligue since the battail of leipsic ; for after that battail he had made a monstrous progres and penetrated the heart of germany , having now cross'd the rhine ( which he had promis'd not to do without the french kings consent ) and seiz'd upon the city of metz where he now kept a court emperour-like ; the french ambassadors proposing unto him a restitution of what he had taken from the catholic ligue , he refus'd it , whereupon there were high words pass'd twixt him , and the ambassadors , so the neutrality ceas'd , and turn'd to hostility afterwards , and the swed commanded all roman catholicks to void the town of mentz for fear they had intelligence with some spanish troups that were at spire ; but that order was revok'd by the mediation of the french ambassadors ; so the alliance lasted still twixt the two kings . the king of france a little after this being march'd as far as metz with an army for the defence of his allies , was visited there by some german princes , and the duke of lorain came thither in person , of purpose to see him , and to scatter some clowds of diffidence and jealousies that were 'twixt the king and him : so a new treaty was agreed on wherein there were some articles very disadvantagious to the lorrener : as first , that the said duke should depart from that time forward from all intelligences , ligues , associations or practices , which he had or might have with any prince or state whatsoever to the prejudice of his majesty , his estates , and countreys under his obedience and protection ; as also in prejudice of the alliance and confederation 'twixt him and the king of sweden , and 'twixt him and the duke of bavaria for the conservation of the liberty of germany , and the catholic ligue , and defence of the princes that are allied and friends to france . secondly , that the said duke shall not treat , or make any alliance with any prince or state whatsoever , without the knowledge and consent of the said king. thirdly , that he cause to retire out of his countrey all such that are enemies to the king , and that he shall give neither passe nor safe conduct to any of his subjects that have gone out of france against his pleasure . fourthly , that no military leavies be made in his countrey against his majesties service , nor that any of his subjects serve or assist his enemies . fifthly , that he shall give liberty and power to them who shall be sent from the king to seiz upon and arrest any rebellious subjects being accus'd and convinc'd of treason ; these with other articles were agreed upon in this treaty which the king would not cōmence unles he had first deliver'd up marsal a strong tenable place . in such a posture , as we told you before that nature had plac'd the duke of savoy , in the self same posture ( the quality of the soyles excepted ) may the duke of lorain be said to be , being situated 'twixt mightier potentats then himself , who , as once the lion did increpat the innocent lamb for troubling the waters , may make him the subject of their displeasure and advantage at any time to devoure him : but the lorrener of the two , is in a worse condition then the savoyard , being homageable to the emperour and the king of france , holding lorain in fee of the one , and the duchy of bar of the other . while the treaty at vic 'twixt the king and the duke of lorain was in agitation , the marshall de la force and schomberg took moyenvic , whence they marchd before the town of tryers , the protection of whose archbishop the king had undertaken , he being amongst the seven electors lord high chancelor of france , as he of collen is of italy , and he of mentz of germany ; tryers in a short time fell to parley , and so rendred herself upon honorable termes . in this yeer there came an ambassador from the emperour of morocco to the court of france , who afterwards went to his majesty of great britain , taking france first in his way , as she stood ; he brought a letter in arabic to this effect . god is our confidence . these letters of the most mighty emperour who being assisted by divine grace and favor is alwayes happy , swelling with victory ; whose most illustrious court is full of grandeurs and prosperity , are sent to the most noble , the most high , and most excellent , dignity whose realm within the bounds of christendom hath the most illustrious name and ranke : to the dignity , i say , of the most eminent , the most noble , the most happy , and the most renowned emperour the king of france and navar , the emperour lewis , son to mighty , magnificent , famous and magnanimous emperours : having wish'd glory to god the soverain master of all glory and majesty , whose empire hath no need of any counsellor , or the assistance of any prince , whose prayses cannot be expressed by any tongue though never so eloquent ; having rendred the honours which are due to our lord mahomet , most eminent in dignity , most rich in treasure , preserver of men in the tempestuous day of judgement ; we desire of god that the people made famous by this prophet be acceptable unto him , that he please to maintain them ever in his particular protection , and that all they who love him persist to the end in the exercise of good and laudable actions : and we make particular prayers for the prosperitie of his most high , imperial , prophetic and most eminent throne , assisted always by god , and wherein by the meanes of his invincible force the elect people , and all his subjects are exalted , his memory and steps remaining to eternity . this letter of our high majesty hath bin written from the throne of our empire of maroc , which god by his grace and goodnes , and by the benediction of his apostle conserve , who doth not subsist but by the continuall assistance of god , whose providence never ceasing to assist him serves incomparably more to his defence then any other of all the armies of the world , for which we render infinit thanks to his divine majesty , to whom is the sole power , strength and might , &c. the superscription was to the most renowned and magnificent dwelling , within all the bounds of christendom , the most eminent palace . the palace of the most honorable , the most noble , the most mighty emperour , the king of france and navar , the emperour lewis . this mahumetan ambassador came from muley king of morocco in barbary for the redemption of certain slaves that were in marseilles gallies , which he obtain'd ; and in exchange all the french that were captifs in saly and other places belonging to morocco were releas'd ; besides it was agreed that the king of france might nominat consuls in those towns of commerce which were under his dominion who should have power to determin any controversie that might intervene between the subjects of france there traffiquing . such a bombardicall letter he brought also ( accompagnied with presents ) to the king of great britain , who sent an english fleet in his favor against the pyrats , and rebell - saint of saly , who did him much service for reducing the town to his obedience . don gonzales de cordova passing through france to flanders , came to kisse the kings hands ; who sent him a rich sword valued at four thousand crowns inlay'd with diamonds , which he refus'd ; and monsieur guron conducted him to cambray , he refus'd also the present that gonzales would have given him , saying , that he disdain'd any present from him who refus'd the bounty of his king. the duke of lorain receives monsieur again into his countrey , notwithstanding the former treaty , and leavies forces for him to enter france ; the king being extremely incens'd thereat , marcheth suddenly towards lorain , and employes the forces that was design'd for germany that way , with whom he joyn'd in person and took divers places in lorain ; the duke finding himself unable to resist , and being in despair of any forces from flanders , the spaniard being then busie at mastric , he had recourse to a treaty , which the king yeelded unto ; the treaty was to be held at liverdun , where the cardinal met the deputies of the duke ; most of the articles of the treaty at vic were confirm'd ; and the duke was oblig'd besides to deliver unto him iamets and stenay for hostage , and to make an absolut sale unto him of the county of clermont for a pecuniary sum : thus the busines was quickly concluded , and the cardinal of lorain was to remain for pledge till the capitulations were perform'd . the duke of lorain being thus surpriz'd , was made unable to assist monsieur as he expected ; nor could he have any supplies from flanders because of the siege at maestrict , yet he enters france with eighteen hundred horse , most of them strangers , as liegeois and crabats ; he publish'd a manifesto to justifie his taking of arms , charging richelieu with the usurpation , and dissipation of france , and that he had no other intent but to let his majesty know how much he was deceived , and so exhorted all good frenchmen to assist him in his laudable desseins . the king caus'd a counter-manifesto to be proclaimed , declaring them traytors in the highest degree that should adhere to monsieur , yet if he would lay down his arms , and submit himself within the compas of forty dayes after the publication of the said manifesto , he would forget all faults pass'd , and monsieur should find such welcome that he should have cause to extoll the kings goodnes , and detest the pernicious counsels that had bin given him : the king doubting that words would little prevail without the sword , dispatch'd marshall de la force with ten thousand foot , and twelve hundred horse to languedoc , because he understood that monsieur would draw in monmorency to joyn him , which he did , with foure bishops more : the duke of monmorency then governor of languedoc summons the states together , wherein he declar'd himself for monsieur , and never to separat from his interests till the government was reform'd . the king hearing of monmorencies revolt was extreamly incens'd , and the more because he had sent him extraordinary commission , and money besides to raise troups for his service , wherewith he was now ready to bandy against him , therupon he commanded his house in paris to be seiz'd on , and all his goods inventoriz'd , amongst which there were . franks found in money : he caus'd a declaration also to be publish'd wherein he and all his adherents were proclaym'd rebells . monsieur and monmorency were grown so strong that the king in person with an army of twenty thousand foot , and two thousand horse went to suppresse them : some of the kings army was about castel nau-d ' arry , under the command of schomberg , where monmorency in a martiall heat , but more in a desperat then valiant resolution , accompagnied with the earls of rieux , and fevillade , and only eight horse more fac'd and set upon the royalists , broak the ranks of some of them , kill'd divers , and hurt many ; but after he was hurt himself in the face , and in sundry places about his body so that he fell off his horse , and cried out for a confessor ; so one of his men taking him upon his back , he was taken prisoner and carried upon a ladder to castel nau d' arry : in the said conflict was kill'd one of henry the great 's base sons the count of moret , with the fore-mentioned earls of rieux and fevillade , and the whole army was routed . notwithstanding all these provocations the king sent a gracious message to monsieur inviting him to come unto him , and the same day monsieur had sent to the king chaudebonne with these propositions : . that the duke of monmorency should be releas'd , and reestablish'd in his estate and government , together with the dukes of elbaeuf and bellegarde : . that his majesty would render to the duke of lorain all the places he detain'd from him : . that an act of abolition should passe : . that a million of franks which he had borrow'd should be pay'd . whereunto the king made this answer . my brother , the propositions which chaudebonne hath made me in your behalf , are so little sortable to my dignity , to the public and your own proper good , that i cannot return any other answer then what i sent you formerly by monsieur aiguebonne to testifie my affection unto you ; i pray dispose of your self to receive the effects of them , assuring you that in so doing i shall forget what 's pass'd , and shall make it appear unto you more and more that i am your most affectionat brother lewis . this letter was seconded a little after with articles to this effect . . that monsieur should acknowledge his fault by writing , and desire the king to forget and pardon . . that he give the best assurance he can not to fall into a relaps . . to have no intelligence with spain , lorain or any other strange prince , nor with the queen his mother as long as she continues in the case she stands , and to sojourn in what place the king shall appoint him . . that he mingle not his interests with those that were his complices and ill counsellors which must be proceeded against according to law , yet , amongst them his domesticks shall be exempted . . that puy laurens who suggested these ill counsels into him sincerely confesse what further practises were intended against the state , and that he acknowledge himself culpable , before he receive grace . to all these monsieur subscrib'd in this forme . we gaston son of france , unic brother to the king , duc of orleans , chartres and valois , earl of blois do consent to what is propounded by his majesty , and upon the word and faith of a prince we promise a religious performance of all the articles : we promise besides to conspire with all our power to all the good desseins of the king for the grandeur and safety of his kingdoms , and to love them that love his majesty , and specially our cosen the cardinall of richelieu , whom we hold to be necessary to the person and states of the king for his fidelity . after this a declaration was publish'd for all strangers that came in with monsieur to quit the kingdom within . dayes ; some of the chiefest instruments of this sollevation were cut off by the sword of justice , and amongst other the foure bishops spoken of before , were legally proceeded against , by a speciall brief from rome wherein there were foure archbishops nominated as deligats to judge them , whereof the archbishop and prince of arles was chief ; though the ancient form of proceeding against prelats for crimes was us'd to be by a synod of the gallic bishops : not one of the foresaid delinquent bishops was condem'd to die , only the bishop of albi was depriv'd of his bishoprick , and confin'd to a monastery to eat the bread of sorrow . there fell this yeer upon the kings return from narbon through languedoc in a sudden showr of rain such huge cataracts of water from the airie region , that two hundred persons were drownd upon the highwayes , four coches of the queens , and fifty carts were swallowed up in the deluge . the duke of monmorency being taken prisoner was carried to tholouse where he was to receive his tryall not by his peers but by the ordinary way of justice , he was legally convicted and condemn'd ; there were all means possible us'd for his pardon , but the king was inflexible , so with exemplary patience and piety he pai'd nature her last tribut ; he put off his doublet himself , and cut off his hair and mustachos before he came to the block . thus fell henry of monmorency duke , peer , and marshall , and of the ancientest extractions of france , in so much that henry the great was us'd to say , that he was a better gentleman then himself ; the motto in his scutcheon was dieu aide le premier chevalier chrestien , god preserve the first christian cavalier ; he left no son nor male heir behind , so this illustrious family went out like a snuffe , such an ill-savor'd sent rebellion leaves behind it . monsieur for not obtaining monmorencys pardon , though he had prevayl'd for the dukes of elbaeuf , and bellegarde , grew again discontented , and forsakes france ; the cardinall of richelieu had at this time a dangerous fit of sicknes , so that a great while the infirmities of his body would not give him leave to exercise the functions of his soule ; a little after his convalescence , there was a chapter of the knights of the royall order , the holy spirit , kept , wherein there were forty nine more created , and the honor was conferr'd chiefly upon them that had serv'd against them of the religion . the duke of lorain appearing more for the house of austria then the sweds in the german war , the king to quarrell with him , demanded homage for the duchy of bar , the duke wav'd the performance of this ceremony , alledging that those homages which were pretended to be done by his progenitors were but visits and complements , not any reall dutyes , there being no act upon record for them . there happend another occasion of displeasure against the duke in that the princess margaret was maried to monsieur not only without the kings consent , but expresly against his command ; it being observ'd that matches with that family have bin fatall , and that lorain milk have engendred but ill bloud in france . so he arms mainly against the duke , and being advanced as far as nancy the duke and the cardinal had conference , but in the interim his sister the princesse went in pages apparell out of the town , and got to brussels to monsieur her husband where the marriage , which was before but clandestin , was publicly consummated ; the duke did much complement with the king , sending him word , that if the gates of nancy were not wide enough to let him in , he would pull down the walls , to make him entrance : the duke had a safe conduct to come to the kings army to treat with the cardinal , who prov'd too hard for him , in so much that he was forc'd to yeeld that the king should enter nancy , or remain prisoner ; this made him afterward tax both king and cardinal with a contravention of their promises and faith . so nancy was rendred for a time , and a french garrison was plac'd there , in lieu of the old which consisted of . foot , and . horse . after this the king re-establish'd the archbishop of tryers in his estates , and so returnd triumphantly to paris . this yeer the duke of crequy was sent ambassadour to rome in a most splendid equipage to prostrat at the popes feet all the trophies got of them of the religion ; that saint-like lady the archduchesse clara eugenia isabellad ' austria , governesse of flanders died about this time ; and monsieur understanding that the infant cardinal , the king of spaines youngest brother , was to come thither to govern , he began to think of his return to france ; besides the spaniards began to have some sinister surmises of him , in regard he did not command a bonfire to be made before his house in joy of the battail at norlingben ; so making semblance one morning to go a hauking he posted privatly to france ( leaving his wife and mother behind ) without bidding any farewell , or giving thanks for his entertainment all the while , which was so costly to spaine ; so the king and he were peec'd again now the fourth time . the king having put the duke of lorain as it were in his shirt , by stripping him of all his countrey , after a tough siege he took also la motte ; his forces in germany had also taken haguenaw ▪ manheim likewise , and philipsburg were put into his hands : and because it was expenceful unto him to keep so many garrisons in lorain , he demolish'd divers castles up and down the countrey , whereby the logic rule was made subservient to policy , frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora . france was in an extreme high and triumphant condition at this time ; and being in a perfect tranquillity within doores , she fell upon the establishment of wholsome laws , therefore divers edicts were publish'd ; one for the reformation of abbeys , another for suppressing the lux and superfluities in apparell , with an inhibition to wear gold and silver lace , and other gaudy trimmings : a third for regulating of military discipline , and the biliting of soldiers : a fourth , that they of the religion should entertain no strange ministers . there was also a royall botomicall garden made in paris , for the culture of medicinall plants , and other curiosities ; moreover there was a company of marchants erected for new france in the indies for the advancement of traffic . and paris had her skirts enlarg'd , the twilleries , and part of saint german being brought within her inclosure . we will finish this fifth lustre with a remarkable passage that happen'd in italy . gasper galilei galileo a man exactly vers'd in the mathematiques , of profound speculations and high reaches , having more then ordinary inspections into the motions of heavenly bodies , ( witnes that rare prospectif of his ) publish'd a book intituled , a dialogue of the two systems of the world , of ptolomey and copernicus ; wherein ( with the latter ) he upholds that the sun is the centre of the world standing alwayes still , and that the earth as the rest of her fellow elements together with the planets and fixed stars , are in perpetuall motion : in the convent of minerva , galileo recanted this opinion of the suns repose , and the earths motion , because it was oppos'd to holy scripture , & so by consequence a heresie ; yet because he had taught it his disciples , his punishment was to be in prison during pleasure , his penance was , that for three yeers he should repeat the seven penitentiall psalmes once every week : a milder sentence far then vigilius the bishop had about the times of the primitive church for maintaining there were antipodes , for which he was condemn'd to die , that opinion being held then to be a monstrous paradox , though our modern navigators have long since evinc'd the truth of it : it hath bin alwayes the method of providence to impart knowledge to mankind by certain degrees , as we find it true commonly in our mundan negotiations , that posterior dies , est prioris magister ; i could enlarge my self further upon this theam were it pertinent to my main historical subject , but being not , i put a period to it , and to this fifth lustre . the sixth lustre of the life of lewis the thirteenth . this lustre begins with sound of drum and trumpet more lowdly then any of the former , it begins with an open rupture of the peace 'twixt the two mighty monarques of france and spain : 't is true , there had bin formerly , ever since the beginning of the german wars , and those of italy and the grisons some clashings and counterbuffs between them , but it was in an auxiliary collateral way , each of them ( according to his severall interest ) reaching his hand to his friend , and assisting his confederat , and those which put themselfs under their protection ; but this yeer you shall find there will be public profess'd enmity by cry of herald proclaim'd between the two kings though brothers , each of them having one anothers sister in their beds for twenty yeers together . the house of austria had had an extraordinary good yeer of the last , for after the battail of norlinghen , which was the greatest victory he obtain'd ( except that of prague against the prince palatine ) since the beginning of the german wars , he push'd on his good fortune and invaded the territories of the duke of wittemberg and marquis of baden or durlas ; besides he sets upon the city of triers and seizeth upon her , with her archbishop the elector , whom he carried away prisoner notwithstanding that he had put himself under the shadow of the flower-de-luce : add hereunto that by the advantage of yce he took the strong tower of philipsburg , where the french were put to the sword , and the germans spar'd ; the reduction of this place was of such consequence , that it help'd to secure heidelberg , manheim , worms , spire , frankfort , mentz , crusnack , frankindal and treves , all which places were master'd by the imperialists . though all these were properly the emperours acts , yet france and holland father'd them upon the spaniard who contributed , that which is the greatest sinew of war , viz. money to assist his uncle . and being sensible of these mighty progresses and growth of the house of austria , they thought it high time to look about them , so there came commissioners extraordinary from holland to paris , and a ligue defensive and offensive was struck between them to make a social conjunctive war in the netherlands against the king of spain ▪ the most materiall articles of which ligue , for we are loth to stuff this history with formalities , were these . . the king of france shall have an army of ▪ foot , and . horse upon the frontiers of france towards the netherlands in the convenientest place ; and the states of the united provinces shall have . foot , and . horse . . of these two armies one shall send the other . foot , and . horse as auxiliaries in case the enemy shall succour any place which either of them shall besiege , and if occasion require both armies shall joyn in one body . . it is accorded that a declaration be sent to all the towns under the king of spain in the netherlands , to assure them that there shall be no innovation introducd which may prejudice their priviledges , and that the exercise of religion be left free . . that all other princes and states who shall desire the protection of france and the united provinces may enter into this ligue , provided they take up armes against the spaniard . . that if any towns yeeld themselfs of their own accord , it shall be lawfull for them to mould themselfs into the body of a particular state. . that there may be no difference in parting what shall be taken , it is agreed that france shall have all flanders from the frontiers of france as far as blanquemberg neer the sluce : and the states shall have all the maritim places beyond toward france as far as the river of swyn : that artois and henault as far as navar inclusively shall be the kings of france : and the states shall have hulst , malines , and brabant , as far as brussells . . that no places which shall be taken be troubled for matter of religion , but that it be continued in the same state 't is found . . that no treaty for truce or peace be set a foot with the spaniard , without the reciprocall consent of both parties . . that for a more regular way in proceeding , this order shall be followed , to attempt first , two places allotted for the share of france , and then two of the shares of the states , which order shall be successively observed . . that if the king invade flanders , the states with a diverting army shall enter brabant ; and if the states are engag'd in brabant the king shall have a diverting army in artois or hanault . . that the king of great britain may enter into this confederacy , to which effect there shall be ambassadors employed unto him from both parties to know of him whether he will continue upon termes of neutrality . . it is accorded further that both parties shall have fifteen men of war at sea a peece of so many tonns ; and if any english ships desire to joyne with the said fleet they shall have the precedence of them of the states . . if any treaty be agreed unto for peace or treaty it shall be kept in the hague , and no where els . . in regard of this treaty the obligation shall cease to furnish the states yeerly with two millions of franks which was us'd to be sent them from france , &c. these articles being interchangeably sign'd and ratified in paris ; there issued a large public declaration from the king to denounce war with spain to this effect . lewis by the grace of god king of france and navar , to all who shall see these present letters , health . the great and sensible offences this monarchy hath receiv'd divers times from that of spain are so well known to all the world , that it is needles to renue their memory : we have a long time dissembled the hatred and naturall jealousie the spaniards have against france , whereby they have alwayes stopp'd the course of our prosperity by secret practises , oppressed the princes allied to this crown , and sought to dismember the kingdome ; therefore with those forces which god hath given us we have resolv'd to prevent their further desseins upon us , and rather to carry our armes within their countrey , then expect theirs in ours , &c. then he goes on to enumerat the obligations that spain had to france for making the last truce with the hollander , which spain had so much need of at that time ; the good offices he had done the emperour upon the beginning of the troubles in germany ; so he taxes him that the first recompence which france receiv'd was the occupation of the valtolin from the grisons the ancient allies of france ; he complains further that the treaty at mouson was not executed as it was intended ; he speaks of sundry enterprises upon the duke of savoy while he was confederat of france , of the violent oppression which the duke of mantova suffer'd ; how the duke of lorain arm'd five times against france by the suscitation of the king of spain ; how the said king treated with the chief of them of the religion to form a perpetuall body of rebellion in the bowels of france at that time when he promis'd assistance against them ; how his ambassadors continually practised to sow division between them of the royall family ; how he assisted with men and money those that made rents and factions in france ; how to bring about his far fetch'd designes for the westerne monarchy , he made flanders his arcenal for arms , not only to subdue them whom he had acknowledg'd free and soverain , but to keep france in perpetuall jealousie of surprisals by a veteran army ; therefore he thought it more honorable to attain unto a sound secure peace by the generous strength of an open war then let his subjects drop away by small numbers , and languish under a doubtfull and incertain peace which must be conserv'd with . men . then he comes to speak of the outrage that was done to the archbishop of triers , and the jeering illusory answer which was return'd about his liberty ; then he speaks of his most deer great friends , allies , and confederats the states of the united provinces with whom he had made a ligue defensive and offensive , but with this proviso , that what towns or places whatsoever were taken , the catholique religion should not be damnified , but conserv'd still in the same condition ; then he makes his addresse to the flemins that if within two moneths they cause the spaniards to retire from their towns and provinces , they shall be joyn'd and united into a body of one free and independent state , with all rights of soveraignty : so he concluds with an injunction to all his subjects to make war by sea and land , night and day against the king of spain a declar'd enemy to his person and state ; protesting before god and men that as he was reduc'd to the utmost extremity to take up arms for his own defence , and for his allies and friends , so his main end , and only aime was to procure an universall and well grounded peace throughout christendom . before this declaration was divulg'd a herald of arms was sent to brussells where he publicly pronounc'd war against the king of spain in the market place , and so in every town at his return to france , and he pass'd to and fro without any outrage at all . the king had five royall armies in motion this sommer ; the first in lorain under the duke of angoulesme , & de la force ; the second under the cardinal de la valette in germany , wherewith bernard weymer joyn'd : the third was under the duke of crequy in italy , wherewith the savoyard and parmasan joyn'd : the fourth was under the duke of rohan , wherewith the venetians and grisons joyn'd to conserve the valtolin : the fifth was under the marshall chastillon in picardy . the first did some exploits , against the duke of lorain , where ihon dewert , coloredo , and the baron of clinchant took saint mihel and other places . the second under de la valette who had coronell hebron and divers scots of his army , and having taken binghen ▪ and other places , he had a shrewd conflict with galas neer boulac , where a great many of french nobles and gentlemen were slain , so that this army made not so good returns as the first . the third under rohan thrive well , he fortified many places in the valtolin , and had a shrewd fight neer bormio , defeated sarbellon , and . were slain upon the place . the fourth under crequy performed much in italy , divers places were taken in the countrey of alexandrin , but laying a siege before valentia he was forc'd to raise it . the fifth under chastillon had the best fortune of any , for being to joyn with the prince of orenge at maestricht , he met in the way with prince tomaso at avein neer namur , where after a tough serious fight above . of the enemies fell , . men taken prisoners , . colours , and . peeces of ordnance . after this exploit the french army marchd towards maestricht through the countrey of liege where chastillon met with the prince of orenge and bovillon , there were high acclamations of joy at the conjunction of both armies who came to the number specified in the treaty , all effectif men : add hereunto that there was a third army of the duke of bovillons ; in so much that there was never since the beginning of the belgique war a greater and more numerous body of military strength at one time , an army able to gain an empire , for it was compos'd of neer upon . combatants whereof there were above . horse ; but their achievements and succes was not answerable to their power , for they took but two mean towns tillemont and diest and the castle of dormaet ; the first was pittifully pillag'd , nor could the french soldiers be kept within any limits of awe but they did violat and plunder both churches and convents , and committed many other strange outrages ; the armies then march'd as far as brussells , and took prisoners out of the very suburbs , but it was held neither safe to sit down before the place , nor a thing feasible to take it , the cardinal infante being intrench'd not far off in a very advantagious post ; therefore the armies came before lovain , where they presently began their batteries , the marquis of varennes with divers french fell there and divers more ; they of the town made a furious sally upon the english quarters , wherein sir charles morgan was hurt , and eighty more slain , but in a short space they were repell'd to the town with a considerable losse ; they made two brave sallies more upon chastillons quarters a little after ; but the tenth day the siege was rais'd , and the town quite cleer'd of so vast an army ; the reasons of the raising of this siege were , first , a great necessity of provision ; the second the strength of the enemy , for piccolomini was come to namur with a fresh army ; lastly , the ignorance they had of the quality of the place in point of strength , and her neernes to the greatest towns in brabant , as antwerp , brussells , malines , with other . these huge armies being retreated from before lovain , the nimble crabats did notably plague their reeres ; and carried away good booties ; diest was also repris'd , and the french army being before venlo news came that the famous sconce of schenk was taken by the spanish garrison of gueldres ; as also that the duke of saxe the potentest prince of germany , and the dictator of the protestants had made his peace with the emperour ; besides that iean de wert had invaded , and extremely ravag'd lorain up and down , which made chastillon trusse up his baggage , and leave venlo and think upon homewards : thus this formidable french army melted away to a small number , nor could they who were left , know which way to return to france ; so most of them were sent by sea from flushing and other places ; neverthelesse had their retreat bin answerable to their first entrance into the netherlands when chastillon gain'd such a notable victory of prince tomaso , they had made a gallant expedition of it ; but it was observ'd that after their sacriledges at tillemont the wind blew alwaies in their faces , and nothing prosper'd with them . besides sundry good successes by land , the spaniard this yeer had some prosperous gales at sea ; for the duke fernandin , and the marquis de sancte cruz took from the french , with . gallies and . galeons , two islands in the mediterranean , call'd sancta margarita , and saint honorat ; which much prejudic'd the trade of provence , and all maritime commerce to italy . young oxenstern the chancelor of swedens son came in a gay equippage ambassador to france this yeer ; he was treated with no common esteem , and at his departure the king took off his finger a rich ring which he wore that day of purpose to give him ; the said oxenstern passing over to england upon the like employment , though his reception was altogether as good , and his present as valuable , yet he refus'd the latter . the maritim might , and navall power of france never appear'd more then this yeer ; for the king being very sensible of the losse of his islands neer provence assembleth all the great ships which could be found in the ports of normandy , britainy , poitou , and guyen to the number of . vessels , wherein there were embark'd neer upon . men , and they carie . peeces of ordnance ; the first rendevous was at rochell , the count of harcour was appointed generall , and sourdis the archbishop of bourdeaux admirall , they lanc'd out into the main , and coasting spain without any rencounter they entred the mediterranean ; the fleet of province was then also in a readines which consisted of . gallies , of which squadron the bishop of nants was director in chief , who , with him of bourdeaux , left his spirituall see , to try his fortunes on the salt sea ; he was embark'd in the gran galeon of the duke of guyses , of . tonns ; there was another squadron also of the gallies of france , whereof the count pont courlay was generall , there was a short fight twixt them , and the spanish fleet neer the foresaid islands , but no great hurt done , nor any thing perform'd to any purpose . during these traverses at sea , there was notable doings by land , for piccolomini and iohn de wert , enter'd and overwhelm'd picardy like two impetuous torrents , and carried all before them , they ravag'd and plundred most lamentably the poore pesans and villages all along , they took la capelle , nor could the strength the count of soissons had in that province withstand them ; the prince of condé was then beating the walls of dole , but having long layn before the town , and having spent much powder , and a considerable number of men before her , he was forc'd to raise the siege , to make head against those fearfull incursions the imperialists made up and down picardy ; their army consisted of divers squadrons of germans , polanders , and crabats ; soissons met with the pole , and caus'd him to retire to luxemburg ; where he took breath , and afterwards came on more furiously then before , he took moniauban , and three places more which he fir'd , and carried away men , women and children : prince tomaso was chief of these flying armies which in all consisted of above . horse , and so many foot ; they took afterwards catelet , and push'd on their march as far as the river of somme where they seiz'd on bray , and cross'd the river , took royé with divers other places : being thus got into the very bowels of picardy the crabats had a brave time of it who subsist chiefly by pillage , they rob churches , cloisters , convents , monasteries , and the altars themselfs , nor can the opinion of holines exempt any thing from rapine ; a little after corby rendred her self , and then a generall summons was publish'd in the king of spaines name for all the townes of picardy to render themselfs , and they should have good quarter . this sudden inundation of so many forren people , and such monstrous incursions , struck an earthquake into the hearts of all men , and paris her self trembled more then any place ; many thousands of people had fled thither from champany , brie , picardy , high normandy , as also from the isle of france it self for refuge , nunns , friers , and priests left their monasteries , cels and cloisters , panting with apprehensions of fears , and imminent dangers ; nay , the parisians themselfs thinking their town not secure enough fled away in multitudes towards the loire . this gave a generall alarm to the whole kingdom , and paris quak'd more then any place , in so much that she began to fortifie apace , the burgesses by the provosts command , and the schollers by the rectors , put themselfs in armes : there were extraordinary contributions made , and . men suddenly rais'd to go towards picardy : monsieur was appointed generall , who in his march encreas'd daily more and more in great numbers , to make head against this formidable invasion , or rather irruption . the common people being thus startled and scared , one might hear up and down both in town and countrey whole volleys of curses discharg'd upon richelieu , who was cryed up to be the source of all these evils , because they conceiv'd 't was by his counsell the king had denounc'd open war against the spaniard the yeer before ; but the strong reflex of royall favor , and the former good successes he had , took away much of the gaul against him . the royall army under monsieur , who was accompagnied with the flower of all the nobility of france , and was now neer upon forty thousand combatants , being advanc'd far into picardy , the first exploit he perform'd was the reprisall of royé by siege , then he took bretevil ; but a little before iohn de wert had given a smart blow to the count of esfeld who had a brigade of germans , & a good number of french horse commanded by gassion for the kings service . the royall army came before corbie at last , where a leager was planted seven leagues compasse , and the town held them good play for divers moneths , whence the spaniards made sundry notable sallies . the imperiall army under galas was now got into burgundy , where he took mirebeau , and sundry other places which he pillag'd and burnt ; in the interim the duke of lorain who commanded one of the flying armies had lai'd siege before saint iohn de lone , and galas recruted him with men , and ammunition , but the place being relieved , and it being now neere the dead of winter , galas gave out he had order to return to germany which he did , and so the duke of lorain rays'd his siege , and sent divers complaints to the emperor against galas his generall , but they came to nothing . thus that huge deluge ceas'd in france , which did such a world of mischief that the goths , vandalls , or saracens never did the like for the time , nor was this the sole disaster that befell france this yeer , for the viceroy of pampelona took saint iohn de luz tother side the kingdom ; besides mentz , coblens , and hanaw were rendred to the imperialists , in all which much of the garrisons were french : i will conclude this yeer with the public baptisme of madamoiselle , monsieurs daughter , being nine yeers and three moneths old , which ceremony was solemniz'd in the louure , the queen of france , and her cardinal were her godmother and godfather , and she was named anne marie . this yeer a more propitious planet cast an influence upon france , then fell upon her in the former , as will appear by the succes of things ; we will begin with the reprisall of the isles of lerins , call'd saint margaret and saint honorat : some of the provensall gentlemen shew'd much passion for the honor of their countrey to which those islands belong'd , by divers proofs of valeur , and their names were enroul'd in a public instrument which stands upon record to posterity in the court of parlement ; there were mighty preparatives made for the said expedition , and sundry persons of quality parted with their bloud , and some with their life 's in the quarrell ; but whether the benefit did countervail the vast charge of recovering two or three small rocks it was much question'd , yet the work was done , and it left behind it an astonishment of the navall power of france . the king had three land armies this spring towards the frontiers of the netherlands ; the first towards cambray commanded by the duke de la valette ; the second towards artois whereof milleray was chief ; the third under chastillon upon the frontiers of champany and luxemburg : the first took two or three castles by surprize , and then sate before landrecy , which after a stubborn siege was yeelded at last to de la valette , the exploit was reputed the greater , because in times pass'd charles the emperour had lain before landrecy with thirty thousand foot , and fifteen thousand horse six moneths together , and then was forc'd to steale away in the night from before the place ; after this the duke of candale took beaumont ; la capelle was also rendred after the brunt of a short siege . but a hotter siege and soyle calls me now to the pyreney hills , where the spaniards had entrench'd themselfs strongly before leucate a frontier town twixt languedoc and cataloma with a resolution to carry it : the duke of halluin was employ'd upon this service , assisted by the archbishop of bourdeaux ; of the spaniards the count of serbellon an italian and a great captain was commander in chief ; there happen'd many bloudy , and exceeding hot skirmiges betwixt the two nations , but at last the spaniard was forc'd to quit his trenches and leave thirty two great guns of all sorts behind him , with the losse of three thousand men ; amongst the dead bodies some women were found habited like men , which being shew'd the spaniards that were taken prisoners , and ask'd what women they were , they answer'd , those poltrons that fled away were women , not these ; with this agrees a rodomontado a captain left upon a wall , o frenchmen , if you had comported your selfs in this encounter as you have us'd to do ; and if we had shew'd our selfs such men as the world cries us up to be , your actions had bin ours , and ours yours . the spaniards which were taken prisoners would salute the french gentlemen by the title of senōres lutheranos , thinking that to be a complement would please them : serbellon made three assaults upon the town , the two first with iron bullets , the last with gold pistols , viz. the proffer of fifty thousand crowns to the governour for a rendition , but it took not . the king was so well pleas'd with this service that he conferr'd honors upon divers of the commanders , and especially upon the generall , to whom he writ this following letter to be marshall of france . to my cosen the duke of halluin , marshall of schomberg . my cosen , you have known how to serve me so well with your sword , that i send you a truncheon ; as well for a marke of the contentment which i have receiv'd , as also that hereafter you may make choice of your armes , if my enemies present themselfs in any place where you may make them again know your valour ; i never bestow'd grace with a better heart , then i do this , to perpetuat in your person the name of marshall of schomberg , which having bin acceptable to me in the person of the father , will be no lesse in that of the son : so i pray god , my cosen , that he hold you in his blessed guard . lewis . questionles this was a peece of service of high merit , and of mighty consequence to france , for had the spaniard nestled in leucato a strong tenable place , they had had a key to enter presently into languedoc at pleasure : the said young duke of halluin stirr'd himself notably , and going in the front of his troups alwayes with his naked sword had receiv'd divers hurts ; nor did the spaniards who had above twelve thousand foot , and two thousand horse , shew themselfs cowards , for notwithstanding the town pelted them on the one side , and the royall army on the other which was greater in number then they , yet they sallied out of their trenches , and encountred them five severall times . this siege of leucato was contemporary with that of breda by the hollanders this yeer , before which the prince of orenge lay so close and secure , that as the cardinal infante could not hinder his first intrenchment , so he could not afterwards oblige him to fight ; but having twenty thousand foot , and six thousand horse , he struck into gueldres and took venlo and ruremond : so breda was given for lost , and after three moneths siege she yeelded upon the same tearms that spinola had given twelve yeers before ; though he lay five times longer before the town : the prince of orenge made his entrance the ninth of september at the same gate which marquis spinola had erected with this memorable inscription in huge golden characters . philippo quarto regnante , clara isabella eugenia gubernante , ambrosio spinola obsidente , quatuor regibus contra-conantibus , breda capta fuit , id. this yeer fortune began to frown first upon the spaniard , and where she once fixeth her frowns she doth not suddenly remove them , but wrinckles her forhead more and more , as will appear in the subsequent passages . we will conclude this yeer with the conversion of francis cupif a doctor of sorbon to the reform'd religion ; whereupon the faculty of theologie pronounc'd this rigid decree against him . it is very properly , and with great reason that the apostle rankes heresies amongst crimes , and carnall sins , because we often perceive , that by a secret judgement of god , those use to fall , and tomble into them , who swelling with the vanity and confidence of their own sense , or walking according to the flesh , suffer not themselfs to be led by the spirit of god , nor beleeve that they are tied to any rule , but they tast nothing but what pleaseth man as he is a sensitive animal : whereof francis cupif of anger 's whom the sacred faculty had nourish'd before in her bosom , and at last unhappily receiv'd into the number of her doctors , to the great scandall of all good men , and the applause of the enemies of the crosse of christ , hath lately given a horrid , and most deplorable example . for according to the honour that was conferr'd upon him in our schoole , not minding the law he had receiv'd from so good a mother , which might have drawn down upon his head all graces from god and men , and having quite forgot the oath which he had made so oft , and whereunto according to ancient institution all new graduats , and all such who are promoted to the degree of doctorships are solemnly oblig'd ; he is miserably fallen from the holy catholic church , whereby he hath drawn upon himself the losse of his soule before god , shame and infamy before men , and malediction from all parts ; this imprudent son is become the grief and sadnes of his mother , then , when by a perfidious prevarication abjuring the true doctrin , he hath most impudently turn'd heretic , giving up his name to impiety and falshood . but whence can it proceed , that he should so easily fall into so fearfull a precipice , but from the naturall presumption of his own judgement , and from the ardor of unbridled pleasure , wherewith they that neerly knew him perceiv'd that he incessantly burnt ? whence it comes to passe that being blinded , and walking continually according to his own covetousnesse , having shaken off the sweet and light yoak of iesus christ , he is become a voluntary slave to heresie , which is the height of all sins . it being therefore true , that , as the christian emperours said , whatsoever is attempted against divine religion becomes injurious to all , with greater reason the sacred faculty of theologie hath beleev'd that the wrong which is done iesus christ , and to the catholic faith by this degenerat child , did concern her so far as to pronounce a grave censure according to the atrocity of the crime , against such a notorious infamy , and to separat him totally from her , and her noursery , though it be nothing at all to be fear'd that such bastard plants will take any deep roots . cursed be thou degenerat child , which goest on after thine own counsell , not according to mine , which warpest a web , but not by my direction , which dost adde sin to sin , which goest down to egypt , and to the synagogue of satan , and consultest not with me , nor remembrest my precepts ; thou hast rejected my discipline , hoping for succour in the help of calvin and his followers , and hast confidence in the shadow of egypt , that is to say , in the conventicle of heretiques ; but this imaginary strength shall become thy confusion , and the confidence of this shadow , which thou followest in despising the body of the orthodoxal church , shall turn to thy shame . so an anathema was pronounc'd , and publiquely fix'd up against him . duke bernard weymar descended of the eldest house of saxony whose ancester was outed of that great dutchy , for deserting rome by charles the emperour , had besides his germanes a considerable army of french upon the kings pay , who did notable feats up and down ; he was now lay'd down before rhinfield one of the forest towns ( having taken two of them before ) belonging to the house of austria , he had after two stormings made a breach in the walls , when iohn de wert , the duke of savelli , and other choice men appear'd inexpectedly with nine regiments of horse , and four thousand foot to raise the siege ; generall sperheucher was also there , and two companies of crabats : there happen'd two furious fights betwixt them , in the first de wert had the better by taking four canons , and three cornets of horse , the duke of rohan was in the field as a volontier being newly come from his employment in the valtolin , his horse was kill'd under him , and he himself wounded in two or three places ; the siege of rhinfield was rais'd for the time , but bernard weymar sought out de wert the next day , and having rallied all his forces and put himself in battalia , there was a gallant though bloudy fight , and victory flutter'd a great while with doubtfull wings , but at last iohn de wert himself , duke savelli , sperheucher , major generall enkenfort , with all the chief commanders were taken prisoners ; amongst whom iohn de wert , and enkenfort were carried prisoners to france , and committed to bois de vincennes . so duke bernard weymar took rhinfield by a second siege presently after . the duke of rohan being carried with his wounds about him to swisserland , died of them within a little time , and his body was carried in great pomp to geneva where he was buried : a duke of high descent being prime prince of the bloud of the kingdom of navar , whereupon it was said of him , rohan ie suis , roy ie ne puis , prince , ie dedagne . rhoan i am , king i cannot be , prince , i disdain it . he was excellently vers'd both in the theory , and prastic part of war , and other politicall knowledge , as appears by his works , and by his exploits in the valtolin and els where ; some there are who brand him to have bin a pensioner to spain receiving fourteen thousand crowns and his brother soubize eight thousand from that king for divers yeers , to puzzle france with intestin broyles : he died without male issue , and so that bloud-royal duchy of navar extinguish'd . there were hot doings now in italy , one of the grounds of the quarrell was 'twixt the king of spain , and the duke of parma ; the spaniard alledg'd that by capitulations with the former dukes , he was upon occasion of war to have the town of placentia for his use to put men and ammunition in during the war ; the duke disadvowed any such obligation , and was abetted by france and savoy in the quarrell : victor amadée duke of savoy who had married the second daughter of france being dead the yeer before , and the count of veriie his generall , the duke of crequy came to be commander in chief , and going to releeve breme which the marquis of leganez governor of milan had closely begirt , crequy as he was surveying the enemies trench , and vaunting that he would convey succour to the town over the spaniards mustachos , he was cut in the middle by a cannon bullet , and so shatterred to peeces , and the crosse he wore upon his brest was shot into his flesh , so breme rendred her self . this marshall crequy was a brave man both for command and personall valour , having fairly kill'd in duel one of the bastard sons of savoy in sight of two armies some yeers before ; there was a latin epitaph written upon him , which in respect of the pertinent apposit words , and the gallantry of the style i think worthy to have room in this story , for i have not met with a better . d. caroli de crequy elogium funebre . ad sonum ruinae , cujus fragor adhuc europam occupat , tormento bellico crequius occubuit , minori telo non poterat ; eminus mors peremit , saepe frustrà e propinquo tentaverat ; priori displosione pulveris nubem excitavit , ut secundas insidias tegeret ; alterum globum impegit in terram vel attingere verita , vel antequam attingeret venerata ; abrumptum est corpus in membra , jacere eodem in loco tanta ruina non poterat ; quod colligi potuit , hic jacet , magnitudo cladis ubique est : nec incautum mors oppressit , ea die aeternitati studuerat , ante hor am animum sacramentis praeparârat , ut praestaret aeternum , dum facit divinum ; horam reliquam non substraxit aeternitati , dum impendit regi : appensam è collo crucem fatalis globus impressit cordi , ut moreretur in vulneribus propriis , et cum vulneribus christi . sensit cor admotum deum , amavit & vixit : emendavit amores humanos hic amor ultimus : continuatus est aeternitati , ne eum tempus corrumperet , reperiri ultrà in terris cor coelo dignum non potuit , duae res sursum extulerant , crux quam attigit , amor quo arsit . postquam attigerat deum tegi humo non debuit , neque hospes aeternitatem ingressus est , ad quam tot eleemosynas praemiserat , ut festivè beneficus esset , praemittere se aiebat ad coelum divitias , ne illic pauper esset ; nullibi securius latere opes , quam ubi deus , et faelicitas latet . abi viator , nec ruinam defle quâ crequius in aeternitatem cecidit ; eâ hora extinctus est , quae illi ad immortalitatem optanda fuit . redi viator , & disce qualem vitam aeternitas inchoavit , diem clausit , vix unquam tot lauros fulmen messuerat , si laurus fulmen timeret , centum heroum nepos elogia omnium sua fecit , magnanimus , audax , sapiens , dignus gentilitiis meritis et suis , servabat ei virtus haec cognomina , nisi majores praeripuissent , praelusit tamen nepoti , dum ea avis imponeret ; iis titulis ducem , parem et marescallum addidit , additurus conestabilem , nisi haec aetas tot conestabiles haberet , quot marescallos habet . conestabili de lediguieres in generum datus est , ut heroum filius , gallici martis alumnus esset ; sub eo magistromaturè vincere coepit , ut diu vinceret , ea aetate militiae magister , qua vix alii sunt tyrones : nulla est galliae provincia ubi non vicerit hostes regios , nulla occasio in qua non vicerit suos , renovavit gentilitii vexilli praerogativam , dum renovavit victoriam iterum hoc clamore gallico dignus a crequy , crequy le gran baron nul ne s ▪ y frotte . tot ultra alpes victorias retulit , ut galliam cisalpinam restaurare potuerit , nisi gallia italiam sociam babere mallet , quàm subditam ; subaudiam , & subalpinos sic expugnavit hostis , ut verruca una non steterit , si defendit amicus , ut verruca una non perierit , nec dubium quin servasset bremam qui verrucam servaverat , nisi hostis absentem peremisset , ne praesentem fugeret : nec tenacior fuit regiae fidei , quam divinae , utramque obsignavit suo sanguine , ut testatam faceret , dum facit purpuream , inflictam ab haeresi plagam medio in vultu ostentabat ut gemmam , nec insignior gallicae fidei clientaris legatus ire romam potuit , quàm qui insignia fidei in oculis gerebat , tacente lingua loqui haec plaga potuit , qualis esset fides gallica , cujus rex apostolus , marescalli martyres essent . nec siluit lingua crequii , cujus urbanitas urbano sic placuit , ut in eo amaverit palladem , et agnoverit martem , romanum patrocinium sic optavit galliae , ut gallicum obtulerit romae : nec silebit unquam haec lingua cui fama pro voce erit , continuabit laudes lituo , quas mors intonare coepit tubo bellico , erravit mors in crequio , laudavit dum peremit , inchoavit elogium quod fama absolvet , et aeternitas canet . nec unquam exarescet arbor crequia , cujus tot rami in poster is virent , videbit finem galliae , quae initium vidit , immortalis futura si tales semper nascantur surculi ▪ abi viator , & ut mortem fallas , incipe immortalis esse , dum moreris . generall crequy being thus crack'd by a cannon , the spaniard took breme , besieges verselli , which notwithstanding it was once succour'd by the french was rendred him upon the same termes that don pedro de toledo had given the very same moneth when she was taken in the yeer . france had better fortune this yeer by repelling the invading forces of spain , then by entring her confines another way for revenge : we made mention a little before how bravely leucato was preserv'd , and to cry quittance with the spaniard , the prince of condé had a vast high commission to be the kings lieutenant general in the provinces of guyen , languedoc , navar , bern , and foix , with plenary power to command all the gentry , and make whom he would to mount a horseback for the war , as also the cominalty , to forme the body of an army to invade the territories of spain ; so he pitch'd upon fontarabia ; he took iroon , and ouyarson , berha , with other small places of advenues in the way , and so he sate before the town where the pioner put presently spade in earth for a circumvallation . the archbishop of bourdeaux came with a mighty fleet by sea to second this enterprise , and the siege having lasted above threescore dayes , he offer'd with his rondaches , and by an assault seaward to carry the town ; hereupon a counsell of war was call'd where the duke de la valette , who was lieutenant generall to the prince of condé , spoak very gallantly that he and the marshall de la force had bin the chiefest actors in that achievment thitherto , that he had made a breach in the walls , after the springing of two mines , and done other things towards the straightning of the place , and it was not consonant to reason , or agreeable to the law of war and honor , that another , now that the work was almost brought to perfection , should have the glory of their dangers , sufferings , and labours ; this clash 'twixt the archbishop , and the duke de la valette , to whom condé adhaer'd prov'd to be the ruine of this great expedition ; for while they were debating the businesse after the breach was made for a generall assault , the spaniards came tumbling down the hills and appeard to be more numerous far then they really were , so after a great slaughter on both sides , but more of the french whereof divers were thrust into the sea , the siege was rais'd ; and one may say , the town was lost , for not offring to take it ; if they had presently poursued the breach . amongst divers errors which were committed in this action , besides the weaknesse of their entrenchments , two were the quitting of passage , without which the enemies would not have bin able to draw provision for their subsistence from saint sebastian ; then the not erecting of a work upon the mountain of gadaloupe which was neer the town , and whence the spaniard descended first ; the french army retyring to the frontiers staid some dayes at iroon , expecting the enemy should poursue them , which he did not ; whereby they inferr'd that he was not so strong as they took him to be , and so he was willing to make them a bridge of sylver ; thus this invasion came to nothing , which made the spaniard geer them afterwards , saying , they had in this attempt discover'd the true nature of the french , viz. to enter like thunder , and vanish like smoak . de la valette being come to bourdeaux to the old duke his father , after he had receiv'd relation how matters had gone , and what traverses there pass'd 'twixt him , and condé and the archbishop , advis'd him to get away as soon as he could to england , which he did ; and 't was time for him , for afterwards his proces was fram'd in paris , and he was executed in effigie ; so by this act of justice the publique dishonour which seem'd to reflect upon france in generall , was restrain'd to his person ; nor is it a new thing to sacrifice commanders to such uses : besides the duke of espernon being now an hundred yeers of age and odd moneths , and having continued above forty yeers governour of gascony was outed of his office , and commanded to retire to plassac ; where he died some moneths after , but before his death he had these severall disasters befell him within the revolution of one yeer ; his eldest son the duke of candale fell in italy , the cardinall his brother died in savoy , his third son was in banishment in england , and he himself dismiss'd of all command , and depriv'd of this life . the judgements of men were very discrepant touching the carriage of the busines of fontarabia , the major part imputed the fault to the prince of condé and the archbishop who was a creature of the cardinals ; for the first , he was content his son the duke of anguien should marry the cardinals neece a little after , which was done , as some gave out , of purpose for preventing of being question'd , and so clap'd in the bastile ; for the second , there was alwayes ill bloud 'twixt him and the duke of espernon ; a gentleman related unto me one facetious passage that happen'd 'twixt them : the archbishop was to go upon an expedition to sea , and the duke giving him a visit at bourdeaux , the archbishop sent two gentlemen to attend him , and to desire him to entertain himself a little , for he was dispatching some commanders and officers that were to go instantly to sea ; the duke ( for a little pot is soon heated ) took this in disdain ( as he had reason being governour in chief of the countrey ) and went suddenly away to his house cadillac five leagues above bourdeaux ; the next morning the archbishop went to pay him his visit , and the duke being told he was there , he sent two of his gentlemen to desire his reverence to have patience a while , in regard he was newly entred into a chapter of saint augustines de civitate dei , and he would waite upon him as soon as he had done . the king besides this under condé , had divers other armies abroad about this time . one in picardy under chastillon , who pass'd the some and entring arthois , took all the advenues towards saint omer , ( old hesdin having bin pillag'd and burnt before ) and at last sate before the place ; two thousand soldiers , and nine hundred peasans were perpetually at work for a circumvallation ; marshall de la force came with a considerable army to joyn with chastillon ; but a little before prince tomaso had defeated two french regiments , and piccolomini came afterwards to second him ; so there were very hot services perform'd on both sides , at last the spaniards having reliev'd the town by taking the fort of bac , by which advantage they might cast in what strength they would , the french forsook their works , and so rais'd a costly siege ; and march'd towards renti which they took not without sweat and bloud , and after that carelet , the one was quite demolish'd , the other better fortified . the duke of longueville was now for the king in the franche conté , where there happen'd divers encounters 'twixt the duke of lorain and him , and many places taken and succour'd by both parties . to these land exploits we will add a sea combat which was fought before gattary this yeer 'twixt the spanish galeons , and the french fleet commanded by the archbishop of bourdeaux , where divers of the spanish galeons were taken , as also another fight 'twixt the gallies of marseilles , and those of spain neer genoa , in both which neptun threw his trident in favour of france . prince casimir the king of polands brother passing to spain to be viceroy of portugall , was stop'd about marseilles , and made prisoner ; because he went disguis'd , as also because he had rais'd troupes of crabats for the service of the king of spain . there came also to paris , zaga christos the youngest son of iacob emperour of aethiopia or the hahissins , whose hard fate after a long civill war was to be kill'd in the plaines of guera , by one susneos a rebell , who rendred himself afterwards emperour . iacobs three sons were forc'd to fly , and this being the youngest after many hazardous wandrings , and accidents arriv'd at last in italy , and thence he came to paris where he was entertain'd in the quality of a prince . france was at a high cumble of felicity at this time , and to augment it the more , the queen was brought to bed of a prince who made the seventeenth dauphin of france since the first , she had a speedy delivery at saint germain de lay the fifth of september , the same moneth his father was born , whither divers reliques had been brought her , amongst others our ladies girdle of puy , which she wore during her throngs . the king was at dinner when newes was brought him , and so he went suddenly to the queens chamber where amongst the ladies he found monsieur his brother , and he had good reason to be there to see what was brought into the world . this was one of the rarest passages , of this kind , that ever happen'd in france , or any other part of the world , it being little lesse then a miracle , that a young king and queen should bed so long together and not have any issue till the twenty third yeer of their cohabitation and concumbence , for so long was this dauphin a getting . one may easily imagine what triumphings and publique acclamations of joy were up and down france for this so long expected royal off-spring ; nor was this gladnes bounded there but it dispers'd it self up and down all places of christendom ( that were friends to france ) and struck a kind of wonderment into the world . in rome there were divers inventions , and curiosities found out to expresse a congratulation . — before the french ambassadors palace ( who was then the marshall de estrée ) there was a triumphant obelisck with the armes of france and this ostentous inscription underneath . ludovici xiii . christianissimi galliarum et navarrae regi , qui pullulantem per avita regna haereticam hydram , petulantem in orbe christiano novum geryonem herculea clava compressit : aras per impietatem eversas , principes per tyrannidem oppressos , armata pietate restituit aequissimi herois justitiae debito . delphino . inter aurea lilia nascenti , inter paternos lauros vagienti , futuro futurorum monstrorum alcidi , in afflictorum subsidium , in tyrannorum excidium , in liliorum aeternum germen , in ecclesiae invictum columen , ecaelo in terris stupenda ratione demisso , plausus , acclamationes , trophaea futurae gloriae argumenta , praesentis laetitiae monumenta attollit , adjungit , erigit , franciscus hannibal estraeus &c. for publique arguments of joy prisoners , and gallislaves were releas'd , two were ennobled in every generalty throughout the kingdom , besides , foure masters were created in every trade throughout france , with divers other priviledges afforded them of paris . this yeer . was fruitfull for royall princess els-where , for , besides the french dauphin , the king of spain had a daughter , and the emperour had a son borne within the compas of it : the siege before brisac , whereof we spake before , grew more and more stubburn , in so much that the town began now to think of making her last will and testament , and so bequeath'd her self into the hands of bernard weymar , who besides dutch , english , sweds , and scotch had an army of . french under his command ; the said weymar pretended a propriety to the place , otherwise after so obstinat an opposition , and slaughter of his men he had given no quarter ; there were . peeces taken in the town and castle , with very much treasure ; after she was taken there happend an ilfavor'd travers twixt the duke and the king , who would have put a french governour into the town ; it went so far that the french army made towards the duke and his germans with others who discharg'd upon them , and divers were kill'd on both sides ; but the french fury was appeas'd , and matters were suddenly aton'd ; so a mix'd garrison was put into the town , and duke bernard plac'd the governor ; this was one of the straightest sieges that happen'd since the german war , for people were reduc'd to that extremity that they began to feed upon nefandous meats ; duke bernard weymar made it his best retreat , and chiefest randevow afterwards , but he enjoyed it not long , for a few moneths after he fell sick of the purples ( some say the plague ) and so left the society of mortals ; so that now the french have the chief sway , a mighty advantage , for the situation of this town is such that france may say she hath now a key to enter germany that way at pleasure , as she hath pignerol for italy . duke weymar being dead the imperialists made this epitaph upon him . here lies he who preferr'd french before germans , war before peace , a king before an emperour , and strangers before his own countreymen . this yeer france had also divers irons in the fire which she did so beat that the sparkles flew a great way abroad and did much mischief : hesdin was closely besieg'd , so that when the infante cardinal came to relieve her she was pass'd cure ; the king himself advanc'd as far as abbeville in person , and thence to his army before hesdin , which struck a greater terror into the town , and made her come sooner to a composition , which she obtaind upon honorable termes ; the king himself entred , and having secur'd all things he return'd to paris in triumph . yet he had some water thrown into his wine before theonville in luxemburg , from before which , his army was beaten by piccolomini and bec , with a great slaughter . the glasse of the ligue with the swed being now almost run out , it was thought fit to turn it and make it last foure yeers longer 'twixt france and him with other german confederats , which was negotiated at colmar , where the french ambassador thrust in a new epithet into the treaty to aggrandize his master , viz. praepotens . whereupon bernard weymer being dead the duke of longueville was made generall of all the french forces in germany . there was a lowd tumult happend in low normandy this yeer amongst the populasse , for new impositions that were daily thrust upon them ; the insurrection crept up to high normandy , and to roven her self , nor did the parlement which is there alwayes sedentary much labour to suppresse it ; but divers gentlemen and persons of the best ranke did seem to countenance it ; in so much that colonel gassion was forc'd to come from picardy with a considerable army of horse and foot for the suppression thereof ; so he enterd the province , where his soldiers did much mischief upon the people , and coming to roven the gates flew open to him without resistance ; so the king sent thither his chancellor , who caus'd all the citizens to be disarm'd , the chiefest instruments of the mutiny to be imprison'd , their proces form'd , wherby many of them were executed , amongst others , the ringleader of the populas who was a man of mean condition who alledg'd himself to be mad , but that subterfuge would not serve his turn ; besides , he annull'd the parlement and amerc'd the town in one hundred thousand franks , which was paid accordingly ; and the gentry that had a hand in this popular insurrection pay'd fifty thousand franks more : but a little after , the court of parlement was re-establish'd upon the extraordinary humble submissions of the town , the like punishment was inflicted upon caen , so this dangerous follevation was quash'd by a high hand of royall power , which this city had felt some . yeers before ; for the king having thought to borrow . crowns of her , she excus'd her self , thereupon the king sent a band of soldiers which for eight dayes together , kept there upon the towns charge , and so the money was made up . and so i put a period to the sixth lustre . the seventh and last lustre of the life of lewis the thirteenth . vve must make an apologie for this lustre , for it hath not the full quinquennial number , and so cannot extend to the true length of a lustre which is five yeers ; nay , it hath scarce fifty moones , which some held ( though erroneously ) to be enough , whereof to compose a lustre : the reason is , that that great monark whose raign we thus divide , was cut off from amongst mortals , which will enforce us accordingly to cut off the thread of our story . in brisac and other parts of alsatia there were some incongruities , and clowds of diffidence hung between the germans and the french ; the young prince palatine was going thither through france disguis'd , hoping to have better fortune that way , then he had in westphalia not long before where prince robert his brother was taken prisoner and carried to vienna , with the lord craven ; he was furnish'd from england with credit for considerable sums of money at basile , but being advanc'd a good way beyond paris in his journey , he was discover'd , restrain'd a while at moulins , and then sent for to paris , whence he was committed to bois de viniennes . the french fear'd that he might puzzle their proceedings in brisac , and that being a german prince and supported by his majesty of great britain the town would choose him for governor : upon these apprehensions he was a while kept prisoner ; but afterwards , by the intercession of the queen of england chiefly ( as his brother was releas'd by good offices the empresse did who to this day doth much respect the english nation ) he was freed and receiv'd very princely entertainment afterwards ; at his departure the king gave him a very obliging farewell , by telling him , that whereas it pleased god and nature to place him to be umpire of this part of the world , he would not suffer him to be oppressed by any , but he would endevour , to reinvest him at last in his own territories , assuring him that no peace should be concluded 'twixt him and the house of austria , unlesse he were included . fortune had frown'd now a good while upon spain , but this yeer , she bended her brows , and wrinkled her forhead more ruggedly then ever ; a fearfull combustion happen'd 'twixt the pyreney hills in the kingdom of catalonia ( of old but a county ) , this combustion was a kind of a bonefire to france , who presently ran to warme her hands and sport about it , and she hath ministred fuel to keep it in ever since ; it grew so furious that the viceroy with his wife , and some of his family were murtherd , and his house burnt to the ground by the violence of a popular fury . the ground of this fearfull insurrection was the billeting of the castillian soldiers , and their insolencies , as they march'd through the countrey ; besides some extraordinary contributions which were demanded of that province for the support of the king now in his extreme necessities having so many profess'd mighty enemies both by sea and land : this tumult by degrees turn'd to an absolut revolt and defection from their soverain naturall king ; in so much that they flew to france and cri'd out for the duke of anjou ; the french quickly hearkens unto them , so there was a treaty at narbona , whither they sent twelve persons of quality for hostages , and an order issued out that he should be branded with a hot iron who spake of any accommodation with castile ; it was agreed upon , that upon putting themselfs under the royall protection of the most christian king , he should furnish them with an army of six thousand foot , and two thousand horse , to be maintain'd by the catalans : whereupon three commissioners were sent to paris , one for the clergy , another for the nobility , and a third for the gentry and cominalty . they who were most busy herein , and indeed the chiefest bellowes that blew this terrible fire were the preaching fryers and monks , who in lieu of obedience and conformity to government , and compliance with the necessities of the king having so many irons in the fire , did teach and obtrude to the people nothing more then common priviledge , and resumption of liberty , whereby the affection of the vassall was imbitter'd , and at last quite poyson'd against his prince ; whence this aphorisme may be collected , that the best instruments misapplied do greatest mischief , and prove most dangerous to any state ; and as of the sweetest wines is made the sharpest vineger , so churchmen , who by their holy function and white robes of innocence should be the sweetest of all professions , who should breath nothing , but peace , unity , allegeance and love , if they misapply their talent , and abandon themselfs to the spirit of faction , they become the bitterest enemies , the most corroding cankers , and worst vipers in any common-wealth , and most pernicious to the prince ; in regard that they having the sway ore the conscience which is the rudder that steers the actions , words and thoughts of the rationall creature , they transport and snatch it away whither they will ; making the beast with many heads conceive according to the colour of those rods they use to cast before them . the french having thus undertaken the protection of the revolted catalan , and cut the spaniard work enough that way , he did miracles against him about this time in the netherlands , for he made the rat to eat the cat , and a cow to spin out a bundle of flax , by rendring himself master of arras , the chiefest town of the province of artois after a strong stubborn siege ; which place the flemins held to be inpregnable and as impossible to take , as it was for the rat and the cow to do what was above said . his generall also in italy the count of harcour , did do strange exploits , who having entred piemont was besieg'd by the spaniard in chieri , but he got through , routs the enemy , and succours casal : this he did with . horse , and a few foot , who were nothing equall in number to the spaniards who were thrice as many : this ventrous achievement , which some interpreted rashnes rather then true valor , got him a mighty reputation ; then he marcheth to turin , and besiegeth it , but the gates were open'd to him within a short time , so he made a glorious entrance into the town , and returns triumphantly ore the hills to france , having setled the king his master in the protection of the infant duke of savoy his nephew , which protection or tutele , the emperour , seconded by the spaniard , alledg'd did belong to him by imperial right during his minority . there came a messenger of state to paris who brought notice of the great turks death , in the flower of his youth though of a robust huge constitution ; he died by excesse of drinking some sorts of wine , wherewith he was us'd to be oft distemper'd , notwithstanding the strict law of mahomet , who us'd to preach this doctrine , that there was a devill in every berry of the grape , and therefore absolutly interdicted the use of wine in his alchoran : but such is the power of sensuall appetit in man , that the spirit oftentimes is too weake to resist the motion of sense , though the conscience should dictat , that hell it self stands gaping for him in the very fruition of the pleasure . the genius of this great potentat is very remarkable for when he came first to sit upon the throne of that mighty empire , he was of a mild , gentle , and peacefull nature , but the janizaries ( who may in time prove the bane of that tyranicall monarchy ) having violently cut off many of his great officers , and committed other acts of high insolencies whereat he had conniv'd , and looked on as a sufferer a great while ; at last patience so often abus'd , and stretch'd as it were upon the tenter , turn'd to fury in him , and that in so high a degree that it came to alter and quite change his disposition , and the very instinct of nature in him , for of a soft , easie and candid humour , he became afterwards , having bin so often provok'd by such bloudy spectacles , as cruell and sanguinary , as any that ever sway'd the ottoman empire : and he order'd matters so , that he found an opportunity to be reveng'd of all those that had affronted him before , and bereft him of his favourits and officers ; he commonly carried with him ( a ghelad ) an executioner , who at his sudden beck , and in his sight took off many heads to offer up as victimes for the life 's of his slain servants ; he grew to be so flesh'd in bloud , that he was scarce capable of any compassion , or appre hension of fear , notwithstanding that his predecessor had been hacked to peeces not long before by one of his meanest soldiers , for attempting to remove his court from constantinople t'other side the hellespont to damasco , to be reveng'd of his cowardly janizaries , who would not fight the yeer before against the pole ; as also of the constantinopolitans for refusing to furnish him with moneys for that war ; hence may be drawn this caution ; that princes natures are ticklish things to be tamper'd withall , that it is dangerous to trench too far upon the softnesse of their dispositions , as appears in this monark , who by often irritations fell from one extreme to another . the horrid flames ( we spake of before ) which were kindled amongst those fiery mountains ( the pyreneys ) in catalonia , ( the chiefest part of hispania tarraconensis , according to the old division ) did rage with such fury , that the sparkles of them by a strong east-wind were caried into portugall , of old ( hispania lusitanica : ) and as one torch lights another , or any other thing whose matter is combustible and apt to take , so this other revolt was kindled by the first ; and portugall was very well prepar'd to receive it , as well for the aversnes , and strong disaffection her inhabitants have to the castillan ; ( for i have heard them complain often that the greatest misery which could befall them , was , to lose their king don sebastian , and to fall under the yoak of the castillan ) as also for divers other causes ; first , she complain'd that the king neglected to protect her against the hollander in brasil where he had taken fernanbuck her chief staple of sugars ; she urg'd also enhancement of toll , new exactions , and other pressures ; lastly , she complain'd of strangers to be her viceroys , as casimir the king of polands brother was intended for her , had he not bin intercepted in france ; in so much that it was easie for spain to have bin a prophetesse of this defection ; therefore her wonted policy and foresight was much questioned , that she did not put out of the way , and engage in some forren employment the duke of bragansa who was us'd to be perpetually almost at madrid . when the king of spain told olivares of this revolt , and that there was a new king proclaim'd , the favorit slighted it , saying , es rey de havas , sir , he is but a bean or twelfnight king ; but we find now he was far out of his account . never was there a generall revolt perfected in so short a compasse of time , for within lesse then a moneth don iohn of bragansa was so settled in the kingdomes of portugall , and the algarves , without any opposition at all or marke of strangenes , as if he had bin king thereof twenty yeers together before . the king of spain writ a letter to bragansa ( now king ) to this effect . duke my cosen ; some odd newes are brought me which i esteem folly , considering the proof i have had of the fidelitie of your house ; give me advertisement accordingly , because i ought to expect it from you ; do not draw a trouble upon your self , and hazard not the esteem i make of your life to the fury of a mutinous rabble : but let your wisdom comport you so , that your person may escape the danger ; my counsell will advise you further : so god keep you . your cosen and king. to which letter this answer was return'd . my cosen , my kingdom desiring its naturall king , and my subjects being oppressed with gabells , and new impositions , have executed without contradiction that which they had oft times attempted , by giving me the possession of a kingdom which appertains unto me : wherefore if any will go about to take it from me , i will seek justice in my armes , defence being permitted . god preserve your majesty . don iohn the fourth , king of portugall . this put the king of spain at such a stand , having on both sides of him two sorts of subjects not onely risen up , but quite cut off from him , that , as the proverb runs in that countrey , he could not tell what wood to make his shafts of , nor could olivares ( which was held such a santon ) know what bead to pray upon , or what saint to addresse himself unto . and certainly these were two mighty shocks to the spanish monarchy , nor could they happen in a time more disadvantagious , she having so many engagements abroad , and having met with such ilfavor'd rancounters by land and sea of late yeers . it is also considerable that this check at home befell her after well-neer an age of a profound unshaken peace , and desuetude of armes in spain her self where civil war hath bin so great a stranger , notwithstanding that she still bred soldiers abroad , and found means to embroyle the world alwayes in some place or other : which makes some interpret this intestine war to be a visible iudgement fallen upon her from heaven for disturbing the peace of her neighbours . but i have observ'd it to be the genius of a true spaniard ( and i honour him for it ) not to bow and hang down his head like a bulrush at every puff of adverse fortune , nor to yeeld to the fury of the tempest , but to rouse up his spirits more stiffly to resist — et contra audentior ire . in this double trance the king was advis'd to apply his strength first to suppresse the catalan ( the sturdy montaneer ) and till that work were finish'd , to stand onely upon the defensive part against portugall who is not esteem'd so much a man. besides these disasters that befel the k. of spain thus at his own doors , he had another happen'd unto him in the netherlands , for his brother don fernando the cardinal infante died in the beginning of his manhood at brussells , being of about the same age as his second brother don carlos was of , ( about . ) who died some yeers before : the world did take occasion to wonder that these two princes in the flower , and prime vigour of their age should thus fall . don carlos the yeer before he died , desir'd of his brother to be viceroy of portugall , which was denied him ; moreover it was observ'd he drew more affection from the spaniards in generall by the colour of his complection , because he was black ; for one shall hear the people of castillia sigh up and down and pray , that god would please to send them a king once again of their own colour : moreover , besides this popular affection he was extremely well beloved of the soldiers , for whom he was alwayes ready to do good offices , and they address'd themselves more to him then to any . these circumstances made odd impressions in the minds of many which gave occasion of censuring and scattering of libells up and down touching his death , whereof i thought it not impertinent to insert one here , but not to impose a beleef upon the reader thereby ; it was drop'd down in the court at brussels . fernando , carlos murió , y dizen fue su homicida , quien a vos os desterró ; lo que os aconsejo yo es , que a bethlem no bolvais hasta que muera herodes , que la muerte os espera en la sombra que pisais . thus unspanioliz'd and rendred into english. charles died , fernando , and they say , he , who thee banish'd , did him slay ; if to my counsell thou give eare , again to bethlem go not neare till herod's gone ; for death doth watch in thine own shadow thee to catch . this revolt of portugall was no great news to the french cardinal , who had his spirits walking there , as well as in barcelona , and every where els ; he had this spring wrought the duke of lorain to come to paris , where he arriv'd in indifferent good equippage considering how many bitter showers had fallen , and weatherbeaten him before ; for he had arm'd five times upon severall desseins , and fortune alwayes frown'd upon him ; which some hold to be a visible judgement fallen upon him , as also that he is a kind of exile from his own ancient princely inheritance , for abandoning his first wife , ( by whose right he came to the full and unquestionable possession of lorain ) and cohabiting with another : the king entertaines him with a magnificence sutable to his quality , and the cardinall is as busie as a bee to give him all outward content ; the one sends him fifty thousand pistols , the other twenty thousand in a great bason . when he came before the king he complemented for matters pass'd , and kneeling twise the king takes him up telling him , that he had forgotten all matters pass'd , and for the future he would espouse his quarrells and interests and make them his own : and so it seems he hath done , for he hath so wedded himself to the best towns of lorain , and barri , that 't is thought he will hardly be ever divorc'd from any of them , unlesse he be forc'd . the citie of paris was now full of catalans , and portugals , who strowted up and down the streets , their new king having sent two ambassadors thither in joynt commission ; in the interim the spanish ambassadors at rome negotiat strongly that the duke of bragansa be excommunicated for an usurper ; if this had taken effect , it had made the king of france incapable to assist him being an excommunicated person : but france had such a powerfull faction in the consistory , and the pope himself was such a friend to her that the catholic king could do little good in this point . there had some former counterbuffs pass'd betwixt the cardinall and the count of soissons , who had slighted one of his neeces for marriage ; but now there was a new clash happen'd between them in the armies , in picardy , where the cardinal would have advanc'd his colours before the count of soissons ; the king abetted his cardinal , hereupon the count retires in discontentment to sedan , and got the duke of bovillon to ligue with him ; they rays'd a considerable army , and encountred the kings forces which they routed , but the count being too eager , and poursuing a broken troupe of horse which was flying , it was his hard fate to be kill'd by one of the cardinals servants who then bore armes ; the fall of this prince of the bloud in the prime vigor of his virility , causd much lamentation in france mix'd with some murmurings against the cardinal ; and it was a good turn for him , in regard now that soissons was taken away there was no prince throughout all france able to uphold a faction against him . france was bless'd with another masculine royall off-spring the duke of anjou , which did not raise so much wonder as the dauphin , for he , as i told you before , was two and twenty yeers a getting , this but a twelvemoneth and a few dayes . marie de medici queen mother and dowager of france expir'd this yeer , who may be said to be one of the greatest queens that ever were , being grandchild , and gran neece to two glorious emperours , ferdinand , and charles the fifth , wife of henry the great , mother to the three mighty kings of france , great britain , and spain , and to the ancientest prince of christendom , the duke of savoy ; she had bin regent of france many yeers , during which time she discover'd extraordinary abilities transcending her sex ; shewas afterwards twice in armes against her sonne , and she came at last to conceive such a iunonian indignation against the cardinal de richelieu who had bin chief of her counsels , and her creature afterwards in point of greatnesse , for she first preferr'd him to the king , that the breach could never be made up between them ; that one might say , nec quenquam jam ferre potest regina priorem , richeliúsve parem . she was us'd to say , that the worst thing she ever did was the advancement of richelieu ; in the sense of this high indignation she forsook france , and drew a voluntary exile upon her self , whereby she was so toss'd up and down to severall countreys that she became a tenisball to the blind inconstant goddesse ; she first retir'd to flanders where she found good respect and contentment , during the life of the archduchesse ; but then being distasted with the spanish ministers , she remov'd to holland , thence to england , where she found most royall allowance and hospitality , and her last retirement was to colen where she liv'd reclus'd , exercising her self in strict exercises of devotion ( in her way , ) and so breath'd her last . such was her fate , i will not say her faut , that bellona follow'd her wheresoever she went , ( as also her three daughters ) yet in her own nature she detested war , specially that with spain , and that with savoy : and this was thought to be the ground of her animosity against the cardinal . the king of france having thoroughly undertaken the protection of the catalans , sent a royall army , composed most of gascons , and of them of the religion , which rush'd into the county of roussillon the key of spain towards that part of the pyreneys ; this county was once an appendix of france , but being hypothequ'd and morgag'd to the king of aragon for a summe of money it was never redeem'd since . france had better fortune in this second invasion of spain , then she in the first at fontarabia ; perpignan the strongest fort of christendom , for the bignes , was besieg'd , and the king himself made his approach thither in person , so after a tough stubborn siege , by famine rather then force , the town and castle yeelded , wherein there were above . great canons . the spaniard had some requitall though nothing adaequat to the losse of perpignan in the netherlands about this time , for he regain'd the town of aire from the french : and the french took bipalma towards cambray from the spaniard . the cardinal of richelieu was sick that time the queen mother died at colen , yet he strain'd himself to creep to the altar , and officiated many church duties for her soul ; from that time he was never perfectly recovered , so about the latter end of this yeer he died himself in his cardinal palace at paris . he was so attenuated and dried up with exces of care , and encombrances of the brain , that his body might be said to be but a sackfull of bones , and a meere scheleton . this gran minister being thus gone , cardinal mazarin , a gentleman of an ancient roman extraction , was put to sit at the helm ; a man of the same habit , and habilitie ; as if the soul of richelieu had transmigrated into him ; he was a bosome friend , and a great intrinsic confident of richelieu before , who had imparted his desseins , and infus'd all his maximes into him , and open'd unto him all the arcana imperii : he had bin an active politicall instrument employ'd by the pope before , in sundry treaties , and difficult traverses of state , wherein he had good successe , and in all his negotiations he was discover'd to be a person of excellent addresse , and rare endowments . the king did not long survive his cardinal of richelieu , for he fell mortally ill five moneths after , at which time this great monarch paid nature her last debt ; and what earthly potentate is there , though never so independent and absolute , that is exempt from this tribute ? he expir'd the th . of may in the afternoon , the same moneth , the same day of the moneth , and about the same houre of the day that his father died . yeers before , but with this mark of difference , that the one went , and the other was sent out of the world about the same time . his bowels were presently carried to be interr'd at saint denis , the last rendevous of all the french kings , whither his body follow'd after in the height of all solemnitie and magnificence that his queen could possibly devise , whom he left regent ; a lady of rare temper and prudence , who to the wonder of all the world , had the comfort of two sons after two and twentie yeers expectation ; and to that benediction hath another now added , to have not only the sole government of them , but the supreme sway of that huge monarchy , which she is like to continue about nine yeers longer : a just recompence from heaven for her so long patience , as also for her wise comportment and moderation in refraining utterly to intermeddle with any the least matters of state , while she remain'd under covert baron . touching other circumstances of this kings death , with his constitution of body and disposition of mind , you shall find it in the ensuing corollary or character . thus ends the life and raign of lewis the thirteenth . a corollary added to the life of levvis the thirteenth . and thus have we attended this great king from the womb to the tomb , from the funt to his funerall , from fountainbleau to saint denis ; our story hath waited on him in his child-hood , in his nonage , and so ascended from his majority to his meridian , not leaving him , tills he had clos'd his eyes at saint germans , which was a good while too soon , considering the ordinary longitude of time that is allowed man to live amongst the elements ; for he reach'd not unto forty three yeers compleat which in some constitutions is accounted but the noontyde of virility ; in so much that when i consider the frame of his body and the actions of his life , i find that he had more obligations to fortune then to nature ; yet was he of a comely middlesiz'd proportion , of a spare but cleer making , and though not strenuous or robust , yet active enough , and patient of toyle ; for he would be most commonly in the head of some of his armies himself , and take very much pains to drill and disciplin his troups in his own person , and sit twelve howers together on horseback ; he was of a soft complexion though black hair'd , which turn'd gray before he came to thirty yeers , which put him to his dy , and the reason that nature did thus outrun time in him , was , that she had not given him a competence of radicall moisture , for seldom came any humidities from him from mouth or nostrill , nor was he subject to sweat , though he would agitat his body often in tough exercises , as hunting the wild bore , and other sports wherein he would be earnest . divers eminent vertues did cohabit in him , as piety , ( in his way ) chastity , temperance , and constancy ; touching the first two they shin'd in him with such a strength and lustre , that his example might have had power enough to give law to all mankind , & cast the world into a new mould , had it bin capable of reformation ; he was pious in an intense degree , for though he was not known to be subject to any vice , yet would he be on his knees to his ghostly father every week , rather to refresh ( as one said ) then to clense his conscience by confession ; nor in his prayers had he as much cause to ask for pardon as for perseverance ; defects he had , but scarce any faults ; those rayes which enlightned his brain from above , descended to his breast and became fire , so fervent he us'd to be in his way of devotion ; when but a youth he went to the countrey of bearn , at his entrance to pau , the inhabitants bringing a canopy to carry over his head , he ask'd whether there was ever a church in town , and being answer'd no , he said , he would receive no honor in that place where god almighty had no house to be honour'd in . and into all other towns where he entred as conqueror , he would give expresse command that none should cry out vive le roy during the time of procession . when the queen ( now regent ) found her self quick he caus'd a solemn declaration to be publish'd , wherein he made the blessed virgin protectresse under the holy trinity of all his estates , all which he consecrated to her , and for an immortall mark of this consecration , he commanded the great altar in the cathedrall church of paris to be built anew , with the image of the virgin which should hold in her armes that of our saviour , and the king to ly prostrat before the son and mother offring them his crown and scepter . the archbishop of paris was enjoyn'd to commemorat this declaration once every yeer , upon assumption day at the high altar in the morning , and that in the evening a generall procession should be made wherein the provost of paris , and all the soverain companies should be assistant with the court of parlement ; this command extended to all other archbishops and bishops throughout france , that they should in every cathedrall church erect one speciall altar for the virgin mary for this end , and in commemoration of this act to perpetuity . many other instances could be produc'd what a great zelot he was in the religion and ceremonies of rome , but the adding of one more shall suffice , which was , that when the old marshall de la force was admitted to see him a little before he expir'd , he told him from his death-bed , that he thought god almighty suffer'd him ( meaning the marshall ) to live so long upon earth expecting his conversion , as he had done that of lesdiguieres . he put out sundry proclamations against swearers , against pride in apparell , for he himself went usually very plain ; as also against duells , and the last was so strict that both the appellant and defendant whosoever did survive , should suffer death without mercy , and be depriv'd of christian buriall , but both rot upon the gallowes with their heels upwards . as he was thus pious ( in a general way ) so was he towards his parents in particular ; for when he had pass'd nonage , he sayed , i am now a major to all the world except my mother , to whom i shall be still a minor . when he had given vitry order to feiz upon the marshall of ancre , yet he gave him a private instruction not to touch him in his mothers lodgings . she was twice in actuall armes against him , yet , though he routed and broak her partisans , and might have crush'd them all to peeces , he pardon'd them all at her request ; his brother started out often against him , yet such was his indulgence , that he alwaies forgave him , and receiv'd him again into his bosome ; but when the cardinall came to sit at the stern , he had such strong influxes upon him , that he postpos'd both fraternall love , and maternall duty , to his affection towards him , or rather towards his kingdom as he term'd it ; insomuch that amongst other short memorandums he sent her word , that it concernd him more to conserve france , then to content her ( viz. his mother . ) touching his continence and chastity he was a great example , for he was not subject no not as much as in thought , much lesse in action to the contraries of these , according to the relatiō of some of his neerest servants ; nor did this proceed from impotence , as some would make the world beleeve , but out of vertue and conscience , for he was said to hate the very names of such vices more then others do the vices themselfs . whereupon it was said , while his southern brother in law sported in the pavilions of venus , he was busie ▪ in the tents of mars , and took cities faster , then the other did maydenheads . he was also temperat in a high degree , nor would he ever wrong nature with the least exces , or debauchments . moreover he was wonderfully constant in his affection , where it was once settled ; which is rare in soverain princes , ( especially in them of that clime ) who have such a variety of choice , and who have no other ground of fastnesse for their affection , but their own fancy : not all the world could alienat his favor from luynes , though the greatest princes of france did actually attempt to pluck him away from him by armes ; nor after him from the cardinal , towards whom his love was in grain , and would never lose colour . nor was he constant onely in his affection , but to his own ends when once settled , and resolv'd upon ; to attain which he was so actif and hot , that when he went about it , he not onely apply'd , but gave up himself entirely to the thing . furthermore he was marvellously modest in an opinion of himself , and so conscious of his own judgement , that he resign'd his very faculty of reason , and transmitted all his intellectualls to others ; a high point of prudence , for that prince who steers his course by the compas of counsell , though he be himself but of indifferent abilities , is a far wiser man , then he who , albeit never so politic and able of himself , doth guid his affaires by his own fancy , sole opinion being the worst kind of rule in government . and he was as fortunat as judicious in the choice of his counsellors , and chiefest ministers both of state and war ; he would not send an ajax , where he should employ an vlysses ; nor a saintre , where bouciqualt was fitter for the turn ; the two last were the most famous men that france ever bred , one for the gown , the other for the sword , according to the verse i have read in an old manuscript . beaucoup plus vaut pour un assault , saintrê , que ne fait bouciquault ; beaucoup mieux vaut en un traicté bouciquault , que ne fait saintrê . thus unfrench'd , and made english. were i to choose for an assault i 'de have saintrê , not bouciquault , were i to treat , then should for me stand bouciquault , and not saintrê . so many high signall vertues which were naturally inhaerent in him were unquestionably the cause that he prosper'd so much ; so that 't is a question whom fortune lov'd better , the father or the son ; 't is true his father fought four great battails wherein he prov'd victorious , and so may be said to have come to the crown of france by conquest , as much as by succession , yet all these and other exploits of henry the great 's were within the bounds of france , and nought els but domestic achievments ; but france was too narrow a compas , to comprehend and confine the exploits of the thirteenth lewis , for besides thirteen severall civil wars ▪ in france her self and navar which he suppress'd , and most of them in person ; so many battailes were fought in spain , italy , savoy , amongst the grisons , in lorain , and in high and low germany ; he had at one time in the yeers sixteen hundred thirty five , and thirty six , no lesse then . foot by land and sea , and . effectif horse , in six severall armies ; whereas henry the great never had above . horse and foot at once in all ; never any made france know her own strength so much , and to find the length of her weapon , as this king did ; he went a horseback betimes , for at thirteen yeers of age he suppress'd in person two rebellions , one in poitou , and another in britany ▪ so that he began to triumph in those yeers that others begin to handle their armes , and learn how to sit a horse in an academy . afterwards he was forc'd to get his queen by the sword , and to bring her into his armes by armes , there being three severall armies to stop her passage . he then repells the english who had so boldly invaded france , whereby he gain'd a greater addition of credit and fame , then he did by worsting spaniard , italian , or german , in regard of the admirable victories that the english carried home from france in times pass'd , by taking one of their warlik'st kings prisoner , and oftentimes by discomfiting whole troupes with a handfull of men . after this he beleaguers , takes and batters the chiefest rampart of the religion , the impregnable town of rochell after a stupendous siege by land and sea , where a prodigious dike was cast up which serv'd as a bit in neptunes jawes , and whereby he may be said to have curb'd all the elements . no sooner had he shaken off the dust of rochell , but behold him cover'd with snow on the horrid alpian hills almost in the dead of winter , where he broke open his way with the point of the sword to relieve the duke of mantova , he got forts accessibly onely by birds amongst those clowd-topping hills , and so returns triumphant having done the work , and overcome the rocks in this expedition , as he did the sea at rochell . he then goes on to perfect that mighty work of reducing his subjects of the religion to an exact condition of obedience , by dismantling their towns , whereof they had neer upon three hundred in france and navar , by casheering their garrisons , and bringing them to relye for the future upon royall favor ; a work which his five immediat predecessors attempted to do , but could not effect in seventy yeers , whereas he did it in far lesse then so many moneths . then behold him lord of all lorain , and of the greatest part of alsatia , by being master of brisach , rhinfeld and other places : then trace him to the netherlands , and you shall find him in the ancient town of arras , and divers other places his predecessor francis the first had given for his ransom . lastly look after him tovvards the pyrenean mountaines , & you shall see him boldly invade spain , entring the county of roussillon like lightning , and battering the vvalls of perpignan , which after a tough siege , notwithstanding she had above . great cannons , and ten strong bulvvarks , he reduc'd to his will , whereby he hath redeem'd vvith lead ( i mean good bullets ) that countrey which one of his predecessors morgag'd for gold in times pass'd : thus hath he got three such keys that none of his progenitors ( not emperors ) ever had : perpignan , pignerol , and brisach , one to enter spain , the other italy , and the third to rush into germany at pleasure . look upon him in his city , tovvn , vniversitie , and court at paris , and you shall find him enlarging her skirts and lacing them about vvith nevv vvalls , according to the custome of rome ( once the great mistresse of the vvorld ) vvho upon the encrease of her empire extended also her vvalls upon any nevv acquest . nor must you behold him only on land , but cast your eyes upon him at sea , and you shall find him incomparably more potent then all his progenitors , the french formerly waded like sheep , but now they may be said to swimme like elephants ; before , france could hardly without borrowing , put twenty sayles of men of war to sea , but now she can rig a hundred well appointed fighting great vessells in galleons and gallies in both her seas at a short warning . but having done with the pro , let us see what may be said to the contra , touching this great king ; it must be granted that fortune did not alwaies sit at the helm of his proceedings . at the treaty of lodun he was il-favor'dly baffled by his own subjects , who gave him law , and set the dice upon him : but than you 'l say he was young , and let it suffice for an excuse : before montaban he lost five hundred gentlemen , and five times as many soldiers , and then was forc'd to trusse up his baggage and be gone , and to suffer this motto upon the gate , roysansfoy , ville sans peur . in italy he lost first and last an hundred thousand subjects . before and about saint omer ten thousand . at fontarabia he had a foul repulse : at theonville he lost seven thousand french ; before hesain , there fell little lesse ; and the succouring of scales prov'd a tart peece of service ; the first army he sent to joyn with the states which came to thirty thousand horse and foot got little credit at tillemont , and lesse before lovain , and divers thousands of them died without an enemy , and came home by weeping crosse . touching his appellation or epithet of iust , there are divers critiques , and some of his own subjects give out , that it doth not so well quadrat with him ; they instance in the maner of marshall d'ancres death in the dawnings of his raign : moreover when he pass'd by saumur , he sent for the keys of the town and castle to du plessis promising upon the word of a king he would deliver them him again , which was not done ; only a gentleman of the religion was left governor of the castle for the time : the rochellers complain'd that he often promised to raze lewis fort ; the duke of savoy spoak high language , and charg'd him with breach of article that he was not sent for , and admitted to the treaty at monson ; the duke of lorain , more then any , chargeth him ( nor hath he reason to be angry with him therefore , for losers must have leave to speak ) that his safe conducts before nancy , and at other times turn'd to enforcements , his treaties to traps ; the emperour knows not how he fell out with him ; and the spaniard swears by his mustachos , that he first infring'd the sacred bonds and capitulations of peace so solemnly sworn betwixt them , and corroborated by a double nuptiall knot : nor saith he , will the proceedings against the archbishop of mentz serve to justifie him , for he was a rebell to the emperour , before france had undertaken his protection . the duke of lorain chargeth him further that he would have dissolv'd and nullified the marriage 'twixt monsieur and his sister , she being a better woman then his first wife , who was daughter to a vassal of the crown of france ; & being also of as good extraction as himself , having lineally descended from charlemayne , and in one respect of a better condition then his brother was , when he married her , she being a virgin and he a widower . nay he taxeth him of impiety that he should offer to make the eternal law of god touching marriage to be baulk'd by a humane and temporary politic constitution of france alterable at mens pleasures , which is , that the heire apparant of the crown should not marry without royall consent ; and being married according to the rites of the church , to make this latter law to be of more force then the former . poore germany complaines that he hath plung'd her in an eternall war by bringing in the swed , and by fomenting him ever since within her bowels : the iesuits have also a saying to him , that his prime confidents and confederats were opposit to the roman catholic church , as the hollander , the hessian , the grison , the swed , which cannot choose but be derogatory to the most christian king ; the spaniard saith further that he upheld not only old but new rebells against him , as the catalan and the portugall , and that he need not glory much of his doings against his monarchy , for france of her self had bin able to have done him little hurt , had she not ligu'd with , and employed his own revolted vassals , as the hollander , and the other two mentioned a little before , against him ; and therefore what mischief and exploits france hath perform'd against him , was by conjunction with these his subjects , otherwise she had never bin able to have trodden as much as upon his toe . lastly , the poore pesans of france pitifully cry out that they are transform'd to meer asses , that his wars were not onely maintain'd with their persons , but nourish'd with their bloud , with their very vitall spirits and livelihoods ; that for many yeers he made them to soften and steep their bread in teares , which flow'd in such plenty , that there were enough to quench all the bonefiers of triumph that have bin made since the beginning of his raign ; the smoakes whereof were so thick that they hinder'd him to see their pitifull , meager looks , and grinded faces ; and the clashing of his armes so great , that he could not hear their cryes . they complain that they are now so habituated to new impositiōs and inventions tending to slavery , that like milo's beast , their burthen is grown up frō a calf to an ox since these wars ; yea they cry out that they are grown worse then asses , they are become meer dromedaries who not only receive the burden , but kneel down to take it up . to all these accusations somthing may be said in answer ; for his faylings with his subjects of the religion , there are some that would cleer him by recrimination of them , for he never promis'd any thing categorically , but upon condition that they should also performe divers things , and the obligation of the one depended upon the performance of the other , so there were faylings on both sides . touching d'ancre he had so involv'd and mingled his own particular interests with those of the state , that an ordinary way could not separat them ; he had likewise so distasted all the princes , that he was like to be pernicious and destructive to his kingdom , yet it was not his mind to have him suddenly assassinated in that manner ; though on the other side , wallestein was made away so by imperiall warrant , and the act justified . concerning the duke of lorain he alledg'd neglect of homage , ( which was unquestionably due unto him ) and conjunction with his enemies , as also breach of promise that monsieur should not mary his sister , and the giving of shelter to all fugitives . for the duke of savoy touching the treaty of monson , though the duke was not there in person , yet his businesse was dispatch'd with as much advantage to him , as if he had bin there present , by the french ambassadors ; nor had he as much cause of grievance , as he had of many high obligations of gratitude , to have his countrey and towns restor'd unto him which had bin so often overrun by the french armes . concerning his colleguing with protestants , spain may be upbraided as well ; for charles the fifth employed lutherans , whom he call'd his black bands , against france and rome her self , and that by the advice of his theologues : this present king philip had privat intelligence with the duke of rohan , who pay'd him ( and his brother ) a yeerly pension , to keep france in action by civill wars , and had entred into a treaty with him accordingly consisting of divers capitulations ; moreover the catholic kings have had , and have to this day friendship and confederacie with divers pagan princes , and amongst others with the king of calecut ( who adores the devil ) for a little pepper or such like commodities : nor are there wanting examples how in the time of the moores , the king of aragon made use of moriscos against another christian king. another makes an odd apologie for this king why he confederated with protestants , and employ'd them so much in his wars , which is , that he made use of them against the greatnes of the house of austria only , whom they suspect and perfectly hate : and touching his subjects of the religion in france , it was never out of any affection unto them , or out of any conceit of fidelity he had of them , that from time to time he gave them honor and offices in his armies , but out of a politic end to diminish , and destroy them by degrees , for a greater number of them , then of papists perish'd in his wars . for breaking with his brother in law the king of spain and the house of austria ; he did it meerly out of political interests , and pure reason of state , which is now grown to the highest point of subtilty , and swayes the world more then ever ; it is well known that france ( as all europe besides ) hath bin for many yeers emulous of spaine , and suspectfull of her greatnes , for she hath bin still growing and gathering more strength any time these hundred yeers ; in so much that considering her huge large limbs she was become a giant in comparison of all her neighbours ; france was fearfull of this unproportionable hugenes of hers more then any , and therefore being somewhat distrustfull of his own strength to cope with her single , he enters into confederation with others , as the hollander , and swed ; so that this war of france with spain is meerly preventive ; nor is preventive war a new thing , but we have warrant for it from antiquitie ; i am sure it is as old as that of peleponnesus , the ground whereof , was to keep the power of athens within its wonted channel , which went daily swelling ore the old banks ; this gave the first alarum to the lacedemonian to stand upon his guard , and to put himself in armes ; whence afterwards issued that long liv'd war which history renders so famous to posterity . alphonso k. of castile made war against the moors , and the rest of the spanish kings ( for there were divers then in spain ) finding him encrease in power collegu'd against him ; and the reason the historian gives is , nunquam satis fida principum potentia finitimis est , occasionem proferendi imperii avidè arripiente natura mortalium . the decree of the college of sorbon is , that the exorbitant greatnes of a neighbouring prince may be a just ground for a war. 't is well known how watchfull those three geryons of their times , charles the fifth , henry the eight of england , and francis the first of france , were to keep their power in aequilibrio ; they had alwayes an eye upon the scale to see which way it panch'd and out-pois'd : and it hath bin us'd to be the old policy & power of england ( though now crosse winds have long blown upon her ) to question any of her neighbours touching their encrease of strength in shipping . there be examples without number how it hath bin alwaies the practise of the sagest princes , as being a rule that 's warrantable in the schoole of prudence and honor , to prevent that their adjoyning neighbours oregrow them not by accesse of new power , either by weakning their allies , by monopolizing of trade , encrease of territory , by mastering of passages , or by too neer approaches . the last makes me think that it is high time for the hollander to look about him considering the late acquests of the french in the netherlands , and to be warnd by the old proverb , aye le françois pour ton amy , non pas pour ton voisin . have the french for thy friend , not for thy neighbour . the austrian eagle had display'd his wings wider then formerly , by addition of the palatinat , triers , and other places in germany : france took armes to make him mew these new feathers , and she had those three things , which one said were requisit to make her eternall , favourable unto her , viz. rome , the sea , and counsel : pope vrban the eight had his breeding there twenty yeers together and so was a friend to her ; she had a competent number of ships , and for counsell she had richelieu for her pilot : he was not like your countrey wasters that demosthenes writes of , who were us'd to grow skilful in defending those parts of the body where they had bin hurt , but he could foresee and fence away the blow before it was given : and for others , he carried matters so that some of them found their hands sezi'd upon when they were ready to strike . this caus'd him to make his king the first aggressor of the war against spain ; wherein he had wonderfull successe , and done such feats ( as hath appear'd already in the body of the story ) that as they have struck an amazement in the present age , so they vvill breed an incredulity in the future . touching the last complaint against him that he peel'd and poll'd the peasan , 't is true he did so ; but he who is vers'd in the humour of that people , vvhat boyling brains , and perpetuall inclinations they have to noveltie , and to break out into motion , if they be pamper'd with peace and riches , will conclude , that there is a necessitie to keep them short in point of wealth , vvhose ordinary effects are pride and insurrections : yet i beleeve there may be other more laudable vvayes of policy us'd for prevention of this then poverty ; it being a true maxime in the academy of honor , that it is more glorious for a prince , to be king of an opulent free people , then of a slavish and beggerly : and the greatest reproach that forreners cast upon the french government , is , that the vvealth of the countrey should be so unequally dispenc'd , the king , clergy , nobles , and officers svvallovving up all , vvhile the common people have scarce that competency which beasts use to have to satisfie the necessities of nature : for there is not upon earth a more plentiful countrey , and a poorer people generally , then the pesantry of france . there vvas another reach of state vvhy the common people vvere kept so poore and indigent , vvhich vvas , that he might be supplied with soldiers to furnish his infantry for the vvars , vvhereunto necessity vvill drive any one ; at the sound of his drum they came alvvaies in multitudes to serve him because he had alvvayes store of treasure to pay them ; he had at one time above . of them in severall armies , nor vvere there ever such services perform'd by french foot , vvho formerly had but small repute in the vvorld ; vvith these and his cavalry he perform'd such exploits that as i said before , posterity must have a strong faith to beleeve them ; such exploits that mars himself ( the ascendent of france ) might have bin invited to partake of his triumphs ; — vel et ipse vocari iupiter ad praedam posset . with these he drew the overwhelmings of spain into a narrower channel , and put her to cast her policy into a new mould , for whereas before she was for many yeers upon the conquering and offensive part , she is now content to stand upon her guard , and put her self upon the conserving and defensive part . by these performances of france against the monarchy of spain it visibly appears , what advantage a little body that hath his joynts well knit and compacted , and hath also his radicall moisture and radicall heat ( the two gran columns of life ) dispers'd in equall proportion throughout all parts to actuate the whole and make it vigorous , ( for such is france ) may have over a huge unweldy bulk whose members by vast uneven distances are so loosly kept together as the spanish monarchy is known to be ; which , were she as closely knit as france , or the ottoman empire either which extends two and thirty hundred miles and but the ( hellespont between ) in one continued peece from buda in hungary to bagdad or babylon in asia , i say , if the modern monarchy of spain were so closely united , she might compare with the greatest that hath bin yet upon earth . and now will we put an absolut period to the history of the life of lewis the thirteenth . which we have illustrated in the best manner we could , as also to this corollary and short transcurrence of his raign , which lasted thirty three yeers , and his whole life hardly reach'd to forty three , a time which as was said before , in a well dispos'd body is accounted but the meridian of manhood ; whether nature posted away , and hastned thus her course in him and made him old before his time by her own weaknes , or by accident , ( as some mutter ) we will not determin , but rather give faith to the first cause , and to divers dangerous sicknesses whereof he had pass'd the brunt formerly , as also to exces of care and intentivenes of mind , and personall pains in the war : he had a long time to study the art of dying , his disease being a consumption , which afforded him space enough to set his house in order ; he spoak oft times of the troubles of great britain in his sicknes , and once he was overheard to say that it was a just judgement , because his brother of england would have assisted his subjects once against him . so this great king died in the highest glory of his actions , for his sayles swell'd with prosperous winds till he came to his last port . he had settled all things so exactly , that when he came to die , he had nothing els to do , but to die , which he did so gently , that it was rather a soft dissolution then death ; by his high exemplary vertues , and strangenes to vice he was a saint amongst kings on earth , and now may be a king among saints in heaven , whither he went on ascension day : for his acts of prowesse he deserves to have the alps for his tomb , & the pyrenean mountains for his monument , for he made them both to stoop unto him : he left his queen ( a yeer and some moneths younger then himself ) regent , as it was her due by saint lewis law , which she might have clam'd by merit , as well as by right , for she had bin marvailously complying , carefull and indulgent of him ; a lady of admirable sweetnes , moderation , and prudence , for she never tamper'd with the government in his time , nor would she meddle with the election of any officer or minister of state , nor interpose in any thing , but in matters of mercy and pardon , and then she would be sure to have an inkling how the king was inclin'd ( which made her receive few denials ) so that being much importun'd for monmorency's pardon ( whose first crime , was the last action of his life ) she would by no means attempt it . the young king was foure yeers and eight moneths old when his father died , so that the queen is to rule in chief till he be fourteen , whereby france , in statu quo nunc , may be said to have fallen under the government of strangers , the queen regent being a spaniard , and mazarini the prime minister of state an italian . the life of armand iohn de plessis cardinal of richelieu . having done with the master , we will now descend to his minister , the cardinal of richelieu , a man so cryed up , that every corner of christendom rang of his report for twenty yeers together , nay the walls of the seraglio ecchoed with his fame , and fear of the mighty doings of france , which made the turks to think oftner upon that famous prophecy they have amongst them , that the ottomans should at last get kenzal almai the red apple , which they interpret to be rome , but not long after , their empire should be destroy'd by a flower , by which they think are meant the freinks . he was a gentleman of very ancient descent , for in the tree of his genealogie i find , that by the house of dreux his ancestors were allied to lewis the gros , one of the kings of france ; and by a direct uninterrupted line he came for thirteene degrees from father to son , from william of plessis who was a gentleman of high account in philip augustus time , . when his father francis de plessis died he was but five yeers old , and so remain'd under the tutele of his mother susanna de porta , who gave him all the advantagious breeding that could be in paris ( where he was born ) both in an academy for riding , and handling of armes , and in the university for learning ; he made choice of the colledge of sorbon to finish the course of his studies , where he took the profession of a theologue , and so became a sorbonist doctor . he had two brothers , francis , the eldest , was kill'd by the marquis of themines in duel ; alphonso , the second , being elected bishop of lusson forsook the pomp of the world , and betook himself to the austere life of a carthusian ( whose rule is never to eat flesh ) and so resign'd the bishoprick to his youngest brother armand , whose life we write : but afterwards , by his meanes , the carthusian fryer was brought to accept of the archbishoprick of aix in provence , then of lions , and so ascended to be cardinal . he had also two sisters , frances , maried to the baron of pont de curlay , who had of her the duchesse of esguillon : and nicola , his second sister was maried to the marquis of brezé marshall of france , and first french-viceroy of catalonia in spain , upon the late revolt ; who hath a son and a daughter by her , iohn armand the son was generall of the french army in the west , and employ'd ambassador extraordinary to congratulat the new king of portugall ; clara clemente the daughter was maried lately to the duke of anguiern eldest son to the prince of condé . when his brother alphonso had transmitted unto him the bishoprick of lusson , he went to rome for a consecration , and paul the fifth dispenc'd w th his incapacity of age , for he was but yeers old ; some report that the pope observing the height ▪ and activity of his spirit , was overheard to say , that that young prelat would overturn the world ; being return'd to france from rome , and brought to kisse henry the fourths hands , he was somewhat taken with him , telling him that he was come from that place , whence one day should descend upon him the greatest honor that rome could affoord a frenchman ▪ and afterwards he was us'd to call him his bishop . for divers yeers he applied himself altogether to the function of his ministery , and us'd to preach often in the kings chappell : in the assembly of the three states he was chosen orator for the ecclesiastiques , where his pregnancy of wit first appeer'd publicly in matters of state : where upon he got footing afterward at court , and was made great almoner : then his abilities discovering themselfs more and more , he was nominated ambassador extraordinary for spain to accommode the differences then a foot 'twixt the dukes of savoy and mantova ; when the princes started out in discontent , and put themselfs in armes to demolish the marshall of ancre , some privy counsellors were outed of their offices at court , amongst others monsieur villeray had his writ of ease for being any more secretary of state , and the bishop of lusson was thought the fittest man to succeed him , and to receive the seales , which he did , and this diverted him from his forren employment to spain . when the marquis of ancre was pistol'd , and his wife beheaded , there was a new face of things at court , another generation of officers grew out of the corruption of the old , among others , villeroy steps in to be secretary of state again in the room of the bishop of lusson , yet was the king willing he should sit still at the counsell table ; and monsieur de vignobles brought him an intimation of the kings pleasure to that purpose : but the queen mother retyring from paris to blois , he chose rather to go with his old mistresse , then stay with a young master as the pulse of the court did beat then ; by some ill offices that were done 'twixt the king and his mother , by factious spirits , many jealousies were dayly fomented between them ; hereupon the bishop of lusson , had order to withdraw himself from her court ; so he retir'd to his priory of caussay , but that distance being thought not sufficient , he betook himself to his bishoprick at lusson , and that place also being suspected to be too neer , he was sent to avignon the popes town , which might be call'd a banishment , for it was out of the dominion of france . discontents growing higher twixt the king and his mother , till at last they broak out into a war , and there being armies on both sides in motion , luynes writ a letter to the bishop to repaire to angoulesme , to which letter there was a postscript annex'd all of the kings own hand to the same effect . the queen mother was fled thither from the castle of blois , and by means of the duke of espernon with others had considerable forces a foot : here was a brave opportunity offer'd for the bishop to shew his head-peece in atoning matters 'twixt the mother and the son , for which end he was inordred to repaire thither : he negotiated the busines so succesfully by his dextrous addresses , and flexaminous strains of eloquence that he took away the inflamation of the wound , and so made it easily curable : a treaty was agreed upon , and the capitulations being drawn he brought them to the king , who receiv'd him with much shew of grace ; and so all matters were accommoded : but this accommodation did not heale quite and consolidat the wound , for it had not search'd it to the bottome , therefore it began to fester , and more putrified matter broak out of it then formerly : the mother and the son take up armes again , and the bishop of lusson was one of the prime instruments to re-compose the busines , which was done at last very effectually . the merit of these high services got him a red hat , and the dignity of cardinal , though some difficulties , and many delayes interven'd before the finall dispatch came from rome : then was he chosen provisor of the ancient colledge of sorbon ; where he procur'd of the king that a new chair of controversie should be erected . he also repair'd and much beautified that colledge ; then , upon the instance , and by the advice of the queen mother , he was elected prime minister of state , and director in chief under the king of all matters concerning the public government of the kingdome , so he came to be call'd the argos of france . the first great action that was performed by his guidance , when he was clim'd to this plenipotentiary power was the mariage with england ; the marquis of vieu ville had been employ'd in this great busines , but the cardinal got some of the capitulations better'd and more to the advantage of france , alledging that it was not fit his master being the eldest son of the church should have conditions inferiour to those of spain . with this match with england , there was an alliance also made about the same time with holland for a summe of money . these were the two first coups d' estat , stroaks of state that he made , and it was done with this forecast , that france might be the better enabled to suppres them of the religion , which the cardinal found to be the greatest weaknes of that kingdom : some of them being pensioners to other princes to embroyle france upon all occasions . he found then that the house of austria had got some advantage , and encrease of power , by certain holds it had seiz'd upon in the valtolin ; he adviseth his king to ligue with the venetian and the savoyard , which he did and so spoil'd the design of the spaniard that way . the king being told that upon the beheading of the count of chalais , and the imprisonment of the marquis of ornano about monsieurs mariage , his cardinal had thereby got divers enemies , he appointed him a band of soldiers for his guard ; after this he was made super-intendent generall of the marine , a new office , and such , that there was never any of the like latitud of power erected in france , for thereby he had authority to supervise not onely all the sea ports and shipping of in both the seas , but to do any thing that might cōduce to the regulating and advance of trade : so he fell presently to work , and fortified haure de grace , brouage , the isle of ré , oleron , verdun , with divers other . afterwards happen'd the siege of rochell where in the kings absence he was made general a while , and that famous sea dike was ascrib'd to his invention in chief , after fifteen moneths siege the town was reduc'd , having bin driven to the utmost extremities of want , as to eat nefandous meats , the leather of coches which serv'd before for instuments of pride , did now preserve them from starving ; at last they petition'd the cardinal to be their intercessor to his majestie for them , who got them more favourable conditions then was expected . the king went thence to italy with the same army for the most part , and having cross'd the alps , he took the passe of susa , and rais'd the siege of casal only with the fame of his person and armes , and so reliev'd the duke of mantova , having had besides some dispute with the duke of savoy about his passage , he left the cardinal behind to see all things settled : who returning afterwards to france found the king in languedock having debell'd almost the whole body of them of the religion , but the plague being hot in that province , he went to paris , and left his cardinal to perfect the work , which he did at mountauban , which was the last town that was surrendred , and so may be said to have bin the key of the whole work . being return'd to paris there came news that the duke of savoy abetted by imperial and catholic armes poursued still his interests against the duke of mantova ; in prejudice as was pretended , of the late articles 'twixt him and france ; the cardinal was appointed generalissimo of two armies , wherewith he travers'd the alps again , took the town and castle of pignerol ; and returning to lion , to give account of his service he found the king sick , and powerfull enemies at court , but especially he found the queen mother averse to him ; he perceiv'd the faction so strong against him , that he fell on his knees before the king desiring that he would please to dispense with his attendance any more at court , and that he might be permitted to retire to his devotions and the functions of his ministery ; the king being now indifferently wel recover'd , went to visit him the next day , and absolutly denied him leave to depart the court , saying , there was no reason he should forsake them who loved him , to humor the caprichios of those that did not love him . the kings army which he had left in italy under schomberg was at this time at an extreme low ebb , and upon point of mutining if not disbanding for want of pay , and there was scarce one thousand pound then in the kings coffers ; yet , notwithstanding the branling hazardous stand he was at , by reason of the kings sicknes , and the potent combination which was a foot , and banded so eagerly against him , he , of his own store , sent two hundred thousand franks to keep life in the army , and this was before the kings recovery , or assurance of the continuation of his favor . he was afterwards made general of the order of the abbots of premonstré , and he had also the attribut of eminence given him , which was solemnly confirmed by rome , to distinguish and peculiarize him from other cardinals , and princes of the church : nor would he receive any letters , or speak with any ambassadors unlesse they would give him that title : the queen mother utterly misliking his aimes of policy , which tended to put the princes , her children , together by the eares , forsook france , and monsieur followed her . he return'd with a considerable strength of horse , and monmorency , the popular'st man of france , joyn'd with him , to reform the state , and to ruine the cardinal , who was us'd to call the said monmorency his son , but they miss'd of their ayme ; afterwards the count of soissons , joyn'd with the duke of bovillon attempted the like , and had soissons liv'd it was probable they might have done something , for they had utterly routed the kings army , but soissons being kill'd , it quail'd the whole plot . the last attempt to destroy him was by monsieur le grand , who had intelligence with the spaniard , but it was detected , and so crush'd in the shell , and he with monsieur de thou beheaded . there were also divers privat attempts upon him , alfeston would have pistoll'd him , chavagnac and barnard would have poison'd him , gargan and bouchard , who were reputed magitians , would have bewitch'd him , but they had all ropes for their rewards : so nature ran out her course in him without violence , for he died in his bed , and at his house in paris about the dead of winter in the beginning of december , a little after the king had visited him , and bad him his last adieu , having not reach'd . yeers ; his right arme began to mortifie many moneths before , and his whole body was grown so lanke and thin as it look'd like an anatomy . he principally recommended to the king cardinal iulio mazarini , to whom he had open'd all the boxes of his breast , together with monsieur chauvigny & noyer , advising his majesty to steer his cours by their counsell , and he should still prosper and triumph : he bequeath'd his body to the colledge of sorbon ; and touching his estate , which was valued at neer upon sixty millions of franks , he divided it to sundry legacies ▪ he gave the marquis of pont de courlay the duchy of richelieu together with the government of brouage : to the marquis of brezé the duchy of fronsac estimated at an hundred thousand franks yeerly rent , together with the government of haure de grace : he bequeath'd to the duchesse of eguillon his house at ruel with fifty thousand franks rent . he gave monsieur du plessis chinee twenty thousand crowns a yeer . his cardinal palace in paris where he expir'd he bequeath'd to the king , with all the plate and housholdstuffe thereunto belonging , and a jewel valued at two hundred thousand crowns : to the young dauphin he gave his library rated at fifty thousand crownes : to every one of his praetorian soldiers he bequeath'd two hundred crowns apeece , and preferr'd them all for a guard to the dauphin ; by this vast estate it appears that though he was so active in his masters busines , yet he did not neglect his own , so that the kings service was not the sole center of his endeavours as he was usd to say often . such was the emigration out of this world of armand iohn du plessis cardinal of richelieu , duke , and peer of france , knight of the holy spirit , and super-intendent generall of the navigation and commerce of france , principall minister , and director in chief of all affairs both of state and warre , &c. having bin thrice general , and once generalissimo of three royall armies . questionlesse he was a man had a rare talent , and rich intellectualls , of a notable vivacity of spirit , and constancy of resolution , of a prompt , yet profound imagination , of a subtill discours , yet solid judgement , ( things which seldome meet in one subject under that clime ) of pressing and powerfull reason , and a tenacious memory , in so much that all the faculties of his soule being summond to consult seriously upon any businesse , they were enough to make a compleat senat of themselfs . add hereunto that he had an admirable gift of elocution attended with state and gravity , and very swaying as it went along : many examples could be produc'd hereof , but we will instance in three only ; in a complement , in a letter , and in an oration of his , which may serve to make a judgement of the rest : for the first , when he had receiv'd the cardinals hat from rome , he attended the queen mother and told her , as if he had been surpriz'd with a kind of amazement , madam , i want words to expresse the thankfulnes of my heart to your majesty , all that i can say , is , that i will spend my best bloud , and all my spirits in your service , and this scarlet , which i weare by your goodnes , shall make me always remember this vow . for the second , when the queen mother was retir'd to the netherlands out of a high displeasure against him , he writ to her this ensuing letter . madame , i know my enemies , or rather the enemies of this state , not contented to have discredited me unto your maiesty , do endeavour also to make my attendance neere the king , to be suspected ; as if my neernes to his person tended to remove him from you , and to separat what god and nature hath so closely conjoyn'd : i hope by the goodnes of god that their malice will be discoverd , that my cariage will be shortly justified , and that my innocence shall triumph over calumny . neverthelesse madame , i shall account my self still infortunat , in that i am made to cease from pleasing your majesty , and life it self is irksome unto me in the state i am in , finding my self depriv'd of the honor of your favor , and of that esteem which i valued more then all the greatnes of the earth , and as those which i possesse proceed from your liberall hand , so i cast and prostrat them all at your royall feet . excuse madame your own work and creature , whatsoever shall proceed from your majesties pleasure , shall be receiv'd by me without murmuring , and accepted with a thousand thanks . but madame , out of that piety which is inhaerent in you , be pleased to spare the purple of the church wherewith you have adorn'd me , which will lose its esteeme and lustre , if your majesty cast upon it such black spots : how can it , be that the most oblig'd of men , should prove the most ingratefull ? and that my conscience , my first inclination , and interest binding me to your service , i should now separat my self from it , and thereby draw upon my self the name of traitor to the best and greatest queen upon earth ? this , madame , well consider'd should absolve me from all crime , and free me from all suspition before your majesties tribunal , where i am almost condemn'd without being heard : i appeal not from it , in regard of the perfect obedience i beare to your will , i only blame my misfortune , but will not dispute with my soverain mistresse , nor ask reason of her for what is pass'd , nor do i intend to make use of the kings favour , or any ministers of his , or of the remembrance of my former services , against the bent of your indignation : the very thoughts hereof would be a crime , and opposit to my hopes , which are to find glory in fidelity , and safety in innocence : i desire lesse to dragg my fortune in france , or to cary it to rome , to see more lamentable ruines then mine own : wheresoever your majesty shall be , if i be not permitted accesse , it will be death unto me ; and wheresoever i go , it shall be to go out of the world ; yet i desire for my reputes sake , and for the rank i hold in the house of god , that it might be after the vindication of my innocence , and , if it be not too great a boldnesse , after the recovery of your majesties favor : if fortune afford me this , i shall little resent my going out of the court , nor out of the world , because i die a thousand times a day , since your majesty gives out , that i am not the same , i was , which is madame , your majesties most humble , most faithfull , and most obedient servant armand . card. of richelieu . concerning the third which discovers more then any thing the abilities of a minister , this oration shall serve which he pronounc'd in the great convention of notables , a new court generated of the discontinuance of the old assembly of the three estates , the king himself sitting there in majesty . sir ; 't is needles in my judgemetnt to represent unto this illustrious assembly , the great actions your majesty hath perform'd within this yeer , as well in regard the lord keeper hath acquitted himself very worthily of that task , as also because they speak cleerly enough of themselfs ; and there is no man but sees that god hath been pleas'd to make use of that piety , prudence and courage which he hath infus'd into your majesty , to work those advantages to france in so small a time , which some held impossible to be done in an age : nor is there any need to let them know the vast expence these high actions have caried with them , because every one knows , that in matters of state , great atchievements cannot be done with little charge , and the numerous troupes of combatants which your majesty hath bin enforc'd to entertain at one time in sundry places , as well within , as without your kingdom , afford understanding men occasion to magnifie your power , as well as to admire your vast expence . there is not any amongst you my lords , who knows not with what purenesse this treasure hath bin issued , and what necessity there was of it ; the probity of those who manag'd the finances justifieth the first point : and the oppression of the allies of this crown , and the rebellion of them , who are traytors to god in this kingdom do sufficiently assert the truth of the second : the desseins of some having bin no sooner projected , then form'd , to interrupt his majesty in reducing france to her first splendor : in so much that this state considering the utility she receives thereby together with her allies , have more cause to approve , then complain of these charges . matters , thanks be to god , are now at a good point , but one cannot promise , that they will continue so alwaies , and it were to want judgement to think that they must not be push'd on further ; of necessity this kingdom must be left expos'd to the attempts of those who daily meditat the abasing , if not the ruine thereof , or there must be means found to secure it . the kings intentions are to rule it so , that his government may equall , if not surpasse any time pass'd , and serve for an example for the future . the marvailous assistance which it hath pleased god to afford him hitherto , when his affairs were in the most deplor'd case , gives us hope that he will still persevere : being seconded with the sage counsels of the queen his mother , with the concurrence of monsieur his brother , who i may truly say is so fastned to his majesties will , and the interest of the state , that nothing can separat him : i see no reason at all to doubt of it , since none but god almighty can produce things of nothing , therefore to come to so good ends , of pure necessity , either the ordinary expences of the court must be diminish'd , or the public receits augmented , or perchance both must be done . it is not fitting you 'l say , to meddle with the necessary expences , for the conservation of the state , the very thought thereof were a crime : yet his majesty preferring the public before the privat , is willing out of his own motion to retrench his house in things that touch his own person , leaving you to judge how the rest will be employ'd . one might think that such retrenchments were not seasonable at this time , because they use to alienat sometimes the affections of hearts : but as the businesse will be carried , great and small shall find their account and therein their satisfaction ; the most austere rules seem sweet unto the most tumultuous spirits , when they have , not in appearance only but in reall effect , the public good and incolumity of the state for their sole aime . sir , the queen your mother , prayes that you would think it good to let her do that , which your piety towards her would not permit you as much as to think of your self , which is that she be reduc'd to a lower revenue then she had in the late kings time ; it being true that she had not better'd her condition then , when during your majesties minority she rais'd the fortunes of others for the advantage of your majesties service . different times require different and sometimes contrary courses , that which is proper at one time may be impertinent at another . in great tempests one must share his goods with the sea , to lighten the vessell , and avoid shipwrack ; prudence requires it , that the whole perish not , for casting away part : the interest of particulars obligeth no lesse then that of the public ; there being nothing more true then what an ancient prelat of this kingdome said , that 't is impossible the riches of private persons can subsist when the state it self is poore and necessitous : by such husbandry the ordinary expences may be lessen'd by three millions . it rests then to augment the receits , not by such impositions that the people are not able to beare , but by innocent means which gives place to the king to continue what he hath practis'd this yeer in easing his subjects by diminution of tallies . to this effect we must come to the redemption of lands , to notaries , and registers , and other morgag'd rights which amount to twenty millions , a thing not onely profitable but just and necessary . if this dessein take effect , the people who contribut more of their bloud , then of their sweat to the expences of the state , shall be eas'd . if there be need to resist a forren invasion , or some intestine insurrection , ( if god for our sins permit any more ) or to execute a dessein that 's profitable and glorious for the state , want of money will be no losse of time ; there will be no need to have recours to extraordinary wayes , to court partisans , and put hands in their purses who have them oft times full of the kings moneys : one shall not see the soverain courts busied to verifie new edicts : kings shall appear no more upon their beds of justice , unlesse it be to undo what they had done some other time : in fine , all things shall be at such a passe , that hath bin long since desir'd by all good men , and may continue so whole ages . one will say , and perchance i may think so my self , that 't is easie to propose good desseins , and as pleasing a thing to speak of them , but the execution is difficult : yet neverthelesse , i dare speak it in the presence of the king , having well thought of it , there may be expedients found whereby within the compas of six yeers one may see the end and perfection of this work : the king , my lords and gentlemen , hath assembled you expresly , to search and find them out , to examine things , and concur with him in resolution , his majesty assuring you , that he will readily and religiously execute what shall be determin'd for the restauration of this state. the sick sometimes die , by too many remedies , as well , as none at all ; i am bound to tell you this by the by , that to restablish this state in its first splendor , ther 's no need of many ordinances , but real executions ; by this means this assembly may close more speedily , though she may be perpetuall for the fruit she shall produce : few words and many deeds will testifie both the good intentions , and judgements of them whereof she is compos'd . the king doubts not but you will do what concerns your duty in this occurrence : you shall know by the event that his majesty will surpasse himself to procure the good of his kingdome , the glory of reviving it , is reserv'd to the vertu of so great a prince : you are much bound to his goodnes , that he hath vonchsaf'd to make you partakers thereof , and for my particular i should be much bound to god , if he presently took me out of the world upon the accomplishment of so high , so glorious , and holy a work . as thus in things premeditated , so in ordinary extemporall discours , he had a pressing way of eloquence , and exaggeration of speech , which came from him in such a grave serious accent that it mov'd all along , in so much that by his garb he seem'd to be rather an italian then french ; seldom or never would reason thrust be out of her throne by any impetuous irregular motions ; seldome would his passions make any furious sallies ; the greatest fit of distemper that ever was discover'd in him was , at the news of wallesteyns death , with whom he had held intelligence for betraying the imperial army , & so to pave a way for france to ascend the empire : he would easily break out into tears , and tendernesse of spirit . the prime perfection in him was his forecast , he was quick-sighted and eagle-ey'd in every corner of christendom ; he had ecchoes in every court which sounded unto him all the affairs of state , in so much that he knew as well what was done in the junta's of spain , in the consistory at rome , in the cabinet counsels of england and germany , as if he had bin president of all their counsels ; he had his beagles abroad every where , which were excellent to find the sent of things , and amongst others one de lope a jew was his chiefest spy : a little before the revolt of catalonia and portugall , he was overheard to say , that shortly he would give the spaniard such a bone to gnaw , that should shake all the teeth in his head : and touching the troubles of scotland and england he was us'd to say , 't was easie for one with half an eye to have foreseen them . he had an excellent invention to devise wayes to get money , in so much that when the cow slack'd , he had a way to presse her nipples , so that all the time of his sway the king never wanted treasure : he us'd france like prospero colunnas goose , pluck the old feathers and the new ones will grow the faster . he gave her likewise all sorts of physick , sometimes he would give her a purge , sometimes a vomit , then would he often phlebotomize her , and by sweating and fluxing do away the peccant humors : he held that principle a vain thing , which calls the peoples hearts , the kings best exchequer : he verified the saying , that la france est un beau pré , qu'on ton-doit trois fois l'année : france is a medow , which if you do mow thrice every yeer , the grasse will better grow . or , france's like your beard , which the more oft you shave , still the more thick and plusher hair you 'l have . he thought often upon that maxim that populus aut humiliter servit , aut superbè dominatur the common people serve slavishly , or rule proudly ; they are like fire and water , good servants , but ill masters ; therefore he kept them under , by impositions and poverty : it was long , before the king took him into his bosome , though he had always a great conceit of his abilities : a good while when he saw him come to court , he was us'd to say sometimes , voycy venir le fourbe , here coms the cunning companion ; but afterwards he so fastned upon his affections , that whereas to others , kings favours are but as tenacies at wil , the kings favor to him might be call'd a stable possession , 't was not as brittle glasse , but as firm as diamond : thus for twenty yeers together he sayl'd securely upon the ocean of royall favour , which useth to be full of rocks , shelfs , and quicksands , but he knew the use of the compasse so well , that he avoyded them all . he was marvailously constant to his ends , assiduous and sagacious , whereby he took off from the frenchman that reprochfull saying , which defines him to be an animal sine praeterito et futuro . he fitted his projects so aptly to the means , and the means to the ends , that he seldome fayl'd of his expectation : he stird all the caecodaemons of hell against the house of austria , and a little before he died he threatned to pull the king of spain out of his escuriall ; such was his forren intelligence , that he did the enemy more mischief by discovering of his counsels , then by discomfiting his armes . he had such a nimble apprehension , that he oft times would find out truth at first search , the prime motions of his thoughts being so conclusive , that what discours he form'd upon them afterward , was but an approbation of the first idaea , which needed no addition . he was no great zelot in his own religion , but as he made her subservient to his politicall ends ; nor would he ever employ jesuit : he had a moderate opinion of the reformists , which made him to be call'd the huguenot cardinal . and he would have often in his mouth this saying , maneat moralis benevolentia , inter discordes sententia . yet he writ a book against them , which is extant . he did them more mischief by complementing with them , then by combating ; he was overheard to say that he had taken rochell in despight of three kings , meaning his own for one , for it was a great while before the king could be induc'd to that expedition : saint martin was beholding to him for his cloake , els the english had taken it away from him at the isle of ré : with which cloake 't was said , saint martin cover'd him afterwards in many battailes . he was a great cherisher and promoter of vertuous men , and would find them out wheresoever they were , in so much that he gave every yeer in pensions little lesse then an hundred thousand franks . he erected two universities , one in paris call'd l'academie de beaux esprits , where the prime wits of the kingdom met every munday ; and another at richelieu where the mathematiques and other sciences were read in the french language : the difficulty of the latin deterring many from the study of them in other places . he did so oblige all the wits of the kingdom , that they strove who should magnifie him most ; and there were never such hyperbolicall expressions of any man and not without some mixture of profanenes , which shews that there is no inquisition in france . some said , that god almighty might put the government of the world into his hands : that france in god , and the cardinals hands were too strong : that , what the soule was to the body , the same he was to france . si foret hic nullus , gallia nulla foret . some appropriat , the reduction of the rochellers soly to him , therefore to sooth him , one french chronicler writes that in the taking of that town neither the king nor god almighty himself had a share in the action , but the cardinal himself . thereupon another made this distich . richelii adventu portae patuere rupellae , christo infernales ut patuere fores . the gates of rochell op'd to richelieu , as those of hell to christ asunder flew . then another . cedite richelio mortales , cedite divi , ille homines vincit , vincit et ille deos. vayle mortalls , vayle ye gods to richelieu , he mortals can , he can the gods subdue . another thus . o princeps delicte deo , cui militat aequor , et tempestates omnia laeta ferunt , magne pater patriae , quae saecla ingrata recusent indigites inter te numerare deos ? and in the french language there are a world of such hyperboles , we will instance only in two . et si nous faisons des ghirlandes , c'est pour en couronner un dieu , qui soubs le nom de richelieu recoit nos vaeux & nos offrandes . another . heros a qui la france erige des autels , qui prevois , & qui fais le bonheur des mortels , qui scais mieux l'advenir , que les choses passeés , penetre dans mon ame , &c. another . si quelq'un dans ces vers parle de richelieu qui sous l'habit d'un homme il nous descrive un dieu ; vous n'estes point suiet a l'humaine impuissance , &c. he that 's cryed up for the cicero of france , speaking of his book against them of charenton , saith , that , that book might be the death of all other books , except the bible . another , though a royal chronologer , attributs more to him then to his master , the king himself . he calls him the gran director , and most puissant genius of france , the perfectest of men , which doth penetrat things to come , and is ignorant of nothing , great and incomparable cardinal , the most eminent among mortals ; to whom the crabbedst and most mysterious affairs of state are but pastimes : visible god , and tutelar angel of the univers , a spirit that moves the heavens , and the stars , the blisse of the world , the supreme intelligence , the phoenix of the earth , who never had , nor ever shall have his parallell . these strange evaporations and high strains of profanenes shew plainly , as i said before , that the office of the inquisition , hath no stroak in france , as in italy , spain , and elswhere it hath , to curb the extravagancies of mens brains . as there were a number of such sycophants amongst the wits of france , that idoliz'd him in that maner , so there wanted not others that threw dirt in his face ; by pasquils and libells ; one drop'd this satyre in rome , which flew thence to the streets of paris . papa noster in - urbanus , réxque parum christianus , cardinalis infernalis , capucinus coaequalis , replent mundum tot is malis . urban our pope not much urbane , the king not too much christian , with the infernal cardinall , and capuchin his coaequall , the world do fill , with thousand ills . another comes little short of this , by calling the capuchin , the cardinal , and the devil , the three degrees of comparison . in the yeer . there were extraordinary revellings and triumphs in paris , and there were divers masques and balls in the carninals palace : and one morning there was found nayl'd upon the gate this libell . tandis qu'en dance au palais cardinal , la mere de trois rois vá a l' hospital . while people dance 'i th palace cardinal , the mother of three kings goes to the hospital . amongst other peeces of invention which were publish'd of him , there was one call'd the chymerical ambassador , which in regard 't is a new way of fancy compos'd by a person of quality , and very facetious , i will insert here ; the author makes him to employ ambassadors extraordinary not onely to christian princes , but other pagan potentates to enter into a confederacy with them as followeth . master iohn sirmond shall take the qualitie of the duke of sabin , and of the marquis of cleonville ; he shall clap a sword at his side , and take for his train five or six of the gazetic academy , which we have made hardy lyers : above all things they shall be instructed in the prayses of my lord the cardinal duke , and to that effect they shall cun by heart all the poems , epigrams , acrostiques , anagrams , sonnets , and other peeces made by the latin and french poets of the times , which they shall disperse up and down gratis as they passe , but for fear that this merchandize be not forestall'd , and this false money cryed down , we command the said ambassador to depart as soon as possibly he can , because our affairs do presse us , & we may chance take our measures short in regard duke charles , terming himself duke of lorain , is nimble because of the nourture he hath had in france ; and the germans , being now tyr'd with the troubles we have brought in amongst them may end the war ; the spaniard also resents our injuries more then ever , and those devils the crabats advance towards our frontiers . the ambassador shall speak neither good nor ill of the king , because his majesty knowing nothing of this ambassy may chance disadvow it : he shall accommode himself to the beleef of all princes , republiques , and people , and shall make semblance to be of the religion or sect of them with whom he is to treat ; he shall extoll the prayses of the most eminent among mortals , he shall call him a visible god , the tutelar angel of the univers , the spirit that moves the heavens and stars , the happines of the world , the supreme intelligence , the phoenix of the earth who never had , nor is like to have his equall , &c. if he find that it be taken ill that we have injur'd all the princes of christendom , he shall study some reasons to make them digest all : if he find perhaps that any books have been printed in flanders against my lord the cardinal , he shall avouch that they are abominable , and to be burnt by the hangman , if he speak with any that detest magic , he shall assure them that these books are full of such stuff ; if he find that champagnie trembles , and that there is a dessein to shake off the yoak in lorain and alsatia , he shall swear and all his followers besides , that my lord the cardinal hath rais'd . foot , . horse , . pioners , and so many cariage horses , . canons , with a proportionable number of bullets , . millions in gold to give the law to all europe : that besides landforces he hath . galeons of war at sea laden with . men more , and that there is bisket , beverage & fresh water which cannot corrupt to nourish them for ten yeers : that there are engins which will reduce instantly to ashes any town that resists ; that there be vessels that can sayle between two waters , and that can go under other ships to blow them up into the air , or sink them : that he hath found out archimedes his griping irons , whose vertue is to grapple a ship a thousand paces off : in fine , my lord , the ambassador shall omit nothing that may give security to champagnie , and strike a terror into lorain , and he shall cary the busines so , that the same arguments may serve to raise fear and hopes . he shall passe as speedily as he can by strasburg , frankfort , nuremberg and other imperiall towns , which have not so much knowledge of the artifice of my lord the cardinal duke , and if he thinks fitting he shall conceale his quality , and disadvow his countrey , he may say he is an englishman , to which effect he shall make use of his latin , and counterfeit as well as he can the english accent . if he is bound to enter into the states of the duke of saxe , and of the marquis of brandenburg , he shall passe as speedily as possibly he can , because those wretches have half spoild our mystery , in making their own peace , then , when we thought to have made them perish with us ; and since they would not do so , they have rendred themselfs unworthy of the good grace of the most eminent amongst mortals , and let them be assured that the spirit which moves the stars will cast ill influences upon them . then shall he passe to poland to find the king , whom he shall salute in the name of the most eminent among mortals , he shall assure him of his friendship , and swear unto him that he will hold good correspondence with him , provided that he enter in person with his forces into hungary and germany to make war against his uncle : it is here that my lord ambassador shall display all his eloquence to shew that to gain further security and further encrease of power ther 's no kinred , and that amongst soverains the soverain law ought to be that which force of armes gives the weaker . the expedients requir'd to ruine the house of austria , shall be propos'd in this maner : that the most eminent among mortals doth promise ten millions of gold to the king of poland , assuring him of the imperiall crown : if he saith that we have no electors on our side since the archbishop of triers was so unluckily taken away : my lord ambassador shall assure him , that we are so strong the t'other side of the rhine , that we shall constrain the three ecclesiastic electors , and the duke of bavaria to do whatsoever we please . there is no question for that , but to afford us means by a notable diversion to settle our kingdom of austrasia , according to the cart that bertius made to the most eminent among mortals , and which is always at the ruel of his bed . it is an empire that 's design'd for his eminence , who scorns to be call'd cardinal duke , and would be king at any rate . this kingdom of austrasia contains all the country 'twixt the mose and the rhin , to begin at the french county , and to end at the source of both the rivers . we have already lorain , alsatia , monbeliard , some part of the lower palatinat , mentz , and something of triers ; we have when we will the french conté , luxemberg , liege , colen , iuliers , cleves , and gueldres ; we shall agree well enough with the hollander for what they hold , and so we shall make a kingdom for the most eminent among mortals of . leagues long , rich and well peopled , which shall be given in mariage to the most accomplish'd lady on earth the neece of that spirit which moves the heavens , who calls her self madame de combalet . my lord ambassador may shew her picture to the king of poland , and if he likes her , he may promise him for a dowry the kingdom of austrasia , the duchy of richelieu , thirty places more in france , and ten millions of good gold without the false money of the same allay which we gave the swed . if the king of poland say , that the most eminent among mortals cosend the last king his father , and that in the yeer . charnassé came in the behalfe of his eminence to treat of a truce 'twixt the kings of poland and swethland , to give thereby opportunity to the latter to enter into pomerland , and thence to germany , as it appears by the letter and instructions of his eminence in the moneth of iuly of the same yeer : if it be alleg'd that the same time that charnassé treated of these things in poland and swethland , cormolin was in moscovie for his eminence , to invite the russe against the pole which he effected ; if these people , which are so simple as to give credit to any thing , do accuse us of perfidiousnes , he must then disclaime the actions of cormolin , and swear that he had his head chop'd off for making the muscovit arme against poland . if my lord ambassador advance nothing in poland , where it 's likely we are too well known , he shall go to russia , and let him take heed that the barbarians treat him not ill among those woods : he shall go streight habited like an englishman or a hollander to mosco to find out the emperour , to tell him the reasons which hindred him to send in the yeer . the supply of men and money which his eminence had promis'd him , and that the turk was not made to enter into poland as the basha of buda made his eminence beleeve : he shall propound that if he please to break the treaty of peace with poland , that prince shall be engaged far in germany : besides my lord ambassador notwithstanding any denial shall sweare that the party is made and tyed already , and so the moscovit shall have a brave time of it in poland . if these savages cry out , that the most eminent among mortals is the cunning'st among mortals , and that he caus'd the moscovit to lose his repute before smolensko where they were beaten like so many dogs which made them part with two provinces , and make a dishonorable peace ; if they add that the turk will attempt nothing on poland because of the knowledge the gran signor hath of the generosity of that invincible king , then my lord ambassador shall withdraw , for fear he receive some affront . we do not judge it necessary that my lord ambassador go back to buda to treat with the basha , to make him surprise some places in hungary , his predecessor having had his head chopt off for having enterpriz'd some things against the intentions of the great turk , and for receiving the moneys we sent him ; it may be feared that he who commands at present may command two of his janizaries to put my lord ambassador on his back and to give him an hundred stroaks with a bulls pizzle upon his belly , as monsieur de saney was us'd in constantinople for a peece of roguery he did . besides we hope the great turk will break the peace with poland , and the truce with the emperour , to which purpose we have employ'd monsieur de thou to constantinople , whither he hath caried provision to make that great army the turke hath at sea to descend into sicily and naples , or to malta ; he hath also in charge to interpose for a peace 'twixt the turk and the persian , and to unite them if he can that they may destroy christendom . we leave it to the discretion of my lord ambassador whether he see the vayvod of transylvania , but if he resolve to go thither , he shall represent unto him that the whole earth wonders that he attempts nothing against the emperour , he shall exhort him to imitat his predecessor the valiant bethlem gabor , and tell him that all the good houses of france have his pourtrait in their galleries , with that of the king of swed , and that his highnes should do well to send also his in doing some act of courage ; if he say that he hath an alliance with the emperour , and friendship with hungary , and that for a picture he will not hazard the originall , in this case the lord ambassador is to withdraw himself hansomly . then shall he enter tartary where 't is probable we shall manage our busines better , because that people know us not so well , withall they are fitter for our turn , in regard they place all right , in armes as we have hitherto done : that they stay not long in one place , like the most eminent of mortals , my lord ambassador shall go visit chamocublay the great cham , wheresoever he be . he shall not wonder at that faire palace of marble , porphiry , and jasper which hath half a league in every corner ; he shall esteem it , but not in such a maner but that his eminence hath houses which approch in some kind those of cambalu : above all things the duke of sabin shall take heed that he pull off his hat very low before the great cham ; he must remember that dracula caus'd three turbans to be nail'd to the turks ambassadours heads , which drive their embassie out of their braines . he shall tell the gran cham that the most eminent among mortals is desirous to keep good quarter and correspondence with him , and so shall present unto him his credentiall letters ; and that 't is fitting his great tartarian greatnes should do some gallant thing , the field being now open for him in regard of the cowardise of the transylvanian , and the affairs of poland with the swed , and of the troubles 'twixt the emperour and some of his vassals , in so much that 't is easie to invade the estates of these three princes , as also to restrain the turk whom we have a long time engag'd in armes against the christians . if the gran cham , who is a christian though of the greek church , doth imagin that by this last article we are enemies to iesus christ , the duke of sabin must endevour to perswade him , that religion is but the republiques servant , and 't will be expedient to translate for him a book entituled the catholic of state compos'd by monsieur ferrier , if he beleeve it not , then the ambassadour shall labour to gain by promise of vast sums the governors of the twelve provinces who are the principall counsellors , and represent unto them that they are within a countrey too subject to thunder , snows , and sudden changes , in so much that oft times one shall feel the foure seasons of the yeer in one only day , whereas in hungary and austria there is for the most part a pleasant temperature , and that excellent wines grow there . in regard that the most eminent among mortals hath a curious spirit , and that he desires all the rarities of the world to embellish his house , gardens and courts , the ambassador shall procure from some garden in tartary the plant boraneth , which is like a sheep , and eates round about him all the hearbs and grasse , so that there may be no need of a gardner to make clean the circle of his courts ; and that would serve for an excellent emblem , to shew what his eminence hath done to all his neighbours in richelieu , paris and other places : he is also desirous to find out all the strange birds and animals that can be had , being resolv'd to make a faire lower court in the horse market , which he hath clos'd within paris , together with the suburbs of saint honoré , which hath cost the public at least a million of gold : the ambassador shall also cause a good number of those tartarian hens to be bought , which in lieu of feathers are cover'd with black skins , and lay certain egges which are purgatif , whereof his eminence hath much need to mitigate his heat , and clense the ordures of his blood . when the lord ambassadour shall have taken order for all these rarities , he shall embarque himself for cambalu , to go for china , he shall stay a while to observe the stupendous wall that is twixt her and tartary ; he shall take all the dimensions of the wall very exactly , and send a survey thereof to his eminence ; that , if need be , he may raise such another in his kingdom of austrasia ; and that , having already in his hands all the ports and havens of france , he may also erect such a wall from calais to bayon , and because he may want no workmen , he hath a purpose to employ all those that shall be found to speak ill of him to finish the work . then the lord ambassadour shall embark himself upon the great chanel that goes to peguin , the chief city of china , and so shall send notice of his arrivall to the emperour : in his audience he shall entitle him , son to apollo , a lion crown'd in the throne of the world , and king of thirty two realmes : he shall say that of that people whom they call caffres , or spaniards , attempting to ravish him of these faire titles , and having the lion in his scutcheon , the most eminent among mortals not enduring that this wrong should be done his majesty , sends to offer him his power , and to propose him a way how to be reveng'd upon the caffres in the east and west indies , specially to take from them their mines of gold and sylver . having visited all the kings of the east , my lord ambassadour shall return by the road which alexander the great took to enter into the indies : and in regard the most eminent among mortals is very curious in moveables and other exquisit things for the adornment of his houses , my lord ambassadour shall procure what may be possibly had for that service ; he must try whether in the ancient town of tazila , there be left any old peeces of porus made by zeuxis , apelles , polignot , or euphranor : he shall endevour also to bring some of those savage asses that are neer the river hyphasis , which have a horn in the forehead , that his eminence may make his entry upon one of them into his kingdom of austrasia , and then put her to breed in his stables at mirebalais ; he shall also endevour to enchant by scarlet colour , and letters of gold certain dragons , which are in that countrey , and to that effect he shall cary that robe of red sattin embroder'd with gold , which the cardinal of lion wore , then , when he beleeved himself to be god the father . if we had a dozen of those dragons we might draw a great advantage for the security of his eminencies person , because they say that in their heads there be certain stones found like that which made gyges invisible . the lord ambassadour shall inform himself also at paruca , if the inhabitants do yet understand the language of beasts , which would be advantagious to his eminence because he daily hears multitudes whom he hath transform'd to simple animals . my lord ambassadour shall be carefull to informe himself of the indian brachmans , and know whether they are such great magicians as they are reported to be ; if they are so , he shall confer with them , and learn of them , which way to turn those strong places his eminence holds into inchanted castles , if he be constrain'd to retire to any of them ; to this purpose he shall learn what were the enchantments of those philosophers who overcame the egipeans when they assaulted them , and made them leave behind them up and down the rocks the pourtrait of their ill-favour'd faces , ugly beards , and double nayles . if the lord ambassadour finds that he cannot do our busines with these kind of philosophers because they are too austere & peaceful , he shall find out another sect call'd the oxidraques , who are philosophers which use to discompose the humours of men , and make them rush out every where into war , such are most fit for our purpose ; if my lord ambassadour cannot dive into their mysteries , he must deboush one of them , and promise to make him compagnon of the reverend father ioseph , who is already vers'd in some of the maximes of this goodly society , and useth to sow war every moneth , that he may gather something all the yeer long . he must also make an exact research for the curious books of metagenes , wherein he teacheth how to compound a beuverage whereby to make a judiciary astrologer , and take the circle of the seven planets , which knowledge would be very usefull for the most eminent among mortals to foresee what will become of him , and to be able the better to prevent his enemies ; for the europaean astrologers have cousen'd him in divers praedictions , specially in that of the ruine of the house of austria , and in the translation of the empire ; they had also assur'd him that in such a yeer he should be pope , and in such a yeer king of austrasia . the lord ambassadour shall try to get the beast marticora which is of a red colour , and hath the head of a man lancing out sharpe prickles from behind : the spirit which moves the stars shall take this for his crest . the lord ambassadour shall not faile to enquire if it be possible to recover the pourtrait of the great talamoque , or that huge galeasse , which the egiptiens sent two thousand yeers since to the indian seas , because the most eminent among mortals would build the like , having already cut down a good part of the forests of britany , to make such an engine that may be able to crush the english ships , by being higher deck'd then the tops of their masts ; it shall be call'd the great armand , which shall be able to swallow all the bottomes on the ocean : whereon the picture of the most eminent among mortals shall be put , who cannot live but amongst waves , amongst troubles and tossings and tumblings , besides he fears nothing more then the earth . then shall the lord ambassadour passe by the persian gulph , and then to the red sea , and so through the deserts of lybia , he shall enter into egypt , and so advance to ethiopia to see prester iohn ; he shall endevour to perswade him that he being of the race of the q. of sheba , he ought to have a curiosity to come to hear the wisdom of the most eminent among mortals , who knows more then solomon . if my lord ambassadour passe by fez and morocco , he shall endevour to incite them also against the spaniard . when his excellence the duke of sabin , ambassadour extraordinary for the most eminent among mortals to all the great monarques of the world , shall be return'd to christendom , he shall advertise all princes as he passeth along , that his eminence is resolv'd there shall be no peace in europe , specially 'twixt france and the house of austria ( howsoever that there may be a way given for treaties to amuse the world ) untill both parties become equall in power , therefore as he shall passe through italy , the foresaid lord ambassadour shall procure one of those scales wherein cosmo de medici balanc'd all the princes of the western world , for the most eminent among mortals intends to do the like most exactly , and weigh every state to the least grain , &c. this was the substance of the rambling instructions that were given the chymericall ambassadour , which kept more noise in christendom then any thing that ever was written of him ; another compares him to hercules , and the q. mother to iuno , whose animosity put hercules to quell monsters , and perform his twelve labours , which were held impossibilities in others ; at sea hercules himself did not so many feats as he , for being high admiral , his galeon the great armand broak often through his pillers ; he rays'd every day new tempests , wherein dolphin-like he lov'd to tumble and sport , and by this restles humour of motion , he drive his master into a vast ocean of trouble and danger , his sayles having no other wind to fill them but ambition , and ayrie hopes of honor ; and while he labour'd thus to have his great masters name and his own , to fill future story , some doubt , whether they were not expung'd out of the book of life ; in regard they pass'd to their last port through a red sea , the one a young man upon the matter ( being but . ) the other not old , ( being but . ) and the reason may be drawn out of the sacred text , that the bloud-thirsty man shall not see half his dayes . this sanguinary humor in him , was sutable to the colour of his habit ; which more incited , and praecipitated the french and others his confederats to armes ; as we read it to be the custom of the indians , to present scarlet colours , and other bloody red objects before their elephants , to make them more furious when they are employ'd in the wars : this made him turn the very dust to soldiers as he pass'd , and make swarms follow him , as well for the colour of his coat , as also for that holines which some held to be inhaerent in it . i will conclude all kind of satyrs of him with these latin ones , which may be instar omnium , for they give a shrewd character both of his nature , his actions , and of his whole life ; and t is in forme of an epitaph , and penn'd by one of the prime wits under that clime . primùm quod a te postulo , viator , est , ut deum opt : max : laudes , quod haec in gallia securus leges : deinde miraberis tantillo spacio claudi mortuum , quem terra non capiebat vivum : illam ubi commovit , coelum movere voluit is , qui hoc symbolum sibi arrogavit mens sydera volvit : ut intelligas qualis haec intelligentia fuerit , industria fuit sagaci , sed inquieta , pacis publicae , & propriae tranquillitatis hostis : in magno , quod plurimi suspexerint , ingenio , magnam pauci familiares deprehenderunt mixturam dementiae : animum ejus laedebant omnia , sanabat nihil : potentissimi regis , non tam benevolentia , quam authoritate diu stetit , rerum exitu , non consiliorum prudentia foelix : dei solius infelix indignatione , cum turpibus morbis perpetuo conflictatus , locum ignoravit felicitatis , quam sua & aliorum infelicitate quaerebat : nunquam sibi visus beatus , ut nec iis probus qui beatum nuncupabant : utrique bili , vitae carnificibus , obnoxius , flavos ignes , at atras fuligines continuò passus est , sic venenum quod in aliorum perniciem effudit , non sine sua continuit : supra omnes mortales ambitione laboravit , supra plurimos avaritia ; regiae pecuniae prodigus , alienae parcus : crudelis offensus , ubi offenderat crudelior extitit . regiae matris beneficiis ditatus , curis promotus , & potestate potentior factus , illam gratiâ regis , libertate , bonis , galliâ , ac demum extorrem coloniae vitâ privavit : ne mortuae parceret , supremas ejus voluntates rescindi , et insepultum cadaver per quinque menses , post quos et ipse extinctus est , in cubiculo relinqui voluit : fratris regis dignitatem violavit , & personam opprimere studuit : non solùm a matre filium , a fratre fratrem , sed ab uxore virum aliquando avertit ; marillacum cum summa injuria , montmorentium summo jure , saint marcum jure cum injuria , thuanum vel jure vel injuria capite plecti voluit : magnates aliquot carcere perpetuo , plures exilio damnavit , multos ab aula removit , innumeros proscripsit ne ipsius consiliis obessent ; nec unquàm mitis gallia tam frequentia supplicia vidit : magni regis , quem magno studio decepit , nixus potentia , & foecundi regni opibus adjutus , infinitas sagittas perdidit , ut scopum praecipnum , a quo aberravit , attingeret : aliquos exitus secundos insanis conatibus pepererunt mentis actio vel agitatio continua , projecta est omnia tentans mentis audacia , & rigida severitas ; brevi evertendus si inter hostes externos aliquos cautiores , & inter aversos gallos ferè omnes , vel adversarium unum invenisset : multùm illi favit , quod eum vix quis noverit , vel iis , qui noverant , crediderit : adeo fortunatus , ut qui illi infensi erant nobiles , & milites , pro illius gloria suum & alienum funderent sanguinem , dum ille regio jungeret suum : in quo consilio sejanus periit , & ipse perierat , nisi soissonensem regium principem sustulisset : tam noxiae potestatis vestigia , integro saeculo , germania , hispania , italia , belgium , sed maximè gallia vix delebunt : et civium et vicinorum miseriis voluptatem captans ; ut istis capillos velleret , illorum viscera laniaret : nec regis sui sacrae valetudini aliquid indulsit , illam agitavit , dum suam exhausit curis & vario animi pathemate : illi primò divinae nemesis brachium corrupit , quod contra coelum tetenderat , mox abstulit usum dextrae , quae bellis ultro illatis subscripserat ; illud octo ante obitum mensibus computruit , unde haec exaruit : quod dolendum , qui deum ita vindicem sensit , non agnovit : id ex eo conjice , quod furorem in hostes privatos ardentiùs exercuit : quod imminente morte , politica magis prudentia , quàm christiana pietate , plus suos regi , quam se deo comendavit : quod paucis diebus ante vitae tragicae catastrophen , excogitatam a se fabulam , quam europam triumphantem vocabat , exhiberi regia magnificentia voluit , non tamen spectare potuit : quod ecclesiam afflixit cardinalis , sanguinem effudit sacerdos , nullas injurias condonavit christianus , nec homo meminerit se esse mortalem , etiam cum ebullientes e multis ulceribus vermes admonerent , quam fragili , & faetidae corruptioni obnoxious esset : ubi omnibus viis etiam impiis per . annos , ad privatum , dispendio publici , cucurrit finem , ad comnunem hominum , placida in speciem morte , sed multis quos praemisit , tardiore , tandem pervenit : fato functus est lutetiae ante . cum tribus mensibus : galliam & domum deserens , utramque incendere velle visus est , illam extorta in regis fratrem declaratione , istam ad placitum foeminae condito testamento : caeterum nec unquum dives gallia tantum homini contulit , nec alium natura satis impatiens tam diu pertulit , nec pacis amans , mortuum ullum tam hilariter extulit ; haec palam assero , quae tu clam suspicatus es sapiens viator : si quem adhuc dubitantem invenis , roga , ne deceptis vel corruptis adulatoribus credat , sed mihi , vera ex intimis sincerisque promenti . omnes verò mortales , ut sibi persuadeant , velim , plus apud deum valere justitiam vel minimam , quàm potestatem maximam , nec aestimandam tam latè diffusam , famam , sed bonam : multa turbare non esse multum agere , turbata componere plus esse , ne turbentur impedire plurimum esse : vulgus felicia scelera pro virtutibus ducit , tu contra , nihil infelicius felici scelere cogita : fraudum egregius artifex richelius , plurimos ad momentum decepit , forte seipsum in perpetuum : heu , universa , quae miscuit , non rediget in ordinem , qui pacem quae cum illius ingenio turbulento non conveniebat , etiam fortunae suae non convenire credebat . inde tot mala quae christianum orbem a . annis afflixerunt : ora ne sit deus vindex aeternus in authorem , qui magna misericordiâ multisque miserationibus in magnis , multisque criminibus indigebat : tu hospes christiane seriò perpende quam nihil sit quicquid momento praeterit ; nemo ex istis quos purpuratos vides ex hoc ipso felix est , non magis quàm ex illis quibus sceptrū & chlamydem in scena fabulae assignant , cum praesenti populo elati incesserunt , et cothurnati simul exierunt , excalceantur , & ad staturam suam redeant : adde parvus cinis modo est , qui magnus ignis fuit , teter fumus nunc est , qui nuper coruscans splendor omnium oculos perstringebat : utinam non et fax illi in alio sit orbe , qui in hoc europae fuit ; haec jam pacem , extincto bellorum fomite , sperat ; hortarer te viator , ut tanto pacis etiam suae dum viveret , hosti pacem precareris , nisi vererer , ne illi molestus esses rem quam oderat illi apprecando ; precare tamen quia juberis inimicos deligere : si ad illum non pervenerit pax , ad te revertetur : sic imperat christus , in quo vive pacificus , ut in illo placide conquiescas . interim vale . this epitaphicall invective being a kind of character of the whole man and a legend of his life , i thought worthy of rendring into english , for the concisenes and weight of the style . first , o passenger , i desire thee to praise almighty god that thou mayst read this securely in france : then admire , that he is coop'd up in so narrow a compasse , now dead , whom living , the whole earth could scarce contain : when he mov'd her , he also shook the heavens , arrogating to himself this motto , mens sydera volvit : that thou mayst know what an intelligence this was ; he was in point of industry sagacious , but turbulent ; being an enemy both to the publique peace and his own : in that great wit , which neverthelesse some suspected , some of his familiars observ'd a great mixture of madnes : all things puzzled his mind , nothing settled it : he stood so long , not so much by the love of his great master , but by authority , being more fortunat for the successe of things , then solidity of counsell : unhappy onely in the wrath of god , being perpetually attended with foule diseases ; he was subject to both choler 's the tormenters of mans life , black and yellow ; so the poyson which he disgorg'd for others ruine , was felt by himself : he was ambitious above all men , covetous above most , prodigall of the kings money , and sparing of his own : when cross'd , he was cruell , and more , when he intended to crosse : being enrich'd by the queen mothers benefits , promoted by her care , and made potent by her power , he deprived her both of the kings grace , of her liberty , goods , and of france it self , and at last of life at colen where she died an exile : he spar'd her not after death , but rescinded her last will , and kept her body five moneths after above ground in her chamber : he violated the kings brothers honor , and sought to oppresse his person ; he separated not only mother from son , brother from brother , but wife from husband : he caus'd marillac to be chop'd off by extreme wrong , monmorency by extreme right , saint marc by right and wrong , and de thou by right or wrong : some nobles he condemn'd to perpetuall imprisonment , he banish'd more , he drive most of them from court , he proscrib'd numbers lest they might crosse his counsells , mild france never saw so frequent punishments : the restlesse activity or agitation of his mind , his projecting and all-daring boldnes , and his severe rigidity produc'd some prosperous successes by such furious endevours : how easily had he fallen , if amongst his forren foes he had met with some more cunning , or but with one amongst his own countrey men : it much advantag'd him , that any scarce knew him , or that he gave credit to any that did know him ; he was so fortunat , that those nobles , and commanders who mislik'd him , spent their own and others bloud , while he joyn'd his with the kings : in the same counsell sejanus fell , had he also fallen , had he not tane away the royall prince soissons : the prints of so destructive a power , germany , spain , the netherlands , but france principally will scarce deface in a whole age : he took pleasure in his own countrey mens and his neighbours miseries , that he might pluck the hairs of the one , and teare the entrailes of the other : neither was he tender of the sacred health of his king , which he shook while he exhausted his own by cares , and various anxieties of mind : the divine vengeance first corrupted his arm which he had lifted up against heaven , then he lost the use of his right hand , which had subscrib'd so many bloudy warrants , the one putrified in eight moneths , the other dried away : and , which is a fearefull thing , he who thus felt the revengefull hand of god , did scarce acknowledge him , which may be inferr'd out of this , because he exercis'd his fury more eagerly upon his privat enemies : and that upon the point of death by politicall prudence rather then christian piety he recommended his own to the king , more then himself to god : besides a few dayes before the catastrophe of his tragic life , he would have a play acted of his , call'd europa triumphans in royall magnificence though he himself could not be at it : moreover he afflicted the church being a cardinal , he shed bloud being a priest , he never forgat injuries being a christian , he scarce thought himself mortall being a man , although those foule wormes which issued out of his ulcers might have warn'd him to what a fraile and faetid corruption he was subject unto : having by all , even impious means run to his own privat ends for eighteen yeers , at last he came to the common end of mankind by a gentle death in shew , and slower far then was wish'd : he expir'd at paris , where he was born , being . yeers and odd moneths old : now leaving france , and his own house , he seem'd to have a will to set both on fire , the one by extorting a declaration against the kings brother , the other , by making his last will at the will of a woman : never did plentifull france bestow upon any one so much , nor , being somewhat impatient by nature , did she endure any one longer ; neither , being a lover of peace , did she ever cary any one to his grave more joyfully : discreet passenger this i openly avouch , which thou haply doest privatly suspect . if thou meetst with any yet doubting , entreat him , that he give no credit to flatterers either corrupted or deceived , but to me deriving truth from its true source : but i would have all mortals beleeve , that with god the least dram of justice prevailes more then an ocean of greatnesse , nor is true fame esteem'd by the extent but by the goodnesse . that to embroyle many things , is not to do much ; 't is more , to compose troubles , and more then that , to prevent they may not happen : the vulgar give the names of vertues , to lucky villanies , but be thou of another mind , and think nothing more unhappy , then fortunat mischiefs : richelieu the egregious artist of fraud , deceiv'd many for a time , but himself haply for ever : alas , what he hath shatter'd , can never be put again in order , who thought that peace which was contrary to his nature , was not convenient for his fortunes , hence issued all those mischiefs which have afflicted the christian world so many yeers : pray , that god avenge not himself on the author , who wanted mercy in so many great crimes : o christian stranger do thou seriously consider , what a nothing 't is , what passeth away in a moment ; none of those whom thou beholdest purpled all over , are happy in that , no more then those that a stage assignes a scepter or stately robes unto , with the spectators they likewise go out , are unbuskin'd , and return to their old stature : seneca . behold what a few ashes he makes , who was so huge a fire , he is become now a black smoak , who lately like a coruscant lampe dazled all eyes : god grant he be not a firebrand to himself in the other world , who was such a one to poore europe , which hath hopes of peace , now , that the tinder is spent : i could with thee , o passenger , wish peace to so great an enemy of peace , even to his own , while he lived , if i feared not that thou would'st do him an ill office , to wish him that which he most detested : yet pray , because thou art commanded to love thine enemies , if peace go not to him , it will return to thee : so christ commands , in whom live peacefully , that thou may'st rest in him eternally : in the interim farewell . there is another which draws neerer to the nature of an epitaph of as pressing and ponderous a style as this , but not falling so heavily upon him . adsta viator , quò proper as ? quod nusquam videbis aut audies heic legitur , armandus iohannes de plessis cardinalis de richelieu , clarus origine , magnus ingenio , fortuna eminentissimus , quodque mirere , sacerdos in castris , theologus in aula , episcopus sine plebe , cardinalis sine titulo , rex sine nomine , ●lnus tamen omnia : naturam habuit in numerato , fortin●m in consilio , aerarium in peculio , securitatem in bello , victoriam sub signis , socios in praecinctu , cives in servitute , amicos in obsequio , inimicos in carcere , hoc tamen uno miser , quod omnes miseros fecit , tam saeculi sui tormentum , quàm ornamentum , galliam subegit , italtam terruit , germaniam quassavit , afflixit hispaniā , coronavit bragantiā , cepit lotharingiam , accepit catalontam , fovit suecram , truncavit flandriam , turbavit angliam , lusit europam . poeta purpuratus , cui scena mundus , gloria stiparium , regia gaza choragium fuit , tragicus maxime quam fabulam male solvit . post regnum testamento suis distribatum , paupertatem populo imperatam , dissipatos principes , nobilitatem suppliciis exhaustam , senatum authoritate spoliatum , exter as gentes bello & incendiis vastatos , pacem terrâ marique profligatam , cùm fatiscente corpore , animum gravioribus consiliis aegrè vegetaret et nullius non interesset ipsum aut vivere aut mori , iamque bona sui parte mortuus , aliorum tantum morte viveret , derepente spirare desiit et timeri . o fluxa mortalitatis ! quàm tenue momentum est inter omnia et nihil ? mortui corpus rheda extulit , sccuti equites , peditesque magno numero . faces praetulerunt ephebi , crucem nemo , quia currus publicam ferebat : denique hunc tumulum implet non totum , quem tota europa non implebat . inter theologos situs ingens disputandi argumentum , quo migravit sacramemtum est . haec te , lector , volui , heic te metire , et abi . stay passenger , where hastne'st thou ? here may'st thou read what thou shalt see , nor hear any where els : armand iohn du plessis cardinal of richelieu , noble by descent , great in wit , most eminent in fortune , and , what thou may'st admire , a priest in the field , a divine at court , a bishop without cure , a cardinal without title , a king without name , yet , one , who was all these : he had nature in all her numbers , fortune in his counsels , the royall treasure in possession , security in war , victory under his banner ; he kept his confoederats in compasse , his countrey men in servitude , his friends at a distance , his enemies in prison , in this only wretched , that he made all men so , being as well the torment , as the ornament of his times . he subdued france , he scar'd italy , he shook the empire , he afflicted spain , he crown'd bragantia , he took lorain , he accepted of catalonia , he fomented swethland , he maim'd flanders , he troubled england , he cousen'd all europe : a purpled poet , whose stage was the world , glory his curtain , the exchequer his tyring-house : his subject for the most part tragicall , to which he put an il catastrophe : having turn'd the kingdom to legacies , bequeath'd poverty to the people , dissipated the princes , exhausted the nobility with punishments , bereft the parlement of power , destroy'd other nations with fire and sword , driven away peace by sea , and land ; his body now fainting , his mind not recreable for restles thoughts , when it concern'd every one that he should live or die , being already mortified a good part , and living only in others death , he suddenly ceas'd to breath , and to be fear'd : o the frayl things of mortality ! what a small moment is there , 'twixt something and nothing ? the corps was caried in a chariot , horse and foot follow'd in great numbers , pages caried torches , none the crosse , for the chariot carried the public crosse : in fine he hardly fill'd up his grave , whom all europe could not fill : he lies among the sorbonists , of dispute a mighty argument ; and where he is gone , 't is a sacrament : reader , this is all , i would have with thee , hereby measure thy self , and be gone . thus was this great man the subject of every mans censure , a thing incident and inevitable to all favorits , and minions of princes , who like wooden popagayes fastned upon high poles , are marks for every one to shoot at ; they are expos'd to unsavory , as well as to sweet breaths , to rough blasts , as to gentle brizes : but our cardinal had taken such deep rooting in his masters heart , that for many yeers no crosse winds , though never so impetuous and violent , were able to shake him : add hereunto that he strongly fortified himself by alliances , and had in his hands the tenablest places of france , by sea and land ; so that he seem'd to be like a tree planted upon the mount olympus , transcending all meteorologicall impressions , and those frog-vapors , and malignant ayres which use to hover in the lower regions , and if there hung any , his masters countenance , like the orient sun , would presently dispell them . considering , as the world knows , a directing minister of state was requisit in france , certainly the king could not light upon a more idoneous instrument , for he was cut out for a states-man , his brain was alwayes at work , and his thoughts still grinding something ; his counsels were oracles , and his desseins mysteries , till put in execution , and then they turn'd to exploits most commonly : he was not only wise but politic ; now , wisdome and policy ( as it is taken in these times ) though they both agree in their ends , yet they differ in the means conducing to attain their ends ; the first goes the plain direct high road , the other useth now and then some odd by-paths : never any brought the principles of policy , which are generall and confus'd , to a greater certainty ; they are easily prescrib'd , but practis'd with more difficultie then those of any other art ; the navigator directed by his compasse is sure to come at such a height , and arrive to such a port : the mathematician can exemplifie , and really demonstrate the truth of any of his principles ; the architect by his model and instruments can exactly ( having materials accordingly ) raise such an edifice ; the musician scruing up his strings to such a height , is sure to hit upon such a tune ; the physitian knowing the vertue and operation of his drugs , is sure they will restringe or purge , open or obstruct ; it is not so with the polititian , who though he adapt and apply his principles never so dextrously , yet he cannot assure himselfe of the effects : which must be imputed to the world of contingencies , obstacles , and inexpected accidents which use to attend the negotiations of men , specially matters of state , and war : yet this great minister brought them to as much certitude as could be ; in so much , that before the breach with spain , he was us'd to say , that the almightie and irresistible hand of heaven was only able to ranverse his desseins , not any humane power ; and it prov'd true , for the austrian tree ( which was the ayme of all his policies ) was never so shaken : nor france never so secur'd ; so that take the theoric , and practic part of policy together , olivares & oxenstern his contemporaries , yea machiavil himself ( taking him in the best sense ) had he bin living , might have bin his apprentices . and it was the more easie for him to bring such things to passe , in regard that he had the power of disposing all things entire and so concentred in himself , that he met with no opposition , with no crosse counsels or contestation ; for the king had resign'd not only his power , but his judgement , and all the faculties of his soul unto him alone , nor would he listen to any advis'd him otherwise ; which was no small advantage to the cariage of things , for , though in the multitude of counsellors there be safety , yet , in the conduct of state affaires ( specially martiall ) wherein secrecy and speed are so essentially requisit , that they may be said to be the two poles whereon they move , i say , in the tracing and managery of such actions , where oft-times the ball must be ta'ne before the bound , too great a number ( of counsellors ) is an encomber , and makes the dessein subject to discovery , or delay , to be retarded or reveal'd , and so to miscarry , and misse of the end : yet this solenesse and singlenesse of counsell may be thus qualified ; quod fieri debeat , cum multis tracta ; quod facturus es , cum paucissimis . but whereas many cast in his dish , that being a cardinal , and a bishop cardinal too , he was unfit to be a captain generall , it may be answer'd that 't is no new thing in the roman church , no not in france it self , where divers examples may be produc'd : arnaud de pelegrue , clement the fifts kinsman , being cardinal , was general of an army in the yeer . andoin de la roche abbot of cluny and cardinal was the like . the cardinal of alby , otherwise call'd the cardinal of arras commanded in chief the army of lewis the xj . nor can spain reproach him of this for cardinal albornost , kimenes , and carvaial , all three , were generals for the kings of spain , and charles the fift employed cardinal pompeo colonna often in that nature . and t'other day cardinal ferdinando this king of spains brother , was his generalissimo in the netherlands , having fought norlinghen battell in his way . nay , not only cardinals , but we read of popes themselves that personally commanded their armies in chief , among others iohn the tenth , leo the ninth , paschall the second , urban the second , victor the third , lucius the second , innocent the second , and iulius the second . but of all cardinals i have read of , our present cardinal may be most properly compar'd in disposition to ximenes of spain , and wolsey of england ; to the first , for his inclination to war , for cardinal ximenes was us'd to say , that gunpowder gave as sweet an odor in the field , as incense at the altar . to the second , for his magnitude of mind : wolsey had for his motto — non haec sine numine divûm eveniunt . richelieu had — mens sydera volvit . but in magnificence wolsey surpass'd him , 't is true this late cardinal had a band of souldiers perpetually attending him , but nothing comparable to the other for domestic attendance ; when wolsey was mounting his mule at white-hall gate to go sit at the chancery , the first of his train all along would be by that time at westminster hall : he went to france with . horse ambassador , and was arbiter of most of the debates twixt the emperour and francis the first . richelicu gave his king , his cardinal-palace for a gift ; wolsey , hampton court all furnish'd worth foure of the to'ther , a gift as one said , too great for a subject to give , and a king to receive . richelieu repair'd the colledge of sorbon , erected a few schooles for reading the sciences in the vulgar language : built the cardinal-palace in paris , and the palace of richelieu in the countrey : wolsey built whitehall , hampton court , the huge colledge at ipswich , and christ-church in oxford , the greatest monuments of that kind in the world ; besides a tombe he had intended and three quarterd finish'd for henry the eight his master at winsor , which , had it been perfected europe , had not had the like , nor would his sonne or any of his two daughters be at the charge of finishing it . and as in magnitude of mind , so in a constancy and fastnesse to himself he sympathiz'd with english wolsey , ( who amongst other properties was specially observed for that ; ) for when his affections fixed upon any thing , he would employ the whole man to compasse it ; his mind was like a stone hurl'd into the water which never rest's till it comes to the bottome : so when he desir'd any thing he would leave no stone unstirr'd , ( as they say ) no wayes untry'd , but he would attain it : a gentleman of qualitie told me a passage of him , that a marchant of paris brought him a jewell of high price to shew and sell , he was so taken with it , that he offerd . crownes for it , the marchant demanded . more and would not go a peny lesse : a few dayes after the marchant carrying the jewell to a great lady to see , was suddenly in some place of advantage surpriz'd , muffled and so unjewell'd : a little after the marchant going to the cardinals secretary upon some other businesse , the cardinall hearing of his being there , sent for him , and making grievous mone for his jewell , the cardinal fetch'd out of his cabinet a box , and drew thence a jewell , and ask'd whether that was his ; the marchant in a kind of amazement answer'd , i dare not say 't is mine , because 't is in your eminencies hands , but were in it any other hand i would sweare it were mine : go , saith he , and keep a better conscience in your dealings hereafter , for i know what this jewell is worth as well as you , and out of that i have offerd you already , you may draw very faire gaines ; so he gave order his . crownes should be payd him , and the busines was hush'd up . we draw now to an end , and to bring our cardinal with a sweet odour to his grave , and take away something of the ill favour of those epitaphs that went before , we will adde this upon him in sorbon . monumentum eminentissimi cardinalis ducis richelii . staviator ; mortale quod habuit armandus iohannes plessaeus cardinalis dux richelius heic deposuit : sta , si gallus es , ad armandi cineres , cujus consiliis stetit gallia : sta , si confoederatus es , ad cardinalis monumentum , cujus cardine innixa stetit europa : sta , si hostis es , ad ducis richelii trophaeum , cujus ad nutum stetit oceanus . lege . primum illi beneficium nasci , proximum agnosci , majoribus ornatus , majorum ornamentum , episcopatum dignitate major omninò implevit : edoctum in coelo , ad coelum opera demonstrârunt , ad statûs secretariatum erectus est , qui statum recturus erat , regenti matri adstitit , regni pater futurus , volente rege , cogentibus meritis sic roma purpuram concessit , ut dubitare liceat , an plus eminentiae contulerit purpurae , quam ab ea retulerit ; eminentissimum fecerat prior virtus , quàm roma : ad fulgorem purpurae fremuit aquila , rugiit leo , rosa palluit : nec potuit purpuram fugere , qui , si martyrum insignia non tulisset , hostium sanguine tincta ferre potuit , qui tot abstulit : a regina matre recessit cum regina voluit esse , non mater : publicae quietis amator , non fortunae ; odio fuit , quia satis non potuit amari : nec in aula , nec in oceani fluctibus fluctuavit : immotus mansit , cujus ad obsequium commotae sunt rupes , et sub eo , conspiratione rebellium cedente , respiravit undique religio , quae sine eo passim expiratura videbatur . privatos hostes , cùm voluit , vicit , regios semper : sic sibi vacans , ut aliis non videretur intentus , sic aliis , ut non sibi : mirabilia fecit totius orbis miraculum , felix quod justo regi placuerit ; felicior , quòd ita regi regnóque servierit , ut utrumque servaret : tandem , profligato germano , caeso hispano , pacato regno , séque ipso , omnibus majore , victo , spretis umbratilibus terrae triumphis immarcescibilem a deo coronam recepturus excessit , incertum relinquens , an vixerit et rexerit feliciùs , an obierit sanctiùs : ab invidia planctum extorsit , et , quo praesentem exercuerat , absentem luxit ; nec poterat ultra progredi , summum attigerat . exuvias mortis sorbonae dedit , quo vivo sorbona fuerat animata . in sorbona quam dilexit , tumulum elegit , et in sinu ejus jacere voluit , quam jacentem invenit et erexit , etiam sorbonae genium , si jacuisset , solus erecturus : debilitatis undique hostibus , soli morti cessit mortis victor , suique superstes , dum in omnium ore , animoque vivit : ora et vale. obiit iv . decem. . aetat . . & . mens : the monument of the most eminent cardinal duke of richelieu . stay passenger , armand iohn du plessis cardinal duke of richelieu hath deposited here , whatsoever he had of mortalitie : stay , if thou art french , at his ashes , by whose counsels france stood ; stay , if thou art a confederat , at the cardinals tombe , on whom as upon a hinge all europe mov'd : stay , if thou art an enemy , at the trophey of the duke of richelieu , at whose beck the ocean stood : read on , his first good was to have a being , his next to have a well-being ; as he was adorn'd with ancestors , so he was an ornament unto them ; for his knowledge and actions , the one came from heaven , the other tended towards heaven : he was promoted to be secretary of state , who was afterwards to rule the state ; he was assistant to the queen mother , who was to be the kingdoms father : the king being willing , and his worth enforcing , rome so granted him the purple , that it might be doubted , whether he gave or received more eminence unto it : his vertue made him most eminent , before rome ; at the brightnesse of his purple the eagle quak'd , the lion roar'd , the rose grew pale ; nor could he avoyd the purple , which had he not worn as ensignes of martyrs , yet , he might carry them died in the bloud of enemies : he withdrew himself from the queen mother , when she would be more queen then mother ; a lover of public peace , not of fortune . hated he was , because he could not be lov'd enough : he fluctuated neither at court , nor in the ocean floods : he stood immoveable , at whose nod the rocks stirr'd , and under him the conspiration of rebels being quash'd , religion began to respire every where , which without him was ready to expire : he overcame his own foes when he listed , the kings alwaies : he was so vacant to himself , as if he intended nothing else ; so intent to others , as he seem'd to neglect himself : being the wonder of his age he did miracles ; happy he was that he pleas'd a just king , and happier , that he so serv'd the king and kingdom that he preserv'd both : at last , the german routed , the spaniard slain , the kingdom quieted , and having orecome himself the greatest of all , contemning the shadowy triumphs of the earth , being to receive an immarcescible crown of god , he expir'd ; leaving it incertain whether he liv'd and rul'd more happily , or died more piously : he wrung teares from envie herself , who poursuing him living , condol'd him dead ; he could go no further , he had attain'd the highest : the spoiles of death he gave to sorbon , who living animated sorbon : in sorbon whom he lov'd , he desir'd to lye , and to rest in her bosom whom finding tottering , he took up , nay he only could have reviv'd the genius of sorbon , had it been like to faint : the foe enfeebled every where , he only yeelded to death , being deaths conqueror , and survivour of himself , while he lives in the mouths , and minds of all men . pray , and farewell . he died th . of december . the . yeer , and th . moneth of his age. this epitaph gives a full compensation for the tartnes of the two former , which were inserted expresly thereby to enfranchise the judgement of the reader , to discover the impartiality of the story , and make truth more perspicuous , for it is a good rule in logic , that contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt , the confrontation of contraries makes things appear more clearly ; i know there is a saying in french , that vent coulis , a cranny wind is more hurtfull then an open ; such are reproaches 'twixt prayses ; but let not the authour of this story be mistaken that he intended to derogat ( but only for the ends above mentioned ) from the merit of so brave a man whom his very enemies admir'd for his fagacity , and cloquence , for his admirable forecast and penetrating judgement , for the vivacity of his spirit , and quicknes of apprehension , for his affiduity and indefatigable vigilance , for his excellent addresse , and sinewy expressions , and dextrous way of dispatch , for his rare policy and prudentiall parts , and lastly for the stupendous succes of his counsels ; these atributes , as it is no flattery to give him , so it were injury to deny him ; by these he made france formidable to the world , he made his master arbiter of his own interests , an avenger of all affronts , and supporter of his confederats ; by these he got him three keyes of invaluable advantage , brisack , pignerol , and perpignan , the first to enter germany , the second italy , the third spain at pleasure ; by these he made him the most absolute and independent monark that ever raign'd in that kingdom , and freed him from all fears to receive the law from his subjects ever hereafter . but by ascribing so much to the minister , let us not derogat from the master , who was as active in his way , and concurr'd to achieve all these things ; we have an axiom in philosophy , that sol et homo generant hominem ; the sun and man beget man ; the one by his universall influx , being the fountain of heat , the other by naturall organs ; so we may say the king and cardinal produc'd all these actions , the one by the influence of his high power and regall authoritie , the other by his instrumentall activity . the cardinal de richelieu's armes were three chevrons in a field argent , plain and simple coat , therefore the more ancient ; which armes , with his purple hat ( which supported that great crown , and made the lillies flourish and swell so many yeers ) we will lay upon his tomb , with this distic for a finall farewell . aurea purpureo turgebant sceptra galero , crescebant triplici lilia fulta trabe . and now 't is high time for us to put a period to the whole work , both to the history of this mighty monark , as also to that of his great minister ; and though their memory be not like the rose , and other fading flowers , which smell sweeter after they are pluck'd ; yet the report of them shall ring in france , as long as the rayes of the sun shall reverberat upon that faire continent , and albeit ghirlands of olive be improper for them , yet they deserve to have laurels upon their heads , and palmes of victory in their hands to all posterity . crescet occulto velut arbor aevo nomen armandi ; ludovicus , ingens stella , fulgebit velut inter ignes luna minores . finis . an alphabeticall table of such matters that are the principall ingredients of this story . a anne of austria affianc'd to lewis the thirteenth of france . her dowry . her joynture . her letter to the king of france . made regent of france . anagrams on henry the great . analogy 'twixt the dauphin of france and the duke of cornwall . advantage of a little well compacted body over a great . m. of ancre's entrance into favour . he is slain by vitry. sentenc'd after death . his body untomb'd , dragg'd up and down , hang'd , hack'd to peeces and burnt . a censure of him . antipathy 'twixt the spaniard and french. five french ambassadors in italy in one yeer . assembly of the three estates meet at the kings majority . assembly of notables first convok'd . all the alliances that have pass'd 'twixt england and france . the d. of angoulesme before rochell , and his stratagem to deceive the english. marq : ambrosio spinola's exploits in italy ; a clash 'twixt him and olivares . governor of milan , and besiegeth casal . his epitaph . archduchesse isabella dieth at brussels . articles upon the mariage 'twixt england and france . articles 'twixt the swed and the french. articles t'wixt the french and the hollander upon the breach with spain . clandestine articles twixt the duke of rohan and the spaniard . articles 'twixt the french king and charles duke of lorain . articles 'twixt the king of france and monsieur his brother . articles 'twixt the french and catalans . the authours caution to the reader . armes how ill they become church-men . in the proem . b bassompierre ambassador in england . battaile of norlinghen . bernard weymar takes rhinfeild . brisac . his epitaph . becanus book de potestate regis et papae condemn'd at rome . birth and baptisme of lewis the thirteenth . birth of the now duke of anjou . blasphemous praises of the cardinal of richelieu . in the proem . duke of bovillon invites the pr : of condé to arme by a notable speech . m. de bois dauphin general for the king. breda repris'd by the hollander . breme taken by the spaniard . duke of buckingham sent to france to demand , and conduct her ( now ) majesty to england . the duke of buckinghams manifesto after he had invaded france . the causes of the breach . the manner of his landing . his letter to toiras , and the answer he receivd . his infortunat retreat , prisoners taken and releas'd for her majesties sake . the duke of buckinghams omissions in the isle of ré , the causer of them . c cardinals made generalls . catalonia falls from the spaniard , and the causes why . pr : casimir taken prisoner in france . character of henry the great . the chamber of accounts refuse to verifie the kings letter . cadenet ambassadour in england . the chymericall ambassadors . christina the second daughter of henry the great maried to the prince of piemont ; her portion . the d. of cheureux marieth the lady henrietta maria to the king of england . clergy men most dangerous if misapplied . a clash 'twixt the duke and the parlement of paris . a clash 'twixt the counsel of state and the parlement , with the parlements submission . condé and his adhaerents proclaym'd traytors . his clandestine consults in paris ; apprehended in the louure . prince of condé distasts the match with spain . puts himself in arms to hinder the queens entrance . a great contention 'twixt the church men in paris . contentions in the generall assembly of the three estates . the close and funerall of it . cotton the iesuit vindicats his society . count of auvergne eleven yeers prisoner in the bastile . count of chalais beheaded . d. of crequies splendid ambassage to rome . kil'd before breme . his epitaph . d dauphin whence deriv'd . the dauphin ( now king ) born . decree of the colledge of sorbon against francis cupif . a declaration sent to rochell wherein the english are branded . difference 'twixt the germans and french at brisac . difference 'twixt conde and soissons about the napkin . difference 'twixt forren princes and the kings base sons . disadvantagious to live 'twixt two potent neighbours exemplified in the dukes of savoy and lorain , . dismission of the french from the queen of englands service the reasons why . divers odd desseins fear'd in france . distinction 'twixt liberty and priviledge . dionysius his flatterers . in the proem . a discourse upon judiciary astrology . prince doria taken prisoner by the french. duke of mains stately ambassy to spain about an alliance . duke of pastrana in france . e how edward the confessor us'd an astrologer . ecclesiasticus , a scandalous book writ by schioppius . divers errours of the french chroniclers reflecting upon england . duke of espernon questions the rochellers . he clasheth with the court of parlement . a pleasant passage 'twixt him and the archbishop of bourdeaux . he traceth the queen mothers escape out of blois . he is outed of his government and dieth a little after . emanuel duke of savoy his exploits in italy . he highly complains of the king of france , whence arise some traverses 'twixt him and monsieur bullion the french ambassador . his death prophecied . epitaph upon marshall crequy . epitaph upon marq. spinola . epitaph upon saxen weymar . epitaphs upon cardinal de richelieu . an ethiopian prince ( zaga christos ) arriv'd in paris . edicts against duels & blasphemy . f master fairfax put to the torture before montauban . the falshood of some french annalists in divers things and their stupidity in relating names . the duke of fereaincens'd against the duke of savoy . a fearfull unknown fire in the palace of paris . another when the two bridges were burnt . ferrier a reformed minister turnd roman catholic . five french armies in motion in one sommer . florimond de puy a reformed gentleman beheaded for treason . fontarabia besieg'd by the french. don fernando the king of spains youngest brother dieth at brussells . a strange libell touching him and his brother don carlos . . the french soon weary of peace . french beaten before theonville . g master george digby cutts scioppius on the face for defaming king james . don gonsalez de cordova refuseth the king of france his present . gasper galilei galileo racants his opinion in rome for holding the sun to rest , and the earth to move . his punishment . ibid. galigay the marchiones of ancre's death and roman stoutnesse . grievances discover'd , and not redres'd do the body politic harm . d. of guyse marieth the daughter of france for the king of spain . h lord hayes ( after earl of carlile ) ambassador in paris . the duke of halluin beats serbellon and the spaniards before leucato . the pr : of harcour relieves casal , appears before turin & takes it . the hard fortune of kings daughters . henry the great slain . his treasure , his army , his burial . henry the third buried . yeers after his death . m. hicks ( now sir ellis hicks ) the good service he did at montauban . hesdin taken by the french. twenty holland men of war come according to article to serve the french king. the lady henrietta maria married to the king of great britain . humbert duke of viennois upon what termes he bequeath'd dauphiné to philip of valois . i king jame's letter to the french king. his passionate speech to his counsell , his complement to her majesty now queen . the jacobins hold that in no case the counsel is above the pope , the question solemnly debated in paris . inventions to torment ravaillac . the iesuits have the heart of henry the great . jesuits not permitted to open their colledge in paris . the imperialists and spaniards overrun picardy and burgundy . insurrection in diion suppress'd . insurrection in normandy . john duke of bragansa made king of portugal . his letter to the k. of spain . saint john de luz taken by the spaniard . the isles of saint margarita , and saint honorat taken by the spaniard . repris'd by the french. italian predictions of henry the greats death . k kings presence oft-times advantagious . kings of france majors when as high as a sword . new knights of the holy spirit . l landrecy taken by the duke de la valette . letter of the king of spain to the duke of bragansa . letter of king james to the french king. letter from richelieu to the q. mother . letters interchangeable 'twixt buckingham and toiras . letter from condé to the queen mother . letter from the queen mother to condé . letter from the queen at her first arrivall in france to the king. letters from the king to monsieur . letters from the king to the duke of halluin . letters from the king to condé . letters to toiras against the english . the duke of lerma marrieth the infanta for the king of france . lewis the thirteenth his inclination and sports when young . his minority . his solemn coronation . his majority declar'd by parlement . his gracious declaration to the princes . his speech to his mother after d' ancres death . he beds with the queen . a clash 'twixt him and the parlement at paris . his exploits in bearn . his protest to the assembly of notables . his answer to the rochelers when they yeelded . he crosseth the alps in winter . hath a shrewd fit of sicknes . his harsh answer to them of the religion . his harsh declaration against his mother . his declaration against spain . his speech to the palsgrave . his speech to the d. of lorain . reduc'd to a great straight . he protects the catalan ▪ his death with the circumstances thereof . examples of his piety . divers speeches of his . his chastity and constancy . his exploits run over . did greater things then henry the great . divers things objected against him . duke of longuevill in arms . l'esdiguiers made constable . luynes put first to the king. incenses the k. against d'ancre . hath ancres estate given him , and made constable . a clash twixt him and sir ed. herbert then lo : ambassadour , now baron of cherbery . a dialogue between them . how worthily the english ambassador compos'd himself . luynes dieth of the plague in the army . his legend . duke of lorain meets the king at metz. duke of lorain waves the performance of homage for the duchy of bar. his complement to the king. he comes to paris . monsieur de lien cour governor of paris . m marie de medici declar'd queen regent by parlement . her speech upon the resignation of the government . her discours with marossan about her escape . the first war with her son . the second war with her son . the beginning of her aversenes to the cardinal . the causes of it . her complaint against him . she returns to flanders in discontent . thence to holland , and so to england , then to colen where she died . her high qualities . mariana's opinion touching kings , protested against in paris . q. margaret de valois dieth , her character . moderation the true rule of wisdom . mazarini makes a peace in italy . monsieur maried to the duke of monpensiers daughter . his complement to her . he falls in love with the duke of montava's daughter , and being cross'd flies to lorain . flies again to lorain . he entreth france with an army of strangers . his high propositions to his brother . flies the third time to lorain . marieth the lady margaret the duke of lorains sister , goes then to flanders , whence at the infante cardinals approach he steales away to france . duke of monmorency joyn's with monsieur , is defeated by schomberg . is beheaded at tholouze . morocco ambassador in paris , his credential letter . montauban the last town of them of the religion which submitted . monpellier capitulats by the duke of rohans advice . morgard the astrologer made gallislave . n nancy given up to the french. the nature of the spaniard in adversity . the nonage of lewis the thirteenth . the nonage of lewis the fourteenth now king. o the oath the queen of englands french servants were to take . open hostility 'twixt france and spain pronounc'd by herauld . saint omer besieged by the french who were forc'd to retire . octavio lassani an astrologer , his prediction of the duke of savoy's death . obelisks , and triumphant arches in rome in joy of the dauphins nativity . oxenstern ambassador in france . the outrages the french committed at tillemont . p paris in great fear . parlement of england superiour to the assembly of the three estates of france in numbers and state . perrons prudent cariage in the great assembly . pensions of the crown of france . pasquills upon the gates of the louur . pasquill upon the cardinals gates . pasquill in rome of the king and the cardinal . the old parlement of france turn'd now to an assembly of notables . peace renew'd by the intervention of the venetian , and proclaim'd at privas 'twixt england and france . pignerol taken by the cardinal . pignerol sold to the french king. the parlement of paris suspends the verification of the kings declaration against monsieur , and is sharply rebuk'd . the palsgrave prisoner in france , releas'd and the kings speech unto him . philipsburg taken by the spaniard . power of vertue . in the proem . the pope refuseth to excommunicat the new king of portugall . perpignan taken by the french. pope julius the second 's answer to justifie churchmens taking up armes . in the proem . profane hyperbole's written of the cardinal . in the proem . prophetic complement 'twixt barberino the pope's nuncio , and the quene mother . presents given to the d. of mayn in spain being ambassador . predictions of henry the great 's death . predictions of the duke of savoyes death . princes daughters subject to a hard fate oft-times . the presence of kings advantagious popes generalls . propositions in the generall assembly . q queen mother of france dieth at colen . a new queen regent of france . queen of england receives english prisoners as presents from france . r ravaillaks odd humors . examined . his confession , death , and admired patience . reasons why france broak with spain . in the proem . reason of the queen mothers discontentment . ibid. reason of slownes of speech in lewes the thirteenth . of the reformists of france . richer the syndic of sorbon opposeth the popes power . the reformists get advantagious conditions at the treaty of lodun . a repartie 'twixt the spanish and french ambassadors at rome upon the dauphins birth . the reformists outrag'd , and some kill'd coming from charenton . the reformists generally rise up . the reformists generally submit . the rochelers high comportmēt . rochell pitifully complains to the king. rochell besieged by the king in person . rochell submits , her extremities . the duke of rohan hath privat intelligence with spain ; his agent taken and executed . he himself executed in effigie in tholouze . he was pensioner to the king of spain , and treats with him upon articles . his notable speeche to them of the religion for peace . he is wounded before rhinfeld whereof he dies , and is buried at geneva . certain rodomontados of the spaniards . stupendous rain in languedoc . s santarellus book burnt in paris for hoising the pope above the king. count of soissons kill'd neer sedan . difference 'twixt him and the cardinal . ibid. m. soubize summond at saint john d'angely , taken prisoner , and releas'd . puts himself in armes again , and flies from royan . he takes blaret , ré and oleron , and hath . sayles of ships . is beaten at medoc . flies to england and incites that king to war against france . soubize pensioner to the king of spain . the spaniards bold speech to the pope about the valtoline . the duke of suillie's blunt answer to hen. the fourth about religion . stuard and hurtevant executed . t title of the prince of wales more ancient then dauphin . the treaty of saint menehou . treaty of querasque . treaty of lodun dishonorable to the king. treaty of monson . trade interdicted 'twixt england and france . tillemont and diest taken by the french and hollanders . a trophey erected upon the alps in honour of king lewis . pr : tomaso defeated at avein by chastillon . prince tomaso relieves saint omer . m. de thermes with divers persons of quality kill'd before clayrac . trent counsel refus'd to be publish'd in france , and the reasons why . v the d. of vendom apprehended in the louure got away by a wile . his letters refus'd to be answer'd by the queen regent . he refuseth to deliver up blavet . leavies men for the king , and then turns them against him . d. de la valette's brave speech before fontarabia , he flies to england , & is executed in effigie in paris . w wars of iuillers . war against the reformists . war in the valtolin . the last war against the reformists . wallesteins death much lamented by richelieu . a armand cardinal of richelieu his breeding . his genealogy . his degree of rising . he crosseth the alps in quality of generalissimo . divers attempts to kill him . his death . his testament . his titles . ibid. his character . ibid. censures upon him . epitaphs good and bad upon him . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 junii . . imprimatur . na . brent . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e fourth notes for div a -e anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . notes for div a -e anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . notes for div a -e anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . notes for div a -e anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . notes for div a -e anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . notes for div a -e anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . notes for div a -e anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . anno . notes for div a -e rochel . the second part of massaniello his body taken out of the town-ditch, and solemnly buried, with epitaphs upon him. a continuation of the tumult; the d. of guise made generalissimo; taken prisoner by young don john of austria. the end of the commotions. by j.h. esquire. revolutioni di napoli. part . english. giraffi, alessandro. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the second part of massaniello his body taken out of the town-ditch, and solemnly buried, with epitaphs upon him. a continuation of the tumult; the d. of guise made generalissimo; taken prisoner by young don john of austria. the end of the commotions. by j.h. esquire. revolutioni di napoli. part . english. giraffi, alessandro. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , - , - , [ ] p. : ill. (port.) printed by j.m. for a. roper, and t. dring, and are to be sold by richard lownds at the white lion in s. paul's church-yard, london : . a translation of part of: giraffi, alessandro. le rivolutioni di napoli. translator's dedication signed: jam. howel. text continuous despite pagination. reproduction of the original in the magdalene college (university of cambridge) library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng masaniello, - -- early works to . naples (kingdom) -- history -- spanish rule, - -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion e●ie & u●ro ril● di masianiello , 〈…〉 . the second part of massaniello , his body taken out of the town-ditch , and solemnly buried , with epitaphs upon him . a continuation of the tumult ; the d. of guise made generalissimo ; taken prisoner by young don john of austria . the end of the commotions . by j. h. esquire . truth never look'd so like a lie as in this modern historie . london , printed by j. m. for a. roper , and t. dring , and are to be sold by richard lownds at the white lion in s. paul's church-yard . . to the right worshipful the governour , the deputy , and the rest of the worthy company of levant-merchants . gentlemen , there are none so capable to judge of the truth of this napolitan story as your selves , who have so frequent intelligence from that countrey where it was acted ; therefore , i presume , no man will question my judgment for making this dedication . moreover , i had some particular engagements that induc'd me thereunto , in regard of those helps which i received from some worthy members of that society , who favour'd me with the sight of divers of their letters from time to time , and furnish'd me with other advantages towards the compiling of this piece . the part you formerly had attended the fisherman to his greatness , and this accompanies him to his grave . that blind instable thing which we call fortune never shew'd her self more like her self then she did in the handling of this man , whom in a very few days she rais'd to such a prodigious altitude that the great turk was not more terrible in constantinople , then he was in naples . but afterwards , like a statue of some course stone , set up upon a high marble pedestal or frame , she suffered him to fall down and dash himself to pieces . this second part is nothing inferiour to the first in strangeness ; and he who with a serious well-weigh'd judgment will meditate on the passages thereof , will confess that realities never appeared more like romances then in this story : for it will tell you of above a hundred several fights and skirmishes that happen'd in naples within the compass of about two months time ; how every street was made frontier one to another , and disputed by inches ; how above fourscore thousand cannon-bullets were shot from the three castles , and twenty thousand from the town ; a great number of stately palaces , with invaluable rich furniture , all turn'd to ashes by the fury of the fire , and of the people , who may be said to be the more furious of the two . and indeed it cannot be denied but the people had some reason to be incens'd , in regard of those multitude of gabels that were impos'd upon every thing ; which gabels had flown so high , that they had got up to the tops of the very trees , among all sorts of fruit ; insomuch that one may well say , the napolitan coursier was almost rid quite off of his legs , and his back so gall'd that upon the least rubbing he could not choose but winch , kick and flounce , which he did to some purpose , so that he had almost quite orethrown his rider . now , if the spaniard had lost naples , you know better then i , what an infinite detriment it had been unto him , it being one of the fairest flowers in his garden , one of the best patches upon his pilgrims coat , as the frenchman compares the squandred dominions of spain . for it is to be seen upon good account , how that this king and his father have had above a hundred millions of crowns in meer donatives from that kingdom , besides the stable rents and perquisites of the crown , which comes to near upon three millions per annum . insomuch that it had been more advantagious for spain that massaniello had not been kill'd so soon ; for had he lived a few days longer he had taken a course to raise five millions for the king in compensation of the gabels . so , desiring again your gentle acceptance of this now - compleated story , as a further evidence of my respects unto you , i rest , sirs , your humble and ready servitor , jam . howel . the proeme . it is well known to the world what a high pitch of power , and vast latitude of dominion , the kingdom of spain hath arriv'd unto in the compass of a few years : the first step into this greatness was the conjunction of castile and arragon by marriage . the second was the discovery of the west-indies , which happen'd a little after . the third was an alliance 'twixt the houses of austria and burgundy , whereby all belgium , viz. the seventeen provinces of the low-countreys , or the netherlands , came to be united in a joynt subjection to the empeperour charles the fifth , who attempted to heighten those provinces to the title of a kingdom : but he , and his son philip the second , after him , fail'd in the design . the fourth step was the conquest of portugal ( though an hereditary title was pretended ) whereby spain came to be mistress of the east-indies , and part of the antipodes , with sundry islands in the atlantick sea , and divers strong maritim holds in barbary . now , since the time that spain came to this height by such a marvellous celerity ( for all these accessions happen'd in less then fifty years , partly by alliances , partly by succession and inheritance , partly by donation , and partly by right of discovery and conquest ) i say , since these huge accumulations of titles and territories , both in the old and new world . . the first countrey that rose up and revolted from the king of spain was holland with her five considerate provinces , which happen'd a little after the beginning of queen elizabeths reign . . the second was catalonia , some twelve years since . . the third was the kingdom of portugal , which entirely fell off from him a little after , and setled it self under another king in a very few dayes , in such a quietness as if it had been twenty years a doing . . the last that banded against him were the kingdoms of sicily and naples , which happen'd about four years since ; but the fire of the first was quickly extinguisht ; yet the flames thereof flew ore the phare of messina into calabria , and so to naples , where they grew to such a violence , that an utter revolt was intended . touching the falling away of holland , which kept such a stirre in the world , the causes thereof may be comprehended in two words , viz. inquisition and imposition , the latter whereof conduc'd to wring the purse , the other the conscience . catalonia flew off in regard of the free quarter which the castilian souldiers took , with other insolencies they committed in their march to imbark for italy . the portuguais unyok'd himself , not so much for the extraordinary taxes , but that the king of spain , having so many irons in the fire , could not , or at least neglected to protect him against the hollander in brasile , and elsewhere in the indies . now the causes of the risings of naples have much analogy with all the former , for they proceeded from the multiplicity of gabels that were laid upon every thing both for back and belly : add hereunto the forced services that were so frequently impos'd upon the subjects to go to hazard their lives in other countreys ; and lastly , the rapine of the viceroyes ( with the gabelliers or customers ) it being a kind of proverb in italy touching the governour of milain , the viceroy of sicily , and he of naples , that the one eats , the other gnaws , and the third devours . these commotions came at last to such a violence that the whole kingdom was upon the point of an utter defection , having introduc'd the french for protector , and trac'd the form of a common-wealth : but the soft napolitan was not , it seems , so constant to his ends as the hollander or catalon , and other tougher nations . the ensuing history will satisfie the reader with much exactness and fidelitie the whole circumstance of the business , extracted out of authentick manuscripts , which collection and collation of letters from divers persons of honour . j. h. a history of the late revolutions in the kingdom of naples , and how suppressed and ended . before we fall upon the second and third revolutions that happened in the city and kingdom of naples , it is not amiss , for the more regular proceeding in the series of the story , to make a succinct recapitulation of what succeeded in the first tumult , wherein some signal passages shall be imparted , which were omitted in the former narration , for want of better intelligence . the gabel of fruit , and the act confirmed , newly impos'd upon the most faithful people of naples , was insupportable ; to which purpose the viceroy made the lords of the customs to convene divers times hereabouts ; and it was at last determined , that it should be utterly abolished ; and that the said lords should find some means where another imposition might be laid for satisfaction of those moneys which the royal court had rais'd upon the credit of the foresaid gabel . the people were also mightily discontented for other taxes which were laid upon every edible thing ; for there was scarce any commodity scap'd , but the imposition did countervail well near the value of the thing ; whereunto the most faithful people did conform a long time , as holding it necessary for the support of the catholick monarchy , by stooping their heads to the pleasure of him who reigned over them , and preserv'd them in peace . the foresaid lords often met to take off the new gabel ; but for want of money , and for the calamities of the times , they knew not where to turn themselves : besides , the people grew to be wonderful impatient ; whereupon one day as they were exacting the said gabel in the market-place , a shrewd clash happened 'twixt the farmers of the said gabel and the fruiterers , to whom the costermongers did closely stick ; and the business being aggravated by multiplication of words , all respect was lost unto the said farmers ; insomuch that the toll-house was burnt to the ground , with all the writings therein , by the fury of boys , and others of the poorest sort of people ; among whom massaniello , a poor bare-footed retailer of fish , was chief . the lord andrea anaclerio , the elect of the people , interven'd to appease the tumult ; but finding the business too hot for him , he withdrew himself , and with much difficulty and danger scap'd away in a feluca . the rabble of the common people being further animated hereby , the boys went up and down with canes in their hands to all places where the said gabel was rais'd , and burnt the houses and goods of the gabelleers , as also of the farmers of all other kinde of tolls . a little after two companies well armed , but all masqued , pass'd by jesu-street , and another brigade of . foot , with above four thousand boyes . by the market of saint elino two companies more met , who broke through the court of guard which was before the castle court , hurling two of the souldiers into the di ches thereabouts . afterwards they ran towards the palace , where they furiously entred : the viceroy hereupon found himself in no small danger , therefore throwing handfuls of gold among them , and promising to take off gabels they were aggriev'd at , he stole away with much ado to saint francisco . many of the nobles endeavoured to pacifie the tumult , and , among others , the prince of bisignano carafa , and the prince of satriano labour'd very hard herein , but it was in vain , so that they incurr'd some danger of their lives . the rabble went afterwards to the prison of saint james , and forcing it violently they released all the prisoners , whereof there were some in for their lives ; and they burn'd to cynders all thewritings and leger books , as also all the goods of the gaoler . they did the like in all other prisons , excepting that of the vicaria , in regard of the reverence they bore to the holy church . this made the viceroy change his lodging and re●ire to castel novo with all his family . the lord vi●●tor general seeing these horrid tumults , open'd his ●risons also , and let loose all the prisoners , making ●ereby virtue of necessity , and so retired with all his ●amily to the viceroy . hereupon the bread rose to thirty two ounces upon a sudden , which gave a general discontentment . that night there was nothing but beating of drums , as if some enemy were in the field , or the turk upon the coasts ready to invade . the viceroy thought it expedient in policy to release from prison the duke of matalone , which was detained in castelnovo ; who mounting on horseback rode up and down naples well accompanied , asking the people with all mildness what they would have : they cried out , that they would have all the gabcls to be abolished that were imposed upon them since the time of charles the fifth , and that all the priviledges should be renewed , & punctually observ'd , which were granted to the most faithful people of naples by that emperour . the viceroy with all meekness said it should be done ; therefore he suddenly caus'd a pragmatica or proclamation to be printed and publish'd to that purpose , with the advice of the collateral councel . yet this would not satisfie , but they cried out that the duke of mataluni had couzen'd them ; therefore they took him for one hostage , and shut him up in the carmine of naples , whence he afterwards fled . after dinner the prior of rovella procur'd another proclamation to be stamp'd in parchment , all in letters of gold , and carrying it about the streets of naple on horseback said , that his excellency the viceroy had done them the grace , in his catholick majesties name , to take off all the gabels : hereupon an infinite number of boyes danc'd and leap'd up and down about the priors horse , crying out , let the king of spain live , who hath abolish'd all gabels ; and so went to the market place : but this neither would give full satisfaction ; but they went more violently to work , running to the house of hieronym● letitia , where they hurl'd out all his goods at the windows , and burnt them in the midst of the street , taking special care that nothing should be pilfer'd away , but that an entire sacrifice should be made thereof to vulcan . then they ran to felix basil's house , and us'd him with the same punctuality : thence they steer'd their course to antonio d' angelis , and did the like ; thence they went to andrea anaclerio's palace , who was the peoples elect ; and though 't was late , yet they us'd his house as they did the rest . the next day the viceroy commanded to be proclaim'd by sound of trumpet , that all gabels should be abolish'd that were impos'd ever since the time of charles the fifth , which trumpeters went up and down the places , as well within the city as towards the sea side where the gabel houses stood : yet for all this they ran to the house whete the magazine of powder was , and took away what proportions they pleas'd : nor would this serve the turn , but they set fire to what remain'd , with the death of forty men ; which made such a hideous noise , as if not only one city , but the whole world did tremble : hereupon every one did put himself in arms , and the women were as busie as any . in the sellaria they planted five pieces of ordnance , six hundred foot pass'd by magdanela bridge , to be imbarked in some gallies for the kings service ; but the rabble fell upon them , and took away their arms for another use . the nobility fail'd not ever and anon to court the viceroy in behalf of the people , who now began to prohibit things to pass to his palace . one would think now that he had been in cocagna or lubberland , for every thing entred into naples without paying the least toll ; nor could a sergeant be scarce seen in the streets , nor any officer that had any thing to do with the farmers of the gabel . the next morning the rabble went to the lord antonio mirabello's house , whom they took in bed , and he hardly scap'd away in his shirt ; they presently burnt all his movables , which made a rich bonefire ; thence they went to duke caviano's house , and used him alike , with many other sair palaces , : then they came to caesar librano's house , where scarce a pin scap'd the fury of the fire : in the same manner they came to the duke of ostuin's house , and to dr. tavaglo's , where they did the like . they sent to andrea mazzola for fifteen hundred muskets , but denying he had any , they put fire to his house , and took out the said muskets : every house-keeper in naples was commanded to put himself in arms immediately , under pain of having his house burnt . there were some sixty spaniards in garrison about the tower of st. laurence , but the rabble ran thither with two cannons , where they disarmed and thrust out the spaniards , and possess'd themselves of all the ancient records that were in those archives , so they plac'd presidial forces of their own there . then they put fire to biasio de balsamo's house , whence they pass'd to bartholomeo d' auqino of chaia , and treated him as they did all the rest ; but they spared the house he had in pizzifalione , which they turn'd to a fortress : jeronymo nacarella had his share in this tragedy , who had a sumptuous new palace made level with the ground : then they flew to baron valentiano's house , who was farmer of the corn ; from him they passed to pietro florio , who was cash-keeper to the royal dogana or custom-house ; and because it was fitting that at such a holy day a minister of the chamber should have some share , they went to president cenano , to whom they did the like curtesie as they had done to others . it was admirable what a regular method they observed in their fiery executions ; for they used first to take all the goods out into the market place to be burnt , crying out it was the blood of the people of naples , and 't was death to embeazle the least thing ; insomuch that one who had stoln but a peep of sausage was like to be hang'd by massanicllo ; nor did they spare either gold , silver or jewels , but all was thrown into the flames , as also coaches and horses were burnt alive , most rich tapistries and pictures ; but they saved all books and pieces of piety , which they sent to several churches ; and in fclix basils house they burnt a huge proportion of bisket , which was ready to be sent to the gallies for the kings service . the viceroy ordered that some companies of high-dutch who were in garrison at pozzuolo should come to naples , the rabble having notice hereof ran out of gratta , and meeting them they disarm'd them all , and brought them prisoners to the market-place . when they entred into saint lorenzo , they found there the picture of charles the fifth , which they carried round about naples with twenty thousand souls , who accompanied it , crying all along , viva il ré di spagna , may the king of spain live . after this they went to cornelio spinola's house , where it was expected they would have used the same complement as they did to others ; but he told them that he never had any thing to do with the gabels , but he was there for the service of genoa only , thereupon they chose him for grassiero , or superintendent of the flesh-market , and lest in his house the picture of charles the fifth . one may easily conjecture in what pickle the poor genoway stood all the white . they placed up and down the city five and twenty great cannons in the most necessary advenues ; and the busiest man who was employed herein was joseph perrone a notorious bandito , whom they appointed to be captain of the guard in the great market-place , who dispensed his commands with that reservedness and punctuality that 't was wonderful , but some under-dealings of his being detected , he and his brother were hackt to pieces by the fury of the people , and their bodies for publick satisfaction and example , were dragg'd up and down the streets , and hurl'd afterwards into the common ditch . the duke of mataluni , for the safeguard of his house assembled his outlaws , and other desperate persons , but the people haivng notice thereof kill'd five of them , and took one , alive , the rest sav'd themselves by flight : thereupon the great bell of lorenzo rung out to give notice that every one should be ready in arms , which had not been done a hundred years before . massaniello now grew higher in command , yet he would not alter his habit , but went still barefoot , and in mariners habit ; so that the common cry was , viva dio , ré de spagna , & massaniello , let god live , live the king of spain , and massaniello , and there was such an opinion conceiv'd of him , that they thought him to be divinely inspir'd , so that every nod of his went for an absolute command : this opinion was confirm'd by a strange passage , which was , that certain banditos and outlaws intending to murder the said massaniello , they discharg'd divers muskets at him , but they did no execution , which was held a notable miracle , eight of the said banditoes were slain , the rest sav'd themselves in the church of carmine ; the whole city was cut out into trenches , and all coaches were prohibited : the foremention'd joseph caratta , brother to the duke of mataluni , who had retir'd into saint maries church , and thence into the monastery , the people beleaguered the monastery ; whereupon he thinking to flee under a disguised habit , was betrayed , and his head chopp'd off , with three servants more , as enemies to the people ; his brother the duke , hereupon took a fair pair of heels , and fled towards rome , as 't was thought . massaniello began now to send out his commands very magisterially , and the penalty of his commands were , sotto pena della vita , & incendio , under pain of life and firing : he commanded that every window should have lights in them , which was punctually perform'd , which seem'd to embellish the city , and make the streets as lightsome by night as by day . another peremptory command of his came out , that all should go en cuerpo without clokes , which extended to priests and bishops , who went up and down only in cassocks , ladies and gentlewomen were forbidden likewise to go abroad with wide-hoop'd gowns or kirtles , and the reason was , that they might carry no arms underneath . a report did fly , that the duke of mataluni had poison'd the waters of formali , which serv'd the city , this made the rest of the nobles to be so ill look'd upon , that happy was he who could fly away first from the city . the women up and down did wonderfully encourage their husbands , and all traffique except market-solks was quite down . there came in the heat of this hurly-burly eight napolitan gallies , which were missing a long time ; the viceroy commanded they should not enter into the port , but that they should stay 'twixt st vincents tower and the key . thereupon by intervention of cardinal filomarino , who was archbishop of naples , and accounted the common father of the city , an interview or parley was appointed t'wixt the viceroy and massaniello , who with much ado was perswaded to shake off his mariners slop , and put on a rich sute of cloth of silver , to denote by that white colour the innocence of the people . being attended to the royal castle by an infinity of the people , and he himself mounted upon a choice courser with naked sword in hand ; the viceroy treated him with terms of extraordinary respect , being both for the satisfaction of the people , in an open balcone . at that time there were many obstreperous noises among the people below , and a great confusion ; but massaniello lifting up onely his hand , all was hush'd . the capitulations for peace t'wixt the viceroy and massaniello being read aloud , and confirm'd by the viceroy , and the collateral councel , massaniello said , that by the wise deportment of his excellency his catholick majesty had gain'd the kingdom of naples more firmly then ever ; for that mass of people he saw , with millions more were bound to thank his majesty , and his excellency , who will be ready to expose their lives to defend his government here against the french or any other enemy . oulio genovino was the chiefest counsellour of massaniello , who in the duke of ossi●a's time was created the peoples elect in another great tumult ; for which he had been sent prisoner to spain , and thence banish'd to oran in barbary , whence he return'd , and turn'd priest ; a man most zealous for the common good and interest of the people , doctor of the civil laws , and a shrew'd politick person ; this man and massaniello , clung together as nail and flesh , for the time . massaniello sent a regalo of sweet meats to the viceroy , and to his lady ; who return'd a present of jewels to massaniello's wife , who afterwards did visit her attir'd in cloth of gold. massaniello commanded the kings-arms to be set up over all the gates of naples , and the cities arms underneath , with p. in the middle ; and understanding there were many bandito's lay sculking in the town , and fled to sanctuaries , the fury of the people was such that they pull'd them all out and kill'd them . francisco erp●io was chosen by massaniello to be the peoples elect , and by sound of trumpet he declared , that every one should open his shop under pain of rebellion ; he caused also among divers others , an abbot to be put to death , and two men besides of an ill life , who had onely time given them to confess . there was order given to erect to erect a fair palace in the great market place for massaniello , and much of the materials had been brought thither to that purpose ; there was a spaniard imprisoned by the people , but massaniello commanded him out , and sent him to the viceroy , who remanded him to massaniello , who pardoned him . all the tribunals of justice were shut up at this time , nor was any person obeyed but massaniello , who commanded gibbets to be set up in divers places of the city , which struck a great terrour into the hearts of all people . the next day the viceroy with the royal collateral councel came in great pomp to the great church , where cardinal filomarino was in his pontificalibus at the high altar , and massaniello standing with a naked sword upon one of the steps , and his brother behind him in cloth of silver also , the viceroy tooke there a solemn oath to perform the capitulations in his catholick majesties name , viz. that all kind of gabel that were imposed upon the city of naples since the reign of the glorious emperour charls the fifth should be utterly abolished , and never to he levied again : that his excellency should do his endeavour to procure a full ratification hereof from the court of spain , within the compass of two moneths , and that in the interim the most faithful people of naples should stand upon their guard , and in arms. massaniello gave out , that he would provide five millions very speedily to send his catholick majesty for this singular grace towards the support of his wars : he commanded all the houshold-stuff of the duke of mataluni● to be brought out to the publick street and burnt , and 't is incredible what rich furniture , what e●quisite pictures , what costly jewels , with abundance of treasure did endure the brunt of the fire ; there was upon this above a hundred thousand men enrolled to bear arms , and all to be at the beck of massaniello : moreover , there was a declaration publish'd by the viceroy , wherein he disclaim'd this sollevation to be a rebellion ; and so passed a general pardon . massaniello gave out , that what courtesan soever desired to marry , she should have fifty duckets given her . he went then among the gallies , and made a poor mechanick a captain of one of them . he was feasted in the castle by the viceroy , together with his brother and his wife ; but the next day he committed some ridiculous extravagancies , as leaping into the water to refresh himself in his clothes , so that some thought he had a fig given him in the castle to intoxicate his brains ; others did impute it to want of repose and sleep , for he was wonderfully watchful , intentive , and restless in his business . but he began now to lose the wonted respect among the souldiery and citizens : insomuch that marco vitale his secretary giving a captain a cuff before the castle , the captain and others fell upon him and slew him . andrea roma and ardizzone , with others , all ventrous blades , went the next day to the church of carmine , where they found massaniello airing himself , they surpriz'd and dispatch'd him , and cut off his head ; 't was thought the people would have resented it , but it proved clean contrary , for they followed the coach wherein the head was carried to the viceroy , with a great deal of applause and triumph : his body was drag'd up and down by the boyes of the city . so fell the bold fisherman of naples , who had reign'd as absolutely as any sovereign , the space of eight days and eight hours ; and one may say more absolutely then any kings use to do ; for they are restrained by laws ; but massaniello was beyond the bounds of any ; for during this short time , he caused to be killed by his own order two hundred and fifty persons , and that suddenly , giving them onely time to confess , and to some he would give none . in fine , he was thought to be more then a man , and that what he ordered was ordained by god himself . after this tragical act , the lord regent of the vicaria , with his wonted guards , went with trumpets before him about the streets , and proclaimed , that none under pain of rebellion should stirre : he declared further , that all gabels were taken off : to which purpose he carried the instrument in his hand ; therefore he commanded , that none should adhere to the complices of that late rascal , that retailer of fish , who disturbed the tranquillity hoth of people and city ; so there was a great cry , viva il ré di spagna , let the king of spain live . a little after , the viceroy passed up and down the city in stately equipage , which increased the cry , so that the noise then was , viva il ré di spagna , è duca d' arcos , let the king of spain , and the duke of arcos live : and as the viceroy went along , he assured the people every where of the abolition of the gabels , and further concession of graces . the next night after , there entred into the city at the royal port six hundred horse , with admirable secrecy , who went all to the palace to serve the viceroy upon occasion , and the next morning they betook themselves to divers ports . that day the bread fell to be eleven ounces lighter ; whereupon the people mutined again , and fell a burning the furnaees and goods of the bakers . then they went in multitudes of armed men to find out the body of massaniello , which it seems was cast into a ditch ; they took it out , washed it , and persumed it , and carried it upon a bier out of the gate of the holy spirit ; where they took down his head , and sewed it to the rest of the carkass , and so brought it in a very solemn order to the great church of carmine : the people went along , both men and women , crying out , brothers and sisters say a pater noster , and an ave mary for this our countryman and fellow-citizen ; his body being hoised up a great height , to be made more visible . so he who was cursed and dragged up and down the streets the day before , is the next day after bewailed , missed , prayed for , and buried in marvellous pomp : the white boyes of loreto went before him with above a thousand priests with burning torches in their hands , the trumpets and drums sounded the doleful march ; and as he lay in his funeral bed , they put a crown upon his head , and a scepter in his hand ; so he had at his death those ensigns , the jurisdiction whereof he usurped in his life . many thousands of armed men accompanied his herse , and women without number , raising up their beads and voices in high and dolorous accents , with requiems and refrigeriums to his soul. this funeral pomp came out again from the great church of the carmine , and fetching a compass about all the five precincts of naples , they carried the body under the very balcone of the viceroy , where it stayed a while till they had fix'd a standard , and hung colours thereabouts . after all this the bier was brought about two hours at night to the great church again , where he was interr'd with much pity and honour ; the common people crying him up for a saint already . — quantum est in rebus inane ! thus massaniello being raised up by popular air , slain and scorn'd by the same people , honour'd and idclatriz'd after his death by the same persons , may be compared to a ball tossed up and down by fortune . the voice went then , that a chappel should be built for him , and these ensuing epitaphs were compos'd by the prime wits of naples . lamento di massaniello al popolo napolitano . altra paga sperai , altra mercede , di te patria crudel , populo ingrato , troncarti ill collo à chi t' há il capo alrato , fidelissima sci senra fede . la pesca non lasciai , com' altri erede , nelle mie reti di qualunque stato pescai la libertá , ne'l vil mercato de commando piantai la real sede . di re divenni reo , in ra instante rimasti in vita tu , io nel ' inferno , jo strascinato fù , tu triomphante , pompa non fù , mâ vituperio eterne . l'essequie mie di general forfante fù gloria infame , & honore vol ' sherno , cosi con questo essempio eterno , impari ogn uno da me par troppo audace , per altro non pugnar starsene in pace . massaniello's lamentation concerning the people of naples . i did expect from thee a better fate ingrateful city , people more ingrate , thou chop'st his neck , who thy head did unthral , faithful thou art , yet hast no faith at all . i did not leave my fishing , as some say , but still employ'd my nets to catch , and lay the gabels on the ground : the royal throne i brought into the market , ev'ry stone can witness it ; the nobles i did quell , thou still shalt live , but i must fry in hell . while my drag'd body bleeds , so basely slain , thou triumph'st in that freedom i did gain . learn hence ye mortals all , be not too rash and bold to sight for other men , lest you be bought and sold. nobilium tyrannide , in usi●●●is oppressionibus & angari● in regnum , cives , & exteros , praeter rerum & naturae ordinem violenter extortis , repressa virgini dei matri carmeli die . julii , . gabbellis publicis , facinorosis , secretis patriae hostibus , incensis , fugatis , profligatis , suhlatis . inconcussa fide servata , ferdinandi primi , & frederici aragonensium regum , caroli quinti imperatoris gaesaris confirmatis , renovatis aureis privilegiis . philippo quarto rege catholico , d. rodcrieo pons de leone duce d' arcos regis vieem geren●e , thoma anello de amalfi invicti populi duce . pristina libertate redemptus fidelissimus populus neopolitan . mausolaeum in reportatae victoriae memoriam posteris excitamen●um posuit . the tyranny of the nobles being repressed , who beyond the order of things , and rules of nature , did so violently extort unusual taxes and services from kingdom , citizens , and strangers , an unshaken faith being kept to the virgin the mother of god , in the holy church of carmine the . of july . the gabels being abolished , and the publick , facinorous and secret enemies of our countrey , being burnt , banished , subdued , and extinguished , the golden priviledges of ferdinand the first , and frederick king of aragon , and of charles the emperour being confirmed and renewed , philip the fourth , being the catholick king , and don rodrigo pons de leon duke of arcos being viceroy , thomas anello of amalsi being general , the most faithful people of naples and publick liberty being redeemed , this monument was erect in memory of the victory obtained , and for an encouragement to all posterity . these commotions in naples , being the metropolitan great town , did cause that almost the whole kingdom did rise . in bitonto many houses were likewise burnt ; as also in divers others places , as shall be related hereafter . in the ancient city of nocera the palace of the duke himself did not scape the fury of the flames , but was made even to the ground , with all the costly movables , as also the dwellings of all such that adhered unto him ; and if the duke himself had not taken a fair pair of heels and fled to messina , he might have expired his last in the tumult . in naples the count cosino laboured to have a publick inscription set up in the market-place , which should mention the abolition of all taxes that were granted by the viceroy , and the people were mighty eager to have it erected . the counsellour moschetola persisting by his agents to exact the gabel in meleto casale of aversa , upon corn which he had rented , the people of that town being transported with fury , came to naples , and colleagueing with that people , they ran about dinner time to the market-place , where the said moschetola had a house , and gave him such a hot alarm , that like a cat he was forced to flee over the tops of the houses to save himself . the women were permitted to go out of the said house , and afterwards they took out all the houshold-stuff , and carrying it to the open street in a kind of solemnity , all was burnt to ashes , besides rich tapistry , and exquisite pictures , there were two cupboards of silver vessels , and a great library of books exposed to the fury of the fire ; all which was computed to the value of thirty thousand crowns , all which was reduced to cinders . they directed their course after to alonso d' angelis house , a great officer of the kings dogana or custom-house , and would have served him with the same sauce ; but the viceroy interposed his authority , or request rather , so earnestly that he prevailed . in the market-place the day following there happened a huge tumult concerning the publick inscription to be set up concerning those capitulations which the viceroy had signed and sealed in behalf of the most faithful people , which being delayed , the rabble flew to cavallero cosino's palace , a most famous limner , who had the charge of doing the thing ; but he finding himself in imminent danger of his life , fled away , and his house with many rare pieces had felt vulcans fury , had not the viceroy caused the king of spains picture to be hung up before the gate in a high balcone , which preserved the house . they of the market-place ran and burnt all the play-houses up and down the city , as also that which was near the castle ditch , and they chop'd off the head of a lame sicilian who kept it . but the viceroy having commanded two of the said incendiaries to be imprisoned , they were by his order both strangled that night , and the next morning their bodies were hanged up before the castle , which put a period to all burnings for the time . a jesuite was also beheaded , but he was unsacred and degraded first of his function in the church of sancta barbara ; he was suspected to have come from sicily to trace some machinations against the crown of spain , his name was regnicolo , and he hath a brother who is a baron in abruzzo . there was a notable thing discovered about this time in the city of naples , which was this ; one francisco severino a publick notary , had a sister who had been a widow seventeen years before ; he was to pay her six hundred duckets towards her dowry ; but he had immured her and a little daughter of hers betwixt four walls in a dark cave , where he fed them with bread and water , with some few fruits and roots , as radishes , cucumbers , and other such stuff : this widow had a son in the custody of an uncle all the while , who being grown up to mans estate came to the said notary , and loudly demanded his mothers goods , thinking she had been dead : the rumour of this business flew up and down among the people , who therefore rushing into the notaries house , and searching up and down , the woman began to shriek out in the cave with her daughter ; so they broke down the wall , and entring into the cave they found there two women like savages or furies , with long dishevel'd hair , in a strange posture ; hereupon the notary was clap'd up in prison , and the women carried to the monastery of st. onuphrio , where a great concourse of people came to see them ; so the notary had exemplary punishment . the city of naples went on to inroll more men for the militia , which came to above the number of eighty thousand foot , besides horse ; they changed the guard every night , nor did they esteem any commands that came from the castle ; the tribunals of justice did cease sitting , and the commotion was held up as high as it was in massanicllo's time , only there were not so many heads chop'd off , and houses burnt , yet there was no sace of any government but only among the souldiery . one day which was a festival , a great number of boys , half naked and painted with red , some on horseback and others afoot , with turbands on their heads , and habited like turks , went up and down ; in the midst of them there was a triumphant chariot , where there sate one apparelled like a king , and sitting in a throne , with a half moon upon his head ; others were masked ; others went with strange spectacles on their noses , in such a hideous manner , as if they had been so many devils broke loose out of hell ; before the chariot there went a troop of horse , whereof the hindermost carried a scepter in his hand , habited like a turk ; and in this garb they passed before the castle , and under the windows and mustachos of the viceroy . in these commotions the franciscan friers of st. lorenzo thought to make their advantage in a long suit they had with the capuchins of st. antonio de padoua ; the capuchins pretended that it belonged to them to carry the silver statue that was in the treasury upon solemn days ; but the franciscans alledged t was their right , in regard their order was more ancient , and theirs but a branch of it , and that in the time of st : anthony there was no such thing as a capuchin : besides , he is buried in padoua , and painted to the life in a chappel that belongs to the conventual franciscans , who are of the same order as they of st. lorenzoin naples : upon a sudden they went in procession , and carried the said silver statue of st. antonio up and down the streets of naples , and the great street of toledo , accompanied by a mass of people , with divers bands of souldiers , and drums beating before , as if some assault were to be given : the common people were for the franciscans , but the noble-men and gentry were for the capuchins ; but the franciscans got the better , being the more ancient : this contracto had been brought formerly before the viceroy , but he reserred it to rome where it depended . the said statue being replaced that night in the treasury , the next morning the people entred and took away the keys by force , and put out the chaplains who were appointed there by the nobility , and appointed others of their election . the next day the viceroy sent a galley to calabria , which carried john baptista montforte duke of laureto , who was expresly employed by the said viceroy to appease the tumults in cosenza , which were little inferiour to those of naples . the lord don carlo di capon was clapped up in prison by the souldiers of pusilipo , together with his servants , & many hainous things were to be laid to his charge . a brigade of the people passing along the castle ditch , the spanish souldiers put themselves upon their guaed , one of them discharging his musket , hit doctor benedetto guadagno that stood in a window , who fell down dead in an instant ; whereupon the viceroy caused the said souldier to be presently hanged after confession , under the same window , although he alledged that he knew not the musket had been charged with a bullet . the students of naples would have a share also in these revolutions , therefore they went all in a body and presented a petition to the viceroy , the effect whereof was , that they should pay no more fees for their degrees then was used to be paid in the time of charles the emperour : the viceroy gave them no positive answer for the time , which they imputed to some i●l offices that the prince of av●llino had done ; thereupon they attempted at their return to burn his house , but it was prevented by some means the viceroy wrought ; and the next day he caused divers of the students to be imprisoned , who were the chief ring-leaders . the city still resolved to stand upon her guard till the confirmation of the articles concerning their priviledges came from the catholick court , and they arm'd day and night accordingly ; one of which articles was , that such arming should not be tearmed a rebellion in the interim . the viceroy was not idle , but he caused bulle●s to be cast , and other warlike things to be provided within the castles . he sent councellour oraca to leve to appease the commotions which happened in the country of otranto , with commissioners to divers other places in calabria , as he had done the duke of lauretto to cosenza , were the sparkles of their commotions flew from naples in greater quantity , and did as much mischief as any where else , therefore it is worth the labour to insert here a particular relation thereof . a compendium of the sublevations and turmoils which happen'd in the city , and among the people of cosenza . upon sunday-morning about the break of day , a dispatch was expresly sent to the president of this province from the viceroy , wherein he ordered that a pragmatica should be publish'd and proclaim'd through all the territories and places thereof ; the substance whereof was , that his excellency was ready to grant and pass unto that people all those graces which they expected , as was done to the city and people of naples , for prevention of that horrid effusion of blood , firings , and other confusions which might ensue . yet for all this a multitude of common people gather'd together in bands that very sunday-morning , all armed with a full and furious purpose to repose the insolence and pride of the nobility , who had reduced the common people to such a pass that they could hardly live by them . the cape or chief leader of which popular brigades was captain joseph gervatio , who with his ginet in hand caused himself to be called captain-general , and was so accepted : it was concluded amongst them , that they should procure to live separately from the nobles , and to be subordinate to no other but to the king himself , to his viceroy , or some principal officers of justice ; this assembly of the common people was so numerous and active all that sunday that a gentleman dared scarce stir out of his house , or hardly peep out at the windows : the bells rung out to give general alarms ; at last they formed a petition to the lord president for a present concession of those indulgences and graces which were granted the people of naples , and with much ado for that night the president did appease them . but upon munday-morning the nobles rouz'd up their spirits , desiring to know the cause of this hurly-burly , and what the people did desire , and there should be a course taken to satisfie them . hereupon a choice number of the said people being met at the monastery of saint francisco di paola , the lord president , accompanied with the foresaid antonio gervasio the cape of the people told them , that their pretention and intention was to live separate from their nobles , as also from the sindiques and regiments , as likewise from the payment of certain gabels ; and that every one of them should pay for his own particular fire , it being not consentaneous to reason , that the people who were alwais disposed to make ready paiment , not only to the royal court , but of all other inferior gabels , and that the nobles by their authority should be exempt , in such sort that the burden fell still upon the people which receiv'd more weight daily ; at least they payed doubly as much as the nobles , as the jurat can testifie , who was one year for the nobles , & another year for the people . to these pretentions and demands doctor baracca offer'd to give a satisfaction to the nobles , and to make it appear that they were very just : so it was agreed on both sides , that he should have time to do it ; in the interim it was order'd , that all should lay down their arms , which was done as it were in an instant , by the command of captain antonio gervatio , untill a minute or scedule should be made , declaring the manner how they desired to live among the nobles ; so every one return'd to his own fire . while this was a doing , and all this was hush'd for the preseut , certain albaneses being arm'd passed through the market-place of cosenza , who were clad like country-souldiers : hereupon captain gervatio with a huge confluence of people ran to the lord presidents palace , complaining and crying out , that it was no reason that the nobles during the time of treaty , which tended to an amiable accord , should make provision of arms , calling in those albaneses , specially since the people had laid down their arms in that interim , therefore they suspected some false-play under-hand , whereupon they desir'd that the lord president would do them the favor as go to pompeo sambiate who maintain'd those albaneses , and inorder him to dismiss them ; that all surmises and clouds of diffidence might vanish : hereupon the lord president went accordingly ; and treating with the said pompeo to discharge his souldiers , he answered , that he could not do it by any means , nor ought he to do it , in regard that that armed band was for his own defence , and not to offend any other : the lord president replied , and rejoined , but he could not prevail . hereupon captain gervatio having notice what had passd 'twixt the president & seignior pompeo , he with a huge rabble of people well arm'd , having made provision of barrels of pitch , oil , matches and wood , went in a kind of fury to the lord president ; telling him , that since his lordship could not thrust out those albaneses , they would do it themselves ; so departing thence like so many enraged lions they went up and down with drums , and trumpets , discharging divers shots at sembiate's windowes and applying pitch , oil , match and wood to his gate , where the fire began to crackle : another brigade of people set fire in another part of the town to the houses of scipio and bartolo sembiate ; others to the house of angelo matera ; others to the house of ignatio sembiate , with other of the chiefest houses ; insomuch , that really the town of cosenza seem'd to be a mongibelo , or mountain of fire at that time , the like whereof was never seen before : all obedience to authority , all pity and piety was lost : while they put fire to scipio sembiate's house , the poor genrleman half naked stood upon the top of his house , and bullets flew about his ears ; at last he was reduced to that extremity , that he said aloud , i yield , kill me not in this manner without confession . the people answered , if he yielded , they desired not his life ; so he came down from the tiles of the house , and put himself in a chamber ; in the interim some or other of his servants had discharged a pistol , at the report whereof the people furiously rushed into the chamber where he was upon a couch , and one of them , and he of the meanest sort of mechanicks , fell upon the person of the said lord scipio sembiate , and chopt off his head , and threw his body out at the window ; so his head was fixed upon the top of a lance , and carried up and down with this cry , m●uia il mal governo , let the ill government die . hereupon the women ran up and down with piteous shrieks and cries , having no sense of danger , honour or life , the boyes ran up and down thorow the flames , that the face of things look'd as if the day of judgment had been come . others surrounding the head of scipio sembiate , they plac'd it at last upon the bridge of the revocati , so the people multiplied in numbers , and encreass'd in fury more and more , till they came to the number of ten thousand armed persons . the nobles , some of them , hid themselves in grotzes and caves ; others , in churches , others in monasteries and hospitals ; others , would not forsake their wives and children , but would stand to the brunt of what should happen : and it being now neer noon , captain gervatio came to the town-hal with a great number of his men , whence he sent a kind of command to the lord president , that he should send a trumpet for the fiscal proctor , and send him unto him upon business that much concern'd the service of his majesty . the world stood astonish'd at this peremptory order , but it was presently obey'd : so the trumpet , together with the fiscal proctor was sent , who being come to the town-house , captain gervatio order'd that the trumpet should go back ; which being done , the captain propos'd to the fiscal , that for the special service of his catholick majesty , it was needful that a tax should be impos'd upon all the nobles , and sent to the viceroy for the necessities of war : this took effect presently , and a tribunal was appointed to tax every one accordingly : they began with an. cavalcante , who was assess'd . crowns , which was proclaim'd by sound of trumpet , and the party sent for , who with fear and reverence appear'd and obey'd presently , assigning but so much time to provide then mony : so all the nobles were summon'd in like manner by sound of trumpet , and assess'd accordingly , and in case any refus'd , his house should pass the fire , which was done to some : so there was upon a sudden a kinde of exchequer or bank of money rais'd up in the city of cosenza : some gentlewomen came with their children to move compassion , & to have some abatement made in behalf of their husbands ; but neither the tears of the mothers , nor the cries of the infants , could prevail or soften the stony hearts of the people . a little after bartolo sembiate was imprison'd , who being penn'd up in a dark grotza , with a son of the late murther'd scipio sembiate his brother , who being ready to starve got out to get some bread , but he was repriz'd , and they were both thrown into the prison of the audientia , but in the way thither he swooned thrice for weakness , and former want of nourishment : a little after he was sent for by a trumpet before captain gervasio , where he was inorder'd to pay m crowns before . hours , otherwise , he must be contented to have his head taken off by his souldiers . any one may conjecture what a pitiful plight this gentleman was reduc'd to ; the throbs , tears and sighs that came from his wife and children would have mollified an adamant ; but rather then to exchange life for death ; he made a shift to take this money up by exchange . many dayes after the said captain antonio gervatio sitting in the tribunal , sent out his summons by sound of trumpet , and laid what assessments he pleas'd upon all the nobles and gentry that dwelt in cosenza , and all the places adjacent : and now we will proceed to the territories of otranto . a narration of the tumults happened in the territories of otranto . the rumours of what passed in naples , cosenza , with other places , together with the flames of those fires flew as far as the countrey of otranto ; and though the people be thin in those parts , yet the commotions were very high and hot in the town of leve , and the circumjacent places , as also thorow all calabria . the viceroy had writ to the lord president and councel of leve , to take off all kind of gabels : the president then was giacomo arnolfini who was absent at that time , and the audienza was very weak . giovanni angelo the elect of the people , with divers others , went to the camp-master boccapianolo to consult with him : who advised , that it were expedient to send back to his excellency to know what kind of gabels he understood should be abolished , which was done accordingly : but the president being return'd in the interim , together with the tribunal , without conference with the camp-master they sent out order to take off all kind of gahels ; but this was done with such a little decorum , that it caused rather a kind of alteration then quietness in the baser sort of people ; and gave occasion to ill meaning men to put their malice in execution , which was done in an instant ; for a crue of the common sort went to three or four houses of particular men , and did them much dammage ; they sack'd and burnt the house of the duke of santo donato which stood in the said town of leve ; but matters were handled so , that they proceeded no further , only the houses of two doctours suffered , who they pretended did some ill office towards an immunity from gabels . the camp-master was inform'd , that there were some people coming from abroad to assist the citizens of leve , with intent to burn three houses more ; therefore , for prevention hereof , he arm'd some troops of horse : the houses they aimed at were known afterwards to be the house of tauritano , of francisco cimino the fiscal , and of auditor stephano pagliva ; by the operations of the said camp-master these houses were saved , yet some entered into the dogana , and burnt whatsoever they found therein ; they also elected a capo popalo , who might govern all the commonality . the city of nardo , with the inhabitants , did rise up , and bandy against their patron , raising up fortresses within the wals , and renouncing all obedience unto him : he having timely notice hereof , came flying with a great number of horse and foot , with all his kindred and allies , who were numerous in those parts ; and having begirt the city round , she did most stoutly maintain her self with cannon and musket ; whereupon some were killed on the other side , and divers wounded , the number whereof could not be known ; but at the same time duke francifco burtato was wounded , with one of the family of sersale whose name could not be known . but the lord titta cicinello , more fearless then the rest , went on to batter the said city in the best manner he could : the siege lasted three dayes ; at last arrived the bishop of leve , with him of gallipoli ; and the camp-master , who interposed so effectually , that they commanded and reconciled all matters betwixt the city of narda and her lord , in so much that they returned all to their former obedience . the first who entered the city was the lord titta : but if i should recount what succeeded in other places , i should never end ; as those murthers , and firings which happened in misagine , in ostuni , in the territories of tolva and in taranto , more then any where else ; in guttagia they murthered twelve persons in one morning . in otranto there happened new garboils , no lesse new then lamentable : for the tumults of nardo being quieted , the count parted thence with his train every one to his own home . you must consider that those poor people are in a worse condition then others ; for their syndique , and the chiefest of the common people were beheaded , which struck such an astonishment into most of them that they all fled , and those few who stayed behinde made account they remained but as silly sheep for the slaughter , but the duke returning had more compassion then was expected . in leve councellour urracea was arrived there from naples ; the people had shrew'd umbrages of fear that he came to no good purpose , but to complement with them , and impose some new gabel : therefore he understanding that they had a design upon him , he absconded himself in the camp-masters house : but they laid violent hands upon bocca-pianolla , and cut off his head , hurling his carkasse out of the windows , and carried it about the town in piece-meales . they went about to seize upon cinino the fiscal advocate , who cunningly escaped into the castle ; but he could not preserve his house which was burnt to the ground , with whatsoever was in it , and no house could be better furnished ; nor did the lord president himself escape some affronts from the common people , but they beleaguered him in the castle of leve , which was succoured afterwards by the valour of the camp-master boccapianola . in the city of ostuni also there were perpetrated horrid murders , yea within sanctuaries where jeronymo de fina serjeant major was knocked down , in the land of grottaglia : they slew the baron basta ; and in the countrey of martina there were many firings and slaughters committed , with other horrid things , that unless there were fresh ocular witnesses thereof , the recital of them would sound as fables ; i must adde hereunto that the people of leve did put into the hands of boccapianela , all the powder and ammunition of the city ; which person was much esteemed , and held to be so affectionate to the people as no man more ; but yesterday they write that he was so hacked , and ill handled , that all wounded they brought him to the place where the said gunpowder was with the rest of the ammunition , and took all things from him but his life , clapping him in close prison , meerly upon surmises and fears . in fine , the worst things that humane imagination can conceive were acted in those parts . and now 't is high time for us to return to naples , the source whence all these mischiefs did flow . the second tumults happened in the city of naples , held to be hotter and higher then the former , which succeeded the . of july . the . of august , the lord president fabricio cenano , intervening in a cause before the collateral chamber , which concern'd the interest of the people ; he was told by some of their ministers , that he was not a fit person to be seen in that cause , in regard his house had been burnt by them ; and according to the pragmatica lately stamp'd , he could not intermeddle with a cause of that nature . cenano answered , that it was too true , his house had been burnt , yet not by the people , but by some malevolent and emulous spirits , as seignior julio genovino could make affidavit : it happen'd that genovino was there present , who rose up and said , 't was true , whereof he was ready to make attestation : cenano likewise produced divers captains , who serv'd the people for witnesses , that his house was not set on fire by order of the people , but by the malice of some particular enemies ; therefore he humbly desired his catholick majesty , and his excellence , that they should receive due punishmēt who were found to be the burners of his house , while this writing went about for subscription , the people began to be sensible of the wrong and prejudice that might redound unto them thereby , and of the consequences that might grow further from hence : therefore upon a sudden they took up arms again ; and the rather because in that affidavit they told a lye , because when the people burnt any house , they did it with that punctuality that none might embeazle the value of a pepper corn , but that all should be sacrificed to the fire , as proceeding from the blood and radical moisture of the poor ; but most of cenano's goods were preserved . hereupon there was twenty thousand foot presently in arms , before whom the captains cried out , tradimento al popolo , un pater , un ave maria , pregate dio ne doni victoria , andiamo à morire per voj altri , ó vivere ó morire : which was as much to say , the people is betrayed , one pater , and one ave maria , pray to god that he would be pleased to give us the victory ; let us go to die for you , to live or to die . and 't was wonderful to see how many young men went on so resolutely , who making a halt upon sancta lucia à monte , made themselves masters of that post , as an eminent place whence they might shoot at the castle with advantage , and at the viceroys palace : having planted their standards there , and placed a court of guard for the defence thereof , they dismiss'd some companies . then they directed their course towards pirrifailione for the guard of the new-bridge : this place was guarded by six hundred foot of a new levy , who were weli intrenched ; and not being able to repell the violence of these men , who advanced with such a resolution and fury , the souldiers that were formerly , were forc'd to abandon the place and leave their arms behind , which the people seiz'd on : as also upon the house of the prinee of ascoli , and the camp-master general was ingaged therein : a sergeant with thirty spaniards were there for the guard of it , whereof about ten were killed , and the rest saved themselves into a grott . the people being entred therein did not touch any thing but the arms that were hid there , without doing any detriment at all . afterward they went on to the palace of the princess of bucera ; and seiz'd upon all the arms she had , whereof they gave a receit : then they marched towards the palace of the viceroy ; but not being able to do any good there , in regard of the preparations he had made for defence , they directed their course to sancta lucia again , and thence to the dogana , and took out the arms they found there , which were a thousand five hundred archibuzes , and pistols , but touch'd not any thing else . with three hundred foot they made themselves masters of the convent of saint martin , and entered on the grove's side ; nor could any resistance prevail , where afterwards they began to stir and interpose again ; and all the street captains being assembled at saint augustin , they desired that the viceroy would deliver them massaniello's brother , who was prisoner in castelnovo , as also julio genovino , whom the people demanded to keep in their custody , together with all those captains who had subscribed in favour of president cenano : the archbishop by his singular address , prudence and gravity , did labour so far that an accord was determined , whereupon the bels rung out for joy , and a white flag was hung up in castelnovo by the viceroy . but when the souldiers who were in garrison in castelnovo faw a crue of people drawing towards the palace , they gave a volly of shot to the people without bullet ; but the people thinking that their muskets were charg'd , they fell all with their face on the ground ; nor did the people go then on any hostile intent , but to congratulate . yet as the devil would have it , the report went that five hundred of the people were kill'd by them of the palace : so the accord was dissolv'd , and the war grew hot again . from sancta lucia they began to batter the castle where the viceroy kept his court , discharging all their great artillery , which did some hurt to the adjacent places ; the castle answered , and also the castle of saint elmo ; but the people being nothing at all dastardiz'd herewith , but incited still by the women ; the whole day was spent in shooting off the great cannons on both sides : the house of don diego manciohe was saluted by divers shots , but did not much hurt : porto was offended by some of the canons ; whereupon they set up the kings picture in a high balcone , but a cannon bullet shot it through and through . in the evening they chose for the elect of the people , the lord don francisco turaldo prince of massa , who mounting on horseback , undertook the business , and dispens'd his orders accordingly . the next morning the castle of saint elmo , as also castelnovo discharged four cannon bullets apiece , then a suspension of arms was agreed upon , and a treaty was resum'd for an accord , but in vain : for there were ten heads of slain spaniards six'd upon poles , and carried in triumph up and down the city . the next day , the great artillery that was planted upon sancta lucia , did some hurt to castelnovo ; the same day they of porto secur'd themselves with good trenches rear'd up in the uight time : but there was a strict watch laid , that nothing either for belly or back , any other thing , should be carried to the castle where the ●iceroy was . the camp-master general sent forth an order that all the street-captains , and other captains of the infantry , should meet at saint augnstin , to treat and determine some capitulations for peace , which was done accordingly : and when they were agreed upon , they sent them to his excellency by six captains of foot , accompanied by the lord bishop of salut , cardinal filomarini's brother : but that morning there were discovered some trenches cast up in the night at the hospitaletto : there were others cast up in toledo street ; for both parties digg'd night and day notwithstanding the treaty ; besides that which remain'd of the duke of ostuni's moveables were committed to the mercy of the fire , and his house was turn'd to a quarter ; above his palace they planted great muskets , with other kind of artilleries to batter the castelnovo ; the son of the said duke was kill'd at pizzifalione ; besides , they planted two great cannons upon the trenches of porto to annoy castelnovo . when this rumor began , there were in the castle the l. prior of rocella , the l. prior of caraceioli , don j. baptista , and the duke of saint petro , whither they retir'd themselves during the broyl , with divers other personages of high rank , for their safety : some of them went forth one day , and the camp-master-general clapp'd them up in prison , because they conceiv'd some jealousies of them , nor could they pump any thing out of them in point of information ; they surpriz'd also don john lorio sanfelice , but they chop'd off his head as a president to the most faithful people . the president cenano was shut up in prison by the people of santa lucia , and they put him with his confessor in a great chair , and carried them about the great streets , and in the sellaria they took off his head , burning his clothes afterwards ; they chop'd off the head also of a corporal of sergeants called marchetollo : the next day there was a truce accorded ; yet notwithstanding both parties went on in entrenching and fortifying night and day . the camp-master-general being well informed of the innocency of some royalists which were in prison , joyned with some street-captains he freed them , which business was deliberated in s. augustine , who upon their enlargement took oath to be faithful unto the city . they took off the head also of the corporal of the sergeants of porto , who said that in those places where they made their fortifications there should be so many gallowses and gibbets set up to hang those who wrought in the said fortifications ; all which was proved by pregnant proof , and authentick witnesses , and in three hours he was dispatched . the scale of the minister of justice was found , but he did it upon a stone by reason of the fury of the people : there was order given that the holy sacrament should be exposed and set open in divers churches , that it would please god to enlighten the hearts of the people to see the right ; besides the nuns with poor maidens amongst them made solemn processions , repeating the most holy rosario . there was scarce a post or place without and within the city butw as intrench'd which made the world wonder where they could get so much cannon . a company of priests appeared who went with their sotunes raised up ; at the head of them there marched a very reverend church-man upon a ginet , with a gold cross in his hand ; but this gave rather an occasion of scandal and murmuring , nor was it well taken by the people . they pillag'd all genovino's goods , who for many days before had withdrawn himself to the castle ; and if they could have laid hold on him they would have sent him after president cenano to the other world . the next day a peace was publish'd , which made every one to dance for joy ; yet the viceroy thought it not safe to come out of castelnovo . after dinner the lord cardinal filomarino went on horse-back with the prince of massa , and camp-master-general , and rid up and down the streets , all crying out , peace , peace . towards the evening there came out an edict in divers precincts of the city , wherein the viceroy did thank the most faithful people of naples for their good wills and inclination to peace . he ordered likewise , that none should speak of the castle of s. elino , which was fortified and furnished with all things necessary : now , amongst other places , he understood that the people intended to make a new motion that that fortress should be in their hands . the next day they took the goods of president cenano , which they had conserv'd in a convent of terresian nuns , and brought them to the sellaria ; they brought thither also the goods of giovamis s. felice , which all passed the flames . they gave out an order also to take the son of sanfelice , don lucio ; because he had given out in a menacing manner , that he would make the people of naples eat the very earth in lieu of bread . now the said don lucio was a great cornmaster in aversa . they of the people went to the convent of the olivetuni on mount olivct , where there was abbot the brother of tonno de angelis , together with the visitor-general , they were both put in a coach , and commanded to depart from naples . one among the people cried up and down the street ' guerra , guerra , war , war ; but he was put to prison by order of the prince of massa , then he was shot to death , and his head carried up and down the city for a disturber of the peace of the most faithful people of naples . the monks of the trinity made themselves prisoners to the popes nuntio ; and upon that church door they fastned an edict that had passed , wherein she was stil'd , la santissima trinita de spagnuoli , the most holy trinity of the spaniards ; they caused that edict to be cancell'd and torn in pieces : they a little after made prisoner caesar sanfelice , for some words which drop'd from him which gave scandal . the next day those capitulations of peace which were accorded 'twixt the viceroy and the most faithful people came out , and were published in divers precincts of the city , whereupon they raz'd some of their trenches . his excellency form'd a new company of three hundred officers , all italians , making a captain over them , captain biasi di fosco , a person of high resolution and merit . the viceroy sent prisoner to spain julio genovino upon a galley , who was accused to be the first inciter of massaniello , and the chiefest fomenter of all the tumults ; doctor luis●i capaccio at the instance of the most faithful people was appointed to be the minister for confirming and swearing the foresaid articles of peace 'twixt his excellency and the most faithful people ; but the viceroy was advised by the collateral councel , not to go forth in person out of the castle to swear unto those articles , but that the oath should be administred to both parties within the walls of castelnovo . the next day being sunday , the city sent to , the viceroy in behalf of the most faithful people , that the articles should be effectually ratified within the arch-bishops house ; his excellency returned an exeuse , that he was not well disposed in his health , and alledged examples , besides that in such cases all treaties were used to be confirmed within the castle : thereupon the camp-master general don francisco turaldo went thither , being accompanied with all the officers of war , beginning with the alferez of lieutenants , to higher degrees , together with the general of the ordinance ottavio marchise , all on horseback , and it was a very goodly sight ; the horses were extraordinary , but the horsemen were not so good , being oppidane : and turaldo himself being sick of the gout went in a sedan . they all entred into the castle in a solemn manner , where the articles were all sworn unto ; and so they return'd into the city very well satisfied , specially in outward appearance . the next day they entred the house of francisco de lieto , a principal merchant , and of very high credit , an honest man and much honoured , where there was a pillar which the people took exceptions at , and would carry it away ; he said that he had lost upon the gabels fifty thousand crowns , and he would spend fifty thousand more , provided that the gabels were regulated and setled ; but they went to call in more people to plunder him , which he perceiving he stole away surreptitiously ; thereupon they imprisoned his children , and took away a great quantity of cloth and other merchandizes of value ; thus when some thought the insurrection had been ended , it began afresh : they began to double their guard again ; but they freed the rich merchant di lieto for a ransom . in regard of the absence of the nobility who were retired to their countrey-houses , and abandoned the city , trade began to decay extreamly , and the artisans went up and down the streets like vagabonds having nothing to do . thete came news from sicily , that his catholick majesty had confirm'd the capitulations of peace with the palermitans , which caused much joy in the city , in regard they hoped that his majesty would ratifie their articies also in as ample manner . there came fresh information , that don john of austria , generalissimo of the seas , and natural son to his catholick majesty , was with a royal fleet at sardinia , he sent to the viceroy to provide some provisions for the gallies ; but he returned answer , that there was little convenience to accommodate them there , but the island which his royal highness was at , was more proper for to furnish bisket , and other necessaries : it was wonderful to see how dexterous the citizens of naples , were in handling their arms , in their discipline of war , in their marches and watches , as if they had been bred souldiers all their lives . there were solemn processions made by all the religious houses within and without the city , for a benediction to come from heaven upon the last agreement , and that god almighty would please to inspire the heart of the catholick king , to confirm the capitulations for avoyding of more blocdshed , but it seems their solemnities took little effect , as shall appear hereafter . the great statue of silver was carried up and down with that of saint germano protector of naples ; but aster the end of the processions the said silver statue of saint james was replac'd in the arch-bishops palace : there happened some stir the next day after , touching joseph palumbo lieutenant of the people , who had the chief charge of the magazines of gun-powder ; notice was taken , and complaints made , that he suffered too great a proportion to go for the castles , but that it should be reserved for the service of the most faithful people ; therefore the said palumbo was restrain'd to saint lorenzo ; but being a popular man , and one known to be a good patriot , and of a publick soul , and a prrson of integrity ; there were four thousand of the best armed men joyn'd together , to vindicate and free the said falumbo , and there was like to be a hot fray , and bloody business , had not the prince of massa , general to the city , with much ado and no less discretion appeased the tumult . the third tumult happened in the city of naples after the arrival of the armada of his catholick majesty under the command of the serenissimo don john of austria . the first day of october , . the castle of saint elmo hung up the great standard upon sight of his catholick majesties royal army , there entred afterward into the port , five and fourty great vessels and as it was thought the galleys of his royal highness don john of austria : a rumour ran that they carried six thousand fresh foot , others said they came but to three thousand . all the royal castles saluted them , the quay was throng'd with many thousands of people to fee the fleet ; it was then certainly known , that his royal highness was aboard the galeones , thereupon it was ordered that prince thraldo with arqata the elect of the people , should go to tender a tribute of due obsequies and reverence to his highness , and he with many evidences of affection receiv'd them , and gave audience , saying , that he was ready to do whatsoever they desired or could imagine to have , having authority from his majesty to grant a remission of all things , provided that the arms should be consign'd to his excellency , and put in the castles . they carried him a plentiful present , two hundred turky-cocks , two hundred capons , two hundred pair of pigeons , twelve calves of surrento , and abundance of choice fruit upon twelve felucas : he received all very joyfully , causing some pieces of gold to be hurl'd into the felucas among those who carried the presents . the same evening the viceroy sent him a hundred weathers , a hundred gammons of bacon , with other commodities . the next day his highness signified his pleasure , that he was desirous to disimbarque and put foot on shore , but he desir'd that first the city should disarm : hereupon all the captains of war , and all the street-captains assembled at s. augustin to conclude upon that which his highness demanded ; but the common people of the market and of lavinaro forc'd into the said church , threatning death to all the captains who were there met , who dismiss'd the parliament for the time , and referr'd all to his highness . the next day arpaia the elect of the people was inorder'd to go to his highness , and desire him that he would come ashore but with a limited number , whereunto don john gave no pleasing ear : the next day a choice number of captains went to attend his highness , and to advertise him , that the people were willing to lay down their arms , and put them up in their own houses , not otherwise ; this likewise gave little contentmentto his highness . the next day certain spanish souldiers came down from castlenovo with a company of reformadoes , and made themselves masters of caesar lubrano's house in the hospitaletto , where they disarm'd all those that stood for the people , who were but few , because they depended upon the contract of peace , all the trenches being destroy'd to that purpose round about the city : the captain of that post was a glover , the spanish souldiers burnt the door of his house by an artificial fire , plunder'd him , as they did many other houses : all the three castles began to play and discharge their great guns , which struck a terrible affrightment into the women , but they did but little execution in regard of their distance , unless it was at porto , which suffer'd much . the captains of the people who were assembled in saint augustin and in toledo-street went all into the castles , as also some of the great market , another captain of porto , of santa maria , with divers other : then the gross squadron of spaniards came down , and with much cautiousness got possession of many of the importunest ports in and about the city , without the loss of one soul. the people of toledo-quarter remain'd much astonish'd being without captain , alfarez , or any other officer , as much as a serjeant or corporal : the spaniards seiz'd also upon porto , but the people recover'd that again ; for the people of the great market came in great numbers , and revil'd them , calling them poltrons , with other opprobrious language , which incited them to take arms again . the people thought they had all the justice of the world on their side , in regard , that according to the capitulations with the viceroy , they were to continue in arms till the confirmation had come from spain , which time was limited to three moneths ; therefore the prince turaldo going to the great market , the people cryed out , we are betrayed , we are all betrayed : the prince answer'd them with gentle language , and in substance ; son con voy , per morir con voy , sio hó fatto errore la testa lo paghi , má io son stato gabbato con voy : i am with you , to dye with you , if i have offended let my head pay for it , but i have been cheated as well as you . from that time forward the people would not permit turaldo to go out of their arms , either into the castle , or aboard the galeons . the spaniards in the mean time stirr'd themselves notably , and took into their possession the post of porta reale , with that of porta medina ; the three castles still played upon santa lucia and chaia , whereupon they gave up their arms into the hands of the spaniards , and scarce any of the people peep'd out thereabouts . that night not only the three castles , but the great galeons which were in port played upon the city , and one would think by the horrid noise they made , that a house could not stand , yet the damage was not very great ; thereupon his highness published a strict and high order , that every one should lay down his arms upon pain of death ; which many did accordingly ; considering with themselves how they had three castles , a fleet of galeons , and another of gallies against them ; the spaniards also having rendred themselves masters of so many posts , and going on still in their fortifications , but specially there being in the port another don john of austria . yet they did not lay down their arms or spirits , but with a flying squadron of two thousand foot they recover'd the port of constantinople , and the white port ; they attempted to regain reale and porta melina ; but they fail'd in that enterprize , as god would have it : therefore prince turaldo was of opinion , it was better to fall to entrenching again , for fear the spaniards might gain more places and posts . this councel was embrac'd ; yet while they were busie to entrench , the flying squadron of two thousand foot did recover le fosse del grano , and divers spaniards fell there , for a great number of them coming to saint sebastian , upon the upper ground , they let fly upon them shot as thick as hail , as also at saint andrea , insomuch that the spaniards knew not which way to turn themselves to avoid those fiery tempests . a lieutenant general of his majesties was on horse-back , with about fourty horse , and stood before the house of bernardo turboli upon a special piece of service ; but he was so wounded that his bowels gushed out , and so was carried to spirito santo . the spaniards afterwards hurl'd themselves in catalana street , but the women out of the balcones and windows pelted them with stones , whereupon the spaniards put fire to three shops , and sack'd divers houses besides , the women flying away at the backsides . the brigade of reformado's advanc'd afterwards with many napolitan cavaliers in the vanguard , and in the rear a company of spaniards , with six officers of war , don gaspar de salta , hieronymo arnadeo , with others , united themselves in the street of porta , as far as saint stephano , and the spaniards as far as jesu maria ; but they were repell'd by the people by a flying squadron remaining masters of porta medina and porta reale . the day following the people rush'd into the prison of the vicaria , and burnt all the criminal writings , setting at liberty fifteen hundred felons , whom they enroll'd for souldiers , and fetch'd as many arms as would serve their turn : among those prisoners there was one frenchman , who had been in the candian wars for the service of the signory of venice : this frenchman had been a commander a long time , being a man of knowledge and courage , therefore they put him in the head of a troop ; so there was hot skirmishing both night and day in the city on both sides , and the great cannons played without intermission , wherein there was much slaughter . most of the officers did confess , and took the communion , carrying the badge of the carmine , hoping thereby the holy virgi n would protect them in the publick service of their countrey , and for disburdening themselves from the insupportable weight of gabels . the artillery which stood upon the tower of carmine did notable service , and one bullet was shot thence into the royal galeon , where don john of austria himself was : he therefore landed , and got into the palace of the viceroy in safety , he is a comely youth , about twenty years of age , and full of vigor and resolution . his sea-commanders incited him most of all to begin the war , telling him , that half a dozen shots from the galleons would so terrifie the people , that they would lay down their arms , then the sword-justice should restrain them afterwards . both parties had now as it were beleaguer'd one another ; all toledo-street as far as the palace , the hospitaletto , chaia , together with santa lueia , were full of armed men , insomuch that none could pass to and fro , nor did any bread appear in the shops , or flesh in the shambles , or fruit in the market : there went such a number from the city to pozzuolo , that they have half famished that place ; thereupon the viceroy proposed a truce , but the people refused . the spaniards the next day rais'd up a great trench about porta reale , together with a little bulwark , which was done with that suddenness in the night time , that it could not be prevented ; coaches as well as carts were employed to carry materials up and down to fortifie : the walloons who guarded porta m●dina rais'd also in an instant , as it were , a marvellous strong trench , which the people offering to resist , they could not do it . the people then occupied san sebastian , they rush'd the zezza or exchequer , and seis'd upon all the silver violently into that was therein , with other treasure ; as also all the banks of moneys for the service of the publick . the viceroy publish'd a declaration , that whosoever would bring corn or meal into the castle he should be allow'd to sell it at such a rate for ready money . at that time there came a galley laden with corn from aversa ; but the galley-slaves killing the captain made her run upon the sands , and so the people took her with five cannons . there began to be a mighty scarcity in the city , yet the fury of the war grew hot●er and hotter ; and the spaniards began to set up double and treble trenches , which the other did imitate : the great bell of s. lorenzo rung out to encourage them to arms all night ; every house almost had a kind of trench about it , and some two , some three : there were great cannons planted also in the street of cavaglioli , which played upon the people incessantly near the garden of san felice . the viceroy put forth a proclamation , that whosoever would come into any of the three castles to serve their king , his catholick majesty , should have an advance of pay , and be presently entertain'd : and that day brothers were detected to have a design that way , but they were all put to death by the people who were heated more and more . there were divers carts laden with dead bodies pass'd up and down the streets , to the number of fourty , this morning ; in the midst of the city the picture of death was set up near a red flag ; yet there went great numbers , that had neither houses nor shops to be plunder'd , to the castles . there was a design to make a mine under saint ursola , and to blow it up with gunpowder ; but prince turaldo , in regard it was a religious house , would not permit it , which made him to be somewhat suspected by the people ; there were some houses near the fathers of santa maria which were burnt to the ground , and all the office-houses which belong'd to the said fathers , were us'd in the like manner ; besides divers other fair houses near san suriano , that it was a most pitiful spectacle to behold it . there was a design discover'd , that a priest had on foot against the most faithful people who was of the family of the giordani , they presently chopp'd off his head , and cut others to pieces in great numbers who were of the conjuration : the nuns of the divine love were remov'd for fear of the spaniards into another monastery , call'd the sacrament near francisco nuovo . there came from nocera to serve the most faithful people four hundred fresh men very well arm'd , which did much encournge the city , and the next day after they came , they perform'd a notable piece of service against the spaniards , who were thought to begin to want powder ; for there was a calculation made that they had discharg ' d from the three castles , galleons and gallies , above thirty three thousand bullets already . there was a captain made shorter by the head , in regard the people had some jealousies that he held correspondence with the viceroy , having divers barrels of powder in his lodging which he had not discover'd . the next morning betimes the spaniards played from land and sea with their great cannons , so that it made the very earth to tremble ; they threw balls of wild-fire also into the city , which did notable hurt , and made both women and children to cry out , and howl miserably up and down the streets : the great bell of san lorenzo rung out again ; but that night the capuchin fryer who was brother to the archbishop , and was accounted a very holy man , was permitted to go to the castle to his highness don john of austria , to whom he propos'd some terms of accommodation ; don john directed him to the viceroy , but nothing could be obtain'd . the captain general of the people , the prince of massa , was suspected to have intelligence with the enemy , in regard of a lukewarmness they found in him in the execution of his office , therefore he was committed prisoner to the zapateria , in a certain dark cave , and chanchiero , who had chopp'd off the head of don peppo caratta , the duke of mataluni's brother , who was but a shop-keeper , was appointed to exercise the office of captain general ; for it wa● incredible to what a skill the common citizens wer● come to in point of arms. and now the most splendid and delicate city of naples which ravish'd all tha● came into her , she which was one of the glories 〈◊〉 italy , was reduc'd now to such an extremity , that she might be termed the miserablest and most barbarous of all cities ; such is the effect of war , and the fury of the people . the spaniards on the one side put all to fire and sword , the citizens on the other side bur● the goods , and destroy the houses of those of whom they had the least umbrage of suspition : the children cry up and down the streets for bread , which was extream scant , and every thing else very dear , only the sea , thanks be to god , afforded good store of fish , but for flesh there was neither salt nor fresh in any competency . the people having made a mine under porta reale it was discovered by the spaniards , who seiz'd upon all the powder , and took some of the miners , which they carried to the castle . there was a very bloudy fight 'twixt the citizens and the spaniards , about the dogana or custom-house , whence the people had remov'd above a million of goods into the house of the duke of adri. there came four hundred fresh men from sanseverino to serve the people , about which time a great many houses were burnt about porta reale . there came also six thousand combatants for recruites from other places , as lauro , nola , and other towns , insomuch that the city had not wherewith to sustain them , they were in such numbers . about the dogana there was the most furious fight of all , which lasted six hours , wherein many hundred , were wounded and slain , but more on the peoples sides and all the while the great bell of st. lorenzo rang out , while they were shedding one anothers blood . thete were about a hundred boys called lazari , which had certain darts , who went up and down and put fire to the convent of jesu , where they rush'd in and did much hurt ; but they were all beaten out by the spaniards . the next day there was a tough and bloody skirmish at porta medina , and the great bell of st. lorenzo rung out three times ; the fight was pursued to sancta lucia , where the people broke open a gate , but they were forced to turn back by the exemplary valour of don diomede caraffa , who had a very choice brigade , though few in number ; the next morning there was nothing but flames and smoak through the west side of the city , there were so many houses , and some of them very fair ones , which were set on fire the night before , which had not yet done burning . there came the next day three hundred men from salerno for the assistance of the people , who were quarter'd towards the sea-side ; that evening , and all night following the great bell of st. lawrence sounded again , and the fight continued all night most furiously , wherein many of the new salerno-men breath'd their last . the next day there was truce propos'd , but to little purpose ; so they fell to it all night again , and many hundreds were slain : among the people some of the family of parigi were shot to death , upon suspition to hold correspondence with the castle . don john of austria sent some gallies with a design to secure posilipo , but they fail'd in the effect ; for the spaniords were beaten back , being ore-powr'd by multitudes . the people finding that they were weak in horse , they made a new cavalry , and they admitted some of the banditi to their troops , who had come to fish in these troubled waters , to command them . the duke of mataluni had sent some choice troops of horse to don john of austria , which did extraordinary service . he sent a cavalier of quality to the captain-general of the people , to know the merit of their cause , and why they were so active in their own destruction , and the ruine of so many innocent souls , and such a glorious city : but the people sent back but an uncivil answer , viz. that when the confirmation was come from the court of spain they would send his highness another kind of message ; till then 't was but just they should continue to stand upon their guard , and repel any force , by that power which god and nature had given them for the defence of themselves and their franchises , together with their wives and children ; yet persisting with firm resolution to continue in an exact obedience to his catholick majesty , and not to listen to the enchantments of any other prince , which began to tamper with them already for a revolt . that night being a clear moon-shine , the people cull'd out three hundred horse , and four thousand musketiers and pikemen , to keep in one body upon some design , and it was to meet with the auxiliaries that the duke of mataluni had sent ; but they did not bring their intent home to their aim that night . the next morning a ban was published , that none in any part of city or suburb should plunder , under pain of death ; which was obeyed accordingly . upon saturday the . of september the great bell rung out for every one to be in a posture ready to fight : there was fire put to the house of the prince of montesarchio , hard by the dogana of corn , and a general skirmishing continued all night long till the sunday morning , at which time there came out a procession of friers in a doleful grave posture , with their faces bending towards the earth , which struck such a sense of mortality among them , that there was a white flag raised up for a truce , which the castle condescended unto ; but notable execution had been done on both sides the night before , so that the greatest business of the next sabbath was to bury their dead . the night following there poured down such fearful cataracts of rain that hindered all kind of action on both sides ; but upon munday there was a tough fight happened betwixt the brigade of the duke of mataluni and the people at marano , three of his commanders had their heads chop'd off in the great market-place , besides there was one hanged who had been surprized and searched , and a letter found about him from the duke of mataluni to the viceroy . the next day the voice went up and down , that if there were not terms propounded for a sudden peace they intended to introduce forreign force , and fix up a protest against his excellency : the sound of this voice went up to the castle . there was brought that day the head of captain john rosso di nola into the market-place , who was one of the chief commanders in the brigade of the duke of mataluni . a publick ban was fixed upon the church-doors , and in the publick market place , as also upon the gates of the city , that all cavaliers who had withdrawn themselves from the city might return with safety , which was done at the importunity of the artisans , who cried out that all trade was failed , which they imputed principally to their absence . the . of september there was a general assault made , and the most pertinacious was at santa lucia upon the hill , and at s. martins ; they of the people would have forced their passage that way , but the spaniards being strongly intrenched , they could do no good , notwithstanding that the dispnte was extreme eager and hot ; eleven spaniards were taken prisoners , besides those that were hurt and killed . the next day there was a furious dispute at porta medina , where the people had made a mine , which wrought a contrary effect , and flew in their own faces , insomuch that divers were blown into the air , some killed on the ground , and divers pitifully disfigured . the next day the people caus'd their own head to be beheaded , which was the prince of massa , turaldo their general , because he had caus'd sand to be put into some barrels in lieu of gun-powder , specially in those which were to do execution near jesus church : his body and his head were brought to the open market-place , to be a spectacle to all people : and about that time the spaniards sallied in divers places out of their trenches , and did notable execution upon the citizens , while they were gazing on the head of their general . tuesday the of september , having been engag'd in fight all night long , the people put forth a publick manifesto in print , with their reasons why they had taken arms , therefore they desired his holiness , together with the emperour , and all the princes of italy , as also all other christian princes , to be sensible of their sad condition , and assist them , not onely with their prayers , but with their arms , in so just a quarrel ; concluding , that besides the recompence which they might expect from the goodness of god in an act of so much lawfulness and piety , that most faithful people would be ever bound to do the like or greater courtesies unto them upon all contingencies . the prince of turaldo who had a good while serv'd the people in quality of a general , having receiv'd the pass-port to go to the other world without his head , gennaro arnese succeeded him in that publick charge : the first piece of justice he did was to condemn a captain to have his head struck off , for violating a woman in the doury of virgins where he had his command . turaldo being gone , 't was imagin'd by some that it would facilitate the way to peace ; and that which rais'd the hopes of some the more , was , because his holiness's nuntio had gone to the castle , where he receiv'd that solemn audience ; but nothing came of it , so that all the next day there was nothing but skirmishing up and down in every corner . the . of september , six hundred of the people 'twixt horse and foot , went to marano in succour of that important post , where they found three thousand horse of the barons ; in particular , the marquess of vasto , the duke of cagnano , the duke of mataluni , the prince of monte sarchio , the duke of caivano , the marquess of marianella , the duke of siana , and a number of other cavaliers , all which were repelled by them of the place , and the succour which came from the city ; among other , their captain general was killed , and thirteen more , whose heads were brought to the great market-place in triumph , with divers prisoners besides . the next day the great cannons from the three castles plaid more furiously than ever , and made both towers and steeples , houses , monasteries , and churches , to tremble every where . the spaniards attempted to open a passage at vemero , which was a post of mighty consequence ; the dispute was very stubborn , and wonderful hot , lasting above three hours ; but the spaniards were made to retire at last , being surprized by night . that day the people did strictly command , that under great penalties the cavaliers should keep within their houses , nor were they suffered to go hear mass inany church for fear of conventicles : they sent their orders abroad likewise in the countrey circumjacent , that they should bring provision to the city , and other assistances , under pain of rebellion . the day following it was pitiful how the women went howling up and down with their children at their breasts , crying out for bread , which was come down to . ounces . there came into the post eleven gallies from genoa with the duke of tursi , who all saluted the castles , and the castles them ; besides , the torrion of carmine gave them also divers salutes in behalf of the people ; but the said duke coming ashore was afterwards clap'd up in prison . there came six hundred fresh souldiers from sanseverino and the precincts thereabouts for succour of the neapolitans , who upon their ensigns brought the picture of death ; they were quartered about the monastery of s. andrea , the nuns being removed thence to another place . certain letters which were sent from the ambassadour of the most christian king to the most faithful people of naples were publickly read , being consigned to don luigi ferro , who had been ambassador for the people in dispersing the foresaid manifesto up & down : the proffers which the christian king made therein to the republick of naples were accepted , which was two millions of gold , twenty galeons , eighteen gallies , and fourty tartanas : thereupon a feluca was dispatched with an express from the people to embrace the said propositions , and whatsoever was contained in them . this express was to go to don luigi ferro , who was then in rome , negotiating with the french ambassadour . sunday the . of september , the people sent out a ban to call in all the barons up and down all the countrey for their assistance , under pain of burning their houses , and other penalties . the viceroy understanding what had happened betwixt franee and naples , and that johu baptista ferro was sent expresly to rome about it , he sent present advice thereof to his catholick majesties ambassadour there resident at that time , to do what diligences he thought fitting in so pressing occasions . in the mean time all that day there was fighting in divers posts about the city , and much bloud spilt . the viceroy caused the great cistern of oyl , which was near porta reale , to be emptied , and to be sold for the use of the souldiery , wherein there was computed to be above one hundred thousand sesters or quarts . the viceroy , cardinal filomarino , and the duke of tursis , they say , had a private conference over the walls thereabouts that afternoon . the next day the voice in many places of the city , viva francia , let france live , in other places , viva il parlamento d'inghilterra , let the parliament of england live , which caused don john of austria and the viceroy to have fleas in their ears . the rumour went that monsieur de fountain , ambassadour at rome for his most christian majesty had sent four veteran captains for the service of the city , who had order to let them know that he had a million every year to be expended for the preservation of their liberties , terming them a most noble , and a most generous people . they of the long robe went melancholy up and down the streets , complaining that they were undone for want of practice , w ich was no wonder , for inter armasilent leges ; there was news brought , that the duke of mataluni was towards aversa . there came another express from rome by baptista ferro that the king of france was resolv'd , and would make good his purpose , and promise , to preserve naples in quality of a common-wealth ; thereupon the cry up and down went viva francia , let france live ; which they strain'd their throats to cry so loud , that the sound thereof might reach to castelnovo , which was but a harsh note in the ears of the viceroy and his highness . that day there was fire put to the house of nicolo tinano in the piazza ofs . elmo . the general gennaro arnese put out'a declaration , that none under pain of death should say , that the letter of the king of france was false ; wherefore another express was sent to the french army to sollicit their haste . the . of september the fight was somewhat cold , as if the spirits on both sides had languish'd . the viceroy caus'd a letter to be printed in form of a manifesto to be sent to all the barons throughout the kingdoms , wherein he required them in his catholick majesties name , to contribute and send speedily what auxiliaries and assistants they could to bridle the tumultuous humours of these mechanicks . on the other side , they caus'd the capitulations which were made with the crown of france to be stampt and fairly printed . they also put out a protest against the barons , if they contributed any aid or advantage whatsoever to the viceroy against them . 'twixt the conciaria and lavinaro there was a great contest whether they should receive the king of france , or continue still under the catholick king ; but at last it was concluded that they would have neither ; but they would reduce themselves to the form of a republick , according to the example of old rome , their next neighbour , who never flourish'd more then under the form of a republick . another answered , that to establish any thing , it must have first a foundation ; we must not be transported with chimeras , and build castles in the air. the report ran that divers of the nobles had taken port at capo di chino , which fill'd the city full of odd thoughts ; because it was a post of infinite advantage : therefore all that night there was nothing but shooting of small and great guns , ringing of bells to fight , and much hurt was done on both sides , both to men and houses , which ceased about the morning . newes came to the city , that yesterday morning there was a great contention betwixt the brigades that the nobles had levied , whereof some would cry viva francia , others viva spagna , and the dispute went so high , that from words they fell to arms , and . were slain upon the place of those that cried for france . the army of the barons were advanced as far as aversa , where they made a hal● 〈◊〉 they passed to nola , thence to scafati , and thence ●o the tower of the anuntiata , and the greek tower , with a notable slaughter of the people . the next day the bell of santa barbara within castelnovo rung out as a signal to battel , which was not done before ; thereupon the spaniards came down with a great deal of violence ; and the people endeavouring to get porta medina and porto reale , specially vomero , which was next under the castle , the dispute was very eager and bloody ; but those places by the advantage of the great cannon were notably defended , and a great slaughter made of the citizens which made the women go up and down the streets like frantick folks ; one crying out for her husband , another for her brothers , another for her children ; so that it would have softned a heart of stone , and they began then to revile not only the viceroy , and don john of austria , calling him unlucky bastard ; but they fell with foul terms upon the king of spain himself , crying out , viva francia , viva il parlamento d' inghilterra . the barons bestir'd themselves notably in the country , and made themselves masters of scafati , and the greek tower where the people were strongly entrench'd , but forc'd to yield and run away : and the same hour that i was writing this , there was a bloody combat at porta reale and porta medina , and new jesu , which was so batter'd , that it can never be repair'd again : the slaughter was such , that dead bodies were carried away by cart-loads , and great pits made to hurl in the carkases ; so that one priest serv'd for many to sing their requiems ; then they discharg'd some cannons in the castle with powder onely for joy and triumph . i will now relate here what persons they were that were the first raisers of these horrid tumults . it must be presupposed that about the lower places of the great market-place , as also in lovinaro , conciaria , sellaria , at saint anthony , and santa maria loreto , and the hourg of the virgins , there were about thirty thousand men that used to goe barefoot , with canvass slops , and onely their shirts upward ; these men living most of them upon the retailing of fish , hearbs , sallets , flowers , and such petty commodities ; and some of them carrying cruses of oyl , fruits , bread , honey , with other things of the like nature about the streets ; most of them have their wives , who attend their labours at home , as beating of flax , spinning and washing ; these people are very prolifical and fruitful , that they have abundance of children ; they fare hard and lie upon mattresses ; for few of them have any sheets , yet they earn about twelve pence a day ; they have no stable possessions at all , but what they have is from hand to mouth : they are called in naples scalzi , that is , unshod people ; because they go most an end bare-footed ; their ordinary food , besides roots and fruit , is a little bacon put betwixt two pieces of bread , having boiled or rosted it before to make it melt upon the bread to make it savory ; they have nothing but water to drink after it , and this is commonly their dinner ; for supper they have commonly but hearbs and grass , whereof they will eat as much as a horse , a little oyl and vinegar ; and divers of them without bread. they live best in fruit time , whereof there is greater store about the city of naples then any where else ; and fruit time doth last there near upon six moneths : they feed much upon figs , which are there very great , and most delicate ; yet these people are plump and well to pass , vigorous and hearty , notwithstanding that their greatest sustenance is fruit . the viceroy duke of arcos had imposed a ●ornese which is less then a farthing upon every two pounds of fruit by way of gabel , and this year afforded more quantity of fruit then ordinary : these poor people grew half mad thereupon , considering what taxes were imposed upon all other commodities as far as bread , which is the staff of life : massaniello , as was related before , assisted by a number of these poor people , burnt the gabell-house in the market place , and committed other high acts of audacity . the viceroy commanded the house to be set up again , and continued still to exact the said gabell upon fruit : thereupon they grew more incensed and resolute then they were before ; and the artisans with other of the best sort of citizens joyning with them for the common interest and freedome , the tumult by degrees ascended to this monstruous height , that whereas before they spoke reverently of the king of spain , they now villifie him together with don john his bastard , and crye up the king of france , knowing him to be a mortall enemy to the spaniards , and to be now in actuall warre against him ; besides by the information of some merchants here , they had notice how matters pass'd in england ; therefore oftentimes they cry out , viva el parlamento d' inghilterra ; and in this manner ended the moneth of october within the city of naples . we are now on the first day of november , the feast of all saints ; and to begin the moneth , the spaniards shot very furiously from the castle of saint elmo , and gave them hot alarums ; but this was onely in the morning ; they were quiet all the day after . while these prodigious tumults succeded in the city of naples , i must not omit to declare that in calabria at most towns by a kind of strange influence , the same spirit of insurrection did possess the people . they of monteleone did tumultuously rise up , and burnt houses , which made don fabricio pignatello , duke of the said city , to hasten thither for suppression of the broyls in his own person , and for that time his presence did so prevail , being attended by the nobility , and others of best rank , that he quench'd those popular flames , and brought divers of the chief mutineers to punishment , whereby he setled a perfect quietness , not only in the city of monteleone , but in all the places adjacent . but when the said people had understood how stoutly the people of naples held out still , notwithstanding the arrival of don john of austria , whom they called the by-blow of his majesty : the said duke of monteleone finding the inclinations of the people generally for an insurrection , and their spirits elevated to a high pitch , by the example and constancy of naples , he wisely gathered what choice men he could to a considerable number , and having got a good vessel , together with a brigantine , he arrived safely to the port of naples the first of november , whence he went presently to castlenovo to do his observance to don john of austria , who with extraordinary demonstrations of favour and affection received him . whereupon the said duke offer'd with many hot protestations to make litter of his life for the service of his catholick majesty the king his master , upon all occasions , though never so full of imminent and unavoidable danger ; which protestations he made good afterwards by his actions ; so he dis-imbarqued the fifteen hundred men he brought , with a good quantity of arms , corn , and other provisions which he brought along with him from calabria . that night the spaniards being much animated by these new auxiliaries , and the person of so gallant a man , made sallies out of the castles down towards the city , where they sought in three several posts all night long , and the people of naples were ready to receive them ; so that they got little at that time . the next day the viceroy had a design upon pusilipo , and to that purpose sent thither a considerable force ; but the passages being narrow , and the people resolute to live and dye with the napolitans , the spaniards were repelled with some considerable loss , so that they re-imbarked themselves , and so retir'd . the next morning three hundred calabreses more were sent from the prince of satriano as a new supply for the viceroy , in behalf of the catholick king his master . there were tidings also brought from the army of the barons , that don vicenzo de tuttavilla had parted from aversa towards the greek tower , and scafati , where runs the source of the waters that drive all the mills thereabouts ; it was beleagured by three thousand of the people ; tuttavillia had with him six hundred horse , the duke of andria , with others , six hundred more , the duke martina sixty , the marquess of turiviso two hundred horse , and fifteen hundred foot , the prince of yorella three hundred foot , and three hundred horse , the prince of supino fifty horse , the count of santa maria in grisone thirty horse , the duke of cassa massima fifty horse , and tonno gentili having left aversa to the government of the duke of mataluni , who had two hundred banditi , together with the duke of sora fifteen hundred horse , the prince of sernia fifty horse , and the camp-master marco laudulpho of the said city was inordered to keep his station at some distance from the city . the viceroy having seasonable notice of the motion of the army under the barons , gave order to batter the trenches about porto ; but they were so well fortified and barricadoed that the artillery could do no good . the next morning massaniello's command was renew'd in the city , that none must go abroad in a cloak or upper garments , but all en cuerpo . the duke of mataluni maintaining his brigade upon his own expence , without one carlin charge to his majesty , and demanding some quarter to guard , he was assigned that of santa lucia on the hill , a place of the greatest consequence , because the enemy had means thence to batter castelnovo . about midnight an alarm was given by the enemy , and the said duke would have exposed his own person in the van , which he did , and did notable execution upon the citizens . the next day being returned to the castle his highness don john fell embracing of him , expressing much thankfulness and joy. the people the day following took eight of puzzuolo men prisoners , with a corporal of the duke of matàluni's , who had been freed formerly by the said people when the vicaria was taken ; he was hanged in the market-plaee . the city made great provisions for the frenchmen , whom they expected to come for auxiliaries ; whereupon the viceroy sent some choice galleys to pusilipo , and other places , with two hundred men upon a design . the same morning the general of the barons army march'd to cerra , where he found the prince of montesarchio , the prince of fraia ( who was governour of that place ) with three hundred horse and two hundred foot ; with these three was don francisco caracciola , the son of the duke of cosenza , don fabricio spinello , don jusepe mastrillo , and carlo gartano a captain of a troop of horse , together with don antonio tuttavilla , don francisco de vargas , 'twixt tonn● and somma . being come at night to nola , where don fernando caracciola was governour ; they found also there the prior his brother , don giovanni sanchez , with the prince of ottoiano , and others , who had four hundred good horse , and three hundred foot , conducted by the said barons . upon munday the fourth of november the citizens of naples sent in the name of the most faithful people two thousand foot well armed towards the greek-tower : the duke of tursis with much difficulty did land his goods , with some of his highnesses don john of austria . the rumour ran , that his catholick majesty sent a peremptory command , that an accommodation should be made with the people by all means possible , and that the war should cease . thereupon his highhess sent a person of quality to tell the people how he received a great deal of consolation that he had found so much experience of the most faithful people in the alleglance to his catholick majesty , in that they had caused some of theirs to be taken off , whose tongues had cried out , viva francia , therefore there should be reasonable justice done to all their just demands . thereupon they proposed , that the duke of arcos should be removed : secondly , that his highness might govern them ; thirdly , that the spaniards in vallom should retire to castlenovo ; fourthly , that the chief incendiaries should depart the kingdom : fifthly , that the castle of s. elmo should be in the hands of the people , with the posts about it , as it was in the time of charles the emperour ; sixthly , and lastly , they desired a performance of the capitulations agreed upon at first . the next day the forces of the duke of montelione imbarqued themselves , who came to preserve that city in her obedience and security . the people thereupon removed , and planted some of their artillery in the palace of cardinal filomarino and s. george the great , that they might the more conveniently shoot at the castles ; which many wondred at , considering there was an overture of treaty made ; the barons army met all in one gross body , the general being the prior caraeciola before-mentioned , and don john same 's with two hundred horse went towards scafati , where he arrived about fix a clock , and found the place beleaguer'd by two thousand of the peoples forces ; there were within fifty spaniards , who had but an alferez for their chief commander , they were in want of match and bullet , having been besieged four days , and they were forced to make use of their shirts for match , and melt copper-money for bullet ; the italian tercia under the command of prospero tuttavilla came very luckily at that time , together with captain siglia and osman , two companies of musketiers , one of don diego de cordova , the other were burgundians ; there was another brigade of ●oluntiers , themarquess of turicuto , thed . of bovino , the p. of mondervino , the p. of supino don john sanchez , don francisco caracciala , don lucio san felice , don gulliermo tuttavilla don joseph orilla , don thomaso guinazzo , tonno dentici , andreasanfelice , duarde andria , the marquess of san juliano , michael ruffia , don jeronomo suardo , don carlo aquaviva ; all these of the barons army were missing , in regard that every one attended his own post. the enemy had eight troops of horse , who were commanded by poleto pastina of salerno . the people lost persons , and were taken prisoners , the rest were pursued as far as stradono novo , near the territories of aversa ; on the barons side onely one burgundian was slain , and more wounded ; they made a halt there , and the barons army sack'd and burnt many houses , among the rest the house of pietro cassale . there was also much pillage and treasure seiz'd upon , most part whereof was distributed among the fifty spaniards who kept scafati so gallantly . afterwards they march'd to the tower of aversa , where they hung out white flags in sign of obedience ; and the general being entred he gave them an universal pardon , and while he march'd towards the greek tower of castelmare , the duke of montelione appear'd to receive further orders , together with the duke of girifallo , the marquess of s. george with foot , together with the prince divalle , came also unto them ; the whole army being come to the said tower , whither they of scafati had fled , before they gave any assault , the enemy did abandon the post. while thus in the countrey there was a course taken to straiten the people to the obedience of his majesty , there was no time lost in naples ; for the duke of montelione did bestir himself notably , who advanc'd boldly towards the dogana ; he attempted also to force the passage to sancta lucia to confront the enemy , having done so oftentimes before : at last having advice , that in calabria there were new tumults , he made it appear to his highness how necessary it was for him to return thither ; hereupon parting from don john , with many expressions of endearments , he had the title conferr'd upon him of vicar-general , with a very ample commission to that effect , yet with this restrictive clause , that the kingdom being quieted he would be willing to resign the cha●●● : so leaving the best part of his brigade behinde for the service of naples , he imbarqued himself the night following for carantaro . in the morning betimes they of the greek tower came to tender their obedience the sixth of november ; so for the guarding of that place the camp-master-general quarter'd there calabreses , and neapolitans , to be commanded by the duke of nartina and luigi minutulo with their troops of horse , and seignior caesare caraffa : but being setled there , there came the day following of the peoples army under the command and conduct of capitan rosso , who suriously assaulted them , and having gain'd the first trenches with the death of calabreses whom the duke monteleone had brought , and spaniards , they burnt the monastery of santa maria , together with the hospital of the incurables , cutting off the heads of sick men ; but they within making a virtue of necessity , sallied out with that magnanimous resolution , that they put them to flight , and took about of them prisoners , and did execution upon above in the pursuit ; cavallero medici got the colours of the horse , the count of santa maria , don michael almaide , the prince of castillaneta , with the marquess of trevico did signal service that day . in naples , in the interim , judge palma , who had retired himself into the castle , did frame a writing , exhorting the people to conform themselves , and submit to the mercy of his highness , who did offr to stay there for hostage , until the capitulations came from his majesty : in that writing of the judge there were many proposals worthy of the consideration , with cautions how the french in former ages did carry and miscarry themselves in that kingdom : how that in the compass of less than moneths they were forced to send them away packing , and desire the spaniard to enter : now it is not observed , that the french are any thing alter'd in their natures to this day , but are still the same , insolent and unstable men , as they were from the beginning . yet for all these overtures of reconcilement , the great cannons played still , and all sorts of small shot , and acts of hostility committed night and day 'twixt both parties ; and this day the musketiers came as far as the nuncio's house , which was much wondered at . it was expected about this time , that a general indulgence or amnestia should be publish'd through all the kingdom , and that for years there should be a freedom given of all the lands ; moreover that the power of the barons o're their tenants should be restrain'd . there came news to naples , that the marquess of velez was dead in his viceroyship of sicily , and that cardinal trivultio was appointed to succeed him in the government of that kingdom . tidings were brought also , that . feluca's were come from rome , with certain commanders of war , for the service of the people ; there came news afterwards , that . more were arriv'd , and thought to be french ; and that a great personage was aboard of them , which was thought to be the duke of guise ; therefore the town made preparations to receive and entertain him according to his quality in point of diet and housing . there sallied out of the town that day . souldiers upon some design on the greek tower , but they came back re infectà . the . of november , all night long , the great bell of san lorenzo rung out , and the great cannons played more furiously then ever ; drums and trumpets sounded every where , the castles did a great deal of hurt to the city : at donna alluina the spaniards made two mines to force their passage that way further into the heart of the city ; but the mines played not , which made them return to their own posts with some mortality : yet two of the fairest houses in naples were blown up that night : and about the dogana there was skirmishing for six hours together , 'twixt the spaniards and the people , which caus'd such mortality on both sides . the next day the people understanding that the prince of montesarchio was coming with . fresh combatants for the royalists , the great bell gave an alarm , so there sallied out of the city . men to repel him which took effect ; for they made the prince to sind his way back again : now , because the business of the people might go on more regularly , they might go on more regularly , they elected . doctors of the law , and . swordmen as a committee to consult what was to be done : some houses were burnt without the gate of the holy spirit ; and upon the palace of tonno d' angelis , there was a black flag set up , so that the cannons played most part of the day . yesternight there was a great brigade of cavalry and infantry discover'd in form of a squadron beyond the bridge● of santa madalena ; there came also two gallies which were laden with dead bodies from divers places of the country , to receive honourable burial in the city , whereof there were divers commanders . st. elmo had got a supply of gunpowder from sicily by a gally of purpose ; so the next day the castle thundred for . hours together . this incens'd the city so much , that the next day there was a bando publish'd that none should speak of peace ; but that every soul should prepare to defend himself by arms , and annoy the enemy as much as he could . the cavaliers , and general of the barons , who kept up and down the country , made a halt at marigliano , and sequestred the goods of ciccio ferlingero , general of the calvary to the people , where they found . butts of lacrime christi , a choice sort of wine ; the prior caracciola was left governour of the said place with . souldiers , and ottaiana the prince himself guarded the place . wednesday following , they march'd towards aversa ; in the way they made a halt at marigliano , and sergeant major nega was left governour of the place , with . troops of horse . in many places of the countrey circumjacent to naples ; the tenants rose up in great numbers , hoping that the city would be able to free them from the yoke of slavery they groan'd under , and the excessive rents they paid to their landlords . they of naples had so fortified the dogana , that it look'd like an impregnable bulwark ; it commanded one side of the sea ; so that the spaniards could not pass to the little mole to and fro , which was a great incommodity unto them ; for divers were , killed as they went along from time to time , and it hindred the conveyance of necessaries to the castle . for two days together there was nothing but shooting of great and small guns , and the bullets flew up and down every where , which made no distinction of persons , whereby you may conjecture what a mortality there was . the civiller sort of people , as lawyers , clerks , notaries , and other of the long robe , were commanded to put themselves in arms for the common defence , and were assigned several posts for them to guatd . there came gladsome news to the city that the prince of montesarchio was routed , who came to stop the watets of poggio reale , insomuch that he himself was put to fly , nor was the service without considerable loss to the people also : there was one of the house of capello , that was surprized and taken for a spie to the duke of mataluni , with divers other prisoners of quality brought to the market-place : thereupon there were bonfires of joy made in divers places of the city , and the bells rung out , and the cannons played to congratulate their good successes . the cavalry of the people thought to assault some posts about vomero ; but by the valour of the germans and burgundians , who served the viceroy , they were repuls'd with no little loss : they took an eminent man called andrea carola , who belong'd to the prince of massa , prisoner , and a councel of war went upon him , so he was condemn'd to have his head cut off . the camp-master general , scipione latro , was appointed by the viceroy to have the chief charge in guarding puzzuolo . the people that night march'd with . resolute men , and advanc'd just under the castle of s. elmo ; they entred into an outward house that belong'd to the governour of the castle , where they found some provision , and great store of wine , which they let out upon the ground , and burnt the house : the chief leader of this venturous brigade did play his game so well , that he came off with the loss of ten men only . the duke of arcos did publish a bando , that whoever could bring him the head of gennaro arnese , who was elect of the people , should have . crowns : thereupon the people caused another bando to be publish'd , that whosoever could bring into the market-place the head of the duke of arcos , who was viceroy , should have . crowns ; or whosoever did kill him any way , should have . upon certainty of the act : insomuch that the eagerness and enmity on both sides grew hottet and hotter . they of the long robes and divers priests went up and down the streets en cuerpo all in black , with muskets on their shoulders , and pistols on both sides hanging at their girdles . there came unwelcome news to the city the day following , that the count of conversano was come to puzzuolo with four thousand fresh combatants , to joyn with the cavaliers by the way of ansignano ; there was brought in the afternoon a cart-load of heads into the market-place , which had been cut off in the countrey . the fight grew very furious towards the people , especially at porta reale , where a spanish camp-master don jeronymo guzman , kinsman to the viceroy , fell gloriously ; yet his body was rescued , and received honourable burial in the church of spirito santo : eleven spaniards more perished in that place ; but of the common people 't was thought there were about a hundred slain . the next day the castles saluted the city betimes with their cannon from st. elmo ; an unhappy bullet came and killed one of the principal of the black-coats that was in arms. there came news from the country , that don julio aquaviva was slain about marigliono , with others who had sold their lives very dear , with slaughter of divers of the people . the popes nuntio , there having come unto him a courtier expresly from rome to that purpose , desir'd to have audience of the people in the name of his holiness , to whom he had some things to communicate that tended to the publick incolumity and welfare of the city : thereupon there was a consultation had in gennaro arnese's house , the general of the people , where it was deliberated that he should be heard ; but that he should pass through some private houses , not through the open streets , to the place of audience , because he might not discover their works : thereupon the general of the napolitan republick put himself in state all in cloth of silver , to attend the nuntio ; who came at last with an auditor , whom the pope had sent purposely with a brief , exhorting the city to conform themselves to a serious treaty of peace , otherwise the holy church must do her duty , and exercise her spiritual arms for the preserving of christian blood , and preventing the effusion of it . 't was said he stil'd gennmaro by the name of excellency ; who answered the nuntio , that he could not expect a sudden answer to so grave an embassie ; therefore the most faithful people desired some time to consult and consider of it : so the nuntio parted , and some did laugh in their sleeves at him when he was gone , so little they feared the arms of the church . but this message from the pope did so little prevail , that the next day the people buckled themselves for fight more earnestly then ever , being now so long flesh'd in blood that it made them little sensible of danger ; therefore all that day there was skirmishing in all places . towards the evening there was a feluca discovered , which had been chased by two gallies , but narrowly scaped them ; this feluca came safely to port , and she brought in her the duke of guise , who had lived a good while retir'd in rome , having left france upon some disgust : hereupon there went off from the torrion of carmine twenty six shot of ordnance , and then the bells did ring out à gloria : the duke had with him but four servants : gennaro arnese went to meet him in splendid equipage , and he was received by the people with extremity of gladness ; the cannons upon the bastion of the great church went off again , and he was conducted to the carmine , where there were church-offices performed to god and the most blessed virgin for his safe arrivall to naples . his quarter was provided for him behind the bastion of carmine . the next morning he appeared in the windows of his lodging , and hurl'd money among the people , telling them that they should be of good cheer , for the french army was near : that evening he did the like ; but as they were discoursing of this business news came that the said army was sailed towards toscany . about night there were brought eight heads into the market-place ; and it was reported that one of the sons of count conversano was dead . the next day there were sixteen fe●ucas that brought french officers and others from rome , for the duke of guise , who threw monies again among the people up and down the streets . that evening there was skirmishing at every post about the city . but there came cold news from the countrey , that there about three hundred of the people kill'd by the barons army , who was recruited much by the cavaliers of castlemare . the duke of guise went to view all the trenches that were rais'd up and down for the defence of the city , as also at vomero , and puslipo , at which time a fire happened in the vicaria , which was extinguish'd before it had done much hurt . about this time polito pastina the cape of the banditi , for to be revenged of some enemies of his in salerno , made himself master of the place by force , notwithstanding that he had received some refreshments there a little before : he secur'd the town for the people ; but the camp-master boccapianola of leve came with three thousand well appointed men presently after , and besieged pastina in the town of salerno , where he apprehended so much fear , that he proposed suddenly some articles , that if the viceroy would pardon him he would for the future constantly serve his majesty with all his brigade ; which was accordingly accepted . these are the successes out of naples ; but within her walls there were hot disputes all this day without any intermission , which lasted till night and darkness parted them . the duke of guise the next dav went to the archbishops palace , to take on oath of fidelity to the people , and hear mass , and so he took the communion by the hands of cardinal filomarino . news came that the city of nocera was in great commotion , and that much slaughter was done there , some adhering to the people , but the greatest number to the king , who hated the very name of the french. that evening there was a hot encounter at san carlo alle mortelle , where a knight of st. jago was slain , with divers others ; but the people lost more ; for they were in a better condition to spare them , having ten times more store of men then the enemy . the duke of guise got a choice brigade , to give a general assault to donna alluina , whereupon the bells rung out to arm ; in this service very many fell ; but re infectà thence they went to santa maria la nova ; but the success was not great . the viceroy caused nine to be executed that he had taken prisoners into the castle , and published a ban , that whosoever took up arms against his majesty should suffer death without mercy . the next day there were very hot encounters in divers places , and many were slain , hurt , or taken prisoners ; the great rain caused them to be quiet in the afternoon , which foul weather came accompanied with a tempest that endangcred some of don j. of austria's fleet , which was in the port , expecting what would be the issue of these broyls . the duke of guise desir'd to have foot , and horse , and he would go to finde out the barons army , which did so much spoil in the countrey : he had his desire , and so march'd to auversa . the barons having timely intelligence hereof , joyn'd all in a battaglion , and came with a great deal of resolution towards the duke ; and understanding there were many french in the army , it heightned their spirits the more : the people hearing the noise of so many trumpets , and sound of drums , were seared , and so astonished that they thought of flying away ; but the duke with other commanders did encourage them , so that a furious fight lasted for hours ; but at last the dukes people gave ground , and so ran away with the the loss of upon the place , and about half so many wounded , and prisoners . the lieutenant-general of the people was slain , who was a french-man , with a camarade of the duke of guise , whose body he bought for burial : on the barons side there fell the marquess of san juliano , don emmanuel vaaz , with more ; the victorious barons retired ( the night being come ) to aversa , and the people for another place that stood for naples . they had been somewhat quiet in naples all this while , attending the success of the countrey army abroad , which when they heard , it somewhat dejected them . the duke being returned to naples , went to visit all the posts up and down ; the next morning the city had a hot good-morrow given her by the castles , that put her in a palsie for a great while ; there came more french from rome to finde out the duke of guise , but they were very few . some of the people remembring the words of the duke , that the french army was near , made a motion , that if the said army came not by such a day the dukes head should pay for it ; many thought this french army was a meer chymera , and a pure cheat ; nor did there want some instruments os the viceroy to infuse this into the peoples heads . about the dogana the next day , there was a tough dispute , where were killed , and of the people wounded , many fell likewise on the other side . the admiral of don john's galeous died about this time , having been sick divers days of a continual feaver . there was a new patent to be given to the duke of guise , wherein he should be stiled the doge of the royal republick of naples ; but some under hand gave advice , it was not fitting to be done until there were some certitude of the french army he spoke of . besides some reports were flown from the castle , that the confirmation of the articles was come from the catholick court , and was a printing with addition of further graces for the city of naples . in the interim there came reports daily how divers places in calabria , as pizzo and others , were mightily troubled with factions , which were grown so high that much bloud was spilt , many houses burnt , and other mischiefs done . in some places the kings party prevail'd , in others the people ; yet the marquess of santa catherina did a great deal of good , who went up and down with foot , and horse , and did quiet sundry places that were in uproars with such moderation and prudence that it is admirable ; he suppress'd besides some rogues , that taking the advantage of the times robb'd up and down the countrey , hanging them up on the high-ways on boughs of trees , that they might be a terror to the passengers . and in one little grove which lay upon the common passage , they say , he did such an execution of those free-booters , who were worse than banditi or common robbers , that every tree was laden with their dead bodies , some having , some , some , or more , dangling upon their branches . upon mund●y the second of december , leaving the affairs of calabria , and returning to naples , from hours of night to in the morning , there was a kinde of general battle given , specially about the kings d●gana ; there fell of spaniards and germans above , and twice as many of the people ; this afternoon t●hre were imbarqued about souldiers to go for aversa for a further supply to the barons , those gallies which carried them had ammunition and arms also for the service of the said barons . upon the third of december there was quietness on both sides , as if there were no war at all , but afterwards there began a fiery encounter about the dogana , being the nearest post to castelnovo ; the duke of guise ordered that some place should be filled with earth and fagots , that the cannons towards the castle might be mounted higher ; whereupon many hundred people were set on work for that purpose accordingly ; there was order also , that all the wines near naples should be brought into the city , because the enemy should not make use thereof : there were likewise divers private magazines of corn found in the city , which being discovered they were made use of for the publick good . the duke of guise was resolved to raise a regiment of men upon his own charge , that they might be more faithful unto him , and as it were his own creatures ; he offered carlins by way of advance to every one , and a greater pay than ordinary ; thereupon divers came to enroll themselvs , and he promised to pay men upon his own score ; to which purpose he had letters of exchange for considerable summes : one of the greatest things that pinch'd the city , was the galeons and gallies which were in port , in regard they were a great hindrance for commodities to come to the city , which was reduced now to a great necessity of victuals . the spaniards had made a secret mine in the prince of rocca's house ; but the people having intelligence of it , spoil'd it , though it cost the lives of many . the fourth of december there were very hot disputes about the dogana , where many fell of both parties ; the duke of guise sent men to castelamare , to hinder the refreshments that used to come that way for the castles . the sixth of the same moneth , there was a truce for hours ; in the mean time his highness don john of austria gave notice to the city of a letter sent from his catholick majesty , wherein he ratisied all the capitulations of peace agreed on by the duke of arcos , and this was thought to be procured principally by the the intervention of his highness don john. the letter being sent to the captain general of the people , and communicated to the duke of guise , the said duke exhorted the people to accept of it , in regard their king had therein made concession unto them of so many signal graces , and indeed of whatsoever they desired ; thereupon the people boiling with heat answered twice , that they would be cut to pieces rather than to be subject to that nation any longer ; the duke finding the people so stiff in that resolution , he took a meduill from his breast , saying , that his most christian majesty had given him that meduill for a token , that whensoever he sent it to his majesty , there should come an army forthwith : so at the very instant there were feluca's dispatch'd towards the said army , ●o sollicit it should come away for the succour of the city , and most faithful napolitan people . upon the . of the same moneth , the bread was commanded to be made at twenty four ounces , by reason of scarcity of corn ; but the poorer sort of people extreamly murmuring hereat , it was forced to be made at five tonesses the loaf , for fear of some revolutions . advice was brought that from calabria there came four thousand souldiers under the conduct of polito pastana of salerno , who had executed an hundred persons in that city for their insurrections , reducing also cava and nooera to a firm obedience . the people imprisoned three walloons upon some jealousies of treason . the eighth of the same , the duke of guise review'd all the posts with much vigilancy , accompanied with his most understanding officers , giving strict orders every where to look to their charge ; the people were constrain'd to send forth some brigades out of the city to preserve the market folks and others from plundring . the duke caused three bans to be published ; one concerning the gunpowder , the other to regulate the markets : and the third , that whosoever did not come to keep his watch , he should forfeit so much . the city began to be fcant of corn , so that much bread was made of indian wheat : upon the . of december the castles began to give hot salutes to the cisitens , and the spaniards sallied towards the dogana , where the son of regent casanate was slain , with divers other persons of quality , and a cavalier of sant jago was one of them ; there were fifty wounded men carried to the castle : don joseppe de sangro also fell within the ditches of the entrenchments , so that his body could not be rescued : the spaniards made this fight as it was said , of purpose to divert the duke of gui●e from going to the countrey towards aversa , with . foot , and . horse , which he had determined to do that day . yet the duke of guise went on in his design , and with . troops of horse , . pieces of cannon , and . foot , he march'd towards juliano , and so to aversa ; he had . carts , besides his train of artillery : the people renew'd the order , that none should wear cloaks that very day . the duke of guise being come to juliano with such a force , the guardian giacomo rosso presented him the keys of that place kept formerly by the duke of mataluni ; so that he recruited his army there to . combatants making juliano his randevouz : when he was departed , the castles did so let fly their ordnance , as if the day of judgement were come . in san lorenzo the carmine , and san carbonaro , the bells rung out to give alarms , and those shootings began an hour before day , and continued all the morning ; they sallied out of the castles with much resolution , and passed through some of the trenches , advancing as far as s. peter the martyr , where the gross of the peoples army falling upon them , they made a very handsome retreat , and got back to their posts ; notwithstanding , there was an ambush made for them in the way , which they avoyded , but with the loss of the third part of their number ; that evening there came tidings that count conversano had burnt fratta picciola with great slaughter . afterwards it was inordered ; that the duke of guise should be treated his highness ; he was now at juliano , where among other things he found . sacks of grain : he put sorth an order , that none should part from the present army which he had then , under pain of death . in naples there were hot doings the . of december , both in castles and city , and one unlucky bullet did good execution against castelnovo , for it battered down a little turret , and made a breach in the wall. the cry was still the french army will come ; but some said , 't was but a fancie : news came that the duke of guise not being able to lodge all his men in juliano , he was forced to find them quarter in the places circumjacent . the business was still hot in naples , and many skirmishes on both parties . a company of lazzari were assaulted by some of the duke of mataluni's men , whereof the duke of guise having notice , he got presently a horse-back , and with a choice number went to their succour , so there was a tough dispute wherein many of the people perish'd , and twenty of the lazzari . in naples there were some suspected of foul play , and to have intelligence with the castle , among whom , the captain of the post hard by saint domingo suriano , and others of the house of colentano , who were all imprisoned by the people ; some of them freed themselves , but others were condemn'd to die , and executed . a mariner come from genoa reported that he had seen at piombino thirty four french vessels under sail design'd for these seas , and that others who were their consorts were scatter'd by a violent tempest . it was given out , that the duke of guise had sent a herald to assign a day of battel to tuttavilla , who was in aversa , and that he answered , that he much wondred that the most christian king , and he himself being a prince of the house of lorrain , who had so many obligations to his catholick majesty , should offer to assist the vilest people of naples . the duke replied , that the king of france being the protector of the oppressed , as it appear'd to him the napolitans now were , had commanded him to defend them in their just priviledges ; therefore he sent him notice that he should make himself ready for combat , for he was resolv'd to have a battel . there were the day following a fleet discovered at sea , and some thought it was the french armada , and so rejoyced exceedingly ; but they of castel ovo , thought it to be a fleet of spaniards , consisting of twenty three vessels ; thereupon up went the flags within the castles , crying out , armada de cielo , armada catholica , the armada of heaven , the catholick army : others said , it was the indian plate-fleet which was come to succour them here : this bruit ran through all toledo street ; afterwards from the castle they spied six more ; they were all about two miles distant from the shore ; so night came on , that they could see no more for that time . the next morning that fleet proved to be french indeed , which came to assist the people of naples , as they made their approach towards the shore , they reduced themselves to the form of a half moon , as if they came to besiege the spanish fleet , which was in post . the spanish admiral seeing that french fleet sailing towards the shore , he wondred at the rashness of those who had the guidance of it , that they would offer to enter into that gulf , having no post of security : therefore he gave out a rodomontado that he would not leave a vessel unsunk of them . 't was thought that fleet would sail towards posilipo to disimbark some men and ammunition , and so depart . the napolitan people finding it was a french fleet , displayed their colours up and down the city , and rais'd up the great standard with the image of the lady of carmine , of san gennaro , and other protectors of naples , with the arms of the royal republick ; and those of france , and all being brought to the church of carmine , solemn mass was sung in presence of the duke of guise ( who was now returned to naples for the timee ) and gennaro arnese the captain general , with an incredible multitude of people about them ; and after mass the standard was set up in the bastion of carmine , by divers of the principal officers , and the great guns went off every where in token of joy . the next day there came on shore many commanders and others from the said french fleet : they landed also six hundred cows and buffalo's ; which the people took for provision for city and souldiery : the french fleet kept still in form of a half moon ; and it was a goodly sight to behold it ; it consisted , as formerly was said , of twenty eight great vessels , and one small one ; they kept their distance so far , that they were out of the reach of the spanish fleet , or castles . there came about this time a declaration set forth by the napolitans , that they never had done , nor intended to do any thing against the nobility and gentry , whereat divers did very much wonder , considering the state of things then . the next day ginnaro arnese resign'd his generalship with great applause of the people ; who cried out aloud , let the duke of guise , let the duke of guise live : there was a purpose thereupon to make him doge of the royal republick of naples six years , and the said arnese governour of the bastion of the carmine , till some of the castles should be taken , allowing him twelve thousand duckets provision per annum . the duke also assured him of the greatest offices of trust that could be in the said republick . that evening the six thousand sacks of corn which the duke of guise had found in juliano was brought to naples for supply of the city ; and the duke of guise parted again for juliano . there was great expectation what would become of the two great fleets at sea ; but in the interim by distresse of weather two vessels were sunk ; one on this side posilipo : the second t'other side towards chaia : the sirst saved her men , but they were all cast away in the other ; and it was a ruthfull sight to behold men swimming , being closed arm in arm . they say , that there was another sunk , and two more were boarded ; so that with those of castleamane , they accountd fourteen vessels in all , and one more lost in full sea five tartana's : the spanish fleet had the winde on their side at first , but then it turned contrary ; in so much that the french fleet followed the spanish almost under castle ovo , and the tower of saint vincent , by perpetual shooting ; so that this night there were great expressions of joy in naples , and the bells rung à gloria . the duke of tursis had order from the castle to propose a truce for three hours , which lasted above six between the castle and the town : the rumour ran , that the french fleet was gone very ill handled , and also disgufted by the people , who would not consigne the bastion of carmine into the french hands ; and there wanted not those who painted out the frenchman to the life , and exaggerated his ill qualities . it was given out , that the french fleet had disimbarked both men and victuals at bagnoli . it was christmas-day ; and in honour of that holy tide there was a cessation of arms on both sides , and no hurt done : on the peoples side there was a letter intercepted from tuttavilla to the viceroy , wherein he complained that he could not furnish him with either men or money , therefore he advis'd him to manage the business as well as he could ; he express'd likewise , that they had scarce a shirt left amongst them ; for all went to make clouts for the wounded men . the galley santa agata went voluntarily to find the french fleet , which came on almost under the command of castelnovo , putting it self in the posture of an half-moon : there were among them three vessels so huge that they seemed as so many mountains in the sea : they came upon the point of pusilipo , and got ' off again clear by the favour of the wind : the dearth of bread increased in the city of naples , which made their spirits to faint somewhat ; yet the next day they advanced towards the castle of saint elmo , and the spaniards sallying out towards them , they lost five and twenty of their men . there was a plot discovered for the murthering of the duke of tursis , who had been lately taken prisoner , and the complices received their condigu punishment . don john of austria's steward came in a feluca of purpose , with white silk flags , to treat with the people for the freedom of the duke of tursis , and a ransome was put upon him of fourty thousand duckets . there came a recruit of three thousand men from farino for the service of the people ; their leader was antonio donato , who had the title of camp-master from the duke of guise : the spaniards took a feluca that was coming from pozzuolo full of people of good quality ; but it cost them dear ; for among others a knight of s. jago was slain in the action , three hurt , whereof one was a captain of note ; the weight and price of bread was regulated . there came tidings , that the city of aversa was yielded up , which had been so well fortified : the people took likewise caviano , where there were divers cavaliers mingled with spaniards , so that the camp-master tuttavilla fled into capoa with hundreds more : cerra also made a rendition of it self ; the duke of guise appointed governours in those places according ; and there were fourty thousand measures of corn brought to naples from those places , for the common sustenance of the people . don john of austria sent to the duke of guise an offer of three thousand duckets for the duke of tursis by a spanish camp-master : the duke answered , that the city of naples wanted no money ; and when he would yield the castles , and the fleet of gallies , the duke of tursis should be given up . the tower of anuntiata , a post of great consequence was taken by the people , and likewise all the advenues about castelamana ; the post of san leonardo was also reduced to the peoples obedience . there was a hot dispute between the spaniards and the people at chaia , where the peoples souldiers advanced as far as pedro de toledo's house : a letter of don john of austria's intercepted going to sicily , wherein he inordered cardinal trivultio to send the sicilian armada hither , for preserving of naples , which with the whole kingdom was in danger to be lost . the first day of the year . there came letters from divers places in apulia , from the capipopolo there , that they had twenty thousand good combatants ready to assist the royal republick of naples , if need were : an alfarez going that day to the elect of the people for corn to make bread for his souldiers , and the elect refusing , the alfarez took out his poniard , and would have stab'd the elect ; whereupon the alfarez was taken and hanged that very day in the market-place . the duke of guise removed his dwelling to the palace of the prince of santo buono , in s. john of carbonaro . the collateral council gave the duke of arcos to understand , that he should sit no more among them in quality of viceroy , but that his highness should govern ; but this was done , as 't was thought , in policy , to induce the people to a conformity ; but 't is certain that don john , speaking of him , said , vayase en hora mala che ha hecho perder este reyno a mi padre : let him go , in an ill hour ; for he hath lost my father this kingdom . there were two attempts made upon pozzuolo by the people ; but they were repulsed both times . letters came to the duke of guise from abruzzo , that they were ready to serve the republick upon all occasions , and to obey their summons . don john of austria sent an express to the barons , that they should make themselves ready , and appear in the field in a body . the judge onufrio was sent to santa clara , to perswade them to render themselves to his catholick majesty , alledging how that that great king had long arms ; but the people fell a laughing at the judge . there was news brought that the passage of scafati was re-gain'd , whereupon there was great rejoycing in the city ; a special guard of halberdiers was appointed to attend the duke of guise ; the governour of salerno came to do him reverence , bringing him a present of four choice ginets with rich saddles , and the arms of the duke upon them . there came also capopoli from the territories of otranto to do reverence to the duke of guise , with presents and assurances that they were at the disposing of the royal republick . most of the judges were removed through all the tribunals of naples , and well-affected men put in . on the other side don john inordered some part of his fleet to go to sardinia to fetch men and munition . there came news also from rome , that the conde d' ognate ( who had been embassadour in england , anno . ) had a commission to be the viceroy of naples . there came also a courier from milan , that there were three regiments appointed . and ready to serve his catholick majesty for the quieting of naples . thereupon the next day there was a most terrible fight made betwixt the castle and the city for hours together , wherein some hundreds perished on both sides ; the morning after , the duke of arcos with his family departed , and the castles gave him a farewell ; that afternoon don john of austria made a c●vulcata to jesu novo , where he lighted and went to church to be sworn viceroy for the time , whereupon te deum was so emnly sung ; then he return'd to the castle by the street of incoronata , where the great guns went off for joy . a general pardon was publish'd that day by don john of austria ; whereupon the grave judge onufrio di palma made a moving eloquent speech to the people , that since the duke of arcos with the chiefest incendiaries were gone , and that they now had a kings son , so gallant a young prince , to govern them , it was high time for them to return to their former obedience to their monarch and lawful king , who had maintain'd them in peace and plenty so many years , and now did make a gracious offer to take off all kinde of gabels , and grant a general indulto or pardon . the people answered , that if the spaniards would go home to their own countrey , the peace was made . so this alteration of governour wrought little effect for the present , but both parties jear'd one another ; so that the phlegm and longanimity of the spaniard did wonderfully appear in these traverses of affairs . the report was very rife that the condc d'ognate was preparing to come from rome with a recruit of choice men for the service of his catholick majesty , and to be viceroy of naples . in the mean time the war did not languish a whit ; for the people were now beleaguering surrento and pozzuolo with much resolution ; so that the noise of the cannons was heard from naples . news was brought that in santa maria de capra many of the people were slain , which did much exasperate matters as they then stood . there was a new election of deputies made ; prior caracciola , don diomede caraffa , and marco antonió gennaro were appointed for the nobles and city , who expos'd to his highness the grievous calamities and confusion that so flourishing a kingdom was reduc'd unto by reason of the present tumults ; that the people took up arms for no other end but to recover their liberty and livelihood ; that they might be the better able to serve his catholick majesty , and continue in their fidelity to their natural king ; and for the future they offer'd to keep arms no more in their houses , but live quietly , and in brotherly concord one with another . the next morning there came thirty thousand ducates from spain for the support of the war : that afternoon the duke of mataluni came to naples , to do reverence to his highness ; and a rumour ran that two cardinals were to come from rome with the conde d'ognate to accommodate matters : the people receiv'd a foul repulse before surrevto ; insomuch that they were forc'd to raise the siege with much loss . the like ill success they had before puzzuolo ; the duke of guise did a notable piece of justice upon a french baron , who had held intelligence with the puzzolani , and under-hand had been a means to convey them corn and other provisions . the people put to death a franciscan frier , a man of an ill life , and a dishonour to his frock . notwithstanding the fair hopes of accommodation , yet for two days and nights there was nothing but fighting and skirmishing at every post ; insomuch that there was a computation made of near upon five hundred slain on both sides in the space of fourty hours there was order given out that the lazzari which are the scum of the neapolitan people , being most of them porterst , scavengers and tankerd-bearers , having now grown very innsolent , should be suppress'd . there was new money stamp'd with the arms of the royal republick . the same night antonio manella elect of the people was slain by jacomo rosso camp-master of the people , by order of the duke of guise , chopping off his head afterwards , and carrying it up and down the city upon a halberd , and his body was dragg'd to the market-place , and so hang'd by the one foot , because he had secretly conveyed corn to the spaniards . the next day divers kinsmen and acquaintance os the duke of guise came to the city . gennaro arnese governour of the bastion of carmine having had private intelligence that the duke of guise had a design to introduce the french , and make himself king ; the said gennaro , together with vincenzo andrea and a great multitude of citizens , most whereof were on hors-back , rid up and down the city , and cried , viva la republica , viva il popolo ; at which rumour every one did shut up his shop and his doors , and the city was generally in arms ; which being understood by the duke of guise , he commanded his regiment of horse to be presently put in equipage , calling together all his confidents , making all of them a good squadron before his palace ; and arnese passing by at that time with his brigade , he was so saluted with some muskets that six of his men drop'd down dead , which made the rest betake themselves to flight : the duke afterwards rid up and down the streets , and the people cried out , viva la republica , viva il duca di guisa , vivasualtezza ; and so going to the carmine he had some conference with gennaro arnese , whereupon all was quieted in a marvellous suddenness , considering the quality of the commotion . the first of february . the castle of s. elmo put up the royal standard , upon discovering three gallies , one whereof was the capitana of naples , wherein was imbarqu'd the conde d'ognate ; upon his arrival to the post he was saluted by all the castles , first by castelovo , then by castelnovo , and lastly by the castle st. elmo . the bastion of carmine did also salute him , but it was with bullets , as he passed by , whereby three of the gally-slaves and two more were slain , which caus'd him to remove into a feluca , and so went first to salute his royal highness , and then into the palace , where he was attended by the c llateral council and all the nobility , with all the punctilio's of ceremony . there happen'd a great commotion at this time among the people and citizens of naples ; some crying up spain , others france , some the parliament of england , and others the republick : so that every one began to arm , and it was like to produce very ill consequences , unless the duke of guise by a french boldness and resolution had appeas'd the uproar . the d. of guise reform'd the officers of the militia , which tended afterwards to the advantage of his catholick majesties service . he sent also manifesto's to the nobles throughout the kingdom , that they should inform the people , that for the future no gabels or impositions should be laid upon them , but new graces and concession should be done them , provided they would continue in their loyalty and devotion to the royal republique . the marquess of turiano took the command of the reform'd souldiery , biasio di fosso being now dead : all the s●ldadesca with their officers interven'd to see the solemnity , and among others the marquess of rattivelle . upon the thirteenth of february . the royal republick of naples did establish certain senators , with the consent of the duke of guise and the people , together with the approbation of the councel of state and war ; and they were six in number , three noble men , and . citizens . don diomede carratta cesare de bologna , the prince della roeca for the nobles . augustin mollo , gennaro arnese , vincent d'andrea . were chosen for the people . it was also determin'd that there should be elected two senators for every province throughout the whole kingdome , which were twelve in all ; so that the whole number would come to twenty four ; twelve for the nobles , and twelve for the people , to avoid confusion that might arise from a greater number . moreover , it was ordered that certain officers should be elected for the government of the cities and towns with subaltern instruments under them ; specially for the government of saponara , and the two provinces of calabria . the same day those new officers which had been chosen formerly were put in possession of their authority derived from the republick , both in the vicaria and other tribunals , who were to regulate themselves according to the new model . the new viceroy did stir himself notably , and left no stone unremoved to settle peace and quietness , thereupon he did insinuate into many of the captains and citizens . the sixteenth of february a brigade of the people went by night under the conduct of a genovese , called colonel grillo , and brought with them scaling ladders , with other instruments to surprize the town of surrento ; but they within having timely notice thereof prepared accordingly , and sallied upon them , with much animosity and courage , which caused a great slaughter of the people , and divers were taken prisoners ; the said grillo had both his arms bruised , so that the rest were put to flight , leaving behind them bag and baggage , with all their scaling ladders , and instruments . his excellency understanding , from genoa , that there were fourteen vessels laden with corn to come for the service of the city from provence in france , he went in person with some of his cape-officers to nis●ta , whither he carried a train of artillery , with munition for ●outh and war , and plac'd there a hundred spaniards in garrison . tidings came , that the prince of m●ntesarchia had reduc'd the city and castle of arian● to the devotion of his catholick majesty ; at which time he had taken a convoy of four hundred mules laden with corn ; he cut off the noses and ears of the chiefest conductors , who would obstinately resist , and be of the freneh party . the prince of roc●a maria had also brought divers places of consideration to their wonted a legeance , and among others sporlongo , a pass of very great consequence to go and come from rome , where there was a hot dispute before a rendition would be made by the governour and inhabi●ants of that place , whereof divers were slain , and the town plunder'd . there arrived the first of april , . in the port of naples a vessel from malaga with five hundred spaniards , a great proportion of victuals and arms : this ship gave notice that there were eight more under sail , and divers other from several ports in spain , to come for the service of his majesty in naples . there came also two gallies from genoa , with two hundred thousand of ducates put up in chests , a hundred barrels of powder , salt-peter , with an infinite number of bullets , great store of match , with many sorts of edible commodities . there came also an embassadour from malta , with a splendid train of cavaliers , who were received by his highness don john of austria with extraordinary expressions of benignity : the conde d' ognate provided them coaches to go up and down the city from the palace . the duke of guise considering the great hazard and hurt which might befall those corn ships that came from province , for the service of the napolitan republick , specially now that the spaniards had impatroniz'd themselves of the post of nisita , and so strongly fortified it : he went with a considerable army of horse and foot , with a train of artillery , and divers french commanders , and three thousand of the city souldiers upon a design to reduce that place to the ●isposition of the republick . the sixth of the same moneth , his highness and the viceroy , with great numbers of barons , cavaliers , and a numerous ●ldadesca , with all the choicest and most magnanimous commanders , sallied out of the castle with all the privacy that could possibly be about twelve a clock at night , having formerly implor'd the divine help , and so march'd down towards the city : he had a train of choice artillery along with him , and divers other military instruments , with good store of fire-works : he came first to the cisterna del ' oglio , with all his army , and caus'd the church of jesus , which was contiguous to the place , to be gently opened ; where having made fervent orisons to the blessed redeemer of man , he desir'd father gerunda to confess him , which he did , and afterwards he took the holy communion ; the viceroy with the chiesest commanders did the like . then he inordered a wall to be batter'd down which join'd to san sebastian , and so pass'd to porta alba : being happily advanc'd so far he mounted his ginet , and rid towards the street of constantinople through a throng of musketeers ; whereof some shot , others being astonish'd at so sudden a surprize , stood amaz'd . thence he went on to saint aniello's street , and the virgins quarter ; where the most civil sort of people did inhabit , who were most of them alwayes well inclin'd to the king. the archbishop filomarino was appointed to meet him , which he did , together with the bishop of avers● the lord caratta : then he march'd towards the palace of the duke of guise ; who togethrr with pulumbo were absent , which was a mighty advantage to the business ; and after some musket-shot the palace yielded ; nor would the great cannon which was planted there go off , though fire was put to it ; so that all things seemed to conspire to make this enterprize happy . he marched thence to the great market-place ; and approaching the great bastion of carmine , where gennaro arnese was , with three hundred select souldiers of the people ; he sent him word that it was expedient that the said torrion or bastion should be put into his hands for his majesties service ; and if he would not conform to so just a demand , he left him to consider what an act of disloyalty it would be : arnese calling his best thoughts to consultation , held it a desperate temerity to refuse , considering that at the end he might be constrained to do it ; so he came forth , and presented the keys to his highness , prostrating his person before him : thereupon don john imployed fru paolo venati , a knight of malta , a commander of renowned valour , and of high esteem among the people , to let them know , that it was his pleasure to grant them an indulto or general pardon , with an aboli ion of the gabels , and of all faults , provided they did presently range themselves to their wonted allegiance . hereupon the people remained satisfied ; but they desired to have that grace declared unto them by don john of austria himself , being so great a prince of the imperial house of austria ; so when he came out of the church the people desired his highness that he would be pleased to pronounce with his own mouth what he promised by the cavalier of malta ; whereupon he uttered aloud what the said cavalier had said before , assuring them besides of further demonstrations of grace srom his father : so that huge croud of people gave such an applause that might have rent the air as far as the middle region . this heroick enterprise took effect almost without any effusion of blood at all ; only two spanish captains perished , and one of the peoples , with some few wounded ; all which may be imputed to a special providence of god in the first place , and then to the prowess of a young general , and prudence of a grave viceroy ; and lastly , to the absence of the duke of guise , who was much taxed of inadvisedness to leave the city , as matters then stood . the next morning betimes the duke of tursis was seen walking among the people in the market-place , with his nephew the prince of avella , with their naked swords in hand , among a great confluence of people , who cried out , viva spagna , viva ill duca de tursis ; so all the bells rang out à gloria , and every one was as it were wild with gladness . that afternoon there were four hundred spaniards put into the torrion of carmine for a garrison , where there were eighteen pieces of great ordnance ; among them there were fourty italians : so all the rest of the posts of the city were secured , together with chaia . all other places in the country rendred themselves upon discretion , when they understood this not able news , and particularly aversa , notwithstanding that palumbo , a great stickler for the people , and in singular esteem , was there with considerable forces . the next day the noise was , that the duke of guise , hearing this dreadful news , did cast about how he might return to rome with all his camerades ; which being come to the knowledge of don pompeo tuttavilla , he went in quest of him ; and being come to the countrey of mosone , a little dist●nt from the city of capua , he met him ; and although the duke made notable resistance , yet at last he was forced to yield himself , and so he was clap'd up in the castle of capua , and removed thence to garta . the collateral council sate upon him , and condemn'd him to dy ; but don john prevented that , saying , it was more fitting to send him prisoner to spain . pastina who would not conform nor accept those gracious conditions from don john , got two feluca's , and with all his own and the plundred goods he had from divers , sail'd for ligorno . all those monstrous tumults of naples being now quash'd , the conde d'ognate sent for the camp-master scipio latro , brother to the lord regent latro , who by the marchioness of vasto was appointed governour of the isle of istria , the viceroy gave him a patent to that purpose , & besides made him camp-master general in the said isle ; he told him besides that he had receiv'd advice how a great french armada made her approach ; therefore it was fitting he should prepare strength accordingly to resist ; the camp-master answer'd him , that at that very instant he would go , and finde out the said french ; so the viceroy commending his promptitude presented him with a purse-full of pistols . he had no sooner set foot upon the isle of istria but the french fleet appear'd ; which drawing towards the city of naples did stay a while before the house of the said camp-master general at ciattamone , in form of a half-moon : the castle dellovo discharg'd some pieces at them , but the bullets could not reach . towards night the french went to pusilipo , the next day they attempted to dis-imbarque at istria , but they were hindred ; so understanding how matters had pass'd at naples , when they had rov'd up and down those seas some days , and taken some few tartana's , they set sail for porto longone . a little after this when things were pretty well etled , the viceroy commanded gennaro arnesel to be shut up in prison , who had been captain general of the people a long time , during the greatest brunt of the commotion ; the pretence was that he was thought to have intelligence with that french fleet , notwitstanding that his highness had comprehended him before in the general pardon , and conferr'd an office upon him of five thousand ducates per annum , promising him besides the cross of santiago : the proofs were such against him that he was condemn'd to die ; so there was a scaffold erected before the castle , where he receiv'd an honourable death by having his head severed from his body . there were also three mariners , who had brought the duke of guise to naples , executed that day ; there were divers other condemn'd to suffer death ; but his highness , don john of austria , going one day to the great market-place where there were gibbets set up to execute a great many more , the women did importune him with their petitions ; whereupon he referring them to the castle , the gibbets were all taken down , and the condemned persons sent to serve in the gallies . the next day don john of austria imbarquing himself in a huge fleet of galleons and gallies , hois'd sail for sicily , having been so fortunate as to repress those prodigious uproars , and leave naples setled in a perfect peace . sic furor evanuit tenues popularis in auras . the flema spagnuola , the staidness , longanimity , and constancy of the spaniard ( for which he is so much cried up ) was not discerned more in any of their proceedings elsewhere , then by their carriage in suffering a good while , and afterwards by suppressing these commotions . moreover , the conde d'ognate , the new viceroy , like a new broom , swept all clean , and carried himself with that dexterity and diligence , that by degrees he found out the chiefest fomentors , whereof he hath dispatch'd away divers to the other world ; and the inquisition is not yet ended , but some suffer daily , directly , or collaterally ; and touching the taxes or gabels , he hath found out other ways to raise summs equivalent unto them for the service of the king his master . finis . down-right dealing, or the despised protestant speaking plain english to the kings most excellent majesty the honourable houses of parliament. the city of london. the army. and all other peace-desiring commons of this divided and self-destroying kingdome. / written by j.h. an impartiall observer of the present transactions of the court, city, and camp. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) down-right dealing, or the despised protestant speaking plain english to the kings most excellent majesty the honourable houses of parliament. the city of london. the army. and all other peace-desiring commons of this divided and self-destroying kingdome. / written by j.h. an impartiall observer of the present transactions of the court, city, and camp. howell, james, ?- . p. s.n.], [london : printed in the year of discoveries. . j.h. = james howell. place of publication from wing. annotation on thomason copy: " ber [i.e. september] ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng great britain -- politics and government -- - -- early works to . great britian -- history -- civil war, - -- peace -- early works to . london (england) -- history -- th century. a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no down-right dealing, or the despised protestant speaking plain english: to the kings most excellent majesty the honourable houses of parliam howell, james d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - elspeth healey sampled and proofread - elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion down-right dealing , or the despised protestant speaking plain english to the kings most excellent majesty the honourable houses of parliament . the city of london . the army . and all other peace-desiring commons of this divided and self-destroying kingdome . written by j. h. an impartiall observer of the present transactions of the court , city , and camp . a kingdome , city , or house , divided against it self cannot stand . printed in the year of discoveries . . to the reader . reader , what ere thou chancest to be , i neither fear , nor care : the frown of the mighty ; the fleer of the froward , nor the censure of the severe , shall neither distaste , nor deter me from publishing these few following pages : onely to prevent prejudicacy , know , that these are not the fruits of discontent , nor blessinge● of fact●●●… neither are they intended to kindle that fire , which already ( though seemingly smother'd ) blazes too fast , but rather to quench it : it may be one will tax me of arrogancy , another of simplicity , a third of singularity , 't is no matter for that , what j have writ , i have writ , truth it is j am sure , and more j beleeve then some will be willing to hear , let him that is the most guilty be the least offended , least they make the proverb true , and prove his own discoverer . all j desire is that who ever shall vouchsafe to peruse these following pages , would do it seriously and judge impartially , and then let them praise or dispraise , frown or smile , i care not : to the kings most excellent majesty . most gracious soveraign , let it not be thought a crime unpardonable , if one of the poorest of your subjects ( presuming on your clemency ) doth offer unto your majesty what he hath observed to be destructive to the peace of this poor kingdome , and dangerous ( if not speedily prevented ) to undermine not onely the honour and safety of your majesty and royall posterity , but also the supporters thereof ; ( to wit ) the law of the kingdome , and peace of the people ; in the ruin whereof your majesty and posterity must certainly bear the greatest share , and sustain the greatest losse ; the law of the kingdome , and the peoples peace , being altogether essentiall with the honour and kingly domination , of your majesty , and without which , both king and people must necessarily run into confusion , the truth hereof your majestie hath had experimentall knowledge of for these late years , and at this day cannot want examples to demonstrate the truth of this particular . now forasmuch as what is past recall , is also past cure , since what might have been commanded cannot now be entreated , since power cannot , policy must , since rage cannot prevaile , let reason reconcile , make necessity a ve●●…e , and rather conquer by courtesie , then compell by soveraignty . and now most gracious and great prince , suffer this humble but serious capitulation ▪ can it consist with wisdome ▪ if it be according to god ) to esteem any thing to great or good to be parted withall ▪ for the 〈…〉 ence , for the making up so large a breath ? for the stopping the torrent of such a doluge of crimson confusions , as have already and do dayly again threaten to break in upon your kingdomes ? a good sheep-heard will give his life for his sheep , a gracious king for his people ▪ and will not your majesty part with a superfluous sprig , a meer pun●●●…o , or thread bare excressence of honour or power for the saving of your poor people ? what man would not lose one member to save all the rest ? are you so far in love with the shaddow that to preserve it , you will hazzard the losse , nay ruin of the substance ? are you so far in love with some few ( perhaps flatterers ) if ●…ot traytors ) that to be mercifull to them , you will be unmercifull and unjust too , to all the kingdome ; certainly most gracious soveraign , there may be wisdome in so doing , but it cannot proceed from god , neither can it conduce to the good of your self , posterity of people ; surely , if your people were made for you , you were likewise made for them , one for the good of the other , and not one to destroy another ; you were made a soveraign that they might be subjects , not slaves , that you might protect them , not devour them ; that you might do justice and execute judgement , to the poor and to the rich impartially , not suffer the rich and mighty to eate up the poor and devour the widdow : the magistrate ( that is of god ) is not a terrour to good works , but to the evill , not a persecuter of the people of god but a protector and preserver of them , and what magistrate ▪ soever shall pretend to have received a power from god , if he imploy it not in all things according to gods end , he will certainly come to naught , he shall perish , and those whom he hath cast down and endeavoured to destroy , shall rise up against him , and he shall not be able to stand in that day , but shall ●lee● before them ▪ to conclude , if your majesty ( according to your so often reiterated expressions in your declarations ) do really intend to take all oppertunities to save this poor kingdome in a right sense , now is the time to manifest your self herein and by some self denying testimony effectually act for the re-establishing the poor commons of england in their ancient birth rights , and securing them therein , providing for a due execution of justice , and countenancing of godliness in your dominions , which being speedily , cordially , and effectually done , your majesty need not doubt but to finde , your present losse to produce a future gaine , by the increase both of your power and love of your people , which will cause such a mutuall confidence betwixt you and your subjects , as will both comfort your heart and strengthen your hands against the secret complotments of foes at home , or publike attempts of enemies abroad , and cause all your now discontented , and distrushing people to be united , and with one heart and assent to cry ▪ long live our gracious soveraign , &c. to the parliament . grave senators , after seven yeare sufferings , and tedious expectation to be delivered from our then declared pressures and grievances , give us leave , ( for loosers should have leave to speak ) to tell you , we cannot but with bitterness of spirit declare , that we wonder by what strange and unheard of presidents , this parliament hath acted ; there having been never before any visible rule for such actions , in or by any parliament . but leaving things that are past cure , let us come to expostulate with you about future security . can it , think you , consist with the peace and wel-fare of the kingdome , especially considering the state and temper of the people , and the present exigences of the state . that you who should be acting joyntly for the securing of the kings authority , and subjects liberty , should be divided into factions and acting for your own particular interests ? is this to discharge that trust which you have in the presence of god sworn to perform ? surely so long as you thus continue to beate and bandy one against another , to pull down one faction to set up a second ; a second to set up a third ; to hang one theef that you may make another ; so long as you are thus selvish and partial in sparing men , ( i was about , nay i will say , knaves ) because they will side with you in carrying on your own designs , so long we cannot hope for any good either by you or from you , so long we are confident ( what ere you may pretend ) you intend no good to the king or kingdome , neither can any thing you do , compose or perfect that great work which you were called to and undertook , ( to wiy ) to ease us of our burthens , and establish justice with righteousness ; since 't is a meer contradiction ; and contrary to sense or reason for us to think that ever we can be eased of oppression by oppression , or obtain justice by injustice : 't is true your great oppressions of late years may make us forget our former petty sufferings , but never settle us in a true course of freedome , nor secure us for the future from injustice . therefore to conclude unless you do immediately lay aside all by-respects and your own interests , and unanimously joyn and act for the securing of the kingdome , and give a speedy testimony thereof , by your walking in the parts of justice and righteousness ; unless you do immediately administer justice and execute judgement impartially and endeavour to settle a firm and lasting peace , whereby the king may be with due honour invested , and the kingdome in its just liberty secured ; truely the kingdome shall not onely have been by you already exposed to many hazzards , ( besides the large expence of blood and treasure ) but shall for the future be necessitated , to curse the time that ever they entrusted you ; and be forced in justice to prosecute you as persons which had power , but not wills to restore them to their ancient liberties , and that which might have been an honour to you and your posterities in the generatons to come , will be recorded as a brand of obloquie , that such a parliament sate seven yeares , to enrich themselves , enslave , the whole nation . to the city . grave citizens , in whom wisdome was once chiefly resident , though now ( it is to be feared ) a great stranger ; how comes it to passe that such a spirit of giddiness possesses you ? what , have you found out new wayes to make your selves famous ? ( i fear miserable . ) you that were the glory of the nations , the envy of your foes , and the admiration of strangers , are now become the amazement of your friends , the scorn of your enemies , and a by-word to all nations ▪ cast but an eye upon your follies , and see into what a condition your division , nay , your prlde hath brought you : you that exalted your selves almost above the heavens , are now fallen , if possible , lower than the earth ; your towring pride is now buried in the dust of division ; you have been long time in travaile with joy , and now are delivered of sorrow : i wish you could yet see in this your day the things that belong unto your peace ; what , hath the love of money , eaten up your love towards one another ? hath your earnest pursuite of religion , forst religion to a squat ; truely you have hunted fairly , you have strove so much for religion in the church that it is to be feared you have lost it in your hearts ; these are the fruits of division , your presbytery , and independency , your outward formes and formall circumstances ; what , have you strove so long for the shaddow that you have lost the substance ; have you forgot that it is neither circumcisiou nor uncircumcision that availeth ought , but a new creature ; have you forgot that love is the fulfilling of the law , and a gospell duty : surely , this division is of the devill and not of god , for god is love , and his people are carried out with a spirit of love , and not of hatred and contention , envie and emulation . therefore dear friends and fellow citizens , i beseech you lay your condition ro heart , examine the ground of your division , and you will finde it to be the pride of your hearts , your self-conceitedness , &c. and cloath your selves in self-abhorrency , let him that would be the greatest be the least among you , let him that would or thinks himself wise , be a fool for christs sake , learn to bear with one another , labour to see that you are members of one body , united unto one head , and love one another , and administer unto the necessities one of another , so shall your love encrease and your divisions dye , but if you shall continue to widen the gap , confusion will enter , and what will ye do in that day ? to the army . gentlemen , actions are alwayes honourable that are compassed by just wayes , and aim at good ends , for wee ought not to do evill to produce good , neither should there be publike pretences made use of to advantage or secure private interests , i hope the contrary now , but yet i fear the event ; when the fabrick is larger then the foundation , there is great danger in the building ; so when the undertaking is greater then the power of the undertakers , truely 't is to be feared there will be more hurt then good , more detriment then advantage acrue to the persons concerned therein . gentlemen , your undertakings and engagements thereupon i have seriously observed , and impartially scanned , i find the end good , but the manner and prosecution hitherto , hath not been so good as i could wish ; and the temper , nay , necessity of the kingdome doth require : you engaged , if i mistake not , not to give over , nor look back untill you had to the utmost of your powers made provision ( not onely for your selves , and own interests as souldiers ) but as commoners ; and with your selves , all the free commons of england , that they and you together might be for the future protected and secured from all violence and oppression whatsoever , and in whomsoever and that there might be a due administration of justice and judgement , with righteousness : now give me leave to demand the cause of your retreat from the pursuance of this so honourable action ? how comes it to passe , i hear so many private whispers among you ; that you have nothing to do to meddle with any thing that concerns the kingdome , but meerly what concerns your selves , and your own particular actings : was it just or lawfull for you to enter into an ingagement , to perform that , which you now seem to dis-own , as unlawfull : surely , either there wanted a serious consideration at first , or else interests hath abated your resolutions at last ; which if either , how dishonourable it will be to your selves , how destructive to the kingdome , be your own judges . if the welfare of the people be the supream law , as you have sometimes granted , yea affirmed ; then whatsoever is contrary or standeth in opposition to that , is destructive to that main end , and therefore not onely to be avoided at present , but prevented for the future . but oppression and injustice particular interests , &c. are direct in opposition to the welfare of the people and altogether destructive , therefore to be prevented and removed . and certainly what cannot be repelled by policy , maybe by power , for if there be not a sufficient means left for the attaining the end , it is altogether vain and to no purpose . but to every end there is a sufficient means , therefore if the welfare of the people cannot be secured by one means , it may by another , if not by policy , then by power according to the parliaments ow● language to the king , the kingdome must not be without a means to preserve it selfe . and truely if the kingdome hath a means to preserve it self against the king , being then acting against the welfare of the kingdome ; it hath a power likewise to secure it self against the parliament , and army too , if they shall act , in the same way , and shall not prosecute the main end ( to wit ) the peoples welfare . how comes it to passe i beseech you that there is such sidings among you ? one great man favours another , and stomacks his opposer ; and let him be never so bad , so he will side insecuring some great persons particular interests in power among you , he shall not only scape scot-free , but be countenanced and protected among you : little theeves are hangd and great ones let go . is this to be single hearted ? will you that have taxed the king and parliament of partiality , be partiall too ? what a blemish will this be to all your former actions ? that you should now fawn upon those for favour , who would have rejoyced to have seen both you and the kingdome weltring in flouds of blood and confusion ; and who , it is to be feared by your too great indulgence and credulity , are plotting your destruction . i beseech you gentlemen consider , you stand upon a sandy place , which will , if not carefully looked to , devoure you , lay aside all interests and be what you have pretended to be , let not your own honour or promotions be onely aimed at , but have sole respect unto the peace of the kingdome . i have with sorrow observed . that there are , i may say too many among you , too great in power , who are swaid by passion not reason , who speak much against injustice in others , but never knew what it was to be just them selves ; men neither of discretion nor religion , what ere they may pretend , who do vehemently act for to gain applause and the favour of great men , and not for any love to the peace of the kingdome : now it is very unlikely that ever such a man can do ( or at least intends ) a generall good , unless it may advantage his own interest . i beseech you observe and beware of such persons , you may easily finde them ; for such persons in your councells will do you more hurt then all your other enemies , be not deluded by pretences though never so specious ; those persons that plead so much for delay , and argue so critically , intend no good to you , but carry on a dangerous design against you and the whole kingdome . and you may assure your selves the adversary , with whom you now run a contest , could never have gained so much time , nor brought you to such an exigency , had they not been encouraged , nay , assisted by some that have too much power and influence in your councell . gentlemen , the eyes of the kingdome are upon you ; and unless you answer their expectations and perform your promises and engagements , and that speedily ; truly , you will stand at as great a distance in their affections as others have done before you ; lose not this opportunity , seek the peace of the kingdome now , and seek your selves afterward , lest while you contend so earnestly for a shaddow , you lose the substance , be for pure justice without respect of persons , and let the kingdome see , that you will not favour or disfavour any person for siding with or against you , or for being of this or the other judgement . but that all persons of each party shall receive from you equall respect , according to their merit . but if you shall appear partiall to some , and severe to others ; if you shall do the works your selves , which you condemn in others : if you shall pretend to free us from one form of slavery to involve us in another , assure your selves , division and confusion will follow , and a worm will rise from your own bowels which will certainly devour you and consume your former glory . read and practice , prevent . farewel . to my fellow commons which desire peace . moderation in a multitude is ( rara avis in terra ) especially in england , of late years ▪ where rage , not reason , hath had the rule and soveraignty ; when the reynes of the bridle are thrown in the neck the unruly beast runneth where he listeth ; and truly such hath been the practice of you my fellow-commons for this seven years almost ; although you have received many a curb , and oft bit of the bridle for it , yet still like a head-strong horse you are stubborn and untamed , fearing neither switch nor spur ; and it is to be feared you will still persist until you are quite tyred ; to prevent which give me leave to expostulate with you a little ; it hath been often said , that misery is a schoolmaster to wisdom , and that wit is the best when it is dearly payd for , and truly i beleeve you have payd enough for it , hath not the plundering of your estates , the burning of your houses , the murdering of your children , the inslaving of your persons , taught you to hate war and love peace ? how comes it to pass then that there are so many murmurings amongst you , one part for the king , another for the parliament , another for the army , another for neither ; what are you frantick ? hath reason given place to rage , wisdom to folly , meekness to madness ? have you been so patient under seven years sufferings by war , and cannot you contain your selves one year in peace ; what , like children , all at an instant or none at all ? just like a fool that because he could not be rich in one day , would be a beggar all his life . certainly a spirit of fury ( i may say folly ) hath bewirched you , and put you upon the purchase of perpetual desolation to your selves and posterities ; and you with eagerness pursue it , in despite of those that would prevent it . in a word ; know therefore , unless you do with patience wait for the establishing of that peace which you desire , and give limits to your unlimited contentions , unless you lay aside your prejudicacy and censuring until you see the event , unless you seriously apply your selvs to make up the breach between your selves and your soveraign , the parliament , army , and city , and one another , and every one in his place and relation set his hand to the reducing of things to their proper center , unless both magistrates and people do i say with one accord , seek peace and establish judgment and righteousness , in vain are and will be all these mutterings and commotions , and do what they and you can , confusion and desolation wil break in upon them and you , and then when it is too late you may repent , but not prevent your destruction . this is the sence of him that sees great cause to fear this wil be the end of all this division if providence do not interpose very suddenly . postscript . i beseech you labour to love one another , and to be faithful each to other . let soveraigns seek the good of their subjects , and subjects the honour and peace of their soveraigns . let parliaments be faithful , and people peaceable : let souldiers be valiant for justice , but not factious for preferment ; let king , parliament , city , army , and people unite and joyn in the bonds of love , and leave judging , suspecting and reviling one another . then shal you see and enjoy a happy peace and the fruits thereof ; then shal the lamb lie down with the lion ; then shal not the voyce of the oppressed be heard in our streets , but joy , peace , plenty , and the most wished delights that are , or can be imaginable , or desired , be freely communicated unto you by the hand of jehovah , who is the god of peace , and hath annexed a blessing to the lovers thereof . farewel . thine , if thou studiest the peace of england . j. h. finis . a cordial for the cavaliers howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page image. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a cordial for the cavaliers howell, james, ?- . broadside. sold by henry marsh ..., [london?] : . dated and signed at end: julii . j. h. [i.e. james howell]. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng great britain -- history -- charles ii, - . great britain -- politics and government -- - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a cordial for the cavaliers . worthy , and deserving gentlemen , in the affairs and traverses of this life , it is a tru rule ( and 't is a comfortable one ) that he who dischargeth a good conscience , hath enough of his own wherewith to reward himself , though he receive no compensation from any where else : the world knowes , and envie it self doth acknowledge , that in the late confusions , ( which were of that length that might have shaken the firmest spirits in their loyalty ) you have discharg'd a good conscience three wayes , towards your creator , towards your country , and towards your king ; your religion bound you to the one , nature to the other , and your alleageance to to the third ; and although many of you have not yet receiv'd what you expected for the two last , yet touching the first ( whereunto the other also conduce ) you are sure to have such a reward one day , that will not only be above all merit , but beyond all imagination in the kingdom of eternitie . adde hereunto that i hold your condition to be farr from being desperat , but that you may receive rewards , at least som consideration from the other two , viz from your king and country ; for the present parliament , which represents your whole country , being compos'd of so many wise , and well-weighed gentlemen ( whereof divers have been co-sufferers with you ) will , as it is well hoped , out of a sense thereof , have such reflections upon your sufferings and services , both active and passive , that they will enable his majestie , whom the law stiles , the fountain of honour and bounty , and whereof indeed no other power should partake with him , i say it may well be hoped , that this parliament , before their recesse , will put his majestie in a capacity , and humbly advise him , if not to reward you , yet to relieve your present wants in such a measure , that the steed may not starve while the grasse growes . you know well that the king hath been among us but a little more then the compasse of one year , and his grandfather henry the great of france , was above seven years ( which is an age in our law ) before he could requite those who stuck to him not much above twenty months , in making him master of the flowerdeluces ; you know the vast debts his majestie hath payed both by sea and land , which yet were not his own , nor his kingdoms , but of that accursed usurping commonwealth , which exhausted more of the publick treasure , then all the kings of this land , since gold and silver were first coind in it ; you know he is so shortned , that he hath not yet provided bread for all of his own house ; he is in such a condition , that he cannot give his royal aunt that treatment which might be expected ; he hath not wherewith to go his progresse : consider what vast expences his fleets at sea , his lifeguard , with other garrisons do stand him in ; as also what debts he drew upon himself so many years beyond the seas , for his necessary subsistence , &c. now , whereas some object he hath rewarded roundheads , truly i believe if a catalogue were made of those upon whom he hath conferr'd honour or office since his return , there will be found above twenty cavaliers for one of any other upon whom he hath set any marks of favour . 't is true , albeit he came not in by the presbyterian , yet he could not have come in without him so peaceably , though some alledge that what the presbyterian did , was not as much out of a love to the king , as out of a hatred he bore to the independent , who may be said to have us'd the presbyterian as the fox useth to deal with the badger , who having found out his chamber in the earth , he so berayeth it , that the badger comes thither no more , and so the fox makes himself master of the hole . whereas som except against his majesties lenity , and indulgence , let them know that mercy is the inseparable inmate of a magnanimous breast , and that the noblest way of revenge is to forget , and scorn injuries ; i have read in storie , that one thing which made lewis the twelf of france most famous was a speech which drop'd from him , when being advis'd by som of his counsell to punish such and such as were profess'd enemies unto him while he was duke of orleans , he answer'd , that the king of france doth not use to revenge the injuries of the duke of orleans ; no more ( with most humble submission be it spoken ) doth king charles resent much the wrongs that were done to charles stuart . therefore , noble cavaliers , possess your souls with patience , we have a most gracious king who is in the meridian of his yeers , and will live to revvard all in time . in the confus'd medley of mundane affairs , the proverb often is verified , some have the happ , but some stick still in the gapp , some have the fortune of preferment , some not , and 't will be so to the worlds end . the author hereof though during the many yeers that he was in prison for his loyaltie , had . sworn over his head in an office of credit that hee shold have had de jure , yet it nothing discomposeth him , being more then in hope of a compensation some other vvay . and as vve have a gracious , so have vve a glorious king , the most glorious that ever vvore these three crovvns , for all the eyes of christendom are fix'd upon him vvith a kind of astonishment and admiration ▪ and not only of christendom , but of all the world besides , for 't is vvritten that the great turk should say , if he were to change his religion , he would fall to worship the god of king charles of england , who hath done such miracles for him , such miracles that no story can parallel : and certainly , god almighty must needs love him for whom he doth miracles : vvhich that his divine majestie may continue to do , are the incessant prayers of iulii . i. h. sold by ●enry marsh at the princes armes in chancery-lane , . a perfect description of the people and countrey of scotland weldon, anthony, sir, d. ? this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing w a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing w a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a perfect description of the people and countrey of scotland weldon, anthony, sir, d. ? howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed for rich. lownds, london : . variously attributed to weldon and to james howell. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. eng scotland -- anecdotes. a r (wing w a). civilwar no a perfect description of the people and countrey of scotland weldon, anthony, sir b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a perfect description of the people and countrey of scotland . london . printed for rich. lownds . . a perfect description of scotland . first for the country , i must confess it is good for those that possess it , and too bad for others , to be at the charge to conquer it . the air might be wholsom , but for the stinking people that inhabit it . the ground might be fruitful , had they wit to manure it . their beasts be generally smal , women only excepted , of which sort there are none greater in the whole world . there is great store of fowl too , as foul-houses , foul-sheets , foul-linen , foul-dishes and pots , foul-trenchers , and napkins ; with which sort , we have bin forcaed to say , as the children did with their fowl in the wilderness . they have good store of fish too , and good for those that can eat it raw ; but if it come once into their hands , it is worse than if it were three days old : for their butter and cheese , i will not meddle withal at this time , nor no man else at any time that loves his life . they have great store of deer , but they are so far from the place where i have been , that i had rather believe , than go to disprove it : i confess , all the deer i met withal , was dear lodgings , dear horse-meat , and dear tobaco , and english beer . as for fruit , for their grandsire adams sake , they never planted any ; and for other trees , had christ been betrayed in this country , ( as doubtless he should , had he come as a stranger ) judas had sooner found the grace of repentance , than a tree to hang himself on . they have many hills , wherein they say is much treasure , but they shew none of it ; nature hath only discovered to them some mines of coal , to shew to what end he created them . i saw little grass , but in their pottage : the thistle is not given them of nought , for it is the fairest flower in their garden . the word hay is heathen-greek unto them ; neither man nor beast knows what it means . corn is reasonable plenty at this time , for since they heard of the kings comming , it hath been as unlawful for the common people to eate wheat , as it was in the old time for any , but the priests , to eat shew bread . they prayed much for his comming , and long fasted for his welfare ; but in the more plain sense , that he might fare the better : all his followers were welcome , but his guard ; for those they say , are like paraoh's leane-kine , and threaten dearth wheresoever they come : they could perswade the footmen , that oaten-cakes would make them long-winded ; & the children of the chappel they have brought to eat of them , for the maintenance of their voyces . they say our cooks are too sawcy , and for grooms & coachmen , they wish them to give to their horses , no worse than they eat themselves ; they commend the brave minds of the pentioners , and the gentlemen of the bed-chambers , which choose rather to go to taverns , than to be alwaies eating of the kings provision ; they likewise do commend the yeomen of the buttery and cellar , for their readiness , and silence , in that they will hear knocks , before they will answer one . they perswade the trumpetters , that fasting is good for men of that quality ; for emptiness , they say , causes wind , and wind causes a trumpet to sound well . the bringing of heraulds , they say , was a needless charge , they all know their pedegrees well enough , and the harbengers might have been spared , sit●ence they brought so many beds with them ; & of two evils , since the least should be chosen , they wish the beds might remain with them , and poor harbengers keep their places , and do their office , as they return : his hangings they desire might likewise be left as reliques , to put them in minde of his majesty ; and they promise to dispense with the wooden images , but for those graven images in his new beautified chappel , they threaten to pull down soon after his departure , and to make of them a burnt-offering , to appease the indignation they imagined conceived against them in the brest of the almighty , for suffering such idolatry to enter into their kingdom ; the organ , i think will find mercy , because ( as they say ) there is some affinity between them and the bag-pipes . the shipper that brought the singing men , with their papistical vestments , complains that he hath been much troubled with a strange singing in his head , ever since they came aboard his ship . for remedy whereof the parson of the parish hath perswaded him to sell that prophane vessel , and to distribute the money among the faithful brethren . for his majesties entertainment , i must needs ingeniously confess , he was received into the parish of edenburg ( for a city i cannot call it ) with great shouts of joy , but no shews of charge for pageants ; they hold them idolatrous things , and not fit to be used in so reformed a place ; from the castle they gave him some pieces of ordinance , which surely he gave them , since he was king of engl. and at the entrance of the town , they presented him with a golden bason , which was carried before him on mens shoulders to his palace , i think , from whence it came . his majesty was conveyed by the younkers of the town , which were about halberds , ( dearly shall they rue it , in regard of the charge ) to the cross , and so to the high church , where the only bell they had , stood on tip-toe to behold his sweet face ; where i must intreat you to spare him , for an hour i lost him . in the mean time to report the speeches of the people , concerning his never exampled entertainment , were to make his discourse too tedious unto you , as the sermon was to those that were constrained to endure it . after the preachment , he was conducted by the same halberds , unto his palace , of which i forbear to speak , because it was a place sanctified by his divine majesty , only i wish it had been better walled , for my friends sake that waited on him . now i will begin briefly to speak of the people , according to their degrees and qualities ; for the lords spiritual , they may well be termed so indeed ; for they are neither fish nor flesh , but what it shall please their earthly god , the king , to make them . obedience is better than sacrifice , and therefore they make a mock at martyrdom , saying , that christ was to dye for them , and not they for him . they will rather subscribe , than surrender , and rather dispence with small things , than trouble themselves with great disputation ; they will rather acknowledge the king to be their head , then want wherewith to pamper their bodies . they have taken great pains and trouble to compass their bishopricks , and they will not leave them for a trifle ; for the deacons , whose defects will not lift them up to dignities , all their study is to disgrace them that have gotten the least degree above them ; and because they cannot bishop , they proclaim they never heard of any . the scriptures , say they , speak of deacons and elders , but not a word of bishops . their discourses are full of detraction ; their sermons nothing but railing ; and their conclusions nothing but heresies and treasons . for their religion they have , i confess they have it above reach , and god willing i will never reach for it . they christen without the cross , marry without the ring , receive the sacrament without reverence , dye without repentance , and bury without divine service ; they keep no holy-days , nor acknowledge any saint but s. andrew , who they said , got that honour by presenting christ with an oaten cake , after his forty days fast . they say likewise , that he that translated the bible , was the son of a maulster , because it speaks of a miracle done by barley loves , whereas they swear they were oaten-cakes , and that no other bread of that quantity could have sufficed so nany thousands . they use no prayer at all , for they say it is needless , god knows their minds without pratling ; and what he doth , he loves to do it freely . their sabbaths exercise , is a preaching in the forenoon , and a persecuting in the afternoon ; they go to church in the forenoon to hear the law , and to the crags and mountains in the afternoon to louze themselves . they hold their noses if you talk of bear-baiting , and stop their ears , if you speak of a play : fornication they hold but a pastime , wherein mans ability is approved , & a womans fertility discovered ; at adultery they shake their heads ; theft they rail at ; murther they wink at ; & blasphemy they laugh at ; they think it impossible to lose the way to heaven if they can but leave rome behind them . to be opposite to the pope , is to be presently with god ; to conclude , i am perswaded , that if god and his angels , at the last day , should come down in their whitest garments , they would run away , and cry , the children of the chappel are come again to torment us , let us flie from the abomination of these boys , and hide our selves in the mountains . for the lords temporal and spiritual , temporizing gentlemen , if i were apt to speak of any , i could not speak much of them ; only i must let you know , they are not scottishmen , for assoon as they fall from the breast of the beast their mother , their careful sire posts them away for france , which as they pass , the sea sucks from them that which they have suckt from their rude dams ; there they gather new flesh new blood , new manners , and there they learn to put on their cloaths , and then return into their countries , to wear them out ; there they learn to stand , to speak , and to discourse , and congee , to court women , and to complement with men . they spared for no cost to honour the king , nor for no complemental courtesie to welcom their country-men ; their followers are their fellows , their wives their slaves , their horses their masters , & their swords their judges ; by reason whereof , they have but few laborers , and those not very rich : their parliaments hold but three days , their statutes three lines , and their suits are determined in a manner in three words , or very few more , &c. the wonders of their kingdom are these ; the lord chancellor , he is believed ; the master of the rolls , well spoken of ; and the whole councel , who are the judges for all causes , are free from suspition of corruption . the country , although it be mountainous , affords no monsters , but women , of which , the greatest sort , ( as countesses , and ladies ) are kept like lions in iron grates ; the merchants wives are also prisoners , but not in so strong a hold ; they have wooden cages , like our boar franks , through which , sometimes peeping to catch the air , we are almost choaked with the sight of them ; the greatest madness amongst the men , is jealousie ; in that they fear what no man that hath but two of his sences will take from them . the ladies are of opinion , that susanna could not be chast , because she bathed so often . pride is a thing bred in their bones , and their flesh naturally abhors cleanliness ; their breath commonly stinks of pottage , their linen of piss , their hands of pigs turds , their body of sweat , and their splay-feet never offend in socks . to be chained in marriage with one of them , were to be tyed to a dead carkass , and cast into a stinking ditch ; formosity and a dainty face , are things they dream not of . the oyntments they most frequently use amongst them , are brimstone and butter for the scab , and oyl of bays , and stave-sacre . i protest , i had rather be the meanest servant of the two of my pupils chamber-maid , than to be the master minion to the fairest countess i have yet discovered . the sin of curiosity of oyntments , is but newly crept into the kingdom , and i do not think will long continue . to draw you down by degrees from the citizens wives , to the country gentlewomen , and convey you to common dames in sea-coal lane , that converse with rags ▪ and marrow-bones , are things of mineral race ; every whore in houndsditch is an helena ; and the greasie bauds in turnbal-street , are greekish dames , in comparison of these . and therefore to conclude , the men of old did no more wonder , that the great messias should be born in so poor a town as bethlem in judea , than i do wonder , that so brave a prince as king james , should be born in so stinking a town as edenburg , in lowsie scotland . finis . divers historicall discourses of the late popular insurrections in great britain and ireland tending all, to the asserting of the truth, in vindication of their majesties / by james howell ... ; som[e] of which discourses were strangled in the presse by the power which then swayed, but now are newly retreev'd, collected, and publish'd by richard royston. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or : ) divers historicall discourses of the late popular insurrections in great britain and ireland tending all, to the asserting of the truth, in vindication of their majesties / by james howell ... ; som[e] of which discourses were strangled in the presse by the power which then swayed, but now are newly retreev'd, collected, and publish'd by richard royston. howell, james, ?- . [ ], p., [ ] leaf of plates : ill. printed by j. grismond, london : . "the first tome" engraved illustrated t.p.: the people is a beast which heads hath many, england of late shew'd this more then any. "no more published"--nuc pre- imprints. each essay has separate t.p. imperfect: bodleian library copy ( : ) lacks t.p. and frontispiece. reproduction of originals in the bodleian library and the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng divine right of kings. political science. great britain -- history -- civil war, - . ireland -- history -- rebellion of . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion divers historicall discourses of the late popular insurrections in great britain , and ireland , tending all , to the asserting of truth , in vindication of their majesties ; by iames howell esquire ; som of which discourses were strangled in the presse by the power which then swayed , but now are newly retreev'd , collected , and publish'd by richard royston . the first tome . london , printed by i. grismond . . belua multorum capit●…m plebs vana vocatur , plus satis hoc angli ●…uper docuere popelli . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ i : h : the people is a beast which heads hath many , england of late hath shew'd this more then any . to his majesty sir , these historical discourses ( set forth in such variety of dresses ) having given so much satisfaction to the world for the asserting of truth , in vindication of your royal father of ever blessed memory , and som of them relating also to your majesty , i humbly conceiv'd might be proper for your majesties perusal & patronage . concerning the author therof his name needed not to have bin prefix'd , he being so universally well known and distinguishd from other writers both at home and abroad by his stile , which made one of the highest wits of these times say of him , author hic ex genio notus , ut ungue leo. god almighty blesse your majesty with a continuance of happiness , and daily encrease of glory , so prayeth your majesties most loyal , and humble subject , royston . a catalog of the severall peeces that are here contain'd . i. a dialog twixt patricius and peregrin presently after kintonfield battaile , which was the first book that came forth for vindication of his majesty . ii. the second part of that discours . iii. a seasonable advice sent to philip late earl of pembrock , to mind him of the severall solemn oaths wherby he was bound to adhere to the king. iv. a manifesto sent in his majesties name to the reformed churches , and princes beyond the seas touching his religion . v. apologs , and emblemes , in whose moralls the times are represented . vi. of the land of ire , or a discours of that horrid insurrection in ireland , discovering the tru causes therof . vii . the sway of the sword , or a disurs of the common militia or soldiery of the land , proving , that the command therof in chief , belongs to the ruling prince . viii . an italian prospective , through which england may discern the desperat condition she stands in . ix . a nocturnall progresse , or perambulation of most countries in christendom . x. a vindication of his majesty touching a letter he writ to rome from madrid , in answer to a letter which pope gregory the th . had sent him upon passing the dispensation for concluding the match . xi . of the trety of the i le of wight , and the death of his majesty . xii . advise from the prime statesmen of florence , how england shold come to her self again , which can be by no other means under heaven , but by calling in the king , and that , in a free confident way without articles , but what he shall be pleas'd to offer himself . the tru informer , who discovers to the world the first grounds of this ugly rebellion and popular tumults in england , scotland , and ireland . deducing the causes therof in an historicall discours from their originall . — neutrum modò , mas modò vulgus . written in the prison of the fleet anno . casuall discourses , and interlocutions betwixt patricius and peregrin , touching the distractions of the times , vvith the causes of them . patricius . surely i shold know full well that face and phisnomy : o heavens ! 't is peregrin . gentle sir , you are well met , and welcom to england , i am heartily glad of your safe arrivall , hoping now to apprehend some happie opportunity whereby i may requite part of those worthy favours i received from you in divers places t'other side side of the sea. peregrin . sir , i am as joyfull to see you , as any friend i have upon earth ; but touching favours , they deserve not such an acknowledgment , i must confesse my self to be farr in the arrear , therfore you teach me what i shold speak to you in that point : but amongst other offices of friendship you have bin pleased to do me from time to time , i give you many thanks for the faithfull correspondence you have held withme , since the time of our separation , by intercours of letters , the best sort of fuell to warm affection , and to keep life in that noble vertue friendship , which they say abroad , is in danger to perish under this cold insulary clime for want of practise . patricius . truely , sir , you shold have had an account of matters hence more amply and frequently , but that of late it hath bin usuall , and allowed by authority , to intercept and break open any letters ; but private men need not complain so much , since the dispatches of ambassadors , whose p●…ckets shold be held as sacred as their persons , h●…ve bin commonly open'd , besides some outrages offered their houses and servants ; nay , since their maj●…sties letters under the cabinet signet have bin broke up , and other counterfeit ones printed and published in their names . peregrin . indeed i must confesse the report hereof hath kept a great noise abroad , and england hath suffered much in point of national repute in this particular ; for even among barbarians , it is held a kind of sacriledge to open letters ; nay , it is held a baser kind of burglary , then to break into a house , chamber , or closet : for that is a plundering of outward things onely , but he who breaks open ones letters which are the idea's of the mind , may be said to rip up his brest , to plunder and rifle his very brain , and rob him of his most pretious and secretest thoughts . patricius . well , let us leave this distastfull subject , when these fatall commotions cease , this custom , i hope , will be abhorred in england : but now , that you are newly arrived , and so happily met , i pray be pleased t●… make me partaker of some forraign news , and how the squares go betwixt france and spain , those two great wheels , that draw after their motion ( some more , some lesse ) all the rest of the western world : and when you have done , i will give you account of the state of things in england . peregrin . i thought you had so abounded with domestick news , that you had had no list or leisure to hear any forrain ; but to obey your commands , you know that i have been any time these six years a land-loper up and down the world , and truly i could not set foot on any chr●…stian shore that was in a perfect condition of peace , but it was engag●…d either in a direct , 〈◊〉 or collaterall war , or standing upon it's guard in continuall apprensions and alarmes of fear : for , since that last flaming usher of gods vengeance , that direful comet of the yeer . appear'd in the heavens , some malevolent and ang●…y ill-aspected star hath had the predominance ever since , and by it's maligne influxes , made strange unusuall impressions upon the humors of subjects , by inci●…ing them to such insurrections , revolts , and tumults ; which caused a jewish rabbi to say lately , that it seems the grand turk thrives extraordinarily in his devotions , it being one of his prime prayers to mahomet , that he shold prevaile with god almighty to continue disentions still among christian princes . and truly , as the case stands , one may say , that the europaean world is all in pieces ; you know well with what fearfull fits of a high burning fever poor germany hath been long shaken , which hath wrought a lethargie in some of her members , by wasting of the vital spirits which shold diffuse themselves equally through that great body ; and how she st●…ll ●…ostereth a cold northern guest ( the swed ) within her bosom , and is in 〈◊〉 fear of a worse from the levant : in the netherlands one shall hear the half-starv'd souldier murmur in every corner , and railing against his king , and ready to mutiny for want of pay . in france you shall see the poor asinin peasan half weary of his life , his face being so 〈◊〉 grownd , ever and anon with new tallies . you know ther are som soverain princes , who have a long time wandred up and down in exile , being outed of their own anti●…nt patrimoniall territories , and little hopes yet , god wot , of restoring them . the world knows how savoy is become of late a kind of province to france ; nay , spain , who hath been so dexterous to put her neighbours ogether by the eares , and to foment war a far off , to keep her own home secure , is now her self in the midst of two fearfull fires , kindled on both sides of her by quite-revolted subjects , viz. the portugues and cat alan , which so puzzles her , that shee cannot tell what saint to pray unto . the venetian also , with the pope , and all the princes of italy , are arming apace ; the hollander onely , salamander like , thrives in these flames : and as i have heard of some that by a long habitu●…l custom could feed on poyson , and turn it to nourishment , so hans alone can turn war to a trade and grow fat by it . now , sir , being weary of eating my bread in such a distracted world abroad , and hoping to take some sweet repose in england , i find that shee is in as bad a case , if not worse , then any other . so much news i give you in a lump , i will be more particular with you som other time , if you please to spare me now . patricius . i hear , not without much resentment , these pithy expressions you have been pleased to make of the torn estate of europe abroad ; and since you mention that blazing star , i remember what a noble knight told me some yeers ago , that the astronomers , who lay sentinel to watch the motion and aspect of that comet , observ'd that the tail of it having pointed at divers climats , at last it seem'd to look directly on these north-west i lands , in which posture it spent it selfe , and so extinguish'd ; as if thereby it meant to tell the world , that these islands should be the stage whereupon the last act of the tragedie should be play'd . and how many scenes have passed already , both here and in ireland , we know , god wot , by too too wofull and fresh experience . peregrin . there is a saying when your neighbours house is on fire , by it's light you may see in what danger your own stands : and was england so blind and blockish , as not to take warning by so many fearfull combustions abroad ? when i took my leave last of her , i left her in such a compleat condition of happines , both in court , country , city and sea , that shee was the envie of all europ , in so much , that that golden verse might be fi●…ly applied to her then golden times , mollia securae perage●…ant otia gentes . the court was never so glorious , being hanselld every yeer almost with a new roya●… off-spring ; the gentry no where more gallan●… and sportfull ; the citizen never more gorgeous and rich , and so abounding with treasure , bullion and buildings , that no age can parallel ; commerce , inward and outward was never at that height ; the customes increasing every yeer to admiration ; the narrow seas were never guarded with braver ships , nor the navie royall for number of vessels and magazines of all sorts of materials was ever so well replenished ; the universities had never such springing dayes : and lastly , the church did so flourish , that amongst the rest of the reformed churches of christendome , i have heard her call'd the church triumphant . besides , ireland was arriv'd almost to the same degree of prosperity , for all the arrerages of the crowne were paid , and not a peny sent hence for many yeeres to maintain the standing army there , or for any other publick charge , as formerly ; trafique came to that mighty height of encrease , that in few years the crown customes and imposts came to be five times higher . in fine , ireland was brought not only to subsist of her selfe , but inabled to contribut towards the filling of the english exchequer , and to make some retribution of those vast expences the crown of england hath been at any time these yeeres to reduce her to civility ; her boggs were almost all dry'd up , and made good land ▪ her mudde-walls turn'd apace to brick in divers places , so that in one sommer that i fortun'd to be there , above . new brick-houses were built in one towne . but it hath been the fate of that island , to be 〈◊〉 neer a condition of a setled , happiness , and yet to have some odd accident still intervene to crosse it . in conclusion , there wanted nothing to make england and her united crowns so exactly blessed , that she might have assumed the title of one of the fortunat islands . good lord , how comes it to passe , that she is now fallen into such horrid distempers , and like a distracted body , laying han●…s upon her self , would thrust the sword of civil war into her own bowels ? i beseech you , sir , impart unto me the true cause of this change ; for i know none so capable to do it as your self . patriciu●… . infandum , peregrine , jubes renovare dolorem : first , sir , in the generall you know , that it is with the regions upon earth , as it is with those of the ayre , sometimes we have a clear azur'd skie with soft gentle ventilations , and a sweet serenitie the whole hemesphere over ; at other times we know the face of the heavens is over-cast with frowns , with frog vapors , and thick clouds of various shapes , which look like monsters , hovering up and down , break at last into thunder and fulgurations , and so disquiet and raise a kind of war in the aereall common-wealth . just so in the regions that are dispers'd up and down this earthly glo●…e , peepled with men ( which are but a composition of the elements ) you have sometimes a gentle calm of peace and quietude , with a general tranquillitie all the countrey over ; at other times you have ugly mishapen clouds of jealousies , fears , and discontentments rise up , which break out at last into acts of disobedience , rebellion , and fury . and as those aereall meteors and monsters above , are ingendered of those watery fogs and mists which are drawn up out of fennie and rotten low grounds here upon earth ; so in the region of the mind , the ill vapors which ascend to the brain from rotten and impostumated hearts , from desperate and mal●…-contented humorists are the causes of all civil commotions and distempers in state. but they have much to answer for in the world to come ( though they escape it in this ) who for any private interest or respect whatsoever , either of promotion , vain-glory , revenge , malice , or envie , will embroyl and plunge their own native country in any publick ingagement or civil war , by putting a partition-wall betwixt their soverain prince and their fellow-subjects . truely , in my opinion , these may be called the worst kind of betrayers of their countreys . but i am too far transported from satisfying your request in relating the true causes of these calamities , i will now fall to work , and bring you to the very source of them . ther is a pack of perverse people ( composed for the most part of the scummie and basest sort ) multiplied in england , who by a kind of natural inclination , are opposit so point blank to monarchy in state , and hierarchy in church , that i doubt if they were in heven ( whither 't is to be fear'd they run a great hazard ever to enter , it being a rule , that he who is rotten-hearted to his king , can never be right-hearted to his crea●…or ) i say if these men were in heven , they w●…uld go near to repine at the monarchical power of god almighty himself , as also at the degrees of angels , and the postures of holiness in the church triumphant . they call every crotchet of the brain , tenderness of conscience forsooth : which being well examined , is nothing else but a meer spirit of contradiction , of malice and disobedience to all higher powers which possesseth them . ther are no constitutions either ecclesiastical or civil can please them , but they wold cast both into such and such a mould , which their crack'd brains wold fain devise , yet are never able to bring to any perfection ; they are ever labouring to bring religion to the dock , and to be new trimm'd , but they wold take down her fore-castle , and scarce allow her the kings armes to adorn her : they are great listners after any court-news , and prick up their ears when any thing is spoken of king , queen , or privie councellour , and are always ready , though upon loose trust , to take up any report whereby they may whisper in conventicles and corners , and so traduce the government . these great z●…lots use to look upon themselves most commonly through multiplying glasses , which make them appear to be such huge santons , that it renders them not onely uncharitable in their opinions of others , but luciferian-like proud in their own conceit , insomuch that they seem to scorn all the world besides , beleeving that they are ●…he only elect whose souls work according ●…o the motion of the spirit : that they are ●…he true children of promise , whose faces alone look towards heven ; they are more pleased with some new reach or fancy , ( that may puzzle the pericranium ) than a frenchman is in some new faction in cloathing : they are nearest to the nature of the jew of any people upon earth , and will converse with him sooner than with some sort of christians ; and as in their pharisaicall dispositions they symbolize with the iew , so in some of their positions they jump pat with the iesuit : for though they are both in the extremes , and as contrary one to the other , as the points of a diameter , yet their opinions and practises are concentrique , viz. to depresse regall power ; both of them wold bind their kings in chaines , and the nobles in links of iron ; they both deny all passive obedience , and as the one wold have the morter of the temple tempred with blood , so the other wold beat religion into the brain with the poleaxe . their greatest master-piece of policy is to forge counter●…eit news , and to divulge and disperse it as far as they can to amuse the world , for the advancement of their designs , and strengthing their party : but the iesuit doth it more cunningly and modestly , for he fetcheth his news from far , so that before the falshood of it can be contrould , his work is commonly done , and the news forgotten ; but these later polititians use to raise lies hard by home , so that the grosseness and palpablenesse of them is presently discovered . besides , to avoid the extremes of the other , these later seem to fall into flat prophanness , for they may be called a kind of enemies to the very name , crosse , and church of christ. touching the first , they repine at any reverence to be done unto the name of jesus , though spontaneous , not coercive . for the second , which was held from the beginning to be the badg and banner of a christian , they cry up the crosse to be the mark of the b●…ast ; and for the last , viz. the church , they wold have it to be neither beautifull , holy , nor amiable , which are the three main properties that god requires in his house . to conclude , when any comes to be season'd with this sower leaven , he seems to degenerat presently from the nature and garb of a gentleman , and fals to be of a sordid and low disposition , narrow hearted and close handed ; to be timerous , cunning and jealous , and far from the common freedom , and sweetness of morall society , and from all generous and loyal thoughts towards his king and country . these , these have bin the chiefest machinators , and engeneers englands unhappy divisions , who viper-like have torn the entrailes of their own mother their dear country : but ther were other extern concurrent causes , and to find them out , i must look northward , for there the cloud began to condense first ; you know sir , the scot's nation were ever used to have their king personally resident amongst them , and though king iames by reason of his age , bounty , and long breeding there , with other advantages , drew such extraordinary respect from them , that they continued in good conformity : yet since his death , they have been over-heard to mutter at the remotenesse and absence of their king , and that they shold become now a kind of province by reason of such a distance : some of their nobles and gentry found not at the english court , nor at his majesties coronation in edenburgh that countenance , familiarity , benefit and honours which haply they expected , and 't is well known who he was , that having been denied to be lorded ( david lesley ) took a pet , and went discontented to his country , hoping that some title added to the wealth he had got abroad , should have purchased him more respect . these discontented parties tamperd with the mercenary preachers up and down scotland , to obtrude to the p●…ple what doctrines they put into their mouthes , so that the pulpits every where rung of nothing but of invectives against certain obliquities and solaecismes ( and i cannot tell what ) in government , and many glances they had upon the english church : yet all this while there was not matter enough for an insurrection , nor to dispose the peoples hearts to a mutiny ▪ until by the policy ( as some affi●…med ) of the said discontented party the english lyturgie was sent thither : this by the in●…itement of those fiery pulpiteers , was cryed up to be the greatest i doll that possibly could be brought into their kerke , insomuch that when it was first offer'd to be read , the woman and ba●…er sort of mechaniks threw stooles and stones at the bishops heads , and were ready to tear them in peeces ▪ and here began the storm . 〈◊〉 majesty having notice hereof , sent a most gracious proclamation , signifying , that whereas he had recommended that book to be practis'd amongst them , wherein he himself served god almighty twice a day , he did it out of a pious endeavour to breed an uniformity of publick divine service in all his dominions , specially in that his native kingdom . but since it had produced such dangerous effects , he was contented to revoke it absolutely ; for it was never his purpose to press the practise of the said book upon the consciences of any , he did onely commend , not absolutely command , the use of it ; therefore he exhorted and required that every one unto whom it had given any scandal , shold return to his pristine obedience , and serve god as formerly , offering herewith a gracious pardon , and to passe an act of amnestia for an abolition of all faults passed . peregrin . and would not this suffice ? in naturall motions we find that the cause being taken away , the effect ceaseth , and will not this hold in civil actions ? patricius . no , this wold not serve the turn , but 〈◊〉 was a further reach in it , and for an inch to take an ell : you know the scots since 〈◊〉 single lion came to quarter with our three , are much elevated in their spirits , more respected , emploied and trusted abroad , they are heightned in their resolutions and aims , and will questionless be daily more and more . you have heard of a mine that reach'd from our exchequer to edenburgh . and i beleeve you have not forgot boccolinies balance , that was shewed us in italie , wherein lorenzo de medici weighed all the states of christendom , and throwing in england amongst the rest , you know how much he made her to weigh less by this addition . the former proclamation i say , and pardon would not suffice , but they took opportunity to fish in those troubled waters , and vent their spleen further , by an utter extirpation of episcopacy , and by trampling the mitre under their feet , hoping to have som of the birds plumes , being pluck●… , to feather their own nests ; and they brought their work about ; good lord , what a deal of dirt was presently thrown into the bishops faces by every rurall pettie clerk ! what infamous ballads were sung , what a thick clowd of epidemical hatred hung suddenly over them , so far , that a dog with black and white spots was called a bishop amongst them up and down the streets . the chiefest contrivers of this up-roare , ●…inding their design to go on so well , and perceiving the whole country so eagerly bent against bishops , ( and what artifices and suggestions were us'd to render them so odious is incredible ) but finding withall his majestie unwilling to alter the government his father ( of so fresh and famous memory ) had left him , and to which he had bin sworn at his coronation , they put themselves in arms , and rais'd forces to beat down the mitre with the sword , if the scepter would not do it . to the frontiers they came with a great army , ( not half so great as was bruted ) pretending they came as petitioners ( though they brought their petition upon the pikes ▪ point , ) some of the great ones ▪ about the king grew cold in the action : and what a pacification was then shuffled up , and how a parliament was called thereupon in scotland , with other passages , is a fitter subject for a story then a discourse . peregrin . i could have wished two things , that either his majesty had given them battail then , having the flower of his nobility and gentry with him , who i understood came with all cheerfulnesse and pomptitude to attend him , or else that after the said pacification , his majestie had shaken off all jealousies , and with a royall freedom and a commanding confidence gone amongst them to hancell their new parliament house at edenburgh ; for it is probable , it had averted those showers and cataracts of ●…miseries which have fallen ●…pon us since ; but i pray sir , proceed . patricius . as they say , there is no wind but blows some-body good , so it was thought , this northern clowd did england some advantage , for a parliament was summond hereupon : a parliament do i call it ? it was rather an embryo of a parliament , an ephemeran of ▪ days . in this sitting his majesty declared unto both houses the indignities he had received by his scotch subjects , and therefore propos'd a supply to be made of twelve subsidies to suppress that rebellion ; and in lieu thereof he was willing to forbear and utterly to abolish the ship-money , which he had reason to think legall at first , being advised thereunto by noy his attorney generall , who had such a mighty repute in the law ; yet he would not rest ther , but he advised further with his learned councell , who concurred in opinion with noy ; nor wold he rest ther also , but he had the approbation of all the iudges singly , and afterwards of nine of the twelve jointly upon a demur . this was enough to induce his conscience to hold it legall all this while ; it was clearly proved that the moneys levied this way , were employed to no other but the intended service , the garding of the narrow seas ; and not onely for that , but to preserve his right of dominion in them , being the fairest flower of his crown , which was not onely discoursed of abroad , but began to be questioned by the french cardinall : and touching danger , how could england be but in apparant dangers ? consideri●…g how all her next neighbours were in actuall hostility , which made huge fleets of men of war , both french , dunkerkers , hamburgers and hollanders to sail and flaunt ever and anon in her channells , and hard before her royall chambers : nor came ther one penny of that publick contribution to his privat coffers , but he added much of his own demeans for the maintenance of a royal fleet every sommer : yet he was ready to passe any bill for the utter abolishing of the said ship-money , and for redressing of a●…y other grievances , provided they wold enable him to suppress this scots rebellion : some say the house was inclinable to comply with his majesties demands , but ( as the ill spirit wold have it ) that parliament was suddenly brok up , and i wold they who gave that counsel had bin then in arabia , or beyond the line , in their way to madagascar , who neverthelesse have got to be in high request with this present parliament . among others , old sir harry vane was one , who , when the house seem'd willing to give six subsidies , and the king inclinable to take them ; the said vane being the secretary of state stood up , and said , his majesty expected no less then twelve , which words did so incense and discompose the house , that they drew after them that unhappy dissolution . his majesty being reduced to these straits , and resenting still the insolence of the scot , proposed the busines to his privy councell , who suddenly made up a considerable and most noble summe for his present supply , whereunto divers of his domestick servants and officers did contribut . amongst others who were active herein , the earl of strafford bestir'd himself notably , and having got a parliament to be call'd in ireland he went over , and with incredible celeritie raised . men , who procured money of that parliament to maintain them , and got over those angry seas again in the compasse of lesse then six weeks . you may infer hence to what an exact uncontrollable obedience he had reduced that kingdom , as to bring about so great a work with such a suddennes and facilitie . an armie was also raised ▪ here , which marched to the north , and there fed upon the kings pay a whole summer . the scot was not idle all this while ; but having punctuall intelligence of every thing that passed at court , as farre as what was debated in the cabinet councel , and spoken in the bed-chamber , ( and herein amongst many others , the scot had infinite advantage of us ) he armed also , and preferring to make england the stage of the warre , rather then his own countrey , and to invade rather then to be invaded , he got over the tweed , and found the passage open , and as it were made for him all the way till hee came to the tine , and though there was a considerable army of horse and foot at newcastle , yet they never offered so much as to face him all the while , at newburgh indeed there was a small skirmish , but the english foot would not fight , so newcastle gates flew open to the scot without any resistance at all , where it is thought he had more friends then foes , and who were their friends besides for this invasion , i hope time , and the tribunall of justice will one day discover . his majesty being then at york , summoned all his nobles to appear , to advise with them in this exigence : commissioners were appointed on both sides , who met at rippon , and how the hearts and courage of some of the english barons did boil within them , to be brought to so disadvantageous a treatie with the scot , you may well imagin . so the treatie began , which the scot wold not conform himself to do , unless he were first unrebell ▪ d and made rectus in curia , and the proclamation , wherein he was declared traitour , revoked , alledging it wold be dishonorable for his majesty to treat with rebels . this treaty was adjourned to london , where this present parliament was summoned ( which was one of the chiefest errands of the sco●… , as some think . ) and thus far by these sad and short degrees , have i faithfully led you along to know the tru originals of our calamities . peregrin . truly sir , i must tell you , that to my knowledg these unhappy traverses with scotland , have made the english suffer abroad very much in point of national honour ; therefore i wonder much that all this while ther is none set a work to make a solid apologie for england in some communicable language , ( either in french or latin ) to rectifie the world in the truth of the thing , and to vindicat her , how she was bought and sold in this expedition , considering what a party the scot had here , and how his comming in , was rather an invitation , then an invasion , and i beleeve if it had bin in many parts of the world besides , some of the commanders had gone to the pot . patricius . it is the practise of some states i know , to make sacrifice of some eminent minister , for publick mistakes : but to follow the thred of my discourse . the parliament being sate , his majesty told them , that he was resolved to cast himself wholly upon the affection and fidelity of his people , whereof they were the representative body : therfore he wished them to go roundly on to close up the ruptures that were made by this infortunat war , and that the two armies , one domestick , the other forrain , which were gnawing the very bowels of the kingdom , might be dismissed . touching grievances of any kind ( and what state was ther ever so pure , but some corruption might creep into it ? ) he was very ready to redresse them : concerning the ship-money , he was willing to pass a b●…ll for the utter abolition of it , and to establish the property of the subject ; therefore he wished them not to spend too much time about that . and for monopolies , he desired to have a list of them , and he wold damn them all in one proclamation : touching ill counsellours , either in westminster-hall , or white-hall , either in church or state , he was resolved to protect none , therefore he wished that all jealousies and misunderstandings might vanish : this , with sundry other strains of princely grace he delivered unto them , but withall he told them , that they shold be very cautious how they shook the fram of an ancient government too far , in regard it was like a watch , which being put asunder , can never be made up again , if the least pin be left out . so ther were great hopes of a calm , after that cold northern storm had so blustered , and that we shold be suddenly rid of the scot , but that was least intended , untill som designs were brought about . the earl of strafford , the archbishop of canterbury , the iudges , and divers monopolists are clapt up , and you know who took a timely flight ( lord finch ) to the other side of the sea. and in lieu of these , the bishop of lincoln is enlarged , bastwick , burton , and prynn are brought into london with a kind of hosanna . his majesty gave way to all this , and to comply further with them , he took as it were into his bosom , i mean , he admitted to his privy councell those parliament lords , who were held the greatest zelots amongst them , that they might be witnesses of his secret'st actions , and to one of them ( the lord say ) he gave one of the considerablest offices of the kingdom , by the resignation of another most deserving lord , upon whom they could never fasten the least misdemeanour ; yet this great new officer wold come neither to the same oratory , chappell , or church , to joyn in prayer with his royall master , nor communicat with him in any publick exercise of devotion : and may not this be called a tru recusancie ? to another he gave one of the prime and most reposefull offices about his own person at court ( the earl of essex ) and thereby he might be said to have given a staff to beat himself . moreover , partly to give his subjects an evidence how firmly he was rooted in his religion , and how much he desired the strenthning of it abroad , the treaty of marriage went on 'twixt his eldest daughter , and the young prince of orenge . hereunto may be added as a speciall argument of compliance and grace , the passing of the bill for a trienniall parliament , and lastly ( which is the greatest evidence that possibly can be imagined , of that reall trust and confidence he reposed in them ) he passed that prodigious act of continuance . peregrin . touching the trienniall parliament , there may come some whole some fruit out of it , will keep all officers in awe , and excite the nobilitie , and young gentrie of the kingdome to studie , and understand the government of the land , and be able to sit and serve their countrey in this great senate : but for this act of continuance i understand it not ; parliaments are good physick , but ill meat ; they say abroad that england is turned hereby from a monarchy to a democracy , to a perpetual kind of quingentumvirat ; and whereas in former times ther was a heptarchy of seven ▪ kings in her , they say now she hath seventy times seven . but in lieu of these unparallell'd acts of grace and trust to the parl. what did the parliament for the king all this while ? patricius . they promised , specially upon the passing of the last act , that they would make him the most glorious , the best beloved , and richest king that ever reigned in england : and this they did with deep protestings and asseverations . but there intervened an ill-favoured accident which did much hurt , viz. a discourse ( for truely i think it was no more ) but a discourse ) which some green heads held to bring up the northern armie , to check the puritan partie , and the rabble of the citie : this kept a mightie noyse , and you know who fled upon it , and much use was made of it to make that cloud of jealousie which was but of the breadth of a hand before , to appear as big as a mountaine . yet his majestie continued still in passing acts of grace , and complying with them in every thing ▪ hee put over unto them the earle of strafford , who after a long costly triall ( wherein he carried himself with as much acutenesse , dexteritie and eloquence , as humane braine could be capable of for his defence ) hee was condemned to the scaffold , and so made a sacrifice to the scot , who stayed chiefly for his head , which besides those vast summes of money , was given him to boot . peregrin . touching the earle of strafford , 't is tru , he was full of ability , elocution and confidence , and understood the lawes of england as well as any , yet there were two things , i heard , wherein his wisdom was questioned ; first that having a charge ready against his chiefest accusers , yet he suffered them to have the priority of sute , which if he had got he had thereby made them parties , and so incapable to be produced against him : secondly , that during the time of his tryall , he applyed not himself with that compliance to his iury as well as to his iudges , for he was observed to comply only with the lords , and not with the house of commons . patricius . howsoever , as some say , his death was ●…esolved upon , ( si non per viam justitiae , saltem per viam expedientiae ) which appears in regard the proceedings against him are by a clause in the act not to be produced for a leading case or example to future ages and inferiour courts : i blush to tell you how much the rabble of the city thirsted after his blood , how they were suffered to strut up and down the streets before the royal court , and the parliament it self , with impunity ; they cried out , that if the common law fail'd , club law should knock him down , and their insolency came to that height , that the names of those lords that would not doome him to death , should be given them to fix upon posts up and downe ; and this was the first tumult that happened this parliament , whereof so many followed after their example , being not onely conniv'd at , but backed by authoritie , for there were prohibitions sent from the parliament , to hinder all processe against some of them . these myrmidons , as they termed themselves , were ready at a watchword , so that one might say there was a kind of discipline in disorder . peregrin . were ther any troubled for delivering their votes in the houses ? i thought that freedom of opinion and speech , were one of the prime priviledges of that great nationall senat. patricius . yes , those that were the minions of the house before , became now the subjects of popular malice and detraction , ( as the lord digby now earl of bristol for one ) because against the dictamen of their consciences they would not vote the earl of strafford to death , and renounce their own judgments , and captivate it to the sense of others , yet they stood firm to their first grounds , that he was a delinquent in a high nature , and incapable ever to beare office in any of his majesties dominions . peregrin . i perceive sir by your speeches , that one of the chiefest causes of these combustions may be imputed to the citie of london , which may be called the metropolis of all these evils , and i little wonder at it , for it hath been alwaies incident to all great townes , when they grow rich and populous , to fall into acts of insolence , and to spurne at government ; where so many pots , ( so many braines i meane ) are a boyling , ther must needs be a great deal of froth , but let her look to her self , for majesty hath long arms , and may reach her at last . but the truth is , that london bears no proportion with the size of this island , for either the one shold be larger , or the other lesser : london may be well compared to the liver of a cramm'd italian goose , whose fatning emacerates the rest of the whole body , and makes it grow lean and languish , and she may be well term'd a goose now more then ever , for her feathers are pluck'd apace ; but now that you have done with the earl of strafford , what is become of all the rest who were committed ? patricius . they are still in durance , and have continued so these two years and upward , yet are not proceeded against , nor brought to their answer to this very day , though all the courts of justice have bin open ever since . many hundreds more of the best sort of subjects have bin suddenly clapt up , and no cause at all mentioned in many of their commitments , and new prisons made of purpose for them , where they may be said to be buried alive , and so forgotten as if ther were no such men in the world ( wherof the author was one : ) and how this can stand with magna charta , with the petition of right ( to vindicat which , ther was so much pains taken the last parliament ) let any man of a sane judgment determin . yet one of the judges , who hath an impeachment o●… high treason still lying dormant against him , though he be not rectus in curia himself , is suffered to sit as judge upon the highest tribunall of england , whereas another for a pretended misdemeanour only is barr'd from sitting ther. others who were at first cryed up and branded to be the most infamous projectors and monopolizers of the land , ( as hamilton , holland , &c. ) are not only at liberty , but crept into favour , and made use of . peregrin ▪ hath the house of commons power to commit any but their own members without conference with the lords ? or hath any order or ordinance of one of the houses singly , or of both conjunctly , power to enjoin a virtual , binding , generall obedience without the royal consent ? patricius . the power of parliament , when king , peers , and commons , which is the whole kingdom digested as it were into one volum , is indefinit , but what either of both houses can do of themselves singly or joyntly without the king who is the life of the law , especially when a visible faction reigns amongst them , i will not determin . — tantas componere lites non opis est nostrae — but for my own opinion , i think it is as impossible for them to make a law without the king , as it was for paracelsus to make a human creture without coition of both sexes . the results of parliament without the royall consent , are as matches without fire ; and it is an incontroulable principle , that the old law must be our guide , till new be made , nor is any act of the subject justifiable , but what is warranted by the old . but to proceed in the tru discovery of these domestick scissures , my lord of stafford being gone , we hop'd fair weather wold follow . ( he who was the cause of the tempest ( as they pretended ) being thrown over-board ) but unluckie mists of jealousie grew thicker and thicker ; yet the scots were dismist , having had fidlers fare , meat , drink , and money , for eleven long moneths together . so his majesty went to scotland , where the parliament ther , did but ask and have any thing , though it be the unquestionable prerogative of majesty to grant or deny petitions , and to satisfie his conscience before any councell whatsoever . but during his sojourn ther , this formidable hideous rebellion brok out in ireland , which though it may be said to be but an old play newly reviv'd ▪ yet the scene was never so tragicall and bloody as now : for the barbarismes that have bin committed ther have bin so sanguinary , and monstrously savage , that i think posterity will hold them hyperbolicall ●…when history relates them . the irish themselves affirm ther concurr'd divers causes to kindle this fire : one , was the taking off of straffor●…s head , ( who awd them more then any deputy ever did ) and that one of his accusations shold be to have used the papists ther too favourably : secondly , the rigorous proceedings and intended courses against the roman catholiques here in england . lastly , the stopping of that regiment of irish , who was promised by his majesties royall word and letter to the king of spain , who relying upon that employment , rather then to beg , steal , or starve , turned rebels : and that , which hath agravated the rebellion all this while , and heightned much the spirit of the irish , was the introduction of the scot , whom they hate in perfection above all people els ; and intended lastly the design spoken of in our parliament , to make an absolute conquest , and nationall eradication of them , which hath made them to make vertue of necessity , and to be valiant against their wills . peregrin . indeed i heard that act of staying the irish regiment , considering how the marquesses de velada , and malvezzi , and don alonso de cardenas , who were all three ambassadours here for the king of spain at that time , having by reliance upon the sacred word and letter of a king , imprested money , and provided shipping for their transport , and bin at above . crowns charges , i say this act was very much censured abroad , to the dishonour of his majesty and our reproach . patricius . i am very sorry to hear it . well sir. his majesty by his presence having setled scotland , was at his return to london received with much joy and exultation , but though he was brought in with a hosanna at one end of the town , he found a crucifige at the other : for at westminster ther was a remonstrance fram'd , a work of many weeks , and voted in the dead of night , when most of the moderat and well-thoughted members were retired to their rest , wherein with as much aggravation and artifice as could be , the least moat in government was exposed to publick view , from the first day of his majesties inaugurat●…on to that very hour : which remonstrance as it did no good to the publick but fill peoples heads with doubts , their hearts with gall , and retard the procedure of all businesse besides , so you may well think it could expect but cold entertainment with his majesty , who hoped his great councel , according to their often deep protestations , had done something for his welcom home , that might have made him the best beloved king that ever 〈◊〉 amongst his people . peregrin . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ther is no government upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up of m●…n , but is subject to corruption ; there is no court of judicature so cleane , but some cobwebs may gather in it , unlesse an act of parliament could be made to free and exempt men from all infirmities and errour ; it cannot be denied , but scotland might have something to complaine of ( though i think least of any ) and so leapt first into the pooll to be cur'd , and what she fish'd besides in those troubled waters 't is too well known : england also no doubt might have some grievances , which his majestie freely offered not onely to redresse for the present , but to free her of all feares for the future , from falling into relapses of that kinde ; but to redresse grievances by armes , by plunging the whole countrey into an intestine warre , this makes the remedy worse then the malady , it is as if one would go about to cure a sick body by breaking his head , or let him blood by giving him a dash on the nose , it is as mad a tricke as his was who set the whole house a fire to roast his egs . but truly sir , in my opinion , his majesty at his return from scotland , might have justly expected some acts of compliance and gratitude from his parliament , considering what unparallel'd acts of grace he had pass'd before . patricius . his majesty did not rest there , but complied further with them by condescending to an act for putting down the star-chamber court the high commission , the court of honour , nay , he was contented his own privy councell should be regulated , and his forests bounded not according to ancient prerogative but late custome ; nay further , he pass'd a bill for the unvoting , and utter exclusion of the spirituall lords from the parliament for ever , whereby it cannot be denied , but by the casheering of votes at a clap , and by excluding the recusant lords besides ( who subsist most by his grace ) he did not a little enervat his own prerogative . adde hereunto that having placed two worthy gentlemen biron and lunsford lieutenants of the tower , he remov'd them both one after the other , and was content to put in one of their election : and lastly , he trusted them with his greatest strength of all , with his navie royall , and call'd home pennington who had the guard of the narrow seas so many yeares . peregrin . truly sir , i never remember to have heard or read of such notable acts of grace and confidence from any king : but would not all this suffice ? patricius . no , but they demanded all the land souldiery and military strength of the kingdome to be disposed of by them , and to be put into what posture , and in what equipage , and under what commanders they pleas'd ; and this was the first thing his majesty ever denyed them , yet he would have granted them this also for a limited time , but that would not serve the turn ; hereupon his majesty grew a little sensible how they inch'd every day more and more upon his royall prerogatives ; and intending to go to his town of hull to see his magazin ( which he had bought with his own money ) with his ordinary train , he was in a hostile manner kept out , canons mounted , pistols cockt , and leveld at him . but whether that unlucky knight ( hotham ) did this out of his fidelity to the parl. or out of an apprehension of feare that some about the king , being mov'd with the barbarousnesse of the action would have pistold him , i will not determine . peregrin . i have read of divers affronts of this kinde that were offerd to the french kings , rochell shut her gates more than once against henry the great , and for the king now regnant , they did not only shut him out of many of his towns , but upon the gates of some of them they writ in legible characters , roy san foy , ville sans peur , a faithlesse king , a fearlesse towne . yet in the greatest heat of those warres , there was never any towne refus'd to let in her king , provided he came attended onely with his own traine ; and besides other people abroad , i heard the scot's nation did abhor that act at hull . but i pray sir go on . patricius . his majesty being thus shut out of one towne , he might justly suspect that an attempt might be made to shut him in , in some other ; therefore he made a motion to the yorke-shire gentlemen , to have a gard for the preservation of his person , which was done accordingly . but i am come to forward , i must go backe and tell you how the king was driven from westminster . when his majesty was return'd from scotland he retir'd to hampton court , whence upon the lord majors and the cities humble sollici●…ation , he came back to white-hal to keep his christmas . but when the bill against bishops was in agitation , which businesse ●…asted neer upon ten weekes , a crue of bold ●…turdie mechanicks , and mariners , came ●…rom the citie and ruffled before white-hall and westminster-hall , and would have violated the abby of westminster , so that for many ●…ights a court of gard was forced to be kept ●…n the body of that church , ( the chiefest sanctuary of the kingdom . ) moreover , his majesty having impeached some of the members of both houses , of high treason , and being denied to have them delivered up , he went himself to the lower house to demand them , assuring the house they should have as faire and legall a triall as ever men had . but as it pleas'd god , they were not there , but retir'd to london for refuge ; the londoners grew starke wilde thereupon , and notice being sent to all the adjacent counties , this act of the kings ( though it wanted no precedents of former times ) was aggravated in the highest degree that possibly could be . hence you may easily inferre , what small securitie his majesty had at white-hall , and what indignities he might have exposed himself unto , by that which had pass'd already from the rabble , who had vilified and cried tush at his proclamations , and disgorg'd other rebellious speeches with impunity : therefore he retird to hampton court ( as we read , our saviour withdrew himselfe once from the multitude ) thence to windsor castle , whence accompanying her majesty , with his eldest daughter to the sea side for holland , and having commanded the prince to attend him against his return at greenwich , the prince had been surpriz'd , and brought to london , had not the king come a little before . thence he removed to yorke , where he kept his court all the sommer . but to returne to london , the very next day after their majesties departure , the countrey about , especially buckinghamshire being incited by the c●…tie and parliament , came in great swarmes , and joyning with the london mechanicks , they ruffled up and down the streets , and kept such a racket , making the fearfull'st riot that ever i beleeve was heard of in parliament time : so those members which formerly were fled into the citie , were brought to the house in a kind of triumph , being garded by land and water in warlike manner by these champions : after this , sundry troops of horse came from all the shires near adjoyning to ●…he parliament , and buckingham men were ●…he first , who while they express'd their ●…ve to ( hamden ) their knight , forgot their ●…worn oath to their king , and in stead of feathers they carried a printed protestation in ●…heir hats , as the londoners had done a lit●…le before upon the pikes point . peregrin . this kept a foul noise beyond sea i re●…ember , so that upon the rialto in venice , ●…t was sung up and down , that a midsummer moon ( though it was then midst of winter ) did raign amongst the english , and you must ●…hink that it hath made the venetian to ●…hrink in his shoulders , and to look but ill-favouredly upon us , since wee 'l have none of his currans . but sir , i heard much of that protestation , i pray what was the substance of it ? patricius . it was penn'd , and enjoyn'd by the par●…iament for every one to take , and it consisted of many parts ; the first was , to maintain the tru potestant religion against all popish innovations , which word popish ( as som think ) was scrued in of purpose for a loop hole to let in any other innovation : the second was to maintain the prerogative an●… honour of the king ; then the power and priviledge of parliament ; and lastly , the propriety and liberty of the subject ; for thre●… parts of this protestation , the people up an●… down seem'd to have utterly forgotte●… them , and continue so still , as if their consciences had bin tied only to the third , viz the priviledge of parliament , and never was ther a poor people so besotted , never wa●… reason and common sence so baffled in an●… part of the world . and now will i go to attend his majesty at york , where , as i told you before , being loth to part with his sword , ( though he had half parted with his scepter before ) by denying the parliament an indefinite time to dispose of the militia , ( alleadging that as the word , so the thing was new . ) he sends forth his commissions of array , according to the old law of england , which declares i●… to be the undoubted right , and royall signorie of the king , to arm or disarm any subject : the parliament sends out clean countermands for executing the said militia , so by this clashing 'twixt the commission of array and the militia , the first flash of this odious unnaturall war may be said to break out . the pulse of the parliament beats yet higher , they send an admirall to the sea ( the earl of warwick ) not only without , but expresly against the kings special command . they had taken unto them a military gard from the city for their protection , without his majesties consent , who by the advice of the lord keeper and others , had offered them a very strong gard of constables and other officers to attend them , which the law usually allows ; yet the raising of that gard in york-shire for the safegard of his majesties person , was interpreted to be leavying of war against the parliament , and so made a sufficient ground for them to raise an army , to appoint a generall ( the earl of essex ) with whom they made publick declarations to live and die . and they assumed power to confer a new appellation of honour upon him , ( excellency ) as if any could confer honour but the king ! and this army was to be maintain'd out of the mixt con●…ribution of all sorts of people ; so a great masse of money and plate was brought into the guild hall , the semstresse brought in her silver thimble , the chamber-maid her bodkin , the cook his spoons , and the vintner his bowles , and every one somthing , to the advancement of so good a work , as to wage war directly against the sacred person of their soverain , and put the whole countrey into a combustion . peregrin . surely it is impossible that a rationall christian people shold grow so simple and sottish , as to be so far transported , without some colourable cause , therfore i pray tell me what that might be ? patricius . the cause is made specious enough , and varnished over wonderfull cunningly ; the people are made to believe they are in danger , and a prevention of that danger is promised , and by these plausible ways the understanding is wrought upon , and an affection to the cause is usher'd in , by aggravation of this danger , as one wold draw a thred through a needles eye : this huge bugbear danger , was like a monster of many heads , the two chiefest were these ▪ that ther was a plot to let in the pope ; and to 〈◊〉 the civil government into a french frame ; it is incredible to think how the pulpits up and down london did ring of this by brainsick lecturers , of whom som were come from new-england , others were pick'd out of purpose , and sent for from their own flock in the countrey , to possesse , or rather to poison the hearts of the londoners , to puzzle their intellectualls , and to intoxicat their brains by their powerfull gifts ; it was punishable to preach of peace , or of caesars right , but the common subject of the pulpit was either blasphemy against god , disobedience against the king , or incitements to sedition ; good lord , what windy frothy stuff came from these fanatick brains ; these phrenetici nebulones ( for king iames gives them no better character in his ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) who may be said to be mad out of too much ignorance , not knowledg ; who neverthelesse are come to that height of prophaness and pride , that they presume to father all their doctrines , all their non-sense , raptures and ravings upon the holy spirit . nor did the pulpit only help to kindle this fire , but the presse also did contribute much stubble ; what base scurrilous pamphlets were cryed up and down the streets , and dispersed in the 〈◊〉 ? what palpable and horrid lies were daily printed ? how they multiplied in every corner in such plenty , that one might say t●…er was a superfaetation of lies , which continue unto this day ? one while the king of denmark was comming over from the sound : another while the king of france had a huge army about calais design'd for england : another while ther was an army of irish rebels comming over with the privity of the king : another while a plot was cryed up and down to burn london : another while ther were subterranean invisible troups ( at ragland castle ) mustered under ground in wales , and thousands of papists armed in lancashire , and divers reports of this nature were daily blown up , and though the authors of them were worthlesse and mean futilous persons , yet the reports themselves had that credit as to be entertain'd and canvas'd in the high court of parliament . but these false rumors produc'd one politick effect ( and it was the end indeed for which they were dispers'd ) they did intimidat and fill the peoples hearts with fears , and dispose of them to up roars and so to part with money . peregrin . i know ther be sundry sorts of fears ; ther are conscientious fears , and ther are ●…annick fears , ther are pusillanimous fears , and ther are politick fears . the first sort of fear proceeds from guilt of conscience , which turns often to phre●…cy . the second sort of fear may be call'd a kind of chymera , 't is som sudden surprizall or consternation arising from an unknown cause . pusillanimous fear makes a mountain of a mole-hill , and proceeds from poverty of spirit , and want of courage , and is a passion of abject and degenerous minds , and may be call'd cowardise , and this fear is always accompanied with jealousie . politick fear , is a created forg'd fear wrought in another , to bring som design about ; and as we find the astronomers ( the comparison is too good ) do imagin such and such shapes and circles in the heavens , as the zodiak , equinoctiall , colures , zones and topiques with others , though ther be no such things really in nature , to make their conclusions good . so the polititian doth often devise and invent false imaginary fears , to make his proceedings more plausible amongst the silly vulgar , and therby to compasse his ends : and as the sun useth to appear far bigger to us in the morning then at noon , when he is exalted to his meridian , and the reason the philosophers use to give , is the interposition of the vapours which are commonly in the lower region , through which we look upon him ( as we find a piece of silver look bigger in a bucket of water then elsewhere ) so the polititian uses to cast strange mists of fear , and fogs of jealousie before the simple peoples eyes , to make the danger seem bigger : but truly sir , this is one of the basest kinds of policy , nor can i believe ther be any such polititians amongst the cabalists of your parliament , who pretend to be so busie about gods work , a glorious reformation , for you know ther is a good text for it , that god needeth not the wicked man ▪ he abominats to be beholding to liers to bring about his purposes : but i pray sir deal freely with me , do you imamagin ther was a design to bring in the mass●… again ? patricius . the masse ? you may say ther was a plot to bring in mahomet as soon , to bring in the alchoran , or talmud as soon ; for i dare pawn my soul , the king is as cordiall a protestant as any that breathes under his three crowns , which besides his publick deep protestations , and his constant quotidian exemplary open practise , many other convincing private reasons induce me to believe , and it is in vain to think the pope can take footing here to any purpose without the kings leave . you know as well as i sir , that of all the reformed churches in christendom , the lutheran retains most of the roman , both in his positions and practise , and comes much nearer to him then we do , yet i have observed , that from the first day of his reformation , to this , he is as averse , and as far off from rome , as the rigidest calvinist that is ; and shall i think , because ther are som humble and hansom postures , and decent vestures revived in our church ( for they were never abolished ; ) because the communion table stands in the east end where it ever stood since christianity came in all our cathedralls , which shold be a rule to all inferiour churches , though the seperatist cries it up most falsly to be an innovation : because the queen hath a few simple capuchins ( fewer then was allowed by the matrimoniall capitulations ) whither to retire sometimes : because schismaticks were proceeded against with more care , and the government of the church born up ●…ately with more countenance , shall i be●…ieve out of all this that the pope must pre●…ently come in ? shall i believe the weakness ●…f our religion to be such , as to be so easily ●…aken and overturn'd ? yet i believe ther was a pernicious plot to introduce a new religion , but what i pray ? not popery , but presbitry , and with it to bring in the doctrine of buchanan and knox for civill government , and so to cast our church and state into a scots mould . peregrin . indeed i heard the english much derided abroad for resigning their intellectualls in point of religion to the scots , whom from infidels they made christians , and reformed christians first , and now for the english to run to them for a religion , and that the uniformity & reformation shold proceed from them , having disdain'd us formerly , what a disparagement is it thinke you to the anglican church ? this with other odd traverses , as the eclipsing the glory of the king , and bringing him back to a kind of minoritie , the tampering with his conscience , i will not say the straining it so farre , the depriving him of all kind of propertie , the depressing of his regall power , wherein the honour of a nation consists , and which the english were us'd to uphold more then any other , for no king hath more awful attributs from his subjects , as sacred sovereigne , gracious and most excellent majestie , nor any king so often prayed for , for in your morning liturgie he is five times prayed for , whereas other princes are mentioned but once or twice at most in their's : i say that this , with interception of letters , some incivilities offered ambassadors , and the bold lavish speeches that were spoken of the greatest queenes in christendome , and his majesties late withdrawing his royall protection from some of his merchant-subjects in other countreys , hath made the english lose much ground in point of esteeme abroad , and to be the discourse , i will not say the scorne of other people . they stick not to say , that there is now a worse maladie fallen upon their minds , then fell upon their bodies about an age since by the sweating sicknesse , which was peculiar onely unto them and found them out under all climes . others say , there is a pure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst them , that they are turn'd to wolves ( as you know it is a common thing in l●…pland ) & that the old adage is verified in them , homo homini lupus ; nay our next neighbours give out , that the saying was never truer then now , rex anglorum , rex diabolorum . nor is it a small disrepute to the english , that the word cavalier , which is an attribute that no prince in christendome will disdain , and is the common appellation of the nobilitie and gentrie in most parts of the world , is now us'd , not onely in libels and frivolous pamphlets , but in publicke parliamentarie declarations , for a terme of reproach . but truely sir , what you have related touching the pulpit and the presse , transformes me into wonder , and i should want faith to beleeve it , did you not speak it upon your knowledge ; but the english when they fall to worke upon a new humour , use to overdoe all people . patricius . you have not yet the tithe of what i could give you , you would little think that coachmen , and feltmakers , and weavers were permitted to preach up and down without controulment , and to vent their froth and venome against church and state , to cry downe our hierarchy and liturgie , by most base and reviling speeches . peregrin . touching your lyturgie , i have heard it censur'd abroad by the regidest calvinists of generva and dort , yet i never heard any other character given of it , but that it is a most pious , pathetick , and perfect peece of devotion , both for the matter and forme of it , which i have been a little curious to observe . it begins with some choise passages of holy scripture , and a previous declaration or monitory to excite us to the worke in hand ; the first addresse wee make to god is by an humble and joynt confession which is appliable to any conscience , and comprehends in it all kind of sins . then followeth a pronuntiation of gods promises and pronesse to pardon and absolve us ; we goe on to the lords prayer , which having bin dictated by our saviour himself we often use , and is as amber throwne in amongst our frankincense , to make the sacrifice more precious and pleasing unto god ; then we proceed to som choice psalms , and other portions of holy scripture taken out of the old and new testament ; then we fall to the symbole of faith , whereof we make a solemn joynt confession in such a posture as shews a readinesse and resolution in us to defend it : and so to the letany , wherein the poor penitent peccant soul may be said to breath out herself into the bosome of her saviour by tender ejaculations , by panting groans , & eviscerated ingeminations , and there is no sin , no temptation whatsoever that humane frailty is subject unto , but you shall find a deliverance from it there , it is so full of christian charity , that there is no condition of people , but are remembred and prayed for there . then wee proceed by holy alternatif interlocutions ( whereby wee heare our selves speak as well as the minister ) to some effectuall short prayers ; because in long prayers the minde is subject to wander , as some zelots now a dayes use to bring their hearers into a wildernesse by their prayers , and into a labyrinth by their sermons . then goe we on to the decalogue , and if it be in a cathedrall , there is time enough for the hearer to examine himselfe , while the musick playes , where and when he broke any of gods holy commandements , and ask particular forgivenesse accordingly in the intervall ; then after other choice portions of scripture , and passages relating to our redemption , and endearing , unto us the merits of it , with a more particular confession of our faith , we are dismissed with a benediction : so that this liturgy may be call'd an instrument of many strings , whereon the sighing soul sends up varions notes unto heaven : it is a posie made up of divers flowers , to make it the more fragrant in the nostrills of god. now touching your bishops , i never knew yet any protestant church but could be content to have them , had they meanes to maintaine the dignitie , which the churches of france with others have not , in regerd the reformation beg an first among the people , not at court , as here it did in engl. for unlesse ther be som supervisers of gods house , endowed with eminent authority to check the fond fancies , and quench the false fatuous fires of every private spirit , and unlesse it be such an authority that may draw unto it a holy kind of awe and obedience what can be expected but confusion and atheisme ? you know what became of the israelites when the wonted reverence to the ark , and the ephod , and the priest , began to languish amongst them : for the braine of man is like a garden , which unlesse it be fenced about with a wall or hedge , is subject you know to be annoyed by all kinde of beasts which will be ready to runne into it ; so the braine unlesse it be restrain'd and bounded in holy things by rules of canonicall authoritie , a thousand wild opinions , and extravagant fancies will hourely rush into it : nor was there ever any field so subject to produce cockle and darnell , as the human brain is rank and ready to bring forth tares of schism and heresie of a thousand sorts , unlesse after the first culture the sickle of authority be applyed to grub up all such noisom weeds . patricius . yet this most antient dignity of bishops is traduced and vilified by every shallow-pated petty clerk , and not so much out of a tru zeal , as out of envy that they are not the like . and touching our liturgy , wherof you have bin pleas'd to give so exact a character , people are come to that height of impiety , that in som places it hath bin drown'd , in other places burnt , in som places torn in pieces to serve for the basest uses , nay it hath bin preached publickly in pulpits , that it is a piece forg'd in the devils shop , and yet the impious foul mouth'd babbler never was so much as questioned for it . nor did the church only eccho with these blasphemies ; but the presse was as pregnant to produce every day som monster either against ecclesiasticall , or secular government . i am asham'd to tell you how som bold pamphleters in a discourse of a sheet or two , wold presume to question , to dispute of , and determin the extent of monarchik jurisdiction , what sturdy doubts , what sawcy quaeries they put , what odd frivolous distinctions they f●…am'd , that the king though he was gods anointed , yet he was mans appointed : that he had the commanding , not the disposing power : that he was set to rule over , not to over-rule the people ; that he was king by human choice , not by divine charter ; that he was not king by the grace of god , so much as by the suffrage of the people ; that he was a creatur●… and production of the parliament : that he had no implicit trust , nor peculiar property in any thing ; that populus est potior rege ; that grex lege , lex est rege potentior ; that the king was singulis major , universis minor , ( wheras a successive monarch — uno minor est iove . — sometimes they wold bring instances from the states of holland , sometimes from the republick of venice , and apply them so impertinently to absolute and independant royalty ; but i find that the discourse and inferences of these grand statists were bottom'd upon four false foundations , viz. that the king of whom they speak must be either a minor , and idiot , an insufferable tyrant , or that the kingdom they mean , is elective ; none of all which is appliable , either to our most gracious and excellently qualified king , or to his renowned kingdom , which hath bin always reputed an ancient successive monarchy , govern'd by one suprem undeposeable and independent head , having the dignity , the royall state , and power of an imperiall crown , and being responsible to none ●…ut to god almighty and his own 〈◊〉 ●…or his actions , and unto whom a body ●…olitick compacted of prelates , 〈◊〉 , and all degrees of people is naturally subject ; but this is a theam of that transcenden●…y , that it requires a serious and solid tractat , rather then such a slender discourse as this is to handle . but i pray excuse me sir , that i have stept aside thus from the road of my main narration ; i told you before , how the clashing 'twixt the commission of array , and the militia , put all things in disarray throughout the whole kingdom ; the parliament as they had taken the first military gard , so they began to arm first , and was it not high time then for his majesty to do some thing think you ? yet he essayed by all ways imaginable to prevent a war , and to conquer by a passive fortitude , by cunctation , and longanimity . how many overtures for an accommodation did he make ? how many proclamations of pardon ? how many elaborat declarations breathing nothing but clemency , sweetness and truth did drop from his own imperious invincible pen , which will remain upon record to all ages , as so many monuments to his eternall glory ? yet som ill spirit stept still in , between his grace , and the abused subject , for by the peremptory order of parliament ( o monstrous thing ) the said proclamations of grace , and other his majesties declarations were prohibited to be read ; fearing that the strength and truth of them wold have had a vertue to unblind , or rather unbewitcht ( for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft ) the poor besotted people : what deep protestations and holy vowes did he reiterate that the main of his designs , was to preserve the tru protestant religion , the known lawes of the land , and the just priviledges of parliament ? how often did he dehort and woo the city of london ( his imperiall chamber ) from such violent courses , so that she may be justly upbraided with the same words , as the prince of peace upbraided ierusalem withall : london , london , how often wold i have gathered thee , as a ●…en doth her chickens under her wings , yet thou wouldst not ? how often did he descend to acknowledg the manner of demanding the one and five members in his publick remonstrances ? and if ther was an errour in the proceedings , how oft did he desire his great councell to direct him in a course how to go on in the empeachment ? which they never did , but wold reserve the priviledge to themselves to be judge and party . peregrin . can your parliament protect high treason ? i am sure the character of an ambassadour cannot , which the late french ambassadour ( who for his time play'd his cards more cunning than ever count gondomar did ) knew well ; and therefore , as i heard som french men say , he got letters of revocation before his designed time : but it seems strange to me , that the king who is the protectour of the law , and fountain of justice , cannot have the benefit of the law himself , which the meanest of his vassals can claim by right of inheritance : 't is strange , i say , that the law shold be a dead letter to him who is the life of the law , but that for omission of some punctillio in the form of the processe , the charge of high treason shold be so slightly wav'd , specially treason of so universall a concernment , that it may be call'd a complication of many treasons ; for if in every petty state it be high treason to treat only with any forrein power without the privity of the prince , it must needs be treason of a higher nature actually to bring them in ; and hereof i could alleadge you many pregnant instances , ancient and modern , but that i do not desire to interrupt you in your relation . patricius . the parliament , as i told you before , armed apace , it was not fitting then his majesty shold sit idle ; therfore he summons those nobles and others , who had an immediate relation unto him by office or service , to attend him at york , according to their particular obligation and oath : but it seems the parliament assumed power to dispence with those oaths , and excuse their attendance , which dispensation prevail'd with som ( tender ) consciences ; yet the great seal posted to court , and after it most of the nobles of the land , with the flower of the gentry , and many of the prime members of the commons house ; so that were it not for the locall priviledge , the parliament for number of members , might be said to be ever since about the king : these nobles and gentlemen resenting his majesties case , and what practices ther were on foot to alter the government both of church and state , not only advised his majesty to a royall war for defence of his crown and dignity , but contributed very chearfully , and have stood constant to the work ever since . peregrin . they have good reason for it , for the security of the nobility and gentry depends upon the strength of the crown , otherwise popular government wold rush in like a torrent upon them . but surely those nobles , and those parliament gentlemen and others , som of whom i understand , were reputed the wisest and best weigh'd men for experience and parts thorowout the whole kingdom , and were cryed up in other parliaments to be the most zealous patriots for the propriety and freedom of the subject , wold never have stuck so firmly to his majesty , had they not known the bottom of his designs , that it was far from his thoughts to bring in the pope or french government ; for therby they shold have betrayed their own posterity , and made their children slaves . patricius . to my knowledge , these nobles and gentlemen are still the very same as they were in former parliaments , wherin they were so cryed up for the truest lovers of their country , and best common-wealths-men ; yet now they are branded , and voted to be seducers , and traytors , because according to their oaths and consciences , they adhere to the king their master and liege-lord , for maintenance of that religion they were baptized and bred in . those most orthodox and painfull divines , which till this parliament began were accounted the precisest sort of protestants , are now cryed down for papists , though they continue still the very same men , both for opinions and preaching , and are no more papists than i am a pythagorean . in fine , a tru english protestant is put now in the same scale with a papist , and made synonyma's . and truly these unhappy schismaticks could not devise how to cast a greater infamy upon the english protestant than they have done of late by these monstrous imputations ; they wold fasten upon him such opinions which never entred into his thoughts , they wold know ones heart better than himself , and so would be greater kardiognosticks than god almighty . but to draw to a conclusion ; the parliaments army multiplyed apace in london , the kings but slowly in the north , so that when he displayed his royal standard at nottingham , his forces were not any thing considerable , so that if the parliaments generall ( essex ) had then advanced towards him from northampton , he had put him to a very great strait ; they encreased somthing at derby , and stafford , but when he was come to shrewsbury , the welch-men came running down the mountains in such multitudes , that their example did much animate the english ; so that his army in lesse than a month that the court continued in shrewsbury , came to near upon twenty thousand horse and foot ; not long before , the nephew princes came over , and the first encounter prince rupert had with the parliaments forces was at worcester , where he defeated the flower of their cavalry , and gave them a smart blow . at shrewsbury his majesty took a resolution to march with his whole army towards london , but after seven days march he understood the parliaments forces were within six miles side-long of him , and so many miles he went out of his road to find them out , and face them : upon sunday morning he was himself betimes upon edge-hill , wher the enemies colours plainly appear'd in vale before keinton ; it was past two in the after-noon before all his infantery could get to the bottom , who upon sight of the enemies colours ran as merrily down the hill , as if they had gone to a morris dance . so his majesty himself being generalissimo , gave command the great ordnance shold flye for a defiance , so the battell began , which lasted above three hours , and as some french and dutch commanders ( who were engag'd in the fight ) told me , they never remembred to have seen a more furious battail for the time in all the german wars . prince rupert pursued the enemies horse like a whirl-wind near upon three miles , and had ther bin day enough , when he came back to the infanterie , in all probability a totall defeat had bin given them : so that the same accident may be said to fall out here , as happened in that famous battell at lewis , in henry the thirds time , where the prince of wales ( afterwards edward the first ) was so eager , and went so far ( by excesse of courage ) from the body of the army in pursuance of the londoners , that it was the fatall cause of the losse of that mighty battail . his majesty ( to his deserved and never-dying glory ) comported himself like another caesar all the while , by riding about and encouraging the souldiers , by exposing his person often to the reach of a musket-bullet , and lying in the field all that bleak night in his coach. notwithstanding that many lying pamphlets were purposely printed here , to make the world believe that he had retir'd himself all the time of the fight ; what partiall reports were made in the guild-hall to the londoners , and by what persons , ( w. and strode ) i am ashamed to tell you : but that his majesty was victorious that day ( a day which i never thought to have seen in england ) ther be many convincing arguments to prove it ; for besides the great odds of men which fell on their side , and cannons they lost , som of their ordnance were nayl'd by the kings troops the next morning after in the very face of their army . moreover , the king advanc'd forward the next day to his former road , and took banbury presently after ; but the parliamenteers went backwards , and so from that day to this , his majesty continueth master of the field . 't is tru , that in som places , as at farnham , winchester , and chichester , they have prevail'd since , but no considerable part of the royall army was ther to make opposition ; and i blush to tell you , how unworthily the law of armes was violated in all those places . peregrin . good lord , how can the souls of those men that were in the parliaments army at keinton battell , dispense with the oaths of supremacy and allegeance , besides the protestation you speak of , they had taken to preserve the person , honour , and prerogative of the king , when they thus actually bandy against his person , and appear in battel with all the engines of hostility against him ? patricius . i wold be loth to exchange consciences with them , and prevaricate so palpably with god almighty ; touching the cavaliers , they may be said to comply with their duties both towards god and their king according to the oaths you mention ; moreover , ther was a strong act of parliament ( for their security ) which was never as much as questioned or controverted , much lesse suspended or repeal'd : but always stood , and yet stands in as full validity and force , as it was the first day it was enacted , and as much binding to an universall obedience , which act runs thus : . octobris anno undecimo henrici septimi , anno dom. it is ordained , enacted , and established by the king our soverain lord , by the advice and assent of the lords spirituall and temporall , and the commons in this present parliament assembled , and by authority of the same , that from henceforth no manner of person or persons whatsoever he or they be , that attend upon the king and soverain lord of this land for the time being in his person , and do him tru and faithfull service of allegiance in the same , or be he in other places by his commandment , in his wars within this land or without : that for the said deed , and tru duty of allegiance , he or they be in no wise convict or attaint of high treason , nor of other offences for that cause , by act of parliament or otherwise by any processe of law , whereby he or any of them , shall lose or forfeit life , lands , tenements , rents , possessions , hereditaments , goods , chattels , or any other things : but to be for that deed and service utterly discharged of any vexation , trouble or loss . and if any act or acts , or other processe of the law hereafter , therupon for the same happen to be made contrary to this ordinance , that then that act or acts , or other processe of the law , whatsoever they shall be , stand and utterly void . provided alwayes that no person or persons shall take any benefit or advantage by this act , which shall hereafter decline their said allegiance . peregrin . this is as plain and fair as can be for securing both the person and conscience of the cavalier , but was ther ever any act or oath , or any thing like an oath that oblig'd englishmen to be tru unto , or fight for the parliament ? patricius . never any , but these men by a new kind of metaphysicks have found out a way to abstract the person of the king from his office , to make his soveraigntie a kind of platonick idea hovering in the aire , while they visibly attempt to assaile and destroy his person and progeny , by small and great shot , and seek him out amongst his life-gard with fire and sword ; yet they give out , they fight not only not against him , but for him , and that their army is more loyall unto him than his owne ; who , they say , fight only for the name king , though they have his person really amongst them , commanding and directing : thus they make him a strange kind of amphibium , they make in one instant a king and no king of the same individuum ; a power which the casuists affirme god almighty never assumed to himself , to doe any thing that implies a contradiction . peregrin . noble sir , you make my heart to pant within me , by the pathetick relation you have been pleas'd to make mee of these ●…uthfull times ; but one thing seems to me to be no lesse then a miracle , how his majestie hath beene able to subsist all this while , considering the infinite advantages the averse partie hath had of him ; for they have all the tenable places and townes of strength , both by land and sea ; they have the navie royall , they have all the amunition and armes of the crown , they have all the imposts and customs , poundage and tonnage ( which they levie contrary to their former protestation before the bill be pass'd ) they have the exchequer at their devotion , and all the revenue of the king , queen , and prince , and lastly , they have the citie of london , which may be eall'd a magazin of money and men , where there is a ready supplie and superfluitie of all things , that may seed , clothe , or make men gay to put them in heart and resolution : truely considering all these advantages , with divers others on their side , and the disadvantages on the kings , it turnes me into a lump of astonishment , how his majestie could beare up all this while , and keep together so many armies , and be still master of the field . patricius . i confesse sir , it is a just subject for wonderment , and we must ascribe it principally to god almightie , who is the protectour of his anointed , for his hand hath manifestly appear'd in the conduct of his affaires ; hee hath been the pilot , who hath sate at the helme ever s●…nce this storme began , and will we hope continue to steer his course till he waft him to safe harbour againe ; adde hereunto , that his majesty for his own part , hath beene wonderfully stirring , and indefatigable both for his body and minde ; and what notable things her majesty hath done , and what she hath suffered , is fitter for chronicle , then such a simple discourse . hereunto may be added besides , that his majestie hath three parts of foure of the peeres , and prime gentrie of the kingdom firme unto him , and they will venture hard before they will come under a popular government and mechanicall corporations , or let in knox or calvin to undermine this church , and bring in their bawdy stool of repentance . peregrin . truely sir , amongst other countreys , i extreamly long'd to see england , and i am no sooner come , but i am surfeited of her already , i doubt the old prophecie touching this island is come now to be verified , that the churchman was , the lawyer is , and the souldier shall be . i am afraid the english have seene their best dayes ; for i find a generall kind of infatuation , a totall eclipse of reason amongst most of them ; and commonly a generall infatuation precedes the perdition of a people ; like a fish , that putrifieth first in the head ; therefore i will trusse up my baggage and over again , after i have enjoyed you some dayes , and received your commands . patricius . dear sir , if you seriously resolve to crosse the seas againe so soon , i may chance beare you company , for as you have since the short time of your sojourn here judiciously observed a national defection of reason in the people of this island , which makes her so active in drawing on her own ruine ; so by longer experience , and by infallible symptomes i find a strange kind of vertigo to have seized upon her , which i feare will turne to the falling sicknesse , or such a frenzie that will make her to dash out her own braines : nor are her miseries , i feare , come yet to the full ; it is the method of the almightie , when he pleases to punish a people , to begin with roddes , to goe on with scourges , and if they will not do , he hath scorpions for them : therefore , i will breath any where sooner then here , for what securitie or contentment can one receive in that countrey , where religion and iustice , the two grand dorique columnes which support every state , are fallen down ? which makes all conditions of men , all professions and trades to go here daylie to utter ruine . the churchman grows every day more despicable , as if he had no propertie in any thing , nor is there any way left him to recover his tithe , but by costly troublesome sutes . the civilian , a brave learned profession , hath already made his last will ; and the common lawyers case is little better ; the courtier cannot get his pension ; the gentleman cannot recover his rents , but either they are sequestred by a high hand of unexampled power , or else the poor tenant is so heavily assess'd or plundred , that he is disabled to pay them in ; all kind of comerce both domestick and forrein visibly decayes , and falls more and more , into the hands of strangers ( to the no small dishonour of the wisedome of this nation ) nor can the tradesman recover his debts , parliamentary protections continue still in such numbers , so that it is a greater priviledge now to be a footman to the meanest of the lower house , then to be of the kings bed chamber : prenti●…es run away from their masters , and against their fathers intent turn souldiers , and for money , which is the soul of trade , i beleeve since the beginning of this parliament , above one half of the treasure of the kingdome is either conveyed to'ther side of the sea , or buried under ground , whence it must be new digg'd up againe . moreover , all things are here grown arbitrary ( yet that word took off the earle of straffords head ) religion , law , and allegiance is growne arbitrary ; nor dares the iudge upon the tribunall ( according to his oath ) do justice , but he is over-awed by ordinance ; or els the least intimation of the sense of the lower house is sufficient to enjoyne him the contrary , so that now , more then ever , it may be said here , — terras astraea reliquit . — peace also hath rov'd up and downe this island , and cannot get a place to lay her head on ; she hoped to have had entertainment in york-shire by the agreement of the best gentlemen in the countrey ; but an ordinance of parliament beat her out of doores ; then she thought to rest in cheshire , and by a solemne covenant she was promis'd to be preserv'd ther , the principal agents of that covenant having protested every one upon the word of a gentleman , and as they did desire to prosper , both themselves , their tenants and friends , , shold strictly observe it ; but the like ordinance of parliament battered down that agreement . then she thought to take footing in the west , and first in dorcetshire , then in cornwall and devonshire , and by the holy tie of the blessed sacrament she was promised to be preserved ther ; but another ordinance of parliament is pursuing her , to dispense with the commissioners of the said agreement for their oaths . lastly , his majesty is mainly endeavouring to bring her in again thorowout the whole land ; but the furious , phrentique schismaticks will have none of her ; for as one of them ( besides a thousand instances more ) preach'd in one of the most populous congregations about the city , it were better that london streets ran with bloud , and that dead carkasses were piled up as high as the battlements of pauls , than peace should be now brought in . and now that peace is shut out , learning is upon point of despair , her colledges are become courts of gard , and mars lieth in mercuries bed . honour also , with her court , lieth in the dust ; the cobler may confront the knight , the boor the baron , and ther is no judicial way of satisfaction ; which makes monarchy fear she hath no long time of abode here . publick faith also , though she had but newly set up for her self , is suddenly become bankrupt , and how could she choose ? for more of the kingdoms treasure hath bin spent within these thirty moneths , than was spent in four-score yeares before ; but she hopes to piece up her self again , by the ruines of the church ; but let her take heed of that , for those goods have bin fatall to many thousand families in this kingdom : yet , she thinks much , that those publick summs which were given to suppresse one rebellion ( in ireland ) shold be employed to maintain another rebellion ( in england . ) and lastly , methinks , i see religion in torn ragged weeds , and with slubber'd eyes sitting upon weeping-crosse , and wringing her hands , to see her chiefest temple ( pauls church ) where god almighty was us'd to be serv'd constantly thrice a day , and was the rendezvouz , and as it were the mother church , standing open to receive all commers and strangers , to be now shut up , and made only a thorow-fare for porters ; to see those scaffolds , the expence of so many thousand pounds , to lie rotting ; to see her chiefest lights like to be extinguished ; to see her famous learned divines dragg'd to prison , and utterly depriv'd of the benefit of the common law , their inheritance : methinks , i say , i see religion packing up , and preparing to leave this island quite , crying out , that this is countrey fitter for atheists than christians to live in ; for god almighty is here made the greatest malignant , in regard his house is plunder'd more than any : ther is no court left to reform heresie , no court to punish any church officer , and to make him attend his cure , not court to punish fornication , adultery , or incest : methinks i hear her cry out against these her grand reformers ( or refiners rather ) that they have put division 'twixt all degrees of persons . they have put division 'twixt husband and wife , 'twixt mother and child : the son seeks his fathers bloud in open field , one brother seeks to cut the others throat ; they have put division 'twixt master and servant , 'twixt land - lord and tenant ; nay , they have a long time put a sea of separation 'twixt king and queen ; and they labour more and more to put division 'twixt the head and the members , 'twixt his majesty and his politicall spouse , his kingdom : and lastly , they have plung'd one of the flourishingst kingdoms of europe in a war without end ; for though a peace may be plaister'd over for the time , i fear it will be but like a fire cover'd with ashes , which will break out again , as long as these fiery schismaticks have any strength in this island ; so that all the premisses considered , if turk or tartar , or all the infernal spirits and cacodaemons of hel had broken in amongst us , they could not have done poor england more mischief . sir , i pray you excuse this homely imperfect relation , i have a thousand things more to impart unto you when we may breathe freer air ; for here we are come to that slavery , that one is in danger to have his very thoughts plundered ; therfore if you please to accept of my company , i will over with you by gods help , so soon as it may stand with your conveniency , but you must not discover me to be an englishman , abroad : for so i may be jeer'd at and kickt in the streets ; i will go under another name , and am fix'd in this resolution , never to breathe english aire again , untill the king recovers his crown , and the people the right use of their pericraniums ▪ the second part of a discourse ' twixt patricius and peregrin , touching the distempers of the times . london , printed in the year , . a discours , or parly , continued betwixt patricius and peregrin , upon their landing in france , touching the civil wars of england and ireland . peregrin . gentle sir , you are happily arrived on this shore ; we are now upon firm ground , upon the fair continent of france ; we are not circumscrib'd , or coopt up within the narrow bounds of a rhumatick island ; we have all europe before us . truly i am not a little glad to have shaken hands with that tumbling element the sea ; and for england , i never intend to see her again in the mind i am in , unlesse it be in a map ; nay , in statu quo nunc , while this faction reigns , had i left one eye behind me , i should hardly returne thither to fetch it ; therefore if i be missing at any time , never look for me there . there is an old proverb , from a blacke german , a white italian , a red frenchman , i may adde one member more , and , from a round-headed englishman , the lord deliver us . i have often crossed these seas , and i found my self alwaies pitifully sick , i did ever and anon tell what wood the ship was made of ; but in this passage i did not feele the least motion or distemper in my humors : for , indeed i had no time to taink on sicknesse , i was so wholly tsken up , and transported with such a pleasing conceit , to have left yonder miserable island . peregrin . miserable island indeed ; for i thinke there was never such a tyrannie exercised in any christian countrey under heaven ; a tyrannie that extends not onely to the body , but to the braine also ; not only to mens fortunes and estates , but it reaches to their very soules and consciences , by violented new coercive oaths and protestations , compos'd by lay-men , inconsistent with the liberty of christians . never was there a nation carried away by such a strong spirit of delusion ; never was there a poor people so purblinded and puppified , if i may say so , as i finde them to be ; so that i am at a stand with my selfe , whether i shall pitie them more , or laugh at them . they not onely kisse the stone that hurts them , but the hands of them that hurle it ; they are come to that passive stupidity , that they adore their very persecutors , who from polling fall now a shaving them , and will flay them at last if they continue this popular reigne . i cannot compare england , as the case stands with her , more properly , then to a poor beast , sicke of the staggers , who cannot be cur'd without an incision . the astronomers , i remember , affirme that the moone ( which predominates over all humid bodies ) hath a more powerfull influence o're your british seas then any other ; so that according to the observation of some nevigators , they swell at a spring tide in some places , above threescore cubits high : i am of opinion , that that inconstant humorous planet , hath also an extraordinany dominion over the braines of the inhabitants ; for when they attempt any innovation ( whereunto all insulary people are more subject then other citizens of the world which are fixed upon the continent ) they swell higher , their fancies worke stronglier , and so commit stranger extravagancies then any other : witnesse these monstrous barbarismes and violencies , which have bin , and are daily offered to religion and just●…ce , ( the two grand supporters of all states ) yea , to humane reason it self since the beginning of these tumults . and now , noble sir , give me leave to render you my humble thanks for that true and solid information you pleased to give me in london of these commotions . during my short sojourne there , i lighted on divers odde pamphlets upon the seamstresses stalls , whom i wondred to see selling paper sheets in lieu of holland : on the one side i found the most impudent untruths ( vouch'd by publike authority ) the basest scurrilities , and poorest jingles of wit that ever i read in my life ; on the other side i met with many pieces that had good stuff in them , but gave mee not ( being a stranger ) a full satisfaction , they look'd no further then the beginning of this parliament , and the particular emergences thereof : but you have , by your methodicall relation , so perfectly instructed and rectified my understanding , by bringing me to the very source of these distempers , and led me all along the side of the current by so streight a line , that i believe , whosoever will venture upon the most intricate task of penning the story of these vertiginous times , will finde himself not a little beholden to that relation , which indeed may be term'd a short chronicle rather then a relation . wee are come now under another clime , and here we may mingle words , and vent our conceptions more securely ; it being , as matters stand in your countrey , more safe to speake under the lilly then the rose ; wee may here take in and put out freer ayre ; i meane , we may discourse with more liberty : for , words are nought els but aire articulated , and coagulated as it were into letters and syllables . patricius . sir , i deserve not these high expressions of your favourable censure touching that poor piece ; but this i will be bold to say , that whosoever doth read it impartially , will discover in the author the genius of an honest patriot , and a gentleman . and now methinks i look on you unfortunate island , as if one look upon a ship toss'd up and down in distresse of wind and weather , by a furious tempest , which the more she tugs and wrastles with the foamie waves of the angry ocean , the more the fury of the storme encreaseth , and puts her in danger of shipwrack ; and you must needs thinke , sir , it would move compassion in any heart , to behold a poore ship in such a desperate case , specially when all his kindred , friends and fortunes ; yea his religion , the most precious treasure of all , are aboard of her , and upon point of sinking . alas i can contribute nothing now to my poor countrey but my prayers and teares , that it would please god to allay this tempest , and cast over board those that are the true causers of it , and bring the people to the right use of reason againe . it was well observed by you , sir , that there is a nationall kinde of indisposition , and obliquity of mind that rageth now amongst our people , and i feare it will be long ere they returne to their old english temper . to that rare loyalty and love which they were used to shew to their soveraigne : for all the principles of monarchie are quite lost amongst us , those ancient and sacret flowers of the english diadem are trampled under foot ; nay , matters are come to that horrid confusion , that not onely the prerogative of the crown , but the foundamentall priviledge of the free-born subject is utterly overthrowne , by those whose predecessors were used to be the main supporters of it : so that our king is necessitated to put himself in armes for the preservation not only of his own regall rights , but of magna charta it self , which was neuer so invaded and violated in any age , by such causlesse tyrannicall imprisonments , by such unexampled destructive taxes , by stopping the ordinary processes in law , and awing all the courts of justice , by unheard-of forced oaths and associations , and a thousand other acts , which neither president , book-case or statute can warrant , whereof , if the king had done but the twentieth part , he had been cryed up to be the greatest tyrant that ever was . peregrin . sir , i am an alien , and so can speak with more freedom of your countrey . the short time that i did eate my bread there , i felt the pulse of the people with as much judgement as i could ; and i find , that this very word parliament is become a kind of idoll amongst them , they doe , as it were , pin their salvation upon 't ; it is held blasphemie to speake against it . the old english maxime was , the king can do no wrong ; another nominative case is now stept in , that the parliament can do no wrong , nor the king receive any : and whereas ther was used to be but one defender of the faith , ther are now started up amongst you , i cannot tell how many hundreds of them . and as in the sacred profession of priest-hood we hold , or at least wise shold hold , that after the imposition of hands , the minister is inspired with the holy ghost in an extraordinary manner for the enabling of him to exercise that divine function , so the english are grown to such a fond conceit of their parliament members , that as soon as any is chosen by the confus'd cry of the common people to sit within the walls of that house , an inerring spirit , a spirit of infallibility presently entereth into him ( so that he is therby become like the pope , a canon animatus ) though som of them may haply be such flat and simple animals , that they are as fit to be counsellours , as caligula's horse was to be consull , as the historian tells us . patricius . touching parliament , ther breaths not a subject under englands crown , who hath a higher esteem of it then i , it makes that dainty mixture in our government of monarchy , optimacie and democracy , betwixt whom , though ther be a kind of co ordination of power during the sitting of parliament , yet the two last , which are composed of peers and people , have no power , but what is derived from the first , which may be called the soul that animates them , and by whose authority they meet , consult and depart : they come there to propose , not to impose lawes ; they come not to make lawes by the sword ; they must not be like draco's lawes , written in bloud . their king calls them thither to be his counsellors , not controllers ; and the office of counsell is to advise , not to inforce ; they come thither to intreat , not to treat with their liege lord ; they come to throw their petitions at his feet , that so they may find a way up to his hear●… . 't is tru , i have read of high things that our parliament have done , but 't was either during the nonage and minority of our kings , when they were under protectorship , or when they were absent in a forrain war , or in time of confusion , when ther were competitors of the bloud-royall for the crown , and when the number of both houses was compleat and individed ; but i never read of any parliament that did arrogate to it self such a power paramount , such a superlative superintendence , as to check the prerogative of their soverain , to question his negative voice , to passe things , not only without , but expresly against his advice and royall command : i never heard of parliament , that wold have their king , being come to the meridian of his age , to transmit his intellectualls , and whole faculty of reason to them . i find som parliaments have bin so modest and moderat ( now moderation is the rudder that shold steer the course of all great councells ) that they have declined the agitation and cognizance of som state affaires , humbly transferring them to their soverain and his privy counsell : a parliament man then , held it to be the adaequat object of his duty , to study the welfare , to redresse the grievances , and supply the defects of that particular place for which he served ; the members then us'd to move in their own ( inferior ) sphere , and us'd not to be transported by any eccentric motions . and so they thought to have complyed with the obligation , and discharged the consciences of honest patriots , without soaring above their reach , and roving at random to treat of universals , much lesse to bring religion to their bar , or prie into the arcana imperti , the cognizance of the one belonging to the king , and his intern counsell of state : the other to divines , who , according to the etymologie of the word , use to be still conversant in the exercise of speculation of holy and heavenly things . peregrin . i am clearly of your opinion in these two particulars ; for , secrecy being the soul of policy , matters of state shold be communicated but to few ; and touching religion , i cannot see how it may quadrat with the calling , and be homogeneous to the profession of lay-men , to determine matters of divinity ; who , out of their incapacity and unaptnesse to the work , being not pares negotio , and being carryed away by a wild kind of conscience without science , like a ship without a helm , fall upon dangerous quick-sands ; so that whilest they labour to mend her , they marr her , whilst they think to settle her , they confound her , whilst they plot to prevent the growth of popery , they pave the way to bring it in , by conniving at , and countenancing those monstrous schismes which i observed to have crept into your church since the reign of this parliament : so that one may justly say , these your reformers are but the executioners of the old project of the jesuits , the main part wherof was , and is still , to hurle the ball of discord , and hatch new opinions still 'twixt the protestants , to make factions and scissures between them , and so render their religion more despicable and ridiculous . but methinks , matters are come to a strange pass with you in england , that the iudges cannot be trusted with the law , nor the prelats with the gospell ; whereas from all times , out of their long experience and years , these two degrees of men were used to be reverenced for the chief touch-men , and unquestionable expositors of both , which another power seems now to arrogate to it self , as the inerring oracle of both : but i pray god that these grand refiners of religion , prove not quack-salvers at last ; that these upstart polititians prove not impostors : for i have heard of some things they have done , that if machiavell himself were alive , he wold be reputed a saint in comparison of them . the roman ten , and athenian thirty , were babies to these ; nay , the spanish inquisition , and the bloet-rade ( that councell of bloud ) which the duke of alva erected in flanders , when he swore , that he wold drown the hollanders in their butter-tubs , was nothing to this ; when i consider the prodigious power they have assumed to themselves , and do daily exercise over the bodies , the estates and souls of men . in your former discourse you told me , that amongst multitudes of other mischiefs , wh●…ch this new faction hath wrought , they have put division 'twixt all sorts and sexes , 'twixt all conditious , both of men and women ; one thing more i may say , they have done in this kind : for , they have laboured to put division between the persons of the holy trinity , by making the first person to be offended at that voluntary genuflection and reverence which hath bin from all times practised in the christian church to the name of the second person ; so that iesu worship , as i have read in some of your profane pamphlets , is grown now to be a word of reproach amongst you . but to the point ; ther is one thing i can never cease to wonder at : that whereas at the beginning of this parliament , ther were as able and experienced , as stout and well spoken gentlemen , as any in the whole kingdom , that sate in the house , and made the far major part , i wonder i say , that they wold suffer this giddy-headed faction to carry all before them in that violent manner , that they did not crush this cocatrice in the shell . patricius . first , sir , you know ther is nothing so agreeable to the nature of man , as novelty ; and in the conduct of humane affaires , it is always seen , that when any new design or faction is a foot , the projectors are commonly more pragmaticall and sedulous upon the work ; they lie centinell to watch all advantages , the sand of their brains is always running : this hath caused this upstart faction , to stick still close together , and continue marvellously constant to their ends ; they have bin used to tyre and out-fast , to weary and out-watch the moderate and well-minded gentlemen ; sometimes till after midnight , by clancular and nocturnall sittings ; so that as his majesty saies in one of his declarations , most of their votes may be said to be nought else , but verdicts of a starv'd iury. another reason is , that they countenanced the flocking together of the promiscuous rabble from london , notwithstanding the two severall motions the lords made unto them , that they might be suppressed by parliamentary order : this riotous crue awed the wonted freedom of speech in both houses , cryed up the names , and confronted many of their members : yet these new polititians not only conniv'd at them , but call'd them their friends ; and so they might well enough , or rather their champions ; for they had ordered the matter so , that they were sure to have them ready at their devotion , at the heaving of a finger : and from this tumultuous mongrell crue , they derived their first encouragements to do such high prodigious insolencies they have committed since . adde hereunto , that they complyed exceedingly besides with the common councell of the city , they used to attend them early and late to knock heads together ; and if any new thing was to passe in the house , they wold first wait on them , to know their pleasure , and afterwards it shold be propounded and put to vote in the house : and how derogatory it is to the high law-making-councell , to make their chiefest members wait from time to time on the magistrates of the city , who in former times were used to attend them upon all occasions in westminster , i am ashamed to think on ; nor am i lesse ashamed to remember those base artifices and indirect courses that were practis'd at the election of this pretended major ; here they tack'd about to a second choice ; after the first was legally made , and how the common-councell was pack'd up of the arrandest schismaticks up and down the city . and to that mutinous wealth-swoln city , and the said unbridled pack of oppidans ( seconded afterwards by the countrey clownes ) who offered such outrages to gods house , the kings house , and the parliament house , may be ascribed all miseries , and the miscarriage of things : for they caused his majesty to forsake his own standing palace , to absent himself from his parliament , and make that unpleasing p●…ogresse up and down his kingdom ever since , which put all counsells at a stand , and to be involv'd in a confusion . peregrin . but let me tell you that your britannick sun , though he be now ore-set with these unlucky clouds , engendred of the vapours of distempered brains , and the rotten hearts of many of his own meniall servants , who have proved like the sons of serviah unto him , ingratefull monsters , yet is he still in his own orb , and will , when this foul weather 's passed , and the aire cleared a little by thunder , shine more gloriously and powerfully then before , it being a maxime of state , that rebellion suppressed , makes a prince the stronger ; now rebellion durst never yet look a prince long in the face , for the majesty of gods anointed , useth to dart such fulgent piercing beams , that dazle the eyes of disloyalty , and strikes her stark blind at last . and truly , as you say , i am also clearly of opinion , that these ingratefull londoners , as they were the comencers , so have they been the continuers and contrivers of this ugly rebellion ever since ; they seem to have utterly forgotten who hath given them the sword , and by , and from whom they hold their charter ; their corporations are now grown body politicks , & so as many petty republikes amongst them , so that they begin to smell rank of a hans-town . poor simple annimals , how they suffer their pockets to be pick'd , their purses to be cut ; how they part with their vitall spirits every week ; how desperately they post on to poverty , and their own ruine , suffering themselves in lieu of scarlet-gownes , to be governed by a rude company of red-coats , who 'twixt plundering , assessements , and visits , will quickly make an end of them . i fear ther is som formidable judgment of regall revenge hangs over that city ; for the anger of a king is like the roaring of a lyon ; and i never read yet of any city that contested with her soverain , but she smarted soundly for it at last . the present case of london bears a great deal of proportion with that of monpellier here in france , in charls the seventh's time ; for when that town had refused the publishing of many of the kings edicts and declarations , murthered som of his ministers and servants , abused the church , and committed other high acts of insolency ; the duke of berry was sent to reduce the town to obedience ; the duke pressed them with so hard a siege , that at last the best citizens came forth in procession , bare-headed , & bare-footed , with white wands in their hands , and halters about their necks to deliver the keys of all the gates to the duke , but this wold not serve the turn , for two hundred of them were condemned to the gallies , two hundred of them were hang'd , and two hundred beheaded , the king saying , he offered those as victimes for the lives of his servants whom they had murthered with the false sword of justice . but , sir , i much marvell how your church-government , which from all times hath been cryed up to be so exact , is so suddenly tumbled into this confusion ? how your prelates are fallen under so darke a cloud , considering that divers of them were renowned through all the reform'd churches in christendome for their rare learning and pietie ? at the synod at dort , you know some of them assisted , and no exception at all taken at their degree and dignity , but took precedence accordingly , how came it to passe , that they are now fallen under this eclypse , as so be so persecuted , to be push'd out of the house of peers , and hurried into prison ? i pray you be pleased to tell me . patricius . sir , i remember to have read in the irish story , that when the earl of kildare in henry the eighth's time , was brought before the lord deputy for burning cassiles church , he answered , my lord , i would never have burnt the church , unlesse i had thought the biship had been in it ; for 't was not the church , but the bishop i aim'd at . one may say so of the anglican church at this present , that these fiery zelots , these vaporing sciolists of the times are so furiously enraged against this holy primative order ; some out of envie , some out of malice , some out of ignorance , that one may say , our church had not been thus set on fire , unlesse the bishops had been in 't . i grant there was never yet any profession made up of men , but there were some bad ; we are not angels upon earth there was a iudas amongst the first dozen of christians , though apostles , and they by our saviours owne election : amongst our prelates peradventure ( for i know of no accusation fram'd against them yet ) some might be faulty , and wanting moderation , being not contented to walk upon the battlements of the church , but they must put themselves ●…pon stilts ; but if a golden chaine hath happily a copper link two or three , will you therefore breake and throw away the whole chaine . if a few sho●…makers ( i confesse the comparison is too homely , but i had it of a scots man ) sell calfes skin for neats leather , must the gentle-craft be utterly extinguish ▪ d , must we go bare foot therefore ? let the persons suffer in the name of god , and not the holy order of episcopacy but good lord , how pittifully were those poor prelats handled ? what a tartarian kind of tyranny it was , to drag twice into prison twelve grave reverend bishops , causâ adhuc inaudita , and afterwards not to be able to frame as much as an accusation of misdemeanor against them , much lesse of treason , whereof they were first impeach'd with such high clamors : but i conceive it was of purpose , to set them out of the way , that the new faction might passe things better amongst the peers . and it seemes they brought their work about ; for whilest they were thus reclused and absent , they may be sayed to be thrust out of doores , and ejected out of their owne proper ancient inheritance , and the tower wherein they were cast might be called limbo patrum all the while . peregrin . but would not all this , with those unparallell'd bills of grace you mentioned in your first discourse , which had formerly passed , suffice to beget a good understanding , and make them confide in their king ? patricius . no , but the passing of these bills of grace , were term'd acts of duty in his majesty ; they went so far in their demands that 't was not sufficient for him to give up his tower , 〈◊〉 fleet-royall , his magazines , his ports , castl●… and servants , but he must deliver up his swor●… into their hands , all the souldiery & military forces of the land ; nay , he must give up his very understanding unto them ; he must resigne his own reason , and with an implicit faith or blind obedience , he must believe all they did was to make him glorious ; and if at any time he admonished them , o●… prescribed wayes for them to proceed and expedit matters , or if he advised them in any thing , they took it in a kind of indignation , and 't was presently cryed up to be breach of priviledge . peregrin . breach of priviledge forsooth , there is no way in my conceit , to make a king more inglorious , both at home and abroad , then to disarme him ; and to take from him the command and disposing of the militia throughout his kingdome , is directly to disarm him , & wrest the sword out of his hand : and how then can he be termed a defendor ? how can he defend either himself , or others ? 't is the onely way to expose him to scorn and derision ; truly , as i conceive , that demand of the militia was a thing not only unfit for them to ask , but for him to grant . but , sir , what shold be the reson which mov'd them to make that insolent proposall ? patricius . they cry'd out that the kingdom was upon point of being ruin'd ; that it was in the very jawes of destruction ; that there were forreign and in-land plots against it : all which are prov'd long since to be nothing else but meere chymera's ; yet people for the most part continue still so grossely besotted , that they cannot perceive to this day , that these forg'd feares , these utopian plots , those publick idea's were fram'd of purpose , that they might take all the martiall power into their hands ; that so they might without controulment cast the government of church and state into what mold they pleased , and ingrosse the chiefest offices to themselves : and from these imaginary invisible dangers proceeded these visible calamities , and grinding palpable pressures which hath accompanied this odious warre ever since . peregrin . herein methinks , your statists have shewne themselves politique enough , but not so prudent & honest ; for prudence & policy , though they often agree in the end , yet they differ in election of the meanes to compasse their ends : the one serves himself of truth , strength of reason , integrity , and gallantnesse in their proceedings ; the other of fictions , fraudulence , lies , and other sinister meanes ; the work of the one is lasting and permanent , the others worke moulders away , and ends in infamy at last ; for fraud and frost alwaies end foule . but how did they requite that most rare and high unexampled trust his majesty reposed in them , when he before passed that fatall act of continuance , a greater trust then ever english king put in parliament ? how did they performe their solemn promise and deepe protestations , to make him the most glorious ( at home and abroad ) the richest and best belovedst king that ever raigned in that island . patricius . herein i must confesse , they held very ill correspondence with him , for the more he trusted them , the more diffident they grew of him ; and truly , sir , herein white differs not so much from black , as their actions have been disconsonant to their words : touching the first promise , to make him glorious ; if to suffer a neighbouring nation ( the scot ) to demand and obtain what they pleased of him ; if to break capitulations of peace with a great forrein prince ( the french king ) by the renvoy of the capuchins , and divers other acts ; if to bring the dregs and riffraffe of the city to domineere before his court-gate , notwithstanding his proclamations of repressing them ; if to confront him and seek his life by fire and sword in open field , by open desiance , and putting him upon a defensive war ; if to vote his queen a traytresse , to shoot at her , to way-lay her , to destroy her , if to hinder the reading of his proclamations , and the sleighting of his declarations ( enclosed in letters sign'd and seal'd with his own hand ) for fear they shold bring the people to their wits again ; if to call them fetters of gold , divellish devises , fraught with doctrines of division , reall mistakes , absurd suppositions , though ther never dropt from princes pen , more full , more rationall and strong sinewy expressions ; if to suffer every shallow-brain'd scolist to preach , every pamphletter to print , every rotten-hearted man or woman to prate what they please of him and his queen ▪ if to sleight his often acknowledgment , condissentions , retractions , pronunciations of peace , and proffers of pardon ; if to endeavour to bring him to a kind of servile submission ; if to bar him of the attendance of his domestiques , to abuse and imprison his messengers , to hang his servants for obeying his commission ; if to prefer the safety and repute of five ordinary men , before the honour of their king , and being actually impeach'd of treason , to bring them in a kind of triumph to his house ; if for subjects to article , treat and capitulate with him ; if to tamper with his conscience , and make him forget the solemn sacramentall oath he took at his coronation ; if to devest him of all regall rights , to take from him the election of his servants and officers , and bring him back to a kind of minority ; if this be to make a king glorious , our king is made glorious enough . touching the second promise to make him the richest king that ever was ; if to denude him of his native rights , to declare that he hath no property in any thing but by way of trust , not so much property as an elective king ; if to take away his customs of inheritance ; if to take from him his exchequer and mint , if to thrust him out of his own towns , to suffer a lowsie citizen to lie in his beds within his royall castle of windsor , when he himself would have come thither to lodg ; if to enforce him to a defensive war , and cause him to engage his jewells and plate , and so plunge him in a bottomlesse gulph of debt for his necessary defence ; if to anticipate his revenue royall , and reduce him to such exigents that he hath scarce the subsistence of an ordinary gentleman ; if this be to make a rich king , then is our king made sufficiently rich . concerning their third promise , to make him the best belovedst king that ever was ; if to cast all the aspersions that possibly could be devised upon his government by publique elaborat remonstrances ; if to suffer and give texts to the strongest lung'd pulpiteers to poyson the hearts of his subjects , to intoxicat their brains with fumes of forg'd jealousies , to possesse them with an opinion , that he is a papist in his heart , and consequently hath a design to introduce popery ; if to sleight his words , his promises , his asseverations , oaths and protestations , when he calls heaven and earth to witnesse , when he desires no blessing otherwise to fall upon himself , his wife and children , with other pathetick deep-fetcht expressions , that wold have made the meanest of those millions of christians which are his vassals , to be believed ; if to protect delinquents , and proclaim'd traytors against him ; if to suscitate , authorise , and encourage all sorts of subjects to heave up their hands against him , and levy armes to emancepate themselves from that naturall allegiance , loyalty , and subjection , wherein , they and their fore-fathers were ever tyed to his royall progenitors ; if to make them swear and damn themselves into a rebellion ; if this be to make a king beloved , then this parliament hath made king charles the best beloved king that ever was in england . peregrin . i cannot compare this rebellion in england , more properly then to that in this kingdom , in king iohn's time , which in our french chronicle beares to this day the infamous name of iaquerie de beauvoisin ; the peasans then out of a surfeit of plenty , had grown up to that height of insolency , that they confronted the noblesse and gentry ▪ they gathered in multitudes , and put themselves in armes to suppresse , or rather extinguish them ; and this popular tumult never ceased , till charles le sage debell'd it ; and it made the kings of france more puissant ever since , for it much increased their finances , in regard that those extraordinary taxes which the people imposed upon themselves for the support of the war , hath continued ever since a firm revenue to the crown ; which makes me think of a facecious speech of the late henry the great , to them of orleans : for wheras a new imposition was laid upon the townsmen during the league by monsieur de la chastre , who was a great stickler in those wars ; they petitioned henry the fourth , that he wold be pleased to take off that taxe , the king asked them , who had laid that taxe upon them ? they said monsieur de la chastre , during the time of the league , the king replyed , puis que monsieur de la chatre vous à liguè qu'il vous destigue , since monsieur de la chastre hath leagu'd you , let monsieur de la chastre unleague you , and so the said taxe continueth to this day . i have observed in your chronicles that it hath bin the fate of your english kings to be baffled often by petty companions ; as iack straw , wat tyler , cade , warbecke and symnel . a waspe may somtimes do a shrewd turn to the eagle , as you said before ; your island hath bin fruitfull for rebellions , for i think ther hapned near upon a hundred since the last conquest , the city of london , as i remember , in your story hath rebelled seven times at least , and forfeited her charter i know not how often , but she bled soundly for it at last , and commonly , the better your princes were , the worse your people have been ; as the case stands , i see no way for the king to establish a setled peace , but by making a fifth conquest of you ; and for london , ther must be a way found to prick that tympany of pride wherwith she swells so much . patricius . 't is true , ther has bin from time to time many odd insurrections in england , but our king gathered a greater strength out of them afterwards , the inconstant people are alwayes accessary to their own miseries : kings prerogatives are like the ocean , which as the civilians tell us , if he lose in one pla●…e , he gets ground in another . cares and crosses ride behind kings , clowds hang over them . they may be eclypsed a while , but they will shine afterwards with a stronger lustre . our gracious soverain hath passed a kind of ordeal , a fiery triall ; he while now hath bin matriculated and serv'd part of an apprentiship in the school of affliction ; i hope god will please shortly to cancell the indenture , and restore him to a sweeter liberty then ever . this discourse was stopp'd in the press by the tyranny of the times , and not suffer'd to see open light till now . a sober and seasonable memorandum sent to the right honourable philip late earl of pembrock , and montgomery , &c. to mind him of the particular sacred ties ( besides the common oath of alleageance and supremacy ) wereby he was bound to adhere to the king his liege lord and master . presented unto him in the hottest brunt of the late civill wars . iuramentum ligamen conscientiae maximum . london , printed in the year , . to the right honourable , philip earl of pembrock , and montgomery , knight of the bath ; knight of the most noble order of the garter ; gentleman of his majesties bed-chamber , and one of his most honorable privy counsell , &c. my lord , this letter requires no apology , much lesse any pardon , but may expect rather a good reception and thanks , when your lordship hath seriously perused the contents , and ruminated well upon the matter it treats of by weighing it in your second and third thoughts which usually carry with them a greater advantage of wisdom : it concerns not your body , or temporall estate , but things reflecting upon the noblest part of you , your soul , which being a beam of immortality , and a type of the almighty , is incomparably more precious , and rendereth all other earthly things to be but bables and transitory trifles . now , the strongest tye , the solemnest engagement and stipulation that can be betwixt the soul and her creator , is an oath . i do not understand common tumultuary rash oaths , proceeding from an ill habit , or heat of passion upon sudden contingencies , for such oaths bind one to nought else but to repentance : no , i mean serious and legall oaths , taken with a calm prepared spirit , either for the asserting of truth , and conviction of falshood , or for fidelitie in the execution of some office or binding to civill obedience and loyaltie , which is one of the essentiall parts of a christian ; such publick oaths legally made with the royall assent of the soveraigne from whom they receive both legalitie and life ( else they are invalid and unwarrantable ) as they are religious acts in their own nature , so is the taking and observance of them part of gods honor , and there can be nothing more derogatory to the high majesty and holinesse of his name , nothing more dangerous , destructive and damnable to humane souls then the infringment and eluding of them , or omission in the performance of them . which makes the turks , of whom christians in this particular may learn a tender peece of humanity , to be so cautious , that they seldom or never administer an oath to greek , jew , or any other nation , and the reason is , that if the party sworn doth take that oath upon hopes of some advantage , or for evading of danger and punishment , and afterwards rescinds it , they think themselves to be involved in the perjury , and so accessary to his damnation : our civill law hath a canon consonant to this , which is , mortale peccatum est ei praestare juramentum , quem scio verisimiliter violaturum ; 't is a mortall sin to administer an oath to him who i probably know will break it ; to this may allude another wholesome saying , a false oath is damnable , a true oath dangerous , none at all the safest . how much then have they to answer for , who of late yeares have fram'd such formidable coercive generall oaths to serve them for engins of state to lay battery to the consciences and soules of poor men , and those without the assent of their soveraign , and opposit point blank to former oaths they themselves had taken : these kind of oaths the city of london hath swallowed lately in grosse , and the country in detaile , which makes me confidently beleeve that if ever that saying of the holy prophet , the land mournes for oaths , was appliable to any part of the habitable earth , it may be now applied to this reprobate iland . but now i come to the maine of my purpose , and to those oaths your lordship hath taken before this distracted time , which the world knowes , and your conscience can testifie , were divers ; they were all of them solemn , and some of them sacramentall oaths ( and indeed , every solemn oath among the antients was held a sacrament : ) they all implyed , and imposed an indispensible fidelity , truth and loyalty from you to your soveraign prince , your liege lord and master the king : i will make some instances : your lordship took an oath when knight of the bath to love your soveraign above all earthly creatures , and for his right and dignity to live and die &c. by the oath of supremacy you swear to beare faith and true allegeance to the kings highnesse , and to your power to defend all ●…urisdictions , priviledges , preheminences and authorities belonging to his highnesse &c. your lordship took an oath when privie counsellor , to be a true and faithfull servant unto him , and if you knew or understood of any manner of thing to be attempted , done , or spoken against his majesties person , honour , crown , or dignity , you swore to let , and withstand the same to the uttermost of your power , and either cause it to be revealed to himself , or to others of his privy counsell ; the oaths you took when bedchamber man , and l. chamberlain bind you as strictly to his person . your lordship may also call to memorie when you were installed knight of the garter , ( whereof you are now the oldest living except k ▪ of denmark ) you solemnly swore to defend the honour and quarrels , the rights and lordship of your ▪ soveraigne : now the record tells us that the chiefest ground of instituting the said order by that heroick prince edward the third was , that he might have choice gallant men , who by oath and honour should adhere unto him in all dangers , and difficulties , and that by way of reciprocation hee should protect and defend them , which made alfonso duke of calabria so much importune henry the eight to install him one of the knights of the garter , that he might engage king harry to protect him against charles the eighth , who threatned then the conquest of naples . how your lordship hath acquitted your self of the performance of these oaths , your conscience ( that bosome record ) can make the best affidavit ; some of them oblige you ●…o live and dye with king charles , but what oaths or any thing like an oath binds you to live and die with the house of commons , as your lordship often gives out you will , i am yet to learne : unlesse that house which hath not power as much as to administer an oath ( much lesse to make one ) can absolve you from your former oaths , or haply by their omnipotence dispence with you for the observance of them . touching the politicall capacitie of the king , i feare that will be a weak plea for your lordship before the tribunall of heaven , and they who ▪ whisper such chimeras into your ears , abuse you in grosse ; but put case there were such a thing as politicall capacitie distinct from the personal , which to a true rationall man is one of the grossest buls that can be , yet these forementioned oaths relate most of them meerly unto the kings person , the individuall person of king charles , as you are his domestick counsellor , and cubicular servant . my lord , i take leave to tell your lordship ( and the spectator sees sometimes more then the gamester ) that the world extreamely marvels at you more then others , and it makes those who wish you best to be transformed to wonder , that your lordship shold be the first of your race who deserted the crown , which one of your progenitors said , he would still follow though it were thrown upon an hedg : had your princely brother ( william earl of pembrock ) bin living he wold have bin sooner torn by wild horses than have banded against it , or abandoned the king his master , and fallen to such grosse idolatry as to worship the beast with many heads . the world also stands astonished that you shold confederate to bring into the bowels of the land , and make elogiums in some of your speeches of that hungry people which have bin from all times so crosse and fatall to the english nation , and particularly to your own honour : many thousands do wonder that your lordship shold be brought to persecute with so much animosity and hatred that reverend order in gods church ( episcopacy ) which is contemporary with christianity it self , and wherunto you had once designed , and devoted one of your dearest sons so solemnly . my lord , if this monster of reformation ( which is like an infernall spirit clad in white , and hath a cloven head as well as feet ) prevailes , you shall find the same destiny will attend poor england , as did bohemia which was one of the flourishingst kingdoms upon that part of the earth , which happen'd thus : the common people ther repind at the hierarchy and riches of the church , therupon a parliament was pack'd where bishops were abolished , what followed ? the nobles and gentry went down next , and afterwards the crown it self , and so it became a popular confus'd anarchicall state , and a stage of bloud a long time , so that at last , when this magot had done working in the brains of the foolish peeple , they were glad to have recourse to monarchy again after a world of calamities ; though it degenerated from a successive kingdom to an elective . methinks , my lord , under favour that those notorious visible judgements which have fallen upon these refiners of reform'd religion shold unbeguile your lordship , and open your eyes : for the hand of heaven never appeared so clearly in any humane actions : your lordship may well remember what became of the hothams , and sir alexander cary , who were the two fatall wretches that began the war first , one in the north , the other in the south , plymouth and hull . your lordship may be also pleased to remember what became of brooks the lord , and hampden , the first whereof was dispatched by a deaf and dumb man out of an ancient church ( at litchfield ) which he was battering , and that suddenly also , for he fell down stone dead in the twinkling of an eye ; now , one of the greatest cavils he had against our liturgy was a clause of a prayer ther against sudden death ; besides , the fag end of his grace in that journey was , that if the design was not pleasing to god , he might perish in the action : for the other ( hampden ) he besprinkled with his bloud , and received his death upon the same clod of earth in buckingham-shire where he had first assembled the poor country people like so many geese to drive them gaggling in a mutiny to london with the protestation in their caps , which hath bin since torn in flitters , and is now grown obsolet and quite out of use . touching pym and stroud , those two worthy champions of the utopian cause , the first being opened , his stomack and guts were found to be full of pellets of bloud , the other had little or no brain in his skull being dead , and lesse when he was living : touching those who carryed the first scandalous remonstrance ( that work of night and the verdict of a starv'd jury ) to welcome the king from scotland , they have bin since ( your lordship knows well ) the chief of the eleven members impeached by the house . and now they are a kind of runnagates beyond the seas , scorn'd by all mankind , and baffled every where , yea , even by the boors of holland , and not daring to peep in any populous town but by owle-light . moreover , i believe your lordship hath good cause to remember that the same kind of riotous rascals , which rabbled the k. out of town , did drive away the speaker in like manner with many of their memberships ( amongst whom your lordship was fairly on his way , ) to seek shelter of their janizaries the redcoats : your lordship must needs find what deadly fewds fal daily ' twix●… the presbyterian and the independent , the two fiery brands that have put this poor isle so long in combustion . but 't is worthy your lordships speciall notice how your dear brethren the scots ( whom your lordship so highly magnified in some of your publick speeches ) who were at first brought in for hirelings against the king for them , offer themselves now to come in against them for the king : your lordship cannot be ignorant of the sundry clashes that have bin 'twixt the city and their memberships , and 'twixt their memberships and their men of war or military officers , who have often wav'd and disobeyed their commands : how this tatterdimallian army hath reduc'd this cow'd city , the cheated country , and their once all-commanding masters , to a perfect passe of slavery , to a tru asinin condition ; they crow over all the ancient nobility and gentry of the kindom , though ther be not found amongst them all but two knights ; and 't is well known ther be hundreds of privat gentlemen in the kingdom , the poorest of whom , is able to buy this whole host with the generall himself and all the commanders : but 't is not the first time , that the kings and nobility of england have bin baffled by petty companions : i have read of iack straw , wat tyler , and ket the tanner , with divers others that did so , but being suppressed it tended to the advantage of the king at last ; and what a world of examples are ther in our story , that those noblemen who banded against the crown , the revenge of heaven ever found them out early or late at last . these , with a black cloud of reciprocall judgments more , which have come home to these reformers very doors , shew that the hand of divine justice is in 't , and the holy prophet tells us , when gods judgments are upon earth , then the inhabitants shall learn justice . touching your lordship in particular , you have not , under favour , escap'd without some already , and i wish more may not follow ; your lordship may remember you lost one son at bridgenorth , your dear daughter at oxford , your son-in-law at newbury , your daughter-in-law at the charter-house of an infamous disease , how sick your eldest son hath bin ; how part of your house was burnt in the country , with others which i will not now mention . i will conclude this point with an observation of the most monstrous number of witches that have swarm'd since these wars against the king , more ( i dare say ) then have bin in this island since the devil tempted eve ; for in two counties only , viz. suffolk and essex , ther have bin near upon three hundred arraign'd , and eightscore executed ( as i have it from the clerks of the peace of those counties ; ) what a barbarous devilish office one had , under colour of examination , to torment poor silly women with watchings , pinchings and other artifices to find them for witches : how others call'd spirits by a new invention of villany were conniv'd at for seizing upon young children , and 〈◊〉 them on shipboard , where having their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were so transform'd that their 〈◊〉 could not know them , and so were carryed over for new schismaticall plantations to new-england and other seminaries of rebellion . my lord , ther is no villany that can enter into the imagination of man hath bin left here uncommitted ; no crime from the highest treason to the meanest trespasse , but these reformers are guilty of . what horrid acts of prophanes have bin perpetrated up and down ! the monuments of the dead have bin rifled ! horses have bin watered at the church font , and fed upon the holy table ! widows , orphans , and hospitals have bin commonly robb'd , and gods house hath bin plunder'd more then any ! with what infandous blasphemies have pulpits rung ! one crying out , that this parliament was as necessary for our reformation , as the comming of christ was for our redemp●…ion : another belching out , that if god almighty did not prosper this cause , 't were fitting he shold change places with the devil : another , that the worst thing our savoour did , was the making of the dominical prayer , and saving the thief upon the crosse. o immortal god , is it possible that england shold produce such monsters , or rather such infernal fiends shap'd with humane bodies ! yet your lordship sides with these men , though they be enemies to the cross , to the church , and to the very name of iesus christ ; i 'le instance only in two who were esteem'd the oracles of this holy reformation , petrs , and saltmarsh ; the first is known by thousands to be an infamous , jugling and scandalous villaine , among other feats , he got the mother and daughter with child , as it was offered to be publickly proved ; i could speak much of the other , but being dead , let it suffice that he dyed mad and desperate , yet these were accounted the two apostles of the times . my lord , 't is high time for you to recollect your self , to enter into the private closet of your thoughts , and summon them all to counsel upon your pillow ; consider well the slavish condition your dear country is in , weigh well the sad case your liege lord and master is in , how he is bereav'd of his queen , his children , his servants , his liberty , his chaplains , and of every thing in which there is any comfort ; observe well , how neverthelesse , god almighty works in him by inspiring him with equality and calmnesse of mind , with patience , prudence and constancy , how hee makes his very crosses to stoop unto him , when his subjects will not : consider the monstrousnesse of the propositions that are tendred him , wherein no lesse then crown , scepter , and sword , which are things in-alienable from majesty , are in effect demanded , nay , they would have him transmit , and resign his very intellectuals unto them , not only so , but they would have him make a sacrifice of his soul , by forcing him to violate that solemne sacramentall oath hee took at his coronation when hee was no minor , but come to a full maturity of reason and judgement : make it your own case , my lord , and that 's the best way to judge of his : think upon the multiplicity of solemne astringing oathes your lordship hath taken , most whereof directly and solely enjoyne faith and loyalty to his person ; oh my lord ! wrong not your soule so much , in comparison of whom your body is but a rag of rottennesse . consider that acts of loyalty to the crown are the fairest columns to bear up a noblemans name to future ages , and register it in the temple of immortality . reconcile your self therefore speedily unto your liege lord and master , think upon the infinit private obligations you have had both to sire and son : the father kiss'd you often , kisse you now the sun lest he be too angry ; and kings , you will find , my lord , are like the sun in the heavens , which may be clouded for a time , yet he is still in his sphear , and will break out againe and shine as gloriously as ever ; let me tell your lordship that the people begin to grow extream weary of their physitians , they find the remedy to be far worse then their former disease ; nay they stick not to call some of them meer quacksalvers rather then physitians ; some goe further , & say they are no more a parliament then a pye-powder court at bartholmew-fair , ther being all the essentiall parts of a true parliament wanting in this , as fairnesse of elections , freedome of speech , fulnesse of members , nor have they any head at all ; besides , they have broken all the fundamental rules , and priviledges of parliament , and dishonoured that high court more then any thing else : they have ravish'd magna charta which they are sworn to maintain , taken away our birth-right therby , and transgressed all the laws of heaven and earth : lastly , they have most perjuriously betrayed the trust the king reposed in them , and no lesse the trust their country reposed in them , so that if reason and law were now in date , by the breach of their priviledges , and by betraying the said double trust that is put in them , they have dissolved themselves ipso facto i cannot tell how many thousand times , notwithstanding that monstrous grant of the kings , that fatall act of continuance : and truly , my lord , i am not to this day satisfied of the legality ( though i am satisfied of the forciblenesse of that act ) whether it was in his majesties power to passe it or no ; for the law ever presupposeth these clauses in all concessions of grace , in all patents , charters , and grants whatsoever the king passeth , salvo jure regio , salvo jure coronae . to conclude , as i presume to give your lordship these humble cautions and advice in particular , so i offer it to all other of your rank , office , order and relations , who have souls to save , and who by solemn indispensable oaths have ingaged themseves to be tru and loyall to the person of king charls . touching his political capacity , it is a fancy which hath bin exploded in all other parliaments except in that mad infamous parliament wher it was first hatched ; that which bears upon record the name of insanum parliamentum to all posterity , but many acts have passed since that , it shold be high and horrible treason to separat or distinguish the person of the king from his power ; i believe , as i said before , this distinction will not serve their turn at the dreadful bar of divine justice in the other world : indeed that rule of the pagans makes for them , si iusjurandum violandum est , tyrannis causâ violandum est , if an oath be any way violable , 't is to get a kingdom : we find by woful experience that according to this maxime they have made themselves all kings by violation of so many oaths ; they have monopoliz'd the whole power and wealth of the kingdom in their own hands ; they cut , shuffle , deal , and turn up what trump they please , being judges and parties in every thing . my lord , he who presents these humble advertisments to your lordship , is one who is inclin'd to the parliament of engl. in as high a degree of affection as possibly a free-born subject can be ; one besides , who wisheth your lordships good , with the preservation of your safety and honour more really then he whom you intrust with your secretest affaires , or the white iew of the upper house , who hath infused such pernicious principles into you ; moreover , one who hath some drops of bloud running in his veins , which may claim kindred with your lordship : and lastly , he is one who would kiss your feet , in lieu of your hands , if your lordship wold be so sensible of the most desperat case of your poor country , as to employ the interests , the opinion and power you have to restore the king your master by english waies , rather then a hungry forrein people , who are like to bring nothing but destruction in the van , confusion in the rear , and rapine in the middle , shold have the honour of so glorious a work . so humbly hoping your lordship will not take with the left hand , what i offer with the right , i rest , from the prison of the fleet . septembris . your lordships truly devoted servant . i. h. his late majesties royal declaration , or manifesto to all forrein princes and states , touching his constancy in the protestant religion . being traduced abroad by some malicious and lying agents , that he was wavering therin , and upon the high road of returning to rome . printed in the year , . to the unbiass'd reder . it may be said that mischief in one particular hath somthing of vertue in it , which is , that the contrivers and instruments thereof are still stirring and watchfull . they are commonly more pragmaticall and fuller of devices then those sober-minded men , who while they go on still in the plaine road of reason , having the king , and knowne lawes to justifie and protect them , hold themselfs secure enough , and so think no hurt ; iudas eyes were open to betray his master , while the rest of his fellow-servants were quietly asleep . the members at westminster were men of the first gang , for their mischievous braines were alwayes at work how to compasse their ends ; and one of their prime policies in order thereunto was to cast asspersions on their king , thereby to alienat the affections and fidelity of his peeple from him ●…notwithstanding that besides their pub●…ick declarations they made new oaths and protestations , whereby they swore to make him the best belov'd king that ever was ; ) nor did this diabolicall malice terminat only within the bounds of his own dominions , but it extended to infect other princes and states of the reformed churches abroad to make him suspected in his religion , & that he was branling in his belief , and upon the high way to rome ; to which purpose they sent missives and clandestine emissaries to divers places beyond the seas , whereof forren authors make mention in their writings . at that time when this was in the height of action , the passage from london to oxford , where the king kept then his court , was so narrowly blockd up , that a fly could scarce passe ; some ladies of honor being search'd in an unseemly and barbarous manner ; whereupon the penner of the following declaration , finding his royal master to be so grosly traduced , made his duty to go beyond all presumptions , by causing the sayd declaration to be printed and publish'd in latin , french and english , whereof great numbers were sent beyond the seas to france , holland , germany , suisserland , denmark , swethland , and to the english plantations abroad , to vindicat his majesty in this point , which produc'd very happy and advantagious effects for salmtisius , and other forrin writers of great esteem speake of it in their printed works . the declaration was as followeth . carolus , singulari omnipotentis dei providentia angliae , scotiae , franciae & hiberniae rex , fidei defensor , &c. universis et singulis qui praesens hoc scriptum ceu protestationem inspexerint , potissimum reformatae religionis cultoribus cujuscunque sint gentis , gradus , aut conditionis , salutem , &c. cum ad aures nostras non ita pridem fama pervenerit , sinistros quosdam rumores , literasque politica vel perniciosa potiùs quorundam industriâ sparsas esse , & nonnullis protestantium ecclesiis in exteris partibus emissas , nobis esse animum & consilium ab illa orthodoxa religione quam ab incunabulis imbibimus , & ad hoc usque momentum per integrum vitae nostrae curriculum amplexi sumus recedendi ; & papismum in haec regna iterum introducendi , quae conjectura , ceu nefanda potius calumnia nullo prorsus nixa vel imaginabili fundamento horrendos hosce tumultus , & rabiem plusquàm belluinam in anglia suscitavit sub pretextu cujusdam ( chimericae ) reformationis regimini , legibusque hujus dominii non solum incongruae , sed incompatibilis : volumus , uttoti christiano orbi innotescat , ne minimam quidem animum nostrum incidisse cogitatiunculam hoc aggrediendi , aut transversum unguem ab illa religione discedendi quam cum corona , septroque hujus regni solenni , & sacramentali juramento tenemur profiteri , protegere & propugnare . nectantum constantissima nostra praxis , & quotidiana in exercitiis praefa●…ae religionis praesentia , cum crebris in facie nostrorum agminum asseverationibus , publicisque procerum hujus regni testimoniis , & sedula in regiam nostram sobolem educando circumspectione ( omissis plurimis aliis argumentis ) luculentissimè hoc demonstrat , sed etiam faelicissimum illud matrimonium quod inter nostram primogenitam , & illustrissimum principem 〈◊〉 sponte contraximus , idem fortissimè attestatur : quo nuptiali faedere insuper constat , nobis non esse propositum illam profiteri solummodo , sed expandere , & corroborare quantum in nobis situm est . hanc sacrosanctam anglicanae christi ecclesiae religionem , tot theologorum convocationibus sancitam , tot comitiorum edictis confirmatam , tot regiis diplomatibus stabilitam , una cum regimine ecclesiastico , & liturgia ei annexa , quam liturgiam , regimenque celebriores protestantium authores tam germani , quam galli , tam dani quam helvetici , tam batavi , quam bohemi multis elogiis nec sine quadam invidia in suis publicis scrip●…is comproban●… & applaudunt , ut in transactionibus dordrechtanae synodus , cui nonnulli nostrorum praesulum , quorum dignitati debi●…a prestita fuit reverentia , interfuerunt , apparet istam , inquimus religionem , quam regius noster pater ( beatissimae memoriae ) in illa celeberrima fidei suae confessione omnibus christianis principibus ( ut & haec praesens nostra protestatio exhibita ) publicè asserit : istam , istam religionem solenniter protestamur , nos integram , sartam-tectam , & inviolabilem conservaturos , & pro virili nostro ( divino adjuvante numine ) usque ad extremam vitae nostrae periodum protecturos , & omnibus nostris ecclesiasticis pro muneris nostri , & supradicti sacrosancti juramenti ratione doceri , & praedicari curaturos . quapropter injungimus & in mandatis damus omnibus ministris nostris in exteris partibus tam legatis , quam residentibus , agentibusque & nunciis , reliquisque nostris subditis ubicunque orbis christiani terrarum aut curiositatis aut comercii gracia degentibus , hanc solennem & sinceram nostram protestationem , quandocunque sese obtulerit loci & temporis oportunitas , communicare , asserere , asseverare . dat. in academia et civitate nostra oxoniensi pridie idus maii , . charles by the special providence of almighty god , king of england , scotland , france , and ireland , defendor of the faith , &c. to all who profess the tru reformed protestant religion , of what nation , degree , and condition soever they be to whom this present declaration shall come , greeting . wheras we are given to understand , that many false rumors , and scandalous letters are spread up and down amongst the reforme●… churches in forein parts by the pollitick , or rather the pernitious industry of som ill-affected persons , that we have an inclination to recede from that orthodox religion , which we were born , baptized , and bred in , & which we have firmly professed and practised throughout the whol course of our life to this moment , and that we intend to give way to the introduction , and publick exercise of popery again in our dominions : which conjecture or rather most detestable calumny , being grounded upon no imaginable foundation , hath raised these horrid tumults , and more then barbarous wars throughout this flourishing island , under pretext of a kind of reformation , which wold not only prove incongruous , but incompatible with the fundamental laws and government of this kingdom , we do desire that the whol christian world shold take notice and rest assured , that we never entertained in our imagination the least thought to attempt such a thing , or to depart a jot from that holy religion , which when we received the crown and scepter of this kingdom , vve took a most solemn sacramental oath to profess and protect . nor doth our most constant practise and quotidian visible presence in the exercise of this sole religion , with so many asseverations in the head of our armies , and the publick attestation of our barons , with the circumspection used in the education of our royall off-spring , besides divers other undeniable arguments , only demonstrate this ; but also that happy alliance of marriage , vve contracted 'twixt our eldest daughter , and the illustrious prince of orenge , most clearly confirmes the reality of our intentions herein ; by which nuptial ingagement it appears further , that our endeavours are not only to make a bare profession thereof in our own dominions , but to inlarge and corroborate it abroad as much as lieth in our power : this most holy religion of the anglican church , ordained by so many convocations of learned divines , confirmed by so many acts of national parliaments , and strengthned by so many royal proclamations , together with the ecclesiastick discipline , and liturgy therunto appertaining , which liturgy and discipline , the most eminent of protestant authors , as well germans as french ; as well danes as swedes and swittzens ; as well belgians as bohemians , do with many elogies ( and not without a kind of envy ) approve and applaud in their publick writings , particularly in the transactions of the synod of dort , wherin besides other of our divines ( who afterwards were prelates ) one of our bishops assisted , to whose dignity all due respects and precedency was given : this religion we say , which our royal father of blessed memory doth publickly assert in his famous confession addres'd , as we also do this our protestation , to all christian princes ; this , this most holy religion , with the hierarchy and liturgy therof , we solemnly protest , that by the help of almighty god , we will endeavour to our utmost power , and last period of our life , to keep entire and inviolable , and will be careful , according to our duty to heaven , and the tenor of the aforesaid most sacred oath at our coronation , that all our ecclesiasticks in their several degrees and incumbences shall preach and practise the same . vvherfore vve enjoyn and command all our ministers of state beyond the seas , aswell ambassadors as residents , agents , and messengers , and vve desire all the rest of our loving subjects that sojourn either for curiosity or commerce in any forein parts , to communicate , uphold and assert this our solemn and sincere protestation when opportunity of time and place shall be offered . charles , par la providence de dieu roy de la grand ' bretagne , de france , et d' irlande , defenseur de la foy , &c. a tous ceux qui ceste presente declaration verront , particulierement a ceux de la religion reformee de quelque nation , degreou condition qu'ils soient , salut . ayant receu advis de bonne main que plusieurs faux rapports & lettres sont esparses parmi les eglises reformees de là la mer , par la politique , ou plustost la pernicieuse industrie de personnes mal affectionnes a nostre government ; que nous auons dessein a receder de celle religion que nous auons professè & pratiquè tout le temps de nostre vie iusques a present ; & de vouloir introduire la papautè derechef en nos dominions , laquelle conjecture , ou calumnie plustost , appuyee sur nul fundement imaginable , a suscitè ces horribles tumultes & allumè le feu d' une tressanglante guerre en tous les quatre coins de ceste fleurissante monarchie , soubs pretexte d' une ( chymerique ) reformation , la quelle seroit incompatible avec le governement & les loix fondementales de ce royaume . nous desi●…ons , quil soit notoire a tout le monde , que la moindre pensee de ce faire n●… a pas entree en nostre imagination , de departir ancunement de cell ' orthodoxe religion , qu' auec la couronne & le sceptre de ce royaume nous sommes tenus par un serment solennel & sacramentaire a proteger & defendre . ce qu' appert non seulement par nostre quotidienne presence es exercies de la dite religion , avec , tan●… d' asseverations a la teste de nos armees , & la publicque attestation de nos barons , avec le soin que nous tenons en la nourrituredes princes & princesses nos ensans , mais le tres-heureux mariage que nous avons conclu entre la nostre plus aisnee , & le tres-illustrie prince d' orenge en est encore un tres-evident tesmoignage , par la quell ' alliance il appert aussy , que nostre desir est de n' en faire pas vne nue profession seulement dicelle , mais de la vouloir estendre & corroberer autant qu' il nous est possible : cest ' orthodoxe religion de leglise anglicane ordonnee par tant de conventione de teologues , confirmee par tant de arrests d' parlement , & fortifie par tant d' edicts royaux auec la discipline & la lyturgi●… a elle appartenant , laquelle discipline & lyturgie les plus celebres autheurs protestants , tant francois , qu' allemands ; tant seudois que suisses , tant belgiens que bohemiens approuent entierement & non sans quelqu envie en leur escrits particulierement en la synode de dort , ou un de nos euesques assistoit , & la reverence & precedence deue a sa dignite ecclesi●…stique luy fut exactement rendue : ceste tres-sainte religion que nostre feu pere de ●…res-heureuse memoire aduoue en sa celebre confession de la foy addressee come nous faisons ceste declaration a tous princes chrestiens ; nous protestons que moyennant la grace de dieu , nous tascherone de conseruer ceste religion inviolable , & en son entier selon la mesure de puissance que dieu amis entre nos mains ; et nous requerons & commandons a tous nos ministres d' estat tant ambassadeurs , que residens , agens ou messagers , & a tous autres nos subjects qui fontleurseiour es paysestrangers de communiquer , maintenir & adouuer cestenostre solennelle protestation toutes fois & quantes que l' ocasion se presentera . apologs , or fables mythologiz'd . out of whose moralls the state and history of the late unhappy distractions in great britain and ireland may be extracted ; some of which apologs have prov'd prophetical . — nil est nisi fabula mundus . london , printed in the year , . to my honored and known friend sir i. c. knight . sir , amongst many other barbarismes which like an impetuous torrent have lately rush'd in upon us , the interception and opening of letters is none of the least , for it hath quite bereft all ingenious spirits of that correspondency and sweet communication of fancy , which hath bin alwaies esteemed the best fuel of affection , and the very marrow of friendship . and truly , in my judgement , this custom may be termed not only a barbarisme , but the ba●…est kind of burglary that can be , 't is a plundering of the very brain , as is spoken in another place . we are reduced here to that servile condition , or rather to such a height of slavery , that we have nothing left which may entitle us free rationall creatures ; the thought it self cannot say 't is free , much less the tongue or pen. which makes me impart unto you the traverses of these turbulent times , under the following fables . i know you are an exquisite astronomer . i know the deep inspection you have in all parts of philosophy , i know you are a good herald , and i have found in your library sundry books of architecture , and comments upon vitruvius . the unfolding of these apologues will put you to it in all these , and will require ▪ your second , if not your third thoughts , and when you have concocted them well , i believe , ( else i am much deceived in your genius ) they will afford you som entertainment , and do the errand upon which they are sent , which is , to communicate unto you the most material passages of this long'd-for parlement , and of these sad confusions which have so unhing'd , distorted , transvers'd , tumbled and dislocated all things , that england may be termed now , in comparison of what it was , no other then an anagram of a kingdom . one thing i promise you , in the perusal of these parables , that you shall find no gingles in them , or any thing sordid or scurrilous , the common dialect and disease of these times . so i leave you to the gard and guidance , of god and vertu who do still advance their favorits , maugre the frownes of chance . your constant servant , i. h. the great conjunction , or , parlement of stars . upon a time , the stars complained to apollo , that he displayed his beams too much upon some malignant planets ; that the moone had too great a share of his influence , and that he was carryed away too much by her motion : they complained also , that the constellation of libra ( which holds the ballance of justice ) had but a dim light , and that the astrean court was grown altogether destructive , with divers other grievances . apollo hereupon , commanded mercury to summon a generall synod , where some out of every asterisme throughout the whole firmament were to meet ; apollo told them , i am placed here by the finger of the almighty , to be monarch of the skie , to be the measurer of time , and i goe upon his errand round about the worl●… every foure and twenty houres : i am also the fountaine of heate and light , which , though i use to dispence and diffuse in equall proportions through the whole universe ; yet there is difference 'twixt objects , a castle hath more of my light then a cottage , and the cedar hath more of me then the shrub , according to the common axiom , quicquid recipitur , recipitur ad modum recip●…entis . but touching the moon , ( the second great luminary ) i would have you know , that she is dearest unto mee , therefore let none repine that i cherish her with my beams , and confer more light on her then any other . touching the malignant planets , or any other star , of what magnitude soever , that moves not in a regular motion , or hath run any excentrick exorbitant course , or that would have made me to move out of the zodiak , i put them over unto you , that upon due legall examination and proof , they may be unspher'd or extinguished . but i would have this done with moderation ; i would have you to keep as neer as you can between the tropiques and temperate zones : i would have things reduced to their true principles , i wold have things reformed , not ruin'd ; i would have the spirit of malice and lying , the spirit of partiality and injustice , the spirit of tyranny and rigour , the base spirit of feare and jealousie to be farre from this glorious syderean synod ; i would have all private interests reflecting upon revenge or profit , to be utterly banished hence : moreover , i would not have you to make grievances , where no grievances are , or dangers where no dangers are . i would have no creation of dangers ; i would have you to husband time as parsimoniously as you can , lest by keeping too long together , and amusing the world with such tedious hopes of redress of grievances , you prove your self the greatest grievance at last , and so from starrs become comets : lastly , i would have you be cautious how you tamper with my soveraign power , and chop logicke with mee in that point ; you know what became of him who once presumed to meddle with my chariot . hereupon the whole host of heaven being constellated thus into one great body , fell into a serious deliberation of things , and apollo himself continued his presence , and sate often amongst them in his full lustre , but in the meane time , whilest they were in the midst of their consultations , many odde aspects , oppositions and conjunctions hapned between them : for some of the sporades , but specially those mongrel small vulgar stars , which make up the galaxia ( the milkie way in heaven ) gather in a tumultuous disorderly manner about the body of apollo , and commit many strange insolencies , which caused apollo ( taking young phosphorus the morning-star with him ) to retire himself , and in a just indignation to withdraw his light from the synod : so all began to be involv'd in a strange kind of confusion and obscurity ; they groaped in the dark , not knowing which way to move , or what course to take , all things went cancer-like retrograde , because the sun detained his wonted light and irradiations from them . morall . such as the sun is in the firmament , a monarch is in his kingdom : for , as the wisest of men saith , in the light of the kings countenance ther is life ; and i believe that to be the morall of this astrean fable . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . or , the great councell of birds . upon a time the birds met in councell , for redresse of som extravagancies that had flown unto the volatill empire ; nor was it the first time that birds met thus ; for the phrygian fabler tells us of divers meetings of theirs : and after him we read that apollonius thyaneus , undertook the interpretation of their language , and to be their drogoman . they thus assembled in one great covie by the call of the eagle their unquestioned hereditary king , and by vertue of his royal authority , complaints were brought , that divers cormorants and harpies , with other birds of prey , had got in amongst them , who did much annoy and invade the publick liberty : sundry other birds were questioned , which caused some to take a timely flight into another aire . as they were thus consulting for advancement of the common good , many rooks , horn-owles and sea-gulls flock'd together , and ●…luttered about the place they were assembled in , where they kept a hideous noise , and committed many outrages , and nothing cold satisfie them , but the griffons head , which was therfore chopt off , and offered up as a sacrifice to make them leave their chattering , and to appease their fury for the time . they fell foul afterwards upon the pies , who were used to be much reverenced , and to sit upon the highest pearch in that great assembly : they called them i dolatrous and inauspitious birds , they hated their mix'd colour , repined at their long train , they tore their white feathers , and were ready to peck out their very eyes : they did what they could to put them in owles feathers ( as the poor sheep was in the woolfs skin ) to make them the more hated , and to be star'd and hooted at whersoever they passed . the pies being thus scar'd , presented a petition to the royall eagle , and to this his great counsell , that they might be secured to repaire safely thither to sit and consult , according to the ancient lawes of the volatill empire continued so many ages without controllment or question : in which petition they inserted a protest or caveat , that no publique act shold passe in the interim . this supplication , both for matter and form , was excepted against , and cryed up to be high treason , specially that indefinite protest they had made , that no act whatsoever shold be of any validity without them , which was alledged to derogate from the high law-making power of that great counsell , and tended to retard and disturb the great affaires which were then in agitation : so the poor pies , as if by that petition they had like the black-bird voided lime to catch themselves , ( according to the proverb , turdus cacat sibi malum ) were suddenly hurryed away into a cage , and after ten long moneths canvassing of the point , they were unpearch'd , and rendered for ever uncapable to be members of that court , they were struck dumb and voice-less , and suddenly as it were blown up away thence , though without any force of powder , as once was plotted aginst them . but this was done when a thin number of the adverse birds had kept still together , and stuck close against them , and also after that the bill concerning them had bin once ejected , which they humbly conceived by the ancient order of that court could not be re-admitted in the same session . they petitioned from the place they were cooped in , that for heavens sake , for the honour of that noble counsell , for truth and justice sake , they ●…eing as free-born denisons of the aiery region , as any other volatills whatsoever , their charge might be perfected , that so they might be brought to a legall triall , and not forced to languish in such captivity . they pleaded to have done nothing but what they had precedents for : and touching the caveat they had inserted , it was a thing unusuall in every inferiour court of judicature , and had they forborn to have done it , they had betrayed their own nest , and done wrong to their successors . it was affirmed they had bin members of that body politique , long before those lower pearch'd birds , who now wold cast them out ; and that they had bin their best friends to introduce them to have any thing do do in that generall counsell : they prayed they might not be so cruelly used , as the solan goose , and redshanke had used them , who were not content to brail and clip their wings only , but to ●…ear them so , that they shold never grow again ; to handle them so unmercifully , was not the way to make their adversaries birds of paradice : in fine , they advised them to remember what the sick kite's mother answered him , when he desired her to pray to the gods for him , how canst thou , said she , expect any good from the gods , whose temples thou hast so violated ? at last , upon the importunity and pitifulness of their petitions , the accusation of treason , which kept such a noise at first , being declined against them , they were released in the morning , but cooped up again before night : and after the revolution of four full moons , they were restored again to a conditionall liberty , under which they remain till this day . ther wants not som , who affirm , that in that great counsell of birds , ther were som decoys ( and 't is well known where decoys were first bred ) who called in , not only these mongrill obstreperous birds from abroad to commit such outrages as were spoken of before , but drew after them also many of the greatest birds , who sate in that assembly , to follow them whither they listed : others , who were of a more generous extraction , disdained to be such buzzards , as to be carryed away hood-wincked in that manner , to be birds of their feather . thus a visible faction was hatched in this great counsell , as if the said decoyes had disgorged and let fall som grains of hemlock seeds amongst them to distemper their brains . or , as if som spinturnix , that fatall incendiary bird , or som ill-boding scritch-owle , which as stories tell us appeared once at rome , in a famous , though unfortunate great counsell ( when ther was a schism in the popedom ) had appeared likewise here . ther wanted not also amongst them som amphibious birds , as the barnacle , which is neither fish nor fowle ; and the cunning ba●…t , who sometimes professeth himself a bird , sometimes a mouse . i will not say ther were any paphlagonian birds amongst them , who are known to have double hearts . but 't is certain , that in this confusion ther were som malevolent birds , and many of them so young , that they were scarce fledg'd , who like the waspe in the fable , conspired to fire the eagles nest , ( and a wasp may somtimes do mischief to an eagle as a mouse to an elephant . ) moreover som of these light brained birds flew so high , that they seemed to arrogate to themselves , and exercise royall power , but foolishly ; for we know what became of the crow upon the ram's back , when she thought to imitate the eagle : and as it was observed that they were most eager to attempt those high insolensies against jove's bird , who had bin stark naked , and as bare as cootes , unlesse he had feathered them ; so that the little ant was more grateful to esops bird ; then those birds were to the eagle their liege lord and master . but the high-born bird with the two golden wings , the noble faulcons , the martlets , the ravens , the swan , the chough , and all the ancient birds of the mountains remained faithful and firm to the eagle , and scorned to be carryed away by such decoyes ; as also the generous ostriches , who unlesse they had had an extraordinary stomach , could not have digested such iron pills as were offered them . amongst other great birds which banded against the eagle , the flying dragons , green and white , were busie , specially the white ; and for the green , considering he was an ancient bird of the mountains , and that his progenitors had bin so renowned for their rare loyaly to the crown , every one wondered that he shold be drawn so far by the forefaid decoyes , as to be the first of his race that shold clap his wings against his soverain liege lord. the aforesaid destractions continued still , and increased more and more in that general convolation of birds ; therfore the turtle wold stay ther no longer , ther was so much gall amongst them : the pelecan flew away , he saw piety so vilified ; the dove was weary of their company , she found no simplicity and plain dealing amongst them : and the kings ▪ fisher , the halcyon ( the emblem of peace ) quite forsook them , he found so mnch jarring , dissentions , and bandings on all sides ; the swallow also , who had so ancient and honourable a rank amongst them , got into another aire , he fore-saw the weather was like to so be foul : and lastly , philomela , the queen of volatills , who was partner of the eagle's nest , abandoned them quite , and put a sea 'twixt her and them ; nay , the eagle himself withdrew his royal presence from them ; so the decoyes aforesaid carryed all before them , and comported themselves by their orders in that hight , as if like the lapwing , every one had a crown on his head ; they so inchanted in a manner , all the common sort of oppidan , rurall , and sea-birds , and infused such a credulity into them , that they believed them to have an inerring spirit , and what came from them , was as tru as the pentateuch : moreover , it was shrewdly suspected , that ther was a pernicious plot amongst them to let in the stork , who is never seen to stay long in any monarchy . morall . moderation is that goden rule wherby all great counsells shold square their deliberations , and nothing can tend more to their honour or dishonour , in point of wisdom : moreover , in a successive hereditary monarchy , when subjects assume regall power , when they bar the holy church of her rights , & of that reverence which is due to her chief professors , it is the most compendious way to bring all things to confusion , and consequently to an inevitable ruine , or som fatal change. and this i hold to be the chiefest morall of this apologue of birds . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the gathering together , or parlement of flowers . upon a time , the flowers assembled , and met in one generall counsell , by the authority and summons of the soveraign rose , their undoubted naturall king , who had taken the lilly for his royall spouse . the dew of heaven fell plentifully upon this happy conjunction , which made them to bourgeon , to propagate and prosper exceedingly , in so much , that the sweet fragrant odor which they did cast , diffused it self over all the earth . to this meeting came the violet , gilliflower , the rosemary , the tulyp , lavender and thyme , the cinquefoyle ( though of a forren growth ) had an honourable rank amongst them , and as some observed , got too much credit with the royal rose . the flowers of the field were admitted also to this great counsell : the couslip , the honysukle and daisie had their delegates there present , to consult of a reformation of certain abuses which had taken rooting in the common wealth of flowers , and being all under the rose , they had priviledge to speak all things with freedome ; complaints were made that much cockle and darnell , with other noxious herbs and tares were crept in amongst them , that the poppie did pullulat too much , with divers other grievances : the successe of this senat , this great bed or posie of living flowers , was like to prove very prosperous , but that the herb briony , wormwood , wolfbane , rue , and melampod ( the emblems of sedition , malice , feare , ambition and iealousie ) thrust in amongst them , and much distempered their proceedings : these brought in with them the bur , which exceedingly retarded and intangled all businesses ; and it was thought that the thistle was too medling amongst them , which made matters grow to that acrimony and confusion , as if the herb morsus diaboli had got in amongst them . amongst many other good-morrows , they propounded to the rose , that he should part with his prickles , and transmit his strength that way to be disposed of by them ; the royall rose liked not this bold request of theirs , though couched in very smooth language , but answered , i have hitherto condescended to every thing you have propounded , much more then ▪ any of my predecessors ever did ; but touching these prickles , which god and nature hath given mee , and are inherent in me and my stock from the beginning , though they be but excressencies , yet you know they fortifie and arm me , armat spina rosam . and by them i protect you and your rights from violence , and what protection i pray can there be without strength ? therefore i will by no means part with them to enfeeble my regall power , but will retain them still , and bequeath them to my posterity , which i would be loth to betray in this point ; nor doe i much value what that silly infected animall , the king of bees tells me sometimes , when humming up and downe my leaves , he would buzze this fond belief into me , how it added much to his majestie , that nature gives him no sting , as all other bees have , because he should rely altogether upon the love and loyalty of his subjects . no ; i will take warning by the eagle , the king of volatills , and by the lyon , king of quadrupedals , who ( as the prince of moralists reports ) when by fayre insinuations the one had parted with his tallons , the other with his teeth and ongles , wherein their might , and consequently their majesty consisted , grew afterwards contemptible to all creatures , and quite lost that natural allegeance and awe which was duc unto the one from all birds , and to the other , from all beasts of field and forrest . morall . every naturall borne monarch , hath an inherent inalienable strength in himself , which is the common militia of his kingdome ; for , though the peoples love ( which oftentimes is got by an apple , and lost by a peare ) be a good cittadell , yet there must be a concurrence of some visible setled force besides , which no earthly power may dispose of without his royall commands : and for him to transmit this strength to any other , is the only way to render him inglorious and despicable , both at home and abroad ; and thus you have the spirit of these flowers , and morall of the fable . the assembly of architects . there was an ancient goodly palace , composed of divers pieces , and partition'd into sundry chambers , halls and courts , which were supported by mixt pillars , partly corinthian , partly ionique , but principally by the dorique the king of columnes , as having the firmest pedestall : some tooke exceptions , and alledged , that some of the said courts were too high , and some of the chambers in this structure were too wide . the lord of this palace call'd together the best masons and architects , to advise with him ( not without him ) for mending of those faults , the better contrivance of the roomes , and to reduce the building to a just proportion . they solemnly met , and falling to consultation hereof , they found that the chamber which was spangled with stars , and where his privat counsell of state did use to sit , were too wide ; they thought that the court erected on the north-side , and that learned court where ecclesiasticall matters were scanned , was too high ; these , with that peculiar court which was erected for the support of honour , they went about in lieu of rectifying , to ruinat and raze to the very ground ; and some of these masons ( for indeed they were rather masons then true architects ) were so precise and over criticall , that they seem'd to find fault with the position of the chappell that belong'd to this palace , because , forsooth , it stood east and west , which situation , only in regard it was ancient , they held to be a superstitious posture ; they seem'd to repine at the decencie , riches and ornament of it , with divers other frivolous exceptions . the lord of the palace said little to that , but touching the errors and disproportions in the foresaid courts and chambers of publick justice , he was very willing they should be amended , and reduced to a true dimension and symmetrie ; and that all other roomes should be searched and swept cleane : but he would be loth to see those ancient pieces quite demolish'd , for that would hazard the fall of the maine fabrique , his princely hereditary patrimony ( descended upon him from so many wise oeconomists and royall progenitors ) in regard of the ●…uncture and contignation those parts had with the whole frame . to mend a thing by demolishing it , is as curing a sick body by knocking him in the head : he told them it was easier far to pull down , then build up ; one may batter to pieces in one houre , that which cannot be built in an age : that everlasting villaine , who burnt the ephesian temple , destroyed , as it were in a trice , what was a rearing up ten long olympiads : he wish'd them further to be very cautious how they medled with th the angulars and basis of that royal structure ; for so they might prove as wise as those architects , who took out som of the foundation stones , to repair the roof . lastly , he told them , that if they intended to pull down any part of his own standing palace , they shold be well advised before hand of the fashion wherof that new fabrick shold be , which they purposed to rear up in the room of the old . moral innovations are of dangerous consequence in all things , specially in a setled well temper'd ancient state ; therfore ther shold be great heed taken , before any ancient court of judicature , erected as a pillar to support justice by the wisdom of our progenitors , be quite put down ; for it may shake the whole fram of government , and introduce a change ; and changes in government are commonly fatall , for seldom comes a better . and this i hold to be the aim of this apologue . the insurrection of the winds . it fortuned , that the winds banded against eolus : and boreas ( the north-wind ) began to bluster first , and wold blow wher he listed , he grew so boisterous , that he is call'd scopa viarum , the high-way beesom , he seem'd to sweep all before him southward , insomuch , that uniting all his strength into one body , he made towards eolus in a hostile armed manner , and so obtained of him what he desired . after his example ( and an odde example it was ) the west-wind , his fellow subject rose up , alledging , that though he blew from the left-side of heaven , yet he deserved to be as much favoured as boreas , in regard he drove a far richer trade , and blew upon a more fertile countrey , which brought in much more benefit to the rest of eolus his dominions ; therfore he would have his liberties also assur'd him , which he alledged were altogether as ancient as the others : this made him puff with such an impetuous violence , that his blasts brought with them ( god wot ) divers showres of bloud , and whole cataracts of calamities : now , as it is observed in the course of naturall things , that one mischief seldom marcheth alone , but ushers in another , and hath alwaies its concomitants , so these north and western gusts , as one wave useth to drive on another , made all the winds in the compasse , both collaterall and cardinall to rise up and rebell against eolus , even under that very clime , and in those horizons , where he kept his principall residence and royal court. and this popular wind ( for 't was no other , take it all joyntly in one puff ) did rage with that vehemency , that it turn'd every wher into fearful flames of fire ( issuing out of a kind of ignis fatuus , which by its repercussions , and furious arietations , did a world of mischief , as if it had bin that incendiary prester wind , or rather an haraucana , that indian gust , which alwaies brings the devil along with it as those savages believe ) had blown here , for , surely god was not in this wind . yet som were so simple , to think that this wind proceeded from divine inspirations ; nay , they came to that height of prophaneness , as to father it upon the holy ghost , though nothing could be more different to his sweet motions , nothing so directly opposit to his soft gentle breeses and eventilatio●…s ; for no holy consecrated thing could stand before this diabolical wind , down went all crosses it met withall ; it batter'd down church and chappel windowes ( and i fear the walls and steeples will next to wrack . ) it was so violent , that it overturn'd all stone tables that stood east-ward ; it blew away all the decent vests and ornaments of the church ; the bishops mitre ( an order contemporary with christianity it self ) did quake like an aspen leaf before it ; nay , it shrewdly shook the very imperial scepter , and crown which stood on eolus his head , so that he was like to become ludibrium ventorum . but the highest deity of heaven , he who walketh upon the wings of the wind , and makes weight for them , and gathereth them in his fist when he pleaseth , hating such an odious rebellion , rebuked these tumultuous winds , he caused a contagious aire , to rush in and mingle with them , and infect them with new d●…seases ; besides whispers of jealousies , doubts and diffidence blew and buzz'd more and more amongst them , so that they could not trust one another ; insomuch , that it made them to fall into confusion amongst themselves , which is the common fate of all rebellions . so eolus recovered his monarchy , and as they say , ther is no wind but blows som body good ; so this turn'd much to the advantage of eolus , for he grew ever after more firm and better establish'd in his regall power , because he put a competent guard in those climes whence all these boistrous winds burst forth , and so secur'd himself ever after , that they could not blow where they listed . popular insurrections being debell'd , turn to the advantage , and render the ruling prince more secure afterwards , or a broken bone being well set , growes stronger oftentimes : and so you have the principal morall of this parable in brief . post-script . sir , i long to receive your opinion of these rambling pieces of fancy , you may , peradventure , have more , when the times are open : surely the wind will not hold stil in this unlucky hole , for it is too violent to last : it begins ( thanks be to god ) to sift already , and amongst those multitudes , who expect the change , i am one that lyeth at the cape of good hope , though a long time under hatches ( in the fleet. ) howsoever , though all the winds in the compass shold bluster upon me ; nay , though a haraucana should rage , i am arm'd and resolv'd to bear the brunt , to welcome the will of god , and possesse my soul with patience . if you desire a further intimation of things , i refer you to a discourse of mine call'd the tru informer , who will give you no vulgar satisfaction . so i am yours , as at first , inalterable . i. h. of the land of ire : or , a discours of that horrid insurrection and massacres which happen'd lately in ireland ; by mercurius hibernicus : who discovers unto the world the tru causers and incendiaries therof . in vindication of his majesty , who is most maliciously traduc'd to be accessary therunto ; which is as damnable a lie as possibly could be hatched in hell ; which is the staple of lies . a lie stands upon one legg , — truth upon two . mercurius hibernicus , his advertisement to the well-temper'd reader . there is a mongrell race of mercuries lately sprung up , but i claim no acquaintance with them , much less any kindred . they have commonly but one weeks time for their conception and birth ; and then are they but like those ephemeran creatures , which pliny speaks of , that are born in the morning , grow up till noon , and perish the same night : i hope to be longer liv'd then so , because i was longer a getting , ther was more time and matter went to my generation . ther is a tale how the tru mercury indeed , descended from heven once in a disguise , to see how he was esteem'd on earth ; and entring one day into a painters-shop , he found ther divers pictures of apollo , iupiter , mars , with others ; and spying his own hanging in a corner hard-by , he asked what the price of that pourtrait might be ? the painter answered , that if he bought any of the rest , he wold give him that into the bargain for nothing : mercury hereupon shaking his white caducean , flung out in indignation , and flew up to heven . shold mercury chance to descend now from his sphear , i think he wold be much more offended to find himself personated by every petty impertinent pamphleter ; yet i believe he would not think it ill that aulicus assumes his shape , nor that the harp , who owes her first invention to him , should be made now his crest . to my honourable friend mr. e. p. sir , if you please to cast your eyes upon the following discours , i believe it will afford you som satisfaction , and enlighten you more in the irish affaires . the allegeance i owe to truth , was the midwife that brought it forth , and i make bold to make choice of you for my gossip , because i am from the prison of the fleet . nonas april is . your true servant , i. h. mercurius hibernicus . there is not any thing since these ugly warrs begun , whereof there hath been more advantage made to traduce and blemish his majesties actions , or to alienate and imbitter the affections of his people towards him , to incite them to armes , and enharden them in the quarrell , than of the irish affaires ; whether one cast his eyes upon the beginning and proceedure of that warre ( which some by a most monstrous impudence would patronize upon their majesties ) or upon the late cessation , and the transport of auxiliaries since from thence . there are some that in broken peeces have written of all three : but not in one entire discourse , as this is , nor hath any hitherto hit upon those reasons and inferences that shall be displayed herein . but he who adventures to judge of affaires of state , specially of traverses of warre , as of pacifications , of truces , suspensions of armes , parlies , and such like , must well observe the quality of the times , the successe and circumstance of matters past , the posture and pressure of things present ( and upon the place ) the inducement or enforcement of causes , the gaining of time , the necessity of preventing greater mischiefes ( whereunto true policy prometheus like hath alwaies an eye ) with other advantages . the late cessation of armes in ireland was an affaire of this nature ; a true act of state , and of as high a consequence as could be : which cessation is now become the common subject of every mans discourse , or rather the discourse of every common subject all the three kingdomes over : and not onely the subject of their discourse , but of their censure also ; nor of their censure onely , but of their reproach and obloquy . for the world is come now to that passe , that the foot must judge the head , the very cobler must pry into the cabinet counsels of his king ; nay the distaffe is ready ever and anon to arraign the scepter ; spinstresses are become states-women , and every peasan turned politician ; such a fond irregular humour reignes generally of late yeers amongst the english nation . now the designe of this small discourse , though the subject require a farre greater volume , is , to vindicate his majesties most pious intentions in condescending to this late suspension of arms in his kingdome of ireland , and to make it appeare to any rationall ingenious capacity , ( not pre-occupied or purblinded with passion ) that there was more of honour and necessity , more of prudence and piety in the said cessation , than there was either in the pacification or peace that was made with the scot. but to proceed herein the more methodically , i will lay downe , first , the reall and true radicall causes of the late two-yeers irish insurrection . secondly , the course his majesty used to suppresse it . lastly , those indispensable impulsive reasons and invincible necessity which enforced his majesty to condescend to a cessation . touching the grounds of the said insurrection , we may remember when his majesty out of a pious designe ( as his late majesty also had ) to settle an uniformitie of serving god in all his three kingdomes , sent our liturgie to his subjects of scotland ; some of that nation made such an advantage hereof , that though it was a thing only recommended , not commanded or pressed upon them , and so cald in suddenly againe by a most gracious proclamation , accompanied with a generall pardon : yet they would not rest there , but they would take the opportunity hereby to demolish bishops , and the whole hierarchy of the church ( which was no grievance at all till then ) to which end , they put themselves in actuall armes , and obtained at last what they listed ; which they had not dared to have done , had they not been sure to have as good friends in england as they had in scotland ( as lesly himself confessed to sir william berkley at newcastle ) for some of the chiefest inconformists here , had not onely intelligence with them , but had been of their cabinet-counsels in moulding the plot : though some would cast this war upon the french cardinall , to vindicate the invasion we made upon his masters dominions in the isle of rets ; as also for some advantage the english use to do the sp●…niard in transporting his treasure to dunkerk , with other offices . others wold cast it upon the iesuit , that he shold project it first , to ●…orce his m●…jesty to have recourse to his roman catholick subjects for aid , that so they might , by such supererogatory service ingratiate themselves the more into his favour . the irish hearing how well their next neighbou●…s had sped by way of arms , it filled them full of thoughts and apprehensions of fear and jealousie , that the scot wold prove more powerful hereby , and consequently more able to do them hurt , and to attemp●… waies to restrain them of that connivency , which they were allowed in point of religion : now ther is no nation upon earth that the irish hate in that perfection , and with a greater antipathy , than the scot , or from whom they conceive greater danger : for wheras they have an old prophesie amongst them , which one shall hear up and down in every mouth , that the day will come when the irish shall weep upon english mens graves : they fear that this prophesie will be verified and fulfilled in the scot above any other nation . moreover , the irish entred into consideration , that they also had sundry grievances and grounds of complaint , both touching their estates and consciences , which they pretended to be far greater than those of the scots . for they fell to think , that if the scot was suffered to introduce a new religion , it was reason they shold not be so pinched in the exercise of their old , which they glory never to have altered . and for temporall matters ( wherin the scot had no grievance at all to speak of ) the new plantations which had bin lately afoot , to be made in conaught and other places ; the concealed lands and defective titles which were daily found out ; the new customs which were imposed , and the incapacity they had to any preferment or office in church and state ( with other things ) they conceived these to be grievances of a far greater nature , and that deserved redresse much more than any the scot had . to this end , they sent over commissioners to attend this parliament in england , with certain propositions , but those commissioners were dismissed hence with a short and unsavoury answer , which bred worse bloud in the nation than was formerly gathered ; and this , with that leading case of the scot , may be said to be the first incitements that made them rise . in the cou●…se of humane actions , we daily find it to be a tru rule , exempla movent , examples move , and make strong impressions upon the fancy ; precepts are not so powerful as precedents . the said example of scotland , wrought wonderfully upon the imagination of the irish , and filled them ( as i touched before ) with thoughts of emulation , that they deserved altogether to have as good usage as the scot , their country being far more beneficial , and consequenly , more importing the english nation . but these were but confused imperfect notions , which began to receive more vigour and form after the death of the earl of strafford , who kept them under so exact an obedience , though som censure him to have screwed up the strings of the harp too high ; insomuch that the taking off of the earl of straffords head , may be said to be the second incitement to the heads of that insurrection to stir . adde hereunto , that the irish understanding with what acrimony the roman catholicks in england were proceeded against since the sitting of our parliament , and what further designes were afoot against them , and not onely against them , but for ranversing the protestant religion it self , as it is now practised ( which som shallow-braind 〈◊〉 do throw into the same scales with p●…pery . ) they thought it was high time for them to forecast what shold become of them , and how they shold ●…e 〈◊〉 in point of conscience , when a new deputy of the parliaments election ( approbation at least ) shold come over . therfore they fell to consult of som means of timely prevention : and this was another mo●…ive ( and it was a sh●…ewd one ) which p●…sht on the irish to take up arms. lastly , that army of . men , which the earl of strafford had raised to be transported to england for suppressing the scot , being by the advice of our parliament here , disbanded ; the country was annoyed by som 〈◊〉 those stragling souldiers , as not one in twenty of the irish , will from the sword to the spade , or from the pike to the plough again . therfore the two marquesses that were ambassadors here then for spaine , having propounded to have som numbers of those disbanded forces , for the service of their master ; his majesty by the mature advice of his privy counsell , to occur the mischiefs that might arise to his kingdom of ireland by those loose casheer'd souldiers , yielded to the ambassadors motion , who sent notice hereof to spain accordingly , and so provided shipping for their transport , and impressed money to advance the business ; but as they were in the heat of that 〈◊〉 ▪ his majesty being then in scotland ▪ 〈◊〉 w●…s a sudden stop made of those promised troops , who had depended long upon the spaniards service , as the spaniard 〈◊〉 do●…e on theirs . and this was the last , though no●… the least fatal cause of that horrid insurrection : all which particulars well considered , it had bin no hard matter to have bin a prophet , and standing upon the top of holy-head , to have foreseen those black clouds engendering in the irish aire , which bro●…e out afterwards into such fearful tempests of bloud . out of these premises , it is easie for any common understanding , not transported with passion and private interest , to draw this conclusion . that they who complyed with the scot in his insurrection ; they who dismissed the irish commissioners with such a short unpolitick answer , they who took off the earl of straffords head , and delayed afterwards the dispatching of the earl of leicester , they who hindered those disbanded troops in ireland to go for spain , may be justly said to have bin the tru causes of the late insurrection of the irish ; and consequently , it is easie to know upon the account of whose souls must be laid the bloud of those hundred and odde thousands poor christians , who perished in that war ; so that had it bin possible to have brought over their bodies unputrified to england , and to have cast them at the doores , and in the presence of som men i believe they wold have gushed out afresh into bloud , for discovery of the tru murtherers . the grounds of this insurrection being thus discovered , let us examine what means his majesty used for the suppression of it . he made his addresses presently to his great counsel , the english parliament then assembled , which queen elizabeth and her progenitors did seldom use to do , but only to their privy counsel in such cases , who had the discussing and transacting of all foreign affaires ; for in mannaging matters of state , specially those of war , which must be carryed with all the secrecy that may be , trop grand nombre , est encombre , as the frenchman saith , too great a number of counsellours may be an incumber , and expose their results and resolutions to discovery and other disadvantages , wheras in military proceedings the work shold be afoot before the counsels be blazed abroad . well , his majesty transmitted this business to the parliament of england , who totally undertaking it , and wedding as it were the quarlel ( as i remember they did that of the palatinate a little before by solemn vote ; the like was done by the parliament of scotland also , by a publick joynt declaration , which in regard ther came nothing of it , tended little to the honour of either nation abroad ) his majesty gave his royal assent to any propositions or acts for raising of men , money and arms to perform the work . but hereby no man is so simple as to think his majesty shold absolutely give over his own personal care and protection of that his kingdom , it being a rule , that a king can no more desert the protection of his own people , then they their subjection to him . in all his declarations ther was nothing that he endear'd and inculcated more often , and with greater aggravation and earnestness unto them , then the care of his poor subjects their fellow-protestants in ireland : nay , he resented their condition so far , and took the business so to heart , that he offered to passe over in person for their relief : and who can deny but this was a magnanimous and king-like resolution ? which the scots by publick act of counsel , did highly approve of , and declared it to be an argument of care and courage in his majesty . and questionless it had done infinite good in the opinion of them that have felt the pulse of the irish people , who are daily ore-heard to groan , how they have bin any time these . years under the english crown , and yet never saw but two of their kings all the while upon irish ground , though ther be but a salt 〈◊〉 of a few hours sail to pass over . and much more welcom shold his majesty , now regnant , be amongst them , who by general tradition , they confess and hold to come on the paternal side from 〈◊〉 ( by legal and lineal descent ) who was an irish prince , and after king of scotland , wheras the title of all our former kings and queens was stumbled at alwaies by the vulgar . his majesty finding that this royall proffer of engaging his own person , was rejected with a kind of scorn , coucht in smooth language , though the main businesse concerned himself nearest , and indeed solely himself , that kingdom being his own hereditary right . understanding also , what base sinister use ther was made of this insurrection by som trayterous malevolent persons , who , to cast aspersions upon his majesty , and to poyson the hearts of his people , besides publick infamous reports , counterfeited certain commissions in his majesties name to authorize the businesse , as if he were privy to it , though i dare pawn my soul his ( or her ) majesty knew no more of it then the great mogor did . finding also that the commissioners imployed hence for the managing and composing matters in that kingdom , though nominated by the parliament , and by their recommendation authorized by his majesty , did not observe their instructions , and yet were conniv'd at . understanding also , what an inhumane design ther was between them and the scot , in lieu of suppressing an insurrection to eradicat and extinguish a whole nation to make booty of their lands ( which hopes the london adventurers did hugge , and began to divide the bears-skin before he was taken , as his majesty told them ▪ an attempt the spaniard nor any other christian state ever intended against the worst of savages ; the conceit wherof in●…used such a desperate courage , eagerness and valour into the irish , that it made them turn necessity into a kind of vertu . moreover , his majesty taking notice that those royal subsidies , with other vast contributions wherunto he had given way , with the sums of particular adventurers ( amongst whom som aliens ( hollanders ) were taken in , besides the scot to share the country ) were misapplyed , being visibly imployed , rather to feed an english rebellion , then to suppress an irish : nay , understanding that those charitable collections which were made for the reliefe of those distressed protestants , who being stripped of all their livelihood in ireland , were forced to fly over to england , were converted to other uses , and the charity not dispensed according to the givers intention . hearing also that those . men which had been levyed and assigned to goe under the lord wharton , the lord of kerry , sir faithfull fortescue and others were diverted from going to the west of ireland , and imployed to make up the earl of essex army : and having notice besides that the earl of warwicke had stayd certaine ships going thither with supplies , and that there was an attempt to send for over to england some of those scottish forces which were in ulster , without his privity . lastly , his majesty finding himself unfitted , and indeed disabled to reach those his distressed subjects , his owne royal armie all his navall strength , revenues and magazines being out of his hands ; and having as hard a game to play still with the scot , and as pernicious a fire to quench in england , as any of his progenitors ever had : receiving intelligence also daily from his protestant nobility and gentry thence , in what a desperate case the whole kingdome stood , together with the report of the committee that attended his majesty from them expresly for that service , who amongst other deplorable passages in their petition , represented , that all means by which comfort and life should be conveyed unto that gasping kingdome , seemed to be totally obstructed , and that unlesse 〈◊〉 reliefe were afforded , his loyall subject●… there must yeeld their fortunes for a prey , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a sacrifice , and their religion for a 〈◊〉 to the mercilesse rebels . his majesty ( as it was high time for 〈◊〉 ) taking into his princely thoughts those wofull complainrs and cryes of his poore subjects , condescended at last to appoint some persons of honour to heare what the irish could say for themselves , as they had often petitioned ; and god forbid but the king of ireland should receive his subjects petitions , as well as the king of scotland . but his majesty being unsatisfied with what they propounded then , the lord marquess of ormond marched with considerable forces against them , and though he came off with honour , yet no reliefe at all comming thither for many moneths after from the parliament here , who had undertaken the businesse , and had received all the summes and subsidies , with other unknown contributions to that end , matters grew daily worse and worse . to sum up all , his majesty receiving express and positive advice from his lord justices and counsell of state ther , that the whole kingdom was upon point of utter perdition , which was co-intimated the same time to the parliament here , by a special letter to the speaker ; i say his majesty finding that he had neither power of himself , it being transmitted to others ; and that those trustees did misapply that power and trust he had invested in them ( for the time ) to make good their undertaking for preservation of that his fruitfull kingdome ; being impelled by all these forcible reasons , his majesty sent a commission to the lord marquesse of ormond his lievtenant generall ( a most known sincere protestant ) to hearken to a treaty according to their petition ; and if any thing was amisse in that treaty in poynt of honour ( as it shall appeare by comparing it with others , there was none ) we know whom to thank . for out of these premises also , doth result this second conclusion , that they who misapplied those moneys , and mis imployed those men which were levyed with his majesties royall assent for the reduction of ireland : they who set afoot that most sanguinary design of extirpating , at least of enslaving a whole ancient nation , who were planted there by the hand of providence from the beginning : they who hindred his majesties transfretation thither to take cognizance of his own affairs , and expose the countenance of his own royall person for composing of things : they , they may be said to be the true causes of that unavoydable necessity and as the heathen poetsings , the gods , themselvs cannot resist necessity ) which enforced his majesty to capitulat with the irish , and assent to a cessation . it was the saying of one of the bravest roman emperours , and it was often used by henry the great of france , her majesties father , that he had rather save the life of one loyall subject then kill a hundred enemies : it may well be thought that one of the prevalentst inducements that moved his majesty ( besides those formerly mentioned ) to condescend to this irish cessation , was a sense he had of the effusion of his own poor subjects blood , the hazard of the utter extirpation of the protestants there , and a totall irrecoverable losse of that kingdome , as was advertised both in the petition of the protestants themselves , the relation of the committee imployd thither to that purpose , and the expresse letters of the lords justices and counsell there . to prove now , that this cessation of arms in ireland was more honourable and fuller of piety , prudence and necessity , then either the pacification or peace with the scot. i hope , these few ensuing arguments ( above divers others which cannot be inserted here , in regard of the force intended brevity of this discourse ) will serve the turne . . in primis , when the pacification was made with scotland his majesty was there personally present , attended on by the floure of his english nobility , gentry and servants , and the enemy was hard by ready to face him. at the concluding of the irish cessation , his majesty was not there personally present , but it was agitated and agreed on by his commissioner , and it hath been held alwaies less dishonourable for a king to capitulate in this kind with his own subjects by his deputy , then in his own person , for the further off he is , the lesse reflects upon him . . upon the pacification and peace with scotland , there was an amnestia , a generall pardon , and an abolition of all by-passed offences published , there were honours and offices conferred upon the chiefest sticklers in the war. at the cessation in ireland there was no such thing . . when the pacification and peace was made with the scots , there was mony given unto them , as it is too well knowne . but upon the setling of this cessation , the irish received none but gave his majesty a considerable summe as an argument of their submission and gratitude , besides the maintainance of some of his garrisons in the interim ; and so much partly in point of honour . . at the concluding of the pacification and peace with scotland , there was a vigorous , fresh , unfoiled english army a foot , and in perfect equipage ; there wanted neither ammunition , armes , money , cloaths , victuals or any thing that might put heart into the souldier and elevat his spirits . but the protestant army in ireland had not any of all these in any competent proportion , but were ready to perish , though there had been no other enemy then hunger and cold : and this implies a farre greater necessity for the said cessation . . in ireland there was imminent danger of an instant losse of the whole kingdome , and consequently , the utter subversion of the protestant religion there , as was certified both to king and parliament by sundry letters and petitions which stand upon record : there was no such danger in the affairs of scotland , either in respect of religion or kingdome ; therefore there was more piety shown in preserving the one , and prudence in preserving the other in ireland , by plucking both ( as it were ) out of the very jawes of destruction by the said cessation . we know that in the medley of mundane casualties , of two evils , the least is to be chosen , and a small inconvenience is to be born withall , to prevent a greater . if one make research into the french story , he will find , that many kinds of pacifications and suspensions of armes were covenanted 'twixt that king and som of his subjects , trenching far more upon regall dignity then this in ireland . the spaniard was forced to declare the hollanders free-states , before they could be brought to treat of a truce : and now the catalans scrue him up almost to as high conditions . but what need i rove abroad so far ? it is well known , nor is it out of the memory of man ( in queen elizabeths raign ) that in ireland it self ther have bin cessations , all circumstances well weighed , more prejudiciall to majesty then this . but that which i hear murmured at most as the effect of this cessation , is the transport of som of those souldiers to england for recruting his majesties armies , notwithstanding that the greatest number of them be perfect and rigid protestants , and were those whom our parliament it self imployed against the irish. but put case they were all papists , must his majesty therfore be held a favourer of popery ? the late king of france might have bin said as well to have bin a favourer of hugonotts , because in all his wars he imployed them most of any in places of greatest trust against the house of austria ; wheras all the world knows , that he perfectly hated them in the generall , and one of the reaches of policy he had , was to spend and waste them in the wars . was it ever known but a soveraign prince might use the bodies and strength of his own naturall-born subjects , and liege men for his own defence ? when his person hath been sought and aimed at in open field by small and great shot , and all other engines of hostility and violence : when he is in danger to be surprized or besieg'd in that place wher he keeps his court : when all the flowers of his crown his royal prerogatives which are descended upon him from so many successive progenitors ) are like to be plucked off and trampled under foot : when ther is a visible plot to alter and overturn that religion he was born , baptized , and bred in : when he is in dan●…er to be forced to infringe that solemn sacramental oath he took at his coronation to maintain the said religion , with the rights and rites of the holy anglican church , which som brain-sick schismaticks wold transform to a kirk and her discipline , to som chimerical form of government they know not what . francis the first and other christian princes , made use of the turk upon lesse occasions ; and if one may make use of a horse , or any other bruit animal , or any inanimat engine or instrument for his own defence against man , much more may man be used against man , much more may one rational creature be used against another though for destructive ends in a good cause , specially when they are commanded by a soveraign head , which is the main thing that goes to justifie a war. now touching the roman catholicks , whether english , welsh , irish , or scottish , which repaire to his majesties armies either for service or security . he looks not upon them ●…s papists , but as his subjects , not upon their religion , but their allegiance , and in that ●…uality he entertains them : nor can the pa●…ist be denyed the character of a good subject , all the while he conforms himself to the lawes in generall , and to those lawes also that are particularly enacted against him , and so keeps himself within the bounds of his civil obedience : as long as he continues so , he may challenge protection from his prince by way of right , and if his prince by som accident be not in case to protect him , he is to give him leave to defend himself the best he can , for the law of nature allowes every one to defend himself , and ther is no positive law of man can annul the law of nature . now if the subject may thus claim protection from his prince , it followeth , the prince by way of reciprocation may require assistance , service and supplies from the subject upon all publick occasions , as to suppress at this time a new race of recusants , which have done more hurt then ever the old did , and are like to prove more dangerous to his crown and regal authority then any foreign enemy . but whosoever will truly observe the genius , and trace the actions of this fatal faction which now swayes with that boundless , exorbitant , arbitrary and antinomian power , will find , that it is one of their prime pieces of policy , to traduce and falsifie any thing that is not conducible to their own ends : yet what comes from them must be so magisterial , it must be so unquestionably and incontroulably tru & lawful , that it must be believed by an implicite faith , as proceeding from an in-erring oracle ( as if these zealots were above the common condition of mankind , to whom errour is as hereditary as any other infirmity ) though the thing it self encroach never so grosly both upon the common liberty , the states and souls of men . but if any thing bear the stamp of royal authority , be it never so just and tending to peace and the publick good , yea , though it be indifferent to either side , it is presently countermanded , cryed down , and stifled ; or it is calumniated and aspersed with obloquies , false glosses and misprisions ; and this is become now the common theam wherwith their pulpits ring which makes me think , that these upstart politicians have not long to reign ; for , as the common proverb saith , fraud and frost end foul and are short-lived , so that policy , those counsels which are grounded upon scandals , reproaches and lies , will quickly moulder and totter away , and bring their authors at last to deserved infamy and shame , and make them find a tomb in their own ruines . adde hereunto as further badges of their nature , that black irreconcilable malice and desire of revenge which rageth in them , the aversness they have to any sweetness of conformity and union , the violent thirst they have of bloud , which makes me think on that dis●…ique of prudentius , who seemed to be a prophet as well as poet ( a tru vates ) in displaying the humors of these fiery dogmatists , this all-confounding faction which now hath the vogue , to the punishment , i will not say yet , the perdition of this poor island . sic m●…res produnt animum , & mihi credite , junctus semper cum falso est dogmate coedis amor . thus in english. manners betray the mind , and credit me , ther 's alwayes thirst of bloud with heresie . the sway of the sword ; or a discours of the militia train'd-bands , or common soldiery of the land ; proving , that the power and command therof in chief belongs to the ruling prince , and to no other . sine gladio nulla defensio . the author's apology . t is confefs'd that the subject of this discours were more proper to one of the long-robe , which i am not , i am no lawyer otherwise then what nature hath made me , so every man , as he is born the child of reason , is a lawyer , and a logitian also who was the first kind of lawyer : this discoursive faculty of reason comes with us into the world accompanied with certain general notions and principles to distinguish right from wrong , and falshood from truth : but touching this following discourse , because it relates somthing to law , the author wold not have adventured to have exposed it to the world , if , besides those common innate notions of reason , and some private notes of his own , he had not inform'd and ascertain'd his judgment by conference with som professed lawyers , and those the eminentest in the land , touching the truth of what it treats of ; therfore he dares humbly aver that it contains nothing but what is consonant to the fundamentall and fixed constitutions , to the known clear lawes of this kingdom . from the prison of the flcet . nonas mail . i. h. touching the polemical svvord , and command in chief of the militia , &c. government is an ordinance of god for mans good ; the kinds of government are ordinances of men for gods glory : now , among all wo●…ldly affairs there is not any thing so difficult , and fuller of incertitudes as the art of ruling man , for those nimble spirits ( as it is spoken elswhere ) who from apprentices have been made freemen of the trade , and at last thought themselves masters , having spent their youth , their manhood , and a long time of old age therein , yet when they came to leave the world they professed themselves still to be but novices in the trade . there is a known way to break , guide , and keep in awe all other animals , though never so savage and strong ; but there is no such certaine way to govern multitudes of men , in regard of such turbulences of spirit and diversity of opinions that proceed from the rational faculty , which other cretures that are contented only with sense , are not subject unto ; and this the philosopher holds to be one of the inconveniences that attend humane reason , and why it is given man as a part of his punishment . now , why the government over men is ●…o difficult , there may be two main reasons alledg'd , the first is the various events , and world of inexpected contingencies that attend humane negotiations , specially matters of state , which , as all other sublunary things , are subject to alterations , miscarriages , and change , this makes the mindes of men ▪ and consequently the moulds of policy so often to alter , scarce one amongst twenty is the same man as he was twenty yeares ago in point of judgement , which turns and changeth according to the successe and circumstances of things , the wisedome of one day is the foolishnesse of another , posterior dies est prioris magister , the day following becomes the former dayes teacher . the second reason is , the discrepant , and wavering fancies of mens braines , specially of the common peeple , who ( if not restrained ) are subject to so many crotchets and chymeras , with extravagant wanton desires , and gaping after innovations . insulary peeple are observed to be more transported with this instability then those of the continent , and the inhabitants of this i le more then others , being a well-fed spriteful peeple ; in so much , that it is grown a proverb abroad , that the englishman doth not know when he is well : now the true polititian doth use to fit his government to the fancy of the peeple , the ruler must do as the rider , some peeple are to be rid with strong bitts and curbs , and martingalls , as the napollitan , and french our next neighbour , which is the cause that a kind of slavery is entail'd upon him , for the french peasant is born with chains ; other nations may be rid with a gentle small bridle , as the venetian and the hollander , who hath not such boiling spirits as others ; a bridle doth serve also the spaniard , who is the gretest example of stability , and exact obedience to authority , of any peeple ; for though spain be the hottest countrey in christendom , yet it is not so subject to feavers as others are , i mean to fits of intestin commotions : and this was never so much tryed as of late yeers ; for though the present king hath such known frail●…ies , though he hath bin so infortunat , as to have many countreys quite revolted , and rent away from him ; though the ragingst plague that ever was in spain under any king , happen'd of late yeers , which sweep'd away such a world of peeple ; though his taxes be higher then ever were any , though he hath call'd in and engrossed all the common coyn of the countrey , and delivered but the one halfe back again , reserving the other half for himself ; though there 's no legall instrument , no bond , bill , or specialty can be writ but upon his seal'd paper , with sundry other exactions , yet his subjects are still as obedient , and awful unto him , they are as conformable and quiet , as if he were the most vertuous , and victorious prince that ever was ; and this they do principally for their own advantage , for if ther were another governour set up , it would inevitably hurle the whole countrey into combustion and tumults ; besides , they are taught , that as in choice of wives , so the rule holds in governments , seldome comes a better . touching the originals of government and ruling power , questionless the first among mankind was that naturall power of the father over his children , and that despotical domestique surintendence of a master of a house over his family ; but the world multiplying to such a masse of peeple , they found that a confused equality , and a loose unbridled way of living like ●…rute animals to be so inconvenient , that they chose one person to protect and govern ; not so much out of love to the ●…erson , as for their own conveniency and advantage , that they might live more regularly , and be secur'd from rapine , and op●…ression ; as also that justice might be administted ; and every one enjoy his own without fear , and danger : such govern●…urs had a power invested accordingly in ●…hem , also as to appoint subservient , able mi●…isters under them to help to bear the ●…urden . concerning the kinds of government , ●…ll polititians agree that monarchall is the best and noblest sort of sway , having the neerest analogy with that of heaven , viz. a supreme power in one single person ; god almighty is the god of unity , as well as of entity , and all things that have an entity do naturally propend to unity ; unity is as necessary for a well - being , as entity is for a being , for nothing conduceth more to order , tranquillity , and quietude , nor is any strength so operative as the united ; the fist is stronger then the hand , though it be nothing but the hand , viz. the fingers united by contraction ; the republick of venice which is accounted the most eagle-ey'd and lastingst state in the world , fo●… she hath continued a pure virgin , and shin'd within her watry orb nere upon thirteen ages , is the fittest to give the world advice herein , for if ever any have brought policy to be a science which consists of certitudes , this state is shee , who is grown a●… dexterous in ruling men as in rowing of 〈◊〉 gally . but whereas the vulgar opinion is that the common peeple there have a shar●… in the government , 't is nothing so , for he great counsel which is the maine hing whereon the republick turns , is compose●… onely of gentlemen who are capable b●… their birth to sit there , having passed twenty five years of age ; to which purpose they must bring a publick testimonial that they are descended of a patrician or noble family . but to return to the main matter , this sage republick who may prescribe rules of policy to all mankind , having tryed at first to govern by consuls and tribunes for som years , she found it at last a great inconvenience , or deformity rather , to have two heads upon one body ; therefore she did set up one soveraign prince ; and in the records of venice the resons are yet extant which induc'd her thereunto , whereof one of the remarkablest was this ; we have observed that in this vast university of the world all bodies according to their several natures have multiplicity of motions , yet they receive vertue and vigour but from one , which is the sun ; all causes derive their originals from one supreme cause ; we see that in one creture there are many differing members , and faculties which have various functions , yet they are all guided by one soul , &c. the island of great britain hath bin alwaies a royal isle from her first creation , and infancy ; she may be said to have worn a crown in her cradle ; and though she had so many revolutions , and changes of masters , yet she continued still royal ; nor is there any species of government that suits better , either with the quality of the countrey , and genius of the inhabitants , or relates more directly to all the ancient lawes , constitutions , and customs of the land , then monarchal ; which any one that is conversant in the old records can justifie ; britannia ab initio mundi semper regia , & regimen illius simile illi caelorum . concerning the many sorts of trust●… which were put in the supreme governor of this land ( for ther must be an implicite and unavoidable necessary trust reposed in every soveraign magistrate ) the power of the sword was the chiefest ; and it was agreeable to holy scripture he shold have it , where we know 't is said , the king beareth not the sword in vain ; the lawes of england did ever allow it to be the inalienable prerogative of the soveraign prince , nor was it ever known ( humbly under favour ) that any other power whatsoever managing conjunctly or singly , did ever pretend to the power of the publick sword , or have the militia invested in them , but this ever remained intire and untransferrible in the person of the ruler in chief , whose chiefest instrument to govern by is the sword , without which crownes , scepters , globes and maces are but bables . it is that instrument which causeth tru obedience , makes him a dread soveraign , and to be feared at home and abroad ; now 't is a maxime in policy , that ther can be no tru obedience without fear ; the crown and scepter draw only a loose kind of voluntary love , and opinion from the people , but 't is the sword that draws reverence and awe , which two are the chiefest ingredients of allegeance , it being a principle , that the best government is made of fear and love , viz. when by fear love is drawn as threed through the eye of a needle ; the surest obedience , and loyalty is caused thus , for fear being the wakefullest of our passions works more powerfully in us and predominates over all the rest ; primus in orbe deus fecit timor . to raise up a soveraign magistrate without giving him the power of the sword , is to set one up to rule a metall'd horse without a bridle ; a chief ruler without a sword , may be said to be like that logg of wood which iupiter threw down among the froggs to be their king , as it is in the fable . moreover , one of the chiefest glories of a nation is to have their supreme governor to be esteem'd , and redouted abroad as well as at home . and what forren nation will do either of these to the king of england if he be armless , and without a sword ? who will give any respect o●… precedence to his ambassadors , and ministers of state ? the sword also is the prime instrument of publick protection , therefore that king who hath not the power of the sword , must have another title given him , the protector of his peeple . now , in a successive hereditary kingdom , as england is known , and acknowledged to be by all parties now in opposition , there are three things which are inalienable from the person of the king : they are , . the crowne . . the scepter . . the sword. the one , he is to carry on his head , the other in his hand , and the third at his side ; and they may be termed all three the ensignes or peculiar instruments of a king : by the first , he reignes , by the second he makes lawes , by the third he defends them : and the two first are but bables without the last , as was formerly spoken . . touching the crown or royal diadem of england , ther is none , whether presbyterian , independent , protestant , or others now in action , but confess that it descends by a right hereditary line , ( though through divers races , and som of them conquerours ) upon the head of charles the first now regnant : 't is his own by inherent birth-right and nature , by gods law , and the law of the land , and these parliament-men at their first sitting did agnize subjection unto him accordingly , and recognize him for their soveraign liege lord : nay , the roman catholick denies not this , for though there were bulls sent to dispense with the english subjects for their allegiance to queen elizabeth , yet the pope did this against her as he took her for a heretick , not an usurpresse , though he knew well enough that she had bin declared illegitimate by the act of an english parliament . this imperial crown of england is adorned and deckd with many fair flowers , which are called , royal prerogatives ; and they are of such a transcendent nature , that they are unforfeitable , individual , and untransferrable to any other : the king can only summon and dissolve parliaments : the king can only pardon ( for when he is crowned , he is sworn to rule in mercy as well as in justice : ) the king can only coyn money , and enhance or decry the value of it : the power of electing officers of state , of justices of peace and assize is in the king ; he can only grant soveraign commissions : the king can only wage war , and make out-landish leagues : the king may make all the courts of justice ambulatory with his person , as they were used of old ▪ 't is tru , the court of common pleas must be sedentary in som certain place for such a time ; but that expired , 't is removeable at his pleasure : the king can only employ ambassadours and treat with forraign states , &c. these , with other royal prerogatives which i shall touch hereafter , are those rare and wholsom flowers wherewith the crown of england is embellished , nor can they stick any where else but in the crown , and all confess the crown is as much the king 's , as any private man's cap is his own . . the second regall instrument is the scepter , which may be called an inseparable companion , or a necessary appendix to the crown ; this invests the king with the sole authority of making lawes , for before his confirmation all results and determinations of parliament are but bills or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are but abortive things , and meer embryos ; nay , they have no life at all in them till the king puts breath and vigour into them : and the ancient custome was for the king to touch them with his scepter , then they are lawes , and have a vertue in them to impose an obligation of universall obedience upon all sorts of people , it being an undeniable maxime , that nothing can be generally binding without the king 's royall assent , nor doth the law of england take notice of any thing without it : this being done they are ever after styl'd the kings lawes , and the judges are said to deliver the king's judgments , which agrees with the holy text , the king by judgment shall stablish the land : nay , the law presumes the king to be alwaies the sole judge paramount , and lord chief justice of england , for he whom he pleaseth to depute for his chiefest justice , is but styl'd lord chief iustice of the rings ●…ench , not lord chief justice of england , which title is peculiar to the king himself , and observable it is , that whereas he grants commissions and patents to the lord chancellour ( who is no other then keeper of his conscience ) and to all other judges , he names the chief justice of his own bench by a short writ only containing two or three lines : which run thus , regina iohanni popham militi salutem , sciatis quod constitutmus vos justiciarium nostrum capitalem ad placita coram nobis terminandum durante beneplacito nostro ; teste &c. now , though the king be liable to the laws , and is contented to be within their verge , because they are chiefly his own productions , yet he is still their protector , moderator , and soveraigne , which attributes are incommunicable to any other conjunctly or separately . thus the king with his scepter , and by the mature advice of his two houses of parl. which are his highest councel and court , hath the sole power of making laws ; other courts of judicature doe but expound them and distribute them by his appointment , they have but iuris dati dictionem or declarationem , and herein , i meane for the exposition of the lawes the twelve iudges are to be believed before the whole kingdom besides . they are as the areopagites in athens , the chief presidents in france and spaine in an extraordinary iunta , as the cape-syndiques in the rota's of rome , and the republique of venice , whose judgments in point of interpreting lawes are incontroulable , and preferred before the opinion of the whole senate whence they received their being ; and who hath still power to repeal them , though not to expound them . in france they have a law maxime , arrest donné en rebbe rouge est irrevocable , which is , a scarlet sentence is irrevocable , meaning when all the judges are met in their robes , and the client against whom the cause goes , may chafe and chomp upon the bit , and say what he will for the space of twenty foure howers against his judges , but if ever after he traduces them , he is punishable : it is no otherwise here where every ignorant peevish client , every puny barister , specially if he become a member of the house will be ready to arraign and vie knowledge with all the reverend judges in the land , whose judgement in points of law shold be onely tripodicall and sterling : so that he may be truly call'd a just king , and to rule according to law , who rules according to the opinion of his judges ; therefore , under favour , i do not see how his majesty for his part could be call'd injust when he leavied the ship-money , considering he had the judges for it . i now take the sword in hand , which is the third instrument of a king , ( and which this short discours chiefly points at ) it is as well as the two first incommunicable and inalienable from his person ; nothing concernes his honor more both at home and abroad ; the crown and the scepter are but unweildy and impotent naked indefensible things without it . there 's none so simple as to think there 's meant hereby an ordinary single sword , such as ev'ry one carrieth by his side , or som imaginary thing or chymera of a sword ; no , 't is the polemicall publique sword of the whole kingdom , 't is an aggregative compound sword , and 't is moulded of bell-metall ; for 't is made up of all the ammunition and armes small and great , of all the military strengths both by land and sea , of all the forts , castles and tenable places within and round about the whole i le : the kings of engl. have had this sword by vertue of their royall signory from all times , the laws have girded it to their sides , they have employed it for repeling all foren force , for revenging all forren wrongs or affronts , for quelling all intestine tumults , and for protecting the weal of the whole body politicke at home : the peeple were never capable of this sword , the fundamentall constitutions of this kingdom deny it them ; 't is all one to put the sword in a mad mans hand , as in the peeples ; or for them to have a disposing power in whose hands it shall be . such was the case once of the french sword , in that notorious insurrection call'd to this day la iaqueris de beauvoisin , when the pesants and mechanicks had a design to wrest it out of the kings hand , and to depresse all the peers and gentry of the kingdom ; and the businesse had gone so far that the peasans might have prevail'd , had not the prelats stuck close to the nobility ; but afterwards poor hare ▪ brain'd things they desire the king upon bended knees to take it againe ; such popular puffs have blowen often in poland , naples and other places , where while they sought and fought for liberty by retrenching the regall power , they fool'd themselfs into a slavery unawares , and found the rule right , that excesse of freedom turns to thraldom , and ushers in all confusions . if one shold go back to the nonage of the world , when governers and rulers began first , one will find the peeple desir'd to live under kings for their own advantage , that they might be restrain'd from wild exorbitant liberty , and kept in unity ; now unity is as requisit for the wel-being of all naturall things , as entity is for their being , and 't is a receiv'd maxime in policy , that nothing preserves unity more exactly then royal government : besides , 't is known to be the noblest sort of sway ; in so much that by the law of nations , if subjects of equal degrees , and under differing princes shold meet , the subjects of a king shold take precedency of those under any republique . but to take up the sword again . i say that the sword of public power and authority is fit only to hang at the kings side , and so indeed shold the great seal hang only at his girdle , because 't is the key of the kingdom : which makes me think of what i read of charlemain , how he had the imperial seal emboss'd alwaies upon the pommell of his sword , and his reason was , that he was ready to maintain whatsoever he signed , and sealed . the civilians , who are not in all points so great friends to monarchy as the common law of england is , say , there are six iura regalia , six regal rights , viz. . potestas iudicatoria , . potestas vitae & necis , . armamenta , . bona adespota , . census , . monetarum valor : to wit , power of iudicature , power of life and death , all kind of arming , masterless goods , s●…issements , and the value of money . among these regalia's , we find that arming , which in effect is nought else but the kings sword , is among the chiefest ; and 't is as proper and peculiar to his person , as either crown or scepter . by these two he drawes a loose voluntary love and opinion only from his subjects , but by the sword he draws reverence and awe , which are the chiefest ingredients of allegiance , it being a maxime , that the best mixture of government is made of fear and love . with this sword he conferrs honor , he dubbs knights , he creates magistrates , the lord deputy of ireland , the lord mayor of london with all other corporations have their swords from him , and when he entereth any place corporate , we know the first thing that is presented him is the sword : with this sword he shields and preserves all his people that every one may sit quietly under his own vine , sleep securely in his own house , and enjoy sweetly the fruits of his labours . nor doth the point of this sword reach only to every corner of his own dominions , but it extends beyond the seas to gard his subjects from oppression , and denial of justice , as well as to vindicate the publick wrongs , make good the interests of his crown , and to assist his confederates ; this is the sword that edward the third tied the flower deluces unto ( which stick still unto it , ) when having sent to france to demand that crown by maternal right , the counsell ther sent him word that the crown of france was not tied to a distaff , to which scoffing answer he replied , that then he wold tie it to his sword , and he was as good as his word . nor is this publick sword concredited or intrusted by the peeple in a fiduciary conditionall way to the king , but it is properly and peculiarly belonging unto him , as an inseparable concomitant , perpetual usher and attendant to his crown . the king , we know , useth to maintain all garrisons upon his own charge , not the peeples ; he fortifies upon his own charge , not the peeples : and though i will not averr , that the king may impresse any of his subjects , unlesse it be upon an actuall vasion by sea , or a sudden irruption into his kingdom by land , as the scots have often done , yet at any time the king may raise volunteers , and those who have received his money , the law makes it felony , if they forsake his service . thus we see there 's nothing that conduceth more to the glory , and indeed the very essence of a king then the sword , which is the armes and military strength of his kingdom ; wherfore under favour , ther cannot be a greater point of dishonour to a king then to be disarmed , then to have his sword taken from him , or dispos'd of and intrusted to any but those whom he shall appoint ; for as à minori ad majus the argument often holds , if a private gentleman chance to be disarm'd upon a quarrell , 't is held the utmost of disgraces , much greater and more public is the dishonor that falls upon a king , if after som traverses of difference 'twixt him and his subjects , they shold offer to disarm him , or demand his sword of him : when the eagle parted with his talons , and the lion with his teeth and ongles , the apolog tells us how contemptible afterwards the one grew to be among birds , the other among birds , the other among beasts . for a king to part with the sword politic is to render himself such a ridiculous king , as that logg of wood was which iupiter let down among the froggs for their king at the importunity of their croaking ; 't is to make him a king of clouts , or as the spaniard hath it , rey de havas , a bean king , such as we use to choose in sport at twelfnight . but my hopes are , that the two present houses of parliament ( for now they may be call'd so , because they begin to parley with their king , ) will be more tender of the honour of their soveraign liege lord , which , together with all his rights and dignities , by severall solemn oaths , aud by their own binding instruments of protestation and covenant , ( not yet revok'd ) they are sworne to maintaine , and that they will demand nothing of him which may favour of aspertè or force , but what may hold water hereafter : but now , touching the militia or sword of the kingdom , i think , under favour , the king cannot transfer it to any other ; for that were to desert the protection of his people , which is point blank against his coronation oath and his office : what forren prince or state will send either ambassador , resident or agent to him , when they understand his sword is taken from him ? what reformed forein church will acknowledg him defendor of the faith , when they hear of this ? nay , they who wish england no good will , will go near to paint him out , as not long since another king was , with a fair velvet scabbard , a specious golden hilt and chape , but the blade within was of wood . i hope that they who sway now , will make better use of their successes : many of them know 't is as difficult a thing to use a victory well , as to get one ; ther is as much prudence requir'd in the one , as prowesse in the other ; they will be wiser sure then turn it to the dishonor of their king : it being a certain rule , that the glory of a nation all the world over depends upon the glory of their king , and if he be any way obscur'd , the whole kingdom is under an eclipse . i have observed , that among other characters of gallantry , which forein writers appropriat to the english nation , one is , that they use to be most zealous to preserve the honor of their king ; i trust that they who are now up will return to the steps of their progenitors , both in this particular and divers other ; that their successes may serve to sweeten and moderat things , and suppress the popular sword which still rages ; and it had bin heartily wished that a suspension of arms had preceded this treaty , which useth to be the ordinary fore-runner , and a necessary antecedent to all treaties ; for while acts of hostility continue , som ill-favour'd newes may intervene which may imbitter and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ nor can it be expected that the proceedings will go on with that candor and confidence , while the old rancor is still in action ▪ 't is impossible a sore shold heal till the inflamation be taken away ; to cast water into a wound instead of oyle is not the way to cure it : or to cast oyle upon a fire instead of water is not the way to quench it ; poor england hath had a consuming fire within her bowels many years , she is also mortally wounded in all her members , that she is still in a high fever , which hath made her rave and speak idle a long time ; and 't is like to turn to a hectic , if not timely prevented . i pray god she may have no occasion to make use of the same complaint as alexander the great made when he was expiring his last , perii turba medicorum : too many physitians have undon me . to conclude in a word , ther is but one only way , under favor , to put a period to all these fearful confusions ; it is , to put the great master-wheel in order , and in its due place again , and then all the inferior wheels will move regularly ; let the king be restor'd , and ev'ry one will come to his own , all interests will be satisfied , all things quickly rectified ; till this be done , 't is as absurd to attempt the setling of peace , as if one shold go about to set a watch by the gnomen of an horizontall diall when the sun is in a cloud . i. h. an italian prospective , through which great britain ( without any multiplying art ) may cleerly see her present danger , and foresee her future destruction , if not timely prevented . perditio tua ex te anglia . paraenesis angliae . o england ( specially thou besotted city of london ) if thou be'st not quite past cure , or grown careless and desperat of thy self , if the least spark of grace , or ray of reson be yet remaining in thee , be warn'd , be warn'd by this stranger , who having felt thy pulse , and cast thy water very exactly , discovers in thee symptoms of inevitable ruine if thou holdst on this cours . divers of thy own children oftentimes admonish'd thee with tears in their eyes , and terror in their hearts , to recollect thy self , and return to thy old road of obedience to thy soverain prince , but they have bin little regarded , let a foreiners advice then take place , and make som impressions in thee to prevent thy utter destruction . from the prison of the fleet . aug. . i. h. an account of the deplorable , and desperat condition that england stands in , sent from london , anno . to the lord francisco barberini , cardinal of the most holy apostolick see , and protector of the english nation , at his palaces in rome . my last to your eminence was but short , in regard i had been but a short time in this countrey , i have now made a longer sojourn here , and taken a leisurely information of all matters ; therefore i shall give your eminence an account proportionably : for by conversation with the most indifferent , and intelligenc'd men , and by communication with the ambassadors here resident , i have taken some paines to pump out the truth of things , and penetrat the interest of all parties . and truly , i find , that that angry star , which hath lowr'd so long upon europe in generall , hath been as predominant , and cast as direfull aspects upon this poor iland , as it hath done upon any other part : truly , my lord , in all probability this peeple have pass'd the meridian of their happinesse , and begin to decline extreamly , as well in repute abroad , as also in the common notions of religion , and indeed in the ordinary faculty of reason : i think verily the ill spirit never reign'd so much in any corner of the earth by those inhumane aud horrid things that i have observ'd among them . nor is it a petty spirit , but one of the greatest cacod●…mons that thus drives them on , and makes them so active in the pursuance of their own perdition . to deduce matters from their originall , your eminency may please to understand , that this king at his accesse to the crown had deep debts to pay , both of his fathers , and his own , he was left ingaged in a fresh warre with spain ; and had another presently after which france , and both at one time , but he came off well enough of those : afterwards never any countrey flourished in that envied happinesse , and wanton kind of prosperity ; this city of london was grown to be the greatest mart , and mistress of trade , of any in the world ; insomuch , as i have been certainly inform'd , the king might have spent meerly upon his customes crowns a day : moreover , she had a vast bank of money being made the scale of conveying the king of spains treasure to flanders : insomuch that in a few yeers she had above ten millions of his moneys brought hither , which she might have remitted in specie or in marchandize , and for which this king had five in the hundred for coynage : yet could he not get beforehand with the world , having a sister with so many nephews and neeces , having a queen with diverse children of his own , ( at least of the blood-royall ) to maintaine , with divers profuse courtiers besides , which made him more parsimonious then ordinary . the warres then growing more active 'twixt spaine and france , as also 'twixt holland and spaine both by land and sea , and divers great fleets of men of war as well french ( who were growne powerfull that way ) as dunkerkers , spaniards hollanders , and hamburgers , appearing daily in his narrow seas , and sayling close by his chambers , the world wondred this king had no greater strength at sea , in case that any of the foresaid nations should doe him an affront , as some of them had already done , by denying to dash their colours to his ships : insomuch that in holland and other places he was pasquill'd at , and pourtrayed lying in his cradle lullaby'd and rock'd asleep by the spaniard : hereupon being by advertisements from his agents abroad , and frequent advice of his privie councell at home , made sensible of the danger , and a kind of dishonour he was faln into , and having intelligence that the french cardinall began to question his title to the dominion of the narrow seas , considering he employed no visible power to preserve it , he began to consult of meanes to set forth a royall fleet : but in regard the purse of the crowne was lightly ballasted , and that he had no mind to summon the three estates , because of some indignities he had received in former parliaments by the puritan party ( a race of people averse to all kingly government , unlesse they may pare it as they please ) his then atturney generall ( noy ) a great cryed-up-lawyer , put it in his head to impose an old tax called ship-mony upon the subject , which the said lawyer did warrant upon his life to be legall , for he could produce divers records how many of his progenitors had done the like : the king not satisfied with his single opinion , refer'd it to his learn'd council , & they unanimously averred it to be agreeable to the law of the land ; yet this would not fully satisfie the king , but he would have the opinion of his twelve judges , and they also affirmed by their single vouches the said tax to be warrantable ; hereupon it was imposed and leavied , but some refusing to pay it , there was a suite commenc'd , during which all the judges were to re-deliver their opinions joyntly , and the businesse being maturely debated and canvased in open court divers months , and all arguments produc'd pro & con , nine of the said twelve judges concluded it legal . thereupon the king continued the imposition of the said tax , and never was mony imployed so much for the honour and advantage of a countrey , for he sent out every summer a royall fleet to scowre and secure the seas ; he caused a galeon to be built , the greatest and gallantest that ever spread saile : nor did he purse up , and dispose of one peny of this money to any other use , but added much of his own revenues yeerly thereunto : so the world abroad cried up the king of england to be awake againe ; trade did wonderfully encrease , both domestic and forrein in all the three kingdomes ; ireland was reduced to an absolute settlement , the arrears of the crown payed , and a considerable revenue came thence cleerly to the exchequer of england every year , the salaries of all officers , with the pay of the standing army ●…here , and all other charges being defrayed by ireland her self , which was never done before . yet for all this height of pappinesse , and the glorious fruites of the said ship-money , ( which was but a kind of petty insensible tax , & a thing of nothing to what hath hapened since ) there were some foolish peeple in this land which murmured at it , and cryed nothing else but a parliament , a parliament ; and they have had a parliament since with a vengeance . but before this occasion , it was observed , that the seeds of disobedience , and a spirit of insurrection was a long time engendring in the hearts of som of this peace-pampred people , which is conceived to proceed from their conversation and commerce with three sorts of men , viz. the scot , the hollander and the french huguenot . now an advantage happened that much conduced to necessitate the convoking of a parliament , which was an ill-favoured traverse that fell out in scotland ; for the king intending an uniformity of divine worship in all his three kingdoms , sent thither the liturgy of this church , but it found cold and course entertainment ther , for the whole nation , men , women and children rise up a gainst them : here upon the king absolutely revoked it by proclamation , wherein he declared 't was never his purpose to press the practise therof upon the consciences of any ; therfore commanded that all things shold be in statu quo prius , but this wold not serve the turn , the scot took advantge hereby to destroy hierarchy , and pull down the bishops to get their demeans : to which purpose they came with an army in open field against their own native king , who not disgesting this indignity , mustred another english army ; which being upon the confines of both kingdoms , a kind of pacification was plaistred over for the present . the king returning to london , and consulting his second thoughts , resented that insolency of the scots more then formerly : hereupon he summons a parliament , and desires aid to vindicat that affront of the scot. the scot had strong intelligence with the puritan faction in the english parliament , who seemed to abet his quarrel , rather then to be sensible of any national dishonour received from him ; which caused that short-lived parliament to dissolve in discontent , and the king was forced to find other means to raise and support an army by privat loanes of his nobler sort of subjects and servants : the scot having punctual advertisements of every thing that passed ; yea , in the kings cabinet councel was not idle all this while , but rallies what was left of the former army ( which by the articles of pacification ( a little before ) should have bin absolutely dismissed ) and boldly invades england , which he durst never have done , if he had not well known that this puritan party which was now grown very powerful here , and indeed had invited him to this expedition , wold stand to him . this forein army being by the pernicious close machinations of som mongrel englishmen aforementioned , entred into the bowels of the country , the king was forced to call this present parliament , with whom he complyed in every thing , so far as to sacrifice unto them both iudge , bishop , councellor and courtier ; yea , he yielded to the tumbling down of many tribunals of justice , which were an advantage to his prerogative ; he assented that the prelates , who were the most ancient and prime members of the upper house , and had priority of all others , since the first constitution of parliament in the enrollment of all acts , he assented i say that these , who were the greatest prop of his crown shold be quite outed from among the peers ; he granted them also a trienniall parliament , and after that , this perpetuall ; which words , to the apprehension of any rational man , carry with them a grosse absurdity in the very sense of the thing : and touching this last grant , i had it from a good hand , that the queen was a friend to this parliament , and your eminence knows how they have requited her since , but the main open councellor to this fatall act was a scot. now the reason which they alledged for this everlasting parliament was one of the baldest that ever i heard of , it was , that they might have time enough to pay the scots army , wheras in one morning they might have dispatched that , by passing so many subsidies for that use , and upon the credit of those , they might have raised what money they wold . the parliament finding the king so plyable , and his pulse to beat so gently , like ill-natur'd men they fall from inches to ells in seeking their advantages : they grew so peremptory as to demand all the military strength of the kingdom , the tower of london , with the whole royal navy , which they found in an excellent equipage , gramercy ship-money ; so that the benefit of ship-money , which they so clamoured at , turned most to their advantage of any thing afterwards . the scot being fidler-like returned to his country with meat , drink , and money , the king went a while after to keep a parliament ther , wherein he filled every blank , they did but ask and have , for he granted them what possibly they could propound , both for their kirk and state , many received honour , and they divided bishops lands amongst them : for all which unparallel'd concessions of princely grace , they caused an act already in force to be published , viz. that it shold be damnable treason in the highest degree that could be , for any of the scots nation conjunctly or singly to levy armes , or any military forces , upon any pretext whatsoever , without his majesties royal commission ; and this they caused to be don by way of gratitude , but how they perform'd it afterwards the world knowes too well . the king returning to london , in lieu of a welcom to his two houses of parliament ( to whom also before his departure he had passed more acts of grace then all his progenitors , take them all in a lump ) they had patch'd up a kind of remonstrance , which was voted in dead of the night , wherein they expos'd to the world the least moat in former government , and aggravated to the very height every grievance , notwithstanding that the king had redressed all before ; and this remonstrance , which breath'd nothing but a base kind of malice , they presented as a nosegay to their soveraign prince , to congratulat his safe return from a forein countrey ; which remonstrance they caus'd to be printed and publish'd before he could give any answer thereunto . the king finding such a virulent spirit still raign in the house , and knowing who were chiefly possess'd with it ( viz. those whom he had impeach'd before , but saw he could get no justice against them ) in such an extremity , he did an act like a generous prince , for taking the palsgrave with him , he took the first coach he met withall at his court-gate , and went to his house of commons in person , to demand five members , which he wold prove to be traitors in the highest degree 〈◊〉 to be the authors of all these distempers , protesting upon the word of a king , that they shold have as fair & legal a tryal as ever men had ; in the interim he only desir'd that their persons might be secur'd . the walls of both houses , and the very stones in london street did seem to ring of this high cariage of the kings , and the sound went thence to the country , whence the silly plebeians came presently in whole herds to this city , who strutting up and down the streets , had nothing in their mouths , but that the priviledg of parlement , the priviledg of parlement was broken , though it be the known clear law of the land , that the parlement cannot supersede or shelter any treason . the king finding how violently the pulse of the grosly seduced people did beat , and ther having bin formerly divers riotous crues of base mechaniques and mariners , who had affronted both his own court , and the two houses besides , which the commons , to their eternal reproach , conniv'd at , notwithstanding that divers motions were made by the lords to suppresse them , the king also having privat intelligence that ther was a mischievous plot to surprize his person , remov'd his court to the countrey . the king departing , or rather being driven away thus from his two houses , by this mutinous city , he might well at his going away have ubraided her in the same words as h. the . did upbraid paris , who being by such another tumultuous rabble driven out of her in the time of the ligue , as he was losing sight of her , he turn'd his face back , and said , farewel ingratefull city , i will never see thee again till i make my way into thee through thy walls : yet though the king absented himself in person thus from the two houses , he sent them frequent messages , that they wold draw into acts what he had already assented unto , and if any thing was left yet undon by him , he wold do it ; therfore he will'd them to leave off those groundless feares and jealousies wherwith they had amus'd both city and country ; and he was ready to return at all times to his palace in westminster , provided that his person might be secur'd from the former barbarisms and outrages : but in lieu of a dutiful compliance with their prince , the thoughts of the two houses ran upon nothing but war : the king then retiring into the north , and thinking with a few of his servants only to go visit a town of his ( hull ) he was denyed entrance by a fatal unlucky wretch ( hotham ) who afterwards was shamefully executed with his eldest son , by command of his new masters of the parlement : the king being thus shut out of his own town ( which open'd the first dore to a bloudy war ) put forth a declaration , wherin he warn'd all his people that they shold look to their proprieties , for if he was thus barr'd of his own , how could any privat subject be sure to be master of any thing he had , and herein he was as much prophet as prince ; for the parlement-men afterwards made themselfs land-lords of the whole kingdom , it hath bin usual for them to thrust any out of his freehold , to take his bed from under him , and his shirt from off his very back . the king being kept thus out of one of his townes , might suspect that he might be driven out of another , therfore 't was time for him to look to the preservation of his person , and the country came in voluntarily unto him by thousands to that purpose , but he made choice of a few only to be his gard , as the parlementeers had done a good while before for themselfs : but now they went otherwise to work , for they fell a levying , listing and arming men by whole regiments and brigades till they had a very considerable army afoot , before the king had one musqueteer or trooper on his side ; yet these men are so notoriously impudent , as to make the king the first aggressor of the war , and to lay upon him all the bloud that was split to this day , wherein the devil himself cannot be more shamelesse . the parliamenteers having an army of foot and horse thus in perfect equipage , 't was high time for the king to look to himself , therefore he was forced to display his royal standard , and draw his sword quite out : thus a cruel and most cruentous civil war began which lasted near upon four years without intermission , wherein there happen'd more batta les , sieges and skirmishes , then passed in the nether-lands in fourscore years , and herein the englishmen may be said to get som credit abroad in the world , that they have the same bloud running in their veines ( though not the same braines in their sculls ) which their ancestors had , who were observed to be the activest people in the field , impatient of delay , and most desirous of battaile then any nation . but it was one of the greatest miracles that ever happen'd in this land , how the king was able to subsist so long against the parlamenteers , considering the multiplicity of infinite advantages they had of him by water and land : for they had the scot , the sea and the city on their side ; touching the first , he rushed in as an auxiliary with above . horse and foot compleatly furnish ▪ d both with small and great ammunition and arms , well cloth'd and money'd : for the second , they had all the kings ships well appointed , which are held to be the greatest security of the island both for defence and offence , for every one of them is accounted one of the moving castles of the kingdom : besides , they had all the other standing stone-castles , forts , and tenable places to boot : concerning the last , ( viz. the city ) therein they had all the wealth , bravery , and prime ammunition of england , this being the only magazin of men and money : now if the k. had had but one of these on his side , he had in all probability crush'd them to nothing : yet did he bear up strangely against them a long time , and might have done longer , had he kept the campane , and not spent the spirits of his men before townes ; had he not made a disadvantagious election of som commanders in chief , and lastly , had he not had close traitors within dores , as well as open rebels without ; for his very cabinet councel , and bed-chamber were not free of such vermin , and herein the parlementeers spent unknown sums and were very prodigal of the kingdoms money . the king , after many traverses of war , being reduced to a great strait by crosse successes and counsels , rather then to fall into the hands of the parlementeers , withdrew himself in a serving-mans disguise to the scots army , as his last randevous , and this plot was manag'd by the french agent then residing here ; a man wold think that that nation wold have deem'd it an eternal honour unto them to have their own king and countrey-man throw himself thus into their armes , and to repose such a singular trust in them upon such an extremity : but they corresponded not so well with him as he expected , for though at first when the parlamenteers sollicited their dear brethren for a delivery of the kings person unto them , their note was then , if any forein petty prince had so put himself upon them , they could not with honour deliver him , much less their own native king ; yet they made a sacrifice of him at last for . crownes ; wherupon bellieure the french ambassador being convoyed by a troop of horse from the king towards london , to such a stand , in lieu of larges to the souldiers , he drew out an half crown piece , and ask'd them how many pence that was , they answered . he replyed , for so much did iudas betray his master , and so he departed . and now , that in the cours of this historical narration , i have touch'd upon france , your eminence may please to understand , that nothing almost could tend more to the advantage of that k. then these commotions in england , considering that he was embark'd in an actuall war with the house of austria and that this iland did do spain some good offices ; among other , by transport of his treasure to dunkerk in english bottomes , whereunto this king gave way , and sometimes in his own galeons , which sav'd the spaniard neer upon . in the hundred , then if he had sent it by way of genoa ; so that som think , though france made semblance to resent the sad condition of her neighbour , and thereupon sent the prince of harcour , and the foresaid monsieur bellieure to compose matters , yet she never really intended it , as being against her present interest and engagements : yet the world thinks it much that she shold publiquely receive an agent from these parlamenteeres , and that the french nobility who were us'd to be the gallantest men in the world to vindicate the quarrels of distressed ladies , are not more sensible of the outrages that have bin offer'd a daughter of france , specially of henry the greats . but to resume the threed of my narration , the king ( and with him , one may say , england also ) being thus bought and sold , the parlamenteers insteed of bringing him to westminster , which had put a period to all distempers , toss'd him up and downe to private houses , and kept the former army still afoot : and truly i think there was never prince so abus'd , or poor peeple so baffled , and no peeple but a purblind besotted peeple wold have suffred themselves to be so baffled : for notwithstanding that no enemy appeer'd in any corner of the kingdome , yet above . tagaroones have bin kept together ever since to grind the faces of the poor , and exhaust the very vitall spirits of town and countrey , and keep them all in a perfect slavery : had the parlament-men , when the scots were gone , brought their king in a generous and frank way ( as had well becom'd englishmen ) to sit among them , and trusted to him ( which of necessity they must do at last ) as they had gain ▪ d more honor far in the world abroad , so they had gain'd more upon his affections then i beleeve they will ever do hereafter . but to proceed , the king having bin a good while prisoner to the parlement , the army snatch'd him away from them , and som of the chiefest commanders having pawn'd their soules unto him to restore him speedily , in lieu thereof they tumbled him up and down to sundry places , till they juggled him at last to that small ile where now he is surrounded with a gard of strange faces ; and if happly he beginns to take delight in any of those faces , he is quickly taken out of his sight . these harsh usages hath made him become all gray and oregrown with hair so that he lookes rather like som silvan satyr then a soverain prince : and truly my lord the meanest slave in st. marks gallies or the abjects captif in algier bannier is not so miserable as he in divers kinds , for they have the comfort of their wifes , children and frends , they can convey and receive letters , send messengers upon their errands , and have privat discours with any ; all which is denied to the king of great britain , nay the young princes his children are not permitted as much as to ask him blessing in a letter . in so much that if he were not a great king of his passions , and had a heart cast in on extraordinary mould , these pressures and those base aspersions that have bin publiquely cast upon him by the parlement it self , had bin enough to have sent him out of the world e're this , and indeed 't is the main thing they drive at , to torture his braine , and tear his very heart strings if they could : so that whereas this foolish ignorant peeple speak such horrid things of our inquisition , truly my lord 't is a most gentle way of proceeding being compar'd to this kings persecutions . as the king himselfe is thus in quality of a captif , so are all his subjects becom perfect slaves , they have fool'd themselfs into a worse slavery then iew or greek under the ottomans , for they know the bottom of their servitude by paying so many sultanesses for every head ; but here , people are put to endless , unknown , tyrannical taxes , besides plundering and accize , which two words , and the practise of them ( with storming of towns ) they have learnt of their pure brethren of holland : and for plundrings , these parliamenteer-saints think they may robb any that adheres not to them as lawfully as the iewes did the egyptians : 't is an unsommable masse of money these reformers have squandred in few years , whereof they have often promis'd and solemnly voted a publick account to satisfie the kingdom : but as in a hundred things more , so in this precious particular they have dispens'd with their votes : they have consumed more treasure with pretence to purge one kingdom , then might have served to have purchas'd two ; more ( as i am credibly told ) then all the kings of england spent of the public stock since the saxon conquest : thus have they not only begger'd the whole island , but they have hurld it into the most fearfull ▪ st chaos of confusion that ever poor countrey was in ; they have torn in pieces the reines of all government , trampled upon all lawes of heaven and earth , and violated the very dictamens of nature , by making mothers to betray their sons , and the sons their fathers , but specially that great charter , which is the pandect of all the laws and liberties of the free-born subject , which at their admission to the house they are solemnly sworn to maintain , is torn in flitters : besides those severall oaths they forg'd themselfs , as the protestation and covenant , where they voluntarily swear to maintain the kings honour and rights , together with the established laws of the land , &c. now i am told , that all acts of parlement here are lawes , and they carry that majesty with them , that no power can suspend or repeal them , but the same power that made them , which is the king sitting in full parlement ; these mongrell polititians have bin so notoriously impudent as to make an inferiour ordinance of theirs to do it , which is point-blanck against the very fundamentals of this government , and their own oaths , which makes me think that there was never such a perjur'd pack of wretches upon earth , never such monsters of mankind . yet this simple infatuated peeple have a saint-like opinion of these monsters , this foolish citie gards them daily with horse and foot , whereby she may be sayd to kisse the very stones that are thrown at her , and the hand whence they came , which a dogg would not do : but she falls to recollect her self now that shee begins to be pinch'd in trade , and that her mint is starv'd , yet the leading'st men in her common-councell care not much for it , in regard most of them have left traffiquing abroad , finding it a more easie and gainefull way of trading at home , by purchasing crown or church lands , plunder'd goods , and debts upon the publick faith , with soldiers debenters ; thus the saints of this iland turne godlinesse into gaine . truly my lord , i give the english for a lost nation , if they continue long thus , never was ther a more palpable oblaesion of the brain , and a more visible decay of reason in any race of men : it is a sore judgment from heaven , that a people shold not be more sensible how they are become slaves to rebells , and those , most of them the scumm of the nation , which is the basest of miseries : how they suffer them to tyrannize by a meer arbitrary extrajudicial power o're their very souls and bodies ▪ o're their very lifs and livelihoods ; how their former freedom is turn'd to fetters , molehills into mountains of grievances , ship-money into accize , justice into tyranny : for nothing hath bin and is daily so common amongst them as imprisonment without charge , and a charge without an accuser , condemnation without apparance , and forfeitures without conviction . to speak a little more of the king , if all the infernal fiends had ligu'd against him , they could not have design'd or disgorged more malice : they wold have laid to his charge his fathers death , as arrand a lie as ever was forg'd in hell : they wold make him fore-know the insurrection in ireland , wheras the spanish ambassador here , and his confessor who is a very reverend irish-man , told me , that he knew no more of it then the grand mogor did : they charge him with all the bloud of this civil war , wheras they and their instruments were the first kindlers of it , and that first prohibited trade and shut him out of his own town : they have intercepted and printed his privat letters to his queen , and hers to him , ( oh barbarous basenesse ! ) but therin they did him a pleasure , though the intent was malitious , their aim in all things being to envenom the hearts of his people towards him ; and this was to render him a glorious and well-belov'd prince , as likewise for making him rich , ( all which they had vow'd to do upon passing the act of continuance , ) but now they have made him poorer then the meanest of all his vassals , they have made him to have no propriety in house , goods , or lands , or as one may say , in his wife and children : 't was usual for the father to hunt in his park while the son hunted for his life in the field , for the wife 〈◊〉 lie in his bedds , while the husband layed wait to murther him abroad ; they have seiz'd upon and sold his privat hangings an●… plate , yea his very cabinets , jewels , pictures , statues , and books . nor are they the honorablest sort of peeple , and men nobly extracted ( as in scotland ) that do all this , ( for then it were not so much to be wondred at ) but they are the meanest sort of subjects , many of them illiterat mechaniques , wherof the lower house is full ; specially the subordinat committees , who domineer more o're nobles and gentry , then the parliament members themselfs their masters use to do . touching those few peers that sit now voting in the upper house , they may be said to be but meer cyphers , they are grown so degenerat as to suffer the commons to give them the law , to ride upon their backs , and do most things without them : ther be many thousand petitions that have bin recommended by these lords to the lower house , which are scornfully thrown into corners and never read ; their messengers have us'd to dance attendance divers hours and days before they were vouchsafed to be let in or heard , to the eternal dishonour of those peers , and yet poor spirited things they resent it not : the commons now command all , and though , as i am inform'd , they are summon'd thither by the kings original writ but to consent to what the king and his great counsel of peers ( which is the tru court of parlement ) shall resolve upon ; the commons i say are now from consenters become the chiefest counsellors , yea controulers of all ; nay som of this lower house fly so high as to term themselfs conquerors , and though in all conferences with the lords they stand bare before them , yet by a new way of mix'd committees they carry themselfs as collegues : these are the men that now have the vogue , and they have made their priviledges so big swoln , that they seem to have quite swallowed up both the kings prerogatives , and those of the lords : these are the grandees , and sages of the times , though most of them have but crack'd braines and crazy fortunes god wot ; nay som of them are such arrand knaves and coxcombs , that 't is questionable whether they more want common honesty , or common sense ; nor know no more what belongs to tru policy then the left leg of a joynt-stool : they are grown so high a tiptoes , that they seem to scorn an act of amnestia , or any grace from their king , wheras som of them deserve to be hang'd as oft as they have haires upon their heads ; nor have they any more care of the common good of england then they have of lapland , so they may secure their own persons , and continue their power now , authority is sweet , though it be in hell. thus , my lord , is england now govern'd , so that 't is an easie thing to take a prospect of her ruine if she goes on this pace : the scot is now the swaying man , who is the third time struck into her bowels with a numerous army : they say he hath vow'd never to return till he hath put the crown on the kings head , the scept●…r in his hand , and the sword by his side ; if he do so , it will be the best thing that ever he did , though som think that he will never be able to do england as much good as he hath done her hurt ; he hath extremely out-witted the english of late years : and they who were the causers of his first and last coming in , i hold to be the most pernicious enemies that ever this nation had ; for t is probable that germany ( viz. ponterland and breme ) will be sooner free of the swed , then england of the scot , who will stick close unto him like a bur , that he cannot shake him off ; he is becom already master of the englishmans soul , by imposing a religion upon him , and he may hereafter be master of his body . your eminence knows there is a periodicall fate hangs over all kingdoms after such a revolution of time , and rotation of fortunes wheele ; the cours of the world hath bin for one nation , like so many nailes , to thrust out another ; but for this nation , i observe by conference with divers of the saddest and best weighdst men among them , that the same presages foretell their ruine as did the israelites of old , which was a murmuring against their governors ; it is a long time that both iudges , bishops and privy counsellors have bin mutter'd at , whereof the first shold be the oracles of the law , the other of the gospell , the last of state-affaires , and that our judgments shold acquiesce upon theirs ; here as i am inform'd ; 't was common for evry ignorant client to arraign his iudg ; for evry puny curat to censure the bishop ; for evry shallow-brain home-bred fellow to descant upon the results of the councell table : and this spirit of contradiction and contumacy hath bin a long time fomenting in the minds of this peeple , infus'd into them principally , by the puritanicall faction . touching the second of the three aforesaid ( i mean bishops ) they are grown so odious ( principally for their large demeanes ) among this peeple , as the templers were of old , and one may say it is a just judgment fallen upon them , for they were most busy in demolishing convents and monasteries , as these are in destroying cathedralls and ministers ; but above all , it hath bin observ'd that this peeple hath bin a long time rotten-hearted towards the splendor of the court , the glory of their king , and the old establish'd government of the land : 't is true there were a few small leakes sprung in the great vessel of the st●…te , ( and what vessel was ever so ●…ite but was subject to leakes ? ) but these wise-akers in stopping of one have made a hundred : yet if this kings raign were parallell'd to that of queen elizabeth's , who was the greatest minion of a peeple that ever was , one will find that she stretch'd the prerogative much further ; in her time as i have read in the latin legend of her life , som had their hands cut off for only writing against her matching with the duke of aniou , others were hang'd at tyburn for traducing her government ; she pardon'd thrice as many roman priests as this king did , she pass'd divers monopolies , she kept an agent at rome , she sent her sergeant at armes to pluck out a member then sitting in the house of commons by the eares , and clapt him in prison ; she call'd them sawcy fellowes to meddle with her prerogative , or with the government of her houshold , she mannag'd all forren affaires , specially the warrs with ireland soly by her privy counsell ; yet there was no murmuring at her raign , and the reason i conceave to be , that there was neither scot or puritan had then any stroke in england . yet , for all their disobedience and grumblings against their liege lord the king , this peeple are exactly obedient to their new masters of the house of commons , though they sit there but as their servants and entitle themselfs so ; and also though in lieu of the small scratches which england might happily have receiv'd before ( all which the king had cur'd ) these new masters have made such deep gashes in her , and given her such deadly wounds that i believe are incurable . my lord , i find by my researches , that there are two great idolls in this kingdom , the greatest that ever were , they are the parliament and the pulpit ; t is held high treson to speak against the one , and the whole body of religion is nailed unto the other , for there is no devotion here at all but preaching , which god wot is little better then prating . the abuse of these two hath bin the source of all the distempers which now raign : touching the latter , it hath serv'd as a subvervient engin to prop up the power and popularity of the first ; these malicious pulpit-men breath out nothing thence but either sedition , schisme or blasphemy : poor shallow brain'd sciolists , they wold question many things in the old testament , and find apocrypha in the new : and such is the violence wherewith the minds of men and women are transported towards these preachmen , and no other part of devotion besides , that in all probability they will in time take a surfet of them : so that give this giddy peeple line enough ther will be no need of catholique arms to reduce them to the apostolick church , they will in time pave the way to it themselves , and be glad to return to rome to find out a religion again . there was here before , as i am informed , a kind of a face of a church , there were some solemnities , venerations and decencies us'd that a man might discover som piety in this peeple ; there was a publick lyturgie that in pithy pathetical prayers reach'd all occasions ; the sacraments were administred with som reverence , their churches were kept neat and comly ; but this nasty race of miscreants have nothing at all of sweetnesse , of piety and devotion in them ; 't is all turn'd to a fatuous kind of zeal after more learning , as if christianity had no sobriety , consistence or end of knowledg at all : these silly things , to imitat the apostles time , wold have the same form of discipline to govern whole nations , as it did a chamberfull of men in the infancy of the church , they wold make the same coat serve our savious at . yeers , which fitted him at three : 't is incredible how many ugly sorts of heresies they daily hatch , but they are most of them old ones newly furbish'd ; they all relate to aerius , a perfect hater of bishops , because he could not be one himself . the two sectaries which sway most , are the presbyterians and independents , the presbyterian is a spawn of a puritan , and the independent a spawn of the presbyterian : there 's but one hop 'twixt the first and a iew , and but half a hop 'twixt the other and an infidell ; they are both opposit to monarchy and hierarchy ; and the latter wold have no government at all , but a parity and promiscuous confusion , a race of creatures fit only to inhabit hell : and one of the fruits of this blessed parlement , and of these two sectaries is , that they have made more jewes and athiests then i think there is in all europe besides ; but truly , my lord , i think the judgments of heaven were never so visible in any part of the earth , as they are now here , for there is rebell against rebell , house against house , cittie against army , parlement against scot , but these two sectaries , i mean the presbyterian and independent who were the fire-brands that put this poor iland first in a flame , are now in most deadly feud one against the other , though they both concur in this to destroy government : and if the king had time enough to look only upon them , they would quickly hang , draw , and destroy one another . but indeed all christian princes shold observe the motions and successes of these two unlucky incendiaries , for if they shold ligue together again , ( as they have often plaid fast and loose one with another ) and prevail here , this iland wold not terminat their designs , they wold puzzle all the world besides . their preachmen ordinarily cry out in the pulpit , ther is a great work to be done upon earth , for the reforming all mankind , and they are appointed by heaven to be the chief instruments of bringing it about ▪ they have already bin so busie abroad , that ( with vast sommes of money ) they brought the swed upon the dane , and the very savages upon the english cavaliers in virginia ; and could they confederat with turk , or tartar , or hell it self against them , they wold do it : they are monstrously puff'd up with pride , that they stick not to call themselfs conquerors , and one of the chief ringleaders of them , an ignorant home bred kind of brewer , was not ashamed to vant it publiquely in the commons house , that if he had but . men , he wold undertake to march to constantinople , and pull the ottoman emperour out of the seralio . touching the other grand idoll the parlement , 't is true that the primitive constitution of parlement in this iland was a wholesom piece of policy , because it kept a good correspondence , and clos'd all ruptures 'twixt the king and his peeple , but this thing they call parlement now , may rather be term'd a cantle of one , or indeed a conventicle of schismatiques , rather than a great counsell ; 't is like a kind of headless monster , or som estropiated carkas ; for ther is neither king nor prelat , nor scarce the seventh part of peers and commons , no not the twelfth part fairly elected ; nevertheless they draw the peeple , specially this city , like so many stupid animalls , to adore them . yet though this institution of parlement be a wholsom thing in it self , there is in my judgment a great incongruity in one particular ; and i believe it hath bin the cause of most distempers ; it is , that the burgesses are more in number than the knights of the shires ; for the knights of the shires are commonly gentlemen well born , and bred , and vers'd in the laws of the land , as well as forren governments , ( divers of them ) but the burgesses of towns are commonly tradesmen , and being bred in corporations they are most of them inclining to puritanism , and consequently to popular government ; these burgesses exceeding the knights in number , carry all before them by plurality of voices , and so puzzle all : and now that ▪ i have mentioned corporations , i must tell your lordship , that the greatest soloecism in the policy of this kingdom , is the number of them ; especially this monstrous city , which is compos'd of nothing els but of corporations ; and the greatest errors that this king , specially his father , committed , was to suffer this town to spread her wings so wide ▪ for she bears no proportion with the bignes of the iland , but may fit a kingdom thrice as spacious ; she engrosseth and dreins all the wealth and strength of the kingdom ; so that i cannot compare england more properly than to one of our cremona geese , where the custom is to fatten only the heart , but in doing so the whole body growes lank . to draw to a conclusion , this nation is in a most sad and desperat condition , that they deserve to be pittied , and preserved from sinking , and having cast the present state of things and all interests into an equal balance , i find , my lord , ther be three ways to do it , one good , and two bad . . the first of the bad ones is the sword ▪ which is one of the scourges of heaven , especially the civill sword . . the second bad one is the treaty , which they now offer the king in that small island wher he hath bin kept captif so long , ( 〈◊〉 which quality the world will account him still while he is detain'd there ) and by tha●… treaty to bind him as fast as they can , an●… not trust him at all . . the good way is , in a free confiding brave way ( englishmen-like ) to send for their king to london , where city and country shold petition him to summon a new and free full parlement , which he may do as justly as ever he did thing in his life , these men having infring'd as well all the essentiall priviledges of parlement , as every puntillio of it , for they have often risen up in a confusion without adjournment , they had two speakers at once , they have most perjuriously and beyond all imagination betrayed the trust both king and country repos'd in them , subverted the very sundamentals of all law , and plung'd the whole kingdom in this bottomless gulf of calamities : another parlement may haply do som good to this languishing island , and cure her convulsions , but for these men that arrogat to themselfs the name of parlement ( by a local puntillio only because they never stir'd from the place where they have bin kept together by meer force ) i find them by their actions to be so pervers , so irrational and refractory , so far given over to a reprobat sense , so fraught with rancor , with an irreconcileable malice and thirst of bloud , that england may well despaire to be heal'd by such phlebotomists , or quack-salvers ; be sides they are so full of scruples , apprehensions , and jealousies proceeding from blac●… guilty souls , and gawl'd consciences , that they will do nothing but chop logic with their king , and spin out time to continue their power , and evade punishment , which they think is unavoidable if ther shold be a free-parlement . touching the king he comports himself with an admired temper'd equanimity , he invades and o're-masters them more and more in all his answers by strength of reson , though he have no soul breathing to consult withall , but his own genius : he gains wonderfully upon the hearts and opinion of his peeple , and as the sun useth to appear bigger in winter , and at his declension in regard of the interposition of certain meteors 'twixt the eye of the beholder and the object , so this king being thus o're-clouded and declined , shines far more glorious in the eyes of his people ; and certainly these high morall vertues of constancy , courage and wisdom come from above ; and no wonder , for kings as they are elevated above all other peeple and stand upon higher ground , they sooner receive the inspirations of heaven ; nor doth he only by strength of reason out 〈◊〉 them , but he wooes them by gentlenesse and mansuetude ; as the gentleman of paris who having an ape in his house that had taken his only child out of the cradle , and dragged him up to the ridge of the house , the parent with ruthful he art charmed the ape by fair words and other bland●…ments to bring him softly down , which he did ; england may be said to be now just upon such a precipice , ready to have her braines dash'd out , and i hope these men will not be worse natur'd then that brute animal , but will save her . thus have i given your eminence a rough account of the state of this poor and pittifully deluded peeple , which i will perfect when i shall come to your presence , which i hope will be before this autumnal equinox ; i thought to have sojourn'd here longer , but that i am grown weary of the clime , for i fear there 's the other two scourges of heaven that menace this island , i mean the famin and pestilence , especially this city , for their prophanness , rebellion , and sacriledge ▪ it hath bin a talk a great while whether anti-christ be come to the world or no , i am sure anti-iesus , which is worse , is among this people , for they hold all veneration , though voluntary proceeding from the inward motions of a sweet devoted soul , and causing an outward genuflection , to be superstitious , insomuch that one of the synodical saints here printed and published a book entitling it against iesu worship . so in the profoundest posture of reverence i kisse your vest , as being , london this , of august , . my lord , your eminences most humbly devoted , i. h. a nocturnal progres , or a perambulation of most countreys in christendom , perform'd in one night by strength of the imagination ; which progresse terminats in these north-west iles , and declares the woful confusions they are involv'd at present . the progress of the soul by an usuall dream . it was in the dead of a long winter night , when no eyes were open but watchmens and centinels , that i was fallen soundly asleep , the cinq-out-ports were shut up closer then usually , for my senses were so trebly lock'd , that the moon , had she descended from her watry orb , might have done much more to me then she did to endymion when he lay snoaring upon the brow of latmus hill ; nay , ( be it spoken without prophanenesse ) if a rib had bin taken out of me that night , to have made a new mo●… of a woman , i shold hardly have felt it . yet , though the cousin german of death had so strongly seiz'd thus upon the exterior parts of this poor tabernacle of flesh , my inward parts were never more actif , and fuller of employments then they were that night . pictus imaginibus , formisque fugacib●… adstat morpheus , & variis fingit nova vultibus ora . methought my soul made a sally abroad into the world , and fetch'd a vast compas ; she seem'd to soar up and slice the air to cross seas , to clammer up huge hills , and never rested till she had arriv'd at the antipodes : now som of the most judicious geometricians and chorographers hold that the whole mass of the earth being round like the rest of her fellow elements , ther be places , and poizing parts of the continent , ther be peninsulas , promontories and ilands upon the other face of the earth that correspond and concenter with all those regions and iles that are upon this superficies which we read , countries that symbolize with them in qualities , in temperature of air and clime , as well as in nature of soil ; the inhabitants also of those places which are so perpendicularly opposit , do sympathize one with another in disposition , complexions and humors , though the astronomers wold have their east to be our west , and so all things vice versa in point of position , which division of the heaven is onely mans institution . but to give an account of the strange progresse my soul made that night ; the first country she lighted on was a very low flat country , and it was such an odde amphibious country , being so indented up and down with rivers and arms of the sea , that i made a question whether i shold call it water or land ; yet though the sea be invited and usher'd in into som places , he is churlistly pen'd out in som other , so that though he foam and swell , and appear as high walls hard-by , yet they keep him out , maugre all his roaring and swelling . as i wandred up and down in this watry region , i might behold from a streight long dike wheron i stood , a strange kind of forrest , for the trees mov'd up and down ; they look'd afar off as if they had bin blasted by thunder ; for they had no leafs at all ; but making a nearer approach unto them , i found they were a nomberlesse company of ship-masts , and before them appear'd a great town ( amsterdam ) incorporated up and down with water ; as i mus'd with my self upon the sight of all this , i concluded , that the inhabitants of that country were notable industrious people , who could give law so to the angry ocean , and occupie those places where the great leviathan shold tumble and take his pastime in ; as my thought ran thus , i met with a man , whom i conjectur'd to be 'twixt a marchant and a mariner , his salutation was so homely ; the air also was so foggy , that methought it stuck like cobwebs in his mustachos ; and he was so dull in point of motion , as if the bloud in his veines had bin half frozen : i began to mingle words with him , and to expostulat somthing about that country and people ; and then i found a great deal of down-right civilities in him : he told me that they were the only men who did miracles of late years ; those innumerable piles of stones you see before you in such comly neat frabriques , is a place ( said he ) that from a fish - market in effect is come to be one of the greatest marts in this part of the world , which hath made her swel thrice bigger the●… she was . years ago ; and as you behold this floating forrest of masts before her mole , so if you could see the foundations of her houses , you shold see another great forrest , being rear'd from under-ground upon fair piles of timber , which if they chance to sink in this marshy soil , we have an art to scrue them up again . we have for . years and above without any intermission , except a short-liv'd truce that once was made , wrastled with one of the greatest potentates upon earth , and born up stoutly against him , gramercy our two next neighbour kings , and their reason of state , with the advantage of our situation . we have fought our selfs into a free-state , and now quite out of that ancient allegeance we ow'd him ; and though we pay twenty times more in taxes of all sorts then we did to him , yet we are contented : we have turn'd war into a trade , and that which useth to beggar others , hath benefited us : besides , we have bin and are still the rendevous of most discontented subjects , when by the motions of unquiet consciences in points of religion , or by the fury of the sword , they are forc'd to quit their own countreys , who bring their arts of manufacture , and moveables , hither ; insomuch that our lombards are full of their goods , and our banks superabound with their gold and silver which they bring hither in specie . to secure our selfs , and cut the enemy more work , and to engage our confederats in a war with him , we have kindled fires in every corner , and now that they are together by the eares , we have bin content lately , being long woo'd thereunto , to make a peace with that king to whom we once acknowledged vassalage ; which king out of a height of spirit , hath spent . times more upon us for our reduction , then all our country is worth ; but now he hath bin well contented to renounce and abjure all claimes and rights of soverainity over us ; in so much , that being now without an enemy , we hope in a short time to be masters of all the comerce in this part of the world , and to eat our neighbours out of trade in their own commodities : we fear nothing but that exces of wealth , and a surfet of ease may make us careles and breed quarrells among our selfs , and that our generall , being married to a great kings daughter may — . here he suddenly broke the threed of his discourse , and got hastily away , being haul'd by a ship that was sailing hard by ▪ hereupon my soul took wing again , and cut her way through that foggy condens'd aire , till she lighted on a fair spacious , cleare continent , a generous and rich soile mantled up and downe with large woods , where , as i rang'd to and fro , i might see divers faire houses , townes , palaces and castles , looking like so many carkases , for no humane soul appear'd in them ; methought i felt my he art melting within me in a soft resentment of the case of so gallant a countrey , and as i stood at amaze , and in a kind of astonishment , a goodly personage makes towards me , whom both for his comportment , and countenance , i perceiv'd to be of a finer mould then that companion i had met withall before : by the trace of his looks i guessed he might be som nobleman that had bin ruin'd by som disaster : having acosted him with a fitting distance , he began in a masculin strong winded language full of aspirations and tough collision of consonants , to tell me as followeth : sir , i find you are a stranger in this countrey , because you stand so agast at the devastations of such a fair piece of the continent , then know sir , because i beleeve you are curious to carry away with you the causes thereof , that these ruthfull objects which you behold , are the effects of a long lingring war , and of the fury of the sword , a cruentous civill war that hath rag'd here above thirty yeares : one of the grounds of it was the infortunate undertaking of a prince , who liv'd not far off in an affluence of all earthly felicity ; he had the greatest lady to his wife , the bes●… purse of money , the fairest stable of horse ▪ and choicest library of books of any other of his neighbour princes . but being by desperat and aspiring counsells put upon a kingdom , while he was catching at the shadow of a crown , he lost the substance of all his own ancient possessions : by the many powerfull alliances he had ( which was the cause he was pitched upon ) the fewd continued long ; for among others a northern king took advantage to rush in , who did a world of mischiefs , but in a few yeers that king and hee found their graves in their own ruins neer upon the same time ; but now , may heaven have due thanks for it , there is a peace concluded , a peace which hath bin . long yeers a moulding , and will i hope , be shortly put in execution ; yet 't is with this fatall disadvantage , that the said northern people , besides a masse of ready money we are to give them , are to have firme footing , and a warm nest ever in this countrey hereafter , so that i fear we shall hear from them too often : upon these words this noble personage fetch'd a deep sigh , but in such a generous manner that he seem'd to break and check it before it came halfe forth . thence my soul taking her flight o're divers huge and horrid cacuminous mountaines ( the alpes ) at last i found my self in a great populous town ( naples ) but her buildings were miserably battered up and down , she had a world of palaces , castles , convents and goodly churches : as i stepped out of curiosity into one of them , upon the west side there was a huge grate , where a creature all in white beckned at me , making my approach to the grate , i found her to be a nun , a lovely creature she was , for i could not distinguish which was whiter , her hue or her habit , which made me remember ( though in a dream my self ) that saying , if dreams and wishes had been tru , there had not been found a tru maid to make a nun of , ever since a cloyster'd life began first among women ; i asked her the reason how so many ugly devastations shold befall so beautifull a city , she in a dolorous gentle tone , and ruthfull accents , the teares trickling down her cheeks like so many pearles , ( such pearly teares that wold have dissolv'd a diamond ) sobb'd out unto me this speech : gentle sir , 't is far beyond any expressions of mine , and indeed beyond humane imagination to conceive the late calamities which have befallen this faire though infortunat city , a pernicious popular rebellion broke out here upon a sudden into most horrid barbarismes , a fate that hangs over most rich popular places that swim in luxe and plenty ; but touching the grounds thereof , one may say that rebellion entred into this city , as sin first entred into the world by an apple : for our king now in his great extremities having almost halfe the world banding against him ; and putting but a small tax upon a basket of fruit to last only for a time , this fruit-tax did put the peeples teeth so on edge , that it made them gnash against the government , and rush into armes ; but they are sensible now of their own follies , for i think never any place suffered more in so short a time : the civill combustions abroad in other kingdomes may be said to be but small squibs compar'd to those horrid flakes of fire which have rag'd here , and much adoe we had to keep our vest all fire free from the fury of it : in lesse then the revolution of a yeer it consum'd above fourscore thousand soules within the walls of this city ; but 't is not the first time of forty , that this luxurious foolish peeple hath smarted for their insurrections and insolencies , and that this mad horse hath o'rethrown his rider , and drawn a worse upon his back ; who instead of a saddle , put a pack-saddle and panniers upon him : but indeed the voluptuousnesse of this peeple was grown ripe for the judgement of heaven . she was then beginning to expostulat with me about the state of my country , and i had a mighty mind to satisfie her , for i could have corresponded with her in the re●…ation of as strange things , but the lady a●…adesse calling her away , she departed in an ●…nstant , obedience seem'd to be ther so precise and punctual . i steer'd my course thence through a most delicious country to another city that lay in the very bosom of the sea , ( venice ) she was at first nothing els but a kind of posie made up of dainty green hillocks , tied together by above . bridges , and so coagulated into a curious city ; though she be espous'd to neptune very solemnly once evry ●…eer , yet she still reserves her maydenhead , ●…ad bears the title of the virgin city in that part of the world ; but i found her tugging mainly with a huge giant that wold ravish her ; he hath shrewdly set on her skirts , and a great shame it is , that she is not now assisted by her neighbours , and that they shold be together by the ears when they shold do so necessary a work , considering how that great giant is their common enemy ; and hath lately vow'd seven yeers wars against her ; specially considering , that if he comes once to ravish her , he will quickly ruin her said neighbours , she ( to her high honor be it spoken ) being their only rampart against the incursion of the said giant , and by consequence their greatest security . from this maiden city , mee thought , i was in a trice carried over a long gulf , and so through a midland sea , into another kingdom , ( spain ) where i felt the clime hotter by some degrees ; a rough-hew'n soile , for the most part , it was full of craggy barren hills ; but where there were valleys and water enough , the country was extraordinarily fruitful , whereby nature ( it seems ) made her a compensation for the sterility of the rest . yet notwithstanding the hardship of the soyl , i found her full of abbeys , monasteries , hermitages , convents , churches , and other places of devotion ; as i rov'd there a while , i encountred a grave man in a long black cloak , by the fashion whereof , and by the brimms of his hat , i perceived him to be a iesuit ; i clos'd with him , and question'd him about that country : he told me the king of that country was the greatest potentat of that part of the world ; and , to draw power to a greater unity , they of our order could be well contented , that he were universall head over temporalls , because 't is most probable to be effected by him , as we have already one universall head over spiritualls : this is the monark of the mines , i mean of gold and silver , who furnishes all the world , but most of all his own enemies with mony , which mony foments all the wars in this part of the world : never did any earthly monark thrive so much in so short a tract of time , but of late yeers he hath been ill-favouredly shaken by the revolt and utter defection of two sorts of subjects , who are now in actual arms against him on both sides of him at his own doors . ther hath bin also a long deadly feud 'twixt the next tramontan kingdom ( france ) and him , though the q. that rules there be his own sister , an unnaturall odious thing : but it seems god almighty hath a quarrel of late yeers with all earthly potentats ; for in so short a time ther never happen'd such strange shocks and revolutions : the great emperour of ethiopia hath bin outed , he and all his children by a petty companion : the king of china , a greater emperour than he , hath lost almost all that huge monarchy by the incursion of the tartar , who broke ore the wall upon him : the grand turk hath bin strangled , with . of his concubines ; the emperour of muscovy hath bin content to beg his life of his own vassals , and to see before his face divers of his chief officers hack'd to pieces , and their heads cut off and steep'd in strong water , to make them burn more bright in the market place . besides the above mentioned , this king hath also divers enemies more , yet he bears up against them all indifferently well , though with infinit expence of treasure , and the church , specially our society , hath stuck close unto him in these his exigents : whence may be inferr'd , that let men repine as long as they will at the possessions of the church , they are the best anchors to a state in a storm , and in time of need to preserve it from sinking ; besides , acts of charity wold be quite lost among men , did not the wealth of the church keep life in them : hereupon drawing a huge pair of beads from under his cloak , he began to ask me of my religion ; i told him i had a long journy to go , so that i could not stay to wait on him longer ; so we parted , and me thought i was very glad to be rid of him so well . my soul then made another flight over an assembly of hideous high hills , ( pyreneys ) and lighted under another clime , on a rich and copious country ( france ) resembling the form of a lozenge , but me thought , i never saw so many poor peeple in my life ; i encountred a pesan , and asked him what the reason was , that ther shold be so much poverly in a country wher ther was so much plenty : sir , they keep the commonalty poor in pure policy here , for being a peeple , as the world observes us to be , that are more humerous than others , and that love variety and change , if we were suffered to be pamper'd with wealth , we wold ever and anon rise up in tumults , and so this kingdom shold never be quiet , but subject to intestine broils , and so to the hazard of any invasion : but ther was of late a devillish cardinal , whose humour being as sanguin as his habit , and working upon the weaknes of his master , hath made us not only poor , but stark beggars , and we are like to continue so by an eternal war , wherein he hath plung'd this poor kingdom , which war must be maintained with our very vital spirits : but as dejected and indigent as we are , yet upon the death of that ambitious cardinal , we had risen up against this , who hath the vogue now , ( with whom he hath left his principles ) had not the fearful example of our next transmarin western neighbours ( the english ) and the knowledg we have of a worse kind of slavery , of those endles arbitrary taxes , and horrid confusions they have fool'd themselfs lately into , utterly deterr'd us , though we have twenty times more reason to rise then ever they had : yet our great city ( paris ) hath shew'd her teeth , and gnash'd them ill-favouredly of late , but we find she hath drawn water only for her own mill , we fare little the better , yet we hope it will conduce to peace , which hath bin so long in agitation . i cannot remember how i parted with that peasan , but in an instant i was landed upon a large island , and methought , 't was the temperat'st region i had bin in all the while ( england ; ) the heat of the sun ther is as harmless as his light , the evening serene●… are as wholsom ther as the morning dew ; the dog-daies as innocuous as any of the two equinoxes . as i rang'd to and fro that fair island , i spyed a huge city ( london ) whose length did far exceed her latitude , but ne●…ther for length or latitude did she seem to bear any politicall proportion with that island : she look'd , methought , like the iesuits hat whom i had met withall before , whose brimms were bigger then the crown , or like a peticoat , whose fringe was longer then the body . as i did cast my eyes upwards , methought i discern'd a strange inscription in the aire which hung just over the midst of that city written in such huge visible characters , that any one might have read it , which was this : woe be to the bloudy city . hereupon a reverend bishop presented himself to my view , his gray haires , and grave aspect struck in me an extraordinary reverence of him : so performing those complements which were fitting , i asked him of the condition of the place , he in a submiss sad tone , with clouds of melancholy waving up and down his looks , told me ; sir this island was reputed few years since to have bin in the completest condition of happiness of any part on earth , insomuch that she was repin'd a●… for her prosperity and peace by all her neighbours who were plung'd in war round about her , but now she is fallen into as deep a gulf of misery , and servitude , as she was in a height of felicity & freedom before : touching the grounds of this change , i cannot impute it to any other then to a surfet of happiness ; now , there is no surfet so dangerous as that of happinesse : ther are such horrid divisions here , that if they were a foot in hell , they were able to destroy the kingdom of satan : truly sir , ther are crep'd in more opinions among us about matters or religion , then the pagans had of old of the summum bonum , which varro saith were . the understandings of poor men were never so puzzled and distracted ; a great while there were two opposit powers ( king and parlement ) who swayed here in a kind of equality that peeple knew not whom to obey , many thousands complyed with both , as the men of calecut who adore god and the devil , tantum squantum , as it is in the indian language ) they adore the one for love , the other for fear : ther is a monstrous kind of wild liberty here that ever was upon earth ; that which was complained of as a stalking horse to draw on our miseries at first , is now only in practice , which is meer arbitrary rule ; for now both law , religion and allegiance are here arbitrary : touching the last , 't is quite lost , 't is permitted that any may prate , preach or print what they will in derogation of their annointed king : which word king was once a monosyllable of som weight in this i le , but 't is as little regarded now as the word pope ( among som ) which was also a mighty monosyllable once among us : the rule of the law is , that the king can do no wrong , ther is a contrary rule now crept in , that the king can receive no wrong ; and truly sir , 't is a great judgement both upon prince and peeple ; upon the one , that the love of so many of his vassals shold be so alienated from him ; upon the other , that their hearts shold be so poyson'd , and certainly 't is the effect of an ill spirit ; both the one and the other in all probability tend to the ruine of this kingdom . but now sir , ( because i see you are so attentive , and seem to be much mov'd at this discourse ) as i have discover'd unto you the general cause of our calamities , which was not only a satiety but a surfet of happinesse , so i will descend now to a particular cause of them ; it was a northern nation ( scot ) that brought these cataracts of mischiefs upon us ; and you know the old saying , out of the north all ill comes forth . far be it from me to charge the whole nation herewith ; no , but onely som pernicious instruments that had insinuated themselfs , and incorporated among us , and sway'd both in our court and counsels : they had a hand in every monopoly ; they had out of our exchequer , and customs near upon . crowns in yearly pensions , viis & modis ; yet they could not be content , but they must puzzle the peace and policy of this church and state : and though they are a peeple of a differing genius , differing laws , customs , and manners unto us , yet for matter of conscience they wold bring our necks into their yoak , as if they had a greater talent of reason , and clearer illuminations , as if they understood scripture better , and were better acquainted with god almighty then we , who brought them first from paganisme to christianity , and also to be reformed christians : but it seems , matters have little thriven with them ; nay the visible hand of heaven hath bin heavily upon them divers waies since they did lift their hands against their native king ; for notwithstanding the vast summs they had hence , yet is the generality of them as beggarly as ever they were ; besides , the civil sword hath rag'd ther as furiously as here , and did as much execution among them . moreover the pestilence hath bin more violent , and sweeping in their chief town ( edenburgh ) then ever it was since they were a peeple . and now lately ther 's the notablest dishonour befaln them that possibly could light upon a nation , in that . of ours shold upon even ground encounter , kill , slay , rout and utterly discomfit thrice as many of theirs , though as well appointed and arm'd as men could be : and truly sir , the advantages that accrue to this nation are not a few by that exploit ; for of late years that nation was cryed up abroad to be a more martial peeple then we , and to have baffled us in open field in divers traverses : besides , i hope a small matter will pay now their arrerages here , and elsewhere ; but principally , i hope they will not be so busie hereafter in our court and counsel , as they have bin formerly . another cause of our calamity is a strange race of peeple ( the puritans ) sprung up among our selfs , who were confederat with those of the north ; they wold make gods house cleane , and by putting out the candle of all ancient learning and knowledge , they would sweep it only by the light of an ignis fatuus : but 't is visibly found that they have brought much more rubbage into it , and wheras in reforming this house , they shold rather find out the groat that is lost , they go about to take away the mite that 's left , and so put christs spouse to live on meer almes : true it is , there is a kind of zeal that burns in them , ( and i could wish there were so much piety ) but this zeal burns with too much violence and presumption , which is no good symptom of spirituall health , it being a rule , that as the naturall heat , so the spirituall shold be moderat , els it commonly turns to a frenzy , and that is the thing which causeth such a giddinesse and distraction in their braines ; this ( proceeding from the suggestions of an ill spirit ) puffs them up with so much spirituall pride ; for the devill is so cunning a wrastler , that he oftentimes lifts men up to give them the greater fall : they think they have an inerring spirit , and that their diall must needs go tru , howsoever the sun goes : they wold make the gospell , as the caddies make the alchoran , to decide all civill temporall matters under the large notion of slander , whereof they forsooth to be the judges , and so in time to hook in all things to their classis : i believe if these men were dissected when they are dead , they would be a great deale of quicksilver found in their braines . proh superi , quantum mortalia pectora coecae noctis habent ! — but i could pitty the giddinesse of their braines , had they not so much gaul in their breasts , were they not so thirsting after blood , so full of poison and irreconcileable malice ; in so much that it may be very well thought , these men are a kin to that race which sprung out of the serpents teeth : these are they which have seduced our great counsell , and led this foolish city by the nose to begin and foment this ugly war , insomuch that if those numberless bodies which have perish'd in these commotions , were cast into her streets , and before her doores , many thousand citizens noses would bleed of pure guilt . not to hold you long , these are the men who have baffled common sence , blasted the beams of nature , and offered violence to reason it self ; these are they who have infatuated most of the peeple of this iland ; so that whereas in times past , som call'd her the i le of angels , she may be term'd now the i le of gulls , or more properly the i le of doggs , or rather indeed ●…he i le of wolfs , there is such a true lycanthrepy com in among us : i am loth to call her the iland of devills , though she hath bin branded so abroad . to conclude sir , the glory of this isle is quite blasted ; 't is tru they speak of peace , but while the king speakes to them of it , they make themselves ready for battle ; i much fear , that ixion-like we imbrace a cloud for peace , out of which there will issue out centaures , and monsters , as sprung out of that cloud . touching that ancient'st holy order whereof you see me to be ; i well hoped , that in regard they pretended to reforme things only , they wold not have quite extirpated , but regulated only this order : it had bin enough to brayle our wings , not to have ●…ear'd them : to have lopp'd and prun'd , not to have destroyed root and branch of that ancient tree which was planted by the hands of the apostles themselfs : in fine sir , we are a lost peeple , 't is no other dedalus , but the high deity of heaven can clue us out of this labyrinth of confusions , can extricat us out of this maze of miseries : the philosopher saith , 't is impossible for man to quadrat a circle ; so 't is not in the power of man , but of god alone , to make a loyall subject of a round head : among other things that strangers report of this iland , they say that winter here hath too many teares in his eyes : helas sir , 't is impossible he shold have too many now , to bewaile the lamentable base slavery , that a free-born peeple is com to : and though they are grown so tame as to kisse the rod that whips them , yet their taskmasters will not throw it into the fire . truly sir , as my tongue is too feeble to expresse our miseries , so the plummet of the best understanding is too short to fadom the depth of them . with this , the grave venerable bishop giving me his benediction , fetcht such a sigh , that would have rended a rock asunder ; and suddenly vanish'd ( methought ) out out of my sight up towards heaven . i presently after awoke about the dawnings of the day , when one could hardly discern dog from wolf ; and my soul , my arimula vagula blandula , being re-entred through the horn gate of sleep into her former mansion , half tyr'd after so long a peregrination ; and having rub'd my eyes , distended my limms , and return'd to a full expergefaction , i began to call my self to account touching those world of objects my fancy had represented unto me that night ; and when by way of reminiscence i fel to examin●… and ruminate upon them ; lord , what a masse of ideas ran in my head ! but when i call'd to mind the last countrey my soul wandred in , methought i felt my heart like a lump of lead within me , when i considered how pat every circumstance might be applyed to the present condition of england : i was meditating with my self what kind of dream this might be ; wherupon i thought upon the common division that philosophers make of dreams , that they are either divine , diabolicall , naturall , or humane . for the first , they are visions more properly or revelations , wherof ther are divers examples in the holy oracles of god , but the puddled cranies of my brain are not rooms clean enough to entertain such : touching the second kind , which come by the impulses of the devil , i have heard of divers of them , as when one did rise up out of his sleep , and fetcht a poyniard to stab his bed-fellow , which he had done , had he not bin awake ; another went to the next chamber abed to his mother , and wold have ravish'd her ; but i thank god this dream of mine was not of that kind . touching the third species of dreams ; which are naturall dreams , they are according to the humor which predominats ; if melancholy sway , we dream of black darksom devious places ; if phlegm , of waters ; if choler , of frayes , fightings , and troubles ; if sanguin predominat , we dream of green fields , gardens , and other pleasant representations ; and the physitian comes often to know the quality of a disease by the nocturnal objects of the patients fancy . humane dreams the last sort relate to the actions of the day past , or of the day following , and som representations are clear and even ; others are amphibious , mongrell , distorted and squalid objects , ( according to the species of trees over troubled waters : ) and the object is clear or otherwise , accorning to the tenuity or grossenesse of the vapors which ascend from the ventricle up to the brain . touching my dream , i think it was of this last kind ; for i was discoursing of , and condoling the sad distempers of our times the day before : i pray god som part of it prove not propheticall ; for , although the frenchman sayeth , songes sont mensonges , dreames are delusions , and that they turn to contraries , yet the spaniard hath a saying , et ciego sonnava que via yera lo que querria . the blind man dreamt he did see light , the thing he wish'd for happen'd right . insomuch that some dreams oftentimes prove tru ; as s. austin makes mention of a rich merchant in milan , who being dead , one of his creditors comes to his son to demand such a sum of money which he had lent his father ; the son was confident 't was paid , but not finding the creditors receipt , he was impleaded and like to be cast in the sute , had not his fathers ghost appeared to him , and directed him to the place where the acquittance was , which he found the next day accordingly . galen speaks of one that dreamt he had a wooden leg , and the next day he was taken with a dead palsie in one whole side . such a dream was that of william rufus , when he thought he had felt a cold gust passing through his bowels ; and the next day he was slain in the guts , by the glance of an arrow , in new forrest , a place where he and his father had committed so many sacrileges . i have read in artimedorus , of a woman that dreamt she had seen the pictures of three faces in the moone like her self , and she was brought to bed of three daughters a little after , who all died within the compas of a moneth . another dreamt , that xanthus water ran red , and the next day he fell a spitting of blood . to this i will add another fore-telling dream , whereof i have read , which was thus : two young gentlemen being travelling abroad in strange countreyes , and being come to a great towne , the one lay far in the citie , the other in an hostry without the wall in the suburbs : he in the city did dream in the dead of night , that his friend which he had left in the suburbs rush'd into his chamber panting and blowing , being pursued by others ; he dreamt so againe , and the third time he might see his friends ghost appearing at his beds side with bloud trickling down his throat , and a poyniard in his brest , telling him , dear friend , i am come now to take my last farewell of thee , and if thou rise betimes , thou shalt meet me in the way going to be buryed ; the next morning his friend going with his host towards the inn in the suburbs wher he left his friend , they met with a cart laden with dung in the way , which being staid and search'd , the dead body was found naked in the dung . i will conclude with a notable dream that osman the great turk had not many years since , a few days before he was murthered by his janizaries , . he dreamt , that being mounted upon a huge camel , he could not make him go , though he switch'd and spur'd him never so much ; at last the camel overthrew him , and being upon the ground , only the bridle was left in his hand , but the body of the camel was vanished : the mufti not being illuminated enough to interpret this dream , a santon who was a kind of idiot , told him , the camel represented the ottoman empire , which he not being able to govern , he shold be o'rethrown , which two dayes after proved tru . by these , and a cloud of examples more , we may conclude , that dreams are not altogether impertinent , but somthing may be gathered out of them ; though the application and meaning of them be denyed to man , unless by special illumination . somnia venturi sunt praescia saepe diei . by dreams we oft may guesse at the next dayes successe . thus have you a rough account of a rambling noctivagation up and down the world : i may boldly say , that neither sir iohn mandevile , or coryat himself travell'd more in so short a time : whence you see what nimble postillions the animal spirits are ; and with what incredible celerity the imagination can crosse the line , cut the tropiques , and pass to the other hemisphere of the world ; which shews that humane souls have somthing in them of the almighty , that their faculties have a kind of ubiquitary freedom , though the body be never so under restraint , as the authors is . they erre as much who think all dreams false , as they who think them alwayes tru . in the prison of the fleet . idus decembris . i. h. a vindication of his majesty , touching a letter he writ to rome from the court of spain , in answer to a letter which pope gregory the th . had sent him upon passing the dispensation for concluding the match with the i●…fanta . which letter mr. pryn mention's in his book call'd the popish royal favorit , wherby the world is apt to beleeve that his majesty had inclinations to pope●…y . ther goe's also herewith , a clearing of som aspersions that the said mr. pryn cast's upon the author hereof in the same pamphlet , viz. that he was a malignant , and no friend to parlements . wherby , he takes occasion to speak somthing of the first rise , and also of the duty as well as the authority of parlements . to my worthily honor'd friend sir w. s. knight . sir , i have many thanks to give you for the book you pleased to send me , called the popish royal favorite ; and according to your advice ( which i value in a high degree ) i did put pen to paper , and somthing you may see i have done ( though in a poor pamphleting way ) to clear my self of those aspersions that seem to be cast upon his majesty ; but truly sir , i was never so unfit for such a task ; all my papers , manuscripts , and notes having bin long since seized upon and kept from me : adde hereunto , that besides this long pressure and languishment of close restraint ( the sense wherof i find hath much stupified my spirits ) it pleased god to visit me lately with a dangerous fit of sickness , a high burning fever , with the new disease , wherof my body as well as my mind is yet somwhat crazie : so that ( take all afflictions together ) i may truly say , i have passed the ordeal , the fiery tryal . but it hath pleased god to reprieve me to see better daies i hope ; for out of this fatal black cloud , which now ore-sets this poor island , i hope ther will break a glorious sun-shine of peace and firm happinesse : to effect which , had i a jury , a grand-jury of lives , i wold sacrifice them all , and triumph in the oblation . so i most affectionately kiss your hands , and rest your faithfull ( though afflicted ) servant , from the prison of the fleet. i. h. the pre-eminence , and duty of parlement . sectio prima . i am a free-born subject of the realm of england ; wherby i claim as my native inheritance , an undoubted right , propriety , and portion in the laws of the land : and this distinguisheth me from a slave . i claim likewise protection from my soverain prince , who as he is my liege lord is obliged to protect me , and i being one of his liege peeple am obliged to obey him by way of reciprocation ; i claim also an interest and common right in the high national court of parlement , and in the power , the priviledges and jurisdiction therof , which i put in equal ballance with the laws , in regard it is the fountain whence they spring ; and this i hold also to be a principall part of my birth-right ; which great councell i honour , respect , value , and love in as high a degree as can be , as being the bulwark of our liberties , the main boundary and bank which keeps us from slavery , from the inundations of tyrannicall rule , and unbounded will-government . and i hold my self obliged in a tye of indispensable obedience , to conform and submit my self to whatsoever shall be transacted , concluded , and constituted by its authority in church or state with the royal assent , whether it be by making , enlarging , altering , diminishing , disanulling , repealing , or reviving of any law , statute , act , or ordinance whatsoever , either touching matters ecclesiastical , civil , common , capital , criminall , martial , maritime , municipall , or any other ; of all which the transcendent and uncontrollable jurisdiction of that court is capable to take cognizance . amongst the three things which the athenian captain thank'd the gods for , one was , that he was born a grecian , and not a barbarian ; for such was the vanity of the greeks , and after them of the romans in the flourish of their monarchy , to arrogat all civility to themselves , and to terme all the world besides barbarians : so i may say to rejoyce , that i was born a vassall to the crown of england ; that i was born under so well-moulded and tempered a government , which endows the subject with such liberties and infranchisements that bear up his naturall courage , and keep him still in heart ; such liberties that fence and secure him eternally from the gripes and tallons of tyranny : and all this may be imputed to the authority and wisedome of this high court of parlement , wherein there is such a rare co-ordination of power ( though the soveraignty remain still entire , and untransferrable in the person of the prince ) there is such a wholsom mixture 'twixt monarchy , optimacy , and democracy , 'twixt prince , peers , and commonalty , during the time of consultation , that of so many distinct parts , by a rare co-operation and unanimity they make but one body politick , ( like that shea●…e of arrows in the emblem ) one entire concentricall peece , the king being still the head , and the results of their deliberations but as so many harmonious diapasons arising from different strings . and what greater immunity and happinesse can there be to a peeple , than to be liable to no laws but what they make themselves ? to be subject to no contribution , assessement , or any pecuniary erogations whatsoever , but what they vote , and voluntarily yeeld unto themselves ? for in this compacted politick body , there be all degrees of peeple represented ; both the mechanick , tradesman , merchant , and yeoman have their inclusive vote , as well as the gentry , in the persons of their trustees , their knights and burgesses , in passing of all things . nor is this soveraign surintendent councell an epitome of this kingdom only , but it may be said to have a representation of the whole universe ; as i heard a fluent well-worded knight deliver the last parliameut , who compared the beautifull composure of that high court to the great work of god , the world it self : the king is as the sun , the nobles the fixed stars , the itineant judges and other officers ( that go upon messages 'twixt both houses ) to the planets ; the clergy , to the element of fire ; the commons , to the solid body of earth , and the rest of the elements . and to pursue this comparison a little farther ; as the heavenly bodies , when three of them meet in conjunction , do use to produce some admirable effects in the elementary world ; so when these three states convene and assemble in one solemne great iunta , some notable and extraordinary things are brought forth , tending to the welfare of the whole kingdom our microcosme . he that is never so little versed in the annals of this i le , will find that it hath bin her fate to be four times conquered , i exclude the scot for the scituation of his country , and the quality of the clime hath been such an advantage and security to him , that neither the roman eagles would fly thither for fear of freezing their wings , nor any other nation attempt the work . these so many conquests must needs bring with them many tumblings and tossings , many disturbances and changes in government ; yet i have observed , that notwithstanding these tumblings , it retained still the forme of a monarchy , and something there was always that had an analogy with the great assembly of parlement . the first conquest i find was made by claudius caesar , at which time ( as some well observe ) the roman ensignes , and the standard of christ came in together : it is well known what lawes the roman had ; he had his comitia , which bore a resemblance with our convention in parlement ; the place of their meeting was called praetorum , and the laws which they enacted , plebiscita . the saxon conquest succeeded next , which were the english , there being no name in welsh or irish for an english man , but saxon , to this day ; they also governed by parlement , though it were under other names , as michel sinoth , michel gemote , and witenage mote . there are records above a thousand years old of these parlements in the reigns of king ina , offa , ethelbert , and the rest of the seven kings during the heptarchy : the british kings also , who retain'd a great while some part of the isle unconquered , governed and made laws by a kind of parlementary way ; witnesse the famous laws of prince howell , called howell dha , ( the good prince howell ) whereof there are yet extant some british records : parlements were also used after the heptarchy by king kenulphus , alphred , and others ; witnesse that renowned parliament held at grately by king athelstan . the third conquest was by the danes , and they govern'd also by such generall assemblies , ( as they do to this day ) witnesse that great and so much celebrated parlement held by that mighty monarch canutus , who was king of england , denmark , norway , and other regions years before the compiling of magna charta ; and this the learned in the laws do hold to be one of the specialst , and most authentick peeces of antiquity we have extant . edward the confessor made all his laws thus , ( and he was a great legis-lator , ) which the norman conquerour ( who liking none of his sons , made god almighty his heir by bequeathing unto him this island for a legacy ) did ratifie and establish , and digested them into one entire methodicall systeme , which being violated by rufus , ( who came to such a disastrous end as to be shot to death in lieu of a buck for his sacriledges ) were restor'd by henry the first , and so they continued in force till king iohn ; whose reign is renowned for first confirming magna charta , the foundation of our liberties ever since : which may be compar'd to divers outlandish graffes set upon one english stock ; or to a posie of sundry fragrant flowers ; for the choicest of the british , the roman , saxon , danish , and norman laws , being cull'd and pick'd out and gathered as it were into one bundle , out of them the foresaid grand charter was extracted ; and the establishment of this great charter was the work of a parliament . nor are the lawes of this island only , and the freedome of the subject conserved by parlement , but all the best policed countries of europe have the like . the germanes have their diets , the danes and swedes their rijcks dachs ; the spaniard calls his parlement las cortes ; and the french have , ( or should have at least ) their assembly of three states , though it be growne now in a manner obsolete , because the authority thereof was ( by accident ) devolv'd to the king. and very remarkable it is , how this happened ; for when the english had taken such large footing in most parts of france , having advanced as far as orleans and driven their then king charles the seventh , to bourges in berry the assembly of the three states in these pressures , being not able to meet after the usuall manner in full parlement because the countrey was unpassable , the enemy having made such firme invasions up and down through the very bowels of the kingdom ; that power which formerly was inhaerent in the parlementary assembly , of making laws , of assessing the subject with taxes , subsidiary levies , and other impositions , was transmitted to the king during the war ; which continueth many years , that entrusted power by length of time grew as it were habitual in him , and could never after be re-assumed and taken from him ; so that ever since , his edicts countervaile acts of parlement . and that which made the businesse more feasable for the king , was , that the burthen fell most upon the communalty ( the clergy and nobility not feeling the weight of it ) who were willing to see the peasan pull'd down a little , because not many years before , in that notable rebellion , call'd la jaquerie de beauvoisin , which was suppressed by charles the wise , the common people put themselves boldly in arms against the nobility and gentry , to lessen their power . adde hereunto as an advantage to the work , that the next succeeding king lewis the eleventh , was a close cunning prince , and could well tell how to play his game , and draw water to his own mill ; for amongst all the rest , he was said to be the first that put the kings of france , hors de page , out of their minority , or from being pages any more , though therby he brought the poor peasans to be worse than lacquays , and they may thank themselfs for it . neverthelesse , as that king hath an advantage hereby one way , to monarchize more absolutely , and never to want money , but to ballast his purse when he will ; so ther is another mighty inconvenience ariseth to him and his whole kingdom another way ; for this peeling of the peasan hath so dejected him , and cowed his native courage so much by the sense of poverty ( which brings along with it a narrownesse of 〈◊〉 ) that he is little usefull for the war : which put 's the french king to make other nations mercenary to him , to fill up his infantery : insomuch , that the kingdom of france may be not unfitly compared to a body that hath all it's bloud drawn up into the arms , breast and back , and scarce any le●…t from the girdle downwards , to cherish and bear up the lower parts , and keep them from starving . all this seriously considered , ther cannot be a more proper and pregnant example than this of our next neighbours , to prove how infinitly necessary the parlement is to assert , to prop up and preserve the publick liberty , and national rights of a peeple , with the incolumity and well-fare of a countrey . nor doth the subject only reap benefit thus by parlement , but the prince , ( if it be well consider'd ) hath equal advantage therby ; it rendreth him a king of free and able men , which is far more glorious than to be a king of cowards , beggars , and bankrupts ; men that by their freedom , and competency of wealth , are kept still in heart to do him service against any forrain force . and it is a tru maxime in all states , that 't is lesse danger and dishonour for the prince to be poor , than his people : rich subjects can make their king rich when they please , if he gain their hearts , he will quickly get their purses . parlement encreaseth love and good intelligence 'twixt him and his peeple , it acquaints him with the reality of things , and with the tru state and diseases of his kingdom , it brings him to the knowledg of his better sort of subjects , and of their abilities , which he may employ accordingly upon all occasions ; it provides for his royal issue , pays his debts , finds means to fill his coffers : and it is no ill observation , that parlementmoneys ( the great aid ) have prospered best with the kings of england ; it exceedingly raiseth his repute abroad , and enableth him to keep his foes in fear , his subjects in awe , his neighbours and confederates in security , the three main things which go to aggrandize a prince , and render him glorious . in summe , it is the parlement that supports , and bears up the honour of his crown , and settles his throne in safety , which is the chief end of all their consultations : for whosoever is entrusted to be a member of this high court , carryeth with him a double capacity ; he sits ther as a patriot , and as a subject : as he is the one , the country is his object , his duty being to vindicat the publick liberty , to make wholsom lawes , to put his hand to the pump , and stop the leaks of the great vessel of the state , to pry into , and punish corruption and oppression , to improve and advance trade , to have the grievances of the place he serves for redressed , and cast about how to find somthing that may tend to the advantage of it . but he must not forget that he sits ther also as a subject , and according to that capacity , he must apply himself to do his soveraignt businesse , to provide not only for his publick , but his personall wants ; to bear up the lustre and glory of his court ; to consider what occasions of extraordinary expences he may have , by encrease of royal issue , or maintenance of any of them abroad ; to enable him to vindicat any affront or indignity that might be offered to his person , crown , or dignity , by any forrain state or kingdom , or intestin rebellion ; to consult what may enlarge his honour , contentment , and pleasure . and as the french tacitus ( comines ) hath ●…t , the english nation was used to be more ●…orward and zealous in this particular than ●…ny other ; according that to ancient eloquent speech of a great lawyer , domus regis vigi●…a defendit omnium , otium illius labor omni●…m , deliciae illius industria omnium , vacatio ●…lius occupatio omnium , salus illius periculum ●…nium , honor illius objectum omnium . eve●… one shold stand centinell to defend the kings house , his safety shold be the danger of 〈◊〉 , his pleasures the industry of all , his ease ●…old be the labour of all , his honour the ob●…ct of all . out of these premisses this conclusion ●…ay be easily deduced , that , the principall ●…ntain whence the king derives his happiness and safety , is his parlement ; it is that great conduit-pipe which conveighes unto him his peoples bounty and gratitude ; the truest looking-glasse wherin he discernes their loves ; ( now the subjects love hath been always accounted the prime cittadell of a prince . ) in his parlement he appears as the sun in the meridian , in the altitude of his glory , in his highest state royal , as the law tells us . therfore whosoever is averse or disaffected to his soveraign law-making court ▪ cannot have his heart well planted within him , he can be neither good subject , no●… good patriot , and therfore unworthy to breath english aire , or have any benefit , advantage , or protection from the laws . sectio secunda . by that which hath bin spoken , which is the language of my heart , i hope no indifferent judicious reader will doubt of the cordiall affection , of the high respects and due reverence i bear to parlement , as being the wholsomest constitution , ( and done by the highest and happiest reach of policy that ever was established in this island ) to perpetuate the happinesse therof . therfore i must tell that gentleman , who was author of a book entituled the popish royal favorite , ( lately printed and exposed to the world ) that he offers me very hard measure ; nay , he doth me apparent wrong , to term me therin , no friend to parlement , and a malignant ▪ a character , which as i deserve it not , so i disdain it . for the first part of his charge , i wold have him know , that i am as much a friend and as reall an affectionat humble servant and votary to the parlement as possibly he can be , and will live and die with these affections about me : and i could wish , that he were secretary of my thoughts a while , or if i may take the boldnesse to apply that comparison his late majesty used in a famous speech to one of his parlements , i could wish ther were a chrystal window in my breast , through which the world might espye the inward motions and palpitations of my heart , then would he be certified of the sincerity of this protestation . for the second part of his charge , to be a malignant , i must confesse to have som malignity that lurks within me much against my will ; but it is no malignity of mind , it is amongst the humors , not in my intellectuals ; and i believe , ther is no naturall man , let him have his humors never so well ballanced , but hath som of this malignity reigning within him ; for as long as we are composed of the four elements , whence these humors are derived , and with whom they symbolize in qualities ; which elements the philosophers hold to be in a restlesse contention amongst themselves ( and the stoick thought that the world subsisted by this innated mutual strise ) as long i say , as the four humors , in imitation of their principles ( the elements ) are in perpetual reluctancy and combate for praedominancy , ther must be som malignity lodg'd within us , as adusted choler , and the like ; wherof i had late experience , in a dangerous fit of sicknesse it pleased god to lay upon me , which the physitians told me proceeded from the malignant hypocondriacall effects of melancholy ; having bin so long in this saturnine black condition of close imprisonment , and buryed alive between the walls of this fatal fleet : these kinds of malignities , i confesse are very rife in me , and they are not only incident , but connaturall to every man according to his complexion ; and were it not for this incessant strugling and enmity amongst the humors for mastery , which produceth such malignant effects in us , our souls wold be loth ever to depart from our bodies , or to abandon this mansion of clay . now what malignity my accuser means , i know not ; if he means malignity of spirit , as som antipathy or ill impression upon the mind , arising from disaffection , hatred , or rancor , with a desire of som destructive revenge , he is mightily deceived in me ; i maligne or hate no creature that ever god made but the devill , who is the author of all malignity ; and therfore is most commonly called in french le malin esprit , the malignant spirit . every night before i go to bed , i have the grace , i thank god for it , to forgive all the world , and not to harbour , or let roost in my bosom the least malignant thought ; yet none can deny , but the publick aspersions which this my accuser casts upon me , were enough to make me a malignant towards him ; yet it could never have the power to do it : for i have prevail'd with my self to forgive him this his wrong censure of me , issuing rather from his notknowledge of me , than from malice , for we never mingled speech , or saw one another in our lives to my remembrance ; which makes me wonder the more , that a professor of the law , as he is , shold pronounce such a positive sentence against me so slightly . but methinks i over-hear him say , that my precedent discourse of parlement is invol'd in generals , and the topique axiome tells us , that dolus versatur in universalibus , ther is double dealing in universals : his meaning is , that i am no friend to this present parlement ( though he speaks in the plurall number parlements ) and consequently , he concludes me a malignant ; therin i must tell him also , that i am traduc'd , and i am confident it will be never prov'd against me , from any actions , words , or letters ( though divers of mine have bin intercepted ) or any other misdemeanor , though som things are father'd upon me which never drop'd from my quill . alas , how unworthy and uncapable am i to censure the proceedings of that great senate , that high synedrion , wherin the wisdom of the whole state is epitomized ? it were a presumption in me , of the highest nature that could be : it is enough for me to pray for the prosperous successe of their consultations : and as i hold it my duty , so i have good reason so to do , in regard i am to have my share in the happinesse ; and could the utmost of my poor endeavours , by any ministerial humble office ( and somtimes the meanest boat-swain may help to preserve the ship from sinking ) be so happy , as to contribut any thing to advance that great work ( which i am in despair to do , while i am thus under hatches in this fleet , ) i wold esteem it the greatest honor that possibly could befall me , as i hold it now to be my greatest disaster , to have fallen so heavily under an affliction of this nature , and to be made a sacrifice to publick fame , than which there is no other proof , nor that yet urg'd against me , or any thing else produc'd after so long , so long captivity which hath brought me to suck a low ebbe , and put me so far behind in the course of my poor fortunes , and indeed more than halfe undone me . for although my whole life ( since i was left to my self to swim , as they say , without bladders ) has bin nothing else but a continued succession of crosses , and that there are but few red letters found ( god wot ) in the almanack of my age , ( for which i account not my self a whit the lesse happy ) yet this crosse has carried with it a greater weight , it hath bin of a larger extent , longer continuance , and lighted heavier upon me than any other ; and as i have present patience to beare it , so i hope for subsequent grace to make use of it accordingly , that my old motto may be still confirmed , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . he produceth my attestation for some passages in spaine at his majesties being there , and he quotes me right , which obligeth me to him ; and i hope all his quotations wherein he is so extraordinarily copious and elaborate in all his workes , are so ; yet i must tel him , that those interchangeable letters which pass'd between his majesty & the pope , which were originally couch'd in latin , the language wherin all nations treat with rome , and the empire with all the princes thereof , those letters i say are adulterated in many places , which i impute not to him , but to the french chronicler , from whom he took them in trust . the truth of that businesse is this ; the world knows there was a tedious treaty of an alliance 'twixt the infanta dona maria ( who now is empresse ) and his majesty , which in regard of the slow affected pace of the spaniard , lasted above ten yeares , as that in henry the sevenths time , 'twixt prince arthur , and ( afterwards ) queen katherine , was spun out above seven : to quicken , or rather to consummate the work , his majesty made that adventurous journey through the whole continent of france into spaine ; which voyage , though there was a great deale of gallantry in it ( wherof all posterity will ring untill it turne at last to a romance ) yet it prov'd the bane of the businesse , which 't is not the errand of so poor a pamphlet as this to unfold . his majesty being there arriv'd , the ignorant common people cried out , the prince of wales came thither to make himself a christian ; the pope writ to the inquisitor generall , and others , to use all industry they could to reduce him to the romane religion ; and one of olivares first complements to him , was , that he doubted not but that his highnesse came thither to change his religion : whereunto he made a short answer , that he came not thither for a religion but for a wife : there were extraordinary processions made , and other artifices us'd by protraction of things , to make him stay ther of purpose till the spring following , to work upon him the better ; and the infanta her self desir'd him ( which was esteem'd the greatest favour he received from her all the while ) to visit the nunne of carton , hoping that the say'd nunne , who was so much cried up for miracles , might have wrought one upon him ; but her art failed her , nor was his highness so weak a subject to work upon according to his late majesties speech to doctor mawe and wren , who when they came to kisse his hands before they went to spaine to attend the prince their master , he wish ed them to have a care of buckinham ; as touching his sonne charles , he apprehended no feare at all of him ; for he knew him to be so well grounded a protestant , that nothing could shake him in his religion . the arabian proverb is , that the sun never soiles in his passage , though his beams reverberate never so strongly , and dwell never so long upon the myry lake of maeotis , the black turf'd moores of holland , the aguish woose of kent and essex , or any other place , be it never so dirty ; though spaine be a hot countrey , yet one may passe and repasse through the very center of it , and never be sun-burnt , if he carry with him a bongrace , and such a one his majesty had . well , after his majesties arrivall to madrid , the treaty of marriage went on still , ( though he told them at his first comming , that he came not thither like an ambassador to treat of a marriage , but as a prince , to fetch home a wife ; ) and in regard they were of different religions , it could not be done without a dispensation from the pope , and the pope would grant none , unlesse some capitulations were stipulated in favour of the romish catholikes in england , ( the same in substance were agreed on with france . ) well , when the dispensation came , which was negotiated solely by the king of spains ministers ( because his majesty would have as little to do as might be with rome ) pope gregory the fifteenth , who died a little after , sent his majesty a letter , which was delivered by the nuncio , whereof an answer was sent a while after : which letters were imprinted and exposed to the view of the world , because his majesty would not have people whisper , that the businesse was carried in a clandestine manner . and truly besides this , i do not know of any letter , or message , or complement , that ever pass'd twixt his majesty and the pope afore or after ; some addresses peradventure might be made to the cardinalls , to whom the drawing of those matrimoniall dispatches was referred to quicken the work , but this was only by way of civil negotiation . now touching that responsory letter from his majesty , it was no other than a complement in the severest interpretation ; and such formalities passe 'twixt the crown of england , the great turke , the mogor and divers heathen princes . the pope writ first , and no man can deny , but by all morall rules , and in common humane civility his majesty was bound to answer it , specially considering how punctual they are in those countries to correspond in this kind , how exact they are repaying visits , with the performance of such ceremonies ; and had this compliance bin omitted , it might have made very ill impressions , as the posture of things stood then ; for it had prejudiced the great work in hand , i mean , the match , which was then in the heat and height of agitation , his majesties person was ther engaged , besides , and so it was no time to give the least offence : they that are never so little vers'd in businesse abroad , do know that ther must be addresses , compliances , and formalities of this nature us'd in the carriage of matters of state , as this great businesse was , wheron the eyes of all christendom were so greedily fix'd ; a businesse which was like to bring with it such an universal good , as the restitution of the palatinat , the quenching of those hideous fires in germany , and the establishing of a peace throughout all the christian world. i hope none will take offence , that in this particular which comes within the compasse of my knowledg ( being upon the stage when his scene was acted ) i do this right to the king my master , in displaying the truth , and putting her forth in her own colours , a rare thing in these days . touching the vocall forrest , an allegorical discourse , that goes abroad under my name , a good while before the beginning of this parlement , which this gentleman cites ( and that very faithfully , ) i understand ther be som that mutter at certain passages therin , by putting ill glosses upon the text , and taking with the left hand , what i offer with the right , ( nor is it a wonder for trees which ly open , and stand exposed to all weathers to be nipt . ) but i desire this favour , which in common justice , i am sure in the court of chancery cannot be denyed me , it being the priviledge of every author , and a received maxime through the world , cujus est condere , ejus est interpretari ; i say , i crave this favour , to have leave to expound my own text , and i doubt not then but to rectifie any one in his opinion of me , and that in lieu of the plums which i give him from those trees , he will not throw the stones at me . moreover , i desire those that are over criticall censu●…ers of that peece , to know , that as in divinity it is a rule , scriptur a parabolica non est argumentativa , so it is in all other kind of knowledg ; parables ( wherof that discourse is composed ) though pressed never so hard , prove nothing . the●… is another rule also , that parables must be gently used , like a nurses breast ; which if you presse too hard , you shall have bloud in stead of milk . but as the author of the vocall forrest thinks he hath done , neither his countrey , nor the common wealth of learning any prejudice therby ( that maiden fancy having received so good entertainment and respect abroad , as to be translated into divers languages , and to gain the publick approbation of som famous universities ) so he makes this humble protest unto all the world , that though the designe of that discourse was partly satyricall ( which peradventure induc'd the author to shrowd it of purpose under the shadowes of trees , and where should satyres be but amongst trees ? ) yet it never entred into his imagination to let fall from him the least thing that might give any offence to the high and honourable court of parlement , whereof he had the honour to be once a member , and hopes he may be thought worthy again : and were he guilty of such an offence , or piacle rather , he thinks he shold never forgive himself , though he were appointed his own judge . if ther occur any passages therin , that may admit a hard construction , let the reader observe , that the author doth not positively assert , or passe a judgement on any thing in that discourse , which consists principally of concise , cursory narrations of the choisest ▪ occurrences and criticismes of state , according as the pulse of time did beat then : and matters of state , as all other sublunary things , are subject to alterations , contingencies and change , which makes the opinions and minds of men vary accordingly . i will conclude with this modest request to that gentleman of the long robe ; that having unpassionately perus'd what i have written in this small discourse , in penning wherof , my conscience guided my quill all along as well as my hand , he wold please to be so charitable and just , as to reverse that harsh sentence upon me , to be no friend to parlements and a malignant . a glance upon the i le of wight , and upon the unparallell'd concessions of grace his majesty pass'd in that trety , &c. concluding with the horrid murther committed afterwards upon his sacred person . cui dabit partes scelus expiant iupiter ? a glance upon the i le of wight , or an inquisition after truth . who vindicats truth doth a good office not onely to his own country , but to all mankind ; it is the scope of this short discourse , viz. to make som researches after truth , and to rectifie the world accordingly in point of opinion , specially touching the first author and aggressor of the late ugly war in england , which brought with it such an inundation of bloud , and so did let in so huge a torrent of mischiefs to rush upon us . ther be many , and they not only presbyterians and independents , but cavaliers also , who think that the king had taken the guilt of all this bloud upon himself , in regard of that concession he passed in the preamble of the late treaty at the isle of wight ; the aim of this paper is to clear that point , but in so temperat a way , that i hope 't will give no cause of exception , much lesse of offence to any : the bloud that 's sought after here , shall not be mingled with gaule , much lesse with any venom at all . we know ther is no principle either in divinity , law or philosophy , but may be wrested to a wrong sense ; ther is no truth so demonstrative and clear , but may be subject to cavillations ; no tenet so plain , but perverse inferences may be drawn out of it ; such a fate befell that preambular concession his majesty passed at the transactions of the late treaty , in that he acknowledg'd therin that the two houses of parlement were necessitated to undertake a war in their own just and lawful defence , &c. and that therfore all oaths , declarations , or other public instruments against the houses of parlement , or any for adhering to them , &c. be declared null , suppressed , and forbidden . 't is true , his majesty passed this grant , but with this weighty consideration as it had reference to two ends . first , to smoothen and facilitate things thereby to open a passage , and pave the way to a happy peace , which this poor iland did so thirst after , having bin so long glutted with civil blood . secondly , that it might conduce to the further security , and the indemnifying of the two houses of parlement , with all their instruments , assistants , and adherents , and so rid them of all jealousies , and fear of future dangers which still lodg'd within them . now touching the expressions and words of this grant , they were not his own , nor did he give order for the dictating or penning thereof ; the king was not the author of them , but an assentor only unto them : nor was he or his party accus'd , or as much as mentioned in any of them , to draw the least guilt upon themselves . besides , he pass'd them as he doth all lawes and acts of parlement , which in case of absence another may do for him in his politic capacity , therfore they cannot prejudice his person any way . i am loth to say that he condescended to this grant , — cum strict a novacula supra , when the razor was as it were at his throat , when ther was an army of about thirty thousand effectif horse and foot that were in motion against him , when his person had continued under a black long lingring restraint , and dangerous menacing petitions and papers daily ob●…ruded against him . moreover , his majesty pass'd this concession with these two provisos and reservations , first , that it should be of no vertu or validity at all , till the whole treaty were intirely consummated ; secondly , that he might when he pleas'd inlarge and cleer the truth with the reservednesse of his meaning herein , by public declaration : now the treaty being confusedly huddled up , without discussing , or as much as receiving any proposition from himself as was capitulated , ( and reciprocall proposalls are of the essence of all treaties ) it could neither bind him , or turne any way to his disadvantage : therfore under favour , ther was too much hast us'd by the parlement , to draw that hipothetick or provisional concession to the form of an act so suddenly after in the very heat of the treaty , without his majesties knowledg , or the least intimation of his pleasure . add hereunto , that this grant was but a meer preambular proposition , 't was not of the essence of the treaty it self : and as the philosophers and schoolemen tell us , there is no valid proof can be drawn out of proemes , introductions or corollaries in any science , but out of the positive assertions and body of the text , which is only argument-proof ; so in the constitutions and laws of england , as also in all accusations and charges , forerunning prefaces & preambles ( which commonly weak causes want most ) are not pleadable : and though they use to be first in place , like gentlemen-ushers , yet are they last in dignity , as also in framing , nor had they ever the force of laws , but may be term'd their attendants to make way for them . besides , ther 's not a syllable in this preface which repeals or connives at any former law of the land , therefore those laws that so strictly inhibit english subjects to raise armes against their liege lord the king , and those lawes è contrario which exempt from all dangers , penalties or molestation , any subject that adheres to the person of the king in any cause or buarrell whatsoever , are still in force . furthermore , this introductory concession of the kings , wherein he is contented to declare , that the two houses were necessitated to take armes for their defence , may be said to have relation to the necessity , à parte pòst , not à parte antè : self-defence is the universall law of nature , and it extends to all other cretures , as well as to the rationall : as the fluent roman orator in that sentence of his , which is accounted among the critiques the excellentest that ever drop'd from cicero ; est enim haec non scripta , sed nata lex quam non didicimus , accepimus , legimus , verum ex natura ipsa arripuimus , hausimus , expressimus , ad quam non docti , sed facti , non instituti , sed imbuti sum●…s , ut si vita nostra in &c. for this ( meaning self-defence ) is not a written , but a law born with us ; a law which we have not learnt , receiv'd or read , but that which we have suck'd , drawn forth , and wrung out of the very brests of nature her self ; a law to which we are not taught , but made unto , wherwith we are not instructed , but indued withall , that if our lifes be in jeopardy , &c. we may repel force by force . therfore when the house of parliament had drawn upon them a necessity of self defence ( and i could have wish'd it had bin against any other but their own soverain prince ) his majesty was contented to acknowledge that necessity . as for example : a man of war meets with a marchant man at sea , he makes towards him , and assaults him ; the marchant man having a good stout vessell under him , and resolute , generous seamen , bears up against him , gives him a whole broad-side , and shoots him 'twixt wind and water ; so there happens a furious fight betwixt them , which being ended , the marchant cannot deny but that the man of war , though the first assailant , was necessitated to fight , and that justly in his own defence , which necessity he drew upon himself , and so was excusable , à posteriori , not à priori ; as the civilians speak of a clandestine marriage , fieri non debuit , sed factum valet ; it ought not to have been , but being done 't is valid : wherunto relates another saying , multa sunt quae non nisi per acta approbantur . ther are many things which are not allowable til they are pass'd . the kings of france have had sundry civil wars , they have had many bloudy encounters and clashes with their subjects , specially the last king lewis the thirteenth , which turn'd all at last to his advantage ; among other treaties in that of loudun , he was by force of article to publish an edict , dont lequel le roy approuvoit tout le passé comme ayant esté fait pour son service , &c. wherin the king approv'd of all that w●…s pass'd , as done for his service , &c. and these concessions and extenuations are usuall at the close of most civil wars , but ther was never any further advantage made of them , then to make the adverse party more capable of grace and pardon , as also to enable them to bear up against the brunt of laws , and secure them more firmly from all after-claps ; they were pass'd in order to an act of abolition , to a generall pardon , and consequently to a re-establishment of peace ; now , peace and war ( we know ) are like water and ice , they engender one another : but i do not remember to have read either in the french history , or any other , that such royal concessions at the period of any intestin war were ever wrung so hard , as to draw any inference from them , to cast therby the guilt of bloud , or indeed the least stain of dishonour upon the king ; for royal indulgences and grants of this nature are like nurses breasts , if you presse them gently ther will milk come forth , if you wring them too hard you will draw forth bloud in lieu of milk : and i have observed that the conclusion of such treaties in france , both parties wold hugg and mutually embrace one another in a gallant way of national humanity ; all rancor , all plundrings , sequestration , and imprisonment wold cease , nor wold any be prosecuted , much lesse made away afterwards in cold bloud . touching the comencer of this monstrous war of ours , the world knows too well , that the first man of bloud was blew-cap , who shew'd subjects the way , how to present their king with petitions upon the pikes point , and what visible judgements have fallen upon him since , by such confusions of discord and pestilence at home , and irreparable dishonour abroad , let the world judge . the irish took his rise from him : and wheras it hath bin often suggested , that his majesty had foreknowledge therof , among a world of convincing arguments which may clear him in this particular , the lord maguair upon the ladder , and another upon the scaffold , when they were ready to breath their last , and to appear before the tribunall of heaven , did absolutely acquit the king , and that spontaneously of their own accord , being unsought unto , but only out of a love to truth , and discharge of a good conscience : but touching those cruentous irish wars , in regard ther was nothing wherof more advantage was made against his late majesty , to imbitter and poyson the hearts of his subjects against him then that rebellion , i will take leave to wind up the main causes of them upon a small bottom as was spoken elsewhere . . they who kept intelligence and complyed with the scot , in his first and second insurrection . . they who dismiss'd the first irish commissioners ( who came of purpose to attend our parlement with som grievances ) with such a short unpolitic harsh answer . . they who took off straffords head , ( which had it stood on , that rebellion had never been ) and afterwards retarded the dispatch of the earl of leicester from going over to be lord-lievtenant . . lastly , they , who hindred part of that disbanded army of men rais'd there by the earl of strafford , which his majesty , in regard they were souldiers of fortune , and loose casheer'd men , to prevent the mischiefs that might befall that kingdome , by their insolencies , had promised the two spanish ambassadors , the marquesses of veloda and malvezzi , then resident in this court ; which souldiers rise up first of any , and put fire to the tumult to find somthing to do . they , i say , who did all this , may be justly said to have bin the tru causes of that horrid insurrection in ireland ; and consequently 't is easie to judge upon the account of whose souls must be laid the bloud of those hundred and odd thousand poor christians who perished in that war ▪ and had it bin possible to have brought o're their bodies unputrified to england , and to have cast them at the lower house door , and in the presence of som members , which are now either secluded , or gone to give an account in another world , i believe their noses wold have gush'd out with bloud for discovery of the tru murtherers . touching this last fire-brand of war , which was thrown into england , who they were that kindled it first , the consciences of those indifferent and unbiassed men are sittest to be judges , who have bin curious to observe with impartial eyes , the carriage of things from the beginning . i confesse , 't was a fatal unfortunat thing , that the king shold put such a distance 'twixt his person and his parlement , but a more fatal and barbarous thing it was , that he should be driven away from it , that there should be a desperate designe to surprize his person , that ven with his myrmidons , and bourges with his bandogs , ( for so ▪ they calld the riffraff of the city they brought along with them ) should rabble him away , with above four parts in five of the lords , and near upon two parts in three of the commons : yet 't is fit it should be remembred , what reiterated messages his majesty sent from time to time afterward , that he was alwaies ready to return , provided there might be a course taken to secure his person , with those peers and other who were rioted away from the houses , 't is fit it should be remembred , that there was not the least motion of war at all , till hotham kept his majesty out of his own town kingston upon hull , ( for the name whereof shew'd whose town it was ) where being attended by a few of his meniall servants , he came onely to visit her , having peaceably sent the duke of york , and the palsgrave thither the day before ) which act of hotham's by shutting the gates against him was voted warrantable by the house of commons , and it may be call'd the first thunderbolt of war : 't is fit it should be remembred , that a while after there was a compleate army of . effectif horse and foot inrolled in and about london to fetch him to his parliament by force , and remove ill counsellours from about him , ( long before he put up his royal standard ) and the generall then nam'd was to live and die with them : and very observable it is , how that generalls father was executed for a traytor , for but attempting such a thing upon queen elizabeth , i mean to remove ill counsellors from about her by force . 't is also to be observed , that the same army which was rais'd to bring him to his parliament , was continued to a clean contrary end two years afterwards to keep him from his parliament . 't is fit it should be remembred , who interdicted trade first , and brought in forraigners to help them , and whose commissions of war were neere upon two moneths date before the kings . 't is fit it should be remembred how his majesty in all his declarations and publick instruments made alwaies deep protestations , that 't was not against his parliament he raised armes , but against some seditious members , against whom he had onely desired the common benefit of the law , but could not obtain it ; 't is fit to remember , that after any good successes and advantages of his , he still courted both parliament and city to an accommodation ; how upon the treaty at uxbridge , with much importunity for the generall advantage and comfort of his peeple , and to prepare matters more fitly for a peace , he desired there might be freedom of trade from town to town , and a cessation of all acts of hostility for the time , that the inflammation being allayed , the wound might be cur●…d the sooner ; all which was denyed him . 't is fit to remember how a noble lord ( the earl of southampton ) at that time told the parliaments commissioners in his majesties name , at the most unhappy rupture of the said treaty , that when he was at the highest he would be ready to treat with them , and fight them when he was at the lowest : 't is fit the present army should remember how often both in their proposalls , and publick declarations they have inform'd the world , and deeply protested that their principall aime was to restore his majesty to honour , freedom and safety , whereunto they were formerly bound , both by their own protestation and covenant , that the two commanders in chief pawn'd unto him their soules thereupon . let them remember , that since he was first snatch'd away to the custody of the army by cromwells plot , who said , that if they had the person of the king in their power , they had the parliament in their pockets . i say being kept by the army , he never displeas'd them in the least particular , but in all his overtures for peace , and in all his propositions he had regard still that the army should be satisfied : let it be remembred , that to settle a blessed peace , to preserve his subjects from rapine and ruine , and to give contentment to his parliament , he did in effect freely part with his sword , scepter , and crown , and ev'ry thing that was proprietary to him : let it be remembred with what an admired temper , with what prudence and constancy , with what moderation and mansuetude he comported himself since his deep afflictions , insomuch that those commissioners and others who resorted unto him , and had had their hearts so averse unto him before , return'd his converts , crying him up to be one of the sanctifiedst persons upon earth : and will not the bloud of such a prince cry loud for vengeance ? bloud is a crying sin , but that of kings cryes loudest for revenge , and ruine brings . let it be remembred , that though there be some precedents of deposing kings in his kingdom , and elsewhere , when there was a competition for the right title to the crown by some other of the bloud royall , yet 't is a thing not onely unsampled , but unheard of in any age , that a king of england whose title was without the least scruple , should be summon'd and arraign'd , tryed , condemned , and executed in his own kingdom , by his own subjects , and by the name of their own king , to whom they had sworn alleagiance . the meanest student that hath but tasted the laws of the land can tell you , that it is an unquestionable fundamentall maxime , the king can do no wrong , because he acts by the mediation of his agents and ministers , he heares with other mens eares , he sees with other mens eyes , he consults with other mens braines , he executes with other mens hands , and judges with other mens consciences ; therefore his officers counsellors or favorites are punishable , not he : and i know not one yet whom he hath spar'd , but sacrificed to justice . the crown of england is of so coruscant and pure a mettall ▪ that it cannot receive the least taint or blemish ; and if there were any before in the person of the prince , it takes them all away and makes him to be rectus in curia . this as in many others may be exemplified in henry the seventh , and the late queen elizabeth : when she first came to the crown 't was mention'd in parlement , that the attainder might be taken off him , under which he lay all the time he liv'd an exile in france ; it was then by the whole house of parlement resolv'd upon the question , that it was unnecessary , because the crown purg'd all . so likewise when queen elizabeth was brought as it were from the scaffold to the throne ; though she was under a former attainder , yet 't was thought superfluous to take it off , for the crown washeth away all spots , and darteth such a brightnesse , such resplendent beams of majesty , that quite dispell all former clouds : so that put case king iames died a violent death , and his son had been accessary to it , ( which is as base a lie as ever the devil belch'd out ) yet his accesse to the crown had purged all . this businesse about the playster which was applyed to king iames , was sifted and winnow'd as narrowly as possibly a thing could be in former parlements , yet when it was exhibited as an article against the duke of buckingham , 't was term'd but a presumption or misdemeanure of a high nature : and 't is strange that these new accusers shold make that a parricide in the king , which was found but a presumption in the duke , who in case it had been so , must needs have been the chiefest accessary . and as the ancient crown and royall diadem of england is made of such pure allay , and cast in so dainty a mould , that it can receive no taint , or contract the least speck of enormity and foulenesse in it self , so it doth endow the person of the prince that weares it with such high prerogatives ; that it exempts him from all sorts of publique blemishes ; from all attainders , empeachments , summons , arraignments and tryalls ; nor is there or ever was any law or precedent in this land , to lay any crime or capitall charge against him , though touching civill matters : touching propertie of meum and tuum , he may be impleaded by the meanest vassall that hath sworn fealty to him ; as the subjects of france and spaine may against their kings , though never so absolute monarchs . in the constitutions of england , there are two incontroulable maximes , whereof the meanest mootman that hath but saluted littleton cannot be ignorant : the first is , rex in suis dominiis neque habet parem , nec superiorem . the king in his own dominions hath neither peer , or superior . the other is satis habet rex ad poenam quod deum expectet ultorem : 't is punishment enough for a king that god will take revenge of him : therefore if it be the fundamentall constitution of the land , that all just tryalls must be by teers , and that the law proclaimes the king to have no peer in his own dominions , i leave the world to judg , what capacity or power those men had to arraign their late king , to be in effect his accusers and iudges ; and that an exorbitant unsampled tribunall should be erected , with power and purpose to condemn all to cleer none , and that sentence of death should passe without conviction or law upon him that was the heard and protector of all the lawes . lastly , that they who by their own confession represent but the common people , should assume power to cut off him who immediately represented god , cui dabit partes scelus expiandi iupiter ? — well , we have seen such portentous things , that former ages never beheld , nor will future ages ever be witnesse of the like : nay , posterity , after a century or two of yeers will hold what is now really acted to be but romances . and now with thoughts full of consternation and horror , and a heart trembling with amazement and sorrow for the crying flagrant sins of this forlorn nation , specially for that fresh infandous murther committed upon the sacred person of his majesty , i conclude with this hepastick , wherein all cretures ( though irrationall ) that have sence , yea the very vegetalls seeme to abhor so damnable a fact . so fell the royal oake by a wild crew of mongrel shrubs which underneath him grew ; so fell the lion by a pack of currs ; so the rose witherd 'twixt a knot of burrs . so fell the eagle by a swarme of gnatts , so the whale perish'd by a shoale of spratts . in the prison of the fleet . febr. . i. h. advice sent from the prime statesmen of florence , how england may come to herself again , which is , to call in the king , not upon articles , but in a free confident way : which advice came immediatly upon the readmission of the secluded members , and coppies therof being delivered to the chiefest of them. it produc'd happy effects . a letter sent from the city of florence , written by a great counsellor there , touching the present distempers of england ; wherein he , with som of the prime statesmen in florence passe their iudgements which is the onely way to compose the said distempers . to my honored , and most endeared patron . it is no small diminution to my former happinesse that i have not receiv'd your commands any time these two moneths , which makes me lodg within me certain apprehensions of fear that som disaste●… might befall you in those new distractions , therefore i pray be pleased to pull this thorn out of my thoughts as speedily as it may stand with your conveniency . we are not here so barren of intelligence , but we have weekly advice of your present confusions , and truly the severest sort of speculative persons here who use to observe the method of providence , do not stick to say , that the hand of heaven doth visibly stirre therein , and that those distractions in army , state , and city are apparent judgements from above , for if one revolve the stories of former times , as i have done many ( but you more ) he will find that it hath been alwaies an inevitable fate which useth to hang over all popular insurrections to end in confusion and disorders among the chief actors themselfs at last ; and we have had divers examples thereof here among us , which hath caus'd us to be so long in quietnesse and peace . but truly sir , give me leave to tell you that your nation hath lost much of their repute abroad all the world over in statu quo nunc ; som do laugh at you ; others do scorn , and hate you ; and som do pitty and comiserat you . they who laugh at you , think you are no better than mand men ▪ having strange magots in your brains bred out of the fat of so long wanton plenty , and peace . they who scorn and hate you , do it for your sacriledge , your horrendous sacrileges , the like whereof was never committed on earth since christianity had first a hole to put her head in . they who pitty you are few , and we are of the nomber of them , as well in the common sense of humanity , as for the advantages , and improvement of wealth which this state hath receiv'd by your trading at ligorne , for that town doth acknowledge her prosperity , and that she is arrived to this flourishing estate of riches , of buildings and bravery by the correspondence she hath had this latter age with england in point of commerce , which yet we find doth insensibly impair every day , and i believe you feel it more ; therefore out of the well-wishes , and true affections we bear unto england , some of the most serious , and soberest persons of this place who are well seasoned in the world , and have studyed men under divers climes , and conversed also much with heavenly bodies , had lately a private junto , or meeting , whereunto i was admitted for one , and two of us had been in england where we received sundry free civilities ; our main businesse was to discourse , and descant upon these sad confusions , and calamitous condition wherein england with the adjoyning kingdomes are at present involved , and what might extricate her out of this labyrinth of distractions , and reduce her to a setled government ; having long canvased the businesse , and banded arguments pro & con with much earnestnesse , all our opinious did concenter at last in this point , that there was no probable way under heaven to settle a fast , and firm government among you , then for the men that are now upon the stage of power to make a speedy application to their own king , their own liege lord and soveraigne , whom god , and nature hath put over them ; let●… them beat their brains , scrue up their witts , and put all the policy they have upon the tenterhooks as farre as possibly they can , yet they will never be able to establish a durable standing government otherwise , they do but dance in a circle all this while , for the government will turn at last to the same point it was before ▪ viz. to monarchy , and this king will be restored to his royall inheritances , maugre all the cacodaemons of hell : our astrologers here , specially the famous antonio fiselli hath had notes to look into the horoscope of his nativity , and what predictions he hath made hitherto of him have proved true to my knowledge , he now confidently averrs , with the concurrence of the rest , that the aspect of all the starrs , and conjunction of the planetts much favour him the next two yeares ; nam medium coeli in genitura caroli secundi regis angliae juxta axiomata astrologiae genethliacae dirigitur ad radios sextiles lun●… anno domini . & significat acc●…ssum ad dominum , for the medium coeli in the geniture of charles the second according to the axiomes of genethliacall astrology is directed to the sextile rayes of the moon , and signifies an accesse to dominion . adde hereunto that a most lucky conjunction followes the same year , in the very centre of the said kings horoscope betwixt iupiter and sol in the moneth of september . when i was employed by this state in paris not many years agoe , i had occasion to make my addresse to your young king , and when i observed his physiognomy , and the lineaments of his face , i seemed to discern in it something extraordinary above vulgar countenances , and that he carryed a majesty in his very looks , and noting besides the goodly procerity , and constitution of his body , he seemed to be cut out for a king. now , in point of extraction , and lineage , it cannot be denyed but he is one of the greatest born princes that ever was in the world ; for whereas his grand-father , and father were allyed onely if you regard forraigne consanguinity , to the house of denmark and the guyses , this king bears in his veines not onely that bloud , but also the blouds of all the great princes of christendom , being nearly linked to the house of bourbon and france , to the house of austria , and consequently to the emperour , and spaine , as also to the duke of savoy , and our grand-duke : moreover he is nearly allyed to all the greatest princes of germany , as the saxe , brandenburg , bavaria , the palsgrave , and to the duke of lorain who descends in the directest line from charlemain ; adde hereunto that the young prince of orenge is his nephew , and which is considerable he is a pure englishman born , whereas your two former kings were forreigners . the queen his mother is of as glorious an extraction , which makes me admire the frontlesse impudence of some of your poor pamphletors who call her ever and anon the little queen , notwithstanding that the world knowes her to be the daughter of henry the great , and queen of great britain , which title and character is indelible , and must die with her. hereunto may be adjoyn'd , that this young king is now mounted to the meridian of his age , and maturity of judgement to govern , and doubtlesse hee is like to make a rare governour , having this advantage of all other soverain princes in the world to have been bredd up in the schoole of affliction so long , to have travelled so many strange countreys and observed the humors of so many nations . but to come to the cardinall point of our communication , after divers debates , and alterations how england might be brought to a stable condition of tranquility and perfect peace , to her former lustre , and glory , the finall result of all , ended in this , that there was no other imaginable meanes to do it then for you to make a timely and fitting humble addresse unto your own king , and without question it is in his power to grant you such an absolute pardon , such an abolition of all things pass'd , such a gracious amnestia , such royall concessions that may extend to the security of every person for the future that was engaged in these your revolutions , both touching his life and fortunes ; unlesse their guilt of conscience be such that like cain or iudas they thinke their sinne is greater then can be forgiven them . now the mode of your application to him may avail much , for if you chopp logique with him too farr , and stand upon puntillios , and too rigid termes , if you shew your selfs full of feares , jealousies , and distrusts , it will intangle , and quite marr the businesse , for in a soveraign prince ther must be an implicit , unavoidable necessary trust repos'd by his peeple , which all the laws that mans brain can possibly invent cannot provide against ; therefore if you proceed in a frank , and confident tru english way you may work upon his affections more powerfully , and overcome him sooner so , then by any outward arms , this way will make such tender impressions , upon that he will grant more then you can possibly expect . some forein historians as the french comines and our guicciardin do cry up the english nation for using to love their king in a more intense degree then other peeple , and to regard his honour in a higher strain , to support which they have bin alwayes so ready , and cheerful both with their persons and purses ; there is now a fair opportunity offered to rake up the embers of these old affections , and to recover the reputation of tru englishmen ; there is no peeple but may sometimes stand in their own light , go astray , and err , for error was one of the first frailties that were entayled upon man ( and his posterity ) as soon as he was thrust out of paradis ; 't is a human thing to err , but to persevere in an error is diabolicall ; you shall do well and wisely to follow the example of the spanish mule , who out of a kind of wantonesse being gone out of the high beaten road into a by path , which led her to a dirty narrow lane full of pitts and holes , at last she came to the top of a huge hideous rock where she could go no farther , for before her ther was inevitable destruction , and the lane was so narrow that she could not turn her body back , therupon in this extremity she put one foot gently after an other , and crablike went backward untill she came again to the common road ; this must be your course , by a gentle retrogradation to come into the kings high road again , and ther is no question but he will meet you more than three parts of the way : if you do not , truly in our opinions you will precipitat your selfs down a rock of inevitable destruction ; for heaven and earth are conspir'd to restore him , and though all the spirits of the air shold joyn with you , you shall not be able to oppose it . i presume you are not ignorant how ●…he two great monarks of spain and france ( which may be said to be the main poles wheron europe doth move ) have comprehended him within the private capitulations of peace , the emperour hath promised to wed his quarrell , and there is no prince or state in christendom but would gladly reach a frendly hand to restore him , being depriv'd of his birth-right , and his royal indubitable inheritance ( as you your felfs confesse ) for observing the fifth commandement , for obeying his father and mother ; from which birth-right he may be said to have been thrust out when he was in the state of innocency , being but in a manner a child , and very young then . now touching your selfs i will not flatter you , but plainly tell you that you have not one friend any where beyond the seas , nay your great confederate the swed ( as i had good intelligence ) could upbraid one of your ambassadors that are now there , that he had not washed his hands clean since they had been embrued in his princes bloud . the time that i sojourned in england i was curious to read your annals , and to make some inspections into your laws , and method of government ; as also into the genius of the peeple , and i find there is no species of government that suits better with the nature of the inhabitants , the quality of the clime , and relates more directly to the civil constitutions , laws , and customs of the land then monarchal ; the i le of great britain hath been alwaies a royall island from her very creation , from her infancy , she may be said to have worn a crown in her cradle , and although she had four or five revolutions and changes of masters , yet she still continued royal , whereunto alludes a saying that i observed in your old records , britannia ab initio mundi semper fuit regia , & regimen illiu●… simile illi caelorum : great britain hath been from the beginning of the world royall , and her government like that of the heavens . therefore , all these premises being weighed in the balance of true judgement you shall do well , and wisely to recollect your selfs , and call in your hopefull young king , whose title your consciences do acknowledge to be unquestionable , otherwise it is not onely improbable but impossible for england to be her self again , and to be setled in any stable government which may reach to posterity ; you may wind up your wits as high as you can , you may consult with your first , second , and third thoughts , but will never be able to settle a fixed government , you will be still at a losse , your debates will be like a skeyn of ravell'd threed , you will be in a labyrinth of confusions , and the end of one , will be still the beginning of another . to conclude , the current and concurrent opinion of all ministers of state here both forren and florentine is , that if you do not make a timely application to your king , you will have all the princes of christendom about your ears , and what a sad calamitous country , what an aceldama will england be then ? therefore if there be a true patriot , and publick soul amongst you , if there be ever any drops of true english bloud running in your veins , or the least spark of nationall fire and affections glowing in your bosoms toward your own dear country , prevent these imminent dangers , and invite your king by discreet and moderate proposals ; the gallant samnit general could tell the romans who had over powred them , that if they gave them easie and gentle capitulations they would perform them , but if they would tye them to too high and strict terms , they would observe them no longer then they cold have opportunity to break them . touching the affairs of italy , we are like to have a general blessed peace this side the alpes , and lombardy who hath been so pittifully harass'd a long time , and hath had her face so often scratch'd , is in a fair way to recover her former beauty ; signor giovanni palavicino , and d. lorenzo minuccio convey their most affectionate respects unto you , and so doth your entire , and faithfull servant . florence this th . of march , . ther are divers other large peeces tending to the same subject , which shall be published in the second tome . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e finch , &c. mechanicks ▪ mariners . 〈◊〉 stra●… . bishops . sco●… . m. hert. e. south . e. westm. e. worce . e. dover . wales . digbies . e. pemb. e wa●…w . arondelle . her majesty . notes for div a -e m. hamilt . scot. plut. notes for div a -e the scot. the irish. england . the process, and pleadings in the court of spain upon the death of anthonie ascham resident for the parliament of england, and of john baptista riva his interpreter, who were kill'd by john guillim, william spark, valentine progers, jo. halsal, william arnet, henrie progers. who are all in close prison in madrid for the said fact, except henry progers, who fled to the venetian ambassador's hous, and so escaped. / sent from madrid from a person of qualitie and made english. hierro, agustín de, th cent. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the process, and pleadings in the court of spain upon the death of anthonie ascham resident for the parliament of england, and of john baptista riva his interpreter, who were kill'd by john guillim, william spark, valentine progers, jo. halsal, william arnet, henrie progers. who are all in close prison in madrid for the said fact, except henry progers, who fled to the venetian ambassador's hous, and so escaped. / sent from madrid from a person of qualitie and made english. hierro, agustín de, th cent. howell, james, ?- . r. w. [ ], , [ ] p. printed by william du-gard, printer to the council of state, london : . a translation, by james howell, of an unidentified work by agustín de hierro, whose name appears on a r. dedication signed: r.w. the words "john guillim, .. henrie progers." are bracketed together on title page. annotation on thomason copy: "july. th". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng ascham, antony, d. . riva, john baptista, d. . guillim, john, th cent. spark, william. progers, valentine. arnet, william. progers, henry. halsal, john. great britain -- foreign relations -- spain -- early works to . spain -- foreign relations -- great britain -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the process, and pleadings in the court of spain upon the death of anthonie ascham resident for the parliament of england, and of john bapti hierro, agustín de b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - angela berkley sampled and proofread - angela berkley text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the process , and pleadings in the court of spain upon the death of anthonie ascham resident for the parlament of england , and of john baptista riva his interpreter , who were kill'd by john guillim , william spark , valentine progers , jo. halsal , william arnet , henrie progers . who are all in close prison in madrid for the said fact , except henry progers , who fled to the venetian ambassador's hous , and so escaped . sent from madrid from a person of qualitie and made english . london , printed by william du-gard , printer to the council of state . . to his truly honored friend sr w. butler knight . sir ! your desires to mee are equivalent to decrees , which i shall bee alwayes readie to put in execution , as far as i can , and never bee found in a contempt ; therefore , according to the contents of your last , i have sent you by this post the plea , concerning the english gentlemen that are under close restraint here in the king's prison , for the death of mr ascham , and your old acquaintance john baptista riva his interpreter ; wee cannot conjecture yet what will becom of them , for the church stand's firm for them ; and you well know what predominant influences the church hath in this clime . the lord cottington , and sir edward hide are parted , and departed from this court , the first to vallodolid , the other for flanders , and since that time mr fisher appear's abroad in som lustre with his coach and lackies , whereas before hee kept retir'd and invisible . catalunia is like to bee reduc'd this summer , for there are mightie forces both by land and sea to that purpose . no more now , but that i am alwaies your readie and most real servant r. w. madrid this th of maie , . the whole discours analys'd . this plea doth partition it self into sundrie particulars . . the manner and circumstance of the fact is punctually related , with the names and distinction of the actors . . the atrocitie and hainousness of the fact is aggravated , beeing committed upon the person of a publick minister of state , viz. the ambassador or resident of england , whose person should merit more particular respect in the catholick court in regard of the precedencies which were alwayes given in england to the spanish ambassadors . . divers testimonies are produc'd how that the persons and office of ambassadors are sacred , &c. . it is proved that this publick minister had the safe conduct , and consequently the protection of his catholick majestie , which make's the offence reflect upon him , and is punishable by his own royal justice , and so the delinquents are not to bee transmitted elswhere for their punishment . . a parallel twixt the death of ascham and abner , who had king david's safe conduct . . the holie church cannot protect so proditorious a murther , as it is prov'd by forcible reasons . . important arguments for a sudden execution of justice upon the offenders , &c. the learned and elaborate charge of doctor don augustin de hierro , knight of the order of calatrava , and fiscal ( or attorney general ) of the council roial against don john guillim , william spark , valentine progers , and william arnet , jo. halsal , englishmen , who saie they are , and are detained in the roial prison of this court , for having traiterously , and upon propens malice kill'd anthonie ascham ambassador , or resident of the parlament of england , who came and entred into this court by virtue of the safe conduct of the king our lord ( whom god preserv ) and john baptista riva a genuës , beeing interpreter , or secretarie of the said resident . the immunitie of the church , which they pretend , cannot avail them , nor ought the plea of that immunitie hinder the imposing and executing upon the said delinquents the punishment that correspond's with their offences , as will bee proved in the ensuing charge . the accusation or charge . the disaster and death of charls stuart king of england hapned the . of febr. . the parlament of england governing the kingdom afterwards , sent an embassage to the king our lord ( whom god guard ) and besoldus saith , that qui à belli ducibus , gubernatoribúsque provinciarum liberis mittuntur , sunt legati . those who from generals of war , and free governors of provinces are sent anie where , are ambassadors . i could produce a cloud of authors upon this argument , who treat of and declare , who have capacitie to send ambassadors , as the earl of fontanar don christoval de benevente in his advertencies to princes and ambassadors , the dissertations of don john vella , conrado bruno , and the count don juan antonio de vera in his book , call'd the ambassador , do amply aver : but whether the person sent lately by the parlament of england was an ambassador or agent , or resident , as the delinquents term him , or most properly an orator ( for hee came to deprecate peace ) whether hee was all these , or anie of these it matter 's not ; for anie of these may style him a legate , and make him deserv that title ; and the same securitie is due to all those titles , as hotoman upon this theme resolv's the point , with others . . this ambassador , or resident sent by the parlament of england , call'd anthonie ascham , arrived at the bay of calis the of march , . with an interpreter , and three or four servants , and not meeting there with the duke of medina celi , hee went in quest of him to the port santa maria , and did let him know that hee was sent by the parlament of england in qualitie of an agent to the court of spain . the duke lodg'd him thereupon , and according to his accustomed attention and prudence , by which hee alwayes operate's , sent to tell him , that in regard it was the first negotiation between spain and the parlament of england , hee could do nothing in the business , till hee had first given an account to his majestie , as hee did the of march , which came to madrid the second of april , and the same daie the king referred the letter to his council ; and the fourth of april there was order sent to the duke , to treat him as resident , and see him convoi'd to the court accordingly in safetie . the twentieth of april the resident ( having been sick before ) began his journey , beeing accompanied by the camp-master d. diego de moreda , and the second of june they came to toledo , whence the camp-master sent to the court for further order , and order was sent that hee should pursue his journey , and that the resident might take a hous where hee pleas'd in the court : so they arriv'd at court sundaie following at five in the evening , and munday next after , at six in the morning john baptista riva , who was ( hee sayed a genuës went in company of a servant of the camp-master , to hieronymo de la torre knight of the order of calatrava , and secretarie of state , the said riva complain'd of the illness and incommoditie of the lodging : but when the resident and his train lighted at their lodging , 't was observ'd there passed by som that went muffled , thereabouts , who were over-heard to say , essos son , these are they : so riva delivered the secretarie two letters from the parlament , saying that the resident came under the protection of his majestie . the secretarie answered , they had don ill not to have given account at the verie point of their arrival , the resident beeing the person hee was , & being in the catholick court hee was secure enough ; and hee would advertis his majestie of his coming accordingly , which hee did within a quarter of an hour , charging the camp-master's servant , that hee should tell his master , to continue in assisting the resident ; but an hour and half before this , the fore-mentioned delinquents , did proditoriously , out of propens malice , murther the said resident , and the said john baptista riva , according to the circumstances which shall follow . now these men well knew , that the said resident came to treat of peace , and they spontaneously confess they knew it , and that hee entred into this court , by order from his majestie , and with his pass-port ; so that besides , the treacherie and malice of the act , they committed capital treason , crimen laesae majestatis in primo capite : now for everie offence , there is a corresponding punishment , and for this certainly there is undoubted pain of death ; therefore they have made themselvs unworthy of the immunitie of the church , which they pretend . the business briefly doth branch it self into two articles . first , the grievousness of the delict is to be considered , and the qualitie of the person upon whom it was committed , one , who had a safe conduct from his majestie , therefore it is crimen laesae majestatis , and perpetrated in a most trecherous and malicious manner . secondly , the church cannot give them sanctuarie , therefore the pain of death is to be executed upon them according to the merit of the delict ; in declaring the circumstances , whereof i will leav all curiosities , and go to the pitch of the business , without extending my self to any extravagant impertinencies . the first article . touching the necessity and utilite of embassies , besoldus prosecut's this subject at large , together with pascalio benavente , & marsellaert , in their learned dissertations . but pedro erodo may be said to comprehend all , in these elegant words . legatorum munus perquam utile est , ac perquam necessarium , nam sine iis nec foedera iniri possunt , nec belli leges , pacisque dici , inimicitiae essent immortales , insidiae , caedes , incendiáque ubique essent . the function of ambassadors is most profitable and necessary , for without them , there can no confederation be made , nor any lawes of peace or warr enacted , enmities would prove immortall , slaughterings , perfidiousness ; deceipt and combustions would be every where . this so necessary and profitable a ministerie , was justlie called santo officio y ministerio de los angeles , the holy office , and ministerie of angels ; and the persons of those , who did exercise it , were held for sacred in all men's opinions . sancti habebantur legati , eorúmque corpora sancta sunt . ambassadors were held holy , and their bodies are holy , saith marcus varro ; therefore they should be protected from all humane injurie . cicero also sayeth , sentio jus legatorum tum hominum praesidio munitum esse , tum etiam divino jure vallatum : i hold the right of ambassadors not only to be fortified with humane safe-guard , but entrenched with divine safetie ; i could muster up a whole squadron of autors , both modern and ancient upon this subject , specially king don alonso , who mak's this security of ambassadors his own , and defend's it so ; and this securitie is due to any ambassadour , though he be suspected and fals , as frier don goncalez resolve's the point in his historie of china , and besoldus also , and although the said ambassador com to deceiv and collude , or that he bee an enemie , yet having a safe conduct , he is to be protected , as the count de la roca sayeth , fides enim quando promittitur , etiam hosti servanda est contra quem hellum geritur , quantò magis amico pro quo pugnatur . and if this securitie be due to an ambassador , that com's to intrap , yea , to an enemie , how much more to an english friend , in whose countrie the ambassador of spain hath , and alwaies hath had the pre-eminence of the ambassadors of all other princes . now that england should still be our friend , in statu quo nunc , and that peace should bee continued with her , proceed's from right , for peace is not only made with the king , but with the kingdom also , and although the first exspire's , the last remain's . for , put case that a peace be concluded with a countrie , without including the king , either by carelesness , or som other accident , yet the peace stand's good , for so the polish magistates answered the emperor ferdinand the . faltando el rey , se conservan con el reyno , the king failing , yet peace is to be conserv'd with the kingdom . so bodin hold's , and urgeth a pregnant example to this purpose , lib. de repub. cap. . fol. . where he allegeth the answer , which the ambassadors of france made to edward the fourth , king of england , desiring aid from france against som rising subjects of his , by virtue of the league between them , which answer was , that the king of france could not help him ; for confederations twixt france and england , were made twixt the kings and kingdoms , so that though king edward was dispossessed thereof , yet the league and amity remain'd still with the kingdom , and with the king regnant . just so the peace twixt the kings and kingdoms of spain with england , though charles stuart , the king , be wanting , yet it may be kept intire with the kingdom : and his majestie himself insinuat's so much unto us , continuing still his ambassador in england ; for when a peace is established twixt kings and kingdoms , people , persons , and vassals , though the king fail , and the kingdom receiv a differing form of government , yet the peace hold's good still , becaus it aim'd principally at the people and persons of both nations , and upon these terms , the peace was renewed twixt spain and england , . as the french mercurie relate's . therefore these delinquents fail'd much in the foresaid reverence , due to the sacred persons of ambassadors , as also to the safe conduct of his matie , by laying violent hands upon his person much more by murthering him : joab did treacherouslie kill abner who came with david's safe conduct , whereupon david said to all the people that were about him , scindite vestimenta vestra , and reinforcing his sorrow , levavit david vocem suam , & flevit super tumulum abner , flevit autem & omnis populus ; david lifted up his voice upon abner's tomb , and wept , yea , all the people wept : moreover david erected a tomb for abner , beeing so treacherously kill'd , notwithstanding that hee had his safe conduct , and the privilege of an ambassador . the romanes rais'd statues to ambassadors that were kill'd . interfecto legato statua debetur , saith besoldus , through all his chapter of legations . moreover it is observable that david did not onely weep , but hee burst out into this deprecation , si ante occasum solis gustavero panem vel aliud quidquam , if before the setting of the sun , i taste bread or anie thing els , &c. now , this sorrow of david did much pleas the people , populus audivit , & placuerunt iis cuncta quae secerat rex in conspectu totius populi : as the holie text hath it , the people heard , and were pleas'd with everie thing that david did . here it is to bee observed , that the people were to bee satisfied herein ; nor was a bare sorrow onely satisfactorie for this murther , but a due punishment must expiate the offence , which in regard that david himself could not do it in his life time , hee left it in charge to his son solomon in these words , facies ergò juxta sapientiam tuam , & effudit sanguinem belli in pace ; thou shalt do according to thy own wisdom ( exaggerating his speech with a reason ) and hee shed the bloud of war in peace . so his catholick majestie ( god guard him ) hath don out of a resentment hee had of this treacherous murther , by recommending the business to so great a tribunal ; facietis ergò juxta sapientiam vestram , effudit sanguinem belli in pace ; proceed according to your own high prudence , by punishing these delinquents , who have murtherd the ambassador of the parlament of england , though hee came with a roial pasport , and so shed the bloud of war in time of peace . moreover this death of the ambassador , by hindering the procedure of his embassie is no single offence , but it reflect's upon manie . as the great civilian saith ; si quis autem legationem impedit , non unius , sed multornm profectum avertit , & sicut multis nocet , à multis arguendus est . whosoever shall impede an embassie , hee avert's not the benefit of one man , but of many , and as hee hurt 's manie , so hee is to bee argued by manie . now manie are the accusers of these men , manie are interressed in the business , and most especially the king , our liege lord , who gave a passport , and allowed of the ambassador , and of the parlament of england that sent him : therefore these men had need to have manie lives to lose , for to satisfie so manie whom the business concern's ; so magalotti hath it , that the punishment is to bee double , in regard of the persons concern'd . but hence may result a question , whether the punishment bee to bee inflicted where the delict was perpetrated , and the king's securitie violated , or whether the murtherers bee to bee sent to the ambassador's master , whom hee represent's : this was an old difference twixt romulus and tacius , who reign'd together as pedro aerodo relate's the business briefly , yet elegantly . romulus was of opinion that the offenders were to bee sent to the ambassador's master . but this transferring of the offendor to the partie offended , was alwaies held to proceed rather from vrbanitie then justice , as it appear's in the case of rincon and fregoso , which is amply related in the annals of the emperor charls the fifth , it was a loud clamorous business , whereof all the corners of christendom did ring , and everie chronicler hath it , therefore i will not molest you with so trite a thing . tacius was of differing sentiment ; for hee would have the delict to bee punish'd where it was perpetrated , and the reasons which the doctors give , is , becaus the lord of the territorie is the more interressed , and obliged to punish the offence on the partie , to vindicate his own wrongs , as in this caus his catholick majestie is most injur'd , becaus his roial passport is violated , and why should hee have recours to a forrein power , to desire justice , when by the law of nations hee may avenge the affront at home by his own . and it is most fitting they should receiv punishment in this court , rather then anywhere els , where in regard of the greatness of our king , there are continually so many ambassadors residing , whose securitie may bee much confirmed by the exemplarie punishment of these delinquents , and in particular , the verie ambassadors of england themselvs who are sojourning here now , though opposites to the dead ambassador , in regard of the dissentions now in england , all which must bee don by a just infliction of punishment . but the delinquents think to scape by the immunities of the church , where they fled , and sheltered themselvs from so grievous and atrocious a crime , aggravated by so manie circumstances , by so manie accusers and interessed persons ; nor according to their defence , do they confess to have committed anie offence or sin at all ; but they vaunt to have performed an heroick act . now 't is a rule that jactantia aggravat peccatum ; boasting of mischief , make 's the sin the wors . st augustin in defineing sin , saith , that it is dictum , factum vel concupitum contra legem aeternam , a thing spoken , don , or wish'd against the eternal law ; him followed thomas aquinas , and citing gregorio de valentia , father granados pursueth the opinion , and vasquez . sin also is defin'd transgressio legis , a transgression of the law , now the delict of murther is opposite to all laws , both divine and humane ; as also to violate the securitie of an ambassador , much more to murther him , is condemn'd by all laws of heaven and earth ; therefore this can bee no other then a delict , and much more precisely a sin , and a sin non nominandum , an infandous sin , much less an heroick action , or exploit of gallantrie . the second article . that these delinquents cannot make themselvs capable of the protection of anie sanctuarie , will bee justified by two mediums , in form of a syllogizing argument . hee who commit's crimen laesae majestatis , a crime of high treason , cannot have the protection of the church ; but these delinquents have committed a crime of high treason ; ergò , they cannot have the protection of the church . the second argument is of no less force . hee who commit's a treacherous murther cannot have the protection of the church ; but these delinquents have committed a treacherous murther ; ergò they cannot have the benefit of the church . for proof of the first , ambrosinus , bosius , and julius clarus their opinions are cleer , gambacarta , diana and others concur with them ; among other high treasons they instance in killing the kings eldest son , his brother , or anie of the race roial , or the king's wife ( becaus shee is the one half of him ) or a privie counsellor of his , &c. as also hee who violate's the king's salvo conducto , whereon they insist much . now touching that large bull of gregory the th touching the immunities of the church , it is the opinion of all the civil doctors on this side the alps , that it is not available in all provinces , nay , it hath been petition'd against by divers , and to this daie , it is not put generally in practice , they are the words of evia de bolanos in his curia filippica , it was petition'd against in portugal , nor could this bull take footing in spain , which never had such exorbitant privileges , but observed the common canonical right , which make's more for the reverence of the church . and whereas it may bee alleg'd that the said safe conduct was not to bee observed by the said delinquents , becaus it was not publish'd and that it binde's onely from that time ; whereas it may bee alleg'd also that the king's safe conduct is onely by roial letters , or som publick instrument ; all this is of little or no validitie at all ; for the delinquents voluntarily confess , that they had notice by letters from england , that this resident was to com to treat of peace ; and correspond with spain . the delinquents besides may aver , that the observation of this salvo conducto did not aim at them beeing no vassals here ; but this argument is of little vigor likewise , for all people , whether vassals or no vassals are oblig'd to observ the laws in the territories of that prince where they sojourn ; and if this law take's hold on the natural vassals of anie countrie , much more on strangers , who must not bee encouraged by anie immunitie to com , and offend in another countrey , without incurring the same severitie of law . nor will it will serv their turn , to saie that all treasons are either in odium or contemptum regis , neither whereof could induce them to that act , becaus they were militant in his majestie's armie , and serv'd him with all exact fidelitie , for all this concur'd in joab , for hee was ever faithful , and a confident of king david's , and son to his sister serviah . for proof of the second argument of our discours , viz. that hee who commit's a treacherous , or proditorious murther , cannot have the protection of the church ; the determination of his holiness clement the th shall serv , who saith , that not onely hee who kill's one proditoriously , but hee who kill's a reconciled enemie , is deprived of the benefit of sanctuarie ; now these delinquents destroi'd this publick minister of state per insidias , appensatè , animo deliberato , & proditoriè , fraudulently , by forecast , with a deliberate minde , and proditoriously , therefore they are far from deserving the shelter of the holie church . the sacred scripture take's us out of all doubt by the act of holie and religious solomon , when in execution of the just commandement of david his father hee consulted how to punish joab for having slain abner , who had david's safe conduct , for which hee fled to the church and to the altar , fugit ergò joab in tabernaculum domini & apprehendit cornu altaris , and banaias , who had the charge of executing him , returning with this news to solomon , hee answered vade interfice eum , go and kill him ; banaias going again to joab , told him the king's command , and bid him com out , joab replied , i will not com out , but i will die here ; thereupon banaias going back to solomon to inform him what joab had said , the king rejoin'd : fac sicut locutus est & interfice eum , do as hee hath said and kill him . so banaias the son of jehoida went up to the altar , and assaulting joab , hee kill'd him ; now 't is a great question among the theologues whether solomon sinned in doing this : abulensis excuseth him giving this reason ; quia non illi profecit tenuisse aram , quia nullum homicida insidiator habet praesidium , becaus the altar could not profit him , in regard that no treacherous manslayer hath anie protection ; add hereunto what gaspar sanchez and ruperto allege touching the same fact , nihil debet illi fides altaris , qui per dolum occidendò proximum omnem fidem perdidit ; the faith of the altar oweth him nothing , who lost all faith in slaying his neighbor feloniously . but cajetan with others finde no way how to excuse solomon touching this business , in regard that hee might by his praetorian troops , and veterane souldiers have taken him both from the altar and the tabernacle , and so without anie note of violating religion , hee might have dispatch'd him in som prophane place , as the priest joiada commanded athalia to bee taken out of the temple , and kill'd without . this is a great and precise lesson for the lords alcaldes , for they need not fear to put these men to death ; in regard they are not now materially in the church . to prove the minor of the second syllogism , viz. that these men did fraudulently , of set purpose , with a deliberate minde , and proditoriously murther the ambassador of the parlament of england shall bee thus prov'd . certain men espied the said ambassador , lighting at his lodging the same night hee came , the next daie william spark , and henry progers ( who is fled ) spoke with john baptista riva the ambassador's servant , and henry going down , said to william , let 's go here below ( where the other three delinquents were ) and said , let 's kill the resident for a destroier of our nation ; so they swore among themselvs , that if one died , all would die with him in so heroick an act : whence this circumstance may bee drawn , that this murther was committed by former consultation , and with a deliberate minde : what is formerly related , is confessed by the delinquents themselvs , and that they came to perform this exploit two by two ; for beeing com to the lodging , two remain'd at the foot of the stairs , two on the top , and two entred . william spark went in first , seeing two sitting at the table , hee pulld off his hat , and said , i kiss your hands , which is the resident ? and when they knew who hee was , don john guillim came , and snatching him by the hair , with a naked dagger hee gave him a thrust that overthrew him ; then came william sparks , and gave him another , so that they gave him five stabs in all , john baptista riva thinking to retire to his chamber , there went four of them after him , and gave him four wounds , whereof hee presently expired , whereby it appear's most evidently , that the murther of the ambassador was committed , per insidias , appensatè , animo deliberato , & proditoriè , therefore the church cannot protect them . it was don proditoriously ; in regard that prodere est unum actibus ostendere , & aliud in mente gerere , unde homicidium proditorium est caedes hominis nibil tale suspicantis , as augustin barbosa affirm's . just so was abner kil'd by joab , according to the text , he killed abner in a dishonourable way , viz. fraudulently , when he spoke to him peaceably , therefore joab deserv'd to be depriv'd of the immunitie of the temple ; and just so was this ambassador kill'd , and it may well bee thought , they deserv not the shelter of the sanctuarie , as joab did not . but me think's i here the delinquents , to extenuate their delict , whisper that they kill'd the said ambassador for an heretick , for a disturber of the publick peace , who particularly fomented the death of the king , and the change of gouernment , and they did operate this to vindicate the death of their king , upon a regicide , an enemie to his countrie , and on an impostor . moreover , one of the delinquents saith , that in this rebellion hee kill'd a brother of his , with whom hee had particular enmitie , to these arguments i may say , as john garcia said in his gloss . nobilit . adducuntar leviuscula quaedam argumenta quae meritò subtaceri poterant , sed satisfaciendum est doctis pariter ac indoctis . certain light arguments are alleged , which might have been spar'd , but wee must satisfie the unlearned , as well as the learned , and concerning the first , they say , they kill'd the ambassador for an heritick , so was their king , who they pretend hee had help'd to murther ; but the catholick church never held yet , that it was lawfull to kill a man , only for his religion ; besides this ambassador had a royall pass-port , and was attended all the way from the sea-side by his majestie's servant ; and ministers of any religion may have pass-ports for their safetie as john huss had , and as charls the emperour gave luther . they say , this ambassador came to seduce and deceiv by a book of his which was found among his papers , and a medall which hee had , which had on the one side nebart , and on the other xii . and the word obstricti , and they say it signifie's those xii . which gain'd nebart , and occasion'd the warrs : hence they inferr , that hee came to deceiv , there was also found a crown stab'd with a poniard . this same argument joab propounded to david , when hee said , ignoras abner filium ner , quoniam ad hoc venit ad te , ut deciperet te , ut sciret exitum tuum , & introitum tuum , & nosse omnia quae agis , thou know'st not abner the son of ner , for hee is com hither to deceiv thee , to know thy going out , and thy coming in , and to prie into all things thou do'st , as the sacred text tell's , but this could not excuse joab for killing abner , who came hither all the way with a safe conduct , and it is the prerogative only of that prince who gave him the safe conduct , to know the cause of his coming . to com now to a conclusive point , and finall period of this plea , the punishment of these men for having fraudulently , by propense malice , with a deliberate mind , and proditoriously murthered the ambassador of the parlament of england , according to the foregoing circumstances , and by their own spontaneous confessions , i say the speedy chastisement of these men to death ( notwithstanding the depending process , touching the immunitie of the church ) is required by six parties that are interessed therein . viz. . by god himselfe . . by the king . . by his subjects . . by the publick cause . . by the fiscall of the council . first , god require's it , who watcheth over all crimes specially those of blood , which crie out for vengeance more then anie , therefore the procrastination hereof would be offensive to his divine majestie . secondly , the king ( whom god preserve ) require's speedie execution , in regard som grave doctors do doubt whither it was a sin in david to delay the punishment of joab till after his death , by bequeathing the execution of justice to his son solomon , as a legacie . thirdly , the subjects of the king , our liege lord , require a hastning of the punishment , becaus it trouble's them to see hard before the king's eyes , and in his catholick court , so horrid and sudden a murther committed . quando accidunt aliqua mala & horrenda quae sunt penitus inopinata , solent homines nimiùm turbati , etiamsi ad illos mala illa non pertineant , quia ergo mors abner erat malum quoddam rarum & inopinatum , subitò illo audito turbati sunt omnes israëlitae , when som horrid , unexpected , and unusuall mischiefs happen , people use to be strangely troubled , though it nothing belong's unto them , therefore because abner's death was a kind of extraordinarie sudden mischief , all israël was troubled at it , as abulensis speake's upon the of kings . fourthly , the publick caus requir's a sudden execution of justice upon these delinquents , becaus they murthered two men by fraud ; quorum opera utilis videbatur futura reipublicae , whose negociation was to bee profitable to the common-wealth , as gaspar sanchez sayeth . lastly , the fiscal require's justice for god , for the king , for his fellow-subjects , for the publick-caus , and for himself , who conclude's with cokier in his treatie de legato . ac perde has animas , patriam bonus eripe noxâ . to shut up all , the justified ▪ an● cries out for speedie justice , in regard that these delinquents murthered an ambassador of the parlament of england , now to everie ambassador , there is owing an extraordinarie respect , specially to the ambassadors of england ; they slew him , though they knew that hee had his majestie's safe conduct , they slew him in the catholick court , where the right of nations useth to be kept inviolable , and more solemnly then anywhere else , whereby they committed not only a soul trecherous murther , but treason in a high degree against his majestie ; they surprised the ambassador and his secretarie at dinner , a harmless hour , they came in like friends ; wherefore it may justly be inferr'd , that this murther was committed , por insidias ▪ animo deliberato , appensatè & proditoriès by fraud , with a deliberate mind , by fore-cast , and trecherously ; touching the circumstances , their own spontaneous confessions make them good ; therefore both god , the king , all the vassals of this court , the publick-caus , and the fiscal of the council , demand a speedie and actual execution of justice upon them , notwithstanding the depending process , and pretentions touching the immunities of the church . salva in omnibus , &c. such was the charge in the court of spain , which was delivered , with much aggravation , by the said doctor hieronymo hierro , knight of the order of calatrava , against john guillim , william spark , valentin progers , jo. halsal , william arnet , and henrie progers , who are detain'd still in prison , for killing anthonie ascham , resident for the parlament of england , and john baptista riva his interpreter , all except henrie progers , who being formerly known to the venetian ambassador , fled to his hous for protection , and so made an escape ; the suit is still depending , and no resolution taken , in regard the church stand's so earnestly for them , in so much that it is not known when it will be determined . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- stylo novo . a trance, or, newes from hell brought fresh to towne by mercurius acheronticus. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : , : f) a trance, or, newes from hell brought fresh to towne by mercurius acheronticus. howell, james, ?- . p. [s.n.], london : . copy on reel : is fifth item in a collection published under title: some of mr. howell's minor works, reflecting upon the times. reproduction of original in huntington library and bodleian library, oxford. eng a r (wing h ). civilwar no a trance: or, nevves from hell, brought fresh to tovvne by mercurius acheronticus. howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo and andrew kuster sampled and proofread - mona logarbo and andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a trance : or , newes from hell , brought fresh to tovvne by mercurius acheronticus . london , printed , ann : dom. . paraenesis angliae . o england , england if thou bee'st not given quite over to a reprobate sense ; if the least sparke of grace , the least ray of reason , be yet remaining in thee , be warn'd , be warn'd by this trance , by the dreadfull objects , the hideous and horrid apparitions thereof : if no temporall respects can win thee , let the apprehensions of eternall ruin work upon thee : if the hopes of heaven cannot prevail with thee , let the torments of hell deterr thee , which are represented to the very life unto thee in this ensuing vision . be not accessary to thy owne destruction , to thy own damnation ; let not thy children be deluded any longer with chymeras of more liberty , and advancement of common good . 't is true , to love one's countrey ( which is the specious pretence of all these insurrections ) is a commendable thing , yet it is but a pagan precept ; to feare god , to honour his priests , to give caesar his due , not to do evill that good may come of it , these are all christian precepts , and scripture principles . as the author was in a trance , so sure thou art in a fit of madnes : poor thing , thou want'st a physitian to cure thee , rather than a divine to confute thee : return then , o return to thy wits , to thy old english temper again , els 't is high time for thee to make thy last will , and that the bell should ring out to invite thy neighbours to the funerall of thy liberty ; and because i have already half promis'd , i will lay this epitaph upon thee : {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . to englands imperiall chamber , the renowned city of london : to the right honourable the lord mayor , the right worshipfull the sheriffs , the court of aldermen , and common-councell , the noble company of merchant-adventurers , and home-corporations ; to all the hopefull apprentices , and all other inhabitants , inmates , or aliens , within the said spacious city and suburbs , is addressed what followeth . perditio tua ex te , l : o london , understand thy woe , thou art thy self thy greatest foe ; be warn'd , be wise , prevent the fates , destruction bounceth at thy gates , and know , there is no earthly thing can make thee happy , but thy king . think with what honour the first dagger came into thy shield , the times are now the same . a trance . the proeme . svch is the force of fancy , so large is the reach , so boundlesse is the prerogative of humane imagination , that though the small concave of a scull some two or three spans compasse be her ordinary and naturall habitation , yet the whole globe of the earth , nor all the elementary world can totally confine her , but she will at pleasure clime up to the skies , and make a scale of the starrs to conduct her to the empyrean heaven ; thence she can descend in a trice to the great abysse , and take a survey of the kingdom of darknesse ; and though it be a maxime among divines that ab orconulla redemptio , there 's no return out of hell , and that the passage back thence is irremeable , yet the imagination of man hath this privilege , that she can make egresses and regresses , she can enter , and come off cleer thence when she list , and all this if need be in an instant ; wherein she seemes to partake of that admired quality which is inherent in that most comfortable creature the light , who is held the soveraign of all sensible qualities among the philosophers , and to come neerest to the nature of a spirit , which creature requires but an instantaneous moment and point of time to performe his office of illumination , and dilate himself throughout the hemisphear ▪ whence some inferre that he is not corporeall , in regard it is an unquestioned principle in nature that all bodies require a succession of time in their motion : but there is this difference twixt the imagination and light , that there be some places whereinto light cannot enter , but there is no part of the vnivers so impervious , where the imagination may not make his accesses and recesses at pleasure ; as will appeare by the following example . it fortun'd very lately that i was in a trance , a strange kind of extasie surpriz'd me on a sudden , which lasted a good while ; during the time , me thought i was transported to the remotest place , and of the greatest distance that possibly could be from heaven ; me thought i was in hell , in hell , god blesse us , among the devils , and damned spirits ; i had neither that golden branch , nor the help of a sybilla cumana to conduct me up and down as the trojan prince had , but me thought a spirit did lead me gently and softly all along till i came to plutoes palace , where a speciall counsell was held to take a strict examination what service the three furies , alecto , tisyphone , and megaera , with other inferiour fiends that were their assistants , had done on earth , towards the advancement of the kingdom of darknes , since their last mission thither , which was presently upon the apparance of the last blazing star in the yeare . pluto vouchsafed to be present and preside at this counsell , and to be chaireman himself , to which purpose he had a strong legion of cacodaemons for his guard , but the businesse was prepared and facilitated for his hearing before hand by a committee appointed of purpose for that end , whence i inferred that committees were first hatcht in hell , especially some of those that we have now adaies . the three ghastly daughters of night appeard with dreadfull fiery countenances before puto , in lieu of aire they evaporated huge flakes of fire , which they tooke in , and let out with the accents of their words , huge bunches of snakes with their tailes rooted in their sculls hung dangling and waving about their heads like dischevelld haire : a furious contestation fell between them who should be proloquutrix , but in regard that alecto and tisyphone had given an account of their former missions , the one of the league in france , the other of the revolt of the hollander , it came now in due turn that megaera should have the priority of speech , so the youngest of the tartarian girls began as followes ; may your high acherontic majestie vouchsafe to understand , that since the last happy comet , which by the parallax was found to be in the heaven , appeard , we have for yeares together been more active , and more eager in your majesties service than ever we were ; we have incited the affections of the foolish inhabitants of the earth to war , and to worry one another like wolves in most places ; to effect which our practice hath been to bring the beggerliest and toughest people upon the richest and softest ; we brought the swead upon the german , the catalan upon the castillian , the tartar upon the chinois , the scot upon the english , and now lastly , the turke upon the venetian , and the cosaque upon the pole ; we have continued a lingring bloudy war in germany for thirty yeares together , which entangled into it most of the neighbouring states ; we have thrust divers princes out of their ancient inheritances , among others the duke of lorain , and the palsgrave of the rhin ; we brought two grand turks to be strangled which never happened before ; we have often puzzled italy , we have made the kings of spaine and france , though brothers to bandy so fierce one against the other , as if the one had been an infidell , the other a jew ; but sir , the most advantagious and signall services we have done to your infernall majestie have been in the iles of great britaine and ireland : for whereas we divided our selves before , and went singly among other people , we went jointly thither all three , because we might be sure to bring our ends home to our aime . the nation fittest for us to work first upon was the scot , who have been so obedient to their kings , that of above a hundred they brag of , scarce two parts of three dyed in their beds ; we did suscitate them first against their native king , and to appeare in a daring hostile manner before him upon the borders ; at which time it cost us a great deale of labour so to besot the english , to abase their courage , and entangle them with factions ( having sure confidents among them to that end ) that they durst not present them battell , and this sir was an important peece of service , for had they fought then , or had they been sensible afterwards of the nationall dishonor they received at that time , their king being in the field , and consequently had they stucke to him afterwards to have vindicated it , all those wars we have fomented since might have been prevented : we shortly after transmitted the same spirit of insurrection into ireland , who being encouraged by the good successes the scot had ( for he had what he list , yet could he not sit quiet ) and the irish commissioners being but harshly entertained by this english parlement who intended to send over a deputy that should pinch them more than they were before in their consciences , besides in that they revoked that leave which the king had granted under hand and seale to the spanish ambassadors to have some part of straffords army in ireland ( which were our prime instruments for the rebellion ) to go for spaine , with other incentives , we stird the irish also to rise in bloud , which they did to some purpose . then came we to worke upon the english , whom we found as fit to receive our impression as flax is to take fire , in regard of their long surfet of peace and plenty . we broke up one parlement because most of the members thereof were not for our turn ; the first thing we did in this parlement was to indue them with a faculty to create feares and jealousies whereof we have made excellent use , and although all those feares and jealousies appeare since to the common people , and city of london , more plain than their nose on their faces to be but forgeries , yet we have so infatuated their intellectualls that we make them still adore the iuventors of them . and to give your stygian majestie among divers others one more pregnant and undeniable demonstration what footing you have got you in that island , we have within these few yeares raised more pythonesses ( which the vulgar call witches there ) than ever were in that island since your majesty tempted eve : and we enabled our pythonesses to send their imps abroad in pursuit of your service . we stood at the kings elbo when he passed that happy act of continuance , and and a scot was our cheifest engine to work that ; the city of london stood us also in excellent stead to bring our designes about ; we made the riff-raff of that city , as v. with his myrmydons , and b. with his bandogs ( for so they called the rakells they had raised ) to rabble the king out of town ; we brought also into london the silly swaines of the countrey in whole swarmes upon they knew not what ; vve were in kinton field , and made the youthfull generall of the kings cavalry de gayeté de coeur to pursue the parlements cavalry so far , as the day was lost by it , whereas if he had stuck glose to the infantry the businesse had been dispatch'd then on the kings side , and so your majesties service since had been frustrated ; vve were at marston moore , and made the same generall so impatient that he could not forbeare fighting till the next day , else he had taken all the roundhead army in a pound ; vve took great paines at leycester that the king should not march northward , but fortifie the place and go backe to naseby where we had our imps that bestird themselves notably ; vve so manag'd the businesse afterwards that we made the king , because he is a profest enemy to your majesty , to go disguis'd in a servingmans habit to his countrey-men the scots , and we prevail'd so far with them that they delivered him over as a sacrifice , and betraid him like iudas to the english who have crucified ever since like iewes , by tossing , and tumbling him up and down , and by compulsory meanes to work upon his conscience , and stretching it upon the tenter ; vve made pembrock castle , and colchester , with other single ( or rather simple ) counties to rise of purpose to betray themselves : in summe , we have reduced that kingdom to a new conformity with this of your majesties , to a sweet chaos of all confusion , we have brought the sway solely into the common peoples hands ; and never did common people more truly act the part , and discover the genious of a common people more lively , whose nature is still thursting after novelties and utopian reformations , though they foole themselves thereby into a baser kind of slavery , finding when 't is too late those sprecious idaeas , and confused formes of government they apprehended before , and hugg'd in their own conceits to be meet absurdities , when they come to the application and practice of them . and sir , the most advantagious instruments we have used to bring all this about , have been the pulpit and the presse ; by these we diffus'd those surmises and suppositious feares formerly spoken of , to intoxicate the braines of the people : in stead of lights we put firebrands into their churches , who , as we did dictate unto them , did bawle out nothing but sedition and bloud , we have made some of them to bring divers to have as good an opinion of the alchoran as of their liturgie ; we have made secular ordinances to batter down all ancient ecclesiastick canons ; we have made them to unsaint all those whom they call apostles in heaven , and to rob their churches on earth ; we have made them put division twixt the trinity it self ; we have made their pulpiteers to preach the law and your kingdome in the church , but the gospell and heaven in the chamber ; we have brought them to keep their fast day more solemnly then the sabboth , upon which , we have made them not only to sit in counsell , but to put in execution all designs of bloud . but the main , and most materiall thing we have made use of , was spirituall pride , your majesties old acquaintance , which we have infused into the mind of every mecanique and countrey swaine , who will boldly now undertake to expound any text of scripture , new or ol , dupon the warrant of their owne braines , and by the light of their own fires ; insomuch that we have made that book which they call the bible , that was ordained first for their salvation , to be the chiefest instrument of their damnation vve have brought these exotic words , plundering and storming , which were never known among them before , and that once abominable word , excise , to be now familiar among them , they are made all three free denizons , and legitimated among them ; vve have rais'd an army of the dreggs of the people , though of precious stuffe to your majesty , and so puffed them with the pride of their good successes , and so flesh'd them in bloud , that they are no more tender of a mans or womans life then they are of a dog or a cats ; we have made those that came petitioners for peace to be murthered , and those that came for vvar to be thanked and hugged ; vve have reduced them to such slavery as to make the very countenances of men to be commented upon , and their very thoughts to be plundred ; we have made the mother to betray her child , the child the father , the husband his wife , the servant his master ; vve have brought a perfect tyranny ore their very soules and bodies ; upon the one , by tedious and endlesse imprisonment , with the forfeiture of all their livelihoods before conviction or charge ; upon the other , by forcing them to swallow contradictory oaths . on that foolish superstitious day call'd christmas , with other festivalls , we have brought them to shut up their churches , and open their shops , so that in time they will forget the very memory of their saviours incarnation ; we have brought them to have as little reverence of their temples as of their tap-houses , and to hold the church to be but a charnell-house of rotten bones ; and though they cringe , and knee , and stand bare before any wrangling bench of common pleas , yet we have so stiffned their joints , and made their heads so tender in that which they call gods house , that they can neither bow the one there , nor scarce uncover the other ; we have fil'd lately the tribunals in westminster hall with favourers of your cause , which makes some of them look rather like iuglers than iudges ; we have made the fundamentals of law to be term'd but formalities ; we have caus'd magna charta to be torne to a thousand flitters , and stretched the privilege of the commons so wide , that it hath swallowed up all other ; we have grub'd up and cast away those hopefull plants that grew in their two seminaries of learning , and set in their room grafts of our own choice . and sir , your precious children , and our deare brethren , the angels of the army , have comported themselves notably for the improvement of your majesties service in all these things , into whom we have infus'd such principles that machiavill himself were he alive there , would be accounted a baby in comparison of them . among divers other wholsome maximes , we have instill'd this into their braines , that villanies must be supported by villaines , and mischief cannot be safe but by attempting greater ; we have made the wealth of town and countrey , of poore and rich , to glitter in plunder upon their backs ; we make them to command free-quarter of those who who were fitter to aske them almes ; we have made them to rifle the monuments of the dead , to rob the lazaretto , to strip the orphane and widow , to violate and pillage all things that were dedicated to god ; we have made them wreek their revenge upon the very vegetables , to make socks of surplices , to water their beasts at the font , to feed them on the communion table , and to terme the thing they call a sacrament , a two penny banquet : sir , we have turn'd supposed superstition to absolute prophanesse , government to confusion , and freedome to pure slavery ; we have brought their king to live in a manner upon charity , and his queen to beg of the french friers , and his children to be a kind of runnagates up and downe the world ; we have so intoxicated that deare daughter of yours the city of london , that she knowes not which way to turn her self ; and whereas her apprentices did rise up like tigers against their king , they are now become as so many silly sheepe against our army ; we have puzzled them with such vertiginous fancies and feares among themselves , that one neighbour dare not trust the other . to conclude sir , we have eclips'd the glory of the english nation , we have made them by all people far and near that ever had knowledge of them , to be pittied by some , to be derided by others , to be scorn'd of all , and to become the very taile of all nations ; in fine sir , we have brought that kingdom to such a passe of confusion , that it is a fit place only for your imperial phlegetontic majesty to inhabit ; and sir , there 's never a crosse now there fright you , unlesse it be upon their coines of gold and silver , wheron they leave crosses to be still in honour of your plutonian highnesse , as you are dis , and god of riches . megaera having thus given up her account in behalf of her self and her two sisters , they all bowed their snaky heads down to their feet , which were toed with scorpions , before the black throne of pluto , who giving a humme that made all hell to tremble , answered thus : my pretious and most trusty tartarean daughters , we highly approve of the supererogatory service you have done us for the propagation of the stygian empire upon earth , and specially in great brittany : we have sued a long time to have a lease of that iland ( touching scotland we have no mind to go thither our self ) and we hope to obtaine it ; therefore when you have visited those of that nation whom you have sent hither already to people this p●t , i would have you returne thither , and prepare that place for one of my principall habitations : the proper'st instrument you are to employ , is the army , and you must continue to infuse such principles into their heads , that they never desist till they have quite thrust out religionem ex solo , regem ex solio , and dominium ex salo . nec sic recedant odia , vivaces agat violentus iras animus , & saevus furor eterna bella pace sublata gerat . make rebell to fight against rebell , independant against presbyterian , london against the army , and all against the cavalier , till that nation be wholly extinguish'd , that one may not be left to pisse against a wall ; let them never rest till they have made an end of the king who is our greatest enemy ; let those idolatrous bishops which in that idle legend their gospell are call'd angells , be utterly extirpated , and the very name of them banish'd for ever , as the tarquins were once at rome ; let not a church or chappell , or any consecrated place stand in the whole isle , i intend to have a new almanack of saints made at my comming , for i have some star-gazers there already fit for my purpose ; make haste , for feare a peace be shuffled up on a sudden , and acquit your selves of your duties , and i may chance get you scotland for your reward . the three furies with a most profound reverence replied , may it please your majestie , your ferriman charon is hourely so pester'd with such multitudes of english and scots round-heads , that we were forced to stay a long time ere we could get a passage hither , and we feare we shall be so hindred againe ; therefore we most humbly desire for our expedition , that your highnesse would vouchsafe to give us a speciall warrant to be serv'd first with a non obstante when we come to the bankes of styx . you shall deare daughters , saith pluto , and my warrant shall be adressed to a new journey-man , an english tarpaling that came thither lately to serve charon , upon whom i will lay my commands of purpose to attend you upon all occasions . having all this while listned unto what passed 'twixt pluto and his furies , my spirit lead me up and downe hell to see the various sorts of torments that are there , which indeed are innumerable : the first i beheld was ixion , tied with vipers to a wheele , and whirld about perpetually , i might perceive a multitude of lesser wheeles newly made thereabouts , whereunto great numbers of english , and divers of my acquaintance were bound ; hard by i might discerne a huge company of windmils , and bodies tied with ugly snakes at every wing , turning round perpetually ; a little further there were a great many broken by millstones , who were whirld with them perpetually about ; in another place i might perceive black whirlepooles full of tormented soules turning incessantly about : i asked what might be the reason of so many whirling tortures , my good spirit answered , all these except ixions wheele are new torments appointed for english roundheads , who have destroy'd from foundation to top , all government both of church and state ; and as their brains turn'd round there , after every wind of doctrin , so their souls turn here in perpetuall paines of rotation : a little further i spied prometheus removed thither from caucasis , with a ravenous vulture tearing and feeding upon his liver , which as one part was eaten , renewed presently after , and abundance of new commers were tormented in the same manner , these i was told were english men also that are punished like prometheus , because as he is tortured so for stealing fire from heaven , so those fierie zelots of england would presumptuously pry into the secret , and cabinet counsels of god almighty , and dive into those high points of predestination , election , and reprobation , being not contented sapere ad sobrietatem , but expect ever and anon to have new lights and flashes of illuminations . then came i to the bottomlesse tub which danaus daughters were a filling , a numberlesse company of other such tubs were there , and english women and men were incessantly labouring to fill them up with the stenchy black waters of acheron : those i was told were those over-curious people in england which would be never satisfied with christian knowledge , and had no other devotion then to be alwaies learning and never comming to the truth , as these restlesse fillers never come to the bottome ; then i beheld the most horrid tortures of those giants that would have thust iove out of heaven , and a world of english among them , who partaked of the same punishments , because they had conspired upon earth to dethrone their lawfull king ; not far further i might espie glowing fiery tubs made pulpit like , and i was told they were prepared for those profane and presumptuous mecanicks and other lay men , who use to preach in london , and abuse the sacred oracles of god ; and vzza was not far off tormented there for being so bold with the arke ; a little thereabouts i saw hoopes of iron were made garter-like , of hot glowing steele , these i was told were designed for those perjured knights of st george in england , to weare upon their legs , when they come thither for breaking in the late war that solemn oath they had taken at their instalement , to defend the honour and quarrells , the rights and dignities of their soveraigne ; a little distant i might see divers brasse hoopes glowing with fire , and they were scarfe-like , i was told they were ordained for those knights of the bath to weare for ribbands next their skins when they came thither , for infringing that sacred oath they made at their election , which was , to love their soveraigne above all earthly creatures , and for his right and dignity to live and die ; a little beyond i saw a copper table , with chaires of the same , all candent hot , i was told those were for perjured english privy concellors , who had bro●k their oath to the king , which they took to be true and faithfull servants unto him , and if they knew or understood any manner of thing to be attempted , done , or spoken against his majesties person , honour , crown , or dignity , they swore to let and withstand the same to the uttermost of their power , and cause it to be revealed , either to himself , or any other of his privy councell ; some few paces off i might descry a little round place like a porters lodgeat court with a fane on the top of it , where was a new kind of exquisite torment provided , but i could not discerne it by reason of the smoake ; for once a secretary of state and his son in england , who though they were of differing opinions in every thing else , yet jump'd in this , to destroy their king and countrey ; hard by , i saw a little furnace so candent glowing hot that it look'd of the colour of a rubie or carbuncle , i was told that was to clap in the master of the kings jewell-house when he comes thither , for being so perfidious and so perjurious to his master ; i asked whether there were any other infernall tortures besides fire , yes i was answered , for to speake of fire to a people habituated to a cold clime , were not only to make them to slight hell , but to invite them to come to it ; so my spirit brought me northward a little , and shew'd me a huge lough , where there were frosted mountaines up and down , and i might discover among them a world of blewcaps lying in beds of ice with their noses and toes nipt , the icesicles stucke to their fingers ends like hornes , and a bleak hispid wind blew incessantly upon them , they made the most pitious noise that me thought i heard in all hell ; for they wawld , screechd , and howld out ever and anone this note , weae is me , wea is me , that ever i betrayd my gid king . among all these damned soules , i desired to see what punishment an atheist had : my spirit answered me , there were no athiests in hell at all , they were so on earth before they came hither , and here they sensibly find and acknowledge there is a god by his iustice and iudgement : for there is here paena sensus , and paena damni ; the outward torments you behold is not so grievous as the inferiour regrets and agonies the soules have to have lost heaven , whereof they were once capable , and to be eternally forsaken by their creator ; adde hereunto that they know these torments to be endlesse , easelesse , and remedilesse : besides these qualities that are incident to the damned soules , they have neither patience towards themselves in their owne suffrances , nor pitty towards others , but their nature is so accursed , that they wish their neighbors torments to be greater then their own : besides , their torments never lessen either by tract of time or degree of sence , but they persever alwaies the same ; they are still fresh , and the soule able to beare them . i saw that everlasting villaine who committed the first sacrilege we read of , by burning dianas temple , and his torments were as fresh and violent upon him as they were the first day he was thrown in thither ; iudas was in the same degree and strength of torture as the first moment he fell thither ; iack cade , wat tyler , iack straw kit the tanner did fry there as fresh as they did that instant they were cast thither : amongst whom it made my heart to melt within me to see some of their new-com'd countreymen amongst them , whereof i knew divers : and though society useth to be some solace to men in misery , yet they conceived no comfort at all by these fresh companions . it is high time for us now said my good guiding angell to be gone to the other world , so we directed our course towards the ferry upon styx ; lord , what varities of lurid , and ugly squalid countenances did i behold as i passed ! there was one sort of torment i had not seene before , there were divers that hung by their tongues upon posts up and down ; i asked what they were , answer was made , that they were english divines , and lawyers , who against their knowledge , as well as their consciences , did seduce the ignorant people of england in the late civill warre . a little further i might see abundance of committee-men and others , slopping up drops of moulten lead in lieu of french-barley broath , with a rabble of apprentices sweeping the gutters of hell , with brooms tufted with addars and snakes , because they resorting to the wars , had thereby broke their indentures with their masters , and their oaths of supremacy to their prince . passing then along towards the ferry , a world of hideous shapes presented themselves unto me ; there i saw corroding cares , panick feares , pining grief , lethargy , sleep , ugly rebellion , revengefull malice , snakie discord , and spirituall pride , the sin that first peopled hell : couches of toads , adders , and scorpions in a corner hard by , i ask'd for whom they were prepared , i was answered , for some english evangelizing , anabaptisticall , and legislative ladies , which make writing of notes at sermons , and religion a meere vaile to cover their hypocrisie ; so having me thought by a miraculous providence charm'd cerberus by pointing at him with the signe of the crosse upon the fingers , we passed quietly by him , and being come to the ferry , i found true what pluto had said before , that there was a new english tarpaulin entertained by charon , but he was in a most cruell torture , for his body was covered thicke all over with pitch and tarre , which burnt and flam'd round about him : and here the trance left me . having thus come out of this sad swound , i began by a serious recollection of my self to recall to my thoughts those dismall and dreadfull objects that had appeared unto me ; for though i was in hell i did not taste of lethe all the while , so that i did not forget any thing that i had seen ; all things seem'd to appeare unto me so really , that if i had been of that opinion ( wherof many have been ) that devills are nothing else but the ill affections , the exorbitant passions , and perturbances of the mind , it had been able to have convinced me . the reader may easily imagine what apprehensions of horror these apparitions left in my braine : for as a river being by an inundation swell'd out of her wonted channell leaves along the neighbouring medowes seggs and sands , and much riff-raff stuffe behind her upon her return to her former bed ; so did this extasis , with that deluge of objects wherewith it overwhelm'd my braine , leave behind it blacke sudds , and gastly thoughts with in me , which have done me no hurt i thank god for it , it being a true rule that malum cognitum facilius evitatur : and i wish they may produce the same effects in the reader as they did in the author . vve find in the sacred oracles that dives in his discourse from hell with abraham , wish'd that some body might be sent from the dead to informe and reclaime his brothers upon earth , because the words of a dead man would gaine more credit with them then any others . let the readers of this trance make account that the author was such a one ; for he hath been buried many years , and so let it work within him accordingly . finis . organon salutis an instrument to cleanse the stomach : as also divers new experiments of the virtue of tobacco and coffee, how much they conduce to preserve humane health / by w.r. ... w. r. (walter rumsey), - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing r a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing r a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) organon salutis an instrument to cleanse the stomach : as also divers new experiments of the virtue of tobacco and coffee, how much they conduce to preserve humane health / by w.r. ... w. r. (walter rumsey), - . blount, henry, sir, - . howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed by r. hodgkinsonne for d. pakeman ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. includes letters form henry blount and james howell. eng medicine -- early works to . tobacco -- early works to . coffee -- early works to . a r (wing r a). civilwar no organon salutis. an instrument to cleanse the stomach, as also divers new experiments of the virtue of tobacco and coffee: how much they con w. r c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion organon salutis . an instrument to cleanse the stomach , as also divers new experiments of the virtue of tobacco and coffee : how much they conduce to preserve humane health . by w. r. of grays inne , esq. experto credo . london , printed by r hodgkinsonne , for d. pakeman , living at the rainbow in fleetstreet , neer the inner temple gate , . to the right honourable , henry , lord marquess of dorchester , &c. as apollo among the planets , so , i may say , your lordship is among peers : in the vast firmament of learning you out shine them all : and understanding that , among other scientificall speculations , your lordship hath been addicted to the study of physick ( wherein you have made such an admired progresse , that you have attained , not only the theory , but the practise thereof ) i am bold to dedicate this small piece to your lordship ; wherein there are divers new physicall experiments , for the universall health of mankinde : therefore i presume no discerning reader will adjudge this addresse to be improper . moreover , ther 's another reason that induced me hereunto , which was , that i knew your lordship to have been pleased to admit your self to gray's inne , and make it your musaeum , or place of retirement , ( which i hold to be one of the greatest honours that society ever received ) and being a member thereof my self , i adventured to make this dedication ; for which nevertheless i crave your pardon , and rest , my highly honoured lord , your obedient , and most humble servant , w● . rumsey . to my worshipfull and much honored friend , sir henry blount knight . sir , my miseries ( in matter of my health ) made me in my old age ( being now seventy two yeers old ) to remember what i learned in my youth at school , in reading of tullies office , ( that is ) after taking notice of my own body , to observe what did doe me good , or harm , before i should use the help of physitians : this made me to collect what i have written in this book , for mine own private use . many of my friends urged me to leave the same to be printed for the benefit of others ; which i was loath to doe , in respect it is a novelty , not prescribed by others , untill i understood by you , that it was well accepted in foreign parts by persons of great quality and knowledge , which came by the same relations of yours unto them . i lately understood that your discovery , in your excellent book of travels , hath brought the use of the turkes physick , of cophie in great request in england , whereof i have made use , in another form than is used by boyling of it in turkie , and being less loathsome and troublesome ; wherefore i thought meet to send this book to you , and to referre it to your iudgement , whether it be fit to be published in print . if you let it to passe under your protection , i little care what others speak of it , and rest sir , your loving friend and servant w● . rumsey . the answer of sir henry blount knight , to the preceding letter of his worthy friend iudge rumsey . sir , i present you with many thanks for your excellent physick treatise , and for your favour in the direction of it to me ; but for your printing of it , all mankinde is to give you thanks . for certainly all ages and nations have ever held a gratefull memory of the inventors of any devise or engine , to the publique advantage of humane life : for , as it is the goodnesse of god that gives us life ; so , of all men , they are most subservient to that goodnesse , who help to make that life long and comfortable ; amongst whom this your whalebone instrument will assuredly cause your name to stand . it hath already ( though crept out by stealth ) gained much credit abroad , in forrain countreys ; where i have known persons of eminent quality to hold it in great esteem . and besides the undenyed reputation ( where rightly used ) it gains , in the experience & practise thereof , it cannot in a rationall discourse , but have much preeminence above the usuall way of physick . for doubtlesse mens diseases arise from the stomach ; whose impurities obstruct the passages of life , poysoning and fermenting the whole moisture of mans body , till it becomes like a house which having it vaults and sinks furred up and stopt , soon growes so full of putrifaction and stink as cannot be endured : in which case physitians are like men who should advise to cast into such a house mirrhe , musk , amber-greece , or other pretious stuffe , in hopes to amend the uncleannesse thereof : and to magnifie that course as rationall , they make learned discourses of the drugges and the severall degrees of heat or cold , with their specifique virtues , which countenanced under strange names and authors , prevail to be made tryall of . but at last , when the simple master of the house ( after much fruitless trouble and expence ) finds no effect , but that the corruption and stench is grown more abhominable : then come you with this engine , like some discreet person , who with a broom and a little water , without charge , in half an hours time , makes a cleaner house , than the others , with all their parade , cost , and trouble could ever doe : but as for the two remarkable simples , which you most imploy ; that is tobacco and cophie , a man may guess at their rare efficacie , who observes how universally they take with mankinde , and yet have not the advantage of any pleasing taste wherewith to tempt and debauch our palat , as wine and other such pernicious things have ; for at the first-tobacco is most horrid , and cophie insipid , yet doe they both so generall prevail , that bread it self is not of so universall use . the tartars and arabs , two great nations , have little or no use of bread , yet they , the turks , persians , and most of the eastern world , have hourly use of tobacco and cophie , but especially of cophie : for , besides the innumerable store of cophie houses , there is not a private fire without it all day long : they all acknowledge how it freeth them from crudities , caused by ill dyet , or moist lodging ; insomuch as they , using cophie morning and evening , have no consumptions , which ever come of moisture ; no lethargies in aged people , or rickets in children ; and but few qualmes in women with child ; but especially they hold it of singular prevention against stone and gout . when a turk is sick , he fasts and takes cophie , and if that will not doe , he makes his will , and thinks of no other physick . and as for your way of taking both cophie and tobacco , the rarity of the invention consists in leaving the old way : for the water of the one , and the smoke of the other may be of inconvenience to many ; but your way in both takes in the virtue of the simples , without any additionall mischeif . and as for tobacco , not in smoke , but swallowed down , there is not observed a more sure or sudden remedy for a cough or the stone , amongst all that men have found out . and whereas most medicinall books are usually but bare transcriptions from former writers ; and so nothing but hear-say upon hear say , with monstrous addition of untruth upon untruth , till upon try all not one receipt in an hundred makes good what it promiseth . yours is all of your own constant experience on your self and others ; which in your personall recovery , and healthfull old age , gives a fair pledge to all who please to follow so considerable an example . thus , sir , with my best thanks i present you the love and service of him who is your affectionate friend and servant , henry blount . to his highly esteemed friend and compatriot judge rumsey , upon his provang , or rare pectorall instrument , and his rare experiments of cophie , and tobacco . sir , since i knew the world , i have known divers sorts of instruments : the first that i was acquainted withall , was aristotles organon , or instrument at oxford : another was the great happy instrument at munster : the third was the instrument which was made after the dissolution of the late long parliament ; that in oxford was instrumentum logicae , the instrument of logick ; that in munster was instrumentum pacis , the instrument of peace ; the last was instrumentum politicum , the instrument of policy . now your instrument is most properly called the instrument of health and may take place among the rest . without controversie it was an invention very happily lighted upon , and obligeth all mankinde to give you thanks : for he who findes out any thing conducing to humane health , is the best cosmopolite , the best among the citizens of the world ; health heing the most precious jewel of nature , without which we cannot well discharge our duties to god or man . but indeed there 's no perfection of health in this life , where wee converse with the elements ; the best is a valetudinary kinde of disposition ; and this proceeds from the perpetuall conflict of the humors within us for predomination ▪ which were they equally ballanced , and in peace , methuselah's yeers would be but a short life among us . now this combate , and malignity of the humors ariseth from the stomach ; which , like a boyling pot on the fire , is still boyling within us , and hath much froth ; whence , if the concoction be not very good , there are ilfavoured fumes , and fuliginous evaporations that ascend into the head ; where being distill'd , they descend in catarrhes and defluxions sometimes upon the optiques , and that may be called the gout in the eyes ; if they fall upon the teeth , it may be call'd the gout in the mouth ; if into the hands , 't is chiragra ; if in the hip , sciatica ; if in the knees , gonagra ; if in the feet , podagra . now sir , your instrument serves to take away the grounds of these distempers , by rummaging and scouring the stomach , and make it expectorate that froth , or phlegmy stuffe which lodgeth there , and that in a more gentle manner than any drugge . 't is true that rhubarbe is good against choler , agarick against phlegme , and hellebore against melancholy ; but they use to stirre the humors so violently by their nauseousnesse , that their operation is a sicknesse of it self all the while . your instrument causeth no such thing , nor leaves any lurking dreggs behinde , as drugges use to doe . touching coffee , i concurre with them in opinion , who hold it to be that black broth which was us'd of old in lacedemon , whereof the poets sing ; surely it must needs be salutiferous , because so many sagacious , and the wittiest sort of nations use it so much ; as they who have conversed with shashes and turbants doe well know . but besides the exsiccant quality it hath to dry up the crudities of the stomach , as also to comfort the brain , to fortifie the sight with its steem , and prevent dropsies , gouts , the scurvie , together with the spleen , and hypocondriacall windes ( all which it doth without any violence or distemper at all ) i say , besides all these qualities , 't is found already , that this coffee drink hath caused a greater sobriety among the nations : for whereas formerly apprentices and clerks with others , used to take their mornings draught in ale , beer , or wine , which by the dizziness they cause in the brain , make many unfit for businesse , they use now to play the good-fellows in this wakefull and civill drink : therefore that worthy gentleman , mr. mudiford , who introduced the practise hereof first to london , deserves much respect of the whole nation ▪ concerning tobacco , which the spaniards call la yerva santa , the holy herb ; in regard of the sundry virtues it hath : without doubt'tis also a wholsom vegetal , if rightly applyed , and seasonably taken , it helps concoction , makes one void rhume , break winde , and keeps the body open : a leaf or two steeped in white wine , or beer over night , is a vomit that never fayles ; it is a good companion to sedentary men , and students when they are stupified by long reading or writing , by dissipating those vapours which use to o're-cloud the brain : the smoak of it is passing good against all contagious aires ; in so much that if one takes two or three puffs in the morning , before he goes abroad ▪ there 's no infectious air can fasten upon him ; for it keeps out all other sents , according to the axiome , intus existens prohibet alienum . but sir , i finde that you have made other experiments of these two simples , which though not so gustfull , conduce much to humane health : and touching your provang , or whale-bone instrument , let me tell you , that it hath purchased much repute abroad among forreiners ; in so much that some , in imitation of yours , have found a way to make such an instrument of ductible gold , and you know what a cordiall gold is . i have been told of another kind of new instrument , that will conveniently reach from the mouth , to let in the smoke of tobacco at the fundament , and it hath done much good . certainly there are in natures cabinet , many boxes yet undiscovered ; there are divers mysteries and magnalia's yet unknown ; there be sundry effects which she would produce , but she wants the hand of art to co-operate , and help her , as it were by the way of midwifery : the world must needs confesse that you have done her a great good office herein . so , with my hearty kinde respects unto you , wishing that some happy occasion were offered , whereby i might be instrumentall unto you , i rest , worthy sir , your most affectionate friend and compatriot , james howell . chap. i. the miserable case of mankinde . i. we cannot live without daily food ; and from that food there ariseth not only our nourishment , but also severall superfluous matters following , which are the principall causes of all diseases which cannot be absolutely helped , although much mitigated by any temperate dyet . ii. in the stomach undigested meat , flegme , and evill humors , from whence proceed choler and melancholy , &c. and by consequence the stone , gout , and many other infirmities . iii. also in the stomach , winde ; from whence cometh the wind-cholick , and vapours , which disturb the head , and breed headaches , &c. iv. in the guts , stoppages of wind , and of digested excrements ; which disturb the whole bodie . v. in the uritory passages , stoppages of wind , and all moist things ▪ wherewith we nourish nature ; which breeds the stone and stranguries , &c. vi . in the veins and other parts of the body are corrupt humors , which nature draweth , with the quintessence of our food , for maintenance of the severall parts of the body ; from whence commeth the gout , and infirmities in the eyes , and other parts of the body ; which when strength of nature cannot expell outwardly , then the same returns upon the inward noble parts , to destroy man . vii . excessivenesse of heat and cold in several parts of the body ; which breeds agues and feavers : so that a man cannot easily help the one , without offending the other . viii . when nature , by reason of age , or some other accident , falleth to expell these evills , although physick may do much to take away the enemies of nature , yet the same also taketh away the vitall spirits , to the destruction of man ; so that means must be found , otherwise to doe the same . that in the speaking of my opinion to all these points , i follow the method of my profession in the law , to open and argue my conceit in every part of the case , and cite experiences like judgements thereupon , and leave others to argue the contrary at their pleasure , without any reply , and leave the successe to justifie the truth of what i publish , chap. ii. materialls to be used as remedies for severall occasions following . . a whalebone instrument , wch may be made from two foot in length or more , to a yard long , after this form , to be used for all ages , according to the stature of their bodies . it may be made after the form of a long feather out of a goose wing , with a small button of fine linnen , or silk , to the bignesse of a cherry-stone , fastened at the one end , which goeth into the body , and with a string fastened at the other end , that a man may use it , and draw it out at pleasure . these are commonly sold in london , and especially at the long shops in westminster-hall . if it be kept in water , it will be as gentle as may be desired . it must be stirred gently , and alwayes used after some meat and drink , as any man liketh best , and findeth occasion for a vomit . . electuary of cophy . take equall quantity of butter and sallet-oyle , melt them well together , but not boyle them : then stirre them well that they may incorporate together : then melt therewith three times as much hony , and stirre it well together ▪ then add thereunto powder of turkish cophie , to make it a thick electuary . . infusion of tobacco . take a quarter of a pound of tobacco , and a quart of ale , white-wine , or sider , and three or four spoonfulls of hony , and two pennyworth of mace ; and infusé these by a soft fire , in a close earthen pot , to the consumption of almost the one half : then strain it , and keep it in a close bottle . if it be kept long , then once every week let it be warmed by the fire , to keep it from vinowing . . cordials . bake a pot of apples or pears pared and cored , with houshould bread : then lay a thin laying of hony in the bottome of an earthen pot : lay thereupon a laying of the baked apples , one inch thick : lay thereupon a thin laying of the powder of enulacampane roots , and a little pounded nutmeg , and ginger : lay thereupon ▪ severall layings of hony , baked apples , and powders , as before , to fill the pot . cover the same with paste , and bake the same with houshold bread : quinces , orenges and lemmon pills may be added thereunto , to bake . when the same is so baked , if you mingle therewith rosewater , and sugar pounded , altogether , it will be more pleasant . . oyntments . infuse in a close earthen pot by a soft fire , or boyl in a s●illet , a quarter of a pound of tobacco in a pinte of sallet-oyle or fresh butter , without salt , untill the tobacco grow so brittle , that it may be bruised with the finger : then strain it ; then add thereunto pounded nutmeg and cloves , before it be fully infused ▪ to make it sweet : then strain this and keep it for your use . note , that if it be afterwards melted with burgundie-pi●ch or frankincense , it may be made thicker at pleasure . . suppositers . take equall quantity of frankincense and rosin ; melt them well together ; then add thereunto as much of the said oyntment , as shall leave it to be of a sufficient consistence to be a suppositer , which will quickly be seen by laying it in cold water , and making it into rolls : if it be too soft , melt it again with more frankincense and rosin , and so it may be made softer , with adding more of the said oyntment . rosin only thus used will serve the turn . . plaisters . melt the said suppositers made of rosin and frankincense , with like equall quantities of burgundie or stone pitch and wax , which may then be cast into cold water : then work them in your hands , and make them up into rolls , and use it at your pleasure . you may make them softer or harder , as before . . aliter . also the same may be melted again , whereunto may be added verdigrease to eat dead flesh : also white-lead or red-lead may be used to cool and heal , &c. which i leave to the compounders of plaisters ; but i know by constant experience , that this oyntment and plaisters doe admirable things upon all occasions , as well as any other oyntments or plaisters which are ordinarily sold in the shops . . sinapismus . this mustard plaister is made after severall forms , but for a plain way , take equall quantity of sharp mustard and black ordinary sope , with store of fine pounded pepper to make it thick : if it be in summer you may ad thereunto the pounded leaves of spearwort , which growes in moorish grounds , and pound them altogether , and apply it to the place grieved . the leaves of spearwort pounded will work the like effect : also you may take six cantharides flies , and pound them very fine , and make them to a thick paste with vinegar and leven of bread ; but never use any of these to above the breadth of six pence . although these things be made after a rude and plain manner , yet the same are cheap , and without offence to be used , which i leave to be made more curiously by the apothecaries . chap. iii we cannot live without daily food , and from that food there ariseth not only our nourishment , but also several superfluous matters , following , which are the principall causes of all diseases ; which cannot be absolutely helped , although much mitigated by any temperate diet . . how necessary our food is , every man knoweth ; how it is our portion , and gods goodness in this life , see ecclesiastes cap. . and cap. . and how miserable a mans life is without a good stomach to his meat , see ecclesiasticus cap. . . that from the superfluities of that meat , after the concoction of it in our stomachs , there remains certain superfluous matters , which are like barm upon drink , and froth upon the best boyled meat , is the generall opinion of physitians : and that the same are the principall causes of all diseases , which is plainly set forth ●y gratorolus in his chapter of exercises . . that the increase of these superfluities may be much mitigated by temperate dyet and exercises , as the opinion of all honest and godly men , whereof a man may see good directions in ecclesiasticus , cap. . but how impossible it , is for a man by a strickt diet , although he observes the rules of lesius , to help this evill , a man may read at large in doctor primrose his book of vulgar errors in physick ▪ lib. . cap. . &c. and many learned physitians doe maintain , that there is lesse danger in a little over liberall , than in an over sparing diet ; whereof see hippocrates aphorisms , lib. . aphor. . &c , and rantzovius , and many others maintain the same , and lemnius de occultis in many places maintaineth the same ; in so much that he spendeth a whole chapter to maintain , that after a light breakfast , a man shall be more able to eat a more liberall dinner ; and there is good reason for it ; for that when nature hath no food to feed upon , then it feedeth upon the corrupt humors , which breeds unrecoverable diseases and a generall decay of nature , for want of sustenance . i leave this to every mans age and experience ; but i finde it expedient for all men , rather to eat often sparingly , than to eat much at usuall meals , and especially at supper . chap. iv. in the stomach undigested meat , fleagm and evill humors , from whence proceeds choler and melancholy , &c ▪ and by consequence the stone , and many other infirmities . . tthat after the disposition of the meat in the stomach , there remains part of the meat undigested , it is too well known to moderate surfeiters , and very often to foul and weak stomachs , and to old age : as for the time when the stomach hath disposed of what it can digest , that is after sleep ; so heurinus upon hippocrates aphorismes ; and then a man must look to it , to remedy himself or suffer great evils . . that superfluous matters doe arise after the concoction and digestion of our meat , hath been shewed before , cap. . that those matters are at first flegme , which , being baked with the heat of the stomach , breed choler , &c. and by consequence the stone , is the generall opinion of learned physitians ; and vanthelmont ( a rare late writer ) describeth the same in many places , and sheweth how the humors are not of such severall natures , as they are ordinarily distinguished , but originally are flegme , and then baked to higher degrees , and get other names , as choler , &c. . the seat of these humors are in the stomach , but principally in the mouth of the stomach , which is the principall seat of life , which vanthelmont describeth excellently ; where he saith , that in the stomach , but especially in the mouth thereof , as in the very center point and root , is evidently setled the beginning of life , of digestion of meat , and of the disposition thereof to maintain life , what then soever the philosophers ( or physitians ) did talk or think to be of great moment concerning the heart , whether they will or no , they have made it common to the stomach . . common experience shewes this to be true in very many men , who can neither eat or drink in the morning , but loath the same , and are troubled with waterish humors , but cannot get away the same with all their fasting and physick . . how to avoid these superfluous humors , is our great labour , for otherwise they are the occasions of diseases , as is said before ; and besides that , while they are in the body , they make our bodies like unseasonable vessells , which doe spoyl the good meat which we doe put in our stomachs for our nourishments , so that it cannot be well digested ; which made hippocrates to deliver the aphorismes , lib. . aphor. . corpora impura , &c. that the more sustenance is taken into unpure bodies , the more mischief happens unto them . how far then doe they erre , who having foul dodies , doe endeavour to help themselves with caudles and cordialls before their bodies be cleansed , and made fit to receive the same ? . labour and exercise have been accounted , and are the best ordinary means to wear out these corrupt humors , and to help digestion thereof , for which purpose rantzovius cap. . and grator in his chapter of exercise , have written much out of many authors ; yet for all that it must be with this limitation ( dum vires , &c. ) while youth and strength of body doth last , and before old age come , or the body groweth weak with infirmities : and let a man be never so lusty and strong , yet nevertheless excessivenesse of humors in the body doe often kill the strongest and most laborious men , whereof we have daily many fearfull examples , which made rantzovius , cap. . say well , that the retaining of corrupt meat in the stomach , is a strong destruction of the body ; and cap. . saith , that the plague it self cannot invade that man , who hath not corrupt humors . how farre then doe they erre , who think to weare out these humors by fasting and exercise , when it may be quickly done otherwise , with so little labour and trouble as before , cap n. . and hereafter , n. . &c. i leave it to every mans judgement ? and leave careless men to perish in their own negligent wayes . . lemnius de occultis hath written a whole chapter of the rattle which men have in their throats before they die , and ascribes it to the contractions of the vitall spirits , &c. and so it may be well enough ; for that a mans breath is stopped by flegme and undigested humors , which come from the mouth of the stomach into the throat , as well as an halter doth stop it outwardly . . when all means are tried to avoid both corrupt humors and corrupt meat in the stomach , vomiting of it up is accounted the best means by rantzovius and heurinus , and many learned physitians commend it exceedingly , and say that the egyptians and caldeans used it twice every moneth : and fernelius saith , that it purgeth not only the stomach , but also all the other parts of the body , to the very heart . and finally , that as all evill humors doe come out of the stomach to disturb all parts of the body , by certain secret passages : so if the stomach be made clean by vomiting , the same corrupt humors return into the stomach again by the same passages , to be avoided by the ordinary passages of nature , which otherwise cannot be purged downwards ; whereof a man may read it at large in rantzovius , cap. . and fernelius there , lib. . cap. . and parent his notable book of chyrurgery and physick , and many others . . how dangerous it is to procure vomiting by the ordinary course of physick , i leave it untill you come to the eighth following pointe cap . but how to doe it otherwise with little or no offence or disturbance unto nature , and without observing of any curious diet , or hindrance to a man in his vocations or journeys ; that is my principall labour , for which purpose i shall shew this easie and safe way following . . whether it be in time of health or sickness , whensoever you finde any evill disposition in the stomach , eat a convenient meal of what meat and drink you please , then walk a little while after it : then sit down with your body bending , and thrust the said whalebone instrument into your stomach , stirring it very gently , which will make you vomit ; then drink a good draught of drink , and so use the instrument as oft as you please , but never doe this upon any empty stomach . . to make the stomach more apt to vomit , and to prepare the humors thereunto before you eat and drink , take the bigness of a nutmeg , or more of the said electuary of cophie , &c. into your mouth ; then take drink to drive it down ; then eat and drink , and walk , and use the instrument as before . there may be more or less of the said electuary taken at any time before meat , as a man findes it to be most agreeable to the constitution and strength of his body , without any curious observance of diet or fire , or hindrance for a man to goe or travell about his business . . some may think it strange to procure vomit with this instrument , rather than by physick ; but look upon rantzovius , cap. . and other books , and there you shall finde them , to direct , that if a vomit will not work , you must help the same with putting a feather into the throat ; and many use a rosemary branch : but these things doe not goe into the bottom of the stomach to stir up the humors ( as the whalebone instrument doth ) which i leave to every mans experience . . many objections have been made against this course , which neverthelesse i doe not finde by experience , that the same are of any weight , to alter what is before directed . . as to that which physick books say , that vomiting more often than twice a moneth is dangerous , and may bring a man to an habit of vomiting , and so weaken the stomach , whereunto i doe agree , if it be done by physick , whose opperations are contrary to nature , as fernelius saith . but this way i prescribe is naturall , which may appear in little children who are at nurse , and are never accounted healthy but when they vomit often . also the dog is taught by nature to vomit , and all manner of hawkes cast their castings every morning , otherwise they are not in health . and the councell in ecclesiasticus , cap . doth not extend only unto superfluity of meat , but also to superfluity of humors ▪ and divers old commentators of that place affi●m it , to extend as a councel to help and strengthen weak stomachs . . others say , what good doth the meat when it is vomited up again , and that whosoever doe use it , have not the benefit of nature downwards ? whereunto i say , by experience , that all the meat doth not come up , but part of it , which is in the upper regiment of the stomach , and doth carry with it the corrupt humors of the stomach , which doth swim upon the top of the meat , and nature being eased of that burthen , doth work the residue of the meat more freely downwards , which may be found by experience ; and also nature draweth quickly the quintessence of the meat to the nourishment of the body , to avoid all corrupt humors , so that the body & minde shall be more strong and free for all occasions , and shall be with far lesse trouble , charge , and danger , than to doe the same by physick . . in respect i have spoken so much of vomiting , i will add the opinion of learned fernelius there , where he saith , that if after a vomit , the pulse being full and strong , pleasant sleep commeth easie , and free breathing , a good appetite , and the rest of the body lighter ; then the vomit is commendable , otherwise not , and very hurtfull : i leave the experience hereof to every mans judgement who useth it . . that although by vomiting , as aforesaid , a man shall avoid much thick flegme , yet by the often using of the said electuary of cophie , &c. although a man shall by ordinary coughing avoid great pieces of blew congealed fleagme , which i could not see avoided by any other means . if a man will take a spoonfull of the said infusion of tobacco in his mornings draught of ale or beer , it will add much good for this purpose , without lothsomness or trouble to the body . . lastly , i have often found , that if a man taketh from two spoonfull to twelve , according as a man findeth by experience to be agreeable to his age and constitution , of the said infusion of tobacco , cap. . n. . and drink it in a cup with ale or beer , the same is very good vomit : and divers lately have made the like infusion in posset drink ; but i finde no great difference in the operation thereof . observe when it doth work to drink good store of posset or other drink after it . chap. v. in the stomach wind , from whence commeth the wind-collick and vapours , which disturb the head , and breed head-aches , &c. . the principall cause of wind in the stomach is either undigested meat or undigested humors . clear the stomach with vomiting , as before , and then you shall be clear from wind . . when a man is troubled with wind in the stomach , let him put the instrument into his stomach , as before , a man shall finde great belching , and ease of the wind ; and especially if a man take a little of the said electuary of cophie , as before , before you put in the instrument , and then drink after it , as before , and then use the instrument without stirring of it to procure vomiting . . afterwards eat of the said cordiall made of enulacampane , &c. cap. . n. . which is a plain cheap cordiall , and is admirable good to comfort the stomach upon all occasions . that any cordiall or powders may be added or mingled with this electuary , with very good effect . . because men cannot ordinarily have the said composition , i thought fit to add one thing more , made with great ease , and of admirable use , as well for the wind , as also to dissolve tough flegme and humors in the stomach , as also to comfort the stomach , that is , take enulacampane roots dried , pounded , and sifted , mingle therewith as much sugar as shall please your taste , to take away the bitterness of the roots : then add thereunto a small quantity of pounded nutmeg and ginger : mingle all these together with a sufficient quantity of sallet-oyl , hony , or other pleasant syrope , to the thickness of an electuary . take into your mouth , from the bigness of a nutmeg to the bigness of a figge , every morning or oftner at pleasure ; then drink after it to wash it down , if you please ; but if you will not drink , then this cordiall will lie in the upper part of the stomach , and much comfort the same ; but herein i leave it to every mans observation and experience , to observe what doth best agree with his own body . . i have also found good use of taking a spoonfull of powders of nutmeg and ginger , with a spoonfull of hot waters for that purpose . chap. vi in the guts stoppages of wind , and of digested excrements , which disturb the whole body . . the stoppage of excrements in the guts are the occasion of many evils . gratorolus ▪ fol. . saith , all physitians doe agree , that health is principally preserved with , keeping the body conveniently loose : and let them all say what they will , unless the fore dore and the back dore of the body be kept open , as occasion serveth , the body will be quickly destroyed , with much reluctation and trouble . and how impossible it is to purge downwards , what is not first digested in the stomach , all men know , and authors agree . . this maketh physitians to be so ready upon all occasions , and sickness , to give pills potions , and glisters , &c. which are made of many and costly compositions , and require much observances of dyet , and aire , &c. but in the end breed infinite inconveniences , as may appear hereafter , cap. . . to spare all this cost and curiositie , whosoever will use the said electuary of cophie : and then a man may keep himself conveniently loose at his pleasure . but if a man be desirous for this electuary to work stronger , then one may add thereunto a small quantity of sena epithamum , or rubarb ( which physitians account to be safe physick for old men , children , and women with child . ) and then if a man take a pipe of tobacco in the morning , he shall finde good use thereof . . in respect divers men are loth to take any physick into their mouths , and especially little children are not able , when they are sickly and very pale with wormes , the said suppositers , cap . n. . being taken from the roll , and warmed in a mans hand , or by the fire , and used to what bigness a man pleaseth , but ordinarily to the bignesse of the fore joint of your little finger , and cast it into could water to harden , and after anointed with the said oyle of tobacco , and use it at your pleasure , with good success . although it be not a quick worker , yet the same brings no danger of the piles of ulcers in the fundament , by 〈◊〉 using thereof , as other suppositers doe ( but rather heal the same ▪ in the making of these suppositers , ●e 〈◊〉 and powder of commin seed , may be added to very good purpose for the wind . . if the same be used to little children , it will much conduce for their health , and to avoid wormes , to have their bellies well anointed by the fire with the said oyl of tobacco , when they use these suppositers . . if a man hath not a convenient loose stool , then let him put in another like suppositer presently . this may be used every morning or at any other time , as occasion serveth . . as the suppositers commonly used doe bring the danger of the piles and ulcers , so glisters oftentimes prove very dangerous , by working upwards the clean contrary way , which doctor primrose confefleth : and when a glister will not work , then they must have the help of a suppositer , as wecker confesseth . . in respect i have spoken so much of the use of tobacco , to work upwards and downwards , let a man read doctor primrose , in his book of vulgar errors in physick , who maintaineth the same , and also where he maintaineth , that if a physitian prescribes a vomit or a purge , which works contrary effects , he ought to be blamed , by reason of some inward and unknown causes . and for the admirable use of tobacco taken inwardly , or used outwardly , a man may read many excellent things in wickers antidotary , in so much as he calleth it the panacea , or generall remedy for all diseases and griefs , besides the excessive taking of it in smoak , which i leave to the censure of democritus junior : besides that , it doth over heat the body , and bake the undigested humors in the mouth of the stomach to the destruction of man . chap. vii . in the uritory passages , stoppages of wind , and all moist things , wherewith we nourish nature , which breeds the stone and the strangurie . &c , . as the stone proceedeth from the said corrupt humors , so the vomiting thereof doth much conduce to stay the growing thereof . also if you make a toste of manchet bread , with saletoyle , and then toste it again with hony , and eat it , and drink a good draught of beer or white-wine after it . the constant use hereof is very good to preserve a man from the stone , as i found by many experiences . . i have spoken so much before concerning the means of vomiting and purging , and how much the same doe conduce to preserve a man from the stone , that i need not say any more thereof : yet i must once again , upon certain evidence , say , that the often using of the said electuary of cophie , and tosts , doth exceedingly conduce to the help and cure of the stone ; together with a temperate dyet , but especially at suppers . . i have heard lately from men of good credit , that there is an excellent remedy for the stone in the kidnies , by drinking of the liquor in the tanners pits ; and for the stone in the bladder , by using of the same liquor there with a syringe : which i leave to further experience ; and will not trouble my self with it , while i may drink good ale , &c. and help my self otherwise , as aforesaid . chap. viii . in the veins , and other parts of the body , are corrupt humors , which nature draweth , with the quintessence of our food for maintenance of the several parts of the body ; from whence commeth the gout , and infirmities in the eyes , and other parts of the body ; which when strength of nature cannot expell outwardly , then the same return upon the inward noble parts to destroy man . . that those humors come out of the stomach to the severall parts of the body ; and that those humors return to the stomach again , to be avoided by the ordinary passages of nature , and especially by vomit , doth appear , by that which is before spoken . . the gout is the principall , and reputed unrecoverable disease , which commeth from those humors , and runneth up and down into severall parts of the body , to seek some vent to get out of the body : in which case , although i will not presume to say , that the gout can be absolutely cured , yet i dare say , that it may be much eased , so that a man may live long , without much trouble of that disease . . although vomiting is the principall means to avoid the matter of the gout , as aforesaid ; yet there be other outward means to draw the goutie humor which remaineth in the joynts ; which may stand well with hippocrates his aphorism , where he saith , that where nature swelleth , and offereth to vent it self , there it is to be avoided in convenient places . . many be the wayes and means which are prescribed in physick books : but that which , after many experiences , i found best , is , to apply a sinapismus , or mustard plaster , as before ; and that before and afterwards to apply one of the dropaces , or pitch plaster , as cap. . numb. . which the learned heurinus in his method doth commend exceedingly ; and doth much condemne the neglect thereof ; which he thinketh to be for no other cause , but because it is cheap . . it must be applyed in convenient places , as i cited before out of hippocrates . which places i found to be most convenient , and with lesse offence ( are these , that is ) if the pain be in the feet , between the great and little toes , where the toes doe part : if in the heel or ancle , to the sinews of both sides of the shinne bone , over against the lower part of the calf of the legge : if in the knee or legge , a little below the kneepanne , and , as before , by the calf of the legge : if in the fingers , upon the back of the hand , between the fore-finger , and little-finger , where the fingers part : if in the wrist or arme , to the inner part of the wrist : if in the neck , &c. then to the nape , or hinder part of the neck . . this mustard plaister is to be used in this manner first , a convenient large plaister made of frankincense , pitch &c. as before , is to be applyed to one of the said places for at least six hours ; then make a lesser plaister of about an inch , and not above two inches in breadth , of the said mustard plaister ; and apply it to one of the said places , as occasion shall require : let the same stay there for about eight hours , until the place blister and grow red : then take away the mustard plaister , and lay the other plaister thereupon . if the place doe blister , prick the same , to let out the water . take this plaister from the place applyed , once every twelve hours , or oftener : w●pe the place affected , and plaister , and so continue the same untill the place doth heal . thus i have seen it often used , and never miss admirable effects ; and without this course i have found all to be labour in vain . . although men generally conceive the gout to be only a waterish humor , yet , by the use of the means aforesaid , i have drawn out of the feet and hands , humors of the thicknesse of white of egges ; and when it had stood a quarter of an hour , it grew to be a substance , like leather ; so that i could scarce tear it with the strength of both my hands : which i verily beleeve is the humor which congeals in the hands , and makes crooked and knotty hands . . although this will draw the waterish and salt humors out of the joynts ; yet there is an easie convenient way to draw it out of the stomach , to prevent it from coming to the joynts , ( that is ) take about the bignesse of a nutmeg of the said electuary of cophie , as before , every morning when a man is rising out of his bed : then take into your mouth about an inch in length of the stalk of a tobacco leaf well dryed , and a little cinnamon , to take away the loathsome taste thereof ; which will draw the rhume out of the mouth ; and as it doth moisten , bite it ; and sometimes a little of the juice of it may be let into the stomach ; and then drink some drink to drive it down : this a man may doe while he is putting on of his clothes , and oftener , as a man findeth it to agree with his body , without offence . but tobacco leaves , or the stalkes thereof , undryed are loathsome and troublesome , howsoever the same are prescribed by wecker's antidotaries . i have known some being troubled with the pox , have received great benefit by often drawing of waterish humors with tobacco , &c. as before : but i leave them to mother cornelius tub. . i doe know that there are infinite numbers of bathes and pultices prescribed for the gout ; but i have often found , that boyled turnips made to a pultice , and the water wherein they were boyled for a bathe , will serve as well as any others . look more thereof chap. . numb. . the end thereof . . also i have found a very good pultice , by beating of the white of egges to a froth ; and then to mingle therewith ordinary soap , and apply it to the grieved place . but if any skinne be broken it will burn , unlesse one of the pitch plaisters be laid on the place under the pultice . . also if there be any swelling or heat , after these plaisters , take greene hemlock and vinegar pounded to green sauce , and binde it to the place , or lay the leaves of burres under the said pitch plaister , to the place grieved . . he that will not use these means to draw the humos out of the body , but repercussive means to drive the same back into his body , may shorten his dayes , and breed many diseases , as i have known it to happen often times . . also the malignancy of these humors may be known by this ; for by the said application for the gout i have often seen , that besides abundance of waterish humors , and thick humors drawn out , as aforesaid , of severall parts of the body , but especially out of the knees , there came out thence an excessive heat , with much smoak , as if it were out of a boyling pot . chap. ix . excessivenesse of heat and cold in severall parts of the body , which breeds agues and feavers ; so that a man cannot easily help the one , without offending of the other . . this is a strange thing , but commonly seen , as in agues , when a man hath sometimes an hot fit , and sometimes a cold fit , with little intermission of times . and men commonly complain that they have a hot liver and a cold stomach . doctor primrose hath handled this question among the vulgar errors in physick ; and makes it plain , that although the liver be alwaies hot of it self , which over heateth the bottom of the stomach ; yet the stomach is cold by accident , by reason of the noisome humors , like barm or froth , which come into the uppermost part of the stomach , by evill digestion . . there be many julips and curious medicines prescribed by physitians to remedy this evill ; and especially in burning feavers ; and these are of great use . but to spare much trouble herein , in hot diseases , and upon surfeits , let a man drink oftentimes great store of cold water , and eat a convenient quantity of broth , bread , and butter , and cheese , and then vomit with the whalebone instrument , as before . a man shall thereby avoid the corrupt humors in the stomach ; and then a man shall quickly avoid these infirmities , and bring the body to a good temper ; after which a man may drink strong drink , and wine , &c. with little offence . . i have known so much good done to all men of all ages , who would first in the morning drink at least half a pinte of cold water ; whereunto sugar may be added , together with the juice of oranges and lemmons , to make it pleasant . that i must say , that i never found any thing of more use for the health of man ; but i am afraid i labour in vain , in respect that most men doe abhorre it , as present poyson ( as doctor primrose saith , ) yet he sheweth the excellency thereof , by many experiences , and the authorities of many ancient and modern learned authors . for all this i have found many doctors of physick ( with whom i have conferred hereof ) to speak much against it ; whereat i doe not much marvail ; for that , if that be practised , which i have alledged in this chapter , there will be little use to be made of their physick , and of the shopps of the apothecaries . . i must adde one thing more for the use of good fellows , who use much drinking , &c. let them first drink cold water , as before , to cool their liver , and bottome of their stomachs : then the drinking of strong drink , &c. will comfort the upper part of their stomachs ; and much hinder the vapours , which fume up to their heads , from the excessive heat of their stomachs : and their drinking of water after the taking of tobacco is very good . . i have known divers men doe swallow small white pibble stones , to cool the heat of their stomachs ; which i conceive to be in imitation of long winged hawks : i have used the same my self , and they doe passe thorough a man downwards ; but i found little benefit thereby . . i have known others that used to swallow small bullets of lead ; which giveth me occasion to report a strange history , which i know to be true . an old souldier , and a commander in queen elizabeth's time , in the low countries , was drinking of healthes amongst his companions , and at every health he did drink a pistoll bullet , to the number of eighteen ; which continued in his belly for neer the space of two years , with much pain and grief : he acquainted a physition with this case , who did hang the souldier by the heels , by a beam in the chamber ; and then all the bullets dropped out of his mouth again ; but the same were somewhat worn in his belly . this souldier is yet living , and in good health , and about fourscore and ten years of age . . i have spoken so much of the cooling of the stomach , that it may be expected i should write somewhat of warming of cold stomachs : but i finde every man so ready to take tobacco , and to drink wines , and strong drinks , that i need say no more thereof ; but , as i have said before , so i say still , keepe the stomach clean , with the said whalebone instrument , when you finde any disturbance or loathsomnesse therein : and keep the lower parts conveniently loose , with the said suppositers : and draw out the humors which trouble the outward parts , with the said plaisters , &c. and keep the body in a temperate heat , as before ; and avoid intemperancy in dyet ; then there will be little use of physick . chap. x. when nature by reason of age , or some other accident , faileth to expell these evils , although physick may doe much to take away the enemies of nature , yet the same also taketh away the vitall spirits , to the destruction of man ; so that means must be found otherwise to doe the same . . i know divers have carpt exceedingly against all physitians , and their whole profession and medicines , whereof a man may read much in cornelius agrippa , de vanitate scientiarum , and democritus iunior , and many others cited by him , and the late booke of mr. biggs , intituled , the vanity of the craft of physick . but i much honour and admire the skill and knowledge of such of them as are honest and learned . . as for emporiques , mountebanks , quacksalvers , and the like , every place is too full of them , which will cure all diseases with one antidote . dr. primrose hath well discovered the errors of the people concerning them , &c. . that the common course of purgative physick is dangerous , by reason of the venemous qualities of the medicines , appeareth by that which is said before , and by the authority of fernelius and rantzovius , and all modest physitians : and the often use thereof is very inconvenient , as those authors , and doctor primrose ingeniously confesse : and that when ordinary physick faileth , the best way is to leave the patient to god and nature . . what infinite number of medicines , and what strange compositions are for every disease , & with what costly materials the same are made , every man may see in weckerus his antidotarium basiliense , and divers others dispensatories ; besides a great deal of curious observations must be used at the taking thereof . . what diversities of opinions there are about the compounding and administring of these medicines , and the ordering of the patient to use them , whether they be naturall things , after the form of the galenists , or chimicall , after the prescripts of the paracelsians ; or mixt , as doctor primrose , and the wiser sort conceived , there are as many controversies amongst them , as there were ever between the pope and luther , about matters of religion . then what shall the poor sick patient doe , especially , if there be a colledge of such physitians called to consult about this desperate case , but stand quaking like a poor condemned prisoner at the barre , expecting to have his finall judgement , to be sent to the place of execution . chap. xi . additions of severall intervenient remedies for most parts of the body . . for scabs and lice in the head , rub the scabby place with the said infusion of tobacco . . for sore or decaying eyes , take fine linnen clothes , and moisten them in the said infusion of tobacco , and binde them to your eyes , as you are going to bed , for the space of five or six nights , one after the other . i have known very many , who were almost blinde , cured in a short space by this means ; and never any missed . . there happened a strange cure to a servant of mine , who was stark blinde for three quarters of a year , which i thought meet to discover . as he was led by his wife ( a poor woman ) wished her to breath often in the morning fasting in both his eyes by turns , one after the other , which she did accordingly ; this made him to have a great itch in his eyes , which made him rub his eyes often , and with his nayles he drew some slime out of his eyes ; so that at three dayes end he began to see , and shortly after he perfectly recovered his eye-sight . this was about twenty yeers past , and he is now perfectly well and of . yeers of age . . if a man will take a linnen ragge , or brown paper , and moisten it in the said infusion of tobacco , and put it in his nose , & draw his breath upwards , it will purge the head and eyes ; and if there be any ulcers , in the nose ( as most men have , who are troubled with the poxe ) it will much help them . . if a man doth bleed over much at the nose , let a man stand behinde the party troubled , and with both his thumbs presse hard both sides of the upper part of the back-bone upon the neck , it will presently stopp the blood . . for deafnesse and noyse in the eares , drop the said oyle of tobacco cap. . n. . into the eares often , but especially at your going to bed : stop them with a paste made of figgs and mustard ▪ seed pounded , and sifted , and mingled with the said oyle , which being used without the oyle will be troublesome ; and be sure to keep your eares very warm with a cap. . although i doe not know any present cure for the toothache ; yet i say , that whosoever will use the stalks of tobacco as before , it will doe him much good , and be a great occasion to fasten the teeth : also if the said sinapismus , and pitch plaister be applyed behinde the lower part of the eare , it will doe much good . . the headache commeth principally from the fumes of the stomach , whosoever will cleer the stomack as before , but especially use to drink water in the mornings , and before meals as before , it will be a principall means to keep a man from the head-ache . . he who will use to drink cold water as before , it will preserve him from the toad-evill , and especiallly before drinking of wine , &c. and then wine and stronge drinks will be lesse offensive to a man . . i know some that have lain sick of the small-pox , and their breath almost stopped ; yet by the use of the whalebone-instrument , as before the blisters of the pox were broken in the throat , and they vomitted and were cured . . one was in a deep consumption , and when all physick failed , by using the whalebone-instrument as before , there was an imposthume broken in the stomach , and the party perfectly cured , after many physitians had given him over . . it often happens that men have great i che in bones close by the throat , and in the ▪ upper part of the back-bone by the neck , and sometimes lice come out of the same , if the said pitch-plaisters be applyed thereunto , it will draw much water therehence , and cure the same . . i have seen wennes in the throat , and the kings-evill often cured , with the application of the said pitch-plaister , mingled with verdigrease without breaking the skinne . . i have known many children very sick of the worms , unto whom some of the infusion of tobacco was given in drink , and their bellyes were annoynted with the said oyle of tobacco , holding them to the fire , and then using the said suppositers , whereby they avoyded great store of worms and were perfectly cured . . for the winde in the stomach , look before cap. . but for the winde in the guts , the said suppositers mingled with powdered cummin-seed , is an admirable remedy for it . . it is a common evill to old age to have weake knees , especially when men doe ride in cold weather : for remedy whereof let a man have a plaister made of the said pitch-plaister , applyed to cover the pans of both knees , and continued , which will doe very much good . . it is a common evill to have ulcers and caukers in leggs , especially in old age , for remedy whereof , keep the stomach clean as before , and the using of the tobacco stalks as before , will doe much good : but for outward applications , let linnen cloth be made wet in the said infusion of tobacco , and apply it to the sore place : i have known some have the flesh consumed from the bones , and the bones scraped with a knife , and being very old , yet cured by this means , and the flesh restored again . . for the gout in the feet , i refer it to what hath been spoken before : but for a common pain which men have in the bottome of their feet , whether they have the gout or no , let a man lay to the sore place one of the said pitch-plaisters , and then put in his shoes the warm water wherein powder beef , or cow-heels were boyled , or tobacco and ale or urine well boyled , and wherein store of bay-salt is dissolved , and let him walk as well as he can , he shall finde very much good ; so that the shoes be big and large : i have seen more by the using hereof ; than by any baths or oyntments , or any other outward means , saving the drawing out of the humor as aforesaid . cap. . . some may question , whether the having of the gout , be a great means to cure all diseases : i will not presume to decide the question , but say , that i have found much benefit thereby , with little trouble , and leave every man to his own sense ; for whereas i had preserved my self from the gout , for above one yeer , partly by repercussive medicines in my shoes , and partly by attractive remedies in drawing the humors into my mouth as before : in the end i had a great noyse and deafness in my eares , pains , and strange dreams in my sleep , much disturbance in my stomach , great heat and itching over all my body , &c. but when the gout came again upon me , i was cleered from all these evills ; so that i might say , ( silentia cuncta tranquilla sunt omnia ) saving , that when i had the gout again , i did quickly and easily rid my self thereof , by drawing out the humors as i have before declared , which makes me believe that these humors were vented from all parts of the body , as men doe usually draine quagmires . . lastly , seeing i have spoken so much of this disease of the gout , to be a generall cure , for all other diseases , i think meet to add somewhat concerning what dyet a man should use , when he hath the gout . before a man hath the gout , a temperate dyet is best to preserve a man from it , but especially ▪ to avoyd the moderate use of strong sharp drinks and wines , hot spices , salt meats , tobacco , &c. but when a man hath the gout , and is desirous to be rid thereof quickly , a man may make a more liberall use of these things , which will urge nature to make more speedy vent , of the corrupt humors , from all parts of the body , into some outward part of the body , to be drawn out by outward applications as aforesaid , this may seem to be a paradex but constant experience hath made me to presume to write so much : and then whether it be better to endure a little pain and labor for a short time , which bringeth so much good to all the body , and as i conceive prolongeth health , or to leave the body to be continually troubled with languishing diseases , and to run up and down to the bathe , physitians , and apochecaries , to their great charge and expence , i leave it to every mans judgement ; and for a mans better satisfaction herein , he may read the witty & eloquent apologie of learned rilibaldus in praise of the gout . thus i have made an end , of shewing a great part of the miserable case of mens bodies , which comes to them by unavoydable course of nature , with shewing my well wishes to remedy the same , hoping that this may move some honest and learned physitians to make more additions of more artificiall medicines thereunto , for relieving of mens miseries in those cases : but i am afraid of another greater misery , spoken of by the learned physitian in his preface gratorolus , wherein he doth much lament the miserable negligence of mankinde , who never ▪ thinks of the preserving of health untill it be too late , after the losse thereof : and for my part i shall end with that honest wish ( optandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano ) that in every man there may be an honest and sound soul in a sound body : and so we shall all make a good end . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- note . notes for div a e- note . notes for div a e- . point . notes for div a e- . point . vomiting . remedy ▪ instrument . ☞ ☞ notes for div a e- . point . note . notes for div a e- . point . note . notes for div a e- . point . notes for div a e- . point . note . notes for div a e- . point . notes for div a e- . point . notes for div a e- . point . head . eyes . nose . eares . teeth . head-ache . throat . belly and guts , &c. winde . knees and leggs . leggs . feet . conclusion . paroimiographia proverbs, or, old sayed savves & adages in english (or the saxon toung), italian, french, and spanish, whereunto the british for their great antiquity and weight are added ... / collected by j.h., esqr. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : b, : , : b) paroimiographia proverbs, or, old sayed savves & adages in english (or the saxon toung), italian, french, and spanish, whereunto the british for their great antiquity and weight are added ... / collected by j.h., esqr. howell, james, ?- . [ ] p., [ ] leaf of plates : ill. printed by j.g., london : . collected by james howell. cf. wing. title transliterated from greek. included on reels and as part of howell's lexicon tetraglotton : an english-french-italian-spanish dictionary. imperfect: film lacks plate. reproduction of original in huntington library and harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng proverbs, english. proverbs, italian. proverbs, french. proverbs, spanish. proverbs, portuguese. proverbs, catalan. proverbs, galician. proverbs, welsh. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - ben griffin sampled and proofread - ben griffin text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion of proverbs or adages . the peeples voice , the voice of god we call , and what are proverbs but the peeples voice ? coin'd first , and current made by common choice , then sure they must have weight and truth withall . they are a publick heritage entayld on every nation , or like hireloomes nayld , which passe from sire to son , and so from son down to the granchild till the world be done ; they are free-denisons by long descent , without the grace of prince or parlement , the truest commoners , and inmate guests , we fetch them from the nurse and mothers brests ; they can prescription plead gainst king or crown , and need no affidavit but their own . vvee thought it then well worth the pains , and cost , to muster up these ancients in one host , which here like furbishd medalls we present to all that breath in christendom and kent . j. h. ΠΑΡΟΙΜΙΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ . proverbs , or , old sayed savves & adages , in english ( or the saxon toung ) italian , french and spanish whereunto the british , for their great antiquity , and weight are added . which proverbs are either moral , relating to good life ; physical , relating to diet , and health ; topical , relating to particular places ; temporal , relating to seasons ; or or ironical , relating to raillery , and mirth , &c. collected by i. h. esq r. senesco , non segnesco . london , printed by j. g. . to the glorious i le of great britain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . renowned albion , nature's choice delight , neptune's chief care , and arsenall of might , vvhich in thy watry orb dost sparkling lye as cinthia shines in the cerulean sky ; or as the tortoise in her circling shell dost live secure within thy rocky cell a vvorld within thy self , fit to defend thine own , and fit no further to extend , yet with thy winged coursers dost give law unto the ocean , and his surges awe , the baltic waves , and hyperborean , the vast atlantic , euxin , indian , the adriatic , tyrrhen , hellespont , the white , the black , the redd all seas are wont to do thee homage , and rich tributes bring unto thy thames by way of offering , vvhich makes civilians hold that thy sea-bounds reach to the shoares of all thy neighbours round ; to thee , triumphant i le , i do addresse this work of oyl and toyl , be patronesse of thy own toung , which here 'twixt columns strong throughout a massy fabrick all along goes in the van of europe's noblest toungs , though they want somwhat of her nerfs and lungs . to my highest honored lord , mountague , earl of lindzey , lord great chamberlain of england , &c. at grimsthorp . my lord , i have heard the english toung often traduc'd abroad , that , whereas the witt and wisedom of a nation is much discernd in their proverbiall speeches , the english is more barren in this kind then other languages ; to take off this aspersion , and rectifie the opinion of the world herein , was one of the main motifs that induced me to impose this ( no easie ) taske upon my self of collecting and publishing these english proverbs , or old sayed-sawes and adages , which i dare say , have as much witt , significance and salt in them as any of the other languages that follow . some of them may be said to be as old as pauls steeple ; and we live in those destructive fatall times , that are like to verifie a very ancient proverb of that stately temple ( the greatest ornament london ever had ) viz. pauls cannot alwayes stand , alluding to the lubricity of all sublunary things . 't is confessed that other languages are fuller of them , specially the italian , whereof signior florio ( who deserved so much of the english nation , by his dialogs and dictionary , ( specially this last which is more compleat ) hath published about six thousand , and divers of them are allowed to be bald being so old . now touching the patronage of these antient free denisons , and franklins of england ( for so proverbs may be called , ) it may , under favour , well become your lordship , in regard you make one of the most eminent part of the nation , if one look upon your numerous and noble family , whereof the late addition of your son , james , lord norris , that hopefull bud of honor , is none of the least . but , my lord , besides the premises , there was another main reson did prompt me to this dedicatory addresse , which was , that late posterity ( for proverbs are long-liv'd ) as well as the present age , may find it upon record , how much i was your servant for so many noble favors of sundry kinds , so that i may say you do herein as in all things else , truly patrizare with my lord your father , in whose favor i had the happinesse to live many years , that noble hero , who having received some mortal wounds upon the true stage of honor , as he commanded in chief a royall army , you did preserve him for the time ( though with the apparant hazard of your life and liberty ) from the fury of the firing enemy . so with my hearty prayers to heaven for an affluence of all felicities upon you and yours , most humbly desiring to live still in your good opinion and favor , ( which i account one of the greatest contentments of my life ) i rest , my highest honored lord , your obedient , and ever obliged servant , while jam howell . to the tru philologer , touching the english ( or saxon ) with the three sororian toungs , french , italian and spanish ; of their originalls , their growth , their changes , interpolations and present consistence , &c. whatsoever is comprehended within the vast volumes of nature , or paprehended by human understanding , may be divided to things , ro words ; this small division , though it consist but of two monosyllables , is adaequat to the whole univers , and extends to whatsoever hath existence or essence within trismegistus circle , nor doth it terminat there , but it mounts up to the empyrean heven , to the celestiall hierarchy , nay , it reacheth to chymeras , and such idaeas that have no other subsistence but only in the imagination ; the first , viz. things by mediation of accidents are the object of sense , the second , viz. words by the mediation of sense are the objects of the intellect , for if we give credit to the philosopher , nihil est in intellectu , quod non prius fuit sub sensu : words may be said to be the meer cretures of the mind , they are the purest emanations of the soul , her interpreters , her chiefest agents , and engines to knock down falshood , and assert truth , by them she useth to make her sallies abroad , and shew nature the difference that is twixt brute animals and the rationall creture , who hath the sole prerogative of cutting the air into articulat sounds , by them we suck in all knowledg , for as syllables are made of letters , words of syllables , and speech of words , so speech turns to notions , notions to knowledg , and knowledg to speculation , which is pabulum animae , the food and nectar of the soul , now , these speculations in the cells of the brain without utterance of speech , are like rich wines barell'd up without bung or vent . moreover , observable it is , that , as after the creation one of the chiefest benedictions which it pleas'd god to confer upon man , was a faculty to impose words , and call all cretures by their names , which were signatures at first of their natures , ( nor only so but some words have whole histories in them ) so after the great work of redemption , the prime and most miraculous blessing which dropped down from heven upon the holy apostles was the gift of speaking many languages for the propagation of that soul-saving knowledg of christian faith ; yet , though we read that the speaking of many toungs was a benedicton in the new testament , we read as well that it proved a malediction in the old , when the swelling extravagant fancies of man thinking to have made morter and stone to have touched heven , this foolish towring presumption was battered down by a multiplicity , and confusion of toungs , which hath prov'd a kind of curse ever since , for how much would it add to the happines of mankind in point of attaining reall knowledg , as also for mutuall society , negotiation and commerce , nay , to the advantage of religion it self , if there were but one language spoken upon both the hemispheres of the earth as was at first , for then that time we spend now in learning of words , which are but air , might be employed in realities . at the beginning , as antiquaries tell us , that multiplicity of toungs encreas'd from one to seventy , but now it may be well sayed , and sayed within compas , that they are multiplied to seventy times seventy , if we take in all dialects , and sub-dialects , whereof asia long since did so abound , that of those two and twenty toungs which mithridates king of pontus is so much fam'd to have spoken , most of them were dialects , and that upon no great tract of earth , for 't was not the fourth part of asia . but in the new-found world in america , 'ts wonderfull what is reported ; for in that vast continent , which is thought to be of as large expansion as the other three , observing travellers have related , that one cannot crosse a mountain , wood or river of any bignes , but the inhabitants on both sides have a differing dialect , and idiom of speech . touching europe , glottographers tell us ( as you shall find it more amply in a book calld epistolae hoelianae ) that she hath eleven originall , independent , and mother-toungs , wherof the teutonic or high-dutch , and the latin are two ; the english or saxon ( for ther 's no other name for it in welsh and irish to this day ) is a dialect , or rather a sub-dialect of the first ; the italian , spanish , and french toungs are dialects of the latter , which may be expressd in these hexameters . anglica teutonicae proles comptissima linguae : gallica lingua nihil nisi linguae squama latinae ; lingua hispana nihil nisi linguae squama latinae ; itala lingua nihil nisi linguae squama latinae . let not these three noble languages take it for a disparagement that this word squama is applied unto them , for the chymist will tell them that squama is the flower of metalls as well as the parings , &c. the englishman is high-dutch capapie from top to toe go to the parts of his body inward and outward , together with his coverings and clothes ; he is dutch in drinking , in eating , at bed and at board , by sea also and by land when he steers a ship or drives the plough , in his nombers , in the dayes of the week , in his kindred , in the church and holy things he is dutch , &c. but in hawking , in hunting , in heraldry , in fencing , in riding , in painting , in dancing , in music , in aires he is all french ; insomuch that it cannot be denied but if the english toung shold repay unto the dutch , and french all she ows , she wold prove a stark bankrupt , and be as bare as esops crow . nor is it any derogation for the english language to be descended of the high-dutch , or teutonic , which is so ancient a maternall toung , that becanus thinks t was the language of paradis , and the italian did merrily twitt him in that opinion when he sayed , that t was the toung wherein adam was cast out thence , being a rough and cartalaginous or boany speech in regard of the collision of so many consonants , that if a man were to be worded to death , or stoned to death by words , the high-dutch ( or pole ) were the fittest ; some draw the pedigree thus , the english came of the saxon , the saxon of the dutch , the dutch of the slavonick , the slavonick of the persian , the persian of the caldaic , and the caldaic of the hebrew . so much touching the originall , now , touching the growth and changes of the english toung from time to time , i shall take the dominicall prayer for my instance as it was spoken nine hundred years ago , as that sagacious , and sedulous antiquary mr. cambden hath it , which prayer ran then as followeth , and is here compared verbatim with the present english. uren fader thic arth in heofnas , ( our father which art heaven ) sic gehalgud thin noma ( be hallowed thy name ) to cometh thin ric , ( come thy kingdom ) sic thin willa sue is in heofnas , and in eortho , ( be thy will so as in heaven , and in earth ) uren hlaf ofer wirtlic sel us to daeg , ( our loaf superstantiall give us to day . ) and forgef us scylda urna , ( and forgive us our debts ) sue we forgefan scyldgum urum ( as we forgive debts ours ) and no inlead usith in costnung ( and not lead us into temptation ) ah gefrig urich from ifle ( but deliver us from evill . ) this was found among the records of eadfride bishop of lindiffarne or the holy iland , translated afterwards to durham , and it was in the yeer . before the holy scriptures were divided to chapters , for stephen langton archbishop of canterbury did that first , and robert stephen long after did subdivide them into verses ; but about two hundred years after the lords prayer ran thus ; thu ure fader the eart heofenum , si thin nama gehalgod , cum thin ric , gewarth thin willa on eorthan swu swa on heofenum , syle us to deg um dethanglican hlaf ( or daily bread ) and forgif us ure gyltas ( trespasses ) swa we forgifath urun gyltendun , ( our trespassers ) and ne led the us on costnung ( temptation ) ac alys us from yfle , si it swa ( so be it . ) about . yeers after , in the raign of henry the second the dominical prayer was thus , as it was sent by adrian the fourth ( who was an englishman born , whose name was breckspeare as i take it ) and it ran in rime because the common people might retain it the better . ure fader in heaven rich thy name be halyed ever lich , thou bring us thy michell blisse , al 's hit in heaven y doe , evar in yearth beene it also . that holy bread that lasteth aye , thou send it ous this ilke day , forgive ous all that we have done , as we forgivet uch other mon , ne lett us fall into no founding , ac shield ous fro the fowle thing . amen . about two hundred yeers after , in the reign of richard the second , it came to be thus , according to the translation of wickliffe ; our fader that art in heaven , hallowed be thy name , thy kingdom com to , be thy will done so in heaven as in earth , gif to us this day our bread over other substance , and forgive us our dettes as we forgeven our detters , and leed us not into temptation , but deliver us from evill , amen . in this translation we find that ther are some french words crepd in , as dettis , detters , temptation , deliver . touching the refinings , interpolation and enrichments which the english toung hath receavd from time to time , it is to be considered that languages as well as other notions of the mind use to proceed to a perfection by certain degrees ; the latin toung remaind in a kind of barbarisme nere upon . yeers till caesar , cicero , salust and others did refine her , and brought her to that purity we now read her in ; so did her daughters the italian , french and spanish till the first was refined by dante , petrarca with boccace ( his scholler , ) and ariosto ; the french began to be polishd in the reign of philip de valois , marot did something under francis the first , but ronsard under henry the second did more then both . now the english came to that perfection , and fullnes that she is now arrivd unto , by adopting to herself the choicest , best sounding , and significanst words of other languages , which in tract of time were enfranchizd , and made free denizons as it were of england by a kind of naturalization , but she hath more of the french then of any other because of the norman conquest , insomuch that for the speaking of eloquent english 't is a great advantage to understand french , whence she hath her gentilest words , which was the ground of the old proverb iack wold be a gentleman could he speak french ; therefore though the root of the english language be dutch , yet she may be sayed to have bin inoculated afterwards upon a french stock , and she thrive so well that she did reingraffe upon divers words , as chiefly upon chief , faulty upon fault , precisenes upon precise , ( which are not found in french ) with a great nomber more ; but som critiques observe that she takes the liberty to altar sometimes the sense of the words which she borrows ; as she useth crank for being lively and well , whereas 't is sick in dutch , she useth bid to require or command , whereas in dutch t is to pray or entreat , she useth rogue for a rascall &c. whereas in french t is used for a bragger or highminded man ; she useth nice for unwilling or averse , whereas t is idle in french with divers besides ; moreover they tax her that she wants single words for sundry things which she expresseth by way of paraphrase , as an old man , a woman with child , a looking glasse , a peece of bread and butter , &c for which there are single words in other toungs , yet for som things she hath differing proper words which others want , as the italian and spaniards have no toes but fingars on their feet , nor can all france , italy , or spain find a word for a smock though they all three love it well enough . nor doth the english language enfranchize french words only , but divers choice expressive words from the italian , and spaniard with others , insomuch that she may be sayed to be dutch embrodered with french and other toungs , or she may be sayed to be like one that garhers sweet flowers out of divers banks , and beds to make a nosegay ; but t is a thing that gravells all antiquaries how so many greek words shold be found in the english toung , being the same both for sense and signification , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , rain , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i call , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grasse , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a door , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foul , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whole , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 new , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to kisse with a great many more : the probablest reason that may be given for this , is that the greek being a great mercantile toung , and the most spacious for trading in times passd of any on earth , som of that nation for traffique sake migh come here or to saxony , and not many ages since there was a colony of grecians in marseilles in france and another in calabria in italy . by these applications and borrowings of choice exotic words the english may be sayed to be one of the most copious languages on earth , nor in point of native eloquence as for allegories , tropes , agnominations , metaphors and rhe constant poursuit of them doth she yield to any , as also for soundnes and strength of poeticall fancyes , so strong , that the soft melting phrases of other toungs are too weak to gird them about . concerning the originall of the french-toung t is taken pro confesso by all , that she is sprung of the latin while rome kept three and twenty legions of roman soldiers many ages within her bowels , who with the countrey may be sayed to have conquerd the language also which was calld the old celtique , and is thought to be the same that the remnant of the old britains now speak in wales ; touching the changes which the french toung hath receivd , ther be divers instances producd in my epistle to the reder before cotgraves dictionary ; she hath divers dialects as the gascon , picard , provensall , that of iersey , guernsey , and low normandy , that of liege , and the walloon who calls it romand , as the spaniard calls his romance ; and considering the ayrie and volatil humor of that nation it is to be wondred that their language did receive no more changes , ther having bin so many externall causes that concurrd thereunto , as the continuance and coalition of the english so long among them , the voyages that six of their kings made to the holy land , the warrs , and weddings , with their neighbours and the great company of strangers that kept still in the queens court ; but at this time the french is arrivd to a great pitch of perfection , purity and sweetnes ; ther was a contest not long agoe which spoke the best french , the kings court , the university , or the lawyers , and the courtier carried it , the other two savouring the one of pedantery , the other of chicanery or sophistry . touching the italian toung she may be calld the topbranch or eldest daughter of the latin , and she resembleth her mother more then the other two , which made king iames say that the italian was nothing els but the dative and ablative cases of the latin ; she is held the smoothest , the civillst , and charmingst vulgar toung of europe ; for the first , she hath not one word that ends with a consonant throughout the whole body of the language , unlesse it be som small monosyllable praepositions and conjunctions , which makes her the more fluent , and smooth , this made the german , for retorting of a geere which was cast upon the roughnes of his toung , by being that wherein adam was thrust out of paradis , to say , that the devill had tempted eva before in italian , and he went further that he thought all the playsterers at the building of the tower of babel were italians : the italian may be also calld the courtliest language of christendom , or the imperiall caesarean language , for by the golden bull he is not capable to be emperour unlesse he hath knowledg of the italian toung . touching the changes and dialects of the italian toung ther 's no language hath more , and this may be imputed to the severall sorts of governments , and soverain princes which are up and down the countrey , as the greek dialects were ascribed to the diversity of so many ilands ; in italy ther is the roman or court-dialect , the toscan or florentine , the venetian , the milanese , the piemontese , that of bologna , the parmazan , the luquese , the napolitan , the genovese , the calabrian , &c. whereof the two last are the most harsh , and degenerat . in calabria they will say queddo cauaddo for quello cavallo , fog , mog for fuoco , moglie , the languages of sardinia , sicily , and corsica may be sayed likewise to be italian dialects , but the prime and purest italian is lingua toscana in bocca romana . concerning the spanish , romance , or the castillian language it may be sayed to be nothing els but latin inlayed with morisco ( and som few old gothic words ) for the moors kept there nere upon . yeers , a fair time to corrupt a language ; ther is no speech wherein the toung and the text do more agree , none that is freest from apostrophes which may be calld the thrumbs of a language ; she is also an open , and masculin high lofty language , so high that she may be sayed to go upon stilts , she is also a wary , and pawsing long-●●ngd language , delighting in leasurly prolation , and long words , she bestows five syllables upon a ●att calling him muncielago , a 〈◊〉 hath six despavilad●ra , a gransire is tartarabu●l● ; now , whereas the italian and french endeavour dayly to go further off from the latin , the spaniard makes it his ambition to make a neerer approch unto her , and if the morisco words were garbled out she wold be nothing but latin , which may be calld mundus & mundanus sermo for her large extent , and neatnes ; and there may be instances made both in prose and verse that will be pure congruous latin ( which cannot be don in italian and spanish , much lesse in french ) as i have shewd in my instructions for forren travell . touching the changes and variety of dialects in the spanish toung , the las●ternian or portuguez is the chiefest , ther is then the gallego , the andaluz , the biscainer and the battueco , a new pagan nation discoverd of late yeers in the very center of spain among the mountains nere toledo , which two last have another very ancient language of their own that hath no more affinity with the spanish then the british hath with the english , and 't is thought to be the originall language of cantabria or spain ; but the prime castilian dialect is that of toledo ( as that of siena is in italy , and the aurelian or that of orleans in france ) and if ther be any debate or doubt about the tru sense of any spanish word a toledano is to be the expounder , and judg thereof ; touching the kingdoms of valencia and catalonia , their toungs may be sayed to be more properly dialects of the gascon . now , concerning this large , and long-spund peece of industry , the main division of it is into three parts , whereof every one hath bulk , and matter enough to make a considerable distinct volume of it self ; the first is a fower-toungd dictionary , where the english doth head the french , italian and spanish the three noblest languages of europe , and they all fower come without any interruption of etymologies , or proverbs ( which are also here in tomes by themselfs ) immediately one after the other , and this will prove a great advantage to memory in regard of the affinity and consonance they have one with another in thousands of words , as to dispute ( in english ) disputare ( in italian ) disputer ( in french ) disputar ( in spanish ) to contend , contendére , contendre , contender ; to establish , stabilire , establir , establecer ; a school , scuola , escole , escuela , with multitudes more , which coming so immediately one after the other will be a great help to the retention of memory , and to carry away all the fower with more ease . nor will the reder here be sent twice upon one arrand as other dictionaries use to send him , putting him to a double labour , if you look for a badger , he wil not turn you to seek a brock , nor from a brock to a gray , nor vice versa , when you wold desire what 's spanish , italian , or french for thorn back he will not make you go a fishing for s●ate or ray ; if you wold know what 's french , &c. for a blister , he will not turn you to a wheale , push or pimple , but every word though it hath many synonymas will satisfie you by it self , and not make you tumble the leafs so often for one thing which will put one to an impatience . the second volume is a large nomenclature of the peculiar and proper termes in all the fower languages belonging to severall arts , to the most generous sort of recreations , to all professions both liberall , and manuall from the engineer to the moustrapmaker , from the marchant adventurer to the cryer of matches ; here you have in all the fower toungs , the termes of heraldry , of horsmanship , of hunting , of hawking , of warr , the termes of chymistry , of architecture , of navigation , not a cable , or rope in a ship but you haue it here , you shall find here all the knighthoods and religious orders of christendome , with . severall distinct sections , a work most usefull for all that pretend to knowledg , curiosity and true eloquence , specially for orators and divines which use to illustrat things by familiar comparisons , and similes , for the prime part of eloquence is to give all things their proper termes . the third volume is of the choicest proverbs in all the sayed toungs , consisting of divers compleat tomes , and the english translated into the other three , with divers familiar letters in every one consisting all of proverbiall speeches after a new mode . ther is also a particular tome of the british , or old cambrian proverbs which the author thought fit to annex for their great antiquity and weight ; and among these proverbs ther are many hundred in each toung that never knew presse before ; lastly ther are five hundred new sayings , which with the revolution of time may serve for proverbs to after ages : let the judicious reder observe besides , that in this new lexicon and nomenclature ther be very many recent words in all the fower languages which were never inserted in dictionary before , it is now above forty yeers since florio , cotgrave , and minshew compild theirs , but ther be divers words got into those languages since ; touching the english , what a nomber of new words have got into her of late yeers which will be found here ; as stumming of wine , clover grasse , regalos , treatment , mobby , punch , perino , ( carribby ilands drink ) picaro , peccadillio , pantaloon , vogue , quakers , seekers , levellers , trepanners , piqueering , plundring , storming , excise , &c. and others which got in during the reign of the long parlement . all these things being well considered , and weighed in the balance of an unbiassd judgment , i may promise to my self that this treble volume will be judgd a work that will conduce much to the publick good , ( which is the white i aymd at all the while ) as also to the honor of the nation , and of the english toung for three respects . first , because she is put into the front of the civillst languages of christendom , and as it were incorporated with them ; secondly , because it will be an occasion hereby to accreditat her the more , and make her expand , and spread further abroad by mixing with these spacious languages ; thirdly , because it will take off those aspersions whcih useth to be cast upon her , that wheras the genius , and wit of a nation is much discernd in their proverbiall speeches , the english toung is dry and defective in this particular , and those proverbs she hath are but flat and empty . the contemplation of these particulars did much heighten the spirits of the author , and lighten the burden of so tedious and tough a task all the way . the printer to the severest sort of reders . in regard of the absence sometimes of the author to supervise , and for want of able correctors in so many diffring languages under this insulary region cut off fom the rest of mankind , ther will be som erratas of the presse found up and down in this first impression : but t is to be hoped that the generous and discreet reder , without stumbling at every straw , or making mountains of mole-hills , will passe by such light faults , and go still on to the full sense of the thing without any descanting overcriticall humor ; for t is a rule full of good morality that is to be observd in the reding of books , agnoscendum quod benè , ignoscendum quod secùs , acknowledg what 's good , excuse what 's otherwise . l'imprimeur au lecteur critique . en l'absence quelques fois de l'antheur pour en avoir la surintendance , & a faute de correcteurs assez adroits en tant de langues soubs ce climat insulaire retrenchè du reste du monde , il n'y aur à pas suiet de s'estonner , si quelques errates de l'imprimerie , se soyent glissez en ceste premiere edition ; mais il est a esperer , que le lecteur genereux , & discret , sans broncher a chaque paille , ou en faysant collines de taupineries , ne s'arreterà pas a tells petis obstacles , mais qu'il passera rondement plus outre jusques au sens entier de la matiere sans se rendre trop critique : car cest'une reigle pleine de bonne moralite qu'on devroit observer in la lecture de liures , agnoscendum quod benè , ignoscendum quod secùs , il faut reconoitre ce qui est bien , & excuser ce qu'est autrement . lo stampatore al lectore giudicioso . nell ' assensa dell ' autore qualche volte per haverne la so prantendenza , & mancandoci anco correttori as●ai sapevoli in tanti linguaggii sotto questo clima insulario troncato dal resto del mondo non ci'è da meravigilare si qualchi errati della stampa si trouvino in questa primiera editione , mà , è da sperare , ch'il lettore generoso , & sagace , senza intopparsi a ogni paglia , ò facendo montagne de talpinerie , passara sempre più auanti fin ' al sentimento intiero d'ogni materià , senza rendersi troppo curioso , ò critico ; perche , nella lettura de libri , ci'è una regola piena de buona moralita , agnoscendum quod benè , ignoscendum quod secùs . el imprimidòr al letor prudente . en el ausencia del autòr algunas vezes por auer la sobreintendencia de la obra , y por falta de corregidores harto platicos en tantos lenguajes debaxo de este clima insular tajado del resto del mundo , no aurà de que espantarse si algunos yerros de la imprimeria se topen en esta primera edicion ; mas esperanças ay , que el letor generoso , y juyzioso sin tromp çarse a cada paja , passarà siempre mas adelante hasta el sentido entero de la cosa , sin hazerse critico , ò curioso en demasiae , porque en la lectura de libros ay una regla uena de buena moralidad , que se deve observar , agnoscendum quod benè , ignoscendum quod secùs . poems by the author , touching the association of the english-toung , with the french , italian , and spanish , &c. france , italy and spain , ye sisters three whose toungs are branches of the latian tree , to perfect your odd number , be not shy to take a fourth to your society , that high teutonick dialect which bold hengistus with his saxons brought of old among the brittains , when by knife and sword he first of england did create the word ; nor is 't a small advantage to admitt so male a speech to mix with you , and knitt , who by her consonants and tougher strains will bring more arteries 'mong your soft veins , for of all toungs dutch hath most nerves and bones , except the pole , who hurles his words like stones . some feign that when our protoplastick sire lost paradis by heavens provoked ire , he in italian tempted was in french he fell a begging pardon , but from thence he was thrust out in the high teuton toung , whence english ( though much polishd since ) is sprung . this book is then an inlaid peece of art , english the knots which strengthen every part , four languages are here together fix'd , our lemsters ore with naples silk is mix'd , the loire , the po , the thames and tagus glide all in one bed , and kisse each others side , the alpes , and pyrenoean mountains meet , the rose and flower de luce hang in one street : nay , spain and red-cap't france a league here strike , ▪ if 'twixt their kings and crowns there were the like , poore europe should not bleed so fast , and call turbands at last unto her funerall . of proverbs , or old sayed-savves & adages , which go hereunto annexed . the peeples voice the voice of god we call , nd what are proverbs but the peeples voice ? coin'd first , and current made by common choice ; then sure , they must have weight and truth withall ; they are a publike heritage entayld on every nation , or like hirelomes nayld , which passe from sire to son , and so from son down to the granchild till the world be don . they are free-denisons by long descent , without the grace of prince or parlement ; the truest commoners and inmate guests , we fetch them from the nurse , and mothers brests , they can prescription plead 'gainst king or crown , and need no affidavit but their own . we thought it then well worth the pains and cost to muster up these ancients in one host , which here like furbishd medalls we present to all that breath in christendome and kent . of vvords , and languages ; poema gnomicum , consisting most of sentences in order to this lexicon tetraglotton . words are the souls ambassadors , who go abroad upon her errands too and fro ; they are the sole expounders of the mind , and correspondence keep 'twixt all mankind ; they are those airy keyes that ope , and wrest somtimes the locks and hinges of the brest , by them the heart makes sallies , witt and sence belong to them , they are the quintessence of those ide'as , which the thoughts distill and so calcine , then melt again , untill they drop forth into accents , in whom lies the salt of fancy , and all faculties . the world was fram'd by the eternall vvord , who to each creture did a name affoord , and such an union made twixt words and things , that every name a nature with it brings ; words do involve the deepest mysteries , by them the iew into his caball pries , the chymick sayes in stones , in herbs , in words , nature for every thing a cure affoords ; nay , some have found the glorious starrs to be but letters set in an orthography , the fate of kings and empires to foretell , and all things else below could we them spell ; that gran-distinction between man and brute , we may to language chiefly attribute , the lion roares , the elephant doth bray , the bull doth bellow , and the horse doth neigh , man speaks , t is only man can words create , and cut the air to sounds articulate by natures speciall charter ; nay speech can make a shrewd discrepance 'twixt man and man , it doth the gentleman from clown discover , and from a fool the grave philosopher , as solon said to one ( in judgement weak ) i thought thee wise untill i heard thee speak : for words in man , bear the most critick part , we speak by nature , but speak well by art ; and as good bells we judge of by the sound , so discreet men by words well-plac'd are found , therefore it may be calld no vain pretence , when 'mong the rest the toung would be a sence , the toung 's the rudder which mans body guides vvhile on this worlds tempestuous seas he rides : words are the life of knowledge , they sett free , and bring forth truth by way of midwifry , the activ'st cretures of the teeming brain , the judges who the inward man arraign , reasons chief engin and artillery to batter error , and make falshood fly , the canons of the mind , who sometimes bounce nothing but war , then peace again pronounce ; the rabbins say , such is the strength of words , that they make deeper wounds then spears or swords : this book may be then call'd a magazin of armes and words , it keeps and doth combine four toungs , t is like a frame on divers wheels , one followes still the other at the heels , the smooth italian , and the nimble frank , the long-lung'd spanish march all in a rank , the english head 's them , ●o commands the van , and reason good in this meridian , but spain brings up the rear , because we know her counsels are so long , and pace so slow . j. h. to the knovvingest kind of philologers . proverbs may not improperly be called the philosophy of the common peeple , or , according to aristotle , the truest reliques of old philosophy , whereunto he adds another remarkable saying , that as no man is so rich who might be able to spend equally with the peeple , so none is so wise as the peeple in generall ; for vox populi vox dei the voice of the people is the voice of god , voz de pleu , voz de deu , as the gascon hath it , for it must needs be true what every one sayes . now all proverbs consist most commonly of caution , and counsell , of directions , and document , for the regulating of humane life ; wherein as there is much witt , so there is oftentimes a great deal of weight wrapp'd up in a little . the chief ingredients that go to make a true proverb , being sense , shortnesse and salt ; this may be the reason that induc'd the gretest of sophies , and wisest of kings , to characterize his inspirations and precepts with the title of proverbs ; for it may be sayed , that as the peripatetic in his acroamatiques , the egyptians in their hieroglyphics , and the rabbies in their caball involve the choicest of their knowledge ( though obscurely ) so it may be said , that in proverbs there is much wisedom couch'd up in a concise quaint way , and that with a kind of quicknesse , familiarity and mirth , and sometimes twixt jest and earnest . plato in his dialogs called pythagoras , makes socrates maintain ; that proverbs are the antientst philosophy ; add hereunto , that among the ancients , proverbs carried a great sway with them in point of proof towards the assertion of right , and vindication of truth ; that famous plea twixt the athenians and megarenses about salamina , was determined by an old proverb of solon's : 't is also very remarkable in the annalls of italy , how the gibelins attempting to demolish flo●ence , were diverted by two old proverbs , which farinata de gli uberti produced : in our common law there are some proverbs that carry a kind of authority with them , as that which began in henrie the fourths time , he that bulls the cow must keep the calf ; in kent they have one touching gavelkind , the father to the bough , the son to the plough ; as also , a solo ad coelum , viz. that one may build as high as he will upon his own freehold . there is another , possession is eleven points of the law ; there are others , as , when gabriel blowes his horn this question will be decided ; there are two more that come neer to the nature of proverbs , the king can do no wrong , the king cannot die ; ( but by the fatality of the times , these last be now grown out of date ; ) there is also among the heralds , color upon color is false heraldrie , &c. moreover , some proverbs are of so rich , and recondit a sense , that like silk wown'd up upon a small bottom , they may be drawn out into a large webb ; as in salamanca one fram'd a weighty discours of an houre long out of this proverb , da dios alas a la hormiga para qùe se pierda mas ayna ; god gives wings unto the ant that she may destroy herself the sooner , alluding to riches and ambition — tolluntur in altum vt lapsu graviore cadant — that inspired instrument of saving faith , saint paul , makes use of divers proverbs ( we know well ) for matter of edification ; for a significant , and sapid succinct proverb makes a firmer impression , it sticks unto , and works upon the intellectuals oftentimes more then a whole oration , or long-lungd sermon : moreover , proverbs may be sayed to serve as perl , or other pre●ious stones for the embrodering of a speech , or as sinews to strengthen i● , and enforce a belief upon the auditor ; for as the italian hath it , proverbio non falla , ther 's a kind of infallibility in proverbs , for it must needs be true what every one sayes ( as was pointed before ) ; and 't is better to be spoken of ill by one before all , then by all before one . this made erasmus of roterodam , and doctor herman nunnez the spaniard , who was called the phoenix of his time in all kind of literature , after they had waded through all the severest sciences , to become paroemiographers , or collectors of vulgar proverbs in their old age ; touching the latter , after he had been reader of the greek toung ( the prime philosophicall language ) as also of rhetoric and other graver studies in salamanca , and had writt many glosses upon seneca , pomponius mela , and pliny , yet at last , like cato , who fell to learn greek at fourscore years of age , he applied himself to the study of proverbs ; nay , to go a stepp higher , don innigo de lopez , a grande of spain , and marquis of sentellana , being chief of the family of the mendozas , made it his study at last to purge and publish the common spanish ref●ans , or proverbs , which will be found in this volume . lastly , proverbs may be called the truest franklins or freeholders of a countrey ; they have no other parent but the peeple , being traditionall sayings , precepts and memorandums , handed over as it were from father to son , from mother to daughter , from nurses to children time out of mind , and will be so as long as sermocination lasts among men ; and though in point of generation they are a kind of naturall children , and of an unknown birth , yet are they no by-blowes or bastards , but legitimated by prescription and long tract of ancestriall time ; so that , that topicall axiom may be verified of them more , then of any other knowledge , viz. bonum quò communius eò melius . now let the squeamish reder take this rule along with him , that proverbs being proleticall , and free familiar countrey sayings do assume the libertie to be sometimes in plain , down-right , and homely termes , with wanton naturall expressions , that with their salt some of them carry a kind of salacity ( which are very frequent in gower , chaucer , skelton , io. heywood and others ) yet they cannot be taxd of beastlines , or bawdry . to conclude , touching the method of perusing these proverbs or adages , ( for varro is for that word ) with benefit , the reder shall do well to have his leger-book about him when he falls upon them , to register therein such that quadrat with his conceit and genius , for a proverb is a very slippery thing , and soon slides out of the memory , which by that means may be made more tenable . a letter of advice , consisting all of proverbs , ( running in one congruous and concurrent sense ) to one that was towards mariage . sir , although i am none of those that love to have an oare in every ones boat , or such a busie body as deserves to be hitt in the teeth , that i should keep my breath to cool my pottage , yet , you and i having eaten a peck of salt together , and having a hint that you are upon a businesse that will either make you or mar you , for a mans best fortune , or his worst's a wife , i would wish you to look before you leap , and make more then two words to a bargain . t is true , that marriages are made in heaven , it is also true that marriage and hanging goeth by destiny ; but if you are disposed to marry , marry a shrew rather then a sheep , for a fool is fulsome , yet ye run a risk also in the other , for a shrew may so tye your nose to the grindstone , that the gray mare will prove the better horse ; besides , there is another old sayed saw , that every one knowes how to tame a shrew but he who hath her ; if it be your fortune to meet with such a one , she may chance put you to the charge of buying a long spoon , for he must have a long spoon who will eat with the devill . moreover , if you needs must marry , do not fetch your wife from dunmow , for so you may bring home two sides of a sow , nor from westminster , for he who goeth to westminster for a wife , to pauls for a man , and to smithfield for a horse , may have a jade to his horse , a knave to his man , and a wagg-tail to his wife . but if you needs must marry , lett her rather be little then bigg ▪ for of two evils the least is to be chosen ; yet there is another hazard in that also , for a little pott is soon hott , and so she will be little and lowd , if you give her an inch she will take an ell , she will alwayes have a rowland for your oliver , and two words for one , such a wife though she be as tender as a parsons lemman , yet she may prove a wolf in a lambs skinn , insteed of a rose you will have a burr ; if you meet with such a one , you may be put to answer as he was who having a damnable scold to his wife , and being asked by sir tho ▪ badger , who recommended her unto him ? he sayed an old courtier sir ; what courtier ? sayed sir tho. 't was the devill sir. furthermore , take heed of too hansome a wife , for then she is likely not to be all your own , and so she may bring you to your horn-book again , or rather make you horn-madd , and then you have brought your hoggs to a fair market . but by all means , be wary of too costly and lavishing a wife , for so you may quickly turn a noble to nine-pence , and come home by broken crosse , she will in a short time make hunger to dropp out at your nose , she will thwitten a mill-post to a pudding-prick , the goose will drink as deep as the gander , and then , when all is gone and nothing left , what avails the dagger with the dudgeon heft ? the wolf will be then still at your door , and the black ox will tread on your toe , your neighbours will make mowes at you , and say , you are as wise as walthams calf , who went nine miles to suck a bull , and came home more thirsty then when he went. you must also be wary how you marry one that hath cast her rider , lest you fall into a quagmire wherein another was lost , i mean a widdow , for so you will be subject to have a deaths head putt often in your dish ; touching the complexion of your wife , the spaniard holdeth black to be the wholsomest , for he hath a proverb , muger negra trementina en ella , a black woman hath turpentine in her ; the frenchman is for the broun , when he saith , fille brunette , gaye & nette , a broun lasse is gay and cleanly , but they both will tell you , that touching a red-haird and bearded woman , salute them a hundred paces off . lastly , take heed by all means of doting so farre upon any one female , as to marry her for meer affection ; 't is true , that one hair of a woman will draw more then a hundred yoake of oxen , yet meer affection is but blind reason , and there are more mayds then malkin ; 't is true , that in love ther 's no lack , yet it is as true , that nothing hath no savour , and there must be suet as well as oatmeal to make a pudding ; in this case it is better to buy a quart of milk by the penny then keep a cow , and to follow the italian proverb , videlicet , commend the sea , but keep thy self ashoar , commend the hills , but keep thy self on the plains , commend a wedded life , but keep thy self a batchelor ; according to another wise proverb , he who marrieth doth well , but he who marrieth not , doth better ; whereunto alludeth a third , that next to a single life the married is best ; i will conclude with that of the italian , honest men use to marry , but wise men not . when you read this , i know you will be apt to say , that a fools bolt is soon shott , or crie out , witt whither wilt thou ? yet , though i am none of the seven sages , i can look as farr into a milstone as another , and you know that the stander by seeth more then the gamester . what i write is the language of a friend , and could i steed you herein , i would do it with as good a will as ever i came from school , for i am yours as much as any wife can be , or rather , that i may conclude with the old roman proverb , i am yours , usque ad aras , yours to the altar , j. h. proverbs , or old sayed-savves , and adages in the english toung . the grace of god is worth a fair. the parish-priest forgot that he was ever a clark ; this is meant of proud starters up . 't is wit to pick a lock , and steal a horse , but 't is wisedom to let him alone . the kings cheese goes half away in parings ; viz. among so many officers . happy is he who knows his follies in his youth . speak the truth and shame the devil . he who could know what would be dear , need be a merchant but once in a year . three ills come from the north , a cold wind , a shrinking cloth , and a dissembling man. god send● a curst cow short horns . he hath brought a mill-post to a pudding-prick ; this is meant of a great unthrift . keep your breath to cool your pottage ; spoken to a busie pratler . to steal a goose , and give the giblets in almes . who waits for dead mens shooes may go a good while bare-foot . love thy neighbour , yet pull not down thy hedge . vvho tells a ly to save his credit , wipes his nose on his sleeve to save his napkin . the first chapter of fools is , to hold themselves wise . drink in the morning staring , then all the day be sparing . some are wise , and some are otherwise . to loose a sheep for sparing a halperth of tarr . a thousand pounds , and a bottle of hay , is all one thing at dooms-day . play , women , and wine , undo men laughing . an humble-bee in a cow-turd thinks himself a king . a man will rather hurt his body , then displease his pallate . lend thy horse for a long journey , thou mayst have him return with his skinn . ther 's no fool to the old fool . so we get the clink , we will bear with the stink . he gave his wife a recumbentibus ; viz. he swadled her soundly . he who payeth last , payeth but once . the dogg who hunts foulest , hitts at most faults . here will he a good fire anone , said the fox when he pist on the ice . a nurse spoil's a huswife ; viz. because she is more daintily fed , and more idle all the while . 't is good sometimes to hold a candle to the devill . a dogg in a dublett , bitch in a baskett . an ape 's an ape , a varlett's a varlett , though they be cladd in silk , or scarlett . a man , is a man , if he have but a hose on his head . give a thief rope enough and he will hang himself . one hand in the purse , and two in the dish . it may serve with an onion ; spoken ironically . madam parnell , crack the nutt , and eat the kernell . he strutteth like a crow in a gutter . the fairer the hostesse , the fouler the reckoning . after meat comes mustard . hungry doggs love dirty puddings . after rain comes fair weather . fancy may bo●lt bran , and think it floure . he is , pattring , the devils pater-noster ; viz he grumbles or mutters . one pair of heels sometimes is worth two pair of hands . here is talk of the turk , and the pope , but it is my next neighbour doth me the hurt . the frier preacht against stealing , when he had a pudding in his sleeve . sorrow is good for nothing but for sin . who bulls the cow , must keep the calf ; a law-proverb . the man of god is better for having his bows and arrows about him . old mares lust after new cruppers . one of the four and twenty qualities of a knave , is to stay long at his arrand . three may keep counsel if two be away . to throw the helve after the hatchet ; to be in despair . who goeth worse shodd then the shooe-makers wife ? the toung breaketh bone , though it selfe have none . you are never well full or fasting . half an acre is good land . the gray mare is the better horse ; viz. when a wife wears the breeches . he is well seen in horse-flesh , for he hath lain with a pa●sons wife . pride feels no cold . as the catt licks mustard . goe to law with a beggar , thou shalt gett a lowse . he hath sneezed thrice , turn him out of the hospital . wishers and woulders , were never good householders . make hay while the sun shines ; viz. let not slipp your opportunity . iacke would be a gentleman , could he speake french. put a stool in the sun , when one knave riseth another comes ; viz. to places of preferment . when gabriel blows his horn , then this question will be decided . you would leap over the stile , before you come near it . the greatest clerks are not alwayes the wisest men . children are a certain care , and an uncertain comfort . to stumble at a straw , and leap over a block . whett brings no lett ; viz. when a mower whets his sithe . every one as he likes quoth the good man when he kiss'd his cow. as the bell tinketh , so the fool thinketh . if the bed could tell all it knoweth , it would putt many to the blush . to cast up all old scores and driblets , set the hares ●oot to the goose giblets . when the belly is full , the bones would be at rest . over boots , over shooes . a muffled cat no good mous-hunter . light gain maketh a heavy purse . he teacheth ill who teacheth all . a diurnal-maker , is the sub-amner to an historian . every one can tame a shrew , but he who hath her . a fool and his money are soon parted . he who sweareth when he is at play , may challenge his damnation by way of purchase . souldiers in peace , are lik● chimneyes in summer . all covet , all loose . he will have an oar in every mans boat . a shipp under sayl , a man in compleat armour , a woman with a great belly , are three of the hansomest sights ; whereunto the spaniard addeth two more ; viz. a bishop in a pulpit , and a theif on the gallowes . even reckoning maketh long friends . the devil run through thee booted and spurr'd , with a sithe on his back ; sedgley curse in staffordshire . i know best where my shooe pincheth . change of pasture makes fat calfs , change of women make lean knaves . when he should work every finger is a thumb . the catt would eat fish , but she would not wett her feet . better is the last smile , then the first laughter . he must have a long spoon who will eat with the devil . love and peas-pottage will make their way ; viz. the one breaks the heart , the other the belly . when the mare hath a balld face , the filly will have a blaze . 't is an evill procession , where the devil holdeth the candle . as plain as dunstable high-way . when the cat 's away , the mouse may play . he that is afraid of every fart , must goe farr to to piss . he loves sheeps flesh well , that wetts his bread in the wooll . i have a goose to pluck with you ; viz. i have something to complain of . fire and water are good servants , but they are bad masters . the catt winked , when both her eyes were out . if p. be sick , and b. be dead , then go thy way c. and beg thy bread . i le warrant you for an egg at easter . the fox preyes furthest from home . a hungry horse maketh a clean manger ; viz. he eateth all his oats . you may drive a toppe over a tylde house as soon . they stick together like burrs . as madd as a march-hare . the blind eats many a fly . 't is sooner said then done . bolster or pillow , be it whose will for me . better it be done , then wish it had bin done as good undone as do it too soon . as soon goes the lamb-skin to the market , as the old ewes . 't is a bad sack that will abide no clowting . an ill stake standeth longest . proffer'd service stinks . better to have then wish . itch and ease can no man please . he cannot see the wood for trees , viz. he is a blockhead . snow is white , and lies in the dike , and every man letts it ly ; pepper is black , and hath a good smack , and every man doth it buy . change is no robbery . he that is angry without a cause , must be pleased without amends . tread on a worm , and it will turn against you . too much of one thing , is good for nothing . vvit whither wilt thou ? a dandiprat , a hopp on my thumb , a demilance , viz. a little man. he hath got the better end of the staff . who medleth with all things , may goe and shooe goslings . as merry as cup and can , as merry as tinkers , as mice in malt . a scald head 's soon broken . as just as iermans lipps ; spoken in derision . of little medling comes great ease . who puts variance twixt man and wife , goeth twixt bark and tree . they agree like two catts in a gutter . as nice as a nuns hen . as meet as a sow for a saddle . a new broom sweeps clean . spare to speak , spare to speed . seldom seen soon forgotten . a little pott , is soon hott ; meant of little men soon cholerick . as angry as a wasp . as merry as a crickett . every cock is proud on his own dunghil a ragg'd colt , may make a good horse . 't is easie to cry ule at other mens costs . he would fain fly , but he wants feathers . all this wind shakes no corn . let every cuckold wear his own horns ; his heart fell down to his hose . children and fools tell truth . i know him as well as the beggar knoweth his dish . to help a lame dogg over a stile ; viz. to help one at a pinch . he is high in the instepp , viz. proved . i had him streight in the wind ; viz. smelt him out . all is fish that comes to his nett . hunger drops down at his nose . he will not part with the parings of his nails . a gauld horse is good enough for a scabby squire . a man may break his neck as soon as his fast in his house . backan quoth mortimer to his sow . nothing down , nothing up . ka me , ka thee , viz. one good turn asketh another . i may put my winnings in my eye , and see never the worse . you are none of the hastings . to steal a goose , and stick a feather . he is as rich as a new-shorn sheep . i suck not this out of my fingers ends . by right or wrong , by hook or crook . as good play for nought , as work for nought . patience is a flower that groweth not in every garden . to take a haire of the same dogg ; viz. to be drunk again the next day . many kinsfolks and few friends . every one basteth the fatt hogg , while the lean one burneth ; viz. he that hath shall have more . cheer up man , god is still where he was .. who can sing so merry a note , as he that cannot change a grote ? be not too bold with your biggers , or betters . where nothing is , the king must loose his right . there is no more hold to be taken of his word then of an eel by the tail . one tale is good till the other be told . the first point of hawking , is hold fast . i 'le warrant you for an egg at easter . who sendeth a fool upon an errand , must goe himself after . who hath once the fame to be an early riser , may sleep till noon . what is worse then ill luck ? yes , pissing a bedd . a thinn medow is soon mow'd . he who perisheth in needless danger , is the devils martyr . truth hath a good face , but ill clothes . put a miller , a tailor , and a weaver in a bagg and shake them , the first who cometh out will be a thief . a turd in your teeth , that 's no false latin. it is ill awaking of a sleeping lion. 't is best fishing in troubled waters . hasty peeple will never make good middwifes . 't is good christning of a mans own child first . he that goes out with often losse , at last comes home by weeping crosse . the crow thinketh her own bird fairest . a meer scholler , a meer asse . a fatt commodity hath no fellow . you give me chalk for cheese . a young man old , makes an old man young . beggers should be no choosers . children and fools tell truth . you have let leap a whiting , viz. you have let slip an opportunity . two hands in a dish , but one in a purse . poor folks must be glad of pottage . every one cannot have a nose like a shooing-horn . two to one is odd● at foot-ball . gip quoth gilbert when his mare farted . every pease will have its veaze , and a bean fifteen trick for trick , and a stone in thy foot besides , quoth one pulling out a stone out of his mares hoof , when she bit him upon the back , and he her upon the buttock . he looks like a bull that hath beshit the fair. a womans knee , and dogs snout are alwayes cold . if you will not when you may , when you will , you shall have nay . he speaks like a mouse in a cheese . he that doth kiss and do no more , may kiss behind , and not before . the weakest goes still to the wall . my horse pisseth whey , my man pisseth ambar , my horse is for my way , my man is for my chamber . early to bed , and early to rise , makes a man healthy , wealthy and wise . there runs more water by the mill , then the miller knows of . you are a hot-shot indeed ; a speech spoken in a slighting derision . he follows me like a tantony pigg . you tell your chickins before they be hatch'd . you leap over the stile before you come to it . let every sack stand upon its own bottom . life is sweet , though it alway sweat . soon todd , soon with god , a northern proverb when a child hath teeth too soon . a thing there was , and done it was , and wise was he that hid it , let no man know who knows it not , not do so no more that did it . of one who mistook his neighbours wife for his own . we must creep before we can go . put thy wish in one fist , and shire in the tother , and try which will be fill'd soonest . do not say go , but gaw , viz. go thy self along . love me little , and love me long . i took her for a rose , but she prov'd a burr . we fish'd all night , and catch'd a frogg . she thinks her farthing as good silver as anothers . a little horse is soon curried . some are early up , yet nere the neer . store is no sore . in the dark all catts are grey . you must not look a given horse in the mouth . 't is yet but honey moon with them , viz. the first moneth of the marriage . better to be happy then wise . wit is never good till it be bought . there must be more then four leggs a bedd to keep a houshold . self do , self have . cut thy coat after thy cloth . unminded , unmoned . coll under canstick , he can play with both hands . better unborn then untaught . leave is light . i proud , and thou proud , who shall carry out the asnes ? he will hold with the hare , and run with the hound . better to stand by one shiting , then by one chipping . wit is best when it is bought . use makes mastery . when the belly is full , the bones would be at rest . the burnt child dreads the fire . she will ly as fast , as a dogg will lick a dish . have among you blind harpers . the more the merrier , the fewer the better cheer . better come at the end of a feast , then the begining of a fray . better to be an old mans derling , then a young mans werling . crack me that nutt , quoth bumsted . hew not too high , lest the chipps fall into the eye . there is difference 'twixt staring and stark madd . when the fox preacheth , beware the gees . you make me scratch where it itcheth not . there is no butter will stick to my bread . t is ill healing of an old sore . do well and have well . what , must i tel you a tale , and find you ears ? 't is an ill wind that bloweth no body good . this wind shakes no corn . all the sart is fallen into the fire , spoken when a business miscarries . there are more wayes to the wood then one , viz. more means to compass a business then one . i le get the horse or loose the saddle . to stop two gaps with one bush , to give two hitts with one stone . i give an inch , and you take an ell . would you both eat your cake , and have your cake ? you can have no more of the fox then his skin . every man for himself , and god for us all . you harp too long on this string . short shooting looseth the game . all covet , all loose . you cannot see green cheese , but your teeth must water . you would over the stile ere you come at it . long standing , and poor offering , maketh poor priests . t is a sory asse that will not bear his own burden . a clowdy morn may turn to a cleer afternoon . i think you have piss'd on a nettle , viz. you are froward . you have hit the nail on the head , viz. you are in the right . as good never a whitt as never the better . in neither barrel better herring . enough is as good as a feast . lord , take me as i'am , not as i was . a saying of the penitent . 't is good sleeping in a whole skin . she mends as sower ale doth in sommer . small pitchers have wide ears . he setts cock on the hoop , viz. he is prodigal . when he should work , each finger is a thumb . spoken of a lazy fellow . better spare at the brim , then at the bottom . he goes out of gods blessing to the warm sun , viz. from good to worse . they are so great one with another , that the one cannot piss but the tother must let a fart . the shooe will hold with the sole . better to be unmannerly then troublesom . he that 's bound must obey . you have spun a fair threed , you have brought your hogs to a fair market . spoken in derision when a business hath sped ill . neer is my petticoat , but neerer is my smock . as flat as a flounder . there is a padd in the straw . spik and span new , viz. from spica an ear of corn , and the spawn of a fresh fish . as sure as louse in bosome . nothing down , nothing up . a good jack makes a good gill. in love is no lack . an inch breaks no square . the hasty man never wants woe . wedding and hanging go by destiny . better give then take . butter is gold in the morning , silver at noon , and lead at night . in space comes grace . t is ill waking of a sleepy dogg . it hapneth in an hower , that happens not in seven yeers . he holds my nose to the grindstone . to set up a candle before the devil . i am made or marr'd . of sufferance comes ease . a lords heart , and a beggars purse . his heart is at his heel . a cunning knave needs no broker . what 's bred in the bone , will never out of the flesh . i can see as far into a milstone as another . god is no botcher . thy capp hath more ease then thy head . a new broom sweeps clean . make not two sorrows of one . his hand is still on his halfpenny . good walking with horse in hand . he hath turnd his tipper . no receivers , no thieves . beggars may sing before thieves . thou beggest at the wrong door . the black oxe never trod on thy foot , viz. thou wast never in want . he runneth far , that ne're returns . to buy a pigg in a poke . hungry flies bite sore . this is to cast perls before swine . in at the tone ear , and out at the tother . the further we go , the further behind . take heart of grace . as mad as a march-hare . harp no more on that string . he casts a sheeps eye at her . who is more deaf then he that will not hear ? have but few friends , though much acquaintance . 't is a good horse that never stumbles . he may mend , but not grow worse . i cannot hear on that side . to set a good face on the matter . that which will be a sharp thorn pricks betime● : this is meant of the disposition of children . one nail drives out another . light burden far heavy . a tale of a tubb , catt to her kind . a catt may look on a king. thou maist be in my paternoster , but shalt never come into my creed . there goeth the hare away . loosers have leave to speak . further then the wall we cannot go . a man far from his good is nigh his harm . how many miles to cuntington mayd ? if you light my lord , and kiss my tail , you are at the towns end . that which is one mans meat , is another mans poyson . who would please all , and himself too , undertakes what he cannot do . smooth language grates not the toung . you may put in your eye what you get by it . children are a certain care , and incertain comfort . give a thing , and take a thing , that 's the devils gold-ring . ask my fellow whether i am a thief . he that is hang'd in a crabb tree , will never love verjuyce . possession is eleven points of the law. he hath not yet sowed all his wild oats . there is no cake , but there is the like of the same make . swell quoth the parson to his prick , when he lay with his mayd . they agree like bells , they want but hanging up . he was hangd who left his drink behind him ; a thief being pursued to an alehouse , left suddenly his drink behind , and so was discover'd and hang'd . every one cannot have a nose like a shooing-horn . his eyes are bigger then his belly . to loose a goose , and get a fether . as scabby as a cuckow , as lean as a hern. ther is no deceit in a brimmer . brave man at arms , but weak to balthasar . what , shall we starve in a cooks-shop , and a shoulder of mutton by ? sweet heart and bagg pudding . threatned folks live long . he hath a good voice to beg bacon . eat less , and drink less , and buy a knife at michael-mass . as plain to be seen as the nose on your face . can you not be content to feed well , but you must cry roast-meat ? to put a good face on an ill game . you count your chickins before they be hatch'd . one doth the scathe , and another hath the scorn . he hath swallowed a spider , viz. he hath plaid the bankrupt . fall edge , fall blade , whatsoever happen . he who doth an old wife wedd , must eat a cold apple as he goes to bed ; this relates to the flatulence of the apple which causeth erection . you will make me believe that the moon is made of green cheese . one pair of heels is worth two pair of hands . coy mayds lead apes in hell. you are as wise as the men of gotham , who went to build a wall about the wood to keep out the cuckow . the more hast the worse speed . his horses head is swoln so bigg , that he cannot come out of the stable , viz. he owes the hostler so much . this tobacco grew under the king of spains window , and the queen piss'd upon it . our fathers which were wondrous wise , did wash their throats , before they wash'd their eyes . with as good a will as ever i came from school . who is killed by a canon-bullet was curst in his mothers belly . when thou dost hear a toul or knell , then think upon thy passing-bel . as busie as a hen with ten chickins . a crabb of the wood , is sawce very good , for a crabb of the sea ; the wood of a crabb , is good for a drabb that will not her husband obey . pauls will not alwayes stand . the third of november the duke of vandosm was under water , the fourth of november the queen was delivered of a daughter , the fifth of november we were like to have a great slaughter , and the sixth of november was the next day after . who wears black , must carry a brush at his back . iohn would wipe his nose if he had it . shitten-come-shites is the beginning of love . his nose will abide no jest ; he hath taken a pett , or pepper in the nose . you would make me believe that an asses ears are made of horns . drift is as bad as unth●ift . full of curtesie full of craft . his hair growes through his hood . he who will thrive , must rise at five ; he who hath thriven , may sleep till seven ; who will not thrive at all , may sleep till eleven . a drunken c. hath no porter . debt is better then death . last make fast , viz. shut the dore . if every fool should weat a bable , fewel would be dear . a fit night to steal away a fair lady , viz. a cleer moon-shine . every one a fool or a physitian to himself after thirtie . to buy a pigg in a poke . god sends meat , the devil sends us cooks . the more she weeps the less she will piss . where the turks horse doth once tread the grass never growes . a good conscience a continual feast . the greatest wealth is contentment with a little . prayer brings down the first blessing , and praise the second . you are he that did eat the pudding and the bagg . money makes the gray mare to go . he is my neighbour who grinds at my mill . stick a sprigg of nettle in her arse and send her for a token to the devil . a womans advice is best at a dead lift . better children cry , then old men . in every countrey the sun riseth in the morning . the brain that sowes not corn plants thistles , viz. if there be not good thoughts , there are bad . he who hath no ill fortune is cloyd with good . do what thou oughtst , and come what can come . think of ease , but work on . it is more painfull to do nothing then something . good is good , but better carries it . good cheap is dear , for it tempts a man to buy what he needs not . the absent party is still faulty . a married man turns his staff into a stake , viz. he hath not so much liberty . truth and oyl are ever above . prayer and provender never hinder journey . water , fire , and war , quickly make room . the eye and holy things can bear no jeasting . thou art wise enough , if thou canst keep thee warm . as wise as walthams calf , who went nine miles to suck a bull , and came home as dry as he went. light come light go . unknown , unkist . there is god in the almery . the devil 's in the orologe . the best is behind . the worst is behind . a wonder lasteth but nine dayes . rubb a gald hors on the back and he will winch . a good beginning hath a good ending . to stumble at a straw , and leap over a block . the shoe will hold with the sole . i have hang'd up my hatchet and scap'd my self . an old knave is no babe . thy face is shorn against the wooll . thou art one of them to whom god bad ho. the weakest goes to the walls . i will set all at six and seven . a scabby horse is good enough for a scabby squire . when ale is in , wit is out . poor men have no souls . time and tyde stayes for no man. better steal a horse then stand by and look on . a woman hath nine lives , and a cat so many . he will say the crow is white . you give me a pigg of my own sow . change is no robbery . i laught in my sleeve . i seek for a thing wife , that i would not find . he hath thy head under his girdle . he shoots wide of the mark . he is a merchant without ware or money . toung breaketh bones . time is tickel . he casts beyond the moon . ' backare quoth mortimer to his sow . t is but a flea-biting . wine wears no breeches . he that medleth with all things may shooe the gosling . the plain fashion is best . who cometh last , let him make fast . he will kill a man for a mess of mustard . of two ills choose the least . forberance is no quittance . misreckoning is no payment . i will take it falth in the sneaf where ever it fall . he is iack out of office. let the cat wink , and the mouse runs . say nay and take it . i will say nought but mum . his toung runs before his wit. own is own , and home is home . she hath spun a fair threed . they may laugh that win . he playes best who wins . let this wind blow over . i have seen as far come as nigh . the keys hang not at one mans girdle . a good coming in , is all in all with a widdow . a bow long bent at last waxeth weak . a broken sleeve holdeth the arm back . a cat may look upon a king. a carion kite will never be a good hawk a dogg hath his day . a dogg will bark ere he bite . a fools bolt is soon shot . a friend is not so soon gotten as lost . a friend is never known till a man have need . a good man can doe no more harme then a sheep . a good tale ill told in the telling is marr'd . a good wife maketh a good husband . a good neighbour , a good good morrow . a grunting horse and a groaning wife never fail their riders . a hard beginning hath a good ending . a hard-fought field , where no man escapeth unkilld . a hasty man never wants woe . a hony toung , a heart of gall . a legg of a lark is better then the whole body of a kyte . a friend in court is worth a penny in purse . after meat comes mustard . as long liveth a merry man as a sadd . a long harvest of a little corn. a low hedge is easily leaped over . a man is not so soon healed as hurt . a man , far from his good , is nigh his harm . a man may buy gold too dear . a man may well bring a horse to the water , but he cannot make him drink without he will. a mouse in time may bite in two a cable . a piece of a kid is worth two of a cat. a sorry dogg that is not worth the whistling after . as proud comes behind as goes before . a proud horse that will not bear his own provender . a pound of care will not pay an ounce of debt . a scald head is soon broken . a swine over-fat , is the cause of his own bane . a traveller may ly with authority . a wonder lasteth but nine dayes . after black clouds cleer weather . after a storm comes a calm . after dinner sit a while , after supper walk a mile . all is not gold that glisters . all is well that ends well . an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers . an inch breaketh no square . an inch in a misse , is as bad as an ell . an unbidden guest knoweth not where to sit . as a man is friended so the law is ended . as deep drinketh the goose , as the gander . as good to play for nought as work for nought . as i brew , so must i drink . batchelors wives and maydens children be well taught . be it better be it worse , go you after him that bears the purse . believe well , and have well , better be envied then pittied . better tooth out then alwayes ake . better fed then taught . better half a loaf then no bread . better late then never . better leave then lack . better sit still then rise and fall . better spare at brim , then at bottom . better to be happy then wise . better to bow then break . better to rule , then be ruled by the rout . better unborn then untaught . better a bad excuse then none at all . beware of had i wist . black will take no other hue . blind men should not judge of colours . bought wit is best . by wisedom peace , by peace plentie . burnt child dreads the fire . cat after kind . christmas come's but once a year , and when it come's there is good cheer . close sitteth my shirt , but closer my skin . clowdy mornings turn to fair evenings . cut your coat after your cloth . dear bought and farr fett , are dainties for ladies . dinners cannot be long where dainties want . do well and have well . enough is as good as a feast . ever drunk ever dry . even reckoning maketh long friends . every man basteth the fat hog . every man cannot hit the nail on the head . every man for himself and god for us all . every one after his fashion . evil gotten goods never proves well . evil gotten evil spent . fast bind , fast find . fair words make fools fain . eair words hurt not the mouth . few words to the wise , suffice . fish is cast away that is cast into dry pools . first come first served . folly it is to spurn against a prick . foul water as soon as faire will quench hot fire . foul in the cradle , fair in the saddle . fools with fair words are pleased . frost and fraud have alwayes foul ends . give an inch , and you will take an ell . god never sendeth mouth , but he sendeth meat . god sendeth cold after cloth . god sendeth fools fortune . good words cost nought . good riding at two ankers men have told , for if the one fail , the other may hold . good to be merry and wise . great boast small rost . great barkers are no biters . half warn'd , half arm'd . happy man , happy dole . hast makes wast . he can ill pipe that lacketh his upper lip . he laugheth that winneth . he may ill run that cannot go . he must needs swim that is held up by the chin . he runneth far that never returneth again . he that cometh last must make all fast . he that cometh last to the pot soonest wroth . he that feareth every grasse must not pisse in the meddow . he that hath an ill name is half hanged . he that hath plenty of good shall have more . he that hath but a little , he shall have lesse , and he that hath right nought , right nought shall possesse . he that is borne to be hanged shall never be drown'd . he that striketh with the sword shall be beaten with the scabbard . he that will not when he may , when he would he shall have nay . he that winketh with the one eye and looketh with the other , i will not trust him though he were my brother . he that playes more then he sees , forfeiteth his eyes to the king. he is proper that hath proper conditions . he that worst may must hold the candle . he that reckoneth without his host , must reckon twice . hold fast when you have it . hope well and have well . hot love soon cold . how can the fole amble when the horse and mare trot ? hunger maketh hard beans sweet . hunger pierceth stone-walls . hunger is the best sauce . if every one mend one , all shall be mended . ill gotten ill spent . ill putting a sword in a mad mans hand . ill weeds grow fast . in love no lack . in trust is treason . it chanceth in an houre that happeneth not once in seven year . it is a bad cloth that will take no colour . it is a foul bird that defileth his own nest . it is an ill wind that bloweth no man good . it is a good horse that never stumbleth . it is better kisse a knave then to be troubled with him . it is better to be a shrew then a sheep . it is easier to descend then ascend . it is good fishing in troubled water . it is good to beware by other mens harms . it is good to be merry and wise , it is good sleeping in a whole skin . it is good to have a hatch before the door . it is hard halting before a cripple . it is hard to wive and thrive both in a year . it is hard striving against the stream . it is an ill coming to the end of a feast and begining of a fray . it is ill fishing before the net . it is ill healing of an old sore . it is merry in hall , when beards wagg all . it is merry when tinkers meet . it is not all butter that the cow shites . it must needs be true what every man saith . it pricketh betimes that will be a good thorn . it is not good to have an oare in every mans boat . it will not out of the flesh , that is bred in the bone . it is a rare thing to doe good . is every man born to be rich ? in the end , things will mend . knowledge is a great blessing . kindnesse will creep where it cannot go . leave is light . like will to like . little said soon amended . little do you know what i think . look ere you leap . look not too high , lest a chip fall in thine eye . love cometh in at the window , and goeth out at the door . love is blind . love me little , and love me long . love me , love my dogg . like to like , quoth the devil to the collier . like master , like man. look not a given horse in the mouth . many hands make light work . many cannot see wood from trees . mock not quoth mumford , when his wife call'd him cuckold . many kisse the child for the nurses sake . many a little maketh a mickle . more mayds then mawkin . many small make a great . many words will not fill a bushel . many men many minds . measure is a merry mean. might overcometh right . more afraid then hurt . need hath no law. need maketh the old wife trott . never pleasure without repentance . no man loveth his fetters , be they made of gold . no man ought to look a given horse in the mouth . no woman seeks another in the oven , which hath not before been there . nothing hath no savor . no man liveth without a fault . nothing is impossible to a willing heart . nothing venture nothing have . of a good beginning cometh a good end . of a ragg'd colt cometh a good horse . of little medling cometh great ease . of sufferance cometh ease . one ill weed marreth a whole pot of pottage . one ill word asketh another . one shrewd turn followeth another . one fool maketh many fools . one thing well done , is twice done . out of sight out of mind . over shooes over boots . one beateth the bush , another catcheth the birds . poor and proud , fie , fie . pride goes before , and shame follows after . pride will have a fall . profered service stinketh . prove thy friend ere thou have need . patience is a vertue . puff not against the wind . patience perforce , is medicin for a mad dog . reckoners without their host , must reckon twice . rome was not built in one day . reason rules all things . righteous things will prosper . saying and doing are two things . seldom cometh the better . seldom seen is soon forgotten . self do self have . shame take him that shame thinketh . shamefull craving must have shameful nay . set a beggar a hors-back , and he will gallop . small pitchers have wide ears . so many heads , so many witts . soft fire maketh sweet malt . salt seasons all things . somewat is better then nothing . soon gotten , soon spent . soon hot , soon cold . soon ripe , soon rotten . so long goeth the pot to the water , that at length it cometh home broken . spare to speak , spare to speed . speak faire and think what you will. spend and god will send . store is no sore . struggle not against the stream . such a father such a son . such beginning such end . such lipps such lettice . such welcome such farewell . such carpenters such chips . sweet meat will have sowre sauce . take time when time cometh , lest time steal away . take heed is a good reed . tales of robin hood are good for fools . that one will not another will. that the eye seeth not , the heart rueth not . that peny is well spent that saveth a groat . the beggar may sing before the thief . the best cart may overthrow . the best is best cheap . the blind lead the blind , they will stumble . the cat knoweth whose lipps she licketh well enough . the fewer the better fare . the fox fareth well when he is cursed . the greatest talkers are the least doers . the greatest clarks be not the wisest men . the more the merrier . the malt-man comes on munday . the greatest crabs be not all the best . the highest tree hath the greatest fall . the young cock croweth as the old heareth . the keyes hang not all at one mans girdle . the longer east , the shorter west . the longest day hath an end . the low stake standeth long . the eye-servant is never good for his master . the more thy years , the nigher thy grave . the nightingall sings clear . the parish-priest forgetteth that ever he hath been holy-water clark. the tide keeps its course . there is difference between staring and starke blind . there is falsehood in fellowship . think well of all men . they must hunger in frost that will not worke in heat . they that are bound must obey . they that be in hell weene there is no other heaven . threatned folks live long . time lost we cannot win . time stayeth for no man. too much of one thing is good for nothing . tread a worm on the tail , and she will turn again . the penny in pocket is a good companion . truth shameth the devil . two eyes can see more then one . two false knaves need no broker . two apples in my hand , and the third in my mouth . two heads are better then one . talk not too much on state-affairs . two may keep counsel when one is away . what is a workman without his tools ? what the heart thinketh , the toung speaketh . when the head aketh all the body is the worse . when the pigg is proferd hold up the poke . when theives fall out , true folks come to their own . vvelcome death quoth the ratt , when the trapp fell down . when thy neighbours house doth burn be careful of thine own . vve will do any thing that we may dance all . will. the piper hath broke his pipes . vvho hath an ill name is half hang'd . vhere nothing is a little doth ease . vvhere saddles lack , better ride on a padd , then on a horses bare back . vvhere nought is to wend witt , wise men flee the clogs . vvhere men are well used , they will frequent there . vvhere wine is not common , commons must be sent . vvithout hope the heart would break . vvho lacketh a stock , his gaine is not worth a chipp . vvho meddleth in all things , may shooe the goslings . vvho so deaf as he that will not hear ? vvho weddeth ere he be wise , shill die ere he thrive . will. will have wilt , though will woe winn . vvinn gold , and wear gold . vvit is never good till it be bought . vvho that may not as they would , must will as they may . yll gotten , ill spent . ynough is as stood as a feast . the goose drinketh as deep as the gander . the masters footsteps fatten the soyl . he hath enough to keep the vvolf from the door ; viz. hunger . better are many meals then one merry one . you may scratch where it itcheth not . he shaketh as an aspen-leaf . the grief of the head is the grief of griefs . a piece of kid is worth two of a catt . ther 's no butter will stick on my bread . 't is ill healing of an old sore . he cannot see the wood for trees . his lust is as young as his limbs are old . as coy as crokers mare . it would make a horse break his halter . a new broom sweepeth clean . every thing is worse for the wearing . as cold as a key . as hott as a toast . i fear neither king nor keysar . better to be king of a mole-hill , then a keysars slave . vvinn it and wear it . a mans best fortune , or his worst's a wife . his toung outrunneth his witt . to marry a young mayd to an old man , is to cover a new house with old straw . hab or nab , i le have her . vvho hath much pease may put the more in the pott . as bald as a coott . as sure as check . foolish pitty mars the citty . spare the rodd , spill the child . after dinner sitt a while , after supper walk a mile . a serjeant is the spawn of some decayed shop-keeper . as lean as a rake . to play least in sight . to walk by owle-light , viz. to fear arresting . a fool is fulsome . long and lazy , little and loud , fatt and fulsome , prety and proud ; in point of women . as melancholy as a colliers horse . as melancholy as a gibb'd catt . his witt goes a wool-gathering . vvitt whither wilt thou ? the difference twixt the poor man and the rich , is that the one walketh to gett meat for his stomack , the other to get a stomack to his meat . are you there with your bears ? as welcome as water into ones shooes . as welcome as flowers in may. a whipp for a fool , and a rodd for a school , is alwayes in good season . answer , a halter and a rope , for him that will be pope , vvithout all right and reason . twixt card. woolsey , and w. sommers . vvife and children , anvil of charges . she holds her tail awry . god grant your early rising do you no harm ; spoken jeeringly . soldiers in peace are like chimneys in summer . his eye is bigger then his belly . a white loaf and a hard cheese never shames the master . a good pawn never shame● the master . vvare wapps quoth will. day . all 's fish that comes into his nett . your geese are all swans . you shall have a flapp with a fox tail . t is good walking with horse in hand . as good a mayd as her mother . tittle tattle , give the goos more hay . no smoke without fire . much would have more . many women , many words , many geese many turds . as merry as fourty beggars . with as good a will as ever i came from school . twixt two stools the tail goes down . better sit still , then rise up and fall . i le christen my own child first . charity begins at home . long lookd for comes at last . the more hast the worse speed . true blew will never stain . you will not believe one bald , except you see his brain . one cannot catch a fly when he will. nine eggs a peny and eight addle . as fine as fippence , as neat as nine pence . as good without as never the nere . to break ones head and gve him a plaster . harm watch , harm catch . as a man 's friended so the law 's ended . peace and catch a mouse . claw me , and i le claw thee . i le have none of your flat milk . one swallow doth not make a summer . one vvoodcock does not make a winter . t is midsummer moon with you ; viz. you are madd . my catt hath no such ears . a pudding hath two ends , but a fool hath none . a silent woman better then a double-toung'd man. silence the best ornament of a woman . you must not let your mouse-trapp smell of cheese . if your plow be jogging , you may have meat for your horses . you dance in a nett , and you think no body sees you . a pint of wine to a vintner is but as a pipping to a coster-monge● . he is sick of the lombard feaver . newes , newes , the skin of your arse will make a new pair of shooes . kiss my arse for a week of fair weather . you will make hony of a doggs-turd . take heed of lighting at both ends . wheresoever you see your kindred , make much of your friends . words are but sands , but 't is money buyes lands . the peniless man may sing before the thief . what again quoth palmer . he that buyes the cow must keep the calf . as sure as cheque ; viz. exchequer . one good turn asks another . there is no striving against the stream . a man without reason , is a beast in season . ther 's no venome to that of the toung . 't is clear gain that remains by honest gettings . ther 's none poor , but such as god hates . i le take no leave of you , quoth the baker to the pillory . a little house well fill'd , and a little wife well will'd , and a little field well till'd , are great riches . warrs are sweet to them who know them not . 't is ill playing with edg'd tools . a good recorder sets all in order . as good never a whit as never the better . good ale is meat , drink and cloth . 't is wisedom somtimes to run with the hare , and hold with hound . when fern grows redd then milk is good with bread . farewell and be hang'd that is twise god be with you . good night nicholas , the moon is in the flockbedd . stark dead be thy comfort . the witt of you , and the wool of an old dogg , will make a piece of lincy-woolsie . to skin a stone for a peny , and break a knife of twelvepence . no hast to hang true men . as right as a rams horn . a turd in his teeth that owes no money . t is ill gathering of stones where the sea is bottomlesse . the devil and iohn of cumber . an itch is worse then a smart . if that be so , i 'le give you leave to make a whistle of my arse . spare not to spend , but spare to go thither . bragg is a good dogg . happy is the child whose father goes to the devil . every day in the week one shower of rain , and on sunday twain ; a proverb in many shires of england . usurers purses and woments plackets are never satisfied . how good witts do jump ! a hot may makes a fatt church-yard . take a hare without a muse , and a knave without an excuse , and hang them up . ready money will away . every thing must leak , quoth the wren when she pi●s'd into the sea. a cold may and a windy , maketh a full barn , and a findy . a pox on that quoth gill to her hole . there you lett slip a whiting ; viz. an oportunity . when hath the goose most feathers on her back ? when the gander is a topp of her , the fox had a wound he knew not where , he look'd in his arse and found it there . of all the fishes in the sea , give me a naked woman . fly brass , the coblers nose in the tinkers arse . that 's even a goodly dish of birds . dabb quoth dawkins , when he hit his wife in the arse with a pound of butter . good fish , but all the craft is in the catching . nippence , no pence , half a groat wanting two pench . you cannot fare well , but you must cry roast-meat . you are as welcome as water in ones shooes . as lazy as he who laid down his wallet to lett a fart . he brings meat in his mouth . april snowers bring forth may flowers . ianivir freez the pott by the fire . february fill dike , either with black or white ; he will fill it ere he go , if it be but with a fould of straw . fair and soft goes farr . children and fools tell truth . pease-pottage and tawny , never made good medley . the proof of a pudding is in the eating . a gentleman without money , is like a pudding without suet . an old serving-man , a young beggar . who is born under a three-peny planett , will never be worth a groat . 't is ill gaping before an oven . out of the frying-pan into the fire . viz. from bad to worse . out of gods blessing into the warm sun. butter's good for any thing , but to stopp an oven , or seal a letter . he will not give his head for the washing . ther 's difference twixt staring and stark madd . you come a day after the fair. manners make a man , quoth william of wickham . any tooth good barber . i love it as an ape loves a whipp . he will shave a whetstone . he will not loose the droppings of his nose . give a child while he 'l crave , and a dogg while his tail will wave , you shall have a fair dogg , and a foul child . i have a goose to pluck with you . you measure every one by your own yard . women in state-affairs , are like munkies in glasshopps . for one good turn another will itch , claw my elbow and i le scratch your brich . let not the shooe-maker go beyond his last . you putt the saddle on the wrong horse . all is is not gold that glisters . ther 's not a turd to choose . that will be when the devil is blind . ther 's reason in ros●ing of eggs. i le not creep in her arse to bake in her oven . catt to her kind . it 's a sory dogg that is not worth the whisling after . you put the cart before the horse . this is to sell a pigg in a poke . one tale is good till the other be told . my elbow itches , i must change my bedfellow . 't is an evil battle where the devil carrieth the colours . they that love most are least set by . a light christmass , a heavy sheaf . i would it were in again with the hedg-hogg after it ; viz. a fart . give a man fortune , and throw him into the sea. all work and no play , makes iack a dull boy . a red beard , and a black head , catch him with a good trick , and take him dead . i have other eggs to fry . the king and pope , the lion and the wolf ; a proverb used in king johns time , in regard of the great exactions . the ratt , the catt , and lovell the dogg , do rule all england under a hogg ; a proverb used in richard the third's time . if you are angry , turn the buckle of your girdle behind you . make hay while the sun shines . hinckeson-down welly wrought , is worth london town dearly bought ; a cornish proverb , because of rich tinne mines there . you are like to come by weeping cross . o master vier , we cannot pay you your rent , for we had no grace of god this year ; no shipwrack upon our coast ; a saying of the cornish . well fare nothing once a year . he builds castles in the air. 't is good to be merry and wise . forewarnd , half armd . like to like quoth the devil to the collier . the father to the bough , the son to the plow . a kentish proverb meant of gavelkind . in rain and sun-shine , cuckolds go to heaven . he that can gett a quart of milk for a peny , need not keep a cow. a cunning knave needs no broker . strand on the green , thirteen houses , fourteen cuckolds , and never a house between ; for the father and the son lay in one house . who goeth to law with your ladiship , taketh a wrong sow by the ear . fly brass , thy father 's a tinker . he that wrastleth with a turd shall be beshitt fall he over or under . what 's that ? it is a layer for my ladies arse , lick you the tother thing ; norfolk . grass and hay , we are all mortal . where fell the parson ? betwixt the whore your mothers leggs ; a jeere to those below london bridge . he must have a long spoon that eats with the devil . in the dark , ioan is as good as my lady . little said , and soon amended . he is a wise child that knows his own father . better a clout then the arse out . when the sky falls we shall catch larks . look high and fall into a cow-turd . who follows truth too close at the heels , she may chance dash out his teeth . to swallow an ox , and be choaked with the tail . the devil shites upon a great heap ; viz. of money . wide quoth walley , when he thrust his pintle into the bedstraw . as good steal the horse as look over the hedge . without herb - iohn , no good pottage . let the dogg worry the hogg . fight dog fight bear , the devil part them . every one is not born a poet. he that groaps in the dark , finds that which he would not . he that kisseth his wife in the market-place shall have many teachers . farr fetcht and dear bought is meat for ladies . a young saint , an old devil . the old catt slapps more then the kittling . drink after an egg , as after an ox. too much money makes one madd . when thieves fall out , true men come to their own . a good candle-holder proves a good gamester . 't is ill halting before a cripple . i can look into a mil-stone as farr as another . he is like the devil , alwayes in mischief . when might overcomes right , the weakest goes to the wall . ther 's never a promise made , but it s either broken or kept . he who dies of threats , must be rung to church by farts . ther 's more wayes to the wood then one . a fatt commodity hath no fellow . no cutt to unkindness . once a knave and ever a knave . a pox on these true jests . ask my brother whether i am a thief . the lion not so fierce as he is painted . vvords cutt more then swords . 't is good to help a lame dogg over the stile . vvords are wind , but blows are unkind . you will never make a sattin purse of a sowes ear . he is all hony , or all turd . every light is not the sun. trimm tramm , like master like man. you two are finger and thumb . youth and white paper takes any impression . when adam delv'd and eve span , who was then a gentleman ? up starts a churl that gathered good , from whence did spring his noble blood . if you swear you 'l catch no fish . if the sky fall we shall have larks ; but who will catch them ? a great cry and little wooll , quoth the devil when he sheard the hogg . 't is pitty fair weather should do any hurt . if it rain on st. swithins day , expect t will do so fourty dayes after more or lesse . never a barrel better herring . gramercy fourty pence , iack noble's dead . he that eats the kings goose , shal be choaked with the feathets . a living dogg is better then a dead lion. better be a cock for a day , then a hen for a year . prate is prate , but it is the duck that layes the eggs. better have it , then hear of it . little difference twixt a feast and a belly-ful . he that hath money in his purse cannot want a head for his shoulders . well horse , winter will come . he found him napping as mosse found his mare . better half a loaf then no bread . he runs farr that never returns . when you ride a young colt , see your saddle be well girt . who kills a man when he is drunk , shall be hang'd when he is sober . what do you roming so up and down ? i fishd long and caught a frogg . there are more then four leggs in a bedd that belong to man and wife . money is welcome , though it come in a shitten clout . kindness will creep where it cannot go . one may live and learn , and be hang'd and forget all . such a reason pist my goose. as hungry as a church-mouse . i will not sett at my heart what i should sett at my heel . a broken apothecary , a new doctor . a hungry man , an angry man. he looks as if he had sold all and took nothing for it . he deserves not the sweet that will not taste of the sowre . as good as ever water wet . one scabd sheep spoils the whole flock . he that never drank was never athirst . ther 's a pudding in the fire , and my part lies thereinna . he speaks like a mouse in a cheese . it comes by iohn long the carrier ; viz. never . fly , and you will catch the swallow . he was bredd at hoggs-norton . you have fisht fair and catcht a frogg . two hungry meals make the third a glutton . to take a hair of the same dogg ; viz. to be drunk with the same drink again . t is not worth an egg-shel . by hook or crook ; viz. by right or wrong . the worst can fall , is but a denial . ther 's neither pot broke , nor water spilt ; viz. no hurt done . a lyer had need of a good memory . tell me it snowes . one may break his neck in his house as soon as his fast . i le look into his water hereafter . t is to cast water into the thames . to help a lame dogg over the stile . she swelld like a toad . i had him in the wind , and smelt him streight . all your geese are swans . he is as free of his gift , as a poor man is of his eye . one may gett a fart from a dead horse , as soon as a farthing from him . he is high in the instepp , he stands a tiptoe . he is hide-bound , he is an hungarian . t is lost that 's unsought . he hath many knacks in his budget . gramercy horse . this is to turn the catt in the pan . have among you blind harpers . such lipps such lettice . you see the mote in my eye , but cannot see the beam in your own . to strain at a gnatt and swallow a camel. to stumble at a straw and jump over a stile . will you have better bread then is made of wheat ? best is best cheap . feed sparingly , and defie the physitian . blurt mr. constable ; spoken in derision . better half a loaf then none at all . pride feels no cold . provender pricks him . poverty parteth friends . as an owle in an ivy-bush . farewell frost . he knows well enough what side his bread is butterd upon . oxford knifes , and london wives . who goes to westminster for a vvife , to pauls for a man , and to smithfield for a horse , may meet with a whore , a knave , and a jade . grayes inn for walks , lincolns inn for a wall , the inner temple for a garden , and the middle for a hall. donmow bacon , and doncaster daggers . monmouth caps , and lemsters wool . derby ale , and london beer . when all is gone and nothing left , vvhat avails the dagger with the dudgeon heft ? so you told me ; spoken ironically . like a curst cow that gives a paile of milk , and then kicks it down . butter is in the cows horns one a year . like banbury tinkers , who in stopping one hole , make two . that which is got into the bone will never out of the flesh . happy is the eye , that dwels twixr the severn and the wye . what 's better then the beer that 's made of malt ? what 's sweeter then the c. hipphalt ? there is no fishing to the sea , nor service to the king. a northern sawing saw ; doll , dick , and davie , look wel to thy pater-noster , and thy avie ; and if thy soul desires to speed , look also well unto thy creed ; for tak 't from me , that he or she deserves to be vvell belted in a bridle , vvho leaves her werk to play the clerk , and descant on the bible . bate me an ace , quoth bolton . mark snelling anon . find me a true man trent northward , and i will find you an honest whore . it works like soap in a sowes tail . vvhere the hedge is lowest , all men do go over ; viz. the poor is oppressed . vvords are but wind , but blowes are unkind . i must not hang all my bells upon one horse ; viz. give all away to one son . you dream of a dry summer . he will live as long as old russe of pottern , who lived till all the world was weary of him . t is an ill wind that blows no body any good . grease a fat sow in the tail , she will shite in your fist . he hath the better end of the staff . as good never a whit , as never the better . he hath thwittend a mill-post to a thwittle . you cannot see a green goose , but your teeth must warer . to come in pudding-time . short-shooting looseth the game . long standing and small offering maketh poore priests . vvould you eat your cake , and have your cake ? a tale of robin hood . a tale of tom thumb . you may lend your arse , and shite thorough your ribbs . let him sett up shop on goodwins sands . if it were not for hope the heart would break . must i tell you a tale , and find you ears ? there was no more water then the ship drew . he hath not a peny to bless him . he looks like a bull that hath beshit the fair . t is easie to cry ule at other mens cost . he hath a flea in his ear . he would fain flee , but he wants feathers . she is naught i warrant her . when you have told your cards you will find you have gaind but little . who hath a scold hath sorrow to his sopps . 't is the fairest flower in your garden . he hath played wily beguile with me . mum is counsel ; viz. silence . a merchant of eel-skins . in three words she is at the roof of the house . in trust is treason . 't is folly to spurn against pricks . better sitt still , then rise and fall . to make havock , and set cock on the hoop . 't is folly to strive against the stream . an honest plain man without pleets . no fire witbout smoak . fields have eyes , and woods have ears . out of sight , out of mind . i love his little finger more then thy whole body . his toung is like a lambs tail , or the clack of a mill. you harp still on one string . i know him as well as the begga● knoweth his dish . catch that catch may . the weaker goes to the pot . as meet as a sow to bear a saddle . when bale is hekst , boot is next . to pick a pockt , is the way to newgate . fast bind , fast find . the bird is flown . better to have , then to wish . the loth stake stands long . strike while the iron is hot . he waits for moon-shine in the water . who never climbd never fell . he comes with his five eggs a penny . once a whore , and ever a whore . provide for the worst , the best will save it self . who shall tie the bell about the cats neck ? folly to spurn against the wall . use makes mastery . be as be may , is no banning . toss'd from post to pillory . poverty parts fellowshipp . the beggar is never out of his way . god is where he was . i have the bent of his bow . all the fatt is in the fire . she thinketh her farthing good silver . he shall sink in his own sin . she is as tender as a parsons leman . a mans spirits being very dull , are easily rais'd by cunny-wooll . the devil danceth in a womans placket . a drunken man seldom catcheth harm . there is no mischief in the world done , but that a woman is alwayes one . womens words are but wind . tell a tale to a mare and she will let a fart . he will ly as fast as a nagg will trott . his provender pricks him . weddings are made in heaven . of two evils the least is to be chosen . as they brew , so let them bake . as the bell tinketh , the fool thinketh . take time when time cometh . time and tide will stay no mans leisure . foure farthings and a thimble , will make a taylors pocket jingle . whipp saith the taylor , whir saith the shears , take a true taylor and cutt off his ears . a miller , a man , a thief and a cuckold . he a man ? he a mouse . if you will not , another will. i le sitt on your skirts . you begg breeches of a bare-ars'd man. who goes worse shod then the shooemakers wife , and worse cladd , then the taylors wife ? he goes as a bear to the stake . if fortune favour , i may have her , for i go about her ; if fortune fail , you may kiss her tail , and go without her . an unbidden guest must bring his stool with him . when drink 's in the witt 's out . he is a fool , and ever shall , that writes his name upon the wall . children and fools speak truth . you gape for gudgeons . cast an old shooe after him . the rough nett is not the best catcher of birds . fire in one hand , and water in tother . he blows hot and cold . you tell tales out of school . he playes with a staff of two ends . he may be gott by an apple , and lost by a nutt . come up to my shoulder , and shite in my neck . leave these flimflams and be earnest . to stand to his promise is to hold an eel by the tail . he is neither fish , nor flesh , nor good red herring . lovers live by love , as larks do by leaks . she looks as if butter would not melt in her mouth . a wolf in a lambs skin . as quiet as a lamb. as innocent as a dove . as fierce as a lion. as outragious as a bull. he is a fool that kisseth the mayd , when he may kiss the mistresse . love me little , love me long . you shall have as much favour as at billinsgate for a box on the ear . well begun is half done . god send you more witt , and me more money . we burn day-light . a goshawk scorns to beat a bunting . we are all in the same predicament . he blusheth like a black dogg . he will go to law for a straw . the dosnell dawcock comes dropping in among the doctors . his toung runs at random . such a reason pist my goose. you speak like a pothecary , viz. ignorantly . he was ore shooes at first stepp . so the butcher look'd for his knife when it was in his mouth . rancor sticketh long by the ribs . when sorrow 's asleep wake it not . many stroaks fell down strong oaks . the hindmost hound may catch the hare . the businesse mendeth as sowre ale in summer . i care as little for it , as a goose-turd for the thames . spend and be free , but make no waste . she is as quiet as a wasp in ones nose . a scotch mist wetteth an englishman to the skin . he knoweth not a b. from a battledoor . you are a right englishman , you cannot tell when you are well . as like him as if he had been spitt out of his mouth . the vicar of fools is his ghostly father . you seek a brack where the hedge is whole . who commendeth himself , wanteth good neighbours . you will make a horn as soon of an apes tail . lack of looking maketh cobwebbs in a boyes tail . go meddle with your old shooes . to leave boyes play , and go to blow point . i am not like a dogg that cometh at every ones whisling . you putt a silly soul to be a keeper for the devils good grace . he carrieth all his wardrobe about him . strike home when the iron 's hot . it melteth like butter in a sowes arse . he is mealy-mouth'd , he will creep into your bosome . there goeth but a pair of shears betwixt them . he spake of a fox , but when all came to all , it was but a fernbrake . teach your grany to groap her goose. i know what i do when i drink . catt after kind . a hare and a mare go one year ; viz. nine the one , and three the other . too much learning maketh men madd . a clout is better then a hole . sweet meats will have sower sauce . a young serving-man an old beggar . words cut deeper then swords . manners make a man , quoth william of wickham ; who had been bishop of winchester . a liccorish toung , a lecherous tail . he hath plaid the iack with me ; viz. he hath not dealt well . saint matthias , both leaf and grasse . david and chad sow good and bad ; viz. the first and seco●d of march. 't will make you scratch , where it doth not itch . lett may come early or come late , yet it will make the cow to quake . i think thou wast born at hoggs-norton , where piggs play upon the organs . if fro●t in march , there will be some in may. better fedd then taught . if dreams and wishes had been true , there had been found a mayd since the virgin mary to make a nunn of . ther 's no more pitty to be taken of a woman weeping then of a goose going bare-foot . some have the happ , and others sticke in the gapp . you must not go , but gawe . give losers leave to speak . if i be hang'd i le chuse my gallowes . a smiling boy seldom good servant . the devil is good to some body . to a red man reade thy reade , with a brown man break thy bread ; at a pale man draw thy knife , from a black man keep thy wife . give me the mayd that went to bed to her master to keep him warm ; a proverb in beverley . wer 't not for hope , the heart would break . fidlers fare , meat , drink , and money . as warm as wool. as cold as charity . as comfortable as matrimony . colchester oysters , salzey cockles , rye herrings , severn salmon . let every sack stand upon its own bottom . happy man be thy dole . even reckoning maketh long friends . at christmas great loafs , at easter clean souls , and at whitsontide new clothes . when christ falleth in our ladies lapp , then lett england look for a clapp . when the cuckow sitteth on a dry thorn , sell thy cow , and sow thy corn. 't is a good body , she wanteth but a new pair of sleeves . 't is safe riding in a good haven . what ? must i tell you a tale , and find you ears too ? i le go no more on your sleevelesse errands . nothing have nothing crave . kissing goeth by favor . you begg a breech of a bare-arsed man. god help the rich , the poor can begg . the rough nett not best to catch birds . he speaketh as if he would creep into ones mouth . he is neither fish , nor flesh , nor good red herring . for all your kindred , make much of your friends . better fedd then taught . a young saint , an old devil . little knoweth the fatt sow what the lean thinketh . leave her on a ley , and lett the devil flitt her ; a lincolnshire proverb spoken of a scolding wife ; viz. tye her to a plow-ridge , and lett the devill remove her to a better pasture . cold weather , and crafty knaves , come from the north. a little house well fill'd , a little land well till'd , and a little wife well will'd , make one happy . she looketh as if butter would nor melt in her mouth . we have fish'd all night and catch'd a frogg . he is not worthy to carry gutts to a bear , he hath more in his little finger then the other hath in all his whole body . the more the merrier , the fewer the better cheer . peny wise and pound foolish . a knight of cales , and a gentleman of wales , and a squire of the north countrey ; a yeo●an of kent , with his yearly rent , will buy them together three . fidlers fare , meat , drink and money . the nun of sion with the frier of shean , went under the water to play the quean . after a coller comes a halter , quoth the tanner of tamworth , when henry the fourth called for a coller to make him a squire . my friend keep money in thy purse ; 't is one of solomons proverbs said one ; another answering that he thought 't was not there , if it be not , replied kitt lancaster , it should have been , for it is as good as any he hath . provide for the worst , the best will save it self . the tapp's a thief . he cannot say boe to a goose. coblers and tinkers are the best ale-drinkers . winters thunder and summers flood , never boded englishman good . he hath brought a noble to nine pence . who marrieth a widdow hath a deaths head often in his dish . keep thy shopp , and thy shopp will keep thee . lett uterpendragon do what he can , eden will run the same way it ran ; a river in westmerland , which uterpendragon thought to bring about pendragon castle . he giveth twice that giveth in a trice . good words without deeds , are rushes and reeds . little avails wealth , where there is no health . to day a man , to morrow none . good witts commonly jump . a man of gladnesse , seldome falleth into madnesse . make ab or warp of the businesse as soon as you can ; a metaphor taken from weavers . the devil wipeth his arse with the poore mans pride . i le quickly make a shaft or a bolt of it . vvho draweth his sword against his prince , must throw away the scabbard . the rath sower never borroweth of the late . salisbury plain , is seldome without a theef or twain . the furthest way about is the nearest way home . 't is ill spurring a free horse . it is pitie to part three things , the lawyer and his client , the physician and his patient , and a pot of good ale and a toast . stoln goods seem sweet , but take heed of after-clapps . crush the cocatrice in the shell . use maketh mastery . his toung is like a lambs tail , or the clack of a mill. possession is eleven points of the law. diversity of humors breedeth tumors . he that bulls the cow , must keep the calf ; a proverb used in the common law of england . pater noster built churches , and our father pull'd them down . 't is but one doctors opinion . at latter lammas when men shear their calfs . i have gott it ore the left shoulder . the higher the tree the sweeter the plumb , the better the shooe , the blacker the thumb . if it be not true , here 's my elbow . the case is alter'd quoth ploydon ; a lawyer of that name , who being asked by a n●ighbour of his what remedy there was in law against same hoggs that trespassed his ground , he answered , he might have very good remedy ; but the other replying , that they were his hoggs , nay then , the case is alter'd said ploydon . in three words she is at the roof of the house . i love his little finger more then thy whole body . go teach your grandam to sard ; a nottingham proverb . ungitt , unblessed . vvhat , shall we starve in a cooks shopp , and a shoulder of mutton by ? all is well when the mistresse smiles . coats change with countreyes . stretching and yawning leadeth to bed . home is home , though ne're so homely . search not too curiously lest you find trouble . he who will an old wife wedd , lett him eat a cold apple when he goeth to bedd . you will never make a good whistle on a piggs tail . to robb peter to pay paul. lett every pedler carry his own burden . 't is the fairest flower in your garden . mum is counsel ; viz. silence . lett every tubb stand upon his own bottom . speak the truth and shame the devil . be it for better or for worse , follow him that bears the purse . as sure as a juglers box . he speaketh like a mouse in a cheese . as white as the driven snow . vvho goes a borrowing goeth a sorrowing . change is no robbery . you teach your father how to get children . you are come in pudding-time , viz. seasonably . i cry you mercy , i took you for a joint stool . vvo robs a schollar robs twenty men . he beareth the bell . as learned as doctor doddipoll . there i caught a knave in a purse-nett . it smells of elbow-grease . lett me spitt in thy mouth . he carrieth two faces under one hood . better belly burst then good drink lost . sorrow is good for nothing but sin . the second blow maketh the fray . every one hath a fool in his sleeve . better a fool then a knave . as they brew , so let them bake . he smiles like a brewers horse . of two evils the least is to be chosen . the difference twixt the poor man and the rich , is , that the one walketh to gett meat for his stomack , the other to get a stomack to his meat . wear the inside of thy stockins outward to scare the witches . a black shooe maketh a merry heart . he who hath eaten of a bear-pye , will alwaies smell of the garden . su●ton wall , and kenchester hill , are able to buy london were it to sell. vvitt whither wilt thou ? ill gotten , ill spent . enough is as good as a feast . love me little love me long . vvin gold and wear it . vvho that may not as they would , must will as they may . his cake is become dough , or his nose is put out of joynt . the devil and iohn of cumberland . as plain as a pike-staff . as rough as a tinkers budgett . as clear as the sun at noon-tide . two words to a bargain . friends must part quoth luce , when her leggs were laid open . a fatt soyl good for the bider , bad for the rider . he that shiteth more then he eateth is in danger of bursting . then we shall have it quoth iudy when her smock was up . cleanly quoth catch●ole when he wip't his arse with his elbow . he who but once a good name getts , may pisse a bed , and say he sweats . when all is gone and nothing left , what avails the dagger with the dudgeon heft ? a jaylors conscience and his fetters made both of one mettle . who sweareth when he playeth at dice , may challenge his damnation by way of purchase . wife and children are bills of charges . the wholsomest way to gett a good stomach is to walk on thy own ground . many great men so ignorant , that they know not their own fathers . money is that which art hath turned up trump . an usurer is one that tormenteth men for their good conditions ; viz. the conditions of their bonds . a prisoner , though a shop-keeper cannot call himself a freeman . an usurer is one that putteth his money to the unnaturall act of generation , and the scrivener is his bawd. 't is better ro be stung by a nettle , then prickt by a rose ; viz. to be wrongd by a foe , then a friend . you may as soon hold water in a sive . make not thy tail broader then thy wings ; viz. keep not too many attendants . a true friend should be like a privie , open in time of necessity . a cutt-purse is a sure trade , for he hath ready money when his work is done . though the old man cannot live long , yet the young man may dy quickly . vvho weddeth ere he be wise , shall die ere he thrive . make not thy friend too cheap to thee , nor thy self too dear to him . vvhere wine is not common , commons must be sent . vvithout hope the heart would break . barbers are correctors of capitall crimes . a drunkard is doubly divorced from himself , for when he is got sober , he is scarce his own man , and being in drink , he cometh short by many degrees . the furthest way about is sometimes the nearest way home . haberdehoy , half a man and half a boy . the greatest clerks are not alwayes the learnedst men . there is no fishing to the sea , nor service to the kings . as sure as check . a friend in court , is better then a penny in purse . plain dealing is a jewell , and he that useth it shall die a beggar . give a shoulder of mutton to a sick horse . 't is ill healing of an old sore . well fare nothing once a year ; for then he is not subject to plundring . seldome cometh a better ; meant of wife or governments . as weak as water . as strong as mustard . as bitter as gall. two heads are better then one . a cow may catch a hare . talk not too much of state-affairs . if dreams and wishes were true , there would hardly be found a mayd in all the nunneries of christendom . she is loose in the hilts ; viz. a wagg-tail or light woman . bauds and attorneyes like andyrons , the one holds the sticks , the other their clients till they consume . who expounds scripture upon his own warrant , layeth together hot brands with his fingers . a covetous man like a dogg in a wheel , that roasteth meat for others . souldiers are good antiquaries in keeping the old fashion , for the first bedd was the bare ground . the bragger pisseth more then he drinketh . two may keep counsel when one is away . he that hath many friends eateth too much salt with his meat . patience perforce , is a medicin for a mad horse . speak faire and think what you will. he must rise betimes that will cozen the devill . spend and god will send ; viz. a bagg , and a wallet . puff not against the wind . the wind bloweth where it listeth . shame take him that shame thinketh . he looketh like a hogg in armour . the wholesomest meat is at another mans cost . shamefull craving must have shameful nay . when the winde is in the east , it is good for neither man nor beast . it will not out of the flesh , that is bred in the bone . prove thy friend ere thou have need . of sufferance cometh ease . understanding and reason cannot conclude out of mood and figure . the cock crowes , but the hen goes . need maketh the old wife trott . he capers like a flie in a tar-box . never pleasure without repentance . youth and age will not agree . no man loveth his fetters , be they made of gold . a strumpet with child , like one prickt in a hedge , and cannot tell which thorn it was . as loud as a horn , and as sharp as a thorn . of little medling cometh great ease . through peace cometh plenty . riches like muck which stinks in a heap , but spread abroad , maketh the earth fruitful . a rich citizens daughter marrying a noble man , is like a black-pudding , the one bringeth blood , the other sewitt . a new office , like a new garment , strait at first putting on . love like a wife and child . riches are but the baggage of fortune . men fear death as children do to go to the dark . stay a little that we may make an end the sooner . many can pack the cards , yet cannot play well ; viz. witty men seldom wise . choose thy friends like thy books , few , but choice . ther 's a devill in every berry of the grape ; a turkish proverb . a lye stands on one legg , but truth upon two ; a iewish proverb . shoot the second shaft , and perhaps thou maist find again the first . who goeth to school to himself , may find a fool to his master . change is no robbery . knaves and whores go by the clock . the most essentiall part of a wise man is , not to open all the boxes of his brest . pains is the price , that god putterh upon all things . lett him chomp upon the bitt , and think on it . proverbs used at dice , very frequent among the western inn-keepers . twelve quoth twatt when it rung noon . am's ace , ambling annes , and trotting ioan. size deux ; si deus nobiscum , quis contra nos ? sice cinque , when a queen shites , she needs must stinke . quatre tray , katherine gray . tray deux ace , passage cometh apace . two sixes , black is my hole quoth nan bentley . foure and five , whom fortune favoureth he will thrive . cinque tray , some stood , and some ran away . two fives , two thiefs besides the caster . six foure , we shall be all merry within this houre . six three , six trees will make two pair of gallowes . cinque tray , some fought , and some run away . foul in the craddle , clean in the saddle . serve god in thy calling , 't is better then praying ; viz. this is meant of foolish impertinent zelotts . the fairest rose endeth in a hep ; viz. all beauties perish . honour bought is temporal simony . what 's well done is ever done . the holy man of god will be better with his bowes and arrowes about him ; an irish prverb . vvave a wife with no fault , and take one with two ; a british proverb . topicall and temporall proverbs , relating to particular places , seasons , and persons put together . lett uter pendragon doe what he can , eden will run the same way she ran ; a river in westmerland , which uter pendragon thought to bring about pendragon castle , but could not force nature ; naturam expellas furcâ licèt . wotten under wever , where god was never ; a black squalid place neere moreland in staffordshire . in april , doves-flood , is worth a kings good ; a river in staffordshire . you may sip up the severn , and swallow mavern as soon ; meant of impossibilities . scarborough warning ; viz. not till danger knock at the door , as it once happened there from the french. archdeacon pratt would eat no fatt , his wife would eat no lean ; twixt archdeacon pratt , and ioan his wife , the meat was eat up clean . rain , rain go to spain , fair weather come again . at witson poke munday , when peeple shear hogs ; viz. never . like banbury tinkers , who in stopping one hole , make two ; meant of those that marr a business in mending it . barnaby bright , the longest day and shortest night . backare , quoth mortimer to his sow . there be more mayds in the world then malkin . as old as pendle hill ; in lancashire where the witches use to be . from hull , hell , and hallifax , good lord deliver us . as wise as vvalthams calf , who went nine miles to suck a bull , and came back more thirstie then when he went. ioan in the dark is as good as my lady . a man in words and not in deeds , is like a garden full of weeds . badger-like , one legg shorter then another . they scold like so many butter-whores , or oyster-women at billinsgate . in time of prosperity friends will be plenty , in time of adversity not one amongst twenty . the dutchman drinketh pure wine in the morning , at noon wine without water , in the evening as it comes from the butt . nick would wipe his nose if he had one . some places of kent have health and no wealth , some wealth and no health , some health and wealth , some have neither health nor wealth . a burford bait ; viz. vvhen one sipps or drinks but part , they still fill his cupp untill he drinketh all . drink off your drink and steal no lambs . as craftie as a kendale fox . they thrive as new-colledge students , who are golden schollers , silver batchelors , and leaden masters . as fierce as a lion of cotshwold ; viz. a sheep . go digg at mavorn hill ; spoken of one whose wife wears the breeches . god sends meat and the devil sends cooks . after meat comes mustard . hunger is the best sawce . cato never laughed but once , and that was when he saw an asse eat thistles ; being laden with gold . go ride upon saint leonards saddle ; a speech used to be spoken to a barren woman ; this saddle was kept at bromley ( in essex . ) vvebley ale , medley bells , lemster ore ; three things in herefordshire , which are the best in that kind . an ague in the spring , is physick for a king. a bushell of march dust , is worth a kings ransome . as plain as the nose of a mans face . easter so long'd for is gone in a day . winter thunder is summers wonder . after a storm cometh a calm . vvide quoth bolton when his bolt flew backward . he shooteth well that hitts the mark . bait me an ace quoth bolton . sutton wall , and kenchister , are able to buy london were it to sell ; two fruitfull places in herefordshire . the devil and iohn of cumber . blessed be saint stephen , ther 's no fast at his even ; because 't is christmas night . in lincolnshire , the sow shites sope , the cow shites fire ; for they wash with the one , and make fire with the other . every thing hath an end , and a pudding hath two . it would vex a dogg to see a pudding creep . the vale of holmesdale , never won , nor never shall ; holmesdale is near rigat in surrey . little england beyond vvales ; pembrokeshire more then half inhabited by the english. lemster wooll , and monmouth capps . find me an honest man trent northward , and i will find you an honest whore . solomon was a wise man , and sampson was a strong man , yet neither of them could pay money before they had it . lay thy hand on thy heart , and speak the truth . look behind thee , and consider what thou wast . let god be true , and all men liars . do as you would be done unto . a cold may and a windy , makes a fat barn and findy . manners make a man , quoth vvilliam of wickeham . a soft fire maketh sweet malt . you may know his meaning by his gaping . souldiers and travellers may lye by authority . the smoak of charren ; a proverb relating to a wife who had beat her husband , and he going out weeping , said it was for the smoake that his eyes watered . he that hath it and will not keep it , he that wanteth it and will not seek it , he that drinketh and is not dry , shall want money as well as i. if one knew how good it were to eat a hen in ianivere , he would not leave one in the flock , for to be trodden by the cock. of all the fish in the sea , herring is the king. the nun of sion , with the frier of shean , vvent under water to play the quean . if skiddaw wears a capp , scruffel wots full well of that ; viz. if it be cloudy . skiddaw , and scruffel are in cumberland , and anandell . skiddaw , lauellin , and casticand , are the highest hills in all england ; all in cumberland . a sheriff had he bin , and a contour , vvas no where such a vavasour ; an old said saw of that family . the jowl of a salmon , the tail of a tench ; the back of a herring , the belly of a vvench . vvere i near my castle of bungey , upon the river of vvavenley , i would ne care for the king of cockeney . hugh bigod in henry the seconds time ; these places are in suffolk . it shall be done when the king cometh to vvogan , a little village ; viz. an impossibility . cheshire chief of men , lancashire for fair women . iudas might have repented before he could have found a tree to have hang'd himself upon , had he betraid christ in scotland . essex calfs , kentish long-tails , yorkshire tikes , norfolk bumkins . vvho fetcheth a wife from dunmow , carrieth home two sides of a sow . madame parnell , crack the nut and eat the kernel ; this alludes to labor . when gabriel blowes his horn , then this question will be decided ; viz. never . as plain as dunstable high-way . i le warrant thee for an egg at easter . brave man at arms , but weak to balthazar . you are as wise as the men of gotham , who went to build a wall about the wood to keep out the cuckow . this tohacco grew under the king of spains window , and the queen piss'd upon 't . pauls will not alwayes stand . where the great turks horse once treads , the grass will never grow . as just as iermans lipps . gipp quoth gilbert when his mare farted . coll under candlestick , he can play with both hands . crack me that nutt quoth bumsted . cold weather and craftie knaves come from the north. at christmas great loafs , at easter clean souls , and at whitsontide new clothes . bricklesey oysters , selzey cockles , rye herrings , severn sammon . i care as little for it as a goose-turd doth for the thames . you are a right englishman , you know not when you are well . david and chad sow good or bad . saint matthias both leaf and grasse . i think she was bred at hoggsnorton , where piggs play on the organs . mock not quoth mumford when his wife call'd him cuckold . oxford knifes , london wives . dunmow bacon , doncaster daggers . happy is the eye , that dwelleth twixt severn and the wye . a scott's mist wetteth an englishman to the skinne . every one cannot dwell at rotheras ; a delicate seat of the bodmans in herefordshire . he will live as long as old russe of pottern , who lived till all the world was weary of him . grayes inn for walks , lincoln's inn for a wall , the inner temple for a garden , and the middle for a hall. hinkeson down welly wrought , is worth london town dearly bought ; because of the tinn-mines . strand on the green , thirteen houses , fourteen cuckolds , and never a house between ; for the father and son lay in one house . dabb quoth dawkins when he hitt his wife on the arse with a pound of butter . three ills come from the north , a cold wind , a sleazy cloth , and a crafty man. some of old john heivvoods rhimes , which run for the most part in proverbs & adages of old ferne yeers . touching mariage and against too much haste that way . the best or worst thing to man for this life , is good or ill choosing his good or ill wife ; some things that provoke young men to wedd in haste , shew after wedding , that haste makes waste . when time hath turn'd white sugar to vvhite salt , then such folk see , soft fire makes sweet malt . and that deliberation doth men assist before they wedd , to beware of had i wist : and then their timely wedding doth soon appear that they were early up but nere the neer ; for when their hasty heat 's a little controll'd then perceive they well , hott love 's soon cold , and when hasty wittlesse mirth is mated wee le , good to be merrie and wise , they think and feel . hast in wedding some man thinketh his own avail when it proves at last a rod for his own tail . in lesse things then weddings hast showeth hast mans foe . so that the hastie man never wants woe . and though some seem wifes for you be never so fitt , yet lett not harmfull hast so farre outrun your witt , for in all or most things we wish at need in our carriage oft-times , the more haste the less speed : thus by these lessons you may learn good cheape , in wedding , and in all things else to looke ere you leape . a young mans answer . he that will not when he may , when he would he shall have nay . i am proferr'd fair , then hast must provoke when the pigg is profer'd to hold up the poke ; when the sun shines make hay , which is to say , take time when time cometh , lest time steal away , and one good lesson to this purpose i pike from the smiths forge , when th' iron 's hott strike . the sure sea-man seeth , the tyde tarrieth no man , delay in the lover , is death to the woman . time is tickle , and out of sight out of mind , then catch and hold while thou mayest , fast binde , fast finde . blame me not to hast for fear mine eye be blerde , and thereby the fatt clean flitt from my bearde ; where wooers hopp in and out long time may bring him that hoppeth best at last to have the ring , i hopping without for a ring of rush. and while i at length debate , and beat the bush , there shall stepp in other men , and catch the burds , which i by long time lost in many vain wurds . between fear and hope , sloth may me confound , while twixt twoo stools the taile goes to the ground ; by this since we see sloth must breed a stab , i le venture my fortune , and come hab or nab , and i hope that none shall my fortune condole , come what come will , happie man , happie dole ; we know right well wedding is destinie , and hanging likewise , we cannot them fly . thus all your proverbs inveighing against hast , be answer'd with proverbs plain , and promptly plac'd , the complaint of one who had a shrow to his wife . oh , what choyce may compare to the devils life like his , that hath chosen a devil for his wife , namely , such an old witch , such a mackabroyne as ever more like a hogg hangeth the groyne on her husband , except he be her slave , and follow all fancies that she would have ! but the proverb 's true , ther 's no good accord , where everie man would be a lord. before i was wedded , and since , i made reckning to make my wife bow at every beckning , batchlers boast how they will teach their wifes good , but many a man speaketh of robin hood that never shot in his bow ; but now i begin to gather , everie one can rule a shrew save he who hath her . it is said of old , an old dog biteth sore , but the old bitch biteth sorer , and more . but this is not all , she hath another blisse , she will lie as fast as a dog will lick a dish , she is of truth as false as god is true . she 's damnably jealous , for if she chance view me kissing my maydes alone but in sport that taketh she in earnest after bedlams sort . the cow is wood , her toung runneth on pattens , if it be morn we have a pair of mattens , if it be evening even-song , not latine nor greek , but english , and like that as in easter week , she beginneth first with a cry a leysone to which she ring'th a peal , or larom , such a one as folks ring the bees with basons , the world run'th on wheels , but except her mayd shew a fair pair of heels she haleth her by the boyrope till her brains ake . and bring i home a dish good chear to make , what 's this saith she ? good meat say i , for you , god a mercy horse , a pigg of my own sow ; and commonly if i eat with her either flesh or fish , i have a dead mans head cast into my dish ; she is as wholsome a morsell for a mans corse as a shoulder of mutton is for a sick horse , the devill with his dam , hath more rest in hell , at every one of her teeth there hangs a great bell . a small thing amisse late i did espie which to make her mend by a jest merrily i said but this , tantivet wife your nose dropps , so it may fall i will eat no browesse sopps this day , but two dayes after this came in ure i had sorrow to my sopps enough be sure , this hath been her humor long and evermore now , it is ill healing of an old sore . for the proverb saith many years agone , it will nere out of the flesh that 's bred in the bone . if any husband but i were handled thus they would give her many a recumbentibus ; but as well as i you know the saying , i think the more you stir a turd , the worse it will stink . english proverbs , rendred into french , italian , & spanish ; proverbes anglois traduits en françois , italien , & espagnòl ; proverbi inglesi tradotti in italiano , francese , & spagnuolo ; refranes ingleses traduzidos en castellano , francès , y italiano . to the knowing reder . som ther are who reproch the english , that in regard the genius and witt of a nation is much discernd in their common , proverbiall speeches , the english language is more barren and meager in this particular then others : to take off this aspersion , and rectifie the world herein , i have thought it worth the pains to publish both in french , italian and spanish , these ensuing english proverbs , wherein the impartiall reder will find as much salt , significancy and true sense , as in the proverbs of any other language . au lecteur des-interessè . il y en a qui reprochent a l'anglois , que , veu que le genie , & lesprit d'une nation se discerne grandement par ses mots & dictons proverbiaux , l'angloise se trouue plus maigre , & sterile en ce particulier , que les autres langues ; pour desabuser le monde touchant cela à este le principal motif qui in'a induit d'exposer au public ces proverbes anglois ensuyvans , dans lesquels le lecteur desinteressè trouuerà autant du sel , & du sens qu' en ceux d'aucun autre langage quelqu ' qu'il soit . al lettore disinteressato . vi sono alcuni chi rinfacciano l'inglese , che , poi ch' il genio , & la prudenza de vna natione si scuopre assai nelli lor motti proverbiali , la lingua inglesa è più sterile in questo particolare che l●altre ; per disingannar ' il mondo tocante questo , hò volsuto esporre alla luce publica cosi ben in italiano , com' in francese , & spagnuolo , gli proverbi inglesi che seguono , ne i quali il lettore disinteressato trouvara tanto sale , & sentimento ch' in quelli d'alcun aliro linguaggio . al letor desinteressado . algunos ay qui derogan de l' ynglès , que pues , que el genio , y prudencia de vna nacion se descubre mucho en sus refranes , y dichos proverbiales , la ynglesa es mas esteril en este particular che las otras lenguas ; por defenganar el mundo tocante esto , ha sido mi desinio de sacar a luz publica en castellano , como en francès y italiano estos refranes ingleses que siguen , en los quales el letor desenteri essado hallarà tanto sal , y agudeza que en os de qualquier otro lenguaje . englsih proverbs , rendred into french , italian & spanish ; proverbes anglois traduits en françois , italien , & espagnòl ; proverbi inglesi tradotti in italiano , francese , & spagnuolo ; proverbios ingleses traduzidos en castellano , francès , y italiano . the grace of god is worth a fair. la grace de dieu vaut vne foire . la gratia d' iddio val ' vna fiera . la gracia de dios vale una feria . 't is witt to pick a lock and steal a horse , but it is wisedom to let him alone . c'est finesse de crocheter vne serrure , & derober vn cheval , mais ce'st sagesse de s'en abstenir . e sotilezza di grimaldellar ' vna serratura , & furar ' vn cavallo , mà , e saviezza de lasciarli là . sotileza es , de ganzuar vna cerràdura , & hurtar vn cauallo , mas labiduria es de dexarlo estar . the kings cheese goes half away in parings . le formage du roy va plus de la moitie en rongneures . il formaggio del re va via più della meta in cortez●e . el queso del rey va mas de la mitad en cortezas . i. entre les officiales . happy is he who knowes his follies in his youth . il est bien heureux qui conoit ses folies en sa ieunesse . egli e felice assaji chi conosce le sue pazzie nella gioventù . dichoso es , quien conoce sus locuras en la mocedad . speak the truth and shame the devil . dis la veritè , & affronteras le diable . dir ' il vero , & affronterai il diavolo . digas la verdad , y afrenteras el demonio . he who could know what would be dear , need be a merchant but once in a year . si on sçauroit ce quese rencheretoit , n'auroit besoin d'estre marchand plus d'vne fois l'anneé . se si potesse saper ' che si'ncarirebbe , bastarebbe esser ' mercante vna quel volta nell ' anno . si se supiera che cosa se encare ceria bastaria ser mercader vna vez en el an̄o . keep your broth to cool your pottage . gardez l'halaine pour refroidir vostre souppe . guardate il fiato per raffreddar vostra minestra . guardad el aliento por enfriar vuestro caldo . who waits for deadmens shooes , may go a goodwhile barefoot . qui attend les souliers des morts , pourra aller bien long temps les pieds nuds . chi aspetta le scarpe de morti potrà andar assaj tempo scalzo . quien aguarda los capatos de muertos podrà yr harto tiempo descalzo . love thy neighbour , yet pull not down thy hedge . aime ton voisin ce neantmoins n'abbas pas ton haye . amar ' il tuo vicino mà non disfaila tua siep● . ama tu vezino , pero no deshagas tu seto . a nurse spoils a good huswife . nourice gaste bonne mesnagere . balia guasta buona messara . ser ama , echa a perder buena casera . give a thief rope enough and he will hang himself . donnez corde assez au làrron , & il se pendrà soy mesme . dar ' corda assaj al ladrone , & egli impiccara se stesso . dad harta soga al ladron , y ahorcarsi hà si mèsmo . here will be a good fire anon quoth the fox when he pist in the snow . il y aurà icy bon feu tantost , dit le renard , quand il pissoit dans la neige . ci sarà buon fuoco subito disse il volpe quando pisciava ●olla neve . aurà luego buena lumbre , dixo el raposo , quando meava en la nieve . who payeth last , payeth but once . qui paye le dernier ne paye qu●vne fois . chi paga l' vltimo no paga ch'vna volta . quien paga postrero , no paga mas d'vna vez . lend thy horse for a long journey , thou mayest have him again with his skinn . preste ton cheval pour vn long voyage , il t'en retournerà avec sa peau . prestar il tuo cavallo per vn viaggio lungo , & egli ne ritornerà colla pelle . dexa tu cavalgadura por vn largo viaie , & ti sara buelto con su pelleio . to loose a sheep for a halfperth of tar ; laisser perdre vn brèbis pour deux liards de goderon . lasciar ' perderse vna pecora per vn carlino de pegola . echar a perder vna oveia por media placa de pega . a thousand pounds , and a bottle of hay , will be one thing at doomsday ; monceau do'r , & boteau du foin ce seront la mesme chose au dernier jour . massa d'oro & mucchio di fieno sara la medema cosa al d● de guidicio . massa de oro , & almiar de heno , la mesma cosa sera en el dia de juyzio . the faire● the hostesse the ●ouler the reckning . belle hotesse laid escot , bella hostiera brutto conto . linda huespeda , escote feo . fancy may bolt bran , and think it flour . la phantasie pourra bluter du son , & l'imaginer farine . la fantasia potra buratar crusca , & pensarla farina . la fantasia podrà cernir afrecho , y imaginarlo harina . one pair of heels is worth two pair of hands . vn pair de iambes valent deux couples de bras . vn paro de garetti vale due pari de mani . vn par de piernas vale dos pares de manos . here is talk of the turk and the pope , but it is my next neighbour that doth me the hurt . on parle tant du turc , & du pape , mais cest mon voisin qui me fait le dommage . parlano assai del turco , & del papa , mà il mio vicino e quel chi mi fà il danno . hablan tanto del turco , y del papa , mas , mi vezino es el qui me haze el dan̄o . sorrow is good for nothing but for sin . tristezza non val mente si no per il peccato . tristezza no vale nada sino por el pecado . the man of god is better by having his bowes and arrows about him . l'homme de dieu est plus asseurè ayant son arc & fleches sur le dos . l'huomo d'iddio è più sicuro havendo son arco , & freccie adosso . el hombre de dios es mas seguro teniendo su arco y flechas acuestas . who goes worse shod then the shooemakers wife ? qui e plus mal chaussè que la femme du cordonnier ? chi anda peggio calzato che la moglie del scarpaio ? quien và peòr calçado que la muger del capatero ? half an acre is good land . demy arpent est bonne terre . mezza biolca e buona terra , media yugada buena tierra es . pride feels no cold . la superbe ne sent pas le froid , superbia no sente freddo . la soberuia no siente frio . go to law with a beggar , thou mayest catch a louse ; playdes contre vn gueux , & gaigneras vn poulx . chi litiga con pitoco guadagnerà vn pidecchio . qui pleytea con mendigo medrarà vn pio●o . make hay while the sun shines . recuelle ton foin pendant que le soleil luit . raccoglier ' il tuo fieno fin a tanto ch'il sol splendesca . recoje tu heno mientras que el sol luziere . put a stool in the sun , when one knave riseth another comes . mets vn scabèau au soleil quand un fol s'y leve , vn autre vient . metter ' vn scanno nel sole quando vn pazzo se leva vn altro viene . metas vna sedia en el sol , quandovn loco se levanta otro viene . as the bell tinketh , so the fool thinketh . comme la cloche sonne , le fol songe . come la campana suona il pazzo pensa . como la campana suena el loco piensa . when gabriel blowes his horn this business will be decided . quànd gabriel sonne sa trompette c'est affaire s ' uvider● . quando gabriel suonara la sua tromba questo si determinara . quando gabriel suena su trompeta este negocio quedarà resuelto . children are a certain care , and uncertain comfort . les enfans sont soins certains , & comforts incertains . franciulli sogni certi comforti incerti . hijos cuydados ciertos , consuelos ; inciertos . to stumble at a straw and leap over a block . broncher contre vne paille , & sauter par dessus vn poutre . inciam parse contra vna paglia , & balzar ' di sopra vn tronco . tropieçar contra vna paia , y saltar sobre vn trunco . every one as he likes , quoth the good man when he kissed his cow. chacun selon son humeur , dit le bon homme quand il baisoit sa vache ; ogniuno al suo gusto disse il buon huomo quando baciava la sua vacca . cada uno a su gusto , dixo el buen hombre besando su vaca . souldiers in peace are like chimneyes in summer . soldats en temps de la paix comme chimence es en l'estè . soldati in tempo di pace come camini da fuoco nella state . soldados en tiempo pazes , como chimeneas en el estio . if the bed would tell all it knowes it would put many to the blush . si le lict disoit tout ce qu'il scait il feroit plusieurs rougir . se il letto direbbe tutto che sà farebbe molti rosseggiarsi . se la cama descubriesse todo lo que sabe haria muchos berme jecerse . when the belly is full the bones would be at rest . quand la pance est pleine , les os voudroyent bien se repo●er . quando la pancia e piena gli ossi vogliono riposo . quando la barriga està llena los huessos dessean reposo . he teacheth ill , who teacheth all . enseigne mal , qui enseigne tout . mal ' insegna , chi insegna tutto . ensen̄a mal qui ensen̄a todo . every one can tame a shrew ; but he who hath her . chacun scait dompter vn ' harenguere fo rs celuy qui l'a pour femme . ogniuno sà domar ' vna ciarlona eccetto coluy chi la tiene . cada vno sabe domar vna parlera fuera el quien la tiene por mugèr . a fool and his money are soon parted . le fol , & son argent sont bien tost separez . il pazzo , & ' l suo danaro son● presto separati . el bouo , y su dinero son luego apartados . he will have an oar in every one 's boat. il veut auoir vogue en chasque b●teau . vuol auer ' ramo in ogni barca . quiere auer ramo en cada barca . change of pasture makes fat calfs . changement de pasture fait gras veaux . cambiamento de pascolo fà vi●elli grassi . remuda de pasturage haze bizerros gordos . better is the last smile , then the first laughter . le dernier soubris vaut plus que le premier ris . l'ultimo ghigno val ' più che la primiera risata . el postrer sonriso mejor es qua la primera riza . when he should work , all his fingers are thumbs . quand il devroit trauailler chasque doit devient pouce . quando deve travagliare , ogni dito diventa pollice . quando hà de trabajar cada dedo es pulgar . he must havè a long spoon who will eat with the devil . qui veut manger avec le diable il luy faut avoir le cueiller long . chi vuol ' mangiar col diavolo bisogna hauer'cucciaio lungo . quien quiere comer con el diablo es menestèr que tenga cuchara larga . as good eat the flesh as the broth where the devil was boyld in . autant vaut il manger la chair , que le potage auquel le diable fut bouilli . l'istessa cosa è de mangiar ' la carne chi'l brodo nell ' qua'l il diauolo fù bollito . tanto vale comer la carne que el caldo do el diablo fue bullido . a hungry horse makes a clean manger . cheval affamè rend la creche net●e . il cauallo affamato fà presepio netto . cauallo hambriento haze el pesèbre limpio . time and tyde stayes for no man. le temps , & la maree n'attend personne . il tempo & ' l flusso non aspetano . el tiempo , y la marea no esperano al rey. as good steal a horse as stand by and look on . autant vaut il derober vn cheval que d'estre aupres du larron . tanto val ' furar ' un cavallo que mirar ' appresso . tanto vale hur●ar vn cavallo que de mirar cerquita . fire and water are good servants , but ill masters . le feu , & l'eau sont bons serviteurs , mauvais maistres . il fuoco , & l'acqua buoni servitori cattiui patroni . el fuego , y el agua son buenos servidores , ruynes amos. a mans best fortune , or his worst's a wife . le plus gran malheur , ou bonheur de l'homme est vne femme . la maggior ' seventura , ò ventura de l' huomo e la moglie . la mayor dicha , ò defdicha del hombre es la muger . who hath pease enough may put the more in the pott . qui a quan●ite de cices pourr ' , en mettre assez au pot . chi hà abondanza de ceci potra metter ' assaj nella pentola . qui a garvancos en abundancia , podra echar harto en la olla . the penny is good that saves a groat . le denier est bon qui sauve vn soubs . il dinaro è buono che salvara vn soldo . la placa es buena que salva vn real . try thy friend before thou have need of him . esprouvez ●on amy devant que tu en a●ezbesoin . provar ' l'amico inanzi che ne hai bisognio . prueva el amigo antes que ayas menester . i beat the bush , and another catcheth the hare . cést moy qui bat le buisson & vn autre prend la lievre . io batto lo spino & altro piglia la leppro . jo bate el espinal y otro coge el lebru no. for all your kindred make much of your friends . quoy que vous ayez assez de parens cherissez vos amis . anchor che voj habbiate assaj parenti carezzate g●i amici . aunque tengays ha●tos parientes , acariciad los amigos . you dance in a nett , and you think no body sees you . tu dances dans vn filè & penses que personne ne te voit . tu ballai en vna rete , & pensai che nissuno te vede . tu baylas en vna red y piensas que nadie te vee . silence the best ornament of a woman . silence le plus bell ' ornement de femme . silentio il maggior ' ornamento de donna . silentio il mayor ornamiento de muger . to break ones head and give him a playster . casser la teste , & puis luy donner vn emplastre , romper ' la testa , & poi dar ' vn implastra . quebrantar la cabeça , y despues darvn emplastro . you will not believe one bald , unless you see his brain . vous ne croirez pas qu'on est chauve , sans voir son cerveau . non crederete che sia caluo , senza veder ' il cervello . no creyreis que sea caluo sin ver el seso . i le christen my own child first . je feray baptizer mon enfant premier . farò battizar ' il mio fanciullo primiero . harè bautizar mi nin̄o primero . with as good a will as ever i came from from school . avec tant de volontè que ie revins de l'ecole : di tanta buona voglia comm ' io ritornai dalla scuola . de tan buena voluntad que yo bolui de la escuela . your geese are all swans . toutes vos oyes son cignes . tutte l'ocche vostre sono cigni . todas sus gansas son cisnes . wife and children are bills of charges . femme & enfans sont billets de despens . moglie & fanciulli sono polizze de spese . muger y nin̄os son cedulas de ga●tos . as welcome as flowers in may. aussy bien venu comme fleurs en may. tanto ben venuto come fiori in maggio . tan bien venido como flores en mayo . kindness will creep where it cannot go . amour grimperà ou il ne peut marcher . amor ' strascinarà dove non può caminare . amor treparà do no puede caminar . money is welcome though it come in a shitten clowtt . argent est bien venu anchor qu'il so●t dans vn torch●● . danaro e ben venuto anchor che sia dentr●●e vn cocone . bien venga el dinero aunque sea en vn trapo . we fishd all night and catchd a frogg . nous avons pechè tout le long de la nuit , & pris vne granouille . pescammo tutta la notte , & habbiamo colto vn ranocchio . hemos pescado toda la noche & cogido vna rana . who kills a man being drunk shall be hangd for him when he is sober . qui tue vn homme estant yure , sera pendu quand il est sobre . chi amazza vn huomo essendo ubbriaco sara impiccato essendo sobrio . quien mata vn hombre siendo borracho , sara ahorcado sobrio . when you ride a young colt , see your saddle be well girt . quand vous montez vn poulain ayez bonnes sangles . quando montate vn poledro bisogna aver buone cingie . quando subes a vn potro es menester auer buenas cinchas . he runs farr that never returns . il court bien loin qui ne revient jamais . corre ben lontano chi mai ritorna . corre bien lexo ; qui nunca buelue . better half a loaf then none at all . demi pain vaut mieux que rien du tout . piu val ' mezzo pan que niente . mas vale medio pan que no nada . t is pity fair weather should do any hurt . c'est pitiè que le beau temps face dommage . e pietà chi'l bel● ' tempo faccia alcun danno . es lastima que el lindo tiempo haga algun dan̄o . when adam delv'd and eve span , who was then a gentleman ? quand adam beschoit , & eve filbiot qui estoit noble alors ? quando adamo vangava , & eva filava chi ●era nobile alhora ? quando adam açadoneuva , y eva hilava , qui en era entonces hidalgo ? he is all honey , or all turd . il est tout miel ou merde . egli e tutto miele ò merda . el es todo miel ò mierda . ask my brother whether i am a thief . demandes a mon frere si ie suislarron . domandar ' al mio fratello se io son ' ladro . preguntad à mi hermano se yo soy ladron . once a knave and ever a knave . vne fois coquin , & tousiours coquin . vna volta forfante , & sempre forfante . vna vez vellaco y siempre vellaco . there 's more wayes to the wood then one . il y a plus d'un sentier au bois . c'e piu d'uno sentiero al bosco . mas ay de vna senda al bosque . when thiefs fall out true men may come by their goods . quand les latrons s'entrebattent les honestes gens parviendront a leur biens . quando gli ladri contrastant ' gli huomini da bene riscuo ranno lor beni . quando ladrones contienden los hombres de bien cobraran su hazienda . the devil shites upon the usurers heaps . le diable foire sur les monceaux de l' usurier . il diavolo caga sopra le bisacce del ' usuraio . el diablo caga sobre las talegas del logrero . to swallow an ox and be choakd with the tayl . aualler vn baeuf , & s'estrangler avec la queüe . tranguggiar ' un bue , & strangolarsi con la coda . tragar vn buey y ahogarse con el rabo . in the dark joan is as good as my lady . de nuit jeanne est aussy belle que madame . di notte francisca e cosi bella che madonna ; de noche juana es tan linda que mi sen̄ora . he is a wise child that knows his own father . c'est vn sage enfant qui conoit son vray pere . saggio fanciullo è , chi conosce il suo vero padre . es prudente nin̄o qui conoce su verdadero padre . who followes truth too close at the heels , she may dash out his teeth . qui talonne la veritè trop pres pourra auoir les dents brizez . chi segue la verita troppo presso potra hauer ' gli denti spezzati . qui sigue la verdad muy cerquita podra auer los dientes quebrados . he that can get a quart of milk for a penny needs not keep a cow. qui peut auoir vn lot du lait pour deux liards , n'a pas besoin de garder vne vache . chi puo'l hauer ' pentola di latte per vn ●oldo non ha bisogna di guardar ' vna vacca . quien puede comprar vn puchero de leche por vn quartil , no ha menester guardar una vaca . butter is good for any thing but to stop an oven . le beurre est bon pour toutes choses , fo rs que de boucher vn four . burro e buono per qualunche cosa mà non da serrar ' vn forno . manteca es buena por qualquier cosa , mas , no por atapar vn horno . children and fools tell truth . enfans , & fols disent la veritè . fanciulli , & pazzi dicono lu veritâ . locos y nin̄os , dizen la verdad . the goose hath more feathers upon her back when the gander tr●ads her . l'oison a les plus plumes sur les dos quand le iars la coure . l'occa hà le più piume adosso quando lochone la copre . lazgan a a las mas plumas acuestas quando el ganço la cubre . foolish pitty marrs the citty . folle pitie gaste la cittè . pazza pieta guasta la città . loca piedad echa a perder la ciudad . he cannot see the wood for trees . il ne peut voir le bois pour arbres . non può veder ' il hosco per gli arbori . no puede ver el bosque por los arboles . he that 's bound must obey . qui est obligè doit obeir . chi e obligato-bisogna ubbedire . quien queda obligadò deve obedecer . a catt hath nine lives and a woman ten . les chats ont neuf vies , & les femmes en ont dix . gatti hanno nove vite , le donne dieci . gatòs tienen nuene vidas , las mugeres diez . you give me a pigg of my own sow . vous me donnez vn cochon de ma truye . voi mi date●porchetto della mia troia . das me lechon de mi propia puerca . change is no robbery . change n'est pas vol. cambio non e furto . trueque no es robo . a fools bolt is soon shott . la fleche du fol est bien tost decoche . la freccia del pazzo e ben tosto scoccata . la flecha del loco luego se deballesta . better spare at the brim then at the bottom . il vaut mi●ux epargne● au bord qu' au fond . meglio è sparagnar ' all' orlo ch' al fondo . mas vale ahorrar al borde que no al hondo . after dinner sit a while , after supper walke a mile . apres disner repose vn peu , apres souper proumene vne mille . doppo pranso riposar ' vn poco , doppo cena passeggiar ' vn miglio . despues de aya●tar reposad vn poco , despues de cenar passead vna milla . a fat sow causeth her own bane . truye grasse cause sa ruine . troia grassa cagiona la sua ruina . puerca gorda acarrea su propia ruina . a man may bring a horse to the water , but he cannot make him drink . on pourr● bien amener vn cheval a la riuere , mais il ne le peut forcer a boire . ben si può menar ' vn cavallo a l'acqua , mà non si puo forzarli a bere . bien se puede traer vn cavallo al rio pero nadie podrà forcarle a bever . a legg of a lark is better then the whole body of a kite . vne cuisse d'alouette vaut plus que le corps entier d'un ecoufle . coscia di lodola val ' più che tutto il corpo del nibbio . muslo de la calandria vale mas que todo el cuerpo de vn milan . it must needs be true what every one sayes . il faut bien qu'il soit vray ce que tout le monde dit . bisogna che sia vero quel che tutti dicono . es menester que sea verdadero lo que cada vno dize . it is good sleeping in a whole skin . il fait bon dormir en vne peau entiere . fa ben ' dormir ' in vna pelle intiera . haze bien dormir en vn pelleiò entero . t is an ill wind that blowes no body good . ce'st vn mauvais ven qui n'est bon pour quelqun . e cattivo vento chi non è buono per qualchuno . es ruyn viento que no es beueno por algunos . he that strikes with the sword may be beaten with the scabbard . celui qui frappe avec la lame pourra estre batu avec le fourreau . chi ferisce colla lama potra esser buttuto col fodero . quien da con la hoja podrà serbatido con la vayna . every man for himself and god for us all . chacun pour soy mesme , & dieu pour tous . ogni uno per si medesimo , & dio per tutti . cada vno por si mesmo , y dios por todos . to quench a fire , one may use foul water as well as fresh . pour esteindre vn embrasement on pourra se servir d'eau sale comme de la nette . per stringuera ' vn incendio potrete adoperar ' aqua sporc come la netta . por apagar vn incendio podras valerte de aqua suzia como de la limpia . frost and fraud end foul . la glace , & la fraude finissent salement . il ghiaccio , & la frode finiscono bruttamente . el yelo y el engan̄o fenecen suziamente . he that hath got an il name is half hangd . qui à mauvais renom est demi pendu . chi hà mala fama , e mezzo impiccato . quien tiene mala fama està medio ahorcado . the shooe will hold with the sole . le soulier tiendra avec la semelle . la scarpa terrà con la sola . el capato tiendra con la suela . butter is gold in the morning , silver at noon , and lead at night . le beurre est or au matin , argent a midy , & plomb au soir . butiro la mattina oro , argento a mezzo di , & piombo la sera . manteca la man̄ana es oro , plata a medio dia , plomo la a tarde . a new broom sweeps clean . vn balay neuf netroye bien . vna scopa nuova spazza bene . vn barradero nuevo escoba bien ▪ good going a foot with horse in hand . il fait bon marchera pied amenant vn cheval par la bride . fa buono andar ' a piede me nando vn cavallo . haze bien yr a pie teniendo vn cavallo por la brida . his eyes are bigger then his belly . ses yeux sont plus grands que la pance . gli occhi sono maggiori della pancia . los ojos son mayores que la barriga . you may put inn your eye what you get by it . vous pourrez mettre dans l'oeil ce que vous en gaignerez . potrete metter ' nel occhio cio che ne guadg narete . podreys meter en el ojo lo que medrareys . he who would please all and himself too , undertakes to do more then he can do . celuy qui voudroit complaire a tous & a soymesme aussy , entreprend ce quil ne peut pas faire . chi votrebbe compiacer ' tutti & si medesimo traprende troppo . qui querria agradar todos , y a si mesmo , emprende demasiado . he may mend but not grow worse . il pourra meilleurer non pas empirer . potrà miglio rarsi , non impeggiorare . podra meiorar , empeorarse no. grease a fatt sow in the arse she will shite in your fist . oignez vne truie grasse a cul ' elle foirera en ton poing . vnger ' vna troia grassa en il culo , ella cagara nel tuo pugno . vnta vna puerca gorda an el culo , y cagara en tu pun̄o . if it were not for hope the heart would break . s'il n'estoit pour l'esperance le coeur se casseroit . si no saria per speranza il cuore si spezzarebbe . no fuera por esperança el coraçon se quesi brantaria . like a curst cow that gives a pail of milk and then kickes it down . comme meschante vache qui donne vn lot du lait , & puis le renverse la seille . come vna vacca trista , chi da vn bigonzo di latte , & poi lo ravescia . como vna vaca traviessa qui da vna serrada de leche , y despues la trastor na . usurers purses and womens plackets are never satisfied . les bourses des avaricieux , & les brayettes de femmes sont insatiables . le borse del avaro , & le braghette de donne son , insatiabli . las bolsas del avariento , y las braguetas de mugeres son insaciables . happy is the child whose father goes to the devil . le fils est heureux du quel le pere và au diable . venturoso è il figlio il padre dell quale va all inferno . dichoso es el hijo cuyo padre va al infierno . i le take no leave of you , quoth the baker to the pillory . je ne prendray pas congè de vous dit le boulenger au pilori . no te dico adio disse ill fornaio alla berlina . no me despido de ti dixo el panadero a la argolla del rollo . maydens above twenty lead apes in hell . pucelles de vint ans conduisent les singes en enfer . vergini de venti anni menano scimie nell ' inferno . virgines de veynte an̄os traen ximias en el infierno . a thing well done is twice done . chose bien faite , & faite deux fois . cosa ben fatta , e fatta due volte . cosa bien hecha està hecha dos vezes . a smiling boy seldom good servant . garcon qui trop sourit n'est gueres bon valet . ragazzo chi toppo se ne ride rade volte buon servitore . muchacho qui sonreye mucho pocas vezes buen servidòr . when thy neighbours house is on fire by its light thou mayest see thine own danger . quand la maison de ton voisin s'embrase , par la lumiere du feu pou●ras voir ton danger . quando la casa vicina s'abbruccia per il lume del fuoco potrai veder ' il tuo pericolo . quando la casa de tu vezino abrasa por la lumbre del fuego veras tu peligro . a ragged colt may make a good horse . poulain haillonneux fait bon cheval . poledro strazzoso fa buon cavallo . potro handrajoso haze buen cavallo . a cutt-purse the surest trade , for he hath ready money when his work is done . coupeur de bourses a vn mestier asseure car il a argent comprant pour son o uure . taglia borse ha buon mestiero perche egli ha donaro canta●o per il suo travaglio . cortabolsas a buen officio porque tiene dinero contado por sù trabajo . a young saint , an old devil . jeune saint , vieux diable . giovane santo , diavolo vecchio . santon moço , diablo viejo . two heads are better then one . deux testes valent plus qu'vne . due teste vagliano più che vna sola . dos cabeças valen mas que no vna . good cheap is dear , for it tempts one to buy what he needs not . bon merchè devient par fois cher , car il nous fait acheter ce que nous n'en avons pas besoin . buon mercato diuenta qualche volta caro , per che ce ne fà comprar ' quello che non fà di bosogno . barato a vezes viene a ser caro , porche haze mercar lo que no es menester . riches are the baggage of fortune . les richesses ne sont autre chose que le bagage de la fortune . ricchezze sono le bagaglie della fortuna . las riquezas son bagajes de la fortuna . i love his little finger more then thy whole body . i'ayme son petit doit plus que tout ton corps . voglio piu il suo nigolo che tutt ' il tuo corpo . quiero mas su menique que todo tu cuerpo . prayers bring down the first blessing , and praises the second . la priere fait descendre la premiere benediction , la loûange la seconde . le preghiere fan ' discender ' la primiera benedictione , le lodi la secunda . la plegaria haze de cender la primera benedicion , loor la segunda . better children should cry then old men . il vaut mieux que les enfans pleurent , que les viellards . e meglio che gli fanciulli pianghino che gli vecchi . meior es que los nin̄os lloren que los viejos . a bushell of march-dust is worth a kings ransome . vn muy de la poussiere de mars vaut la rancon d'vn roy. vn meggio di polve di marzo val ' i l rescato d● un re. vn cahyz del polvo de março vale el rescate de vn rey. better to be a shrew then a sheep . il vaut mieux estre harengere que brebis . più val ' esser ' ciarlona que pecora . mas vale ser parlera que oveja . you count your chickens before they be hatchd . vous contes vos poulsins devant qu'ils soyent couvez . voj contate gli pulcini inanzi che siano covati . cuentas tus pollos antes que esten cobijados . you will make me beleeve that the moon is made of green cheese . vous me ferez a croire que la lune soit fait de fourmage nouveua . mi farete ereder ' che la luna sia fatta di formaggio nuovo . me haras creer que la luna sea hecha de queso nuevo . iohn would wipe his nose if he had one . jean voudroit bien essuyer son nez sil en avoit vn . giovanni vorrebbe ben asciugar ' ill naso se ne havesse vno . juan querria limpiar el naso si lo tuciesse . you will make me believe that an asses ears are made of horns . vous me ferez a croire que les oreilles de l'asne soyent faites de corne . mi farete ●reder ' che l'orecchie de l'asino siano fatte di corno . me hareys creer que las orejas del asno sean de cuerno . rubb a galld horse on the back , and he will winch . frottez vn cheval galleux audos il ▪ regimberà . fregar ' vn cavallo rognoso , & dara calci . fregad vn cavallo samoso , y tirara coces . truth and oyle swim alwayes above . la veritè & l'huyle nagent tousiours par dessus . la verita & l'oglio natano sempre di sopra . la verdad y el azeyte nadan siempre encima . in every countrey the sun riseth still in the morning . en chasque pais le soleil se leve au matin . in ogni paese sol il si leva la mattina . en cada tierra el sol se le vanta la man̄ana . he is my neighbour that grinds in my mill . celvy est mon voisin qui mout en mon moulin . colui è mio vicino chi macina nel mio molino . mi vezino es qui machuca en mi molino . god sends us meat , the devil sends us cooks . dieu nous envoye le viande , & le diable le cuisinier . iddio ci da le viuande , & il diavolo il cuoco . dios nos embia la comida , y el diablo el cozinero . every one is a fool or a physitian after thirty . chacun est fol , ou medicin apres trent ' ans . ogni uno è pazzo ò medico doppo trent ' anni . cada uno es necio ò medico despues de treynta an̄os . as soon comes a lamb-skin to the market , as the ewes . aussy tost vient la peau de l'agneau au marchè que celle de brebis . si tosto viene la pelle dell ' agnello al mercato che quella della pecora . tan amenudo viene el pellejo dell cordero a la placa que de la oueja . you give me chalk for cheese . vous me donnez de la craye pour fourmage . mi date creta per casio . me days greda por queso . the crow thinks her own birds the fairest . le corbeau pense que ses poussins sont les plus beaux . il corvo pensa ch'i suoi pulcini sieno gli più belli . el cuervo piensa que sus pollos son los mas lindos . putt a miller , a taylor , and a weaver into one bagg and shake them , the first that comes out will be a thief . mets vn tailleur , vn tisserand , & vn munier dans vn sac , & secovez les bien , & le premier qui en sortira sera larron . metter ' vn sartor ' , vn tessitore , & vn molinaio dentro de vn sacco , & il primiero chi vscirà sarà ●e ladro . eches en vn saco vn sastre , vn texedor , & vn molniero , y el primero qui saldrà sera in ladròn . a little pott soon hott . vn petit pot est bien tost echauffè . picciola pentola si scalda presto . olla chiquita se calienta luego . this wind shakes no corn. ce vent ne vanne point le blè . questo vento no cribra la biada . este ayre no avielda el grano . who intermeddleth twixt man and wife goeth twixt the bark and the tree . qui s'entremesle des affaires de mary & femme , se met entre l'arbre & lescorce . chi si tramette frà marito & moglie anda frà la scorza , & l'albero . quien se mescla entre marido y muger , se pone entre el arbol y la corteza . he hath got the better end of the staffe . il a gaignè le meilleur bout du baston . hà colto il miglior ' capo del bastone . ha cogido el mejor cabo del palo . it is better to have then to wish . il vaut mieux iouir que suhaiter . e meglio posseder che desiare . meior es posseer que dessear . all is fish that comes into his nett . tout est poisson qui entre en son filè . tutto è pesce che viene nella sua rete . todo es pece que en sured en̄tra . patience is a flower that growes not in every garden . la patience n'est pas fleur qui croit en chasque iardin . patienza non è fiore chi cresce in ogni giardino . paciencia no es flor que crece en cada huerto . as good play for nothing , as work for nothing . il vaut autant iouer pour neant que travailler pour neant . tanto val ' giocar ' per niente che travagliar ' per niente . tanto vale juegar por nada que trabaiar por no nada . i suck not this out of my fingers ends . ie ne succe cecy de bouts de mes doits . non succhio questo delle punte de miei diti . non chupo esto de los cabos de mis dedos . a young man old makes the old man young . jeune vieil rend le vieil jeune . giovane vecchio fà vecchio giovane . moço vieio haze el vieio moço . two hands in a dish , but one in the pocket . deux mains dans le plat , & vn ' en la bourse . due mani nel piatto , & vna nella tasca . dos manos en el plato y una en la bolsa . a womans knee and a doggs snowt are alwayes cold . le genovil de femme , & le museau du chien sont ●ousiours froids . il ginocchio di donna & grugno di can sempre freddi . la rodillade muger , y nariz de perro siempre frios . he that doth kisse and doe no more , may kisse behind and not before . qui baise , & ne fait plus , qu'il baisir par dereiere . chi bacia , & non fà altro , bascij di dietro . qui besa , y no haze mas que bese atras . ther 's more water passeth by the mill then the miller knowes . il y a plus d'eau qui coule au moulin , que le meunier ne scait . ci'e più d'acqua chi passa per il molino ch'il mugnaio sà . mas agua corre por el molino que el molinero sabe . putt thy wish in one fist , and shite in the other , and try which will be fill'd soonest . mets ton souhait en vn poing , & foires dans l'autre , & veras qui se remplira plus tost . metter ' tuo desio in vn pugno & cagar ' nell ' altro , & vedrai chi sara più tosto pieno . metas tu desseo en vn pun̄o y cagues en el otro , y veras el qual serà mas presto lleno . the furthest way about is sometimes the neerest way home . le chemin d'alentour est quelques fois le plus court . il camino intorno è qualche volta il più corto . el camino enderredor es a vezes el mas corto . when the good vvife drinketh to the husband all is well in the house . quand la bonne femme fait brindis a son mary tout va bien en la maison . quando la moglie fa brindesi al maritó tutta va ben ' in casa . quand la muger haze brindis a su marido todo va bien en casa . i took her for a rose , but she proved a burr . je la pris pour vne rose mais elle devint chardon . io la pigliai per rosa , ma diventiva cardone . to mavala por rosa , mas devenia cardo . i think she hath pist on a nettle . je pense qu'elle a pissè sur vn ' ortie . pensoch'habbia pisci-●to sopra vna ortica . pienso que hà meado sobre vna hortiga . go teach your granham to grope a goose. va tén enseigner la vielle a foviller vn oison . andar ' insegnare la vecchia a palpar ' vn ' occa . andad ensen̄ar la vieja a palpar vna gansa . go teach your father to get children . va t'en enseigner ton pere a faire d'enfans . andar ' insegnar ' il tuo padre a far ' figliuoli . andad ensen̄ar tu padre a hazer hijos . a young servingman an old beggar . jeune valet vieil caymand . servo giovane pitoco vecchio . criado moço , mendigo viejo . honor bought , temporal simony . honneur achetè est simonie temporelle . honore comprato è simonia temporale . honore comprado es simonia seglar . serve god in thy calling , it is better then praying . sers dieu en ton mestier , il vaut plus que la priere . servir , iddio nella tua vacatione è meglio que preghiere . servid a dios en tu officio , es mejor que plegarias . the crow thinks her own birds the fairest . le corbeau pense que ses poussin● sont les plus beaux . il corvo pensa ch'i suoi pulcini sieno gli più belli . el cuervo piensa que sus pollos son los mas lindos . you give me chalk for cheese . vous me donnez de la craye pour fourmage . mi date creta per casio . me days greda por queso . the bragger , pisseth more then he drinketh . le venturpisse plus qu'il ne boit . il vantatore piscia più che beve . el vana glorioso mea mas que no beve . a great noise and little woll , quoth the devil when he sheard the hogg . beaucoup de bruit , & peu de laine , dit le diable quand il ecorchoir le pourceau . assaj strepito & poca lana disse il diavolo quando scorticava il porco . mucho ruydo y poca lana , dixo el diablo desollando el puerco . many can pack the cards , yet cannot play well . il y à qui scavent mesler les cartes finement , toutes fois ils ne sont pas bons ioueurs . vi sono chi sanno mescolar ' le carte , tutta via non sanno gio car ' bene . ay qui saben mesclar los naypes , toda via no saben iuegar bien . stay a little and we shall make an end the sooner . attendez vn peu , & nous finirons plus tost . aspettate vn poco & finiremo piu presto . esperad vn poco , y acabaremos mas presto . ther 's a devil in every berry of the grape . yl y a un diable dans chasque grappe de la vigne . ci'è vn diavolo in ogni grappo della vigna . ay vn diablo en cadarazimo de la vua . a lie stands on one legg , and truth on two . le mensonge se soustient sur vne jambe , la verite sur deux . la buggia si sostiene sopra vna gamba , la verita sopra due . la mentira se apoya sobre vna pierna , la verdad sobre dos . choose thy friends like thy bookes , few but choice . choisissez vos amis comme vos liures , peu , mais qu'ils sovent d'elite . sciolier ' gli amici come gli libri , pochi , ma che sieno scelti . escoge tus amigos como tus libros , pocos , pero que sean buenos . who is more deaf then he that will not hear ? qui est plus sourd que celuy qui ne veut ecouter ? chi è più sordo che coluy chi non vuol ascoltare ? quien es mas tiniente de oydo que qui no quire escuchar ' . men fear death as children do to go in the dark . les hommes craignent la mort comme les enfans les tenebres . gli huomini temono la morte come gli fanciulli la scurita . los hombres temen la muerte como los nin̄os las tinieblas . soon ripe soon rotten . tost meur , tost pourri . tosto maturo ▪ tosto marcio . presto maduro , presto podrido . riches like muck which stinks in a heap , but scatterd fructifieth the earth . les richesses sont comme la fiente qui put en vn monceau , mais estant esparse fructifie la terre . richezze come letame chi puzza in vn mucchio , mà essendo sparso fructifica la terra . riquezas como el estiercol que hiede amontanado , pero esparcido fructifica la tierra . no man loves fetters though made of gold. personne n'ayme les ceps quoy qu'ils soyent d'or . nissuno ama ceppi anchor ' che sieno d'oro . nadie quiere grillos aunque fean de oro . who hath too many friends eats too much salt . qui à plusieurs amis mange trop du sel. chi a molti amici mangia troppo sale . quien tiene muchos amigos come sal en demasia . he must rise betimes who will cosen the devil . il faut qu'il se leve de bon matin qui veut tromper le diable . bisogna che si levi di buon hora chi v●ol ' ingannar ' il diavolo . es menester que se levante temprano quien quiere engan̄ar el demonio . a covetous man like a dog in a wheel that roasts meat for others . l'usurier come chien dans vne ro●e qui rostit la viande pout autruy . l'avaro come can in ruota chi arrostisce vivande per altri . el pelon como perro en rueda qui assa carne por otros . who expounds holy scripture upon his own warrant , puts hot brands together with his fingers . qui interprete l'ecriture sainte selon sa seule phantasie ramasse charbons ardens avec se doits . chi interpreta la santa sorittura secondo la sua fantasiae coglie carboni ardenti colli diti . quien expone las sagradas escrituras segun su fantasia propia coge carbones ardientes con sus dedos . bawds , and attorneys like andyrons , the one holds the wood , the other their clyents till they consume . les advocats & maquereaux sont comme les chenets les vns supportent le bois , & les autres leurs clients jusqu'a tant quils soient consumez . gli auvocati , & gli ruffiani son , comme alari del fuoco , chi apoggiano il legno fin a tanto che se ne consumi . abogados y alcahueres son como los morillos los vnos apoyàn la madera , y los otros sus pleyteantes hasta consumirse . give a shoulder of mutton to a dead horse . c'est donner vn ' epaule du mouton a vn cheval malade . questo e dar vna spalla di castrato a vn cavallo ammalato . esto es dar vna espalda de carnero a vn cavallo enfiermo . no fool to the old fool . il n'y à tel fol , comme le vieil fol. non cie ' pazzo simile al pazzo vecchio . no ay necio como el necio viejo . one fool makes many . vn fol en fait plusieurs . vn sciocco ne fà molti altri . vn loco haze muchos mas . a scotts mist wetteth an englishman to the skin . les brovillars d'escosse mouilleront l'anglois jusques a la peau . vna nebbia escosseza bagnarà l' inglese fin alla pelle . niebla escoceza mojara vn ynglès hasta pellejo . where the turks horse once trèads , the grass will never grow again . ou le cheval du turc plante le pied , l'herbe n'y recroitra iamais . dove il cavallo turchesco pianta il suo piede l'herba ne recrescera mai . donde el cavallo del turco planta su pie las yervas no recreceran iamas . cold weather and crafty knaves come from the north. le froid , & les fins compagnons viennent du nort . il fredào , & gli furbi vengono dal norte . el frio , y los finos compan̄eros vienen del norte . you are a right englishman , you cannot tell when you are well . vous estes vray anglois , vous ne scavez pas quand vous estes a vostre ayse . egli è vero inglese non sà quando stà bene . es verdadero ynglès no sabe ' quando esta bueno . one should take no more pitty on a woman weeping , then to see a goose go barefoot . on ne devroit plus resentir les lar●es de femme que de voir vn oison aller pieds nuds . non si doverebbe ri●entire più le lagrine de donne che de veder vn ' ooca andar scalza . no fe devria resentir mas las lagrimas de mugeres , que de voit vna gança yr descalça . a christmass great loafs , at easter clean souls , at whitsontide new clothes . a noel grans pains , a pasque ames nettes , a penteco●e nouveaux habits . al natale pani grandi , a pascua anime nette , a pentecosta vestiti nuovi . a la navidad panes grandes , a las pascuas almas limpias , a pente costa vestidos nuevos . salomon was a wiseman , and sampson was a strong man , yet neither of them could pay money till they had it . salomon estoit sage & samson estoit bien fort , toutes fois ni l'un ni l'autre pouvoient payer argent devant que de l'avoir . solomone era saggio & sansone era forte , tutta via ne l'vno ne l'altro poteva pagar ' danaro inanzich d'haverlo . salomon era savio , & sanson era fuerte , toda via ni el vno ni el otro podia pagar dinero antes de tenerlo . that which is bred in the bone will never out of the flesh . ce qu'est nourri dans les o● ne sortira jamais hors de la chair . quel ch'è nodrito dentro gli ossi , non uscira mai della carne . lo que se cria dentro los hues●o● no saldrà iamas de la carne . patience perforce is medicine for a mad horse . patience par force est remede pour vn cheval enragè . patienza per forza è rimedio per vn cavallo arrabiato . paciencia por fuerça es remedio por vn cavallo arrabiado . a friend in court is better then a penny in purs● , amy'en la cour vaut plus qu'argent en bourse . amico nella corte val più que bezzi in borsa . amigo en palacio vale mas que dinero en bolsa . make not thy tayl broader then thy wings . ne fais pas ton train plus large que tes ailes . non far ' la tua codapiù la●ga que le ale . no hagas tu rabo mas largo que las alas . he that hath the name to be an early riser may sleep till noon . celuy qui à la renommèe d'estre matineux pourra dormi● jusques a midy . colui chi hà la fama d' esser mattinoso potrà dormir ' fin ' a mezzo giorno . qui a la la fama de ser madrugadòr podra dormir hasta medio dia. a young mayd married to an old man is like a new house thatchd with old straw . jeune fille mariée a vn vieillard est come maison novelle couverte de chaulme vieil . vna giovanne maritata con vn vicchione è come casa nuova coperta di strame vecchio . moça casada con anciano es como casa nueva cubierta de rastrojo viejo . find me an honest man trent northward , and i will find you an honest whore . donnez moy vn honest ' homme de là la trente , & je vous donneray vne honeste garce . dammi vn huomo da bene di là la trenta & jo vj darò vna puttana honesta . de me vn hombre de bien de là la trenta y yo te ' darè vna puta honrada . the stander by sees often more then the gamester . le spectateur voit souuentes fois plus que le joueur . il spettatore vede ben souvente più ch' il giocatore . el que està mirando cerca , vee muchas vezes mas que el jugador . who hath married a widdow , hath a deaths head put often in his dish . qui espouse vne vefue aurà vn reste de mort iettée quelques fois en son plat . chi sposa vna vedoa , hauerà vna testa di morto gettato ben souvente nell ' suo piatto . quien casa con biuda tendra cabeça de muerto echada à vezes èn su plato . the colerique man never wants woe . l' homme colerique n'est iamais sans enuy . l'huomo colerico mai senza fastidio . el hombre enojadizo nunca sin enfado . penny in pocket is a good companion . argent en poche bon compagnon . danaro in tasca e buon compagno . el dinero es buen compan̄ero . youth and white p●pertake any impression . la ieunesse , & papier blanc prennent toutes impressions . charta bianca , & la gioventù pigliano qualunque impressione . papel blanco y mocedad toman qualquier impression . barbers are correctors of capitall crimes . barbiers son correcteurs de crimes capitaux . barbieri sono corregitori de crimi capitali . los barveros son corregidores de crimines capitales . the second blow makes the fray . le second mornifle fait la noise . il colpo secondo fà la rissa . el bofeton segundo haze la renzilla . a client twixt his attorney and counsellor , is like a goose twixt two foxes . le playdeur entre le procureur , & l'auocat est comme vn oison entre deux renards . il piatitore fra'l procuratore , & l'auocato è come vn'occa fra due volpi . el pleytista entre el procurador , y el abogado es , como vn ganso entre dos raposos . where the hedge is low every one gets over . ou la haye est basse tout le monde passe . dove la siepe è bassa ogniuno passa . adonde el seto es baxo todos passan . a child may have too much of his mothers blessing . l'enfant pourrà auoir trop de la benediction de sa mere . il fanciullo potrà hauer ' troppo della benedictione nella madre . el nin̄o podra aver la benedicion de su madre en demasia . he is now too old to learn his accidence . il est trop vieil pour apprender sa grammarie . e troppo vecchio per imparar ' la sua grammatica . es muy viejo por aprender su gramatica . with all thy knowledge know thy self . avec tout ton sçavoir cognois toy mesme . con tutta la tua scienza conoscer ' te stesso . con todo tu saber conoce ti mesmo . the devill makes his christmas pies of clerks fingers and lawyers toungs . le diable fait son paste ne noel de doits de notaires , & de langues d'avocats . il diavolo fà pasticcij per il natale de dita de notari a delle lingue d' avocati . el diablo haze pasteles por la navidad de dedos de notarios , y de lenguas de abogados . they agree like harp and harrow . ils s'entr'acordent comme la harpe , & la harce . traccordono come l'harpa & l'arpico . conciertan como la harpa , y el rastrillo . eggs and a nutt , one may buy of a slutt . des oeufs , & des noix on pourra acheter n'une saloppe . vuovi & noci se potranno comprar ' d'vna sporca . huevos y nuezes se pueden comprar de una puerca . to forget a wrong is the greatest revenge . oublier vn injure est la plus grande revenche . dimenticar ' vn torto è la maggor ' vendetia . oluidar vn agravio es la mayor vengança . maydens ought to be seen and not heard . filles devroient estre veües plus qu' ouyes . figlie debbono esser ' vedute più ch'vdite . moças deven ser vistas mas que oydas . g●d never sends mouths but he sends them meat . dieu ne donne bouches sans dequoy manger . iddio non da bocche senza di che mangiare . dios no da bocas sin de que comer . wives must be had , be they good or bad . il faut avoir femmes soyent elles mauvaises ou bonnes . bisogna hauer ' moglie sieno buone ò cattive . es menester mugeres sean buenas ò malas . weigh not what thou givest , but what is given thee . ne peses pas ce que tu donnes , mais ce que t'est donnè . non pesar ' cio che tu daj , mà cio che t'e dato . no peses lo que das , mas lo te es dado . to stopp two gapps with one bush . boucher deux trous d'un buisson . serrar ' due buchi con vn sterpo . atapar dos horados con vn espinal . the devil wipes his arse with the poor mans pride . le diable essuye le cul avec l'orgueil du gueux . il diavolo asciuga il culo con la superbia del pouero . el diablo limpia el culo con la so veruia del pobre . look not too high , least something fall into thy eye . ne mires trop haut , de peur que quelque chose ne te tombe en l'oeil . non mirar ' troppo alto , de paura che qualch● cosa non ti caschi nell ' occhio . no mires muy alto de miedo que algo no te cayga en el ojo . vox populi vox dicta dei est , proverbia quid sunt ? sunt populi voces , ergo divina loquuntur . proverbes d'elite , et dictons communs , ou vieux quolibets , en la langue francoise , dont plusieurs vont glossez . some choice proverbs , and common sayings , or old adages in the french tovng : with glosses upon divers of them ; which proverbs are partly moral , relating to good life ; partly physical , relating to diet , and health : partly topical , relating to particular places ; partly temporal , relating to seasons ; partly ironical , relating to drollery , and mirth , &c. au tres-accompli seigneur , le seigneur willoughby , d' ersby , &c. personnage , qui , ovtre les tres-excellentes perfections dont il est doÜe , s'est rendu gran maitre de la langue francoise . lettre composee de proverbes , lesquels vont tres-tous , enchainez a un sens congru , envoyée a un gentilhomme , qui se mettoit en train pour aller en france . monsieur , apres avoir jettè l'oeil sur la presente qui va toute farcie de proverbes , de dictons , & de vieux quolibets , dont quelques uns s'usoient du temps de hauts bonnets quand on muchoit a la manche , vous direz , par avanture , que l'autheur ayt quelques tintouins , ou grillons en la teste , qu'il ait de sable mouvant , ou du mercure , ou plustost un quartier de la lune en la cervelle ; mais vous qui avez la cabo che si bien timbrée en passerez un autre jugement . le bruit court , que vous avez dessein de voyager , & tracasser le monde pour quelque temps , & particulierement de faire , le tour de france , sil vous estes fichè en telle resolution permettez un vieux routier qui est madrè es affaires du monde ayant pisse en beaucoup de neiges , qui sçait bien son entregent , & plus que son pain manger , de vous donner un mot d' advis touchant le genie de ce pays là . quant a la conversation , vous y trouverez des gens y gens ; vous y trouverez autant de testes , tant de sentimens , & plus souvent en france qu'en aucun ' autre region , ou la plus part du peuple semble avoir mangè de la biche blanche , ou de la vache enragee , estant impatient de la paix , jusques à tant qu'l ait reparè les bresches de la guerre ; mais par tout , il faut prendre les gens comm ' elles sont , & le temps comm ' il est : sur tout observez ces trois monosyllabes , oy , voy , & tais si tu veux vivre en paix , car il vaut mieux glisser du pied que de la langue , & l'espagnol vous dit , en bouche serrée les mouches n'y entrent pas : soubs ce bovillant climat vous rencontrerez quelques fois de bravàches , de mangeurs de charrettes ferrées , qui faisans le roland portent mine de tuer six de la chandelle , & saize avec le chandelier ; ils vous feront accroire que vesses sont lanternes , & les estoilles papillotes ; soyez moderè , & discret parmi telles gens , mais nullement craintif , & lasche , poutce que celuy qui se fait brebis le loup le mange ; et le peuple voysin qui boutonne le pourpoint du bas en haut , vous dirà , que les françois a la premiere bouffee sont plus qu'hommes , mais depuis moins que femmes . vous y trouverez mesmement de je unes desbauches qui mangent leur bled en herbe , & bruslent la chandelle par les doux bouts , il vont coiffez en l'opinion qu'on ne sçauroit estre gentilhomme parfa't sans avoir fait cinq voyages en süerie , car en france ( comme part tout ) a la quenoville le plus f●rt s'agenouille ; gardez vous bien des camerades de ceste calibie là ; ce neantmoins traitez les debonnairement , car , belles paroles n'ecorchent par la langue ; en tout cas ne prestez pas vostre argent , car au prester cousin-germain , au rendre fils de put●in , et vous y trouverez aussy ( comm'en en angleterre ) qui preste a l'amy perd au double : ce neantmoius , a celuy qui a son paste au four , on pourrà bien prester un torteau . outre tout cecy , donnez vous garde de ne vous opiniatrer , & debatre des matieres de la religion , mais laissez le monstier on il est , pource que par trop debattre la veritè se perd , especiallemen es points de la foy , vous y trouverex assez de gens de ceste farine là , qui seront prompts a sauter du coq a l'asne , & de treille en paisleux . le pays , & le peuple de france sont addonnez a toutes sortes de gaillardises , & divertissements , vous y trouverez des bons garcons , des rogiers de bons temps , qui seront joyeux comm ' esmerillons , ou rats en paille ; vous ne deuriez pas estre d'un humeur si saturnin , & sombre , que de ne jovialìzer par fois avec eux , & avec le bon vin chasser le soin & le chagrin , car un ' once d'alegresse vaut cens livres de melancolie ; s'il vous y avez envie d'entretenir un laquay , vous y en trouverez a foison ; mais gardez bien de n'en choisir un qui est trop officieux , car c'est un valet du diable qui faict plus qu'on ne luy commande . quant a la santè , & les reiglements pour la diete , qui est la chose plus principale , car qui n'a santè n'a rien , vous ferez bien en ce pays vineux de marier la cave , & le puits ; toutes fois a morceau restif esperon de bon vin ; mais le vin bois comme roy , & l'eau comme taureau ; au matin bois le vin blanc , le rouge an soir ; pour faire bon sang , observez aussy , qu'apres la poire ou le vin , ou le prestre ; on dit que boeuf salè faict trouver le vin sans chandelle ; ajoustez a cecy que si tu veux engraisser promptement , mangez avec faim , bois a loisir , & lentement . touchant les mangeailles , salade bien lavée , & salée , peu de vinaigre , & bien huylée ; des potirons , ou champignons les meilleurs ne valent rien ; faim faict dinner , & passetemps souper ; veau mal cuit , & poulets cruds font cimitieres bossus ; cest un repas pour le diable ou il n'y a point du sel ; fourmage est sain qui vient de chiche main ; des femmes , & des poissons le milieu est le meilleur ; un oeuf n'est rien , deux font gran bien , trois c'est assez , quatre c'est tort , cinq c'est la mort . touchant l exercice , pourmenez jusques a tant que la sang paroisse es ioües , non pas que la sueur roupie de nez ; au matin vers les monts , au soir vers les fonts ; quant au sommeil , & le repos de nuit , il y a un ' observation , que six heures dort l'ecolier , sept le voyager , huit le vigneron , & neuf , en demande le poltron ; il y a un'autre regle , que lever a six , manger a dix , souper a six , coucher a dix , font viure l'homme dix fois dix : en conclusion , tenez chauds les pieds , & la teste , au demeurant vivez en beste . touchant les occurrences du temps il y en a diverses sortes de relations , mais ce'st ne'st pas evangile , tout ce qu'on dit par la ville , mais on le dit pour chose asseurée que dunquerque ( ce nid d'harpyes ) commence a parlementer , & vous sçavez , que la ville qui parle , & la fille qu' escoute , l'un se rend , l'autre se fou — a bon entendeur , ne faut que demy mot . ce'st tout ce que j'ay a vous dire pour le present , pource is veux couper le fil de mon dire , car courtes folies sont les meilleures , en vous priant de ne prendre pas en mauvaise part ces drolleries , pource qu'elles procedent de vostre ancien serviteur , & amy , & il n'y a meilleur miroir que le vieil amy ; durant vostre absence , s'il y a aucune chose imaginable , en quoy vous vous puissiez servir de moy , j'employeray verd , & sec , je mettray tous mes cinq sens pour vous rendre obeissance , car je suis du fin fond de mon coeur le vostre i. h. a letter composed of french proverbs , concurring all to one congruous sense , and sent to a gentleman that was going to travell abroad , and dedicated to the most accomplished lord , robert lord willovghby of ersby , &c. a personage , who , besides other excellent perfections , is great master of the french language . sir , when you have cast an eye upon this letter which goeth stuff'd with all proverbs , old motts , and adages , whereof some were used in the time of high bonnets , when men used to wipe their noses on their sleeves , for want of a napkin , you will judge perhaps , that the author hath some strange freaks , or quinombroms in his noddle , that he hath quicksands , or mercury , or rather one quarter of the moon in his pericranium ; but you sir , that have a head so well timbred , will , i presume , passe another judgement . the report is rife , that you have a design to travell , and range abroad for some time , and particularly to make the turn of france : if you are fixed in such a resolution , i pray give leave to an old soker , one that is well salted in the world , and knoweth more then how to eat his bread , one that hath pissed in many snowes , to give you some few mots of advice touching the genius of that countrey . for matter of conversation , you shall find there , more then any where else , as many heads , so many several humours , and caprichios , as if most of the people had eaten of the white hinde , or of the mad cow ( being impatient of peace any longer then they are recovering the ruines of the former war : ) but every where , you must take the people as they be , and the season as it is : above all , observe this short worded rule , heare , see , and hold thy peace , if thou wilt live in peace ; for a slip of the toe is better then that of the toung , and the spaniard will tell you that when the mouth is shut the flies cannot enter . under that ayrie clime , you shall rancounter sometimes with rambling bragadochians , or devourers of iron carts , who will make a shew as if they would kill six with the candle , and sixteen with the candlestick ; they will make you believe that the stars are but spangles , and that bladders are lanterns : among such blades be moderate , and discreet , but by no means fearfull , or pusillanimous , for he that maketh himself a sheep , the wolf will devour him , and that nation which button their dublets upward , will tell you , that the french at first puff is more then a man , and afterwards lesse then a woman . you shall meet also there with debosh'd youngsters , who use to eat their corn in the green blade , and to burn their candles at both ends ; 't is a maxime amongst them , that one cannot be a compleat gentleman , untill he hath been five times in cornelius tub ; for there , the stoutest of them will kneel to the distaff : take heed of companions of that gang , yet treat them with civil language , for fair words never blister the tongue : by all means lend them no money , for when you lend you are a cousin-german , but when you demand it again , you are the son of a whore ; you shall verifie it there as well as in england , who lendeth to his friend exposeth himself to a double hazard , viz. the losse of friend and money : ye● notwithstanding , one may safely lend a cake to one that hath a pastie in the oven . mor●over , be carefull not to shew your self such a bigot , or babe of grace as to raise disputes of matters of religion , but leave the minster where it is , and oftentimes in too much debate truth is lost , especially in matters of religion ; you shall meet with many there of this cavilling humor , that will ever and anou leap from the cock to the asse , or from the arbour among the stakes . the countrey and people of france are given to all kind of jollities , and divertisements , there you shall meet with boon companions , the rogers of the good time , who will be as merry as crickets , or mice in malt : you must not be of such a dull saturnin humour , as not to jovialize sometimes with such , and with a cup of good liquor to chace away all care , and cumber , for one ounce of mirth , is better then a whole pound of melancholy . if you have a mind to entertain a lacquay , you shall find enough in that countrey , but take heed of choosing one who is too officieux , for he is a lacquay for the devil who doth more then he is commanded . for matters of health , and order of diet , which is the principal main thing , for who hath not health , hath nothing , you shall do well in that wine countrey to marrie the celler , and the cistern , yet a jadish bitt will require a good cup of wine ; but drink wine like a king , and water like a bull ; in the morning white wine is good , claret at night to breed good blood ; observe also that after peare , the wine , or priest ( viz. to confesse thee , ) salt beef they say , will make one find out the wine without a candle : adde hereunto , that if thou wilt batten , and be quickly fat , eat with hunger , and drinke leisurely and slow . concerning thy food , take notice , that thy sallet must be well washed , and salted , a little vinegar , but well oyled ; we dine to drive away hunger , we sup to pass away the time ; veal ill roasted , and rawish poullets , they say , make the church-yard full of hillocks : it is a repast for the devil , where there is no salt : take notice , that the cheese is wholsome which cometh from a misers hand : of fish , and women the middle part is best ; touching mushrumps , the best are worth nothing ; one egg is nothing , two do some good , three is enough , four do hurt , five is death . touching exercise , walk till blood appear in thy cheeks , not untill sweat drop down at thy nose : in the morning seek the mount , in the evening the fount : concerning sleep the chief repose of nature , there is a saying , that the scholler sleeps sixe houres , the traveller seven , eight the vigneron , and nine every poltron : there is another rule , to rise at six , to dine at ten , to sup at six , and bed at ten , will make one live ten times ten : to conclude , observe this general caution , keep thy head , and feet warm , and for the rest thou maist live like a beast ( who never eats nor drinks to excess . ) touching the occurrences of the present times , there be various reports of things , but all is not gospel that is spoken up and down the town ; yet they say for certain , that dunkerk ( that neast af harpies , and birds of english prey ) beginneth to parly , and you know that the town which parlie's , and the woman which listneth , are half got , half a word to the wise . 't is all that i have to say unto you at present , therefore i will draw this threed no longer , for short follies are the best : and i doubt not but you will take these kind of drolleries in good part , because they come from an ancient friend of yours , and you know there is not a truer looking-glass then an old friend . during your absence , if there be any thing imaginable wherein i may steed you , i will employ green and dry , i will set my five sences on work to serve you ; for i am from the center of my heart yours , j. h. proverbes , refrains , où quolibets en la langue francoise . proverbes moraux . qui fert dieu il à bon maistre . quand tout pechez sont vieux , avarice est encore jeune . en petite maison dieu à gran part . pour devenir tost riche il faut tourner le dos à dieu . il a chiè en un chapeau , & puis se'n và couvert , viz. il a couchè avec une femme , & puis l' a mariè . par trop debattre la veritè se perd . apres besogne faicte , le fol barguigne . l'hoste , & le poisson , passez trois jours , puent . craindre ce qu' on peut vaincre , est un bas courage . le mort na point amy , le malade , & l' absent , qu' un demy . il est tost trompè , qui mal ne pense . qui à le bruit de matineux peut dormir jusques a midy . vous me ferez croire que les estoilles sont papillottes . la farine du diable se'n và moitiè en son . il n' y à de plus sage abbè , qué celuy qui à este moine . il à mangè son bled en herbe ; cecy sentend d' un prodigue heritier . caeur content , & manteau sur l'epaule . il n'est pas gentilhomme parfait , qui n' a fait cinque voyages a soris , viz. suerie . qui preste a l'amy perd au double , viz. l' argent & l' amy . la paix , est la feste de tous saints , & se garde en paradis . laissez le monstier où il est , viz. ne t' entremesle point de disputes de religion . gaster une chandelle , pour trover un epingle . c ' est un valet du diable , qui fait plus qu' on luy comande . avec le temps l' on meure les neffles . il n' est horloge plus juste que le ventre . celuy est bien mon oncle qui le ventre me comble . mere piteuse , fille rigneuse . le porc à tout bon en soy , fo rs la merde . beautè sans bonte est comme le vin eventè . ils s'entre accordent comme les horloges de londres . chacun à son tour , mot du duc de guyse qui fut tuè a blois . il est marque a l' a , is est fort honest ' homme , il est bon tout a fait . qui fait nopces & maison , il met le sien en abandon . i l comence bien a mourir , qui abandonne son desir . chien qui abaye ne mord pas . abbé & convent ce n' est qu' un , mais la bourse est en divers lieux . des abeilles ils deviennent frelons . chose accoustumée n'est pas troy prise . achete maison faite , femme a faire . le riche disne quand il veut , le pauvre quand il peut . qui ne s'avanture , n' a cheval ni mule . venrre affame n' a point d'oreilles . a la quenoville le fol s' agenoville . a force du vit le monde croit . qui ayme bertrand , ayme son chien . qui bien ayme bien chastie . qui va , il lesche , qui repose , il seiche . bien part de sa place , qui son amy y laisse . il n' y a meilleur miroir que le vieil amy . amour & seigneurie ne tiendrent jamais compagnie amour fait beaucoup , mais l' argent fair tout . l'amour , la tousse , & la galle ne se peuvent celer . amour fait rage , mais l'argent fait mariage . aussi bien sont amourettes , soubs bureau que soubs brunettes . vit de vint ans , & cun de quinze . contre la mort il n'y à nul appel . l'arbre ne tombe pas du premier coup . pour un poil martin perdit son asne . qui à maratre , à le diable en atre . ma chemise blanche , baise mon cul tóus les dimanches . il à mis en ●n doit , un anneau trop estroit . un borgne est roy au pais des aveugles . avarice rompt le sac , & la besace . aviourdhuy tresorier , demain tres arriere . aviourdhuy mariè , demain marry . rendre de l' avoine pour foin , viz. remercier au double . mieux vaut un tenez , que deux fois vous l' aurez . si tu veux conoitre un vilain , baillez luy la baguette en main . gran bandon , gran larron . en cent ans civiere , en cent ans banniere . il n'est banquet que d' homme chiche . ore le pape est devenu françois , & jesu christ devenu anglois ; cela se disoit quandle siege papal estoit en avignon , & que les anglois tenoient plus de la moitie de france . le coeur fait l'oevure , non pas le grands jours . craindre ce qu' on peut vaincre , est un bas courage . la moitie du monde ne sçait comme l'autre vit . les debtes engardent l' homme de dormir trop . les deliberations sont en nostre main , & les evenements dieu en ordonne . l'on ne peut empescher qu'a dieu l' on ne se dedie . de demain a demain le temps s'en và bien loin . a folle demande , il ne faut point de reponce . heureux celuy qui ne desire point ce qu'il n'a pas . le trou trop sovent ouvert sous le nez , fait porter souliers deschirez . il n'y a bouclier qui puisse resister a l'encontre du de●tin . qui manie ses propres affaires , ne soville point les main● . il luy est avis que les alouettes luy tomberont toutes roties au bec . celuy n' est pas esloignè d' amendement lequel reconoit sa faute . le vray amy mieux que chevance . il faut aymer l' amy & hayr son vice . n' avoir point d' amis , est pire que d' avoir des ennemis . a nul ne peut estre amy , qui de soy mesme est ennemy . il à l' appetit ouvert , comme la bourse d' un avocat . si tost que l' arbre est tombè chacun se rue dessus . argent reçeu , les bras rompus , viz. le travail cesse . fient de chien , & marc d' argent , seront tout un au jour du jugement . un amoureux fait tousiours quelque chose du folatre . chante a l' asne , il te ferà des pets . le pauvre qui donne au riche , demande . six heures dort l' escolier , sept le voyager , huit le vigneron , neuf en demande le poltron . mal và la nef sans avirons . la guerre fait les larrons , & la paix les meine au gibet . qui preste non r ' a , & s' il r ' a non tost , si tost non tout , si tout non tel , si tel non grè , or te garde donc de prester . au prester cousin germain , & au rendre fils de putain . qui n' a point de miel en sa cruche , qu' il ayt en sa buche . on se sovule bien de manger tartes . j ' ay payè tous mes anglois , viz. me cranciers . le vin n' a point de chaussure . sont les regiments de monsieur brovillon , trois tambours , & deux soldats . au plus fort la besace , viz. la force emporte tout . il est plus aysè de se tirer de la rive que de fond . langage de hauts bonnets , viz. vieux , & hors de usage . il parle baragouin , c ' est a dire il parle un langage qui n' est pas intelligible . il a chiè en un chappeau , & puis s' en và couvert ; cecy se dit , d' un qui a couche avec une femme , & l'espouse apres . ell ' est faite a maschecoulis le haut defend le bas , viz. elle a la mine laide , & le corps de bonne taille . les paroles du soir ne resemblent a celles du matin . qui a bon voisin a bon matin . chanter magnificat a matines . estre en la paille jusques au ventre , viz. estre en grande prosperitè . la verole a tous ses apennages , viz. toutes sortes de saletez . il faut prendre le temps com' il est , & les gens com' ils sont . amasser la disme de l' ail ; cest ' a dire , estre blen batu . coiffer la rolline , dechausser be●trand , c ' est estre yure ; faire le roland , viz. le brava●he . il n' est chance qui n' est retourne . on est plus tenu a sa peau , qu' a sa chemise . dieu donne biens , & boeufs mais c ' est ne pas par la corne . on voit plus de vieux yurognes , que de vieux medicins . il n'est tresor que de vivre a son aise . un ' once de fortune vaut mieux qu' un livre de sagesse ▪ mieux vaut estre oyseau du bois que de cage . aviourdhuy cuissi●r , demain cass● . la langue n'a point d'os , & casse poitrine & dos . quand la fille pese un auque , on luy peut mettre la cauque . cercher noises , pour noisettes . cercher cinq pies en un mouton . cercher midy a dix heures . de l'arbre de messoi● , manche de cemoir . plus pres est la chair , que la chemise . il n'est chance , qui ne retourne . il en tuera dixe de la chandelle & vint du chandelier . il n' y a si petit saint qui ne desire sa chandelle . a la chandelle cheure semble damoiselle . je f●rai que vous ne pisserez plus roid . qui n' a chapon soit content de pain & d'oignon . qui seme les chardons recueille des espines . compagnon plaisant , vaut en chemim chariot branlant . il n'est chasse , que de vieux levriers . tomber de la fiebre en chaud mal . qui trop se haste , en beau chemin se fourvoye . a l' aise marche a pied , qui meine cheval par la bride . il a pour chasque trou sa cheville . tandis que le chien chie , le loup s' en va . il ne choisit pas qui emprunte . mieux vaut un poing de bonne vie , que plein muy de clergie . je vous tireray les vers du nez . ostez un vilain du gibet , il vous y mettrà . qui premier naist , premier paist . truye sterile , serviteur desloial , poule sans ●●ufs choses inutiles . son habit ●eroit peu● au voleur . i' y mettray tous mes cinq sens . j'employeroy verd & sec. mal soupe qui tout disne . les rogneures du temps . tost atrappè est le souris , qui n' a pour giste qu' un pertuis . le froid est si aspre qu' il me fait battre le tambour avec les dents . aviourdhuy en terre , demain enterrè . parole jettee và par tout a la volée . homme de deux visages n' agrée en ville ni villages . perdre la volée pour le bond . au vis lè vice . on ne sçauroit faire d' une buse , un esprevier . il a oste a saint pierre pour donner a saint pal. chien eschaudè craint l' eau froide . le dernier ferme la porte , où la laisse ouverte . si le ciel tomboit , les cailles seroyent prises . quel maistre tel valet . il n'y à sauce que d' appe●i● . pres de l' eglise loin de dieu . il ne faut pas elocher devant un boiteux . tant souvent và le pot a l' eau , que l' anse y demeure . mettre la charrue devant les boeufs . il a une face a deux visages . qui ayme jean ayme a fon chien . qui trop empoigne rien n' estraind . le roy perd la rente où il n' y a que prendre . il n' y a si bon cheval qui ne bronche . homme rouge , & femme ba●bue , de cinquante pas les salue . je trouveray autant de chevilles , que trouvez pane de trous . de corsaire a corsaire n' y pend que barriques rompues . il a beau mentir qui vient de loin . apres besogne faite repos , & denier . baston porte paix quand , & soy . quand beau vient sur beau perd sa beauté . qui vient est beau , qui apporte est plus beau . beauté & folie vont souvent de compagnie . deniers avancent bediers . apprins au ber dure jusques au ver . nul ne fait si bien besogne , que celuy a qui elle est . les biens de la fortune passent comme la lune . ville que parle , & femme qu' ecoute , l'une se rend , l'autre se fou - qui bien est , ne se bouge . bien a en sa maison qui de ses voisins est aymé . aviourdhuy en chere , demain en biere . c'est un cheval aux quatre pieds blancs . retirer son epingle du jeu . quiter un boeuf pour mangerun oeuf . une fois n'est past coustume . vers dieu c'est le meilleur . coudre la peau du renard , a celle du lion , c ' est a dire joindre la finesse avec la force . il n'est si bon qu' aussi bon ne soit . entre la bouche , & le cueillier , souvent avient gran destourbier . il a la conscience large comme la manche d' un cordelier . tomber de la poile aux braises . farine du diable n' est que bran . qui se fait brebis le loup le mange . qui a bruit de matinois peut dormir jusques a midy . brusler la chandelle par les deux bouts . clocher devant les boiteux . belle chere , & coeur arriere . quì n' a coeur , ait jambes . un fol fait tousiours le comencement . qui bien ayme tard oublie . tout y va par compere , & commere . chose trop veue mesprisée . bon bastard c ' est d' avanture , meschant c ' est la nature . a conseil de fols cloche de bois . assez gaigne qui malheur perd . argent contant porte medicine . bonne renommée vaùt plus que ceinture dorée . assez à , qui se contente . a la continuè l' eau cave la pierre . mieux vaut l' ombre d' un sage , veillard , que le bouclier d' un jeune couard . il vaut mieux estre cocu , que coquin . on tourne le rosti en nos maisons , nous avons la fum●e , & les autres la viande . qui se couche avec les chiens se leve avec des puces . mieux vaut couard , que trop hardi . coup de langue , blesse plus que coup de lance . chascun est sage apres le coup . fille qui prend , se vend ; fille qui donne s' abandonne . femme bonne vaut une couronne . de cuir d' autruy large courroye . trop grater cuit , trop parler nuit . grasse cuisnie maigre testament ; contre les prodigues . telle terre , telle cruche . entre deux selles le cul en terre . qui ne chastie culot ne chastie culasse . de la panse vient la danse . fais ce que tu dois , avienne ce que pourra . il est tost deceu , qui mal ne pense . vos finesses sont cousues de fil blanc , elles sont trop apparentes . chasque demain apporte son pain . assez demande , qui se plaint . assez demande qui bien serr . il ne demeure pas trop qui vient a la fin . faire de l'argent avec les dents . tel a du pain qui n' a point de dents . le dernier le loup le mange , cecy s' entend de paresseux , & lasches . qui plus despend que ne pourchasse , il ne luy faut une besace . secret de deux , secret de dieux . la fa●ine du diable s' en va moitie en son . ton fils repeu , & mal vestu ; ta fille vestue , & mal repeue . ne croire a dieu que sur bons gages . pour un point martin perdit son asne . oblier dieu parmi tous les saints . dieu donne biens & baeuf mais ce n' est pas par la corne . il est bien fin , la cousture de ses chausses est derriere . a pere , a maistre , & dieu tout puissant , nul ne peut rendre l' equivalent . a toile ourdie dieu mande le fil . il ne perd rien , qui dieu ne perd . a propos comme le magnificat a matins . la où dieu veut , il pleut . en peu d' heure , dieu labeure . qui à beaucoup d'amys n' en a point . diligence passe science , & la fortune toutes les deux . du dire au fait il y a un gran trait . tout vray n' est pas bon a dire . courtoisie tardive est descourtoise . mettre le doibt entre le bois , & l' escorce . femme se plaind , femme se deult , femme est malade quand elle veut . qui e●t loin du plat , est pres de son dommage . le diable estoit alors en son grammaire . il à un quartier de la lune en la teste . assez dort qui rien ne fair . de femme qui se farde , donne toy bien garde . femme , argent & vin , ont lour bien , & leur venim . femme sage l'ornement de son mesnage . il n'est si bon que femme n' assotte . homme de paille , vaut une femme d' or . il n' est pas tousiours feste , où prim temps . amour de femme feu d'estoupe ; qui n'est pas de durée . a la fin sçaura on qui à mangé le lard . fille aymant silence , est douee de grand ' science . fille brunette gaye , & nette . ce que est venu par la fleute , s'en returne par le tabourin . fols sont sages quand ils se taisent . mieux vaut un ' once de fortune , qu' une livre de sagesse . il ne peut estre ensemble au four , & au moulin . si la fortune me tourmente , l'esperance me contente sur perit comencement on fait grande fusée . le fuseau doit suyvre le gorreau . le petit gain emplit la bourse . mieux vaut un bon gardeur , qu'un bon gaigneur . celuy qui est sur les espaules du geant voit plus loin que celuy qui le porte . il y à gens , & gens , viz. hommes de divers humeurs tant de gens , tant de guises . chascun a son gibbier , viz. selon son naturel . il n' y a cheval si bien ferré qui ne glisse . attendre le gland , jusques a tant qu'il tombe . a goupil endormy rien ne tombe en sa gueule . gourmandise tue plus de gens que l'espée tranchant goutte a goutte la mer s' egoute . goutte a goutte on emplit la cuve . nul grain sans paille , nul or sans escume . vin de grain , plus doux que de la presse . il n' est si gran jour qui ne vienne a vespre . en seureté dort qui n' a que perdre . renard qui dort la matinée , n'a pas la langue emplumée . ce qu' on donne luit , ce qu' on mange puit . tout est perdu ce qu' on donne au fol. qui fait credos charge son dos . bonnes paroles n' ecorchent pas la langue . le drap & les ciseaux luy sont donnez . bon droit a bon mestièr d' ayde . assez boit qui a dueil , viz. des larmes . pour durer il faut endurer . qui veut prendre un oyseau qu'il ne l'effarouche . l'oyseau gazoville selon qu'il est embecqué . qui scait mestier , à rente . soleil qui luysarne au matin , femme qui parle latin , enfant nourry du vin ne viennent point a bonne fin . il peut hardiment hurter a la porte qui bonnes nouvelles apporte . il n' est nul petit ennemy , viz. on ne doit mespriser quel qu'en̄emy qui soit . il n'est orgueil que de povre enrichi . qui s'acquite , s'enrichit , viz. qui paye ses debtes . a bon entendeur ne faut que demy mot . le souris qui n' a qu' une entrée est incontinent happée . envieux meurent , mais l' envie jamais . qui fol envoye , fol attend . se mettre en rang d' oignon , & ne valoir un eschalotte . on ne peut faire d' hibou bon esparuier . tout estat est viande aux vers ; viz. nous sommes tres touts mortels . on le fait croire que les estoilles son papillottes . tout ce que tonne ne nous estonne . tel s' excuse , qui s'accuse . la faim chasse le loup hors du bois . ne prens point un aveugle pour ta guide , ni fol pour conseiller . qui peu se prise , dieu l'advise , viz. les modestes . on cognoit le diable a ses griffes . qui veut tenir nette maison , il n' y faut poule ni pigeon . en pont , en planche , en riviere valet devant , maistre derriere . l'oeil du maistre engraisse le cheval . qui mal entend , mal respond . mal pense qui ne repense . mal fait , qui ne parfait . le mort n' a point amy le malade n' a qu' un den●y . malheur ne vient jamais seul . il luy torche le nez en sa manche . a main lavée dieu mande la repeue . il a mangé de la biche blanche , viz. il est leger . bonne beste s'echauffe en mangeant . a homme hardy fortune tend la main . qui mange l' oye du roy il en chie la plume cent ans apres . on n'a jamais bon marche , de mauvaise marchandise se faire marchand de poisson la vieille de pasques . bonne marchandise , trouve tousiours son marchand . si tous les fols portoient marotte , on ne scait pas de quel bois on se chaufferoit . se coiffer de folles opinions . il n'est cheval qui n' ayt son mehaing . courtes folies sont les meilleures . songes sont mensonges . petit homme abat bien gran chesne . mieux vaut en paix un oeuf qu'en guerre un boeuf . bon guet chasse malaventure . l' habit ne fait pas le moine . il est poure qui est de dieu abandonné . couper l' herbe soubs les pies . parez herisson il semblera baron . le renard est devenu hermite . toutes heures ne sont pas meures . les hommes donnent aux femmes ce qu'ils n' ont pas . de meschant homme bon roy. un mestier requiert tout son homme . qui vit a comte , vit a honte . meschante parole jettée , va par tout a la volée . il a coiffè la rolline . amour se nourrit de jeune chair . jeune en sa croissance , a le loup en la pance . innocence porte avec soy sa defense . nous achetons tout fo rs le jour & la nuit . un jour juge de l' autre , & le dernier juge de tous . longue langue , courte main ; cecy s'entend des compliments . pour laver les mains , on n' en vend pas sa terre . il ne regarde plus loin que le bout de son nez . faire le loup plus gran qu'il n'est . il tient le loup par les oreilles . a petite achoison le loup prend le mouton . a paroles lourdes , oreilles sourdes . de meschante vie bonnes loix . garder la lune des louts . bonne est la maille qui sauve la denier . c ' est ne pas evangile ce qu' on dit parmi la ville . qui n' a patience n' a rien . de mauvais payeur foin , où paille . quand tous pechez sont vieux l' avarice est encore jeune . le teigneux n' arine pas le peigne . dieu scait qui est bon pelerin . en fin les regnards se trouvent chez le pelletier . asseurement chante qui n' a que perdre . il faut perdre un veron , pour prendre un savmon . il ne perd rien qui ne perd dieu . qui perd le sien perd le sens . qui preste a l' amy perd au double . il est plus ayse de tirer un pet d' un asne mort . chantez a l' asne il vous fera de pets . mieux vaut glisser du pied que de la langue . mieux vaut un pied que deux eschasses . il voudroit trouver cinq pieds en un mouton . il a dechaussè bertrand . d' une pierre donner deux coups . perdre pigeon pour un grain d' orge . mieux vaut plier que rompre . acheter chat en poche . tout vient au point qui peut attendre . oignez vilain , il vous poindra . discouvrir s. pierre pour couvrir s. paul. il n' est pas si fol qu'il en porte l' habit . il n' a plus de scavoir que ce qu' il en faut pour sa portée . un clou pousse l' autre . contre fortune nul ne peut . vieil oyseau ne se prend a rets . belle promesse fol lie . entre promettre & donner doit on marier sa fille . femme sage l' ornement de son mesnage . a la quenoville hercule s'agenoville . jamais françois fut recreu a bien faire . ces sont les pires bourdes que les vrayes . qui du sien donne , dieu redonne . qui bon vin boit il se repose . la mort n' espargne ni roy ny roc. le beau soulier devient en fin savate . il est plus fol , qui a fol sens demande . nul n' a trop de sens , & d' argent . en seureté dort qui n' a que perdre . de gran dessein une souris . le troù trop ouvert soubs le nez fait porter souliers dechirez . prendre des lievres a tabourin . le sage fait guet au temps . a laver la teste d' un asne on ne perd que le temps & la lexive . qui choppe , & ne tombe ajouste a ses pas . il ne se tord pas qui va le gran chemin . amour , toux , & fumèe , en secret ne font demeurée . de gran train a l' estrain . il faut mieux trebucher une fois que tousiours chanceler . il à pour chasque trou une cheville . cest ' argent qu' argent vaut . vent au visage rend un homme sage . toute chair n' est pas venaison , n' y faysan . vie n' est pas seur heritage . il n' est vie que d' estre contenr . or , amy & vin vieux , sont prisez en tous lieux . si tu veux conoistre vilain baille luy la baguette en main . le boeuf salè fait trouver le vin sans chandelle . c ' est la cour du roy petaud , chacun y est mai●re . le sage va tousiours la sonde en main . il faut loger le bidet . vous regimbez contre l' esguillon . qui se couche avec les chiens , se leve avec des puces . qui tout me donne , tout me nie . nid tissu oyseau envolé . a tous oyseaux leurs nids sont beaux . nulle noix sans coque , nul oeuf sans coquille . ouvrage de comun , ouvrage de nul . cercher a tondre sur un oeuf . s' il tu te trouves sans chapon , soit content de pain , & d' oignon . il bat le buisson sans prendre l'oisillon . en petites boites met on les bons onguens . nul or sans escume , ni femme sans tache . or est qui or vaut . autant de testes , autant de sentimens . un asne ne peut porter deux orgueilleux . asne d' arcadie broute chardons quoy que chargé d' or . oy , voy , & te tais si tu veux vivre en paix . peu a peu le loup mange l'o●● . il luy estoit advis que les alouettes luy tomberoient toutes rosties au bec . faire a dieu gerbe de paille . de tout s'avise , a qui pain faut . sauter de treille en paisseaux , de coq a l' asne . peu , & paix don de dieu . il a les yeux plus grands que la pance . rouge visage , & grosse pance ne son signes de penitence . c ' est folie de beer contre un four . adieu paniers , vendanges sont faites . pardonne tous , a toy point . assez parens , assez tourmens . qui à mal aux dents , ha mauvais parens . mal sert qui ne parsert , viz. qui n' est constant . qui veut bien parler , doit bien pourpenser . qui ne parle , n' erre . le paresseux ayme bien besogne faite . si souhaits fussent vrays pasteroux fussent roys . a celuy qui à son paste au four , on peut donner de son tourteau . c ' est folie de faire son medecin son heritier . celuy peut hardiment nager a qui l' on foustient le menton . mere piteuse , fait la fille rogneuse . bon bastard c ' est avanture , mais meschant c ' est de nature . il ne pas en seureté , a qui ne mescheut onques . mettre la faucille en la moisson d' autruy . faire bonne mine au mauvais jeu . trop achete le miel qui sur espines le leche . se moque , qui cloque , viz. qui cloche . plein poing de bonne vie vaut mieux , q' un muid de science . le monde va tousiours a l' empire . fy de l' avarice , c ' est un vilain vice . apres grand ' montée grande vallée . au serviteur le morceau d' honneur . le mortier sent , tousiours les aulx . va où tu veux , meurs où tu dois . lé bien mal acquis , s' en và comme il est venu . aussi bien meurt veau , comme vache , le hardi comme le lasche . c'est folie de faire un maillet de son poing . on s' avise tard en mourant . allez au four où au moulin pour entendré nouvelles . c ' est la maistresse roüe , qui tourne le moulin . il faut laisser l' enfant morveux , plus tost que luy arracher le nez . avoir de moucherons en la teste . a petire a choison le loup prend le mouton . pierre qui se remue n' accueille point de mousse . estre au pied du mur sans eschelle . homme mutin , brusque roussin , flascon du vin prennent tost fin . il à pissè en beaucoup de neiges . necessité est la moitié de raison . necessité fait trotter la vieille . naistre tout coiffé . nourriture passe nature . la mort n' espargne ni roy ni roc . proverbes physiques , où touchans la santè . en mangeant l'appetit vient . femme , argent , & vin ont leur bien , & leur venin . assez y à , si trop n' y à. table sans sel bouche sans salive . fille brunette est de nature gaye & nette . l' odeur de camphre chastre l' homme . amour se nourrit de jeune chair . cheval courant , sepulchre ouvert . les maladies viennent à cheval , & s' en retournent a pied . qui mal enfourne tire les pains cornus . tenez chaud le pied & la teste , au demeurant vivez en beste . la goute en la hanche , la fille en la pance . au matin vers les monts , au soir vers les fonts . faillit est chose humaine , se repentir divine , perseverer diabolique . fourmage est bon quand il y en à peu . fourmage est sain que ●ient de chiche main . les fols font la feste , & les sages la mangent . fy de manteau , quand il fait beau . a la goute le medecin ne voit goutte . s' il tu veux engraisser promptement , manges avec faim , bois a loisir , & lentement . a l' an soixante & douze , temps est qu' on se house . apres la feste , on gratte la teste . vin sur lait , c ' est mon souhait . lait sur vin , est venin . homme matineux sain & soigneux . faim fait diner , passetemps souper . les maux terminans en ique font au medecin la nique . servez vous du jeune barbier , mais du vieil medecin . de nouveau medecin cimitiere bossu . a morceau restif , esperon du vin . feu , feues , argent & bois sont bons en tous mois . chair de mouton manger de glouton . un oeuf n' est rien , deux font gran bien , trois c ' est assez , quarte cest ' tort , cinq c ' est la mort . qui ne fait comme fair l' oye , n' ha de sa vie longue joye . apres la poire le vin où le prestre . veau mal cuit , & poulets cruds , font les cimitieres bossus . qui n' a santé n' a rien . qui à la ●ante est riche , & ne le scait pas . qui vin ne boit apres salade , est en danger d' estre malade . c'e●t un banquet du diable , où il n' y a point du sel. le gourmans , font leurs fosses avec leurs dents . a la trogne conoit on l' yvrogne . i l ressemble la mule du pape , il ne boit qu' a ses heures . il n' est horologe plus juste que le ventre . pour ron brevu●ge maries la cave , & le puits . le fourrier de la lune à marquè le logis . de femmes , & des poissons le milieu vaut le mieux . au matin boy le vin blanc , le rouge au soir pour faire bon sang . une pillule fromentine , une dragme sermentine , & la balle d' une geline , est une bonne medecin . il vaut mieux tomber entre les mains d' un medecin heureux , que d' un medecin sçavant . cens escus de melancholie ne payeront pas un liard de debtes . vieux chirurgiens , & jeunes medecins font les cimitieres bossus . ce que le sobre retient en sa pensée , l' yvrogne à en sa bouche . bois le vin comme roy , bois l' eau comme taureau . boire de l' eau , manger de pierres , coucher dehors il n'en faut demander congè a personne . il faut plustost prendre garde avec qui tu bois , & manges , qu' a ce que tu manges & bois . qui tout mange le soir , le lendemain ronge son pain noir . le vin , est le laict de vieillards . vin vieux , amy vieux , & or vieux sont amez en tous lieux . salade bien lavée , & salée , peu de vinaigre , & bien huylée . qui veut vivre sain , disne peu , & soupe moins . lever a six , manger a dix ; souper a six , coucher a dix , font vivre l'homme dix fois dix . de tous poissons fo rs que la tanche , prenez le dos , laissez ●e ventre . qui couche avec la soif , se leve avec la santé . des champignons les meilleures n' en valent rien . proverbes , où drolleries , & dictons plaisans . al' advocat le pied en main , c ' est a dire avec quelque present . longuement proceder , est a l'advocat vendanger . il ne bat plus que d' une aile . il à amassé le disme de l'ail . amour de garse & saut de chien ne dure si l'on ne dit tien . amour de putain , feu d' estoupe . il luy rendit le nez aussi plàt que d'une andoville . de jeune angelot , vieux diable . au prester ange , au rendre diable . apprenti de san crespin , viz. un cordormier . vous bridez le cheval par la queve . il saute du coq a l' asne , viz. il fait digressions . il en est plus assottè , qu'un fol de sa marotte . qui fol envoye , fol attend . gras comm ' un porc a l' auge gras , comm ' un glivon . il ne perdra pas l' avoine a faute de brailler . la place de niais , le plus haut bout de la table . il se retira avec tant du nez . de b carré a b mol . bachelier en busche . la grange est pres des bateurs . il a mange de la biche blanche . pennache de boeuf . il est clerc jusques aux dents , il a mange son breviarie . courage de brebis , le nez en terre . il dit ses brimborions , viz. il va grommolant . evesque dor , crosse de bois , crosse de or , evesque de bois . un espagnol sans jesuite est comme perdrix sans son orenge . medecin d' eau douce . marchand d' allumettes , où marchand de merde en gros . fourni d' entendement comme un oison de creste . le mutin anglois , le bravache escossois , le fin italien , le fol françois , le poultron romain , le larron de gascogne , l' espagnol superbe , l' aleman yvrogne . dictons playsans & propres a la langue francoise . a conseil de fols cloche de bois . le poil folet , la premiere barbe de homme . c ' est le cheval aux quatre pieds blancs . c'est un cheval de trompette , viz. il est hardi . il parle a cheval , viz. il hà l' avantage . il luy accommoda bien sa robbe . c ' est la maison de robin de la vallée , où il n'y a ne pot au feu , ni escuelle lavée . je luy baillerry guy contre robert. la rose en fin devient un gratecul . je n'y voy ni grain ni goutte . goutte a goutte la mer s' egoutte . celuy gouverne bien mal le miel , qui n' en taste . joyeux comme fourmis en grain . fourrer la main du juge . fourrage der corbeaux , viz. un belitre . aujourdhuy facteur , demain fracteur . qui à peur des fueilles ne doit aller au bois . porter de fueilles au bois , ou verres a venise . s' aller frotter le cul au panicaut . il à les yeux plus grands que la pance . il l' a mis a deviner . j ' ay beaucoup a detoviller . faire le diable de vauvert . je suis au dessus du vent contre . il est crotte en archidiacre . tout tremblant entre cuir , & chair . qui ne chastie culot , ne charie culasse . mal poise , qui ne contre poise . je suis fait tout a rebours de vous . c ' est un papelard tout a faict . encore n' a pas failli , qui à ruer . faire de son raminagrobis . faire le renard , faire le roland . il a bien de clinquans , il est farci d'escus . il a dequoy , il à bien vaillant . il y va de cul , & de teste comme la corneille qui abat les noix . enfans & fols sont divins . apres trois jours on s' ennuye de femme , d' hoste , & de pluye . guy , guy mon mignon , trop enquerre n'est pas bon . son pere estoit nattier , il entend le festu . entrez , entrez nos chiens sont liez . il n'est pas echappè qui son lien trainè . en la terre des aveugles , le borgne est roy. la langue peut faillir , mais l'escriture ne peut mentir . il à beau se taire de l' escot qui rien n'en paye . il n' y à point de plus beau revenu que l' espargne . l'estè sen va , mais un ' autre année la rameine . il ne passe pas tour les jours de tels estourneaux . qui s'accuse premier , s' excuse . il faut que la faim soit bien grande quand le loups se mangent l' un l' autre . apres le fait ne vaut souhait . il ne faut qu' une mousche luy passe par devant les nez pour le fascher . les fautes les plus courtes sont les meilleures . la femme , & l' oeuf un seul maistre veut . femme ne doit toucher a b b b b de l'homme , viz. bourse , bonnet , barbe , brayette . femme qui ses levres mord , femme qui son alleure tord , se mesle du mestier ord . la pire des choses du monde c'est la femme encores qu' elle soit bonne . la femme de bien n'a ny yeux , ni oreilles . a femme sotte nul ne s'y frotte . a tout ' heure , chien pisse , & femme pleure . la femme est bien malade , quand elle ne se peut tenir sur le dos . il y à tousiours quelque fer qui loche . nous voyons bien un festu en l' oeil de voisin , mais non pas la poutre dans le nostre . il fait de sa fille deux gendres . il y a du lard en luy . jetter le froc aux orties· il n'a pas este encore leurré . il vous fera croire que les lievres pondent . voila où gist le lieure . il avoit sa lippée du butin . i'en suis logé là . il ne scait de quel bois faire fleche . il est en son lourdaut . il nà pas bien assis ses lunettes . je me suis madré en cest , affaire plus que vous . il scait plus que son pain manger . ceste fleche n'est pas sortie de mon carquios . l' affaire va a quatre roües . marchand d'allumettes , où marchand de merde en gros . elle a son marquis . il luy en fit porter la marotte . robin à trouvé mariòn . marier la cave , & le puits . il te frotteray a double carillon . il à memoire de lapin. il à de mercure en la teste . il ne se lassent prendre sans mitaines . il à dequoy . bailler mornifles sur le leures du roy . faire la moue aux harengiers . c'est vn mouton de berri , il est marqué sur le nez . baueux comm ' vn pot de moustarde . apres le cerf la biere , apres le sanglier le mire . le diable l'a chèi en volant , vn meschant . il se retirà auce vn pied de nez . gresler sur le persil , viz. tyrannizer . le nez aussy plat comme vn andouille . tu es en tes gogues , viz. gagliard . il à rogné les ongles a l'e stude . il est de bas or , il craint la touche . opiniastre comme l● mule d'un abbe . employer verd & sec. a vn autre chien auec cet ' os . on norroit dieu tonner . il dit le paternostre a l'envers . sifflant en paume ie me rendray a vous . je scay bien sur quel pied il cloche . il à bien soncé le poignet , il à bien rempli ses poches . l' heur vous en veut . coment se portent vos petits populos . il en pelera la prune , viz. il s'en repentira . il n'est pas de mon qualibre . je l'ay rendu quinaud . il est en quinte de faire cela . un vieux quolibet où adage . cela luy à bien rabiasse le menton . il se recognoit a la langue latine . mal de saint quentin , viz , la toux . il ne luy à laissè rif ny raf . il ne saucera son pain en ma souppe . i' y mettray tous mes cinq sens . il scait faire un teston de six soubs . cerveau bien timbré . chicaneur , où tricoteur de procez . monsieur de t●iquenisques . il à mangé de la vache enragée . il y và de vostré honneur . grosse teste & prim col , c'est signe d'un fol. employer verd & sec , viz. faire tout son pouvoir . qué veut le roy ce veut la loy . il ne vaut pas vn zest . viz. rieu . vous allez a l'entour du pot , viz. vous faires des ambages . reprenons nostre cheure par la barbe ; viz , recomençons . fourni de fil & d'aiguille , viz. estre bien pourveu & preparé . il vole d'haute aile ; viz. il est ambitieux . a la volée viz. temerairement . cela me rebouche fort an coeur . ventre de veloux , robbe de bureau . il viennent des paroles au poil . qui tout convoite tout perd . monsieur de foin , & foarre . trencher les mot , viz. parler exactement . a celuy qui à fa paste au four on peut donner de son torteau . assez parens , assez tourmens . si je ne fait cela qu'on me tonde . chacun tire a son profit . il a beaucoup de tintouins en la teste . vin de comeres ; viz. doux vins . de fonds en comble ; viz. entierement . compere de oribus , viz. un parasit . c'est un merchand qui prend largent sans conter où peser . cela me vient fort a contrecoeur . je vous paye en monnoye de cordelier : viz. en prieres & remerciements . je ne scay a quel saint prier : viz. a le remedier . couchè entre l'enclume , & le marteau . viz , entre deux dangers . il ha les deux bouts de la courroye . crotte en archediacre . cecy est d'un autre cùuée viz. autre goust . elle scait assez de la vieille dance . le dé est deja ietré ; viz , il est determiné . prendre la lune a belles dents . il à bien dequoy . viz , il à bien de moyens . il est sur le bord de la fosse . deschausser bertrand . derober la bosse a saint roc. vous allez au devant par de●riere . les tesmoins du mary . i'ay beaucoup a detoviller : viz , vn affaire malaisé . le monde est toutdetravé , viz , confus . cest vn val du d , cest a dire cest vn valet du diable qui fait plus que l'on luy comande . il n'est , si diable , quil est noir . docteur de quandoque , où lourdant docteur en gaye science . vous avez mis le doit dessus , viz. vous avezacertené . se pensans signer , il donna du doit dans l'oetil . mettre de l'eau dedans leur vin , viz. refroidir le courage . fol eccentrique , viz. opiniastre . s'embarquer sans biscuit , viz. sans avoir dequoy . il en payera la folle enchere . il en cuyda bien enfiler son aiguille . enfoncer le poignet , viz. corrompre . encamber sur les marches d'autruy . i l entend le numero , viz. il est fin . coucher a l'ensiegne de l'estoile , viz. dehors . ils sont bien ensemble , viz. il s'entrecordent . on ne trouve ni tric ni trac . il scair bien son entregent . viz. il est prudent & accort . j'ay assez a faire environ les mains , viz. fort a faire . je le vous envoyeray par le borgne . faire escran contre le vent sùr les alpes . vous chassez apres lés mouches . joyeux comm ' un esmerillon . gentilhomme frais esmoulu . essimé comm ' un haranc soret . estans onner le mensonge d'un roseau . esonné comm ' un fondeur des cloches . faire les diable de vauvert . faire le guet au temps , videlicet , bien l'observer . ell ' a fait un faux bond , videlicet , ell ' a paillardé . ferrer les cigàles , videlicet , faire des impertinences . mangeur de charrettes ferrées , viz. un vaingloreux . il nest , ni figue ni raisin . cést unce chose fort estrange , de coucher dans une grange . avoir le bec gelé , viz. estre muet . plus malheureux que le bois dont on fait le gibbet . cecy n'est pas de mon gibbier . joyeux comme souris en grain . chapon de haute graisse , viz. bien paissu . il a beaucoup de grillons en la teste . parent du gillot le songeur , viz. un lourdaut . haut a la main , viz. resolu , & vaillant . pris entre la haye , & le bled , viz. pris oportunement . par les hypocondres de tous les diables . cracher un jacobin , videlicet un gros crachat . donner le croc en jambe , videlicet , prevenir . a bander ▪ & racler , a droit ou a travers . plus joyeux que rats en paille . prendre un lion par les jubes , viz. attenter chose dangereuse . il a retté de bon lait , viz. il a estè bien eslevè . cest un language du temps de hauts bonnets . il a langue de tripiere , viz. c'est un tricheur . vous me ferez croire que vessies sont lanternes . cést un cagueraffe , où pobre caguemaille . le champ vous est demeuré . il a pris campos , viz. il s'est echappè . il fut rendu bien camus , viz. etourdi . elle a son cardinal , viz. le menstrue . cardinal en greve , viz. un decapitè . je te frotteray a double carillon . bran de judas , où les lentilles . je laisse la carte blanche a vous . il a la cassade , viz. il est trompè . il a perdu sa ceinture , viz. il a fait le banqueroute . vous chassez apres lés mouches . vous faites de chasteaux en castille . jetter le chat aux iambes , viz. charger un autre . entre chien est loup , viz. fort tard . contes de la cicogne , viz. begauderies . il a un muid de clergie en la teste . ie scay bien de quel pied il cloche . gras comme un cochon , un gliron . il est nè tout coiffé , viz. riche . jetter la manche apres la coigneè . collation de moine , viz. bonne chere . il est fourni de fil , & d'aiguille , viz. il à tout qu' est necessaire . de quelque coste que le bast vire . ventru plein basta , fort grossier . baston d' adam , viz. le membre viril . je vien de la encore tout batant . il faut mener le ba●eau d'une autre sorte . il bat le tambour avec les dents . habits de beat , ongles de chat . il ne scait de quel bois faire sa flesche . la faim chasse le loups hors du bois . du temps de hauts bonnets , quand on muchoit sur la manche . tarte bourbonoisse , viz. un marais . il est au bout de son brevìarie . reprenons nos brisees , où la cheure par la barbe . je n' iray pas sur vos brisees . il pense briser le fer aux dents . tenu secret come cabale , viz. cachement . il a la caboche bien tymbrée . il est mis en sa cahotte . il se baigne en ces nouvelles . entre beaucaire & tarascon ne pais brebis ni mouton . trois espagnols sont quatre diables en france . qui m'aura perdu ne m'aille cercher en escosse . il est de chasteaudun , viz. il est precipitè en jugement . chevalier errant du royaume de logres . le sang françois ne peut mentir a son prince . prendre paris , pour corbeil , viz. une montagne pour une fourmilliere . l' aleman a lésprit au doibs , viz. il est bon artizan . le norman vendange avec la gaule ; viz. il bat les pommes pour en faire du cidre . il a passè le pont de gournay , viz. ce'st vn effrontè . fait cardinal en greve , viz. estre decapitè . faire le guet a monfaulcon , viz. estre pendu & estranglè . boucon de lombard , viz. du poison . patience de lombard , viz. une grande patience . quand le françois dort le diable le berce ; ce proverbe s'use parmy les flamens . qui fit normand , fit truand ; diton de reproche . querelle d' aleman , viz. parmy les pots . pi●toles de sancerre , viz. les tondes ou frondes . les secours des venetiens , trois jours apres la bataille . chevalier de cornouaille , viz. un cocu . anger 's basse ville , hauts clochers . riche putains , pouvres ecoliers . quand on voit un picard sans bavarie , & un normand sans flaterie , le bon temps viendrà . armanson , mauvaise riviete , bon poisson . paris sans pair , roüen sans nom . il est saoul comme un anglois . a montmartre il y a plus de putains que de vache● que , s'il n'y avoit tant de nonains , il y auroit plus de vaches que de putains . il n'y à si bon chartier en beausse qui quelque fois ny verse . jamais cheval ny homme , s'amenda pour aller a rome . angleterre bonne terre , male gent. il y à plus de montmartre a paris , que de paris a montmartre : cecy s'entend de plastre de paris , qui vient de montmartre . il n'y a si pauvre village , où ne soit feste un jour en l'an . les liegois se ventent d' avoir trois choses ; du pain meilleur que du pain , du fer plus dur que fer , du feu plus chaud que le feu . i l ressemble les suisses , il est a qui plus luy donne . c'est le chasteau de montargis , beau de loin de pres rien . lourd comm ' un aleman , ou un pastè de chevilles . gasconner , viz. faire le larron . i'ay payè tous mes anglois . viz. tous mes creanciers . le roy iean estant prisonnier en angletterre il y eut une grande imposition mise sur le peuple pour payer sa rançon , d'ou vint ce proverbe . rigueur de tholouse , humanitè de bourdeaux , misericorde de rouen , justice de paris . il est de chasteaudun , il entend a deny mot . angleterre , le paradis de femmes , le purgatoire de valets , l'enfer des chevaux . le françois ny parle comm ' il pense , ny fait comm ' il parle , ny chante comm ' il compose . il s'ntrecordent comme les horloges de londres . resolu comme pihourt en ses heteroclites , c'est a scavoi● quand un ignorant , parleentre les géns sçavants . vous ●e loger chez . guilloe le songeur . le ma● an entre en n●geant . si ●'hyvet estoit outre la me● si viendra-il st. nicolas parler . celuy peut nager hardiment , a qui on cient le mentòn . a la san martin on boit le bon vin . quand il tonne en mars , nous pouvons dire helas . année seiche n'apouv●it pas son maistre . rouge vespre & brun matin cela est ioye pour pelerin . année epigeuse , année fructueuse . a noel au pérron , a pasques au tison . quand lè choux passe le cep le vigneron meurt de soif . au temps de moisson dames chambrieres son . a la saint pierre l'hyver s'en va , où il reserre . a la saint vincent si l'hyver s'engrine si l'attends . januier & fevriet comblent , ou vuident le grenier . qui à la fiebre au mois de may , le reste de l'an vit sain & gay . decembre estoit anciennement un mois , mais il est maintenant un ' année . mars aride , fevrier neigeux , auril humide , may rousineux , presage de l'an ens plantureux . proverbes temporaux , referans aux saisons . un mois avant , & apres noel , l'hyver se montre le plus cruel . en hyver au feu , en estè au bois , & au ieu . januier frileux , fevrier fievereux , mars poudreux , auril pluvieux , may venteux denotent l'an planteureux . une hirondelle n'amene pas le printemps . a la saint barnabè le faulx au prè . avec la paille & le temps , se meurissent les neffles , & les glands . au commencement , ou a la fin , mars à poison , ou venin . a la saint valentin , le printemps est voisin . a la saint martin l'hyver est en chemin . a la saint luce , le jour croist du saut d'une puce . le saumon , & le sermon , en caresme ont leur saison . aujourdhuy fevrier , demain chandelier , qui est tousiours au deuxisme de fevrier . autres dictons , & mots proverbiaux propres a la langue françoise . que gibet , que diable veut dire cela ? il le plante là pour reverdir . payer la tart de sa nativitè . faire d'un diable deux ; faire montagne d'une fourmilliere . faire le guet a montfaucon . faire le grobis , faire le groin . faire le mitou , viz. l'hipocrite , ou bigot . son kalendrier est rubriquè . faire le moüe aux harangiers , viz. estre pilorié . il luy torcha le nez de sa manche . tel fait la faute qu' un autre boir . faire quinquenelle , viz. le banqueroutier . qui bien fera bien trouverà . assez dort qui rien ne fait . table d'abbè , table du cardinal . abbreurè d'un opinion , ou croyance . il luy passa la plaine par le bec . il l'a accoutrè a la tigresque . tel cuide venger la faute qui l'accroi● . il le fait fort accroire . il n'y a point d'acquest en luy . selon que les affaires s'addonnent . personne de tres-bonne addresse . au sceu , & adveu de tour le monde . je vous advoüe en cela . il in'est d'avis , il me semble . il ne faut estre loup , ny en affubler la peau . faire beaucoup d'agiois . il va d'aguet en ses affaires . il n'est vie que d'estre bien aise . chapeau fair a l'albanoise . alleguer son alibi , viz. s'excuser . i'eu l'allée pour le venir . vous allez a l'entour du pot . au fort , au pis aller . aller au saffran , faire banqueroute . on ne sçait pour qui on amasse . il est de lorry , ou le batu paye l'amende . amour de grands ombre de büisson , qui passe bien tost . en amour est sottise , & sens . il n'est que les premieres amours . il y a bien de l'anguille sous roche . vous aller rompre l'anguille a genovil . je te crains aussy peu que les neiges d'enten . a pens , de guet a pens . souliers a l'apostolique . il est de nostre appartenance . a peine endure mal , qui n' a là appris . cest'la famille d'archimbaut , plus y en a & pis vaut . il l'a fait vuider les arcons . d'argent , & sens jamais trop . contre la nuit s'arment les limaçons . l'homme qui a de l'art possede sa part . je croy q'uil y aurà icy del'asne . demander de la laine a l'asne . d'un petit aiguillon poind on un gros as-non . assez boit qui a dueil . il a le coeur assis en bonne part . je le feray bien gaigner son avoine . j'ay beau attendre . avoir , ou bien trouver son compte . avoir bouche a la cour. il a bon bec , ou il a le bec gelè . tout a este a autruy , & sera d'autruy . il se baigne en ces nouvelles . il luy a baillè belle . il m a baillè febres a my croi● . je n' en iray du banc au feu . ventru a plein bast , fort gros y gras . tant que l'ame me bastera au corps . faire le voyage de baviere . mon petit bedaud , mon petit mignon , mon petit bedon . payer son beiaune , c'est a dire droit de novices . prendre le baeufle par le museau . eschauffons nous au feu de dieu , cést a scavoir , au soleil . il ne s'y print pas de bon biais . s'embarquer sans breuuage . cela ne se ferà a l'espee blanche cest a scavoir sans sang . prendre entre la hay , & le bled . je cognoy bien de quel bois il s'echauffe . bon gaignage fait bon potage . il ne si bon qu' aussy bon ne soit . bonne est la maille qui sauve le denier . se mettre a l'ombre de bouchons . il s'enyure de sa propre bouteille . je suis en bransle , viz. irresolu . je luy bailleray bris contre robert. robbe d'argent , brodè de merde . qui suit le broust . je le garderay secret comme cabale . il fut rendu bien camus . le coeur me tremble dans la capsule . fol a vin cinq carats . quiter sa ceinture ; cest a scavoir , se faire banqueroute . il a la ce●uelle a double rebras . toute chair n'est pas venaison . donner le fardeau selon le chameau . aller au change , viz. a un ' autre femme . celuy a bon gage du chat qui en tient la peau . chevalier errant du royaume de logres . estre bien en conche , on en bonne conche . je ne sçay quelle piece coudre a cecy . il ne craind ny les , ny les viz tondus . qui fait credos charge son dos . parler a grosses dents . le dernier le loup le mange . vous allez au devant par derriere . d'ieu donne froid selon le drap . prendre la volte de paris . perdre la voleé pour le bond . je n' en ay eu ny vent ny voix . tu auras miserere jusques aux vitulos . il m'a monstrè visage du bois . au vis le vice . il n'est vie que de coquins . il nous a donne de bien verdes . de bonne terre bon tupin . tel tue qui ne pense que blesser . i l entend autant que truye en espices . je vous grupperay au truc . il est bien trovè de la foire . troussez vostre verre du vin . il y a plus de trompeurs ; que de trompes . il luy donna au travers du nez . une science requiert tout son homme . titer son espingle du ieu . il est bien heureux , qui se mesle seulement de ses affaires . entre tels tel deviendras . nul soulas humain sans helas . je l'envoyeray bien grater le cul au soleil . il n'est pas en seurete a qui ne mescheut onques . il a le sang aux ongles . joüer a la ronfle . je m'y suis bien rompu la teste . ce n'est plus rien que de moy . fiançailles cheuavchent en selle , & repentailles en croupe . je te rengourmeray bien le groin . il se recognoit a la langue françoise . et puis qu'en sera-il ? qu'en deviendra il ? il n'ya rien a rembouser tout est a boire . il luy faudroit fendre les pieds , & l'envoyer paistre comme une pecore . c'est fait de moy , je suis ruinè tout a fait , sans resource . tant que tige fait souche , elle ne branche jamais ; cecy se'ntend de la succession hereditaire , de a la couronne de france . explications morales d'aucuns proverbes en la lángue françoise . le morier sent tousiours les aulx . ce proverbe est propre a celuy le quel estant une fois entachè de quelque vice , en retient tousiours les marques , & ne peut dissimuler son inclination a iceluy , tout ainsi qu'un mortier dans le quel on à pile des aulx ne se peut tant laver qu'il n'en retienne ●ousiours l'odeur . tousiours souvient robin a ses flustres . ce proverbe est prins d'un certain drol de paris nommè robin , & se dit quand quelq'un importunement , & sans propos fait mention de quelque chose que luy est propre , n'ayant autre chose en la bouche . les cousteaux de iean colot l'un vaut l'autre . ce proverbe prit son origine en la ville de troye en champagne ou viuvot ce jean colot qui estoit un artizan , & bon compagnon qui portoit ordinariment pendue a sa ceinture une gaine dans laquelle y avoit trois où quatre couteaux tous de peu de valeur , tarez de quelque defaut , l'un ayant la pointe rompue , l'autre estoit ebrechè au taillant , l'autre estoit rebouchè , l'autre ne coupoit point du tout ; & de ce fut fait ce proverbe lequel se dit proprement de toutes choses où il n'y à pas gran choix , & mesmes de personnes qui valent aussi peu l'un que l'autre . qui à le bruit de se lever abonn'heure , peut bien dormir la grasse matinée . par ces mots nous sommes enseignez que bien souvent la bonne opinion , & jugement que l'on fait dez personnes , est fondee sur le bruit & dire du comun plus que sur laverite mesme , de sorte quela repuracion surmonte le fait propre , & se voit assez de gens que le comuntient pour sages , doctes , vaillans & ornez de beaucoup d'autres vertus , qui n'ont rien de tout cela si on les regarde de pres . pour un poil martin perdit son asne . un nommèmartin ayant perdu son asne a la foire , il atriva que l'on en trouva un autre qui estoit aussi perdu , de sorte que le juge du village estoit d' opinion qu'on rendist a ce martin l'asne qui avoit este trouvè , mais celuy qui l'avoit en sa possession pria le juge de demander a martin de quel poil estoit son asne , lequel ayant respondu que son asne estoit tout gris , fut deboutè de sa demande d'autant qu'on trouva un poil noir en sa quëve . estre en la paille jusques au ventre . ce proverbe est pris de chevaux , auquels le meilleur traitement qu'ils puissent recevoir ( outre le foin , & l'avoine ) est , qu'ils ayent ample , & profonde lictiere ; et par cetre similitude il se peut dire de ceux lequels ont a leur souhait toutes choses necessaries a une vie opulente & heureuse . qui parle du loup on en voit la quëve . l'usage de ce proverbe est , quand aucun survient a l'improviste lors qu'on tient propos de luy . c'est le ventre de ma mere . cecy est dit , quand quelq'un se repent d'avoir este en telle place , où estant echappè de quelque danger , il prend resolution de n'y jamais retourner , tout ainsi que l'enfant estant sorti du ventre de sa mere jamais plus n'y rentre . il n'est si grand jour qui ne vienne a vespre . par ce proverbe nous sommes appris que toutes choses de ce monde viennent en fin a decadence , comme il n'est point du jour si long qui n'ayt son soir . il à du nez . quand on veut donner les los a quelq'un d'estre bien avisè , accort , entendu , & prevoyant de loin tous accidens , pour ne se laisser surprendre , on dit cet ' homme à du nez ; et ceste similitude est prise de la sagacitè , & aigu odorat des chiens de chasse , lequel , au sentiment du nez , la teste bassée contre terre , decovurent , & suyvent tous les tours & entortillements des bestes qu'ils pourchassent . il à autant de nez . cela se dit quand quelq'un ayant entrepris de faire quelque chose , manquant d'en venir a bout , demeure confus , & tout honteux . estre au nid de la pie. quand quelq'un est montè au plus haut degrè de sa fortune , on use communement de ce proverbe : car le natural de la pie est , de faire son nid sur les plus hauts arbres qu'elle peut choisir . rompre l'andouille a genouil . la nature differente des choses porte que les unes se manient d'une sorte , les autres d'une autre ; les uns se peuvent rompre sur le genuoil où autrement comme sont les esclats de bois sec , & deliez ; les autres requierent le couteau , & ferrements pour estre mises en deux pieces , comme l'ozier verd & tout autre bois flexible quand il est encore verd ; de cette façon sont les andouilles , lequelles ne se peuvent rompre , mais il faut les couper au couteau ; ce proverbe donc apprend , qu'en toutes nos actions nons ne pouvons parvenir a ce que nous pretendons , si ce n'est par les moyens a ce convenables . laisses ton enfant morveux , plutot que luy arracher le nez . ce di●e nous apprend que ceux qui ont de personnes a governer tellement inveterez , & endurcis en aucunes complexions , & mauvaises coutumes desquelles on les voudtoit bien retirer , & n'est pas possible de le faire entierement , doivent plutot tascher d'en corriger le plus , & en laisser le moins qu'ils pou●ront , que par les vouloir trop presser , les depiter , & rebuter du tout ; ceste similitude est prise des petits enfans qui estans ordinairement morveux , on les arracheroit plutot le nez , que de le garder du tout , qu'ils n'ayent tousiours quelque roupie pendante sur leurs leures . faire a dieu jarbe de foüarre . l'on scait que de tout temps il à estè ordonnè de payer au seigneur le disme , cest ' a sçauoir la dixieme partie que l'homme recueille de fruits de la terre ; ce droit estoit tellement sacrosaint que chacun en toute verite laissoit sur le champ ce qui etoit du dit disme ; or , il aduint qu'aucuns prophanes faisant aussy peu de difficultè de tromper dieu comme les hommes faisoyent tout expres certaines jarbes equelles il n'y avoit point de grain , & de cela payoyent leur dismes ; ce qui à donnè lieu a ce proverbe le quel se peut appliquer a toute personne de mauvaise conscience , soit envers dieu , soit envers les hommes comme sont telles gens . homme de porc & de boeuf . par ces mots on veut signifier un homme grossier , mal apprins , incivil , & mal honneste , tels que sont ordinairement ceux de plus vil , & bas degrè d'entre le peuple , dont la nourriture ordinaire est du lard , & du boeuf . ietter le manche apres la coignée . ce proverbe prit l'origine d'un pavure boscheron . lequel ay●nt rompu , où autrement perdu le fer de la coignée , par un despit jetta le manche apres ; a cest ' exemple nous est enseignè quand quelque perte nous advient , de retenir nostre corroux , & ne la vouloir faire plus grande par nostre propre faute , en perdant par despit le reste qui nous peut encor servir . maille a maille se fait le haubergeon . haubergeon estoit de temps passè une façon d'armeure meure qui se faisoit du tell ' etoffe dont nous faisons cottes de mailles ; ces mailles sont petits annelets de fer , ou d'acier s'embrassans , & tenants , l'un l'autre pour enfair ' un habillement ; & pource qu'a bastir cest'ouvrage composè de tant de petites pieces , il y va beaucoup de temps & de patience , ce proverbe nous ensigne qu'il n'est rien qu'on ne puisse parfaire par le menu , & petit a petit , si on y veut mettre l'estude . il n'st chasse que de vieux chiens . ce proverbe vise aux jeunes gens , qui ne sont si capables d'aucune function que ce soit , comme les aagez quien on t acquis l'experience . aller aux meures sans crocher . le meurier est un arbre qui es●end ses rameaux loin du tronc , & sont fort aisez a rompre , qui fait que ceux qui en veulent cueiller le fruit se servent d'un crochet pour tirer les branches ; cela nous ensigne de ne point s'acheminer a aucune entreprise , sans estre pourveu , & garni de ce qui la peut faciliter . faire un trou a la nuit . si aucun part de quelque lieu a la derobee sans que personne en sache rien , & mesmes lors qu'on l'eut le moins soupçonne , on use de ce proverbs , il a fait un trou a la nuit . a goupil endormi rien ne tombe , en la gueule . ce proverbe nous apprend que pour s'entre renir au monde ill ne suffit pas d'estre sage , & scauant , mais il faut employer le soin , & la diligence , en mettant la main a la besongne ; cela est pris du renard , lequel encore q'uil soit tenu entre les autres bestes pour l'un des plus cauteuleuses pour sa nourriture , neantmoins sil demeuroit tousiours dormant en son terrier , aucune viande n'entreroit jamais en son ventre . resolu comme pihourt en ses heteroclites . c'est a dire , quand un ignorant est trop prompt de parler parmi les gens scavant . ce pihourt estoit un masson de la ville de renes , d'ou vin le proverbe . i'ay payè tous mes anglois , c'est a scavior tous mes creanciers . ce proverbe prenoit son origine du temps de roy jean quand il estoit prisonner en angleterre , car alois ●our sarançon , il y avoit de tailles extraordinaires , & diverses sortes d'impositions generales mises sur le peuple , qui duroient long temps pour satisfaire les anglois , de sorte que anglois , & creancier vinrent a estre synonymes . ore le pape est devenu françois , & iesu christ anglois . ces mots s'usoient comme proverbe , quand le pontife romain tenoit le siege papal en auignon , & que les anglois prosperoient tant en france ocupants plus de la moitiè du royaume . proverbs , or old said sawes and adages in the french languages . moral proverbs . who serves god hath a good master . when all sins grow old , covetousness growes younger . god hath a great share in a little house . to become quickly rich one must turn his back to god. he hath shit in a hat , and then clap'd it on his head , viz. he hath lain with a woman , and then made her his wife . in too much dispute truth is lost . when the business is done , the fool makes his bargain . a guest and fish stink in three dayes . to fear that which may be overcome , is a sign of a white liver . the dead hath no friend , the sick and absent but half a one . he is soon deceived , that thinks no hurt . who hath once the fame of an early riser , may sleep till noon . you will make me believe that the stars are but spangles . the devils flower turns half to bran . he is the wisest abbot , who hath bee● fryar before , viz. he is best experienced . he hath eaten his corn in the blade ; spoken of a young unthrift . a contented heart , and a cloak on the shoulders . he is no compleat gentleman who hath not made five voyages to swetland , viz. to cornelius tub . who lends a friend , is like to lose double , viz. both money and friend . peace is the festival of all saints , and is kept in paradise . leave the minster where it is , viz. do not meddle with church-matters . to burn a whole candle to find a pin . he is the devils boy who doth more then he is commanded . with time medlers grow ripe . there 's no clock truer then the belly . he is my true uncle who fills my belly . a gentle mother , a scabby child . the hog hath all things good in him except his dung . beauty without goodness is like faded wine . they agree together as the clocks of london . every one must have his turn , viz. must dye ; the motto of the duke of guyse who was kill'd at blois . he is a right man , a man of worth ; from the best sort of coin is marked with a. who makes marriages and builds houses , quickly wastes himself . he well begins to dye , who from his own desires doth fly . a barking dog seldome bites . the abbot and the convent are but one thing , but their purse is in many places . from bees they become drones . a thing us'd cannot be priz'd too much . a house ready made , a wife to be made . the rich man dines when he pleaseth , the poor man when he can . nothing venture , nothing have . a hunger-starved belly hath no ears . the fool falls down before the distaff . the world encreaseth by the strength of the yard . love me , love my dog . who loves well , corrects well . who goes , licks , who lies still , dryes up . he parts well with his place who leaves his friend there . there is not so clear a mirrour as an old friend . love and lordship never kept fellowship . love may do much , but money more . love , cough , and itch cannot be conceal'd . love causeth rage , but money makes the marriage . there is love under a fustian petticoat as well as under a silk fardingall . a prick of . a c. of fifteen . there 's no appeal from death . the tree falls not down at the first stroak . martin lost his ass by laying he was all white , whereas there was one black hair found in his tail ; this alludes to rash wagers . who hath a step-mother , hath a devil in a womans shape . my white shirt kisseth my tail every sunday . he hath put too narrow a ring on his finger , viz. he hath tyed himself to too hard a task . the pur-blind is king in the blind mens countrey . covetousness breaks both sack and bag . to day a treasurer , to morrow a bankrupt . married to day , and marred to morrow . to give oats for hay , viz. to over-requite a kindness . once take , is better then twice you shall have . if thou wilt know a true clown , give him the staff of authority . much liberty , many theeves . in a hundred years a wheel-barrow may be a banner . there 's no feast to the misers feast . now is the pope become french , and jesus christ english ; a saying when the pope came to avignon , at which time the english prosper'd much in france . 't is the heart that doth the business , not the length of time . to fear that which may be overcome , shews a white liver . half the world doth not know how the other lives . debts keep a man from sleeping too much . deliberations are in our hands , but god orders the success . no man can stop ones way from going to god. from morning to morning time goes a long journey . an idle question needs no answer . he is happy who doth not desire that which he hath not . the opening too oft the hole under the nose , makes one have tatter'd hose . there 's no fence against the stroaks of fortune . who manageth his own business berayes not his hands . he thinks that roasted larks will fall into his mouth ; spoken of a sluggard . he is not far from amendment , who confesseth his fault . a true friend better then a rich farm. one must love his friend , but hate his faults . not to have a friend is worse then to have an enemy . he can hardly be a true friend to another , who is an enemy to himself . his stomach is insatiable as a lawyers purse . when a tree is down every one runs upon it . the wages had , the arms are broken , viz. labour ceaseth . a ducket , and a dogs turd will be the same thing at the day of judgement . who is in love doth alwayes something of a fool . sing to an ass , and he will give you a fart . when a poor man gives any thing to the rich , he begs . the scholar sleeps six hours , seven the traveller , eight the labourer , nine the sluggard . the boat goes but ill without oars . war makes theeves , and peace brings them to the gallowes . who lends , hath it not again ; if he hath it , yet not so soon ; if soon , not all ; if all , not from the same ; if from the same , not so willingly ; therefore spare to lend . in lending my cousin german , in repaying the son of a whore . who hath no honey in his pot , let him have it in his mouth . a man may be weary in eating tarts . i have payed all my english , viz. my creditors . wine wears no breeches , viz. wine shews what a man is . they are the regiments of monsieur brovillon , three drums , and two souldiers ; spoken ironically . the strongest carries away the bag . 't is more easie to draw away from the bank then the bottome of a river . old obsolete language spoken in the time when high bonnets were worn . he speaks gibberish , whereas baraguin is a british word , and signifies white bread . he hath shit in his hat , and then claps it on his head ; which is meant of one who hath lain with a woman , and marrieth her afterwards . she is built as a watch-tower , where there are grates to let down great stones , the top defends the lower parts ; 't is meant of a woman that hath an ill-favoured face , and a handsome body . the morning words agree not with those of the evening . who hath a good neighbour hath a good morrow . to sing magnificat in the morning ; which should be at vespers . to be in the straw up to the belly , viz. to be in great prosperity . the pox hath all its due , viz. all kind of foulness . take the time as it is , and the people as they are . to gather the tithes of garlick , viz. to be well beaten . to be fox'd or drunk . to brag , or play the bragadocio . there 's no chance but what 's before . neer is my petticoat , but neerer is my smock . god gives blessings , and beefs , but not by the horns , viz. with danger . there are more old good fellowes , then old physicians . to live at ease is the greatest treasure . an ounce of fortune is worth a pound of wisedome . better to be a bird of the wood then a cage-bird . to day brave , to morrow in the grave . the toung hath no bones , yet it breaks the back and breast . when a girl weighs a goose , she must have a tent . to make a great noise for nutshels . to seek five feet in a mutton . to seek noon at nine . a mill-post to a thwittle . the flesh is neerer then the shirt . there 's not a chance but comes again . he will kill ten with the candle , and twenty with the candlestick . the least saint desire 's his candle . by owl-light a goat looks like a lady . he take a course that you shall piss strong no more . who hath no capon , let him be content with bread and onion . who sowes thistles gathers prickles . a pleasant companion is better then a chariot . there 's no hunting but with old hounds . to fall from the frying-pan to the fire . who hasteneth too much , may go astray in a fair way . he walks at his ease , who leads a horse . he hath a button for every hole , viz. an excuse for every thing . while the dog shites , the wolf scapes . borrowers must be no choosers . one handful of a good life is better then a bushel of preaching . i le draw out the worms at your nose . save a theef from the gallowes , he will put you there . first born ; first fed . a barren sow , a knavish servant , and a hen without eggs , are three unprofitable things . his clothes would scare a theef , viz. being so bare that the threed might be seen , to put him in mind of the halter . i will do my utmost , i will employ all my five senses in the business . i will employ green and dry , i will do my best endeavours . he sups ill who eats all at dinner . the parings of time . that mouse is soon caught who hath but one hole . 't is such an extreme cold that it makes me beat the tabour with my teeth . to day above ground , to morrow under . a word once out flyes every where abroad . a double-fac'd man is lik'd of neither in town or countrey . to lose time , to stay too long for the bound . his fault may be read in his forehead . you will never make a good hawk of a buzzard . he hath taken from saint peter to pay saint paul. a burnt dog fears cold water . who comes last let him make fast . if heaven would fall we should catch larks . like master like man. there 's no sawce to appetite . neer the church , far from god. you must not halt before a cripple . the pitcher goes so oft to the water that he leaves the handle behind . to put the cart before the oxen. two faces under one hood . who loves john , loves his dog . who grapples too much , takes hold of nothing . the king must lose his rent where nothing's to be had . there 's no horse so good but he will stumble . a red man , and a bearded woman salute them a hundred paces off . i le finde as many pins as you shall finde holes , viz. as many excuses . 'twixt pirat and pirat there 's nothing found but crack'd casks . who come's from far may safely lye . when the dayes work is done , rest and money . the club brings law with it . fair upon fair fairness loseth its beauty . who comes is fair , who brings is fairer . beauty and folly go commonly together . money advanceth meacocks . what 's learnt in youth doth last to the grave . none does ones businesse better then himself . the goods of fortune passe with the moon . the woman which hearkens , and the town which treats , the one will yeeld , the other will do . who is at ease let him not stir . he hath enough at home who is lov'd by his neighbours . to day at good chear , to morrow on the biere . he is a horse with four white feet , viz. he is unlucky . to draw his pin out of the stake , viz. to disingage himself of a business . to leave an ox to eat an egg. once is no custome . the best way is towards god. to sow a fox tail to the lions skin , viz. to joyn cunning with strength . he 's not so good , but there may be as good . 'twixt the cup and the lip a mischance may happen . his conscience is as large as the sleeve of a cordelier fryer . to fall from the pan to the fire . the devils flower is but bran . who makes himself a sheep , the wolf devours him . who hath the fame of an early riser may sleep till noon . he burns his candle at both ends , viz. a great unthrift . to halt before a cripple . a good face , but a poor heart . who wants a heart , let him have good legs . the fool ends alwayes at the beginning . who loves well is long a forgetting . all goes by favour and acquaintance . an object seen too oft growes contemptible . if a bastard be good , 't is by chance , if bad , 't is by nature . for woodcocks counsels wooden bells . he gains enough who scapes a mischance . ready money brings physick . a good name is worth more then a gold girdle . he hath enough who is content . in time the spout makes the stone hollow . the shadow of a wise old man is more safe then the target of the young gallant . better be a cuckold then a knave . the rost is turn'd in our houses , we have the stomack , and others the meat . who lies with dogs , riseth with fleas about him . better be a coward then fool-hardy . the tongue hurts more then the lance . every one is wise after the blow . the maid which takes , sells her self , the maid which gives , forsakes her self . a good wife worth a crown . a large thong of another mans leather . too much scratching frets , too much prating hurts . a fat kitchin , a lean testament ; this is meant of prodigals . like earth , like pitcher . 'twixt two stools the tail falls to the ground . he that corrects not youth , controlls not age . the dance comes from a full panch . do what thou oughtest , let come what will come . he is easily deceived who thinks no hurt . your tricks are sowed with white threed , they are too apparent . every morn brings its own bread . who complains , asks enough . who serves well , asks enough . he stayes not long who comes at last . to make money with his teeth , viz. by parsimony . they have most bread who have least teeth . the wolf devours the last ; meant of the lazy . who spends more then he gets needs no budget . the secret of two , the secret of gods. the devils meal turns more then half to bran . thy son well fed , and ill cloth'd , but thy daughter well cloth'd , and ill fed ; a rule in breeding children . not to trust god but upon good pawn . for one point saint martin lost his ass , viz. his convent called asellus , for this verse , porta patens esto , nulli claudaris honesto . to forget god among so many saints . god gives goods and cattle , but not by the horn . he is a cunning iack , the seam of his breeches is backward . to father , and school-master , and god almighty we cannot be too thankful . god provides threed for the work begun . he loseth nothing that loseth not god. as proper as the magnificat in the morning . it rains there where god pleaseth . god works in a short time . who hath many friends , hath none at all . diligence goes beyond science , and good fortune beyond both . there 's a good distance 'twixt the word and the deed . all truths are not good to be told . a slow courtesie is a discourtesie . to put ones finger 'twixt the rind and the tree . women complain , women do grieve , women are sickly when they please . who is far from the dish , is neer his own loss . the devil was then in his primmer . he carryes a quarter of the moon in his noddle , viz. he is mad . he sleeps enough who doth nothing . take heed of a painted woman . women , wealth and wine have their good and their venome . a wise woman , the ornament of the house . there 's none so wise , but women may besot him . a man of straw worth a woman of gold . 't is not alwayes holy-day , nor spring-tide . a womans love like fire of flax , which is of no durance . at the end 't will be known who did eat the bacon . a maid silent , shews wisdome . a brown maid gay and neat . that which came by the pipe , goes away by the tabor . fools are wise when they hold their peace . an ounce of fortune is more worth then a pound of learning . he cannot be at once at the mill and the bakers . if fortune me torments , yet hope doth me content . a small beginning makes a great web . the wife must follow the husband . light gain makes a heavy purse . 't is more to spare then to gain . he who is upon the giants shoulders sees more then he who carryeth him . there be men of all conditions and humours . as many nations , so many fashions . every one to what he is fit for . let a horse be never so well shod , he may slide . to stay for the acorns till they fall . nothing falls into the throat of a sleeping fox . gluttony kills more then the sword . by little and little the sea is drain'd . drop after drop fills the tub . no grain without stubble , no gold without dross . wine from the grape is better then that of the press . no day so long but will have his evening . he sleeps safely who hath nothing to lose . the fox who sleeps in the morning hath not his tongue feathered . that which is given shines , that which is eaten stinks . all 's lost that 's given to a fool . he who borrowe●h much lades his back . fair words blister not the tongue . he hath both the cloth and cizzars given him , viz. full power . a good cause hath need of help . sorrow hath drink enough , viz. tears . to last and dure , one must endure . who will take a bird , he must not scare him . the bird sings according as he is beaked . who hath a trade , hath rent . a sun glittering in the morning , a latin woman , and a child nurs'd with wine , seldome come to a good end . who brings good news may knock boldly . there 's no enemy little , viz. we must not undervalue any foe . there 's no such pride as from a begger grown rich . he who payes his debts grows rich . half a word to a good understander . the mouse who hath but one hole is quickly caught . envious men may dye , but envy never . who sends a fool , must expect a fool . to rank himself among onions , being but a small scalon . of an owl one can never make good hawk . every state is worms meat , viz. we are all mortal . they make him believe that the stars are but spangles . all that thunders doth not astonish . who accuseth himself , excuseth himself . hunger drives the wolf out of the wood . take not a blind man for thy guide , nor a fool for thy counsellor . god directs him who despiseth himself , viz. the modest man. the devil is known by his clawes . who will keep his house clean , must have neither poultry nor pigeon . over a bridge , a plank , or river , the servant before , the master after . the masters eye fattens the horse . he answers ill who understands ill . he thinks ill who thinks not twice . he doth ill , who doth not all , viz. who doth not perfect his work . the dead hath no friend , the sick but half a one . one crosse never comes single . he wip'd his nose in his own sleeve . to wash'd hands god sends encrease . he is giddy or shuttle headed . a good beast gets heat in eating . fortune reacheth her hand to a bold man. he who eats the kings goose may shite out the feathers a hundred years after . bad ware is never too cheap . to make himself a merchant of fish on easters eve . good ware will never want a chapman . if all fools hables were of wood , there would be but a small store . to coif himself with foolish opinions . there 's no horse without some bruise or fault . short follies are the best . dreams are dotages or lyes . a little man can fell a great oke . an egg in peace is better then a beef in war. good heed chaceth away misfortune . the froc makes not the monk. he is truly poor whom god forsakes . to cut the grass under ones feet . trim up a hedge-hog and he will look like a lord. the fox is turn'd hermit . all hours are not ripe , viz. seasonable . men give women milk , though they have none themselves , viz. milk . a bad man may be a good king. one trade requires one whole man. who lives on the score , lives in shame . an ill report quickly flyes abroad . he is got drunk . love feeds on young flesh . a growing youth hath a wolf in his belly . innocence carryeth her own defence about her . all things may be bought except day and night . one day judgeth another , and the last is judge of all . a long toung , a short hand ; meant of complements . for washing his hands one never sells lands . he sees no farther then the end of his nose . to make the wolf fiercer then he is . he hath the wolf by the ears . a small matter makes the wolf take the sheep . to bad language clos'd ears . good laws come from lewd lives . to keep the moon from wolfs . 't is a good farthing that gains a penny . all is not gospel that 's spoken up and down the town . who hath not patience wants all things . from an ill debtor take hay or straw . when all sins become old , covetousness growes younger . the scabby head loves not the comb . god knows who is the good pilgrim . at last the foxes meet at the furriers shop . he may safely sing who hath nothing to lose . you may well lose a menow to take a salmon . he loseth nothing who loseth not god. who loseth his right loseth his reason . who lends to a friend loseth double . 't is easier to draw a fart from a dead ass . sing to an ass and he will fart at you . better stumble with the foot then the tongue . one foot is better then two stilts . he would find more then four feet in a mutton . he is drunk . to give two blowes with one stone . to lose a mutton for a little tar , or a pigeon for a grain of rye . better bow then break . to buy a cat in a poke . all succeeds well to him who hath patience . anoint a clown , and he will prick you . to rob peter to pay paul. he is not yet such a fool that he wears the fools coat . he hath no more wit then will serve his turn . one nail thrusts out the other . there is no banding against fortune . an old bird is not caught by nets . fair promises bind , fools . 'twixt promising and giving , one should marry his daughter . a wise woman is the ornament of her house . the strongest men kneel to the distaff . a true french man was never weary of well doing . true jests are the worst . who gives of his own , god gives it him back again . who drinks good wine gets ease . death spares not court nor cottage . the finest shoo comes at last to be out at the heel . he is more fool that demands sense of a fool . one cannot have too much sense or money . he sleeps securely who hath nothing to lose . a grand design becomes a mouse . the hole too ope under the nose , breeds ragged shoes and tattered hose . to take a hare with a tabor . the wise man observes his time . to wash an asses head , one doth but lose sope and time . who stumbles and falls not , goes the faster . he goes not wrong who goes the high-way . love , cough , and smoke , cannot be hid in a poke . to fall into the straw from a great train . better to stumble once then be alwayes shaking . he hath a button for every hole . that 's money which is money-worth . wind in the face , viz. adversity makes one wise . all flesh is neither venison nor feasant . life here is no sure inheritance . there is no life to contentment . gold , a friend , and wine , the older the better . if you will discover a clown , give him a staff and a gown . salt beef findes the way to the wine without a candle . like king petauds court , where every one is master . the wise man goes alway with the plummet in his hand . we must make a shift though with a little . you kick against pricks . who sleeps among dogs , riseth up with fleas . who offers me all , denyes me all . the nest made , the bird flown . to every bird his nest is fairest . no nuts without rinds , no egg without his shell . the work of the common is no mans work . to seek something to be shorn off an egg , viz. to be over-critical . if thou hast no capon , content thy self with bread and onion , he beats the bush ▪ but cannot take the bird . the best ointments are put in little boxes . no gold without drosse , nor woman without some fault . 't is gold which is worth gold . as many heads so many opinions . one ass cannot carry two proud men . like the arcadian asse , who eats thistles though laden with gold ; meant of the covetous miser . hear , see , and hold thy peace , if thou wilt live in peace . by degrees the wolf eats up the goose. he thought that roasted larks would have faln into his mouth ; spoken of the sluggard . to make god a sheaf of straw . who wants bread , wants all things . to leap , or digress from one thing to another . peace with a little , the gift of god. there be eyes bigger then the belly . a red nose , and a great panch is no sign of repentance . he 's a fool who yawns before an oven . farewell panniers , the vintage is ended . pardon all except thy self . many kinred , much trouble . who hath sore teeth , hath ill neighbours . he serveth ill , who serve 's not thoroughly . who will speak well , must think well before , who speaks not , err's not . the lazy loves business already done . if wishes were true , coblers had been kings . who hath a pye in the oven , one may lend him a piece of cake . he is a fool that makes his physitian his heir . he may boldly swim who is held up by the chin . too pitiful a mother makes a scabby child . a bastard is good by chance , bad by nature . he is not safe who never had a mishap . to put his sickle in anothers harvest . to put a good face on a bad matter . he comes too dear by honey , who licks it off thorns . he mocks another who halts himself . a handful of good life is better then a bushel of learning . the world goes alwayes from bad to worse . fy on avarice , 't is a base vice . a high climbing , a great coming down . to the servant the bit of good manners , viz. the last bit . the morter will smell of the garlick . go where thou wilt , dye where thou ought'st . goods ill gotten go away as they come . the calf dyes as well as the cow , the captain as well as the coward . he 's a fool who makes a hammer of his fist . 't is late advice one takes when he is a dying . if you will learn news , you must go to the oven or the mill . 't is the master-wheel that turns the mill . rather let the childs nose be snotty then cut it off . to have humble bees in his head . a small cause will serve for the wolf to take the sheep . a rowling stone gathers no mosse . to be at the foot of the wall without a ladder . a forward horse , a quarrelling man , and a flask of wine are of no long continuance . he hath piss'd in many snowes , he hath suffered much . necessity is half reason . need makes the old wife trot . born to good means . nurture passeth nature . death spares neither king nor cobler . physical proverbs , concerning diet , and health . one bit drawes on another . money , wine , and women , have their good and their poison . there 's enough , if there be not too much . a table without salt , a mouth without spittle . a brown lass is naturally merry , and neat . the smell of camphyre gelds a man. love is fed with young flesh . a running horse , an open grave . sicknesses come on horse-back , go away afoot , viz. slowly . who puts not his bread aright in the oven , drawes forth crooked loaves . keep warm your head and feet , for the rest live like a beast . pain in the hanche , a girl in the panch , or the womb of a woman with child . in the morning to the hills , in the evening to the rills , or fountains . to erre is humane , to repent is divine , to persevere is diabolicall . cheese is good when there 's but little . cheese is good that comes from a niggard . fools make feasts , and wise men eat them . fye upon a cloak when 't is fair weather . the physitian is blind at the gout . if thou wilt be quickly fat , eat with hunger , and drink slowly , and at leisure . at seventy two 't is time to go warm . after a feast one scratches his head . wine upon milk is good . milk upon wine hurts the bloud . an early riser is healthy and careful . hunger makes us dine , and pleasure makes us to sup . diseases ending in ik shame the physitian , as paralytik , hydropik , &c. make use of a young chyrurgeon , but an old physitian . a young physitian makes the church-yard hilly , viz. full of graves . a hard bit must have a spur of wine . fi●e , beans , silver , and wood , in every moneth are good . mutton is the food of a glutton . one egg is as nothing , two doe much good , three is enough , four are too many , five bring death . he who doth not like the goose , shall not joy long in his life , viz. who drinks not well . after pears , the priest or wine . raw veal and pullets make the church-yard full of graves . who hath not health , enjoyes nothing . he who hath health is rich , and knowes it not . who after sallet drinks not wine , is in danger to be sick ▪ it is the devils feast where there is no salt . the gluttons dig their own graves with their teeth . a drunkard is known by his snout . he is like the popes mule , he drinks but at his set hours . there 's no clock truer then the belly . for thy drink marry the cellar with the cystern . the harbenger of the moon hath mark'd the lodging , viz. when a woman hath her flowers . of women , and fish , the middle is best . in the morning drink white , and claret at night , to make good bloud . a wheaten pill , a dram of the grape , and the ball of a hen , is good physick , viz. bread , wine , and an egge . 't is better to fall under the hands of a lucky then a knowing physitian . a hundred crowns of melancholy will not pay a half pennyworth of debt . old chyrurgeons , and young physitians make the church-yards swell . that which the sober man keeps in his thoughts , the drunkard hath in his mouth . drink wine like a king ( sparingly ) drink water like an oxe . to drink water , eat stones , and lye abroad , any one may doe it without leave . be more careful with whom you eat and drink , then what you eat and drink . who eats all at supper , may gnaw a brown crust the next morning . wine is the old mans milk . old wine , an old friend , and old gold are beloved in all places . let a sallet be well wash'd and salted , little vinegar , and well oyl'd . who will live in health , let him eat little at dinner , and less at supper . to rise at six , and dine at ten ; to sup at six , and go to bed at ten , will make a man live ten times ten . of all fish except the tench , take the back , and leave the belly . who goes to bed athirst , riseth in health . the best of mushrumps are worth nothing . proverbs , or pleasant sayings . go to your lawyer with feet in hand ; meaning some present of poultry . a long plea is the harvest of the lawyer . he beats but with one wing , viz. his courage is abated . he hath gathered the tithe of garlick , viz. he hath smarted . the frisking of a dog , and love of a punk , doth not last unless you feed them . the love of a quean like fire of flax . he made his nose as flat as a flook , viz. he couzen'd him . a young saint , an old devil . a saint in borrowing , a devil in repaying . a shoomaker saint crispins prentice . you bridle the horse by the tail , viz. you go the wrong way to work . he leaps from the ●ock to the asse , viz. he goes from the matter . he is more besotted then a fool with his bable . who sends a fool , must expect a fool . as fat as a hog in a sty , as fat as a dormouse . he will not lose his oats for want of brawling . the upper end of the table , the ninny's place . he went away with so much nose , viz. he was mightily jeer'd . to shift from one matter to another . a logger-head . the barn is neer the threshens , viz. the nunnery is neer the fryers . he hath eaten of the white hind , viz. he is a shittle head . a buls plume , viz. a pair of horns . he is a clerk to the very teeth , he hath eaten his breviary . courage of sheep ; nose to the earth . he stands muttering , viz. grumbling . the time was , that the bishop was gold , and crozier the wood , now clean contrary . a spaniard without a iesuit is like a partridge without his orenge . a pedling merchant , or a merchant of eelskins . he is furnish'd with wit , as a goose is with a crest . the mutinous english , the bragging scotch man , the foolish french , the cowardly roman , the gascon a theef , the spaniard proud , the dutch a drunkard . peculiar french sayings . to a councel of fools , a wooden bell . the first dowle upon the lip or chin . he is the horse of four white feet , viz. he promiseth fair , but performs nothing . he is a trumpet horse , viz. he is a stout man. he speaks on horseback , viz. he hath the advantage of me . he truss'd his coat , or hang'd him soundly . 't is like robins house in the vale , where there 's neither pot on the fire , nor clean dish withal . i le give him a rowland for his oliver . the rose at last becomes a hep , viz. beauty fades . i see not a jot , nothing at all . by little and little the sea is drain'd . he is a sorry cook that licks not his own fingers . as merry as ants in a haggard . to grease the hand , or bribe the iudge . a crackrope , a slipstring , a rogue . to day a banker , to morrow a bankrupt . who fears the wagging of leaves , let him not go to the wood . to bring leaves to the wood , or glasses to venice . to spend time loosely , and lazily . his eyes are bigger then his belly . he hath put him to his wits end . i have a hard task , an intricate business . to keep a mighty , a horrible stir . i have the advantage of him . he is daggled with dirt up to the tail . trembling all over , to the very heart . who corrects not his son being a child , 't will be too late to do it afterwards . he valueth prosperity best , who provides for adversity . i am of a clean contrary opinion to yours . he is a rank hypocrite , a very dissembler . he hath not yet lost , who hath once to throw more . to counterfeit an affected gravity . to slink away cunningly , to swagger . he hath clinquans , or money enough . he is well to passe , he is rich enough . his head and tail go on in the business , as the crow when she would crack a nut . children and fools tell truth . a woman , a guest , and rain are wearisome after three dayes . here you have it , never ask whence it comes . his father was a mat-maker , he understands well the festraw . come in , come in , our dogs are tyed up . he hath not broke prison who drags his train after him . in the countrey of the blind , the one-ey'd is king. the toung may fail , but the letter cannot lye . who payes nothing , needs not question the reckoning . parsimony is the best revenue . sommer's gone , but the next yeer brings him again . such starlings do not pass every day , viz. such fair occasions . who accuseth himself first , excuseth himself . the hunger must be great when the wolfs eat one another . when a thing is done , wishes are too late . there needs not but a fly to passe by his nose to make him angry . the lesser the fault the better . a wife , and an egge but one master . the woman ought not to meddle with her husbands purse , his beard , his bonnet , his codpisse . the woman that bites her lips , and wambles in her pace , is bent upon some foul business . the worst thing in the world is a woman , though she be good . an honest woman hath neither eyes nor ears . let no man meddle with a foolish woman . a dog pisseth , and a woman weeps at any time . the woman must be very sick that cannot lye on her back . there 's alwayes some iron or other that shakes , viz. there 's something or other to complain of . we see a mote in our neighbours eye , but not the beam in our own . he makes two sons in law with one daughter , viz. he promiseth much . he hath good matter in him : to throw the froc among the nettles , i. e. to apostatize . he hath not been yet broke . he will make you believe that hares lay eggs . there the hare lies . he hath share of the booty . i am of that opinion . he knows not of what wood to make his arrow . he is in a scurvy humour . he hath not well set on his spectacles . i am better vers'd in this business then you . he is a cunning fellow . that arrow came not out of my quiver . the business goes on roundly , it goes upon foure wheels . a merchant of bables . she hath her flowe●s . he made him carry the fools bable . robin hath found his mate . to marry the cellar and the cystern , viz. to mingle wine with water . i will handle thee to some purpose . he hath no more memory then a rabbet . he is shuttle-headed . they will not be caught without mittains . he is rich . to clip the kings coin . to stand on the pillory . he is mark'd like a berry mutton , who hath alwayes some scurf upon the nose , because the sheep there feed on time , not that they are mark'd with red oker . as snotty as a mustard pot . after dear-hunting the cossin , after the bore the surgeon . the devil shit him down flying . he went away with a nose foot long , viz. he was jeer'd out of countenance . to hail on the parsly , viz. to tyrannize . a nose as flat as a flock . thou art in a merry mood , merrily dispos'd . he hath pared all his nails at study . he is of a base metal , he fears the touch . as headstrong as an abbots mule . to use green and dry , viz. to do his utmost . i pray give another dog this bone . such a noise that one could not hear god thunder . he curseth , he sayeth the lords prayer backward . i 'le be with you in a trice . i know his faults , or upon what foot he halts . he hath well feather'd his nest , or made up his mouth . fortune favours you . how do all your little ones ? he will pay dearly for it , or he will repent it . he is not of my mould . i have put him to a non-plus . he is in the humour to do it . an old threedbare proverb . that hath made him stoop low enough . he is well seen in latin. saint quintens disease , viz. the cough . he left him not a rag . he shall not eat in my dish . i will do all possible endeavour . he is so good a husband that he can make a tester of eighteen pence . a well furnish'd brain . a promoter or common pettifogger . a gentleman of straw . he is well broken in the world . your credit lies at the stake . a great head , and thin neck is a sign of a fool . to endeavour a businesse with might and maine . that which the king wills the law wills . he is not worth the film of a wallnut . you go about the pot , you use too many circumlocutions . le ts take again the goat by the beard , viz , le ts begin again . furnish'd with needle and thred , viz. to be ready for the businesse . he soares upon a high wing , viz. he is ambitious . rashly or precipitately . that goes much against my stomack . a velvet belly , and coarse clothes . they come from words to blowes . all covet all lose ; meant of misers . a gallant of straw , or a knight of cockleshells . to speak exactly or curiously well . you may lend a piece of your cake to one that hath one of his own in the oven . many kindred , many cares and troubles . if i do not that let me be bak'd . every one seeks his own interest . he hath many gingles in his brain . gossiping or sweet wine , as hypocras . utterly , from the very bottom to the top . a fawnning companion or parasit . a marchant who takes money without weighing , or telling it , viz. a theef . it is much against my desire and will. i will pay you in the cordeliers coin , viz. with thanks and prayers . i know not what saint to pray unto , viz. how to remedy it . put twixt the anvill and the hammer , viz. twixt two dangers . he hath got the thoung at both ends . daggled like an arch-deacon . this is of another kind or taste . she knowes enough of the old dance . the chance is already cast , viz. the thing is resolv'd . to take the moon with his teeth . he is well to passe , viz. he is rich he is upon the brink of his grave . to be drunk to steal the pox from saint roc. you go the clean contrary way . the genitories off the husband . i have a difficult or crabbed businesse . the world is quite off the hinges . 't is one of the devills journeymen who doth more then he is commanded . he is not such a devill as he looks . a dunsticall doctor , an ignoramus . you have hit the nail on the head . thinking to crosse himselfe , he thrust his finger into his eye . to throw water into ones wine , viz. to abate his courage . an excentrick cros-graind fool . to embarke without bisket , viz. to goe about a businesse rashly . he will dearly repent and pay for it . he thought to threed his needle hereby . to greaze in the fist , or give bribes . to encroach upon anothers right . he is a cunning crafty companion . to lie at the sign of the star , viz. abroad . they are well agreed , and at a good pass . one finds not any thing at all . he hath well studied men , he knoweth how to carry himself . i have as much business to do as i can turn my hands unto . i will send it by iohn long the carrier . to make a skreen against the wind on the alps. you hunt after flies , you trifle away time . as merry as a merlin . a gentleman of the new mold . as lean as a rake , or a shotten herring . to prop a lie u●on a reed . as dull and stupid as a bel-founder . to keep a foul horrible coyl . to observe time and opportunity . she made a false bound , viz. she hath plaid the whore . to shooe goselings , or do impertinencies . a devovrer of iron carts , viz. a bragger . he is neither fig nor raison . 't is a thing very strange to sleep within a grange , spoken in drollery . to be toungue-tied , or frozen-tongued . more unlucky then the wood which makes the gibbet . this is not belonging to my trade . as merry as mice in malt . a fat capon , a capon high fed . he hath many whimses in his head . a dull fellow , a kinsman to gillor the dreamer . stout and valiant of his hands . taken napping twixt the hedge and the corn . by the devils flanks and bowels . to spit out a collop or a iacobin . to give one a trip , or prevent and hinder him . by hook or by crook , by right or wrong . more merry then rats in straw , or mice in malt . to take a lion by his jawe , viz. to attempt a dangerous taske he is wel bred , or he hath sucked good milk . 't is the language of uterpendragon . he is a very wrangler , he hath a tripe-womans tongue . you will make me believe that bladders are lanterns . he is a poor sordid miser , or snudge . you are conqueror , the field is yours . he is run away , he hath taken campos . he was put quite out of countenance . she hath her cardinal , viz. her monthly flowers . one beheaded , or made a cardinal on tower hill . i will beat thee like a stock-fish . the morpheyes in the face iudas bran . you may do what you please , i give a blank . he is cousened , or he hath swallowed a gudgeon . he is become a bankrupt , he hath given up his girdle . you hunt after flies , you trifle away time . you build castles in the aire , or in castile . to lay the fault on another , to throw the cat at anothers legs . twilight , when one cannot discern a dog from a wolf . frivolous tales of a cock and a bull . he is very learned , or devout . i know well what aileth him , upon what foot he halteth . as fat as a pig , or a dormouse . he is born with his head coiff'd , viz. rich . to throw the helve after the hatchet . a monks collation , viz. good cheer . he is furnished with needle and threed , viz. he hath all things fit for the business . howsoever matters go or stand . swagbellied , gorbellied , or bigbellied . a mans yard , called adams club . i come newly , freshly thence . you must steer your course some other way . he beats the tabor with his teeth for cold . a wolf in a sheep skin , viz. an hypocrite . he is in a quandare , he knoweth not of what wood to make his shaft . hunger drives the wolf out of the wood . in the times of yore , when men wiped their noses on the sleeve insteed of a handkercher . a bourbon tart , or a quagmire or irish tart . he is at the end of his prayers . let us begin again , let us take again the goat by the beard . i will not take your way . he thinks to bruise iron `with his teeth . kept as close as the iewish cabal . he hath a good brain , he is no fool . he is buried , he is laid in his hutch . he battens with this good newes . between baucair and tarascon feed neither sheep nor mutton . three spaniards are four devils in france . if i am missing , never seek me in scotland . he is rash in judgement , he is of chasteaudun . one of king arthurs knights , or a knight errant . french blood cannot be false to his prince . to take a mountain for a mole-hil , to take paris for a corbeil . the germane hath his spirit at his fingers ends , because he is a good artificer . the norman vintageth with a pole ; viz. by beating down apples to make syder of . he is ashamed of nothing , for he hath passed gournay bridge . to be beheaded , or made a cardinal at tower hill , viz. beheaded . to be hanged , to be centinel at montfaulcon . an italian fig , a lombard bit or poyson . the patience of a lombard , or a milanois . when the frenchman sleeps the devil rocks him : a proverb the flemmins have of the french , who is alwayes plotting some ill against him . who made a norman , made a truant . a pot-quarrel or dutch fray . the pistols of sancerre , viz. sling to hurl stones . untimely or unseasonable help three dayes after the battel . a cornish knight , viz. a cuckold . anger 's a low town and high steeple , rich whores and poor scholars . when a picard is without drive●ing , and a norman without flattering , the world will mend . arma●son , a bad river but good fish . paris without a parallel , rouan beyond a name . he is as full fed as an englishman . at montmartre there be more whores then kine , but if there were not there so many nuns , there would be more kine then whores . there is no car-man so good in beauce but he is sometime overthrown . nere horse or man did mend , that unto rome did wend. england's a good countrey , but ill people . there is more of montmartre in paris , then of paris in montmartre : alluding to the playster of paris , whereof the bes● is had from montmartre . there is no village so poore , but it hath a feast once a year . they of liege do brag to have three things ; to have bread better then bre●d , to have iron harder then iron , to have fire hotter then fire . he is like the suisse , who are his who gives most . it is the castle of montargis , fair afar off , and nothing neer . as dull as a dutchman , or a pie of petitoes . to gasconize , viz. to play the thief . i have payed all my english , viz. all my creditors : this proverb t●ok its rise when john the french king was prisoner in england , for whose ransome a long lasting contribution was laid upon the people . the rigor of tholouse , the humanitie of bourdeaux , the mercy of rouen , the justice of paris . he is of chasteaudun , he understandeth at halfe a word . england the paradice of women , the purgatory of servants , and the hell of horses . the french neither speaks as he thinks , nor acts as he speaks , nor sings as he pricks . they agree like london clocks , viz , not at all . resolu●e as pihourt in his heteroclites , viz. when an ignorant person speaks among learned men . you put me to my dumps , or my wits end . the ill year comes in swimming , viz. with too much rain . if winter did beyond sea pass , yet would it come to find saint nicholas . that person may boldly swim , who is holden up by the chin . at saint martin we drink the good wine . when it thunders in march , we may cry , alas . a dry year never beggars the master . an evening red , and morning gray , makes the pilgrime to sing wellady . a snowie year , a fruitful year . at christmas to the sun , at easter to the fire . when the cabage grows above the stock , the vineyard-man dies of thirst . in harvest time ladies are chamber-maids . at saint peters , winter departeth , or groweth stronger . if the weather be sharp at saint vincenrs day looke for more winter . ianuary , and february , do fill or empty the granary . who hath an ague in may , lives all the year after both healthy and gay . december was of old a moneth , but now it is a year because it ends it . a dry march , a snowy february , a moist april , and a dry may , presage a good year . temporal proverbes relating to the seasons . a month afore , and after christmas winter shews it self the most cruel . to the fire in winter , to the fields and woods in sommer . a cold ianuary , a feverish february , a dusty march , a weeping april , a windy may , presage a good year and gay . one swallow alone brings not in the spring . at saint barnabe the sithe in the medow . with time and straw , medlers and acorns grow ripe . mars hath his poyson about the beginning or ending . to saint valentine the spring is a neighbour . at saint martins winter is in his way . at saint lucies the day growes the skip of a flea . salmons and sermons have their seasons in lent. february to day , and candlemass tomorrow ; because candlemas is alwayes the second of february . other proverbial sayings , and expressions peculiar to the french tongue . what a pox , what a devill means that ? he left him there to cool his fingers , to picke strawes . to pay the tart of his birth-day . to make of one devill two , to make a mountain of an ant-hill . to lie sentinell a● tyburn . to grow proud , to pow● , or grumble . to play the hypocrite , or babe of grace . her calender is rubrickd , viz. she hath the flowres . to make mowes at the apple-women , viz. to stand in the pillorie . he wiped his nose with his own sleeve , viz. he cousened him neatly . he doth the fault though another drinks it up . to break , to swallow a spider , or play the bankrupt . who doth well , is sure to find well . he sleeps enough , who doth nothing . an abbots table , viz. plentiful . waterd , or strongly possest with an opinion . he cheated , he cousened him grosly . he hath thwackd him soundly . in extenuating his fault , he hath doubled it . he hath a great conceit of himself . ther 's nothing to be got by dealing with him . according as things will permit . a pragmatical , and discreet man. to the knowledge and sight of all the world . i approve of your carriage in that . me thinks , it seems to me . you must not be a wolf , nor seem to be so . to be superstitious . he goes on very warily in his business . he onely lives , who lives contented . a hat made like a sugar loafe . to excuse , or clear himself . i had my pains for my labour . you use too many circumstances . let the business go as bad as it will. to swallow a spider , to break . men know not who shall spend their gettings . he is a lorriman , where the party beaten payes the fine . the love of great men , but the shadow of bushes , which will soon passe . in love there is both foolishness , and wit. there is no love like to the first . there is a padd in the straw . you goe the clean contrary way to work . i fear thee as little as the snow of the last year . wittingly , or of set purpose . sandals or woodden shooes . he is a bird of our feather . he is more sensile of ill , who hath felt none before . like the family of archimbaut , the more in number , the worse . he hath unsadled , or overthrown him . a man cannot have too much wit or money . snailes a●me against the night , when they stretch out their horns . he that hath a good trade will have his share . i believe there will be some foolish adoe here . you will have an asse to bear wooll . a little prick may make a great asse to go . he hath drink enough who hath grief . he is an upright well natured man. i will make him trudge for it . i stay indeed to much purpose . to get well by the business . to have diet at court. he hath words at will , or he is tongue-tied : the contrary . all hath been anothers , and will be anothers . he battens with this good newes . he hath fair and mannerly cousned him . he hath cousned me , he hath given me beans half ripe . i will not stirre an inch in the business . a swagbellied , gorbellied , full pauncht fellow . whilest i have breath in my body . to travell , and get the pox . my pretty little mopp , my little bully . to pay for his matriculation . to have a difficult business to do . le ts go warm our selves at gods fire , viz. at the sun. he went not the right way to work . to undertake a business without the proper means . that cannot be performed with a white sword , viz. without bloody noses . hee was taken napping , betwixt the hedge , and the corn. i know well enough what helps he hath . good gains make good pottage . he is not so good but there may be as good . that half penny is good that saves a penny . to get into a tipling house or tavern . he is drunk of his own bottle , viz. he is too well conceited of himself . he is brangling , he is not resolv'd . i will give him a rowland for his oliver , as good as he bringeth . a good book , but filthy commentaries . a smel-feast , a trencher-friend . i will keep it very secret and close as the cabal . he was graveld or put to a nonplus . my heart trembleth within my breast . a fool of five and twenty carats , an egregious fool . to give up his girdle , viz. to be a bankrupt . a stupid , dull , dunstical fellow . all flesh is not venison . not to put a burden that one cannot bear . to goe to the change , viz. to another woman besides his wife . hee hath a good pawne of the cat , that hath her skinne . one of the knights of king arthurs round table . he is well clothed , he is well covered . i know not how to remedy this . he fears nor king nor kesar . who lendeth often loseth at last . to c●ide one soundly . ' the wolf devours the last , meant of the slothful . you goe clean cam , the clean contrary way . god sends nothing above our patience . to go towards paris , or paris-ward . to let slip an opportunity . i heard nothing at all of it . thou shalt be soundly whipt . he clapt the door against me . every ones fault is writ in his forehead . there 's no such life as that of the gypsies . he hath guld us egregiously . a good earth must make a good pipkin . he kils sometimes who thinks but to wound . he hath as much judgement as a sow hath of spices . i shall take you napping . he hath made a good market . wind up your bottoms , and drink your cup. there are more cheaters then trompets . he gave him a flirt , he plaid with his nose . one trade requires a whole man. to disingage himself of a business . he is a happy man who hath nothing to doe , but with his own business . among such compagnons such thou wilt become . there is no earthly pleasure but is accompagnied with pain . he turn him loose , to lowse himself at the sun. he is not safe who never had a cross . he is resolute , he is bent upon it . to play at hand-ruff , viz. to snore . i have plodded extremely upon the busines . i am utterly , altogether undone . mariage rideth upon the saddle , and repentance on the crupper . i will hold thee close to it . he makes profession to speak french. and then what will follow , what will become of it ? spoken jeastingly of a fart let in company . cleave his feet , and send him abroad to feed among sheep . i am spoyled , i am utterly undone without resource , or ever being able to rise . as long as the stock bears stemmes , it never brancheth , viz. as long as there be heirs of an elder prince of the bloud , the second brother or his heirs can never inherit in france . a morall explication of some proverbs in the french language . the morter smelleth alwaies of the garlick . this proverb is proper to him who being once foul'd with some vice , beareth still some markes of it , nor can he dissemble his inclination thereunto ; as a morter , wherein garlicke hath been pestelled in , cannot be so washed , but that it will still retain some smell thereof . robins mind runs alwayes on his pipes . this proverb is taken from a droll called robin who lived in paris , and is meant of one who impertinently makes mention of something that his fancie runs upon , having nothing else in his mouth . john colots knifes , one is no better then the other . this proverb grew up first in the town of troy in champany , where this john colot lived , who was an artizan , and a good fellow , and had commonly at his girdle a sheath , wherein there were three or four knives , all of little value , and having some fault or other , as one having the point broke , the other hacked on the edge , the other blunted , the other did not cut at all ; and hence did arise this proverb , which is properly spoken of things , whereof there is no great choice , as also of men that are of little value . who hath once the report to be an early riser , may sleep till noon . we are taught by these words , that oft times the good opinion and judgement which we have of some persons are grounded more upon common report then upon truth it selfe , in so much that the reputation is more then the thing it selfe ; and it is found that there are many whom the vulgar cry up to be wise , learned , and valiant , and adorned with other vertues , yet they have nothing of all these three if one should pry narrowly unto them . for one hair martin lost his asse . one called martin having lost his asse in the fair , it happened that another was found which had been also lost , the iudge of the place was of that opinion that that asse should be restored to martin , but he who had him in his possession , desired the iudge to ask martin of what colour his asse was , who having answered , that he was all gray , he was put by his claim , because there was a black hair found in the asse's tail . to be in straw up to the belly . this proverb is borrowed from horses , to whom the best usage they can have ( besides oats and hey ) is to give them good store of fresh straw for their litter ; and by this similitude , it may be spoken of those that are at their ease , and have all things to their hearts desire . as he spoke of the wolf he sees his tail . the use of this proverb is , when one comes unexspectedly to to a place where he is spoken of . 't is my mothers belly . this proverb is spoken of one , who having escaped some danger in a place , resolveth never to return thither , like the childe who being come out of his mothers wombe with much pain and danger , never entereth there again . there is no day so long but hath his evening . by this proverb we are taught , that all things in this world come to an end , as there is no day ever so long , but hath its declination . he hath a nose . when one is commended to be well advised , sagacious , prudent , and soreseeing afarre off all accidents whereby he might be surprized , we say that that man hath a nose : and this similitude is taken from the sagacitie , and acute sent of hunting dogs , who by the smell of the nose , their heads being towards the earth discover and follow all the turns of those beasts which they pursue . he hath so much nose . this proverb is spoken , when one undertaking a business , miscarrieth in bringing it about , therefore he resteth confused and ashamed . to be in the pi'es nest . use is made of this proverb , when one is mounted up to the highest degree of his fortune ; for the nature of the pie is , to build her nest upon the highest trees that she can choose . to break a pudding on the knee . the different nature of things require that some be managed one way , and some another ; there are some things that may be broken on the knee , as stickes of dry wood ; there are other things that require the knife , or hatchet , as green osiers , and all other wood while it is sappy , and green ; of this kinde are puddings which cannot be broken properly , but with a knife ; now now , this proverb teacheth , that in all our actions we cannot arrive to that which we pretend , but by such means that are proper thereunto . rather let the child be snottie then pluck off his nose . this proverb teacheth that they who have those to govern who are habituated , and hardened in some customes , from which one would withdraw and wean them , and it being unpossible to doe it altogether , one should endeavour to correct the greatest part and leave alone the lesser by pressing them too much ; this similitude is taken from little children , who being commonly snotty , one might as well plucke off their noses , as keep them altogether , but they must have some small ropes of s●ot hanging on their lips . to leave god a sheaf of straw . it is well known , that from all times it was ordained to pay dimes or tithes unto the lord , which was the tenth part of our earthly increase ; this was kept so holy , that every one used to leave upon the field the tenth sheaf : now , it happened that some prophane persons made of purpose some kinde of sheaves wherein there were no grains , wherewith they payed their tithes : which gave occasion to this proverb , and it may be applyed to any person of an ill conscience , whether towards god , or man , whereof there were never more then now adayes , ( thank the long parliament . ) a man of pork , and beef . by these words is meant a gross fellow ill taught , and uncivil , such as they commonly are who are of a low degree , whose ordinary food is bacon and beef . to throw the helve after the hatchet . this proverb tooke its beginning from a poor wood-cleaver , who having broken the iron head of his hatchet foolishly threw the helve after it in despite : hereby we are admonished , that when some small losse is befallen us , we should suppresse our choler , and not make the losse bigger . by link and link the coat of male is made at last . a haubergeon in times past was a kind of armour , which was made of the same stuff as we now make our coats of male which use to be made of small rings of iron , or 〈◊〉 , ●●●sping one another ; and in regard that to make such a coat composed of so many small pieces , there must be much time and patience used this proverb telleth us that there is nothing but by little and little may be perfected by study and labour . there is no hunting but with old dogs . this proverb aimeth at young men , who cannnot be so capable of any function as the aged , who have gained experience , and studied men . to go gather mulberries without a crook . the mulberry is a tree which stretcheth her branches far from the trunke , and they are easie to be broken ; wherefore they who goe to gather the fruit thereof , carry with them a kind of crook to drawe the branches : this teacheth us not to goe about any businesse , without being provided with that which is necessary to expedite it . he hath made a hole in the night . if any get away from a place by stealth without any bodies privity , specially when he is least suspected , they use this proverb , he hath made a hole in the night . a sleeping fox hath nothing falls into his mouth . this proverb teacheth us , that to entertain our selves in this world , 't is not enough to be wise , and learned , but we must employ our care and diligence in having a hand upon the work : the proverb is taken from the fox , 〈◊〉 although he be held the cunningest of creatures , if he should keep● still sleeping in his earth , hole or terrier , he should never have any meat enter into his belly . as resolute as pihourt in his heteroclits . the meaning of this is , when an ignorant buzzard is too ready to speak in a learned assembly ; this pihourt was a mason of the citie of renes in britany , whence sprung the proverb . i have paid all my english , viz. all my creditors . this proverb had its beginning in the reign of john ( the french king ) when he was prisoner in england , at which time for his ransome , there were divers tallies , and other general impositions laid upon the people , which lasted a long time to satisfie the english ; insomuch that english , and creditor came to be synonymas . now the pope is become french , and jesus christ english. these words were used as a proverb , when the pope came to keep his see in auignon , and that the english prospered so much in france , that they possessed more then half the kingdome . proverbi gli più scelti nella lingua italiana de i quali alicuni andano glossati ; con lettre composte tutte de proverbi . italian proverbs of the choisest sort , whereof divers are gloss'd , and comented upon . which proverbs are partly moral , relating to good life ; partly physical , relating to diet , and health ; partly topical , relating to particular places ; partly temporal , relating to seasons ; partly ironical , relating to drollery , and mirth , &c. al molto illustre , & generosissimo personaggio , don guilhelmo paston , cavagliere dorato , & baronetto ; il quale , havendo traghettato il nilo al gran cayro , & d' egitto , trascorso la maggior ' parte dell ' imperio turchesco ( oltra le regioni piu nobili de l'europa ; ) frà altre isquisitissime perfettioni che rapportava seco , si rese padrone assoluto della lingua italiana , &c. to the honorable , & most generous personage , sir vvilliam paston knight , & baronet ; who , having travers'd most of the noble regions of europe , and gone up the nile to the gran cayro , and invaded most of the dominions of the ottoman empire , besides other most exquisit perfections which returned with him , he made himself great master of the italian toung , &c. lettera composta de proverbi , i quali vanno tutti incatinati a far ' un sentimento intiero , & congruo ; mandata a vn gentilhuomo ch'era su'l punto de viaggiare , & andarsi a italia . signore mio affectionatissimo , dicono communemente che l'acqua corrente è piu chiara che la cheta , & che quella del stagno è assai piu torbida che la passagiera , & quella del ruscello ; cosi gli spiriti di loro che andano per il mondo & s'applicano allo studio degli huomini divengono piu sottili , chiari ed acuti ; parimente frà gli vegetabili s'osserva , chegli migliori porri sono quelli che si traspiantano ; per tanto io lodo grandemente il pensiere che voi hauete di voler ' trappassare gli alpi , è scender poi l'apennino la schiena d'italia ; mà siate auverito che per andar ' saluo per il mondo , & principalmente in italia , doue vi sono tante teste , tempeste , & feste , bisogna auer ' l'occhio di falcone ( per veder ' lontano ) orecchie d'asino , viso di simia ( per compiacer ' tutti ) lingua de montinbanco spalle di camelo ( da portar ' qualunche cosa , ) bocca di porco ( da mangiar ' tutto ) gambe di ceruo per schifar ' il pericolo ; in italia voi trouarete assai marioli , più doppij che la cepolla per tanto guardate vi ben bene del gioco , ( nel quale gli italiani si dilattano troppo ) per che il gioco è un tarlo che rode fin ' a losso ; havendo passato piemonte traghettarete quel delicatissimo fiume del pò perche gli pioppi del pò ligriman ' ābra , tuttavia il pà non sarebbe pò se l'adda , & tesin non vi metesseroco ' . essendo intruto la lombardia , voi vederete milan ' la grande , tanto per la sua forza , quanto per la sua ampiezza donde nacque quel proverbio , milan può far , milan può dire , mà non può far ' dell ' acqua vino ; guardate ui ben in quei contorni de boccon lombardo , ciò è d'un fico italiano . di l● intrarete nell dominio veneto , & frà l'altre nobili citta vicenza è degna d'esser ' salutata , perche dicono che venetia non hà tanti gondolieri , quanti vicenza ha conti , & cavalieri ; dilà v'incaminarete a padoua la sede principal ' d' hippocrat . & di là a venetia doue si può vedere l'impossibile , nell ' impossibile ; là potrete salutare la sposa di nettuno anchor ch'alcuni ( gli anni a dietro ) la chiamino la concubina del turco ; gli veneti . nonsono cosi facili a compiacere , perche dicono che ui sono quatro difficili cose , cuocer ' un vuouo , far ' al can'vn letto , insegna● ' un florentino , & servir ' un venetiano ; farete ben di visitare l'arsenale , una delle grandezze del mondo per la sua forza ; donde nacque il detto commune , che tutto l'arsenale de venetia non basta armar la paura ; in venetia guardate ui ben delle donne , perche il sesso donnesco è dannoso ; le cortesane di quel lago si stimano le piu belle del mondo , secondo il detto , pan padouan , vin visintin , tripe trevisane , puttane venetiane , de donde nacque un altro , venetia , venetia , chi non te vede non te preggia chi t' ha t●oppo veduto te dispreggia ; essendo sotollato dalla virgine città , per che fra tutte l'altre città d' italia , la venetia si chiama la virgine citta , per non aver mai stato rapita dal nemico , & v'ene una profetia che continuorà vergine fin a tanto ch'il suo marito l'abandoni , cio è il mare . havendo dico detto adio a venetia , farete ben di visitar toscana , mà essendo là , siate auvereito che chi hà da far con tosco , non bisogna esse● ' losco ; oslervate donque queste due regole , chi non si fida , non vien ingannato , & che chi hà il lupo per compagno , porti il can ' sotto il mantello . là , voi vederete fierenze la bella , si bella , che si dice che sia una città da veder ' solamente le feste , de doue nacque un altro decto , se fierenze havesse un porto de pisa farebbe un horto , & de liuorno un escritoio , & de luca un cacatoio ; dipoi , siena è degna d'esser sa . tata ancho● ' che dicano , che siena quatro cose piena , torri , campane , bardassi , puttaen ; guardate vi di non comprar ' panno in siena ▪ perche panno sanese si rompe prima chesi mette adosso ; farete ben di visitar luca che si chiama casetta de api , per la sua industria ; di là u'incaminarete a genoa la superba , dove gli mariti ingravidano lor moglie cento miglia lontano , dove ancho si dice che ui sono montagne senza legno , mar senza pesce , donne senza vergogna , & huomini senza conscienza ; poi farete ben di visitar ' lo stato ecclesiastico come . bologna la grassa , doue si legano le vigne con salsiccie ; di là potrete pigliar la strada romana , & , non ci'e cosa piu pesta che la strada di roma , dicono che chi và a roma & porta buon borsetto diuenta abbate , ò vescovo di bott● , niente di manco ci'e vn ' altro proverbio che u'informa , che in roma , chi seguita le fortune li fuggono et chi non l'aspetta le vengono ; mà osseruisi ben che la corte romana non vuol pecora senza lana ; di là havendo veduto ( non fututo come disse il tedesco secondo il fuo accento ) il papa et tutti gli cardinali potrete a bell agio passar a napoli la gentile , tutta via , un paradiso habitato da diavoli se si da fede al detto comune ; oltra di questo dicono ch'il napolitano è largo di bocca , & stretto di mano ; de sorte che spesse volte la , tal mano si bacia che si vorrebbe veder mozza ; in quella delicatissima citta si troua che un ' pelo di donna tira piu che cento carra de boui , per preuenir questo , bisogna allontanarui dal dinanzi delle moglie , di dietro delle mule , et da tutti li lati di monachi ; non importa molto che si veda la calabria terra de tarantole , perche si dice che guai a quel paese doue ci'e un calabrese , se ui stà un anno , apporta ruina , et danno ; terra sterile , tutta via piena de nobili , de sorte chi si viddero tre marquesi sopra un albero mangiando fichi : per tutto doue si passa bisogna haver bezzi in borsa , perche un cavalier ' là senza danaro è muro senza croce da tutti scompisciato ; conviene ancho star'all erta et ardito , perche in quelpaese chi pecora sifà il lupo li man gia , li meneranno per il naso come un bufalo ; fra altre cose italia abonda de vescovi ( mà alcuni assai poueri ) secondo quel proverbio nationale , i conti d'alemagna , i don di spagna , i monsieurs de francia , i minori fratelli d' inglitàrra , i nobili di scotiá , vescovi d' italia , fanno una pouera compagnia ; l' italia è la scuola di prudenza , perche dicono che gli todeschi sono saggij nel fatto , gli francesi doppo il fatto , & gli italiani innanzi il fatto ; tuttavia l' italiano è gran dormiglione conforme a quel motto , le nationi smaltiscono di versamente la lor melancholia , ●l todesco la beue , il francese la canta , lo spagnuolo piagne , l' italiano la dorme . frà altre cose potrete osseruar ' a napoli et milano , che affetto portano alli spagnuoli , et francesi , doue l'uno e l'altro dice ; amo tanto lo spagnuolo , che mi contentarei di vederlo impiccato con budelli francesi . per trarr ' il filo di questa lettera al fine hò speranza che doppo questo viaggio non si verificarà in voi quel detto , inglese italimato è un diavolo incarnato ; ni manco , che sarete del numero di quelli chi vanno messeri , et tornano seri ; non posso più , perche un negotio m'e subito sopravenuto , che mi ministrarà più da fare ch'a un forno inglese la mattina del natale , solamente dico che se , mentre che voi mancate quà , io ui posso valere in alcuna cosa , farò quel che potrò per servirui , et un poco meno per poterui durare ; cosi , allo lombardo , senza lechetto delle ceremonie rimango . il vostro da senno j. h. a letter composed of italian proverbs concurring all in one congruous sense , and sent to a gentleman , that was upon point of crossing the alpes to italy . sir , they say commonly that running waters are the cleerest , and those of the brook farr more then they of a standing bog ; in like manner the spirits of those who travel up and down the world , and by their motions apply themselves to the study of men , become thereby more cleer , acute , and subtile . it is also observed among vegetables , that ( according to the proverb ) the best oignons are those which are transplanted ; therefore i highly approve of the resolution you have to cross the alpes , and afterwards the apennin hill , the chinebone of italy . but take along with you these rules , that he who traverseth the world , specially italy , must have the eye of a faulcon ( to see danger affar off , ) the ears of an ass , the face of an ape , the toung of a mountibank , the back of a camell ( to bear any thing ) the mouth of a hog ( to eat any thing ) the legs of a stagg , to fly from all mischiefs . in italy you shall meet with many cunning rooks that have more doublings in them then a cabage ; therefore take heed of associating with such , specially to fall a gaming ( whereunto the italians are extraordinarily addicted ) for they say that gaming doth gnaw one to the very bone . having gone through piemont , you will come to the most delicate river of pò , where the very trees weep ambar , yet po would not be pò , unless adda and tesin did not come into her . being entred lombardy , you shall see milan the great , so call'd as well for her strength , as for her bigness , whence sprung the proverb , milan can talk , and milan can do , yet she cannot turn water into wine ; in those quarters take head of a lombard bit , viz. an italian figg . thence you will pass to the venetian dominions , and among other the noble citty of vicenza deserves to be saluted , for they say that vienza hath more counts and cavaliers , then venice hath gondolleers : thence you may direct your cours to padua , called the chief residence of hippocrates , and thence to venice , where they say one may see an impossibility in an impossibility ; there you may kiss neptunes spouse , for venice is called so , though some would have her to be a concubine to the turk : the venetians they say are hard to be pleased , if the proverb be true that there are foure difficult things , viz. to make a bed for a dogg , to roast an egg well , to teach a florentine , and serve a venetian ; being there , you shall do well to visite the arsenal , one of the grandezas of the world for its strength , whence sprung the saying , that the whole arsenal of venice is not able to arm a coward ; in that melting citty , take heed of females , for a woman may be a woe to a man ; the courtezans of that lake , are cried up for the fairest in the world , according to the proverb , vienza wine , treviso tripes , padua bread , and venice whores ; whence sprung another , venice , o venice , none thee unseen can prize , but who hath seen too much will thee despise . being glutted with the virgin citty , for among the rest of the citties of italy , venice is called so , because she was never ravished by any enemy , and there is a prophesie that she shall continue a virgin for ever , untill her husband forsake her , which is the sea , having i say bad venice farewell , you shall do well to visit tuscany , but take this caution with you , that he who hath to deal with a tuscan must have both his eyes about him ; observe therefore these two proverbial rules , who doth not trust shall not be coosened , and that he who hath a wolf for his companion must carry a dogg under his cloake ; there you shall behold the fair citty of florence , so fair , that they say she is fit to be seen onely on holydayes , whence sprung another saying , that if florence had a sea port , she would make a hortyard of pisa , a counting-house of ligorn , and a shitt-house of luca. siena is worth the saluting , although the saying be , that siena is full of four things , viz. churches and towers , ingles and whores , but take heed of buying any cloth there ; for they say , that siena cloath tears before it is worn ; it will not be amiss , being there , to give luca a visit , that hive of bees , called so for their industry ; thence you may steer your cours to genoa , where husbands gets their wives with child a hundred miles off ; where also , they say , there are mountains without wood , sea without fish , men without conscience , and women without shame . afterwards , you shall do well to visit the ecclesiastical state , as bologna the fatt , where 't is said , they use to tie their vines with sausages ; thence you may take the road towards rome , and never was any thing so worn out as the way to rome : they say , that he who goes to rome , and carrieth a good purse , becomes a bishop or an abbot ; yet there is another saying , which tells us , that in rome fortune flies from them who follow her , and seeks after them who flye from her , yet you must take notice , that the court of rome will not take the sheep without her fleece ; thence you may direct your cours to naples the gentle , though som call her a paradise inhabited by devils ; take notice that the napolitan hath a large mouth , but a narrow purse ; in so much that there they often kiss the hands which they wish were cutt off ; in that syrenian citty 't is found that one hair of a woman can draw more then a hundred yoaks of oxen ; to prevent this , observe the cautious proverb , take heed of going before women , behind a mule , or any side of a frier . it matters not much whether you see calabria or no , the territory of the tarantolas , it being a sad barren cuntrey , yet abounding with nobles , in so much that somtimes three marquesses may be seen eating figgs upon one tree to drive away hunger . but wheresoever you pass be sure to have money in your purse , for they say in italy , that a gentleman without money is like a wall without a cross that every one pisseth against ; you must also be spritefull and bold , for in that cuntrey , he who makes himself a sheep the wolf will devour him , and a simpleton will be led along like a bufalo by the nose . among other things italy abounds with bishops , ( though some of them be but poor ) according to that nationall proverb , the counts of germany , the dons of spain , the mounsieurs of france , the cadets of england , the nobles of scotland , the bishops of italy make a poor company ; italy is the school of prudence , for there is a saying , that whereas the french is wise after the fact , the dutch and english in the fact , the italian is wise before , yet he is a great sleeper , for whereas the german drinks away his melancholy , the frenchman sings it away , the spaniard sighs it away , the italian sleeps it away . among other things , you may observe in naples and milan the affection that the peeple bear to the spanish , and french , where both the one and the other use to say , that they would be content to see all the spaniards in italy hung up with frenchmens gutts ; whence you way judge who is best beloved . but to wind up the threed of this coorse letter ; i hope , that after your return , it will not be verified of you , that an englishman italionat is a devill incarnat , much less that you will be of the number of those who go out masters , and come back clarks in the point of knowledge . i can extend my self no further now , for ther 's a sudden accident hath surprised me , that will hold me more busie then an english furnace on christmas day morning ; onely i say , that if i may steed you in any thing while you are absent , i will do what i can to serve you , and somthing less that i may last your's the longer : so , after the lombard fashion without any clawing of complements , i remain yours in earnest i. h. proverbi morali nella lingua italiana . gli huomini da bene si maritano , gli sauij no. inglese italianato , è un diavolo incarnato . una oncia d'alegrezza vale una libra di melanconia . l'astrologia è vera , mà non si trova l'astrologo . i peccati , & i debiti son sempre più di quel che si crede . ha più da fare che i forni di natale in inghilterra . più sa il mato in casa sua , ch'il savio in casa d'altrui . quel che non sà fingere l'amico , non è fiero nemico . e ' meglio haver ' hoggi un vuovo , che domani una gallina . chi digiuna , & altro ben nonfà , sparagna il pan ' , & al inferno va . beata quella casa che da vecchio sà . troppo s'arrischia , chi del proprio giudicio s'assicura . chi ha il lupo per compagno , porti il cane sotto il mantello . più tosto tardi , che in fretta . assai pampani , poca vua ; viz. assai parole , pochi fatti . la prima parte del pazzo è tenersi savio . un male , & un frate rare voltesoli . multifan ' conscienza di sputar in chiesa , & poi cacan su l'altare . la moscha chi punge la tartaruga si rompe il becco . la necessita , è infidel guardiana della castità . l'anima di poche , il corpo di molte cose hà bisogno . meglio è magro accordo , che grassa sentenza . mentre che il lupo caca , la pecora scampa . nel marito prudenza , nella moglie patienza . non è tutto butyro che fa la vacca . il mondo è fatto a scale , chi le scende , & chi le sale . il sparagno , è il primo guadagno . se la cosa s'havesse a fare due volte , l'asino sarebbe nostro . tardi tornò orlando . voi mi farete credere che le lucciole son lanterne . al frigger ' se ne avuedranno . al carnovale si vede chi hà la gallina grassa . quel che fà tanto il savio il più delle volte viene a cader ' del asino . in bocca serrata non entrò maj . mosca . chi non s'arrischia , non guadagna . chi vuol del pesce , bisogna che s'ammolli le brache . ventura haver poco senno basta . accasca in un punto quel che non accasca in cento anni . e ' meglio crederlo , che provarlo . la forza caca adosso la ragione . cavallo corrente sepultura viva . se jo hò le corna in seno , non me le voglio metter ' , in capo . chi guarda a ogni penna non fà mai letto . chi ha poca vergogna tutto il mondo è suo . a l'arca aperta il santo pecca . lega l'asino doue vuol il padrone . dio mi guardi da oste nuovo , & puttana vecchia . tal mano si lava che si vorrebbe veder mozza . jo levai la lepre , & un altro la prese . se non vuoi che si sappia , nolo fare . il male nón stà sempre doue si pone . il mondo è tondo , & doppo la notte viene il giorno . a chi increscer stare pongasi à sedere . so ben quanti pani fanno una coppia , & quante paia fanno tre buoi . egli è mala cosa l'esser cattivo , mà gl'e peggiore l'essere conosciuto . presto maturo , presto marzo . massara piena tosto fa la cena . s'el sol mi splende , non curo la luna . niente non vuol sale . l'habito & il riso manifestano l'huomo . non hà sal in zucca . si lascia menar per il naso come un buffalo . gli amici legano la borsa con un filo di ragnatelo . chi hà l'amor nel petto , ha lo sprone a i fianchi . ti vuol il bene , come vuol alle cipolle il cane . porta teco se vuoi viver ' meco . egli è più misero che non era mida , che si scaldava all fumo della merda . tanto è mio , quanto godo , & do per dio . chi confessa destino niega iddio . si jo cascassi in dietro , mi romperei il naso , son tanto disgratiato . chi hà il neo sopra la centura , hà gran ventura . chi nasce bella , nasce maritata . a ogni grolla piaccion i suoi grollatini . chi ti vede di di , non ti cercarà di notte . e buon rimedio contra la lusuria . e ' più bugiardo d'un epitasio . primo porco , ultimo cane . la porta di dietro è quella che rubba la casa . cavallo , & cavalla cavalgalo in su la spalla , asino & mulo cavalcalo in su'b culo . chi per altri sta , paga per sè . il prometter ' è la vigilia del dare . beata colei che di vecchio pazzo sinnamora . quando tu puoi haver del ben , totene . casa mia , mamma mia . chi mangia lepre ride sette giorni . vuo senza sale , non fà ben ni male . chi da presto raddoppia il dono . i danari son tondi , & ruzzolano . proverbio non falla , misura non cala , superbia non dura . l'asino chihà fame , mangia d'ogni strame . jo hò le voci , & altri hanno le noci . i pisto●i , & i molinari sono gli ultimi a morirsi di fame . farò quel che potro , & un poco manco per poterui durare . chi non vuol affaticarsi in questo mondo non ci nasca . chi ha figliyoli tutti j bocconi non sono suoi . cosa fatta per forza non vale una scorza . chi risponde presto , sa poco . chi paga inanzi , è seruito in dietro . chi belletta il viso , al culo pensa . penso ripenso cosi divengo pazzo , come l'huomo si fa dallo sputo d'un cazzo . il male per libra viene , và via per once . la più trista routa del carro cigola il più . abondanza genera fastidio , & scarsità apetito . le puttane piangono con un occhio , le maritate con due , le monache con quatro . l'huomo fin cinque è porco . maggior ' fretta minor atto . allontanarti dal dinanzi delle donne de dietra delle mide & da tutti i lati de' monachi . saper ' esser pazzo a tempo è sav●ezza . chi per altrui s'obliga entra per lo largo , & esce per lo stretto . egli hà po●o di quel ch'il bue ne hà troppo , i. cervello . a mal mortale ne medico ne medicina vale . a chi la riesce ben , è tenuto savio . a casa mia non entrarai se teco non porterai . a governar pazzia ci vuol senno . a ciascun passo nasce un pensiere . assai ben balla a chi fortuna suona . a cader và chi troppo alto sale . ancor il bene quando è soverchio spiace . chi frequenta la cucina sente di fumo . e ' meglio sdruciolare co ' piede che con la lingua . chi a l'honor mancà d'un momento non ripare mai in anni cento . lauda il mare & tienti alla terra , lauda il monte , & tienti al pian , lauda la moglié , & tienti donzello . chi da vinti non è , chi da trenta non sa , chi da quarenta non hà , ne maj sarà , ne maj saprà , ne maj haverà . quando sei incudine ubedisci al martello . siedi , & gambetta , che vedrai tua vendetta . il gioco è un tarlo che rode fin su l'osso . assai parole , pochi fatti ingannano j sauij anche mati . non gittar mai tanto con le mani , chi ij costretto ac darlo cernando puoi co ' piedi . povertà non è vitio , mà solo incommodità . assai sà chi sà , se tacer sà . amaro è il dono che toglie la libertà assai comanda chi ubedisce al savio . nulla nuova , buona nuova . assai domanda chi ben serve , & tace . al infelice mai riesce il disegno . amor infanga i giovani , & annega i vecchi . al bugiardo non si crede la verità . allegrezza di cuore fa bella pelatura di viso . amor vuol fede , & fede firmezza . al torre imprestito sei cugin germano , mà al render figlio di puttana . al bugiardo gioua esser sagace , se vuol far creder , il suo dir verace . a donna non si fà maggior dispetto , che quando vecchia ò brutta le vien detto . a chi ti vuol malè , venga donna , processo , ò urinale . andar col cembalo in columbaia . a me pare una coglioneria lasciar di se memoria a l'hosteria . a mal passo l'honore . ad ogni cosa fuor ch'a la morte , troua remedio l'huomo forte . arbor spesso trapiantaro mai di frutti è caricato . a l'acqua cede il sasso . amore col suo strale percuote ogni mortale . biasimar prencipi è pericolo , il lodargli buggia . beata quella casa che da vecchio sà . assiduità genera facilità . ac attivo cane corto legame . a orgoglio non manca cordoglio . amico di bocca non vale una stoppa . a ffibbia quella . arrischiar un vou per quadagnat un bou . beni di fortuna passano come la luna . occus , poccus , chi nasce matto , non guarisce maj . ogni cosa è meglio che moglie . ogni dieci anni l'uno hà bisogno del ' altro . ogni donna & vacca , hà qualche tacca . ogni uno s'affatica , il povero in cercare , il rico in conservare , il virtuoso in imparare . più caca un bue , che cento mosche . per altri , non per sè suona la campana . pesta giusto , & vendi caro . pigliam ' prima l'orso , & poi vendiamo la pelle . per durare , bisogna indurare . per troppo dibarter la verità si perde . per picciola cagion ' , il lupo tuole il monton . il diavolo alla porta chiusa volta le spalle . il pensier ' ha' buone gambe . il diavolo può tentare , ma non precipitare . tal man si bascia che si vorrebbe mozza . tanto è mercante chi perde , che chi guadagna . tre forfanti fan una forca . terra negra fà pan biancho . tutte le nationi diversamente smaltiscono il dolore . tal nutre il corvo che gli caverà poi gli occhi . tosto si mostra il pazzo , & lo sterco . tosa la pecora , & non la scorticare . tavola senza sale bocca senza saliva . trista è quella casa dove il patrone non porta braghe . tre taceranno se due non vi sono . troppo disputare la verità fà errare . tanto erra chi crede tutti sogni esser fallaci , quanto gli crede esser veraci . trà gli amici guardimi iddio , che frà nemici mi guardero jo. d'agnello , porco , cimia & leone , tiene il vino la complessione . non si tosto si fa un templo a dio , come il diavolo ci fabrica una capella appresso . voj uscite de gangheri . fo la vita di michelazzo , mangio , & beuo , & vado a solazzo . una man lavà l'altra , & ambedue il viso . ubidisci al rè gius●o , & l'iniquo un a sella non s adatta ad uno dosso solo . un par d'orecchie seccan cento lingue . un huomo di paglia val ' una donna doro ▪ vera prosperit● , è non haver necessità . vento al visaggio rende l'huomo saggio . và doue vuoi , morì doue devi . un male & un frate rare volte soli . una spada , tien l'altra nel fodra . villano non è chi in villa està , mà villan , è chi villanie fa. chi vive a speranza , magra fà la danza . chi dona & toglie , gli viene la biscia al cu●re . qui promette , & non attende , in inferno si distende . cavallo rognoso non si cura d'essere strigliato . cio che si usa , non ha scusa . chi si marita fa bene , è chi no fà meglio . chi schernisce il zoppo dee esser dritto . chi non si fida , non viene ingannato . chi tò moglier , to pensier . cuor ●orte rompe cattiva sorte . chi non hà danari in borsa , habbi miel ' in bocca . compagnia d'uno compagnia de nissuno , compagnia di due compagnia di dio , compagnia di tre compagnia di re , compagnia di quatro compagnia di diavolo . render agresto per prugnole . piu tosto ●i satolla il ventre , che l'occhio . senza danaro georgio non canta . quando la gatta no c●e , i sorgi trescano . quand ìl fromenro è nè campi , è di dio , & de' sancti . quando superbia galoppa , la povertà è in groppa . quanto più si ruga , tanto più spuzza il ' stronzo . amor vuol quatro cosè , savio , solo , solecito , secreto . quel che manda il cielo , forza è che si togla . quando il cieco porta la bandiera , guaj a que gli chi vengono di dietro . parole di bocca , & pietra gittata chi le riaspetta ●●rde giornata . più felice ch ' il can de becchaio , ò gallo del mugnaio . più pesto che la strada romea . più pro fà il pan sciutto a casa sua , che l'arosto fuori . più tosto mendicante che ignorante . più vale l'ingegno , che forza & legno . processo , taverna , & urinale , mandan l'huomo a hospidale . parole di angelotto , & fatti di diavoletto . più tosto moro che mandorlo . pecora mansueta d'ogni agnello è tettata . luy non hà ossi in bocca . lui è più doppio ch'una cipolla . la fame la più gran machina per espugnar la superbia . la mosca che punge la tartaruga si rompe il becco . ligami le mani , & piè , & mettimi fra miè . lui hà sangue sotto l'onghie . le buone parole ongono , le cattive pungono . molti san ' tutto , & di se stessi nulla . mentre dorme l'auaro sueglia il ladro . meglio è ubbedire che sanctificare . mangia a tuo modo , ma vesti a quel d'altruy . molte cose è meglio crederle che probarle . meglio è un bicchier de vino che tutto il tevere . molti parlan d' orlando chi non viddero maj il suo brando . mal pensa , chi non contra pensa . muso di porco , gambe di cervo , scniena di asino , hà bisogno il viandante . la mula che ride , la moglie che soghigna , quella ti tira , & questa ti graffigna . mal cena , chi tuttò desina . consumo me stesso per seruir altri . ninguno nasce maestro . non è sciolto , chi si strascina la catena dietro . non manchiam a noi medesimi , poi faccia il cielo . non lo fare se non vuoj che si sappia . non si può insieme bere & fischiare . non è tempo da giocar a schacci quando la casa bruscia . non è saggio chi non sa essere pazzo . nurritura passa natura . chi paga inanzi il tratto troua il lavor ' mal fatto . chi aspetta● puol ' hà cio che vuol . chi è savio di giorno non è pazzo di notte . chi ' da dio è visitato , da dio è amato . chi hà tempo , non aspetti il tempo . chi hà paura d'ogni ortica , non pisci in herba . chi lascia andar la sua moglie ad ogni festa , & bere il suo cavallo ad ogni fontana , dal suo cavallo haverà una rozza , & dalla sua moglie una puttana . con fiorino , latino , & buon ronci in ogni paese si trova camino . chi d'altri vuol aver compassione , non ponga se stesso in oblivione . chi si marita per amore , di notte hà piacer , di giorno dolore . cinque hore dorme il viandante , sette il studiante , otto il mercatante , & undeci ogni forrante . cavalier , senza entrata , è muro senza crocelda tutti scompisciato . chi si loda s'imbroda . ciascuno è figliolo delle sue opere . chi danari presta due cose perde . con l'evangelio , si diventa heretico . chi parla semina , chi tace raccoglie . cambiar il trotto per l'ambiatura . contra duo non la potrebbe orlando . danari fanno cavaglieri da vaccari . dar la farnia al diavolo , & la semola a dio. di padre santelotto figlio diavolotto . due visi sotto una berretta . fammi indouino & io ti faro ricco . grande è grassa mi faccia dio , che bella & bianca mi farò io . iddio al fin ci giunge quando pensiamo essergli piu lontano . maj si fa cosa ben in fetta fuor che fuggir la peste . pensa & poi fà . si le donne fossero d'argento non varrebbono un quatrino perche non starebbono al martello . se la madre non fosse mai stata nel forno , non iui cercarebbe la figlia . sela donna fosse picciola com' è buona la mìnima foglia le farebbe una veste , & una corona . e'tanto auarone che scorticarebbe un pedocchio per venderne la pelle . il sesso donnesco è dannoso . chi perde moglie , & un quatrino hà gran perdita del quatrino . la puttana è come il carbone , ò bruscia , ò tigne . vorebbe mangiar la focaccia , & trovar la in tasca . studio bastòn di bombace . bene detto sia quel male chivien solo . il mal francese si guarisce ch'una volta in poi . cazzo bandito non porta lanterna . insegnando s'impara . hanno ligato il budel insieme . chi hà la testa di cera non vadi al sole . amaro è quel donativo che ti rende della libertà privo . gatto inguantato non piglia sorci . ogni uno tira l'acqua al suo molino . donne , preti & polli non son mais atolli sassa che rotola non fà muffa . da matto attizato , da uno che legge un libro solo , da villan riffatto , da recipe de medici , da etcetera de notari guardici dio . i 'l tignoso non ama'l pettine . l'huomo propone , ma dio dispone . sopra dio non èsignore , sopra sal non c'e sapore , sopra negro non c'e colore . donna danno . al primo colpo non cade l'arbore . l'ambasciadore non porta pena . quel che vien de ruffa raffa , se ne va de buffa in baffa . batte il ferro mentre è caldo . al cane ch'invecchia la volpe gli piscia adosso . e'stretto in cintola . favella senza barbozzale . chi pecora si fà , il lupo se lo mangia . cader della padella nella brace . col tempo & con la paglia si maturano le nes pole . parole femine fatti maschi . alegramente , il diayolo è motto si ben , mà il figlivolo vive . il più duro passo , è quello della soglia . chi nasce pazzo non guarisce mai . il lupo cangia il pelo , ma non il vezzo . non si puo pigliar pesci senza immolarsi . chi vi piano và sano . chi va piano , va lontano & vasano . quatrino ni risparmiato , due volete guadagnato . ogni ritto hà il suo rovescio . al buon vino non bisogna frasca . domandar l'ehe s'il hà buon vino . chi s'ajuta , iddio l'ajuta . cui dio vuol male , gli toglie il senno . la spada di la sù , non cala in fretta . scherza co ' fanri , & lasci à star i santi . non si puo bere , & zuffolare . tu metti il carro innanzi a j buoi . non vorrej esser solo in paradiso . habbiamo mangiato il pan de putti . pietra , & parola tratta non può tornar indietro . l'indugio piglia vizio . bisogno fa buon fante . chi due lepre caccia , una non piglia , & l'altra lascia . più tosto invidia , che compassione . i panni rifanno le stanghe , ouero vesti una colonna la par una donna . in fin che ci é fiatto , ci és peranza . doue il dente duole , la lingua vi corre . chi l' à per narura fin alla fossa dura . l'asino che hà fame mangia d'ogni strame . di qua a là , dio sa quel che sarà . chi se la fa , fagliela . hoggi in figura , & diman in sepoltura . la ne dà a i cani , ne alle gatte . e'ricco che non ha de debiti . hà paura delle mosche . lasciar fare il mestiero a chi sa . a ogni cosa è re medio fuor ch'alla morte . chi va prima al mulin macina . a ogni grolla paion belli i suo grollatini . stuzzicar il vespaio . dinanzi il precipitio , & di dietro i lupi . chi non hà cuore , habbi gambe . le buone parole acconciano i mali fatti . da del tuo al diavolo , & man da lo via . chi tutto vuole nulla hà , ò de rabbia muore . e ' ui si legano le vigne con salciccie . l'avaro non fa niente bene , se non quando tira le calze . qualche volta sonacchia il buon homero . tu vuoj insegnare a rampicar alle gatte . pietra mossa non fa muschio . poco & spesso empie il borsetto . essere tra l'incude , e'l martello . il mondo và a la riversa . sei pié de terra e guaglion tutti . chi parla troppo , falla spesso . che de l'altrui prende , la sua liberta vende . mi conoscerai , quando non m'hauraj . quel é tuo nemico ch' é di tuo officio . e ' più guaj che allegrezza . chi fà non falla . raccomandare uno di buon inchiostro . non hà buon tempo se non j matti . ben venga chi ben porta . in tempo de carestia pan veccioso . felice chi impara a spese d'altri . domanda pur assaj che non manca poi a calare . quando egli arde in vicinanza , porta l'acqua a tua casa . bisogna che ' l bugiardo , habbia buona memoria . chi di gallina nasce , convien che ruspi . veggo il meglio , & al peggior m'appiglio . piaga antivedata men duole . l'e●tremo dell ' allegrezza ocupa il pianto . non pianse maj uno che non ridesse un altro . havete dato in brocca . a casa de poltroni è ogni dì festa . le ricchezze de foccheri . tutti disegni non riescono . non metter la falce ne l'altrui biade . il dì loda la sera , & la vita il fine . mette ci ancor voi la vostra manno . i' travagli tirano giù l'huomo . egli é a l'oglio santo . farse che vai , usa che troui . chi lascia la via vecchia per la nuova , spesse volte ingannato si ritroua . a i ricchi non mancano parenti . chi troppo la capra munge , ne fá venir ' il sangue . chi vive a minuto fà le spese a suoi , & a gli altri . di quella misura che misuraraj , misurato tu saràj . la speranza é il pan de miseri . chi pratica col lupo impara a urlare . non é ingannato se non che si fida . l'occhio del patron ingrassa il cavallo . il buon pastore tosa , non iscortica le peccore . amico di buon di . doue parla l'oro , ogni lingua , é mutola . jo hò le voci , gli altri hanno le noci . dispicca l'impiccato , che t'impicchera poi . chi non può far comè vuole , faccia come può . tanto é misero l'huomo quant ' ei si riputa . pigliar due columbi a una fava . la morte fura i migliori & lascia star i reì. ad ogni uccello suo nido , é bello . ogni tigre porta amor alla sua tana . il far il letto al cane , é gràn fatica . e ' ancor un poco dell ' oglio nella lume . nonsi può cavar rana dal pantano . uso converte natura . non há tetto nè letto . ogni simile appetisce il suo simile . nelle cose importanti bisogna andare col pie di piombo . il satollo non crede al digiuno . le cose rare care , l'abondanza genera fastidio . i signori hanno il cingolo rosso . cavar un chiodo , è piantar una cavicchia . godi l'amicò tò , col vezzo sò . e'tanto invidioso che cavarebbe un occhio a se per cavarne due al compagno . guarda che tu non trovi quel che non vai cercando . meglio è esser capo di lucerto la , che coda di dragone . non ho quasi il fiato che sia mio . fà larghe corregge del cuoio d'altrui . miele in bocca , él rasoio alla cintola . sedendo & riposandosi l'anima diventa più savia . e ' meglio esser uccel ' di bosco che di gabbià . l'amicitia si deve sdrucire , non stracciare . vale più una oncia di sorte , che una libra di senno . duro con duro non fé mai buon muro . assaj presto fà , che si fà bene . che giova dar di cozzo al fato ? chi è fàcile a credere si troua spesso ingannato . a giouane soldato vecchio cavallo . a cane scottato l'acqua fredda par calda . a chi ti può torre cio che hai , dagli cio che ti chiede . a chi compra bisogna haver cent ' occhi , a chi ne vende basta uno . a buona derrata pensavi sù . a parole lorde orecchie sorde . a cose troppo alte non si piglia mira . a tutto si é riparo chi lo sá trovare . a donare , & tenere , ingegno bisogna havere . acarezza vecchio matto , se vuoi ricco fa●ti in un tratto . al canto l'uccello , al parlar il cervello . alla corte del rè ogniuno laccia per sè . amico de stranuti . amor , la rogna , la rosse non si ponno nascondere . amico dognimo , amico de nissuno . andar dove ne papa ne imperatore può mandar ambasciatore . artegiano che non mente non h● mestier frà la gente . assaj comanda chi ubbedisce al saggio . aspetar ' & non venir , esser ' in letto & non dormir ' , ben servir & non gradir ' , son tre cose da morir ' . ben tardi venuto per niente é tenuro . bella donna , & veste tagliuzzata sempre troua qualche uncino . la lettera aspetti il messo , & non il messo la lettera . buon é sapere mestier per servirsene quando fa mestier . can vecchio non baia indarno . campane chiamano gli altri , mà maj andano a missa . cento carra di pensieri non pagano un ' oncia di debiti . chi divide il miele con l'orso hà la menor parte . chi piscia contra il vento si bagna la camiscia . chi hà tutto in un luoco , l'hà tutto nel fuoco . chi suo secreto dice , servo si fà . chi nasce bella , nasce maritata . chi digiuna , & altro ben non fà , sparagna il pane , & al inferno vá . chi piglia leone in assentia , teme la talpa in presentia . chi non si fida non vien ingannaro . chi vuol guardar la festa digiuni la vigilia . chi vive nella corte muore s'ul pagliao . chi paga inanzi tratto , troua il lavo mal fatto . chi há spirito di poesia merita ogni compagnia . chi non ●uol render fá mal a prender ' . chi aspettar puol , hà cio che vuol . chi è savio di giorno , non è pazzo di notte . chi fà l'ingiuria , é il misero , & non che la riceve . chi fá li fatti suoi non imbratta le mani . chi ben dona ben vende , se non è villano chi prende . chi mal intende peggio responde . chi paga i suoi debiti fà capitale . chi mi vuol ben mi fà aorro sire , chi mal inbianchire . chi offende non perdo na mai . con ogni uno fà un patto , con te dostesso fane quatro . chi vuol quaresma corta , faccia debiti da pagar a pasqua . chi há arte per tutto há parte . che vende a credenza , spazza robba assaj , perde gli amici , danari non há maj . chi non hà matti , proveri puttanne , frà parenti , è nato di lampo di tuono . chi dorme grossa mattinata , và mendicando la giornata . che ne può la gatta , se la massara è matta . ciascuno è figliuolo delle sue opere . compagno allegro per camino , serve per roncino . cosi tosto muore il capretto come la capra . da gli amici mi guardi iddio , da gli nemici mi guardaro io . da recipe de medici , etcaetera de notari guardimi iddio . dal detto al fatto ci è un gran tratto . d'acqua torbida non si fà buon specchio . delle ingiurie il remedio , è liu scordarsi . donna specchiante poco filante . donna chi prende presto si rende . donna baciata mezzo guadagnata . donna brutta è mal di stomacho , donna bella mal di testa . dono molto aspetato , è venduto non donato . dove non entra il capo mettervi la coda . e ' come un ancora sempre nell ' acqua & non nata maj . e ' meglio ricusare & fare , che prometter & non fare . e ' meglio pagar ' & poco havere , chi moltohavere , & sempre dovere . e ' ricco che non ha debiti . mangia foglia , & caca seta . fà bene a te & tuoj , & poi a gli altri se tu puoi . far come fa la scimia che leva le castagne del fuoco con la zampa del gato . dove non sono gatti , j toppi ballano . andar alla gatta pél lardo . fedele , forte , brutta sia la massaia . fortezza che vien a parlamento , vien a rendirsi . folle è la pecora che al lupo si confessa . hà buon giuditio che del proprio non si fida . hà dato del cul in terra . hoggi non si dà a ●reta , diman si . huomo solitario ò bestia ò angelo . i salici sono deboli , & pur ligano altre legna . il vin nel fiasco non cava la sete del capo . il barbier non si contenta del peco . il diavolo a porta chiu● a volta le spalle . il prometter ' è la vigilia del dare . il gioco è paragon del huomo . il veder ' è facile , mà il preveder è difficile . il tignoso non ama il pettine . il buon pagatore , del altrui borsa è signore . il troppo guasta , il poco non basta . in bocca del discreto il publico è secreto . inanzi il maritare , habbi l'abitare . la carra no arroscisse . la diligenza è la madre de la buona sorte . la guerra fa i ladri , & la pace gli impicca . la maravigilia è figlia la del l' ignoranza . la robba non è di chi la fà , mà di chi la gode . la stoppa lontan dal fuoco , & la gioventù dal gioco . l'arco rompe sè sta troppo teso . le feste sono belle a casa d'altri . l'insegna del hosteria altri alloggia , è stà essa alla pioggia . l'innocenza porta la protettione seco . mercanzia non vuol ne amici ne parenti . misura tre volre , & taglia una . ne tu●to che sai , ò puoi , ò hai , non voler dire mai . ne occhi in lettera , ne mano in tasca , ne orecchi in secreti d'altrui . ne la moglie , ne il vino , ne il cavallo non si vuol lodare . nel assentia del signore si conosce il servitore . non far ma medico tuo herede . non bisogna imbarcarsi senza biscotto . non gettar il tuo tanto per le mani , che tu lo vadi poi cercando co ' piedi . non resta mai carne in beccaria per trista ch'ella sia . vuo far vendetta del tuo nemico ? governati bene . vender l'uccello in su la frosca . soccorso non venne mai tardi . volendo far quel che non puoi , s'interviene quel che non vuoi . buona insalata è principio d'una cattiva cena . una man frica l'altra & amendue la testa . picciol ' donporta spesso gran guiderdon . l'haver oro è un timore , il non haver un dolore . e ' ben venuto chi vien gobbo . vedendo uno conosci mezzo , udendolo parlar il conosci tutto . val più una berretta che cento coffie . che giova dar di cozzi al fato ? villano non è chi in villa stà , mà villano è chi villanie fà . virtù della bocca sana cio che tocca . secondo i beni sia la dispensa , il savio lo crede , il pazzo non ci pensa . se il giovane sapesse , & il vecchio potesse , non è cosa che non ci facesse . se cascasse indietro romperebbe il naso . savie all' impensata , alla pensara pazze son le donne . saviamente governa chi fugge la taberna . solo idio è senza peccato . render ben per male è carità , mal per bene crudeltà , mal per male vendetta , ben per bene giustitia . riserua il colpo maestro . amor de purana , & vin de fiasco la mattina buona , la sera guasto . quel che schernisces il zoppo devi andar dritto . quel che hà un piè in bordello , hà l'altro nello spedale . quanto più s'aspetta , piu nuoce la vendetta . quando la guerra comincia , s'apre l'inferno . poca robba , poco pensiero . più vede un occhio del patron , che quatro de servitori . più tira un pelo di codonna che cento carra de buoi . perdona a tutti , mà niente à tè . per andar salvo per lo mundo bisogna haver ' occhio di falcone , orecchie di asino , viso di scimia , parole de mercanti , spalle di camelo , bocca di porco , gambe de cervo . bàlzan di quatro , cavallo da mato , balzan de trè , cavallo da rè , balzan da uno no le darò a nissuno . con ogni uno patto , con amico fare quatro . sà fat peso d'ogni lana . pigliar due colombi a una fava . chi cerca briga , la trouarà a suá posta . chi vive a speranza muor ' cacando . so quanti pani fanno una coppia . quelche hà da essere , convien che sia . che sarà , sa rà . egli è mala cosa l'esser cattivo , mà glié peggiore l'essere conosciuto . gli migliori porri sono quelli che si traspiantano . non hò paura de brutti volti , che son nato in carnevale . non son uso a portar in groppa . non val levar a buon hora , bisogna buona fortuna . onor di bocca assai giov● , & poco costa . ogni femina è casta , se non hà chi la caccia . odi , vede , tace , se vuoi viver ' in pace . pasqua tanto desiata , in un giorno è passata . patienza , tempo , & danari accommodano il tutto . seminar aghi , per coglier ferro . proverbi temporali tocante la stagione . e ' come il sole di marzo , che muove , & non risolue . sotto acqua fame , sotto neve pane . aprilone , aprilone , tu non mi farai metter giù il pellicione . a san tomè tanto è cresciuto il di , quanto il gallo alza il piè . sera rossa , & negro mattino allegra il pelegrino . a san michelo il calot và nel cièlo . a san martin si veste il giouane & il vecchio . a san martino becci il buon vino , & lascia andar l'acqua ol molino . quando là state il gallo beue che subito pioua creder ' si deve . la neve per otto dì madre de la terra da indi in poi matrigna . come marzo s'auvicina tutti gli humor isi risentano . poca uva assai vin , poco pan manco pan . oliva , castagna , & ghianda d' agosto ne dimanda . gennaio fà il peccato , & maggio n'e incolpato . anno di neve , anno di beue . tre acque d' agosto con buona stagione vaglion ' gli buoi , & il carro del re salomone . proverbii fisici tocante la sanità . formaggio non guasta sapore . giaci la notte , senti la mattina , stá dritto di mezzo di , la sera camina . i vecchi chi scherzano con le giouani , accarezzano la morte . il pesce guasta l'lacqua , la carne la concia . lauda moglie & tienti donzello . lo badagliar non vuol mentir , ò che egli hà sanno che vorra dormir ò ch'egli hà qualche cosa che non dir . quando una donna si stende becco fututo chi non intende . maj fù fiume grande che non v'entrasse acqua torbida . meglio è dar la lana che la pecora . meglio è dar un soldo , che prestarne vinti . meglio è pericolar un tratto che estar sempre in timore . nella gotta il medico non vede gotta . pan mentre dura , mà vino a misura . pan d'un dì , vouvo d'un hora , vin d'un anno , pesce di dieu , donna di quindeci , amico di cent'ci anni . sanità senza danari , è mezza malaria . piscia chiaro , & fá le fiche al medico . il bel vestir sono negro , nuovo , netto . quando il vecchio non vuol bevere , nell ' altro mondo và lo vedere . porco d'un mese , & oce di trè , è un varo mangiar da rè . pome , pere , & noce guastano la voce . pesce , oglio , & amico vecchio . pesce al sole , & carne a l'ombra . poco cibo & nissun a fanno . sta sanita del corpo fanno , frà il letto e'l lettuccio . febbre quartana amazza j vecchi & j giovani risana . vi sono pià vecchi ubbriachi , che medici vecchi . un buon pasto , un cattivo , & un mezzano , mantien ' l'huomo sano . vendi la tonica per com●rar la betonica . vitello , polastro , & pesce crudo ingrassano j cimitieri . vino dentro , sernno fuori . vino al mezzo , oglio di sopra , & miele di sotto . chi vuol ' ●tar fan ' , pisci come il can . vecchia gallina ingrassa la cucina . un vuovo è nulla , due una frulla , tre un che , quatro un atto , cinque un tratto , & sei sono la morte . un gallo basta a dieci galline , ma non dieci huomini ad una donna . gallina vecchia fà buon brodo . una volta l anno cavati sangue , una volta il mese entra nel bagno , una volta la semana lavati la testa , una volta il giorno bascia la tua donna . giugnio , iuglio , agosto , donna non ti conosco . cacio cieco , pan con occhi , vino che salti alli occhi . sano come pesee , ò campana . piscia chiaro , & incacane al medico . a tavola non bisogna haver vergogna . a buon hora in pescaria , & tardi in beccaria . asciuto il piede , càlda la testa , & del resto vive da bestia ▪ barbier giovane , medico vecchio . aria di finestra , colpo di balestra . chi và a letto senza cena , tutta notte si dimena . di giorno quanto vuoi , di notte quanto puoi . di buona terra tò la vigna , di buona razza tò la figlia . e ' meglio pascer ' febbre che debolezza . ei fà beneficio a quei che sono da cà del diavolo , & de i suoi non fa conto niuno ▪ tu mi leggi per cose nuove , le mie compositioni . tu sei l'ottavo sapiente , il terzo catone . tu vai cercando miglior pan che di fromento . egli há pisciato in più d'una neve . e ' più lungo che un dante . diventa di papa vescovo . tu vuoj votar il mare con un cucchiaro . donna che si liscia , vuol fat altro che la piscia . e ' come la castagna bella di fuori , & dentro la magagna . tu comniciai a scorticare dalla coda . puzza da ruffiano . tu sei doppio come le cipolle . voi mi date pan per focaccia . puoi pisciar in letto , & dir che sei sudato . ha màngiato del culo della gallina . il lupo d'esser frate há voglia ardentee mentre è infermo , mà sano si pen●e . il gallo è l'orivolo della villa . il primo anno che l'huomo s'ammoglia , ò s'ammala ò s'indebita . di fuori argo , in casa talpa . muro bianco carta de matti . mette pur sù legna , chi in ogno modo la cenere val danari . tu sei più matto che un granchio che porta il cervello nella tasca . dove sono donne & ocche non vi son parole poche . rimaner con vno palmo di naso . le cortesane piangon con un occhio , le màritate con due , & le monache con quatro . due guglielmi , & un piero fan un pazz ' intero . buon di dante , di donde vieni , quanto erto el fango ? risp . di roma , final cul , buon di , buon anno . tu sei fuor del solco , fuor della carriera . come il can dell ' ortolano che non mangia de cavoli , & non ne lasciar mangiar altri . il papari menan l'oche a bere . il giorno di san nimbo , giouedi de tre fusi . scapucciare al primo passo . gli ho messo una pulce nell ' orecchio . egli pagarà a tre doppi . non ti stimo un bagattino . non ha sale in zucca . tu non sai nè bu nè bas . tu sè fuor de gangheri . scorticarebbe un pedocchio per venderne la pelle . tu misuri gli altri co'l tuo passetto . maj dici il vero se non quando non se n'accorge . há piantato un porro per unà cipolla . questo è il punto disse lippotoppo . tu hai intra preso a menar l'orso a modena . cercar funghi in arno. gigante de tivoli che burtaua j ceci con le pertiche . arco soriano che tira a gli amici & a nemici . ei gli par d'esser il poeta di modena . non andrei a scotia s'io v'havessi lasciato un occhio . nato nella falterona & frágli alpi . come quel perugino , che subito cha gli fù rotto il capo corse a casa per la celata . pan padouan , vin vicintin , tripe trevisane , puttane venetiane . se firenze havesse un porto , de pisa farebbe un horto , & de livorno un escritoio , & de luca un cacatoio . napoli un paradiso habitato da diavoli . chivà a roma & porta buon borsetto , diuenta abbate , ò vescovo di botto . chi lingua há , a roma vá . in roma chi segue le fortune le fuggono , chi non l'aspetta le vengono . con le labbra parlouana i greci , & con il petto gli romani . corte romana non vuol pecora senza lana . i tedeschi hanno l'ingegno nelle mani . venetia , venetia , chi non te vede non ti preggia . chi t' ha troppo veduto te despreggia . vorrei esser ' in guimea dove rompono le bracchia a chi parla di lavorare . le monache di genoa tornano dal bagno , & poi dimandano licentia dalla badessa . roma la santa , milan la grande . le nationi smaltiscono diversamente il lor dolore ; il tidesco lo beve ; il francese lo canta ; lo spagnuolo piagne ; l' italiano il dorme . napolitano largo di bocca , stretto di mano . provar ' can in puglia . tutti vogano alla galiotta . guelfo son io , & ghibellin m'i appello . panno sanese che si rompe prima che si metta adosso . come i quadri di fiandra , belli da lunghi , brutti d'appresso . siena di sei cose piena , torti , campane , puttane , becchi , scolari , roffiane . napoli la gentile , venetia la signorile . bologna la grassa , padova la passa . venetia la ricca , genoa la superba . lingua toscana in bocca romana . gli genouosi ingravidano lor moglie cento miglia lontano . in genoa vi sono montagne senza legno , mar senza pesce , donne senza vergogno , & huomini senza conscienza . in italia ui sono troppo teste , troppo feste , troppo tempeste . guai a quel paese , dove ci è un calabrese , se vi stà un anno porta rouina , & danno . i don di spagna , conti d' alemagna , i monsieurs di francia , i vescovi d' italia , i cavaglieri di napoli , i lordi d' scotia , i minori fratelli d' inghilterra , i nobili di ungheria , fanno una povera compagnia . un milanese , & un mantouano se ne vergogna rebbe . andar senza barca in cornovaglia . gli italiani saggii inanzi il fatto , tedeschi nel fatto , gli fra●cesi doppo il fatto . facciamo alla lombarda che dove si cena si dorme . di tre cose il florentino fá una frulla , d'adio , mi raccomando , vuoi tu nulla ? chi va a bologna catta febbte , ò rogna . fatta a ferrara , è temperata a piombino . donna graeca , vin graeco , vento graeco . l' insulano giamai habbi per compagno . amessina si trovano assaj pulci , polvore , puttane . i guidaei in pasqua , j mori in nozze , j christiani in piatire consumano il loro bein . inglize italionato , è un diavolo incarnaro . roma gi● capo , hor coda del mundo . amo tanto lo spagnnolo che me contentarei vederlo impiccato con gli budelli del francese . dove stanno tedeschi , non vogliono star italiani . e ' grassa come una puglia . milan può far ' , milan può dire , mà non può far ' d'acqua vino . più pazzi che quei da zago chi davan ' del letame al campanile perche crescesse . pazzo , come quel perugiano , che sabito che gli fù rotto il capo , corse a casa per la celata . amici di tanan chi mostrano j sassi a chi lor domanda pan . e ' come donna da castel cerino , bella da lungo , & brutta da vicino . e ' più stretto in cintura che qual si voglia spagniolo . il bergamasco hà il parlar grosso , & l'ingegnosottile non hà venet●a tanti gandolieri , quanti vicenza conti , & cavalieri . facciamo come que di , prato ; i lasciamo piovere . il francese non dice come pensa , non legge come scrive , non canta come nota . e ' torto come la via de bergamo . il pò non sarebbe pò , se adda & tesin non vi mettessero cò . gli pioppi de pò largiman , ambra . chi ha da far con tosco , non bisogna esset ' losco . spositioni , & glose d'alcuni proverbi particolari . il cacio fà romper le scarpette , & ingrossare la lingua . questo si dice a fanciulli , acchioche non mangino troppo di formaggio . vino da un orecchio . vuol dire , que quando bevete un buon vino , voi dite buono , chinando un oreccchio ; quando non ui garba , gli rimenate tuttì due . eravi un mulinaccio . questo proverbio è accommodato a chi dice qualche buggia , & non la può soltentare ; uno contava d'aversi rotto in mare , & a nuoto esser scampato in uno luogo deserto dove non era nulla da mangiare , dimandato come facesti tu ? disse , que ' havea mangiato un tedesco , & cottolo su i carboni , & dimandato , donde havesti il fuoco ? disse , che sempre portava seco il focile , & ogni pietra è focaia , & pur dimandato al fin onde havesti le legne , soggiunse subitó , quivi era un mulianio guasto ; è cacàsangue li venga . da verona a vicenza miglia trenta , da vicenza a verona trenta dua ; questo s'intende delle disese , & ascese . la mosca chi punge la tartaruga rompe al fin il beco . questo vuol ' dire che chi contrasta co'l più potente , è peggiorato al fine . ella aspetta tor ' marito . si dice d'una ch' a lunghe l'ugna . egli ha ●atlivi vicini . questo si'ntende d'uno che loda se stesso . egli non hà freddo a i piedi . si dice di coloro che dal bisogno non sono astretti a vender le lor merci manco di quel che vagliono , & possono sostentarle fin che venghi , che si levi per giusto prezzo , & è tratro , da coloro che alcuna volta per aver freddo a i piedi le danno via per quel che possono per andar ' a scaldarsi . non si fà mantello per un acqua sola . questo vuol dire , che non si fà un amico per servirsene una sol volta . egli par d'esser il caca di reggio . una si fatta storia si racconta di questo caca , i gibellini di reggio erano molto possenti , & tra gli altri vi havea uno chiamato il caca da reggio , & ancora per ischerne del nome di luy si fà mentione in motti ; quel caca era grande come gigante , & di maravigliosa forzà , & con una mazza di ferro in mano nullo s'ardia appressare che no l'abbatesse ò morro ò guasto nissun divento mai povero per far elemosyna . perche chi dona a poveri impresta a dio . primo porco , ultimo cane . perche de porci i primi che nascono sono i migliori , & de' cani gli ultimi . le siepi non hanno occhi , mà orecchie . auvisa che si guardi come si parla , quando s'e in luogo dove altri non veduto possa udire . dio mi guardi da mula che faccia hin , da borea , & da garbin , da donna che sappia latin. da donna chi pretende saper ' troppo . dio mi guardi da chi non hà denti . cio è de un nemico soave & lusinghiere . chi contra al cielo gitta pietra in capo gli ritorna . ciò è , chi resiste la volunta d'iddio , le cose luy succedono di mal in peggio . voi volete che io vada star a mantova . viz. voi volete chio ' fallisca , perche a mantova varino la maggiore parte de mercatanti che falliscono . egli si sta frà il le●to e'l lettuccio . i. non troppo bene , tratto da i convalescenti che per la de bo lezza ora s'ul letto , ora s'ul lettuccio si gettano . chi per altrui promette entra per lò largo , & esce per lostretto . questo è tratto dal corno chi hà due buchi uno stretto l'altro largo . e ' va più d'un asino biancho al mulino . questo s'usa quando alcuno pensa che qualche cosa sia sua , per esser ' simile alla sua . al leone stà bene la quartana . vuol dire , all' huomo feroce & superbo sono utili le infermità . tu m'hai rotto , ò schiacciato il vouo in boca . diciamo , quando essendo noi per dire qualche cosa , un'altro lo dice prima di noi . hò più da fare che i forni di natale in londra . vuol dire chio sono occupatissimo . d'agnello , di porco , di scimia , di leone tiene il vino la complessione . ciò è che in vino veritas , quando uno è ubbriaco , si scopre la sua dispositione . pochi principi si salvono . la ragione è perche ve ne siano pochi , come fu predicato inanzi il duca di savoya . moral proverbs in the italian toung . honest men use to marry , but wise men not . an englishman italianate is a devil incarnate . an ounce of mirth is better then a pound of melancholy . astrologie is true , but where is the astrologer ? our sinnes and our debts are alwayes more then we take them to be . he hath more business then english ovens at christmas . the fool knowes more of his own house , then a wiseman of anothers . he who cannot counterfet a friend , is no dangerous enemy . 't is better to have an egg to day , then a ' hen to morrow . who fasts and doth no good thing else , spareth his bread , and goeth to hell . that house is happy which smells of an old man. he ventures too much , who relies soly upon his own judgement . vvho hath a wolf for his companion , let him carry a dog under his cloak . rather late , then do a thing in hast . leafs enough , but few grapes ; viz. many words and few deeds . the first chapter of fools is to hold themselves wise . a misfortune , and a frier seldome go alone . many make a conscience to spit in the chruch who shite after upon the altar . the fly which pricks at the tortoise breaketh her beak at last . necessity is an ill guardian of chastity . the soul hath need of few things , the body of many . a lean agreement is better th●n a fat sentence . vvhile the wolf shites , the sheep escapes . prudence in the husband , and patience in the wife . it is not all butter that comes from the cow . the world is like a ladder , one goeth up , the other down . sparing is the first gain . if the thing had been to be done twice , the asse had been our own . orlando came too late . you will make me believe that gloworms are lanterns . you will find it in the frying , viz. upon trial . at shrovetide t' will be known who hath the fat hen . he who vaunts himself to be wisest , cometh to fall down his asse most commonly . vvhen the mouth is shut the flies will not get in . nothing venture , nothing have . who will have fish , must wet his breeches . little wit will serve to have good fortune . that falleth out ofttimes in a moment , which happeneth not in an age . 't is better believe then try it . force shites upon reasons back . a galloping horse ; a living grave . if i have the horns in my breast , i will not put them on my head . he who looks to every feather never makes bed . who hath little shame all the world 's his own . the saint sinne 's at an open chest . tie the asse where your master will have you . from a new host , and an old whore the lord deliver me . a hand is sometimes wash'd , that one would see rotted . i started the hare , and another took her . if thou wilt not have it known do it not . the wrong is not alwayes there where it is laid . the world 's round , and after night comes day . who is weary of standing let him sit . i know well how many loafs make a couple , and how many pair three oxen make . 't is an ill thing to be a knave , but a worse thing to be known so . soon ripe soon rotten . in a full house supper is quickly made ready . if the sun shines on me what care i for the moon . nothing needs no salt . clothes and laughter discover the man. he hath no wit in his noddle . he suffereth himself to be led by the nose like a buffalo . friends do ty the purse with a cob-web threed . vvho hath love in his breast , hath a spur in his flank . he loveth thee as well as a dog loves onions . if thou wilt live with me , bring something with thee . he is more miserable then mida , who warmed himself at the smoke of a turd . that 's mine which i enjoy , and give for god. vvho grants destiny denieth god. if i fell backward , i should break my nose , i am so unlucky . vvho hath a mole over his waste hath great luck . vvho is born fair , is born married . every creature thinks her own fair . vvho sees thee by day , will not seek thee by night . she is a remedy against lust . he is a greater lyar then an epitaph . the first pig , the last puppy is best . ti 's the back door that robbeth the house . ride a horse or a mare towards the shoulders , an asse or a ●ule towards the tail . vvho stands for another , payes for himself . a promise is the yeeve of the gift . she is happy who falls in love with an old fool . vvhen thou canst get good , take it . my house is my dugg . vvho eats a hare , laughs seven dayes after . an egg without salt doth neither good nor hurt . he that gives quickly doubles the gift . money is round , and so quickly trills away . a proverb deceiveth not , measure groweth not less , and pride doth not last . a hungry asse will eat any straw . i bear the noise , but others have the nuts . bakers and millers are the last that dy of a dearth . i will do all i can , but little less , that i may last to serve you . he who will not take pains in this world , let him not come into it . who hath children , his loaf is not all his own . a thing done by force is not worth a nutshel . who answers suddenly , knowes little . who payes before , is served behind . vvh paints her face thinks on her tail . i think and think again , so i become a fool , how man is made of the spittle of a tool . mischances come by pounds , and go away by ounces . the worst wheel of the cart makes most noise . abundance engenders loathing , and scarcity an appetite . curtesans weep with one eye , married women with two , nunnes with foure . a man is a kind of pig till five . the more hast , the worse speed . vvithdraw thy self from before a woman , from behind a mule , and from all sides of a monk . it is wisedom to play the fool sometimes . vvho is bound for another , goes in at the wide hole of the horn , and comes out at the small . he hath too little of that whereof the bull hath too much , viz. brain . neither physick , nor physition can avail against a mortal diseas vvho thrives well is accounted wise . thou shalt not come into my house if thou bringest nothing . there is wisedome required to govern foolishness . a new thought at every step . he danceth well who hath fortune to pipe unto him .. who climbs too high goes to fall . too much of good is distasteful . who frequents the kitchin smels of smoak . it is better to slip with the feet then with the toung . who suffereth in his good name but a moment , cannot recover it in a hundred year . commend the sea , but keep thee shoare , commend the hills , but keep thee on the plain , commend a wife , but keep thy self a batchelor . vvho is not something at twenty , nor knows not at thirty , nor hath not at fourty , he never will be , nor will he ever know , nor will ever have any thing . when thou art an anvil obey the hammer . sit still awhile , and thou shalt see thy revenge . gaming is a vermin that gnawes to the bone . many words , and few deeds deceive wise men and foo's . cast not away with thy hands that what thou must seek for afwards with thy feet . poverty is no vice , but an incommodity . he knows enough , who knows and holds his peace . it is a bitter gift that taketh away ones liberty . he commands enough who obeyes the wise . the best news is no news . he asks enough who serves well and saith nothing . to the infortunate nothing succeds well . lust dirtieth young men , and drowns the old . a liar is not believed when he tells truth . a merry heart makes a good countenance . love requires faith , and faith firmness . my dear cousin in borrowing , and the sonne of a whore in repaying . it behoveth a fool to be wise , if he will make his words true . you cannot spite a woman more , then to call her old , or illfavoured . to him who loves thee not , wish him a scould , a process , or an urinal . to go to a pigeon house with a taber . it is a simple thing to leave a memory for one in his inn ▪ in an ill passage honour thy companion , viz. let him go first . a stout man finds remedy for any thing except death . a tree often transplanted bears not much fruit . the stone yields to the water . love with his dart hits all men to the heart . t is danger to blame princes , and flattery to praise them . that house is happy which smells of an old man. assiduity makes all things easie . a short slip for a cursed dog . pride never wants woe . a mou●h-friend not worth a mite . crack me that nut . venter an egg for an ox . the goods of fortune pass away like the moon . who is born a fool is never cured . every thing is better then a wife . every ten years one hath some use of another . every woman and cow have some blemish . every one hath something to do ; the poor to get , the rich to keep , the vertuous to learn. an ox shites more then a hundred flies . the bell tolls for others , not for it self . give just weight , and sell dear . let ts take the bear first , and then let ts sell the skin . to dure , we must endure . by too many controversies truth is lost . a small cause makes the wolf take the lamb. the devil turns his back at a gate shut up . the thought hath good legs . the devil may tempt , but not break ones neck . some do kiss the hand they wish were cut off . he is as well a merchant who loses , as he that gains . three rogues make a gallowes . a black soyl makes white bread . all nations have differing digestions of grief . some do nourish a crow that will peck out their eyes . a fool and a turd are soon smelt . shear thy sheep , but do not slay her . a table without salt , a mouth without spittle . that is a pitifull house where the goodman weareth not the breeches . the third would keep secret , if there were not two more in company . too much dispute makes truth to depart . he erreth as much who holdeth all dreams to be true , as he who holdeth there is none . god preserve me among my friends , for among my enemies i will defend my self . wine hath the complexion of a lamb , a hogg , an ape , and a lion. no sooner is a church built for god , but the devil erects a chappel for himself hard by . you go from the matter . i lead the life of little mick , i eat , i drinke , and take my pleasure . one hand washeth another , and both the face . obey the king , whether just or injust . there be more backs then one for a saddle to fit . one pair of ears dry up a hundred tongues . a man of straw is worth a woman of gold . 't is true prosperity to have no adversity . wind in the visage makes one sage : viz. adversity . go where thou wilt , but dy at home . a misfortune and a frier seldome go alone . one sword keeps another in the scabbard . he is not a clown who holdeth the plough , but he who doth clownish things . he who liveth in hope doth dance in a hoope , viz. in a narrow scope . who giveth and taketh , a serpent cometh at his heart . who promiseth and performeth not may he stretch in hell. a gall'd horse loves not to be curried . that which is in use hath no excuse . who marrieth doth well , who marrieth not , doth better . who jeers the lame ought to go streight himself . who doth not trust shall not be deceived . who takes a wife , takes care . a stout heart breaks through ill luck . who hath not money in his purse , let him have honey in his mouth . the company of one is no company at all , the company of two is the company of god , the company of three is the company of a king , the company of foure is company of the devil . to do disservice for a courtesie . the belly is sooner satisfied then the eye . without money george sings not . the mice are merry where there is no cat . when the corn is in the field 't is gods and the saints . while pride gallops , poverty rideth behind on the crupper . the more a turd is stirred , the more it stinks . love requires foure things , to be wise , to be alone , to be careful and secret . that which heaven sends we cannot avoid . when the blind carrieth the banner , woe to them who come behinde . a word once out , and a stone flung , he labours in vain who seeks them again . more happy then a butchers dog , or the millers cock . more worn then the way to rome . dry bread is better at home , then roast meat abroad . better be a begger then ignorant . wit prevails more then force or wood . law , the taverne , and an urinall , send a man to the hospitall . the words of an angel , the deeds of a devil . rather a moore then no body . a mild sheep is suckt by every lamb . he hath no bones in his mouth , he is a smooth-toungd fellow . he is more doubled then an ●ignion : spoken of a cunning fellow hunger the best engine to batter down pride . the fly which pricks at the tortoise breaks her beak . ' tie my hands and feet , and throw me among mine . he hath blood under his nails , he is stout . good words do anoint , but bad do prick . many pretend to know all , and know not themselves at all . while the miser sleeps , the thief wake 's . obedience is better then sacrifice . eat after thy own fashion , but cloath thy self as others doe . 't is better to believe many things then to go prove them . a glass of wine is better then all the tyber . many speak of orlando who never saw his sword . he thinks ill that doth not think the contrary . a traveller must have the snout of a hog , the legs of a deer , and the back of an asse . the mule that laughs , and the woman that fleers , the first will overthrow thee , ehe other will scratch thee . he sups ill that eats all at dinner . i spend my self to serve others , viz. a candle . no man is born a master in any trade . he is not freed , who drags his chain after him . le ts not be wanting to our selves , then let heaven work . do not do it , if thou wilt not have it known . one cannot drink , and whistle at once . 't is no time to play at chess when the house is on fire . he is not wise , that knows not how to be a fool . nurture overcomes nature . who payeth before hand hath his work ill done . who can have patience hath what he will. who is wise in the day , can be no fool in the night . who is beloved by god , is visited by god. who hath time , let him not stay for time . who fears every nettle , let him not piss upon the grass . who letteh his wife go to every feast , and his horse to drink at all waters , will have a jade to the one , and a whore to the other . with money , latine , and a good nag , one may find a way in every countrey . who will have compassion of others , let him not forget himself . who marrieth for love hath pleasant nights , but sorrowfull dayes . the traveller sleeps five houres , the student seven , the merchant eight , and the knave eleven . a gentleman without money is like a wall without a cross ; piss'd at by every body . who commends himself , berayes himself . every one is the son of his own work . who lends money , looseth two things ; viz. friend & mo●y . the gospel makes heretiques . who speaks sowes , who holds his peace gathers . to change the trot for the amble . orlando himself cannot deal with two . money makes cowheards cavaliers . to give the floure to the devil , and offer the bran to god. the father a saint the son a devil . two faces under one hood . make me a prophet , and i will make thee rich . god make me tall and fat , and i will make my selfe white and fair . god comes at last , when we think he is furthest off . there can be nothing done well in haste , but to fly from the plague . think and then do . if women were silver , they were not worth a farthing , for they would not bear the hammer . if the mother had not been at the bakers , she would not seek her daughter there . if a woman were as little as she is good , a pescod would make her a cap and a hood . he is such a miser , that he would flay a louse to sell the skin . the femal sex is hurtful . who loseth a wife and a peny , hath a great loss of the peny . a punk is like a coal , it burns or smuts . he would eat his cake , and find his cake in his pocket . study a cotton staff , viz. it consumes one softly . blessed be that cross which comes alone . the french disease is cured but once at a time . a standing prick carrieth no lantern . we learn by teaching . they have tied the tripe together , viz. they are married . who hath a head of wax let him not go to the sun . that gift is bitter which deprives one of his liberty . a muffed cat takes no mice . every one draweth water to his own mill . women , priests and poultry have never enough . a rowling stone gathers no moss . from an angry fool , from one that reads but one book , from an upstart squire , from the physicians recipe , and the scrivenors etcaetera , the lord deliver us . a scabby pate loves not the comb . man purposeth , god disposeth . above god there is no lord , above salt there 's no savour , above black there is no colour . woman is the woe of man. the tree falls not at the first stroke . an ambassador is not punishable . ill gotten goods thrive not . beat the iron while it is hot . the wolf pisseth upon the back of an old dog . he is streight in the waste . free speech without restraint . who maketh himself a sheep , the wolf will eat him up . to fall from the frying pan into the fire . with time and straw medlars grow ripe . words are women , deeds are men . le ts be merry , the devil is dead , i , but his sonne is still living . the hardest step is that over the threshold , viz. the beginning . who is born a fool is never cured . the wolf changeth his hair , but not his humor . one cannot take fish without wetting . who goeth soft , goeth safe . who goeth soft and faire , goeth far and safe . a peny saved is twice gained . every streight thing hath its turning . good wine needs no bush . ask the vintner whether he hath good wine . god helps him , who helps himself . god infatuats those whom he doth not love . divine vengeance comes not in hast . iest with boyes , and leave the saints alone . one cannot drink and whissle at one time . thou puttst the cart before the oxen . i would not be alone in paradise . we have already eaten our boyes cakes . a word spoke , and a stone hurled cannot be call'd back . delay breeds danger . want maketh a good lackey . who traceth two hares at once , taketh not the one , and letteth the other go . be rather envied , then pittied . a post looketh well in good clothes , and a milke-maid is as fair as a madame . while there is breath , there is some hope . where the tooth pains , the toung is commonly upon it . what one hath by nature it goes with him to his grave . the hungry asse eats any straw . god knows what may happen from hence thither . do as you are done unto . to day above ground , to morrow under . neither dog nor cat can get any thing there . he is rich who is not in debt . he fears the flies . leave every craftsman his own trade . there is remedy for all things except against death . vvho is first at the mill let him grind . every bird thinks his own chickins fairest . to anger a wasp . a precipice before , and a wolf behind , viz. twixt two dangers . vvho hath no heart , let him have legs . fair words make some amends for ill deeds . give something of thine own to the devil , and turn him away . vvho covets all hath nothing , or dieth mad . in that countrey they bind vines with sausages . the miser doth nothing well , but when he kicketh up his heels . good old homer dote's sometimes . thou wilt teach cats to creep . a rowling stone gathers no moss . little and oft fills the purse . to be twixt the hammer and the anvil . the world goes clean cam . six feet of earth make all men equal . vvho speaketh oft , is oft mistaken . vvho takes a courtesie of another sels him his liberty . thou wilt know me better when thou hast me not . he is thy enemy who is of thy profession . there are more groans then gladness . who doth do deceives not . to recommend one with good ink . fools have the best times . he is welcome who brings something . in time of dearth make shift with mouldy bread . he is happy who learns at another mans cost . ask enough , and there will be enough to abate . when there is fire in the neighbourhood , bring water to thy own house . a lyer must have a good memory . who comes of a hen , must do like a hen . i see the best but follow the worst . a mischief foreseen grieves less . at the fag end of mirth there lies melancholy . one never wept but another laught . you have hit the nail on the head . in the sluggards bouse every day is festival . as rich as the foukers , who were dutch merchants . all designes take not . put not thy sickle in another mans corn . the day commendeth the evening , and a good life ones death . put also your hand thereunto . crosses draw one upwards . 't is holy oyle . follow the fashion of the countrey thou goest in . who leaveth the old way for the new , is oftentimes cousened . rich men can want no kindred . vvho milketh his goate too much , may draw blood . vvho buyeth by the penny , findeth not onely himselfe , but others . the same measure thou givest to others , thou shalt have thy self . hope is the poor mans bread . who keepeth company with the woolf will learn to howl . ther 's none deceived but he who trusts . the masters eye fa●neth the horse . the good shepheard sheareth , he doth not slay his sheep . a friend who gives onely good morrow . where gold speaks , every toung is dumb . i have the fame , and others have the nuts . take down a thief from the gallowes , and he will hang thee after . who cannot do as he would , let him do as he can . a man is unhappy according as he thinks himself to be . to take two pigeons with one bean . death takes away the innocent , and leaves the guilty . every bird thinks his own nest the fairest . every tygre loves his own brood . he hath something to do who maketh a bed for a dog . there is yet some oyle left in the lamp. you cannot draw the frog from his ditch . custome converteth nature . he hath neither bed nor roof . like to like . in matters of weight go on with leaden feet . who hath dined well , believes not him who is hungry . rare things are dear , plenty brings distaste . lords wear the red gird'es , viz. are happy . to take out a nail , and strike in a pin . bear with the hum●r of thy friend . such an envious wretch , that he would pluck out one of his own eyes to take out both his neighbours . take heed you find not that which you do not seek . better to be the head of a mouse then the tail of a lion. i am scarce master of my own breath . he cuts large thongs of another mans leather . he hath honey in his mouth , and the razor at his girdle . by ease and rest the soul becomes wiser . better to be a bird of the wood then of the cage . friendship should be unsowed , and not ript . an ounce of fortune is worth a pound of wisedom . hard and hard makes no good wall . what 's well done , is done soon enough . what boots it to kick at the fates ? who believes lightly , is deceived easily . an old horse to a young souldier . cold water seems hot to a scalded dog . vvho can take from thee what thou hast , give him what he asketh ▪ a hundred eyes for the buyer , and one is enough for the seller . think well upon 't w●en thou art offered a good pen●iworth . deaf ears to dirty speeches . one can take no aim at things too high . there is fence for all things if one could find it out . to give and keep , there is need of wit. humor a silly old man if thou wilt be suddenly rich . the bird by his note , the man is known by his words . in the court let every one shift for himself . a friend to pray for sneezers . the itch , a cough , and love cannot be hid . every ones's friend , is friend to none . to go whither pope nor emperour can send an ambassador , viz. to stool . the tradesman who doth not lie hath no trade among men . he commands enough who obeyes the wise . to stand waiting and not to come , to lie a bed and not to sleep , to serve well and not to please , are three things as bad as death . a good turn too late is as much as nothing . a fair woman and a slash'd garment find alwayes some nail in the way . let the letter stay for the post , and not the post for the letter . 't is good to have some trade to serve at a pinch . an old dog barks not in vain . the bells call others to mass , though they never go themselves . a hundred cart-load of thoughts cannot pay an ounce of debt . vvho divides honey with the bear hath the least part . vvho pisseth against the wind wets his shirt . vvho hath all in one place , hath all in the fire . vvho discovers his secret maketh himself a slave . vvho is born fair , is born married . who fasts and doth no good also spares his bread , and goeth to hell . who taketh a lion absent , fears a mouse present . who trusts not , is not cousend . who will well observe the festival , let him fast the yeeve before . who liveth at court dieth upon straw . who payeth before hand hath his work ill done . who hath the spirit of poetry is fit for all company . who will not restore doth ill to take . who can have patience , hath what he will. who is wise in the day time , cannot be a fool at night . he who doth the wrong is the unhappy , and not he who receiveth it . who doth his own business foule's not his fingers . who bestoweth well selleth well , if he be not a clown that taketh it . who understands ill , answers worse . who payes his debts makes up his principal . who wisheth me well maketh me blush , but i grow pale at my ill wishers . who offends doth never forgive . make one bargain with every body , but make four with thy self . who desires a short lent , let him make a debt to be paid at easter . who hath a trade , may through all waters wade . vvho sells upon trust brusheth many clothes , loseth friends , and never hath money . vvo hath neither fools nor beggars , or whores among his kindred , was born of a stroke of thunder vvho sleeps all the morning , may beg all the day after . it is not the cats fault , if the mistress of the house be a fool . every one is son of his own works . a merry companion is as good as an ambling horse . the kid may die as soon as the goat . god guard me from my friends , for i shall guard my self from my enemies . from the recipe of physicians , and the etcaetera of notaries the lord deliver me . ther 's a great difference twixt the word and the deed . troubled waters will never make a good looking-glass . the best remedy against injuries , is to forget them . a woman that lookes too much in a glass was never good spinstress . a woman kiss'd is half won . an illfavored woman is a pain to the stomack , a fair one to the head . a gift long looked for is sold , not given . vvhere the head cannot enter the tayl may . he is like an anchor , which though alwayes in the water , yet never drinks . 't is better to deny and do , then to promise , and not to do . 't is better to pay and have little , then have much , and to be in debt . he is rich who hath no debt . he eats leafs , and shites silk ▪ do well to thy self and thine , then to others if thou canst . like the ape that takes the chesnuts out of the fire with the cats paw . vvhen there are no cats the mice dance . to go to the ●at for bacon . let thy maid-servant be faithfull , strong and homely . a fort which begins to parly is half got . 't is a foolish sheep that makes the wolfe her confessor . he hath a good judgement who trusts not to his own . he is a bankerupt ; whose punishment in italy is to sit bare on a stone in the market place . you cannot goe here upon the score to day , to morrow you may . a solitary man is either a beast or an angel. willows are weak yet they tie strong wood . wine in the bottle quencheth not thirst . it is not the cut hair that will content the barber . the devil turns his back at a door shut . the promise is the yeeve of the gift . gaming is the touch-stone ●f man , to see is easie , 't is hard to foresee . the scabby head loves not the comb . a good paymaster is lord of another mans purse . too much spoiles , too little doth not satisfie . in a discreet mans mouth a publick thing is private . have a mansion before thou marry . a letter doth not blush . diligence is the mother of good luck . war makes thieves , and peace hangs them . admiration is the daughter of ignorance . wealth is not his who hath it , but his who enjoyes it . keep flax far from the fire , and youth from gaming . the bow breaks that 's too hard bent . 't is good feasting at other mens houses . the sign of an inn lodgeth others , and keepeth it self in the rain . innocence carrieth her protection with her . merchandize will neither friends or kindred . measure thrice what thou buyest , and cut it once . never tell all thou knowest , thou canst , or hast . nor eye in a letter , nor hand in a purse , nor ears in the secrets of another . nor wife , nor wine , nor horse ought to be praised . a servant is known in the absence of his master . never make thy physitian thy heir . do not imbark without bisket . do not cast away with thy hands , what thou mayest seek after with thy feet . flesh never rest in the shambles be it never so bad . wilt thou be revenged of thy enemy ? carry thy self well . to sell the bird upon the branch . help never comes too late . seeking to do what thou canst not , there will happen what thou wouldst not . a good sallet is the beginning of an ill supper . one hand rubs another , and both do rub the head . a small gift brings often a great reward . to have gold brings fear , to have none brings grief . he is welcome who comes well laden . by seeing one thou knowest him half , by hearing him speak thou knowst him all . one cap is more worth then a hundred coifs . what boots it to give kicks at fate ? he is no clown that driveth the plough , but he who doth clownish things . the vertue of the mouth healeth what it toucheth . let thy expences be according to thy means , the wise man knows it , the fool thinks not of it . if the young man knew , and the old man could , there is nothing but would be done . such a rechless thing , that if he fell bakward he would break his nose . upon a sudden women are wise , and fools afterward . he governs himself well , who shuns the tavern . god is sole without sin . to render good for evil is charity , evil for good cruelty , ill for ill revenge , good for good justice . reserve thy master-piece . the love of a punk , and the wine of a flask fresh in the morn , and flatt at night . let him go right who mocketh the lame . who hath one foot in a baudy house , hath the other in the hospital . the longer 't is a coming the sorer is the judgement . when war begins hell opens . little wealth little care . one eye of the master seeth more then four of servants . a hair of a woman draweth more then a hundred yoke of oxen. forgive all , but thy self never . to tr●aerse the world safely , one must have the eye of a faulcon , the ears of an asse , the countenance of an ape , the toung of a mountibank , the shoulders of a camel , the mouth of a hogg , and the feet of a hinde . a four white-foot horse is a horse for a fool , a three white-foot horse is a horse for a king , and if he hath but one i le give him to none . make thy bargain more cautiously with thy friend then a stranger . he can make weight of every lock of wooll . to take two pigeons with one bean . who seeketh strife shall find it at home . who lives by hope dies farting . i know how many loafs make a couple . that which must be 't is fitting it should come . that which will be , will be . 't is an ill thing to be bad , but 't is worse to be known so . the best oignions are those which are transplanted . i am not afraid of ill faces , for i was born at shrovetide , viz. when there was so many whifflers . i am not used to carry double . 't is bootles to rise betimes , unless one hath good fortune . the honor one doth with the mouth avails much & costs little . every woman is chaste , unless she be hunted after . to live content , hear , see , and be silent . easter so wished for long , passeth away in one day . patience , time and money accommodate all things . like the men of gotham , who sowed needles , hoping they would grow to bars of iron . temporall proverbs touching the seasons . like march sun , which heats but doth not melt . dearth under water , bread under snow . april , april , thou shalt not make me cast off my wascot . at saint thomas the day is lengthened a cock-stride . an evening red , and a morning gray , presages are of a fair day . at michaelmas hot weather goeth to heaven . young and old must go warm at martlemas . at saint martins drink wine , and let the water run by the mill . when the cock drinkes in summer , it will rain a little after . the snow for eight dayes is a mother to the earth , but after a stepmother . as mars hastneth all the humors feel it . few grapes and wine enough , a little corn little bread . in august neither ask for olive , chesnut nor acorns . january commits the fault , and may bears the blame . a year of snow , a year of plenty . three seasonable showres in august , are worth king salomons chariot and horses . physicall proverbs touching health . cheese marrs no taste . lie along at night , sit in the morning , stand up at noon , and walk in the evening . old men who play with young maids , embrace death . fish spoils water , flesh mends it . commend a wife , but keep thy self a batchelor . who gapes would either go to sleep , or doe a thing which he dare's not tell . when a woman doth yawn and stretch , who understands not her meaning is a silly wretch . never was there great river but puddle water went into it . better give the wool then the sheep . better give a peny then lend twenty . better to pass a danger once then be alwaies in fear . to the gout all physicians are blind . bread as long as it last , but wine by measure . bread of one day , an egg of one hour , wine of one year , fish of ten , a woman of fifteen , and a friend of a hundred . health without money is half a sickness . piss cleer , and a fig for the physician . black , new , and neat is the way to go brave . when the old man will not drink , go to see him in the other world . a hog of a moneth , a goose of three , are food for a king. apples , pears , and nuts spoil the voice . o●d fish , old oyl , and an old friend . fish in the sun , and flesh in the shade . a little meat and less grief cause mirth . he is twixt the bed and the couch , viz. in a mending way . a quartan ague kills the old , and cures the young . there be more old drunkards then old physitians . a good , a bad , and one indifferent meal maintaineth health . sell thy coat to buy betony . veal , poultry , and raw fish do fatten the churchyard . wine within , and wit without . wine in the middle , oyle obove , and hony beneath . who will keep himself in health , let him piss like a dogg ; viz. often . an old hen fattens the kitchin . one egg is nothing , two a little better then nothing , three are something , five are too many , and six kill . one cock serves ten hens , but ten men not one woman . an old hen makes good broth . once a year let bloud , once a moneth bath , once a week wash thy head , ( i. be trimd , ) and once a day kiss thy wife . june , july and august , wife , i know thee not . blind cheese , bread with eyes , wine that leaps into your eyes . as sound as a fish , or a bell . piss clear , and shite upon the physitians head . be not bashful at table . go betimes to the fishmarket , and late to the shambles . keep thy feet dry , and thy head warm , and for the rest , live like a beast ; viz. temperately . a young barber , and an old physitian . window wind like the hit of a crossbow . who goeth supperless to bed museth most part of the night . sleep by day as much as thou wilt , and at night as much as thou canst . plant thy vine in a good soyl , and take a wife of a good race . 't is better feed a fever then feebleness . he doth kindness to those who are beyond the devil , and makes no account of his own kindred . you read unto me my own compositions as newes . thou art the eighth wiseman , and the third cato . thou wilt have better bread then is made of wheat . he hath pissed in more then in one snow . he is longer then dante . he is become a bishop from a pope . thou wilt empty the sea with a spoon . a woman who paints will do more then piss . she is like a chesnut , fair without , and rottten within . thou beginst to slay at the tail . he smels of musk , viz. of a ruffian . thou hast as many doublings as a cabage . you give me bread for cake . you may piss a bed , and say you sweated . he is full of talk , it being the custome in italy to give the greatest talker the rump of the hen . the wolf being sick wished to be a frier , but being well he repented of it . the cock is the countrey mans clock . the first year a man is married , either he falleth sick , or into debt . an argos abroad , and a mole at home . a white wall is the paper of fools . put on wood enough , for the ashes will yield money . thou art a greater fool then the crab , who carrieth his brains in his pocket . where there are women and geese , there wants no noise . to be fouly bafled . the courtesan weeps with one eye , the wife with two , and the nun with four . two williams and one peter make a perfect fool . good morrow dante , whence comest thou , how high is the dirt ? answer , from rome , up to the tail , a good day , and a good year to you . thou art out of the furrow , thou art beside the way . as the gardners dog , who would not eat cabage himself , nor suffer others to do it . the goslings lead the geese to water . the feast of saint nimbo three dayes before doomesday . to stumble at the first step . i put a flea in his ear . he shall pay at three doblons . i care not a farthing for thee . he hath little salt in his skull . thou knowest nothing . you are off the hinges . he would flay a louse to sell the skin . you measure other by your own pace . he never speaketh truth but when he never thinks on it . he hath planted leeks for oignons . this is the point quoth lippotop , a kind of buffoon . thou hast undertaken to lead the bear to modena . to seek for mushrumps in arno. the giant of tivoli , who did beat down pease with a pole . like the bow of soria , who shot at friend and enemy . he takes upon him to be the poet of modena . i would not go to scotland to fetch again one of my eyes . born among rocks , hard-hearted . as he of perugia , who when his head was broke , ran home for his helmet . padoua bread , vicenza wine , treviso tripes , and venice courtesans . if florence had a port , she would make a garden of pisa , a counting house of ligorn , and a jaques of luca. naples is a paradise inhabited by devils . who goeth to rome , and carrieth a good purse , becometh an abbot or bishop . who hath a good tongue let him go to rome . in rome preferments seek them that seek them not , and fly from them that seek them . the greeks spoke with lipps , and the romans with their breasts . the court of rome will not take the sheep without the wooll . the germanes have their wits at their fingers ends , viz. good artificers . venice , venice , none thee unseen can prize , who hath seen thee too much will thee despise . i would be in guimea where they have their arms broke who speak of working . the nuns of genoa return from the bath , and then ask leave of the abadess . rome the holy , milan the great . nations do diversly digest their grief ; the dutch drink it away , the french sings it away , the spaniard grones it away , and the italian sleeps it away . the napolitan hath a large mouth , but a narrow hand . to trie a dogg in puglia . all row in the gally . i am a guelphian , and call my self a gibelin , he that giveth most shall have me . like siena cloth which breaks before it is worn . as flanders landskips , fair a far off , and course hard by . siena full of four things , of towers and bells , of whores and cuckolds , of scholers and panders . naples the gentile , venice the ladylike . bologna the fat , and padova more then that . venice the rich , genoa the proud . the toscan toung sounds best in a roman mouth . the men of genoa get their wives with child a hundred miles distant . in genoa , there are mountains without wood , sea without fish , vvomen without shame , and men without consciences . in italy there are too many heads , viz. politicians , too many holy dayes , and too many tempests . wo be to that countrey where there is a calabrese , if he stay there a year , he brings nothing but ruine and mischief . the dons of spain , the graves of germany , the monsieurs of france , the bishops of italy , the cavaliers of naples , the lerds of scotland , the younger brothers of england , the nobles of hungary , make but a poor company . a milanese , or montouan would blush at this . to goe to cornwal without a boat . the italians are wise before the fact , the germans in the fact , the french after the fact . le ts do as in lombardy , where one sups he sleeps . the florentine maketh nothing of three things , of adieu , farewel , do you want any thing ? who goes to bolonia , will meet with the fever or the itch . made at ferrara , and moulded at piombino . a greek woman , greek wine , and greek wind may i find . never make an ilander thy companion . messina hath store of fleas , dust and whores . the jewes in passovers , the moors in weddings , the christians in law sutes consume their wealth . an englishman italianated , is a devil incarnate . rome was the head , but now it is the tail of the world . i love a spaniard so well , that i could be contented to see him hang'd with a frenchmans guts . where dutchmen are , italians will not likely be ; viz. to drink too much . the names of all the wits , or ingenious men in most of the cities of italy , as they of the academie de beaux esprits in paris are called academiciens . lincei , fantastici , humoristi , di roma . intronati di siena· otiosi di bologna . addormentati di genoa . ricoverati , & orditi di padoa . olympici di vicenza . innominati di parma . invaghiti di mantova . affidati di pavia . offuscati di cesene . caliginosi d'ancona . adagiati di rimini . assorhiti di città di castello . insensati di perousa . catenati di macerata . ostinati di viterbo . immobili d'alexandria . occulti di bresia . perseveranti di treviso . oscari di luca. raffrontati di ferma . 't is a countrey as far as apulia . milan can doe , milan can speake , but she cannot turn water into wine . more foolish then they of zago , who dung'd the foot of the steeple to make it grow higher . as very a fool as that perugian , who as soon as his head was broke , ran home for a helmet . friends of tanan , who shew stones to him that aske them bread . she is like a woman of castel cerino , fair afar off , and foul near hand . he is streighter in the waste then any spaniard , viz. more covetous . they of bergamo have a gross speech , but subtile wits . venice hath not so many gondoliers , as vicenza h●th earls , and cavaliers . le ts do as they of prato ; le ts let it rain . the frenchman neither saith what he thinks , n●r reads as he writes , nor sings as he pricks . as crooked as the way of bergamo . po would not be po , if adda , and tesin did not joyn also . the poplars of po weep ambar . who hath to deal with a florentine must have both his eyes about him . expositions , and glosses upon some particular italian proverbs . cheese teareth the shooes , and maketh the toung fatt . these two proverbs use to be spoken to children , that they should not eat too much cheese . wine of the one eare . by this is meant , that when ye drink good wine , you use to say good , bowing one eare , but when it is naught , you shake both eares . there was an old mill there . this proverb is applied to those who tell a lye , and cannot maintain it ; as one who related that having suffered shipwrack , he scaped by swimming into a desart where there was nothing to eat ; being asked , how he could live , he said , that he fed upon a dutchman , being broyled upon the coales ; and being asked , where he found the fire , he said , that he carried a tinder-box with him ; at last , being asked where he found wood , he replied presently , that there was a decayed mill there ; and may the cackrel take him . from verona to vicenza there are thirty miles , from vicenza to verona thirty two ; this is meant of ascents and descents , as twixt highgate and london . the fly which pricks at the tortoise , breaks at last her beak . this is meant of that who doth contend with a stronger then himself , gets the worst at last . she is in hopes to marry . this is understood of one that hath long nails . it seemeth he hath ill neighbours . this is meant of one that prayseth himselfe too much . he hath no cold at his feet . this is understood of those which sometimes are constrained to sell their commodities at a lower rate then they are worth , because that having cold in their feet , they may goe warm themselves at the fire , and so vice versa . a cloak is not made for one showre of rain . this is meant of a friend that is made to doe more then one pleasure . he thinks himself to be caca of reggio . this is meant of a braggadocian or vain glorious man , for when the gibelines of reggio were very powerfull , there was one caca that was a tall giant-like man , who carried alwayes a great barre of iron , wherewith he had killed divers of the guelphies , who were then enemies to them of reggio in that great long civil war that happened in italy . a man doth never grew the poorer by giving almes . because almes are lent to god , who is a good pay-master . the first hog , and the last dog. this is meant that the first pig of a sow , and the last puppy of a bitch is the best . hedges have no eyes , but they have ears . this proverb giveth caution , that we should be wary what to speake , and in whose presence . god deliver me from a winching mule , from the bleak north-wind , and from a latine woman . viz. from a woman that pretendeth to be too wise . god deliver me from him who hath no teeth . viz. from a smooth-tounged , and flattering enemy . who hurleth stones at heaven , they fall upon his head . viz. who resisteth the good will of god , his businesses goe from bad to worse . you will have me go to dwell at montova . viz. you will have me swallow a spider , and play the bankrapt , and so go dwell at mantova , the refuge of bankrupts . he is betwixt the bed and the couch . that is , he is ill disposed ; for when men are not well , they sometimes use to lie on their beds , sometimes on their couches . who engageth for another , enters at the large hole , and cometh out at the streight . a caveat not to enter into bonds for another . there goes more then one white asse to the mill . this is used when one taketh a thing to be his , because 't is like his . the quartan ague doth well with the lion. viz. some crosses , and fits of sicknesses do well with a strong or proud man. thou hast crack'd the egg in my mouth . this is meant of those that thinking to speak of a business another speaketh before . i have more business then london fornaces at christmass . viz. i have more to do then i can turn my hands unto . wine hath the complexion of a lamb , a hogg , an ape , and a lion. viz. when one is drunke , then his humour , and natural disposition is discovered . few princes go to heaven . because there are but few of them , as it was preached before the duke of savoy , who is prince of piemont . lettera piaceuole , composta de proverbi , dell ' arsiccio academico intronato , in siena . a pleasant letter , composed all of proverbs , by arsiccio one of the vvitts of siena . gentilissima signiora , hor chio sono al sicuro , mi voglio pur cavar questa maschera , & non intendo più far lo sciocco ; sorella mia , voi ui sete ingannata a credere , che quello arsiccio che faceva il balordo fosse buono , egli era più falso , più latino , & più malitioso ch'il diavolo del inferno ; e se bene faceva la gatta di masino , egli haveua il pane in mano , èl rasoio alla cintola , & come colui cha ha fatto d'ogni lana un peso , accennava a coppe , & dava danari cercando s'ha esse potuto pigliar duo colombi a una faua ; ma la sorte volse che altri si levò prima di luy : perche l'huomo propone , & dio dispone ; egli si pensò d'andare a pascere , & andò ad orare , & però disse ben coluy , i sogni non son veri , & disegni non riescono , & chi mal pensa , mal dispensa , & altri disse , mal habbia & disse bene , per che è giusto chi chi cerca briga la trovi a sua posta , & chi potendo stare cade trà via , s'ei si rompe il collo a suo danno sia . mà il male non stà sempre dove si pena , che il mondo è tondo , & doppo la notte viene il giorno ; et come si dice ogni tempo viene a chi lo può aspettare ; & a chi rincresce pongali a sedere ; cosi farò io , ne mi spavento di quel che si dice , che chi vive a speranza , muor cacando , chio ho prisciatio sopra neve , & so hoggimai quanti pani fanno una coppia , & quanti paia fanno tre buoi , & conosco benissimo un bue frà cento persone , & per dir meglio , conosco j miei buoi , nè mi credo ingannare , che come sapete , più sà il matto in casa sua ch'il savio in quella d'altri , è basta . mà potreste dire , tardi torno orlando , jo vi rispondo che il bene non fù mai tardi , & pero anchorche la pietra sia caduta nel pozzo , & ch●io vegga che gli è un zappa in acqua , ò come dicono gettar le fave al muro , & non si può scorzare il popone ; ci bisogna poi ch'habbiamo tocato il culo alla cicala ch'ella canti , & se bene egli è un stuzzicare il formicaio , & un attizzare il fuoco e ' non importa , quel che h● da esse convien che sia , & chi nasce mato non guarisce mai , jo sono oca , & oca convien ch'io muoia , et se bene fò il cane dell ' ●ortolano patienza ; voi sapete che chi si contenta , gode ; & io godo poiche la casa bruccia & io mi scalderò ●ur le mani ; & se io duro nelle scartate mio danno , il è peggio che morire : costoro dicono che il mutar costume , e'l sopportare le corna per forza è ad pari di mori●e . et pero mi delibero di's borrare un tratto , & dir come il co●so se coglie , coglie se non sparge , & a chi toca , tocchi ; a me basta mostrare che non son'io quel che hà dato al cane , & poi che ho cattivi vicini bisogna ch'io ni loda da me stesso , se bene dicono che chi loda s imbroda . basta ch'io possa dir per voj mo●ij ò viddi che mi pianse , & veggio per prova che l'alegrezze di questo mondo duran poco , & che tutto quello che riluce non è o●o . egli è mala cosa l'esser cattivo , mà gliè peggiore l'essere conosciuto . jo confesso chio presi un granchio , & se non fu con due boche dicalo chi lo sà ; m● che profitta tauuedersi doppo'l fatto , o tardar pentirsi al capezzale ; chi hà tempo , non aspettitempo , & pigli il bene quando viene , che il mondo è fatto a scale chile scende , & chi le sale ; et l'hore non tornano a dietro che se la cosa s'havesse a fare due volte , l'asino sarebbe nostro ; mà voi sapete , come si dice , meglio è rauuederci una volta che non maj , perche il peggior de tutti peccati è l'ostinatione . vengo dunque a far come colui che perduti i baoi serra la stalla , & sò ch'egli è un gittare il manico dietro alla pala ; pur lo faccio accio che non crediate ch'iò dorma al fuoco , ò me ne vada preso alla grida , chio non son hoggimai il fancuillo di mona cimbella , & mostreroui che voi mi potrete ben l'forzare , mà non ingannare , che i gattuchi h●nno aperto gli occhi , ne voglia che si possa dire che mi sia stata venduta la lepre in sacco , ne fatto credere che le lucciole siano lanterne , ch'io non hò mangiato travergole , & non si pensi nissuno di farmi calandrino , ne farmi comprar la gatta per lepre , ch'ei s'ingannerabbe di grosso , perche quando il lor diavolo nacque , il mio andava alla banca , & , singannano a partito a pensar disaperne tanto essi dormendoquanto io vegghiando , mà al frigger ' se ne auuedranno ; al carnevale si conosce chi hà la gallina grassa , questi chi fanno tanto il savio il più delle volte vengon ' a cader del lor asino , ò darsi de la scure nel piede . jo hò sempre veduto che chi più ne h● più ne imbratta , & chi asino è & cervio esser si crede fa la zuppa nel paniere . mà non è ben sempre dire il tutto , anzi dicono ch'gli è meglio mangiare quel che altri hà , che dir quel che altri sà , perche in bocca serrata non entrò mai mosca , & la lingua non ha osso mà fà romper ' il dosso , perche chi troppo parla , spesso falla , & per cio dicono , che è saviezza pa●lar poco , & ascoltar assaj , & di qui nacque quel proverbio un par d'orecchie seccano cento lingue , & io ho udito sempre pentir i più d'aver ciarlato che d'aver tacciuto ; anchor che si dica che chi non parla dio non l'ode , & però dicono molti di il fatto tuo , & lascia far al diavolo , & io confesso che si perde molto esser stoltò , & chi non s'arrischia non guadagna , & chi vuol del pesce bisogna che s'ammolli le brache . ma a me è sempre intervenuto come al can d'esopo , perche anchor chio habbia rotto il scilinguagriolo la fortuna m'e stata sempre fi contraria che sempre hò dato sotto le buche , & trovo veri●simo quel che si canta : ventura aver che poco senno basta : mà io non feci mai bucata , che non piovesse , & credetti ben che piovesse , ma non che diluviasse , tutta via non vien un male che non venga per bene , chi sà , solo dio sà il tutto & accasca in un punto que che non accasca in centò anni , & però io ben mi comforto , che se bene le pere mature cadono in bocca aporci , non èperò che chi opera bene talhora non venga rimunerato , & che colui che mal vive non mucia , mà le non mi voglio gettar frà i morti , che dio dice ajutati , chio t'auitaro , & veggo che chi vive verzica , & chi pecora fà il lupo sela mangia . jo son ben sciocco mà non tanto quanto voi mi fate , & se voi non me lo cre lete , mettetimi , il dito in bocca , & vederete se io son terreno da porci vigna , & da piantar carotte , & se io vi riusciro meglio a pane che a farina . voi direte forse non voglio provare che alla prova si scortica l'asino , & molte cose son meglio crederle che provarle ; & io non mi voglio pigliar ' gli impacci del treccia , a chi duol il dente se lo cavi , che io non voglio che i peti d'altri rompino le mie brache . dico che sete savia , & che gli è meglio imparare alle spese d'altri , & io che vengo dalla fossa sò che cosa è il morto ; cosi havesse fatto io che non mi sarei gittato adosso , & ne li occhi agresto , & detto mi che il credere , & il peuere ing●nn● le donne , & i cani : nè mi sarebbe bussate le banche dietro ; mà se io feci male me ne gratto gli occhi & si può di● per me , che ch● semplicemente pecca semplicemente va all' inferno , & certo io confesso chio fui colto al boccone come i ranocchi , mà di qui a cent ' anni tanto varra il lino quanto la stoppa , & chi havera mangiato il pesce cacherà le lische , & se bene il peccato sarà vecchio la penitenza sarà nuova . hora il loperchio rompe il coperchio , & la forza caca adosso la ragione ; bisogna quando altri è incudine soffrire , & quando martello percuotere , che gio●are & perdere lo sa far ogni uno & bisogna tal volta pena patire per bella parere , & se io h● le corna in seno non me le voglio metter ' in ca ▪ o , fallo celato è mezzo per donato , & cercar d'aspettar il tempo , che càgna frettolosa fà i cagnuoli ciechi ; si dice ancora che non si fece mai nulla ben in fretta , salvo che il fuggire la peste , & per ciovoglio lasciar passar tre pani per coppia , perche io hò sentito dire che chi guarda a ogni penna non fa m●i letto , tanto più chio hò da fare con gente strascinata da cani , & che sà dove il diavolo tien la coda , & come dicono hà portato le naccare & é passato da pinton di maniera che il mio carlino non varrà cinque foldi , altre che voi sapete che chi hà poca vergogna tutto il mondo è suo . voi direte forse , arsiccio , il cane chi vuol morder non abbaia , è dove bisognano i fatti le parole sono d'avanzo farebbe meglio che tu ti arrecassi la mano al petto , & ti recordassi che tu non hai però il fil rosso per voler èsse● figlio della matrigna , & n'hai fatte le tue parti , & saj che si dice , qua l'asino che da in parete il colpò che dà lo riceve : ti lamenti de gamba sana , & ti si potrebbe di●e , che non sai ricevere li scherzi , & che asmo bian●o ti và al molino , & non sai quel che te ne fanno , & miri la brusca d'altri , & non vedi la tua trave , come se non sapessimo che sei stato l'asino nel pignataio , & hai fatto d'ogni herba fascio come falce fenaia , & quando t'è venuto bene hai ' arato con l'asino , & col bue , & sei andato con li zoccholi per lásciuto a tuo piacere , hora ti pat miracolo che i granchi vadino a traverso , & bravi a credenza : non sai tu chi hà bocca vuol mangiare , & che la comodità fa l'uhomo ladro & dicono a l'arca aperta il savio pecca , & che il mal pertuso non vuol fine . tu vai a zonzo per il mondo , nè ti recordi che chi và al mercato perde il lato & chi non torna di corto può dire d'esser morto ; su vuoi una legge per te , & un altra per gli altri come se non sapessi che ogni grillo g●illa a se , & og●iuno tira l'acqua al suo molino ; & chi prende dilettò di far frode , & lascia la via vecchia per la nuova , & vuol torre a mattonar ' il mare , & insegnar ' a volar ' a gli asini , ò menare l'osso a modena si perde tempo , e parole , & j passi ; si che se tu ti sei disposto a volar ' senza ale & facevi fondamento inaria , lamentati di te ; su sai che la salsa non è fatta per gli asini , & anchor che la girlanda costi un quatrino la non stà bene a ogniuno , & chi troppo presume , & troppo alto sale fa maggior caduta . tu ti lamenti che le tue bugie non son credute , & in tanto non vuoi credere a gli altri la verità ; anzi io ui rispondo ch'io sono in cattivo stato per troppo credere , & per lasciarmi menar per il naso come le bufale , & come colui chi non bavecca più malitia ch'una colomba , stava a bocca asperta com'i passerotti quando mi davi ad intendere che la luna stava sopra il cielo del forno . in fine che ognuno se'l becca , & quello e'l tuo nemico che è di tuo ufficio , & chi offende non perdona mai , & un pensa ghiotto l'altro il taverniere & tra corsale & corsale non si perde se non i barili vuoti , nè fu mai un si tristo che non si trovasse un peggior di lui , perche ogni dritto hà il suo roversio ; & però mi son risolto esser sempre fidele , perche io non voglio che mi sia fatto far ' il latino a cavallo ; perche per dir il vero l'huomo è impiccato ; & dicono ch'egli è il vero quel che dispiace . farò dunque l'intronato , & parlerò per proverbi comuni , & come i chi canta , & trova , perche è mal sordo quel che non vuol udire ; & è mal bussare a forniconi di sorbo , che fanno o●ecchi di mercatanti , & si lasciare gracchiare , & dicono tu dirai , & io farò ; & io mison accorto che questo pigliar le mosche in aria , è un voler ' esser la favola de commune , & è come voler entrar in un pettine di sette che eta cava , & quatro mette , & è meglio accordarsi con la volonta del maggiore , & legate l'asino dove vuol il padrone , & non voler ' andar sù per le cime de gli alter , che chi fà la casa in piazza , un dice che è alta , & alto ch'ella è bassa , & quel che pone il suo culo in consiglio , l'uno dice bianco , l'altro vermiglio , & benche dicono voce di popolo voce di dio , nientedimeno voi sapete che non è bestia più pazza di quella del popolo , in acqua più grossa che quella di maccheroni , & però io mi guardo di due cose , l'una da segnati da dio , l'altra d'aque chete , come ancho da hoste nuovo , & putana vecchia ; jo hò trovato che ognun conta della fiera com' egli andò con essa , & che talhora per un brutto viso si perde una buona compagnia , che porco pigro non mangiò mai pera mazza ; tanto è il bene che non giovo , quanto il male che non nuoce , & chi non vuol ballare non vada al ballo , perche poi sete dentro bisogna ballare , non fare come il mocicone del ' arsiccio che si lasciò fuggire j pesci cotti di mano . o sciocco , come ti stà bene ogni male , và datti in un monte di lolla , & non comparire più frà la gente è possibile che tu che fai il gigante , & vuoi darnorma a gli altri ti sia lasciato stiacciare le noci in capo , & menar ' in caperuccia di questa sorte ? rispondo , che chi fai come può non fà mai bene , & che contra due non la potrebbe anche orlando , & se io stetti cheto , & non mi dolsi feci perche non mi fosse detto sempre la più trista ruota del carro è quella che gracida , & che hà da fare la luna con i granchi , intrometendo ui io dove non bisognava , & era per certò che non si direbbe di me viene l'asino di montagna , & caccia il cavallo di stalla ; et pero io stava come il prete della poca offerta , che per più non poter l'huomo si lascia cadere ; mà non è chio non vedessi il mio male , perche al tutto è orbo chi non vede il sole . pure , come videte che la pala guarda la vigna ; jo volsi più tofto che si dicesse che fuggi il tale , che quì fù morto il tale , tenendo speranza in quel che si dice , siedi & gambetta & vedrai tua vendetta ; mà chi ha la prima non ne va mai netto , quel imboccarsi per man d'altri , è un non atollarsi mai . jo vorrei veder un tratto s'io potessi cavar la muffa di questo vino , perche questo giocar il pe●riera , & voi sapete chi'o sò che chi ti fà più carezze che non suole , non và a buon camino , perche ò tradire , ò ingannarti vuole . quel servir de pediglio cantar bene , & ruspar male è un arte del diavolo ; mà chi hà cotto il culo co ceci come io , è basta , elle non sono cose da stare al martello , chio hò udito dir più d'una volta che le galline si pigliano con belle , belle , & non con scioia , scioia , & che tal mano si bacia che si vorebbe veder mozza , & che non è ingannato se non che si fida . jo non intendo di rubbar'il porco per dar i piedi per limosina , nè manco far com' il zolla chi daua due pecore nere per una bianca , per cioche io sò che l'amore è cieco , & pazzo , & però dice ch'io piangerò per noci , & essi per aglio , & m'accorgo ch'ogni bel giuco rinercresce , & ben spesso si piglia delle volpi ; pur credi che a cane chi lecca cenere è mal fidarli la farina , & è come porre il lupo pet pecotaio , & andar ' alla gatta pe'l lardo ; jo fuggi ben il ranno caldo , & dubito un tempo di non me dar ' in un trent ' uno , temendo di non esser fatto morire di tisico . mà chi scappa da un punro scappa di cento , & non è in tutto savio colui chi non sa bisognando esser pazzo , & però feci l'intronato , & volli prima perder il dono che la mano ; jo mi sènto fin quà zuffolar gli orecchi , & parmi videre questa tua canta favola arsiccio , non vo●rei che metessi il pulce ne gli orecchi altrui in questa maniera ; jo ti cognosco meglio cha la madre che ti fece , tu ti vorresti metter ' il cervello a partito , & ti riuscirà quello che non ti pensi , perche tu sai che chi altri tribula se non posa , & che ti si potrebbe dire come la padella al paiuolo ognun facci i fatti suoi . tu ti lasci imbrogliare , & poi t'ardiri , & ti maraccigli del pont ' a tressa , & non sai che maggior miracolo fù il baleno , & che l'amore , & le latosse non si possono celare ; tu hai l'essempio inanzi alla buona derrata pensavi sù , & credi che non sono tutti huomini chi pisciano al muro . mà non intendo andar ' a caccia de grilli a esser lungo tempo fastidioso , se mi scriverete farete il debito vostro , ed io ui risponderò come l'asino che raglia dandovi per ogni pane tre foggacie , dischiarando ui questo mio ghiribezzo con altri termini più chiari . di milano dove io meno la vita di michelazzo , mangio , & beuo , & vado a solazzo ; essendo al comando tutto di v. s. la quale n. s. feliciti , del mese de gli asini , quel che tanto ama voi quanto amate voi medesima , l'arsiccio intronato . refranes , o proverbios en romance , ò la lengua castellana ; a los quales se han anadido algunos portuguezes , catalanes , y gallegos , &c. de los quales muchos andan glossados . proverbs , or adages in the spanish tovng , vvhereunto there are added divers , in portuguez , catalan , and gallego ; vvith glosses upon the darkest of them . which proverbs are partly moral , relating to good life ; partly physical , relating to diet , and health ; partly topical , relating to particular places ; partly temporal , relating to seasons ; partly ironical , relating to drollery , and mirth . carta compuesta de refranes , concurrientes todos a la conservacion de la salud humana ; a don lvys dives , que dios guarde mas de mil ann̄os , con salud , y honras correspondientes a sus heroicas prendas , y merecimientos . siendo la salud la mas preciosa joya de quantas la natura tiene en su retrete , yo le encomiendo tres doctores para mantenerla , es a saber , el doctor dieta , el doctor reposo , y el doctor gozo . tocante el postrero , bien se sabe por experiencia , ( que es aquel gran espeio de sabiduria ) que una onça de alegria vale mas que cien quintales de melancolia ; pesadumbres no pagan deudas , el cuydado en demasia roe hasta el tuetano , coraçòn contento es gran talento , que puede dezir , alegramente , el diablo es muerto , y el italiano dize , poco cibo , & men affanno , sanità del corpo fanno , tambien dize , grave cura non ti punga , & sarà tua vitae lunga . tocante el segundo doctor que mira al govierno del cuerpo , es mucha verdàd , que poca fatiga es gran salùd , bueno es passear hasta que se vea la sangre en le mexilla , no el sudòr en la frente , por lo que toca al suen̄o , que es el rey de reposo , duerme el dia quando quieres , y la noche quanto puedes ; la noche noche , y el dia dia , y viviràs con alegria ; mas , quien quiere bien dormir que compre la cama de un deudòr ; allende de esto , come poco , y cena mas , duerme en alto y viviras ; pero sobre la sombra del nogàl , no te pongas a acostàr ; mas desto , bueno es madrugar , porque quien el diablo hà d'engan̄ar , de manan̄a se hà de levantar ; tambien tenga cuenta de yr por la manan̄a a la pescaria , y la tarde a la carniceria , porque pece y huespèd luego hieden ; tocante la cobertura del cuerpo , si quieres vivir sano , haz te viejo temprano , no dexes los pelliscos hasta que vengan los galileos ; buena regla es , que yo ande caliente y riase la gente ; otra ay mas particular , enxuto el piè , caliente la cabeça por el resto vive como bestia ; escuche tambien lo que dize el romano , vesti caldo , mangia poco , bevi assai , & vivirai . por lo que toca las partes del cuerpo , aduiertase , que los oios ( siendo malos ) se han de curar con el codo ; los dientes no piden in mucho cuydado , in demasiado descuydo , quando te dolieren las tripas hazlo saber al culo , mee claro , y higa para el medico ; an̄adese a esto , si meares de color de florin , echa el medico para ruyn , toda via quien mea , y no pee , va a la corte , y el rey no vee ; sepase tambien que a la gota , el medico no vee gota ; tocante el casamiento , el dicho del marques de mirabel , se hà de observàr , el qual siendo preguntado como vivia tantos an̄os , ( porque tenia mas de ochenta ) respondio , caséme tarde , y embiude me temprano ; si quieres hembra escoie la negra , porque la muger negra trementina en ella , tambien el francès dize , fille brunette , gaye , & nette ; pero , muger roxa y barbuda de cien passos lass aluda ; mas de esto , muger , anade , y cabra mala cosa siendo magra ; observese tambien este cumplimiento , junio , julio , y agosto , sen̄ora mia , no os conosco . tocante el doctor dieta que predomina mucho sobre la salùd , es regla generàl , quien mucho come poco come ; el italiano dize bisogna far tre pasti per star sano , un buono , un cattivo , ed un mazzano ; quien come bien , y beve bien , hazelo que deve ; pero , a buen comer , ò a mal comer ties vezes haz de bever ; por lo que toca a la bevanda , bevase agua como un buey , y vino como rey ; el agua tiene tres excellentes virtudes ; ni enferma , ni adeuda , ni embiuda ; toda via , agua fria , y pan caliente nunca hizieron buen vientre ; siempre al higo agua , y a la pera vino ; tambien a bocado haròn espolado de vino ; pero vino trasnochado no vale un cornado ; dixo la leche al vino , bien vengays amigo ; regla es muy saludable , quien quisiere vivir sano , coma poco , y cene temprano . tocante los manjares , cabrito de un mès , y rezental de très ; un huevo escaseza , dos gentileza , tres valentìa , quatro vellaqueria ; dizese , que si el villano supiesse el sabòr de la gallina en el henero , no dexaria ninguna en el pollero ; escojase siempre leche de cabra , manteca de vaca , y queso de oueja , pero , el queso que vien de corta mano es el mas sano ; a los moços està permitido de comer mas que a los otros , porque se dize , que el moço creciente , hà el lobo en el vientre : por esto se dize , que quien hurta la cena al viejo , no le haze agravio ; porque quien no cena , no hà menestèr avicena ; otros dizen , que mas matò la cena , que no sano avicena ; de suerte que si tienes gana de morir , come carnero assado , y echate a dormir : an̄adese a esto , que si quieres comida mala , come la liebre assada : quien en mayo come sardina , en agosto caga la espina ; et quien come caracoles en abril apareje cera , y pavil ; todavia quando llueve , y haze sol , coie el caracòl . no ay caldo como el çumo guijarro , pero ni olla sin tocino , ni sermon sin agostino . tocante las frutas y legumbres , observese , que pan reziente , y vuas , a las moças pone mudas , y a las viejas quita las arrugas ; azeytuna oro es una , dos plata , tercera mara ; quieres buen bocado , el niespolo despen̄ado ; pera que dizir rodrigo no vale un higo , otros dizen , la muger , y la pera , la que calla es buena ; però el francès tiene una buena cauciòn tocante esta fruta , viz. apres la poire , où le vin , où le prest●e ; mas , sobre melòn vino follòn : con todo sea sal porque el francès , dize , cest un banquet du diable , où il n'y a point du sel. tocante el hinoio , y la ruda ay dos refranes muy notables , es a saber , quien hinojo vee , y no coje , diablo es , que no hombre ; el otro , si supiesse la muger la virtud de la ruda , la buscaria de noche a la luna . observando est as reglas se podria vivir tanto quanto un elefante qui es de la mas larga vida de quantos animales ay , segun aquel refran graduàl , un seto dura tres an̄os , un perro tres setos , tres perros un cavallo , tres cavallos un hombre , tres hombres un ciervo , tres ciervos un elefante . no soy por mas , si no , que desseandole en conclucion salùd y gozo , y casa con un corral y pozo , quedo de todas mis entranas su criado mayor , porque , quisiere annque soy chico , set en serville gigante i. h. a letter compos'd of spanish proverbs , concurring all in one congruous sense , and conducing to the preservation of humane health . to the heroique knight , sir lewis dives , whom god preserve with health and long life , &c. sir , health being the most precious jewel that nature hath in her cabinet , i recommend unto you three doctors for the maintenance thereof , viz. doctor diet , doctor quiet , doctor merry-man . touching the last , 't is well known by experience , which is the great looking-glasse of wisedome , that an ounce of mirth is more worth then a hundred weight of melancholy ; sorrow quits no score , and too much care eats to the very marrow : a heart content is a great talent , which may say , alegramente , the devil is dead ; and as the italian saith , a little meat , and less grief make a healthful body . touching the second doctor , which concerns the government of the body , 't is a great truth , that a little labour is much health ; 't is good to walk till blood appear in the cheeks , and not sweat on the brow . touching sleep , who is the king of repose , sleep in the day when thou wilt , and in the night as much as thou canst ; make night of night , and day of day , then thou maist sing welladay : but he who desires to sleep soundly , let him buy the boulster of one who died in debt . moreover , dine with little , and sup with lesse , sleep high , and thou wilt live long ; but take heed of sleeping on the shadow of a wallnut-tree : besides , 't is good to rise early , for he who will couzen the devil must rise betimes : go also early to the fish-market , and late to the shambles , for fish and guests quickly stink . concerning thy clothes , or coverings of thy body , if thou wilt live healthful , make thy self an old man betimes , leave not thy furs till the galileans come , ( viz. till ascension day , when that scripture is read . ) it is a good rule , let me go warm , and let the world laugh at me . there 's another rule , keep thy feet dry , and thy head hot , and for the rest live like a beast , ( viz. eat and drink no more then will suffice nature . ) concerning the parts of the body , take notice that the eyes being not well are to be cur'd with the elbow , ( viz. thou must not finger them . ) the teeth require not much care , nor too much neglect ; when thy tripes ake , make it known to thy tail , piss clear , and a fig for the physician : whereunto may be added , that if thy urine be a bright yellow , shake off thy doctor ; yet we say , who pisseth and lets not a fart , goes to the court and see 's not the king. know also that touching the gout the physician is blind . touching marriage , the saying of the marquesse of m. is observable , who being ask'd how he came to live so many fair years ( for he was above fourscore ) he answered , i married late , and i was a widdower betimes ; if thou desirest a woman , choose a black one , for in a black woman there is turpentine ; whereunto the french man alludes , when he saith , the brown lasse is gay and cleanly : but for a red hair'd , or bearded woman , salute them a hundred paces off . touching doctor diet , who predominates much over humane health , 't is a general rule , that he who eats much eats but little . the italian saith , that to preserve health , one must make three meals a day , one good , one bad , and another midling one ; who eats well , and drinks well , doth what he ought to do ; but whether you dine well or ill , be sure to drink thrice . touching drink , drink water like an oxe , and wine like king ; water hath three excellent vertues , for it neither makes one sick , nor puts one in debt , nor makes a widower ; yet cold water and hot bread never made good belly : after the fig water , and after the pear wine ; a jadish bit also requires a spur of wine , but wine that stood all night is not worth a rush . the milk told the wine , welcome friend ; it is a wholesome precept , who will live healthful , let him dine sparingly , and sup betimes . touching flesh , a kid of a moneth , and a lamb of three are best ; for eggs , one is scarceness , two are gentleness , three valour , and four are knavery . they say that if the country-man knew the goodness of a hen in january , he would not leave one in his roost-house : goats milk , cow butter , and sheeps cheese are best , but that cheese is best which comes from a misers hand : young men are allowed to eat more then others , for a growing youth hath a woolf in his belly ; therefore 't is said , who from an old man steals his supper , doth him no wrong , because he who doth not sup hath no need of the physician ; therefore if thou hast a mind to dye , eat rosted mutton at night , and go to sleep : hereunto may be added , if thou desirest ill food , eat a rosted hare . he who eats pilchers in may , shites out the bones in august : and he who eats mushrumps in april , let him provide week and wax , viz. let him prepare for his burial ; yet when it rains in a sun-shine , gather thy mushrumps . there is no broth like that of the juyce of flint , ( viz. of water that flowes thence ) but let not the pot of pottage be without bacon , nor a sermon without saint austine . touching fruit and garden-herbs , observe that new bread and grapes paint young maids , and takes away wrinkle from old folks . one olive is gold , two silver , three brass ; if you will have a good bit , eat a peel'd medlar . the pear which cryes rodrigo is not worth a rush . others say , that the woman and the pear which is silent are the best . but the french man hath a good caution touching this fruit , viz. apres la poire , où le vin où le prestre , after pear the wine or the priest ( to confess you before death . ) but after melon wine is a felon ; let there be salt withall , for the french man will tell you again , 't is a banquet for the devil where there is no salt . touching fennel and rue , there be two notable proverbs , viz. that he who sees fennel , and doth not gather it , he is a devil and no man ; the other is , that if the good woman did know the vertue of rue , she would look for it in the night at moonshine . by observing these rules one might by the strength and complaceney of nature arrive to the age of an elephant , whom the naturalists observe to live longest of any terrestrial creature ; according to that gradual proverb of lives , viz. a hedge doth last three years , a dog three hedges , a horse three dogs , a man three horses , a stag three men , an elephant three stags . no more now , but that wishing you all health and gladness , i rest from my very bowels , your greatest servant , for although i am but little , i would be a giant to serve you . j. h. refranes , ò proverbios morales tendientes a las costumbres , y a la buena vida , &c. con todo el mundo guerra , y paz con ingalatierra ; la primera muger es matrimonio , la segunda compania , la tercera heregia . la cruz en les pechos , y el diablo en los hechos . mejor es huevo oy , que pollo man̄ana . mas vale pun̄ado de natural , que almoçada de ciencia . poco a poco , hila la vieja el copo . deve algo para pascua , y hazerte hà corta la quaresma . pleyto y urinal . llevan el hombre al hospital . quien no miente , no viene de buena gente . no ay generacion , do no ay ò puta ò ladròn . de oio de ramera , y buelta de dado guarte . el huesped , y el pece a tres dias hiede . el dar limosna nunca la bolsa mengua . de rabo de puerco nunca buen virote . antes moral que almendro . hombre narigudo pocas vezes cornudo . un seto dura tres annos , un perro tres settos , tres perros un cavallo , tres cavallos un hombre , tres hombres un ciervo , tres ciervos un elefante . quin poco sabe presto lo reza . no me curo de los santos que mean. quien dinero tiene , alcança lo que quiere . quien posa debaxo de hoia , dos vezes se moia . quien al cielo escupe , en la cara le cae . quando estuvieres con tu muger vientre con vientre , no le digas quanto te viniere a la mente . quando dios no quiere , el santo no puede . quando todos dizen que ere 's asno , rebuzna . quando la mala fortuna se duerme nadie la despierte . quien trabaia , tiene alhaja . quien compra y vende , lo que gasta no siente . ni por colloio , in por conseio no delates tu venceio . ni yerua en el trigo , ni sospecha en el amigo . el coraçon manda las carnes . hagase el milagro , y hagalo mahoma . ni un dedo haze mano , ni una golondrina verano ni moço , pariente , ni rogado , no lo tomes por tu criado . ni tan vieja que amule , ni tan moça que retoce . de mula que haze hin , y muger que habla latin guarte . ni moca adevina , in muger ladina . ni los oios en las cartas , ni las manos en las arcas en bo ca cerrada , no entra mosca . mudança de tiempos , bordòn de necios . menea la cola el can no por ti , eno por el pàn. mas tiran tetas , que exes , y car●itas . mas vale verguença en cara , que manzilla en coraçon . mal de muchos , gozo es . mas vale prenda en arca , que fiador en la plaça . madre , y hija visten una cami●a . mas tiran nalgas en lecho , que bueys en barvecho . mas vale ser necio que porfiado . por esso es hombre cornudo porque dos pueden mas que uno . no ay tal hechizo como buen servicio . en la boca del discreto , lo publico es secreto . no son todos hombres que mean a la parèd . no es todo vero , lo que suena el pandero . no se haze la boda de hongos , sino de bollos redondos . todos los dedos no son y guales . no ay tal doctrina como la de la hormiga . quien hà officio , hà beneficio . no es pobre el que tiene poco , mas el que codicia mucho . nuestro gozo en el pozo . no ay mal tan lastimero , como no tener dinero . por do quiera ay tres leguas de mal quebranto . no puede mas faltar que março en quaresma . ●n alma sola ni canta , nil lora . no ay casa do no aya su chiticalla . haz bien , y no cates a quien . palabras y plumas el viento las tumba . duelo ageno de ●elo cuelga . palabra de boca , ●iedra de honda . quando vino el orinàl , muerto era iuan pasqual . quien mea y no pee , va a la corte , y no vee al el rey. quien quisiere muger hermosa el sabado la escoja y no el domingo . il sabio muda consejo , il necio no. sabe un punto mas que el diablo . el dia que te casas , ò te sanas , ò te matas . toma se el hombre por la barba , y la muger por el hilo . rogamos a dios por santos , mas no por tantos . secreto de dos sabe lo dios , secreto de tres toda res. viene dios a vernos sin campanilia . el pie en la cuna , la mano en la rueca . ni trigo de vega , ni len̄a de solumbrio . harto es ciego , quien no vee por tela de cedaço . la gente pone , y dios dispone . cobrate buena fama , y echate a dormir . las palabras buenas son , si assi es el coraçon . quien canta sus males espanta . mejor es , dexar a la muerte al enemigo , que pedir en la vida al amigo . buena es la tardanza que haze el camino seguro . bien vengas mal , si vienes solo . casa cumplida , en la otra vida . cayosele el pan en la miel . ce●o , ensen̄o , de mal hijo haze bueno . con lo que pedro adolece , sancho sana . como canta el abad , assi responde el sacristan . con●ra fortuna no vale arte ninguna . mucha conversacion acarrea meno precio . con un mucho y des poquitos se hazen los hombres buenos . perdida es la lexia en la cabeça del asno . cortesia de boca mucho vale y poco cuesta . con el oio y la fe no me burlarè . con lo que sana el higado , enferma el baço . pregona vino , y vende vinagre . da dios alas a la hormiga , para que se pierda mas ayna . del ocio , nace negocio . tiene cara de dos hazes . de piel agena larga correa . despues de descalabrado , untar el casco . mas vale un toma , que dos te darè . de potro sarnoso cavallo hermoso . dexemos padres y abuelos , y por nosotros seamos buenos . de moço reçongadòr nunca buen labòr . de espacio piensa , y obra a priessa . de cornada de ansaròn guarde dios mi coraçon . de buenas intenciones esta lleno el infierno . dichoso el varòn que escarmienta en cabeça agena y en la suya non . dixo la sarten alla caldera tirte allà cul negro . dieu consiente mas no siempre . dizen mas mal de el que mahoma del tocino . dios nos dè con que iamos , mas no de hijos bovos . di a tu amigo tu secreto , y tenerte hà el piè en el pescueço . do fueres , haras como vieres . donde vieios no andan cueruos no graznan . duele me el colodrillo , y untanme el tovillo . echar el mango tras el destràl . el alquazil y el sol por do quiera son . el perdon sobra donde el yerro falta . el corcobado no vee su corcoba , y vee la de su compan̄ero . el mal del oio curarle con el codo . el pie del duen̄o estiercol es para la heredad . en lo que estamos benedicamos . en casa del herrero cuchillo mangorrero . escapè del trueno , y dè en el relampago . en la boca del discreto lo publico es secreto . esse es mi amigo qui muele en mi molinillo . dotrina buena , escarmentarse en cabeça agena . galgo que muchas liebres levanta miguna mata . gloria vana florece , y no grana . gota a gota la mar se apoca . goza tu de poco , mientras busca mas el loco . grano a grano bastece la hormiga su granero . haz para mi , y aprende para ti . huelgo me un poco , mas hilo mi copo . huyendo del toro , cayme en el arroyo . la muger , y el vino sacan al hombre de tino . las entran̄as , y arquetas a los amigos abiertas . la telaran̄na suelta al rato , y la mosca apan̄a . de la mar el sal , de la muger el mal . por la pija del papa que es carne santa . despues que parì , nunca mi vientre henchi . dezir y hazer no comen a una mesa . de hombre necio a vezes buen consejo . de persona callada arriedra tu posada . el hombre es el fuego , la muger la estopa , viene el diablo y sopla . al comer sudar , al hazer temblar . el dinero , haze un hombre entero . quien de miedo se muriò de cagaiones le hizieron la sepultura . el melon y la mugèr , malos son de conocèr . gesto de oro , cabellosde plata , y oios d'escarlata . hombre apercebido medio combatido . hombre que madruga de algo tiene cura . entre hermanos no metas tus manos . la gente pone , dios dispone . las tripas estèn llenas , que ellas llevan las piernas . la cabra de mi vezina , mas leche da que no la mia . ama y seras amado , assi podràs hazer lo que no haràs desamado . a mugèr casta la pobreza le haze y hazer feeza . el tocino de parayso , para el casado que no arrepiso . casàr y compadrar , cada qual con su y guàl . hombre vieio cada dia un duelo nuevo . un cabello haze sombra . vender miel al colmenero . venga el bien , y venga por do quifiere . judio , ni puerco no metas en tu huerto . las tocas de beata , y un̄as de gata . la oveja loçana dixo a la cabra , da me lana . la vida passada haze la vejez pesada . la verdad como el olio siempre nada en somo . la muger loca por la lista compra la toca . la muger del ciego no hà menester afeyte . moça de la plaça la pucerta barrida , la casa cagada . la culpa del asno echan la a la aluarda . la mucha conversacion a carrea menos precio . la muger artera , el marido por delantera . la necessidad haze la vieja trotar , y el coxo saltar al bien pagados nunca duele prenda . libro cerrado no saca letrado . a muertos , y a ydos no ay amigos . los dineros , hazen duen̄os . oy ensilla , manan̄a se va . los dichos en nos lo hechos en dios. los que tienen muger muchos ojos han menester lo que has de hazer haz , y no digas cras . lo que no acaece en un an̄o , acaece en un instante . lo que se usa , no se escusa . la demasià rompe la talega . lo que saben tres , saben toda res. los muertos abren los ojos a los vivos . lo peor del pleytos es , que de uno nacen ciento . lo ordenado en el cielo forçoso se ha de cumplir en el suelo . lo que se haze a la boda , no se haze hora toda . cada una tiene su alma en su palma . la mançana podrida pierde a su compania . langosta haze la tripa angosta . la muger , y el melon huelense por el peçon . la muger y el vino sacan al hombre del tino . blanda respuesta la ira quiebra . verdad es verde . la mentira no tiene pies . mejor es huevo oy , que pollo man̄an̄a . palabras buenas sonjonetes . la mentira tiene las piernas cortas . levantar la liebre para que otro la jaco . el pobre como el hogal apedreado de todos . palabras hembras , son hechos machos . mejor doblar que quebrar . llegate a los buenos , e seras uno dellos . desseo humano jamas encumbrado . atame manos y pies , y meteme entre los mios . de burlas , ni de veras con tu sen̄or no partas peras . mas vale descozer , que romper . mas hiere mala palabra , que espada a hilada . mas vale prenda en arca , que fiador en la plaça . mas vale humo de mi casa que fuego de la agena . mal me quieren mis comadres porque les digo les verdades . mas vale rodear que ahojar . mal vale soltero andar , que mal casar . mas vale pun̄ado de natural , que almoçada de ciencia . martillar en hierro frio . mas caga un buey que cien golondrinas . mas vale tarde que nunca . malo es pecar , diabolico perseverar . mas apaga buena palabra , que caldera de agua . mal aviendo , y bien esperando , morirme he triste , y no se quando . si mucho las pintas , y las regalas de buenas hijas haras malas . muger alvendera , mas no ventanera . tanto quiso el diablo a su hijo , que le quebrò el ojo . trasegalla porque no sepa a la madre . ventura ayas hijo , que poco saber te basta . quien hijos tiene , razon es que allegue . quien hijos tiene al lado , no muere ahitado . quien quisiere ser gran viejo , comencelo presto . al hombre osada la fortuna le da la mano . al buey por el cuerno , y al hombre por el vierbo . dios le de casa de robre , taça de plata , y olla de cobre . don sin dinerono es don , si no donayre . dadivas quebrantan pen̄as . quien tiene hijas , y ovejas nunca le faltan quexas . mas valen dos camisones que uno . al ni●o , y al mulo en el culo . a muger parida , y tela urdida nunca le falta guarida . cria un cuervo sacarte hà el ojo . con hombre interessal no pongas tu caudal . con buen trage se encubre ruyn linage . da me la honesta , y darte la he compuesta . da me pega sin mancha , y dar te he moça sin tacha . mas vale guardar que pedir . mas tiran tetas que sogas can̄amen̄as . madre piadosa hija merdosa . mas vale tuerta , que ciega . mal de muchos , gozo es . mas cerca esta la rodilla , que la pantorilla . mas vale acostarse sin cena , que levantarse con deuda . mete la mano en tu seno , no diras de hado ageno . mejor es embidia , que manzilla . mejor es uno que nuestro . mientras mas moros , mas ganancica . missa ni cevada no estoruan jornada . mientras anda el yugo ande el huso . mientras en mi casa me esto y , rey me soy . mi fe , nuestra ama , con mal va esta trama . mira adelante no cayras atras . moça galana calabaça vana . moço bien criado ni de si habla , ni calla preguntado . mucho sabe el cornudo , pero mas el que pone los cuernos . mondo redondo , quien no sabe nadar vase àl hondo . muchos besan manos que querrian ver coradas . mucho vale , y poco cuesta , a mal hablar buena respuesta . muger se quexa , muger se duele , muger enferma quando quiere . bien cotre la liebre , mejor el galgo pues la prende . mudança de tiempos bordon de necios . nace en la huerta lo que no sembra el hortalano . no me agrada puerta que a muchas llaves haze . no compres cavallo rabeador . nacen alas a la hormiga para que se pierda mas ayna . no quiero cochino con sonaja . necios y porfiados enriquecen los letrados . la necessidad haze a la vieja trotar . necjo nao sin lastre . ni de amigo reconciliado , ni de manjar dos vezes guisado . ni ausente sin culpa , ni presente sin disculpa . ni compres mula coxa , ni cases puta pensando de curarlas . ni de lagtimas de puta , ni de fieros de rufian . ni mesa sin pan , ni exercito sin capitan . ni boda ●●n tamborino , ni olla ●n tocino . ni trigo de valle , ni trigo de solombrio . ni do y , ni tomo como judio en sabado . ni a la muge que llora , ni al perro que mea . ni mi era , ni civera , trille quien qui●ere en ella . ni comas mucho queso , ni de moço esperes seso . ni pollos sin tocino , ni sermon sin agostino . ni te abates por pobreza , nite ensalçes por riqueza . ni●a , vin̄a , peral y havar malas cosas de guardar . ni mula sin raça , ni muger sin tacha . ni con cada mal al fi●●co , ni con cada rin̄a al letrado , ni con cada sed al jarro . ni un dedo haze mano , ni una golondrina verano . ni sobre dios sen̄or , ni sobre negro ay color . no falte voluntad , que no faltarà lugar . no dexes los pellejos hasta que vengan los galileos . no ay tal hechizo , como el buen servicio . no es tan bravo el leon como le pintan . no te entremetas en lo que no te aran●e hazer . no ay peor burla que la verdadera . no ay peor sordo que el que no quiere oyr . no ay ataio , ●in traba●o . no se haze la boda de hongos , sino he ducados redondos . no se toman truchas a bragas enxutas . no ay mejor espeio que el amigo viejo . no ay mejor cirujano que el bien a cuchillado . no ●arte , no seras engan̄ado . ne ay razon como la del baston . no me pesa que mi hijo ●ierda , se no que desquitarse quiera . no es todo oro lo que reluze . no es bien huyr en çancos . no ay mejor maestra que la necessidad y pobreça . no ay mal , que el tiempo no alivie su tormento . no puede ser mas negro el cuervo que sus alas . no pidas al olmo la pera porque no la lleva . no ay testigo como buen trago de vino . no ay mejor bocado que el hu●tado . no te hagas mandador , donde no fueres sen̄or . no hables sin ser preguntado , y seras estimado . no hiere dios con dos manos , que a la mar hizo puertos , y a los nos vados . no ay cerradura si es de oro la ganzua . no seays hornera si teneys la cabeça de manteca . nuevo rey , nueva ley. no ay bien sin trabajo . obra de comun obra de migun . cada uno ●or si , y dios por todos . ofrecer mucho , especie es de negar . o●os ay que de lagan̄as se enamoran . oveia que b●la bocado pierde . palabras y lumas el viento las tumba . panadera eras antes , aunque ahora traes guantes . papel y tinta dineros cuesta . parte nicolas para si lo mas . palabra y piedra suelta no tiene buelta . palabras de santo , y un̄as de gato . palacio gran consancio . pan y vino andan carmino , y no el moço garrido . pan con ojos , y queso sin ojos . habla poco , escucha mucho , y no erraras . para cada domingo no ay un par de orejas . pereza no lava cabeça , y si la lava no la peyna . perro ladrador nunca buen mordedor . pereza llave de pobreza . pera , durazno , y melon el vino puro quieren . pecados viejos penitencia nueva . pesa justo , y vendi caro . pedir sobrado por salir con lo mediano . perdido hà la rucia los saltos . matar moros en pared . piedra movediza , nunca el moho la cobija . piensa el ladron que todos son de su condicion . pleyto y orinal , en casa de quien quisieres mal . mas borracho que una sopa , una espongia . por hazer bien a otto destruyome mi todo . por conservar amistad pared en medio . poca ropa , y buen talante . por sol que haga , no dexes tu capa en casa . por codicia de florin no te cases con ruyn . por dinero bayla el perro . porfiar , mas no apostar . por monte no vayas tras otro . ponte buen nombre ysabel , y casarte has bien . por tu ley , por tu rey , por tu grey , y por lo tuyo moriras . al puerco gordo untatle en el rabo . a la mala costumbre quebrarle la pierna . al que mal haze nunca le falta achaque . el fin final servir a dios , y no hazer mal . al marido amalo como amigo , y temelo como enemigo . al cabo del an̄o mas come el muerto que el sano allende ò aquende mire con quien ande . alcança quien no cansa . a la muerte no ay casa fuerte . a la ●ar , es negar , y tarde dar . amigo de todos , y de ninguno todo es uno . amor de puta , y fuego d'estopa , viento del culo todo es uno . a manos lavadas dios les da que coman . ande me yo caliente , y riase la gente . a otro perro con este huesto . a provechate de viejo , y valdra tu voto en consejo . a perro viejo nunca cuz cuz . a quien dizes poridad , a esse tu das la libertad . a quien te da el capon , dale la pierna y el alon . ara hondo , y cogeras pan en abondo . aunque la mentira escuresca la verdad , no la puede apagar . al acreedor mejor memoria , que al deudor . ayer vaquero , oy cavallero . amar es bueno , mejor ser amado . castiga el bueno , mejora , el ruyn empeora . barba remojada , medio rapada . bever , y perder asnos . bien hab●ar , y mal hazer , cedacillo de cerner . bien canta marta , despues de harta . mal parece la moça loçana , cabe la barba cana . escritura , buena memoria . esto seria bridar un bezerro . bueno en uno , en dos mejor , malo en tres , y en quatro peòr . buey viejo sulco derecho . buscays cinco pies al gato , y no tiene sino quatro . buena pascua de dios a pedro que nunca mi hizo malo , ny bueno . a pressurosa demanda espaciosa respuesta . magra olla , y gordo testamento . cacarear , y no poner huevo . cada qual en su corral dessea caudal . cada ollero su olla alaba . cantarillo que và muy a la fuente , ally dexa el a sa , ò la frente . a cada paxarillo agrada su nidillo . cada gallo en su muladar . canta el gallo , responde la gallina , amarga la casa do no ay harina . caro cuesta el arrepentir . cada oveja , con su pareja . cada qual hable en lo que sabe . casa tu hija quando pudieres , y tu hijo quando quisieres . casarte has hombre cuytado , y tomaras cuydado . cavallo que buela , no quiere espuela . cavallo rucio rodado antes muerto que cansado . cae en la cueva el que otro a ella lleva . tal para tal , maria para iuan. toma casa con hogar , y muger que sepa hilar . todas las aves con sus pares . la puerta trasera es la que destruye la casa . tras cornudo san̄udo . triste es la casa donde la gallina canta , y el gallo calla . es petrus in cunctis . amor de min̄a agua en cestilla . no quiero perro en mi casa con cencerro . a casa de tu tia , mas no cada dia. a casa de tu hermano , no yras cada serano . al buen varon tierras agenas le patria son . unos son monies , y ottos calonges . amistad de yerno sol de invierno . a padre ganador , hijo despendedor . a padre guardador , hijo gastador . bendita sea la puerta por do sale la muger muerta . el savio muda consejo , el loco persevera . costumbres , y dineros hazen hijos cavalleros . con mal la casa anda , do la rueca a la espada manda . casa de padre , vina de abuelo , olivar de tartarabuelo . obedece tu padre natural , y mas el espiritual . hijo ere 's , padre seras , como hizieres tal auras . dixo me mi madre que porfiando no apostasse . el hijo del asno dos veres rozna el dia. don lope ni es vinagre ni arrope . hijo tardano , huerfano temprano . mas cerca estan mis dientes que mis parientes . madre piadosa cria hija merdosa . no yerra quien a los suyos semeja . parto largo , hija al cabo . queso ciego , y pan con oios quitan a mis hijos los enojos . quien tiene mal diente , tiene mal patiente . quien bien me haze , esse es mi compadre . quien cria nieto , cria mal redruejo . sobre padre no ay compadre . pobreza , no es vileza , si no inconveniencia . abaxanse los adarves , y alçanse los muladare● . a boda , ni a baptismo no vayas sin ser llamado . a bestia loca recuero modorro . a buen entendedor , breve hablador . abeja , y oveja , y piedra que rabeja , y pendola tras oreja dessea a su hijo la vieja . el conejo ydo , y consejo venido . a chico pasterete , chico manjarete . a cabo de cien an̄os todo seremos salvos . dos paxaros en una espiga hazen mala liga . a do sacan , y no pon , presto llegan all hondon . la tarde loa el dia , y el fin la vida . aficion ciega razon . a fuerça de villano hierro en medio . quien a la postre viene primero llora . agua coge con harnero quien se crée de ligero . la jaula hecha , picaça muerta . agora que tengo oveja y borrigo , todos dizen en hora buena esteys pedro. a gran subida , gran descendida . al buen consejo no se halla precio . el desagra decimiento seca la fuente de piedad . al medico , confessor y letrado no le trayas engan̄ado . a la vasija nueva dura el resabio . el asno muerto la cevada al rabo . al enemigo que huye puente de plata . al bien buscallo , y al mal esperallo . al viejo nunca le falta que contar , ni al sol , ni al hogar . alquimia provada tener renta , y no gastar nada . a los an̄os mil buelve la liebre a su cubil . al hombre bueno no le busques abolengo . no ay cosa mala en espan̄o , si no la que habla . cu , cu , guarda no lo seas tu . con un mucho , y dos poquitos se hazen los ricos . compres cadena , buelves dinero en moneda . con mala persona el remedio de poner tierra en medio . con latin , rocin y florin andaras el mundo . cobre buena fama y echate a dormir . compan̄ia de uno compan̄ia de ninguno , compan̄ia de dos compan̄ia de dios , compan̄ia de tres compan̄ia es , compan̄ia de quatro compan̄ia del diablo . colorado y negro colores del infierno . como no rin̄e tu amo ? porque no es casado . cortesia de boca mucho vale y poca costa . consejo de quien te quiere , aunque te paresca mal , escrivele . colerico sanguino , borracho fino . cien sastres , cien molineros , y cien texedores son trecientos ladrones . el que dos liebres caça , a vezes toma la una , y muchas vezes ninguna . el vicio de la natura dura hasta la sepultura . aquel loar devemos cuyo pan comemos . del dicho al fecho ay gran trecho . dadivas quebrantan pen̄as . de quien me fio , dios me guarde , de quien no me fio me guardaré yo . del ayrado un poco te desuja , del calandriz toda tu vida . de chica centella gran hoguera . de hambre pocos vi morir , de mucho comer cien mil. del piel agena larga correa . del fuego te guardaras , del ladron no podras . de los colores la grana , de las frutas la mançana . de luengas vias , luengas mentiras . despues de vendimias cestos . de la mala muger te guarde , y de la buena no fies nada . de rabo de puerco nunca buen virote . despues de descalabrado untarle el casco . de puerta cerrada el diablo se torna . el vientre lleno si quiera de heno . del viejo el consejo . de buen servidor vendras a ser sen̄or . del mal lo menos . despues de caca hecha , dexalda . mas vale un toma , que dos te daré . quando dios quiere , en sereno llueve . de loco juez breve sentencia . deve algo para pascua , y hazer te se hà corta la quaresma . do van anto●os van los ojos . dime con quien vas , y dezirte hé quien ere 's . do fueres , haz como vieres . duele me el colodrillo , y untanme el tovillo . del arado saca el buen soldado . fuese por lana , y bolvio tresquilado . el que tiene tejado de vidrio , no tire piedras al de su vezino . el que paga lo que deve lo que queda es suyo . el dar limosna nunca la bolsa mengua . el que tarda recauda . el mal entra a braçadas , y sale a pulgaradas . quien gasta mas que gana , fuerça es que se planga . quien no se aventura , ni vaya a la mar , ni ande en mula . quien mucho abraça poco aprieta . quien antes nace , antes pace . quien no oye razon no haze razon . quien no pone , y siempre saca , suelo halla . quien bien hila , larga trae la camisa . quien en todo su muger contenta , cornudo animal presto diventa . quien estropieça , y no cae , a su passo an̄ade . quien enferma y sana , romeria es que anda . quien malas man̄as hà , tarde ò nunca las perdera . quien todo lo quis●ere , todo lo pierde . quien hermanos disparte , a vezes lleva la peor parte quien a buen arbol se arrima , buena sombra le cobija . quien es cornudo , y lo consiente , sea cornudo para siempre . quien de los suyos se alexa , dios le dexa . quien a treynta no tiene seso , y a quarenta no es rico , rapalde del libro . quien solo come su gallo , solo ensille su cavallo . quien burla al burlador , cien dias hà de perdon . quien tiene pie en el altar , come pan sin amassar . quien tiempo tiene , y tiempo atiende , tiempo viene que se arrepiente . quien a la postre viene , primero llora . quien en una piedra dos vezes tropieça , merece que se quiebre la cabeça . quien haze , aplaze . quien de presto se determina , de tarde se arrepiente quien hà oficio , hà beneficio . quien una vez hurta , fiel nunca . quien te haze fiesta que no suele hazer , ò te quiere engan̄ar , ò te hà menester . quien da lo suyo antes de morir , aparejese a bien sufrir . quien abrojos siembra , espinas coge . quien quisiere medrar , ò viva en pie de sierra ò en puerto de mar . quien no hà cayre , no hà donayre . quien fia , ò promete , en deuda se mete . quien no tiene dinero venda la bolsa , y el esquero . quien la fama hà perdida , muerto anda en la vida . quien huelga mucho , no medra . quien deve a pedro , y paga a andres , que pague otra vez . quien siembra abrojos , no ande descalço . quien a mi hijo quita el moço , a mi besa en el rostro . quien no sabe de mal , no sabe de bien . quien es tu enemigo ? hombre de tu oficio . quien cree de ligero , agua coge en harnero . quien uno castiga , ciento hostiga . quien pregunta , no yerra . quien se muda , dios le ayuda . quien va al molino y no madruga , los otros muelen , y el se espulga . el que bien esta , no se mueva . quien sirve a hombre malo , siembra en la plaça . quien se ensen̄a , su mal ensancha . quien dineros hà de cobrar , muchas bueltas hà de dar . quien no tuviere que hazer , arme navio , ò tome muger . quien calla , consiente . rey por natura , y papa por ventura . reniego del amigo que cubre con sus alas , y muerde con el pico . reniego de grillos , aunque sean de oro . regalado como gato de tripera . rin̄en las comadres , descubrense las poridades . sal vertida nunca bien cogida . sacar un pié del lodo , y meter el otro . santa lucia mengua la noche , y crece el dia. sancha , sancha beves el vino , y dizes que mancha . salir de lodaçales , y entrar en cenagales . salada bien salada poco vinagre , y bien a zeytada . san iuan el verde no es cada dia. no ay mal que no ve nga por bien . servicio no es herencia . secreto de dos sabelo dios , secreto de tres toda res . si quieres tener buena fama , no te tome el sol en la cama . sen̄al de mala bestia sudar tras la oreja . si quieres tener buen moco , antes que le nazca el boço. si quieres que haga por ti haz por mi. si la natura sen̄ala , ò es muy buena ò muy mala . si bien me quieres iuan , tus obras me lo diran . si de alguno re quieres vengar , has de callar . sigue razon , aunque a unos agrade , a otros non . si no llegais al punto , no comereys del unto . si el grande fuesse valiente , y el chico paciente , y el bermejo leal , todo el mundo seria ygual . si l● lengua errò , el coraçon no. sigue el bien , si quieres ser alguien . si quiere , ser bien servido , servete tu mismo . si quieres holgura sufre amargura . si no como queremos , passamos como podemos . si quieres ver quanto vale un ducado , buscalo prestado . son̄ò el ciego que via , y vino lo que querria . sobre dinero no ay compan̄ero . so el sayal , ay al. suelas y vino andan camino . sufra quien penas tiene , que tras un tiempo otro viene . tiempo , ni hora , no se ata con soga . todo hà lugar , a quien lo sabe manear . topado hà sancho con su rocin . topanse los hombres , mas no los cumbres . tòdos somos hijos de adam , si no que nos differencia la seda . todos , somos locos , los unos y los otros . cada uno a su guisa y el asno a la antigua . ve do vas , como vieres assi haz . un cabello haze sombra en el suelo . cornudo soys marido , muger , y quien os lo dixo ? cu , cu , guarda que no seas tu . a la muger ventanera , tuerce le el cuello si la quieres buena . el hombre bueno , no sube en lecho ageno . el pie en la cuna , la mano en la rueca , y cria tu hijuela . el asno , y la muger a palos se han de vencer . el marido antes con un ojo , che con un hijo . en casa del mesquino , mas manda la muger . enamoròse el ruyn de las trenças del mandil . guay del huso , quando la barba no anda de suso . hermosa es por cierto , la que es hermosa de su cuerpo . es menester la comida , assi mas la honra . a la muger brava , dalle la soga larga . la muger del ciego para quien se afeyta ? la biuda rica con un ojo llora , con el otra repica . el que tiene hermosa muger , mas de dos ojos hà menester . la muger buena , hecho del marido . mas vale ser cornudo que no lo sepa ninguno , que sin serlo , pensarlo todo el mundo . mas vale vieja con dineros , que moça con galas . muchos componedores , cohonden la novia . muestra me tu muger , dezirte hé que marido tiene . ni tan vieja que amule , ni tan moça que retoce . ni por buey , ni por vaca , no tomes muger maniaca . ni de nin̄o te ayuda , ni te cases con biuda . ni cavalgues en potro , ni tu muger alabes a otro . ni boda sin canto , ni mortuario sin llanto . no compres asno de recuero , ni te cases con hija de mesonero . por codicia del florin , no te cases con ruyn . mi marido hà ydo al mar , chirlos mirlos a buscar . la muger y la vin̄a el hombre la haze garrida . quien es cornudo y calla , en el coraçon trae la ascua marido tras del lar dolor de hijar . quien no alça un alfiler , no quiere bien a su muger . guardose de mosca y comio una aran̄a . gran trençado , y chico recaudo . al que yo bien quiera la muger se le muera . habla poco y bien , tenerte han por alguien . hablar sin pensar es tirar sin encarar . haz bien , y no cates a quien . haz lo que el frayle dize , y no lo que haze . harto pide , quien bien sirue . donde ay estiercol y loco , luego parece . hombre que madruga , de algo tiene cura . honra , y provecho no caben en un saco . huyr , y correr , no es todo uno . hurtar el puerco , y dar los pies por dios. husada menuda a su duen̄o ayuda . huesped nuevo , baraja en casa . huelga el trigo so la nieve , como el viejo so la pele . huelgo me un poco , mas hilo mi copo . huevos mil manjares . yo acoto el matorral , y otro toma los paxaros . voy do el papa , y el emperador no pueden embiar embaxador . el lobo , y la vulpeja son de una conceja . el pez que busca el anzuelo , busca su duelo . el que a su enemigo popa , a sus manos muere . el ojo del amo engorda el cavallo . frayle que pide por dios pide por dos . esto es hazer seto de espinas con manos desnudas . haga tu hijo heredero , no tu despensero . en tierra seca el agua salobre es buena . en la casa del official , assoma la hambre , mas no osa entrar . en el agua turbia haze buen pescar . en hora mala nace , quien mala fama cobra . en este mundo mesquino , quando ay para pan , no ay para vino . en arca abierta , el justo peca . en casa del tahur , poco dura el alegria . en luengo camino paja pesa . en casa llena presto se guisa la cena . bastardos ò del todo buenos , ò del todo maluados . guay al hijo , cuyo padre va a parayso . esso se haze , lo que a dios plaze . hazes buena harina , y no toques bozina . guarte de puta que dexa la bolsa enxuta . guarte de las ocasiones , y guardarte dios hà de los pecados . guay de la muerte , que no toma presente . grano no hincha arnero , mas ayuda a su compan̄ero . gran plazer no escotar , y bien comer .. quiere mi padre mun̄oz , lo que no quiere dios. quien yerra , y se eminenda , a dios se encomienda . quien se guarda , dios le guarda . quien vive bien , a nadie hà menester . quando a nuestra sen̄ora oyeres nombrar , no pidas si has de ayunar . su alma en su palma . tras este mundo otro verna . tanto es pedro de dios , que no le medra dios. todo es nada deste mundo , si no se endereça al segundo . quien no entra en la mar , no sabe a dios rogar . antes que cases , mira lo que hazes . antes de casar , ten casa en que morar . ala muger quinzeta , hombre de treynta . mala noche , y parir hija . quien bien quiere a beltran , quiere bien a su can . allegadora de la ceniza , y desparramadora de la harina . a cada ollaza su cobertaraça . bien ò mal , casado me han . casar , casar , suena bien , y sabe mal . casar , y compadrar , cada qual con su ygual . con buen vezino casaras tu hija , y vendras tu vino . casaras , y amansaras . de bovos y bovas , se hin chen las bodas . humo , gotera , y muger parlera echan el hombre de su casa fuera . el que es enemigo de la novia , como dira bien del novio . el ciervo muda cada an̄o su penacho , y tu marido cada dia. dios me guarde de moça adevina , y de muger ladina . de ayre por horado y de amigo reconciliado guarde me dios. de medico moco y barbero viejo cata te . de madrastra , el nombre le basta . el diablo le haze la cama al logrero . por la boca se escalienta el homo . fiar de dios sobre buena prenda . guarde te dios de hecho es . el rosario en el cuello , y el diablo en el cuerpo . la oracion breve sube al cielo . mucho en el suelo , poco en el cielo . por esso te hago , porque me hagas , que no ere 's dios que me valgas . poridad de dos , poridad de dios , poridad de tres de todo es . quando dios quiere , con todos vientos llueve . a dios rogando , y con el maço dando . con minerva ande tu mano . a quien dios quiere bien , la perra le pare lechones . a muger casta , dios le basta . a quien dios quiere bien la hormiga le và a buscar . aquel es rico , que esta bien con dios. a tuerto ò a derecho ayude dios a n̄ro consejo . a buen recaudo vengo . dame recaudo para comer . poner a recaudo . embiar un recaudo . dame recaudo para escrevir . dar recaudo . da dios higos a quien no tien muelas . de hora a hora dios mejora . dios me de marido rico , si quiera sea borrico . de cornada de ansaron guarde dios mi coraçon . dios te de salud y gozo , y casa con un corral , y pozo . dios me decontienda con quien me contienda . dios de savenga , quien nos mantenga . dios consiente , mas no siempre . del agua mansa me guarde dios que de la brava yo me guardare . caldo de tripas bien te repicas ? venga el bien , y venga do quisiere . la biuda rica , casa fica . la liebre y la puta , cabe la senda la busca . judio , paga lo que deves , que lo que yo te deuo cuenta es que tenemos . vè embiado , ven llamado . yo me era polvo , vino agua , y hizo me lodo . por mucho pan nunca mal an̄o . por mucho madrugar no amanece mas ayna . por nuevas no peneys , hazerse han viejas , y saber las heys . poca hazienda , poco cuydado . poco por mil , preso por mil y quinientos . por ningun tempero no dexes el camino real por el sendero . toma el primer consejo de tu muger , el segundo no. preguntaldo a mun̄oz , que miente mas que dos . puerta abierta , al santo tenta . pusieron la cruz , porque no le meassen . quando la bestiageme , carga , y no teme . quando el diablo reza , engan̄arte quiere . quando el diablo viniere a tu puerta , y te pidiere las mangas , cortalas , y da se las . qual la comp ana , tal la badajada . quando fueres yunque , sufre come yunque , quando maço hiere como maço . quando estuvieres con tu muger vientre con vientre , nole digas quanto te viniere a la mente . quando dios no quiere , el santo no puede . quando no dan los campos , no han los santos . quando el hierro esta encendido , entonces hà de ser batido . qual el tiempo tal el tiento . quando vieres la barva de tu vezino pelar , echa la tuya a remojar . quanto sabes no diras , quanto vees no juzgaras , y viviras en paz . quando el pilota promete missas , y cera , con mal anda la galera . qual el rey , tal la grey . quando la rana tuviere pelo , tu seras bueno . mejot doblar que quebrar . querria mihijo agudo , mas no reagudo . quieres comprar mulo sin boca y culo . que hazes mosquita ? aramos . que aprovecha candil sin mecha ? quien tarde se levanta , todo el dia trota . quien todo lo da todo lo niega . quien dize mal de la yegua , esse la merca . quien casa por amores , malos dias , y buenas noches . quien bien oye , bien responde . quieres que te siga el can , da le pan . quien puede ser libre , no se cautive . quien bien ama tarde oluida . quien de paja tiene la halda , temor tiene al fuego . quien guarda , halla . quien trata en lana , oro mana . quien no osa aventurar , no passe la mar . quien al asno alaba tal hijo le nasca . quien fia el dinero , pierde dinero y el vezero . quien come y canta , de locura se levanta . quien deve ciento , y tiene ciento y uno , no hà miedo alguno , quien tiene ciento , y uno , y deve cienro , y dos ; encomiendo le a dios. quien con perros se echa , con pulgas se levanta . quien lexos se và a casar ò và engan̄ado , ò và a engan̄ar . quien paga sus deudas se harà rico . boca fresca , pie caliente . quien la muerte agena espera , a larga soga tira . quando amigo pide , no ay manan̄a . si cada necio traeria palo , faltaria len̄a . por lavar los manos , no se venden heredades . escuche a la razon , ò se harà escuchar . quien bien vive harto letradoes . no te burles con el ojo , ni la religion . quien tarda , acaba . en boca cerrada no entran moscas . un grano no hinche el saco , mas ayuda a sus compan̄eros . honra y provecho no caben en un saco . lo mas que la muger mira en el espejo , lo menos mira a su casa . case biuda antes que eche luto . por oyr missa , y dar cevada , nunca se perdiò jornada . muchos besan las manos que quier●ian ver cortadas . mundo redondo , quien no sabe nadar por fuerça hà deyr al hondo . no es tan fiero el leon como le pintan . no es pobre quien tie●e poco , mas quien dessea mucho . no te accompan̄es con malos , porque acrecenterà el numero . quien limpia las narizes del nin̄o , besà la madre en la mexilla . quien vive de esperança , bayla sin musica . quien cuenta nuevas a su muger , es rezien casado . quien aprende un officio , gana una herencia . dadivas entran sin taladro . el musico trae tienda en la garganta . el palo del viejo , pestillo de la puerta de muer●o . guarte del buey adelante , del cavallo a tras , y del frayle a todas partes . cosa mas facil es de hazer algo , que no nada . cada uno lleva un loco en la manga . religion , fama , el ojo , son cosas muy tiernas . quien lama su cuchillo , darà poco al servidòr . mas vale nariz mocosa , que ninguna . quien trae buenas nuevas podra hurtar reziamente a la puerta . quien tiene cōpassion de otro , acuerdase de si mismo gran dote cama de renzillas . tres mugeres , y un ganso hazen un mercado . si las cosas se pudiessen hazer do● vezes , todos setian savios . la cosa mas facil del mundo , es enga●ar a si mismo . quien a su enemigo popa entre sus manos muere . quien es cornudo y calla , en el coraçon trae una asqua . por esso es uno cornudo , por que dos pueden mas que uno . la muger , y la cereza se aseytan por su mal . dile que es hermosa , y tornar se hà loca . haveys dado en el hito . padre viejo , y manga rota , no es deshonra . dixo me mi madre que porfiasse , mas que no apostasse . ciento de un vientre , y cada uno de su mente . alla me lleve dios a morar , do un huevo vale un real . no seria fortuna , si fuesse sempre una . el prodigo tiene amigos quanto come con testigos . al fin se rinde fortuna , si el trabajo l'importuna . el trabajo gana palma , y quita el orin del alma . no puede el hijo de adam , sin trabajo comer pan . yo sè lo que sè , mas desso callarme hè . zorilla tagarnillera , hazese muerta por asir la presa . una aguia para la bolsa , y dos para la boca . uno tiene la fama , y otro lleva la lana . uno fue , que nunca errò . virtudes vencen sen̄ales . una vez engan̄an al prudente dos al innocente . vieja che bayla mucho poluo levanta . vino de peras , ni lo bevas ni lo des a quien bien quieras . venid piando , y bolueras cantando . vende en casa , y compra en feria si quieres salir de lazeria . treynta monies , y un abad , no pueden hazer cagat un asno contra su voluntad . tres a uno metenle la paia en el culo . todo pescado es flema , y todo iuego apostem● . tienes en casa el muero , y vas a llorar el ageno . tahur , tahur el nombre dize hurta fur . tanto pan como un pulgàr , torna el alma a su lugàr . suelas y vino , andan camino . so●lando brasas se saca llama , y de malas palabras pendencia . si bien me quiere iuan , sus obras me lo diràn . si quieres dar palos , a tu muger , pide la al sol a bever . si quieres holganca , sufre amargura . si quieres enfermar , lavate la cabeça , y vete a echàr . si quieres cedo engordar , come con hambre , y beve a vagar . si quieres saber quanto vale un ducado buscalo prestado . si quieres tener buen moço , ten le antes que le nasca el boço. si el necio no fuesse al mercado , no se venderia lo malo . rogar al santo hasta passar el tranco . quien con mal anda , ò se quiebra el piè ò la çanca . quien no parece , perece . quieres dezir al necio lo que es ? di le bestia de dos pies . quien no halla mala hada , de la buena se enfada . quien no tiene miel en la orça tenga lo en la boca . quien promete , en deuda se mete . quien abrojos siembra , espinas coge . quien no hà cayre , no hà donayre . quien bien quiere , de lexos vee . quien solo come su gallo , solo ensille su cavallo . si esta pella a la pared no pega , a lo menos dexara sen̄al . un solo golpe no derriba el roble . uno , y ninguno todo es uno . un cuchillo mesmo me corta el pan y el dedo . uso saca maestro . yó que me callo piedras apa●o . honra sin provecho anillo en el dedo . el hombre cree , y el alma dud● . antes que escrivas recibas , antes que des escrivas . los dientes no quieren ny mucho descuydo , ni demasiado cuydado . el dia de la boda , no ay muger hermosa . de bovos y bovas se hinchen las bodas . asno que entra en dehesa agena , buelve cargado de len̄a . hombre palabrimuger , guarde me dios del . heredad blanca , simiente negra , cinco bueyes a una reja . hombre bermejo , y hembra barbuda , tres leguas lexos la saluda . ara hondo , cogeras pan en abondo . a tu hijo buen nombre y officio . a todo ay man̄a sino a la muerte . bever a codo alcado hasta ver las armas del mal logrado . refranes donosos , y satyricos . no ay peor abad , que el que monge hà estado . pato , ganso y ansaron tres cosas suenan , y una son . por las haldas del vicario , sube el diablo al campanario . quien prende el aguila por la cola , y muger por la palabra no tiene nada . quien dixo rodrigo dixo ruydo . cierra la puerta que la olla và fuera . sin clerigo y palomar ternas limpio tu hogar . somos gallegos , y no nos entendemos . viejo es pedro para cabrero . quan bovito seria pedro si se lavasse ? como el asno de san antolin , cada dia mas ruyn ▪ proverbios donosos . dios me dio un huevo , y esse dio me lo guero . dos a uno tornar me quiero grullo . n● ay hombre debaxo del sol , como el italiano , y el espan̄ol . respuesta . dizes la verdad y tienes razòn , el uno es puto , el otro ladròn . la hazienda de clerigo entra por la puerta , y sale por el humero . muera marta , y muera harta . tomò las calças de villadiego , y puso tierra en medio . de la mala muger te guarda , y de la buena no fies nada . refranes dionosos y plazenteros . nunca vi de cosas menos que de abriles y obispos buenos . abad de carçuela comistees la olla , pedis la caçuela . a clerigo hecho de frayle no le fies tu comadre . la hazienda de clerigo da la dios , y quita la el demonio . camino de roma ni mula coxa , ni bolsa floxa . dios es el quesana , y el medico lleva la plata . dos iuanes , y un pedro hazen un asno entero . el abad , y el gorrion dos malas aves son . el asno de san ladorin , cada dia mas ruyn . la hazienda de abad cantando viene , y chifflando và . los locos hazen los vanquetes , y los sabios los comen . lo que no lleva christo , lleva el fisco . manjar de burguillo a la man̄ana ravanos , y a la noche higos . martin cada dia mas ruyn . medicos di valencia luengas faldas y poca ciencia . mi comadre marimenga siempre a pedir venga . moço missero , abad vallero , y frayle cortes , reniego de todos tres . ni de fraile , ni de monja no esperes recebir nada . ni perro , ni negro , ni moço gallego . ni mula mohina , ni moça marina , ni poyo a la puerta ni abad porvezino . ni fies muger de frayle , ni barages con alcayde . ni frayle por amigo , ni clerigo por vezino . proverbios temporales referiendo a las sazones . abriles , y condes los mas son traydores . abril y mayo llaves del an̄o . abril frio mucho pan , y poco vino . a cada puerco su san martin . a dias tres de abril el cuclillo hà de venir , si no viniere a ocho ò es preso , ò morto . agua de março peor que la mancha en el pan̄o . agosto , y vendimia no es cada dia. agua de agosto açafran , miel , y musto . agua de mayo pan para todo el an̄o . an̄o de nieves an̄o de bienes . arreboles de aragon a la noche con aguas son . aurora ruvia , ò viento ò pluvia . cada casa en su tiempo , y navos en adviento . cerco de luna nunca hinche l●guna , cerco del sol moja el pastor . dize mayo a abril , aunque te pese , me hè de reyr . dezimbre dezembrina hiere como culebrina . elada barbuda , nieve anuncia . el dia de san barnabè dixo el sol aqui estaré . el viento , y el varon no es bueno de aragon . enero haze elar la vieja en el lecho , y el agua en puchero . en abril aguas mil. junio , julio y agosto sen̄ora no soy vuestro . la neblina del agua es madrina . luna con cerco agua trae en el pico . luna en creciente cuernos a oriente , luna en menguante cuernos adelante . mal vale un agua entre abril y mayo que los bueyes , y el carro . marco ventoso , abril llovioso haçen el mayo hermoso . abril ventoso , marco llovioso del buen colmenar hazen astroso . ni creas en juvierno claro , ni en vereno nublado . nieblas en alto , aguas en baxo . quando ay nieblas en hontejas , apareja tus tejas . quando la sierra de mosca se toca toda la villa haze una sopa . quando en verano es invierno , y en invierno verano nunca buen a●o . quando aroca tiene caperuça coge la vela , y vere a rastelo . quando llueve en agosto , llueve miel ò mosto . quando menguare la luna no siembres cosa alguna . quando florece el melicoton , el dia y la noche de un tenor son . quando el durazno esta en la flor , dia y noche estan de un tenor . quando brora la higuera requiere tu compan̄era . quando llueve llueve , quando nieva nieva , quando haze vien̄to haze mal tiempo . quando guara tiene capa , y moncayo chapiron , buen an̄o para castilla , y mejor por aragon . sol madruguero no dura dia entero . sol rojo agua al ojo . sol de março apega como pelmazo . sol puesto , obrero suelto . tiempo tras tiempo , y aguas tras viento . viento solano agua en la mano . arreboles a l'oriente agua amaneciente . yemas de abril pocas al barril . un mes antes , y otro despues de navidad , es invierno de verdad . santa , lucia , mengua la noche , y crece el dia. refranes ò proverbios fisicos tocante la salud . quien no cena , no hà menester avicena . anade , muger , cabra , mala cosa siendo magra . de man̄ana a la pescaria , y la tarde a la carniceria . agua fria , y pan caliente , nunca hizieron buen vientre . agua al higo , y a la pera vino . agua tiene tres cofas , ni enferma , ni embeoda , ni adeuda . compra la cama de deudor , y dormiras a sue●o suelto . allà và el mal , do comen el huevo sin sal . quien hurta la cena al viejo , no le haze agravio . anguilla empanada , y lamprea escavechada . azeytuna oro es una , dos plata , tercera mara . calenturas oton̄ales , ò muy luengas , ò mortales . cabrito de un mes , rezentàl de tres . calenturas de mayo , salud para todo el an̄o . bien cuenta la madre , mejor el infante . has la noche noche , y el dia dia , y viviras con alegria . hijo tardano , huerfano temprano . la muger negra trementina en ella . los pies secos , la boca humeda . lexos de ciudad , lexos de salud . man̄ana al monte , la tarde a la fuente . mas matò la cena , que no sanò avicena . come poco , y cena mas , duerme en alto y viviras . despues de pece , mala la leche . el salmon , y el sermon en la quaresma tienen sazoo . dixo la leche al vino , bien seays venido amigo . donde mea la oveja bien semeja . vino an̄ejo , y amigo viejo . quien viejo engorda , dos mocedades goza . case tu hija , y pece fresco , gastale presto . el moço dormiendo sana , y el viejo se acaba . agua sobre miel , sabe mal , y haze bien . pan caliente mucho en la mano y poco en el vientre . el queso es sano que da el avaro . el agua sin color , olor y sabor , y hà la de ver el sol. haz la puerta al solano , y viviras sano . vino trasnochado , no vale un cornado . que yo mee claro , y higa al medico . mejor es desseo , que hastio . moco creciente lobo en el vientre . monte y rio de me dios por mi vezino . moças davera quien os dio tan ruynes dientes ? agua fria , y castan̄as calientes . ni bevas de laguna , ni comas mas de una azeytuna . pan a hastura , y vino a mejura . pan reziente , y vuas , a las mocas pone mudas , y a las viejas quita las arrugas . pan de ayer , carne de oy , vino de antan̄o salud para todo el a●o . por quartanas no doblan campanas . poca fatiga es gran salud . quando te dolieren las tripas , haz lo saber al culo . quando ovieres gana de comer come de la nalgada , y dexa la hijada . turmas de varon . quando un hombre mea las botas , no es bueno para las bodas . quando comieres pan reziente , no bevas de la fuente . quando meares de color de florin , echa el medico para ruyn . quando llueve , y haze sol coge el caracol . quando el enfiermo caga rulo higa para el boticario . quando el baço crece , el cuerpo enmagrece . el que en mayo no merenda , con los muertos se encomienda . quien mea y no pee , no haze lo que deve . quien bien come , y bien beve , haze lo que deve . quien come caracoles en abril apareje cera y pavil . quien hinojo vee , y no coge , diablo es que no hombre . quieres ver a tu marido muerto , da le verças en agosto . el que mucho come , poco come . a buen comer , ò mal comer tres vezes bever . a bocado haron espolada de vino . aguja calumbrienta no entratas en mi hercamienta . quien no cansa , alcança . a manos lavadas dios les dà que coman . andeme yo caliente , y riase la gente . a torrezno de tocino buen golpe de vino . el agua como buey , y vino como rey. un huevo escaseza , dos gentileza , tres valentia , quatro vellaqueria . si el villano supiesse el sabor de la gallina en el enero , no dexaria ninguna en el pollero . quieres buen bocado ? el niespero despestan̄ado . quien se echa sin cena , toda la noche devanea . queso de ovejas , leche de cabras , manteca de vacas . no dexes los pellejos hasta que vengan los galiloos , quiere dezir hasta el diade ascension . no ay tal caldo como el çumo guijarro . no me echeis agua en el vino que andan gusarapas por el rio . pera que dize rodrigo no vale un higo . vino de peras ni lo bevas , ni lo des a quien bien quieras . las enfermades del ojo , se han de curar con el codo . quien el diablo hà de engan̄ar de manan̄a hà de madrugar . quien no halla mala hada , de la buena se enfada . quien comio la carne que roya el huesso . quien en lo llano estropieça que harà en la sierras . quien en tiempo huye , en tiempo acude . quien quisiere vivir sano , coma poco , y cena temprano . ruynes comidas , y grandes almuerzos , chicas cabeças y luengos pescueços . si quieres comida mala , come la liebre assada . si quieres vivir sano , haz te viejo temprano . si supiesse la muger la virtud de la ruda la buscaria la noche a la luna . si quisieres enfermar lava le cabeça , y vete a echar . sobre la sombra del nogal no te pongas a acostar . sobre brevas , no bevas . sobre el melon , vino follon . tienes gana de morir , cena carnero assado , y echate a dormir . la olla sin verdura no tiene gracia ni hartura . quien en mayo come la sardina , en agosto caga la espina . proverbios particulares , que apurtan a ciertos lugares . medicos de valencia , largas faldas , y poca ciencia . a juezes galicianos , con los pies en las manos . al iudio dalde un palmo , tomara quatro . gallego pedidòr , castellano tenedòr . al iudio dalde el huevo , y pediros hà la gallina . canizar , y villarejo , gran campana , y ruyn consejo . del andaluz , guarda tu capuz . cuenca de cabeças , y valencia de piernas . del toledano , guarte tarde , y temprano . cuchillo pamplonès , çapato baldrès , amigo burgalès , guarde me dios de todos lo● tres . el portuguès se criò de pedo de un judio . fuero de aragon , buen servicio mal galardon . antes puto que gallego . cerden̄a ò mata , ò empren̄a . en las asturias tres meses d' invierno , y tres d' infierno . hable burgos , que por toledo hablarè yo . apprendiz de portugal no sabe coser , y quiere cortar . en casa del moro no hables algaravia . quien lengua hà a roma và . camino de santiago tanto anda el coxo como el sano . como el ansar de cantipalos que falio al hombre . mula de losa , el que la cria no la goza . mucho pan tiene castilla , que no lo tiene , passa lazeria . repollo murciano , nabo bejarano . negar que negaras , que en aragon estas . ni piedra redona , ni gente de girona . ni buen çapato de valdrés , ni buen amigo salamanques . ni hombre cordoves , ni cuchillo pamplones , in moço burgales , ni çapato de baldrés . en un hora no se gano çamora . palencia la necia , quien te oye tedesprecia . quando fueres por pancoruo , ponte la capa en el hombro . quando passares por toròte , echa una piedra en tu capote , y pagarte hà el escote . quien fuere a andaluzia ande de noche y verma el dia. quien es conde y dessea ser duque , metase frayle en guadalupe . quien a roma va , dineros llevara . quien no ha visto lisboa , no ha visto cosa boa . quien ruyn es en su villa , ruyn es en sevilla . rincon por rincon , calatayud en aragon . roma , roma la que a los locos doma , y a los cuerdos no perdona . salamanca a unos sanas a atror manca . si castilla fuera vaca , rioia fuera la rin̄ovada . vega por vega de hita a talavera . vin̄a en cuenca , y muger fuerte , y pleyto en huete . vizcayno necio , tarazon de en medio . quieres conocer a catalan , mea , y meara . a quien dios quiere bien , en sevilla le da a comer . tres espan̄oles , dos christianos como dios , y el tercero santo como el papa ; tres portugueses , dos medio christianos , el otro judio . tres italianos , dos bugerones , el otro ateista ; tres tudescos , dos borrachos , el otro hereje ; tres ingleses , dos ladrones , el tercero rebelde . daroca la loca , cerco grande , y villa poca . medicos de valencia largas faldas , y poca ciencia . ea , ea , que burgos no es aldea . duero tiene la fama , y pisverga lleva el agua . aranda del duero , para mi la quiero . dos adevinos ay en segura , una experiencia , y el otro cordura . en salamanca mas vale un maravedi , que una blanca . dios te de vin̄a en cuenca . ebro traydor , naces en castilla y riegas a aragon . el rey fue viejo a toro , y bolvio moço . espan̄a escura , vendaval por natura . asnillo de caracena , mientras mas andava mas ruyn era . en navadijos poco pan , y muchos hijos . galizia es la huerta , y ponferrada la puerta . sevilla como crebejos de baxedrez tantos prietos , quantos blancos . harto era castilla de chico rincon quando amaya era cabeça , y hitero monton . locoya lleva el agua , y xarama tiene la fama . junio , julio , agosto , y carthagena los mejores puertos lo que dessea alagon , no le venga a aragon . les perros de zorita pocos , y mal avenidos . mete en tu granja el gallego , y hazerse te hà tu heredero . lo que quiere escamilla , no lo de dios a castillae . lo que quiere ocan̄a , no lo de dios à la mancha . lo que quiere hinojosos , no lo vean nuestros ojos . los potricos de buitrago , que siempre van desmedrando . los perros de zorita no teniendo a quien morder , uno a otro muerden . moços de cuenca , y potros de carboneras hasta las eras . mundo mundillo , nacer en granada , morir en bustillo . mundo mundillo nacer en xerez , morir en portillo . refranes portugueses . a as vezes ruyn gadela roy boa correa . a aden , moller , & a cabra , he ma cousa semdo magra . bolsa vazia faz o home sesudo , mas tarde . a fin louva a vida , & a tarde louva el dia. aiamos salud e paz , e logo teremos assaz . alem ou aquem , veias siempre con quem . a limgo longa he sinal de mao costa . a moller & a ovella concedo a corrella . a muyta costesia he especia dengano . amor , foguo , & tosse a seu dono descubre . amores de freyra , flores do medoeira cedo ven & pouco duraom . moller fermoso , vin̄a e figueral , muy malas son de guadar . mouro que naon podes aver forrao por tu alma . a o bom daras , & do mao te asastaràs . mays val divida vella que pecado novo . a on ny à , no ni cal cercar . a pedra & a palabra naom se recolle depois de deitada . meu sono solto , meu enemigo mosto . assi he dura cousa o a doudo calar , como a o sesudo mal falar . millar he un possaro que tenno na mao , que dous que van volando . as romerias e a as bodas vam as sandias todas . naom quero bacoro con chucallo . barriga quente pe durment . mellor he o meu que o nuestro . castigo de vella nunca fez mella . ho homen cree , & alma duvida . cacara sem dentes dos mortos faz viventes . naom fiar de caon que manqueia . can de can vello , y potro de potrelo . judio per la mercaduria , y frade per la hypocresia . conciencia de portalegre qui vende gato por liebre . comadre andareja naom vo a parte que vos naom veia . falaon le en allos respondè en bugallos . la va la ligoa omde doe o dente . ida de jan gomez que foy na sela veo nos alfories . refranes gallegos . a fazendo do crego da a deus , & levala a o demo . a maa vezin̄a da a agulla sin lin̄a . amor sà molt , argent fa tot satalan . assi està el pages entre dos advocats , como el pagel entre dos gats . jado de noviella , y potro de yegua viella . jornada de mar no he de tayxar . refranes catalanes . millor es de figue que factig . en juliol ni dona ni caracol . el hon del mal que ha paor dexo mor. quen ten cops bel nol cal mantel . quien gran dia se lleva tot lo dia trota . la voz de pleu , vos de deu. mes va pa exut ab amor , que gallines ab temor . explicacion de algunos refranes sennalados en romance . allà me lleve dios a morar , do un huevo vale un real . quiere dezir a una tierra dinerosa y rica , donde ay harto reales , que incitan los hombres al trabajo . a quien dios quiere bien , la perra le pare lechones : quiere dezir , a quien dios quiere bien todo se le buelue en bien , y allende de sus esperanças . a quien dios quiere bien , la hormiga le va a buscar : dizese , porque adonde va la hormiga ay trigo en abundancia . de cornada de ansaron guarde dios mi coracon : quiere dezir , de las escrituras de los letrados que traen pleytos . del agua mansa me guarde dios , que de la braua yo me guardarè . quiere dezir , de amigo simulador me guarde dios , que yo me guardare bien de mi enemigo . qual era dios para mercader ? porque sabe lo venidero , como la sazon del an̄o , y quando aura tempestades , &c. quiere mi padere mun̄oz lo que no quiere dios. entiende se de una hija que su padre queria casar contra su voluntad . rogamos a dios por santos , mas no por tantos . palabras son del labrador , y se entienden de los disantos , y las fiestas de las quales ay muchas en el an̄ . viene dios a vernos sin campanilla : quiere dezir sin ruydo , ò quando estamos con salud : el venir con campanilla es , quando va el santissimo sacramento a visitar un enfiermo . muchos componedores cohonden la novia ; por que do ay muchos pareceres suele auer desorden . quien quisiere muger hermosa , el sabado la escoja , que no el domingo : por que entonces anda ataviada , y afeytada . si quieres dar palos a tu muger , pidele al sol a bever . que por ser el agua limpia , tomarà en si de los atomos que trae el sol , que pareceran poluos . bezerilla mansa mama a su madre , y la agena : la glosa es , que los benevolos y comedidos con todos hallan cabida . casa de padre , vin̄a de abuelo , olivar de tartarabuelo : la glosa es , que la casa sea fresca , la vin̄a algo vieia , el olivar an̄eio , con estas tres cosas podra un hombre traer una vida alegre . creatura de un an̄o saca la leche del calca●o . quiere dezir , que mama , y chupa reziamente , siendo entonces algo fuerte . desque veo a mi tia , muerome de azedia , desque no la veo muerome de desseo . applicase a la variedad de las voluntades , y animos de los hombres , y que la ausencia suele aguzar la aficion . dixo me mi madre que porfiasse , mas que no apostasse . la glosa es muy clara contra apostadores . el hijo hatro , y rom●ido , la hija hambrienta y vestida . buena regla es para el govierno de casa , porque auiendo el hijo para ayudar a su padre en el trabajo , hà de andar harto , y roto . don lope , ni es miel , ni hiel , in vinagre , ni arrope . se dize de los que son de un natural frio , y indifferente . ganar al principio , es cebo para perder : porque incitan un hombre de darse al juego . entre hermano y hermano dos testigos , y un notario . para que nose rompa el parentesco , y se forn e● pleytos . madre y hija vesten una camisa : la glosilla es que la hija participa del natural de su madre ; partus sequitur ventrem . no me pesa que mi hijo pierda , si no que desquitarse quiera : esto se entiende de la costumbre al iuego , y de la porsia . el padre a pulgadas , el hijo a braçadas . quiere dezir , que el que gana la hazienda con trabajo gastalo con tiento , como bazen muchos padres , y viene un hijo gastador quien consume a braçadas lo que ganò su padre y gasta a pulgadas . quien a mi hijo quita el moco , a mi besa en el rostro . este refran se refiere al amor grande que los padres tienen a sus hijos . al hombre vergonçoso el diablo le truxo al palacio . este refran se refiere a los cortesanos , en los quales verguenca demasiada , y pusilanimidad no es loable . al hombre bueno no le busquen abolengo . este refran denota , que la virtud , y la bondad es la mayor hidalguia . la muger y la cereza , por su mal se afeyta : la muger , porque es requerida , la cereza porque es comida . da dios almendras a quien no tiene muelas . quiere dezir que riquezas , y mando vienen algunas vezes a quien no sabe repartir , ni sabe governar . nacieron alas a la hormiga por su mal . esto se puede aplicar a los hombres pobres , alcançando riquezas de donde procede sobervia , y ambicion , y consequentemente su ruina . el infierno es lleno de buenas intenciones . quiere dezir , que no ay pecador por malo que sea , que no tenga intencion de meiorar la vida , mas la muerte le sobreprende . mi padre fue se a acostar , y hallaron le muerto a la man̄ana , no pidas la razon , cenò carnero assado . quie e dezir , quel el carnero de espan̄a siendo gruesso , y fuerte , no se digere tan presto como el carnero de otras tierras . judios en pascuas , moros en bodas , cristianos en pleytos , gastan sus dineros . esto se refiere a las costumbres de todos los tres . en casa del official assoma la hambre , mas no osa entrar . porque està siempre trabajando , y en camino de ganar . los muertos abren los ojos a los vivos . quiere dezir que las historias que hablan de los hechos de hombres muertos , abren los ojos , y aconsejan a los vivos . en boca cerrada no entran moscas : quiere dezir , que el hombre callado previene muchas inconvenicias . no quiero cochino con sonaja . esto quiere dezir , que la merced que se haze con ostentacion , y ruydo no es tan agradable . al primer impetu los franceses son mas que hombres , y despues menos que mugeres . este proverbio se refiere a la ligereza , y inconstancia de la nacion francesa . hagas buena farina , y no toques bozina . este refran aconseja a cada uno de complir con su obligacion , y hazer bien , sin vanagloriarse despues . buscays cinco pies al gato , y no tiene sino quatro . este refran se refiere a los que son curiosos en demasia , y muy criticos . guarte de las occasion , y guardarte dios ha del pecado . este es un consejo espiritual muy excelente , y sen̄alado . madre vieja , y camisa rota , no es deshonra . este proverbio nos amonesta , que la viejez & la probreza no son deshonras . antes moral que almendro . este refran simbolica con la naturaleza del espan̄ol , el qual es mas flematico , y tardio en sus acciones que otras naciones : como el moral entre los arboles , el qual brota muy tarde , pero no , hasta que el aspereza del invierno sea passada ; por esto a quel arbol es simbolo de sabiduria , como el almendro que brota presto , es simbolo de temeridad ; lo qual induzio el autor de la floresta de dodona de paragonar el espan̄ol al moral . moral proverbs , or adages conducing to manners , and to good life , &c. with all the world have war , but with england do not jar . the first wife is matrimony , the second company , the third is heresie . he carrieth the cross on his breast , and the devil in his actions . an egge is better to day , then a pullet to morrow . a handful of nature is better then an armful of science . by little and little the old woman spinnes the bundle of flax . owe money at easter , and lent will seeme short to thee . a suit in law , and an vrinal , bring a man to the hospital . who never lyes comes not of good kinred . there 's no family but there 's a whore or a knave of it . from the glances of a drab , and the turn of a die , take heed . guests and fish stink in three dayes . giving of almes never lightens the purse . one can never make a streight arrow of a sowes tayl . be rather a mulberry then an almond-tree . viz. be rather slow then hasty . a long-nos'd man seldom a cuckold . a hedge lasts three years , a dog outlasts three hedges , a horse three dogs , a man three horses , a stag three men , an elephant outlives three stags . who knows little tells it quickly . i care not for saints that piss . who hath money hath what he will. who shelters himself under leaves is twice wet . who spits at heaven , his spettle falls on his face . understood of blasphemers . when thou art with thy wife belly to belly , yet do not tell her all things thou knowest . when it pleaseth not god , the saint can do little . when all tell thee thou art an ass , 't is time for thee to bray . when ill fortune lies asleep , let none awake her . who labours can want no houshold-stuff . who buyes and sells feels not what he spends . neither for company nor for counsel lose thy own hold . nor weeds in thy corn , nor scruples in thy friend . the heart bears up the body . let the miracle be done , though mahomet doe it . one finger makes no hand , nor one swallow a sommer . neither take too young a boy , nor kinsman , nor one that is intreated for thy servant . nor so old that she eates with a wryed mouth , nor so young as to be a wanton . take heed of a winching mule , and a latine woman . nor a prophecying maid , nor a learned wife . nor eyes in letter , nor hands in chests . when the mouth is shut , the flies cannot enter . change of weather the discourse of fools . the dog wags his tail not for thee , but for the bread . duggs draw more then axietrees or wheels . a blush in the face is better then a blot in the heart . grief of many turns to pleasure . a pawne in chest is better then a pledge in the market . mother and daughter wears one smock , viz. they are of one nature . buttocks abed draw more then bulls in a fallow . better be a fool then obstinate . therefore a man is a cuckold , because two can do more then one . there is not such an enchantment as good service . in the mouth of the wise a publick report is a secret . they are not all men that piss at the wall . all is not true that the tabour sounds . marriage is not made of mushromes , but of good round cakes . all the fingers are not of one length , viz. all men are not equal . there 's no such doctrine as that of the ant. who hath a trade hath a benefice . he is not poor that hath little , but he that covets much . all the fat is fallen into the fire . there 's nothing so bad as to want money . wheresoere thou goest there 's three leagues of ill way . he is as sure as march in lent. a body alone neither sings nor weeps . there 's no house but hath something not to be spoken of . do good , there 's no matter to whom . vvords and feathers are tossed by the air . grief for others hangs by a hair . the word of the mouth , like the stone of a sling . vvhen the urinal came , john pasqual was dead . vvho pisseth and doth not fart , goes to the court , and sees not the king. vvho will have a hansome wife , let him chuse her upon saturday , and not upon sunday , viz. when she is in her fine cloaths . the wise man changeth counsel , the fool not . he knows one point more then the devil ; spoken of a cunning fellow . the day thou dost marry , thou dost cure or kill thy self . a man is taken by the beard , and a woman by the thred . let 's pray to god by saints , but not by so many . the secret of one god knows , the secret of three the whole countrey . god comes to visit us without a bell , viz. without noyse . the foot on the cradle , and the hand on the distaff ; a sign of a good houswife . nor corn that grows in a valley , nor wood that grows in the shade . he is blind enough who sees not through the holes of a sive . men purpose , but god doth dispose . get once a good name , and sleep at leisure . the words are good if the heart be so . vvho sings scares away his sorrows . 't is better to leave to an enemy at ones death , then to beg of a friend in ones life . that delay is good which makes the way the safer . welcome cross , if thou comest alone , a compleat house ; in the other world . his bread fell into the honey-pot , viz. he got by the mischance . a frown and instruction makes a good child of an ill . that which makes peter sick , makes sancho well . as the abbot sings , the sexton answers . there 's no fence against fortune . too much familiarity breeds contempt . one much and two little make men rich . sope is lost on the head of an ass. a courtesie of the mouth is worth much , and costs but little . i will not jest with my eye nor with my faith . that which cures the lungs , hurts the spleen . he cries wine , and sells vinegar . god gives wings to the ant that she may perish the sooner ; spoken of ambition and honour . from idleness business is bred , i. trouble . he hath two looks , but one face . a large thong of another mans leather . to break ones head , and give him a plaister . one take is better then two promises . a scabbed colt a good horse . let 's leave fathers and grandsires , and be good of our selves . never a good work of a grumbling servant . think leisurely , and work speedily . god guard me from the stroak of a gander , viz. from a goose-quill , or scriveners shop . hell is full of good intentions . happy is he that growes wise by other mens harms . the frying-pan told the kettle , get thee hence thou black ars . god consents , but not always . they speak worse of him then mahomet spoke of bacon . god gives us whereat to laugh , but not at foolish children . tell thy friend thy secret , and he will lay his foot on thy throat . vvheresoever thou goest do as thou seest . vvhere old men do not haunt , crowes do not croke . my noddle akes , and they anoint my ankle . to hurle the helve after the hatchet . the sergeant and the sun are every where . pardon is superfluous where no fault is committed . the crumpshouldered sees not his bunch , yet he sees that of his companions . cure your sore eye with your elbow , viz. do not touch them . the foot of the master is as dung to the ground . let 's bless god in the state we are in . in the cutlers house an ill knife . i scap'd from the thunder and fell into the lightning , viz. from bad to worse . in the wise mans mouth what is publick is secret . he is my friend who grindes in my mill . 't is good doctrine to be wise by other mens harms . the greyhound who starts many hares kills none . vain-glory doth flourish , but bears no grain . by drop and drop the sea lesseneth . enjoy thou the little thou hast , while the fool seeks for more . by one grain after another the ant fills his barn . do for me , learn for thy self . i take some sport , but i finish my task . to scape the bull , i fell into the river . women and wine make a man swarve from his judgement . thy bowels and chests must fly ope to thy friend . the cobweb le ts go the rat , and holds fast the mouse . salt comes from the sea , and mischief from a woman . by the popes prick which is holy flesh . since i brought forth children i never fill'd my belly . words and works eat not at one table . sometimes a fool gives good counsel . from a silent person remove thy dwelling . man is the fire , woman the flax , the devil the bellows . to sweat at meat , and freeze at work . money makes the man compleat . vvho died of fear , they made him a tomb of turd . a melon and a woman are hard to be known . a golden face , silver hair , and scarlet eyes . fore-warn'd fore-arm'd . an early riser hath care of something . meddle not with the quarrels of brothers . men propose , but god doth dispose . let the tripes be full , , for they carry the legs . my neighbours goat gives more milk then mine . love , and thou shalt be loved , so thou maist do that which thou canst not do being not beloved . poverty may make a chaste woman do foul things . the bacon of paradise for the married man that never repented . marry and gossip every one with his equal . an old man a new grief every day . the least hair makes a shadow . to sell honey to him that hath hives of his own . let good luck come , and let it come whence it will. put neither iew nor hog into thy garden . shee 's coif'd like a saint , and nayl'd like a cat. the wanton sheep said to the goat , give me wooll . the life pass'd makes old age heavy . truth like oyl swims always on the top . the foolish woman by the list buyes the cloath . the blind mans wife needs no painting . a wench on the market-place hath commonly the door swep'd , and the house beshit . they cast the fault of the ass upon the panniers . too much conversation breeds contempt . the cunning wife makes the husband her apron . vvant makes the old wife to trot , and the cripple to caper . a good pay-master is never sorry for his pawn . a book shut brings not forth a lawyer . the absent and the dead have no friends . money makes masters . he sadleth to day , and goes to morrow . vvords are in us , deeds are in god. married men need many eyes . vvhat thou hast to do , do it , and say not to morrow . that which happens not in a year , falls out in an instant . that which is used , cannot be excused . too much breaks the bag . vvhat three know , all the world knows . the dead open the eyes of the living , viz. books . the worst of law-suits is , that of one there grow a hundred . what 's ordain'd in heaven must be done on earth . what 's done at a wedding must not be done every day . every one carrieth his soul in the palm of his hand . the rotten apple spoils his companion . the locusts make thin guts . the woman and the melon smell them at the tail . wine and women keep men from musing . a gentle answer breaks choler . truth is green . a lye wants feet . an egge to day is better then a hen to morrow . good words have a good sound . a lye hath short legs . to start a hare for another to take . the poor man like a walnut-tree , all throw stones at him . words are women , deeds men . better bow then break . converse with the wise , and thou shalt be one of them . the desire of man never comes to the highest pitch . bind me hand and foot , and throw me among my kindred . divide not pears with thy master in jest or earnest . better to unsow , then break , viz. to go too hastily to work . an ill word hurts more then a sharp sword . a pawn in the the chest is better then a pledge in the market . the smoak of my own house is better then the fire of another . my gossips wish me ill because i tell them truth . better to go about , then fall into the ditch . better be still single then ill married . a handful of naturall wit is better then an armful of learning . to hammer on cold iron . one ox shites more then a hundred swallows . better late then never . 't is ill to sin , 't is devillish to persevere . a mild word quencheth more then a whole cauldron of water . being ill , and hoping to be better , i must dye i know not when . if you paint and cocker them too much , you will make bad daughters of good . rather a trotting wife then a gazing wife . the devil so loved his child , that he pulled out one of his eyes . put her to another vessel , because she may not smell of the mother . have luck enough , and a little learning will serve thy turn . vvho hath children , 't is reason he should gather . vvho hath children , cannot die of a surfeit . vvho will be very old let him begin betimes to be so . fortune reacheth her hand to a bold man. take a bull by the horn , and a man by his word . god send thee a house of oak , a bowl of silver , and a pot of copper . a knight without money is no knight , but a bable . gifts break through rocks . who hath daughters and sheep , he can want no complaints . two shirts is better then one . correct thy mule , and thy child behind . a woman in the straw , and a webb begun cannot want a place of refuge . breed up a crow , and she will peck out thy eye . be not partner with a man engaged . a clown may be hid by good cloaths . give me her honest , and i will make her hansome . give a pye of one colour , and i will give you a maid without a fault . better keep then ask . the dugs draw more then cable ropes . a pitiful mother a shitten child . rather bleared then blind . the ill of many turns to delight . my knee is nearer then the calf of my leg . 't is wholsomer to go to bed without a supper , then rise in debt . put thy hand into thy own bosome , and never stand telling the fortune of others . envy is better then pity . mine is better then ours . the more moors ( viz. slaves ) the more gain . oats and mass never retard a journey . while the yoak goes , let the spindle wag . while i am in my house i am a king. truly dame this gear goes ill . look before , thou wilt not fall backward . a fine wench a frail gourd . a youth well bred neither speaks of himself , nor holds his peace being asked . the cuckold knowes much , but he knowes more who gives him the horns . the world goes round , who cannot swim must to the bottome . many do kiss hands which they would see cut off . it much avails and costs little , to give a good answer to a bad word . women complain , women do groan , women grow sick when they please . the hare runs well , but the dog that catcheth her better . fools talk of change of times . many things grow in the garden which were never sowed . the door doth not like me that hath many keyes . buy not a horse that wags his tail . the ant gets wings to destroy her self the sooner . i care not for a pig with bells about his neck . fools and quarrellers enrich the lawyers . want makes the old woman to trot . a foolish ship that hath no ballast . take heed of friends reconcil'd , and of meat twice boyl'd . nor the absent is without fault , nor the present without excuse . buy not a lame mule , nor marry a punk in hope to cure either . care not for the tears of a whore , or the bravadoes of a ruffian . nor table without bread , nor army without a captain . nor wedding without a tabor , nor porredge without bacon . nor wheat that grows in valleys , or under a shade . i neither give nor take , like a iew on the sabbath . trust not a woman that weeps , nor a dog that pisseth . 't is neither my mill nor b●rn , let who will thresh in it . neither eat too much cheese , nor expect wit from a boy . nor hen without bacon , nor sermon without saint austin . neither be daunted by poverty , nor lifted up by riches . a child , a vineyard , and a bean-garden are ill things to keep . nor mule without a race , nor woman without her blemish . go neither to the physician upon every distemper , nor to the lawyer upon every brabble , nor to the pot upon every thirst . one finger makes no hand , nor one swallow a summer . above god there 's no lord , nor above black any colour . if the will fail not , there will want no opportunity . leave not the skins till the galileans come . there 's not such an enchantment as good service . the lion is not so fierce as he is painted . meddle not with what doth not belong unto thee . the worst jest is the true jest . there 's no deaf man like him that will not hear . ' there 's no stop without trouble . marriages are not made of mushromes , but of round duckets . you cannot take trouts with dry breeches . there is not so clear a mirror as an old friend . there is not a better surgeon then he who hath been slashed . trust not and thou shalt not be cousened . there is no law like that of the club . i grieve not that my son hath lost his money , but that he will have a revenge . all is not gold that glisters . 't is ill flying away on stilts . there is not a better mistress then want and poverty . there is no ill but time may ease the smart . the crow cannot be blacker then her wings . seek not pears of an elme . a good carouse of wine is the best witness . the stollen bit is the sweetest . where thou art not lord command not . speak not till thou be asked , and thou shalt be esteemed . god strikes not with two hands , for he hath made ports to the sea , and fords to the rivers . there is no lock but a golden key will open it . be not a baker if thy head be made of butter . new king new lawes . no good is got without labour . a work of the commons is n● mans work . every one for himself , and god for all . to offer much is a kind of denial . there are eyes that fall in love with blearness . a bleating sheep loseth her bit . words and feathers the wind whirles them about . you were a baker before , though now you wear gloves . paper and ink cost money . nicholas divides most for himself . a word spoken and a stone flung have no return . the words of a saint , and the paws of a cat . the court is cumbersome . 't is bread and vvine that makes the journey , and not the nimble youth . bread with eyes , cheese without eyes . speak little , hear much , and thou shalt not erre . there is not a pair of ears for every sunday . sloth washeth not the head , and if it washeth , it kembs it not . a barking dog never good biter . idleness is the key of beggery . pear , peach , and melon require pure wine . old sins new repentance . give just weight and sell dear . to ask much for to get the one half . the gray mule hath lost her prancings . to kill moors on a wall . a rouling stone gathers no moss . the thief thinks that every one is of his gang . an urinal and a sute in law in his house whom thou wishest not well . more drunk then a sop , or spunge . i consume my self to do others good . spoken of the candle . to preserve friendship let there be a wall between . little wealth , and a good will. though the sun shines yet leave not thy cloak at home . for wealth marry not with a lewd man. the dog will dance for money . contest , but lay no wagers . go not behind at a hill . get a good name isabel , and thou wilt marry well . for thy religion , for thy king , for thy kindred , and for thine own , lay thy life . to grease a fat sow in the tail . cut off the leg of an ill custome . he who doth ill , an excuse never failes him . the main end of all is to serve god , and do no ill . love thy husband as a friend , and fear him as an enemy . at the years end the dead eats more then the living . whether here or there , look well with whom thou goest . he overtakes at last who tires not . there is no fence against death . to give slowly is as much as to deny . a friend to all , and to no body , is all one . the love of a punk , the fire of flax , and the wind of the tail is one and the same thnig . god gives washed hands wherewith to eat . let me go warm , and let people laugh as long as they will. take another dog with this bone . be advised by the aged , and thy opinion will prevail in council . old birds are not taken with chaff . to whom thy secret thou dost tel , to him thy freedom thou dost sel. he who gives thee a capon , give him a leg and a wing . plow deep , thou shalt have bread enough . though a lye may darken truth , it cannot extinguish it . the creditor hath a better memory then the debtor . a coward yesterday , a cavaleer to day . 't is good to love , 't is better to be beloved . correct the good he will grow better ; correct the bad he will grow worse . a beard wetted is half raz'd . to drink and lose the asses . to speak well , and do ill , is like a broken sive . marta sings well when her belly is full . a wanton wench looks illfavouredly near a gray beard . writing is the best memory . this were to bridle a calf . a secret is good in one , better in two , ill in three , and worse in four . the old ox makes the streightest furrow . thou seekest five feet in a cat , and she hath but four . god give peter a good easter , for he never did me good or hurt . to an hasty question a leisurely answer . a thin pot , and fat testament . to keep a cackling and lay no egge . every one desires wealth at his own home . every potter commends his own pitchers . the pot that goes often to the water comes home crack'd at last . every bird is pleased with his own nest . every cock crows on his own dunghil . the cock crows , the hen answers , 't is a sad house where there is no corn . to repent doth cost dear . every one with his equal . let every one speak in that which he knowes . marry thy daughter when thou mayst , and thy son when thou pleasest . if thou desirest care , marry a lewd fellow . a forward horse needs no spur. a dappled gray sooner dead then tired . he falls in the pit he digs for others . like to like , and nan for nicholas . a house with a chimney , and a wife with a spindle . like to like . the back door is that which spoiles the house . after horns comes learning . that is a sad house where the hen crows , and the cock is silent . he is fit for any thing . the love of a child like water in a pannier . i like it not well to have a dog in my house with a bell . go to thy aunts house , but not every day . go to thy brothers house , but not every evening . a wise man makes every countrey his own . some are monks , some fryers . the love of a son-in-law is like the winter sun. a gathering father , a scattering son. a pinching father , a prodigal son. that gate is happy through which a dead wife goes out . the wise man changeth counsel , the fool perseveres . money and good manners makes cavalleers . it goes ill with that house , where the spindle commands the sword . thy fathers house , thy grandfathers vineyard , and thy great grandfathers olive-trees . obey thy natural father , but thy spiritual more . thou art a son , a father thou wilt be , as thou doest , so shall it be done unto thee . my mother warned me i should lay no way-wagers in disputes . the asses son brayes twice a day . don lope is neither vinegar nor wine . a late child an early orphan . near is my petticoat , but nearer is my smock . a tender mother , a turdy child . he is not ugly who resembleth his kindred . a long child-birth , and a girl at last . blind cheese and eyed bread is best . who hath a sore tooth hath an ill neighbour . he who doth me good is my gossip . who breeds a nephew breeds an ill plant . above father ther 's no godfather . poverty is no baseness , but an inconvenience . the battlements come down , and dunghills climb up ; iacks rise up , and gentlemen come down . neither go to a wedding nor christning unbid . a foolish beast , a doltish driver . to a good understander a short speaker . a sheep and a bee , a stone which grinds , a iewel in his ear , the old womand wisheth her son. counsel after the cunney is gone . a small pitcher a small handle . at a hundred years end we shall all be saved . two sparrows agree but ill at one ear of corn . where they take out and put nothing in , they quickly go to the bottom . the evening commends the day , and death life . affection is blind reason . against the strength of a clown put iron between , viz. a sword . vvho comes last laments first . spoken of a younger brother . vvho believes slightly takes water into a sive . the cage made , the pye dead . now that i have a sheep and an ass every one bids me good morrow . a great ascent must have a great descent . no value can be put upon good counsel . ingratitude dries up the fountain of piety . do not misinform thy physician , thy councellor or lawyer . a new vessel retains the first scent . the ass dead and barley at his tayl . a silver bridge to a flying enemy . find out the good , and fear the bad . the old man never wants stories at the fire-side or the sun-shine . 't is tried alquimy to have rent and spend nothing . at the end of . years the hare returns to her first form . never seek the pedigree of a good man. there 's not a bad thing in spain but that which speaks . cu , cu , take heed thou beest not one . with one much , and two small ones men grow rich . buy a chain thou dost turn treasure into money . against an ill person the onely remedy is to put earth betwixt thee and him . with latine , a good nag , and money , thou mayst travel the world . get a good name and go to sleep . the company of one is the company of none , the company of two is the company of god , the company of three is company , the company of four is the devils company . red and black the colours of hell. why doth not thy master chide ? because he is not married . the courtesie of the mouth avails much , and costs little . the counsel of him who loves thee , though thou likest it not , yet write it down . collerique sanguin a pure drunkard . a hundred taylors , a hundred millers , and a hundred weavers make three hundred theeves . he who hunts two hares , he sometimes takes one , and sometimes none . natural vices last to the grave . we ought to praise him who gives us bread . there is a large distance betwixt the saying and the deed . gifts do burst rocks . god gard me from whom i trust , for i shall guard my self from whom i trust not . depart a while from the collerick man , and all thy life from a silent man. from a small spark a huge fire . i saw few die of hunger , of eating much a hundred thousand . a large thong of another mans leather . thou mayest keep thy selfe from the fire , but not from a thief . among colours scarlet , among fruits the apple . from long wayes , large lyes . panniers after vintage . take heed of a lewd woman , and trust not a good one . of a sows tail never good arrow . to break ones head and give him a plaister . the devil turns his back to a door that is shut . a belly full , though it be of hay . take counsel of the aged . from a good servant thou mayest become a master . of evils the least to be chosen . when thou hast made a turd leave it . one take is worth two i will give thee . when god pleases it raines in fair weather . a foolish iudge a short sentence . owe something against easter , and lent will seem short unto thee . where affection goes the eye goes . tell me with whom thou goest , and i will tell thee who thou art . wheresoever thou art , do as thou seest . my neck akes , and they anoint my ankle . take the good souldier from the plow. he went for wool , and he returned shorne . who hath a glass roof of his own , let him not throw stones at his neighbours . who payes his debts , what is left is his own . to give almes never makes the purse the lighter . who stayes long doth his business . mischief comes by ells , and goes away by inches . vvho spends more then he gaines , he must needs complain . who will not adventure , let him neither go to sea nor on a mule. who grasps too much , holds little . first born first fed . who hears not reason doth no reason . who still takes out , and puts not in , will quickly find a bottom . who spins well hath a large smock . who humours his wife in every thing becomes quickly a cuckold . who stumbles and falls not , goes faster . who hath been si●k and doth well must perform a pilgrimage . who hath ill customes he seldom or never forgets them . all covet all lose . who parts brothers comes by the worst . vvho gets under a good tree hath a good shelter . vvho is a cuckold and consents , let him be still a cuckold for me . vvho parts from his friends parts from god. vvho at thirty hath no wit , and is not rich at forty , raze his name out of the book . who eates his cock alone , let him saddle his horse himself . he who out-●eers a jeerer hath a hundred years of pardon . who hath his foot at the altar , eats bread without baking it . vvho hath time and waits for time , the time will come he will repent . vvho comes last weeps first . vvho stumbles twice at one stone deserves to have a broken face . vvho performs , appoints well . vvho resolves rashly , repents leisurely . wvho hath a good trade , hath a good office . a thief once , a thief ever . vvho sooths thee more then ordinary hath a purpose to couzen thee , or hath need of thee . vvho parts with his own before his death , let him provide for patience . vvho sowes thorns must meet with prickles . vvho desires to thrive let him live at the foot of a hill , or in a sea-port . who hath no money hath no grace . vvho trusts or promiseth doth cast himself into debt . vvho hath no ghelt let him sell both purse and budget . vvho hath lost his good name , goes dead up and down . vvho sports too much gathers little . who owes unto peter and payes andrew , let him pay another time . who sowes thorns let him not go barefoot . who wipes my sons nose kisseth me in the face . who knows not ill , cannot judge of the good . vvho is thy greatest enemy ? he who is of thy trade . vvho believes slightly takes up water in a sive . vvho corrects one beats a hundred . vvho asks errs not . vvho changeth his dwelling , god helps him . vvho goes to the mill and riseth not early , lets others grind while he is lowsing himself . vvho findes himself well , let him not stir . vvho doth a pleasure to a lewd man , soweth in the market-place . vvho teacheth himself , encreaseth his ills . vvho will recover money must give many turns . vvho wants employment , let him freight a ship or marry . vvho holds his peace consents . king by nature , pope by venture . i renounce that friend who shelters with his wings , and bites with his mouth . i renounce fetters though they be of gold. she fares as well as a tripe-womans cat. gossips scold , the truth is told . the salt oreturn'd never well taken up . to take one foot out of the mire , and put in the other . san lucy bright , the shortest day and longest night . sancha drinks wine , and cries out it staines . to fall from the dirt into a bog . in a sallet little vineger and much oyl . saint john the green is not every day seen . there 's no ill but may turn to ones good . service is no inheritance . a secret betwixt two safer then betwixt three . if thou wilt get a good name , let not the sun take thee in thy chamber . an ill beast sweats behind the ear . if thou wilt have a good servant , take him before his dowles be out . ca me , ca thee . the marks of nature are either very good or very bad . if thou wishest me well john , thy deeds will shew it . if thou wilt be revenged say little . follow reason although thou please some and displease others . if you come not in time , you shall not eat of the fat . if the tall were valiant , the little man patient , and the red loyal , all the world would be equal . if the tongue erred , the heart did not . if thou wilt thrive follow the good . if thou wilt be well served , serve thy self . if thou wilt enjoy the sweet , thou must taste of the sowre . if not as we will , as well as we may . if thou wilt know the value of a crown , borrow one . the blind man dream'd that he did see , & his dreā prov'd true . there 's no companion like the penny . there may be a subtile wit under a rough cloak . soles and wine go the journey . let him have patience who suffers , for one time succeeds another . the hour and time you cannot tie with a string . every one hath his opportunity if one knew how to manage it . sancho hath met with his match . men meet , mountains never . vve are all adams sons , silk onely distinguisheth us . we are all fools some way or other . every one after the old fashion . see whither thou goest , and do as thou seest . the least hair hath its shadow . you are a cuckold husband : who told you so wife ? cu , cu , take heed it be not thou . a window-gazing wife , wring off her neck if thou wilt have her good . the good man goes not into anothers bed . thy hand upon the spindle , and thy foot upon the cradle , so bring up thy daughter . the ass and the froward woman must have blows . rather have a husband with one eye , then with one son . in the fools house the wife commands . the fool fell in love with the lace of her gorget . the spindle is miserable when a beard is not above it . she is truely fair who is so of her body . meat is needful , a good name more . give a scolding wife rope enough . why doth the blind mans wife paint her self ? the rich widow weeps with one eye , and casts glances with the other . who hath a fair wife needs more then two eyes . the good wife is made by the man. better to be a cuckold and none know it , then to be none , and yet to be thought so . an old woman with money is better then a young one with beauty . too many counsellors confound the business . shew me thy wife , and i will tell thee what a husband thou art . nor so old a wife as to play the iade , nor so young as to kick . nor for cow , nor for ox , take a mad wife , or that hath the pox. neither marry with a widow , or seek help from a child . neither ride on a colt , nor commend thy wife . nor wedding without musick , nor burial without mourning . nor buy an ass of a mulateer , nor marry the daughter of an host. for money marry not an ill man. my husband is gone a wool gathering . 't is the man that makes the wife and the vineyard hansome . who is a cuckold and conceals it , carries coales in his heart . a husband behind the fire as bad as the mother , viz. the disease vvho takes not up a pin hath no care of his wife . in avoiding the fly he swallowed the spider . a large train and light purse . to whom i wish well let his wife dye . speak well and seldom , thou wilt be held for some body . to speak without fore-thinking , is to shoot without aiming . do well , it matters not to whom . do what the fryer tells thee , not what he doth . vvho serves well , asks enough . where there is a fool and a turd , they will quickly be known . an early riser hath care of something . honour and profit cannot hold in one bag . to fly away and run is not one thing . to steal a pig and give the pettitoes in almes . a little spindle , a great help . a new guest a trouble to the house . the wheat is merry under the snow , as an old man under a blanket . i ●m a little merry , but i do my business . egges are as thousands of meats . i beat the bush , another catcheth the birds . i go where no pope or emperour can send their embassador . viz. to stool . the wolf and the fox are of the same mind . the fish who seeks the ●ook seeks his ruine . vvho dallies with his enemy dies betwixt his hands . the masters eye fatneth the horse . the fryer who begs for god , begs for two . this is to make a hedge of thorns with naked hands . make thy son thy heir , not thy steward . in a dry soyl brackish water is good . in the labourers house hunger looks in , but dares not enter . good fishing in troubled water . he was born in an ill hour who gets an ill name . in this wretched world when there is wine enough , there wants bread . the just man may sin in an open chest . in the gamesters house joy lasts but little . a straw is heavy in a long journey . in a full house supper is quickly ready . bastards are very good , or very bad . wo to the son , whose father to heaven is gone . that must be which pleaseth god. grind good corn , and never blow the horn . take heed of a punk that leaves thy purse light . beware of the occasion , and god will save thee from the sin . death takes no bribe . a grain fills not the sive , but it helps its companions . a great pleasure to eat well and spend nothing . my father mun̄oz desires what god doth not . who erres and mends he recommends himself to god. who preserves himself , god preserves him . who lives well hath no need of any . when thou hearest our lady named , ask not whether thou must fast . he hath his soul in his fist . after this world another will come . peter is so much gods , that god gets him not . all is nothing in this world , unless you direct it to the other . who goes not to sea knows not how to pray . before thou marry see what thou dost . before thou marry have a house wherein to tarry . a husband of thirty for a wife of fifteen . an ill night , and yet a girl . who loves beltran loves his dog . she gathers ashes , and scatters corn . let every pot have its cover . well or ill they have married me . marry , marry , sounds well , and savours ill . marry and converse with your equal . marry thy daughter with a good neighbour , and thou wilt sell thy wine . marry , and thou wilt be tame enough . weddings have fools of all kind . smoak , a dropping gutter , and a scold , cast the good man out of his hold . who is an enemy to the bride , how can he speak well of the bridegroom ? the stag casts his horns every year , and thy husband every day . from a prognosticating maid , and a latine wife , the lord preserve me . god guard me from the wind through a hole , and from a reconciled friend . beware of a young physitian , and an old barber . the name of a step-mother is enough . the devil makes the usurers bed . the oven is heated by the mouth . to trust god upon a good pawn . god keep thee from 't is done . beads about his neck , and the devil in his body . a short prayer penetrates heaven . much on earth , little in heaven . i do for thee , because thou mayst do for me , for thou art not god. the secrecy of two is the secrecy of god , the secrecy of three is all mens secrecy . when god will , it raines with all winds . praying to god , and driving the plow , viz. prayer and labour will do well . let thy hand go to what thou art fit for . whom god doth bless , his bitch brings forth piggs . to a chast woman god is sufficient . whom god doth bless , the ant seeks him out . he is rich who is well with god. by right or wrong god speed our councel . i come very conveniently . give me some meat . to lock up or keep safely . to send a message . give me wherewith to write . to give order . it is to be noted , that this word recaudo is a word of the largest extent in all the spanish tongue , for it signifies a message by word or letter , a present , a commission , or any accomodation , assurance or security , victuall or provision for war , or any place else , and all things that a man needs , or is provided of , for himself or his beast , &c. god gives beans to him who hath no gums . god betters us from hour to hour . let me have a rich husband though he be an ass. from a fools bolt god deliver me . god send thee joy and health , and a house with a court and a well . god send me to do with him who understands me . god put strife among those that maintain us , viz. clients . god consents , but not alwayes . from smooth water god deliver me , for i shall preserve my self from the rough . tripe porredge dost thou brag ? against presumption . let good luck come , and let it come whence it will. a rich widow a quiet house . a whore and a hare , seek them near the high way . iew , pay what thou owest , for what i owe thee stands upon account . go when thou art sent , come when thou art called . i was dust , there came water and made me dirt . much corn , never bad year . for rising early the day breaks never the sooner . for newes never trouble thy selfe , thou shalt know it time enough . little wealth little care . over shooes over boots . by no means leave not the high-way for a by-path . take thy wifes first counsel , not the second . ask mun̄oz , for he tells more lies then two . an open gate tempts a saint . they set up a cross because he should not piss in the place . when the beast groans , load on and do not fear . when the devil is at his beads he will couzen thee . when the devil comes to thy gate and shall beg thy sleeves , cut them off and give them him . like bell like clapper . when thou art an anvil suffer like an anvil , when thou art a hammer strike like a hammer . vvhen thou art with thy wife belly to belly , do not tell her whatsoever comes into thy mind . the saint can do nothing when god is not pleased . if the fields will not , the saints can have no tithes . the iron must be beaten while 't is hot . keep touch with the time . when thou seest thy neighbours beard peel away , wet thine own . do not speak all thou knowest , do not judge all thou seest , and thou shalt live in peace . when the pilot promiseth mass and wax , it goes ill with the galley . like king , like people . when the frog hath hair thou wilt be good . better double then break . i would have my son witty , but not over witty . you would buy a mule without a mouth or a tail . fly , what dost thou ? we plough . meant of arrogant men . what avails a candle without week ? who riseth late must trot all the day , viz. because he is behind hand with his business . who gives all , denies all . who speaks ill of the mare buyes her . who marries for love hath good nights , but sorry dayes . who hearkens well , answers well . if you will have the dog follow you , give him bread . who can be free , let him not make himself a captive . who loves well forgets late . who hath his skirts of straw fears the fire . who spares , finds . who deals in wool distils gold . who dares not adventure , let him not pass the sea. who commends the ass , may he have such a son . who lends money looseth a visitor . who eats and sings riseth off foolishly . who hath a hundred , and owes a hundred and one , need not fear ; who hath a hundred and one , and owes one hundred and two , i recommend him to god. who lies with dogs riseth up with fleas . who goes far to marry , either he goes to deceive , or to be deceived . he that gets out of debt grows rich . a cool mouth , and warm feet live long . he pulls by a long rope who waits for anothers death . when a friend asks , there is no to morrow . if all fools had bables , we should want wood . for washing his hands , none sells his lands . hearken to reason , or she will make her self to be heard . vvho lives well is learned enough . iest not with the eye , nor with religion . he that stayes does his business . into a mouth shut , flyes do not enter . one grain fills not a sack , yet it helps his fellows . honour and profit lye not in one bag . the more a woman looks in her glass , the less she looks to her house . marry a widow before she leaves mourning . prayers and provender hinder no journey . many kiss the hand whom they wish were cut off . the world runs round , who cannot swim goes to the bottom . the lion is not so fierce as he is painted . he is not poor who hath little , but he that desires much . keep not ill company , lest you encrease the number . he that wipes the childs nose kisseth the mothers cheek . vvho lives in hopes danceth without musick . vvho tells his wife news is but newly married . vvho learns a trade , a purchase hath made . gifts enter every where without a winible . the musician keeps shop in his throat . an old mans staff is the rapper of death's door . take heed of an ox before , a horse behind , and a monk on all sides . it 's more pains to do nothing then something . every one hath a fool in his sleeve . religion , credit , and the eye , are tender things . vvho licks his knife , will give little to his servant . better a snotty nose , then none at all . vvho brings good news may knock boldly . vvho pities another , remembers himself . a great dowry is a bed full of brabbles . three women and a goose make a market . if things were to be done twice , all would be wise . the easiest thing in the world is for one to deceive himself . who dallies with his enemy , dies between his hands . vvho is a cuckold and holds his peace , carrieth a hot coal in his heart . vvhy is a man a cuckold ? because two can do more then one . a vvoman and a cherry paint themselves for their hurt , viz. the one to be tempted , the other to be eaten . the way to make a woman a fool , is to commend her beauty . you have hit the white . an old father and a broken sleeve is no dishonour . my mother told me that i should debate the business , but not bet . a hundred out of one womb , and every one of a several mind . god bring me to live there where an egge is worth six pence . i. to a country full of money . there would be no fortune , were she still the same . the prodigal hath as many friends as eat at his table . fortune at last yeelds to the importunity of labour . labour gets the laurel , and takes off the rust from the soul. adam's son cannot eat bread without labour . i know what i know , but i will keep it to my self . a cunning fox that lies betwixt weeds , makes her self dead , that she may catch the prize . one needle for the purse , but two for the mouth , viz. to keep it close . one hath the credite another washeth the wool . he was but one that never err'd . vertues overcome signs , viz. the influxes of the stars . the wise man is deceived but once , the simple twice . the old woman when she danceth raiseth much dust . the wine of pears , nor drink it thy selfe , nor give it thy friend . come cackling , thou mayst return singing , viz. go with some present of poultry to the judge . sell at home , and buy in a fair , if thou wilt be rich . thirty monks and an abbot cannot make an ass shite against his will. three to one may put a straw in ones arse . all fish is flegm , and all games imposthumes . you have one dead in your house , and you go to mourn for another . i. every one hath grief enough of his own . a gamester , a gamester , the name tells thee he is a thief . a little gives contentment . soles and wine makes the body go . from blowing coles there comes a flame , and from ill words a quarrel . if john wisheth me well , his works will shew it . if thou hast a mind to beat thy wife , let her bring thee water to the sun-shine ; for there thou mayst find some mote or other , that may be a ground for a quarrel . if thou wilt have pleasure , endure some pain . if thou desirest to be sick , wash thy head , and go to sleep . if thou desirest to be fat , eat with hunger , and drink leisurely . if thou wilt know the value of a crown , go and borrow one . if thou wilt have a good servant , take him before he hath dowle on his chin . if fools did not go to the market , ill wares would never be sold. to pray unto the saint till the danger is past . who goes with ill company breaks his foot , or his hip-bone . who doth not appear is perished . wilt thou tell the fool what he is ? call him a two-footed beast . who meets not with some ill luck , takes a surfeit of the good . who hath no honey in his cruce , let him have it in his mouth . who promiseth puts himself in debt . who sowes thistles , reaps prickles . who hath no money hath no grace . cayre an old spanish coin . who loves well sees afar off . who eats his cock alone , let him saddle his horse alone . if this dab doth not stick to the wall , 't will at least leave a mark . one stroke fells not the oak . one , and none is all one . the same knife cuts my bread and my finger . use makes mastery . i that do hold my peace do gripe stones . honour without profit , like a ring on ones finger . the man believes , the soul doubts . before thou write receive , and before thou givest write . the teeth require not much neglect , nor too much care . there 's no woman fair on her wedding day . marriages are fill'd up with fools . an ass that gets into another mans ground comes back laden with wood , viz. knocks . from a scolding man the lord deliver me . a white earth , black seed , and five oxen to the plow-share . a red man , and bearded woman salute them three leagues off . plow deep , thou wilt have bread enough . let thy son have a good name , and a good trade . there 's fence against all things except against death . to drink to the bottom to see the arms of the goldsmith . satyrical or drolling proverbs . the worse abbot is made of him who hath been a monk. goose , gander , and gosling have three sounds , yet are but one thing . by the skirts of the vicar the devil climes up to the steeple . who takes an eagle by the tail , and a woman at her word , holds nothing . who spoke rodrigo , spoke of noyse . shut the door , for the pot boyls over . without priest and pigeon-house thou mayst keep thy house clean . we are of galicia , we do not understand one another . peter is too old to keep goats . what a pretty fellow would peter be if he were washed ? as saint antlins ass , every day worse and worse . ironical proverbs . god gave me but one egge , and that was addle . two to one , i will turn a crane , viz. i will fly away . beneath the sun there 's no such man , as is the spaniard and italian . answer . thou tell'st the truth , and reason hast ; the first 's a thief , a buggerer the last . the church-mans wealth comes in at the door , and goes out at the chimney . let martha die , so she have her belly full . he took villadiegos breeches , and put earth in the middle , viz. he fled . take heed of a● ill woman , and do not trust a good one . drolleries , or merry proverbs . of things i never saw least , then of good aprils , and good bishops . abbot of carcuela having eaten the porredge , would have also the pot . trust not a priest made of a fryer . the priests wealth is given by god , but taken away by the devil . the way to rome must have neither a lame mule , or light purse . god is he who heals , but the physician gets the silver . two johns and one peter make one whole ass. the abbot and the sparrow are two ill birds . like the ass of saint ladorin , every day from bad to worse . the abbots wealth comes singing , and goes away whistling . fools makes feasts , and wise men eat them . that which christ hath not , the exchequer carrieth . the diet of burguillos , radishes in the morning , and figs at night . martin growes every day from bad to worse . physicians of valencia , long coats and little knowledge . my gossip marimenga comes alwayes to beg something . a boy given to mass , an abbot of vallero , and a court fryer , i renounce them all three . never expect much from a fryer , or a nun. nor dog , or neger , nor boy from galicia . nor a head-strong mule , nor a maid who hath been at sea , nor a well at the door , or an abbot for thy neighbour . trust not thy wife with a fryer , nor brabble with a iudge . nor a fryer for thy friend , nor a priest for thy neighbour . temporal proverbs , relating to the weather . aprils and earls are traytors for the most part . april and may the keyes of the year . a cold april , much bread , and little wine . every hog hath his saint martin . the third of april the cuckow is to come , if he comes not the eighth day , he is taken or dead . march water is worse then a stain in cloath . august and the vintage is not every day . august rain brings honey , wine , or saffron . may water bread for the whole year . a year of snow , a year of plenty . aragon clouds are water in the night . a red morning , wind or rain , every thing in its season , and turnips in autumn . the circle of the moon never fill'd pond , the circle of the sun wets the shepherd . may tells april , although thou weepest , i will laugh . december pierceth like a culverin . bearded frost , forerunner of snow . on saint barnabies day the sun said , here i will stand . neither the winds , nor the men of aragon are good . ianuary makes the pot freeze by the fire , and the old woman in her bed . in april a thousand waters . in iune , iuly , and august , lady excuse me you must — the cloud is the mother of rain . the moon with a circle brings water in her beak . the moon encreasing , her horns eastward , in the wane , her horns before . betwixt april and may , if there be rain , 't is more worth then oxen and w●in . a windy march , and a rainy april makes may beautiful . a windy april and a rainy march makes the hive unlucky . neither give credit to a clear winter , or cloudy spring . clouds above , water below . when there are clouds in hontejas mend thy roof . when the rock is coiff'd with flies , the town beneath becomes a sop . when there is a spring in winter , and a winter in spring , the year is never good . when aroca wears a hood go to rostelo . vvhen it rains in august , it rains wine or honey . when the moon is in the wane do not sow any thing . when the melicoton buds , the day and night are near the same . when the peach is in its flower , the day and night are in one tenour . when the figtree buds , find out thy mistress . when it snows it snows , when it rains it rains , when the wind blusters 't is ill weather . when guara hath a cloak , and moncayo a hood , a good year for castile , and a better for aragon . too early a sun lasts not a whole day . a red sun hath water in his eye . march sun sticks like a lock of wool . the sun set , the workman freed . time after time , and water after wind . an eastern wind carrieth water in his hand . red clouds in the east , rain the next day . april buds , few of them go to the barrel . one month before christmas , another after , is the true winter . saint lucy , the night shorteneth , and the day encreaseth . physical proverbs conducing to health and dyet . who doth not sup , needs not avicen , viz. the physician . a duck , a woman , and a goat are ill things being lean . go to the fish-market in the morning , to the shambles in the evening . cold water and hot bread never made good belly . water after figs , and wine after pears . vvater hath three qualities , it brings neither sickness , debts , nor widow-hood . buy the bolster of one in debt , and thou wilt sleep soundly . there sickness comes where egges are eaten without salt . vvho steals the old mans supper doth him no wrong . an eele in a pye , and in pickle the lamprey . one olive is gold , two silver , three all brass . agues or feavers in the fall , all alwayes long or mortal . a kid of one mouth , a lamb of three . an ague in may , health for a year and a day . the mother reckons well , but the child better . make night night , and day day , so thou mayst sing well-a-day . a late child quickly an orphan . in a black woman there is turpentine . keep thy feet dry , thy mouth moist . far from city , far from health . the morning to the mount , the evening to the fount . suppers killed more then avicen ever cured . dine with little , sup with less , sleep high , and thou wilt live . after fish milk do not wish . sammon and sermon have their season in l●nt . milk said to wine , friend , thou art come in good time . 't is good sowing where the sheep hath piss't . old wine , and an old friend . who grows fat being old , hath two youths . marry thy daughter , and eat fresh fish betimes . the young man by sleep improves his health , and the old man impairs it . water upon honey tastes ill , but doth well . hot bread , have much in thy hand , and little in thy belly . that cheese is wholesomest which comes from a miser . let thy water have neither colour , smell or savour , and let it see the sun. let thy door be towards the east , and thou wilt live the better . vvine over night is not worth a mite . let me piss clear , and a fig for the physician . appetite is better then surfeit . a growing youth hath a wolf in his belly . god give me a river and a hill for my neighbour . ye maids of davera who gave you bad teeth ? cold water and hot chesnuts . drink not of a pond , and eat but one olive . bread enough , and wine by measure . new bread and grapes , paint maids , and take away the old womans wrinkles . yesterdayes bread , and this dayes flesh , wine of the year pass't brings health . for a quartan ague the bell seldom tolls . moderate labour is much health . when thy belly akes , make it known to thy tail . when thou hast an appetite , eat of the buttock , not of the liver . the cods or genitories . when a man bepisseth his boots , he is not fit for marriage . when thou eatest new bread take heed of the fountain . when thy piss is of the florins colour , a fig for the physician . when it rains and the sun shines , gather snails . when the patient hath the postern-door open , a far● for the apothecary . when the spleen swells , the body grows less . he who breaks not his fast in may , let him recommend himself to the dead . he who pisseth and doth not fart , he doth not do what he should . who eats well and drinks well doth do his duty . who eats snails in april , let him provide for death . who sees fennel , and gathers it not , he is no man , but a devil . vvilt thou see thy husband dead ? give him cabage in august . vvho eats much eats little . vvhether you eat little or much , drink thrice . to a iady bit a spur of wine . a rusty needle shall not come among my tools . he obtains who tires not . god sends meat to washed hands . let me go warm , and let the world laugh at me . to a collop of bacon a good rouse of wine . drink water like an ox , and wine like a king , viz. sparingly . one egge is niggardliness , two is gentleness , three is valour , the fourth is knavery . if the countrey-man knew the goodness of a hen in ianuary , he would leave none in the roost . vvilt thou have a good bit ? take a medler the crown taken off . vvho goes to bed without some supper , hath a light brain all the night . sheeps cheese , goats milk , and cow butter is the best . leave not thy wastcoat till the galileans come , that is , till ascension day , when the gospel of the men of galilee , &c. is read . there 's no such broth as the juyce of flint , viz. that 's made of rock-water . pour no water in my wine , for there are worms that go up and down the river . a pear that cries rodrigo is not worth a fig , viz. a stony pear . neither drink perry thy self , nor give it to any other that thou lovest . distempers of the eye are to be cured with the elbow , viz. they must not be touched . he must rise betimes who will cheat the devil . he who meets with no ill luck , is weary of good . he who did eat the flesh , let him gnaw the bone . he who stumbleth in the plain way , what will he do on a rock ? he who flies away in time , comes timely home . he who will live in health , let him dine moderatly , and sup betimes . bad dinners , and great break-fasts , small heads , and long necks . if thou wilt eat what is ill , eat a roasted hare . if thou wilt live in health , make thy self old betimes . if the good woman knew the vertue of rhue , she would seek it by moon-shine . if thou wilt be sick , wash thy head and go to sleep . under the vvalnut-tree do not fall down and lie . upon new figs do not drink . upon melon wine is a felon . if thou desirest to die eat rost mutton , and sleep presently . pottage without herbs hath neither goodness nor nourishment . vvho eats a pilchard in may , shites out the bones in august . topical proverbs that aime at particular places and persons . the physicians of valentia have large skirts , but little knowledge . to the iudges of galicia go with feet in hand , viz. with some present of capons , &c. give the jew an inch , and he will take an ell . galliegos are beggers , the castillians are covetous . give a jew an egge , and he will beg of you the hen. ganiazar and villarejo , a great bell and bad counsel . from an andaluz take heed of thy cloak . cuenca ill for sore heads , and valencia for sore legs . from a toledano take heed early and late . from a pamplona knife , a shooe of baldres , and a friend of burgos , the lord deliver me . the portugues was born of a iews fart . the custome of aragon , for good service a bad reward . rather an ingle then a galliego . sardinia either kills , or makes thee well , viz. with a disease . in acturia there are three moneths of winter , and three of hell. let burgos speak , for toledo i 'le speak my self , said philip the second , to decide a controversie which was 'twixt these two towns , who should speak first in parlement . a portugal prentice that will cut , and yet he cannot sowe . speak not arabick in a moor's house . who hath a tongue goes to rome . santiago way the lame goes as much as the sound , viz. alluding to the pilgrims to be cur'd . as valiant as the gander of cantipalos , who made shew to set upon a man. like the mules of losa , he that breeds them enjoys them not . castile hath bread enough , who hath not must live in poverty . cabage of murcia , and turnips of bejara . deny what thou wilt , thou art in aragon . nor round stones , nor the people of girona . neither good shooe in valdres , nor good friend in salamanca . neither a man of cordova , nor a knife of pamplona , nor a boy of burges , or a shooe of baldres . camora was not got in an hour . palencia the fool who hears thee despiseth thee . when thou goest by pancorue , put thy cloak on thy shoulder . when thou goest by torote , carry a stone in thy cloak , and it will pay thy reckoning . who goes to andaluzia , let him sleep in the day , and go all night . who is an earl , and would be a duke , let him be a fryer in guadalupe . who goes to rome let him carry money . who hath not seen lisbon hath not seen a fair thing . who is naught in his own town , is also naught in sevil. corner for corner , and calatayud in aragon . rome , rome , who doth tame fools , and pardons not the wise . salamanca cures some , and spoils others . if castile were a cow , rioja would be the kidney . valley for valley , from hita to talavera . a vineyard in cuenca , a lusty wife , and a process in huete . bricayner the fool , put a tarace between . if thou wilt know a catalan , piss , and he will piss for company . whom god doth bless , he gives them a dwelling in sevil. three spaniards , two of them christians , as god , and the third as holy as the pope , three portegueses , two of them half christians , and the third a iew. three italians , two of them buggerers , the other an atheist . three dutch men , two of them drunkards , the other a heretick . three english men , two of them theeves , the third a rebel . daroca the fool , a great circuit , but a small town . valencia physitians large skirts , and little learning . on , on , for burgos is no village . duero hath the fame , but pisverga hath the water . aranda on duero , i 'le have for my self : a saying of philip the second . there are two magicians in segura , the one experience , the other wisedome . in salamanca a mite is better t●en a blanc , viz. a fair woman . to be happy god send thee a vineyard in cuenca . ebro thou traitor , who dost spring in castile , and waterest aragon . the king went old to toro , and came back young : because the water and grapes are so healthy . spain is dark , so is a south-west wind by nature . the ass of caracena the more he went the worse he was . in navadijos little bread , and many children . galicia is a garden , and ponferrada is the gate . sevile is like a chess-board , she hath as many black as white men , viz. moors and christians . castile was little enough when amaya was her head , and hitero a mount. locoya carrieth away the water , and xarama boars the fame . iune , iuly , august , and carthagena the best ports of spain . that which is desired by alagon , let it never come to aragon . zorita dogs are few , but ill condition'd . put a galliego but in thy barn , and he will make himself thy heir . that which escamilla doth crave let castilla never have , viz. too much drought . that which ocannia doth crave let mancha never have . that which hinojosos desires let our eyes never see . like buitrago colts , that alwayes grow less and less . like zorita dogs , who having no other do bite one another . the youths of cuenca , and colts of carboneras . the world runs round , born in granada , and dead in bustillo . the world runs round , to be born in xerez , and dye in portillo . portingal proverbs . sometimes an ill-favoured bitch gnawes a good chord . a duck , a woman , and a goat are ill things being lean . an empty purse makes one wise , but too late . the end commends life , and the evening the day . let 's have health and peace , and we shall quickly have enough . be it he or she look well with whom you converse . a long tongue is a sign of a short hand . the woman and the sheep let them go home betimes . too much courtesie a kind of cheat . love , fire and cough discover their matter . the love of a nun , and the flowers of the almond-tree soon come and soon depart . a handsome wife , a vineyard and fig-tree are hard to be kept . the mulberry which thou canst not reach lay up for thy soul. give to the good , and depart from the bad . an old debt is better then a new sin . 't is to no purpose to seek where nothing's to be found . the stone and the word returns not when once out . my sleep is found my enemy being dead . 't is as hard for a fool to be silent as for a wise man to speak foolishly . i had rather have one sparrow in my hand then two in the wood . fools go to weddings and pilgrimages . i do not desire a pig with a bell . a hot belly , a sleeping foot . mine is better then ours . an old womans stroke breaks no bone . the man beleeves , and the soul doubts . the hen without teeth makes living men of the dead , viz. with her eggs. trust not a lame dog . a dog of an old dog , and a colt of a young horse . a iew for merchandise , and a friar for hypocrisie . the conscience of portulegre , which sells a cat for a hare . a gadding wife is met every where . they spoke to him in garlick , & he answers them in codshead . there the tongue goes where the tooth akes . iohn gomez journey , who went with a saddle , and came back on a wallet . galliego proverbs . the wealth of a church-man god gives it , and the devil takes it away . the ill neighbour gives a needle without threed . love doth much , but money doth all . the countrey-man is 'twixt two lawyers as a fish 'twixt two cats . a calf of a young cow , and a colt of an old mare . a sea-voyage cannot be limited to dayes . catalunian proverbs . appetite is better then surfet . in iuly neither woman nor snail . a man dyes of the ill he fears . he that hath a handsome body needs no cloke . who riseth late , trots all the day , because he is behind hand with business . the voice of the people is the voice of god. dry bread is better with love , then a fat capon with fear . the explication of some remarkable proverbs in spanish . god bring me to dwell there where an egg is worth six pence , viz. to that country which is rich and full of treasure , which may incite men to labour . vvhom god loves , his bitch brings forth pigs , viz. whom god loves , all things cooperate for his good , and beyond his expectation and hopes . whom god love's , the ant goes to seek him out , viz. he will have plenty of corn , where the ants use to resort . god deliver me from a goose quill , viz. from lawyers bills , suits in law and a scrivener's shop . from still waters the lord deliver me , for from rough waters i will defend my self , viz. god deliver me from a glozing friend , for from an enemy i shall defend my self . vvhat a rich merchant would god be ? because he foreknows all things , as the season of the year , and when there will be tempests , &c. my father munnioz desires that which god will not have . this proverb is understood of a maid , whom her father would have married against her will. le ts pray god by the saints , but not by so many . they are the words of the husbandman , and must be understood of the holidayes and festivals , whereof there 's a great number in spain . god come's to see us without a bell ; that is , without any noise , or when we are well : to come to see one with a bell , is when the most holy sacrament goes to visit a sick body . many dressers discompose the bride : because where there is differing opinions , there is disorder . he who would marry a fair woman , let him choose her on saturday , and not upon sunday : because she goes then painted and deck'd . if thou hast a mind to beat thy wife , let her bring thee water to drink in the sun-shine ; and then the atomes of the sun will seem motes in the water , and make it look foul , so he may pick a quarrel with the wife . a mild calf sucks his own dam , and another : the gloss is , that they who are of a gentle , mild nature , will find entertainment in all places . thy fathers house , thy grandfathers vineyard , and thy olive trees thy great grandfathers : the meaning is , an house of one descent , a vineyard of two , olives of as many as thou wilt . a creature of one year sucks milk out of the ankle . the meaning is , that he sucks hard and strong , drawing the purest bloud from all parts of the body . while i look upon my aunt , i dye of tediousness , while i see her not , i dye of desire . this is applyed to the variableness of mens minds and humors , and that absence sets an edge upon affection . my mother told me that i should be earnest , but lay no wagers . the gloss of this proverb is plain against layers of wagers . let thy son be well fed , and raggedly cloth'd , thy daughter less fed , but well cloth'd . 't is a good rule for governing a house , because the son must help the father in his labour . don lopez is neither honey , nor gall , nor vinegar , nor malmsy wine . this proverb is meant of those that are of a cold and indifferent nature . to win at the beginning is a bait to lose : because it allures one to give himself to gaming . 'twixt brother and brother two witnesses and a notary . for fear of suits in law , and breach of brotherly love . the mother and the daughter wear but one smock . the gloss is , that the daughter followes the belly , and is like her in disposition . i am not sorry that my son loseth at play , but that he will have a revenge . 't is meant of those that are habituated to gaming , and obstinate . the father by inches , the son by ells . the meaning of this is , that he who gets his living hardly , spends it sparingly , as some fathers do ; then comes a prodigal son , and spends by ells what his father got and spent by inches . vvho wipes my sons nose , kisseth me in the face . this proverb refers to the great love which fathers use to bear their children . the devil brought the bashful man to the court. this hath reference to courtiers , in whom too much modesty and bashfulnesse is not commendable . never enquire the pedigree of a good man. this proverb denotes that vertue and goodnesse is the best coat of arms . women and cherries paint themselves for their own hurt : because the first are woed and courted , the other eaten . god gives almonds to him who hath no gums . the meaning is , that riches and command come sometimes to such that know not how to make use of them . the ant got wings to her own destruction . this may be applyed to mean men when they come to too much riches ; whence proceeds pride and ambition , and consequently their ruine . hell is full of good intentions . this proverb signifies , that there 's no sinner how bad soever , but hath an intention to better his life , although death doth surprise him . my father went to bed , and was found dead the next morning , ask not the reason , he supp'd on rosted mutton . the meaning is , that the spanish mutton being more grosse and strong , is not digested so soon as the mutton of other countries . the iews in their passeovers , the moors in their weddings , the christians in their law-suits , spend their estates . this relates to the customes of all three . in the arti●ans house hunger knocks at the door , but dares not enter : because he is alwayes at work , and on the gaining hand . the dead open living mens eyes , viz. history , which speaks of the actions of dead men , opens the eyes , and directs the living . when the mouth is shut flies will not enter . that is to say , the silent man prevents many inconveniencies . i desire not a pig with a bell about his neck . the meaning is , that a courtesie done with noise and ostentation is not so pleasing . at the first assault the french are more then men , and afterwards less then women . this saying relates to the lightness and inconstancy of the french nation . grind good corn , and blow not the horn . this proverb adviseth every one to perform his duty , and to do good , but not to brag of it afterwards . you would have the ●at have five feet , and she hath but four . this proverb relates to men that are too curious , and over-critical , that nothing can please them . preserve thy self from the occasion , and god will preserve thee from the sin . this is a most excellent and singular spirituall counsel . an old mother , and a torn shirt is no dishonour . this proverb doth admonish us that old age and poverty are no dishonour or marks of basenesse . rather a mulberry then an almond tree . this proverb doth agree with the complexion of the spaniard , who is more slow and flegmatick in his actions then other nations : as the mulberry is amongst trees , who buds very late , and not till the asperity of the cold weather be quite past ; wherefore that tree is taken for a symbol of wisdome , as the almond tree , that buds betimes , is of rashnesse : which induc'd the author of dodona's grove to compare the spaniard to the mulberry tree . carta embiada de un galan a su dama , en que por los mas usitados refranes le da cuenta de cosas que en su ausencia le avian sucedido ; a letter sent by a gallant to his mistress , wherein he giveth account of what fell out in her absence , all in proverbs , taken out of blasco de garay . seÑora , como quien habla de talanquera darè a vuestra merced cuenta de mi vida , y porque en tal caso dizen que las paredes han oydos , le suplico no se sepa lo que aqui dirè , pues en la boca del discreto lo publico es secreto ; y es que oyendo algunas vezes dezir que a quien muda , dios le ayuda , y otras , por el contrario , que piedra movediza no cria moho ; vino me desseo de saber qual de esto era verdad , considerando que valia mas auer , que saber ; assi acordè de mudar de vida , y no estar , siempre como dizen , en calma , porque quien no haze mas de otro , no vale mas de otro : y fue tal la mudanza que pudieran dezir por mi , quien bien tiene y mal escoje por mal que le venga no se enoie . al fin viendo que perdia tiempo porque no me dexassen cantar mal y porfiar , ò que me preciava de andar como cuchillo de melonero , dex● a quel camino , y tornè me a mi menester , acordandome de lo que dize el refran , quien bien està no se mude , que por do quiera ay tres leguas de mal quebranto ; mas como quien adelante no mira a tras se halla , mirando yo que un alma sola ni canta ni llora , y que una golondrina no haze verano , pareciome que devia buscar compan̄ia , puesto que a la verdad , mas vale ser solo , que mal accompan̄ado , porque dizen , dime con quien andas , y dezirre hè quien ere 's , aunque es el mal , que el peor se tiene por muy bueno , mas harto es ciego quien no vee por tela de cedaço : con este desseo que digo , madruguè un dia que no deviera , y como vale mas al que dios ayuda , que al que mucho madruga , pues por mucho madrugar no amanece mas ayna , tropecè , y no adelantè me camino con cierta moça que venia ladrada de los perros , mas como dizen , haz bien , y no cates a quien , puesto que por otra parte digan , que no es bueno caçar por monte traqueado , toda via acordeme de abrigarme con essa aunque auia propuesto de ayunar , ò comer trucha , mas la necessidad no tiene ley ; empero por el bien suena , y el mal buela , no faltò quien lo supo ( porque no ay cosa secreta ) y me reprehendio , que quien ha buen vezino hà buen maytino ; aunque toda via quise mas verguença en cara que manzilla en coraçon ; y assi acordè de no mudar bissiesto por no parecer perrillo de muchas bodas , y porque quica de rocin a ruyn ; y porque tambien la sen̄ora no dixesse , que el moco por no saber , y el viejo por no poder dexan las cosas perder , ò que se hazia encuentro feo , ò que da dios havas a quien no tiene quixadas ; de manera que sosseguè mi coraçon dissimulando con las gentes , y haziendo del gato de juan hurtado porque las buenas callan ; yo como la moca traya hambre de tres semanas , y picado el molino y el diente agudo , en topando con la despensa , porque luego le entreguè las llaves de la casa , quiso dalle tanta priessa , que aunque dizen , camino de santiago tanto anda el coxo como el sano , mucho avia de madrugar quien la avia de alcançar , porque toda su tema era , muera marta , y mueta harta , diziendo ni al gastador falta que gastar , ni al endurador que endurar , y que vale mas un dia de plazer qui ciento de pesar . yo como vi que se desmandava dixe , a cavallo comedor cabestro corto ; aunque ya venia tarde el gato a la longaniça , porque estava la se●ora muy apossessionada en mi hazienda , y assi dizen mete mendigo en tu paiar , y haçer●e se hà tu heredero ; de suerte que fue necessario lo meior que hombre pudo tornar a coger la hembra y quitarle el mando y el bando porque , como dizen . vezo pon , vezo quites ; despues de esto concertè me para no menester con un moço mio pensando que le tenia hecho a mis man̄as , avisandole que quando viesse que me pedia alguna cosa , porque era romero hito saca catico atravessasse con un triumfo con que el juego se les baratasse : yo fue el moço con el gaytero de arganda , porque le davan uno para que començasse , y diez porque acabasse ; porque tomò la cosa tan a pechos , que ya no era sen̄or de mi hazienda , ni podia dar nada a nadie quando dezia , el harto , del ayuno no tiene cuydado ninguno ; mal mira mi amo lo que hemos menester a unos mucho , y a otro no nada , unos monies , otros calonies ; al freyr me lo dirà para mi santiguada , que algun dia mande tanto pedro como su amo ; mas como a perro viejo nunca cuz cuz ▪ yo como le entendia , respondiale , oyr , ver y callar , que en la boca cerrada no entra mosca : assi algunas vezes se yua grun̄endo diziendo entre dientes con mal va todo , a otro perto con este huesso , mas cerca estan mis dientes que mis parientes : quiero dexar este amo que tanta sobervia tiene , y tomar asno que me lleve , y no cavallo qui me derrueque , que mas vale ser cabeça de raton , que cola de leon ; yo quando vi tantas consideraciones en un moço , y que se subia a mayotes , dixe , antes que digas tanto pan come queso , esto● tiros teneys ? no lo echareys en saco roto ; en fin acordeme que dizen , que a las vezes lleva el hombre a su casa con que llore , y que el necio por la pena es cuerdo , determinè de despedirle conformandome con el refran de las viejas , que dize , ni mula mohina , ni moça marina , ni poyo a la puerta , ni abad por vezino , ni moço pedro en casa , que siempre lo hè oydo dezir que de los enemigos los menos ; assi me determine , que quise mas bien de lexos , que mal de cerca ; esto hize por me quedar a solas con la ioya pensando que tenia trapillo con dineros porque dizen que quien guarda , halla ; mas , como al fin se canta la gloria quando bolui a poner recaudo en mi casa sin confiarme de nadie , porque duelo ageno de pelo cuelga soplò el viento en mi cara , y pensando echarme a dormit , espulgò me el gato ; porque como el dormir , no quien priessa , quando yo estava mas a suen̄o suelto echa otra sardina , nuestro gozo en el pozo : vase me la moça de casa , porque dadivas quebrantan pen̄as , mas quien tendrà el candil al ayre ? quando yo me hallè solo no pude dezir , compan̄ia de dos , compan̄ia de dios , si no bien vengas mal , si vienes solo , pues en verdad que no fue por mi culpa ; que harto le dezia , hija sey buena , y ella , madre he aqui un clavo , y le dezia que la muger , y la gallina por andar se pierde mas ayna , y que la pierna quebrada , y en casa , y le dezia que trabajasse , que quien hà officio , hà beneficio , y que no dixessen por ella , andate por ay maria sin toca , estate ay no hiles en oro de cestilla , mas ella hazia el caso de esto que el rey de un labrador , yo a quebrarme la cabeça , y ella buena que buena ; unas vezes callava , porque dizen que quien calla , piedras a pan̄a ; otras me respondian que quando la hormiga se ha de perder nacenle las alas , diziendome , can●ar mal y porfiar , bien canta marta despues de harta , porque quien canta sus males espanta , por do passa moia peor es hurgallo no me lo digays mas que primero beverè , que me toque gran sabor es comer , y no escotar , dezid lo que quisieredes , que al loco , y al toro dalle corro , que siempre lo ohi dezir , que de los leales se hinchen los hospitales , y por aqui quanto mandaredes , en fin como a dineros pagados braços quebrados , y la codicia rompe el saco , quando mas pensaua que la tenia convertida a essotra puerta que esta no se abre , nadar , nadar , y ahogar a la orilla , mas quien da lo suyo antes de su muerte , merece que le den con maço en la frente ; por esto escarmienten todos en mi , que bueno es escarmentar en cabeça agena , y en la confiança de las gentes nadie de lo suyo a los parientes , especial en la cama porque no es todo or● que reluze ; mas si bien le fue tornese al regosto , que en verdad acordandome de un consejo , que dize , la muger ; la muger , & la sardina de rostros en la ceniza , y que la mesa , y la muger han de ser sojusgadas quando mucho la via salir de madre , pegava con sus bienes y deziale assi se usa del pan , y del palo , aunque ella como buena sin auer miedo de dios , ni verguença a las gentes , acorde de poner tierra en medio y tomar las calças de villadiego ; porque mas vale salto de mata , que ruego de hombres buenos , y mas vale una traspuesta , que dos assomadas : y esto no para emendarse que no le passava por pensamiento , si no para andarse a sus vicios , y como dizen de aquel en aquel , que quien malas man̄as hà en la cuna , ò las pierde tardè , ò nunca : de manera que como hombre experimentado , y que sabe en que caen las cosas , porque no ay meior cirviano que el bien acuchillado , podria con ella dar consejo a otros , y dezir , de la mala muger te guarda , y de la buena no fies nada , aunque hablo en perviyzio de muchas m●s por un ladron pierden otro el meson ; bien sè que do ay malo ay bueno , mas tambien sè que por un bueno ay cien malos , que un cavallero sobre ciento , y un hombre sobre un cuento ; esta no se contentava con uno en casa , y otro a la puerta , si no como dizen , duero tiene la fama , y pisverga lleva el agua , ella lo tenia todo , y encubrialo yo por mi honra , mas tresquilenme en consejo , y no lo sepan en mi casa : pero siempre lo ohi dezir , que no ay mal que no venga por bien ; y assi fue , que desde alli a pocos dias se me bolvio al pesebre rogando me que por amor de dio● , y por lo passado entre los dos , y muy mas humilde y mansa que un cordero aunque despues de averse dado un muy buen verde en el prado no pude rehusalla , assi por no provar condiciones nuevas , como porque dos que se conocen de lexos se faludan , y tornela a mi casa , diziendo , dios me de contienda con quien me entienda ; desde a pocos dias como in el invidioso medro ni quien cabe el morò , atravessoseme otra dama , porque donde una cabra và alli quieren yr todas : yo por pagarme en la misma moneda tomè lo que me davan , y por desseo de çuecos meti el pie en un cantaro , y huyendo del trueno di en el rayo , mas quien quisiera mula sin tacha que se estè sin ella ; acontecio que rin̄eron dos comadres , y descubrieronse las verdades , y todo me llovia en casa , y mal para el cantato , porque por contentallas a entrambas , yo ponia , correo , y correas , y aun no me aprovechava , que cada uno creya que endurava para dar a la otra , mas el pensar no es saber , que en verdad no avia cosa en mi casa no estuviesse mas escurrida que alcuza de santero : verdad es , que si yo mirara el refran de la vieia , que dize , quien come , y dexa , dos vezis pone mesa , y que mas vale que sobre , que no que falte , y dexar a la muerte al enemigo , que pedir en la vida al amigo , y guardar , que no prestar , y no cobrar que quien presta , no cobra , y si cobra no todo , y si todo , no tal , y si tal , enemigo mortal ; no viniera mi bolso a tal estremo como estava , porque no ay mal tan lastimero como no tener dinero ; estas dos damas a porfia me venian a visitar , y a dezirme una mal de otra , porque no haze poco el que echa su mal a otro ; yo otorgando con todas porque assi se ganan los amigos , que si dezis la verdad quebraros hà la cabeça , una dezia , quien a la postre viene primero llora , otra , quien espera , desespera , y ambas , bien ayuna quien mal come ; mas porque no esperassen a comer en mi casa , siempre dezia , ò que avia comido , ò que no querria comer , que hombre harto no es comedor ; decta manera complia con ellas , ya combidando la una a bever , como los pollos de marta , que no han comido , y dan les agua , ya llevando la otra a passear , assi una por otra mal pen●● ambas ; las quales como yuan entendiendo , dezian me algunas vezes , a las que sabes mueras , gran tocado , y chico recaudo ; mas como ya me hedian en casa , porque el pan quiere ser de ante dia , y el vino de an̄o , y dia , y la carne desse dia ; no les dixe , que se fuessen , mas hizeles obras con que lo hiziessen ; aunque otros las rogavan , y assi es , nos por lo ageno , y el diablo por lo nuestro como los peces de la red , que unos mueren per entrar , y otros por salir ; hazia esto , porque via ya mi dan̄o , y oxala antes fuera , pero mas vale tarde que nunca , porque esso dizen tiempo tras tiempo , y agua tras viento ; al fin acordè de apartar paiuelas viendo que valia mas hasta el tovillo que no hasta el codrillo , con intencion de nunc a mas perro al molino , que ni de estopa buena camisa , ni de puta buena amiga ; estando en este proposito carcado de hierro , y cargado de miedo , determinado de no vivir mas de emprestado sino como dizen ave de tuyo levantose un viento que de la mar salia alçome las faldas de la mia camisa , y fue , que como que no ay cosa firme , vinieron en discordia dos hermanas de buena fama , y aunque dizen , que entre hermanos no metas tus manos , porque quien los disparte lleva la peor parte , no dexè de meterme entre ellas por ser personas honradas , tambien por provar ventura , que a los osados ayuda la fortuna , y acaeciome con la una della que por una vez que mis ojos alçè dizen que la enamorè , de manera que por ser yo roxo como un cuervo antes cuez que yervas si no fuy del todo favorecido alomenos tuue esperança que se podria hazer algo aunque pudieran dezir por mi hijo no tenemos , y nombre le ponemos ; verdad es que dizen , que lo que mucho se dessea no se cree aunque se vea , mas toda via pienso lo que podria ser , puesto que pensar no es saber , ni es siempre vero lo que suena el pandero , y con este relampago no vivo seguro , aunque en fin mal esta el fuego cabe la estopa , y esso es verde lo que el fuego no vee ; a la verdad por meioria mi casa dexaria , en especial hallandome en ausencia de quien pudiera pesarle , pues dizen los ausentes por los presentes porque mas vale paxaro en mano que bueytre volando ; assi estoy apercebido para lo que viniere , porque hombre apercebido , medio combatido , y porque no digan ya que ando como pedro por demas , y querria que fuesse oy antes oy que man̄ana , que no seria tan malo que con lo passado no tuviesse hombre por bueno , que quien de mucho mal es duecho poco bien le abasta , y como quiera mas valdria tuerto que ciego : mas si los coracones no sengan̄an ello le hara sin dalle priessa que lo que està de dios ello seviene ; no quiero pues mostrarme muy codicioso , porque no digan , a moço goloso higo a dinero sino esperar con cordura , que quien ata corto , y hierra somero , va cavallero , y el que menosprecia la yegua esse la lleva ; entre tanto passarè cochura por hermosura la qual nunca se podra dezir de mi si no quando mucho , tal te quiero crespa , y ella era tin̄osa , aunque quien feo amo hermoso le parece , que ojos ay que de lagan̄as se enamoran . desseoso estoy de entrar en esta casa hecha , que buenes dineros son casa con pucheros , y por no andar de bodegon en taverna , sino comer cabeça de olla , y por no tener quien mire por mi regalo , que mientras mas yela , mas aprieta , y estoy ya cansado de andar tentando vados de çoca en colodra ; pero dexemos esto , para quando nos veamos , aunque no se si tendrè quexa de mi porque le hè tantas vezes prometido de bolverle a ver , y no lo he hecho , pero quien tras otro cavalga no ensilla , quando quiere hase dilatado mi buelta , pòrque la gente pone , y dios dispone ; tername en possession de mentiroso , pero dezir y hazer no es para todos hombres , mas quien viene no tarda ; y assi lo entiendo hazer muy presto , plaziendo a dios , el qual me lo dexe cumplir para tomar el parecer de v●estra merced pues mas veen quatro ojos que no dos . a dios paredes hasta la buelta . finis . diharebion cymraeg , vvedu ei cyfiethu yn saisoneg· british , or old cambrian proverbs , and cymraecan adages , never englished , ( and divers never published ) before . which proverbs are partly moral , relating to good life ; partly physical , relating to diet , and health ; partly topical , relating to particular places ; partly temporal , relating to seasons ; partly ironical , relating to drollery , and mirth , &c. to the right honorable , ( my most endeered lord ) richard earl of carberry , &c. at his palace in golden-grove . my lord , having had the happiness to know your person first at the spanish court ( in those glorious times , when our prince of wales did court his mistress so gallantly , ) and looking upon that considerable tract of time , which hath intercurd since , i may claim the prerogative to be one of the ancientst servants you have ; therefore i hope , it will not be held an intrusion , that i now make this publick address unto your lordship ; nor will any well-weigh'd reader find any impertinence in this dedicatory address , if he regard the qualitie of the work , your lordship being the brightest star that 's fix'd in the british firmament , whence from your fair orb in golden-grove you display your influences far and near , not only among those hills , but to divers places also under the english clime , who are witnesses of your princely way of living , and noble hospitalitie . now , my lord , the design of this new piece si , to redeem from the dungeons of so long obscuritie , and to furbish up as it were from the rust of time the cymraegan proverbs , or cambrian adages , and old sayed sawes , which were so frequent among the bards , nay , some of them reach up unto , and were contemporary with the druids themselves , from whom they receiv'd their first rise long before the roman eagles planted their talons in this iland ; which druids being the divines and sages of those times , ( as the magi , and philosophers were in other countreyes ) grew so famous all the world over , that the gaules , ( now the french ) with other nations came hither by often transfretations to be indoctrinated by them : whence some of the most learned glottographers inferr , that the british was the first language of france also , as well as of this iland , in regard they did mutually understand one another in those times , which was long before the latine or greek came this side the alpes . lastly , my lord , besides the two motives above mentioned , there was another which wrought strongly upon me , and induc'd me to this dedication , which was , that i might exhibit to the world a publick evidence of my acknowledgements for so many noble favours , and that hereby both the present times may see how much i am , and future ages may find how much i was london º idus martii , . my truly honored lord , your most humbly devoted servant and compatriot , jam. howell to the knovving reder . it is a cleer and uncontroulable truth , or rather an historicall principle among all antiquaries both domestick and forren , that the first human cretures which peepled this iland were the brittains , or old cambrians ; they are the very aborigines and like the arcadians in greece , may be said to be contemporary with the cuntrey it self : if the nation be so ancient , surely their language must be coetaneous with them , for they were not born dumb . now , that language was , and is still the cymraecan toung , which is ranked by all glottographers among the fourteen maternall , and independent vernacular languages of europe ; she hath divers dialects , the first is the cornubian or cornish ; the second the armorican , which the inhabitants of brittany do speak in france , to which cuntrey ther were divers colonies transported hence : ther was also another dialect of the cymraecan toung among the picts , a valiant people , who , when the romans had rush'd here into the centre of the countrey , retir'd to the northern parts , as vvestmerland , cumberland , northumberland , the bishoprick , and to some places beyond the tweed , untill the whole nation of the scots orepowring them by multitudes , and ore-reaching them in craft , utterly extinguished both them , and their language in those parts : moreover , the irish was at first a dialect of the brittish , receiving her alphabet , and ogums from her , though afterwards it recieved some changes and interpolations by other colonies which were introduced thither , as the last most reverend lord primate usher , and that very worthy knight sir iames ware in his late learned work called antiquitates hiberniae doth acknowledge . nay , some judicious observing navigators have found out lately a dialect of the british toung in the west indies ; whch may well be , for master hackluyt and other authentick writers have it upon record , how not farre from mexico there was a colony of brittains about six hundred years since , where there remain yet divers radicall words ( as i have observed elsewhere ) of the brittish toung , with a stone epitaph ; and the spaniards observ'd , that thereabouts the cross was in great reverence , &c. now , this is a thing of speciall remark , that notwithstanding the various revolutions , with the entire changes of government , and turns of fortune which this iland received by so many differing-toung'd nations , yet the british language could never be subdued , but boare up still , and stood firm to her self ; whereas the romans who kept constant footing here above three hundred yeers , were used to bring in their language with the lance as a mark of conquest ; which thing they did all italy over , and france , with the cuntreyes interjacent which are scattered among the alpes , where not a syllable of the old primitive languages is left ; t is tru , that in spain the biscayners have retained their to this day , being mountaneers as the present brittains are , and twixt these two peeple there is an extraordinary sympathy observed to be in point of naturall disposition in many things , specially in their great civilities , and candidness towards strangers , as also in their gutturall pronunciations : and as the brittain here , so the biscainer in spain is held the antientest inhabitant , and a pure incorrupt peeple , having never mingled with the moores ; wherefore when any of them is to receive the habit of knight-hood , the'rs no scrutiny made into his extraction , whether he be a gentleman , or limpio de la sangre de los moros , free from morisco bloud , as useth to be done before any other be admitted . now touching the version of these cymraecan proverbs into english , it must be confessed that divers of them lose much of their primitive innate elegance , cadencies , and quickness of fancy ; for the cambrian tongue is so dainty , and so indulgent of her self , that as she will have none to pronounce her in the tru tone , but a britain born , or he who hath bin bred there very young , so she is not easily made a turn-coat , or rendred into any other language , but she loves to lie upon her own lees without frelatations , or rackings to be powr'd into other vessels ; in so much , that whereas all translations commonly are like the wrong side of a piece of arras , ( every language having some incommunicable idioms of her own ) this comparison may hold more properly in the british then in any other , for besides the ordinary cadencies of the rime ( wherein the english poetry chiefly consists ) the british meeter hath a conceit almost in every second word , which love to lick one another by agnomination : and this was used to be the genius of the old italians also in former times , as appears in that famous epistle , which circe the daughter of the sun sent to ulysses , whereof i thought it not impertinent to insert here a few stanzas . . ulisse à lasso , ò dolce amor i' moro , se porci parci qui armento hor monta , in selua salvo a me piu caro coro . . ninfa non fù a circe chente conta se bella ne sibilla ò falli felli donne ò danni che febe affranto affronta . fetonte si fè tanto ch a'rse , & corse su'l carro , chérra crudo che non crede di là dall ' alpi al pò si scarso scorse . this was just the genius ( and is still ) of the british bards in their poetical compositions , and it is the difficultst way of versifying , for non satis est verba in pedes cogere , & numeros observare , sed singula verba habent suos concentus ; it is not onely sufficient to make words to go upon feet , and to observe the number of them with riming cadencies at the end ( wherein onely consists the poetry of other nations ) but there is sweetness of consonancy in every second word , which may be said to greet and kiss one another by mutual concent . there could be volumes of instances produced hereof in the british toung , but this merry one shall serve here for all : a cobler having been at the alehouse , where he had spent all his money , and going home drunk , he stumbled against the cross in the market-place , where he slept all night upon one of the staires ; and awaking in the morning , and rubbing his eyes he thought to see two or three crosses of one ; but putting his hand in his pocket he had never a cross left there , hereupon he broke suddenly into this condid , or stanza : ond digree iw gweled dwy groes a sinne yn gridd heb vn groes , yn gorfedd amhen ar gerig yn cydfwrw yr cwrw ar cig . thus in english. i st not a merry thing to see one cross increase to two or three ? yet i poor cobler cannot find one cross in pocket left behind . most of these british proverbs run thus , therefore they must needs lose much of their grace in the version , as the best wines take wind by being poured from one vessell to another . now , touching the collection , and marshalling of these proverbs thus into one file , and to teach them the english march , there were some very knowing gentlemen that did cooperate with me , viz. mr. r. owen , mr. w. williams , and mr. r. evans , a hopeful young gentleman towards the law , one whereof is of south-wales , the other two of the north , where t is confessed , the purest dialect of the british toung is still preserv'd , and spoken , in regard there hath not bin so much mixture , and coalition with the english. i. h. a letter to the author from a worthy gentleman , who supplied him with som british proverbs . my most learned cuntreyman , and noble sir , since you intend to teach the age wisdome , by compiling a volume of select proverbs out of all those languages , that have taken up their sation in your capacious head ; i hope you will make it appear that you are a britain , and that however our nation hath bin reproched of late years to have had no religion among their hills , the world may know , they have had sense derived to them by tradition from their ancient progenitors . therefore you will be wanting to your self , unless you doe your own mother-toung that honour , i may say , that right , as to take notice of her proverbs , which for sharpness of wit , for brevity of expression , for weight of sense , and ( in many of them ) for sweetness of the cadency and rime , may ( to speak soberly ) keep company with those that italy , france , or spain affordeth . behold here a few for taste , borrowed of dr. davies of famous memory , whose unwearied labours have brought forth a grammar and a dictionary , to render the british tongue , and himself immortall . it was not possible ( for me at least , who am domi peregrinus ) to put them into english , with their own conciseness , and significancy ▪ there being hardly uny language under the sun , that makes less use of articles , and insignificant ligaments of speech , then ours doth , and that delivers more matter in fewer words ; nor shall you ever see a translation bear up exactly with the originall , much less in proverbs , where sense and stuff is crowded up into a narrow room , and brevity borders upon obscurity . have i need to apologize for some few , that are homely , and may possibly nauseate the more delicate or grave reader ? you know modern languages all of them have the like : this i dare pronounce for them , that not one offers to clash with piety , vertue , or good manners ; that generally they shew what men ought to do , or what men use to do ; and that the attentive reader may certainly learn here more then a little in re agibili , they are fetchd out of the bowels of experience , they are gray-haird , and so fit to teach wisdom , so claim a share in your perusall ; and such of them as shall be found to bear weight in your ballance , may be sent over to posterity under your so wel-known name , among the choicest adages of europe . to make short , here they are , let them speak for themselves . eltham in kent , aug. . . your friend and servant richard owen . to the highly honoured iames howell , esquire . british , or old cambrian proverbs , and cymraecan adages , never englished , ( and divers never published ) before . heb dduw hebddim , duw a digon . hwyra dial dial duw , tosta dial dial duw. tri pheth sŷanodd ei adnabod , dŷn , derwen , a diwrnod . pan darffo treiglo pôb tre , da yw edrych tuag adre . gwin côch , mêr moch a mwg , tri gelyn y golwg . gyda'r ci y cerdd ei gynffon . mwy oedd y braw na'r briw . ny chwerŷ hên gi a chenau . nyd yw hwyrach yn y farthnad , groen ye oen na chroeu y ddafad . o fôr ac o fynydd ac a waelod afonydd , y denfyn duw dda it ' dedwydd . nyd oes dogn , ar guardod . y march y wêl gyr ŷd ac ni wêl y câu . digon amal digall hanner gair y câll . os cebydd y fydd y fo , te gêll gwnaid oreu ac allo bonhedîg o'i ddîg y ddaw . gobaith ony bydd fe dor y galon , etto gobaith etto gobaith . sais sais y gâch yn ei bais , y cymro glan y gâch allan . cystall howell a heilin . a acwyno heb achos ; gwneler achos iddo . achwyn , rhag achwyn rhagddo . adwyog cae anhwsmon . adwyth diriad heb achos . addaw têg a wna yn●yd yn llawen . a ddycco ' r wy , a ddwg a fo mwy . a fo ma●w , ni ymogelir . a fo trechaf treisied ; a fo gwunaf , gweidded . a fynno glôd , bid farw . a fynno jechud , byd lawen . amcan y fydd gau bawb . am gwymp hên y chwardd jevange . aml bai , i le ni charer . angen a bryn ac a werth . anghyfarwydd a dirr ei din yn chacu . ae ddiwedd y mae barnu . ar nid yw pwyll , pyd yw . ar ni ochelo ' r mŵg , ni ochel ei ddrŵg . ar ni o ddefo wâs , bid gwâs iddo ei hun . ar ni phortho ei gâth , porthed ei lygod . athro pawb yn ei dy . awydd a dyrrr ei wddf . bendith i'r hwch biau'r bloneg . blodau cyn mayi , goreu na bai . bo tynna ' fo'r llyinnyn , cyntaf y tyrr . breuddwyd gwrâch wrth ei hewyllys . bwrw a' th unllaw , cais a' th ddwylaw . calanmaj mae cyfru'r hespyrniaid . caledach glew na maen . can car fydd i ddŷn , a chan esgar . casseg glôff , clôff ei hebol . cau tin wedi brammu . ca'r cywir yn yr ing y gwelir . cennad hwyr , drŵg ei neges . ci chwyrnog , halawg ei bais . ci a helio pob llwddn , ni bydd da ar yr un . cospi yr arth yngŵydd y llew , côs tin taeog , efe a gach yn dy ddwrn . crŷd ar hên , angeu ys dir . cyd boed hirddydd , dybydd ucher . cyd celer nawnos , ni chelir nawmis . cyfaill blaidd bugail diog . cystal ar draed a marchogaeth ffon . chwarae ac na friw , cellwair ac na chywillyddia . chwareued mâb noeth , ni chw mâb newynog . chwefror chwŷth neidr o i nŷth . chwerthin a wna ynfyd yn boddi . dadleu mawr mynych , ac egni ar lygoden . da gweddai ' r bêr e'r golwyth . dangos y llo , ac na ddangos y llaeth . dau bryd newynog a wna'r trydidd yn lŵth . da yw duw , a hîr yw bŷth . da yw ' r maen gydâ ' r efengyl . dedwydd a gaiff draen yn ei vwd. diffaith llyffant dan ia . digrif gan bob edetyn ei lais . dirmygir ni welir . diwedd hên cadw defaid . dlêd ar bawb ei addewy . dod fenthyg i noeth , nis cai drannoeth . doeth dŷn , tra tawo . drwg bawl , ni safo flwyddin . drwg y ceidw diafol ei wàs . drwg gw'r ford , nicherdder ond unwaith . drwg yw dry gwas , gwaeth yw bod hebddaw . drwg yw'r peth , ni thâl ei ofyn . drŷch i bawb ei gymmydog . drygwaith dwy waith y gwnair . duw a ran yr anwyd , fel y rann y dillad . dybydd rhew i lyffant . dygn yw adaw a garawr . ebril garw porchell marw . edwyn crŷch y llall . ef a wŷr dŷn pan el , ac ni wŷr pan ddêl . eil fam modrib dda . eiriawl a garawr hawddwaith . elâs a gafas rybudd , ac ni lâs a'i cymmerth . er heddwch nac er rhyfel , gwenynen farw ni chasgl fêl . esgud drygfab y anhŷ arall . esmwgtha gwaith yw methu . fôl pob tlawd . fo rhad gryglir , ac na fo rhag drwg arglwydd . gelyn yw i ddyn ei dda . glew a fydd llew hyd yn llwyd . gochel y dafarn , na ochel talu . goganu ' r bwyd a'i fwytra . golwg pawb ar a garo . goreu peddester yw gau . gwae a drô o glûn i glûn , ac ni feddo beth ei hûn . gwae a ddycco ei henwâs ilŷs . gwae a gâr ni garer . gwae a gaffo ddrygaer yn ieuange . gwae a wŷl eî arglwydd beunydd . gwae'r míl , ni wŷl ei berchen . gwaeth waeth , fel mab gafr . gwae undyn , a wnêl cant yn drist . gwayth y nôs y dydd a' i deng ys . gwaith yscafn ymogelyd . gwell gwegil câr nag wyneb estron . trech y gais nag y cei●w . torri gwyden a gordd . haws direwi rhew na dirywo rhyne . o hir nychdod angeu . nyd glew llew pan yn llwyd . pyscotta mewn corlan . o dra chynheldeb y lloscodd i gyddin . trech lwe na chwning . gwell vn aderyn yn llaw na dau yn y coed . ascreu lân diogel y percheie . gwell frend mevn llys nag aur ar fys . nyd hir àras da. angel penforr diafol tân pertan . ceisio ie fam yn forcewyn . dala jwd a llelfed . mwy nar bwch yr odyn . gwell vn ffal●wr na dau ym laddwr gwell un pâr o draed na dau bûr o ddwylo . bwa gwan gwan ei berchen . arglwydd , gwan gwan ei wâs . trech gwlad nag arglwydd . hawdd yw tynnu carrei o grôn gwr arall . hael yw howel ar gost y wlâd . chwarea hengi a cholwyn . y tafad y bâr torri y benglog . haws yw burow na saethu . ny chred y moel nys gwelo ei ymhennydd . hawdd yw tynny gwaed e ben crach . clyst y câr y clyw . trech y tin cont na rhâff . yfo gan y ferth yn ei chont y fydd gam y fam yn ei chalon . hir anelu hir gachu . law menyw yw hogfan galen . abl i bawb a'i bodlono . abl i bawa a'i gweinyddo . abl y bawb ei gydradd . a achwyno heb achos , gweter achos iddo . a arbetto y fych , arbetted ei gynnog . achos bycan y daw blinder . achos hebachos o hono . achos yr byssen fodar y barth . achub maes mawr a drygfarch . achwyn rhag achwyn rhagddo . adalb de dwydd yn ddiddos . ad fyd pob hir dristwch . adneu cyhyrin gangath . adneu gan berchen . adwen mab a'i slawch , agnyd epwyn mab a'i câr . adwyog cae anhwsmon . a ddyfo i dorth a'i dy haish ef a ddyfydd a wnel ei waith . addas i bawb ei gydradd . addaw fab , a ddaw jaen . addaw mawr a rhodd fechan . addaw teg a wna ynfyd yn llawen . adfed angeu i hen . addug yr hydd yr llynn . addug yr hydd i maes manc . adduned herwr hir nòs . a ddŵg angeu nyd adfer . a ddwg dâ drwg gyngor . a ddycco y gôd , ymborthed o hony . a ddycco r wy a ddwga fo mwy . a ddiscer y fab ddydd sul , fe a'i , groy bydd ddydd llûn . aed llew i gynnwrf câd duw a'i differ . a êl i lys heb neges doed a'i neges gan●aw . a êl yr gwarae adawed ei goren gartref . aerwy cyn buch . a esgynno yn hwyr ebrwydd y disgyn . afiach pob trwmgalon . a fiethus pob mammaeth . a flafar pob tawedog . a flan dwglaw diowgswrth . a flan genau anudonol . afled nais pob gwyllt . a fo aml ei fara dan ganu aed i laetha . a fo aml y fei bion , bid wâg ei geluddion . a fo aml y fêl rhoed yn eivwd . a fo calted ynghyngagaws , dadleued ar bob achaws . a fo da gan duw ys dir . a fo dy gwilydd , a fydd di golled . a fo diried ar fòr a fydd diried ar dîr . a fo ei fryd ar ddebed , ni wna dda cyn ei fynned . a fo hew arched weddi . a fo hyborth hy wir fydd . a fo marw ni ymogelir . a fo marw er ei fygwth a'i faw y cymmuner . a fo nessaf ir eglwys fydd pellaf o ddiwrth baradwys . a fo trechaf treisied . a frad yw gwrthod . a frad pob afraid . afrwydd pob dyrys . a fu bencwd aeth yn dincwd . a fynno barch byd gadarn . a fynno duw derfyd . a fynno glôd byd farw . a fynno gymmell bid glaf . a fynno jechid bid lawen . a stafas y carn , a gafas y llafn . a gaffo ddyrnodd y bore , hyd vcher ydd â ag ef . a gair duw yn vchaf . a garo ( rather ) ni charo ei fam ; cared y elldrewyn . a garo ei gilydd , nid adnebydd ei gabl . a garo yr iau cared ei wariace . a garo ei gûr cared ei chwegr . a gasclet ar farch malen , dan ei dorr ydd â. a gatwer a gair wrth raid . a grea'r frân faur , a grea'r frân fechan ( pohus ) a gria ev . a gŵyn cŵyn bychan , cwŷn mawr ddarogan . a gŵyn rhwy , ni ry gwyn fan . a gyfodes , a golles ei le . a gymmero ddysk cadwed . aluisen tam o garw . a lygrwys duw , à lygrwys dŷn . allan o olwg , allan o feddwl . allwedd calon cwrwf da. amaerwy adnabod ammynedd . amaerwr diriedi , drwg anian . amean a fydd gan bawb . am caro i , cared fynghi . amgeleddy ci am y cŵd halew . am gwynny heû y chwardd jeuange . amla'r cwrrwf tra hitler . amla'r mêl tra hitler . aml fai i le ni charer . amlwg gwaed arfarch gwelw . amlwg gwaed o ben crach . ammharod pob annallu . amheuthun pob dieithr fwyd . ammau pob anwybod . ammod a dyrr defod . ammraint pob tor defod . amser i fwyd , amser i olychwyd . amser sydd i bob peth . anafus pob drwg foesawg . anaf ynygiau angeu ynygŵythi . aneglur cennad , yw cewydawd . aneirian pob diriaid . angall mal dall a dwyllir . angel pen ffordd a diawll pentan . angen a bair i henwrach duthio . angen a brŷn ag a werth . angen a dyrr ddeddf . angen a ddŷsg i hên redeg . anghariadus pob diriaid . anghenwg peb flewd . anghwbt pob eisiaw . anghymmen pob fôl . anghynnes pob oer . angheu a ddyfrys . anghew garw drûd ai leirch . anghwanegid mefl mowr air . angyfarwydd a dyr i dîn yn cachu . anhael pob cybydd . an happus pob trŵch . an hyderus pob ofnog . anhydyn pob afrowiog . a noddo duw , ry noddir . annoeth llithrig ei dafod . annos dy gî ag naddos gantho . annos ci i gell egored . anwadal pob ehud . anwydogch whannog y dôu. anwyl gan baub a gâr . a oddef ry dau . a ogano a ogenir . araf dân a wna frâg melus . araith doeth a drûd ni ddygymmydd . a ranno y liaws , rhanned in hy naws . ardd cŷd bŷch ardd cyn ni bŷch . ar ddiwedd y mae barnu . arglwydd agymmell . arglwydd biau a wrthotter . arglwyd pawb ar ei eiddo . arglwydd gwan gwae ei wâs . arian ar : brŷn ag a werth . ar ni allo trais , twylled . ar ni ochelo'r mŵg , ni ochel ei ddrug . ar gwelleif y llâs y weirglodd . ar nid yw pwyll , pŷd yw . ar ni oddefo wâs , byd wâs iddo ei hûn . ar na phortho ei gath porshed ei lygod . ar na roddo a garo , ni chaiff a ddymuno . ar ni wano on ddraew , ny wan yn gyppil . arofyw drug fugail . arwaesaf a ddifydd ddiffaith . arwaesaf i leidir ei fanag . arwydd drŵg mŵg yn niffaith . arwydd nad cig bŵch . a sseth ni phlycco nid dâ . asglodin gwern ymhen y gath . asgre lân diogel ei pherchen . asgwrne yr hên , yn yr angen . astyrus pob anaf . arfer gell i gî , mynnych yr a iddi . atgas direid-ddyn . atteb araf gan ddysgedig . athro pawb yn ei dy . ahrod-waith o gen●●gen . aur pawb a whennych . awahanodd cnawd , gwahanodd ddolur . awchus arf a eillio , awgrym pawb nis gwybydd . a wnel drŵg arhoed y llall . a wnel drŵg ymogeled . a wnel duw dŷn ai barn . a wnelir yn rhinant , fe ai gwybydd cant. awdwt cerdd ai gwnel . a wnel dda , da a ddyly . a wnel mawr a ddewg rydd , fawr llŵ . a wnel twyll , ef a dwyllyr . awr ddrwg caffaeliad falswr . a yfo lawer , byd feddw . awydd a dyrr ei wddf . baiar wrâch dorri ei chlun . bai ar farch dorri ei droed . balchder heb droed . balchder o bell . bara ag ymenyn yw ûn tammaid . barf nyd ardd ni chwardd y chlas . bâs pan wahanner hynny . basaf dwfr yn id lefair . be a bawd y ●gweid gwe . be caffai bawb a finnai ni byddai hiraethawg neb rhai . berwid calon llew . bellach bellach fal chwedl y barcut . bendith i'r hwch biau'r blonneg . byd anian dedwydd . byd anniweir dife iriawg . byd anwadal ehud . bed ddirieid dryganianus . byd ehud drûd er chwerthin . byd eu●in alltud . byd gyfa ran rybuchir . byd ha ha byddar . byd hy fagl gwyar ar onn , byd lâs lluarth . byd llawen yach . byd llawen meddw . byd nych cwyn clâf . byd reuiad ymgyfarth . byd trist pob galarus . byd wagelawg lleidr . byd wâr antur glew wrth awr . byd wastad wriag oi mynych warth . byd gwraig drŵg oi mynych warth . byd wiw gŵr heb fagwriaeth . bid wiw march a gnith gwellt . blaenger ymadrodd ffôl . bling'or gath hyd y llosgwrne . blodeu cyn mai , malpai na bai . bo amlaf fo'r bleiddiau gweithaf fydd i'r defaid . bob eilwers y rhêd i cŵn . bod yn hir ynglâf , a marw eusys . bo hynnaf fo'r dyn , gwaethaf fyddy bwyll . boloch ofnawg fydd daw . bonned a dywys , dillada gynnwys . boreu brwynag , bradawg iair . boreu coch , a mawred gwraig . bo tynna fo'r llinyn cyntaf y fyrr . braith ui gôd a gynnyll . breuddwyd gwrach , wrth y hewyllys . brodyr pob cerddorion . buan barne pob ehud . budd cyn tymp . bwrw a' th ûn llaw , cais a' th ddwylaw . bwrw cath i gyrhraul . bwrw dwfr am ben gŵr marw . bwrw gwiddyf ar ol ir hwyaid . bwrw heli yn y môr . bwyst lawn genaw callawr . bychan fydd mam y cynfyl . bychodedd mynialed . byddar a gaiff gyffelyb . byrr ddryganian , a wna hîr ofal . byrr ddydd ni dderfydd cyngor . byrr hoedlog digafog saint . cadarnach yŵr edau yn gyfrodedd nag yn vngorn cafas da ni chafas drŵg . cafas málu , caffad ei werth . cais farchog da dan draed ei farch . cays yn y mwlwg . calan gauaf garw hin anhebig y gynnefin . caledach glew na maen . calon ni gynnyd cystydd . calon y sais wrth gymro . can rewydd ni bydd pell rhin . can câr fydd ( i ) ddŷn , a chan , nescar . can wôst gan henaint . canhymdaith ci ei losgwrn . cant mwyn mab yn y ty . canv heb gywydd . casbeth gwyr rhufain . casbeth owen cyfeiliog . câr cywyr , yn yr yng y gwelir . câs dyn ymma , câs duw fry . câs fydd a orelittio . câs maharen mwyeri . câs yw'r wirionedd yn i le ni charer . casseg glôff cloff ei hebol . cau tin gwedi brammu . cein mygir pob newydd . ceisied asgre ei fam a gollo . ceisio diried yn y dyddyn . ceisied pawb ddwr yw long . celfydd celed ei arfaeth . cêll arglwydd y weilgi . cenau yn ei wâl , a gà●t lem . cenmol gwraig mowrdda . cennad fûd , drùd ai crettwy . cerddwys a rwymmwys . cerid chawer diried , cyn ni charer . ceugant yw angeu . ci chwyrnog halawg i bais . ci a helio bob llwdn nybydd da ar yr un . cennad hwyr drŵg ei neges . clwm anghenog ar y geiniog . clwm eiddil moch ellwng . clywyd corn cyn y gwele● . coel can hadain , ( sive ) hedyn . coes ynn i le morddwyd . cof gan bawb a gâr . coffa dy dduw pan elltrewyd . clof wâs diog . cogor iâr yn ydlam . colles dy laeth cystal i'r fuwch . colles i glydwr a gyrchawdd ry yadwr . cosp ar ben jâr . cospi yr arth , yngwydd y llew . cos tin tagog efe a gach yn dy ddwrn . craff ci caledach asgwrne . craffach na'r efail . crechwen yngenau ynfyd . crefydd jâr w●th ei gylfin . crŷd ar hên , angen ys dir ▪ crynnu fal y fôr wialen . cuall cleddyf byrr o wain . cu annair , wedi praidd . cwymp ar galed lawr . cwywp y gŵr yn y rhych . cwyn bychod ceiliog yn aerwy . cyd boed dâ nid gwirdda . cyd boed doeth , diried ys drûd . cydboed hîr ddydd , dybydd vcher . cyd celer naw nôs ny cheler naw mîs . cyd fwtta a mab arglwydd , ag na chyd chwarae . cyd gwichio'r fenn hi ai ddwg ei llwyth . cydlais y bawb alw'r ychen . cyd ysso cig march , byd argig ebol . cyfa ran rybychir . cyfareddion gwrâch waeth waeth . cyfarwyddaf llaw i le dotto . cyfnewid a hael . cyfoed fydd da a deddwydd . cyfoethog i werthu tlawd i bryunu . cyfrin pen a chalon . cyffes pob rwydd . cymmwythach , corrach , a symmach . cymmyrryd haearn hoedl dŷn . cyn ddyheued ag yssu o'r llygod yr cwlldwr . cyn ebrwydded yn y farchnad , groen yr oen a chroen y ddafad . cyn heusedd wedi brewn . cyngor hen ni'th attwg . cynnal taeog yn ei dy . cynnelw cynnyn gan gadechyn . cynt y llysg yr odyn na't yscubor . cyrchyd fryn a ddysgwilio . cystall ar dtaed a marchogaeth fon. cystall y march ai adfarch werrh . cywala gwedow , gwraig unbeu . cywrys am fwyd , carant am ofyd . cyngor i 'm gwâs yn hen . chwannog trwch i drin . chwannog mâb yw hynt , chawnnog adref a fo cynt . chwarae broch ynghôd . chwarae ag na friw , cellwair ag na chwilyddia . chwarae hên gi a chenau . chwareu hŵch a phorchell . chwareuid mab noeth ni chwery mab newynnog . chwareuys yn awr nyd , chwarevys ym mlwyddyn . chwarddiad dŵr dan ja . chwefror chwyth , neidr oi nyth . chwêg mêdd , chwerw pan daler . chwegach bwyd cybydd . chwerddid bŷd , wrth a garer . chwerthin wna ynfyd yn boddi . chweyrys gwawd ô annianawd . chwil gan nôs . da angen ar eiddiawg ( i. ) taeawg . da daint rhag tafawd . dadleu gwedi barne . dadleu mawr mynydd , ag engi ar lygoden . da gwaith duw roî cyrn , byrrion yr fuwch a hwylio . da gweddai'r bêr ir golwyth . da gŵr mal pawb . da hil ceirch , gan gynnog drwg . danit y ci , wrth yr hŵch . dala dy dŷ am a fo , a diofryd a ddarffo . dall fyddar pob trwch . dall pob anghyfarwydd . damwain pob hely ( alias ) helynt . dangos dirieid y gŵn . dangos dy fys i falawg , ynteu ai heirch yn gwble . dangos llwybr i gyfarwydd . dangos nêf i bechadur . dangos y llô , ag na ddangos y llaeth . dau brŷd newynnog a wna'r trydydd yn llwth . dau waith a fydd gan gywraint . da yw a saif , ag ni waner . da yw cof mâb . da yw duw , a hîr yw by th ai bwyll . da yw'r maen gydar efengil . deddwyd , a gaiff draen yn y vwd. dedwydd , a gâr dalodwch . dedwydd dofydd , ai rhydd rhâd . dedwydd i'rai gwŷl ai câr . defwydd fawr , pob anghywraint . deuparth clòd , ymmhenlog . deuparth gwaith ei ddechreu . deuparth ffordd ei gwpbod . deuparth fydd , ynghalon . deuparth parch , yw arfer . deuparth prŷd ymdrwssio . deuparth bonedd yw dŷsg . deuparth dŷsg yw hyder . deuparth taith ymbaratoj . deuparth ttêf ei harferaw . deuparth cerdd ei gwrando . deuparth rhodd , yw ewyllys . dewin pob eiddig . dewis ai'r jau ai'r fwyall . dewis or ddwy fachddû hŵch . dewis pawb o'i giniaw . dieu gynnadl taeog o'i dy . di bech fowyd gwyn ei fŷd . diengid gwan , erlid rhy gadarne . diffaith llyffant dan ja. defferu duw ddiawg . dig pawb rhag ai câr os cawdd . digon da dewid gennad . digon duw da yn vnig . digon o g●wth a thelyn . digon yw digon ò figis . digon yw chwarae rhynawd . diglôd pawb an hawddgar . digrif gan bod ederyn y lais . digu pawb o anadl y pibydd . di gystydd deurudd dagrau . di hunnid a brydyddo . dillad a gynnwys . dyllyn jeuangc , carpiog heû . dyllyn yn llaw heû fâb . dinas a ddiffydd diffaith . dir yw gadael peth or dwfr heibio . diriaid a gabl ei oreu . direid a glud i ddedwydd o for ac o fynydd . diriadd ni hawd faidd heddwch . dirmigyr ni welir . dirwest odyn . disymmwth fydd dryglaw ammwyll . diwedd hên cadw defaid . di wyttach el fleiddan ei gennad ei hunan . diriaid a gaiff draen yn ei vwd. d●êd ar bawb ei addaw . dod dy law ar dy galon . dod fenthig i noeth nis cau drannoeth . doeth a dwyllyr deirgwaith ni , thwyllyr drûd ond vnwaith . doeth dŷn tra tawo . dogn sydd ar bob peth . dolurus calon ofalfawr . dyfyd dihirwaith aros . drûd a dâl dau cyfled . drûd i ddala , doeth i estwng . drûd ganu deulw . drwg a drefn wrth ei drwyddedawg . drwg llys ni atter ond a wahodder . drwg pawb oi wybod . drwg pechod oi bell erlid . drwg wrth drannoeth . drwg ûn , drwg arall . drwg y ceidw diafel ei was . drwg yw'r drŵg , a gwaeth yw'r gwaethaf . drŵg yw'r fordd , nacherddir ond vnwaith . drŵg yw drŵg was gwaeth yw bod heddaw . drŵg yw'r peth na thal ei ofyn . drŵg yw'r swydd na thâl ei gawsanethu . drych i bawb ei gymmydog . drygwaith dwy waith y gwnair . drythyll pob diriaid . drythill maen yn llaw esgud . drythyllwrh drŵg ei ddichwain . duw a byrth i fusgrell . duw a fedd , dyu y lefair . duw a rannod , nef a gafodd . duw cadarne a farn pob yawn . dybydd ●hew y llyffant . dycker ni weler ei rann . dyckyd ammwyll ei rann . dyckyd whant tros peiriant pwyll . dychyd duw da●har o law . dyddaw drŵg hanbyddyr gwell . dygas gwaith e●lyn ( or ) erlid . dygn dŷn o garch●● . dygn yw adaw a garawr . dyly mach , ny dyly ddim . dylyn hael onid êl yn gî . dynlluan yn llaw henfab . dyrnod gwâs hîr yw ( i. ) gâs . dyrro lynn y ddoeth e fydd ddoethach . dryswys y garthen . dysg ddedwydd a gair , dysg ddiriaid a gwiail . dysgu gradd y henfarch . dywaid llafar , ni wypo . dywal dir , fydd ei olaith . dyweddi ownck , galanas o bell . ebawl yr ebawl i duw. ebrill garw , porchell marw . edifar cybydd am draul . eddewid gwragedd dau euriawg . edwyn crach y llall . edwyn hen gath lefrith . ef a aeth hynny ar gyrne a ffiba● . ef a daw hâf i gi . ef a fydd am y maidd , ar nî bu am y caws . ef a wyr dyn pan êl , ag ni wyr pan ddêl . ef a wyr gath , pa farf a lŷf . ef y molyr pawb wrth ei waith . e'fynnai'r gath byscod ond ni fynnai wlychy ei throed . egor dy gŵd pan gaech borchell . ehang yw'r byd ( i. ) bawb . ehegr fydd dryglaw i amnwyll . eil fam modrib dda . eiriach law , nac eiriach droed . eiriol a garawr hawdd waith . eiriol nagarowr ni gyngain . eithr gallu nid oes dim . elàs a gafa ▪ rybydd , ac ni lâs ai cymmerth . elyd bryd yn ol breuddwyd . elyd ci i gellegored . elid gwgraig yn ôl i enllib . elid llaw gan droed . elid ryw , ar barth pa yw . elid ûn i gant , elid cant i ûn . elyd y scubor gan ddrygdorth . e●id y wrach ir freuan , er cigenau ei hnuan . enw heb ●enw . enw●ug meichiad oi foch . enwir , difenwir ei blant . ergyn llwfr ▪ lliaws addoed . ergydyn llwyn cussul heb erchi . er heddwch nag er rhyfel , gwenynen farw ni chasgl fêl . esgud drygfab yn nhy arall . esmwythaf gwaith yw methi . ethyw corne heb ysgyfarn . ewyn dûr , eddewid gwâs . fiaidd ni charer . fôl pob tlawd . ford bell i ŵr o benllyn . fo●●d lan faglan ydd air i néf . fordd lanfechan ydd ai y wennenen yn ei phresseb . fô rhag drygdir , ac na fo rhag drwg arglwydd . gado gwraig ag vnfesl , ai chymryd a dwy . gado ' r nos waethaf yn elaf . gair dannod yw am ûn a fethodd . gair drŵg anianol , a lûsg drŵg yn ei ôl . gair gwraig , fal gwynt yn faweidiau . gair gwraig gwueler . gair gwraig , mal gwynt y cychwyn . gair gŵr o gastell . gan newydd , nyd pellfydd rhin . gelyn yw i ddŷn ei dda . gollwng drygwr i yscubor gwrda . genau mwyalch ac arch rlaidd . gennid rhybyched rhwng llaw a llawes . gennid ymwŷs yn nhy ddûw . geuawg ni chaffo copmawd . glew a fydd llew hyd yn llwyd . gnawd aelwyd ddiffydd yn ddiffaith . gnawd aflwydd gan ddiriaid . gnawd a fo di gu diofryd . gnawd annerch am arall . gnawd anaf ar ddiried . gnawd ar eiddil ofalon . gnawd as tyrr gan orchymnyn . gnawd buan o fain . gnawd buan o frâs . gnawd cor●hawg o fain . gnawd cussyl dedwydd yn ddoth . gnawd difrawd , ar blant enwir . gnawd digarad yn llys . gnawd eddewid gwriag , gwaith ry phall . gnawd ffô ar fraeth . gnawd gan rewydd rychwerthin . gnawd gorphwysfa i le bo croes . gnawd gwrath o fynnych gysswyn . gnawd gwedi llyn led fryddedd . gnawd gwin yn llaw wledig . gnawd lledrad yn ddiymgel . gnawd mab taer yn filain . gnawd mann , ar rann cynnifiad . gnawd merydd ym puro . gnawd mynych awn y fethdaith . gnawd o ben drythyll dra ha . gnawd o egin meithrin dâs , gnawd osper nas gwahodder . gnawd rhiau eu rhadau yn wascarawg . gnawd rhygâs , wedi rhyserch . gnawd serchog ym lyniad . gnawd synn syml anghyfiath . gnawd tawel yn delaid . gnawd uch ben dedwydd dîddos . gnawd wedi rhedeg ategwch . gnawd wedi traha , tramgvvydd . gnawd wedi traha trangc hîr . gnawd y cair colled o fraw . gnawd yn êl dryghin , hindda . gnawd yn y bo cydwyr y bydd cyrch . gnawd yn y bo dwfr y bydd brwyn . gochel dafarn , na ochel dalu . godrohid buw'ch oi phen . gofal dyn duw a gweryd . goganu yt bwyd ai fwitta . gogy feirch pawb ar ni wypid . goleu freuddwyd a welir liw dydd . golwg duw ar adyn . golwg dyn ar ai dyhudd . golwg pawb ar a garo . golwg serchog syber fydd . golwg yn yd gwŷl , yd gâr . golwg y perchen yw cynydd y dâ . gorddiwedid hwyr fuan . goreu camwrj , cedwid . goreu canwyll pwŷll ( i. ) ddŷn . goreu cloff , cloff aradr . goreu cyngaws , gwas diog . goreu cyneddfau cadw moes . goreu defawd dajonj . goreu edifeiriwch , edifeiriwch gwerthy . goreu enw mi biau . goreu gan fy mam ei lladd . gorew gwrthwyneb , gwrthwyneb cwys . gorew meddig , meddig enaid . goreu newyn newyn arian . goreu peddestr yw gau . goreu rhann rhoddi cynnwys . goreu ûn tudded mantell . goreu ywr chwaereu , tra aller . gorlly pen ci tra eler heibjo . gormes y taeawg ar ei gilidd . gormodd buw ar ebol . gormod jaith yw twtt ar farch . gorug ei waith a fach y fachdaith . gwaddawd gwythlonedd gair blwng . cwae a ar hos ô i giniau , o din dafad wedi glaw . gwae a dro o glûn y glûn ag ni feddo beth i hùn . gwae a ddycco ei henwas ilys . gwae a fo ai fefl yn ei fynewes . gwae a fynn melf er byrhod . gwae a gawdd duw , n● nys crêd . gwae a gàr , ac ni charer . gwae a gaffo ddrygair yn jevange . gwae a wnel dy i ddiawg . gwae a wŷl ei arglwydd beuwydd . gwae ddigariad llŷs . gwaedlyd wrth faint dy drachwedd . gwae jevange a ei ddun henaint . gwae'r mil ni wŷl y berchen . gwaethaf anaf anfoes . gwae ofervvr ychhynnhauaf . gvvaethaf rhyfel , rhyfel teisban . gvvaethaf y stôr o ferch . gvvaeth ûn blaidd cloff , na dae jach· gvvaeth vvaeth chwedl wilmot . gvvaethvvaeth fel mâb gafr . gvvaeth vvaeth y rhed y çŵn. gvvae un dyn a vvnel cant yn drŷst . gvvae ŵr a gaffo drygvvraig . gvvae tŷ heb fab . gvvaith y nos y dydd y dangos . gvvala gvveddvv gwraig unben . gvvalt bonvvyn a gvvyn , estronion jawn . gvvan dy bavvl yn hafren , hafren fydd hi fal gynt . gvvare gvveli ir . gvvare hen gi , a cholvvyn . gvvare mi trech . gvvartheg arall yn adnau , pyn bo chvveccaf ny byd tau . gvvareuid mab noeth , ni chvarae mab nevvynnog . gvvas da a ga iff ei le . gvvas da bronvvala ei arglvvydd . gvvaith y gacon ymogelyd . gvvas i vvas y chvvibannvvr . gvvasgu'r haid cyn ' i cherdded : ( vel ) gwàs gvvraidd cyn no'i gerdded . gwatwar y dydd am waith no● . gweddill mab jaêh . gweddw creft , heb ei dawne . gweddw pwill , heb ammynnedd . gweini fawd hyd frawd ys dir . gwelius nyd di ddolur . gweled dau beth ar vn . gweled y glûst ai lygad . gwell corrawg na chybydd . gwell egor na chynnwys . gwell am y pared a dedwydd , nac am y tân a dir●id . gwell anghanawg môr , nag anghanawg mynydd . gwell aros o alltudedd , nag aros o fedd . gwell bedd na buchedd anghenawl . gwell benthig , nag eisiaw . gwell bendith y tlawd , na meistrolaeth y cadarne . gwell bod yn ben ar yr hyddod , nag yn dîn ar y jyrchod . gwell bodd pawb , nâi anfodd . gwell bonnedd na taeogrwydd . gwell buarth hysp , nag un gwâg . gwell byrhod ynghôd na chôd wâg . gwell aros na mefl gerdded . gwell yw byrr eistedd , na byrr sefyll . gwell buw na marw . gwell cadw , nag olrhain . gwell cadw nodwydd , na colli'r cwltwr . gwell can muw ir cannyn , nag vn muw i ûndyn . gwell câr cell , na châr pennill potius pell , gwell càr yn llŷs nag aur fŷs . gwell ceiniog na brawd . gwell cerdd o'i breiniaw . gwell ci a rodio na chi a eisteddo . gwell clutt , na thwll . gwell ceginiaeth , na brenhiniaerh . gwell creft , na golud . gwell cûl cyfa , na byrr , anghyfa . gwell cybydd i le bo , nâ hael i le ni bo . gwell cyngor hên no'i faeddu ( alias ) faddeu . gwell cynnyl , na chywraint . gwell cynnwys cott nag vn llidr . gwell chwarae nag y ymladd . gwell drygsaer nâ drygof . gwell duw na dim . gwell duw na drwg obaith . gwell duw wrrh ei folawd . gwell duw yn gâr nâ llu y ddaiar . gwell dwylo'r cigydd , nâ dwylo'r sebonydd . gwell dy chymygwr , na gorchwliwr . gwell dyhudd na rhyssedda . gwell dyn drŵg o'i gospi . gwell dynoliaeth na drych . gwell edrych ar ddyn yn cachu , nag yn cymmyny . gwell eidion gwerth nag ûn pryn . gwell eistedd ar y gwellt nag ar y llawr . gwell erlid arglwydd , na i ragod . gwell gan wraig a fo da genthi , nag a fo da iddi . gwell gan hwyr na chan foreu . gwell gochell me fle na i ddial . gwell goddeu na gofal . gwell golaith na gofyd . gwell golud na chyssedd . gwell gorne gol●hi nag vn glythni . gwell gwae fi , na gwae ni . gwill gwegil câr , nag wyneb estron . gwell gwestai gwraig , nag ûn gŵr . gwell gwichio'r colydd , na chochi yr ddeurydd . gwell gwr a ddaerh ymhen y flwyddyn na'r gwr ni ddaeth by th . gwell gwîr na chelwydd . gwell gwr na gwyr . gwell gwr na'i rann . gwell gŵr o'i berchi . gwell gwraig o'i chanmol . gwell hannar hâd , na hannar haf , or hauaf . gwell yw hên hawl , na hen alanas . gwell hir bwyll , na ttaha . gwell hir weddwdod na drwg briod . gwell iddaw a ddonier nag y fenhedder . gwell i ddyn y drwg a wyr , na'r drwg nys gwyr . gwell i'r gath nad elid i hafotta . gwell i'r gwr aerh ar faneg i ytta , nag ar fettan . gwell i wraig y pyscodwr , nag i wraig y gwynfydwr . gwell maen garw a'm attalio , na maen llyfn a'mgollyngò . gwell mam godawg , na thad rhieddawg . gwell marchwr gwerthu , nag vn prynny . gwell marw na hir nychdod . gwell marw na mynych ddifrod . gwell melf fod , na mefl gerdded . gwell migwrn o wr , na mynydd o wraig . gwell moes law , na moes fam . gwell nâg , nâ dau eddewid . gwell nerth dwywrach nag vû . gwell pen loyn yn llaw , na hwyad yn awyr . gwell pren cyhuddiad , na dyn cyhuddgar , gwell pwyll nag aur. gwell rhann ofn , na rhann cariad . gwell peidiaw , nag ymddireidiaw . gwell rhy draws , na rhy druan . gwell synwyr na chyfoeth . gwell tewi na drwg ddywedyd . gwell teiliaw , na huriaw ( al ) heiliaw . gwell trwch , nag arwyniad . gwell ûn cynnhorthwy na dau wŷs . gwell ûn ceidwad na dau ymlyniad . gwell ûn crywyn ( al ) croen , na dau fuddelw . gwell ùn dyrnod a'r ordd , na du a'r morthwyl . gwell ûn gair ymlaen , na dau in ôl . gwell yn hwde , na dau addaw ( al ) ti gai . gwell well hyd tarf , gweyth waeth hyd farw . gwell well pob fynnedig . gwell ychydig gan râd , na llawer gan afrâd . gwell ynchysgod y gownen , nag heb ddim . gwell wyneb na gwaly . gwell y i le y foes wilmot , na'r i le y llâs . gwell y llysg dau ettwyn nag ûn . gwell y tynn merch na rhâff . gwell y wialen a blycco , na'r honn a dôrro . gwel yw'r dirwy , na'r anrhaith , gwell yw'r march a fo yn ei forddwid nag a fo'n ei breseb . gwerth fawr pob odidawg . gwerthu cîg hŵch a phrynnu cîg moch . gwirion pawb ar ei air ei hûn . gwiw aur i ai dirper . gwna dda dros ddrwg vffern ni'th ddwg . gwnelid serch saeth syberw . gŷneithr deuddrwg o'r ûu. gwrach a fydd farw etto yn rhiw fabon . gŵr ni'th gâr ni'th gydfydd . gŵr pawb , yn haf . gwrthlŷs i bob llŷs a fydd . gwrthod gwadd a mynd i wêst . gwŷl yw hanes . gwynt a lŷf ddâ gwraig weddw . gwyw calon gan hiraeth . gyrr fâb ti a gai nâg . gyrru brân y geisio tîr . gyrru'r cŷn a gerddo . haeddu annerch yw caru . haeddu ar nith y caccwn . hael byrr llofiawg . hael ywain o bwrs y wlâd . hael pob colledig ychenawg . hâf hyd calan , gauaf hyd fai. han byd gwaeth y ddrygcath o dorri ei ewinedd . han byd gwell ci o farw y llall . han bydd ychwanneg y môr o byssodyn y dryw . hanes ty , hanes coed . hanner y wledd , hoffedd yw . hap dduw , ddewryn . hardd pob newydd . hâul in jonuawr , ni mâd welawr , mawrth a chwefrawr ai dialawr . hawd cymmod i le bo cariad . hawdd cynny tan yn hên aelwyd . hawdd dyddio rhwng falswr a chawnnog . hawd eiriawl ar a garer . hawdd nawdd y ngwascawd gorwydd . hawd peri y fingam wylo . hawd perri y fonheddig sorri . hawdd talu fûg y fôl . hawdd tynny gwaed o ben crach . hawdd ŷf a wŷl eî ●wely . hawdd clwyfo clâf . hawd yw digio , dig . hawdd yw dywedyd pymtheg . hawdd tynny cleddyfbyrr o wain . haws dadleu o goed , nag o gastell . haws dringo na disgyn . haws diwedid mynydd , na myned drosto . haws gan hwyr , na chan foreu . haws gwneithr hebog o farcut , na marchog o daeog . haws llosgi ty nai adeilad . haws twyllo baban , na twyllo gwrachan . hên bechod y wna cywilidd newydd . hên hawdd gorfod arnaw . hír ammod nid â i dda ( al ) annod . hir chwedl anghenog . hiraeth am farw ni weryd . hir eddewid i nâg . hir eisted i ogan al ) diogi . hir ei lygad a wrthgryf . hir frydig , a yfo ei holldda . hír fydd edau gwraig eiddil , ( al ) fusgrell . hîr fydd ( i. ) gybydd ei gabl . hîr gnif heb esgor , lludded . hîr grawn gan newyn . hîr hûn fael gwn yn eglwys rôs . hîr ladrad y grôg . h●r lyngeswriaeth y fawdd . hir nychy angeu . h●r pob aros . h●r saig a chi●lell aslen . h●r safyl i drwm . h●r weddwdod y fes● . hir wynniaw y ●●irieidi . hir y bydd blewyn yn mynd yn nhin blaidd . hir y bydd chwerw alanas . hir y bydd enderig ych dryg wr. h●r y byddyr yn cnoi tamm●id cherw . hir y bydd march yn ebol bach . hir y bydd y mûd y'm horth y byddar . h●r yw'r m●b yn y ceubren . hoedl dŷn ni chas yn y da. hoedl dŷn nyd gelyn ai rhann . h●ff y nmenyn trathan . h●ff gan anghenog ● , goelio . h●ff gan bob ●dn ei lais . h●ff gan fadyn ei faw ei hûn . h●ff gan ynfyd ei gnwppa . hoff tam mâb ni charer . hwch o bob heledd . hwyr waith anffynnedig . hwy cl●d na golud . hwyr y byd dŷn o'r dinieweddu . hwy clôd na hoedl . hwyra dial , dial duw. hydr gŵr o gymmydogaeth . hydr ●ob co og ar i dom ei hun . hydr waed● , gwaedd wrth frô . hygar pawb wrrh y garo . hyd tra fych na fydd ofer . hyd yn oed yr vndydd ydd a'r grochan ar y ●ân . hy p●wb ●r ei fabsant . hy pawb yn absen ofn . jach rydd , thyfedd pa gwyw . jawn ●hwedlawg m●b . yawn y bawb y gadwei hun . iro blonh●gen . iro t●n hwch a bloneg . i'r pant y thêd y dŵr . lladd gwaed ai ddwylaw ac ai draed . llinio y gwadn , fel y bo'r troed . llais maen yn oer ddwfr . llaw ddireid a ddidawl ei pherchen . llawen meichiad pan fo gwynt . llaw frys llaw gywraint . llaw mâb yn llawes ei dad . llaw lân , diogel ei pherchen . llaw lliaws ar waith . llawer ●n a ddwg newyn ag er hynny gwraîg a fynn . llawer am hawl , ûn a ddyly . ll●wer a weddill o feddwl chwannog . llawer câr baw ymdeg . llawer gair yn wynt a heibio , llawer gwr a wna cynnig drwg dros dda . llawer gwir drŵg ei ddywedid . llawer dŷn mawrei eisiau , a eilw y gi gidag ef . llawer or dŵr a heibio'r rhôd , heb wybod it melinydd . llawer rhwng byw a digon . llawer têg drw ei ddefnydd . lawer hagr fydd . llawn i bobi golwyth . lleas pawb pan rydyngyr . i le bo dolur y bydd llaw . i le da i bawb , i le y carer . lledfryd llâdd eigydymmaith . lled led rydau . lleddid mollt ni ddyfydd . lleilai lymmaid gauaf . i le ny bo dysg ni bydd dawn . lle'r ymgreynio'r march , y gedu beth oi flew . llês pawb pan feddyger . llettaf fydd y byswelyn o'i sathru . llewid bwyd ni bo beichiawg . llewid cywestach . lliaws ei anaf ni charer . llif yn afon , hinon fydd . llonn colwyn ar arffed ei feistres . llonn fydd y llygodin , pyn fo't gâth oddi garhef . llwfr lladd ei gydimaith . llwm o fann , a tham o dorth ni cheidw ei wyneb , ys gwna gwarth . llwm tîr ni phoro dafad . llwydog ag ynfyd ni ddygymidd ▪ llwydd pob hen . llwyd yw'r farcnad . llwyth gŵr ei gorwg . llyfyd y ci'r gwayw y brathyt ag ef . llyad duw ar adneu . llygad cywranit ymhen anghowraint . llymna fydd y gwayw o'i flaen . llymma'r onaes , llona'r ysgyfarnog . mâb côf , gŵr at h gôf . mâb heb ddysg , ty a lysg . maeddu'r dylluan wrth y maen . mae gwelion yr gwehinith . maen dros jaen . magu whil●eryn ym mynwes . mai oer y wna yscubor gynnes . mal adain i walch . malaen a ddyly ei daith , ( potius ) y dêl yn y daith . mal bwyd hely . mal ci a baw ar i ben . mal cogall gwraig fusgrel . mal cwn gan gyfreion . mal dall yn taflu ei fonn. mal dau eurych . mal drygfon heddig , ai faich . mal aderyn ar y gaingc . mal dyrnod pen. mal eira mawrth arbenmaen . mal fonn howell ap goronwy . mal gwaith emrys . mal gllwyth maer ketti . mal llygad ymhen . mal llyn melin ar drai . mal llyfu mel o ddiar ddrain . mal mynn magod . mal raw ym miswail . mal rhybudd hyd wemm . mal tynny bach trwy goed . mal wy ar drosol . mal y bo'rdyn y bydd e● lwdn . mal y cant y gŵr . mal y ce●ych dy fawl . mal y ci ar hŵch . mal y cî pan llysg ei droed . mal y cŵn am y moch . mal ychenawg am y geiniawg . mal y gâth am y pyscod . mal y gwalch ( potius ) gwallt , dros fin yr ellyn . mal y gwiddil am y yrry allan . mal y jar ai baw i mewn ai hwy allan . mal y llyn ar y maen . mal y llwyuog am yr ogfaeu . mal y llyffant dau yr ôg . mal y llygodeu dau balf câth . mal y môch amyfawydd . mal y pysg am y dwfr . mal yr âb am ei cheneu . mal yr aran , am ei ddwygoes . mal yr eddi am y garfan . mal y rhisg am y ben . mal yr hwch dan y fwyall . mal yr hydd ar blaidd . mal y saeth or llynin . mal y tân yn y carth. mal y tân yn yr aelwyd . mal y try'r ddôr ar er cholyn a try'r diog yn ei welu . mam esgud , wna merch ddiog . mam vechan a ddifanw ei phlant . marchog a fydd wedi gŵyb . march a syrth o ddiar y pedwar carn . march a wŷl yr yd , agny wŷlg cad . march y ddiawg , ci i lwth . mawredig pendefig castell . mawrth a ladd , ebrill a fling . mawr yw torreth yr aflwydd . meddiant bychan , i ewyllys drŵg . mefle yr gôg ni lyfo ei law . mefle yr llygoden dŷn twll . mefl ys gwawd o weddwdod hîr . mehefin haelawg , a wria medel ddwyreawg . mêl ai gola . melina tlawd ei gwynos . melys lys pan losgo . melys gair da am y garer . melissa fydd y cig , po neffaf i'r asgwrn . melys moes etto . melys pan gaer , chwerw pan daler . mi adwen iwrch er nas daliwf . mi a gawn a fai gan fy mam ag ni chawn ai dy gai yr llann . moch ddysg nawdd mâb hwyad . moes pob tûd , yn ei dûd. moled pawb y rhŷd , mal y caffo . moliant gwedi marw . morw yn jevangc , mâb yn arffed . mûd arynaig y lafar . mursen fyddo ŵr mal o wraîg . mwy na breuan din foel . mwy nag ûn ci , am cyfarthodd i. mwy nag y da'r blaidd , nyd da ei ysgell . mwy nar afr er da●gos ei thin . mwy na'r bêl dan yr humog . mwy ua'r cyfryw yr hwch . mwy na'r rhygen yn y rhych . myned ar gôgr yr afon . mynych hebraid , bod ar wall . mynnych y'r praidd bod ar wall , pan fo tywyssog yr enderig . mynych y daw drwg fugail . mynych y syrth mest o gesail . nag y'r wadn , hanbydd gwaeth . nag vntreu na dau , ni nawdd rhag angeu . na choll dy hên ffordd , er dy ffordd newydd . na chrêd fyth , ferch dy chwegrwn . na ddata dy dŷ wrth gyngor dy drwddedawg . na ddeffro'r ci a fo'n cysgu . naddiad dy foch na âd yn rhwy . na ddyfanw dy beriglawr . na ddos ( al ) na ddrych a gwrth wrth y faint . na ddrygddyn , ys gwell ci da. na fyd dy elyn dy gymydawg . na fyd dy wraig dy gyfrin . na tram oni'th wthier . na fydd fràd fugail i'r at h gretto . na fydd oreisteddgar yn ystafell . na fyd rhy fwythys i le galler dy hepgor . na fynych gût llwfr . naill a● llwynog , ai llwyn rhedyn . namyn duw nydoes ûn dewin . nattur yr hŵch fydd yn y porchell . nawd maen hydwaelawd . na werth er byrhodedd . na wrthod dy batch pan cynhycier . neges penddefig yn rhâd . neffa fi bawb i nessaf . nês y mi fy nghrŷs na'm pais . nês na choel . nes nes y llefain y'r dref . nês penelin nag arddwrne . neuadd pob diddos . neu fegaist at h ddirpwy . newydd bennyg , yn henfon . newyd y gwewyr . newid y penweig . ni ad annoeth ei orfod . ni âd diriaid ei garu . ni eill neb namyn ei allu . ni ein dau fràs yn ûn sâch . ni eing mewn llestr on'dei lonaid . ni elwyr daw , hyd dranoeth . ni elwir cwyrain ni chynnydd . ni elwyr yn euog , onis geirydd . ni ellyr cwbl o angwbl . ni erchill enaid ni ddiwig . ni farn dŷn a charu hyd ymhen y flwyddyn . ni fawrd liolchir rho●d gymmell . ni faw●ha y neges , ni ragwyl ei lês . ni fawrhier tra oganer . ni fydd vchenaid hey i ddeigr . ni fynn drygwraig ddal ei chwd . ni fanno duw ni lwydd . ni fynn y sant môr caws . ni hena ceudawd . ni hena ei ddige●d . ni hena hawl er i hoedi . ni hena meddwl . ni ladd cawad , mal y dygnnull . ni ladd i gyfaddeu . ni làs cennad erioed ( et ) ni leddir cennad . ni lùdd amraint fawdd . ni ludd bendith , ddiffaethwch . ni lwgt y dâ ar y llall . ni lwydda'r bendith ni haedder . ni lwydda cell , goreisteddwraig . ni lwydda golud a wader . ni lwydd gwenyn i geiliawg . ni lwydd hil corph anniweir . ni lwyddodd ond a dramgwyddodd . ni mâd newid , ni cheiff elw . ni moch ddiail mefl merydd . ni moch wna da dŷn segur . ni nawdd eing llyfrder rhag llaidd . ni nawddcaledi rhag bucho dedd . ni nawd difenwyr cywraint . ni wnawd vchenaid rhag gwael . nid cynnefyn cath a cebystr . ni pharrha cywydd namyn ûn flwyddyn . ni phell anrheg yr tlawd . ni phell digwydd afal ag afall . ni phella'r ehegr neb tlaud . ni pheru cíg brâs yn wastad . ni phis bonheddig ei hûn . ni phrinna gath mewn fettan . ni ro●dir gwla y fùd. ni rown erddo seren bren . ni rygelyr y dryglam . ni saif gogan ar gadarn . ni sengis yr ŷch du ar dy droed . ni thag namyn wy . ni thâl dim cennad . ni thâl dim drwg ymread . ni thawdddlêder ei haros . ni thelir gwyti tafod namyn i arglwydd . ni thelir saeth i ebawl ( potius ) ni ddellir faeth eb awl . ni thorres arthur nawdd gwraig . ni throf yn sy ammwlch potius ammhwyl , or arnwig . ni thŷf egin ym marchnad . ni thynnaf ddraen o droed arall , ai doddi i 'm troed fy hun . ni thirr pen er diwedyd vndêg . ni thyrr llestr , ni bo llawn . ni welais lam rhwydd i ewig . ni weles da yn nhŷ ei dâd a hoffes dâ yn nhŷ ei chwegrwn . ni wisg cain , ni wisg liain . ni wna'r llygoden ei nŷth yn llosgwrne y gâth . ni , wna'r môr waeth na boddi . ni welir eisiau'r fynnon onid el yn hesp . ni wich ci er ei daro ag asgwrn . ni wŷl diriaid arno fai. nyd a wŷl dyn ai pyrth . ni wŷl dŷn dolar y llall . ni wyr dŷn , nid el oi dŷ . ni wyr hawdd fod yn hawdd , onid el hawd yn anh awdd . ni wyr ni welodd , ni feidr , ni ddysg . ni wyr pryderuys , prydero , ac nys prynno . ni wyr yn llwyr , namin llyfr . ni wyr yr hŵch lawn pa wich y wâg . ni wyr ŷr jar nessaf ir ceiliog . nid eath rhy hir i goed . nid a cosp ar ynfyd . nid a cynnig arglwydd i lawr . nid adchwelawg gair . nid adwna duw a wnaeth . nida drwg fal y dêl . nid adwyth rhêg ni haedder . nid a gait i adwedd . nid a gwayw yn gronyn . nid ammwys a wnêl warth . nid angof brodyrdde . nid anudon , ymchwelid ar y da. nid a post a'r ynfyd , ar ynfyd y ddaw a'r y post. nid a rêd a gaiff y bûdd . nîd â ar fôr , nid ymlefair . nid ar redeg , y mad aredig . nid sŵllt dan ddiebryd . nid benthig ni hanffo gwetll . nid bwrne nid baich . nid bwyd rhyfedd i dirieid . nid cau fau ar lwynog . nid côf gan yr offeiriad ei fod yn glochydd . nid cyfothog ond ai cymmero nid cymnaint dleddyn ai drŵst . nid cynnefin brân a chanu . nid cyttun hûn a haint . nid cyweithas ond brawd . nid chwrae a fo erchill . nid chwarae , chwarae a tân , nag a dŵr nag a haiarn . nid da rhy o ddim . nid dedwydd ni ddy fo bwyll . ni bwyd heb weddill . nid diswrth neb diog . nid diwyd heb nai . nid drŵg arglwydd namyn drŵg wâs . nid drŵg dim a wneler drwy gyngor . nid drygwr wrth ddryg-wraig . nid edrichyr yn lligad march rhodd . nid eglur edrych yn nhywyll al towill . nid ei arfaeth a byrth dŷn namyn ei dynged ai herbyn . nid ef a byrth dyn ei debig . nid ef a ddwg dŷn ei ddrwg ammynedd . nid ef a gaiff , pawb a fynn . nid ef yw hwn y mis nis gwnn . nid eiddaw duw a watter . nid eiddun dedwydd dyhedd . nid eilir hael ar ni bo . nid erchis bwyd ond ei brofi . nid erchis yr hen gyrys , onid a fai rhwng y newidiau . nid ergid ni chywirer . nid eris maldraeth ar owein . nid esmwyth ymgyflogi . nid gair , gair alltud ar gymro . nid gwaeth yr ymladd dig , na glew . nid gwradwydd gwell hau . nid gwely heb wraig . nid gwell dim na digon . nid gwell gormod na rhy fechan . nid gwell i'r rhoddwr , nag ir lleidr . nid gwiw gwylder rhag eisiau . nid gŵr namyn gwrth muni . nid hawdd blingo ag elestren . nid hawdd chwythy tân , a blawd yngenau . nid hawdd deu ddaw or ûn ferch . nid hawdd lledratta ar lhidr . nid hawd tynny mêr o bôst . nid hawd di fenwi cywraint . nid hawdd gwlana ar yr afr . nid jach ond a fo marw . nid jangwr neb ar ferwyn . nid llafurus llaw gywraint . nid llai gwerth mefl , na gwerth fawd . nid llywiawdr namyn duw. nid mal aur da ydd a'r dŷu . nid mawr i' th gerid os rhwy a erchid . nid mi , nid ri , llewadd cîgy cî . nid moel gŵr , yn aros gwallt . nid mwy gwaith côg na chanu . nid mynechdid maerioni . nid myned a ddêl eilwaith . nid neges heb farch . nid newid heb fâch . nid oedd hôff cyn ni ddifenwyd . nid ei gorph ydd ymre y gwybedyn . nid oes ar vffern ond eisiau ei threfnu . nid oes cambren ond camran . nid oes cywilydd rhag gofid . nid oes gantho yr ewinedd i ymgrafy . nid oes gwŷl rhag elusen . nid oes neb heb i fai. nid oes o ddim ond fel y cymerer . nid oes rhodduamyn o fodd . nid oes wàd dros waesaf ( or ) waethaf . nid oes wyledd , rhag anforthedd . nid prophwyd neb yn ei wlad ei hûn . nid rhaid dodi cloch am fwnwgl yr ynfyd . nid rhaid dangos dirieid y gŵn . nid rhaid y ddedwyd ond ei eni . nid tân heb eirias . nid tebig neb i neâst . nid sorri yt ar dy fam. nid trêftad anrhydedd arglwydd . nid trymmach yblewyn llwyd na'r gwyn . nid twyll twillo , twyllwr . nid ûn anian jâch a clâf . nid ûn-naws gwyros a gwern . nid vnfrŷd ynfyd a chall . nid wrth brŷd gerid gwragedd . nid wrth ei bíg y mae prynnu cyffylog . nid y bore y mai canmol diwrnod teg . nid y fam a ddiwaid ar bawb ( or ) am bawb . nid ydiw'r bŷd ond by chydig . nid ymgais dirieid a da. nid yn ûn didd adeiladwyd rhyfain . nid ysgar anghenawg ag anhyfryd . nid ysgar dirieid ag anhyedd . nid ystyr cariad cywylidd . nid ymgar y llatteion . nid ymweis a fo parch . nid ystyn llaw ni rybuch calon . noswyl jâr gwae ai câr . nuggiau gan i cawn . traethawd o athronddysg gymraeg . ni wyr , ni ddysg . ni ddysg , ni wrendu . ni wren i ond astud . nid astud , ond dedwydd . nid dedwydd , ond a atto ei garû . ni âd i garu , ond difilain . nid difilain , ond vfydd . nid vfydd , ond tawedog . nid twaedog , ond goddefus . nid dioddefus ond synwhyrol . nid sinhwyrol , ynd cydwybodus . nid cydwybodus . ond cowyr . nid cowyr , ond meddylgar . nid meddylgar , ond serchog . nid serchog ond cerddgar . nid cerddgar , ond ymddiddangar . nyd ymddiddan , ond am dduw . treuthawd arall nid anwiw ei ysterried . nid cyngor , ond tâd . nid gweddi , ond mam. nid ymgeledd , ond chawer . nid cadernid , ond brodyr . nid galluog , ond cefndyr . nid cenedlog , ond cyfyrdyr . nid hoiwder , ond cleddyf . nid amddiffyn , ond tarian . nid hyder , ond bwa . nid brwydr , ond gwewyr . nid llŷdd , ond dager . nid ty , heb ŵr . nid tan , heb gyff . nid gwely , heb wraig . nid ynfydrwydd , ond carriad . nid tlodi , ond clefyd . nid gwall synwyr , ond ymrysson . nid methiant , ond musgrelli . nid golineb , ond meddwdod . nid doethineb , ond tewj . nid diogi , ond syrthni . nid syrthni , ond pechod . nid pechod , ond tentasiwn . nid tlawd , ond nas cymmer . nid cyfoethog , ond syber . nid gwressog , ond yr haul . nid oer , ond y lleuad . nid amlder , ond y sêr . nid buan , ond y gwynt . nid moliannus , ond cy●tundeb . nid cyfoeth , ond jechyd . nid yspail , ond gwynt . nid prudd-der , ond marwolaeth . nid llawenydd , ond nef . nid anhyfryd , ond vffern . nid hyfrydwch , ond gyda duw. nid athrylith , ond llawen . nid diddim , ond trîst . nid dedwydd , ond diddrwg . nid diddrwg , oud di bechod . nid di bechod , ond fanctaid . nid sanctaidd , ond diwybod . nid diwybod , ond di synwyr . nid hudoliaeth , ond jeuencgtyd . nid yeuengctyd , ond ennyd awr . nid twill , ond y byd . nid prudd-der , ond eisiau . nid haelaethrwydd , heb ●digon . nid am heuthun , llawer . nid somedigaeth , ond gwraig . nid difyrrwch , ond milgi . nid llawenydd , ond march. nid digrifwch , ond gwalch . nid ofnog , ond digasog . nid digasog , heb achos . nid dioddefgar , ond doeth . nid doeth , a ymryslon . nid mwynder , ond merch . nid mapcar . ond difilain . nid milain ond taeog . nid taeog , ond cerlyn . nid cerlyn , ond afrowyog . nid afrowiog ond jangwr . nid jangwr , ond o arferau . nid hawddgar , ond difalch . nid difalch ond trugarog . nid trugarog , ond deddfol . nid marchog heb fonn. nid peddestr , heb fwa . nid chwannog , ond máb . nid esgeulus , and gweinîdog . nid cywir , ond ci. nid melus ond pechod . nid chwerrw , ond pennid . nid ymdirried , ond cydymmaith , nid hoffder , ond ertifedd . nid glân , ond y pysg . nid cyfrinnach , ond rhwng dau . ni wyr , ond a weles . nid yspys , ond a ymofynno . nid cyfarwydd , ond a wypo . nid call , ond y garwo yn y gôf . nid dysg hêb synwyr . nid gwen hieuthus , ond merch. nid afiethus , ond diofall . nid gwenwynig , ond câth . nid fyrnig , ond ci. nid creulon , ond llew . nid cyfrwys , ond eppa . nid dichellgar , ond llwynog . nid ystrywgar , ond ysgyfarnog . nid ethrylithgar , ond bytheiad . nid diswrth , byrrhwrto . nid brwnt , ond fwlbert . nid moethus , ond bele . nid bowiog , ond gwiwair . ni esgud , ond dyfrgi . nid esmwyth , ond pathew . nid diffaith , ond ystlym . nid bonheddig , ond hŷd . nid khwiog , ond march. nid gwâr , ond ŷch . nid taeog ond eidion . nid rhadlawn , ond dafad . nid llysseuinwraig , ond gafr . nid tomlyd , ond bŵch . nid têg , onid paun . nid rhyfygus , ond bronfraith . nid serchog , ond eos● nid balch , ond alarch . nid siw , ond y bi. nid sionge , ond y dryw . nid cyfannedd , ond ceiliog . nid afradlon , ond jar. nid ynfyd , ondd gwydd . nid gwrol , ond ceiliog dû . nid mwynaidd , ond côg . nid llechiad ond cyffylog . nid anllad , ond aderyn y to. nid musgrell , ond ceiliagwydd . nid glŵth , ond mulfran . nid anferth , ond garan ( al ) grur . nid trais , ond tân . nid rhwystyr , ond dŵr . nid ysgafn , ond wybr . nid trwm , ond dayar . nid diarswyd , ond arho's . nid dewr , ond gwyr . nid calonng , ond a gyrcho . nid ofnog , ond a foo. nid llwfr , ond a lecho . nid anfeidrol , ond dim . nid dim , ond duw. ychawnneg or cyffelib . nerth eryr yn ei gilfin . nerth un icorn yn ei gorne . nerth sarph yn ei chloren . nerth hwrdd yn ei ben . nerth arth yn y breichiau . nerth tarw yn ei ddwfron . nerth ci yn ei ddanr . nerth twrch yn ei affach . nerth ysguthan yn ei hadenudd . nerth llew yn ei gynffon . nerth gwraig yn ei thafod . o achos y fammaeth a cusenyr y mâb . o bob ceinmyged , cyffes oreu . o bob fordd o'r awyr ydd ymchwelo'r gwynt y daw glaw . o bob trwm , trymmaf henaint . o bychydig y daw llawer . o bydd llawen y bugail , llawen fydd y tylwyrh . o bydd neb yn ol , byd y bawaf . o bydd wch bawd na sowdl . o cheri di ny'th garo , collaist a geraist ynno . och wŷr nad aethan yn wragedd . o chyrradd fry , ni ddaw obry . odid a ardd. odid a ddyrry atteb. odid y gatwo ei wyneb o ei sywed odid archoll heb waed . odid da di wara fun . oddid difro diwyd . odidawg a fo didwyll . odid dyn têg dianaf . odid eddewid a ddêl odid elw heb antur . odid ar gant cydyramaith . o down ni , ni addown . o down ni er pedwararddeg , ni ddown erpymtheg . oed y dŷn , ni chanlyn y dâ . oedd rhaid deall i alltûd . o englyn ni ddaliaf haid . oer pob pob gluyb . oer yw isgel i'r alanas . o flewyn i flewyn ydd a'r pen yn foel . o fôr ag o fynnydd , ac a waelod asonydd ; y denfyn duw ddâ i ddedwydd . offeren pawb yn ei galon . oegfaenen yngeneu , henwch . o gywyr deb y galon , a dywaid y gwirion . o hir ddylêd , ni ddylyr ddim . o hoenyn i hoenyn ydd a'r march yn gwt o lymmaid i lymmaid , y darfu'r cawl . o lladd y gàth lygodyn ar frys hi ai hŷs ei hûn . o mynny nodi yr j wrch ti a fwri naid amgen . oni byddi cyfarwydd , cyfarch . oni byddi grŷf bydd gyfrwys . oni chefi gennin dŵg fressych . oni heuir ni fedŷr . onid march ys casseg . or ddeuddrwg goreu'r lleiaf . os gŵr mawr cawr , os gŵr bychan corr. o sûl i sûl ar forwyn yn wrach . pa ham y bydd cûl y barcud ? am ysglyfaid . pa ham y llŷf y ci y maen am nas gall ei yssw . pa le yn y fuddai y mae'r enwyn . pan bwyser arnad , tynn dy draed attad . pau dywyso'r dall ddall arall y ddau a ddigwydd ir pwll . pan dywysso'r enderig ei braidd ni bydd da ir yscrubl y didd hwnnw . pan êl lladron i ymgyhuddo y caiff cywyrriaid ei da. pan bo addoed ar y geifr , y bychod a ridi ir pan bo ingaf gan ddŷn , ehengaf fydd gan dduw . pan fo culaf yr ŷch goreu , fydd yngwaith . pan fo melierydd arben malaria , y bydd es●ud asgell gwippa . pan fo tecca'r chwhare goreu fydd peidio . pan gaer ni hi , ni cheir mi ha . pan lladdo duw , y llad yn drwm . pan gysco pawb ar gylched , ni , chysg duw pan ryd gwared . pan yrrer y gwyddel allan , infyd ydd heurir ei fôd . pa waeth y dring●y gâth , yn el torri ei ewinedd . pawb a chennyrth anrhydedd . pawb a drais ymhais ei dâd . pawb a gnith eedor ynfyd . pawb ai chwedl gantho . pawb yn llosgwrn ei henfon . pawb yn y gorphen . pei diwettai tafawd a wypai geudawd , ni biddai gymmodawg neb rhai . pei y gâth fyddai gartref , gwaeth fyddai ychwi . pen carw ar ysgyfarnog . pen punt , a llosgwrn dimmai . pen saer pob perchennog . pen tros bawb i le ai carer . perchi gŵr er ei fawed . pettwn dewin , ni fwttawn furgyn . pilio wy cyn ei rostio . pob cadarne , gwan ei ddiwedd . pob cyffelib ymgais . pob darogan derfyd . pob dihareb gwir , pob coel celwydd . pob dryll ydd a'r aing yn y pren. pob edn , aedwin ei gymmar . pob gwlad yn ei arfer . pob llwybr mewn ceunant , yr ûn fordd a redant . pob llwfr llemmittor arnaw . pob peth yn ei amser . pob traha gorphen . po dyfna fo'r môr , diogelaf fydd y llong . po hyna fo'r cymro , ynfytta fydd . po hynaf fo'r ŷd tebycca fydd y fŷd . po mwya fô'r drafod , mwy a fydd y go●fod . pay mwyaf fo'r brŷs mwya fydd y rhwystr . po mwya fo'r llanw , mwya fydd y trai pa tynna fo'r llinnin , cyntaf y tyrr . pren ynchoed arall biau . prŷn hên . prŷn eilwaith . prŷn tra flingych . pwy bŷnnag sy heb wraig , sy heb ymrysson . pwŷll a ddyli padell . pŷsgotta ymlaen y rhwyd . rhag anwyd ni werid canwyll . rhag mynned ùn llôg o'r ty . rhag newyn , nid oes wŷledd . rhagnythed jar cyn dodwi . rhag trymfŷd ochyd ychenawg . rhaid y segur waith i wneithr . rhaid wtth amhwyll , pwyll parhawd . rhaid iw croppian cyn cerdded . rhan druan rhan draian . rhan gorwydd o dâd . rhan y gwas o eig i jâr . rhannu rhwng y bol ar cefn . rhedid car gan orwaered . rhedid maen yn i chaffo wastad . rhewydd pob rhyfeddawd . rheiddawg ychenawg ar fô. rhin tri dyn cannyn ai cliw . rhôdd ag adrodd rhod bachgen . rhodd fawr ac addaw fechan . rhodd ifor ar ei gappen . rhodd gwŷr erging . rhodd i hên nac adolwg . rhoi'r carr o flaen y march. rhoi'r ordd dan y celyn llwyn . rhuthr ci o griberdd . rhuthr enderig ar allt. rhuthr mammaeth . rhwng y ddwy ystol ydd a'r din i lawr . rhwy fu rhy fychod gynnen . rhwydd ni bo dyrrys . rhybidd ofnawg , a dal y ci . rhybydd y ddedwydd . rhy brynnwys rhy erchis . rhy buched baw gares . rhy buched dryg-fab ei fam . rhy dyn , a dyrr . rhy lawn a gyll . rhy vchel a syrth . rhy gâs , ry welir . rhy foddawg , rhy fawr a wŷl . rhygas pob rhywir . rhygu pob rhy fychod . rhiw i fâb jwrch lammu . sef a lâdd a gyhudd . sef a lwydd y fefl ei chelu . sef yw , blaidd y bugail . saith mlynedd a doroganyr dallu . siarad cymmynt a mab saith gudyn . siccraf ywr siccraf . sieffrai pieu ' r troed , fieffrai pieu'r fwyall . siommi duw , a mynach marw . son am awst , wiliau'r nadolig . sw●th pob diog . sychy trwyn y swch . symmydaw , addet rhag drŵg . tabler i lyfau , tafarn i chwedlau . tafawd a dorr asgwrn . tafawd aur ymhen dedwydd . tafawd gelyn ar dànnedd , ni chydfain ar gwirionedd . talwys a ryfeichwys . tawedog tew ei ddrŵg . tebig oedd tŵd i gyfrwy . tebig oedd hwch i garegle . teg pob dianaf . teg pob hardd . têg tân bob tymp . teirgwaith y dywaid mursen bendith dduw ●n y tŷ . teir gwers merch rhewid . telittor gwedi halawg-lw . terfyn cywiraf cyngwystl . toll fawr a wna toll fechan . tra fo'r borfa yn ryfu y bydd marw ' r march. tta fo'r ci yn maesa , ydd a'r ysgyfarnog yr coed . trafferth ŷch hyd echwydd ( al ) hwyrr . traha a threisio gweinion a ddifa'r eti feddion . tra rhetto'r ôg rheded y freuan . tra rhettor ôg , rheded y ddraen glwyd . trech ammod , na gwir . trêch anian nag addysg . trêch duw na drŵg obaith . trêch gwan arglwyd , na chadarn was . trêch tynged nag arfaeth . trengid golud , ni threinge molud . trengis a fremnis ( al ) frefwys . trickyd , cyn ni wahodder . trickyd wrth barch , ni thrîg wrth gyfarwys . trist pob , galarus . troi o bobtu it berth . troi'r gâth yn yr haul . trychni nyd haudd ei ochel . trydydd troed i' hên yw fonn. tw al gwhwa farch benthig . twyl trwy ymddiried . twillid rhyfegid , rhyfugaid . twyllwr yw gwobr . tyfyd maban ny thŷf ei gadachan . tyfod ebawl o hŷd garr . tyfyd enderig o'i dorr . tynghedfen gwraig , ott . tŷst yw'r chwedl , yr englyw . tywyll bol hyd pan lefair . tywynnyn greynyn i rann . tu ny fin duw ny llwydd . uchenaid at ddoeth . uchenaid gwrach yn o'll ei huw'd . uu arffed a fag gant . un cam uiogi a wna dau a thri . un llaw ar dân , can llaw ar wlân . un llawiog fydd mammaeth . un-llygeidiog fydd brenin yngwlad y deillaîd . un geiniawg a ddyly cant. un pryd ar iâr yn yr yscubor . untrew o garchar . unwaith yr aeth yr arglwyddes i nofio hi a foddodd . uwch pen na dwy ysgwydd . wineb trîst drwg'a ceri . wythnos y llwynog . y bendro wibwrn . y bol a bil y cefn . y bûdd a lâdd i ludded . y chydig laeth a hynny yn enwyn . y chydig yn aml a wna llawer . y ci a fynner i'grogi a ddiwedir ei fod yn ladd defed . y cŷn a gerddo a yrrir . y cyntaf a ddêl yr felin , maler yddo yn gyntaf . y cyntaf ai clybu , dan ei dŷn , y darfu . y cyntaf i' ôg , cyntaf i' grymman . y dafn a dyll y garreg , nyd o gryfder ond o fynnych syrrhio . y diwedda ar ddiwedder ar yfreuan ar hwnnw y dielir . y dŷn a werthodd i' dŷ ymha wlad y caiff letty . y diw corn , heb yscyfarn . y fefl a wneler yn rhîn nant , hi a dywynnyg yngwydd cant. y felin a fal fynw ddifr . y ferch a ddel yw phrofi , hwyr y daw wi phriodi . y gath a fo dâ ei chroen a flingir . y gŵr yn ceifio y gasseg , ai gsseg dano . goŵn a roed y gannwr , ar nid a'e goŵn o dy'r gŵr . y law a rydd a gynnill . y march a fram a ddŵg i pwn. ymbell amh●uthan wna mefl . ymguddio ar gefn y gîst . ymhob daioni y mae gobrwy . ymhob drygioni , y mae pechod . ymhob dewis y mae cyfyngder . ymhob creft , mae falster . ymhob clwif mae perigle . ymnob gwlad y megir glew . ymhob dyn y mae enaid . ymhod enaid y mae deall . ymhoh deall y mae meddwl . ymhob me ddwl y mae naill ai drŵg ai dâ . ymhob rhíth y daw angeu . ymhob rhyfel y mae gofall . ymhod pechod y mae ffoledd . ymrysson ar gof yn i' efail . ymrysson a doeth , ti a fyddi doethach . ymrysson a fôl ti a fyddi folach . ymchwelid duw ei law yngauaf nôs . y mûd a ddywaid y gŵir . y naill flwyddyn fydd mam i ddyn ar llall fydd ei elldrewin . yn ceisio yr blewyn glâs , y boddod y gasseg . y neb y saetho ar edrybedd , a gyll ei saeth . ynfyd a gabl ei wrthban . y naill wenwyn a llad y llall . y neb a fo a march ganddo , a gaiff march ym menthig . yn y croen y genir y blaidd , y bydd marw . yn y i le y bo yr dâ , y rhoir ag y tyccia . yr aderyn a faccer yn vffern yn uffern a mynn drigo . yr afr ddû a lâs . yr hai a laddoedd ŷr hŵch . yr hŵch a dau , a foyty'r soeg . yr hŵch a wich , ys hi a ladd . yr oen yn dysky'r ddfad i bori . yr ûn asgwrn a dâl . ys da felin a ballodd . ys dir drŵg , rhag drŵg arall . ys dir i hael a roddo . ys drŵg y dêg ewin , ni ffortho ûn gilfin . ysgafn llwyth a glùd coed . ysgafn y daeth , ysgafn yr aeth . ysgrubl dirieid yn eithaf . ys gwell cân mesur , na chân trwch . ys ar bawb y bryder . yssu bwyd drygwr , heb ei ddiolch . yssu bwyd yr ynfyd yn y blaen . ys marw a fo diobaith . ystum llawgar yn rhannu . yspys y dŷn o ba radd y bo ei wreiddin . casbethau gwyr rhufain . ny âd y môr hyd ei wregis . ny âd y mor mawelus ynndaw . ni budd llwfr lan ehelaeth . ni bû arthur ond tra fû . ni bu eiddil , hên yn was . ni bu esgynny gorŵydd oddiar geffyl . ni bu rygu , na bu rygas . ni ffyddra llaw dyn , er gwneithr da idd ei hûn . ni buttra llynwyn . ni byddaf na shoryn dwyn na chappan glaw . ni bydd allt heb waered . ni byd atglaf o glâfur . ni bydd frawd heb ei adfrawd . ni bydd bûdd o ychydig . ni bydd bual , o losgwrn y ci. ni bydd cymen neb oni fo ynfyd gyssefyn . ni bydd chewedl heb ystlys iddo . ni bydd dal ty ar fynach yt . ni bydd dialur di ofan . ni bydd cyfoethog , ry gall . ni bydd diriaid heb hawl . ni bydd doeth ni ddarlleno . ni bydd di ûn dau gymro . ni bydd gwan , heb ei gadarn . ni bydd gwr wrth ddim . ni byd hanawg serchog by th . ai bydd marw march er vn nôs . ni bydd myny glwen gwraig drygwr . ni bydd moesawg merch a gliw lef liog cei ei thâd . ni bydd myssyglawg maen oi fynych drafod . ni bydd neb llyfn , heb ei anaf . ni bydd preswil pasg . ni bydd rhy barch , rhy gynnefin . ni , fa. ni bydd y dryw , heb y lyw . ni chaiff chwedl nid êl o'i dy ni chaiff rhy an foddawg rhy barch . ni châr bvwch hêsp lô . ni châr dofyd diobaith . ni châr gwaith , nys gorddyfno . ni châr morwyn , mâb oi thrêf . ni charawdd grist , ai croges . ni charo ei fam , cared ei lys fam . ni cheffir hoedl hir er ymgeledd . ni cheffir gwastad y bêl . ni cheffir gwaith gŵr gan wâs . ni cheffir mwy na chôd y wrach . ni cheiff dda ni ddioddefo ddrŵg . ni cheiff dda nid êl yn namwain . ni cheiff ei ddewis gam a foô. ni cheiff parch , ar nys dylo . ni cheiff pwyll nys pryno . ni cheidw cymro , oni gollo . ni chein swedydd yn vnfron . ni cheir afal pêr , ar bren sûr . ni cheir bwyd taeog yn rhàd. ni cheir da o hîr gysgu . ni cheir geirda heb prŷd . ni cheir gan y llwynog ond i groen . ni cheir gwlân rhwiog ar glûn gafr . ni cheir y melus heb y chwerw . ni chêl dricdir ei egin . ni chêl grûdd gystudd calon . ni chêl ynfyd y feddwl . ni cherir newynnog . ni cherir yn llwyr on i ddelo yr wŷr . ni cheliw madyn ei ddrygsaw ei hûn . ni chlyw wilkin beth nys mynn . ni choelir y moel , oni weler ei ymmenydd . ni cholles mam ammynedd . ni cholles ei gifrif , a ddechruis . ni chrêd eiddig er a dynger . ni chryn llaw ar fa●-ddysg . ni chwenych morwyn mynach baglawg . ni chwery câth dros i blwydd . ni chwsg dedwydd hûn foreu . ni chwsg dw pan rydd gwared . ni chwsg gofalus , ag e gwsg galarus . ni chwsg gwag fol. ni chwyn ci er ei daro ag asgwrn . ni chwyn yr jâr , fod y gwalch yn glâf . ni chi feirch angen ei borthi . ni chill yr jâr ei hirnos . ni chymmer lû ceid ar fô. ni chymmyd dedwydd a dadleu . ni chymmyd diawl , a duwiol . ni chyngain gan gennad gywilidd . ni chyngain gwarthal ddewis . ni chynny gweinid arall . ni ddaliaf ddilys , o ddŷn . ni ddaw côf gan lŵth ei grach . ni daw côf i'r chwegr ei bod yn waudd . ni ddaw drŵg i ûn , na ddaw da i arall . ni ddawr crosan pa gabl . ni ddawr buttain pa gnwch . ni ddeil yr eryr ednogyn . ni dderfydd cyngor . ni ddiddawr newynnog pa yfo . ni ddelir coed o vnpren . ni ddiffig arf , as wâs gwych . ni ddiffig esgus ar wraig . ni ddiffig fon ar ynfyd . ni ddiylch angen ei borthi . ni ddwg newyn mam weision . ni ddigymmydd medd a chybydd . ni ddyly cyfrairh , nis gwnel . ni ddyly drygfoly namyn dryg yssu . ni eill barnu , ni wrandawo . ni eill duw dda ei ddireid . ni eill dyn ochel tynged . ni eill gwrach gwared yw phen . pethau anweddus . brenin heb ddoethineb . marchog heb provedigaeth . arglwydd heb gyngor . gwraig heh teistrolwr . cyffredin heb gyfraith . gwasnaethnyn heb ofan . tlawd balch . cyfoethawg heb elusen . jstus heb gyfiawnder . escob heb ddysg . hen ddyn heb dduwioldeb . jeuange heb ostyngeiddrwydd . doeth heb weithredodd dâ . câsddynion selyf ddoeth . gwr nis gwypo ac nis disgo . ni bo gantho ai gwsaneitho , ag nas gwasnaetha y hûn . yr hwn a delo yddo lawer ac ni roddo ddim . a ymryssono ai arglwydd oni el y bwll . a fo rhyfelwr llesk , ag na ddymuno hedddwch o flaen rhyfell . a oganno arall am y beîau fo arno ei hûn . a dybio fod yn well na neb ar bob peth ag yntef yn waethaf oll . a echwwyno bymmaint ac no bo gantho ai talo . a roddo ei gwbl ag a fo ei hûn heb ddim a addawo bob peth ag na chywyro ddim . a fygythio bawb ac ni bo ar neb ei ofan . a ddywetto lawer ac ni wrandawo ar nêb . a archo bob peth ag ai welo , ag ni chaffo ddim . a addefo ei rin iw elyn , neu yr neb y gwypo nas cêl . a fasnacho bob peth heb prynny dim . a dyngo lŵ anudon heb neb yn ei gredw . ai rhoddo y hûnmewn anvrddas , er vrddas i ûn arall . a welo lawer o foe●au a chelfiddydau ag ni ddesgo ddim . y brynno bob peth , ag heb ennill dim . a gasao bawb , a phawb yntau , na chretto neb , na nâb yntau . a ymyrro ar bob peth heb achos . a geiso gêl , gan ddyn dietihr . a gretto i bawb er na's adnappo . awnelo yn ûn dydd , fel na allo ddim drannoeth . a ymddirietto i rôdd . a gaffo ddewis , ag a ddewisso yr gwaethaf . a debycco orfod o falchder . agasao i les er afles yw gymmydog . ni wnel da ag nis gatto i arall . a ymgadarnhao mewn dtŵg olwg . a dybio i fod yn gall ag ynteu yn angall . a ddysgo lawer ag ni wyppo ddim , a adawo i gyd ymmaith heb achos . awnêl drŵg ag na bo edifar gantho . tlawd a wrthotto grynodeb . a wyppo gyfraith dduw ai orchyminion , ac a ddadleu yn ei herbyn er gwobr . a ymffrostio or gwilidd ei hûn . a ddyrmigo duw a dŷn . adreuliais a fu fau , medd yr enaid . a roddais a fu fau , medd yr enaid . a gedwais a gollais , medd yr enaid . a neccais sydd ym colli , medd yr enaid . dysg yn grâff a welych . cadwyn grâff a ddysgwych . a drodd a peth y fedrych . nî wedd yn bencenedl ond gŵr . a ymladdo gidai gâr , ac a ofner . a ddywetto gyd a'i gâr , ac awrandawer . a fechnio gyd a'i gâr ac a gymmerer . i achaf cîg llwdn gwyllt iwrch . llwdn dôf twrch . edn gwyllt pettris . edn dôf jâr . pysgod môr llythi . pysgod dwr croyw , draenog a brithill . tri cadarn byd. arglwydd yr hwn sydd faen dros jaen . drûd ni wnel ond a fynno . di ddim na bo dim i gael gantho . saith gynnedef ynad . mûd a llafar , drûd a byddar , ynfyd , ofnawg , a goleichiawg . traethawd o athronddysg . trecha treisied gwanna gwiched . cais ym-hell er mwyn cael yn agos . ychidig sy rhwng y cam ar cymmwys . goreu bonedd , bonedd arfer . pob ûn a addrodd a glyw pan dêl adref . ni lwydda ûn blaid , yn byd duw yn y blaen . gwell hoo gardottyn , na hw leidrin . an ffawd i bawb yn ei gylch . goreu cysgod , cysgod tîr a goreu gair yw gair o wîr . yr neb fo arno , anwyd , chwythed y tân . rhaid y gelwyddog fod yn gofiadur . y darawo y ysgwydd ym bob rhiw fe caiff hi'n friw or diwedd . tri pheth sidd anhawdd i nabod dŷn derwen a diwrnod . tri rwystr pen fordd , cnoien merchwen a gwiwair . na fynno i hûn , na wnaid i ûn . ni hoena meddwl henwr , ond i gorph dderfydd yr gwr . gwaethaf marchwr gwryw gwen. dau beth ni raid arbed , ychydig a llawer . mawl drygair , drygwr . cae'r stabl gwedi mynd y march ir maes . a ddywetto pawb gwir a fydd . dŷn a feddylia , duw a lwyodraetha . pawb a wŷl ei gilidd nid oes nemaur a wyr cyssur ei gilidd . gofyn i nhad wyfi leidr . os cybydd a fydd y fo , fe gyll gwnaed oreu ag allo . goreu cyfrwistra i ddyn , ei wadu ei hûn . na âd yr nos waethaf , fod , yn ddiwaethaf . na chais elw o esculustra . na chais fynd yr nêf●rth fod yn chwerw . na chais fwrw coel ar dy gelwydd . ledled rydau waethwaeth deddfau . cam glowed , na cam ddywedid . nid a sy a saif . ni pharha swydd ond blwyddyn , na fydded angall deall dyn . y mae'r byd wedi magu'r bendro . ni bydd tra ha , yn dra hir . dyn sy'n grydd fan , duw sy'n gwrando . griffudd ni bu erioed i grasfaith , i dynu gwraint o din gwrach . auriog cin buwch . hawdd yw cael drwg , ag anodd mind odiwrtho . cint oneddwl merch , na milgi . mingauad pob mirsen . po gwnna fo y' din , dua fudd y fontin . dranoeth gwedi r ' digwil . rhowir caen drws , wedi r defaid find allan . allan o olwg , allan o feddwll . chwerw yn y genau , melus yn y galon . ni cheir y melus heb y chwerw . cof pob diwaetha . gwell y fam glyttioge nar tad goludog . geill march farw yn aros ir borfa . cont vnwaith , canwaith y ceir . ameu pob drwg dybus . cynfigen y ladd i pherchen . breddwyd gwrach wrth ei huillus . chwerthin pawb ar i fantes . nid twill dwillo twyllwr . ar ddechre yr gist y mae eiriach y blawd . drwg y rhodd ni thal i gofun . ni thyccia rhybudd i' drwch . nid oes gin gerdottnn ond i' gwd . nid nesach att ange wlad arall na chartre . ni ddiowrid dim ond vffern . yr hen y wyr , ag ifanc y debig . ni ddoeth gwlad erioed i' fud . drwg y caidw diawl i' was . mwya trwst llestri gweigion . yr hwch y dai y fwyttu r soeg . cint cath ir gell nag allan . po nessa at yt eglwys pell a oddiwrth brodwys . nid cynefin cath a chebnst . nid gwiw mor wylo am laith a gollo . cyn edifated ar gwr y laddodd i' filgi . gwas diog cenad dda i' gyrchu ange i' wrda nid cadarn ond castell . cint crippil nai was . credigrwudd gittun felun ai fam . cyn siongced ar bioge . nid rhaid i' bechod gyfiadur ond cydwybod . a fo aml i feibion budd gwag i goliddion . a fo aml i' ferched nid eiff dim ir wared . ni wnelo gyngor i fam gwnaed gyngor i' lys fam . adar vnlliw a hed ir vnlle , ( al ) pob cyffelib ymgais . gofyn i' mam wyf leidr . ir pant y rhed y dwfr . na wel ar fai ond y fedrych ymendio . nid oes help ir perh a bassio ond tewi son a gathel i ddo . who hath god hath all , who hath him not hath less then nothing . the later that gods vengeance is , the heavier far , and sorer ' t is . three things are hard to be known , a man , an oke , and a day . while through all places thou dost rome , yet have thy eyes still towards home . red wine , hogs flesh and smoake are three enemies to the eyes . the tail will alwayes turn with the dog . greater was the fright then the fray . an old dog will not sport with a puppy . the lambs skin comes to the market as soon as the sheeps . from sea , from hill , and from the flood , god sends the fortunate some good . there is no stint upon almes . the horse looks not on the hedge , but the corn . many words to a fool , half a word to the wise . an unluckie man shall lose do what he can . a gentle man gently cools his passion . wer 't not for hope the heart would break ▪ yet hope ▪ yet hope . the saxon shites in his brich , the cleanly britain in the hedge . howell is as good as heilin . who so complains without cause , should have cause given him to complain . some complain , to prevent complaint . the bad husband's hedge is full of gaps . the misfortune of the fool is just , because it proceeds from his own rashness . a fair promise makes a fool merry . who so stealeth an egge , will steal a hen . none bewares of him that 's in his grave . let him that is the stronger oppress ; let him that is the weaker cry out . let him that would have praise , be dead first . let him that would have h●alth be merry . each man would give his guess . at the fall of the old , the young man laughs . faults are thick , where love is thin . necessity will buy and sell. the unskilful or ( simple ) will tear his breech over the close stool . you must judge at the latter end of a thing . vvhat is not wisdom ( or discretion ) is danger . vvho avoids not smoak , avoids not his enemy . vvho so cannot endure a servant , must be his owne servant . vvho so feeds not his cat , let him feed his mice . every man is a master in his own house . greediness breaks its own neck . blessing on the sow that owns the fat . flowers afore may , better they were not . the more a string is stretcht , the sooner it breaks . an old wifes dream runs according to her wish . scatter with 〈◊〉 hand , gather with two . you must not count your yearlings till may-day . the valiant is harder then a stone . a man hath a hundred friends , and a hundred foes , if the mare be lame , her colt will be lame . shut the breech after farting . the true friend is discernd in the distress . late leave argues a business . a snarling dog hath a ragged coat . the dog that hunts every beast , is not good at any . correct the bear in presence of the lion. scratch a clowns tail , and he will befoul thy fist . an ague in the aged is certain death . though the day be long , it will have an evening . though nine nights may be concealed , nine moneths cannot . a lazy shepherd is fellow to the wolf . as good foot it , as bestride a staff . play , but hurt not ; jest , but shame not . the naked youth may play , the hungry will not . february will blow the snake out of her nest . the fool will laugh , when he is a drowning . great and frequent debate , and to bring forth a mouse . well doth the spit become the rasher . shew me the calf , shew me not the milk . two hungry meals will make the third a load . good is god , and long is eternity . good is the stone with the gospel . the lucky man will find a thorn in his pap . lewd is the frog under ice . each bird is well pleased with his own voice . he shall be slighted that is out of sight . an old mans end is to keep sheep . every mans promise is his debt . lend to the naked , and you may goe whistle for it the next day . the man is wise , while he holds his peace . it 's a sory stake , that stands not the first year . ill doth the devil preserve his servant . bad is the way , that is trod but once . bad is a bad servant , but wors being without him . bad is the thing , that is not worth the asking . every mans neighbour is his looking-glass . a work ill done , must be twice done . god will distribute the cold , as he distributeth the cloaths . there will come ice for the frog . it is tedious parting with a thing we love . a sharp april kills the pig . one scabby fellow knoweth another . a man knoweth when he goes , not when he returns . a good aunt is a second mother . you will easily prevail with one that loveth you . hee was slaine that had warning , not hee that tooke it . neither for peace nor for warre , will a dead bee gather honey . a sorry son is active in another mans house . the easiest work is to miss ( or fail . ) every poor man is a fool . fly from bad land , not from a bad landlord . a mans wealth is his enemy . the active man will be a lion , till gray hairs come . forbear the alehouse , forbear not to pay . dispraise the meat and eat it . every mans eye is upon that he loveth . the nimblest footman is a false tale . woe be to him that goeth from hip to hip , and hath nothing of his own . woe to him that bringeth his old servant to a court of iustice. woe to him that loves , and is not loved . woe to him that hath a bad name in his youth . woe to him that seeks his landlord dayly . woe to the beast , that never seeth his owner . worse and worse , like the son of a goat . woe to that one man , that makes a hundred sad . the day will discover the work of the night . it is an easie work to beware . a friends frown is better then a fools smiles . an importunate begger cannot keep . to cut a witth with a beetle . naturam expellas furcâ , &c. after long languishing death . a lion when old may be conquered . to fish in a sheep-coat . too much cunning undoes . fortune out-veyes cunning . a bird in hand is better then two in the bush . clear conscience a sure card . a friend in court , &c. good , though long stayed for is good . a fair face and a foul heart . to think his grandmother a maide . to give pay with a ladle . no more then the he-goat to the kill ▪ antipathy . better one braggadocio , then two fighters . better one pair of feet , then two pair of hands . woe to the owner of a weak bow . woe to the servant of a weak lord. multitude conquers greatness . it is easie to cut out thongs of another mans skin . howell is generous at the countreyes charge . the play of an old cur with a whelp . the toung will cause beheading . easier to censure then do . the bald will not believe till he sees his brains . it is easie to draw blood out of a skabbie head . the kinsmans ear will hear it . a womans commodity stronger then a rope . he that hath the daughters cunt , will have the mothers heart . long aiming , long shiting . a womans hand is the pricks whe●stone . enough is as good as a feast . enough for each man what he can manage . compare onely with thy compeers . who complains without cause , may have cause to complain . spare the surety , spare the principal . a small cause may produce much grief . cause without cause . the besome ought still be busie . without a good horse , to take the field is folly . complain for fear of complaints . a house dry over head is happy . long sorrow moulds misery . a cat may be cram'd with crums . each owner his own . a child knowes who licks , but not who loves him . open-mouth'd hedges speak bad husband . feed liberally , find labourers . the wise and the fool have their fellows . get a sonne , get a sword . great promises , small performance . a fairly , makes a fool laugh . the gray is ripe for the grave . the hart brayes for the brook . the hart being fed takes the field . the lewd and naught love long nights . whom death kills , none recalls . should not bad councel be cancelled . he that bears the bag may fill his belly . he that steals an egg , will steal a nagg . teach the child a sunday , he will remember it a munday . if the lion go to the field , god will be his shield . he that goes to court without errand , may bring home an arrest . vvho at horse play would learn skill , at home should leave his skinne . tine before kine . soon get up , soon goe down . a heart heavy , is not healthy . a nurses tongue priviledged to talk . she silent and dull , domb . a lary fool , hands foule . his mouth fouly sweats that swears . wild and wanton . he that hath store of bread , may beg his milk merrily . many boxes make empty bellies . if much hony hap , thou mayest put it in thy pap . a lawyer pleads all pleas , or he that sticketh at the first course on all occasions shifts to discourse . no plea to what god pleaseth , or whom god loveth in his grave lies . an impudent shaver will hardly be saved . he that scolds at sea , will do the like on land . he that is uncertain when he goeth , will doe no good ere he goeth . an old mans best praise is prayer . gallant means , gallant men . the dead out of view we need not avoid . he that dieth for threats with his own t. should be tainted . the nearer the porch , the further from paradise . might overcomes right . to refuse in want , waste . to give where there is no want . a twisted lace is not easily loos'd ▪ once prime man , now no man. no power , no respect . gods will be done . who would be commended , let him die first . if thou wouldst try friends , be sick . be hearty , be healthy . have the haft , have the blade . a cuff in the morning is remembred in the evening . gods word uppermost . who loves not his mother , will hardly love his stepmother . that love is slender which regards not a friends slander . love young sparkes , love their sports . or love the yoak tine , love what belongs thereto . who loves her husband most , love his mother m. plundred ware , never thrive . close and near will cleave in need . the great crow doth cry , the young sayes i. out of a small complaint , groweth a greater . over complaint , no complaint . rise to plead , lose thy place . learn if thou can , and keep it . almes more valued then venison . offend god , offend man. out of sight , out of mind . good ale the key of cuuncel ( or ) the barly corn is the hearts key . patience is knowledge's life-guard . passion , a note of bad nature . every guest can guess . love me , love my dog . chide the birth for the salt bag . the old man dies , the young man danceth , ( or ) the old doth fall , the young laughs his fill . plenty of all a tanning . plenty of honny a straining . where love fails , we spy all faults . b●ood soon stands on a white steed . bloud is not hid in a scabby head . unrich , unready . strange dishes , dainties . ignorance denies the conclusion . covenant breaketh custome . breach of custome contempt . a time for meat , and a time for mass. a time for all things . ill bred , ill bruised . bruise in the sinewes , death in the veins . a hollow man , an ill messenger . choler waves kindred . the dull sees no more then the dark . an angel in the field , a devil by the fire . want will make the old trull to trot . want buyes and sells also . want cancels commands . want doth rouse the old to run . ever lewd , never beloved . needy and poor , are nobile par. what wants in part , is imperfect . if fool , ever foul . cold will never catch heat . death makes speed unexspected . grim death buyes full dear . the more fame , the greater shame . a fool may be shamed in shiting . a churlish friend never free . unhopeful , unhappy . no confidence in cowards . a churle , unstaid and stubborn . if god saith , it must be so . vvhat a babler saith ▪ is fawcy . set thy dog , but thou sit down . drive the dog to the dayry . rash in kind , inconstant . cold face calls for fire . whom i love , i like . patient and silent . mock and be mocked . soft fire maketh sweet malt . wise words and great seldom agree . give much and mildly ( or ) divide commons kindly . plow while thou art , plow ere thou art not . suspend till the end . a man of power may compel . vvhere none chuse it is the lords escheat . every one is lord of his own . god save a weak lords servant . money is said , to buy and sell. if foul fail , use fair means . he that avoids not smoak , may smart . the medow is shorn with the shears . vvhere no discretion is , there is danger . he that cannot bear with his servant , must serve himself . give the cat meat , or feed mice . he that will not give what is dear , shall not have what he desires . vvho cannot fell trouse , will ne're fell a tree , ( or ) if young a cow , old a coward . a sluggard is going stil , but stirs not . power weakeneth the wicked . power descrieth a thievish crue . smoke a bad sign they say . a sign hath no bucks side . a bad bow , that will not bend . an orle chip , in a cats cheek . a clean bosome , a beesome ( or ) blessing . a bone bad meat for an old man. every fault breeds fear . teach a dogge to the dayrie , and he will goe thither dayly . a fighting skit , a foul scab . a sober man , a soft answer . in his own house each man is master . envy breeds back-biting . all would gain gold . a great bruise brings grief . that rasor's keen that shaves clean . few by signs know what thou sayest . if thou play the fool stay for a fellow . if thou do not well , beware . vvhat god sends , man censures . vvhat ere is veyled , will be revealed . he that makes the song , is the author sure . who does well , deserves well . who bad will do , swears deeply too . deceive and be deceived . each bad one , waits a bad houre . much drink makes drunk . greediness breaks nicks neck . old trot , why wouldst break thy thigh ? the brave steed fails that founders . pride ( sir poore ) without support . pride far-fetchd , fie . bread and butter one bit is . a lazy calf laughs coldly . divide and diminish . the shallow channel chimes . thimb thumb say some . if all had what they liked , then none would long . a lions heart boyls with heat . anon , anon , quoth the kite . the hogs grace , is the grease . a kind heart happy . a whore sometimes sheddeth teares , ( or ) a shameless lock sometimes leaks . a rash man roves . anger notes bad nature . a rash lout laughs loud . up start and new come , bids himself welcome . a greedy gut would all get . cry and ho wt , the deaf cries ha . blood no base spot on a spear . green , where the army graze . be healthy , be hilarous . be jovial , be joyful . sick language sayes i languish . great ones bark boldly . one cannot mourn , and be merry . a thief most stout , best keep out . the valiant chargeth wisely , not wildly . a woman quell'd will be quiet . bad words make a woman worse . brave , though ill bred . lick well and look well , ( or ) feed well and fight well . a mad part to be malapart . play the cat , even to the tail . blossomes e're may , not good some say . the more wolves in shape , the worse for the sheep . the carres will have a second course . long sick , at length sink . the elder you die , the more you dote . the parents presence , the young mans prison . lineage pleads , well lin'd takes place . the hens foreshew a morning shower . a woman merry , a red morning . vvhen the string is streightest it breaks with stretching . a rich gull gathers , and the son scatters . an old wife dreams what she dreads . all fidlers are fellows . rash judgement soon spent ; ( or ) a fools bolt is soon shot . victory wound● , and death a●tidates . spend with one , spare with both hands . the devil take the curs'd cat . to wake a dead corps with cold water . make goose pond , of ducks puddle . cast brine salt into the sea . a p●t brimful and foule . a dwarf may be a monsters mother . few fairie-mouth'd . the deaf man hath his mate . short sweetness breeds long sorrow . a good tale never too tedious . good and loved , not long lived . twisted thrid fears no threats . do well and have well . the mill that talketh hath toll . look for him that bears the bell under his steeds belly . look for muske in the myskin . fair summer greets , yet it maketh winter grievous . a man stout , firmer then stone . ever heavy never hearty . the welsh knoweth well the saxons good will. vvantons never keep counsel . a hundred love , and a hundred leave me . aged and ached . the dog doth toil , so doth his tail . a hundred sweethearts in a house . he singeth odd , without an ode . the romans old , odium's . owen cyfeyliogs villaines , or odium's . a friend bars nay , in time of need . vvhat man hateth here , god hateth in heaven . a sharks haunt soon hated . a bramble tupp turbulent . truth not loved , where not allowed . the mare lame , the colt the like . the bumme hole 's shut , when the fart's shot . what ere is new is noble , ( or ) if new prised then praysed . the loss being great , look the mothers recruit . passion wardeth inward . provide for thy ship , or sink . if thou be skilful , reveal not thy skil to a fool . the sea is the lords cell , or cellar . young and tame , sharp in time . praise a good woman i pray . hard reading a dumb mans meaning . well girt , well goes . love thy sister notwithstanding disasters . death's capp's capacious , ( or ) death to all sorts pertains . a snarling cur hath a scurvy coat . hunt all games have no gains . a message too late lost . without penny penury . light knit , easily unknotted . a horn heard soon , though hardly seen . see to thy seed . a leg thought a thigh . my thought runs where my love rests . call god neere , when thou dost neeze . know a lout , by his load . the hen flaunts on the floor . a good cow ever , a milking runs over . hee looseth many a good bitt , that striveth with his betters . hang the poor hen . the beare pressed in the lions presence , ( or ) strike the man before the master . rub a churles tail he will give thee a turd , ( or ) speak a churl fair , he will spit in thy face . the dog bites hard , the bone's harder . pinch worse then pincers . a fool laughs a life . the hen's beak her mind doth speak , ( or ) the face without shewes what 's within . an old man is sick , death ensueth . shake a row like a reed . a short sword a fools supersedeas . once steal ever stayed , make much of a steer , when the rest is stolne . fall hard and clean , not on fowle clay . death falls the rich in the ridge . strange ! a cock tied in a cowes tine . goods long tried , not to be trusted . hasty , yet wise and wary . though day be long night comes at last . what is nine dayes kept close , nine moneths discloseth . eat with a lords son , play not with his lordship . as long as the cart calls it carries . all ought to plead for the plow. the colt stout as the stallion . a greedy gut would all get . old wives medicines , sins . the hand finds , where it feels . be a friend to the free . contemporaries , good and gaudy . the rich man sells , the poor man seals . the heart and pate , in plots copartners . confession free . wranglers , brats and brawlers . mans years as iron . as easie as the mouse trips in the trap . as soon doth the lambs skin as the sheeps skin march to the market . a plea after judgement . the old if not fond , offend not . at ●ome the churle keeps the chair . see the begger looks big . the kil●● sooner burns then the barn . a wa●c●man hies to stand on high . as good not stir as ride on a staff . as good the penny as the penny worth . he and she single may associate . contend about fare , at length fast . advise a lout too late . unlucky wags long for wars . youth loves to go hence , then longs to come home . play not such in a satchel . play and grieve not , jest and disgrace not . the dog playes a while with the whelp . so do●h the sow with the pig also . the naked plaies now , the hungry playes not . i plaid now a game , i had well nigh forgot . cold laughing lies under ice . february ●●ging , never stints stinging . wine is sweet , till the ●eckoning greet . a churles feast is sweeter , to make up the meeter . whe●e lovers like they laugh . the fool never droops , but laughs though he drowns . prayse innate to nature . never cease searching . good for the wealthy to want sometimes . good that the teeth guard the tongue . pleading after judgement . the mountain fumes , a mouse comes forth . 't is well god sends curst kine short horns . the spit and meat well met . him good man call that pleaseth all . good what 's musty , from bad pay-masters . set the dog upon the hog . keep house while thou canst . give over when thou canst not . all faults if unfortunate . a stranger they say , blind on his way . every chase , chance . set dogs upon doegs . give a churle an inch , he will take an ell . folly to teach tutors . shew heavens seat to sinners . shew the calf but not the curds . two hungry meals belike , makes the third gorbelize . have great care , in works curious . stand to thy wayes , wave wavering . mans wrong remembred long . god is good , everlasting , long patient . good the sword , with the word . mishaps in haps , happy . happy state loves high esteem . the lord is great , freely gives grace . he is happy sure , who is loved when seen . rough is not easily wrought . in capite , is love the best tenure . once begun , half done . half the way to know the way . faiths best hold in the heart . carriage carries the respect . beauty is clear in good clothes . the best pedigree , school degree . learning bald , if not bold . half way rod , when ready . towns keep their chairs , maintain their charter . lest musick erre , give ear . no gift well , without good will. a jealous eye doth prophecy . choose yoak for ox , or ax. choose foul hag , of both foul hogs . when all 's done , go dine . ever a churl voids his chamber . happy son that 's void of sin . the poor man flee's , ●he rich man fley's . the foul frog dies under ice . god arms the harmless . a friend , a fiend if offended . never loose if sedulous . one god , enough for one good . too much musick proves tedious . fy , enough of figs. a little play enough to please . ill favour'd , ill fam'd . each bird 't is said loves to hear himself sing . fetch the people from the piper . grief looks sleepy , and be slubber'd . care keeps the wise awake . good cloths and closest . a young swaggerer , an old begger . an old man neate newes . a town faithless , foul and falls . pawse and let the water pass . the bitter slanders his betters . the industrious strives to stand both by sea and by land . a knave le ts pass peace . not espied despised . long without meal or meat . a madmans stroke sad and sudden . the end of the old is to keep sheep in the fold . more carefull then the wolfe , for my own : ( or ) if thou wouldst not misse thy own message . a mad puppy meets thorns in his pap . all prone to promise . put thy hand upon thy heart . lend to the poor , late thou wilt be paid . a seholler may be gulld thrice , a souldier owl'd but once . for wise he may pass , that can hold his peace . on all things by all means measure . heart of cares hardly cured . long comes at last . the deére may pay double . wary to set , wise to sell twice swear pay dear . a bad guest admitted makes something missed . a bad court where none come , ( or ) a court void unless invited . were all knowe , most are knaves . that sin is foul that spreads fame . bad to care no more then for to morrow . a ●ad one , as another . the devil a most bad master . bad is bad , worse worst of all . that path's poore , but once trod o're . bad servant bad , worse if none had . stark naught , that 's not worth asking . that office is servile , that 's not worth the serving . thy neighbour as thy self , see . do it good , or do it again . each wild wanton . a bawble in the hand of a booby . wanton pranks seldom prosper . god will feed the simple . man doth say , god doth send . heaven's mine , if god doth say , amen . gods power , rights the poor . woe frog , ware frost . loose t●y sence that will not see . a frantick pate , loseth his part . all ought long for art and learning . god ever sends in season . the dayes are bad , god send better . to persecute odd , and odious . no joy in a gaole . grievous to leave , whom i love . a surety owes , and not owes . begg of the free , until a frey . the old playes with the owle . a foul abuse long abides . much liquor makes eloquent . to and fro , all out of frame . teach the wise with gentle strains , teach the wild with stripes . teach an old horse to pace home . to speak that , he knows not what . a cruel friend , death 's his end . marry ●ere home , malice far hence . give god the first fruits free . if april swell , ware swine . a churle rue's , that he was royal . womens vowes double and vain . scapes scrapes together . the old cat knowes what to make of milk . the secrets now seen and nois'd . the dog shall yet see summer . have at the curds , be chary of the cheese . i know when i goe , but not when i come again . the cat knowes and licks whom she likes . each mans worth is praised by his works . the cat would have fish , but not wet her feet . open thy bag to receive a pig . the world is a wide parish . the fool doth lift his hand full swift . a good aunt , almost a mother . spare thy fist , spare not thy foot . a suit , where lov'd not lost . if not loved spare thy labour . without power poore . wary that takes warning , not wary beware . a man dreads what he dreams . there neeeds no battery upon an open butterey . a maide crack'd , adieu credit . the hand and foot felltws . where akinne there call . one to a hundred , a hundred to one . great loaves empty barns . trot hag to the mill , if thou wouldst have meal . name without fam● . the swinehaerd swayes over swine . a bad race , drawes great disgrace . a heart that fears , protracts the field . to strike is bad when none do bid . be it peace or be it war , the dead bee doth little care . the busie brat sculks abroad . the easiest thing , to do nothing . all horn , no ear at all . a servants friendship froath . a lowse ne're loved . the poore though wise a vvittall , ( or ) all that faile fools . a far way for forreigners . saint faglans way to heaven winds . the bee hath a fine way to her hive , as the other to heaven . fly from bad land , but not from a bad lord. refuse a wife with one fault , and take one with two . l●st , the worst night last . a poor vertue to upbraid poverty . ill speak , ill speed . a stormie wife an evill stench , ( or ) her crooked words doe crash winde . a womans words though vile , must prevail . if a woman stirs , expect a storm . a mans word out of a castle is strong . sugred kisses divulge secrets . a mans own means his enemies . let go the bad to the good mans barn . lambs words , wolves works . a gift not show , 'twixt hand and sleeve . in church appear after a peal . a truant nere speaks truth . a lion once , but now ancient . a hearth without fire ill favoured . hasty pranks seldome prosper . rash vowes known vain . an easie civility to salute . a hasty fool ever faulty . the poor ever trips on troubles . over warnd ever forgets his errand . ever the gaunt nimbly goes . the gross sometim●s goes fast . in time the child becomes a giant . well goes the case , where wisdom counsels . wicked peers ever perish . the poor is sure cast in his suit . a womans double negative , is a single affirm live . usual to flaunt and fly . a wanton lass commonly laughs . where a cross is reard we commonly rest . secrecy shu● , that endeth in shame ( or ) ware vent●r tickles in conventicles . drinking over much , ever mads . the wine in a feast , first fits the founder . stollen at length , comes to light . the vile ever a villain . none so stout but have their stains . fat easily sould out of a fat soil . too much care usually miscarries . a wanton soul insolent . small blades full quick becomes a rick . enson comes when the bell calls . noble guests , nobly give . love too hot , turns to hate . a lovers part , comely port . some of esteem , if strange simple seem . noble minded , modest ; ( or ) speak lesse , speak learned . dry over head happy . after running stay and stand . others distress , thy destruction . after sin long sorrow . fear dooms damage . after showres phoebus shines . ioind souldiers assault . no rain no rushes . ware the alehouse prey , but not to pay . seek milk and feed the cowes mouth . man deliberates , god delivers . he scorns the meat , and yet doth eat . where is no kill , alike scholars . a dream by daylight lightsome . god disposeth of the despised . man is appeased by men of peace . all look on whom they like . a lovely look liberal . a modest look beloved . the masters eye-bals feeds the beasts belly . the day is long , yet ends at last . abuse got , best forget ( or ) the best abuse in battel . mans best candle understanding . of any slow , best is the plow. the lazy deludes , best pleads delay . the best part in man , to have good manners . practice of goods the best goodness . repent some day , thou hast sold dear . good none are without good name . my mother had rather be killed , then miscalled . the wrong side best of a furrow by far . the best surgeon is he of the soul. silver famine most ravenous . a false report rides poast . a small gift grea● , if discreet . the best of clothes is a cloak . the best play that ends pleasant . speak the dog fair , till thou pass the fold . curs to each other currish . frighted young , great wrong . trot too oft makes the steed stand . a journey not far easily performed . deep lies the hearts language . woe to the man who dines on rotten sheep after rain . hop hip to hip , woe is his hap , that nothing hath in lip or lap . that master hath small cause to sport , when his old servant calls to court. inward disgrace doth grate . disgrace a let , be it ●re so little . woe him that god allowes and not believes . woe to him who loves , and is not beloved . young of bad fame , ever ill name . never do good to a lazy gull . thy bord oft see , nere the better be . no court favour , a case ill favour'd . bloudy and foule , known by his fall . woe nonage that longs for dotage . woe the mule , sees not the master . a bad report no scurvier part . woe lurdans help in harvest , wars civil , most savage , ( or ) none worse to fight ▪ then a carpet knight . the worst store , a maid unbestowed . one wolf lame , worse then two lustie . willmots tale worse and worse told . wild goat , wilder doth get . dogs run their course , but worse and worse . that one is bad , makes hundreds sad . woe man ! hath bad woman . a house without son sad . done what 's by night , day brings to light . vide cywala . white hairs and gray are pilgrimes . water gives place , throw in what thou please . wounds and blood wanton play . vide chwarae , &c. strive who is strongest . others kine ne're think they are thine . vide chawreuid , &c. a servant that doth please , nere wants a place . a good servant is his lords shield and should . the easiest work and way , is to beware . a servant , and subservant to a piper , viz. a puppy . haste to the hive , ere the bees depart , ( or ) manly and bold though a boy . on the nights work , the day descants . sip after the sound . a trade love without largess . love good parts without patience . play fortunes game to the last gasp . wounds green do grieve . see two for one . he sees his ear with his eye . better free , then miser be . better courteous , then curtal . better in a coach with the courteous , then in the fire with the furious . better want the maine , then want the mountain . sooner exiles from groves , then exits from graves . better lie in grave , then live in grief . better borrow then beg . better the poor mans prayer , then the preying of the mightie . better end of dee , then basest of bucks . better every mans good speech then spight . better bonny , then base . better beast ▪ barren and few then none in fold . better something in purse then nothing in poak . better stay then stumble . better sit a while , then stand a while . better live and do , then ly dead . better keep now , then seek anon . better lose a pin , then lose a penny . better dy one then dy all , ( or ) better dy one in a hundred , then a hundred for one . better a kinsman near , then i know not where . better a friend in court , then penny in purse . better penny in silver , then any brother . a songs life , the delivery . better never stand then ly still . better rags and patches then rents and breaches . better cookdom , then kingdom . better trade then traffick . better lean whole , then fat unwholsom . better churl present , then charitable absent . an aged mans counsel best kept uncancelled . better art then experience . better lod●e a ranter , t●en a robber . better play faire then fight . better a bungling ●arpenter then bad smith . better god then gold . better hope in god then despair of good hap . god best priz'd , when most prais'd . bette● gods arm then earths army . the cooks hand 's smooth , the laundress smarts . better the artificers head , then hand . better a mean , then too much . better scourge the man , that will not mend . better man to see , then phantasie . better looke on a man shiting on a turf , then hewing of a tree . better a beast sold , then bought . better sit on straw then on the floor . better lord not enter , then entertain . a woman loves to gad , more then her own good . better sing late , then antedate . better shame avoid , then revenge . better patient , then passionate . better deaths shade then live in shame . better meanly rich then too much . better mouth spare then mouth spend . better woe one , then woe all . better a kinsmans back , then a strangers beck . a woman guest is ever best . better sorrowful sparing , then shameful spending . better come sometimes , then never return . better truly , then ly . better one man , then many . better a man , then means . respect a man , he will do the more . a woman commend , rather then command . better half seed , then half summer , or half sowen . better an action of debt , then of death . better prudence then oppression . better long unmarried then for ever mard . better mannours , then manners . better the harm i know , then that i know not . the cat and mouse love no removes . better go beg with a small bag . better a mean match then an over-match . better a rough stone that saveth , then a smooth stone that deceiveth me . better an able and rich mother , then a noble and wretched father . better sell then buy by far . better die once then languish long . better dy then waste and want . better shame veyld then reveald . better mite of man then mountain of woman . better hand have , then gaffer give . better nay , then to betray . two old stronger then one younger . better a finch in fist , then a pheasant in field . better trust a tree , then a tel-tale . better wise then wealthy . better for fear , then for fair words . better bear then beat . better snarl , then sneak . better wit , then wealth . better silent , then sawcy . better muck meade , then make merry . better crushd , then cruel . better one welcome then two invitations . better one securer , then two persecutors . better one good sty , then two bad stables . the beetle strikes once better home , then twice the hammer . better one word in time , then afterwards two . better give now , then come anon . better till beard , then forwards to beer . have much , have more . little and good blest , much and bad not best . better something hid , then nothing had . better fac'd then fed . better run in the bog , then rush into the battle . many faggots , good fire , one stick cold as stone . a rope is strong , a maid drawes stronger . better the rod that bends , then breaks . better to be plucked then flaid . better a horse with a full crest , then full cratch . rare and precious , richly prised . sell the sow and buy bacon . my own mouth saith , i 'me a saint . do good , deserve gold . for ill do well , then fear not hell . a liberal hand wins hearts . multiply mischiefs . some old wife will dy here , or elsewhere . where is no love , no liking . each man seen in summer . each court hath its anti-court . refuse a bidding , and go look for lodging . what thou seest thou maist say . a widows goods will soon be gone . a heart will break e're long with longing . command a son , he will not be gone . send a crow to look for land . drive the stake that goes and stands . love commands commends . down now with the wasps nest . courteous and curtal ( or ) free , but afraid . free and large on countries charge . spare no cost when all is lost . 'till new year sweat , 'till may no heat . a curst cat must have her nails cut . well fares the dog , when the other dies . at the pissing of the wren , the sea doth roar . if wood appear , sure house is near . a feasts best chear chearfulness . be bold and hope , god sends good hap . if new , good and gawdy . in ianuary though sun appear , march and february pay home full dear . where lovers be , there all agree . an old hearth soon heats . 'twixt false and desirous soon decided . on him thou lovest call aloud . easie to swim well near the willow . easie so make a weakling weep . easie so make the stout stalk . easie to defeat a fool . a scabby head soon let bloud . boldly soak by thy beds side . easie to wound the weak . easie to fret the frantick . fifteen is easie told . a short sword easily drawn . better treat far off , then near hand . better climb by a good deal , then clamber and go down . easier to say much , then do more . easier done at evening then early . easier to make a faulcon of a kite , then a knight of a knave . a house easier burnt then built . easier to cosen a roung truant , then an old trot . old sin renews the shame . easie to bear with an old body . long bargains seldom gains . the poor mans tale long a telling . long to dy never have done . still , i nere no , at length saith nay . long sit , do nothing but say . an eye that longs throughly looks . all by ease drinks all he hath . long thrid in needle , proclaims a huswife idle . a churles tale long , be it right or wrong . long grief yields no relief . the hungries care , longs for corn . the time slips , while man long sleeps . a thief long holds , at length hangs . long a droan , at length drown . long ly , at length dy . every delay long . meat for a knight , never a knife . heavy and stout care not to stand . long a widow weds with shame long patience , breaks into passion . 〈◊〉 a ●air in a wolfs tail a long toil . bloud and wrong lasts long . a bad husbands oxe , long before it be a bullock . a bitter bit long a biting . a little stallion will be long calld a colt . the blind at the deafs door may die . 't is long i trow to stand in a tree . his goods a man loves as long as he lives . mans life is fil'd by his foe . sweet butter from good fields . the needy skips if he may score . each bird loves to hear himself sing . each thinks his own fi lt fair . the clown loves his club . the chi●ds meat soon snatched from his mouth . a sow from each salt pot . late and lazy never wealthy . fame out-lives lands . t●e black calf a blunt courtier . fame out-lives life . god stayes long , but strikes at last . the poor trusts to his neighbour . the clown a lord on his own land . spare not to cry where houses are ●igh . every look is lovely , when thou likest . w●ile thou live , be not lazy . no day fails the pot on fire . all on their wakes , wantons . all would fight , till they come to the field . nere condole a cheerful cheek . the young may prance and prate . every soul ought to keep it self . annoint grease . annoint a sowes tail with tallow . down the road the water runs . hands and feet with veins filled . make the sole fit to the foot . a great stone makes a huge stir . a quarrelsome hand at last wearies the wearer . the swineherd playes when the wind blows . a hand quick and quaint . the fathers share a good hold for the sons hand . a clean hand is happy . many hands make light work . many one leads a hungry life , and yet must needs wed a wife . many sued , one sues . who covets much still wants more . friends onely in show , fie for shame ( or ) faire tailes fine turds . words , wind and away . many bid fair for foul . many have tales better untold . some for hunger like to die , yet keep their dogge for company . much water passeth by , the miller knoweth not when nor why . all live now , none say enough . fair in shew , but full of shame ; poore in sight , but pure in soul. a full earle to roast a collop . perjury kills kings , ( or ) perjury killeth whereever it calleth . where the pain is , the finger points . where love is , the place doth please . a frantick fool kills his fellow . the foord in wading groweth more wide , ( or ) a foord more room affords . kill the ramm that doth not runt . in winter draw a lesser draught . no learning no blessing , ( or ) no care no carriage . where the horse tumbles to sport himself , he leavet part of himself . the antimonial cup a general cure . on turd tread , the more it will spread , ( or ) turd stamp the more it stinks . who is not full , may eat his fill . luxury devours . he is all faults whom none favours . w●en floods ye see , the rain will cease . merry is a lout on his mistress lap . when the ca●'s from home the mice keep house . a coward kills his companion . poor and bare will still appear , till some do say thou come not here . poor grass where sheep cannot graze . wild and gray nere agree . ancient and grave and gray . the market is sure where there is an old senior . no man scorns to bear his skin . the dog licks the spear that did him the spight . gods eye is upon his own . a curious eye in a curres head . each ache is greatest at first . here the field , and here the hare . the boy being a man remembers . a youth untaught a house until'd . make the owl stand with a stone . the finest wheat hath its refuse . topsie turvie . feed a lowse in thy bosome , it will sometimes be busie . a blustring cold may , in the barn fills every bay . as light of wing as hawk or wind . money in thrall goeth through , ( or ) money beareth the charge of a journey . a hunted hare is venison . as a durty dog . as stiff as a drabs distaff . as dogs gape after goats . as the blind stands and casts his staff . as two tinkers . as a churle having a charge . as a bird on the bough . as a pat upon the pate . as march snow stands on stone . as howell goronwy's staff . as work of worth . as bulke some stands , as ketti's stone . as an eye in the head . as a mill pond d●ained dry . as hony thaw lickd of thorns . as a kidd from the high hills . as a shovel dipt in doung . as a warrant to wemm . as a hooke drawn through bushels . as an egg slips on a sledge . as the cow so the calf . as the man said or sung . as thou art prone to be praysed . as the hog and hound . as the dog when the fire burns his foot . as the dogs to the hogs . as the penurious for the penny . as the cat falls to fish . as the hair escapes the razing razour . as the iury turned out . as the hen with dung in , and egg out . as flax standing on stone . as the fox bites the be ry . as the frog frets under the harrow . as the mouse clos'd in the cats clawes . as hogs beat for beans . as fish for wet and water . as the ape whines for her whelp . as the crane likes his legs . as the thrum about the beam . as the bark trusses the tree . as the sow hackd with hatcher . as the deer and wolf. as the bolt from the bow . as fire flies in flax . as the fire heats the hearth . as door on hook doth turn full oft , so sluggard turns in down bed soft . lusty dame , makes lazy daughter . a pigmey mother , her race disgraceth . modest grace , makes great . the best steed stumbles . a horse sees the hay , sees not the hedge . a mule for a mome , a cur for an epicure . command a castle , and be costly . march flings , april fleyes . misfortunes come by forties . let ill will have little wealth . the cook is disliked that his fingers cannot lick . that mouse condole who hath but one hole . single long , shame at length . iune if sunny , brings harvest early . honey staind with a sting . the poor mans grist , is his bag . the finger sleighted till 't is burned . good words ( or a fray ) of my friend . the nearer the bone , the sweeter the flesh . sweet and good , give again . sweet appears sowre when we pay . i know my game though i cannot gain . though of my mother i had all , i cannot wait her funerall . the duck● soon learn to swim . every nation us own fashion . praise the fo●rd , as cause thou find . after death decl●mation . a lass with a lad in lap . a b●sh●ul du●ce , dombe . man and woman quaint and coy . no more then a hand mill . more then one cur did ba●t and bite me . bad is the wolf , the porredge far worse . no more then the go●t ash●med to shew her tail . no more be , then a tennis ball . no more then the saddle for the sow . no more ●hen the quaile rests in the ridge . fill the sieve at the river side . to do without need as good as neglect . the bulls reign is the sheeps ruine . a ba● shepherd views oft in vain . o●r 〈◊〉 oft shew our shames . no worse for the sole , then the shoe . for once or twice neesing , from death no escaping . be not so wild to lose the old way , for new pranks now i pray . never believe thy sister in law. square not thy feast by the rule of thy guest . have a care thou wake not a sleeping mast if . wa●e cutting thy swi●e , lest they swell . sleight not the meanest minister . make no statute of a mans stature . better a good dog , then a bad doeg . some neighbour nigh , an enemy . thy wife if wise , must not partake thy privities . nor stir , nor strive , unless struck . nere betray reposed trust . in chamber long , , at length chamberlain . be not too ready when thou maist be spared . beat a coward oft , thou wilt find he will fight . either a fox , or a fern bush . save god , none wise . the nature of the sow in the suckling . the stone swims best to the bottom . sell with skill when scant . fools refuse favours . a rulers errand free and currant . next to next annexed . neerer skin , then skirt . neerer me then my maw . the cry i tell , comes nearer the town . the elbow near , the wrist nearer . each dry place , a palace . get a son , he will help thee soon . the cal● would fain be a cow . change and pick pikemen . change hats and habits . a fool will not be foild . nor the cholerick be beloved . no man can beyond his kenn . two bigs will not go in one bag . no vessel filled beyond brimfull . not son in law till consummated love . none term'd right , unless turn'd rich . not guilty full , till one confess . never make totall of a title . soul never fear , if not faulty . though a whole year thou dost woo , thou knowst not yet what best to do . a gift oft sought , nor thanked , nor bought . a courtesie noi understood , where one foresees not his own good . love slack , where sleighted . a sad sigh , speaks tears nigh . a woman bad , conveighs her bag . whom god will , not wealthy . the saint will not chew cheese . internals say , we nere grow gray . iealousie not long lived . delay is no dismission . no mans mind moulders . nought to gather , worse then wind and weather . he means not to kill and confess . embassadors harms , against the law of arms. though lewd , yet lucky . though blest , yet bloudy . a good friend never offends . blest will not serve , unless thou deserve . an idle dame empty dayry . deny thy riches , be wretched . the honycomb , bad for cock . the wickeds race never rise . seldom rise unless first ruined . to change never proffer , but for thy profit . lost repute , late repair'd . slow ( o god ) wil never do good . cowardize never scapes death . be ever close , yet ware a clap . ignoble persons imperfect . a sigh , a sign of misery . a cat seldom hangs in a halter . an ode endures but a year . none sends the poor fare from afarr . not much between the apple i trow , & the apple tree . the quick and free never delay the poor mans fee. fat meat sure , cannot still endure . so proud he is , that he deigns not to piss . never buy a cat in a bag . scarse ought due to the dumb . no more esteemed then a wodden stone . all look on a bad leap . a flout sticks not long on a lord. the black ox did not tread on thy foot . an egg may chance choak . a messenger poor , and to no purpose . whoredome here doomd . debt never melts that still remains . submit to a lord , not to a lurda●e . never again have such a bolt in hand . arthur could not tame womans tongue . nere side without considering ( or ) no man shruggeth in his shrowd . in market growes no grass nor grain . i 'le never thorn draw from others foot , and having pulld it in mine own put . head never weary with speaking wisely . a vessel will not break that is not filled to the brim . i never saw a deer leap luckily . the more displeased with his father at home , the more pleased in ●is father in laws house . no clean linnen , no cleanliness . the mouse will not nestle in the cats ear . the sea can but drench and drown . of the well we see no want , till either dry , or water skant . the dog will not bite , for being struck with a bone. hot in bloud , himself never blames . all a man seeth is not his sustenance . no man kens anothers case . keep still at home , never knowledge have . easie counted easie , till thought easie becometh uneasie . not see , not know , not learn , nor lout . fear not feared , nor bard , till bought . for wit never look without the book . the full sow regards not what the empty saith . the hen next the cock , knows it not . long tarry , tane tardy . the law frees franticks . a lord offers faire , none go further . a word gone neve recalled . what god made he never marr's . harm soon got , not so gone . nere fear curse if no cause . a tale once told nere returns . achilles tried , impenetrate . he speaks awry and not down right , ( or ) 't is naked truth shames the youth . fields got , seldom forgot . perjurd souls , harm not saints . the post rides not the fool , but the fool rides the post . not each that runs gets the race . nere go to sea , till thou learn what to say . the plow never runs races . no surety for a shilling . lend no man , new spick and span . nor bundle nor burden . strange dishes antick , makes men frantick . not shut hole fast on fox . the priest forgets clean he was a clerk. who fasts though rich is wretched . keep a huge coyle , or nothing can ( or ) speaketh loudest , doth least . the crow they say , cannot sing . sleep , pain and care seldom concur . as good want breath as want brother . foul play to plunder . none but fools will jest with water , fire and furious tools . too much is stark naught . not happy doomd without wisedom . scarce meat , where nought remains . lazy and lubberly . none without fault yet ever found . no bad lord , but by his servants bad leading . good advice , abandons vice . wives shrowes , make husbands shrewd . the gift if free , never censure it . never dance in the dark . man thrives not by his own device , but fortune favours in a trice . it is not he , feeds us think we . it is not he , but thou thy self destroyeth thee . he nought receives , we all do seek . the time i miss , but 't is not this . deny thy goods , deny thy god , ( or ) denied goods are not gods. the good man waves war. where nought at all , who can be liberal ? taste the meat , perhaps you will eat . old cyrrys bids change but to chary . no blow right that falls awry . maldraeth will not own owen . a taske hard to serve on hire . a strangers voice , against a brittain voice , ( or ) brittains none call new comers . the furious fights and chafes , as well as the champion . no shame , but prayse to improve . the bed cold , till the wife calld . never fancy beyond sufficient . too much and too little alike . the thief and supporter equally parties . the shamefast , may fast . not a man , but a meacock . hard to let bloud with a leek blade . hard to blow the fire well , with thy mouth filled with meal . give twice one maid too much . a hard thing to steal of a thief . hard to strain a marrow-pie from a poet. hard to make right , wrong . wooll is never taken from a goats taile . never well do till well dy . a dream makes not a young man. the more perfect the less painful . as easily disgraced , as graced . no ruler good , save god. man 's not as currant as good gold . the more thou look for , the less beloved . nor ben nor bess , the dog did eat meat and mess. he is not bald that stayes for hair . the cuckoe hath nothing to do , but the same to say and sing too . difference 'twixt a major and a monk. not said gone , that comes again . no speed without steed . not cheap said till made sure . not sleek till slander'd ( or ) not glorious till eclipsed . it is not corporeal , makes gnats venereal . hell though ardent wants but order . nothing so awry as dividing wrong . misery cannot shun shame . his need so great , hath not nails to scrape . almes holy dayes heraulds ( or ) let almes be close , not proclaimd . none found without fault . nought in tune , but as is taken . all gifts plead during pleasure . never clear a bad client . no blush in a face deform'd . a prophet of small account in his own countrey . no need of a bell on a mad mans belt . you need not set dogs on doegs . a fortunate boor , needs but be born . no fire without fuel . none so neat as neâst . express no anger to thy mother . a lords honour not hereditary . the black hair and white , the same weight . to fox he fox , no foxing . ill and well note two natures . orl and priz●t are not like natur'd . the fool and wise differ alwayes . 't is not beauty makes women amiable . 't is not by the bill the woodcock must be bought . praise a fair day neither morn or noon , but at night . call not every matron , mother . t●e world about is but a ball . t●e mad doth not care for the meek . rome was not done in one day . needy poor and noddy pate , never part . twixt fury and force no divorce . love in shew doth pass over shame . pimps and bawds hate those of their trades . proud men care not to meet . the hand is the treasure of the heart . a high feast , the hens farewel . bents are known to have knots . british philosophicall extracts . learn not , and know not . hear not , and learn not . none hear well , but the studious . none studious , but the happy . none happy , but that is loved . none loved by god , but the good . none good be , but the obedient . none obedient , but the silent . none silent , but the patient . none patient , but the wise . none wise , but the conscientious . none conscientious , but the righteous . none righteous , but the mindful . none mindful , but the loving . none loving , but the melodious . none melodious , but the fairspoken . no speech good , but of god. other sayings , not unworthy the consideration . no advice , to the fathers . no prayer , to the mothers . no tenderness , to the sisters . r no strength to the brothers . not powerful , but in cousins . not gentle , but in kinsmen . nr gallantry , to the sword . no protection , to the target . no confidence , to the bowe 's . no battel , to the spear-men . no danger , to the dagger . no house , without a husband . no fire , without a block . no bed , without a wife . no folly , to love. no poverty , to sickness . no foolery , te falling out . no wretchedness , to idleness . mo madness , to drunkenness . no wisedom , to silence . no sloth , to sinking . no sinking , to sin . no sin , to temptation . no poverty , to obstinacy . no riches , to sobriety . no heat , to the suns . no cold , to the moons . no number , to the stars . no swiftness , to the wind. no glory , to unity . no health , to wealth . no plunder , to the winds . no sadness , to death . no ioy , to heavens . no ugliness , to hell . no mirth good , but with god. no ingeniousness , to mirth . no misery , to sadness . none happy , but harmless . none harmless , but sinless . none sinless , but saints . none saints , but the simple . none simple , but the innocent . no jugling , to youthfulness . no youths sport , but for a short space . no deceit , to the worlds . no sadness , to want . no plenty , if not enough . no rarity , where still plenty . no jugling , to the feminine gender . no sport , to the greyhound , no comfort , to a horse . no pleasure to a hawke . not feared , but abhorred , ( or ) hated . not hated , without cause . none patient but the wise . the wise strain , never strive . no wanton , to a we●ch . none lovely , but the lowly . no villain to the churle . no churle , to the bumkin . no bumkin , to the currish . no cur to the clown . no clown but by custome , ( or ) kind . no loveliness to the lowly . none lowly , but the merciful . none merciful , but the righteous . no horseman without lance . no footman , without bow . no covetousness to mans . no negligence to the magistrates . no fidelity , to the dogs . no sweetnes● , to sin . no sowreness , to penance . no trust to a friends . no joy , to an heir . no cleanliness , to a fish. no secrets but between two . not see , not know . not seek , not find . not know , not expert . not wise fool , if forgetful . no wit , no learning . no flattery , to a maids . none more prattle , then the idle . no venome , to the cats . no fierceness , to the dogs . no tyranny to the lions . no tricks , to the apes . no fraud , to the foxes . no policy , to the hares . no sagacity , to the hounds . no gravity , to the gray's . no foulness , to the fichocks . no niceness , to the martens . no nimbleness to the squirrils . no slowness , to the otters . no sleep , to the dormouse . no ugliness , to the batts . no haughtiness , to the hart. no stateliness , to the steeds . no mildness , to the oxe . no ill brood , to the brute , no innocence , to the sheep . no herbalist to the goat . no durtiness , to the buck. no pink , to the peacock . no presumption , to the threstle . no melody , to the nightingale . no pride , to the swan . no neatness , to the pianet . no jolliness , to the wren . no house-keeper , to the cock. no lavishness , to the hens . no fool , to the goose. no champion to the mountain-cock . no kindness , to the cuckoes . no sculking , to the wood-cocks . no leachery , to the sparrow's . no pecus , to the gander . no glutton , to the cormorant . no monster , to the hern. no violence , to fire . no hinderance , to water . no lightness , to aire . no weight . to earth . none stout , but he that stands . no valiantness to mans . no mettle found , but in him that fights . no fear , to him that flies . no coward , to him that couches . no infinity , to nothing . nothing good , but god. more of the like . the eagles strength in his beak . the unicorns strength in his horn . the serpents strength in its sting . the rams strength in his head . the bears strength in his paws . the bulls strength in his breast . the dogs strength in his tooth . the boars strength in his bristles . the quists strength in her wings . the lions strength in his tail . a womans strength in her tongue . for the mothers sake , kiss the son . confession the greatest glory . let the wind be where it will. somewhere rain , it stirreth still . of all heavies old age heaviest . of mickle comes much . if the shepherd sing , the whole house will ring . bear the worst behind , let him go and be hang'd . no higher toe , nor heel i trow . love where not beloved , is love lost . woe men , that they had not been women . above too long , short below . few know to hold the plow . many ask , few can answer . thy face hardly keep , be thou ever so curious . seldom blow without bloud . seldom best , unforbid . seldom outlawes laborious . an honest soul excells . seldom faire , but hath his fault . seldom promis'd performd . seldom good event , without venture . among a hundred fools scarce one good fellow . if we come , we come . if we come for fourteen , we will come for fifteen . scarce the man makes not for means . a stranger abroad , had need of strength of brain . bees are catch'd with catches . wet is cold , need not be coold . blood cries and calls , although it cools . by hair and hair , head bald and bare . from seas , hills and strands , from rivers , depths , sands , god sends to the fortunate riches and lands . all sacrifice in the heart fixed . a small berry in an old belly sowes . a man void of harm , speaks from the heart . forbear debt long , forget at last . hair and hair culled , makes the horse cutted . by little and little , the pottage-pot drawn dry . if the cat kills a mouse she makes a dainty mess. if thou wouldst take the roe buck , nimbly leap , or no good luck . if thou be a stranger be merry , and give the first good morrow . if thou be not strong set , be subtile . if thou hast not leeks , take what thou likest . not sow , not reap . if not a horse , 't is more , a mare . of both bad , the least best . if great a monster , if little a mandrake . from sunday to sunday , the maid becomes a matron . what makes the kite to pry ? the prey . why doth the dog lick the pan ? because he cannot eat the pie . where in the churn mill lies the buttermilk ? when one treads upon thee , draw thy foot to thee . when the blind leads the blind , both are down in the ditch . when the bullock leads , the oxe loiters . when thieves squabble true men hear of their cattle . when the season of the year is come , the goat sleeps on the bucks bum . when man is down and low , god doth enlarge . when the oxe is lean , he is best for labour . when the lark's upon his seat , the hobby then makes bold to bait . when the game is at best , best leave . have mi hi , and lose mi ha . revenge from heaven , heavy . when all sleep and delay , god sleeps not , but delivers . when the kerne's turn'd out of doore , they feign that he was mad before . the cat scarce climbes , when you cut her clawes . all hunt for honour . presume for favours , near thy father . all cry fie on the fool . each one tells a faire tale . each doth catch at his cow. every one layes on . if toung should tell what hovels hold , neighbours would scarce do ought but scold . when the cat is at home , the mouse keeps hole . a bucks head on a hare 's . the head worth a pound , the tail half a penny . the owner of the work , the master work-man . each man lords where he is belov'd . civil demeanour , though to the meanest . no wizard compleat , eats stinking meat . pill the egg round , ere rosted . whatever is strong , in the end is destroyed , ( or ) sampsons eyes at length put out . like after like , look . prophesies never fail to be fulfill'd . proverbs approved , likely hoods l●es . the wedge by degrees , cleaves through the trees . birds meet , each knows his ma●e . every coast peculiar customes . each path in a dingle , run one way to mingle . every coward , a cow. all do and say in season . all wrong comes to wrack . the deeper the sea , the better for the ship . the older the welchman , the more mad man , the older the rie the sooner reapt . the more thou longest , the more thy lets . the greater the sight , the greater the victory . the more the tide flowes , the more the ebb flinche● . streight string playes rex , but soon it breaks ▪ in wood a tree , whose will it be . buy old geere , buy again . buy flesh ere fleighed . without wife , without strife . wisdom bears the bell . fish before the net . a candle wasts not for cold . let no hire go out of the house . a hungry man waves manners . the hen forelooks before she layes . the poor doth fear an after fall . an idle dame should have somthing to do . patience must countermand passion . creep soft , ere go sure . the third part , a poor part . the colt resembles the sire . the meanest in the house hath small share of the hen. share between back and belly . a cart dances downwards . stone never stayes 'till placed on plain . rarities makes wantonize . the broakers fall , breeds many fello●s . secrets twixt three multiplie and thrive . give and tell a childs good turn . more performd then promised . i for gave away his cap. the men of ergings gift . what to old men thou give , thou wil● never regain . put the cart before the horse . hide the beetle under a holly-bush . a dog leaps unlookd . a bull mounts up the mountain . a nurse insults and assaults . between two stools the taile tumbles . little mischief too much . not hard to do easily done . a fearfull don , cries hold the dog . forewarnd happy and armd . offer too fair , pay for the folly . some desires foul and faulty . some sin incestuous . too streight breaks , though strong . too full ever runs over . the higher the fool , the greater the fall . a foe soon seen . the covetous spies through a perspective . some odd ones become odious . little and scarce is dear and scant . the buck-kid leaps by kind . who kills discovers . disgrace though conceald , not safe . the shepherd is oft the wolf . blindness foreseen seven years . a long tale with a seven-lockd boy , speaks tomboy . vvhat is safe , is safest . ieffreys is the helve , and ieffreys the hatchet . god mock with a dead monk. talke of lammas when 't is christmass . every lout lazy . make clean for shame the plough-share . fly and be gone speaks guilty . tables to play , taverns to talk . a tongue bad breaks bones , ( or ) a bad tongue turbulent . a golden tongue guides a tale . believe no tales from an enemies tongue . over-loaded well rewarded . the silent chews most mischief . as like as a sack to a sadle . as like as a hogs cheek to a chalice . vvithout fault perfect and fair , every one well featur'd and fair . fire seen alwayes seasonable . a wanton wench bids thrice farewel . vvanton lasses many lessons . pay after sway and forswear . vvho ends and wins takes the wager . tell now much and have no more . the steed sterves while the grass grows . vvhile the dog tires in the field , the hare takes the fallel . the oxe draws and is driven ever till evening . the oppression of orphans , the destruction of heirs . vvhile harrow drawn mills must not dry . covenant tried stronger then truth . nature stronger then nurture . so god speed never despair . a weak lord overtops a great lurdane . fortunes wiles forestall will. vvealth takes leave , but fame doth live . all sing or sigh are doomd to dy . all sing , or sigh , are doom'd to dy . stay thy vote , till invi●ed . stay for glory , if not for gain . each mournfull soul sad . turn about the bush. turn the puz , in phoebus . mischance hardly eschewed . a staff firm , a third foot . twt la , 't is a horse lent . deceive trust intrusted . the trap to high-born , ambition . a bribe i know is a jugling knave . as the boy growes , his coat doth decrease . a colt's height known by the hams . a bullock grows big from the belly . a womans fortune to be wanton . the saying concurs with the song . the womb not descried , till the child cry . a small fire-brand flies abroad . what god will not cannot prosper . the wise sometimes is sad and sighs . the old wife may hap , cry after her pap . one o wonder may nurse a hundred , ( or ) in one lap a hundred may ly . neglect one step , make many a stride . one hand maketh fire , but hundreds find to cull wooll faire . a nurse not harmd , though one armd . monoculus may be king in caecus countrey . a penny hire brings in a hundred . the hen barr'd of oats in barn. neezing's free , closed cannot be . once my lady would swim ore , she drownd , o me ! she will swim no more . one head higher then two shoulders . a sad countenance , a sorry courtier . the foxes procession-week . the dark vertigo . the belly robs the back . gain waves impediments . a little milk , and that butter-milk . many littles make a great . if hanging for a dog thou wouldst shape , say , he killeth sheep . the wedge that goes , drive again . the first that brings in grist , let him grind . the first heard he said it , for ever conceald it . harrow fast , reap first . the drop wears out the stone , not by force , but oft falling on . the last that grindeth his meal in mill , deepest toll payes likely still . he that selleth his house , may ly on the hills . hath a horn no ear to hear . the sin be it ever so secret that thou dost commit , at length it will come out . the mill stands that wants water . a maid's praecontact , marr's her postcontract . were the cat-skin pure , they would fleigh it sure . ride on still more , and still seekest thy mare . the gowne was given to many an one , and yet the gowne is not gone . the hand that gives , gathers . the grunti●g horse bears best . though rarely sin , at length breeds shame . hide the calf , top of the coffer . whatever is well hath its reward . in each bad saying , sin . in every choice there is chariness . in every trade , there is want of truth . in every wound , there is danger . in every ground , men valiant and great . in every self , there is a soul. in every soul , there is sense . in every sense or meaning , a mind . in every mind good or bad abides . death shews in all shapes . in every war , need to be wary . in every fault , there is folly . wish the smith to fight in his own forge . strive with a wise man , thou wilt be wiser . strive with a fool , thou wilt be more foolish . in winter nights , god save our neats . the dumb i trow , speaks truth . one year , a mother dear , the next a stepdame . seeking the green grass dry , the mare drownd . he that shoots alwayes aright , forfeits his arrow . a foolish clown tears his own clothes . one poyson expels another . have a horse of thy own , thou maist borrow another . in the skin , the wolf goes in , the same no doubt , the wolf goes out . have much , have none , and thrive therefore . a bird hatch'd in hell , thereout is nere well . the goat in hue , black and blue . hai and how , kill'd the sow . still sow that grunts , eats all the grains . the sow cries wee , till dead we see . the lamb in shew , doth teach the yew . the one bone payes . a good mill , that refuseth meal . do harm , to avoid harm . the liberal , doth give to all . ten nails were made , to feed one mouth . light portage , piles . light come , light go . the fiery oxe outmost . better play in , then play out of tune . all have full hands . churls meat devour it , never thank him for it . the fools mess had before hand . till death hies , no hopes , ( or ) till death cries , no crown . faithful and devout , to divide . knight or cobler soon descries , from what root he hath his rise . the romans odiums . the sea girds above the girdle . the sea casteth up corps . the coward dares not come to company . arthur himself had but his time . a weak boy will not long be . iade nere degrade , it takes no higher degree . love to huge , turns to hate . thy hand never worse for doing thy own work . a pool that stirs , never stinks . i le neither be coat , nor cap. no up-hill without down-hill . sick , is beyond sickly . no brother without another . little proof of little profit . never bull taken out of a dogs ●ayl . onely the rich fool is said to speak sense . no story , without sticklers . it is not one poast holds up a house . if revengeful , fearful . if rich in purse , small reach in pate . ill say , and be sued . never reade , ever rude . two more then one alone . the weakest part , hath a party . no man i think liveth of nothing . a drouzy one , an odious droan . one night starves not the steed . a bad husbands wife , still staind with weeping . who hears her fathers cock crow , over crowes . on a rowling stone no moss will stand . venus was choise , yet a wart on her cheek . all pass-over on the passover . frequent resorting ill resented . pa , con. the wren though small , over-colourd all . no news with lout , that goes not out . contest , and be contemned . a barren cow , never loves calf . happy hates hopeless . thou work not please , once entered ease . a lady faire , loves far . our b●essed saviour , those defied , that hang'd him high and crucified . who loves not his mother , may step to his stepmother . the tenderest dame , at length doth die . a ball never greets plain ground , the man yields to the master . old mother , cries more . good never be , till evil bear . try good hap , good have . a runaway , never regains sway . without desert , deserted . wit best , that is bought . learn having lost , to keep at last . art is not bred in one mans breast . a pear grows not i trow on a crab-tree . dine with a churle , it will be to thy charge . sleep and sloth undoes both . be faire , be famous . from a fox , nought scarce then the skin . no good wooll on a goats arse . sweet and sour meat , inmates . bad ground 's free of its own fruit . inward pain in face appears . a foolish man poures out his mind . hunger-starv'd of no esteem . i love son , but more grand-son . a man of state , thinks he never stinks . vvill ▪ hear will not , what he would not . bald sleights bruises till he see his brains . patience never mourns for mother . never lose reckoning at the beginning . a jealous one believes no oath . expert and quick never quakes . a maide hates a monk as a munky . in one year a cat grows grave . a rich earl riseth early . the keeper of israel neither slumbers nor sleeps . care still 's awake , grief sleeps being weak . his sleep's not great that minds his meat . the dog will not bite that 's struck with a bone . the grouse never sighes when the hawk is sick . famine being gone benefactors forgets . the hen doth never lose equal night . refused in war flee and beware . happy they say , that care not to sue . the devil and the godly enemies deadly . a messenger shent yet not asham'd . not pleased in choice though he chuse . others profit never prospers . i assert , no man certain . the glutton scarce doth mind his scabs . the mother in law doth not remember that she hath been a daughter in law by her lease . though many starve , yet some do stand . a sawcy iack , prateth he knows not why , nor what . a whore takes all , no matter who nor where . the eagle flies not at the fly . counsel never out of date . the hungry drone , cares not who drinks . one tree though fair , maketh not a forrest , ( or ) one tree maketh not three . none lack spear , but who lacks spirit . a womans cause never wants excuse . wild and stout never wants a staff . want not pleased , though supplied . the mother starved , the son 's not stout . wine and wary , ever vary . law barr , or else obey . unless quite overcome , take comfort . here saint , ere sentence . god will not be for the bad . not one in fourty can avoid his fortune . an old hag cannot shake off her head . unseemly things . a king without wisedome . a knight without trial . a lord without counsel . a woman without master . people without law. a servant without fear . a poor man proud . a rich man uncharitable . a iustice without iustice. a bishop without learning . an old man without godliness . a young man without humility . a man wise in words , without good works . vvise odiums . a man that knows not letter , and will not learn. that hath no servant , and will not serve himself . that hath much and gives nothing . that strives with his greaters , till he go to his grave . that 's no son of mars , and yet proclaims wars . that mocks another for faults written in his own forehead . that thinks himself good and fine , and is but a giddy fool . that borrows more pounds then he is able to pay . that supplies others need , and leaves himself nothing that promises all things and performs nothing . that threatens all fierce , but none fear him . that talks over and over , and will hear no other . that seeks all things , and gets nothing . that commits his secrets to his enemy , or women . that cheapens all , and buyes none . that perjures himself , and none believes him . that dishonours himself to honour another . that seeth good arts and manners , and knoweth nothing o● their meaning . that buyes all he sees and gains nothing . that hates all , and is hated of all . that trusts none , and is trusted of none . that handles every case , without cause . that gives his strength to a stranger . that believes a knave , though unknown . that doth so much in one day , that he can doe nothing in the next . that trusts to guiles in a gift . that hath his choice , takes not the chief . that makes a price of pride . that shunneth his own good , lest his neighbour should gain . that doth no good nor suffers others . that fortifies himself in sin . that thinks he is wise , is but a wizard . that learns much , knows nothing . that leaves his fellow without fault found . that commits sin , and repents not soon . the poor that scorns pittance . that knows gods law , pleads against it though for meer reward , to him be woe . that makes glorious shews of his own shame . that contemns god and man. what i spent was vain , saith the soul. what i gave is vain , saith the soul. what i kept hath faild me , saith the soul. what i denied hath foild me , saith the soul. learn diligently what thou seest . keep diligently what thou learnest . make know what thou knowest . none worthy to be top of kin , but one that will fight with his kinsman and is feard , that will speak for his kinsman and is heard . that will be surety for his kinsman , and will be taken . the wholesomest of wild beasts the roe buck. of tame beasts , the hog . of wild fowles , the partridges . of tame fowles , the he. of sea fish , the crab. of fresh fish the trout . the three invincibles . a lord , or dominus fac totum . the resolute that is self-will'd . the penurious that hath nothing . seven qualities belonging to a judge . tongu'd , and dumb , stout , and deaf , foolish , fearfull , and devout . additionall proverbs . the powerfull plucks , the poor complains . talk a good deal , but take onely thy due . little betwixt right and wrong . the best gentility is in the predicament of quality . vvhat abroad we hear , at home we rehearse . all are lewd , where god doth not lead . better still beg , then steal bag . misfortune drinks a health , and it goeth round about the house . earth's the best shelter , truth the best buckler . vvho the cold doth most fear , let him blow the fire . a liar's gone , if he forget , ( or ) lie the less , or learn thy lesson . let none alone , at length be lam'a . in three things a man may be deceived ; in a man till known , in a tree till down , in the day till done . three rubs upon the way ; a squirrel , a nut , a neate maid and gay . vvhat thou would not have done to thee , do not the same good man to me . though old mens body do decay , their soul 's alive , and bears sway . the choicest maid , ill chooseth man. two things need not be spared , much gain'd , and little got . a bad mans dispraise ▪ praiseth . shut the gate when the horse is gone , ( or ) shut the door when the thief hath done . vvhat all say , as good as seald . man purposeth , god disposeth . all see my face , few know my case . ask the father , if he thinketh his sonne a thief . clutch ever so close , an even lay thou wilt ever lose . the best cunning , self-deniall . thy last night , bid good night . no painfulness , no gainfulness , in heaven , the churle will never be chair-man . never seek belief to a ly . foords grow wide , faith weak . hear not plain , hardly reply . the present state , will not long stand . lose not the office of thy sence , by the sense of thy office . philosophers rise , the earth turns round . lug and hale , it will not long hold . the man that groans , god hears his moans . griffitk a cunning cooke , to pull a worm out of an old wives coop . a cellar before a cow. hurt is sooner received then well cured . a womans mind is swifter then the greyhound . each wanton speaks with mincing speech . the whiter the face , the blacker the arse . the morrow after the faire . fast bind , faest find . out of sight out of mind . in the mouth gall , in the heart cordiall . he deserveth no gains , who taketh no pains . vvhat acted last , the memory retains it best . better a poor careful mother , then a rich careless father . the horse may die , while the grass grows . cunt once got , an hundred times if thou wilt . vvho himself doth ill , thinks another will. her own dam , envy devoures . old grannams dream of their desire . vvhen gamester thrive , he will smile in his sleeve . to deceive the deceiver is no deceit . be provident while chest is full laid , if once empty 't is too late . the gift is bad that is not worth thanks . forewarning will not advantage the unfortunate . sue a begger , and get a louse . no nearer to death , though abroad , then at home . forswear to haunt no where but hell. what old men by experience know compleat , young men think they know in their own conceit . spare to speak , spare to speed . who serves the devil , will be deceived at the latter day . empty vessels sound most . the still sow eats all the draft . the cat is more ready to runne into , then out from the dayrie . the nearer the church , the further from christ. a cat is not used to a coller . no weeping for shed milk . he repented with grief , who kill'd his greyhound . a lazy servant a good message to fetch death , to an honest man. no town so strong as a tower. the lame returns sooner then his servant . the kindness of iack to his mother ioan. more wanton then the maggpie . who in sinne committeth offence , needeth no accuser but his conscience . who hath many sons shall have small share of his meat . who hath many daughters shall have none at all to eat . who regards not his mother , may step to his stepmother . birds of a feather will flie together . ask my mother if i am a thief . to the valley the water runs quickly . be not too curious ( man ) in finding fault , lest you fail to amend . sit down and patient be , what 's past thou canst not remedie . divers centuries of nevv sayings , vvhich may serve for proverbs , to posterity . to the right honourable , and most r. f. in god , brian duppa , lo. bishop of salsburie . my lord , that so many poor infants after so hard a labour , may receive a benediction now at the close , specially this last , which ( though he comes in the rear ) i esteem mine own more then any of the rest , i make my humble addresse to your lordshipp ; for having called my thoughts often to counsell who should give this blessing , they all concluded ther was none so fitt to do it as your lordshipp : and indeed ther were many resons for it ; first , the character i have heard applied unto you , which was given of one of the holiest fathers of the church , that you were coelestis homo , & terrestris angelus , a heavenly man , and terrestriall angell , being pious in so intense a degree ; which exemplary piety goes attended with a becoming reverentiall gravity , with such a meekness of spirit , and so many high morall vertues , together with a rare equanimity in possessing your soul with so much patience and courage , by making your crosses stoop unto you after so long a time of pressure . lastly , your most exquisite learning , and vniversality of knowledge , attended with such a soundnesse of iudgement , and clearnesse of vnderstanding ; the pleasing contemplation , and experimentall knowledge of all these particulars , induced me to this just application of desi●ing your blessing accordingly . touching the ingredients of this last peece , they cannot yet be called proverbs , for as rome was not built in a day , so a proverb is not suddenly made , but it requires a long tract of time , and vulgarity of usage before it becomes a proverb , it is the common-people alone that have priviledge of making proverbs . to conclude , i thought it not amisse to apprehend this oportunity , to make the world know the high reverence i bear to your lordship , and the sense i have of sundry noble civilities i received from time to time ; as also of the favourable opinion you please to have of divers things of mine ; which makes me in a due reverenciall posture , thus to crave your benediction , and to professe my self upon this publick record , calendis maij , . my lord , your obedient , and ever obliged servant , jam . howell . divers centuries of nevv sayings , vvhich may serve for proverbs , to posterity . the first century . make thou the furrowes , and god will send thee seed . in a sluttish house the devill shakes his tayl . as stiff as a puritans knee , who will not bend to him who made it . english merchant , wilt thou gain ? then have commerce , and peace with spain . as redd as rogers nose , who was christned in pump-water . robb the king thou may'st be hang'd , robb the church thou wilt be damn'd . the rich misers son quickly mewes his fathers feathers . warr begetts peace , as a ruddy evening a fair morn . doff not thy clothes till thou goest to bed , nor part with thy estate till thou art dead . burn not thy fingers to snuff another mans candle . who falleth to argue ere the case be stated , let ts slip his dogg before the hare be started . repentance is good , but innocence is better . clear thy conscience before thou close thy eyes , so thou mayest have golden dreams . a good name like a maydenhead , once lost irrecoverable . if spain had bread enough , and men , she of the cock would make a hen ; viz. of gallus the french. sea sicknesse and child-births pain are like , they both will to 't again . the works of a catholick , the words of a puritan , and the faith of a protestant , may make a perfect christian. he is a true author that creates a fancy . who adores gold is the worst idolater . if thou wilt make a good will , do it while thou art well . as hot as a punks plackett . a rebell , and madd dogg knock in the head , they 'l bite no more when they are dead . the devil is gods shadow . give not a lawyer or physician fee , unlesse it be in pure necessity . you will make me believe as soon , that the spanish moon is as hot as the swedish sun. as sneezing comes from a bad cause , so from ill manners come good lawes . as mercury among the planets , is the french among other nations . from the berry of the grape , and grain of the barly , comes many a fray , and hurlyburly . be thy breath never so sweet , thy own praise stinks out of it . an essex calf , will never make a wel● run● when come's from heaven ba●r on thy knees , what from men on thy shoulders ; viz. manfully . worldly accidents are but new moons in the old ones shape . gett ireland to day , and england may be thine to morrow . put all in the pater-noster , thy self only in thy creed . we come into the world without heads forward , we go out with our heels . i would not wi●● such an opinion to the wors● of my enemies . rash prayer is rather a sin then a sacrifice . here is wine indeed to be drunk in the devills skull . who woo's with fine clothes , maketh the taylor his broker . i think this bacon was a piece of lott● wifes burtock , 't is so salt . truth is the result of reason . as jealousie in love , so is superstition in religion . rebellion the spawn of wealth and wantonnesse . heaven once named , all things else are bables . the dutch in drinking charge the brain with smal shott , the english with bullets , viz. whole glasses . a shipp's a wooden horse , who carrieth his burden in his belly , and his bridle in his tayl . chameleons take all colours but the white , and schismaticks all fancies but the right . idleness the devils couch , and lust his cushion . the master who correcteth the childe kisseth the mother . the present philosophers compar'd to the old , are as dwarfs on giants shoulders . surely he knew well that coals would burn , who first invented fire-tongs . you must not expect perfumes in a piggsty . as wise as the mayor of banbury , who would prove that henry the third , was before henry the second . he may knock boldly , who bringeth good newes . the long parlement made god almighty the greatest malignant , for they plundered his house most . he is as fit for that place , as an ambling horse is for a coach. a loyall subject like the marigold should open and shutt with the sun ; viz. his soveraign prince . a good hous-wife should twinkle in her house like a starre in its sphere . god never turneth his face from us , till we turn our backs to him . rlutarch gave life to many others , but the longest to himself . there is many that goe up holborn , and so to heaven in a string . ther 's no book all gospel but the holy scripture alone . the stripe of a friend , better then the stroaking of a● enemy . a true friend a great treasure . oportunity the greatest bawd . the historian who speaketh well of all , speaketh well of none . vvho dies by a wrong sentence is murthered by the sword of justice . parlement bills without the princes consent like matches without fire . an opinion got into a roundheads brain is like quick-silver in a hot loaf . the ●lash of conscience a sore whipp . a t●●e friend chimney-like is hottest in winter ; vi . in adversity . the floure of england fine enough , the bran very course ; viz. the gentry and cominalty . as much differing as a frenchmans speech and his writing . the rich miser like the swan sings sweetest before death , viz. when he makes his last will. the way to heaven is to pass through hell. god striketh with the left hand and stroaketh with the right . the glutton diggeth his grave with his teeth . he hath good parts , but a fool hath them in keeping . the church-yard like a chessboard-bagg where all mates meet . better to commend the vertue of an enemy , then flatter the vice of a friend . choler opposed , is like a rapid torrent meeting with a damm . spanish wares better then spanish warrs . opinion the greatest lady that swayeth the world . warm , but do not burn thy self at the fire of passion . take heed of a speedy friend in france , and of a slow enemy in italy . who goeth to right himself by duel , may receive a greater wrong then the former . a wavering man like a skeyn of silk , the least thing entangleth him . the upbraiding of a courtesie half as bad as ingratitude . pride a flower that groweth in the devils garden . french women are so kind , that at first entrance you may have acquaintance , and at first acquaintance you may have entrance . where mars pitcheth his tent , venus pitcheth her pavilion . thank that sinn which moveth thee to repentance . prayer maketh the first rain fall , but prayse the second . 't is further from london to highgate , then from highgate to london . who is too familiar with his master stands too near the fire . he is a sory souldier who stayeth for fair weather . in gods house there can be no excesse of reverence . the patient man is alwayes at home . the second century . do thou thy best , and leave to god the rest . had i left one of my ears in scotland , i should hardly go thither to fetch it again . the presbyterian maketh oaths his engines to lay battery to the soul. the sword maketh reson , where he findeth none . one may draw a damn'd soul out of hell , as draw a peny out of his purse . the king represents god , the parlement the people , tell me who is highest ? peace with heaven the best friendship . 't is good to be an athiest 'mong them who make gold their god . if we knew what would happen we should be all politicians . nor walk nor water thy hott nagg , so he will carry still thy bagg . in a hundred pounds of law , there is scarce an ounce of love. the way to improve thy learning , is to teach another . ther 's many husbands able arithmeticians , yet they cannot multiply . while the cow chewes the cudd the horse still eateth . go to bedd dry , thou needst not fear death before the morning . a translator is an author as a cobler is a shooe-maker . some gentlemen are better then knights , as chancery-lane is better then knight-riders-street . he lives in as much plenty as a millers cock. if the lion saith the fox hath horns , he must have them . new-england hath undone the old ; viz. with distractions . ther 's no danger to prostrate thy self at a crosse , all the while thy mind is prostrate to thy creator . schismaticks like snakes though cutt asunder , yet the pieces will cling again together . excise and plunder though dutch words , yet are they of the devils hatching . live in compasse , so thou may'st whett thy knife at the counter-gate . a wife were a fine book if she were an almanack , that a man might change her once a year . the apple groweth on the tree , not the cyder . to live among bad men is worse then banishment . the pox in the bones not curable till the resurrection . let thy conscience be thy judge here , that he may not be thy accuser hereafter . a booke borrowed is sooner read then a booke bought . two in the afternoon is more then ten in the morning . two heads are better then one , said old weymark , when he wishd sir w. rawleighs head upon secretary nantons shoulders . pride is oftner seen through a threedbare coat then through a silk cloak . all your horses do amble . sloth breeds the scurvy . 't is a dear collop that is cutt out of ones own flesh . before thou take for better or worse , be sure that one of the two have a good purse . the ducks have merry lifes , for they do nothing but tipple and swive . who marries a widdow falleth into a pitt wherein another perish'd . the devil will do me no hurt , for i married his kinswoman ; quoth one that had a scold to his wife . a clean-fingerd wife is not alwayes the best huswife . the way to loose a friend is to lend him money . day and truth may be discernd through a little hole . in marriage the toung tieth a knott , that all the teeth in the head cannot untie afterwards . hang pinching , let ts drink the tother pott , we shall never do it younger . the sweet savour which vertue leaveth behind , is better then the black sudds of vice. with time , and art , the mulberry leafs grow to be sattin . rather bribe , then loose thy right . mans body is but the thorough-fare of sheep and oxen. who laughs at his own jest , is like the hen that cackles when she hath laid an egg . deeds are iohns , and words nans . man is nature's student . the presbyterian a jew of the new testament . holland a great cow , and amsterdam the udder . a true cardinal should have his soul in sackcloth , though his body be in scarlett . i care not much that my son is drunk , but that he will have a hair of the same dogg the next day . the truest chastity is tried in hott bloud . corruption sticks to humane nature as rust to brasse . vvhere diffidence begins , friendshipp ends . the cholerique man more often abroad then at home . in heaven all desires turn to fruition . education mendeth nature , as sawce doth meat . he is as much puzzled as one going up ludgate hill in a stopp of coaches and carts . the conquest of the passions , the prime trophey of vertue . for one hollow tooth pull not out the sound ones . f●om a long p. the lord deliver me ; viz. parl. the rebell useth to fire the beacon when ther 's no danger . rather then burn , venture a fall out of the window . reputation like a venice-glasse easily crackd . england useth to have too many tears in her eyes , i. rain . choler hath more heat then light . garlick the poor mans treacle . the way to go right , is to tread the paths of our progenitors . we think lawyers to be wise , but they know us to be fools . who goeth for his money before the day , need carry a lantern and candle with him . warr which beggars others , maketh the hollander rich . all mischiefs from the north proceed , witness what came from thames to tweed . ireland a good goose to be pluckd . what 's palpable to sense , needs no proof by reason . every one that hath a deaths-head in his study is not mortified . the wings of rebellion should not onely be clipd but seard . up hill the knees , down hill the thighs labour most . who parts with his estate before he dieth is a fool in folio . one day thrust's on another still , old moons do fail , and new ones fill . zeal like fire , dangerous , if it breaketh out of the funnell of the chimney . where there is no law broken , there can be no crime . in this i did not care , if god almighty were my judge . you may as soon cutt out a kirtle for the moon . the clothes warm the body , and the body the clothes by way of thankefull correspondence . a hundered misdemeanures cannot make one treason , no more then a hundred catts one lion. planting of trees englands old thrift . infortunate princes steer their course by them which know not the use of the compasse . as earth and water make but one globe , so man and wife make but one flesh . that s●n maketh one happy , that turneth to sorrow . as black as the soul of iudas . ireland a fitt countrey for quakers , because t is so full of boggs . vvhose hearts on riches dwell , bidd god farewell . the surest way to cure sore eyes , is to cast them up often towards heaven . money in all great actions , like mercury among the chymiques , without which no conclusion can be tried . too much liberty , and too much bread the common levain of rebellion . vvho accepts an invitation at first wants good manners . it is the devils reformation to turn order to confusion , and superstition to prophanenesse . the third century . when the sermon is ended in the church , let it begin in thee . a fair woman with ill qualities is like a sattin-petticoat lin'd with course buckram . faith is a great lady , and good works are her attendants . princes of an ill destiny follow the worst counsells . who goeth to school to himself , may have a fool for his master . who dischargeth a good conscience hath enough of his own to reward himself . no innocence so safe , but may be glad to stand in the eye of mercy . the futious man when his first blast is spent groweth the fearfullest . though the aire of affliction be clowdy , yet th●ough it we best discern god , and our friends . discretion the best passe-port to travell the world . i do not use to supp because i would not have the use of a physitian . rebellion suppressed , maketh the prince the stronger . what sayles are to a shipp , the passions are to the spirits . to give the pettitoes in almes , will not satisfie for stealing the pigg . vvho hath a good witt and memory without learning , hath a spindle and distaffe without flax . italy a great bordell , france a great bedlam , and germany a great brewhouse . when death kills a miller , he kills two ; viz. a miller and a thief . the sight of her would make a man wish himself ghelt . mildnesse the cognisance of a gentleman . a dutchman commonly barrells up more then he can broach , and drinketh more then he can carry . he is as fitt for that office , as caligulas horse was to be consul . the riches of the church is to a state as anchors in a storm . superstition lesse dangerous then prophanenesse . night succeeds day , and sorrow joy . the difference twixt a wife and a wench is , that we pay for the one , and receive money with the other . london to the rest of england is like the spleen , whose swelling makes the rest of the body lean , and lank . intestine broyles the readiest way to ruine any countrey . civill warrs like fire in the bed-straw . the hollander burns up his countrey before the day of judgement ; viz. in turfs . expedition the life of action . the greatest arms the turks ever used against the christians were their own divisions . spain a cheap countrey to travell in , for one cannot get meat for money . prayers like petards break open heaven gate . an ingenuous face is a good letter of recommendation . choose thy friends as bookes , few , but choice ones . confession and sorrow without amendment , are like the pumping of a shipp without stopping the leaks . the polititian like a sculler , he looketh one way , and roweth another . honor should be a spurt to vertue , not a stirr op to pride . a working brain toile's more then a sweating brow . the spaniard looketh as high as the german , but not so bigg . spanish coyn as catholique as the king. as piping hott as a prickeard preacher in a pulpitt . who spendeth more then he should , shall not have to spend when he would . woman and man are like loadstone and iron . in an ocean of newes , scarce a dropp of truth . aristotle the philosophers pope . she looks like a carack , that hath made three voyages into the east indies . humble ignorance a safe knowledge . english parlements good physicke , but an ill diet . he is a cheap friend that is gott by a complement . schools and hospitalls the best books that bishops can leave behind them . france and spain the two poles that bear up christendom . vvhen you travell neither shew your mind or your money . out of reverence we bear to antiquity , we extoll things passd , and extenuate things present . venice beareth the bell for lasses and glasses . he lesse offends who writes many toyes , then he who omitteth one serious thing . no wound healeth till the inflammation be taken away ; no peace made without a cessation of arms first . thankes , a good usher to draw on a second courtesie . is the plague in the point that you fly so far from it ? vvine a foul wrastler , it oftentimes takes one up by the leggs . money , the moving instrument in all things . the proud mans ambition hath no horizon . be content to walk on the battlements of honor without going upon stilts . in a whole volley of newes , scarce a true report . a favorite may secure himself from guilt , but not from envy . as much witt is shewn in a pertinent question as in a wise answer . the spaniard hardly casts up what he once swallowes . the frenchman like march , who enters like a lion , but goeth out like a lamb. the divine goeth to heaven by iacobs ladder , the astronomer by iacobs staff . the first principle of policy is for a state to preserve it self . an honorable retreat is the hardest thing in the feat of arms. france for a kingdom , flanders for an earldom , milan for a dutchy , venice for a common-wealth . the spaniard buggers his mother for gold . adam only knew no minority . as smooth as an italian complement . in a great fogg the devill tokes tobacco . a naturall fool is never out of his rionage . the astronomer being loth to go to heaven , makes heaven come to him . as wanton as the english after a long peace . if the french pesant be a slave , he may thank his warving humor for it . as hungry as the french toung who eats so many letters . if thou wilt live long , make thy selfe old betimes . favours like flowers , which quickly fade in the memory of an unthankfull man. the french like a flea , the dutch like a lowse , the spaniard like a 〈◊〉 . if thou art fatt , then sleep not after meal , if lean , thou in a chair a napp may steal . be still prepar'd 'gainst death , for he doth in thy shadow watch for thee . a cock , a scold , and a trumpetr , better heard in thy neighbors house then in thine own . as much transformd as de la motts house ( by the exchange ) to atheists alley . pride in the van , beggery in the rear . where ther 's no law ther 's no transgression , unlesse thy conscience tell thee so . necessity never made good bargain . as like one another , as a scott , and a red-shank . he truly liveth , who thinketh every beating of his pulse to be a passing-bell . the breaking open of letters is the basest kind of burglary . when you have a petition to make , buy your paper of mr. humble . above all creditors be sure to pay god first , so thou wilt never turn bankrupt . threats without power are like pistolls charg'd only with powder . to make a scottchman valiant , lett him be back'd by an englishman . a lickrous catt , beares many a patt . a fool may confute a philosopher , as the philistines were knockd down by the jawbone of an asse . who useth to pick his teeth with his knife point , may come in a short time to pick them with the haft . the fourth century . use to make thy bed thy grave , so death will be no stranger to thee when he comes . the cheifest lechery of old men is to go well to the stool and the wall . who goeth more tatterd then the taylors child ? the sickmans chamber a good chappell . if venus pictures had bin hott and hollow , she had bin made as great a wanton after her death as before . had ba , bu , p. bin hang'd , when they were cropp'd , poor england with such flakes of bloud had not so dropp'd . a chaste mayd should be like a venice glasse that will hold no poyson . one bee maketh no swarm . putt god before thee , thou needs not care who cometh behind thee . the droppings of ones own nose wett more then open rain ; viz. the scandals of a friend . every ones fate is writt in his forehead , but the letters are so dark that none can read them . the excise must needs be a drunken fellow , for he sipps out of every cupp . a poor man asking almes of a rich miser , beggeth of a poorer man then himself . i give you pears , and you hurle the parings at me . the kings of spain and france the greatest merchants ; the one of salt , the other of pepper . the spanish monarchy a large cloak made up of patches . adam was tempted in italian , fell a begging pardon in french , and was thrust out of paradis in high dutch. a painter is a dumb poet , and a poet a speaking painter . a valiant man upon the anvill of affliction groweth greater , as a spanish three pence is made a groat . though a woman be the weakest of the two , yet she will take a man down at the highest . so old , that she hath no wittnesse she was ever young . women among men in a tavern , are like flies , they will be still sipping and drinking , but pay nothing . do not poursue ill luck at play , 't will be thine own another day . he is a fool who putteth a coach-wheel on his back , when he can trill it before him . truth whence soever it cometh , doth come from god. putt all in the pater noster , but thy self only in thy creed . steer thy cours with a low sail , and thou shalt not need fear a storm . fools have fortune , and good reason why , for they most need it . who eats tosted cheese at supper maketh his mouth a mouse-trapp . god almighty is the centre , and the religions of the world are as so many differing lines tending from the circumference to that centre . a barber surgeon hath two strings to his bow . the sun and man begett man , the prince and parlement begett lawes . as merry as london boyes about a bonefire . a good countenance to a poor dinner , is like a rich comment upon a barren text. newgate birds are no buzzards . a fool is soon at his witts end , for he hath but a little way to it . thou with thy body warmst thy clothes , then , in gratitude thy clothes warm thee agen . go which way thou wilt , thou goest still towards gravesend . as light as a french heart . as crosgraind a spirit as iohn lilburns , when iohn would fall out with lilburn , and lilburn with iohn . inland fortresses nests for rebels . spinning out of time never made good cloth . py-corner law the surest way of wooing . vvho lives in hope danceth in a hoop . it hath as many severall shapes as a dish of fritters . the bee hive is natures confectionary . as needfull as a catt for a cheese-mongers shopp . repentance the laundresse of the conscience . t is as easie to quadrate a circle , as make a round-head a good subject . vvhen the razor is at the throat , the toung cannot be free ; viz. as long as there is an army at the mewse , the parlement members cannot speak what they please . at meat when thou do'st sitt , give thy creator the first bitt . as tatterd as the scotts colours in westminster-hall . the beast which bleats on lemsters ore , her flesh is good , het fleece is more . the crosse the first christian altar , therfore he who hates the altar , will hardly make benefit of the oblation . mercy the inseparable inmate of a magnanimous spirit . henry the eighth , the earth-quake of abbeyes . take off the dunghill against your own doo● , before you sweep before mine . a rich fool is good for nothing but to borrow money of . when a tallow-chandler expoundeth holy scripture , one may truely say ther 's a thief in the candle . vvarr is a fire strucke in the devills tinder-box . vices in queens are like spotts in the moon , which cannot be hidd . though shooing-horns be out of date , yet horns are as plentifull as ever . in all popular tumults rebellion leadeth the van , confusion the forlorn-hope , and ruine the rear . a noble spirit like the sunne at his declension , the more he is oppressed , the more he shines . the asse must not be so familiar with his master as the puppy . next to a single , a married life is best . one may go to heaven from off the devills back ; viz. the gallowes . weigh thy businesse first , as the fox did the goose , before he would carry her over the ferry . rebellion must be crush'd like a cocatrice in the shell . spirituall pride the epidemicall disease of england . to make the house firm , lett god be thy foundation . parlement bills without the royall assent , like matches without fire . letters are the limners of the mind . to reforme things by a civill vvarr , is to lett one bloud by giving him a dash on the nose . examples passd , are present instructers . vvho hath horns of his own , lett him take heed how he forkes his fingers at his neighbour . vvho coseneth another , coseneth himselfe more . you may make a windmill go with a pair of bellows as soon . he would drink and whistle at once . goe buy a penyworth of sope , and wash an asses head . vve can go no where but we have god over and under . a stepp-mothers love , like december sun. to thy physitian and lawyer , make the worst of thy business . vvho hath glasse-windowes of his own , lett him take heed how he throwes stones at those of his neighbour . vvhen thou art in a sweat , and hott , leak first before thou touch the pott . as bare as a baboons bumm . he looketh as pittifull as a chancery-bill . a vviddow marrying beneath her self pisseth backward . as wrinkled as the face of a peny custard . starve not thy cause for want of fees , nor thy horse to save a bottle of hay . the presbyters wife had rather see her husband in his shirt then in a surplice . refiners of religion commonly prove quacksalvers . you may as easily snuff the moon when she shines dimm . the venetian christned in salt-water which makes him so wise . forgive any one sooner then thy self . he bears in his face all the festivalls of the year . preferment without profit like a feather in ones capp . though its modesty to decline praise , yet it is a pride not to care what the world speaks of thee . redd capps , and coiffs fatall to france ; viz. cardinalls and queen mothers . the fifth century . make not gods house thy through-fare , unlesse thou dropp some prayses there . a platonique lover like one that 's still saying g●ace , and never falls to his meat . so long did the good wife pray for a boy , that she had one that proved a boy all his life-time . the wife knowes more then the cuckold her husband . who hath sore teeth hath ill tenants . who hangs one corrects a thousand . sett thy watch by the sun rather then by the clock . when thy ankle akes , it little avails thee to anoint thy elbow . he thrives as well as a vvelch runt in rumney marsh. vvho giveth almes maketh the best use of his money . you may paint the flower in all his colours , but not give it the smell . counterfeit friendshipp , is worse then false coyn. a martyr in prison is like a diamond sett in a horn-ring . hear thy self oftner speaking to god almighty , then another speaking for thee . vvho commends himself deserves a garland of hemlock . if god be in the portall , all the rooms in thy house will be well furnished . magnitude is not the measure of worth . more porters then princes go to heaven , because ther are more of them . king harry loved a man , and so did his daughter besse . a dry cough the trumpeter of death . a starr twinkleth most in winter , so a wiseman in adversity . the great wheel of providence doth alwaies turn , though none can see the spokes . the rufflingest vvinds are commonly found in church-yards , so the greatest clashes are about religion . gett thy spindle and distaff ready , and god will send thee flax. so miserable a kerle that he cannot bestow brown paper enough to wipe his tayl clean . the union twixt england and scotland , like oyle mixt with vinegar . a face that weareth patches , sheweth there is a roome to be lett , by the bill on the doore . the glorious sun is gods great emissary . one of the best conveniences of a house is to have good neighbours . the first part of wisedome is to give good counsell , the second to take it , the third to follow it . the body is but the sockett of the soul. they that are hang'd their souls goe out at their tayls . in vvarr take all advantages , but give none . never seek enemies abroad , thou hast too many at home ; viz. thy own passions . the presbyterian licks up that which the jesuit disgorgeth against kings . they who buy justice by whole sayl , must sell it by retayl . vvho preacheth vvarr , is the devils chaplain . giving begetts love , lending doth lessen it . hee who will passe a judgement of himselfe , must incline more to rigour , then mercy . there be many witty men , yet their brains cannot fill their bellies . the astrologer hath this advantage , that one true prediction maketh amends for a hundred lies . more easie to raise captains in england then common souldiers . the modern zelotts go to exalt christ's church upon the devils back . thou that hatest the crosse ( which was the first christian altar ) dost thou hope to have benefitt of the oblation ? the promise of a gentleman should be equall to a performance . in lotteries men mourn in white , and laugh in black . the french so fiery-mouth'd , that they must be ridd with a bitt . on the desk the priest is the peeples messenger to god , in the pulpitt he is gods messenger to the peeple . history , the tribunall of princes after death . the devill may now freely walke upp and down cheapside , for there is never a crosse to fright him . cleer thy conscience , before thou close thy eyes , so thou may'st have golden dreams . the presbyterian , though he hateth a crosse in the church , yet he loveth it too well in his pockett . the calvinists beleeve the salique law is in heaven , which make them so little esteem the blessed virgin. magnitude is not the measure of worth . if i had known of your coming , i would have dined with you ; viz. ( i had provided more for you ) but now you must be content to dine with me . honour moveth in a higher sphere farr then pleasure . the peeple to the politician like tools to a mechanique . he seldom goes with gray hairs to his grave , who disobeyeth his parents . a pope by voices , a king by nature , an emperour by power . a king should impose severer lawes upon himself then on his subjects . an old usurer like a thiefe , who though he be to be hanged to morrow , yet he stealeth to day . kings should be told what they ought to do , not what they are able . learning the child of light , born first in the east , next the sun rising . he is happy who endeth his journey before he be quite tyred ; viz. before he be too old . the english language is dutch embrodered with french. poesie the greatest light whereby to find that one hath a soul. a redd morn will commonly pisse or fart before night . when thou dost read a book , do not turn the leafs only , but gather the fruit . a rich kerle like a mill-horse that grindeth corn for others . the worst of crosses , is never to have had any . the passing-bell is deaths clock , and the clock is times passing-bell . as hard to brush off an infamy , as a shaddow . the poor are gods receivours , and the angels are his auditors . the german proud by imitation , the french by inclination . death is the certainst of all things to come . the majesty of a king , is a ray of divine light. craft is bastard-policy . necessitie hath found more arts , then ingenuity ever invented . water , earth , and air , the three staple commodities of nature . oportunity the best moment in the whole extension of time. chimistry the torture of mettalls . if thy sonne be given to drinke , send him to spain ; if to drabbs , send him to germany to be reclaimd . false reports , like musrumps that have no roots . the worst feaver is that of the toung . the rich man walketh to gett a stomack to his his meat , the poore man to gett meat for his stomack . lett reson perswade thee , before she invade thee . a rich citty like a fatt cheese apt to breed magotts ; viz. mutinies and vices . take part alwayes with reson against thy will. england lies strong , as a tortois in her shell . the living lord hath a dead hand where he strikes . lett 's goe quickly to dinner , that we may have a collation in the afternoon , and goe betimes to supper , that we may have a nuntion before we goe to bedd , and so rise early in the morning to breakefast . viz. the humour of the french. the emperour of china , the onely prince that putteth bounds to his ambition , being ever upon the defensive . the vvise man like the salamander , can goe through the furnace of affliction , and never burn . repentance the laundresse of the conscience . vvho hath glasse-windowes of his own , lett him take heed how he throwes stones at those of his neighbour . a true king like hercules should have his clubb alwayes lying by him . the fist is stronger then the hand , though it be nothing but the hand . an embleme of union . the worst peeple have most lawes . prudence applieth things past , provideth for the present , and preventeth what may come . though the air of spain be hotter , yet it is not so subject to feavers as that of france . a printed apology , is like pennance in a white sheet . rather then burn , venture a fall out of the window . well fare those dayes , that sweet-meats were served up in wheele-barrowes at goring-house . he that doth a serious businesse in haste , rides post upon an asse . infantium cerebri quartus , post quadraginta . finis . a new english grammar prescribing as certain rules as the languages will bear, for forreners to learn english : ther is also another grammar of the spanish or castilian toung, with some special remarks upon howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a new english grammar prescribing as certain rules as the languages will bear, for forreners to learn english : ther is also another grammar of the spanish or castilian toung, with some special remarks upon howell, james, ?- . [ ], , p. printed for t. williams; h. brome, and h. marsh, london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. added t.p.: "gramatica de la lengua inglesa, prescriviendo reglas para alcacancarla ... london, ." "la perambulacion de españa, y de portugal" has half-title and separate pagination. "the perambulation of spain and portugal" has half-title and separate pagination. parallel texts in english and spanish. attributed to james howell. cf. nuc pre- . signed: j.h. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large 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conversion portrait a la ecella , y serenissima magestad , de doña catarina de braganÇa infanta de portugàl , y reyna de la gran bretaña , &c. que dios guarde con acrecentamientos de toda felicidàd imaginàble , segun los mas humildes , los mas entrañables dessèos , y devociònes de don diego howel . en londres . a new english grammar , prescribing as certain rules as the language will bear , for forreners to learn english : ther is also another grammar of the spanish or castilian toung , with som special remarks upon the portugues dialect , &c. whereunto is annexed a discours or dialog containing a perambulation of spain and portugall , which may serve for a direction how to travell through both countreys , &c. for the service of her majesty , whom god preserve . london , printed for t. williams , h. brome , and h. marsh. . gramatica de la lengua inglesa , prescriviendo reglas para alcançarla ; otra gramatica de la lengua española o castellana , con ciertas observaciones tocante el dialecto portuguès y un discurso conteniendo la perambulaciòn de españa , y de portugàl . que podrà servir por direction a los que quieren caminar por aquellas tierras , &c. por el servicio de su magestad que dios guarde . london , printed for t. williams , h. brome , and h. marsh , . to the sagacious reder . he who will pry well into the pedigree of the english language will find that shee is of a high descent , for shee hath the highdutch ( the most ancient german toung ) to her gran mother , and the saxon ( the prime dialect of the highdutch ) to her mother , for the ancient britains and hibernians , i mean the welsh and irish have no other name for her ( and her nation ) to this day . shee may be said also to have the french for her mother-in-law , her lawes being couch'd therin , for 't is . compleat yeers within five , since the norman took footing here , who with his leopards endeavor'd to bring in his laws and language . but whereas mothers-in-law or stepmothers seldom use to be kind , yet the french hath bin so to the english , for shee hath not onely enrich'd , but civiliz'd and smooth'd her with many thousands of words deriv'd from the latin , whereby shee is grown the more copious , nor indeed is ther any language fuller of synonymas , in regard shee hath for most things both a saxon and a french word , as stout valiant ; bold hardy ; godly devout ; wise prudent ; anger choler ; a spit a broche ; board table ; town city , &c. but t is worth the observing that her monosyllables are all saxon or dutch , which made one say , that the englishman capapiè from top to toe is dutch in all the parts of his body , in his drinking and eating he is dutch , at bed and board hee is dutch ; hee is all dutch at sea , as also when he holds the plough , in his numbers in the daies of the week ( not the months ) hee is dutch ; in his clothing he is dutch , ( though french in his fashion ) hee is dutch in his fishing , but in fighting , fortifying , and fencing , as also in hawking , hunting , and heraldry , in dancing , riding , and painting , in his music and airs he is all french , &c. add herunto that the english grows every day more and more copious by an adoption shee makes of the choicest forren words , which insinuating themselfs into her by degrees do in tract of time as it were naturalize themselfs and becom free denisons ; in so much that the english may be said to be dutch embordered with many other languages . now , touching this new english grammar , let not the reder mistake , as if it were an english grammar to learn another language , as lillie is for latin , and littleton for french , &c. no , this is a meer grammar of the english it self , for the use of forreners ; with a modest reserche into som solecismes that are in the ortography and speaking . it is a hard task to make a grammar of a mother toung , a harder task to make one of a dialect , but to make an exact regular grammar for all parts of a subdialect ( as the english is ) is a task that may be said to be beyond the reach of human understanding , the subject being not capable of it : mr. ben. iohnson a weighty man , and one who was as patient as hee was painfull in all his composures confess'd , the further hee waded herin the more he was still gravelled . concerning the spanish , the best gramarians and artists have bin consulted withall , besides the authors own observation who breath'd air a long time under that clime ; the castilian is a cleer and grave lesurly speech , it carries a kind of state , and deliberation with it ; therfore it affects long words as what we expresse in one syllable , the spaniard hath five or six syllables , as nacimiento birth , murcielago a batt ; levantamiento an uproar , &c. now , as english may be said to be nothing els but dutch inlayed with french , so the castilian toung is nothing els but latin inlayed with morisco words ; but the difference is , that the english is made the smoother by association shee hath with the french , but the castilian toung is grown more rugged by the admission and mixture of the morisco words , who coming from the arabic have a guttural or throaty pronunciation . the severall parts wherof this book consists . first , a new english grammar prescribing as certain rules as the language will bear for forreners , ( the spaniard especially , into whose toung it is rendred ) to attain the knowledg of the english. . of divers superfluous letters that are us'd in writing english which may be well omitted , whereby the language will be more easily for forreners to learn : as also of som solecisms us'd in the common practice of speech . . a grammar of the spanish or castilian toung . . som speciall remarks upon the portugues dialect , and how it differs from the castilian , with a short dictionary of such words as are meerly portugues . . a discourse by way of dialog twixt charles and philip containing the perambulation of spain and portugall , which may serve for a guide to them who may desire to see those countreys . . a familiar letter compos'd of above fourscore spanish proverbs conducing all to one subject , and rendred into english ; . another familiar letter consisting of english proverbs , and tending all to one subject rendred into spanish . a new english grammar rendred into spanish gramatica inglesa rendida en castellano . the english grammar . grammar is the art of letters , as the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( whence it is derived ) imports : of letters are made syllables , of syllables words , and by the coagmentation of letters , syllables , and words , is fram'd sermocination or speech , which is one of the eminentst praerogatives of mankind above all other sublunary cretures ; for though others ( as som volatils ) by art , and hardship are brought to utter som broken words , yet they understand not what they speak , because they are destitut of the faculty of reson , mar. onely being the child of reson . of the english letters , with their pronunciation , and som special remarks upon them . touching the abcee ( or alphabet ) of the english toung , ther are fower and twenty letters in all which are written in great and small caracters ; the great are shap'd thus , abcdefghiklmnopq rstvwxyz . these great caracters serve for proper names ● persons , places and ivers , &c. as charles carlos● katherine catalina , london londres , lisbon lubona bona , severn sabrina , trent trenta ; som of them are of great account , for they are numerical , as i stands for one , v for five , x for ten , l for fifty , c for a hundred , d for five hundred , m stands for a thousand . the lesser caracters of the abcee are thus form'd , abcdefghiklmnopqrstvwxyz . now , what the fower elements are to all corporeal cretures in point of generation , the same are the letters to all languages in point of locution or speech : and as of the elements , though so few in nomber , such infinit kinds of compounded and differing mixd cretures are produced , as from their simple and primitive principles ; so from so small a nomber of letters such a world of different words are compos'd , and such an infinity of volumes penn'd and printed , which is a remark of wonder that hath faln but under the capacity of few . we will now consider all the letters severally by themselfs , which are the original ingredients that go to the composition of speech . these letters divide themselfs into vowels and consonants , so call'd because they have no sound at all without a vowel go before or after ; as b hath e after it , f hath e before it to make it pronounceable : of which consonants fower are call'd liquids , call'd so because they melt as it were in the mouth , and have a softer kind of pronunciation then the rest , which fower are l m n r. the vowels are . in number , viz. a e i o u , ther is a word in spanish which no other language hath , that comprehends all the five , which is oveja , a sheep : 't is tru that the transcendent eternal name of iehova hath them likewise together , but that h onely ( which is but an aspiration ) interposeth . now , the vowels deserve to have the precedence of all the rest of the letters , because no consonant can be pronounced or is soundable without one of them before or after , ( as 't was said before ) therfore are they call'd consonants or co-sounding . a. the vowel a is the first letter in all languages , and it merits the priority of all other , because it is the first and most natural easie motion and ouverture of the lips ; it is also the letter of absolution and comfort , as cicero hath it . the french have a proverb that makes much for the honor of a , viz. il est marquè a l' a , he is mark'd with a ; that is , he is right honest man : this may haply be the reson why a hath such a large dominion among the english , for she is a praepositive article ( with the ) to most substantifs and adjectifs , as a man un hombre , a knight un cavallero , a sword una espada , a learned man un hombre cientifico , a valiant knight un cavallero valiente , a bright sword una espada luziente . a in the english toung hath two differing sounds , the one open and full , as abraham , alabastre alabastro ; the other pressing , and as it were half mouth'd and mincingly , as ale cerveza , awake despierto , &c. whereas in spanish ( and other languages ) it bears the first open prolation , as da dios alas a la hormiga para que se pierda mas ayna god gives wings to the ant that she may destroy herself the sooner ; a proverb alluding to prowd ambitious men . a , when it comes before lm somtimes drowneth the l and turneth to an u , as calme is pronounced caume , psalme psaume , balme baume , &c. but the a receives thereby a more open sound , and makes as it were one syllable of two . e. e the second vowel is pronounced in english as in spanish and other languages ; when it concludes a word it is pronounced carelesly and faintily , as bare nudo , there allà , fire , fuego , &c. as the spaniards also do in combate a fight , combite a feast , escabeche pickle , padre father , madre mother , &c. but in the monosyllable article the t is pronounced sharp . where e comes after l having two consonants before it , it hath a strange transposition , for it leaps before l , and takes the half sound of i , as epistle epistel , epistola ; thistle thistel , cardo ; little littel , poco ; prickle prickel , espina : e passeth also obscurely , where it ends a word with a consonant , as spoken hablado , broken quebrado , coffer cofre , brewes sopa , &c. when e also comes before d , to conclude a word , she loseth often her sound by an apostrophe , as tyred tyr'd , cansado ; restrained restrain'd , restreñido : and so in all participles of the preter-tense . when e cometh before a it drowns the a , but makes the pronunciation longer , as beast bestia , disease enfermedad , feast combite , &c. e and i have such a friendship in the english language , that they supply one anothers place somtimes , and are us'd indifferently , as enterchange or interchange , trueque ; her or hir , ella ; endure or indure , sufrir ; endevor or indevor , diligencia , &c. and 't is so likewise in spanish , as mesmo or mismo , the same ; pedir or pidir to pray : the italian also doth it often as refiutare or rifiutare , reputare or riputare ; but the florentine more affects i. i. the vowel i hath a very peculiar sound in som english words , which differeth from other nations ; for the spaniards with others pronounce it as ee in english , as mi tio my uncle , mee teeo ; pimienta pepper , peemeeenta ; cinco five , ceenco : but the english pronounce in most words i as if it were the dipthong ei , as pilot peilot , pilota ; a pipe peipe , pipa ; a hide heide , cuero ; licence leicence , licencia : which pronunciation is a pure anglicisme . i , may be call'd an amphibolous letter , for though she be naturally and by her birth a vowel , yet she degenerats often into a consonant , ( which she never useth to do in the hebrew and greek ) which consonant hath an affinity with g , insomuch that she may claim ( like v ) two caracters , as having two such capacities , viz. of vowel and consonant , as james is pronounced giames , diego ; javelin giavelin , javelina ; joy geoy , alegria ; jeffrey gieffrey , godefrido , &c. o. the vowel o is pronounced with a rounde : mouth than any other , therfore she hath properly an orbicular figure , and is a letter in english of much change and incertainty ; sometimes she is pronounc'd sharp , as coller collar , corn grano , crosse cruz , crocodile crocodilo , &c. somtimes o is pronounc'd flat , as colour colòr , cosen primo , mother madre , taking thereby the half sound of u. upon the u , o soundeth smart , as round redondo , sound sonido , bound atado , &c. but in the last syllable before n she loseth her strength , as devotion devocion , compassion compassion , person persona : before w also at the end of words she loseth he● strength , and becomes an u , as hollow hueco , hollu ; tallow tallu , cevo , &c. when o ends a word she is pronounced strong & clear , as in these monosyllables , go and àd , so assi , no no , &c. before v consonant o hath various pronunciations , open and shut , as dove paloma , glove guante , grove arboleda , jove iupiter , &c. priscian saith , that som cities in italy had not o at all but u , and in other places they had no u at all , but o in the place of it , as in old writers we read volgus for vulgus , poblicum , polchrum , colpam , for publicum , pulchrum , culpam ; and let this suffice for this inconstant letter . v. the vowel u as well as i hath the privilege to become consonant very often , which make som call them the mongrel letters : v never endeth any word in english for the nakednes of it , but cloaths her self with a dipthong , and at other times hath● to follow her , as new nuevo , knew conocia , blu : azùl , true verdadero , &c. the english pronounce oftentimes u like the french , in a whistling manner which sound is quite differing from the spaniar● and italian , who prolate it in a manner like oo , as un one , oono ; usanza use , oosanza , &c. but the english and french pronounce u as if it were the dipthong ew , as cocu a cuckold is pronounced as if 〈◊〉 were written cokew ; cubit kewbit , &c. the german is subject often to turn b to u , as there is a facetious tale of a duchman , who thinking to complement with his french hostesse said , ma foy madame vous avez veaux enfans , truly madame you have calfs to your children ; wheras insteed 〈◊〉 veaux calfs , he shold have said beaux fair . w. w is pronounced with a larger roundnes of the lips then the letter o , and with far more force if 〈◊〉 hath h next it , as whale balena , wheele rued● whirligigg peonça , &c. but where h doth not immediatly follow 't is pronounced soft , as whirlwin● remolino , where the first w is far more emphatic● then the second . the saxons or high dutch themselfs , whence th● english derive their origen and language , cannot pronounce this w before h with that vigor , but 〈◊〉 lieu of what they say wat , where were , &c. which shews that the english have stronger lungs . the spaniard hath no w , nor the italian an● french. y. y , although it be pronounced like i , yet she is more constant to her self , scorning as it were to degenerat from her first being , and from a vowel to turn consonant ; therfore she may well deserve to be call'd the letter of philosophy , or phythagoras his letter . in french she is of that weight that she makes somtimes a whole word of her self , as voulez vous y aller , will you go thither ? and is an adverb both of person and place : in spanish she frequently makes a syllable of her self , as yxar the flank , yzar to lift up , &c. of dipthongs . thus much of the vowels , which may be call'd the ligaments or arteries that knit the bones or consonants together , and put life into them , els they were but so many dead trunks . we will now to the dipthongs , which because they are meerly made of vowels , 't is fitting they shold precede the con●onants . dipthongs are as it were the associating of som vowels to make them issue forth a joynt sound , so that two sounds may be had in one syllable . the english dipthongs may be reduced to ten , as ai o● ay , as maid moça , afraid amedrentado , may may , day dia : the second au or aw , as austere austero , autentico autentico , law ley , awe obedience : the third ea , as east levante , earl conde , seat sede , yea s●● the fourth ei , as weight peso , streight derecho : the . ew , as dew rocio , few pocos : the . oi or oy , as toil trabajo , soil terra , boy muchacho , joy alegria : the . , as food bastimento , good bueno : the . o● or ow , as stout animoso , toung lengua , now agora : the . ui or uy , as juice çumo , the last uoy , as buoy . ther are but three words wherin the dipthong eo is found , viz. people , jeopard , yeoman . the dipthong ae is not us'd neither in english or spanish . of the consonants . b. b is the first consonant and second letter of the abcee ; it is the first that brings our lips together after we are born , therfore t is calld the prime labi●l letter : in english t is pronouncd as in other languages , but not alwayes as it is in spanish wher it is promiscuous with v in sundry words , as bisoño a young soldier , or visoño ; vimbrera an ozier , o● bimbrera ; in greek also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned often to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which made the duchman to say as wittily as waggishly , si beta est veta , tunc bibere est vivere . but the highest commendation of b is , that it is the letter of innocence , it being the bleating tone of the sheep , which is the embleme of innocence . c. ther are som critical authors who bear no good will to c , calling it the mongrel androg y nous letter , nor male nor female , but rather a spirit or monster ; and that by her impostures she trencheth upon the right of s k q , assuming their sounds ; that she might be spar'd in our english abcee because of the identity or sameness of sound she hath often with them three : but surely they are deceived , for how could we pronounce cheshire cheese , chisel , chivalry , without her ? in italian she borrows also the sound of g , as castigo for gastigo : in spanish ( and french ) when she sounds like s she is attended with a train , having a semicircle underneath ç , and then she is call'd c cedilla , as çaratan the canker , çapato a shooe , çarça a bramble , &c. which are pronouncd saratan , sapato , sarsa . d. d is so dainty a letter in english , that she admits of no other consonant to be her gentleman-usher but r , as dreams sueños , drink bevida , drop gota , dragon drago , drum atambor , &c. she is pronounc'd as in other languages , but in spanish when she is between two vowels , or before any vowel in the midst or end of a word , she useth to melt into th , as we pronounce them in that or the in english , as dádivas entran sin taladro , gifts enter without a wimble ; which are pronounc'd as if they were written , dathivas entran sin talathro : dd in the british or welsh agree with the spanish in this pronunciation , as heb dduw heb ddiiw , nothing without god. f. f hath the honor to make one of the highest notes in music , and , which is more , to be the first letter of the highest spiritual vertu , faith ; she is pronounc'd as in other languages . g. g hath a diffring pronunciation in the english , one before a , o and u , as gard guarda , gold oro , gulph golfe , &c. and another before e and i , as gentleman , hidalgo , german tudesco , gibbet hor●a , giant gigante , &c. yet ther be som words when she comes before i , that are pronounc'd as if she came before a , o or u , as giddy vertiginoso , gift dadiva , girdle cinta , &c. h. h is the letter of breath or aspiration , and therfore may be call'd the letter of life , for when the breath is gone , farewel life : therfore i wonder why the greeks came to give her no place in their alphabet . som call her a spirit , but whether letter aspirat or spirit , the alphabet wold be breathless without her . som call her the queen of conscnants . in som words she is written but not sounded , as in humor humòr , honor honra , humble humilde , host huesped , &c. which are pronounc'd , umor , onor , umble , oft : the spaniard also leaves her our in most words . th hath two sounds in english , the one strong ▪ like the greek ● theta , as thunder trueno , thursday iueves , thousand mil , thirsty sediento , theef ladron , thought pensamiento , &c. but th in other words are pronounc'd gently , like d in spanish , as in this esto , that aquello , thine tuyo , thither la , thence de la , then entonces , therfore por tanto , thou tu , &c. h after w hath a stronger aspiration in the english then in any other language , as what que cosa , wheat trigo , wheel rueda , when quando , where adonde , whore puta , whale balena , &c. ph is pronounc'd alike in english as in spanish ( and other languages ; ) but indeed ther 's no ph in spanish or italian , for they turn it into f , as philosopher filosofo , philip felipe , phantasie fantesia , &c. ch is pronoun●d in english as in spanish ( and the italian ) as china , chamber cama , cheese queso , cherry ceresa , &c. in which words ch is pronounc'd as the spaniard does in chico little , chichon a bile , chirlar to chirp : but the french differs very much herein , for he prolates ch as sh , as chambre shambre , china shina , cheshire cheese sheshire sheese , chichester shishester , &c. k. k is so stately a letter , that she scorns to serve either the spaniard or italian , nor the latin or french either , but in the word kalendae ; therfore they make c to be such a drudg to them in her place , but the english makes equal use of them both ; yet k goes in english before no consonants but n , as knight cavallero , knowledge ciencia , knave vellaco , knife cuchillo , knee rodilla , &c. l. l hath the honor to make the highest tone in music , for she hath a kind of gentle melting pronunciation , therfore she is call'd by som 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , because she seems to sweeten the roof of the mouth . the english pronounce l as the spaniards do , but where ll is found in the beginning or middle of any word in castilian , the last l turns to i , as lloro lamentation , calle a street , callar to hold ones peace , lleno full ; the spaniard pronounce them as lioro , calie , caliar , lieno . the britains or welsh have also like the spanish a particular sound of ll , which no other nation can pronounce unless one be bred there very young ; it is so difficult to the english that they are forced to turn it to fl , as floyd for lloyd , &c. m. m may be well call'd a labial letter as well as b , nay , t is a question which of them makes the lips meet first in an infant . we read that the phrygia● child upon whom ptolomey tryed his conclusion ▪ which language was the most natural , spoke be● first , which signifieth bread in that language : but the ancient britains hold that m is the first letter which makes the lips meet , because ther 's no other word for mother in welsh then mam , which all infants , be they born under any climat whatsoever , use to pronounce articulatly as soon as they come into the world . m is pronounc'd cleer in the beginning , meanly in the midst , and obscurely in the conclusion of a word in english ; but t is alwayes prolated with a kind of humming , as mamalukes mamaluques , marjerom origano , mamora mamora , martyrdom martyrio , &c. n. n in english is pronounc'd as in spanish , ( and other languages ; ) but in the spanish toung it hath this singularity , as to have a streight stroke on the top , as for example ñ , and then she must be pronounc'd as if i immediatly follow'd her , as fue la negra al baño , y tuvo que contàr todo el año , the negre went to the bath , and she had news enough for the whole twelmonth ; in this proverb baño and año must be pronounc'd as if they were written banio , anio . this letter n ringeth somwhat in the nose , and hath three degrees of sounds , full in the beginning , weak in the middle , and flat at the end of a word . p. p may be call'd the third labial letter after b and m , for she also makes the lips meet : in the italian she is often metamorphos'd to an u , as soprano sourano , coperta coverta . q. qhath much encroch'd upon the freehold that k had in former times among our saxon progenitors , who scarce knew this bumm letter q , but before the norman conquest they writt kuill for quill , kuire for quire , &c. but the french-normans bringing in divers latin words , as question , quantity , quintessence , and others , much trenched upon the saxon k ; yet this q is so beggerly a letter , that unless u follow she hath no being in english. r. r. ther is a most mighty populous nation next the sun-rising call'd the chineses , who read and write perpendicular not collateral , that have not the letter r at all , therfore they call their next neighbour the tartar , tata , leaving out both the r's : and it may be the reason is , because r is the dogs letter , and seems to snarle in the sound , — sonat haec de nare canina litera , this letter sounds of a dogs nostrill . the french women do oftentimes out of wantonnes leave it unpronounc'd at the end of words . in english t is pronounc'd as in other languages . s. s , though it be call'd the serpents letter because of her hissing sound , as also for her shape , yet she hisseth but gently against the gums ; she varieth her powers much in our pronunciation , in the beginning she hath a quick sound , as sables z ebeliu● sabbath sabado , &c. but in the middle and end of words , unless she go doubled , she is pronounc'd meltingly as z , as rose rosa , wise sabio , gems ●oyas , rimes rimas , &c. but if the s be doubled , it is pronounc'd hard and sharp , as distresse , oppresse , lesse , dresse , tresse , &c. t. t hath one constant prolation , except where it precedes i , towards the ends of words , as generation , action , nation , faction , generacion , action , nacion , faction , &c. and then t turns to c , as those words use to be written in spanish . x. x hath scarce the account of a letter in the english , because ther 's never a word in the whole language that begins with it ; in the middle it comes often , as sixty , vexe , perplexe , sexe , &c. and it ends many words , as pox las buvas , flax estopa , fox raposa , six seys ; which sound as if they were written pocks , flacks , focks , sicks : for x hath the prerogative to be made up of three consonants , ( which no other letter hath ) viz. k , c and s , which being so , the anagram that was made of uxor and orcus was not unwitty , — uxor & orcus idem . but x is very frequent in the spanish , both in the beginning middle , and end of words ; which came from the mores , who for . years did almost inhabit the greatest part of spain , and by so long coalition infected them with a guttural tone . z. z is the last of all the letters , and t is properly so , being commonly the last sound that one makes in the mouth at his going out of the world , when he begins to throttle : ther are but two or three words in all the english toung ( besides som greek proper names ) that begin with z , viz. zeal , zealous , zealot , with som terms of astronomy , as zone , zenith , zodiac . and so much of single letters . of syllabes or syllables . having done with the elements or simples of speech , we will now proceed to the compounds of letters , and first of syllables . a syllable is part of a word , which may of it self make a full articulat sound ; it is sometimes ( as 〈◊〉 spanish also ) of one letter , as amazd espantado , 〈◊〉 quippage aparejo , imagination imaginacion , omino●● desastroso , usurer logrero ; where a , e , i , o and u is the beginning make a syllable of themselfs . a syllable of more letters is made either of dithongs or vowels only , as ayder ayudador , auditor audienciero , eating comiendo : now though a vo● el hath the privilege to make a syllable of her sel● yet no consonant can do so , unlesse it shake han● with a vowel . syllables with a consonant are e●ther of two letters , as no no ; or of three , as th● which in the english useth often to be written shoth● thus , the ; or of more letters , as that , then , with , aquello , entonces , con ; which are written short , that y en w th ; of . letters , as there , which , alla , que ; which are written short , y ere which . ther are som syllables that have two consonants to one vowel , as cry grido ; som three , as dr●● ramera ; som . as dregs heces ; som . as strin● cuerda ; som . as strength fuerça ; som syllabl● have . consonants to one vowel , as strengths ●●●erça ; but that 's the utmost nomber : and t is observable what a virtu a little vowel hath , to give 〈◊〉 to so many consonants . but the pole hath 〈◊〉 consonants attending one vowel , in so much tha when he speaks he hurls his words at ones fa● like stones . touching the position or quantity of syllabl● ther is no language , i know of , hath exact rules , restraints , examples and cautions to that purpo●● but the greeks and latins ; ther is not so much 〈◊〉 and trouble used in the english or spanish ( or 〈◊〉 other occidental toung ) because their metri● compositions , verses and rimes are meerly ●rived from an instinct of nature , such as arist● speaks of , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , viz. of a volu●tary and natural free composition , without 〈◊〉 enslavd so much to the quantity of syllables . 〈◊〉 were the greeks before homer , nor the roman b●● fore livius andronicus , so curious in observing punctually the length and shortnesse of syllables . it is consentaneous to order and reason , we 〈◊〉 now speak of the accents of syllables , which 〈◊〉 it were the tuning or the toning of the voice , and the not observing of the accent may make a word to be in danger of mis-tuning . for ther are multitudes of words which are written alike , and have punctually the same letters , yet have they clea● contrary pronunciations , as désert a wildernes , de●sierto , and desèrt mericimiento ; tórment tormento tormènt atormentàr ; óbject objecto , objèct objectàr ; incense insenso ; cónvert convertido , conv●● convertìr : now 't is the accents duty to make 〈◊〉 pronounce aright , and where we find the accen● we must give a force and emphasis to that syllable . in adverbs commonly the accent is in the 〈◊〉 syllable , as mèrrily alegramente , hèavily tristemente . dissyllable and trissyllable words have also mo●● commonly the accent in the first syllable , as wìnter invierno , sómmer estio , síngular singulàr , péssilence pestilencia , pròvidence providencia . words also terminating in able , be they of . or . syllables , have the accent in the first , as fàble fabul● , sènsible sensible , sòciable amiable : except abominable abominable , detèstable detestable , &c. words terminating in tion or sion , have commonly the accent in the syllable next before , as conténtion contienda , confúsion confusion , abominátion abominacion : but the spaniard hath alwayes the accent is the last syllable of such words . all dissylables ending in ish , ry , er , el , et , slávish●clavoso ●clavoso , màrry esposar , hòver meneàr , dàmsel do●zella , pácket paquete , gámmon pernil , bácon toci● words ending in nt have the accent commonly in the last , as lament lament , contènt contentamiento , extènt extension , &c. we come now to the quality of words , to know whether they are primitives or derivatives . most of the primitive words in the english toung are monosyllables ; go unto a mans body from top to toe , the parts therof are all monosyllables , as head cabeça , heart coraçon , guts entrañas , knee rodilla , foot pie , &c. which clearly discovers her to be a daughter of the high-duch . the spanish clean contrary abound and delight in words of many syllables ; and where the english expresseth himself in one syllable , he doth in . or . as thoughts pensamientos , fray levantamiento , &c. which is held a part of wisdom , for while they speak they take time to consider of the matter . ther are also simple words and compounded words , as love amòr , lovely amoroso ; man varòn , manly varonìl ; wise sabio , unwise necio : and herein , i mean in point of composition of words , the english toung is as happy , and as hardy as any language , except the greek , ( which goes beyond all other in that kind : ) for the english doth often joyn and coagment two substantifs together , as 〈◊〉 cortadòr de bolsas , self-love amor de si mesmo , 〈…〉 de molino ; and somtimes ther 's a 〈…〉 substantifs in one word , as tap-house-kee●●● ▪ bodegonero , a foot-ball-player jugadora pelota , &c. of the parts of speech in the english toung . ther be eight parts of speech in the english toung , as in other languages , viz. noun , pronoun , verb , participle , adverb , conjunction , preposition , interjection ; whereunto we adde the prepositive articles the and a , which the latin only lacks ; wherof the first is definit and terminats the understanding , as the sword la espada , the book el libro , which denotes som particular book or sword ; the other is indefinite , as a sword una espada , a book un libro , which denote the general idea of swords and books . ther is also another difference twixt the articles the and a , viz. that the first may be applied to the plural nomber also , as the swords las espadas ; but the article ▪ a is applied to the singular nomber only . proper names are incapable of these articles . now of the parts severally by themselfs . of nouns . nouns are either substantifs , which can stand and be understood by themselfs , as church yglesia , sheet calle ; or they are adjectifs , which signifie no real thing , unless they be applied to som substantif , as white blanco , fair lindo , &c. the english toung hath this singularity above other languages , ( but she is nothing the more commendable for it ) that he useth to put the adjectif before the substantif , as brown bread baço pan , a wise man sabio hombre ; wheras other nations postpose the adjectif , and say pan baço bread brown , hombre sabio a man wise . noun substantifs are either common , as bridg puente , river rio ; or proper , as rialto rialto ( a particular bridg in venice ) severn sabrina ; or personal , as charles carlos , katherine catalina . ther are five genders that belong to these nouns , the masculin , which comprehends all males under a masculin idea , as bulls toros , men hombres , &c. the feminin , which comprehends whatsoever is of a femal kind , as woman hembra , does ciervos . the neuter gender , whose notion conceives neither sex , under which are compriz'd all inanimat things , as cities , rivers and ships ; for though ther be names of other genders , yet they are spoken of as she 's ; as eboracum york , rhenus the rhine , the charles royal. the fourth is the epicene or promiscuous gender , which understands both kinds , as dogs , horses , deer ; under which words both sexes are intimated , as hounds and bitches , geldings and mares , bucks and does . the fifth is the common or rather doubtful gender , which hath a near affinity with the former , as frend , gossip , neighbour , cosin , &c. which comprehend either sex : but in spanish ( and other languages ) they are distinguish'd by their masculin and feminin terminations , as amigo amiga , vezino vezina , prim● prima , &c. which is an advantage the english toung hath of others . diminutifs are proper to all languages ; in english the diminutifs of som substantifs end in ell , as cock cockrell , part parcell , &c. som in ing , as goose gosling , duck duckling , &c. som in ock , as bull bullock , hill hillock : som in et , as baron baronet , &c. ther are also diminutifs of adjectifs , as cold coldish , black blackish , green greenish , &c. ther are likewise divers diminutifs of proper names in english , both of men and women , as christopher kitt , gregory grigg , richard dick , magdalen maudlin , katherine kate , elizabeth besse , &c. but ther are som names which bear no diminutifs , as peter , iames , stephen , &c. but the spaniard herein hath more diminutifs and sub-diminutifs then any other language , as simòn , simoncico , simoncillo , simoncilillo ; miguel , miguelico , miguelillo ; catalina , catalinica , catalalinilla , &c. the english adjectifs have their degrees of comparison , as well as those of other languages ; nay , to som words they have two comparatifs and superlatifs , which other languages have not ; they expresse the one either by the word more , or adding er to the end of the positif , as wise more wise or wiser , stout more stout or stouter , &c. so the superlatif is expressed either by the word most , or adding est to the end of the positif , as wise most wise or wisest , stout most stout or stoutest . but from this general rule few are excepted , as goood better best , bad worse worst , little lesser least . adjectifs which end in ous admit of comparatifs and superlatifs onely by the words m●ore or most , as glorious , more glorious , most glorious ; so specious , famous , victorious , &c. the english adjectifs commonly have no plural nomber , but the singular serves for both , which is a great ease to the language , as stout man stout men , wise man wise men : but the substantifs have their plurals , som terminating in s , as king kings , stagg staggs , park parks , wood woods , &c. others terminat in n , as man men , woman women , oxe oxen , hose hosen : as in all other languages so ther are some irregular words , ( though they be few ) that swerve from the former terminations ; as the plural of mouce is mice , of louce lice , of tooth teeth , of foot feet , &c. ther are som substantifs that admit of no plural nomber at all , ( and they are weighty ones ) as gold , silver , brass , copper , tinn , and all minerals ; ( no more have they in the spanish , as oro , plata , bronza , cobre , estaño ) with divers other , as rest , bread , &c. these substantifs have the plural only , as goods , riches , necessaries , &c. where it is observable that necessaries the substantif , is begot of the adjective necessary . we com now to the pronouns , so called because they stand somtimes for nouns ; we will take them in their degrees , and begin with the persons , i , tho● , he , we , ye , they : which are declined thus : the first person . plural . singular . nom. i yo wee nosotros gen. of mee of us dat. to mee to us accus . mee us voc. o mee o wee abl. with or from mee . with or from us . the second person . singular . plural . nom. thou tu yee vosotros gen. of thee of you dat. to thee to you accus . thee you voc. thou o you abl. from or with thee . from or with you . the third person . singular . plural . nom. hee el ò aquel they ellos gen. of him of them dat. to him to them accus . him them voc. o he o they abl. with or from him . with or from them . there are in english fower pronouns possessives , my or mine , mi ò mio ; my comes alwayes before a word beginning with a consonant , as my cloak mi capa , my hat mi sombrero , &c. mine comes alwayes before a substantif beginning with a vowel or h , as mine aunt mi tia , mine heritage mi her●ncia , &c. but mine stands oftner by it self for a possessif , specially in answer to a question , as whose sword is this ? mine ; whose glove is that ? mine , the plural of my and mine is our ours , which also are possessifs . the second possessif is thy thine , as thy house tu casa , thine arme tu braço , thine hand tu mano ; and thine as mine come before a word beginning with a vowel . thine also stands for a possessif of it self to a question , as whose land is that ? thine ; cuya a tierra es aquella ? la tuya . the plural of thy thine is you yours , which are also possessifs . the third possessif is her hers , with their plurals their theirs ; as her distaf su rueca , her maiden head su virginidàd ; whose ring is this ? hers . but the spanish ( nor the italian and french ) hath not this distinguishing feminin possessif , but useth su and suyo for both . which , who and that are relatif pronouns , depending on the words before , but which and why properly relate to living things , and that to inanimat ; as the man which preach'd yesterday , the lady who passed this way , the stones that went to build pauls , &c. what and whose are interrogative pronoun , and so are the foresaid which and wh● somtimes . ther are som compounded pronouns , as my self , our selfs , thy self , your self , him self , her self , it self , the self same , &c. of a verb. verb is one of the most principal and necessary parts of speech : nay , it may be call'd the genius and soul of speech , for pack all the words of the world together , no sentence , whether interrogative or other , can be made without it ; for what vowels are to words , the same verbs are to speech , they animat both ; which makes it have such a latitude in the latin toung , that the word verbum extends to all parts of speech . a verb in english as in spanish ( and all other languages ) hath . tenses or distinctions of times the present-tence , as i pray or do pray ; the time past , as i prayed or did pray ; the future or time to come , as i shall or will pray . the terminations 〈◊〉 verbs in english is the same both in the singular and plural nomber , ( except the second and third perso● in the singular ) as i live , we , ye , they live , &c. 〈◊〉 not so in spanish , as yo vivo nos vivimos , &c. 〈◊〉 in other languages , which is a mighty advantage and ease for the learning of the english language . ther are in english verbs aclifs , passifs and neuters , as in other toungs , as i love yo quiero , 〈◊〉 actif : i am lov'd yo soy querido , is passif by addition of the auxiliary verb am , soy : the neuter verb is where am cannot be added , as i live vivo , i weep lloro , &c. ther are in english , as in other languages , fower cadences and conjugations of verbs : verbs of the first conjugation som end in all , as to call llamar , to fall cayer , to install , to inthrall , &c. whose participles are made by addition of ing and d at the end , as calling call'd , installing install'd , &c. som end in are , as to dare , to pare , to share , &c. whose participles also end alike , as par'd paring , &c. som end in ace , as to chace , to face , to grace , to lace , to trace , to imbrace , &c. whose participles also are made like the former . verbs of the second conjugation som end in eare , as to beare , to sheare , to teare , to weare , &c. whose participles end in ing and orne , as borne , shorne , torne , bearing , shearing , tearing . som verbs end in ease , as to ease , to please , to displease , &c. som end in ead , as to lead , to knead , to read , to spread , to tread , &c. som in ind , as to bind , to find , to wind , to grind , &c. som in end , as to bend , to send , to lend , &c. verbs of the third conjugation som end in ite , as to bite , to write , to endite , &c. som end in ight , as to fight , to fright , to light , to plight , to right , &c. som end in ell , as to quell , to tell , to sell , &c. som in ink , as to d●ink , to sink , to sink , to think , to shrin● , &c. verbs of the last conjugation som terminat in ) , as to cry , to dy , to fly , to ly , to try , &c. som in ire , as to hire , to desire , to inquire , &c. some end in ine , as to shine , to dine , to fine , to decline , to uncline , to confine , &c. among which verbs it is to be noted , that the monosyllable verbs come from the dutch , the other from the french. note also that all participles of the present-tence end in ing , of the preter-●ence in d , most commonly in all english verbs , except som irregulars , which is left to observation . of the two auxiliary verbs , i have yo he ò tengo , and i am yo soy . these verbs i have and i am are call'd the auxiliaries , and are most subservient to all other verbs ; for without the second ther could be no verb passif , and without the first ther would be no participles of the preter-tense : therfore being so useful 't is requisit they shold be here declin'd at large ; and first of i have , because it is also auxiliary to i am . the conjugation of the verb i have . the indicative or declaring mood . present tense . i have , thou hast , he hath : we have , ye have , they have . preterimperfect tense . i had , thou hadst , he had : we had , ye had , they had . preterperfect tense . i have had , thou hast had , he hath had : we have had , ye have had , they have had . future tense . i shall or will have , thou shalt or wilt have , he shall or will have : we shall or will have , ye shall or will have , they shall or will have . the imperatif or commanding mood . have thou , let him have : let us have , have ye , let them have . the optatif or wishing mood . present tense . oh that i had , oh that thou hadst , oh that he had : oh that we had , oh that he had , oh that they had . preterperfect tense . i shold have , thou sholdst have , he shold have : we shold have , ye shold have , they shold have . the subjunctif mood . present tense . if or in case that i have , if or in case thou hast , if or in case he had : if or in case we have , if or in case ye have , if or in case they have . infinitif mood . to have , aver , having aviendo . the auxiliary verb i am . the indicative or declaratory mood . present tense . i am , thou art , he is : we be or are , ye be or are , they be or are . preterimperfect tense . i was , thou wast , he was : we were , ye were , they were . preterperfect tense . i have bin , thou hast bin , he hath bin : we have bin , ye have bin , they have bin . future tense . i shall be , thou shalt be , he shall be : we shall be , ye shall be , they shall be . the imperative or commanding mood . be thou , let him be : let us be , be ye , let them be . the optatif or wishing mood . present tense . god grant i be , god grant thou be , god grant he be : god grant we be , god grant ye be , god grant they be . preterperfect tense . wold god i were , wold god thou werst , wold god he were : wold god we were , wold god ye were , wold god they were . the conjunctive mood . present tense . seeing that i am , seeing that thou art , seeing that he is : seeing that we be , seeing that ye be , seeing that they be . preterperfect tense . although i be , although thou be , although he be : although we be , although ye be , although they be . the infinitif mood . to be , to have bin , being . note , that verbs of all conjugations in english have their passifs generally ending in d , as i love yo amo , i am lov'd yo soy amado ; i fear yo temo , i am fear'd yo soy temido ; i fire yo quemo , i am fir'd yo soy quemado , &c. except verbs ending in ell , who commonly have their passifs ending in old , as i tell i am told , i sell vendo , i am sold soy vendido , &c. as also verbs ending in ind , who commonly have their passifs in ound , as i bind ato , i am bound soy atado ; i find hallo , i am found soy hallado ; i grind molo , i am ground soy molido , &c. as also divers verbs whose actifs end in ear , have their passifs in orn , i swear juro , i am sworn soy jurado ; i tear lacero , i am torn soy lacerado , &c. but in spanish estoy serves to make a paffif as often as soy , as shall be noted in the spanish grammar . now the difference 'twixt ser and estàr is , that ser signifies the essence of a thing , as ser bueno to be good ; estàr signifieth the local condition of a thing , as estàr ●n londres , to be in london , &c. an instance for the declining of a verb both actif and passif in english , 〈◊〉 may serve for all other . the indicatif or declaratory mood . the present t●nse . actif . passif . i desire i am desir'd thou desirest thou art desir'd he desireth : he is desir'd : we desire we are desir'd ye desire ye are desir'd they desire . they are desir'd . the preterimperfect tense . i did desire i was desir'd thou didst desire thou wast desir'd he did desire : he was desir'd : we did desire we were desir'd ye did desire ye were desir'd they did desire . they were desir'd . the aorist or preterperfect tense . i desired i was desired , as before . thou desiredst   he desired :   we desired   ye desired   they desired .   the preterpluperfect tense . here the verb , i am , turns to the auxiliary verb , i have . i had desir'd i had bin desir'd thou hadst desir'd thou hadst bin desir'd he had desir'd : he had bin desir'd : we had desir'd we had bin desir'd ye had desir'd ye had bin desir'd they had desir'd they had bin desir'd the future tense . i shall or will desire i shall or will be desir'd thou shalt or wilt desire thou shalt or wilt be desir'd he shall or will desire : he shal or wil be desir'd : we shall or will desire we shal or wil be desir'd ye shall or will desire ye shal or wil be desir'd they shall or will desire . they shall or will be desir'd . the imperatif or mood of command . desire thou be thou desir'd let him desire : let him be desir'd : let us desire let us be desir'd desire ye be ye desir'd let them desire . let them be desir'd . the optatif or wishing mood . the present tense . god grant i desire god grant i be desir'd god grant thou desire god grant thou be desird god grant he desire : god grant he be desir'd : god grant we desire god grant we be desir'd god grant ye desire god grant ye be desir'd god grant they desire . god grant they be desird the preterperfect tense . wold i desir'd wold i were desir'd wold thou desir'st wold thou werst desir'd wold he desir'd : wold he were desir'd : wold we desir'd wold we were desir'd wold ye desir'd wold ye were desir'd wold they desir'd . wold they were desir'd . the conjunctif mood . present tense . seeing that i desire seeing that i am desir'd seeing that thou desirest seeing that thou art desir'd seeing that he desireth : seeing that he is desir'd : seeing that we desire seeing that we be desir'd seeing that ye desire seeing that ye be desir'd seeing that they desire . seeing that they be desir'd . preterimperfect tense . although i desire although i be desir'd although thou desirest although thou be desir'd although he desires : although he be desir'd : although we desire although we be desir'd although ye desire although ye be desir'd although they desire . although they be desird . the infinitif mood . to desire to be desir'd to have desir'd to have bin desir'd desiring . being desir'd . according to this example other verbs actif ( unlesse they be irregulars ) and passif may be form'd . there are also in english as in spanish ( and all other languages ) impersonal verbs which are not distinguish'd by persons , as it grives me , it irketh me me pesa , it behoveth me me importa , it concerns me me toca , &c. we have hitherto treted of the principal parts of speech , we will now proceed to the rest , and first of adverbs . an adverb is a word without nomber that is joyn'd to another , and it comes either before or after a word , as well-bred bien criado , better-bred meior criado , ill-bred mal criado , &c. but most adverbs com after , with this syllable ly , as couragiously animosamente , devoutly devotamente , &c. and as in english most adverbs end in y , so in spanish and italian ) they end in ente , as the former examples shew . adverbs are either of quantity as much much● , too much demasiado , enough bastant-emente , together juntamente , &c. or they are adverbs of quality , and first of nomber as once , twice , thrice , una vez , dos vezes , tres veces ; the second are of time , as yesterday ayer , then entonces , when quando , presently luego , ever siempre , &c. the third are of place , as here aquì , there allà where adonde , yonder acullà , &c. the fourth are of affirmation or negation , i , yea , yes , si ; no , not , nay no ; the fift are of calling , as ho , hola , or exhorting or approving , as so , so , well , well ; or of wishing o , if : the sixt are of similitude , as likewise , so , even so , assi , tambien , &c. interjections . interjections are either of mirth , as ha ha ha ; or of grief , as ah , alas , woe is me , hay ay de mignay de mi ; or of rejection , as fie , fy-fy , ba ; or of scorn , as tu●h , &c. st is an interjection of silence ; rr 〈◊〉 set dogs together by the eares . prepositions . prepositions are separable as before delante , behind atras , according segun , among entre , without sin , afore antes , under or below debaxo , against contra , opuesto , enfrente ; over sobre , neer cerca , &c. inseparable prepositions are they which express nothing unlesse they be annexed to a word , as uncapable incapaz , undon deshecho , relief alivio , repress reprimir , resolution resoluciòn , &c. conjunctions . conjunctions are call'd so because 〈…〉 words together , as and y , my father and mother 〈◊〉 padre y mi madre , and this is call'd the 〈◊〉 conjunction . som are severing as but 〈…〉 although , though aunque , som are dis junctif as nor , neither , ni , nor i nor you , ni yo ni vos ; som are of reasoning , as for porque , because para que ; som are of illation as therefore , wherefore , so that portanto , &c. of the points of words and sentences . the english language as the spanish ( and others ) hath her points or notes of sub-distinction , of middle-distinction , and of a full-distinction ; which are call'd comma , colon , and period : a sub-distinction or comma is a note of a short breathing or pausing and is figur'd thus , the middle-distinction hath a longer time of breathing , and is a perfect part of the period which is figur'd thus : the period is the entire whole sentence , and is note● with a plain single point thus . ther is also a parenthesis which is two hal● moons , and is figur'd thus ( ) which though it 〈◊〉 an included sentence , yet albeit it be omitted the speech remaines perfect . ther is also a note of interrogation , and is figur'd thus ? ther is likewise a circumflect which is us'd whe● a word is contracted , which goes thus figur'd ▪ ther is besides a note of admiration which thus ! and lastly , ther is an apostrophe when a 〈◊〉 is cut off and is figur'd thus ▪ but the span●●● toung to her greter commendation hath none this . gramatica inglesa . gramatica es el arte de letras , como la palabra griega 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( de la qual ella se deriva ) denòta● de letras se hazen sylabas , de sylabas palabras , y de la coagmentacion de letras sylabas y palabras nace el hablar ò sermocinacion , lo qual es una de las mas eminentes prerogativas que tiene el genero humano sobre las demas criaturas sublunares ; porque aunque algunas dellas por arte y dureza vengan a proferir ciertas palabras , toda via no entienden lo que hablan por falta de la facultàd de la razon , siendo hombre solo el hijo de razon . de las letras ingleses , y de su pronunciacion , con ciertas observaciones sobre ellas . tocante el abecedario ( ò alfabeto ) de la lengua inglesa , tiene veynte quatro letras en todo , las quales se escriven en grandes ▪ y menudos caractéres , los grandes se figuran assi , abcdefghiklmnopq rstvwxyz estos grandes caracteres se usan por los nombres propios de personas , lugares , rios , &c. como charles carlos , katherine catalina , london londres , lisbon lisbona , severn sabrina , trent trenta ; algunas dellas son de gran cuenta , porque son numericas , como i haze uno , v cinco , l cinquenta , c ciento , d quinjentos , m mill . los menudos caractéres se figuran assi , abcdefghiklmnopqrstvwxyz . ahora , lo que los quatro elementos son en rispeto de todas criaturas corporeas en punto de generation , lo mismo son las letras a todos lenguajes , en punto de pronunciacion ; y como de los elementos , aunque pocos en numero , tan infinitas differentes species de criaturas son produzidas , como de sus primitivos y simples principios ; assi de tan pocas letras tanta infinidad de differentes vocablos son compuestos , y inombrables volumes , escritos y imprimidos , lo qual es una especulacion que ha caydo en el entendimiento de pocos . estas letras se dividen en vocales y consonantes , llamados assi porque no tienen algun sonido sin aver un vocal ò adelante ò atras , como b tiene e atràs , f tiene e adelante por hazerse pronunciable : destos consonantes quatro ay que se llaman liquidas , porque se van diritiendo en la boca , y hazen la pronunciacion mas blanda , las quales liquidas son l m n r. los vocales son . aeiou , la castellana tiene un vocable ( que ningun otra lengua tiene ) el qual comprehende todas las cinco , es a laber oveja ; verdad es que aquella transcendiente eterna palabra jehova las tiene tambien , mas la letra h ( que no es otra cosa sino una aspiration ) se entrepone . ahora , las letras vocales merecen bien la precedencia de todas las demàs , porque ningun consonante puede ser pronunciado sin que tenga una dellas adelante ●atràs ( como se dezia antes ) y por esto se llaman consonantes . a. la letra vocal a es la primera letra de todas las otras en cada lenguage , y tiene esta prioridàd por ser el mas naturàl movimiento y abertura de los labios ; siendo tambien ( segun cicero n ) la letra de absolucion y de consuelo ; el frances tiene un refran mucho por la honra de a , viz. està señalado con a , que quiere dezir es muy hombre de bien : esta podrà ser la razon porque a tiene tanto dominio entre los ingleses , porque ella ( con the ) sirve por articulo prepositivo a los substantivos y tambien a los adjectivos , como a man un hombre , a knight un cavallero , a sword una espada , a learned man un hombre cientifico , a valiant knight un cavallero valiente , a bright sword una espada luziente . a en inglès tiene dos prolationes differentes , una abjerta y clara como abraham , alabastro ; la otra mas cerrada , y como a media boca : mas in español ( y otros lenguajes ) tiene siempre la primcera prolacion , como da dios alas a la hormiga , para que se pierda mas ayna ; un refran que sentiende de los sobervios y ambiciosos . a precedien●o lm en ingles anega la letra l , y se buelue en u , como en calme bonança , que se pronuncia caume , psalme salmo pseaume , balme balsam● baume ; mas a recibe por esto un sonido mas abjerto , y dos sylabas vienen a ser una larga . e. e la segunda letra vocal , se pronuncia en ingel●s , como en otras lenguas : quando concluye una palabra ella se pronuncia floxamente , ò con discuydo , como en there allà , fire fuego , bare nudo : el español haze lo mesmo , como alcayde a warden ▪ combate a fight , combite a feast , escabeche pickle , azauache jett , padre father , madre mother : mas en el articulo prepositivo the el ò la , e tiene siempre una pronunciacion aguda . adonde e viene tras l teriendo dos consonantes adelante , una estraña transposicion acontece porque ella salta antes de l tomando el sonido de i , como epistle se pronuncia epistel , epistola ; thistle thistel , cardo ; little littel , poco ; prickle pri●kel , espina , &c. e passa tambien obscuramente quando ella concluye la postrera sylaba de un vocablo con el consonante n atras , como spoken hablado , broken quebrado , coffer cofre , brewes sopa , &c. quando e precede d por concluyr una diction ella pierde a vezes el sonido con un apostrofo , como tyred cansado , se pronun●ia tyr'd , restrained restrain'd ; quande e viene en el medio dio delante de a anegala , pero haze assi la sy●aba mas larga , como beast bestia , disease enfermidàd , feast combite , &c. e y i tienen tal amistàd en inglès que una supple el lugàr de la otra , y se usan indifferente mente a vezes , como enterchange ò interchange , trueque ; her ò hir , ella ; endure ò indure , sufrir ; endevor ò indevor , diligencia : lo mesmo acontece en españòl en ciertas palabras , como mismo ò mesmo , pedir ò pidir : el italiano lo haze amenudo , como refiutare ò rifiutare , referire ò riferire , reputate ò riputare , màs el florentino queda mas aficionado a i. i. i tiene un sonido muy particular en inglès , que es differente de los demàs lenguajes , porque el españòl ( y otr●os ) siempre pronuncia i , como el ingles su●le pronunciar ee , como mitio mee teeo , pimienta pepper , peemeeenta ; cinco ceenco , &c. màs el ingles pronuncia i como si fuesse el dipthongo ei , como pilot peilot , pilota ; pipe peipe , sampoña ; licence leicence , licencia : la qual pronunciacion es puro anglicismo . i se puede llamar una letra amfibola , porque annque sea voc . l por su navidàd , toda via ella degenera muy amenudo en consonante , ( lo que ella nunca haze en la hebrea y grièga ) el qual consonante tiene una affinidad con la letra g , de suerte que ella puede pedir dos caracteres teniendo ansi dos capacidades , como james iago , se pronuncia giames ; javelin javelina , giavelin ; joy alegria , gioy ; jeffrey godefrido , gieffrey , &c. o. la letra vocàl o se pronuncia con boca mas redonda que las demas , por esto tiene una figura orbicular ; es letra de mucha inconstancia en inglès ; a vezes tiene un sonido abjerto , como en coller collàr , corn grano , crosse cruz , crocodile crocodilo , &c. a vezes ella se pronuncia mas flacamente , como en colour color , cosen primo , mother madre , tomando ansi el sonido de u. sobre la u , o tiene un sonido rezio , como round rodondo , sound sonido , bound atado , &c. mas en la postrera sylaba delante de n ella pierde su sonido , como en devotion , compassion , person : delante de doble ● ò w , tambien ella quita su sonido naturàl , tomando ●l de u , como hollow hollu , hueco ; tallow tallu , cevo , &c. quando o fenece un vocablo se pronuncia reziamente en inglès , como en estas monosylabas , go andìd , so assi , no no , &c. antes del v consonante o tie●e varias pronunciaciones , como glove guante , dove paloma , grove arb●leda , jove iupiter . prisciano dize que ciertos lugares en italia no tenian o mas u en sulugar , y en otros lugares no tenian u , sino o en su ●ugàr , como leemos en los autores antiguos muy amenudo volgus , poblicum , polchrum , colpam ; y ●asta lo dicho desta letra inconstante . v. la letra vocàl u como i tiene privilegio deha●erse consonante muy amenudo , por tanto algunos las llaman las letras mestizas : v por su nudeza nunca fenee algun vocablo en inglès , màs se fortificà con ●n diptongo , y otras vezes toma e por seguirla , como en estas instancias , new nuevo , knew conocia , blue azùl , true verdadero , &c. a vezes el inglès pronuncia u como el francès en manera de sylvàr , el qual sonido es differente del español y el italiano , los quales la pronuncian como oo , como uno oono , usanza oosanza , &c. mas en inglès y francès u se pronuncia como fuesse un diptongo de ew , como cocu cornudo , cubit codo , se pronuncian como si fuessen escritas cokew , kewbit . el tudesco està sugeto de tornàr b en v a vezes , como ay un donozo cuento de un aleman , qui complementando su huespeda francesa dixo , mà foy madame vous avez veaux enfans , a fe señora teneys hijos muy bizerros , en lugar que avia de dezir beaux enfans , hijos bizarros . w ò doble uu . w ò doble uu se pronuncia en inglès con mayòr redondèz de los labios que la letra o , y con mucha mas fuerça especialmente si h sigue immediatamente , como whale balena , wheel rueda , whirligigg peonça ; pero adonde h no sigue tient una prolacion mas mansa , como en whirlwind remolino , do la primera w es mucho mas emfatica que la postrera . los tudescos mismos , donde los ingleses sacan su originàl y lenguage , no pueden pronunciar w ante de h por esto dizen wat p●r what , were por where , que es sendl que el inglès tiene mejores livianos en el pecho . el españòl no tiene esta letra w , ni menos el italiano y el francès . y. y se pronuncia como i , toda via ella queda mas constante a si mesma como teniendo en disden de degeuer àr de su primero ser , y de vocal haçerse consonante ; por tanto ella puede bien merecer el titulo de la 〈◊〉 de filosofia , ò la letra de pythagora . y en francês tiene tal peso que ella haze a vezes un vocablo de por si como voulez vous y aller , quereys yr allà , tambien es adverbio de lugar y persona : en español ella frequentemente haze una sylaba de por si como en yxar , yzar , &c. de los dipthongos . basta lo que dicho es de las letras vocales que se pueden llamàr los ligamentos ò las arterias que atan los huessos ò consonantes ; y los vivifican que sin esto serian como troncos muertos : agora passaremos a los dipthongos ingleses , y por ser compuestos de los vocales es bien razon que precedan a los cons●nantes . los dipthongos juntan unos vocales para que pisendan proferir un sonido mesclado , de suerte que dos sonidos se juntan en una sylaba : los dipthongos ingleses son diez , el primero ai ò ay , como maid moça , afraid amedrentado , may mayo , day dia : el segundo au ò aw , co●o austero austero , authentik authentico , law ley , awe obediencia : el tercer● ea , como east levante , earl conde : el quatro ei , como weight peso , streight derecho : el . ew , como dew rocio , few pocos : el . oi ò oy , como toil trabajo , soil tierra , boy muchacho , joy gozo : el . , como food bastimentos , good bueno : el . ou ò ow , como stout animoso , toung lengua , now agora : el . üi ò üy , como juice çumo : el postrero üoy , como buoy . no ay mas de tres palabras en inglès en las quales se hallan eo por diptongo , viz. people pueblo , jeopatd riesgo , yeoman labrador . el diptongo ae no se usa en inglès ò en español . de los consonantes . b. b es el primer consonante y la segunda letra del abecedario ; ella es la primera que junta los labios despues de nacidos , por tanto se ●ama la letra labial : en inglès b se pronuncia como en otros lenguages , mas no siempre como en español , donde ella se confunde muy amenudo con u en muchos vocablos , como bisoño ò visoño a young soldier , bimbrera ò vimorera an ozier . en griego tambien 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raese tornae much as vezes en 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , que hizo el tudesco dezir donosamente , si beta est veta , tunc bibere est vivere . màs la may or alabança de b es , que ella es la letr● de innocencia , por ser el tono de la oveja , que es emblema de la innocencia . c. algunos criticos autores ay qui no quedan aficionado a la letra c , llamandola la letra mestiza , siend● ni varon ni hembra , mas un monstro ò espiritu , que por sus imposturas ella toma los sonidos de sk q , que ella es superflua a causa del mesmo sonido que tiene con ellas ; mas sin duda ellos sengañan , porque com● podriamos pronunciar cheshire cheese , chisel , chivalry , y otros vocablos sin ella ? en la l●ngua italiana ella emprunta tambien el sonido de g algunas vezes , como castigo por gastigo , en castellano ( y francès ) quaendo se pronuncia como s , ella and a suportada con un semicirculo abaxo ç , y entonees ella se llama c cedilla , como çaratan the kanker , çapato a shooe , çarça a bramble , &c. que van pronunciados como si fuessen escritas saratan , sapato , sarsa . d. d es una tan delicada letra en ingles , que ella no admite algun otro consonante de seguilla eceto r , como dreams sueños , drink bevida , drop gota , dragon drago , drum atambor , &c. ella se pronuncia en inglès , como en otros lenguajes , mas en español quando se halla entre dos vocales , ò antes qual quier otro en medio ò en la fin de una palabra , ella se va derritiendo en th , como el ingles las pronuncia en that ò the , como dadivas entran sin taladro , las quales palabras van pronunciados como si fuessen escritas , dathivas entran sin talathro : la lengua antigua de los bretones corresponde con la castellana en esto , porque ellos pronuncian dd en la mesma manera , como heb ddew heb d●im , nada sin dios. f. f tiene la honra de hazer uno de los mas altos tonos en la musica , y que es mas , de ser la primera letra de la mas alta virt●ud espirituàl es a saber la fe : ella se pronuncia en inglès como en otros lenguajes . g. g en ingles tiene dos differentes pronunciationes , una delante de a , o , y u , como gard guarda , gold oro , gulph golfe , &c. otra delante de e y i , como gentleman hidalgo , german tudesco , gibbet horca , gian● gigante , &c. toda via muchos vocablos ay que quando ella precede i , se pronuncia como delante de a , o , y u , como giddy vertiginoso , gift dàdeva , girdle cinta , &c. h. h es la letra del aliento ò aspiracion , por tanto se puede llamàr la letra de la vida , porque sin aliento no ay vida ; por tanto me ofpanto porque los griegos no vinieron a dalla lugàr en su alfabeto . algunos la llaman un espiritu , màs sea espiritu , letra ò aspiracion , el abecedario scria sin aliento sin ella , otros la ilaman la reyna de los consonantes . en algunas palabras h se escrive mas no tiene sonido , como en humor humòr , honor honra , humble humilde , host huesped , &c. las quales se pronuncian umor , onor , umble , ost . th tiene dos sonidos en inglès el uno fuerte comola griega θ theta , como thunder trueno , thursday iueves , thousand mil , thirsty sediento , theef ladron , thought pensamiento , &c. màs th en otras palabras se pronuncian mansamente , como d en castellano , como this esto , that aquello , thine tuyo , thither là , thence de là , then entonces , thou tu , &c. htras w tiene unamas rezia aspiracion en inglès que en algun otro lenguage , como what que cosa , wheat trigo , wheel rueda , when quando , where adonde , whore puta , whale balena , &c. ph se pronuncia en inglès como en español ( y otras lenguas ; ) màs se observa que en español y italiano no se halla ph , porque ellos la tornan en f , como philosopher filosofo , phillip felipe , phantasie fantasia , &c. ch se pronuncia en inglès como en español ( y italiano tambien ) como china , chamber cama , chee●e queso , cherry cereza , &c. en los qualos vocablos ch se pronuncia como el español pronuncia ch en chico , chicon , chirlar , màs el francès pronuncia ch muy differentemente como sh , como china shina , chalupa shalupa , &c. k. k es traviessa que desdeña servir el español ò el italiano , ni el latin ò el francès , si no en esta palabra kalendas , por tanto ellos se sirven de c en su lugàr ; màs el inglès las usa indifferentemente ; toda via k en inglès no precede algun otro consonante si no n , como knight cavallero , knowledge ciencia , knave vellaco , knife cuchillo , knee rodilla , &c. l. l tiene la honra de haçer el mas alto tono en la musica , porque ella tiene una prolacion gentily mansa , por esso algunos la llaman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , porque ella ablanda el techo de la boca . los ingleses pronuncian l como los españoles , mas adonde se hallan ll en castellano , sea en el principio ò en el medio de una palabra , la postrera l torna en i , como en lloro , calle , callar , lleno , que se pronuncian como si fuessen escrias lioro , calie , caliar , lieno . los antiguos bretones en ingalatierra tienen tambien un muy particular sonido de ll , el qual ningun otrà nacion puede pronunciàr , si la persona no se cria entre ●llos muy moço ; la pronunciacion es tan difficil al inglès , que queda forçoso de tornalla en fl , como floyd por lloyd , &c. m. m bien se puede llamàr letra labial con b , y duda ay la qual dellas haçen juntar los labios primera en un 〈◊〉 . leemos que el frigio infante , del qual el rey tolomeo se servia por sober qual lengua era la mas natural al genero umano , produzia primero bec , que significa pan en aquel lenguaje : mas los antiguos bretones en ingalatierra tienen que m es la primera letra que haze juntar los labios , porque 〈◊〉 ay otr● vocablo por madre en inglès que mam , que todos infantes nascanse debaxo de qualquier clima que sea pronuncian articulatamente luego que entran en el mundo . m se pronuncia clara en el principio , màs cerredamente en el medio , y obscuramente en la fin de un vocablo inglès , como martyrdom martyrio , marjerom origano , mammalucks mamaluques , &c. n. n en inglès se pronuncia como en español , ( y otros lenguajes ; ) màs en castellano tiene esta singularidàd , de aver unariga direcha encima , exempli gratia fi , y entonces se deve pronunciàr como si i siguiesse immediatamente , como en este proverbio , fue la negra al baño , y tuuo que contar todo el año ; en estas palabras baño y año han de pronunciarse como si fueran escritas banio anio . esta letra ñ suena algo en las norizes , y tiene tres grados de sonidos en inglès fuerte en el principio , flaco en en medio , y escuramente en el fin . p. p se puede llamàr la tercera letra labial tras de b y m , car ella tambien hazen los labios toparse ; en italiano ella se transforma algunas vezes en u , como soprano sourano , coperta couerta . q. q se hà apoderado del lugar que k tenia en los siglos atras entre los antiguos saxones nuestros tartar abuelos , los quales a penas conocieron esta letra culatica que màs antes de la conquista normana solian escrevir kuill por quill , penna ; kuire por quire , coro , &c. màs los franceses-normanos trayendo consigo muchas palàbras latinas , como question , quantity , quintessence , y otras , quitaron el uso de k ; toda via q es tan pobre letra en inglès , que no tiene lugar sin que u la siga immediatamente . r. ay una nacion muy populenta y grande hazia el levante , llamada los chineses , ( los quales escriven y leer perpendicularmente ) qui no tienen la letra r en su alfabeto , por esto llaman los tartaros sus vezmos màs cercanos tataos , y la razon puede ser porque la letra r se llama la letra canina ò perruna segun el poeta , — sonat haec de nare canina litera , esta letra suena de una nariz perruna : por esto las mugeres de francia la dexan sin pronunciar en fin de palabras muchas vezes . en inglès r se pronuncia como en español y otras lenguas . s. s aunque sea llamada la letra serpentina a causa de su chifladura , y tambien por su figura ; toda via ella chifla mansamente contra las enzias : ella tiene diversas pronunciaciones en inglès , en el principio tiene un sonido agudo , como en sabbath sabado , sable zebelina , &c. mas en el medio y fin de vocablos ( si no va doblada ) tiene un sonido manso como z , como rose , wise , gems , rimes ; mas donde ella va doblada se pronuncia agudamente . t. la letra t tiene una prolacion constante en inglès , eceto que quando ella precede i hazia el fin de palabras , como en generation , action , faction , do t torna en c , como se eseriven en español , generacion , accion , faccion . x. la letra x a penas tiene la estima de letra en inglès , porque no ay ningun vocable qui comiença con ella ; mas en el medio , y en la fin se halla amenudo , como en sixty sesenta , vexe congojar , sexe sexo , &c. tambien x concluye algunas palabras , como flax estopa , fox raposa , six seys , que se suenan como si fuessen escritas flacks , focks , sicks : porque x tiene esta prerogativade ser compuesta de tres consonantés ( que ningun otra letra tiene ) es a saber de c k s , loqual siendo assi el anagramma de orcus que se hizo de uxor , era algo ingenioso , — uxor & orcus idem . en espaī ol la letra x se usa mucho en el principio , medio y fin de vocablos , que vino de los moros , los quales tuvieron la mayor parte de españa . años , como xarcias , xapin , xarava , &c. z. la letra z es la postrera del abecedario , y muy propiamente , porque es el postrer sonido que se haze en la boca al salir del mundo ; no ay en inglès mas de los ò tres palabras en todo que comiençan con z , viz. zealous , zeal , zealot , con algunos terminos de astronomia , como zona , zenith , zodiaco , y ciertos nombres griegos , como xenefon , xerxes , &c. y basta lo que dicho es de las letras senzillas . de las sylabas . aviendo tradado de los elementos de hablat , ●or a procederemos a las composiciones de letras y pri●ero de las sylabas . sylaba es parte de palabra la qual rende un sonido ●●●iculado ; se haze a vezes ( como assi en español ) 〈◊〉 una sola letra , como amazd assombrado , equippage arejo , imagination imaginacion , ominous deastro●● usurer logrero ; en los quales vocablos a , e , i , o , u en principio hazen una sylaba enter a de por si . sylaba de mas letras està compuesta ò de dipthon●● ò vocales solos , como ayder ayudadòr , auditor au●nciero , eating comiendo ; not arse hà que aunque un 〈◊〉 puede hazer una sylaba , toda via ningun conso●●te puede hazer lo sin un vocàl añadido : sylabas 〈◊〉 consonante se hazende dos letras , como no ; ò de 〈◊〉 , como the el , que se suele escrevir corto en inglès●esta ●esta manera the ; ò se hazen sylabas de mas letras , como that , then , with , aquello , entonces , con , que se escriven cortas a vezes , como that y en w th ; sylabas ●y de . letras , como there allà , which que , se escriven cortas assi y ere w th . sylabas ay qui tienen dos consonantes por un vocàl , como cry grido ; otras tienen tres , como drab puta ; o●ras tienen . como dregs heces ; otras . como string cuerda ; otras . como strength fuerca ; algunas sylabas ay qui tienen . consonantes por un vocàl , como strengths fuerça ; lo que muestra quanta virtùd tiene 〈◊〉 vocàl de poder dàr vida a tantos consonantes . el polacco tiene a vezes diez consonantes s●rviendo un vocal solo , de suerte que se dize que el polacco quando habla arroja sus palabras como piedras en lal ●ara . tocante la posicion ò cantidàd de sylabas , no ay otra lengua , que yo sepa , ecceto la griega y la latina , qui tiene algunas reglas ciertas para esto ; no ay tanta ●arte y trabajoen inglès ò español , ò algun otro lenguaje occidentàl porque sus composiciones metricas , ●versos y rimas se derivan del solo instinto de la natura , y como dize aristoteles , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , es a saber de una libre , y natural composicion sin ●●ser cautivado a las cantidades de sylabas . los griegos tampoco antes de omero , y los romanos antes livio andronico , ●o eran tan curiosos en la observacion de la cantidàd de sylabas . agora es consentaneo a la razon , que hablemos de los accentos de sylabas , que son como los tonos de la voz , y no observando el accento puede ser que una palabra venga a ser muy mal pronunciada , como dèsert eremo , y desèrt mericimiento ; tórment tormento , tormènt atormentado ; óbject , object , objèct objectàr ; íncense incenso ; cònvert convertido , convèrt convertàr : agora toca al accento de hazernos pronunciàr rectamente , y adonde se halla el accento es menester proferir aquella sylaba emfaticamente y con mayor fuerça . enlos adverbios el accento es ordinariamente en la primera sylaba , como mèrrily alegramente , hèavily●ristemente ●ristemente . las dissylabas y trissylabas tienen tambien por lo commun el accento en la sylaba primera , como wìnter invierno , sómmer estio , síngular singular , pròvidence providencia . vocablos tambien terminantes en able sean de . ò . sylabas tienen el accento en la primera , como fable , sènsible , sòciable , àmiable ; ecceto abóminable , detéstable . palabras terminando en tion ò sion , tienen el accento ordinariamente en la sylaba que precede , como conténtion contienda , confúsion confusion , abominátion abominacicion : màs en espa●nol tiene el accento en tales vocables en la sylaba postrera . cada dissylaba feneciendo en ish , ry , er , el , et , ò on , tienen el accento en la primera sylaba , como slávish esclavoso , màrry esposàr , hòver meneàr , dàmsel donzella , pàcket paquete , gámmon pernil , bácon tocino . c●no . palabras fenecientes en nt tienen el accento communemente en la postrera sylaba , como lamènt , extènt , contènt , &c. agora venimos a la calidàd de palabras , por sabèr si son primitivas ò derivativas . la mayor parte de vocablos primitivos en inglès son monosylabos ; los miembros del cuerpo lo son capapie , como head cabeça , heart coraçon , guts tripas , knee rodilla , foot pie : lo que discubre la inglesa de ser hija de la tudesca . el español todo al contrario se deleyta en polysylabas ; y adonde el inglès sexprime en una sylaba , el se sirve de . ò . como thoughts pens amientos , fray levantatamiento , &c. lo que se estima un punto de subiduria en el español , porque mientras que habla tiempo toma para pensàr en la materia . tambien ay en la lengua inglesa vocablos simples y compuestos , como love amor , lovely amoroso ; man varòn , manly vironìl ; wise sabio , unwise necio : y en est a composicion de palabras , la lengua inglesa es assi tan feliz , y atrevida que qualqueir otra , sacando fuera la griega , que sobrepuja a todas en este particulàr ; porque el inglès suele juntar dos substantivos , como cut-purse cortadòr de bolsas , self-love amòr de si mesmo , a milhorse cavalio de molino , &c. y algunas vezes una junta ay de tres substantivos en un vocablo , como tap-house-keeper bod●gonero , a foot-ball-play jugador a pelota , &c. de las partes de oracion en la lengua inglesa . ocho partes ay de la oracion en inglès comoen otras lenguas , viz. nome , pronome , verbo , participio , adverbio , conjunction , preposition , interjection ; a las quales añadimos los articulos the el ò la , y a un una , que los latinos no tienen , de los quales el primer articulo es definito , y termina el entendimiento , como the sword la espada , the book el libro , que denota una particular espada ò libro ; el otro articulo es indefinito , como a sword una espada , a book un libro , que denotan la idea general de espadas y libros . ay otra differencia entre the y a , porque the se puede aplicar al numoro plural tambien , como the swords las espadas ; mas el articulo a se aplica solo al singulàr . los nombres propios son incapazes destos articulos . agora de las partes cada una de por si . de nombre . ay nombre substantivo y adjectivo , el primero se puede entender de si mismo , como yglesia a church , calle a street , &c. el adjectivo no tiene realidad alguna sin que se aplique a un substantivo , como blanco white , lindo fair , &c. el inglès tiene esta singularidàd sobre otras lenguas , ( mas no merece mucho loor por ello ) que el adjectivo precede el substantivo , como brown bread baço pan , a wise man sabio hombre ; màs otras naciones postponen el adjectivo , diziendo pan baço , hombre sabio . los nombres substantivos ò son comunes , como bridg puente , river rio , &c. ò son propios , como rialto ( particulàr puente en venecia ) severn sabrina ; ò personales , como charles carlos , katharine catal●na . cinco generos ay que pertenesen a los nombres , el masculino , que comprehende las cosas debaxo de una idea masculina , como bulls toros , men hombres , &c. el feminino che comprehende qualquier cosa feminina , como woman hembra , does ciervos . el genero neutro cuya nocion concibe ni el otro sexo , debaxo del qual las cosas inanimatas se comprehenden , como civdades , rios , navios ; porque aunque se llaman por nombres masculinos , toda via hablamos dellos en el genero feminino en hiscurso ; como eboracum la cividad de york , rhenus el rio rheno , el carlos real un galeon . el quarto genero es el epiceno ò genero promiscuo , quo comprehende ambos sexos , como dogs , horses , dere , cavalgadura , venado , &c. los quales vocab●os significan ambos sexos . el quinto es el comùn ò duvoso genero , como frend , gossip , neighbour , cosin , &c. los quales tambien intiman entrambos sexos : màs en español ( y otros lenguajes ) se van differenciando por la masculina y feminina terminacion , como amigo amiga , vezino vezina , primo prima , &c. que es una ventaja que la inglesa lleva sobre las demas lenguas . ay ciertos diminutivos propios a todas lenguajes ; los diminutivos de algunos substantivos en inglès fenecen en ell , como cock cockrell , part parcell , &c. otros en ing , co●o goose gosling , duck duckling , &c. otros en ock , como bull bullock , hill hillock : otros en et , como baron baronet . los adjectivos tambien tienen sus diminutivos , como cold coldish , black blackish , green greenish , &c. ay tambien diminutivos de nombres propios de hombres y hembras en inglès , como christopher kitt , gregory grigg , richard dick , magdalen maudlin , katherine kate , elizabeth besse , &c. màs algunos nombres ay que no tienen diminutivos , como peter , james , stephen , &c. màs el espanol en esto tiene diminutivos , y sub-diminutivos mas que otros , como simòn , simoncico , simoncillo , simoncicico , simoncicillo ; miguel , miguelico , miguelillo ; catalina , catalinica , catalinilla ; francisca , francisquita , francisquilla , &c. los adjectivos ingleses tienen tambien sus grados comparativos , y algunos tienen dos comparativos , y dos superlativos , que otros lenguajes no tienen ; exprimen el uno ò por la palabra more mas , ò añadiendo er a la fin del positivo , como wise more wise , or wiser , stout more stout , or stouter , &c. ansi el superlativo sexprime ò por la palabra most , ò añadiendo est ala findel positivo , como wise most wise wisest , stout most stout stoutest , &c. mas ay ciertos adjectivos ecetuados desta regla generàl , como good better best , bad worse worst , little lesser least . adjectivos terminnado e● ous admiten sus comparativos y superlativos solamente por estas palabras more y most , como glorious , more glorious , most glorious ; ansi specicus , famous , victorious , &c. los adjectivos ingleses ordinariamente no tienen el nombre plural , mas el singular sirve por entrambos , que es una not able ventaja ; mas los substantivos tienen sus plurales unos terminando en s , como king kings , stagg staggs , &c. otros terminan en en , como man men , woman women , oxe oxen , &c. como en otros lenguajes ay ciertos irregulares vocablos ( aunque sean pucos ) que declinan las dichas terminacione , como mouse mice , louse lice , tooth teeth , foot feet , &c. algunos substantivos ay que no admiten el nombre plural ( y son de peso ) como gold oro , silver plata , brasse bronzo , copper cobre , tinn estaño , ( y otros minerales tampoco tienen plural en español ) rest , bread , beer , ale , &c. otros substantivos tienen el plural solo , como goods bienes , riches , necessaries , do se hà de observàr que necessaries el substantivo nace del adjectivo necessary . llegamos ahora alos pronombres , llamados assi porque suplen algunas v●zes el lugàr de nombres , y los tomaremos cada uno en su grado començando con las personas , i , thou , he , we , ye , they , yo , tu , el , nosotros , vosotros , aquellos : que se declinan ansi : the first person . singular . plural . nom. i , yo we , nos ò nosotros gen. of me , de mi of us , de nos ò nosotros dat. to me , a mi to us , a nos ò nosotros accus . me , me us , nos ò nosotros voc. o me , o me o we , o nosotros ablat . with me , comigo . with us , con nosotros . the second person . singular . plural . nom. thou , tu yee , vos vosotros gen. of thee , de ti of you , de vos de vosotros dat. to thee , a ti to you , a vos ò vosotros accus . thee , te you , vos vosotros voc. o thou , o tu o you , o vos o vosotros abl. from or with thee , de ti ò contigo . from or with you , de ò con vos ò vosotros . the third person . singular . plural . nom. he , el they , ellos gen. of him , de el ò del of them , de ellos ò dellos dat. to him , a el ò al to them , a ellos accus . him , el them , ellos ò a elloss voc. o he , o el o they , o ellos abl. from or with him , del ò con el. from them , de ellos o dellos . ay en inglès quatro pronombres possessivos , my ò mine , mi ò mio ; my adelanta siempre una palabra empeçando con consonante , como my cloak mi capa , my hat mi sombrero , &c. mine adelanta un vocablo comencando con vocal ò h , como mine aunt mi tia , mine heritage mi herencia , &c. màs mine se halla mas amenudo de por si por un possessivo , particularmente en respuesta a una pregunta , como whose sword is this ? mine ; cuya espada es esta ? lamia . los plurales de my y mine son our ours , los quales son tambien possessivos . los segundos possessivos son thy , thine , como thy house tu casa , thine arme tu braço , thine hand tu mano ; y thine como mine adelantan vocablos comentando con un vocàl . thine tambien es possessivo de si mesmo a una pregunta , como whose land is that ? thine . los plurales de thy thine son your yours , que son possessivos de si mesmos . los terceros possessivos son her hers , con sus plurales their theirs ; como her distaf su rueca , her maidenhead su virginidad ; whose ring is this ? hers . mas el español ( ni el italiano ò el francès ) no tiene ●ste feminino possessivo de distinction , sirviendose de 〈◊〉 y suyo . which , who , that son pronombres relativos refe●iendo a las palabras delante ; mas which y who refie●en propiamente a cos as vivas , y that a cos as inanima●●s , como the man which preach'd yesterday , el hom●●e que predicava ayer ; the lady who passed this way , la dama que passava por aqui ; the stones that went to build pauls , las piedras que yvan a fabricar san pablo . what , whose son pronombres interrogativos , tambien lo son which y who sobredichos a vezes . ay ciertos pronombres compuestos , como my self , thy self , him self , her self , &c. del verbo . el verbo , es una de las mas principales y necessarias partes de una lengua : se puede llamar el alma de la habla , porque aunque todas las palabras del mundo se junten , toda via ninguna sentencia , sea interrogativa ò qualquier otra se puede hazer sin el : y como los vocales animan palabras , assi los verbos animan sentencias ; que puede ser la razon porque tiene tanta latitùd en la lengua latina , porque la palabra verbum se extende a todas las partes de la oracion . verbo en inglès como en español ( y otras lenguas ) tiene . distinctiones de tiempos , el presente , como i pray or do pray , yo ruego ; el tiempo passado , como i prayed or did pray , yo rogava ; el futuro ò el tiempo venidero , como i shall or will pray , yo rogarè . las terminaciones de verbos en inglès es la misma en ambos nombres ( eceto la segunda y tercera persona en el singular ) como i live , we , ye , they live , &c. no es assi en español , como yo vivo nos vivimos , &c. ni en otros ●eng●ajes , lo qual es gran ventaja a los que aprenden ●●nglès . ay en la lengua inglesa verbos activos , passivos y eutros , como en español , como i love yo quiero , es ●ctivo : i am lov'd yo soy querido , es passivo añadiend endo el verbo auxiliario am soy : el neutro es donde el verbo am soy , no puede ser juntado , como i live vivo , i weep lloro , &c. el inglès como los otros lenguajes tiene sus conjugaciones y cadencias de verbos : los verbos de la primera a conjugacion algunos fenecen en all , como to call , to fall , to install , to inthrall , &c. cuyos participios se haçen añadiendo ing y d , como calling call'd , installing install'd , &c. otros terminan en are , como to dare , to pare , to share , &c. otros en ace , com● to chace , to face , to grace , to lace , to trace , to imbrace , &c. verbos de la segunda conjugacion algunos fenecen en eare , como to beare , to sheare , to teare , to weare , &c. cuyos participios terminan en ing y orne , como bearing , shearing , tearing , borne , shorne , torne . otros fenecen en ease , como to ease , to please , to displease , &c. otros en ead , como to lead , to knead , to read , to spread , to tread , &c. verbos de la tercera conjugacion unos terminan en ite , como to bite , to write , to indite , &c. otros en ight , como to fight , to fright , to light , to right , &c. otros en ell , como to quell , to sell , to tell , &c. otros en ink , como to drink , to link , to sink , to think , to shrink , &c. los verbos de la quarta conjugacion unos terminan en y , como to dy , to ly , to cry , to fly , to try , &c. otros en ire , como to hire , to desire , to inquire , &c. otros en ine , como to shine , to dine , to fine , to decline , to confine , to incline , &c. notarse hàque los verbos monosylabos vienen de la tudesca , los otros de la lengua francesa . tambien se ha de notar que los participios del tiempo presente terminan en ing , y del tiempo preterito end , por lo mas , en todos verbos ingleses , ec●to ciertos irregulares . la conjugacion del verbo , i have yo hè . el modo indicativo ò declarativo . el tiempo presente . yo he , tu has , aquel ha : nosotros avemos , vos aveis , aquellos han . el tiempo preterito imperfecto . yo avia , tu avias , el avia : nos aviamos , vos aviades , ellos avian . el tiempo preterperfecto . yo uve , tu uviste , aquel uvo : nos uvimos , vos uvistes , aquellos uvieron . el tiempo futuro . yo avrè , tu avràs , el avrà : nos avremos , vos avreis , ellos avràn . el modo imperativo ò de mandàr . ave , aya el : ayamos , ayed ò ayays , ayan ellos . el modo optativo , ò de dessear . el tiempo presence . oxala . si yo oviesse , si tu oviesses , si el oviesse : si no oviessemos , si vos oviesses , si ellos oviessen . el tiempo imperfect . yo avria , tu avrias , el avria : nos avriamos , vos avriades , ellos avrian . el modo subjunctivo . el tiempo presente . como yo aya , como tu ayas , como el aya : como nos ayamos , como vos ayays , como ellos ayan . el modo ayudadoro yo soy . el modo indicativo ò declaratorio . el tiempo presente . yo soy , tu ere 's , el es : nos somos , vos soys , ellos son . el tiempo preterimperfecto . yo era , tu eras , el era : nosotros eramos , vosotros erades , ellos eran . el tiempo preterperfecto . yo he sido , tu has sido , el ha sido : nos avemos sido , vos aveys sido , ellos han sido . el tiempo futuro . yo serè , tu seras , el serà : nos seremos , vos sereys , ellos seran . el modo imperativo ò para mandar . se tu , sea el ò aquel : seamos , sed vosotros , sean ellos ò aquellos . el modo optativo ò de dessear . el tiempo presente . que yo sen , que tu seas , que el sea : que nosotros seamos , que vosotros seays , que ellos sean . el tiempo preterperfecto . si yo fuesse , si tu fuesses , si el fuesse : si nos fuessemos , si vos fuessedes , si ellos fuessen . el modo conjuctivo . el tiempo presente . como yo fuere , como tu fueres , como el fuere : como nos fueremos , como vos fueredes , como ellos fuèren . el tiempo preterperfecto . aunque yo sea , aunque tu seas , aunque el sea : aunque nos seamos , aunque vos seays , aunque ellos sean . el modo infinitivo . ser , haver sido , siendo . se hà de observàr que los verbos en inglès tienen sus passivos generalmente terminando en d , como i love yo amo , i am lov'd yo soy amado ; i fear yo temo , i am fear'd yo soy temido ; i fire i am fir'd , yo yo quemo yo soy quemado : eceto verbos en ell , qui tienen sus passivos en old , como i tell i am told , i sell i am sold , &c. y verbos en ind , cuyos passivos terminan en ound , como i bind i am bound , yoato yo soy atado ; i find i am found , yo hallo yo soy hallado ; i grind i am ground , yo molo yo soy molido ; con muchos otros tambien que fenecen en orn , como i swear i am sworn , yo juro yo soy jurado ; i tear i am torn , yo lacero yo soy lacerado , &c. mas en español estoy sirve por hazer un verbo passivo tan amenudo que soy , como se ver à en la gramatica . agora la differencia que ay entre ser y estar es , que el primero significa la essencia de una cosa , como ser bueno ; estar significa la condicion local , como yo estoy en londres , i am in london , &c. una instancia para declinar un verbo activo 〈◊〉 assivo en ingles , que pueda servir por los demas . el modo indicativo ò declaratorio . el ●iempo presente . activo . passivo . to desseo yo soy desseado tu desseas tu ere 's desseado el dessea : el es desseado : nos desseamos nos somos desseados vos desseays vos soys desseados ellos dessean . ellos son desseados . el tiempo preterimperfecto . yo desseava yo era desseado tu desseavas tu eras desseado el desseava : el era desseado : nos desseavamos nos eramos desseados vos desseavades vos erades desseados ellos desseavan . ellos eran desseados . el aoristo ò tiempo preterperfecto . yo desseè yo fui desseado tu desseaste tu fuiste desseado el desseò : el fue desseado : nos desseamos nos fuimos desseados vos desseastes vos fuistes desseados ellos desseàron . ellos fueron desseados . el tiempo preterpluperfecto . donde ser torna en el verbo ayudodòr aver . yo avìa desseado yo avia sido desseado tu avias desseado tu avias sido desseado el avia desseado : el avia sido desseado : nos aviamos desseado nos aviamos sido desseados vos aviades desseado vos aviades sido desseados ellos avian desseado . ellos avian sido desseados el tiempo futuro . yo dessearè ye serè desseado tu dessearàs tu seràs desseado el dessearà el serà desseado : nos dessearemos nos seremos desseados vos desseareys vos sereys desseados ellos dessearàn . ellos seran desseados . el modo imperativo ò de comandar . dessee tu se tu desseado dessee el : sea el desseado : desseamos nosotros seamos nos desseados desseed vosotros sed vosotros desseados desseen ellos sean ellos desseados . el modo optativo ò de dessear . el tiempo presente . oxala ò plega a dios. que yo dessees que yo sea desseado que tu dessees que tu seas desseado que el dessee : que el sea desseado : que nos desseemos que nos seamos desseados que vos desseeys que vos seays desseados que ellos desseen que ellos sean desseados . el tiempo preterperfecto . si yo desseasse si yo fuesse desseado si tu desseasses si tu fuesses desseado si el desseasse : si el fuesse desseado : si nos desseassemos si nos fuessemos desseados si vos desseassedes si vos fuessedes desseados si ellos desseassen . si ellos fuessen desseados . el modo conjunctivo . el tiempo presente . como yo desseàre como yo fuere desseado como tu desseàres como tu fueres desseado como el desseàra : como el fuere desseado : como nos dessearemos como nos fueremos desseados como vos desseareys como vos fueredes desseados como ellos desseàren . como ellos fueren desseados el tiempo preterimperfecto . aunque yo dessee aunque yo sea desseado aunque tu dessees aunque tu seas desseado aunque el dessee : aunque el sea desseado : aunque nos desseemos aunque nos seamos desseados aunque vos desseeys aunque vos seays desseados aunque ellos desseen . aunque ellos sean desseados el modo infinitivo . dessear ser desseado aver desseado aver sido desseado desseando siendo desseado . segun este exemplo otros verbos activos ( eceto ciertos irregulares ) y passivos se pueden formàr . el inglès tiene tambien sus verbos impersonales , como el español ( y otros ) los quales no van distinguidos por personas , como it grieves me , it irketh me , me pesa , it behoveth me me importa , it concerns me me toca , &c. hasta agora avemos tratado de las partes mas principales de la oracion , procederemos a las demàs , ● primeramente de los adverbios . adverbio es palabra sin nombre que se junta con ●●ra , y viene adelante ò tras de una palabra , como well 〈◊〉 bien criado , better bred mejor criado , ill bred 〈◊〉 criado , &c. mas los adverbios por la mayor 〈◊〉 vienen atràs , como couragiously animosamente , devoutly devotamente , &c. y como en inglès todos ●dverbios casi fene●en en y , assi en español ( y italia●o ) fenecen en ente . los adverbios ò son de cantidàd , como much 〈◊〉 , too much demasiado , enough bastantemente , to●ether juntamente , &c. ò son de calid●d , y los prime●● de numero , como once , twice , thrice , una vez , ●os 〈◊〉 , tres vezes : los segundos son de tiempo , como ●esterday ayer , then en●onces , when quando , 〈◊〉 luego , ever siempre , &c. los terceros son de 〈◊〉 , como here aqui , there alla , where adonde , 〈◊〉 aculla , &c. los quatros son de afirmation ò negacion , i , yea , yes , si ; no , not , nay , no : los quintos son parallamar , como hola ola : otros son para amonestar ò aprovar , come so , so-so , well , assi , bien està : otros desséan , como ô if : los seys son de similitùd , como , as , so , likewise , even so , assi , tambien , &c. interjeciones . interjeciones son ò de alegria , como ha , ha , ha : ò de congoja , como ah , alas , wo is me , hay , ay de mi , guay de mi : ò de aborecimiento , como fy , fy-fy , foh , ba : ò de desden , como tush , &c. st es interjecion de silencio : rr para incitar los perros . preposiciones . preposiciones ò son separables , como before delante , behind atras , according segun , among entre , without●in ●in , afore antes , under or below debaxo , against con●●ra , opuesto , enfrente , over sobre , neer cerca , &c. las preposiciones inseparables no exprimen nad a sin ●●r juntadas con otro vocablo , como incapable incapaz , ●ndone deshecho , relief alivio , represse reprimir , re●lution resolucion , &c. conjunciones . conjunciones se llaman assi porque ata● las pala●●● , como and y , my father and my mother , mi pa●●● y mi madre : y esta se llama la conjuncion copula●va : otros apartan , como but mas , albeit although a●nque : otras son disjunctivas , como nor , neither ni ; ni yo ni vos , nor i nor you : otras proceden de razanando , como for , because porque : otras son de ilacion , como therfore , wherfore , so that , por tanto , &c. de los puntos de palabras y sentencias . la lengua inglesa●omo ●omo la castellana ( y otras ) tiene sus puntos y not a● de subdistincion , de media distincion , y de complida distincion , que se llaman comma , colon y periodo . una subdistincion ò comma es nota do corto aliento , y se figura assi , la media distincion tiene aliento mas largo , y se puedo dezir cumplida parte del periodo , y se sigura assi : periodo es la sentencia entera , y va figurada de un punto senzillo assi . ay tambien l● parenthesis , que se figura como dos medias lunas assi ( ) y aunque sea incluyda en la sentencia , toda via en ometiondola , la sentencia no dexa de ser perfecta . ay tambien nota de interrogacion , que se figura assi ? mas desto ay nota de circumflexion , quando el vocablo va abreviado , y se figura assi ▪ ay tambien not a de admiracion , que se figura assi ! en conclusion ay not a del apostrofo , quando una le●rase corta , y se figura assi ' mas la castellana por su mayor alaban●●a no usa tales apostrofos , touching the syntaxis , which is an orderly series and connection of nouns , verbs , adverbs , and other parts of speech according to the propriety of a language in a due cohaerence , the english toung may be said to have the same that other vulgar languages and dialects have ; but the english being a sub-dialect to other toungs , as was touch'd in the epistle to the reader , and having such varieties of incertitudes , changes and idioms , it cannot be in the compas of human brain to compile an exact regular syntaxis therof , mr. ben. iohnson a great wit , who was as patient as he was elaborat in his re-serches and compositions , as he was framing an english syntaxis , confess'd the further he proceeded , the more he was puzzled ; therfore herin we must have recours to that great mistresse of all knowledg observation , it being a tru maxime , quod deficit in praecepto , suppleat observatio . concerning the english prosody , the same may be said thereof as was spoken before of the syntaxis ; but touching poesie and metrical compositions , the english is as punctual in observing the nomber of feet , syllables , and cadences , as any other vulgar language ; and ther are couch'd in her as strong concepts , and as sinewy expressions , with such high idaeas and raptures of wit and invention as in any language whatsoever ; nor is any so copious of allegoires , and so constant in the poursuit of them ; her ordinary rithmical composures consist of ten feet , wherof i thought good to produce these ( yet bleeding ) examples . vpon his late majesties decollation . so fell the royal oke by a wild crew of mongrell shrubbs ▪ which underneath him grew ; so fell the lyon by a pack of currs ; so the rose wither'd 'twixt a knot of burrs ; so fell the eagle by a swarm of gnats ; so the whale perish'd by a shoal of spratts . indignabundus sic cecinit , j. h. vpon charles the first , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . if to subdu ones self , if to obtain a conquest o're the passions , bee to raign , here lies the gretest king ( who can say more ? ) of all can com behind , or went before . i. h. of divers superfluous letters in the english orthography ; and som solaecisms discover'd in the common practice of the language . he may be siad to do his mother toung a good office , who makes her the more docible and easy to be learnt by forreners : now , ther is not any thing which tends more to the easy attaining of a language , and to allure a stranger to the study therof , as when the writing and pronunciation of words do both agree . i have known divers forreners much affect the english toung , but when they went about to study her , and found such a difference betwixt the printed words and the pronouncing of them , ( which proceeds from the superfluous letters ) they threw away their books in a kind of passion and dislike . the french finding lately this inconvenience , have garbled their toung of such letters ; and under favor ( as we imitat the french in all things els ) it may well becom the english to follow him in this ; to which purpose these few rules may serve . . if those words which have the latin for their original , wee write them as the latin doth , not as the french , ( and t is the more credit so to do ) as afric , logic , physic , &c. labor , honor , favor , &c. wherby the words are as fully pronouncd , as if ( after the french ) they were written afrique , logique ; physique , labour , honour , favour : and ther are two letters sav'd in the three first words , and one in the second , which makes the words to be pronounc'd as they are written . . that in such words as end in inne and unne , the last n and the e shold be left out , as sinne , ginne , pinne , shinne , tinne , winne , &c. gunne , nunne , runne , shunne , sunne , &c. which shold be written sin , gin , pin , shin , tin , win , &c. gun , nun , run , shun , sun , &c. wherby two letters are sav'd , yet they have altogether as full a pronunciation ; but herby strangers will not be subject to make two syllables of them , as sin-ne , pin-ne , &c. gun-ne , nun-ne , &c. . that all adverbs which end in lie , as bodile , merrilie , sadlie , &c. shold be written with y , as bodily , merrily , sadly , &c. wherby a letter is sav'd , and strangers will not be subject to read them bodili-e , merrili-e , &c. . that such words as end in tle , kle , sle , &c. shold be written with the e before the l , as for epistle epistel , twinkle twinkel , whissle whissel ; wherb● the word retains still its tru pronunciation , and strangers will not be subject to read those words , epist-le , twink-le , whiss-le , &c. . that in such words as end in eare the e shold be omitted , as beare bear , feare fear , deare dea● , forbeare forbear , &c. wherby forreners will not be subject to read them bear-e , fear-e , forbear-e , &c. as also words . that these monosyllables me , she , be , he , ye , &c. shold be written mee , shee , bee , yee , hee ; and so be read as they are pronounc'd . and that in those words which end in ue , the e also shold be left out , as true , blue , crue , due , &c. they shold be written tru , blu , cru , du , &c. . that in words ending in gh the g shold be left out , as chough chouh , cough couh , trough trouh , &c. wherby the forrener will pronounce it more easily . as likewise in words ending in ght the g shold be left out , as bright briht , fight fiht , height heiht , might miht , &c. which will render them more easie to the forrener , and save a letter . . that the superfluous p shold be left out in many words , as consumption consumtion , presumption presumtion , assumption assumtion , &c. and the b also in doubt , and the i in parliament may well be omitted . . c might well be spared when it comes before k , as fickle fikle , pickle pikle , tickle tikle , &c. f●r the word retains still its full sound . . that in these words some , done , summe , come , &c. e were left out , for forreners read them as if they made two syllables , so-me , do-ne , co-me , &c. as also words ending in arre , as warre , barre , jarre , &c. which may be very well writ , war , bar , jar , &c. . in those words which end in tt , the late●t may be well omitted , as witt wit , hitt hit , bi tt bit , committ comit , &c. as also most words ending ●n ll , the later l may be spared , as bell bel , fell fel , tell tel , mongrell mongrel , &c. and the sound of the wo●● remains as full . herunto may be added all infinitif moods terminating in erre , as conferre , referre , deferre , where the last re is superfluous , and may be writ as well confer , defer , refer , &c. . that words in eare and in ease shold leave the a , as for feare fere , for teare tere , &c. for pleasure plesure , leasure lesure : and then forreners will not be subject to read them fe-are , te-are , ple-asure , le-asure , &c. ther is a maxim in logic , that frustra fit per plura , qucd fieri potest per pauciora , more is too much when fewer will serve : and as this rule holds in all things els , so it may well do in orthography . they say abroad , that none write better latin then the english , and none pronounce it worse ; this proceeds principally from the odd prolation of i , which all other nations pronounce like ee , as nisi neesee , tibi teebee ; which the english doth not iu many words , and hee shold not do amisse to frame his mouth in pronouncing latin after that sound . ther is a solaecism us'd in english , in putting the word most before a superlatif , ( as if any thing could be higher then the superlatif ) as most highest , most brightest , &c. you is also us'd wher yee shold be , as you gentlemen of the iury , wheras yee gentlemen , &c. is the tru english ; for you in the nominatif case shold relate but to one person , and yee to many ; though you in all the other cases serves for both . the english also is censur'd abroad for putting the adjectif before the substantif , as white bread , &c. as also for proposing questions negatively , which he shold do affirmatively , as were you never in france ? you have not bin in france , sir ? &c. wheras we shold say , were you ever in france ? have you bin in france , sir ? an affirmatif being held more noble then the negatif . i hope i shall not incur a praemunire ( among the discreeter sort ) for my temerity in pointing at these particulars , which , if we could obtain leave of ( that great tyrant ) custom , to reform both in ortography and speking , it wold ( humbly under favor ) be nere the worse for our language . the english hath som things ( that other toungs have not ) which tends much to the advantage and ease of the forren lerner , for all verbs terminat alike in the singular and plural , through all the moods , except in the second and third person singular . ther be divers words that are both masculin and feminin , without change of any letter , as frend , neighbor , cosen , gossip , &c. the english also hath two comparatifs , and two superlatifs for most adjectifs , ( which other languages have not ) as devout , devouter or more devout , devoutest or most devout ; strong , stronger or more strong , strongest or most strong . she hath also a shorter way of expression in divers words , as once , twice , thrice ; which the spanish , french and italian cannot do but by two words , viz. one time , two times , three times , una vez , une fois , una volta , &c. lastly , the english adjectifs have but one nomber , which is the singular , that serves for both , as a black pudding , black puddings ; a fair maid , fair maids ; hansom whore , hansom whores , &c. touching the premises let the reder observe this exampel . the warre which beganne in bohemia , foretolde by that fatall comete in the yeare , . ( and by the intemperance of the calviniste and the jesuite ) was directlie or collaterallie the cause of all the confusions which happened in christendome ever since ; it brought the swede into germanie , ( like a colde snake into ones bosome ) whoe did soe harasse the whole countrey , and soe pittifullie grinde the faces of the poore people , that they have not recovered their right countenances to this verie daye in manie places . the same written as 't is commonly pronounc'd . the war which began in bohemia , foretold by that fatal comet in the yeer , . ( and by the intemperance of the calvinist and the iesuit ) was directly or colateraly the cause of all the confusions which happen'd in cristendom ever since : it brought the swed into germany , ( like a cold snake into ones bosom ) who did so harasse the whole cuntry , and so pitifully grind the faces of the poor peepel , that they have not recovered their right countenances to this very day in many places . in this short exampel ther are above . letters sav'd , and the words made fit to be pronounc'd by any forrener being written as they are utter'd : now , as ther was a hint given before , he doth his native toung a good office , who finds a way to spread her abroad , and make her better known to the world . and so much ( yet ) of the english grammar . gramatica de la lengua española ò castellana . con un discurso conteniendo la perambulaciòn de españa y portugàl . a grammar of the spanish or castilian toung . with a discours containing the perambulation of spain and portugal ; which may serve for directions how to travel throuh both cuntres . el abolengo de la lengua española ò castellana . la lengua española hà la latina por su madre , y la arabiga ò la lengua morisca por su madrasta : en uno de sui apellidos toma el nombre de la primera , porque ella se llama romance , como habla vm romance , quieredezir español ? y parece gloriar se desta decendencia , porque ella haze sus diligencias cada dia de estrechar la afinidad que tiene con la latina : mientras que la italiana y la francesa esfuerçanse de allexarse della , teniendo cierta ambicion de hazerse lenguas de por si , y no dialectos : esta es la razon porque sentencias enteras se pueden formar , que serian buen latino , y buen español ; lo que no se puede haçer en italiano ò francès , aunque ellas tambien sean hijas de la latina . la español se puede dezir de aver la lengua morisca por su madrasta , porque los moros , por la infame trayciòn del conde don julian , qui los introduxo para vengarse de don rodrigo , qui era entonces rey de españa , por aver desvirgado su hija doña cava : digo que los moros teniendo firme possessiòn de la mayor parte de españa cerca de . años ; aviendo tan larga coaliciòn pegaron muchos de sus vocablos en la lengua española ; los quales se pueden facilmente distinguìr de los qui se derivan de la latina , porque ordinariamente comiençan con al , x , y z ; ò fenecen con x , como alcalde , alcayde , alguazil , almoxarife , xaràl , xarcias , xopaypas , zorro , zurrana , zurrador , guadix , &c. agora la morisca bien se puede llamàr madrasta a la lengua española por aver la corrumpido d● una pronunciacion mas aspera y gutural , como consta en g , i , x precediendo , ò atrassando tales vocales ; como se hallarà en la gramatica siguiente . màs por dezir la verdàd , la primera y maternal lengua de españa es la bascuença , ò la lengua de cantabria , el qual vocablo denominava toda la españa en los siglos atras : yes cosa observable , que ni los romanos , ni los godos , ni los moros pudieron conquistar la biscaya ; por tanto parecen de tener gran correspondencia en muchas cosas con los antiguos bretones de ingalatierra , ( los de la tierra de gale● ) porque como ellos ( con su lenguaje ) son sin duda l●s primeros habitantes de esta isla , y connaturales con ella ; assi son los cantabros ò biscaynos de españa : de suerte quando algunos dellos aya de ser cavallero del abito , no se haze alguna buscadura ò diligencia si esta limpio de la sangre de moros , ni de su hidalguia . no ay sobre la redondez de la tierra alguna lengua ●as llana y facil a aprender , qui la castellana , porque pronuncia siempre la palabra entera , sin admitir algunos apostrofos : pero la causa que algunas sylabas son escabrosas y gargantiles fue la mescla , y la conversacion que tuvieron los españoles con los moriscos tantos siglos como fue dicho , y esto hà rendido la pronunciacion mas difficultosa al forestiero : de suerte que estiman a el de aver alcançado la lengua qui sabra bien pronunciàr este refran gargantil : abeja y oveja , y piedra que rabeja , y pendola tras oveja , y lugàr en la ygreja , dessea a hijo la vieja . a bee in the hive , and a sheep in the fold , a stone that doth whirl , and an ear-ring of gold , a place in the church , is all the boon the good old wife doth wish her son . the pedigree of the spanish or castilian toung . the spanish or castilian toung hath the latin for her mother , and the arabic or morisco toung for her step-mother : she bears the name of the first in one of her appellations , for somtimes she calls her self romance , as habla vm romance , do you speak spanish ? and it seems she glories to be so well decended , for she endevors daily to have the neerest affinity she can with the latin ; while the italian and french do labor to eloniat themselfs , and keep at a further distance from the latin , having a kind of ambition to be toungs of themselfs , and not dialects : this is the reson that whole sentences may be made which will be good latin & good congruous spanish , ( as i have shew'd els wher ) which cannot be don in italian or french , though they also descend from the latin. the spanish may be said to have for a kind of step-mother the morisco language , because the moors ( by the infamous trechery of the conde don iulian , who brought them over to revenge himself of the then king of spain don rodrigo , for deflow●ing his daughter cava , ) i say , the barbarians or moors having kept firm footing in spain about . years , by so long a coalition they insinuated , or as it were indented and pegg'd divers of their words into the spanish toung ; which may be easily distinguish'd from those that are deriv'd from the latin , for they commonly begin with al , x , or z ; or end in x , as alcalde a judg , alcayde a gaoler , alguazìl a serjeant or baylif , almoxarife a receiver of customs , xaral a thicker , xarcias the tacklings of a ship , xopaypas fritters , xabon sope , zorro a wolf , zurrana a pigeon , zurrador a tanner , guadix a town , &c. now the morisco may be well call'd a stepmother to the spanish toung , because she hath corrupted her with a more rugged and guttural pronunciation , as appears in g , i , x preceding , and followlowing som vowels , as will appeer in the ensuing grammar . but the truth is , that the first and maternal toung of spain is the bascuence , or the language of cantabria , which word in ages past denominated the whole countrey : and observable it is , how neither roman , goth or moor could conquer biscay ; in so much that ther is a great analogy 'twixt the ancient britons in england call'd welshmen , and the biscayners ; for as they ( and their language ) without controversy are the first inhabitants of this island , and as it were connatural with her : so the cantabrians or biscayners are of spain ; in so much that when any of that countrey is to be made knight of any of the three habits , ther is no scrutiny made of his gentility , or whether he be cleer of morisco bloud , as is us'd before others are dubb'd . ther is not any language among men so plain and easie to be learnt as the castilian ; for she pronounceth alwayes the whole word without admitting any apostrop hes : now the reason why som syllables are cragged and throaty , is the mixture and conversation the spaniards had so many ages with the moors , as was said before , which hath rendred the pronunciation more difficult to strangers ; so that he is thought to have attained the language to som perfection , who can well pronounce this old throaty adage in spanish , viz. abeja y oveja , y piedra que rabeja , y pendola tras oveja , y lugàr en la ygreja , dessea a hijo la vieja . a bee in the hive , and a sheep in the fold , a stone that doth whirl , and an ear-ring of gold , a place in the church , is all the boon the good old wife doth wish her son . a grammar of the spanish or the castilian toung . of the spanish alphabet . the spanish alphabet consists of the same , and the same nomber of letters as the english doth , k onely excepted , which is supplied by c , and somtimes by q , as kalendar calendario , kintall quintal . now the difficulty and difference , which if found in the spanish toung , is the pronunciation of these nine letters , b , ç , d , g , j , ll , ñ , x , z ; which have a differing prolation in many words . the first is b which often degenerats into v , as barba remojada medio rapada , a beard wetted is half shav'd : where the second b is pronounc'd like v , as if it were written barva ; bandera or vandera a banner , bobo or bovo a fool , &c. but when b comes before any of the liquid consonants , l , m , n , r , it retains constantly the sound of b , as lumbre light , hablar to speak , &c. the second is ç call'd c cedilla , which comes not but before a , o , u , and then 't is pronounc'd like s , as çampoña a shepherds pipe , quiça it may be , 〈◊〉 lame , çurrador a tanner , &c. and this c cedilla is seldom or never under a great c. the thi●d is g , which oftentimes degenerats to ishota , as lenguage lenguaje , a language ; page paje , a page ; which are pronounc'd both alike superficially from the throat , or like the aspiration h , as if they were written lenguahe , pahe ; but they have this guttural pronunciation only before e and i , before a , o , u , they are pronounc'd as in english. and somtimes g turns to x , as tigeras tixeras , a pair of sheers , &c. the fourth is j call'd ishota , as jamas never , jerigonça gibberish , joya a jewel , hijo a son , iuev●s thursday , &c. which are pronounc'd in the throat as the former g. but i in general must be pronounc'd in spanish , as eè in wèe , thee ; as ni olla sin ●ocino , ni sermon sin agustino , nor an ollia without bacon , nor a sermon without saint austin . the fift is ll , which is pronounc'd as in french like ll in fille , the second l turning into i , as en casae llena presto se guisa la cena , in a full house supper is soon dress'd ; where llena is pronounc'd as if it were liena : so in llorar to weep , liorar ; llevar to carry , lievar ; lluvia rain , liuvia . but great care must be taken that the l and i with the next vowel be pronounc'd as one syllable , making a kind of dipthong , as quien no hà visto sevilla no hà visto maravilla , who hath not seen sevill he hath not seen wonders ; wher the last l being turned into an i , as sevilia , maravilia , the lia must be pronounc'd as one syllable l●a : and so in mundo mundillo nacido en bilbao muerto en bustillo , such is the world , born in lancaster dead in london . the sixth is ñ , call'd n tilde or contilde , which is pronounc'd as if i also immediatly follow'd , as viña , niña , peral , y havar malas cosas de guardar , a vine , a child , a pear-tree , and a bean-field are hard to be kept : wher viña and niña must be pronounc'd as if they were written vinia , ninia . the seventh is u , which often degenerats into a consonant in spanish , ( as in all other languages ) and then she hath a different clos'd caracter , as v : being still a vowel u is pronounc'd as oo , as pan reziente , y uvas , a las moças ponen mudas , y a las viejas quitan las arrugas , new bread and grapes paints young womens faces , and takes away wrinkles from the old ; wher 's uvas and mudas are pronounc'd as if they were written oovas , moodas . the next is x , which is pronounc'd also in the throat , as xaramago y tocino manjar de hombre mesquino , wild radish and bacon is the food of a miserable man : xabonar cabeça de asno es perdimiento de xabòn , to wash an asses head is throwing away of sope : where x is pronounc'd in the throat like g and ishota , as was formerly said . and indeed he that will pronounce well these three letters in spanish , must pronounce them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greek , which the old britains in england do pronounce more naturally than any other euro●ean nation : and i have observed , that a guttural pronunciation is the mar● of the antiquity of a language , for the hebre● with her dialects , the chaldaic , syriac and arabic with all the oriental and southern languages , besides the greek , do so . z is pronounc'd somtimes as the english pronounce it , as azul blu , azemila a great mule ; but somtimes she turns to c , and then she is pronounc'd more rudely , as hazer hacer , &c. g coming before n is not pronounc'd in spanish , as digno worthy , significar to signifie , are pronounc'd dino , sinificar ; signar to signe , sinar , &c. gue and gui , que and qui found in words , are pronounc'd in spanish as large as the letters will bear , as aguelo a granfather , garguero the throat , &c. quento , cinquenta fifty , &c. which the italian and french do not , but contract them , ghe ghi , che chi : but som are excepted , as quinientos five hundred , quasi almost , which are pronounc'd kinjentos , casi , &c. but especially que and qui , which are pronounc'd ke and ki , &c. the letter d hath a differing pronunciation in spanish from other toungs , for most commonly 't is pronounc'd meltingly , as th in that or the , as hombre narigudo pocas vezes cornudo , a long-nos'd man is seldom a cuckold : which must be pronounc'd , hombre narigutho poca● vezes cornutho . having don with the alphabet , we com now to syllables , and dictions or words , and first of the spanish articles , which are subservient to the declining of all words that are capable of declension , for ther is no other means to know the variation of ●●ses otherwise : now ther are in spanish three articles , the masculin , the feminin , and the neuter , which are declin'd thus : the masculin article is declin'd thus : singular . plural . nom. el , the los , the gen. del , of the de los , from the dat. al , to the a los , to the accus . el ò a el , the los ò a los , the abl. del , from the de los , from the. the feminin article is declin'd thus . singular . plural . nom. la , the las , the gen. de la , of the de las , of the dat. a la , to the a las , to the accus . la ò a la , the las ò a las , the abl. de la , from the de las , from the. the neuter thus : singular . nom. lo , the gen. de lo , of the dat. a lo , to the accus . lo , the abl. de lo , from the it is to be observed that this neuter article hath no plural , nor can it be applied to any noun either masculin or feminin , but it seems to be rather a demonstratif pronoun , for ther are no neuter nouns in the spanish . the article el is alwayes put before nouns of the masculin gender , beginning with a vowel or consonant , as el libro the book , el pecho the breast , el ayre the air , &c. and somtimes it comes before feminins , specially before such as begin with a , to avoid too much gaping , as el alma the soul , el agua the water ; not la alma , nor la agua ; as also to avoid apostrophes , which the spanish hates . this article el becomes somtimes le at the end of a word , and so is ranvers'd : but it becomes so only at the end of imperati● moods , as matadle kill him , abraçadle imbrace him ; which are pronounc'd matalde , abraçalde , by postposing the d to the l. the spaniards have a peculiar mode of speking to one in the second person , using this article el and le insteed of vos you ; for they hold vos you , to be a mean manner of speking , and use it towards their inferiors , and is little better esteem'd then tu thou ; as si el hardesto , if you will do this : quiere cenar comigo ? will you sup with mee ? wheras the words import , if hee will do this , will hee sup with me : insomuch that the spaniard herein is higher in complement then the french or italian , who commonly use you ; in lieu wherof the spaniard useth frequently the third person hee and him , shee and her . but el is often o●itted , being included in the verb , which is of the third person , as hà comido , have you din'd ? wheras it is meant hà el comido . in other cases except the nominatif le is us'd , as yo le digo , i tell you , wheras the tru sense is , i tell him . the spaniard hath another mode of complement by these two words , vuestra merced your favor , which they generally use insteed of you , and it is above el the third person formerly spoken ; som pronounce it at length , vuestra merced , som vuesa mercè , som vosastè , som vueste ; but in writing two letters only stand for it , viz. vm . as hago brindis a vm . i drink to you : embio a vm . con el portadòr desta , i send you by the berer herof . yet the italian surpasseth the spaniard herin in point of complement , for in lieu of vuestra merced your favor , he useth vostra signoria your lordship at every word , applying it to every ordinary gentleman , as fo brindesi a vostra signoria , i drink to you ; which two words in writing hee expresseth only by vs . as poco fa chio scrissi a vs . i writ to you lately . the feminin article la comes alwayes before feminin nouns , as la cabeça the head , la yglesia the church ; but el takes place before words before words beginning with a , as 't was said before , as el ama the nurse . lo , though it cannot properly be call'd an article , because ther are no neuter substantifs in the spanish , yet it comes before adjectifs , and then it hath the power to turn them to substantifs , as lo bueno que yo recebia , the good which i receav'd ; lo malo que me hizo dios se le perdone , the ill which you did me god forgive you . it comes also very often before and after verbs , and then somtimes it is a relatif , somtimes demonstratif , as lo digo a vm . de veras , i tell it you in good earnest ; or digo lo a vm . de veras : tengo de hazer lo de buena gana , i will do it willingly . of nouns , and their genders , and terminations . ther are in spanish , nouns masculins , and nouns feminins : som end in vowels , viz. e or o , as lumbre light , renombre renown , cielo heaven , infierno hell : and 't is observ'd that ther are but two nouns feminins which end in o , through all the spanish toung , which are mano the hand , nao a ship . but most noun substantifs in spanish end in one of these consonants d , l , n , r , s , x , y , z : those that end in d have the accent in the last syllable , and their plurals in es , as abàd an abbot , abàdes ; merced a curtesy or favor , mercedes ; virtùd virtùdes vertu . som terminat in l , and they also have the accent in the last syllable , and the plural in es , as animal animales , a living creture ; b●t●l a boat , bateles ; badil a frying-pan , badiles ; caracol a young inail , caracoles ; azùl blu , azules , &c. som substantifs end in n , and their plurals end also in es , as pan bread , almazen a storehouse , celemin a peck , sazon seson , a●un the tunny fish : whose plurals are panes , almazenes , celemines , sazones , atunes . and for the most part sub●tantifs in n have the accent also over the last 〈◊〉 , specially if they end in on , as devociòn , compassiòn , generaciòn , &c. som substantifs end in r , and they also have the accent in the last , and also their plurals in es , as havàr a bean-field , havares ; mugèr a woman , mugeres ; martìr a martyr , martires ; açor a hawk açores . som substantifs terminat in s , and they also most commonly have the accent in the last syllable , and their plurals in es , as diòs god , dioses ; feligrès a parish , feligreses ; mès a month , meses ; montanès a mountaneer , mountañes . other substantifs end in x , and they commonly are morisco words , but they often change the x in the singular to ges in the plural , carcax a quiver , carcages ; relox a clock , reloges , &c. som substantifs end in y , and they also have their plurals in es , as ley the law , leyes ; rey a king , reyes ; buey an ox , bueyes . lastly , som substantifs end in z , and they also have the accent at the end , and their plurals in es , as paz peace , pazes ; juèz a judg , juezes ; perdìz a partridg , perdizes ; toz a cough , tozes ; cruz a cross cruzes , &c. herby it appeers that the plural of all spanish substantifs end in s , and som singulars end so , but they are very few . of the declensions of nouns substantifs proper and common . it is to be observ'd that nouns proper differ from common in two things ; first , they have no prepositif article , then they have no plural nombers . examples of proper nouns . singular . singular . nom. carlos charls catarina katharine gen. de carlos of charls de catarina of katharine dat. a carlos to charls a catarina to katharine accus . carlos charls catarina katherine voc. o carlos to charls o catarina o katharine abl. de carlos from charls . de catarina from katharine . instances in common nouns . singular . plural . nom. el cielo heven los cielos the hevens gen. del cielo of heven de los cielos of the hevens dat. al cielo to heven a los cielos to the hevens accus . el ò al cielo heven los cielos the hevens voc. o cielo o heven o cielos o heaven abl. dal cielo from heven . de los cielos from the hevens . singular . plural . animal a beast los animales ganapan a porter los ganapanes pastor a shepherd los pastores relox a watch los reloxes muger a woman . las mugeres . all which must be declin'd according to the example of cielo . of noune adjectifs , and of their declensions . the spanish adjectifs have two terminations , one masculin in o , which changeth into a feminin , as virtuoso virtuosa : the other termination is in e , as valiente , and it signifieth both masculin and feminin , as hombre valiente a valiant man , hembra valiente a valiant woman , cosa grande a great thing : but heed must be taken to this word grande , for coming before a substantif that begins with a consonant , it loseth de , as grancosa , gran bretaña , &c. but grand becomes a substantif it self somtimes , as un grande de españa , a high peer or grande of spain , who are permitted to cover themselfs before the king , but when hee speaks to them , or they to him . the same holds in bueno and malo , good bad , in the masculin gender , and when it comes before substantifs of the masculin only , as tiempo bueno , buen tiempo a good time ; hombre malo , mal hombre an ill man. this abridgment holds also in tanto and quanto , before adjectifs and adverbs , and somtimes before substantifs , as tan rico so rich , tan glorioso so glo●ious , tan tarde so late , tan temprano so early ; quan admirable how admirable , quan bien habla vm , how well do you speak ? but when tanto and quanto come before these adverbs mas , menos , more , lesse , they are pronounc'd whole , as also before mayor greter , menor lesser , as quanto mas yo le respeto , tanto menos me quiere , the more i respect him , the lesser hee loves mee . before the nouns comparatifs they also keep their whole length , as quanto mejor es el vino , tanto mas se beve , the better the wine , the more 't is drunk : quanto mayor es el hombre , tanto menor es s● seguridad , the greter the man is , the lesser is his security . the spaniards have a peculiar idiom , to use que tanto for quanto in inter●ogations , as que tanto es del mes ? what day of the months is it ? que tanto ay de londres a lancastra ? how far is it from london to lancaster ? the article lo is joyn'd to neuter adjectifs , and then it becomes a kind of substantif , as seas contento con lo tuyo , y no busques lo ageno , be contented with thine own , and seek not what is anothers . possessif neuters are made of the pronouns , lo mio , lo tuyo , lo suyo , lo nu●stro , mine , thine , his or hers , ours , yours ; as necio es qui pierde lo suyo , he is a fool who loseth his own : dios me haga contento con lo mio , god make me contented with mine own . of the words mucho , poco , harto ; much , little , enough . mucho and poco , though they be adverbs of quantity , yet they become somtimes nouns neuters , as lo mucho que dios me hà dado , the much that god hath given mee : lo poco que le pago , the little which i pay him . they are somtimes adjectifs before inanimated substantifs , but only in the singular , as mucho vino emborracha , much wine makes one drunk : mucho azeyte y poeo vinagre hazen buena ensalada , much oyl and little vineger make a good sallet . but in the plural nomber they are us'd indifferently before any substantifs , as muchos componedores cohonden la novia , many attirers confound the bride : portugueses pocos y locos , the portugueses are few and foolish , &c. harto enough , is somtimes an adverb , as ay harto , si no ay demasiado , ther is enough , if ther be not too much . somtimes 't is an adjectif , as de●pues de harta ca●●a marta , martha is merry when she hath enough : hartos ducados tiene qui se contenta , he hath crowns enough who is contented . of the spanish diminutifs . the spanish is more copious for diminutifs then other languages : som end in illo illa , ico ica , ito ita ; as capitanillo a little captain , mugercilla or mugercita a little woman , loquillo loquilla , or loquito loquita a little fool , &c. som end in elo ela , as borrachuelo a little drunkard , moço moçuelo a little boy , a little maid . but in proper names they have diminutifs , sub-diminutifs , sub-sub-diminutifs , and sub-sub-sub-diminutifs , as simòn , simoncico , simoncicico , simoncilillo : francisca , francisquita , francisquicita , francisquililla , &c. of numerical nouns , and of their terminations . vno one dos two tres three quatro fower cinco five seys six siete seven ocho eight nueve nine diez ten unze or onze eleven doze twelve treze thirteen catorze fourteen quinze fifteen dezieys sixteen diez y siete seventeen diez y ocho eighteen diez y nueve nineteen veynte twenty veynte y uno one and twenty veynte y dos two and twenty , and so taking the single nombers aforesaid all along . treynta thirty treynta y uno one and thirty , and so taking the single nombers aforesaid . quarenta forty quarenta y uno one and forty , and so taking the single nombers aforesaid . cinquenta fifty sesenta sixty setenta seventy ochenta eighty noventa ninety noventa y uno ninety one , and so taking the single nombers aforesaid . ciento a hundred dozientos hundred trezientos hundred quatrocientos hundred quinientos hundred seys cientos hundred setecientos hundred ocho cientos hundred novecientos hundred mil a thousand dos mil thousand tres mil thousand , &c. cien mil thousand dozientos mil thousand quinientos mil thousand un millon or un cuento a million dos millones two millions , &c. millar a million of millions . observe that this word ciento a hundred , being to be put before a word it loseth the last syllable to , as cien millones a hundred millions , cien soldados a hundred soldiers , not ciento soldados : and somtimes it becomes a kind of substantif , as un ciento de hombres a hundred of men , but then un goes before . numbers are of two kinds , cardinal , as those which went before , and ordinal numbers , which are adjectifs , as follows : primero the first segundo the second tercero the third quarto the fourth quinto the fift sexto the sixt septimo or set ●●no the seventh . octavo the eight nono or no veno the ninth decimo or dezeno the tenth . som stop here the ordinal number , and take the cardinal number to go higher , as soldado onze the eleventh soldier ; yet these five are admitted , onzeno the eleventh , dozeno the twelf , trezeno the thirtinth , catorzeno the fourtinth , quinzeno the fiftinth ; but after , the cardinal number , one , two , three , &c. then you must proceed to vieynteno or vigesimo the twentith , treynteno or trigesimo the thirtith , quarenteno or quadragesimo the fortith , cinquenteno or quinquagesimo and cinquentesimo the fiftith , sesenteno or sexagesimo and sesentesimo the sixtith , setenteno or setentesimo the seventith , ochenteno or octuagesimo and ochentesimo the eightith , noventeno or noventesimo and nonagesimo the ninetith , centeno or centesimo the hundreth . but it is to be observ'd that primo and tercio , not primero and tercero come after vigesimo and the rest . of pronouns . pronouns are certain words which supply the room of nouns , and they serve only to demonstrat the person or thing without naming of it . ther are divers sorts of pronouns , as primitif , possessif , demonstratif , derivatif , relatif , and reciprocal pronouns : the primitif have three persons , which are yo , tu , de si that hath no nominatif ; yo is thus declin'd : singular . plural . nom. yo i no ò nosotros we gen. de mi of mee de vos ò vosotros of us dat. a mi to mee a nos ò nosotros to us accus . me mee nos ò nosotros us abl. de mi from mee . de nos ò nosotros from us . singular . plural . nom. tu thou vos ò vosotros yee gen. de ti of thee de vos ò vosotros of you dat. a ti to thee a vos ò vosotros to you accus . te thee vos ò vosotros you voc. o tu o thou o vos ò vosotros o you abl. de ti from thee de vos ò vosotros from y. the singular is the same both for masculin and feminin , but os is turn'd to as in the feminin plurals of nosotros and vosotros , as nosotras as vosotras , but nos and vos by themselfs serve for both genders . mi and tu coming before the substantifs turn to possessifs pronouns , as mi espada my sword , tu sombrero thy hat . nos implying greatnes or dignity , comes before proper names of the singular number , as no don carlos por la gracia de dios rey dela gran bretaña , &c. vos us'd in spanish in speking to a person is held as mean as thou : with a preposition vos is us'd , as no digo mal de vos , i speak no hurt of you ; morirè por vos , i will dy for you , &c. but after any other noun it turns to os , as yo os digo , i tell you : as also coming to the end of a word , as quiero hablaros la verdad , i will tell you the truth . the pronoun de si himself , hath no nominatif nor plural , and is delcin'd thus : gen. de si of himself dat. a si to himself accus . se himself abl. de si from himself . ther is an observable phrase in spanish , que serà de mi ? que serà de ti ? what will become of mee ? what will become of thee ? mismo or mesmo my self , is us'd after all the three persons through all the cases , adding s to the plural . singular . plural . nom. yo mismo or mesmo i my self . nosotros mismos wee ourselfs gen. de mi mesmo of my self de nosotros mismos of our selfs dat. a mi mesmo to my self . a nosotros mismos to our selfs accus . mi mesmo my self nosotros mismos wee our selfs abl. de mi mesmo from my self de nosotros mismos from our selfs singular . plural . nom. tu mismo thou thy self vosotros mismos yee your selfs selfs gen. de si mismo of thy self , and so through all cases . de vosotros mismos of your selfs selfs , and so through all cases . singular . plural . nom. el mesmo hee himself ellos mesmos they themselfs gen. de si mesmo of himself , and so through all cases . de si mismos of themselfs , and so through all cases . the spaniards use proprio or propio insteed of mismo , as yo proprio i my self , tu proprio thou thy self , ella propria she her self , de si propio of himself , &c. the pronoun el is declin'd thus : singular . plural . nom. el hee ellos they gen. del of him dellos of them dat. al to him a ellos to them accus . el him ellos them abl. del from him . dellos from them . ella she , and ellas they , are declin'd after the same manner . of pronouns possessifs . mio mine , tuyo thine , suyo his , nuestro ours , vuestro yours , with their feminins in a , are call'd pronouns possessifs ; but before a substantif they turn to mi , tu , su , as mi capa my cloke , tu guante thy glove , su libro his book . lo , being put before mio , tuyo or suyo , make them a kind of substantifs , as mi cuydado es de guardar lo mio , my care is to keep mine own : tu cuydado serà de asseguarar lo tuyo , thy care must be to secure ●●ine own : su amo bien guarda lo suyo , his master looks well to his own . su is somtimes us'd in spanish for la , and 't is only us'd in spanish , as vi que notenia su firma del autor , i saw it bore not the signature of the author . cuyo and cuya whose , are pronouns possessifs , but the italian and french have none such , and commonly they are put before interrogatifs , as cuya ropilla es esta , whose coat is this ? cuyo cavallo es aquel , whose horse is that ? cuyo and cuya are also us'd as relatifs in the middle of sentences , as guay aquel hijo cuyo padre va al parayso , wo be to that son whose father goes to heven : saluda la muger a cien passos lexos , cuyos cabellos son roxos , salute a hundred paces off that woman who hath red hair . ther are demonstratif pronouns , as este or esta this , esse or essa that same , aquel or aquella hee , shee or that : ther is also aqueste and aquesse , which sigfies the same as este esse , but not so much us'd . este declin'd . singular . plural . nom. este or estae this estos or estas these ge. de este or deste of this de estos or destos of these dat. a este to this a estos to these accus . este or a este this estos these abl. deste or desta from this . de esto or destos from these . esse or essa , aqueste or aquesse this very same are declin'd alike . no. aquel or aquella that aquellos those gen. de aquel of that de aquellas of those dat. a aquel of that a aquellos to those accus . aquel that aquellos those abl. de aquel from that de aquellos from those . observe that esto this , esso this very thing , aquello ello that , are neuters , and so have no plurals . the pronouns este and esse are joyn'd often to otro , and then the e is lost , yet they never use the note of apostrophe , as estotro hombre this other man , estotra muger this other woman : and so essotro is us'd . ther are two pronouns which have no singular number , viz. ambos ambas , entrambos entrambas , wherunto one may adde ambos and dos , all which signifie both or both together : as querria que entrambos veniessen aca , y yo os emoregare entrambos sus obligaciones , pero si no veneys ambos no tengo de darse las , por tanto digo que ambos ambos juntos , que serà por la ventaja de entrambos : i could wish that you both came hither , and i will deliver you both your bonds , but if you com not together , i will not deliver them , therfore i say that you com both of you , and it will be for the advantage of both . of pronouns relatifs . ther are three other pronouns relatifs , viz. quien , que , qual , as quien canta , who sings ? que is what or that , que es esto , what is this ? el cavallero que yo digo , the gentleman which i speak of : qual in sense is the same as que , as qual hombre puede digerir esto , what man can digest this ? que hath no plural , as quien and qual have , as quien es aquel hidalgo , who is that gentleman ? quien es son aquellos mercaderes , who are those merchants ? but quien in the singular is counted more elegant , as quien son ellos mercaderes ? qual hath los or las before it in the plural , as las donzellas las quales yo saludava , the maids which i saluted : los soldados los quales yo nombrava , the soldiers which i numbred . in lieu of qual what , and como how , these two words que tal are us'd , which is a pure spanicism , as que tal est à mi hermano , how doth my brother ? que tal se halla mi madre , how doth my mother ? as que tanto is us'd for quanto , which is also a pure spanicism , as que tantas leguas ay entre londres y glocestra , how many miles are ther 'twixt london and glocester ? que tanto ha que vm . hà buelto del palacio , how long is it that you have returned from court ? wherof wee gave instances before . to these relatif pronouns quien and qual ther is often adjoyn'd quier and quiera , which of themselfs are verbs , as quienquiera , qualquier whosoever , as hablarè castellano con qualquier hombre que sea , i will speak spanish with any man whatsoever . somtimes que quiera is us'd for whatsoever , as que quier a que digan las gentes a ti mismo para mientes , whatsoever they say of thee take heed to thy self● roma es la patria de qualquiera , rome is any mans count●y . of me , te , se , the reciprocal pronouns . me and te serve ve●bs oftentimes in the datif case , as di me con quien andas , y dezirte h● quien ere 's , tell mee with whom thou dost keep company , and i will tell thee who thou art : somtimes they serve in the accusatif , as no me trates en esta suerte , do not use me thus . se comes also before or after verbs , as el se va , hee goes away : vase vm . a londres , do you go to london ? no me voy , i go not . somtimes for a fuller signification me and te follows se very often , as que se me da a mi , which form of speking is a pure spanicism , and cannot be englished verbatim but thus , what have i to do with it , what care i for it ? que se le da a el , what doth hee care for it ? se me da mucho , it concerns mee much : deve algo para pascua , y hazerte se ha la quaresma corta , borrow mony to be paid at easter , and lent will seem short unto thee . se , is very often us'd in the datif case before the article lo , as preste me su espada , y yo se la bolvere incontinente , lend mee your sword , and i will return it speedily : yo se lo dire , i will tell it you : yo se lo dare , i will give it you : yo se lo embiare , i will send it you . ther is also another mixture 'twixt se , me and te , and le and lo doth associat often with them , as quien ere 's que tu te me vendes por tan discreto , who art thou that makest thy self so wise ? or according to the words , that sellest thy self unto mee for such a wise man ? which kind of phrase is a spanicism : no se le da nada , he cares not for it : madre mia a donde os me llevan , o my mother , whither do they carry you from mee ? the particles mi , ti , si , do joyn oftentimes with the preposition con , and with go , as comigo with mee , contigo with thee , consigo with himself , as cada frances lleva un frenetico consigo , every frenchman carries a madman about him . andad comigo oy , & yo yrè contigo mañana , go with mee to day , and i will go with thee to morrow . of verbs . wee are com now to the verbs , which may be calld the ligaments or great arteries which tie words and sentences together : ther are in spanish three conjugations of verbs , the first in ar , the second ending in er , and the third in ir : ther are also verbs actif , passif , neuters and impersonals , and they are declin'd by five moods as in other languages ; the indicatif or demonstratif , the imperatif or mood of command , the optatif or wishing mood , the conjunctif and infinitif mood . ther are two subservient or auxiliary verbs , without which no other can be thoroughly form'd , and they are aver to have , ser to be , therfore wee must first conjugat these two verbs , before wee treat of the other , but because yo he i have , and yo tengo i hold , are often confounded , and of the same sense before other verbs , we will conjugat them together . the indicatif mood . present tense . yo he yo tengo i have tu has tu tienes thou hast aquel ha el tiene hee hath nosotros hemos ò havemos tenemo wee have vosotros heys ò aveys teneys yee have aquellos han . tienaen . they have . preterperfact tense . yo havia ò avia tenia i had tu avias tenias thou hadst el avia tenia hee had nos haviàmos teniamos wee had vos aviades teniades yee had ellos avian . tenian . they had . perfect tense . yo huve ò uve tuve i had tu uviste ò oviste tuviste thou hadst el huvo ò ovo tuvo hee had nos uvimos tuvimos wee had vos uvistes tuvistes yee had . ellos uvieron . tuvieron . they had . perfect indefinit . yo he avido tenido i had had tu has avido tenido thou hadst had el ha avido tenido hee had had nos hemos ò avemos avido tenido wee had had vos aveys avido tenido yee had had ellos han avido . tenido . they had had . future tense . yo avrè tendrè ò ternè i shall have tu avràs tendràs ò ternàs thou shalt have el averà tendra ò terna hee shall have nos averemos nos tendremos ò ternemos wee shall have vos avreys vos tendreys ò terneys yee shall have ellos avràn . ellos tendràn ò ternàn . they shall have the imperatif mood . have tu ten tu have thou aya el tenga el let him have ayamos tengamos nosotr . let us have haved tengays vosotros let you have ayan . tengan ellos . let them have . the optatif mood . oxala , plega a dios que , aunque , dado que , como quiera que , puesto que : o that , wold to god that , although , howsoever that , put case that . yo aya tenga i had tu ayas tengas thou hadst el aya tenga hee had nos ay●nos tengamos wee had vos ayays tengays yee had ellos ayan . tengan . they had . the conjunctif mood . si , o si : if , o if . yo uviesse tuviesse i had tu uviesses tuviesses thou hadst el uviesse tuviesse hee had nos uviessemo● tuviessemos wee had vos uviessedes tuviessdes yee had ellos uviessen . tuviessen . they had . quando is often us'd in spanish before the optatif and conjunctif moods , and then it signifies as much as although , or bien que , which is also us'd , as present tense . quando , bien que : though or although . yo uviesse tuviesse i had tu uviesses tuviesses thou hadst el uviesse tuviesse hee had nos uviessemos tuviessemos wee had vos uviessedes tuviessedes yee had ellos uviessen . tuviessen . they had . perfect tense . oxala , plega a dios , aunque , puesto que : o that , i wold to god , although , put case that . yo ay avido tenido i may have tu ayas avido tenido thou maist have el aya avido tenido hee may have nos ayamos avido tenido wee may have vos ayais avido tenido yee may have ellos ayan avido . tenido they may have . pluperfect tense . oxala , o si , aunque , &c. oh that , although , o if , &c. yo uviera tuviera i had had tu uvieras tuviera thou hadst had el uviera tuviera hee had had nos uvieramos tuvier amos wee had had vos uvierades tuvierados yee had had ellos uvieran . tuvieran . they had had . future tense . quando , when . yo uviere tuviere i shall have tu uvieres tuviere thou shalt have el uviere tuviere hee shall have nos uvieremos tuvieremos wee shall have vos uvieredes tuvieredes yee shall have ellos uvieren . tuvieren . they shall have the infinitif mood . havèr ò avèr tenèr to have aver avido aver tenido to have had estàr por aver . estàr por tener . to bee to have . thus wee see that tengo i hold , is us'd oftentimes for the auxiliary verb hè , but tengo alludes to the possession of a thing , as tengo cobrado mi dinero , i have recovered my mony : it comes more often after digo then any other verb , as tengo dicho antes , i have said before , &c. dixo me que yo ternia mi dinero mañana , hee told mee i shold have my mony to morrow : quando yo le diesse todo quanto tengo , aun no se contentaria , although i shold give him all that i had , yet i shold not content him . the conjugation of the verb , yo soy i am , and of yo estoy i am or stand , which although they differ in variations , yet they are alike oftentimes in signification , as shall be shew'd further . the indicatif mood . present tense . yo soy yo estoy i am tu ere 's tu estas thou art el es el està hee is nos somos estamos wee are vos soys estays yee are ellos son . estan . they are . imperfect tense ▪ yo era estava i was tu eras estavas thou wast el era estava hee was nos eramos estavamos wee were vos erades estavades yee were ellos eran . estavan . they were . perfect tense . yo fui yo estuve i was tu fuiste tu estuviste thou wast el fue estuvo hee was nos fuimos estuvimos wee were vos fuistes estuvistes yee were ellos fueran . estuvieron . they were . perfect indefinit . yo he sido estado i have bin tu has sido estado thou hast bin el ha sido estado hee hath bin nos hemos ò havemos sido estado wee have bin vos aveys sido estado yee have bin ellos han sido . estado . they have bin . preterpluperfect tense . yo avia sido estado i had bin tu avias sido estado thou hadst bin el avia sido estado hee had bin nos aviamos sido estado wee had bin vos aviades sido estado yee had bin ellos avian sido . estado . they had bin . future tense . yo serè yo estarè i shall bee tu seràs tu estaràs thou shalt bee el serà el estarà hee shall bee nos seremos nos estarèmos wee shall bee vos sereys vos estareys yee shall bee ellos seran . ellos estaran . they shall bee . ther is a second future tense that belongs to these two verbs , ( and indeed to most of the rest ) with hè or tengo before the infinitif mood . the second future tense of ser and estar . yo he ò tengo de ser de estar i shall or must bee tu has ò tienes de ser de estar thou shalt or must bee el ha ò tiene de ser de estar hee shall or must bee nos hemos ò tenemos de ser de estar wee shall or must bee vos aveys ò teneys de ser de estar yee shall or must bee ellos han ò tienen de ser. de estar . they shall or must bee . the imperatif mood . se tu està tu bee thou sea el estè el let him bee seamos nos estemos nos let us bee sed vos estad vos bee yee sean ellos . esten ellos . lot them bee . the optatif and conjunctif moods . present tense . oxala , plega a dios que , aunque , puesto , dado que , &c. o that , wold to god that though , put case that , &c. yo sea estè i bee tu seas estes thou beest el sea estè hee bee nos seamos estemos wee bee vos seays esteys yee bee ellos sean . esten . they bee . imperfect tense . oxala , &c. o that , &c ▪ yo fuesse estuviesse i were tu fuesses estuviesses thou werst elfuesse estuviesse hee were nos fuessemos estuviessemos wee were vos fuessedes estuviessedes yee were ellos fuessen . estuviessen . they were . when si if , or o si o if , and quando , when it is taken for although , comes before these tenses , they are declin'd alike . future tense . yo fuere estuviere i shall bee tu fueres estuvieres thou shalt bee el fuere estuviere hee shall bee nos fueremos estuvieremos wee shall bee vos fueredes estuvieredes yee shall bee ellos fueren . estuvieren . they shall bee . the infinitif mood . ser estar to bee aver sido estado to have bin siendo . estando . being . the difference which is 'twixt ser and estar consists chiefly in this , that ser signifies the humor or essence of a thing , as yo soy colerico , i am coleric ; tu ere 's valiente , thou art valiant ; el es piadoso , he is charitable : and so denotes the quality of the substantif . but yo estoy relates most properly to som local posture , or the being in som place , as yo estoy a pie , i am a-foot ; yo estava entonces en lisbona , i was then in lisbon . estar is much us'd in salutation , and in reference to health , as como esta mi padre , how doth my father ? then answer is made , esta bueno loado sea dios , he is well praised be god : como esta v m. how do you do sir ? estoy achacoso , estoy malo , i am sickish , i am ill ; wher it is observable that bueno and malo are us'd in these phrases for adverbs , viz. for well and ill . the difference 'twixt these two auxiliary verbs , yo hè or yo tengo , and yo soy , is this , that the first serve the participles in the preter tense of verbs actifs , as yo he amado , i have loved ; yo tengo almorzado , i have broke my fast alredy . besides , yo he is an auxiliary to it self , as yo he avido , i have had ; yo avia avido , i had had , &c. but soy i am , makes passif verbs only , as yo soy ensalçado , i am exalted ; yo soy querido , i am lov'd . observe that tengo serving for auxiliary , makes the participle and the thing to agree in nomber , as los donayres que yo tengo contados son graciosos , the jests that i have related are plesant : but yo he doth not so , las hazañas que yo he recitado , the exploits that i have recited : but in the toscan italian it doth , as io ho letta la lettera , i have read the letter ; io ho pagati i danari , i have paid the monies , &c. spanish verbs have their tern inations in ar , er or ir : they in ar are of the first conjugation , they in er of the second , and they in ir of the third ; wh●rof ther shall be examples of each , and according to them all other verbs must bee form'd , except irregulars which shall be spoken of apart . the variation of buscar to seek , being of the first conjugation . the indicatif mood . present tense . yo busco i seek tu buscas thou seekst el busca hee seeks nos buscamos wee seek vos buscays yee seek ellos buscan . they seek . imperfect tense . yo buscava i did seek tu buscavas thou didst seek el buscava hee did seek nos buscavamos wee did seek vos buscavades yee did seek ellos buscavan . they did seek . perfect definit . yo busque i sought tu buscaste thou soughtst el busco hee sought nos buscamos wee sought vo 〈…〉 yee sought 〈…〉 they sought . perfect indefinit . yo he buscado i have sought tu has buscado thou hast sought el ha buscado hee hath sought nos hemos buscado wee have sought vos aveys buscado yee have sought ellos han buscado . they have sought . plusquam perfect . yo avia buscado i had sought tu avias buscado thou hadst sought el avia buscado hee had sought nos aviamos buscado wee had sought vos aviades buscado yee had sought ellos avian buscado . they had sought . future tense . yo buscare i shall or will seek tu buscaras thou shalt or wilt seek el buscara hee shall or will seek nos buscaremos wee shall or will seek vos buscareys yee shall or will seek ellos buscaran . they shall or will seek . the second future . yo he ò tengo de buscar i must seek tu has ò tienes de buscar thou must seek el ha ò tiene de buscar hee must seek nos hemos ò tenemos de bu . wee must seek vos aveys ò teneys de bus . yee must seek ellos han de buscar . they must seek . the imperatif mood . busca tu seek thou busque el let him seek busquemos nosotros let us seek busqueys vosotros seek yee busquen ellos . let them seek . the optatif and conjunctif moods . present tense . oxala , aunque , &c. o that , although , &c. yo busque i may seek tu busques thou maist seek el busque hee may seek nos busquemos wee may seek vos busqueys yee may seek ellos busquen . they may seek . imperfect tense . oxala , aunque , o si , si , &c. o that , although , o if , if , &c. yo bucasse i shold seek tu bucasses thou sholdst seek el bucasse hee shold seek nos bucassemos wee shold seek vos bucassedes yee shold seek ellos bucassen . they shold seek . pluperfect tense . oxala , aunque , quando , plega a dios , &c. o that , although , o if , &c. yo buscàra i had sought tu buscàras thou hadst sought el buscàra hee had sought nos buscàramos wee had sought vos buscarades yee had sought ellos buscaran . they had sought . the incertain tense . aunque , quando , &c. o if , although , &c. yo buscaria i shold seek tu buscarias thou sholdst seek el buscaria hee shold seek nos buscariamos wee shold seek vos buscariades yee shold seek ellos buscarian . they shold seek . future tense . quando , si , &c. when , if , &c. yo buscàre i shall seek tu buscares thou shalt seek el buscare hee shall seek nos buscarèmos wee shall seek vos buscareys yee shall seek ellos buscaren . they shall seek . the infinitif mood . bu●car to seek aver buscado to have sought aver de buscar being to seek estar por buscar being for to seek buscando . seeking . the declining or sorming of the verb holgar to rejoyce or to be glad , which hath most commonly one of these pronouns me , te , se , mee , thee , him , before or after it , as yo me huelgo , or huelgome i am glad . the indicatif mood . present tense . yo me huelgo , ò huelgome i am glad tu te huelgas thou art glad el se huelga hee is glad nos nos huelgamos wee are glad vos or holgays yee are glad ellos se huelgan . they are glad . imperfect tense . yo holgàva , ò holgavame i was glad tu te holgavas , &c. thou wast glad , &c. perfect tense . yo me holguè , ò holgueme i was glad or did rejoice tu te holgaste thou rejoyc'dst el se holgò hee rejoyc'd nos nos holgamos wee rejoyc'd vos os holgastes yee rejoyc'd ellos se holgàron , ò holgàronse . they rejoyc'd . indefinit perfect . yo uve ò avia holgado i had rejoyc'd tu uviste ò avias holgado thou hadst rejoyc'd el uvo ò avia , &c. hee had rejoyc'd , &c. future tense . yo me holgarè ò holgarème i will or shall rejoyce tu te holgaràs thou shalt or wilt rejoice el se holgarà , &c. hee shall or will rejoyce , &c. the second future tense , wherof every verb is capable . yo he ò tengo de holgarme tu has ò tienes de holgarte , &c. i shall or must rejoyce thou shalt or must rejoyce , &c. the imperatif mood . huelgate tu rejoyce thou huelgase el let him rejoyce holguemos nosotros ò holguemonos let us rejoyce holgad vosotros rejoyce yee huelguense ellos . let them rejoyce . the optatif and conjunctif moods . present tense . oxala , aunque , &c. o that , although , &c. yo me huelgue i rejoyce or bee glad tu te huelgues , &c. thou rejoyce , &c. imperfect tense . oxala , plaguisse a dios que , o si , &c. i wold to god , though , o if , &c. yo me holgasse i shold rejoyce tu te holgasses , &c. thou sholdst rejoyce , &c pluperfect tense . oxala , aunque , quando , &c. o that , although , &c. yo me holgàra i had rejoyc'd tu te holgàras , &c. thou hadst rejoyc'd , &c. incertain tense . yo me halgaría ò holgariame i wold bee glad tu te halgarías , &c. thou woldst be glad , &c. future tense . quando , si , &c. when , if , &c. si yo me holgàre if i shall bee glad si tu te holgares , &c. if thou shalt be glad , &c. the infinitif mood . holgar ò holgarse to rejoyce or to be glad aver ò averse holgado to have bin glad aver de holgar for to bee glad estar por holgar . being for to bee glad . verbs of the second conjugation ending in er , whose participles like the third conjugation end in ido or ydo . the indicatif mood of entendèr , to understand , present tense . yo entiendo i understand tu entiendes thou dost understand , &c. el entiende   nos entendemos   vos entendeys   ellos entienden .   imperfect tense . yo entendia i did understand tu entendias thou didst understand , &c.   el entendia   nos entendiamos   vos entendiàdes   ellos entendian .   perfect tense . yo entendì i understood tu entendisti thou understoodst , &c. el entendio   nos entendimos   vos entendistes   ellos entendieron .   perfect indefinit . yo he entendido i have understood , tu has entendido , &c. thou hast understood , &c. plusquam perfect tense . yo avia ò uve entendido i had understood tu avias ò uviste entendido , &c. thou hadst understood , &c. future tense . yo entendirè i shall or wil understand tu entenderas , &c. thou shalt or wilt understand , &c. the second future tense . yo hé ò tengo de entendèr i shall or must understa . tu has de entendèr , &c. thou shalt or must understand , &c. the imperatif mood . entiende tu understand thou entienda el let him understand entendamos nosotros ò entendamonos let us understand entendèd vosotros understand yee entiendan ellos . let them understand . the optatif and subjunctif moods . present tense . plega a dios , aunque , &c. god grant , although , &c. yo entienda i understand tu entiendas thou understandst , &c. el entienda   nos entendamos   vos entendays   ellos entiendan .   imperfect tense . oxala , si , &c. i wold , if , &c. yo entendiesse i wold understand tu entendiesses , &c. thou woldst understand ▪ &c. plusquam perfect . aunque , quando , si , &c. although , if , &c. yo entendiera i had understood tu entendieras , &c. thou hadst understood . future tense . quando yo entendiere when i shal understand quando tu entendieres , &c. when thou shalt understand , &c. the infinitif mood . entender to understand aver entendido to have understood aver de entender to bee understood ser para entender to bee to be understood entendiendo . understanding . the verb entiendo is properly to understand , as dios me de contienda con quien me entienda , god send mee to have to do with him who understands mee : a buen entendedor media palabra , half a word to the wise . but somtimes 't is taken for to hear , as entendì que mi padre estava malo , i heard my father was sick . according to entender all other regular verbs of the second conjugation may be form'd . verbs of the third conjugation ending in ir , have their participles like the second in ido , exemplified by the verb servir to serve . the indicatif mood . present tense . yo sirvo i serve tu sirves thou serv'st , &c. el sirve   nos servimos   vos servis   ellos sirven .   imperfect tense . yo servia i did serve tu servias , &c. thou didst serve , &c. perfect tense . yo servi i serv'd tu serviste thou serv'st , &c. el servio   nos servimos   vos servistes   ellos sirvieron .   pluperfect tense . yo uve ò avia servido i had serv'd tu uviste ò avias servido , &c. thou hadst serv'd , &c. future tense . yo servirè i shall or will serve tu serviràs thou shalt or wilt serve , el servira &c. nos servirèmos   vos servireys   ellos serviran .   the second future tense . yo h● ò tengo de servir i shall or must serve tu hàs de servir , &c. thou shalt or must serve ,   &c. the imperatif mood . sirve tu serve thou sirva el let him serve sirvamos nosotros let us serve servid vosotros serve yee sirvan ellos . let them serve . the optatif and conjunctif moods . present tense . oxala , aunque , &c. o that , although , &c. yo sirva i serve tu sirvas thou servest , &c. el sirva   nos sirvamos   vos sirvays   ellos sirvan .   imperfect tense . oxala , aunque , o si , si , &c. o that , although , o if , if , &c. yo serviesse i shold serve tu sirviesses , &c. thou sholdst serve , &c. pluperfect tense . oxala , aunque , si , o si , &c. o that , though , if , &c. yo serviria i had serv'd tu servirias , &c. thou hadst serv'd , &c. future tense . quando , si , &c. when , if , &c. yo sirvirè i shall serve tu sirvieres , &c. thou shalt serve , &c. the infinitif mood . servir to serve aver servido having serv'd aver de servir to have to serve estar por servir to bee to serve sirviendo . serving . this verb servir to serve , doth properly signifie to serve or obey , as servir a la mesa , to serve at the table . somtimes to avail , as de que sirve todo esso , what purpose serves all this ? sometimes it signifies to be pleas'd , as sea servido de entrar , bee pleased to com in : si dios fuere servido , dios ha sido servido , if god bee pleas'd , it hath pleas'd god. the spanish toung is full of irregular verbs , wherof i shall instance here in the most principal , by giving the chiefest and radical tenses of them : for their inflections at length , i refer the lerner to larger grammars , the design of this being brevity . irregular verbs of the first conjugation in ar , and their gerund in ado . yo cuelgo , i hang yo huelgo , i rejoyce colgava , i did hang holgava , i did rejoyce colguè , i hung holgue , i rejoyced colgarè , i shall or will hang holgare , i shall rejoyce colgar , to hang holgàr , to rejoyce colgando , hanging . holgando , rejoycing . yo regueldo , i belch   regoldava , i did belch   regoldè , i belch'd   regoldarè , i shall or will belch   regoldar , to belch   regoldando , belching .   irregular verbs of the second conjugation ending in er , and their gerund in ido . yo quiero , i love queria , i did love quise , i lov'd querrè , i will love querèr , to love queriendo , loving . this word querer to love , in spanish , comes from the word quaerere in latin , to seek ; for whom we love we are seeking for them ever and anon : the compounded pronouns qualquier and qualquiera , any , any whatsoever , comes from this verb. querer also signifies to will , as yo quiero yr a la missa , i will go to mass , no quiero yr a la missa , i will not go to mass , &c. yo puedo , i can yo hago , i do podia , i was able hazia , i did pude , i could hize , i did podre , i shall be able hare , i shall do poder , to bee able hazer , to do pud●endo , being able . haziendo , doing . yo 〈◊〉 , i know yo traygo , i carry 〈◊〉 i did know traya , i did carry 〈◊〉 new truxe , i carried sabre , i shall know traere , i shall carry saber , to know traer , to carry sabiendo , knowing . trayendo , carrying . yo buelvo , i return yo pongo , i put bolvia , thou didst return ponias , thou didst put bolvì , i return'd puse , i put bolvere , i shall return pondre , i shall put bolver , to return poner , to put bolviendo , returning . poniendo , putting . yo huelo , i smell quepo , i contain or am contain'd olia , i did smell cabia , i did contain or was contain'd oli , i smelt cupe , i contain'd , &c. olere , i shall smell cabre , i shal contain , &c. oler , to smell caber , to contain or bee contain'd oliendo , smelling . cabiendo , containing , &c. this word caber in spanish hath various significations , as esto mi cabe por mi parte , this falls unto mee for my share : honra y provecho no caben en un saco , honor and profit do not hold in one sack : esto me cupo en suerte , this happened to bee my lot , &c. irregular verbs of the third or last conjugation ending in it or yr , and their gerunds also in ido . yo oygo , i hear yo digo , i say oya , thou didst hear dezia , i did say oy , i heard dixe , i said oyre , i shall hear dire , i will say oyr , to hear dezir , to say oyendo , hearing . diziendo , saying . yo duermo , i sleep yo muero , i dye dormia , i did sleep moria , i did dye dormi , i slept mori , i dyed dormire , i shall sleep morire , i shall dye dormir , to sleep morir , to dye durmiendo , sleeping . muriendo , dying . the conjugating of the two verbs yr and andar to go ; they are synonima's in sense , but with this difference , that yr doth simply denote the action of going or marching from one particular place to another , as yo voy a la yglesia , i go to the church : but andar signifies an uncertain wandring motion of going , as yo anday por toda italia , i went through all italy : and 't is us'd somtimes for reproches , as andad para vellaco , go for a rogue ; andad para luterano , go for a lutheran . yr is taken in divers senses , as como le va , how goes it with you ? que va a mi en esto , what doth it concern mee ? mucho va de iuan y lilburne , ther is a great difference 'twixt john and lilburn , a late brain-sick fellow that was never scarce of one mind : como fue a vm . en aquel negocio , how went it with you in that busines ? they are declin'd thus : yo voy , i go yo ando , i go yva , thou didst go andava fue , hee went anduve yre , i will go andare ( not much in use ) yr , to go andar yendo , going . andando . yo vengo , i com yo obedesco , i obey venia , i did com obedecia , i did obey vine , i came obedeci , i obey'd verne or vendre i shall com tengo de obedecer , i will obey venir , to com obedecer , to obey veniendo ò viniendo coming . obedeciendo , obeying . it is to be observ'd that when the participles of yr and andar come before or after the verb soy i am , they are of the same number , as ydo soy a mi casa , i am gone to my house ; ydos somos a la comedia , wee are gon to the play ; andado es el tiempo de alegria the time of mirth is past ; andados son los dias de mocedad , the dayes of youth are past . ther is a way of speking in spanish , and 't is held eloquent , as to the futures with he and tengo to joyn me , te , se , le , la , lo , les , las , los , and put the auxiliary verb last , as besar me has , you shall or must kiss mee ; reñir te he , i shall or must chide thee ; hazerse ha , it shall or must bee don ; comerlo has , you shall or must eat it , &c. and oftentimes the article coms between the pronoun and the verb , as embiarte la he , ( making as it were but one word ) i shall or must send her unto thee ; in lieu of te la embiare . the second person plural of the imperatif mood having after it any of the particles le , la , lo , or their plurals les , las , los , ther is alwayes a preferring of the l before the d , as llevadle bring him , is pronounc'd llevalde ; besadla kiss her , besalda ; comedlo eat , comeldo ; llamadlos call them , llamaldos , &c. when le , la , lo , les , las , los , com before or after an infinitif mood , the r ( by the figure antistoichon ) is turn'd to l , to smoothen the pronunciation , as soy por dezirle , i am to tell him , soy por dezille , i am to tell him ; quiero besarla las manos , i will kiss her hands , quiero besalla las manos , &c. of verbs impersonals . impersonals are those that have no persons , and yet are made of the third person of the indicatif present tense , and have it before them in english , which the spanish hath not ; a nos pertenece , it appertains to us ; a mi conviene , it is convenient for mee : but oftentimes for a greter emphasis me and te are added , and os , as ami me conviene , it is convenient for mee ; a ti importa , a ti te importa , it concerns thee ; a nos os conviene for a nos conviene , it is convenient for us : me pesa i am sorry , a mi me pesa : acontece muchas vezes , it happens often ; acaece pocas vezes , it happens seldom . the spaniards have but one gerund terminating alwayes in do . in the first conjugation it is formed of the infinitif moo● , by putting ar into ando , as hablar to speak , hablando ; holgar to rejoyce , holgando rejoycing . they of the second conjugation are made by turning er into iendo , as bolver to return , bolviendo returning . they of the third conjugation are made by turning r alone into iendo , as venir to com , veniendo coming : but in very many words the e that comes immediatly before the r in the infinitif is turn'd to i , as dezir to speak , diziendo speking , not deziendo ; sentir to smell , sintiendo smelling . som other verbs change i before the infinitif r into n , as morir to dye , muriendo dying ; dormir to sleep , durmiendo sleeping . the preposition en coming before the gerund hath relation to time , as en hablando esto tengo de yrme , as soon as i speak this i will go ; yo yre en acabando de comer , i will go as soon as i have din'd . the spanish participles have their genders , significations and times , but the participles of the present tense have no genders , as moço or moça creciente ha el lobo en el vientre , a growing youth or maid hath a wolf in the belly . the participles of the preter tense end in do , and are formed of the infinitif mood as the gerund , n left out , as hablar to speak , hablado spoken ; buscar to seek , buscado sought , &c. but ther are many irregulars which are excepted , as morir to dye , muerto dead ; dezir to speak , dicho spoken ; bolver to return , buelto return'd , &c. which is left to the studious observer . of the indeclinable parts of speech . wee have hitherto treted of the parts of speech which are declinable , wee will proceed now to those that are not capable of declination , and first ▪ of adverbs . the first are adverbs of time , as oy to day , ayer yesterday , anteyer or ante ayer before yesterday , mañana to morrow , por la mañana in the morning , ala mañanica betimes in the morning , temprano early , media dio noon , tarde the evening . note , that the spaniard hath this singularity in his salutations relating to time , to speak in the plural number , as buenos dias good dayes to you , buenas tardes good evenings to you , buenas noches good nights to you , huenos años good years to you , buenas pascuas good easters to you : but they never use good morrow . agora , al presente now ; poco ha , poco tiempo ha a little while since ; despues since , alguna vez , a vezes somtimes ; amenudo often , mucho ha a good while since , muchas vezes oftentimes , pocas vezes seldom , quando when , entonces then , entre tanto , en este comedio in the interim ; hasta que untill , mientras while , por adelante , de aqui adelante , en ò por lo venidero hereafter ; entonces thence forward , desde agora hence forward , nunca , jamas never ; aun yet or as yet , contino de contino continually , ya alredy , luego , subito , encontinente presently ; presto quickly , siempre alwayes , siempre jamas for ever , dende agora from henceforth , hasta quando untill when , hasta tanto untill that , desde que since that , de ay adelante thence forward , despues aca since now , a deshora unwaringly , de aqui a un rato within a little while , cada dia every day , cada rato ever and anon , cada momento every moment , quando quiera when you will , ante , antes , denantes before . note , that cada , mucho and poco are somtimes adjectifs , as cada soldado , every soldier ; cada qual con su yguàl , every one with his mate ; mucho dinero , much mony ; poca fatiga es gran salùd , a little toyl is great health . local adverbs , or of place . aqui here , ay , alli there ; de aqui hence , de ay , de alli thence ; por aqui this way , por ay , por alli that way ; acà these parts , por acà in these parts , allà , a●ulla those parts , lexos far , dentro within , fuera without , do , ado , donde , adonde , where , whence , whither ; de do , de donde , por donde , from whence ; de com●ania hermanablemente , brotherly and in company . separatif adverbs . a parte apart , aun cabo at one end , a un lado at one side , de tras behind , a escondidas secretly , closely ; a hurto , a hurtadas , a hurtadillas stealingly ; solo , solamente alone ; fuera , excepto , sacando fuero except ; no embargante , non obstante notwithstanding ; a escuras in the dark , apartadamente by it self , a bueltas besides or above , as a bueltas de ducados me dio un a cadena de oro , besides or above other things hee gave mee a gold chain . adverbs of intention . en todo y por todo altogether , del todo wholly , enteramente , de todo en todo totally . adverbs personals and appelatifs . comigo with mee , contigo with thee , consigo with him , ha señor , hà hermano , ce ce , o là , ò como se llama . adverbs of election . mas ayna sooner , primero que rather than , mejor better , antes , mas ances rather ; as antes puto que gallego , rather an ingle than a galician . adverbs of haste . luego , subito presently , suddenly ; en un momento in a moment , en un cerràr de ojo in the twinkling of an eye , presto quickly . adverbs of similitudes . como , ansi como as , so as ; ansi , assi so ; de la manera que insomuch . irregular adverbs . de passado , de camino as wee pass'd ; al traves athwart , al revès clean cam , a reculas recoyling back , de bruces groveling , a gatas creeping , a tuerto crookedly , embalde in vain , debalde gratis for nothing , barato good cheap , a trueque , en lugar in exchange or in lieu . of the prepositions . ther are som prepositions in spanish that serve for accusatif and ablatif cases , which will be distinguished by the article , and first of those prepositions that serve the ablatif with de . cerca nere , de of , antes before , acerca touching , ●●erredòr , alderredòr about ; entorno round about , fuera without , dentro within , debaxo under , encima upon , ayuso , de yuso , abaxo below ; de sus● arriba on high , empos del after him , en frente , de frente against or opposite ; a la orilla at the bank or brink , a rayz all along . prepositions which serve the accusatif . sobre , acuestas upon or about ; ante , contra against ; por , para for , which way , abaxo , de yuso below , debaxo underneath , arriba , de suso above ; atras behind , do quiera , a do quiera , donde quiera whersoever ; aquende this side , allende that side . adverbs of number . vna vez once , dos vezes twice , and so to cien vezes an hundred times ; thence to mil vezes a thousand times , &c. by putting the cardinal nombers which were put down before . adverbs of quantity . mucho much , poco a little , poquito very little , harto , assaz enough ; demasiado , en demasia too much ; de mas de esto moreover ; al pie de ciento near a hundred , al pie de mil about or near a thousand , abundantemente , en abundancia , a montones plentifully ; tanto quanto , tan quan as much as . observe that tanto quanto com alwayes before verbs or substantifs , tan quan before adjectifs or adverbs ; as no tengo tanto seso como vos , i have not so much brain as you : quanto es del mes , what day of the month is it ? tengo tan buenos parientes como vos , i have as good kindred as you : o quan dulcemente canta , how sweetly do you sing ? these three adverbs mas , muy , mucho serve to make comparatifs of positif adjectifs , as rico rich , masrico more rich , muy rico very rich : mucho is seldom us'd in this kind , unless mas com immediatly after , as mucho mas hermosa much more beautiful : the superlatifs never have these before them , for they say not mas , muy or mucho riquissimo , hermosissimo , for they of themselfs are sufficient to augment the quality . adverbs of quality . bien , buenamente well ; mal , malamente ill ; osadamente boldly , atrevidamente audaciously , adrede expresly or purposely , a sabiendas wittingly . when two adverbs of quality meet , the formost loseth the two last syllables , as locamente y temer ariamente foolishly and rashly , mente in the first is lost , and it must be written and pronounc'd loca y temerariamente . adverbs of negation . no no not , ni neither , aun no no not yet , tampoco ●i menos as less , nada , nonada nothing ; nunca , ja●as never ; en ninguna manera , suerte , modo , by no means ; antes , mas antes rather , but rather ; no solament not only . two negatifs affirm not in the spanish as they do in som languages , as wee see in no nada , menos and tampoco less , are often simple negations : and commonly to interrogations , as tienes dinero ? no , hast thou any mony ? no : tienes vestidos ? menos , hast thou clothes ? less : tienes de comer ? tampoco , hast thou meat ? as little . of affirmatif adverbs . si i , yea , yes ; si señor i sir : si is also an affirmatif , but in italian it commonly comes after signor ; as signor si , tambien also , si cierto , si por cierto yes sure ; si de verdad yes in truth , verdaderamente truly , assies 't is so , amen ; ansi es 't is so , sin duda doutles , de veras in good sooth . adverbs optatif , or of wishing . oxala ( a morisco word ) o that , i wold , i could wish ; quiera a dios god grant , plega a dios god grant , o si o if . adverbs of admonition . ea , vaya well then , ther then ; ea pues , ora pues , or a sus , sus , arasus , well well , let it pass , let us on : ea alegramente . demonstratif adverbs . hè aqui , veys aqui look here ; ve alli , cataldo aqui , cataldo ay , look here , see here , see there . adverbs of order . primeramente in the first place , principalmente chiefly , imprimis ; de nuevo again , al fin , finalmente , al cabo lastly ; item item , de tras behind , a la postre late or lag behind , adelante , delante before ; entre tanto in the mean while , mientras while . remissif adverbs . poco a poco by little and little , dispacio lesurely , passo , passito gently ; quedo , quedito softly ; a penas scarce , a malas penas very hardly , casi almost , a plazer at plesure , calla callando secretly and silently , callandico softly without noise . adverbs of doubt . puede ser , quiça it may bee ; a caso perchance , por ventura peradventure . interrogatif adverbs . para que why , to what end ? porque , porque razon for what reson , why ? a que proposito to what purpose ? por que causa for what cause . adverbs congregatif . iuntos , iuntamente together ; en uno , a la par , a las parejas equally , in one ; entrambos , ambos , ambos ad●s both together . separatif or adverbs of exception . salvo , excepto , sacando fuera except ; segun according , junto near , hasta untill , cabe near , tras behind , en in , entre between , hazia towards , aquende allende this side or that side . por and para do both signifie for , but the first relates commonly to the efficient and final cause , and para relates to the profit or damage of a person , as por amor de dios , for gods love ; yo muero por ti , i dye for thee ; para quien es esta casa , for whom is this house ? es para don carlos , it is for sir charles : araada sobre el duero para mi la quiero , aranda upon the duero i 'le have her for my self : a proverb of philip the second , when ther was a suit 'twixt him and one of his grandes for right to that town in old castile : therfore ther is a spanicism that para comigo signifies in my behalf , para consigo in his behalf : then it serves often before con , but it makes it more emphatical , and to change its sense , and both of them signifie towards , as seamos piadosos para con los pobres , let us be pitiful towards the poor : para con todos es affable y franco , hee is affable and free towards all . the preposition hàzia towards , hath alwayes an accent over the first syllable , to distinguish it from hazia the verb , who hath the accent over the middle syllable . the preposition cabe near , comes alwayes before the accusatif case , as sientese vm . cabe mi hermana , sit next my sister . of conjunctions . conjunctions som are copulatifs , as y and , tambien also , aun yet : touching y and , for avoiding the ill sound turns somtimes to e , when the next word begins with another y , as margerita e ysabela , francisco e yo andàvamos juntos , francis and i went together ; la mano derecha e ysquierda , the right and the left hand , &c. the disjunctif prepositions are ni , o not , as ni el uno ni el otro , nor the one nor the other ; o san pablo o san pedro , either paul or peter . ther are som causal or conditional prepositions , as si if , aunque although , dado que , puesto que it being granted , pues que since that , para que to the end that , porque because , mas but , pero but , empèro notwithstanding , toda via yet for all that , a lo menos at least , con tal if , upon condition ; tengo de bever todo esto con tal que vm . me hagarazòn , i will drink all this upon condition you will pledg mee : yrè allà con tal que vm . vaya comigo , i will go thither upon condition you will go with mee . ther are also rational prepositions , as assi que so that , es a saber , conviene a saber , viz. to wit ; luego , pues then ; por esso , por tanto therfore . of interjections . interjections are certain words which express the motions or alterations of the mind , according to the accidents that happen , signifying either joy or grief , fear , anger or wonder , as o bueno , hala , gala , o good , o brave ; ay , hay de mi alas ; guay , guay de mi wo is mee ; amargo de mi , desdichado de mi , wretched , unfortunat that i am : iesus , vala me dios , jesus , god deliver mee : valgame la madre de dios que es esto , the mother of god deliver mee what 's this ? and these are spoken in admiration . ther are three sorts of ay , the first is the impersonal verb ay , as ay barto lodo en las calles , ther is dirt enough in the streets : the second is the interjection of grief , as ay de mi wo is mee : the third is the local adverb [ ay ] and that hath an accent over the [ y ] and is pronounc'd as two syllables , as quien esta ay , who is there ? ay esta mi padre , my father is ther. therfore ther must a great heed bee taken to observe the accents , though in most spanish authors the printers are not so careful herein as they shold bee . the impersonal ay is very frequent in the spanish toung in one rense or other , for it hath all the five in the indicatif mood , as ay ther is , avia ther was , uvo ther was , ( perfect tense ) ha avido ther hath bin , aura ther will bee . a collection of som difficult words and phrases which are meer spanicisms or idioms of the castilian toung . of the words fulano , hulano , çutano . these three words are much us'd in spanish , as iohn an okes and iohn a stiles in our law , or mevius and titius were us'd in the latin : they signifie [ such a one ] or [ how do you call him ? ] as fulano es gran soldado , such a one is a great soldier : hulano es muy hombre de bien , such a one is very honest . they have also their feminins fulana , hulana , but not çutano , which never begins a saying , as hablè a çutano , i spoke to such a one . the word hidalgo a gentleman , hath two etymoligies , according to som it is deriv'd of hijo de algo the son of sombody , viz. of a known person ; or hija de algo a gentlewoman , but that is pronounc'd and written at large , not hidalga . others derive it from hijo del godo the son of a goth , for the goths and vandals , whence andaluzia is deriv'd , having first planted christianity in spain , it was held an honor to bee call'd hijo del godo , the son of a goth , contracted to hidalgo . hideputa on the contrary is a word of disgrace , being deriv'd of hijo de puta the son of a whore , but 't is us'd for an interjection of exclamation or wonder , and most commonly in an ill sense , o hideputa , y que roldan para hazer fieros , o hideputa , what a rowland is this to make bravado's ? hydeputa ruyn ò hidervin , base son of a whore . ther are som words , which though they be substantifs , yet having en before them turn to a kind of adverbs , as en cuerpo without a cloke , en piernas without stockins , en carnes , en puras carnes all naked ; as pusole en puras carnes , hee stripped him stark naked . en cuero hath the like sense : cuero a skin , is us'd also to another sense , as hazerse cuero , to make himself a skin , that is , to make himself drunk , because in spain they carry wine in skins . the verb alcançar hath many significations , as to obtain , acquire and overtake , but it hath one extraordinary sense , alcançar en la cuenta , to defalk or abate of the account ; alcançado de cuenta , that which remains of the account . the verb armar to arm , hath other significations , as armar una celada , to provide an ambush ; armar un lazo to provide a trap ; armar una cama , to furnish a bed , &c. abaxo below , and aynso under , have remarkable significations , somtimes as del rey abaxo n● temo algun alma viviente , i fear none breathing after or except the king : de dios en ayuso yo le conservava , after god i preserved him . this word cabo an end , is us'd diversly , as estoy al cabo del negocio . i understand the busines ; rico por el cabo , extremely rich ; al cabo estoy , no me diga mas , i know your meaning speak no more . the verb caer to fall , hath remarkable significations , as no caygo en vm . i cannot remember who you are : no puedo caer en ello , i cannot understand it . this verb dar to give , is us'd diversly , as dar el para bien to congratulat : el demonio me da penar por ●lla , the devil makes mee torment my self for her : darse maña , to use cunning , &c. the verb echar to cast , powr or put , is us'd variously , as se echa de ver , it seems : echar mano a la espada , to draw his sword , &c. the verb estar to bee or stand , is variously us'd , as estoy en ello , i understood the busines : estoy mal con fulano , i am not frends with such a man : quien està mal con dios nopuede hazer cosa buena , who is not in peace with god cannot do any thing good . the verb hazer to do , is us'd diversly , as haze frio 't is cold , haze calor 'tis hot , haze sol 't is cleer . hà hee hath , the third person of aver , hath various significations , as tres dias hà , three dayes since : cien años hà , it is a hundred yeers : quanto hà que vine a londres , how long is it since you came to london ? dias hà , 't is a pretty while since : que tanto hà que estays aqui , how long have you bin here ? aurà cosa de media hora , about half an hour , &c. the verbs llevar and traer to bring , lead or carry , are indifferently us'd in som parts of spain , but not in castile ; but properly llevar is to bring , and traer is to carry , as llevaronme und●cado por la hechura , they brought mee a crown for the making : lleveme el cavallo , bring mee the horse : trae una carga muy pesado , hee carries a very hevy burden . ther is also another sense of llevar , as buen camino lleva el negocio , the busines goes well : la eosa no lleva remedio , ther 's no remedy for it . nàdie and ningùno none , differ in that nàdie relates to persons , and never joyns with a substantif , which ninguno doth , as no hago mal a nadie , i hurt nobody : quien està ay , who is ther ? nadie nobody . ninguno joyns with adjectifs , as obra de una es obra de ninguno , the work of one is the work of none : ninguno loseth o when it comes before a substantif , as ningun hombre ; but ninguna the feminin keeps a alwayes . pararmientes is an extraordinary word in spanish , it is to beware , as tu que mientes lo que dizes para mientes , thou which dost use to lye take heed what thon saist . pedir and preguntar to ask , differ in this , that pedir relates to a thing wee desire to have , and preguntar to a thing wee desire to know . recado or recaudo is as general a word as any that 's us'd in the whole spanish toung , somtimes it signifies a message , yo voy con un recaudo , i go with a message : somtimes it signifieth wherwith to do any thing , as no tengo recaudo para escrevir , i have not wherwith to write : da me recauda para almorzar , give mee wherwith to break my fast , &c. these expressions also touching the disposition of the wether are remarkable in the spanish . llueve a cantaros , it rains by whole buckets : escampia , y har à buen tiempo , it leaves raining , and wee shall have fair wether : yela tanto que ay caràmbanos , it freezeth so that ther are isicles : desyela , y haze lodaçares , it thaws and is very dirty : nieva a copos , it rains fleeces of wooll : el tiempo se escurece , que parect boca de lobo , the wether darkens as it were the mouth of a wolf : haze sol con uñas , y llovisna , the sun is troubled , and it misles : haze lindo y estrellado , it is fair and star-like : haze suzio , y lleno de çarpas , it is foul and dirty : ay lodos hasta la cinta , ther 's dirt up to the girdle : frio que haze tiritar , cold that makes the teeth to quaver : hae , muy resbaladero y dislizadero , haze bonança , t is calm . of the spanish accents . ther is nothing that conduceth more to the right and round speking of spanish , as to observe how the words are accented , and to give a force therunto accordingly : to which end take these precepts . all words ending in r have the accent in the last syllable as , mugèr a woman , plazèr plesure , muladàr a dunghill , albeytàr a farrier ; all infinitif moods , as hablàr to speak , descansàr to rest , descalabràr to break ones head , bolvèr to return , apprendèr to learn , acontecèr to happen , hinchir to fill , escupìr to spit , apercebìr to prepare , labradòr a yeoman , pecadòr a sinner , oradòr an orator , &c. with proper names , as gaspàr , balthasàr , &c. but alcàçar a castle , açùcar suger , màrtir a martyr , are excepted . words also ending in d have the accent in the last , as salùd health , lealtàd loyalty , humanidàd humanity , &c. proper names of places , as madrìd , vallodolìd , &c. wherunto may be added the second person plural of the imperatif mood , as and àd go , embiàd send , embergàd sequester , despavilàd snuff , &c. words also ending in l have an accent or emphasis in the last , as españòl a spaniard , caracòl a snail , señàl a sign , azùl blu , &c. but som are accepted , as cònsul , hàbil able , fertil fruitful , dèbil weak , àrbol a tree , fràgil frail , mòbil moveable , &c. words also ending in n have the accent in the last syllable , as capitàn a captain , almazèn a store-house , mastìn a mastiff , compassiòn , devociòn , abominaciòn , &c. but som few are excepted , as òrden order , imàgen image , orìgen , &c. words in x also have the accent in the last syllable , as carcàx a quiver , almofrèx a male or great hamper , relòx a clock , amoradàx mariorame . words also ending in z have the accent in the last syllable , as sagàz wise , axedrèz a chesse-board table , vejèz old age , &c. ther are som proper names excepted , as nuñez , dìaz , alvàrez , pèrez , suàrez , rodrìguez , sànchez , gòmez , &c. words terminating in ia have the accent over th● i , as porfìa , alcanzìa a box , policìa , philosofìa , alegrìa mirth , astronomìa , and other words deriv'd from the latin. but these are excepted ausencia absence , blasfemia , clemència , dolència grief , escòria drosse , eficàcia , glòria , indùstria , infàmia , injùria , &c. the future tenses of verbs in the indicatif moods , have the accent over the last , as buscarè , buscaràs , buscara , i , thou , hee shall seek : and observable it is , that wher the accent is over the last in the singular number , 't is over the last saving one in the plural , buscarè buscarèmos , virtùd virtùdes , capitàn capitànes , mugèr mugères , caracòl caracòles , relòx relòges . note that wher the accent is found ther must bee a gentle vigor , acutenes and force given to the syllable . magnìfico the adjectif hath the accent over the second syllable , but magnifìco the verb over the penultime or last syllable saving one . carta compuesta de ciertos frasis y idiòmas , peculiares y propios a la lengua castellana . a los . de mayo . mas de cineo mezes hà que yo no recebi tilde de vm . por tanto estoy con mil desseòs , y no men cuydados de entender que tal se halla mi primo en punto salùd , y como leva a vm . tambien ; todos quantos por aca dizen que mi tartarabuelo ha traspassado , por cierto me pesa , porque de mi padre abaxo no quise mas a algun alma viviente ; era devoto por el cabo , haga , que yo sepa que tanto avra que murio ; se echa dever , que vm . ò està malo , ò muy ocupado , ò que se le da nada de sus parientes por aca ; topè poco hà con beltran , que parecia en cuerpo , y en piernas , y casi en puras carnes tan belitre era ; toda via se avia hecho cuero , y hazia fieros como si fuera roldan , pensava de dalle palos , si no uvier a hecho divorcio con larazòn . supplico a vm . que se sirva de dar recaudo a la que va con esta , y si fulano , &c. esta por aculla , digale que hulana esta achocosa ; despues de muchos dares y tomares recaudo al fin su dote , que vino a buen recaudo : no soy por mas , si no que con mis besamanos a çutano don , &c. y a los chiquitos sus quitapesares , quedo muy de veras , y de todas mis entrañas , su criado mayòr . fulano . this letter were it translated verbatim according to the literal sense , wold prove nothing but absurdities , therfore it must bee rendered otherwise , as thus : a familiar letter made up of certain phrasis or idioms peculiar and proper only to the castilian toung . the . of may. t is more than six months that i receav'd any thing from you , therfore i am very desirous and careful to understand how my cosen doth in point of health , and how you also do : all the world here report that my great-granfather is dead , truly i am sorry , for after my father i lov'd him more then any ; hee was devout in an intense degree : i pray let mee know how long it is since hee dyed . it seems that you are either ill or very busy , or that you care not for your kinsmen hereabout . i met lately with beltran , who appeer'd without a cloke or stockings , and almost stark naked , hee was such a rogue ; yet hee had got drunk , and did so rant it as if hee had bin another roldan : i thought to bang him , had hee not made a divorce with reson for that time . i pray be pleas'd to deliver the inclos'd , and if such a one b. bee that way , tell him that such a one m. is sickly , and after many godmorrows shee recovered her dowry , which came in a good time . no more , but that with my service to d , and to his take away cares , i mean his little ones , i remain in earnest , and with all my bowels , the gretest of your servants , p. s. la perambulaciÒn de españa , y de portugàl ; en un discurso entre carlos y felipe . the perambulation of spain and portugal ; in a discours 'twixt charles and philip : which may serve for a directory how to travel through those countreys . la perambulacion de españa y de portugàl ; en un discurso entre carlos y felipe . carlos . dios le dè muy buenos dias señor don felipe , años hà que no le he visto ; digame si fuere , servido , donde hà estado tanto tiempo ? y de donde viene agora ? felipe . sea vuessa merced muy bien hallado señor don carlos , me huelgo en el alma de velle con falùd , y pues que me manda dirè donde vengo , soy rezien-venido de españa . carlos . de españa ? valgame dios , y qual fue la causa ( eon licencia ) que le hizo emprender aquel viaje ? pues dizen es tierra muy trabajosa para los passageros . felipe . señor , la curiosidad fue la causa ; pèro entremos en casa que yo le contrarè por extenso lo que deffeàre saber , princ●palmente el modo que hà de tene rel que tuviere gana de yr a ver aquel reyno . carlos . primero hemos de comer , y si vm . mandà●e , comeremos juntos en aquel bodegòn , que es casa muy limpia y bien proveyda ; y despues me contarà mas de espacio en levantando la mesa . felipe . sea en hora buena , que yo accepto la merced que me haze de conduzirme a tan buena posada que mucho ha que no la hallado tal . carlos . pues que me dize ? es possible que no las aya en su viage , siendo españa tan buena tierra , y abundante de todo ? felipe . buena por cierto pudiera ser , si la gente no fuera tan perezosa , porque no labran la tercera parte de la tierra , la qual de otra manera es de su calidad harto buena , màs despues de la expulsion de los moriscos no es tan labrada . carlos . de manera señor , que la pereza de los moradores es causa de la esterilidàd . felipe . no ay que dudar en esto , porque la tierra no produze de suyo sin ser labrada , y no lo siendo , falta lo necessario de la provision ; assi que no se halla en las posadas mas que el casco de la casa con un poco de ropa blanca , y a vezes , no ay camas para los caminantes principalmente esi las ventas . carlos . haga me merced de informarme que quiere dezir venta ? felipe . ventas son las posadas que se hallan en la campaña , y por les caminos reales , adonde si se encueutran les caminantes a hazer jornada han de llevar las alforjas , bien proveydas de todo lo necessario ; que de otra manera bien podrian acostarse sin cenàr , porque no se halla otra cosa en ellas si no cevada , y paja para las cavalgaduras , y si ay algo serà un poco de pan , de vino , algunos huevos , tocino , o longanizas . charlos . pues por vida suya cuente me el discurso de su viaje por donde entrò en españa , y lo que passò principalmente en los lugares mas señalados , para que yo sepa governarme si a caso me viniere gana de yr allà algun dia. felipe . señor , al salir de francia yo passè el rio dordona , que la divide de españa , que es cerca de iròn no muy lexos de fuentarabia , tuve el medio dia en el dicho lugàr de iròn , y la noche ganè san sebastiàn primera tierra fuerte de biscaya , y puerto de mar. carlos . en aquellos lugares fronteros no se hallan guardas que miran a los passageros ? felipe . si ay , es verdad que al entrar en españa no me dieron algun impedimento ; pero una cosa se hà de hazer en llegando a iròn , y es , que se hà de manifestàr todo lo que la persona lleva , ropa y joyas si tiene algunas , y aun el propio dinero que tiene por los gastos del camino , y todo se hàde de registàr , y pagar lo que es tassado por los aduaneros , y despues le dan una cedulilla que llaman albaràn o alvalà que es tanto como passaporte para que despues , las guardas no le quiten lo que lleva a falta de averle registrado . carlos . y se haze esto a todo genero de personas estrangeros y naturales ? felipe . no perdonan a nadie , y lo que peôr es , las guardas que estan alerta al salir por la otra puerta si se les antoja os haran apear para mirar y buscar , por todo si llevays alguna cosa que no estè en el albar●n ; pero el mejor remedio que ay para escusar esta importunidad es echarles un real de a quatro o un de a ocho segun la calidad del passagero . carlos . de manera señor que saben quanto dinero lleva un hombre acuestas , y essi corre peligro de ser seguido por los caminos y robado , y quiça aun peòr . felipe . esto no se hà de temer , porque en españa no se habla de ladrones de camino , o salt eadores , si no es en catalunia por ser la provincia mas frequentada de passageros , que otra ninguna ; porque passan por ella todos les que van● y vienen de italia , o de aquellas partes de francia para la corte , demas que es la tierra mas poblada de toda españa . carlos . pues al partir de san sebastian adonde se encaminava ? felipe . tomè el camino per navarra , adonde vi a pamplona villa principal de aquel reyno , y en ella el castillo muy famoso el quai parece mucho a aquel de anveres . carlos . y no es el reyno de navarra del rey de francia ? felipe . aquel reyno se divide en dos partes , la que està deste lado de les montes pyreneos pertenece a la froncia , y la que està del otro lado es del rey de españa , que es famosa tierra , la gente muy luzida , y no mal aficionada a nuestra naciòn francesa . carlos . y de al●à por donde fue um . pues a mi parecer avia dexado el camino ordinario de los que van a madrid . felipe . assi es verdad , que dexè el camino de victoria , y el puerto de sant adrian , y entrè por logroño ( harto buena tierra ) puesta sobre el rio de ebro cerca de una montaña adonde antiguamente estava la ciudad de cantabria , la qual do el nombre a la provincia que agora contiene la biscaya , navarra , guipuzcoa , y otras particulares de cuyos nombres no me acuerdo ahora . carlos . pues no dexe vm . atràs otros lugares del reyno de navarra , que yo hallo en la mappamundo . felipe . bien haze en hazer me acordar desso , pues se me avia olvidado dos lugares muy señalados ; el uno fstella de navarra que la universidàd de aquel reyno , y està situada la villa en ●n lugar muy ameno ; el otro es la puente de la reyna , y demas de aquellos dos ay otro llamado viana nombre corrompido de diana , porque antiguamente avia alli un templo consecrado a aquella diosa . carlos . passe vm . adelante y no repare en estos lugarcitos de poca consideracion , porque yo creo que vm , tiene una larga jornada que hazer . felipe . pues vm . gusta dello yo harè un salto desde legroño hasta santo domingo de la calçada que es lugar en la rioja , cerca de los montes de oca , en el qual lugar se veen cerca de la y glesia un gallo , y una gallina vivos de la casta de aquellos , que ya estando aslàdos tornàron a vivit por milagro . carlos . por ventura seran de los del milagro de aquel moço peregrino francès que fue ahorcado en aquel lugar por ladron , cuyos padres bolviendo de cumplir su viaje de santjago , y passando cerca de la horca adonde estava colgando le hallaron vivo . felipe . d●zen que de aquellos mesmos son , y la costumbre es , que los peregrinos que passan en romeria por ailà traigan en sus sombreros unos bordoncillos con plumas de aquellas aves , y si no fuera tan larga la h●storia yo se la contaria , pero quedese para otro tiempo . carlos . toda via supplicò a vm , de proseguir lo començado , que sea en hora buena . felipe . pues vm . lo manda , y que gusta tanto dello lo harè de santo domingo passay a burgos ciudad principal de costilla la vieja , entre la qual y toledo hà avido grandes porfias por la precedencia . carlos . assi tengo leydo , pero en unas cortes que juntaron en toledo , el rey felipe el segundo aparigiuò la contienda muy cuerdamen te por entonces , que aconteciò assi ; los representantes de ambas ciudades estando en las cortes porfiavan quien avia de hablar primero , la porfia vino a ser algo caliente , quando el rey se levantava subito , y dixo , hable burgos , que por toledo hablarè yo . felipe . era un passaje muy señalado , y si no suera por otra cosa felipe el segundo merecia el atributo de prudente ( que le dan ) por esto solo ; mas prosigamos , en burgos ay un monasterio fuera de la ciudad adonde està aquel milagroso crucifixo , cuyas uñas y cabellos van crecierdo cada un mes : la yglesia mayor de burgos , es un edificio muy pomposo ; tambien ay un castillo pero de poca confideraciòn . carlos . y con su licencia , de burgos para donde se encamino sù merced ? felipe . a valladolid , linda villa , y bien poblada , adonde està una de las cancillerias de españa . carlos . pues llama vm , valladolid villa siendo un lugàr tan grande , y adonde la corte catolica residio tanto tempo ? felipe . si señòr , villa es , pues no està cercada de muros , y tambien dizen allà communmente , villa por villa , vallado●id en castilla ; como ciudad por ciudad lisboa en portugal . carlos . bien , no nos detengamos mas en est lugàr , vamos adelante si vm . fuere servido . felipe . de alli me fuy a medina del campo harto buena tierra , donde ay famosas librerias ; passè alli ala tardecica , y a la mañana siguiente tomè el camino de salamanca ; tierra muy grande , y la mas illustre universidad de toda españa , yo vi alli los colegios que son en gran numero , y muy bien fabricados ; tambien la puente hecho por los romanos , y el toro que està a la entrada del qual habla lazarillo de tormes . carlos . vio vm . alli por ventura la casa de celestina ? felipe . señor , bien me apuntaron el lugar adonde estava , mas no tuve tanta curiosidad que suera a vella , y tambien me parece que es cosa fingida . carlos . he oydo dezir , que una vez se hallaron en salamanca quinze mill estudiantes y licenciados que me parece cosa estraña , siendo españa tan poco poblada , y teniendo vniversidades mas . felipe . bien puede ser , porque salamanca està puesta casi en el centro de españa donde acuden mas facilmente de todas partes los estudiantes mas la major parte son opidanos qui tienen posadas fuera de los colegios . carlos . tengo leydo un refran , en salamanca mas vale un maravedi que una blanca ; mas passe vm . adelante . felipe . de salamanca tomè el camino de segovia famoso lugà● por muchas cosas ; que alli se veen , lo primero el monasterio de parral que està fuera de la ciudad ; despues , la casa de la moneda ; tras esto el famoso aleàzar , y lo que llaman la puente de segovia que no lo es sino un aqueducto hecho de piedras de maravillosa grandeza , y lo que es de notàr los paños finos de lana que alli si texen . de segovia passè el puerto de guadarrama aviendo visto de camino un grand edificio que se llama la casa del campo harto buena metida entre los bosques , y passado el dicho lugàr de guadarrama fuy al escurial el octavo milagro del mundo ; mas porque seria menestè● un volume entero para hazer la descripcion tanto de la yglesia , de la libreria , de los patios , de los quartos , y los alojamentos del rey , y de los frayles , como de las aguas , jardines , y fuentes famosos que ay alla , yo lo remito a la diligencia , y curiosidad de los que lo quisieren saber mas por extenso . carlos . pues yo tengo esperança de vello todo algun dia si dios me diere la gracia ; mas grand●osa● casa es , que una casa sola tenga un monastero , un palacio real , y una vniversidàd . felipe . partido del escurial fuy a madrid , passando antes por la casa del prado adonde el rey reside muy amenudo . carlos . pues que avemos llegado a madrid que me dirà vm . de la corte del rey catolico . felipe . no le dirè otra cosa a vm . sino que es una corte muy corta . carlos . como es esto , que siendo el rey de españa tan gran monarca , no tiene una corte correspondiente a su grandeza ? felipe . vm. hà de saber que ay mucha gravedàd y estado en la corte catolica , mas poca gente y ruydo ; siendo antes monasterio que corte real . carlos . desta manera poco gasto haze el rey de españa . felipe . tan poco que yo osarè apostàr que el rey de francia gasta mas en pages , y lacayos que el de españa gasta en todos sus officiales . carlos . es possible esso ? aunque si bien lo miro , pareceme que el acierta mas , porque excusa mucho trabajo , y la confusion que ay en la corte de francia ; y allende desto es mas el desperdicio que se haze en aquella , que lo que buenamente se gasta . felipe . vm. està bien en ello , y en eseto no se hazen alli tantas y insolencias como en otras cortes mucho menores ; mas quien quisiere ver la grandeza del rey de españa , que vaya a naples , sicilia , mexico , o perù , adonde los virreyes viven con mayor pomp y luzimiento que no haze el rey a catolico en sn palacio ( porque assi llaman la corte ) en madrid . carlos . pues dexemos de hablar mas destas cortes , porque no bastaria un dia entero para dezir lo que se pudiera de la una y de la otra ; y prosiga si vm . mandare , su viage . felipe . al salir de madrid tomè el camino de alcala de henares famosa universidad , ye de alli passando por aranjuez que es otra casa real mas muy caluroso , por su situation siendo , como dizen ' la tierra circumvezina de un temple africano ; alli ay algunas colas muy curiosas ; y de aranjuez me encaminè para toledo ciudad principal de castilla la nueva , y arcobispado , el qual es el mas rico de entradas despues del papadgo , de todos los de la christianidad : alli ay una yglesia rara , y un riquissimo tesoro en ella . carlos . vio vm. alli la torre encantada , y el artificio con que se sube el agua del rio hasta lo alto de la cindad que es tan curioso y renombrado ? felipe . quanto a la torre yo me informè benissimo della , pero no me la supieron ensenār , y assi lo tengo por fabla ; mas el artificio del agua , aunque sea bueno , no tiene que ver con los que se hallan en otras tierras , como yo he visto en italia , y alemaña ; el pueblo de toledo es muy grave , y subtil , que fue causa del refràn del toledano guarte tarde y temprano ; el mas puro dialecto del costellano se habla alli , de suerte que ay una ley en españa , si huviere alguna diferencia y ambiguidad en la significacion de alguna palabra costellana , un toledano hà de ser el juèz . toledo tambien es renombrada por los consilios generales y ecumenicos que se tuvieron alli . carlos . abrevie vm . si mandàre , y passe adelante en su discurso . felipe . de toledo passe por muchedumbre de lugares , pero no me detuve sino muy poco ; los mas señalados son talavera , truxilla , merida , y badaioz postrera tierra de castilla adonde se hà de registràr la ropa , y el dinero ; y a tres leguas de alli en portugal se registraron otra vez pagando cierta alcavala a la salida de castilla , y a la entrada de portugàl . carlos . que importunidad es aquella de registrar tantas vezes , y aun pagar algo del poco dinero que se lleva a cuestas para meter pan en boca . felipe . señòr , no ay que apelar sino a la bolsa , y esto puede ser la causa porque se hallan tan pocos caminantes por aquellas tierras ; y puede vm. creerme pienso de aver encontrado mas passajeros entre paris y orleans que casien todo mi viage en españa . carlos . bien se lo creo sin que vm . lo jure , porque parece casi una procession la gente que passa por aquella parte de francia . felipe . claro està , y en efeto pienso que ay mas pueblos en francia entre los dos rios de sena y la loira , tomandolos desde su origèn hasta que se entran en la mar , que en toda españa . carlos . passe vm . adelante en el discurso de su via je si fuere servido de favore cerme . felipe . aviendo entrado en portugal passème a yelvas bonito lugàr , y assi a villa vieiosa , despues a evora ciudad de cuenta , a estremoso , a monte major , y assi passo passico a lisbona , grandissima ciudad la qual se puede paragonar a las mejores , y mayores ciudades de europa teniendo siete millas enderedòr . carlos . li lisbona siendo una ciudad tan renombrada porque ay un refran , quien no ha visto lisboa no hà visto cosa-boa , supplico a vm. que me cuente algo della . felipe . for çoso es que lisbona sea antigua , porque suvieio apellido es olisippo de vlisse qui pasto por allà ; ella està situada sobre el taio , y tiene trafego y tierras en ambas las indias . el primer descubridòr de tierras agenas fue el infante don henrique hijo menòr de los cinco que ganò don iuan el primero ( rey de portugal ) de doña felipa hija de iuan de gaunt duque de lancastrià en imglatier●a ; este principe henrique siendo gran matematico descubrio primero los açores , y la madera , y otras islas en el mar atlantico ; despues la guinea , y el passaje a las indias orientales por el capo de buena esperança , desde que tiempo lisbona hà florecido maravillosamente ; el hermano mayor del dicho principe don henrique se llama va don edovardo ( qui vino ser rey de portugal ) el rey edovardo tercero , de ingla-tierra siendo su padrino , que era la primera vez que el nombre de edoardo ò duarte fu conocido en portugal . lisbona està circuyda de buenos muros y sobre ellos torres , hazia la mar tiene veynte puertas ; hazia la tierra firma esta situada sobre cinco montecillos , y es lugar de infinito comercio , &c. carlos . beso a vm. las manos una infirnidàd de vezes por esta relacion tan puntuàl , prosiga , si mandáre , a hablar de otras partes de portugàl . felipe . les segunda cindad en portugal es santeren situada tambien sobre el tajo ; y la tercera , es sinira , situada sobre el mar atlantico ; la ª conimbra sobre el rio mondego ; la ª braga un gran arcobispado ; ª porto , situada a la boca del duero ; ª miranda ª bragança , cuyos duques eran tan grandes principes que la tercera parte del pueblo vivian sobre sus tierras ; ª eubora , arçobispado ; ª portalegre ; ª olivença sobre la guadiana ; ª beja : todos estos lugares estan situados sobre rios considerables . carlos . parece que el reyno de portugal està bien aguado , teniendo tantos rios . felipe . tendrà como dizen mas de cien y cinquenta rios grandes y pequeños ; los principales son el tajo , el duero , guadiana , minio , &c. carlos . el reyno de los algarves no pertenece a la corona de portugàl ? felipe . si señòr , y tiene buenos lugares , como faro , niebla , villa maona , tavila , lagos , sylvia , &c. de suerte que el reyno de portugal con los algarves tendra cosa de millas de largo , y de ancho . carlos . que son los otros dominios que tiene la corona de portugal ? felipe . en asia , o en las indias orientales tienen tantos que es cosa difficultosa de nombrarlos ; ●ienen diu en el reyno de cambaia ; tienen goa en el reyno de decan , damau , macao en china , y muchos otros lugares y castillos ; en africa , los portugueses tienen señoriòs muy largos en los reynos de conga y angola ; las islas del capo verde que son nueve en numero pertenecen a los portugueses ; y tanger en berberia situado cerca de la boca del estrecho de gibraliàr . en las indias occidentales tienen brasil , y una grandissima extendida de t erra , con muy considerables puertos como todos los santos , fernambuc , san salvadòr y diversos otros . carlos . muy largos son los dominios a mi parecer que los portugueses tienen en todas las quatro partes del mundo , es a saber en europa , asia , africa , y america ; mas de gracia passe vm. mas adelante . felipe . antes que de partirme de portugàl tengo de confutar un proverbio que tienen los castellanos , viz. los portugueses son pocos y locos ; mas estos años passados se hallan muchos y mañosos ; agòra assi lo manda vm. harè pues un salto desde lisbona a sevilla en andalusia , ciudad tan estremadamente rica teniendo la casa de contratacion de las indias y magnifica , que ay dos refranes della , el uno , quien no ha visto s●villa no ha visto marauilla ; el otro , a quien dios quiere bien en sevilla le da a comer . carlos . ayotro dicho qui yo entendi , que las calles de sevilla son como lostrebejos del axedres tantos prietos quantos blancos , referiendo a los esclavos moriscos que ay alli en gran numero ; y de sevilla adonde se encaminava vm ? felipe . de sevilla passe por carmona , yezij● , que son dos indifferences tierras , y de la a cordoua adonde vi la famosa mesquita que los moros llamavan ceca , fabrica muy admirable , y el mas entero de quantas he visto en mi vida de los antiguos aunque he peregrinado en muchas partes ; en cordoua ay la mas escogida casta de ginetes , que son tan sueltos y ligeros que dizen que estan engendrados del viento . carlos . de cordoua donde fue vuestra merced ! felipe . a granada cabeja de un reyno el ultimo que perdieron ls moros , adonde vi el alhambra cosa grandiosa ; de granada boluimea malaga el principal ectanco de vino● , adonde vila la puerta que trae el nombre de cava hij a de don iulian que el rey don rodrigo avi● desflorecido , y el conde don iulian su●p●dre por veng●rse del agravio introduxo los m●ros los qu●les senoreavan en españa mas de años , y assii devino traydor a su patria . carlos . assi lo fue , y muy infame traydor , porque la ofensa siendo particular no era y gual a la venganz● que era tan general . felipe . despues yo passe por g●adix , baca , lorca , y cartagena llave del reyno de marcia antigua poblacion , adonde ay vn muy famoso y convenable puerto de mar , el mejor de quantos ay en españa , porque los navios aportando alli qu edam ●nceroados coma en una caxa , y abrigados de ●as borrascas . carlos . he leydo , que felipe el segundo preguntando a andrea d●na ( gran navegador ) qual er a el mejor puerto de españa , respondio donosamente , iunio , iulio , y car●agena , porque en aquellos meses todos puertes son buenos por la mansedumbre de la sazon ; y de cartagena adoude ? felipe . a murcia , que fue cabe ça de un reyno en tiempo de moros , el principal estanco de seda ; de al●i passe por origuela , y elche a alicante llave del reyno de valencia lugar de buen comercio ; de alicante passe por xativa , y otros lugares a valencia ci●dad bizzarra en estremo , tierra muy viciosa , y delicada ; los animales brutos alli hazen ●us estrados de flores , como de romarino y otros vegetables odoriferos ; de valencia passè a morviedre que era sagunto donde ay muchos rastros de antiguedad ; de alli a castillon de la plana , y assi a saragoça metropple de aragòn , ciudad muy sobervia , y la tierra enderedor fecundissima donde se come el mejor pan de toda españa . carlos . de sarogoça por doude adereçava vm sus passos ? felipe . por cataluña ; yo pense ver tortosa , y tarragona , màs no avia comodidad , y ansi passando por lerida lugar muy bien poblado , y universidàd , garè barcel●na la cabe ça del reyno de cataluña , ciudàd muy rica , y soberbia por sus edificios ; passe tambien por nuestra senōra de monserrate , adonde sos pelegrinos acuden de todas partes ; desques passe por gyrona , y assi al condado de ruys●llon , adonde està perpiñan muy buena tierra con un fuerte castillo , que agora pertenece al rey de francia , y al fin ganando salsas salj de españa con harto trabajo aviendo atravessado dos vezes los montes pyrenèos , y allà tambien las guardas me quitaron algo del poco dinero que me quedava . carlos . aquellas guardas son muy enfadosas a los passageros ; hè oydo hablar de un pintor francès , que a viendo medrado vna suma confiderable de dinero trocava todo en pistoletes de oro los quales tragava ; y las gu●rdas aviendo tenido noticia a●tes , que traya una cantidad de dinero acuestas , y aviendo escudriñado por todas pares sin ecetar la boca , y el salvonòr echaronle entre quatro muros , y le dieron pildoras , y ona melezina de suerte que las guardas hallaron todo el dinero : mas como tratarona vm en las ventas por donde passava ? felipe . aquellos venteros son medio ladrones , porque en algunas partes p●den dos vezes mas que la cosa vale ; por tanto yo concluyrè con un donoso cuento de lo que acontecio cerca de girona ; vn passagero llegò a vn lugar do avia dos ventas cercanas vna al otra con vn crucifixo en el medio , el passagero mirando lo , dixo , a l'oydo de su huesped , nuestro señor està aqui como estava puesto en la cruz entre dos ladrones , ( entendiendo los dos venteros . como senòr , ●à venido vm aqui por afrentarme dixo su huesped , el passa jero replicava , no os enojeys mi huesped , porque yo os tengo por el buen lad●òn . carlos . semejante a este cuento , es vn otro de vn tudesco qui passando cerca de alcala de henares donde ay dolces y riquissimos vinós , y llegado que avia a vna venta , bevio a çumbres de vino , y assi fue todo emborrachado a la cama ; el dia siguiente preguntando a su huespeda que avia a pagar , dixo cinco açumbres ; esto no puede serreplico el tudesco , porque no cabran en mis tripas mas de açumbres aviendolas medido muchas vezes ; la hues peda respondio , señor , como este vino era muy bueno y fuerte , vn açumbre subia a la cabeza , y los demas quedaron en las tripas , que hasen cinco açumbres en todo . the perambulation of spain and portugal ; in a discours 'twixt charles and philip . charles . god give you very good dayes sir philip , it is a great while since i saw you ; tell me , if you be pleas'd , where have you bin so long ? and whence com you now ? philip. you are very well met sir charles , i rejoyce in my soul to see you with health ; and , since you command it , i will tell you whence i com , i am newly com from spain . charles . from spain ? god bless me , and what was the cause ( under favor ) that made you to undergo such a journey ? for they say , that it is a tedious countrey to passengers . philip. sir , curiosity was the cause ; but let us go into the house , and i will give you account at large of what you will desire to know , but chiefly the cours that he is to take , who hath a mind to go unto that countrey . charles . but let us dine first , and if you please , we will dine together in that tavern which is a very neat hous , and well provided ; and then you may please to relate unto me more at lesure when the table is taken away . philip. be it in a very good hower , for i accept of the favor you do me to conduct me to so good a house , for it is a good while since i found any . charles . what do you tell me ? is it possible that you did not find such in your travels , spain being so good a countrey , and abounding in all things ? philip. she might be good , were it not for the slothfulnes of the peeple , who do not cultivat the ground not ne●r the third part ; otherwise of its own nature t is good enough , but since the expulsion of the moores it is not so much tilld . charles . then sir , you inferr that the slothfulness of the inhabitants is the cause of ill accommodation . philip. ther 's no doubt of that , because the earth cannot produce unlesse it bee tilld , therfore ther is a want of necessary provision , so that in some places ther is but the cask of a house , with a little napery , but sometimes ther are no beds at all for passengers in the inns , or ventas . charles . i pray , do me the favor as tell me what venta is ? philip. ventas are lodgings which are found in the countrey , and on the kings high-way , where if passengers meet , they must carry their knapsacks well provided of what is necessary ; otherwise they may go to bed supperles , for there is nothing to be had , but barly and straw for your mules ; and if haply ther be any thing it is a little bread and wine , and it may be som few eggs , and puddings . charles . i pray do me the favour as relate unto me the successe of your journey when you entred spain , and that which principally passd in places most remarkable , that i may know how to govern my self , if perchance i have a disposition one day to go to that countrey . philip. sir , as i took farwell of france , i passed by that river the dordonna , that divides her from spain , which is neer iron not far from fuentarabia , i had noon at the' sayd place of iron , and at night i gaind san sebastian the first fortified place of biscay , and a sea port. charles . in those frontire places , are ther not gards to look what travellers passe ? philip. yes that ther are ; t is tru that at your entrance into spain they give no obstacle ; but one thing must be don when one comes to iron , which is , that the party must manifest all which he carries about him , whether goods or iewels , as likewise the very money he carries for his ordinary expences , all which he must register , and pay what is taxed by the customers ; then they give him a little cedule , which they call albaràn , and it is a kinde of pasport , because the gards may not seize upon what he carries for want of registring . charles . and are all kind of persons used th●● , whether forren , or natives ? philip. they except none , and that which is worse , the gards who lye at the catch at the other gate , if they please , they will make you alight , for to search whether one carries any thing that is not mention'd in the albaràn ; but the best cours is for preventing this importunity , to throw them a piece of money according to the quality of the person . charles . by this means , sir , they know what money one carries about him , and so he runs a hazard to be follow'd and rob'd , or it may be to be kil'd . philip. this needs not to be fear'd ; for there 's little ta'lk in spain of high-way men and thieves , unlesse it be in catalonia , which is more frequented by passengers then any other ; for all those who com from italy , or from those parts of france do pass that way to the spanish court ; moreover it is the most populous province of spain . charles . well , when you parted from san sebastian , whither did you direct your cours ? philip. i took the road of navarr , where i saw pampelona the principal city of that kingdom ; and therein the famous castle , which is somewhat like that of antwerp . charles . and doth not the kingdom of navarr appertain to the king of france ? philip. that kingdom divides it self into two parts , that on this side the pyrenean hills , which belongs to the king of france ; the other beyond the hills , which is the kings of spain , a goodly countrey , and gallant peeple not ill affected to the french. charles . from thence whither did you bend your cours ? for in my judgment you left the ordinary road that leads to madrid . philip. 't is a great truth , for i left the road of victoria , and the port of saint adrian , and struck in at logronio , a countrey good enough , situate upon the river of ebro , neer a mountain , where in ancient time the city of cantabria was ; which gave the name to that province , which at this day contains , biscay , navarre , guipuzcoa , and other particular places , which were too long to relate now . charles . surely you have pretermitted divers other places which i find in the map that are of the kingdom of navarre . philip. you dovery well to put me in remembrance , and there are two signal places which i pretermitted ; and those are estella de navarra ( the star of navarre ) which is the vniversity of that kingdom , and the town is sited in a place full of amenity ; the other place is la puente de la reyna ( the queens-bridge ; ) and besides those two , there is another call'd viana , a corrupted name of diana ; for in ancient times there was a temple dedicated there to that goddess . charles . i pray passe on , and doe not make a halt in places of small consideration , for i believe you have a great journey to make . philip. since you will have it so , i will make a leap from logronio , to santo domingo de la calçada , which is a town in rioja neer the mountains de oca ( of the goose ) where is to be seen neer the church , a living cock , and hen , which were of the bro●d of those , that being roasted , turned to life again . charles . peradventure they may be those of that miracle which happened to a young french pilgrim , who was hang'd in that place for a theef , whose parents returning from performance of their pilgrimage to santjago , and passing by the gallowes they found him alive again . philip. they say , they are of the same ; and the custom is , that the passengers who go in pilgrimage that way , do take some of their feathers and wear them in their hats ; and , were not the story too long ; i would give you a more particular account , but i will put it off to another time . charles . however , i pray do me the favour sir , as to pursue what you have begun , and may it be in a good hour . philip. since it is your pleasure , and that you delight so much therein , i will proceed ; from san domingo i passed to burgos the cape city of old castile , 'twixt whom and toledo there have been often contests for priority . charles . i have read so ; but in a parlement which was held once at toledo , king philip the second , appeased this contestation very wisely for that time , which happened thus : the burgesses of both cities sitting in parlement , they contested who should speak first , and the contest grew very hot , when the king did suddenly rise , and said , let burgos speak , touching toledo i will speak for her my self ; and to this day the king is counted burgess of toledo . philip. it was a very signal passage , and were it for nothing else , philip the second deserv'd the attribute of prudent ( which is given him ) for this speech alone ; but let us go ●n : in burgos there is a monastery without the city , where that miraculous crucifix is , whose nails and hair are clip'd once a moneth . the great church of burgos is a very stately fabric ; there is also a castle but not very considerable . charles . and with your favor , whither did you direct your way from the city of burgos ? philip. to valladolid a goodly fair village , and well peepled , where one of the chanceries of spain resides . charles . but do you call valladolid a village , being so great a place , and where the catholick court kept so long ? philip. yes sir , 't is but a village , because 't is not encompass'd with walls , and they have two proverbs , village for village , and valladolid in castile ; city for city , and lisbon in portugal . charles . well , let us detain our selfs no longer in this place , let us proceed further , if you please . philip. from thence i went to medina del campo , an indifferent good countrey , where there are famous libraries ; i went thither in the evening , nnd the next morning following i took the ro●d of salamanca , a great place , and the most illustrious vniversity of spain , i viewed there the colledges , which are in great number , and well built ; as also the ●ridge rear'd up by the romans , and the bull which is at the entrance , wherof lazarillo de tormes speaks . charles . did it fortune you to see the house of celestina ? philip. sir , they pointed at the place where it was , but i had not so much curiosity to go and see it , besides , me thinks it is a fained thing . charles . i have heard say , that there were at one time fifteen thousand scholars in salamanca , which me thinks is strange , spain being so thin peepled , and there being vniversities more . philip. it may well be so , because salamanca is situated almost in the center of spain , whither they have easie recourse from all parts ; but the major part of the scholars are oppidanes , who lodge out of the colledges . charles . i have read a proverb , a farthing in salamanca is better then a fair face ; but you may please to proceed . philip. from salamanca i took the road of segovia , a famous place for many things which are there remarkable ; the first is the monastery of parral , which is without the city ; then the m●nt-house ; then the renowned alc●sar , and segovia bridge , which indeed is but an aqueduct made of marvellous big stones ; but above all , the fine woollen cloths that are made there . from segovia i pass'd the port of guadarrama , having in the way seen a great edifice call'd la casa del campo , built among woods ; and having pass'd guadarrama , i came to the escurial , the eighth wonder of the world ; but because there would need a whole volume to describe as well the church , the librarie , the quadrangles , the kings quarter , as also the delicate waters , orchards , and fountains , which are found there ; therfore i referre it to the diltgence , and curiosity of such who desire to know things exactly , and at large . charles . well , i hope to see it one day , if god give me the grace ; but what a glorious thing it is , that one house should be a monastery , a royal palace , and an vniversity ? philip. being departed from the escurial i went to madrid , passing in the way by la casa del prado , where the king useth to reside often . charles . since we are now come to madrid , i pray what do you think of the catholic court. philip. i will tell you no more , but that it may be call'd a thin court in comparison of others . charles . how can that be , the spanish king being so great a monarch ; and hath he not a court correspondent to his greatnes ? philip. you must know , that there is a great deal of gravity and state in the catholic court , but little noise , and few people , so that it may be call'd a monastery , rather then a royal court. charles . by this means the king of spain spends not much . philip. so little , that i dare wager the french king spends more in pages and laquays , then he of spain among all his court-attendants . charles . is it possible ? yet when i think well of it , i find that he is more in the right , in regard that much trouble , and confusion is avoided , which the french court is subject unto ; moreover , the wast which is made in that court , is more then what is necessarily expended . philip. you have reason on your side , besides , ther are not so many insolencies committed in that court which are done in farr lesser ; but he who will behold the greatnes of the king of spain , let him go to naples or sicilia , to mexico or peru , &c. where the spanish vice-roys live in greater lustre and magnificence then the king himself doth in his palace , for so they call the court in madrid . charles . well , let us give over speaking further of these courts , for a whole day would not suffice to discourse of this subject and pursue , if you please , your journey . philip. from madrid i took the road of alcala de henares , a famous vniversity ; and passing thence to aranjuez , which is another of the kings houses , but excessive hot by its situation , being , as they say , with the circumjacent countrey of an african temper : there are many curiosities to be seen there , but i stayed as little as i could , and went the way of toledo , the chief city of old castile , and an archbishopric , the richest for revenues , except the popedom , of any in christendom ; there is there a sumptuous cathedral with a rich tresury belonging thereunto . charles . did you see the enchanted tower ; as also the great artifi●e whereby the water ascends from the river to the upper part of the city , which is so curious , and so much spoken of ? philip. concerning the tower i informed my self as much as i could , but i could find nothing to any purpose , so that i take it for a fable ; but touching the artifices of making the river-water to mount up , i have seen better in italy and germany . the peeple of toledo is grave and subtil , which was the cause of the proverb , from a toledan take heed night and day ; the purest castilian dialect is spoken there , so that there is a law in spain , if there be any ambiguity , or that there happen any difference about the sense of a word , a toledan is to be iudge . toledo also is renowned for some ecumenical , and general councels which have been held there . charles . i humbly thank you for these remarkable observations , and may you please to go on in your journey . philip. from toledo i passed by many places , but i did not stay any time in them ▪ the most remarkab●e places were , talavera , truxilla , merida , and bada●●z the confines of castile , where goods and money are to be registred ; and three leagues thence i was forced to register them again , paying a certain toll going out of castile , and entring into portugal . charles . what an odd importunity 〈◊〉 that , to register so often , and withall to pay something out of that small parcel of money which one carries about him to put bread in his mouth . philip. there is no appeal but to the purse , and this may be the cause why so few passengers are found in those countreys ; and truly you may believe me , i think i 〈◊〉 more passengers 'twixt paris and orleans , then i found well neer in all this journey through spain . charles . i am easily induced to believe that , because the peeple that pass that way , are so thick , that it may be called a procession . philip. 't is very tru , insomuch that i think ther 's more peeple in france , 'twixt the seine and the loire , taking them from their source till they disgorge into the sea , th●n there is in all spain . charles . i pray proceed still in the account of your journey , if you please to favour mee so much . philip. having entred portugal , i passed to yelvas a pretty place , and so to villa viciosa , then to evora a city of account ; thence to estremoso , so to monte mayor , and so by degrees to lisbon , a great city which may be compared to the best , and biggest cities of europe , having seven miles compass . charles . lisbon being so renowned a city , because there is a proverb , who hath not seen lisbon , hath not seen a good thing , i pray sir make som relation of it . philip. the city of lisbon must needs be very ancient , for her old name is olisippo , of ulisses , who passed that way ; she is situated upon the river tagus , and she hath traffic and possessions in both the indies . the first discoverer of forrein countreys was don henrique , youngest son of five which john the first ( king of portugal ) gain'd of the lady philippa daughter to john of gant duke of lancaster ; the said prince henrique being vers'd in the mathematiques , discovered first the azores , and the madera's with other islands in the atlantic ocean ; then guiney , and after the passage to the east indies , was found out by the cape of good hope , since which time lisbon hath marvailously flourished ; the eldest brother of the said henrique ( who came to be king of portugal ) was call'd edward ; edward the third , king of england , having been his godfather ; which was the first time that the name edward , whom they call duarte was known in portugal . lisbon is encir●led with good walls , upon which there are turrets ; towards the sea , she hath twenty gates ; she is situated upon five hills , and is a place of infinit traffic . charles . i thank you a thousand times over for your relation , which is so punctual ; you may proceed , if it stands with your pleasure , to speak of other parts of portugal . philip. the second town in portugal is santeren , situated also upon the river of tagus ; the third is sintra , upon the atlantic sea ; the fourth conimbra , upon the river mondego ; the fifth braga great archbishoprick ; the sixth porto at the mouth of the river duero ; the seventh miranda ; the eighth braganza , whose dukes were such great princes , that the third part of the peeple of the kingdom liv'd upon their lands ; the ninth eubora , an archbishopric ; the tenth portolegre ; the eleventh olivenz● upon guadiana ; the twelfth beja : all these towns are situated upon considerable rivers . charles . it seems that the kingdom of portugal is well watered , having so many rivers . philip. they say it hath in all above great and small rivers , whereof the chief are tagus , duero , guadiana , minio , &c. charles . the kingdom of the algarves , doth it not appertain to the crown of portugal ? philip. yes sir , and it hath many good towns , as faro , niebla , villa maona , tavila , lagos , sylvia , and others ; so that the kingdom of portugal with algarve , is about miles in length , and broad . charles . what other dominions are there , over which the crown of portugal doth lord it ? philip. in asia , or the east indies , they have so many that ther is som difficulty to number them ; they have diu in the kingdom of cambaia ; they have goa in the kingdom of decan , and dama● ; they have macao in china , with sundry other towns , castles , and places of fastness . in afric they have large possessions , in the kingdom of congo and angòla ; the isles of cape verd , nine in number , are theirs , as also tanger in barbary , neer the streights of gibraltar . in the west indies they have brasil , with a vast extent of ground , and divers considerable ports , as todos los santos , fernambuc , san salvadòr , with others . charles truly me thinks those dominions are very large , which the crown of portugal hath in all the four parts of the world , viz. europe , asia , africa , and america ; but i pray proceed further . philip. before i budge from portugal , i will confute a pr●verb which the castilians have , viz. los portugueses son locos y pocos , the portugueses are fools and few ; but of late yeers the castilian hath found them many , and no fools ; but now since it is your pleasure , i will make a hop from lisbon to sevil in andaluzia , a city extremely rich , having the contratation-house of the west-indies ; so that ther are two proverbs of her. the first , who hath not seen sevill , hath seen no wonders : the other , whom god loves , he gives him his bread in sevill . charles . i have heard another saying that the streets of sevill are like a chess-board who hath as many black as white men , alluding to the multitude of morisco slaves which are there . philip. from sevill i pass'd by carmona , and ezija which are pretty indifferent places , and thence to cordova where i saw that famous mesqu●ta ( or church ) which the moors call'd ceca an admired fabrick , and the most entire of any ancient peice that ever i saw in my life , though i have travers'd a great part of the world ; in cordova there is the choisest race of ginetts , which are so fleet and light that they say they are engendred of the wind . charles . from cordova whither did you direct your course● philip. to granada the metropolis of a kingdom the last which the moors lost ; there i saw the alhambra a glorious piece ; from granada i turn'd to malaga the chief staple of wine , where i saw the gate which bears the name of cava ( daughter to don julian ) which being deflowr'd by the then king don rodrigo the said don julian her father to revenge himself of the affront , brought in the moores who lorded in spain yeers , and so he became a traytor to his own country . charles . so he was , an infamous traytor ; for the offence being but particular , was nothing equal to the revenge which was so general . philip. after that , i passed by guadix , baca , lorca , and so i came to carthagena , the key of the kingdome of murica , an ancient colony , wher thre is a famous and convenient haven , the best of any in spain , for shipps when they arrive there are as it were shut up in a box , and fenced from all storms . charles . i have read that philip the second asking andrea doria a great seaman which was the best port in all spain ? he answered pleasantly june , july , and cartagena ; for in those two months any port is good because of the mildnesse of the season , and from cartagena whither . philip. to murcia , which was the head of a kingdom in the time of the moors , it is the cheif staple of silk ; thence i pass'd by origuela , aud elche to alicant the key of the kingdom of valencia , a place of good traffic , though it have no port but a road ; thence i pass'd by xativa , and other places to valencia , an extreme bewtiful city , and a wanton delicat soyle about , so that the brute animals there make themselves beds of flowers , as rosemary and other odoriferous vegetables ; from valencia i pass'd to morviedre , which was old sagunto , wher ther are many peeces of antiquity ; thence by castillon de la plana , and divers j●lly towns , i came to saragossa the metropolis of aragon , a prowd stately citly , and the circumjacent soil extreme fertil , for the best bread in spain is eaten there . charles . from saragossa whither did you direct your journey ? philip. for catalunia ; i thought to have seen tortosa and taragona , but i had no conveniency ; so passing by lerida a wel-peepeld place , and an university , i gain'd barcelona the metropolis of the kingdom of catalunia , a prowd citty both for her riches and buildings ; i saw also our lady of mon●errat , where pilgrims of all nations resort ; afterwards i pass'd by girona , and so to the county of russllion , a good countrey with a well fortified castle which appertaines now to the king of france ; and at last gaining salsas , i made a sally out of spain having twice travers'd the pyren●àn hills , and there allso they took from mee som of that mony which i had remaining . charles . those gards are very troublesom to passengers ; i have heard of a french painter who having got a considerable som of mony changed all into small pistolets of gold , which he swallowed down , the gards having notice before hand that he carried a quantity of mony about him , and searching narrowly every place , his mouth and his tayle not excepted they threw him twixt fowe● walls , and administred unto him som pills , and a glister , so that the gards found all the mony by this means : but how were you usd in your inns or ventas as you passd along . philip. those inkeepers are half theefs in som places , because they demand twice as much as the thing is worth ; now , will i conclude with a merry tale of what happend neer girona ; a passenger arrivd at a place wher ther were two inns , and in the middle betwixt them ther stood a crucifix , the passenger looking upon the picture of it , sayed in the hearing of his host , our saviour is here , as hee was upon the crosse between two theefs meaning the two inkeepers , how sir , said his host are you com hi ther to affront us ? the passenger replyed , hold your self contented mine host , for i take you for the good theef . charles . not much unlike to this , is another tale which i heard spoken of a high dutchman , who passing by alcala wher ther are sweet , and rich wines , and being com to a venta , he drank fower quarts of wine , and so went drunk to bed ; the next day , asking his hostesse what was to pay , she said quarts of wine ; that cannot be , for my gutts will not hold above fower for i have mesurd them often this way , the hostesse replied , o sir this wine being so good , and strong , one quart went up to the brain , and the other fower remained in your belly , which makes in all five quarts . carta compvesta de ochenta y dos refranes , concurrientes todos , para la conservatiÒn de la salùd umana . mi senor don l : la salud es la cosa que mas importa al cuerpo umano , es la ioya mas preciosa de quantas la natura tiene en todo su retrete por tanto yo le encomiendo tres dotores para mantenerla , es a saber , el dotor dieta , el dotor reposo , y el dotor gozo . tocante el postrero , bien se sabe por experiencia que es aquel gran espejo de sabiduria , que vna onça de alegria vale mas que cien quintales de melancolia , pesadumbre no paga deudas ; y el cuydado en demasia roe hasta el tuetano ; coraçòn contento es gran talento ; que puede dezir alegramente , el diablo es muerto , y el italiano dize que poo cibo & men affanno , sanita del corpo fanno ; tambien dize , grave dura non ti punga , & sarà la tua vita lunga . to cante el seg●ndo dotò , que mira al govierno del cuerpo , es mucha verdàd que poca fatiga es gran salud ; bueno es passear hasta que se vea la sangre en la mexilla , no el sudor en la frente ; porlo que toca al sueño que es el rey de reposo , duerme el dia quando quisieres , y la noche quanto pudieres ; sea la noche noche , y el dia dia , y viviras con alerina ; pero , q●ien quiere bien dormir que compre la cama de vn deudòr ; allende desto , come poco , y cena mas duerme en alto y viviràs ; però sobre la sombra del nogal no te pong s a acostar ; m●s desto , bueno es madrugàr , porque quien el diablo l à de engañar , de mañana se hà de levantar ; tambien tenga cuenta de yrse a la mañana a la p●scaria , y la tarde a la carneceria , porque pece y huesped presto hieden . tocante la cobertura del cuerpo , si quieres vivir sano hazte viejo temprano ; no dexes los pelliscos hasta que vengan los galileos ; buena regla es , que yo ande caliente , y riase la gente , otra ay mas particulàr , euxuto el pie , caliente la cabeçc , por el resto vive como bestia ; escuche tambien lo que dize el ro mano , vesti caldo , mangia poco , bevi assai & vir viai . quanto a las partes del cuerpo , adviertase . que los o jos siendo malos se han de curar con el codo ; los dientes no piden in mucho cuydado , ni demasiado descuydo ; quando te dolieren las tripas hazlo saber al culo ; mee claro y caga bien , y higa para el medico ; añadese a esto , si meare ; de color de florin , echa el medico para ruyn ; toda via , quien mea y no pee , và a la co●te y al rey no vee ; sepasi tambien , que a la gota el medico no vee gota . tocante el casamiento el dicho del marquès de mirabè● se ha de observar , el qual siendo preguntado como avia vivido tantos años ( porque tenia mas de ochenta ) respondio , casème tarde y embiudème temprano ; si quieres hembra escoje la negra , porque muger negra trementina en ella ; tambien dize frances , fille brunette gaye & nette ; escoj● la tambien el sabado , y no el domingo ; pero muger roxa y barbuda de cien p●ssos la saluda , m●s de esto , muger , anade y cabra mala cosa siendo magra , para mientes tambien a este cumplimiento , junio , julio y agosto , señora mia no os conosco . tocante el doctor d●eta que pr●dominà mucho sobre la salùd , es regla general , quien mucho come , poco come , el italiano dize bisogna far tre pasti di star sano , vn buono , vn cattivo , & ●n mezzano ; quien come bien y bien beve , haze lo que deve , pero a buen comer o a mal comer tres vezes haz de bever . por lo que toca a la bevanda , beved agua como un buey , y vino como vn rey ; el agua tiene tres excellentes virtudes , ni enferma , ni adeuda , ni embiuda , toda via dizen que agua fria y pan caliente nunca hizieron buen vientre : siempre a higo agua , ya la pera vino : tambien a bocado haròn espolado de vino : pero vino transnochado no vale vn cornado : dixo la leche al vino bien vengais , amigo . tocante los manjares , es regla muy saludable , quien quisiere vivir sano , coma poco , y cene temprano : cabrito de vn mes , rezental de tres : vn huevo escaseza , dos gentileza , tres valentia , quatro vellaqueria : dizese , que si el villano supiesse el sabor de la gallina en el henero , no dexaria ninguna en el pollero : escojase siempre leche de cabra , manteca de vaca , y queso de oveja : pero , se hà de observar , que el queso que vien de corta mano es el mas sano : alos moços està permitido de comer mas amenudo que a los otros , porque dizen , que el moço creciente ha●el lobo en el avientre , mas , to cante los viejos se dize que q●ien hurta la cena al viejo , no le haze agravio : por tanto es buen precepto para los de dad quien no cena no hà menester avicena , otros dizen que mas matò la cena que no sanò avicena : de suerte que si tuvieres gana de morir cena con carne assada y echate a dormir : añadese a esto , que si quieres comida mala , come la liebre assada . quien en mayo come sardina en agosto caga la espina : et quien come caracoles en abril apareje cera y pavil ; toda via quando llueve y haze sol coge el caracol ; no ay caldo como el çumo guijarra ; pero ni olla sin tocino , ni sermon sin agustino . tocante las frutas y legumbres , observese que pan reziente y uvas , a las moças ponen mudas , y alas viejas quitan las arrugas ; azeytuna oro es vna , dos plata , tercera mara , niespolo despedr ado es buen bocado ; pera que dize rodrigo no vale vn higo ; otros dizen , la muger y la pera la que calla es buena ; el francès tiene vna notable caucion tocante esta fruta , es a saber , apres la poire ou le vin ou le prestre ; mis , sobre melòn , vino follon ; con todo sea sal , porque dize el francès , cest vn banquet pour le diable ou il n y a point du sel ; tocante el hinojo , y la ruda , ay dos refranes muy señalados , viz : quien hinojo vee y no lo coge , diablo es que no hombre : el otro , si supiesse la muger la virtud de la ruda la buscaria de noche a la luna , &c. en observando estas reglas se podria vivir tanto quantos vn elefante que es de mas larga vid● de quantos animales ay , segun aquel refiàn gradual , vn sero dura tres años ; vn perro tres setos : tres perros vn cavallo : tres cavallos vn hombre : tres hombres vn ciervo ; tres ciervos duran vn elefante . no soy por mas , si no , qu●e desseandole en conclusion , salud y g●zo , y casa con vn cor●●t y pozo le quedo de todas mis entrañ●s su criado mayor , porque . quisiere aunque soy chico , ser , en serville gigante , i. h. the same rendered into english. fourscore spanish proverbs couch'd in one familiar letter , concurring all to one congruous sense , and conducing to the preservation of human health . sir , health is a thing that most imports a human body ; it is the most precious jewel that nature hath in all her cabinet . therfore i recommend unto you three doctors for the maintenance therof ▪ to wit , doctor diet , doctor quiet , and docter merriman . touching the last , 't is well known by experience which is the great looking-glass of wisedom , that an ounce of mirth is more worth then a hundred stone of melancholy ; sorrow quits no scores ; and too much care corrodes , and eats to the very marrow ; a heart content is a great talent ; a heart which may say alegramente , the devil is dead ; and the italian will tell you . that a little meat and lesse grief make a healthful body . touching the second doctor , which concerns the government of the body , 't is a great truth , that a little toyl is great health : 't is good to walk till the bloud appears in the cheek , but not the sweat on on the brow : touching sleep who is the king of repose , sleep in the day what thou wilt , and in the night as much as thou ca●st ; but make night of night , and day of day , then thou mayst sing welladay ; but he who doth desire to sleep soundly , let him buy the boulster of a bankrupt : moreover , dine with little , sup with less , sleep high and thou wilt live ; but take heed of sleeping on the shadow of a wall-nut-tree ; besides , 't is good to rise early ; for , he who will cosen the devil , must rise betimes : go also early to the fish-market , and late to the shambles ; for fish and guests quickly stink . concerning thy clothes , or coverings of thy body , if thou wilt be healthful make thy self old betimes ; leave not thy furrs till the galileans come ( viz. till ascenfion-day , when that scripture is read ) it was a good saying , let me go warm , and let the wor●d laugh at me as long as it wi● : ther 's another rule , keep thy head dry , and thy head hot , and for the rest live like a beast ( viz. eat and drink no more then will s●ffice nature . ) concerning the parts of the body , take notice that when the eyes are sore , cure them with thy elbow , ( viz. thou must not finger them ) : the teeth require not much care , nor too much neglect : when thy ●uts ake make it known to thy tail ; piss clear , and go well to stool , and a fig for the physitian : whereunto may be added , if thy vrine be bright yellow , piss upon the doctors head ; our gransires said , that he who pisseth without a report backward , goes to c●urt and sees not the king : touching the govt , the physitian is but a l●ut . concerning mariage , the saying of the old marquis of m● is observable , who being asked how he came to live so long in such health , he answered , i married late , and i became a widdower betimes . if thou desirest a wife , choose her upon a saturday , rather than upon sunday ( in her fine clothes ) : and if thou canst , choose a black one , for they say , in a black woman there is turpentine ; whereunto the french-man alludes something , a brown lasse is gay and cleanly : but for a red-hair'd , or bearded woman , salute them a hundred paces off . touching doctor diet , who predominats much over human health , 't is a general rule , that he who eats much , eats but little ; the italian saith , that to preserve health , one must make three meals a day , one good , one bad , and another indifferent meal : 't is observed , that he who eats well , and drinks well , doth his business ; but , whether you di●e well , or ill , be sure to drink thrice . touching drinks , drink water like an ox , and wine like a king : water hath three excellent vertues , for it neither makes one sick , nor puts one in debt , nor makes one a widdower ; yet cold water and hot bread never made good belly . after the fig , water ; after the pear , wine : a jadish bit requires a spur of wine ; but wine that stood all night is not worth a mite : the milk told the wine , welcom friend , wine upon milk is mine ; milk upon wine is thine . touching meats : it is a wholsom precept , who will live healthful , let him dine sparingly , and sup betimes : touching flesh , a kid of a month , and a lamb of three , are best : for eggs , one is scarsenes , two is gentlenes , three stoutnes , and four are roguishnes . they say , that if the country-man knew the goodnes of a hen in january , he would not leave one in his roost house : goats milk , cow butter , and sheeps cheese are best ; but for cheese , that 's best which comes from a miser's hand : young men are allow'd to eat oftener then men in years ; for , they say , a growing youth hath a wolf in his belly ; therefore who steals an old mans supper , doth him no wrong ; moreover he who doth not use to sup , hath no need of the physitian ; therefore if thou hast a mind to dye , sup upon roasted mu●ten , and go to bed . hereunto may be added , if thou desirest ill food , eat a roasted hare : he who eats pilchers in may , may shite out the b●nes in august ; and he who eats mushrumps in april , let him provide week and wax ; viz. let him provide for his burial ; yet in other months , when it rains in a sun-shine gather thy musrumps : there is no broth like that of the juyce of flint ( viz. of water flowing thence ) ; but pottage must not be without bacon , nor a sermon without saint austin : concerning fruits , and pulse , observe that new bread and grapes paint young maids , and take away wrinckles from the old : one olive is god , two silver , three brass : if thou wilt have a good bit , eat a gelded medlar : the pear which cr●es rodrigo is not worth a rush ; others say , that the pear and the woman which are silent are best : the french-man hath a good caution touching this fruit , that after pear , the wine or the priest ( to confesse thee before death ) ; but after melon , wine is a felon : let there be salt with every thing , for 't is a banquet for the devil wher ther is no salt : concerning fennel and rue , ther be two notable proverbs of them , viz that he who sees fennel and gathers it not , he is a devil , and no man ; the other is , that if the good woman did know the vertue of rue , she wold look for it in the night at moonshine . by observing these rules one might by the strength and complacency of nature arrive to the age of an elephant , whom the naturalists observe to live longest of any terrestrial creture , according to that gradual proverb of longitude of lifes , viz. a hedge lasts three years ; a dogg three hedges ; a horse three doggs ; a man three horses ; a stagg three men ; an elephant three staggs . no more now , but that wishing you all health and gladnes , i rest from my very bowells your gretest servant for though i am little , i wold bee a hercules to serve you . i. h. a chain of above threescore old english proverbs , couch'd in one familiar letter , and conducing all to one subject or sense : rendred into spanish . sir , i have much aquaintance , but few frends , amongst whom i rank you for one of the choisest ; therfore , although i am none of those that love to have an oare in every mans boat ; or such a busy body as deserves to bee hit in the teeth , that he shold keep his breath to 〈◊〉 his pottage ; yet , you and i having eaten a peck of salt together , and having a hint that you are upon a busines which will make you , or marr you , viz. mariage , i wold wish you to look before 〈◊〉 leap , and make more then two words to● burgain , in regard that a mans best or worst fortune is a wife . t is tru , that mariages are made in heaven ; it is also sayed , that mariage and hanging go by destiny ; but , if you are resolv'd to marry , marry a shrew rather than a sheep , for a foolis fullsom ; yet you run a risk allso in the other , for a shrew may so tie your nose to the grindstone , that the gray mare will prove the better horse : moreover , there is another old sayed saw , that every one knowes how to tame a shrew , but hee who hath her : if it be your fortune to meet with such a one , shee may chance put you to the charge of buying a long spoon ; for hee must have a long spoon who will eat broath with the devill . furthermore , if you are disposed to marry , the spaniard wold have you to choose a wife upon the saturday ( in her old clothes ) not upon sunday ( when shee is trick'd up ) : but by all means do not fetch a wife from dunmow , for so you may bring home two sides of a sow ; nor from westminster ; for , they say , that he who goes to westminster for a wife , to pauls for a man , and to smithfield for a horse , may have a iade to his horse , a knave to his man , and a wagg-tayl to his wife . but if you needs must have a wife , let her be rather little than bigg , for of two evils the least is to bee chosen : yet ther is a hazard in that also ; for a little pot is soon hot , and so shee will bee little and loud ; if you give her an inch , shee will take an ell ; shee will alwayes have a rowland for your oliver , and two words for one ; such a wife , though shee bee as tender as a parsons lemman , yet shee may prove a wolf in a lambs skin : insteed of a rose you will have a burr ; if you happ too meet with such a one , you may bee put to answer as hee was , who having a damnable scold to his wife , and being asked by sir thomas badger , who recommended her unto him ? hee sayed , and old courtier sir ; what courtier sayed sir thomas ? 't was the devil sir : the anagram may well fit such a wife : — uxor & orcus idem . moreover , take heed of too-handsom a wife , for then the italian will tell you , she is likely not to bee all your own ; and so shee may bring you to your horn-book again , or rather make you horn-madd , and then you have brought your hoggs to a fair market ; yet take delight when you have one to see your wife go hansom , and not to spoil her face : to that end , the spaniard wold have women when the seson serves to feed upon grapes and bread , for ther is a saying , that grapes and new breed paints young womens faces , and takes away wrinkles from the old . but by all means take heed of a too costly and lavishing a wife , for so you may quickly turn a noble to nine-pence , and com home by broken crosse , shee will in a short time make hunger to dropp out at your no●e ; shee will th●ritten a mill post to a pudden-prick : the goose will drink as deep as the gander , and then when all is gon and n●thing left , what boots the dagger with the dudgeon hest ? the wolf wil bee then still at your d●re , and the black ox will tread on your toe : your neighbours will make mowes at you and say you are as wise as walthams calf , who went n●ne mile to suck a bu●l , and came home more thirsty then when he went. you must allso bee wary how you marry one who bath cast her rider , lest you ●all into a quagmire wherin another was lost , i mean , a widow , for so you wil bee subject to have a dead-mans head put often into your d●sh : touching the complexion of your wife , the spaniard holds black to bee the wholsom'st , for hee hath a saying , muger negra trementina en ella ; a black woman hath turpentine in her . the frenchman is for the brown , fille brunette gaye & nette , a brown lasse is gay , and cleanly ; but they both will tell you , that touching a re●d hair'd , or bearded woman , you must salute them a hundred paces off . lastly , take heed by all means of doting so far upon any female as to marry her for meer affection ; 't is tru , that one hair of a woman will draw more then a hundred yoak of oxen , yet meer affection , they say , is but blind reson , and ther are more mayds in the world then malkin : 't is allso tru , that in love ther is no lack ; yet it is as tru , that nothing hath no savor , nor can any thing bee bought in the market without money : there must bee suett , as well as water and oat-meal , to make a pudding : they that marry for meer love , may have merry nights but mournfull daies ; in this case , 't is better to buy a quart of milk for a peny , then to keep a cow ; and to follow the italians advice , viz. commend the sea , but keep thy self on the shore ; commend the hills , but keep thy self on the plaine ; commend a wedded life , but keep thy self still a bachelor : according to another wise proverb , hee who marries , doth well , but hee who marrieth not , doth better : wherunto alludes a third , that next to a single life , the married is best ; i will conclude with another , honest men use to marry , but wise men not . when you read this ; i know you wil bee apt to say , that a fools bolt is soon shot , or cry out , witt whither willt thou ? yet though i am none of the seven sages , i can look as far into a milstone as another ; and you know that the stander by sees oftimes more then the gamster . what i write , is the language of a friend , and could i stead you any way herin , i wold do it with as good a will as ever i came from school , for i am such a frend that will shine with you in the dark ; and to conclude with the old roman proverb , i am yours usque ad aras , yours to the altar . i. h. the same made spanish . cadena de mas de sesenta refranes ingleses , puestos en una carta familiar , concurrientes todos a un sentido , y rendidos en castellano . señòr , tengo conocidos muchos , amigos pocos , entre los quales estimo a vm . vno de los mas escogidos ; por tanto , aunque yo no sea del numero de aquellos , qui quieren tener remo en cada barca , ni tal entremetidor que meresca que le den en los dientes , que guardasse el aliento para enfriar su caldo , toda via vm . y yo aviendo comido juntos vn celemin de sal , y oyendo correr la voz que vm esta empeñado en vn negocio que podrà hazerle o des●●zerle viz. casamiento , yo le aconsejaria de mirar bien antes que saltar , y que aya mas de dos palabras a t●l concierto , porque el casarse es la mayor dicha o desdicha que pueda acae●èr a vn hombre . verdàdes que casamientos se hazen en el cielo , tambien se dize que casamientos y ahorcamientos andan por destino , pero si qued● resuelto a casarse , casese antes con vna baladrona que con vna bova , porque las mansas en demasia son enfadosas . toda via corre riesgo con la baladrona , porque ella le podra atalle las narizes de tal suerte que la vaca negta serà mas brava que el toro ; mas desto , dizen que cada vno sabe domar vna baladrona si no el que la tiene por mugèr , si a caso se casàre con tal , le serà for çoso de comprar vna cuchara larga , porque dizen que es meñester vn cucharon largo para comer con el demonio . allende de esto si es menester que se case no se vaya por muger a 〈◊〉 , porque assi podar llevar a su casa dos lados de puerca ; ni a vestminsterio , porque quien v● a vestminster por vna muger , a san pablo por servidor , y a smithfield por vn cavallo , corre peligro de tener vn haron por cavallo , vn picaro por servidor , y vna puta por mugèr . pero , si ay necessidad que teng● mugèr , que sea antes chiquita que grande , porque de dos males el menor se hà de eligir , toda via corre riesgo con tal , porque las pucheras pequeñas luego se calientan , y assi ferà chiqu●ta y gridadora , en dandola vna pulgada , ella tomarà v na vara , tiendra siempre vn roldan contra su rodulfo , y dos palabras por vna : tal mugèr aunque sea tan tierna que la manceb● de vn clerigo , toda via se●à quiça vna loba en pellejo de cordera ; en lugar de vna rosa rendrà vna espina : si los hados le dieren tal muger , la mesma respuesta servirà a vm , que diò el , qui teniendo vna endemoniada parlera , y fiendo preguntado por don tomas badger quien se la avia dado por muger , dixo , vn cortesano viejo me la dio , que corresano replicò don tomas ? era el demonio , señor ; el donoso anagramma quadraria bien con tal mugèr . — vxor & orcus idem mas de esto , tenga cuenta que su muger no sea linda en estremo , porque el italiano le dirà que tal no puede ser toda su ya , y assi ella podrà reduzirle otra vez a su librito cornudo , o auà de hazerle cornudo y frenetico , y entonces y●à con sus puercos a vn lindo mercado : no embargante esto en teniendo muger deleytese de guardarla linda y limpia con buena cara ; a este efeto que coma con la sazon pan y uvas , porque dizen que pan reziente y uvas a las moças ponen mudas , y a las viejas quitan las arrugas . sobre todo guardese bien de vna muger desperdiciadora , porque en aquel modo vn doblò● deviend●à luego diez maravedis ; e●la le harà passar por la cruz rota ; ha●à ●a hambre gotear fuera de sus narizes : la gansa bevera tan hondo que el ansaròn ; y entonces la pobreza darà priessa ; porque donde sacan y no pon luego llegan al hondòn ; el lobo se hallarà a puerta , y el buey negro dara vozes ; sus vezinos diràn hideputa , soys tan sabio que el bezerro de waltam , qui fue nueve mi llas por tetar vn toro , y bolviose mas sediento que no era antes . tambien hà de guardarse de esposar la hembra que hà ya derribado su cavalgador , de miedo que no se cayga en vn atolladero adonde perecio vn otro , es a saber vna biuda , porque en esta manera tendrà cada rato la cabeça de vn muerto echada en su plato : tocante la complexion de su esposa , el español dize que muger negra trementina en ella ; el francès es por la morenita , porque las morenitas son loçanas y limpias ; pero el vno y el otro le diràn , muger bàrbuda , o con cabellos roxos , saludalas cien passos lexos . en conclusion quardese bien de no dexarse transportar , o empeñarse por la sola aficion de alguna hembra viviente ; verdad es que vn pelo de muger tira mas que cien bueyes , toda via la aficion sola no es otro sino razon ciega ; por tanto sepa que mas moças ay en el mundo que marguilla ; tambien es verdad , que en amor no ay mengua ; mas otra verdad ay que nada no tiene sabor , los casamientos no se hazen de hongos sino de ducados redondos , porque en la plaça no se puede comprar nada sin dinero ; por hazer vna longaniça es menester sebo con sangre ; los que se casan por pura aficion podran aver noches plazenteras , mas dias pesados : en este caso mejor es comprar vn açumbre de leche con su placa , que guardar vna vaca ; y conformarse al consejo del italiano , alaba la mar mas tente en tierra firma ; alaba los montes mas tente en la vega , alaba la vida casada mas tente saltero ; tambien ay otro , el quien casa haze bien , mas quien no casa haze mejor ; a este se puede añadir vn tercero , despues de la vida soltera , la casada es la mejor ; concluyrè , que los hombres de bien suelen casarse los , savios no. en leyendo esto bien sè yo , que vm . dirà que el virote des loco presto sesolta ; toda via , aunque yo no sea del numero de los siere savios , bien se quantos son cinco , y muchas vezes el vee masque el jugadòr . lo que yo escrivo aqui , es el lenguaje de amigo , y si podria serville en algo lo haria de tan buena gana como jo vine jamas de la escuela , porque yo soy tal amigo que luzira con el en las tinieblas ; en suma , concluyrè con aquel refran romano suyo soy usque ad aras , hasta los altares . i h. of the portugues language , or svb-dialect , &c. as scotland is to england , so portugall may be sayed to be in relation to spain , in point of speech ; the scott speaks somwhat broader , and more gaping ; so doth the portugues compared to the castilian , and shorter farr : for wheras the castilian out of an innated humor of gravity is addicted to long-traind words , the portuguès doth use to curtayl divers of them , som in the middle , som in the end ; but to know the main difference betwixt them , take these instances . the portuguès is not much affected to l or n ; touching the first , hee turns her to r , the snarling letter , as the philosopher calls her : for example , wheras the castilian sayes inglatierra england , hee sayes ingra●erra ; noble inglès , a noble englishman , nobre ingrès ; flamenco a flemin , framengo in portuguès ; blando soft brando ; blanco white branco ; hermoso fair fermoso ; complido finishd , comprido ; emplear to employ , empregar ; flaco weak , fraco ; diablo the dievil , diabro o diabo , &c. besides , when ll beginns a word in spanish the portuguès turns them to ch ; as , lamar to call chamar ; llama a flame , chama ; llaga a wound , chaga ; lleno full , cheo wherby the n. allso is lost ; luna the moon , lue : llegar allegar to com or approach , chegar achegar ; llave a key , chiave ; ll●ro weeping , choro : luvia rain , chuva . yet the portuguès is not so well affected to ch , when hee finds it in a spanish word , for then he turns it to yt commonly , as noche night , noyte ; ocho eight , oyto ; pecho the brest , peyto ; provecho profit , proveyto , &c. in divers words hee leaves l quite out , when hee finds it about the middle , as delante before , diante ; cielo heven , ceo ; candela a candle , candea ; mala ill , maa ; as ma● noyte y faz filinba , an ill night and maka a girl . the portugues likes not allso the aspiration ● in the beginning of a word but turns it to f , wherby his language comes neerer ( in many words ) to the latin , which is the mother of both : as , wheras the spaniard sayeth hazer to do , the portuguès sayeth fazer ; hado fate , fado ; horca the gallows , forca ; hazaña an exploit , fazanba ; hacha a torch , facha ; hablar to speak , ●●lar ; h●rno an oven , forno ; hormig● an ant , formiga ; holgar gandeo folgar ; hidalgo a gentleman , fidal●● , &c. note allso that where the portugues finds the throaty j , or ishota in a word , hee turns it to lh , as , abeja a bee , abelha ; oveja a sheep , ovelha ; ojo the ey , olho ; aparejàr to prepare , aparelhar ; trabajo toyl , travalho ; &c. but it is to be observed , that those words in portugues must be pronouncd as if an i followd ; as , abelha a bee , abelhia ; travalho toyl , travalhio , &c. nor is the portuguès much affected to the letter n , for where hee finds her in the middle of a spanish word , hee quite cutts her off ; as , for ●adena a chain , he sayeth cadea ; amonestar to warn , amoestar ; cenar to supp , cear ; corona a crown , coroa ; freno a bridle , freo ; buena good , bo● ; mano a hand ▪ mao , &c. moreover the portugues turns spanish dissyllables into monosyllables ; as , tener to hold , ter ; venir to com , vir ; poner to putt , por ; color colour , cor ; dolor greif , dor ; mayor a maior , mor , &c. the portugues also turns oftentimes spanish trissyllables into dissillables ; as , menester need , mister ; ganado a flock , gado ; generar to engender , gerar ; general general , geral : obispo a bishop , bispo , &c. furthermore where the spanish words end in bre , the portugues turns it to me , or mem ; as , costumbre custom , costume ; hombre a man , homem ; nombre a name , nomem ; cumbre the top , cume , &c. the portugues allso turns the spanish ble into vel ; as , possible possible , possivel ; insufrible unsufferable , insufrivel ; mudable changeable , mudavel ; durable durable , duravel , &c. the portugues makes allso trissyllables of spanish quatrosyllables often ; as , s●lameme only , somente ▪ mahamente ill , mamente ; enemigo an enemy , imigo , &c. yet sometimes the portuges adds a syllable more ; as , duvida to the spanish duda , a doubt ; duvidosamente for dudosament , doubtfully ; duo● for dos , two , &c. the portugues allso adds e to spanish words ending in d ; as , mocidade for mocedàd , youth ; a●istàd friendship , amiz●de ; liberted liberty , libertade ; liberalidàd liberality , liberalidade ; pieded piety , piedede , &c. now , though the costilian , and the lusitani●n language bee both derived from the latin , the first immediately , ther othe mediatly by means of the gastilian , wherof shee is a dialect , and therby a subdialect to the latin ; yet shee hath divers words for which shee is beholden to neither , nor to the morisco also , wherof i thought it worth the while to give a particular catalog . a short dictionary or , catalog of such portuges words that have no affinity with the spanish . portugues , spanish , english abafar garrotar to strangle abalroar pelear to fight abalo do animo desaiossiego trouble of mind abegaon rustico a swayne abelhaon colmena a hive of bees abelhudamente appressuro samente hastily abençoer bendezir to blesse acamar enfermarse to be sick agastar provocar to provoke aginha presto speedily agoacento humedo watry alagar deribar to overthrow alapardarse esconderse to hide himself alardo nombramiento de soldados a list of soldiers alar socorrer to succour alcunha sobrenombre a sirname alem mas de esto moreover alfayate sa●●re a taylor alfaqueque mensajero a messenger alvacento blanquecino whitish alvela milan a kite aniae alfiler a pin● amuado obstinado obstinat andorinha golondrina a swallow a podar paragonar to compan apupar aullar to houl arreceo miedo fear atlhar impedir to hinder atasanero panadero . a bakee . bacoro puerca a sow bafo aliento the breath bafio hediondez a stink balisa carcel a gaol baque cayda a fall barça cofre a coffer bicho gusano a worm bragante ruyn lewd breu pez pitch bugio mono an ape buraco aguijero a hole burrifar aguar to sprinkle cachopo mocito a little boy cadela perra a bitch canga yugo a yoke cardume muchedumbre a multitude crestaon cabron a goat carpinha lamentaciòn lamentation caranca mala cara an ill face caramelo yelo ice cavidarse guardarse to beware colheyta cosecha the harvest coceyra começon the itch cocegas coxquillas tickling cossar arañar to soratch coyma dolor pain cafra yunque an anvil cedo presto quickly ceysa cosecha harvest chambaon tonto a dullard cheyrar oler to smel decepar romper to break derrancar corromper to corrupt desazo ociosidad sloth desdobrar exprimir to expresse desmiçar aboler to abolish desmanchar quebranter to break devesa selva a wood dia azinhago dia escuro a black day dia de hotem ayer yesterday dianteyra frente the forehead discante lalyra the harp doudo bobo a fool elche apostata an apostat embevedarse emborracharse to be drunk embleçar engañar to cosen embicar ofender to offend embel●r cunar to rock emborcar invertir to invert empecilho obstaculo a stopp emperrar porfiar to be obstinat emposta ayuda help e●●●mpar obtruder to obtrude encuica noticia knowledg endoudecer enloquecer to grow foolish enfastiar enfadar to trouble engeytar menospreciar to cast away ensejo ocasion occasion entraz carbunculo a carbuncle entulbar entoñalar to fill up escavedar huyr to fly away esfalsar cansar to tyre esmechar herir to wound esqueho tuerto crooked espaçar alargar to lengthen esmolar dar limosna to give alm● esmera perfecto perfect esmoga synagoga a synagog esquecimiento olvido forgetfulnesse esterqueyra muladàr a donghil estulagem venta an hostry estabalhoado arrebadato rash estrondo . alboroto a noise faim lança a lance fala voz a voice faisca centella a flash fanar costar to cut fanchono mugeril effeminat faqua cuchillo a knife fanquey lencero a linnendraper fanga hanega a bushel farelo salvado bran febre delgago slender felugem hollin soot felinha hijuela a little girle figo lampo precoz too soon ripe fiquar quedar to stay focinho boca the mouth folga gozo mirth fraga peña a rock franga polastra a pullet fracayro putaniero a wencher furna caverna a den fuzilar . relampaguear to lighten gabo loor praise gabar loar to prayse gafern lepra the leprosie gaguo tartamudo a ●●utterer galbo ramo a branch geyto ademan de cuerpo gesture gear yelo yce gielho rodilla the knee hontem ayer yesterday huyvar aullar to howle ianella ventana a window jentar comida a diner ilharga lado the side inçar propagar to propagat ingoas las buas the pox lapa cueva a cave leycenço ladroncillo a little thief lembrar acordar to remember machado seguar an ax magao congoja grief madraço picaro a rogue mamote lechoncillo a sucking pigg maminher esterilidad barrennesse marral heyro vellaco a cuming knave madioso liberal liberal matiz retrato a picture matreyro zorro crafty mealherro casa de tesoro exchequer morno tibio lukewarm morgado primogenito the first born mouco sordo deaf orate mentecato a madman outiva arrebatadamente . rashly payxaon ensado trouble pancado bofeton a blow pao madera wood porolento mohoso musty patife desembuelto a loose fellow pezinho piojo a lowse pelouro bala a bullet peneyra harnero a sive perto cerca neere pinga gota a drop pissa carajo a mans yard pomba paloma a pigeon povo pueblo the people presunto pernil a gamm●●● refenn caucion a pledg rilhar roer to gnaw roldar tener centinela to keep watch rolda centinela the watch saloya rustica a country woman sanden frenetico madd saluço suspiro a sigh sisa pecho a tax soada fama a rumor tamancas alpargatas wodden shoos tamalaves vn ratico a little white tarefa obra a task tayvar rabiar to rage tolo necio a fool traquinada ruydo an uproar trevas tiniblas the dark valhacouto refugio a refuge colhor cuchara a spoone ambicar tropesar to stumble calleyro granja a barn suncho hinojo fenell sedo de mañana early sargueyro saulze a willow radea carcel a gaol zombar motejar . to geere the portugès in nombring five dayes of the week differs from the castilian , and all other , but it agrees with the roman , missal , as munday , twesday , wenesday , thursday , friday are calld segunda , terca , quarta , quinta , sexta , feyra ; but saterday and sunday are calld sabado y doming● . thus have i given a short essay of the lusitanian toung , which , by observing the differential precepts pointed at before , may be attained with much ease by any who hath but an indifferent knowledg of the spanish from whom she is derivd but become somewhat more rugged ; so that it may be sayed , as a castilian was making of a toledo blade , a portugès came , and taking up the filings he made a toung of them ; indeed , it must be granted that the castilian is in more esteem , yea , in portugal it self , where the best sort of the gentry and marchants speak it , with church and cloysterd men ; most of their sermons , their musical sonets , and madrigals , with their stage plays being in spanish . insomuch that as it is a saying in italy , lingua toscana , in lingua romana ; so there is one among them , lingoa castelhana em b●ca portugueza ; the spaniard hath so little esteem of it , that he sayes there is but one good word in all the portuguès tongue , and that is saudades which is a large word , and a kind of amphibolon , for it signifies many things , as tenho mil saud●des de vm . i have a thousands desires of you ; muero de saudades , i die for sorrows , &c. concerning the preceding spanish grammer , ther went more o yle , and labor to rayse up ( as i may say ) that little castle of castile , wherein an ingenious student may find not only a survey of the language , but he may take livry and saisin thereof in a short time ; to which purpose we have consulted the best artists upon this subject as miranda , and salazar ; together with francios●ni the florentin , and oudin the frenchman , with others who have laudably taken pains herin , and are more extensive in the conjugating of som verbs : for as soon as the idea of this work entred into the imagination , the first thing we designd was brevity , yet without making it● subject to lamenesse● or obscurity . — nec dum brevis esse labaro obscurus , vel mancus ero — liberorum cerebri quintus post quadraginta . j. h. finis . the instruments of a king: or, a short discourse of the svvord. the scepter. the crowne. ... howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the instruments of a king: or, a short discourse of the svvord. the scepter. the crowne. ... howell, james, ?- . howell, james, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. [s.n.], london : printed in the yeare, . signed at end: jam. howell. the words "the svvord. .. the crowne." are bracketed together on the title page. annotation on thomason copy: "sept ye th". also issued as part of "some of mr. howell's minor works" (wing ) on umi microfilm set "early english books, - " reel : . reproduction of the original in the british library. eng monarchy -- england -- early works to . kings and rulers -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the instruments of a king: or, a short discourse of the svvord. the scepter. the crowne. ...: howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the instrvments of a king : or , a short discovrse of the svvord . the scepter . the crowne . satis habet rex ad poenam , quod deum expectet ultorem . 't is punishment enough for th' king , that god will him to judgment bring . london . printed in the yeare , . the author's apology . i am no lawyer otherwise then what nature hath made me , so every man , as he is born the child of reason , is a lawyer , and a logitian also who was the first kind of lawyer : this discoursive faculty of reason comes with us into the world accompanied with certaine generall notions and principles to distinguish right from wrong , and falshood from truth : but touching this following discourse , because it relates something to law , the authour would not have adventured to have exposed it to the world , if , besides those common innate notions of reason , and some private notes of his owne , he had not inform'd & ascertain'd his judgment by conference with some professed lawyers , and those the eminentest in the land , touching the truth of what it treats of ; therefore he dares humbly aver that it containes nothing but what is consonant to the fundamentall and fixed constitutions , to the knowne clear lawes of this kingdome . j. ● . the instruments of a king . in a successive hereditary kingdome , as england is known and acknowledged to be by all parties now in opposition , there are things which are inalienable from the person of the king : they are , . the crowne . . the scepter . . the sword . the one , he is to carry on his head , the other in his hand , and the third at his side ; and they may be tearmed all three the ensignes or peculiar instruments of a king : by the first , he reignes , by the second he makes lawes , by the third he maintaines them : and the two first are but bables without the last . . touching the crowne or royall diadem of england , there is none , whether presbyterian , independent , protestant , or others now in action , but confesse that it descends by a right hereditary line , ( though through divers races , and some of them conquerours ) upon the head of charles the first now regnant : 't is his owne by inherent birthright and nature , by gods law , and the law of the land , and these parliament-men at their first sitting did agnize subjection unto him accordingly , and recognize him for their soveraigne liege lord : nay , the roman catholick denies not this , for though there were bulls sent to dispense with the english subjects for their allegiance to queen elizabeth , yet the pope did this against her as he took her for a heretique , not an usurpresse , though he knew well enough that she had been declared illegitimate by the act of an english parliament . this imperiall crowne of england is adorned and deck'd with many faire flowers , which are called , royall prerogatives ; and they are of such a transcendent nature , that they are unforfeitable , individuall , and untransferable to any other : the king can only summon and dissolve parliaments : the king can onely pardon ( for when he is crowned , he is sworn to rule in mercy as well as in justice : ) the king can onely coyn money , and enhance or decry the value of it : the power of electing officers of state , of justices of peace , and assise is in the king ; he can only grant soveraign commissions : the king can only wage war , and make out-landish leagues : the king may make all the courts of justice ambulatory with his person , as they were used of old ; 't is true , the court of common pleas must be sedentary in some certain place for such a time ; but that expired , 't is removeable at his pleasure : the king can only employ ambassadours and treat with forain states , &c. these , with other royal prerogatives which i shall touch hereafter , are those rare and wholsome flowers wherewith the crowne of england is embellished , nor can they stick anywhere else but in the crowne , and all confesse the crowne is as much the king's , as any private man's cap is his own . the second regall instrument is the scepter , which may be called an inseparable companion , or a necessary appendix to the crowne ; this invests the king with the sole authority of making lawes , for before his confirmation all results and determinations of parliament are but bills or {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , they are but abortive things , and meer embryos ; nay , they have no life at all in them till the king puts breath and vigour into them : and the antient custome was for the king to touch them with his scepter , then they are lawes , and have a virtue in them to impose an obligation of universall obedience upon all sorts of people , it being an undeniable maxime , that nothing can be generally binding without the king's royall assent , nor doth the law of england take notice of any thing without it : this being done , they are ever after stil'd the king's lawes , and the judges are said to deliver the king's judgments , which agrees with the holy text , the king by judgment shall stablish the land : nay , the law presumes the king to be alwaies the sole judge paramount , and lord chief justice of england , for he whom he pleaseth to depute for his chiefest justice , is but stil'd lord chief justice of the king's bench , not lord chief justice of england , which title is peculiar to the king himself , and observable it is , that whereas he grants commissions and parents to the lord chancellour ( who is no other then keeper of his conscience ) and to all other judges , he names the chief justice of his own bench by a short writ only containing two or three lines : now , though the king be liable to the law , and is contented to be within their verge , because they are chiefly his owne productions , yet he is still their protector , moderator , and soveraigne , which attributes are incommunicable to any other conjunctly or separately . thus the king with his scepter , and by the mature advice of his two houses of parl. which are his highest councel & court , hath the sole power of making laws ; other courts of judicature doe but expound them and distribute them by his appointment , they have but juris dati dictionem or declarationem , and herein , i meane for the exposition of the lawes the twelve judges are to be believed before the whole kingdom besides . they are as the areopagites in athens , the chief presidents in france and spaine in an extraordinary junta , as the cape-syndiques in the rota's of rome , and the republique of venice whose judgments in point of interpreting lawes are incontroulable , and preferred before the opinion of the whole senate whence they received their being ; and who hath still power to repeal them , though not to expound them . in france they have a law-maxime , arrest donné en robbe rouge est irrevocable , which is , a scarlet sentence is irrevocable , meaning when all the judges are met in their robes , and the client against whom the cause goes , may chafe and chomp upon the bit , and say what he will for the space of howers against his judges , but if ever after he traduces them , he is punishable : it is no otherwise here where every ignorant peevish client , every puny barister , specially if he become a member of the house will be ready to arraign and vie knowledge with all the reverend judges in the land , whose judgement in points of law shold be only tripodicall and sterling : so that he may be truly call'd a just king , and to rule according to law , who rules according to the opinion of his judges ; therfore , under favor , i do not see how his majestie for his part could be call'd injust when he leavied the ship-money , considering he had the judges for it . i now take the sword in hand , which is the third instrument of a king , ( and which this short discours chiefly points at ) it is aswell as the two first , incommunicable and inalienable from his person ; nothing concernes his honor more both at home and abroad ; the crown and the scepter are but unweildy and impotent naked indefensible things without it . there 's none so simple as to think there's meant hereby an ordinary single sword , such as ev'ry one carrieth by his side , or som imaginary thing or chymera of a sword ; no , 't is the polemical publique sword of the whole kingdom , 't is an aggregative compound sword , and 't is moulded of bell-metall ; for 't is made up of all the ammunition and armes small and great , of all the military strengths both by land and sea , of all the forts , castles and tenable places within and round about the whole i le : the kings of england have had this sword by vertue of their royall signory from all times , the laws have girded it to their sides , they have employed it for repelling all forren force , for revenging all forren wrongs or affronts , for quelling all intestine tumults , and for protecting the weal of the whole body politike at home : the peeple were never capable of this sword , the fundamentall constitutions of this kingdom deny it them ; 't is all one to put the sword in a mad mans hand , as in the peeples ; or for them to have a disposing power in whose hands it shall be . such was the case once of the french sword , in that notorious insurrection call'd to this day la jaqueris de beauvoisin , when the pesants and mechanics had a design to wrest it out of the kings hand , and to depresse all the peers & gentry of the kingdom ; & the busines had gone very far , had not the prelats stuck close to the nobility ; but afterwards poor hare-brain'd things they desire the king upon bended knees to take it againe ; such popular puffs have blowen often in poland , naples and other places , where while they sought and fought for liberty by retrenching the regall power , they fool'd themselfs into a slavery unawares , and found the rule right , that excess of freedom turns to thraldom , and ushers in all confusions . if one shold go back to the nonage of the world , when governers and rulers began first , one will find the peeple desir'd to live under kings for their own advantage , that they might be restrain'd from wild exorbitant liberty , and kept in unity ; now unity is as requisit for the welbeing of all naturall things , as entity is for their being , and 't is a receiv'd maxim in policy , that nothing preserves unity more exactly then royall government : besides 't is known to be the noblest sort of sway ; in so much that by the law of nations , if subjects of equall degrees , and under differing princes shold meet , the subjects of a king shold take predency of those under any republique , and those of a successif kingdom , of those that are under an electif . but to take up the sword again . i say that the sword of public power & authoritie is fit only to hang at the kings side , & so indeed shold the great seal hang only at his girdle , because 't is the key of the kingdom : which makes me think of what i read of charlemain , how he had the imperiall seal emboss'd alwaies upon the pommell of his sword , and his reason was , that he was ready to maintain whatsoever he signed , and sealed . the civilians , who are not in all points so great friends to monarchy as the common law of england is , say , there are six lura regalia , six regall rights , viz. . potestas iudicatoria , . potestas vitae & necis , . armamenta , . bona adespota , . census , . monetarum valor : to wit , power of judicature , power of life and death , all kind of arming , masterlesse goods , sessements , and the value of money . among these regalias , we find that arming , which in effect is nought else but the kings sword , is among the chiefest ; and 't is as proper and peculiar to his person , as either crown or scepter . by these two he drawes a loose voluntary love and opinion onely from his subjects , but by the sword he drawes reverence and awe , which are the chiefest ingredients of allegiance , it being a maxime , that the best mixture of government is made of feare and love . with this sword he conferrs honor , he dubbs knights , he creates magistrats , the lord deputy of ireland , the lord mayor of london with all other corporations have their swords from him , and when he entreth any place corporat , we know the first thing that is presented him is the sword : with this sword he shields and preserves all his peeple that ev'ry one may sit quietly under his own vine , sleep securely in his own house , and enjoy sweetly the fruits of his labours . nor doth the point of this sword reach only to ev'ry corner of his own dominions , but it extends beyond the seas to gard his subjects from oppression , and denial of justice , as well as to vindicate the publike wrongs , make good the interests of his crown , and to assist his confederates ; this is the sword that edward the third tied the flower deluces unto ( which stick still unto it , ) when having sent to france to demand that crown by maternall right , the counsell there sent him word that the crown of france was not tied to a d●staff , to which scoffing answer he replied that then he wold tie it to his sword , and he was as good as his word . nor is this publike sword concredited or intrusted by the peeple in a fiduciary conditionall way to the king , but it is properly and peculiarly belonging unto him , as an inseparable concomitant , perpetuall usher and attendant to his crowne . the king , we know , useth to maintain all garrisons upon his own charge , not the peeples ; he fortifies upon his own charge , not the peeples : and though i will not averr , that the king may impresse any of his subjects , unlesse it be upon an actuall invasion by sea , or a sudden irruption into his kingdom by land , as the scots have often don , yet at any time the king may raise volunteers , and those who have received his money , the law makes it felony , if they forsake his service . thus we see there 's nothing that conduceth more to the glory , and indeed the very essence of a king then the sword , which is the armes and military strength of his kingdome ; wherfore under favor , there cannot be a greater point of dishonor to a king then to be disarmed , then to have his sword taken from him , or dispos'd of and intrusted to any but those whom he shall appoint ; for as à minori ad majus the argument often holds , if a privat gentleman chance to be disarm'd upon a quarrell , 't is held the utmost of disgraces , much greater and more public is the dishonor that falls upon a king , if after some traverses of difference 'twixt him and his subjects , they shold offer to disarme him , or demand his sword of him : when the eagle parted with his talons , and the lion with his teeth and ongles , the apolog tells us how contemptible afterwards the one grew to be among birds , the other among beasts . for a king to part with the sword politic is to render himself such a ridiculous king , as that logg of wood was which jupiter let down among the froggs for their king at the importunity of their croaking ; 't is to make him a king of clouts , or as the spaniard hath it , rey de havas , a bean-king , such as we use to choose in sport at twelf-night . but my hopes are , that the two present houses of parlement ( for now they may be call'd so , because they begin to parley with their king , ) wil be more tender of the honor of their soverain liege lord , which , together with all his rights and dignities , by severall solemn oaths , and by their own binding instruments of protestation and covenant , ( not yet revok'd ) they are sworn to maintain , and that they will demand nothing of him which may savour of aspertè or force , but what may hold water hereafter : but now , touching the militia or sword of the kingdom , i think , under favor , the king cannot transfer it to any other ; for that were to desert the protection of his people , which is point-blank against his coronation oath and his office : what forren prince or state will send either ambassador , resident or agent to him , when they understand his sword is taken from him ? what reformed forren church wil acknowledg him defender of the faith , when they hear of this ? nay , they who wish england no good will , will go neer to paint him out , as not long since another king was , with a fair velvet scabbard , a specious golden hilt and chape , but the blade within was of wood . i hope that they who sway now , will make better use of their successes : many of them know 't is as difficult a thing to use a victory well , as to get one ; there is as much prudence requir'd in the one , as prowesse in the other ; they wil be wiser sure then turn it to the dishonor of their king : it being a certaine rule , that the glory of a nation all the world over depends upon the glory of their king , and if he be any way obscur'd , the whole kingdom is under an eclipse . i have observed , that among other characters of gallantry , which forren writers appropriat to the english nation , one is , that they use to be most zealous to preserve the honor of their king ; i trust that they who are now upp will return to the steps of their progenitors , both in this particular and divers other ; that their successes may serve to sweeten and moderat things , and suppresse the popular sword which still rages ; and it had been heartily wished that a suspension of arms had preceded this treaty , which useth to be the ordinary fore-runner , and a necessarie antecedent to all treaties ; for while acts of hostility continue , som ill favour'd newes may intervene which may imbitter and disturb all : nor can it be expected that the proceedings will goe on with that candor and confidence , while the old rancor is still in action ; 't is impossible a sore shold heale till the inflamation be taken away ; to cast water into a wound instead of oyle is not the way to cure it : or to cast oyle upon a fire instead of water is not the way to quench it ; poor england hath had a consuming fire within her bowells many yeeres , she is also mortally wounded in all her members , that she is still in a high fever , which hath made her rave and speak idle a long time ; and 't is like to turn to a hectic if not timely prevented . i p●ay god she may have no occasion to make use of the same complaint as alexander the great made when he was expiring his last , perii turba medicorum : too many physitians have undon me . to conclude in a word , there is but one only way , under favor , to put a period to all these fearfull confusions ; it is , to put the great master-wheele in order , and in its due place again , and then all the inferior wheels will move regularly ; let the king be restor'd , and ev'ry one will com to his own , all interests will be satisfied , all things quickly rectified ; till this be done , 't is as absurd to attempt the setling of peace , as if one shold go about to set a watch by the gnomon of an horizontall diall when the sun is in a cloud . dolor capitis est caput doloris . jam. howell . . septemb. . two discourses lately revievv'd and enrich'd by the author one, the pre-eminence and pedegree [sic] of parlement, whereunto is added a vindication of some passages reflecting upon the author in a book call'd the popish royall favorit, penn'd and published by master prynne ..., with a clearing of some occurrences in spayne at his majesties being there, cited by the said master prynne out of the vocall forrest ... : the second, englands teares / by james howell ... pre-eminence and pedigree of parlement howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) two discourses lately revievv'd and enrich'd by the author one, the pre-eminence and pedegree [sic] of parlement, whereunto is added a vindication of some passages reflecting upon the author in a book call'd the popish royall favorit, penn'd and published by master prynne ..., with a clearing of some occurrences in spayne at his majesties being there, cited by the said master prynne out of the vocall forrest ... : the second, englands teares / by james howell ... pre-eminence and pedigree of parlement howell, james, ?- . howell, james, ?- . englands teares for the present wars. [ ], , [ ], , [ ] p. : ill. ... by richard heron, printed at london : . "englands teares for the present wars" has special t.p. and separate paging. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng prynne, william, - . -- popish royall favourite. howell, james, ?- . -- vocall forrest. england and wales. -- parliament. great britain -- politics and government -- - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion two discourses , lately revievv'd and enrich'd by the author . one , the pre-eminence and pedegree of parlement . whereunto is added a vindication of some passages reflecting upon the author , in a book call'd the popish royall favorit , penn'd and published by master prynne ; wherein he styles him , no friend to parlements , and a malignant , pag. . with a clearing of some occurrences in spayne at his majesties being there , cited by the said master prynne out of the vocall forrest , whereunto the collaterall landskippe refers . the second , englands teares . by iames howell esq r one of the clerks of his majesties most hon ble privy-councell . printed at london according to order , by richard heron. . the printer to the reader . reader , these two discourses , one , the pre-eminence and pedegree of parlement , the other englands teares , i present again to your view : they went abroad singly before , but i have conjoyn'd them now in one peece , for your better accommodation . they have bin surreptitiously printed in oxford , and els where , but mistaken in divers places ; they come forth now , not only corrected , but enrich'd by the authour himselfe . when they were expos'd first to the world , they found extraordinary good acceptance , and have been very much sought for since , as well for the richnesse of the stile and matter , as for the gallant worth of the author , which is so well known at home and abroad . r. h. to my worthily honored friend , sir w. s. knight . sir , i have many thanks to give you for the book you pleased to send me , called the popish royall favorite ; and according to your advice ( which i value in a high degree ) i put pen to paper , and something you may see i have done ( though in a poore pamphleting way ) to cleare my selfe of those aspersions that are cast upon me therein . but truly sir , i was never so unfit for such a task ; all my papers , manuscripts , and notes , having been long since seized upon and kept from me . adde hereunto , that besides this long pressure and languishment of twenty three moneths close restraint ( the sense wherof , i find hath much stupified my spirits ) it pleased god to visit me lately with a dangerous fit of sicknes , a high burning feaver , with the new disease , whereof my body as well as my mind is yet somewhat crazie : so that ( take all afflictions together ) i may truly say , i have passed the ordeal , the fiery tryall . but it hath pleased god to reprieve me to see better dayes i hope ; for out of this fatall black cloud , which now oresets this poore island , i hope there will breake a glorious sun-shine of peace and firme happinesse : to effect which , had i a jury , a grand-jury of lives , i would sacrifice them all , and triumph in the oblation . so i most affectionately kisse your hands , and rest your faithfull ( though afflicted ) servant , iames howell . from the prison of the fleet. the pre-eminence of parlement . sectio prima . i am a free-born subject of the realm of england ; whereby i claim as my native inheritance , an undoubted right , propriety , and portion in the laws of the land ; and this distinguisheth me from a slave . i claim also an interest and common right in the high nationall court of parlement , and in the power , the priviledges and jurisdiction thereof , which i put in equall ballance with the laws , in regard it is the fountain whence they spring ; and this i hold also to be a principall part of my birth-right , which great councell i honor , respect , value , and love in as high a degree as can be ; as being the bulwark of our liberties , the main boundary and banke which keeps us from slavery , from the inundations of tyrannicall rule , and unbounded will-government . and i hold my self obliged in a tye of indispensable obedience , to conform and submit my self to whatsoever shall be transacted , concluded , and constituted by its authority in church or state ; whether it be by making , enlarging , altering , diminishing , disanulling , repealing , or reviving of any law , statute , act , or ordinance whatsoever , either touching matters ecclesiasticall , civill , common , capitall , criminall , martiall , maritime , municipall , or any other ; of all which , the transcendent and uncontrollable jurisdiction of that court is capable to take cognizance . amongst the three things which the athenian captain thank'd the gods for , one was , that he was born a grecian , and not a barbarian . for such was the vanity of the greeks , and after them , of the romans , in the flourish of their monarchy , to arrogate all civility to themselves , and to terme all the world besides barbarians : so i may say to have cause to rejoyce , that i was born a vassall to the crown of england ; that i was born under so well moulded and tempered a government , which endows the subject with such liberties and infranchisements that bear up his naturall courage , and keep him still in heart ; such liberties that fence and secure him eternally from the gripes and tallons of tyranny : and all this may be imputed to the authority and wisedome of this high court of parlement , wherein there is such a rare co-ordination of power ( though the soveraignty remain still entire , and untransferrable in the person of the prince ) there is such a wholsome mixture 'twixt monarchy , optimacy , and democracy ; 'twixt prince , peers , and communalty , during the time of consultation , that of so many distinct parts , by a rare cooperation and unanimity , they make but one body politick , ( like that sheafe of arrows in the emblem ) one entire concentricall peece , and the results of their deliberations , but as so many harmonious diapasons arising from different strings . and what greater immunity and happinesse can there be to a people , than to be liable to no laws but what they make themselves ? to be subject to no contribution , assessement , or any pecuniary levy whatsoever , but what they vote , and voluntarily yeeld unto themselves ? for in this compacted politick body , there be all degrees of people represented ; both the mechanick , tradesman , merchant , and yeoman , have their inclusive vote , as well as the gentry , in the persons of their trustees , their knights and burgesses , in passing of all things . nor is this soveraign surintendent councell an epitome of this kingdom only , but it m●y be said to have a representation of the whole universe ; as i heard a fluent well-worded knight deliver the last parliament , who compared the beautifull composure of that high court , to the great work of god , the world it self : the king is as the sun , the nobles the fixed stars , the itinerant judges and other officers ( that go upon messages 'twixt both houses ) to the planets ; the clergy to the element of fire ; the commons , to the solid body of earth , and the rest of the elements . and to pursue this comparison a little farther ; as the heavenly bodies , when three of them meet in conjunction , do use to produce some admirable effects in the elementary world : so when these three states convene and assemble in one solemne great iunta , some notable and extraordinary things are brought forth , tending to the welfare of the whole kingdom , our microcosme . he that is never so little versed in the annales of this islle , will find that it hath bin her fate to be four times conquered . i exclude the scot ; for the scituation of his country , and the quality of the clime hath been such an advantage and security to him , that neither the roman eagles would fly thither , for fear of freezing their wings ; nor any other nation attempt the work . these so many conquests must needs bring with them many tumblings and toffings , many disturbances and changes in government ; yet i have observed , that notwithstanding these tumblings , it retained still the forme of a monarchy , and something there was always that had an analogy with the great assembly the parlement . the first conquest i finde was made by claudius caes●r ; at which time ( as some well observe ) the roman ensignes , and the standard of christ came in together . it is well known what laws the roman had ; he had his comitia , which bore a resemblance with our convention in parlement ; the place of their meeting was called praetorium , and the laws which they enacted , pleboscita . the saxon conquest succeeded next , which were the english , there being no name in welsh or irish for an english man , but saxon , to this day . they governed by parlement , though it were under other names ; as michel sinoth , michel gemote , and witenage mote . there are records above a thousand years old , of these parlements , in the raigns of king ina , offa , ethelbert , and the rest of the seven kings during the heptarchy . the british kings also , who retaind a great while some part of the isle unconquered , governed and made laws by a kind of parlementary way ; witnes the famous laws of prince howell , called howell dha , ( the good prince howell ) whereof there are yet extant some welsh records . parlements were also used after the heptarchy by king kenulphus , alphred , and others ; witnesse that renowned parlement held at grately by king athelstan . the third conquest was by the danes , and they govern'd also by such generall assemblies , ( as they do to this day ) witnesse that great and so much celebrated parlement held by that mighty monarch canutus , who was king of england , denmark , norway , and other regions years before the compiling of magna charta ; and this the learned in the laws do hold to be one of the specialst , and most authentick peeces of antiquity we have extant . edward the confessor made all his laws thus , ( and he was a great legis-lator , ) which the norman conquerour ( who liking none of his sons , made god almighty his heir , bequeathing unto him this island for a legacy ) did ratifie and establish , and digested them into one entire methodicall systeme , which being violated by rufus , ( who came to such a disastrous end as to be shot to death in lieu of a buck for his sacriledges ) were restor'd by henry the first , and so they continued in force till king iohn ; whose raign is renowned for first confirming magna charta , the foundation of our liberties ever since : which may be compar'd to divers outlandish graffs set upon one english stock ; or to a posie of sundry fragrant flowers ; for the choicest of the british , the roman , saxon , danish , and norman laws , being cull'd and pick'd out , and gathered as it were into one bundle , out of them the foresaid grand charter was extracted : and the establishment of this great charter was the work of a parlement . nor are the lawes of this island only , and the freedome of the subject conserved by parlement , but all the best policed countries of europe have the like . the germanes have their diets , the danes and swedes their rijcks dachs ; the spaniard calls his parlement , las c●rtes and the french have , ( or should have at least ) their assembly of three states , though it be growne now in a manner obsolete , because the authority thereof was ( by accident ) devolv'd to the king. and very remarkable it is , how this happened ; for when the english had taken such large footing in most parts of france , having advanced as far as orleans , and driven their then king charles the seventh , to bourges in berry ; the assembly of the three states in these pressures , being not able to meet after the usuall manner in full parlement , because the countrey was unpassable , the enemy having made such firme invasions up and down through the very bowels of the kingdome ; that power which formerly was inhaerent in the parlementary assembly , of making lawes , of assessing the subject with taxes , subsidiary levies , and other impositions , was transmitted to the king during the war ; which continuing many years , that intrusted power by length of time grew as it were habituall in him , and could never after be re-assumed and taken from him ; so that ever since , his ediots countervaile acts of parlement . and that which made the businesse more feasable for the king , was , that the burthen fell most upon the communalty ( the clergy and nobility not feeling the weight of it ) who were willing to see the peasan pull'd downe a little , because not many years before , in that notable rebellion , call'd la laquerie de beauvoisin , which was suppressed by charles the wise , the common people put themselves boldly in arms against the nobility and gentry , to lessen their power . adde hereunto as an advantage to the worke , that the next succeeding king lewis the eleventh , was a close cunning prince , and could well tell how to play his game , and draw water to his own mill ; for amongst all the rest , he was said to be the first that put the kings of france , hors de page , out of their minority , or from being pages any more , though thereby he brought the poore peasans to be worse than lacquays . with the fall , or at least the discontinuance of that usuall parlementary assembly of the three states , the liberty of the french nation utterly fell ; the poore ●oturier and vineyard-man , with the rest of the yeomanary , being reduced ever since to such an abject asinin condition , that they serve but as sponges for the king to squeeze when he list . neverthelesse , as that king hath an advantage hereby one way , to monarchize more absolutely , and never to want money , but to ballast his purse when he will : so there is another mighty inconvenience ariseth to him and his whole kingdome another way ; for this illegall peeling of the poore peasan hath so dejected him , and cowed his native courage so much by the sense of poverty ( which brings along with it a narrownesse of soule ) that he is little usefull for the warre : which put 's the french king to make other nations mercenary to him , to fill up his infantery : insomuch , that the kingdome of france may be not unfitly compared to a body that hath all it's bloud drawn up in to the arms , breast and back , and scarce any lest from the girdle downwards , to cherish and bear up the lower parts , and keep them from starving . all this seriously considered , there cannot be a more proper and pregnant example than this of our next neighbours , to prove how infinitely necessary the parlement is , to assert , to prop up , and preserve the publike liberty , and nationall rights of a people , with the incolumity and well-fare of a countrey . nor doth the subject only reap benefit thus by parlement , but the prince , ( if it be well consider'd ) hath equall advantage thereby ; it rendreth him a king of free and able men , which is far more glorious than to be a king of slaves , beggars , and bankrupts ; men that by their freedome , and competency of wealth , are kept still in heart to do him service against any forraine force . and it is a true maxime in all states , that 't is lesse danger and dishonour for the prince to be poore , than his people : rich subjects can make their king rich when they please ; if he gain their hearts , he will quickly get their purses . parlement encreaseth love and good intelligence twixt him and his people ; it acquaints him with the reality of things , and with the true state and diseases of his kingdom ; it brings him to the knowledge of his better sort of subjects , and of their abilities , which he may employ accordingly upon all occasions ; it provides for his royall issue , payes his debts , fines means to fill his coffers : and it is no ill observation , that parlement-monyes ( the great aid ) have prospered best with the kings of england ; it exceedingly raiseth his repute abroad , and enableth him to keep his foes in feare , his subject● in awe , his neighbours and confederates in security , the three main things which go to aggrandize a prince , and render him glorious . in summe , it is the parlement that supports , and bears up the honour of his crown , and settles his throne in safety , which is the chiefe end of all their consultations : for whosoever is entrusted to be a member of this high court , carrieth with him a double capacity ; he sits there as a patriot , and as a subject : as he is the one , the country is his object , his duty being to vindicate the publike liberty , to make wholsome lawes , to put his hand to the pump , and stop the leaks of the great vessell of the state , to pry into , and punish corruption and oppression , to improve and advance trade , to have the grievances of the place he serves for redressed , and cast about how to find something that may tend to the advantage of it . but he must not forget that he sits there also as a subject , and according to that capacity , he must apply himselfe to do his soveraigns businesse , to provide not only for his publike , but his personall wants ; to beare up the lustre and glory of his court ; to consider what occasions of extraordinary expences he may have , by encrease of royall issue , or maintenance of any of them abroad ; to enable him to vindicate any affront or indignity that might be offered to his person , crown , or dignity , by any forraine state or kingdome ; to consult what may enlarge his honour , contentment , and pleasure . and as the french tacitus ( comines ) hath it , the english nation was used to be more forward and zealous in this particular than any other ; according to that ancient eloquent speech of a great lawyer , domus regis vigilia defendit omnium , otium illius labor omnium , deliciae illius industria omnium , vacatio illius occupatio omnium , salus illius periculum omnium , honor illius objectum omnium every one should stand centinell to defend the kings houses , his safety should be the danger of all , his pleasures the industry of all , his ease should be the labour of all , his honour the object of all . out of these premisses this conclusion may be easily deduced , that , the principall fountaine whence the king derives his happinesse and safety , is his parlement ; it is that great conduit-pipe which conveighes unto him his peoples bounty and gratitude ; the truest looking-glasse wherein he discernes their loves ; now the subjects love hath been alwayes accounted the prime cittadell of a prince . in his parlement he appears as the sun in the meridian , in the altitude of his glory , in his highest state royall , as the law tels us . therefore whosoever is averse or disaffected to this soveraigne law-making court , cannot have his heart well planted within him : he can be neither good subject , nor good patriot ; and therefore unworthy to breathe english ayre , or have any benefit , advantage , or protection from the lawes . sectio secunda . by that which hath been spoken , which is the language of my heart , i hope no indifferent judicious reader will doubt of the cordiall affection , of the high respects and due reverence i beare to parlement , as being the wholsomest constitution , ( and done by the highest and happiest reach of policy ) that ever was established in this island ; to perpetuate the happinesse thereof , therefore i must tell that gentleman , who was author of a booke entituled the popish royall favorite , ( lately printed and exposed to the world ) that he offers me very hard measure ; nay , he doth me apparant wrong , to terme me therein , no friend to parlement , and a malignant ; a character , which as i deserve it not , so i disdain it . for the first part of his charge , i lwoud have him know , that i am as much a friend and as reall an affectionate humble servant and votary to the parlement as possibly he can be , and will live and dye with these affections about me : and i could wish , that he were secretary of my thoughts a while , or if i may take the boldnesse to apply that comparison his late majesty used in a famous speech to one of his parlements , i could wish there were a chrystall window in my breast , through which the world might espye the inward motions and palpitations of my heart , then would he be certified of the sincerity of this protestation . for the second part of his charge , to be a maligna●t , i must confesse to have some malignity that lurks within me much against my will ; but it is no malignity of minde , it is amongst the humours , not in my intellectuals . and i beleeve , there is no naturall man , let him have his humours never so well ballanced , but hath some of this malignity raigning within him ; for as long as we are composed of the foure elements , whence these humors are derived , and with whom they symbolize in qualities ; which elements the philosophers hold to be in a restlesse contention amongst themselves ( and the stoicke thought that the world subsisted by this innated mutuall strife ) as long i say , as the foure humors , in imitation of their principles ( the elements ) are in perpetuall reluctancy and combate for praedominancy , there must be some malignity lodg'd within us , as adusted choler , and the like ; whereof i had late experience , in a dangerous fit of sicknesse it pleased god to lay upon me , which the physitians told me proceeded from the malignant hypocondriacall effects of melancholy ; having been so long in this saturnine black condition of close imprisonment , and buried alive between the wals of this fatall fleet. these kinds of malignities , i confesse are very rife in me , and they are not only incident , but connaturall to every man according to his complexion : and were it not for this incessant strugling and enmity amongst the humors for mastery , which produceth such malignant effects in us , our soules would be loth ever to depart from our bodies , or to abandon this mansion of clay . now what malignity my accuser means , i know not ; if he means malignity of spirit , as some antipathy or ill impression upon the minde , arising fromdisaffection , hatred , or rancor , with a desire of some destructive revenge , he is mightily deceiv'd in me : i maligne or hate no creature that ever god made , but the devill , who is the author of all malignity ; and therefore is most commonly called in french le malin esprit the malignant spirit . every night before i go to bed , i have the grace , i thanke god for it , to forgive all the world , and not to harbour , or let roost in my bosome the least malignant thought ; yet none can deny , but the publike aspersions which this my accuser casts upon me , were enough to make me a malignant towards him ; yet it could never have the power to do it : for i have prevail'd with my selfe to forgive him this his wrong censure of me , issuing rather from his not knowledge of me , than from malice , for we never mingled speech or saw one another in our lives to my remembrance : which makes me wonder the more , that a professor of the law , as he is , should ronounce such a positive sentence against me so slightly . but me thinks pi over-hear him say , that the precedent discourse of parlement is involv'd in generals , and the topique axiome tels us , that dolus versatur in universalibus there is double dealing in universals : his meaning is , that i am no friend to this present parlement ( though he speaks in the plurall number parlements ) and consequently , he concludes me a malignant ; therein , i must tell him also , that i am traduc'd , and i am confident it will be never p●ov'd against me , from any actions , words , or letters ( though diuers of mine have bin intercepted ) or any other misdemeanor , though some things ●re ●ather'd upon me which never drop'd from my quill . alas , how unworthy and uncapable am i to censure the proceedings of that great senate , that high synedrion , wherein the wisedome of the whole state is epitomized ? it were a presumption in me , of the highest nature that could be : it is enough for me to pray for the prosperous successe of their consultations : and as i hold it my duty , so i have good reason so to do , in regard i am to have my share in the happinesse ; and could the utmost of my poore endeavours , by any ministeriall humble office ( and sometimes the meanest boat-swain may help to preserve the ship from sinking ) be so happy , as to contribute any thing to advance that great worke ( which i am in despaire to do , while i am thus under hatches in this fleet , ) i would esteem it the greatest honor that possibly could befall me , as i hold it now to be my greatest disaster , to have fallen so heavily under an affliction of this nature , and to be made a sacrifice to publike fame , than which there is no other proofe , nor that yet urg'd against me , or any thing else produc'd after so long , so long captivity , which hath brought me to such a low ebbe , and put me so far behind in the course of my poore fortunes , and indeed more than halfe undone me . for although my whole life ( since i was left to my selfe to swim , as they say , without bladders ) has bin nothing else but a continued succession of crosses , and that there are but few red letters found ( god wot ) in the almanacke of my age , ( for which i account not my selfe a whit the lesse happy ; ) yet this crosse has carried with it a greater weight , it hath bin of a larger extent , longer continuance , and lighted heavier upon me than any other ; and as i have present patience to beare it , so i hope for subsequent grace to make use of it accordingly , that my old motto may be still confirmed , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . he produceth my attestation for some passages in spaine , at his majesties being there , and he quotes me right , which obligeth me to him ; and i hope all his quotations , wherein he is so extraordinarily copious and elaborate in all his workes , are so ; yet i must tell him , that those interchangeable letters which passed between his majesty and the pope , which were originally couch'd in latine , the language wherein all nations treate with rome , and the empire with all the princes thereof , those letters i say , are adulterated in many places , which i impute not to him , but to the french chronicler , from whom he tooke them in trust . the truth of that businesse is this : the world knowes there was a tedious treaty of an alliance 'twixt the infanta dona maria ( who now is empresse ) and his majesty , which in regard of the slow affected pace of the spaniard , lasted above ten years , as that in henry the sevenths time , 'twixt prince arthur , and ( afterwards ) queen katherine , was spun out above seven : to quicken , or rather to consummate the work , his majesty made that adventurous journey through the whole continent of france , into spaine ; which voyage , though there was a great deale of gallantry in it ( whereof all posterity will ring , untill it turne at last to a romance ) yet it prov'd the bane of the businesse , which 't is not the errand of so poore a pamphlet as this to unfold . his majesty being there arriv'd , the ignorant common people cried out , the prince of wales came thither to make himselfe a christian. the pope writ to the inquisitor generall , and others , to use all industry they could to reduce him to the romane religion ; and one of olivares first complements to him , was , that he doubted ●ot but that his highnesse came thither to change his religion : whereunto he made a short answer , that he came not thither for a religion , but for a wife . there were extraordinary processions made , and other artifices us'd by protraction of things , to make him stay there of purpose till the spring following , to worke upon him the better : and the infanta her selfe desir'd him ( which was esteem'd the greatest favour he received from her all the while ) to visit the nunne of carion ; hoping that the sayd nunne , who was so much cried up for miracles , might have wrought one upon him ; but her art failed her , nor was his highnesse so weake a subject to work upon , according to his late majesties speech to doctor mawe and wren , who when they came to kisse his hands , before they went to spaine to attend the prince their master , he wished them to have a care of buckingham , as touching his sonne charles , he apprehended no feare at all of him ; for he knew him to be so well grounded a protestant , that nothing could shake him in his religion . the arabian proverbe is , that the sun never soiles in his passage , though his beames reverberate never so strongly , and dwell never so long upon the myry lake of maeotis , the black turfd moores of holland , the aguish woose of kent and essex , or any other place , be it never so di●ty ; though spaine be a hot countrey , yet one may passe and repasse through the very center of it , and never be sun-burnt , if he carry with him a bongrace , and such a one his majesty had . well , after his majesties arrivall to madrid , the treaty of marriage went on still , ( though he told them at his first comming , that he came not thither like an embassador , to treat of marriage , but as a prince , to fetch home a wife ; ) and in regard they were of different religions , it could not be done without a dispensation from the pope , & the pope would grant none , unlesse some capitulations were stipulated in favour of the romish catholikes in england , ( the same in substance were agreed on with france . ) well , when the dispensation came , which was negotiated solely by the king of spains ministers ; because his majesty would have as little to do as might be with rome , pope gregory the fifteenth , who died a little after , sent his majesty a letter , which was delivered by the nuncio , whereof an answer was sent a while after : which letters were imprinted and exposed to the view of the world ; because his majesty would not have people whisper , that the businesse was carried in a clandestine manner . and truly besides this , i do not know of any letter , or message , or complement , that ever pass'd 'twixt his majesty and the pope , afore or after ; some addresses peradventure might be made to the cardinalls , to whom the drawing of those matrimoniall dispatches was referred , to quicken the work , but this was only by way of civill negotiation . now touching that responsory letter from his majesty , it was no other than a complement in the severest interpretation , and such formalities passe 'twixt the crown of england , and the great turke , and divers heathen princes . the pope writ first , and no man can deny , but by all morall rules , and in common humane civility his majesty was bound to answer it , specially considering how punctuall they are in those countries to correspond in this kind , how exact they are in repayring visits , and the performance of such ceremonies ; and had this compliance been omitted , it might have made very ill impressions , as the posture of things stood then ; for it had prejudiced the great work in hand , i mean , the match , which was then in the heat and height of agitation : his majesties person was there engag'd , and so it was no time to give the least offence . they that are never so little vers'd in businesse abroad , do know that there must be addresses , compliances , and formalities of this nature ( according to the italian proverbe , that one must sometimes light a candle to the devill ) us'd in the carriage of matters of state , as this great businesse was , whereon the eyes of all christendome were so greedily fix'd ; a businesse which was like to bring with it such an universall good , as the restitution of the palatinate , the quenching of those hideous fires in germany , and the establishing of a peace through all the christian world. i hope none will take offence , that in this particular which comes within the compasse of my knowledge , being upon the stage when this scene was acted , i do this right to the king my master , in displaying the truth , and putting her forth in her own colours , a rare thing in these dayes . touching the vocall forrest , an allegoricall discourse , that goes abroad under my name , a good while before the beginning of this parlement , which this gentleman cites ( and that very faithfully . ) i understand there be some that mutter at certain passages therein , by putting ill glosses upon the text , and taking with the left hand , what i offer with the right : ( nor is it a wonder for trees which lys open , and stand exposed to all weathers to be nipt ) but i desire this favour , which in common justice , i am sure in the court of chancery cannot be denyed me , it being the priviledge of every author , and a received maxime through the world , cujus est condere , ejus est interpretari ; i say , i crave this favour , to have leave to expound my own text , and i doubt not then but to rectifie any one in his opinion of me , and that in lieu of the plums which i give him from those trees , he will not throw the stones at me . moreover , i desire those that are over criticall censurers of that peece , to know , that as in divinity it is a rule , scripturae parabolica non est argumenativa ; so it is in all other kind of knowledge . parables ( whereof that discourse is composed ) though pressed never so hard , prove nothing . there is another rule also , that parables must be gently used , like a nurses breast ; which if you presse too hard , you shall have bloud in stead of milke . but as the author of the vocall forrest thinks he hath done , neither his countrey , nor the common-wealth of learning any prejudice thereby ( that maiden fancy having received so good entertainment and respect abroad , as to be translated into divers languages , and to gain the publick approbation of some famous universities ) so he makes this humble protest unto all the world , that though the designe of that discourse was partly satyricall ( which peradventure induc'd the author to shrowd it of purpose under the shadowes of trees , and where should satyres be but amongst trees ? ) yet it never entred into his imagination to let fall from him the least thing that might give any offence to the high and honorable court of parlement , wherof he had the honor to be once a member , and hopes he may be thought worthy again ; and were he guilty of such an offence , or piacle rather , he thinks he should never forgive himselfe , though he were appointed his own judge . if there occurre any passage therein ▪ that may admit a hard construction , let the reader observe , that the author doth not positively assert , or passe a judgement on any thing in that discourse , which consists principally of concise , cursory narrations , of the choisest occurrences and criticismes of state , according as the pulse of time did beat then : and matters of state , as all other sublunary things , are subject to alterations , contigencies and change , which makes the opinions and minds of men vary accordingly ; not one amongst twenty is the same man to day as he was four years ago , in point of judgement , which turns and alters according to the circumstance and successe of things : and it is a true saying , whereof we find common experience , posterior dies est prioris magister the day following is the former dayes schoolmaster . ther 's another aphorisme , the wisedome of one day is the foolishnesse of another , and 't will be so as long as there is a man left in the world . i will conclude with this modest request to that gentleman of the long robe ; that having unpassionately perus'd what i have written in this small discourse , in penning whereof , my conscience guided my quill all along as well as my hand , he would please to be so charitable and just , as to reverse that harsh sentence upon me , to be no friend to parlements , and a malignant . finis . englands teares , for the present vvars , which for the natvre of the quarell , the quality of strength , the diversity of battailes , skirmiges , encounters , and sieges , ( happened in so short a compasse of time , ) cannot be paralleld by any precedent age. hei mihi , quàm miserè rugit leo , lilia languent , heu , lyra , quàm maestos pulsat hiberna sonos . printed at london , according to order , by richard heron , . to my imperiall chamber , the city of london . renowned city , if any showers of adversity fall on me , some of the drops thereof must needs dash on thy streets . it is not a shower but a furious storme that powr's upon me now , accompanied with fearfull cracks of thunder and unusuall fulgurations . the fatall cloud wherein this storm lay long engendring , though , when it began to condense first , it appeared but as big as a hand , yet by degrees it hath spread to such a vast expansion , that it hath diffus'd it selfe through all my regions , and obscur'd that fair face of heaven , which was used to shine upon me ; if it last long , 't is impossible but we both should perish . peace may , but war must destroy . i see poverty posting apace , and ready to knock at thy gates ; that gastly herbenger of death the pestilence appears already within and without thy walls ; and me thinks i spie meager-fac'd famine a farre off making towards thee ; nor can all thy elaborat circumvallations , and trenches , or any art of enginry , keepe him out of thy line of communication if this hold . therefore my dear daughter , think , oh think upon some timely prevention , 't is the counsell , and request of thy most afflicted mother england . englands teares . oh ! that my head did flow with waters ; oh , that my eyes were limbecks through which might distill drops and essences of bloud ! oh that i could melt away and dissolve all in to teares more brackish than those seas that surround me ! oh that i could weepe my selfe blind to prevent the seeing of those mountains of mischiefs that are like to fall down upon me ! oh , that i could rend the rocks that gird me about , and with my ejaculations tear and dissipate those black dismall cloud● which hang over me ! oh , that i could cleave the ayre with my cries , that they might find passage up to heaven , and fetch down the moon ( that ●atry planet ) to weep and wayle with me , or make old saturne descend from his spheare , to partake with me in my melancholy , and bring along with him the mournfull pleiades , to make a full consort and sing lachrymae with me , for that wofull taking , that desperat● case , that most deplorable condition i have plung'd my selfe into unawares , by thi● unnaturall selfe-destroying warre , by this intricate odd kind of enigmaticall war wherein both parties are so entangled ( like a skeine of ravell'd silk ) that they know not how to unwind and untwist themselves , but by violent and destructive wayes , by tearing my entrailes , by exhausting my vitall spirits , by breaking my very hear●●strings to cure the malady . oh , i am deadly sick , and as that famous chancelor o● france spoke of the civill warrs of his countrey , that france was sick of an unknow● disease ; so if hippocrates himselfe were living , he could not be able to tell the tr●● symptomes of mine , though he felt my pulse , and made inspection into my wate● never so exactly ; onely in the generall he may discover a strange kinde of infecti●● that hath seised upon the affections of my people ; but for the disease it selfe it wi●● gravell him to judge of it : nor can there be any prediction made of it , it is so sharp which make some tell me that i cannot grow better , but by growing yet worse ; th●● there is no way to stanch this flux of bloud , but by opening some more of the m●●ster veines : that it is not enough for me to have drunke so deep of this cup of affl●●ction , but i must swallow up the dregs and all . oh , passenger stop thy pace , and if there be any sparkles of humane compa●●sion glowing in thy bosome , stay a while and hear my plaints , and i know they w● not only strike a resentment , but a horror into thee ; for they are of such a natur● that they are able to penetrate a breast of brasse , to mollifie a heart hoop'd with adamant , to wring tears out of a statue of marble . i that have bin alway accounted the queen of isles , the darling of nature , and neptune minion ; i that have bin stil'd by the character of the first daughter of the church , that have converted eight severall nations ; i that made the morning beams of christianity shine upon scotland , upon ireland , and a good part of france ; i that did irradiat denmarque , swethland and norway with the light thereof ; i that brought the saxons , with other germanes high and low ▪ from paganisme , to the knowledge of the gospell ; i that had the first christian king that ever was ( e●●ius ) and the first reformed king ( the eight henry ) to raigne over me ; i out of whos● bowells sprung the first christian emperour that ever was , constantine ; i that had five severall kings , viz. iohn king of france , david king of scotland , peter king of boheme , and two i●rish kings my captifs in lesse than one year ; i under whose banner that great emperour maximilian tooke it an honor to serve in person , and receive pay from mee and quarter his arms with mine ; i that had the lyon rampant of scotland lately added to fill up my scutchen , and had reduc'd ireland , after so many costly intermissive wars , to such a perfect passe of obedience , and settlement of customs & crown revenues ; i that to the astonishment and envy of the world , preserved my own dominions free and flourishing , when all my neighbour countries were a fire before my face ; i that did so wonderfully flourish and improve in commerce domestique and forren both by land and sea ; i that did so abound with bullion , with buildings , with all sort of bravery that heart could wish ; in summe , i that did live in that height of happines , in that affluence of all earthly felicity , that some thought i had yet remaining some ●ngots of that old gold whereof the first age of the world was made : behold , behold , i am now become the object of pitty to some , of scorne to others , of laughter to all people ; my children abroad are driven to disadvow me for fear of being jeerd , they dare not own me for their mother , neither upon the rialto of venice , the berle of ausburg , the new bridge of paris , the cambios of spaine , or upon the quoys of holand , for feare of being baffled and hooted at . me thinkes i see my next neighbour france , ( through whose bowells my gray-goose wing flew so oft ) making mowes at ●ne , and saying , that whereas she was wont to be the chiefe theater where fortune us'd ●o play her pranks , she hath now removed her stage hither ; she laughes at me that i ●hould let the common people the citty rabble , ( and now lately the females ) to ●●ow their strength so much . me thinks i see the spanyard standing at a gaze , and crossing himselfe to see mee so ●olish as to execute the designes of my enemies upon my selfe . the italian admires 〈◊〉 see a people argue themselves thus into arms , and to be so active in their own ruine ; ●he german drinks carouses that he hath now a co-partner in his miseries ; the swed joyces in a manner to see me bring in a forren nation to be my champion ; the ●etherlander strikes his hand upon his breast , and protests that he wisheth me as well once the duke of burgundy did france , when he swoare , he lov'd france so well , ●at for one king he wish'd she had twenty . me thikns i see the turke nodding with his turban , and telling me that i should ●hank heaven for that distance which is betwixt us , else he would swallow me all up ●t one morsell ; only the hollander my bosome friend seems to resent my hard condi●ion , yet he thinks it no ill favoured sight to see his shops and lombards every where ●●ll of my plundered goods , to find my trade cast into his hands , and that he can un●ersell me in my own native commodities , to see my gold brought over in such heaps , ●y those that flie from me with all they have for their security ; in fine , me thinks i ●ear all my neighbours about me bargaining for my skin , while thus like an unruly ●orse , i run headlong to dash out my own brains . o cursed jealousie , the source of all my sorrowes , the ground of all my inexpressible miseries ! is it not enough for thee to creep in twixt the husband and the wife , twixt the lemmon and his mate , twixt parents and children , twixt kindred and friends ; hast thou not scope enough to sway in private families , in staple societies , and corporations , in common counsells , but thou must get in , twixt king and parlement , twixt the ●ead and the members ( twixt the members amongst themselves ? ) but thou must get a twixt prince and people , but thou must cast up so deep a trench twixt the soveraign ●nd the subject . avant , avant thou hollow-eyed snake-haird monster , hence away ●nto the abisse below , into the bottomlesse gulfe , thy proper mansion ; sit there in thy haire , and preside o're the counsells of hell amongst the cacodaemons , and never ascend again to turne my high law-making court into a councell of warre , to turne my best antidote into poyson , and throw so many scruples into that soveraign physick which was us'd to cure me of all d●stempers . but when i well consider the constitution of this elementary world , and finde man ●o be part of it , when i think on those light and changeable ingredients that go to his composition , i conclude , that men will be men while there is a world , and as long as the moon their next neighbour towards heaven hath an influxive power to make impressions upon their humors , they will be ever greedy and covetous of novelties and mutation ; the common people will be still common people , they will sometime or other shew what they are , and vent their instable passions . and when i consider further the distractions , the tossings , turmoylings and tumblings of other regions round about me , as well as mi●e own , i conclude also , that kingdoms and states and cities and all body politiques are as subject to convulsions , to calentures , and consumptions , aswell as the fraile bodies of men , and must have an evacuation for their corrupt humors , they must be phlebotomiz'd ; i have often felt this kind of phlebo●omy , i have had also shrewd purges and pills often given me , which did not onely work upon my superfluous humors , but wasted sometimes my very vitall spirits ; yet i had electuaries and cordiall● given me afterwards , which fetched me up again ; insomuch that this present tragedy is but vetus fabula novi histriones it is but an old play represented by new actors , i have often had the like . therefore let no man wonder at these traverses and humor of change in me . i remember there was as much wondring at the demolishing of my and odd monasteries , nunneries & abbeis for ●●ing held to be hives of drones , as there is now at the pulling downe of my crosses organs and windowes , ; there was as much wondring when the pope fell hire , a● 〈◊〉 that the prelates are like to fall ; the world wondred as much when the m●sse was disliked , as men wonder now the liturgy should be distasted ; and god grant that people do not take at last a surfet of that most divine ordinance of preaching , for no violent thing lasts long ; and though there should be no satiety in holy things , yet such is the depraved condition of man , he is naturally such a changeling , that the over frequency and commonnesse of any thing , be it never so good , breeds in tract of time a kind of contempt in him , it breeds a fulnesse and nauseousnes in him . the first reformation of my church began at court , and so was the more feasable , and it was brought to passe without a warre ; the scene is now otherwise , it is far more sanguinary and fuller of actors ; never had a tragedy acts of more variety in so short a time ; there was never such a confus'd mysterious civill war as this , there was never so many bodies of strength on sea and shore , never such choice arms and artillerie , never such a numerous cavalrie on both sides , never so many sieges , never a greater eagernes and confidence , there was never such an amphibolous quarrell as this , both parties declaring themselves for the king , and making use of his name in all their remonstrances to justifie their actions , the affect on , and understandings of people were never so confounded and puzled , not knowing where to acquiesce , by reason of such counter-commands . one side calls the resisting of royall commands loyalty , the other termes loyalty , the opposing of parlementary orders and ordinances . both parties would have peace , the one would have it with honor , the other with truth , ( and god forbid but both should go together ) but , int●a●a ring or ego , in the mean time i , poore i am sure do suffer by both , the one taking away what the other leav's , if the one polls me , the other shaves me , and god grant they fall not a flaying of me at last . insomuch that whosoever will be curious to rea● the future story of this intricate warre ( if it be possible to compile a story of it ) he will find himselfe much stagger'd , and put to kind of a riddle before he understand it ; for touching the intricacy of it , touching the strange nature , or rather the unnaturalnesse of it , it cannot be parallel'd by any precedent example : in my chronicles i am sure no age can match it , as i will make it briefly appear , by comparing it with all the warres that ever embroil'd me , which i finde to be of three sorts , either by the invasion of forreners , the insurrection of my commons , or by the confederacy of my peers and princes of the bloud . i will not ●ake the ashes of antiquity so far as to speak of that deluge of bloud i spilt before i would take the roman legions for my garrison ; i am loth to set down how the saxons us'd me , and how the danes us'd them , nor how i had one whol brave race of people ( the picts i mean ) quite extinguished in me , i will begin with the norman expedition , and indeed to make recearches of matters before , is but to grop● in the dark , but i have authentick annales and records for things since . the norman came in with the slaughter of neer upon sixty eight thousand combatants upon the place , a battaile so memorable , that the very ground which sucked in the bloud retaines the name of it to this day . the dane not long after strook in to recover his pretended right , with the sacking of my second great city of yorke , and the ●iring of her , with the slaughter of of my children in one afternoon , yet he was sent away without his arrand . in the raigne of rufus i was made of his colour , red with bloud both by the welsh and the scot , who lost his king malcolme in the battaile of alnwick . all my eight henries were infested with some civill broyles , except my fift henry the greatest of them , who had work enough cut him out in france , and hee plied his work so well that he put that crown upon his sons head . all my edwards also had some home-bred insurrection or other ; indeed two of my three richards had alwayes quietnesse at home , though the first did go the furthest off from me , and was longest absent of any ; and the third , though he came in by bloud , yet the short time of his three yeares vsurpership he was without any , and prov'd one of my best law-givers , yet his life ended in bloud , for having come in like a fox , he dyed like a calfe . touching my second richard , and second edward , there were never any of my kings came to a more tragique end , and the greatest stains that black my story are the violent deaths they suffered by the hands of their own ( regicide ) subjects . the two sister queens that swayed my scepter had also some domestique commotions ; and now my charles hath them to the height , insomuch that of those five and twenty monarques who have worne my d●adems since the norman entred , there was only foure , viz. the forementioned henry , and richards , with king iames scaped free from all intestin broyles ! oh how it torments my soule to remember how my barons did teare my bowells ! what an ocean of bloud the two roses cost me before they were conjoyned , for during the time that i came to be a monster with two heads ( made so by their division ) i mean during the time that i had two kings at once , edward the fourih , and henry the sixt within me , in five years space i had twelve battails fought within my entrails , wherin i lost neer upō fourscore princes of the royal stem , and parted with more of my spirits than there were spent in winning of france . the world knowes how free and prodigall i have bin of my bloud abroad in divers places , i watered the holy land with much of it ; against my co-islander the scot i had above twenty pitch'd battails , tooke many , and kil'd some of his kings in the field ▪ the flower de lyces cost me dear defore i brought them over upon my sword ; and the reduction of ireland from time to time to civility , and to an exact rule of alleageance wasted my children in great numbers . i never grudg'd to venture my bloud this way , for i ever had glorious returns for it ; and my sons dyed in the bed of honour : but for them to glut themselves with one anothers bloud ; for them to lacerat and rip up ( viper-like ) the wombe that brought them forth , to teare the paps that gave them suck , can there be a greater piacle against nature her selfe , can there be a more execrable and horrid thing ? if a stranger had us'd mee thus it would not have griev'd me half so much ; it is better to be stung with a nettle , than prick'd by a rose ; i had rather suffe● by an enemy , than by my own naturall born off-spring . those former home-wag● wars , whereof there hapned above fourscore ( smal & great ) since the norman cam● in , were but as fires of flax in comparison of this horrid combustion , which mak● both my church & state to suffer so much . one may finde those wars epitomiz● in small volumes , but a whole library cannot contain this . they were but scratches being compar'd to the deep wounds which prince , peere , and people have receiv'd by this ; such wounds , that it seems no gentle c●t●plasmes can cure them , they must be ●anc'd aed canteriz'd , and the huge scars they will leave behinde them will , i feare , make me appear so deformed and ugly to all posterity , that i am halfe in despaire to recover my former beauty ever again . the deep stains these wars will leave upon me , all the water of the severn , trent or thames will hardly wash away . the sun yet hath not run twice his course through the zodia● , since the two-edged ●word of war hath rag'd & done many horrid executions within me , since that hellish invention of powder hath thundred in every corner , since it hath darkned torn , & infected my well-tempered aire , since i have weltered in my own bloud , and bin made ● kind of cockpit , a theater of death to my own children ; and in so short a circumvolution of time , i may confidently affirm take battailes , re-encounters , skir●ishes , with sieges both winter and summer , there never hapned so many in any countrey ; not do i see any appeara●ce , the more is my misery , of any period to be ●ut to these distractions , every day is spectator of some new tragedy , and there●ations that are hourely blaz'd abroad sound sometimes well on the one side , some●●mes on the other , like a peale of bels in windy weather ( though oftentimes in a ●hole volley of news you shall hardly finde one true r port ) which makes me feare 〈◊〉 the all disposing deity of heaven continueth the successes of both parties in a ●inde of equality , to prolong my miseries . ita serior , ut diu me sentiam mori , i am ●ounded with that dexterity , th●t the sence and agonies of my sufferings are like to ●e extended to the uttermost lengt● of time and possibility of n●ture . but , o passenger , if thou art desirous to know the cause of these fatall discompo●●res , of this inextricable war , truly i must deal plainly , i cannot resolve thee herein 〈◊〉 any full satisfaction . grievances there were i must confesse , and some incongrui●es in my civill government ( wherein some say the crosier , some say the distaffe ●as too busie ) but i little thought , god wot , that those grievances required a redresse ●●is way . do'st thou ask me whither religion was the c●use ? god ●orbid ; that in●●cent and holy matron had rather go c●ad in the snowie white robes of meeknesse 〈◊〉 longanimity , than in the purple m●ntle of bloud , her practise hath bee●e to ●●ercome by a passive fortitude without reaction , and to triumph in t●e milk-white ●●ory chariot o● inn●cency and p●tience , not to be ●urried away with the fiery ●●eels of war ; dei lar●●es not les armes ( ●s my next neig●bour hath it ) grones not guns , 〈◊〉 nor swords , prayers not partis●ns were us'd to be her weapons unlesse in c●se of 〈◊〉 and impendent d●nger , in case of invincible necessity , and visible actuall una●●ydable extinguis●ment , and then the arms she useth most is the target to shroud 〈◊〉 selfe under , and fence away th● blow ▪ she leaves all other weapons , to the 〈◊〉 to propagate and exp●nd it selfe . thi● gentle grave l●●y ▪ though the rubricks of 〈◊〉 service be in red characters , yet she is no lover of bloud ▪ she is an embracer of 〈◊〉 , and the sole object of her 〈◊〉 is the god of peace , in who●e highest ●ame , in the name i●h●vah , as the rabbies observe , all the letters are quies●●nt . that sacred comforter , which inspi●es her ambassadors , uses to ascend in form of a dov● , not in the likenesse of a 〈…〉 , and he that brings him downe so , may be sayd to sin agai●●t the 〈…〉 ; to be●t religion into the braines with a pol●axe , is to 〈…〉 , to o●●er him victims of humane bloud ; therefore 〈…〉 wro●g r● igion if i should cast this war upon her : yet me think●s i 〈…〉 lame●● that shee was not also without her 〈…〉 gove●●ors ( for want of moderation ) could not 〈…〉 t●e church , but ●hey must pu● themse●ves 〈…〉 up to the turr●ts of civill p●licy , many o● her preachers 〈…〉 ●ome to the cou●t , some to th● country ; some would h ve nothing 〈…〉 , o●●ers nothing 〈◊〉 priviledge ▪ some won'd giveth 〈…〉 , some to feed zeal , would famish the understanding ; others 〈…〉 underst●nding , and tickle the outward eare ( wit● ess●ies and flourishes of 〈◊〉 ) would 〈…〉 the soul of her true food , &c. but the principal thing ●●ear that reverend l●dy , ( that queen of souls , & turn key of heaven ) m ke 〈…〉 of , is 〈◊〉 that se●mlesse garment of unity and love which our s viour left 〈…〉 and rent into so many sci●sures and sect● by those that would make 〈…〉 which she wore in h●r infancy , to serv● her in 〈…〉 . i hear her cry out ●t the monstrous exorbitant liberty that almo●● every c●pricious mechanique takes to ●imselfe to s●ape and form what religion h● list : for the world is come ●ow to 〈◊〉 passe , ●h●t the t●ylor and shoomaker may 〈◊〉 wh●t religion they please ; 〈…〉 and ●apster m●y breach what religio● they p●e●se ; the druggest and apothe●●ry m y ming e her as they please ; the h●●berd●sher m●y put her upon w●at block ●e p●eases ; the armourer and cutler 〈◊〉 fur●●sh her as they please ; the dyer m●y put w●at col ur , the painter may 〈◊〉 what face upon her be please ; the dr●p●r and mercer may measure her as th●● please ; the w●●●er may cast her upon wha● 〈…〉 please ; the boatswain and 〈◊〉 m●y bring her to what dock they please ; the bar●er may trim her as he plea●● the gard ●er may lop her as he please ; the blackesmith may forge what religion 〈◊〉 please , and so every mechanic according to his profession and fancy may forme he● he please . me thinks i hear that venerable matron complaine further , how her 〈◊〉 in some places are become meer beacons to summon men to arms ; how in 〈◊〉 of lights , her churches up and down are full of firebrands ; how every capri●● of the brain is term'd now tendernesse of conscience , which well examined is thi●g but some fond fa●cy , or fanatick frenzie rather of some shallow-braind 〈◊〉 for whereas others h●ve bin us'd to run mad for excesse of knowledge , some of children grow mad now a daies out of too much ignorance . it stands upon reco●● my story , that when the norman had taken firm footing within me , he did demo● many churches and chappels in new-forrest , to make it fitter for his pleasur● venery ▪ but amongst other judgements which fell upon this sacriledge , one was 〈◊〉 tame sowle grew wilde ; i fear god almighty is more angry with me now than & that i am guilty of a worse profanes ; for not my fowl , but my folk & peop●● ●rown halfe wild in many places , they would not worry one another so in that wol●ish belluine manner else , they would not precipitate themselves else into such a mixt ●●ungrell war , a war that passeth all understanding ; they would not cut their owne ●hroats , hang , drown , and do themselves away in such a desperate sort , which is now ●rown so common , that self-murther is scarce accounted any newes ; which makes ●trangers cry out , that i am all turn'd into a kind of great bedlam , that barbary is come ●●to the midst of me ; that my children are grown so savage , so flesh'd in bloud , and ●ecome so inhumane and obdurate , that with the same tendernesse of sence they can 〈◊〉 a man fall , as see a horse , or some other bruit animall , they have so lost all reve●ence to the image of their creatour , which was us'd to be more valued in me , than ●mongst any other nation . but i hope my king and great councell will take a course to bring them to their ●ld english temper againe , to cure me of this vertigo , and preserve me from ruine ; 〈◊〉 such is my desperate case , that as there is more difficultie , so it would be a grea●●r honour for them to prevent my destruction , and pull me out of this plunge , than 〈◊〉 adde unto me a whole new kingdome ; for true wisdome hath alwayes gloried ●uch in conservation , as in conquest . the roman , though his ambition of conquering had no horizon , yet he us'd to tri●mph more ( as multitudes of examples might be produc'd ) at the composing of an in●stine war , than for any new acquest , or forren atchievement whatsoever ; and though 〈◊〉 was a great martiall man , and lov'd fighting as well as any other , yet his maxime 〈◊〉 , that no peace could be so bad , but it was preferrable to the best war. it seemes the ●●lian his successour retaines the same genius to this day , by the late peace , ( notwith●●anding the many knots that were in the thing ) which he concluded : for although 〈◊〉 absolute princes were interessed in the quarrell , and that they had all just preten●●s , and were heated and heightned in their designes , yet rather than they would dila●●t the entrailes of their owne mother ( faire italy ) and expose her thereby to be ra●h'd by tramontanes , they met half way , and complyed with one another in a 〈◊〉 kind of freedome , though every one bore his share in some inconvenience . oh at my children would be mov'd by this so seasonable example of the italian , who ●mongst other of his characters , is said to be wise , à priori , before the blow is given . ●esire my gracious soveraigne to think , that it was never held inglorious or deroga●ie for a king to be guided and to steere his course by the compasse of his great ●ouncell , and to make his understanding descend , and condescend to their advice ; ●●was it ever held dishonourable for subjects to yeeld and bow to their king , ( to be ●●lowes , not oakes ) and if any mistake should happen , to take it upon themselves , ra●●●r than any should reflect upon their soveraigne . and if , in case of difference , he ●●illing to meet them halfe way , 't were handsome they went three parts before to ●ent him . therefore i conjure them both , in the name of the great deitie of hea●●d , ( who transvolves king domes , and tumbleth downe kings in his indignation ) that they 〈◊〉 think of some speedie way to stop the issue of b●oud ; for to deale plainly with 〈◊〉 see far greater reason to conclude this war , than ever there was to 〈…〉 let them consider well they are but outward church rites and ceremonies they fight for , as the rigidst sort of reformers confesse , the lutheran ( the first reformist ) hath many more conformable to the church of rome , which hee hath continued above ●hese yeares , yet is he as far from rome as the first day he left her , and as free from ●anger of relapse into poperie as amsterdam herselfe ; and must i , unhappie i , be ●acerated and torne in peeces thus for shadowes and ceremonies ? o let not posteritie ●ind it upon record , that the unparallel'd act of grace for the continuance of this , be ●ore hurtfull to me , than the untimely dissolution of all parlements pass'd . i know ●here is a clashing 'twixt prerogative and priviledge , but i must put them in mind of ●he misfortune that befell the flock of sheep and the bell-weather , whereof the first ●ed in a common , the latter in an inclosure , and thinking to break into one anothers ●asture ( as all creatures naturally desire change ) and being to passe over a narrow-nar●ow bridge which sever'd them , they met in the middle and justled one another so ●ong , till both fell into the ditch . and now that i have begun , i will warne them by ●nother fable of the spanish mule , who having by accident gone out of the great road , ●nd carried her rider thorow a by-path upon the top of a huge steepie rock , stopp'd upon a sudden , and being not able to turne and go backward , by reason of the narrow●esse of the path , nor forward , in regard of a huge rockie precipice , she gently put ●ne foot behind the other , and recoyl'd in that manner untill she had found the great ●oad againe . i desire my high councell to consider , that the royall prerogative is like the sea , which as navigators observe , and the civilians hold , what it loseth at one time or in one place , gets alwayes in some other ; that subjects banding against their king , are like the earthen pitchers in the fable justling with the great brasse kettle . i desire my deare king to consider , that the priviledge of parlement , the lawes and liberties of the subject , is the firmest support of his crown , that his great councell is the truest glasse wherein he may discerne his peoples love , and his own happinesse ; it were wsdome that both did strike saile in so dangerous a storme , to avoyd shipwrack ; i am loth to say , what consultations , what plots , and machinations are fomenting and ●orging abroad against me , by that time i have enfeebled and wasted my selfe , and lost the flower of my best children in these wofull broyles . mee thinks i spie the iesuit sitting in his cell and laughing in his sleeve at me , and crying out , the devill part the fray , for they do but execute my designes . oh , i feele a cold quame come over my heart , that i faint , i can speak no longer ; yet i will straine my selfe to breath out this one invocation , which shall be my conclusion . sweet peace , most benigne and amiable goddesse , how comes it to passe that thou hast so abandon'd earth , and taking thy flight to heaven , as once astraea did , dost reject the sighs and neglect the sacrifices of poore mortals ? was that flaming vsher of gods vengeance which appear'd six and twentie yeares since in the heavens ▪ the herald that fetch'd thee away ? for ever since poore europe hath been harass'd , and pitifully rent up and downe with 〈◊〉 wars ▪ and now i am become th● last scene ▪ gentle peace , thou which makest heaven and earth to triumph , which gladdest not only the heart of man , but makest the verie medo●●s ●nd 〈◊〉 the forr●sts and woods the hils an● h●●ses to reioyce ; thou which goest alwayes 〈◊〉 by plentie and pleasure , thou w●ich fill●st the 〈…〉 , the grasiers folds , the tradesm●ns shop , th● vintners cell●rs ▪ 〈…〉 desk ▪ the me●chants m●g●●i●es , the prin●es 〈◊〉 , how comes it 〈…〉 throne to bellona , 〈◊〉 - d●stroying 〈…〉 y●oman wan●s h●●ds a●d horse to p●ow up 〈…〉 the morning dew with his anhel●d sweat , shakes at his work 〈…〉 p●undring ; the tradesm●n shuts up his shop 〈…〉 would ; the merchant w●lks to the exchange only to learne new ● , not to negotia●e . behold how my best sort of children are w●arie of their lives , e●●her for 〈◊〉 endl●sse exacti●ns , or remedilesse unthought-on imprisonments , a●d ill by an 〈◊〉 confus'd power which the nec●ssitie of this fatall war hath drawn upon them . sw●et 〈…〉 which wast us'd to mak● princes courts to triumph with tilt and tournements , and other gallantries , to make them receive lustre by forren amb●ssadours ; to make the arts and science● flour●sh ; to make cities and suburbs shine with good y structures to make the countrey ring with the hun s-mans horn , and the shepherds pipe , the high-wayes with carriers bels ; ●ow comes it to passe that bloud-thirstie discord now usurps thy place , and fl ●gs about her snak s in everie cor●er , that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the double-edg'd ●word of civill war doth r●ge and cu● on both sides in so horrid and inhumane a manner ? behold , my prince his court is now full of nothing but buff coats , spanners and musket rests ; both townes and countr●y , and my high-wayes eccho w th nothing but with t e sound of d●ums and tru●pets ; hea●k how pitif●lly my lions roare , how dejectedly my roses and flower de luces hang downe their heads , what dol●full straines my harp gives . o consider my case most blisfull queene ▪ d●scend , desc●nd againe in thy ivorie chariot ? resume thy throne , crowne thy temples with thy won●●d laurell and olive , bar up ianus gates , and make new halcionian dayes to shine in this hem●sp●ere ; dispell those clouds which hover'twixt my king and his highest councell , chase away all jealousies and ombrages of mistrust , that my great law-making court be forc'd to turne no more to polemicall committees , and to a councell of war ( unlesse it be for some forren conquest , ) but that they may come againe into the old parlementarie road , to the path of their predecessours , to consult of meanes how to sweep away those cobwebs that hang in the courts of iustice , and to make the lawes run in their right channell ; to retrench excessive fees , and find remedies for the future , that the poore client be not so peel'd by his lawyer , and made to suffer by such monstrous delayes , that one may go from one tropique to the other , & crosse the equinoctiall twentie times , before his sute be ended ; that they may think on a course to restraine gold and silver from travelling without license , with other staple commodities , and to punish those that transport hides for calf-skins ; to advance native commodities and manufactures , to improve and ballance trade , and settle it so , that it may stand upon its owne bottome , and not by any accidentall wayes , as of late yeares a glut of trade was cast upon me by the wars 'twixt france and the house of austria , and others . that this trade of mine ( my chiefest sinew ) be not cast into the hands of aliens , who eat me out in many places in my own commodities ; that it be prevented hereafter , ●hat one town be not permitted to ingrosse and ingulph all ( like the spleene , ●hat by its swelling sucks both bloud and moisture from the rest of the members ) but that my trade and wealth m●y by some wholsome policie be diffus'd up and down my cities in a more equ●ll distribution . that they may advise of a way to relieve the orphan , who suffers more for his minority in mee , than any where else ; that the poore insolvent subject be not so buried alive , and made to rot in prison , notwithstanding his apparant known disability , whereas were he ●bro●d , he might be usefull to the common-wealth some way or other , and come haply afterwards to an ability to pay . to regulate the businesse of drain'd lands , which well manag'd , would tend very much both to enlarge and enrich my quarters . to secure the dominion of my seas , the fairest flower of my crown , which is now almost quite lost . to preserve my woods , whereof , if this coursehold , their will hardly be found in some places enough to make a tooth-pick . to settle the revenues , and supply the wants of my crown ; for the wants of the crown & the grievances of the subject have bin always used to go hand in hand in my parlements . and now , that my neighbour princes ( specially they of france and spain ) have of late years enhanc'd the revenue royall , at least to the third part more than it w●s , it were a disp●ragement to me , that my king should not bear up in equal proportion ▪ and point of greatnesse this way , considering that he hath more of the royall stem to maintain , than any of his progenitors ever h●d . lastly , that they may settle a way to regulate all exorbitant fancies of novelists , in the exercise of holy religion : it being an undeni●ble m●xime , th●t where there is no obedience , subordination , and restrictive lawes to curb the change●ble humours and extravagancies of mens braines there can be no pe●ce or piety : if the fire be not kept within the tunnell of the chimney , and that some be appointed to sweep down the soot with a high hand ( which may be done otherwise than by shooting up of muskets ) the whole house will be in d●nger of burning . oh me , i feel the pangs of death assail mee , let some good body go toll the bell ; and as one of my kings , ( wil. rufus ) the night before he was slain in new-forrest , for the expi●tion of his fathers sacriledge , did dreame that a cold winde did passe through his bowels , so me thinks , i feele a b●eake cold northern blast blowing upon me , w●ich i fe●r will make an end of me : it is a miracle if i scape , 't is only the high hand of providence can preserve me . if i and my monarchy miscarry , i desire that my epitaph may be written ( in regard i know him to have bin a long time not only sensible , but a sharer with me in point of suffering ) by my dearly beloved child iames howell . to the discerning reader . he that with a well-weigh'd judgement observeth the passions of this last discourse , must needs conclude , that th● author ( besides his own hard condition of two years close impri●sonment ) hath a deep sence of the common calamities of this hi● country in generall , which makes him break out into such patheti● expressions . and because he might do it with more freedom , an● lesse presumption , he makes england her selfe to breath out hi● disordered passions . we know a mother hath a prerogative by a● uncontrollable edict of nature to speak home unto her children , & sometimes in a chiding round way ( though with tears in her eyes ) to give them advice : the same doth england in this discourse but with all the tendernesse and indifferency that may be to bot● parties now in arms. therefore the author humbly hopes tha● no exception , much lesse any offence , will be taken at her complaints , or counsell . mollia commotum frangunt documenta furorem prov. finis . i. h. the pre-eminance and pedigree of parlement whereunto is added a vindication of some passages reflecting upon the author in a book call'd the popish royall favorite, pen'd and published by mr. prynne wherein he stiles him no frend [sic] to parlements and a malignant, pag. : with a clearing of som occurences in spain at his majesties being there, cited by the said master prynne out of the vocal forest / by j.h., esq., one of the clerks of his maiesties most honourable privy-councel. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the pre-eminance and pedigree of parlement whereunto is added a vindication of some passages reflecting upon the author in a book call'd the popish royall favorite, pen'd and published by mr. prynne wherein he stiles him no frend [sic] to parlements and a malignant, pag. : with a clearing of som occurences in spain at his majesties being there, cited by the said master prynne out of the vocal forest / by j.h., esq., one of the clerks of his maiesties most honourable privy-councel. howell, james, ?- . prynne, william, - . popish royall favourite. p. : port. printed by w.w. for humphrey moseley, london : . also appears as part of dendrologia (wing h ) at reel : . reproduction of original in the harvard university library. eng england and wales. -- parliament. great britain -- history -- charles i, - -- biography. a r (wing h ). civilwar no the pre-eminence and pedigree of parlement whereunto is added a vindication of some passages reflecting upon the author in a book call'd the howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo and john latta sampled and proofread - mona logarbo and john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion natus maij . ano . aetatis suae . the pre-eminence and pedigree of parlement . wherunto is added a vindication of some passages reflecting upon the author , in a booke call'd the popish royall favorite , pen'd and published by mr. prynne ; wherein he stiles him , no frend to parlements , and a malignant , pag. . with a clearing of som occurrences in spain at his maiesties being there , cited by the said master prynne out of the vocal forest . by j. h. esq one of the clerks of his maiesties most honorable privy-councel . published by speciall order . london printed by w. w. for humphrey moseley , . to my worthily honored frend , sir w. s. knight . sir , i have many thanks to give you for the book you pleased to send me , called the popish royall favorite ; and according to your advice ( which i value in a high degree ) i put pen to paper , and some thing you may see i have don ( though in a poor pamphleting way ) to clear my self of those aspersions that are cast upon me therin . but truly sir , i was never so unfit for such a task ; al my papers , manuscripts , and notes , having been long since seized upon and kept from me . add hereunto , that besides this long pressure and languishment of twenty three moneths close restraint ( the sense whereof , i find hath much stupified my spirits ) it pleased god to visit me lately with a dangerous fit of sicknes , a high burning fever , with the new disease , wherof my body as well as my mind , is yet somwhat crazy : so that ( take all afflictions together ) i may truly say , i have passed the ordeal , the fiery tryal . but it hath pleased god to reprieve me to see better days i hope ; for out of this fatal black cloud , which now oresets this poor island , i hope ther will break a glorious sun-shine of peace and firm happines : to effect which , had i a jury , a grand-jury of lives , i would sacrifice them all , and triumph in the oblation . so i most affectionately kisse your hands , and rest from the prison of the fleet . your faithful ( though afflicted ) servant , j. h. the pre-eminence of parlement . sectio prima . i am a free-born subject of the realm of england ; wherby i claim as my native inheritance , an undoubted right , propriety , and portion in the laws of the land : and this distinguisheth me from a slave . i claim also an interest and common right in the high national court of parlement , and in the power , the priviledges and jurisdiction therof , which i put in equal ballance with the laws , in regard it is the fountain whence they spring : and this i hold also to be a principal part of my birth-right ; which great councel i honour , respect , value , and love in as high a degree as can be ; as being the bulwark of our liberties , the main boundary and bank which keep us from slavery , from the inundations of tyrannical rule , and unbounded wil-government . and i hold my self obliged in a tye of indispensable obedience to conform and submit my self to whatsoever shall be transacted , concluded , and constituted by its authority in church or state ; whether it be by making , enlarging , altering , diminishing , disanulling , repealing , or reviving of any law , statute , act , or ordinance whatsoever , either touching matters ecclesiasticall , civil , common , capital , criminal , martial , maritine , municipal , or any other ; of all which , the transcendent and uncontrolable jurisdiction of that court is capable to take cognizance . amongst the three things which the athenian captain thank'd the gods for , one was , that he was born a grecian , and not a barbarian . for such was the vanity of the greeks , and after them of the romans , in the flourish of their monarchy , to arrogate all civility to themselves , and to term all the world besides barbarians : so i may say to have cause to rejoyce , that i was born a vassall to the crown of england ; that i was born under so well moulded and tempered a government , which indows the subject with such liberties and infranchisements that bear up his natural courage , and keep him still in heart ; such liberties that fence and secure him eternally from the gripes and tallons of tyranny : and all this may be imputed to the authority and wisdom of this high court of parlement , wherin ther is such a rare co ordination of power ( though the soverainty remaine still entire , and untransferable in the person of the prince ) ther is , i say , such a wholsom mixture 'twixt monarchy , optimacy , and democracy ; 'twixt prince , peers , and communalty , during the time of consultation , that of so many distinct parts , by a rare co-operation and unanimity , they make but one body politic , ( like that sheaf of arrows in the emblem ) one entire concentrical peece ; and the results of their deliberations , but as so many harmonious diapasons arising from different strings . and what greater immunity and happines can ther be to a people , than to be liable to no laws but what they make themselves ? to be subject to no contribution , assessement , or any pecuniary levy whatsoever , but what they vote , and voluntarily yeeld unto themselves ? for in this compacted politic body , ther be all degrees of people represented ; both the mechanick , tradesman , merchant , and yeoman , have their inclusive vote , as well as the gentry , in the persons of their trustees , their knights and burgesses , in passing of all things . nor is this soverain surintendent councell an epitome of this kingdom onely , but it may be said to have a representation of the whole universe ; as i heard a fluent well-worded knight deliver the last parlement , who compared the beautifull composure of that high court , to the great vvorke of god , the world it self : the king to the sun , the nobles to the fixed stars , the itinerant judges and other officers ( that go upon messages ' twixt both houses ) to the panets ; the clergy to the element of fire ; the commons , to the solid body of earth , and the rest of the elements . and to pursue this comparison a little farther ; as the heavenly bodies , when three of them meet in conjunction , do use to produce som admirable effects in the elementary world : so when these three states convene and assemble in one solemn great junto , some notable and extraordinary things are brought forth , tending to the welfare of the whole kingdom , our microcosm . he that is never so little versed in the annales of this isle , will find that it hath bin her fate to be sour times conquered . i exclude the scot ; for the situation of his countrey , and the quality of the clime hath bin such an advantage and security to him , that neither the roman eagles would fly thither , for fear of freezing their wings ; nor any other nation attempt the work . these so many conquests must needs bring with them many tumblings and tossings , many disturbances and changes in government ; yet i have observed , that notwithstanding these tumblings , it retained still the form of a monarchy , and somthing ther was alwaies that had an analogy with the great assembly the parlement . the first conquest i find was made by claudius caesar ; at which time ( as som well observe ) the roman ensigns and the standard of christ came in together . it is well known what laws the roman had ; he had his comitia , which bore a resemblance with our convention in parlement ; the place of their meetings was called praetorium , and the laws which they enacted , plebiscita . the saxon conquest succeeded next , which were the english , ther being no name in welsh or irish for an englishman , but saxon , to this day . they governed by parlement , though it were under other names ; as michel sinoth , michel gemote , and witenage mote . ther are records above a thousand yeers old , of these parlements , in the raigns of king ina , offa , ethelbert , and the rest of the seven kings during the heptarchy . the british kings also , who retain'd a great while som part of the isle unconquered , governed and made laws by a kind of parlementary way ; witness the famous laws of prince howel , called howel dha , ( the good prince howel ) wherof ther are yet extant som welsh records . parlements were also used after the heptarchy by king kenulphus , alphred , and others ; witness that renowned parlement held at grately by king athelstan . the third conquest was by the danes , and they govern'd also by such general assemblies , ( as they do to this day ) witness that great and so much celebrated parlement held by that mighty monarch canutus , who was king of england , denmark , norway , and other regions yeers before the compiling of magna charta ; and this the learned in the laws do hold to be one of the specialest , and most authentic peeces of antiquity we have extant . edward the confessor made all his laws thus , ( and he was a great legis-lator ) which the norman conquerour ( who liking none of his sons , made god almighty his heir , bequeathing unto him this island for a legacy ) did ratifie and establish , and digested them into one entire methodical systeme , which being violated by rufus , ( who came to such a disastrous end , as to be shot to death in lieu of a buck for his sacriledges ) were restor'd by henry the first , and so they continued in force till king john , whose raign is renowned for first confirming magna charta , the foundation of our liberties ever since : which may be compar'd to divers outlandish graffs set upon one english stock , or to a posie of sundry fragrant flowers ; for the choisest of the british , the roman , saxon , danish , and norman laws , being cull'd and pick'd out , and gathered as it were into one bundle , out of them the foresaid grand charter was extracted : and the establishment of this great charter was the work of a parlement . nor are the laws of this island onely , and the freedom of the subject conserved by parlement , but al the best policed countryes of europ have the like . the germanes have their diets , the danes and swedes the riicks dachs ; the spaniard calls his parlement las cortes , and the french have ( or should have at least ) their assembly of three states , though it be grown now in a manner obsolete , because the authority therof was ( by accident ) devolv'd to the king and very remarkable it is , how this hapned ; forwhen the english had taken such large sooting in most parts of france , having advanced as far as orleans , and driven their then king charls the seventh to bourges in berry : the assembly of the three states in these pressures , being not able to meet after the usual manner in full parlement , because the country was unpassable the enemy having made such firm invasions up and down through the very bowels of the kingdom ; that power which formerly was inherent in the parlementary assembly , of making laws , of assessing the subject with taxes , subsidiary levies , and other impositions , was transmitted to the king during the vvar ; which continuing many yeers , that intrusted power by length of time grew as it were habitual in him , and could never after be re-assumed and taken from him ; so that ever since , his edicts countervail acts of parlement . and that which made the busines more seasable for the king , was , that the burthen fell most upon the communalty ( the clergy and nobility not feeling the weight of it ) who were willing to see the peasan pull'd down a little , because not many yeers before in that notable rebellion , call'd la iaquerie de beauvoisin , which was suppressed by charls the wise , the common people put themselves boldly in arms against the nobility and gentry , to lessen their power . add hereunto as an advantage to the work , that the next succeeding king lewis the eleventh , was a close cunning prince , and could well tell how to play his game , and draw water to his owne mill ; for amongst all the rest , he was said to be the first that put the kings of france , hors de page , out of their minority , or from being pages any more , though therby he brought the poor peasans to be worse than lacquays . vvith the fall , or at least the discontinuance , of that usuall parlementary assembly of the three states , the liberty of the french nation utterly fell ; the poor roturier and vineyard-man , with the rest of the yeomanry , being reduced ever since to such an abject asinin condition , that they serve but as sponges for the king to squeeze when he list . nevertheles , as that king hath an advantage hereby one way , to monarchize more absolutely , and never to want money , but to ballast his purse when he will : so ther is another mighty inconvenience ariseth to him and his whole kingdom another way ; for this illegal peeling of the poor peasan hath so dejected him , and cowed his native courage so much by the sense of poverty ( which brings along with it a narrownes of soul ) that he is little useful for the vvar : which puts the french king to make other nations mercenary to him , to fill up his infantry : insomuch , that the kingdom of france may be not unfitly compared to a body that hath all its blood drawn up into the arms , brest and back , and scarce any left from the girdle downwards , to cherish and bear up the lower parts , and keep them from starving . all this seriously considered , ther cannot be a more proper and pregnant example than this of our next neighbours , to prove how infinitely necessary the parlement is , to assert , to prop up , and preserve the public liberty , and national rights of a people , with the incolumity and welfare of a countrey . nor doth the subject onely reap benefit thus by parlement , but the prince ( if it be well consider'd ) hath equall advantage therby ; it rendreth him a king of free and able men , which is far more glorious than to be a king of slaves , beggers , and bankrupts men that by their freedom , and competency of 〈◊〉 are kept still in heart to doe him service against any forrain force . and it is a true maxim in all states , that 't is lesse danger and dishonour for the prince to be poor , than his people : rich subjects can make their king rich when they please ; if he gaine their hearts , he will quickly get their purses : parlement encreaseth love and good intelligence ' twixt him and his people ; it acquaints him with the reality of things , and with the true state and diseases of his kingdome ; it brings him to the knowledg of his better sort of subjects , and of their abilities , which he may employ accordingly upon all occasions ; it provides for his royall issue , payes his debts , finds means to fill his coffers : and it is no ill observation , the parlementary-moneys ( the great aid ) have prospered best with the kings of england ; it exceedingly raiseth his repute abroad , and enableth him to keep his foes in feare , his subjects in awe , his neighbours and confederates in security , the three main things which go to aggrandize a prince , and render him glorious . in sum , it is the parlement that supports , and bears up the honour of his crown , and settles his throne in safety , which is the chief end of all their consultations ; for whosoever is intrusted to be a member of this high court , carrieth with him a double capacity ; he fits there as a patriot , and as a subject : as he is the one , the countrey is his object , his duty being to vindicate the publike liberty , to make wholsom laws , to put his hand to the pump , and stop the leaks of the great vessell of the state : to pry into and punish corruption and oppression , to improve and advance trade , to have the grievances of the place he serves for redressed , and cast about how to find somthing that may tend to the advantage of it . but he must not forget that he sits ther also as a s●●●●ct , and according to that capacity , he must apply himse●● to do his soveraigns busines , to provide not onely ●●r his publike , but his personal wants ; to bear up the lustre and glory of his court ; to consider what occasions of extraordinary expences he may have , by encrease of royall issue , or maintenance of any of them abroad ; to enable him to vindicate any affront or indignity that might be offered to his person , crown , or dignity , by any forrain state or kingdom ; to consult what may enlarge his honour , contentment and pleasure . and as the french tacitus ( comines ) hath it , the english nation was used to be more forward and zealous in this particular than any other , according to that ancient eloquent speech of a great lawyers , domus regis vigilia defendit omnium , otium illius labor omnium , deliciae illius industria omnium , vacatio illius occupatio omnium ▪ salus illius periculum omnium , honor illius objectum omnium . every one should stand centinell to defend the kings houses , his safety should be the danger of all , his pleasures the industry of all , his ease should be the labour of all , his honour the object of all . out of these premisses this conclusion may be easily deduced , that , the principal founntain whence the king derives his happines and safety , is his parlement : it is that great conduit-pipe which conveighs unto him his peoples bounty and gratitude ; the truest looking-glasse wherein he discerns their loves ; now the subjects love hath bin alwayes accounted the prime cittadel of a prince . in his parlement he appears as the sun in the meridian , in the altitude of his glory , in his highest state royal , as the law tels us . therfore whosoever is avers or disaffected to this soveraign law making court , cannot have his heart well planted within him : he can be neither good subject , nor good patriot ; and therfore unworthy to breathe english air , or have any benefit , advantage , or protection from the laws . sectio secunda . by that which hath been spoken , which is the language of my heart , i hope no indifferent judicious reader will doubt of the cordiall affection , of the high respects and due reverence i bear to parlement , as being the wholsomest constitution ( and done by the highest and happiest reach of policy ) that ever was established in this island , to perpetuate the happines therof : therfore i must tell that gentleman who was author of a book entituled the popish royall favorite , ( lately printed and exposed to the world ) that he offers me very hard measure ; nay , he doth me apparent wrong , to tearm me therin no frend to parlement , and a malignant ; a character , which as i deserve it not , so i disdain it . for the first part of his charge , i would have him know , that i am as much a frend , and as real an affectionate humble servant & votary to the parlement , as possibly he can be , and will live and die with these affections about me : and i could wish , that he were secretary of my thoughts a while ; or if i may take the boldnes to apply that comparison his late majestie used in a famous speech to one of his parlements , i could wish ther were a crystall vvindow in my brest , through which the world might espie the inward motions and palpitations of my heart ; then would he be certified of the sincerity of this protestation . for the second part of his charge , to be a malignant , i must confesse to have som malignity that lurks within me , much against my will , but it is no malignity of mind , it is amongst the humours , not in my intellectuals . and i beleeve , there is no naturall man , let him have his humours never so well ballanced , but hath som of this malignity reigning within him ; for as long as we are composed of the four elements , whence these humours are derived , and with whom they symbolize in qualities ; which elements the philosophers hold to be in a restlesse contention amongst themselves ( and the stoick thought that the world subsisted by this innate mutuall strife ) as long , i say , as the four humours , in imitation of their principles ( the elements ) are in perpetuall reluctancy and combate for praedominancy , ther must be some malignity lodg'd within us , as adusted choler , and the like ; whereof i had late experience in a dangerous fit of sicknes it pleased god to lay upon me , which the physitians told me proceeded from the malignant hypocondriacal effects of melancholy ; having been so long in this saturnine black condition of close imprisonment , and buried a live between the vvals of this fatal fleet . these kinds of malignities , i confes are very rife in me , and they are not onely incident , but connaturall to every man according to his complexion : and were it not for this incessant strugling and enmity amongst the humours for mastery , which produceth such malignant effects in us , our souls would be loth ever to depart from our bodies , or to abandon this mansion of clay . now what malignity my accuser means , i know not ; if he means malignity of spirit , as som antipathy or ill impression upon the mind , arising from disaffection , hatred , or rancor , with a desire of some destructive revenge , he is mightily deceiv'd in me ; i malign or hate no creature that ever god made , but the devill , who is the author of all malignity ; and therfore is most commonly called in french le malin asprit the malignant spirit . every night before i go to bed , i have the grace , i thank god for it , to forgive all the world , and not to harbour , or let roost in my bosom the least malignant thought ; yet none can deny , but the aspersions which this my accuser casts upon me , were enough to make me a malignant towards him ; yet it could never have the power to do it : for i have prevail'd with my self to forgive him this his wrong censure of me , issuing rather from his not-knowledg of me , than from malice ; for we never mingled speech , or saw one another in our lives , to my remembrance : which makes me wonder the more , that a professor of the law , as he is , should pronounce such a positive sentence against me so slightly . but me thinks i over-hear him say , that the precedent discourse of parlement is involv'd in generals , and the topique axiom tels us , that dolus versatur in universalibus , ther is double dealing in universals : his meaning is , that i am no friend to this present parlement ( though he speaks in the plural number parlements ) and consequently , he concludes me a malignant . therin , i must tell him also , that i am traduc'd , and i am confident it will be never prov'd against me , from any actions , words , or letters ( though divers of mine have bin intercepted ) or any other misdemeanor , though som things are father'd upon me which never drop'd from my quill . alas , how unworthy and uncapable am i to censure the proceedings of that great senate , that high synedrion , wherin the wisdom of the whole state is epitomized ? it were a presumption in me , of the highest nature that could be : it is enough for me to pray for the prosperous success of their consultations : and as i hold it my duty , so i have good reason so to do , in regard i am to have my share in the happines ; and could the utmost of my poor endeavours , by any ministerial humble office ( and somtimes the meanest boatswain may help to preserve the ship from sinking ) be so happy , as to contribute any thing to advance that great work ( which i am in despair to do , while i am thus under hatches in this fleet ) i would esteem it the greatest honour that possibly could befall me , as i hold it now to be my greatest disaster , to have faln so heavily under an affliction of this nature , and to be made a sacrifice to publike fame , than which ther is no other proof , nor that yet urg'd against me , or any thing else produc'd after so long , so long captivity , which hath brought me to such a low ebbe , and put me so far behind in the course of my poor fortunes , and indeed more than half undon me . for although my whole life ( since i was left to my self to swim , as they say , without bladders ) has bin nothing else but a continued succession of crosses , and that ther are but few red letters found ( god wot ) in the almanack of my age , ( for which i account not my self a whit the lesse happy ; ) yet this cross has carried with it a greater weight ; it hath bin of a larger extent , longer continuance , and lighted heavier upon me than any other ; and as i have present patience to bear it , so i hope for subsequent grace to make use of it accordingly , that my old motto may be still confirmed , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . he produceth my attestation for som passages in spain , at his majesties being ther , and he quotes me aright , which obligeth me to him : and i hope all his quotations , wherin he is so extraordinarily copious and elaborate in all his works , are so ; yet i must tell him , that those interchangeable letters which passed between his majesty and the pope , which were originally couch'd in latine , the language wherin all nations treat with rome , and the empire with all the princes thereof ; those letters , i say , are adulterated in many places , which i impute not to him , but to the french chroniclen , from whom he took them in trust . the truth of that busines is this : the world knows ther was a tedious treaty of an alliance 'twixt the infanta dona maria ( who now is empresse ) and his majesty , which in regard of the slow affected pace of the spaniard , lasted about ten yeers , as that in henry the sevenths time , 'twixt prince arthur and ( afterwards ) queen katherine , was spun out above seven : to quicken , or rather to consummate the work , his majesty made that adventurous journey through the whole continent of france into spain ; which voyage , though ther was a great deal of gallantry in it ( whereof all posterity will ring , untill it turn at last to a romance ) yet it prov'd the bane of the busines , which 't is not the arrand of so poor a pamphlet as this to unfold . his majesty being ther arriv'd , the ignorant common people cryed out , the prince of wales came thither to make himself a christian . the pope writ to the inquisitor general , and others , to use all industry they could to reduce him to the roman religion ; and one of olivares first complements to him , was , that he doubted not but that his highnes came thither to change his religion : wherunto he made a short answer , that he came not thither for a religion , but for a wife . ther were extraordinay processions made , and other artifices us'd by protraction of things to make him stay ther of purpose till the spring folllowing , to work upon him the better : and the infanta her self desir'd him ( which was esteem'd the greatest favour he received from her all the while ) to visit the nun of carion ; hoping that the said nun , who was so much cryed up for miracles , might have wrought one upon him ; but her art failed her , nor was his highnesse so weak a subject to worke upon , according to his late majesties speech to doctor mawe and wren , who when they came to kisse his hands , before they went to spain to attend the prince their master , he wished them to have a care of buckingham ; as touching his son charls , he apprehended no fear at all of him ; for he knew him to be so well grounded a protestant , that nothing could shake him in his religion . the arabian proverb is , that the sun never soiles in his passage , though his beams reverberate never so strongly , and dwell never so long upon the myry lake of maeotis , the black turf'd moors of holland , the aguish woose of kent and essex , or any other place , be it never so dirty . though spain be a hot country , yet one may passe and repasse through the very center of it , and never be sun-burnt , if he carry with him a bongrace , and such a one his majesty had . well , after his majesties arrival to madrid , the treaty of marriage went on still , ( though hee told them at his first coming , that he came not thither like an ambassadour , to treat of marriage ; but as a prince , to fetch home a wife ; ) and in regard they were of different religions , it could not be done without a dispensation from the pope , and the pope would grant none , unlesse some capitulations were stipulated in favour of the romish catholics in england , ( the same in substance were agreed on with france . well , when the dispensation came , which was negotiated solely by the king of spains ministers ; because his majesty would have as little to do as might be with rome , pope gregory the fifteenth , who died a little after , sent his majesty a letter , which was delivered by the nuncio , wherof an answer was sent a while after : which letters were imprinted and exposed to the view of the world , because his majesty would not have people whisper , that the busines was carried in a clandestine manner . and truly besides this , i do not know of any letter , or message , or complement , that ever pass'd 'twixt his majesty and the pope , afore or after ; som addresses peradventure might be made to the cardinals , to whom the drawing of those matrimonial dispatches was referred , to quicken the work ; but this was only by way of civil negotiation . now touching that responsory letter from his majesty , it was not other than a complement in the severest interpretation , and such formalities pass 'twixt the crown of england , and the great turk , and divers heathen princes . the pope writ first , and no man can deny , but by all moral rules , and in common humane civility his majesty was bound to answer it , specially considering how punctual they are in those countries to correspond in this kind , how exact they are in repaying visits , and the performance of such ceremonies : and had this compliance bin omitted , it might have made very ill impressions , as the posture of things stood then ; for it had prejudiced the great work in hand , i mean , the match , which was then in the heat and hight of agitation : his majesties person was ther engag'd , and so it was no time to give the least offence . they that are never so little vers'd in business abroad , do know that ther must be addresses , compliances , and formalities of this nature ( according to the italian proverb , that one must somtimes light a candle to the devil ) us'd in the carriage of matters of state , as this great business was , wheron the eyes of all christendom were so greedily fix'd : a business which was like to bring with it such an universall good , as the restitution of the palatinate , the quenching of those hideous fiers in germany , and the establishing of a peace through all the christian world . i hope none will take offence , that in this particular which comes within the compas of my knowledg , being upon the stage when this scene was acted , i do this right to the king my master , in displaying the truth , and putting her forth in her own colours , a rare thing in these dayes . touching the vocal forest , an allegorical discourse , that goes abroad under my name , a good while before the beginning of this parlement , which this gentleman cites ( and that very faithfully ) i understand ther be som that mutter at certain passages therin , by putting ill glosses upon the text , and taking with the left hand what i offer with the right : ( nor is it a wonder for trees which lye open , and stand exposed to all weathers , to be nipt ) but i desire this favour , which in common justice , i am sure in the court of chancery , cannot be denied me , it being the priviledg of evry author , and a received maxim through the world , cujus est condere , ejus est interpretari ; i say , i crave this favour , to have leave to expound my own text , and i doubt not then but to rectifie any one in his opinion of me , and that in lieu of the plums which i give him from those trees , he will not throw the stones at me . moreover , i desire those that are over critical censurers of that peece , to know , that as in divinity it is a rule , scriptura parabolica non est argumentativa ; so it is in all other kind of knowledg , parables ( wherof that discourse is composed ) though pressed never so hard , prove nothi●g . ther is another rule also , that parables must be gently used , like a nurses brest ; which if you press too hard , you shall have bloud in stead of milk . but as the author of the vocal forest thinks he hath done , neither his countrey , nor the common-wealth of learning any prejudice therby ; ( that maiden fancy having received so good entertainment and respect abroad , as to bee translated into divers languages , and to gain the public approbation of som famous universities . ) so hee makes this humble protest unto all the world , that though the design of that discourse was partly satyrical ( which peradventure induc'd the author to shrowd it of purpose under the shadows of trees ; and wher should satyres be , but amongst trees ? ) yet it never entred into his imagination to let fall from him the least thing that might give any offence to the high and honorable court of parlement , wherof he had the honor to be once a member , and hopes he may be thought worthy again : and were he guilty of such an offence , or piacle rather , he thinks he should never forgive himself , though he were appointed his own judge . if ther occur any passage therin , that may admit a hard construction , let the reader observe , that the author doth not positively assert , or passe a judgement on any thing in that discourse which consists principally of concise , cursory narrations of the choisest occurrences and criticisms of state , according as the pulse of time did beat then : and matters of state , as al● other sublunary things , are subject to alterations , contingencies and change , which makes the opinions an● minds of men vary accordingly ; not one among● twenty is the same man to day as he was four yeer● ago , in point of judgement , which turns and alter● according to the circumstance and successe of things ▪ and it is a true saying , whereof we find common experience , posterior dies est prioris magister . the da● following is the former dayes schoolmaster . then another aphorism , the wisdome of one day is foolis●nes to another , and 't will be so as long as ther is man left in the world . i will conclude with this modest request to that gentleman of the long robe ; that having unpassionately perus'd what i have written in this small discourse , in penning wherof my conscience guided my quill all along as well as my hand , he would please to be so charitable and just , as to reverse that harsh sentence upon me , to be no frend to parlements , and a malignant . finis . poems on several choice and various subjects occasionally composed by an eminent author ; collected and published by sergeant-major p.f. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h wing f estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or : ) poems on several choice and various subjects occasionally composed by an eminent author ; collected and published by sergeant-major p.f. howell, james, ?- . fisher, payne, - . [ ], p. printed by ja. cottrel and are to be sold by s. speed ..., london : . written by james howell. cf. bm; dnb. "to the reader" signed: p. fisher. first ed. cf. bm. this item can be found at reels : and : . reproduction of original in british library. imperfect: pages and missing in filmed copy. pages - photographed from huntington library copy and inserted at the end. pages and dark and partially illegible. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - andrew kuster sampled and proofread - andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion poems on several choice and various subjects . occasionally composed by an eminent author . collected and published by sergeant-major p. f. london : printed by ja : contrel ; and are to be sold by s. speed , at the rain-bow in fleetstreet , near the inner temple-gate . . to the right reverend , and innately noble , dr. henry king , ( many years ) lord bishop of chichester , &c. my lord● there are divers motives ( humbly under favour ) which have induced me to this dedication . the first , that besides those severe and high-solid studies which attend theological speculations , ( wherein your lordship is eminent even to admiration ) 't is evidently known , my lord , that you have not onely a profound judgement , but also a sublime genius in poetical compositions . now , my lord , 't is upon good record , that poets were the first divines and philosophers ; and as a great wit well observeth , poetry is the clearest light to prove that man hath an intellectual soul , and ray of divinity shining in him . the second motive was , my lord , that i finde in the works of this excellent author , some signal passages that discover the particular observance and high veneration not onely he hath ( but many thousands more ) of your lordships dear relations , and your own most unparallel'd merits . the third motive was , my lord , that i might lay hold on this happy opportunity of publickly confessing those obligations i cannot now fairly conceal , nor yet fitly cancel ; that the world as well as your most honourable lordship may be sensible of these overtures of my devoted gratitude ; which till i can exemplifie in a prolixer present , i beseech your lordship to accept this small homage and contracted tender of his humble devoire , who is otherwise unlimited , my lord , and in all ample duty and obedience , your lordships most faithful honourer , and sincerely devoted servant , p. f. to the reader . not to know the author of these poems , were an ignorance beyond barbarism , as 't was said of a famous person in france : yet i held it superfluous to prefix his name in the title-page , he being known and easily distinguished from others by his genius and stile , as a great wit said lately of him , author hic ex calamo notus ut ungue leo. he may be called the prodigie of his age , for the variety of his volumes : for from his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or parly of trees , to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or parly of beasts , ( not inferiour to the other ) there hath pass'd the press above forty of his works on various subjects ; useful not onely to the present times , but to all posterity . and ' ●is observed , that in all his writings there is something still new , either in the matter , method or fancy , and in an untrodden tract . moreover , one may discover a kinde of vein of poesie to run through 〈◊〉 body of his prose , in the concinnity 〈◊〉 succ●nctness thereof all along . he teacheth a new way of epistolizing ▪ and that famil●ar letters may not onely consist of words , and a bombast of complements , but that they are capable of the highest speculations and solidst kind of knowledge . he chalks out a topical and exact way for forreign travel , not roving in general precepts onely . in all his histories there are the true rules , laws and language of history observed . what infinite advantages may be got by his dictionaries and nomenclature by all professions and nations ! how strongly and indeed unanswerably doth he assert the royal right in divers learned tracts , to the unbeguiling and conversion of many thousands abroad as well as at home ! &c. touching these poems , most of them nere saw publick light before ; for i got them in manuscripts , whereof i thought fit to give the reader an advertisement . de ornatissimo , viroque omni fariàm pererudito acris , & ignei ingenii , polyglotto ad prodigium usque dom. iacobo howell maridanensi , tam ex majorum ceris , quam sui ipsius meritis armigero , &c. sic phaebi deluh●● patent ; sic tota recessus pandit cyrr●a suos , funditque oracnla praegnans anglia , cambri●cae & corti●a rem●gi●t aulae , nempe nou●m aeonidunt proles montaccola fontem ostendit , sacrasque aperit tritonidis aroes howelli generosa domus , celeberrima gentis hoeliae , patriique 〈◊〉 memorabile fundi . tolle coronatas stirps maridunia cristas , howellumque tuum ventura in saecula jactes indigenis peperisse plagis , quâ monstrat avitos insignis fortuna lares , seriesque votusta sanguinis à longo volv●ntis flumina rivo ; ad cujus gavisi olim cristalla sedere grandaevi druides , pa●●lisque studere sub umoris ornorum bardi , & nemorum secondere lustris . vnde patet , nec vana ●ides , genus esse jacobi de seri● druidum , suffusaque 〈◊〉 dudum enthea primae vis spirasse oracula 〈◊〉 . ergo 〈◊〉 majorum vana facessat , nec sibi primores cunctos vetus arroget aevum ; creta panomphaeum quid progenuisse tonantem intumet ? aut veteres sic altercantur , homerus qu● fuerat de sede satus ? quid culta superbit scaligero verona suo ? quid mantua foelix virgilio praecone tumes ? en cambria nobis mantua , deque suis vates educitur oris maeonio nil vate minor , cunabula cujus circum , tot charitum croceis examina turmis mellifluos fecere favos , ea gratia scriptis aurea , libratoque sedet sub carmine nervus , et gravitas fictae non affectata loquelae . scilicet à teneris docti vestigia secli vsque sequi tibi cura fuit ; veterumque labores volvere limatos , avidisque heliconida labris exhaustis vacuare cadis . a harlaeus honoris primitias insignis habet , qui numine dextro tam tibi , quam celebri fratri primordia jecit vrbs quem b bristoliae dudum dignata tiarâ est praesulis , & sacram vel adhuc reminiscitur umbra● . o foelix howelle nimis novisse magistrum harlaeum cujus gens herefordia stirpem jactet , & ingentem tollat per saecula famam ! illius auspiciis solidis , epheba juventus pieriis afflata modis , quum nobile flacci ante oculos saltabat epos ; & plectra lucani pharsalico concinna chely . tum mite terenti inge●●um , & stricto servorum scommata socco , plautinosque sales potâsti impubibus annis ilelluo graecorum laticum . mox sydere vers● ipse novum moliris iter , quâ dule● lycaeum oxoniae plenos reserat siti●●●elbus ●mnes ▪ heic jesu sacrata domus te amplectitur ulnis admissum geminis , & di●t pocula lucis castalio cum lacte dabat . sub sensibus hausto● tum logicos primum gryphos , artesque loquendi digeris , & solide formâ methodoque locatis , venturae vigil instauras fundamina famae . inde sophistaeo magis inspirata su●urro mens tua , te socium nullo opponente creavit collegi veneranda cohors . nec sistitur ingens impetus , humanae qui supra nubila vitae gestit , & aprico foelix feriatur olympo . ergo philosophiae sublimia culmina scandens occultas reseras sedes , ubi scrinia mundi naturaeque arcana habitant : ubi cernitur omnis quid divina velit , vel suaserit ethnica virtus . quicquid socratico manavit ab ordine ; quicquid clara cleantheae praescripsit turba lucernae ; quicquid erycthraeis cynicorum secta studebat gymnasiis ; quicquid dixit , tac●itque loquendo pythagoras howelle tuum est , qui abstrusa latebris eruis ingenio , rerumque oracula pandens , concipis immensos dilato pectore mundos . nec tua fama domi , patriisve morabitur antris , vecta per extremum nonis juvenilibus orbem , et regum consueta aulis , interque potentes europae dominos porrectas sumere laurus . te juvenem cognovit iber ; te celsa philippi regia catholici madriti vidit agentem principis adventu caroli , stupuitque loquentem , tractantemque diu alterni molimina sceptri . inde revertentem borealis syderis atlas ille comes praeses te sunderlandius imis secretis admisit amans , & tanta scientem , callentemque foras , propriis praef●cit habenis . nec patrio requiescis agro , sed caerula suloa● cymbrica , ad ingentem danorum flebiliis aul●● mitteris orator reginae busta sophiae exequiasque dolens , tua circum rostra licestro legato , & danûm procerum stipante corona ▪ quae regio in terris nostro non nota jacobo ? quem pede diffusi penetrantem viscera regni teutonides videre sui ; quem gallia dudum cum batavo , & veneti , & siculi ; & stupuere 〈◊〉 bomaque tot linguas uno sub corde prementem mirati , poterantque levi discrimine , cuncti indigenam dixisse suum . tunc patria dignum te palmis censebat ovans , quum ad tecta senat ▪ prisca ciebat amans , & ter successibus aequis ad sua delegit te parlamenta sedentem . n●c patriae cessabat amor , sed honoribus urgens continuis , credebat adhuc se parva dedisse ni meritis majora daret : sic nobilis audis clericus augusti caroli qua jungeris imis consiliis tu scriba cluens , regnique labores multiplices , aulaeque vices atlantis ad insta● collibras , patrioque humeros supponis olympo . haec pro te dudum dignissi●a , patria feci● ▪ pr● patriâ nec parva facis , favilive rependis officio , quae fecit amor : communia testor commoda , & attritis operosa volumina praelis non uno numeranda die. t● muta movente organa , c vocales fud●re oracula sylvae , et trunci didicere loqui , dodonea quer●us , frondiferi regina chori t●●i brachia pandens tollit ad astra comas , 〈◊〉 superbior exi● a foliis famosa ●uis , quibus , illa fatetur se tibi debendam , conte●taque serta dicandam ●ivica , romuleis nil inferior a triumphls . vtque doces sylvas , & tardo stipite truncos humanos simulare sonos , sic d bruta ferarum guttura conformans , nostrae vernacula linguae distinctasque doces haurire , & reddere voces . exemplum dabit illud opus sublime , priori vix dispar , ubi gliscit amor , pietasque parenti sceptrifero ; & fidei mortales publica ductim de brutis documenta bib ant , trepidentque rebelles excandescentem britonum irritare leonem . nec cessat tua mira manus , celerive remissas indulges calamo ferias , quia vana perosus otia , victuris laetare laboribus , unam vix perdens sine luce diem , testabitur orbi grandius illus opus e bis bino idiomate coctum vtile principibus , populoque orientis & euri orbis , & à toto divisis orbe britannis . heic veluti speculo criticismata cuncta loquelae cantabricae discernit iber ; syrene jacobo ausonios modulante sonos , de finibus exit iralus allectus propriis ; gallusque garummam atque ararim rapido referens sermone , britanglos advolat , alternae miscens commercia linguae . f hisce voluminibus nomenclatura stupendi subjunctum est opus ingenii g proverbia gentis a tenebris memoranda trahens , formasque lequendi priscorum britonum , quorum venerabile semen cambria servat adhuc , primosque à sedibus actos ▪ commemorabit avos : tua cambria clare jacobe cui superum ductu tu post tot secla renascens adderis exempla● , dum sic virtutibus amplis instauras patriam , & virtutes dotibus aequas . egregie nasci laus est : sed gloria major pro patriâ nasci , & primus chronista creari regis ab historiis . et quis dubit●verit amens te titulis minus ire tuis , oneriveque lacertos impariles , qui tanta manu monumenta levâsti , pressaque vix binis portanda volumina rhedis . lector avet majora ? domi quod scripseris olim contempletur opus , plorandaque damna h senatu● praelongi nu●●eret , cunciasque ab origine causas pendeat , & nostri recolet commenta jacobi . si ulteriora petit ? peregrè succinctus ad or as longinquas eat , & te i directore , viarum praescius , europae varias adremiget urbes , conductnsque tuo formet vestigia filo . h●c filo conductus , aquis scopul●sque sedente● europae dominam k venetum mirabitu● 〈◊〉 celsaque parthenopis l regalia culmina 〈◊〉 in chartis majora tuis . tun● versus ad 〈◊〉 austriacas veterum imperium venerabitur 〈◊〉 m teutonidum , & senio certantia vasta 〈◊〉 moenia pannonico toties ditata tributo . inde pedem fessum relegens , per regna feret●r gallica , & hoelios agnoseet ritè labores liligerae septem tractantes lustra tiarae , translatique polo n ludovici busta , suique armandi parvo non designata papyro . sed quid ego gracili calamo , vel carmine eurto hoelianas vanus comprehendere chartas molior , herculeos quum tot recitare labores herculeus labor alter erit ? testabitur anglis vrbs vetus heroum o trinobantia gloria civûm ingemo ditata tuo . testabitur orbi cultius illud opus quo splendit p epistola ●rebr● flexanimo concinna stylo , quo faedera belli et passim momenta togae , faciesque nitenti cernitur europae speculo , & velamine dempto obvia summorum pateant penetralia regum . tantis posteritas cumulabit honoribus , olim vulgatos howelle libros . tantumque labori debebit gen●●●●stra novo , strips aurea cujus , formaque primaevas nil postponenda sorores apello charites , affiataque caelitus aestro pectora , fatidicum fibris spirantia phae●am . a jove principium sumens nam pagina prima sacra sapit , gratoque fluunt condita lepore caetera mellifluos redolentia carmina flores laurigeroque novas tibi contextura corollas . inde per humanae raptus spectacula scaenae quam parvas habi●ura moras mortalia monstras , indignoque licet depressus carcere , mentis remigio super astra volas , supremaque versans , discis ab immenso quam discrepat angulus orbe , et circumfusi quam curta scientia mundi aeterno collata deo. tumet inde papyrus laudibus heroum , & carolum te vate salutat , augurioque pio jamdudum rite potitis induperatoris summos promittit honores quum procul austriacae vol●cres , succumbere gallo q gaudebunt , gallusque anglo parere leoni . heic etiam octavi nitidum sine bile character pingitur henrici , quod latius acta loquetur et genium , quam windsorii monumenta superbi majorum constructa manu . r sacyillia pubes dorsigenis praelustris honos , caput eruet ●mbris auspiciis howelle tuis . his s marchio grand●● pierpontiadum durotrigumque cacumen tollitur , & celsae katharinae stemmata dudum tremoliâ deducta domu . proh celse columna henrice armorum , & sublimibus artibus : ingens pro secli coryphaee tui ! quos fulguris instar antevolas , patrioque creas miracula mundo . hunc chartis howelle sonas , cui gloria vastis digna voluminibus , gravidoque canenda cothurno ; illi dumque litas laudes , aliisque sub isto codice , diffuso spargis tua nomina mundo lataque non propriis claudi praeonia chartis . sic raptim cecini● p. piscato● . poems upon several emergent occasions . the progress of the human soul : or , the whole history of man. man is that great amphibium , which enrouls within himself a trinity of souls : he runs through all creations by degrees ; first , he is onely matter on the lees ; whence he proceeds to be a vegetal ; next sensitive ; ( and so organical . ) then , by divine infusion , a third soul , the rational doth the two first controul : but when this soul comes in , and where she 〈◊〉 distinct from th' other , no dissector tells ▪ now , which no creture els can say , that state makes her ( by grace ) to be regenerate . she then becomes a spirit : so at last a devil , or a saint , when she hath cast that clog of fl●sh , which yet she takes again ▪ to perfect her felicity or pain . thus man from first to last , is kin to all cretures , in heav'n , in earth , and hells black hall. a speculation . that which the smallest star in sky is to the sun in majesty ; what a monks cell is to high-noon , or a new-cheese to a full-moon : no more is man , if one should dare unto an angel him compare . what to the eagle is a gnat , or to leviathan a sprat ; what to the elephant a mouse , or shepherds hut to caesars house : no more is man , if one should dare unto an angel him compare . what to a perl a pebble-stone , or coblers stall unto a throne ; what to the oke the basest shrub , or to noah's ark a bucking-tub : no more is man , if one should dare unto an angel him compare . then let not man , half-child of night , compare with any heavenly wight : he will appeer on that account a mole-hill to olympus mount. yet , let this still his comfort be , he hath a capabilitie to be of heav'n himself : but on this score , if he doth not make earth his heav'n before . of some pious meditations , when prisoner for the king in the fleet. as roses 'mong sharp prickles grow , as crystal's got of ice and snow ; as perls in muddy muscels breed , as gold on barren'st earth doth feed ; as diamonds in craggs and rocks , as ambar cruds 'twixt neptune's shocks : so 'mong those bleak fleet-blasts which fortun● blew , these calm mild strains of meditations grew . a contemplation upon the shortness and shal● 〈◊〉 of human knowledg . if of the smallest star in sky we know not the dimensity : if those pure sparks that stars compose , the highest human wit do pose ; how then , poor shallow man ! canst thou the maker of these glories know ? if we know not the air we draw , nor what keeps winds and waves in aw : if our small sculls cannot contain the flux , and saltness of the main ; if scarce a cause we ken below , how can we the supernal know ? if it be a mysterious thing , why steel shold to the loadstone cling : if we know not why jett should draw , and with such kisses hug a straw : if none can truly yet reveal how sympathetick powders heal : if we scarce know the earth we tred , or half the simples there are bred , with minerals , and thousand things which for mans health and food she brings : if nature 's so obscure , then how can we the god of nature know ? what the batts ey is to the sun , or of a gloworm to the moon ; the same is human intellect , if on our maker we reflect ; whose magnitude is so immense , that it transcends both soul and sense . poor purblind-man , then sit thee still ; let wonderment thy temples fill . keep a due distance : do not pry too neer , lest like the silly fly , while she the wanton with the flame doth play , first fries her wings , then fools her life away . a prophetic poem ( partly accomplished ) to his present majesty then prince , . a parallel 'twixt his highness and the black prince . sir , wales had one glorious prince , for hair and h●●e ( which colour sticks unto him still ) like you ▪ he travell'd far ; he won his spurs in france ; and took the king , the king , o mighty chance ! then his victorious troops afresh he gethers ; and with the gray-goose wing his shafts new fethers . he beats a march up the pyreney hills , and the cantabrian clime with terror fills , to re-inthrone don pedro castills king ; of which heroick act all stories ring . your royal sire travell'd so far , and thay of all our princes onely made that way . who knows , great sir , but by just destiny , your bunch of youthful plumes may further fly : but , faucon-like , you may with full summ'd wing the eagle cuff , and from his talons wring the a prey , or in exchange seize on his ore , and fix your standard on the indian shore . 't was by a b charles , france once the empire 〈◊〉 't was by a c charles , spain also drew that 〈◊〉 ▪ why may not britain challenge the next call , and by a charles be made imperial ? sic vaticinatur j. h. a rapture upon delia. could i but catch those golden rays which phoebus at high noon displays , i 'd set them on a loom , and frame a scarf for delia of the same . could i that wondrous black come near , which cynthia , when she mourns , doth wear ; of a new fashion i wold trace a mask thereof for delia's face . could i but reach that green and blue , which iris decks in such rare hue from her moist bow , i 'd drag them down to make my delia a summer-gown . could i those whitely stars come nigh which makes the milky-way in sky , i 'd poach them , and at moon-shine dress , to make my delia a hougou mess. thus would i diet , thus attire my delia queen of hearts and fire : she shold have ev'ry thing divine , what might befit a seraphine . and 'cause ungirt unblest we often find , one of the lesser zones her waste shold bind . of the tru observation of lent. now lent is come , let us refrain from carnal cretures quick or slaine : let 's curb , and macerat the flesh ; impound , and keep it in distress for forty days , and then we shall have a replevin from the thrall by that bless'd prince , who for this fast will give us angels food at last . but to abstain from bees , hog , goose , and let our appetites go loose to lobsters , crabs , prawns , or such fish , we do not fast , but feast in this . not to let down lamb , kid , or veal ; hen , plover , turkicock or teal , and eat botargo , caviar , anchoves , oisters , and like fare : or to forbear from flesh , fowl , fish , and eat potatoes in a dish done o'er with ambar , or a mess of ringos in a spanish dress : or to refrain from each hot thing which water , earth , or air , doth bring ; and play a hundred pounds at gleek ; or be at saunt when we shold sleep : or to leave play with all high dishes , and feed our thoughts with wanton wishes ; making the soul , like a light wench , vvear patches of concupiscence . this is not to keep lent aright , but play the juggling hypocrit . he keeps lent more , who tames the inward man , then he , who makes the outward feed on bran. before the history of lewis the . ( with his cardidinal richlie● ) called lustra ludovici . historiae sacrum . immortal queen , great arbitress of time , bright torch and herald of all-conquering truth , which things , years thousands since , keepst still in prime , and so maintain'st the world in constant youth ; making that morn man first was made of clay , appear to us as fresh as yesterday . rich magazin of patterns , which may serve as spurs to vertu , or as curbs to vice ; which dost brave men-embalm , and them conserve longer then can arabian gums or spice : and of their memories dost mummy make , more firm then that hot lybia's sands do 〈◊〉 ▪ rare garden , and rich orchard , wherein grow fames golden apples , vertues choicest flow'rs ; who twistest garlands for the learned brow , and with thy branches mak'st triumphant bow● ▪ inoculat this bud on thy great tree , that it may bourgeon to eternity . before londinopolis ▪ or , a new history of london : parallell'd with the greatest cities on earth . of london-bridge . when neptun from his billows london spyde , brought proudly thither by a high spring tyde , as through a floating wood , he steer'd along , and dancing castles cluster'd in a throng : when he beheld a mighty bridge give law unto his surges , and their fury aw : when such a shelf of cataracts did roar , as if the thames with nile had chang'd her shoar : vvhen he such massy walls , such tow'rs did eye , such posts , such irons upon his back to lye ; when such vast arches he observ'd , that might nineteen rialto's make for depth and height : when the cae●ulean god these things survay'd , he shook his trident , and astonish'd , said , let the whole earth now all her wonders count , this bridge of wonders is the paramount . the same in latine , which for their weight i also insert . de ponte londinensi , ejusque stupendo situ , & structurâ . cvm londinense● neptunus viderat urbem vectus ibi propriis , atque revectus aquis , d●m densam penetrat sylvam , lucósque ferentes pro ramis funes , pro foliisque cruces : cum superimpositum torrenti in flumine pontem viderat , & rapido ponere jurae freto : cum tantos muros , ferrumina , castra , tot arcus spectat , & haec tergo cuncta jacere suo , arcus qui possent totidem formare rialtos metiri si quis summa , vel ima cupit , haec deus undarum aspiciens , fluxusque retrorsum tundere , & horrendos inde boare sonos , nunc mihi quanta velis terrae miracula pandas , est primus mundi pons , ait , iste stupor . before bishop andrews most holy meditaaions 〈◊〉 prayers . if ever any merited to be the vniversal bishop , this was he. great andrews , who the whole vast sea did 〈◊〉 of learning , and distill'd it in his brain . these pious drops are of the purest kind that trîckled from the limbeck of his mind . before that large and claborat work , called ▪ the german diet ; which , in many princely orations , displays the power and weakness , the plenty and vvant , the antiquity and modernness , the advantages and defects , the glory and reproche , the vertues and vices , of all the countries of christendome . axioma . contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt . black sidelong put , or standing opposite , doth use to add more lustre unto white . a perl shines brighter in a negro's ear : some ladies look more fair who patches wear : so vice , if counterplac'd , or seated near , makes vertu show more lovely , strong , and clear . this book hath vice and vertu , white and black : 't is like a crystal-glass foyld on the back : 't is like a chessboard , ( or an ermins skin ) checker'd with two extreams , both out and in . it weighs and winnows good from bad , which any of europes kingdoms have , ( and they have many . ) now , if those purer regions of the sky , where ev'ry star's a perfect monarchy ; if the bright moon , and glorious sun above have spots and motes , as optick glasses prove ; how then can these gross earthly regions be , and we that peeple them , from taintures free ? this were for us to arrogat that bliss which adam could not keep in paradis . before my lord of cherberry's history of king hen. . vices in kings are like those spots the moon bears in her body , which so plain appeer to all the world : so vertues shine more clear in them , and glitter like the sun at noon . this king had both ; yet counter-balance all , you 'l find th' out-poising grain in vertues scale . he was more king then man : his gallantries surpass'd his frailties ; had his passions bent to him as france did , and his parlement ; or had his set been equal to his rise : of all those glorious kings wore englands crown , he had march'd with the foremost in renown . this learned lord , this lord of vvit and art , this metaphysick lord gives us a glass , vvherein we may discern in ev'ry part this boystrous prince , he cuts him out in brass , in everlasting brass : so that i may avow , old harry never had a monument till now . an analytical character or dissection of hen. . this great king may be considered , . in his person , and outward proportion . . in his properties , and inward disposition . . in his political capacity , and actions civil and martial . touching the first , he was of a goodly stature , of a majestic awing presence , of a clear sanguin complexion ; which made him apt to give and take tentations of that sex which was too hard for the first , the strongest and wisest man. he had a competency of spirit to manne that large bulk throughout : for he was vigorous and robust , witness his overthrowing sir william kingstone horse and man in the presence of three queens . his dexterity at tilt , the barriers , and all other heroick exercises at his interviews with the french king , and emperors : for when he appeered in any action , he out-went all others . touching the second , it sub-divides it self into his vertues and vices . for his vertues , by advantage of education , ( being designed for the church ) he was well vers'd in the arts , a good 〈…〉 divine . he had an harmonious soul , for he was a good musitian , having among other things composed two anthems , which were usually sung 〈◊〉 his chappels . touching his vices , being of a replete sanguin constitution , he had more matte● 〈◊〉 the heat of concupiscence to work upon . 〈◊〉 were his two contemporaries , charles the emperour , and francis of france , less peccant in this kind : for they also had their amourettes , their 〈◊〉 debita vasa , and divers natural children . having parted with queen katharin his first wife , and with his cardinal , his sanguin humour came to 〈◊〉 somewhat sanguinary , and inclining to cruel ; 〈◊〉 had the church , the parlement , and the judg●●●● 〈◊〉 what he did . he was too constant to himself 〈◊〉 any thing entred into his head ; which the 〈◊〉 termed wilfulness . he was more prodigal in ●●●●ding , then covetous in getting money , by making himself an actor in some things , which had bee● more for his advantage had he been onely a sp●●●tor . touching the third , he was very knowing in the art of government , being cut out as it were for a kings for he kept all in an exact obedience : and had his passions been as subject to him as were his people , he had been the rarest of kings . he also may be rank'd among the best law-makers . he got divers glorious titles , which his progenitors never had : for he was the first defender of the faith , and promis'd to be stil'd christianissimus . he was the first english king of ireland . he was the first vniter of the ancient britains and the english. he was call'd by the consistory of rome , liberator orbis , when the pope was freed . francis the first acknowledged him , under god , to be the chiefest deliverer of him and his children from spain . he was stil'd prot●ctor of the famous clementine league ; and offered to be patron of the lutherans . nor did he know what it was to be beaten all his life . he had an emperour to serve him in the wars , and he was counted the common vmpire of christendome . in fine , england may be said to have had little or no commerce abroad in point of matters of state , till the reign of this king. of translations , vpon rendring into english a choice venetian ●●●mance , called , eromena , by mr. james howard . some hold translations not unlike to be the wrong-side of a turky tapistry , or wines drawn off the lees , which fill'd in 〈◊〉 loose somewhat of the taste they had in cask . t is tru , each language hath an idiome , which in another couch'd comes not so home . yet i nere saw a piece from venice come had fewer thrums set on our country lome . this wine is still one-ear'd , and brisk , thoug● 〈◊〉 out of italian cask , in english butt . another . fair eromena in italian tire i view'd , and lik'd her fashion wondrous well but in this english habit i admire that still in her the same good grace doth dwell . so have i seen trans-alpin cions grow , and hear rare fruit , remov'd to thames from 〈◊〉 ▪ the dedication to great britain , of that voluminous work , lexicon tetraglotton : or , an english-french-italian-spanish dictionary . renowned albion , natures choice delight , neptunes chief care , and arsenal of might ; who in thy watry orb dost sparkling lie , as cynthia shines in the caerulean skie : or , as a tortoise in her circling shell , dost live secure within thy rocky cell a world within thy self , fit to defend thine own , and fit no further to extend . yet with thy winged coursers dost give law unto the ocean , and his surges aw . the baltick waves , and hyperborean , the vast atlantik , euxin , indian ; the adriatik , tyrrhen , hellespont , the white , the black , the red , all seas are wont to do thee homage , and rich tributes bring unto thy thames by way of offering ; which makes civilians hold , that thy sea-bound reach to the shores of all thy neighbours round ▪ to thee , triumphant isle , i do address this work of oyl and toyl : be patroness of thy own tongue , which here twixt colum●● strong ▪ throughout a massy fabrick all along goes in the van of europes noblest toungs , though they want somewhat of her nerves 〈◊〉 lungs . of the original of the english toung , and her association with the italian , spanish , and french , &c. france , italy and spain , ye sisters three , whose toungs are branches of the latian 〈◊〉 to perfect your odd number be not shy to take a fourth to your society the high teutonik dialect , which bold hengistus with his saxons brought of old among the britains , when by knife and sword , of england he did first create the vvord . nor is 't a small advantage to admit so male a speech to mix with you , and knit : who by her consonants and tougher strains , vvill bring more arteries 'twixt your soft vains : for of all toungs , dutch hath most nerves and bones , except the pole , who hurls his vvords like stones . some fain , that when our protoplastick sire lost paradis by a just kindled ire , he in italian tempted was , in french he fell a begging pardon , but from thence he was thrust out in the high teuton toung vvhence english , though much polish'd since , is sprung . this book is then an inlay'd piece of art ; english the knots which strengthen ev'ry part . four languages are here together fix'd : our lemsters ore with naples silk is mix'd . the loire , the po , the thames , and tagus glide all in one bed , and kiss each others side . the alps and pyrenean mountains meet : the rose and fowrdeluee hang in one street . nay , spain & * redcapt france a league here strike . if'twixt their kings and crowns there were the like , poor europe should not bleed so fast , and call turbans at last unto her funeral . before a great volume of proverbs , in five languages . the peeples voice , the voice of god we call ; and what are proverbs but the peeples 〈◊〉 coyn'd first , and current made by common cho●●e then sure they must have weight and truth with●● they are a publick heritage , entail'd on ev'ry nation , or like hirelomes nail'd , vvhich pass from sire to son , and so from son down to the grandchild till the world be done . they are free-denizons by long descent , vvithout the grace of prince or parlement : the truest commoners , and inmate guests ; we fetch them from the nurse and mothers breast● they can prescription plead 'gainst king or crown ▪ and need no affidavit but their own . we thought it then well worth the pains and 〈◊〉 to muster up these ancients in one host : which here like furbish'd medals we present to all that breathe in christendom and kent . of the strange vertu of vvords , before the great nomenclatura ; wherein are the proper terms in four languages belonging to arts mechanical and liberal : which poem consists of above sixty sentences . words are the souls ambassadors , who go abroad upon her arrands to and fro . they are the sole expounders of the mind , and correspondence keep 'twixt all mankind . they are those airy keys that ope ( and wrest sometimes ) the locks and hinges of the breast . by them the heart makes sallies : vvit and sence belong to them : they are the quintessence of those ideas which the thoughts distil , and so calcine and melt again , until they drop forth into accents in whom lies the salt of fancy , and all faculties . the world was fram'd by the eternal word , vvho to each creature did a name afford ; and such an union made 'twixt words and things , that ev'ry name a nature with it brings . words do involve the greatest mysteries : by them the jew into his cabal pries . the chymik says , in stones , in herbs , in wor●● nature for ev'ry thing a cure affords . nay , some have found the glorious stars to be but letters set in an orthography the fate of kings and empires to foretel , vvith all things els below , could we them spell . that gran distinction between man and 〈◊〉 vve may to language chiefly attribute . the lyon roars , the elephant doth bray ; the bull doth bellow , and the horse doth 〈◊〉 man speaks : 't is only man can words create ▪ and cut the air to sounds articulate by natures special charter . nay , speech ca● make a shrewd discrepance 'twixt man and 〈◊〉 it doth the gentleman from clown discover ; and from a fool the grave philosopher : as solon said to one in judgement weak , i thought thee wise until i heard thee speak . for words in man bear the most critick part : vve speak by nature , but speak well by art. and as good bells we judge of by the sound , so a wise man by words well plac'd is found . therefore it may be call'd no vain pretence , vvhen 'mong the rest the toung would be senee , the toung 's the rudder which mans fancy guides ▪ vvhilst on this worlds tempestuous seas he rides . words are the life of knowledge ; they set free , and bring forth truth by way of midwifry : the activ'st cretures of the teeming brain ; the judges who the inward man arraign : reasons chief engin and artillery to batte● error , and make falshood fly : the canons of the minde , who sometimes bounce nothing but vvar , then peace again pronounce . the rabbins say , such is the strength of vvords , that they make deeper vvounds then spears or swords . this book may then be call'd a magazine of arms and words : it keeps , and doth combine four toungs : 't is like a frame on divers vvheels ; one follows still the other at the heels . the smooth italian , and the nimble frank , the long-lung'd spanish march all in a rank : the english heads them , so commands the van ; and reson good in this meridian . but spain brings up the rear , because we know her counsels are so long , and pace so slow . vpon the great drammatical work of b. 〈◊〉 fletcher , publish'd . what ? now the stage is down , dar'st tho● pear , bold fletcher , on this tott'ring hemisphear ? yes ; poets are like palms , which the more 〈◊〉 one casts upon them , grow more strong & 〈◊〉 't is not joves thunderbolt , or mavors spear , nor roaring neptunes trident poets fear . had now grim ben been breathing , with what 〈◊〉 and high-swoln fury had he lash'd this age ? shakespear with chapman had grown mad , 〈◊〉 the gentle soc , and lofty buskins worn to make their muse welter up to the chin in blood : of fained scanes no need had bin england , like lucians eagle , with an arrow of her own plumes piercing her heart quite thorow had been the tragic scoene , and subject fit to exercise in real truths their wit. yet , none like high-wing'd fletcher had bin found this eagles dismal destiny to sound : rare fletchers quill had soar'd up to the sky , and drawn down gods to see the tragedy . live , famous drammatist , let evry spring make thy bay flourish , and fresh bourgeons bring : and since we cannot have thee tread the stage , vve will applaud thee in thy silent page . to his late majesty , at the dedication unto him of dodonas grove , or the vocal forest : wherein there were many prophetical passages . in times of yore , when earth was yet but clods , trees for their gardians had no less then gods : jove did protect the oke , bacchus the vine ; minerva said , the olive shall be mine : venus the myrtle for her minion took ; apollo would the laurel overlook . my trees need no such patrons ; one mild glance of caesars eye , will best their buds advance . to her majesty , now queen-mother . bourgeon da gran bourbon , qui soubs ses doux rameaux maintint la france en paix apres tant de travaux vint ans entiers , ayant en bonne guerre les princes brouillons mis quatre fois enterr● ▪ i' ay veu souventes fois son nom luysant en 〈◊〉 , mais non pas engravè jusqu ' à present en arb●● , parmi ces bois icy l' on trouvera ( peut estre ) madame , votre nom * taillè en grosse lettre , to prince charles , ( now king. ) to correspond now with the verdant * 〈◊〉 and your green yeers , the top-branch of a 〈◊〉 a bud shot from the rose and flower - 〈…〉 the best of stems earth yet did e'er prod●●● vvhat present can i bring that more agrees both with the season , and your yeers , then 〈◊〉 they soon will cast their leafs , and autumn find , but may you shed nor leafs , nor blooms , nor rin● , till muff'd with hoary moss , you do behold fair cions from your self grow tall and old . before the vocal forest , to the knowing reader , touching the progress of learning . science in india first her beams display'd , and with the rising sun her self convay'd through chaldee into egypt ; then she came among the greeks , and so to tyber swam : whence clammering ore the alps , these northwest parts she civiliz'd , and introduc'd the arts. in albions woolly isle , she welcom found , which for her bards and druyds grew renown'd so call'd , because they commonly did use on god and natures works 'mongst trees to muse , and fix their speculations ; for in rind of trees was learning swadled first , i find . th' egyptian priests , and brackmans us'd of old their fancies in dark characters to fold . the greeks and latines us'd to poetize by emblems , fictions , and mythologies : for it was held a pleasing piece of art , things real under shadows to impart . then be not rash in censure , if i strive an ancient way of fancy to revive ; while druyd-like conversing thus with 〈◊〉 under their bloomy shade i historize . trees were ordain'd for shadow , and 〈◊〉 their leafs were the first vestment of 〈◊〉 to the common reader . opinion is that high and mighty dame which rules the world , and in the 〈◊〉 doth frame distast or liking : for in humane race , she makes the fancy various as the face . sometimes the father differs from the son , as doth the gospel from the alcharon , or loyola from calvin , which two brands , in strange combustions hurl fair europes lands so that amongst such atomes of mankind , you scarce can two encounter of one mind . this makes my trees all aspen , 'cause they 〈◊〉 lie ope to ev'ry wind , and vulgar gust : yet , much they fear not any criticks knock , unless they chance to stumble 'mong the bl●●● — ex quovis stipite non fit mercurius . to the critical reader . if satyres here you find , think it not strange ; 't is proper satyres in the woods should range : and for free speech , why may not verse or prose sit under trees as safely as the rose ? yet here is nothing , though a grand inquest you should empannel , but may bide the test : for petty juries , let the reader know , composures of this kind stoop not so low . touching the vertu and vse of familiar letters . love is the life of friendship ; letters are the life of love , the load-stones that by rare attraction make souls meet , and melt , and mix , as when by fire exalted gold we fix . they are those wing'd postillions that can fly from the antartic to the artic sky : the heralds and swift harbengers that move from east to west on embassies of love. they can the trepiks cut , and cross the line , and swim from ganges to the ithone or rhine : from thames to tagus ; thence to yy●● and terminat their journey with the su● they can the cabinets of kings unserue , and hardest intricacies of state unclue . they can the tartar tell what the mogor , or the great turk , doth on the asian shore the knez of them may know , what pres●er doth with his camels in the torrid zone . which made the indian inca think , they 〈◊〉 spirits who in white sheets the air did tea● . the lucky goose sav'd jove's beleagred flili once by her noise , but oftner by her quill . it twice prevented rome was not ore-run by the tough vandal , and the rough-hewn 〈◊〉 letters can plots though moulded under 〈◊〉 disclose , and their fell complices confound : witness that fiery pile which would have blo●● up to the clouds , prince , people , peers , and 〈◊〉 tribunals , church and chappel , and had drid● the thames , though swelling in her highest 〈◊〉 and parboyl'd the poor fish , which from her 〈◊〉 had been toss'd up to the adjoyning lands . lawyers as vultures had soar'd up and down ; prelates like mag-pies in the air had flown , had not the eagles letter brought to light that subterranean horrid work of night . credential letters states and kingdomes tie , and monarchs knit in ligues of amitie ; they are those golden links that do enchain whole nations , though discinded by the main : they are the soul of trade ; they make commerce expand it self throughout the universe . letters may more then history inclose , the choicest learning both in verse and prose . they knowledg can unto our souls display by a more gentle and familiar way . the highest points of state and policy , the most severe parts of philosophy , may be their subject , and their themes enrich as well as privat businesses , in which friends use to correspond , and kindred greet , merchants negotiat , the whole world meet . in seneca's rich letters is inshrin'd what ere the ancient sages left behind : tully makes his the secret symptomes tell of those distempers which proud rome befel , when in her highest flourish she would make her tyber of the ocean homage take . great antonin the emperour did gain more glory by his letters then his raign , his pen out-lasts his pike ; each golden li●e in his epistles doth his name inshrine . aurelius by his letters did the same , and they in chief immortallize his fame . words vanish soon , and vapour into air , while letters on record stand fresh and fair , and tell our nephews who to us were dear , who our choice friends , who our familiars were . the bashful lover when his stammring lips falter , and fear some unadvised slips , may boldly court his mistress with the quill , and his hot passions to her brest instil : the pen can furrow a fond females heart , and pierce it more then cupids feigned dart. letters a kind of magic vertu have , and like strong philtres human souls inslave . speech is the index , letters idea's are of the informing soul : they can declare , and shew the inward man , as we behold a face reflecting in a chrystal mould . they serve the dead and living ; they becom● attorneys and administers . in sum : letters like gordian knots do nations tie , else all commerce and love 'twixt men 〈◊〉 die . to the sagacious reader . ut clavis portam , sic pandit epistola pectus ; clauditur haec cerâ , clauditur illa serâ . as keys do open chests , so letters open brests . vpon a rare and recent persian tragy-history . . this is an age of wonders ; ev'ry clime abounds with prodigies : there is no crime , not a notorious villany or fact , no soul insandous thing , or ugly act , that ever adams sons did perpetrate , but we have flagrant instances of late . for sacriledge , and horrid blasphemy , base lyes , created fears and perjury ; for scripture-pride , extortion , avarice , ( the root of all our ills , and leading vice ) for public frauds , false lights , and fatuous fires ▪ fanatic fancies clad in faiths attire ; for politicians , if one could rake hell , he hardly there could find their parallel . did machiavil , or methro live agen , they would be counted saints match'd with these men : for murther , and the crying sin of blood , the like , but one , was never since the flood . in some , we may for these , and thousand 〈◊〉 , vie villanies with any age before . nor is it europe only that doth breed such monsters , but the asian regions feed as bad ; witness this persian tragedy , compil'd with so much art and energy : as if the soul of ben , of pond'rous ben , did move in you , and guide both brain and 〈◊〉 you make the actors with such passion speak , as if the very lines with blood did reak . go on , brave spark , improve thy talent 〈◊〉 and gain more ground on the pierian hill ▪ an elegie upon edward late earl of dorset , . who died about the time of voting down the house of peers . lords have been long declining , ( we well know ) and making their last testaments : but now they are defunct , they are extinguish'd all , and never like to rise by this lords fall . a lord whose intellectuals alone might make a house of peers , and prop a throne , had not so dire a fate hung ore the crown , that priviledge , prerogative shold drown . where ere he sate he sway'd , and courts did awe , gave bishops gospel , and the judges law with such exalted reasons which did flow so cleer and strong , that made astraea bow to his opinion : for where he did side , advantag'd more then half the bench beside . but is great sackvil dead ? do we him lack ? and will not all the elements wear black ? whereof he was compos'd a perfect man , as ever nature in one frame did span . such high-born thoughts , a soul so large 〈◊〉 so clear a judgement , and vast memory ; so princely hospitable , and brave mind , we must not think in haste on earth to find , unless the times wold turn to gold agen , and nature get new strength in forming men his person with it such a state did bring , that made a court as if he had been king. no wonder , since he was so near a kin to norfolks duke , and the great maiden 〈◊〉 he courage had enough by conquering one , to have confounded that whole nation : those parts which single do in some appear , were all concentred here in one bright sphear for brain , toung , spirit , heart , and person●●● to mould up such a lord will ask an age. but how durst pale white-liverd death seize o● so dauntless and heroick a champion ? yes , to die once is that uncancell'd debt which nature claims , and raiseth by eschet on all mankind by an old statute past primo adami , which will always last without repeal ; nor can a second lease be had of life , when the first term doth cease . mount , noble soul ; among the stars take place , and make a new one of so bright a race may jove out-shine , that venus still may be in a benign conjunction with thee , to check that planet which on lords hath lowr'd , and such malign influxes lately pour'd . be now a star thy self for those which here did on thy crest and upper robe appear : for thy director take the star we read , which to thy saviours birth three kings did lead . a corollary . thus have i blubber'd out some tears and verse on this renowned heroe and his herse : and could my eyes have dropt down perls upon 't in lieu of tears , god knows i would have don 't : but tears are real , pearls for their emblems go , the first are fitter to express my wo. let this small mite suffice , until i may a larger tribut to his ashes pay : in the mean time this epitaph shall shut , and to my elegy a period put . here lies a grandee , by birth , parts , and mind , who hardly left his parallel behind : here lies the man of men , who should have been a king , an emperour , had fortune seen . totus in lachrymas solutus sic singultivit , i. h. an epithalamium vpon the nuptials of that princely pair , 〈◊〉 lo. marquiss of dorchester , and the lady katherine , daughter to the 〈◊〉 earl of darby : in a dialog twixt philemon and sylvius . philemon . what object 's that which i behold dazzling my eyes with gems and gold her face , me thinks , darts such a ray that adds more brightness to the day : her breath perfumes the place , her curls and hair like indian spice aromatize the air. a sparkling white and black breaks from her sight like to the diamonds redoubling light ; as she doth walk the very ground and stone , turn to field - argent which she treads upon . a mortal sure she cannot be , but some transcending deity . my dearest sylvius , pray unfold who 's that rare creture i behold ? sylvius . she is a princess and a bride goes to the temple to be tide in nuptial bonds ; her stars will not permit that at the vestal fires she longer sit . she 's derby ' s royal blood , derby le gran , and now she travels to the i le of man. she of the princely orenge is a branch , imp'd on the high trimouillan stem of france , two of the fairest kingdoms strove , and tride their utmost to compleat this lovely bride . 't is she which makes 'twixt gems and gold that constellation you behold . philemon . but who 's that comely sanguin peer which on her heart-side walks so neer ? he likewise makes all argent as he goes : look at his feet how thick the cinqfoyl grows . sylvius . 't is wise and wealthy pierrpoint , who renowns with titles three of englands chiefest towns : a precious pond'rous lord , whose sole estate a jury of new barons might create , patron of vertu , chivalry and arts , cause he himself excels in all these parts . 't is he who by the hand doth hold that demi-goddess you behold . philemon . is 't so ? then my autumnal muse shall 〈◊〉 an hymenaeum , and fetch back her spring this subject a fresh vigor doth inspire , and heats my brain with an unusual fire . an hymenaevm , or bridal-sonet : consisting of four stanzas , and to be sung by 〈◊〉 voyces , according to a choice air set thereupon ▪ by mr. will. webb . chorus . may all felicity betide this princely bridegroom and his bride . may those delights this morn shall bring be endless , as their nuptial ring . may they be constant , and exceed each others wishes , hopes and creed . may the three regions of the air pour showres of blessings on this pair , may sol and cynthia with their rays silver their nights , and gild their days . chorus . all joys attend , and best of fate , this noble marquiss and his mate . an hymenaeum . stanza . ye gentle nymphs of trent and dee make haste to this solemnity : your streams and beds now meet in one by this high-sprung conjunction . ye wood-nymphs who green garlands wear in shirewood launds and delamer ; ye dames of helicon attend , and graces your sweet presence lend ; lucina come , and pray there be employment in due time for thee . chorus . may all felicity betide this noble bridegroom and his bride . an hymenaevm . stanza . may they such gallant males produce , both to the rose and flowerdeluce ; that englands chivalry and french may multiply , and bourgeon hence : whose branches shooting ore the main , may knit and blossome here again , that pierrpoints lyon and cinqfoyl , may ramp and root in every soyl : nor may their noble race wear out till plato's great year wheel about . chorus . may all felicity betide this noble bridegroom and his bride . an hymenaevm . stanza , closing with a serious gradual vote . may all the elements conspire to make them bless'd in their desire . may all the stars on them reflect their mildest looks in trine aspect . may all the angels them defend from every thing doth ill portend . may angels , stars , and elements , afford them such compleat contents , that they have nothing els to wish but a persueverance of bliss . chorus . all joys attend , and best of fare , this noble marquess , and his mate . a poem heroique , presented to his late majesty for a new - 〈…〉 the worlds all-lightning ey had now 〈◊〉 through watry capricorn his course 〈◊〉 old janus hastned on , his temples bound with ivy , his gray hairs with holly crown'd , when in a serious quest my thoughts did 〈◊〉 what gift , as best becoming , i should chuse to britains monarch ( my dread soveraig● 〈◊〉 which might supply a new-years offering ; i rummag'd all my stores , search'd all my 〈◊〉 where nought appear'd , god wot , but 〈◊〉 no far-setch'd indian gem cut out of rock , or fish'd in shells were trusted under lock : no piece which angelo's strong fancy hit , or titians pensil , or rare hylliards wit : no ermins , or black sables , no such skins as the grim tartar hunts , or takes in gins ; no medals , or rich stuff of tyrian dy ; no costly bowls of frosted argentry : no curious land-skip , or some marble piece digg'd up in delphos , or els-where in greece . no roman perfumes , buffs or cordovans suppled with amber by moreno's hands : no arras or rich carpets freighted ore the surging seas from asia's doubtful shore . no lyons cub , or beast of strange aspect , which in numidia's fiery womb had slept . no old toledo blades , or damaskins ; no pistols , or some rare-spring'd carrabi●● . no spanish ginet , or choice stallion sent . from naples , or hot africs continent . in fine , i nothing found i could descry worthy the hands of caesar or his ey . my wits were at a stand , when lo , my muse ( none of the quire , but such as they do use for laundresses or handmaids of mean rank , i knew sometimes on po and isis bank ) did softly buz , — muse. — then let me something bring may hanfel the new-year to charles my king , may usher in bifronted janus . poet. thou fond fool-hardy muse , thou silly thing which 'mongst the shrubs & reeds dost use to sing , dar'st thou perk up , and the tall cedar clime , and venture on a king with gingling rime ? though all thy words wer perls , and letters gold , and cut in rubies , or cast in a mould of diamonds , yet still thy lines would be too mean a gift for such a majesty . muse. i 'le try , and hope to pass without disdain , in new-years-gifts the mind stands for the 〈◊〉 the sophy , finding t was well meant , did do●g● few drops of running-water from a swain . then sure , 't wil please my leige if i him bring some gentle drops from the castalian spring . though rarities i want of such account , yet have i something on the forked mount . 't is not the first , or third access i made to caesars feet , and thence departed glad : for as the sun with his male heat doth render nile's muddy slime fruitful , and apt t' engender and daily to produce new kind of cretures of various shapes , and thousand differing featu● so is my fancie quickned by the glance of his benign aspect and countenance , it makes me pregnant , and to superfaete , such is the vigour of his beams and heat . once in a vocal forrest i did sing , and made the oak to stand for charles my king the best of trees , whereof ( it is no vant ) the greatest schools of europe sing and chant . there you shall also finde dame aretine , great henries daughter , and great britains queen ; her name engraven in a lawrel tree , and so transmitted to eternity ; for now i hear that grove speaks besides mine , the language of the loire , the po , and rhine ; and to my prince ( my sweet black prince ) of late i did a youthful subject dedicate : nor do i doubt but that in time my trees will yeild me fruit to pay apollo's fees , to offer up whole hecatombs of praise to caesar , if on them he cast his raies : and if my lamp have oyl , i may compile the modern annals of great albions isle , to vindicate the truth of charles his raign from scribling pamphletors , who story stain with loose imperfect passages , and thrust lame things upon the world , t'ane up in trust . i have had audience ( in another strain ) of europes greatest kings , when german main , and the cantabrian waves i cross'd , i drank of tagus , seine , and sate at tibers bank : through scylla and carybdis i have steer'd , where restless aetna belching flames appeer'd . by greece , once pallas garden , then 〈◊〉 ▪ now all ore-spread with ignorance and 〈◊〉 : nor hath fair europe her vast bounds throughout , an academe of note i found not out . but now , i hope , in a successful prore , the fates have fix'd me on sweet englands shore ; and by these various wandrings tru i found , earth is our common mother , evry ground may be ones country , for by birth each man is in this world a cosmopolitan , a free-born burgess , and receivs thereby his denization from nativity . nor is this lower world but a huge inn , and men the rambling passengers , wherein some , warm lodgings find , and that as soon as out of natures clossets they see noon , and find the table ready laid ; but some must for their commons trot , and trudge for room : with easie pace some clime promotions hill ; some in the dale , do what they can , stick still : some through false glasses fortune smiling spy , who still keeps off , though she appears hard by : some like the ostrich with their wings do flutter , but cannot fly or soar above the gutter : some quickly fetch , and double good-hopes cape ; some nere can do 't , though the same course they shape : so that poor mortals are so many balls toss'd some ore line , some under fortunes walls . and it is heavens high plesure man shouldly obnoxious to this partiality , that by industrious ways he should contend natures short pittance to improve and mend . now industry nere fail'd at last t' advance her patient sons above the reach of chance . poet. but wihther rov'st thou thus — ? well , since i see thou art so strongly bent , and of a gracious look so confident ; go , and throw down thy self at caesars feet , and in thy best attire thy soveraign greet : go , an auspicious and most blissful year wish him , as ere shin'd ore this hemisphear ; good may the entrance , better the middle be , and the conclusion best of all the three . of joy ungrudg'd may each day be a debter , and evry morn still usher in a better ; may the soft-gliding nones , and evry ide , with all the calends , still some good betide ; may cynthia with kind looks , and phoebus rays one clear his nights , the other gild his days : free limbs , unphysik'd health , due appetite , which no sawce els but hunger may excite : sound sleeps , green dreams be his , which represent symptomes of health , and the next days content : chearful and vacant thoughts , not always bound to councel , or in deep idea's drown'd : ( though such late traverses and tumults might turn to a lump of care , the airiest wight . ) and since while fragile flesh doth us array , the humours still are combating for sway ( which , were they free of this reluctancie , and counter-pois'd , man wold immortal be . ) may sanguin ore the rest predominate in him , and their malignant flux abate . may his great queen , in whose imperious ey reigns such a world of winning majesty like the rich olive , or falernian vine , swell with more gems of cions masculine : and as her fruit sprung from the rose and luce , ( the best of stems earth yet did ere produce ) is ti'd already by a sanguin lace , to all the kings of europes high-born race ; so may they shoot their youthful branches ore the surging seas , and graff with evry shore . may home-commerce and trade encrease from far , that both the indies meet within his bars , and bring in mounts of coin his mints to feed , and banquers ( trafics chief supporters ) breed , which may enrich his kingdoms , court & town , and ballast still the coffers of the crown : for kingdoms are as ships , the prince his chests the ballast , which if empty , when distrest with storms , their holds are lightly trimm'd , the keel can run no steady course , but toss and reel . may his imperial chamber always ply to his desires her wealth to multiply , that she may prize his royal favours more then all the wares fetch'd from the great mogor . may the grand senate , with the subjects right , put in the counter-scale the regal might the flowres o' th' crown , that they may prop each other , and like the grecians twin live , love together : for the chief glory of a peeple is the power of their king , as theirs is his. may he be still within himself at home , that no just passion make the reson roam : yet passions have their turns to rouse the soul , and stir her slumb'ring spirits , not controul . for as the ocean beside ebb and flood ( which natures greatest clerk ne're understood ) is not for sail , if an impregning wind fill not the flagging canvas ; so a mind too calm , is not for action , if desire heats not its self at passions quickning fire : for nature is allow'd sometimes to muster her passions , so they onely blow , not blus●er . may justice still in her true scales appear , and honour fix'd in no unworthy sphear , unto whose palace all access shold have through vertues temple , not through pluio's 〈◊〉 . may his tru subjects hearts be his chief fo●● ▪ their purse his tresure , and their love his 〈◊〉 their prayers as sweet incence to draw down myriads of blessings on his queen and crown . and now that his glad presence did asswage that fearful tempest in the north did rage : may those frog-vapours in the irish sky be scatter'd by the beams of majesty , that the hybernian lyre give such a sound , may on our coasts with joyful eccho's bound . and when this fatal planet leaves to lowr , which too too long on monarchies doth powr his direful influence , may peace once more descend from heaven on our tottering shore , and ride in triumph both on land and main , and with her milk-white steeds draw charles his wain : that so for those saturnian times of old , an age of perl may come in lieu of gold. vertu still guide his course ; and if there be a thing as fortune him accompany . may no ill genius haunt him , but by 's side the best protecting-angel ever bide . may he go on to vindicate the right of holy things , and make the temple bright , to keep that faith , that sacred truth entire , which he receiv'd from solomon his sire : and since we all must hence by th' ir'n decree stamp'd in the black records of destiny , late may his life , his glory nere wear out , till the great year of plato wheel about . before the history of naples , called , partheno●e , or , the virgin-city . salve parthenope , decora salve . parthenope , a city bright as gold , or if the earth could bear a richer mold , is come to greet great britain , ( queen of iles ) and to exchange some silks for wool : she smiles to find that cloath shold wear and feel so fine as do her grograns ; she doth half repine that lemsters ore , and spires of fallow'd grass the leafs of mulberries should so surpass which so abound in her , with evry thing which pleasure , wealth , or wonderment can bring , that nature seems to strive how she shold please herself , or vs with rare varieties . there her own eawd to be she may be said , as if the wanton with her self she plaid . let england then strow rushes all the way to welcome in the fair parthenopay : for i dare say , she never yet came ore in such a garb to visit any shore . of the most curious gardens , groves , mounts , arbours , &c. contriv'd , and lately made by the lord vicount killmorry , at dutton-hall in cheshire . a prosopopoeia to cheshire . cheshire , thou shire of men , of mines & mounts , of squires and barons , palatines and counts , of curious groves and arbours , walks & woods , prophetique trees and castles , founts and floods , of stately dee , whereon in times of yore , four kings an english monarch row'd ashore . dee who runs sporting through thy wanton vale ▪ descending proudly from high-crested wales . more rarities thou hast , could they be told then once thy roman legion was of old ; which here i will not venture to inclose , th' are fitter for a volume in rich prose . but now , 'mong thy choice landskips dutt●●-h●ll , for mount , grove , arbour , well , surpasseth all . killmorry mount with morhalls grove , ann's well , and dutton arbour bear away the bell ; a mount , which all the muses might invite , and make them parnasse-hill abandon quite . a grove , which chaste diana with her train , and all the nymphs of greece might entertain a well for vertue , which defiance bids to all , except her neighbour winefrids whose rare sanative waters are so pure that sundry sorts of maladies can cure . oh , could they cure the madness that now raigns , the odd vertigo which distracts the brains of many thousands , that lycanthropy , turns men to wolfs by strange transformity ! a transformation england never knew , till she brought forth this hell-bred ugly crew ; such a prodigious metamorphosis , poor baffled england never felt like this . and as this princely seat so much excels , so do the lord and lady who there dwells ; a brave wise peer , a gallant fruitful dame ; both of a taintless and far-spreading fame , bless'd with an off-spring numerous and fair ; the gerards hence , the needhams have an heir , and duttons too : three ancient families from this prolifique hall now have their rise . in sum : this noble lady and her peer , of any earthly mortals come most neer , in point of happiness and state of bliss , to those white souls who peeple paradis . before that exquisit large peece , a survay of the city and signory of venice . could any state on earth immortal be , venice by her rare government is she . venice , great neptunes minion , still a maid , though by the warlik'st potentats essay'd , yet she retains her virgin-water pure , nor any forraign mixtures can endure , though , syren-like , on shore and sea , her face enchants all those whom once she doth embrace . nor is there any can her beauty prize but he who hath beheld her with his eyes . these following leaves display , if well observ'd , how she so long her maiden-head preserv'd , how for sound prudence she still bore the bell , whence may be drawn this high-fetch'd parallel : venus and venice are , great queens in their degree ; venus is queen of love , venice of policy . a fit of mortification . . weak crazy mortal , why dost fear to leave this earthly hemisphear ? where all delights away do pass like thy effigies in a glass , each thing beneath the moon is frail and fickle ; death sweeps away what time cuts with his sickle . . this life at best is but an inn , and we the passengers , wherein the cloth is laid to some , before they peep out of dame natures dore , and warm lodgings find , others there are must trudge to find a room , and shift for fare . . this life 's at longest but one day : he who in youth posts hence away leaves us i' th' morn ; he who who hath run his race till manhood , parts at noon ; and who at seventy odd forsakes this light , he may be said to take his leave at night . . one paest makes up the prince and peasan , though one eat roots , the other feasan : they nothing differ in the stuff , but both extinguish like a snuff . why then , fond man , shold thy soul take dismay to sally out of these gross walls of clay ? a lovers protestation . first shall the heavens bright lamp forget to shine , the stars shall from the azur'd sky decline : first shall the orient with the west shake hand , the centre of the world shall cease to stand : first wolves shall ligue with lambs , the dolphins fly , the lawyer and physitian fees deny : the thames with tagus shall exchange her bed , my mistriss locks with mine shall first turn red : first heaven shall lie below , and hell above , ere i inconstant to my delia prove . vpon himself , having been buried alive for many years in the prison of the fleet , by the state or long parliament for his loyalty . here lies intomb'd a walking thing , whom fortune , with the state did fling between these walls . why ? ask not that ; they both being blind , know not for what ▪ a gradual hymn of a double cadence , tending to the honour of the holy name of god. . let the vast universe , and therein evry thing the mighty acts rehearse of their immortal king , his name extol , what to nadir , from zenith stir , 'twixt pole and pole. . ye elements that move , and alter evry hour , yet herein constant prove , and symbolize all four : his praise to tell , mix all in one , for air and tone , to sound this peal . . earth , which the centre art , and onely standest still , yet move , and bear thy part , resound with ecchoes shrill . thy mines of gold , with precious stones , and unions , his fame uphold . . let all thy fragrant flowers grow sweeter by this air ; thy tallest trees and bowers bud forth and blossom fair : beasts wild and tame , whom lodgings yeild , house , dens or field , collaud his name . . ye seas with earth that make one globe flow high , and swell , exalt your makers name , in deep his wonders tell : leviathan , and what doth swim neer bank of brim , his glory scan . . ye airy regions all , joyn in a sweet concent , blow such a madrigal may reach the firmament : winds , hail , ice , snow , and perly drops that hang on crops , his wonders show . . pure element of fire , with holy sparks inflame this sublunary quire , that all one consort frame . their spirits raise to trumpet forth their makers worth , and sound his praise . . ye glorious lamps that roul in your coelestial sphears , all under his controul , who you on poles up-bears ; him magnifie , ye planets bright , and fixed lights that deck the skie . . o heav'n chrystalline , which by the watry hue dost temper and refine the rest in azur'd blue : his glory sound , thou first mobeel , which mak'st all wheel in circle round . . ye glorious souls who raign in sempiternal joy , free from that flesh and pain , which here did you annoy , and him behold , in whom all bliss concentred is ; his laud unfold . . bless'd maid which dost surmount all saints and seraphims , and raign'st as paramount , and chief of cherubims ; chaunt out his praise , who in thy womb nine moneths took room , though crown'd with rays . . oh let my soul and heart , my mind and memory bear in this hymn a part , and joyn with earth and sky . let evry wight , the whole world ore , laud and adore the lord of light. vpon a beutiful valentine . a sonnet . could i charm the queen of loves to lend a quill of her white doves , o● one of cupids pointed wings , lipt in the fair castalian springs : then wold i write the all-divine perfections of my valentine . as mongst all flowers the rose excels , as amber ▪ mongst the fragrant'st smells , as mongst all minerals the gold , as marble mongst the finest mold , as diamonds mongst jewels bright , as cynthia mongst the lesser lights ; so mong the northern beauties shine , so far excels my valentine . in rome and naples i did view faces of coelestial hue ; venetian dames i have seen many , ( i onely saw them , touch'd not any ) of spanish beauties , dutch and french i have beheld the quintessence ; yet saw i none that could out-shine , or parallel my valentine . th' italians they are coy and quaint , but they grosly daub and paint ; the spanish kind are apt to please , but sav'ring of the same disease ; of dutch and french some few are comely , the french are light , the dutch are homely : let tagus , po , the loire and rhine then vail unto my valentine . here may be seen pure white and red , not by feign'd art , but nature wed ; no simpering smiles , no mimic face , affected jesture , or forc'd face : a fair-smooth front , free from least wrinkle , her eyes ( oy me ) like stars do twinkle . thus all perfections do combine to beutifie my valentine . vpon black eyes , and becoming frowns . a sonnet . black eyes , in your dark orbs doth lie my ill or happy destiny : if with clear looks you me behold , you give me mines and mounts of gold ; if you dart forth disdainful rays , to your own dy you turn my days . black eyes , in your dark orbs by changes dwell my bane or bliss , my paradis or hell. that lamp which all the stars doth blind , yeilds to your lustre in some kind , though you do wear to make you bright no other dress but that of night . he glitters onely in the day , you in the dark your beams display . black eyes , in your two orbs by changes dwell my bane or bliss , my paradis or hell. the cunning thief that lurks for prize , at some dark corner watching lies : so that heart-robbing god doth stand in your black lobbies shaft in hand , to rifle me of what i hold ▪ more precious far then indian gold. black eyes , in your dark orbs by changes dwell my bane or bliss , my paradis or hell. o powerful negromantic eyes , who in your circles strictly pries , will find that cupid with his dart in you doth practise the black art ; and by those spells i am possest , tries his conclusions in my brest . black eyes , in your dark orbs by changes dwell my bane or bliss , my paradis or hell. look on me , though in frowning wise ; some kind of frowns become black eyes as pointed diamonds being set , cast greater lustre out of jet : those pieces we esteem most rare which in night-shadows postur'd are : darkness in churches congregats the sight devotion straies in glaring light . black eyes , in your dark orbs by changes dwell my bane or bliss , my paradis or hell. vpon clorinda's mask . so have i seen the sun in his full pride ore-cast with sullen clouds , and loose his light : so have i seen the brightest stars denide to shew their lustre in some gloomy night : so angels pictures have i seen vail'd ore , that more devoutly men should them adore : so with a mask i saw clorinda hide her face more bright then was the lemnian bride . vpon dr. davies british-grammar . 't was a rough task , believe it , thus to tame a wild and wealthy language , and to frame grammatic toiles to curb her , so that she now speaks by rules , and sings by prosodie : such is the strength of art rough things to shape , and of rude commons rich inclosures make . doubtless much oyl and labour went to couch into methodic rules the rugged dutch : the rabbies pass my reach , but judge i can something of clenard and quintilian ; and for those modern dames i find they three are onely lops cut from the latian tree ; and easie 't was to square them into parts , the tree it self so blossoming with arts. i have been shewn for irish and bascuence , imperfect rules couch'd in an accidence : but i find none of these can take the start of davies , or that prove more men of art , who in exacter method and clear way , the idioms of a language do display . this is the toung the birds sung in of old , and druyds their dark knowledg did unsold : merlin in this his prophecies did vent , which through the world of fame bear such extent . this spoak that son of mars , that britain bold who first 'mongst christian-worthies is inroll'd : this brennus , who , to his desire and glut , this mistress of the world did prostitut . this arviragus and king catarac sole free , when all the world was on romes rack . this lucius who on angels wings did soar to rome , and would wear diadem no more . with thousand hero's more , which shold i tell , this new-year scarce wold serve me : so fare well ▪ upon christmas-day . . hail holy tide , wherein a bride , a virgin ( which is more ) brought forth a son , the like was done nere in the world before . . hail , spotless maid : who thee upbraid to have been born in sin , do little weigh what in thee lay , before thou didst lie-in . . three moneths thy wombe was made the dome of him , whom earth nor air , nor the vast mold of heaven can hold , cause he 's vbiquitair . . o would he daign to rest and raign l'th' centre of my heart , and make it still his domicil , and residence in part . . but in so foul a cell can he abide to dwell ? yes , when he please to move his harbenger to sweep the room , and with rich odours it perfume of faith , of hope , of love. vpon my honoured friend and f. mr. ben. johnson . and is thy glass run out ? is that oyl spent which light to such strong sinewy labours well ben , i now perceive that all the nine , lent ? though they their utmost forces shold combine , cannot prevail 'gainst nights three daughters , but one still must spin , one twist , the other cut : yet in despight of distaff , clue , and knife , thou in thy strenuous lines hast got a life ; which like thy bays shall flourish evry age while sock or buskin shall ascend the stage . — sic vaticinatur j. h. for the admitting mistriss anne king to be the tenth muse. ladies of helicon , do not repine i add one more unto your number nine to make it even : i among you bring no meaner then the daughter of a king ; fair basil-ana : quickly pass your voice , i know apollo will approve the choice , and gladly her install , for i could name some of less merit goddesses became . a hymn to the blessed trinity . to the first person . to thee , dread soveraign , and dread lord , which out of nought didst me afford essence and life , who mad'st me man , and oh , much more a christian : lo , from the centre of my heart , all laud and glory i impart . hallelujah . to the second . to thee blessed saviour who didst free my soul from satans tyranny , and madst her capable to be an angel of thy hierarchy : from the same centre do i raise all honour and immortal praise . hallelujah . to the third . to thee sweet spirit i return that love wherewith my heart doth burn , and these bless'd notions of my brain i now breath up to thee again : o let them redescend , and still my soul with holy raptures fill . hallelujah . a short ejaculation . o god , who can those passions tell wherewith my heart to thee doth swell ? i cannot better them declare then by the wish made by that rare aurelian bishop , who of old thy oracles in hippo told . if i were thou , and thou wert i , i would resigne the deity : thou sholdst be god , i wold be man ; is 't possible that love more can ? oh pardon , that my soul hath tane so high a flight , and grows prophane . a hym● of mortification . . lord i cry , lord i fly to thy throne of grace : this world is irksome unto me : in my mind stings i find of that dismal place , where pains still growing young ner● die . o thou whose clemency reacheth from earth to sky , set my sins from me as wide as is east from the west , or the court of bliss from the infern abyss , so far let us asunder ever bide . . angels blest , with the rest of that heavenly quire , which halleluja's always sing : fain wold i mount on high , and those seats aspire , where evry season is a constant spring . o thou who thought'st no scorn to be in bethlem born , though grand monarch of the sky through a flood of thy blood let me safely dive , and at that port arrive , where i may ever rest from shipwrack free . . faith and hope , take your scope , and my pilots be to waft me to this blisful bay : gently guide through the tide of mans misery , my bark that it loose not the way . when landed i shall be at that port , pardon me if i bid you both farewel , onely love reigns above 'mong coelestial souls , where passion not controuls , nor any thing but charity doth dwell . . lord of light , in thy sight are those mounts of bliss which humane brains transcends so far , ear nor ey can descry , nor heart fully wish , or toungs of men and saints declare those sense-surmounting joys that free from all annoys for those few up-treasur'd lie , which ere sun shone at noon , have their names enroll'd in characters of gold , through the white volume of eternity . a holy raptvre . could i screw up my brain so high with soaring raptures that might fly unto the empirean sky , how would i laud the lord of light , who fills all things , and every wight with plenty , vigour and delight ? my voice with hallelujahs loud shold pierce , and dissipate the clouds , which in the airie region croud . then through the element of fire unto the stars they should aspire , and so to the seraphick quire. thus earth and sky with every thing should joyn with me , and carrols sing unto the everlasting king. an ejaculation to my creator . as the parch'd field doth thirst for rain when the dog-star makes sheep and swain of an unusual drowth complain , so thirsts my heart for thee . as the chac'd deer doth pant and bray after some brook , or cooling bay when hounds have worried her astray , so pants my heart for thee . as the forsaken dove doth mone when her beloved mate is gone , and never rests , while self alone , so mones my heart for thee . or as the teeming earth doth mourn in black ( like lover at an urn ) till titan's quickning beams return , so do i mourn , mone , pant and thirst for thee who art my last and first . vpon a fit of disconsolation , or despondency of spirit . early and late , both night and day , by moon-shine and the suns bright ray , when spangling stars emboss'd the sky , and deck'd the worlds vast canopy , i sought the lord of light and life , but oh my lord kept out of sight . as at all times , so evry place i made my church to seek his face : in forests , chases , parks and wood ▪ on mountains , meadows , fields and 〈◊〉 i sought the lord of life and light ▪ but still my lord kept out of sight . on neptun's back , when i could see but few pitch'd planks 'twixt death and me , in freedom and in bondage long , with groans and cries , with pray'r and song , i sought the lord of life and light , but still my lord kept out of sight . in chamber , closet , ( swoln with tears ) ● sent up vows for my arrears ; in chappel , church and sacrament , ( the souls ambrosian nourishment ) i sought the lord of life and light , but still my lord kept out of sight . what ? is mild heaven turn'd to brass , that neither sigh nor sob can pass ? is all commerce 'twixt earth and sky cut off from adams progeny ? that thus the lord of life and light should so , so long keep out of sight ? such passions did my mind assail , such terrours did my spirits quail , when lo , a beam of grace shot out through the dark clouds of sin and doubt , which did such quickning sparkles dart , that pierc'd the centre of my heart . o how my spirits came again , how evry cranny of my brain was fill'd with heat and wonderment , with●joy and ravishing content , when thus the lord of life and light did re-appeer unto my sight ? learn sinners hence , 't is nere too late . to knock and cry at heavens gate ; that begger 's bless'd who doth not faint , but re-inforceth still his plaint : the longer that the lord doth hide his face , more bright will be his after-beams of grace . vpon the most noble work of the lo. mar. of winchester , by rendring the french gallery of ladies into english. . the world of ladies must be honour'd much , that so sublime a personage , that such a noble peer , and pen should thus display their vertues , and expose them to the day . . his praises are like those coruscant beams vvhich phoebus on high rocks of crystal streams : the matter and the agent grace each other : so danae did when jove made her a mother . . queens , countesses and ladies go , unlock your cabinets , draw forth your richest stock of jewels , and his coronet adorn vvith rubies , perl , and saphyres yet unworn . . rise early , gather flow'rs now in the spring , twist wreaths of laurel , and fresh garlands bring to crown the temples of this high-born peer , and make him your apollo ▪ all the yeer . and when his soul shall leave this earthly mine , then offer sacrifice unto his shrine . vpon the untimely death of the lord fra. villars , kill'd neer kingston upon thames . here lies a noble posthumus inhum'd , vvhose youthful breath that sanguin field perfum'd where while his heart with martial flames did swell , among a cru of cannibals he fell . such a hard destiny did post from hence his gallant sire , yet with this difference : one assassin fell'd him , but this brave spray base rebels in whole throngs did rend away . vpon the holy sacrament . . hail holy sacrament , the worlds great vvonderment , mysterious banquet , much more rare then manna , or the angels fare ; each crum , though sinners on thee feed , doth cleopatra's perl exceed . oh how my soul doth hunger , thirst and pine after these cates so precious , so divine ! . she need not bring her stool as some unbidden fool ; the master of this heavenly feast invites and wooes her for his guest : though deaf and lame , forlorn and blind , yet welcome here she 's sure to find , so that she bring a vestment for the day , and her old tatter'd rags throw quite away . . this is bethsaida's pool that can both clense and cool poor leprous and diseased souls , an angel here keeps and controuls , descending gently from the heavens above to stir the waters ; may he also move my mind , and rockie heart so strike and rend , that tears may thence gush out with them to blend . a divine ejacvlation . as to the pole the lilly bends in a sea-compass , and still tends by a magnetic mystery unto the artic point in sky , whereby the doubtful piloteer his course in gloomy nights doth steer ; so the small needle of my heart moves to her maker , who doth dart atomes of love , and so attracts all my affections , which like sparks fly up , and guide my soul by this to the tru centre of her bliss . of the scene , and ingenious composure of a florentine tragi-comedy . florence 'mong cities bears the name of fair for streets and stately structures , site & air : a city , as a late historian says , fit onely to be seen on holy-days . she breeds great wits for high attempts and trust , though often bent on black revenge and lust , we know the purest streams have woose and slime , so vices mix with vertu in this clime ; and there are store of stories in that kind , which as i write , come crowding to my mind : but this of yours will serve for all , which is compil'd with so much art , that doubtful 't is vvhether the toscan actors shew'd more wit in plotting , as you did in penning it . vpon the poems of dr. aylet , an ancient master of the chancery . though the castalian dames ( and all the rest of women-kind ) love youthful spirits best , yet i have known them oftentimes inspire autumnal brains with heats of enthean fire : nay , 't is observ'd in those whom phoebus loves , the more the sense impairs , the soul improves ; he darts on aged trees so bright a stroke , as on the standel of a lustie oke . this work of yours , this mirrour of your minde , is a clear proof hereof , wherein i finde your autumn , spring , and summer still the same , your evening , morn and noon have the like flame of apollinean fire , in such degree may melt the readers into poesie : your fancie with the leaf doth neither fall nor fade , but still is sappy , streight and tall . here are no whimsies , and strong lines that swell , and more of garlick then the lamp do smell ; such as those rambling rimers use to vent , who raise their muse on stilts , and not content to tread on earth , do mount so high a stair , that their conceits prove non-sense , froth and air. here 's no such stuff , but substance and rare sense , sound rules and precepts may be cull'd out hence : your quadrains symphonize with pybracks strains , as if his soul were transient in your brains . your smooth just cadencies , and gentle verse , suit with the pious matter you rehearse , as all will judge , who have their brains well knit , and do not love extravagance of wit. if such your readers be , you need not fly from any sentence to the chancery . the description of a morning expergefaction , after an unusual dream or vision . . so rest to motion , night to day doth yeild , silence to noise , the stars do quit the field , my cinq ports all fly ope , the phantasie gives way to outward objects , ear and eye resume their office , so doth hand and lip ; i hear the carmans wheel , the coachmans whip . the prentice ( with my sense ) his shop unlocks , the milk-maid seeks her pail , porters their frocks ▪ all cries and sounds return , except one thing i hear no bell for mattins toll or ring . being thus awak'd , and staring on the light which silver'd all my face and glaring sight , i clos'd my eyes again , to recollect what i had dreamt , and make my thoughts reflect upon themselves , which here i do expose to evry knowing soul : and may all those ( whose brains apollo with his gentle ray hath moulded of a more refined clay ) that read this dream , thereby such profit reap as i did plesure ; then they have it cheap . est sensibilium simia somnium , j. h. to mrs . e. b. vpon a sudden surprisal . a pelles , prince of painters , did all others in that art exceed ▪ but you surpass him , for he took some pains and time to draw a look ; you in a trice and moments space , have pourtray'd in my heart your face . vpon the nativity of our saviour , christmas-day . . wonder of wonders , earth with sky time mingleth with eternity , and matter with immensity . . the sun becomes an atom , and a star turns to a candle to light kings from far to see a spectacle so wondrous rare . . a virgin bears a son , that son doth bear a world of sin , acquitting mans arrear since guilty adam fig-tree leaves did wear . . a majesty both infinit and just offended was , therefore the offering must be such , to expiat frail flesh and dust . . when no such victime could be found throughout the whole expansive round of heaven , of air , of sea or ground , . the prince of life himself descends to make astraea full amends , and human soul from hell defends . . was ever such a love as this , that the eternal heir of bliss should stoop to such a low abyss ? to my dear mother , the vniversity of oxford , before mr. cartwrights poems of christ-church . . alma mater , many do suck thy breasts , but now in some thy milk turns into froth , and spumy scum ▪ in others it converts to rheum and fleam , or some poor wheyish stuff in steed of cream . in some it doth malignant humors breed , and make the head turn round , ( as that side tweed ) which humors vaporing up into the brains , break out to odd fanatik sottish strains ; it makes them dote and rave , fret , fume and foam , and strangely from the text in pulpits roam : when they shold preach of rheims , they prate of rome ; their theme is birch , their preachment is of brome ▪ nor mong thy foorders onely such are found , but who came ore the bridge are much more round . some of thy sons prove bastards , sordid , base , who having suck'd thee throw dirt in thy face : when they have squeez'd thy nipples and chaste paps , they dash thee on the nose with frumps and raps ▪ they grumble at thy commons , buildings , rents , and wold thee bring to farthing decrements . few by the milk sound nutriment now gain , for want of good concoction from the brain . but this choice son of thine is no such brat ; thy milk in him did so coagulat , that it became elixir , as we see , in these smooth streams of fluent poesie . to the rarely ingenious mrs . a. weemes , vpon her supplement to sir philip sydneys arcadia . if a male soul by transmigration can pass to a female , and her spirits man , then sure some sparks of sydneys soul hath flown into your breast , which may in time be blown to flames ; for 't is the course of enthean fire to kindle by degrees , and brains inspire : as buds to blossoms , blossoms turn to fruit , so wits ask time to ripen and recruit . but yours gives time the start , as all may see in this smooth peece of early poesie : which like sparks of one flame may well aspire , if phoebus please , to a sydneyan fire . a sudden rapture vpon the horrid murthering of his late majesty . so fell great britains oke by a wild crew of mongrel shrubs which underneath him grew ; so fell the lyon by a pack of curs , so the rose wither'd twixt a knot of burs . so fell the eagle by a swarm of gnats , so the whale perish'd 'twixt a shoal of sprats . an epitaph vpon charles the first . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . if to subdu himself , if to obtain a conquest ore the passions , be to raign , here lies the greatest king , ( who can say more ? ) of all can come behind , or went before . vpon a cupboard of venice-glasses , sent for a new-years-gift to a choice lady . madame , if on this new-years-gift you cast an eye , you plainly may therein at once descry a twofold quality ; for there will appear a brittle substance , but the object clear . so in the donor , madame , you may see these qualities inherent for to be : his pow'r which brittle little is , helas , his mind sincere , and pure as any glass . the old philospher did wish there were a window in his heart of chrystal clear , through which his friends might the more clearly see his inward passions , and integrity . i wish the like , for then you sure wold rest of my clear mind , and motions of my brest . but if it question'd be to what intent with venice-glasses i do you present , i answer , that i could no gift perceive so fit for me to give , you to receive : for those rare graces that in you excel , and you that hold them , one may parallel unto a venice-glass , which as 't is clear , and can admit no poyson to come near , so vertu dwells in you , nor can endure that vice shold harbour in a brest so pure . a passionat elegie vpon his long-endeared friend , daniel caldwal esq a heart high swoln with grief in this sad verse , le ts fall these brackish tears upon thy herse , distill'd from that pure salt of long-bred love , which twice ten summers did betwixt us move . o how my soul doth melt when my thoughts run upon those days our friendship first begun among the muses on fair isis banks , where youth doth play so many sportful pranks ; when liberty ore-aw'd by tutors frown , and mirth half-stoln is far more pleasing known . from isis to the thames affections flew , and with new sparks of love still hotter grew : nere damon to his pythias prov'd more dear then dan to me ; nere shin'd their love more clear . those twins which now in azur'd skies do glide , and pilots through rough neptun's surges guide . our souls did seem to one another pass by transmigration ; an elizium was there where we met : we did so sympathize , that hearts seem'd to make sallies through the eys . thus liv'd we long , till all-disposing fate to check this friendship us did separate , put seas between us , many thousand mile thrice cut me from my dan and albions ile . yet , ma●gre this large distance we did meet , and still by internuntial letters greet . the horizon of love is large , he spies his wished object wheresoere it lies , from pole to pole , from thule unto gades , he flying soars through air , through seas he wade● . this found i tru , when tagus , loire and po , clowd-threatning alps , and pyrenean snow i cross'd , me thought the further still i steer'd my dan still nearer to my mind appeer'd ; my thoughts by day , my phantasie by night would frequently convay him to my sight : i miss'd , and found him ; miss'd him to the eye , yet found him in my brest still constant lie ; and by this miss , that axiom tru did note , sometimes love's sweetest when 't is most remote . o how my thoughts kept festival that day did letters from my dan to me convay ; letters which i shall keep as sacred ties , as holy reliques , or rich legacies . dear quintessential mate , what can express the deep-fetch'd sighs my trembling heart possess ! silence best can : how roars the shallow source , while without noise great rivers run their course ? small love doth speak , and is sometimes acute , while deep affection stunn'd with grief stands mute . but is dan dead ? oh no , now he begins to live , he 's got among the seraphins : where he doth nectar quaff with glory crown'd , while his sad spouse still bears his deaths deep wound in her chast brest , and heart big-swoln with woes , more dolorous then all her childbed throes . farewel , dear soul , raign in elyzian bliss , and take this pure untainted sacrifice , which on love's altar doth like incense flame to thy still-fragrant memory and fame . farewel , until we meet , and make in sky among the stars another gemini . an elegie vpon his tomb in horndon-hill church , erected by his wife , who speaks , take , gentle marble to thy trust , and keep untouch'd this sacred dust ▪ grow moist sometimes , that i may see thou weep'st in sympathy with me ; and when by him i here shall sleep , my ashes also safely keep , and from rude hands preserve vs both , until we rise to sion mount from horndon-hill . sent with a prayer-book to a pious lady . madame , what i by way of token send , you may by way of sacrifice to heav'n convay , and to an off'ring turn my gift , more dear to god then piles of frankincense and myrr . but when for others you to him direct your prayers , let your thoughts sometimes reflect to delia . about the light as the poor fly doth flutter and approach so nigh , till up and down as she still skips , her lawny wings with fire she clips : so my affection bout the eyes of heart-inflaming delia flyes ; till phoenix-like they into ashes burn , and new affections still rise from their vrn. a sudden specvlation beyond the seas . although my body many thousand mile be distant from sweet albions woolly i le , yet neither land nor sea , nor air nor wind , nor heav'n it self , can keep from thence my mind ; but that each moment of the fleeting day , my thoughts to england may themselfs convay . of female hypocrisie , in a short dialog twixt dion and thyrsis . dion . thyrsis , i stand amaz'd how nature could compose a fabrick of so rich a mould , that outwardly looks like a seraphin , but a megera if you pry within . thyrsis . whom mean you , dion , that you thus descry by such gross taintures of hypocrisie ? for hence you must infer that nature's blind , or els she must be partial in her kind . dion . o thyrsis , if that saint-like fiend you knew , that sowr-sweet , real , yet dissembling hue of livia , sure you wold be chang'd to wonder , that nature in her works should so much blunder . her eyes are like those heaven twins , except that of themselfs they shine , not by reflect , wherein through crystal casements one may spy the queen of love seated in majesty . her forehead as the marble smooth and plain , her cheeks alike , but that half dy'd in grain : her tresses might serve for a net to take a hermit , or an angel captive make . a smile to move a stoik , a voice so shrill , that all arcadia wold with eccho's fill : a sweeter breath never perfum'd the air ; least touch of lip would a dead corps repair . these are perfections in exterior shew ; but if her inward qualities you knew , what you ador'd before you would detest , turn love to hate , ( or pity at the least . ) her breast ' s a shop of fraud , her heart a mill that restless thoughts do grind to wound or kill . her brain 's a still that at all hours doth strain destructive cruel notions of disdain . her eyes are windows of false lights , and cries , her toung a flap of perjury and lyes ; her chin is double like her heart ; her cheeks have pits , as 't were to bury whom she seeks for to destroy . — thyrsis . is 't possible so fair a bark shold hide so black a trunk , or so much ill shold bide in such seraphik beuties ? shells of gold , can they within such rotten kernels hold ? can in smooth gliding streams carybdies dwell ? or in one place cohabit heav'n and hell ? can livia be so beuteous to th' eyes , and lodg within such foul deformities ? dion . 't is so : whence i infer how tru i find , no trust is to be put in woman-kind . of some , who blending their brains together , plotted how to bespatter one of the muses choicest sons and servants , sir will. davenant , knight and poet. poets like princes may denounce a war , they may like common mortals clash and jar , turn privat feuds to publick , and asperse ( justly sometimes ) each others muse and verse . but whoso blurs davenants heroick strains do shew more gall in brest , then wit in brains : their sculls are like a siringe cramm'd with dirt , which as they on some marble pillar spirt , bounds on their grinning faces back again , so doth themselfs more then the marble stain . vpon mr. cleveland . is cleveland dead ? and will not the whole quire of muses mourn , and put on black attire ? nay , their great god apollo shold me thinks wear sable too , and dart his rays through chinks . is cleveland gone ? sure in this long-north-wind some scottish witch convey'd her imps to find him out , and in revenge made league with death to murther him so soon , and stop his breath : yet had his body match'd his wit in might , he had in pure clear strength put both to flight . one thing i do admire , we have no more of that large stock the stars gave him in store ; vvhich could he have bequeath'd by legacy , it equall'd had saint mark 's rich tresury . but my hopes are , that he hath left behind some posthume pieces to enrich mankind , which with th' inspiring odors they will cast , may make new poets , not like him in hast . vpon dr. howel , lord bishop of bristol , who died a little after the putting down of episcopacy . rumpendo in lachrymas facit indignatio versum . o were i raptur'd into verse to write with fury on thy herse , o could i strangle with a wish steel'd clotho , and stern lachesis with their own thred , or cut the life of atropos with her own knife . or could i meet that bald-pate churl , with his all-mowing sith , i 'd hurl , and tumble him , with all the three down to the pit in lieu of thee : so man shold be lord of his age , and free from their tyrannik rage . but much they need not boast , or vaunt to have this saint-like prelat sent unto his grave : for he , good soul , was mortifi'd before , and got almost in sight of heav'ns bless'd shore ▪ he might be call'd during his lifes short span terrestrial angel , or coelestial man. but oh , it is not he who di'd alone , for prelacy herself with him is gone : englands whole hierarchy ( sad tale to tell ) at the same time did breathe her last , and fell . . before the second part of dodonas grove . from the pure air of greece , the ancient nource of learning , and philosophy's chief source , dodona sends her trees to re-salute the queen of iles ; they all this while stood mute , and muffled in a close unlucky fog , that the whole grove appear'd like one great log. vvhen a fresh breeze did blow , and re-inspire their leafs with language like an orphean lyre , to tell the gazing world what a dire stroke , or fatal clap of thunder crush'd the oke ; how all the shrubs grew wood , and strangely mad , as if some hemlock them intoxed had : and how the thistle that blue round-top'd weed did by his prickles all these mischiefs breed . if in this bleaker air dodona finds to nip her buds any malignant winds , she quickly can transplant without despair , to shoot her blossoms in some gentler air. the conclusion of the second part of dodonas grove . thus far have we pursu'd the doubtful fate of the druinian oke , and tott'ring state , when the first northern blasts upon him blew , which such a world of mischiefs with them drew . dodona next shall trembling tell vvhat a sad period him befel ; how , to mankinds eternal wonder , his trunk from top was cleft asunder . vvhence kings may learn , that by this blow , they are made all plebeans now . to my most endeared r. altham , esq rare youth , i stand astonish'd at thy wit , so quaint , so pregnant , and so full of sp'rit ; as if the thespian dames for a new mate , another young apollo would create . those few castalian drops which once i drank at aganippes honey-suckled bank , are now exhansted much by long disuse ; by cares and cumbers , travels far , my muse is dull'd , but yours more ripe , and perfect grows , now yours doth knot , now your invention flows . o how those golden days did sweetly shine , vvhen contubernal love did us combine ! vvhen with encircling arms i fast would keep , and with old stories lull us both asleep . but that tim 's past , and passeth still , that time vvold scarce permit me to make up my rime . vpon a new-fashion'd table-book , sent him for a token from amsterdam . suppose this book the table be of a cleer heart engag'd to thee , wherein could i so pithy prove , as write the story of our love ; within each leaf i wold infold the brightest characters of gold. but how can such large matter be couch'd in so streight a room by me ? unless i had his art who put great homers iliads in a nut. vpon easter-day . hail , holy morn , the morn that made appear two suns at once above this hemisphear : one , the great eye of the low world , so bright , that it gives evry thing both heat and light ; th' other transcending him in light so far as he excels any inferior star : the sun of righteousness ; he who displays upon the inward man his heav'nly rays . o that those rays wold on my soul reflect by the bless'd influence of his aspect , to penetrat the centre of my heart , and thence exhale all the terrestrial part. a parallel twixt angels and men. that which the smallest fly we see is , if to man it equall'd be , such a proportion man may bear with those of the seraphik sphear . men are at best but earths free-denizens , angels are heav'ns immortal citizens . man hardly on the sun can look , or his coruscant lustre brook : but angels can behold the sight of him who made that sun and light. then what is purblind man , if one shold dare unto a glorious angel him compare ? earth with the sky bears no proportion , 't is but a point of no dimension ; it doth not match , much less exceed the smallest grain of mustard-seed : then what proportion can ( i 'd fain be told ) a human creture with a heavenly hold ? yet let not man dejected be at such a mighty odds , for he is born himself to be in time an angel , and the stars to clime by that immortal soul , and precious guest he lodgeth in his spirits , brain and brest . to my choice , and most endeared friend , mr. r. a. in answer to a poem of his. as when aurora with her cheerful crest mounts our horizon , then both bird & beast renew their vigour ; so your quickning strains my drooping spirits rais'd , and rowz'd my brains : wherein the flames of love such beams did dart , that pierc'd the very centre of my heart . for as my eyes your charming numbers view'd , my lips , me thought , with nectar were bedew'd ; as if thalia from apollo's mount an ode had sent dipp'd in the thespian-fount : each line did lim you out , each word did show this verse , this stile from althams brain did flow . rare flowr of wit , minerva's minion , the muses gem , honors adopted son , what answer shall i make for to express that quintessential love i thee profess ? if letters can by aiery spirits send a distant heart , behold my breast i rend , and send you mine : obuse long ago this purchase you have got , full well you know ; enjoy it still , and as your years accrew , let mutual passions still this love renew this bond of love which fortune , time , ●or fate shall ever cancel till lifes utmost date : but as the amorous vine her elm doth grasp , twine both our souls , and with embraces clasp . vpon this rare erotique subject , the master-piece of love , by mr. loveday . as perl mong gems , so mong the passions love excels , and in the highest orb doth move , her sisters faith and hope attend us here , while through frail elements our course we steer : but love soars with the soul beyond the sky , being imp'd in her to all eternity . but what was here a passion that did burn , and cool by fits , shall there be fix'd , and turn to an angelik nature ever free from all such humours of inconstancy . this author doth that passion so display , and in such high ideas , that he may stand to be chair-man , and so fit above the common masters in the school of love. to his worthy friend , mr. wallan , vpon the view of his astraea . may great apollo , and his charming quire of girls nere more my brain inspire : may i nere fetch more naps on parnasse mount , or drink one drop of the castalian fount , if with astraea i am not so grown in love , that i could wish she were mine own . a pregnant vows for a safe and seasonable delivery to the excellent lady , the lady katherine , marchioness of dorchester . to lucina . hail , gentle goddesse , midwifes queen which pregnant wombs from pain dost free , may thy best care and skill be seen in hastning this delivery , to hansel ( as their hopes are fair ) the princely parents with an heir . may sol at his nativity with venus in conjunction be ; may that auspicious signe then raign which hath dominion ore the brain ( the souls chief palace ) to inspire his intellect with enthean fire . may cynthia then at full appeer , not pale or red , but white and cleer , may thames be at her highest pride , elated with a smooth spring-tide : may the whole region here below with sweet favonian breezes blow . and since the month 's like to be may when ceres looks so fresh and gay , when evry bush doth blossoms bring , and evry bird doth carrols sing : may all these auguries conspire to make the infant like the sire ; and what more happiness then this , can mother hope , or mortal wish ? vpon his majesties return , with the dukes of york and glocester . the stars of late eccentrik went out of the british firmament , but now they are fix'd there again , and all concentred in charles wain ; where , since just heaven did them restore , they shine more glorious then before . long may they glitter in that sky with beams of new refulgency ; may great apollo from his sphear encrease their light , and motions chear , so that old albion may from thence grow younger by their influence . may no ill-boding blazing star , no northern mist , or civil war no lowring planet ever raign their lustre to obscure again , but may whole heav'n be fair and cleer , and evry star a cavaliter . before ohpoao●●a or , the l'arly of beasts . . trees spake before , now the same strength of art makes beasts to cun the alphabet by heart , and cut their breaths to sound articulat discoursive congruous accents to prolate : for speech is breath , breath air let in and out , but 't is the mind that brings the work about . such a rare charter the worlds architect vouchsaf'd to give the human intellect to create words : for 't is mankind alone can language frame , and syllabize the tone . but here beasts speak● they mone , chide , cry , complain , and at the bar of justice men arraign : such are our erying sins , that beasts resent our wickedness , and wretched case lament . which shews the world is hectical , and near its great , and fatal climacterik year : the whole cr●●ion mourns , and doth deplore the ruthful state of human kind ; therefore if men cannot be warn'd when men do teach , then let them hearken here what beasts do preach . in formas mutatà novas mens dicere gestit corpora ; & in primas iterum transversa figuras , dii faveant caeptis . an eucharistical rapture , with a gradual hymn to the heavenly hierarchy . natures great god , the cause of causes be ador'd and prais'd to all eternity : that supreme good , that quintessential light , vvhich quickens all that 's hidden or in sight , vvhich breathd in man the intellectual soul , thereby to rule all cretures , and controul . what water , earth , or air produce — the hymn . o holy souls , o heavenly saints , who from corruption , and the taints of flesh and blood , from pain and tears , from pining griefs , and panting fears , and from all passions except love ( which onely raigns with you above ) are now exempt , and made in endless bliss free denizens , and heirs of paradis . o glorious angels , who behold the lord of light from thrones of gold , yet do vouchsafe to look on man , to be his guide and gardian , praying always that he may be partner of your felicity . o blissful saints and angels , may ye still the court of heav'n with hallelujahs fill . seraphik powers , cherubs , throne , vertues , and dominations , supernal principalities , glories , and intelligencies who guide the course of stars in sky , and what in their vast concaves lie , may ye for ever great jehovah's will , and his commands throughout the world fulfil . a●●●●gels , who the most sublime degree 〈◊〉 hold in the ●●lestial hierarchy , and 〈…〉 , and face●lone ●lone the 〈…〉 vision , a joy 〈◊〉 joys else transcends so far as doth the morning s●● the meanest star. archa●gels , angles , sai●es , souls serv'd , may ye still the empyrea●● court with hallelujahs fill . vpon the exquisit romance of the bishop of bellay , made english out of the french , by serjeant-major john wright , my wit lay fallow , and my teeming brain thought to repose a while from any strain of poetizing , till the air of france rowz'd up my fancy by this new romance ; which for variety , for substance , sence , for rich invention , and neat eloquence , and now in point of version may compare with any of this kind though nere so rare . original and coppy co-excel ▪ the prelat and the souldier share the bell : in to●●● they differ , but for mind and will they faithful are to one another still . by this i find , which men do seldome see , the mitre with the helmet may agree . 〈◊〉 mr. 〈◊〉 johnson , vpon his version of pyrander . if 〈…〉 in england chan●e 〈…〉 such welcome as it did in france , t will 〈◊〉 be esteem'd ; nor do i see but it may loc● for like civility : for , neither ●ose nor verse have lost , but won in 〈◊〉 of str●ngth by this traduction . so have i known brisk gascon wines brought ore , and drink f●r better on our english shore . vpon mr. benlowes divine theophi●● poets have differing fires , some spend their stock on the grave buskin , or the mer●y sock . others by 〈◊〉 feet do gently steal into a ladies bosome : o●hers deal with wars , ●nd fing of 〈…〉 knigh●● of their high trophies , 〈…〉 fights : some feed their fancies on th' ar●●●ian plains , and prosti●● their 〈…〉 all th●se 〈…〉 〈…〉 but thy diviner muse mounts to the skies , and heaven fills with holy rapsodies , fit to make hymns for the coelestial quire , and angels with their melody inspire . on doctor charletons learned piece , by proving that stone-henge is a danish-monument , in his new survay . t is hard to cleer old truths , but to unmask an old-grown errour , is a greater task : this you have done , and undeceiv'd mankind of an opinion kept us long so blind . wherefore in this survay by just extent you have made stone-benge your own monument . of mrs. diana bill , born and baptiz'd lately in cane-wood , hard by high-gate . where shold diana properly be born but in a wood ? a wood that thinks it scorn to yeild to tempe , or dodonas grove , which consecrated was to mighty jove : a wood whence great diana's temple may be seen four thousand paces off each day with a huge city , * who her name doth owe unto that goddess , as good stories show . may this new-born diana like cane-wood grow up and taper , germinat and bud ; and in due course of yeers be fitly mand to spread the race of noble westmerland . vpon her majesties days sayling from lisbon to england . great britains queen launching into the deep . from tagus to the thames her court to keep , neptun and eolus , as they joyntly strove to do her homage , fell so far in love vvith her seraphic countenance and grace , that they so long kept her in their embrace . another cause might be why heav'n did please she shold so long stay steering on the seas , that coming to be queen of that great king to whom so many seas allegeance bring , she might some skill in navigation gain , and learn with him how to command the main . vpon the posthume-poems of mr. lovelace . the rose with other fragrant flowrs smell best vvhen they are pluck'd , and worn in hand or brest ; so this fair flowr of vertu , this rare bud of wit , smells now as fresh as when he stood , and in these posthume-poems lets us know that he upon the banks of helicon did grow , the beuty of his soul did correspond with his fair outside , if not go beyond . lovelace the minion of the thespian dames , apollo's darling born with euthean flames , vvhich is his numbers wave , and shine so cleer , as sparks refracted from rich gems appeer such sparks that with their atoms may inspire the reader with a pure poetik fire . vpon the gran climacterik year — . he who nine seven in seven nine years upon his stooping sholders bears , when ore his head the glorious sun about the world his course hath run sixty three times , and on that score hath felt eight hundred moons and more ; 't is time , high time that he shold ply the art of learning how to die , and think all sounds his passing-bell , to bid the lower world farewel . alia desunt . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e a eruditissimus dom ▪ harley scholae hereford . archi-didascalus . b frater nostri jacobi qui episcop . bristoliensis mori●batur . c dendrologia . d therologia . e opus aliud clucubratissimam , cui titulus lexicon tetraglotton . f aliud volumen non minoris molis quam emolumenti . g aliud volumen , pentaglotton proverbiorum . h sobriae ejus inspectiones in actiones longi parlimenti . i directiones peregre proficiscentibus . k hstoria ejus voluminosa venetum . l par etiam neopolitanorum . m aliud etiam volumen de lmper●o germano . n aliud exquisitum volumen de vita ludovici galliae xiii . o aliud nobile volumen cui titulus londinopolis . p aliud opus usus omnifarii , cui titulus epistolae hocllianae . q innuit po●mata ejus in lucem jamjam proditura . r nobilissimus ille nuper edoa●dus dorcestriae comes , s illustrissimus henricus ma●chi● durotrigum ; comes de kingston , &c. & katharinae filiae comitis de derby . notes for div a -e a palatinat . b carolus magnus . c carolus quintus . * . * arhetine ( virtuosa ) anagr. of henrieta . * maii . eliz. * l●ndon . dendrologia dodona's grove, or, the vocall forrest. by i.h. esqr. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) dendrologia dodona's grove, or, the vocall forrest. by i.h. esqr. howell, james, ?- . merian, matthaeus, - , engraver. [ ], , - , - , [ ] p., [ ] leaves of plates : ill. (metal cut) printed] by: t[homas]: b[adger]: for h: mosley at the princes armes in st paules church-yard, [london : . signed at end: iames howell. "a political allegory in prose dealing with events between and "--dnb. first word of title in greek characters. printer's name from stc. running title reads: dodona's grove, or the vocall forrest. the engravings are signed by matthaeus merian. variant (possibly an early state): lacking a² . reproduction of the original in the university of minnesota. library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng great britain -- politics and government -- - -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion ΔΕΝΔΡΟΛΟΓΙΑ . dodona's grove , or , the vocall forrest . by i. h. esqr. by t.b. for h. mosley at the princes armes in st paules church-yard . to the common reader . opinion , is that high and mighty dame , which rules the world , and in the minde doth frame distast or liking ; for in humane race , she makes the fancy various as the face . sometimes the father differ's from the sonne , as doth the gospell from the alcharon ! or loyola from calvin , which two brands , in strange combustions hurle faire europe's lands : so that amongst such atomes of mankinde , you scarce can two encounter of one minde . this makes my trees all aspen , 'cause they must lye ope to every winde , and vulgar gust : yet much they feare not any critickes knockes , vnlesse they chance to stumble 'mongst the blockes . — ex quovis stipite non fit mercurius . to the criticall reader . if satyres here you find , thinke it not strange , 't is proper satyres in the woods should range ; and for free speech , why may not verse or prose sit under trees as safely , as the rose ? yet here is nothing , though a grand inquest you should empannell , but may bide the test : for pettie iuries , let the reader know , composures of this kind stoupe not so low . to the rarely accomplishd , and vvorthy of best employment , master hovvel , upon his vocall forrest . beleeve it , sir , you happily have hit vpon a curious fancie , of such wit , that farre transcends the vulgar ; for each line , me thinks , breathes barclay , or a boccoline . i know you might ( none better ) make the vine , the olive , ivie , mulbery , and pine , with others , their owne dialects expose , but you have taught them all rich english prose . i end and envie , but must justly say , who makes trees speak so well , deserves the bay. henry vvotton . on the vocall forrest , to i. h. esq. come theophrastus , and resigne thy pen , thy trees are taught to speake , th' are growne to men : men were transformd to trees , and some are still meere blocks ; but mercurie now proves his skill , and charmes the grove ; the wagging leaves first mutter , at'he change , and streight state-language they doe utter . the pleasant arbour gently whispers this , trees have their keyes , as well as argenis . hedges have eares , the rurall proverb sayes , court-proverb tells , th 'ave toungs , and toungs of bayes . 't was iothans style , to wrap in toungs of trees , as sacred rolls report , state-mysteries . no poplar here , no medlar succour findeth , true-heart of oke , the loyall author mindeth ▪ spring stately grove , be thousand winters greene , and in thy rind be names of princes seene : though vulcan iron-marks , our forrests beare , nor axe , nor fire apollo's grove doth feare . t. p. s. t. d. dodona's grove . or , the vocall forrest . it fortun'd not long since , that trees did speake , and locally move , and meet one another ; their ayrie whistlings , and soft hollowe whispers became articulate sounds , mutually intelligible , as if to the soule of vegetation , the sensitive faculties and powers of the intellect also , had been co-infus'd into them : they traveld to strange countries , crossd seas , made peace and warre , alliances and leagues , assumed names and characters of distinction , and discharged all the functions of rationall creatures . in the sacred oracles wee read of one that discernd men to walke like trees , but here cleane contrary , you shall see trees walke like men . we read also there of a mighty monarck , that was meant by a tree ; and it is no new character of man , that , he is a tree revers'd . the great sicilian antiquary leaveth upon record , that in the nonage of the world , mens voyces were indistinct and confus'd ; and sojourning chiefly in vvoods , by a kind of assimilation and frequent impressions in the eare , they resembled those soft susurrations of the trees wherewith they conversd ; untill time , ( which ripeneth ) and art which perfecteth all things , & hath a greater interest in speech then nature her selfe , did distinguish these mishapen sounds into syllables , and so by degrees into language . at that time , when this parley of trees begun , i my selfe was but a little , little plant newly sprung up above ground ; and passing through the terrible birch to boetia , where i tooke in my best sap , and came by degrees to a consistent growth ( which was not very high , in so much that some thinke i was set in the wane of the moone ) i was transplanted from boetia to tamisond , and thence as my genius strongly led me , i often crossed the seas , and rangd up and down through most of the forrests of the lower world ; and as i passed along , i observed the motions , and studied the properties of sundry sorts of trees , as well forren , as home sprung , and of them i intend to relate some passages ; in the narration whereof i will endevour to goe between the bark and the tree , as neere as possibly i can with safety , to sift out , and set down the truth of things , for the prime vertue of story is verity . wherefore i hope to obtaine a candid construction of this rough hewen , ill timberd discourse , and that the reader will be pleased as he shall passe along through these woods , to affoord mee somtimes his second thoughts , and observe also the constant veine of impartiality , which runnes through the whole worke , which he shall find to be such , that it will infranchise his judgment everywhere : and such , i know will dispense with my errors and slips , for it is very hard but one passing through so many forrests as i intend , may meet with some stumbling blocks in his way . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . — sacra jovi quercus . a character of drvina . there is a goodly forrest , druina by name , anciently called the white forrest , wherein the royall oke rules in chiefe , and with such a latitude of power , that hee stretcheth forth his branches to the sea , and his boughes unto the great rivers . it was ordained by heaven , that she should be principally protected by neptune , who with a flying gard of brave winged coursers doth engarrison her so strongly , that , lying safe in his bosome , she may be said to be — media insuperabilis vnda . she being endowed with those two properties which that great register of natures secrets requires in an invincible country , viz. a secure and easie going out for the native , and a doubtfull hard comming in for the stranger ; which made the caerulean god so indulgent of his druina , and to repose in her such a rare confidence , that besides the clustre of diadems which begirt her high fronded fore-head by land , he transmitted to her long since his very trident , making her impresse , yea , empresse of the sea , and that in so high a degree of soveraignty , that in her owne waves , hee gave her an exclusive propriety ; in so much that the utmost extent of her desmenes royall , are adjudged , by some great clarkes , to bee the shoares of the neighbouring forrests . whereby she is growne so famous through all the inhabited earth , and formidable to the next adjacent regions , that maugre all their menaces , pretensions , and practises , she gives them the law upon salt water ; which makes her a terror to her foes , a shelter to her friends , and security to her neighbours ; but above all , she hath thereby a constant strength to defend her selfe : and selfe defence hath beene alwaies held the first maxime of policy . much more might be spoken in honour of druina , which i suspend , untill i have made you acquainted with some of her neighbouring forrests , because i am to make often transcursions into them as i passe along ; and first of her next opposite neighbour ampelona , where the majesticke vine doth monarchize in the highest degree of soveraignty . a character of ampelona . rode caper vitem ; tamen hic , cum stabis ad aras , in tua quod fundi cornua possit , erit . and now i am upon a peece of the continent and one of natures best peeces , one of her chiefest granaries and winecellars ; a square of . miles travers , take the diameter where you will , thronging with such multitudes of sappy and spritefull plants , that the generall calcule which was made in the last perambulation exceeded eight millions ; a rare soyle that in no larger a circumference , can give radicall moisture to such a number without borrowing of any ; corne , wine , and salt , her three rich staples doe so abound in her , that shee seasoneth , and keepes from starving very many of her neighbours , but specially the forrest of the south , which otherwise would perish for the staffe of life . there is no region on earth so daintily watered , with such great navigable rivers , whereof some are said to bee pav'd with troutes , borderd with crevices , and imbroderd with swannes ; and upon these multitudes of brave cities stand , and all her great ones stand so ; but amongst them the midland townes are most flourishing and abounding in wealth , which shewes that her riches are interne and domesticke ; for as it is the marke of a good housewife to be more vendax , then emax , rather a seller then buyer , so is it of a good countrey ; and such a one is ampelona , which sends forth far more , then she fetcheth in . the war-like vine swayeth here in the most absolute forme of supremacy that may bee , for hee not onely makes peace and warre , summons and dissolves generall meetings , pardoneth , naturallizeth , ennobleth , stamps , and layeth value upon coynes , but also enacts lawes , executes justice , and layeth impositions at pleasure ; and he may thanke druina for this boundlesse power , for when she by the strength of her horned yew had feld downe a great number of the strongest trees that were in ampelona , and made such firme invasions into her very bowels , that there could be no universall assembly , the necessity of the times cast the power of the three estates upon the vine himselfe , that his mandats should stand for lawes , whereby he layd what taxes , and made what leavies he pleased ; his successors made vertue of this necessity , which though temporary at first , continueth ever since ; for soveraignty where she gets an inch , stickes not sometimes to stretch it to an ell . but that which made it more passable was , that the burden lighted chiefely upon the poore coppices and vnderwoods ; so that ever since , the vine himselfe with the taller sorts of trees , specially the holy yews ( who ingrosse more than all the rest , and are thought by computation to have the third part of the forrest , ) sucke all the sappe , and leave the poore shrubs to dry up , fade away , and wither ; and when they have got any moysture , they serve but as spunges for others : out of which disproportion ariseth this inconvenience , that they become pusillanimous , and almost uselesse for military services , being so often peeld , that they never come to be perfect and firme timber . it is alwaies a mixd government twixt peace and warre , which finds perpetuall employment for many of her stirring spirits , having the advantage thereby to bee furnished upon all occasions with experienc'd martiall instruments ; for ampelona having open frontires contiguous every where with some alien , she cannot joyne peace and security together , nor fetch a sound sleepe , but hercules-like with clubbe in hand . she is the greatest one knot of strength in the western world , and for the situation fittest to disjoyne or unite her neighbours forces , and consequently to be arbitratrix and compoundresse of any quarrell that may intervene : and never , since she woare the imperiall diademe , was ampelona so potent , nor then , so well knit and compacted as now she is ; so that it is held a maxime , if ampelona combat not her selfe , she is invincible ; and this shee hath too often done , turning the sword of civill broyles into her own bowels , so farre that the bell hath often told , but never yet rung quite out for her liberty , which was thought not long since to be upon point of expiring ; and no wonder , sheabounds so with quicke sets and wildings , and a world of boyling volatil spirits , impatient of peace any longer then they are recovering the ruines of warre ; present danger magnanimats them , and inflames their courage , but expectation makes it languish ; so that the forrest of the south ( which is ever emulous of ampelona ) compareth their valour to a squib , or fier of flaxe , which burnes and crackles for the time , but suddenly extinguisheth ; indeed fury when the first blast is spent turnes commonly to feare , and they that are possessed therewith may be said to be like the moneth of march , which entreth like a lion , but goeth out like a lamb. ampelona is one of the chiefest climes of complement and courtship under heaven , which puts so large a distance twixt the tongue and the heart , that they are seldome relatists . most of her plants have the heliotropian quality of the marigold and tulip , who follow the motion of the sunne opening and shutting with him ; the fancy predominates more than the judgement , but they in whom both these concurre are admirable , as there is amongst them at present a notable example , which serves for a mighty proppe to the vine , and 't is well knowne no tree needs props more . for friendship , love commonly flames there , before it burnes , and so cannot be long lasting , for though first affection maketh deepest impression , yet that love is held most permanent , which dives into the soule by soft degrees of mutuall society , and is matur'd by time ; very acute they are , and cautelous in treating , & therin have prov'd ( more than once ) too hard , for plain down right dealing druina ; finally some say , one shall best discerne an ampelonian , and most to his advantage , if one looke upon him , as we use to doe upon scarlet ( his prime colour ) the dye whereof is better discernd by quicke glances , and a passing eye , then by a fixd . i write not this to derogat from noble ampelona , for i honour her in a most high degree , having practically found her better sort of trees though allowed their fancies , ( and that they participate somewhat with the corke , and are subject to be shaken with incertaine winds ) to be the most generous , daring and ventrous spirits , and fullest of resolution and mettall for their country and honour , of any upon the surface of the earth , and what was said before must be understood , as the philosophers use to restraine many propositions in their schooles , non de singulis generum , sed de generibus singulorum : no where are there more quicke inventive and penetrating capacities , fraught with all kind of scientifiall knowledge ; not any are more generally imitated for fashion , comportment and garb , which many of her neighbours doe follow to a forc'd kind of affectation , thinking they are not refin'd till then ; not any have more of the cavalier then they , the levant parts ring more of them , and their martiall atchievements then of any other nation . but i have sojourn'd too long in ampelona , i will now crosse the hils to elaiana , whence if a meridian wind bloweth , i am sure to know when i am neere her , by those sweet fragrant odours she casts from her very shrubbes , for the bruite animals there make themselves beds of rose-mary and thyme . but strange it is , and indeed very strange to me , that there being but a hill , yea a small bridge of partition twixt ampelona , and elaiana , there should bee such an antipatheticall and quite differing genius in their plants ; i know , nature delights , and triumphs in dissimilitudes , but here she seemes to have industriously studied it : the nature of the one is debonnaire and aco'stable ; of the other retird and supercilious : the one quicke and spritefull ; the other slow and saturnine ; the one bushy and tufted on the top ; the other lop'd short : the one delights in a close thicke rind ; the other goes thin and scarified ; the one gay underneath , the other without , which makes some of them to bee compared to the cinnamon tree , whose rind is more worth than the body ; the one takes the ball before the bound ; the other stayeth for it , and commonly fetcheth a surer stroake ; the one in the cariage of his designes is like the wind , the other like the sunne in the fable , when they went to try their strength upon a passengers cloake the one knowes how to shuffle the cards better ; the other playeth his game more cunningly ; the one disgests all he swallowes ; the other is subject to cast it up againe ; the one contracts and enchaines his words speaking pressingly and short ; the other delights in long breathd accents , which he prolates with such pauses , that before he be at a period of his sentence , one may reach a second thought . in fine saturne swayeth o're the one , and mercury o're the other , with whom the moone also hath a great stroake , so that some thinke the bush which the man in the moone carrieth on his backe , did grow first in ampelona , and that the wheele of fortune was made of a peece of her timber ; out of these various premisses you may inferre that there is a politicall , morall and naturall opposition and difference twixt these so neere neighbours ; both in their comportment , garb , fancy and humour , so farre , that one may say , what the one is not , the other is ▪ insomuch that if you would fetch one from the remotest parts the sunne displayes his beames upon , yea from the very antipodes ; he will agree with either , better then they one with another ; yet they both symbolize in this , that they love to look upon themselves through multiplying glasses , and the bigger end of the prospectife . but i must hasten to elaiana . a character of elaiana . and now i am come from gods blessing to the warme sun , who is a little too prodigall of his beames here , which makes the soyle lesse fruitfull , and to be a kind of wildernesse in comparison of ampelona , being like a libbards skinne , here a spot , and there a spot inhabited ; she swels so every where with huge hils ; and some would make a question whether the minds of the inhabitants or her mountaines be highest ; the tops whereof by reason of the tenuity and clearenesse of aire , ( for sometimes you shall not see in the whole hemisphere from morning to night as much cloud as would line a monmoth cappe ) you may discerne above two hundred miles off , and some of them periwigd with snowes all the yeare long , and on some , one shall find more difference in point of temper of ayre , twixt bottome and top , then twixt sommer and winter in other places ; but where elaiana hath valleys , there she is deliciously fertile , such blessings humility carieth alwaies with her ; her rivers having for the most part high bankes , and shallow bottomes , serve not for navigation , but are wheeld up into small cataracts , and so divided into sluces , to humectat the bordering soyle , and make it wonderfully productive : a cheap country to travell in , for one will hardly find meat for money , ( but sawce good store ) the conveyance of provision being so difficult , yet this scarcity carieth with it a notable advantage for military uses , wherewith nature seemes to recompence her , for her plants are the tougher thereby , and can endure more then they that sprout forth of wanton soft soyles ; moreover her abruptnesse , barrenes and heat , carry with them another mighty benefit , for she cannot be so easily overrunne by forren force , in regard that besides the difficulty of passage , an army would either starve for want , or miscarry , for the unusuall heat of the clime , which i beleeve was the reason , that the roman eagles could hardly fly over her in nine score yeares , whereas they flew through and through ampelona in lesse then nine . for the quality every thing she beares is passing good , only she failes in the quantity , and did she abound in plenty , as she excels in perfection of all things ( by reason of the full concoction the sunne makes ) specially had she corne proportionable to her greatnesse , she would prove terrible to all her neighbours . the mighty olive who now swayeth , thrives well , and fructifieth by ingrafting upon the lovely ampelonian vine . hee keepes his court neere the very centre of elaiana , like the sunne in the heavens , which being in the midst , equally communicats his beames to all . and a spacious kingdome is like a great indian hide , plant your foot on one side or corner , the other will bound up against you , tread on the middle , all parts will lye flat ; so some hold it a maxime in policy , for the prince to reside in the very navill of his kingdome , to encounter all insurrections with the more celerity , that may arise in any other part . but now me thinkes i spie a satyre with a huge bushy head rushing out of ampelona , and breaking out into this criticall discourse of elaiana ; that the time was when elaiana did containe and content her selfe within the circumference of her own boundaries , without any further encroachments , but of late yeares she hath shot up , and spread her branches farre and neare into all parts of the habitable earth , whereby shee is growne up to so monstrous and giant-like a proportion , that she is become formidable to all her neighbours , in such sort , as she puts every one to stand upon his gard , and have a continuall larum-bell in his eares ; they stand gazing at her vast bulke , and wonder when she will leave growing ; for in her politicall designes she differs from all her neighbours , in regard that whereas they do only labour and cast about how to conserve and secure what they have already , and keep the scales even , her counsels tend still to enlarge and augment her territories . the discovery of columbina , i confesse , together with the conquest , was a worke of hers ; yet it is observ'd those vast treasures she transports thence thrive little , in regard of the ocean of humane , though savage blond , she spilt there ; so that some affirme the bloud would overpoise all the gold shee had ever thence , if they were counter-balanc'd ; and as that treasure was first got by such effusions of bloud , so the greatest part of it , hath beene spent ever since in bloud , for most of the broyles of the westerne world have beene fed and fomented by it . but that immense tract of earth she holds under that clime , is preserv'd rather by the conceipt and report of her greatnesse , then by any intrinsicke strength : yet i cannot deny but her dominions are very spacious , that the sun never forsakes her quite , perpetually shining in some part or other above her hemisphere : a grandeza , i confesse , that none of all the foure monarchies could vaunt of , no not the roman , whose greatnesse was said to have no horison , though falsly , for he could never crosse ganges , or clime over caucasus , insomuch that elaiana glorieth , apollo only with his chariot can measure the extent of her territories : and they speake of certaine ambassadours that came not long since to the now regnant olive from a pagan emperour , upon whose credentiall letters was endors'd this superscription ; to the king who hath the sunne for his helmet . publike fame hath long given out that elaiana aimeth at the fift monarchy , but that is a fond conceipt of hers and building of castles in the ayre ; for she hath beene told long since by the oracle , that she shall never attaine it , because all other soyles reject her plants , and fly from under their shadow as the serpent from the ash , who will leap sooner into a fire : in so much that from those places to which she gives protection , she seldome hath any affection ; for the elaianians are observed to partake of the nature of oile in divers qualities , therefore most properly are they governd by the olive . first , oyle is observed to swimme still on the top , and the reason the naturalists give , is , because aire doth most predominat in it , so are they lifted up with an ayrie conceipt ( for ambition is nought but ayre ) that they are only design'd to be lords paramount of the world . oyle will hardly or never ( unlesse it be well beaten ) mingle and incorporat with any other liquid thing : so they , wheresoever they come , doe very hardly agree , and sympathize with any other nation . oyle hath a dilating quality , that by soft insensible degrees it spreads and still gaines upon the body where it fals , so they by politicke close wayes use to eat into , and incroach upon their neighbours , or more properly for this subject they are like the tartarian plant boraneth , which growing up to the visible forme of a lambe , insensibly eates up all the grasse round about it . lastly , oyle is slow , smooth and solid , so are they observed to be in their motion , though it be a question yet unresolved , whether their affected gravity and slownes in their negotiations have tended more to their prejudice or advantage : and they would bring all others , that have to doe with them , to follow their pace , it being one of their maximes , that policy must move after the motion of saturne , the highest of the planets : yet although they are long in consulting , they are quicke and sudden in executing their designes , and therein are rather of the nature of the mulberry , which the arbolists observe , to be long in begetting and keeping his buds , but the cold seasons being pass'd , hee shootes them all out in a night . another obstacle to elaiana's , pretended monarchy may be , that it is observ'd , the soveraigne ministers she employeth abroad in the highest kind of trust , are so intentive for the improvement of their owne fortunes , that it is growne to a proverbe , some of them gnaw , others eate , and some devoure in those places , wherein they are deputed to beare soveraigne sway ; adde hereunto that her forme of government is none of the pleasingst , for shee chooseth to rule rather by feare than love , and where shee gets any love , it is drawne as threed through a needles eye , out of the apprehensions of feare , it being one of her principles , that obedience derived from such a love is surest , in reward that feare as the carefullest and greatest house-wife of our passions , swayeth more powerfully o're all the rest , and keeps them still in centinell , and so makes good subjects , as it did gods at first , primus in orbe deos fecit timor — besides all this , as one hath lately observed , elaiana hath beene a good while troubled with a fastidious issue , which she caused to be made at first for a dizzines in the head that proceeded no doubt from that huge height she is mounted unto ; it was cauterizd at first by itelia , who fetch'd her iron from druina and ampelona ; at the beginning it purg'd only the grosse humours , but afterwards it exhausted her very radicall moysture , ( which she suckd chiefly from columbina , ) and her naturall heat ( the two columnes of life ) began to decay . she was often with apollo to have this issue stop'd , but there after a long debate , she was positively advis'd , by the unanimous vote of the most exquisit doctors assembled of purpose to know the nature of her disease , for to continue the issue still open , for if she stop'd it , she was like to fall into a worse malady , viz. a dangerous dropsie , whereof there appear'd in her some symptomes , by the unquenchable thirst shee hath of domination and rule . moreover it is lately given out that she intends a speedy pilgrimage to delphus , for a cordial against the weaknesse of her stomacke , in regard the concocting heat seems to be somwhat impair'd ; for whereas before she never used to disgorge , what she had once swallowed , she hath lately cast up some good bits , yea the most precious and sweetest she had , when she cast up the last , all her saints were a while taken away from her , so that she had not one left to pray unto ; whereby it appeares though her appetite be as good as ever it was to like all she seeth , yet the retentive vertue of her stomacke is not so strong as formerly . lastly , the regions o're which the broad spreading olive signorizeth , are squared up and downe , and dispers'd by such an unsociable distance ( which makes him receive baffles sometimes from petty companions ) that except elaiana her selfe , and not all she neither , but that part which gives the castle for its crest , together with columbina , and some trienniall donatives she hath from hipparcha , the in-come doth no where countervaile the charge of garrisons and governors . yet i must confesse , the two benefits that accrue to him by this diversity of territories are very considerable , first the opportunity to propagat piety ; secondly , to have choice of imployments for his subjects , and meanes thereby to breed up wise , undertaking and heroicke spirits ; for great commands elevate the minde to great thoughts , which being conversant with weighty , and high passages , the soule is inlargd thereby ; whereas inferiour states by their pettie employments and slender rewards impoverish and abase the fancy , rendring it too narrow for high undertakings . countries of conquest cannot bee conserv'd without continuall expence , nor their service usd with like assurance , specially by elaiana , which can relye no where upon meere love and fiduciary obedience , unlesse it be at her owne home , where i cannot deny but she is exemplarily loyall to her selfe in a high exact obedience . touching other places she may be said to hold them , as one should do a wolfe by the eares ; nor will i speake now of the crazines of her title to many of them : so , that she is never in perfect tranquillity abroad ; and she esteemes her selfe to be in a manner in perfect peace , if shee hath onely to doe with that huge bramble of alclarona ; so that it may be hence infer'd , that the olive is of late yeares much degenerated from his primitive nature , for whereas he was used to be the embleme of peace , he now ruffleth in a continuall course of armes ; and this is the reason i beleeve , that the branch of olive , which at the beginning was the ancient cognisance of elaiana , is turn'd of late yeares to the ragged staffe . the ampelonian satyre , having thus disgorg'd his stomacke suddenly ranne in , and re-imboschd himselfe . for my owne particular , let ampelona tattle what she will against elaiana , i professe to honour her for sundry reasons , i very much honour her for the solidnesse and secrecy of her counsels ; for her loyalty to her prince , her patience and admirable phlegme , her painfull and long moulded consultations ( proles tardè erescentis olivae ) her deepe prudence and circumspection , and indeed the olive being sacred to pallas is an embleme of prudence as well as of peace ; she deserves honour for her constancy , though with infinite expence and numberlesse inconveniences , for the recovery of her own ; and without doubt it was a singular blessing from heaven , that the discovery of columbina , with the conquest thereof was reserv'd for her ; i respect her for her perpetuall professed feud against the common enemy , that her plants never rove abroad to beare armes for any strange prince , whereas others receive pay , and serve under the banners of infidels , and oftentimes against their owne naturall princes ; and as for warres , so for wares they goe not abroad any where to trafficke but into the dominions of their owne prince , which makes the olive to have no small advantage of his neighbours upon any sudden breach . amongst other places where the martiall olive shoots forth his imperious boughs , leoncia is one , and thither i am bound next , but the worst is , that i must passe through the very heart of ampelona ; a mighty incommodity . for she being in perpetuall diffidence , or actuall enmity with her , but alwaies emulous and suspectfull of her , i am afraid to be stop'd or searchd , if not strip'd in the way ; and if i passe by sea , i may chance fall from the trying pan into the fire , i meane into the hands of the italians , who of all other are most skilfull in rummaging and pillaging ; besides i use to have a squeazie stomacke on salt water , for i doe nothing but tell what tree the shippe is made of . a character of leoncia . — noli irritare leonem . and now have i gaind leoncia the cockpit of the westerne world , and academy of armes for many yeares . the moderne ( though meanest ) kind of militia is here altogether in practise , which consists in blockments and batteries , not pitch'd fields . never was there such a small circumference of ground , so turnd up , and unboweled by the pioner , so watred with bloud , and calcin'd as it were by the flames and fury of warre : which hath made it a fatall peece of inheritance to elaiana , who hath tuggd here so long for her title , with such a vast profusion of treasure and effusion of bloud , that if she had not bin draind this way , she might have tiled her palaces with occidentall gold and silver , and by this time happily have made her selfe mistris of timaurania her next transmarin neighbour , and regaind the mount of olives and achiev'd other high feates against alcharona : the vast expences she hath beene at , to reduce leoncia to her old obedience , and entire subjection , exceed the value of the thing it selfe forty times over at least , if all leoncia were to be sold in the market by out-cry ; and questionlesse envie her selfe must needs acknowledge this so costly a constancy in elaiana never to abandon her owne , to bee a brave magnanimous vertue . leoncia hath many groves of different plantations , but in the stemme of elaiana they all met as lines in one center , and came to be ingrafted all upon one stocke , some by conquest , others by donation , and cession , but most of them by inoculations ; there was a designe more than once to reduce them all to a kingdome ; but the multiplicity of customes , and miscellany of municipall rights , that sundry places clayme by inheritance , were not compatible with a monarchy : and the invading of this freedome of customes with that of the conscience , was the first fatall cause of leoncias revolt from her alleageance to elaiana . the royall olive was solemnly sworne at his inauguration to observe these things inviolable ; then to come to visit her once every seventh yeare , himselfe ; as also to ridde her quite of all forren force , and to performe other obligatory conditions ; but hee being once gone , and being dispensed withall for his septenniall visit by a holy instrument from petropolis , he resolvd to governe them by subalterne ministers , who it seemes scrud up the pinnes of power too high , they layed on new taxes , fell'd down some of the ancientst tall trees ( as the roman did the heads of the poppies ) so that they might bee compard to the axe in the fable , who having got a handle of the woods with much entreaty , fell afterwards to cut downe and destroy them at pleasure : a counsell of bloud was erected , and a harder yoake layed upon the conscience in holy rites . one reason the olive gave , was , that leoncia her selfe began to infringe her old priviledges by introducing new formes into divine service , and abolishing the old , in which by vertue of his primitive oath he was indispensably sworne to continue them ; and thus the argument was retorted . druina and ampelona intervend to compose these differences , but they had a short answer of the olive , that hee needed not the helpe of any , to reduce his own subjects to conformity , but the oddes that were , he would referre to the cedar his cozen , who as it seemes proving no indifferent arbiter , leoncia sheltred her selfe ( though druina had the first tender made her both of protection and soveraignty ) under the branches of the royall vine , who sending the very next of his owne stemme to governe her , he attempted , by the praecipitat counsell of some greene springals about him , to ravish her , and render himselfe absolute . but hee had a foule repulse ; yet she profferd againe her protection to the vine , who having a most pernicious fire kindled ( as it was thought after by the factors of elaiana ) within the very bowels of his owne forrest , hee had worke enough cut him out to extinguish that . hereupon shee made her humble recours to drvina , who as well for her owne securitie ( as the state of things then stood ) as movd with much princely compassion to succour the afflicted , gave her shelter . in so much that ever since druina hath servd her as a backe of steele , and her forces have beene the very sinewes of her strength against the stroakes of the ragged staffe , and the iron rodde of elaiana ; who in those groves shee reserves yet under her protection and obedience , continueth to cut and loppe her to close , that one shall heare up and down a repining rather against the harshnesse of government , then a desire of revenge against the enemy . a character of itelia . — et jam nos inter opacas musa vocat salices . amongst others which did emancipat themselves from their obedience to elaiana , itelia was the chiefe , who by creating her grove of willowes to a republicke , and drawing after her five and more of the neighbouring groves into one body politicke , in lieu of the olive , tooke the orenge to governe her , yet farre from the degree of soveraigne power , but rather to serve her in a high martiall way : and to beare up against the orenge , the olive did luckily light upon a notable ligurian thorne who made the willowes to feele his prickles in many places , and twixt the orenge and thorne sundry brave encounters , and cunning traverses of warre happened . by these meanes itelia brought one of her fisher townes to bee the prime mart of all leoncia , and to a stupendious height of commerce and riches , and other strange feates she hath done since , to the astonishment and admiration of all that know her . and it seemes all things conspird to raise itelia to this passe ; first , the distance of her great master ; the humor of her plants being of a nature patient and industrious and more inclinable to a democraticall government ; adde hereunto the quality of the country every where indented with water , and therby fortifi'd , and made inaccessible , nature her selfe undertaking that way her protection , so that she can overwhelme and turn her selfe into one pond when she list . hereunto concurd a further advantage of situation , having behind her elatena , and her great king the fir , for her friend , and those places which affoord all kind of materials for shipping , and for all kind of nutriment and military supplies hard before her druina and ampelona , both swarming with superfluous graffes , and suspectfull of elaiana's greatnesse , and thereby not unwilling to contribute strength for community of danger , and consequently of reciprocall conservation , which must needs be the strongest tie of politicall love . but now mee thinkes i spie againe a sunne burnt wainscot fac'd satyre rush out of elaiana , swelling with spleene and revenge and bursting out into these vociferations ; that itelia is the nearest neighbour to hell of any place upon earth , because seated lowest , and so is thought to conferre sometimes with infernall spirits : that she is a double vsurpresse , in detaining not only elaiana from her right , but the very fish of the sea also from their habitation ; that she lives upon others idlenesse ; that her state is patch'd up of depredations ; that she is the rendevous of all schismatickes ; that if one wanted a religion , he might have his choice there ; that god and nature never intended her for a mansion to rationall creatures , she being destitut of the most necessary things that conduce to maintaine them ; that she burnes up her earth before the day of judgment ; that whereas her willowes were usd to bee of a pliable and humble nature , they are degenerated lately to trees of a tougher bulke , yea into stubborne poplars ; so that if occasion were offered , the oke and the vine would find it a harder taske to suppresse them , then ever they had to raise them ; that in her negotiations with druina and ampelona shee hath turnd entreating to treating : that she hath beene the incendiary directly or collaterally of all the combustions that have happened this side the line , ever since her revolt from the olive ; that she is a forge of false coynes , whereby she hath damnified elaiana as much as any other way , by importing counterfait stampes : that shee hath rare inventions to export gold and silver , to raise or depresse their rates , and abase the allay ; that she hath reaches beyond ievve , or genoway in new wayes of vsury , in bankes , lotteries , and lombards , in bargaining and bartering , for shee will make the fox tayle pay for the whole skinne ; that she marr's her neighbours markets abroad , underselling them in their owne commodities ; that shee is growne extraordinary witty in devising new tortures , by fire and water , as she made tryall lately upon the druinians in baymona : in fine that she is a nest of water ratts , a mount of pismires , the caterpillar cankar and cobwebbs that infects the olive and hinders his further growth , the verminet that corrodes his mines . thus the elaianian satyr did rave , and rend the very ayre with his loud clamors , but in regard they are but the fruits of adusted choler , and the evaporations of a vindicative spirit , itelia needs not much care for them , besides she must give loosers leave to speak . for my own particular , i professe to respect and love itelia for divers regards , yea , i admire the itelians for their industry and inventions at shore & sea , where they swim like elephants , whiles other wade like sheep , and indeed they are the only doers of miracles in these moderne times , for they force an habitation with infinite expence and paines out of the very jawes of neptune , by checking his impetuous billowes , and teaching the world , how much art , can curbe and controule nature . i love them for their cleanlinesse , in their food , fabrickes , and shipping ; for their singular parfimony , for their perseverance , and indefatigable pursute of their designes at home and abroad , for that rare unitie and unanimous zeale they have to the common good , which is such that so many differing groves seeme to be but one tree girt about with the cincture of concord . i wonder at them for their prudent and equall distribution of wealth , not one amongst them being excessive rich or excessive poore , nor upon any part of the earth fewer beggars , it being as rare to see one there , as it had been to have met with a poet in platoes common-wealth . i honour them for their exactnesse in military discipline , for no where is the marching souldier more regular , i commend them for their plain downe-right dealing , and punctuality in payment of cambios , contracts and the souldiers salary , and herein give me the service of a common-wealth , rather than a kingdome ; and lastly , i must love them in regard they are the surest confederates of druina , for i know not , where else she can picke out a fast friend , or reposefull confident of such reciprocall interest , and whose politicke ends are so concentricke ; a friend that will shine with her in the darke , if need be , as old willowes use to doe : that she helpes away druina with many of her superfluous graffs , and breeds her military instruments , and touching the mutuall dependency of conservation betweene them , that embleme of the two pitchers swimming together representing druina and itelia with this motto , si concutimur , frangimur , carieth with it a great deale of truth . i respect her that she stucke close to druina in two great actions ; one of defence , the other of offence against elaiana ; and could elaiana have brought her intentions home to her aym , as to have rangd all leoncia to an entire obedience , and so have made her her chiefe rendevous , and magazin of instruments of warre , and academy of armes , what just danger and perpetuall concussions of feare , she would have struck into druina and ampelona also , one of a meane capacity and foresight may easily judge . and now that itelia is come to so convenient and settled subsistence , it were no unwholesome advise that she would take for her motto , — nil ultra , hic terminus esto . a true maxime it is , and ever hath beene , that , that state which goeth out of the lists of mediocrity , passeth also the limits of safety : there is a cloud of examples to this purpose : while sparta kept her selfe within those boundaries that lycurgus prescrib'd unto her , she was both safe and flourishing ; but attempting to enlarge her territories by new acquests of other cities in greece and asia , shee went every day declining : but what need i rake the ashes of antiquity for instances so farre off ? let adriana her sure friend and confederat forewarne her , who no longer then one age agoe , thinking by offensive undertakings upon her neighbours to spread her wings wider , was like to mewe all her feathers . therefore itelia should doe well , to stand now chiefly upon the defensive , specially neere home , for it is no lesse prudence , to preserve then purchase , and if she thinks to grapple more , i feare it will weaken her hold , and must needs prejudice some places which now flourish with commerce under her , that have risen out of the ruines of these she goeth about to fasten upon on further , and besides ( which is not the least thing to be thought upon ) it will breed scruples and ombrages of doubts in her confederats , and draw on her selfe more envie then she is aware of . it is not improper that the itelian is compard to the ant for his sedulity and labour ; and let him still continue an ant , for if he thinke to turne to a fly elaiana will tell him she hath a proverb , that god ●ives winges to the ant , that she may destroy her selfe the sooner . the truth is , that itelia is growne up , by an extraordinary industry , to a mighty height and subsistence of wealth , and navigable power : and the world is now at that passe , that he who is lord of the sea , is also of the shore ; nor i dare avouch , did the roman republicke though as well swadled in her infancy , as any that ever was , come neere her in so short a time , and some observe that in her proceedings she drawes to a neare analogie with the r●man , whose two most advantagious vertues in casting the foundation of that vast monarchy , was paines , and parsimony ; for the first , she is admirable , specially at sea , where she swimmes like the great leviathan , and carrieth away druina's fish by whole fleets , turning them abroad into present treasure , or bartering them for rich commodities ; and this may be said to be one of the maine staples of her commerce . it is trafficke that gives her a being , in the mystery whereof she over-reacheth all others , for navigation being her only trade , and having little or no lands at all to manure , she digges into the bowels of the deep , and having had in times pass'd but a few fisher boates , she now displayeth her colours through all parts of the vast ocean , where any of the windes blow , which from the number of foure shee first brought to a subdivision of two and thirty , and of these foure worthies which compassed the terrestriall globe one was hers , two of the other of druina . and it seemes nature her selfe hath purposely design'd her natives and the country it selfe for navigation and negotiation ; them , as i said before by a dextrous kind of propensity , the country , by apt position ; for many mighty rivers passing through her territories to disimboke themselves into the ocean , they may bee said to pay her tribute as well as to neptune ; which rivers branching themselves into large and bearing streames , doe so fitly serve one another , and all the whole , that it seemes dame nature , in framing humane bodies did not discover more providence in the distribution of veines and arteries for the easie conveyance of bloud into each part , as she hath shewd here in dispersing , and disposing of those waters so orderly for trafficke : these rivers bring her what the large continent of rhenusium , and other easterne dominions use to affoord , and she lying betweene them and the sea , furnisheth them with all sorts of far fetchd forren commodities ; thus she makes a rare vertue of necessity , for having almost nothing of her owne , yet she abounds with all things . furthermore it is observed that war , which useth to impoverish others , enricheth her , for navall prizes make up a good part of her wealth ; but while want and war makes her thus trot up and downe , it is questiond , if her plants were rooted in some selfe sufficient soyle , whether they would still continue so industrious ; or whether they would subsist as well if they were suffered to rest in a supine and perfect peace , as they have done hitherto in war ; peace leaving every one to attend his particular pleasure or profit , while the apprehensions of feare in time of warre make all concur for the common safety : and the long familiar habitude , they have had of armes is such , that they have as much certaintie in their art of war , as others have in theirs of peace . touching these doubts i will not undertake their decision , but leave it to them , who have felt the pulse of their dispositions longer then i. there is no part of the habitable earth , considering the small circuit of territory leoncia hath , where there is a greater number of martiall instruments , for the olive cut his ragged staffe out of one of these groves , at first , where there is also a greater confluence of all sorts of exoticke plants , and where one may find more differing rites , customes and tempers of humors . they that border upon ampelona are quicke , vivacious and approaching the conversable nature of their neighbours : they that spring up in the middle part , which are the right l●oncians , somewhat more flow , and retird . the itelians discrepant from both , respectlesse of gentry , of few words , for they barrell up commonly more then they can broach , and so may be said to be like a great bottle with a narrow necke ; yet are they most cunning and circumspect in negotiating , specially when they have bin tampering with the vine or the hop , and are dabbled a little with their liquor . they are of a homely out side , and heavie in action , which heavinesse is recompenced with two notable advantages , advisednesse and perseverance , mighty friends to great attempts ; and all this may be imputed to the property of the soyle it selfe , which being all twixt marsh and moorish , hath such a qualifying force , that when plants of a more vivacious temper come to ingraft amongst the willowes and osiers , their imps presently partake rather of the nature of the soyle , then the stocke , and so doe all animals else . having thus travers'd the diameter of ampelona , visited elaiana , pass'd through leoncia , and taken such a painefull survay of itelia , and her associated groves , i should seeme injurious to druina to have saluted her so slightly ; therefore i will re-imbarke and steere my course thither againe , and then proceed in my maine designe . of drvina . aand now me thinkes i am arrived in a little new world , so selfe sufficient that she seemes as it were to thrust away from her all the world besides , as being a substantive that can stand by it selfe . this is shee upon whom the beames of true piety did shine in the very infancy , for no sooner had the roman eagles beene there displaid , but the standard of the crosse appeard : the first emperour and king that ever marchd under that banner issuing out of her bowels . this is she , who had three great kings her captives at once , who made one of herroyall okes carry away in triumph ampelonas lillies upon his victorious branches where they have growne and blossomd ever since . the imperiall cedar servd under her colours , quartering his armes with hers , and receiving pay himselfe ; and in that martiall forrest of ampelona , her exploits were so admirable , that it hath beene questiond , and that by no meane critickes , whether her 's there , or sometimes rome's high feates of armes against the hannibalian carthage were more difficult and glorious . this is shee that performd such costly expeditions and martiall pilgrimages to the upper world , and in her voyage thither ( as a revenge for inhospitality ) conquerd the citherean isle , and for her exemplary prowes was offered the crowne of the holiest of citties , and more then once the imperiall diademe of the westerne world ; her monarques living in that sublimity and largenesse of repute , that they were taken to bee the common arbiters of soveraigne quarrells up and downe the world . in fine , this is she who of late yeares raysd the willowes to such a height from a company of shrubbs , by preserving them from being crushed by the ragged staffe of that broad spreading olive elaianas king , whom she exhausted and reduced to such an exigent , that by publique declaration he proclaimd himselfe insolvent of those vast summes hee had taken upon credit ; whereby it was then sayd , hee made more ill faces up and downe amongst the banquiers on the exchanges , then ever that famous painter michael angelo made good . this is she who cloathes not onely her owne natives and circumiacent neighbours , but the remotest regions of the earth with her rich fleeces , where the innocent creatures that beare them in that exuberancy , being free from the affrightments of all savage and rapacious animalls , feed securely upon the luxurious honysuckled earth , which dame nature , by a most exact distribution ( as if she had wantoniz'd and plaied the bawd with her selfe ) hath cut out into varieties of sportfull plaines , fertile valleyes , and delightfull hills , whose bowells in sundry places are pregnant either with inexhaustible veines of most usefull , and well concocted mineralls , or necessary fuell : no region abounds more with chases , parkes , woods , groves , and goodly trees , and of all other , druina is beholden to trees , for with their boughs a good part of her preserved it selfe from the enemy by a notable stratageme : her lower region swarmes with all sorts of fowle , her rivers with fish , and her seas with whole shoales and mountaines of them , which her neighbours know too well . this is she which for the benignity of the clime is called the female paradise , and not without good iudgement did that great archflamin give her youth the attribute of angels , shee produceth such pure complexions . and the heavenly ( bodies it seemes ) worke not here outwardly onely , but they have an interne inclinatory operation upon the motions of the mind also in a different manner from others , for her natives are not so light and airie , as her next transmarin neighbours , nor so affectedly grave and slow as others , nor so dull and heavy as those of that soyle , whence they were first transplanted , but of a middle composed temper , symbolizing nearest with them of bombycina ; and it is well knowne , that the druinian hath bin evrey where so cryed up for an innated integrity , that before he mingled with forreners , and so by coalition with them grew more mercuriall ; he was accounted the uprightst dealer of any other upon earth , and to this day hee retaines much of his primitive esteeme , that in divers places abroad , his very word will countervaile the bond or pawne of another . to conclude , this may be termd the land of fortune , and a microcosme of her selfe , which by the gentle influence of the starres , abounds with that affluence of all things , that for hospitality among her owne , and towards all commers else ther 's not her parallell : her delight is to have old trees without dores , and old servants within ; and indeed so plentifull she is in hospitality , that i have heard druina taxd abroad , that too many in her , do use to digge their owne graves with their teeth . besides , some thinke that since the hop hath got amongst them , her trees being subject to be fild with stones and gravell , it hinders the length of their growth , withall , t' is observd the grape doth them no good , being of late yeares usd to be so sophisticated with sulphury heterogeneous mixtures ; adde hereunto their too early inoculations ; and that odde kind of smoake which hath fatally got amongst them , and being so excessively suckd , must needs dry up their radicall moysture , and so hasten their fall : but all this is accidentall : i will end with one property druina is cried up for , above all other , that when forreiners , though sprung up under the daintiest climes take once rooting in her , she makes them quickly forget their owne homes : as if the lotus grew only here , the vertue of whose fruit is , to cause in the eaters an oblivion of all other soyles ; and indeed the lotus of all other trees hath most affinity with the oke . there is no place upon the habitable earth , where the muses have two such dainty groves of laurels , so choice and rich seates , which both for plentifull exhibitions , and sumptuous edifices of that kind are unparalleld : they perpetually produce hopefull young cions , which germinat with all kind of knowledge , and come by degrees to a perfect maturity , whereby she is alwaies furnished with nurseries of scientificall graffes , which she disperseth up and downe to unfold the sacred oracles , for which she is now as renowned , as some times she was for her druyds ; and for a cumble of all felicity piety shines here in her genuine true lustre , neither adulterated with any forc'd colours to set a specious glosse upon her , by any phantasticke forme of outward ceremony ; nor is she bereavd of such decent robes and rites ( whereof some fanaticke spirits would strip her starke naked ) that may make her appeare in a venerable and comely garb : this stately forrest hath multitudes of gentle lodges , and strong retraites , amongst which the great emporiall tamisond is the prime , which take all her dimensions together , ( for she hath not the advantage of the circular figure ) with her suburbian , and conterminent fabrickes , may well compare in magnitude and number of soules with the greatest assembly of houses in the lower world . for wealth and an ubiquitary commerce , none can exceed her , and for government diurnall and nocturnall with a grave rich and magnificent magistracy , ther 's not her fellow . the proud river which makes her bed at her feet is arched over with such a curious pile of stones , that , considering the rapid course of the deepe streame that roares under it , may well take place amongst the wonders of the world ; the nereian goddesse comes twice every naturall day fourescore thousand paces off to visit her , to render her thankes as it were , for the rich tribute she useth to pay her . here is the imperiall chamber of druinas monarque , the prime rendevous of nobles and gentry , the sole staple of the marchant , all the prime tribunalls of justice and equity , and no where is the criminall part thereof so cautiously executed , or the life of the meanest shrub more valued , i could wish the civill part were answerable in point of expedition , and that iohn an okes had not so many turnings and windings in this forrest . in summe , this is the epitome of all druina , so that some have askd abroad whether druina bee in tamisond , or tamisond in druina ; and herein ( and that not undeservedly ) druina is taxd abroad of a solaecisme in her government , that she should suffer to run into one grove , that sap which should go to vegetat the whole forrest ; so that some have compard tamisond to the spleene in the naturall body , by whose swelling the other members become ill affected ; whereas her forren neighbours , by a wholesome distribution appropriat some staple commodity or peculiar charter of commerce to severall places , whereby they equally flourish , grow populous , potent and opulent . a character of cardenia . towards the septentrionall corners of druina , there stands another forrest which serves her for a shelter as t' were against blustering boreas , well set , but nothing so thick , with stout and tough trees ( though growne somewhat knobby of late ) of a different plantation and policy , which hath beene but lately co-afforested with her : at that time when she threw the fortunat cast of sice-ace , and when to her three former lions , there was a fourth added for her defence , which made druina verifie that , which all former ages held for a paradox , and take for the burthen of her song ( and i hope there will be never cause to the contrary : ) omne bonum nobis ex aquilone venit . an ancient forrest she is , for she pretends to shew a continued uninterrupted succession of above one hundred kings . as at other times , so specially this last halfe century of yeares , she hath produced many ventrous and martiall spirits , who for their prowesse in the north east parts have purchas'd a great esteeme . a long time the royall vine made use of her trees as of matches to set druina a fire , whensoever she attempted any thing against him , puzling her with unlucky diversions , therefore the vine reserves to this day a row of them about him for his safety . this caus'd many of the martiall okes to make sundry shrewd inrodes into cardenia , so far as to bring away her kings captive , and make some of them breath their last in battaile ; but now for the greater glory of druina , they are both ingrafted upon one stocke into one body politicke , and receive mutuall benefit from each other , the one sappe , the other strength ; for by this conjunction , i hope , druina may rest secure , that the lillies shall never hereafter make use of the thistle against her roses ; and so shee may prove carduus benedictus unto her . a character of monticolia . towards the hilly corners of druina remaine yet her very aborigenes , and ancient indigenae , the first nursery of plants , that sprouted out of her , fatally thrust amongst an assembly of mountaines . they long time wrastled and strenuously tug'd for their libertie , and that with a no lesse magnanimous then constant pertinacity , yea when they were reducd to a handfull , hem'd in betweene those hills , they did notable feates ; at last being over set with multitudes ( which hath beene the fortune of the bravest spirits upon earth ) they chose to bow a little , rather then breake . yet with this proviso , that the princely spray which should be their toppe tree , should spring forth from amongst themselves : so prevalent is the instinct of nature , and energie of fancy they beare to their owne soyle . and very remarkable it is , that after the revolution of above one thousand yeares , and so many turmoyles and changes of governments and masters , ( druina having foure times yeelded to the fury of forren force ) the just hand of providence should bring the royall oke to sprout againe out of this ancient stocke , and that druina should resume , and be knowne againe by her primitive denomination ; a race of resolute stout trees they are , much valuing the antiquitie of their growth , and so abounding with mettall and heat , that they quickly take fire , and become touch-wood ; they often clash their branches one against the other , and very sensible they are of parting with the least drop of sappe . the trident-bearing god hath not such secure and commodious inlets , or rather a gallerie of clossets , to court and imbosome himselfe into our grandame earth , in all the vast expanded ocean . the prime of the nine hero's ( whom beside that which is fabulous , there is truth enough to make famous ) was a plant of this growth , by whose conquests druina may lay just clayme ( though she had no other ) not only to lurana , but other dominions also , nay if first discovery may entitle a right , to columbina also , which as some strongly conjecture , was found out by a straying prince of monticolia seven ages since : and this presumption is drawne from the analogy of speech , wherein there are diverse words that are the same in both languages , both for sound and sense , with other traces and markes . the most admird of all prophane prophets whose predictions have beene so much scann'd and cried up , and are yet valued up and downe the world , did vaticinate here : and the first monastery that ever the world had , wherein the sacred fire of christian piety did burne , was amongst these mountaines , the sparkles whereof flew so far , that diverse regions , which groapd before in the darke corners of paganisme , were enlightned thereby . beside observable it is , what a precious blessing is lately found out ( having beene reserved and lockd up as it were all this while in natures bowels ) to make this most ancient part of druina happy now in the decrepit age of the world ; a rich mine and generative mint of treasure , the gainefull returnes whereof , exceed more and more the labour and charge of those multitudes that are hourely set a worke thereby . a character of lvrana . opposit to monticolia lurana stands , separated by a most boysterous and working sea ; she is replenish'd and very thicke set with strong and well trunked trees of all sorts , reduc'd at last to a perfect obedience to druinas diademe partly by voluntary reddition & desire of protection , and partly by conquest : a multiplying and healthy spacious forrest she is , plentifully furnishd with all those benefits , that aire , earth , and water use to affoord for necessity or pleasure . there are no where such huge ponds and fresh lakes , with goodly rivers and safe maritime harbours inviting forren commerce , the soyle fatt and luxurious in diverse places , and antipatheticall to all venemous creatures , as druina her neighbour is to all ravenous ; her lower region is stird , and rarified with fresh quickning windes more frequently then other forrests , which makes her lesse subject to contagious diseases ; so that i beleeve the saying of that elaianian generall ( who being asked what he thought of lurana , answered ; that when the ill spirit profferd our saviour all the kingdomes of the earth , he verily beleeved he intended to have still reserv'd lurana for himselfe ) proceeded rather from the resentment of the ill successe and disgracefull repulses hee had there , then from any sound judgment , or demerit of the country ; nor can i subscribe to him that said lvrana was a good countrey for them onely to live in , who wanted a countrey , that sh●e is a fripperie of bankerupts , who flie thither from druina to play their after-game . the plants here are of a strenuous bulke , agile and very patient of hardnesse , though not of labour , for the greatest fault of this great forrest is , that shee swarmes with too many drones , whereby shee may bee called insignis , sed segnis terra , somewhat incomposed they are in their trimming , extraordinary tender ( and so are the brute animalls also ) of their young ones , crafty and of a passable reach of understanding , light of beliefe and great listners after newes , which may bee imputed to the long time of their unsettled government , fearing alwaies some innovation or imminent danger , and by reason of their frequent revolts they have drawn upon themselves the pressures of war so often , that it seems to have somewhat cowed their spirits , as may be gather'd from the very accent of their words , which they prolate in a whining kind of querulous tone , as if they were still complaining & crest-fallen ; nor do they beleeve to have come yet to the worst , for they have an old prophecy that the time will come when lurana shall weepe o're the druinians graves . before this rough forrest was civillizd , and trim'd by druina , she had peculiar lawes & customs of her own , but some of them were such that as one said , if they had been practis'd in hell they would have turnd up tupsiturvie the very kingdome of satan , some of druinas monarckes made voyages thither in their own persons ; and many of the royall stemme were sent to governe , but alwayes one of her prime elmes , to whom i read of foure generall submissions that were made ▪ but the conquest could not bee consummated till of late yeares , which may be imputed to some errors in the course of civill and martiall policy . it was the practise of that selfe admiring mistresse of the last monarchy , into all countries where she tooke footing , with the lance to bring in her language , and lawes ; this was not done here , but the natives were left still incapable of druinas lawes , which only extended to her owne plantations : so that the law of the conqueror , did neither protect their lifes , nor revenge their deaths , for it was no felony to fell downe any of them , yea in time of peace : nor in civill causes could they implead or commence sute against any of the druinians , or imbud , ingraffe , insoliat or inoculat upon any of them unlesse he were formerly infranchizd by charter of denization ; so that the meere luranians were reputed , out-lawes , enemies and aliens in their owne soyle ; but this may be ascrib'd not so much to the policy of druina , as to the great ones that came thither from her to plant themselves and push on a fortune , who disswaded the communication of druinas lawes to the natives , because they might oppresse , spoyle , rob , peele , proyne , and grubbe them up at pleasure ; in these unsettled times many of druina , and of late yeares of cardenia also tooke firme rooting in the best and fattest soyles of lurana , so that they are growne since to a notable height ; amongst whom ( now that i treat of trees ) the corke did thrive wonderfully , and no doubt but by a singular benediction from above , the dew of heaven falling so plentifully upon his endeavours , as appeares in all his branches , which he sees grafted upon noble scutcheons , and honourable shields ; so that he may be call'd the miracle of his time , all things considered . another reason that hindred a settled peace , and period of this conquest , was those vast proportions of lands which were distributed among druinas adventurers , which were such , that the whole forrest was in a manner cantonizd amongst a very few in number , of whom some had regall rights , there being eight county palatines at once where the royall writ could not runne ; they had also implicit commission left to discretion , and not tied to any regular forme of plantation ; and those huge tracts of ground they lorded over begat wealth , wealth usherd in pride , and pride tumultuary contentions amongst themselves , which gave the luranians advantage to fish in those troubled waters for their liberty , and make often encroachments upon them ; but had the oke himselfe gone to the forrest , the inferior trees had not shot up so high . another mistake was , that the first undertakers made ill choice of the seates of their habitations ; for they erected forts and houses in the open plains , turning the natives into the woods and places of fastnesse , whence they made eruptions and retraicts at pleasure , and whereas caesar sometimes spake of the scythians , difficilius erat invenirc , quam vincere ; these were the over-sights in civill policy , now there were also some in the conduct of the martiall affaires ; first , the small handfulls of souldiers druina sent , which came either unseasonably , or ill accommodated and payed . then the cold pursute of the maine designe , which like fire newly kindled under greene wood , was often made to flash a little , and so left to goe out . so that for the reduction of this spacious forrest to a perfect rule of obedience , druina stood all this while in her owne light , and could not see the wood for trees : untill there sprung up a notable virago a princely female , for whom it seemes the high hand of providence had as it were pointed out , and reservd this exploit ; who besides the suppression of some intestine rebellions in her owne forrest , the raysing of itelia to a free and faire grove of willowes , and reaching her princely boughs to settle the crowne of ampelona upon the right royall vine , besides the navall wars with elaiana , and sundry other costly diversions , yet she made a full and finall conquest of lurana ; and this worke was done in a fulnesse of time , and concurrence of all felicity , when her royall successor was to bring another soveraigne crowne to aggrandize , and adde to the imperiall and triumphant glory of druina . her predecessors in their course of governement did but sometimes cast up the ground , and so leaving it fallowe , it became quickly oregrowne with weeds ; but shee like a great houswife did cast seed into it , sowing therein her owne lawes , and utterly extirpating all other ; she did ingraffe all upon one stocke , making no difference twixt the luranian and them of druina , by which coalition she received all alike into her immediat protection under the safe shadow of her royall branches , making the beames of justice to bee equally displayed upon all with like lustre . yet for all this there was little returne of the vast expence of treasure that might have served to purchase as great a crowne , which was imployed to compasse these ends , nor could lurana though a most copious countrey of her selfe , bee brought by any parsimonious policy to support her selfe , but still druina must part with her very radicall moysture , and wast her owne vitall spirits to preserve her authority there , untill that of late yeares the royall oke did light upon count rhodophill ( a stout and solid instrument most proper for so knotty a taske , as well for courage as counsell , and cut out for government and high affaires ) who balancing all matters in the scales of his high and spacious understanding , hath so rectified all obliquities , beginning first with the vindication of wrongs done to the house of the almighty ; and so regulated the exorbitant expences both civill and military , that the old arrearages under which that crown had long gron'd being defrayed , he hath brought lurana to uphold and maintaine her selfe , and returne druina for her protection , fruitfulnesse , and reducement to civility , a setled tribute proportionable to her greatnesse and plenty ; so happie and advantagious it is ▪ for a prince to employ an able and idoneous minister for the conduct of his state affaires ; he hath woun'd up the strings of that musicall instrument ( which lurana gives for her crest ) so dextrously , and tuned her orpheus-like ( who in times past by his melodious straines made the very trees to follow him ) to such a key , that she never gave a truer note ; and indeed the right way was never hit upon , untill now ; druina's majesty never stood so high a tiptoe , nor shind with a greater lustre ; the soveraigne power which druinas monarcke useth to transmit for ruling and regulating that rough forrest , was never so individed and entire in the person of one , whereas before some of the great ones caried themselves in that height , as if they had beene colleagues with him : the scales of iustice never mov'd more equally , for whereas before matters pass'd through a large grate , they may be said to be sifted now through a silken sive : commerce never flourished more ; and the military forces ( which are the finewes , and best security of a conquerd countrey , ) were never better appointed , more exactly disciplind , and punctually paid ; and whereas before , all places of profit and honour were either ingross'd or forestalld by reversionary grants ( the bane and bug-beares of industry ) or confer'd upon unwor●hy and ill affected ministers , druinas monarque may now exercise all acts of grace and bounty with more freedome and choice ; a singular incitement and golden spurre to vertuous and active spirits ; lastly , the royall desmesnes and treasure was never more improv'd , for whereas formerly lurana servd as a goose for every one to plucke , her feathers goe only now to fill the pillow of the crown : so that putting all this together , lurana may say as once that seven hild citie which was head of the last monarchy ( and pretends to be still of the hierarchie ) did say , lateritia fui , futura sum marmorea . but i have wandred too long in this forrest , i will now hoise sayle , and returne to druina , where i shall fixe my selfe a while , but in regard the wind is not faire , i will stay a little , and spend the time to deduce out of what hath beene spoken this short corollarie . touching the relation that druina with her united crownes , hath to other states , it is to be considered , that the power of this part of the world , is balanced betweene the oke , the vine , and the olive ; as for the cedar and others , they shall come in hereafter . elaiana hath the advantage of both the other in treasure , but shee is thinne planted , hath diverse nurseries to supply , many irons perpetually in the fire , wants corne , her dominions lye scattered , hath bold accessible coasts , and the conveyance of her bullion from columbina subject to bee intercepted in the passage ; and should druina breake out againe into any traverses of warre , and serious hostilitie with her , druina hath lately got no small advantage of her , by acquest of those islands which lye in the carreere to columbina , which she colonizeth , and fortifieth dayly more and more . ampelona is thick set , and abounds with stirring spirits , lyeth close together ; and being roundish and passable , no one part is farre from succouring each other : shee super-abounds with corne ; which is quickly convertible to coyne ; and being the common mart and thorow-faire , lying in the middle of so many great neighbours , can never want money : insomuch , that if you goe to the intrinsique value of things , shee will not , in regard of these advantages , want much in weight , of the huge bulke of elaiana . druina being surrounded with the sea , and having alwayes so many moving invincible castles in centinell , is hardly to be invaded ; her king being sayd to keepe as a tortoise in his shell , and having many other insularie advantages . so that it may be very properly sayd of the oke , as the holy prophet speakes of another great tree ; that the waters make him great , and the deepe sets him on high . druina would hardly be able to deale with any of the other single , unlesse upon the defensive ; but joynd with itelia , she can give them both law at sea ; and confederating with either of the other two , she is able to oppresse the third . now , the onely entire head that confronts elaiana's greatnesse , and is the remora that stops her progresse , is ampelona : therefore , that saying carryeth with it a great deale of truth , and no lesse caution ; that the day of the ruine of ampelona , is the eeve of the subversion of druina . therefore , from the time the olive grew to be so great , druina for strong reasons of state , hath inclind ever since , rather to maintaine ampelona , then any way to enfeeble her . and once , when the adventrous vine was taken prisoner by the olive , which was about the time that the olive began first to shoot out his branches so wide , the oke did contribute to ransome him . moreover , in that memorable great incendium , which rag'd so long by intermissive fitts throughout the whole body of ampelona ; to quench which , elaiana , out of pretence of zeale to religion , sent great barrels of water , though some say they were filld with pitch and oyle , which did rather encrease and feed the fire : i say , at that time , when there was a designe to provinciate the whole kingdome ; druina , though offerd a canton , would not accept of it . so then , this linke of mutuall conservation enchaining them , the oke may be presumd to be a sure confederate of the vine and the willowes also , all the while they containe themselves within those bounds they are in , at present . but if they should over-master the olive in leoncia , it would much alter the case . no addition could make ampelona more dangerous and suspectfull to druina , then leoncia ; for so it were farre worse then if the olive had all leoncia solely to himselfe , in regard they would fall into one continued and entire peece . but to conclude , there cannot be a truer maxime , for the safetie of druina and her confederates , then this of a late great states-man : decrescat oliva , nec crescat vitis . and thus have i finished the perambulation of druina , with all her pourliews , and perquisits , together with her next transmarine neighbours , with whom she hath most pratique and necessarie intelligence . i should now passe to rhenusium ( and so o're the mountaines , to bombycina ) but that i am afraid to loose my selfe in so vast a forrest , before i should begin my promised storie : therefore i will deferre their character to some emergent occasion out of the matter it selfe , and in the interim resume my subject , and returne to my first epoche . but before i proceed , i will give the reader this short touch , that i doe not purpose , by this discourse of trees , to bring him into a labyrinth , or impervious darke thicket ; for i know some , under borrowed names and types , have affected obscuritie , of purpose to amuse the reader , and make themselves admired for profound reaches , when oftentimes their fancies prove flat impertinencies , and non-sense : no ; the woods that i will lead him into , shall be faire and open ( as he may partly perceive , by what hath preceded ) so that he may easily distinguish twixt the kinds of trees ; it shall be lucus à lucendo . and imagine i am now returned to druina ; where i find all things flourishing , in a rare conjuncture of peace , securitie , honour , and plentie , under the branches of the stately caledonian oke , newly settled in his triumphant throne , begirt with cions of his owne royall stemme , and encircled with multitudes of ancient and nobly extracted elmes , holy and reverend yewes , learned laurels , stout poplars , with other goodly trees ; the lillies and roses white and red , did bourgeon round about him , the muses and graces made festivals , the faunes , satyres , and nymphs , did dance their roundelayes , all the trees of the field did clap their hands ; and never were seene such halcyonian dayes : the saturnian times of gold let none henceforth admire , behold a true pearly age. all the neighbouring forrests stood at a gaze , envying this high felicitie : the vine , the firre , the myrtle , the willowes , sent to congratulate and comply with druina ; but above all other , the olive , so shrewdly shaken before by her . to performe which worke , the prime officer of honour elaiana had by land , was sent ambassadour , and that in a most high and courtly manner , to present the newly enthroniz'd oke with a branch of olive , the embleme of peace , and elaiana's ancient cognisance : which being accepted , druina in correspondence of state , sent her prime officer at sea , her thalassiarcha , in such a splendid equipage , that elaiana rings of the renowne of it , to this day . the parts adjoyning to elaiana's royall court did so strayne themselves to entertaine and welcome him , with his numerous traine , that some yeares passed , before they could recover themselves many miles about : for so gratefull was his errand , being an embassie of peace , and so bitter were the resentments and fatall effects of the former warre , that young and old did blesse him as he passed ; deeming he had beene some angell descended from heaven , and that his attendants were some kind of seraphins , they so admir'd their comelinesse ; which did unbeguile the vulgar of the odde opinion the loyolists had formerly infused into them , by their concionatorie invectives , that the druinians , since they left petropolis , were transform'd into strange horrid shapes ; some having dogs heads , others swines countenances , others huge tayles hanging behind them . such ceremonies as these being mutually performd twixt druina and her confederates , and some other domestique triumphs ended ; the royall oke ( as well to expresse his princely acknowledgement for his free and peacefull reception to druina's throne , without the least motion of opposition or murmure , which usually happen at such changes , ( whereat the neighbouring princes , specially ampelona's then warlike monarch , stood in a kind of admiration ) which reception was accompanied also with unparallell'd acclamations of epidemicall joy , as also for redresse of divers grievances , rectifying of enormities , and enabling wholesome lawes ) sent out summons for a generall assembly , where his royall majestie , with all the noble elmes , the grave and learned yewes , and a selected number of the choisest poplars , should meet in one body , to consult of the common good ; and here you might behold a goodly sight , the epitome of all druina . but there preceded a notable act of princely grace : for whereas some , out of the motions of a malevolent spirit , and impostumated hearts , had , during the former universall exultations of ioy , beene detected , to have had a most treasonable and dangerous designe on foot against the majestie of the royall oke , whereof they had beene legally convicted and doom'd ; he meerely , out of his inclination to mercie , ( wherein kings come nearest to the almightie ) sent a private missive , all of his owne characters , to pluck tnem out of the very jawes of death ; even then , when having made their peace with heaven and earth , the fatall axe was imminent to fall upon them , and cut them quite off . and as this first , so were the rest of his whole reigne high acts of clemencie . but upon the very point , when the fore-named great congregation was to re-assemble ; behold , a horrid plot of such a nature , that it seemd rather to have been a peece hammerd in hell , by a conventicle of cacodaemons , then trac'd by humane invention . a sulphureous mine it was , prepard and fitted with that artifice , that in one puffe it should have blowne up to the clouds , and made but a squib of that mightie assembly , with many thousands of innocent soules besides : druina's soveraigne monarch , with his royall consort , and princely imps , root and rinde , stemme and stock , bud and blossome , had all beene blasted ; the reverend yewes , noble elmes , and stout poplars , had beene all turnd to charcoale ; yea , the furie of it had extended to the embrio in the wombe ; nay , the very inanimate bodies had not beene exempt ; the sumptuous ancient structures neere adjoyning , all the tribunals of iustice , yea , the prime sanctuarie druina had , would have gone to wrack ; nay , it would have raysed up her dead princes out of their sleeping vrnes , to behold this black spectacle : my haire stands on end , my heart trembleth at the horror of it : the trinacrian vespers , and bartholomean massacre , were nothing to this . and religion must be the maske , to cover this hellish attempt : tantum religio potuit suadere malorum ? sacred lady , must thou be the mantle to cover this infandous worke ? thou which usest to goe clad in the white vest of innocencie , must thou have a deianira's shirt now cast upon thee , a robe of bloud ? thou which marchest alwayes with the armour of light , must thou be made accessarie to such a horrible act of subterranean darkenesse ? thou which injoynest subjects indispensable obedience to their soveraigns , because they are the anoynted and archetypes of the almighty , yea gods upon earth , must thou be now made a complice to assassines and traytors ? in fine , thou to whom the prince of peace left for legacy his seamelesse close-woven garment of unity to decke thy selfe , must thou be brought to make ruptures and throw the ball of discord twixt soveraigne and subject ? absit , absit . for the discovery of this prodigious plot , specially the quality of it , it seemes by some secret supernaturall instinct , druinas monarque himselfe , when all his great sages were at a stand , hit right upon it , for it being fore-threatned , and advertisement being fortunately lighted upon , that a sudden blow should bee given , which should bee no sooner doing , then a peece of paper burning , his majestie entring into the secret cabinet of his owne deepe and free-borne thoughts positively avouch'd , that it must bee some project of nitre , then which nothing is more sudden and impetuous , more violent and irresistible : and herein hee prov'd as much prophet , as prince . for oftentimes the conceptions of kings are as farre above the vulgar , as their condition is , for being higher elevated , and walking upon the battlements of soveraignty , they sooner receive the inspirations of heaven . they which make profession to pry into mysteries of estate , passed divers judgements upon this , some gave out , that the warlike vine had sent advise of it , and that the then secretst of druinas sages , that great instrument of state had fore-knowledge of it , but suffred the fatall threed to bee spunne out to that length for some politique respects , and then to cut it off in the very nicke . not long after a notorious high act of treason , drawing to a neare analogie with this , for the instrument was led by the same ill spirit , except that the one was single , yet upon the person of a publique person , the other of multitudes , if you consider the agents or patients ; the one was crushed in the shell , as it was upon poynt of hatching , and so most happily prevented , but this was fully perpetrated upon the body ot the great martiall vine which swayed the scepter of the then most flourishing ampelona ; and religion that holy and harmelesse matrone , must be made to sharpen the poynt of that fatall steele which did scarifie and penetrate him to the very heart , and suddenly fell'd him to the ground ; it was done when hee had a potent army so fam'd and feard farre and neare , composed of choice veteranes upon a great mysticall designe in perfect equipage , which continueth a riddle to this day : and in the midst of those triumphs that were prepared for his queene who had her temples newly begirt with ampelonas royall diademe . and her fancies it seemes the night before were propheticall , having dream'd that those diamonds wherewith her crowne were embellishd , did turne to pearles , which are accounted the emblemes of teares . but most remarkable it is what one of his owne confidents did forewarne him of twenty yeares before , who told him being newly come to the crowne , and forced to comply with the times in point of ecclesiasticall affaires , and being assaulted and wounded in the mouth by a young loyolist . sir , you see how just and punctuall god almighty is in his iudgements , for i hope you have denied the religion you were first nurtured in , but from the teeth outward , so he hath struck you there , but take heede your heart goe not from it , for hee will strike you there the next time , which proved precisely true . not unlike this prophetique judgement was that which fell upon one of his predecessors not long before , who being so incensed against the eusebians , that he vowed to plucke out one of their eyes to stigmatize and distinguish them from others ; he was thrust the very same day into the eye himselfe by an eusebian , whereof hee breathed his last . a hard fate it was that three of ampelona's royall monarques should fall within so narrow a compasse of time by such mortall stroakes . the last the most accomplished of all the rest , was the most lamented , who out of his cold vine seemes , me thinkes , to send this mournefull caveat to the greatest potentats on earth . that they are but weake penetrable things , and though somewhat refind and kneaded from that courser sort of stuffe , which goeth to the composition of the cittizens of the world , yet they are so much the more brittle ware , onely they differ in ther office , which neverthelesse makes them to have farre lesse to hope for , then to feare . a greater example hereof there could not be then in this great puissant prince , a prince in whom nothing of worth was wanting , a patterne of all heroique vertues , except that he was transported sometimes too far by that sexe , which overcame the first , the strongest , and wisest , that ever were of humane race . wonderfull he was in acts of peace and warre , hee had bin victorious in foure maine battailes , before he could peaceably weare the crowne , hee weeded the kingdome of such as were devoted to elaiana , and manumizd it , from that most dangerous confederacy which was fermenting many yeares , weakning it by armes , but dashing it to peeces by wit. for his acts of peace , he inrichd ampelona with a greater proportion of silke and wooll , he beautified her in many places with sumptuous structures , cut passages twixt great navigable rivers , and was like to do the like twixt sea and sea. and some say he had a designe to erect such a spirituall independent dignity in ampelona , that his subjects should not neede to clammer the hills so often to petropolis ; he dismorgagd the crowne demeanes , made an increase of munition , armes and treasure , and left behind a masse of gold that surmounted the height of a lance ; and all this may be ascribd to his owne activenesse . for , as for the outward windowes of his soule , he was rarely quicke and perspicacious , so was hee inwardly eagle-eyed , and perfectly versd in the humours of his subjects . and such a great artist hee was in government , that he preservd ampelona ( which abounds more then one part of the earth besides with boysterous spirits and hot working braines ) twenty yeares together without the least tintamarre or noise of commotion : a brave sprightfull prince hee was , composed of such a mould , that though hee wanted but very few yeares of his grand climacterique , when the mortall stab was given him ; yet the anatomists adjudgd , that if nature had beene sufferd to have runne her owne course in him , without this fatall interruption , hee might have doubled his age. never was there monarch , that lorded more over his subjects hearts : which , as in many passages of his life , so after his death it appeard ; when by the universall vote , hee was eternizd to future ages with the title of great , and that his statues should be erected in all the mart townes of ampelona . — stat magni nominis vmbra . the martiall vine being thus cut downe , ampelona fell under a female government , ( a female of rare endowments and princely worth ) untill the succeeding young royall cion should come to maturitie : and they speake of an old law , that the heire of ampelona's crowne is adjudgd then to have passd his minoritie , when he is growne to the height of a sword. so that during this government , it may be sayd ( notwithstanding the contrarie proverbe : ) lunae radiis maturescebat botrus . not long after the vine , the mightie olive his neighbour fell , who with his beades was sayd to preserve all his time his spacious dominions , as his imperiall grandsire did by the pike , and his sire , that great magus of his dayes , by the pen ; who , for some rare vertues that dwelt in him , i cannot pretermit with silence . he was the greatest conqueror of himselfe , and king of his owne affections , that ever was ; being alwayes at home within himselfe , in an admired equall temper of humors : no change at all was found in him at good or bad events , or any sudden tumultuarie chance ; whereof i will give a few notable instances . after that memorable great battaile and navall expedition against alcharona , ( when all bombycina , with the adjacent islands , were at the stake ) was wonne , the relation being brought him , what a glorious victorie was got , and with what difficultie , and how long she fluttred upon the wings of doubtfull successe , he was not surpriz'd a whit with any exulting motions of joy ; onely he sayd , that his brother , who was generalissimo in the service , had venturd very farre : and it was the first time that he ever daignd to stile him brother , though they were of the same stock , but he a branch of the wild olive . these were the most important and gladsomst tidings that possibly could be brought him , both concerning himselfe and all the westerne world , as the case then stood . for ill newes also , he was the same : for , in that mightie expedition against druina , when the very virgin newes was brought him of the most disastrous miscarriage of his fleet , that monstrous sea-giantesse , the hugest that ever spread sayle upon salt water , take bulk and building together ; when all the circumstances were punctually related unto him , he was not mov'd a jot from himselfe , but calmely sayd , he had sent them to fight against druina , not against the deitie of heaven . and these were the saddest newes that possibly could come . this having beene an enterprise so much ruminated upon , so moulded and matur'd by time , with infinite expence ; the legalitie of the act confirmd and animated by a speciall benediction from the great arch-flamin , and puffd up with such a certitude and infallibilitie of hopes and presumptions , that in petropolis there were bonefires alreadie made , in joy of the conquest of druina . yet , at the sayd long expected relation , there appeared not in him the least alteration or resentment in the world , for the miscarriage of this mightie action , and invincible fleet , as she was tearm'd ; which prov'd , as one sayd , but a kind of morrice-dance upon druina's waves . another time , being shut up a whole day in his closet , to dispatch some private instructions for leoncia , about the time of her first revolt ; and bringing them forth fairely written , to be dryed , his then secretarie ( that famous minister of state ) being with the suddennesse of his comming surpriz'd , pour'd the ink-box all over the writings , and so defac'd them , that they were made altogether illegible : this did not a whit stirre him , but calmely call'd for more paper , to rescribe them ; shewing him the difference twixt the ink-box and sand-box , against the next time . thus in eclipses and sunne-shine , in calme and tempests , at ill or fortunate occurrences , he was immoveably the same ; nor could any sudden inexpected contingencie , were it of never so great consequence , distract , much lesse divorce him from himselfe . the philosophers teach , that in naturall bodies , all things decay by the inward conflict of their principles , and reluctancie of the predominant elements : for , if a body were eavenly balanced by the foure elements whence the humours are derived , it would bee unperishable . the manners of the minde often follow the temper of these humors , therefore in this prince it seemes , there were the sedomst and weakest struglings amongst them that could be ; a serious reservd speculative prince he was , and could see farre and neare without spectacles or prospective , and as it was said of one of druinas monarques , hee was used to stand in the darke to others , but he made all the world to stand in the light to him . he would often complaine against his sister of druina , in that she fomented the itelians his owne naturall subjects against him , that shee intercepted his treasure , and countenanced her captaines to robbe him in columbina , and all this without provocation as he thought , pretending that hee had deservd otherwise of her , by being once the chiefest instrument of saving her life , and restoring her to liberty , and having an ambassador resident then at her court , when these traverses of enmitie happened . hee was a great example of pietie in his kinde , and that in so intense a degree , that he was used to say , if he knew the princely plant which first sprung out of him did but brandle or haesitat in his religion , hee would have his breast ripped up , and those thoughts plucked out of him , nay he would gather stickes himselfe to burne him . the cause of the so earely fall of that prince is a riddle to this houre , but one time in a gay humour he wished in the hearing of his sire , hee had elaiana's crowne upon his head but onely one day ; and this extravagant wish ( as 't was thought ) did him no good ; for not long after , he was transplanted into the other world by an immature fate . another argument , or rather monument , of the pietie of this platonique prince , was that worke of wonder , that glorious structure , which with expence of eight millions of treasure , and twentie three yeares of time , ( he himselfe enjoying the contentment of it twelve whole yeares after it was finishd ) he causd to be erected , in memorie of that famous battaile he got against ampelona , being then in leoncia : and not as much in honour of the day , as of the martyr , whose day it was ; proportioning the fabrique to the shape of that instrument he suffered upon . the handle of it , makes a magnificent royall palace ; the body , an huge assembly of cloysters , which make up a convent , and an academie . and so intentive were his thoughts upon this piece of pietie , that when the long-longd for tidings were poasted to him , of the miscarriage of the fore-mentioned fleet , which sayld at first with the wings of such confidence against druina ; he then having his eyes fixd upon a mason , who was fitting a corner-stone , he would neither aske , heare , or reade one syllable , untill he saw that stone settled . such a vast pile was never reard up by scaffold : and i subscribe to them that hold , the world hath not the like , in one entire piece . and built it is with that unusuall solidnesse , and moderate height , that it seemes in his first thoughts he intended to make a sacrifice of it to perpetuitie , and to contest with the iron teeth of time. it hath a quadrangle for every moneth in the yeare : and whosoever will take an exact survey of it , must goe above paces forward , about and backward , within the circumference of the walls ; and the very keyes of this huge edifice , poise above weight . this great magus being seizd upon by the hand of death , he sayd none should carry him to his owne sepulcher , meaning that mightie monument , but himselfe : where he was no sooner come , but this huge olive , which flourishd so long , ( though shaken with many shrewd stormes ) fell , as they say , of vermiculation , being all worme-eaten within . the succeeding princely olive , though in profound reaches of policie he came short of him , yet in pietie he rather exceeded him . he relyed more upon the spirituall power then the temporall , holding it the safest course : and indeed , it was one of the cardinall instructions his expiring sire left him ; and the other was , that he might warre with all the world , if he were in peace with druina . a little after , he yeelded to treat with the itelians as with free-states ; from which words , they ever since derive their independencie , though elaiana denie , that she ever pronounc'd them positively free , but retorts the argument upon them : for , if she condescended to treat with them as with free-states , the hypothesis must be , that they were not free : for the topique axiome is , nullum simile est idem ; but whether it will hold in policie , i will not determine . of rhenvsivm . and bombycina . about these times there arrived in druina a rhenusian prince ( altapinus , ) and rhenasium abounds with princes , yet they are from the beginning but branches fallen from the imperiall cedar , whereof some are growne up single , other are multiplied into a great number of groves . huge is that extent of ground which belongs to the perambulation of this large forrest , which were shee entirely subject to the cedar , would prove formidable both to the vine , the olive , and the oke with all other , and would bee able of her selfe to make head against that huge giantesse alcarona ; but rhenusium being divided betweene so many absolute princes , and they of about equall puissance , ( as a great river cut into many channells growes weaker and shallower ) rhenusium strives onely to counterpoize her selfe . her trees are well timbred , tall and beutifull , they are all commonly of the nature of the plane , or hortensius his graffs , which love to bee watred with wine , but they use not onely to bee watred therewith , but to bee overwhelmd and drownd therein , for they drinke often passively , which made one ascribe unto them these two properties . to understand more then they can utter ; and drinke more then they can carry . and the universality of this vice , seemes to take away the infancy of it ; so that whosoever is temperat there , must needs bee more temperat then any where else , for he must bee so , per antiperistasin , being surrounded , and besiegd as it were about with the contrary habit . the time was that the cedar stretched forth his imperiall branches as farre as the mountaines of the moone , and that the king of birds nested within his leaves , thicke featherd , and with fullsummd wings fastning his talents east and west ; but now i know not by what fate or fortune t is come to passe , the eagle is become halfe naked , and the cedar very thinne leavd , so that for many ages it hath bin a kinde of continuall autumne with him . in so much that whosoever will undertake now the imperiall diademe , must have of his owne wherewith to support and protect it ; which i beleeve is one of the reasons , that it hath continued these two ages and more yeares in that stemme which is now so much spoken of , and envyed in the world. and this reason of state sounds well why the septemvirate lets it continue there so long , because this race having its hereditary territories as ramparts upon those regions that the huge easterne bramble tyrannizeth over , is best able to preserve rhenusium from his fury . but to know the true cause why the cedar hath so long warped , and fallen to this decay , i must lead you over the hills to bombycina , that great magazin of wits , and minion of nature , where some places acknowledge no other season but the spring ; and they who abstract paradise from the earthly globe , would have it to bee in that part of the heavens which is her canopie . petropolis is the city which once awed not onely all bombycina , but signorizd over most parts of the habitable earth , so farre , that her tropheys and territories were sayd to know no frontires ; yet at first the circuit of her walls was hardly a mile , and her pomerium and perquisits adjoyning where they stretched furthest , scarce six , and the first number of her plants about . yet with time and fortune she so swelled up , that she became . miles about , and her dominions above . miles long ; and the number of graffs which sprang at one time in and about her walls , in a famous cense that was made , amounted to above three millions . hence the imperiall cedar shot out his warlike branches farre and neare for many ages , untill the ivie clasping and clinging close about him , suckd out of him much of his very radicall moisture to vegetat and quicken himselfe , so that those twinings and embracements of the ivie proved but as iudas kisses , and this mongst many others is one of the causes of the cedars decay , out of whose ruines the ivie did climbe up to a monstrous height ; and if it be lawfull to passe from trees to birds , that memorable comparison which one publikely preached in the very court of the ivie , when hee was residentiarie upon the skirts of ampelona three ages since was not improper , at which time that renowned poet laureat did so bitterly inveigh against the exorbitancies of petropolis , calling her the mother of heresie , shop of vice , and forge of falsehood ; which comparison was , that this so high growne ivie was like that featherlesse bird , which went about to begge plumes of other birds to cover his nakednesse , they moved with commiseration clad him with part of their owne , to which worke the eagle did contribute much ; this bird having his barenesse coverd with those adventitious feathers , did thrive wonderfully , and grew so gay that they all turned to peacocks plumes , into whose nature the bird himselfe did also degenerat , and it is well knowne what the peacocke is embleme of . he began to pecke at , and prey upon those birds that were his benefactors , untill he made some of them stark buzzards . others have compard the ivie to the stagge in the fable , which shrowded himselfe under the branches of the vine in a time of necessity , which being passed , hee fell a browzing , and to eate those leaves which preserved him ; thus the ivie is sayd to use the cedar , with others of his patrons , who out of a high conceipt of sanctity they held of him , because he was the great arch flamin , protected him upon all occasions , and would not stand out with him in any thing : but pitty it is , that the fruits of piety should bee so abused ; and that , that high degree of honour , that great arch-flamin-ship which at first was ordained to bee a spurre to holinesse , should after become a stirrop to pride . and as petropolis at her first rise , when shee came to bee mistresse of the fourth monarchy , and was at her highest flourish , used to clip the wings of victory , that shee should not fly away from her ; so shee would have done to religion also , since the ivie came to be her lord , that it should be found no where else , but betweene her walls ; which made all the world to have recourse to her , as to the sole oracle of sacred truth , the source of saving knowledge , and consistorie of mercie : and going about to monopolize religion by these steps , she made meere merchandize of holy things , and grew to be an excellent chymist , that could transmute lead into gold ; perswading the silly client , that out of that lead he might make keyes to open heaven gates . thus religion got wealth , piety begot policy , then the daughters were sayd to devour their mothers . adde hereunto , that it was the practice of the ivie , to su●●itate and engage the cedar , with other princes whom he could get into his grapple , to holy expeditions abroad , and sometimes to make them clash their branches one against the other , at home ; whereby he tooke often opportunitie , to seize upon something towards the strengthening and embulking of himselfe . thus the ivie clinging so close to the conscience , brought the cedar , the vine , and the oke , with all the westerne potentates , to bow unto him , and doe homage to his very trunke , and in a manner to idolatrize him , and tremble as the aspe before him . he qualified the cedar with the character of his first sonne ; the vine , of his younger ; and the oke , of his adopted ; though i know no reason , why the oke may not challenge the right of primogeniture above all the rest , in regard his crownes were first irradiated with the gleames of sacred truth ; and , as some great clerks avouch , before petropolis her selfe : and touching that title , which doth peculiarize druina's monarch from all other , it is much more ancient then the common opinion holds it . the olive , this last centenarie of yeares , hath much complyed with the ivie , making profession to be his champion : and indeed , he hath more reason then others to induce him thereunto , in regard he holds most of his dominions in fee of him ; and amongst the rest , hipparcha , which is one of the fairest flowers of his crowne , being the most delicious soyle of all bombicina : and this he detaines from the ivie , much against his will , for he should be the true possessorie lord thereof : but the olive dispenseth with his conscience , to passe it over with a complement , and a heriot once every yeare , though he incurre the thunder of an unavoidable curse thereby . but it is observd , that that brave prauncing courser , which hipparcha gives for her crest , being formerly so full of mettle , that he would scarce brooke bridle or saddle , hath beene so broken and brought low by her , that he will now very patiently take the bitt , and beare a pack-saddle or panniers , if need require , which they lay on him once every three yeares . the ivie , by the degrees aforesaid , being led by such another genius , it seemes , as the first nurserie of plants petropolis had , who varnishd all their attempts with a singular reverence to the gods , came from very small beginnings to a stupendious height . but there is one shrewd brand on it , that his greatest patron opened a way to the empire by a black way of perfidiousnesse and treason , in felling downe that cedar , which was his liege lord and master ; and to comply with the ivie , condescended to give him , among other benefits , petropolis for his court. ever since , the great arch-flamin hath wonderfully thriven : for proceeding to domineere over , and captivate the noblest part of the intellectuall creature , he assumd power to depose soveraigne princes , to dispose of their diademes , and to dispense with their subjects from all tyes of naturall obedience . and so liberall he hath beene , as to give away druina ( which he tearmd his inexhausted source ) once to the vine , another time to the olive ; but with this proviso , if they could conquer her : wherein they both soulely fayld , though they employd the utmost of their strength . and the ivie came to doe these feates by force and terror , a course very disagreeable to his calling : for the temporall and spirituall power should have an analogie with those two faculties of the soule , the will , and the vnderstanding : the will dealeth with the vnderstanding by way of power and peremptorie command , but the vnderstanding , after a sweet way of meekenesse , conducts the will by perswasions and strength of reason , and so leads him along in a golden chaine . he amusd the world , that the keyes which open and shut heaven , and let downe to hell , hang upon his branches ; the threats of his displeasure , came to be as dreadfull as thunderbolts : but of late yeares , they are found to be of a cleane contrarie qualitie : for the thunderbolt is observed to quash and crush those bodies , which with their toughnesse resist , but to spare those which are plyable and yeelding ; as oft times we finde the body of the tree crushd to flitters , when the bark is not touchd : but those fulminations which are darted from petropolis , are of a quite different nature ; for upon them that withstand and beare up against them , they are as thunderbolts fallen into the sea , forcelesse . and hereof the royall oke ( and some hold , that the right oke , being iove's tree , sacra iovi quercus , is exempt from the stroake of thunder ) made first proofe of , of any other soveraigne prince ; then the firre , the ash , with others , followed : and memorable is the answere which one of the royall firres made petropolis , when shee would have exacted a new pecuniarie dutie of him ; and it was this : that he had receiv'd life from his parents , the kingdome from his people , and religion from petropolis , which if petropolis desir'd , let her ' take it to her againe . moreover , this great arch-flamin amusd the world , that he was indued with the spirit of infallibilitie , that he was a speaking scripture ; so that , heresie was defind to be nothing else all the world over , then an opinion in holy things contrarie to his decision . and easie it was to induce the poplars to beleeve this , who were allowd no other bookes but images ; and taught besides , that ignorance was the mother of devotion ; and that in praying , god almightie would understand them well enough , though they did not understand themselves , nor the words wherein they prayed : and in such orisons , how is it possible that the heart and tongue should be relatives ? but strange it seemes to me , that he who is mounted to this high office , should be quite out of the reach of all error , ( for , commonly when one climbes very high , his head is subiect to turne ) considering , how grossely ignorant some of them were , that they understood not the language of the liturgie , considering also what prodigious vices reignd in some of them ; and vice , ignorance , and error are commonly individuall mates , ushering in one another . their owne secretarie , one that was best capable to know their intrinsique counsels , practises , and humours , hath left upon record , that some of them made way unto this more then humane dignitie , by murther , others by poyson , many by simonie , some by the sword , and one by tampring with ill spirits ; adulterie , incest , and blasphemie , have branded some of them ; fornication held a peccadillo , and pride became an inseparable companion to it : and one of the cunningst sleights of the devill , is , when he cannot fall one upon plaine ground , to lift him up with pride . which here grew so visible , that many beleeve the power of the ivie had beene long since at an end , had not the reputation and reverence the world beares to the humilitie and povertie of some innocent graffs , that creepe up in holy orders under him , borne out the scandall of his excesses : for it was plainely discovered , that whereas the owle was usd to build his nest in the ivie , superstition and error ( which are also birds of darknesse ) thrust him out , and tooke his roome . but of late yeares , that super-politique and irrefragable societie of the loyolists have proppd up the ivie ; so that all their consultations and studie tends to aggrandize him , to render him sole and supreme lord of all the earth : and , as for the spirituall power they would hoyse him up to be the onely head ; so for the temporall , they would also have one lord paramount . and because it is most probable , to bring that mightie worke to passe by the olive , in regard of his spacious dominions ; therefore , all their policie tends to exalt him : insomuch , that of late yeares it is observd , of what soyle soever a loyolist is , he is halfe factor for the olive . and when at the beginning of the tumults in leoncia , he was advisd to erect citadels and forts up and downe , to keepe under his subjects , one of his then greatest sages answerd , it would farre more secure the countrey , if the societies of the loyolists were multiplyed for their convents would serve for castles . profound clerks they are , and the chiefest court rabbies , and the closest sort of intelligencers ; for they have a way to scrue into the most inmost closets of princes , and to goe betweene the very bark and the tree ; though many times they prove earewigs and caterpillers to the tallest trees . nor doe they make their mercuries ex quolibet ligno ; for they never admit any blocks into their societie , but the best-timbred and choisest plants , which they reare up for such uses , as best sutes and goes along with the graine of their genius . and though it be against their canon , to receive money for almes ; yet wheresoever they plant , they presently grow up to an incredible encrease of wealth . these seraphicall fathers doe so under-value all other orders , that they have a saying : the church is the soule of the world , the clergie the soule of the church , and they the soule of the clergie . amongst other points petropolis holds , and these loyolists with their maine policie labour to uphold , one is , that whosoever they be , though they have the same primitive symbole and substance of faith with her ; yet if they grow not within her inclosure , they are no other then logges ordaind for hell-fire . which opinion , though it carry with it an hot kind of zeale , it hath little charitie , i am sure , with it : for , besides those myriads of plants which grow up , and fall , under the oke , the firre , the ash , and the willowes , and are thick set with petropolitans in rhenusium and ampelona , with sundry other forrests , which have long since shaken off the still-encroaching ivie ; that vast tract of earth which volgania containes , and those numberlesse multitudes which are up and downe alcarona ; nay , those which are in and about the holyest of cities , with that immense region , which some hold to extend from one tropique to the other , lorded over by iochan belul , who tearmes himselfe also the head of the church , and touchstone of sacred truth , and tree of knowledge , &c. ( whom that great clerke , and late corrector of times , would have to beare another name , but wrongfully ) i say , that huge territorie , which this great monarch , with his abuna , doth possesse ; since all these beare the generall character of christians , and have the grounds and exercise of the rites of true pietie , though in divers formes , it is an hard censure , to judge that they are nought else but brushwood , prepard for eternall flames , and utterly incapable to be made timber for the inlarging of the court of heaven : but i beleeve this tenet proceeds from a kind of policie , to serve onely for terror . let none mistake me , as if , while i treat of trees , i should goe about to make poysond arrowes of them , to dart at petropolis : no ; i reverence her from my very soule , for the first ancient mother church : but it hath beene the practice of the common enemie , that where truth erecteth her church , he helpes error to reare up a chappell hard by . i firmely subscribe , and submit my selfe to whatsoever was ordaind and acted in her , the first foure centurie of yeares ; for , nothing makes more for the confirmation of my faith , then her doctrine and practise then . for in those ages , a great many of her blessed arch-flamins creeping lowly upon the ground , yeelded themselves to be made bonefires , for the maintenance of truth ; and out of their ashes , sprung up more and more innumerable holy plants , which did wonderfully propagate , and they were all indued with the vertue of the palme ; the more they were oppressd and overset with the weight of persecution , the faster , stronger , and streighter they grew up . in those dayes , the light of divine knowledge did streame from petropolis , in beames of innocencie , simplenesse , and humilitie ; but afterwards ( helas ) it came to be offuscated and halfe choakd up with fogges of humane fancies . some presume to affirme , that if the almightie would assume a visible externe shape , it should be compounded of light and truth , they are so essentiall unto him : petropolis was once adornd with both these ; but long since , the one hath beene shrewdly dimmd , the other depravd , though neither quite extinguishd ( as some affirme in her . ) so that i beleeve druina had never forsaken petropolis , had petropolis stood firme to her selfe , and not swervd from her first grounds . but i find , that all the devices and crochets of new inventions which crept into her , tended either to enrich or enlarge the ivie . the barke of the prime apostle was imployed to pyracie , and his keyes to unlock the treasuries of princes ; and where they could not doe , the sword should breake them open . but for his imaginarie exchequer , wherein were hoorded the redundancie of good workes , nothing must open that , but keyes of massie gold ; arguments were turnd to armes , and miters to helmets : which made the world , in stead of being rectified , to run headlong into strange obliquities of schisme and confusion . as much , if not more affiance and conceit of comfort began to be had in them , who once were sinners , and but yet supposed saints , then in the saviour himselfe : vowes and orisons were made to them , that knew nothing of the heart ; and amongst such a number of pettie deities , god was halfe forgotten . dignities in heaven , were disposd of on earth ; and to one of their moderne saints , that place is given , which lucifer lost . and the blessedst of mortall wights , that ever breathd the ayre of this lower region , now questionlesse the highest saint in the celestiall hierarchie , began to be so impertinently importund , that a great part of divine liturgie was addressd solely to her , in such a way that she questionlesse detests . they came so farre in this point , that to make a perfect salve for a sick soule , they held there must be a mixture and compound made of milke and bloud , and that they are both of equall vertue . traditions and the ivies decretalls were made of equall force , and as authenticall as the sacred charter it selfe , and as much obliging the conscience ; and his commands observd with more terror , then those which were delivered by the voice of the almightie , in thunder and lightning . it came to passe , that it grew a common thing , for one to plant a tree , and with one part to heat his oven , with the other to roast his meat , and to make his god of the third . and whereas at the beginning , man was made after gods image , which must be understood of the interne graces of the soule , it grew a common practise , to make god after mans image in externe grosse corporeall shapes , whereas the incomprehensible majestie of the almighty can neither bee circumscribd in place , nor represented in picture , but darkely describd by an aggregation of his attributes . and whereas hee being a spirit ought to bee servd in spirit , and chiefely with interne worship , and ingraven onely in the tables of the heart , most of his service came now to bee externe in shewes and representations , his temples being filled with certaine kindes of antique faces and great puppets in every corner ; so that petropolis became ( as a little after her first foundation she was ) a meere grove of idolls . moreover the minde was caried away with such a fond conceipt , that heaven , and that eternall weight of glory which is reserved there for the blessed , might be over-merited by surplusage of works ; whereas there was never any proportion yet twixt infinity and things finite ; nor was this earth ever held but an indivisible point , and a thing of no dimension at all in respect of the heavens ; and there should be alwayes a kind of proportion twixt the worke and the reward . thus they thought to climbe up to heaven , upon the tree of their owne merits , whereas they should have observed that the publican was bid to come downe the tree , before grace could descend upon him . after this unlucky brood of errors , there crept in odde philosophicall subtilties , and forc'd termes of art , which did much puzzle sacred theologie , and threw as it were dirt in her face , with their classicall distinctions , cavills , quiddities , and so transformd her to a meere kinde of sophistry and logomachy . yet all this cannot deprive petropolis of the character of a true church , ( i cannot say adverbially true ( and god is a lover of adverbs ) she still hath the essentiall grounds , with the externe profession and exercise of saving knowledge . though tares repullulat , there is wheate still left in the field , the foundation is good , though some odde superstructures have been raisd upon the first story ; and he that pries into her with impartiall eyes , will find that shee is not so corrupt in her positions , as in her practise , for many who have beene allured by her bookes , have beene averted againe by her churches , and the sight of her ceremonies , and antique formes , which in some places are such , that whereas divinity should goe clad like a grave venerable matron , shee may bee sayd to bee accoutred rather like a courtisane . but some there are who doe prosecute petropolis with such a blacke irreconcileable malice , that whatsoever hath beene once practised in her , though arbitrary and indifferent in it selfe , tending happily to decency and externe ornament onely , they hold it to be flat idolatry ; they thinke they can never fly farre enough from her , whereby many of them striving to fly from superstition fall into flat prophanesse , holding this hatred of petropolis to bee a poynt of holinesse ; so that they may bee sayd to hate her religion rather , then the corruption which depraves it ; nay such is their malignancy in this kind , that it extends to the very inanimat creatures of stone , wood and glasse , so farre , that had they their wills , there should not a roofe , wall or window stand which was once consecrated by petropolis . and he was well servd for his blind zeale , who going to cut downe an ancient white hauthorne-tree , which because she budded before others , might bee an occasion of superstition , had some of the prickles flew into his eye , and made him monocular . yet for all the specious fruits of sanctity these dotard trees outwardly beare , they are found commonly rotten at the heart , they are like putrified wood shinining in the darke ; and their fruit like that which is sayd to growe hard by the sodomitique lake , fayre and goodly without , but hanled , crumbleth to ashes ; so injurious they are to prayer ( being the very marrow into which the soule melts in her dovotion to heaven ) that the would thrust her out of her owne house ( the temple ) at least give her a small roome that may be ( unlesse she prove the extemporall issue of their owne shallow braines ) harrowed over with such impertinent tautologies , and bold expostulations . such a deadly feud they have to hierarchy and degrees in holy functions , that they account those high luminaries which from all times have beene appoynted for the guidance and goverment of the church , to be nought else but comets , and ill boding starres . in their conventicles they doe commonly bella cum personis magis , quàm peccatis gerere . seldome doe they give their flockes any milke , but strong meates ; they still thunder out lighning and tempest , and the dreadfull curses of the law , which must needs whoorry many a poore conscience upon dangerous rocks , and doubts , and fits of despaire , and seldome do they apply the sweet , and soule-solacing lenitiffs of the gospell , wherewith the corresives of the law should be tempered , whence it may be inferd , that they thinke oftner of hell then heaven . adde hereunto , that some of these great santons will not stick to expound the sacred text , upon the warrant of their owne private spirits , as if god almightie appeard to them out of a bush ; but hereby they usually worke themselves into some odde illumination of an egregious dotage : for they should learne , that in holy things , he that strikes upon the anvill of his owne braine , is in danger to have the sparkles flye into his face , which must needes dazzle him : nor is he unlike him , who layeth together hot burning coales with his naked fingers , in stead of a paire of tongs . i could wish , that these sciolous zelotists had more iudgement joynd with their zeale , that they would not runne away so farre from their text ; it were well , that they would suffer reason to perswade them , before she invades them , as commonly in argument shee doth : that they had more of the spirit of conformitie and obedience , to the constitutions and commands of lawfull authoritie ; which commonly every ignorant and shallow mechanique spirit amongst them , will presume to censure or demurre upon , and upon every triviall cavill rayse clamours . as in itelia , where these fanatique spirits most swarme , not long agoe two of their greatest clerks kept a mightie adoe , whether aarons ephod was of sea-greene , or sky-colour : and this disturbd a while the whole assembly , there being hot abetters on both sides . and indeed , these obstreperous sceptiques are the greatest bane of divinitie , who are so full of the spirit of contradiction , that they raise daylie new disputes , and multiplie controversies , so that they are almost without number . and if the loyolists on the one side , and they on the other were quite grubd vp ( for they are but brambles in the lords vinyard ) or cut downe ( and there is a strong warrant that every tree which beareth not good fruit should be cut downe ) or that they were sent to plant in vtopia , it were no great matter . for with their extremes they blow the bellowes , and are the common incendiaries of all combustions wheresoever they come ; for the one , they have it from their first planter who had beene of the profession of bloud ; therefore they would propagat pietie as alcharona doth hers , with the sword , and so make religion to bee gladij pedissequa , and which is worse , the mantle , to palliat all their designes , so that if one should prie narrowly into the carriage of their actions , it would put him in mind of that damnable tenet of the atheist , in nomine domini fit omne malum . and betweene these two , the westerne church , yea , faith her selfe , that sacred ladie , doth suffer as twixt two malefactors , the one disturbing her peace , the other depraving her doctrine ; but the time will come that they shall be both crushed to peeces , on both sides , and not a bone of hers broken . but nothing is so naturall to the humane creature , and which he longs after , and delights in more , then novelty and change , yea in holy things ; and as long as hee is compounded of the foure elements , whose very being consists in mutabilitie , his braine must still fluctuate with new fancies ; as long as there are diversitie of climes , whence the celestiall bodies send downe their influences , and make impressions upon the mind in different degrees of temper , there must be various idea's and conceptions of the deity , as well as of all other things ; and as time doth worke a revolution in it selfe , so it doth in all sublunary matters ; we grow weary of old things , of morall and politique lawes , of the most exact and regularst languages , of outward habits , yea the inward habitudes are subject to this ; nay religion her selfe is not exempt , but like the moone hath eclipses , changes and spots ; but as some astronomers affirme those specks which are discerned in the body of the moone to be causd , by the shadowy reflections of rocks & mountaines which are upon the surface of the earth ; so the swelling vaine conceipts , that arise , and puffe up the mind , are the causes of such blemishes in religion . an undenyable principle it is , that there is but one truth , and one tracke which leadeth to the right notion of the almighty : and certainely hee being a spirit and the most simple of essences , they approach nearest this track , who serve him , as i sayd before , in spirit and simplicity of thoughts , with the least mixture of externe rights and humane inventions : for as in heraldry , t is held a rule , that the plainer the coat of armes is , the more ancient it is : so in the blazon of true religion , the more simple and plaine the forme is , ( yet i alwayes presuppose decencie ) the nearer it comes to the old primitive times . therefore , that religion which hath least of the outward object , to avoyd all occasions of idolatrie , but worships the god-head by a speculative act of the vnderstanding , and goeth directly to himselfe : that religion which derogates from the creature , and ascribes most glory to the creator : that which transferres not his honour , ( whereof he is most jealous ) or mis-applyeth it to any other : that which makes the poore peccant soule relye onely upon the riches of his mercie , and so by a necessarie recourse to enbosome and endeare her selfe unto him ; that religion surely is most agreeable to the invisible and omniscious god. and my heart trembleth , when i thinke how few there are of this , upon the surface of the earth : for , as one who had conversd farre and neere with the citizens of the world , doth avouch , if the globe of the earth were divided into thirtie parts , they would hardly make up three parts of thirtie . but whither am i thus transported ? i hope to be dispensd withall , for the qualitie of the subject , which is the unum necessarium , which made me dwell so long upon it . i should now post back to druina ; but that before i part with bombycina , i must needs salute the amorous myrtle ( and her metropolis adriana ) in regard she hath beene alwayes a true confederate to the royall oke . a character of adriana . and here behold a thing of wonder , adriana sited upon an assembly of islands , in the very jawes of neptune : where being planted at the very first a christian ( a prerogative she worthily vaunts of above all other ) she hath continued a virgin ever since , neere upon twelve long ages , under the same forme and face of government , without any visible token , or least wrinckle of old age. the great arch-flamin espousd her once to neptune ; and a prophecie there is , that she shall continue a virgin , untill he forsakes her : and he , of late yeares , is observd to shrinke , and grow weaker about her , as if she had made him over-labour himselfe too much upon her . and it is well knowne , no place swimmes more in all manner of wanton pleasure ; witnesse those multitudes of medlars which make their beds , and are permitted to grow about the myrtle , for which she is so much spoken of all the world over . most renowned adriana hath beene , for brave exploits up and downe the world , having wrestled with the greatest of earthly potentates ; she re-establishd the easterne cedar more then once , in his throne ; she restord the ivie twice in his holy seat , being chasd out of petropolis : which made the great arch-flamin of late yeares to be foulely taxd of a kind of ingratitude , in offering to cause her armories to be defacd in his court , having so well deservd of him : but it is thought , since she expelld the loyolists out of her territories , petropolis hath still a grudge to her , which lyeth yet indigested , and is in her like lees in the bottome of a tub of wine , which at the least stirring of the vessell is readie to rise up . by the charter of her saint , she is to have in her arsenall as many warlike vessels , as there be dayes in the yeare ; and in the summer season , as many in course as there be houres in the naturall day , to scoure three hundred miles of sea , whereof she is protectresse . and some kind of vessels she hath , which knew not how to be beaten , untill of late yeares that top of druina's cavaliers ( one that hath spirit enough to actuate that goodly tall bulke ) receiving from them some affronts , met with them handsomely , and bangd them to good purpose . in that dangerous league , when most of the occidentall potentates were banded against her , and in a manner conspird to sinke her , shee bore up above water , against them all . but her custome hath beene , to piece the lyons skinne with a fox tayle , and so to supply the weakenesse of force , by wilinesse of art , and advantage of treatie . and it is well knowne , how the myrtle hath taught the willowes of late yeares part of her cunning ; betweene whom , there is an irrefragable confederacie , to bayt elaiana , and stoppe the further growth of the olive . amongst other things , adriana is much cryed up for , her rich treasure is one , which elaiana hath often attempted to exhaust : and one of her embassadours desiring on a time to see it , seemd to slight it , in comparison of his great masters treasure , which is perpetually growing , and hath no bottome , as that had : which made one say , that adriana , in relation to the foure elements , hath her citie in water , her treasure in the ayre , her vertue in fire , which makes the earth so to flye away from her . true it is , that of late yeares the myrtle hath beene at a stand , in improving the treasure of her saint , since elaiana hath crossd the equinoctiall , and found out a track by sea to levantina ; whence adriana did use to receive , not farre from her owne home , and dispense through all the westerne world , those aromatique and daintie fruits the indian trees affoord : but she gives out , that the losse of that trade is recompenc'd , by certaine singular immunities she hath through some of the dominions of alcarona : so that of late yeares she is shrewdly suspected to be a concubine to the huge bramble , who hath often loppd her myrtle , and cut off the onely regall branch she had : and against him it must be confessd , shee is the greatest rampart , and best securitie all the westerne princes have any where by sea. thus the myrtle flourisheth still : and truly , a rare and wonderfull thing it is , that for so long a tract of time , considering the violent stormes that have shaken her so often , she should still continue fresh , and without warping , or any considerable change , or the least symptome of old age , as i sayd before . whereas other politicall bodies , of a farre greater bulk , have met with their grand climacterique , and receiv'd changes , in a farre shorter revolution of time. for politicall bodies , as well as naturall , have their degrees of age , declinings and periods ; which i cannot so properly tearme periods , as successions or vicissitudes . common-weales have often turnd to kingdomes , and realmes have beene cut out into republiques ; the ruine of one , being still the raysing of the other ; as one foot cannot be lifted up , till the other be downe : witnesse those foure mightie monarchies , which were as spokes upon fortunes wheele , or as so many nayles driving out one another . and so is it also in naturall bodies ; the corruption of one , is still the generation of another : so that , it seemes , nature hath her wheele also , as well as fortune ; and these changes and chances , tend to preserve the whole from decaying . so , that the opinion of that adrianian , since much enrichd by a learned druinian , is farre from deserving to be exploded for a paradox , viz. that the vniverse doth not decay or impaire at all in the whole , but in its individuals and parts . for , as the preservation of the world , is a continuall production ; so in this production , as i sayd before , the corruption of one , fore-runnes the generation of another : therefore , to beare up the whole , if there be a decay in one place , 't is recompencd in some other : so that one may say , nature danceth in a circle , and by this circulation , preserves the visible world. the meteorologists observe , that amongst the foure elements , which are the ingredients of all sublunarie creatures , there is a notable kind of correspondencie : the fire , by condensation looseth to the aire ; the aire , by rare-faction looseth to the fire ; water attenuated , becomes aire ; aire thickned , becomes water ; the earth , by secret conveyances , le ts in the sea , and sends it back fresh ; her bowels serving , as it were , for a lymbique . so that wee see hereby , there is a punctuall retribution , and a kind of mutuall compensation betweene them , which , doubtlesse , tends to the propagation and encrease of all compounded bodies ; amongst which , there is also a perpetuall and restlesse succession of individuals , to keepe the whole from fayling . for , as a shippe ( as one made a very apposite comparison ) riding at anchor , tosseth and tumbleth up and downe perpetually , yet cannot goe beyond the length of the cable to which shee is tyed , and so in this turbulent motion sheweth a constancie : so is it with the vniverse , wherein all things hang by the plummets of providence . therefore , i cannot subscribe to their speculation , that thinke the world hath beene long since in a hectique feaver , and so drawing on to a consumption : that neither vegetable , sensitive , nor rationall creatures , are in that height of perfection , as in former times : that vertue shines not with so strong a lustre : that invention is farre shallower , and age shorter : that the moderne world , compard with the ancient , is as a dwarfe upon a gyants shoulders , or as noone shadowes compard to the mornings . i must confesse , antiquitie is venerable ; which makes us extenuate things present , and extoll things passd , and make it still the burden of our song , vvell fare the old times ; implying thereby , a palpable decay or dotage in all things . yet we find , that the two great luminaries of heaven , and the rest of the celestiall bodies , have still the same vertue and operation , without the least imaginarie diminution ; all elementarie bodies receive vigour and strength from their influence . therefore i doe not see , how the present can be so farre inferiour , in point of perfection , to them of former ages , considering the virtuall causes remaine still in the same strength : and as for invention , wisedome , and learning , i doe not see , but the second thoughts of latter ages , may be as wise as those of elder times . i know , the time must come , that heaven and earth shall passe away , and that there will be a finall dissolution , though no annihilation of the matter , but a destruction of the old forme , and introduction of a new. and of late yeares , some would be so foole-hardie , as to presume to be more of the cabinet counsell of god almightie , then the angels themselves , ( by whose ministerie , some say , he created the world ) as to point at the precise time of this dissolution : amongst other arguments , they fetch downe one from heaven it selfe ; which is , that the polar starre , which is in the tayle of the lesser beare , was in ptolomey's time twelve degrees from the pole of the equator ; this starre hath insensibly still crept nearer the pole , so that now 't is but three degrees off , when it comes to touch or make the nearest approach that can be to the pole , which may well come to passe in yeares ; nature her selfe , they say , must expire , or some notable period . but i have beene carryed away too farre by this speculation , causd by adriana ; which , of any politicall body , may be producd for an instance , against a generall decay , and impairing of the moderne world : though some , which repine at the myrtles prosperitie , say , that those stout and ventrous trees , wherewith she was usd to be fencd , are lately degenerated ( in point of valour ) to weake reeds , for their pusillanimitie , and too much caution , when they come to any warlike encounter . and now it is high time for me to shake hands with adriana , and bombycina also ; whereof i must not forget to tell you , that the olive now occupyeth foure parts of seven , if she were so divided : and to his greatnesse , and the apprehension of feares and jealousies they have , that he would fish in troubled waters , may be ascribd the concord and calme of bombycina's princes ; who , as once the mice would have hung a bell at the cats neck , but after consultation , could not agree who should venture first to put it on ; would plot something still against the olive . adde hereunto , that besides this peace , there is plentie of treasure , that comes to bombycina by the olive , who makes one of her proudest cities his scale , for remitting his moneyes to leoncia : but that citie , in respect of him , may be sayd to be as a partridge under a faulcons wings ; who can seize upon her at pleasure , but doth not , for politique respects . bombycina was usd to be most under the mulberry , the wisest of all trees ; for , he never puts forth his buds , till all the cold weather be passd : and so indeed , the plants bombycina produceth , are accounted the wisest , politiquest , and most reserved and cautious of all other . 't is a rule amongst them : that he cannot be essentially wise , who openeth all the boxes of his brest to any . they are , for the most part , of a speculative complexion ; and he is accounted little lesse then a foole , who is not melancholy once a day . they are onely bountifull to their betters , from whom they hope to receive a greater benefit : to others , the purse is closest shut , when the mouth opens widest ; nor are you like to get a piece of cake there , unlesse yours be knowne to be in the oven . yet are they the greatest embracers of pleasure , of any other upon earth ; and they esteeme of pearles as pebbles , so they may satisfie their gust , in point of pleasure or revenge . here you shall find love and hatred , vertue and vice , atheisme and religion , in their extremes ; for the greatest wits depravd , are the most dangerous ; corruptio optimi , est pessima : yet the character one lately gave of them , seemes to savour too much of the satyre : viz. that the bombycinian is unnaturall in his lust , irreconcilable in his hatred , and unfoordable in his thoughts ; that with one breath , hee bloweth hot and cold ; and to compasse his owne ends , he will light a candle to the devill . i know , there is no countrey , without her nick. as ampelona , to be a great bedlam . bombycina , a great bordell . rhenusium , a huge brew-house . elaiana , natures sweating-tub . druina , a stage of mimiques . lurana , a fripperie of bankrupts . monticolia , a conventicle of hills . cardenia , the vrinall of the planets . and itelia , the suburbs of hell , being situated lowest of any other upon the earthly globe . for my owne particular , were i to associate with a stranger , i would single out a bombycinian before any other , for my conversation : for , of those twelve severall sorts of forreners i have had occasion to converse withall , i never knew any yet symbolizing so much with them of druina , or complying more with their humour . of the arrivall of prince altapinvs in drvina . bvt it is high time for mee to returne now to my rhenusian prince altapinus , newly arrivd in druina upon a high designe of love , and no lesse then to the fairest branch of the royall oke , that mirror of all perfections ; the itelians and the old fox of ardennes , with druinas greatest arch-flamin , did mainely advance the worke , together with the princely orenge , and the willowes ; but the royall firre of elatena , and that great queene from which she sprang , gave but cold consent thereunto , and it was thought it lessened some part of her naturall affection towards her ever after . yet altapinus was admitted a suitor , and as he was in hot pursuite of this brave attempt of love , behold a most mournefull accident of fate intervenes ; the fall of that brave standell , which should have immediatly succeeded the royall oke , in all his dominions ; this strucke an earthquake into all hearts for the present , which were affected with various passions of griefe , feare , amazement , and darke suspitions , that in regard his fall was so immature and sudden , it could not bee without some sinister practise of violent meanes , nor can some bee wean'd from that conceit to this day , imputing the cause of it to a precocitie of spirit and valour in him , and that therefore some infectious southerne aire did blast him . but this is certaine that there was intelligence of it in elaianas court amongst the luranian loyolists a prety while before his fall . this incomparable prince was so lamented , that all kind of trees throughout the whole forrest hung downe their heads , and seemd to be turnd to cypresses for the time , which being expird , the nuptialls of prince altapinus were consummated , and when the conjugall knot was a tying , the princely bride was observd to bee possessd with a sudden apprehension and eruptions of joy , which as the iron decree of fate would have it , turnd after into many pangs , god wot , of anguish and sorrow . for being but a few yeares settled in rhenusium , during which time all the neighbouring princes envied their high felicity ; behold the cedar , by the instigation of the loyolists , fell out with the homebians who had elected him to be their king , provided that he would keepe their priviledges inviolable , but they alleadging hee had infringed them , they would continue no longer under the shelter of his boughs , but shooke him off , tore his seales , and resumd liberty to choose another king. hereupon they made a proffer of their crowne ( i cannot say it was the mayden proffer ) to pr : altapinus , who consulting upon it , though not so maturely , as the disastrous events shewd afterwards , accepted it . many there were which animated him thereunto , and amongst other motives of incitement they usd , one was , that if he had courage enough to adventure upon the fairest branch , and sole of that kind of druinas royall oke , he might very well venture upon a crowne when it was tendred him . thus he went triumphantly to homebia where hee was inaugurated and crown'd king with many high expressions of joy and triumph . about these times behold a fatall torch appeared in the heavens , placed there by the great architect of the world , to forewarne mortals of their miseries , and the direfullst effects it produc'd were under that clime : those blazing lampes which in this latter age had appeared in the asterismes of cassiopaeia , the serpent and swan brought not forth such horrid events as this in the virgin signe . it were to digresse from the scope of this discourse , to make disquisition whether these unusuall lights be hospites or indigenae , new-come guests or old inhabitants in heaven , or whether they bee meere meteorologicall impressions not transcending the upper region , or whether to bee rank'd amongst celestiall bodies ; i leave the indagation of this high cause to the disciples of iohannes de sacro bosco of iohn of holy bush , it being not the subject of my trees at this time . but these hairie lampes have beene noted to have been alwaies the fatall vshers of calamity and alterations in states ; and as upon earth prodigious births portend no good , so these new engendred monsters above , point alwaies at some sad events to follow , either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , warres , pestilence , or famine , all which have most miserably rag'd through poore rhenusium ever since , and cease not to this very houre ; and that with such fury , that in many places the bed cannot priviledge the sick , nor the cradle the suckling , nor the great belly the embryo , nor the tribunall the magistrate , nor the altar the priest : the chiefe grounds of all which , was imputed to this revolt of the homebians , from the cedar . for the heavens bright eye had scarce run one whole carreere through the zodiake , but towards that season of greatest mirth throughout the whole yeare , the cedar had capitulated with the elder , ( who from that time forward fell sicke of the gall , ( a disease incident to old trees ) against altapinus , though he was the principall branch of his stock ) to muster up certaine military forces to his use , for the expence of which service he engag'd part of his country to him , with which forces , though fewer in number , and tyred with long marches , he suddenly assailed altapinus his royall army , and got the day . the elder pursued his victory to the very walls , where altapinus with the princely carbasilis raignd , and being surpriz'd were constrain'd to flye in confusd manner with halfe bag and baggage . thus the inconstant goddesse turnd her wheele about , and for this shadowy crown made him loose the substance , viz. his princely inheritance , the brave territories of baccharia . some there are which thought it much that altapinus appeard not himselfe in the field , the day of this battaile , in regard his newly worne crowne stood upon the fortune of it ; and that having good store of treasure in cash hee suffered his souldiers to bee heartlesse , and ready to mutiny for pay , most of that treasure falling afterwards a bootie to the enemy . the infortunate altapinus traversing up and down rhenusium came at last with the princely carbasilis to itelia , where the martiall orenge well-comd her with high demonstrations of joy , and his first congratulation was , that if she had beene the masculine plant , homebias crowne had never beene lost so slightly . and good reason they had to be welcome to itelia , for it is more than conjecturd , that t' was she who put prince altapinus upon this fatall enterprise to advance her owne ends . for the truce with elaiana being then upon point of expiring , she had no hope to draw druinas monarke , whose genius was so strongly bent for peace , but by these meanes , into military engagements , that so part of elaianas strength might fall upon him : but itelia reckond without her host in this point . for the first tydings being brought him of that undertaking , hee calls his sages together , and in a profound sence of sorrow , and a kind of propheticke spirit ( and the oke of all other trees is only fatidicall ) told them , what a fearefull infortunate businesse this would prove ; and that the youngest there amongst them should not see the end of it ; which by sad experience hath provd too true , & yet continueth . moreover he was usd to say that the homebians made use of altapinus , as the fox did of the catts foot to pull the apple out of the fire for his own eating : and from that day to his last , he disavowed the act , nor would he affoord altapinus the title of king , alleadging that it would bee a dangerous president to justifie the tumultuary uprisings of subjects in that kind against their king. and as this disastrous businesse begun with an ominous comett , so there hath an ill planett , hung over it ever since , for scarce any enterprise hath prosperd in the procedure of it , but one calamity still usherd in another . finis unius mali , gradus est futuri . as if some ill-boding mandrake had beene found out , and grubd up in baccharia , at the beginning of this fatall undertaking . the cedar having thus debelld the homebians , to are the labells of most of their ancient lawes , made new ordinances , and put some of them to exquisite torments , pretending that , that crowne belongd no more to him by election , but that he was their proprietary liege lord by conquest . nor did he hold this to be an equall reparation for the indignity he had received by altapinus , but made his recourse to his nephew the olive , whom he partly intreated as being the strongest of his stocke ( and therefore should be sensible of the affront ) and partly summond him as being prince of the rhenusian empire , and holding leoncia and other territories in homage of him , to assist him with some auxiliary forces , to vindicat this high disgrace , which was done him by altapinus . hereupon the olive lent him his great captaine the thorne , with the flower of his forces in leoncia , who shortly after invaded baccharia ( altapinus his ancient patrimony , and carbafilis joynture ) whereof hee impatronizd himselfe without scarce one stroake given ; though at that time the princes that were his confederates , had in a ready martiall equipage twise the number the thorne had : but it seemes they all prov'd stupid unweldy blockes , and they colourd their cowardise with some presumptions they had , that dolus versabatur in generali ; that their chiefe leader was corrupted before hand with elaianas gold . thus that great body of logges disbanded in part , yet some kept still together , as shall bee said hereafter . the cedar upon this new acquest , disingag'd his owne territory that he had transmitted to the elder , and gave him part of baccharia for caution for his disbursments ; and to the olive he transferrd the tenablest and strongest places there to hold them as commissary under him . while these feates were a doing in rhenusium , a hardy cavalier , as hee hath given notable proofes both at sea and shoare , was sent from druina against the timauranians at the request of the royall olive , and this was done by the negotiation of mordogan that notable engin of policy ; and it was done of purpose , as it appeard afterwards , to weaken and divert the strength of druina , while the thorne invaded , and seizd upon baccharia . this cavalier complaind he was sent to fight with his armes tied behinde him , for his commission being so strict ( and strength without commission sufficient , is like a match without fire ) that could not meddle with any thing upon the land , elaiana also failing of that kind of supply shee had promisd to joyne to his , hee could not doe those exploits which might have bin atchievd with such a power ; yet his attempt before galeri was brave , had the heavens continued propitious , and to speake the truth of any publike expedition , druina made abroad ever since , this redounded least to her prejudice ; for he met with no passive encounter , at all , but was master of the sea , and securd traficke all the while ; but as the foresaid attempt in galeri roade for fyring all kinde of bottomes wherein ( her offensive strength only consists ) was prevented and dash'd , by sudden still perpendicular cataracts of raine : so an age since when that restlesse martialist elaianas king and emperour had an enterprise to destroy galeri , being in sight of shoare , with a most powerfull fleet , one of her flamins went upon a rocke hard by , and after some kind of exorcising speeches and postures , he tooke a long white wand , and strooke the waves thrise , and going thereupon to the towne , hee encouraged the inhabitants thereof with notable exaggerations of confidence , that they should be of good cheere , for before night there should be elaianians in galeri market as cheape as birds . hereupon the heavens did suddenly change hue , and a most fearefull tempest fell , in so much that the emperour himselfe escaped with extreme difficulty ; and it fell true that his souldiers were sold by multitudes in galeri's bannier towards the evening a little after the shipwracke . i will not presume to pry into the secrets of the almighty disposer of all things whose hand-mayd nature is , how farre hee lets loose the reines to the ill spirit of the ayre , to cause such sudden impressions upon the elements , whereof there are daily wonderfull examples amongst this crue of corsaries . i know philosophy and strength of art can doe much , and by connexion of naturall agents and patients fittly applied can produce such effects that may seeme admirable to those that know not the cause ; but for these extemporall meteors , i beleeve it is beyond the reach of humane skill , unlesse the ill spirit hath a hand in it . but what a foule shame is it , that one base nest of picaroons should confront and dayly damnifie all the westerne world ? vnlesse the dishonour thereof be recompencd with this advantage , that the voyaging merchant sayles with stronger and better-built vessels , which may serve the publique upon occasion of warres . these times were very fatall to favourites , both in elaiana , druina , and ampelona . in elaiana , that ancient elme , which bore up that spacious monarchie like another atlas , and servd as a mightie prop to the olive , and did what he would in petropolis for so many yeares , was removd from the helme : but fore-seeing the storme which was like to fall upon him from the secular power , hee wisely transformd himselfe into an yew ; and 't is well knowne , what high prerogatives the yews have in elaiana . his eldest graff succeeded him a while in royall favour ; but he quickly fell , by the malignancie of great ones ; the apprehension whereof , sunke so deepe into him , that it brought him to his last end . his brave old sire hearing that , sent him word a little before his fall ; that he understood he was dying like a foole ( of meere conceit ; ) for his owne part , he feard no other enemies , but his yeares . in druina also , that high-growne tree , which had been long fosterd under the indulgent branches of the royall oke , became enamord with the faire consort of one of the noblest elmes in the whole forrest ; who having continued some yeares fruitlesse , and fearing a perpetuall barrennesse with him , articled against his frigiditie , and so pleaded for a divorce : he perceiving majestie to appeare in it , made but cold opposition . hereupon it was referrd to the reverend yews , to determine ; and amongst them , some gave their suffrage for a nullitie . a discreet confident of that great tree , ( which came from a low plant to be so eminent ) dissuading him from ingraffing upon anothers right , was taken as a block out of the way , clapd in prison , and afterwards made away by poyson . hereupon he , with his new consort , being after an exact scrutinie , found by the sages of the law to be privie to this black act , were adjudgd to be struck off by the stroake of iustice : but by the clemencie of the royall oke ( who never quite forsooke any whom he once favourd ) they were still permitted to live ; but for ever removd , from being any more so neere , under the shadow of his pure and vice-detesting boughs . and as in naturall privations , there is no recession to habit , so is it commonly in the favour of princes ; whence if one fall , he is never re-admitted into that fullnesse and strength of confidence and grace . but the inferiour instruments in this black act , sufferd : which gave occasion to some critiques abroad , to compare druina's lawes to them of solons , that were like cobwebs , through which great flyes broke out , while the small ones were intangled . nor did the first act of this , doe any good to the honour of the civill lawes of druina . yet a notable piece of exemplarie iustice was acted upon the guardian of druina's prime fortresse ; who being found onely privie to some of these passages , was doomd to death , to the terror of others , for betraying that high trust that belongs to that office : and his death was the more remarkable , because he confess'd , that heavens just judgement was fallen upon him ; in regard , that to restraine himselfe from gaming , whereunto he was excessively addicted , he made a solemne vow , ( which he often broke afterwards ) that if he played any more , above such a value , he might suffer upon such a fatal tree . that nimble eirenarch ( so cryed up by reports ) who then stood at the helme of the law , wherein he was so active , that druina's monarch was usd to say , he was like a cat throw him which way you would , he would light on his feet : this iusticer proceeded with that acrimonie to cut downe this ( now pittied ) great tree , with his high-descended mate , and others , that of their sprigs he made a rod for himselfe ; for ever after , he went alwayes declining : which some held to be a deserved judgement upon him , in regard he was often observd to insult upon miserie , and to loose a life sooner then a ieast , when he sat upon the tribunall of iustice. in ampelona also , about this conjuncture of time , a politique plant of bombicina's growth , being by the favour of that stately tree , out of which the now regnant vine sprouted forth , made to over-top all the rest of the noble and princely elmes in that forrest , was at the gate of the royall court suddenly felld , draggd up and downe , his privatst parts lopp'd off , miserably chopp'd , and the remainder of his body reducd to ashes , whereof part was hurld into the ayre , part into the water , to extinguish the very memorie of him . while this tragique act was a perpetrating , the generall crie about him , was vivat rex : whereby was fulfilld the prediction of a wizard , with whom he had tampred not long before , touching the course of his fortunes ; who told him , that in short time they should be such , that he should be carryed about the streets of tutelia with such a publique acclamation of joy . his consort , an enchantresse , as some would have her , ranne the same destinie : but that which made the world speake of it the more , was , that after he had been thus , as a man would thinke , quite extinguishd , his processe was formed ; whereby he was found guiltie of nought else , that i could learne , which was actionable , but of ambition , which like the crocodile , never leaves growing ; and that being an exotique plant , he went about to take too deepe rooting in ampelona . the procedure of this businesse seemd very strange to the world , that the royall vine , having alreadie assumd the character of iust , should give way , that such a horrid tragedie should be acted in his owne royall palace , ( for palaces of kings should be sanctuaries ) and that the delinquent was not proceeded against , by legall forme of law , till after this violent death , which preceded the sentence of condemnation ? he that succeeded him in favour , did suddenly make such a flight , that from vulgar shrubs , he made himselfe , and two more which were nearest to him in stock , to be rankd amongst the tallest elmes in ampelona : yet he fell also by a kind of fatall destinie ( pestilentiall , though not so precipitate ) in the first heat of the warres against the eusebians , to which he had incited his royall master . what will become of ramundas , who hath the vogue at present , in comparison of whom , for transcendencie of height and continuance , the other two were but mushrumps ; i will not undertake to divine : but observd it is , that the ground whereon favourites stand , is no where more slipperie , and fuller of precipices , then in ampelona : which makes ramundas to barricado himselfe with as much policie and strength as may be devisd , against all shocks of violence . of the treatie of an alliance vvith elaiana . the treaty of an alliance twixt druina and elaiana , ( a peece long hammered upon the anvill of policy , and nationall wisdome ) did now openly appeare and advance it selfe ; to which end the royall oke , to remove all blockes that might lye in the way , ridde himselfe of those places he held in deposito of the itelians to prevent any request or proposition that should happily come that way from elaiana ; and considering the daily expences druina was at , and the vast sommes she was out upon them , and that most necessary dependency of conservation and community of danger , that was and still must bee twixt her and itelia , this act was not such a great soloecisme in policy , as some criticks would have it , who in regard they were the very keys of itelia , and her associated groves , observd , that while druina kept them in her hands , she was more awed and respected by the willowes then she hath beene since . at the close of this businesse , the royall oke did an act full of majesty by forbearing much of those huge sommes which might have beene demanded ; and it was in recognition of those rich presents , carbasilis receivd , when she passd through the willowes to baccharia . to negotiat this great businesse of alliance twixt druina and elaiana , earle mordogan a shrewd complying instrument , was employed , and going to have his first audience , a peece of the royall palace fell under him which could be no good omen . mordogan had studied the genius of druinas monarke so exactly , that he seldome departed from him with refusalls , hee had such a rare faculty by facetious wayes to dispatch the most important affaires of state ; hee employed all his art ( and i beleeve his heart also went along ) and left no stone unrolld to bring this mighty worke to passe ; yet so infortunate hee was , that his endeavours prov'd plausible neither in druina nor elaiana : but for my part , i am clearely of opinion , that he really wishd well unto , and lov'd the druinians next to them of his owne soyle best of any other , and so much he protested being arrested , by the iron mace of fate , a little after he had beene designd to returne to druina , when summond to his last end , it was no time for him to boggle with the world ; and the gracious oke now regnant ( to whom the olive did churlishly put over young mordogan for a reward of the manifold services of his dead sire ) did not onely resent his fall , but vindicat him from those aspersions that were malevolently cast upon him to have alwayes played with a staffe of two ends , the one of olive , the other of oke . yet he received divers outrages in druina , and one time when he had beene rudely usd and assaulted as he passd through the streets of thamisond , and news thereof being posted , though not by his means , to elaianas court , where the royall oke had then two soveraigne ministers representing himselfe , yet there was no violence at all offerd them or theirs ; which made elaiana take the advantage to arrogat to her selfe more civility in this kinde then druina this causd him to say , that druinas bran was very course , but her flowre wondrous fine ; for the taller sort of trees who could looke over into the true state of things , highly esteemd him , though the poplars who see no further then the rind , contemnd and vilified him , bringing him often upon the stage , and making him the common subject of their pasquils , wherein he rather gloried , then grew discontented . amongst other facetious passages of mordogan , i cannot omit one which happend upon his last departure from druina , at which time being magnificently feasted by the chiefest magistrate of thamisond , in the midst of these jollities , he askd leave to begin two healths ; the first , was to the king his masters mistresse , the second to his wife ; the healths being gone round , he thus expounded himselfe . that his great masters mistresse was levantina , and none are so fond of a mistresse , but if a friend hath a private favour of her , he will winke at it ; and such was levantina , who though she properly belongd to his master , yet he suffereth the brave adventurers of druina ( whereof many were there present ) to have a bout with her , and he passeth it by , and takes not much exception at it ; but his masters wife was columbina whom he desired to have wholly to himselfe , and therfore that none should meddle with her ; ( but the willowes of late have gone about to make him a notorious cuckold , and have had ready money to lye with her . ) like to this was that , when a little after the going of altapinus to homebia he was invited to a solemne meeting , where that flexanimous and golden toungd orator ( then gardian of the kings conscience ) began the king of homebias health , he pleasantly pledg'd it , and passd it over , saying it was the first time that ever he pledged the cedars health in druina . for his opinion in holy things , he had a charitable conceipt of druina's religion , and seemd to slight many things in that of petropolis , as will appeare by these few instances following . in a serious discourse once of holy orders , when many things were canvasd pro & con , hee said , that hee feared the same doome , and destiny attended the loyolists that befell in times passd , another great religious order of cavaliers , who were growne so excessively rich , that they were utterly suppressed with a strange kind of suddennesse every where , and so became a common booty to their princes . another time when that sappy and fruitfull tree ( out of whose stocke sprouted that comely elme which grevv so high under the branches of the royall oke , and did flourish long in his sole favour ) had such a vogue at court , that shee hoisd up , and tumbled downe some great officers at pleasure , and that extraordinary recourse vvas had to her for matters of grace , earle mordogan dispatching a post to elaiana , sent advise that there were never better hopes of drvinas conversion to petropolis then then , for they began to worship the mother more than the sonne . lastly , when that long flourishing favorit in elaiana , had fallen , and to shelter himselfe from those stormes which he foresaw , would thunder upon him from the temporall power , did cover himselfe with a scarlet robe ( the highest of spirituall dignities ) mordogan was askd by druinas monarke , whether he had sent for a benediction from his new elected cardinall , he answered , there was once in elaiana one who had a plum tree in his garden which was winde fallen , and there being a statue made of the trunke of this tree and placed in the church for adoration , he was asked why he neglected to worship that statue as hee did others , he answered , that he knew that statue from a plant , and what kinde of fruit the tree had borne , therefore hee thought there was no adoration expected from him . out of these instances you may inferre that he was an anti-loyolist , and liked not all things in petropolis . nor was that noble elme count sophronio whom druinas monarke employed to elaiana to this end , lesse dextrous and discreet , who although he was not so nimble and mercuriall as mordogan , yet he rather exceeded him in solidity and a high reach of understanding . he made a rare discovery of certaine plants , that were rotten at the heart , ( yet daily servd about the royall oke ) that were devoted by pensionary obligations to the olive . he went bravely attended to the cedar's court , and so to the eldars , with whom he was not behind hand . hee engagd his owne argentry to make up a somme of treasure to preserve those troupes from disbanding , which were then in motion for the recovery of baccharia under campanthropo , that admired captaine of his time , who was said to make souldiers spring up out of the very earth to follow him , though he had not a crosse to pay them salary ; and although hee had beene put many times to the foyle and to extreme exigents , yet he never fell sans resource , but still rallied his squandred squadrons , and made offensive head againe , and most brave was that retrait ( and honourable retrait is the difficultst thing in the feat of armes ) which hee made , when by the point of the sword , hee pass'd through the very heart of leoncia to his intended rendezvous , where he caus'd the thorne to burne his tents and rayse the costly siege hee had then a foot , before one of the prime townes of the itelians . and this was the greatest cloud that ever fell upon the thorne , since hee entred into elaianas service , but hee dispelld it not long after , and made his honour to shine with a greater lustre then ever , by taking in that towne whereof the orenge was proprietary lord , notwithstanding that the oke , the vine , the firre , and the ash appeard , some more , some lesse in that action for the willowes . some say this sunk so deep into the princely orenge , that it did accelerat his fall , which hapned not long after . and he being gon , the thorne wisely retired to bombycina the soyle whence hee first sprung , fearing that fortune who being a female loves youth best , would frowne , and turne her backe towards him now in his declining times . there was a strong emulation twixt these two great martialists , and the orenge derogating one day from the thorne , because hee was sprung out of a marchants stocke , and consequently was not capable of competition with him who came of a princelie extraction ; he sent him word that it was a more glorious thing for a marchant to have command over princes , then for a prince to be commanded by marchants . a brave quarter-giving enemy the thorne was , but the service of the olive ( unlesse you throw into the scales the high honour and fame hee purchased thereby ) provd over precious to him , for hee spent not onely the vigour of his dayes therein , but exhausted much of that great estate he brought with him so farre , that his owne plants , some of them , are forced to subsist meerely by pensions from elaiana . but that which was worse being before a towne in bombycina neare his owne home , which he had so blockd up and stormd , as that he had her as a bird in a cage , he was suddenly commanded by inexpected order from elaiana to raze his workes , and raise the siege , notwithstanding that the warre continued longer ; this they say he resented so deepely , that retyring to his owne naturall soyle , he presently after fell . but it is no new tricke in policy , for diverting the least dishonour that should fall upon the state , to destroy some instruments , and make them sacrifices for the publique . this great captaine had so highly deservd of the olive ( and cedar also by taking in of baccharia ) that his services seemd to transcend all reward ; and by him one may learne this lesson . that supererogatory services , and too great benefits from subjects to kings are of dangerous consequence , when they make the mind more capable of merit then duty . those fearefull fires which were kindled through all parts of poore rhenufium , had now rag'd extreamly , to quench which , the royall oke sent sundry of his noble elmes in many costly legations from time to time , but good king , while he laboured for peace , they made themselves ready for battaile . and herein the cedar proved very ingratefull to him , considering the fairenesse of his proceedings ; and touching the elder , what could be expected from him but knotty and crooked hollowhearted dealings ? yet by his high credit with the olive , he often asswagd the fury of those conflagrations , by suspension of armes and cessation of all acts of hostility , and preservd baccharia a long time from invading ; and hee proceeded so far by treaty , that he was profferd to have the imperiall ban taken off , of altapinus upon his conformity to a submission , that so hee might bee rendred capable to treat , and travell through rhenusium ; to have also an entire surrender made of his possessions to his eldest graff , which should be affianced to one of the cedars branches , and in the interim to be brought up in druina's court. moreover hee should be restored to his dignity after that old decayed elder should fall , upon whom the sayd dignity had beene in a shuffling imperfect manner conferrd , yet with this proviso , that the next heire should not be prejudiced . these propositions being sent to altapinvs , hee replied , that whereas the adverse party , requird a personall submission , and that this should precede all other things , by naturall order usd in like cases , the restitution of his country which was a thing materiall should goe before , and then the other which is but a poynt of ceremony , should follow ; and whereas hee had already complied with the cedar to signe an instrument for the conditionall resignation of the crowne of homebia , and done other acts of conformity , and no performance at all on the cedars side ; if these intentions of his were reall , the sayd submission might bee done as well by a deputy . prince rocalino's iourney to elaiana . while matters were thus in hot agitation , and no particular assurances yet had , and because that commonly dolus versatus in universalibus , the royall oke sent a choice confident to elaiana's court ( for there was the mill vvhere these matters were a grinding ) to know the truth , and reality of things , who having boldly acquitted himselfe of his charge , and brought advise that matters were still involv'd in generalls , behold a most rare adventure , prince rocalino , vvith villerio , and two discreet confidents vvell versd in the olives court , post away in private disguise to elaiana , traversing the whole diameter of ampelona , where rocalino came in so favourable a conjuncture of time , that he saw the splendor of the ampelonian court in a sett stately shevve , where among other rarities , he beheld one of natures choicest peeces , the princesse aretine , sparckling like a constellation amongst the rest , in moving measures . little thought he then , that she was predestined for him , by the high hand of heaven where all mariages are made ; but humane eyes cannot see beyond their horizon , they cannot discerne future contingencies , and in the conduct of worldly actions , what wee desire or dread seldome directly falls out , but something intervenes and concludes wee least thought of , and if what we expect doe happen , they come not many times till after the search , which sheweth that there is a supernaturall all-disposing power above ; wherefore it is not safe for our mindes to stay at second causes , for this may induce a forgetfulnesse of the first , but we must passe higher , and by a speculative act of the understanding observe the disposition , dependency and subordination of causes to the high will of providence , and then we will confesse with the poet , that the chiefe linke of natures chaine is tied to the foot of iupiters chaire . from ampelona's court rocalino flew upon the wings of love towards elaiana , and it was in the beginning of that season , that the lady flora useth to cloath our grandame earth , with a nevv livery diapred vvith various flovvers , and chequerd with all delightfull objects ; a season that was usd to bee no lesse proper , than propitious to lovers . the pretty songsters of the spring with their various notes did seeme to welcome him as he passd , the woods put forth their blossomes , the earth her primeroses and daiseyes to behold him , the aire blew with gentle zephires . but in the heavens it was observed there was an inauspicious conjunction betweene iupiter and saturne that dull and malevolent planet . rocalino being come with no lesse difficulty then danger to the o●ives royall court , the first thing hee did was to dispatch a post presently to druina to carry newes of his safe arrivall there . that night and next day after there were darke whispers up and down , but towards the evening villerio went privately to the royall palace where he had audience , and whence chenandra the sole ingrosser of the olives favour , did accompanie him backe to wellcome prince rocalino , who magnifying that brave journey , and discovering wonderfull motions of joy , hee said the olive and the oke should part the world betweene them , and that it should bee a match presently , for he doubted not but hee came thither to be of their religion ; whereunto answer being made , that hee came not thither for religion , but for a wife ; chenandra replied short , that there must bee then a dispensation procurd from petropolis . that night elaianas monark himselfe came to congratulate prince rocalino to sophronio's dwelling , but he mett him halfe way , and with much complement and mutuall embraces parted for that time . the next day he brought forth in a solemne stately kinde of march the lady amira ( the jewell which should have beene the prize and guerdon of that heroicke adventure ) to bee seene of purpose by rocalino in transitu ; but it being divulgd abroad it was prince rocalino that was come , all were transformd into a kind of amazement , which broake out after into incredible acclamations of gladnesse , every one extolling to the very starres , the bravery of the action , and the generall vote was , that it were great pitty but the lady amira though she were a goddesse , should be throwne into his armes that very night , hee had so well deservd every inch of her ; they said further that all the angels in heaven came along with him , for the country having extreamely suffered by a long unusuall drowth , upon his comming there fell downe most wholsome fructifying showers , wherein t' was said , the earth dranke healths to congratulate his comming thither . the next morning the royall olive sent some prime elmes to attend prince rocalino in quality of officers of state , and a little after he was brought to the royall palace in the same state elaiana's kings use to be attended the day of their coronation . the royall olive himselfe accompanied him , with all the flower of his court , and alwayes from that day to the very last he stayed there , he gave him still the precedency , transmitting to him all petitions and matters of grace ; multitudes of prisoners were releasd , and indeed there wanted nothing that might be added to the very height of all externe honour and ceremony . but let us looke a little into the interiour carriage of the maine businesse , and there you shall finde that , quercus connubium , connubia tractat oliva . when rocalino arrivd , matters were brought to that perfection by the strenuous negotiation of sophronio , that there wanted nothing for the consummation of all things , but a dispensation from petropolis , which at last came , and before that time rocalino was not admitted to speake with the la : amira in quality of a sutor , but a prince ; now the said dispensation came cloggd with an unhappy inexpected clause , thrust in of purpose , as it appeard , to retard the procedure of things , which was , that whereas there were certaine articles condescended unto by druina's monarke in favour of the petropolitans that were in that kingdome , and other crownes under his dominion , the great archflamin ' demanded caution for the performance of them ; the royall oke answered , that he could give no other caution then his word and oath , and rocalino should doe the like , which should be confirmd by his counsell of state and exemplified under druinas broad seale ; but this would not satisfie unlesse some petropolitan soveraigne prince would engage himselfe for them . hereupon all matters were like to goe off the hinges , and a buzze went out , that rocalino intended to get away covertly . in these traverses chenandra steps forth , and said there were three wayes to conclude this businesse ; two good , and one bad ; the first good way was , that prince rocalino should become a petropolitan . the second was , that as elaiana was oblig'd to him for his free comming thither , so shee might as freely deliver him the lady amira , trusting him without further conditions . the ill way was , not to trust rocalino at all with any thing , but binde him as fast as they could . while matters were thus a canvasing , and gathering ill bloud , elaianas king steppd out , and profferd to engage himselfe by oath , for the satisfaction of the great archflamin , but with this proviso , that hee must first consult with his ghostly fathers , whether he might do it salva conscientia or no. hereupon the businesse was referrd to a comittee of the learnedst yewes ; and the state of the question was , whether the olive might with safety of conscience take an oath in behalfe of druinas monarke , and rocalino , for performance of such and such articles that were agreed upon in favour of the petropolitans , throughout the kingdomes of the royall oke . this assembly long demurrd and dwelt upon the question , and after a long protraction of time , they concluded at last affirmatively ; and in case the oke faild to execute what was stipulated , the olive was to vindicate his oath , and right himselfe by the sword . this difficulty being surmounted , there was exceeding great joy , and all the capitulations were interchangeably sworne unto both by the oke and olive , and as chenandra said in elaiana , so the royall oke himselfe was so confident , that he said ; all the devills in hell could not now breake the match ; whereunto a blunt facetious knight being by , answerd , that there was never a devill now left in hell , for they were all gone to elaiana to helpe to make up the match . but matters being scrued up to this height , the great archflamin , as heaven would have it , f●ll ; vpon which tydings the royall olive came to prince rocalino and told him that he had receivd very ill newes , which was , that the holy sire , who was so great a friend to the intended alliance ( who had formerly writ unto , and sent to visit prince rocalino ) was taken away by the hand of fate , and in regard there was yet no contract but a treaty only a foot , hee could not proceed further in this businesse without a ratification of the former licence by melissanus the newly chosen archflamin , which by reason of his indisposition of health , and the large distance of place , could not bee dispatchd with that celerity that was wishd : but now that his highnesse was pleasd to stay so many years for a wife , might well stay a few months longer , and he would undertake to negotiat and procure that dispatch from petropolis with all the expedition that might be ; and if he pleasd to give way that the la : amira's journey to druina might be defer'd , untill the next ensuing spring , he would give him a blanke to write his owne conditions , touching the surrendry of baccharia , which might recompence his so long stay : prince rocalino upon this answerd , that he was infinitely bound to his majesty for all those transcendent favours hee had receivd since his arrivall to his court , and the reasons that inducd him to undertake so hazardous a journey were two ; one to streigthen the league of amity with his majesty in his owne person ; the other was , to give the world a greater testimony of his love to the lady amira to whom hee had already transmitted his best affections ; and hee had thought the soveraigne agents of his royall sire , had brought matters to that ripenesse , that hee needed not to have come thither to treat of a mariage , but to fetch home a wife ; now since his majesty alleadgd that the late holy archflamin bring go●e , hee cannot proceed further without the approbation of melissanus the newly elect , hee desird him to consider that if his majestie had a spirituall sire to comply withall , hee had a naturall sire to obey , which was druinas royall oke , whose toppe being already periwiggd with snowy age , was sickly and impotent and subject to many indispositions , therefore hee feard that hee being his sole masculin plant , and the staffe and comfort of his age , it had already wrought some ill impressions in him , that he wanted him so long beyond the proposed time . besides the eyes of all druina were fix'd upon him , and hee being their next succeeding hopes , this his so long absence might produce ill effects , and dangerous consequences of state at home ; adde hereunto that there was a royall fleet already floating on the seas for his transfretation , and the season , if hee retarded his voyage any longer , would grow rough and dangerous . moreover his majesty was not ignorant , that the capitulations which his royall sire had signd and sworne unto , and were confirmd by his counsell of state , were done with this proviso , that if hee be not returnd in druina by such a time , all that was passd should be pro non facto . the olive hearing this , stood a while at a stand , and after said , since his highnesse had pressd the necessity of his departure with such pregnant reasons ; if he feard any commotion in druina , by reason of any thing that might reflect upon these proceedings , hee would send an army with him of purpose ; and since matters were so , his highnesse might thinke fit to leave a substitutive power , with whom he pleasd to bee contracted to the la : amira , which should be precisely done ten dayes after the confirmation should come from petropolis ; and if hee pleased to repose that trust in him , he would faithfully discharge it , and esteeme it a singular favour , and then hee might send when , and whom hee pleasd for her , for ever after she should be at his disposing . prince rocalino replied , that touching his first proposition , for an army to goe with him , the remedy would be farre worse than the disease , though there should bee tumults in druina ; for the second , he made semblance to bee mightily taken with it , saying , that of all the grandezas he had received since his comming to his royall court , this surmounted all the rest , therefore he would leave a power behind in sophronio's hands , to that end . this being done , rocalino without the least ombrage of discontentment , prepares for his journey backe , leaving behind him gemmes of invaluable esteeme , and such as was confessd , never to have beene seene the like in that court , as presents for the lady amira , which were , i cannot deny , very honourably returnd by elaiana after the rupture of the treaty , and publike declaration of warre . the olive himselfe with the rest of the royall stemme , accompanied him a dayes journey of , and never were seene streighter embracements , and outward arguments of love and reiterated endearements betweene any , then betweene the olive and rocalino at their departure . but villerio and chenandra parted not so lovingly , villerio telling him , that hee acknowledged himselfe unmeasurably obligd , to the royall majesty of the olive , and the rest of the princely branches in an eternall tye of gratitude , and that therefore he would mainly endeavour in what in him lay , to nourish and strengthen still the peace twixt the dominions and subjects of both crownes , but for your selfe count chenandra , you have so many wayes disobliged me , that i cannot make any profession of future friendship to you without flattery ; chenandra answered very short , that h●e accepted of what hee had said , and so they parted . prince rocalino taking his leave of the lady amira , was desird by her to see a vestall saint in his way as he passd , who was then cried up for miracles ; in some divine exercises she was reported to be often lifted up in the aire , and appeare as fresh as a rose , though she was so furrowd with age , that she lookd like a spirit kept in a bagge by some conjurer . but hee comming thither , and shee mingling discourse with him a long time , the substance whereof was for the most part , that he should bee good to the petropolitans in druina , and to bestow an alme amongst her poore vestall sisters , there could no elevations be discernd , or any sudden changes at all in her , or any other miraculous feates , though shee could have never shewd them in better company . prince rocalino being conveniently attended to the sea side , and with extreame hazard embarkd , a private instrument was dispatchd in his name to elaianas court with instructions to sophronio to stay the delivery of the proxy , till further directions from him ; but these instructions were not to bee delivered untill the ratification had come from petropolis . in the interim great preparations were made against the celebration of the nuptials , the lady amira applied her selfe daily to learne druinas language , the soveraigne ministers which represented the person of druinas monarke , carried themselves rather like subjects towards her , then ambassadours ; many rich accoustrements and presents shee had provided for prince rocalino , her family was assignd her , her officers distinguishd , and ( which weigheth much with me , for the reality of the thing ) sophronio had provided a great number of brave liveries for his attendants , as rich as any that ever were worn in that court , and matters were cryed up with such a certitude , that the mart went twenty to one , the businesse would take . at last the ratification came plenary , and absolute from petropolis , but a cunning rumor went out , it had come some weekes before , upon which the private instructions which were sent in prince rocalino's name were anticipated by sophronio , who while he remaind anxious and fearefull to preferre a private order to the prejudice of the high commission of druina's monarke under the greatest seale , which none can countermaund or suspend but the same power that give 's it , hee proceeded still untill new instructions came from the royall oke himselfe to stay the delivery of the said proxy ; and that whereas before he treated singly of a match , hee should now joyne the restitution of baccharia with it , for he would not marry rocalino in joy , and leave carbasilis in teares . sophronio solliciting the royall olive upon the new commission , and not receiving a satisfactory positive answer , had order to depart that court , and so all was dashd to peeces . vvhence i learne , that in politicall affaires , as well as mechanicall , it is farre easier to pull downe , then build up ; for that structure which was above tenne sommers a building , and that by no meane artists , was destroyd in a moment . and the world adjudged elaiana to be well apayed for the hard measure she had offerd prince rocalino , to tantalize him so long with dilatory hopes , and let him returne at last without his errand : for upon the very point , when the businesse should have beene consummated , and the lady amira tendred , the motion may bee said to have beene rejected as it were by druina . many obstacles concurrd to hinder this great worke . the maine of all , difference in religion ; for so simple and blockish were they of elaiana , that the common voice was , prince rocalino came thither to make himselfe a christian ; and happy had it beene for that businesse , if he had never lodgd in the royall palace , but had taken one of his owne , wherein druinas liturgie , and the rites of her church might have openly appeard to unbeguile those silly wretches . the clashings twixt villerio , sophronio , and chenandra , who opposd it as long as t' was safe for him , the exceptions that were taken at villerios commission . but pitty it was , that the intendments of soveraigne princes , specially such an action as that , which concernd the incolumity and peace of all the westerne world , the quenching of those fires in rhenusium , the reinvesting of carbasilis in baccharia , which as it was then given out , should be redelivered at the instance of the lady amira after the match , to ingratiat her selfe thereby the more to the druinians , besides a mighty advantage of commerce , for no country is able to doe druina more good and lesse hurt then elaiana ; i say what pity it was , that all this should bee frustrated by privat passions and interests . another rub in the way , was the disaffection of those ministers that were sent last to druina to finish all things , especially one of them , and he the chiefest , whose heart did not go along with the businesse . it was also discovered that the luranians ( of whom multitudes subsist by the olive , who if the businesse had taken effect had beene dismissed , and that crowne disburdened of those pensions they received , but they preferring to sticke there rather to a certaintie , then to seeke new fortunes , and begin the world againe in their owne soyle ) did no good offices in the conduct of this businesse . besides 't was thought the ampelonian , and the myrtles ambassadors , with others there resident , were not idle . furthermore it had beene wished that some had had more discretion joynd with their zeale to this great businesse , which should have made them more cautious and reservd in their speeches and behaviour , and complied better with the humour of the elaianians , against whō & the poverty of that countrie , they would openly inveigh and gibe at , even in the royall palace . some sayd , if they had left an eye behinde them in elaiana , they would not come thither to fetch it againe ; others , that they would never returne thither unlesse it were to conquer her ; others , that they would never see her againe unlesse t were in a mappe ; others would say , they thought there was no resurrection out of her ground . which puts me in mind of that boysterous buffon , who sayd in the royall presence of elaianas monarque , that his master was nearest and likest to god almighty of any king upon earth , and being asked why ? hee answered that god almighty had but onely one sonne , and hee was sent to bee crucified by iewes ; and druinas king also having but one , hee sent him to bee crucified by elaianians . but for rocalino himselfe , as elaiana rings of the renowne of that heroique enterprize , and will doe , to all posteritie , so to this day his memorie and fame is fresh in that court , for his sage and princelie comportment , mixd with such a becomming gravitie , that it suted with the very genius of that nation , where a prince without gravitie , is said to be like a peacock without a tayle . whence it may be inferrd , that though the maine businesse tooke not ( which continues a darke kind of riddle to this day ) yet rocalino gaind much in poynt of honour , besides the mighty experience ( which is the great looking-glasse of wisdome ) he purchased thereby . never was lady so gallantly courted , no not daphne her selfe ( whom the amorous god converted to a laurell ) was woo'd with that braverie , and strength of affection , which was shewed with that fervor , that elaiana very poorely made use of it , to gaine time & get stricter conditions ; for as i heard one of them say , love is like a p●●●e of charcole , which meeting with the wind its contrary , makes it turne more ardent ; or like a rapid torrent which jusling against a damme swells higher ; so love meeting with opposition growes hotter and stronger . but a most unworthy thing it was , and which all the world cryed out at , to make this his heat of love , and comming thither , two acts which should have accelerated the businesse , to turne to his disadvantage . but it hath thriven with them accordingly , for it is observd that their affaires up and downe the world ever since have thriven but very odly . after his departure it was disputed pro & con , whether that affection whereof he had shewed such brave testimonies , was reall or no ; howsoever it was granted by both sides , that rocalino had purchased a high opinion of honour by it ; for if it was reall , hee shewed himselfe to be a great master of his affections , that he could checke and call them home so soone ; if it was otherwise , it discovered a high poynt of wisedome , to act the part of an amorist so lively and pathetically ▪ had that blind greeke , one of the muses first priests , bin contemporarie to this heroique adventure , how proud had hee beene of so sublime a subject to heighten his fancie , a subject indeed adaequate to apollo himselfe and his whole quire of daughters ; and i cannot wonder enough , that none all this while to whom ex meliore luto finxit praecordia titan , have not employed their talent to this taske , considering the rarenesse , and richnesse of the matter . but to resume my discourse , sophronio having received that foresaid new command from the royall oke , went to propound the entire & speedy surrender of baccharia . the olive answered , that if a treatie would bee commencd with the cedar , who was now lord of it , and hee , with the elder , ( but his commisioners , ) if hee came not to termes of conformity , hee would joyne armes with druina to recover it , and for caution hereof hee would engage that rich citie whither his fleet of treasure arrives yearely . but this not satisfying , hee went to take his leave of elaianas king , who had commanded chenandra a little before to tell him in his name , that hee had receivd advise of his revocation , and understood also by diverse advertisements , what clouds were engendring in druinas court , and in regard the envie which was drawne upon him proceeded from the labours and endeavours he had employed to finish the match , therefore he would hold himselfe much touchd in honour , if for this cause any should so prevaile against him as to cause his ruine or disgrace . therefore he would write to druina's king , and send a particular ambassador , if neede requird , to represent the true state of things , in regard that sophronio had servd him with that exactnesse of fidelity which was well knowne to the world , and to elaiana , in particular , that it deservd not onely to be assisted with all good offices , but it was fit to be rewarded , and published ; and that the royall olive for the example of his owne subjects , and encouragement of those that did or hereafter should serve other princes with that punctuality as sophronio had done , had commanded him to offer him a blanke signd by the royall olive himselfe , wherein he might set downe his owne conditions , both in point of title and fortune ; and this hee did in no way to oblige another prince his subject , but only as an encouragement to honest and faithfull proceedings , and therefore he would not make these offers in private but justifiable to the world , and would accompany all hee should doe , with a declaration , that this hee had done , was for the service hee had done his owne master . sophronio replied , that he was much afflicted to heare such language ; and that hee desird it might be knowne and understood , that elaiana was not any way beholden to him , for what ever he had done , he did it , for that he thought it fittest , for his masters service and his own honour , without having any relation to elaiana ; and that he servd a master from whom he was assurd of justice and due reward : and for those who were thought his enemies , hee knew their power to bee great , but hee servd so just a master , that hee doubted not , but his innocency would prevaile against any wrong , they should intend him ; and though his own integrity would not give him leave to apprehend any kind of danger or disfavour from his said master , and were he assured to runne into eminent danger , yet would he rather goe home to cast himselfe at his feete for mercy , and thereby comply with the duty and honour of a faithfull servant , then to bee the greatest of elaianas princes . so i leave this mighty businesse for a riddle ( as i said before ) both to the present and all future ages ; for the bookes of kings are written in darke characters which few can uncypher , and their actions like deepe foords , wherein elephants may only swimme ; or as great rivers , whereof we see the course of the streame , but know not the source . so i leave also sophronio preparing for his journey , and inexpressible it is , what a blacke kind of obstupefaction , and regret all the world was possesd withall in elaianas court , specially the la : amira , who , wee thought , would have turnd into one of the heliades ( those amber weeping-trees ) for sorrow . many arguments of a reall love appeard from her towards rocalino , amongst others one was , that she caused many divine duties to be performed for his safety in his returne to druina ; where being landed he fell down and kissd the very earth for joy ; and being come to thamisond , one would have thought that huge body composd of such numberlesse peeces had beene all one fire , and turnd to one flame from those huge piles of sacrifices of universall joy , notwithstanding those huge cataracts of water that powrd downe from the meteors ; but greater farre , and more ardent were those inward flames of gladnesse , wherewith all hearts did burn and sparkle to see their rocalino againe . all mouths were full with oken leafs and in the wood so wide , &c. with other such songs and catches of airie mirth ; the very inanimat creatures as steeples and walles , did shake with joy , yea the very pavements and channels pledgd healths for this happie returne . amongst other forren congratulations which came from farre and neare , carbasilis suddenly sent , but with this complement , that next to the hand of divine providence , he might thanke her , and her numerous graffs , that hee came so safely and freely backe , so that i cannot but deride their shallownesse , and poverty of judgment , who thinke elaiana had any designe to detaine him there . the royall oke summond hereupon a generall assembly , wherein by the relations of villerio ( and indeed he for his own particular had little reason to love elaiana ever after for some disrespects that had passd , ) the two treaties , touching the alliance with elaiana , and restitution of baccharia were quite dissolvd by the unanimous vote of that great assembly , not one dissenting from it , which made his majestie say , that he thought they were led by one spirit , as the seventy interpreters . and nothing could be more pleasing to the druinians then the rupture of these treaties , as the case then stood , for they were extreamely nettled to see the princely standell of their royall oke returne from elaiana with a branch of willowes . nor indeed did the poplars and coppices and vulgar sort of druinas trees , specially thamisond , ever affect this match , for they were transported with such a reasonlesse aversenesse to it , that whosoever did speake but in favour of it , or discoverd any good wishes to it , hee was presently held a petropolitan , and to have swallowed a leafe of the ivie . the petropolitans throughout all druina were exceedingly dejected and crest-fallen at these proceedings , and that matters went so crosse in elaiana ; and as it was observed to be an ill favourd augury , that a peece of the royall tarrasse fell under mordogan at his first audience , when he came hoc agere , when the treaty of alliance begun to be in serious agitation ; so a little before this dissolution of it , another fatall accident , or rather tragique presage fell out in thamisond : for as the petropolitans were in midst of divine exercise , and some say inveighing against the eusebians , the oratory suddenly tumbled downe , so that a great number of them were quashd to death by the very inanimat creatures of stones and rubbish to the consternation of all the world . and this happened when they were a gogge and building of castles in the aire , and at the height of their hopes , that by vertue of the said alliance , they should have a kind of liberty of conscience equall to a toleration . the royall oke following the advise of the foresaid great counsell prepared for a warre , which quite turnd the match , to powder ; mars thrusts hymen out of dores , and ianus gates flew wide open ; then which nothing could bee more thwarting and opposite , the one to his disposition , the other to his desires which had beene so vehemently carried that way for many yeares ; they promised to make him belovd at home , and feard abroad as much as any prince that was , to which end they gave him round sommes of moneys ; a polemicall counsell was erected for the conduct of the martiall affaires , and by the gracious condescent of majesty they were to dispose of the pecuniary levies that were made to that end . as matters were reducd to this passe , behold a notable peece of machiavillianisme , formd and complotted against villerio by the soveraigne ministers elaiana had then in thamisond ; who in a private audience they desird to have of druinas monarke , undertooke to discover unto him a notable conjuration intended both against his royall dignity and person , which was ; that villerio with some of the prime of his counsell had consulted of the arguments and meanes that were to be taken for the dissolving of the forementioned treaties ; and that their consultations passd so farre , that if the majesty of druinas king would not accommodat himselfe to their counsels herein , he should have a house of pleasure where hee might retire himselfe to his sports , in regard that prime rocalino had now yeares and parts answerable for the publike governement . the royall oke upon this imperfect overture , made many instances unto them that they would give him the authors of so pernicious a conspiracy ; but they instead of confirming the great zeale they pretended to beare him ▪ all the answer they made consisted of arguments against the discovery of the conspirators . hereupon his majesty commanded some of his secretst counsellors , with others to be examind and sworne , and that such interrogatories should bee propounded unto them that were most pertinent to the accusation ; wherby there was found in villerio , and the rest who were impeachd a very cleare and sincere innocency , touching these foule imputations . this being so , new instances were made to the said ambassadors , that they should not prefer the discovery of the names of the conspirators to the security of his royall majesty , the truth and honour of themselves ; and the hazard of an opinion to be held the tracers of a plot of such malice , sedition and danger ; but the informers continued in a knobby kinde of obstinacy resolving still to conceale the names of the authors . hereupon druinas monarch sent two of his sages to tell them , that they being the authors of an accusation so pernicious , had rendred themselves incapable to treat further with him , and were it not for the respect he bore to elaiana's king whose person they did represent , hee would and could by the law of nations and the right of his owne royall iustice proceed against them with such severity as the offence deservd , but for the reason aforesaid hee would leave the reparation thereof to the justice of the royall olive himselfe of whom he would demand and require it . hereupon the soveraign minister who was then employed in elaiana was commanded to require refaction and satisfaction against the informers or rather inventors and forgers of the aforesaid misinformation , which was of that quality , that it was sufficient to put impressions in him of perpetuall jealousies , in regard that through villerio , they did wound prince rocalino , and the best of his subjects ; for it was not probable , that villerio would have hurld himselfe into such an enterprise without communicating of it first to him , yet notwithstanding the royall oke would not mingle the correspondence and friendship he holds with the majesty of the olive , with the faults and offences of his ministers , but leave them , and restraine them to themselves . these things being represented to elaianas king , he seemd then to be somwhat sensible of them ; but when the aforesaid ministers were returnd , they were onely confind for a few daies : but afterwards instead of reprehension they were rather rewarded and further employed . not long after , the royall oke who all his life time had continued in a constant calme of tranquillity , notwithstanding that al the circumjacent forrests were often in fearefull combustions about him , and had beene the gracious vmpire of so many soveraigne quarrels ( glorying in the attribute of peacefull ( and might bee said to have bin the caducean rod which composd and charmd all dissentions twixt other princes ) was feld by the dire hand of fate , being newly plungd in a war against elaiana . from the very time that hee sprouted first above ground , he was pursued with treasonable practises , and his tutelar angell still mervailously garded him . nor was there ever any monarke upon earth since his time that writ from the cedar to the shrub , of a greater latitude of learned knowledg , which made him to bee termd druinas third vniversity . aarons rod never bore more buds then under the branches of this gracious oke ; nor did the groves of the muses and common wealth of letters so fructifie at any time ; so , that in the firmament of learning hee will shine to all posterity a starre of the greatest magnitude , crescet oculto velut arbor aevo , fama . — touching his profound reach in holy things , let that pourtrait drawne out of the sacred oracle , and the difficultst part thereof , beare the world witnesse ; which peece hee sent the great archflamin to pay him all old arrearages . never any country flourished more in the commutative part of justice , as did druina in his time , specially the first tenne yeares , in which space , besides other places , thamisond did so enrich her selfe , that shee gathered more than she had done in thirty yeares before . his stately spouse sprung out of the ancient stemme of the royall firre of elatena , was transplanted some yeares before to the celestiall paradise , whither t' was said she went in noahs arke , and he in elia's chariot , al●uding to the quality of their diseases , the one aquatike , the other hot and dry . in this peacefull prince there was an admird concurrence of many high platonique vertues , onely he would sometimes come too neare the fire of passion , yet never in any serious , but sudden triviall passages . munificent hee was beyond the ordinary custome of kings ; most confident of the fidelity of his agents and instruments ; for hee was wont ●o say , that when hee employed any servant in a serious businesse of trust , he would not imbitter the sweetnesse hee conceavd of his fidelitie with any mixtures of feare or diffidence . yet if any miscarried , the distaste would not dwell long in him , nor i dare say did the sunne ever goe downe upon his anger . some there were upon whom the beames of his regall favour reflected more strongly . and why not ? have not the wisest of earthly monarques had their favorits ? for if every creature is left free to like where he list , it were preposterous and injurious to deprive kings of that liberty which the meanest of their subjects enjoy , they command multitudes of subjects as they are kings , but they are subjects to their owne passions , as they are composed of foure elements . the princely standell which had beene a long time the hopes of druinas crowne , became now the crowne of her hopes , and succeeded in the royall throne . — tandem fit surculus arbor . a prince endued with such a strength of vertue , that he seemes to strike malice dumbe ; a prince of whom it may be sayd , that he hates the very names of those vices that are incident to princes , more then other princes hate the vices themselves . he was well balancd , and of a growth just ripe for this mighty burden , having newly taken the vest of virility , and being reard up to a comely cleane timbred strong bulke , wonderfull active and patient of toyle ; and if forren travell begets wisedome in regard the eye , which hath a more immediate commerce with the soule , and is a faithfuller witnesse then the eare ; hee is the best traveld prince by the sea and land of any , and therein hath the advantage of his neighbours . of a solid and excelling judgement in the hardest and choycest things , but specially in the service and deserts of his officers and servants , who in a monarchy are accordingly active or carelesse , as the prince is capable to distinguish and judge of their labours ; whereby i hope to see druina vindicated more and more of the aspersions the world abroad casts upon her ; that she slowly seekes after well qualified instruments , and more slowly cherisheth vertue in her owne plants , but admires any thing in strangers , and is more ready to employ them , though she have of her owne , equally if not better qualified . most singularly indulgent hee is of his royall consort , which is so acceptable to heaven , that shee corresponds with him , in bringing him forth many reall fruits of his love , sweet princely graffes , which i may well avouch , are the best for alliance and stocke that ever the earth had , being as immediately extracted out of the oke and the vine , so are they nearely allied to the cedar , the olive , the firre , the anciently descended vine , and all the best stemmes of the westerne world ; so that if ever any plants sprung de semine divûm , as some philosophers affirmd , they may be said to have sprung so . he is inflexibly just in the expiation of the crying sinne of murther , yet most tender of the life of the meanest shrub that groweth under his princely boughes . most tenacious he is , of his purposes , when they have beene pondred , and layne long in the ballance of mature deliberation , and winnowed by the debate of his sages . but above all things else ( and indeed all things else are but bables to this ) hee is most punctuall in his pietie to heaven ; so that take all this together , this inference will result , that if hee were , but one of the ordinary vulgar plants , they that know aright , would judge him to be one of the compleatest , and most vertuous of all druina . but the crown which descended upon him was inlayed with so many difficulties , that it might be justly calld a crowne of thornes for many yeares ; for after a long calme of peace , hee was left newly engagd in a war against one of the greatest of earthly monarchs , and ( as it was said of one of his progenitors ) with a rustie sword , and empty purse , the crowne being fallen into a bottomlesse pit or gulph of debt , besides his own former arreares ; the moving fortresse which are the chiefe strength of druina were in slender repaire , his magazines of amunition ill supplied ; the lady carbasilis with her numerous issue were to bee provided for , and hee was left to seeke for a spouse for himselfe . but by the speciall favour of heaven , hee hath surmounted all these difficulties and brought the glory of druinas diademe to cast a greater splendor then ever it did . touching a royall consort , the high hand of providence , reservd for him such a one , that there never sprung up above ground a more beauteous or approaching nearer some celestiall deity ; for through those starry casements of her soule , one may discerne in her a kind of divinity transscending the race of mortals , so that in this virginian vine , the saying of the wisest of kings may be verifyed , that a good wife , is a tree of life . this young royal oke being now setled in his throne , he sends villerio to visit the disconsolat carbasilis , and to confirme a league defensive and offensive with the willowes his fast friends . he suddenly sends a mighty fleet against elaiana , but the critickes of those times abroad , said , this fleete so quickly riggd shewd rather the power then providence of druina , yet she returnd without any passive encounter at all . he employes two of his noblest elmes to treat of an alliance with that peerles peece of natures rarities , the lady aretine , which great businesse by their wise and successeful negotiation was concluded in fewer months , then elaiana spent yeares in her treaty ; so that the la : aretine was entitled by holy rite , queene of druina , which shee would not accept of , unlesse shee had the title of ampelona's queene also added . thus the youngest spray of the great martiall vine came to druina , with a great masse of ready treasure , and a row of her owne country graffes for her first sett of servants ; but they misdemeaning themselves by some fond fopperies of superstition in prejudice of the la : aretine her health , and for other morall miscariages were suddenly dismissd and sent backe to ampelona with bagge and baggage , all their salaries being punctually payed them to a penny , and many of them parted with rewards ; though a very moderne chronicler traduceth druina in this point , to have dismissd them without their wages , &c. but as in this , so in many other relations hee takes up things upon trust ; and imperfect partiall information ; a grosse defect in a royall chronologer , nor indeed can it be judgd whether his faults in this kind , or flatteries throughout the whole body of his story , bee grosser ; and whereas history should bee the torch of truth , hee makes her in diverse places a fuliginous linke of lies . the renvoy of the ampelonians was ill taken by the royall vine , and the suddennes of the action did much aggravate the businesse , with the quality of the persons , being for the most part younger graffes , having parted with what they had in their owne soyle to take rooting and grow up in druina about the lady aretine . vpon these distasts the voyaging marchants pillage one another , as they found advantage , yet the two kings stirrd not a good while after ; for it is with kings sometimes , as with porters , whose packs may justle one against the other , yet they remaine good friends still . not long after drvinas monarke convokes an universall assembly ; to whom , he declard to have calld them together for the safety of religion , for securing his kingdomes and subjects at home , having two such mighty monarkes his actuall enemies , for the assisting of his allies and confederates abroad , specially the royall firre , who had lately embarkd himselfe very far in open war against the cedar principally in behalfe of prince altapinus , and was reducd to wonderfull streights , being chasd out of a great part of his dominions , by the cedars generall . for these with other important motives hee propounded a supply of treasure . these things at first overture were well resented by the lower assembly , who with much alacritie agreed to a good round supply , and indeed it was the greatest gift that ever subjects gave king , but before it was brought to any sound perfection , this good worke was unluckily disturbd by a multitude of questions concerning the priviledge of the subject , and prerogative of the soveraigne ; by which delayes the reality and reputation of that great donative was much lessened , and the forren actions , the royall oke was engagd in abroad receivd much prejudice . yet he did formally confirme unto them all their ancient priviledges , and gave two most gracious answers to their petitions tending to this end : and having complied with them thus to their hearts desire , as also in two former assemblies wherein were delivered them as sacrifices some of the crowne officers , and done them sundry other acts of princely grace , yet some extravagant spirits given over to fancy , and faction , disturbd the calme of these proceedings . they fall like thunder upon villerio , alleadging that he was the cause of the incongruity in government at home , and of disasters abroad ; that he was the first that deflourd the virgin honour , making her a kinde of prostitut , and meere marchandise salable for white and redde earth , which is too base a price for her , that should be the prime guerdon of vertue , through whose temple only , there should be a passage to hers . they complaine of his exorbitant power , having in his hands the privatst and most reposefull offices of trust , by sea and land , & such as were incompatible and never known in the person of one subject . they cry out that none received advancement but his progeny , which they termd the tribe of fortune , with other high clamours : thus hee who in their former meetings was a great subject of their commendation , when for dissolving the two treaties with elaiana they said he had done so well , that he deservd to have his statue publikely erected in the midst of thamisond , became now the chiefe subject of their complaints and grievances . but the rayes of royall majesty reverberated so strongly upon villerio , that they dispell'd all those clouds , which did hang over and thus obumbrat him , and the rather because evidence , which is the lanterne of of the law , was wanting , these accusations having no other proofe but publike fame . in these times a warlike fleet was prepar'd against ampelona , in regard the vine had not performd certaine capitulations , that were promised the royall oke in favour of the eusebians there , besides one moitie of the lady aretines dower was not sent according to article , with other provocations and secret motives . the enterprise fayling , though the first invasion ( and would heaven had pleasd the retreat had beene answerable ) was made with as brave a resolution as any martiall attempt could possibly be , and in managing the souldier villerio , with the rest , shewed undeniable assurances of valour : yet the royall oke was not a whit daunted hereby , but presently commanded a greater number of vessels of warre to bee riggd and made ready in pursute of the same designe , upon which villerio was to goe generalissimo againe ; but being upon point of embarking , this great commander having at his becke such a multitude of martiall spirits was suddenly cut off , to the consternation and amazement of all the world , by a fatall stroake which was given him with a small contemptible instrument , and with such an admirable advantage , that it was impossible either by slight or art , or strength of engine , to dispatch one sooner out of this world ; and which made the act more tragicall , his noble consort , then pregnant , beheld him thus felld , and weltring upon the ground presently after . thus fell that procere goodly faire timberd elme in the fulnesse of his strength , who had so long flourish'd under the gracious branches of two royall okes , having led halfe his life in that height of fortune , and affluence of all earthly pleasure ; who being thus fallen , many inferior trees grew great out of his boughs , in so much that the saying of the philosopher , who being askd , what was a doing in heaven , answerd , magnae ollae franguntur , & ex frustis earum minores fiunt , mought have beene not improperly applied to what then passd in druina . out of this sad catastrophe may bee drawne this lesson , that great ones may secure themselves from guilt , but not from envie , which like the sunne-beames beates upon rising grounds , and towring high trees , when the shrub is safe . cernis ut ventis agitatur ingens pinus . — he had a concurrence of all those gracefull parts , that might attract princely love , and conduce to the accomplishment of a courtier , and had hee containd himselfe still in that condition , hee might happily have lasted untill time had covered him with hoary mosse . the royall majesty which first tooke him into favour , agenid and traind him up for his own turne by certaine degrees in the most pertinent affaires and mysteries of state , observing therein the progresse of nature which suffereth no motion to passe from one extreme to another , but by intermediat spaces , as she useth to passe from winter to summer by the interposition of the spring , and so returne to winter by autumne : so that platonike prince servd himselfe of certaine pawses to advance and employ him ; and hee was no improper peece to worke upon , having so pliable and gentle a genius , that he grew very pregnant and dextrous in the art of government . among other maximes of policy he proposd to himselfe in the conduct of his affaires , one was to neglect apologies , whereof he said , he saw no other fruit then to multiply discourse , and humour the vulgar , nor did he ever value any pasquils that were dropd up and downe , so farre , as to thinke them worthy of his revenge , which questionlesse was a well settled rule , for libels neglected quickly finde their owne graves ; and dissipat to ayre . hee was none of those idolaters that worship the beast with many heads , that use to burne incense to the vulgar . and as herein , so in many other things , great abilities appeard in him , for extraordinary must be the wisdome of him who floateth upon the streame of soveraigne favour , wherein there is seldome any sistence , twixt sinking and swimming . a sure friend he was , and a resenting foe , a brave master to servants , and a remembrer of the least good office ; for his stocke ; he transplanted most of them to plentifull soyles . and doubtlesse hee had a brave soule to actuat that comely composure ; and an innated valour appeard in him , when hee put himselfe upon the souldiers defense as he receivd the mortall stabbe . i will conclude with part of a character that a judicious cavalier gave lately of him ; hee was a great example of sobriety and temperance , but not of continency . the assassin that feld him found oftentimes strong and strange reluctancies in himselfe , nor could hee give any other reason that pushd him forward to this black attempt , but that he was blasted by the great assembly , and so thought it an act agreeable to heaven to take away the partition wall betweene the king and his people , and make him a sacrifice to the publike , though with an unavoydablenesse of his owne destruction , confronting thereby death in the face ; whereby was verified that saying , that he who is carelesse of his owne life , is master of another's . but heaven forbid that this custome which hath such a vogue in other parts , should take footing in drvina . this tragedie being acted , the royall oke pursueth his designe for supporting of petrina , with the eusebians in ampelona , but this disaster as it bred confusion for the time , so it causd a stand in the procedure of that great action , which gave the vine respit to finish those stupendous circumvallations and barricadoes hee had reard up by sea and land to begirt petrina ; in so much that when another noble elme was sent with strength sufficient to have achievd a greater exploit , he found her passd cure . this some say went to the very heart of elaiana , who in regard of that notable advantage , and addition of united power the vine got hereby , would have found some way or other to have relievd petrina , had she thought druina would have missd it . the great assembly aforesaid rejoynd , and mett againe in one body , and now he that was supposd to be the cause of the tempest being throwne overboard , there were great hopes a calme should ensue , but the storme continued as furious as ever , and unlucky passions blustred as much , if not more , than they had done formerly in villerios time . they flew a fresh upon other great officers and questiond a duty , that for garding of the seas , and common defence of the realme had beene indisputably granted to so many preceding kings for a bene esse , which they made difficulty to affoord the royall oke regnant , unles he would first renounce alright to it , and so receive it meerely from them . thus they choppd logicke with soveraigne majesty who movd with these traverses , resolvd though to his unutterable griefe to dismisse this great counsell , but upon the point when this was to be done in forme , the lower assembly in a strange tumultuary manner adjournd themselves , before they had receivd his royall pleasure . they denied him his officers at armes , violated the prolocutor , being twise sent for , delayed to let in his messenger , and discontentments turning thus to a strange kind of disobedience , they broake up in confusion . adde hereunto that notwithstanding there was another peculiar assembly of reverend yewes of purpose for the regulating and sweeping cleane of the house of the almighty , yet the poplars must make it their office to tamper with the constitution of holy things ; and indeed this is one of the greatest scandals and brands , that not only petropolis , but other forreners ( who have with her forsaken petropolis ) cast upon druina . viz. that her ecclesiasticall ordinances are the commands and injunctions of this secular power , and members of this assembly , who not only confirme ( which may become them well enough , and is necessary for a generall obedience ) but take upon them to be iudges herein . so that one being askd what they did in that lower great assembly , hee was answerd pleasantly , that they were making of a new creed ; another was over-heard to say , that hee could not bee quiet in his conscience , untill the holy text should be confirmd by an act of theirs . whence may bee inferrd , that some of them beleeve , it belongs to them to make sanctions , as well as statutes . this inducd the royall oke , though he be responsible to none for an account of his actions but to the high majestie of heaven , to publish an open protest unto the world , for the satisfaction of his better sort of subjects , of the causes of these disorders , declaring that while villerio liv'd , hee was intitled to all the distempers and ill events of former assemblies , therefore much endeavour was usd to demolish him as the only wall of separation twixt their soveraigne and them , but he now being cut off , no alteration was found amongst them at all , or calmenesse in their proceedings . he was pleasd to declare further , that he imputed not these commotions to the whole assembly , knowing that there were amongst them , many religious , grave and well minded patriotts , but the sincerer and better part of them being over-borne by the clamours and practises of others , who carelesse of their duties , and taking advantage of the times and his necessities , constraind him to breake off that meeting , which had it beene answerd with like duties on their parts , as love on his , might have prov'd happie to all druina . these fatall distempers as they did much hurt to the body politicke at home , for they were like humours stirrd in the naturall body without evacuation , so did they produce disadvantagious effects abroad , and better had it been that the raysers and fomenters of them had never sprang up in druina . the royall firre had engagd himselfe in the quarrell of altapinus against the cedar , and he had proceeded so far as to the imminent and actuall danger of his owne person . and expecting from druina those monthly supplies which were promised by capitulation , partly for want of them , the one halfe of his territories being already over-runne and plundred , hee was constraind to shuffle up a peace with the cedar ( without druinas privity . ) and it was high time for him , for whereas the firre was usd to bee a dwelling for the stork , the eagle was like to build his nest there . the foresaid great expedition to relieve petrina did also suffer hereby , and indeed the whole party of the eusebians every where up and downe the world , who had their eyes fixd upon druinas monarke their defendor . who so much labouring to take the old wonted great trodden way , for supplies towards the support of such publike designes , was constraind at last to take the higher roade , by having recourse to his soveraigne prerogative to ballast the common purse of the state ; and a kingdome is like a shippe at sea , whose ballast should be the princes coffers ; which if they be light and emptie , she will do nought but tumble up and downe , nor can she be made to run a direct and steddy course . about this time fell one of the noblest elmes in the whole forrest , extracted of the ancient stocke of the monticolians , that bore the smallest , yet chiefest staffe of office and command in druinas court ; and his fall was the more remarkable , because the night immediately before he was discoursing of , and slighting the art of those foolish astrologers , and genethliacall ephemerists , that use to pry into the horoscope of nativities , whereof one had much tampred with his , and positively affirmd he should not reach . yeares , and now said hee , i have liv'd ( thankes bee to heaven ) fiftie one yeares and a day compleat , but the next morning hee was taken with an apoplexie , whereof he presently died ; much lamented hee was , for his noblenes , and mervailous candor of disposition , and other brave endowments , and therefore generally belov'd in citie , court , and country . and being a long time averse to the match with elaiana mordogan put a shrewd pernicious complement upon him ; for being at a private audience in discourse with druinas monarke , hee fell to magnifie the greatnesse , loyalty , and wealth of his subjects ; and specially of this noble elme , who had such rooting in the hearts of the poplars , that upon any faction , or tumult , he verily thought he could draw after him all the trees of the forrest . but this was spoken of purpose to make some impression of jealousies in the breast of majesty . as these traverses happened in druina , behold bumelias king the martiall ash , holding himselfe to bee much affronted by the cedar in that he would vouchsafe no audience to his ambassadors , and that hee encroachd upon the territories of his allies ; as also for some preventive reasons of state ; he crosseth those cold seas , and rusheth into rhenusium like a whirlewind , carrying all before him though with small numbers at first , not exceeding . yet like a ball of snow tumbling downe a hill , hee still gatherd strength as he passd : and made chips of all the trees he met withall . hee restored two of his said allies to their entire possessions , and proceeding further , and being dared as he was a cavalier by that great veteran captaine then the cedars generall ( who the day before had shrewdly shaken the plane ) to meete him in pitchd field ; he answerd that he was something more than a cavalier , and that he had thousands under him as good as that generall himselfe , therefore he would not fayle to finde him out speedily . the next day he kept his word and gave him battaile , where hee carried away as faire and compleat a victory as possibly could be , and thereby he freed the planes country from the impendent dangers that hung over it . he marchd still on , making his passage by the point of the sword every where , he crosseth the great river that denominates rhenusium , upon whose bankes hee kept his festivals in an admired triumphant manner in one of the chiefest archflamins townes , whither ambassadours resorted unto him from farre and neare , as if he had beene some cesar. the royall vine being displeasd that he had crossd that great river , and invaded the territories of the church ( whereof he had taken the protection ) without his privity , sent to tell him by his ambassador ; that if he did not stand to his articles , he had an army of . to enter into rhenusium when hee pleased . the magnanimous ash answerd , that he had not infringd the least tittle of what was articled , that they aymd at one marke , and their ends were concentrike , and he knew how to make his way in rhenusium , better than he could tell him . and touching the archflamin in whose metropolis hee then kept his court , hee had broke promise both with the royall vine and him , by ceasing to bee neutrall ; as for the menace hee sent , if ampelona had . to rush into to rhenusium , be had . and with them he would be sooner at the walles of tutelia , then those . could be on the frontiers of rhenusium . afterwards he made himselfe master of baccharia , but to re-invest altapinus there , hee would have tied him to hard , and indeed to very harsh termes ; first , that hee should make no leavie of military forces , without his consent . that he should supply him with so many thousands upon his owne charge during these warres ; that hee should still reserve two of the chiefest townes of baccharia in deposito , where hee might put in garrison to be maintaind by the contributions of the countrey ; that hee should make no league or confederacy with any other , without his privity and consent . that there should bee free exercise of the bumelian religion throughout all baccharia , and an academy , and schooles erected to that end . that he should acknowledge , under god , to have receivd his country from him ; with diverse other such restrictions . but that noble stout elme whom the royall oke employed at that time in rhenusium in a high quality , of purpose to observe his motions , would not condescend hereunto . hence bumelias king breakes his way to the elders court , where he shooke him ill favouredly for the time , ranging through the very bowels of his country , and plundring all wheresoever he came , as farre as his very cells and clossets . but as no violent course lasteth long , this irresistible torrent of his tropheys was stoppd by the dire hand of destiny , so that in the throng of his owne victorious troupes , this martiall ash was felld , the greatest of his enemies whom hee most redoubted for his valour , falling before in his sight . so that , as in life , so at , and after his death he provd a conqueror , falling upon the bed of honour and victory both at once , in a party colourd field gules and argent , but the crest sable , so that it was impossible for a souldier to bid the world farewell , in a braver manner . his fall for the present strucke an earth quake into all minds , nor could the vulgar bee inducd a great while to beleeve that he was feld , thinking him to bee impenetrable , and above the stroake of fate . an heroicke prince he was , and in such a height , that it was said the soule of caesar had entred into him ; so that some thinke he sprung of the race of that tree , whereof achilles speare , and hercules club were made , only hee was taxd to bee over-ventrous and head-strong ; besides there were some , that observd him , to bee somewhat elated by that monstrous course of conquering , but as adrianas ambassadour apologizd for him , he had been more than a mortall wight , if he had not been somewhat altered at the successe of such high feates , which were such , that considering the quality of the country , townes , and enemies , none of the twelve caesar acts , paralleld his in so short a time . but i will relate a thing worthy of wonder ; amongst others who receivd contentment at the proceedings of the warlike ash , melissanus the great archflamin would be often inquisitive , and well pleasd to heare of any successefull encounter of his against the cedar . some thinke the reason was , in regard the cedar had a little before disturbd the peace of bombicina , and joynd with elaiana to kindle a new fire in her , therefore hee was well contented to see him a little shaken . others say , there was some secret tye , that if the ash should compasse his designes in rhenusium , he should assist melissanus to recover hipparcha , ( which the olive hath so long detaind from petropolis ) as a reward for his neutralitie : hereupon when there was a great contracto in the holy senat , at the time when the cedars and olives embassadors demanded pecuniary supplies out of the holy treasure for the support of religion in rhenvsivm and preventing the further spreading of the ash , the ivie himselfe answered , that he was satisfied religion was neither the subject nor scope of those warres ; and that the holy treasure , was to bee reservd , and issued for holy uses , and not misapplied to any other ends . whereunto one of the prime members of that high senat , replying , that the ivie for his coldnesse in the cedars quarrell was traducd abroad for halfe an hereticke , he was taken up very short , and adjudgd corrigible for such presumptuous language . amongst many others , which had obligations to the martiall ash , the plane receivd no small benefit by him ; for hee preservd his country three severall times from impendent and actuall danger ; but it seemes he quickly forgot him , for after his fall hee shuffled up a peace with the cedar in which the bumelians were quite excluded : and it had beene wishd , that the princely plane , ( though allowed his sprincklings of wine , because as the arbolists observe it is more naturall to him , and makes him thrive better than any other tree ) had in these traverses beene lesse wavering , and not suffered himselfe to be shaken with such incertaine blasts : for i cannot tell how often he put in , and pulld out his pin from the stake . had the adventrous ash survivd that fatall , yet victorious , day he fell on , many think the cedar was so far shrunk that he had beene put to very hard shifts to have made head against him to any purpose againe . for indeed his progresse was such , that both sides stood at a stand , gazing and doubting where his conquest would terminat . and had he brought his intents home to his ayme , he would have cast the policy of the lower world into a new mould , and happily have put his own confederates to stand upon their gard ; and as for many others , so had it not been wholesome for druina , that his acquests had extended further , which makes mee , that i cannot wonder enough at the shallownesse and impertinent zeale of the vulgar sort in druina , who were still so eager , and joyfull to heare him still goe on , and carried away with such an ignorant devotion for his successes , when it little concernd their religion or security . amongst divers others who rejoycd and triumphd at the fall of the war-like ash , the elder lifted up his hollow boughs , so high , that a little after he took heart of grace to court one of the youngest sprayes of the imperiall cedar for his consort , though in point of age he quadrupply exceeded her , being cauterizd in foure severall places about his body to have vent for his malignant humors , wherewith it seemes he much abounded , specially towards prince altapinus , who was one of the nearest to him in stocke ; besides his young consort was sprung as close to him , and as neare as could be out of his own stemme . yet neither disparity of yeares , nor propinquity of stocke , could hinder the designe policy had herein , but he carried her cleare away ; and what fruit can be expected of this inoculation , but blacke unsavourie berries , and flowers onely to make the tartest viniger , such as the elder naturally beares . and what fruit also the beech will produce by his late ingrafting upon the other spray , though in a farre ignobler way , ( having by letters and instruments ) attempted a princely graffe , which as farre precels her , which hee hath lighted upon , as a damaske rose doth the couslip in natures workemanship , quantum lenta solent inter viburna cupressi , ) i had rather expect then determine . but these kinde of infolliations wresting so farre the lawes of nature , have seldome prov'd prosperous ; i know not what they may doe upon this moderne politicke race , which as she pretends to have mounted to this might and largenesse by these meanes , so shee goeth on , to ciment her designes , and fortifie her selfe still by this course ; but some of the best genethliacall arbolists observe , that though these unequall imbuddings may flourish for a time , they will fade away at last by a fate , that unavoydably useth to attend them . before the lowest of the celestiall bodies had finishd her monthly course , altapinvs also fell , who had beene a companion to the warlike ash in many of his exploits through rhenusium ; a prince who by a hard destiny , became a tennis-ball a long while to the blind goddesse ; a prince in whom many vertues did co-habit . he was free from that vice rhenusium is so naturally addicted unto , where the custome is so generall that it takes away the conscience to be peccant therein . very sedulous hee was in the pursute of his affaires , parsimonious and wonderfully indulgent of his young cions , and the glory of her sexe carbasilis , who though homebias crowne was lost , yet by her princely comportment , shee got then another kingdome which shee retaines ever since , as may bee inferrd out of her name ; for at the beginning of these unlucky traverses , shee wisely turnd her selfe ( though sprouted naturally of the oke ) into a palme , and with a more than feminine courage tooke for her motto ever since , — sub mole resurgo . for it can hardly bee judgd , whether her various sorts of pressures , or patience were greater . many brave adventrous spirits fell for love of her ; amongst others i cannot forget , the high-hearted martialist brunonio , who first lost his lands , then one of his chiefest limbes , and lastly his life in her quarrell . nor can i omit here a noble elme sprung up in the streets of tamisond , who hath beene a most constant and resolute adventurer , and conversd with danger a great while for her , though with extraordinary expence , the late losse of his libertie , and many traverses of apparant hazard , even to the admiration of the ash himselfe , and envie of others . not long before these times , there being interchangeable overtures made on all sides ; the royall oke renewed a peace both with the vine and the olive , twixt whom there passd many shockes ; for the olive , the worst that druina suffered was , that she exchangd coales for sugar . and now behold a glorious serenity of peace againe in druina , having had two of her potentst neighbours upon her backe at once . it hath beene a maxime often verified in policy ; that kings may marry , but not their crownes , and never was this more exemplified , then by the alliance of those princely sprayes that sprung of the last great martiall vine , who notwithstanding that of themselves there were never any in whom sweetnesse of disposition , and vertue her selfe was more resplendent in such a degree , as if the three graces had contributed their utmost power to make them good ; yet i know not by what fate or fortune t' is come to passe , there have fallen out diverse traverses of warre , since the inarching of those graffes , upon the olive , the pine , and the oke ; which yet continueth , and is daily exasperated twixt the olive and the vine , who though at first , they crossd one anothers designes by sending auxiliary forces in collaterall wayes , they doe now directly and in good earnest , clash their branches one against the other . for the justnesse of their quarrell , i will not undertake here to debate it ; nor determine whether a just feare without any active invasion or offence bee sufficient grounds to ampelona for a warre , and whether it may deserve the name of a defensive . i have reade that the true cause of the peloponnesian warre ( though they were blanchd with other specious colours ) was the over-growing greatnesse of athens , which did as it were impose upon the lacedemonians a necessity of armes ; preventive warres have beene practised by the best policied states , they rid the forrest oftentimes of superfluous plants ; and are as a purge for the body politicke : and in all ages it hath beene held a maine part of providence , to have an eye , that their confining neighbours , should neither by too neare an approach , or encrease of territory , or enfeebling of confederates , nor by ingrossing of trade , or stopping of passage , receive any addition of strength , and in point of wealth to beare up still in equall proportion , upon the enhancement of the rates of coyne , excrescence of demeanes , or imposition of tolls ; this makes the vine so salt his subject , and the olive pepper his so much . the lawfulnesse of warre in the generall was never questiond , so it have a soveraigne head , not otherwise . for the almighty is the god of hosts and armes , as well as of peace ; and warres well grounded are nought else but sutes of appeale to the consistory of heaven , when there is no superior on earth to determine the cause : and besides the lawfulnesse hereof , there seemes to bee a kinde of inevitablenesse and necessitie in it ; some philosophers were of opinion , that the world doth subsist by a perpetuall strife in some part or other , i goe not above the concave of the moone , where the celestiall bodies , though in relation to us ( poore mortals ) they seeme to strange , and have their contrary motions , eclipses and oppositions , yet amongst themselves they are in a most regular , and constant sweet course of concord ; but for the elementary world , all things are in a kind of restlesse conflict ; the elements themselves , which are the primitive ingredients of all bodies , are in perpetuall combat , they still encroach one upon another , and labour to repell each other , but amongst the rest the fire is most vigorous and ravenous , the earth hath frequent fits of the palsie , the sea is never still , the aire is agitated with winds , and new monsters and meteorologicall impressions are hourely engendred ; so in humane bodies composd of this stuffe , there is an incessant warfare amongst the humours for predominancy , and while this naturall war lasteth , the earth cannot be without civill and politicall preliations , the mind following most commonly the temper of the body . but a madde tenet it was of the candian ( in that divine and high soaring philosopher ) that peace is but a naked and empty name , a kinde of chymera , and that every state expects but its advantage to set upon the skirts of the other , whence hee concludes , that there is alwayes a kinde of fermentation of warre , and no kinde of reall love and league betweene princes , but only an impuissance or inconveniencie to doe hurt . an age there was , and t' was the last , when druina , ampelona , and elaiana were so circumspect , and eagle eyed , that scarce an acre of ground , could bee gotten by either of the three , but the other two would bee sure to doe their best , to set the scales even again . and the like diligence hath beene practised in diverse other regions , and it seemes is now by ampelona , by reason of the late new acquests the olive , and his race in rhenusium have made ; which induceth her to sticke more close then ever to itelia , as also to the bumelians , who else i beleeve had gone neere to have quite disbanded long before now . the princely sycomore which stood as a screene twixt ampelona and rhenusium hath smarted for this , being fallen just under the same fatall predicament , as altapinus ; both exulating from their owne patrimoniall territories . but a hard case it seemes to bee , that the princely spray which was of the selfe same ancient stocke with the sycomore , being branches of the same tree , should in the verdantst season of her virginity , bee coupled according to the true rites of sacred law , with ampelonas apparant heire , and then , poore lady , to bee abandoned without the least imaginary fault of hers ; and more strange it seemes to the world , that ampelona , specially that now her prime minister of state is of a holy function , should goe about to preferre a particular temporary custome of hers , viz that her heire apparent should not any wayes dispose of himselfe to marriage , without the privity and consent of the state , to the prejudice and flat breach of the eternall law of the almighty : and so to attempt the nullifying of that act , and loosning of that knot which by divine ordinance should bee indissoluble ; and so make a kinde of medlar of that princely sycomore , shee being every way superior to his first consort . it is true , policy is warrantable , yet but as a hand-maid to divinity , and absurd it is to make the mistresse stoope and give place to the servant ; policy is like the apocrypha , which is allowed to be digested into one volume , and read with the sacred text , but when it thwarts any thing that is canonicall , away with it . the ravishing of the sycomore's country , hapned in an unlucky time for young altapinus , for , i beleeve , it rendred the treaty for a restitution of baccharia more knotty and difficult ; in so much that some think they must be put in counter-scales hereafter , and move both upon one hinge . a much famed statist elaiana had halfe an age since , was usd to say , that if ampelona had three things favourable , she were eternall , viz. petropolis , the sea , and counsell . touching the first , melissanus who now swayes the great archflaminship , is mightily devoted to her , having beene so long rooted in her , that it seemes he naturally affects her soyle and plants . and oftentimes we finde that nature her selfe yeelds to custome , that great giant , who is so prevalent , that oftentimes , wee shape the discourse of reason , and course of nature to the inbred notions and preconceptions it hath imprinted in our minds , besides , habituall frequency of conversation is one of the greatest loadstones of love . for the sea , itelia serves her for her docke and arsenall , nor was shee ever so improv'd and potent that way ; and i wish itelia may never have cause to rue the time she did it . for counsell , she hath lighted upon an instrument of a mervailous contriving and sedulous spirit , as solid as hee is subtile , which is rare under that clime , in so much that some have termd him the prodigie of prudence , others have soard higher , and calld him the grand genius , and tutelar angell of ampelona , others flie yet higher , and call him the supreme intelligence , the spirit that moves the heavens and the starres , the phoenix of the earth , and such like superlatives , and hyperbole's . he is so strongly rooted in the opinion of the royall vine , that hee post-poseth filiall , and fraternall love , to his favour towards him . some give other characters of him , and call him the incendiary of ampelona , that his mind is of the colour of his habit , sanguine ; that he is indued with the same spirit , that sometimes a famous archflamin in elaiana was , who said that gunpowder in the field gave as sweet a perfume , as incense at the altar ; this makes him keepe such a stirre with drum and trumpet up and downe in many places ; yet though that humour sutes with the colour of his coat , it doth not i am sure with his calling . nor because hee hath got a peculiar title to distinguish him from others , should hee be so farre elated with that eminency as to expect priority of place of such high ministers , who immediately represent soveraigne and independent majesty , and if hee be stout in this point , he must give them leave to be stately . but for his intermedling with armes , hee is the more excusable , because many others of his coat in these times are not only martiall directors , but commanders and actors in open field , making tents their temples , and singing te deum with the noise of the canon , so that those warres which are now in motion , may be calld the holy warres , being directed and managed most , by such ministers . and here i will insert a late passage of a great provinciall governor , and the oldest martialist of ampelona , who comming to visit a great archflamin , that is now a navall generall , hee sent to desire him to have a little patience , for hee was dispatching some captaines and other officers , who were to goe presently to sea upon a designe of consequence . the provinciall governour staying not , the archflamin went the next day to excuse himselfe to him . the veteran governour hearing hee was there , sent to desire him to stay a little , for he was newly entred into a peece of saint austin , de civitate dei , and as soone as he had read it over , he would attend his reverence . but to give ramundas this prime minister of state in ampelona ( for that 's his title ) his due , ( and i honour him the more , because the first great act hee did when hee came to the helme was the alliance with druina ) the royall vine hath done notable feates by the strength of his counsell . he hath debelld the eusebians who formerly stood upon the strength of their own gard , having sundry maritime and inland forts , and places of fastnesse for their security , but they are brought to subsist now meerely by his mercy , having no other assurance for their safety , but his pleasure . and it seemes hee easily dispenseth with himselfe to performe , what his two immediate predecessors were bound by sacred tie , and article to observe . for hee hath declard long since , that what the one did , hee did it out of feare ; what the other , his great sire , did , he did it out of love ( though he had his eares often stoppd with cotton at their petitions ) but for his part , hee neither lov'd them , nor feard them . and it must bee granted , this was one of the greatest weakenesses ampelona had , for foren princes and some of her owne grandees , servd themselves of the eusebians , as of matches to set her on fire within dores at pleasure . the ancient elmes that lifted up their heads so high in their governments , which some held as confidently as if it had bin their inheritance , and so lessened the opinion of the vassall to the soveraigne , he hath remov'd , and placd therein inferiour trees , not of so ancient a stocke , whereof some are trienniall , others during pleasure . hee hath mervailously enhanc'd the revenues , and perquisits of the crowne , to many millions more than it was , though with a pitifull excoriation of the poorer sort , so that from . they are mounted to . millions in the last estimat that was made . he hath clammerd over the huge neighbouring hils , making his way by the swords point , and setled one of his owne vassals , though opposd by the cedar and olive to be one of the soveraigne princes of bombycina , and in the passage seiz'd upon the territories of the princely pine who made halfe resistance , but having effected his purpose , he freely surrendred it , yet reserving still to himselfe a key to enter bombycina at pleasure . hee hath disturbed the passage elaiana had got through the vale , from bombycina to rhenusium . he hath so scourgd the sycomore , who had offended him , that hee hath sent him to wander up and downe for another soyle to plant himselfe in . hee hath regaind , though with infinite toyle and treasure those islands elaiana had a while rooted her selfe in neere bombycina . and lastly , to bring you nearer home , he gave the olive many smart knockes when hee thought to have planted himselfe in the confines of his country , which provd too hot a soyle for the elaianians , which made one of them to leave behind this motto upon the walls of a forsaken fort. o ampelonians , if we had been such as the world takes us to be , and you such as you have beene wont to ; be our deeds had beene yours , and yours ours . these high feates the vine hath done since he was proppd by this genius ; and behold lately a mighty blessing droppd downe from heaven upon him , and all ampelona , viz. a rare masculine branch sprung out of him , and the lovely olive , his royall mate , after twenty three yeares inoculation , which hath transformd all the world to wonder . so that ampelonas great queene may answer her teeming neighbours as the lionesse did the fox , who reproaching her of sterility and such slownesse in breeding said , t' is true , i breed slowly , but what i bring forth is a lion ; the application is obvious ; and i hope the lion of the tribe of iudah will be graciously pleasd to make this inexpected regall late offspring a prince of peace , that his birth may quash all farre fetchd reaches of ambitious policy , and put christendome in a new mould of peace , least , besides those parts wherein she is already stucke , shee feele in other of her members , the prickles of that huge bramble , who hath it for the prime part of his letany , that intestine warres bee still fomented twixt christian princes ; and good reason hee hath to pray so , for the greatest armes hee ever usd against them were their owne divisions . nor is druinas monarch destitute of prudent and strenuous counsell , though he need it not so much , for he can see better without spectacles ; nor is his favour like that of the vine , and olive's ingrossd all by one , but every one of his prime independent ministers is his favourite within the bounds of his own office ; hee hath an intelligence to every spheare , amongst whom he diffuseth his beames , according as they shall move in a regular motion every one in his owne orbe , and stand subordinate to him their primus motor ; and indeed , as the systeme and symphony of musicke is not made by one or two , but diversity of strings and notes , so politicall harmony consists in the correspondence of the greatest ministers , and their unanimous resolution after some conflict of opinions , for as fire breaks out of flint by concussion , so wisdome and truth issueth out of the agitation of argument . tamisond never flourished more with building and bullion , and bravery of all things . her great sanctuary , the greatest take all dimensions together , of any in the europaean world , which by the iron teeth of time and injury of the meteors had so mouldred away , that she was upon point of being reducd to her first principles , a confusd chaos of stone and rubbish , is like to looke as youthfull as ever she did ; when the eagle built his nest , every bird brought in a feather ; and certainely a good spirit cannot dwell in him , who grumbles to send a stone towards the bearing up of the house of the almighty . nor doth tamisond encrease this way by houses , palaces or streets onely , but she hath a whole new towne reard up lately to enlarge her skirts ; and whereas before , her walls were of light combustible matter , they are now of a new solid structure and stuffe . though some would thinke , that in regard she drawes on in this kind so much to the west , she is towards her declining times ; and they ground this augury upon the height of bravery and profusenesse shee is come to , which commonly bring with them , luxury and softnesse , and they have beene alwaies observed to be symptomes of a waining state . for navall strength , since druina sate in thetis lap , and had her white cliffs washd with her waves , she was never so well appointed ; not long since , the world thought shee had beene fallen to so low an ebbe , that she was not able to set out a fleet royall to sea , which made some so insult over her , that they questiond her soveraignty , yea in her owne waves ; but lately shee hath appeard like her selfe , and put them all to silence , unbeguiling the world of this erroneous opinion . the late moving castle she hath built , hath already purchasd such renowne ; that it is confessd by all her neighbours , there never floated the like upon salt waters . she hath restord a forren emperour to his right ; and it is the duty of soveraigne princes , to see wrong vindicated , and right take place though amongst barbarians being sought unto ▪ and besides the glory of that action , there is a speciall benefit accrues thereby to druina , for that nest of base ravenous birds which so much impeachd her commerce is pulld down , and many of her own plants , who languished in that hot scorching soylein most miserable slavery , brought home . they cannot therefore have their hearts well planted in them , who repine at such contributions which the sages of the law have once avouched legall , since they daylie see such necessary and glorious effects thereof ; and the ( legall ) leavies the soveraigne raysers of the subject , are as vapours which the sunne exhales up into the middle region ( the wombe of the meteors ) which fall downe afterwards in sweet silver showres to fructifie the earth . the golden chaine of policy hath beene alwayes held to be , that the defense of a kingdome is the office of the prince , the honour of the peeres , the service of the souldier , and the charge of the subject , for qui sentit commodum , sentire debet & onus . adde hereunto , that alleageance is an act of reciprocation ; as it bindes the king to protect , so it ties the subject to contribute , and by this correspondence there is a quid pro quo . but as in druina , so in all other forrests , it is usuall for the poplars to clash their branches , and still make a noise at the present times and soloecismes , in government , though they know neither the disease , nor the remedy . they think to discerne the least moat in the body politicke , building certaine fantasticke formes of ruling , and soothing their shallow imaginations , that they could set the state in such frames , the particular application whereof would prove absurd and grosse impertinencies . touching eminent or imminent danger , though there be some arcana imperii in every state , which the soveraigne and his sages should onely know and not disperse amongst the vulgar , it was apparently visible , how the fairest flower of druinas diademe , the dominion of the seas was aymd at , and like to be pluckd off , was it not high time then for her to rigge her vessels , and put her selfe upon an extraordinary gard ? moreover they are far wide who think druina can joyne security and peace together , as long as the olive with the cedar and the vine are up in actuall armes by sea and land hard before her , for a peace may bee clapd up betweene them with that suddennesse , that some of those forces which are now in motion may inexpectedly fall upon her skirts . touching ampelona some have beene over-heard to say that the late invasion upon her islands for reliefe of petrina stickes still in her stomacke but halfe disgested , thinking she hath not repaird her honour to the height , nor taken equall revenge according to the rules of retaliation , by that successefull repulse only . and for elaiana some hold ( though i do not ) never yet made hearty peace with any eusebian prince , and the peace she makes proceeds either from disability or unseasonablenes to hurt . and since she holds the canons of the last great counsell ( whither t' was said the holy ghost was usd to be sent in cloake-bagges from petropolis ) in so much reverence and authority as the sacred oracles themselves which were immediately inspird from heaven , of which canons one was , that haereticis ( meaning the eusebians ) non est tenenda fides ; since i say that elaiana stands so readily appointed and so neare , it would very ill become the policy of druina , to let her vessels lye rotting upon the carine , and not to be ready upon a preventive gard , least she re-incurre that aspersion which in former ages stuck fowlly to her , which was to be wise , a posteriori , after the blow was given , when hannibalis ante portas . and now that all the neighbouring forrests , which had been formerly shaken , and riven with the thunderbolts of war , did admire and envie the sweete peace and serenity of druina , her royall oke being onely — medijs tranquillus in undis ; behold an unhappy mist did rise in the north in cardenia , ( and cardenia is knowne to bee much subject to mists . ) some say cardenia hath the same quarrell to her soveraigne , that she hath to the sun for dwelling too far distant from them : but it was discovered that this cloud was engendred of the exhalations of divers discontented spirits , specially some of the great ones , who did suscitat the inferior sort of flamins , that depended upon them for their subsistence to vent seditious doctrine against the hierarchy , and chiefest governours in holy things , fearing that by a post-liminous way something should bee re-annexd both to church and crowne , which had alwayes beene possessd by them time out of mind . these obstreperous sermocinators ( who in cardenia sway as much , if not more , upon the conscience then the loyalists else where doe ) make easie impressions upon the minds of the vulgar , specially the femalls who first broak out into acts of violence , so that it may be said this sedition came in , as sin did first into the world , by the female sexe , who relying upon the immunity of their kinde , did many unbefitting and strange barbarisms , little tending to the honour of cardenia , and with these the meaner sort of mechanikes concurd , and at last the tallest elmes appeard , so that the whole forrest was in a fearefull combustion , and the bels every where rung backward , the regalia seizd upon , and government thrust quite of the hinges . a strange league is made without consent of royall majesty , point blank against the lawes of cardenia , and nothing will serve their turne but the utter extinguishing of the greatest luminaries of the church , and the abjuration of whatsoever the late royall oke ( who they glory to have bin the most religious and learnedst prince that ever wore diademe ) had done in point of ecclesiasticall government . the meaner sort of the dispensers of sacred oracles ( who of all other , were the greatest monsters of ingratitude to their soveraigne ( who had found out a way not long before to augment and a scertaine their stipends , and free them from that servile kinde of clientele they stood in to the seculars ) in lieu of pious documents and wholesome doctrines tamper chiefly with matters of state , and out of a fanatique zeale minister more fuell to encrease the flames ; they cryed out that the ready way to return to petropolis , was , to passe by druina ; that her forme of publike prayer ( though they acknowledge the first compilers thereof to bee glorious martyrs ) was meere idolatry . this little tended to the honour of cardenia , for all her neighbours cryed out against her , that shee should cast such a brand upon the eusebian religion , as to loose all respects of passive obedience , if need had bin , ( for subjects should be willowes , and not okes ) and to stand in open defiance and armes against their naturall liege lord ; and where people runne together and joyne in armes ( bee it for defence or offence ) without a soveraigne head , i know what terme it deserves , all the world over . the sages of druina consult how to quench these flams . some were of opinion , that , all the while they broak not out into incursions by land , or depredations at sea , nor tooke in forren force , nor did any externe act of violence ; it was not dishonourable for druina , to look on a while , yet pinch them in commerce every way , and to be sure to keep them at the staves end . bombycina hath a saying , that the prince , who upon every commotion of the subject , rusheth presently into open war , is like him who sets his owne house a fire to roast his egges . kings have many wayes to meet with their people , besides effusion of bloud , and profusion of treasure , they have long reaches . non nôst longas regibus esse manus ? nor is phlebotomy , in the body politicke , as well as the naturall , prescrib'd for all diseases . some of the wisest emperours have gone to worke with mutinous subjects by cunctation , as the sun did to take away the passengers cloake , not as the ruffling wind ; for royall maiesty like the sun hath her rayes also , which dazzleth the eyes of disloyalty , and glancing upon rebellion , makes it melt to nothing , like a gorgons head , or a beare reard up of snow . but it hath beene the fate of the best and potentst monarches to have water throwne sometimes into their wine by tumultuous subjects , witnesse the vine , and the olive hard by . but i trust cardenia will not be so ingratefull to druina , as to receive plummes from her so many yeares , and now to throw the stones at her . the thistle i hope will not offer to clash against the soveraigne rose , considering the multiplicity of advantages she hath by her . and the single lion ( though rampant ) will be better advisd then set himselfe against three , considering how often he hath felt their pawes : a good instrument may ( by some ill favourd accident ) bee out of tune , but being put in againe , the musicke will be as good as ever , i hope cardenia will prove so . and now will i put a period to this parley , this iargon of trees , for i can find them no further matter of discourse , unlesse i should make them to prophecy , and so out-runne their epoch . many more things could have beene couchd here ( as a discerning reader may well perceive ) which i leave to future ages , and transmit to the post-nati , when the times shall be enfranchizd , and posterity manumitted : for there be some historicall truths , which are like the medlar not ripe enough ( to be written ) till they be rotten : nor was this shadow of trees darke enough for them , it being my intention at first not to pursue or presse this allegory so farre as to inslave my matter unto it , and so put it in a kinde of stockes , but that i did obtaine leave of my selfe sometimes by obvious and easie expressions to comply with the readers capacity ; otherwise hee might have thought it to have beene some senselesse phantasticke romance , which might have brought him to that passe , that he could not have beene able as hee went along to have seene the wood for trees ; no , it will appeare that i labour to bring him often into the plaines , and that i was very carefull to shunne the bogs , for they are dangerous , and there is no state without them . wherefore i hope this knotty ill twisted peece , will passe current without exception , offence or calumny ; and that my impartiall dealing will serve for a pale to fence out the goats from my forrest , though i must confesse there may some few criticismes or graines of browne salt , and small dashes of vineger be found here and there , to make the discourse more sapid , but this tartnesse is farre from any gall or venome , wherewith the pages of some moderne authors of our next transmarin neighbours do usually swell , and are yet exposd to vent by publicke authority though they writ flat and plaine without any disguise at all ; i presume you have tasted no such bitternesse here , albeit i might have done it with more priviledge and good manners , writing under types . no ; you shall find no blacke satyres range in my woods ; if there bee any , they are white harmelesse ones , and drawing neere to the nature of fayries . a vote . for conclusion , my incessant vowes and hearty orisons to heaven early and late shall bee , that the high majesty which is here meant by the oke , may in vigor , and strength of constitution ( if it bee within the possibility of nature ) attaine unto the age of the oke , which is observd to exceed all other terrestriall creatures in longaevity . may he be to his enemies as the oke is to the olive , which as the arbolists observe , shrinkes away to nothing , if he be but neere the roots of the oke ; may honour set up her stand in him , and victory her tent under his branches ; may he bee like that blessed tree planted on the waters side ( as he is already surrounded and strengthened with waters ) which brings forth her fruit in due season , whose leafe fadeth not , and prospereth in all his undertakings . long may his fruitfull vine infolliat and clasp about him with embracements of princely love , that their soules may transmigrat into each other : long may the dew of heaven distill upon them , to make them bourgeon and propagat amongst themselves , untill they bee encircled with a large row of young gemmes , and cions of their owne royall stocke , which to the fulnesse of earthly contentment , they may see shoot up and germinat , and ingrafted also upon other princely scutcheons and shields , and so grow ripe to succeed them here , when they shall be transplanted to the celestiall paradise , to become true ierusalem okes , to flourish there for ever with the tree of life , and behold him who troad the vvine presse , and once suffered upon a tree , to purchase for them , that shall bee truly ingrafted into him here , palmes of victory , and immarcessible ghirlands of glory and triumph to all eternity . so prayeth , the loyallst , and lowliest of their maiesties , votaries and vassals , iames howell . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e guic. the trve informer who in the following discovrse or colloqvie discovereth unto the vvorld the chiefe causes of the sa[]d distempers in great britanny and ireland / deduced from their originals ; and also a letter writ by serjeant-major kirle to a friend at vvinsor. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the trve informer who in the following discovrse or colloqvie discovereth unto the vvorld the chiefe causes of the sa[]d distempers in great britanny and ireland / deduced from their originals ; and also a letter writ by serjeant-major kirle to a friend at vvinsor. howell, james, ?- . kirle, robert. p. [s.n], [london] printed : mdcxliii [ ] attributed by wing, nuc pre- to howell. letter signed: r.k. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. eng great britain -- politics and government -- - . ireland -- politics and government -- th century. a r (wing h a). civilwar no the trve informer, who in the following discovrse, or colloqvie, discovereth unto the vvorld the chiefe causes of the sa[]d distempers in gr howell, james b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the trve informer , who in the following discovrse , or colloqvie , discovereth unto the world the chiefe causes of the sad distempers in great brittany and ireland , deduced from their originals . magna est veritas , & prevalebit . and also , a letter writ by serjeant-major kirle , to a friend at vvinsor . printed in the yeare , m. dc . xliii . an interlocutory discourse betwixt patricius and peregrin , touching the distractions of the times , with the causes of them . patricius . gentle sir , you are well met , and welcome to england , i am heartily glad of your safe arrivall , hoping now to apprehend some happy opportunity whereby i may requite part of those worthy favours i received from you in divers places t'other side of the sea . peregrin . sir , i am as joyfull to see you , as any friend i have upon the earth ; but touching favours , they deserve not such an acknowledgment , i must confesse my selfe to be far in the arreare to you , therefore you teach me what to speake in that point : but amongst other offices of friendship you have beene pleased to do me from time to time , i give you many thanks for the faithfull correspondence you have held with me since the time of our separation by intercourse of letters , the best sort of fuell to warme affection and to keep life in that noble vertue friendship , which they say abroad , is in danger to perish under this cold insulary clime for want of practise . patr. truely , sir , you should have had an account of matters hence more amply and frequently , but that of late it hath beene usuall , and allowed by authority , to intercept and breake open any letters ; but private men need not complaine so much , since the dispatches of ambassadors , whose packets should be held as sacred as their persons , have beene commonly open'd , besides some outrages offered their houses and servants ; nay , since their majesties letters under the cabine signet have beene broke up , and other counterfeit ones printed and published in their names . pereg. indeed i must confesse , the report hereof hath kept a great noyse abroad ; and england hath suffered much in point of nationall repute in this particular ; for even among barbarians it is held a kinde of sacriledge to open letters ; nay , it is held a baser kind of burglary , than to breake into a house , chamber , or closet : for this is a plundring of outward things only , but hee who breaks open ones letters , which are the idea's of the minde , may bee said to rip up his brest , to plunder and rifle his very braine , and rob him of his most precious and secretest thoughts . patr. well , let us leave this dista stefull subject ; when these fatall commotions cease , this custome , i hope , will be abhorred in england : but now , that you are newly arrived , and so happily met , i pray bee pleased to make me partaker of some forraigne newes , and how the squares goe betwixt france and spaine , those two great wheeles , that draw after their motion ( some more , some lesse ) all the rest of the westerne world : and when you have done , i will give you account of the state of things in england . pereg. i thought you had so abounded with domestick newes , that you had had no list or leisure to heare any forraigne ; but to obey your commands , you know that i have beene any time this six yeares a wanderer up and downe the world ; and truly i could not set foot on any christian shore that was in a perfect condition of peace , but it was engag'd either in a direct , auxiliary , or collaterall warre , or standing upon its guard in continuall apprehensions and alarmes of feare : for , since that last flaming usher of gods vengeance , that direfull comet of the yeare . appear'd in the heavens , some malignant and angry ill-aspected star hath had the predominance ever since , and by its malignant influxes , made strange unusuall impressions upon the humours of subjects , by inciting them to such insurrections , revolts , and tumults ; which caused a jewish rabbi to say lately , that it seemes the grand turke thrives extraordinarily in his devotions , it being one of his prime prayers to mahomet , that he should prevaile with god almighty to continue dissentions still among christian princes . and truly as the case stands , one may say , that the christian world is all in pieces ; you know well with what fearefull fits of a high burning feaver poore germany hath beene long shaken , which hath wrought a lethargie in some of her members , by wasting of the vitall spirits , which should diffuse themselves equally through that great body ; and how she still fostereth a cold northerne guest within her bosome , and is 〈◊〉 annuall feare of a worse from the levant : in the netherlands one shal● heare the half-sterved souldier murmure in every corner , and railing ●gainst his king , and ready to mutiny for want of pay . in france you shall see the poore asinine peasant half weary of his life , his face being so pitifully ground , ever and anon with new taxes . you know there are two soveraigne princes , who have a long time wandred up and downe in exile , being outed out of their own antient patrimoniall territories , and little hope yet god wot , of restoring them . the world knowes how savoy is become of late a kinde of province to france . nay , spaine , who hath beene so dexterous to put her neighbours together by the eares , and to foment warre a farre off , to keepe her owne home secure , is now her selfe in the midst of two fearefull fires , kindled on both sides of her by quite-revolted subjects , the portugues and catalan , and is so puzzled , she cannot tell what saint to pray unto . the venetian also , with the pope , and all the princes of italy are arming apace ; the hollander only , salamander-like , thrives in these flames ; and as i have heard of some , that by a long habituall custome , could feed on poyson , and turne it to nourishment , so hanse alone growes fat by these wars . and being weary of eating my bread in such a distracted world abroad , and hopeing to take some sweet repose in england , i finde that she is in as bad a case , if not worse , than any other . so much newes i give you in a lump , i will be more particular with you some other time , if you please to spare me now . patr. i heare , not without much resentment , these pithy expressions you have been pleased to make of the torn estate of europe abroad , and since you mention that blazing star , i remember what a noble knight told me some yeares agoe , that the astronomers , who lay sentinel to watch the motion and aspect of that comet , observed , that haveing pointed at divers climats , at last it seem'd to looke directly to these north-west islands , in which posture it spent it selfe , and so extinguished ; as if thereby it meant to tell the world , that these islands should be the stage whereupon the last act of the tragedie should be plai'd . and how many scenes have passed already , both here and in ireland , we know , god wot , by too too wofull experience . pereg. there is a saying , when your neighbours house is on fire , by its light you may see in what danger your owne stands . and was england so blinde , as not to take warning by so many fearful combustions abroad : when i took my leave last of her , i left her in such a compleat condition of happinesse , both in court , countrey , citie and sea , that she was the envie of all europe , in so much , that that golden verse might be fitly applied to her then golden times : mollia securae peragebant otia gentes . the court was never so glorious , being hansell'd every yeer almost with a new royall off-spring ; the gentrie no where more gallant and sportfull ; the citizen never more gorgeous and rich , and so abounding with treasure , bullion and buildings , that no age can parallel ; commerce inward and outward was never at that height ; the customes increasing every yeer to admiration ; the narrow seas were never guarded with braver ships , nor the navie royall for number of vessels and magazines of all sorts of materials was ever so well replenished ; the universities had never such golden dayes ; and lastly , the church did so flourish , that amongst the rest of the reformed churches of christendom , i have heard her call'd the church triumphant . besides , ireland was arriv'd almost to the same degree of prosperitie , for all the arrerages of the crown were paid , and not a peny sent hence for many yeers to maintain the standing armie there , or for any other publique charge , as formerly ; traffique came to that monstrous height , that in few yeeres the crown-customes came to be five times higher . in fine , ireland was brought not onely to subsist of her selfe , but inabled to contribute towards the filling of the english exchequer , and to make some retribution of those vast expences the crown of england hath been at any time these yeers , to reduce her to civilitie ; her bogs were almost all dri'd up , and made good land , her mudwals turn'd apace to bricke in divers places ; so that one sommer that i fortun'd to be there , above . new bricke-houses were built in one town . but it hath been the fate of that island to be oftentimes neer a condition of a setled happinesse , and yet to have some odde accident still intervene to crosse it . in conclusion , there wanted nothing to make england and her united crownes so exactly blessed , that she might have assumed the title of one of the fortunate islands . good lord , how comes it to passe , that she is now fallen into such horrid distempers , and like a distracted bodie , laying hands upon her selfe , would thrust the sword of civill war into her own bowels ? i beseech you , sir , impart unto me the true cause of this change ; for i know none so capable to do it as your selfe . patr. infandum peregrine , jubes renovare dolorem . first , sir , in the generall you know , that it is with the regions upon earth , as it is with those of the ayre● sometimes we have a clear azur'd skie , with soft gentle ventilations , and a sweet serenitie throughout the whole hemisphete ; at other times we know the face of the heavens is overcast with frownes , with frog vapours , and thicke cloudes of various shapes , which look like monsters , hovering up and down , and break at last into thunder and fulgurations , and so disquiet and raise a kinde of war in the aereal common wealth . just so in the regions that are dispers'd up and down this earthly globe , & peopled with men ( which are but a composition of the elements ) you have sometimes a gentle calme of peace and quietude , with a generall tranquillitie all the countrey over ; at other times you have ugly mishapen cloudes of jealousies , feares and discontentments do rise up , which break out at last into acts of disobedience , rebellion , and furie . and as those aereall meteors and monsters above are ingendered of those watery fogges and mists which are drawn up out of fenny and rotten low grounds here upon earth ; so in the region of the minde , the ill vapours which ascend to the brain from rotten and impostumated hearts , from desperate and male-contented humorists are the causes of all civill commotions and distempers in state . but they have much to answer for in the world to come ( though they escape it in this ) who for any private interest or respect whatsoever , either of promotion , vain glorie , revenge , malice , or envie , will embroyle and plunge their own native countrey in any publike ingagement or civill war , by putting a partition-wall betwixt their soveraigne prince and their fellow subjects . truly , in mine opinion , these may be called the worst kinde of betrayers of their countries : but i am too farre transported from satisfying your request in relating the true causes of these calamities : i will now fall to worke , and bring you to the very source of them . there is a packe of perverse people ( composed for the most part of the scummy and simplest sort ) multiplied in england , who by a kinde of naturall inclination , are opposite so point blanke to monarchie in state , and hierarchie in church , that if they were in heaven ( whither 't is to be feared they run a great hazard ever to enter , it being a rule , that he who is rotten hearted to his king , can never be right hearted to his creatour ) i say , if these men were in heaven , they would go near to repine at the monarchicall power of god almighty himselfe , and at the degrees of angels , and the postures of holinesse in the church triumphant . they call every crotchet of the brain , tendernesse of conscience : which being well examined , is nothing else but a meer spirit of contradiction and disobedience ( to all higher powers ) which posseseth them . there are no constitutions either ecclesiasticall or civill can please them , but they could cast both into such a mould , which their crack'd braines would fain devise , yet are never able to bring to any perfection ; they are ever labouring to bring religion to the dock , to be new trimm'd , but they would take down her fore-caste , and scarce allow her the kings armes to adorn her ; they are great listners after any court newes , and pricke up their eares when any thing is spoken of king , queen , or privie counsellour , and are alwayes ready though upon loose trust , to take up any report whereby they may whisper in conventicles and corners , and so traduce the government . these great zealots use to look upon themselves most cōmonly through multiplying glasses , which make them appear to be such huge santons , that it renders them not onely uncharitable in their opinions of others , but lucifcrian-like proud in their own conceit , insomuch that they seem to scorne all the world besides , believing that they are the onely elect , whose soules worke according to the motion of the spirit ; that they are the children of promise , whose faces alone look towards heaven ; they are more pleased with some new reach or fancie , ( that may puzzle the pericranium ) than a frenchman is with some new fashion in cloathing ; they are nearest to the nature of the jew of any people upon earth , and will converse with him sooner than with some sort of christians ; and as in the pharisaicall disposition they symbolise with the jew , so in some of their positions they jumpe pat with the iesuit ; for though they are both in the extremes , and as contrary one to the other as the scales of a diameter , yet their opinions and practices are concentrique to depresse regall power ; both of them would binde their kings in chaines , and the nobles in linkes of iron ; they both deny all passive obedience , and as the one would have the morter of the temple tempered with bloud , so the other would beat religion into the brain with the pole-axe . their greatest master-piece of policie is to forge counterfeit newes , and to divulge and disperse it as farre as they can , to amuse the world , for the advancement of their designes , and strengthening of their partie : but the iesuit doth it more cunningly and modestly , for he fetcheth his newes from farre , so that before the falshood of it can be controll'd , his worke is commonly done , and the newes forgotten ; but these later polititians use to raise lyes hard by home , so that the grosnesse and palpablenesse of them is presently discovered . besides , to avoid the extremes of the other , these later seem fall into flat prophanenesse , for they may be called a kinde of enemies to the very name , crosse , and church of christ . touching the first , they repine at any reverence to be done unto it , though spontaneous , not coercive . for the second , which was held from the beginning to be the badge and banner of a christian , they crie it up to be the marke of the beast ; and for the last , they would have it to be neither beautifull , holy , nor amiable , which are the three main properties which god requires in his house . to conclude , when any comes to be season'd with this sower leaven , he seemes to degenerate presently from the nature and garbe of a gentleman , and fals to be of a sordid and low disposition , narrow hearted , and close handed ; to be timorous , cunning and jealous , and farre from the common freedom , and sweetnesse of morall societie , and from all generous and loyall thoughts towards his king and countrey . these , these have been the chiefest machinators , and engineers of these unhappy divisions , who viper like have torne the entrailes of their own mother , their dear countrey ; but there were other externe concurrent causes , and to finde them out , i must look northward , for there the cloud began to condense first ; you know sir , the scotish nation were ever used to have their king personally resident amongst them ; and though his late majestie by reason of his age , bountie , and long breeding there , with other advantages , drew such extraordinary respect from them , that they continued in good conformitie ; yet since his death , they have been overheard to mutter at the remotenesse and absence of their king , and that they should become now a kinde of province by reason of such a distance : some of their nobles and gentrie found not at the english court , nor at his majesties coronation in edenburgh that countenance , familiaritie , benefit , and honours , which haply they expected , and 't is well known who he was , that having been denied to be lorded , took a pet , and went discontented to his countrey , hoping that some title added to the wealth he had got abroad , should have purchased him more respect . these discontented parties tamper'd with the mercenary preachers up and down scotland , to obtrude to the people what doctrines they put into their mouthes , so that the pulpits every where rung of nothing but of invectives against certain obliquities and soloecismes ( and i cannot tell what ) in government , and many glances they had upon the english church ; yet all this while there was not matter enough for an insurrection , nor to dispose the peoples hearts to a mutinie , untill by the policie ( as some affirmed ) of the said discontented partie , the english lyturgie was sent thither : this by the incitement of those fiery pulpiteers , was cried up to be the greatest idoll that possibly could be brought into their kirk , insomuch that when it was first offer'd to be read , the women and baser sort of mechanickes threw stooles and stones at the bishops heads , and were ready to tear them in pieces : and here began the storme . his majestie having notice hereof , sent a most gracious proclamation , signifying , that whereas he had recommended that book to be practic'd amongst them , wherein he himselfe served god almightie twice a day , he did it out of a pious endeavour to breed an uniformitie of publike divine service in all his dominions , specially in that his native kingdom . but since it had produced such dangerous effects , he was contented to revoke it absolutely ; for it was never his purpose to presse the practise of the said book upon the consciences of any , he did onely commend , not absolutely command the use of it : therefore he exhorted and required that every one unto whom it had given any scandall , should returne to his pristine obedience , and serve god as formerly , offering here with a gracious pardon , and to passe an act of amnestia for an abolition of all faults passed . peregr . and would not this suffice ? in naturall motions we finde that the cause being taken away , the effect ceaseth , and will not this hold in civill actions ? patr. no , this would not serve the turne , but there was a further reach in it , and for an inch to take an ell : you know , the scots since their single lion came to quarter with our three , are much elevated in their spirits , more respected , employed and trusted abroad , and heightened in their resolutions and aimes , and will questionlesse be dayly more and more . you have heard of a mine that reach'd from our exchecquer to edenburgh . and i beleive you have not forgot boccolinies balance , that was shewed us in italie , wherein lorenzo de medici weighed all the states of christendom , and throwing in england amongst the rest , you know how much he made her to weigh lesse by this addition . the former proclamation i say , and pardon would not suffice , but they took opportunitie to fish in those troubled waters , and vent their spleen further , by an utter extirpation of episcopacie , and by trampling the mitre under their feet , hoping to have some of the birds plumes , being pluckt , to feather their own nests ; and they brought their worke about . good lord , what a deal of dirt was presently thrown into the bishops faces by every rurall petty clerke ! what infamous ballads were sung , what a thicke cloud of epidemicall hatred hung suddenly over them , so farre , that a dog with blacke and white spots was called a bishop amongst them up and down the streets . the chiefest contrivers of this uproar , finding their designe to go on so well , and perceiving the whole countrey so eagerly bent against bishops , ( and what artifices and suggestions were us'd to render them so odious is incredible ) but finding withall his majestic unwilling to alter the government his father ( of so fresh and famous memorie ) had left him , and to which he had been sworne at his coronation , they put themselves in armes , and rais'd forces to beat down the mitre , with the sword , if the scepter would not do it . to the frontiers they came with a great armie , ( not halfe so great as was bruited ) pretending they came as petitioners ( though they brought their petition upon their pikes point . ) some of the great ones about the king grew cold in the action : and what a pacification was then shuffled up , and how a parliament was called thereupon in scotland , with other passages , is a fitter subject for a storie than a discourse . peregr . i could have wish'd two things , that either his majestie had given them battail then , having the flower of his nobilitie and gentrie with him , who i understood came with all chearfulnesse and promptitude to attend him , or else that after the said pacification , his majestie had shaken off all jealousies , and with a royall freedom and a commanding confidence gone amongst them to hansell their new parliament house at edenburgh ; for it is probable , it had averted those showers and cataracts of miseries which have fallen upon us since : but i pray sir , proceed . patr. as they say , there is no winde but blowes some bodie good , so it was thought , this northerne cloud did england some advantage , for a parliament was summon'd hereupon ; a parliament do i call it ? it was rather an embryo of a parliament , an ephemeran of dayes . in this sitting his majestie declared unto both houses the indignities he had received by his scotch subjects , and therefore purpos'd a supply to be made of subsidies to suppresse that rebellion ; and in lieu thereof he was willing to forbear and utterly abolish the ship money , which he had reason to thinke legall at first , being advised thereunto by noy his attourney generall , who had such a mighty repute in the law ; yet he would not rest there , but he advised further with his learned councell , who concurred in opinion with noy ; nor would he rest there also , but he had the approbation of all the iudges singly , and afterwards the major part of all the twelve , joyntly upon a demurre . this was enough to induce his conscience to hold it legall all this while ; it was clearly proved that the monies levied this way , were employed to no other but the intended service , the guarding of the narrow seas ; and not onely for that , but to preserve his right of dominion in them , being the fairest flower of his crown , which was not onely discoursed of abroad , but began to be questioned : and touching danger , how could england be but in apparent dangers ? considering how all her next neighbours were in actuall hostilitie , which made huge fleets of men of war , both french , dunkerkers , hamburgers and hollanders to sail ever and anon in her channels , and hard before her royall chambers : nor came there one penny of that publike contribution to his private coffers , but he added much of his own demeanes for the maintenance of a royall fleet every sommer : yet he was ready to passe any bill for the utter abolishing of the said ship money , and for redressing of any other grievances , provided they would enable him to suppresse this scots rebellion : some say the house was inclinable to comply with his majesties demands , but ( as the ill spirit would have it ) that parliament was suddenly broke up , and i would that they who gave that counsell had been in arabia , or beyond the line , in their way to madagascar , who neverthelesse have got to be in high request with this present parliament . his majestie being reduced to these streights , and resenting still the insolence of the scot , proposed the businesse to his privie councell , who suddenly made up a considerable and most noble sum for his present supply , whereunto divers of his domesticke servants and officers did contribute . amongst others who were active herein , the earle of strafford bestirr'd himselfe notably , and having got a parliament to be called in ireland , he went over , and with incredible celeritie raised men , who procured money of the parliament to maintain them , and got over those angry seas again in the compasse of lesse than six weekes . you may infer hence to what an exact uncontrollable obedience he had reduced that kingdom , as to bring about so great a worke with such a suddennesse and facilitie . an armie was also raised here , which marched to the north , and there fed upon the kings pay a whole sommer . the scot was not idle all this while ; but having punctuall intelligence of every thing that passed at court , as farre as what was debated in the cabinet counsell , and spoken in the bed-chamber , ( and herein amongst many others , he had infinite advantage of us ) he armed also , and preferring to make england the stage of the war , rather than his own countrey , and to invade rather than to be invaded , he got over the tweed , and found the passage open , and as it were made for him all the way till he came to the tine , and though there was a considerable armie of horse and foot at newcastle , yet they never offered so much as to face him all the while . at newburgh indeed there was a small skirmish ; but the english foot would not fight , so newcastle gates flew open to the scot without any resistance at all , where it is thought he had more friends than foes , and who were their friends for this invasion , i hope time , and the tribunall of justice will one day discover . his majestie being then at yorke , summoned all his nobles to appear , to advise with them in this exigence : commissioners were appointed on both sides , who met at rippon , and how the hearts and courage of some of the english barons did boil within them , to be brought to so disadvantageous a treatie with the scot , you may well imagine . so the treatie began , which the scot would not conforme himselfe unto , unlesse he were made first rectus in curia , and the proclamation wherein he was declared traitour , revoked ; alleadging it would be dishonourable for his majestie to treat with rebels . this treatie was ad●ourned to london , where this present parliament was summoned ( which was one of the chiefest errands of the scot , as some thinke , and thus farre by these sad and short degrees , have i faithfully led you along to know the true originals of our calamities . peregr . truly sir , i must tell you , that to my knowledge these unhappy traverses with scotland , have made the english suffer abroad very much in point of nationall honour ; therefore i wonder much that all this while there is none set a worke to make a solid apologie for england in some communicable language , ( either in french or latin ) to rectifie the world into the truth of the thing , and to vindicate her , how she was bought and sold in this expedition , considering what a partie the scot had here , and how his comming in , was rather an invitation than an invasion , and i believe if it had been in many parts of the world besides , some of the commanders had gone to the pot . patr. it is the practise of some states i know , to make sacrifice of some eminent minister , for publike mistakes : but to follow the thred of of my discourse . the parliament being sate , his majestie told them , that he was resolved to cast himselfe wholly upon the affection and fidelitie of his people , whereof they were the representative bodie ; therefore he wished them to go roundly on to close up the ruptures that were made by this unfortunate war , and that the two armies , one domestique , the other forreigne , which were gnawing the very bowels of the kingdom , might be dismissed . touching grievances of any kinde ( and what state was there ever so pure , but some corruption might creep into it ? ) he was very ready to redresse them : concerning the ship-money , he was willing to passe a bill for the utter abolition of it , and to establish the propertie of the subject ; therefore he wished them not to spend too much time about that . and for monopolies , he desired to have a list of them , and he would damne them all in one proclamation : touching ill counsellours , either in westminster hall , or white hall , either in church or state , he was resolved to protect none , therefore he wished that all jealousies and mis-understandings might vanish : this , with sundry other straines of princely grace he delivered unto them , but withall he told them , that they should be very cautious how they shook the frame of government too farre , in regard it was like a watch , which being put asunder , can never be made up again , if the least pin be left out . so there were great hopes of a calme , after that cold northerne storme , and that we should be suddenly rid of the scot , but that was least intended , untill some designes were brought about . the earle of strafford , the archbishop of canterbury , the iudges , and divers monopolists are clapt up , and you know who took a timely flight to the other side of the sea : and in lieu of these , the bishop of lineolne is enlarged , bastwick , burton , and prynne are brought into london , with a kinde of hosanna . his majestie gave way to all this , and to comply further with them , he took as it were into his bosome , i mean , he admitted to his privie counsell those parliament lords , who were held the greatest zelots amongst them , that they might be witnesses of his secretest actions ; and to one of them he gave one of the considerablest offices of the kingdom , by the resignation of another most deserving lord , upon whom they could never fasten misdemeanour ; yet this great new officer will come neither to the same oratorie , chappell , or church , to joyne in prayer with his royall master , nor communicate with him in any publike exercise of devotion ; and may not this be called a true recusancie ? to another he gave one of the prime and most reposefull offices about his own person at court , and thereby he might be said to have given a staffe to beat himselfe . moreover , partly to give his subjects an evidence how firmely he was rooted in his religion , and how much he desired the strengthening of it abroad ; the treatie of marriage went on 'twixt his eldest daughter and the young prince of orange . hereunto may be added as a speciall argument of compliance and grace , the passing of the bill for a trienniall parliament ; and lastly , ( which is the greatest evidence that possibly can be imagined , of that reall trust and confidence he reposed in them ) he passed the act of continuance . peregr . touching the trienniall parliament , there come some wholesome fruit out of it , for it will keep all officers in awe , and excite the nobilitie , and young gentrie of the kingdom to studie , and understand the government of the land , and be able to sit and serve their countrey in this great senate ; but for this act of continuance , i understand it not ; parliaments are good physicke , but ill meat ; they say abroad that england is turned hereby from a monarchie to a democracie , to a perpetuall kinde of dictatorship ; and whereas in former times there was an heptarchie of seven kings in her , they say now she hath seventy times seven . but in lieu of these unparallell'd acts of grace and trust to the parliament , what did the parliament for the king all this while ? patr. they promised , specially upon the passing of the last act , that they would make him the most glorious , the best beloved , and richest king that ever reigned in england : and this they did with deep protestings and asseverations . but there intervened an ill favoured accident which did much hurt , viz. a discourse ( for truly i thinke it was no more ) which some green heads held to bring up the northerne armie , to checke the puritan partie , and the rabble of the citie : this kept a mighty noise , and you know who fled upon it , and much use was made of it to make that cloud of jealousie which was but of the breadth of an hand before , to appear as big as a mountain . yet his maiestie continued still in passing acts of grace , and complying with them in every thing . he put over unto them the earle of strafford , who after a long costly triall ( wherein he carried himselfe with as much acutenesse , dexteritie , and eloquence , as humane brain could be capable of for his defence ) he was condemned to the scaffold , and so made a sacrifice to the scot , who stayed chiefly for his head , which besides those vast summes of money , was given him to boot . peregr . touching the earle of strafford , 't is true he was full of abilitie , elocution , and confidence , and understood the lawes of england as well as any , yet there were two things , i heard , wherein his wisdom was questioned ; first , that having a charge readie against his chiefest accusers , yet he suffered them to have the prioritie of sute , which if he had got , he had thereby made them parties , and so incapable to be produced against him . secondly , that during the time of his triall , he applied not himselfe with that compliance to his iury as well as to his iudges , for he was observed to comply onely with the lords , and not with the house of commons . patr. howsoever , as some say , his death was resolved upon , ( si non per viam iustitiae , saltem per viam expedientiae ) which appeares in regard the proceedings against him are by a clause in the act not to be produced for a leading case or example to future ages and inferiour courts . i blush to tell you how much the rabble of the citie thirsted after his bloud , how they were suffer'd to strut up and down the streets before the royall court , and the parliament it selfe , with impunitie ; they cried out , that if the common law fail'd , club law should knocke him down , and their insolencie came to that height , that the names of those lords that would not doom him to death , should be given them to fix upon posts up and down ; and this was the first tumult that happened this parliament , whereof so many followed after their example , being not onely conniv'd at , but backed by authoritie , for there were prohibitions sent from the parliament , to hinder all processe against some of them . these myrmidons , as they termed themselves , were ready at a watch-word , so that one might say there was a kinde of discipline in disorder . peregr . were there any troubled for delivering their votes in the houses ? i thought that freedom of opinion and speech , were one of the prime priviledges of that great nationall senate . patr. yes , those that were the minions of the house before became now the subjects of popular malice and distraction , because against the dictamen of their consciences , they would not vote the earle of strafford to death , and renounce their owne judgements , and captivate it to the sense of others , yet they stood firme to their first grounds , that hee was a delinquent in a high nature , and incapable ever to beare o ffice in any of his majesties dominions . per. i perceive sir by your speeches , that one of the chiefest causes of these combustions may be imputed to the citie of london , which may be called the metropolis of all these evils , and i little wonder at it , for it hath beene alwayes incident to all great townes , when they grow rich and populous , to fall into acts of insolence , and to spurne at government ; where so many pots ( so many braines ) are a boyling , there must needs be a great deale of froth , but let her looke to her self , for majestie hath long armes , and may reach her at last . but the truth is , that london beares no proportion with the size of this island , for either one should be larger , or the other lesse : london may be well compared to the liver of a cramm'd italian goose , whose fatning emacerates the rest of the whole body , and makes it grow leane and languish , and she may well be termed a goose now more than ever , for her feathers are pluck'd apace ; but now that you have done with the earle of strafford , what is become of all the rest who were committed ? pat. they are still in durance , and have continued so these two yeares and upward , yet are not proceeded against , nor brought to their answer to this very day , though al thecourts of justice have been open ever since . many hundreds more of the best sort of subjects have beene suddenly clapt up , and no cause at all mentioned in many of their commitments , and new prisons made of purpose for them , where they may be said to be buried alive , and so forgotten , as if there were no such men in the world : and how this can stand with magna charta , with the petition of right ( to vindicate which , there was so much paines taken the last parliament ) let any man of a sane judgement determine , yet one of the judges , who hath an empeachment of high treason still lying dormant against him , though he be not rectus in curia himselfe , is suffered to sit as judge upon the highest tribunall of england , whereas another for a pretended misdemeanour onely is barr'd from sitting there . others who were at first cryed up and branded to be the most infamous projectors and monopoliz●s of the land , are not only got loose , but crept into favour , and made use of . per. hath the house of commons power to commit any but their owne members without conference with the lords ? or hath any order or ordinance of one of the houses singly , or of both conjunctly , to enjoyne a virtuall binding power of generall obedience without the royall consent . pat. the power of parliament , when king , peeres and commons , which is the whole kingdome digested into one volume , is indefinite ; but what either of both houses can do of themselves singly , or joyntly , without the king who is the life of the law , i dare not determine : especially when a visible faction reignes amongst them . — tantas componere lites nonopis est nostroe — but for mine owne opinion , i think it is as impossible for them to make a law without the king , as it was for paracelsas to make a man without coition , either for abolishment of old , or establishment of new lawes . the results of parliament without the royall consent , are as matches without fire ; and it is an incontroulable principle , that the old law must be our guide , till new be made , nor is any act of the subject justifiable , but what is warrantable by the old . but to proceed in the true discovery of these domestick scistures , my lord of strafford being gone , we hop'd faire weather would follow , ( he who was the cause of the tempest , being throwne over-boord ) but unluckie mists of jealousie grew thicker and thicker ; yet the scots were dismist , having had fidlers fare , meat , drinke , and money , for eleven long moneths together . so his majestie went to scotland , where the parliment there , did but aske and have any thing , though it be the unquestionable prerogative of majestie to grant or denie petitions , and to satisfie his conscience before any councell . but during his sojourne there , this formidable hideous rebellion broke out in ireland , which though it may be said to be but an old play newly reviv'd , yet the scene was never so tragicall and bloody as now : for the barbarismes that have been committed there have been fo sanguinarie , and monstrously salvage , that i thinke posterity will hold them hyperbolicall . the irish themselves affirm there concurr'd causes to kindle this fire . one was the taking off straffords head , ( who aw'd them more then any deputy ever did ) and that one of his accusations should be to have used the papists there too favourably . secondly , the rigorous proceedings and intended courses against the papists here in england . lastly , the stopping of that regiment of irish , who was promised by his majesties royall word and letter to the king of spaine , who relying upon that imployment , rather than to beg , steale , or sterve , turned rebels : and that which hath aggravated the rebellion all this while , and heightned much the spirit of the irish , is the introduction of the scot , whom they hate in perfection above all people els , and the designe spoken of in our parliament , to make an absolute conquest , and nationall eradication of them , which hath made them to make vertue of necessity , and to be valiant against their wills . per. indeed i heard that act of staying the irish regiment , considering how the marquesses de valada , and malvezzi , and don alonso de cardenas , who were all three ambassadours here for the king of spaine at that time , having by relyance upon the sacred word and letter of a king , imprested money , and provided shipping for their transport , and been at above . crowns charges , i say this act was very much censured abroad , to the dishonor of his majesty , and our reproch . patr. i am very sorry to heare it . well sir . his majesty by his presence having setled scotland , was at his returne to london received with much joy , and exultation , but though he was brought in with a hosanna at one end of the towne , he found a crucifige at the other : for at westminster there was a remonstrance fram'd , a worke of many weeks , and voted in the dead of night , when most of the moderate , and well-thoughted members were retired to their rest , wherein with as much industry and artifice as could be , the least moat in government was exposed to publike view , from the first day of his majesties inauguration to that very houre : which remonstrance as it did no good to the publike ; but fill peoples heads with doubts , and their hearts with gall and retard the procedure of all businesse besides , so you may wel think , it could expect but cold entertainment with his majesty , who hoped his great councell according to their often deep protestations , had done something for his welcome home , that might have made him the best beloved king that ever was amongst his people . per. 't is true , there is no government upon earth , made up of men , but is subject to corruption , there is no court of judicature so cleane , but some cobwebs may gather in it , unlesse an act of parliament could be made to free and exempt men from infirmities and errour ; it cannot be denyed , but scotland might have something to complaine of ( though i thinke least of any ) and so leapt first into the poole to bee cured ; and what she fish'd besides in those troubled waters 't is too well knowne . england also no doubt might have some grievances , which his majestie freely offered , not only to redresse for the present , but to free her of all feares for the future , from falling into relapses of that kinde ; but to redresse grievances by armes , by plunging the whole countrey into an intestine warre , this makes the remedy worse then the malady , it is as if one would goe about to cure a sick body by breaking his head , or let him blood by giving him a dash on the nose ; it is as mad a trick as his was who set the whol house a fire to roast his egs . but truly sir , in my opinion ; his majesty at his returne from scotland might have justly expected some acts of compliance and gratitude from his parliament , considering what unparalleld acts of grace he had passed before . pat. his majesty did not rest there , but complyed further with them by condeseending to an act for putting down the star-chamber-court , the high commission , the court of honour ; nay , he was contented his owne privie councell should be regulated , and his forrests bounded not according to ancient prerogative , but late custome ; nay further , he passed a bill for the unvoting , and utter exclusion of the spirituall lords from the parliament for ever , whereby it cannot be denyed , but by the casheering of twenty five votes at a clap , and by excluding the recusant lords besides ( who subsist most by his grace ) hee did not a little enervate his owne prerogative . adde hereunto that having placed two worthy gentlemen lieutenants of the tower , he removed them both one after another , and was content to put in one of their election : and lastly , he trusted them with his greatest strength of all , with his navie royall , and called home that knowing knight who had the guard of the narrow seas so many yeares . per. truly sir , i never remember to have heard or read of such notable acts of grace and confidence from any king : but would not all this suffice ? pat. no , but they demanded all the land souldiery and military strength of the kingdome to be disposed of by them , and to be put into what posture , and in what equipage , and under what commanders they pleas'd ; and this was the first thing his majesty ever denyed them , yet he would have granted them this also for a limited time , but that would not serve the turn ; hereupon his majestie grew a little sensible , how they inch'd every day more and more upon his royall prerogatives and intending to go to his town of hull to see his magazine , he was in an hostile manner kept out , canons mounted , pistols cockt , and leveld at him . but whether that knight did this out of his fidelitie to the parliament , or out of an apprehension of fear that some about the king , being mov'd with the barbarousnesse of the action would have pistol'd him , i will not determine . peregr . i have read of divers affronts of this kinde , that were offer'd to the french kings , rochel shut her gates more than once against henry the great , and for the king now regnant , they did not onely shut him out of many of his townes , but upon the gates of some of them , they writ in legible characters roy sans foy , ville sans peur , a faithlesse king , a fearlesse town . yet in the greatest heat of those warres , there was never any town refus'd to let in her king , provided he came attended onely with his own train , and besides other people abroad , i heard the scoi's nation did abhor that act at hull . but i pray sir go on . patr. his majestie being thus shut out of one town , he might justly suspect , that an attempt might be made to shut him in , in some other ; therefore he made a motion to the yorke shire gentlemen , to have a guard for the preservation of his person , which was done accordingly . but i am come too forward , i must go backe and tell you how the king was driven from westminster . when his majestie was returned from scotland , he retir'd to hampton court , whence upon the lord maior's and the cities humble sollicitation , he came backe to white-hall to keep his christmas . but when the bill against bishops was in agitation , which businesse lasted near upon weekes , a crue of bold sturdie mechanicks , and mariners , came from the citie and ruffled before white-hall , and westminster-hall , and would have violated the abbie of westminster , so that for many nights a court of guard was forced to be kept in the bodie of that church , ( the chiefest sanctuarie of the kingdom . ) moreover , his maiestie having impeached some of the members of both houses , of high treason , and being denied to have them delivered up , he went himselfe to the lower house to demand them , assuring the house they should have as fair and legall a triall as ever men had . but as it pleased god , they were not there , but retir'd to london for refuge ; the londoners grew starke wilde thereupon , and notice being sent to all the adjacent counties , this act of the kings ( though it wanted no precedents of former times ) was aggravated in the highest degree that possibly could be . hence you may easily inferre , what small security his majesty had at white-hall , and what indignities hee might have exposed himselfe unto , by that which had passed already from the rabble , who had vilified and cryed tush at his proclamations , and disgorg'd other rebellious speeches with impunity , therefore hee retired to hampton court ( as we read , our saviour withdrew himselfe once from the multitude ) thence to windsor castle , whence accompanying her majestie , with his eldest daughter to the sea side for holland , and having commanded the prince to attend him against his returne at greenwich , the prince had beene surpriz'd and brought to london , had not the king come a little before . thence he removed to yorke , where hee kept his court all the sommer . but to returne to london , the very next day after their majesties departure , the countrey about , especially bucking hamshire being incited by the citie and parliament , came in great swarmes , and joyning with the london mechanicks , they ruffled up and downe the streets , and kept such a racket , making the fearfullest riot that ever i believe was heard of in parliament time : so those members which formerly were fled into the citie , were brought to the house in a kinde of triumph , being garded by land and water in warlike manner by these champions : after this , sundry troopes of horse came from all the shires neare adjoyning to the parliament , and buckingham men were the first , who while they expressed their love to their knight , forgot their sworne oath to their king , and instead of feathers they carried a printed pretestation in their hats , as the londoners had done a little before upon the pikes point . per. this kept a foule noise beyond sea i remember , so that upon the rialto in venice , it was sung up and downe , that a midsommer moon ( though it was then midst of winter ) did raigne amongst the english , and you must thinke that it hath made the venetian to shrinke in his shoulders , and to looke but il favourably upon us , since wee 'l have none of his currans . but sir , i heard much of that protestation , i pray what was the substance of it , pat. it was penn'd , and injoyn'd by the parliament for every one to take , and it consisted of many parts , the first was , to maintaine the true protestant religion against all popish innovations , which word popish ( as some think ) was scrued in of purpose for a loop-hole to let in any other innovation ) the second was to maintaine the prerogative and honour of the king ; then the power and priviledge of parliaments ; and lastly , the propriety and liberty of the subject ; for the two first parts of this protestation , the people up and downe seemed to have uttrly forgotten them , and continue so still , as if their consciences had beene tyed only to the two last , and never was there a poore people so besotted , never was reason and common sense so baffled in any part of the world . and now will i goe to attend his majestie at yorke , where as i told you before , being loth to part with his sword , ( though he had half parted with his scepter before ) by denying the parliament an indefinite time to dispose of the militia , ( alleadging , that as the word , so the thing was new ) he sends forth his commissions of array according to the old law of england , which declares it to be the undoubted right , and royall signiory of the king , to arme or disarme any subject . the parliament sends out clean counter-mands for executing the said militia ; so by this clashing twixt the commission of array and the militia , the first flash of this odious unnaturall war may be said to break out . the pulse of the parliament beat's yet higher , they send an admirall to the sea , not onely without , but expresly against the kings speciall command . they had taken unto them a military gard from the citie for their protection , without his majesties consent , who by the advice of the lord keeper and others , had offered them a very strong gard of constables and other officers to attend them , which the laws usually allow ; yet the raising of that gard in yorkshire for the safegard of his majesties person , was interpreted to be levying of warre against the parliament , and so made a sufficient ground for them to raise an armie , to appoint a generall , with whom they made publike declarations to live and die . and they assumed power to conferre a new appellation of honour upon him , as if any could conferre honour but the king ! and this army was to be maintained out of the next contribution of all sorts of people ; so a great masse of money and plate , was brought into the guild-hall , the semstresse brought in her silver thimble , the chamber maid her bodkin , the cook his spoones , and the uintner his bowles , and every one something to the advancement of so good a worke , as to wage war directly against the sacred person of their soveraigne , and to put the whole countrey into a combustion . per. surely it is impossible that a rationall christian people should grow so simple and sottish , as to be so far transported , without some colourable cause , therefore i pray tell me what that might be ? patr. the cause is made specious enough , and varnished over wonderfull cunningly ; the people are made to believe they are in danger , and a prevention of that danger is promised , and by these plausible wayes the understanding is wrought upon , and an affection to the cause is usher'd in , by aggravation of this danger , as one would draw a thred through a needles eye : this huge bug-bear danger , was like a monster of many heads , the two chiefest were these , that there was a plot to let in the pope ; and to cast the civil government into a french frame ; it is incredible to thinke how the pulpits up and down london did ring of this , by brain-sicke lecturers , of whom some were come from new england , others were pick'd out of purpose , and sent for from their own flocke in the countrey , to possesse , or rather to poyson the hearts of the londoners , to puzzle their intellectuals , and to intoxicate their braines by their powerfull gifts ; it was punishable to preach of peace , or of caesars right , but the common subiect of the pulpit was either blasphemie against god , disobedience against the king , or incitements to sedition , good lord , what windy , frothy stuffe came from these fanaticke braines ! these phrenetici nebulones , ( for king james gives them no better character in his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) who may be said to be mad out of too much ignorance ; who neverthelesse are come to that height of prophanenesse and pride , that they presume to father all their doctrines , all their non-sence raptures and ravings upon the holy spirit . nor did the pulpit onely helpe to kindle this fire , but the presse also did contribute much fewell ; what base scurrilous pamphlets were cried up and down the streets , and dispersed in the countrey ? what palpable and horrid lyes were daily printed ? how they multiplied in every corner in such plentie , that one might say there was a superfaetation of lyes , which continue unto this day ! one while the king of denmarke was comming over from the sound ; another while the king of france had an huge armie about calais design'd for england ; another while there was an armie of irish rebels comming over with the privitie of the king ; another while a plot was cried up and down to burne london ; another while there were subterranean invisible troopes mustered under ground in wales , and thousands of papists armed in lancashire , & divers reports of this nature were daily blown up , and though the authors of them were worthles & mean futilous persons , yet the reports themselves had that credit as to be entertain'd and canvas'd in the high court of parliament . but these false rumours produc'd one politicke effect ( and it was the end indeed for which they were dispers'd ) they did atemorize , and fill the peoples hearts with feares , and so dispose of them to uproares and to part with money . peregr . i know there be sundry sorts of feares ; there are conscientious feares , there are pannik feares , there are pusillanimous feares , and there are politck feares . the first sort of fear proceeds from guilt of conscience , which turnes often to phrensie . the second sort of fear may be call'd a kinde of chymera , 't is some sudden surprizall or consternation arising from an unexpected strange accident . pusillanimous fear makes a mountain of a molehill , and proceeds from povertie of spirit , and want of courage , and is a passion of abject and degenerous mindes , and may be call'd cowardise , and this fear is alwayes accompanied with jealousie . politicke fear , is a created forg'd fear wrought in another , to bring some designe about ; and as we finde the astronomers ( the comparison is too good ) do imagine such and such shapes and circles in the heavens , as zodiak , equinoctiall , colures and tropiques , with others , though there be no such things really in nature , to make their conclusions good ; so the politician doth often devise and invent false imaginarie feares , to make his proceedings more plausible amongst the silly vulgar , and thereby to compasse his ends and as the sun useth to appear farre bigger to us in the morning than at noon , when he is exalted to his meridian , and the reason the philosophers use to give , is the interposition of the vapours which are commonly in the lower region , through which we look upon him , as we finde a piece of silver look bigger in a bucket of water than elsewhere , so the politician uses to cast strange mists of fear , and fogges of jealousie before the simple peoples eyes , to make the danger seem bigger : but truly sir , this is one of the basest kindes of policie ; nor can i believe there be any such politicians amongst the cabalists of your parliament ; who pretend to be so busie about gods worke , a glorious reformation ; and you know there is a good text for it , that god needeth not the wicked man , he scornes to be beholding to lyers to bring about his purposes : but i pray sir , deal freely with me , do you imagine there was a designe to bring in the masse again ? patr. the masse ? you may say , there was a plot to bring in mahomet as soon , to bring in the alchoran , or talmud as soon , for i dare pawn my soul , the king is as cordiall a protestant , as any that breathes under his three crownes , which besides his publike deep protestations , and his constant quotidian exemplary open practise , many other convinceing private reasons induce me to believe , and it is in vain to thinke the pope can take footing here to any purpose without the kings leave . you know as well as i sir , that of all the reformed churches in christendom , the lutheran retaines most of the roman , both in his positions and practise , and comes much nearer unto him than we do , yet i have observed , that from the first day of his reformation , to this , he is as averse , and as farre off from rome , as the rigidest calvinist that is ; and shall i thinke , because there are some humble and handsome postures , and decent vestures revived in ourchurch , for they were never abolished , because the communion table stands in the east end where it ever stood since christianitie came in all our cathedrals , which should be a rule to all interiour churches , which yet the seperatist cries out to be an innovation : because her majestie hath a few simple capuchins , fewer than was allowed by the matrimoniall capitulations , whither to retire sometimes : because schismatickes were proceeded against with more care , and the government of the church borne up lately with more countenance , shall i believe that the pope must presently come in ? shall i believe the weaknesse of our religion to be such , as to be so easily shaken and overturn'd ? yet i believe there was a pernicious plot to introduce a new religion , but what i pray ? not poperie , but presbyterie , and with it to bring in the doctrine of buchanan and knox , for civill government , and so to cast our church and state into a scots mould . peregr . indeed , i heard the english much censur'd abroad for enslaving as it were their understanding and judgement in points of religion to the scot , whom they made christians , and reformed christians first , and now for the english to run to them for a religion , and that the uniformite should proceed from them , they having disdain'd us formerly , what a disparagement is it thinke you to the anglican church ? this with other odde traverses , as the ecclipsing the glorie of the king , and bringing him backe to a kinde of minoritie , the tampering with his conscience , i will not say , the straining of it so farre , the depriving him of all kinde of propertie , the depressing of his regall power , wherein the honour of a nation con●●sts , and which the english were us'd to uphold more than any other , for no king hath more awfull attributes from his subjects , as , sacred soveraigne , gracious and most excellent majestie , nor any king so often prayed for , for in your morning lyturgie he is five times prayed for , whereas other princes are mentioned but once or twice at most in theirs , i say this , with interception of letters , some incivilities offered ambassadors , and the bold lavish speechees that were spoken of the greatest queenes in christendome , and his majesties late withdrawing his royall protection from some of his merchant-subiects in other countries , hath made the english loose much ground in point of esteeme abroad , and to be the discourse , i will not say the scorne of other people . they sticke not to say , that there is now a worse maladie fallen upon their mindes , then fell upon their bodies about an age since by the sweating sicknesse , which was peculiar only unto them , and found them out under all climes . others say , there is a {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} amongst them , that they are turn'd to wolves , ( as you know it is a common thing in lapland , ) and that the old adage is verifyed in them , homo homini lupus . nay our next neighbours give out , that the saying was never truer then now , rex anglorum , rex diabolorum . nor is it a small disrepute to the english , that the word cavallier , which is an attribute that no prince in christendome will disdain , and is the common appellation of the nobilitie and gentry in most parts of the world , is now us'd , not only in libels and frivilous pamphlets , but in publike parliamentary declarations , for a terme of reproach . but truly sir , what you have related touching the pulpit and the presse , transformes me into wonder , and i should want faith to believe it , did you not speake it upon your knowledge ; but the english when they fall to worke upon a new humour , use to overdo all people . patr. you have not yet the tith of what i could give you , you would little think that coachmen , and feltmakers , and weavers were permitted to preach up and downe without controlement , and vent their venome against church and state , to cry down our hierarchie and liturgie , by most base and reviling speeches . per. touching your lyturgie , i have heard it censured abroad by the rigidest calvinists of geneva and dort , yet i never heard any other character given of it , but that it is a most pious , pathetick , and perfect piece of devotion , both for the matter and forme of it , which i have beene a little curious to observe . it begins with some choise passages of holy scripture , and a previous declaration or monitory to excite us to the worke in hand ; the first addresse we make to god is by an humble and joynt confession which is applyable to any conscience , and comprehends in it all kind of sins . then followeth a pronuntiation of gods promises and pronesse to pardon and absolve us ; wee goe on to the lords prayer , which having beene dictated by our saviour himselfe , we often use , and is as amber throwne in amongst our frankincense , to make the sacrifice more precious and pleasing unto god . then we proceed to some choice psalmes , and other portions of holy scripture taken out of the old and new testament ; then we fall to the symbole of saith , where of we make a solemne joynt confession in such a posture as shews a readinesse and resolution in us to defend it : and so to the letany , wherein the poore penitent peccant soule may be said to breath out her self into the bosome of her saviour by tender ejaculations , by panting groanes , and eviscerated ingeminations , and there is no sinne , no temptation whatsoever that humane frailtie is subject unto , but you shall finde a deliverance from it there ; it is so full of christian charity that there is no condition of people , but are remembred and prayed for there . then we proceed by holy alternatif interlocutions ( whereby we heare our selves speak as well as the minister ) to some effectuall short prayers ; because in long prayers the minde is subject to wander , as some zelots now a dayes use to bring their hearers into a wildernesse by their prayers , and into a labyrinth by their sermons . then goe we on to the decalogue , and if it be in a cathedrall , there is time enough for the hearer to examine himselfe , while the musicke playes , where and when he broke any of gods holy commandements , and ask particular forgivenesse accordingly ; then after other choice portions of scripture , and passages relating to our redemption , and endearing unto us the merits of it , with a more particular confession of our faith , we are dismissed with a benediction : so that this lyturgie may be called an instrument of many strings , whereon the sighing soule sends up various notes unto heaven . it is a posie made up of divers flowers , to make it the more fragrant in the nostrills of god . now touching your bishops i never knew yet any protestant church but could be content to have them , had they meanes to maintaine the dignitie , which the churches of france with others have not in regard the reformation began first among the people , not at court , as here it did in england : for unlesse there be some supervisers of gods house , endowed with eminent authoritie to check the fond fancies , and quench the false fatuous fires of every private spirit , and unlesse it be such an authoritie that may draw unto it a holy kinde of awe and obedience , what can be expected but confusion and atheisme ? you know what became of the israelites when the wonted reverence to the ark , and the ephod , and the priest , began to languish amongst them : for the braine of man is like a garden , which unlesse it be senced about with a wall or hedge , is subject you know to be annoyed by all kinde of beasts which will be ready to runne into it ; so the braine unlesse it be restrain'd and bounded in holy things by rules of canonicall authority , a thousand wilde opinions , and extravagant fancies will hourely rush into it : nor was there ever any field so subject to produce cockle and darnell , as the braine is rank and ready to bring forth tares of scisme and heresie of a thousand sorts , unlesse after the first culture the sickle of authority be applyed to grub up all such noisome weeds . pat. yet this most ancient dignitie of bishops is traduced and vilified by every shallow-pated petty clerke , and not so much out of a true zeale , as out of envie that they are not the like . and touching our lyturgie , whereof you have beene pleas'd to give so exact a character , people are come to that height of impiety , that in some places it hath beene drowned , in other places burnt , in some places torn in peeces to serve for the basest uses , nay it hath beene preached publikely in pulpit , that it is a peece forged in the divels shop , and yet the impious foule mouthd babbler never was so much as questioned for it . nor did the church only eccho with these blasphemies ; but the presse was as pregnant to produce every day some monster either against ecclesiasticall , or secular government . i am ashamed to tell you how some bold pamphleters in a discourse of a sheet or two , would presume to question , to dispute of , and determine the extent of monarchik jurisdiction , what sturdie doubts , what saucie quaeries they put , what odd frivolous distinctions they fram'd , that the king though he was gods anointed , yet he was mans appointed : that he had the commanding , not the disposing power : that he was set to rule over , not to over rule the people ; that he was king by humane choice , not by divine charter ; that he was not king by the grace of god , so much as by the suffrage of the people ; that he was a creature and production of the parliament : that he had no implicite trust , nor peculiar propertie in any thing ; that populus est potior rege : that grex lege , lex . est rege potentior ; that the king was singulis major , universis minor , whereas a successive monarch — uno minor est love — sometimes they would bring instances from the states of holland , sometimes from the republike of venice , and apply them to absolute and independant royaltie ; but i finde that the discourse and inferences of these grand statists were bottomed upon foure false foundations , viz. that the king of whom they speake must be either a minor , an idiot , an insufferable tyrant , or that the kingdome they mean , is elective ; none of all which is appliable , either to our most gracious and excellently quallified king , or to his renowned kingdom , which hath been alwayes reputed an ancient successive monarchie , governed by one supreme , undeposeable and independent head , having the dignitie , the royall state , and power of an imperiall crown , and being responsible to none but to god almightie and his own conscience for his actions , and unto whom a bodie politicke compacted of prelates , peeres , and all degrees of people is naturally subject ; but this is a theme of that transcendencie , that it requires a serious and solid tractat , rather than such a slender discourse as this to handle . but i pray excuse me sir , that i have stept aside thus from the road of my main narration ; i told you before , how the clashing 'twixt the commission of array , and the militia , put all things in disarray throughout the whole kingdom ; the parliament as they had taken the first militarie guard , so they began to arme first , and was it not high time then for his majestie to do something think you ? yet he assayed by all wayes imaginable to prevent a war , and to conquer by a passive fortitude , by cunctation , and longanimitie . how many overtures for an accommodation did he make ? how many proclamations of pardon ? how many elaborate declarations breathing nothing but clemencie , sweetnesse and truth did drop from his own imperious invincible pen , which will remain upon record unto all ages , as so many monuments to his eternall glorie ? yet some ill spirit stept still in , between his grace and the abused subject , for by the peremptorie order of parliament ( o monstrous thing ! ) the said proclamations of grace , and other his majesties declarations were prohibited to be read , fearing that the strength and truth of them would have had a virtue to unblinde , or rather unbewitch ( for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft ) , the poor besotted people ? what deep protestations , and holy vowes did he reiterate , that the main of his designes was to preserve the true procestant religion , the known lawes of the land , and the just priviledges of parliament ? how often did he dehort and wooe the citie of london ( his imperial chamber ) from such violent courses , so that she may justly be upbraided with the same words , as the prince of peace upbraided jerusalem withall : london , london , how often would i have gathered thee , as an hen doth her chickens under her wings , yet thou wouldest not ? how often did he descend to acknowledge the manner of demanding the one and five members in his publike remonstrances ? and if there was an errour in his proceedings , how oft did he desire his great councell to direct him in a course how to go on in the empeachment ? which they never did , but would reserve the priviledge to themselves to be judge and partie . peregr . can your parliament protect high treason ? i am sure the character of an ambassadour cannot , which the late french ambassadour ( who for his time play'd his cards more cunningly than ever count gondomer did ) knew well ; and therefore , as i heard some french men say , he got letters of revocation before his designed time : but it seemes strange to me , that the king who is the protectour of the law , and fountain of justice , cannot have the benefit of the law himselfe , which the meanest of his vassals can claim by right of inheritance ; 't is strange , i say , that the law should be a dead letter to him who is the life of the law , but that for omission of some puntillio in the forme of the processe , the charge of high treason should be so slightly wav'd , speçially treason of so universall concernmen● , that it may be call'd a complication of many treasons ; for if in every petty state it be high treason to treat onely with any forraigne power without the privitie of the prince , it must needs be treason of an higher nature actually to bring them in ; and hereof i could alleadge you many pregnant instances , antient and moderne , but that i do not desire to interrupt you in your relation . patr. the parliament , as i told you before , armed apace , it was not fitting then his majestie should sit idle ; therefore he summons those nobles and others , who had an immediate relation unto him by office or service , to attend him at yorke , according to their particular obligation and oath : but it seemes the parliament assumed power to dispence with those oathes , and excuse their attendance , which dispensation prevailed with some ( tender ) consciences ; yet the great seal posted to court , and after it most of the nobles of the land , and the flower of the gentrie , with many of the prime members of the commons house ; so that were it not for the locall priviledge , the parliament , for number of members , might be said to be ever since about the king : these nobles and gentlemen resenting his majesties case , and what practices there were on foot to alter the government both of church and state , not onely advised his majestie to a royall war for defence of his crown and dignitie , but contributed very cheerfully , and have stood constant to the worke ever since . peregr . they have good reason for it , for the securitie of the nobilitie and gentrie depends upon the strength of the crown , otherwise popular government would rush in like a torrent upon them . but surely those nobles , and those parliament gentlemen , and others , some of whom i understand , were reputed the wisest and best weigh'd men for experience and parts thorowout the whole kingdom , and were cried up in other parliaments to be the most zealous patriots for the proprietie and freedom of the subject , would never have stucke so firmely to his majestie , had they not known the bottome of his designes , that it was farre from his thoughts to bring in the pope or french government ; for thereby they should have betrayed their own posteritie , and made their children slaves . patr. to my knowledge , these nobles and gentlemen are still the very same as they were in former parliaments , wherein they were so cried up for the truest lovers of their countrey , and best common-wealths men ; yet now they are branded , and voted to be seducers and traitors , because according to their oathes and consciences , they adhere to the king their master and liege-lord , for maintenance of that religion they were baptized and bred in . those most orthodox and painfull divines , which till the parliament began , were accounted the precisest sort of protestants , are now cried down for papists , though they continue still the very same men , both for opinions and preaching , and are no more papists , than i am a pytbagorean . in fine , a true english protestant is put now in the same scale with a papist , and made synonyma's . and truly these unhappy schismatickes could not devise how to cast a greater infamie upon the english protestant , than they have done of late by these monstrous imputations ; they would fasten upon him such opinions which never entred into his thoughts , they would know ones heart better than himselfe , and so would be greater kardiognostickes than god almightie . but to draw to a conclusion ; the parliaments armie multiplied apace in london , the kings but slowly in the north , so that when he displayed his royall standard at nottingham , his forces were not any thing considerable , so that if the parliaments generall had then advanced towards him from northamptou , he had put him to a very great strait ; they encreased something at derby and stafford , but when hee was come to shrewsbury , the welch-men came running downe the mountaines in such multitudes , that their example did much animate the english ; so that his army in lesse than a moneth that the court continued in shrewesbury , came to neere upon twenty thousand horse and foot ; nor was it a small advantage to his majesties affaires , that the nephew-princes came over so opportunely . the first encounter prince rupert had with the parliaments forces was at worcester , where he defeated the flower of their cavalrie , and gave them a smart blow . at shrewsbury his majestie tooke a resolution to march with his whole armie towards london , but after seven dayes march he understood the parliaments forces were within six miles side long of him , and so many miles he went out of his road to find them out , and face them : upon a sunday morning he was himself betimes on edge-hill , where the enemies colours plainly appear'd in the vale before keinton ; it was past two in the after-noon before all his infantery could get to the bottom , who upon sight of the enemies colours ran as merrily down the hil , as if they had gone to a morris-dance . so his majestie himselfe being generalissimo , gave command the great ordnance should flie for a defiance : so the battell began , which lasted above three houres ; and as some french and dutch commanders told me , they never remembred to have seene a more furious fight for the time in all the german warres . prince rupert pursued the enemies horse like a whirle-winde neere upon three miles , and had there beene day enough , when he came back to the infanterie , in all probabilitie a totall defeat had beene given them : so that the same accident may bee said to fall out here , as happened in that famous battell at lewis , in henry the thirds time , where the prince of wales ( afterwards edward the first ) was so eager , and went so far ( by excesse of courage ) from the body of the army in pursuance of the londoners . his majestie ( to his deserved and never-dying glory ) comported himself like another caesar all the while , by riding about and encouraging the souldiers , by exposing his person often to the reach of a musket-buller , and lying in the field all that bleake night in his coach . notwithstanding that many lying pamphlets were purposely printed here , to make the world believe , that he had retired himselfe all the time of the fight ; what partiall reports were made in the guild-hall to the londoners , and by what persons , i am ashamed to tell you : but that his majestie was victorious that day ( a day which i never thought to have seene in england ) there be many convincing arguments to prove it ; for besides the great odds of men which fell on their side , and cannons they lost , some of their ordnance were naild by the kings troopes the next morning after , in the very face of their armie . moreover the king advanced forward the next day to his former road , and tooke banbury presently after ; but the parliamenteers went backwards , and so from that day to this , his majestie continueth master of the field . 't is true , that in some places , as at farnham , winchester , and chichester , they have prevailed since , but no considerable part of the royall army was there to make opposition ; and i blush to tell you , how unworthily the law of armes was violated in all those places . perig . good lord , how can the soules of those men that were in the parliaments army at keinton battell , dispense with the oaths of supremacie and alleageance , besides the protestation you speak of , they have taken to preserve the person , honour , and prerogative of the king , when they thus actually bandy against his person , and appeare in battell with all the engines of hostility against him . pat. i would be loth to exchange consciences with them , and boggle so with god almighty ; but these men by a new kind of metaphysick have found out a way to abstract the person of the king from his office to make his soveraigntie a kinde of platonick idea hovering in the aire , while they visibly attempt to asiail and destroy his person ( and progeny ) by small and great shot , and seek him out amongst his life guard with fire , and sword ; yet they give out they fight not only not against him , but for him , and that their army is more loyall to him than his owne ; who , they say , fight only for the name king , though they have his person really amongst them , commanding and directing : thus they make him a strange kind of amphibium , they make him in one instant a king and no king of the same individuum ; a power which the casuists affirm god almighty never assumd to himself , to do any thing that implys a contradiction . pereg. noble sir , you make my heart to pant within me , by the pathetick relation you have beene pleased to make mee of these ruthfull times ; but one thing seemes to me to be no lesse than a miracle , how his majestie hath beene able to subsist all this while , considering the infinite advantages the adverse partie hath had of him ; for they have all the tenable places and townes of strength , both by land and sea ; they have the navie royall , they have all the ammunition and armes of the crowne , they have all the imposts and customes , poundage and tonnage ( which they levie contrary to their former protestation before the bill be passed ) they have the exchequer at their devotion , and all the revenue of the king , queene and prince , and lastly , they have the citie of london , which may be called a magazin of money and men , where there is a ready supply and superfluitie of all things , that may feed , clothe , or make men gay to put them in heart and resolution : truly considering all these advantages , with divers others on their side , and the disadvantages on the kings , it turnes me into a lump of astonishment , how his majestie could beare up all this while , and keepe together so many armies , and be still master of the field . pat. i confesse sir , it is a just subject for wonderment , and we must ascribe it principally to god almighty , who is the protectour of his anointed , for his hand hath manifestly appear'd in the conduct of his affaires , he hath beene the pilot , who hath sate at the helme ever since this storme began , and will doubtlesse continue to steere his course till he waft him to safe harbour againe ; adde hereunto , that his majestie for his owne part , hath beene wonderfully stirring , and indefatigable both for his body and minde ; and what notable things her majestie hath done , and what she hath suffered , is fitter for a chronicle , then such a simple discourse . hereunto may be added besides , that his majestie hath three parts of foure of the pceres , and prime gentry of the kingdome firme unto him , and they will venture hard , before they will come under a popular government and corporations ; or let in knox or calvin to undermine this church and state . pereg. truly sir amongst other countries , i extreamely longed to see england , and am no sooner come , but i am surfetted of her alreadie , i doubt the old prophecie touching this island is come now to be verified . that the churchman was , the lawer is , and the souldier shall be . i am afraid the english have seene their best dayes ; for i finde a generall kind of infatuation , a totall eclipse of reason amongst most of them ; and commonly a generall infatuation precedes the perdition of a people , like a fish , that putrifieth first in the head ; they say abroad , t is the scots turne now to be a great nation . therefore i will trusse up my baggage and over againe , after i have enjoied you some daies , and received your commands . patr. dear sir , if you seriously resolve to crosse the seas again so soon , i may chance bear you companie , for as you have since the short time of your sojourne here judiciously observed a nationall defection of reason in the people of this island , which makes her so active in her own ruine ; so by longer experience , and by infallible symptomes , i finde a strange kinde of vertigo to have seized upon her , which i fear will turne to the falling sicknesse , or such a phrensie , that will make her to dash out her own braines ; nor are her miseries , i fear , come yet to the full ; it is the method of the almightie , when he pleases to punish a people , to begin with roddes , to go on with scourges , and if they will not do , he hath scorpions for them ; therefore , i will breathe anywhere sooner than here : for what securitie or contentment can one receive in that countrey , where religion and justice , the two grand doriqne columnes which support every state , are fallen down ? which makes all conditions of men , all professions and trades to go here daily to utter ruine . the church man growes every day more despicable , as if he had no propertie in any thing , nor is there any way left him to recover his tithe , but by costly troublesome sutes . the civilian , a brave learned profession , hath already made his last will ; and the common lawyers case is little better ; the courtier cannot get his pension ; the gentleman cannot recover his rents , but either they are sequestred by an high hand of unexampted power , or else the poor tenant is so heavily assess'd or plundered , that he is disabled to pay them in ; all kinde of commerce both domesticke and forraigne visibly decayes , and fals more and more , into the hands of strangers ( to the no small dishonour of the wisedome of this nation ; ) nor can the tradesman recover his debts , parliamentary protections continue still in such numbers , so that it is a greater priviledge now to be a footman to the meanest of the lower house , than to be of the kings bed-chamber : prentises run away from their masters , and against their fathers intent turne souldiers , and for money , which is the soul of trade , i believe since the beginning of this parliament , above one halfe of the treasure of the kingdom is either conveyed to the other side of the sea , or buried under ground , whence it must be new digg'd up again . moreover , all things are here grown arbitrary , ( yet that word took off the earle of straffords head ) religion , law , and alleageance is grown arbitrary ; nor dares the iudge upon the tribunall ( according to his oath ) do justice , but he is over-awed by ordinance , or else the least intimation of the sense of the lower house is sufficient to enjoyne him the contrary , so that now , more than ever , it may be said here , — terras astraa reliquit . peace also hath rov'd up and down this island , and cannot get a place to lay her head on ; she hoped to have had entertainment in yorkshire , by the agreement of the best gentlemen in the country ; but an ordinance of parliament beat her out of doores , then she thought to rest in cheshire , and by a solemne covenant she was promised to be preserved there ; the principall agents of that covenant having protested every one upon the word of a gentleman , and as they did desire to prosper , both themselves , their tenants and friends , should strictly observe it ; but the like ordinance of parliament battered down that agreement . then she thought to take footing in the west , and first in dorsetshire , then in cornwall and devonshire , and by the holy tie of the blessed sacrament , she was promised to be preserved there ; but another ordinance of parliament is pursuing her , to dispense with the commissioners of the said agreement for their oathes . lastly , his majestie is mainly endeavouring to bring her in again thorowout the whole land ; but the furious , phrenetique schismatickes will have none of her ; for as one of them ( besides a thousand instances more ) preach'd in one of the most populous congregations about the citie , it were better that london streets ran with bloud , and that dead carkasses were piled up as high as the battlements of pauls , than peace should be now brought in . and now that peace is shut out , learning is upon point of despair , her colledges are become courts of guard , and mars lieth in mercuries bed . honour also , with her court , lieth in the dust ; the cobler may confront the knight , the boor the baron , and there is no judiciall way of satisfaction ; which makes monarchie fear she hath no long time of abode here , publike faith also , though she had but newly set up for her selfe , is suddenly become bankrupt , and how could she choose ? for more of the kingdomes treasure hath been spent within these thirty moneths , than was spent in four-score yeares before ; but she hopes to piece up her selfe again , by the ruines of the church ; but let her take heed of that , for those goods have been fatall to many thousand families in this kingdom : yet she thinkes much , that those publike summes which were given to suppresse one rebellion ( in ireland ) should be imployed to maintain another rebellion ( in england ) and lastly , me thinkes , i see religion in torne ragged weeds , and with slubber'd eyes , sitting upon weeping crosse , and wringing her hands , to see her chiefest temple ( pauls church ) where god almightie was us'd to be serv'd constantly thrice a day , and was the rendezvouz , & as it were the mother church , standing open to receive all commers and strangers , to be now shut up , and made onely a thorow-fare for porters ; to see those scaffolds , the expence of so many thousand pounds , to lie a rotting ; to see her chiefest lights like to be extinguished ; to see her famous learned divines dragg'd to prison , and utterly depriv'd of the benefit of the common law , their inheritance : me thinkes , i say , i see religion packing up , and preparing to leave this island quite , crying out , that this is a countrey fitter for atheists than christians to live in ; for god almightie is here made the greatest malignant , in regard his house is plunder'd more than any . there is no court left to reforme heresie , no court to punish any church officer , and to make him attend his cure , no court to punish fornication , adulterie , or incest ; me thinkes i hear her crie out against these her grand reformers ( or refiners rather ) that they have put division 'twixt all degrees of persons . they have put division 'twixt husband and wife , 'twixt mother and childe : the son seekes his fathers bloud in open field , one brother seekes to cut the others throat ; they have put division 'twixt master and servant , 'twixt land-lord and tenant ; nay , they have a long time put a sea of separation 'twixt king and queen ; and they labour more and more to put division 'twixt the head and the members , 'twixt his majestie and his politicall spouse , his kingdom ; and lastly , they have plung'd one of the flourishingst kingdomes of europe in a war without end ; for though a peace may be plaster'd over for the time , i fear it wil be but like a fire cover'd with ashes , which will break out again , as long as these fierie schismatickes have any strength in this island , so that all the premisses considered , if turke or tartar , or all the infernall spirits and cacodaemons of hell had broken in amongst us , they could not have done poor england more mischiefe . sir , i pray excuse this homely imperfect relation , i have a thousand things more to impart unto you when we may breathe freer aire ; for here we are come to that slaverie , that one is in danger to have his very thoughts plundered ; therefore if you please to accept of my companie , i will over with you by gods helpe , as soon as it may stand with your conveniencie , but you must not discover me to be an englishman abroad , for so i may be jear'd at and kickt in the streets ; i will go under another name , and am fix'd in this resolution , never to breathe english aire again , untill the king recovers his scepter , and the people their senses . a letter writ by sergeant-major kirle , to a friend at windsor . sir , you were pleased to command a constant account from me , as the onely requitall you would receive for admitting me an officer in the parliament armie ; and though divers things have come from us , which have been either doubted or contradicted , and seem to have no other credit than the close committee ; yet what i am now about to tell you , shall run none of those dangers , but that with a great deal of confidence you may report , both in publique to the house , and in private ●o my friends , that i am now at oxford ; nor shall your wonder last long , for by that time i have declared upon what grounds at first i undertook that service , and upon what reasons i have since deserted it , i shall without doubt ( where there is charitie or reason ) free my selfe from the imputation of dishonour , and undeceive others that are , as i was , seduced . about the time these distempers began here , i returned from serving the swede in germanie , and the states of holland ; in both which countries , i cannot without vanitie say , i did nothing to the dishonour of mine own : as this absence made me ignorant of the condition of the kingdom , so it rendred me more inclinable to receive an imployment from the parliament : for though neither my youth , nor this profession are curious after the affaires of state ; yet so common were the grievances in that unhappy conjuncture of time , when i went abroad , that i retain'd the same impressions in me at my comming home , especially when i saw the complaints remain , but did not know that the causes were taken away : thus possessed with prejudice , it was no hard thing for me to believe , that the pretences of war , ( in themso specious ) and the imployment therein , to be full of honour , justice , and pietie ; and that there needed not the importunitie of my nearest friends , or an argument from the necessitie their former severitie had cast upon me , nor an invitation from your selfe , to seek for the preferferment you speedily procured me . how i behaved my selse , while i was of your mind , and in that service , will be best judged by those , that know that from a lieutenant i was soone preferred to be captaine of a troop raised to my hand : and shortly after , to be sergeant-major to the earle of stamfords regiment of horse : what prisoners i took , what contribution i brought in , what places and townes i secured , appeares by the testimony given of me , and the thankes i received from you . it is not therefore necessity has made me leave you to goe to the king , from whom you have taken not only his revenues which should give him bread , but the benevolences ( as far as in you lies ) of his people that should maintaine his army . it is not ambition , to forsake a certaine benefit for an uncertaine imployment , and ( in justice ) as doubtfull a pardon : it is not malice for any particular neglect or injury , for i must confesse no man received greater kindnesse from his superiour officers , or more ample thankes from your selves then i have done ; no civill humane respect , but a perfect discoverie of those false lights , that have hitherto misled me , and the deepe apprehension of the horrour which attends the persevering in such errours . i must confesse ( though you would little thinke it ) that master sedgwicke , chaplaine to that regiment , first opened my eyes , and moved me to that reflection upon my self , which set me since in the right way ; not by his perswasions or conversion , ( for i can assure you , you may still confide in him ) but by the spirit ( not that pretended to of meeknesse and peace , but ) of fury and madnesse ; he revealed the mystery of this war , and in his inspired rage , brake the shell , religion , safety of the king , libertie and proprietie ; and shewed us the kernell , atheisme , anarchie , arbitrary government and confusion what was meant else by his sawcie and impertinent talking to god almightie , whom he seemed rather to command than intreat ? what was meant else by his traducing the king and cursing him , while he seemed to pray for him ? and presently with a tone as gentle as his language magnifie the worthies the estates assembled in parliament ; what was meant else by incouraging violence , and sharing in things plundered ? nor had one man given me a just prejudice of the cause , but that i saw the whole lump of these pseudo clergie , seasoned with the same leaven , who hate ( and so instruct the people ) an innocent ceremony , but thirst after blood ; who abhorre learning and bishops , but adore ignorance and division ; who while they are severe ( and therein they doe well ) against drunkennesse and adultery , they make robbery , rebellion , sacriledge , and murder become vertues , because they are in order to effect their designes ; and truly i had not trusted my eares , if the same and much more had not beene confirmed by my eyes ; for those few regiments then with us were a perfect modell of the whole armie , and most certaine i am , that all the officers of no one company were all of the same opinion what religion they fought for : some loved the booke of common-prayer and bishops , others were zealous for extemporary prayers and elders , another thought bishops so many elders , and elders so many bishops , and therefore they fought to set jesus christ in his throne , meaning independencie : some liked the chaplaine of the regiment , another thought his corporall preached better ; some had so much of the spirit they wanted courage , and when they should fight , thought it better to pray , or els declared it was revealed unto them they should be beaten , and to fulfill the prophecy , threw downe their armes ; and one would thinke , that every companie had been raised out of the severall congregations of amsterdam ; who wanted not scripture for every mutinie ; who plunder and call it gods providence , who if they cannot prove any of qualitie to be a papist , yet as he is a gentleman he shal want grace ; and that is title enough to possesse the estates of all that are more richer than themselves : and in truth had it not beene for this perswasion , you might have made riots , but not a war ; for under the promise of malignants estates are included , not onely those that directly take part with the king , but all those too that shall not concur with you in all things : hence it is that those were thought meritorious , who voted bishops out of the house of peeres , but are become malignants , because they will not put them out of the church : hence some that contributed with a large hand to this war , received marks of favour , but are become malignants , because they will not give all that they are worth : hence those that in tumults cried for justice were worthy of thanks , but are become malignants , because they will not helpe to depose the king . i shall not need to tell what dishonourable and indirect meanes have beene used to these ends , what burdens have beene laid upon weak consciences of some men by divines , what preferment have beene promised to some , what threatnings have beene used to others ; the sending of horses , monie , plate , shall expiate for past sins , or cover others which by their busie emissaries they have found out , and will otherwise discover : he that has power in his countrie and will use it for you may oppresse his neighbour , who must not sue him because he is in their service , and if he would be revenged ; it is no hard thing to procure a warrant and the sergeants man , and lay him up till he find an accusation , to produce one he never meanes to prove . i could instance in divers , who have beene by these allurements , invited to this war , and so to the ruine both of themselves and families ; nor can i forget that more obvious artifice , which has made the presse the fruitfull mother of many bastards ; when the taking three scouts in an alehouse , has beene made at london , a castle and the defeat of a regiment , and cler. parl. has made the pamphlet sell for a truth : when a defeat has beene voted a victory , and to amuse the people an order has beene made , that god should be thanked for it , and indeed the officers at last found that to tell truth when they had the worst , sometimes endangered their casheering , alwaies procured them an ill opinion , and when they saved the labour of doing the contrary , they were the better used , and therefore of late have justly wracked betwixt this scylla and charibdis , while they rather complied with their humour then obeyed truth , so that religion is but the reverent name for blood and ruine : and it is most evident , it was onely used as a disguise , that we might with the more ease devoure one another , which nature otherwise would forbid us to doe . next to this nothing wrought more upon me , then that strange mysterie , that fighting for the safety of the king was shooting at him ; as at edge-bill and elsewhere , where i thanke god i was not ; for sure the apprehension is so horrid unto me , that had i been in that action , the wounds of my conscience would never have beene healed . i am told the lawes are very severe not only against those that raise armes against the crowne , and offer violence to the person of the king , but extend even to the intentions , words and thoughts : certaine i am , religion and nature ranke treason and rebellion among the fowlest sinnes , and followes them with the worst of punishments ; and doubtlesse ravailliac might as well have excused his bloody fact , by saying the king was in his way , when he stabbed him , as those that justifie these late actions , by saying his majestie was among their enemies , when he was on his owne ground and amongst his own servants . and who ever shall consider what his majestie has done before this war began , in reparation of these errours past , what calumnies and reproaches he hath suffered since ( injuries not to be born by private spirits how beyond hope and expectation his armie rise from being despised to be justly feared ; and lastly , what royall promises , and sacred protestations he has so often and so solemnly made , cannot but renounce charitie and honour , or else he must believe and trust his majestie , resent his sufferings , and acknowledge the miraculous hand of god in his preservation . but i confesse the reason of complaining against you for using the king no better , seemes to grow lesse , whilest the subject is in a much worse condition . lawes we have indeed , but they are so little exercised , that shortly they will be buried in the places of those late risen fundamentals , which no man yet could ere discover where they lay ; when for the libertie of the subject , there is such good provision made , that whereas one gaole was enough for a whole countie , now there is more than one almost in every parish ; when the superscription of a letter ( and may be that fained too ) the information of a malitious neighbour , a fear , a jealousie , deprives many of their libertie , some of their lives ; most of their healths and fortunes ; when the petitioning for lawes established , and for peace ( without which we can enjoy neither lawes nor truth ) are become ( with the crime of loyaltie ) the onely things punished ; and with such a severitie that as no condition , so no age is spared ; the youth entring into the world , and having undergone the labour of an apprentiship , instead of being made free of the citie , are to serve again in a prison ; and those reverend aldermen , who have gone through the severall offices of london with honour , stooping under the weight of many yeares , and the infirmities thereof , have been drawn from their hospitable houses , ( and some from their beds , where extreme age had kept them many yeares before ) to loathsome prisons , from thence at midnight in cold and stormie weather , in a little boat to gravesend , and from thence to the unwholesome aire of some port-town , that they might not live long , to bewayle that banishment from their dear wives and children . and herein i acknowledge the greatest justice , for proprietie has no priviledge above libertie ; for being lately at london i found prisons and plundering went hand in hand , and it is worth the observing how these disbursements like hastie weeds , grew on a sudden to so great an height ; as first a gentle benevolence , then subscription , then sending in plate , next taxations by an order , at last the twentieth part by an ordinance ; besides those smaller diversions of under-writing for ireland , and spending it in this war , of gathering for the distressed protestants of that nation , and bestowing that charitie upon the ministers of our own , whose seditious sermons , had brought a just povertie upon them ; of sequestring estates and benefices , of taking portions , and keeping orphans upon publique faith , of seizing the stockes of churches , till by the same publique faith , they build or repair the same ; and doubtlesse were not my thoughts more for the generall , than my private interest , i might easily and by authoritie grow rich with the spoiles of that proprietie you seem to defend , and as others be gallant with the overplus taken for the twentieth part ; who likewise by an order take the coach-horses of persons of qualitie , and use them afterwards in their visits , and to tavernes for the service of the common-wealth . i had not made instance in so many particulars , but to justifie my selfe thereby to all the world for what i have now done , which upon these considerations will be rather approved than condemned , by any that have not wholly given up their reason unto faction , for doubtlesse dishonour is fixt upon levitie , ambition , cowardize , upon the persisting in that course which by conscience is declared unjust & irreligious . the breach of articles renders void all covenants , much more when that which is contracted for , is not onely altered but subverted . they were but pretences not realities i have hitherto served under , & justice and honour commands me to leave them . some souldiers take honour in so large a sense , that if they took pay under the turke they would not desert him : the comparison is not amisse : but sure where there is such an indifferencie , as to serve any for pay , religion is no part of their honour , but if they be of the mahometan perswasion , i shall not blame them to be true to that service , no more than i do those here , if their consciences tell them decencie and order is antichristian , and authoritie and magistracie heathenish : for certain i am , there is nothing more base and unworthy a gentleman and a christian , than to forsake the dictates of his own reason and conscience , to persist in an erroneous way , because he has already entred into it : if this false opinion of honour should be received as orthodox , it will be in the power of every subtle sophister , and cheating mountebanke , to ingage men for ever in ignoble actions , because they brought them once to an opinion that conduced thereunto . and lastly , whereas the end of war is peace , what hope can there be of a reconciliation , or that those that have got the regal and supreme power into their hands , should ever leave that which they have usurped , to resume that which they were borne to ; or that the officers of that armie should consent to a peace as long as they can have supplies of money : since that then a great part from being colonels and captaines , must again betake themselves to their aprons and shops , and instead of receiving pay , must bethinke themselves how to satisfie their beguiled creditours : for my part , i am borne to no inconsiderable fortune , and as i abhorre my name should be branded with treason , or that forfeited by a confiscation , so am i as loath we should ever be reduced to have a paritie in either ( which is aimed at ) or have both buried in the ruines of this miserable nation . i do protest , had none of these promises wrought upon me , yet the very sight of his majesties armie would have done it ; the discipline , unanimitic , and exact obedience thereof , the excellent conversation of so many gallant and noble personages who know no other emulation than that of honour , who dare do any thing but what is base , and ( on my soul ) daily expresse heartie desires of peace ( not out of any defect in the armie ) but to prevent the ruine , and procure the happinesse of their countrey . to conclude , what english gentlemen that ever heard of the ancient honour of this kingdom , or would preserve that of himselfe and familie , can tamely see our courage ( terrible sometimes to forreigne nations ) basely degenerate into a rebellion against our naturall prince , to whom malice it selfe can object no crime , and therefore casts upon him the faults of others , and since it cannot touch his person , quarrels at his crown : you see him powerfull at the head of his armie , and may see him glorious in his throne of peace , you ought not to doubt his justice , and ( if you will ) you may ( as i have done ) obtain his mercie . sir , i have freely told you my sense , if it hath any proportion to yours and so incline you to that effect it hath wrought in me , i shall take it ( next to the condition i am in ) as the greatest happinesse , and if i be so fortunate , since in these dangerous times you cannot safely convey it by letters , let me know it by your publishing this , whereby also you may happily benefit others , and certainly oblige your humble servant , r. k. finis . the wonderful, and most deplorable history of the latter times of the jews with the destruction of the city of jerusalem. which history begins where the holy scriptures do end. by josephus ben gorion whereunto is added a brief of the ten captivities; with the pourtrait of the roman rams, and engines of battery, &c. as also of jerusalem; with the fearful, and presaging apparitions that were seen in the air before her ruins. moreover, there is a parallel of the late times and crimes in london, with those in jerusalem. josippon. english. abridgments. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing j a estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the wonderful, and most deplorable history of the latter times of the jews with the destruction of the city of jerusalem. which history begins where the holy scriptures do end. by josephus ben gorion whereunto is added a brief of the ten captivities; with the pourtrait of the roman rams, and engines of battery, &c. as also of jerusalem; with the fearful, and presaging apparitions that were seen in the air before her ruins. moreover, there is a parallel of the late times and crimes in london, with those in jerusalem. josippon. english. abridgments. joseph ben gorion, ha-kohen, attributed name. howell, james, ?- . ibn daud, abraham ben david, halevi, ca. -ca. . fuller, thomas, - . [ ], , - , [ ] p., leaves of plates : ports. printed for john sims, at the sign of the kings head at sweethings alley end in cornhil, next the royal exchange, london : . a translation of abraham ben david, ha-levi's abstract, in book of his "sefer ha-kabalah", of the anonymous "josippon" or "yosippon". the latter has been misattributed to a joseph ben gorion, usually identified with joseph ben gorion ha-kohen but occasionally with flavius josephus. dedication to the city of london signed: james howel. dedication to sir john robinson signed: j.s. the portrait of josephus ben-gorion is signed: w sherwin fe. running title reads: the wars of the jews. quire c contains a character of the jews, and a prayer by thomas fuller. includes index. text continuous despite pagination. reproduction of the original in the cambridge university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes 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(tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng jews -- history -- b.c.- a.d. -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion titus vespatianus emperour of rome , conquerour of ierusalem , surnamed the delight of mankind , w.s. sc. the wonderful , and most deplorable history of the latter times of the jews : with the destruction of the city of jerusalem . which history begins where the holy scriptures do end . by josephvs ben gorion whereunto is added a brief of the ten captivities ; with the pourtrait of the roman rams , and engines of battery , &c. as also of jerusalem ; with the fearful , and presaging apparitions that were seen in the air before her ruines . moreover there is a parallel of the late times and crimes in london , with those in jerusalem . london , printed for john sims , at the sign of the kings head at sweethings alley end in cornhil , next the royal exchange . . to the honorable sir john robinson knight and baronet , lievtenant of the tower , and alderman of the city of london . honorable sir , this rare and remarkable piece of history , as it was dedicated before to the city of london in generall , because of the quality of the subject ; treating of the ruine of one of the most famous cities upon earth : so upon this review , and new edition , i take the boldness of dedicating it to you alone ; who are one of the eminent members , and ornament thereof ; as also being governor of that place , wherein lies her chiefest security . it was formerly dedicated to this city , in the highest brunt of the late civill confusions . and the noble author of the following epistle thought it very seasonable to do so , out of an express design to awaken , and warn her of her desperate condition at that time ; and it produced so happy effects , that it made such impressions upon the spirits of many of the best citizens , that they began to recollect themselves , and see their error ; the said author representing unto them , that the same crimes , and crying sins , which raigned in jerusalem before her last and utter destruction , were very rife then in london ; which were , the spirit of sedition , instable and stubborn rebellious hearts , their murmurings at government , and an itch after innovations . as also the defiling of their temple , the irreverence and comtempt of the priests , the violation of the tombs of the dead , with other acts of prophaness and sacriledge ; but principally the crucifying of the lord of life . the city of london was guilty at that time , of all these ugly and enormous crimes , and may be said to be lead all along by a true jewish spirit ; and concerning the last , viz. the crucifixion of our saviour , though no comparison may be made without a high prophaness , yet the manner of murthering charles the first , may be humbly said to bear a kind of analogy , and resemblance with it ; nay the jews ( whereof there are swarms now in this city ) will not stick to say , that it was a murther beyond theirs ; for , what they did , they did it out of blindness and ignorance : for they neither knew nor acknowledged him to be king of the jew : but the english did accuse , and arraign , they did condemn , and murther king charles by the name of their own king , the king of england . god almighty avert those further judgments which hang over us , as prayeth , honorable sir , your most humble servant , and fellow-citizen j. s. to englands imperial chamber the renowned city of london . to the right honorable the lord mayor , the right worshipfull the sheriffs , mr. recorder , with the court of aldermen , and common councel , &c. as among men , so there is a resemblance , and a kind of affinity among cities which are the mansions of men ; and a reverence due to some more then to others : carthagena in spain , doth acknowledge old carthage in africk to be her mother ; leyden in holland doth glory that she is allyed to lions in france , both of them bearing the name of lugdunum ; saragosa in aragon confesseth her self daughter to syracusa in sicily ; and london , by some antiquaries is called troynovant , as having been first founded by the trojans ; but of all the cities upon the earthly globe , jerusalem deserves most reverence , in regard our salvation was wrought and consummated in her ; in regard , that grand prepitiatory sacrifice for hum●…ne souls was offered in her : therefore , under favour i held it not improper to dedicat the history of this once so famous metropolis , to the flourishing city of london . in the holy bible , the most authentick patent of saving faith , there is a text which reflected upon the ●…ncient nation of the jews , and aymed only at their c●…ntry , viz. in jury god is known , &c. psal. . he was known indeed in that land by the multitude of his mercies , but afterwards by the severity o●… his judgments ; that race of people , partly because they were not co-labourers at the building of that mount of humane pride the tower of babel , were , for many ages , the objects of his favour , till they made themselves afterwards the subjects of his fury . and as the philosopher tels us corrup●…o optimi est pessima , or as we find that the sweetest wines become the tartest vineger ; so those heavenly indulgences turn'd to heavy indignations , those silver showers of extraordinary benedictions became black sto●…ms of vengeance . it is the method of divine justice to correct first w●…th rods , then with scourges ; and , if that will not do , with ●…corpions ; the jews felt all the three degrees ; and never was any people upon earth made greater examples of wrath th●… his own chosen inheritance , a peculiar people that mig●… have ●…m'd the right hand of primogeniture among the re●… of mankind . now , whoso●…ver desires to make reserches into the grounds of these sad dysasters , will find , it was their sedi●…ious proud spirits , their instable and stubborn rebellious hearts , ( which did them more mischief then the roman r●… , or any other destructive engines ) the defiling ●…f their temple , the violation of the tombs of the dead , with other acts of profaneness and sacriledg : but principally the rejecting and crucifying of the lord of life . for never any thing did thrive with them afterwards ; insomuch , that , if there were no other motive for the jews conv●…sion , the length of these beavy judgments under which they groan to this day , were ●…nough to do it ; and t is observed the length of these judgments doth often puzzle their intellectuals and put them at a stend ; f●…r some of their rabbies will stare and shrink-in their shoulders at it , and sometimes break out into a kind of confession , that their judgments could not last so long but for crucifying one that was more then a man ; besides , the punctuall accomplishment of our saviours predictions were sufficient to conv●…nce any rationall creature ; for , not long after , their land became a stage of blood , and all kind of barbarisms . their so renowned city , their temple and sanctum sanctorum so fam'd all the earth over was made level to the ground : and observable it is , that these judgments fell upon their temple at the highest time of holiness , at their passover or jubilee ; so that one might say , that season which was ordained for their salvation turned to their perdition ; moreover the very inanimate creatures , and vegetals , the very soil of the country became co-sufferers with them , being forc't to part with her plenty , as well as with her people ever since . from that time to this day , 't is well known what runagates , and land-lopers they have been up and down the world ; for although it is known there be many scores of thousands of them , d●…spersed and squandred here and there upon the surface of the earth , yet these straglers could never since grow to such an unity and coalition as might form the species of any setled government ; but they still shuffle and prog up and down , being no better then slaves wheresoever they take footing . moreover it is observed , that they apply themselves to the most sordid and servile conditions ; for commonly they are either lombardiers and brokers for the pettiest things , as far as a blew point : or they are gabeliers and tollmen , having some inferiour places in the custom-houses , a profession so undervalued , and held infamous by their ancestours : or they serve for spies and panders for intelligence , so that there be few great officers in turky , but have a jew for that purpose ; for they are known to be the subtilest , and the most subdolous race of people upon earth , as also the most fearfull and pusillanimous ; inso much that they are imployed no where in the wars , nor worth the making slaves of . now , the reason , why they are so far degenerated from their primitive simplicity and courage , is their frequent captivities , their desperate fortunes , the necessities and hatred they have been habituated unto from time to time . for no nation on earth hath been so generally contemned , both by christians and pagans ; witness one heathen poet among divers ot●…ers , in these hexameters , wherein there is an accumulation of so many base attributes cast upon them , tum judaea cohors infida , molesta , rebellis ; perfida , dira , ferox , perjura , ingrata , superba . now the moralists observe , that nothing doth depress and deprave ingenious spirits , or corrupt clear wits , more then scorn , and necessity ; nothing cowes them more then wan●… , and indigence ; — virtutibus obstat resangusta domi — . touching the ten tribes that were led captives beyond e●…phrates , the present jews know not what 's become of them ; yet they believe th●…y never became apostates or gentiles to this day . some there are , and those of the best rank of learned men , who hold , that the tartars of scythia , who about the year . or a little before , became first known to the rest of the world by that name , and hold at this day a great part of asia in subjection , are of the israelits progeny , namely , of those ten tribes , which were carried captive to assyria by salmanazar , and some of his predecessors . the first argument they pr●…duce , is , that the word tartari signifies in the syriak a residue , or remainder ; such as those tartars are supposed to be , of those ten tribes . secondly they alledge , that they have alwaies embraced the circumcision , the an●…ent character of jud●…ism . thirdly , they urge sundry texts in e●… 〈◊〉 proba●… hereof ; but this opinion hath found no 〈◊〉 entertainment , with the best sort of antiquaries . the jews of the tribe of benjamin ( they say ) are thos●… in italy , poland , germany , the turks dominions and all the levantine parts ; the tribe of judah , they hold to be setled in portugal , where , they will not stick to say , that some thousands families of their race are , whom they dispence with all to make a semblance of christianity , as far as the taking of investitures in holy orders . from hence they say their messias is to come ; of whom one may hear them discourse with such a relish , such a self-pleasing conceit and confidence that is wonderfull . this may be the reason why they instruct their children , and expound their law in the lusitanian language in their synagogues where women are not permitted to enter ; for they hold them to be of an inferiour creation to man , and made only for sensuall pleasure , and propagation . they much glory of their mysterious cabal , wherein they make the reality of things to depend upon letters , and words ; but they hold , that the hebrew hath the sole priviledge of this . this cabal , or kind of knowledg , which is nought else but tradition transmitted fr●…m father to son , & so from one generation to another , is , as they say , a reparation in some measure for the loss of our knowledg in adam ; and , they say , it was revealed four times : first to adam , who being thrust out of paradise ; and sitting one day very sad , and sorrowing for the loss he had of that dependency the creatures have upon the creator , the angel raguel was sent to comf●…rt him , as also to instruct him , and repair his lost knowledge ; this they call their cabal , which was lost the second time by the flood , and babel . then god discovered it to moses in the bush : the third time to solomon in a dream , whereby he came to know the commencement , the mediety , and consummation of times , whereof he composed many volums which were lost in the grand captivity . the last time , they hold , that god restored the cabal to esdras , ( a book they highly value ) who by gods command withdrew himself to the wilderness forty daies attended by five scribes , who in that space wrote . and four books ; whereof the first . were to be publikely read ; but the other seventy were to pass privately among the levites ; and those they pretend to be cabalisticall , and not to be all lost . concerning the present religion of the jews , there be three sects of them . the first , which is the greatest , are called the talmudists , in regard that besides the holy scriptures , they hold the talmud for authenticall , a book composed by their rabbines the second sect of jews , receive only the scriptures . the third , which is called the samaritan , and whereof there are but very few at this day , admit only of the pentateuch ; viz. the five books of moses , for authentick scripture . as , according to my former observation , this nation is grown cowardly , & cunning , even to a proverb , which must be imputed to their various thraldoms , contempt , and poverty ( which though it use to dastardize , and depress the courage , yet it whets the wit ) ; so besides these qualities , they are commonly leight , and gidd●…-headed , much symbolizing in humour with some of the apocalypticall zelots of these times , and bold expounders of daniel , with the other prophets ; whereby they use to sooth , or rather fool , themselves into some egregious fanaticall 〈◊〉 , which nevertheless passeth among them for an illumination . the first christian prince that expelled the jews out of his territories , was that heroick king , our edward the first , who was such a sore scourge also to the scots ; and it is thought divers families of those banish●…d jews fled then to scotland , where they have propaga●…ed since in great numbers ; witness the aversion that nat●…on hath above others to hogs-flesh . nor was this their extermina●… for their religion , but for their notorious cri●…es ; as 〈◊〉 of wels , ●…ounterfeiting of coins , fals●…fying of 〈◊〉 , and crucifying christian children , with other villanies . this hapned in the year . and sixteen years after , france followed our example : it was near upon . years after , that ferdinand dis-terred them out of spain , and five years after him , emanuel of portugal did the like . but the countries whence they were last expeld , was naples , and sicily , anno . in other parts of christendom they reside yet in great numbers , as in germa●…y high and low , bohemia , lituania , poland , and russia ; in italy also , they are found ; but in no country which is subject to the king of spain ; they live at rom every quietly under the pope's nose , and st. mark makes no scruple to entertain them at venice . in sundry places of the ottoman empire they are found very numerous ; so that it is thought , constantinople and thessalonica only , have near upon . thousand of them ; asia is full of them , as aleppo , tripoli , damascus , rhodes , and indeed all places of commerce , and traffick . there are numbers of them found also in persia , arabia , and about cranganor in india . and to come to africk , they have their synagogues and lumbards in alexandria , the grand cairo ; as also in fesse , in tremisen , and divers places in the kingdom of morocco . there are about one hundred families yet left in jerusalem . but that place where they are most unmingled is tiberias , which the turk gave to mendez the jew , for some signal services ; thither they oftentimes bring or send the bones of their dead friends , who have left large legacies , to be interred from other places . besides those various visible judgments which have fallen upon the nation of the jews , as the utter subversion of their temple , and city , with the slaughter of above eleven hundred thousand souls during titus siege ; besides the degeneration of their country , of that land which flowed with milk and honey , into such a barren condition ; besides their stragling confused course of life , with the generall contempt , and despicableness they fell into ; besides the abjection 〈◊〉 their spirits , and giddiness of their brains ; i say , besides all these changes upon their minds , it seems there is a kind of curse also fallen upon their bodies ; witness those uncouth looks , and odd cast of eye , whereby they are distinguished from other people . as likewise that rankish kind of sent no better indeed then a stinck , which is observed to be inherent , and inseparable from most of them above all other nations ; and i wish that england may not be troubled with that sent again . the occasion of these sad calamities which fell down in such catarracts upon the jews , the discerning reader shall discover in this ensuing story ; therefore very worthy of his perusal , in regard they may serve for cautions to all people not to provoke the high majesty of heaven by such kind of sedition and profaneness : they may serve as so many buoys to preserve them from sinking into such gulfs of miseries ; for if the naturall branches were not spared , how can the wild olive think to escape the fire of his displeasure ? so with my hearty prayers to heaven for the prosperity and welfare of this glorious city , and that she may take fair warning by these judgments , i rest your humble and ready servant . james howel . from the prison of the fleet . feb. . a brief description of asia , and the holy land. asia is twofold , the greater , and the less ; the less is a part of the greater , and is at this day called anatolia in respect of the eastern situation thereof from byzantium ; the greater , is now one of the four parts of the earth , by reason of the accession of america unto the former three ; before , a third part , and by the account of some , ( according as varro tels us ) one of the two parts of the same . for whereas they of late accounted europe , asia , and africa , until america or the new world was found out , others made afric●… a part of europe ; so the parts of the earth were europe , one , and asia the other , and no more . by neither of these two accounts doth asia get , or lose , any thing from the vulgar division ; only when the division is made into two parts , europe is a gainer . those which write of the name and etymology of asia , derive the word from asia a woman , daughter to oceanus and thetis , wife to iapetus , & mother to prometheus . this genealogy if it be taken according to the letter , there is no reason to suspect it fabulous , why any man of understanding should doubt it ; and yet if the meaning of the fable be searched into , it seems to carry in it this appearance of truth ; that asia , was named so from oceanus the sea , and thetis the water , or wife of the sea ; that in this part only of the world which before the deluge was peepled , came the flood and destroyed mankind by water , the reason of the etymology lying hid in the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 moisture . the bounds of this part of the eart●… are the aegean sea , the propont is , and black sea , palu●… m●…eotis , tanais , duina , which separate it from europe●… but it is parted from africk by the red sea , and isthmus●… of egypt . in the first ages of the world , this part of the●… earth was more renowned then europe , or any part thereof ; the affairs of europe were very mean , or at least in great obscurity , before xerxes expedition agai●…st greece , which was after the baby lonian captivity of the jews . but in asia was the wonderfull work of our creation , and of all other creatures wrought●… in thi●… part , our saviour wrought our redemp●…on , a●… shewed his miracles ; here was the glorious and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chaldoeans , signified by the image head in daniel , and that monarchy of by the arms and br●…t of silver the mac●…donian kingdom of bras●… was 〈◊〉 , in the greater asia , is ●…uated the land of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so from canaan the son of ham the son dwelt there ; al●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that peopled part of it : bu●… it was 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of promise because god prom●…sed tha●…land u●… 〈◊〉 posterity ; and the holy land , as the country in 〈◊〉 the holy people dwelt , which had the 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 , and priesthood . this 〈◊〉 lies in . 〈◊〉 northward from 〈◊〉 equinoct●… it is n●… 〈◊〉 ●… . miles long , nor doth the bread●… exc●…d accou●… 〈◊〉 . paces to a mile ; a co●…ry so frui●…full that the ●…pture from the mouth of god ●…lls us , that it was a land which flowed with milk and ●…ney , and tha●…●…his was the glory of all lands . before the children of israel drove out the inhabitants , it was governed by . kings ; and afterward it was divided into . kingdoms in the daies of rehoboam the son of solomon , david numbering the people of the land found the account to be thirteen ●…undred thousand men of war , excluding the benjamites , & the tribe of levi. the fruits of this land were these in special , balm , hony , spices , myrrhe , nuts , & almonds ; nor is their wheat to be forgotten , nor their oyl , with which they traded in the market of tyrus , besides the forenamed commodities , ezech. . . that it did excel in palm-trees strabo tels us , and the roman coyns which in their reverse represent a woman sitting in the gesture of a mourner under a palm-tree signifying judaea captivated . but the almighty , as he drove out and destroyed the nations which dwelt in this land before ; so did he afterwards his own people , because of the greatness of their sins , so that the land ( as he tels us by his prophet ) spued them out ; and turned part of this countrey whereabout sodom and gomorrah stood into slime pits , or the dead or salt sea ; when as before it was for pleasantness like to the garden of god ; even so did god deal with his own unthankfull and rebellious people : first he carried the ten tribes into bondage by salmanazer , who at this day are not to be found , the other two tribes , were carried away into babylon , where they indured . years captivity ; and last of all for rejecting and crucifying his own son the lord of glory , they have been destroyed , driven out of their own country , and continue as vagabonds thorow the whole world . and the fruitfulness of this goodly country doth scarce appear at this day ; according to that of the psalmist , psal. . , . he turneth rivers into a wilderness , and the water-springs into dry ground : a fruitfull land into barrenness , for the wickedness of them that dwell therein . no man hath observed the great increase of their seed , which isaac fonnd ( who sowed in that land , and reapt a hundred fold ) at this day ; the balm which justin the historian writes of , brought in their treasure , was a plant , not as some have thought , proper , or common to arabia ; but , as pliny notes , peculiar to the lan●… of judaea , or syria , as others call it ; and of that high price , that it was valued at an equall rate , and somtimes double to silver ; is now no where to be found . nevertheless , lest men should think in their foolish imaginations , that this land had never been such , as it is by the word of god himself commended to be , in some places there are certain marks and signs , of the ancient fertility thereof ; for in a certain plain divers miles long and broad , there is found such fruitfull pastures , that in so hot a country the gras●… is seen to grow in some places as high as a mans middle , in other places , as high as to the brest . but though the lord for a time hath cut off this his people , and turned their fruitfull land into barrenness ; yet he hath abundantly shewed , as in his word , that the fulness of the gentiles being come in , god will have mercy upon , and take into his favour this his ancient people , re-establish them in their own land in security , and , without all doubt , restore the land to its former fruitfulness . all which let us humbly pray to god the father , that for his infinite mercies in jesus christ , he will speedily accomplish , and turn the wilderness into a standing water , and dry ground into water-springs , amen . the first book of the warres of the jewes . the proeme . in the great volum of josephus , there were historicall narrations made of things , ●…s they had reference in chief , to the romans and other nations : this lesser piece or epitome rather , declares matters as they relate principally to the jews themselves , and the state of their common-wealth , from the macchabees unto their final subversion ; and ruine of the second house , therefore according unto those things that we have found in the book of joseph the priest , son of gorion , and in other books written according to most certain truth , we will draw forth and rehearse some things for the comfort that may thence arise , especially seeing all the prophets have bent and directed their prophesies and predictions to this point , that the kingdom of the house of david should be restored and and flourish in time to come . therefore if there had been any kings of the house of david during the time of the second temple , then should we have been in suspence , yea , even now already our hope had been dasht : but there was no kingdom of the house of david in that age , save only a certain dominion that zerrubbabel and nehemiah had . yea , rather the kingdom remaine at that time in the house of the machabees , and in such that were toward them , and their servants . but now to the purpose . chap. i. vvhen alexander the first king of the greeks had established his kingdom , he died , being yet but a young man , and his kingdom was divided among four of his captains , as it is written , whiles he is yet alive , his kingdom shall be broken and delivered into four coasts of the heavens , dan. . he left behind him a son of tender years , called archelaus , whose tutor or governour perceiving him to be toward , gave him impoysoned drink , and made him away . these captains made war one upon another , of whom one that was named ptolomy , procured m●…ses law to be translated into greek to the intent he might find some occasion to pick a quarrell against israel . for by their law he sought means to withdraw them from their religion , accord●…ng to psal. . many a time have they aff●…cted me from my youth up , may israel now say . there were seventy ancient men that translated the law , whom p●…olomy the king separate●… one from another , putting every man a part in a house by himself . but they all agreed in one sence , albeit they changed . places , which was not done without miracle , that they all agreed together in the meaning and writing , as though one alone had writ it . these places be these . first , god created in the beginning . here no word or thing is put before name of god , and also for that in the greek tongue , the thing that doth is put before , and that that is made , is placed after , least this word ber●…shith should be taken for a ●…reator , and e●…him for a creature . the second , i will make man according to the image and likeness , gen. . i , for we , that it should not be thought , as though he were one that consulted with other therein . the third , and god finished the sixth day and rested the seventh , gen. . 〈◊〉 for seventh , least it should seem as though he had made any thing in the seventh day , and in it ended his working . the fourth , go to , i will go down , and ●…here will confound their la●…guage , gen. . i , for we , least by speaking in the p●…all number , he should have been thought to be 〈◊〉 . the fifth , and sarah laughed , speaking to them that stood by her , gen. . with them that stood by her , for to her self , because ptolomy the king should not mock them , and say ; who shewed you what she said to her self . the sixth , because in their fury they killed an oxe , and in their will they brake the crib . gen. . crib for an oxe least the king should deride them and ask , what hath a man to do with an oxe . the seventh , and moses took his wife and his sons , and set them upon that that could bear a man , exod. . that that could bear a man , for an ass , least the king should delude our master moses , because he rod on an ass : and that he should not say , how should an ass bear a woman and two children ? he would never have done it , if he had not been a begger . the eighth , and the dwelling of the children of israel in egypt , and other lands , was . years , exod. . notwithstanding , they abode not in egypt but . years , and that is , that their father jacob told them : descend ye ( the letters of the which word in hebrew signify ) thither . furthermore , the computation of . years , is from the year that isaac was born , which was the holy seed unto abraham . the ninth , and unto the little ones of the children of israel stretched he not his hand , exod. . little ones for princes . as who would say , yea also unto their little ones he stretched not his hand . because he should not say , the great men escaped , but the children of the sons of israel escaped not . the tenth , i took of them nothing of value , numb . . of value for an ass . least he should say , he took not an ass , but he took one reward . the eleventh , which things thy lord god hath divided , that they may shine on all people , deut. . that they may shine is added . least he should take an argument thereof and say , loe the holy and blessed lord hath divided them to all people , and hath given them licence to worship them . the twelfth , he went and worshiped strange gods , which i commanded not to worship , deut. . to worship , is added . least he should say , now hast thou called them to strange worshiping of gods . the thirteenth , they translated an hare , little feet , because the kings wife was called hare , least he should say , the jews mock't me . when these seventy elders had translated the law into the greek tougue , ptolomy rejoycing much in their wisdom , honored them with princely apparel and great rewards , brought them home again , merry and glad . moreover he sent by them oblations to our god. at that time there were many that condescend to follow the laws of the grecians , but these seventy refused . not long after , captain sele●…cus , ptolomyes companion in office died , in whose stead antiochus reigned in macedonia . this antiochus making war upon ptolomy , bereft him of all his dominions , and slew him . after that , he subdued the land of israel then under the regiment of ptolomy , and waxed very proud . he hated israel also , because they loved ptolomy , and aided him in th●… wars against him . this is that antiochus that builded a great city upon the sea coast , and called it antiochia , wherein he made a golden idol , commanding that the children of israel should be brought unto it , and worship it . but some of them chose rather to suffer death for the religion of their god , and some other fell from the synagogue their mother church . before this he took away also their sabbath , their new moon , and league of circumcision : forbidding that in any wise they should observe these commandments in any place throughout all his dominions . for the which he put many of the israelites to death , and oppressed them more , then did ever any of their enemies or adversaries . the second man in honor next himself in jerusalem , was one polipus , he erected an image in the temple , commanding the people of israel to worship it : and whosoever was disobedient , to be slain . therefore he put to death hanna and her seven children , as it is mentioned in other places . when antiochus perceived this , it increased his hatred towards israel , insomuch that he did his endeavour that none of them should escape or be left alive , except such as would worship the image . then fled many of the israelites to the mount modiit , and to jericho , because of the law of polipus and antiochus his lord , having to their governour the high priest mattathias son of john , otherwise called casmoname . the priest enjoyned them to fast , and punish themselves before the lord with weeping sackcloth and ashes . and after this he saith unto them if ye will jeopard your lives for the holy lord , why dye we like women ? let us go and fight with polipus , and if we dye , we shall dye with honor : parad venture the holy and blessed god will help us , and will not root out the remnant of israel . to this counsel every man assembled , and made a covenant with him upon this thing . polipus hearing this , gathered his forces together , and made towards them to destroy them , and what israelite soever he found in his way , he slew him , mattathias the priest , and all the remnant of israel , understanding that polipus came against them , they went up the mount modiit with their wives and children . then put he himself and his sons in a●…or . he had five sons , judas the eldest , the next johonathan , the third joachan , the fourth schimeen , the fift , eleazar . all these were va iant men of war. when polipus came to them , he craftily spake to mattathias , saying : thou art one of the chiefmen in israel , and a man of honor and estimation . come down therefore , and all that be with thee , worship the image , and strive not against the king , that ye may live and not be destroyed . thou shalt be their prince also , if thou shalt be conformable . but the priest in no wise would be seduced by him , but rather cursed and reviled him . mattathias had an altar at the foot of the hill , whereupon when he had offered sacrifice to the most blessed god : there came one of the wicked israelites out of polipus camp , and killed upon it a swine . this villain was young and lusty , but the priest was old : yet when he saw what this lewd fellow had done , crying to his god to strengthen him , he challenged a combat between himself and the fellow . which thing being liked both of the fellow , and of polipus , with his whole army : mattathias came down with his drawn sword in his hand , and the fellow stood against him ready to receive him . but the priest rushing upon him , by the assistance of his god , overcame him , cut off his head , and cast his carcass upon the altar : whereat polipus and his whole hoast were much astonied beholding one another . the priest stood still by the altar , crying , which of you will come to me man for man ? then polipus picked out a strong champion , the best of all his army , and brought him out of the arreis of his hoast , to teach him his lesson , how he should behave himself with the priest. the priest therefore drew toward the camp with his naked sword in his hand , as though he came to joyn with their champion : but leaving him , he turned his sword upon polipus , struck of his head , and fled to the hill . then blowing their horns , and making a shout together , they rushed down upon the grecians camp . but when the grecians saw that their grand captain was slain , they fled , chasmoname and his sons with all israel followed the chase ; overthrew them , and made great slaughter . this done , mattathias the priest went to jerusalem , pu●…ified the temple , restored the worshipping of god , and commanded all that were born during the time of polipus to be circumcised , for by the means of his inhibition , they were uncircum●…sed . thus being established , he sate upon the throne of the kiugdom , and drove the greeks out of the land of israel . his kingdom endured one year , which was the . year from the building of the second house . after this he fell sick , and like to die , charged his sons to keep the observations of the lord , and to walk in his wayes : also to play the men against the grecians , for the religion of the lord. then brought he forth judas a tall man & a hardy , and placing him in the sanctuary , took a horn of oyl , and poured it upon his head , whereat the israelits clapped their hands , and gave a great shout , saying , god save the king , god save the king. soon after , judas gathered an army of israel , and made an expedition against the remnant of the greeks that were left in the holds of israel , and whatsoever he took in hand , god gave it good successe , notwithstanding , antiochus sent against him a puissant army , under the leading of one captain pelonius , against whom judas so warred , that the grecians went to wrack , for he espied his time when they were destitute of victuals , and speedily set upon them , beat them down handsmooth , and approached to captain pelonius ; slew the valiantest about him , yea , and him also . when antiochus heard this , he was in a great rage : wherefore he chose out a most valiant captain , called lysias , and sent him against jerusalem , with . horsemen , and footmen without number . judas having knowledge thereof , commanded a fast throughout all israel for three dayes , and afterwards took muster of all his army , and made over them captains of thousands , hundreds , fifties , and tens . these said to their souldiers , whosoever is afraid , &c. whereupon many of the people returned home , yet there remained . of such courage all , that one would not have run away for a hundred . lysias divided his hoast into three parts , committing them unto three captains , nicanor , bagris , and ptolomy : but after the israelits had once given a great shout , the lord beat down the greeks , so that the israelits destroyed nine thousand of their enemies , and spoiled the whole hoast , and they that remained alive , took themselves to flight . the next day king judas kept his sabbath , together with all israel in the temple , for the battel was upon the sixth day . the morrow after , the israelits returned to the spoil of those that were killed , and after to pursue other that were not able to resist : but they found none , for they were fled into astaroth karnaum . during the time of these wars , antiochus invaded the land of persia , for they had moved war against him , and done injury , wherefore he fought against him : but having the overthrow at their hands , he returned to antiochia with great shame , where also he found his armies with another dishonour and foil . wherewith he was in such rage , that he gathered together all the valiantest and best warriours in all grecia , yea all that were able to bear weapons , swearing he would bring with him such an army , that all the ground about jerusalem should not suffice them to stand upon , whom he would have with him , even for his footmen only : and he set forward his horsemen , with horses and wagons laden with all manner of munition for the wars ; as bows , shields , targets , swords , and spears , brestplates , and morions , besides a great number of elephants , and such , that twelve valiant men might fight upon one elephant , the elephants being to them as a fortresse . but king judas taking heart to him , put his trust in his god , and joyned battel with him . at length when he with the power of israel approached to the elephants , they ●…lew them down right , so that the elephants roared , the horses and all the beasts that drew the baggage and furniture , were very sore afraid . king antiochus also , being mounted upon his mare , and not able to sit her in her flight , was thrown down . his servants therefore finding him , took him up , and bare him a while upon their shoulders , and ( being a corpulent and grosse man ) they were not able to carry him further , but cast him down in the way . the lord had plagued him also and his whole host before with a dry scab , or rotten mattier , and with other most horrible diseases : therefore as he saw all these things , he confessed it to be the hand of god. whereupon he made a vow , that if he escaped , he would circumcise himself , with all his souldiers , and would convert them to the worshipping of the god of israel ; but god heard him not . he ●…ed therefore a foot as well as he might , and died by the way , through his grievous and sore diseases , and opiter his so●… reigned in his stead . king judas with all israel , returned with great joy to the house of the lord , offered sacrifice : and as they had laid wood upon the altar , and the sacrifice upon that , they called unto the lord , lovingly to accept their sacrifice , and in the mean space , fire came forth of the altar by its own accord , consuming the sacrifice and the wood , the like never chanced unto them to this day . this miracle was wrought the . day of the moneth elul , or august . the king made an expedition also into arabia , to war upon the people thereof , and made of them a great slaughter , brought them into subjection , and made them tributaries . in his return he set upon a great city of the greeks , wan it , and razed it . after that , he made a road into greece ten dayes journey , where came against him with a mighty army the chief man in king opiters realm , next his person : but judas discomfited him and all his people . from whence he went to the city sypolis , that was under the romans , where came forth to meet him godolias with a royal present , informing him that they had ever born the israelits good will , were their neighbours , and shewed them pleasures . the king examined the matter , and found their words true : so receiving their presents , departed thence . after this gorgorius a captain of the romans , moved war with judas , but judas struck a battel with him , and destroyed his whole army , so that none escaped . opiter son of antiochus , hearing what acts iudas ●…d in all countries round about : he mustred all his people , levyed a puissant army , wherewith he came and besieged bethar . then cryed iudas and all israel to their god with fasting and sacrifices . the night after , iudas divided his men into certain bands , commanding them to give the grecians a camisado , and to enter their camp whiles it was dark : which they did , and slew very many of the best of the grecians , about . preparing neverthelesse for the field against the morrow , where also the israelites did beat down many of the greeks . in that battel was slain eleazar son of mattathias the kings brother . for when he espied one with a golden sword upon the elephant , he thought him to be king opiter , who had . elephants in his army ; therefore he took heart to him , and beat down the souldiers of the greeks on both sides were they never so strong , till he came to the elephant . and because the elephant was so high that he could not reach them that sate upon him , he thrust his sword into the belly of the beast , to overthrow the king , whereat the elephant shrunk together and fell upon eleazar , that he died there , for whose sake all israel mourned , and made great lamentation . but opiter hearing this , straightway made suite to king iudas for peace , and a league to be made between them , which after iudas had consented unto , he returned home into greece again , and by the way fell into the hands of his enemies that slew him . after him succeeded demetrius , his enemy , who was the cause of his death . there were at that time , certain evil disposed persons of the jews , that served the king of the grecians in his wars , namely , one alkimus who went to the king of the greeks at that time lying at antiochia , and stirred him to move war upon israel , and king iudas . by whose suggestion demetrius sent against iudas a captain called nicanor , with a strong army . h●… now coming to jerusalem , let iudas understand tha●… he bare him good will , and was desirous to make peace , and to enter into a league with him . therefore as iudas came forth accompanied with his brethren the sons of chasmoname , nicanor met him in the way , imbraced him , and kissed him : after that , led him to his pavillion , and set him upon his pavillion , and set him upon his seat of honour . king iudas a●…so after he returned from the camp , made unto n●…canor a great feast , calling him and his noble men with him into jerusalem , where they eat and drank at the kings table . king iudas was yet unmarried , wherefore n●…canor moved him to take a wife , that he might have issue , and not loose his succession , whose counsel iudas allowed . this done , the ●…ewd pick thank alkimus declared to king demetrius the league that nicanor had made with king iudas : whereat d●…metrius being wroth , writ unto nicanor , that he had intel igence of his traiterous practises . nicanor was in jerusalem when this letter was delivered him . when iudas heard of the contents of the letter , he fled out of jerusalem into samaria , where he sounded a trumpet , and gathered israel together . nicanor upon these letters entred the house of the lord to seek judas , but he found him not . then he examined the priests , who sware they knew not what was become of him . after he had now sought him in every corner throughout jerusalem , aud could not find him , in a fume he sware he would beat down the temple : and gathering together all his host , he made speed against judas . when he heard of nicanors coming , he issued out of samaria to met him , and after they had joyned battel , judas slew of the greeks to the number of eighteen thousand horsemen , took nicanor alive , and was intended to kill him . but nicanor besought pardon of him , alledging that the king knew well enough , that he began not this battel with his good will , but left he should transgresse the commandment of the king his master . wherefore ( saith he ) i humbly beseech your majesty not to kill me , and i will sweare unto you , that i will never bear arms against you , nor annoy you any more . upon this the king made a league with him , and dismissed him . so he returned to the king his master with shame enough . after this demetrius died , and lysia his son raigned in his stead ; yet the wicked men ceased not , but moved against king lysia to make a voyage in his own person , with a puissant army against judas : but having the overthrow of king judas , he fled unto asdotum , till he had strongly repaired again his army . then came he the second time upon judas , in which conflict the israelites were put to flight . king judas notwithstanding , fled neither one way nor other , but called to his men , and exhorted them to return and stick to him , yet they would not obey him . so he abod alone with his drawn sword in his hand , unto whom none of his enemies durst approach nigh , but with chariots and horsemen they environed him , and archers shot at him , wounding him sore , till he fell down dead upon the ground , and they that were about him were taken alive . the time that he reigned over israel was six years . many of the greeks captains were slain also in that battel , and the king himself so wounded , that he was fain to get him into his country to be cured of his wounds . after he had recovered his health , he returned again , came to jerusalem , and to all the cities of israel , with the power of the greeks , wherewith he so afflicted them at that time for the space of four moneths after the death of judas , that the like tribulation was never seen in israel . in the mean season , the israelits resorted to ionathas the son of mattathias , and made him king in iuda's stead , and were sworn unto him . this ionathas fought d●…vers great battels against the greeks , having the aid of one samnus of the kindred of alexander the first , who had made a league with ionathas , and took his part against grecia , wasted and spoiled it sore , till at length , the king of the grecians slew ionathas by a train . his reign over israel was six years . then was simeon his brother king in his stead ; against him came antiochus the second , king of the grecians came to war ; but simeon met him and laid first and an ambush to entrap the greeks , and then ordered his battel in array against antiochus . after that , he with his whole host made a face , faining as they fled , and retired , till they perceived antiochus , who pursued them , to be within their danger , then the ambush brake forth upon the greeks , made a very great slaughter . after this , simeon returned to jerusalem with great joy . then sent ptolomee king of egypt , an embassage to simeon king of israel , offering him his daughter in marriage . to this request when king simeon had consented , ptolomee came to jerusalem , where was made him a great feast , and they were allyed together . whereupon antiochus king of the grecians writ to ptolomee king of egypt , privily to murther simeon king of israel . whom ptolomee durst not but obey , for at that time the king of egypt was in subjection to the greeks . therefore when simeon came into egypt to see his father in law ptolomee , he was received with great feasting : but in the same time he had poison given , that he died thereof . besides this also , his son which came with him , ptolomee cast in prison . these things justly chanced unto simeon , for that he had transgressed the word of the lord , that forbad all alliance with the gentiles . the time that he reignover israel , was eighteen years . then john his son reigned in his stead , who was called hircanus in the greek tongue . the same-ptolomy king of egypt invaded israel with all the power that he could make . but john the son of simeon met him , and the lord overthrew ptolomy with his whole host , that they were slain of the israelites , and pursued to the city dagon , about which time the israelites made trenches , and besieged it . now within the town they had the mother of king hircanus , whom ptolomy caused to be set upon the walls , and to be scourged with whips in the sight of her son . when hircanus saw the great affliction of his mother , he would have raised his siege , and departed from ptolomy . but his mother called unto him , and said , my dear son john , regard not my trouble , for all chastenings come from god. proceed manfully with thy siege against this city , for it is in great distresse , and revenge me , thy father and brother murthered by ptolomy . the king followed her advise , and manfully raised a mount , from the which he battered the walls with engines of iron like chariots , till they began to shake . wherefore many of the souldiers of the town fled , and their companies began to shatter , ptolomy seeing this , commanded to afflict his mother yet more , and to increase her scourgings , until the entrails of hircanus was moved , that he could not abide longer to see his mother so cruelly handled , but leave the siege , and let ptolomy escape : who neverthelesse killed his mother , and fled into egypt . in the fourth year of king hircanus reign , pius king of greece came and besieged jerusalem with a great power and strength , whom hircanus was not able to meet and encounter withal in the field , but suffered himself to be closed up in the city . the king of the grecians therefore raised great towers against the city , apart from the wall , digged a trench , and cast up a mount . then planted they their engins named p●…ams against the gates , so that the city was hard besieged : for they beat down one of the turrets that stood upon the wall , whereat all israel was afraid , and agreed together to issue out , and skirmish with them , whatsoever should come thereon , life or death . which although hircanus liked not , yet they did so , and slew many of their enemies , and put them also to flight that they were constrained to encamp themselves further off from jerusalem . then the israelites came to the towers that the greeks had builded , and razed them to the ground . thus they issued out daily , skirmishing with pius , until the feast of the tabernacles . then sent hircanus to pius , desiring him that he would grant them truce , and let them be at peace while the feast lasted . his request pius granted , and sent a fat oxe to be offered to the god of israel , covering his horns with beaten gold , and dressing him with fillets of christal , & other precious stones , clad also in a garment of purple , and divers other precious cloaths . he sent moreover plate , both of silver , and gold , full of divers kinds of spices , all to be offered unto the lord. when hircanus saw this , he went out unto pius , and after he had made peace with him , he made him and his chief men of war a great feast , and gave him a present of i●…i c. pound weight of gold : he went also with pius to aid him against the king of persia , that at that time rebelled against him . but he tarried there not long , because the time of pentecost was at hand . wherefore hircanus and the host of israel returned ; but pius and his army of the grecians proceeded . whom the king of the persians met in the field , slew pius himself , and vanquished the residue , that almost none remained . vvhereof when tydings came to hircanus he was very glad , and returned to jerusalem with peace and joy . after this , hircanus made many great battels with the nations about him , and had ever victory . he also came to the mount of corizim , where he won a fort of the sectaries and samaritans , and razed the temple that the sectaries had there as their house of sanctuary , which they builded by the licence of alexander the first king of the greeks . he that built it was manasse the priest , brother to simeon the just . but hircanus the high priest pulled it down two hundred years after that it was builded . from thence he went to the gity of samaria and besieged it . this was the m●…ther city of the samaritans , and sectaries , which was brought to such distresse , by the long siege of hircanus that they within were fain to eat the carcases of dogs . the feast of propitiation then at hand , hircanus made speed to jerusalem to execute his office at that feast , ( for he was high priest ) appointed for generals of his army , aristobulus his eldest son , and his second antigonus . in the mean season , they within the town writ to the king of greece , to come to succour them , which he did with a great power . but these two young men the kings sons , went to meet them with the strength of the israelites , and gave them the overthrow , killing them up almost every one , to the number of twenty one thousand fighting men , and the rest fled . that done , the young men returned to the siege of samaria . king hircanus their father , had tidings of the coming of the grecians against his sons , so that he perceived they should have the grecians of the one side of them , and the samaritans and sectaries of the other : but he knew nothing what was hapned , for that victory chanced the ninth day of tisre , or september . his heart therefore was careful for his sons , and for israel ; notwithstanding he proceeded in his office according as the feast required : as he entred into the house of sanctum sanctorum , or the most holiest , to offer incense , and to call for mercy for his children and for his army , he heard a voice speaking unto him : never trouble thy mind with thy children , and with the host of israel , for yesterday the lord of mercy heard them , and according to the greatnesse of his goodness , for thy fathers sakes : let thy heart therefore be right , and thy hands pure . so the king going out of the sanctuary , declared it to the people . whereupon the next day he sent post to samaria and was assure dry certified again that this was true . vvherefore king hircanus was magnified greatly of all israel , for they knew that the blessed lord accepted his doings , inspiring him with the holy ghost , and increasing his kingdom and priesthood . after this he took journey to samaria , besieged it a whole year , and at length wan it , slew all also that bare life within . he razed the walls , the palace , and burnt up the city . he had wars also with the romans , and the arabians : and god prospered all that ever he took in hand . shortly after , god gave him rest and quietnesse from all that dwelt about him , and from all his enemies , so that israel rested boldly in peace and tranquility all his time . on a time the king made a feast to all the sages of israel , that they might make cheer with him . and being pleasantly disposed , he said , i am your scholler , and whatsoever i do , that do i by your authority . wherefore i pray you , if you see any fault in me , or if i do not as becometh me , tell me of it , that i might reform my evil way . then every man greatly extolled and commended him , saying ; who is like unto thee , our lord king , so worthy of the kingdom 〈◊〉 priesthood , so notable in good works , whose works be done for the god of heaven , which hast also done us so much good in israel ? the king was well pleased with their answer , and rejoyced greatly . yet was there one among them , an undiscreet man , called elezaar , who spake unadvisedly to the king . and it please your majesty , it were sufficient for you to have the crown of the kingdom , ye might leave the crown of the priesthood to the seed of aaron , for as much as your mother was captain in mount modiit . incontinent the king was moved and sore displeased against the sages : which certain of his servants that hated the sages , and smelled somewhat of sects , perceiving one of them , informed the king that whatsoever that undiscreet person had spoken , it was not without the advise of the sages . whereupon the king demanded of the sages , what law shall that man have that in despight of the king speaketh things to his reproach ? they made answer , he is worthy to be whipt . then said one of the saducees , the matter is plain , that according to the minds of the sages , and at their bidding , he upbraided thee , and therefore they would not award him to die . whereat the king held his peace , and gave never a word to answer : so all the joy was turned into sadnesse . the next day at the commandment of the king , proclamation went to all the cities in the kings dominions , that they should stand to the ordinance of saboch and bithus : and whosoever should refuse to follow their decrees , or would observe the traditions of the sages , and obey their will , should suffer death . this was john the high priest , which had the priesthood forty years , and in the end became a saducee . notwithstanding the israelites obeyed not the kings commandment , but rather privily followed the ordinances of the sages . the king himself and all his servants followed the traditions of the saducees , making inquisition for them that stuck to the constitutions of the sages , and putting to death as many as he could get knowledge of . by this means he drew much people of israel into this opinion . the time that hircanus ruled over israel , was . years , and then he died . after him reigned his son aristobulus , for he had three sons , aristobulus , antigonus , and alexander ; this alexander was hated of his father , and banished out of his presence . he went therefore and made war upon tyre and sidon , subdued them , and compelled them to be circumcised . aristobulus regarded not the high priest-hood , but set light by it , wherefore he would not execute the office thereof , but took the kingdom upon him , and set the crown upon his head , and was called the great king. besides this , he banished his mother , and alexander her son , his younger brother , and would not suffer them to dwell in jerusalem . but he loved his brother antigonus , and made him lieutenant general of all his wars , setting him forward into the wars against his enemies . wherein the young man antigonus had good fortune , and prospered in all things that he took in hand , and returned safe to jerusalem , where he entred into the house of the sanctuary to pray for his brother the king , which at that time was grievously sick : and also to acknowledge before the lord god , his goodnesse and mercy towards him , in that he aided him against his enemies . then came a certain wicked person unto the king , and informed him with this tale : thy brother ( saith he ) returning from the wars , inquired of thy health , and when it was told him thou wast sick , he said , i will go to him to day and rid him out of the world . when the king heard this , he was wroth toward the sages , and commanded his brother to be apprehended , and carried to the place of starton , there to be kept in prison , till he had made further inquisition of this matter . in the mean space the queen , the kings wife , commanded him to be put to death there , without knowledge of the kings mind . but when the king heard that his brother was killed , he cryed out and wept bitterly , smiting his breast in such sort with his hand , that he swouned , and much blood issued out of his mouth . he reigned over israel two years . after him his brother alexander reigned , who was also called , king janai , being brought out of prison , where his brother had put him , and made king of israel . he was a mighty man , and valiant in all his wars against his enemies , prevailing against them . he had wars with the philistims namely asam and ascalon , whom he put to the worse , and overcame them . this man refused not the priesthood , but was high priest. it chanced on a time , when he stood at the altar to offer sacrifice , one of the sages cast a cedar tree on him , whereat he lifted up his right hand upon the altar crying give me my sword . then the sages kneeled down before him , and sware they did t not of any contempt but rather ( say they ) that we thus sporting before the lord , would be merry upon the high solemn day . but the kings servants answered roughly again , saying ; although ye play and rejoyce , yet it is not the manner of the country to use any such despightfull custome with the king. the contention waxed hot against them , till at length the sages spake evil of the king , casting in his teeth that he was an unhallowed and suspended person , and that his grand-mother on the fathers side was a captain in mount modiit , whereby her seed was stained . the king was sore moved at that , insomuch that he commanded all the sages to be slain . therefore , wheresoever they found them , in the sanctuary , or in the streets of jerusalem , they killed them forthwith . then the king commanded that every man should obey the governance and traditions of the saducees . so in those daies had the sages great tribulation , some fell on the sword , some fled away , and some tarried at home with great dishonor . after these matters , the king made an expedition into arabia , entred the country as far as the rock of the wilderness , against hattam king of arabia and subdued his land . after that , he warred on medaba and the whole land of moab , vanquished them , and bringing them under tribute , and so returned with honor to jerusalem . when he had after this well bethought him of his doings , it repented him of his evil waies : wherefore he altered his mind and began to make much of the sages , submitting him to their ordinance , and esteemed their traditions . there was at that time a kind of sect that were called pharisees , of whom such as had escaped , the king sent to call them home again , and when they came into his presence , he spake unto them words of comfort saying , my brethren , ye shall understand , that the thing which is once done , must needs be tearmed as it is , and cannot be revoked . and truth it is , you cannot excuse the reproach that ye did me , nor i cannot call again the blood that i have shed . notwithstanding i confess my fault unto you , and have changed my indignation to love , praying you to put out of your heart all rancor and malice , lay away all your mourning and sorrowfulness of your minds , rejoycing in your reconciliation and atonement with me , and be of good cheer . but they made him answer : we will not lay away our hatred and enmity , for thou speakest but deceitfully , and we speak that is truth . furthermore , thou hast killed our chief men and elders , neither hast thou only done us this injury : but as hircanus thy father began this mischief , so thou hast holden on and continued it . wherefore this hatred between thee and us hath taken some root , neither can we leave our lamentation till thou dye , and god take vengeance on thee for our sakes . then shall we rejoyce when we see vengeance . so they departed from his presence , neither did the king give them any answer at all . but when they saw the king to be incensed against them and by that means the matter might redound to their own harm , after consultation had , they went to the king of greece , whose name was demetrius , shewed him what hircanus and alexander his son had don to the pharisees , and all the israelites that bare them good will , and followed their traditions , and how they also hated alexander , for the mischief that he had wrought them , so that if any man will come and revenge the malice of alexander , they would be ready to aid him . demetrius followed their advice , and assembling together all his people , to the number of . horsemen , and footmen without number , he took his journey , and encamped against sichem . the king alexander raised six thousand horsemen to aid him . but the king of the grecians writ privily to the antients of the sectaries , that they should not aid alexander ; to the souldiers also that alexander had hired , he sent rewards , gold and silver , that they returned home to their country , and aided not alexander , whereupon he was not able to withstand demetrius . therefore hearing that demetrius was removed from sichem toward jerusalem , intending to take him in the city , he fled by night with a few of his men to the mountains , and lurked there . when the men of israel that were in judea , heard that the king was fled out of jerusalem , and that the city was in fear to come into the hands of the grecians : they gathered themselves together , and stood for their lives , as though all had been one man , to the number of ten thousand and s●… upon demetrius camp , killed all his best men of war , and spoiled all his host , that he fled from them , and came home into his country with great dishonor . this done , the king took heart to him , and returned to his kingdom , but the pharisees fled to bethshemes , fortifying themselves against the king , who having intelligence thereof , gathered a●… army and went against them , won the city , and took , of the chiefest pharisees , bound them in chains , and brought them to jerusalem . then banqueted he all his servants upon the roof of his pallace in a high place , where his learned peers did eat and drink , till they were drunk . and in his merry mood he commanded those eight hundred pharisees prisoners to be fetcht forth , and to be hanged every man of them upon gallowses before him , at which sight he drunk and laughed heartily . after this he fell sick in the four and twentieth year of his reign , of a grievous disease , a quartain ague , that held him three years ; and for all this he shrunk not nor letted to go to the war to encounter and fight with his enemies , what nation soever they were round about him , as though he had been a whole man. in the . year of his reign , which was the third of his sickness , he made an expedition into the land of moab , against a certain city called rabaga , to get it by force . at which time he was very sick and weak ; wherefore his wife alexandra the queen went with him , fearing least he should dye by the way . and as he encamped himself ●…gainst the city , and urged it sore with assaults , his fickness increased upon him more and more . wherefore his wife , perceiving that he was like to dye , wept bitterly for him , and said ; to whom shall i be so bold as to shew my face when thou art once dead , seeing thou hast wrought such mischief against the pharisees , whom all the land favoureth , and following their traditions , obey their instructions ? if they shall be disposed to revenge themselves upon me and thy young children , they shall have aid of all that dwell in the land. the king answered , weep not , nor shew any resemblance of pensiveness : i will tell thee what thou shalt do , and if thou wilt follow my counsell , thou shalt prosper and raign , thou and thy children as thou wouldest desire ; put case i dye , there is no man in the world need know thereof : tell thou every man therefore that ask for me that i am sick , and will not that any man shall come at me . in the mean while anoint and season me with balms fight with courage against this city , till thou win it , and then return to jerusalem with joy : and beware thou put on no mourning apparrell , nor weep , but bring me unto jerusalem , and lay me on a bed like a sick man , and after call together the chief of the pharisees , bring them where i am , and speak unto them gently in this sort : alexander hath been ever your enemy , i know it very well : wherefore take him if ye list , and cast him into the fire , or to the dogs , or bury him it shall be at your choise : i know well they are pitif●…ll men , and so full of mercy , that they will bury me honorably , and appoint some one of my sons whom they like best to be king. the queen did therefore as she was instructed of the king. and when she had won rabaga , she joyfully returned to jerusalem : after that gathered together the elders of the pharisees , and spake to them as the king had advised her . the pharisees hearing that the king was dead , and that his body was in their hands to do withall what they list , they answered the queen , god forbid , we should do this unto our lord , the anointed of god : he was the king and high priest ; what though he were a sinner , yet his death shall be an expiation for all his iniquities . therefore we will bewail him , and mourn for him , yea , we will carry his coffin our selves on our necks , and bury him as it becometh a kings majesty , and so they did . the time that he had raigned was xxvii . years ; after him raigned his wife alexandra in his stead ; for the pharisees after they had finished the seventh day of the morning , they committed the kingdom unto her . she had two sons by the king : the elder was called hircanus , the other aristobulus , hircanus was a just man and a righteous , but aristobulus was a warriour and a man of courage ; besides that of a familiar and loving countenance . he favoured also the learned men and followed their instruction . but hircanus his elder brother , loved the pharisees . on a time therefore when the queen sate in the throne of her kingdom , she cal'd the antients of the pharisees before her , honored them , and commanded to release and set at liberty all such pharisees as the king her husband , and her father in law had cast in prison , and taking the pharisees by the hands she commanded all israel to obey their ordinances . then made she hircanus her son high priest , and aristobulus lieutenant of the wars . she sent also to all the lands that her husband and father in law had subdued , and demanded the noble mens sons for pledges , which she kept in jerusalem . so the lord gave to the queen quietness from all that were under her subjection . she gave also the pharisees authority over the learned sort , putting them in their hands to order at their will. whereupon straight way they found one dogrus , a great man amongst the learned sort , whom they slew , and much people besides of the ancients of that sect , so that the sectaries were in great distress . they gathered themselves together therefore , and came to aristobulus the lieutenant of the wars , and with him they came to the queen , saying unto her : thou knowest the enmity that is between us and the pharisees , which hate thy husband and father in law , yea , and thy children also . we were his men of war that went with him in all his affairs , aided him , now thou hast given us into their hands to be murthered and banished out of the land : what will hartam king of arabia do , when he heareth this , that we shall forsake thee ? he will come and revenge him of all the battel that thy husband fought against him . yea , the pharisees will take his part , and deliver thee and thy children into his hands , that there shall not be left unto hircanus the king , and his son alexander thy husband , any name or remnant at all . the queen gave them no word of answer ; whereat aristobulus was angry , and letted not to utter it to his mothers face , but she would not hear him . wherefore aristobulus counselled the sectaries to go their waies , and depart out of jerusalem , to choose them cities in the land of juda , where they might dwell with their honor , and not to suffer themselves to be slain under the pharisees hands . wherefore departing from jerusalem , they dwelt in the cities of juda : not long after this , it fortuned the queen fell fore sick , that she was like to dye , whereof when aristobulus heard , he feared least the pharisees would make his brother hircanus king , and at length apprehends him , wherefore he fled away by night to the ci●…y of the saducees to be their head , and make war upon his brother if he should presume to raign . he came therefore to the prince of the saducees called galustius , who was a good man of war. and after he had gathered a strong army of the saducees , his mother the queeen sent unto him that he should return unto her , which he would not do , but rather went to war with the nations that dwelt about him , where he won twenty cities , and got him great renown thereby . now as the queen his mother waxed sicker and sicker , the chief pharisees came unto her , with her son hircanus , weeping before her , and saying , how they were afraid of her son aristobulus , who if he should come into jerusalem and take it , he would deliver them up into the hands of the saducees . unto whom she answered , i am as you see at the point of death , not able to talk much with you : there is here in my house great treasure , that my husband and my father gathered , and their parents , kings of the posterity of chasmonany , take that to you , and make my son hircanus king over you . if aristobulus will disturb him , and make war against him , ye may leavy men of war therewith , and succour him as you think good . and even with this she fainted and dyed , and was buried amongst her people , after she had raigned nine years over israel . the pharisees therefore and priests , with all the inhabitants of jerusalem , made hircanus her son king in her stead . aristobulus hearing tidings of these things , assembled his army and came toward jerusalem , to fight against his brother . but hircanus met him , and encountred with him nigh unto jordan jericho . the saducees of aristobulus host were good men of war , and too strong for the pharisees : wherefore hircanus and the pharisees , had the overthrow at aristobulus and the saducees hands , who with this victory proceeded forth to jerusalem , besiege●… it , and brought it to great distress . wherefore the priests and the ancient of the people consulted together , and came forth to aristobulus , fell prostrate on the earth before him , and besought him , that he would not scatter abroad the inhabitants of the lord. he condescended unto their desires , upon these conditions ; that he should enter into jerusalem with them and be king , and his brother hircanus should be high priest ; whereupon they agreed . then as aristobulus entred into jerusalem , his brother came out of the sanctuary to meet him , and with embracing he kissed him . so aristobulus was king , and hircanus executed the office of the high priest ; the lord also gave israel rest and peace for a while . but afterward the lord sent an evill spirit among them , which was the cause of translating the kingdom from the stock of chasmonany , and of the destruction of his posterity , for the sin of hircanus the great , and the sin of alexander his son , in that they shed so much innocent blood , and drew israel from the obedience of the prophets , unto the lies and trifles of the saducees . for thus it chanced . the saducees beat into aristobulus head , that as long as his brother hircanus lived , he nor his kingdom could never be established . whereupon aristobulus devised how to make away hircanus : which thing a certain man called autipater was aware of , a man of most power in all israel , and thereto also a wise , expert , and learned in all wisdom ; both in the laws , and in the knowledge of the greek ; just of his word , and prudent in any strange or new matters chanced . his off-spring was not out of the children of israel , but of those romans which chanced to be vanquished ; and become subject under the dominion of the israelits , being but strangers , and of no noble house in israel . he had foure sonnes , joseph the eldest , the next p●…silus , the third herod , and the fourth pheroras ; these had also a sister called salumith . antipater favoured hircanus so entirely for his justice , and uprightness sake , that he opened unto him his brother aristobulus , and the saduces intent , giving him counsell to flye to hartam , king of arabia : but antipater himself went before to break the matter to hartam , of whose coming hartam was very glad . then antipater declared to him how harcanus was in mind to flye unto him , because of aristobulus his brother : if thou w●…lt help him ( saith he ) and lend him speedy aid , thou shalt easily set aristobulus beside the kingdom ; for all israel is inclined to hircanus , and favour not aristobulus : hartam answered , i am afraid of the jews , and their craftiness ; alexander his father put me thrice to the foil in battel by his subtilty , and took my dominions from me . then antipater swore unto him , he shall be ( saith he ) thy true and trusty friend , to do whatsoever thy heart desireth . thus hartam was perswaded , and they made a league together . then antipater turned to jerusalem , caused hircanus to flye in the night ; and they both went together to the king of arabia , who much rejoyced at hircanus coming , and received him honorably . when they came together to intreat of the league , hartam demanded restitution of such cities as hircanus father had taken from him , to whom hircanus consented in all things . wherefore hartam raised all the people of arabia , and led them to jerusalem to war upon it . to hircanus also came all the men of juda , save only they that dwelt at jerusalem : so betwixt them they beset the city round about . it fortuned that in the solemnity of the pa●…seover , they could not have their service of the solemnity in the holy place , because of the wars ; whereupon a certain just and perfect man of the town , called honyauriga , brake out privily into the camp of hircanus , and antipater his counseller , and besought them with much prayer and tears , that they would grant a truce unto jerusalem , while the feast of sweet bread lasted , that they might execute the service of solemnity in the holy place ; to whom hircanus said , thou art a just man , and often when thou hast prayed , the lord hath heard thee , pray now therefore unto the lord , to deliver aristobulus into our hands , and that israel may rest : honyauriga answered , am i a god ? or able to remove battels that be stirred up for many mens iniquities ? thus when he seemed to be unwilling to pray , hircanus men compelled him , drawing their swords , and saying , it thou wilt not pray , thou shalt dye for it . therefore as he saw his life in jeopardy , he cryed unto the lord , o lord everlasting , which hast chosen thy people israel out of all people , and hast set thy name in his house , may it please thy majesty to plant among the children of israel friendship and brotherhood ; take away from ●…mong them this hatred which is risen of nothing , and let not the one of these factions , prevail against the other , seeing they all be thy servants , and children of thy covenant . when the servants of hircanus heard him say so , they ran upon him with their swords , and killed him : but god deferred not his vengeance , for he struck the host , as well of the arabians , as of hircanus , with a grievous pestilence . chap. ii. at the same time came from rome a famous captain called pompeius to war against the country of armenia : this pompeius sent one of his chief men to damasco , of whom , as aristobulus ( thus besieged ) had heard , and that an army of the romans was come to damasco , he sent him a present of four hundred pound weight in gold , desiring him to remove the army of the arabians from him , and to raise the siege . in those daies all the world obeyed the romans . that captain therefore writ unto hartam king of arabia in this wise : depart from jerusalem , if not , thou shalt understand , thou hast broke thy league with the senate of rome , and the whole army of the romans shall shortly invade thy land. hartam on the sight of this letter , raised his fiege , and departed from jerusalem . hircanus also and antipater departed with shame and reproach . aristobulus upon that gathered a power , and pursued after them , gave the arabians and israelites that took hircanus part a great overthrow and after returned to jerusalem with much joy . shortly after pompeius came to damasco , where aristobulus presented him with a vine of gold , marvellous artificially wrought . the roots of the vine , leavs , clusters , and grapes that were upon it were pure gold , the weight whereof was five hundred pound . pompeius was very g●…ad thereof , and sent it to rome to the consul . and the whole bench of the senate , which was of the number of three hundred and twenty senators , wondered at the cunning and wit of him that made it : and with great joy they bare it into the temple of their gods , placing it in the presence of the great idol jupiter , so called after the planet jupiter . pompeius writ his letters to aristobulus , with great thanks and commendation for the same , assuring him , how both he and the whole senate favoured him , and that he should have a friend of him to speak in his cause as long as he lived ; hircanus hearing of this , was clean dashed , and in despair . but antipater comforted him saying , let not the friendship that is betwixt pompeius and thy brother dismay thee : i will go to him and make him thy friend . upon that he went to pompeius , and perswaded his mind to hate aristobulus , and to favour hircanus , informing him thus ; if thou ( saith he ) defend hircanus , all israel will be content to be under thy protection , for they love him every man ; but if thou defend aristobulus , the people will not obey thee , for they hate him . pompeius charged him that no man should be made privy to their communication ; for i ( quoth he ) will send for aristobulus to come to me to damasco , and then i will cause to be laid hands upon him , and deliver him bound to his brother , restoring the kingdom to him . aristobulus upon the sight of pompeius letters resorted unto him : hircanus also came from the rock of the wilderness ; and as they appeared together before pompeius , antipater desired him that he would do justice betwixt hircanus the king , and aristobulus his brother , that rebelled against him , and took his kingdom from him without cause , whose sayings , a thousand of the elders of israel stood up and witnessed to be true : aristobulus answered , i never strove with him for the kingdom , untill such time as i saw all these that made hircanus king , to run in great obloquie , and to sustain much reproach , because he was so feeble a person , and of no great wit , nor sought much the kingdom : yea , till all nations that were about him , whose dominions our progenitours conquered , began now to despise him , to pass little for offending him , to deny him tribute for his simplicity and mopishness , with lack of courage . when aristobulus had said , there stood up a great multitude of goodly and beautifull young men , apparrelled in cloth of hyacinth and purple , with mighty targets upon them , & other ornaments of gold , chrystal , and precious stones , affirming with one accord , that aristobulus said the truth : namely , that hircanus was not favoured by the kingdom . at which pompeius marvelled , saying ; happy is this people having so many goodly men , true in their words , and wise : happy also were the senate of rome , if they could bring to passe , that this great nation might be under their governance . so he took his journey to jerusalem with hircanus and aristobulus . but after aristobulus perceived that pompeius stood not to the promise he made him at the beginning or the vine , he set light by him , and fled from him to alexandria in egypt , whither pompeius followed with his host and besieged alexandria . from thence aristobulus fled again to jerusalem , and pompeius pursued him also thither , writing to aristobulus a letter of truce and pardon . so aristobulus came forth unto him , and pompeius did him at that time no harm , but demanded to be given unto him all the vessels of the house of the lord , which aristobulus refused to do ; pompeius in a rage , caused to lay him fast in heavy iron chains , and assaulted je●…usalem , battering the walls very sore , till they of the town issued out against him , and slew of his host twelve thousand men . after this had the israelites civil wars within jerusalem , because the siege was grevious unto them , for they were ●…ivided into factions : one part said , let us open the gates to pompeius , and let him in , that we may submit our selves under his protection . the other said , let us fight against him unto death . but much people disliked that , so that that side prevailed that would yield . wherefore pompeius entered the town , and the house of the sanctuary , killed much people of the priests , and the people of the land made hircanus king of israel the second time , and antipater his counsellor . moreover , he set one securus a roman in the country , to receive the tribute & departed , leading aristobulus with him bound in iron . and because he took his journey toward arabia , hircanus and antipater went with him to conduct him . aristobulus thus being prisoner , and his two sons with him , it fortuned that one of them ( called alexander ) escaped : and having intelligence , that hircanus and his counsellour were gone out of jerusalem , he came thither and rebelled against hircanus , made up the breaches of the wall that pompeius had battered : yea the israelites resorted unto him , and made him king in hircanus place . whereupon he gathered an army , and went forth to meet with hircanus as he came homeward from pompeius , where he gave hircanus the overthrow , and securus the receiver of the tribute fled and escaped . then alexander returned to jerusalem , from whence shortly after , gabianus a roman with a strong army compelled him to flee to alexandria . and being in the same place besieged also of gabianus , his mother aristobulus wife , went forth to gabianus weeping , and besought him that he would not destroy her son : for whose sake he did alexander no harm . gabianus therefore having gotten all the land of judea , made hircanus king of jerusalem now the third time : who set roman captains and rulers in jericho , and in zephori , and through all the land of israel . it fortuned after this , that aristobulus got out of prison at rome , and came into israel ; to whom on every side resorted men in such sort , that he had a puissant host of israel . whereof when he had taken muster , he chose out eight thousand of the best , and with them went against gabianus , where was a sore battel fought between them , till the best of aristobulus men were slain , and only one thousand left , wherewith he fled to the mountains . but the romans followed the chase , and slew them every man. yet aristobulus would not yeild , but fought alone , although his helmet was broken , till he had divers sore wounds in his head : and then fell he to the ground , and the romans took him yet alive , brought him to gabianus who comforted him , commanding his surgeons to heal him , and after sent him to the consul and senate of rome , where he was put in prison yet once again . and this , the senate taking pity of aristobulus wife , which was reported to be a very wise woman , released her two sons out of prison , and set them at liberty . alexander , the one of those , could not be content , but rebelled once again against hircanus , and the romans governours . for he gathered together much people of israel , encountred with one of the romans governors that gabianus had appointed , and gave him the overthrow : but proceeding further to fight with gabinius , had the worse and many of the israelites were slain , yet he escaped and fled . this done , gabinius came to jerusalem , and renewed the kingdom of israel to hircanus the fourth time . about this time one of the senators wives at rome conceived a chi●…d , and d●…ed in the birth and travel thereof : they therefore that were about her , straight-way ript her , and got the child out alive , whom they named julius , and because his mother was cut , they called him cae●…ar . this child growing to great towardnesse , and coming to mans estate , the consul and senate sent him into the wars , and whatsoever he did , he had go●…d fortune , and prosperous successe . he deprived the grecians of the empire and dominion , translating it to the romans : many provinces also besides that , he did subdue , and returning to rome with a power , attempted to get the dominion , and sole power over them . but they had made solemn statutes in the time of their progenitors , never to suffer any king among them , or any man to have perpetual rule over them ; wherefore they w●…uld not make julius king : upon this rose amongst them great and mortal wars , so that julius slew a great many of them , and without number . when pompeius understood that caesar raigned at rome , and had killed the consul , and senate , with all the nobility of rome , he gathered together his whole army out of arabia , and made toward him . julius having intelligence of his coming against him , sent for aristobulus out of prison , spake friendly unto him , gave him a power , and made him grand captain thereof , bidding him to go and encounter with pompeius : indeed his army was a strong army , and he himself a king of no small prowess , and valiantnesse . pompeius hearing that aristobulus came against him , was sore afraid of his valiantnesse , and of his host ; wherefore he sent to the inhabitants of jerusalem that were under his obedience , that they should present aristobulus with some gift , whereby they might deceive him , and poison him . the inhabi ants of jerusalem at his request , sent unto aristobulus a present , by certain noble men , whereat aristobulus was right joyful , and did eate and banquet with them , till he was overcome with drink , then they impoisoned him , and he died : the time that he raigned over israel was four years , and six moneths . he was a good man of war , hardy in fight , and a man of amiable countenance . pompeius receiving tidings of his death , the more gladder proceeded toward rome to besiege it : but julius met him in the way , and destroyed him and his host , whereby the em●…ire was established unto julius : he after this , sent presents to the king of syria , and into egypt , by his captains , to allure them to his friendship : antipater advised hircanus to aid jul●…us , if perchance he might win his favour , which hircanus did : and antipater was captain of the host , who played the man , and found such favour with julius , that he made him lieutenant of his wars ; and af●…er he had fought sundry and great battels , he returned to jerusalem with great honour , and by the way prospered much more . hircanus after this , made phaselus , antipaters son , governour of jerusalem , and herod his third son president of galilee . there was a certain young man at that time in jerusalem called hizkias , a valiant man of war , to whom adhered all such as were in any distresse , and he became their captain . these went and ranged about in syria , roving and murdering in such sort , that the syrians were weary of their lives , for fear of them . wherefore the king of syria sent unto herod ruler of galilee , desiring him to kill that hizkias and his complices : whereupon herod prepared himself , and went to meet with hizkias as he returned from the spoil of syria , came upon him unawares and slew him and his men . whereupon when the king of syria was certified , he sent a noble reward unto herod , of silver , gold , and precious stones ; by which , and by like means , he became very famous . the noble men of juda made their complaint unto hircanus upon antipater , and his sons , for their sore oppressing the land of juda , desiring that herod might be summoned from galilee , to appear in judgement and answer with other for the killing of hizkias . the king therefore sent for him , and he upon that came to ierusalem , appeared before the judges , princely apparelled , with a guilt sword girt about him , whose pride an antient man ( called samai ) blamed , and reprehended also his stout heart , but he would not give ear unto him , nor yet regard the judges . when hircanus perceived that the judges had almost determined to give judge-ment against the young man , and to make him away , he took pity on him , and said , we will not give sentence to day , to morrow is a new day , and by that means delivered him out of their hands : herod knew not afore that it was a matter of life and death , that night therefore he fled to the king of syria , declaring all what had hapned unto him . the king of syria let him have a strong army , and came with him himself , purposing to besiege ierusalem : but his father antipater , and his eldest brother phaselus , came forth unto him , and rebuked him , saying ; is this the reward that thou renderest unto king hircanus , that took pity on thee , and would not have thy blood shed ? therefore they willed him to depart from ierusalem , unto whom he condescended , after he had once let the inhabitants of ierusalem know what he could , and had shewed them his power . julius emperour of rome , about that time ( as he was worshipping in the house of his god ) was murthered by the conspiration of certain of them which had served pompeius that was slain , as is afore mentioned : the name of one of them that killed him was cassius , of the country of macedonia , who fled thither , being afraid to tarry at rome : this cassius had great dominions in macedonia . antipater also of whom we spake , was a great scourge to the noblemen of juda , and a great d●…al 〈◊〉 man than was hircanus himself : yea , hircanus could do nothing in comparison of him , for he had no rule himself , but antipater and his sons bare all the sway throughout all the realm : moreover , antipater was in great estimation with all the kings of that time . and forasmuch as he so sore oppressed the jews , they therefore hated him , and conspired to kill him . there was a man in great authority about hircanus , named malchias , by whose means they wrought this matter . he corrupted the kings butler with rewards , to put poison in antipaters cup , which as soon as he had drunk , he died . these things his sons phaselus and herod dissembled and winked at as though they knew nothing . notwithstanding they privily writ unto cassius that reigned in macedonia , certifying him of this deed . soon after came cassius to tyre , from whence he sent messenges to hircanus to come unto him , who came , and with him malchias , phaselus , and herod : cassius entertaining them all in his ●…odging , willed his men , that whatsoever herod bad them , they should do it . herod willed them to kill malchias , they slew him therefore , sitting hard by hircanus side , hircanus demanded of the sons of antipater the cause hereof : who answered , is it not manifest that king cassius servants slew him , and we know not why ? therefore hircanus stood in fear of phaselus and herod , being certain that this was their deed . wherefore he said unto them , this malchias was worthy of such a death , for he was a crafty man , and an usurer . these things done , octavius augustus brothers son unto julius that was murthered came to rome : and the people of rome made him their emperour . he had a fellow in office named marcus antonius his uncle . octavianus therefore seeing to the government of rome , sent marcus antonius to war upon cassius , and to revenge julius death . unto him hircanus sent a present , a crown of gold , in which were set sundry precious stones , praying him to strengthen his kingdom in his hands , and to be a means of a league to be made between octavins augustus , king of kings , and him ; as there was between him and julius , which antonius granted . about that time antigonus son of aristobulus writ to pagurus king of the persians , to aid him against hircanus , to remove him , and to restore the kingdom to himself , promising to give him for his travel , five hundred pound weight of gold , and an hundred 〈◊〉 virgins . so pagurus gathered an host against israel , and antigonus departed out of jerusalem with much people of israel that took ●…is part , and joyned themselves to pagurus . these came to jerusalem , besieged it , fought many skirmishes , and gave many great assaults unto it , till at length they undermined the ci●…y ; then took they hircanus , and slew phaselus . and to the intent hircanus might be clean removed from the priesthood , antigonus that had deprived him of the kingdom , cut off ( besides that ) one of his ears . but herod escaped and fled to augustus , emperour of rome . pagurus therefore having made antigonus king of jerusalem , returned home into persia , carrying hircanus as prisoner with him . but augustus appointed herod to be king over all iuda , giving to him a very strong army of the romans to obtain it withal . in the way thither , herod met with alexandra , hircanus daughter , and marimi her daughter , that she had by alexander son of aristobulus , and brought them again into the land of israel , where he took marimi to wife , and solemnized the marriage with her in the mount of galilee , for there the chief of all israel dwelt , with whom he took peace . marcus antonius companion in office with octavian augustus , about that time made a voyage through all the west countries , to subdue them to the romans , together with egypt , damasco , and syria . him herod accompanied to the flood of eupbrates , and helped him not a little . for the arabians lay in wait for him in the way , and intercepted all that would aid marcus antonius . herod met with them and vanquished them . wherefore antonius was very glad of herods valiantness , and brought him again to israel , together with cassius his captain and lieutenant of the wars , having also his letters to all the captains of syria , this tenor . ye shall understand that our lord and master octavian augustus , king of kings hath appointed herod the son of antipater , to be king of all the land of juda. therefore as soon as these letters come unto you , ye shall with speed aid him , no man shall be excused : all that can bear arms shall go with him to jerusalem , to vanguish antigonus the kings adversary : whoso refuseth to go with him , it shall be 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to slay him forthwith . i ma●…cus 〈◊〉 have sworn by my sword i will not when the captains of 〈◊〉 ●…ad r●…d 〈◊〉 they r●…orted wholly to her●…d , so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was wonderfully increased . , sent one pompeius 〈◊〉 of his ●…ars , against them who fought a sore 〈◊〉 with them , that much people were slain on 〈◊〉 sides . 〈◊〉 king 〈◊〉 brother was slain in tha●… 〈◊〉 no●…withstanding , at the length antigonus host went to the wor●…t , and had the overthrow . s●… 〈◊〉 and cassius proceeded to jerusalem , and beseged i●… 〈◊〉 third year after herod was made king of israel . and when they had battered down a piece of the wal●… , cassius with the romans entred into the town , and made a great slaughter in jerusalem . they entred also into the sanctua●…y , and attempted to ente●… into the sanct●…m s●…nctorum but herod and his men lept between it and them , and stood with their drawn swords in the temple door , to withstand their enterprises . herod was also d●…spleased with cassius for his 〈◊〉 , and said , if ye will destroy all the inhabitants of the city , upon whom shall i reign in the kingdom that augutus bath given me : wherefore stra●…ght-wa●… cassius caused proclamation to be made through all his host , that no man , upon pain of death should kill on israelite more . this done , herod apprehended antigonus , and delivered him bou●…d to cassius . he rewarded also cassius souldiers both with gold and silver . then cassius offered a present unto the lord , a crown of gold , for he was sore afraid of gods displeasure , because he had fought against the holy city . that done , he took his journey , and returned into eg●…pt , and antigonus as prisoner with him . thither sent herod unto him a royal reward , to make away antigonus , and to murder him , fearing least he should make claim unto the kingdom again ; whereunto cassius consented , and slew antigonus . chap. iii. thus was the kingdom surely established to herod . then made he wars upon all the nations that were about him , constraining them to become tributaries , by which means he grew to such power , as never any of his predecessours were to be compared unto him . after all this , pagurus king of persia released out of prison , hircanus son of alexander , and promoted him to be head of all the israelites that were fled into the land of sennaar , and into the dominion of the persians , and he became their king. this hircanus had a fervent desire to see the holy city , and the house of the sanctuary : also how herod ( whom he took for his son ) and his kingdom did . herod hearing that hircanus ( who had been prisoner at babylon ) was now set at liberty , and in great honour ; he was afraid of him , mistrusting least the israelites would restore unto themselves the kingdom of their fathers ; wherefore he cast in his mind how to do him a mischief : he then writ this letter unto pagurus , the contents whereof were such ; thou shalt understand that hircanus is he that brought me up , and used me even as his son ; now therefore since i came to be king in jerusalem , i have called to my remembrance the goodnesse that he hath done to me , wherefore my desire is to reward him according to his benefits ; therefore i require thee to send him to me , otherwise assure thy self of wars between thee and the israelites , with their confederates . pagurus having read this letter , sent to hircanus , giving him to understand , that if he would go to herod he might ; but notwithstanding herods threats , he ceased not to give to hircanus all good counsel he could , advising him to take heed of herod , because he is ( saith he ) a blood-shedder , and a breaker of his league : and he hath called thee , for no love he beareth thee , but because he feareth thee . as long as thou livest shall he never sleep soundly , lest the kingdom should be devolved unto thee : it is better for thee to remain here in some honour , though it be not of such estate , than to go thither to die with greatdispight , and end thy old age with a bloody death . furthermore thou shalt know , such is the disposition of mens hearts ; if there be two men , the one in honour , the other in contempt ; after time shall come , that the despised shall be had in honour , and the honoured be neglected ; never will he that is now honoured , and before was in contempt , be content to see him that was before honoured , nor speak friendly to him : for he will think , hi herto according to his accustomed manner he hath despised me , how much more when his dominion is taken from him , and his servants reign in his room ? moreover , herod knoweth right well , that me●…s hearts are inclined to him that is the true king. and it might be so , if thou wer●… meet for the priesthood , that he would promote thee unto it , and be governour of the kingdom himself : but seeing thou art dismembred , having one of thy eares cut off , and thereby art unmeet for the priesthood ; thou shalt remain in jerusalem , deprived both of kingdom and priesthood , which is uncomely for thee . such counsel gave pagurus king of the persians , unto hircanus ; yea , and all the jews that were in babylon besought him , that he would not go unto herod . notwithstanding he would not be perswaded , and why ? for it was the lords will and his deed , that the injury done unto the sages , whom his father and grandfather slew , and the injury commi●…ted to honyauriga , might return upon his head and be reyenged ; so that no remnant of the house of 〈◊〉 , no name , no residue , no kinsman o●… posterity should be left alive . hircanus therefore took his journey toward jerusalem , and herod came forth to meet him , e●…mbraced him , a●…d kissed him ; after brought him to his house , and feasted him da●…y , calling him his father before all men , albeit in his heart he conspired to kill him , which alexandra his daughter , and mother in law to herod knew well enough , who opened it unto hircanus , but he would not credit her at the first , till on a time he perceived the matter clear to be so : then devised he how to flye to maloc king of arabia , he sent therefore to maloc to send him horses , and a chariot to flye withall ; but the messenger dealt unfaithfully , and lewdly with him , for he brought hircanus letters privily unto herod , who rewarded him well for his labour , and bad him go to maloc , and to let him know what answer maloc gave . the messenger upon this , went and delivered the letters to maloc , who fulfilled hircanus request , sent him horses and a charlot , writing in this sort : i have sent thee horses and horsemen , come therefore unto me , and whatsoever thy heart desireth , i will do it for thy sake : so the messenger brought the answer secretly to herod ; whereupon he sent straight to the place in which he understood malocs men to lurk waiting for hircanus , and caused to apprehend them alive . then herod commanded to call together the elders , before whom he willed also hircanus to be brought , and of him the king demanded ; tell me whither thou hast written any letter to maloc king of arabia ? he answered , i writ none . then was ristius the messenger brought in as his acuser , and the men of war also of arabia that were apprehended , who declared the whole matter before the council , so that hircanus was quite dashed : then the king commanded him to be put to death , and so was the kingdom established unto herod . the time that hircanus raigned , was . years , and . moneths . after the death of his mother , he raigned . years , and aristobulus his brother removed him , making him priest : again , . years after he returned to his kingdom , and raigned . years . then antigonus son of aristobulus deposed him , cutting off his ear , and banished him out of the holy city . so after when herod his servant came to the kingdom , he returned to jerusalem , and herod shed his blood guiltless : yet notwithstanding he had delivere●… herod from the hands of the elders , who would have put him to death , for the death of hizkias . from that time hircanus wrought no evil in the sight of the lord , nor offended him in any great matter , save only in this , that he bare too much with herod in shedding the innocent blood , wherefore his own life went for the other : therefore happy is he that never forgetteth any part of his duty . marimi the daughter of alexander , the son of aristobulus , the wife of herod , had a brother whose name was aristobulus , him herod would in no wise promote to the high priesthood , because he feared the children of chasmonany , although his wife made earnest suite , and lay sore upon him for the matter : but the king made high priest one that was nothing of the kindred of chasmonany , whose name was haniel . notwithstanding , when he had once dispatched hircanus , his wives progenitors , father of alexandra , his mother in law ; then he deposed haniel the high priest , and preferred his wifes brother aristobulus to the dignity , who although he were but a child , yet he was wise , and of good understanding , and beautifull withall , so that in all israel was not a goodlier , nor hansomer young man than he was : and this haniel was the first that ever was deposed from that office of the high priest-hood ; for never did king of israel attempt the like afore herod , who did this to quiet his wife , and to fulfill his mother in laws mind : notwithstanding , this alexandra his wives mother was not content , nor satisfied , for the death of her father was such a grief : but alwaies spake snappishly to the king , that he committed her to ward . then she writ to cleopatra , queen of egypt , wife unto m. antonius , a noble man of rome , declaring unto her all the mischief that herod had done to the posterity of chasmonany , and desiring of her aid ; to whom cleopatra made this answer , if thou canst find the means to come to me secretly , thou shalt perceive what i shall do for thee . when alexandra had read the letter she sent to aristobulus her son the high priest , shewing him that she would flye to the sea japho , and from thence would take shipping into egypt , perswading him also to flye with her . we will ( saith she ) make two coffers , one for me , and another for thee : and we will with rewards allure our servants to carry out us privily , whereby we may flye to save our lives . this their device was perceived of one of herods servants , who forthwith made the king privy unto it . the king commanded his servant that bewrayed them , that when they did convey the coffers , they should bring them to him , which the servant did . so when the coffers were brought to the kings presence , he caused them to be opened , and took out alexandra and her son aristobulus , to whom the king spake sharply , and rebuked them sore . but alexandera answered him again as short ; insomuch that the king moved with anger , flung away from her into his chamber , saying : it is better to fit solitary in a corner of the house , than with a brawling and scolding woman in an open place . the king dissembled the matter , and shewed no great displeasure a year after . as aristobulus the high priest , apparralled in his pontificial vestures , stood in the temple nigh unto the altar to offer sacrifices , the israelits beheld his beauty , his wisdom , and behaviour in the ministery , whereat every man rejoyced , praising god , that had not taken all away , but left one to revenge the injuries done to the house of chasmonany . the king hearing this , was sore afraid , and not a little displeased , thinking to himself the israelits would restore the kingdom of their fathers unto him : he perceived every mans heart to be enclined towards him : wherefore he deliberated a while , and in the feast of the tabernacles he removed to jericho with all his houshold , whereas he made a great feast to all his nobles and servants , placing them every one after hi●… degree before him , aristobulus the high priest he se●… upon the right hand . and as they eat , drank , and made merry , certain of the kings servants were disposed to go swim in jordan . to these the king had given secret commandment , that they should desire aristobulus to go and bath with them in jordan , and then to drown him . so when they were going , they came to aristobulus and moved him to keep them company , which he would not , unlesse the king gave him leave : wherefore he asked the king leave , but he denied him at the first yet at length the young man intreated him so instantly , that the king bad him do what he would . he went therefore with the other young men to swim . the king presently took his horse and returned to jericho , with all his train , leaving the young men behind , which continued swimming till sun setting , and as it began to be dark , they drowned the priest aristobulus among them . wherof when tidings came to the king , and it was known that he was dead , the people wept and made great lamentation , considering his virtue , nobility , and beauty , every man was full of sorrow that he should have so short a life : and they bewailed so much that it was heard afar off . but marimi chiefly , and alexandra the young mans mother , could no wise be comforted . yea , the king also wept & made great mone , for it repented him that he had done so wicked an act ; yet all the people knew well enough that the thing was procured by the king : insomuch that alexandra his mother in law , letted not to tell it him to his face , that he was the murtherer of her husband , and of her father , and now last of all , of her son , to whom the king answered neither good nor bad . from that day forwards there was continuall hatred between alexandra and marimi , and kiparim ; the mother of herod and salumith , his sister , that came of base and servile blood . for marimi cast in their teeth to their faces , that they were not of the seed of israel : but prophane , unholy , and of base birth . notwithstanding herod loved marimi as his life , wherefore he would never displease her as long as she lived , nor say so much to her , as why saist thou so , these things done , marcus antonius a noble man of rome , next unto octavian augustus king of kings , being sent by augustus to war upon the kings of the west countries , reigned in egypt , and by the provocation of his wife , rebelled against octavian augustus , made war with him , both by the sea and land. and forasmuch as egypt is near adjoyning to the land of israel , herod joyned with him , and helped him . for marcus antonius had aided him before in such sort , that no king durst meddle with him , for fear of marcus antonius . whereupon when marcus conspired against his prince and master , herod aideth him with an army , with horsemen and with ships also against octavian . in which wars octavian got the victory , slew antony and all his people coming by ship to the i le of rhodes , and so into the land of egypt . herod hearing that marcus antonius was slain , and that octavian augustus was come into egypt , he fainted for fear of the displeasure of octavian . yet at length he took heart unto him , prepared a royall present to be carried before him , and followed after himself to octavian augustus . and setting forwards , he called joseph the husband of salumith his sister , whom he made chief of his houshold , commanded him that if octavian put him to death , he should poyson marimi his wife , saying ; it should not be seemly for kings , that any mean man should marry with a kings widdow , and sleep with her upon the kings bed . so then he took his journey towards octavian augustus , who then was at the rhodes , where he understood octavian to be displeased with him , for that he had ayded marcus antonius , therefore as soon as herod came to octavian augustus presence , having his crown upon his head , he took it of , and fell down prostrate upon the ground at octavians feet , saying : most noble emperour , i confess my trespass against your majesty , that i loved marcus antonius my companion in league , who was my neighbour and ayded me : and is true that your majesty since the time you made me king , have heard of mine affairs that hapned unto me but never succoured me . this marcus antonius did not so . i confess therefore that in his wars against your majesty , i ayded him with an army , with horse-men and ships : neither went i out with him for any wars upon mine own borders , but whensoever i went with him i helped him to the uttermost of my power . when he was falling , i bolstered him up : and wh●…n he stumbled , i raised him again . am●…gst all these i protest also , that i would not be counted of your majesty a breaker of league : but now marcus antonius is dead wherefore whether that it shall please your majesty to restore me my former estate or no , forasmuch as i have kept touch with marcus antonius against your majesty amongst others , if you put me to death , you will do me no wrong , but justice , because by the law of arms i have deserved death . when octavian augustus heard him speak so , he said unto him : arise thou king of israel in peace , be of good comfort , and fear not , for thou art worthy to be nigh , yea next unto my person . i know that marcus antonius was inticed by his wife and would not follow thy counsel , for if he had , i dare say he would never have conspired against me . so he commanded the crown to be set again upon herods head , and made a league with him . then they went both together toward egypt , to be revenged upon cleopatra . but that wicked woman when she saw her city to be overcome , put on her most precious apparrel , and sitting upon the throne of her kingdom , commanded a viper to be brought unto her : which as soon as she had ●…uffered to sting her brest , she died . as octavian augustus came to the pallace , and saw her sit there , he rejoyced that he might be revenged of her , and commanded to thrust her from her throne : but when they came to her , and found her dead , it grieved octavian very sore . in this while joseph salumiths husband disclosed unto marimi , that the king had commanded , if it so happened to him to be put to death by augustus , that he should poyson her . whereupon marimi conceived yet a greater hatred toward the king , insomuch , that when the king was returned in safety and sound , and with honor also from octavian , and that all his men and whole houshold rejoyced greatly , marimi shewed no countenance of gladness , no not when the king himself told her how greatly he was magnified and honored of octavian augustus : but alwaies she was very sad . salumith the kings sister perceiving that marimi so vexed the king , she told him how joseph her husband had lien with marimi whiles he was with augustus . but herod ( say what she could ) gave no credit to her words , knowing that she envyed marimi , until at length he asked the cause of marimi , why she rejoyced not as others did , when he returned in safety from augustus , but was very sad , which shewed her to have rancor and malice in her heart towards him . she answered ; thou hast said heretofore , that thou lovedst me above all thy other wives and concubines ; yet thou didst will joseph thy sisters husband to poyson me . when herod heard this , he was exceedingly abashed , that joseph had disclosed his secret , and began to mistrust with himself that which salumith had told him , that he had slept with his wife indeed , and upon that detected that secret . therefore he departed out of his palace in a great anger and rage , whereby salumith perceived that he detested marimi , and therefore she accused her further , suborning false accusers and forgers of lyes , to witnesse that marimi would have poisoned the king , whereof she had divers presumptions also by her countenance . she added moreover , if thou ( saith she to the king ) let her escape thus , she will speedily destroy thee , and bereave thee of thy kingdom , the law giveth a man this couns●…l , if any man go about to murther thee , prevent him , and slay him fi●…st . with this , and such like words , she so moved the king , that he commanded to bring marimi forth , and to be beheaded in the high street of the city . and as she was brought forth into the market place of the city , all the women of the city followed her : alexandra her mother also cursed and railed at her , saying , come out thou that hast abhorred thy husband , and conspired against thy lord : alexandra wept also , as though it had been for the wickednesse that her daughter had committed , thinking surely to please the king by that means , and to blear his eye●… , if peradventure he might suffer her to live , till she might have opportunity to poison him . marimi thus going to execution held her peace , and looked neither to the right hand , nor to the left , nor yet feared death any thing , knowing that she was innocent in deed , and thought , and therefore god would render her a good reward in the world to come ; wherefore she bared her neck without fear , and they cut off her head , shedding the innocent blood . but god made no delay in punishing the same , for there fell a sore plague and pestilence in the house of herod , so that his chief servants , his noble women , and concubines died sore thereof , yea , throughout all judea raigned vehemently ; which affl●…ctions all israel knew well enough , chanced unto them for the blood of marimi . they c●…yed therefore unto the lord , saying , wilt thou for the offence of one man , deal so cruelly with the whole congregation ? the lord took pity therefore upon the land , and withdrew the plague from the people . the king repented him also , that he had shed blood without a cause ; and love so grew in his heart that he was sick , and at deaths door . then alexandra marimis mother , sought means how to poyson him , which being uttered unto the king , he commanded to apprehend her , and to kill her . in this manner dealt herod with all the posterity of the machabees , leaving none alive that were called by the name : herod put to death also josephat the husband of salumith . the king had two sons , alexander and aristobulus , by marimi his wife : they were both at rome when their mother suffered , for their father the king had sent them thither to learn the roman tongue : when they heard tidings of their mothers death , they wept and mourned for her , hating their father for his cruelty . soon after the king their father recovered of his sickness , was established in his kingdom , builded strong cities , and rose to great prosperity . in the thirteenth year of his raign , therefell a great dearth in the land , wherefore the king took out of his treasure , much gold and silver , and precious stones , wherewith he sent into egypt ; and procured plenty of corn , and refreshed with bread all that lackt , and were in distress of hunger ; yea , he spared not his own proper goods : and not only to the israelits shewed he this liberality , but also to all that came unto him out of other strange nations , hearing of his renown : moreover , in all his wars he had good fortune : besides this , he thought it good to renew the house of the sanctuary , whereupon he deliberated with the israelits , to have their advice for the building of it , after the same quantity and measure that solomon king of israel had builded it . for the jews returning from captivity in the time of coresch , began to build it after the measure that coresch prescribed them , and not as it was before . the king of israel hearing that the king was purposed to pull down the temple to the ground , and build it afresh , they made h●…m no answer , fearing lest when he had pulled it down , he would not be so hasty to build it up again . but the king perceiving what they feared in their minds , said he would not slack the matter , nor rest till he had brought it to pass . he said moreover , that he would take out of his treasury plenty of gold and silver , and give it to graving : also precious stones , stones of thasies and marble . to the carpenters also and masons he would deliver timber and stones , gold and silver , brass and iron , to make all things necessary to the work . wherefore if he pulled down the house he was able to build it straight waies again . so he pulled down the house , and repaired it again , and finished it in length a hundred cubits , al of white marble so that the whole height of the stone was in all , a hundred and twenty cubits . for the foundation was twenty cubits within the ground , and a hundred above . the breadth of every stone was twelve cubits , and the thickness thereof eight cubits ; every stone was of like bigness . the gates of the house he covered with fine gold and precious stones finely set therein : the thresholds were of silver , and the tops also . he made also a vine , of gold a marvellous cunning piece of work , the arms thereof or bigger branches , were glittering gold , the lesser branches , slips , or latest shoots of gold , somewhat red , and all above was yellow gold , whereupon hung clusters of crystall . the vine was so great that it weighed a thousand pound weight of pure gold . in all the world was not the like to be seen . he made also a porch , and before the porch two walls of silver , marvellously and cunningly wrought . behind the house toward the west , he made a court of a hundred fifty cubits long , and a hundred in breadth , which was paved with pure marble . toward the south and north , the length of the court was also a hundred and fifty cubits , and a hundred in bredth . he erected in it also a hundred and fifty pillars of white marble in rancks . the length of one ranck was fourty cubics , and every pillar was fourty cubits high , and three cubits thick . the pillars were all of like measure , as the court of the north side , and of the south was also of like measure , with all the pillars thereof . towards the east , the court contained seven hundred and twenty cubits , even to the brook cedron : no man ever saw the like building in all the world . the vine that he made , placed he before the porch : in ●…he extream parts of the court , he made also walks and galleries of such height that they that walked therein , might easily see the waters running in the brook cedron by the space of a cubit ; between the porch and the house also ( as though it were a vail or partition ) the king made a wall of silver , of half an handfull thick . in the which was a door of beaten gold , and upon the gate a sword of gold of twelve pound weight . there were certain posies graven in the sword , as this ; what stranger soever approached nigh here , let him dye for it . so the things that herod made in the temple , were wonderfull : neither was there ever heard of in all the world , any king that was able to erect such a building . when the work was finished , the king sent to saroas his pastures , for his cattel , from whence were brought him three hundred young bullocks , and very many sheep , according to his princely estate . so then they dedicated and hallowed the house with great joy and gladness . there was one certain day in the year , when as the king was accustomed to make a great feast to all his court , to all his nobles and sages in israel : against that self same day the king was minded to finish his works , which made both him more glad , and all his people . the same also was commanded to be done in all the provinces of his kingdom , sending his letters by his pursuivants to the noble men , captains , and presidents of the provinces , that they would observe that day after the same manner every year . the people also that were squandred in their enemies countries , their head rulers and captains came out of every country , far and neer , to see the house and the king , for they could never believe it , till they had seen it : and when they had seen it , it exceeded far that they had heard of it . these things done , the kings two sons , alexander and aristobulus which he had by marimi , came home from rome to jerusalem in a great heat and fury , with a strong company , yea their hearts were very heavy also ; for alexander the elder had married the king of capadoci as daughter , and aristobulus the daughter of salumith the king his fathers sister . these coming to jerusalem , went not to the court to do their duty to the king their father , neither would they see him : whereby the king gathered , they went devising some mischief against him : moreover , all his men gave him warning to take heed of them , and to keep his power or guard about him . he had a wife of base stock out of the country , before he came to the kingdom , by whom he had a son named antipater . and when he had put marimi his beloved wife to death , he called home his wife , which he had disdained before , to his court. wherefore , now seeing the two sons of marimi hated him , he appointed antipater his son to be heir apparant , and to raise his estimation , he gave him all his treasure , made him lord and ruler of all that he had , affirming that he should raign after him . this antipater had a subtile wit , and his talk was daily to his father ; if it like your majesty , wherefore should you give me all these things , when as these two lions shall be ever in my top , and ready to destroy me . by such surmised means he raised discord and hatred between them and their father , albeit the king was loath to hurt his two sons . not long after he took his journey to rome to octavian , and his son alexander waited on him , hoping that octavian would be a means for him to turn his fathers hatred from him , and put all malice out of his mind . when the king was come thither , octavian rejoyced much at his coming , saying , i have thought long to see thee . to whom hast thou left the land of juda ? herod answered , for the homage that i owe unto my lord the emperour , i am come to appear before him , and to declare my chances with this my son his servant . so he told him the whole matter , from the beginning to the end . then octavian augustus blamed the young man , because he hated his father . the young man answered , how can i otherwise do ? how can i forget the most chast womb that bare me , which was the holy stock . if i forget my mother that was slain guil●…less and without crime , then let me forget my right hand . these and such like words spake the young man , not without tears in the presence of octavian ; so that his bowels were much moved , and the noble men that were about octavian , could not abstain from weeping , but lamented greatly . octavian first reproved herod for his great transgression and cruelty ; then laboured he to pacify the young man with comfortable words , bidding him to honor his father , and to submit himself unto him . when he had done as he was willed ( for he would not strive against the emperour's commandment ) octavian took the young man by the hand , and put it into herods bosome . then his father kissed and embraced him , so that they both wept ; after that they took their leave and departed from octavian who comforted them , & gave them a gift , committing it into herods hands . herod yet perceived , that the hatred of the children of marimi would not be appeased : whereupon when he came home to jerusalem , he called together all the elders of israel and said unto them , i had determined once to place one of my sons , captain over the people of the lord , but i might not do it without the consent of octavian augustus . now therefore i have appointed my three sons , and have divided my kingdom equally amongst them : help ye them against their enemies , but in no wise shall ye help one of them against another : and if ye perceive any breach of friendship between them , do what lyeth in you to make it up . whereunto he made them swear presently in jerusalem ; and the bond being made , each man departed home to his house . but for all this , the hatred between antipater and his two brethren was nothing diminished , for he feared them , because they were of the house of chasmonany , and allied with kings of great power ; he suborned therefore false accusers , to say unto the king that the young men , sons of marimi were determined to destroy him : likewise he set variance between salumith and them , for she was in greater estimation than he , insomuch that the king did nothing without her counsell ; the same wrought he also between pheroras the kings brother and them . but to salumith he said , doest thou not consider how the sons of marimi know that their mother was put to death by thy counsell ? therefore if they may bring to pass to make the king away , they will hew thee to pieces . but when the young men heard this , they came before the king , and swore , they never intended to hurt their father , and with weep●…ng they so perswaded the king that he believed them , and they got his favour again : whereat antipater was not a little displeased , therefore he hired false witnesses , to say they saw alexander the kings son upon a cer●…ain night , with his sword drawn before the kings palace , minding to murther antipater . he subo●…ned also certain of the kings servants to witness against alexander , that he should give them great rewards to allure them to his pleasure , and to abuse them in unnatura●…l venery , which they refused . moreover , that he desired them to poyson the king , which they would not agree also to do : whereupon the king was sore displeased towards him , commanding not only him , but all that took his part , or defended his integrity to be apprehended and put in prison , that execution might be done upon them . then alexander writ ●…nto archelaus his father in law , desiring him to come to jerusalem to his father herod . this archelaus was a very wise man , and a noble counsellor : when he was come to jerusalem , herod was very glad of his coming , and demanded what matters brought him thither at that p●…esent , he answered , i have heard that alexander thy son , and my son in law , hath attempted to rebell against thee ; it is not possible but my daughter his wife should be accessary of this thing , and yet she hath not shewed it unto thee , wherefore ●…utterly detest her , as one that hath conspired against thee ; yet neverthelesse , i know well , that for the love thou bearest unto me , thou wouldest spare her ; for this cause i am come unto thee , that when thou hast put him to death , i also may slay my daughter ; for it is better that we should make them away , than they us . herod hearing this , was very glad , and gave credit to his friendship : when archelaus perceived that herod had a good opinion of him , he altered his communication , saying to the king ; first let us diligently examine , and well try the cause , forasmuch as there are many false witnesses , and lying persons in the world , and let us not shed innocent blood upon any uncertainty : for archelaus had a great suspi●…ion that herod had given too leight credit , knowing how ready he was to hear an evil tale , which was the cause of the mischief , that befell upon the people of his house : wel , herod thought his counsel good . one of them that accused the kings children , was pheroras the kings brother ; and to say the truth , he was the chief of all . herod loved archelaus , the king of cappadocia as himself . archelaus perceiving , turned his tale to rebuke the king , saying . thou art now waxen old , & well stricken in years , thou sufferest these backbiters to rule thee , who stir thee to work all these mischiefs in thy house ; yea , pheroras thy brother hath falsely provoked thee against thy sons . when pheroras heard these words , he was sore afraid , for indeed he had seduced the king . therfore came pheroras to archelaus , and besought him to save his life . archelaus answered him , if thou wilt obtain pardon for thy wickedness , come and fall before his feet , and confess that thou hast spoken falsely against his sons , then will i promise thee that he shall be merciful un●…o thee , and to his sons ; pheroras did so , confessed that he had falsely accused the kings sons : then archelaus besought the king for pardon , and he granted it ; after that , he entreated him that the young men might be delivered out of prison , which the king a●…so commanded to be done . the young men therefore came before the king , and fell down at his feet , and the king was loving to them , and embraced them kindly . he made great joy also , that archelaus came in so good an hour unto him ; to whom he gave for a gift seven hundred pound weight of gold , with many precious stones , and concubines , and dismissed him . but antipater again suborned false accusers , and writ counterfeit letters in the name of the kings sons , to one of the captains , declaring how they would conspire and kill the king ; and by such means he encreased the enmities between them and their father many wayes that the king commanded them to be put in prison and most strong irons to be laid upon them . besides this , antipater had surprized and won the hearts of the kings chief rulers , and serva●…ts , that they procured his barber to bear false witnesse against alexander , how he hired him to kill the king , at such time as he should shave his beard . when the king heard his barber speak , he was much troubled in his mind , insomuch that he said , i am weary of my life , to hear these pick-thanks that open my eares to fill my head with tales , i can do no way better than to give charge , that whosoever brings me any such accusations hereafter of any body , he shall suffer death for it , wherefore he commanded the barber to be slain , and his two sons to be brought forth and hanged upon gallowses , shedding their innocent blood . then rejoyced antipater , supposing himself to be as sure of the kingdom , as though it were in his hands , when he was not aware , that although he were never so high aloft , yet was there one higher than he who considered his doings . alexander had two sons , thigarus and aristobulus : and aristobulus had three sons , herod , agrippa , and alexander . when the king returned to jerusalem ( for he was in samaria by the lake side , when his sons were put to death ) he commanded that his nephews should be brought to the court , and taking pity on them , imbraced and kissed them , weeping very sore , both he and all his servants : for it greatly repented him for the hainous deed that he had done . but when the time of mourning was past , he called the chief of israel together , and said unto them , i am now grown in age , and waxen gray-headed , uncertain how shortly i shall die , i see here before me these little fatherlesse children , which i never can behold without great anguish of mind ; for when i look upon them , i call to remembrance what great dammage i have done unto their father in my furious outragiousnesse . now therefore i would commit them to the tuition and custody of some man that might be a patron and as a father unto them , to succour them continually to his power . all the people answered that he had well spoken . he spake therefore unto his brother pheroras : thou shalt be their patron and defender , and shalt give thy daughter to thigarus , alexanders son. he also commanded his son antipater to give his daughter to herod , son of aristobulus . and the marriages were knit , and composition made in the kings presence . when antipater marked the love that the king bare towards the nephews , he began to be in great care , for thigarus , alexanders son , had a grand-father by the mothers side , a king of great power , namely archelaus , king of capadocia . he falls down therefore at the kings feet , to dissolve and break the friendship that he bare towards his nephews , and to leave speaking in their cause as he had done , but he prevailed not . therefore he left his father , and went to pheroras the kings brother , made a confederacy with him , and desired him to frustrat the bond that was between himself and herod , and also between him and thigarus the son of alexander that was hanged . so pheroras came to the king , turned his mind , and dissolved the covenant of marriage . this done , pheroras and antipater ( that sate upon the kings throne ) were become great friends , banquetting one another , day and night , and discoursing of their affairs . when this came to the kings eare , he was sore afraid of their combinings , and commanded that his brother pheroras should for evermore be banished the court : antipater his sonne was sent to octavian augustus ; to establish the kingdom unto him , and to enter in league with him : for herod was so old , that he could not go . antipater journeying toward rome , passed thorough egypt , desirous to see it before the death of his uncle pheroras : and as he travelled by the high-wayes of egypt , there came a certain merchant with a viall in his hand close covered , which cryed , saying ; who will buy a thing of great price before he see it ? antipater marvelled at his words , and ask't him what was in the viall : but the seller told him not what it was before he had bought it , and paid dear for it : then whispered he in his ear , telling him that it was a strong poison that would kill one out of hand . this vial antipater sent to pheroras , to be kept until he returned from rome ; in the mean season pheroras died , and his wife hid the viall . after when antipater came home again from rome , pheroras wife and he fell at striffe , insomuch that she objected unto him , that he was the cause pheroras was banished the kings presence , the sorrow whereof was his death . on the other side antipater went about to accuse her , sowing discord between her and the king , to stir him against her . he suborned also a certain eunuch or gelded person , to go to the king and enform him how that at what time as he took displeasure with pheroras his brother , and banished him his presence , pheroras procured a strong poison and gave it to his wife , commanding her to destroy the king therewith : the king hearing this , was wroth with the eunuch , and said , i searched for that venome long ago , when it was noised that thy houshold servants would give it me to drink , but i could not find the thing to be true ; yea , i have been too rash in such matters for i put my wife marimi to death without cause , and alexandra my mother in law with my two children : when antipater heard that the king credited not the eunuch , he made suite to the king to send him to octavian the second time , for he was afraid of the viall that was in pheroras wifes house . he had writ also with his hand , how that he sent it , intending therewith to poison the kings sons children ; but he that prepareth a pit for another , oftimes falleth into it himself . so desiring the king to send him , he let him go . after this , the king commanded to make search , if the eunuchs words were true or no , he sent first for pheroras houshold servants , and examined them whether ever they could perceive that pheroras was in mind to hurt him . they all sware , no. then the king commanded to scourge them very sore , but they confessed nothing although some died under their hands in the examination : some he ordered with many kind of torments ; of some he caused to pluck out their teeth ; and as he had scourged a cer●…ain woman servant , which had been very trusty to pheroras , at the length when she could no longer stand for strokes , she cryed out and said , the holy and blessed god revenge us of rostios the kings wife , antipaters mother , which is the cause of this . the king hearing these words , bad let her alone , she will disclose all : then spake she , antipater made feasts every foot for th●… brother pheroras and himself , and as they eat and drank , they devised how to poison thee , especially when as antipater was going to octavian ; for they said , except we destroy him , he will destroy us , as he hath done all the children of his house . moreover , he lo●…eth the children of his sons that were put to death , w●…ich grow a pace , and it is possible he may change his mind , and make one of them king . antipater , also said to thy brother , the king makes as though he were much my friend , but i trust him not ; he gave me ( saith he ) a hundred pound weight in gold , but all that satisfieth not me . w●…en the king heard this , he told how he had given antipater this gold secretly : and the woman said moreover , there is a viall of strong poyson in pheroras house , that thy son sent out of egypt ; straightway the king sent to pheroras wife , that she should bring him the viall of poison her own self ; when she saw the kings eunuches com●… to fetch her whether she would or no , she go 〈◊〉 up to the top of her house , and cast her self down headlong to kill her self , because she would not see the king , nor abide his torments : but the died not thereof , whereupon the kings messengers brought her in a horse litter , and set her before the king ; then she confessed to him , how antipater his son had conspired with pheroras to kill him , with a poyson that he had bought in egypt , and sent it to pheroras when he went to octavian ; and how pheroras being at the point of death , repented him thereof , charging that we should never give that venome to antipater , but poure it upon the ground , that the king might not be poysoned therewith ; and i did as he bad me , cast it out all , save a li●…tle that i kept in the glasse-bottom , for i ever feared that which is now come to pa●…se . then at the kings commandment the vial was brought forth before him and there was a little of the venome left , wheresore they gave better credit to her words ; so that the king was content with her and bad his physitian heal her ; and she recovered . this done the king writ to antipater to come home with speed , because i am old ( saith he ) and weak , uncertain how shortly i shall die . chap. iiii. the king had also two other sons at rome , archelaus and p●…lemus : so when antipater writ to answer his father's letters , he signified unto him , that his two sons had defamed the king , and slandered him unto octavian . but the king answered him , come and bring them with thee , and i will order them as thou thinkest good . notwithstanding , antipater lingred for the space of six moneths , to see if he might learn somewhat of his father's doings , but he could hear nothing : the messengers his father had sent , lay upon him every day and urged him to make haste : therefore at the seven moneths end , he took his journey towards judea , and came to caesarea . there heard he ●…is father had taken displeasure with his mother , and banished her the court , but he could not learn what should be the cause , therefore he was strucken with such fear , that he would have gone back again . but they that waited upon him , being desirous to go home to their houses , and families , dealt crastily with him , and perswaded him , that if he should now turn back out of his way , he should justifie his enemies words to be true ; but if thou come once to thy fathers presence ( say they ) who loveth thee so entirely , thou shalt prevail against thy foes , and get the upper hand of them that trouble thee . so he followed their counsel , and came to jerusalem . when he entred into the city , no man came forth to meet him , nor once to bid him welcome home : for all the people hated him for his lyes , slanders , perverse and wicked counsel , but chiefly for fear of the king. yet went he forward to the court , although with a fearful heart : when he came to the king's presence , he fell down and did his duty : but the king turned away his face , and could not abide to look upon him . he went home therefore unto his house with a heavy heart , hanging down his head , and hiding his face . there his mother told him how their counsel concerning the vial of poyson was bewrayed , and how , the king was wonderfully incensed toward him : that increased his fear more and more . the next day by the kings command he was brought forth , and , before all the chief of israel assembled together , the king sat to judge antipater's cause : there the king rehearsed unto them , his sons lewdnesse and lyes , how he had seduced him , and incited him to kill his children that were of the kings blood , far better and more virtuous than he ; insomuch that with a loud voice the king burst out , and bewailed his wife marimi whom he put to death without a cause , and his two sons , that they that were far off might hear him . then antipater lift up his head and began to speak craftily and subtilly . first he forgot not to give gen●…le words to pacifie his father's wrath ( but that he could not do ; ) after , he fell to entreaty in such sort , that all the nobles were moved to pity , and bewailed his evil fortune , not without tears , save only niraleus the kings secretary , who loved the kings children that were put to death . he rebuked them all that were sorry for the calamity of antipater , crying with all his might ; where are ye alexander and aristobulus that were slain guiltless ? lift up your heads and behold this wicked man fall into the pit that he himself made ; see how his foot is catched in the net , that he laid himself for others . mark you no●… , how your maker revengeth your deat●… , and requireth your blood at his hand in the time of his destruction ? for the wicked man is spared until the t●…me ●…f his d●…ath . so the king himself very much incensed , sent to fetch a condemned person ou●… of prison , who being brought before them , and 〈◊〉 a li●… of the poyson in the v●…al , fell down 〈◊〉 therewi●…h . then the king commanded antipater to be carried to prison , and to be laid in strong irons . the fortieth year of hi●… re●…n , which was the seventy year of his age , king herod fell sick , and no remedy , no physick could be found to help him , neither his servants nor physitians could procure him any rest , so grievously came his disease upon him , with shortnesse of his breath , and through the anguish of the manifold evils that had hapned upon him by his own folk : whereupon he cryed out , saying , wo may he be , that hath none left to succeed him in his kingdom , nor none to go before his coffin , and mourn for him at his death . then called he to his remembrance his wife marimi , and his two sons , rehearsing them by name , howling and weeping still continually . upon a certain day when his sickness came sore upon him , he called to his servants to fetch him some pleasant apple , to see if it might comfort his heart ; & when they had brought it , he asked for a knife to cut it , and one was brought him . then he gathered his strength unto him , and reared himself up upon his left arm , and perceiving his life to be full of sorrow , and lamentation , he took the knif with his right hand , and fetched his sway to thrust it into his belly ; but his servants stept to him and caught his arm , holding his hands , and would not suffer him to do it : then wept he sore , and all his servants , that their voice was heard out of the court , and shortly all the city was in an uprore , saying , the king is dead , the king is dead . antipater being in the prison , heard the noise , and asked , what business is this ? they answered him , the king is dead . then he rejoyced wonderfully , saying unto the jaylors , strike off my irons , and let me out , that i may go to the palace , and i will remember thee with a good turn ; the keeper answered , i fear lest the king be yet alive , i will go therefore and know the truth , and come again by and by antipater seeing he could not get loose , wept for anger at the keeper : so the keeper came to the court , which being told to the king , he commanded him to be brought before him ; then the king asked him , what did antipater ( i pray thee ) when he heard this mourning , and that i was dead ? the keeper answered , he was very glad thereof , and when i would not smite off his irons and let him out , he wept for anger : the king cryed unto his lords , see how he hateth me , being yet in prison , if he were here , he would do what he could to kil me ; he would not do as my servants did , make haste to wrest the knife out of my hand . as true as god liveth , he shall never have that which he gapeth for , so the king commanded he should be put to death : and there was not one that would intreat for him , or desire the king to the contrary , but every man was glad of his destruction . the king commanded the keeper to bring him forth to the market-place ; which done , his head was cut off , and so he missed of his purpose : moreover the king commanded his body to be taken and carried to the city of ankalia , there to be buried , but not in the city : that done , and the people being returned from the burial , the king sent to call all the nobles of israel together , and enforcing his strength , he sat up in his bed , & commanded to call his son archelaus , on whom he laid his hands , and made him king over israel ; then shouted every man , god save the king. the king lived five dayes after the execution of antipater , then he fainted and died . he raigned over israel . years ; he was a worthy warriour , a wise and prudent man , a goodly man of person , having god on his side . he ever loved the sages hillel , and samai , with their companions : he enriched the second house , more than all other kings , and was more liberal than all the kings that were before him . his gifts and rewards were rich , for he counted gold and silver , as chaffe and stones : he kept israel in peace from all his enemies : he bui●…ded also a fairer temple than king solomon ; but he made the yoke of tribute and exaction in israel more heavy , and gave open ear to ev●…l tongues . he was a cruel blood-shedder of poor and innocent persons , and archelaus his son reigned in his room . he willed , before his death , that they should bury him in the city of erodion , two dayes journey and a half from jerusalem : so they put him in a coffin covered with gold , set here and there with precious stones . the bed under him was wrought with gold , and full of precious stones ; likewise upon his head was a cloth of rayes powdred with precious stones , and upon that a royal crown , made fast to the left side of the coffin , and on the right side was a regal scepter ; upon the bier was also a cloth of rayes , very thick powdred with precious stones , crystal , amethysts , and very many ●…aphirs . then all the chief men of war went about him in their coats of fence , and drawn swords in their hands , with helmets on their heads as in the time of war. after them came archelaus his son that was made king ; then followed him all the people : there were fifty of his servants that went about the bier , every one having a chaffindish of gold in his hand , wherein they burnt sweet woods , and perfumes continually ; as many as went about him , casting upon the hearse pure myrrhe . he was born by certain great lords , and noblemen of israel , upon their shouldders , going leisurely , and with a majesty , till they came to erodion ; where they buried him with great honour , the like was never done to any king. these things done , there resorted together such as hated herod , and were weary of their own lives whiles he lived , rejoycing that they had escaped his hands , saying ; we have looked till our eyes bleared , waiting for the death of herod that tyrant and bloodshedder , that oppressed us with such heavy yokes ; that left us nothing to live on , for the tributes and taxes that he laid upon us ; yet now archelaus his son is worse than he : wherefore they consulted together , and cast their minds and good will toward antipater the son of salumith , the kings sister , one of the blood of chasmonany , and went with him to octavian augustus , requesting him to translate the kingdom from archelaus to antipater ; but he would not grant them their suite : yea , he rather confirmed and assured the kingdom to archelaus , who wrought wickedness in the sight of the lord ; for he married his brother alexanders wife , that had children by alexander , and committed many great offences . the ninth year of archelaus's raign , it chanced upon a night he dreamed a dream , he thought he saw nine eares of corn , very good and full grown upon one stalk ; then came a great oxe and did eate them up all at one bit , by and by he awaked and perceived it was a dream ; therefore calling one of the sages of israel unto him , he shewed him his dream : the wise man said , this is the interpretation of it ; the . eares fresh and full , be the years which thou hast raigned ; the great oxe is the great king octavian augustus ; this year thou sha●…t be removed from thy kingdom , because thou hast neglected the word of god , and hast married thy brothers wife ; to this archelaus answered him neither good nor bad . within five dayes after , octavian came towards jerusalem ; and when archelaus wen●… to meet him , he put him in prison , deposed him from the kingdom of israel , and made antipas his brother king in his stead ; he turned his name also and called him herod ; that done , he returned to rome : whiles antipater was king , died the emperour octavian augustus , the . year of his raign , and tiberius caesar succeeded him . this antipas also wrought wickedness , and sundry abominations more than any that was before him : for he took his brother philips wife from him , which had already children by philip ; for this shameful deed , rabbi john baptist the high priest rebuked him , wherefore antipas put him to death . there was at that time one jesus , a wise man , if it be lawful to call him a man , for he was a worker of wonderfull works , and a teacher of such men as gladly did hear the truth ; and had many disciples , both of the jews , and also of the gentiles . this man was christ. who , after he was accused of the chief rulers of our nation , and condemned by pilate to be crucified , was nevertheless much beloved by them , who loved him even from the beginning . to these he appeared the third day alive , according as the prophets by divine inspiration had told before , aswell of this , as also of many other things , which should be done by him . and even to this day the christian sect , which took their name of him , continueth . against this man antipas before named , came tiberius emperour of rome ; to whom when antipas repaired , he apprehended him , la●…d him in irons , and sent him into spain , where he died : archelaus also that was deposed before , died in the time of this tiberius raign . then tiberius made agrippa ( the son of aristobulus whom herod put to death , ) antipas brother , king in his stead . the time that antipas raigned over israel , was . years . in agrippas time died tiberius caesar , and caius succeeded him : this caius called himself a god , and would suffer no man to worship any thing in his empire but himselfe : he continued not long in this dignity , but decayed and died . after him succeeded claudius . claudius being dead , nero caesar was emperor . agrippa raigned over israel years . in his time nero sore oppressed israel , by setting cruel presidents over them , which left them nothing to live upon ; and besides that , he punished them with divers torments , until at length they were constrained to rebel against the roman empire , and nero cesar ; to rid themselves from under his subjection . and above all other , one florus president and captain of the roman army , most grievously oppressed the jews , and had done many things very wickedly . for not onely he shed innocent blood , ravishing at his pleasure , wives , and deflouring maids in the cities of juda , but also robbed with great cruelty , every man of his goods ; he polluted the temple , and upon the beams thereof , he hung those that he took displeasure at . it chanced that beronice , king agrippa's sister , came at that time to jerusalem out of devotion to vifit the holy place . she seeing florus violently oppress the people , and for payment of exactions and tallage to slay many of them , even at the entrance of the temple , she came forth weeping unto florus , beseeching him to spare the people ; for she pitied them very greatly : yet florus relented nothing ; but when she was departed from him he flouted and mockt her , though she were the kings sister , and that in the temple of the lord. there was present at that time a valiant young man , eleasar the son of anani the high priest. he while his father was executing his office , could not abide to see the ●…raelites so misused at florus hands , but being kindled with a fervent zeal , sounded a trumpet , whereby there assembled about him forthwith divers companies of young men , goodly warriours , by whose ayd he raised a great commotion , and encountered with florus and the roman souldiers , of whom he made a great slaughter , prevailing much ; and , getting at length the upper hand of florus , overthrew all the host , so that florus was constrained to fly alone out of jerusalem unto egypt . in the way as he fled , he chanced to meet with king agrippa coming from rome , from nero cesar , and going home into judea , to whom florus declared what had hapned him through the youth of the jews at jerusalem : and as agrippa had passed egypt , and drew toward jerusalem , his sister beronice directed her letters unto him , moving him to rejoyn with the jews , and to aid them : the people also came wholly the space of fourty miles out of the city of jerusalem to meet him , and fel down flat before him , crying , god save our king agrippa . but the king studied all he might to procure quietness and peace to the city and people : so he entred into jerusalem , accompanied with two noble men of rome , worthy captains , whom he brought with him in his train ; and when he came into the midst of the city , the people cryed mainly out upon him , saying , deliver us , o king , and let thy hand and help be on our side , to succour us , for we will never more be under the roman subjection . the king hearing this , pityed the people very much ; notwithstanding , he was not content that they were minded to rebel against the roman empire . wherefore he called the people together at the entrance of the court of the temple , where were present the elders of israel , and all the chief men , with the high priest anani , and declared unto them the power of the romans , the strength of their kingdom , and what nations round about them they had subdued , in such sort , as no remainder of them was left : wherefore he besought them not to provoke the romans , nor to destroy the people remaining in israel . he added moreover , if ye will give ear to mine advice ( saith he ) i know it well dear breathren , that there resteth in your hearts a great grief , and i my self am full of sorrow and anguish , that we are not of power to withstand the romans ; albeit , if you will be ruled by my counsel , ye shall find a redress for this matter . for where counsel is , and good deliberation , there 's safety , and things come to prosperous success ; ye shall sustain for a while the yoak of the roman captains , till i may certify nero of the matter by my letters , and entreat him to rid us of these rulers ; i beseech you , be not hasty of liberty : many seeking liberty , have fallen into further captivity and greater bondage ; there be among our people many evil disposed persons , whose delight is in wars , for it is their whole study ; amongst whom many good men do also perish ; wherefore hear my words : as for them that be wise , they may perceive the matter themselves ; they that lack experience , let them learn wisdom at my sayings . keep therefore silence , which shall be as well to mine , as to your own commodity , for i shall not need to strain my self , but speak the softlier withless pain ; and ye on the other side may the better hear and understand what i say . if ye hold not your peace , ye shal have two discommodities ; ye shal interrupt my com munication , and hinder your selves from hearing . but now to the purpose : ye shall be content , and suffer till i write to rome of these matters , that cesar may remove these evill rulers , and send us them that be more human , and gentle ; if ye may have such a one , then shall ye not think your selves in bondage , but in liberty ; and worthily , for then only is servitude grievous , when as the ruler is an unjust man , and wicked . now therefore stay your selves , quarrel not with them ; for although they be wicked , yet will they be ashamed to do wrong openly , for what they do , they do it secretly ; but if ye should accuse them too much , they would rub their foreheads , and do it openly without all shame ; so should you make of your judges , and rulers , your open enemies : but it were far better to suffer an unjust governour , then a just enemy ; for the one robbeth men privily , the other is an open destroyer ; provoke them not therefore . consider the wild beasts that be under mens power , and kept in chains , as lyons , bears , and leopards : if a man let them alone , they are quiet and harm no man ; but if a man go to their dens and anger them , they will fly upon him , and worry him , and others too that be present : the same ye may perceive in a fever , and an ague , which if a man will go about to cure at the beginning , he shall make it more grievous , but if he will remedy it by leisure , the fervency of it will easily be quenched . now therefore refrain your selves , and take heed that you draw not caesar upon your heads , and the whole roman empire : caesar coveteth not your harm , neither sent he unto you these rulers to hurt you ; his eyes cannot see from east to west , nor his hand reach from rome hither , for it is flesh and blood ; but if you will abide , till i may send embassadours to cesar , i doubt not but i shall remove these rulers , and rid you of them peaceably , without any war , or blood shed . if ye be utterly determined to resist the roman empire , you shall understand , you be in no wise able to do it , for god is every where on their side , so that they be lords throughout all the world , and all people serve them , and shall do so till their end shall come : but if ye will not do this for your own sakes , yet do it for your own countries sake , your children , and wives , the sanctuary and priests , whom ye are bound to love and spare , lest ye cast away and undo them all at once . i beseech you take my words in good part , for i have spoken nothing but that is for your good , and that may further our peace with the romans , which i most wish : if you will be ruled and chuse peace , i will take your part , and do the best i can for you ; but if you will needs have wars , ye shall have it alone for me , i will not meddle with you . with this agrippa fell on weeping , and so did also all the elders with him , and the men of most wisdom , the chief in all israel ; yea anani the high priest also could not refrain from tears : notwithstanding , eleazer his stout son , with his routs of warlike young men about him , they wept not at all , nor would hearken or give any ear to wholesom counsell , but all at once with their drawn swords , violently rushed upon the roman caprains that came with agrippa and slew them , their men , and all the multitude that was with him in jerusalem , and judea . the elders in judea , with the wisest and goodliest israelites , seeing what was done , departed from jerusalem , fearing nero , and the cruelty of the romans : therefore they took the town of sion , and remained there ; for they would not be taken of the romans to be of the same confederacy with the other : the seditious hearing that , took the temple of the lord ; so sedition and civil wars fell between the seditious , and the ancients : for when eleasar heard , that the elders and the heads of the people were fled to the mount sion , he and his company set upon them , prevailed against them , and slew a great many of them . agrippa perceiving the power of the seditious grew apace , he sent out of his camp , where he lay without the town , two valiant captains , one named darius , the other philippus , with . men to succour those elders and sages , that were desirous of peace : these prevailed against eleasar , and the seditious that took his part ; made a great slaughter of them , skirmishing for the space of seven daies together , and at length put them to flight , and pursued them to the temple . from that time forth the wars increased more and more , between eleasar and his complices , and agrippa with his hoast , and the sages , elders , and princes that took their part . upon a time when the captains of agrippa entred the temple , certain cut-throat murderers , raised by the seditious , mixt themselves amongst the kings bands , and getting behind their backs , wounded them with daggers that they had under their kets ; so that the kings souldiers having launces , and great arming swords in their hands , such as they use in the wars , could not wield them in the press ; by this means many of them were slain , and the seditious got the victory . thus darius and philippus with the roman army were put to flight , and the elders with the sages that were desirous of peace , departed out of town , and fled to king agrippa . then had eleasar and the seditious the whole rule of the city , and all to their great damage ; for the fury of the seditious increased to such outragiousness , that they set a fire king agrippa's house that he had in jerusalem , spoiled all his treasure , and all that was any thing worth they divided amongst themselves , they burnt the books of accounts , and bills of debts , every one that were in his palace . beronice's house also the kings sister they set on fire ; and they slew all the cunning artificers that were masters of the kings works ; so their rule and power in the city , grew every day more and more grievous then other . chap. v. in those daies dwelt the jews and aramites together in all the cities of syria , amongst whom also was war waged : for the caesarians brought the romans into the town against the jews , and slew them as many as they could find in the town . the damascians also conspired together to destroy all the jews that dwelt amongst them , which thing they kept secret from their wives , because for the most part they favoured the jews religion . therefore the aramites upon a certain night armed for the purpose , beset all the waies and entrances into the town , and houses also , and slew about ten thousand of the jews , coming upon them unawares , when they were in their beds , nothing mistrusting any such matter . when the jews of jerusalem heard how the aramites had dealt with the jews in their countrey , suddenly they put themselves in arms , and in a fury and rage , like as it had been lions and bears that had lost their whelps , they ran to damasco , burnt their holds , put the damascians to the sword , men , women , and children , even the very sucking babes : yea , their oxen , sheep , camels , and asses , with all other cattle , leaving none alive . and thus they dealt with many cities of the syrians , slaying and killing them , not sparing either old or young , male or female , but destroyed all in most cruel wise ; even the very infants and sucklings they haled from their mothers breasts , and murthered them , insomuch that all the whole land was full of the stink of the dead bodies that were slain , for there was no man left to bury the carkases . so the jews wasted all the land of the aramites , and had destroyed it , had not castius a captain of the romans delivered syria and the country of zapha . the people therefore departed wholly from aram , to return into judea , and in the way they came to scithopolis a city in syria intending to besiege it , for it was yet left untouched , and was very strong : at that time also the jews and aramites dwelt together in it . the jews therefore that were without , offered peace to the jews that dwelt in the town , but they refused it , and defied them , railing at them , and for their friendly offer , requited them with approbrius words , and with injuries also . for those jews that dwelt in the aforesaid city , with the aramites , loved together like brethren , and for the most part , they were of the leviticall tribe , stout men and hardy . the host of the jews without the city said unto them , we come friendly unto you , and would aid you ; the other jews within answered : we will neither your friendship nor ayd : the army of the jews hearing that , consented and agreed to raise their siege , to go to jerusalem and there to remain ; for they had a great booty of gold and silver that they had gotten together of the spoiles of syria . after this the syrians that dwelt in sithopolis said to one another , put case the jews return again , and make war upon us , surely if they should so do , these jews that dwell among us , would joyn with them , and deliver up the city into their hands , and then would they be revenged upon us , and destroy us , as they have done the other cities of syria : therefore they agreed to say unto the jews and inhabitants of the city with them , we understand your country men will invade us again , and make war upon us , wherefore depart ye forth of the city with your wives and children , and lodg in the wood nigh unto the city , till their army be gone again , and then you shall return unto us . the jews were content to fulfil their minds , went out of the city , and placed themselves in the wood . there was amongst them a certain young man named schimeon , a good man of war , fierce , big-made , and very strong withall ; he in the favour of the gentiles had slain many jews , and destroyed much of the people of god. for during the time that the jews besieged scithopolis , he issued out continually , and skirmished with the host of the jews , many times putting them to flight , and never would suffer them to waste the town , or to do any harm to the inhabitants thereof . now as schimeon with his father saul , an honest old man , and the rest of the people of the jews that dwelt in scithopolis , remained altogether bodily in the wood , without mistrusting any harm ; the romans joyned with the syrians in great number , entred the wood , and slew the jews , all that ever they could find , to the number of thirteen thousand : schimeon himself with his father and their families , had pitched their tents nigh unto a fair fountain that was in the wood , to whom when their enemies came to slay them , and destroy their whole families , schimeon ran upon them with his drawn sword , made a great slaughter of them , and constrained them to retire : but when a great multude environed him , and he perceived all the rest of the jews were slain , he with the houshold only remaining , neither saw he any way to escape ; he stept upon a little hill with his naked sword , saying : hearken unto me ye syrians and romans , and ye that dwell in scithopolis , i will speak unto you a few words full of lamentation . now i perceive that justly and not without a cause ye make war against me , without any favour or consideration that i delivered you from the hosts of the jews , and never suffered them to do any displeasure to you , your wives and children , nor to your city , as they had done to other cities of syria . for i am he , that for your sakes have warred against my countrymen t●… please you withal : yea , both their blood and mine have i pledged unto you , and have kept inviolated the love of strangers , hating my own people , of whom for your pleasures , i have slain oft both the fathers and the children ; and now ye render evil for the good i have done unto you . but indeed god of his just judgment hath stirred you up to reward me in this sort , to murther me , that hath so often preserved you : now therefore ye shall bear me witness that i shall sufficiently and sharply enough , take vengeance of my own life , not without rage and fury , most severely , because i have slain my fellows and friends ; i will therefore slay my self , to be avenged of my self ; for my brothers blood that i have shed , and so shall i be revenged of their blood ; and ye shall well perceive me to be of that courage , that rather than ye shall slay me , and after boast and brag how ye have killed schimeon , i will bereave my self of my life , and punish the shedding of my brothers blood no otherwise , than the law punisheth a murtherer and man killer . when he had spoken this , his eyes were filled with blood , and his face with rage , and so inflamed with fury , laying apart all pity , ran and caught hold of his father , haled him out of the wood , and slew him : then slew he his mother , lest she should intreat him for the children , and be sorry for their sakes : that done , his wife came running of her own accord , and held her neck down to the sword , lest she should be constrained to see her children dye . yea , schimeons children came and offered themselves to be slain , lest they should see the death of their father , or remain after him to be delivered to the enemies . after this he slew all his whole family that not one of his should come into the hands of their enemies . finally , he gathered their bodies together into one place , like a valiant stout warrior , and then boldly goared himself on his own sword , lest any man else should impair , his strength , or boast that he had killed him . all this schimeon did with a great courage , to take punishment of himself , because he had bestowed his love rather upon strangers , than upon his own people , and to declare his force and manhood . so he died an abominable and detestable death , save only it was an argument of his haughty mind and great courage , as it is said before . now when the jews had thus rebelled against the romans , and slain their souldiers , and captains , king agrippa went to rome and recounted unto nero caesar the emperor of rome , all that was hapned ; whereupon nero sent captain cassius ( that was at that time in syria , and had made war upon the king of persia , and vanquished him and all his power , and subdued his dominions to the romans ; ) and with him a puissant army of the romans , commanding him to go into judea , to offer peace unto the people , to comfort them , and to bring them again into league with the romans , if it might be . cassius therefore took his journey towards judea , agrippa met him in the way , and informed him what had hapned unto him concerning the jews ; how he had offered them peace , and they would have none of it ; how also they had burnt his palace , and sacked it : cassius hearing that , was very glad that he had gotten such an occasion , to revenge the blood of the romans , and syrians , which the jews had shed : wherefore he levied a mighty army and came to caesarea , and wheresoever he did espy the goodliest buildings , those caused he to be burnt . from thence went he to the city japho , which he besieged both by land and sea , and at length wan it , where he slew in the streets men . after that he came to jades , where he first burnt all the country about it , and whomsoever he caught without the town , he slew them : but the citizens of zippory went out to meet cassius , and besought him for peace , whom he spared ; he came not nigh their town , nor slew any that dwelt in their countrey . the seditious jews that were in the city of zippory , hearing of cassius coming , fled unto the mountains ; but in the way they lighted upon part of cassius army , whereof they slew men , and woun , ded their captain glaphira : yet at length the seditious were put to flight , and many of them-glaphira with his horsmen pursued , overthrew and destroyed , the rest fled to the mountains . then glaphira captain of cassius army , went to cesarea , that was subdued to the romans , there to cure his wounds that the jews had given him . thence went he to antipire , which as he would have assaulted , he perceived it to be furnished with a great power of the iews , and seditious : these hearing cassius also was coming , they went purposely to fight with him , but perceiving that cassius power was very great , they determined to encounter with him in the plain of gibeon , fifty miles from ierusalem : whereupon the jews with their companies fained themselves to flye , to the intent they might draw the romans after them ; and within six daies they came to gibeon , and there rested : cassius pursued after them with all his hoast , till he came to gibeon , which he besieged and assaulted also . it chansed then upon one of the sabbaths in the morning watch , the jews ( armed at all points ) issued out of the town , to give their enemies a camisado ; so after they had given a token of war , they marched toward the hoast of cassius , whereof they slew horsmen , and footmen twenty seven thousand , with the loss of only . of their own company . in that battell did well appear the valiantness of mugbas , a captain of the jews army : one baudius also played the man , at that same time , for at the commandment of eleazar the priest , chief of the seditious , he set first foot within the romans camp . then began the jewish warriours to be famous , after they had once so manfully incountered with the romans : this done , castius and agrippa sent their embassadours once again to jerusalem , to eleazar the son of anani the priest , chief of the rebells that were in judea , and jerusalem , requiring peace , and to come in league with eleazar , lest the people of the jews should be utterly destroyed by the romans incursions , and invasions on every side . but eleazar refused to hear the legates , and slew one of them , because he made too many words , in perswading the peace and league . upon this , eleazar assembled the priests and people together , to go out and fight with castius ; castius perceiving how eleazar , and the people were affected , and what minds they were of , how they had utterly conspired to destroy the romans that were there , and to consume them clean , having a sufficient trial also of the force and valiantness of the rebels ; he determined fully to go to rome , for he perceived he was not able to match with the seditious , neither his own power to be compared with theirs . wherefore he would go see what end should come of the wars , and what counsel caesars majesty would give . taking his journey therefore to the city japho , he found there letters of the romans , for thither was their army come . from thence went he with them and his own army to rome , and made report to caesar of such things as have chanced : whereat nero was much abashed , and not only he , but all the people of rome were sore astonied to hear of the great puissance and valiantness of the jews : for which cause the wars ceased for that year , so that the land of judea was at great rest , and quietnesse that year , through eleazers means the head r●…bel , especially from the hands of wicked castius , that had sworn to revenge the romans , to extinguish the jews , and that he would destroy all the race of them , as none should be left alive . therefore these are they that delivered israel in the time of the second temple , out of the hands of their enemies ; what time as wars were moved against the jews and their country : what time also commotions and tumults began in israel . the first war was made by antiochus the wicked king of macedonia ; who had determined not to leave one man in israel . his mischievousnesse proceeded so far , that he slew the people of god , the sages , and wisemen , princes , elders , and young men , children great and small , israelits , levites also , and priests , until all the chief men of judea cast their heads together , and went to matthathias son of jochanan the high priest in the mount of modiit , where he hid himself for the iniquity of antiochus and his rulers , crying upon him , and saying , deliver at this season the people of the lord , and never think to escape thy self , whiles the most wicked enemy rangeth thus , and runneth upon thy people , and sheddeth thy blood . for the blood of all israel , what is it but thy blood ? and the eyes of every man are fixed on thee , hoping that thou should'st assist and aid them in this calamity , that they may finde deliverance by thy means . matthathias hearing this , wept bitterly , and said , fear ye not , nor let these macedonians dismay you , the lord shall fight for you , be ye only quiet . so then was matthathias stirred , and delivered israel out of the hands of antiochus , and after he had overcome him , he was high priest for one year , and then died . in whose room succeeded judas his son , who executed the office in the temple six years , and was slain in battel . then his brother jochanan was chief in the temple eight years , and died likewise in battel . afterward his brother simeon was ruler eighteen years , whom p●…olomy his wifes father poisoned at a banquet . then jochanan his son succeeded his father in the office ; this is he , that was named hircanus , first of that name so called , because he vanquished a king of that name : he reigned . years , and died . after him reigned aristobulus one year ; he was called the great king , because he first put the royall crown upon his head , and turned the dignity of the high priesthood into a kingdom , unhollowing and staining the holinesse thereof . years , and . moneths after the returning of israel from babylon . he being dead , his brother alexander reigned . years : after whose death alexandra his wife held the kingdom nine years , and then died . in whose stead succeeded her son aristobulus , and reigned . years ; in his time pompey a roman captain came against jerusalem , wan it , and apprehended aristobulus , bound him in irons , and carried him captive to rome ; in whose place he ordained hircanus his brother to succeed , who reigned forty years . during his reign rebelled antigonus , son of aristobulus , hircanus brother , and with the aid of an army of the persians , incountred with hircanus , took him prisoner , and sent him to babylon , cutting off his eares , that he should never after be meet either for the priesthood , or for the kingdom . antigonus reigned three years : in his dayes herod fled and joyned himself with the romans , by whose help he slew antigonus the third year of his reign , and reigned after him . years , and then died . after herod succeeded archelaus his son , who was taken by the romans , the ninth year of his reign , laid in bonds , and ended his life at rome . next to him reigned antipater his brother , who changed his name , and called himself herod ; he reigned full ten years , overcame and wasted spain , because the king of spain had ravished and taken away his brothers wife , and there died . after him followed agrippa , son of aristobulus , that was his brothers son ; he reigned three and twenty years , after whose death his son agrippa reigned twenty years . this is that agrippa of whom we now speak of , and of the calamity that befell in his time upon israel . for all the while he reigned , the wars between the romans and israel never ceased , until the people of judea were led captive into the province of the romans : at that time also the temple was desolate , i mean the desolation of the second temple , which we saw with our eyes builded and destroyed . the . year of the reign of king agrippa , the . day of the . moneth , that is called ab , viz. july : nero caesar sent a present for a burnt-offering , to be offered in the temple at jerusalem , requiring peace of the elders and sages of judea , and jerusalem , and that they would receive him into league with them , saying ; my request is , that you would offer my present to the lord your god , for his service and religion liketh me very well ; so that i desire you to joyn in league with me , according as you have done with the emperours of rome my predecessors in time past . i have heard what castius the captain of mine army hath done to you , which displeaseth me out of measure ; wherefore i assure unto you a faithful league , by the consent and counsel of the senate of rome , that hereafter there shall never any roman captain stir hand or foot against you , but rather your chieftains , rulers , and judges shall be all jews , and of jerusalem : yea agrippa your king , shall be lord of all your rulers , and what he commandeth , you shall do it ; the romans shall only be called your lords , and have no more to do with you . so when these legates came to jerusalem , they went and spake with anani the priest , informing him of nero's mind , and shewed him his present , placing it afore him : the present was this ; a bull for a burnt-offering , with a crown of gold upon his head , his hornes also were covered with gold ; upon him was a cloth of purple powdred with precious stones : there went certain before him that carried ten talents of gold , behind followed very many sheep for peace-offerings . when eleazar ananies son heard thereof , he came and cast out of the temple of the lord nero caesars presents , saying , we will not profane and unhallaw the sanctuary of our lord , with the offerings of strangers ; for god will accept neither their burnt offerings , nor their peace-offerings : when he had so said , he sounded a trumpet , set his men in array against the host of the romans that kept watch and ward in the city of jerusalem , and slew many of them that day , with one of their captains also , and another they took alive ; he being a valiant man , and seeing the routs of the jews to urge him grievously , said unto them , save my life and i will yield ; unto whom eleazar the rebell sware , that he would not slay him , but spare him for his manhood ( for he had slain very many of the jews before ) whereupon he yielded himself . then eleazar said unto him : like as thy sword hath made many women childless , so shall thy mother be made childlesse of thee above all other ; and therewith contrary to his oath , he commanded his servants to kill him . king agrippa seeing this , was wonderfully sorry . therefore as he stood in one of the streets , he cryed , o thou rebel eleazar , i pray god that this mischief , whereof thou art cause , and thy acts , may light upon thee , and thy fathers house●… which when it cometh to passe , we shall never be dismayed at . it appeareth they shall have somewhat to do , that study to make peace and tranquility in thy dayes ; for they are sure to be destroyed with thee . how long wilt thou continue to bring us into the bryars , thou enemy and hater of the lord ? why doest thou destroy and waste the vineyard of the lord god of hosts ? eleazar answered him , what takest thou upon thee the name of a king ? if thou be a king , why commandest thou not us to be punished ? where be thy valiant souldiers ? let 's see , come thou and they together and chasten me , that it may be tried whether thou be a king indeed or no ; thou slandest aloof off , and when thou speakest , thy feet are ready to run away , as though a dog should set himself against an armed man , and bark at him , bleating out his tongue . with this he winked upon the rebels his complices , to run upon agrippa , and take him whiles he held him in talk : but that was perceived of one of agrippa's servants whom he had appointed for the same purpose , to stand over against him as nigh as he might , to mark and spy if the rebels could make any stir toward him , and to let him have knowledge ; he therefore laying his hand upon his head , gave a sign to the king to flee , saying , away , away , for if thou tarry any longer , the seditious will slay thee and us together . agrippa perceiving that , he gat from thence with all speed , and the rebels pursued him , but in vain , for they could not overtake him . so he got to japho a town under the romans , where he was in safeguard . from thence he fled to rome , and declared to the emperour nero , the mischief that besel at jerusalem , and all that seditious eleazar had done to his offering ; also how his commandment took no place . wherefore nero joyned unto him again castius with a huge army , wherewith they both entred judea , and wan many walled towns , amongst which they razed japho . for the romans perceiving the power of the rebels to encrease , were afraid lest they should get it into their hands whereby it might be an anoyance in time to come to the romans , chiefely seeing it was a notable haven for their ships to arive in judea . after this , both agrippa and castius led their army towards jerusalem , to war upon the rebels , and utterly to destroy them . eleazar and other priests with much people hearing that , they issued out against them , and found them encamped in the way , between jerusalem and japho ; but after they had joyned battel , many of the jews were slain by the romans : the residue , castius and agrippa put to flight , and pursued the chase unto the gates of jerusalem , besieged also the city for the space of three dayes . the fourth day the priests and the people issued out suddenly unawares upon the romans , set upon their camp , and slew five thousand footmen , and one thousand horsemen . castius seeing that he nor his could escape , he chose out forty thousand of his best souldiers , and placed them betwixt his camp and the priests , commanding them to stand all the night sounding their trumpets , and making of fire ; that he and agrippa might escape , and that they should not remove out of their place till the morrow . the jews hearkning to the sound of the trumpets , and musing what they should mean , pursued not the romans : but perceiving in the morning , they were gone toward caesarea , three dayes journey off , eleazar with the people followed , and in the way found their baggage strayed , that the romans had caft from them , to run the lighter , and escape easilier , which they let alone and pursued them to the gates of caesarea , but castius and agrippa got fast within the town , and from thence went both together to rome ; where they declared unto nero the emperor , how they sped at jerusalem : and as they were making relation of this unto the emperor , there came also a post out of persia , with tidings that the king of persia , was revolted from the roman empire . these things troubled the emperour ●…ore , to see almost all fall from him , that heretofore had obeyed the empire of the romans . at the same time returned vespasianus , captain of the host , whom nero had sent into the west parts of the world , as germany , brittain , and spain , which lands he had brought under the subjection of nero. to him nero declared , what mischief the priests had wrought to the roman host in judea , how they had slain the romans , and so forth , as he had heard of agrippa and castius , which displeased vespasian greatly . after this , nero sent vespasian , and his son titus , to revenge the romans on the persians and jews , giving in commandment to race their walled cities , to beat down whatsoever they found , without sparing either man , woman , or child , infants , sucking babes , or old folkes , but to slay all . so that vespasian and titus set forward with a chosen and pickt army of the romans , passed the seas , and came to antiochia . the jews having intelligence of this , chose out of their captains , three of the principal and most expert warriours , of whom i joseph priest that wrote this history was one , who by the divine favour am not ignorant in feats of arms , and famous in acts of chievalry ; and anani the high priest , and eleazar his son . to these three they committed the whole land of iudea , dividing it to them by lot , and gave them a furniture of war. one third part therefore ( which was whole galilee from the land of nephtali and beyond ) fell to joseph the priest , son of gorion , to his honour and glory , who for his worthinesse , they named also josephon , because he was then anointed , appointed , and consecrated to the wars . the second lot came forth ; which fell unto anani the priest , who had the city of jerusalem , and the country about it , with a charge to repair the walls of the city , to sustain the brunt of vespasian if he should come so far . the third lot fell to eleazar the son of anani the priest , to whom was joyned captain jehoscua , and other jewish captain●… . by the vertue of this 〈◊〉 fell to him the whole land of edom , from elat to the red sea. the rest of the land from jericho to euphrates , with that also that is beyond the river , and all the land of mesopotamia , fell to captain menasches lot . to other princes of iudea , and to the worthiest priest , they committed the fenced cities from the limits and bounds of jerusalem to egypt . vespasian taking his journey with his host from antiochia , came and pitched his tents in aramzofa . for he had devised thus with his council ; first to invade galilee , and after to try what they could do in iudea . ioseph gorion having intelligence of this his purpose , departed from ierusalem to galilee , built up the towns that were destroyed , and repaired their walls , gates , bars , and palaces ; ordained also captains over the people , to lead and govern them ; some of thousands , some of hundreds , tribunes and decurians . he instructed the people also in feats of wars , what the sound of trumpets signified , what sound served to fall in array , what to gather the souldiers together , and what to divide them after he had instructed them in the knowledge and feats of war , he said unto them thus : ye shall understand ( dear israelites ) that ye go to fight at this present against your enemies , wherefore let no fear overcome your hearts , nor dismay you at the sight of your enemies , but play the men , and take a good courage to you , to fight for your cities , for your countrie , and for your selves : be not afraid of death , but rather be stout in defence of your countrie , that ye be not led away from it , and to fight for the sanctuary of the lord , that it be not stained and polluted with the uncleannesse of the gentiles . consider , that it is better to die in battel , than to live in captivity and bondage ; therefore when as ye shall come to joyn with your enemies , and shall see any of them beaten down , and attempt to rise again , whosoever of you is by and seeth him , remember the zeal of your god , wherewith it becometh you to revenge his quarrel , and being moved therewith , strike him that he never rise again ; but if you shall see any of your fellows down , being inclined with the zeal of your god , rescue him from the hands of your enemies , and if he be not yet killed , cure him . if he be dead , ye shall do what ye can to bury him in the israelites burial ; and so if we chuse rather to die than to live , we shall prosper in our wars ; we shall die for the covenant of our god , and deliver our souls , bringing them to the light of life in heaven . after he had said this , he chose out of the iews . footmen , and but few horsemen : and out of these he chose ●… . of the best , such as not one of them would shrink from ten , ten from an hundred , a hundred from a thousand , a thousand from ten thousand . with them ioseph went to the cities of agrippa that were in iudea , to win them : for agrippa stuck to the romans , were it right or wrong , with all the power he could make . he went first to tiarva , a great city that belonged to agrippa , whereas both his treasure and munition of war lay : when he approached the city , he spake to the people upon the walls , and offered them peace , on condition that they should open the gates , and deliver unto him all the treasure of agrippa , and all his jewe●…s ; this if they would do , he then would spare them , and kill none of them . were it it not better for you ( saith he ) to take part with them that defend the sanctuary of god and his inheritance , than to joyn your aid with agrippa , which is confederate with your enemies , and assaileth us , augmenting the power of them that hate us , so that he refuseth not to ●…ght against the sanctuary of the lord , and the people of his inheritance ? the men of the town condescending to joseph , opened the gates , and he entring the town , made peace with them , and they delivered him all the kings treasures , for they liked iosephs words , and consented to take such part as he took . chap. vi. at that time came news to joseph , that troubled him sore ; namely , that tiberias had rebelled and revolted from the people that dwelt in jerusalem , and were changed from his lot , to become vespasians subjects , who had set a roman captain over them . for reformation whereof , he left his army at tiarva , and took six hundred young men with him to tiberias , coming on it suddenly , and at unawares : and as he stood on the banks of genesar , he espied the navy of the romans that there lay at road to aid vespasian , which i●… charged to be broken in pieces , and to be scattered abroad in the sea . the men of tiberias therefore seeing the ships dispersed in that fashion , they conjectured it was done by some of iosephs host , wherefore the romans fled to the town , got in , and shut the gates . ioseph notwithstanding came to one gate of the city , and cryed that the people might hear , saying ; what meaneth this conspiracy of yours against me ? ye fight not against me , but rather against the lord god , whose covenant ye have transgressed , and broke the bond that we made with him ; ye have also violated your oath that you sware by the god of israel , that we should fight against our enemies to abate their pride . the people answered from the walls , we beseech thee our lord , hear thy servants speak ; god forbid we should joyn with the romans , and not rather with the people of the lord god of israel , and his sanctuary , with the people of his inheritance : howbeit there be amongst us certain proud men , ungodly persons , that have made a league with vespasian , and have brought into the town one of his chief captains : wherefore and it please thee , my lord , to enter the city with thy souldiers , come unto us , that we may live with thee , rather than to perish in the hands of them that hate us . so they opened the gates , so that ioseph went in and took the town . then he caused to apprehend those ungodly persons that were there , about six hundred men , and laid them in irons , sending them to tiarva which he had afore taken : the other wicked men that had aided vespasian , he put to the sword . but the chief governour of the town he apprehended alive , carried him out of the city , and commanded one of his souldiers to cut off his hands . then the captain besought joseph , saying , i beseech thee , my lord , let one of my hands be cut off , and leave me the other . then joseph and his souldiers laught him to scorn , judging him to be no valiant man , nor of haughty courage : joseph bad his souldier give him the sword in his own hand , and let him cut off which hand he list , and leave him which he will. so the roman captain took the sword , and cut off his left hand himself , leaving him the right , and so he was let go . he came therefore unto vespasians camp , to shew them what shame was done him . after this , the citizens of zippory rebelled also , making a league with vespasian and the romans host . ioseph being certified of this , made thither with his host to besiege it , but the town abid the brunt of the assault that ioseph could prevail nothing against it , wherefore he besieged it a long season . about that time , it was signified also to them of jerusalem , that the askalonites had entred in friendship with the romans . they sent therefore neger the edomite , and shiloch the babylonian , and iehochanan with a power of the common people , who came to askalon , and besieged it a great space . within the town was a roman captain called antonius , a valiant man , and a good warriour : who upon a certain night in the morning watch , issued out of the town with his company , to give a camisado to the iews that besieged the town , entred their camp , and made a great slaughter , continuing the same till it was day-light , so that about . of the iews were slain , the rest never moved out of the place , saying , it is better for us to die in this battel , than to flee from our enemies ; therefore they took a good heart unto them , and stood manfully in their stations and places , trusting in the lord god of israel ; and when it was day , they also set themselves in array against antony , slew many of his men , not without losse also of their own part : for shiloch the babylonian , and iehochanan of jerusalem were destroyed , by the romans , with others of the jews , to the number ●…f . fighting men , that were under shiloch and iehochanan , and never a one of the jewish captains escaped that conflict , save only neger the edomite , who hid himself in a sepulcher that was there in the plain , whom the romans in their pursuite sought , but found him not , wherefore they set on fire the wood , that it burnt round about the sepulcher wherein he lay hid , and consumed all the trees , shrubs , and bushes , but came no nigh the sepulcher ; for neger had called to the lord with his whole heart , to deliver him this once from his enemies , lest he should be shamefully handled of them , promising at another time to be ready to die valiantly in his quarrel : so neger escaped the romans by the help of the god of israel , in whom he put his trust . shortly after sent the jerusolimites much people to askal●…n , to the number of eighteen thousand good men of war , to bury the bodies of the jews that were slain in the conflicts by antony . they sought also the body of neger the edomite , but they found it not , till at length he cryed unto them out of the sepulcher , saying , i am here : for god hath delivered me out of the hands of mine enemies , to the intent i may be avenged of them in the wars of the lord. so neger declared unto them at large , all things how they chanced unto him : wherefore the jews rejoyced greatly that they had found him alive , and that he was saved by such a miracle , and the lord delivered him : therefore they put their trust in the lord , believing that god would be present with them to aid them , whereof this deliverance of neger , they took for a sure token . the romans kept themselves within the town for fear of the jews that were come to bury the bodies . so the jews buried all the bodies of their own part that were slain in both battels , for the romans were not able to prohibite and let them , but held them in the town . and when the burial was finished , they took neger with them to jernsalem , to give god thanks there for his deliverance at that present . then joseph the priest gathered his strength , aad came upon askalon with his whole army , assaulted them , got the upper hand , and won the town ; after slew antony and all his people with the sword , that of all the valiant men of war that were with him , not one escaped . besides this , also the villages and hamlets that were thereabout without the town , he burnt them all : and so served he all the towns thereabout , that had entred into league with the romans , slaying both iews and romans that dwelt in them with the sword , as many as he found , and their houses he burnt . this done , ioesph returned again to zippory sought with them and got the upper hand , there shed he much blood of the people that had conspired with the romans , utterly destroyed them , burnt their cities and villages , led their wives and children prisoners unto ierusalem ; and all the romans he found there , he put them to death . when vespasian & titus had heard of all that iosephus had done against the romans , both how he slue their garrisons as many as he could find in galilee , and all the iews that had made any league with him and his sons , they were wonderful incensed , and in agreatrage . they took therefore their journey , and came to apitelma , otherwise called acho , where at that time , agrippa king of iudea , was abiding , and forty thousand men with him , all good men of war , and archers every one : these joyned themselves with vespasians army by which means the romans camp became very great . moreover , out of other nations round about iudea , good men of war without number , joyned with vespasian . he had aid of the best men of war out of mesopotamia , aremzofa , assur , sinear , persia , chaldea , macedonia , and out of the provinces of the people of the east , yea , the people of mizraim , lod , denan , and seba , with all provinces far and near , that were under the subjection of the jews , cast off the yoke from their necks , and rebelled against the dominion of jerusalem , joyning their power with the roman army , to aid vespasian and titus . for these were also subjects unto the jews that sore had burthened them ; wherefore they came to help the romans , and to invade jerusalem and the people of the jews . but the edomites had not associated themselves unto vespasian and titus , for they were in subjection to the jews and served them , so that not one of them aided the romans . for long before , they had moved war against jerusalem , and could not get the victory , but the jews prevailed against them , and subdued them . hircanus also the first king of the jews circumcised them . they dwelt also in jerusalem , kept watch and ward about the house of the lord , and his covenant , without all rebellion against the iews , and ierusolimites . and at that present was thirty thousand of the best of the edomites in jerusalem , which kept the walls , and the house of the lord. after this , vespasian and titus with all their host , took their journey from acho , and came to galilee , and in the mount they pitched their tents : wherefore when tidings was brought to joseph , how the host of the romans lay upon the mount of galilee , and how vespasian had sent before him a great power , to repair the broken waies , to fill the holes , and cast down the hills ; to levell the way , that his people might pass the better , for he was sore moved against the jews : joseph issued out of zippory with all his power , set upon them and slew them , taking such vengeance of them , as never was the like before , for his god was with him : vespasian and titus hearing of this , determined to set upon joseph at unawares , and to beset all the waies , that he should escape of no side ; but joseph had intelligence of their coming , wherefore he left zippory , and went to tiberias , whither vespasian followed : joseph perceiving them coming , fled from thence to iorpata , the biggest city in galilee , closed up the gates , and there remained with his army . then sent vespasian certain noble men , embassadours to joseph , to debate the matter with him in this wise : vespasian generall of the roman army , desireth to know what it should avail thee to be thus pend up within a walled town , he wills thee rather to come forth to intreat of peace with him , and to enter into a league together ; for it shall be to thy avail to serve caesar emperor of the romans , that thou mayest live , and not be destroyed , nor any of thy people with thee . then joseph sent embassadours again to vespasian , demanding truce for a few daies , that he might deliberate upon the matter with the people , and let them understand his words ; peradventure ( saith he ) they will be perswaded to make peace with thee , and then will we enter league with the roman empire . so vespasian ceased from fighting against joseph , permitting him to consult of the thing . upon that , joseph sent embassadours to all the people at jerusalem , to the priests , chief men , rulers , and to the rest of the people , giving them to understand vespasians mind : ye shall understand brethren , that vespasian generall of the romans , sent his embassadors unto me , enquiring , what it would avail us , to be stiffe against them , and not rather to come forth , and intreat of peace , and to joyn in league together , that we may serve the emperour of the romans , so to save our lives , and not to be destroyed : and i pray ye , why will ye lose your lives , your wives , your sons and daughters ? why will ye all fall together on the sword ? that both they that should be left alive among you , shall be led captive out of your countrey , to a people that they never knew , whose language they understand not ; and your country to be made desolate , your sanctuary laid wast , that there shall not be so much as one man left to enter into it . never suffer this , you that be wise men , but rather receive my counsell , and come hither to us , that we may deliberate together , what conditions of peace we shall make for the safety of our lives , rather than to be destroyed ; and that we may use the commodities of your countrey , being at peace therein : for life and quietness , is to be preferred before death and banishment . the inhabitants therefore of jerusalem both priests , chief men , rulers , and noble men of judea , with the rest of the people , sent unto ioseph , saying ; take heed to thy self , that thou never consent to this , to receive conditions of peace with them , but be strong to fight , till such time as thou shalt consume them , or till thou and all the people dye in battel , and so shalt thou fight the battel of the lord , for his people and his sanctuary , with the cities of our god : in the mean season , be it as it may , but let thy power not be with them . when joseph heard the determination of the people of ierusalem , how all sorts with one consent willed by the embassadors the continuance of the wars ; he was wonderfull wroth , and in a great fury issued out with all his people , and set them in array against vespasian , and the roman host , in which conflict were slain very many of the jews : and from that day forward , vespasian began fiercely to war upon the iews . he departed thence to the city geerara , a great city in the highest galilee , besieged it , and won it ; razed it , slew all the people , man , woman , and child , oxen , sheep , camels , and asses , leaving nothing alive ; and then he said , now begin i to be revenged for the romans , which the iews murthered in the land of iudea . from thence he departed , and brought his army to iorpata , where joseph remained : the first day that he incamped about iorpata , he relieved his souldiers with meat and drink plenty , and made them good cheer , then furnished he every man with weapons . so on the next morning early , the roman army gave a great shout , and beset the city round about on every side . in this business ioseph stood upon a certain tower , from whence he beheld the huge camp of the romans ; wherefore he sounded forth a trumpet and gave a sign to battel , issued out with the whole power of the jews that he had with him , and set upon the romans camp at the foot of the hill , continuing the fight from morning till night ; and when it began to be dark , they ceased fighting , and departed the one from the other ; the jews to the town , the romans to their tents . in this battel were many slain on both sides , as well jews , as romans . the romans advancing themselves , proudly and stoutly said , we will quickly vanquish this little nation , as we have subdued all other nations that we have conquered , that they shall annoy us no more , and afterwards we shall be at rest . the jews also on the other side encouraged themselves against the romans , saying ; at this time we will all dye together , for the zeal of the sanctuary of our god , and never suffer these unclean persons to pollute it ; and having once destroyed them , we shall be quiet : so what with the pride of the romans on the one side , and the stiffe-necked stubbornness of the jews on the other ; much people was slain in that fight , for it continued till the second , third , and fourth day . in this while , all the jews that dwelt about iorpata , fled unto vespasians camp , and joyned themselves to the romans to aid them ; and ever as joseph skirmished with vespasian without the city , vespasian sent a power to assault the city . so joseph and his men fought with vespasian without the town , and the iews that were within the town defended the wall against the army of the romans , that was a lesser host made of the main army : but the iews that were within the town , began to diminish every day , untill very few were left . the hardiest also of iosephs souldiers , and the worthiest young men that fought without , were all slain , except a very few , with whom ioseph fled and recovered himself into the town , rampering up the gates after him : but as vespasian with all his army besieged iorpata a long while , he espied at length a conduit without , that ran into the city , where of the citizens drunk because the water was good and sweet ; that he cut off , and derived the waters thereof besides the city , whereby the inhabitants of the city were destitute of beverage , having nothing left them but well-waters . ioseph therefore perceiving that the conduit water whereof they were accustomed to drink was taken away , conceived with himself ; now will the romans brag and boast against us , and think to take us at their pleasure , whiles we have no water , but shall be constrained to dye for thirst : he took therefore garments , and dipped them in the well waters that were in the town , and hanged them here and there over the wall , to declare to the romans , that they had water plenty in the town , lest they should conceive any hope of winning the town , thinking they had no waters . then commanded vespasian a mount to be raised nigh to the town side , to plant an iron ram upon , to batter the walls with , and beat them down . the manner of the making of an iron ram , is thus . first they take a great long thick beam , upon the forepart whereof they put a great strong head , made like a rams head , with horns , all of principall strong iron , the weight of it is as much as half the beam , & covereth the beam to the midst . then fasten they into the ground over against the place that they intend to batter , two great trees , like two masts of ships , between which they hang the beam that is called the ram , with strong ropes made of hemp , the best that may be gotten , and iron wier twisted together : at the hinder part of the beam from the wall-ward , are rings of iron surely fastned , with ropes made with hemp and wire , tied to them : that when the assaulters will batter the walls , they push forward the beam as though it were a spear , and fasten his strong horns among the stones . then hung they weights at the rings of the hinder part , and much people a far off take hold of the ropes that come through the rings behind , and hale that part of the beam upon the ground , and by such means they shake the wall , that they make it quake again . thus in many places they did wrest , and wrench out the stones of the building , so that afterward the wall falleth down . there be also other manner of engines , as an iron ram upon four wheels , bound with iron and fastned with iron nails . to this they make four feet , as hath a ram , as the bigness of the beam requireth . the biggest for the most part is thirty cubits long , and the least is ten . and look how many feet the ram hath , so many wheels hath it also , for every wheel hath his foot by him : and when they will batter the wall , certain men appointed thereunto , draw it f●…st a good way off , then a great multitude of men take hold of the hinder part thereof , by four porters or levers of wood that are put therein , and with all their strength shove forward the ram to strike the wall they will batter . the head of this iron ram that goeth upon wheels , hath no horns but is blunt , made of the strongest kind of iron , with a wonderful thick neck : they have also upon both sides of the engine , a pentise of wood for the safegard of them that shove forth the ram behind , from the arrows or stones of them that are upon the walls . the rams that titus used at jerusalem , for the most part ran all upon wheels . of the other sort he had only a couple , as we shall declare in this place . the beam of this ram we even now described , was as thick as ten men could fathom , and the length thereof was fifty cubits . it was also hollow within , and filled with oxe-hides folded and sowed toget●…r . the wood served for none other purpose t●…n that the fashion of the leather might be set as upon 〈◊〉 ●…old . the hinder part of the beam was cov●…d over with iron plates . the leather was put within , that the beam should not break wi●…h the poise of the weights that were hanged by the rings behind , whereas men appointed for the purpose , haled at the ropes to draw back the ●…eam . the wood therefore that went about the leather , served to keep the leather in fashion . they covered it with an iron plate , lest they that kept the walls should set it on fire : the horns that were upon the head of the ram , were as many as they listed , but never fewer than ten , and then the beam was xx. cubits long , nor also more than fifty , and then the beam was a hundred cubits in length . betwixt every horn was as thick as a man could fathom , the length was a cubit and a half at least . the wooden wall or pentise was as long as the leather that was put in the beam , and it was set on both sides toward the hinder part of the beam , to defend the men that laboured to batter the walls , lest they should be hurt with arrows or darts . the ram that vespasian used at jorpata , which he besieged , and me in it , was made in this sort . the length thereof was fifty cubits : it had twenty five horns in the head , which was as thick as ten men , every horn also was as thick as one man , and betwixt every horn , the space of one cubit : the weight that was hanged at the hinder part , was a thousand five hundred talents , every talent was about a hundred troy weight ; the men that laboured in the executing of this engine , were fifteen hundred . to remove it from one place to another , or from one city to another , were appointed a hundred and fifty yoke of oxen ; or else three hundred brace of horses and mules : if they were to assault any forts or cities that stood on hills , then they did divide it in parts , and bring it up to the siege by piece-meal , and there it was set together again . now when the romans had battered the walls of jorpata , and joseph perceived them to shake , he took great sacks , filled them full of chaff , and hanged them down by the walls , that the horns of the ram could not come nigh the stones of the wall , but light upon the sacks , which by reason of the softnesse of the chaff , hindred and brake the stroke , that the walls were lesse hurt : for the nature of soft things is , to give back to the hard , and to weaken their force . but vespasian seeing the subtilty of joseph , used also policy for policy ; for he sent into the town secretly , jews , spies , which when the batteries should be , might cut asunder the cords that the sacks were tyed to , and with them slip down the walls , where the romans were ready to receive them , that they should not hurt them in the fall ; and immediately they struck the wall with the ram. there was at that present in the city , a certain valiant man , named eleazer , of the house of anani the high priest that then dwelt at jerusalem : this eleazer perceiving the romans to go about to batter down the wall as they did before , plucked out of the wall a mighty stone , so that he made a great hole , or gap , whereat he slid down the wall , and stradling did light on the engine , made fast an iron chain to the horns thereof , and got again up nimbly and quickly , from the beam into the town , with the chain in his hand , for the wall was not very high above his head , as he stood upon the ram ; then the other tall fellows took hold upon the chain , fastened it to the pillars and walls in the town , that the romans might rather be constrained to break their ram , than take it away from thence . the priest eleazer yet once again boldly went down and sat upon the beam , slew fifty men that laboured about the ram , and the rest he put to flight ; then returned into the town being drawn up again from the beam to them that were within the town , greatly rejoycing in his manhood . after that , he went up upon a high tower , from whence he tumbled down with a mighty force a great stone , and a hard , on the head of the ram and brake it , that both a great part of the head and the hornes fell on the ground : for the iron that it was covered withal was old and rusty , so that it was much wasted , and eaten therewith ; the ropes were also old . after that , eleazar went down again , took part of the head that was broken , and hurled it into the town ; the romans that remained , either he slew , or put to flight . the archers shot at him , and wounded him with five arrows , wherefore by the help of his fellows upon the wals he climbed up , otherwise he had not been able for the grief of his wouuds . the people then gave a shout for joy of the victory of the worthy priest eleazar that had slain the romans , and broke their ram , wherein they put their confidence , and brought part of it into the town , and fastened it with an iron chain , that the romans could not pull it back again to them , nor have the use of it afterward , wherefore divers of the best cities of jorpata armed themselves that day , being stir'd with the great courage that they had seen in eleazar ; and went down , hewed the beam to pieces , brought the poyses with the rings , and two masts with them into the town : and the same day died eleazar with great renown , as one that had fought for the sanctuary of the lord , and for his people and country of israel , like a faithful servant and souldier of the lord : whom all the people mourned for , burying him in the town , honouring him for his death , worthiness , and faithfulnesse , appointing him a worthy memory also , for that he had waged battel with the enemies of the lord. the young men of the jews seeing this , and especially two of them , the one called nitra , the other polipas , men of great wisdom and understanding , and therewith expert in the wars , being moved with zeal of the god of israel , opened the gates , and issued against the romans , skirmished with them , and slew many of them . but at length they were slain themselves in the skirmish , for the sanctuary of their god , for israel , & their country . when joseph saw the wars to encrease more and more , he issued out , and made a great slaughter in the roman tents , burnt the mount and engines of war that the romans had left ; by which means the wars waxed yet hotter , insomuch that joseph repulsed the romans . for when they saw the jews so desperately give their lives for their god and land , they would not abide their force . vespasian seeing his men shrink , he stood up , and encouraged them , exhorting them with fair words and promises , as well gold and silver , as meat and drink , wherewith the romans allured , fought with joseph that day unto the sun-setting , and as the battel waxed hot , the jews wounded vespasian with an arrow in his right leg , which sore dismayed the romans , when they saw the blood run down his leg : and that day was a sore fight betwen the jews and the romans . titus seeing his father wounded , being sore abashed , ran to him to help him , to whom his father said : how is it my son , that thou art thus astonied ? take heart to thee , and with a courage revenge thy father of these jews that have now the better hand of us . so both titus and vespasian , with all their whole host , fought that day a sore fight , and many were slain on both parts , yea , very few were left on josephs part , with whom he returned into the town . the next day , the romans raised a new mount , instead of that which joseph burned , and planted another iron-ram thereupon , between two posts accordingly ; for vespasian had brought four of this sort with him from rome , but other battering pieces upon wheels , had he with him thirty , what more what lesse ; the bigger sort were . cubits long , the lesser ten . he brought also ten engines to hurle great stones withal , which he had placed about the walls . the romans therefore renewed the assaults against the town , as they were wont before . but the town was now desolate and naked of the stoutest warlike men , for they were all slain in the fights . albeit joseph remained and a few with him , who went every one , and the women also , to defend the walls , for there was almost no men left fit for the war. then the romans flung , with the engines that stood on the mount , stones into the town on every side . it chanced that a great stone hit a woman with child with such violence , that it passed through her body , and carried the child with it , by the space of half a mile . they cast up and raised yet other mounts also , from whence they flung stones . and another like chance hapned . a stone came and hit one of josephs men of war , a valiant man , in such sort , that it divided his head from his body , and made it fly a large mile off . at the same time , one of the roman souldiers devised with himself , how to hit joseph with a venomed arrow , and gat him under a wall where joseph was , to accomplish his purpose ; but joseph espied him , and cryed to him , hold thy hand , thou wicked fellow , and do not kill me : with that the fellow started somewhat aside , being afraid at josephs voice , and suddenly the jews out of the town poured hot oyl upon him from the wall , and his skin was scalded off , and he ran away naked , howling , and yelling to the romans camp , where he died . vespasian and his son titus were fully determined to continue the assault , until the . day notwithstanding the walls were so high , that they could not win the town . yet at length the men were so spent within the town , that they that remained alive , were so wearied with toyling , that they were not able any longer to furnish theirwatch upon the wall . this , upon a certain night , vespasian and titus understanding , scaled the walls at a quarter where watchmen were lacking , and after them many more of the roman souldiers followed , which went down on the inside , and brake open the great gate of the town , whereat entred the whole army of the romans . and being within the town , sounded their trumpets , and shouted to battel . the jews with the alarum , tumult , and hurly burly of the romans , awaked out of their sleep , and were sore afraid . notwithstanding every man took him to his weapon , and drew to the market-place as fast as they might . they had made the market-place of the town so large of purpose , that if any businesse should happen there might come together the whole city if they would : and as they looked about them , they saw the roman army entring in at the town , by the way that came from the great gate . then fought they with the romans , and divided even in the market-place where they stood , exhorting one another , and saying , let us die here fighting , and never suffer our selves to be taken alive . but joseph and forty men with him , worthy men all , fled away into a wood , where they found a ●…ain cave , and hid themselves therein . all the 〈◊〉 of the citizens were slain in that conflict , for they would not yield , nor commit themselves to the romans , they trusted them so little . for on a time , a certain jew besought a roman souldier to save his life , and the roman sware unto him , saying , god deal thus and thus with me , if i slay thee , therefore yield and come hither to me . the jew required him to give his right hand that he might trust him , and the roman reached him his left hand . the jew being dismayed in that great fear mark't not that it was his left hand ; but when the roman had once hold of him , he kept him fast with that hand , and with his right took his sword , & slew the jew that then was naked , having cast away his weapon , upon trust of the roman . when the jews saw how the roman regarded not his oath , but slew the jew , that upon the trust of his promise and oath , had yielded himself unto him ; they determined to die altogether , and never to trust the romans : whereupon they resolved with themselves , utterly to die for the holinesse of the lord god of israel ; but in so doing , they slew much people of the romans , and far more than they had done in any other battel , yet at length the city was taken . when vespasian had knowledge where joseph and his company was , he sent nicanor , pilerinus , and callicanus with him to joseph , to will him to come forth , and he should have his life and not be slain ; upon that joseph debated the matter with them that were with him in the den , requiring their advice : for my part , ( saith he ) if ye will follow my counsel , i think it best we go unto them ; but upon this condition , that they will make us a formal assurance of our lives , effectually as we shall require them ; which done , i doubt not but vespasian , when we come unto him , will extend his favour towards us . when these men perceived joseph to be inclined to yield unto the romans , they said , we marvel at thee ( o prince joseph ) at thee , we say , that wast chosen out of thousands of people , and promoted to the priesthood , and kingdom , to sanctifie and hallow the lord god of israel , who wast also appointed captain general of so great an host , and hast seen with thine eyes the shameful reproach of thy people , with the displeasures and damages of thy sheep , that thou hast yet any desire to live in this dishonour . what seest thou that thou wouldest desire to live ? should'st thou not rather desire death than life ? peradventure thou perswadest thy self that they call unto thee to save thy life , or for thy commodity ; but without doubt this were a vain perswasion : for they call thee for none other intent than to take thee alive , and to brag how they took joseph , that was consecrated and addicted to the wars , and make it an argument that their power prospereth . now therefore ( our dear brother and our prince ) consider that this they will do , yea if they save thy life . but put the case they put thee to death ; were it not better for thee to die on thine own sword , than on theirs ? yea , if it were for nothing but this , it is better for thee to die than live ; lest thou should'st hear their reproaches , their upbraidings , and their quarrellings : and if they preserve thee alive , never think they do it for thy good , but rather for thy ignominy and shame , which is far more grievous than death it self . wherefore , our dear brother , and our prince , what comes in thy mind , that thou purposest to live , after that thou hast lost thy people , and thy brethren ? and to what purpose serveth thy life after they be 〈◊〉 one ? mark diligently what moses ( of worthy memory ) our master did , how he spake before god touching the people of israel : o pardon their sins ( saith he ) or else blot me quite out of thy book whi●…h thou hast written ; he would not live after the destruction of his people , although the almighty said unto him ; let me alone , that i may wreak mine anger upon them , and consume them . why dost thou not call unto thy remembrance aaron his brother , that went betwixt life and death , in withstanding the angel that plagued the people , and offered himself to die for his people , that the plague might cease from israel ? where is king saul , and his son jonathan that foughtfor the people of god , and died in the field ? could not saul have saved his life , and his sons both , if he had been so disposed ? but he , when he saw israel had the overthrow in the battel , he had no desire to live longer , but chose to die rather than to live , and would not be separated from his brethren neither in life nor death , as well he , as jonathan his son ; these were dearly beloved , and most amiable men , ( as the scripture termeth them ) . why doest thou not remember ( our dear prince ) the righteousnesse of david , the anointed of the lord , who seeing a most grievous pestilence to rage upon the people of israel , said , let thy hand ( o lord ) i beseech thee be turn'd upon me and my fathers house : for i am he that have sinned , i have transgressed : as for these thy sheep , what have they done ? what have they offended ? where is the holy law smothered and stifled in thy heart ? art not thou an anointed priest , that hast declared and taught us the holy law , whereby we might learn how to love our lord god with all our heart , and with all our soul , and with all our strength ? if it be so that the service of god consists not in this , that we should love him whom he loveth , and die for his covenant and sanctuary together with his servants that be slain for the unity of the name of the lord ; wherein standeth it then ? hast not thou oft-times taught and proved unto us , how that every man that dieth in the wars for the lord , his sanctuary , his people , and his law , he is to be counted in the lords lot , and made worthy to go unto the great light , and shall not see everlasting darknesse ? art not thou that joseph the priest , that hast cryed so often in battel : i am joseph the priest , consecrated to battel , that have vowed my life for the people of the lord , his sanctuary , and his land ? but now when thou hast yielded thy self unto them , and they order thee despitefully , what wilt thou say unto them ? or what amends canst thou have at their hands ? i , put the case they cast in thy teeth , and say , thy words be lyes : how shalt thou avoid the reproach ? art thou not he that said'st , that we should fight for the people of god , until we die in the conflict , and in so doing , death should be ransome for our sins : and that we were sure to go to that great light , that is the light of life . which if it be true according as thou hast said , why then wilt thou shun death , and not follow thy people that are gone before thee to that same light ? ever hitherto thou hast had the upper hand wheresoever thou cam'st , insomuch that they that heard of thee , trembled for fear : and now wilt thou yield thy life to captivity to the romans as a vile slave ? shall not this thy dishonour redound also to the people of god ? thou art a prince , a king , and a priest , wilt thou be bound in chains ? every man shall say , this is he that gave his souldiers , and the rest of the people to die , but saved himself , and his own life . so when they had made an end of talk , each man drew out his sword , and came to him in the midst of the cave , saying : hearest thou , joseph our prince ? if thou wilt be ruled by us , first we shall slay thee as a lord and a great prince , and thou shalt chuse what death thou wilt die , that thou mayest die honourably . but if thou refuse to die honestly , assure thy self of this , we will every man set upon thee , and kill thee . joseph answered , indeed i know , my brethren , that your words are just and true ; for who is so mad to desire to live in this hurly burly ? and would god that he would call my soul unto him , and receive it unto him also . for i am not ignorant that it were more expedient for me to die , then to live , for the great troubles that have passed through my heart ; but he knoweth the secrets of mens hearts , and it is he that giveth life unto men . it is our god that closeth souls within the bodies , and letteth them out again , because he is the living god , in whose hands remain the souls and spirits of all living creatures : he hath left with us the spirit of life , and closed it up within our bodies . what is he that will open that he hath shut ? how shall we loose that he would have knit fast within us ? do ye not all know , how the life is a thing that he hath left us to keep , and that we are his servants ? if then we cast away life before that god take it , shall he not worthily be displeased with us , so that we shall not find life in the place of the living with abraham our father of famous memory , and with those just and godly men our forefathers ? do ye not know , that they went not unto god before they were called ; and when they were called , they came ? and so dealt god with all the holy and godly men . to moses , our master of worthy memory , the elect of god ; ye know that the lord god of israel said , get thee upon this mountain abiram , and so he did ; but he would not have done it of himself , had not god called him ; whereby ye may see , it is not lawful for a man to surrender his life unto the living god , except he require it again . take example i ( pray you ) of job , what time he curst the day that he was born in . might he not either have hanged himself , or have run upon a knife , or , at the least , have followed his wife's counsel , to curse god and die ? notwithstanding , he abode patiently in most extream pain , waiting till god demanded again his life , and then restored it unto his lord god , and would not restore it undemanded , but tarried till his appointed time came . king david also of famous memory , said , lead thou my life out of this pinfold and prison ; for he knew that the life was inclosed in the body , and that none might let it forth but god : i wot well that death is a great commodity , so that the soul may return in his due time , unto god that gave it us . i know it also , that he that dieth in the wars of the lord , he shall come to the great light : but i know not what can appease gods wrath , towards the soul of that man that killeth himself , and maketh haste to restore his soul before his time , and without the lords calling . wherefore my friends , and my brethren , i would ye should know it , i am no more coward than you , and i do not disagree with you , because i am of a faint heart , for fear of these present calamities ; but this i know , i should commit a hainous offence against the lord , if i should kill my self . and how say ye ( you princes ) that stick unto your god ? to you i speak , tell me , who shall make intercession unto god for us , if we should commit this sin , and each kill one another ? would not a man judge him a slave , a fool , a froward person , a rebel , and a desperate man , that should be forced with any misery , to be so mad , that because all things fall not out as he would wish , would therefore hang , or desperately murder himself with his own hand ? such ye know the law thus punisheth : their right hand is cut off , wherewith they forced themselves to die , then they are left unburied , as men that have destroyed their own souls : by what reason then shall we kill our selves ? i would wish that we might be slain of our enemies , rather than we should so shamefully murder ourselves , whereby ever after we should be taken for man-slayers . if any man kill himself , as saul whom he commended , without doubt he committeth a haynous crime , and such a one as no satisfaction can be made for : besides that , he shall be reckoned faint-hearted , and as one that despaireth of his recovery : wherefore our fore-fathers have taught us , a man ought not to despair of his safegard and deliverance , which cometh of god , no not when the knife is put to his throat to cut it . for king hezekiah of famous memory , when he heard these words of esaias that worthy prophet ; make thy will , and set thy things in order , for thou shalt die , and not escape ; neverthelesse he fainted not , nor ceased not to pray to god , for the prolonging of his life in theworld , that he might amend his life , and send a better soul unto god. then the lord god of israel , seeing his unwearied and strong hope , with his repentance , suffered him to live fifteen years longer ; but as for saul , he was not appointed king over israel after the lords mind , but only by the people that craved of samuel ; give us a king to rule over us : whereupon afterward god departed from saul , for he was not obedient to gods will , but went about by force to establish his kingdom . the lord then seeing the wickednesse of his heart , gave him over , and chose him another to be king over his people ; anointing david his servant , whiles saul was yet living ; which saul perceiving , persecuted david , and laboured with all his endeavour to destroy him , because he knew god was with him , and prospered all that he did ; whereas contrarily , all went backward with himself . for these causes i say , he chose rather to die than live ; he also would not live after the people of israel were overthrown in the mountains of gilboa . and , in mine opinion , he slew himself for nothing but because he was a faint-hearted coward , and utterly despaired of his safegard . for although he said , lest these uncircumcised come and run me through : yet , if he had been of a●…valiant courage , he would have stood to his defence to the death : peradventure god would have delivered him : but he contrarily , all in despair , procured both himself , and his son , a shameful death . but ye shall consider this , he was an unmerciful king , and therefore did god rid him out of the world. for as he did not spare his own life , nor his son's : so did he not spare others . and whereas ye alledge aaron unto me , i would know of you , why he put himself between the living and the dead . was it not because he would turn away the plague from israel ? if he had known that he himself should have been stricken therewith , doubtlesse he would not have striven against the striker ; but trusting in the holinesse of his righteousnesse , he stood before the angel to deliver israel from that misery : therefore i am not to be compared with aaron , albeit i am one of his children , and never yet in all my life did i shrink to venture my life in the wars of the lord : and now i am not determined to kill my self , lest i should sin against god , and spoil my soul of hope of salvation : i know it well , and it were more expedient for me to be slain of mine enemies , then that i should kill my self . and if ye say the word , let us go forth , and suddenly set upon our enemies to kill , or to be killed , in this battel of the lord , and so shall we do well : peradventure god will give them into our hands ; for god is able to save as well by a small army , as by a great . then if ye see me to be afraid of mine enemies sword , ye shall thereby know me to be a coward , and one that fawneth upon his enemies , and hunteth for their favour ; but ye shall see me go before you , as a valiant man , nor once to turn my face from death . what did ye ever see in me , that you should judge me fearful ? did ye ever know me refuse to fight ? within the town of jorpata i have ever kept my quarter and ward , and every day have i fought with mine enemies , whom i have not spared , but impaired ; and that not a little , whiles i defended that little city forty eight daves against them . for i thought with my self , peradventure i may drive away the enemies of the lord out of our land , and divert them from jerusalem , that they go not thither . and so have i fought with them , till all my valiant souldiers be spent , and none left but you ; i could no longer withstand their force , yet i would not yeild my self as a prisoner unto them , therefore i fled hither with you into this cave . now therefore , brethren , ye shall understand , that death is commodious and good indeed , which comes in time : but it is neither good nor godly , for a man to kill himself and his brother , to go afterward for that deed into hell and perdition . and what other thing can more clearly set forth a mans proud , and haughty mind , with his hope in god , than for a man to suffer patiently , whatsoever chanceth unto him , until his end come ? behold the lions and other beasts , how they are wont to withstand their enemies that lie in wait for them , to the intent they may save their lives , whose armour is in their teeth and claws , wherewith neverthelesse they hurt not themselves , but use them against other that assault them , till they either overc●…me , or be overcome . we , although we have no warlike weapons , yet have nature armed us as well as them : for albeit we be not of such strength as they , yet hath we such armour , that we may defend our selves therewith , both from man and beast ; but how can we break the band of love one to another that proceedeth from god , who hath chosen us his people and inheritance to sanctifie him ? how then may we be enemies one against another , and kill one another ? if that be true , as ye cannot deny it , that although we be many thousands , yet we are counted as one soul , and members of one body : then how can any man ever find in his heart to strike his own eyes or feet , or any other of his members to destroy it , except he be mad , and besides himself ? moreover , dear brethren and friends , consider to what end the master of a ship doth abide the tempest of the seas , and striveth day and night with the floods thereof ? doth he not do it to save the ship , and his life from death ? if so it be , he sh●…uld willingly for the same purpose put himself in jeopardy of tempest , or run on rocks , would not the merchant-men say ; see yonder desperate fellow that destroyeth himself , his ship , with the the merchants , and their riches ? suppose an earthly king should give his officers to keep certain precious jewels : were it not convenient that they should keep them till such time as he should call for them again ? if they should at their pleasure cast them away before the king call for them , shall they not move him to anger ? and if a man come into the presence of the king uncalled , will not the king check him , and say unto him , what dost thou here before i call thee ? so now , all the souls of israel are the lords , who hath bestowed them unto men according to his mercy and good pleasure , who also will receive them again when it pleaseth him ; and when his time is come , every soul shall depart unto his place of rest . therefore if a man will with his own hands , let forth his soul out of his body before his time , god will not receive it , neither shall it find any rest , but be destroyed , and why ? because it is expulsed , and thrust out of his place before his time , and before god do call for it : wherefore it shall wander inconstantly for ever . why then ( my dear brethren and friends ) do you advise us to kill one another , and to expell and banish our souls from us , they being not call'd for ? how can we put away this opprobry ? how can we make amends for this sin ? who shall pray and make intercession for us ? and with this joseph wept abundantly , insomuch that they laught him to scorn . then joseph held up his hands to heaven , saying . thou lord almighty art our father , thou hast formed us , and by thy great mercy taken us out of the clay : thou art he that leadest us in thy faith , and the multitude of thy mercies and benignities towards us hath not ceased . a●…d although our sins have separated us from thee , yet n●…vertheless , we are thy handy-work every one of us , and a long time have we been called thy people . thou art lord over all creatures and souls . thou dost what thou wilt , and none dare say to thee , why dost thou so ? thou art our father , we are clay , thou hast given us our shape and fashion ; therefore if it please thee to take our souls , take them by the hands of thine angels , that we commit no evil against them . and if these my fellows that be present with me will not be partakers of my prayer ; behold my life alone , for the which i beseech thy benign clemency , if it please thee take it , for thou gavest it me , therefore do with it whatsoever it shall seem good unto thee : it is in thine hands , thou lendest it me , and hast preserved it within me : i will not destroy it my self , or let it out of my prison , before thou demand it ; for thou knowest , that as man cannot live without thy decree and appointment , so likewise he cannot die without the same . vnto thee therefore do i lift mine eyes , thou that dwellest in heaven , to deal mercifully with thy servants , and with me , to turn our hearts that we consent not unto this , to murder our selves : if thou know any among them , that intend so wicked an act , i beseech thee , o lord my god , let me find favour in thine eyes ; give them an heart to hear wholesome counsel , that i may deliver my self and mine own life , which i commend into thine hands , that thou wouldest receive it unto thee , for in thy hand is the life of every living creature . thus when joseph had finished his prayer , he turned him unto his fellows , and saluted them ; then said they , thinkest thou therefore to move our minds , because thou hast prayed unto god for thy self , and for us ? did not we tell thee ere while , like as we tell thee now , that we are determined to die by one means or other ? wherefore say thy mind , and tell us by w●…at death thou wilt end thy life ; for we have ever known thee a just man , and a worthy prince , therefore art thou worthy to die first . joseph perceiving his fellows were utterly determined to die , and would give none ear to his perswasions , for he could by no reasons draw them to his opinion , he went subtilly to work with them on this wise ; seeing it will be none otherwise , brethren ( quoth he ) i will shew you my advice : ye are determined to die , ye say , and that upon your own swords , therefore there is no better way , than to do it by lot in this wise : let us cast lots amongst our selves , that we may be joyned together by couples , then will we cast lots which couple shall die first ; afterwards they two shall cast lots betwen them , which of them shall kill his fellow ; he that remaineth shall choose him one of the second couple to kill him ; likewise the second couple shall cast lots between themselves , who shall die first , and he that is left shall choose him one of the third couple , whom he hath a fancy to be killed of : then they shall try by lot who shall die first , who being slain , the other may choose him one of the fourth couple to kill him , and so even till all be slain , that we see not the captivity of our people : the last couple that remain shall do thus ; run one upon the others sword , or else let them cast lots between themselves , and upon whom it falleth , let him die first : but forasmuch as we are forty and one , so that we cannot be justly joyned in couples ; let us cast lots first of all , and see which of us shall first be slain , and when he is once out of the way , then let us divide the couples : he that is to be slain first , let him choose one of the first couple , and cast lots , and do as i have devised . then every man liked his device ( which was gods doing who heard josephs prayer ) and said all with one mouth , we will do as thou hast advised , and to thee it appertaineth to divide the men , and to cast the lots ; joseph answered , but let us swear by the name of the lord , that this device shall stand , be ratified , and performed ; whereunto they accorded , and sware all by the name of the lord , that they would have this device to be ratified and kept , which joseph had invented by casting of lots . then joseph cast lots , who should be the odde man , and it fell upon jehojada , the son of eliakim , a galilean , which was a valiant man , and chiefest in every counsel next to joseph , and the principal perswader of this wicked fact to kill themselves ; after that , did he craftily divide them into couples , so that the lot of his own couple came forth last of all , who looked to be saved , and trusted in god , believing that he would deliver him from this abominable deed . then jehojada chose him one of the first c●…uple , who slew him ; that done , the first couple cast lots , between them , so the one killed his fellow , and chose him one of the second couple to kill him ; then they of the second couple , cast lots between themselves in the presence of joseph , and the one killed the other ; then he that remained , chose him one of the third couple to slay him ; and in this manner did they all , till they were all slain , and none left alive , but joseph and his fellow , who said unto joseph , go to , let us cast lots , that we may go to our brethren . joseph answered , we will do so if thou be so disposed ; but first hear me , i pray thee , speak a few things in thy ears ; tell me , have not these sinners rebelled against god , in this murdering of themselves so shamefully ? neither could i by any means disswade them , nor divert them from this opinion ; wherefore should we two fin against god so grievously , and against our own souls ? if the lot should so fall that i should kill thee , i should be counted a man-slayer , and that worthily ; and it may so chance i shall escape after thee , and save my life ; but if the lot should so fall , that thou shouldest slay me , thou should'st be taken also for a murderer , and peradventure thou should'st not escape after me ; yea , although thou thinkest that thou may est : but assure thy self of this , we lose our hope in god , in as much as we sin against our own souls . for all these men that thou seest here dead , lo , they have sinned against their own souls , dying without discipline and good order . if thou wilt say , how shall we do by reason of the oath that we have sworn ? dost thou not know , that he that breaketh a wicked oath , doth nothing wickedly himself therein ? for a man is not constrained to perform any oath unto god , but to the keeping of his laws ; and hereupon is it that david saith , i have sworn , and will perform ; for neither vow nor oath that is made against the commandments of god , can be ratified before god. and what more is , before we swear , our fathers sware first long ago , at the mount of sinai , that they and their children should keep the law of the lord. moses also made a covenant with them upon the same , and not only with them that were there , but also with us . how then dare we be so bold to swear , to break the law of god , and become man-killers ? seeing it is one of the ten commandments expresly , thou shalt not kill . wherefore my brother , thou shalt understand , that we need not be solicitous , nor careful for the oath that we have made , but rather to break it , for god will never be displeased with us for that : for i being afraid of these wicked persons that lie now here dead , invented this subtile means and way to swear , that i might save my life : now therefore , my brother , if thou wilt be ruled by mine advice , thou shalt save thy life and mine , and i will cast no lots , nor perform the oath that we made , which is no●… good in the law ; if thou wilt not , i will wi●…stand thee , and fight with thee , to kill thee , and spare my self : and with this joseph leapt back , and dr●…w out his sword , standin over against him at his defence , to see what his fellow 〈◊〉 answer : his companion hearing 〈◊〉 , ●…ed neither hand nor foot against him , but said : lo , i am content , do what thou thinkest good , because thou art a man of god. and blessed be the lord god of israel that hath not withdrawn his mercy from me , but made me to be in thy lot , whereby my soul is saved from going to hell : thy lot is a just lot : for the lord will not leave the scourge of sinners , upon the lot of the just . much besides this spake josephs companion to him , for he was sore afraid of him , lest he should have killed him , if they had encountred together ; for joseph was a better man of his hands , and therefore joseph chose him into his lot , that he might be able to make his party good with him . in this point joseph played the wise mans part , for he escaped by this means , both from the hands of those wicked fools , and also from his fellow . therefore joseph called out of the cave to captain nicanor , and said to him in this wise : wilt thou promise me , that neither thou , nor any of thy men that be here with thee , or in the romans camp , shall kill us , before thou hast brought us unto vespasian ? and let him do with us as he thinketh good . nicanor answered : so , and so , deal god with me , if i fulfil not thy request , if so be thou wilt come forth unto me , together with the men that thou hast with thee . joseph answered him , i will come forth to thee , and so many more of us as be alive : for it is come to passe , that some of us be dead in the cave , wherefore , how can they come forth ? then said nicanor , never think ( friend joseph ) that i come to deceive thee , come forth and trust in thy god , for thou needest not to fear . joseph said : swear unto me this , by the god of israel , although he be unknown to thee . nicanor answered , i swear unto thee by that god that made the world by his wisdom , that thou needest not to fear me , but boldly mayest come forth unto me . so nicanor made a covenant with joseph and his fellow , confirming and ratifying it in writing , after the manner of the romans , and reaching it into the cave upon a spear , holding the point of the ●…pear in his own hand . joseph took the writing , read it , and believed nicanor : then came he forth to nicanor , and his fellow with him . when nicanor sitting upon his seat of state that was made him in the wood nigh to the cave , saw joseph come toward him , he rose up , and embracing him , kissed him , set him on his right hand , and wept with him abundantly : he honoured his fellow also , placing him between pollerinus and gallicanus , whom he had then present with him . then nicanor asked him for the rest of the men that were with him , desiring that they should come forth , and he would honour them also , and do them no harm . joseph declared the whole matter unto him , and told him what was become of them . nicanor hearing of the pertinacious stubbornness of the jews hearts , and their wicked intents , was wonderful●…y moved . so then he rose and went from thence , with joseph and his companion unto vespasian . when the roman army saw joseph , they were greatly astonied , and gave a mighty shout ; some rejoyced that joseph was taken , saying , this is good luck , that our eyes shall see our long expected desire . other lamented and let tears fall from their eyes with pensive hearts , saying , is not this that worthy man who made all the roman host to quake for fear , and whose fame and renown was known throughout all lands ? how is it come to pass that so mighty a man is taken in his own country , and amongst his own people ? if this chanceth unto such a man , to be taken in his own land , in the midst of his families and friends ; how shall we escape in a strange land ? certain evil disposed persons of the roman souldiers , went to vespasian , and said , sir , you shall do well to command this man to be slain without mercy , that hath been the destruction of so many of the people of the romans . this is the very same , that shot the arrow and stuck you in the leg ; put him to death , and then shall ye be sure he shall never move war more amongst you . if ye do not , ye shall see him one day again raise an army against us , and destroy us . but joseph did find friendship at titus vespasian son's hands , which came of the lord. therefore when he heard those wicked mens words , that desired vespasian to put joseph to death , he disapproved their advice , and partly in mockage he taunted them , saying , will you tell my father what he hath to do ? will you give him so wicked counsel , to kill that man that yieldeth himself to us , upon the trust of our league and band of friendship , which you now go about to break and frustrate ? did not captain nicanor in my fathers name and caesars , with all the roman host , make a covenant with him ? take heed what you say : is it reason to break the caesarean fidelity ? moreover , who can tell whether it may so happen , that some of us be taken by the jews , like as joseph is prisoner herc with us ? vvhen vespasian heard his sons words , it pleased him , and he spared joseph , not suffering him to be slain , but committed him to a certain captain of his , and carried him about with him through the cities , together with king agrippa . after this vespasian removed his camp to thalmida , which also is called acho , and from thence he went to caesarea , a great city . when they of the city saw joseph , they cryed unto vespasian , kill him , kill him , or else he will one day be an occasion to stir great wars against thee . but vespasian gave no ear to them . whiles he was at caesarea , tidings came to him , that the citizens of papho invaded and spoiled the isles that were subject under his dominions with a navy . vespasian hearing thereof commanded to lay wait for them , that they might be met withal . so there was an ambush laid wit●…out the town , and it came to passe , that when the pyrates were gone out a roving , vespasian entred the town and took it without great resistance , because their souldiers were absent . when the rovers therefore returned with their navy , and saw the romans in the city , they laboured to set a land ; but suddenly a huge tempest , and a mighty storm , drove all their ships against the rocks that were in the sea shore , ( for there was no haven for ships ) and there they were lost many of them , and those that swam to land the romans slew : they that were drowned in the sea , and slain by the romans , were in number four thousand good men of war , besides them that were slain in the town . all jews . this done , vespasian set forth valericus and taribus , two roman colonels , with his son titus , who went , besieged , and wan the towns of defence that were in galilee ; and thus did titus use them , they that yielded unto him , he saved their lives ; and whosoever withstood him , he slew . moreover , all the cities that belonged to agrippa in galilee , he restored them unto him again , only tiarva excepted , which he utterly rased , and slew all the males , especially such as were apt to the wars , sold also their wives and children . and this was the only city in all galilee , that titus shewed such a rigour and extremity unto . chap. vii . vespasian departing thence , took his journey to gamala , which is a citie upon the top of a mountain ; the name thereof is called gamala , of an hebrew word gamal , that signifieth to requite , or to do a good turn , because it is the best city that belongeth to agrippa , and the inhabitants thereof were all very rich . the city also , called seleucia , was not far distant from it , a countrey replenished with good towns , gardens , brookes , and all kinde of fruitfull trees ; agrippa besought vespasian that he would not destroy this city : let me go first ( saith he ) and offer them peace , peradventure they will take it , that they may save their lives from destruction ; vespasian was entreated , saying unto him , go and do as thou wilt , for thine honour's sake i will do so much for thee . so agrippa went to them , and spake friendlily and peaceably unto them , and they received him in like manner , but they meant deceit , saying ; thou art our lord and king , to whom therefore doth all that is of any price , or to be desired in all israel belong but unto thee ? therefore come near unto us , and debate the matter with thy servants . agrippa crediting these words , came close up to the city , and as he listned to them that talked with him , one cast a great stone from the wall , which lighted just between his shoulders ; with such a violence , that it struck him prostrate to the ground , and brake his back , with one of his arms also . but his servants stept to him , took him up , and carried him to vespasian ; who seeing him so sore hurt , sware he would never go from thence , till he had taken the city , and ordered them in like manner as he did at tiarva , to leave not a man therein . the roman physicians did bestow such diligence about agrippa , that they cured him . vespasian in his rage against the seleucians , because they had wounded their king , besieged and assaulted them . the jews within the town encouraged one another , saying , let us stick to it now , and play the men , for we have no other hope to save our lives , seeing we have thus used the king. certain stout men of them therefore issued out , and encountring with the romans , made a great slaughter amongst them . after that , the romans made ready their engins , planted their battering rams , playing with them against the walls ; and by that time night came , beat so great a part thereof down to the earth , that vespasian and much people with him might enter at their pleasure . but vespasian gave commandment to his army , that they should not enter that night into the town , but stand and compasse the walls until the morrow , that they might the better see how to win it . notwithstanding , they would not be ruled by him , but entred . then the jews came upon them , drew the chains crosse their streets , and closing the wayes of the city , intrapped them in such sort , that they could go neither one way nor other . after that , sett●…ng upon them , beat them down even there ; so that they were all slain , save ten men that fled with vespasian , and a captain named butius , one of the best men of war in all the roman army , yet him the jews pursued and slew . but vespasian and his , fled to the mountains , that he might be there in safegard : and from thence he sent to titus his son that was in syria , for the roman army that he had sent with him to persia , which titus led into jury . shortly after , vespasian gathered souldiers , and , repairing his army , joyned with agrippa's company , and returning to seleucia , wan it , and slew every man , leaving none alive : and afterward going again to the cities of galilee , took them , serving them in like sort . after that , he came to the city called nascela , which was a walled town , and of all the towns of defence throughout all galilee , none left but it . this he besieged , because thither resorted many cut-throats and wicked persons , without the fear of god , such as were robbers and rovers of the land of judea . amongst whom was a certain man named jehochanan , learned , wise , and prudent , especially to do mischief ; a witty counsellour , and of such eloquence ; that he could perswade cunningly , and disswade men from that they had purposed . besides this , he was a murtherer , ready to shed blood , and to do any mischief ; a great robber , and one that ever gaped for other mens goods , by which means he was become very rich : wherefore there resorted unto him all vain persons man-slayers , rebells , and ruffians like himself giving them large rewards , that they might be of his fraternity , his brethren , and adherents , and he to be their head . titus was sent to this city by his father , to offer them conditions of peace ; whither when he was come , he sent his emba●…adours to the citizens to treate of peace with them ; whereunto the citizens accorded & were ready to en●…er into league with titus . when as this wicked jehochanan perceived that the ancient men of the town and the heads would accep●… of peace , he commanded his companions to guard the wals , to hinder them from speaking with the romans , saying , that they themselves would return them an answer : so therefore seditious jehochanan made answer to the embassadors of titus , saying ; to morrow have we a solemn feast to the lord god , tell thy master titus therefore that he grant us truce for dais , and the third day we wil give him answer ; wherwith titus was content , and deferred the assault for two dayes . these things were done on whit-sun-even , which was called the feast of weeks , and harvest . the night afore the third day appointed was come , jehochanan and his complices gat out of the town , and fled toward jerusalem , ere titus knew thereof : on the morrow he sent his embassadors to demand their answer , what they would do ; they answered , we desire to enter into a league with you , for we are yours , and submit our selves to your pleasure , upon the condition , that none of the romans hurt us , either in our bodies or goods . titus upon this made peace with them , confirming it by writing sealed , for the better assurance thereof . so they opened the gates , and titus came into the town with his whole army , and the jews received him with great joy , honouring him very much . then titus enquired for jehochanan and his confederates . the citizens declared unto him , how he fled by night with all his unto jerusalem : titus hearing that , sent after to pursue him , yet they found him not , he had made such speed . notwithstanding , many of the people that went out of the town with him , that they might escape the danger , both men , women , and children , old and impotent persons they overtook , slew them every one , and returned with a great spoil . after this , titus won all the cities in galilee , and set rulers in them . then vespasian dislodged from hence , and came to the mount tabor , which hath snow on it continually ; the height thereof is thirty furlongs , and upon the top is a plain twenty three furlongs long : thither sent vespasian one of his captains called palgorus , which took the mountain , and the town that stood thereon . but here i will leave off the history of the other battels that were fought in other places in the land of israel , and galilee , and speak no more of them in this book , for they be almost innumerable , and we have made mention of them , in the history of the romans . the second book , containing the history of the siege of jerusalem . now will we describe the batells of jerusalem , and how the city was besieged by the romans ; wherein we will declare all things truly , as our manner is , and faithfully , according to the verity of that that was done . it came to passe therefore , as jehochanan the galilean was fled to jerusalem , he found there men meet for his purpose ; injurious persons , wicked men , murderers , deceivers , blood-shedders , an infinite number . for out of all countries within the land of judea , there repaired thither all men of war , to defend the sanctuary of our god , and anani the high priest received all that came . these , seeing jehochanan an●… his valiantnesse , revolted from anani the high priest , and clave to him , consulting with him concerning all their affairs : so he conspired with these cut-throats to lay hands upon the ri●… men of the city , and to spoil them of their goods ; and this was their manner . when they espyed any notable rich man of the city , they would after this sort quarrel with him : art not thou he that hast sent letters to the romans , and to vespasian , to betray the city unto them ? thus would they examine him before the people , and when he would answer , god forbid i shoul●… do so ; then would they bring in godless persons , limbs of t●…e devil , of their own company to bear false witness against him , that he might be condemned to death by the law for a rebell . thus dealt they with antipas and lohia , both noble men , and of the chief of the city : and their goods , with all their jewels , the seditious seized for themselves . they pick'd quarrels also with the ●…igh 〈◊〉 , thrust them from their chairs , that they could not execute their service . moreover , they cast lots , who should have the priests office , and who should be no priest. for they held the priesthood and service of god , for toyes , gaudes , and trifles . so the lot fell upon one that was called pani the son of peniel , a carterly husbandman , ignorant of what belonged to the priests office , so that he was utterly unworthy of the priesthood : so light a matter made they of the priesthood . the good and the godly men of jerusalem , seeing the power of these ruffians , and wicked persons bear such swinge , they stuck together and determined to withstand them by force . the people therefore earnestly moved with an●…ger , set upon them , and encouutred with them in such sort , that the fight was great on both sides , in the streets , in the market-place , in the temple , and in the entrance of the temple , till all the city was filled full of dead bodies and slain men . for there was not so much as one street , but there was some skirmishes in it . the people at length got the upper-hand of the ruffians , for they were eagerly set , & earnestly bent against them . the seditious therefore seeing themselves not able to make their party good with the people , fled every man into the temple of the lord , shut it after them , and there remained . but anani the high priest , seeing the wicked to be fled to the temple , wi●…ed the people to cease their fighting with them in the temple of the lord , left they should pollute it with the blood and dead ca●…kasses of those wicked persons . the people therefore left off the fight . then anani beset the temple round about with . of the choisest and ablest men of the people , well armed all of them with jackes and sallets , and as well weapon'd , with every man a sword , a target , and a spear or pike , to keep the temple , that they should not come forth . moreover , anani cast in his mind , that besides the invading them in the temple , which were nowaies seemly , it should also be as great a damage , if the people of the lord should assault one another in that place . for these causes , he sent embassadors to jehochanan the galilean , chief captain of the seditious and thieves , offering him peace ; but jehochanan refused it : for the seditious had sent for the edomites to come and aid them . the edomites had been ever from their first beginning very valiant and warlike-men , yet they were subject to the jews . for hircanus king of juda had conquered them , and caused them to be circumcised , binding such of them as were the best warriours to this service , to stand in arms , and keep watch and ward upon the walls of jerusalem day and night , and the rest of them to pay tribute to the jews . upon a certain night came two and twenty thousand of these edomites , all good men of war , against jerusalem . when anani the priest , and the people that were with him , heard the noise of the edomites army , he went upon the walls , and demanded of them what they were , from whence they came , and whither they would ? they answered , we are edomites , and came out of idumea , to visit the lord god and his temple , and to see in what case his people standeth : for thus we come according to our accustomed manner as ever heretofore . anani answered , you are dissemblers , and not as your words do shew , neither come ye to seek god and his sanctuary , nor yet to aid his people , but rather to the supporting of jehochanan grand captain of thieves . were it not better for you to assist the sanctuary of god , than these sinfull seditious persons , that covet nothing els then to lay waste the house of god , and to destroy his people ? they in the most holy city of god , do shed the blood of just , godly , and innocent men ; through whose wickedness the romans have the upper hand of us , because we have civil wars at home with the seditious , and external with the romans . yea , the wickedness of the seditious is grown so far , that the most part of us had rather be slain by the romans , than of our brethren the jews . if so be ye be come to maintain them , ye shall understand that ye offend our lord god exceedingly , to help sinners and murtherers , that tread the people of god under their feet , like as men tread grapes in a wine-press , and make the temple of the lord a dwelling-place of man-killers and wicked persons . ye say , ye come to seek the lord : how is it then that ye are thus in arms , after the manner of war ? ye shall understand , we shut not the gates of the town because of you , lest ye should come in , after your accustomed manner : but because of your armour and weapons that you have with you , wh●…ch are instruments of destruction , a very unmeet fashion to come and visit the lord ; you should rather have come●…with offerings , sacrifices , confession , and praise . notwithstanding , if ye will enter into the town for devotion sake , ye are welcome : but ye must lay away your weapons and so enter in peaceably . the edomites answered , we marvell not a little at thee which art the high priest , our lord and mediator , and at the rest of the priests of the lord , with the elders and judges of the people that be present with thee ; and your wo●…ds seem strange in our ears . for we understand you take us for your enemies , and thereupon you stop us of our entrance into the city , to visit the lord god after our accustomed manner . in that we be armed as ye object unto us ? do ye not know that vespasian draweth nigh to come to this holy city ? this we hearing of , was the cause that we took our weapons with us , to come to ayd you , and keep the town , as we have been wont these many years . but how should ye gather this , that we come to support the wicked and seditious that be with you : when as from the first day that ever we and our fathers were circumcised , we never swarved f●…om the law and commandments of the lord ? tell us if there be any commandme●…t in the law , that biddeth a man to strengthen and maintain the power of the wicked , to the which we are bound to hearken , and to ayd these ? god forbid we should do this , for we all both that be here , and the other edomites also , be servants of the lord and his people , to maintain and defend the law , the people , and the house of the lord. whiles they were thus talking together , there arose up a great cloud , and lightnings were seen with fire , and darkness with mighty thunder●…claps , and showers of hail , that all that saw it were wonderfully afraid . wherefore the people fled wholly ; left not only the walls , but anani also : for they could not abide to tarry any longer . but anani took heart unto him , and abode it , to mark those horrible signs of heaven which did appear , that he might judge what they betokened . the figure of a fearful comet , and he gave his judgment indeed ( but not according to the truth ) that the thunder and hail with darkness , signified gods help , by the hope whereof they should defend the sanctuary of the lord. so likewise judged all the elders that were with him , without perceiving that all these signs betokened the evils that should come upon jerusalem and all israel . when they that were shut in the temple , perceived that they that kept the watch before the gate of the temple , were fled also for fear of the tempest , they went and opened the doors of the temple , and in that darkness , which although it was so great , that one could not see another for the thickness thereof , neither durst any of the town once look out of his doors ( they were so afraid of those terrible signs of the element ) yet came those desperate fellows , the seditious out of the temple , drew toward the walls without all fear , with saws and other instruments , to cut asunder the barrs of the gates . and when the crashing of the thunder and hail was greatest , then laboured they hardest , in wresting asunder the locks and bolts of the gates , lest they should be perceived . and ever when the thunder clap was past then stayed they and left off till it came again . thus plaid they till they had broken and opened the gates , and let the edomites into the city : who being once come in , wandred here and there , for that night , devising how they might set upon the citizens of the town , and utterly destroy them . they call'd out first their confederates , that remained in the temple , brought them thence , and joyned together with the edomites , swearing one to another , that they should be one people and one army . and forthwith , being so confed●…ate together , they slew the same night , . of the people of god , all good men of god , all good men of war ; besides innumerable other , that they killed of the common people . in the morning they laid hands on the rich men , haled them before the judges , and lxx . elders , which otherwise is called sanhedrim , whom they called together : and there wicked jehochanan the galilean , spake unto them in this wise . why condemn ye not these rich cobs , that have made a conspiracy with the romans , and determine to betray this holy city i to their hands ? namely , one sechariahu a just man , a perfect , godly , and vertuous , one that feared the lord , and loved both god and man ; but for his riches only which were great , this jehochanan ( captain of the seditious ) apprehended him , willing the elders to condemn him to death , for that he had joyned with their enemies , ( as he said ) to betray the city to them . the priests , elders , and judges hearing his words , and perceiving that both he and the rest of his bloody band , desired nothing else than to make this man away , although they knew him to be most innocent , they wept and fighed greatly : jehochanan seeing them weep for sechariahu , and that they would not condemn him , respecting his justice and integrity ; what , quoth he , do you begin to mourn before there be any corpse present ? i would i should never come where god hath to do , but if ye order it thus in your judgments , ye shall be the first that we will lay hold of , and we will sit in judgment our selves , to discern the matter for the people of god according as we shall think good . then laying apart all shame , with an obstinate mind , t●…e wicked sort hoysed away sechariahu , carried him out of the place of judgment , and brought him up to the top of a high tower , at the east end of the town , from whence they cast him down headlong , and he died at the walls side in the vale of jehoschaphat . the priests therefore were sore afraid f●…r their own parts , and the judges also with the elders , seeing the wickedness of jehochanan , and the rest of the seditious : for jehochanan had given them warning and said , except ye give sentence on every man that we shall bring unto you , acco●…ding to our minds , be ye assured , all ye shall go the same way that sechariahu is gone before you . after that , they 〈◊〉 a just man , and a rich , that was beloved of all the ●…own , whose name was gor●…nian , surnamed 〈◊〉 , and he was a valiant man indeed , most expert in wars , thereto wise and w●…y , and a man of a pure and perf●…ct life , one that was ever the formost in b●…ell , whensoever they had any conflict against the gentiles that be●…ged jerusalem : and this was his accustomed manner , when the enemies ma●…ched to joyn battel wit●… the jews , he would run upon them with all his might , and make such ●…laughter of them , that in spigh●… of their hearts he would force them to retire ; and by that means his body was full of skars , his face and head wonderfully mangled with the wounds that he had received in the battels , that he had been in for the people of the lord ; yet now because he would not follow the villanous mind of jehochanan , and take his part , jehochanan commanded him to be apprehended , and brought before him , and when he was come , said thus unto him ; make thy will , and set thy house in order , and confess thy self unto the lord , for there is no way with thee but death : and so they led him out of the town to kill him there , lest there should be any business about his death , if he had been put to death within the town ; for all the citizens of jerusalem loved him , and he likewise loved them . when they were come to the place of execution , gorinian fell down before them , and besought them with tears in this wise ; seeing ye have so determined that ye will needs slay me , when as notwithstanding i have committed no crime , nor any offence , and that ye will in no wise spare me although i be innocent , as you know well enough your selves ; yet i beseech you , let me obtain this one thing at your hands , that you would do so much at least wise at my request , as to bury my body ; other favour i desire not . they made him answer , if thou hadst not spoken to us thereof , we had thought to have done it , for so we were determined with our selves ; but now , seeing thou art so bold as to demand this of us , we will slay thee , but buriall gettest thou none ; thy body shall be cast forth unto the beasts of the earth , and fowls of the ayre . gorinion yet besought them to the contrary , untill the most cruell jehochanan struck him , and slew him , and after threw out his body to the beasts of the field ; this done , they returned into the city . vespasian in the mean season drew nigh to jerusalem ; for he had pitched his tents at cesarea , where he relieved his army , and paid his souldiers great wages , wherefore they tarried in the city many daies : for when vespasian understood of the wars in jerusalem , he said unto his people , let us make no haste to besiege jerusalem , till such time as they have slain one another among themselves , and so at length their pride will be pulled down , when as they see themselves waste away with cruell war , hunger , and thirst . for vespasian was a wonderfull politick man in all feats of war , and his wisdom never turned him to more commodity , than by this device only . so he sojourned at cesarea , with his men many daies : in the mean season , the people of jerusalem made war upon jehochanan , and his complices , till innumerable of them were destroyed . some of them were slain with swords , some the seditious killed with short daggers . for certain of the seditious carried short daggers secretly under their garments , wherewith they would come so suddenly upon an honest and just man , and thrust him to the heart , that he should fall down dead in the place , without knowledge who struck him : so by this means what with swords in open fraies , and what with daggers secretly , many of the people were slain , and far more that way than by the romans , insomuch that now very few citizens were left alive . thus when jehochanan had gotten the upper hand of the city , he sent an army out of jerusalem , to go and take the cities that had made peace with vespasian , which they sacked and razed to the ground , and whomsoever they found therein , romans , or jews , they slew : yea , jehochanan went with them himself , spoyling and carrying away all the riches that they found in them . they took also the city gerara , that stood beyond jordan , whereas they remained . the inhabitants of jerusalem , both priests , elders , and the rest of the people , sent embassadours to vespasian , to desire peace of him , and succour against jehochanan , and his wicked rabble , which daily in the town slew very many of the people of god. the citizens also of gerara sent embassadours unto vespasian , saying ; if thou wilt be lord over the land of judea , and the city of jerusalem , and desirest to assure the rule thereof , and establish it unto thee , then hearken unto our counsell , and come unto us without delay , to deliver us from the hands of jehochanan , and the wicked seditious persons , that with all their might endeavour to spoyl all our goods , and to get the dominion over us , our wives , and children , to none other purpose , than by that means to destroy us utterly , that no remnant of us should be left . if so be thou wilt come , and valiantly withstand them with thy power , we will also fight against them in th●… town , till they be all slain , and then thou shalt be our lord ; and that done , thou mayest go to jerusalem without any impediment , or hinderance of any man ; for they also of that city desire the same , and would gladly become subjects unto the romans . when as therefore vespasian heard the petitions of the citizens of gerara , he took his journey thither to succour them , and deferred to go to jerusalem . but jehochanan heard of his repair , wherefore he slew the chief governour of gerara , and got him out of the town with his companions , and took them to their feet , determining to flee into a certain wood : vespasian having knowledge thereof , made after them , sending out poligorus , who overtook them , and made a great slaughter of them and in his return toward gerara , upon jordan side , he light upon much people going to jerusalem , that they might escape together with the seditious . them poligorus drove back to the river , where he slew . thousand of them ; the rest leaped into jordan , and were drowned , to the number of . thousand men , women , and children , with much cattell that were all drowned together in the river , insomuch that the channell of jordan was so stuffed , and stopt with dead bodies , that the waters rose and ran over the banks here and there into the fields , and plains : yet at the length the waters increased , and bare the carkases down the river , as far as the sea of sodom , which is the sea of pitch , otherwise called the salt-sea ; and all the banks of jordan lay full of dead bodies . after this , vespasian took his journey from thence , and went into the land of edom , where he won two strong cities , the one called legarith , the other cephar toco , and slew ten thousand of the people thereof , leading the rest away in bondage . thence he dislodged , and came to a town call'd chamath gedi , which he subdued . in this city were wel-springs of hot waters , from whence the hot baths of tiberias have their originall . the natural philosophers and astronomers of that country , held an opinion that these are the heads of all the hot wel-springs in that whole country . departing from thence , he came to samaria and won it . then repaired he again all the towns that he had subdued , and made up their walls , placing garrisons therein , to ayd him , what time he should besiege jerusalem . that done , he returned to cesarea , to take muster of his whole army , and prepared to go to besiege jerusalem . but in the mean season , came messengers from rome , and brought him word that nero the emperour was dead , and how that as he was a hunting in the country , the fire of the lord came down from heaven , and fell upon him , that he died of it . after whom reigned galba , not one whole year : for , afore it was fully ended , he was slain by the noble men of rome ; and vitellius created in his stead , a fool , yet a sore cruel man , much given to drunkenness , so that he was in all points unworthy of the roman empire . the noble men of rome that were with vespasian hearing this , greatly disdained at that matter , and said , was there never a noble man in rome left , to be placed in the empire , but ye must choose a drunken wine-sucker ? why did ye not rather elect the mighty prince vespasian that is here with us , a sage and a wise man , thereto also most valiant , one that conquered many cities , and vanquished many nations , and those most fierce ? what puissant kings hath he subdued under the roman empire ? how far and wide hath he enlarged the empire of the romans ? and now when as the empire ought to have been bestowed upon vespasian , or some one like unto him , and none such could be found amongst you , ye bestow it upon a fool , and a blowbole drunkard , wherein ye have done very undiscreetly . well , the empire of rome shall have a better emperour one day , and god say amen . whereupon the princes that were there , laid their heads together , and decreed to make vespasian emperour . therefore with one consent they went unto vespasian , and said unto him , thou shalt be our head , for the empire belongeth to such a one , and thou shalt have dominion over us . but vespasian refused to take it on him , and would in no wise consent to them . notwithstanding they compelled him , and placed him upon the throne of majesty , setting an imperiall crown upon his head , which he would have put away , and pulled off with his hand because he would not be emperour . wherefore the roman captains drew out their swords and said , thou shalt be emperour and reign over us , therefore refuse it not : if thou do , thou shalt dy upon our swords . vespasian therefore seeing himself constrained , being afraid of his life , he was content to suffer himself to be proclaimed emperour . then all the army was sworn unto him , and he sate upon the royall seat , as emperour and king of kings . the civil wars at jerusalem encreased more and more , and much blood was shed through the wickedness of jehochanan , captain of the theeves , a limb of the divel , and through the cut-throat murtherers that were with him , who had all even sworn the utter destruction of the city of the lord , and the deaths of the people . there was also another cut-throat ruffian , of a noble house of judea and jerusalem about the same time , called schimeon , who began also to follow jehochanans manners in slaying innocents , and robbing and raving in jerusalem . for anani the high priest had once appointed him prince and chief captain of jerusalem : and afterwards finding him an enemy , banished him the city . where●…ore schimeon went and ga●… him a rout of unthrifts , murtherers , and theeves , casting in his mind , and saying , except i joyn my self with such good fellows , i shall never be able to be revenged of anani and his assistants , that have thus banished me out of ierusalem into exile wrongfully , unto my great dishonour . shall i that have been in such estate , now be cast out of my dignity , and be constrained to wander here and there as a banished man ? he went therefore through all the cities of iudea and galilee , causing to be proclaimed in the streets and market places , and sent his letters where he could not come himself , in this manner and form : whosoever listeth to be rid from the bondage of his master , or hath had any injury in his country , or what servant soever desireth to be set at liberty , or who so cannot abide the rule of his father or master ; all that be in debt , and stand in fear of their creditors , or fear the iews for shedding any innocent blood , and therefore lurketh solitarily in woods or mountains , if there be any man that is accused of any notorious crime , and in any danger therefore ; to be short , whosoever is disposed to rob and to do injury and wrong , to haunt whores , to steal , to murther , to eat and drink at other mens cost , without labour of his hands , let him resort to me , i will deliver him from the yoak and danger of the laws , and will find him his fill of booties and spoils . there assembled unto him about twenty thousand men , all murtherers , theeves , rebels , lawless persons , wicked and seditious men . then began schimeon also to vex the israelites , to turn all upside down wheresoever he came . when the citizens of jerusalem , the priests , elders , and anani heard tidings of schimeons despightfull wickedness , how he held on stil oppressing the people of god , they were very pensive , saying : now will this fellow more trouble us than jehochanan , be he never so cruel . they consulted therefore and agreed , secretly to send a power against him , that might suddenly fall upon him , and overthrow him . peradventure ( say they ) they may slay him , or take him alive , before this wickedness grow to further inconvenience , and joyn himself with our foes ; then shall they assail us both within the town and without . they sent out therefore against him a great army of israelits and jews , with chariots and horse-men , and foot-men in great number , which came where the camp lay , and found him in the corn fields destroying of the grain , pulling down of barns , and burning all both ●…orn and olive trees : then the jerusolemites divided their army , & set upon schimeons tents suddenly , smote them down , and made a great slaughter upon the seditious . but shortly after , schimeon gat the upper hand of the people of god , for he came upon them in the night season , and made a sore slaughter amongst them ; then they that remained , took themselves to flight towards jerusalem , and schimeon pursued them , killing them unto the hard gates of jerusalem , so that many of them were slain in the way , and very few escaped . after this , schimeon went and moved war upon the edomites , to subdue them unto himself , which before were under the dominion of the jerusolemites . and first , he came to the city asa , otherwise called gaza , for it was the first city within the borders of edom , as men came from jerusalem . but the edomites met him in the field in great number , and joyned battel ; neither part had the victory , therefore at length they retired both . then was schimeon in so great a rage , when as he could not overcome these edomites , that he wisht him out of his life . so he ceased fighting a while , and encamped himself in the borders of the land of edom , right against it , and there abode , thinking to set upon them at another time . and as he was devising how to order all things , there came unto him an edomite called jacob , one of the chiefest men among them , and a warriour . he hearing of schimeon's proclamation , was moved to come and enter a league with him , and thereupon sa●…d unto him : never let it discomfort thee , that thou couldest not overcome the edomites at the first battel : if thou wilt be ruled by my counsel , thou shalt win all the cities in the whole land , and i will deliver them into thy hands schimeon desired to know how : therefore said he , let us hear thy counsel , and shew us how it may be brought about , and when it is come to passe , then will we honour thee , and regard thee accordingly . jacob said , give me one half of thine army , which i will lead with me into an ambush : then shalt thou in the morning betimes set thy men in aray against the edomites for a stale ; and when thou shalt perceive them to come against thee , then make as though thou fleddest , until thou hast staled them out of the town into the fields to pursue thee . then will i with my men come out of our ambush , and make speed to the gates , where we shall kill the warders , and suddenly enter the town ; and killing all that we find there , set up a flag upon the tower of the town . then when the edomites shall see that , their hearts will be dead for sorrow ; and so mayest thou turn again upon them , and beat them down at thy pleasure : or if thou like not this device , hear yet another way . i have been a captain against them a long while , therefore i will return in the night season into the town ; if the watch examine me from whence i come , i will tell them i come from schimeons camp , whither i went as a spy ; then will i go to the elders of the town , and desire them to let me have a company of the best fouldiers , and i will bring schimeon into their hands , if he set upon us again . for i have viewed the camp , and his power , and understand that he intends to morrow to fall on us , which thou shalt do indeed . and when thou seest me to issue out against thee , thou shalt set thy spear in the rest , and come towards me ; then will i take me to flight , and cast a fear in the edomites hearts , that they shall flee also ; which done , thou mayest pursue and slay them , at thy pleasure overcome them , and enter the town ; then that town great asa once taken , thou shalt quickly win all the rest . when schimeon heard this , he went and deliberated with his own councel , and they liked the last advice best , wherefore that they concluded upon . so jacob the edomite returned by night to asa , and declared to the ancients of the town , how he had been in schimeons camp , and had viewed his army , whereby he had perceived good hope , that he should deliver schimeon into their hands shortly . the elders therefore made him grand captain , and chief of all their men of war , charging every man in this wise : forasmuch as none of you are so expert in the knowledge of warfare as is jacob , therefore it behoveth you to follow him in all things . if he set forward , set ye forward ; whereas he pitcheth his tent , pitch ye also ; if he stay , stay ye ; if he fleeth , fleeye ; to be short , when he returneth , then return ye , and go not one hair breadth from that that he shall command you , neither one way nor other . upon the next morrow schimeon issued out of his camp , with all his army , and upon that , assembled jacob his men , and went out to meet him ; but when they came to the point ready to joyn , and schimeon with his company had charged their staves against them ; by and by jacob left the field , turned his back and fled , and the chief souldiers that were about him , fled with him . the rest of the people seeing their captain flee , they took themselves likewise to flight every man : then schimeon pursuing , made a great slaughter of them , and won the town , bringing them under his subjection . and when he had sacked the houses of them that were slain of the edomites , and spoiled their goods , which was very much ; the rest that he took prisoners and kept alive , he made peace withal , and joyned them unto his own camp. after that , he departed from thence , accompanied with . good fighting men , part edomites , and part jews , and came to chebron , which he won , and destroyed all their grain , and corn fields : yet after , he repaired their walls ; and such of them as were left alive , made peace with schimeon , who received them into league with him , and they became his men , and followed him in all his wars . so he disloged from thence with all his army , which by the accession of the chebronites was now wonderfully encreased , and determined to invade jerusalem . and when he came nigh unto the city , he ranged here and there , destroying the fruits that were upon the ground , and also their corn . captain jehochanan having intelligence of schimeons coming to besiege the town , and how he had destroyed the fields , thought to have gone out of jerusalem , and to fight with him , but he durst not ; for his spies had told him that he should not be able to overcome him , he had so puissant an army , and so well appointed . yet neverthelesse he issued out , and lay in ambush for schimeon . in the mean space , by chance schimeons wife ( that was fled out of jerusalem , with her men and women servants towards her husband , for fear lest she should be slain for her husbands sake , if she should have tarried at jerusalem ) passed by where he lay in his ambush : her he took , and brought again to jerusalem , not a little proud of such a prey , thinking , now we shall have schimeon at our pleasure , seeing we have his wife our prisoner : he loveth her so entirely , that he will do for her sake whatsoever we will have him . this came to schimeons ear , who had taken that time many of jehochanan's men , and cut off their right hands , sending them with such shame to jerusalem to their master . he sent moreover embassadours to jehochanan , willing him to send him his wife , in such sort , that she might come to him with all that was hers : or if he refused to do it , he should be extremely handled ; for he would take the town ere it were long , and , to jechanan's shame , cut off the hands and legs of all them that did inhabite it . jehochanan hearing this , was sore afraid , and all that were with him , and therefore they sent him his wife ; whereupon schimeon kept him within the town . and as schimeon played the tyrant without , so likewise did jehochanan within . for jehochanan's souldiers ravished the israelites wives , and shed innocent blood . shortly after , schimeon left the town for a space , and returned into idumea ; for he had word that the men of most power , and the richest sort of that country rebelled . whereupon he sacked and spoiled all the towns of idumea , and left them nothing : insomuch that he was become very rich , and then returned to jerusalem , bringing the edomites wholly with him , that were meet for war : and many of the jews resorted to him , and with his power he besieged jerusalem , even at the very gates . yet the tyranny of jehochanan and his complices ceased not , but increased more and more daily in jerusalem , insomuch that they taught the citizens of jerusalem to murder their neighbours , and to commit adultery with their wives : by which means fornication was rife and common in the city . yea , many of the people and youth shaved their beards , letting the hair of their heads grow , and accompanied themselves with women , that they might exercise their adultery safer , and not be espied ; which sin did wonderfully defile the city of jerusalem , and without doubt furthered the desolation thereof . the gates also of the town were closed up , that no man might go in nor out . and whoso went out , fell into the hands of schimeon , and was slain : they that tarried within , were constrained to see before their faces , their shame in every street and corner ; and if any found fault , he was slain straight by jehochanan , that most cruel captain of the seditious rebells . the citizens therefore seeing the tyranny of jehochanan , to be without measure , they assembled all together , and encountred with jehochanan , and were slain a wonderful sort of them in that conflict . and except the edomites that were fled to jerusalem from the tyranny of schimeon , had succoured the citizens , the whole people of jerusalem had been utterly destroyed , and slain every mothers son by jehochanan ; his power was so great . then anani the high priest , and the other priests , with the ancient , faithful , and sages , and the rest of the people of jerusalem ; seeing the wickednesse of jehochanan , and that they could not suffer it any longer , consulted together to deliver the town to schimeon , and bring him in , and make him their king , to help them against jehochanan , whom they took to be far worse than schimeon , hoping that it might come to passe , that schimeon should slay jehochanan at length . they sent therefore amittai the high priest to schimeon , to bring him into the town ; but schimeon craftily denied it , saying ; what should i come into the town to you that hate me , and of late banished me your town ? yet they ceased not , but sent the same amittai to him again , to entreat him in the name of all the people , to come into the city . and by this means , upon a certain night appointed , he entred into jerusalem with his whole army : notwithstanding , he was no sooner within the town , but he brake his promise and league that he had made with the citizens ; and whereas he had promised to succour them , and aid them , now he was altered , and became their enemy , joyning himself with jehochanan : and those two rebells reigned in the city of jerusalem by course , one one moneth , and another another . so , where before schimeons coming , they thought much to bear the yoke and oppression of one seditious person , now were they constrained to hold down their shoulders , and bear the yoke of two . yet within two dayes after , there fell a variance and discord between jehochanan , and schimeon , about eleazar the priest , the son of anani the high priest. this eleazar was the beginner , and first sower of sedition amongst the israelites , whom schimeon would now have put to death , to be revenged of his father that banished him out of jerusalem ; but jehochanan took eleazars part , and defended him ; for eleazar was alwayes jehochanan's friend , and aided him . his father was high priest , and bare a great rule in jerusalem , wherefore eleazar was of a great estimation and authority with the elders , so that they durst not apprehend him ; and his father also looked negligently unto him , and let him do what he list , because he had no more sons but him . so he was the first that assembled naughty persons together , and held ever on jehochanans side , from his first coming to jerusalem . and for his sake , fell division and dissention between jehochanan , and schimeon , so that they became enemies , and warred the one upon the other ever after , as we shall declare hereafter . chap. i. in this while , vespasian had sent antony , and mankiminus , ( two noble men , and of his council ) to rome against vitellius , that they might make him out of the way , and then would he come to rome to receive the imperial crown there . these two captains went therefore and raised an army , by whose aid they set upon vitellius , and ●…w him not without much ado ; for there were slain that day at rome , . thousand good men of war. when vespasian had word that he was dispatched , he made speed to rome to his coronation , dividing first his army into two parts ; whereof he took the one with him to rome , as a safegard for himself whatsoever should happen , and the other he left with titus his son , to besiege jerusalem withall . so departing , he left his son titus at alexandria , commanding him to remain there , till such time as he should signifie unto him otherwise by his letters , and shew him what he should do ; and that in no wise he should attempt the siege of jerusalem in the mean space . titus answered , i shall do ( dear father ) according unto your commandment , for to you it belongeth to command , and unto me to obey . vespasian took with him king agrippa , and munabas his son , he fearing lest they would rebell , and me joseph priest and prisoner also fast bound in chains ; for so had his council moved him , saying : we cannot say the contrary , but that we have found no sign of rebellion in joseph hitherto , neither think we that he hath gone about any ; but , who can tell when we are gone hence , whether he will not flee to jerusalem , and help ●…o set them at unity and concord ; then they make him their king , and after he be the sorer enemy unto us ? besides this , you shall have need of him in this journey , he being a man of such great prudence , and wisdom , that whosoever followeth his co●…sel , shall bring his matters to good and fortunate successe . vespasian liked well their advice , and took him prisoner with him , together with king agrippa and his son ; albeit they had no irons upon them , neither on hand , or foot , but only had their keepers appointed them , that they should not step aside . and as vespasian drew nigh rome , all the citizens came forth to meet him , and received him with great joy , and mighty shews . then he commanded that i should be put in prison , but agrippa and his son he let go at liberty . the next day assembled all the senate of rome , to create vespasian emperour , after the manner of the romans , with whom was agrippa and his son . i also intreated the jaylor to let me have keepers with me , and so to bring me to the place where he should be crowned caesar : which the jaylor granted me , and went with me himself to the place , and brought me where i might see all that was done . within few dayes after , vespasian took displeasure with agrippa , upon the information of certain evil disposed persons , that had slandered him , and perswaded vespasian that he went about to rebell , and how he had sent letters unto jerusalem , concerning the same matter ; wherefore vespasian put both him , and his son munabas , to death . this befel three years and a half before the destruction of jerusalem . moreover , before this deed , the continual sacrifice ceased , for a thousand , two hundred , and ninety dayes , as it is written in dan. chap. . and from the time that the continual sacrifice shall be taken away , and abomination shall be put into desolation , a thousand two hundred and ninety dayes . the same year and moneth that agrippa was put to death , god moved the minde of vespasian to remember me with his mercy : wherefore he commanded that i should be fetched out of prison , and brought to his presence . and as i stood in irons before him , caesar bad me welcome , and spake comfortably unto me , saying , thou knowest very well that i have loved thee from the day i first saw thee , and though i have kept thee continually in durance , do not think i did it of any ill will or malice toward thee ; but rather thou mayest perswade thy self , i did it lest the roman princes should disdain at thee , and say : see , here is a fellow , that in our wars hath endamaged us so greatly , yet now goeth he check-mate with us , in as great favour as we : let us kill him , and put him out of the way . but , my friend joseph , be of good chear , i will deliver thee from these iron-bands , and thou shalt be with me in no worse case than one of my chief princes . i will send thee into jewry to my son titus , to whom thou shalt be as a father and a counsellour . thou knowest , titus was he that took pity on thee , and would not suffer thee to be put to death ; yea he hath sundry times moved me to release thee of thy bonds , and to honour thee , which i have deferred to do , only for this cause that i shewed thee . i made him answer , but how can i be quiet , or in surety of my life as long as i am in thy company and thy sons , seeing agrippa and his son , were suddenly put to death by you ? caesar answered , hold thy peace joseph , i never looked for any goodnesse of agrippa and his son . thou knowest not what they had wrought against my majesty , and how they went about to rebel ; thou hast born their bones with thy hands . doest thou not know i honoured him and his son in jewry , how i would not suffer any of my army to annoy any of his cities ? i answered , yes , i know it was so , as your majesty saith . then said he ; but for all this hath agrippa requited me again with evil . for what time as the nobles of rome in jewry went about to make me empeperour , thinking me somewhat more meet to rule the empire than vitellius , agrippa perswaded them that they should not make me emperour , affirming that there was nothing in me worthy wherefore they should promote me to that dignity . and after when he came to rome , he went from one bishop to another , and caused them to go to the bishops , to accuse me of such crimes as in my conscience i knew nothing at all of . by this i perceived that agrippa's heart was full of rancour and rebellion , and therefore i judged him to death . for where as wickednesse is , there it is meet that condign punishment should not be lacking . and i put his son to death likewise ; for the son of a traitour ought not to live upon the earth , because that in his heart remaineth the work of his father , being conceived and born of a rebellious seed : but i have found thee alwayes faithful and true , and therefore i commend my son to thy wisdom . with this , he commanded my irons to be taken away from me , and being released and at liberty , he set me honourably among the princes and senatours . then said i unto him , is not this a great dishonour unto me , that i should be delivered from my bonds , and neverthelesse my countrymen that be with me to be kept in prison still ? now therefore , if i have found favour in thy sight , and if thou wilt do any thing at my request , loose the bonds likewise of all the rest of the israelites that be with me : set them at liberty also , and thou shalt be assured that i will be thy faithful counsellor while my life lasteth , and an enemy to thy foes , to make war upon them that assail thee . vespasian granted joseph his request , and willed them to be set at liberty , as many as were prisoners with joseph . shortly after sent he joseph to his son titus , that abode at that present at alexandria in egypt , to whom he writ concerning joseph in this manner . i send unto thee here ( my beloved son ) joseph , a prince of the jews , a man of experience , trained in war , in whom is great wisdom ; he shall be thy father , and faithful counsellour , thou shalt not do against his counsel , neither one way nor other , for he is a wise man. wherefore thou shalt reverence and honour him according as he is worthy ; for the lord god is with him , and believe not rashly any man that defames joseph unto thee . yea , rather put him to death straightway , that will accuse him : for joseph is a faithful man , and a good counsellour ; and who is so ruled by his counsel , shall have a prosperous successe in that he goeth about . therefore when joseph shall come unto thee , after he hath refreshed himself a few dayes of his labours and travels at the sea ; then shalt thou prepare thine expedition against jerusalem , to besiege it . and if the jews receive thee peaceably , and will submit themselves under the roman empire , then beware thou endamage them in nothing , but rather repair their cities , and let them be free from all tribute for the space of two years ; yet on this condition , that thrice every year they set a flag with the arms of the romans upon their walls ; that is to say , at their three solemn feasts , whenas all the israelites were wont to resort unto jerusalem , and to appear before the lord their god. moreover they shall offer for us every feast a sacrifice , upon the most holy altar that is in jerusalem . and if they refuse to make peace with thee , thou shalt utterly rase their towns ; and whosoever are left alive , and escape the sword , those shalt thou lead away captive . if they desire to have joseph to be their king , we are coutent therewith . in any wise remember to be ruled by josephs counsel ; he shall be thy father , and thou his son . after this , joseph departed from rome , and came to alexandria to titus , who hearing of josephs arrival , was wondrous glad , and all the antient wise men , with him ; for joseph was full of the spirit of wisdom , understanding , counsel , valiantnesse , knowledge , and fear of god. wherefore we went forth to meet him , accompanied with the captains of the romans army , and received him with great honour . then joseph delivered to titus his fathers letters : which titus having read , said unto joseph , whatsoever my father hath written in these letters , i would have done no lesse by mine own accord : but sith my father hath admonished me of the same , i ought to do it the more . wherefore remain here with me , and i will be thy son , and thou shalt be my father , to rule and govern me with thy counsel . so joseph abode with titus at alexandria a whole moneth after he came from rome . then consulted they together to go to jerusalem and besiege it ; for joseph understood well enough , that this came of the lord , and that his word could not be letted , or hindered . titus therefore and joseph with him , departed from a●…exandria with all their army , and pitched their tents at nicopolis ; from thence they came by water to thanisa , so forth to iraclea , and leaving that , came to pelisis ; from thence they travelled through the desart to baale javin , after that to dicron , so to gaza , next to askalon , then to jabuam , after to japho , and so to cesarea . in these journies he won asam , askalon , and japho , with all their towns , and castles lying about them . the first year of the reign of vespasian , the . month , and the . day of the same , came titus with ioseph and his army to cesarea , a famous city built by king herod . in this city he sojourned untill his whole host were come together , as well of romans , as of other nations that were under the dominion of the romans , and came to ayd them in the siege of ierusalem . therefore titus army was wonderfully huge and puissant , wherewith he abode at cesarea , till the cold of winter was past , and the month of iuly drew nigh : the same years the civill wars grew and increased in ierusalem ; for the citizens slew one another without any truce , rest , or quiet●…ess no not in winter , when as wars were wont to cease ; but summer and winter both , the wars never stinted between schimeon , iehochanan , and eleazar . for the lord that year had sent amongst them of ierusalem , a vertigin●…us spirit of giddiness , that the people were divided into three parts : whereof the first and best followed anani the priest , who at that time had stained , unhallowed , and suspended his office of priest-hood . another part followed seditious iehochanan ; the third was for schimeon . so that in the midst of ierusalem was civill wars , and without the same , the roman army made roads from cesarea , even to ierusalem , by the means whereof no man durst go forth , lest he should fall into the enemies hands , nor enter into the town to bring any necessaries thither . anani being a perfect godly man , and seeing the common-wealth of jerusalem governed by the pleasure of the seditious , gave over his third part that stuck to him , to eleazar his son , which was the first author of sedition , and he that gave the first occasion , and the cause of all the mischief that befell in jerusalem , and in the whole land of judea . for he began a conspiracy against the roman garrisons , and provoked israel to rebel against the romans , and to lay hands upon them . wherefore there assembled unto the seditious eleazar , jehudah , chezron , schimeon , and chiskihu , young men of the nobles of jerusalem . eleazar with his company took the temple , and the courts about it , appointing of his men , some to be spies , and some to keep watch and ward about the temple of the lord. but jehochanan , who because of the great resort of the people unto him , was stronger than eleazar , he took the market place and streets , and the lower part of the city . then schimeon the jerusolemite , took the highest part of the town : wherefore his men annoyed jehochanans part sore with slings and cross-bows . between these three there was also most cru . el battel 's in jerusalem for the space of four daies , without ceasing or any breathing , and every day were very many slain , so that the blood of the jews that were then slain , ran in every place most abundantly , through the market-places and streets , yea even to the temple of the lord , like unto a flood that had come of great showres ; and unto the thresholds of the gates of the temple , the dead bodies overwhelmed one another by heaps , for no man buried them . jehochanan having the middle part of the town , had schimeon on the one side of him , and eleazar on the other . but schimeon had the best place ; from whence he might annoy both jehochanan and eleazar . eleazar did also what he could to endamage schimeon . and jehochanan that was in the middest , encombered them both , notwithstanding to little purpose . for schimeons company flung stones , and shot at them sore : but when as jehochanans part flung likewise at them , the stones rebounded back upon themselves . thus amongst these three the battel was sore , and encreased every day , that all men were in great terrour and fear thereof . then assembled to the temple much people of the priests and elders , beseeching these intestine and domesticall enemies , not to pollute and defile the temple with their slaughters , and were almost all slain for their labour . the same day was slain the priest anani , & joshua a priest , both of the chiefest priests . sechariahu also the most faithfull prophet of the lord. then had the continuall sacrifice ceased . daies : for ever until that time , was there some good men or other of jerusalem , that offered alway sacrifice to the lord. but now when they would have continued it , and the priests laid the sacrifice upon the altar , the seditious would run upon them and kill them , so that the priests bodies and their cattel that they would have sacrificed , should fall dead to the ground together . they that resorted also out of the country of ierusalem for devotions sake , the seditious slew , and utterly destroyed them , that almost no one of them was left alive . moreover , the dead bodies of men lay cast in the temple , and that without number troad under feet : yea , the dead body of the priest that was offering sacrifice , lay upon the earth together with his offering . and when any man would offer any sacrifice , straight way one or other of the seditious would step to him and kill him , that the blood of the sac●…ifice and sacrificer , should be mingled together ; in somuch that the pavement of the temple being all of marble , was made so slippery with the blood and fat of them that were slain , that no man could go upon it without falling . and the priest should no sooner lay hands on the sacrifice , but he was slain , and straight another dead body should fall upon him stranger or other , they spared none : so thus the dead bodies of the good and bad , clean and unclean , wicked and vertuous , theef and true man , lay one upon another , and their blood mixt together in the midst of the temple , without respect of any man , of what degree or condition soever he were : wherefore the fight and slaughter waxt great , both in the town , and in the temple . nay , whomsoever the seditious overcame , they set fire on their houses also ; whereby the fire took into the great men's houses that were nigh the temple , and into the store-houses , whereas against times of necessity , and besieging of the town , were laid up in store , corn , wine , and oyl , to the number of a thousand and four hundred store-houses , all filled full of victuals . for the elders and other godly men , what time as vespasian was in galilee , they made up the doors of those garner-houses , and laid in victuals into them , sufficient for two hundred thousand men twenty years , and now in this one battel of the seditious they were burnt every one , stick and stone , which was a speedy cause of famine , and hurger in ierusalem . at the same time also , the seditious pulled down and razed all the fair houses , and goodly buildings , that there should be no monument of any noble house , left to any in the city of ierusalem . so thus you see at that time the lord visited the citizens of ierusalem with four kind of plagues , sword , pestilence , hunger , and fire : besides this , a fift was added , the ruine and decay of all beautifull and glorious buildings . and wheresoever a man turned him , there was nothing but desolation , pollution , ( namely of the temple and all holy things ) uproars , without all rest and refuge ; no help , no succour , but every corner of ierusalem was full of howling , and yelling , wailing and weeping , sobbing and sighing of women , and children . here should ye hear the roaring & groaning of wounded men , not yet thorough-dead ; there the mourning and lamentation of the elders , younger children crying out for hunger ; to be short , most sorrowfull oppression of them that lived , done by the seditious : such lamentations were made every where , that happy and fortunate was he that before this day died , and unhappy and in a wofull case were all such as remained alive to see this day . all these things when i joseph heard tydings of , i tore my hair with my hands , and cast ashes on my beard , sitting in great sorrow on the ground , bewailing the misery and calamity of jerusalem . and this lamentation made joseph upon jerusalem : how is the city ( quoth he ) laid wast , that was wont to be more happy and more renowned than all the provinces upon the earth ? how is the city that was heretofore in such highness and dignity , now brought under the foot , through the sons of the citizens thereof ? whereas sometime was the dwelling place of the faithfull , now bear rule there such men as provoke and stir gods wrath against it , and turn it away from their god , wasting it as theeves . in the which sometime remained the brightness of the godhead , it is now become a by-word , and mocking-stock to the enemies , replenished with blood of wounded and slain men . instead of mirth , gladness , rejoycing , harps and psalteries ; is sorrow , sighing , heart-breaks , mourning , and pensiveness come in place . even as heretofore the priests executed the service of the lord in offering sacrifices ; so likewise now , seditious persons murthered godly and faithfull men : where was wont to be the dwelling place of most wise and prudent men , now it is made a common hostry of wicked murtherers & theeves . o lord god of israel , have not angels in time past come down from heaven to earth to fight thy battels ? have not the floods of the seas persecuted them , that persecuted thee ? hath not the earth swallowed up them that despised thee , and the winds scattered them a - sunder that made insurrections against thee ? hath not thunder from heaven destroyed thine enemies , and stars fought against thy foes ? what means this therefore ? and how cometh it to pass , that thou hidest thy face from us ? to whom hast thou delivered the sheep of thy pasture ? look upon us our god , and behold thy people and inheritance , that thou broughtest out of egypt with a mighty power , and a strong hand , with wonders and signs , leading them untill this day in thy faith ; take pitty upon them in thy mercy , and extend not thy wrath against thy servants . where art thou moses the son of amram ? stand up and see thy people and flock of sheep , which thou feedest all thy life with thy wisdom ; see how wolves and lions tear them ; see how the israelites are become foes to their own lives and souls ; yea wasters and destroyers are sprung up of their own selves . behold the people of god , for whose sake thou lifted'st up thy staff over the sea , wherewith thou struckest and dividest it , that it was made dry ground , so the israelites passed through , and escaped their enemies . remember thy prayer , when as in time of famine , and lack of food , thou obtaindft for them meat from heaven ; and at the same time when they were weary of their lives for thirst , thou broughtest water out of the most hard rock . come forth aaron most holy priest of god , that didst put thy self between the living and the dead , to turn away the plague from israel , and staydest the destroyer that he should not come ●…igh the living . arise out of thy grave thou phineas , that moved with such fervency , didst revenge the glory and majesty of the lord god of israel ; come and run through the seditious in thy fury , which murther the people of god and his priests . awake thou ioshua , that didst throw down the walls of jericho , with the sound and shout of thy trumpets that the holy priests held in their hands . come now and see thy people that thou madest to inherit many nations , and to conquer most puissant kings , how they kill one another , how they further and help forward the idolater to rule and have the dominion of the holy land , that thou gavest thy people israel to inherit . why sleepest thou , king david ? awake , and come with the sound of thy psaltery and harp , sing to thy holy psalms too . ask account of thy sweet words that are ceased from the mouthes of this people , and out of all mens mouthes , because of the maliciousness thereof . see how their princes be transformed into enemies and destroyers : and do as thou diddest ( good king david ) that didst give thine own life for theirs , saying , let thy hand , o lord , be turned against me , and against the house of my father , and do not fall upon thy people to destroy them . where art thou elizeus ? come and see what thou canst do , if thou canst rescue the remnant of israel , and find them any gap to escape at . didst not thou by thy prayer bring the power of the syrians to a town of defence , and prevailedst against them without dint of sword or battel , and broughtest them down , smiting them with blindness , that they turned their enmity towards israel into love ? indeed , thou wast he●…that vanquishedst the syrians by thy prayer , that they fled for fear of the same . now therefore ye heard-men of israel , assemble together , and listen with 〈◊〉 , and hear my words that i will speak in your ears this day . tell me , what is become of your prayers that ye have made for the people of israel , to defed and turn away from them a i wrath , indignation , tribulation , fury , and inmissions of evill spirits ? how is it that now ye see not the sanctuary turned into a vile sink of blood ? for the dead bodies of priests lye in midst of it . the holy city jerusalem is become a strange city , as though the name of the lord had never been in it : and the sanctuary of the lord is in that case at this present , as though the godhead had never dwelt therein : for the temple is turned into a den of theeves , a lodging of seditious persons , a tabernacle of cruel murtherers . and who so flieth thither for refuge , there they be slain : as the seditious have murthered in the midst thereof anani the high priest , and joshua a priest also , that were princes and chief priests , the most reverend amongst the people of god ; whom ere this , kings and nations had sued to , and desired their favour , but never cast their slain bodies in the midst of the temple . the nobility also of jerusalem , the elders of juda , the sages of israel , whose friendship kings and nations have sought after , and desired to make peace with : they lye now slain here and there in the midst of jerusalem , are meat for the fouls of the ayre , and beasts of the field , to dogs and ravens , because there is no man to bury them . these died not for their offences , but because they found fault with the israelites when they sinned . how are they slain in thee ( o jerusalem thou holy city , renowned throughout the whole earth ) all just men , all holy men ? whom the seditious have overcome , those helhounds , and blood-suckers , that have brought all these evils upon thee ? how are the priests of the lord , and his prophets slain , amongst those holy men ? for , before the holy temple , was the prophet sechariahu that just and holy man , butchered and murthered , yea , without all buriall , neither was his blood covered with earth , but yet still wandreth about and cryeth in thee . the blood of anani also and joshua the chief priests , was yet never covered , which were both slain in thy temple , as men be wont to kill theeves : yea , the blood of the godly young men , and valiant , that would have revenged them , was shed also by the seditious , like floods of water . how are the hearts of the people turned so aukwardly , that they will bear no admonition of just men ? but are like unto blockish images , that neither see , nor hear , nor yet understand any thing . all beasts be they never so brutish , all plants , and things that grow upon the earth , withstand them that invade them to do them injury , and endeavour to avoid the force of their enemy : but thy children that thou keepest within thee , are changed into enemies , and one brother murthereth ●…nother with the sword . where is now thy valiantness , thou that never wouldst bow to bear the yoak of the gentiles upon thy shoulders , but hast cast away the bondage of the egyptians , philistines , aramites , assyrians , chaldees , persians , and medes ? where is the strength that god gave to the chasmonanites , that with a very small company defended thee , and prevailed against the great and puissant army of the greeks , destroyed the stout souldiers of babylon , vanquished the mighty army of the persians , slue kamitiatus and antiochus , and pursued their armies , making great slaughters of them , filling all places full of dead carcases of the gentiles ? they would not be ruled by sinners , but ventured themselves to die , offering their lives , not for their sous and daughters , but for the sanctuary of the lord and his temple , left it should be polluted with the idols of the gentiles . where remaineth now the rod of god , that holy rod that budded and blossomed in the daies of gladness ? now is both the spring withered , and the rod it self also . the rod of faith is withered , the rod of the kingdom , the rod also of thy people , whence the holy law is taken away ; neither is there any man that can tell where to draw any waters of thy heavenly mercy . alas , the mercifull men that have been in times past to their brethren , both alive and dead ; how are they now turned into most cruel tyrants , and have mercy of no man ? where is the multitude of their mercies , wherewith they were wont honorably to bury their dead ? now the corses of their dead bodies cover the face of the whole earth , and there is no body will vouchsafe to bury them : yea , they that would cannot be suffered , but straightwaies come others to them that kill them before they can do it , so that they also die and lie unburied , and are strewed about here and there in the fields . such is the guise in thee now adaies , neither the father to bury the son , nor the son the father ; the seditious watch so diligently those that be dead , lest any man should bury them , which if they do , they are also slain by them , and lie unburied themselves . the temple of the lord that is in thee , which was wont to smel sweetly of spices , anointings , and perfumes , how is it now choked with carriondung , and most pestilent stinch of dead bodies , and blood of the wounded ? thy streets are strowed full of dead men , some run-through with glaves and javelins , and other dead for hunger : yea , they that remain yet alive in the city are as good as dead also , and may be take●… for no less : for they are weary of their lives , because of the pestilent damp of the dead bodies , the outragiousness whereof , hath cast many into most dangerous diseases , and hath been the death of numbers already . this may worthily seem to be it , that david the anointed of the god of jacob , the pleasant and sweet musical poet of israel , speaketh o●… ; lord , the gentiles are come into thine inheritance , they have polluted the temple of thy holiness . and would to god it had been the gentiles only that had exalted themselves against thee , and polluted thus the holy temple that is in thee : for in the maliciousness of an enemy , a man findeth the half of his comfort ; but in the malice of a friend there is no comfort at all . yea , the very children that thou hast bred , brought up and promoted , the self same have stuffed the temple of the lord that is in thee , with unburied carcases , every man killing his neighbour , and the seditious suffering no man to bury them , but slaying all that attempt to bestow any such work of mercy upon the dead , in such sort , that they fall dead upon the corpses which they would have buried ; and by that means both the corpses lye cast out into the field , no better than the carcases of brute beasts that be found in desart places . yea , the iniquity and cruelty of thy citizens ( o jerusalem ) is grown so far , that they were not content only to kill their neighbours , but they must also hew their miserable limbs in pieces , for else they thought they were not sufficiently revenged ; although that in so doing many times the stinch of the dead , took worthy vengeance again of the living , by casting them into incurable diseases . all these evills are come upon thy people , because they have forsaken the law of the lord , and have transgressed the covenant that he made with their brethren ; because also they have sinned against the lord god of their fathers , in shedding the blood of just men , and innocents that were within thee , even in the temple of the lord. and therefore are our sorrowfull sighings multiplied , and our weepings daily increased , for that we have been the cause of all these evils that are befallen us , and are not yet ended . o lord our god , our sins are gone over our heads , and the wicked acts that we have committed in thy sight are innumerable . the lord our god is righteous , it is we that have rebelled against his will ; we have prophaned and unhallowed his law , we have broken his covenant , and ever the more that his wrath kindled against us , the more have we transgressed against him . wherefore to him belongeth justice and judgment , he hath worthily powred the fury of his displeasure on us ; to us only belongeth shame , as we have abundantly at this day : but he will once turn again and have mercy upon us , vanquish all our fins , and cast them all into the deep bottome of the sea , so be it . after these things , the third day of the first month , in the first year of the reign of vespasian , titus his son took muster of his men in the plain of cesarea , to know the certain number of them , which he had not done afore , since his fathers departure ; and he found them very many , insomuch that they seemed almost to cover the earth . this done , he took his journey from cesarea with his people , and came to samaria , where the citizens received him with great joy , and much honored him , wherefore he spared them , and did them no harm . from thence he came to ajelona , thirty furlongs from jerusalem , there he pitched his tents , and leaving them there , took six hundred horsemen with him , and came to jerusalem to view the town , to know of what height the walls were of , what strength there was in the town , especially of the seditious , of whom every where great rumour was ; finally to receive peaceably all such as were desirous of peace . so when he came to the wa●…l he saw no man , neither to go out nor in ; for the gates were shut up , and the seditious had laid an ambush without the town to trap titus , who went somewhat before accompanied with a few , the rest following a pretty way behind . whiles therefore he was in viewing the walls , the seditious issued out of their ambush that they had laid nigh unto ajelona , and set upon the back of titus men behind . then issued another party out of the town , so that they had titus between them , and running upon him , seperated him from his men , and environed him on every side ; where they slew sixty of his men , and might have slain him also , save that they coveted to take him alive . titus seeing himself beset , and forsaken of his own men , that thought it was impossible for him to escape , perceiving also that they went not about to kill him but to take him alive ; moreover , that he could in no wise escape , except he would make an irruption and run through their bands ; he took a good heart unto him , and valiantly brake through , slaying whomsoever came in his way to lay hands on him , and so he escaped . if they had intended to have slain him , they might have done it , but being desirous to take him alive ( as he said ) they abstained from striking him , and so they lost him : and god did not deliver him into their hands , that by him he might scourge israel . but the jews seeing him to be thus escaped , repented sore that they had not killed him ; saying one to another , what meant we that we killed him not while we might ? it was ill done of us . therefore they pursued him , hu●…ling and shooting after him with engins of war , but they could not overtake him , for god preserved him , that he might afterward deliver jerusalem into his hands . so he returned to ajelona , and perceived the hearts of kings to be in the hands of god. the next morning brought titus all his army to jerusalem , determining to encamp himself upon the mount olivet : wherefore he first spake unto his souldiers in this wise . this day ye go to fight against a mighty nation , whose warriours be as strong as lions , valiant as libards , and nimble as fawns that run in the mountains , to overturn chariots , and such as sit upon them . now therefore take good hearts unto you , and be couragious , for it behoves you . do not think them to be like the nations that heretofore ye have had to do withall : i my self have experience otherwise of their valiantnesse and sleights of war. this said , he marched in aray most strongly , that they should not be scattered asunder , and gave them charge , especially to the vangard , to take heed of stumbling upon wells and cisterns , whereby they might be hindred , for as yet the day was scarce broken : and besides this , titus had knowledge how the jews fearing of his coming had digged secret trenches and pitfalls . wherefore to avoid them , he led his host to mount olivet , in which place it never came in their minds to dig . therefore when he came to the mount olivet , he encamped there against jerusalem right over against the brook cedron , that ran between the city and the hill , and many times ran very ●…hallow . titus camp was about six furlongs from the town . the next morning they of the town seeing titus to be encamped on the mount olivet , the captains of the seditious with their companies assembled together , and fell to agreement every man with another , intending to turn their cruelty upon the romans , confirming and ratifying the same attonement and purpose , by swearing one to another , and so there was peace amongst them . wherefore , joyning together , that before were three several parts , they set open the gates , and all the best of them issued out with an horrible noise and shout , that they made the romans afraid withall , in such wise , that they fled before the seditious , which suddenly did set upon them at unawares . but titus seeing his men flee , rebuked them , saying , are ye not ashamed of this timourous cowardliness , when ye are so many , and a hundred for one of them ? whar ignominy is it , so many to be repulsed of so few ? wherewithall titus stayed them , and brought them manfully to withstand the jews , so that very many were slain on both sides . but the romans were not able long to abide the force of the jews , albeit that titus with his choi●…est and most valiant souldiers did manfully keep their ground , and never retreated . titus also laboured and encouraged the rest to sight : but they were so dismayed , that they wist not what to do . for to forsake titus they were ashamed , and to resist the violence of the jews , they were not able . notwithstanding titus and all his company made his party good against the jews , who at length left the field , and withdrew themselves towards the town . then titus being wroth with his souldiers , that they had fled from the jews , said unto them : shall i not be revenged of these jews ? shall so few of them put us to flight , not able to stand in their hands ? and will ye flee or retreat , seeing me abide by it ? the next day titus took all his army , save a few that he left in his camp to keep his baggage , and went down the mount olivet , setting his men in battel aray , even against the gates of the city . then exhorted he them to play the men , and although they were come down the hill , yet they should not fear the jews concerning their camp that they had left behinde them , for the brook cedron ( saith he ) is between our camp and the israelites . with these words they were encouraged , and determined to encounter with the jews under the walls hard to the gates of the city , trusting to the safegard and defence of the brook cedron . the captains of the seditious likewise used policy : for they dividing their men , sent one company to passe suddenly the brook cedron to invade and spoil the roman camp that was left in the mount olivet . these therefore went and fought with the romans upon the mount , and drove them out of their camp. titus looking behind him , and perceiving that the jews had gotten over the brook , and were in hand with his men , he was wonderfully afraid , seeing himself environed with battels on every side . they within the town , when they saw their fellows once at the mount olivet , they opened the gates , issued out with all their power that was left in the town , and encountred with titus , where he had set his men in array over against the gate , where they made a great slaughter of the romans , which ( desirous to avenge the shame gotten the day before ) fled not , but stoutly withstood their force . also the jews took heart to them , fought manfully , and beat down the romans , so that at length they betook them to flight toward mount olivet , and in their flight many of them were slain by the jews that pursued the chase . upon this , divers of titus souldiers ( seeing themselves beset both before and behinde ) counselled titus to flee with them to the mountains to save his life , lest he should be slain by the jews , and they all together with ●…m . for thou ( say they ) art a great lord of many kingdoms , and god shall one day bring thee to the imperial crown of our lord thy father : now therefore if thou shouldest be slain of the jews , we are all but dead ; and what good should thy death do , either to thy self , or to others , to be slain like one of us ? titus would not be ruled by them , nor receive their counsel , but kept his ground boldly , without once turning his face , saying , i will choose rather to die with honour , than to live with shame : and with that he rushed upon the jews that were nigh him , and compelled them to recoyl . when the jews that had environed the roman camp , saw that , they left the romans , and came flocking about titus by routs , assailing him on every side , indeavouring also with all their might to overcharge him ; where in that place was a sore and vehement fight , and much people slain on both sides ; yea , titus escaped narrowly from being slain in that fight , and had died indeed , if certain of his valiant souldiers had not returned unto him , and rescued him out of the jews hands . that day were the chief of titus souldiers slain : then the jews retired to their place at the walls side . they also who went to the mount olivet , returned homeward by the brook cedron : the romans seeing that , pursued them ; whereupon the jews returned again upon the romans , who fled by and by : thus the jews put the romans to flight thrice upo●… one day . it came to passe then , that the external wars paused , and intestine civil wars returned most terribly amongst the seditious at jerusalem . for upon the first day of the high solemn feast of passeover , captain jehochanan and his men came into the temple of the lord , where he was honourably received of the priests and elders , with the rest of the commonalty . and when they were within , they cast off their upper garments , under which they were armed with coats of fence , and swords tyed to their thighs . after that they beset the doors , and laid hold of the priests , slew them and the people also , their hearts were so cruelly bent against their brethren ; neither regarding the reverent countenances of old men , nor inclining to the prayers of them that besought them , without sparing women or children , no not the sucking babes . this done , jehochanan stood up , and openly protested , that neither schimeon nor eleazar , nor any of the rest of the captains of the seditious , nor any man else , should have the soveraignty in that city but he . the other hearing that jehochanan had wrought such displeasure to the people of god in the temple , rose together , and slew very many of jehochanans part ; but in the mean season , what of the one part , and what of the other , the israelites went to wrack , and were slain in great number . tydings came to titus , how the jews were at odds among themselves , and slew one another daily ; whereat he rejoyced greatly , and came with his whole host to the town , where he found certain jews without , that had fled , because of the rage of the civil wars . when they saw titus , they came and besought him to enter the town , and deliver them from the cruelty of the seditious , and they would be his servants , for these wars had made them almost weary of their lives . yet titus gave little credit to their tale , although they used many words to pe●…swade him that it was true . for he remembred that within three dayes afore , he saw the jews fight against him eagerly , all with one accord , so earnestly one rescuing and defending another , that no discord appeared to be amongst them : wherefore he would not trust their words , in that they required succour , and offered to yield . and as they were thusdebating the matter , suddenly they heard an uprore in the town , and wonderful hurly burly ; some crying , open the gates , & let titus come in , other cryed , shut the gates , and let not the romans come in . then certain upon the walls called to the romans , speedily to come unto the town , and they would then open the gates , that they might enter in ; requesting the romans to deliver them from the tyranny of the seditious , lest ( say they ) we should be a●…l slain by the hands of these ravinous , and cruel seditious persons . the romans therefore ran to the gates , and when they approached nigh to the walls , and were come within danger , the jews hurled stones from the walls , and shot arrows at them , slaying very many of the romans . the other jews also that were without the town , and had besought titus to deliver them from the hands of the seditious , began again to assail the romans that were gone to the walls , with much force , that many of them they slew , the residue they put to flight , and the jews followed the chase almost to ajelona . then the jews mockt and flouted the romans , calling them fresh-water souldiers , men of no experience , and innocent fools , that never saw the trains of war before ; clapping also their targets , and shaking their swords against them in mockage . the roman captains seeing these things , they took great disdain at the matter , and in great ire would have turned back upon the jews again , had not titus caused the retreat to be sounded . upon this , titus assembled all his counsellours , capta●…ns , and souldiers together , and said unto them in this wise . i have a sufficient trial , and understand well enough your valiantnesse and courage ( most worthy men and souldiers ) which far passeth the strength and man-hood of all other nations , and not only in this most excellent vertue do ye excell , but also in knowledge and sleights of war , in wisdom and forecast ye have been chief of all other ; now therefore , brethren and friends , i marvel not so greatly at the jews subtilty and craft in their swearing to you , for the perswading of a thing , and after keep not their oath : but this seemeth wonderful u●…to me , that ye suffer your selves still to be deceived of them , and to be slain by their wiles . for all the wit ye have , could not deliver you out of their snares , but now yet again the third time ye have approached the walls , and this is the third time ye have been put to the foyl for your labours . and all this cometh , because ye will not be ruled by me , but transgresse your general and lords commandment . but now , my brethren , take heed what ye do hereafter , it becometh you not to disobey my words , which ye have done often times . do you not remember a certain nobleman of our country , in the wars of augustus caesar against the persians , how he put his own son to death because that contrary to his fathers commandment ( who was grand captain of the army under augustus ) he had fought with his enemies , yea although he killed three persians . but what speak i of once ? ye have oftentimes set light by my commandments , skirmishing daily with the jews , and that without all discre●…on , rashly and out of orde●… : whereby you may gather , your enterprises have no good successe . if you continue these manners , it shall redound unto your own dishonours . wherefore it were better for you to leave off these doings , and lay away your pride , contumacy , and stubbornnesse : which if ye do , things shall be in better safegard . much more spake titus to his men , rebuking them sharply , not mentioned here , but declared at large in the volume that we writ unto the romans . when he had said these words , his princes and captains fell every one prostrate to the earth , and besought pardon of him for their rashnesse , in that they had so unadvisedly , and without order against his mind , encountred with the jews . then titus taking pity of them , pardoned them , requestin●… them to beware hereafter that they commit nothing against his commandment , neither in word nor deed , and so doing , they should have his favour , and avoid his displeasure , and danger of death for the contrary ; but if they refused to do it , he would not spare any man whatsoever he were that should transgress his commandment , but put him to death , and give his body to be eaten of the fowls of the air . they answered with one voice , we are content with these conditions , and will do whatsoever thou shalt command us . after this , titus considering how earnestly the jerusolemites were set one against another , how they were become such cruel enemies , that each of them conspired others death , he caused the pits , cisterns , and trenches that were about jerusalem , to be damn'd up , and stopt with earth , that the wayes might be levelled for his army . this done , he encampt himself nearer the walls . against which attempt the jews issued not out of the city after their accustomed manner , to put them back from the walls . for schimeon was otherwise busied , he had entertained ten thousand men of the best of the seditious jews , and joyned himself to jacob the edomite , captain of nine thousand edomites , with whom he had made a conspiracy , utterly to destroy captain jehochanan . and setting upon him , they compelled him to flee into the court of the temple , where he remained in the gate of the entrance of the temple , with eight thousand and four hundred good men of war , all well appointed in jacks . eleazar also was against him , and joyned with schimeon , becoming an enemy to him that before had saved his life , and so they both together assailed jehochanan , neglecting the defence of the town . by this means the romans encamped themselves about the walls at their pleasure , raising towers , and casting trenches to plant their battering-rams to beat down the walls . the common people of the jews , ●…hat were under the rule and government of the three seditious captains , namely schimeon , eleazar , and jehochanan , ( which although they were ill enough all , yet the tyranny of jehochanan far passed schimeon , and schimeon was far worse than eleazar , though eleazar was the head authour and first beginner of sedition in all israel , ) were amongst them as sheep ready to be killed . for the foresaid seditious captains , ●…lew the people at their pleasure , and divided them into bands , casting lots upon them who should have which ; so that one had anothers men , and another man his . and this did they not only with their own men , but also with all the rest of the people , in such wise , that when the romans made any assault , then joyned they together as one man to resist the romans ; to whom when they had given a repulse , then would they return to their civil wars , and fall together by the ears among themselves . extreme and dreadful was the civil conflict at that season , between the foresaid captains , and so sore , that the blood streamed down the channel out of the gates of jerusalem , like as a brook that runneth out of a fountain and welspring . the romans seeing it , were moved with much pity , so that they wept bitterly . but joseph that was among them was stricken with so great heavinesse , that he burst out into a sorrowful lamentation , lifting up his woeful voice in this wise . alas , alas , jerusalem , the city of the great king , how shall i now call thee at this day ? or what name shall i give thee ? sometimes thou wa●… cal●…ed jebus of jebusaeus , that builded thee first in all this land. after that thy name was zedek , that is , justice ; whereupon king jehoram was called melchizedek , for he was a righteous king , and because he reigned in thee with justice , therefore was thy name zedek : then righteousnesse had abiding in thee , and thy bright star that shined in thee was zedek . moreover in his time wast thou called schalem , as the scripture witnesseth , and melchizedek king of schalem ; and that because the equitie of the people that dwelt in thee was then fulfilled . for at that time abraham our father of worthie memorie , fell to worship god in thee , and to take thee to his inheritance , to plant in thee the root of good works : whereupon the tabernacle of god remaineth in thee to this day , as it was revealed unto the same our father abraham ; in thee ( say i ) is the sanctuarie of the lord. for in that place did abraham bind his onlie son upon the top of one of the hills that is called mount moriah , holie and hallowed ; and therefore art thou called jerusalem , because our father abraham ( of famous memory ) called the place of the sanctuarie adonajureth , the lord shall see ; then thy late name being schalem , this joyned to it , made it jiereshalem . for the lord god shall behold the place of thy sanctuarie , at what time it shall be schalem , that is , pure , uncorrupt , without black , or spot ; but whensoever it is polluted or defiled as it is at this day , then will he turn away his face from it . furthermore , thou art called jerushalem therefore , because that whoso understands the dignitie , and worthiness of the place wherein thy sanctuarie is , shall bid the angels of heaven to teach in it the doctrines of the holy ghost , and the spirit of wisdom and understanding , wherewith little children , and the unlearned in thy land , may be made wise . he also that ministereth in the temple , had ●…n a garment of four colours , scarlet , violet , b●…sse , and purple . scarlet in respect of the heavens that be above the firmament . violet and bysse colours ( which he made of flax ) because of the earth of which they came . finally purple , in respect of the sea where purple is gotten . therefore when as the priest came into the temple to minister , apparelled in these four colours , he said before the almighty god ; i am come to present my self here in thy sight ( o lord of the world ) in four kinds of colours , that represent the parts of thy world , and in such wise do i appear before thee , as though i should bring all the whole world into thy sight : moreover , the aforesaid apparel was garnished with pure gold , and precious stones , after the likenesse of the tribes of the sons of jacob , who was called israel ; that in that garment , he might have the soveraignty before the angels that be above , and by them prevail to bring the vertue of the holy ghost ; by the which they should obtain wisdom that dwell in thee , and prosper in their study , and faith , that they might have wisdom and understanding together : his loyns also were girded with linnen flops , wherewith he covered his secret parts ( for it becometh priests most of all other persons to be shamefac'd and bashful ) especially when he should minister in the two sanctuaries , the outer , and the inner , which is the sanctum sanctorum , or holiest of all . in the outer , the priests minister as the high priest commandeth them : but in the inner , that is the sanctum sanctorum , entreth no man save the high priest only , and that but once a year . for in it was the ark of the covenant of the lord , in which were laid up the two tables of the covenant that god made with the people in mount sinai . there is also the rod of aaron , that flourished and brought forth leaves . all these were in the temple whiles it was yet standing . over against the sanctuarie , were fourteen stairs or steps , upon the which appeared the miracle to king ceskiahu . and thou jerusalem at that time wa st stronger than other cities , lady of provinces ; for great kings and princes builded thee . king herod much exalted thee , raising thy walls high ; and besides that also , defended thee with other walls , that he named antochia , of antochias a roman , who gave liberally much monie toward the repairing of the ruines and decayes that were in thee . how cometh it to passe therefore that thou art brought thus low ? and the gentiles have the rule over thee now , and besiege thee , rasing thee , and casting thee down ? yea , they are now in the midst of thee . wo be to us for our sins : for , the heavinesse of thy strength is dashed , thy sanctuarie is troden under foot , and made a sink of the blood of slain persons . drink now off thy cup ( o jerusalem ) with thy daughter sion , drink i say , the cup of vexation and grief together with her , for yet the time shall come , that visions shall be revealed , and redemption also it self , that thy children shall return to their coasts , with the health of their redeemer . then shall be the time of friendship , and then shalt thou drink the cup of health and consolation . after that , titus went to view what way he might best assault the city , and as he devised with himself , he espied a plain on that side where the sepulc●…er of jehochanan the high priest was . where he stayed a while , and sent one of his captains that were there with him , called nicanor , to parly with the jews , that were upon the walls , to move them to peace , willing him to say thus unto them ; friends , my lord titus is desirous to spare you , and to make a league with you , that you might be at quiet , and out of this danger of destruction ; and if you be so disposed to confent thereunto , titus shall make a league with you before it be yet night . nicanor went and spake with the people in such wise , as titus had willed him . the jews gave him no word of answer , but held their peace ; wherefore nicanor spake to them again , and as he was talking to them , one from the walls shot him with an arrow , and killed him . whereat titus was exceeding wroth , that they should shoot at his captain offering them peace , and his death grieved him marvellously : wherefore he commanded ladders , brakes , slings , battering-rams , and other engins of war , to be brought to assault the town . so the souldiers brought a battering r●…n to batter the walls , and planted it upon a mount accordingly . the j●…ws , seeing tha●… , were sore afraid ; wherefore the three seditious captains joyned themselves in friendsh●… and forthwith opening the gates , issued out , and beat the romans from their pieces and engins , that were now ready addressed , setting fire on the ram , slings , and all the other engins , a few excepted , which titus and his men saved from the fire . in this conflict , the men of alexandria that served titus , behaved themselves like tall fellows , in the rescuing of the slings from the jews ; yet the jews prevailed , and got the upper hand of them , till titus came with a strong power of choise men to succour the alexanderians , where twelve of the stoutest jews were slain . in the same skirmish jehochanan a captain of the edomites that came to aid the jews , was slain by an arabian that came behinde him , and shot him with an arrow , whiles he was talking with the romans that intreated him to come to them : for whom the edomites mourned and lamented sore , for he was a good man of war. the next night certain of the seditious , chiefly of jehochanans and schimeons company , issued out , and came to the three woodden towers that titus had erected before the walls , to view out of them the town , and to see what the jews did : within which , were placed , and without also , a strong party of able souldiers for their defence ; upon those without fell the jews , and slew many ; the other fled to titus camp. the romans that were in the towers , knowing nothing of the matter , and trusting to them that were set about the towers for their safe-gard , slept all the night : after the jews had thus slain the romans watch , and put them to flight , they came to the towers with saws , and cut the feet asunder , so that they fell suddenly together with them that were within , which were very many , and slue them every one ; titus hearing the alarum , and the crashing of the falling of the towers , was sore afraid , and all the whole army ; and not knowing what the matter was they durst not stir toward it , so the jews returned safe into the town . on the morrow , titus brought his whole power to the walls , and while the jews were at contention in the town , he addressed another ram , wherewith he suddenly struck the outer wall , and battered it through : whereupon the people that warded that wall , were forc'd to withdraw themselves within the safe-gard of the second wall . then titus commanded his souldiers to raze to the ground that wall that he had pierced , and to carry away the stones thereof , that there should be no let nor hinderance to his men ; this was the most substantiall and strongest wall of all , thicker than both the other , and was builded by herod : the romans labouring earnestly in the defacing of the outer wall , were slain in great number by the jews from the middle wall , before they could finish their purpose . the chief of the jews perceiving that titus had not only taken , but also quite pulled down the utter wall , and how there was now but two walls left about the town , it went to their hearts , and made them look about them : therefore the seditious began now earnestly to think of unity , and concord among themselves , so that they divided the town amongst them into three wards . jehochanan was appointed to that ward that is on the north part of the temple , beside the antochia ; that part of the town that was toward the tomb of jehochanan the high priest , was assigned to schimeon ; to eleazar was committed the keeping of the wall . these exhorting one another to play the men , did valiantly resist the romans , so that the conflicts then began to be sore and hard . the romans for their renown and fame , laid on stoutly , and the jews again stuck stiffely to their defence , seeing their end at hand if they were slack . titus now and then exhorting his souldiers to play the men , promising them that would valiantly make any enterprise upon the jews , abundance of gold and silver , and much honour withall . then stept forth one of his souldiers named longinus , and put himself amongst the routs of the jews , that were issued out of the town , where he slew a couple of the chief of them , and presently recovered himself again within the array of the romans ; but the jews shrunk not from the romans , for they were in a fervent rage and wonderfull disdain ; and to further their courage , schimeon came to his men , and cryed unto them with a loud voyce saying ; for the reverence of god ( friends ) flee not this day ; whosoever doth flee , let him be sure he shall dye for it , and his house be destroyed . titus also admonished his to keep their array , and not to give back to schimeon . then went he himself to that part of the town where jehochanans ward was ; there he caused a battering ram to be planted , and bent against the wall , ( for there was a very large plain . ) there was at that time in jerusalem one called kantor , who got to him a company of the seditious , and shot from the walls into the romans army , where he slew very many , and compelled the rest to retire . this kantor , with nine other tall fellows , whereof he was the decurion , defended one part of the town : now as the romans bended the ram to batter the wall , kantor cryed unto titus , i beseech thee , my lord titus , be mercifull unto this most famous city , that is almost beaten down already , do not deface it utterly , but take pitty of the sanctuary that is in it , and destroy not the habitation of the lord god : titus at his request commanded his men to stay , and to leave off battering the wall ; then said he to kantor , come forth hither to me , and thou shalt save thy self , i will pardon thee , thou shalt not be destroyed ; kantor answered , i will see if i can perswade these my fellows to come with me . but he did it upon colour , for none other cause than craftily to trifle out time , whereby he mi●…ht cause titus to leave off the assault for a while ; so he spake unto his fellows which knew his mind , that the romans might hear , let us go down and flee to the roman army ; then they drew out their swords as though they would kill him , and striking upon his harness , he fell down to the ground in the sight of the romans , which were ignorant of his deceit . then one of the romans let flye an arrow , that wounded kantor upon the face , and glauncing from him , slew another that stood by him : then kantor cryed out , what do ye ? will ye shoot at us that desire to be at peace with you , which ye granted your selves , and now will break your promise that ye made unto us ? is this the reward , my lord titus , that thou renderest me , for going about to flee unto thee , that thy souldiers should shoot at me , hearing me require conditions of peace ? now therefore , my lord , may it please thee to send hither some man of honour , to whom i may come down and receive assurance of thy promise , to be as one of thine own men : titus thinking he meant good faith , spake unto joseph , willing him to go and make peace with the jews in his name , then to bring him unto him , that he might find safe-gard of his life , from the common destruction ; joseph answerd , why wilt thou send me ? what have i offended thee ? have i not ever done thee true and faithfull service ? therefore if thou bear me any good will or favour , send me not unto him whom i cannot trust . for joseph mistrusted some subtilty , knowing kantor afore . so titus sent one captain jiarus , who said unto kantor , come down and let us go together to caesars son . kantor desired him to hold abroad his cloak lap , that he might hurl him down his money that he had there , ( lest the jews perceiving it , would take it from him ) and then he would come down . and as jiarus held up his lap to receive the money that kantor spake of , kantor with all his might cast down a great stone , which jiarus espying , lept aside and avoided : but it lighted upon one of his fellows , and slew him . titus was wonderfull wroth at this , and forthwith planted yet another ram against the wall , and at length laid it flat upon the ground . then commanded titus to make fires about the wall , where the jews should think to escape ; kantor seeing that , would have fled , and as he made haste to escape the fires , the weight of his armour bare him down into the fire , and there he died , more desirous of death than life . then entred the romans within the second wall , against whom the seditious issued , and ●…ought with such vehement fo●…ce that they prevailed against their enemies , slue many of the romans , and forced the rest to retire unto the first wall that they had beaten down afore . in this skirmish titus himself took a bow , and shot at the jews in such wise , that not one of his arrows were spent in vain , but that it did some annoyance unto the jews . the jews notwithstanding gave them the repulse from the town , and they were not able to make their party good with them . within four daies after , came unto titus a new supply of souldiers out of all quarters for ayd to the romans , by whose help they prevailed against the jews , at such time as they issued out of the town , and constrained them to withdraw themselves within the walls . yet titus pittying the miserable state of the city , temple , and people of the lord , at that time commanded his people to withdraw themselves from the walls , and to leave off the assault for a while , that he might offer peace to the jews , to see if they would now be content to submit themselves unto the romans , to have quietness and rest without danger of destruction . wherefore he gave them truce for five daies : and upon the fift day he came to the gate of the city , where he straightway espyed schimeon and jehochanan together preparing fire to destroy the romans engins of war : for all the jews had agreed together with one mind , still to withstand the romans . wherefore titus perceiving the jews to be so desperately bent that they had even vowed their lives to death , he began to offer and propose unto them conditions of peace , and sharply to reprove and blame their obstinate stubborness : saying , i have now won two of your walls , and ye have but one left . therefore , if ye●… will continue still in this self willed frowardness , what will ye do ( most miserable creatures ) when as i shall gain also the third wall , and quite destroy your city , pulling down your temple and all ? why do ye not rather favour and spare your own lives , your wives and children ? but the jews , set upon a sullen obstinacy , would in no wise hear titus speak . therefore titus sent joseph to declare his mind unto them in hebrew , that they might safely credit his promises , and the peace that was offered . joseph therefore went and stood over against the gate , keeping himself aloof off , for he was afraid to come nigh the wall , knowing that the people hated him , because he had yielded himself to the romans ; he called therefore unto them aloud : hearken all ye hebrews and jews , i will declare unto you that which shall be to your commodity ; then the people gave ear unto joseph , who spake unto them in this wise . an oration of josephus to the citizens of jerusalem . you should ere this ( good people of jerusalem ) have fought so earnestly , whiles your cities were yet standing , and your land replenished with people , ere ever this mischief had lighted upon you : now that with murthers and slaughters amongst your selves having destroyed one another , and polluted the temple of the sanctuary with the blood of the murthered , and not spared your own lives , you are become few in number , a small sort of you left , what hope have you to prevail ? again , you have provoked a valiant nation , which is ruler over all people , and hath subdued all other lands , which also hath those nations in subjection under him , which sometimes reigned over you ; besides this , you wage battell with the romans without all discretion and wisdom , without any remorse of this famous city , without any regard of the sanctuary of the lord , without any compassion of your own lives . neither yet do ye forsake your purpose , for i perceive you continue in this self-will to withstand the romans still , which is nothing else than to spread abroad this calamity further , both on the people of god , and on his holy temple . albeit , i am not afraid only for this holy temple , and most renowned city , lest it should be razed and destroyed , but for the sacrifices and burnt offerings , lest they should cease , as the daily sacrifice is ceased ; and why ? because we have sinned against our lord god. wherefore is his shaddow departed from us ; because that in this same temple we have kept wars , making it an habitation for the wicked , a tabernacle of seditious persons : yea , even the ministers and holy men of god have ye murthered , and within the walls of the temple have ye shed innocent blood without measure . see now ( dear brethren , ) and mark what ordnance , what engins , what instruments of destruction , are prepared to beat down the temple , the fire is already kindled to set a fire the sanctuary , and loe , even your very enemies are so pitifull of your temple , that they would not have it defaced . but you ( dear brethren and friends ) why are ye led with no remorse of your selves , that your enemies may once remove from you these engins of war ? what have you now left to trust unto , when as two of your walls are already battered down , and one only remaineth ? you will say peradventure , we put not our trust in our walls , but in our god : are ye not aware that your god hath long agone given you over , and hath turned him to your enemies , because they have with greater honour and reverence worshiped his name , than we which rebelliously are fallen away from him ? wherefore god assisteth not us , but our enemies : insomuch , that except it be in such countries , whereas either for extream cold of the one side , or exceeding heat on the other , no man is able to abide , all lands , all nations are under their dominion . tell me , i pray you , what hope have you , seeing god hath made them a terrour unto all nations upon the earth , who serveth them ? why will not you obey them , that you may live and not perish ? do ye not consider it is come to their turn to rule over all , that god hath committed dominion unto them , and ayded them with his assistance ? remember you not how god in times past aided the egyptians , insomuch that they obtained the dominion over all the whole world ? but afterward departed from them , and assisted you to get the soveraignty over other nations : after that forsook you again , and gave the empire to the chaldeans , assyrians , and persians , which reigned far and wide over many countries : now also hath he given them over , and helpeth the romans these many years , so that they bear rule over all . if you will object and say , to what intent should god give the dominion unto the romans , or other nations over the world , and over his inheritance and people also , which is an holy people , a peculiar and special nation of all the earth ? should ye not be ashamed to say this ? with what discretion can you wonder at this , knowing that all mankind one or other , are the handy-work of god , who exalteth whom he list , and whom he listeth he thrusteth down ? ye say , ye be the children of god , and his proper possession , and ye aspire to the soveraignty ; therefore it cannot be that god should determine any thing upon you by chance , fortune , or sudden anger and displeasure . i grant : but wot ye what ? the shadow or protection of the lord hath forsaken you , becaus●… of your sins and transgressions against the te●…ple and his holy ministers . how can you stay upon his help , when as he hath withdrawn his loving countenance from you , and your sins have made a divorce between you and him ? o my dear children and brethren , let never this imagination enter into your hearts , for it shall nothing avail you ! why will you , my dear brethren and friends , make war upon the romans , when as they are lords over nations , and pierced the streets of india , and all the isles of the sea , even to the great ocean-sea ; and from thence to all the parts of the east , whose dominion extendeth to the extream parts of the earth ? yea even to britain , which is environed on every side with seas , whose people are huge like giants , of a big stature , and of mighty courage , most expert archers , and valiant souldiers in battel ; to whom when the captain of the romans came , they gave him the repulse , and would not be subdued ; but when the princes of the romans came , they brought them into subjection and se●…itude under the romans . but you say ( my brethren and friends ) you will rather all dye , than serve the prince of the gentiles , and that death is better for you than life , to be driven to see with your eyes , the calamities of the sanctuary of the people of god. search the histories and chronicles from the time of your ancestours ; when was there any time wherein you were free from the yoak of the gentiles ? do you not know that jacob our father of worthy memory , who was alwaies with god , took his journey into egypt , to be a stranger in a strange land amongst a proud kind of people , left he , his children , houshold , and cattell , should perish with hunger ? there he had with him his twelve sons which he had begotten , and dwelt there also with his small family , for fear of the grievous famine that was at that time . remember you not , when that judas with his brethren went down into egypt , how joseph was moved as a stranger , to pick a quarrel against his brethren to bring them into bondage , bearing yet in his mind what injury they had done unto him ? wherefore some of them he cast in prison , and hanged them at his pleasure with crafty accusations ; especially judas , who was the chief amongst them , of whom all the jews took their name , who if he had been so disposed , had been able to lay joseph at his foot a thousand times , not knowing him to be joseph : wherefore when he was so roughly and so sharply taunted of him , he might have killed him in his rage : for he was a very bold man , and a hardy , and of a very noble courage , who surely would not have counted it nothing to have slain the egyptian , and many more of them . notwithstanding he did not so , but contrary submitting himself under the yoak of joseph , called him his lord and good master ; and supposing him to be some egyptian , he humbled himself before him , to obtain his petition , and to get corn , least his father , his brethren , and their family should die for hunger . what should i say of joseph , so beautifull , so wise , and witty a man ? was not he fain to serve in pharaohs house ; wherein although his wisdom was well known , insomuch that pharaoh set more by him , than by all the noble men that were then alive ; he was also called lord , great master , and pharaohs father ; nevertheless he humbly besought pharaoh , that he might sustain his father and brethren with bread , knowing at that time the dominion belonged unto pharaoh and his people , being given them of god. and although joseph had list to return into the land of canaan , with all his fathers whole houshold without pharaohs leave ; no man could have letted him to do it , for he bare the greatest rule at that time in egypt , yet he did not so . benjamin also was likened to a ravening wolfe for his fierceness , when he was fetched again by force of josephs steward , faining a lye upon him : how chanced he did not kill him ? or else when he alone pursued benjamin and his other brethren ; could not he if he had list have slain the man , and buried him , so that the matter should never have come to light ? notwithstanding they did nothing so , nor so : but judas wisely weighing the exaltations , and directions , the promotions , and disgraces , with the common courses of the world , returned again with his brethren into the city , went to joseph and besought him , untill his bowels were moved to pity , and he was known of his brethren . all these things doth the most holy law of the lord rehearse unto us , and putteth us in mind of , for this intent , that we may learn to bear for necessities sake , the yoak of him that hath the preheminence and rule for his time . neither let any judge or think that joseph offended god , in that he submitted himself under the yoak of pharaoh ; for it is no shame for a wise man to crouch unto him , whose help he standeth in need of , whatsoever it be , much more if he be a king , or a lord ; know ye not that our fathers were in bondage to king pharaoh in egypt ? but after the lord remembred the covenant that he made with our fathers , and had determined to lead them out of egypt ; he sent moses our master of famous memory , his angel , his chosen , who knew the lo●…d to be with him , whereby he was able to destroy whosoever did rise against him : nevertheless when he came to pharaohs presence , who then bare rule in egypt , he shewed not himselfe in armes , but rather with thunder and hail , that pharaoh might well perceive and know god was the lord. but at what time as pharaoh oppressed the israelites too sore , our master moses ( by gods help ) brought them out of egypt , with a strong hand and stretched forth arm , against the egyptians , whom he punished with continuall plagues ; by that means delivering the israelites out of the hands of their lords and masters , and bringing them to the mount of god , made them heirs full of all goodness ; that is to say , of the most holy law of god. and after joshua had subdued the holy land to the israelites , and that they inhabited it , there chanced unto our fathers , times of adversities , as is mentioned in the books of the prophets , so that they were constrained to serve the king of ashur a long season , and the kings of persia ; to the chaldees also were we in bondage , although not very grievous , but tolerable . moreover with other kings of the gentiles we had wars , and sometimes we were put to foils , sometimes we had the upper-hand . now therefore , my brethren , tell me , what shame were it to you , if ye were subject unto the romans ? or what are you to be compared to other nations that be under their dominion ? do you not see that the romans reign over your enemies , and bear rule over them that sometimes were your masters , and hate us ? were it not reason that you should love them , which have brought down your enemies , and revenged you of them ? which notwithstanding you have nothing at all done , but rather have hated them , as men void of all perceivance , without weighing and considering , that since the time you were under them , ye have alwayes lived in much peace . and i my self , when i withstood the romans in galilee , knew very well that i should be overcome at length , but i could do nothing because of the seditious persons that were with me , which would in no wise follow my counsel : yea , it stood me in hand to have a care of mine own person , that i were not killed of them , after i had once counselled and moved them to give up the town . wherefore seeing the matter stood so , and god knew my heart , i thought best to fight against the romans as i migh●… and when occasion served to escape to the romans , to take it . further , when i was in the cave with my forty companions , i had been lost and perished , had not god given me counsel , making me a way to escape and save my life . for they had almost slain me , because i gave them counsel to yield themselves to the romans , and obey them . for i saw this was the time of the romans to bear rule , and that god had appointed them to be lords over all nations . for this is his manner , like as above he hath made some to be rulers over othersome ; even so beneath also he hath set rulers over the kings of the earth . who can controll him that is stronger then he ? the romans at this present , have the dominion over all lands and people , over the egyptians , assyrians , persians , and chaldees , ( to every one of these you have been in bondage ) and over other nations also , which nevertheless do till their ground , sowe , mowe , plant , and gather in their fruits : and who hath the profit of these goods and labour but the romans ? who whiles the other toyl and travel , do live in peace and rest themselves . wherefore mark this also my brethren , the kings of macedonia once had the rule of the whole world , specially in the time of alexander of macedonia , but at this day their empire is taken from them , and they are become subjects to the romans . they when the romans first set upon them , were very haughty and stubborn , determining to resist the romans : notwithstanding they were overcome of the romans , and are under their subjection at this day . what should i speak of the people of the philistines , which heretofore alwayes have vexed and annoyed you ? doth not the meanest amongst all the princes of the romans bear rule over them ? what hope then have you to escape , when ye know the philistines were ever stronger than you , and you were oftentimes overcome of them ? as for example , saul your king was slain by them . but you will say , david the annointed of the lord of israel , pulled them down , and brought them into subjection . wote ye what ? then god looked upon you with a favourable countenance , and fought your battels himself : but at this day , he is in no wise present with you , for he hath turned away his countenance of salvation from you , because ye have sinned against him . and which of you can say , he hath intelligence of the secret of the lord , or hath received any such watch-word as god gave at that time unto david ? when thou shalt hear a sound of mourning in the tops of mulbery-trees , then shalt thou set forward , for then shall the lord go before thy face , smite the tents and camps of the philistines , sam. . whosoever ( i say ) hath knowledge of any such token , let him reveal it to his neighbour , and i could well consent to follow it . but seeing there is no such thing , hearken unto me , my dear brethren , come and serve the romans in peace and tranquillity . it shall be no dishonesty for you , with the kings of persia , to be subject to the romans : they that sometime were your masters , shall be now your fellows and companions . but if you will persevere , and stand in your opinion still , i will enter into this discourse with you : tell me , i pray you , when were ever your ancestours free , and when were they not entangled with the wars of the gentiles , and the dominion of other nations ? had you not ever the victory from the time you came out of egypt , until the reign of saul the son of cis ? so long as the lord was your king , you were in bondage to no man , you served god as your only king. but after that your evil and corrupt desire stirred you to be irksome to the lord , and , lest he should reign alone , to chuse a man to have the dominion over you , according as the custom was in other nations ( i mean saul the son of cis , and the other kings every one ) then served you him , you and your sons , and the chiefest of you became his servants , your goodliest daughters were made his confectionaries , his cooks , and his bakers . after saul , reigned david , of worthy memory , who ruled over many nations : but he also brought you into bondage , and put divers of you to death , to satisfie his pleasure withal . he being dead , you served solomon his son , who no lesse than the other , even as he listed , exercised dominion over you : he also took up your sons and daughters , and made them his slaves . after this , succeeded other most wicked kings : so that from that time your country began to go to wrack , and he that was the best amongst them was rehoboam , which said unto you , my father corrected you with whips , but i will scourge you with scorpions . and so did the rest of the kings , which reigned after him ; very few of them pleased god. all the other wrought abomination , not one of them did any good , or reigned in the fear of the lord. and in this manner remained the empire long time with you , until the kings of chaldea came and led you captive into babylon , where you were kept until cyrus time , king of persia , who sent you again into your own country with a wonderful deal of gold and silver , with great honour , which was counted unto him for righteousnesse . after cyrus death , there rose against you the most wicked kings of greece , who warring upon you , gave you great overthrows , until god stirred up the spirits of certain sage priests of the stock of chasmonani , that revenged your injuries . at that time you were brethren and friends with the romans , and friendship grew betwixt you many years . after that , you fell from the stock of chasmonani , which had delivered you , and chose one whose name was herod , who oppressed you grievously . after him succeeded archelaus his son , he yet laid a sorer yoke upon you ; wherefore falling upon him , ye protested never hereafter to serve the kings of juda. so going to the romans , willingly ye submitted your selves under their subjection , to serve augustus the emperour , who ordered you gently . him you served as other nations did , and it was to your praise , because ye were under a good governour . therefore , now my brethren , and children of my people , what mean you at this present , that you have determined to die , and do not rather spare your selves and your children ? consider i beseech you , the things that grow upon the earth , and all living creatures ; beasts , worms that creep upon the ground , fowls of the air , and fishes of the sea ; do you not see that ever the stronger hath the dominion over the weaker ; neither is it any rebuke or shame for the weaker , to give place and obey that which is stronger : for the oxe and the goat are in awe of the lyon , the ram and the ewe of the woolfe , the cow and the lamb fear the bear , the goat , the liberd , the hawk , is afraid of the eagle , the dove of the hawk . weigh the manner of beasts and birds amongst their own kind , you shall see ever the bigger and stronger , to be master over the lesse and weaker : and so in all other things , the stronger set themselves before the weaker alwayes . wherefore ye mortal men , learn by me : did not one god make all things , and he himself hath dominion over them all ? notwithstanding , all things are so knit together amongst themselves , that no one thing can stand without another . but he that holds up all things , is the blessed god , who if he list , can bring them all into dust again , his name be extolled for ever . take example , i pray you , from the parts of the whole world ; you shall see one part to be in subjection , another to bear rule . be not then too stiffe-necked to pervert the natural courses of the world , but rather let your election follow the causes and events of the same , which if you do , you shall be esteemed wise men . now my dear countrymen , never think it shame for you to serve the romans ; it is time for you now to turn to the lord with your whole heart , and then you shall have the dominion over other nations , according to your desire : this shall then come to passe , when you follow your lord god with all your strength . therefore never think that the romans , which have rule over you at this day , are of lesse power than other people , that heretofore have had dominion over you . for they are a mighty nation , their empire and rule over other people they have from above , as i have proved to you by the similitudes of brute beasts , which according to nature bear rule one over another : notwithstanding , in mankind it should never have come to passe , that the bigger should so have dominion over the lesse , unlesse for their sins ; for the the which they are so punished , that one is compelled to bow his neck under anothers yoke . now therefore , my dear people , take humility and meeknesse unto you , never covet to alter the law of nature , but rather receive my words , and follow my counsell ; obey the romans , prepared and ready to make league with you , according to their bountifulnesse , that ye may live and do full well . chap. ii. when joseph had spoken these things , in the hearing of the citizens of jerusalem , they burst out and wept , gnashing with their teeth , and railed at joseph over the walls , hurling stones and darts at him , to have killed him . therefore when joseph saw they would not follow his counsel , butwere so stiffe-necked , he began to rebuke them , crying unto them in this wise ; wo to all froward people , and such as rebell against the lord god! what mean ye you wretches ? what have ye to leane unto , that ye are so stubborn , when neverthelesse the lord is gone from you ? for you are wicked people , and have sinned against him . how can your sins be purged which you have committed in the temple of the lord , by shedding of innocent blood , without all mercy ? ye are most guilty , for ye have fought in the temple and sanctuary of the lord , ye have defiled it with dead bodies of them which ye have slain in the very midst thereof . besides , ye have prophaned and unhallowed the name of the lord with making of wars upon the sabbath day , & upon your solemn and festival da●…es . tell me now , ye froward rebels , whether did ever your forefathers prevail against their enemies , with spear and shield , but rather with prayer , pennance , and purenesse of heart , wherewith they served god , and again he delivered them ? but you , what have you to trust unto , when as ye are unfaithful ? your shelter and protection is departed from you , and your lord god aideth your enemies , whose power he maintaineth to destroy you ; if you ima●…ine to be delivered with your swords and speares , you are fouly deceived , whereas god would not that ye should escape the hands of your enemies . open your eyes , and see what david the annointed of the lord said : for the lord will save neither by sword nor spear . call to your remembrance ( ye very fools ) abraham your father which begot you , by what means he overcame pharaoh the king of egypt , who violently had taken away sarah his wife from him : surely none other way did he obtain the victory then by prayer to the lord , who stirred the spirit of pharaoh , and put him in mind to restore his wife sarah , clean and undefiled . abraham was quiet in his bed , and at rest from all troubles ; but pharaoh that great lord and ruler , was punished in the mean season with great plagues , because of sarah whom he had taken to him by violence , to deflower her , which god would not suffer , but rather uncovered pharaohs flesh , that he was fain to shew the secret parts of his body to physitians , to see if they could heal them . but who can cure the infirmities which god sends ? or who knows his intents ? for who knew that hezekiahs biles could be healed with a plaister of figs ? or naman the syrian's leprosie , with the w●…ter of jordan ? or the bitter water with wormwood ? wherefore when as no man could cure pharaoh , he was fain to speak abraham fair , and to intreat him to pray to god to take away from him his plague , and so by his prayer pharaoh recovered . then pharaoh apparelled sarah in precious garments , gave her gifts of gold and silver , and precious stones , and sent her home honest , pure , and holy , to abraham , living then at his own house . ●…saac when he was driven out by abimelech king of the philistins , and had with him the bond servants of his fathers houshold , to the number of . and . with whom abraham had discomfited five kings , beside many other more of his family , so that he had been strong enough to have invad●… the philistines ; yet he would not do it , but with all meeknesse and humil●…ty , he used himself towards the king of that country . notwithstanding , after he was driven out of the land , the philistines came unto him , and entreated him , saying , we perceive the lord god is with thee , &c. as it is written in the scripture . what shall we say of jacob , when he f●…ed from the presence of his brother esau , he carried nothing with him but a bare staffe , wherewith he passed ov●…r the river jordan , as it is w●…itten : with my staffe passed i this jordan . his ammunition that he took with him for his journey , was pray●…r , wherewith he made all his wars . that was it for the which god assisted him , when he went away to laban , and when he returned from him , when also he was delivered out of the hands of his brother esau who sought to kill him . and this also he did b●… the way as he returned , when he wrestled with a certain man that overcame him . o lord , who is able to number the mercies of the lord , and the marvels which he wrought with our fathers of worthy memory , abraham , isaac , and jac●…b ? what should i speak of moses our shepherd , the man of god , that feared the cruelty of pharoah , until he writ in the law , that he had called the name of his son eleazar : for he said the god of his father helped him , and delivered him out of the hands of pharaoh . and when he came before pharaoh to deliver israel out of his hands , and to lead them out of egypt : with what things else overcame he the tyrant withal , then with prayer ? did he not overthrow the pride of pharaoh and his charmers , only with the rod of the lord which he had with him ? wherewith also he smote egypt with ten plagues , a●…d divided the sea into twelve parts . and at the red sea moses resisted not pharaoh and his host with force of arms , but with p●…ayer : wherefore pharaoh and all his were drowned in the bottom of the sea. but moses sung a song of praise unto our god while the souldiers of the egyptians perished , that came against moses and the people of israel with weapons , horses , and chariots . notwithstandiug , by moses prayer they we●…e overwhelmed all in the sea , so that not one of them escaped who is ignoraut of this , that prayer is of more force than all instruments of war : that it speedeth and hasteneth the help of the lord ; and his saving health ? do you not know , when joshua the minister of moses , passed over jordan , that he was a warlike man , and had with him very many most valiant souldiers ; neverthelesse , he destroyed not the seven walls of jericho by force of war , but only with prayer , and with shouts and noise of the priests of the lord , our forefathers ? know ye not that prayer availed ●…ideon , when as he with three hundred men , vanquished the whole host of midian , amalek , and the people of the east ? if prayer had not helped him , i pray you , what had three hundred men been able to do against so great a multitude ? mark ( yefond people ) what chanced in the covenant of the lord , that the philistines took away . our fathers truly were not ab●…e to recover it by their swords and force of arms : but with that prayer that the just men of that age made , the ark was brought again unto his place . consider the times of hezekiah king of juda , when as 〈◊〉 king of ashur came up b●…aspheming and rayling upon the sanctuary of the lord our god of hosts , breathing out the pride and malice of his heart . by what means was he overthrown ? did our fathers overcome him ●…y fo●…ce of arms ? no , without doubt : but with prayer and supplication . for hezekiah the king went and put on apparel meet for prayer ; instead of a shield , he took sackcloth ; for a helmet , he cast dust on his head ; and instead of arrows and a sword , he made use of prayer and supplication . and the prayer that hezekiah made , mounted so far as an arrow was never able to flee ; so that his petition and prayer , overthrew . thousand most valiant men of the host of senacherib . furthermore , the king of juda , and king of israel , and king of edom , joyning their powers toge●…her , invaded the m●…abites , and in a wildernesse and unoccupied and barren dry land , they we●…e in great perill and thirst ; what profited them t●…eir artillery and furniture of war ? did there not issue out for them at the instant prayer of elisha , a prophet and man of god , plenty of wa●…er in the desart , a brook in the wildernesse ? came it not to passe also by the prayer of the same elisha , that a wonderful hurly burly , a ●…umbling and ra●…ing of chariots of war , and of horses , was h●…ard in the camps of the syrians , besieging the city of samaria , with the which noise the syrians being afraid , fled , no man pu●…uing , nor following them ? ye know also , that by the prayer of the aforesaid prophet , the famine and lack of victuals that was in the town of samaria , was turned into great abundance and plenty , insomuch that thirty epha's , or measure of fine meal , were sold for one piece of silver . do ye not see ( most foolish men ) how our fore-fathers had the victory ever by prayer ? but let us come to the beginning again , and speak of moses . what time as he held up his hands towards heaven ; had not israel the upper-hand of the amalekites by his prayer ? joshua also by his prayer , stayed the sun and moon in the sight of the people of israel ; and the sun stood still in gibeon , and the moon in the valley of ajalon , that the evening was changed into noon day , and so israel vanquished their enemies . sampson also , that most valiant giant , until such time as he had sinned , did not god evermore hear his prayer , and ever he gat the victory thereby ? after he had once sinned , he decayed as any other mean person . likewise king saul , all the while he walked perfectly and purely , his prayer increased his valiantnesse and strength , but after he had once sinned , god left him , and gave him over . david also , king of israel , of famous memory , from the time of his youth , till his last end , his valiantnesse never failed him ; and why ? because he alwayes was helped by his prayer ; neither would he ever fight against his country-men and native people , when as saul persecuted him . wherefore he prevailed against his enemies ; and because he abstained to lay his hands upon his brethren , therefore afterward all nations feared him . did not asa king of juda , accompanied with a small number of men , make an expedition against the ethiopians ? and praying to the lord god , said on this wise ; we indeed know not what to do , but our eyes are bent upon thee , &c. which prayer the almighty did hear , and the victory followed , so that asa slew in the camp of the ethiopians , ten hundred thousand men deborah a prophetesse by her prayer , brought to passe great health in israel . what shall i tell of divers other just and godly women , which by their prayers obtained many things ? tell me ( ye mad men ) know ye not what amaziah king of juda did ? he having wars with the edomites , vanquished them , and led them prisoners with their wives and children , and idols also , to jerusalem ; and then fell to worshipping of the same idols , that he had taken from the edomites , saying unto them , ye are they that have saved me , therefore do i worship you , and by you have i overcome the edomites . to whom when a prophet of the lord came and asked him , why seekest thou , and servest the gods of that people , that were not able to deliver them out of thy hand ? by and by he taunted the prophet again , saying , who made thee of the king's counsel ? wherefore after that , he was no more reprehended of the prophet ; for the lord had determined to destroy him , as it is written in the books of the chronicles of the kings of juda. therefore he was taken prisoner afterward like a fox , when he had fought against joas king of israel in bethshemeth ; and so was he compared to a low and vile thorn or shrub , and joas unto the noble and high cedar-tree . yea , all the evils that ever hapned unto us in any age , it came of our selves , for our lord god is righteous in all his works , that ever he wrought upon us : our enemies never did us so much harm , as we our selves did , unto our selves . ye wot , the gentiles took the precious vessels of our sanctuary away to babel , and brought us them again undefiled ; but we polluted and defiled them our selves , and the temple also with innocent blood , which we shed abundantly within it , adding sinnes to sinnes evermore and more , breaking the law with our evill acts . for who brought the romans first against the city of jerusalem , but hircanus and aristobulus ? for they being at dissention betwixt themselves , and one hating the other , called the romans against this city . who brought antonius and sosius , princes of the romans , against jerusalem , but herod being at variance for the kingdom with the house of the chasmonanites ? who also called nero caesar to reign over us ? did you it not your selves ? now therefore why rebel ye against the empire and dominion of the romans ? if you will say , because the roman president edomeus ordered you too bad : had it not been meet rather to complain of him to the emperour , then to rebel against the romans , and to make war against them ? but you will say , we rebelled against nero caesar , because he did us too much wrong . wherefore then rebel ye now against vespasian caesar , a most mercifull man , and one which never hurt you ? or , why make ye not peace with his son to be under him , according as other nations be , that ye might live , and not perish ? have ye not a sufficient proof of his clemency and mercifulness , when as he had cause to be cruel upon no man so much as upon me , which drew out my sword against the romans , and killed many of them ? notwithstanding , neither he nor the rest of the romans have done me any harm . yea , rather they have bestowed many benefits upon me : and although i was in their hands , yet they have saved my life . i confess , that before they had me prisoner , i would gladly many times have fled to them , but i could never do it , for 〈◊〉 was ever afraid of my wicked companions , ●…t they should have killed me , and so my death had been to no purpose . but now i praise the lord go●… without ceasing , because that for his unmeasurable mercies sake , he would not su●…fer me to be intangled in the same mischiefes that you be in . neither would i wish to be companion of such lost unthrifts and cast-awaies as you be , which have shed the blood of innocents in the temple of the lord. indeed if i had been with you , i should have been void of all hope as ye be , seeing ye spare not your own ●…ives , and your own contumacy and stubborness is made snare a for you . see i pray you , with how great mischiefs you are laden . first , the lord is not amongst you , insomuch that through the tumults which you have made amongst your selves , almost the waters of shiloa are dried up , which heretofore when the nations made war against you , flowed in great abundance , and ran over the banks on both sides . but you are contumacious rebels , that ever provoked the lord god unto wrath , you have made slaughters one upon another , in the midst of the temple of the lord : how can then the glory of the lord dwell amongst you ? know ye not because of korah and his congregation , the lord said unto moses and to his people : seperate your selves from among this congregation , and i shall consume them in the twinkling of an eye . but you are far worse than they . for without all remorse or pity , ye pull down the temple of the lord with your own hands , and your selves set fire on the sanctuary , which most noble kings , and most holy prophets builded : and besides all this , ye neither spare your sons nor daughters . and although i be in the romans camp , yet i am not absent from you , for my most dearly beloved wife is present with you , the wife o●… my youth , whom i cannot set lightly by at this present , although i never had children by her : but rather love her most intirely , because she came of a most honest and godly house . my dear father and mother are also with you , very aged persons : for my father is at this day a hundred and three years old , and my mother fourscore and five : but the years of my life are very few , evil , and full of tribulation and sorrow , about threescore and seven , neither have i lived yet so long that according to nature i should desire to die . now therefore , if so be you trust not me , but suppose i have proposed these things to you deceitfully , and that there is no trust of titus covenant and bond , or that his league should be to your hindrance and discommodity : go to , if it come to pass , it shall be lawfull for you to kill my father and mother , and my wife . yea , i swear unto you by the lord our god , that i shall deliver my life also into your hands , that you may do with me what ye list : and by that means shall the blood of my parents , my wives , and mine , be in pledge . therefore let the ancients of the city come forth , and i will make a league betwixt them and our lord titus . and doubt ye not , but as hitherto the lord god would you should be 〈◊〉 and punished by the government of the romans : so hereafter , he shall benefit you thereby , and do you good , if so be you will once acknowledge and confess that all dominion is changed and altered at his commandment , and that god humbleth whom he listeth , and again whom he list he se●…teth aloft . but perswade your selves of this , that as long as ye refuse to be subject unto the romans , so long you stir , against your selves , gods wrath and high displeasure : and besides that , you do defer the longer , and prolong your redemption and deliverance not only to your selves , but also to your posterity . now therefore my brethren , i thought it my part to declare all these things to you , and it is in your power to choose whether you list : for who so will , let him give ear unto me ; and who not , let him abstain from my counsell . the people hearing these words and sayings of joseph the priest , wept wonderfully , for they could have been concent to have followed his counsell . at this time titus , gave commandment to all the romans , to send again the jews that were prisoners , and the slaves into the city : by what means he shifted from himself the blood of the jews , and laid it upon the necks of their masters ; for titus took pity of them through josephs oration , and his good counsell . the common people of the jews desired nothing more , then to have come forth , and to fall to an agreement , to make peace with titus ; but schimeon , eleazar , and jehochanan , captains of the seditious , set strong watch and ward at every gate , charging them to kill all that should go forth : thus were many killed which would have fled forth to titus , and the city of jerusalem was closed up , and no man could get out nor in . in the mean season fell a great dearth and famine in jerusalem , insomuch that the seditious searched every mans house and cellar for food . and because a certain housholder withstood them , they killed him . thus they dealt with all them that dwelled at jerusalem , till the victuals in the town was all spent , that men began to seek dung and even mans excrements to eat , by which means much of the people died for hunger . whosoever at that time could get any hearbs or roots , mice , serpents , or other creeping worms ( whatsoever they were ) to eat , he was counted happy , because he had found meat to sustain and save his life withall , in that hard famine , and terrible hunger . moreover , whosoever had any corn in store that no man knew of , he was afraid to send it to the mill , or bake it , because of the wickedness of the seditious , lest they should take away from them their sustenance ; wherefore many did eat the dry co●…n unground in their cellars privily . at that time also were many exceeding rich men in jerusalem , which stole meat one f●…om another ; so that the father snatched meat from the son , and the son from the father ; the mother snatcht from her children , the children likewise from their mother ; and such as fled out of the gates , or otherwise , let themselves down over the walls in the night season , who being suspected be to the seditious persons , the romans killed them without . this evil therefore and distress increased so long , that the people had devoured all that ever crept on the earth , from the mouse to the spider , from the newt to the weesell ; whereby a most grievous pestilence followed , that innumerable of the people of the land died , and there was no man to bury them . when they chanced to find any dead horse , or other beast in the town , a man should see many israelites strive and fight for it ; in all points like to famished ravens lighting upon a dead carcass , so that in such contentions very many were slain . therefore when divers men with their wives and children , gat out of the city to gather hearbs to eat , and chanced among the romans , the romans laid hold of the little children , and killed them ; saying , we will dispatch these , left when they grow once to mans state , they make war upon us as their fathers do at this day . so many as came out of the gates of the city now and then , the romans killed and hanged them upon gallowses , over against the gates of jerusalem , to the number of five hundred : after the same manner schimeon , jehochanan , and eleazar dealt with those romans , whom they could by any train catch , and hanged them up upon the walls . whosoever also they could perceive would flee unto the romans , they hanged them likewise over the walls to the number of . but titus gave commandment to all his souldiers , that no man , upon pain of death , should kill any of them that fled out of jerusalem . for he took pity of the israelites , and ceased not to speak friendly , and lovingly to the jerosolemites ; so that he went yet once again to the walls , and spake unto the jews in this sort . hear i beseech you the counsel of joseph , and come unto me that you may live , and not perish utterly . spare your people : why will you oppress them vexed with hunger , thirst , pestilence , and besieging ? but the seditious hearing titus speak , were wonderfully incensed , and intended to add mischief upon mischief , handling yet more cruelly the people of god. moreover , they railed at titus ●…o provoke him to anger , that he might leave off speaking to the people , which had now almost lost their obedience and fear of the seditious . wherefore the seditious spake unto the romans , it is better for us to dye with hunger , and to be killed in this affliction , so to come to the bliss , and light we hope for , than to ●…ive , and see the most holy temple of god defiled and destroyed . when titus saw this , he commanded an iron-ram to be set to the wall to batter it , that he might deliver those poor wretches out of schimeon , eleazar , and jehochanans hands , who held them in as captives . at the same time as they erected that engine to the wall , it hapned there was in the camp a certain young man whose name was memaganin , son of antiochus of macedonia , one of the kings of the grecians , who came at vespasians commandment to aid titus . the same young man was very swift , a good runner , and a hardy souldier , but he lacked discretion . he came to titus and said , i cannot but marvel at thy souldiers that vanquish all nations , and dare not set upon the jews to kill them . titus hearing the young king say so , smiled and said ; how chances it , that being of this judgment , thou armest not thy self , and makest thee ready to do like as thou sayest ? why drawest thou not out thy sword to declare thy manhood upon them ? wherefore the young king incouraged himself , and called together all his macedonian souldiers , then approached to the jews , and began to skirmish with them , shooting with their bows and arrows apace . but at length the jews handled them so , that not one of the macedonians escaped , save only the young king , which by his good foot-manship and swift running , gat away , and returned to titus . this memaganin was of the kindred of alexander the great , king of macedonia , which had the dominion of the whole world , and whom all nations and people stood in awe of . josephus the priest demanded of him whose son he was ? he answered , i came of the seed of alexander , i am the tenth from him . joseph said , it may well be as thou hast said , that thou art of the succession of alexander , for the valiantness of thy heart that thou hast shewed declareth no less . howbeit thou shalt understand that the romans have done wisely to abstain from the assault at this time , because they knew they should have to do with a most valiant nation , which thou having so well tried , mayest report and testify when thou art asked the question . after this , titus divided his whole army , and layed them privily in ambushes round about the walls . he prepared moreover rams of iron to batter the walls . of these four , one he planted upon the side of the place called antochia ; the engine was thirty cubites long . the same night captain jehochanan with his company issued forth , and undermined the ground under the wheels of the wagons that bare the rams , putting pitched boards , oyled , and done over with brimstone , in the trenches under the wheels ; and under the boards , they spread leather , which likewise was smeared and done over with pitch , oyl , and brimstone . then they set fire upon the boards , which burnt till they came to the feet of the rams : and they being set on fire and burnt , the engins fell upon the watch that was appointed to keep it being asleep , and killed them . whereat the romans were much dismayed , and said , it is not possible we should assault this city hereafter : for they have burnt all our engins of war , wherewith we have subdued all other kingdoms : so that now of fifty iron rams which we brought with us , we have but six left , and the seditious jews have burnt three of them , what shall we now do ? how shall we batter the walls hereafter ? the jews upon the walls hearing their words flouted them , and laught them to scorn . wherefore titus incensed with anger , commanded the other three rams to be addressed in the place of those which were burnt . in the mean season , while the romans were at work , four young men moved with great zeal , whose names were , first thopatius galileus , then magarus chebronita , the third jorminus schomronita , the fourth arius jerosolymita . these all armed , issued out of the camp of the romans , that then stood about their three engins and iron rams , devising how to batter the walls of the city ; of whom , some these young men killed , the other fled . then two of them stood at defence to keep off all them that approached nigh the engins , whilethe other two , jerusolymitanus and schomronita daubed the timber , with a certain matter which they had prepared to make it take fire , and straightway set fire upon them , so that suddenly the rams were on a light fire , then they all four joyning together withstood the romans , that they should not come at the engins to quench the fire . shortly the rams fell down , and the romans stood aloof , hurling stones and shooting thick at them : for they were afraid to come nigh them , because of their great fierceness , although they were three thousand men that kept the rams . yet these four set nothing by them , nor yet never went off the ground , till the rams were clean burnt up , shot the romans never so thick at them . titus hearing the valiantness of these young men , and the harms they had done unto the romans , made speed with his whole hoste to save the rams from the fire , and to apprehend those young men . then forthwith issued out schimeon , jehochanan , and eleazar , captains of the seditious , with their souldiers , sounding their trumpets , and made the romans retire , that they could not come nigh the fire , and so rescued the four young men from the romans that had environed them round about . in that skirmish were killed ten thousand and five hundred men . then gathered together all the whole army of the romans to assault the jews at once , approaching hard to the walls of jerusalem , where they cryed unto the jews , saying ; what , are you oxen or goats , that you fight on this fashion upon the walls ? will you be taken in the midst of the city , like as oxen and goats are taken in their folds ? if ye be men , come forth and let us try our manhood here in this plain . but you by stealth and at unawares set upon them that keep our engins , snatching them up like as it were wolves should snatch sheep , then run away into the town , as the wolves run into the wood , if there be any manhood in you , behold we are ready here , come forth to us , so many for so many , and then we shall see what end will come thereof . when the captains of the seditious heard that , they spake unto the warriours that were in jerusalem ; which of you will go out with us to these dogs , to shew our force and stomachs , for the sanctuary and city of the lord ? then five hundred tall fellows of their own accord , issued out upon the romans suddenly , and slue eight thousand men , and compelled the rest to retreat from the walls . the romans then felt what valiantness the jews had ; for the romans were in number fourty thousand fighting men , and the jews were only five hundred , whereof not one of them was killed in that skirmish . the romans a far off shot at the jews , and hurled stones ; to whom the jews said ; come hither to us , are you not they that called us forth , and provoked us to come to you ? why come ye not now nearer ? you go about to drive us away with arrows and stones . what do you think us to be dogs , and that we are afraid of your stones ? are we not men , yea , we are your masters and betters , for you r●…n away from us as servants flee from their masters , when they follow them to beat them . titus seeing his army to be part of them fled , and part to be slain , he cried to his people , saying : is it not a shame for you , ye romans , and a wonderfull great dishonor , to flee from the jews , so hunger beaten , famished , almost dead for thirst , and besieged ? alas , how shall ye put away this your rebuke , and ignominy ? when as all nations , which heretofore ye have most valiantly subdued , shall hear that ye flee from these dead jews , whose whole land we h●…ve in possession ; so that they have nothing left but this only town , which we have all battered , that they have but one only wall to defend themselves . besides this , they are very few , we are innumerable ; they have no nation to aid them , we have help of all lands : why then do ye flee from their sight , like as small impotent birds flee from the eagle . what though the jews vow and hazard themselves desperately for their temple and land ; why do you not the same also in these wars , to get you a renown of valiantness . but the jews prevailed that day , and had the upper hand ; wherefore they returned into the town with great glory , having put the romans to so great a foil . titus commanded his to address and prepare the other two rams that were left , to batter the walls of jerusalem withall : wherefore the roman carpenters cast a trench , to prepare and set up the rams in such places as titus had assigned them . the jews were aware of it well enough , but winked at that matter as yet , untill they had planted the master beams between the standing posts . so when the work was finished , even to the hanging up of the engins betwixt the standing posts ●…o shake the wall withall ; the romans being secure and void of care , nothing mistrusting that the jews would stir , because they had been quiet a few nights , and never issued forth of the city : upon a certain night , a pretty while before day , the three principall captains of the seditious , came and cast their heads together , to devise what they should do . eleazar gave this counsell , and said ; you two the last time issued out , and burnt three rams , and got you renown , and i kept the gates the while ; now keep ye the gates , and i will issue out with my men against the romans to get me a name also . the other answered , go then on gods name unto them , the lord god of the sanctuary which is in jerusalem shall be present with thee , but beware thou be not slain , and in any wise thou be not taken alive ; to whom he answered , the lord god shall keep me , for upon the trust of the righteousness of my father ananias the high priest , and his sincere service unto god , i will set upon them . eleazar therefore chose . valiant souldiers , and with them he issued out of the town before day : the same night the romans had made fires about their engines where they watched , because of the cold : the artificers and souldiers that kept the watch and ward about the romans , were in number a hundred and fifty . the day was the . of the month of september , which was the ninth month that titus had besieged jerusalem . eleazar and his company thus being issued out , came and found some of the romans snorting about the fires , other watching in their wards , and killed them all , that not one remained . then some of eleazars company set fire upon the rams , burnt the standing posts , ropes , chains , and other instruments of war ; the artificers that were there , they apprehended alive and burnt them , so that no man escaped . when it was day , titus observed the smoak of the fire , mounting up very foul , and stinking of the wood and men together ; he drew towards the place therefore with his host , to see what the matter was : eleazar in the mean season , and his company , took as they might get , every man a piece of the engins out of the fire , or some of their heads that they had killed , and returned with great joy , flouting the romans , and laughing them to scorn by the way , till they came to the gates of jerusalem , where they were received of schimeon , and jehochanan with great honour . soon after this , came many souldiers and great bands of men out of all nations , that were subject to the empire of the romans , to aid titus ; to whom titus declared what had hapned him in that siege , the stoutness of the jews , and how they had annoyed many waies the roman army , adding moreover and asking them ; did you ever see four men withstand ten thousand , and five hundred , so that they being all together , could neither overthrow them , nor take them prisoners ? but the four slew them , like as it had been tops of coucumbers smitten off with most sharp swords ? when they heard this , they wondred all very much . then titus spake unto his host , and to them which were newly repaired unto him , to shew their advice and best counsel what was to be done , lest we should be ashamed ( saith he ) before all them that shall hereafter hear of our wars . the gravest and most ancient of the nations that were newly come to his aid , answered ; if it please your majesty , let the romans breath a while and take their rest , which are now wearied with the sundry battels of the jews : and we , who are not so broken with labour , but fresh and lusty , shall try what the jews can do ; we cannot think that they are able to withstand so great a multitude . but the princes of the romans desired titus that he should not permit them this , lest he should increase their own sorrows , if peradventure they should be discomfited ( say they ) of the jews , and the matter redound unto their own shame . for if we which are acquainted with them , and know their manner of fight , cannot sustain their violence , how shall they do it that never had proof of the strength and force of the jews ? they shall be to them like hyssop which groweth upon the walls , in comparison of the cedar-trees of libanus . the other said , nay , they should do well enough with them . and they urged titus so instantly , that they constrained him to grant them their desire . then titus gave them leave to set upon the jews , thinking with himself , peradventure the jews may be put to the worse of these men that will fight without fear , not knowing the force of the jews : for the romans that have had trial of their strength , fight fearfully and warily . so the lords of the strange nations , chose out of their armies eighty thousand men ; ten thousand macedonians , twenty thousand britains , five thousand aramites , ten thousand africans , ten thousand valiant burgundians , five thousand redarans ; last of all , ten thousand persians and chaldeans . these therefore went into the plain which is by the sepulcher of jehochanan the high priest , and from thence made an assault upon the jews that were upon the walls , setting up their scaling ladders . jehochanan said to schimeon and eleazar , his two companions ; if you think good , i will issue forth , and skirmish with these uncircumcised , to let them see what i can do . schimeon answered , let two of us do it , and the third keep the gates and walls ; for thou alone art able to do nothing against them , they are so many . eleazar allowed this advice , offering himself to bear jehochanan company . schimeon bad them go , saying , the lord of the sanctuary give them into your hands , and deal not with you at this time according to your works . then jehochanan and eleazar issued with one thousand five hundred good men of war , the ninth day of the moneth tebeth , which was the tenth moneth that titus had besieged jerusalem , and overthrew of the gentiles of that host fifty seven thousand and five hundred men , besides three thousand whom they took prisoners : but of the jews were no more slain in that fight than only seven , whose bodies with much rejoycing and great triumph they carried with them into the town , and buried them there , lest peradventure the uncircumcised should have misordered them . the gentiles that were left , with great shame and dishonour returned unto titus , who reprehended them because they would not believe the romans . the next day following , the jews brought forth the three thousand nobles and gentlemen that they had taken prisoners , and plucked out of every one of them an eye , and cut off every man the one hand , after sent them back with shame and reproach to titus's camp. then titus consulted with all his princes what were best to do with the israelites : and when every man had said his mind , he liked never a mans counsel , but said unto them ; well , i have devised this with my self , which i will follow , and no man shall bring me from my purpose : we will keep the siege without any assault or skirmish , for their victuals failed them long ago , and so they shall be famished . besides this , when they shall see us cease to fight with them , they will fall at variance amongst themselves , and kill one another . this counsel was thought good of all titus's princes , wherefore they besieged the town as titus commanded , and closed up all the wayes of the city round about , lest the jews should as they had done before , come upon them unawares . they appointed moreover , watch day and night , to take heed that no man should come out of the town to gather herbs for their sustenance . then encreased the hunger in jerusalem , which if it had not been so grievous , the city had never been won : for the souldiers of the town were lighter than eagles , and fiercer than lions . there died therefore of the famine wonderful many of the jerusolemites , so that the jews could not find place to bury them in , they were so many in every place of the town . many cast their dead folks into their wells , and tumbled afterwards in themselves and died . many also made themselves graves , and went into them alive , where they tarried day and night and died unmourned-for . for all mourning and accustomed lamentation for the dead was left off , because of the unmeasurable famine , which was so great that it cannot be told , and i cannot relate the thousandth part of the mischief that followed of the hunger . titus seeing the innumerable carkases of the dead that were cast into the brook cedron like dung , was wonderfully amazed with fear , and stretched out his hands toward heaven , saying , lord god of heaven and earth , whom the israelites believe in , cleanse me from this sin , which surely i am not the cause of : for i required peace of them , but they refused it , and they themselves are cause of this mischief , they have sinned against their own souls and lives : i beseech thee , impute it not to me for a sin , that the jews die on this manner . at that time , certain wicked persons of jerusalem slandered amittai the priest falsely , saying to captain schimeon , behold , amittai the high priest , which did let thee into the city , goeth about to flee to the tents of the romans . thou hast experience of his great wit and wisdom , how he also knoweth all the secret wayes into the town , temple , and sanctuary ; and who can tell whether he will bring the romans some night at midnight into the city ? therefore schimeon sent certain to fetch amittai and his four sons unto him . they that were sent , brought amittai and but three of his sons , for one was fled to the romans , and came to joseph . when amittai with the other were brought to schimeons presence , he besought him he might not live , but to be put to death by and by , lest ( saith he ) i should live to see the death of my children . but schimeon was hard-hearted , and would not be intreated : for it was gods will that amittai should be punished , because he was the bringer of schimeon into jerusalem ; and therefore fell he into his hands , which for good rewarded him with evil . schimeon commanded a sort of murderers to place amittai upon the walls in the sight of the romans , and said unto him ; seest thou , amittai ? why do not the romans deliver and rescue thee out of my hands ? thee i say , which wouldest have fled away unto them ? amittai answered nothing to this , but still besought him before his death , he might kisse his sons , and bid them farewell ; but schimeon utterly denied him . wherefore amittai wept aloud , saying to his sons ; i brought ( dear children ) , i brought this thief into this town●… , wherefore i am counted now for a thief my self : all the mischief which is come upon me , and you , it is mine own doing , because i have brought this seditious villain into this holy city ; i thought then , peradventure he will be a help to the town , but it is proved contrary ; for he hath been a most cruel enemy to the same . it was not enough for us to keep one seditious person , jehochanan , i mean , which took unto him eleazar , the first beginner of sedition ; but i must bring in also this wicked schimeon , which is joyned to our foes to destroy us . indeed i never brought him in for any love that i bare unto him , but all the priests and the whole multitude of the people sent me to fetch him ; notwithstanding , i am worthy of this just judgement of god , because i took upon me such an embassage . what should i speak of thee , thou most wicked schimeon , for whithersoever thou turnest thee , thou bringest all things out of frame : indeed , thou dea●…est justly with me , because i have sinned unto god , to his people , and his city , in that i have brought thee in , to be a plague to it ; wherefore i am worthy to be stoned . notwithstanding , it had been thy part , thou wicked murderer , to deliver me and my sons from the hands of the other seditious , for i have wrought them displeasure ; but to thee have i done good : howbeit our god will not alter , nor change his judgements , which is , that i should fall into the sword of thy hand , for that i made thee to enter into this city , wherein i offended god grievously . if i had purposed to flee unto the romans , could i not have done it before i brought in thee ? for at that time bearedst thou no rule over us , and before we called in thee , jehochanan with his sedition , was an offence unto this city ; wherefore we perswaded all the ancients of the town , that thou shouldest be an aid unto us , to drive out our foes : but thou in whom we put our trust , art become our enemy : yea , thou hast been worse than they ; for the other put men to death privily , thou dost it openly . who is he that hath strengthened the power of the romans ? art not thou he which hast killed the souldiers of god in the midst of the city of jerusalem ? for few have been slain without . titus would have made peace with us , taking pity upon us , but thou didst lett and hinder it , every day moving new wars , and stirring new battels . titus gave charge to his souldiers , to lay no hand upon the temple ; but thou hast polluted and defiled the temple of the lord , shedding blood without measure in the midst thereof . titus went back from us upon the holy day of the lord , and ceased from fighting ; saying , go and observe your holy feasts in peace : but thou unhallowedst the feasts of the lord , and puttedst out the continual fire with innocent blood ? all these evils which thou hast committed ( thou murderer ) are imputed unto me , because i brought thee into the town : now therefore this vengeance is appointed to mine age by the lord god , and by thy hands shall i go to my grave with sorrow , because i by my foolishnesse was an actor in this mischief that is wrought by thee . albeit now , thou wicked schimeon , in this that thou killest me , ere that mine eyes may see the burning of the temple , it pleaseth me very well . but what needest thou , murderer , to put my sons to death before my face ? why doest thou not spare mine age ? would god that as i shall not see the burning of the temple , so also i might not see the blood of my children shed before my face . but what shall i do , when god hath delivered me into the hands of a most wicked man ? we that were the ancients of jerusalem , abhorred jehochanan because he murdered old men without all reverence , but he slew no young men ; thou destroyest old and young , great and small , without any pity or mercy : jehochanan mourned for the dead , and buried them also ; but thou playest upon instruments at their burials , singest to the lute , and soundest the trumpet . then spake he to schimeons servant , who was ready with a sword in his hand , and an axe , to kill him , and to cut off his head ; s●…ying , go to now , and execute schimeon thy master's commandment ; behead the sons in the sight of their father , and let me hear the voice of thy cruelty in my sons , which notwithstanding i forgive thee ; for as i shall hear and see that , against my will ; so , i dare say , thou killest them not willingly . would god that schimeon would suffer me to kisse my sons , and whiles i am yet living to embrace them ere they die . but thou , gentle minister , in one thing shew thy pity towards me , that when thou hast put my sons and me to execution , separate not our bodies , neither lay their corps asunder from mine , but so , that my body may lie uppermost and cover theirs , to defend them from the fowls of the air , lest they devour my sons bodies ; for it so may come to passe , that they may be buried : i beseech thee also , that my mouth and lips when i am dead , may touch my sons faces , that so i may both embrace and kisse them . but what do i delay , or linger any longer , seeing the enemies deny me this , to kisse them vvhiles vve are yet alive ? see thou therefore that our bodies be not severed , and if schimeon will not permit this , that our bodies may be joyned in this world , yet can he not lett our souls to be joyned ; for after i shall be once dead , i doubt not but i shall see the light of the lord. his sons hearing their fathers words , began to weep very sore with their father , who said unto them , alas my sons ! why weepye ? what avail tears ? why do ye not rather go before me , and i will follow as i may ? for , what should i do now , seeing god hath given me into the hands of a most cruel tyrant , who spareth neither mine age , nor your youth ? but i trust we shall live together in the light of the lord : and although i cannot be suffered now to see you enough , yet when we shall come thither , we shall be satisfied with beholding one another . go ye therefore , my dear sons , and prepare us a place . o that i might go before you : the lord knoweth i would do it gladly . but ye my sons , marvel not at this that is chanced unto us , for it is no new thing . the like hapned before this , in the time of the chasmonanites , when as antiochus by his wickednesse put to death the seven brethren , young men , in the sight of their mother , which was a righteous and godly woman , who chanced to find this mercy at the lords hands , that she might ●…sse her sons and embrace them , as they also kist one another before they died . although they were put to death by the cruelty of the uncircumcised king of the macedonians : yet obtained they that , which is denied at this day to us that are put to death by schimeon , who ha●…h ●…he name of an ●…sraelite , who beareth also the covenant of our father abraham in his flesh . and would to god that we might live in their ●…nne or place of rest , which albeit it will not be granted , yet we shall be their neighbours , seeing that we also die for the law of the lord. therefore be of good comfort ( my sons , ) and lament not for my sake . for i judge this my misery easier , and not so great as the calamity of zedekiah , whose sons were first killed , then his eyes put out by the king of chaldea , and he lived many years after : we are so much the more happie in my mind , because we shall die together . then said amittai to schimeons servant which should kill him , make speed , i pray thee , and kill me first before my children die , then after kill them also , that we may die together : for it is more expedient for us , than to see the temple of the lord turned into a butchery or slaughter-house to slay men in . after cryed he to god , saying , i beseech thee , o lord god most high , which dwellest in the highest , judge this schimeon according to his works , reward him according to his deservings . for thou art the god almighty and dreadfull , let not this destroyer die therefore among the people of thy pasture : but that his death may be severed from the death of other men , let him die a horrible and sudden death , let him have no time to confesse his sins , and to return himself to thee , that thou mayest receive him ( for thou wert wont to receive them which turn to thee by repentance ) : for he is not worthy of repentance , which hath spoiled and wasted many goodly things in thy temple ; besides that , hath murdered most holy men in the same . to the intent therefore that thy judgements may be declared in him , i beseech thee , make him to be taken captive of his enemies , together with his wife , children , and family , and all that ever love him . neither give unto his soul any part with the people of god ; nor let his portion be with the just men in thy sanctuary ; for he is unworthy of them , because he hath not only sinned himself , but hath caused israel to sin . wherefore let his judgement and sentence go forth from thy sight , that he may see his wife , children , and his whole house , led into captivity and bondage before his face . afterward , let him die a strange death , such as never man heard of : let him be killed by most cruel men , which , when they have smitten him , may after quarter him also whiles he is yet alive , and that he may see his children go into bondage . let him also be a curse before all that shall see him . moreover , let him perceive that my words and destiny is better than his , when as i go unto thee , in that great light which he shall be deprived of . after these words , amittai said to the servant who was appointed to kill him : i beseech thee , let me find so much favour at thy hands , that when thou hast slain my sons , thou wouldst kill me with the same sword , while it is yet wet with the blood of my sons , that our blood may be mingled ; and this may be a recreation to my soul. kill me also in the fight of the romans , that they may avenge me and my sons , upon this most cruel schimeon ; they shall be witnesses against him , that i was not their friend . but would god my affaires were all in that state as they were before ; for then should they perceive me to be an enemy of schimeons , and a friend of theirs . would god i had withstood schimeon at the first earnestly , as i made war upon the romans , that i might have avoided his cruelty from the people of god. when he had said all these things , he prayed before god almighty , saying , o god which dwellest in the highest , thou only art most mighty and fearful , open now the eyes of thy judgements , consider and judge betwixt me and seditious schimeon , whose malice is become unmeasurable upon the people of god , that he which sheddeth the blood of them that fear thee in the midst of the temple , may be rebuked of thee with rebukings , according to his works : make speedy vengeance and prolong not , and that for the deaths sake of thy saints ; for thy judgements are the judgements of truth . then schimeon gave commandment to four cut-throats of his , that three of them should kill amittai's three sons before their fathers face , and the fourth should kill amittai himself , and so the blood of the sons was mixt with the blood of their father . afterward schimeons servant took the body of amittai , and laid it upon the bodies of his sons , as his desire was , then tumbled them over the walls : after that , schimeon commanded that chanacus the high priest should be put to death , whose body was cast unto the bodies of amittai and his sons . aristus also the scribe , one of the noble men of jerusalem , was killed at the same time , and ●…en just men more of his kindred and house , because the●… mourned for the death of aristus . it hapned while schimeon was killing of those ten , certain substantial rich men passed by , and were wonderfully amazed when they saw the thing , saying one to another , how long will god suffer the malice of schimeon , and will not search out the blood of just men , nor revenge them ? certain seditious persons hearing this , told it unto schimeon , who commanded them to be apprehended , and murthered the same day . after this , there passed by eleven of the noble men of jerusalem , which seeing fourty two innocents to be put to death by schimeon , they lift up their eyes to the heavens , and said , o lord god of israel , how long wilt thou hold thy hand , and not execute thine anger against these transgressours of thy will ? which when schimeon heard of , he commanded them to be apprehended , and killed them with his own hands . eleazar the son of anani the priest , seeing the malice and wickednesse of schimeon to be great , and that he destroyed the just and godly men of the city , and that there was no hope left , he betook himself to the tower of jerusalem , remained in it , and kept it with his . jehudas also , a captain over a thousand men , which kept a turret that schimeon had made to put just and good men in , got him upon the top of the walls , and cryed to the romans , if peradventure they would deliver him , and the rest that were at jerusalem . wherefore he went about to escape with his one thousand men that he had with him , and came towards the romans . but the romans trusted them not , thinking he had spoken this for deceit , wherefore they came not to help him . schimeon upon this killed jehudas , and the thousand men which he had with him , and commanded their bodies to be tumbled over the walls , in the sight of the romans . then schimeon cryed to the princes and captains of the romans , saying : lo , these are jehudas company , these would have come forth unto you , take their carcases to you , and revive them again if you can , or else deliver the rest which yet live , out of our hands . gorion the priest , father of joseph the priest , who wrot this book to the israelites , was at that time in bonds and prison , in a certain turret , a man of great age , being a hundred and thirty , and no man could come unto him , nor from him ; joseph therefore went to the turret where his father was kept , to understand how he did . he beheld also the turret afar off , if he might espv his father , and comfort him . and as he passed by looking up to the turret , the seditious hurled a stone at him , which hit him on the head , that it overthrew him . the seditious seeing joseph cast out of his chariot , determined to go down unto him ; but when titus had knowledge thereof , he sent a great strength to help him up again , and to defend him , that his enemies did him no wrong . the seditious , going about to take joseph , sounded a trumpet very loud , which when josephs mother that was kept in schimeons house heard , being now years of age , asked what was the cause of the hurly burly ; they told her that the seditious issued out at that shout against joseph to take him : when she heard that , by and by she run out of the house that she was kept in , and climbed up the walls , as lustily as th●…ugh she had been a young girle of years old , ●…ore her hair , and cryed out , weeping , and saying before all them that were present ; is my hope then come to this ? could i ever have looked that i should have overlived my son , and that i should not be suffered to see him , and to bury him ? i had trusted he should have buried me , and that he should have been a help to me in mine age ; and when my whole family by the seditious was almost made away , and extinguished , yet i said , this shall comfort me . now therefore , what shall i do , when i have none left to comfort me , of all my children that i bare ; for between the seditious and the gentiles our enemies , they have slain . sons that i had ; and what shall i do now from henceforth , but covet death , for i desire not to live now any longer ? and how should i receive any consolation , when i see my son dead , and i cannot bury him ? lord ! that i might dye by and by , for i cannot live any longer , since my son joseph is now dead . she went up yet further upon the walls , till she came to the turret where her husband was in prison , and stretch't out her hands towards heaven , crying with a loud voyce , o my son joseph , my son , where art thou ? come and speak unto me , and comfort me . the seditious hearing her , laught her to scorn ; but the romans when they heard her , and understood by joseph that it was his mother , they wept and lamented her case , and many of the jews also that were in jerusalem ; but they were fain to refrain it , lest they should be perceived of schimeons cruell cut-throats . then josephs mother said to the seditious that were with her upon the walls , why do ye not kill me also , which bare joseph my son , and nurst him with these breasts ? ye enemies of the lord have murdered him with other just men ; why kill ye not me also ? god be judge betwixt me and you , who have killed my son gui●…tlesse : the seditious answered her , canst thou not if thou list , tumble down over the wall and die ? we will give thee leave ; when thou hast done so , the romans shall take thee up , and bury thee honourably , because that thou art josephs mother , who is their friend . she answered , how sha●…l i do this evil unto my self , to kill my self , and constrain my soul to go forth of my body , before that ●…od doth call it ? if i should do so , i should have no hope left in the world to come ; for no body will bury them , whom they perceive to have killed themselves . these , and such like , while she reasoned wisely , the seditious heard , and mocked her : wherefore she wept the more abundantly , so that the romans , and some godly men , hearing her wisdom , could not abstain from weeping . joseph when he heard the voice of his mother , got on armour , and approached to the wall , accompanied with most valiant romans , to defend him from the arrows of the jews , and spake to his mother . fear not , my dear mother , nor take any thought for me , for i have escaped the hands of the seditious , god hath not suffered me to come into their hands : wherefore i have heard the words of these wicked counsellours , that advised thee to kill thy self , and thine answer to them , which before thou gavest them i knew thou wouldest answer : god forbid , say i , god forbid , that josephs mother and the wife of gorion , should consent to the counsel of the wicked . wherefore , ( my dear mother ) be content , and bear the yoke of the seditious patiently , and humble thy self before them : neither strive against the miseries and calamities of this time , which thou caust not alter , nor remedy . for they shall perish , but we shall stand and continue . there were certain men of jerusalem at that time , that came to the gates , overcame the ward , and got out with their wives and children , and so escaped to the romans , because they could no longer abide the famine , and the iniquity of the seditious . they were faithful citizens , and of great authority ; whom when joseph heard of , he so prevailed , that titus spared them , and received them to mercy . for joseph bare witnesse , and reported of them , that they were noble men of jerusalem ; wherefore the romans received them , and gave them food and sustenance ; but certain of them could not brook nor take it , because of their great hunger wherewith they had been long pined , and when the meat descended down into their bellies , they died straight . their little children also , when they saw bread , they fell upon it , and received it indeed with their teeth , but they were not able to chew it , and died holding the bread between their teeth . titus seeing them die when they tasted the meat , had pity and compassion upon them , and was very sorry , saying unto joseph , what shall i do for thy people , which assoon as they begin to eat , die straightway ? joseph answered , my lord , i remember i have seen this experience , that they which fast long , and after would take meat , first they must drink a little sodden milk , or else eat of a certain corn called simel , sodden in milk , wherewith they strengthen their bowels before they take meat ; especially such as walked through wildernesses , whose bowells were long empty , when they came to places inhabited and found meat , they were wont to use this means . therefore titus commanded his men to do as joseph bad them , whereby many of the jews recovered , and many died of the flux . these jews which escaped thus out of jerusalem to the camps of the romans had swallowed their gold , silver , and precious stones , to hide them , lest they should be found of the seditious . they therefore which recovered and brooked meat , when they would satisfie nature , they went alone out of the camp , and after sought their gold and silver and precious stones , which were digested in their excrements , and so did they every day . at length certain aramites and arabians , espying the jews to use this fashion , told it amongst their fellows , one to another , and made a conspiracy to lay wait for the jews , and whomsoever they got , they ript their bellies , to find the gold and other jewels which the jews had hid there . and by this means the aramites and arabians had murthered two thousand jews . but when titus heard of this he was wonderful wroth , and commanded them to be apprehended that had done this wicked deed , and to be put to death , whose goods were given to the jews that remained alive . they that were put to death for this fact , were two thousand aramites and arabians together . after this , titus espyed the princes and captains to have decked their armour with gold and silver , some of them also to wear golden scepters , and some scepters of silver , with other ornaments upon their heads : he called them together , and said unto them , lay away this vain ostentation , these things are they that provoked the aramites and arabians to work this wickedness , against these poor miserable jews which fled forth unto us , that they might live under our protection . the captains therefore and princes of the romans hearing titus commandment were obedient , and straight laid away from them those ornaments of gold and silver . titus also gave commandment , that the rest of the arabians and aramites shou d be banished the camp , and that no man hereafter should commit any such haynous deed against the jews . notwithstanding , when as any aramite or arabian could get any jew far out of the camp that no man might see it , he killed him . of the romans in the camp , no man either did , or said , any evil unto the jews , save certain ungodly ruffians , which had learned of the aramites and arabians , those evil and wicked pranks : for they also when they chanced to meet with any jew out of the camp , if there were no man by , they killed him , and took away his gold and silver that lay hid in his bowels . when this came to titus's ear , he commanded to make proclamation in this wise : whosoever he be that hath seen , heard , or known any thing of this horrible deed , which is committed of certain romans upon the jews ; or whosoever hath done any such thing himself , let him come and make relation unto titus , which if he do , the matter shall be forgiven him , if not , he shall bear the burden of his own wickednesse , and stand at his peril , if any thing be proved against him hereafter . therefore certain romans who were conscious to themselves that they had committed the deed , and being afraid of titus , reasoned with themselves thus : if we do not confesse unto him the truth , he will by his wisdom search out these offenders , and punish them to death ; wherefore trusting unto titus's words of the proclamation , they came all , whosoever had either done it himself , or known other to do it ; and declared it to titus , saying , this have i done , this have i known , this was i accessary unto , and have not hitherto made thee privy thereunto . there were of them in number ●… men , that made this confession ; all those titus commanded to be cast into hot ovens , and to be burned . this done , the jews were more safe ever after in the romans camp without any jeopardy , no man hurting them , either in word or deed ; yea , if any roman found a jew abroad wandring , he conducted him gently and peaceably into the camp. there was a certain scribe of jerusalem at that time , a faithful man , whose name was menachen , son of seruk the scribe , whose ancestours had served esdras the scribe of worthy memory , in babylon ; and being a keeper of the east gate which was in jerusalem , upon that side towards the brook kidron , noted the number of the dead that were carried forth to burying by that gate , and found they came to . thousand , eight hundred and eight persons , which were all of the nobles and gentlemen ; or , at least , of the substantiallest men of the jews . titus upon a time ( joseph being present ) asked the question of those princes of the jews which were fled unto him , saying , i charge you upon your fidelity , to shew me how many jews be dead in the town , since the time i besieged it to this day . they gave him the number therefore , every man as far as they knew , of the dead that were carried forth at all the gates to be buried , and the sum amounted to . besides them that every where lay dead in the houses and streets ; and besides them also that were slain in the temple , and they that lay here and there unburied : which when titus heard , he marvelled greatly , and said , it is well known to the lord god of heaven , that i am not the cause of these evils , for i desired to be at peace with them oftner than once , but the seditious evermore would have nothing but war war. chap. iii. at that time the hunger began to wax very great in the town ' , amongst the seditious , who never lackt before , for they took it alwaies from other men by force , till now at length they were distressed with hunger themselves , so that after they had eaten up all their horses , they ate also their dung , and the leather of the chariots ; neither was there left any green boughes on the trees , nor any herbs , that the seditious might get to eat . for the romans had hewed down all the trees , and cut down all the bushes round about jerusalem , by the space of thirteen miles , so that the whole field and territory of jerusalem was spoyled , which heretofore was replenished with marvellous goodly gardens , and most pleasant paradises . after that the romans made up another iron ram , very terrible ; this they bended against the walls , to see if there were any souldiers left in the town , so stout as they were in times past : when the captains of the seditious saw that , they issued out with their companies against the romans , and slue very many of them in that skirmish . wherefore titus said , it is not wisdom to fight with them any more , but rather with the rams to shake and batter the wall , for they have no more but this wall left , and so we may bring our whole army at once upon them , and subdue the seditious . this counsell of titus was liked of all the princes and people . the captains of the seditious mistrusting what the romans intended , that they would be occupied hereafter in battering the wall , began to build a countermure within , overgainst the place where the romans wrought with their ram , which was in the plain by the tomb of jochanan the high priest , for there was none other place besides , that they might approach unto with their rams ; and there the rams had m●…de two breaches in the two other walls before the seditious made this countermure , because they were not able to burn the iron ram as they had done before , being now almost famished , and so pin'd away , that they could scarce stand upon their legs . for if they had been so lusty as they were before , and able to set the engines on fire , the romans had never been able to win the town , but should have been compelled to leave the assault , as they were constrained to give over skirmishing and fighting . on a certain time , when the romans fled , the seditious , pursuing and killing many of them , said , the romans will be weary , leave off their siege , and go their waies , that we may dwell at liberty , and turn to the lord our ●…od . and when they returned at this time ( or at any other time ) prosperously into the town , they oppressed the people more cruelly , exacting food of them , and saying , give us meat , if ye will not , we will eat your flesh , and your sons . but the romans took courage to themselves to fight stoutly , and said one to another ; let us stick to it hard , and be valiant in our fights : it shall be a shame for us to flee from these feeble and hunger-starved jews , which are more like dead images , than living persons . therefore they began most earnestly to set upon the walls , and to make a battery : suddenly , they beat down a great part of that inner wall which the jews had newly erected , and gave a great shout , saying , jerusalem is won , we have gotten the town . but when they looked a little further , they espyed another countermure raised over against the breach : wherefore the jews thorow the town gave also a great shout , and sounded their trumpets , rejoycing that they had another new countermure for that which was battered down . the same was in captains jehochanans ward . the romans seeing the countermure , and hearing the jews make such triumphs in the town , were much astonied , all their joy was dashed and turned into dumps , so that they could not tell what they should do with that stubborn people of jerusalem , which had done them such damages . the romans set upon the town again another way , whom titus willed to remove the engine , and to bend it to the new wall , whiles it was yet green and unsetled , saying ; let us batter it and we shall see it fall by and by , and then shall we enter the town . the roman captains followed not titus counsell , but scaled the walls which they had battered . the jews therefore defending their countermure ●…ought with the romans within the breach , repulsed them from the wall and the town ; and so having abated much the strength of the romans , returned to their quarters . then said some of the romans , we will never besiege this town any longer , for we shall not be able to get it while we live . and therefore let us break up and depart , before we be all destroyed with this siege : for except we do so , we shall be consumed therein . titus seei●…g his souldiers to make so hard a matter of the winning of the town , called them all together , and said unto them ; tell me now , ye roman captains , do ye not know that all wars and other business whatsoever they be , are more hard , and require greater diligence in the end , then in the beginning ? in which who so travel , if they faint in the end , do they not labour in vain ? even as your labour shall be in vain , if ye give over the siege now . consider a ship , when it hath compassed the whole sea , and is now ready to arrive at the shore , being troubled with a tempest , if the mariners should then be negligent , the ship may be easily lost , and all they which are in it perish , the mariners disappointed of their purpose , in that they shall not attain unto the place which they coveted to come unto . likewise builders , if they finish not their work , but leave off afore they make an end , is not all their labour lost and spent in vain ? husbandmen also , if they till their ground , and then sow it with seed , shall they not lose their pains , unless they will also mow it ? in like manner , you have fought very long against this city , many valiant captains and worthy men have been slain , and now you may see the strongest walls of the town are broken and made equall with the earth , the people your adversaries consumed with hunger , pestilence and sword : what shall it then avail you all that ever you have done , if you slack your diligence , and will not finish the work of the siege ? have ye not then imployed your labour in vain ? and why should this new wall so dismay you ? yea , why do you not prepare your selves to beat down this new wall , which yet is slenderer then the other three that ye have cast down ? if so be ye would determine to leave off the siege , had it not been better for you to have done it at the beginning , whiles your army was yet whole ? now , when as you are few , and your most valiant souldiers slain , why do you not rather choose to dye then to live ? did not you once enter this town , in the time of nero caesar , and defend the honor of his name ? now therefore when vespasian my father raigneth , who is not only of greater power then nero , but also more gentle toward you then ever was nero , if you should abate and slack your endeavour & diligence , it should be to your great shame and reproach . why take ye not example of these jews valiantness , whom now already , sword , pestilence , and famine bath wasted , so that they have no hope left : nevertheless , they fight still , and never give over . do you not see every day , how some of them issue out of their town , and boldly assail you , not without jeopardy of their lives , insomuch that oftentimes they die for it ? which things they do for none other cause , then to get them praise and renown for their great prowess . when titus had well debated these and such like things , in the ears of his souldiers , a certain valiant man named sabianus , said unto his fellows , who so dare go to assault these jews , let him come hither to me , that we may fulfill the command of caesars son our lord and captain . and forthwith he took his target , and his drawn sword in his hand , made toward the town with a eleven tall fellowes following him , whose valiantnesse and courage titus wondred at greatly . the jews kept their ward upon that part of the wall , where the romans had a repulse of late : so when they saw sabianus and his company draw fast toward them , they began to assail them with stones and arrows ; but sabianus setting light at them , charged home upon the jews . shortly one of the jews met with him , and gave him such a blow , that he felled him to the ground ; yet he gat up again , and fought for all that manfully ; and , as one that had rather leave his life , than the reputation of his valour , he did fight till another israelite came and ●…lew him out-right . three also of his fellows were killed fighting valiantly in that place ; the other . returned to the camp , so sore wounded , that they died the next day every one . further , other romans seeing sabianus act , and studying to do the like : the next night they took counsel about . of them , and agreed to assault the town . this their enterprise when they declared to the standard-bearer of titus , he and many other of the romans went with them . they all scaling together , and clammering up the breaches , gat up upon the wall , sounding a trumpet , and gave a great shout . the jews being at their rest , as men opprest with hunger and weariness ; and hearing this alarum and shout of the romans , were wonderfully amazed , not knowing what the matter was , or how they should defend themselves . titus also heard the shout : and when he had enquired the matter , he chose out certain valiant men , and drew towards the breaches with them . in the mean season , the day was broken , and the jews rising from their sleep , espyed titus , upon the walls , and marvelled thereat greatly . the romans therefore gathering toward titus , came very thick into the town , some by the breaches of the wall , and other some through the vault , whereby the jews were wont now and then to make irruptions , and to recover themselves within the town again . the jews set themselves in aray against the romans in the very entry of the temple : upon whom the romans ran with their drawn swords ; for they had no other armour , nor the jews neither , being so hastily taken at such a sudden . the battel waxed very hard , and wonderful vehement on both parties , the like was never seen in jerusalem , nor heard of , in any time : for every man clave hard to his next fellow , & no man could flee on any side . wherefore the battel waxt strong , with clamours and shouts on both parties : now the joyful shouts of the vanquishers , now the wailings on the other side , of them that were put to the worse . the romans encouraged and exhorted one another to fight , saying , this is the day which we have long looked for . the jews again took heart unto them , saying , it boots not to flee hence ; but , for the glory of the lord and his temple , let us die ●…anfully , as necessity constraineth us : and so doing , we shall be counted for sacrifices and offerings . which earnestnesse on both sides , filled the entry of the court of the lord with blood , that it stood like unto a pool or pond . and that fight continued from the morning , till that time four dayes . then a certain souldier of titus's , whose name was golinus , a valiant man , as was ever amongst all the company of kurtus , seeing the jews prevail , and to have the upper-hand of the romans , which now had left off fighting , and fled , the jews pursuing them : in a rage he ran against them , and met them at the wall which herod builded , called antochia , drove them back , and made them to take the entrance of the temple again , where , preasing into the forces of the jews , he was wounded of a certain jew . and when he perceived himself wounded , he would have lept back , but stumbled at a slone in the pavement of the court of the temple , and fell down , where he fought yet still , till a certain jew killed him out-right . he fought indeed very boldly and valiantly , but unwarily ; for he considered not his ground wherein he had to do with the jews . titus waiting for golinus return , and hearing him to be slain , would have gone himself to rescue the rest of his that were with him : but his men would not suffer him , fearing lest he himself should be slain . the jews therefore got the upper hand that day , and slew very many romans in that battel , spoyling them also ( which were killed ) of their armour . these were the names of the jews that made the skirmish : of the company of captain jehochanan , elasa , and iphtach ; of schimeons company , malchiah , and jaicob , a prince of the edomites ; and arsimon and jehuda , of the company of eleazar , the son of anani . these with their companies made this slaughter of the romans in the entrance of the temple , and drove them back to antochia , where they kept them up that they could not get out . wherefore when titus perceived that the antochia was in the romans way , and hindred them , he caused it to be razed and pulled down to the ground ; these things were done upon the fifth day of may , the third moneth , upon the even of the solemn festival day of weeks , which otherwise is called pentecost , and that was the th moneth from the beginning of titus's siege against this city . shortly after , upon the third day of the feast of weeks , the jews as many as were at jerusalem , kept holy dayes , and celebrated the feast . titus taking with him joseph the son of gorion , went into the house of the sanctuary , where the seditious and souldiers of the jews were gathered together ; and called unto jehochanan , and the rest of the captains of the seditious , to whom he spake by the means of joseph , being his interpreter , in this wise . what hath this temple offended thee ( thou seditious jehochanan ? ) why hast thou brought upon it this great evil and mischief ? if so be thou trust so much to thy strength , come forth to us with thy men into the fields , and we shall fight with thee thy fill . is not this your solemn festival day ? why then will ye fight in the place where ye should offer your sacrifice ? ye pollute and defile the sanctuarie of your god , and his name , and we spare it , knowing it is the house of god : and the only cause why we make war upon you , is your stubborn stiffe-neckednesse , that you will not submit your selves to us , whom god hath given the dominion unto , whose will ye labour in vain to disappoint . either therefore if ye will fight no more , humble your selves under our subjection , that ye may save your lives : or else , if ye be determined still desperately to fight with us , then get you forth from hence , and let us go into the fields , there to set our battels in aray . why wil you defile your sanctuarie , and hinder the worshipping of your god ? much more besides this spake titus , partly blaming their stubbornnesse , in that they had defiled their temple , and yet ceased not to pollute it more and more ; partly with fair words and gentleness , exhorting them to yeild , admonishing them not to resist so mighty an army , when as they could not do it without danger of utter destruction . these and many other things joseph expressed in hebrew to the people , as titus willed him , but the jews answered never a word ; for jehochanan had given charge , that no man should speak . then captain jehochanan answered titus himself , saying , we can offer no kind of sacrifice more acceptable to god , than to devote , hazard , and abandon our own bodies and blood , for his names sake : wherefore we will die free-men in this our town , and will never come in bondage to serve you . titus made him answer by joseph , saying , this your city , i grant , is a holy city , and your temple is most holy , which no man doth deny : but ye have grievously sinned , in that ye have polluted the temple of the lord your god , by shedding in it innocent blood of saints , and the priests of god , with other most godly and holy men . by what reason can ye then say , that ye shall be accepted for sacrifices , and offerings before god ? yea rather , god abhorreth and detesteth you utterly ; when as he requireth in his sacrifices , that they should have no default nor spot : but ye are all bespotted , so that no sound place is left in you . for tell me , ( i pray you ) if there be any more abominable spot in man , than sin , when he transgresseth the law of god , as ye have done ; neither is there any wisdom or intelligence in you . for wise men would wisely bear with the calamities of times , and know the courses of things . how then are ye so foolish to say that ye are an acceptable and well pleasing sacrifice to god , when as ye resist the will of god so proudly ? but thou jehochanan , and the rest of the seditious captains that are with thee . tell me , art thou not a mortal man , subject unto the griefs and vexations of this life , and worms meat as we be ? should he not displease thee , that should take away and violate a table or such like thing , prepared to the honour of thee ? and wouldst thou take it in good part , and hold him excused that should so do unto thee ? why then hast thou taken away the sacrifices of thy god out of his temple , and hast stuffed it with innumerable dead bodies ? who can see or hear this , and abstain from weeping , when he shall know so many israelites to have suffered death by thee , and schimeon , and eleazar thy fellows ? neither canst thou yet apply thy mind to cease and leave off thy malice , and yet neverthelesse perswadest thy self , that god is with thee , and that thou with thy fellows , art an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice unto god , nothing perceiving that your sins separate you , and keep you asunder more strongly than any brasen wall . it is true , i confesse , that it becometh every valiant man , to stand stoutly in the defence of his people , city , and country . for it is better to die valiantly , than to come into the subjection of his enemy that goeth about to pluck him from his religion , and drive him out of his country . but i came not hither for that intent , to draw you from your religion , nor to banish you out of your land , or else to destroy it and your cities : but this is the cause of my coming hither , to offer you peace , and to make a league with you , that ye should take upon you our yoke , and be our subjects as ye were before . where did you ever hear of a people in all the world , that hath shewed themselves so merciful and gentle , both towards other , and towards you , as we have done ? hannibal the captain of the carthaginians , after he had wasted our country , and at length was taken by us , was he not had in great honour and reputation of us , and with such civility handled , that we made him king of his people ? and so dealt we with antiocbus the macedonian , and other kings that we took prisoners . ye brag that ye keep the vigils and feasts of your god : why then follow ye not the example of jechoniah your king ? who to save the temple of your god from destruction , and lest your people also should be led away into bondage , or be destroyed with the sword , yielded himself and his house into the hands of the king of the chaldeos . why spare you not your own lives , your city , and sanctuary ? now therefore hearken unto me , and i will make a league with you before the god of this house , who shall be a witnesse betwixt me and you ; by whom i swear , that i will never break this league , neither do you any harm , nor spoil your goods , nor lead you away captive , nor yet constitute any ruler over you , but a jew of your own nation ; even joseph the priest which is with me , shall be your prince , if you think it good ; and all the faithful men also which are with me , shall return home again ; ye shall inhabite your own land , ye shall have the use of the fruits thereof with peace and quietnesse , without any corruption , or alteration of the service of your god ; wherefore credit me , and make a league with me . and that you may trust me the better , ye shall have pledges , joseph a noble-man of your own country , and other princes and noblemen of the romans . come forth therefore and treat a peace with us , bow your shoulders , and humble your necks to serve us , like as all other nations do , and as you have done your selves in the time of nero caesar , that ye may live and not be destroyed keeping your religion safe and sincere . joseph the priest hearing the words of titus and his clemency , in that he was minded to spare the jews , burst out aloud and wept in the presence of the captains , and of the seditious very bitterly : but they nothing regarded it . joseph therefore seeing that titus could do nothing with the seditious , said unto their princes , i marvel nothing that this city tends to desolation , and destruction , for i know the end of it is at hand . but this is it that i marvel most , that ye have read in the book of daniel , and understand it not , which is now fulfilled in all points , and yet never a one of you doth mark it : the continual sacrifice is already ceased a good while ago , the annointed priest is cut away , and put down . these things though they be most manifest , yet your hearts cannot believe them . and many other words spake joseph , full of admonition and consolation , but the jews refused to hear him : when he had made an end therefore , and the seditious had so hardened their necks , titus turned him , and departed out of jerusalem , saying , let us go hence , lest their sins destroy us . wherefore he pitched his tents without the city , in the same place where he encamped at first . for he was afraid both for himself and his army , lest they should be circumvented and closed in , and slain cruelly in so great city as that was . certain of the priests of that time , and of the nobles of the town , with other godly men , did wisely provide for themselves , and came forth to titus , submitting themselves to his mercy , and were received of him peaceably with great honour ; whom titus commanded to be conducted into the land of goshen , where in times past the israelites dwelt in the dayes of jacob their father , and joseph lord of egypt . thither sent he them , and gave it them in possession , to them and to their heirs for ever after ; commanding a company of the chaldees safely to conduct them , till they came to the land of goshen . titus directed his letter also to the roman president which was set over egypt , to take pity of the jews that he had placed in the land of goshen , to sustain and succour them , and to see that no roman nor other should do them harm , or annoy them by any manner of means . many other also of the jews coveted to go forth of jerusalem , but they were disappointed by the seditious , that they could not do as they intended . and who can tell whether they were entangled with their own sins , and destined to destruction with their seditious brethren , when as their hands also were polluted with the cruelty and iniquity of the seditious ? wherefore the seditious closed up all the walls about the temple , that none of the jews which were in jerusalem might get out to titus . when titus knew that many of the jews were desirous to flee unto him , and could not because of the seditious , he went again to the place where he was before , & joseph with him : whom when the people saw to be there with titus , they fell a weeping , and said unto him , we acknowledge our sins , and the transgression of our fathers , we have swerved out of the way , against the lord our god ; for we see now the mercy and gentlenesse of titus , the son of caesar , and that he taketh pity upon us ; but what can we do , when it is not in our power to flee unto him , because of the cruelty of the seditious ? the se●…itious hearing them talking with joseph , in the presence of titus , and that they spake reveren●…ly of him , and honoured his father , calling him lord , they ran upon them with their drawn swords to kill them ; then cr●…ed they unto titus , dear lord and master , rescue us : the romans therefore , made speed to deliver them out of the hands of the se●…itious ; so rose there a fray in the midst of the temple , between the romans , and the jews ; the romans fled into the place called sanctum sanctorum , which was the holiest of all , and the jews followed after , and slew them even there . titus standing without , cryed unto jehochanan , and said unto him : hearest thou , jehochanan , i●… not thy 〈◊〉 yet great enough ? wilt th●…u never make an end of mischief ? where is the honour of thy god ? is it not written in the law of thy god , of the sanctum sanctorum , that no stranger ought to come at it , but only the high priest , and that but once a year , because it is the holiest of all ? and now , how darest thou be s●… bold to kill those that are escaped unto it ? and how dare you ●…ed the blood of the uncircumcised therein , whom ye abhor , and yet mix their blood with yours ? the lord your god is my witness●… , that i would not have this house destroyed ; but your own wicked works , and your own hands do pull it d●…wn . and would god you would receive your peace , which if it were once done , we would honour this house of the sanctuarie and temple of the lord : yea , we would depart away from you . but your hearts are hardned like iron , and your necks and foreheads , are become obstinate as brasse , to your own undoing . for ye shall carrie your own sins , and die in the land of the romans ; i and my fathers house are innocent and guiltlesse of your death ; as the lord and his temple , in whose presence we stand , shall bear us witnesse this day . but when he saw that none of the seditious gave any regard to his words , he chose out of the romans , thirty thousand valiant fighting men , and gave them commandment to take and occupy the entry of the temple , which is a holy court , and determined to go with them himself ; but his nobles would not suffer him , but willed him to remain upon a high place , where he might behold his souldiers fight : and when they see thee afar off , their hearts shall be comforted , and they shall fight according as thou wilt wish them : but come not at the entry of the temple thy self , lest thou be destroyed amongst other . titus followed the counsel of his captains , and went not out at that time with his men to the battel . he made chief captains of that host of thirty thousand , one karilus and rostius , two great commanders , who had order to set upon the jews that night , when they should be asleep with wearinesse . the romans therefore doing after his commandment set upon the jews , but the jews having intelligence of the matter , kept diligent watch , and withstood the romans all the night . but the romans were not hasty to fight in the dark , fearing lest it might turn to their own harm . as soon therefore as it was day , the jews divided themselves , and bestowed their companies at the gates of the entrance , and fought like men . karilus and rostius beset the temple round about , that not one of the jews might escape out , and so the battel encreased between them for the space of seven dayes ; sometimes the romans getting the upper hand of the jews , driving them within the entrance : sometime the jews encouraging themselves , made the romans retire , and pursued them to the walls of the antochia : in this manner fought they these seven dayes . afterward the romans turned back from the jews , and would not fight hand to hand with them any more . then titus commanded , the walls of the antochia to be pulled down further , that there might be place for all his host to enter . the famine in the mean season grew more grievous , so that no food was left . for the jews began now to issue out , and steal horses , asses , and other beasts , whatsoever they could catch , even out of the romans camp , that they might dresse them some meat , and sustain their lives ; which they doing oftentimes , at length the romans perceived it , and were wonderfully displeased at the matter , wherefore they set watch and ward round about the camp , lest by the deceit of the jews , they should be spoiled of their cattel . so after that , the jews could steal no more thence . afterward notwithstanding , they armed themselves , and issued out at the east gate , and brake the wall that titus had raised for his own safety , lest the jews should issue out upon a sudden , and come upon him at unawares . a sort of tall fellows therefore of the youth of the jews , i●…ued out at the breaches of the wall , and got up quickly to the mount olivet , where they found horses , mules , asses , and much other cattel ; and slaying their keepers , they drove them before them with great shouts into the town . the romans perceiving it , pursued them . wherefore the young men divided themselves into two bands : the one to drive the booty , and the other to resist the romans . so there was a sore fight between them ; but the jews got the upper-hand , and went their wayes clear with the prey toward jerusalem . for the jews came forth , constrained by the necessity of hunger , and fought for their living : the romans had no cause to fight , save only for shame , to see their cattel driven away before their eyes ; for otherwise they put not their lives in jeopardy to fight unto death , as the jews did , yet there was many of the romans slain in that fight . the jews while the romans pursued them in vain , got into the town with their spoil and prey , and straightway turned upon the romans , and drove them back , pursuing them again till they came almost to titus's camp , which when the other romans saw , they iss●…ed forth to the rescue of their fellows , and pursued those young men , either to kill them , or take them , albeit they escaped to the ●…own without any harm , save that they took a boy , and brought him unto titus . he that took this lad , was called pornus . so the romans prevailed against the jews at that time , and for a certain token of the victory , they had this young jew prisoner . pornus that took him , was had in great estimation for that act , of titus and all the romans . titus apparrelled the boy , and committed him to josephus to keep . this boy had a brother amongst them that escaped into the town , a vile personage , evil-favoured , and of a low stature , his name was jonathan . he seeing his brother taken prisoner , cometh forth of the tomb of jochanan the high priest over against the romans , and cryed unto titus , and to all the army , saying , if there be ever a man among you , let him come forth unto me , here will i abide him , and fight with him upon this ground : and ye shall know this day , whether the romans or the jews be the better men . the romans despised him , yet d●…st they not meddle with him , but said , ●…f we kill him , we shall never be counted the better men for such an act , and if he should kill any of us , it should be a great dishonour to be slain of a wretched captive . jonathan said to the romans , how much is the manhood of the romans to be regarded in our eyes ? have not you been slain and put to flig●…t by us ? what were you then if bands and companies of the gentiles came not every day to aid you ? if they had not refreshed you , we had long ago eaten you up . we have destroyed our selves , one another , with civill wars , so that we are but few left ; but what are you ? who is so hardy of the best of you all , to come and declare his strength , and to fight with me ? i am one of the meanest , and outcasts of the jews : pick you out the chiefest and valiantest man amongst you all , and you shall know by and by , whether part is more valiant . when jonathan had spoken thus proudly , there came forth one of the most valiantest souldiers of the romans , whose name was pornus the same that had taken the brother of this jonathan , & brought him to titus ; he came no sooner at jonathan , but he was killed of him straightway , leaving behind him a double and differing inheritance to jonathan , and the romans ; to jonathan a same of fortitude and valiantnesse , to the romans of shame and reproach . when jonathan had slain the roman , the jews changed his name , and called him jehonathan , by an honourable name , and gave him a scept●…r of dominion in his hand : but jehonathan when he had gotten the victory , gave not the power to god , but ascribed it to his own prowess , and became very proud withall ; he was not content with one victory , but would yet provoke the romans , railing at them , and calling for another valiant champion to be sent him , that i may kill him ( saith he ) and declare my force upon him ; and even as he said so , one of the romans whose name was pornan , struck him through with an arrow at unawares , and killed him ; by whose example ye may perceive , it is everie mans part chiefly to take heed , that when they overcome their enemies , they rejoice not over-much , nor wax proud for the matter ; for , who knoweth what end they shall have themselves ? these things done , the jews seeing the walls of the temple , and three walls that compassed the town , to be razed and pulled down , knowing also that they had no help left , nor any thing to trust unto , they consulted what was best to be done . there was a great house joyning upon the side of the temple , that king solomon had builded , of a great height , whose walls also the kings of the second temple had raised on height , and had decked it with timber of firre , and cedar-trees . the jews went and annointed every where the cedar timber of the house with brimstone and pitch abundantly : so when the romans came again to the temple to assault the jews , and pursued them unto that palace : they entred the palace after the jews , who went out again another way , and some climbed up to the battlements of the house , others set up ladders to scale it : then rejoyced they wonderfully , saying , the palace is taken , now have the jews no pla●…e left to flee unto for refuge . thus when the romans had gotten the palace , and the h●…use was full of them , a certain jew a young man , vow●…ng himself deserately to die , went and shut up the palace , and set fire on the gates annointed before with brimstone and pitch , and straightway side-walls of the house , and the whole building began to be on a light fire , so that the romans had no way to escape , because the fire compassed the house on every side . the jews also stood in harness round about the house , le●…t any of the romans should escape . wherefore so many of the romans as entred into the house , were destroyed with the fire , which was twenty two thousand men of war. titus hearing the cry of the romans that perished in the fire , made speed with all his men to come and rescue them , but he could not deliver them out of the fi●…e , it burnt so vehemently ; wherefore titus and his men wept bi●…terly . the romans that were above upon the house , when they saw their master titus weep , and the fire to be between them , that neither could come to o●…e another , they cast themselves down head●…ong from the battlements of the house , which was very high , and died , saying , we will die in titus's presence , to get us a name thereby . the jews kept the gates of the palace , and if they perceived any man go about to escape out of the fire , or to come down off the battlements , them they killed with their swords . in that fire was a certain great commander , of the stock of kings , whose name was longinus , to whom the jews cried , and flouted him , saying , ●…ome hither unto us , that thou mayes●… save thy life , and not be destroyed : but he durst not go out at the gate , fearing lest the jews would kill him . wherefore he drew out his sword , and thrust himself thorow before their faces . another great commander also was in that fire , whose name was artorius , who looking forth from the top of the house , saw one of his dear friends by titus , which was called lucius , to whom artorius called , saying , my dear friend lucius , get on thy armour and come hither , that i may leap down upon thee , and thou mayest receive me . if i dye , i make thee my heir , if thou dye , thy children shall inherit my goods . wherefore lucius ran and held his lap open at the house side , and artorius leapt down , and light upon him with such weight , that they both died therewith . titus commanded the covenant that they two made before their death , to be written on a sword with blood , and their friendship to be noted in the chronicles of the romans , that it might be an example to all men to learn true friendship by : at that time therefore the jews revenged themselves meetly well upon the romans . the fire burnt till it came to the chiskijahu king of j●…hudah ; and had almost taken the temple of the lord , which the romans seeing , fled out of the town , and got them to their tents , a great part of them being destroyed by the cruelty of the jews , so that few of them remained . the rest therefore lay still in their siege round about the town , saying , we shall not be able to win the town by the sword , but rather we must be fain to drive them to yield by famine , wherefore they compassed it on every side : in the town was now no victuals left . there was a certain rich woman at jerusalem , of a noble house also , whose name was miriam . her dwelling was beyond jordan ; but when she perceived the wars to grow more and more in the time of vespasian , she came up with her neighbours to jerusalem , bringing with her not only her men servants , and women servants , and all her whole family , but also her goods and riches , which were very great . when the hunger was grievous at jerusalem , and the seditious went from house to house to seek meat ; they came also to this womans house , and took away from her by force , all that ever she had , and left her nothing remaining . by this means she was oppressed with very great hunger , so that she wished her self out of the world , but her time was not yet come to die : wherefore that she might slack her hunger , and sustain her self , she began to scrape in the chaffe and dust for beasts dung , but could find none . she had one son , and when she saw the famine wax greater and greater upon her , she laid aside all woman-hood and mercy , and took upon her an horrible cruelty : for when she heard her boy weep , and ask for meat , which she had not to give him , she said unto him , what shall i do my son ? for the wrath of god hath environed the whole city , in every corner thereof famine raigneth ; without the city the sword killeth up all , within we stand in fear of the seditious ; our enemies prevail without , in the town are fires , burnings , and ruines of houses , famine , pestilence , spoyling and destroying , so that i cannot feed thee my son . now therefore my son , if i should die for hunger , to whom should i leave thee being yet a child ? i hoped once that when thou shouldest come to mans estate , thou shouldest have sustained mine age with meat , drink , and cloth , and after when i should die , to bury me honorably , like as i was minded to bury thee , if thou shouldest have died before me . but now my son , thou art as good as dead already , for i have no meat to bring thee up withall , because of this great famine , and cruelty of the enemies , both within and without : if thou shouldest die now amongst others , thou shouldest have no good nor honorable tomb , as i would wish thee : wherefore i have thought good to choose thee a sepulcher , even mine own body lest thou shouldest die , and dogs eat thee in the streets ; i will therefore be thy grave , and thou shalt be my food : and for that , that if thou hadst lived and grown to mans estate , thou oughtest by right to have nourished me , and fed me with thy flesh , and with it sustain mine age , before that famine devour thee and thy body be consumed , render unto thy mother , that which she gave unto thee , for thou camest of her , and thou shalt return into her . for i will bring thee into the self same shop , in the which the breath of life was breathed into thy nostrils ; forasmuch as thou art my well beloved son , whom i have loved alwaies with all my strength : be therefore meat for thy mother , & ignominy and reproach to the seditious , that by violence have taken away our food . wherefore my son hear my voice , and sustain my soul and my life , and go to the end that is determined for thee by my hands , thy lot be in the garden of eden , and paradise ; be thou meat for me , and a rebuke and shame to the seditious , that they may be compelled to say , lo , a woman hath killed her son , and hath eaten him . so when she had thus spoken to her son , she took the child , and turning her face away lest she should see him dye●… she killed him with a sword , aud after cut his body into certain pieces , whereof some she rosted , some she sod , and when she had eaten of them , she laid up the rest to keep . the savour of the flesh roasted , when it came out in●…o the streets to the people they said one to another : see , here is the smell of roast meat . which thing came to the know edg of the seditious at length , who went into the house of the woman , and 〈◊〉 roughly u●…o her , why shouldest thou have meat to live with , and we dye for hunger ? the woman made them answer , and said unto them , be not displeased , i beseech you , with your handmaid for this , for you shall see i have reserved part for you . si●… you down therefore , and i will bring it you , that ye may taste thereof , for it is very good meat . and by and by she covered the table , and set before them part of the childs flesh , saying , eat i pray you , here is a child's hand , see here is his foo●… and other parts , and never report that it is another womans child , but my own only son that ye knew with me ; him i bare , and also have eaten part , and part i have kept for you . when she had spoken , she burst out and wept , saying , o my son my son , how sweet wast thou to me whiles thou yet livedst , and now at thy death also thou a●…t sweeter to me than hony . for thou hast not only fed me in this most grievous famine , but hast defended me from the wrath of the seditious , wherewith they were incensed towards me , when the smell of the meat brought them into my house . now therefore are they become my friends , for they sit at my table , and i have made them a feast with thy flesh . after she turned her to the seditious , and bad them eat , and satisfie themselves : for why ( saith she ) should ye abhor my meat which i have set before you : i have satisfied my self therewith , why therefore do you not eat of the flesh of my son ? taste and see how sweet my sons flesh is , i dare say ye will say , it is good meat . what needeth pitty ? ought ye to be more moved therewith then a woman ? if ye will in no wise eat of the sacrifice of my son , when as i have eaten thereof my self , shall not this be a shame for you , that i should have a better heart , and greater courage then you ? behold , i have prepared a fair table for you , most valiant men , why eat ye not ? is it not a good feast that i have drest for you ? and it is your will that i should make you this feast . it had been my part rather to have been moved with pity of my son , then yours : and how chanceth it therefore that you are more mercifull than i ? are ye not they that spoiled my house , and left me no kind of food , for me and my son ? are ye not they that constrained me to make you this feast , notwithstanding the greater hunger that i have ? why then eat ye not thereof , when as ye were the authors and causers that i did this deed ? the jews hearing this matter , were wonderfully ●…mitten in sadness ; yea , even the governours of the seditious began to stoop when they heard of this , so that they all in a manner desired death , they were so amazed at this horrible act. many therefore of the common people stole out in the night forth of jerusalem with all their substance to the romans camp , and shewd titus of this . who wept thereat , and was sorry for the matter exceedingly , holding up his hands to heaven , and crying , thou lord god of the world , god of this house , to whom all secrets are known , which also knowest my heart , that i came not against this city as desirous of wars , but rather of peace , which i ever offered them ; but yet the cittizens thereof evermore refused it , although i oftentimes intreated them . and when they destroyed one another by their civil dissention , i would have delivered them , but i found them alwaies like most fierce and cruel beasts , nothing sparing themselves . and this mischief is come now so far , that a woman hath eaten her own flesh , being driven thereunto by most extream necessity . i have heard , and my forefathers have told me , of all the power that thou hast exercised in times past towards them and their fathers , how thy name dwelt amongst them . for thou broughtest them out of egypt , with a strong hand , and a str●…tched forth arm , out of the house of bondage , to whom also thou dividedst the sea , leadest them through it dry , and drownedst their enemies in the water ; after conductedst thy people thorow the wilderness , and fed'st them with bread from heaven , thou causedst quailes to fly unto them , and broughtest out water out of the rock for them . at length thou broughtest them into this holy land by great and terrible miracles and wonders : for thou dryedst up the water of jordan , and madest them stand up in a heap , till they were passed over : thou didst cause the sun and moon also to stay their course for thy peoples sake , til they might vanquish their enemies . thou wouldest that thy name should dwell amongst them , and thou gavest them this city by inheritance : some of them thou didst choose for thy self to be prophets , which might conduct thy people , teach them , and lead them into the right way , to give them warning of future miseries , that they might take heed , and beware of them . moreover , thou didst choose of them priests to serve thee , and to bless thy people israel ; certain godly men amongst them thou drewest unto thee , and in a fiery chariot thou didst carry them up to heaven ; thou smotest the tents of the king of as●…ur , and killedst in them men . these and divers other things have i heard of my forefathers , yea , and of joseph the priest a very wise man : and now , lord god , this people which i have striven against i would have saved , had they trust edin thee , but thou seest they trust not in thy saving health , but in their own sword. when titus had sayed all these things , he commanded to bring an iron ram , and to bend it against the new wall which the sedi●…ious had raised , that they might batter it down ; but many of the nobles among the seditious came forth unto titus , and made peace with him , whom he placed among his chief men . shortly after the romans set on fire one of the gates of the temple that was shut , whose door was covered over with silver , and while the timber of it burnt , the silver melted , and ran upon the ground ; so when the gate was open , the way appeared which leadeth to the sanctum sanctorum . as soon as titus saw it , he honored it with great reverence , and fo●…bad his people that none should come ni●… i●… ; wherefore he commanded a proclamation to be published throughout all his camp to this tenor ; wh●…soever cometh near the sanctuary , shall suffer death for it . he appointed also a strong band of men to keep the temple , that it might not be prophaned and unhallowed by any of his : but his princes and captains answered ; unless this house be set on fire , thou shalt never subdue this people , in regard that to preserve it , they vow to die . notwithstanding titus would not hearken to their counsell , but appointed some of his own souldiers , and such jews as had come in to him to keep ward , giving them charge to preserve the temple and sanctum sanctorum , lest it should be polluted . the seditious jews that remained in jerusalem seeing the romans depart f●…om the temple , and leaving guards behind , they ran upon them with their swords drawn , and slew every foul of them : which titus hearing , he brought his whole army thither against the seditious , and killed many of them , the rest fled to mount sinai . the next day the romans set fire on the sanctum sanctorum , laying wood to the doors that were covered over with gold , and then firing it ; so after the gold waxed hot , and the timber burnt , the sanctum sanctorum was open , that all men might see it in the ninth day of the filth month , which was the very same day that it was open also in the time of the chaldees : the romans therefore rushing into the sanctum sanctorum , gave a great shout while it burnt , which when titus heard , he hastened to quench the fire , and save the sanctum sanctorum , but he could not do it , because it was set on fire in so many places : thereupon titus cried unto them , that they should forbear , but they would not hear him : for as a vehement floud of waters breaketh through all things , and drives them down before it ; with such a furious violence the gentiles rushed upon the lords temple , the fire flaming every where out of mea●…ure . when titus saw he could not restrain them from the sanctum sanctorum with words , he drew out his sword , blaming the captains of his own people , and others that were not romans he killed ; and he cried out so long and so loud upon them , that he was grown hoarse . the priests that were within the sanctum sanctorum withstood the romans stoutly , till they were able no longer to lift up their hands : wherefore when they saw there was no other safeguard left , they leaped into the fire , and divers other jews with them , and so burnt all together , saying , what should we live any longer now there is no temple ? yet titus ceased not to strike the people , and chase them from the temple , and being grown so weary , that all his strength fail'd him , he fell upon the ground , and forbore crying upon them any further . after that the sanctum sanctorum was burnt , titus arose , and entring therein●…o , he saw the glory and magnificence thereof , and believed it was the house of the lord ; for as yet the fire had not consumed all , therefore he said : now i well perceive that this is no other then the house of god , and the dwelling of the king of heaven , neither was it for nought that the jews stood so earnestly in defence thereof ; nor did the gentiles also without good cause send gold and silver to this temple from the farthest parts of the world ; for great is the glory of it , and it surpasseth all the roman , and temples of the gentiles that ever i saw . the god of heaven , who is the god of this house take vengeance of the seditious , whose mischiev●…us and hainous deeds have brought this evil upon them . chap. iv. the seditious that yet remained at jerusalem , seeing the sanctum sanctorum to be burnt , they set the rest of the temple a fire themselves , with all the houses that were filled with treasure , and all sorts of precious jewels ; and where they knew there remained yet some victuals , they set it also on fire , lest the romans should receive benefit thereby . after this the romans quenched the fire , and set up their idols and images in the temple , offering burnt offerings unto them , and blaspheming , mocking , and railing at the jews , and their laws , in presence of their idols . about that time arose one who 〈◊〉 a lye unto the seditious that remained yet in jerusalem , exhorting them to play the men , and oppose their enemies ; for now , saith he , shall the temple be built by it self , without humane hands , that god may declare his power un●…o the romans , who now glory in them●…elves , to have overcome the jews ; therefore if you fight stoutly this day the temple shall erect it self ; hereupon the seditious set furiously upon the romans , and slue many of them , which made the romans who had favoured them formerly , to kill them like sheep . these things hapned , because they gave credit to a false prophet , and marked not the signs that appeared formerly : for the year next before the coming of vespasian , there was seen a star on the temple so bright , as if a man had so many drawn swords in his hands ; and the same time this star appeared , which was at the solemn passover , that whole night the temple was light and clear as mid-day , and continued so seaven nights together . understanding men knew well enough that this was an ill augury , though others thought it good . the same time also they brought a heifer for a sacrifice , which when she was knocked down , she calved a lamb. besides , there was a certain gate called the east gate , that was never opened nor shut , but twenty men had enough to do about it , and the creaking of the hinges might be heard a far off ; this gate was found open without any mans help , and they could not shut it , till a great number joyned their strength . moreover there was discerned on the sanctum sanctorum , a whole night long the face of a man wonderfull terrible . there appeared also the same time , four chariots with horsemen , and great blasts in the skie , coming towards jerusalem . in the feast of the weeks , the priest likewise heard a man walking in the temple , and saying with a great and wonderfull terrible voice , come let us go away out of this temple , let us hence away . but especially there was one surpassed all these ; a certain man in the city , of a base degree , called joshua , began to cry upon the feast of tabernacles , in this wise ; a voice from the east , a voice from the west , a voice from the four winds of the heavens , a voice against jerusalem , a voice against the temple , a voice against the bridegroom , a voice against the bride , and a voice against the whole people . thus he cried very oft , so that they of jerusalem hated him , and said unto him , why criest thou alwaies this cry ; but the governour of the city for bad them to wrong him , supposing he was mad : therefore for four years space he never left crying out , wo to jerusalem , and to the sanctuary thereof . when the wars had begun , and the town was besieged , it fortuned as he wandred upon the walls , he added this a●…so unto his cry , woe unto my self , and with that a stone came out of an engin from the camp , that dashed out his brains . at that time also there was a writing found graven in an old stone ; what time the building of the temple shall be brought to a four square then it shall be destroyed : now when the antochia was taken and razed by the romans , and the walls of the temple were all bruised , the jews making speed to repair the ruines and dilapidations , without remembrance of the old writing , they made the temple four square . besides , these words were found in the walls of the sanctum sanctorum , when the whole building of the temple shall be four square , then shall a king reign over israel , and that king and ruler shall reign over all the land of israel . some interpre●…ed this of the king of israel ; but the priests said , it is the king of the romans . the whole roman army being now come into the temple , and the jews fled to mo●…nt sion , the romans set up their ●…dols in the lords temple , and railed at the jews ; it happened , that there came down to the romans a little boy of the priests from mount sion to a captain of the wall , keeper of the temple , desiring him to give him some water ; he taking pity on the boy , gave him some ; the boy taking the vessel the water was in , first drank himself , then ran away with the rest : the captain made shew to run after him , but let him go of pu●…pose . once when the romans were at their sacrifice with titus , some priests came and besought him , that he would not kill them , he answered , why do you wish to live now , and not rather dye with your brethren who have suffered death for gods sake , and for the sake of this house , whereupon he commanded they should be all slain . after schimeon and jehochanan sent to titus for peace : he answered , this thing ye seek too late ; but how cometh it to pass , that you beg your lives now being so few , and that ye have wasted all things so desperately : ye desire life and yet persevere in your malice , still holding your swords in your hands ; have we not now taken your city , temple , and the sanctum sanctorum . what is there left for you to put hope in ? therefore cast away your swords , and lay down your armour ; and then if you come to me , i know what i h●…ve to do , peradventure i shall be gracious unto you . schimeon and jehochanan answered ; we have sworn by the lord our god , who is god of heaven and earth th●…t we will never bear thy yoak nor serve thee , or make any peace to be subject to thee ; therefore if it be thy pleasure to shew us mercy , we will take our journey into the wilderness : in granting this , we will report to have found favour ; if not , we will remain in this place to see what manner of death we shall dye . titus hearing this , was much incensed and said , remains the pride of your hearts , and the hardness of your neck still with you , though ye be captives ? dare ye yet be so bold as to say , ye have sworn not to endure our yoak ! then titus gave commandment to the romans not to omit any opportunity to set upon the seditious , and by one means or other , to destroy schimeon and jehochanan . there was at that time , a certain man of the royall blood , whose name was serach : he accompanied with all his brethren and sons that were there with him of the kings blood , came down from the mo●…nt sion ●…o titus , who received them honorably , and gently ordered them . when jehochanan and schimeon understood that serach and the re●…t were gone , and had yielded themselves to titus , they went and set fire upon all ●…at was in the kings pallace , that the romans should have no ●…modity thereby . from thence they went to the temple , where they found certain commanders , and captains , whom titus had put in authority about the temple , of whom th●…ee were chief : one captain of the ho●…semen , t●…e second of the chariots , and the third of the footm●…n , him they killed and took h●…s companion , alive . one of them besought th●…m that had taken him , that he might be b●…ought to schimeon their captain : let him ( saith he ) do with me as he list , and in this one thing let me fin●… favour at your hands . they agreed and brought him to schimeon , who commanded his servants , as soon as he was come to slay him . but while he that was appointed to this business made delay , and killed him not by and by , he whipt down off the hill , escaped , and came to titus : who commanded him out of his sight , being wroth with him , that he had not fought unto death , rather then to be taken alive . but with the jews was he wonderfully displeased , that they had so despigh●…ully ordered his men : wherefore he commanded to kill all the jews , as many as could be found , in the ●…ets of the city , whom he would have spared before , and caused proclamation to be made throughout all his camp for their safety . then died many of the jews , ●…o that every place was full of dead bodies . the men of war of the edom●…tes which were with schimeon , perceiving how the matter went , sent embassadors to titus to desire p●…ace , and to save their lives : which when it came to schimeons ear , he went unto them , and slew the chief of them , and their noblemen : the rest of the people of the edomites fled unto titus . from that time forth , titus commanded his men to use no more cruelty to the jews . soon after fled jehochanan and s●…himeon , and hid themselves in certain caves . the rest of the chief men of the jews that were with them , seeing them now to be fled , came down from the mount to titus , and fell down upon their faces before him upon the ground , whom titus received gently ; as for the seditious that were wit●… schimeon and jehochanan , they fought till they all died together . then came forth unto titus one joshua a priest , son of schaftai , the high priest bringing with him two candlesticks of gold which were in the sanctuary , and the tables of gold , with other vessels of silver and gold , and also the holy vestures decked with gold and precious stones ; all those he gave to titus , who made him chief priest over them that remained , next unto joseph the priest : for titus gave joseph authority as well over the priests and levi●…es , as over the whole people o●… the jews . then was gorion the father of joseph that writ this history , brought out of prison , with his wife and children ; among whom was one bonian , josephs younger brother ; he was a very wise and godly priest , by whom god bestowed many benefits upon ●…e israelites : for titus left him at jerusalem , and took him not with him , as he did joseph . josephs father lived after the city was taken , twenty moneths , and died . they took also one phineas a priest , who was keeper of the treasure-house : he bewrayed and detected to the romans , all the treasures of the priests , and their vestments ; he gave also unto titus a most precious oil , with sweet odours , and perfumes , and garments also of purple , which the kings of the second temple had given . wherefore both this phineas , and joshua whom we mentioned before , transgressed the covenant of the lord , and offended god , in that they de●…ivered his jewels to the enemies of his people , which they ought not to have done , but rather to have died for the glory of the lord , as the other priests did , which cast themselves into the fire . thus was the city of jerusalem taken , with all the precious things that were therein : and ti●…us went up to mount sion , took it , and razed the walls thereof . three dayes after , jehochanan sore vext with hunger , left his place where he lurked , and came to titus , fell down before him , and kissed his feet , saying , save me o lord king. titus commanded him to be fet●…ered with iron chains , and when he had caused him to be carryed about the camp , so bound , and to be m●…cked of all men , by the space of seven dayes , he commanded to hang him , and so got he a just end , and fit reward for his cruelty . afterward came schimeon also forth of his den , being driven to it with famine . he had put on kingly apparel , and shewed himself afar off , to the roman host ; who seeing him , were afraid to go to him ; but he called unto them , and askt for some captain : then one came forth and said unto schimeon , tell me who thou art , and i will not kill thee ; schimeon answered therefore , and told him ; i am schimeon , that seditious cap-tain of the. jews , which have made you so much ado ; now i beseech thee , shew me so much favour as to b●…ing me to titus thy master , which he did : titus therefore when he saw schimeon , he commanded him to be fast bound , and to be led about the whole host , that he might be derided and mockt : afterward , he was put to a sore death ; first his head was striken off , then he was cut in many pieces , and cast unto dogs ; so he died an abominable death , being punished for his iniquity . the number of the jews , as well citizens as others , that came unto the feast to jerusalem , which were slain , partly by the romans , partly by the seditious , during the whole time of these wars , was known to be eleven hundred thousand , besides them whose number was not known ; only they were counted which were slain and buried : besides them , they also were not reckoned , that after the death of jehochanan and schimeon , died with eleazar the son of anani the priest : they that were led prisoners by titus to rome , were sixteen thousand men . so titus with joseph went to rome , leaving bonian , josephs brother at jerusalem , who was appointed to be the chief priest of them that abode there ; for joseph did request it of titus , which he performed . the seditious were all slain , in the battel which they took in hand for the peoples sake , and the temple of the lord : those also that titus took prisoners , were put to vile deaths ; for he reserved many to be mocking stocks in every city , where he passed by in the way to rome ; and in every town he commanded some of them to be brought forth , and cast unto the lions , till they were all consumed . chap. v. there were certain people at that time , dwelling amongst the mountains of ararat , that were called alanites , whose power alexander king of macedonia fearing , closed them on every side . this people although they had no knowledge of the use of iron , nor armour ; yet this was their manner , that one of them with a great pole burnt a little at the end , would put to flight a hundred good souldiers , were they never so well appointed , and armed . until this year they were alwayes shut in , but now being oppressed with a great dearth and famine throughout all the land , they sent embassadors to the people of hurkan their neighbours , requiring them that they would open thestraights of the mountains , that they might come forth with their wives & children , to seek them food . the hurkans granted their requests , and opened them the entrances of the mountains ; so they came forth , wandering here and there , spoiling divers countries , till at length they took their journey toward the mountains of the land of madai , where they found horses , namely in the desart of madai , amongst the people of ararat ; they got those horses , leapt upon them and ●…ntred the land of madai . the president o●… ruler of the country hearing thereof , fled into the highest hills , leaving his wife and children behind him for haste , he was so afraid of the alanites , knowing their valiantnesse . straightway he sent unto them embassadours to make peace with them , and he would let them have victuals upon this condition , that they would not spoil his country : they made answer , if so be he would maintain them , and let them have food for the space of one moneth , till the corn in their own country were ripe , they would return home again at the moneths end ; for we desi●…e not ( say they ) thy gold or silver , being men separa●… from all entercourse in traffick wi●…h other people , nor any thing else than food do we seek . this their request the ruler granted them , and let them have a certain grain called mill , sodden with one kind of flesh or other . the number of them was seven thousand one hundred and fifty , and five thousand one hundred and forty persons . when the moneth was ended , and the a●…anites understood the corn in their own country was ripe , they departed out of the land of madai , according as they had sworn , and returned toward their own country . and as they were in their way homeward , mithridates king of a●…arat came against them to annoy them , minding to drive them from his coasts , lest they should waste his country . therefore while they marched through this country going toward their own , mithridates made war upon them , but his men were beaten down by the alanites , like as grasse falls upon the ground when a strong man treads upon it . then one of the young men of the alanites , in despight , put a rope about mithridates's neck , and drew him after him , unto his great shame . mithridates gat out his sword , and cut asunder the rope and fled . to whom the alanites looking back , said , go thy way , get thee home and make no more war upon us hereafter ; for we were not minded to waste thy land , ●…or yet to kill thy people . for if we had ever intended it , could we not have done it long ago when as nothing is betwixt us and you , but the mountains of ararat ? but we were of this mind , that we should greatly offend to kill men of our own shape and likenesse . see now how alexander , which went about to subdue the whole earth , and to declare his power , closed us up within our land , why ? because he was afraid we should come out upon him . but we laught him to scorn when he did it . if we had listed , we could have letted him from shu●…ting us in , and to make no peace with him : but we made no reckonin●… of his doings . for it is our custom to keep us within our own country , we seek no other land , when as our own land is better than any other . it pleased us well that he inclosed us , that the cruel wild beasts which are in the mountains of ararat , could have no passage to us . the cause we came out now , was nothing else , then that we were oppressed with a great dearth , and we determined to be no longer from home , then till our own fruits were ripe , & then to return , as you see we do . if we had been minded to win your land , had we not been able utterly to have overcome you , and to have gotten the dominion over you ? but neither ye nor your country did ever delight us greatly ; for our manners differ far from yours . behold , the king of madai , when he had kept us for a moneth , we harmed him not , we are not wont to hur●… men as ye are , that cannot be content with your own state , but must desire other mens inheri●…ance . now therefore go and return to your own country , and so will we to ours , without doing you any more hurt : wherefore ye need not be afraid of us . so the alanites went home to their own countries , having slain of mithridates people , three hundred thousand men , and never a one of their own was killed . titus hearing of this , was desirous to go unto them , to let them understand his valiantnesse ; but he could not compasse it , b●…cause all his best men were spent in the wa●… at jerusalem . wherefore he determined to retu●…n to rome , after he had taken jerusalem , where he abode as yet besides the antochia . there he had intelligence that divers of the jews were gathered together , with whom was eleazar the son of anani the priest , who during the siege , fled unto a certain hold , called mezira , whereupon many of the jews resorted to him . titus hearing this , that many had joyned themselves to eleazar , feared lest after his departure , eleazar●… might from thence make an inrode , and take jerusalem , and destroy the romans , which should be no smal damage to the roman empire . wherefore he made out against him , and sent thither one silcham a noble man of rome , with a great host to besiege mezira ; but he could not get it . wherefore he sent unto titus for an iron ram , to batter the walls withal ; which after he had received it , he beat down the walls of mezira therewith . the jews seeing that , raised a great countermure within of wood and timber , which the romans set on fire and burnt . after that , they assaulted the town from morning till night , at what time the romans le●… off , supposing they were not able to prevail against eleazars defence in the dark . eleazar in the mean season , called an assembly of all the chief men of the jews that were with him , and said unto them in this wise : come hither ye seed of abraham , and kingly priesthood , which have until this day ever prevailed against the enemies of god ; let us hear your advice what is best to be done against this multitude that is come upon us at unawares . ye see that at this time chiefly it becometh us to follow the courage and valiantnesse of our forefathers , wherewith they were in time past endued : consider moreover , that every thing hath his end , and there are some times in war , when as men are wont to follow the pursuit , sometimes to flee from the same whom they pursued , and to humble themselve before them . and it is no shame to be humbled and disgraced , when as all things have their determin●…te end . albeit , whoso is of an haughty courage , he must so establish his heart , that he quail not with fear ; then shall he be deemed a valiant man. if ye therefore be of that courage that ye fear not death , then will i call ●…ou valiant men and worthy . consider the fortitude of abraham our father , and the fact that he did : for having but one only son , whom sarah bare unto him in her age , he never staggered nor stayed at it to offer him up to the lord god for a burnt-offering : for he thought not that he should kill him , but perswaded himself most certainly , that he should promote him to the life and light of the lord , forasmuch as for ●…he love of god , and at his commandment , he should have killed him . weigh the thing that josiah the just king did , who setting at nought this wretched life , and aspiring to everlasting felicity , would not avoid the jeopardy of his life , when as he might have done it . for although pharaoh necho said , he came not against him , but against the king of the chaldees , yet would not josiah hear him , but rather proceeding against pharaoh in arms , was slain in the battel , and went unto that great light in the garden of paradise , which is the lot and inheritance of the just . we know that in this world no man receives the reward of his righteousnesse , but it is laid up for him in the other world : where he shall reap the fruit of his righteousnesse , that he hath sown in this world . neither doth long life in this world profit a man to the attaining of everlasting blisse , except he work righteousnesse , and lead his soul forth of darknesse , into light : like as contrariwise , shortnesse of life hindreth no man from everlasting happinesse , if so be it , his soul have no defect in those things that pertain to the world to come . for abel which was slain of his brother , lived no long life : yet when he had ended it , he obtained everlasting rest : but cain that lived long in the world , was a wanderer and a runagate in this earth ; and after this life , went to perpetual misery . now therefore , my brethren , if we also shall live any longer , our life shall be a miserable life , and our dayes , dayes of vanity and travel : yea , our soul as long as it shall remain in this body , it shall be tossed with great tribulation : but if it once go forth then shall it rejoyce , and never be afraid . and all the dayes that it is in the body , it never leaveth weeping and mourning : for it is the spirit of life , which is hedged within the body , by ●…inewes , & bones , none otherwise then if it were bound with chains . the spirit is also that which quickneth the flesh , that is taken of the dust of the earth , for flesh cannot quicken the spirit . besides this , the spirit is that which observeth and marketh the flesh , and searcheth the works thereof , so long as it is in the body ; yea , the flesh cannot see the spirit , but the spir●…t seeth the flesh alwayes , neither is there any member of the body hid from it . the eyes also of the body , cannot perceive what time the spirit resorteth to the flesh , and departeth from the same ; for the spirit of man which is his soul , is from heaven , but the flesh is taken from the earth . wherefore the soul may ●…main without the body , but not likewise 〈◊〉 body without the soul ; and when the spiri●… comes to the flesh , it visiteth it as a neighbour is wont to go and see his neighbour , and quickeneth it ; and when again it departeth from it , the flesh dyeth , and if the soul will follow the desires of the flesh , then this is the death of the soul , but if it give no ear unto the flesh , then shall the soul come to the light of life , and the flesh shall die . wherefore the soul is glad when it departeth out of the body , like as one that hath been bound , is well contented when he 〈◊〉 dismissed out of prison . for all the while that the soul is kept closed in the flesh , it is as it were a slave , in most hard and grievous bondage under a hard master . therefore when it departeth from the body , it is glad , because it must go to the garden of paradise thus ye see that in this life , the soul is compared to a bond servant and slave . much more than this , did he discourse of the immortality and blessedness of the soul before them , which we have omitted here . and making then a digression from that , he lamented and wept most bitterly for the case of the city of jerusalem , saying : where is now ●…e city of jerusalem , that great and populous city ? where is that most beautiful city of sion , and that holy city which rejoyceth the whole earth ? o thou worship of israel , the mi●…h of our hearts , whither is thy glory come ? where is thy magnificence , o jerusalem ? where be the hill●… of the daughter of sion ? where be her kings and princes ? where be the king●… that were accustomed to come to enquire of her welfare in her gates ? where are her sages and elders , her young and most valiant men , which were jocund and merry in her streets upon her sabbaths and festival dayes ? where is her famous sanctuary , the dwelling of the almighty god ? where is the house of sanctum sanctorum , the habitation of holiness , wherein no man might set his foot but the high priest , which he never but once a year entred into , but in thee ? o jerusalem , thou wa'st once replenished with people , and renow●…ed amongst kings , beloved of god ; in thee was established the seat of the kingdom of justice and judgement , whose streets were paved with most precious marble , whose walls glistred and shine●… with the same stone ; whose gates were every one plated with gold and silver , whose walls were builded with great s●…ones most honourabl●… , whose priests in the midst of the sanctuary , ( like to angels of god , and princes of holinesse , with sacrifices and burnt-offerings ) made the lord loving to thee and thy people . how art thou now full of slain men , and carc●…ses which have perished , some by the sword , some by famine ? and how are thy sons that dwelt in thee , and the strangers also that resorted to thee , to honour thy feasts , brought to ruine now in thee ? how art thou fallen from the height of thy pride , and how art thou set afire and burnt even unto thy foundations , and art left desolate and solitary ? what eye is so hard that can behold thee ? what heart so stony that can endure to see thee ? how art thou become a burying place of carcases ? and how are thy streets made void and destitute of living creatures ? and they which heretofore were replenished with living , are now stuffed with dead ? how hath the ashes of the fire covered thee , that the sun cannot come at thee ? how do the ancient men , which in times past did fit in midst of thee , in the seat of wisdom , judgement , and justice , now fit by the carcases of their children , to drive away crows and beasts from them , having their hoary heads besprinkled with dust and ashes , instead of their glory ? and those women , thy daughters that are left , they remain in the houses of them that made thee desolate , not that they may live , but be unhallowed and polluted ? who shall see all these things in thee , and shall desire to live , rather than to die ? who , knowing the magnificence thou hadst of la●…e , and now shall see thine ignominy and dishonour of the same , will not chuse to die ? and would god we had been dead before , that we might not have seen in thee this thy reproach : o that we were without eyes , that we m●…ght not be compelled to see these mischiefs that are in the midst of thee ! and behold we live a most sorrowful life ; for our enemies even now afore we be dead , cast lots for ou●… sons and daughters , to divide them amongst them to be their servants and handmaids . when eleazar had ended this lamentation , he spake to the people that was with him●… thus : now therefore , brethren and friends , take comp●…ssion of your selves , your wives , and children , with the old men which be with you : let them not be led into bondage without all mercy , that they be not constrained to mourn under the hands of their enemies . for if you do this , ye lose without doubt all places that are prepared for you in the world of righteousness●… , neither shall ye have any part in the light of li●…e . y●…a rather with your own hands kill t●…m : for if ●…e will do so , they shall be counted as sacrifi●…s most acceptable unto god. and that done , we will , after , issue out upon our enemies , and fight against them till we die valiantly for the glory of the lord. for we will never suffer them to bind us with bonds and chains , as bondslaves in the hands of the uncircumcised . neither will we see our ancient men to be haled by the beards before our eyes most miserably , nor yet our maids , wives , and daughters , to be prophaned , unhallowed , and defloured , nor our sons crying to us , and we cannot help them . forwhat shall our life avail us , after that our land is desolate , our sanctuary razed , the romans will ravish our wives , and daughters before our eyes ; and oppress our sons with a most grievous and hard yoke ? now therefore it is better for us all to kill our wives and children , whose blood god shall accept thankfully as the blood of burnt offerings , and after we will issue out upon the romans , fight till we be all destroyed , and die for the glory of the lord our god. these men therefore went and gathered together their wives and daughters , embraced them , and kissed them saying ; is it not better for you to die in your holy country honourably , than to be led away into bondage with great ignominy and shame into the land of your enemies , and be compelled to die before the idols of the gentiles ? these sayings when the people had heard , they broke forth that night in to great sorrow , and pensivenesse , weeping and making great lamentation ; but they all confest with one accord , that they had rather die than live . therefore as soon as it was day , eleazars companions killed their wives and children , and cast their bodies into cesterns and wells that were in mezirah , covering and stopping them with earth . afterward issued e●…eazar the priest forth of the town , with all his men , and forced a battel upon the romans , of whom the jews killed a great n●…mber , and fought so long , till they all died m●…nfully for the lord god. but titus left a remnant of israel in the city jafnah , and the villages thereabout , and in the city bitter , and a●…ssa , and their villages ; in which place rabby jochanan , son of sakkai , was appointed chief . bonian the priest , younger b●…other to j●…seph the priest , was put in authority by titus for josephs sake , over all the jews which were at jerusalem . at the same time was 〈◊〉 a prince of israel put to death , and ischmael son of elischa ●…he high priest : m●…reover titus was minded to have put rabby gamaliel , father of r●…hbag to death ; but rabby joch●… son of 〈◊〉 made suice for him and obtained pardon for his life . this r●…bby jochanan was he that came forth of jerusalem in the beginning , when v●…spasian , father of titus , came first against jerusalem , whom vespasian honoured greatly ; insomuch that when he returned to rome , he commended this r●…bby jochanan to his son titus , commanding him to honour him ; for he perceived he was a wise man. titus r●…igned two years after he had taken jerusalem , an●… died . he was a very eloquent 〈◊〉 , expert in the la●…ne and greek tongue , and writ divers works in both tongues . he loved most intirely , justice and equity ; for he wasted the city of jerusalem against his will , and being compelled thereunto ; ●…ea all the mischief that came upon it , hapned through the malice and naug●…ness of the seditious , as we have touched before . the ten captivities , of the jewes . the israelites were ten times led into captivity : four times by the hands of sanherib , and four times by nabuchadnezzar , once by vespasian , and once by superstitious adrian . first invaded them sanherib , and transporthe rubenites , the gadites , and the half tribe of manosseh . he took away also the golden calf , which jeroboam the son of nebat had made : he led them into helah habor , to the river of gozan , and to the ●…ities of the medes . this captivity was in the time of pekah , the son of remaliah . the second captivity : hosea the son of ela remained , and slue pekah the son of remal●…h . after he became the servant and subject of sanherib seven years : then came sanherib the second time , and carried away the tribes of asar , isachar , zebulon , and nephtali , of whom he let go free only one of every eight ; he took away also another ●…alf that was in bethel . after the death of ahaz , raigned zedekia his son in his stead four years . the fourth year of whose raign , sanherib came and intrenched about samar●…a , besieging it three years , and at length took it , in the sixt year of the raign of hizkiahu . so led he away the israelites that were in samaria , the tribe of ephraim and mannasse ; this is the third captivity . when nebuchadnezzar had raigned eight years , he made wars against jerusalem , bringing with him the chutean hereticks out of babylon , ethiopia , hemates , avim , and sepharvavim ; and as he warred upon judea , he took in that country a hundred and fifty cities , in the which there were two tribes , juda , and simeon , whom he took with him , and caused them forthwith to be led into halah , and habar , untill the king of the ethiopians rebelled against him , whose kingdom was on the hinder parts of egypt . then taking juda and simeon with him , he made war with the king of ethiopia . so the holy and blessed god placed them in the dark mountains . here was four captivities , whereby ten tribes went into exile by sanherib . there remained yet of juda one hundred and ten thousand , and of benjamin , one hundred and thirty thousand in the city of jerusalem , over whom raigned hizkiahu . moreover sanherib came out of ethiopia , against jerusalem again , leading with him one hundred and ten thousand ; but the holy lord overthrew him there , as it is written , and the angel of the lord issuing forth , smote in the house of asar thousand men . his people therefore was slain , and no man left but sanherib and his two sons , and nebuchadnezzar , and nebuzaraden ; this slaughter was in the fourteenth year of hizk●… : from which overthrow untill the time that nebuchadnezzar invaded the jews , in the raign of jehojakim , were a hundred and seven years , the fourth year of jehojakim , came nebuchadnezzar the first time , and carried away three thousand , and twenty and three , of the tribes of juda and benjamin , and of other tribes seven thousand , all the able men , and all their power , binding them with chains ; this is the fift captivity . seven years after this captivity , came nebuchadnezzar another time unto dophna a city of antioch , from whence he led four thousand and six hundred of the tribe of juda , and of benjamin fifty thousand , of the other tribes seven thousand . this transmigration made he in babylon , which is the sixt captivity . furthermore , betwixt the sixt bondage and the seventh , were nine years of the raign of zidkiahu . when nebuchadnezzar had raigned nineteen years , he came the third time unto jerusalem , and overcoming zidkiahu ; he burnt the temple , and took away the pillars , the brazen sea , and the furnitures that solomon made , and all the vessels of the house of the lord , and the ●…reasures of the house of the king which was in jerusalem ; all the vessels he sent to babylon . he slew also of the israelites , nine hundred and one thousand , besides them that were slain to revenge the blood of zacharias . the levites stood singing a song , whiles ●…laughter was made of them ; but they were not able to finish it , before the enemies entred the temple , and found them standing in their place , with harps in their hands . therefore he carried away in this captivity , the levites which were of the seed of moses , six hundred thousand , whom when the gentiles had brought unto the rivers of babylon , they demanded of the jews , sing us a song of sion : and by and by they gnawed off the tops of their fingers with their teeth , saying , how shall we sing the song of the lord in a strange land ? and the blessed lord seeing that they would not sing a song , he enlarged them , and placed them on the further side of sambatia . moreover he translated and carried away eight hundred , and thirty two thousand , which were all of the tribe of juda , and benjamin , whereof he left in jerusalem six thousand , setting over them for their ruler , gedalia the son of ahikam , who was slain after by ishmael the son of natania , whereupon the isr●…elites being afraid , fled from their country into egypt . this is the seventh transmigration and 〈◊〉 . the . year of the raign of nebuchadnezzar , he ●…ook egypt and tyre , drowned the jews that were therein , and the nations which descended of amon and moab , and of the land bordering upon israel , and led jeremy and baruch with them into egypt : this is the eighth captivity . then the israelites that remained alive in egypt , departed unto alexandria , and remained in it untill they grew and increased unto many thousands ; and who so saw not their glory , saw no glory in his time . for there was in it the sanctuary , the altar , the offerings , incenses , the ordinance of bread , of faces , the houses of studies , and schools without number , men of great substance , riches , and power but wicked troganus made war upon them , and slew very many of them : after came alexander against them , who slew also many of them . these are the eight captivities or bondages , which befell in the first house , and time of the first temple . after the desolation of the first house seventy years , cyrus the son of esther , sent unto nehemiah , zerubbabel , baruch , and his whole society , and they builded the second house . then after four years , of the reign of cyrus , after the house was destroyed , ezra went from babylon , with forty thousand in his company , and the israelites were afflicted and vexed under cyrus for the space of . years . then came alexander the king of macedonia , and slew cy●…us , and when he had reigned tvvelve years , he died . after him came four usurpers , vvhich af●…licted the israelites . years . but after that , the sons of hasmonani came , and slevv those usurpers , and taking the dominion from them , reigned themselves . years . then reigned one herod , the servant to chasmonani , vvho killed his masters , and their vvhole family , save one ma●…d vvhom he loved . but she climbed up to the top of an house , and said , there is no body left alive of my fathers house but i alone : so she cast her self headlong from the top of the house , and died . herod did lay her in hone●… , and preserved her for the space of seven years ; there vvere that said , he had carnal copulation vvith her after she vvas dead . herod and agrippa his son , and monazab his nephevv , possessed the kingdom one hundred and three years . so hast thou four hundred and three years of the second house . then came vespasian caesar , and titus his wives son , and wasted the second house , carrying away israel unto rome . this is the ninth transmigration . moreover , bitter remained after the desolation and wasting of the temple fifty two years . after that , a●…rianus who used superstition with bones , made wars upon them , and transported israel from their country after he had spoiled it , conveying them into spain . this is the tenth captivity . this adrian vanquished the jews , ( which rebelled the second time against the romans ) with a final and utter destruction , forbidding and not suffering them , in any wise to enter into jerusalem , which he had began to fortify with very strong walls , and caused it to be called helius after his own name . he caused also a sow to be graven over the chief gate of the city , and a jew under her feet , carved in stone , in token of their subjection . a corollary . thus the ancient nation of the jews , which in former times might have been called the favorite of god almighty , was utterly destroyed , and their city demollished ; the famous city of j●…rusalem , which had been five times surprized and sacked before . first , asocheus king of egypt , after him antiochus , then pompey : and after him herod with sosius took it , yet did they not dismantle , much less destroy it . but before them the kings of babylon ruin'd it after they had possessed it years eight months and ●…ix daies after the building of it . the first founder of it was one of the princes of the cananites , ●…called in his own language the just king : and indeed he was so , for he was the first priest that sacrificed to god , and dedicated a temple there , calling the city solyma : but david king of the iews having driven out the cananites gave it unto his people to be inhabited , and after years and . months , it was destroyed by the baby●…nians . and from king david who was the first iew that raigned there un●…ill the time that titus destroyed it , were years . and from the time that it was first erected un●…ill it was thus r●…ed , were years ; yet neither the antiqui●…y , nor riches , nor fame thereof then spread over the world , nor the glory of religion , did any thing avail to hinder this hard destiny . such was the end of besieging ierusalem , when there were none left to kill more , or any thing remaining for the souldiers to get , or whereon they should exercise their courage , for they would have spared nothing that they could have spoiled ; titus c●…mmanded ●…hem to destroy the city and temple , only leaving standing certain towers that were more beautifull and stronger then the rest , viz : phasclus , hippi●…os , and mariamne , with the wall that stood on the west side , intending to keep a garrison there , and these were left to stand for monuments of their strength , and the roman valour , which had overcome a city so well fortified ; all the rest of the city they so flatted , that they who had not seen it before would not believe it had ever been inhabited . eheu quàm tenui pendent mortalia fil●… ! and now for an upshot of all that hath been said , take a short view of the whole matter : together with a true character of the jews , as they are at this day ; with the hopes and desires of all good men for their conversion . when the jews had made the full measure of their sins run over by putting to death the lord of life , gods judgements ( as they deserved , and our saviour foretold ) quickly overtook them : for , a mighty army of the romans be●…ieged and sackt the city of jerusalem , wherein by fire , famine , sword , civil discord , and forrein force , eleven hundred thousand were put to death . an incredible number it seeme●… ; yet it cometh within the compasse of our belief , if we consider that the siege began at the time of the pass●…over , when in a manner , all j●…ea was inclosed in jerusalem , all private synagogues doing then their duties to the mother-temple ; so that the city then had more guests than inhabitants . thus the passeover , first instituted by god in mercy , to save the israelites from death , was now used by him in justice , to hasten their destruction , and to gather the nation into a bundle to be cast into the fire of his anger . besides those who were slain , ninety seven thousand were taken captives ; and they who had bought our saviour for thirty pence , were themselves sold thirty for a peny . the general of the romans in this action , was titus , son to vespasian the emperour ; a prince so good , that he was styled the darling of mankind , for his sweet and loving nature ; ( and pity it was , that so good a stock had not been better grafted ! ) . so vertuously disposed , that he may justly be counted the glory of all pagans , and shame of most christians . he laboured what lay in his power , to have saved the temple , and many therein ; but the jews , by their obstinacy and desperateness , made themselves uncapable of any mercy . then was the temple it self made a sacrifice , and burnt to ashes . and of that stately structure which drew the apostles admiration , not a stone left upon a stone . the walls of the city ( more shaken with the sins of the jews de●…ending them , than with the ba●…tering ra●…s of the romans assaulting them ) were levelled to the ground ; only three towers left standing to witnesse the great strength of the place , and greater valour of the romans who conquered it . but whilest this storm fell on the unbelieving jews , it was calm amongst the chrians ; who , warned by christ's predictions , and many other prodigies , fled betimes out of the city to p●…lla ( a private place beyond jordan ) which served them instead of a little z●…ar , to save them from the imminent destruction . threescore years after , adrian the emperour re-bu●…lt the city of jerusalem , changing the situation somewhat ●…westward , and the name thereof to aeli●… . to despight the christians , he built a temple over our saviours grave , with the images of jupiter and venus : another at bethlehem , to adonis her minion ; an●… , to enrage the jews , did engrave swine over the gates of the city . who storming at the pro●…ation of their land , brake ●…o open rebellion : but were subdued by julius severus the emperour's lievtenant , an experienced captain , and many thousands slain with bencochab their counterfeit messias ( for so he termed himself ) that is , the son of a star ; usurping that prophesie , out of jacob shall a star arise ; thoug●… he proved but a fading comet , whose blazing portended the ruine of that nation . the captives , by order from adrian , were transported into spain ; the country laid waste , which parted with her people , and fruitfulnesse , both together . indeed , pilgrimes , to this day , here and there , light on parcells of rich ground in palestine , which god may seem to have left , that men may taste the former sweetnesse of the land , before it was soured for the peoples sins ; and that they may guesse the goodness of the cloth , by the ●…inenesse of the shreds . but it is barren for the generality ; the streams of milk and honey wherewith once it flowed , are now drained dry ; and the whole face of the land looketh sad , not so much for want of dressing , as because god hath frowned on it . yet great was the over-sight of adrian , thus totally to unpeople a province , and to beque●…th it to foxes and leopards . though his memory was excellent , yet here he forgot the old - 〈◊〉 ●…le ; who to prevent desolations , where they ●…ooted out the natives , planted i●… colonies of their own people . and surely the country recovered not a competency of inhabitants for some hundred years a●…ter . for , though many pilgrims came thither in after-ages , yet they came rather to visi●… , than to dwell . and such as remained there , mo●… embracing single live●… , were no breeders for posterity . if any say , that adrian did wilfully neglect this land , and prostitute it to ruine for the rebellion of the people ; yet all account it small policy in him , in punishing the jews , to hurt his own empire ; and by his vastation to leave fair and clear footing for forrein enemies to fasten on this country , and from thence to invade the neighbouring dominions : as after , the persians and saracens easily over ran and dispeopled palestine . and no wonder , if a thick medow were quickly mown . but to return to the jews ; such stragglers of them , not considerable in number , asescaped this banishment into spain ( for few hands reap so clean as to leave no gleanings ) were forbidden to enter into jerusalem , or so much as to behold it from any rise or advantage of ground . yet they obtained of the after-emperours , once a year ( namely on the tenth of august , whereon their city was taken ) to go in and bewail the destruction of their temple and people ; bargaining with the souldiers , who waited on them , to give so much for so long abiding there ; and if they exceeded the time they conditioned for , they must stretch their purses to a higher rate : so ( what st. hierom noteth ) they who bought christs blood , were then glad to buy their own tears . thus the main body of the jews was brought into spain , and yet they stretched their out-limbs into every country : so that it was as hard to find a populous city without a common sink , as without a company of jews . they grew fat on the barest pasture by usury and brokage ; though often squeezed by those christians amongst whom they lived , counting them dogs , and therefore easily finding a stick to beat them . and alwaies in any tum●…lt , when any fence of order was broken , the jews ●…ay next harmes ; as at the 〈◊〉 of richard the first , when the e●… ●…de great feasts , but the pillaged jews paid the shot . at last for their many villanies ( as fal●…fying of ●…oin , poisoning of springs , crucifying of christian children ) they were slain in some places , and finally banished out of others . out of england anno . by edward the first ; france . by philip the fair ; spain , . by ferdinand ; portugal . by emmanuel . but had these two later kings banished all jewish blood out of their countries , they must have emptied the veins of their best subjects as descended●… from them . still they are found in great numbers in turky ; chiefly in salomi●…i , where they enjoy the freest slavery : and they who in our saviours time , so scorned publicans , are now most employed in that offi●… to be the turks toll-gatherers . likewise i●… the popish parts of germany ; in pola●…d 〈◊〉 pantheon of all religions ; and amsterdan may be forfeited to the king of spain , whe●… she cannot shew a pattern of this , as of all other sects . lastly , they are thick in the pope●… dominions , where they are kept as a ●…estimony of the truth of the scriptures , and foyl to christianity ; but chiefly in pretence to convert them . but his holinesse's converting faculty , worketh the strongest at the greatest distance : for the indians he turneth to his religion , and these jews he converteth to his profit . some are of opinion of the general calling of the jews ; and no doubt , those that dissent from them in their judgements , concur in their wishes and desires . yet are there three grand hinderances of their conversion . first , the offence taken and given by the papists , amongst whom they live , by their worshipping of images ; the jews being zelots of the second commandment . secondly , because on their conversion they must renounce all their goods as ill gotten ; and they will scarce enter in at the door of our church , when first they are to climbe over so high a threshold . lastly , they are debarred from the use of the new testament , the means of their salvation . and thus we leave them in a state most pitiful , and little pitied . to give you then a right character in brief ; they are a people that know how to comply with the times , and the condition which they live in : especially if their profit be concerned in it ; reviled like dogs , and used like slaves , yet never shew so much as an angry countenance . a nation which will thrive wheresoever they come ; yet most by usury and brokage ; not lending any thing , but on pawns , and those once forfeited , never more redeemable . the best of both sexes , are said to have an unsavor●… ranknesse , not incident ( if not caused by 〈◊〉 ) ●…o other people , from whom they are as different in their habit , as in their religion . and ●…s or that , they retain still circumcision , as the badg & ●…gnisance of their nation ; but m●…ngled with many ceremonies not prescribed by the law , nor observed by the antients ; placing a void chair for the prophet elias , whom they believe to be present , though unseen , at the solemnity . and upon this they are so besotted , that they conceive the female sex uncapable of eternal life , because not capable of circumcision . and therefore use to name them with no other ceremony , then at the six weeks end , to have some young wenches lift up the cradle with the child in it , which she that standeth at the head , giveth the name unto . of their sabbath , so extreaml●… doting , that they have added to the superstitions left them by the pharisees . and herein they are so precise , that if a j●…w travel on the friday , and in the evening fall so short of his journey's end , that it amounts to m●…re than . cubits , or six furlongs , which they account a sabbath-dayes journey , there must he sit him down , and keep his sabbath , though in a wood , or field , or the high-way side , without fear of wind or weather , of thieves or robbers , or without taking order for meat or drink ; and so far have they gone in despight of christ , as to declare it unlawful to lift the oxe or asse out of a ditch , permitted in the strictest times of pharisaical rigour ; so pertinacious in retaining the difference of meats and drinks , that they will by no means sit at the same table with other men : and so precise in the dressing of it , that they will eat of no flesh , but of their own killing only ; and that too , with such cautions , and reservations , that if any of the entrails be corrupt or dislocated , they wil sell the whole beast to the christians for a very trifle ; beneficial in that only to the neighbouring christians . wine they forbear , except it be of their own planting , not so much out of dislike of that liquor ; for they are generally good fellows , and love their bellies , as for fear the wine should be baptized : a ceremony much used in the eastern parts . of the coming of their messiah so full of hopes , that there is no great warriour stirring , but they look upon him as the man , till some sad tragedy or other which suffer under that perswasion , makes them see their errour ; promising to themselves whensoever he cometh , a restitution of their kingdom , and such felicities therein , in the literal sense of some texts of scripture , which carry in them a more mystical and sacred meaning . that in good time ( but gods , not theirs ) they shall be made partakers of the several blessings which those texts do speak of , is both the hope and wish of all pious men ; who cannot chuse but grieve , to behold the natural branches so long dismembred , and cut off from the tree of life . and this they neither hope nor wish for ; but on some fair grounds presented to them by st. paul , who said expressely , that when the fulnesse of the gentiles is once come in , that then all israel shall be saved , rom. . , . the words are so plainly positive , that they need no commentary : or , if they did , we have the general consent of the antients ; besides the constant current of most modern writers , who cherish the glad hopes of their conversion to the gospel ; which the apostle doth there aim at . origen , athanasius , hierom , augustine , chrysostome , for the primitive times . beda and hugo cardinalis , in the times succeeding . farrara and thomas aq●…inas , for those of rome . calvin , beza , bullinger , and peter martyr , for the reformed churches ; besides divers others of great note so expound that text. nor want there other texts of scripture to affi●…m as much , which he that doth desire to see , may find them with the expositions of most christian writers , in a book writ by doctor willet , entituled de generali & novissima judaeorum vocatione●… and ●…hither i refer the more curious reader . out of all i shall take these words , de illorum salute spes supersit . the jews , ( saith he ) are not so wholly fallen from the favour of god ; but that there still remain some hopes of their salvation . of their salvation then by the gospel of christ , when the fulnesse of the gentiles is once come in , we conceive good hopes : but , whether there be any , of their restitution to their temporal kingdom , is a farther question ; and not so clearly evidenced in the book of god , though there be somewhat in that book , which may seem to intimate it . th●…t the opinion of being restored by the messiah to that temporal power which was taken from them by the romans , was prevalent as well amongst christs disciples , as the rest of the jews , is , as i take it , clear enough in the holy gospel . in such a kingdom , and no other , do the two sons of zebedee desire to sit , on both hands of their master . and the same was it , and no other , which all of them expected , as appeareth by the words of cleophas , luke . . that christ should have restored unto them : we thought , said he , that this would have proved the man , that should have redeemed , from what ? from sin and satan , or the curse and bondage of the law ? not so ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but from the yoke of vassallage , which the romans had so lately imposed on them , say the fathers rightly ; touching the same it was , that they moved him saying , lord , wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of israel ? act. . . in answer whereunto , our saviour makes them no denial , as unto the thing , nor tells them that they never must expect such a restauration ; but only puts them off as unto the tim●… , and bids them rest themselves on the pleasure of god the father , in whose hand the disposing of all kingdoms was ; it is not for you , saith he , to know the times and seasons , which the father hath in his own power . ver . . by which answer , ( as it seems to me ) there is a possibility of restoring to their kingdom also ; though not in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , at that very instant when they were most desirous to have it done , or at any other time sit for them to know , that being a secret which the father hath reserved to himself alone . a prayer . let the consideration of these things be unto us , as it was sometimes unto an eminent divine ( now with god ) , an occasion of prayer unto god on their behalf , saying with him in this , or to the like effect . o lord , who art righteous in all thy wayes , and holy in all thy works , we acknowledg and admire the justice of thy proceedings , in binding and hardning the jews ; as for their manifold impieties , soespecially for stoning thy prophets , despising thy word , and crucifying the lord of life . for which thou hast cursed them , according to the prediction of thy prophet , to abide many daies without a king , and without a prince , and without a sacrifice , and without an image , and without an ephod , and without teraphim . but thou , o lord , how long ? how long o lord , holy and true ? how long lord ? wilt thou be angrie for ever ? thine anger is said to endure but a moment ; but , lord , how many millions of millions of momeuts , are contained in sixteen hundred years , since thou hast first cast off thy first and antient people , the jews ? remember abraham , isaac , and jacob , not for any merit in their persons , which was none , but for the mercy in thy promises which is infinite , so frequently made , and so solemnly confirmed unto them . but o! remember the orator on thy right hand , christ jesus our lord , which was made of the seed of david according to the flesh ; and the orator in thine own bosome , thine essential and innate clemency , and let these prevail , if it may stand with thy good will and pleasure , that thy people the jews may be received into the arms of thy mercy . as once by a wilful and woful imprecation they drew the guilt of his blood on them , and on their children : so by thy free imputation , drop the merit of his blood on them , and on their children . for the speeding of whose conversion , be pleased to compose the many different judgements of christians into one truth , to unite their disagreeing affections in one love ; that our examples may no longer discourage , but invite them to the embracing of the true religion . oh mollifie the hearts , rectifie the wills , unvail the eyes , unstop the eares of those thy people , whom hitherto thou hast justly hardned : reveal to their understanding , those oracles which thou hast committed to their keeping : that so our saviour , who long since hath been a light to lighten the gentiles , may in thy time be the glorie of thy people israel , that so there may be one shepherd , and one sheepfold . grant this , o lord , for jesus christ his sake , to whom with thee , and the holie spirit , be all honour and glory , now , and for ever more . finis . a table and brief description of the chief places mentioned in the history of josephus . aco ptolemais , a city of phoenicia ; called so from ptolemy king of egypt . aielona , the name of a city belonging to the levites , and of a village not far from nicopolis , also the place whereabout ( at the prayer of joshua ) the sun stood still , while the canaanites were slain . alexandria , a city in egypt , built by alexander son of philip , king of macedon ; built in the form of a macedonian chlamys , or cloak . antiochia , a city in syria , lying on the sea-coast , built by king antiochus . aossa , a town which alexander king of the jews wan , and incompassed it with a tripl●… wall . aram , his country is at this day called syria ; he was one of the sons of shem , the son of noah . arabia , a country lying on the east and north-east of the holy land , and is divided into fe●…ix , deserta , & petraea or arabia , the happy , the desert , and the stony . ararat , a mountain of armenia , where noahs arke rested . askalon , one of the five principal cities of the philistines , built on the sea shore , distant from jerusalem . furlongs . asdotum , a very strong city of the philistines , where giants sometimes dwelt . assur assy●…ia , a country lying near the holy land , so named from assur , the son of sem. astaroth karna●…m , a city in the tribe of manasse , on the other side of jordan , in the very corner of the country of bashan , in the confines of arabia . b bethshemesh , or bethsemes , a city belonging to the priest , lying in the land of juda , in the lot of dan , afterward assigned to the levites ; the people of this city were slain by the hand of god , to the number of . for looking into the ark. bitter , a very strong city , not far from jerusalem , which the romans took by famine . c cappadocia , a little country being part of syria , called by the greeks leuco-syria . cedron , a brook which runs on the east side of jerusalem , between the city and mount olivet . cephar toco , a town in idumaea , which vespasian the emperour wan . chaldaea , a country lying north-east from palestina , the chief city whereof was babylon . caesarea , a town lying not far from the sea , in the holy land ; called also turris stratonis , and flavia colonia 〈◊〉 very strong , and re-buil●… by herod to keep th●… jews from rebellion . d damascus , a city i●… syria , lying beyon●… mount libanus six day●… journey from jerusalem , watred with two navigable rivers , abana , and pharphar . e elat , a city in idumaea , upon the coast of the red sea . edom , or idumaea , the country where the posterity of esau lived , so called from edom , the name of esau , signifying red . euphrates , called by ezechiel , chebar ; it divides babylon in the midst , and runs into the persian gulf . g galilee , a most fruitful part of the holy land , situate betwixt mount libanus , & samaria : bounded on the north with tyre , on the south , with the samaritans country , and the river jordan ; on the west with the territory of ptolemais , and mount carmel ; on the east it extends it self beyond the streams of jordan . gamala , a very strong , and almost impregnable town and castle of palestina , which was built on the top of a hill , like a bunch upon a camels back , whence the city took its name gamala ; gamal , in hebrew , signifying a camel. gaza , one of the five principal cities of the philistines , distant from the sea about two miles ; it was taken from the canaanites by the tribe of juda , caleb being their commander . gerarta , a city in the upper galilee . gilboa , the mountains upon which saul and jonathan his son , were slain by the philistines . gomorrha , acity of the canaanites near to sodom , both which were consumed by fire from heaven . goschen , a part of egypt , fruitfulin pastures , where jacob and the patriarchs were placed by pharaoh king of egypt . h hierusalem , called the holy city , was built on mountains in the midst of judaea , in the tribe of benjamin , a place c●…osen by god himself , buil●… at first by the jebusites , & by them called jebus ; the king whereof joshua slew . afterward david coming again●…t it , the inhabitants were so confident of the impregnableness of it , that in scorn they placed the lame and blind upon the walls , as accounting them sufficient defenders of so strong a place . but david , by the help of almighty god , wan the city , cast out the jebusites , ●…ebuilt it round , fortified it with a tower , and dwelt in it , making it the chief city of al the land of canaan ; afterward by reason of the building of solomons temple in that place , it was calle●… hiero●…osyma , that is , solomons temple , from the greek name next for the idolatry & shedding innocent blood in that place and land the jews were carried captive into baby●…on by nebuchadnezzar , the temple and city were destroyed by fire by the cha●…daeans ; but seventy years after that , according as the lord spake by the mouth of jeremiah the prophet , the people of the jews were by cyrus sent out of captivity into their own land , with great gifts ; besides gold and silver , and the vessels that had been taken out of the house of the lord by nebuchadnezzar , with zerubbabel 〈◊〉 the re-edifying of th●… temple , and furnishing 〈◊〉 it by artaxerxes ; aft●… ward nehemiah was 〈◊〉 thorised for the buildi●… of the wall of the city . this being done and 〈◊〉 nished by zerubbal and by nehemiah , the city being magn●… cently increased w●… buildings , afterward 〈◊〉 the machabees , and herod , thirty eight years after the death of christ , titus son to vespasian sack't the city , and destroyed it , leaving it only a garrison for the roman souldiers . sixty five year●… after that , the jews falling into rebellion , hadrian the emperour of rome , utterly destroyed what titus left standing , and commanded salt to be sown where the city stood . and thus was fulfilled what was spoken by our saviour touching the temple , that there should not be left one stone upon another . hurcan or hurcania , a region in the greater asia , having on the east the caspian sea , on the south armenia , upon the north albania , on the west iberia . i ●…buam , or jamnua , a ●…illage of the upper ga●…ee , standing upon a very ●…eep ground , which jose●…hus being governour of galilee , fortified against the romans . ●…ericho , a city in the south part of the land of canaan , situated in a fruitful soil , where grew balm , roses , sugar-canes , and abundance of dates , whence it was called the city of palms . joppe , or japho , a sea town and port of judaea built on a high promontory , from whence materials of timber and stones were brought to the building of solomons temple , from mount libanus , or lebanon . jordan , in hebrew jorden , the fairest , and biggest river in all palestina , springing up at the foot of mount libanus , running on the south of canaan , passing by many famous places , at length falls into the lake of sodom . jorpata , or jatopatae , an exceeding strong city of jerusalem , standing all well-nigh upon a rock , accessible only upon the north side . k katiim , or cittim , the nations of the greeks , so called in gen. . and in balams prophesie ; kittim ( saith he ) shall afflict ashur and eber. l lagarith , a city of edom , won by vespasian . m macedonia , a country lying in greece in the western part of it ; it was the country of king philip , & alexander his son , which wan to the greeks the persian empire . maidai , or media , a country having upon the south p●…rsia , upon the north , the hyrcanian-sea , on the west armenia & syria , on the east hyrcania and par●…hia ; which country took its name from madai , one of the sons of japhet . mesopotamia , a country which lyeth betwixt the rivers , tigris and euphrates , from which situation it was so called ; as lying in the midst of rivers . moriah , a mountain joyning very near to jerusalem , upon the east side of that city , a very steep rockie place ; in this place abraham offered to sacrifice his son isaac , and afterward upon this mountain was solomons temple built . mo●…nt olivet , so called from the plenty of olives whi●…h grew here , lying on the east side of jerusalem , and separated from the higher city by the valley of cedron . into this mountain our sav●…our christ often repaired , and offered up his prayers here unto his father . n nicopolis , a city of the holy land , otherwise called emaus . s samaria , a city standing in the tribe of ephr●…im , which after that the ten tribes fell off from the tribe of judah , was made the metropolis of the ten revolting tribes ; called sebaste in honour of augustus the emperour . scythopolis a city in syria . sennaar , the land of chaldea , where the tower of babel began to be builded seleucia , a city on the farther side of jordan in the country called gualonitis , so named from seleucus king of syria . sichem , a country near he bron , belonging to hamo●… the father of sichem from whence it is though he gave the name of h●… son , to that country of which he was prince ; and by some it is thought to be the name of that city called in the gospel sichar , a city of refuge & peculiar to the levites ; a principal city of samaria . sodom , a city which stood in the land of ●…anaan , where now is the dead-sea , destroyed by fire from heaven , for their sins . sidon , a haven , and mart town of phoenicia , being the border of the land of promise toward thenorth , and in the lot of the tribe of zabulon , although it was never conquered , nor possest by them . sinai , the mountain otherwise named horeb , upon which the almighty gave the law to moses by the ministery of angels . it was called sinai from the word in the holy tongue signifying a bush ; because god appeared there to moses , in a bush , in a flame of fire ; the bush not consumed . sion , the hill and city built on that hill , called the city of david , taken by him from the jebusites , lying on the north side of the city of j●…rusalem ; upon which the temple was built . siloe , a fountain rising out at the foot of m●…unt sion , in the west part of the valley of jehosaphat , a very clear , sweet , and large spring ; it runs into the brook cedron . schiloh , or silo , the highest mountain of all that are about jerusalem , or higher than any other mountain in the holy land ; likewise the name of the city that stands upon that hill , where the ark continued a long time with the tabernacle of the covenant , till it was taken by the philistines ; for which cause the people of israel used to meet at this place and offer sacrifices , until the time of samuel the prophet . afterward for the sins of the israelites , the city was destroyed , and the altar demolished . t tiarva , a city in galilee which vespasian took , razed , and put all the men to the sword , and sold their wives and children . tiberias , a city so named in honour of tiberius caesar , by herod the tetrarch , standing near the lake of gennezaret , called also the sea of tiberias ; it is the utmost bound of the lower galilee eastward . tyre , a city renowned in holy scripture , built upon a rock , and upon all sides incompassed by the sea ; wherefore the prophet cals her the city in the heart of the sea ; a city of incredible riches , by the abundance of her merchandise ; by the spe●…ial appointment of god , and foretellings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prophets isaiah & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , made a prey to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 king of babylon , and afterward to alexander son of philip king of mace●… 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 in the that part of the sea whic●… ran betwixt the mai●… land , and the city , wit●… stones , earth , and timber and made it continent t●… the land ; first nebuchad●…nezzar , but in short tim●… after , that city was rebuilt , and the bar of th●… sea quite demolished , & s●… the city restord to its former strength ; but alexander stopt up the sea again , sackt the city , and crucified many of th●… chief men of the city , & t●… this day that little whic●… remains of it , is annexed firmely to the continent it stood in the territory 〈◊〉 the tribe of ashur , b●… had kings of her own , ha●… ving never been in th●… hands of the israelits . a short view of the whole matter . by th. f. a true character of the jews , as they are at this day ; with the hopes and desires of all good men for their conversion . a prayer unto god for their conversion . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e tho fuller , d d. late preacher at s. mary savoy . westm. cottoni posthuma divers choice pieces of that renowned antiquary, sir robert cotton, knight and baronet, preserved from the injury of time, and exposed to publick light, for the benefit of posterity / by j.h., esq. selections. cotton, robert, sir, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) cottoni posthuma divers choice pieces of that renowned antiquary, sir robert cotton, knight and baronet, preserved from the injury of time, and exposed to publick light, for the benefit of posterity / by j.h., esq. selections. cotton, robert, sir, - . howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed for richard lowndes ..., and matthew gilliflower ..., london : . dedication signed: james howell. consists of pieces, each (except the first) have special t.p. "the life and raign of henry the third," listed in the contents, is replaced by "the danger wherein this kingdome now standeth." includes bibliographical references. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng catholic church -- england. ambassadors. prerogative, royal -- england. wager of battle. great britain -- politics and government -- - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion cottoni posthuma : divers choice pieces of that renowned antiquary sir robert cotton , knight and baronet , preserved from the injury of time , and exposed to publick light , for the benefit of posterity . by j. h. esq london , printed for richard lowndes at the white lion in duck lane , near smith-field , and matthew gilliflower at the sun in westminster-hall , . to his worthily honoured friend , sir robert pye knight , at his house in westminster . sir , the long interest of friendship , and nearness of neighbourhood , which gave you the opportunity of conversing often with that worthy baronet , who was author of these ensuing discourses , induced me to this dedicatory address . among the greeks and romans ( who were the two luminaries that first diffused the rayes of knowledge and civility through these north-west clymes , ) he was put in the rank of the best sorts of patriots , who preserv'd from putrefaction and the rust of time , the memory and works of vertuous men , by exposing them to open light for the generall good ; therefore i hope not to deserve ill of my country , that i have published to the world these choice notions of that learned knight sir robert cotton , who for his exact recerchez into antiquity , hath made himself famous to posterity . plutarch in writing the lives of others , made his own everlasting ; so an antiquary while he feels the pulse of former ages , and makes them known to the present , renders himself long-liv'd to the future . there was another inducement that mov'd me to this choice of dedication , and it was the high respects i owe you upon sundry obligations , and consequently the desire i had that both the present , and after times might bear witness , how much i am , and was sir , . nonas april . . your humble , and truly devoted servant . james howell . to the knowing reader , touching these following discourses , and their author . the memory of some men is like the rose , and other odoriferous flowers , which cast a sweeter and stronger smell after they are pluck'd ; the memory of others may be said to be like the poppie , and such vegetalls that make a gay and specious shew while they stand upon the stalk , but being cut and gather'd they have but an ill-favour'd scent ; this worthy knight may be compared to the first sort , as well for the sweet odor ( of a good name ) he had while he stood , as also after he was cut down by the common stroke of mortality ; now , to augment the fragrancy of his vertues and memory , these following discourses , which i may term , not altogether improperly , a posie of sundry differing howers , are expos'd to the world. all who ever knew this well-weighed knight , will confess ▪ [ what a great z●l●t he was to his countrey , how in all parliaments , where he fervid so often , his main endeavours were to assert the publick liberty , and that prerogative and priviledge might run in their due channels ; he would often say , that he himself had the least share in himself , but his countrey and his friends had the greatest interest in him : he might be said to be in a perpetual pursuit after vertue and knowledge ; he was indefatigable in the search and re-search of antiquity , and that in a generous costly manner , as appears in his archives and copious library ; therefore he may well deserve to be ranked among those worthies — quorum imagines lambunt hederae sequaces ; for an antiquary is not unfitly compar'd to the ivie , who useth to cling unto ancient fabriques and vegetals . in these discourses you have . a relation of proceedings against ambassadors who have miscarried themselves , and exceeded their commission . . that the kings of england have been pleased to consult with their peers in parliament for marriage of their children , and touching peace and war , &c. . that the soveraigns person is required in parliament in all consultations and conclusions . . a discourse of the legality of combats , duells , or camp-fight . . touching the question of precedency between england and spain . . touching the alliances and amity which have interven'd betwixt the houses of austria and england . . a discourse touching popish recusants , jesuits and seminaries . . the manner and means how the kings of england have supported and improv'd their states . . an answer to certain arguments urg'd by a member of the house of commons , and raised from supposed antiquity , to prove that ecclesiastical laws ought to be enacted by temporal men . . the arguments produc'd by the house of commons concerning the priviledge of every free-born subject . . a speech delivered in the house of commons assembled at oxford in the sirst year year of the last king. . a speech delivered before the councell table , touching the alteration of coyn. . valour anatomized in a fancy , by sir philip sidney . . a brief discourse concerning the power of the peers and commons of parliament , in point of judicature . . honesty , ambition and fortitude anatomized , by sir francis walsingham . . the life and raign of henry the third , complied in a criticall way . these discourses , being judiciously read , will much tend to the enriching of the understanding , and improvement of the common stock of knowledge . a relation of the proceedings against ambassadors who have miscarried themselves , &c. in humble obedience to your grace's command , i am emboldened to present my poor advice to this the greatest , and most important cause that ever happened in this state , the quiet of the kingdom , the honour of the prince , the safety of the spanish ambassadors person exposed hereby to the fury of the people , all herein involved : a consideration not the least for the reputation of the state , and government , though he little deserved it . the information made to his sacred majesty by him , that your grace should have plotted this parliament ; wherein if his majesty did not accord to your designs , then by the authority of this parliament to confine his sacred person to some place of pleasure , and transfer the regal power upon the prince : this information if it were made by a subject , by the laws of the realm were high treason , to breed a rupture between the soveraignty and the nobility , either by reports or writings , and by the common law is adjudged no less : the author yet knowing that by the representing the person of a soverain prince he is by the law of nations exempt from regal tryal , all actions of one so qualified being made the act of his master , until he disavow : and injuries of one absolute prince to another , is factum hostilitatis , and not treason . the immunity of whom civilians collect as they do the rest of their grounds from the practice of the roman state , deducing their arguments from these examples . the fabii ambassadors from rome were turned safe from the chades with demand of justice against them onely , although they had been taken bearing arms with the ethrurian their enemies : the ambassadors of the tarquines , morte affligendos romani non judicârunt , & quanqnam visi sunt ut hostium loco essent , justamen gentium voluit . and where those of syphax had plotted the murder of masinissa , non aliud mihi factum quàm quod sceleris sui reprehensi essent , saith appian : the ambassadors of the protestants at the counsell of trent , though divulging there the doctrine of the churches , contrary to a decree there enacted , a crime equivalent to treason , yet stood they protected from any punishment : so much doth public conveniency prevail against a particular mischief ; that the state of rome though in case of the most capital crime , exempted the tribunes of the people from question , during the year of office : and the civilians all consent , that legis de jure gentium indictum est & eorum corpora salva sint , propter necessitatem legationis , ac ne confundant jura comercii inter principes , the redress of such injuries , by such persons , the example of modern and best times will lead us to . vivia the popes legate was restrained by henry the second , for exercising a power in his realm , not admitted by the king , in disquiet of the state , and forced to swear not to act any thing in praejudicium regis vel regni . hen. . did the like to one of the popes ambassadors ; another flying the realm secretly , fearing , timens pelli sui , as the record saith . edward . so restraining another until he had , as his progenitors had , informed the pope of the fault of his minister , and received satisfaction of the wrongs . in the year . lewis de pratt : ambassador for charles . was commanded to his house , for accusing falsly cardinal wolsey to have practised a breach between hen. . and his master , to make up the amity with the french king ; sir michael throgmorton by charles the . of france , was so served , for being too busie with the prince of condy in his faction . doctor man in the year . was taken from his own house in madriil , and put under a guard to a straiter lodging , for breeding a scandal ( as the conde teri said ) in using by warrant of his place , the religion of his country , although he alledged the like permitted to ghusman de silva their ambassador , and to the turk no less then in spain . in the year . don ghuernon d' espes vvas ordered to keep his house in london , for sending scandalous letters to the duke d' alva unsealed . the bishop of rosse in the year . vvas first confined to his house , after to the tower , then committed for a good space to the bishop of ely his care , for medling with more business then belonged to the place of his imployment : the like was done to dr. alpin and malvisett the french ambassadors successively , for being busie in more then their masters affairs . in the time of philip the second of spain , the venetian ambassador in madrill , protecting an offendor that fled into his house , and denying the heads or justices to enter his house , vvhere the ambassador stood armed to vvithstand them , and one bodavario a venetian , whom they committed to prison , for his unruly carriage , and they removed the ambassador unto another house , until they had searched and found the offendor : then conducting back the ambassador , set a guard upon his house , to stay the fury of the people enraged . the ambassador complaining to the king , he remitted it to the supreme councel ; they justified the proceeding , condemning bodavario to lose his head , and other the ambassadors servants to the galleys , all vvhich the king turned to banishment , sending the whole process to inego de mendoza his ambassador at venice , and declaring by a publick ordinance unto that state , and all other princes , that in case his ambassadors should commit any offence , nnworthily , and disagreeing to their professions , they should not then enjoy the privilege of those officers , referring them to be judged by them vvhere they then resided . barnardino de mendoza , for traducing falsly the ministers of the state to further his seditious plots , vvas restrained first , and after commanded away in the year . the last of spanish instruments that disquieted this state , a benefit vve found many years after by their absence , and feel the vvant of it now by their reduction . having thus shortly touched upon such precedent examples , as have fallen in the vvay , in my poor observation , i humbly crave pardon to offer up my simple opinion what course may best be had of prosecution of this urgent cause . i conceive it not unfit , that vvith the best of speed , some of the chief secretarries vvere sent to the ambassador by vvay of advice , that they understanding a notice of this information amongst the common people , that they cannot but conceive a just fear of uncivil carriage towards his lordship or his followers , if any the least incitement should arise ; and therefore for quiet of the state , and security of his person , they vvere bound in love to his lordship to restrain as vvell himself as followers until a further course be taken by legal examination , vvhere this aspertion begun , the vvay they onely conceived secure to prevent the danger ; this fear in likelyhood vvill be the best motive to induce the ambassador to make discovery of his intelligence , when it shall be required : i conceive it then most fit , that the prince and your grace to morrow should complain of this in parliament , and leaving it so to their advice and justice , to depart the house , the lords at the instant to crave a conference of some small number of the commons , and so conclude of a message to be sent to the ambassador to require from him the charge and proofs ; the persons to be sent , the two speakers of the two houses , vvith some convenient company of either , to have their maces and ensigns of office born brfore them to the ambassadors gate , and then forborn , to shew fair respect to the ambassadors , then to tell them that a relation being made that day in open parliament of the former information to the king by his lordship , they vvere deputed from both houses , the great councel of the kingdom , to the vvhich , by the fundamental law of the state , the chief care of the kings safety and public quiet is committed , they vvere no less the high court of justice , or supersedeas to all others , for the examining and correcting all attempts of so high a nature as this , if it carry truth ; that they regarded the honour of the state , for the catholicks immoderate using of late the lenity of soveraign grace to the scandal and offence of too many , and this aspersion now newly reflecting upon the prince and others , meeting vvth the former distaste ( which all in publique conceive to make a plot to breed a rupture between the king and state , by that party maliciously layd ) hath so inflamed and sharpned the minds of most , that by the access of people to term and parliament , the city more filled then usual , and the time it selfe neer may day ( a time by custom apted more to licentious liberty then any other ) cannot but breed a just jealousie and fear of some disorder likely to ensue of this information , if it be not aforehand taken up by a fair legal tryal in that high court : neither want there fearful examples in this kind in the ambassadors genoa upon a far less ground in the time of parliament , and is house demolished by such a seditious tumult : the parliament therefore , as well to secure his lordships person , followers and friends , from such outrages , to preserve the honour of the state , which needs must suffer blemish in such misfortunes , they were sent thither to require a fair discovery of the ground that led his lordship so to inform the king , that they might so thereupon provide in justice and honor , and that the reverence they bear unto the dignity of his master , may appear the more by the mannerly carriage of his message . the two that are never imployed but to the king alone , were at this time sent , and that if by negligence of this fair acceptance , there should happen out any such disaster and danger , the world and they must justly judge as his own fault : if upon the delivery of this message the ambassador shall tell his charge , and discover his intelligence , then there will be a plaine ground for the parliament to proceed in examination and judgment ; but if ( as i believe ) he will refuse it , then is he author scandali both by the common and civil laws of this realm , and the parliament may adjudge it false and untrue , and declare by a public act , the prince and your grace innocent , as was that of the duke of gloucester , rich. . and of york in henry the sixth his time , then may the parliament joyntly become petitioners to his majesty , first to confine his ambasiador to his house , restraining his departure , until his majesty be acquainted with his offence , and aswell for security as for further practice to put a guard upon the place , and to make a proclamation that none of the kings subjects shall repair to his house without express leave : and to send withal a letter , with all speed , of complaint against him to the king of spaine , together with a declaration under the seals of all the nobility and speaker of the commons in their names as was hen. . to the pope against his legat , and edw. . requiring such justice to be done in this case , as by the leagues of amity , and law of nations is usual , which if the king of spain refuse , or delay , then it it transactio criminis upon himself , and an absolution of all amity and friendly intelligence , and amounts to no less then a war denounced . thus have i by your leave , and command , delivered my poor opinion , and ever will be ready to do your grace the best service , when you please to command it . that the kings of england have been pleased usually to consult with their peers in the great councel , and commons in parliament , of marriage , peace , and war. written by sir robert cotton , knight and baronet , anno . london , printed in the year . that the kings of england have been pleased usually to consult with their peers in the great council , &c. to search so high as the norman conquest , it is necessary to lay down the form and government of those times , wherein the state of affairs then lead in another form of publick councels ; for the people brought under by the sword of william , and his followers to subjected vassallage , could not possess in such assemblies the right of their former liberties , division and power having mastered them , and none of their old nobility being left either of credit or fortune , what he retained not in providence as the demesnes of the crown , or reserved not in piety for the maintenance of the church , he parted to those strangers that sailed along with him in the bark of his adventure , leaving the natives ( for the most part ) as appeareth by his survey in no better condition then villenage ; he moulded their customs to the manner of his own country , and forbore to grant the laws of the holy edward so often called for . to supply his occasions of men , mony , or provisions , he ordered that all those that enjoyed any fruit of his conquest , should hold their lands proportionably by so many knights fees of the crown , and admitted them to infeoff their followers , with such part as they pleased of their own portions , which to ease their charge they did in his and his sons time , by two infeoffments , the one de novo , the other de veteri ; this course provided him the body of his war , the money and provision was by hydage assessed on the common people ; at the consent of their lords , who held in all their signiories such right of regality , that to their vassals ( as paris saith ) quot domini tot tyranni , and proved to the king so great a curb and restraint of power , that nothing fell into the care of majesty after , more then to retrench the force of this aristocracy that was like in time to strangle the monarchy . though others foresaw the mischief betimes , yet none attempted the remedy , until king john , whose over hasty undertakings , brought in those broyls of the barons wars . there needed not before this care to advise with the commons in any publick assemblies , when every man in england by tenure held himself to his great lords will , whose presence was ever required in those great councels ; and in whose assent his dependent tenants consent was ever included . before this kings time then , we seek in vain for any councel called , he first as may be gathered ( though darkly by the record ) used their counsels and assents in the sixth year of his raign . here is the first summons in records to the peers or barons , tractaturi de magnis , & arduis negotiis , it was about a war of defence against the french ; and that the commons were admitted at this time , may be fitly gathered by this ordinance , viz. provisum est assensu archiepiscoporum , comitum , baronum , & omnium fidelium nostrorum angliae , quod novem militis per angliam inveniend . decimarum , &c. and this was directed to all the sheriffs in england , the ancient use in publishing laws : from this there is a breach until the hen. . where the next summons extant is in a plea roll of that year , but the ordinances are lost : from hence the records afford us no light until the of the same king , where then the forme of summons to bishops , lords , knights , and burgesses , are much in manner though not in matter to those of our times . this parliament was called to advise with the king pro pace assecuranda & firmanda , they are the words of the writ , and where advice is required , consutation must needs be admitted . to this king succeeded edward his son , a wise , a just , and fortunate prince , his raign , and so long to the fourth of his grandchild , we have no light of publick councels in this kind , but what we borrow in the rolls of summons , wherein the form stood various according to the occasions , until it grew constant in the form it is now , about the entrance of rich. . the journal rolls being spoiled , by the injury of times or private ends . this king in the fifth of his raign called a parliament , and therein advised with his lords and commons for suppressing of llewellen prince of wales , and hearing that the french king intended to invade some pieces of his inheritance in france , he summoned a parliament , ad tractand . ordinand . & faciend . cum praelatis proceribus & aliis incolis regni quibuslibet hujusmodi periculis & excogitatis malis sit objurand . inserting in the writ that it was lex justissima , provida circumspectione stablita : that quod omnes tangit ab omnibus approbetur . in . super ordinatione & stabilimento regis scotiae , he made the like convention . his son the second edward , pro solennitate sponsalium & coronationis , consulted with his people in his first year , in his sixth year , super diversis negotiis statum regni & expeditionem guerrae scotiae specialiter tangentibus , he assembled the state to advise ; the like he did in the eighth . the french king having invaded gascoin in the thirteenth year the parliament was called , super arduis negotiis statum , gasconiae tangentibus . and in . to consult ad refraenand . scotorum obstinentiam & militiam . before that edward the . in his first year would resolve whether peace or war with the scotish king , he summoned the peers and commons , super praemissis tractare & consilium impendere . the chancellor in anno quinto declareth from the king the cause of that assembly , and that it was to consult and resolve , whether the king should proceed with france for recovery of his signiories , by alliance of marriage , or by war ? and whether to suppress the disobedience of the irish , he should pass thither in person or no ? the year following he re-assembleth his lords and commons , and requireth their advice , whether he should undertake the holy expedition with the french king that year , or no ? the bishops and proctors of the clergy would not be present , as forbidden by the canons such councels , the peers and commons consult , applauding the religious and princely forwardness of their sovereign to this holy enterprize , but humbly advise a forbearance this year for urgent occasions . the same year , though at another sessions , the king demanded the advice of his people , whether he should pass into france to an enterview as was desired for the exepediting the treaty of marriage : the prelates by themselves , the earls and barons by themselves , and the knights of the shires by themselves , consulted apart , for so is the record ; and in the end resolved , that to prevent some dangers likely to arise from the north , it would please the king to forbear his journey , and to draw towards those parts where the perils were feared , his presence being the best prevention ; which advice he followed . in the following parliament at york the king sheweth how by their former advice he had drawn himself towards the north parts , and now again had assembled them to advise further for his proceedings , to which the lords and commons having consulted apart , pray further time to resolve , until a full assembly of the state , to which the king granting , adjourneth that sessions . at the next meeting , they are charged upon their allegiance and faith , to give the king their best advice ; the peers and commons consulting apart , deliver their opinions , and so the parliament ended in the . year the grands and commons are called to consult and advise how the domestick quiet may be preserred , the marches of scotland defended , and the sea secured from forrein enemies ; the peers and cammons having apart consulted , the commons after their desire not to be charged to counsel in things des quenx ils mont pas cognizance , answer , that the guardians of the shires , assisted by the knights , may effect the first , if pardons of felony be not granted . the care of the marches they humbly leave to the king and his counsel , and for the safeguard of the seas , they wish that the cinque ports , & marine towns , discharged for the most part from the main burthens of the in-land parts , may have that left to their charge and care , and that such as have lands neer the coasts be commanded to reside on those possessions . the parliament is the same year reassembled avisamento praelatorum , procerum , necnon communitatis , to advise de expeditione guerrae in partibus transmarinis , at this , ordinances are made for provision of ships , arraying of men for the marches , and defence of the isle of jersey , naming such in the record , as they conceive fit for the imployment . the next year de la pool accompteth in parliament the expences of the wars , a new aid is granted , and by several committees in which divers are named that were no peers of parliament , the safeguard of the seas , and defence of the borders are consulted of . in the year , de assensu praelatorum procerum & aliorum de consilio , the kings passage into france is resolved of . anno . badlesmere , instead of the councel declareth to the peers and commons , that whereas by their assents the king had undertaken the wars in france , and that by mediation of the pope a truce was offered , which then their soveraign forbore to entertain without their well allowance ; the lords consult apart , and so the commons returning by sir william trussel an answer , their advice and desire is to compose the quarrel , approve the truce , and the popes mediation . the popes undertaking proving fruitless , and delays to the french advantage , who in the mean space allied with scotland and others , practized to root out the english nation in france : this king again assembled the year following , in which the peers and commons after many days meditation , resolve to end it either by battel or peace , and no more to trust upon the mediation or message of his holiness . in the year , the chief justice thorpe declaring to the peers and commons that the french wars began by their advice first , the true after by their assents accepted , and now ended , the kings pleasure was to have their counsels in the prosecution , the commons being commanded , que ils se deveroyent trait ensemble & se quils ensenteroient monstrer au roy & aux gravitur de son consilio , who after four days consulting , humbly desire the king to be advised by his lords and others , more experienced then themselves in such affairs . to advise the king the best for his french imployments a parliament was summoned anno . herein the king for a more quick dispatch willeth the commons to elect . or . of their house to consult with the lords , these to relate to their fellows , and the conclusion general by the lords to the king. in the a great counsel is assembled , many of the lay peers , few of the clergy , and of the shires and burroughs but one a peece . this was for the prosecution of the french wars , when honorable peace could not be gotten ; but the year following a truce offered , the king forbore to entertain , until he had the consent of the peers and commons , which they in parliament accorded unto before the popes notary , by publick instrument . the dallying of the french king in conclusion of peace , and the falling off of the duke of brittany , having wrought his end with france by reputation of the english succour , is the year following declared in parliament , and their advice and aid required for the kings proceeding . in the . year he calleth a parliament to consult whether war or peace by david king of scots then offered , should be accepted ? in the . the pope demanding the tribute of king john , the parliament assembled , where after consultation apart , the prelats , lords , and commons advise the denyal , although it be by the dint of sword. in . the king declares to the peers and commons , that the french against the articles of the truce , refused payment of the moneys , and delivery of the towns , summoning la brett , and others the kings subjects in gascony to make at paris their appeals , and had forraged his of bontion , requiring , whether on their breach he might not again resume the stile and arms of france . the lords and commons had apart consulted , they advised the king to both , which he approving , altered the inscription and figure of his seal . two years after it was declared to the peers and commons , that by their advice he had again resumed the stile and quarrel of france , and therefore called their advice for the defence of the realm against the french , securing of the seas , and pursuing of the warre , of which they consult , and resolve to give the king an aid ; the like of councel and supply was the year succeeding . in the a parliament to the purposes of the other two was summoned ; and the year following the king in parliament declaring how the french combined underhand against him with spain and scotland , required their advice , how peace at home , the territories abroad , security of the sea , and charge of the war might be maintained . i have the longer insisted in observing the carriage of these times , so good and glorious , after ages having not left the journal entries of parliament so full , which with a lighter hand i will pass through . richard , his grand child succeeded to the crown , and troubles , having nothing worthy his great fortunes , but his great birth ; the first of his raign he pursued the steps of his wise grandfather , advising with peers and commons how best to resist his enemies , that had lately wronged many of his subjects upon the sea coasts . in the second year he again consulted with his people , how to withstand the scots , who then had combined with the french to break the truce . in the third he called the advice of parliament , how to maintain his regality , impaired by the popes provision , how to resist spain , france and scotland , that had raised wars against him , how to suppress his rebells in guyen and ireland , and how to defend the seas . the like in the fourth year following at winsor ; the year succeeding at a great councel , the king having proposed a voyage royal into france , now called the parliament to determine further of it , and it is worthy observation , for the most before any proposition of war or peace were vented to the commons , a debate thereof proceeded in the great councel to stay it fitter to popular advice . the quarrel of spain continuing , the duke of lancaster offered a voyage against them , so that the state would lend him money , after consultation they granted aid , but not to bind them to any continuance of wars with spain . in the sixth the parliament was called , to consult about defence of the borders , the kings possessions beyond sea , ireland and gascoyne , his subjects in portugall , and safe keeping of the seas ; and whether the king should proceed by treaty of alliance , or the duke of lancaster by force ; for the conquest of portuguall , the lords approve the dukes intention for portuguall , and the commons advise , that thomas bishop of norwich , having the popes croiceris should invade france . the same year the state was re-assembled to consult , whether the king should go in person to rescue gaunt , or send his army ; the commons after two dayes debate crave a conference with the lords , the effect is not entered in the roll , only they bid sir thomas puckering their speaker protest , that counsells for war did aptly belong to the king and his lords ; yet since the commons were commanded to give their advice , they humbly wished a voyage royal by the king ; if not , that the bishop of norwich ought with the advantage of the popes croiceris be used in that service , who accepted the charge with ill success ; he further for the commons prayed , that the kings unkle should not be spared out of the realm , before some peace be setled with the scots , and that the lord de la sparre sent with propositions from spain , may first be heard . the chancellor in the seventh year in the name of the king willeth the lords apart , and so the commons , to consult whether peace or war with scotland , or whether to resist or assail the kings adventure with spain , france , or flanders . their opinion is not entered in the rolls ( an omission usual by the clarks neglect ) only their petition is recorded , that the bishop of norwich may accompt in parliament the expence of the monies , and be punished for his faults in the service he undertook , both which are granted . at the next sessions the same year the commons are willed to advise upon view of articles of peace with the french , whether war , or such a unity should be accepted ; they modestly excused themselves as too weak to consult in such weighty affairs ; but being charged again as they did tender the honour , and right of the king , they make this answer , quils intendent que ancunes serm●s & terres que mesme lour leeige auroit ●it pur cest accord in guien si serront tenns dobt roy francois par homage & service mars ne persont uny que lour dit leeige voiroit assenter trope legierement de temer dicens francois pertiel service la villa de callis & aultres terres conquises des francoise per lespreneve verroit la comen ense faest fait si autrement lour perroit bien faire , giving their opinions rather for peace than war ; peace with france not succeeding the eighth year , the body of the state was willed to advise , whether the king in his own person , or by sending of forces against the french , spain , flanders and scotland , should proceed . this king having assembled at oxon his great counsel to advise whether he should pass the seas or no , with an army royal , and they not daring to assent without greater counsel . a parliament the tenth year to have the advice of the commons , as well as of the lords was called , and how the realm should be governed in their sovereign his absence . the truce with france was now expired , the parliament was called in the th to advise upon what conditions it should be renewed , or otherwise how the charge of the war should be susteined ; at this assembly , and by consent of all , the duke of lancaster is created duke of aquitaine , the statute of provisions now past . the commons a party in the letter to the pope . the year succeeding a parliament is called , for the king would have advice with the lords and commons for the war with scotland , and would not without their counsels conclude a final peace with france . the like assembly for the same causes was the year ensuing , the commons interesting the king to use a moderation in the law of provisions , to please at this time their holy father , so that the statute upon their dislike may again be executed ; and that to negotiate the peace with france the duke of aquitaine may rather than another be imployed . to consult of the treaty with france for peace , the king in the seventeenth calleth a parliament ( the answer of the lords is left unentred in the roll ) the commons upon their faith and allegiance charged , advised that with good moderation homage may be made , for guien an appenage of the french croine so it trench not to involve the other pieces of the english conquest , their answer is large , modest and worthy to be marked . now succeedeth a man , that first studied a popular party , as needing all to support his titles . he in the fifth year calleth a parliament to repress the malice of the duke of orleance , and to advise of the wars in ireland and scotland ( neither counsels or supplies are entred in the roll ) and to resist an invasion intended by france and brittain , he assembleth the state again , the like was the second year following for france . in this the commons confer with , for guard of the sea , and make many ordinances , to which the king assenteth , the peace with the merchants of bruce and foins is debated , and a proclamation published , as they resolved ; by the speaker the commons complain of pieces of importance lost in guien the year before , need of the defence of the borders , and sea coasts , to suppress the rebellion in wales , and disloyalty of the earl of northumberland ; they humbly desire , that the prince may be dispatched into those parts with speed , and that the castle of manlion the key of the three realms might be left to the care of the english , and not to charls of navarre a stranger , and to have a vigilant eye of the scotish prisoners . in the tenth the parliament is commanded to give their advice about the truce with scotland , and preparation against the malice of the french , his son , the wife and happy undertaker , advised with the parliament in the first year , how , to cherish his allies , and restrain his enemies ; for this there was a secret committee of the commons appointed to conferr with the lords , the matter being entred into a schedule touching ireland , wales , scotland , callis , gunien , shipping , guard of the seas , and war , provision to repulse the enemies . in the second he openeth to the parliament his title to france , a quarrel he would prosecute to death . if they allowed and ayded , death is in his assembly enacted to all that break the truce , or the kings safe conduct . the year following peace being offered by the french king , and the king of the romans arrived to effect the work , the king refuseth any conclusion until he had thereunto advice and assent of the lords and commons , for which occasion the chancellor declareth that assembly . in the fourth and fifth , no peace being concluded with france , he calleth the state together to consult about the warr , concluding a treaty of amity with sigismund king of the romans by allowance of the three estates , and entred articles into the journal rols . the same year , by the duke of bedford . in the kings absence a parliament was called , to the former purposes , as appeareth by the summons , though in the roll omitted , the like in the seventh . the treaty with france is by the prelates , nobles , and commons of the kingdom perused and ratified in the . of his raign . his son more holy then happy succeeded , adviseth him the second year with the lords and commons , for the well keeping the peace with france ; consulteth with them about the delivery of the scottish king , and the conclusion of it is confirmed by common assent . and in the third year they are called to advise and consent to a new article in the league with scotland , for change of hostages . and in the ninth conclude certain persons by name to treat a peace with the dolphin of france . the treaty at arras , whither the pope had sent as mediators two cardinals , not succeeding . the king in parliament , anno . sheweth he must either lose his title , stile , and kingdom of france , or else defend it by force , the best means for the prevention thereof he willeth them to advise him . he summoneth again the next year the state , to consult how the realm might be best defended , and the sea safe kept against his enemies . in the twentieth the commons exhibite a bill for the guard of the sea , ascertain the number of ships , assess wages , and dispose prizes of any fortune , to which the king accordeth , and that the genoways may be declared enemies for assisting the turks in the spoyl of the rhode knights , and that the privileges of the pruce and hans towns merchants may be suspended , till compensation be made to the english for the , wrongs they have done them , to which the king in part accordeth . the king by the chancellor declareth in parliament anno . that the marriage with margaret the king of sicils daughter was contracted for enducing the peace made with france , against which the lords , as not by their advice effected , make protestation , and enter it on the roll. in the . the king intended to pass in person into franch , and there to treat a peace with the king , adviseth with the lords and commons in parliament , and letters of mart are granted against the brittains , for spoyle done to the english merchants . the lord hastings , and abbot of gloucester declare in parliament anno . the preparation of the french , the breach by them of the peace , the weak defence of normandy , and the expiration shortly of the truce , requiring speedy advice and remedy . in the . it was enjoined by parliament , to provide for defence of the sea and land against the french. it was commanded by the king to the states assembled , anno . to advise for well ordering of his house , payment of the soldiers at callis , guard of the sea , raising of the siege of barwicke made by the scots against the truce , dispoiling of the number of soldiers , arrayed the last parliament , according of differences amongst the lords , restraining transportation of gold and silver , and acquitting the disorders in wales ; of all which , committees are appointed to frame bills . edward the fourth by the chancellor declareth in his seventh year to the lords and commons , that having made peace with scotland , entred league with spaine and denmark , contracted with burgundy and britany for their ayd in the recovery of his right in france , he had now called them to give their counsels in proceeding , which charge in a second sessions was again proposed unto them . the like was to another parliament in his twelfth year . after this time their journalls of parliament have not been well preserved , or not carefully entred , for i can find of this nature no record , untill the first of hen. . wherein the commons , by thomas lovell their speaker , petition the king to take to wife elizabeth daughter to edw. . to which the king at their request agreeth . the next is the third of hen. the . in which from the king the chancellor declareth to the three estates the cause of that assembly : the first to devise a course to resist the invasion of the scots , next how to acquit the quarrel between the king of castile , and the duke of geldres his allie ; lastly for assisting the pope against lewis king of france , whose bull expressing the injuries done the sea apostolick , was read by the master of the rolls in open parliament ; the chancellor , the treasurer , and other lords sent down to the commons to confer with them . the last in the d of the same year , where the chancellor remembring the many troubles the state had undergone , in doubtful titles of succession , declareth , that although the convocation had judged void the marriage of anne of cleve , yet the king would not proceed , without the counsel of the three estates : the two archbishops are sent to the commons with the sentence sealed , which read , and there discussed , they pass a bill against the marriage . in all these passages of publick counsells , wherein i have been much assisted by the painful labour of mr. elsings , clerk of the parliament , and still observe , that the soveraign lord , either in best advice , or in most necessities , would entertain the commons with the weightiest causes , either forrain or domestique , to apt and bind them so to readiness of charge , and they as warily avoyding it to eschew expence ; their modest answers may be a rule for ignorant liberty to form their duties , and humbly to entertain such weighty counsells at their soveraigns pleasure , and not to the wild fancy of any factious spirit . i will add one forrain example to shew what use have been formerly made by pretending marriages , and of parliaments to dissolve them , their first end served . maximilian the emperour , and ferdinand of spain , the one to secure his possessions in italy , the other to gain the kingdom of navarre , ( to both which the french king stood in the way ) projected a marriage of charls their grand-child , with mary the king of englands sister , it was embraced , and a book published of the benefits likely to ensue the christian world by this match , upon this ground , ferdinando beginneth to incite henry the th to war with france , presents him with succours , and designs him guien to be the mark , and dorset sent with men and munition to joyn with the spanish forces then on the borders of navarre , the noise is they came to assist ferdinand in the conquest of that kingdom , which though false , gained such reputation , that albred was disheartned , and ferdinand possesed himself of that his successors since retained , his end served , the english army weak and weather-beaten , are returned fruitless . maximilian then allureth the young and active king to begin with france on the other side , turwin and turney is now the object , whither henry goeth with victory , but better advised ( with that pittance ) makes an end by peace with france , whose aim and heart was set on millain . a new bait the old emperour findeth out to catch the ambitious young man , he would needs resign unto him the empire , too heavy for his age to bear : the cardinal sedunensis is sent over to sign the agreement , which he did ; and france must now again be made an enemy : to prevent this danger francis released his title to naples , and offereth laogitia his daughter to maximilians granchild charls , at noyon this is acted in the dark , and at arno the french commissioners came up the back stairs with florins , and they engrossed covenants , when the abused king of englands ambassador pace , went down the other ; the good cardinal returneth home , meeteth by the way this foul play of his master , and writ to the king of england , not in excuse , but in complaint , contra perfidiam principum , an honest letter . ferdinand and maximilian dead , francis and charls are competitors for the empire . henry the th is courted for his help by both ; the one with the tye of alliance ( for the infant dolphin had affyed henry the ths daughter ) the other with the like , and daughter , he will make his daughter a queen in praesente , which the dolphin cannot do , and by his favour an empress . to further france was but to win ambition to prey upon all his neighbours . the english king is won , and winneth for spain the imperial wreath , which charls in two letters i have of his own hand then thankfully confessed . from aquisgrave he cometh crowned in haste to england , wedded at windsor the kings daughter , contracteth to joyn in an invasion of france , to divide it with his father in law , by the river of rodon , and sweareth at the altar in pauls to keep faith in all . bourbon is wrought from france , and entreth the province with an army , paid with king henries money ; suffolke passeth with the english forces by picardy : but charles the emperour , who should have entred guyen-faileth , drawing away burbon from a streight siege marseilles , to interrupt francis then entred italy , and so the enterprize of france is defeated , the french king as it pavie taken prisoner by pescaro , led to grone , hurried into spain by the emperours galleys , and forced at madrid to a hard bargain ; without privity of henry the th or provision of him , who had been at the greater charge of that war. now the emperour affecteth that monarchy that hath ever since ( as some say ) infected the austrian family . rome , the fatal old seat of government , must be the seat of his empire : burbon , and after moncado are directed to surprize it . angelo the observant fryer is sent before the pope , consigned by the emperours election , who meant ( as his own instructions warrant ) to restore that right again to the imperial throne . charls will follow him from barcellona with an army ; but before , he must call a parliament at toledo , whether by election or affection , i dare not divine , that assembly maketh protestation against their masters marriage with england , and assign him isabella of portugal for a wife , the instruments are sent signed by the imperial notary to henry the th . and charls bemoneth the streight he is forced into by them , but before all this he had wrought from rome , a dispensation for his former out-hand marriage ; sending not long after gonzado ferdinando his chaplain , to invite the earl of desmon to rebell in ireland . and to invite james the first , by promise of a marriage to christian of denmarks daughter , his neece ; to enter the english borders , to busie the english king , for asking a strict accompt of that indignity . henry the th with providence and good success over-wrought these dangers , and by the league of italy he forced him to moderate conditions at the treaty of cambray , . he being made caput foederis against the emperour . i may end your honours trouble with this one example , and with humble prayers , that the catholique may have so much of princely sincerity , as not to intend the like , or my good gracious master a jealous vigilancy to prevent it , if it should , &c. that the soveraigns person is required in the great councells , or assemblies of the state , as well at the consultations as at the couclusions . written by sir robert cotton , knight and baronet . london , printed in the year . that the soveraigns person is required in the great counsels , or assemblies of the state , &c. since of these assemblies few diaries , or exact journal books are remaining , and those but of late , and negligently entred , the acts , and ordinances only reported to posterity are the rolls , this question though clear in general reason , and conveniency , must be wrought for the particular , out of such incident proofs , as the monument of story , and records by pieces leave us . and to deduct it the dearer down , some essential circumstances of name , time , place , occasion , and persons , must be in a general shortly touched , before the force of particular proofs be laid down . this noble body of the state , now called the houses in parliament , is known in several ages , by several names consilia the counsels in the old times , after magnum , commune , and generale , consilium , curia magna , capitalis , and curia regis ; sometimes generale placitum , and sometimes synodi and synodalia decreta , although aswell the causes of the common-wealth as church were there decided . the name of parliament , except in the abbots chapters , not ever heard of until the raign of king john , and then but rarely . at the kings court were these conventions usually , and the presence , privy chamber , or other room convenient , for the king in former times as now then used ; for what is the presenst house of lords , but so , as at this time , and was before the fyring of the pallace at westminster , about the seventeenth of henry the eighth , who then and there recided . improbable it is to believe the king was excluded his own privie chamber , and unmannerly for guests to barre him the company , who gave to them their entertainment . it was at first as now edicto principis , at the kings pleasure . towards the end of the saxons ; and in the first time of the norman kings , it stood in custome-grace , to easter , whitsontide , and christmas fixed . the bishops , earls , and lords , ex more , then assembled ( so are the frequent words in all the annalls ) the king of course then revested with his imperial crown by the bishops and peers assembling , in recognition of their pre-obliged faith and present service , until the unsafe time of king john , by over-potent and popular lords , gave discontinuance to this constant grace of kings , and then it returned to the uncertain pleasure of the soveraigns summons . the causes then as now of such assemblies , were provisions for the support of the state in men and money , well ordering of the church and common wealth , and determining of such causes , which ordinary courts nesciebant judicare ( as glanvill the grand judge under henry the second saith ) where the presence of the king was still required , it being otherwise absurd to make the king assentor to the judgments of parliament , and afford him no part in the consultation . the necessity thereof is well and fully deduced unto us in a reverent monument not far from that grave mans time in these words , rex tenetur omni modo personaliter interesse parliamento , nisi per corporalem agritudinem detineatur . then to acquaint the parliament , of such occasion of either house , causa est quod solebat clamor & murmur esse pro absentia regis quia res damnosa & periculosa est toto communitati parliamenti & regni cum rex à parliamento absens fuerit , nec se absentare debet , nec potest nisi duntaxat in causa supradicta . by this appeareth the desire of the state to have the kings presence in these great counsels by express necessity . i will now endeavour to lead the practise of it from the dark and eldest times to these no less neglected of ours . from the year . to neer . during all the heptarchy in all the councels remaining composed ex episcopis , abbatibus , ducibus , satrapis , & omni dignitate optimatibus ecclesiasticis scilicet & secularibus personis pro utilitate ecclesiae , & stabilitate regni pertractand . seven of them are rege praecedente and but one by deputy ; and incongruous it were and almost non-sence , to bar his presence that is president of such an assembly . the saxon monarchy under alfred , ethelred , and edgar in their synods or placita generalia went in the same practise and since . thus ethelwald appealed against earl leofrick from the county and generale placitum before king ethelred and edgira the queen , against earl goda to eldred the king at london , congregatis principibus & sapientibus angliae . in the year . under edward the confessor statutum est placitum magnum extra londinum quod normanni ex francorum consuetud . parliamentum appellant where the king and all his barons appealed goodwin for his brother alureds death , the earl denyed it , and the king replyed thus , my lords , you that are my liege men earls and barons of the land here assembled together have heard my appeal and his answer , unto you be it left to do right betwixt us . at the great councel at westminster . in easter week , the cause of the two archbishops lanfrank and thomas , ventilata fuit , in praesentia regis willielm . and after at winsor , finem accepit in proesentia regis . at the same feast in the year . ( the usual time of such assemblies ) the king , the archbishops , bishops , abbots , earls , and chief nobility of the kingdom present ( for so are the words of the records ) the cause between arsast bishop of norway , and baldwyne abbot of bury was also argued , et ventilata in publica jubet rex teneri judicium causis auditis amhorum . the diligence of his son the learned henry the first in executing of this part of his kingly function is commended to posterity , by walter mape , a learned man , trained up , and in favour with henry the second , in these words , omnia regali more moderamine faciebat , neminem volebat agere justitia vel pace . constituerat autem ad tranquilitatem omnium ut diebus vacationis , vel in domo magna subsidio copiam sui faceret , usque ad horam sextam , ( which was till twelve as we now accompt ) secum habens comites , baronet , proceres , & vavasores , to hear , and determine causes , whereby he attained the surname of leo justitiae in all stories , and so out-went in quiet guidance of the state his best progenitors . the next of his name that succeeded is remembred every where for his debates and his disputes he had in person with thomas the archbishop , and others of his part , at the great counsels both at london , clarendon , and northampton , for redress of the many complaints of the commons , against the outrages and extortions of the clergy ; one thousand five hundred and fifty seven , die penticostis apud sanctum edmundum , the same king diademate insignitus , with the bishops , abbots , earls , and barons of the kingdome , sate daily himself and heard all the debates , concerning the liberties and charters of battle abbey . the interlocutory speeches as well of the king , as lords and parties are at full related in a register of that church . the sute between the church of lincolne and saint albanes , in praesentia regis henry archepiscop . & episcop . omnium angliae , & comitum & baronum regni , was at westminster debated and ended : and had alone of memory and truth been a protector of the publick records of the state , as awe of the clergies sensure was a guard to theirs , in tempestuous times , we had not been now left to the only friendship of monkes diligence ; for example in this kind . at lincolne the archbishops , some bishops , but all the earles and barons of the realme , una cum rege johanne congregati ad colloquium de concordia regis scotiae , saith the register of that church . this use under king henry the third , needeth no further proofe , than the writ of summons ( then framed ) expressing that kings mind and practise ; it is nobiscum & praelatis & magnatibus nostris quos vocari fecimus super praemissis tractare & consilium impendere , which word nobiscum implieth plainely the kings presence ; what the succeeding practise was , from the fifteenth year of the second edward , the proper records of this inquiry ( the journall books being lost ) i am enforced to draw from out the rolls of acts , wherein sometimes by chance they are remembred . edward the second was present in parliament in the fifteenth year of his raigne at the complaint against the spencers , and at the second parliament that year , for the repeale of that banishment . in the fourth of edward the third , the king was present at the accusation of roger mortimer , but not at the tryall . and the next year in the treaty of the french affaires . in the sixth year intererat rex in causa johannis de gray & willielmi de zous . the same year the second day in parliament , the king was present at the debate about his voyage into scotland . in the fifteenth year the king in the painted chamber sitting with the lords in consultation , the archbishop after pardon prayed , that for better clearing himself , he might be tryed in full parliament by his peers ; which was granted . in the seventeenth in camera alba , now the court of requests , rex cum magnatibus conveniunt communes super negotiis regni . in the tenth of richard the second , the king departed from the parliament in some discontent , when after some time , lords are sent to pray his presence , and informe his majesty that if he forbear his presence amongst them fourty dayes , that then ex antiquo statuto , they may returne absque do●igerio regis , to their severall homes . henry the fourth began his first parliament the first of november , and was the twenty seventh of the same moneth at a debate about the duke of brittany , the thirtieth day the cause of the archbishop of canterbury was before him proposed only . the third of november he was at the debate , whether the commons had right of judicature yea or no. on the tenth he was with the lords in their consultation about the expedition against the scots ; the creation of the duke of lancaster , and prohibition of a new sect for entring his kingdom . some ordinances were at this time consulted of before him about the staple , and the sentence against haxey after dispute revoked . this king began his second parliament , the twentieth of january , and on the ninth of february was present to make agreement betwixt the bishop of norwich , and thomas of erpingham . on the twentieth day of the same moneth he was present at counsell for repressing the welch rebells ; for revocation of stipends , and concerning the priors aliens . on the . they advise before the king of the cistertians order . on the second of march of the statute of provisions the keeper of the privy seal , of relieving the two universities . and on the ninth of march , they mediate before the king a reconciliation betwixt the earl of rutland and the lord fitzwater . he also began a parliament in the fifth year upon the fifteenth of january , and on the twentieth they advise before the king of guarding the seas , and the welsh rebellion . on the eighth of february the earl of northumberland is charged before the king , and in his presence , and by his permission , divers of whom he knew no harme , were removed from the court. the next day at the petition of the commons , he took upon him to reconcile the earles of northumberland and westmerland . and on the two and twentieth of february of the earles of northumberland and dunbarre . in a parliament of of hen. the . a challenge of seate in parliament betwixt the earles of arundell and devonshire , was examined and appointed by the king with the advice of the lords . in that great capitall cause of the duke of suffolke , the of hen. . i finde not the king once present at the debates , but the duke appealing from his tryall by peerage , to the king , is brought from out of the house of lords to a private chamber , where the king after the chancellor in gross had declared his offence , and his refusall , the king himself ( but not in place of judgement ) adjudged his banishment . by the rolls of edward the fourth , it appeareth that he was many dayes , besides the first and last of parliament , and there was entred some speeches by him uttered , but that of all the rest is most of remark , the reporter then present thus tells it . this of the duke of clarence and the king , tristis disceptatio inter duos tantae humanitatis germanos , nemo arguit contra ducem nisi rex , nemo respondit regi nisi dux , some other testimonies are brought in , with which the lords are satisfied , and so formârunt in eum sententiam damnations , by the mouth of the duke of buckingham , the steward of england , all which was much distasted by the house of commons . the raigne of henry the seventh affords us upon the rolls no one example . the journall bookes are lost , except so much as preserves the passages of eight dayes in the twelfth year of his raigne ; in which the king was some dayes present at all debates , and with his own hand the one and thirtieth day of the parliament , delivered in a bill of trade then read , but had the memorials remained , it is no doubt but he would have been as frequent in his great councell of parliament , as he was in the starre-chamber , where by the register of that court it appeareth as well in debate of private causes , that toucheth neither life nor member , as those of publique care , he every year of all his raign was often present . of henry the eighth , memory hath not been curious , but if he were not often present , peradventure , that may be the cause , which the learned recorder fleetwood , in his preface to the annalls of edward the fifth , richard the third , henry the seventh , and henry the eighth hath observed in the statutes made in that kings dayes , for which cause he hath severed their index from the former : and much lay in the will of wolsey , who ever was unwilling to let that king see with his own eyes . edward the sixth , in respect of his young years may be vvell excused , but that such was his purpose it appears by a memorial of his own hand , vvho proportioning the affairs of councell to several persons , reserved those of greatest vveight to his own presence in these vvords . these to attend the matters of state , that i will sit with them once a week to hear the debating of things of most importance . unfitness by sex in his two succeeding sisters , to be so frequent present as their former ancestors , led in the ill occasion of such opinion and practise . most excellent majesty , your most humble servant in discharge of obedience and zeal , hath hastned up this abstract , vvhich in all humility he offers up unto your gracious pardon . presumption to enter the closet of your counsell is far from his modesty and duty , vvhat hath been your powerfull command , he hath made his work , vvhat is fit to be done vvith it , is only your divine judgment . he dares not say presidents are vvarrants to direct ; the success ( is as vvorthy observation ) as the knowledge of them , sometimes have made ill example by extension of regal power , through ill counsels vvith ill success . some as bad or vvorse vvhen the people have had too much of that , and the king too little , the danger no less . to cut out of either of these patterns to follovv , vvere but to be in love vvith the mischief , for the example . the clearer i present this to your highness , the nearer i approach the uprightness of your heart , the blessed fortune of your happy subjects : pardon , most sacred majesty , that i offer up unto your admired vvisdome , my vveak , but dutifull observations out of all the former gathering . in consultations of state and decisions of private plaints , it is clear from all times , the king not only present to advise and hear but to determine also , in cases criminal , and not of bloud , to bar the king a part vvere to exclude him the star-chamber , as far from reason as example . the doubt is then alone in crimes meer capital ; i dare not commend too much the times that lost these patterns , either for the causes or effects ; but vvish the one and other never more . to proceed by publick act of commons , peers , and king , vvas most usuall . appeals are given by lavv of hen. . of this in novv debate , the vvay i fear , as yet obscure , as great advice to state is needfull for the manner , as for the justice . the example in the cause of the duke of suffolke , hen. . vvhere the king gave judgement vvas protested against by the lords . that of the duke of clarence of edw. . vvhere the lords and the high stevvard the duke of buckingham gave judgement , vvas protested against by commons , in both of these the king vvas sometimes present , but vvhich of those may suit these times i dare not guess . that of primo rich. . of gomeneys and weston , accused by the commons plaint for treason , vvas tried by the lords in absence of the king , but sentenced by the lord scroop , stevvard for the king. the accused vvere of the rank of the accusers , commons and not lords : hovv this vvill make a president to judg in causes capital , a peer of parliament , i cannot tell . but if i should conceive a vvay ansvverable as well to parliament as other courts , if the king and the lords vvere tryers , and the commons assenters to the judgment to hear together the charge , and evidence ; the lords as doth the jury in other courts , to vvithdravv , to find the verdict , and then the stevvard , for the king , to pronounce the sentence . it passeth so by vvay of act and course that carrieth vvith it no exception , and likely to avoid all curious questions of your highness presence there . if your humble servant hath in this expression of his desire to do you service , presumed too far , his comfort is , that vvhere zeal of duty hath made the fault , benignity of goodness vvill grant the pardon . a discourse of the lawfullnes of combats to be performed in the presence of the king , or the constable and marshall of england . written by sir robert cotton , knight and baronet . . london ; printed in the year . a discourse of the lawfullnes of combats to be performed in the presence of the king , &c. combat . where difference could not be determined by legal proof or testimony , there was allowed the party his purgation . which was either canonicall or legall . the first by oath , and called canonicall , because it is lawfull . the other , which was either per aquam candentem , ferrum ignitum , or duellum , called vulgare , because it was brought in by the barbarous people , without the pretext of any law ; untill the gothish and lombard kings , seeing their subjects more addicted to martiall discipline than to civill government , reduced those trialls to form and rule : which constitutions are now incorporated in the civill law. from the northern nations ( of which the saxons and normans , or northmanni are part ) it was brought into this land , and although it grew long ago , both by the decrees of desiderius luitprandus , and the mother church , discontinued amongst the lombards , as soon as they grew civilized in italy ; yet it continued till of late with us , as a mark of our longer barbarisme : neither would we in this obey the see of rome ; to which we were in many respects observant children ; which , for that in the duell , condemnandus saepe abslovitur , & quia deus tentatur , decreed so often and streightly against it . in england this single combat was either granted the party by license extra-judiciall , or legall process . the first was ever from the king , as a chief flower of his imperiall crown , and it . was for exercise of arms especially . thus did richard . give leave for tournaments in five places in england ; inter sarum & winton ; inter stamford & wallingford , &c. ita quod pax terrae nostrae non infringetur , nec potestas justiciara minorabitur : for performance whereof , as likewise to pay unto the king according to their qualities or degrees , a sum of money proportionable , and that of a good value and advantage to the crown , they take a solemn oath . the like i find in e. . and e. . granted viris militaribus comitatus lincoln , to hold a just there every year . richard redman and his three companions in arms , had the licence of rich. . hastiludere cum willielmo halberton , cum tribus sociis suis apud civitat . carliol . the like did h. . to john de gray ; and of this sort i find in records , examples plentifull . yet did pope alexand. the fourth , following also the steps of his predecessors , innocentius & eugenius , prohibit throughout all christendome , detestabiles nundinas vel ferias quas vulgo torniamenta vocant , in quibus milites convenire solent ad oftentationem virium suaram & audaciae , unde mortes hominum & pericula animarum saepe conveniunt . and therefore did gregory the tenth send to edward the first his bull pro subtrahenda regis praesentia à torniamentis à partibus franciae , as from a spectacle altogether in a christian prince unlawfull : for , gladiatorum sceleribus non minus cruore profunditur qui spectat , quàm ille qui facit , saith lactantius . and quid inhumanius quid acerbius dici potest , saith saint cyprian , then when homo occiditurs in voluptatem hominis , & ut quis possit occidere peritia est , usus est , ars est , scelus non tantùm geritur , sed docetur . disciplina est ut primere quis possit , & gloria quòd periunt . and therefore great canstantine , as a fruit of his conversion ( which honorius his christian successor did confirme ) established this edict : cruenta spectacula in otio civili & domesticâ quiete non placent : quapropter omninò gladiatores esse prohibemus . and the permission here amongst us no doubt , is not the least encouragement from foolish confidence of skill , of so many private quarrells undertaken . combats permitted by law , are either in causes criminal or civil , as in appeals of treason , and then out of the court of the cons●able and marshal ; as that between essex and montford in the raign of henry the first , for forsaking the kings standard . that between audley and chatterton for betraying the fort of saint salviours in constant , the eighth year of richard the second . and that of bartram de vsano , and john bulmer , coram constabulario & mariscallo angliae de verbis proditoris , anno . h. . the form hereof appeareth in the plea rolls , anno . e. . in the case of vessey : and in the book of the marshals office , in the chapter modus faciendi duellum coram rege . in appeals of murther or robbery , the combat is granted out of the court of the kings bench. the presidents are often in the books of law ; and the form may be gathered out of bracton , and the printed reports of e. . and h. . all being an inhibition of the norman customes , as appeareth in the th . chapter of their customary ; from whence we seem to have brought it . and thus far of combats in cases criminall . in cases civill , it is granted either for title of arms out of the marshals court ; as between richard scroop and sir robert grosvenor , citsilt , and others , or for title of lands by a writ of right in the common-pleas , the experience whereof hath been of late : as in the case of paramour ; and is often before found in our printed reports , where the manner of darraigning battail is likewise ; as h. . and eliz. in the l. dyer expressed . to this may be added , though beyond the cognisance of the common law , that which hath in it the best pretext of combat ; which is the saving of christian ●loud , by deciding in single fight , that which would be otherwise the effect of publick war. such were the offers of r. . e. . and r. . to try their right with the french king body to body . and so was that between charles of arragon , and peter of terracone for the isle of sitilie , which by allowance of pope martin the th . and the colledge of cardinalls , was agreed to be fought at burdeux in aquitain . wherein ( under favour ) he digressed far from the steps of his predecessors , eugenius , innocentius , and alexander ; and was no pattern to the next of his name , who was so far from approving the combat between the dukes of burgundy and glocester , as that he did inhibit it by his bull ; declaring therein ; that it was detestabile genus pugnoe , omni divino & humano jure damnatum , & fidelibus interdictum ; and he did wonder and grieve , quod ira , ambitio , vel cupiditas honoris humani ipsos duces immemores faceret legis domini & salutis aeternae , qua privatus esset quicunque in tali pugna decederat : nam saepe compertum est superatum fovere justitiam ; et quomodo existimare quisquam potest rectum judicium ex duello , in quo immicus veritatis diabolus dominatur . and thus far combates , which by the law of the land , or leave of the soveraign , have any warrant . it rests to instance out of a few records , what the kings of england , out of regal prerogative have done , either in restraint of martial exercises , or private quarrels , or in determining them when they were undertaken : and to shew out of the registers of former times , which what eye the law and justice of the state did look upon that subject , that durst assume otherwise the sword or sceptre into his own hand . the restraint of tournaments by proclamation is so usuall , that i need to repeat , for form sake , but one of many . the first edward , renowned both for his wisedome and fortune , publice fecit proclamari , & firmiter inhiberi , ne quis , sub forisfactura terrarum & omnium tenementorum , torneare , bordeare , justas facere , aventuras quaerere , seu alias ad arma ire praesumat , sine licentia regis speciali . by proclamation r. . forbad any but his officers , and some few excepted , to carry any sword , or long bastard , under pain of forfeiture and imprisonment . the same king , in the th of his raign , and upon the marriage with the french kings daughter , commanded by proclamation , ne quis miles , armiger , seu alius ligeus aut subditus suus , cujuscunque status , aliquem francigenam , seu quemcunque alium qui de potestate & obedientia regis existerit , vpon what pretence soever , ad aliqua facta guer●●rum , seu actus armorum exigat , sub forisfactura ominum quae regi forisfacere poterit . and as in the kings power it hath ever rested no forbid combates , so it hath been to determine and take them up . thus did r. . in that so memorable quarrel between mowbray and hereford , by exiling them both . and when sir john de anestie , and tho. de chatterton , were ready to fight , candem quaerelam rex in manum suam recepit , saith the record . and de mandato regis direptum est praelium inter johannem bolmer , & bartramum de vesana in the time of henry the fourth . sir john fitz-thomas being produced before the earl of glocester , deputy of ireland , and there challenged by sir william devessy to have done him wrong , in reporting to the king , that sir william aforesaid should have spoken against the king defamatory words , of which sir john there presented a schedule : willielmus , audito tenore schedulae praedictae , dementitus est praedictum johannem , dicendo ; mentitus est tanquam falsus , & proditor , & denegavit omnia sibi imposita , & tradidit vadium in manum justiciarij , qui illud ad misit . et praedictus johannes advocavit omnia & dementitus est simil . dictum willielm . whereupon the combat was granted , and the time and place inrolled : but the process was adjourned into england before the king ; who with his counsell examining the whole proceeding , and that quia willielmus attachiatus fuit ad respondend . johanni praedicto super diffamatione principaliter , & non sit citatus in regno isto placitare in curia regis , placita de diffamationibus , aut inter partes aliquas , duellum concedere in placitis de quibus cognitio ad curiam regis non pertinet ; and for that the judge , vadia praedictorum johannis & willielmi cepit priusquam duellum inter eos consideratum & adjudicatum fuit , quod omnino contra legem est & consuetudinem regni : therefore , per ipsum regem & concilium concordatum est , quod processus totaliter adnulletur : and that the said john and willlam eant inde sine die ; salva utrique eorum actione sua si alias de aliquo in proedicto processu contento loqui voluerint . in a combat granted in a writ of right , philip de pugill , one of the champions , oppressus multitudine hominum se defendere non potuit : whereupon the people against him in perpetuam defamationem suam in eodem duello creantiam proclamabant , which the king understanding , assensu concilii statuit , quod praedict . philippus propter creantiam praedict . liberam legem non omittat , sed omnibus liberis actibus gauderet sicut ante duellum gaudere consuevit . what penalty they have incurred , that without law or license have attempted the practise of arms , or their own revenge , may somewhat appear by these few records following william earl of albemarle was excommunicated pro torniamento tento contra praeceptum regis . to which agreeth at this day for the duell the councel of trent , and that held at biturio in anno . john warren earl of surrey was fined at a thousand marks pro quadam transgressione in insultu facto in alanum de la zouch . talbois was committed to the tower for attempting to have slain the lord cromwell . and because robertus garvois insultum fecit , & percussit edwardum filium williel . mi , inquisitio facta est de omnibus tenementis & catallis praedicti roberti . edw. dallingrige accused by sir john st. leger before the kings justices pr● venatione , & aliis transgressionibus , answered , that these accusations were false , and threw down his glove , and challenged disrationare materias praedictas versu● praedictum johannem per duellum . sed quis contra legem terrae vadiavit inde duellum , he was committed to prison , quousque satisfaceret domino regi pro contemptu . sir nicholas de segrave , a baron , challenged sir john de cromwell , and , contrary to the kings prohibition , because he could not fight with him in england , dared him to come and defend himself in france : therein ( as the record saith ) subjecting as much as in him lay , the realm of england to the realm of france , being stayed in his passage at dover , was committed to the castle , & brought after to the kings bench ; and there arraigned , before the lords , confesled his fault , & submitted himself to the king , de alto & basso : wherefore judgement is given in these words , et super hoc dominus rex volens habere avisamentum comitum , baronum , magnatum , & aliorum de consilio suo , injunxit . eisdem , in homagio fidelitate & ligeantia quibus ei tenentur , quod ipsi considerent quails poena pro tali facto fuerit infligenda . qui omnes , habito super hoc consilio , dicunt quod hujusmodi factum moeretur poenam amisionis vitae , whereupon he was committed to the tower , & ro. archerd , that attended him into france , was committed to prison , arraigned , & fined at marks . in the end , & aftermuch intercession , the l. segrave was pardoned by the king , but could not obtain his liberty , until he had put in security for his good behaviour . but this course holdeth proportion with an ancient law made by lotharius the emperor in these words , de hiis qui discordiis & contentionibus studere solent , & in pace vivere noluerint , & inde convicti fuerint , similiter volumus , ut per fidejussores ad nostrum palatium veniant , & ibi cum nostris fidelibus consider●bimus quid de talibus hominibus faciendum sit . a breif abstract of the question of precedencie between england and spaine ; occasioned by sir henry nevill the queen of englands ambassador , and the ambassador of spain , at calais , commissioners appointed by the french king , who had moved a treaty of peace in the . year of the same queen . collected by robert cotton esquire , at the commandment of her majesty . anno domini . london , printed in the year . a brief abstract act of the question of precedency between england and spain , &c. precedency of the king in respect of place antiquity as a kingdom or a christian kingdom . or eminency of the throne royal or person nobility of bloud or antiquity of government . precedencie of england in respect of the antiquity of the kingdome . to seek before the decay of the roman empire the antiquity of any kingdome is meer vanity , when as the kingdomes of christendome , now in being , had their rising from the fall thereof ; at which instant vortigern a native of this isle , first established here a free kingdom four hundred and fifty years after christ , and so left it to the saxons , from whom her majesty is in discent lineal ; and it is plain , that as we were later then spain reduced under the roman yoak , so we were sooner infreed . subsequence of spain . spain since the dissolution of the roman empire entituled no king , till of late , for attalaricus from whom they would , upon slender warrant , ground their dissent , was never stiled rex hispaniae , but gothorum , and the kingdom of castile , wherein the main and fairest antiquity of spain rested , begun not before the year of christ . whereas they were but earls of castile before ; so that the kingdome of the english began ( which was alwayes as beda observeth a monarch in a heptarchie ) . years at the least before the kingdom of castile or spain . precedency of england in respect of antiquity of christian religion . joseph of aramathea planted christian religion immediately after the passion of christ , in this realm . and aristobulus one of them mentioned by saint paul , romans . was episc . brittanorum , and likewise simon zelotes . the first christian king in europe was lucius surius . the first that ever advanced the papacy of rome , was the emperour constantinus born at yorke . of whom in the roman laws near his time is written qui veneranda christianorum fide romanum munivit imperium ; and to him peculiarly more than to other emperours are these epithitons attributed , divus divae memoriae , divinae memoriae orbis liberator , quietis fundator , reipublic . instaurator , publicae libertatis auctor , magnus maximus , invictus ; restitutor urbis romae , atque orbis . and there have been more kings and princes of the bloud royall , confessors and martyrs in england , than in any one province in europe . and from ethelbert king of kent , ( converted anno ) untill this day , christianity hath been without interruption continued . subsequence of spain . in the time of claudius , saint james preached in spain ; but gained only nine souls . so did he in ireland as vincentius saith ; and they cannot count christian religion to be then planted in spain , which shortly after was first tainted with the heresie of priscilian , then with gothish arianism , and after defaced with moorish mahumetism from years after christ , in continuance years , untill ferdinando , king of arragon and castilia utterly expelled the moors . precedency of england in respect of the more absolute authority politicall . the queen of englands power absolute in acknowledging no superior , nor in vassallage to pope or emperour . for that subjection which by king john was made to inno●entius the third , after in parliament , per praeceptum domini papae septimo julii , cum fidelitate & homagio relaxatur omnino . sir thomas moore in his debellation , saith , the church of rome can shew no such deed of subjection , neither that the king could grant it of himself . and engubinus in his defence of constantines dodation , nameth not england , where he recited all the foedary kingdomes of the papacy ; the peter-pence were not duties but eleemosina regis , neither the rome-scot , but regis larga benignitas : parem non habet rex angliae in regno suo : multo fortius nec superiorem habere debet saith bracton . ipse non debet ess e sub homie , sed sub deo , & habet tantum superiorem judicem deum : likewise in appointing magistrates ; pardoning life , appeal , granting privileges , taking homage , and his jura majestatis not limited in censu nummorum , bello judicando , pace ineunda . eleutherius the pope years ago , in his epistle to lucius king of brittain , stiled him vicarius dei in regno suo ; so is the king of england in edgars lawes ; and baldus the lawyer saith , rex angliae est monarcha in regno suo ; and malmesbury , post conversionem ad fidem tot & tantas obtinuit libertates quot imperator imperia . subsequence of spain . the king of spain hath no kingdom , but is foedory either to france or castila , enthralled by oath of subjection , and vassallage , from king henry , to charles the fifth of france . ex foedere contracto : and for the netherlands , there is homage due to the french king , or the papacy , as arragon to innocentius the third , by king peter . confirmed by ferdinand and alphonsus . and from james , by the like oath , . and to sardinia and corsica the king of arragon , from the bishops of rome , were under oath of subjection invested : ex formula fiduciae . the kingdom of portugall in vassallage to the pope under an annuall tribute . and the canaries , hesperides , and gorgon islands subjected to the see of rome , under the chief rent of four hundred florins , by lewis king of spain , . of both the indies alexander did reserve the regalities of sicilia , the church is chief lord. and granado and navarre were made foedary to the pope , under julius the second . naples at every change sendeth a palfrey , as a heriot , due to the church of rome , and of the empire he holdeth the dukedom of millaine . so that it is questionable among civilians : whether he be princeps which holdeth in feodo all of others . his absolute authority restrained in arragon , by justitia arragonica . in biscay and other places , by particular reservations . and his jura majestatis in censu nummorum , bello judicando , pace ineunda &c. limited by the priviledges of the state , as at brabant and elsewhere in his spanish territories ; ex propriis constitutionibus & privilegiis . precedency of england in respect of more absolute authority ecclesiastical . her majesties power more absolute in this ( confirmed by ancient custome and privilege ) than any other christian prince . for no legat de latere in england , de jure allowed , but the archbishop of canterbury . if any admitted by courtesie , he hath no authority to hold plea in the realm , contrary to the the laws thereof : placita hen. . and before he was admitted and entered the realm , he was to take oath , to do nothing derogatory to the king and his crown . placita anno prim● henri . no man might denounce the popes excommunication , nor obey his authority on pain to forfeit all his goods , without assent of the king or his counsel . placita and edw. rot. dunelm . henry the first called a provincial councel , so did canutus and others . no appeal to rome without the kings licence : anno & edw. . inventure of bishops and churchmen , in the kings hand . ex matt. paris & hen. huntington . de gestis pontific . donelm placita . edw. . and in the edw. . where the reason of the kings ecclesiastical authority , to suspend or bestow church livings is yielded , quia reges angliae unguntur in capite . subsequence of spain . the king of spain can prescribe no custome to prohibit the popes legat , nor useth any authority penall over the clergy ; spain can produce no example of any provincial councel by call of the king for. bodin lib. . cap. . towards the end writeth , that the kings of spain , non sine magna mercede impetraverunt sixti pontificis romani rescripto ne perigrinis sacerdotia tribuerentur . appeals from the king to rome allowed . so the kings of spain , have meerly no power ecclesiastical , having dispoyled himself of all , by inthralling their kingdom to the church of rome . precedency of england , in respect of eminency of royall dignity . the kings of england are anointed as the kings of france , who only have their preheminence before other kingdoms declared by miracle , in the cure of the regius morbus , which they can effect only ; and that of antiquity : for edward the confessor healed many . . they are superiour lords of the kingdome of scotland and man , and vicarii imperii ; as edward the third and oswald intituled rex christianissimus : ve . peda lib. . . they are named filii adoptivi ecclesiae , as the emperour filius primogenitus , and the king of france , filius natu minor : vide platina . . they are accompted among reges super illustres , in this order : imperator , rex franciae , rex angliae & franciae , vide corsettus . . england in the general councels at constance and pisa , was made a nation , when as all christianity was divided into four nations , itallicam , gallicam , germanicam , & anglicam . ex lib. sacrarum ceremoniarum ecclesiae romanae . . whereupon seat accordingly was allowed at the three general councels , viz. constance , pisa , sienna , to the english ambassadors next to the emperour on the left hand , and to the king of france on the right hand : which were their ancient seats before the spaniards at basill . begun to contend for precedency . where it was in the first session ordered , that all legats should hold such their places , as they had enjoyed heretofore , according to their worth and antiquity : yet in the councel of trent the precedency of france with spain was made questionable . augustus de cavalles , as the strongest reason to bar the french interest , inferred the queen of england from her ancestors , both in respect of inheritance , conquest , and gift , de jure queen of france . by which reason when he doth shake or overthrow ( as he thinketh ) the precedency of france , he doth consequently strengthen the precedency of england . and in treaty between henry the seventh , and philip of castile , the commissioners of england did subsign betore the other , and in the treaty of marriage with queen mary , anno those of england are first rehearsed . and at burbrough anno . they gave it to her majesties ambassadors . and yet in respect of the eminency of this royal throne , to the see of canterbury was granted by vrbane , at the councel of claremount , anno . for ever , the seat in general councel , at the popes right foot , who at that time uttered these words ; includamus hunc in orbe nostro tanquam alterius orbis pontificem maximum . subsequence of spain . . the kings of castile are never anointed , neither hath the spanish throne that vertue to endow the king therein invested , with the power to heal the kings evil : for into france do yearly come multitudes of spaniards to be healed thereof . . no kingdom held in fee of him . . spain then not remembred one of the sons of the church . . the king of spain placed last after the king of england inter super illustres , by the said corsettus . . the kingdome was then comprised under itallica natio , and no nation of it self , as in old it was called iberia minor , as a member of italy , iberia major . england being britannia major . at which time the spaniard contented himself with the place next to the king of france . precedency of england before spain , in respect of the nobility of blood. her majesty in lineal discent is deduced from christian princes for years , by ethelbert a christian . and the matches of her progenitors most royal with france , germany , spain . subsequence of spain . for their antiquity of discent as kings of spain is chiefly from the earls of castilia about years since . for they cannot warrant their discent , from atalaricus the goth , and as dukes of austria from the earls of hapsburgh only about years since . their matches anciently for the most part with their subjects , and of late in their own blood . precedency of england , in respect of antiquity of government . her majesty having raigned now most happily years . this we would not have alledged , but that the spanish ambassador at basil , objected in this respect the minority of henry the sixth . her sex herein nothing prejudicial , when as both divine and humane laws do allow it , and accordingly spain , england , and hungary , insomuch , that mary queen of the last , was always stiled , rex mario hungariae . vide tilius . subsequence of spain . the king of spain yet in the infancy of his kingdome . for the precedency may be alledged , viz. the antiquity of the kingdom , when as castile , arragon , navar and portuguall , had their first kings about . the ancient receiving of the christian faith , by joseph of aramathea , simon zelotes , aristobulus , yea by st. peter , and st. paul , as theodoretus , and sophrinius do testifie . the kingdome is held of god alone , acknowledging no superiour , and in no vassalage to the emperour or pope , as naples , sicilia , arragont , sardinia , and corsica , &c. sir thomas moore denyeth , that king john , either did , or could make england subject to the pope , and that the tribute was not paid ( pag. . ) but the preter-pence , were paid to the pope , by k. john , by way of alms. the absolute power of the king of england , which in other kingdomes is much restrained . england is accompted the fourth part of christendome ; for in the councel of constance all christianity was divided , in nationem , viz. italicam , germanicam , gallicanam & anglicanam , and accordingly gave voices . england in the opinions of the popes is preferred , because in it is conteined in the ecclesiastical division , two large provinces , which had their several legatinati when as france had scantly one . the emperour is accompted major filius papae , the king of france filius minor , the king of england , filius adoptivus . the archbishops of canterbury , are accompted by the people , tanquam alterius orbis papae , and anointed to have place in general councels , at the popes right foot . the title of defensor fidei , as honourably , and as justly bestowed upon the kings of england , as christianissimus upon the french ; or catholicus upon the spaniard . edward the third , king of england , was created by the emperour , vicarius perpetuus imperii ; cum jure vitae necisque in omnes imperii ; snbditos , and the kings of england , papae vicarii , by pope nicholas the second , vide copgrave . innocentius the fourth , the pope said , vere hortus deliciarum est anglia , vere pateus inexhaustus ubi multa abundant , &c. king hen. . elected king of jerusalem by the christians . richard the first conquered the kingdome of cyprus , and gave it unto guy lusigrian , whose posterity raigned there until of late years . kings of england are superiour lords of the kingdom of scotland , and are absolute kings of all the kingdom of ireland . england is not subject to imperial and roman laws , as other kingdoms are , but retaineth her ancient laws , and pura municipialia . king henry the sixth was crowned king of france at paris . the kings of england did use the stile of a soveraign , viz. alti conantis dei , largiflua , clementiae qui est rex regum & dominus dominorum . ego edgarus anglorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omniumque regum insularumque oceani britanici circumjacentium , cunctarumque nationum quae infra cam includuntur , imperator ac dominus . a remonstrance of the treaties of amity and marriage before time , and of late , of the house of avstria and spain , with the kings of england , to advance themselves to the monarchy of europe . written by sir robert cotton , knight and baronet . london , printed in the year . a remonstrance of the treaties of amity and marriage before time , and of late of the house of avstria and spain , &c. most excellent majesty , we your lords spiritual and temporal and the commons of your realm assembled in this your parliament , having received out of your meer grace , your royal command , to declare unto your highness our advice and counsel , for the further continuing , or final breaking of the two treaties between your majesty , the emperor , and the spanish king touching the rendition of the palatinate , to the due and former obedience of your illustrious son the prince palatine ; and that of marriage , between the lady mary infant of spain , and the most excellent prince your son , now prince of wales ; we conceive it not unfit to offer up to your admired wisdom and consideration these important motives that induced our subsequent advice and resolution . by contemplation whereof , we assume to our selves that your majesty apparently seeing the infinite calamity fallen of late unto the christian world , by means of these disguised treaties of amity , and marriage before time , frequently used with your progenitors , and now lately with your self by the house of austria , and spain ; to advance themselves to the monarchy of europe , will graciously be pleased to accept our humble advice . maximilian the emperor , and ferdinand of spain uniting by marriage the possessions of the house of austria , the netherlands , arragon , castile , sciciliae , and their new discoveries , to one succeeding heir , began ( though a far off ) to see a way whereby their grandchild charls , might become the master of the western world , and therefore each endeavoured by addition of territories , to facilitate that their desired end . france was the only obstacle , whose ambition and power then was no less than theirs ; he lay in their way for gelders , by siding with duke charls ; for navarre , by protecting albert their king , for their peeces in italy , by confederation with the state of venice ; and for naples and millain by pretence of his own . they were too weak to work out their way by force , and therefore used that other of craft . lewis is offered for his daughter claude the marriage of charls their grandchild , it is at bloys accepted , and to them confirmed by oath : the claim of france to naples by this released one hundred thousand crowns yearly , by way of recognition only to france reserved , who is besides to have the investure of millain for a sum of money , which the cardinal d'amboyes , according to his masters covenant , saw discharged . ferdinand thus possessed of what he then desired , and maximilian not meaning to strengthen france by addition of that dutchy or repayment of the money , broke off that treaty to which they were mutually sworn , affiancing charls their heir to mary the daughter of henry the th ; to whose son arthur , ferdinand had married katharine his youngest daughter . this double knot with england , made them more bold ( as you see they did ) to double with france : but he prince of wales his untimely death , and his fathers that shortly followed , enforced them to seek out , as they did , another tye , the spirit and power of lewis , and their provocations justly moving it : they make up a second marriage for katharine with henry the eighth , son of henry the seventh ; and are enforced to make a bull dated a day after the popes death to dispence with it ; and consummate per verba de praesenti , by commissioners at callis , the former nuptuals of charles and mary , publishing a book in print of the benefit that should accrew to the christian world by that alliance . henry the eighth left by his father young and rich , is put on by ferdinand to begin his right to france by the way of guyen ; and to send his forces into spain , as he did , under the marquess dorset , to joyn with his father in law for that design , by reputation whereof albert of navarre was enforced to quit that state to spain ; who intended as it proved , no further use of the english army than to keep off the french king from assisting albert , until he had possessed himself of that part of navarre , which his successors ever since retain . for , that work ended , the english forces were returned home in winter , nothing having advanced their masters service . the next year to assure henry the eighth , grown diffident by the last carriage of maximilian and ferdinand , whose only meaning was to lie busying of the french king at home , to make an easie way abroad to their former ends , project to the english king an enterprise for france , to which they assured their assistance , by mutuall confederacy at mecklin ; for which bernard de mesa , and lewis de carror , for castile and arragon , and the emperor in person gave oath , who undertook , as he did , to accompany henry the eighth to turwyn . ferdinand in the mean time dispatching the vice-roy of naples into italy , to busie the french king and venetian , that the english king with facility might pursue the conquest of france . henry the eighth had no sooner distressed the french king , but ferdinand , respecting more his profit than his faith , closed with lewis , who renounced the protection of navarre and gelders , so bee and maximilian would forsake the tye they had made with henry the eighth . the vice-roy of naples is instantly recalled from bressa ; a true with spain and france concluded ; quintean sent to the emperor to joyn in it ; don john de manuel , and diego de castro imployed to work the emperor , and charles the grandchild to exchange the marriage of mary , henry the eighths sister , with reve the second daughter of the french king : and lewis himself to take elanor their neece to wife : and to clear all dispute about the conditions , a blanck is sent from spain to the french king to over-write what he please . henry the eighth perceiving this close and foul play , entertaineth an overture made by the duke de longavil then prisoner in england , for a marriage of mary his sister with the french king , which effected , the two subtile princes failed of their ends . lewis dead , and francis succeeding , he made his first entrance a league with england , the recovery of millane which he did , the protection of his neighbours , and reduction of the swisses from the imperial side , for which he imployed to them the bastard of savoy . maximilian and ferdinand seeing by this all their new purchases in danger , and that they had now no disguised marriage again to entertain the credulity of henry the eighth , they work upon his youth and honour . the emperor will needs to him resign his emperial crown ; as wearied with the weight of government and distraction of europe , which needed a more active man then his old age , to defend the liberty of subjects , and majesty of princes from the tyranny of france . that he had made the way already for him with the electors ; that he would send the cardinall sedunensis , with ample commission into england to conclude the resignation , which was done . that at aquisgrave he will meet henry the eighth , and there give up his first crown , from thence accompany him to rome , where he should receive the last right of the imperiall dignity , putting verona into his protection , then assailed by the venetians ; and giving him the investiture of millane in feodo , more imperiali , then in possession of the french , to tye his aid the faster against these states . hereupon henry the eighth concluded a defensive league with the bishop of mesa and count daciana , authorised commissioners from the emperor , arragon , castile , and sendeth his secretary master pace with money , for maximilian had already borrowed and broken to entertain the swissers into pay and confederacy against france . charles the grandchild must feign a difficulty to sway his league , untill the emperor at henry the eighths cost , was fetched from germany to the netherlands to work his nephew to it , who in the interim had closely contracted a peace by the grandfathers consent with france . no sooner had maximilian received ten thousand florins of the english king to bear his charge , but the treaty of noyon , was closely between him ; arragon and castile concluded , whereby the ten thousand crowns for recognition of naples was passd from france to the emperor , and charles himself affianced to loysia the french kings daughter , and also darkly carried , that when master pace at agno came down from the emperor with his signature of the confederacy , the french kings ambassador went up the back stairs , with six thousand florins , and the transaction of the pension of naples to maximilian , and there received his confirmation of the treaty at novon ; notwithstanding the same day the emperor looking upon his george and garter , wished to wingfield , henry the eighths ambassador , that the thoughts of his heart were transparent to his master . so displeasing was this foul play to the cardinall sedunensis , the emperors chief counsellor , that he writ contra perfidiam principum , against the falshood of his own lord , a bitter letter to the english king ; who finding again how his youth and facility was overwrought by these two old and subtill princes , his vast expences lost , his hopes of france lesned , and that of the emperor vanished ( for maximilian is now conferring the title of rex romanorum to one of his nephues ) concludeth , by mediation of the admiral of france , a peace with that king ; a marriage for the dolphin francis with the lady mary , and the re-delivery of tournay , for a large summe of money . not long after maximilian dieth , leaving the imperial crown in competition of france and castile . charles , whose desire was , as his ancestors , to weave that vvreath for ever into the austrian family , began to fear the power of his corrivall , vvith vvhom the pope then sided , and the english king stood assured by the late marriage of their two children . to draw off the pope he knew it vvas impossible , he vvas all french. to vvork in henry the eighth , he found the inconstancy of his predecessors , and the new match to lie in the vvay . to clear the one , he is fain , in his letters into england , to load his two grandfathers vvith all the former aspertions , his years , and duty , then tying him more to obedience then truth : but that he vvas a man , and himself now ; that mutuall danger vvould give assurance , vvhere otherwise single faith might be mistrusted ; france vvas in it self , by addition of britany , more potent than ever , this man had rejoyned to it some important pieces in italy , and should his greatness grow larger up by accession of the imperiall crown , how easie vvere it to effect indeed what he had fashioned in fancy , the monarchy of europe . as for the young lady , who was like to lose her husband if henry the eighth incline to this counsell , and assist castile in pursute of the emperor ; he was contented ( for loisia of france , espoused to him by the treaty at noyon , was now dead ) to make up the loss of the lady mary by his own marriage with her ; a match fitter in years , for the dolphin was an infant , as great in dignity ; for he was a king , and might by the assistance of her father be greater in being emperor . thus was henry the eighth by fears and hopes turned about again , and pacy forthwith sent to the electors with instructions & money , who so wrought that charles was in july chosen emperor : and that it was by the sole work of henry the eighth , himself by letters under his hand acknowledged . from aquisgrave , he commeth crowned the next year for england , weddeth at winsor the lady mary ; concludeth by league the invasion of france , and to divide it with henry the eighth by the river of rodon , making oath at the high altar at pauls for performance of both those treaties . hereupon france is entred by the eng●ish army , and burbon wrought from his allegiance by a disguised promise of this emperor of elianor his sister for wife , to raise forces against his master , which he did , but was paid by the english king. the french king to carry the wars from his own doors , maketh towards milan ; whereby burbon and his forces were drawn out of province to guard the imperialls in italy . at pavie they met , and the french king was taken prisoner , and forthwith transported into spain ; where at madrid the emperor forced his consent to that treaty , whereby he gained burgundy , and many portions in the netherlands ; leaving henry the eighth who had born the greatest charge of all that warre , not only there unsaved , but calling a parliament at toledo , taketh by assignment of his states , isabella of portugall to wife , procuring from pope clement a bull to absolve him of his former oaths and marriage , working not long after by ferdinandus his chaplain , the earl of desmond to rebell in ireland , and james the fifth of scotland , by promise of marriage with his neece the daughter of denmarke ; to whom he likewise sent munition , and money , to busie henry the eighth at home , that he might be the less able to requite these indignities he had so done him . and to shew that his ambition was more than his piety , he ordered by instructions , first the duke of burbon , and after hugo de monsado to surprise rome and the pope ; sending angelo an observant frier thither , whom he had assigned to the papall throne , intending to reduce the choise of the see from the cardinals again , to the empire , and there to set up a first monarchy . but his design by a needfull confederacy , as now of the pope , french king , princes of italy and others , vvith henry the eighth , vvho vvas made caput faedoris , vvas to the safety of all christian princes , prevented happily , and he himself reforced at cambray in the year one thousand five hundred twenty and nine , to re-deliver the french king , and many pieces of that crown he had vvrested avvay by the treaty of madrid , and to sit dovvn vvith moderate and fair conditions against his vvill . his vvaking ambition vvould not long let him rest , but again he plotteth to break the knot betvveen the french and english kings . to vvork this , he assureth , by contract , his assistance in furtherance of henry the eighths title to france ; and to make the greater belief , offereth a marriage to the lady mary , so she might be declared again legitimate . henry the eighth accordeth vvith him , and advanceth his army into france , vvhere he had no sooner recovered bulleyn , but the emperor catching advantage on the french kings necessities , falleth off from his former faith and promise , making up a peace perpetuall vvith france , vvhereby all claim from the crovvn of arragon , naples , flanders , arras , gelders , and other parts vvas released , and mutuall confederation for restitution of the catholick religion concluded betvvixt them both . edward the sixth succeeding his father forbears all treaties vvith spain , but those of intercourse , persisting as formerly in union vvith the princes of germany , and his other allies , preventing those expences and dangers , vvhich his fathers belief and confidence of spain had tasted of before . his sister and successor mary , entertaining that fatall amity vvith the emperour and his sonne , by marriage , embarqued her estate in a dangerous vvarre , vvhereby the realm vvas much impoverished , and callice lost . her sister of happy memory succeeding made up that breach , by that three-fold treaty at cambray , . where king philip as bound in honour , stood bound for aid in recovery of calice ; but his ovvn ends by that convocation served , he left her after to vvork out her safety her self alone ; yet fearing that a union of france and your realms , in the person of your most vertuous mother , then married into france , he under a seigned pretence of marriage , vvrought , by caraffa ▪ and his faction of other cardinalls , a stay of the popes declaration against the queen of england , more his own fears , than his love procuring it . yet the princely disposition of this noble lady , taking those pretences for reall favours , was not wanting both with her counsell and purse ; for she imployed many of her ablest ministers to mediate , and disbursed upon the assurance of brabant , and the good towns of flanders whose bonds are yet extant , for reduction of those provinces to his obedience , one hundred and fifty thousand pounds . but when she found his aim to be the violating of their ancient liberties , and in it saw her own danger involved ; her counsell advised her , not to leave the assistance of those people , france , and those other princes that lay as her self in danger , to be swallowed up in his ambitious ends , who , when he intended the conquest of her estate , to blind her with security , presented by carlo lanfranco , and the prince of parma , a proposition of peace ; graced with as many arguments of honest meaning , as his progenitors had used to her father , which she accepted , but not without a prudent suspition . for when the treaty was in height , the brought his invincible navy to invade the realm , the success whereof was answerable to his faith and honor , she left not that injury without revenge , but forced him in his after raign , to that extremity , that he was driven to break all faith with those princes that trusted him ; and paid for one years interest , about twenty five thousand millions of crowns . so lovv and desperate in fortunes your highness found him , when to all our comforts you took this crown ; then from the abundant goodness of your peaceable nature , you were pleased to begin your happy raign with general quiet , and with spain the first , which should have wrought in noble natures a more gratefull recompence than after followed : for long it was not before tyrone was heartned to rebell against your highness , and flying , had pension at rome , paid him from the spanish agent . his son odonell tirconell , and others your chiefest rebells , retained ever since in grace and pay with the arch-dutchess , at spains devotion . as soon as your eldest son of holy memory now with god , was fit for marriage , they began these old disguises , by which before they had thriven so well , &c. twenty four arguments , whether it be more expedient to suppress popish practises against the due allegeance of his majesty . by the strict executions touching jesuits and seminary priests ? or , to restrain them to close prisons , during life , if no reformation follow ? written by sir robert cotton , knight and baronet . london , printed in the year . twenty four arguments whether it be more expedient to suppress popish practises against the due allegeance to his majesty . by the strict execution touching jesuits , and seminary priests , &c. i am not ignorant , that this latter age hath brought forth a swarm of busie heads , which measure the great mysteries of state , by the rule of their self-conceited wisdomes ; but if they would consider , that the commonwealth , governed by grave counsellors , is like unto a ship directed by a skilfull pilot , vvhom the necessities of occasions , and grounds of reason , vvhy he steereth to this , or that point of the compass , are better knovvn , then to those that stand a loof off , they vvould perhaps be more sparing , if not more vvary in their resolutions ; for my ovvn particular i must confess , that i am naturally too much inclined to his opinion , vvho once said , qui bene latuit , bene vixit , and freshly calling to mind the saying of functius to his friend , at the hour of his untimely death , disce meo exemplo mandato munere fungi : et fuge seu pestem — i could easily forbeare to make my hand-vvriting the record of my opinion , vvhich nevertheless i protest to maintain rather deliberatively , than by the vvay of a conclusive assertion ; therefore vvithout vvasting precious time any longer vvith needless prologues , i vvill briefly set dovvn the question in the terms follovving , viz. wh●ther it be more expedient to suppres popish practises , against the due allegiance to his majesty , by the strict execution touching jesuit● and seminary priests : or to restrain them to close prisons , during life , if no reformation follow . in favour of the first division . i. there are not few , who grounding themselves on an antient proverb , a dead man bites not , affirm , that such are dangerous to be preserved alive , who being guilty , condemned , and full of fear , are likely for purchase of life and liberty , to inlarge their uttermost in desperate adventures , against their king and countrey . ii. no less is it to be feared , that while the sword of justice is remiss , in cutting off heinous offendors against the dignity of the crown , the mis-led papall multitude , in the interim , may enter into a jealous suspence , whether that forbearance proceed from fear of exasperating their desperate humours , or that it is now become questionable , whether the execution of their priests , be simply for matter of state , or pretended quarrel for religon . iii. and whereas in a remediless inconvenience , it is lawful to use the extremity of laws against some few , that many by the terrour of the example , may be reformed ; what hope can there be that clemency may tame their hearts , who interpret his majesties grace in transporting their priests out of his realm , to be a meer shift to rid the prisons of those whom conscience could not condemn of any capital crime . iv. neither are their vaunting whisperings to be neglected , by which they seek to confirm the fearful souls of their party , and to inveigle the ignorant , doubtful or discontented persons : for if the glorious extolling of their powerful friends , and the expectance of a golden day , be suffered to win credit with the meaner fort , the relapse cannot be small , or the means easie to reform the error , without a general combustion of the state. v. let experience speak somewhat in this behalf , which hath evidently descryed , within the current of few years , that the forbearance of severity , hath multiplied their roll in such manner , that it remains as a corrosive to thousands of his majesties well-affected subjects . vi. to what purpose serves it to muster the names of the protestants , or to vaunt them to be ten for one of the roman faction ? as if bare figures of numeration could prevail against an united party , resolved , and advised before hand , how to turn their faces with assurance , unto all dangers , while in the mean time , the protestants neastling in vain security , suffer the weed to grow up that threatneth their hane and merciless ruine . vii . sometime the oath of supremacy choaked their presumptuous imaginations ; and yet could not that infernal smoke be smothered , nor the locusts issuing thereout be wholly cleansed from the face of this land. now that the temporal power of the king , conteined in the oath of allegiance , is by the papall see , and many of the adorers thereof , impudently avowed to be unlawful ; shall the broachers of such doctrine be suffered to live , yea and to live and be relieved of us , for whose destruction they groan daily ? viii . to be a right popish-priest , in true english sense , is to bear the character of a disloyal renegado of his natural obedience to his soveraign , whom if by connivency he shall let slip , or chastise with a light hand , what immunity may not traiterous delinquents in lesser degrees expect , or challenge , after a sort , in equity and justice ? ix . if there were no receivers , there would be no theeves : likewise if there were no harbourers of the jesuits , it is to be presumed , that they would not trouble this isle with their presence , therefore rigor must be extended against the receiver , that the jesuits may be kept out of dores ; were it then indifferent justice , to hang up the accessary , and let the principal go free , namely to suffer the priest to draw his breath at length , whiles the entertainer of him under his roof submits his body to the executioners hands ? without doubt if it be fit to forbear the chief , it will be necessary to receive the second offender in , to protection , wherewith a mischief must ensue of continual expence , and scandalous restraint of so great a number . x. reputation is one of the principal arteries of the common-wealth , which maxime , is so well known to the secretaries of the papacy , that by private forgeries , and publique impressions of calumniations , they endeavour to wound us in that vital part ; howsoever therefore some few of that stamp , being better tempered then their fellows in defence of this present government , have not spared to affirm that tyranny is unjustly ascribed thereunto , for so much as freedome of conscience after a sort may be redeemed for money , notwithstanding there want not many pamphleters of their side , who approbriously cast in our teeths , the converting of the penalty inflicted on recusants , and refusers of the oath of allegiance , from the kings exchequor , to a particular purse , sure we cannot presume , that those libellers may be diswaded from spitting out their venome maliciously against us , when they shall see their priests mewed up without further process of law , for either they will attribute this calm dealing to the justice of their cause , the strength of their party , or patience ; or that tract of time hath discovered out laws , importing over much sharpness in good pollicy to be thought fitter for abrogation , by non-usance , than repealed by a publique decree . xi . moreover it is fore-thought , by some , tht if these seminaries be only restrained , they may prove hereafter like a snake kept in the bosome , such as bonner , gardiner , and others of the same livery shewed themselves to be , after liberty obtained in queen maries time , and if the loss of those ghostly fathers aggrieve them , it is probable , that they will take arms sooner , and with more courage , to free the living , then to set up a trophy to the dead . xii . howsoever , the jesuits band is known in their native soyl , to be defective in many respects , which makes them underlings to the protestants , as in authority , arms , and the protection of the laws , which is all in all ; nevertheless they insinuate themselves to forraign princes , favouring their party , with promises of strong assistance at home , if they may be well backed from abroad ; to which purpose they have divided the inhabitants of this realm into four sects , whereof ranking their troupes in the first place ( as due to the pretended catholiques ) they assumed a full fourth part to their property , and of that part again they made a subdivision into two portions , namely , of those that openly renounced the estabilished church of england , and others , whose certain number could not be assigned , because they frequented our srevice , our sacraments , reserving their hearts to the lord god the pope : the second party they alot to the protestants , who retain yet ( as they say ) some reliques of their church : the third rank and largest was left unto the puritans , whom they hate deadly , in respect they will hold no indifferent quarter with papistry : the fourth and last maniple they assign to the politicians , huomoni ( say they ) senza dio , & senza anima , men without fear of god , or regard of their souls , who busying themselves only in matter of state , retain no sense of religion . without doubt , if the authors of this partition have cast their accompt aright , we must confess that the latter brood is to be ascribed properly unto them ; for if the undermyning of the parliament house , the scandalizing of the king in print , who is gods anointed , and the refusal of natural obedience , be marks of those , that neither stand in awe of god or conscience , well may the papists boast , that they are assured of the first number , and may presume likewise of the last friendship , when occasion shall be offered ; for the preventing of which combination , it is a sure way , to cut off the heads that should tie the knot , or at least to brand them with a mark in the forehead before they be dismissed , or ( after the opinion of others ) to make them unwelcome to the feminine sex , which now with great fervency imbraceth them . these are for the most part arguments vented in ordinary discourse , by many who suppose a priests breath to be contagious in our english air . others there are , who maintain the second part of the question , with reasons not unworthy of observance . in favour of the second division . i. death is the end of temporal woes ; but it may in no wise be accounted the grave of memory ; therefore howsoever it is in the power of justice to suppress the person of a man , the opinion for which he suffered ( conceived truly , or untruly in the hearts of a multitude ) is not subject to the edge of any sword , how sharp or keen soever . i confess that the teeth are soon blunted that bite only out of the malice of a singular faction , but where poyson is diffused through the veins of a common-wealth , with inermixture of bloud good and bad ; separation is to be made rather by patient evacuation , than by present incision ; the greatest biter of a state is envy , joyned with the thirst of revenge , which seldome declares it self in plain colours , until a jealousie conceived of personal dangers , breaketh out into desperate resolutions ; hence comes it to pass , that when one male-contented member is grieved the rest of the body is sensible thereof , neither can a priest or jesuit be cut off , without a general murmur of their secretaries , which being confident in their number , secretly arm for opposition , or confirmed with their martyrs bloud ( as they are perswaded ) resolve by patience and sufferance to glorifie their cause , and merit heaven . do we not daily see , that it is easier to confront a private enemy , than a society or corporation ? and that the hatred of a state is more immortal , than the spleen of a monarchy , therefore except it be demonstrated , that the whole roman city , which consists not of one brood , may be cut off at the first stroke as one entire head , i see no cause to think our state secured , by setting on the skirts of some few seminaries , leaving in the mean time a multitude of snarlers abroad , who already shew their teeth , and only wait opportunity to bite fiercely . i will not deny , that , what we fear , we commonly hate , provided alwayes , that no merit hath interceded a reconciliation ; for there is great difference between hatred conceived against him that will take away the life , and him that may justly do it , and yet in clemency forbears to put it in effect ; for the latter breedeth reverend aw , whereas the former subjecteth to servile fear , alwayes accompanied with desire of innovations , and although it hath been affirmed of the church of rome , quod pontificium genus semper crudele , nevertheless out of charity let us hope , that all devils are not so black as they are painted , some , or perhaps many of them there are , whom conscience , or in default thereof , pure shame of the world will constrain to confess that his majesty most graciously distinguisheth the theory of popery ; from the active part thereof , as being naturally inclined , parvis peccatis veniam , magnis severitatem commodare , nec poena semper , sed saepius poenitentia contentus esse . ii. mistaking of punishments legally inflicted , commonly proceeds from fond pitty , or the interest which we have in the same cause ; both which beget blind partiality ; admit then , that the papall side , affecting merit by compassion , may be nearly touched with the restraint of their seminaries , it cannot be denyed i hope , except they had the hearts of tygers , that in humanity they will prefer their ease of durance , before the rigor of death ; and albeit that parsons , bellarmin , and the pope himself , constrain their spiritual children , to thrust their fingers into the fire , by refusing the oath of allegiance , notwithstanding we have many testimonies in judicial courts , and printed books , that the greater part of them are of that theban hunters mind , who would rather have seen his dogs cruel acts , then have felt them to his own cost . garnett himself also in one of his secret letters , that after his death he should not be inrolled amongst the martyrs , because that no matter of religion was objected against him ; yet it plainly appeared in his demeanour , that he would gladly have survived the possibility of that glory , if any such hopes had remained . neither is it to be presumed , that being in prison , he would ever have conceived that we durst not touch his reverence , or that the law was remiss which had justly condemned him , and left his life to the kings mercy . it was the distance of the place and not parsons that interpreted the sending over-seas of the priests to be a greater argument of their innocency , than of his majesties forbearance ; for had father parsons himself been coram nobis , his song would rather have been of mercy then justice . it is truly said , that we are all instructed better by examples then precepts , therefore if the laws printed , and indictments recorded , cannot controul the calumniations of those that wilfully will mistake treason , for religion : by the execution of two or three of that back-biting number , i doubt not but the question may readily be decided . — namque immedicabile vulnus , ense recidendum est , ne pars sincera trahatur . iii. to dally with pragmatical papists , especially with those that by their example and counsel pvevert his majesties subjects , i hold it a point of meer injustice ; for , what comfort may the good expect , when the bad are by connivency free to speak , and imboldened to put their disloyal thoughts into execution ? for explaning therefore of my meaning , it is necessary to have a regard unto the nature of the kings liege-people , that are to be reformed by example of justice , and others , forraigners , who will we , nill we , must be censurers of our actions ; it hath been truly observed that the nations of europe , which are most remote from rome , are more superstitiously inclined to the dregs of that place , then the nearer neighbours of italy , whether that humour proceeds from the complexion of the northern bodies , which is naturally more retentive of old customes , than hotter regions ; or that the vices of the city , seated on seven hills , are by crafty ministers of that see , concealed from the vulgar sort , i list not now to discuss ; but most certain it is , that the people of this isle exceed the romans in zeal of their profession ; in so much that in rome it self , i have heard the english fugitives taxed by the name of pichia pelli inglesi , knock-brests , id est , hypocrits ; now as our countrey-men take surer hold-fast of papall traditions , then others ; so are they naturally better fortified with a courage to endure death for the maintenance of that cause ; for this clymate is of that temperature out of which vegetius holdeth it fittest to chuse a valiant souldier , where the heart finding it self provided with plenty of bloud to sustain suddain defects , is not so soon apprehensive of death or dangers , as where the store-house of bloud being small , every hazzard maketh pale cheeks and trembling hands : angli ( say ancient writers ) bello intrepidi , nec mortis sensu deterrentur ; and thereunto botero the italian beareth witness in his relations ; many strangers therefore coming out of forraign parts among the rarities of england desire to see whether report hath not been too lavish , in affirming that our condemned persons yield their bodies to death with cheerfullnesse , and were it not that by daily experience we can call our selves to witness of this truth , i could produce the reverend judge fortescue , who in commendation of our english laws , made suitable ( as he well observeth ) to the imbred conditions of the imhabitants of this soil , avoweth , that the english people in tryal for criminal causes , are not compelled by tortures to confess as in other nations it is used , for as much as the quality of the english is known to be less fearful of death than of torments , for which cause if the torments of the civil law were offered to an innocent person in england , he would rather yield himself guilty , and suffer death , then endure the horror of lingring pains . insulani plerunque fures ( saith one ) and so true it is , that this countrey 〈◊〉 stained with that imputation , notwithstanding that many are put to death , to the end that others by their fall , might learn in time to beware ; if then it do appear that terrour prevails not , to keep men from offences which are condemned by law , and conscience , what assurance can there be to scare those , who are constantly satisfied in their minds , that their sufferings are either expresly , or by implicitation for matter of religion and health of their souls ; in such case to threaten death to english-men , quibus nihil interest humine sublimi ne putrescant , is a matter of small consequence , purpuratis gallis , italis , aut hispanis , ista minitare , to a setled resolution it boots not to shew the dreadful visor of death ; menaces to prolong a wearisome life , prevail much more in such cases . rightly did clement the eighth consider , that by burning two english-men in rome for supposed heresie , he rather impaired his cause than better'd it , insomuch that many present at the resolute death of mr. marsh , who was brought to dust in campo di sancta fiore , spared not to proclaim himself a martyr , carried away of his ashes for a relique , and wished their souls in the same place with his ; which news brought to the popes ear , caused him ( as it was bruited about rome ) solemnly to protest , that none of the english nation should publiquely from that time be consumed with fire : on the other side if we read the volumes written in praise of their priests constancy , the martyrology or callender of martyrs , and path way of salvation as it were , chalked out unto the papists , by sacrifizing their lives for the pope , we shall find that by taking away of one we have confirmed and united many , whereof i could give particular instance , if i thought any scruple were made in that point . as for forraign parts which hold with the papall supremacy , it is clear that they will be severe , and partial judges in this cause ; for albeit that here in england , it is well known to all true and loyal subjects , that for matter of roman doctrine , no mans life is directly called into question ? but that their disobedience in reason of state is the motive of their persecution ; nevertheless where a great canker of christendome is rooted in a contrary opinion , and things in this world are for the most part esteemed by outward appearance , this land cannot escape malicious scandalls , neither shall there be want of colleges to supply their faction with seminaries ; therefore again and again , i say , that if the state of the question were so set , that it were possible by a general execution of the priests , and their adherents , to end the controversie , i could in some sort with better will , subscribe thereunto ; but seeing i find little hope in that course , i hold it safer to be ambitious of the victory , which is purchased with less loss of bloud ; and to proceed as tully teacheth his orator , vvho vvhen he cannot vvholly overthrow his adversary , yet ought he to do it in some part , and with all endeavour to confirm his own party in the best manner that may be . iv. he that forbeareth to sow his ground in expectance of a good winde or favorable moon , commonly hath a poor crop and purse ; so shall it fare with this state ; if private whisparings of discontented persons , that never learn't to speak well , be too nicely regarded , yet ought they not to be sleightly set at nought , lest our credit grow light , even in the ballance of our dearest friends . the papisticall libellers inform against us , as if we were desirous to grow fat with sucking of their bloud , the very walls of their seminary colledge at rome are bedawbed vvith their lying phansies , and in every corner the corner-creepers leave some badge of their malicious spleen against us , crying out of cruelty and persecution ; but if the penalty of death be changed into a simple indurance of prison , what moat in our eyes can they finde to pull out ? or vvith vvhat rhetorick can they defend their obstinate malapartness , which with repaying us ill for good , deserve to have coals of indignation poured upon their heads ? visne muliebre consilium ? said livia to augustus ; let severity sleep a while , and try what alteration the pardoning of cinna may procure ; the emperour hearkned to her counsell , and thereby found his enemies mouthes stopped , and the fury of their malice abated . some there are perchance that will term this clemency innovation ; and vouch the president of that city , which permitteth none to propound new laws , that had not a cord about their necks ready for vengeance , if it were found unprofitable ; but let such stoicks know , that there is great difference between the penning of a law , and advice giving for the manner of executing it ; neither ( by their leaves ) are all innovations to be rejected , for divine plato teacheth us , that in all common-wealths upon just grounds , there ought to be some changes , and that states men therein must behave themselves like skilfull musicians , qui artem musices non mutant , sed musices modum . v. that an evil weed groweth fast , by the example of the new catholique increase , is clearly convinced ; but he that will ascribe this generation simply to his majesties heroicall vertue of clemency , argueth out of fallacy , which is called ignoratio elenchi ; was not the zeal of many cooled towards the last end of queen elizabeths raign ? hath not the impertinent heat of some of our own side bereft us of part of our strength , and the papacy with tract of time gotten a hard skin on their consciences ? parva metus primo , mox sese attollit in altum ? but if we will with a better insight behold how this great quantity of spaun is multiplied , we must especially ascribe the cause thereof to their priests , who by their deaths prepare and assure more to their sect , than by their lives they could ever perswade ; it were incivility to distrust a friend , or one that hath the shew of an honest man , if he will frankly give his word , or confirm it with an oath , but when a protestation is made upon the last gasp of life , it is of great effect to those that cannot gainesay it upon their owne knowledge . the number of priests which now adayes come to make a tragicall conclusion is not great ; yet as with one seal many patents are sealed ; so , with the loss of few lives numbers of wavering spirits may be gained , sanguis martyrum , semen ecclesieae ; and though those priests having a disadvantagious cause , are in very deed but counterfeit shadowes of martyrs unto a true understanding , yet will they be reputed for such , by those that lay their souls in pawn unto their doctrine , with whom if we list to contend by multitude of voices , vve shall be cried down vvithout all peradventure , for the gate of their church is vvide , and many there are that enter thereinto . vi. by divers means it is possible to come to one and the self same end ; seeing then that the summe of our vvell-vvishing is all one , namely that popish priests may have no power to do harm , it is not impertinent to try sundry paths , vvhich may lead us to the perfecting of our desires . politicians distinguish inter rempublicam constitutam & rempublicam constituendam , according to the severall natures vvhereof statists art to dispose of their counsells and ordinances ; vvere now the rhemists and romulists new hatched out of the shell , the former course of severity might soon bury their opinions with their persons , but since the disease is inveterate , variety of medicines is judicially to be applyed . the romans did not punish all crimes of one and the selfsame nature vvith extremity of death ; for some they condemned to perpetuall prison ; and others they banished into an island or some remote countrey ; even in the case of religion they vvere very tender to dip their fingers in bloud ; for vvhen cato vvas consull , ( and it seemed good unto the senate to suppress with violence the disordered ceremony of the bacchanalls , brought by a strange priest into the city ) he vvithstood that sentence , alledging that there vvas nothing so apt to deceive men as religion , vvhich alwayes pretends a shew of divinity : and for that cause , it behoved to be very vvary in chastising the professors thereof , lest any indignation should enter into the peoples minds , that some-what vvas derogated from the majesty of god. others ( more freely ) have not spared to place relgion , ( i mean that religion vvhich is ignorantly zealous ) amongst the kinds of frenzie , vvhich is not to be cured otherwise than by time given to divert , or qualifie the fury of the conceipt , tantum religio potuit suadere malorum . vii . howsoever in valuing the power of a city or strength of arguments , quality and vvorth is to be preferred before number ; nevertheless vvhere the uttermost of our force is not known , it imports much to have it conceived ; that the multitude stands for us , for doubts and suspicions cast in an enemies vvay evermore makes things seem greater , and more difficult than they are indeed ; vve have by gods mercy the sword of justice drawn in our behalf , which upon short warning is able to disunite the secret underminers of our quiet ; we have a king zealous for the house of the lord , who needeth not to feare less success in shutting up of priests , than our late queen had , in restraining them in wisbich castle , where lest their factious spirits should grow rusty , they converted their cancer to fret upon themselves , and vomitting out gall in quod-libets , shewed that their disease was chiefly predominant in the spleen ; what tempests they have raised in their college at rome , their own books , and many travellers can witness ; the storm whereof was such , that sixtus quintus complained seriously of the vexation which he received oftner from the english scholars , then all the vassals of the triple crown ; and untruly is the magistrate noted of negligence or overmuch security , that layeth wait to catch the foxes , and the little foxes which spoyl the vineyard , though afterwards without further punishment he reserve them to the day wherein god will take accompt of their stewardship ; for if aristotles city , defined to be a society of men assembled to live well , be the same which in our law , hath reference to the maintaining of the people in peace , so long as we taste of the sweet of a peaceable government we cannot say but that we live well , and that the city consisting of men and not of walls is happily guided . viii . an oath is a weak bond to contain him that will for pretended conscience sake hold not faith with heretiques , or by absolution from a priest thinketh himself at liberty to fly from any promise or protestation whatsoever ; therefore when i remember that watson the priest , notwithstanding his invectives against the jesuits , gained liberty to forge his traiterous inventions , and had others of his society in the complot , i judge if safer to make recluses of them , than to suffer such to dally with us by books , and some idle intelligences cast abroad onely as a mist to bleare our eyes . but how shall we finde the meanes to apprehend those disguised romanists that borrow the shape of captaines , merchants , gentlemen , citizens , and all sorts of people , and by equivocation may deny themselves to be themselves ? in answer to this question , i will first shew the reason why they are not pursued and taken , and hereafter make an overture how they may be bolted out of their hutches ; the nature of man howsoever in hot bloud , it be thirsty of revenge , in a cold temper it hath a kind of nausea as i may call it , or a distaste of taking away the lives , even of the nocent , insomuch that in all sises and sessions , an offender can hardly be condemned , whom the foolish pitty of man will not after a sort excuse , with laying some imputation on the judge , part on the jury , and much on the accuser ; and such is their blind affection , that the prisoner who perhaps was never recommended for handsomeness , will be esteemed of them , for one of the properest men in the company ; from hence it comes that the name of serjeant , or pursevant is odious , and the executioner , although he be the hand of justice , is esteemed no better than an enemy of mankind , and one that lost honesty and humanity in his cradle ; reverend master fox was wont to say , that spies and accusers were necessary members in a common-wealth , and deserved to be cherished , but for his own part he would not be any of that number , or wish his friends to affect such imployments ; and albeit that the law permits , and commands every man to apprehend a felon , do we not see commonly very many content to stand by and look on while others performe that office ? likewise it is evident , that if such as are tender of their reputations , be very scrupulous personally to arrest men , for civill actions of debt , they will be more unwilling instruments of drawing their bodies to the rack or the gallowes , especially when there is any colour of religion to be pretended in their defence ; the diversity of mens faces is great , but the difference of their minds in this case is more variable , wherein the meanest have thought as free as the highest ; besides this , there are too many of the blind commonalty altogether popish , though indeed they make honourable amends for their treason ; verily i know not what misguiding of the mind it is , that maketh men forecast the possibility of alteration in matters of relgion , and for that respect they are exceeding backward in discovery , and laying hands on seminaries , yea and are timorous in enacting sharp lawes against them , as those that silently say amongst themselves , sors hodierna mihi , cras erit illa tibi . s●me also survive ? who , remember that in queen maries time , the protestants alledged a text , that the tares should not be plucked up before harvest , nay shall i speak a buggs word , there is no small number that stand doubtfull whether it be a gratefull work to cross popery , or that it may be done safely without a foul aspersion of puritanism , or a shrewd turn of their labours , at some time or other , by which unhappy ambiguity it comes to pass , that these animalia amphibia ( the priests i mean ) that prey on the souls and bodies of either sex , unatached , revell where they list , though they be more seen than a man dancing in a net ; how much fitter were it for us couragiously to invite them to our party , by preaching or confuting them by writing , and unto the state wherein we stand , wisely to apply the saying of the assirian king to his souldiers , you are fools ( quoth he ) if there be any hope in your hearts to redress sorrow by flight , or rather indeavour to make them fly that are the causers of your grief , assuring your selves , that more perish in flight , then in the battail , even as many seeking to meet the papists half way discomfort our own party . ix . it followeth now ( according to the method prescribed ) that an overture be made to get the jesuits and their shadowes the priests , into possession ; it hath been heretofore recited , that the unwelcome name of a bloud-sucker , a busie-body , or a puritane , hath been shrewd scar-crowes unto many honest minds ; by abrogating therefore of those or such like imputations many will be stirred up to undertake the apprehending of the adversaries unto the truth , especially when for their pains and time imployed , they shall deserve and have the title of good patriots , dutifull subjects , and zealous christians ; how ready is every common person to carry a malefactor to the stocks , rather then unto the gaole or execution ? and doubtless they will be no less forward to attach a priest , when they are assured that the worst of his punishment shall be a simple restraint within the walls of an old castle . a certain kind of people there is , with whom money playes a more forcible orators part , then any perswasion of the dutifull service which they owe to the commonwealth , these men will not be negligent to give intelligence , and also to procure it faithfully ; provided that reward may help to line their thread-bare purses , and exempt them from need to sell liberty unto seminaries ; and where assurance of gaine is propounded for discovery , what master or house-keeper will trust his servant with keeping of his priest , or sleepe quietly while he is engaged to the danger of a mercenary ? i remember that in italy it was often told me , that the bountifull hand of sir francis walsingham made his intelligencers so active , that a seminary could scarcely stir out of the gates of rome without his privity , which success by mediation of gold may as readily be obtained from syvill , ●●●●dolid , doway , 〈◊〉 paris , and any other places , and by forewarning given of their approach , they may be waited for at the ports , and from thence soon conveyed to a safe lodging . but whence shall the stream flowe that must feed this bounty ? it is a doubt easily satisfied , if some thousands of poundes out of the recusants penalties be reserved in stock , and committed by his majesty unto the disposition of zealous distributers , who will not be afraid to conclude perdat fiscus , ut capiat christus ; neither need we seeke any further succour to repair decayed castles , and therein to defray the charge of the priests , with a sure guard to keep them , than the aforesaid forfeitures that by the justice of the law may be collected ; which course if every it come happily to be entertained , and that recusancy cease to be an ignominious prey to the subject , the proceedings for religion shall be less blamed , and perhaps altogether unjustly accused by any graceless gretzerus or cacodaemon johannes , tincting their pens in gall and vineger ; for besides occasion of calumniation given by sutes of that nature , it is evident that many recusants that would be indicted for the king , and the effecting the project aforesaid , shall escape without punishment , and be borne out against the power of a private person ; begging to no other purpose , than hath heretofore been used : and albeit the penalty be rated at l. a moneth , yet was it never the law-makers intent , that such as were not able to pay so great a summe , should go scot-free , but that according to the proportion of their ability , they should do the penance of their purses , whereas now if the voice of the people ( which is said to be the voice of god ) is to be credited , the poorer sort is skipt over , as if they owed no souls to god , nor duty to their soveraign . a poor man ( saith one ) is to be pittied , if he offend through necessity , but if he do amiss voluntarily , he is more severely to be chastised , for so much as wanting friends , and meanes to bear him out , if sheweth that this fault proceeds from presumption . x. let us now pre-suppose , that all the whole regiment of jesuits of seminaries were lodged in safe custody , may we then perswade our selves , that popery will vanish like a dumb shew ; i am clearly resolved that though it receive a great eclipse , notwithstanding without other helps the kingdome of antichrist will onely be hidden , as a weed that seems withered in the winter , and is ready to sprout out vvith the spring . temporall armes are remedies serving for a time , but the spirituall sword is permanent in operation , and by an invisible blow workes more than mortall man can imagine . the word of god carrieth this two-edged weapon in his mouth , which is to be used by faithfull ministers of the church , whom pure zeal , without respect to worldly promotion , or persons , ought to encourage : of judges the scripture saith estote fortes ; and daily we see , that sitting in their judiciall seats , god inspireth them with greater courage , than when , as private persons , they are to give their opinions ; no less is the power of the holy ghost in his servants , that out of the pulpit are to deliver his ambassage ; let them therefore not be dismaid to speak out plainly , and tell the truth , without running a middle course between heat and cold , unprofitable discanting upon the scripture , with an old postile , or for want of better matter waste the poor time shut up in an hour-glass , with skirmishing against the worthy pillars of our own profession : rumor which is ever ready to take hold of evill , hath raised a secret , though ( as i hope ) a causless suspicion , that there should be some combination underhand , by changing the state of questions , to put us in our old dayes to learn a new catechisme , and when they have brought us out of conceipt with the reverend interpreters of the word , to use us then as the wolves ( mentioned in demosthenes apology ) handled the shepheards when they had delivered up their dogs . most sacred was that speech of our gracious king concerning vorstius , he that will speak of canaan , let him speak the language of canaan . how can we draw others to our church , if we cannot agree , where , and how to lay our foundation ? or how may we cleanse the leprous disease of dissention , which the papists which are least assured to themselves , and most doubtfull of their salvation , are not ashamed to ascribe unto many of us ? i would not have ministers indiscreet like dogs to barke against all , whether they know or know them not , i like better the opinion of aristotle , who adviseth those that stand in guard of a place , to be curst onely to such as are about to endammage the city : if pursevants or other civil officers , would learn to keep this rule , they might go about their business with much credit . the imagined fear of inviting the romish faction by force to deliver their ghostly fathers out of prison , moves me not a whit ; for i cannot believe that they esteeme them at so dear a price , as they would runne the hazard , by freeing others out of hold , to put themselves into their places . some will say that a man of straw is a head good enough for a discontented multitude ; that the papists are very chollerique it appears sufficiently by their writings , yet it hath pleased god to send those curst cowes short hornes ; that when they should not finde a man of sufficiency to serve their turn , they were faine to do homage to garnetts straw , forgetfull as they are that such stubble cannot endure the tryall of fire : but unto us , that ought to be doers , as well as professors of the gospell , let this remain as a memorable theorem ; religion is the mother of good order , good order is the cause of prosperous fortune , and happy successe in all counsells , and enterprises , therefore in what estate soever there wanteth good order , it is an evident argument that religion goes backward . xi . i have ever held it for a kinde of injustice to omit the execution of mean lawes , made to prevent the effects of idleness , and then to apply main extremity of the sword , when the proling habit gotten by that vice comes to light ; no less is the course uncharitable ( with pardon for this presumption be it spoken ) when we spare them that have no religion at all , and censure those that can give an accompt of somewhat tending to that purpose . he that is in misery must be born withall if he speake miserably , and when the child from his mothers brest hath sucked nothing but popery , a man had need to be angry with discretion if he hear him speake in the voice of a papist . god calleth some by miracle , but the ordinary meanes is his word ; if that meanes in any place of this land be wanting , of what religion is it likeliest the people will be ? i suppose that few men will gainesay my assertion , that outward sence will direct them to popery , which is fuller of pageants than of spirituall doctrine ; and what is the cause that after so many yeares preaching of the gospell , the common people still retaine a scent of the roman perfume ? the cause is for that the formall obedience of coming to church hath been more expected than the instruction of private families , publique catechizing is of great use , but the first elements thereof are to be learnt at home , and those things which we learn from our parents , sticke more surely in our mindes ; what was the cause why the spartans continued their government so many revolutions of times , without mutation ? histories record , that learning their countrey customes from their infancy , they could not be induced to alter them ; and in this our native soile we perceive , that the common lawes which rely on antient customes , are better observed than late statutes , of what worth soever they be : so doth it fare with the poore people , which being once seasoned with the old dreggs of papisme , will hardly be drawn from it , till the learning of the true faith be growne to a custome . i will prescribe no order nor officers , to effect this ; but i suppose that the antient laudable course , by the bishops confirmation , will not be sufficient to fulfill so great a taske , the minister must and ought to be the principall and immediate hand to give assistance to so gracious a worke ; and in case any be defective in their duty , the reverend bishops may take notice thereof in their severall visitations . perhaps it will be thought a hard task to constrain old people to learn the a. b. c. of their christian beliefe , but how hard soever it be , i hold it no incivility to prepare people of all ages for the kingdome of heaven . by the order contained in the book of common prayer , on sundayes and holy-dayes , half an houre before evensong the curate of every parish ought to examine children sent unto him , in some points of the catechisme ; and all fathers , mothers , masters and dames , should cause their children , servants , and prentises , to resort unto the church at the time appointed , there to heare and be obediently ordered , by the curate , untill such time as they have learnt all that in the said booke is commanded , and when the bishops shall appoint the children to bee brought before them , for their confirmation , the curate of every parish shall send or bring the names of those children of his parish which can answer to the questions of the catechisme ; and there ought none to be admitted to the holy communion , untill such time as he can say his catechisme , and bee confirmed , many times i have stood amazed , to behold the magnificence of our ancestours buildings , which their successours at this day are not able to keepe up , but when i cast mine eyes upon this excellent foundation laid by the fathers of the church , and perceive their children neglect to build thereupon , with exceeding marvell , i rest almost besides my selfe , for never was there better ground-plot layd , which hath been seconded with lesse successe : it was not the bull of pius quintus on the bishop of londons doores , or the forbearing to hang up priests that have wrought this apostacy , but the idleness and insufficiency of many teachers , conspiring with the peoples cold zeale , that hath beene the contriver of this webb . untill the eleventh yeare of queene elizabeths raigne , a recusants name was scarcely knowne , the reason was because that the zeale begotten in the time of the marian persecution was yet fresh in memory , and the late persecutors were so amazed with the sudden alteration of religion ; that they could not chuse but say , digitus dei est hic . in those dayes there was an emulation betweene the clergy and the laity ; and a strife arose whether of them should shew themselves most affectionate to the gospell ; ministers haunted the houses of worthiest men , where jesuits now build their tabernacles ; and poor countrey churches were frequented with the best of the shire ; the word of god was precious , prayer and preaching went hand in hand together , untill archbishop grindai●s disgrace , and hatefields hard conceipt of prophecying brought the flowing of those good graces to a still water ; the name of a papist smelt ranck even in their owne nostrills , and for pure shame to be accompted such , they resorted duely both to our churches and exercises ; but when they saw their great coriphaeus sanders had slily pinned the names of puritans upon the sleeves of the protestants that encountered them with most courage , and perceived that the word was pleasing to some of our own side , they took heart at grasse , to set little by the service of god , and duty to their soveraign . therewith start up from amongst us , some that might have been recommended for their zeale , if it had been tempered with discretion , who fore-running the authority of the magistrate , took upon them in sundry places and publiquely to censure whatsoever agreed not with their private conceipts , with which grosse humours vented in pulpits and pamphlets , most men grew to be frozen in zeal , and in such sort benummed , that whosoever ( as the worthy lord keeper bacon observed , in those dayes ) pretended a little spark of earnestnesse , he seemed no lesse than red fire hot , in comparison of the other . and as some fare the worse for an ill neighbours sake , dwelling beside them , so did it betide the protestants , who seeking to curbe the papists , or reprove an idle drone , were incontinently branded with the ignominious note of precisian , all vvhich vvind brought plenty of vvater to the popes mill , and there vvill most men grinde vvhere they see apparance to be vvell served . xii . if without great inconveniency , the children of the papists could be brought up out of their company , it were a happy turn , but i finde it to be full of difficulty ; there is provision made to avoid popish school-masters , but there is no word against popish school-mistresses , that infect the silly infants while they carry them in their arms ; which moveth me to suppose that the former proposition to examine how children and servants are brought up , and truely to certifie the list of the communicants and recusants , will be the readiest means to let his majesty know the yearly increase or decrease of the church in every diocesse . and whosoever shall send his children , or any of his majesties subjects to be placed in monasteries or seminary colleges , or popishly to be brought up in forraign parts , i think that for punishment both one and the other worthily might be diffranchised of the priviledge due to english men , so farre forth as any good by the laws may descend to them , but not to be exempted from the penalties thereof in the regall jurisdiction of the crowne . i know well that contradiction is odious , and makes a man seem ambitious to be though tmore understanding than others , in which case the spaniard useth only to 〈◊〉 me 〈◊〉 presumptuous , whom he would call foole , if civility would bear it ; but in my defence , i hope it shall suffice againe to revive my former protestation , that i discourse by the way of proposition , rather than arrogantly of defining any thing , with pardon therefore may i bee permitted to say , that the first easie law of twelve pence , inflicted on him that could not give a reasonable excuse for his absence from church on sundayes , was one of the best ordinances that hath hitherto been enacted ; but while we sought to make new statutes , savouring of more severity , we neglected the old , and were loath to execute the new , for it is a certaine rule , that whosoever in policy will give liberty , and yet seem to suppresse a crime , let him procure sharpe lawes to be proclaimed , which are necessary only for some times , and rare occasions , to be put in execution , but not to be an ordinary worke for every day of the weeke ; daily use likewise teacheth us , that it is lesse grievous to punish by an old lawe than by a new , for so much as truth it selfe seldome gets credit without proof , and it is hard to free the people of suspition , that new lawes are not rather invented against the particular persons and purses of men , than against their corrupt manners ; by force of which reason i am induced to conceive , that the old use of the church contained in good nurture , and ecclesiasticall censures , will much more prevaile to muzzle popery , than any fresh devises whatsoever ; neither do i thinke it blame-worthy to affirme , that our cause hath taken harme by relying more on the temporall than the spirituall armes , for while we trusted that capitall punishments should strike the stroke , we have neglected the means which would for the most part have discharged the need of such severity ; the oath of allegiance is not offered generally to servants and mean people , who if they had taken the oath , by absolution of a priest might recoyle from it , or change their opinion at leasure , without any ready meanes to discover their legerdemaine , that oath i feare will not be often pressed , and to them that shift from place to place , how can it be tendred ? the principall papists now cover themselves in the crowd of the multitude , but if we can discover the affection of the multitude they will easily be unmarked , and being singled out rest ashamed of their nakedness ( which under correction of better judgement ) may be effected , if every new commer to inhabit in a town , and servants newly entertained , within a week or fourteen dayes , be caused to repaire to the minister , there in presence of the church-wardens and other honest men , to subscribe unto such briefe and substantiall articles concerning faith and allegiance as shall be according to gods word and justice ordained to distinguish the sheep from the goats ; in forrain countreys every host is bound to bring his guest before an officer , there to certifie his name , with the occasion of his comming , and intended time of aboade in those parts , and in case he stay longer , he must again renew his licence ; so curious and vigilant are they also to keep their cities from infection , that without a certificate witnessing their comming from wholsome places , they may not escape the lazaretto ; no lesse ought we to be watchful to prevent the contagion of our souls , than the other nations are of their bodies . every thing is hard and scarcely pleasing in the beginning , but with time some such course may be readily put in execution , which i propound rather as matter for betterheads to work on , than peremptorily to be insisted on in the same termes ; but lest any charge me with temerity , that where i desire to know the multitudes inclination , by the means aforesaid , i satisfie my self with their parrats language , pronouncing it knows not what , i think it not impertinent to put them in mind , that heretofore i have required instruction , both precedent and subsequent , and am ever of the mind , that though all this cannot be done at once , yet it is necessary alwayes to be doing our best ; knowing , that not to go forward in religion , is the ready way to go backwards ; it is not the outward obedience of comming to church , that discovers the inward thought of the heart , it is the confession of the tongue that must utter those secrets , and where the curates are insufficient , or the parish great , i wish they had catechists to assist them , maintained by the purses of the recusants , which pension being collected for gods cause , will free us of scandall , though it grieved them to pay the spirituall army waged against their owne stratagems ; surely by giving them way in petty matters , they are grown to be very masterfull in their party . plato affirmeth that the popular state proceeded from the licence which the people took to make immoderate applauses in the theaters , when as by arrogating that immunity without controllment , in presence of their governours , and perceiving the nobility to joyn with them in the same passions , they thought their heads as worthy to governe , as any of those were made out of the same mould : in like manner while we suffer ignorance openly to maintain such petty glimps of popery as are thought to be searce worthy to be looked at , in small matters run an indifferent course , which neither makes sure friends nor feeble foes , unawares they take the bridle from us , and eat out religion , as it were by an insensible gangrena : principiis obsta , sero medicina paratur cum mala per-longas invaluere moras . for by sufferance of breaking small laws people are boldned to set the greater at nought . to comprehend all things in a law which arc necessary to the reformation , i neither hold it profitable nor expedient , yet it is discretion to provide for the most important , smaller matters whereof the lawes speak not are to be commended to the discretion of parents , ministers and other reverend persons , who by example and advice may prepare younglings by education and custom to obey the laws , especially such as are in high place ought in this behalf to be like caesars wife , non , solum crimine , sed etiam criminis suspitione vacare , and with such circumspection to behave themselves , that the world may conceive , in requiring obedience to god , and their soveraign , that they hold the multitude rather for companions than slaves ; if great men take another way , they may seduce many by example , though by words they expresse not their concealed opinions , t●ce & leq●re said god to moses , it is the speech of the heart , which utters more than letters , or sillables . and in our common lawes it is held maintainance , when a great person onely by his presence countenanceth a cause ; neither let us secure our selves with this argument , the papists are pliable in small matters , ergo , they will yeeld in greater ; and because they took no arms in . therefore it were needlesse curiosity to suspect them now : for who knowes not that small baits are used to take the greatest fish , vt cum esca una etiam hamus devoretur . warinesse is the sinews of wisdome , and nothing is more dangerous than to be secure in matters of state. therefore for the laws already made , i wish that the most effectuall of them which least concern life , may be executed ; for better it were not to make them , than by neglect to set them at liberty : seeing that many offences there are which men would abstain from , if they were not forbidden , but when a strict commandement is avoided without punishment , thereout springs an unbridled license and hardly to be reformed by any rigour . to conclude , i say freely , that whoso endeth his dayes by a naturall death , he shall be subject to many mens dooms for every particular offence ; but when for religions sake a man triumpheth over the sword , that one eminent vertue razeth out the memory of other errours , and placeth him that so dieth in paradise , ( if common opinion may be lawfully vouched ) vvhich glory having many followers and admirers , maketh even dull spirits to affect their footsteps , and to sell their lives for the maintenance of the same cause . i need not envy the name of a martyr to the jesuite ; for his cause if it be rightly vveighed , will blanch that title ; but i desire to have all those lineaments defaced , vvhich may compound that counterfeit image ; in prosecuting of vvhich purpose , if i have failed in my advice , and by confused handling , intricated the question , i humbly request , that a vvise mans verdict may mitigate the heavinesse of the censure . it is neither good to praise bad counsels , because of their good successe , nor to condemn good counsels , if the event prove not fortunate , lest many be animated to advise rashly , and others disheartned to counsell gravely . illi mors gravis incubat qui notus nimis omnibus ignotus moritur sibi . august . anno domini . the manner and meanes how the kings england have from time to time supported and repaired their estates . written by sir rob. cotton knight and barronet , anno nono jacobi regis annoque domini . london : printed in the year . the manner and means how the kings of england have from time to time svpported and repaired their estates . the kings of england have supported and repaired their estates , first , by an annual proportioning their issues , and expences , with their certain and casual revenues . and that either by advice of their privie covncel , or by parliament ▪ secondly , by abating and reforming the excess of houshold , &c. thirdly , by raising of money , and improving the revenues of the crown . first , for proportioning of the issues , &c. henry . anno . when the revenue and profits of the kingdome , together with the subsidy of wool , and tenth of the c llergie , amounted to no more then l . of which marks were alotted for expence of house ; most of the rest to the guard of the sea , and defence of this kingdome , the realme of ireland , and dominions in france : in this estimate the profits by wards and marriage , was but l. and then an ordinance was made by the king , prince , and all his counsel there named in the roll. the like was anno . when for the charge of house was appointed l. and l . to the city of london , in discharge of the kings debt to them . henry , anno . did the like as his father , entring upon the roll as an ordinance in future , that the treasurer of england , or the exchequer shall annually make declaration of the state of their office , and the revenue of the realme , together with the charge of the kings house , chamber , wardrobe , garrisons , navy , and debts . anno . henry . the like assignments were made proportionable to the revenue which in the great custome of woolls , the petty custome , tunnage and poundage , revenue of wales , and the dutchie of cornwall , the hamper , the accounts of sheriffs , escheators , the exchange of bullion , and the benefit of wards and marriage ( then rated at but one thousand marks apiece ) rose not to above . l. and being at such time as he undertook the conquest of france . anno . henry . the revenue of the kingdome amounting to . l. . s. . d. was so by the king with advise of his counsel ordered , as before . and by this record it appeareth , that that clerks of the navy , and not the treasurer was the officer only for that place . henry . anno . . in parliament , cromwell then treasurer , delivering up an account of the exitus and introitus of the exchequer , setled the estate of his expence , of which there was allowed for his house . l. and to his chamber and wardrobe l. the rest to defray the debts and necessary occasions of the state. queen elizabeth anno . at which time besides the wards and dutchy of lancaster the profit of the kingdome was . l. . s. the payments and assignments . l. . s. of which the houshold was . l. privy purse .l . admiralty . l. which by an estimate . may , anno . was . l. and is now swolne to near l . yearly by the errour and abuse of officers . secondly , by abating and reforming the excess , . of houshold . . of retinue and favorites . . of gifts and rewards . first , for abating and reforming the excess of houshold , either , by parliament or councel table . . by parliament . anno . edward . an ordinance was made prohospitio regis , in ease of the people oppressed with purveyance by reason of the greatness thereof ; and the motive of that ordination was , a l'honneur de dieu , et a honneur , et profit de sainct eglise , et a l'honn●ur de roy et a son profit , et au profit de son peuple , selon droit et resonel serment que le dist nostre signeur le roy fist a son coronement . and about this time was the king's house new formed , and every officer limited his charge and salary . anno . edward . the houshold was reformed at the petition of the people . anno primo richard . the houshold was brought to such moderation of expence , as may be answerable to the revenues of the crown . and a commission granted at the petition of the commons to survey and abate the houshold ; which not taking desired effect , anno . the commons petition that the excessive number of menial servants may be remedied , or otherwise the realm will be utterly undone , and that his houshold might not exceed the ordinary revenues of the realm . anno . henry . the people crave a reformation of the kings house . and anno . that he would dismiss some number of the retinue ; since it was now more chargeable , but less honourable then his progenitors ; and that the antient ordinances of the houshold , in ease of the people might be kept , and the officers of the houshold sworn to put the ordinances and statutes in due execution , and so consider the just greifs of his subjects by unjust purveyance contrary to the statute . that hereafter vous poiez vivre le voz biens propres en ease de vostre peuple , which the king willingly doth , as appeareth by an ordination in councel , whereby the charge of the houshold is limited to markes . annis . & . henry . the charge of the kings house is reduced to a certainty , and lessened by petition and order in parliament . anno . edward . the king promiseth to abate his houshold , and hereafter to live upon his own : so setling a new forms his court which is extant in many hands , intuled , ordinations for the kings house . and to ease the charge of the kings house , the queens have allowed a portion of their joynture suting to their own expence to the treasurer of the houshold . thus did philip the wife of edward . and likewise henry . wife anno . and henry . wife allowed . l. a year out of her estate . . excess of the houshold abated and reformed by the councel-table . edward . caused his houshold to be certain in allowances , making thereof a book by way of ordinance , which is called aul. regis . henry . causeth his son the prince , and the rest of his councel , to ordain such moderate governance of his house , that may continue au plaisir de dieu et du peuple . henry . anno . reduced his charge of house to . l. whereof . l. was out of the queens joynture . edw. . anno duodecimo reformeth it again , and publisheth a book of orders for their better direction . which after cardinal woolsey for the more honour and profit of the king amendeth , and that still remaineth the ground-work of the present government : which being now so much corrupted , it may seem fit , either to put down the tables , and leave all attendants to allowance of money , as france and spain doth , or else ●y setting up the hall again , reduce the houshold to the best , first , and most magnificent order . so all things being spent in publique , will be to the kings honour , and the secret waste by chamber , diet , and purloining , prevented to the kings benefit . for there is never a back-door in court that costs not the king . l. yearly , and few mean houses in westminster , that are not maintained with food and firing , by the stealth of their court-instruments . by abating and reforming the excess of retinue and favorites . thus did henry . with william de ipre earl of kent , a netherlander , and all his countreymen and followers ; when they grew heavy and a burthen to this state , unable to foster more then her own natural children . thus richard . did with otho earl of york , and all the bavarians , although he was the sonne of his sister , taking from him that earldome , for that the people opposed it , and giving him in exchange the title of poictife . thus henry . did with his half-brethren the earl of pembroke , and the bishop of winchester , and all the poictons theit followers . thus did edward . by this ordinance , que tout le lignage sire pieres de gaveston soit entirement ouste de estre entoines le roy et de son service . item burgois de til soit ouste et son fias que est mereschal del ' eschequer . item que bertram assabi et son frere et ceux de gascoigne , et aimyrick de friscomband soint oustre et ses terres prises en le main le roy. thus richard . did with the bohemians anno . by an act of parliament at the petition of the people surcharged . thus henry . did likewise with the gascoignes and welch overburthening and impoverishing the king and realm with perpetual suits , so that in courts ( as the record saith ) there were ne ad mill substance des personnes vaylantes et suffesants : si besoigne seroit mes de rascaile pur la grendre part . by abating and reforming the excess of gifts and rewards . hence was it that the wisdome of former time , foreseeing the mischief that the open hand of the soveraign may bring , the state made a law . richard . that whatsoever cometh to the king by judgement , escheate , forfeiture , wardship , or any other wayes , , shall not be given away , and that the procurer of any gift , shall be punished . this the parliament continued . henry , until the king were out of debt , making frustrate the grant , and ordaining a penalty of double value to every mover or procurer of any such . the like anno . henry . and that no petition for any thing should be delivered the king , but in the presence of the councel , who might examine it , least the king's wants should light upon the commons . and to keep the hand of henry . from wasteful giving , the councel induced him to convey to the arch bishop of canterbury and others , all profits , by wards , marriages , reliefs , escheats and forfeitures , to defray the charge of his house . it is one of the greatest accusations against the duke of somerset , for suffering the king to give away the possessions and profits of the crown in manner of a spoil : for so are the words of the record . and it was made the first and cheifest article to depose richard . for wasting and bestowing the lands and revenues of the crown upon unworthy persons , and thereby over-charging the commons by exaction . thirdly , raising of money , and , improving the revenues of the crown . either by the grant of the subject , or power absolute in the soveraign . . grant of the subject , which is general , as in parliaments , or particular by lones compulsive or benevolent . general , as in parliaments , wherein they give the king part of their own , by way of retribution only ; as for defence of the state. hence grew the scutage granted to hen. . richard . john , and henry . to edward . divers fifteens and tenths for his wars against the scots and welshmen . the subsidie of woolls and other contributions to edward . for his wars : and the like granted to richard . annis . . . so they may be imployed in the wars : and particular treasurers to accompt in parliament . so in the . and . of henry . on the like condition . tunnage and poundage begun the . edward . had hence its original ; and therefore . henry . and . henry . they are granted so in express words ; and that they proceed of good-will , and not of duty . presidents of this nature are plentifull in all the rolls . for maintenance of religion and the church . as in the year . to henry . was given twelve pence in the pound : and in the . edward . a fifteenth was granted to expel the jews . and anno . richard . a tenth of the clergie , and a fifteenth of the commons , for his help to suppress the wicklivian heresie . for support of the laws and liberty of the common-wealth . so did the state to henry . anno . for confirmation of the great charter , for the like anno . was granted . edward . and . edward . and . henry . that the laws may be executed against purveiors . for redress of the agrievances . as in the . edward . so that the king would perform their petitions , or else they held themselves not bound to pay the ninth they had given . the like was the , , , . and . richard . the . and . granted the . and . of henry . is upon condition , that the king laid no impositions upon the state. and . edward . the state releiveth the king , so he will promise to live hereafter upon his own , and not burthen the state , the which he there protesteth to perform . and it is to be observed that to improve the grants of subsidies to the extreamest value , there were new commissioners appointed to survey and advance mens fortunes above the estimate of the former taxes , and commissions have been granted out , as . richard . or to enable him out of his own by an act of resumption of lands , offices , annuities . thus did henry . anno . and edward . anno . to . & . by an ordination of the prelates , earles and barons . all grants made by edward . to unwornthy persons , richard . resumed anno primo , and by henry . anno . . all pattents for life or years since . edward . were resumed . at the petition of the people hen. revokes all grants out of the principality made to unworthy persons , and all annuities out of the customes of wools , deducting out . l. a yeare out of all other annual pensions ratably , leaving the remain , if any , to the pattentees . hen . annis . . . resumeth in england all lands , offices , liberties and grants from annis primo , and the like anno . in ireland . so did edward annis . . . and henry . anno . resumed all grants made by edward . or richard . particular by lones or benevolences . voluntary , or compulsive . first upon lones voluntary , as upon assurance of bond of the nobility . so was william de la poole bound for edward . anno . in great summes , and the. duke of glocester anno . henry . and the cardinal pawned ws silver vessels for henry . debt . vpon pawn of jewels . thus did henry . anno . to the archbishop of york , and when his own were at gage , he took aurum et jocalia faeretri sancti edwardi confessor . and pawned them . edward . imployed one andevar ad jocalia sua impignoranda . edward . pawned his jewels to the lord beaumont . edward . pawned magnam coronam angliae to sir john wessingham for . years . richard . pawned vasa aurea et diversa jocalia to sir robert knolls . henry . invadiavit tabellam et tresellas suas argenteas de hispania . henry . pawned his great crown to the rich bishop of winchester . henry . to the same man then cardinal pawned many parcels of his jewels in the , . and . of his reign , and the like to many others . and the late queen to ease her people did the like with her jewels in the tower , besides the often morgage of her land . lones voluntary upon assignments of customes and subsidies . so did cardinal beauford lend . l. to henry . anno . upon security of the customes of london and southampton , the king indenting to turn the course of most trade thither . and henry . anno . and edward . anno . did secure their debts by assignment over of the next subsidie or aide that shall be granted from the church or laity to them , being a devise in truth to draw on a supply the sooner from the state. lones voluntary upon the great seal or the privy seal . the great seal , under which they should have without paying fee a patent sealed for repayment of their dues by a day certain . the privy seal , which is of late the most in use ; and it is worthy of observation to see the willingness of former times in respect of these . in the . of henry . there is a roll intituled les nomes de ceux que ont da prester an roy les somnes escrits . the arch-bishop of canterbury lent . marks , the bishop of lincoln as much , the bishop of norwich . l. the bishop of london . markes , the bishop of bath marks , the lord privy seal . l. the clerks of the chancery . markes . particular grants of the subject by lone compulsive . so were the merchants of florence , venice and luke , compelled by an order in councel henry . because they had by grace et sufferance du roy graunts , priviledges et reportants grand lucre pour le exercise de leur merchandre en le angle terre . and the persons that refused to lend were committed to the fleet , neither were the english more free , in anno . henry . divers being enjoyned to attend the councel-table , or else to pay the demanded lone . in the time of henry . anno . of his reign he exacteth by way of lone , ten pounds in the hundred of all goods , jewels , utensils and land , and according to the extreamest rate revealed by oath of the possessors . notwithstanding there is a law . richard , . that none shall be denyed in demand of any lone , his reasonable excuse . particular grants of the subjects by contribution or benevolent gifts . these were of old usual and free , and therefore called liberalitas populi , by richard . and curialitas , by ed . ed. . henry . and henry . confessed to proceed ex spontane voluntate , nec de jure vendicare potest . yet did henry . anno . in an instruction to commissioners imployed in procuring a benevolence , say , that for so much as by the law he might compel all his subjects , and at their own charge to attend his ; yet he was contented to spare such as would but contribute asmuch after his degree and reputation as two days in his personal service would stand him in , thereby implying a necessity in them to give , to escape a further expence . this law , upon which henry : grounded himselfa was by a statute in queen maries time repealed . and that since repealed this last year , hath made are reviving of the former , whereby the king is readmitted into his old advantages , and the subject in the former mischief . and henry . anno . although he entituleth the benevolence he sought with no other stile then an amicable grant , yet he threatened the refusers with convention before his councel , imprisonment , and confiscation of goods . the kings raise money , and improve and revenues of the crown , by power absolute in the soveraign , in disposing , . lands , . merchandize . . regalities . . lands , as by selling ; which hath been often the old , if they were not of the antient demeasne-land , which our forefathers held impious to alienate from the crown , and those were such lands as go under the title of terra regis , in the book of domesday , and were the lands of edward confessor : of other lands i never observed question , neither do ever find that acts of resumptions ever reached to lands that were sold for valuable consideration . by passing in fee-farm , except places of the kings residence , parks , spacious wastes or forrests , all the lands of the the crown , which remain either in the annexation , custody lands , or queens jointure , and exceed not yearly . l. these , although largely estated out in several natures , some for lives , some for years , will one with the other be advanced to a treble rent , which amounting to . l. leaving an annual improvement of . and if the offer be not made restrictive for the new tenant , there is no doubt but his majesty shall find ready and hearty undertakers amongst the gentry and nobility too , who have any place of residence neer any his majesties mannors ; and the kings security the better , since their abilities will settle the pre-farm rent upon more land then the purchase . if any shall object against this , a loss by fines and profits of courts , a prejudice in not serving necessity ( as of late ) by sales or diminution of regalities in seisure of so many royalities . it may be answered to the first , that the casual profits of courts never defrayed to the present officers their fees and expences ; and this appeareth from a collection made the . year of the late queen , where the total issue of such certain charge exceeded the receipt of such chances above . l. to the second , if looking upon the several rates of the kings lands , exposed to fee-farm sales , we find some at . other at . years as to the late contracters , and make out of these extreams a medium of the largest . years , and set on the other side the common and current estimate for dead rents . years purchase : we must find , that l. land sold un-improved respectively to the like trebled by a fee-farm , will be . l. loss to his majesty in the sale . as for regalities , though it may adde somewhat to a subject , in increasing such his petty command , it can nothing to a sovereign , whose transcendent power drown'd in it all such subordinate dependances & regards . but if we consider besides the former improvement , the increase of casual advantage , and diminution of certain charge , we shall have just cause not to continue this course ; for if the commissioners in this business , may be ordered by instruction to reserve upon every mannor of above . per annum , a tenure in knight-service by half a fee , and of above . l. in capite by an intire fee , and of the purchase to pay his rent into the receipt himself half yearly , and strike there his tally : the former will advance the revenue accidental of the crown in wardships , primier seisin , alienation and aides ; and the latter cut off at once so many their unnecessary receivers , auditors , stewards , bayliffs and clerks , as stand the king in yearly above . l. as for other dues or casual revenues , which now fall under the charge of these officers , the collection and payment may be as it hath been with the rest from the time of henry . until of late dayes laid on the sheriffs of the shire , and all the accounts left to the . auditors of the press to draw up , and clerk of the pipe to enter in magno rotulo as in former time , for it must seem strange to all men of judgement , that it should be with those officers ( who had their beginning but since the , year of henry . by addition of his new revenue of . l. from the suppressed monasteries ) otherwise then with all things in nature , and reason , cessante causa cessat effectus , not to be discontinued , when as all crown-annexed lands that gave them their just imployment , are for the most part passed from the soveraign into the subjects possession . besides this of the general disposing in fee-farm , there hath been a project in particular to infranchise the copy-holders in the several mannors , which i should hold to be of more prejudice to his majesty then the others , bringing with it all the former inconveniences , loss of fines , regalities , and advantages of sale , and being without many of the advantages , as wardships , primiers seisein , alienation and aids ; for no man will buy quillets but in soccage , and discontinuance or officers , who must still remain , though they can bring the king but little benefit . kings raise money , and improve their revenues , by farming out for years , lands , casualties , or wastes . as in the . henry . . the state held it more just to help the king out of his own , then to burthen the common-wealth , and therefore gave way by parliament to the king to improve up his lands , though in lease provided that the leassee should have refusal of the bargain if he would . edward . anno . granted a commission to farm out all such wastes , quod absque iniuria alterius fieri potest . and in anno . asserted a great part of his woods for rent , and disforrested in most counties of england for a summe of money they gave him . and it was not the least of charitable thrift in the king , to reduce much of his waste to habitation of christians , especially the remote forrests , which would increase many thousand families for his service , and bring many thousand pounds to his coffers . but in the carriage of this business there must be much caution to prevent commotion , for in them there are many that have right of common sans nombre . and the resolution in agreement with them must be suddain , and confident , for multitudes are jealous and inconstant . and the instruments to effect this , must be such as are neighbours , interessed and popular , not strangers ; and the first demise to the inhabitants , and at under and easie values . kings raise money , and improve the revenues of their crown , by manuring of lands . thus did henry . anno . in removing out of most of his parks as gillingham , brigstock , cliff , woodstock , haverel , &c. all mens cattle pro bobus , pro lardaria regis in parcis praedictis impinguendis . and edward . commanded all the escheators in england . excolere seminare & appropriare ad maximum regis proficuum ownes terras , quae regi & coronae suae devenerint per mortem aliquorum vocationem episcopatium , &c. kings raise money and improve the revenues of their crown by merchandise . trading themselves . . licencing others to trade in commodities , . improving customes . lawful or unlawful . . trading themselves . thus did edward . anno . seise into his hands all the wools in the kingdome , as the merchants were lading them in the ports , giving them security of payment at a long day , and a short price , and then transporting them to his own best and readiest sale . thus did edward . anno . with all the tin. and henry . anno . by advice of his councel took up by way of purveyance great store of grain , and transported it into gascoigne , where by reason of a dearth , the price was extream . in anno . he arrested all the tin in southampton , and sold it to his own present use : and in the year following using the advantage of the statute , which bound all men to trade the staple commodities to no other place but call●ce , vented himself many sacks of wool to other ports of better advantage . and the late queen anno . causeth by warrant of privy seal a great proportion of beer to be purveyed , transported and sold to her use beyond the seas . kings raise money and improve the revenue of their crown by licencing others to trade commodities . lawful or vnlawful . . lawfully , but solely . thus did henry . by approbation of parliament , with all the trade of allome , for two years granted to the merchants of southampton for . . and again for the like sum to those of genoway . . unlawful or prohibited . thus did many of the kings , ( after such time as the heavy burthen of imposition began in the miserable necessity of henry . called then by no better name then maltolt ) and continued until the . year of richard . by divers intermissions , for then i find the last petition of many in parliament against it , was altogether taken away . for when richard . and his successors found the revenue lessened , by the importunate cry of their people , whereby impositions were laid aside , they began to advise another supply out of the unbounded power of supposed prerogative , and finding a greedy desire of one merchant to prevent another of his market ( restrained by that act or statute , which tyed them to one time , and to one port callaice , for all staple commodities ) they used to sell licences with a clause of non obstante of any statute , whereby they dispensed with multitudes , to trade with what commodities and to what places they would . to the merchants of newcastle richard . gave leave to carry wool-fells &c. to any other port besides callaice , upon condition that they should pay for them custome and subsidie according le sage discretion de vouz ou de vostre sage counceil . to diverse citizens of london , henry . in the like sort dispenceth for great quantity of tinne for seven years , paying . . yearly above the usual custome . henry . annis . . . reneweth to the town of newcastle the same licence they had anno . richard . and granteth . sacks of wool to benedict benoni merchant of florence , with non obstante any statute or restraint : in this year such licences were so frequent , that the town of callaice complained in parliament of their decay thereby ; yet without relief as it seemeth . for the same king anno . giveth leave to lawrence barbarico to transport from london to cicester . sacks of wool to what ports he list : and edward . anno , borrowing , l. of divers merchants , permitteth them non obstante any law to carry any staple commodities to the straits of morocco until they were satisfied their sum . henry the . raiseth much money , by giving leave to many merchants to trade inward and outward commodities prohibited , as to alonso de burgues great proportions of ode anno . and to a multitude of others all kind of grain and other forbidden things , as in annis , , . kings raise money and improve the revenues of the crown , by improving customes . by . farming out of ships . . raising the book of rates . . farming the customes . . farming out of ships . to the merchants , and taking security of them , either to bting in or carry out yearly asmuch commodities , as shall yield the king in customes the sum agreed on , or else to make it up out of their own money . thus did henry . many years , not only with his ships , but with divers stocks of money . . raising the book of rates . this was in some sort done consensis mercatorum by edward . and edward . and again in henry . time , of which the house of burgundie complained , as against the treaty of entercourse ; and of late so stretched , as it is feared it will prove the overthrow of trade : neither do i find this course at any other time . as a branch of this , may aptly fall out the benefit princes made by a prerogative power of imposing inward and outward upon commodities , over and above the antient custome of subsidie . the first that used this course after the statute was settled , from a king of voluntary government after the conquest ( when as kings ruled more by the edge of the sword then by rule of law ) was henry . about the entrance of his reign ; but finding it to be an apparent overthrow of commerce and trade , and against the great charter ; made proclamation anno . in all ports of england that all merchants might come faciendo rectas et debitas consuetudines , nec sibi timeant de malis toltis , for it had no better name then maletolts . some impositions being laid by edward . he in anno . taketh them away , with promise that neither he nor his successors should do any such thing without assent of the parliament , granting in anno . to the merchants many immunities , as release of prisage , for which they requite him with some increase of customes , but not as imposed by his own power : for he in anno . declareth that no tallage or aide should be levied without the assent of parliament , nor nothing to be taken of woolls by colour of maletolt . in edward . time , it appeareth that levying of new customes and raising of old , was the destruction of traffique , and therefore repealeth all maletoltes , only in anno , . taketh by way of lone , and with leave of the merchants , some former increase upon wools , ascribing nothing to any supream power to impose . the like did ed. the . anno . confirming in anno . the great charter for free traffique : but having about anno quinto granted certain commissions for a new kind of raising tallage , the people complained the year following , whereupon he repealed the said commissions , and promiseth never to assess any , but as in time of his ancestors . after in anno . by reason of a statute then made ( restraining all men upon pain of death for transporting any wools without licence from the king and councel ) edward the third made great advantage by selling of dispensations of that law , and grounded upon it many impositions ; but it grew so heavy upon the people , that their discontentments so far increased , that the king was enforced to cause the arch-bishop of conterbury to perswade them to patience by his godly exhortations , yet notwithstanding he continued by gentle intermissions the advantage he had by that late undecimo , taking an improvement of custome for opening the passage that thereby was shut in anno . until the same year the state made purchase of their former freedome , and discharge of the malotolt , by granting the tenth sheafe and fleece &c. and thus it continued all his reign , being a time of great necessity and expence by reason of his wars , he sometimes taking an advantage either to raise an imposition , or else to gain aide from the people in discharge thereof , they continually urging the injury in barring them their birth-right : and the king on the other side the greatness of his own occasions , and it may be gathered by record , that thus it held on until the . richard . in which year is the last petition against impositions , generally grounded in likelyhood from the kings power in restraining or permitting trade all the time after ; though licences with non obstante were ordinary , yet were they to private persons and for particular proportions of commodities , whereby the kings succeeding raised no less benefit then by sale of any general permission . to this of imposition i may add the rule i find , anno . henry . made in councel , that the value of all goods for the payment subsidie , shall be rated of commodities domestique as they may be sold between merchant and merchant : and if forreign , then so it shall appear upon oath of the merchant or his factor , they stood them in at the first ; and the general maxime which limits all regall advantage upon trade of merchants is , ut causa honesta sit et necessaria , ratio facilis , tempus idoneum . . farming out of customes . so did edward . with the new and old customes at london for . markes monethly to be paid unto the wardrobe . the like he did anno . richard . anno . letteth out for term of life the subsidie of cloth in divers countries . and edward . anno . the subsidie and usuage of cloth. thus did henry . with his customes , and since his time , the late queen , and our now soveraign master ; and it was so then in use in the best governed state rome , which let out portions and decim's to the publicans . kings raise money , and improve the revenues of the crown . by regalities ; . temporal , as for liberties . penalties of lawes , letters of favour . . mixt. liberties . in granting , restraining or renewing them . it is a course usual , that kings have raised in money by calling in question the charters and liberties of corporations , leets , free-warrens , and other royalties . thus did richard . proclaiming , quod omnes chartae et confirmationes , quae prioris sigilli impressione roberaverint , irritae forent nisi posteriori sigillo roborentur . and henry . anno . enjoyned all qui suis volebant libertatibus gaudere , ut innovarent chartas suas de novo regis sigillo , getting money thereby . edward . by divers commissions with articles ( called articuli de ragman ) annexed to them , called in question about anno . all the liberties and freedomes of england ; gilbert de thorneton his attorney putting information by quo warranto against all persons , as well bodies politick as others ; whereby they were inforced anew to renew their charters and fines for their liberties . the like was in anno . edward . in whose time anno . all clauses of allowances by charter of amerciaments , fines , &c. imposed by the kings ministers upon any of the tenants , of other men were adjudged void , and the penalties made payable to the kings officers , unless they made a new purchase of their liberties . and this was one of the usualest and easiest meanes to raise money from the people ; because it lighteth onely upon the best abilities . and if there were now but . l. taken of every corporation ; of every person that holdeth by charter his liberties .l . for renewing them : and of every one that claimeth by prescription . l. for purchase of a charter , all which would be easie and acceptable , it would amount to above . l. for penal lawes that have been sometimes but with ill success wrought upon . when richard . anno . began this course , appointing in all his commissions and instructions , bushey onely to be of the quorum for compounding with the delinquents , it wrought in the affection of his people such distaste , that it grew the death of the one , and deposition of the other . no less fatal was the like to empson : and there is no string will sooner j●rre in the common-wealth then this , if it be generally touched . for letters of fav●●● . either for mitigation of dispatch of justice . of the first sort there be many found in henry . and edward . time , sometimes of protection , although by course of the common law none are warrantable but to such as are going in obsequium regis , or ibidem moraturi , sometimes freeing men from arrests by calling them up to appear before the kings councel : sometimes in causes highly criminal releiving the prisoner , in commanding the judges to make stay of all proceeding upon supposal of indirect practises until the king was better informed . of the second sort there are many in henry . time , where the king hath taken money for writing to the judges of assize his letters of favour . for offices . thus did king john with the chancellor-ship , selling it for term of life to gray for . markes : divers offices now in the gift of the master of the rolls were engaged to the chancellour and treasurer of england , as are to be found in record of henry . henry . and henry . to be passed by warrant of the kings hand , and upon some consideration . and henry . renewed this course , using dudley as his instrument to compound with suitors of those and any other places . and by that record we find the chancellor , the chief justice , the keepers of most of the records , the clerks of the assizes and peace , the masters of his game and parks , and what else carrying either profit or reputation , paid to the king some proportion of money for their places . neither is this different from the course of other states . for in france lewis . called the father of his country , did so with all offices not being of judicature , which his successors did not forbear . in spain it is usual , and vasqui the spanish advocate defendeth the lawfulness of it : and charles the fifth prescribeth it to his son , as a rule in his last instruction , drawing his ground of reason and conveniency , from the example and practise of the see at rome . the like might be of all inferiour promotions that are or may be in the kings gift , whether ecclesiastical or temporal , if they were after the true value in profit and reputation listed into rankes , according to the several natures of their imployments respectively . for honours . and that either by power legal or election . of the first it is only in respect of land , whereby every man is to fine when the king shall require , that hath ability to be made a knight and is not , of this sort there be plenty of examples . the other out of choise and grace , as hugo de putiaco bishop of durham , was by king richard . created earl of northumberland for a great sum of money : and i doubt not but many of these times would set their ambition at as high a price . and for his majesty now to make a degree of honour hereditary , as barronets , next under barons , and grant them in tail , taking of every one . l. in fine , it would raise with ease . l. and by a judicious election be a meanes to content those worthy persons in the common-wealth that by the confused admission of many knights of the bath held themselves all this time disgraced . for the coine and bullion . by which although some kings out of a last shift , have seemed to relieve themselves , yet was it in truth full of danger and distrust to the common-wealth ; being an assured token of a bankrupt state : and to the prince in conclusion , of most disadvantage . for the revenues of the crown being commonly incertain rents , they must in true value , howsoever in verbal sound , be abated to the proportion that the money shall be abased . and every man will rate his commodity in sale , not according to the accompt of pence or pounds , but to the weight of pure silver contained in the currant money . as for example , that which was before the dec●ying of the coine worth five shillings the pouud weight , will ( if the allay be to the half ) be held at ten shillings ; and so in every proportion respectively . for money is not meerly to be esteemed in respect of the sculpture or figure ; but it must value in pecunia quantum in massa : and silver is a commodity as other wares , and therefore holdeth his estimation as they do according to the goodness . and the lord treasurer burleigh in anno . when the currant of state-councel affected an abasement of coine , after a grave deliberation advised the queen from it , and never would give way to any such resolution in his time . but that benefit which truly the king might more make of bullion then now he doth , is to erect again cambium regis his own exchange . an office as antient as before henry . and so continued unto the middle of henry . the profit of it being now ingrossed among a few gold-smiths , and would yield above . l. a year if it were heedfully regarded , and then should the king himself keep his mint in continual work , and not stand at the devotion of others to supply bullion , and should never want , the materials , if two things were observed : the one to permit all men bringing in bullion , to trade outward the value thereof in domestick commodities at an abated custome . the other to abate the mighty indraught of forreign manufactures , and unnecessary wares , that the outward trade might over-balance the inward , which otherwise will ( as it hath done ) draw on this desperate consumption of the common-wealth : which anno . edward . was otherwise , for then the exitus exceeded the introitus by far , and in the last times of the late queen as in anno . for at this time the unmeasurable use of luxurious commodities was brought in ( as wines , spices , silk , and fine linnens , &c. ) for of the latter sort of above ten groats the ell there is above . l. yearly spent , which is half the value of our cloths transported , maketh the state to buy more then they do sell , whereas a good father of a family ought to be vendacem and not emacem . besides the condition of our people is now such , that the greater part neither get nor save , which in a private house is an apparent argument of ruining , and must be no less in a common-wealth . and it is observed generally , that hence the want of bullioin now is such , that there is not money in specie sufficient to pay the lenders their principal , so that usury is paid for money upon supposition , and not really . if then his majesty shall be pleased by advise of his councel , to advantage himself any otherwise by coinage , it will be safer to do it upon a simple mettal , then by any implyant or beater suite , which well governed states both modern and antient used : for rome in her increase and greatest pitch of glory had their money aere argento , auro puto puro , and so have all the monarchies absolute at this day in christendome . and i believe it may be wrought to his majesty of good value , and to the state of much ease , if it may be put in practise with discreet caution and constant resolution ; for the danger onely may be in the venting of the quantity , which may clogge the state with useless money , or extension of the example , which may work in by degrees an embasement of bullion . the proportion that i would hold beneficial and safe , should be in the mass , at first . l. by which his majesty should gain . clearly : the increase annual . l. in which his majesty should gain . and the limitation , that none be enforced to take any but in summes under s. and then but the twentieth part proportionably . against this some may object , that it will either not advantage the king so much as it projected , either from the difficulty in venting , or facility in counterfeiting , or else prejudice the estate with a worthless money . the benefit to the king will easily fall out , if he restrain retailers of victual and small wares from using their own tokens , for in and about london , there are above . that one with another cost yearly . l. apiece of leaden tokens , whereof the tenth remaineth not to them at the years end , and when they renew their store , which amounteth to above . l. and all the rest of this realm cannot be inferiour to the city in proportion . and the form and figure may with an engine so subtilly be milled , that the charge will prevent all practise of false play . for the prejudice since london , which is not the . part of the people of the kingdome , had in it found above . by a late inquiry by order of the late queen , and so falleth out to be d. a person , in the intire state it may nothing , either of loss by the first uttering being so easie , nor burthen any with too great a mass at a time , since continual use will disperse so small a quantity into so many hands . but on the other side will be to the meaner sort ( except the retailers that made as much advantage formerly of their own tokens , as the king shall now ) of necessary use and benefit : for the buyers hereafter shall not by tyed to one seller and his bad commodities , as they are still , when his tokens , hereafter made currant by authority , shall leave him the choise of any other chapman ; and to the poor in this time of small charity , it will be of uch relief ; since men are like to give a farthing almes , that will not part with a greater sum . besides , it cannot but prevent much waste of silver , that is by the minting pence and half pence occasioned , there will be no cause hereafter to cut any bullion into proportion so apt for losse : what that hath been may be conjectured , if we mark but of the great quantities from the peny downward since henry . time stamped , how few remain : whereas of all the coines from three pence upward which are manual , plenty pass still in dayly payment . regalities mixt . as for restitution of the temporalities of abbots and bishops . for which henry . received great sums . corrodies in cathedral churches . and having in every cathedral and collegiate church , as incident to his crown a corradary , made money of it , at the highest rate he could . vacancy of bishopricks . the benefit at the vacancy of any bishop some kings have used to their best advantage , making a circular remove of as many as in reputation and profit was inferiour to the place void . concurrent jurisdiction as the pope had in former times . besides , there are two of no mean commodity . the one is grounded upon a concurrent jurisdiction with every ordinary in the diocess , which the king by having the power papall in that point invested in him by act of parliament , may exercise by his commission , or otherwise remit to the ordinary for some valuable respect . thus did cardinal woolsey with warham the arch-bishop , and all other the bishops of the kingdome , after he had got his legative power . and this if it were put in practise would draw to the king . l. in his coffers . tenths of the church-lands now in the laity . the other is the short account yielded the king of such ecclesistiacal tenths and duties , as were often or annually paid unto the pope in former times , and now by statute invested in the crown : for in former times the see of rome received them not , as only out of the meer spiritualities , but also from out of all the temporalities of spiritual persons ; which land being now divided from the church into the hands of the laity ; yet ought they to pay this duty , since they were settled in the crown by a former law , and no subsequent ever hath discharged them . an ansvver to certain arguments raised from supposed antiquity , and urged by some members of the lower house of parliament , to prove that ecclesiastical laws , ought to be enacted by temporal men. written by sir rob. cotton knight and barronet . london : printed in the year . an ansvver to certain arguments raised from supposed antiquity , and urged by some members of the lower house of parliament , to prove that ecclesiastical lawes ought to be enacted by temporal men. what , besides self-regard , or siding faction , hath been the main reason of the lower lay-house labour in parliament , to deal with lawes of the church , the milder members have yielded a right which they would maintain by former presidents , raising the same from . primitive use . . middle practise . . interrupted continuance . professing the same by the laws of . the roman empire . . the saxon kings . . the english parliaments so to do . which since it may raise a prejudice to the church's peace , or to the soveraign's power , unopposed ; i will make way ( in a word or two ) to the better answer of some other pen. what they say is not to be denied , that in course of civil laws under the christian emperours , there be often constitutions ecclesiastical ; and in the councels of the church ( frequent ) the soveraign's power , and sometimes the presence of lay-ministers ; yet may their assertion admit to the first , this answer of justinian ; principes , sapientes , episcoporum monita , pro fide & religione christiana , leges synodicis canonibus conformes edidere , recte judicantes , sacerdotum sanctiones merito majestatis regiae nuturoborari . so that those decrees of the civil lawes , will prove but confirmative of former canons , as may be gathered by that of volentinian and martian . emperours , who wrote unto paladius , their praefectus pratorii , that all constitutions , that were against the canon of the church should stand void . and to the second , that their presence was to dignifie , and not to dispute ; the direction proveth , that the emperor theodosius gave to candidianus an earl , by him to the ephesian councel sent ; non ut quaestiones seu expositiones communicaret , cum sit illicitum quia non fit in ordine sanctissimorum episcoporum , ecclesiasticis tractatibus intermisceri . and valentinian the elder , though petitioned by the bishops to be present at their synod , said ; sebi , qui unus e laicorum numero esset , non licere hujusmodi negotiis se interponere . and by the council of carth. and affrican , likewise it appeared ; that even princes would intermeddle with these matters ; but saepius rogati ab episcopis . and the emperor gratian taught , as zozimus saith , omnes laicos nihil potestatis inres ecclesiasticas posse sibi vindicare . and the former emperor . enacted ; in causa ecclesiastici alicujus ordinis cum judicare debere , qui nec manere impar est , nec jure dissimilis , sacerdotes de sacerdotibus judicare . according to that saying of constantine the great ; vos enim a deo nobis dati estis dii , & conveniens non est ut homo judicet deos. thus then stood the practice of the primitive church ; which when it was in those times otherwise , as under constantius the arrian , athanas . saith of him ; haereseos veneno imbutos milites , sicarios , eunuchos comites , faciebat sacerd. judices , & cogebat umbratiles synodas , quibus ipse cum monstris illis praesiperet . whereas otherwise that emperor , even in the height of pagan greatness , ascribed to their pontifices and sacerdotes in common right , propter religionem comitia habere propria , and that stabili sententiâ rarum erat , quod tres pontifices communi decreto statuissent the second objection . ecclesiastical laws enacted in parliament . to the second , as it is in the former true , that many canons of the church are interlaced with the common-wealths , although the saxon laws , and that the establishment should be by parliament , which they infer out of the frontispian , of inas statutes in these words : ego inae rex , ex tractatione episcoporum , et omnium aldermannorum meorum , & seniorum sapientu● regni mei , & confirmatione populi mei ; do ordain &c. yet may receive this answer . first , that the commons did but confirm and not dispute ; which to this day is in their summons comprized only ad consuet udinen . but whosoever shall collate the transcript copy with the original , called textus roffensis , will find these ordinances , not called leges but synodalia , and almost all by the king and church-men onely made . neither was it new in this isle that priests directed alone the government , when as the best record of our eldest memory saith , that the druides , ( a religious pagan order ) not only divinis intersunt , religiones interpretantur , but de omnibus ( as caesar saith ) controversis publicis privatisque confirment , sive de heridet amento , sive de finibus , & praemia & paenas constituunt . and if any , sive privatus , aut populus decreto eorū non stererit , sacrificiis interdicunt . and this excommunication amongst them , was paena gravissima . neither did the times of christianity here bereave the church of all such will. for in the saxon time they intermedled in the framing of the temporal lawes , and ought , as appeareth by an ordinance of that time de officiis episcopi : cum seculi judicibus interesse ne permittent si possint , ut illinc aliqua pravitatum germina pullulaverint . and surely , since these time until of late , the inferiour ministers of the church , aswel as bishops , had suffrage in parliament . for john de rupescissa ( a story as old as king john's time ) saith , anno . convocatum est parliamentum londoniae , presidente archiepiscopo cum toto clero . & tota secta laicali . and in the . of edward the . the members of parliament defective in their appearance , the king chargeth the arch-bishop to punish the defaults of the clergie , as he would the like touching the lords and commons . and in third of richard the second , against a petition in parliament contradicting provisions , the prelates and whole clergy , make their protestations ; and to a demand of the lay-commons , for the king's aide the year following , the whole clergy answered , that they used not to grant any but of their free will. and in the eleventh of the same king , the archbishop of canterbury made openly in parliament a solemne protestation for himself , and the whole clergie of his province , entered by word ; the effect whereof was , that albeit they might lawfully be present in all parliaments , yet for that in those parliament matters of treason were to be intreated of , whereas by the canon law they ought not to be present , they therefore absented themselves , saving their liberties therein otherwise . and in the . of richard the . for that divers judgements were heretofore undon ; for that the clergie were not present ; the commons prayed the king , that the clergie would appoint some to be their common proctor , with sufficient authority thereunto . the bishops and clergie therefore being severally examined , appointed sir thomas piercy their proctor to assent as by their instruments appeareth . and the same year , upon the devise of sir thomas bussey , most of the bishops and lords were sworne before the king again , upon the cross of canterbury , to repeal nothing in this year enacted . so did sundry the proctors of the clergy , and most of the commons , by holding up one of their hands , affirmed that they the same would do . in the judgement of the duke of norfolk , and earl of warwick the same year , the name and assent of the procurator of the clergy alleadged . and in the first of henry . the bishop of assaph , for arch-bishop and bishops ; the abbot of glassenbury , for all religious persons ; the earl of gloucester , for dukes and earls ; the lord of barkley , for barons and barronets ; sir thomas irpingham chamberlain , for batchelors and commons of the south ; sir thomas gray , for batchelors and commons of the north ; sir william thirming and john mekham justices , for the whole estates , came to the tower to king richard to whom sir william thirming , for and in the name of them all , pronounced the sentence of deposition , and the words or resignation of homage and loyalty . and when it was enacted anno . henry . by the king , lords temporal and commons , that no man should contract or marry himself to any queen of england , without the special licence and assent of the king , on pain to lose all his goods and lands ; the bishops and all the clergie to this bill assented , so far as it was not against the law of god. and thus far for answer to the second part . the third reason . ecclesiastical lawes enacted in parliament . the last , which they granted from presidents , parliaments since the conquest , they infer out of the phrase , and out of the practise ; the first by these words : rex wintoniae celebravit magnum concilium coram episcopis , comitibus , & baronibus , mistaking the word , as intending a provincial synod , whereas it was in those dayes equal and usual for their parliament , that french phrase never having admission in that sence here untill the time of henry . and then but rarely . that great assembly being formerly instiled magnum consilium ; and until of late often enjoyed the same name . and this is evident out of the words of benedictus abbas in the life he wrote of the . . henry ; circa festum sancti pauli , venit dominus rex usque northampton , & magnum ibi celebravit consilium de statutis regni sui coram episcopis , comitibus baronibus terrae suae , & per consilium militum & hominum suorum . here the intent manifesteth the nature of that assembly , and the fuller , in that the same author in the same year , saith , that richardus cantuar. archiepiscopus , and rogerus eboracensis cum sufraganeis suis congregatis apud westmonasterium in capella monachorum infirmiorum tenuerunt consilium ; or their convocation ; which had been needless if in their first , they might have done their church-affaires . here might i enter into a large and just discourse , as well of the authority as antiquity of their convocation or synod provincial , no less antient , as beda mentioneth , then in the year . when austin adjutorio regis , &c. assembled in councel the brittain bishops ; from which unto this day there is successive record of councels or convocations , less interrupted then of parliament . practice . now touching our practise to ordain in parliaments lawes ecclesiastical , either meer or mixt , although it be by record evident , yet must it admit this difference : first , that it sprung not from our dispute , or desire , but solely from the petitions of the church , as usual is in all the rolls of parliament , receiving their distinct title from those of the commons . and this they did to adde seculare brachium to their former cannons , too weak to reach to corporal punishments ; as in the fifth of richard . when to suppress the schismes , the clergy became in parliament the petitioners to the kings laity ; where these words of their assistance are , excluding the commons from any power of advice : habita prius bona & matura deliberatione de communi consilio ipsius archiepiscopi , suffraganeorum suorum , aliorumque clericorum , super quo idem archiepiscopus supplicavit , ut pro debita castigatione illorum qui conclusiones schismaticas praedicare voluerint , animo obstinato dignaremur apponere brachium regiae potestatis ●idem . and this aide was in order in the conquerors time ; who by edict commanded , that every marshal , episcope & deo faceret rectum secundum canones & episcopales leges . which if he doth not , after excommunication , fortitudo et justitia regis adhibeatur . and this even in the primitive church , was thought convenient : because as saint ambrose saith , for the like intent , to the emperor valentinian ; non tantas vires sermo mecus habiturus est pro trinitate bellum gerens , quantum edictum tuum . hence it is that at this day , the king's authority is annexed ever to the convocation ; as in the antient church were the like decrees of kings ; as those of eruigius ratifying the twelfth councel of toledo . nemo illiciator vel contemptor vigorem his institutionibus subtrahat , sed generaliter per cunctas regni nostri provincias hoec canonum instituta nostrae gloriae temporibus acta , et autoritatis debitae fastigia praepollebunt , & irrevocabili judiciorum exercitie prout constituta sunt in omnibus regni nostri provinciis celebres habebuntur . si quis autem haec instituta contemnat , contemptor se noverit damnari sententia ; id est , ut juxta voluntatem nostrae gloriae , et excommunicatas à nostro caet●resiliat ; & in super decimam partem facultatis suaefisci partibus sociandam , amittat . but that the church-laws ever moved from the lay-members , i take it as far from president , as it is besides nhe nature of their commission : the bishops and clergy being onely called in the writ to that service , the word being , to come in fide & delectione , ad declarandum consilium & avisamentum , & ad consentiendum iis quae tunc de avisamento & assensu cleri nostri ( and not the commons ) cotigerit affirmari . but if any shall object unto me , that many laws , as that of the supremacy in henry . time , had first the ground in parliament ; it is manifested , by the dates of their acts in convocations , that they all had properly in that place the first original . and that this was the use of old , nothing will leave it so clear , as to observe the fruitless success of the laity , in all their endeavours to establish ecclesiastical laws ; and this i will manifest by the kings answer out of record , so far as the rolls of parliament will admit me , successively . until the . of edward the first , there is no record extant ; but in that the commons petition to the king , that a law may be made against usurers ; the king gave answer , that it must be remedyed , coram ordinariis . and when they desired remedy , de multimodis injustis vexationibus eis factis per officiales & alios ministros ecclesiae ; the king replyed ; cancellarius emendat in temporalibus ; archiepiscopus faci●t in spiritualibus . from hence there is a lack of record near to the . of edward . in which parliament the commons desire an act to restrain the clergie in their trivial citations ; whereunto they received from the king but this answer onely ; that the king will charge the bishops to see it remedyed . and the first of richard the . preferring the like petition against corruption of ordinaries , to do according to the lawes of holy church . and in the fifth of the same king , they complain against abuses in ecclesiastical courts . respons . the king will charge the clergy to amend the same . and in the . year , when they required an act to declare the age of the titheable wood ; they had for answer , the king would move the bishops for order between this and the next parliament . and in the of richard . when they petiotioned for a residing learned ministry , so as the flock for want might not perish ; they had replyed , that the king willeth the bishops to whom that office belongeth , to do their duties . henry the . in his second year , desired by the lords and commons to pacify the schisme of the church ; answereth , he will charge the bishops to consider the same . and in his fourth year , being importuned for an act for residency of ministers ; replyed le roy command an prelats et perentrecy ils empurvoient de remedie . and in the eleventh of the same king , to the like petition ; respons : ceste matiere appartient a st. eglise et remede en la darraine convocation . in parliament under the . henry and his first year , the king answereth the commons petition , against oppressing ordinaries ; if the bishops do not redtess the same , the king will. and in anno . henry . to a petition that non-residents should forfeit the profit of their living ; gave answer , that he had delivered the bill to my lord of canterbury , and semblably to my lord of york ; charging them to purvey meanes of remedy . and in the year following , to a petition that patrons may present upon non-residencie ; respons : there is remedy sufficient in the law spiritual . since then it is plain by these rehearsed answers , that from the conquest , they have received but weak admittance : and by the edict of the first king william in these words , a sharp restraint ; defendo et mea authoritate interdico , ne ullus laicus homo de legibus quae ad episcopum pertinent se intromittat . and that the saxon synodals , are rather canon-laws , then lay-mens acts. and the practise of the primitive church , if well understood , but a weak prop to their desire , it may not seem distastful from the king ( walking in the steps of his ancestors , kings of this land ) to return ( as formerly ) the commons desires to their proper place , the church-mans care . and to conclude this point in all parliaments , as martian the emperor did the chalcedon councel ; cessat jam profana contentio ; nam vere impius & sacrilegus est , qui posttot sacerdotum sententiam , opinionisuae aliquid tractandum reliquit . and with the letter of gods law ; qui superbicrit nolens obedire sacerdotis imperio , ex decreto judicis morietur hono . the argument made by the command of the house of commons ( out of the acts of parliament , and authority of law expounding the same ) at a conference with the lords , concerning the libertie of the person of every freeman . written by sir rob. cotton knight and barronet . london : printed in the year . the argument made by the command of the house of commons ( out of the acts of parliament , and authority of law , expounding the same ) at a conference with the lords , concerning the liberty of the person of every freeman . my lords , vpon the occasions delivered by the gentlemen , your lordships have heard , the commons have taken into their serious consideration the matter of the personal liberty : and after long debate thereof of on divers dayes , aswell by solemn arguments as single proportions of doubts and answers , to the end no scruples might remain in any mans breast unsatisfyed ; they have , upon a full search and clear understanding of all things pertinent to the question , unanimously declared , that no freeman ought to be committed , or detained in prison , or otherwise restrained by the command of the king , or the privy councel , or any other , unless some cause of the commitment , deteinor , or restraint be expressed , for which by law he ought to be committed , detained or restrained : and they have sent me with other of their members to represent unto your lordships the true grounds of such their resolution , and have charged me particularly ( leaving the reasons of law and presidents for others ) to give your lordships satisfaction , that this liberty is established and confirmed by the whole state , the king , the lords spiritual and temporal , and the commons , by several acts of parliament , the authority whereof is so great , that it can receive no answer , save by interpretation or repeal by future statutes : and those that i shall mind your lordships of , are so direct to the point , that they can bear no other exposition at all ; and sure i am , they are still in force . the first of them is the grand charter of the liberties of england ; first granted . johannis regis , and revived . hen. : and since confirmed in parliament above . times . the words are these ▪ cap. . nullus liber homo capiatur vel imprisonetur , aut disseisetur de libero tenemento suo , vel libertatibus , vel liberis consuetudinibus suis , aut ut lagetur , aut exuletur , aut aliquo modo d●struatur : nec super eum ibimus , nec super eum mittemus , nisi per leg ale ●udiciu● parium suorum , vel per legem terrae . these words nullus liber homo , &c. are express enough . yet it is remarkable , that mathew paris ( an author of especial credit ) doth observe fol. that the charter . henry . was the very same as that of the . of king john ( in nullo dissimilis are his words ) and that of king john he setteth down verbatim fol. . and there the words are directly , nec ●um in carcerem mittemus : and such a corruption as in now in the point might easily happen betwixt . henry . and . edward . when this charter was first exemplified : but certainly , there is sufficient left in that which is extant to decide this question : for the words are , that no freeman shall be taken or imprisoned but by the lawful judgement of his peers ( which is by jury ; peers for peers , ordinary juryes for other , who are their peers ) or by the law of the land : which law of the land must of necessity be understood to be of this notion , to be by due process of the law ; and not the law of the land generally : otherwise it would comprehend bondmen ( whom we call villaines ) who are excluded by rhe word liber : for the general law of the land doth allow their lords to imprison them at their pleasure without cause , wherein they only differ from the freeman , in respect of their persons , who cannot be improsoned without a cause . and that this is the true understanding of these words , per legem terrae , will more plainly appear by divers other statutes that i shall use , which do expound the same accordingly . and though the words of this grand charter be spoken in the third person ; yet they are not to be understood of suits betwixt party and party ; at least not of them alone , but even of the kings suits against his subjects , as will appear by the occasion of the getting of that charter ; which was by reason of the differences between those kings and their people ; and therefore properly to be applied unto their power over them , and not to ordinary questions betwixt subject and subject . secondly , the words per legale judicium parium suorum immediately preceeding the other of per legem terrae , are meant of trials at the kings suit , and not at the prosecution of a subject . and therefore if a peer of the realm be arraigned at the suite of the king upon an indictment of murder , he shall be tryed by his peers ; that is by nobles : but if he be appealed of murder by a subject , his tryal shall be by an ordinary jury of . freeholders , as appeareth in . edward . . henry . brooke title trials stamf. pleas of the crown lib. . cap. . fol. . and in edward . it is said , such is the meaning of magna charta . by the same reason therefore , as per judicium parium suorum extends to the kings suit ; so shall these words per legem terrae . and in . edward . rot . parl. m. . there is a petition , that a writ under the privy seal went to the guardian of the great seal , to cause lands to be seized into the kings hands ; by force of which there went a writ out of the chancery to the escheator , to seize against the form of the grand charter , that the king or his ministers shall out no man of free-hold without reasonable judgement , and the party was restored to his land ; which sheweth the statute did extend to the king. there was no invasion upon this personal liberty until the time of king edward . which was eftsoon resented by the subject : for in . edward . . cap. . it is ordained in these words : it is enacted , that no man from henceforth shall be attached by any accusation , nor fore-judged of life or limb , nor h●s lands , tenements , goods nor chattels seized into the kings hands against the form of the great charter and the law of the land. . edward , cap. . is more full ; and doth expound the words of the grand charter ; and is thus : whereas it is contained in the great charter of the franchises of england , that none shall be imprisoned nor put out of his freehold , nor of his franchise nor free custome , unless it be by the law of the land. it is accorded , assented and established , that from henceforth none shall be taken by petition or suggestion made to our lord the king , or to his counsel , unless it be by indictment or presentment of his good and lawful people of the same neighbourhood where such deeds be done , in due manner , or by process made by writs original at the common law , nor that none be put out of his franchises nor of his freeholds , unless he be due brought in answer , and forejudged of the same by the course of the law , and if any thing be done against the same , it shall be redressed and holden for none . out of this statute i observe , that what in magna charta and the preamble of this statute , is termed by the law of the land , is by the body of this act expounded , to be by process made by writ original at the common law ; which is a a plain interpretation of the words , law of the land , in the grant charter . and i note that this law was made , upon the commitment of divers to the tower , no man yet knoweth for what . edward . cap. . is yet more direct ; ( this liberty being followed with fresh suit by the subject ) where the words are not many , but very full and significant : that no man , of what estate or condition soever he be , shall be put out of his lands or tenements , nor taken , nor imprisoned , nor disinherited , nor put to death , without he be brought in answer by due process of the law. here your lordships see , the usual words , of the law of the land , are rendered by due process of the law. . edward . . rot. parl. n. . amongst the petitions of the commons one of them ( being translated into english out of french ) is thus . first , that the great charter , and the charter of the forrest , and the other statutes made in his time , and in the time of his progenitors , for the profit of him and his communalty , be well and firmly kept , and put in due execution , without putting disturbance , or making arrest contrary to them , by special command , or in other manner . the answer to the petition , which makes it an act of parliament , is : our lord the king , by the assent of the prelates , dukes , earles , barons , and the communalty hath ordained and established ; that the said charters and statutes be held and put in execution according to the said petition . it is observeable that the statutes were to be put in execution according to the said petition ? which is , that no arrest should be made contrary to the statutes , by special command . this concludes the question , and is of as great force as if it were printed . for the parliament-roll is the true warrant of an act , and many are omitted out of the books that are extant . . edward . rot. parl. nu . . explaineth it further . for there the petition is : item , as it is contained in the grand charter and other statutes , that no man be taken or imprisoned by special command without indictment or other process to be made by the law upon them , aswel of things done out of the forrest of the king , as for other things ; that it would please our said lord ; to command those to be delievered , that are so taken by special command , against the form of the charters and statutes aforesaid . the answer is , the king is pleased , that if any man find himself greived , that he come and make his complaint , and right shall be done unto him . . edward . cap. . agreeth in substance when it saith , though that it be contained in the great charter , that no man be taken , nor imprisoned , nor put out of his freehold without process of the law : nevertheless divers people make false suggestions to the king himself ; as well for malice or otherwise , whereof the king is often grieved , and divers of the realm put in damage , against the form of the the said charter , wherefore it is ordained that all they which make suggestions , shall be sent with the same suggestions before the chancellour , treasurer and his grand council ; and that they there find surety to pursue their suggestions : and incur the same pain that the other should have had if he were attainted , in case that his suggestion be found evil ; and that then process of the law be made against them , without being taken and imprisoned against the form of the charter and other statutes . here the law of the land in the grand charter is explained to be without process of the law. . edward . at the request of the commons by their petitions put forth in this parliament , to eschew mischief and damage done to divers of his commons by false accusers , which oftentimes have made their accusation more for revenge and singular benefit than for the profit of the king or of his people ; which accused persons , some have been taken and sometime caused to come before the kings council , by writ or otherwise , upon grievous pains against the law , it is assented and accorded for the good governance of the commons , that no man be put to answer without presentment before justices or matter of record , or by due process and writ original according to the old law of the land : and if any thing from henceforth be done to the contrary , it shall be void in the law and holden for error . but this is better in the parliament-roll , where the petition and answer ( which make the act ) are set down at large . edward . rot. parl. n. . the petition item , because that many of the commons are hurt and destroyed by false accusers , who make their accusations more for their revenge and particular gaine , than for the profit of the king or his people : and those that are accused by them , some have been taken , and others are made to come before the king's councel , by writ or other command of the king , upon grievous pains , contrary to the law. that it would please our lord the king , and his good council , for the just government of his people , to ordain , that if hereafter any accuser purpose any matter for the profit of the king , that the matter be sent to the justices of the one bench or the other , or the assizes , to be enquired and determined according to the law ; and if it concern the accuser or party , that he take his suit at the common law , and that no man be put to answer , without presentment before justices , or matter of record , or by due process and original writ , according to the antient law of the land ; and if any thing henceforward be done to the contrary , that it be void in law , and held for error . here , by due process and original writ according to the antient law of the land , is meant the same thing as per legem terrae in magna charta . and the abuse was , that they were put to answer by the commandment of the king. the king's answer is thus . because that this article is an article of the grand charter : the king will that this be done as the petition doth demand . by this appeareth that per legem terrae in magna charta is meant by due process of the law. thus your lordships have heard acts of parliament in the point . but the statute of westminster the first cap. . is urged to disprove this opinion , where it is expresly said , that a man is not replevisable who is committed by command of the king. therefore the command of the king without any cause shewed , is sufficient to commit a man to prison . and because the strength of the argument may appear , and the answer be better understood , i shall read the words of that statute , which are thus : and forasmuch as sheriffs and others , which have taken and kept in prison , persons detected of felony , and oftentimes have let out by replevin , such as were not replevisable ; because they would gaine of the one party , and grieve the other . and forasmuch as before this time it was not certainly determined what persons were replevisable , and what not , but onely those that were taken for the death of a man , or by commandment of the king , or of his justices , or for the forrest ; it is provided , and by the king commanded , that such prisoners as before were outlawed , and they which have abjured the realm , provers , and such as be taken with the manner , and those which have broke the kings prison , theives openly defamed and known , and such as be appealed by provers , so long as the provers be living , if they be not of good name , and such as be taken for burning of houses feloniously done , or for false money , or for counterfeiting the kings seal , or persons excommunicate taken at the request of the bishop , or for manifest offences , or for treason touching the king himself , shall be in no wise replevisable , by the common vvrit or without vvrit . but such as be indicted by larceny , by inquests taken before sheriffs or bayliffs by their office , or of light suspition , or for petty larceny , that amonnteth not above the value of d. if they were not guilty of some other larceny aforetime , or guilty of receipt of felons , or of commandment or force , or of aid in felony done , or guilty of some other trespass for which one ought not to lose life or member ; and a man appealed by a prover ; after the death of the prover if he be no common thief , nor defamed , shall from henceforth be let out by sufficient surety , whereof the sheriff will be answerable , and that without giving ought of their goods . and if the sheriff or any other let any go at large by surety , that is not replevisable , if he be the sheriff , constable , or any other bayliff of fee which hath keeping of prisons , and thereof be attained , he shall lose his fee and office for ever . and if the under-sheriff , constable or bayliff of such as hath fee for keeping of prisons , do it contrary to the will of his lord , or any other bayliff being not of fee , they shall have . years imprisonment , and make a fine at the king's pleasure . and if any with-hold prisoners replevisable after they have offered sufficient surety , he shall pay a grievous amerciament to the king ; and if he take any reward for the deliverance of such , he shall pay double to the prisoner , and also shall be in the great mercy of the king. the answer is , it must be acknowledged , that a man taken by the command of the king is not replevisable , for so are the express words of this statute , but this maketh nothing against the declaration of the commons : for they say not , that the sheriff may replevin such a man by surety , scilicet manucaptores : but that he is bayleable by the kings court of justice : for the better apprehending whereof , it is to be known , that there is a difference betwixt replevisable , which is alwayes by the sheriff upon pledges or sureties given , and baileable by a court of record , where the prisoner is delivered to his baile and they are his jailors , and may imprison him , and shall suffer for him body for body , as appeareth . & . edward . in the title of mainprise , plit . , . where the difference betwixt baile and mainprise is expresly taken . and if the words of the statute it self be observed , it will appear plainly that it extends to the sheriffs and other inferiour officers , and doth not bind the hand of the judges . the preamble , which is the key that openeth the entrance into the meaning of the makers of the law ) is : forasmuch as sheriffs , and others , which have taken and kept in prison persons detected of felony . out of these words i observe , that it nominateth sheriffs ; and then if the justices should be included , they must be comprehended under the general word , others ; which doth not use to extend to those of an higher rank , but to inferiours : for the best , by all course is first to be named ; and therefore if a man bring a writ of customes and services , and name rents and other things , the general words shall not include homage , which is a personal service , and of an higher nature ; but it shall extend to ordinary annual services , . edward . droit . so the statute of . elizabeth cap. . which beginning with colledges , deans and chapters , parsons and vicars , and concludes with these words , and others ( and others having spiritual promotions ) shall not comprehend bishops , that are of an higher degree , as appeareth in the arch-bishop of canterbury his case reported by sir edward cook lib. . fol. . and thus much is explained in this very statute , to the end when it doth enumerate those were meant by the word other , namely under-sheriffs , constables , bayliffes . again , the words are sheriffs and others , which have taken and kept in prison . now every man knoweth , that judges do neither arrest nor keep men in prison ; that is the office of sheriffs , and other inferiour ministers ; therefore this statute meant such only . and not judges . the words are further , that they let out by replevin such as were not replevisable . this is the proper language for a sheriff : nay more express afterwards , in the body of the statute : that such as are there mentioned , shall be in no wise replevisable by the common vvrit ( which is de homine replegiando , and is directed to the sheriff ) nor withour writ ( which is by the sheriff , ex officio ) but that which receives no answer , is this : that the command of the justices ( who derive their authority from the crown ) is there equalled as to this purpose with the command of the king ; aud therefore by all reasonable construction , it must needs relate to officers that are subordinate to both , as sheriffs , undersheriffs , bayliffes , constables , and the like : and it were an harsh exposition to say , that the justices might not discharge their own command ; and yet that reason would conclude as much . and that this was meant of the sheriffs and other ministers of justice , appeareth by the recital of . edward . cap. . and likewise by fleta , a manuscript so called , because the author lay in the fleet when he made the book . for he lib. . cap. . in his chapter of turns , and the views of the hundred courts in the countrey , and setteth down the articles of the charges that are there to be enquired of ; amongst which , one of them is , de replegialibus injuste detentis & irreplegialibus dimissis ; which cannot be meant of not bailing by the justices . for what have the inferiour courts of the countrey to do with the acts of the justices ? and to make it more plain , he setteth down in his chapter ( that concerns sheriffs onely ) the very statute of west . . cap. . which he translates verbatim out of the french into latine , save that he renders , taken by the command of the justices thus , per judicium justitiariorum , and his preface to the statute plainly sheweth that he understood it of replevin by sheriffs : for he saith , qui non debent per plegios dimitti , qui non declaret hoc statutum ; and per plegios is before the sheriff . but for direct authority , it is the opinion of newton chief justice , . henry . . where his words are these : it cannot be intended but the sheriff did suffer him to go at large by mainprise : for where one is taken by the vvrit of the king , at the commandment of the king , he is replevisable ; but in such cases his friends may come to the justices for him if he be arrested , and purchase a supersedeas . this judge concludes , that the sheriff cannot deliver him that is taken by the command of the king , for that he is irreplevisable , which are the very words of the statute : but saith he , his friends may come to the justices , and purchase a supersedeas . so he declares the very question , that the sheriff had no power , but that the justices had power to deliver him who is committed by the kings command , and both the antient and modern practise manifests as much . for he that is taken for the death of a man , or for the forrest , is not replevisable by the sheriff ; yet they are ordiuarily bayled by the justices , and were by the kings vvrits directed to the sheriffs in the times of edward . & edward . as it appears in the close rolls , which could not be done if they were not baileable : and it is every dayes experience that the justices of the kings bench do baile for murder , and for offences done in the forrest ; which they could not do , if the word irreplevisable in westminster l. were meant of the justices as well as the sheriffs . for the authorities that have been offered to prove the contrary , they are in number three . the first is . edward . rot . . in scrin . which also is in the book of pleas in the parliament at the tower fol. . it is not an act of parliament , but a resolution in parliament , upon an action there brought , which was usual in those times . and the case is , that stephen rabab the sheriff of the county of leicester , and warwick was questioned for that he had let at large , by sureties , amongst others , one william the sonne of walter le persons , against the will and command of the king , whereas the king had commanded him by letters under his privy seal , that he should do no favour to any man , that was committed by the command of the earl of warwick , as that man was : vvhereunto the sheriff answered , that he did it at the request of some of the king's houshold upon their letters . and because the sheriff did acknowledge the receipt of the king's letters , thereupon he was committed to prison , according to the form of the statute . to this i answer , that the sheriff was justly punished , for that he is expresly bound by the statute of west . . which was agreed from the beginning . but this is no proof that the judges had not power to baile this man. the next authority is . henry . in the court of common pleas , fol. . b. . where robert poynings esq was brought to the bar upon a capias , and it was returned , that he was committed per duos de concilio ( which is strongest against what i maintain ) pro diversis causis regem tangentibus , and he made an attorney there in an action : whence it is inferred , that the return was good , and the party could not be delivered . to this the answer is plain . first , no opinion is delivered , in that book , one way or other upon the return , neither is there any testimony whether he were delivered or bailed , or not . secondly , it appears expresly that he was brought thither to be charged in an action of debt at another mans suit , and no desire of his own to be delivered or bailed : and then , if he were remanded , it is no way material to the question in hand . but that which is most relyed upon , is the opinion of stanford in his book of the pleas of the crown lib. . cap. . fol. . , in his chapter of mainprise , where he reciteth the chapter of west . . cap. . and then saith thus : by this statute it appears , that in . causes at the common law a man was not replevisable ; to wit , those that were taken for the death of a man , by the command of the king , or of his justices , or for the forrest . thus far he is most right . then he goeth on and saith ; as to the command of the king ; that is understood of the command by his own mouth , or his council , which is incorporated unto him and speak with his mouth ; or otherwise every writ of capias to take a man ( which is the kings command ) would be as much . and as to the command of the justices , their absolute commandment ; for if it be their ordinary commandment , he is replevisable by the sheriff , if it be not in some of the cases prohibited by the statute . the answer that i give unto this is , that stamford hath said nothing whether a man may be committed without cause by the kings command , or whether the judges might not baile him in such case ; but only that such an one is not replevisable ; which is agreed ; for that belongs to the sheriff : and because no man should think he meant any such thing , he concludes his whole sentence touching the command of the king and the justices , that one committed by the justice's ordinary command is replevisable by the sheriff ; so either he meant all by the sheriff ; or at least it appears not that he meant , that a man committed by the king or the privy council , without cause , is not baileable by the justices : and then he hath given no opinion in this case . what he would have said , if he had been asked the question , cannot be known : neither doth doth it appear by any thing he hath said , that he meant any such thing as would be inforced out of him . and now , my lords , i have performed the command of the house of commons , and ( as i conceive ) shall leave their declaration of personal liberty an antient and undoubted truth , fortifyed with seven acts of parliament , and not opposed by any statute or authority of law whatsoever . the objections of the kings councel , with the answers made thereunto at the two other conferences touching the same matter . it was agreed by master attorney general , that the seven statutes urged by the commons were in force , and that magna charta did extend most properly to the king , but he said , that some of them are in general words , and therefore conclued nothing ; but are to be expounded by the presidents , and others , that be more particular ; are applied to the suggestions of subjects , aud not to the kings command simply of it self . hereunto is answered , that the statutes were as direct as could be , which appeareth by the reading of them , and that though some of themspeak of suggestions of the subjects , yet others do not ; and they that . do , are as effectual ; for that they are in qual reason ; a commitment by the command of the king being of as great force when it moveth by a suggestion feom a subject , as when the king taketh notice of the cause himself ; the rather , for that kings seldome intermeddle with matters of this nature , but by information from some of their people . . master attorney objected , that per legem terrae in magna charta ( which is the foundation of this question ) cannot be understood for process of the law and original writ : for that in all criminal proceedings no original writs is used at all , but every constable may arrest , either for felony , or for breach of the peace , without process or original writ : and it were hard the king should not have the power of a constable : and the statutes cited by the commons make process of the law , and writ original to be all one . the answer of the commons to this objection was , that they do not intend original writs only by the law of the land , but all other legal process which comprehend the whole proceedings of law upon the cause ; other then the tryal by jury , per judicium parium , unto which it is opposed . thus much is imposed ex vi termini , out of the word process , and by the true acceptation thereof in the statute have been urged by the commons to maintain their declaration ; and most especially in the statutes of . edward . c● p. . where it appeareth , that a man ought to be brought in to answer by the course of the law , having made former mention of process made by original writ . and in . edward . cap. . by the course of the law , is rendred by due process of the law. and . edward . rot. parl. nu . . the petition of the commons saith , that no man ought to be imprisoned by special command without indictment , or other due process to be made by the law. edward . cap . calleth the same thing process of the law. and . edward . cap. . stileth it by due process and writ original ; where the conjunctive must be taken for a disjunctive ; which change is ordinary in exposition of statutes and deeds to avoid inconveniences , and to make it stand with the rest , and with reason , and it may be collected , that by the law of the land in magna charta ; by the course of the law in . edward . by due process of the law in . ed. . other due process to be made by the law . edward . process of the law . edward . and by due process and writ original . edward . are meant one and the same thing ; the latter of these statutes referring alwayes to the former ; and that all of them import any due and regular proceeding of law upon a cause , other then a trial by jury . and this appeareth cook . . in the case of the marsha●●●c ; and cook. . . sir. james bagg's case , where it is understood of giving jurisdiction by charter or prescription , which is the ground or a proceeding by course of law ; and in s●ld●rs notes ou 〈◊〉 fol. . where it is expounded for wager of law , which is likewise a tryal at law by the oath of the party , differing from that of jury : and it doth truly comprehend these and all other regular proceedings in law upon cause , which gives authority to the constable to arrest upon cause ; and if this should not be the true exposition of these words ( per legem terrae ) the king's council were desired to declare their meaning ; which they never offered to do ; and yet certainly , these words were not put into the statute , without some intention of consequence . and thereupon m. serjeant ashley offered an interpretation of them thus ; namely , that there were divers laws of this realm ; as the common law ; the law of the chancery ; the ecclesiastical law ; the law of admiralty or marine law ; the law of merchants ; the martial law ; and the law of state : and that these words , ( per legam terrae ) do extend to all those laws . to this it was answered , that we read of no law of state , and that none of those laws can be meant there , save the common , which is the principal and general law , and is always understood by way of excellency , when mention is made of the law of the land generally ; and that though each of the other laws which are admitted into this kingdom by custome or act of parliament , may justly be called a law of the land ; yet none of them can have that preheminency to be stiled the law of the land ; and no stature , law-book , or other authority , printed or unprinted , could be shewed to prove that the law of the land , being generally mentioned , was e●er intended of any other law than the common law ( and yet , even by these other laws a man may not be committed without a cause expressed ) but it standeth with the rule of other legal expositions , that per legem terrae , must be meant the common law , by which the general and universal law by which men hold their inheritances , and therfore if a man speak of escuage generally , it is understood ( as littleton observeth plt , . ) of the incertain escuage , which is a knight●s serviec tenure for the defence of the realm by the body of the tenant in time of vvar ; and not of the certain escuage which giveth only a contribution in money , and no personal service . and if a statute speak of the king's courts of record , it is meant only of the four at westminster by way of excellency : cook. . . gregories case . so the canonists , by the excommunication , if simply spoken , do intend the greater excommunication ; and the emperor in his institutions , saith , that the civil law being spoken generally , is meant of the civil law of rome , though the law of every city is a civil law , as when a man names a poet , the grecians understand homer , the latinists virgil. secondly , admit that per legem terrae extend to all the laws of the land ; yet a man must not be committed by any of them , but by the due proceedings that are exercised by those laws , and upon cause declared . again it was urged , that the king is not bound to express a cause of imprisonment ; because there may be in it matter of state not fit to be revealed for a time , least the confederates thereupon make means to escape the hands of justice : and therefore the statutes cannot be intended to restrain all commitments , unless a cause be expressed ; for that it would be very inconvenient and dangerous to the state to publish the cause at the very first . hereunto it was replyed by the commons , that all danger and inconvenience may be avoided by declaring a general cause ; as , for treason ; for suspition of treason , misprision of treason , or felony , without specifying the particular ; which can give no greater light to a confederate then will be conjectured by the very apprehension or upon the imprisonment , if nothing at all were expressed . it was further alleadged , that there was a kind of contradiction in the position of the commons , when they say , that the party committed without a cause shewed , ought to be delivered or bailed ; bailing being a kind of imprisonment , delivery a total freedome . to this it was answered , that it hath alwayes been the discretion of the judges to give so much respect to a commitment by the command of the king or the privie councel , ( which are ever intended to be done on just and weighty causes ) that they will not presently set him free , but baile him to answer what shall be objected against him on his majesties behalf : but if any other inferiour officer commit a man without cause shewed , they do instantly deliver him as having no cause to expect their pleasure ; so the delivery is applyed to an imprisonment by the command of some mean minister of justice ; bailing when it is done by the command of the king or his councel . it was urged by master attorney , that bailing is a grace and favour of a court of justice , and that they may refuse to do it . this was agreed to be true in divers cases , as where the cause appeareth to be for felony , or other crime expressed ; for that there is another way to discharge them in convenient time , by their tryal ; ( and yet in those cases the constant practise hath been , antiently and modernly to bayle men ) but where no cause of the imprisonment is returned , but the command of the king , there is no way to deliver such persons , by tryal or otherwise , but that of habeas corpus , and if they should be then remanded , they may be perpetually imprisoned , without any remedy at all , and consequently , a man that had committed no offence might be in worse case then a great offendor ; for , the latter should have an ordinary tryal to discharge him , the other should never be delivered . it was further said , that though the statute of west . i. cap , . as a statute , by way of provision did extend only to the sheriff ; yet the recital in that statute , touching the . causes wherein a man was not replevisable at common law ( namely those that were committed for the death of a man ; by the command of the king , or the justices , or for the forrest ) did declare that the justices could not baile such an one , and that replevisable and baileable were synonyma , and all one . and that stanford ( a judge of great authority ) doth expound it acordingly ; and that neither the statute not he say replevisable by the sheriff , but generally without restraint ; and that if the chief justiee committed a man , he is not to be enlarged by another court , as appeareth in the register . . to this it was answered ; first , that the recital and body of the statute relate only to the sheriff , as appeareth by the very words . . that replevisable is not restrained to the sheriff ; for that the word imports no more , that a man committed by the juftice is baileable by the court of the king●s bench. . that stamford meaneth all of the sheriff , or at the least he hath not sufficiently expressed that he intended the justices . . it was denyed that replevisable and baileable are the same : for , they differ in respect of the place where they are used , bail being in the king's courts of record , replevisable before the sheriff . and they are of several natures , replevisable being a letting at large upon sureties ; bailing , when one traditur in ballium , and the baile are his jaylors , and may imprison him , and shall suffer body for body ; which is not true of replevying by sureties . and bail differeth from mainprize in this , that mainprize is an undertaking in a sum certain , bailing to answer the condemnation in civil causes , and in criminal body for body . and the reasons and authorities used in the first conference were then renewed , and no exception taken to any , save that in . henry . it doth not appear that the command of the king was by his mouth ( which must be intended ) or by his councel ( which is all one , as is observed by stamford ) for the words are , that a man is not replevisable by the sheriff , who is committed by the writ or commandment of the king. . edward . rot. . dorso was cited by the kings counsel , but it was answered , that it concerned the sheriff of leicestershire only ; and not the power of the judges . . henry . the king's attorney confessed was nothing to the purpose ; and yet that book had been usually cited by those that maintain the contrary to the declaration of the commons ; and therefore such sudden opinion as hath been given thereupon is not to be regarded , the foundation failing . and where it was said , that the french of . edward rot. parl. n. . ( which canreceive no answer ) did not warrant but what was enforced thence ; but that these words , ( sans disturbance metter , ou arrese faire , & l'encontre per special mandement on en autre manere ) must be understood , that the statutes should be put in execution without disturbance or stay ; and not that they should be put in execution without putting disturbance or making arrest to the contrary by special command , or in other manner . the commons did utterly deny the interpretation given by the kings councel ; and to justifie their own , did appeal to all men that understood french , and upon the seven statutes did conclude , that their declaration remained an undoubted truth , not controuled by any thing said to the contrary . the true copies of the records not printed which were used on either side in that part of the deba e. inter. record . domini regis caroli in thesaurar . recep . 〈◊〉 . sui sub custodia domini thesaurar . & camer . ibidem remanen . videlicet plac. coram ipso domino rege & concilio suo ad parliamentum su●m post pasc . apud london in ma●erio arch●●piscopi ebor. anno regni domini regis edwardi . in t . al. sic . continetur ut sequitur . rot. secundo in dorso . stephanus rabar . vic. leic. & warr. coram ipso domino rege & ejus concilio arrenatus & ad rationem positus de hoc quod cum johan . boutet●urte , edw. del hache , & w. havelin nuper in bal. ipsus vic. per dominum regem fuissent assignat . ad goales domini regis deliberand . idem vic. quendam wi●hel . de petling per quendam appellatorem ante adventum eorum justic . ibidem appellatorem & captum vivente ipso appellatore usque diem de liberationis coram eis sact . dimisit per plevinam contra formam statuti &c. et etiam quendam radum de cokehal , qui de morte horninis judicatus fuit , & per eundem vic. captus , idem vic. per plevinam dimisit contra formam statuti , & etiam eundem radum fine ferris coram eisdem justic . ad deliberationem praed . produxit contra consuetudinem regni . et sci . quendam wilh . fllium walteri la persone , qui per praeceptum com. war. captus fuit , per plevinam contra praeceptum domini regis , cum idem dominus rex per literas suas sub privat . sigillo suo eidem vic. praecepit quod nulli per praecept . praed . com. war. capt . aliquam gratiam faceret &c. et super hoc praefat . johannes botetourte , qui praesens est , & qui fuit primus justic . praedictorum praemissa recordatur . et praedicuts vic. dicit quoad praedictum wilh . de petling , quod ipse nunquam a tempore captionis ipsius wilh per praed . appellat . dimissus fuit per plevinam aliquam ante adventum praedictorum justic . imo dicit quod per dimidium annum ante adventum eorundem justic . captus fuit & semper detent . in prisona absque plevina aliqua quousque coram eis damnat . fuit . et quoad praedictum radum bene cognoscit quod ipse dimisit eum per plevinam , & hoc bene facere potuit ratione & authoritat . officii sui , eo quod capt . fuit pro quadam simplic . transgr . & non pro aliqua felon . pro qua replegiari non potuir . et quoad tertium , videlicet wilh . silium persone , bene cognoscit quod ipse captus fuit per praecept . praed . com. war. & quod dimisit eum per plevinam ; sed dicit quod hoc fecit ad rogatum quorundam de hospitia & cur . domini regis &c. qui eum inde specialiter rogaverunt per literas suas . et super hoc idem vic. quaesit . per dominum regem quis eum rogavit & literas suas ei direxit , & ubi literae illae sunt , dicit quod walt. de langton eum per literas suas inde rogavit ; sed dicit quod literae illae sunt in partibus suis leic. et super hoc idem vic. profert quoddam brev . domini regis de privat . sigillo eidem vic. direct . quod testatur quod dominus rex ipsi vic. praecepit quod omnes illos trangressores contra pacem & de quibus . com. war. ei scire faceret , caperet . & salvo custodiret absque aliqua gratia ei faciend . et quia praed . iustic . expresse recordatur quod ipse & socii sui per bonum & legalem inquis . de militibus . & al. liberis . hominib . eis fact . invenerunt quod praedictus gulielmus de petlenge dimissus fuit per plevinam per mag-num tempus ante adventum eorund . justic . usque adventum eorund . & per vic. praed . & etiam quia praed . vic. cognoscit quod praedictus rad. dimissus fuit per plevinam per ipsum , un . & hoc dicit quod bene facere potuit eo quod captus fuit pro levi transgr . et per record . ejusdem justic . comp . est quod captus fuit pro morte hominis , quod est contrarium dec . praedicti vic . & scil . quia idem vic . cognovit quod recepit literam domini regis per quam rex ei praecepit quod nullam gratiam faceret illis qui capti fuerunt per praeceptum praedicti com. et idem vic. contra praeceptum illud dimisit praedictum wilh . filium walteri per plevinam , qui captus fuit per praeceptum praedicti com. prout idem vic. fatetur . et sic tam ratione istius transg . quam aliarium praedictarum incurrit in poenam statuti , cons . est quod praedictus vic. committatur prisonae juxta formam statuti &c. ex rot. paliamenti de anno regni regis edwardi tertii tricesimo quinto n. . primerement que le grande charter , & la charter de la forreste , & les autre estatutes faits en son temps , & de ses progenitors pur profit de luy & de la come , soient bien & ferment gardes , & mis en due execution sans disturbance mettre ou arrest faire , & l'ccontre per special mandement ou en autre manere . respons . nostre sr. le roy per assent de prelates , domines , comites , barones & la come ad ordeine & estabili que les dits charters & estatutes soient tenus & mis en execution selon la dit petition . nu. . item come ilsolt contenus en lagrand charter et autres estatutes que nul homme soit pris nemy prisoner per especial mandement sans enditement aut autre due proces affaire per la ley , et sonent foitz ad estre et uncore est , que plusurs gentz sont empeschez , pris et imprisone sans enditement ou autre proces fait per la ley sur eux , sibien de chose fait hors de la forrest le roy come per autre cause que plese a nostre dit sr. comander et deliver ceux que sont issint pris per tiel especial mandement contre la forme des charters et estatutes avanditz . respons . il plest au roy , & sinulse sente greve vingne & face la pleinte , & droit luy sera fait . . parl. anno . edward . n. . item pur ceo que plusours de vostre come son tamerce & disturbes per faulx accusors quenx font lour accusements plus pur lour vengeances & singulers profits que pur le profit de roy ou de son peuple , et les accuses per cux ascuns ont est pris & ascuns sont faire ven . deut le conceil l● roy per brief on autre mandement de roy sub gra●de pain encountre laley , plese a nostre sr. le roy & son counceil pur droit gouvernment de son peuple ordeign que si desire ascun accusors purpose ascun matire pur prosit du roy que cele matire soit mander a ses justices del'un banke ou del'autre , ou d' assises dent enquere & terminere selonque laley , & si le touche lai onsour ou partie eit sa so●t a la come ley , & que null home soit mis a respondre sans presentment deut justices , ou chose de record , ou per due process et briefe original , s●lon l'ancient ley de la terre , & si rien desire enovant soit fait a l'enco●tre , soit voide en ley , & tenu pur errour . respons . pur ceo que ceste article est article de la grande charter le roy voet qne ceo soit fait come la petition demande . ex rot. claus . anno regis edwardi primi primom . . thomas de clirowe de blechweth captus & detentus in prisona north. pro transgr . forrest . habet literas rogero de clifford justic . forrest . citra trentam quod ponatur per ballium , dat . apud s. martium magnum london . die octobris . m. . stephanus de li dely captus & detent . in prisona regis pro trans . per ipsum fact . in ha . regis de lyndeby habet literas . regis galfrido de nevil justic . ultra trent . quod ponatur per ballium . m. . thomas spademan captus & detent . in prisona oxon. pro morte wilh . win. unde rectat . est & habet literas regis vic. oxon. quod ponatur per ballium . ibidem . gulielmus de dene , mathaeus crust , roger de bedell , gulielmus halfrench , robertus wyant , alex. horeux , henric. de shorne , nicholaus de snodilond , turgisius de hertfield , robertus de pole , & richardus galiot capti & detent . in prisona de cantuar. pro morte galfridi de catiller unde appellat . sunt , habent literas regis vic. canc. quod ponantur per ballium dat. &c , . die martii . claus . anno secundo edwardi primi m. . rex rogero de cliffi justic . forrest citra trent . mandamus yobis quod si robertus unwyne captus & detent . in prisona nostra de aylesburie pro transgr . forrestae nostrae , invenerit vobis duodecim probos & legales homines de balliva vestra qui manucapiant eum habere coram justic . rostris ad plac . forrest . cum in parte &c. ad stand . inde rect . tunc apud robertum si secund . assiam . forreste fuerit repleg . praedictis . interim tradit . in ballium sicut praedictum est . et habeatis nomina illorum . hominum & ho. bre . dat. . die februarii . clauso anno secundo edwardi primi . m. . vnwynus de boycot , gaf . de wykenn & hugh de stowe detent . in prisona regis de aylesburie pro trangressione venationis habuer . bre . direct . regis de clifford justic . forrest quod secundum assiam forrest fuerint repleg . ponantur per ballium usque adventum justic . regis ad plac . forreste cum in partes illas venerit . dat. apud codington . die decembris . m. . gilbertus conray de kedington , & hugh le tailour de kedington capti & detent . in prisona de secundo edwardo pro morte edwardi butting , unde rectati sunt , habuerunt literas regis vic. suff. quod ponantur per ballium . clauso anno . edwardi primi . m. . galfr. de hayerton captus & detent . in prisona regis ebor. pro morte ade le clerc . unde rectatus est , habet literas regis vic. ebor. quod ponatur per ballium . dat. apud w. . die junii . m. . robertus belharbe capt . & detent . in prisona regis de newgate pro morte thomae pollard . unde rectat , est , habet literas regis vic. midd. quod ponatur per ballium . dat. . die februarii . clauso anno quarto edwardi primi . m. . mand. est rad. de sanadwico quod si gulielmus de pattare & johannes filius ejus , walterus home , walt. jorven , henricus pothe & gulielmus cadegan capti & detent . in prisona regis de secundo brianello pro trans . forrest unde rectati sunt , invenerunt sibi duodecim probos & legales homines de balliva sua , viz. quilibet eorum duodecim qui eos manucap . habere coram justic . regis ad plac . forrest . cum in partes ill . venerent , ad stand . inde recto , tunc ipsos willhelmum , johannem , walterum , walterum , henricum & willh . praed . duodecim . scil . secundum assiam forreste fuerint repleg . tradat in ballium ut praedictum est , et habeat ibi nomina illorum duodecim hominum , & hoc . bre . t. rege apud bellum locum regis . die augusti . clauso anno quarto edwardi primi . m. . henricus filius rogeri de ken de cottesbrook , captus & detent . in prisona nostra north. pro morte simonis le charetter unde appellatus est , habet literas regis vic. north. quod ponit . per ballium . clauso anno quinto edwardi primi . m. . mand. est galfrido de nevil justic . forreste ultra trent . quod si walter de la grene captus & detent . in prisona de nott. pro trans . forreste invenerit sibi duodecim probos & legales homines qui eum manucapiant &c. ad stand . inde rect . secundum assiam forreste regis , tunc ipsum walterum praedictis duodecim tradat in ballium sicut praedictum est . dat. decimo sexto die novembris . m. . thomas de upwel & jul. uxor ejus capt . & detent . in prisona de vvynbole pro morte stephani southell unde rectati sunt habuer . liter . vic. norff. quod ponantur per ballium . dat apud rocheland . die septembris . clauso anno sexto edwardi primi . m. bilherus pesse captus & detent . in prisona regis de norwich pro morte jul. quond . uxoris suae unde rectatus est , habet literas vic. norff. quod ponatur per ballium , t. rege apud vvestmonast . . novembris . m. . mandat . est vic. nott. scilicet quod si thomas de cadrte rectatus de transg . forrest quam fecisse dicebatur in forresto de shirwood , invenerit sibi sex probos & legales homines de balliva sua qui eum reg. ad stand . rect . coram r. cum r. inde manucap . habere coram rege ad mand . vers . eum loqui voluerit , tunc praed . tho. praed . sex hominib . tradat in ballium juxta manucaptionem supradictam . dat. decimo quinto die decembris . m. . thorn. burell capt. & detent . in prisona regis exon. pro morte galf. giffarde unde rectat . est , habet litteras vic. devon. quod ponatur per ballium . clauso anno . edwardi secundi . m. . adem le piper capt. & detent . in gaole regis ebor. pro morte henr. le simer de escricke unde rect . est , habet literas regis vic. ebor. quod ponatur per ballium usque ad prim . assiam . t. rege apud westm . septimo die febr. m. . margareta uxor vvilh. calbot capta & detent . in gaole regis norwic. pro morte agnetis filiae wilh . calbot . & martil . soror . ejusdem agnet . unde rectata est , habet literas regis vic. norff. quod ponatur per ballium . t. rege apud shene . die jan. m. . johannes frere capt. & detent . in gaole regis exon. pro morte ade de egelegh unde rectat . est , habet literas regis vic. devon . quod ponatur per ballium . t. rege apud vvestm . . die de●embris . clauso anno quarto edwardi secundi . m. . robertus shereve capt . & detent . in gaole regis de colcestr . pro morte robertile m●igne unde in●i●tat . est , habet literas regis vic. essex , quod ponatur in ballium usque ad pri . assiam . dat. . die maii. m. . vvilh. filius rogerile fishere de shurborne capt . & detent . in gaole regis ebor. pro morte roberti le monnour de norton unde rectatus est , habet literas regis vic. ebor. quod ponatur per ballium usque ad pri . assiam , dat. . die april . clauso anno quarto edwardi secundi . m. . thom. ellys de stamford capt . & detent . in prisona regis lincoln . pro morte michael . filii vvilh. de foderingey unde rectatus est , habet literas regis vic. linc. quod ponatur in ballium usque ad pri . assiam . t. rege apud novam vvest . octavo die septembris . patent . anno octavo edwardi pars prima membr . . rex omnib . ad quos &c. salutem . sciatis quod cum georgius de rupe de hiber . defunctus pro eo quod ad parliamenta apud dublin in hibern . ann. regni domini edwardi nuper regis angl. praec . nostrivicesimo , & anno regni nostri secundo tenta , non venit prout summonitus fuit , ad ducentas marcas amerciatus fuisset ut accipimus , ac johannes filius praedicti georgii nobis supplicaverit ut habito respectu ad hoc quod praedictus pater suus se a parliamentis praedictis causa in obedientiae non absentavit , per quod ita excessive amerciari deberet , velimus concedere , quod amerciamenta illa quae ab ipso johanne ad opus nostrum per summonitionem sccii nostri dublin jam exigunt , juste moderentur . nos volentes cum eodem johanne gratiose agere in hac parte , volumus & concedimus quod decem librae tantum de praedictis ducentis marcis ad opus nostrum ex causis praemissis leventur ; et praefatum johannem de toto residuo earundum ducentarum marcarum tenore praesentium quietamus . in cujus . &c. t. rege apud novum castrum super tynam . per petitionem de concilio apud novum castrum super tynam . et mandat . est thomae & camerar . de sccio . dublin quod praedictas decem libras de praedictis ducentis marcis de praefato johanne ad opus regis levent , & ipsum johannem de toto residuo inde addict . sccam . exonerari & quietum esse fact . t. ut supra . per eandem petitionem patent . vicesimo septimo edwardi tertii pars prima membr . . rex omnibus ad quos &c. salut . sciatis quod de gra . nostra speciali concessimus pro nobis & hered . nostris dilecto , & fideli nostro iacobo daudle de helegh quod ipse ad to tam vitam quietus sit de veniendo ad parliamenta & conciiia nostra & hered . nostrorum ac etiam ad congregationes magnatum & procerum ad mandata nostra vel heredum nostrorum ubicunque faciend . ita quod idem jacobus , quoad vixerit ra●ione non adventus sui ad parliamenta , concilia , seu congregationes hujusmodi , seu personalis comparationis in eisdem per nos vel heredes nostros aut ministros nostros quoscunque non impetatur , occasionetnr aliqual . seu gravetur . concessimus insuper pro nobis & ●ered . nostris praefato jacobo quod ipse toto tempore vitae suae ad laborand . de guerra in servitiis nostris vel hered . nostrorum seu ad homines ad arma , hobelarios , vel sagitarios in hujusmodi servitiis ex nunc inveniend . extta regnum nostrum angl. nisi cum regale servitium nostrum aut heredum nostrorum summonitum fuerit , contra voluntatem suam nullatenus compellatur , nec ea de causa aliquali er impetatur , ita semper quod idem jacobus cum hominibus ad arma & aliis armatis pro defensione regni nostri angl. infra idem regnum quoties aggressus inimicorum nostrorum aut aliud periculum vel necessitas eidem regno immineant una cum aliis fidelibus nostris ipsius regni proficiscat . & homines ad arma , hobelar . & sagittar . juxta statum suum sicut caeteri de eodem regno ea de causa invenire teneatur . in cujus rei &c. t. rege apud west . . die april . per ipsum regem . patent . . edwardi . . part . secunda mem . . rex omnibus ball. & fidelibus suis ad quos &c. salutem . sciatis quod de gra . nostra speciali concessimus pro nobis & hered . nostris dilecto & fideli nostro roberto de insula mil. fil . & heredi johannis de insula , quod idem robertus ad totam vitam suam hanc habeat libertatem , videlicet , quod ad parliamenta seu concilia nostra vel hered . nostrorum ex quacunque causa venire minime teneatur . et quod ipse in aliqua jurata , attincta aut magna assisas nos vel heredes nostros tangent . aut aliis juratis , attinctis aut assizis quibuscunque non ponatur &c. et ideo vobis mandamus quod praedictum robertum contra hanc concessionem nostram non molestetis in aliquo seu gravetis . in cujus &c. t. rege apud west . . die novembr per breve de privato sigillo . pat. . henric. sext . membr . . rex omnibus ad quos &c. salut . sciatis quod cum pro quibusdam arduis & urgentibus negotiis nos statum & defensionem regni nostri angl. ac ecclesiae anglicanae contingentibus , quoddam parliamentum nostrum nuper apud palatium nostrum vvest . teneri , & usque ad duodecim . diem hujus instantis mensis novembr . ad idem palatium nostrum adjornari & prorogari ordinaverimus , quia vero dicto parliamento nostro propter certas justas & rationabiles causas in persona nostra non potuetuerimus interesse , nos de circumspectione & industria carissimi consanguinei nostri rich. ducis ebora . plenam fiduciam reportantes , eidem consanguineo nostro ad parliamentum praedictum nomine nostro tenend . & in eod . procedend . & ad faciend . omnia & singula quae pro nobis & per nos pro bono regimine & gubernatione regni nostri praedicti ac aliorum dominorum nostrorum eidem regno nostro pertinent . ibidem fuerint faciend . nec non ad parliamentum illud finiend . & dissolvend . de assensu concilii nostri plenam tenore praesentium commisimus potestatem . dante 's ulterius de assensu ejusdem concilii nostri tam universis & singulis archiepiscopis , episcopis , abbatibus , prioribus , ducibus , comitibus , vice-comitibus , baronibus & militibus cum omnibus aliis quorum interest ad parliamentum nostrum praedictum conventur . scilic . tenore praesentium firmiter in mandatis quod eidem consanguineo nostro intendant in praemissis in forma praedicta . in cujus &c. t. rege . apud vvest . ii. die novembr . per breve de privato sigillo & de dat . praedict . &c. pat. . henric. . memb . . pars prima . rex omnibus balliis & fidelibus suis ad quos &c. salut . sciatis quod cum ubi vvilh. lovell miles ad parliamenta & concilia nostra ad mandatum nostrum , venire teneatur , hinc est quod idem vvilhelmus , ob divers . infirmat . quibus detinetur , absque maximo corporis sui periculo ad parliamenta & concilia praedicta laborare non sufficit , ut informamur . nos praemissa , ac bona & gratuita servitia quae idem vvilh. tam patri nostro defuncto quam nobis in partibus transmarinis impendit , & nobis in in regno nostro angl. impendere desiderat considerantes , de gratia nostra speciali concessimus eidem vvilh. quod ipse durante vita sua per nos vel hered . nostros ad veniend . ad parliamenta seu concilia nostra quaecunque tent . sive in posterum tenen . contra voluntatem suam non arctetur nec compellatur quovis modo , sed quod ipse ab hujusmodi parliamentis & conciliis in futur . se absentare possit licite & impune , aliquo statuto , actu , ordinatione . sive mandaro inde in contrarium fact . ordinat . sive provis . non obstant . et ulterius volumus , & eidem wilhelmo per praes . concedimus quod absentatio hujusmodi non cedat ei in damnum seu prejudicium quoquo modo , sed quod praes . carta nostra de exemptione , per praefatum wilh . seu alium quemcunque nomine suo in quibuscunque locis infra regnum nostrum angl. demonstrat . super demonstratione illa eidem wilh . valeat & allocetur , proviso semper quod idem wilh . ad voluntatem suam , & heredes sui loca sua in parliamenta & conciliis praedictis habeant & teneant , prout idem wilh . & antecessores sui in hujusmodi parliamentis & conciliis ab antiquo habuerunt & tenuerunt , concessione nostra praedicta non obstante . in cujns . &c. t. rege apud west . quarto die febr. per breve de privato sigillo & de data praedicta authoritate parliamenti . clauso anno . henric. . m. . dorso . rex dilecto & fidel . suo hen. bromflete militi baroni de vescy salutem . quia & volumus enim vos & heredes vestros masculos de corpore vestro legitime exeuntes barones de vessey existere . t. rege apud west . . die januar. pat. . henric. sext . membr . . rex concessit hen. bromflete militi domino vessey qui senio & tantis infirmitatibus detentus existit , quod absque maximo corporis sui periculo labor . non sufficit , quod ipse durante vita sua ad personalit . veniend . ad person . regis , per aliquod breve sub magno vel privato sigillo , aut per literam sub sigillo signeti regis , vel per aliquod ad aliud mandatum regis vel hered . suorum seu ad aliquod concilium , sive parliamentum regis vel hered . suorun ex nunc tenend . nullatenus arctatur neque compellatur contra voluntat . suam &c. t. rege apu● west . . die maii. per ipsum regem de dat . praedicta auctoritate parliamenti . a speech delivered in the lower house of parliament assembled at oxford : in the first year of the reign of king charles , i. by sir robert cotton knight and barronet . london : printed in the year . a speech delivered in the lower house of parliament assembled at oxford : in the first year of the reign of king charles . mr. speaker , although the constant vvisdome of this house of commons did well and worthily appear in censuring that ill advised member the last day , for trenching so far into their antient liberties , and might encourage each worthy servant of the publique here to offer freely up his council and opinion : yet since these vvalls cannot conceal from the ears of captious , guilty and revengful men withou● , the councel and debates within : i will endeavour , as my clear mind is free from any personal distaste of any one , so to express the honest thoughts of my heart , and discharge the best care of my trust , as no person shall justly taxe my innocent and publick mind , except his conscience shall make him guilty of such crimes as worthily have in parliament impeached others in elder times . i will therefore , with asmuch brevity as i can , set down how these disorders have by degrees sprung up in our own memories ; how the wisdom of the best and wisest ager did of old redress the like . and lastly , what modest and dutiful course i would wish to be followed by our selves in this so happy spring of our hopeful master . for ( mr. speaker ) we are not to judge , but to present : the redress is above ad querimoniam vulgi . now ( mr. speaker ) so long as those attended about our late soveraign master , now with god , as had served the late queen of happy memory , debts of the crown were not so great ; commissions and g●ants not so often complained of in parliaments ; trade flourished ; pensions not so many , though more then in the late queens time : for they exceeded not . l. now near . l. all things of moment were carryed by publick debate at the council-table ; no honour set to sale ; nor places of judicature . lawes against priests and recusants were executed : resort of papists to ambassadors houses barred and punished ; his majesty by daily direction to all his ministers , and by his own pen declaring his dislike of that profession : no wastful expences in fruitless ambassages , nor any transcendent power in any one minister . for matters of state , the council-table held up the fit and antient dignity . so long as my lord of somerset stood in state of grace , and had by his majesty's favour the trust of the signet seale ; he oft would glory justly , there passed neither to himself , or his friends any long grants of his highness lands or pensions : for that which himself had , he paid . l. towards the marriage-portion of the king's daughter . his care was to pass no monopoly or illegal grant , and that some members of this house can witness by his charge unto them . no giving way to the sale of honours , as a breach upon the nobility ( for such were his own words ) refusing sir john roper's office , then tendred to procure him to be made a baron . the match with spain , then offered ( and with condition to require no further toleration in religion then ambassadours here are allowed ) discovering the double dealing and the dangers , he disswaded his majesty from ; and left him so far in distrust of the faith of that king , and his great instrument gondomar , then here residing , that his majesty did term him long time after a jugling jack . thus stood th' effect of his power with his majesty when the clouds of his misfortune fell upon him . vvhat the future advices led in , we may well remember . the marriage with spain was again renewed : gondomar declared an honest man : poperie heartened , by admission of those unsure , before conditions of conveniencie . the forces of his majestie in the palatinate withdrawn , upon spanish faith improved here and beleived ; by which his highness children have lost their patrimony , and more money been spent in fruitless ambassages , then would have maintained an army fit to have recovered that countrey . our old and fast allies disheartened , by that tedious and dangerous treaty : and the king our now master , exposed to so great a peril , as no wise and faithful councel would ever have advised . errors in government , more in misfortune by weak councels , then in princes . the loss of the county of poyntiffe in france , was laid to bishop wickham's charge in the first of richard the . for perswading the king to forbear sending aid when it was required : a capital crime in parliament . the loss of the dutchie of maine was laid to dela poole duke of suffolk . henry . in single and unwisely treating of a marriage in france . a spanish treaty lost the palatinate : vvhose councel hath pronounced so great power to the spanish agent ( as never before ) to effect freedome to so many priests as have been of late , and to become a sollicitor almost in every tribunal or the ill-affected subjects of the state , is worth the enquiry . vvhat grants of impositions before crossed , have lately been complained of in parliaments ? as that of ale-houses , gold-thred , pretermitted customes , and many more ; the least of which would have . edward . adjudged in parliament an heinous crime , aswel as those of lyons and latymer . the duke of suffolk in henry . time , in procuring such another grant in derogation of the common law , was adjudged in parliament . the gift of honours kept as the most sacred treasure of the state , now set to saile , parliaments have been suitors to the king to bestow those graces ; as in the time of edward . henry . and henry . more now led in by that way onely then all the merits of the best deservers huve got these last . years . so tender was the care of elder times that it is an article . henry . in parliament against the duke of suffolk , that he had procured for himself , and some few others , such titles of honour ; and those so irregular , that he was the first that ever was earl , marquess , and duke of the self same place . edward the first restrained the number , in pollicie , that would have challenged a writ by tenure : and how this proportion may suit with profit of the state we cannot tell . great deserts have now no other recompence then costly rewards from the king ; for , we now are at a vile price of that which was once inestimable . if worthy persons have been advanced freely to places of greatest trust , i shall be glad . spencer was condemned in the . of edward . for displacing good servants about the king , and putting in his friends and followers , not leaving , either in the church or common-wealth , a place to any , before a fine was paid unto him for his dependance . the like in part was laid by parliament on de la poole . it cannot but be a sad hearing unto us all , what my lord treasurer the last day told us of his majesties great debts , high engagements , and present wants : the noise whereof i wish may ever rest inclosed within these walls . for , what an incouragement it may be to our enemies , and a disheartning to our friends , i cannot tell . the danger of those , if any they have been the cause , is great and fearful . it was no small motive to the parliament , in the time of henry . to banish the kings half-brethren for procuring to themselves so large proportion of crown lands . gav●ston and spencer for doing the like for themselves , and their followers in edward the . time , and the lady v●ssy for procuring the like for her brother beaumont , was banished the court. michael de la poole was condemned the . of richard . in parliament , amongst other crimes , for procuring lands and pensions from the king , and having imployed the subsidies to other ends then the grant intended . his grand-child , william duke of suffolk , for the like was censured . henry . the great bishop of winchester , . edward . . was put upon the kings mercy by parliament for wasting in time of peace , the revenues of the crown , and gifts of the people , to the yearly oppression of the common-vvealth . offences of this nature were urged to the ruining of the last duke of somerset in edward . time . more fearful examples may be found , too frequent in records . such improvidence and ill council led henry the third into so great a strait , as after he had pawned some part of his forreign territories , broke up his house , and sought his diet at abbies and religious houses , ingaged not onely his own iewels , but those of the shrine of saint edward at westminster , he was in the end ( not content , but ) constrained to lay to pawne ( as some of his successors after did ) magnam coronam angliae , the crown of england . to draw you out to life the image of former kings extremities , i will tell you what i found since this assembly at oxford , written by a reverend man twice vice-chancellour of this place : his name was gascoign ; a man that saw the tragedy of de la poole : he tells you that the revenues of the crown were so rent away by ill councel , that the king was inforced to live de tallagiis populi : that the king was grown in debt quinque centena millia librarum : that his great favourite , in treating of a forrieign marriage , had lost his master a forreign dutchie : that to work his ends , he had caused the king to adjourn the parliament in villis & remoti partibus regni , where few people , propter d●fectum hospitii & victualium could attend , and by shifting that assembly from place to place to inform ( i will use the authors words ) illos paucos qui remanebunt de communitate regin , concedere regi quamvispessima . vvhen the parliament endeavoured by an act of resumption , the just and frequent way to repair the languishing state of the crown ( for all from henry . but one , till the . of henrry . have used it ) this great man told the king it was ad dedecus regis , and forced him from it : to which the commons answered , although vexati laboribus & expensis , quod nunquam concederent taxam regi , until by authority of parliament , r●su●eret actualiter omnia p●rtinentia coronae anglioe . and that it was magis ad dedecus regis , to leave so many poor men in intolerable vvant , to whom the king stood then indebtad . yet nought could all good councel work , until by parliament that bad great man was banished : which was no sooner done ; but an act of resumption followed the inrollment of the act of his exilement . that was a speeding article against the bishop of winchester and his brother , in the time of edward . that they had ingrossed the person of the king from his other lords . it was not forgotten against gaveston and the spencers in edward . time . the unhappy ministers of richard . henry . and edward . felt the weight to their ruine of the like errors . i hope we shall not complain in parliament again of such . i am glad we have neither just cause or undutiful dispositions to appoint the king a councel to redress those errors in parliament , as those of the . h. . we do not desire , as . h. . or . h. . the removing from about the king of evil councellors . we do not request a choise by name , as . e. . . . . r. . . h. . or . h. . nor to swear them in parliament , as , e. . . e. . or . r. . or to line them out their directions of rule , as . h. . and . h. . or desire that which h. . did promise in his . year se act●o●nia per assensum magnatum de concilio suo electorum , & sine eor assensu nihil . we only in loyal duty offer up our humble desires , that since his majesty hath with advised judgement elected so wise , religious & worthy servants to attend him in that high imployemnt , he will be pleased to advise with them together , a way of remedy for those disasters in state , led in by long security and happy peace , and not with young and single councel . a speech made by sir rob. cotton knight and baronet , before the lords of his majesties most honourable privycovncel , at the councel table : being thither called to deliver his opinion touching the alteration of coyne . . sept. annoque regni regis caroli . london : printed in the year a speech touching the alteration of coyne . my lords , since it hath pleased this honourable table to command , amongst others , my poor opinion concerning this weighty proposition of money , i must humbly ctave pardon ; if with that freedome that becomes my duty to my good and gratious master , and my obedience to your great command , i deliver it so up . i cannot ( my good lords ) but assuredly conceive , that this intended project of enhauncing the coyne , will trench both into the honour , the justice , and the profit of my royal master very farre . all estates do stand mag is famâ quam vi , as tacitus saith of rome : and wealth in every kingdome is one of the essential marks of their greatness : and that is best expressed in the measure and puritie of their monies . hence was it , that so lohg as the roman empire ( a pattern of best government ) held up their glory and greatness , they ever maintained , with little or no charge , the standard of their coine . but after the loose times of commodus had led in need by excess , and so that shift of changing the standard , the majesty of that empire fell by degrees . and as vopiscus saith , the steps by which that state descended were visibly known most by the gradual alteration of their coine , and there is no surer symptome of a consumption in state then the corruption in money . what renown is left to the posterity of edward the first in amending the standard , both in purity and weight from that of elder and more barbarous times , must stick as a blemish upon princes that do the contrary . thus we see it was with henry the sixth ; who , after he had begun with abating the measure , he after fell to abating the matter ; and granted commissions to missenden and others to practise alchemy to serve his mint . the extremity of the state in general felt this aggrievance , besides the dishonour it laid upon the person of the king , was not the least advantage his disloyal kinsman took to ingrace , himself into the peoples favour , to his soveraign's ruine . vvhen henry the . had gained asmuch of power and glory abroad , of love and obedience at home , as ever any ; he suffered shipwrack of all upon this rock . vvhen his daughter queen elizabeth came to the crown , she was happy in council to amend that error of her father : for , in a memorial of the lord treasurer burliegh's hand , i find that he and sir thomas smith ( a grave and learned man ) advising the queen that it was the honour of her crown , and the true wealth of her self and people , to reduce the standard to the antient purity and p●rity of her great grand-father king edward . and that it was not the short ends of vvit , nor starting holes of devises that can sustain the expence of a monarchy , but sound and solid courses : for so are the words . she followed their advise , and began to reduce the monies to their elder goodness , stiling that work in her first proclamation anno . a famous act. the next year following , having perfected it as it after stood ; she tells her people by another edict , that she had conquered now that monster that had so long devoured them , meaning the variation of the standard : and so long as that sad adviser lived , she never ( though often by projectors importuned ) could be drawn to any shift or change in the rate of her monies . to avoid the trick of permutation , coyn was devised , as a rate and measure of merchandize and manufactures ; which if mutable , no man can tell either what he hath , or what he oweth , no contract can be certain , and so all commerce , both publique and private , destroyed ; and men again enforced to permutation with things not subject to wit or fraud . the regulating of coine hath been left to the care of princes , who are presumed to be ever the fathers of the common-vvealth . upon their honours they are debtors and vvarranties of justice to the subject in ●hat behalf . they cannot , saith bodin , alter the price of the moneyes , to the prejudice of the subjects , without incurring the reproach of faux m●nnoyeurs . and therefore the stories term philip le bell , for using it , falsificateur de moneta . omnino monetae integritas debet queriubi vultus noster imprimitur , saith theodoret the gothe to his mint-master , quidnam erit tutum si in nostra peccetur effigie ? princes must not suffer their faces to warrant falshood . although i am not of opinion with mirror des justices , the antient book of our common law , that le roy ne poit sa mony empeirer ne amender sans l'assent de touts ses counts , which was the greatest councel of the kingdome ; yet can i not pass over the goodness and grace of money of our kings : ( as edward the . and the . henry the . and the . with others , who , out of that rule of this justice , quod ad omnes spectat , ab omnibus debet approbari , have often advised with the people in parliament , both for the allay , weight , number of peeces , cut of coynage and exchange ; ) and must with infinite comfort acknowledge , the care and justice now of my good master , , and your lordships wisdoms , that would not upon information of some few officers of the mint , before a free and careful debate , put in execution this project , that i much ( under your honours favour ) suspect , would have taken away the tenth part of every man's due debt , or rent already reserved throughout the realm , not sparing the king ; which would have been little lesse then a species of that which the roman stories call tabulae novae , from whence very often seditions have sprung : as that of marcus gratidianus in livie , who pretending in his consulship , that the currant money was wasted by use , called it in , and altered the standard ; which grew so heavy and grievous to the people , as the author saith , because no man thereby knew certainly his wealth , that it caused a tumult . in this last part , which is , the disprofit this enseebling the coyn will bring both to his majestie and the common-wealth , i must distinguish the monies of gold aud silver , as they are bullion or commodities , and as they are measure : the one , the extrinsick quality , which is at the king's pleasure , as all other measures , to name ; the other the intrinsick quantity of pure metall , which is in the merchant to value . as there the measure shall be either lessened or inlarged , so is the quantity of the commodity that is to be exchanged . if then the king shall cut his shilling or pound nominal less then it was before , a lesse proportion of such commodities as shall be exchanged for it must be received . it must then of force follow , that all things of necessity , as victuall , apparell , and the rest , as well as those of pleasure , must be inhaunced . if then all men shall receive , in their shillings and pounds a lesse proportion of silver and cold then they did before this projected alteration , and pay for what they buy a rate inhaunced , it must cast upon all a double loss . what the king will suffer by it in the rents of his lands , is demonstrated enough by the alterations since the . of edward the . when all the revenue of the crown came into the receipt pondere & numero , after five groats in the ounce ; which since that time , by the severall changes of the standard is come to five shillings , whereby the king hath lost two third parts of his just revenue . in his customs , the best of rate being regulated by pounds and shillings , his majesty must lose alike ; and so in all and whatsoever monies that after this he shall receive . the profit by this change in coynage , cannot be much , nor manent . in the other the loss lasting , and so large , that it reacheth to little less then yearly to a sixth part of his whole revenue : for hereby in every pound tale of gold there is nine ounces , one penny weight , and grains loss , which is l. in account , and in the . tale of silver ounces , which is l. s. more . and as his majestie shall undergoe all these losses hereafter in all his receipts ; so shall he no less in many of his disbursements . the wages of his souldiers must be rateably advanced as the money is decreased . this edward the third ( as appeareth by the account of the wardrobe and exchequor ) as all the kings after were enforced to do , as oft as they lessened the standard of their monies . the prices of what shall be bought for his ma●esties service , must in like proportion be inhaunced on him . and as his majesty hath the greatest of receipts and issues , so must he of necessity taste the most , of loss by this device . it will discourage a great proportion of the trade in england , and so impair his majesty's customs . for that part ( being not the least ) that payeth upon trust and credit will be overthrown ; for all men being doubtful of diminution hereby of their personal estates , will call their moneys already out , and no man will part with that which is by him , upon such apparent loss as this must bring . what danger may befall the state by such a suddain stand of trade , i cannot guess . the monies of gold and silver formerly coyned and abroad , being richer then these intended , will be made for the me part hereby bullion , and so transported ; which i conceive to be none of the least inducements that hath drawn so many gold-smiths to side this project , that they may be thereby factors for the strangers , who by the lowness of minting ( being but s. silver the pound weight , and s . for gold ; whereas with us the one is . and the other s. ) may make that profit beyond-sea they cannot here , and so his majesty's mint unset on work . and as his majesty shall lose apparently in the alteration of monies a . in all the silver , and a . part in all the gold he after shall receive ; so shall the nobility , gentry , and all other , in all their former setled rents , annuities , pensions and loanes of money . the like will fall upon the labourers and workmen in their s●●tute-wages : and as their receipts are lessened hereby ; so are their issiues increased , either by improving all prices . or disfurnishing the market , which must necessarily follow . for if in . edwardi . . mariae , and . elizabethae , it appeareth by the proclamations , that a rumor only of an alteration caused these effects , punishing the author of such reports with imprisonment and pillory ; it cannot be doubted but the projecting a change must be of far more consequence and danger to the state , and would be wished that the actors and authors of such disturbances in the common-wealth , at all times hereafter might undergo a punishment proportionable . it cannot beheld ( i presume ) an advice of best judgment that layeth the loss upon our selves , and the gain upon our enemies : for who is like to be in this the greater thriver ? is it not usual , that the stranger that transporteth over monies for bullion , our own gold-smiths that are their brokers , and the forreign hedgeminters of the netherlands ( which terms them well ) have a resh and full trade by this abatement ? and we cannot do the spanish king ( our greatest enemie ) so great a favour as by this , who being the lord of this commodity by his w●st - indies , we shall so advance them to our impoverishing ; for it is not in the power of any state to raise the price of their own , but the value that their neighbour princes acceptance sets upon them . experience hath taught us , that the enfeebling of coyn is but a shift for a while , as drink to one in a dropsy , to make him swell the more : but the state was never throughly cured , as we saw by henry the eighths time and the late queens , untill the coyn was made up again . i cannot but then conclude ( my honourable lords ) that if the proportion of gold and silver to each other be wrought to that parity , by the advice of artists , that neither may be too rich for the other , that the mintage may be reduced to some proportion of neighbour parts , and that the issue of our native commodities may be brought to overburthen the entrance of the forreign , we need not seek any way of shift , but shall again see our trade to flourish , the mint ( as the pulse of the common-wealth ) again to beat , and our materials , by industry , to be a mine of gold and silver to us , and the honour , justice and profit of his majestie ( which we all wish and work for ) supported . the answer of the committees appointed by your lordships to the proportion delivesed by some officers of the mint , for inhauncing his majestie 's monies of gold and silver . . september . the first part . the preamble . vve conceive that the officers of the mint are bound by oath to discharge their several duties in their several places respectively . but we cannot conceive how they should stand tyed by oath to account to his majesty and your honors of the intrinsick value of all forreign coyns , and how they agree with the standard of the state ( before they come to the mint ) for it is impossible and needless : in the one , for that all forreign states do , for the most part , differ from us and our money infinitely amongst themselves : in the other ; it being the proper care of the merchants , who are presumed not to purchase that at a dearer rate then they may be allowed for the same in fine gold and silver in the coyn of england , within the charge of coynage . and therefore needless . to induce the necessity of the proposition , they produce two instances or examples ; the one from the rex doller , and the other from the royal of eight ; wherein they have untruely informed your honours of the price and value in our monies , and our trade of both of them . for whereas they say , that the rex doller weigheth . penny weight and . grains , and to be of the finest at the pound weight , . ounces , pence weight , doth produce in exchange . s. . d. farthing of sterling monies . we do affirm that the same dollar is . d. weight . grains , and in fineness . ounces . d , weight , equal to . s. . d.ob . of sterling monies , and is at this time in london at no higher price , which is short thereof by . grains and a half fine silver upon every dollar , being . d. sterling or thereabout , being the charge of coynage , with a small recompence to the gold● smith or exchanger , to the profit of england . s. . d. per centum . whereas they do in their circumstance averr unto your honours , that this dollar runs in account of trade amongst the merchants as . s. . d. ob . english money : it is most false . for the merchants and best experienced men protest the contrary , and that it pas●eth in exchange according to the int●insick value onely s. . d. ob . of the sterling money , or neer thereabouts , and not otherwise . the second instance is in the royall of eight ; affirming that it weigheth . penny weight , . grains ; and being but of the fineness of . ounces at the pound weight , doth pass in exchange at s. of our sterling moneys , whereby we lose . s . d. in every pound weight . but having examined it by the best artists , we find it to be . ounces , . d. weight fine , and in weight . penny weight , . grains ; which doth equal . s. . d. ob . of our sterling monies , and passeth in london at that rate , and not otherwise , though holding more fine silver by . grains and a half in every royall of eight , which is the charge of coynage , and a small overplus for the gold-smiths gain . and whereas they say , that the said royall of eight runs in account of trade at s. of his majestie 's now english money ; the merchants do all affirm the contrary , and that it passeth only at s. . ob . of the sterling monies , and no higher ordinarily . and it must be strange ( my honourable lords ) to believe that our neighbours the netherlanders , would give for a pound tale of our sterling silver , by what name soever it passeth , a greater quantity of their monies in the like intrinsick value by exchange ; or that our merchants would , knowing , give a greater for a less to them , except by way of usance . but the deceipt is herein only , that they continually varying their coyn , and crying it up at pleasure , may deceive us for a time , in too high a reputation of pure silver in it , upon trust , then there is , untill a trial ; and this , by no alteration of our coyn , unless we should daily , as they make his majestie 's standard uncertain , can be prevented , which being the measure of lands , rents and commerce amongst our selves at home , would render all uncertain , and so of necessity destroy the use of money ; and turn all to permutation of such things as were not subject to will or change . and as they have mistaken the ground of their proposition ; so have they , upon a specious shew of some momentary and small benefit to his majesty , reared up a vast and constant loss unto his highness by this design , if once effected . for , as his majesty hath the argest portion of any both in the entrances and issues ; so should he by so enfeebling of his coyn , become the greatest loser . there needs no other instance then those degrees of diminution from the . of edwards , . to this day ; at which time the revenue of the crown was paid after five groats the ounce ( which is now five shillings ) which hath lost his majesty two thirds of all his revenue ; and no less hath all the nobility , gentry , and other his majestie 's landed subjects in proportion suffered . but since , to our great comfort ; we heard your honours the last day to lay a worthy blame upon the mint-masters , for that intended diminution of the gold-coyn done by them without full warrant ; by which we rest discharged of that fear : we will ( according to our duties and your honours command ) deliver humbly our opinion concerning the reduction of the silver money now currant to be proportionably equivalent to the gold. the english sterling standard , which was no little honour to edward the first , that setled it from an inconstant motion , and laid it a ground that all the states of europe after complyed to bring in their account , which was of silver an to one of gold , the kings of england for the most part since have constantly continued the same proportion : and spain , since ferdinand , who took from hence his pattern , have held and hold unchangeably the same unto this day : but since with us , a late improvement of gold hath broke that rule , and cast a difference in our silver of six shillings in the pound weight ; we cannot but in all humility present our fear , that the framing , at this time of an equality , except it were by reducing the gold to the silver , is not so safe and profitable as is proposed by those of the mint . for whereas they pretend this , our richness of our silver will carry out what now remaineth : we conceive ( under favour ) it will have no such effect , but clean contrary . for all the currant silver now abroad hath been so culled by some gold-smiths , the same either turned into bullion , and so transported , that that which now remaineth will hardly produce . s. in the pound weight one with another ; and so not likely , for so little profit as now it goeth , to be transported . but if the pound sterling should be as they desire , cut into . s. d. it must of necessity follow , that the new money will convert the old money ( now currant ) into bullion ; and so afford a trade afresh for some ill patriot gold-smiths , and others , who formerly have more endamaged the state by culling , then any others by clipping ; the one but trading in pounds , the other in thousands ; and therefore worthy of a greater punishment . and we cannnot but have just cause ( my lords ) to fear that these bad members have been no idle instruments , for their private benefit , to the publick detriment , of this new project , so much tending to enfeebling the sterling standard : we further ( under your lord ships favours ) conceive , that the raising of the silver to the gold , will upon some suddain occasion beyond sea , transport our gold , and leave the state in scarcity of that , as now of silver . and to that objection of the proposers , that there is no silver brought of late into the mint ; the causes we conceive to be ( besides the unusual quantities of late brought into the mint in gold ) one the overballasing of late of trade ; the other , the charge of coynage . for the first , it cannot , be but the late infection of this city was a let of exportation of our best commodity , cloth , made by that suspected in every place . to this may be added the vast sums of money which the necessary occasion of war called from his majesty to the parts beyond the seas , when we had least of commodities to make even the ballance there . and lastly , dearth and scarcity of corn , which in time of plenty we ever found the best exchange to bring in silver . and therefore , since by gods great favour the plague is ended , and general trade thereby restored , and more of plenty this year , then hath been formerly these many years , of corn , we doubt not but if the ports of spain were now as free as they were of late , there would not prove hereafter any cause to complain of the want of bullion in the state. the second cause , that the mint remains unfurnished ; will be the charge of coynage , raised in price so far above all other places , constraining each man to carry his bullion where he may receive by coynage the less of loss . and therefore if it may please his majesty to reduce the prices here to the rates of other of our neighbour countreys , there will be no doubt but the mint will beat as heretofore . questions to be proposed to the merchants , mint-masters , and gold-smiths , concerning the alteration of the silver monies . . vvhether the englist monies now currant are not as dear as the forreign of the dollar and reall of . in the intrinsick value in the usual exchanges now made by the merchants beyond-seas ? . whether this advancing will not cause all the silver-bullion , that might be transported in mass or forreign coyn , to be minted with the king's stamp beyond-sea , and so transported , and his mint thereby set less on work then now ? . whether the advancing the silver-coyn in england will not cause a transportation of most of that that is now currant to be minted in the netherlands , and from them brought back again , whereby his majestie 's mint will fail by the exported benefit ? . whether the advancing the silver coyn , if it produce the former effects , will not cause the markets to be unfurnished of present coyn to drive the exchange , when most of the old will be used in bullion . . whether the higher we raise the coyn at home , we make not thereby our commodities beyond-sea the cheaper ? . whether the greatest profit by this enhauncing , will not grow to the ill members of the state , that have formerly culled the weightiest peeces , and sold them to the stranger-merchants to be transported ? certain general rules collected concerning money and bullion , out of the late consultation at court. gold and silver have a twofold estimation : in the extrinsick , as they are monies , they are the princes measures given to his people , and this is a prerogative of kings : in the intrinsick they are commodities , valuing each other according to the plenty or scarcity ; and so all other commodities by them ; and that is the sole power of trade . the measures in a kingdom ought to be constant : it is the justice and honour of the king : for if they be altered , all men at that instant are deceived in their precedent contracts , either for lands or money , and the king most of all : for no man knoweth then , either what he hath or what he oweth . this made the lord treasurer burleigh in . when some projectors had set on foot a matter of this nature , to tell them , that they were worthy to suffer death for attempting to put so great a dishonour on the queen , and detriment and discontent upon the people . for , to alter this publick measure , is to leave all the markets of the kingdome unfurnished ; and what will be the mischief , the proclamations of . edwardi . . mariae and . elizabethae , will manifest ; when but a rumor of the like produced that effect so far , that besides the faith of the princes to the contrary delivered in their edicts , they were inforced to cause the magistrates in every shire respectively to constrain the people to furnish the markets to prevent a mutiny . to make this measure then , at this time short , is to raise all prizes , or to turn the money or measure now currant into disise or bullion : for who will depart with any , when it is richer by seven in the hundred in the mass , then the new monies ; and yet of no more value in the market ? hence of necessity , it must follow , that there will not in a long time be sufficient minted of the new to drive the exchange of the kingdome , and so all trade at one instant at a stand ; and in the mean time the markers unfurnished : which how it may concern the quiet of the state , is worthy care . and thus far as money is a measure . now , as it is a commodity , it is respected and valued by the intrinsick quality . and first the one metall to the other . all commodities are prized by plenty or scarsity , by dearness or cheapness , the one by the other : if then we desire our silver to buy gold , as it late hath done , we must let it be the cheaper , and less in proportion valued ; and so contrary : for one equivalent proportion in both will bring in neither . we see the proof thereof by the unusual quantity of gold brought lately to the mint by reason of the price ; for we rate it above all other countries , and gold may be bought too dear . to furnish then this way the mint with both , is altogether impossible . and at this time it was apparently proved , both by the best artists and merchants most acquainted with the exchange , in both the examples of the mint-masters , in the rex dollar and reall of eight , that silver here is of equal value , and gold above , with the forreign parts in the intrinsick ; and that the fallacy presented to the lords by the mint-masters , is only in the nomination or extrinsick quality . but if we desire both , it is not raising of the value that doth it ; but the ballasing of trade : for buy we in more then we sell of other commodities , be the money never so high prized , we must part with it to make the disproportion even : if we sell more then we buy , the contrary will follow : and this is plain in spain's necessities : for should that king advance to a double rate his reall of . yet needing , by reason of the barrenness of his countrey , more of forreign wares then he can countervail by exchange with his own , he must part with his money , and gaineth no more by enhauncing his coyn , but that he payeth a higher price for the commodities he buyeth ; if his work of raising be his own . but if we shall make improvement of gold and silver , being the staple commodity of his state ; we then advancing the price of his , abase to him our own commodities . to shape this kingdom to the fashion of the netherlanders , were to frame a royal monarch by a society of merchants . their countrey is a continual fair , and so the price of money must rise and fall to fit their occasions . we see this by raising the exchange at franckford and other places at the usual times of their marts . the frequent and daily change in the low countries of their monies , is no such injustice to any there as it would be here . for being all either mechanicks or merchants , they can rate accordingly their labours or their wares , whether it be coyn or other merchandise , to the present condition of their own money in exchange . and our english merchants , to whose profession it properly belongs , do so , according to the just intrinsick value of their forreign coyn , in all barter of commodities , or exchange , except at usance ; which we , that are ruled and tyed by the extrinsick measure of monies , in all our constant reckonings add annual bargains at home , cannot do . and for us then to raise our coyn at this time to equal their proportions , were but to render our selves to a perpetual incertainty : for they will raise upon us daily then again ; which if we of course should follow , else receive no profit by this present change , we then destroy the policy , justice , honour and tranquility of our state at home for ever . the danger wherein this kingdome now standeth , and the remedy . written by sir rob. cotton knight and baronet . london , printed in the year . the danger wherein this kingdome now standeth , and the remedie . as soon as the house of austria had incorporated it self into the house of spain , and by their new discoveries gotten to themselves the wealth of the indies ; they began to affect , and have ever since pursued a fifth monarchy . the emperour charles would first have laid the foundation thereof in italy , by surprizing rome . but from this he was thrust by the force and respect of religion , henry the . being made caput foederis against him . he then attempted it in high-germany , practising ( by faction and force ) to reduce those petty states to his absolute power . in this henry the . again prevented him , by tying the lutber an princes under his confederacy and assistance . his son , the second philip , pursued the same ambition in the nether germany , by reduction whereof he intended to make his way further into the other . this the late queen of england interrupted , by siding with the afflicted people on the one part , and making her self head of the protestant league with the princes on the other side ; drawing in , as a secret of state , the countenance of france , to give the more reputation and assistance to them , and security to it self , spain seeing his hopes thus fruitless by these unions and sleights , began first , to break ( if he might ) the amity of france and england : but finding the common danger to be as fast a tye , he raiseth up a party in that kingdome of his own , by the which the french king was so distressed , that had not the english councel and assistance relieved him , spain had there removed that next and greatest obstacle of his ambition . his councel now tells him , from these examples , that the way to his great work is impassible so long as england lies a let into his way ; and adviseth him , that the remove of that obstacle be the first of his intents . this drew on those often secret practices against the person of the late queen , and his open fury in . against the body of the state : for which she ( following the advice of a free councell ) will never after admit of peace , winning thereby the hearts of a loving people , who ever found hands and money for all occasions at home , and keeping sacredly her alliances abroad , secured her confederates , all her time , in freedome from fear of spanish slavery ; and so ended her old and happy dayes in great glory . spain then , by the wisdome and power of that great lady , dispoiled so of his means to hurt , though not of his desire , makes up , with her peaceful successor of happy memory , the golden league , that ( disarming us at home by opinion of security , and giving them a power in our councel by believing their friendship and pretended marriage ) gave them way to cherish amongst us a party of their own , and ( bereaft of power abroad ) to lead in jealousie , and sow a division between us and our confederates ; by which ( we see ) they have swallowed up the fortune of our master's brother , with the rest of the imperial states , distressed the king of denmark by that quarrell , diverted sweden's assistance by the wars with the pole , and moving of him now with the offer of the danish ) crown : and now ( whether from the plot , or our fatality ) it hath cast such a bone between france and us , as hath gotten themselves ( by our quarrel of religion ) a fast confederate , and us a dangerous enemy : so that now we are left no other assurance against their malice and ambition , but the nether-lands ; where the tye of mutual safety is weak'ned by dayly discontents bred and fed between us from some ill-affected to both our securities ; that from the doubtfulness of friendship as now we stand . we may rather expect from our own domestick faction , if they grow too furious , they will rather follow the example of rome in her growing ; that held it equally safe , honourable , and more easie , dare rege●● , th● sub●ugare provincian ; considering the po●er they have their hands , then to gi●e any friendly assistance to serve the present condition of our state. you may see therefore in what terms we stand abroad ; and i fear me , at home , for resistance in no better state. there must be , to withstand a forreign invasion , a proportion both of sea and land-forces ; for to give an enemy an easie passage , and a port to relieve him in , is no less then to hazard all at one stake . and it is to be considered , that no march by land , can be of that speed , to make head against the landing of an enemy , nor no such prevention as to be mr. of the sea. to this point of necessary defence , there can be no less then . l. for the land-forces ; if it were for an joffensive war , the men of less livelihood were the best spared , and were used formerly to make such war , purgamento reipublicae , if we made no further purchase by it . but for safety of a common-wealth , the wisdom of all times , did never interest the publick cause to any other then such as had a portion in the publick adventure . and that we saw in . when the ear of the queen and councel did make the body of that large army , no other then of trained bands , which with the auxiliaries of the whole realm , amounted to no less then . men . neither were any of those drawn out from forth their countries , and proper habitations before the end of may , that there might be no long aggrievance to the publick ; such discontentments being ever to us a more fatal enemy then any forreign force . the careful distribution and direction of the sea and land-forces , being more fitting for a councel of war , then a private man to advise of , i pass over ; yet shall ever be willing and ready ( when i shall be called ) humbly to offer up such observations , as i have formerly gathered by the former like occasions of this realm . to make up this preparation , there are requisite two things : money & affections ; for they cannot be properly severed . it was well & wisely said , by that great and grave councellor the lord burleigh in the like case to the late queen : win hearts , & you may have their hands & purses ; and i find of late , that diffidence having been a defect in the one , it hath unhappily produced the other . in gathering then of money for this present need , there are required three things : speed , assurance , and satisfaction . and the way to gather ( as others in the like cases have done ) must be by that path , which hath been formerly called via regia , being more secure & speedy : for , by unknown and untroden ways , it is both rough & tedious , & seldom succeedeth well this. last way , although it took place as it were by a supply at first , and received no general denyal ; yet since it hath drawn many to consider with themselves and others of the consequence , and is now conceived a pressure on their liberties and against law , i much fear , if now again it be offered , either in the same face , or by privy seal , it will be refused wholly . neither find i that the restraint of those recusants hath produced any other effect then a stiff resolution in them and others to forbear . besides , though it went at the first with some assurance ; yet when we consider the commissions and other forms incident to such like services , as that how long it hangs in hand , and how many delays there were , we may easily see , that such a sum by parliament granted , is far sooner and more easily gathered . if any will make the successes of times to produce an inevitable necessity to enforce it levied ( whether in general ) by excise , or imposition , or in particular upon some select persons ( which is the custom of some countreys ) and so conclude it ( as there ) for the publick state , suprema lege ) he must look for this to be told him : that seeing necessity must conclude always to gather money , as less speedy or assured then that so practised ( which cannot be fitter then by parliament ) the success attendeth the humors of the heedless multitude , that are full of jealousie and distrust ; and so unlike to comply to any unusual course of levy , but by force : which if used , the effect is fearful , and hath been fatal to the state ; whereas that by parliament resteth principally on the regal person , who may with ease and safety mould them to his fit desire , by a gracious yielding to their just petitions . if a parliament then be the most speedy , assured , and safe way ; it is fit to conceive , what is the safest way to act and work it to the present need . first , for the time of the usual summons , reputed to be . days , to be too large for the present necessity ; it may be by dating the writ lessened ; since it is no positive law ; so that a care be had that there may be one county day , after the sheriff hath received the writ before the time of sitting . if then the sum to be levyed be once agreed of , for the time there may be in the body of the grant an assignment made to the knights of every county respectively , who ( under such assurance ) may safely give security proportionable to the receipts , to such as shall in present advance to the publick service any sums of money . the last and weightiest consideration ( if a parliament be thought fit ) is , how to remove or comply the differences between the king and subject in their mutual demands . and what i have learned amongst the better sort of the multitude , i will freely declare ; that your lordships may be the more enabled to remove and answer those distrusts , that either concern religion , publick safety of the king and state , or the just liberties of the common-wealth . for religion ( a matter that they lay nearest to their conscience ) they are led by this gro●●d of jealousie to doubt some practise against it . first , for that the spanish match , which was broken by the grateful industry of my lord of bucking ▪ out of his religious care ( as he there declares ) that the articles there demanded might lead in some such sufferance as might endanger the quiet , if not the state of the reformed religion here : yet there have ( when he was an actor principal in the conditions with france ) as hard , if not worse ( to the preservation of our religion ) passed then those with spain . and the suspect is strengthened by the close keeping of this agreement in that point there concluded . it is no less an argument of doubt to them of his affections , in that his mother end others , many of his ministers of neer imployment about him , are so affected . they talk much of his advancing men papistically devoted ; some placed in the camp , of nearest service and chief command : and that the recusants have gotten , these late years , by his power , more of courage and assurance then before . if to clear these doubts ( which perhaps are worse in fancy then in truth ) he took a good course , it might much advance the publick service , against those squeymish humors that have more violent passion then setled judgment ; & are not the least of the opposite number in the common-wealth . the next is , the late misfortunes and losses of men , munition , and honour in our late vndertakings abroad : which the more temperate spirits impute to want of councel , and the more sublime wits to practise . they begin with the palatinate , and by the fault of the loss there , on the improved credit of gondomar , distrusting him for the staying of supplyes to sir horace vere , when colonell cecill was cast on that imployment , by which the king of spain became master of the king's children's inheritance . and when count-mansfield had a royal supply of forces , to assist the princes of our part , for the recovery thereof : either plot or error defeated the enterprize from us , to spains great advantage . that sir robert mansfield's expedition to algiers , should purchase only the security and guard of the spanish coasts . to spend so many hundred thousand pounds in the cales voyage , against the advice of parliament , onely to warn the king of spain to be in a readiness , & so to weaken our selves , is taken for such a sign of ill affection to him , amongst the multitude . the spending of so much munition , victuals , and money in my lord willoughbie's journey , is conceived , an vnthrifty error in the director of it to disarm our selves in fruitless voyages , nay , to some ( over-curious ) seems a plot of danger , to turn the quarrel of spain ( our antient enemy ) that the parliament petitioned and gave supply to support , upon our ally of france : and soon after , a new & happy tye gave much talk that we were not so doubtful of spain as many wish ; since it was held , not long ago , a fundamental rule of their security and our's , by the old lord treasurer burleigh : that nothing can prevent the spanish monarchy , but a fastness of the two princes , whose amity gave countenance and courage to the netherlands and german princes to make head against his ambition . and we see , by this dis-union a fearful defeat hath happened to denmark and that party , to the great advantage of the austrian family . and thus far of the waste of publick treasure in fruitless expeditions : an important cause to hinder any new supply in parliament . another fear that may disturb the smooth and speedy passage of the king's desires in parliament , is the late waste of the kind's lively-hood ; whereby is like ( as in former times ) to arise this jealousie & fear : that when he hath not of his own to support his ordinary charge ( for which the lands of the crown were setled unalterable , and called sacrum patrimonium principis ) that then he must of necessity rest on those assistances of the people which ever were only collected & consigned for the common-wealth . from hence is is like , there will be no great labour or stiffness to induce his majesty to an act of resumption ; since such desires of the state have found an easie way in the will of all the princes from the third henry to the last . but that which is like to pass deeper into their disputes and care , is the late pressures they suppose to have been done upon the publick libertie and freedom of the subject , in commanding their goods without assent by parliament , confining their persons without especial cause declared ; and that made good against them by the judges lately ; and pretending a writ to command their attendance in a forreign war : all which they are likely to enforce , as repugnant to many positive laws , and customary immunities of this common-wealth . and these dangerous distrusts , to the people are not a little improved by this un-exemplified course ( as they conceive ) of retaining an inland army in winter-season , when former times of greatest fear , as . produced no such ; and makes them ( in their distracted fears ) to conjecture ( idly ) it was raised wholly to subvert their fortunes to the will of power , more then of law ; and so make good some further breaches upon their liberties and freedoms at home , rather then defend us from any force abroad . how far such jealousies , if they meet with an unusual disorder of lawless souldiers , or an apt distemper of the loose and needy multitude , which will easily turn away upon any occasion in the state that they can side withal , to a glorious pretence of religion and publick safety , when their true intent will be onely rapine of the rich , and ruine of all , is worthy a provident and preventing care . i have thus far delivered ( with that freedom you pleased to admit ) such difficulties as i have taken up amongst the multitude , as may arrest , if not remove impediments to any speedy supply in parliament at this time . which how to facilitate , may better become the care of your lordships judgments , then my ignorance . only i could wish , that to remove away a personal distaste of my lord of buckingham amongst the people , he might be pleased ( if there be a necessity of parliament ) to appear a first adviser thereunto : & what satisfaction it shall please his majesty , of grace , to give at such time to his people ( which i wish to be grounded by president of his best and most fortunate progenitors , & which i conceive will largly satisfy the desires & hopes of all ) if it may appear in some sort to be drawn down from him to the people , by the zealous care & industry that my l. of buck hath of the publick unity & content ; by which there is no doubt that he may remain , not only secure from any further quarrel with them , but merrit an happy memory amongst them of a zealous patriot . for to expiate the passion of the people at such a time with sacrifice of any his majesties servants , i have ever found it ( as in e. the . r. the . and h. . ) no less fatal to the master , then the minister in the end . valour anatomized in a fancie . by sir philip sidney . . london , printed in the year . valour anatomized in a fancie . valour towards men , is an emblem of ability ; towards women , a good quality signifying a better . nothing draws a woman like to it . nothing is more behoveful for that sex : for from it they receive protection , and in a free way too , without any danger . nothing makes a shorter cut to obtaining : for a man of arms is alwayes void of ceremony , which is the wall that stands betwixt piramus and thisby , that is man , and woman : for there is no pride in women but that which rebounds from our own baseness ( as cowards grow valiant upon those that are more cowards ) so that only by our pale asking we teach them to deny ; and by our shamefac'dness we put them in mind to be modest . whereas indeed it is cunning rhetorick to perswade the hearers that they are that already which the world would have them to be . this kind of bashfulness is far from men of valourous disposition , and especially from souldiers : for such are ever men ( without doubt ) forward and confident , losing no time left they should lose opportunity , which is the best factor for a lover . and because they know women are given to dissemble , they will never believe them when they deny . certainly before this age of wit and wearing black , brake in upon us , there was no way known to win a lady , but by tilting , turneying , and riding to seek adventures through dangerous forrests : in which time these slender striplings with little legs were held but of strength enough to marry their widdows . and even in our days , there can be given no reason of the inundation of servingmen upon their mistresses , but onely that usually they carry their masters weapons , and their valour . to be accounted handsome , just , learned , and well favoured , all this carries no danger with it . but it is better to be admitted to the title of valiant acts : at least that imports the venturing of mortality ; and all women delight to hold him safe in their arms who hath escaped thither through many dangers . to speak t once ; man hath a priviledge in valour . in cloaths and good faces we do but imitate women ; and many of that sex will not think much ( as far as an answer goes ) to dissemble wit too . so then these neat youths , these women in mens apparell , are too near a woman to be beloved of her ; they be both of a trade , but he of grim aspect , and such a one a lass dares take , and will desire hint for newness and variety . a scar in a mans face , is the same that a mole is in a womans , and a mole in a womans is a jewel set in white , to make it seem more white . so a scar in a man is a mark of honour , and no blemish , for 't is a scar and a blemish in a souldier to be without one . now as for all things else which are to procu●e love , as a good face , wit , cloaths , or a good body ; each of them ( i must needs say ) works somewhat for want of a better ; that is , if valour corri●e not therewith . a good face a●aileth nothing ; if it be on a coward that is bashful , the utmost of it is to be kist ; which rather increaseth than quen●beth appetite . he that sendeth her gifts , sends her word also , that he is a man of small gifts otherwise ; for wooing by signs and tokens , implies the author dumb . and if ovid ( who writ the law of love ) were alive , as he is extant , and would allow it as a good diversity ; then gifts should be sent as gratuities ; not as bribes ; and wit would rather get promise , than love. wit is not to be seen , and no woman takes advice of any in her loving , but of her own eyes , or her wayting woman : nay , which is worse , wit is net to be felt , and so no good bedfellow . wit applyed to a woman makes her dissolve her simperings , and discover her teeth with laughter ; and this is surely a purge for love : for the beginning and original of love is a kind of foolish melancholly . as for the man that makes his taylor his bawde , and hopes to inveagle his love with such a coloured suit , surely the same man deeply hazzards the losse of her favour upon every change of his cloaths . so likewise the other that courts her silently with a good body , let me tell him that his cloaths stand alwayes betwixt his mistriss eyes and him . the comliness of cloaths depends upon the comliness of the body , and so both upon opinion . she that hath been seduced by apparell , let me give her to wit , that men always put off their cloaths before they go to bed ; and let her that hath been inamoured of her servants body , understand , that if she saw him in a skin of cloath ( that is , in a suit made to the pattern of his body ) she would discern slender cause to love him ever after . there are no cloaths fit so well in a womans eye , as a suit of steel , though not of the fashion : and no man so soon surpriseth a womans affections , as he that is the subject of whisperings , and hath alwayes some stories of his own atchievements depending upon him mistake me not , i understand not by valour one that never fights but when he is backt by drink or anger , or hissed on by beholders ; nor one that is desperate , nor one that takes away a servingmans weapons , when perhaps they cost him his quarters wages ; nor one that wears a privy coat of defence , and therein is confident : for then such as make bucklers would be accounted the very scum of the common-wealth . i intend one of an even resolution , grounded upon reason , which is alwayes even ; having his power restrained by the law of not doing wrong . philip sidney . wooing-stuff . faint amorist : what , do'st thou think to taste loves honey , and not drink one dram of gall ? or to devour a world of sweet , and taste no sour ? do'st thou ever think to enter th' elisian fields that dar●st not venture in charons barge ? a lovers mind must use to sayle with every wind . he that loves , and fears to try , learns his mistris to deny . doth she chide thee ? 't is to shew it , that thy coldness makes her do it ; is she silent ? is she mute ? silence fully grants thy sute ; doth she pout , and leave the room ? then she goes to bid thee come ; is she sick ? why then be sure , she invites thee to the cure ; doth she cross thy sute with no ? tush , she loves to hear the woo ; doth she call the faith of man in question ? nay , ' uds-foot , she loves thee than ; and if e're she make a blot . she 's lost , if that thou hit'st her not . he that after ten denials , dares attempt no farther tryals , hath no warrant to acquire the dainties of his chaste desire . philip sidney . sir francis walsingham ' s anatomizing of honesty , ambition , and fortitude . written in the year . london : printed in the year . sir francis walsinghams anatomizing of honesty , ambition , and fortitude . what it is directly that i wil write , i know not : for , as my thoughts have never dwelt long upon one thing ; and so my mind hath been filled with the imagination of things of a different nature : so there is a necessity that this ofspring of so un-composed a parent must be mishaped , answerable to the original from whence it is derived . somewhat i am resolved to write , of some virtues , and some vi●es , and some indifferent things . for , knowing that a mans life is a perpetual action , which every moment is under one of these three heads ; my imaginations have ever chiefly tended to find cut the natures of these things , that i might , ( as much as my frailty ( the inseperable companion of mans nature ) would give me leave ) wear out this garment of my body , with as little inconvenience to my soul as i could , and play this game of conversation ( in which every one ( as long as he lives ) makes one ) with the reputation of a fair gamester , rather than of a cunning one . and first i will write of honesty ; not in its general sense ( in which it comprehends all moral vertues ) but in that particular in which ( according to our phrase ) it denominates an honest man. honesty is a quiet passing over the days of a mans life , without doing injury to another man. there is required in an honest man , not so much to do every thing as he would be done unto , as to forbear any thing that he would not be content to suffer ; for the essence of honesty consists in forbearing to do ill : and to good acts is a proper passion , and no essential part of honesty . as chastity is the honesty of women , so honesty is the chastity of man. either of them once impaired is irrecoverable . for a woman that hath lost her maidenhead , may as easily recover it , as a man that hath once taken liberty of being a knave can be restored to the title of an honest man. for honesty doth not consist in the doing of one , or one thousand acts never so well ; but in spinning on the delicate threds of life , though not exceeding fine , yet free from bracks , and staines . we do not call him an honest man , but a wotthy man , that doth brave eminent acts : but we give him the title of an honest man , of whom no man can truly report any ill . the most eminent part of honesty is truth : not in vvords ( though that be necessarily required ) but in the course of his life ; in his profession of friendship ; in his promise of rewards and benefits to those that depend upon him ; and grateful acknowledging those good turns that he receives from any man. the greatest opposite to honesty is falshood ; and as that is commonly waited upon with cunning and dissimulation , so is honesty with discretion and assurance . it is true , that custome makes some apparently false ; some through impudence , and too much use ; and other some for want of discretion , which if they had had , should have been employed in covering it . and there be some , in whom ( though it be impossible honesty should be a fault in society ) their indiscreet managing of it , makes it holden for a thing that 's meerly a vice , a wonderful troublesome companion . an honest man is as neer an aptitude to become a friend , as gold is to become coyne : he will melt with good offices well done , and will easily take the stampe of true friendship ; and having once taken it , though it may be bended and bruised , yet still will keep his stamp clean without rust or canker , and is not ashamed to be enclosed in it , but is contented to have all his glory seen through it onely . it is of it self a competent estate of vertue , able to supply all necessary parts of it to a man 's own particular , and a man that is born to it , may raise himself to an eminency in all vertues ; though of it self it will not furnish a man with the abilities of doing any glorious thing . it is pity that honesty should be abstracted from the lustre of all other vertues . but if there be such an honesty , the fittest seat for it is the countrey , where there will be little need of any greater ability , and it will be least subject to corruption . and therefore , since it is the foundation upon which a man may build that part of his life which respects conversation , he that builds upon it ( let his actions be never so mean ) shall be sure of a good , though not of a great reputation ; whereas letting it perish , let the rest of the building of his life be never so eminent , it will serve but to make the ruine of his good name more notorious . of ambition . love , honour , and praise are the greatest blessings of this world : all other contents reflect primarily upon the body : and please the soul onely because they please some one or more senses . but those therefore only delight the senses , because the soul by discourse was first pleased with them . for in it self there is more musick in a railing song , thrust upon a good ayre , than in the confused applause of the multitude . but because the soul , by discourse , finds this clamor to be an argument of the estimation which those that so commend it have of it , it likes it self better , and rejoyceth the more init self , because it sees other men value it . for there are two wayes of proving ; the one by reason , and the other by witness ; but the more excellent proof is that of reason : for he that can by reason prove any thing to me makes his knowledge mine , because by the same reason i am able to prove it to another : but if . men should swear to me they saw such a thing , which before i did not believe ; it is true , i should alter mine opinion , not because there appeared any greater likelihood of the thing ; but because it was unlikely that so many men should lie : and if i should go about to make others of the fame opinion , i could not doe it , by telling them i knew it , or i saw it ; but all i could say , were , i did believe it ; because such and such men told me they saw it . so in the comfort a man takes of himself ( which grows out of the consideration of how much it self deserves to be beloved ) a vertuous wise fellow will take enough comfort and joy in himself ( though by misfortune he is troubled to carry about with him the worlds ill opinion ) by discoursing that he is free from those slanders that are laid upon him , and that he hath those sufficiencies and venues which others deny . and on the contrary side , he without deserving it ( having the good fortune to be esteemed and honoured ) will easily be drawn to have a good opinion of himself ; as , out of modesty , submitting his own reason to the testimony of many witnesses . ambition in it self is no fault ; but the most natural commendation of the soul , as beautie is of the bodie : it is in men , as beauty is in women . for , as to be naturally exceeding handsome , is the greatest commendation of that sex , and that for which they most desire to be commended ; so that ambition by which men desire honour the natural way ( which consists in doing honourable and good acts ) is the root of the most perfect commendation that a morall man is capable of . those onely offend in their ambition , who out of the earthliness of their minds dare not aspire to that true honor which is the estimation of a man , being as it were the temple wherein vertue is inshrin'd ; and therefore settle their minds onely upon attaining titles and power ; which at the first were , or at least should be the mark whereby to distinguish men according to the rate of their vertues and sufficiencies ; but are now onely arguments of a mans good fortune , and effects of the princes favour . it is true that power is a brave addition to a worthy man ; but a fool , or a knave that is powerful , hath ( according to the degree of his power ) just that advantage of a vertuous prudent man , that adam , before he fell , had of the angels that stood ; an ability to do more ill . as for titles ( which at first were the marks of power ; and the rewards of vertue ) they are now ( according to their name ) but like the titles of books , which ( for the most part ) the more glorious things they promise , let a man narrowly peruse them over , the less substance he shall find in them . and the wooden lord is like the logg that jupiter gave the frogs to be their king ; it makes a great noise ; it prepares an expectation of great matters , but when they once perceived it unactive , and senlesly lying still , the wiser sort of frogs began to despise it , and ( in fine ) every young frogling presumed to leap up and down upon it . some few there are , who ( least the species of our antient worthy lords should be lost ) do preserve in themselves the will and desire , since they want the means , to do brave and worthy acts. and therefore i say , let a man by doing worthy acts deserve honour , and though he do not attain it , yet he is much a happier man than he that gets it without desert . for such a man is before hand with reputation ; and the world still owes him that honour with his deserts cry for , and it hath not paid ; vvhereas that man that hath a great reputation , without deserving it , is behind-hand with the world ; and his honour is but lent , not paid ; and when the world comes to take accompt of its applause , and finds his title of merit ( by which he pretends to it ) weak and broken , it will recall it's approbation , and leave him by so much the more a notorious bankrupt in his good name , by how much the estimation of his wealth that way was the greater . of fortitude . for a man to be compleatly happy there is required the perfection of all morall virtues ; and yet this is not enough ; for , virtues do rather banish misfortunes , and but shew us joy , than establish felicity : vvhich is not onely an utter alienation from all affliction , but an absolute fulness of joy. and since the soul of man is infinitely more excellent than any thing else it can meet withal in this vvorld , nothing upon earth can satisfie it , but in the enjoying of the greatest abundance of all delights that the most nimble witted man can frame to himself ; for that his soul will still have a further desire , as unsatisfied with that it enjoyes . ( therefore the perfection of happiness consists in the love of god ; which is onely able to fill up all the corners of the soul with most perfect joy ; and consequently to fix all its desires upon those celestial joyes that shall never be taken from it . but this , as it cannot be obtained by discourse , but by unfeigned prayer , and the assistance and illumination of gods grace ; so is it not my purpose to prick at it . and for that part of felicity which is attained to by moral virtue , i find that every virtue gives a man perfection in some kind , and a degree of felicity too : viz. honesty , gives a man a good report ; justice , estimation and authority ; prudence , respect and confidence ; courtesie , and liberality , affection , and a kind of dominion over other men. temperance , healthy . fortitude , a quiet mind , not to be moved by any adversity , and a confidence not to be circumvented by any danger . so that all other virtues give a man but an outward happiness , as receiving their reward from others ; onely temperance doth pretend to make the body a stranger to pain , both in taking from it the occasion of diseases , and making the outward inconveniences of vvant , as hunger and cold , if not delightful , at least suffareble . fr. walsingham . a brief discourse concerning the power of the peeres and commons of parliament in point of judicature . written by sir robert cotton , at the request of a peer of this realm . london : printed in the year . a brief discourse concerning the power of the peers , &c. sir , to give you as short an accompt of your desire as i can , i must crave leave , to lay you , as a ground , the frame or first model of this state. when , after the period of the saxon time harold had lifted himself into the royal seat , the great men , to whom but lately he was no more than equal either in fortune or power , disdaining this act of arrogancy , called in william , then duke of normandy , a prince more active than any in these western parts , and renowned for many victories he had fortunately atchieved against the french king , then the most potent monarch of europe . this duke led along with him to this work of glory , many of the younger sons of the best families of normandy , picardy , and flanders , who as undertakers , accompanied the undertaking of this fortunate man. the usurper slain , and the crown by war gained ; to secure certain to his posterity what he had so suddenly gotten , he shared out his purchase , retaining in each county a portion to support the dignity soveraign , which was stiled domenia regni , now the antient demeans ; and assigning to others his adventurers such portions as suited to their quality and expence , retaining to himself dependency of their personal service ( except such lands as in free alms , were the portion of the church ) these were stiled barones regis , the kings immediate free-holders ; for the word baro imported then no more . as the king to these , so these to their followers sub-divided part of their shares into knights fees ; and their tenants were called barones comites , or the like ; for we find , as the kings write in their writs , baronibus suis & francois & anglois ; the soveraigns gifts , for the most part , extending to whole counties or hundreds , an earl being lord of the one , and a baron of the inferiour donations to lords of townships or mannors . as thus the land , so was all course of judicature divided ; even from the meanest to the highest portion , each several had his court of law , preserving still the manner of our ancestors the saxons , who jura per pagos reddebant ; and these are still termed court barons , or the freeholders court , twelve usually in number , who with the thame or chief lord were judges . the hundred was next ; where the hundredus or aldermanus , lord of the hundred , with the chief lords of each township within their limits judged . gods people observed this form in the publique , centuriones & decani judicabant plebem onni tempore . the county or generale placitum was the next ; this was , so to supply the defect , or remedy the corruption of the inferiour , vbi curiae dominarum probantur defecisse , pertinent ad vicecomitem provinciarum . the judges here were comitos , vicecomites , & barones comitatus qui liberas in eo terras h●bent . the last and supream , and proper to our question , was gener ale placitum apud london , vniversalis synodus , in charters of the conqueror , capitalis curia , by glanvile . magnum & commune consilium coram rege & magnatibus suis . in the rolls of hen. the third , it is not stative , but summoned by proclamation ; edicitur generale placitum apud london , saith the book of abingdon ; whither episcopi , duces , principes , satrapae , rectores , & causidici ex omni parte confluxerunt ad istan curiam , saith glanville , causes were referred propter aliquam dubitationem quae emergit in conitatu , cum comitatus nescit dijudicare . thus did ethelweld bishop of winton transfer his suit against leoftine from the county , ●d generale placitum , in the time of king ethildred : queen edgin against goda from the county appealed to king etheldred at london , congregatis principibus & sapientibus aogliae . a suit between the bishops of winton and durham , in the time of saint edward , coram episcopis & principibus regni in praesfentia regis , ventilata & finita . in the . year of the conqueror , episcopi , comites , & barones regia potestate e diversis provinciis ad universalem synodum pro causis audiendis & tractandis convocati , saith the book of westminster , and this continued all along in the succeeding kings reigns until towards the end of henry the third . as this great court or councel consisting of the king and barons , ruled the great affairs of state , and controlled all inferiour courts , so were there certain officers , whose transcendent power seemed to be set to bound in the execution of princes wills ; as the steward , constable , and marshal , fixed upon families in fee for many ages : they as tribunes of the people , or ephori amongst the athenians , grown by an unmannerly carriage , fearful to monarchy , fell at the feet and mercy of the king , when the daring earl of leicester was slain at eversham . this chance , and the dear experience henry the third himself had made at the parliament at oxford in the . year of his reign , and the memory of the many streights his father was driven unto , especially at runny-mead near stanes , brought this king wisely to begin what his successors fortunately finished , in lessening the strength and power of his great lords . and this was wrought by searching into the regality they had usurped over their peculiar soveraigns ( whereby they were ( as the book at st. albans tearmeth them ) quot domini tot tyranni ) and by weakening that hand of power which they carried in the parliaments , by commanding the service of many knights , citizens , and burgesses to that great councel . now began the frequent sending of writs to the commons , their assents not only used in money , charge , and making laws ( for before all ordinances passed by the king and peers ) but their consent in judgements of all natures , whether civil or criminal . in proof whereof i will produce some few succeeding presidents out of record . when adomar that proud prelate of winchester , the kings half brother , had grieved the state with his daring power , he was exised by joynt sentence of the king , the lords , and commons ; and this appeareth expresly by the letter sent by pope alexander the fourth expostulating a revocation of him from banishment , because he was a church-man , and so not subject to lay censures . in this , the answer is , si dominus rex & regni majores hoc vellent , meaning his revocation , communitas tamen ipsius ingressum in angliam jam nullatenus sustineret . the peers subsign this answer with their names , and petrus de montford vice totius communitatis , as speaker or proctor of the commons ; for by this stile sir j. tiptoft prolocutor affirmeth under his arms the deed of entaile of the crown by king henry . in the . year of his reign , for all the commons . the banishment of the two spencers in . e. . praelati comites & barones & les autres peeres de la terre & commons de roialme , give consent and sentence to the revocation and reversement of the former sentence ; the lords and commons accord , and so it is expressed in the roll. in the first of edward the third , when elizabeth the widdow of sir john de burgo complained in parliament , that hugh spencer the younger , robert baldock , and william cliffe his instruments , had by duress forced her to make a writing to the king , whereby she was dispoiled of all her inheritance , sentence was given for her in these words . pur ceo que avis est al evesques counts & barones & autres grandes & a tout cominalte de la terre , que le dit escript est fait contre ley , & tout manere de raison si fuist le dit escript per agard delparliam . dampue elloques al livre ala dit eliz. in the th . of edward . it appears by a letter to the pope , that to the sentence given against the earl of kent , the commons were parties as well as the lords and peers ; for , the king directed their proceedings in these words ; comitibus , magnatibus , baronibus , & aliis de communitate dicti regni as parliamentum illud congregates iu●unximus , ut super his discernerent & judicarent quod ratione & justitiae conveniret , habere prae oculis , solum deum qui cum concordi & unaenimi sementia tanquam reum criminis laesoe majestatis morti abjudicarent ejus sententia , &c. when in the th . of e. . the lords had pronounced the sentence against richard lyons . otherwise than the commons agreed ; they appealed to the king , and had redress , and the sentence entred to their desires . when in the first year of r. . william weston , and john jennings were arraigned in parliament , for surrendring certain forts of the kings , the commons were parties to the sentence against them given , as appeareth by a memorandum annexed to that record . in i h. . although the commons refer by protestation , the pronouncing the sentence of deposition against king richard the second , unto the lords , yet are they equally interessed in it , as appeareth by the record , for there are made proctors or commissioners for the whole parliament , one bishop , one earl , one abbot , one barronet , and two knights , gray and erpingham , for the commons ; and to infer , that because the lords pronounced the sentence the point of judgment should be only theirs , were as absurd , as to conclude that no authority was left in any other commissioner of oyer and terminer than in the person of that man solely that speaketh the sentence . in the second of hen. the th the petitions of the commons importeth no less than a right they had to act and assent to all things in parliament ; and so it is answered by the king. and had not the journal roll of the higher house been left ▪ to the sole entry of the clerk of the upper house , who , either out of neglect to observe due form , or out of purpose to obscure the commons right , and to flatter the power of those he immediately served , there would have bin frequent examples of all times to clear this doubt , and to preserve a just interest to the commonwealth . and how conveniently it suits with monarchy to maintain this form , lest others of that well-framed body , knit tinder one head , should swell too great and monstrous , it may be easily thought . for , monarchy again may sooner groan under the weight of an aristocracy , as it once did , then under a democracy , which it never yet either felt or feared . r : c : b. finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e titus livius . doc . livius . acta triden . concil . august . de legibus antiq. roman . benedict . in vita hen. . record . in scaccar . w●st . claus . edw. ● . lewes in the paper chart. : notes for div a -e william the conqueror . malmsbury . ex lib. feod . in scacc. hen. . ex lib. pub . in scacc. chron. de dunstable . mat. paris benedictus monachus in vita hen. . gervas . dorch . roger wend●ver . king john. claus . iob. in . dorso . petit. . hen. . claus . . hen. . in . dors . edw. . ex rot. parl. in archivis london . claus . . edw. . in . rot. parl. anno edw. . claus . edw. . in . dors . claus . . ed. . in dors . edw. . claus , edw. . in . in dors . claus ed. . in . in dors . claus . . in . in dors . claus . e. . in . in dors . claus . e. . in . in dors . ddw . . claus . ed. . in dors . rot. parl. edw. . parl. ed. . rot. parl. ed. . saff . . in . rot. parl. ed. . rot. parl. e. . sess . . parl. e. . in . rot. parl. e. . rot. parl. e. . sess . . parl. . e. . rot. parl. e. . ro. parl. e. . parl. e. . parl. e. . parl. e. . parl. e. . pa●l . e. . parl. e. . king john. parl. e. . parl. e. . parl. e. . par. ed. . rich. . par. rich. . in & . parl. rich. in . parl. rich. . in . & . par. rich. . n & . parl. rich. . in . parl. . sess . . parl. . rich. . parl. sess . . par. rich. . parl. sess . . par. rich. . claus . rie . . par. rich. . parl. ric. . rot. claus . . ric. . far. ric. . parl. ri. . henry . parl. . hen. . parl. . hen. . parl. . & . hen. . in & . claus . h. . ln . in . in . hen. . parl. hen. . in . in . parl. hen. . parl. hen. . parl. & . hen. . parl. hen. . parl. hen. . hen. . rot. parl. hen. . rot. pa h. . rot. pa. h. . rot. parl. hon. . rot. parl. hen. . parl. h. . parl. h. . rot. parl. hen. . in . n. . parl. h. . parl. h. . parl. h. . edward . parl. . e. . parl. e. . henry . rot. parl. hen. . henry . parl. h . rot. parl . hen. . ex iustrumen . orig. tractat. matrimonial . . ex literis orig . legator . ex tract . hen. . & maximilian . . ex tract . orig . ex tract . orig . ex liiteris ric. pace legat. reg. anglia . ex literis car. sedunensis . ex literis carol . reg. hisp . ex literis , car. imperat. original . extract . wind. . ex instru . orig . jurament . ex literis richardi ●ace , & lohannis russel . ex tract madristensi . ex rot. com. russel & pace . ex iustru . orig . carol. . ex instru h. . bryano & gardinen . ex literis cuthb tunstall epis lon-legat . hen. . in hispan . ex protestat . orig . toledonensi ●arl . ex literis car. wolsey & creg . lusathis . ex instru . signat . ch. im. gonzado ferdinand . capel . suo dat . feb. ●x lib. n n. n.dom. car. ex literis interce●t . à com. northumb. custo● . march. scotiae . extract . orig . in arch. wost . ●x tract . cambrens . . notes for div a -e ex consiliis reg. saxon. cantuar. gla●vil . lib. ely. leges etherlredi . ingulphus . croylandensis . registra monaster . palatium regale . westm. regist. eliensis . annales monasteriorum . liber de rollo . regist. de wig. iohannes eversden . mathew paris . hoveden . bracton . glanvill . fleta . modus tenendi parliament . ex registris council . cantuariae . ex consilio withredi regist. ex synodis & legibus alfredi ethelredi , edgari . ex registr . elien . ex registr . abigtounessi . chronicon de waverley . gesta sancti edwardi galice . alured . rivalensis , vita edwardi confessoris . regist. cantuarien . regist. sancti edmundi . walterus mape de nugis curialium . hen. huntingdon . malmsbury . vita tho cantuar per fitz-stephanum . gesta hen. . benedictio abb. authore . regist. monast . de belto . regist , lincoln . liber burtoni ens . monasterii rot. clans . anno . e. ● . rot. parl. . edw. . rot. parl. . edw. . rot. parl. anno . edw. . rot. parl. anno . edw. . rot. pa●l . anno . edw. . chronicon henrici knighton . rot. parl. anno . hen. . rot. parl. anno . hen. . rot. parl. . hen. . anno . hen. . rot. parl. rot. parl. anno . hen. . rot. parl. anno . hen. . rot. parl. anno . h. . rot. parl. anno . hen. . rot. parl. anno edw. . registrum cralanden . ex chartis anno . h. . ex regist . camera stellata . ex annalibus fleetwood recordat . london . memorial . e. . propria man● . notes for div a -e combat . ex lib. . const . car. magni de testibus . bract. l. . c. . fol. . tit . corona . leges lombard . fol. . b. lu●●prand● rege . pr●pter consuetudin●m gent. legem impiam vitare non possumus . de papin . hist. l. . c. . lib. . decret . . part . ca. . qu. . rich. . parl. anno . e. . pat . e. . in . part . pat. part . anno . r. . m . pat. anno . h. . m. . lactan. divin . instit. cap. . st. cyp. l. . ep. . euseb . in vita constant . l. . zocomen . l. . c. . l. . cod. & glad . ex cod. theo●os . l. . c. . f●colinus de brackland cap. . h . . part. pat . . r. . memb. . rot. vascon . anno . h. . ●lacita coram rege e. . bract. l. c. anno. e. . & anno. h. . ex consuetud . duc. norman . cap. . tit. de equela multri fol. . breve reg. orig . apud r. g. c. reports anno h. . dyer anno eliz. rog. ●ovodeden & adam merimuth in vita e. . rot. fran. anno r. . m. . compane de la faughe regali & spagna . f● . joan. de molina chron. de loy● reg. de aragon . fol. . balla martini . dat in kal. maij anno ●ontific . . ●lacita anno . & e. . rot. claus . anno r. . dat . feb. claus in dorso r. . com. st. alban . r. . . pars pat . anno r. . rot vascon . anno h. . m. . placita coram rege . e. . rot. parl. anno e. . pat. in dors . h . conc. trid. sess . t it decreta reform . ex con. biturien . fol . claus , anno . e. . m. . parl anno h. . placita de quo warrant● anno r. ● . sussex . placita coram rege trin. e. . ex lege longi bard . . circa annum ●● notes for div a -e rodericus sanctius . pag . beda . baronius . dorothaeus . beda . baronius & donaco constantini . in inscriptionibus antiquis . easci●ulus temporis . tarapha . tarapha . eulogium lib. ex legibus sancti edwardi . ex legibus cenuti . bracton . baldus . malmsbury . ex eug●bino . ex ranolpho n●gro . malmsbury . ex libro b●rn wellensis caenobiae . platina . corsettus . ex lib. sacrarum ceremoniar . virgilius . cosmographia . garsius . vide t●rapha . tilius . anno christi . . ann● christi . . . . . . notes for div a -e . . . . septemb. ● ▪ li. mill. of crowns . king james , ●● ▪ notes for div a -e mercy fore-running the rapine of a milefactor , is an ill guardian of a princes person . a hard hand , suddenly remitted , is seldom by the rude people interpreted 〈◊〉 the best sense . there is no hope of reformation where there is no confession of the fault . while justice sleeps , the time serves to sow news , and raise factions . fearful spirits , by sufferance , grow insolent and cruel . vnion in a prepared conspiracy prevails more than number . it is hard to perswade those who by reason of their dependency on the pope , are ●carce masters of their own souls . malis benefacere , tantu●dem est ac bonis inal● facere . fellowship i● misery easeth grief , and by the clamor of a multitude , justice is many times condemned . it is not good to set price on that which being sold will bring repentance to the seller . wariness is to be used with those , quines totam servitutem pati possunt , nec totam libertatem . most men write good turns in sand , and the bad in marble . fugitives that crave succour use to lie much in favour of their cause and power . relation de botero . it is a sig● when a faction dares number their side , that there is an opinion conceived of sufficient strength , to attempt some innovation . in a common-wealth there ought to be one head , for which cause a prince must be vigilant , when divers factions arise that by favouring one , and neglecting the other , instead of a head of all he become only a member of one party . discontented minds in beginning of tumults will agree , though their ends ●r divers . a multitude is never united in grose , but in some few heads which being taken away , converteth their fury against the first movers of the sedition . certain germans in henry the seconds time calling themselves publicans were marked with a hot iron in the foreheads and whipped , being thrust out in the winter , with a prohibition that none should receive them into their houses , they dyed of hunger and cold . rooted suspition , being violently handled , groweth more wary , but not less obstinate . if conspirators have one sympathy of mind , the conspiracy is never wholly suppressed , so long as one of them remaineth . opinion setled in a multitude , is like hydraes heads , which must be cured with scarring and not by le●ting bloud . clemency is a divine instinct , and worketh supernal effects . gorticii axiomata politica . tacitus in vita agricol . when traitors in evils will not choose the least , it is an argument that they are desperate , and breath nothing but extremity of mischief . it was a precept of machivells , to put on the mask of religion . so it pleased parsons to cavil , of whom it might be truly spoken , malus malum pejorem esse vult , & sui similem . to bestow benefits on the b●d , maketh them worse and vilifieth the reward of the vertuous . valour is often overcome by weakness , but being too much prized it turneth to unbridled furies . the best laws are made out of those good customes , whereunto the people is naturally inclined . vse to see men dye with resolution , taketh away the fear of death , for which purpose the romans used the fights of their gladiators . the hereticks called publicans when they were whipped they took their punishment gladly , their captain gerrard going before them and singing , blessed are you when men do hate you . andromache● . si vis vitam minitare . seneca ●rag . worldly des●res , may be quenched with godly meditations , our beavenly hopes cannot be abated by earthly punishments . it is a point of wisdome to maintain the truth with as little disputation as may be , least a good cause be marred with ill handling . truth seldome prevaileth with the partiality of the people , which being ignorant is carried away with the outward semblance of things . it is hard to make a rule so general , against which difference of circumstance may not except . he that is culumniated by many , is in danger , first to be suspected by his friends , and shortly to be condemned if the slandes continue . that counsel takes best effect that is fitted to the nature of times and persons . those changes of states are safely made , which reserving most of the ancient form , betters it and reduces the defects into order . the church is most zealous , when persecution is fresh in memory ; when those times are forgotten , we gr●w to loath that which we enjoy freely . in this case the ●uestion is not so much of the truth of it , as who shall be judge , and what censure will be given . in the first years of q. eliz. it was rasier to subdue popery , than now , for then they feared to irritate the state , not knowing how farre severity might extend , now knowing the worst , they are resolved agere & ●ati ●ortia . vulgu● est morosum animal , quod facilius duci , quam cogi potest . many p●rtizans encourage the faint●hearted , and when an one my cannot prevail against number , his thoughts are not how to offend , but how to make a safe retreat . more priests may be shut up in a year than they can make in many . de●s●re of in●●ovation is ●●sh and con●entions ▪ and therefore can hardly agree of a head . t●●ce is alwayes to be wished provided that under the canker thereof , there be not a mischief entertained worse than war if self . an oath is of force , so long as it is thought lawfull , when that opinion is crazed , it doth more hurt then good . one man in another beholdeth the image of himself , and there by groweth compassionate and sen●●ible of that which may fall to himself . what men do unwillingly is never done effectually . when many tumultuous persons assault , there will be a fray . vertue neither praised nor rewarded waxeth cold . an ill name given to a good thing discourageth men from medling with it . wise men do forecast how to do most with least noise . particular officers must be appointed , what is to all is commonly performed by none . the service done for the kings proper use , hath his warrant and countenance , but when a private man hath the gain , neither reward●●r bearing out can be expected ; and by consequence recusants are free . medicines that work in the spirits of men , are of greater force , and cure more surely then outward plaisters . speech is the interpreter of the minde , therefore who so useth in divine matters to speak reservedly , and in a double sense , he will be s●spected to have a double heart , and unfit to teach them that trust him not . a good pust●● is the physician of the soul , and ought to apply his doctrine according to the tenderness or hardness of the conscience ▪ for want of which discretion some mens zeal hath done hurt . false miracles and lying news are the food of superstition , which by credulity delude ignorant people god which is the great law-maker , by his laws prevents sins , to the end punishments may be inflicted on it justly ; as to avoid idolatry , he forbiddeth making of images ; he that cannot live chast , let him marry , &c. a man is said to know so much as he remembreth , and no more ; and we remember best , what we learn in our youth , therefore if we will be wise when we are old , we must be taught when we are young . out of oeconomicall government , the diversity of states grow , & such as a ●rinces house , is the state of the commons for the most part : by which reason a prince may be the survey of his house , have an aim how the common-wealth is affected . by the lawes there were tything men , who gave accompt for ten houholds : some such officers might be good in this case : for i hold the breaking of the breaking of the sabbath to be the ruine of our religion . it were fit also that they learnt how to distinguish the common grounds of propery , whereby the priests deceive poor people . he that knows not the true cause of an evil , cannot help it but by change , which is a dangerous guide of a state. where good men are afraid to call a vice by the proper name , it is a sign that the vice is common , and that great persons ( whom it is not safe to anger ) are infected therewith . ●e schism . anglicano & vis . m●n . eccles . some think that if these mens zeal h●d by order been put to imploy it self otherwayes , and a task set them to doe some good and memorable thing in the church , they might have been reformed , or made harmlesse by diversion . head-strong papists are not easily subdued , yet must they not be suffered to grow to a faction , discretio pro lege discernere quid sic res ▪ must lay the burthen in the right place . w●thout reformation in this point . popery will still encrease , but as all vertuous enterprizes are difficult , so is this most intricate . a wise householder will cast up his reckonings to see what losse or profit he hath made in a year cuevara epist . aure● . the law which took immediate notice of an offence ▪ gave a quick redresse , and corrected the poor as well as the rich . sharp laws that stand upon a long processe , after a manner seem to dispe●ce with the vice . the allegiance to god ought to precede the temporall obedience , for if the first may be obtained , the second will follow of it self . this course will discover more than the oath of allegiance , and prevent many from falling off by reason of the quick discovery . so long as houses and lodgings in london are let to papists ; the priests will be received , and from thence shall the country be infected . if we can prevent the increase of papists , those that now live must either be reformed , or in time yield to nature , and then shall a new age succeed of christians , by education made religious . the br●achers of a bad cause being touched in conscience , at the first move slowly , but if they prevaile they grow tyrannous beyond measure . most men will affect to be such as the highest trusts , and favours . a great man is an idol in the eyes of mean people , and draws many t● imitate his actions . few laws well executed are better than many . a crown of glory once attained , hath power to dispence with former faults ▪ he counsells best , that prefers the cause of god , and the commonwealth before any particular . notes for div a -e hen. . ex rot . orig . interacta concil . hen. . hen. . ex rot . in actis council . anno . hen. . in fin. ex rot . orig . an . hen. . ex ordinat . anno . hen. . hen. . ex rot . par. anno . hen. . n. . queen eliza. ex comp . din burghley thesaur . edw. . ex angl. m. s. folio . ex libro . do. aula regis . edw. . rot. pa●l . anno . edw. rich. . rot. parl. . ric. . rot. par●an . rich. . rot. . parl. an . . & . rich. . hen. . rot. parl. an . & . hen. . ex ordinat . in rot. act. c●nc●l . an . . h●n ● : marked ●r hen. rot. par an . . . hen. . edw. ex. rot . parl an . ● . edw. . ex lib. ordin . hospitii temp . edw. . rot. par. an . edw. .. . hen. . n. . mich. recep . . hen. . n. . edw. . ex aula regis fact . temp . ed. . hen. . act. concil . . hen. . marked p. p. hen. . ed. . ex lib. ord . tem . ed. ordinat . car woolsey hen. . hen. . ex gervas . doro. bern . rich. . ex richardo canonico in vita rich. . hen. . ex lib. sect. albani & wil. rishang . & lit . baron . papae . edw. . ex ordina . ed. . in li. legum manuscript fol. . rich. . ex rot parl. an . . rich. . he. . ex rot . par. an . . & ● . hen. . rich. . rot. par. an . ri . an . & . hen. . n . hen. . rot. par. an . . h. rot. par. ann . . h. . n. . hen. . pars. parl. . an . . hen. . m. . ex rot . parl. an . . hen. . rich. . ex rot . par. an . . hen. ex lib. rub . in secto ex jo. eversden . ex hist . roffens . ex rot . parl. temp . ed. . ex rot . par. annis . , , . rich. . rot. parl. , . hen. . ex rot. parl. an . . hen. . & . hen. . ex benedict-monacho in vita hen. . ex adam . merioneth ex rot. par. anno . rich. . ex rad. cogshal . ex hist . roffen . rot. par. an . . & . hen. . ed. . . ed. rot. par. anno . ed. . n. . ex rot . par. an . , , . . rich. . ex rot . par. an . . & hen. . rot . par. . edw. . ex original . ; an . rich. . rot. ordinat . an . . & claus . an & . edw. . rot. par. an . . rich . rot. parl. an . , , & . hen. . ex rot. par. an . . & . hen. . rot par. anno , , . hen. . ex act . cons . an . . hen. . rot. par. an . hen. . rot. parl. an ed. . act . concil . . hen. . claus . an . . hen. . clau. . ed. . rot. fran . an . . edw. . comune insc . edw. . parl. anno . rich. . parl. anno . hen. . par. an . . . . hen. . act. concil . an . . hen. . ex billa sign . an . hen. . & . edw. . rot. original . an . . hen. . marked b ▪ b. rot. act . conc . . hen. . rot. act . concil . . hen. . ex ordinat . concil . an . . hen. . marked n. n. ex instruc . comiss . . hen . ro● parl . rich. ● . ex charta episcop . cant. ro. claus . . edw , . claus . edw. ex insruct . original . hen. . ex act . pa●l . an . . mariae . ex instructione original . . hen. . lib. domesday . rot. parl. an . . hen. . rot. fin . an . . edw. . rot. ●arl . an . . edw. . rot. claus . an . . edw. . rot. claus . an . hen . memb . . rot. fin . & edw. . rot. valcon . . edw. . rot. alinaig . . edw. . act concil . an . . hen. . warrant . sub privat . sigill . an . eliz. reginae . rot. parl an . . hen. . n. . rot. claus . an . . hen. . rot. parl. . rich. . ex billa signat . an . . rich. . ex petit . an . . hen. . ex act . concil . ex billa original . an . . edw . ex lib. comp . inter hen. . & dudley . ex lib. hen. . rot. almaign . . edw. rot. claus . . ed. . ex tract . bruxelles . magna charta . dor● . clau . an . . hen. . n ▪ . statut. an . ed. . rot. parl. . edw. . cap. . & . rot claus . an . . edw. . rot. fin . . ed. . statute . ed. . cap. . rot par. . ed. . tat . . ed. . cap. . ro. almaign . . edw. . memb . . indors . stat. ● . ed. . rot. parl. . edw. . stat. . edw. . licencegranted by henry . henry . henry . to many merchants with non obstante any statute . ordinat . concil an . . hen. . merchants . clau. anno . . edw. . original . . edw. rot . . ex rod. cogshal . rot. ragman . an . ed. . rot. quo warranto . ed. . rot. warranto edw. . instructio original . . rich. . process con . dudley an . . hen. . lib. aquitanc . inter hen. . & dudley . emilius in vita lewis . v●s . cap. . ex instructione caroli . to ph. l. . ex scacar inter rememb . regis . ed. . ex composit . original . inter ca●d . woolsey , & archiep cant dated . hen. . notes for div a -e . reasons out of president . . imperial constitutons . . saxonlaws . acts in parliament justinian . tripartita historia . distinct . . . nicep . lib. . concil . ca●●h . affric . zozimus . ambros . l . ep. . russ●us ec. clef . hist . l. ● . athan. epist ad solit . vitam agent . dionysius h●lic●rn . saxon laws . leges inae . textus roffensis . leges regum saxorum . eulogium . all the clergy members of parliament proved by record . rot. parl. . edw. . rot. parl. an . . rich. . rot. parl. an . . rich. . rot. parl. an . . ri. . . ● rot. parl. an . . rich. . n. . & . rot. parl. an . rich. . n. . . ric. . n. . . hen. . rot. parl an . . he. . n. . william m●lmesbury . lib. ecclesiae cantuar. vita hen. . beda . provincial consitutions . rot. parl. claus . . rich. . charae ●ntiquae b. b. ambrosi●s . concil . . toletan . ●d consentiendum . writ of summons rot. claus . an . . rich. . ● . . archivis . archiepis . rot. patl. . edw. . usurie . vex●tion by ord●naries . rot. parl. . edw. . citations . rot. parl. an . . rich. pecuniarie pains . . rich. . ecclesiastical courts . tythes . . rich. . n. . learned ministery . rot. par. an . . hen. . ● . . . hen. . . hen. . rot. par. an . . hen. . rot. par. an . . hen. . rot. parl. an . . hen. . chartae a●iquae b. b. leges saxon. concil . chale . levit. . notes for div a -e object . . object . . resp . object . . 〈…〉 no. vic. leicester . de ponend . per ballium . deponend . p●● ballium . deponend . par. ballium . adam deponend . in ball . pro georgio de rupe . pro iacobo de audele de non veniendo ad parliamenta . pro roberto de insula milite de nonv● endo ad parliament . pro rich. duce ebor. de tenend . parliamentum nomine regi● . de non veniend . ad parlia . lovel . summonit . parliamenti . pro henrico . dom. vessey de exemptione . notes for div a -e honour justice & profit honour edw. . hen. . hen. . queen eliz. edw. iustice● . bodin . theoderet the gothe . mirror des iustices . edw. . & . hen. . & . profit . . edw. . . . edw. . . mariae . . eliz. notes for div a -e lib. ep. glanvile . e●b sancti etheldredi epise . eliber sancti albans fol. ● anno , ● . . ch●rtaorig . sub●i , ill ann. . h. . apud rob. cotton rot. parl. am . o e. . rot parl. anno . e. . rot. parlanno . e. . n. . parl. anno 〈◊〉 ed : . parl. . r. . n. , . parl. . h. . ho● . parl. an. ● . h. . a winter dreame. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) a winter dreame. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. [s.n.], [london] : printed anno domini quando rex anglorum vecti victitabat captivus . [ ] attributed to james howell. place of publication from wing. the imprint includes a chronogram which gives the date as . with a final blank leaf. annotation on thomason copy: "nouemb: . ". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng great britain -- history -- civil war, - -- fiction -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no a winter dreame.: howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a winter dreame . quae me suspensum insomnia terrent ? virg. saepe futurarum praesagia somnia rerum . emblems of england, scotland and wales printed anno domini quando rex anglorum vecti victitabat captivus , . the printer to the reader . because the interpretation of this dream may be obvious to all pacities , i have presumed , with the authors leave , to prefix here the names of those countreys he hints at . . the states of holland . . high germany . . the kingdom of naples . . the republic of venice . . the kingdoms of spain . . the kingdom of france . . the kingdoms of england , and the confusions thereof by way of apolog. . the scots . a winter dream . it was in the dead of a long winter night , when no eyes were open but watchmen , and centinell's , that i was fallen soundly asleep , the cinq out-ports were shut up closer then usually , and my sences so treble lock'd , that the moon , had she descended from her watry orb , might have don much more to me then she did to endymion when he lay snoaring upon the brow of latmus hill ; nay , ( be it spoken without prophanenesse ) if a rib had bin taken out of me that night , to have made a new model of a woman , i shold hardly have felt it . yet , though the cousin-german of death had so strongly seiz'd thus upon the exterior parts of this poore tabernacle of flesh , my inward were never more actif , and fuller of employments then they were that night . pictus imaginibus , formisque fugacibus adstat morpheus , & variis fingit nova vultibus ora . me thought my soul made a sallie abroad into the world , and fetch'd a vast compas ; she seem'd to soar up and slice the air , to crosse seas , clammer up huge hills , and never rested till she had arriv'd at the antipodes : now som of the most judicious geometricians and chorographers hold , that the whole masse of the earth being round like the rest of her fellow elements , ther be places , and poizing parts of the continent , there be peninsulas , promontories and ilands upon the other face of the earth that correspond and concenter with all those regions and iles that are upon this superficies which we tread ; countries that symbolize with them in qualities , in temperature of air and clime , as well as in nature of soile ; the inhabitants also of those places which are so perpendicularly opposit , do sympathize one with another in disposition , complexions and humors , though the astronomers wold have their east to be our west , and so all things vice versa in point of position , which division of the heaven is only mans institution . but to give an account of the strange progres my soule made that night ; the first country she lighted on was a very low flat countrey , and it was such an odd amphibious countrey , being so indented up and down with rivers and armes of the sea , that i made a question whither i shold call it water or land ; yet though the sea be invited and usher'd in into som places , he is churlistly pen'd out in som other : so that though he foam and swell , and appeer as high walls hard by , yet they keep him out , maugre all his roaring and swelling . as i wandred up and down in this watry region , i might behold from a streight long dike whereon i stood , a strange kind of forrest , for the trees mov'd up and down ; they look'd afar off as if they had bin blasted by thunder ; for they had no leafs at all ; but making a neerer approach unto them , i found they were a nomberlesse company of ship masts , and before them appeer'd a great town incorporated up and down with water ; as i mus'd with my self upon the sight of all this , i concluded , that the inhabitants of that countrey were notable industrious peeple , who could give law so to the angry ocean , and occupie those places where the great leviathan should tumble and take his pastime in ; as my thought ran thus , i met with a man , whom i conjectur'd to be 'twixt a marchant and a mariner , his salutation was so homely ; the air also was so foggie that me thought it stuck like cobbwebs in his mustachos ; & he was so dull in point of motion , as if his veines had bin filld with buttermilk in lieu of blood : i began to mingle words with him , and to expostulate somthing about that countrey and peeple ; and then i found a great deal of downright civilities in him : he told me that they were the only men who did miracles of late yeers ; those innumerable piles of stones you see before you in such comely neat fabriques , is a place ( said he ) that from a fish market in effect is com to be one of the greatest marts in this part of the world , which hath made her swell thrice bigger then she was . yeers ago ; and as you behold this floating forrest of masts before her mole , so if you could see the foundations of her houses , you shold see another great forrest , being rear'd from under ground upon fair piles of timber , which if they chance to sink in this marshy soyl , we have an art to scrue them up again . we have for . yeers and above without any intermission , except a short-liv'd truce that once was made , wrastled with one of the greatest potentates upon earth , and born up stoutly against him , gramercy our two next neighbour kings , and their reason of state , with the advantage of our situation . we have fought our selfs into a free state , and now quite out of that ancient alleageance we ow'd him ; and though we pay . times more in taxes of all sorts then we did to him , yet we are contented : we have turn'd war into a trade , and that which useth to beggar others , hath benefited us : besides , we have bin and are still the rendevous of most discontented subjects , when by the motions of unquiet consciences in points of religion , or by the fury of the sword , they are forc'd to quit their own countreys , who bring their arts of manufacture , and moveables , hither ; in so much that our lombards are full of their goods , and our banks superabound with their gold and silver which they bring hither in specie . to secure our selfs , and cut the enemy more work , and to engage our confiderats in a war with him , we have kindled fires in evry corner ; and now that they are together by the eares , we have bin content lately , being long woo'd thereunto , to make a peace with that king to whom we once acknowledged vassalage ; which king out of a height of spirit , hath spent . times more upon us for our reduction , then all our countrey is worth ; but now he hath bin well contented to renounce and abjure all claimes and rights of soverainty over us ; in so much , that being now without an enemy , we hope in a short time to be masters of all the comerce in this part of the world , and to eat our neighbours out of trade in their own comodities : we fear nothing but that exces of wealth , and a surfet of ease may make us careles and breed quarrells among our selfs , and that our generall , being married to a great kings daughter , may — here he suddenly broke the threed of his discourse , and got hastily away , being hal'd by a ship that was sailing hard by . hereupon my soul took wing again , and cut her way through that foggy condens'd aire , till she lighted on a fair , spacious , cleare continent , a generous and rich soile mantled up and downe with large woods , where , as i rang'd to and fro , i might see divers faire houses , townes , palaces and castles , looking like so many carkases , for no humane soule appear'd in them ; me thought i felt my heart melting within me in a soft resentment of the case of so gallant a countrey , and as i stood at amaze , and in a kind of astonishment , a goodly personage makes towards me , whom both for his comportment , and countenance , i perceiv'd to be of a finer mould then that companion i had met withall before : by the trace of his looks i guessed he might be som nobleman that had bin ruin'd by som disaster : having acosted him with a fitting distance , he began in a masculin strong winded language full of aspirations and tough collision of consonants , to tell me as followeth : sir , i find you are a stranger in this countrey , because you stand so agast at the devastations of such a fair piece of the continent , then know sir , because i beleeve you are curious to carry away with you the causes thereof , that these ruthfull objects which you behold , are the effects of a long lingring war , and of the fury of the sword , a cruentous civill war that hath rag'd here ubove . yeares : one of the grounds of it was the infortunate undertaking of a prince , who liv'd not far off in an affluence of all earthly felicity ; he had the greatest lady to his wife , the best purse of money , the fairest stable of horse , and choicest library of books of any other of his neighbour princes . but being by desperate and aspiring counsells put upon a kingdome , while he was catching at the shadow of a crowne , he lost the substance of all his own ancient possessions : by the many powerfull alliances he had ( which was the cause he was pitched upon ) the feud continued long ; for among others a northern king took advantage to rush in , who did a world of mischiefs , but in a few yeers that king and he found their graves in their own ruins neer upon the some time ; but now , may heaven have due thanks for it , there is a peace concluded , a peace which hath bin . long yeers a moulding , and will i hope , be shortly put in execution ; yet 't is with this fatall disadvantage , that the said northerne people , besides a masse of ready money we are to give them , are to have firme footing , and a warm nest ever in this countrey hereafter , so that i fear we shall hear from them too often : upon these words this noble personage fetch'd a deep sigh , but in such a ge●erous manner , that he seem'd to breake and check it before it came halfe forth . thence my soule taking her flight o're divers huge and horrid cacuminous mountaines , at last i found my selfe in a great populous towne , but her buildings were miserably battered up and downe , she had a world of palaces , castles , convents and goodly churches : as i stepped out of curiosity into one of them , upon the west side there was a huge grate , where a creature all in white beckned at me , making my approach to the grate , i found her to be a nun , a lovely creature she was , for i could not distinguish which was whiter , her hue or her habit , her vaile o● her face , it made me remember ( though in a dream my self ) that saying , if dreams and wishes had been tru , there had not been found a tru maid to make a nun of ever since a cloyster'd life began first among women ; i asked her the reason how so many ugly devastations should befall so beautifull a city , she in a dolorous gentle tone , and ruthfull accents , the tears trickling down her cheeks like so many pearles , ( such pearly teares that wold have dissolv'd a diamond ) sobb'd out unto me this speech : gentle sir , 't is far beyond any expressions of mine , and indeed beyond humane imagination to conceive the late calamities which have befallen this faire though infortunate city , a pernicious popular rebellion broke out here upon a sudden into most horrid barbarismes , a fate that hangs over most rich popular places that swim in luxe and plenty ; but touching the grounds thereof , one may say that rebellion entred into this city , as sin first entred into the world by an apple : for our king now in his great extremities having almost halfe the world banding against him , and putting but a small tax upon a basket of fruit to last only for a time , this fruit-tax did put the peeples teeth so on edge , that it made them gnash against the government , and rush into armes ; but they are sensible now of their own follies , for i thinke never any place suffered more in so short a time : the civill combustions abroad in other kingdomes may be said to be but small squibs compar'd to those horrid flakes of fire which have rag'd here , and much adoe we had to keep our vestall fire free from the fury of it : in lesse then the revolution of a yeer it consum'd above fourscore thousand soules within the walls of this city ; but 't is not the first time of forty , that this luxurious foolish peeple hath sma●ted for their insurrections and insolencies , and that this mad horse hath o'rethrowne his rider , and drawn a worse upon his back ; who instead of a saddle , put a packsaddle and panniers upon him : but indeed the voluptuousnesse of this peeple was growne ripe for the judgement of heaven ; she was then beginning to expostulat with me about the state of my countrey , and i had a mighty mind to satisfie her , for i could have corresponded with her in the relation of as strange things , but the lady abadesse calling her away , she departed in an instant , obedience seem'd to be there so precise and punctuall . i steer'd my course thence through a most delicious countrey to another city that lay in the very bosome of the sea , she was at first nothing els but a kind of posie made up of dainty green hillocks , tied together by above . bridges , and so coagulated into a curious citie ; though she be espous'd to neptune very solemnly once evry yeer , yet she still reserves her maydenhead , and beares the title of the virgin citie in that part of the world ; but i found her tugging mainly with a huge giant that wold ravish her ; he hath shrewdly set on her skirts , and a great shame it is , that she is not now assisted by her neighbours , & that they shold be together by the eares when they shold do so necessary a work , considering how that great giant is their common enemy ; and hath lately vow'd seven yeers warrs against her ; specially considering , that if he comes once to ravish her , he will quickly ruin them ; she to her high honor be it spoken ) being their only rampart against the incursion of the said giant , and by consequence their greatest security . from this maiden citie , mee thought , i was in a trice carried over a long gulf , and so through a midland sea , into another kingdome , where i felt the clime hotter by some degrees ; a rough hew'n soile , for the most part , it was , full of craggie barren hills ; but where there were valleys and water enough , the countrey was extraordinarily fruitfull , whereby nature ( it seems ) made her a compensation for the sterility of the rest . yet notwithstanding the hardship of the soyl , i found her full of abbeys , monasteries , hermitages , convents , churches , and other places of devotion ; as i rov'd there a while , i encountred a grave man in a long black cloak , by the fashion whereof , and by the brimms of his hat , i perceived him to be a jesuit ; i clos'd with him , and question'd with him about that countrey : he told me the king of that countrey was the greatest potentat of that part of the world ; and , to draw power to a greater unitie , they of our order could be well contented , that he were universall head over temporalls , because 't is most probable to be effected by him , as we have already one universall head over spiritualls : this is the monark of the mines , i mean of gold and silver , who furnishes all the world , but most of all his own enemies with money , which money foments all the warrs in this part of the world : never did any earthly monark thrive so much in so short a tract of time ; but of late yeers he hath bin illfavouredly shaken by the revolt and utter defection of two sorts of subjects , who are now in actuall armes against him on both sides of him at his own doors . there hath bin also a long deadly feud 'twixt the next tramontan kingdom and him , though the queen that rules there be his own sister , an unnaturall odious thing : but it seems god almighty hath a quarrell of late yeers with all earthly potentats ; for in so short a time there never happen'd such strange shocks and revolutions : the great emperour of ethiopia hath bin outed , he and all his children by a petty companion : the king of china a greater emperour then he , hath lost almost all that huge monarchy by the incursion of the tartar , who broke ore the wall upon him ; the grand turk hath bin strangled , with . of his concubines ; the emperur of muscovy hath bin content to beg his life of his own vassalls , & to see before his face divers of his chief officers hack'd to peeces , & their heads cut off & steep'd in strong water , to make them burn more bright in the market place . besides the above mentioned , this king hath also divers enemies more , yet he bears up against them all indifferently well , though with infinite expence of treasure : and the church , specially our society , hath stuck close unto him in these his exigents : whence may be inferr'd , that let men repine as long as they will at the possessions of the church , they are the best anchors to a state in a storme , and in time of need to preserve it from sinking ; besides acts of charity wold be quite lost among men , did not the wealth of the church keep life in them : hereupon drawing a huge paire of beads from under his cloak , he began to aske me of my religion ; i told him i had a long journey to go , so that i could not stay to wait on him longer ; so we parted , and me thought i was very glad , to be rid of him so well . my soule then made another flight over an assembly of hideous high hills , and lighted under another clyme , on a rich and copious countrey resembling the form of a losenge , but me thought , i never saw so many poor peeple in my life ; i encountred a peasan , and asked him what the reason was , that there shold be so much poverty in a countrey where there was so much plenty : sir , they keep the commonalty poor in pure policy here ; for being a peeple , as the world observes us to be , that are more humerous then others , and that love variety and change , if we were suffered to be pamper'd with wealth , we wold ever and anon rise up in tumults , and so this kingdome shold never be quiet , but subject to intestine broyles , and so to the hazard of any invasion : but there was of late a devillish cardinall , whose humour being as sanguin as his habit , and working upon the weaknes of his master , hath made us not onely poore , but stark beggars , and we are like to continue so by an eternall war , wherein he hath plung'd this poore kingdom , which war must be maintained with our very vitall spirits : but as dejected and indigent as we are , yet upon the death of that ambitious cardinall , we had risen up against this , who hath the vogue now , ( with whom he hath left his principles ) had not the fearfull example of our next transmarin western neighbours , and the knowledge we have of a worse kind of slavery , of those endles arbitrary taxes , and horrid confusions they have fool'd themselfs lately into , utterly deterr'd us , though we have twenty times more reason to rise then ever they had : yet our great city hath shew'd her teeth , and gnash'd them ilfavouredly of late , but we find she hath drawn water only for her owne mill , we fare little the better , yet we hope it will conduce to peace , which hath been so long in agitation . i cannot remember how i parted with that peasan , but in an instant i was landed upon a large island , and me thought , 't was the temperat'st region i had been in all the while ; the heat of the sun there is as harmles as his light , the evening serenes are as wholsome there , as the morning dew ; the dog-daies as innocuous as any of the two equinoxes . as i rang'd to and fro that fair iland , i spied a huge city whose length did far exceed her latitude , but neither for length or latitude did she seem to beare any politicall proportion with that iland : she look'd , me thought , like the jesuits hat whom i had met withall before , whose brimms were bigger then the crowne , or like a petticoat , whose fringe was longer then the body . as i did cast my eyes upwards , me thought i discern'd a strange inscription in the aire which hung just over the midst of that citie written in such huge visible characters , that any one might have read it , which was this : woe be to the bloody city . hereupon a reverend bishop presented himselfe to my view , his gray haires , and grave aspect struck in mee an extraordinary reverence of him : so performing those complements which were fitting , i asked him of the condition of the pla●e , he in a submisse sad tone , with clouds of melancholy waving up and downe his lookes , told me ; sir , this iland was reputed few years since to have been in the completest condition of happinesse of any part on earth , insomuch that she was repin'd at for her prosperity and peace by all her neighbours , who were plung'd in warre round about her , but now she is fallen into as deep a gulf of misery , and servitude , as she was in a height of felicity and freedom before : touching the grounds of this change , i cannot impute it to any other then to a surfet of happinesse ; now there is no surfet so dangerous as that of happines : there are such horrid divisions here , that if they were a foot in hell , they were able to destroy the kingdom of satan : truly sir , there are crep'd in more opinions among us about matters of religion , then the pagans had of old of the summum bonum , which varro saith were . the understandings of poor men were never so puzzled & distracted ; a great while there were two opposit powers who swayed here in a kind of equality that people knew not whom to obey , many thousands complied with both , as the men of calecut who adore god and the devill , ( tantum squantum , as it is in the indian language ) the one for love , the other for feare : there is a monstrous kind of wild liberty here that ever was upon earth ; that which was complained of as a stalking horse to draw on our miseries at first , is now only in practice , which is meer arbitrary rule ; for now both law , religion , and allegiance are here arbitrary : touching the last , 't is quite lost , 't is permitted that any one may prate , preach , or print what they will in derogation of their anointed king : which word king was once a monosyllable of some weight in this i le , but 't is as little regarded now as the word pope ( among som ) which was also a mighty monosyllable once among us : the rule of the law is , that the king can do no wrong , there is a contrary rule now crept in , that the king can receive no wrong ; and truly sir , 't is a great judgement both upon prince and peeple , upon the one , that the love of his vassalls shold be so alienated from him ; upon the other , that their hearts shold be so poysond , and certainly 't is the effects of an ill spirit ; both the one and the other in all probability tend to the ruine of this kingdom . i will illustrat this unto you , sir , by an apologue as followeth . there happen'd a shrewd commotion & distemper in the body naturall 'twixt the head and the members ; not onely the noble parts ( som of them ) but the common inferior organs also banded against him in a high way of unnaturall presumption ; the heart , which is the source of life , with the pericardiū about it , did swell against him ; the liver , which is the shop of sanguification , gather'd ill blood ▪ all the humors turn'd to choler against him ; the arms lift up themselfs against him , neither back , hams or knees wold bow to him , nay the very feet offer'd to kick him ; the foure and twenty ribs , the reines , the hypocondrium , the diaphragma , the miseraie , & emulgent veins were fil'd with corrupt blood against him : yea the hypogastrium and the bowells made an intestin war against him . while the feud lasted , it hapned that these tumultuary members fell out among themselfs ; the hand wold have all the fingers equall , nay the toes wold be of even length , & the rest of the subservient members wold be independent : they grew so foolish , that they wold have the fondament to be where the mouth is , the brest where the back , the belly where the braine , and the yard where the nose , the sholders shold be no more said to be backwards , nor the leggs downwards ; a bloody quarrell fell 'twixt the heart and liver , which of them receiv'd the first formation , and whither of the two be the chiefest officine of sanguification ; which question bred so much gaul 'twixt the aristotelians & the galenists ; while this spleen & strange tympany of pride lasted , it cau'sd such an ebullition and heat in the masse of bloud , that it put the microcosm , the whole body in a high burning feaver or frenzy rather , which in a very short time grew to be a heptic , and so all perish'd by a fatall consumption . i fear the same fate attends this infortunate iland , for such as was the condition of that naturall head , this apolog speaks of , the same is the case of the politic head and body of this iland ; never was soverain prince so banded against by his own subjects , never was the patience of a prince so put upon the tenter ; he is still no lesse then a captif , his children are in banishment in one countrey , his queen in another , the greatest queen of bloud upon earth ; a queen that brought with her the greatest portion that ever queen did in treasure ; yet in twenty yeers and upwards , her jointure hath not bin setled as it shold be ; nor hath she bin crown'd all this while according to matrimoniall articles ; notwithstanding that , for the comfort of this nation , and the establishment of the throne , she hath brought forth so many hopefull princes . but now sir ; because i see you are so attentive , and seem to be much mov'd at this discourse , as i have discover'd unto you the generall cause of our calamities , which was not onely a satiety , but a surfeit of happinesse , so i will descend now to a more particular cause of them ; it was a northern nation that brought these cataracts of mischief : upon us ; and you know the old saying , out of the north all ill comes forth . far be it from me to charge the whole nation herewith ; no , but onely some pernicious instruments that had insinuated themselfs , and incorporated among us , and sway'd both in our court and counsells : they had a hand in every monopoly ; they had out of our exchequer , and customs neer upon . crowns in yeerly pensions , viis & modis ; yet they could not be content , but they must puzzle the peace and policy of this church and state : and though they are people of differing intellectualls , differing lawes , customes , and manners unto us , yet for matter of conscience they wold bring our necks into their yoak , as if they had a greater talent of reason , & cleerer illuminations , as if they understood scripture better , and were better acquainted with god almighty then we , who brought them first from paganisme to christianity , and also to be reformed christians : but it seems , matters have little thriven with them ; nay the visible hand of heaven hath bin heavily upon them divers wayes since they did lift their hands against their native king ; for notwithstanding the vast summs they had hence , yet is the generality of them as beggarly as ever they were ; besides , the civill sword hath rag'd there as furiously as here , and did as much execution among them . moreover the pestilence hath beene more violent , and sweeping in their chief town then ever it was since they were a peeple . and now lately ther 's the notablest dishonour befaln them that possibly could light upon a nation , in that . of ours ▪ shold upon eeven ground encounter , kill , slay , rout and utterly discomfit thrice as many of theirs , though as well appointed and arm'd as men could be : and truly sir , the advantages that accru to this nation are not a few by that exploit ; for of late yeers that nation was cried up abroad to be a more martiall peeple then we , and to have baffled us in open field in divers traverses : besides , i hope a small matter will pay now their arrerages here , and elswhere ; but principally , i hope they will not be so busie hereafter in our court and counsell , as they have been formerly . another cause of our calamity is a strange race of peeple sprung up among our selfs , who were confederat with those of the north ; they wold make gods house cleane , and put out the candle of all ancient learning & knowledg ; they would sweep it only by the light of an ignis fatuus : but 't is visibly found that they have brought much more rubbage into it ; and wheras in reforming this house , they shold rather find out the gr●●● that is lost , they go about to take away the mite that 's left , and so put christs spouse to live on meer almes : true it is , there is a kind of zeal that burns in them , ( & i could wish there were so much piety ) but this zeal burns with too much violence and presumption , which is no good symptom of spirituall health , it being a rule , that as the naturall heat , so the spirituall shold be moderat , els it commonly turns to a frenzy : and that is the thing which causeth such a giddines and distraction in their braines ; this ( proceeding from the suggestions of an ill spirit ) puffs them up with so much mentall pride ; for the devill is so ●●nning a wrastler , that he oftentimes lifts men up to give them the greater fall : they think they have an inerring spirit , and that their diall must needs go tru , howsoever the sun goes : they wold make the gospell , as the caddies make the alchoran , to decide all civill temporall matters under the large notion of slander , whereof they to be the judges , and so in time to hook in all things to their classis : i believe if these men were dissected when they are dead , there would be a great deale of quick-silver found in their braines . proh superi , quantum mortalia pectora caecae noctis habent ! — but i could pitty the giddinesse of their braines , had they not so much gaules in their breasts , were they not so thirsting after blood , so full of poison and irreconcileable malice ; in so much that it may be very well thought , these men are a kin to that race which sprung out of the serpents teeth : these are they which have seduced our great counsell , and led this foolish city by the nose to begin and foment this ugly war , insomuch that if those numberlesse bodies which have perish'd in these commotions , were cast into her streets , and before her doores , many thousand citizens noses wold bleed of pure guilt . not to hold you long , these are the men , who have baffled common sense , blasted the beams of nature , and offered violence to reason ; these are they who have infatuated most of the peeple of this iland ; so that whereas in times past , tom call'd her the i le of angells , she may be term'd now the i le of gulls , or more properly the i le of doggs , or rather indeed the i le of wolfs , there is such a true lycanthropy com in among us : i am loth to call her the iland of devills , though she hath bin branded so abroad . to conclude sir , the glory of this isle is quite blasted ; 't is tru they speake of peace , but while the king speakes to them of it , they make themselfs ready for battell ; i much fear , that ixion-like , we imbrace a cloud for peace , out of which ther will issue out centaures , and monsters , as sprung out of that cloud . touching that ancient'st holy order whereof you see me to be ; i well hoped , that in regard they pretended to reform things only , they wold not have quite extirpated , but regulated only this order : it had bin enough to brayle our wings , not to have sear'd them : to have lopp'd & prun'd , not to have destroid root & branch of that ancient tree which was planted by the hands of the apostles themselfs : in fine sir , we are a lost peeple , 't is no other daedalus , but the high deity of heaven can clue us out of this labyrinth of confusions , can extricat us out of this maze of miseries : the philosopher saith , 't is impossible for man to quadrat a circle ; so 't is not in the power of man , but of god alone , to make a loyall subject of a roundhead : among other things that strangers report of this iland , they say that winter here hath too many teares in his eyes : helas sir , 't is impossible he shold have too many now , to bewaile the lamentable base slavery , that a free-born peeple is com to : and though they are grown so tame as to kisse the rod that whips them , yet their taskmasters wil not throw it into the fire . truly sir , as my tongue is too feeble to expresse our miseries , so the plummet of the best understanding is too short to fadom the depth of them . with this , the grave venerable bishop giving me his benediction , fetcht such a sigh , that wold have rended a rock asunder ; and suddenly vanish'd ( me thought ) out of my sight up towards heaven . i presently after awoke about the dawnings of the day , when one could hardly discern dog from wolf ; and my soule , my animula-vagula blandula , being re-entred through the horn gate of sleep into her former mansion , half tyr'd after so long a peregrination ; and having rub'd my eyes , distended my limms , and return'd to a full expergefaction , i began to call my self to account touching those world of objects my fancy had represented unto me that night ; and when by way of reminisence i fell to examine and ruminate upon them ; lord , what a masse of ideas ran in my head ! but when i call'd to mind the last countrey my soule wandred in , me thought i felt my heart like a lump of lead within me , when i considerd how pat every circumstance might be applied to the present condition of england : i was meditating with my self what kind of dream this might be ; whereupon i thought upon the common division that philosophers make of dreames , that they are either divine , diabolicall , naturall , or humane . for the first , they are visions more properly or revelations , whereof there are divers examples in the holy oracles of god , but the puddled cranies of my brain are not roomes clean enough to entertain such : touching the second kind , which com by the impulses of the devill , i have heard of divers of them , as when one did rise up out of his sleep , and fetcht a poyniard to stab his bedfellow , which he had don , had he not bin awake ; another went to the next chamber abed to his mother , and wold have ravish'd her ; but i thank god this dream of mine was not of that kind ? touching the third species of dreames ; which are naturall dreames , they are according to the humor which predominats ; if melancholy sway , we dream of black darksom devious places ; if phlegm , of waters ; if choler , of frayes , fightings and troubles ; if sanguin predominat , we dream of green fields , gardens , and other pleasant representations ; and the physitian comes often to know the quality of a disease by the nocturnall objects of the patients fancy . humane dreams relate to the actions of the day past , or of the day following , & som representations are clear & even ; others are amphibious , mongrell , distorted and squalid objects , according to the species of things in troubled matters ; and the object is cleer or otherwise , according to the tenuity or the grossnes of the vapors which ascend from the ventricle up to the brain . touching my dream , i think it was of this last kind ; for i was discoursing of , and condoling the sad distempers of our times the day before : i pray god som part of it prove not propheticall ; for , although the frenchman sayeth , songes sont mensonges , dreames are delusions , and that they turn to contraries , yet the spaniard hath a saying , et ciego sonnavaque via , yera lo que querria . the blind man dreamt he did see light , the thing he wish'd for happen'd right . insomuch that some dreams oftentimes prove tru ; as s. austin makes mention of a rich merchant in milan , who being dead , one of his creditors comes to his son to demand such a sum of money which he had lent his father ; the son was confident 't was paid , but not finding the creditors receipt , he was impleaded and like to be cast in the sute , had not his fathers ghost appeared to him , and directed him to the place where the acquittance was , which he found the next day accordingly . galen speaks of one that dreamt he had a wooden leg , and the next day he was taken with a dead palsie in one whole side . such a dream was that of william rufus , when he thought he had felt a cold gust passing through his bowells ; and the next day he was slain in the guts , by the glance of an arrow , in new forrest , a place where he and his father had committed so many sacrileges . i have read in artimed●rus , of a woman that dreamt she had seen the pictures of three faces in the moone like her self , and she was brought to bed of three daughters a little after , who all died within the compas of a moneth . another dreamt , that xanthus water ran red , and the next day he fell a spitting of blood . to this i will add another fore-telling dream , whereof i have read , which was thus : two young gentlemen being travelling abroad in strange countreyes , and being come to a great towne , the one lay far in the citie , the other in an hostry without the walls in the suburbs : he in the city did dream in the dead of night , that his friend which he had left in the suburbs rush'd into his chamber panting and blowing , being pursued by others ; he dreamt so againe , and the third time he might see his friends ghost appeering at his beds side with blood trickling down his throat , and a poyniard in his brest , telling him ; dear friend , i am come now to take my last farewell of thee , and if thou rise betimes , thou shalt meet me in the way going to be buried ; the next morning his friend going with his host towards the inn in the suburbs where he left his friend , they met with a cart laden with dung in the way , which being staid and search'd , the dead body was found naked in the dung . i will conclude with a notable dreame that osman the great turk had , not many yeers since , a few dayes before the was murthered by his janizaries , . he dreamt , that being mounted upon a huge camell , he could not make him go , though he switch'd and spur'd him never so much ; at last the camell overthrew him , and being upon the ground , onely the bridle was left in his hand , but the body of the camell was vanished : the mufti not being illuminated enough to interpret this dream , a santon who was a kind of idiot , told him , the camell represented the ottoman empire , which he not being able to govern , he should be o'erthrown , which two dayes after proved tru . by these , and a cloud of examples more , we may conclude , that dreams are not altogether impertinent , but somthing may be gathered out of them ; though the application and meaning of them be denied to man , unlesse by speciall illumination . somnia venturi sunt praescia saepe diei . by dreames we oft may guesse at the next dayes successe . thus have you a rough account of a rambling noctivagation up & down the world : i may boldly say , that neither sir john mandevile , or coryat himself travell'd more in so short a time : whence you see what nimble postillions the animal spirits are ; and with what incredible celerity the imagination can crosse the line , cut the tropiques , and passe to the other hemisphere of the world ; which shewes , that humane soules have somthing in them of the almighty , that their faculties have a kind of ubiquitary freedom , though the body be never so under restraint , as the authors is . the last countrey that 's here aim'd at is knowne already ; i leave the application of the rest to the discerning reader , to whom only this dream is address'd . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- ●msterdam . instructions for forreine travell shewing by what cours, and in what compasse of time, one may take an exact survey of the kingdomes and states of christendome, and arrive to the practicall knowledge of the languages, to good purpose. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) instructions for forreine travell shewing by what cours, and in what compasse of time, one may take an exact survey of the kingdomes and states of christendome, and arrive to the practicall knowledge of the languages, to good purpose. howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed by t.b. for humprey mosley ..., london : . contains extra engraved t.p. : instrvctions for forraine travell. running title: instructions for forraine travell. signed: iames howell, p. . numerous errors in paging. imperfect: print show-through. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. eng europe -- description and travel. europe -- description and travel -- early works to . middle east -- description and travel. a r (wing h ). civilwar no instructions for forreine travell. shewing by what cours, and in what compasse of time, one may take an exact survey of the kingdomes and st howell, james d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ben griffin sampled and proofread - ben griffin text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion instrvctions for forraine travell in motv melos london printed by t : b. for humphrey mosley , at the princes armes , in paules church-yard , ano . instructions for forreine travell . shewing by what cours , and in what compasse of time , one may take an exact survey of the kingdomes and states of christendome , and arrive to the practicall knowledge of the languages , to good purpose . — post motum dulcior inde quies . london , printed by t. b. for humprey mosley , at the princes armes , in paules church-yard . . to the growing glory of great brittaine , prince charles . a parallell 'twixt his highnesse , and the black prince . sir , wales had one glorious prince of haire and hue ( which colour sticks unto him still ) like you : he travell'd far , he won his spurs in france , and tooke the king , the king , ô monstrous chance then his victorious troupes afresh he getherss and with the gray goose-wing his shaftsnew fethers , he beats a march up the pyrene hils , and the cantabrian clime with terro●fils , to re-inthrone don pedro castile's king , of which heroique act all stories ring . your royall sire travell'd so far , and thay of all our princes only made that way . who knowes , great sir , but by just destiny , your bunch of ( youthfull ) plumes may further fly ? but faulcon-like , you may with full summ'd wing the eagle cuff , and from his tallons wring the * prey , or in exchange seize on his ore , and fixe your standard on the indian shore . 't was by b ● charles , france once the empire got , 't was by a c charles the spaniard d●●ue that los , why may not brittaine challenge the next call , and by a charles be made imperiall ? — sic vaticinatur . ia . howell . the substance of this discours . of the advantage , and preheminence of the eye . of forraine travell , and the progresse of learning . what previous abilities are required in a traveller . a caveat touching his religion . precepts for learning the french language . what authors to be made choyce of , for the government and history of france . of books in generall . of historians , and a method to reade them . of private meditation . of poets . an estimat of the expences of a nobleman , or of a private gentleman a broad . advertisements for writing of letters . instructions for travelling in spaine . of barren and fruitful countreys . the strange contrariety 'twixt the french and the spaniard , the reasons natural & accidental . of their cariage , cloathing , and diet , &c. of the spanish language , how to be studied , and of its affinity with the latine . of spanish authors . the advantage of conversing with marchants . precepts for travelling in italy . of the people and language . of the repnblique of venice and other states there . what observations are most usefull in any countrey . a digression into a politicall discours of the princes of europe . of crossing the alpes , and passing through germany . of the court of bruxells , and the netherlands . of the wonderfull stratagems used in those wars . the best authors for the belgick story . of the states of holland , and their admired industry , and navall strength . a discours of the vulgar languages of europe , with their severall dialects . of the richnesse of the english tongue . of the pattuecos a people nere the heart of spaine , never discovered til of late yeares . of the abuse of forrain travell . of s. thomas moore traveller . of ptolomeys travellers , and of the most materiall use of travel . what cours a traveller must take at his returne home . of the parlamentary governement of england , and her happinesse therein above other countreys . of the mathematiques ; of chymistry . instrvctions for forraine travell . section . i. amongst those many advantages , which conduce to enrich the mind with knowledge , to rectify the iudgement , and compose outward manners ; forraine travell is none of the least . but to bee a sedentary traveller only , penn'd up between wals , and to stand poring all day upon a map , upon imaginary circles and scales , is like him , who thought to come to bee a good fencer , by looking on agrippa's book-postures only : as also to run over and traverse the world by heare-say , and traditionall relation , with other mens eyes , and so take all things upon courtesie , is but a confused and imperfect kind of speculation , which leaveth but weake and distrustfull notions behind it ; in regard the eare is not so authen●●q●e a witnesse as the eye ; because the eye , by which as through a cleare christall casement , wee discerne the various works of art and nature , and in one instant comprehend halfe the whole vniverse in so small a roome after so admirable a manner , i say the eye having a more quick and immediat commerce and familiarity with the soule ( being the principall of her cinq ports , and her centinell ) taketh in farre deeper ideas , and so makes firmer and more lasting impressions , conveying the object more faithfully to the memory , where it remaines afterward upon record in particular topicall notes , and indelible characters : for though i confesse with the stagirite , that hearing is the sense of learning ( and of faith also , as the holy text tels me ) yet the sight surpasseth it by many degrees , if you respect the curious workeman-ship of the organ , the readiest roade to the heart , and love's best intelligencer and usher : as also for the penetrative apprehension of the object , with the intuitive vertue and force of affection , it worketh inwardly , as we find upon good record that a heard of sheepe conceived once by the strength of the eye , as likewise for the wonderfull quicknesse of this sense , which is such that i● makes the effect oftentimes fore-run the cause , as we see the lightning , before wee heare the thunder , though thunder be first in nature , being by the violent eruption it makes out of the cloud , the cause of such fulgurations . and although one should reade all the topographers that ever writ of , or anatomiz'd a town or countrey , and mingle discourse with the most exact observers of the government thereof , and labour to draw and draine out of them all they possibly know or can remember ▪ yet one's own ocular view , and personall conversation will still find out something new and unpointed at by any other , either in the cariage or the genius of the people , or in the policy and municipall customes of the countrey , or in the quality of the clime and soyle , and so enable him to discourse more knovvingly and confidently and vvith a kind of authority thereof ; it being an act of parlament in force amongst all nations : that one eye-witnesse is of more validity than ten aur●cular . moreover as every one is said to abound with his owne sense , and that among the race of man-kind , opinions and francies , are found to be as various as the severall faces and voyces ; so in each individuall man there is a differing facultie of observation , of iudgement , of application , vvhich makes that every one is best satisfied , and most faithfully instructed by himselfe , i do not meane soley by himselfe , ( for so he may have a foole to his master ) but books also , and conversation vvith the dead must concurre , for they are likevvise good teachers , and edifie infinitely ; yet the study of living men , and a collation of his ovvn optique observations and judgement vvith theirs , vvork much more strongly , and where these meet ( i meane the living and the dead ) they perfect . and indeed this is the prime use of peregrination , which therefore may be not improperly called a moving academy , or the true peripatetique schoole : this made ulisses to be cryed up so much amongst the gre●ks for their greatest wise man , because he had travelled through many strange countreys , and observed the manners of divers nations , having seene , as it was said and sung of him , more cities than there were houses in athens , which was much in that age of the world : and the greatest of their emperours did use to glory in nothing so often , as that he had surveyed more land with his eye , than other kings could comprehend with their thoughts . amongst other people of the earth , islanders seeme to stand in most need of forraine travell , for they being cut off ( as it were ) from the rest of the citizens of the world , have not those obvious accesses , & contiguity of situation , and other advantages of society , to mingle with those more refined nations , whom learning and knowledge did first vrbanize and polish . and as all other things by a kind of secret instinct of nature follow the motion of the sun , so is it observed that the arts and sciences which are the greatest helps to civility , and all morall endowments as well as intellectuall , have wheel'd about and travell'd in a kind of concomitant motion with that great luminary of heaven : they budded first amongst the brachma●s and gymnosophists in india , then they blossom'd amongst the chaldeans and priests of egypt whence they came down the nile , and crossed over to greece , and there they may bee said to have borne ripe fruit , having taken such firme rooting , and making so long a plantation in athens and else where : afterwards they found the way to italy , and thence they clammer'd over the alpian hils to visit germany and france , whence the britaines with other north-west nations of the lower world fetch'd them over ; and it is not improbable that the next flight they will make , will bee to the savages of the new discovered world ▪ and so turne round , and by this circular perambulation visit the l●vantines again . hence we see what a traveller● learning hath beene having in conformitie of cours , been a kind of companion to ap●llo himselfe : and as the heavenly bodies are said to delight in movement and perpetuall circumgyration , wherein as pythagoras , goras , who by the delphian oracle was pronounced , the wisest man that ever greece bredd , did hold , there was a kind of musique and harmonious concent that issued out of this regular motion , which we cannot perceive , because being borne in it , it is connaturall to us , so it is observed to be the genius of all active and generous spirits , quêis meliore luto finxit praecordia titan , to have been always transported with a desire of travell , and not to be bounded , or confined within the shoares and narrow circumference of an island , without ever-treading any peece of the continent ; whereas on the other side , meane and vulgar spirits , whose soules sore no higher than their sense , love to hover ever about home , lying still as it were at dead anchor , moving no further than the length of the cable , whereunto they are tyed , not daring to lance out into the maine , to see the wonders of the deep : such a one was hee of whom claudian speakes , to have had his birth , breeding , and buriall in one parish ; such slow and sluggish spirits may be said to bee like snailes or tortuises in their shels , crawling always about their own home , or like the cynique , shut up alwayes in a tub. amongst other nations of the world the english are observed to have gained much , and ●mproved themselfes infinitely by voyaging both by land and sea , and of those foure worthies who compassed about the terrestriall globe , i find the major part of them were english , but the scope of this discours is to prescribe precepts for land travell only ( for the other requires another tract apart ) and first , a iove principium — sic feret antennas aura secundatuas . sect. ii. it is very requisit that hee who exposeth himselfe to the hazard of forraine travell , should bee well grounded and settled in his religion , the beginning and basis of all wisdome , and somwhat versed in the controversies 'twixt us and the church of rome , which i presume he hath done in the university , where ( i take it for granted , hee hath been matriculated , and besides his initiation in the arts and sciences , and learn't to chop logick ( & logick though she be no science of her self , but as she is subservient to another , like the shoomakers last , that may bee applyable to any foot , yet no science can bee rightly studied without her method , nor indeed can the termes of art be well understood , or any scholler-like discours fram'd but by her ) where i say , besides these studies , he hath sucked the pure milke of true religion , and orthodoxall truth , and such a one will be rather confirmed , than shaken in the tenets of his faith , when he seeth the sundry fond fantastique formes , which have crept into the solemne service of god , since the primitive times , for the practise of the roman church is worse than her positions , so that i have knowne some , who were wrought upon very far by the one , averted again by the other , i meane by her ceremonies , which in some places are so mimicall , and set forth in such antique postures , that it may be not improperly sayd , whereas religion should go array'd in a grave matron-like habit , they have clad her rather like a wanton courtisane in light dresses : such a one , i meane he that is well instructed in his own religion , may passe under the torrid zone , and not bee sun-burnt , if he carry this bon-grace about him , or like the river danube which scornes to mingle with the muddy streame of sava , though they run both in one channell , or like arethusa , which travelleth many hundred miles through the very bowels of the sea , yet at her journeys end issueth out fresh againe , without the least mixture of saltnesse or brackishnesse : so such a one may passe and repasse through the very midst of the roman see , and shoot the most dangerous gulphe thereof , and yet returne home an untainted protestant ; nay he will be confirmed in zeale to his owne religion , and illuminated the more with the brightnesse of the truth thereof , by the glaring lights and specious glosses , which the other useth to cast ; for opposita juxta se posita magis elucescunt : nay the more he is encompassed with the superstitions , of the contrary , the more he will bee strengthned in his own faith ; like a good well useth to be hotter in winter than summer , per antiperistasin , that is , by the coldnesse of the circumambient ayre , which in a manner besiegeth it round , and so makes the intrinsique heate , unite and concentre it selfe the more strongly to resist the invading enemy . after religion , it is fitting he should be well versed in the topography , government and history of his own country , for some are found foris sapere , and domi caecutire , to be eagles abroad , and stark buzzards at home , being not able to satisfie a stranger by exchange of discours , in any thing touching the state of their owne countrey . to this end it were not amisse to run over cambden , sir iohn smiths common-wealth , with those short pieces of story , as daniel and others who have written of the english kings since the conquest , and extract out of them , what traverses of war , what other passages and entercourses of state have happened 'twixt us and other nations since the last conquest , specially the french our nearest neighbors : it is also very behooffull , that he have a passable understanding of the latine tongue , whereof the italian , the spanish , and french , are but as it were branches of the same tree ; they are but dialects or daughters , and having gain'd the good will of the mother , hee will quickly prevayle with the daughters . that hee understand the use of the map and globe , to find out the longitude and latitude of all places , and to observe and compare the temper of them as hee shall passe along . lastly that hee seriously contemplate within himself , how the eyes of all the world are upon him , as his are upon the world , what his parents , kindred and acquaintance , yea his prince will expect at his returne : that he is now in the very forge of his hopes , either upon making or marring : that ( being of noble extraction ) he is like to be a star of the greatest magnitude in the spheare of his owne countrey , therefore common qualities will not serve his turne , that the higher the building is , the more it requires exquisit forme and symmetry , that nobility without inward ornaments is as faire guilded shels without kernels , or like a sattin doublet with canvas linings , whereas on the other side vertue reflecting upon a noble subject , is as the sun-beames falling upon a rock of cristall , which makes the reverberation stronger and far more resplendent , or as rich goldembrodery , upon a piece of tissue : such thoughts as these will worke much upon an ingenious spirit , and bee as a golden spur , to set him forward , and cheere him in this high roade of vertue , and knowledge . sect. iii. the first countrey that is most requisite for the english to know , is france , in regard of neighboured , of conformity in government in divers things and necessary intelligence of state , and of the use one shall have of that language wheresoever he passe further : and the younger one goeth to france the better , because of the hardnesse of the accent and pronunciation , which will be hardly overcome by one who hath passed his minority , and in this point the french tongue may bee said to be like fortune , who , being a woman , loves youth best . whereas for other tongues , one may attaine to speake them to very good purpose , and get their good will at any age ; the french tongue by reason of the huge difference 'twixt their writing and speaking , will put one often into fits of despaire and passion , as wee read of one of the fathers , who threw away persius against the wals , saying , si non vis intelligi debes negligi , but the learner must not bee daunted awhit at that , but after a little intermission hee must come on more strongly , and with a pertinacity of resolution set upon her again and againe , and woe her as one would do a coy mistres , with a kind of importunity , untill he over-master her . indeed some of riper plants are observed to over-act themselves herein , for while they labour to trencher le mot , to cut the word , as they say , and speake like naturall french-men , and to get the true genuine tone ( and every tongue hath a tone or tune peculiar to her self , specially the french , which hath a whining kind of querulous tone specially amongst the peasantry , which i beleeve proceeded from that pittifull slavery they are brought unto ) i say while they labour for this , they fall a lisping and mincing , and to distort and strain their mouths and voyce , so that they render themselves fantastique and ridiculous ; let it bee sufficient for one of riper yeares , to speake french intelligibly roundly , and congruously without such forc'd affectation . the french tongue like the nation , is a bold and hardy speach , therefore the learner must not be bashfull or meale mouth'd in speaking any thing , whatsoever it is , let it come forth confidently whither true or false sintaxis ; for a bold vivacious spirit hath a very great advantage in attaining the french , or indeed any other language : he must be cautelous not to force any anglicismes upon the french tongue , that is certaine vulgar phrases , proverbs , and complements , which are peculiar to the english , and not vendible or used in french , as i heard of one that could not forbeare a great while to salute his land-lord by bon matin : another would be alwayes complaining at play of his mauvaise fortune : another when at the racket court he had a ball struck into his hazard , hee would ever and anon cry out , estes wous là avec vos ours , are you there with your beares ? which is ridiculous in any other language but english , for every speech hath certaine idiomes , and customary phrases of its own , and the french , of all other , hath a kind of contumacy of phrase , in respect of our manner of speaking , proper to it selfe . he must alwayes have a diary about him , when he is in motion of iourneys , to set down what his eyes meetes , with most remarquable in the day time , out of which he may raise matter of discours at night , and let him take it for a rule , that hee offend lesse who writes many toyes , than he , who omits one serious thing . for the penne maketh the deepest furrowes , and doth fertilize , and enrich the memory more than any thing else , littera scripta manet , sed manant lubrica verba . it were very requisit to have a book of the topographicall description of all places , through which hee passeth ; and i think bertius , or the epitome of ortelius , which are small and portable , would bee the best . at his first comming to any citie he should repaire to the chief church ( if not idolatrous ) to offer up his sacrifice of thanks , that hee is safely arrived thither , and then some have used to get on the top of the highest steeple , where one may view with advantage , all the countrey circumjacent , and the site of the city , with the advenues and approaches about it ; and so take a landskip of it . being come to france , his best cours will be to retire to some vniversity abou● the loire , unfrequented by the english , for the greatest bane of english gentlemen abroad , is too much frequency and communication with their own countrey-men , and there let him apply himselfe seriously to gaine the practicall knowledge of the language , and for the time hoc agere . this hee may do with more advantage , if hee repaires sometimes to the courts of pleading , and to the publique schooles ; for in france they presently fall from the latine , to dispute in the vulgar tongue : so that it were not amisse for him to spend some time in the new academy ; erected lastly by the french cardinall in richelieu , where all the sciences are read in the french tongue , which is done of purpose to refine , and enrich the language . some have used it as a prime help to advance language , to have some ancient nunne for a divota , with whom hee may chat at the grates , when hee hath little else to do , for the nunnes speake a quaint dialect , and besides they have most commonly all the newes that passe , and they will entertaine discours till one bee weary , if hee bestow on them now and then some small bagatels , as english gloves or knifs , or ribands ; and before hee go over , hee must furnish himselfe with such small curiosities ; but this i dare not advise him to , in regard the hazard one way may bee greater , than the advantage the other way . in this retirement he must assigne some peculiar dayes to read the history of the countrey exactly , which is a most usefull and delightfull study : for in history , that great treasury of time , and promptuary of heroique actions , there are words to speake , and works to imitat , with rich and copious matter to raise discours upon : history , next to eternity only triumphs over time , she , only after god almighty can do miracles , for shee can bring back age past , and give life to the dead , to whom she serves as a sacred shrine to keep their names immortall . touching books he must choose them , as hee should do his friends , few , but choyce ones , yet he may have many acquaintance : and as for morall society , the greatest wisdome of a man is discerned in a judicious election of his friends , which are as commentaries upon one's selfe , and are more necessary than fire and water , as the philosophher said : so for speculative and private conversation with authors our dead associates , there must bee must judgement used in the choice of them , specially when there is such a confusion of them , as in france , which as africk peoduceth always somthing new , for i never knew week passe in paris , but it brought forth some new kinds of authors ; but let him take heed of tumultuary , and disjointed authors , as well as of frivolous , and pedantique . and touching bookes , as a a noble speculative lord of this land said , some are to be tasted , only , some chewed , and some swallowed : hereunto i will adde that some are to be dissected and anatomized into epitomes and notes . to this purpose for the generall history of france , serres is one of the best , and for the moderne times d' aubigni , pierre mathieu , and du pleix ; for the politicall and martiall government , du haillan , de la noüe , bodin , and the cabinet ; touching commines , who was contemporary with machiavil , 't was a witty speach of the last queen mother of france , that he made more heretiques in policy , than luther ever did in religion : therefore he requires a reader of riperyears . the most difficult taske in gaining a forrain language is to turne english into it , for to translate another tongue into english , is not halfe so hard nor profitable . in reading hee must couch in a faire alphabetique paper-book the notablest occurrences , such alliances , and encounters of warre ( speciall in the last race of the kings ) that have intervened 'twixt england and france , and set them by themselves in sections . when he meets with any great businesse , hee must observe therein the preceding counsels , the action it selfe the motives of it , and the mould wherein it was cast , the progresse & even of it , which if successeful , he must note by what kind of instruments , cōfederations & cours of policy it was carried , if not , where the difficulties and defects lay . the manner & method in reading of annalists is infinitly advantagious , if one take his rise hansomely from the beginning , and follow the series of the matter , the epoch of the times , and regular succession and contemporarinesse of princes ; otherwise if one read skippingly and by snatches , and not take the threed of the story along , it must needs puzzle and distract the memory , wherein his observations will lye confusedly h●ddled up , like a skeine of intangle silk . for sundayes and holy-dayes , there bee many trea●ises of devotion in the french tongue , full of patheticall ejaculations and heavenly raptures , and his closet must not be without some of these . for he must make account before hand that his closet must bee his church , and chiefest chappel abroad . therefore it were necessary when he fixeth in any place , to have alwayes one in his chamber , whether to retire early and late , to his soliloquies and meditations , the golden keyes wherewith hee must open and shut the day , and let in the night , and deaths cousin-german . peter du moulin hath many fine pieces to this purpose , du plessis , allencour , and others ; and let him bee conversant with such books only upon sundayes , and not mingle humane studies with them . his closet also must be his rendez-vous , whensoever hee is surprized with any fit of pensivenesse ( as thoughts of country and kinred will often affect one ) for no earthly thing exhilerats the heart more , and rayseth the spirits to a greater height of comfort ▪ than conversation with god , than peace with heaven , than spirituall meditation , whereby the soule melts into an inconceavable sweetnesse of delight , and is delivered from all distempers , from all tumultuary , confusion and disturbance of thoughts : and there is none , let him have the humors never so well balanced within him , but is subject unto anxiety of mind somtimes , for while we are composed of foure d●ffering elements , wherewith the humours within us symbolise we must have perpetuall ebbings and flowings of mirth and melancholy , which have their alternatif turnes in us , as naturally as it is for the night to succeed the day : for as the physitians hold there is no perfection of corporall health in this life , but a convalessence at best , which is a medium 'twixt health and sicknesse , so is it in the state of the mind . this extends from the lord to the laquay , from the peasant to the prince , whose crown is oftentimes inlayed with thornes , whose robe is furred with feares , whereof the ermine is no ill embleme , having as many black spots in it as white ; nor is there . any thing so hereditary to mankind as vexation of spirit , which doubtlesse was the ground the pagan philosopher built his opinion upon , that the rationall soule was given to man , for his selfe-punishment and martyrdome , — man often is a tyrant to himselfe , a phalaris . but as when we go abroad , we cannot hinder the birds of the ayre to fly and flutter about our heads , yet we may hinder them to roost or nestle within our haire : so while we travaile in this life , we cannot prevent but myriads of melancholy cogitations , and thoughtfull cares and longings will often seaze upon our imaginations , yet we may hinder these thoughts to build their nests within our bosomes , & to descend from the head to the heart and take footing there ; if they do , i told you , before what 's this best cordiall to expell them thence . there bee some french poets will affoord excellent entertainment , specially du bartas , and 't were not amisse to give a slight salute to ronzard , desportes , and the late theophile : and touching poets , they must be used like flowers , some must be only smelt unto , but some are good to bee thrown into a lambique to be distilled ; whence the memory may carry away the elixi● of them , for true poetry is the quintessence , or rather the luxury of learning . let him runne over also the proverbs of every countrey , and c●ll out the choicest of them , for many of them carry much weight , wit , and caution , with them . and every nation hath certaine proverbs and adages peculiar to it selfe ; neither would it be time ill spent to reade aesope in every tongue , and make it his taske to relate some fable every day to his governor or some other by heart . thus the life of a traveller is spent either in reading , in meditation , or in discours : by the first hee converseth with the dead , by the second with himselfe , by the last with the living , which of all the three is most advantagious for attaining a language , the life whereof consists in societie and communication ; let his chamber be street ward to take in the common cry and language , and see how the town is serv'd , for it will bee no unprofitable diversion to him , but for his closet let it bee in the inner part . sect. iv. having by the retirement aforesaid attained to a conversable knowledge in the french tongue , hee may then adventure upon paris , and the court , and visit ambassadors , and going in the equipage of a young nobleman , hee may entertaine a cook , a laquay , and some young youth for his page , to parley and chide withall , ( whereof he shall have ocasion enough ) and to get some faire lodgings to keep house of himself , and sometimes he may frequent ordinaries , for it will much breake and enbolden him : as for expences , he must make accompt that every servant he hath ( whereof there should be none english but his governour ) every one will stand him in pounds a piece per annum ; and for his owne expences , he cannot allow himselfe lesse than l. i include herein all sorts of exercises , his riding , dancing , fencing , the racket , coach-hire , with other casuall charges , together with his apparell , which if it bee fashionable , it matters not how plaine it is , it being a ridiculous vanity to go gaudy amongst strangers , it is , as if one should light a candle to the sun . the time that he spends in paris , must be chiefly employed to improve himselfe in the exercises afore-said , for there the choycest masters are of any part of christendome . hee must apply himselfe also to know the fashion and garb of the court , observe the person and genius of the prince , enquire of the greatest noble-men , and their pedigree ( which i recommend to his speciall consideration ) of the favorits and prime counsellors of state , the most eminent courtiers , and if there bee any famous man , to seek conversation with him , for it was the saying of a great emperour , that he had rather go fifty miles to heare a wise man , than five to see a faire city . for private gentlemen and cadets , there be divers academies in paris , colledge-like , where for pistols a yeare , which come to about l. sterling per annum of our money , one may be very well accommodated , with lodging and diet for himselfe and a man , and be taught to ride , to fence , to manage armes , to dance , vault , and ply the mathematiques . there are in paris every week commonly some odde , pamphlets and pasquils dispersed , and droped upon down ; for there is no where else that monstrous liberty ( yet london hath exceeded her farre now of late , the more i am sory ) which with the gazets and courants hee should do well to reade weekly , and raise discours thereon , for though there be many triviall passages in them , yet are they couched in very good language , and one shall feele the generall pulse of christendome in them , and know the names of the most famous men that are up and down the world in action . some do use to have a small leger booke fairely bound up table-book-will , wherein when they meet with any person of note and eminency , and journey or pension with him any time , they desire him to write his name , with some short sentence , which they call the 〈◊〉 of remembrance , the perusall whereof will fill one with no unpleasing thoughts of dangers and accidents passed . one thing i must recomend to his speciall care , that he be very punctuall in writing to his friends once a month at least , which hee must do exactly , and not in a carelesse perfunctory way , for letters are the ideas and truest miror of the mind ; they shew the inside of a man , and by them it will be discerned how he improveth himselfe in his courses abroad : there will be plenty of matter to fill his letters withall once a month at least : and by his missives let it appeare that he doth not only remember , but meditate on his friend ; not to scribble a few cursory lines , but to write elaborately and methodically , and thereby hee will quickely come to the habit of writing well : and of all kind of humane meditations , those of ones absent friends be the pleasingst , specially when they are endeared and nourished by correspondence of letters , which by a spirituall kind of power , do enamour , and mingle soules more sweetly than any embraces . section . v. having wintered thus in paris , that hudge ( though durty ) theater of all nations ( and winter is the fittest season to be there ) and plyed his exercises to some perfection , the fittest countrey for him to see next is spaine , and in his iourney thither he shall traverse the whole diameter of france one way , and passing through gascoigne and languedoc , hee shall prepare himselfe by degrees to endure the heate of the spanish clime ; let him not encumber himselfe with much loggage : and for his apparell ; let him as soon as as he enters spaine go after their fashion , for as a spaniard lookes like a bug-beare in france in his own ●ut , so a frenchman appeares ridiculous in spaine : nor would i advise him to cary about him any more money than is absolutly necessary to defray his expences , for some in this particular have beene peny-wise , and pound-foolish , who in hopes of some small benefit in the rates , have left their principall , exposing their persons and purses , to dayly hazard , and inviting ( as it were ) unto them danger for their companion , and feare for their bed-fellow . for although sir thomas more wisheth one to carry always his friends about him , abroad , by which hee meanes pieces of gold : yet too great a number of such friends , is an encomber and may betray him : it will make his iourney all along to be a motus trepidationis . and he that loades himselfe with a charge of money , when he may carry it about him with such security , and ease , in a small piece of paper , i meane a letter of credit , or bill of exchange ▪ is as wise as he , who carried the coach-wheele upon his back , when he might have trilled it before him all along . in spaine hee must bee much more carefull of his diet , abstemious from fruit , more reserved and cautelous in his discours , but entertaine none at all touching religion , unlesse it be with silence ; a punctuall repaire of visits , extraordinary humble in his comportment ; for the spaniards , of all other , love to be respected at their own homes , and cannot abide an ●nsolent cariage in a stranger ; on the other side , courtesie and morigeration , will gaine mightily upon them , and courtesie is the chiefest congnisance of a gentleman , which joyned with discretion , can only travaile all the world over without a passeport , and of all sorts of friends , he is the cheapest who is got by courtesie , and complement only : moreover a respectfull and humble cariage , is a mighty advantage to gaine intelligence and knowledge ; it is the key that opens the breash , and unlocks the heart of any one : he that looked downeward , saw the stars in the water , but he who looked only upward could not see the water in the stars : therefore there is much more to bee got by humility than otherwise . one thing i would disswade him from , which is from the excessive commendation and magnifyng of his own countrey ; for it is too much observed , that the english suffer themselves to be too mvch transported with this subject , to undervalue and vilifie other countreys , for which i have heard them often censured . the earth is the lords , and all the corners thereof , he ereated the mountaines of wales , as well as the wiles of kent , the rugged alpes , as well as the fertile plaines of campagnia , the boggy fennes of frizeland , as well as the daintiest valleys in france ; and to inveigh against , or deride a countrey for the barrenesse thereof , is tacitly to taxe god almighty of improvidence or partiality . and it had beene wished , some had beene more temperate in this theme at their being in the spanish court , in the yeare . for my part , as the great philosopher holds it for a maxime , that mountaignous people , are the most pious ; so are they observed to be the hardiest , as also the barrener a countrey is , the more masculine and warlike the spirits of the inhabitants are , having as it were more of men in them ; witnesse the scythian and goth , and other rough-hewen hungry nations , which so often over-ranne italy , for all her policy and learning ; and herein nature may seeme to recompence the hard condition of a countrey the other way . having passed the pyreneys hee shall palpably discerne ( as i have observed in another larger discours ) the suddenest and strangest difference 'twixt the genius and garb of two people , though distant but by a very small separation , as betwixt any other upon the surface of the earth ; i knowe nature delights and triumphs in dissimilitudes ; but here , shee seemes to have industriously , and of set purpose studied it ; for they differ not onely accidentally and outwardly in their , cloathing , and cariage , in their diet , in their speaches , and customes ; but even essentially in the very faculties of the soule , and operations thereof , and in every thing else , religion and the forme of a rationall creature only excepted ; which made doctor garcia thinke to aske a midwife once , whither the frenchman and spaniard came forth into the world in the same posture from the womb or no . go first to the operations of the soule , the one is active and mercuriall , the other is speculative and saturnine : the one quick and ayry , the other slow and heavy ; the one discoursive and sociable , the other reserved and thougthfull ; the one addicts himselfe for the most part to the study of the law and canons , the other to positive and schoole divinity ; the one is creatura sine praeterito & futuro , the other hath too much of both ; the one is a prometheus , the other an epinetheus ; the one apprehends and forgets quickly , the other doth both slowly , with a judgement more abstruce and better fixed , & in se reconditum ; the one will dispatch the weightiest affaires as hee walke along in the streets , or at meales , the other upon the least occasion of businesse will retire solemnly to a room , and if a fly chance to hum about him , it will discompose his thoughts , and puzzle him : it is a kind of sicknesse for a frenchman to keep a secret long , and all the drugs of egypt cannot get it out of a spaniard . the french capacity , though it apprehend and assent unto the tenets of faith , yet he resteth not there , but examines them by his owne reason , debates the businesse pro & contra , and so is often gravelled upon the quick sands of his own brain , the spaniard cleane contrary by an implicite faith and generall obedience beleeves the canons and determination of the church , and presently subjects his understanding thereunto , he sets bounds to all his wisdome and knowledge , and labours to avoyd all speculation thereon , fearing through the frailty of his intellectuals , to fall into some error . go to their garb and clothing , the one weares long haire , the other short ; the one goes thin and open clad , the other close and warm , so that although the sun should dart down his rayes like lances upon him , yet he could not bee brought to open one button of his doublet ; the one goes gay without , the other underneath ; the one weares his cloake long , the other short ; so , that one might give him a suppositor with his cl●ake about him , if ●eed were ; the one puts on his doublet first , the other last ; the frenchman buttoneth alwayes down-ward , the spaniard upward ; the one goes high-heeled , the other low and flat , yet looks as high as the other ; the one carieth a combe and looking-glasse in his pocket , the other a piece of bayes to wipe off the dust of his shooes : and if the one hath a fancy to stars his mustachos , the other hath a leather bigothero to lye upon them all night ; the first thing the one pawns , being in necessity , is his shirt , the other his cloak , and so by degrees his cassoke goes off , and then his doublet ; the one cares more for the back , and outward appearance , the other prefers the belly ; the one is constant in his fashion , for the other 't is impossible to put him in a constant kind of habit ; — you may as soone cut out a kirtle for the moone . go to their diet , the one drinkes watered wine , the other wine watered ; the one begins his repast , where the other ends ; the one begins with a sallet , and light meat , the other concludeth his repast so ; the one begins with his boyled , the other with his roast ; the frenchman will eate and talke , and sing sometimes , and so his teeth and his tongue go often together , the spaniards teeth only walk , and fals closely to it with as little noyse and as solemnly as if he were at masse . go to their gate , the frenchman walks fast , ( as if he had a sergeant always at his heeles , ) the spaniard slowly , as if hee were newly come out of some quartan ague ; the french go up and down the streets confusedly in clusters , the spaniards if they be above three , they go two by two , as if they were going a procession ; the french laquays march behind , the spaniards before ; the one beckens upon you with his hand cast upward , the other downward ; the frenchman will not stick to pull out a peare or some other thing out of his pocket , and eate it as he goes along the street , the spaniard will starve rather than do so , and would never forgive himselfe , if he should commit such a rudenesse ; the frenchman if he spies a lady of his acquaintance , he will make boldly towards her , salute her with a kisse , and offer to vsher her by the hand or arme , the spaniard upon such an encounter , useth to recoyle backward , with his hands hid under his cloack , and for to touch or kisse her , he holds it a rudenesse beyond all barbarisme , a kind of sacriledge ▪ the frenchmen is best and most proper on horseback , the spaniard a foot ; the one is good for the onset , the other for a retrait ; the one like the wind in the fable , is full of ruffling fury , the other like the sun , when they went to try their strength upon the passengers cloake . the one takes the ball before the bound , a la volee , the other stayeth for the fall ; the one shuffleth the cards better , the other playes his game more cunningly ; your french-man is much the fairer duellist , for when hee goeth to the field , he commonly puts off his doublet and opens his breast ; the spaniard cleane contrary , besides his shirt , hath his doublet quilted , his coat of maile , his cassock , and strives to make himselfe impenetrable . go to their tune , the one delights in the ionique , the other altogether in the dorique . go to their speech , the one speakes oft , the other seldome ; the one fast , the other slowly ; the one mangleth , cuts off , and eates many letters , the other pronounceth all ; the one contracts and enchaines his words , and speakes pressingly and short , the other delights in long breathed accents , which he prolates with such pauses , that before he be at the period of his sentences , one might reach a second thought : the ones mind and tongue go commonly together , ( and the first comes sometimes in the arreare ) the others tongue comes flagging a fourlong after his mind , in such a distance , that they seldome or never meet and justle one another . in sine mercury swayeth ore the one , and saturne ore the other , insomuch that out of the premisses , you may inferre , that there is an intellectuall , politicall , morall and naturall oposition betweene them both in their comportement , fancies , inclinations , humours , and the very understanding , so that one may say , what the one is , the other is not ; and in such a visible discrepancy , that if one were fetched from the remotest parts of the earth , the sunne displayeth his beames upon , yea from the very antipods , hee would agree with either better , than they do one with another . sect. vi . and truly i have many times and oft busied my spirits , and beaten my brains hereupon , by taking information from dead and living men , and by my own practicall observations , to know the true cause of this strange antipathy betwixt two such potent and so neare neighbouring nations , which bringeth with it such mischiefe into the world ; and keepes christendome in a perpetuall alarme : for although the ill spirit bee the principall author thereof , as being the father and fomenter of all discord and hatred ( it being also part of the turkes letany , that warres should continue still betweene these two potent nations ) to hinder the happy fruit that might grow out of their vnion : yet neverthelesse it must bee thought that hee cannot shed this poyson , and sow these cursed tares , unlesse hee had some grounds to work his designe upon . and to fly to the ordinary termes of sympathy and antipathy , i know it is the common refuge of the ignorant , when being not able to conceive the true reason of naturall actions and passions in divers things , they fly to indefinite generality , and very often to these inexplicable termes of sympathy and antipathy . some as doctor garcia , and other philosophicall authors , attribute this opposition to the qualities of the clymes and influences of the stars , which are known to beare sway over all sublunary bodies , insomuch that the position of the heavens ; and constellations , which hang over spaine , being of a different vertue and operation to that of france , the temper and humours of the natives of the one , ought to bee accordingly disagreeing with the other . an opinion which may gaine credit and strength from the authority of the famous hippocrates , who in his book of ayre , water , and climes , affirmeth that the diversity of constellations , cause a diversity of inclinations , of humors and complexions ; and make the bodies whereupon they operate , to receive sundry sorts of impressions . which reason may have much apparance of truth , if one consider the differing fancies of these two nations , as it hath reference to the predominant constellations , which have the vogue , and qualifie the seasons amongst them . for then when the heate beginneth in spaine , the violence thereof lasteth a long time without intension , or remission , or any considerable change , the humour of the spaniard is just so , for if he resolves once upon a thing , he perseveres , he ponders and dwels constantly upon it , without wavering from his first deliberation ; it being one of his prime axiomes , that deliberandum est diu , quod statuendum est semel . it is farre otherwise in france , for be it sommer or winter , autumne orspring , neither the cold nor heate , nor serenity of ayre continueth nere so long , without a sensible vicissitude and change ; so that it may be truly said there in the morning , nescis quid serus vesper trahat . therefore it being granted that all elementary bodies depend upon the motion and vertue of the heavenly ; the people of france must of necessity partake of the inconstancy of the clime , both in their passions and dispositions . but this reason though probable enough , resolves not the question to the full ; for although we should acknowledge , that the celestiall bodies by their influxions , do domineere over sublunary creatures , and ●osse and tumble the humours and the masse of bloud , as they list ; it cannot be said , notwithstanding , that this vertue extends to those actions that depend immediatly upon the absolute empire of the will , with the other faculties and powers of the soule , which are meerely spirituall , as love and hatred , with the like . they that dispute thus , have much reason on their side , yet if we consider well the order and method that our understanding and wils do use in the production of their actions , we shal find , that the influence of the heavenly bodies must have something to do therein , though indirectly and accidentally : for all terrestriall creatures by a graduall kind of subordination , being governed by the heavenly , it must needs follow that whatsoever is naturall in man , as the organs of the body , and all the senses must feele the power of their influence . now is the soule so united and depends so farre upon the senses , that she cannot produce any act , unlesse they ministerially concurre and contribute thereunto , by presenting the matter to her , which is the intelligibles species : whence it necessarily comes to passe , that in regard of this straight league and bond , which is betweene them , she partakes somewhat , and yealds to that dominion , which the starres have over the sensuall appetite , which together with the will , are dispossed off , and incited ( i will not say forced ) by their influxes . and as that famous wisard , the oldest of the trismegisti , did hold , that the intelligences which are affixed to every spheare , doe worke through the organs of the body upon the faculties of the mind , ( an opinion almost as old as the world it selfe ) so it may be said more truly , that by the sensuall appetite , by the frailty and depravation of the will , the heavenly bodies worke very farre●upon the spirituall powers and passions of the soule ; and affect them diversly , though by accident and indirectly , as i said before . the position therefore of the heavens and asterismes , which governe the spanish clime , being different in their vertue and operations to them of france , the minds and fancies of both people , must by a necessary consequence bee also different . yet notwithstanding that this assertion be true , yet it doth not follow , that the influxions of the starres and diversity of climes , are the sole cause of this antipathy and aversenesse , for there are many nations which live under farre more distant and differing climes , which disaffect not one another in that degree , therefore there must be some other concurring accidents and extraordinary motive of this evill . i reade it upon record in the spanish annales , that lewis the eleventh desiring a personall conference with the king of castile , they both met upon the borders , the spaniards came full of iewels and gold chaines and richely apparelled : lewis , though otherwise , a wise and gallant prince , yet had he an humor of his own , to weare in his hat a medaille of lead , which he did at this enterview , nor were his attendants , but regis ad exemplum ▪ but meanely accoutred ; which made the spaniards despise them , and make disdainefull libels of them , which broake out afterwards into much contempt and disaffection , which came to bee aggravated more and more . and if we say that the devill made use of this occasion to engender that violent hatred , which raignes between these two nations , it would not bee much from the purpose , for the least advantage in the world is sufficient for him to iufuse his venom where he finds hearts never so little disposed to receive it , either by naturall or contingent causes . adde hereunto the vast extent of greatnesse the spaniard is come to within these sixe score yeares , by his sundry new acquest , which fils the french full of jealousies , of emulation , and apprehension of feare ; and 't is an old aphorisme , oderunt omnes , quem metuunt . furthermore , another concurring motive may be , that there passe usually over the pyreneys , from gascoigne and bearne great numbers of poore french tatterdimallians , being as it were the scumme of the countrey , which do all the fordid and abject offices to make a purse of money , whereof spaine is fuller than france ▪ from spaine also there come to france many poore spaniards to bee cured of the kings evill ; the common people of both nations measuring the whole by the part ▪ and thinking all to be such , it must needs breed mutuall apprehensions of disdaine and aversion between them ; so that what was at first accidentall seemes in tract of time , and by these degrees to diffuse it selfe like originall sinne f●om father to sonne , and become naturall . but i have beene transported too farre by this speculation , considering that i proposed to my selfe brevity at first in this small discours . sect. vii . and now being come from france to spaine , make accoump for matter of fertility of soyle , that you are come from gods blessing , to the warme sun , who is somewhat too liberall of his beames here ; which makes the ground more barren , and consequently to be a kind of wildernesse in comparison of france , if you respect the number of people , the multitude of townes , hamlets , and houses : for about the the third part of continent of spaine is made up of huge craggie hils and mountaines , amongst which one shall feele in some places more difference in point of temper of heat and cold in the ayre , then 'twixt twixt winter and sommer under other climes . but where spaine hath water and valleis there she is extraordinarily fruitfull such blessings humility carieth alwayes with her . so that spaine yeeldeth to none of her neighbours in perfection of any thing , but only in plenty ; which i beleeve was the ground of a proverbe they have amongst them , no ay cosa mala en espana , sino lo que habla , there is nothing ill in spaine , but that which speakes : and did spaine excell in plenty , as she doth in perfection of what she produceth , specially did she abound in corne , whereof she hath not enough for the fortieth mouth , as also had she men enough whereof , besides the warres , so many colonies draine her , shee would prove formidable to all her neighbours . but let the french glory never so much of their country as being the richest embroidery of nature upon earth , yet the spaniard drinks better wine , eates better fruits , weares finer cloth , hath a better sword by his side , and is better mounted than he . being entred spaine , he must take heed of posting in that hot countrey in the summer time , for it may stirre the masse of bloud too much . when hee comes to madrid ( for i know no other place secure enough for a protestant gentleman to live in , by reason of the residence of our ambassador ) he may take new spanish servants , for i presume he discharged his french when he forsooke paris : there hee shall find the king constant all the seasons of the yeare in the midst of his kingdom , as the heart in the body , or the sun in the firmament , whence the one giveth vigor to the little world , th' other to the great in equall proportion . and the first thing he must fall to , is language , which hee shall find far more easie than the french , for in point of crabbednesse there is as much difference betweene the french and spanish , as 'twixt logique and philosophy , the like may be said of the italian , for a reasonable capacity may attaine both these languages , sooner than french it selfe . there was a spanish doctor , who had a fancy that spanish , italian , and french , were spoken in paradise , that god almighty commanded in spanish , the tempter perswaded in italian , and adam begged pardon in french . i presume by the helpe of his governour he hath made an introduction into the spanish tongue before hee left france , so that in one sommer and winter he may easily come to speake it discoursively , and to good purpose ; being in my judgement the easiest of all languages , by reason of the openesse , and fulnesse of pronunciation , the agreement 'twixt the tongue and the text , and the freedome from apostrophes , which are the knots of a language , as also for the proximity it hath with the latine , for the spanish is nought else but mere latine , take a few morisco words away , which are easily distinguished by their gutturall prounciation , and these excepted , it approacheth nearer & resembleth the latine more than italian , her eldest daughter , for i have beaten my braines to make one sentence good italian and congruous latin , but could never do it , but in spanish it is very feasable , as for example , in this stanza , infausta grecia tu paris gentes , lubricas , sodomiticas , dolosas , machinando fraudes cautelosas , ruinando animas innocentes , &c. which is latin good enough , and yet is it vulgar spanish , intelligible by every plebeian . mariana and acosta , are the most authentique annalists of spaine , and alvares for the moderne story , lope de vegas works wil give good entertainment for verse , and guevara for pure prose : nor shall he be distracted with that confusion of authors , as in france , and else where , for the spaniard writes seldom but soundly , and in a quite differing straine from other nations of christendome , savouring rather of an african fancy , which argues that the moore did much mingle with him . about the fall of the leafe it were not amisse to make a journey to south spaine , to see sevill , and the contratation house of the west indies , and ( if he can ) to get a coppy of the constitutions thereof , which is accounted the greatest mystery in the spanish government , but he must shew himself neither too busie , nor too bold in this search ; and if he be there at the arrivall of the plate-fleet , which usually commeth about that time , he shall see such a grandeza , that the roman monarchy in her highest florish never had the like , nor the gran signior at this day . there he may converse with marchants , and their conversation is much to bee valued , for many of them are very gentile and knowing men in the affaires of the state , by reason of their long sojourne and actuall negotiations , and processes in the countrey : and in a short time , one may suck out of them , what they have been many yeares a gathering : and very materiall it is to know here , as every where else , what commodities the countrey affoordeth most usefull for us , either for necessity or pleasure : and what english commodities are there in greatest request , and what proportions the market usually beareth , for in the commutative part of government and mercantile affaires , lieth the most usefull part of policy 'twixt countrey and countrey ; but this hee shall observe better in italy , where the prince holdeth it no disparagement to co-adventure , and put in his stake with the marchant : so that the old clodian law is now of no force at all amongst them . from south spaine he may returne by granada , murcia and valencia , and so to barcelona , and then take the gallies for italy , for there are divers fleets passe in the yeare from thence with treasure , and crosse the mediterranean to genoa . and it is not amisse to see something by sea , and to embarque in a fleet of gallies will much adde to ones experience , and knowledge in sea affaires , and in the art of navigation which is more usefull and important for englishmen , and indeed for all islanders , than others , because their security depends upon the sea , and upon woodden horses . naviget hinc alia jam mihi linter aqua . sect. viii . having put foot ashoare in genoa , i will not wish him to stay long there , in regard the very worst italian dialect is spoken there , and besides , as it is proverbially said , there are in genoa , mountaines without wood , sea without fish , women without shame , and men without conscience , which makes them to be termed the white moores : and when a iew ( and the iews are held the most mercuriall people in the world , by reason of their so often transmigrations , persecutions , and necessity , which is the mother of wit ) meeteth with a genoway , and is to negotiat with him , he puts his fingers in his eyes , fearing to be over-reached by him , and outmatched in cunning . from thence let him hasten to toscany , to siena , where the prime italian dialect is spoken , and not stirre thence till he be master of the language in some measure . and being now in italy that great limbique of working braines , he must be very circumspect in his cariage , for she is able to turne a saint into a devill , and deprave the best natures , if one will abandon himselfe , and become a prey to dissolut courses and wantonnesse . the italian , being the greatest embracer of pleasures , the greatest courtier of ladies of any other . here he shall find vertue and vice , love and hatred , atheisme and religion in their extremes ; being a witty contemplative people ; and corruptio optimi est pessima . of the best wines you make your tartest vinegar . italy hath beene alwayes accounted the nurse of policy , learning , musique , architecture , and limning , with other perfections , which she disperseth to the rest of europe , nor was the spaniard but a dunce , till he had taken footing in her , and so grew subtilized by co-alition with her people . she is the prime climat of complement , which oftentimes puts such a large distance 'twixt the tongue and the heart , that they are seldome relatives , but they often give the lye one to another ; some will offer to kisse the hands , which they wish were cut off , and would be content to light a candle to the devill , so they may compasse their owne ends : he is not accounted essentially wise , who openeth all the boxes of his breast to any . the italians are for the most part of a speculative complexion ( as i have discovered more amply in another discours ) and he is accounted little lesse than a foole , who is not melancholy once a day ; they are only bountifull to their betters , from whom they may expect a greater benefit ; to others the purse is closest shut , when the mouth openeth widest , nor are you like to get a cup of wine there , unlesse your grapes be known to be in the wine-presse . from siena he may passe to milan , and so through the republiques territories to venice , where he shall behold a thing of wonder , an impossibility in an impossibility , a rich magnificent city seated in the very jaws of neptune , where being built and bred a christian from her very infancy , ( a prerogative she justly glorieth of above all other states , ) she hath continued a virgin ever since , nere upon twelve long ages , under the same forme and face of government , without any visible change or symptome of decay , or the least wrinkle of old age , though , her too neer neighbour , the turk hath often set upon her skirts and sought to deflowre her , wherein he went so farr that he took from her venus joynture , which she had long possessed , and was the sole crown she ever wore . but if one in story observes the cours of her actions , he shall find that she hath subsisted thus long as much by policy as armes , as much by reach of wit , and advantage of treaty , as by open strength , it having beene her practise ever and anon to sow a piece of fox tayle to the skinne of s. marks lyon . here one shall find the most zealous patriots of any , yet some would maintaine ( though i do not ) that the venetians , are but indifferently wise single , though they be very politique when they are together in the senat. having observed in the republique of venice what is , most remarquable ( and there are many things in that government worth the carying away , specially the sight of nova palma , a castle built after the newest rules of fortification ) he may visit the other ancient townes of italy , and so to naples , where he may improve his knowledge in horsmanship , and then repasse through other free states , whereof italy is full : and truly a wonder it is to see how in so small an extent of ground , which take all dimensions together , is not so big as england , there should bee so many absolute and potent princes by sea and land , which i beleeve is the cause of so many dialects in the italian tongue which are above ten in number : as hee traverseth the countrey hee must note the trace , forme and site of any famous structure , the platforms of gardens , aqueducts , grots , sculptures , and such particularities belonging to accommodation or beauty of dwelling , but specially of castles , and fortresses , wherwith italy abounds , the whole countrey being frontier almost all over . section . ix . and with the naturall situation of countreyes , a travellershould observe also the politicalposition thereof , how some are seated like mercury amongst the planets , who for the most part is either in combustion or obscurity , being under brighter beames than his own ; such is savoyand loraine , and other princes of italy , who are between more potent neighbours than themselves , and are like s●reens tossed up and down and never at quiet : and they that are so situated may say , as the mouse once answered the cat , who asking how she did , made answer , i should be far better , if you were further off . how the state of the popedome running from the tirrhene to the adriatique sea , is sited in italy , as france is in europe , in the midst , and so fittest to embroyle or preserve in peace , to disunite or conjoyne the forces of their neighbours , and so most proper to be umpires of all quarrels . how the dominions of spaine are like the planets in the heaven lying in vast uneven distances one from the other : but cleane contrary those of france , are so knit and clustered together , that they may be compared all to one fixed constellation . how germany cut out into so many principal ties , into so many hansiatiqued and imperiall townes , is like a great river sluced into sundry channels , which makes the maine streame farre the weaker ▪ the like may be said of italy . how the signory of venice is the greatest rampart of christendome against the turk by sea , and the hereditary territories of the house of austria , by land , which may be a good reason of state , why the colledge of electors hath continued the empire in that line these years . he must observe the quality of the power of princes , how the cavalry of france , the infantery of spaine , and the english ships , leagued together , are fittest to conquer the world , to pull out the ottoman tyrant out of his seraglio , from betweene the very armes of his fifteen hundred concubines . how the power of the north-east part of the european world is balanced between the dane , the swede , and the pole , &c. and the rest between great britaine , france , and spaine ; as for germany and italy , their power being divided 'twixt so many , they serve only to balance themselves , who if they had one absolute monarch a piece , would prove terrible to all the rest . spaine in point of treasure hath the advantage of them al , she hath a veteran army always afoot ; but she is thinne peopled , she hath many colonies to supply , which lye squandred up and down in disadvantagious unsociable distances , her people are disaffected by most nations , and incompatible with some ; she wants bread , she hath bold accessible coasts , and her west indy fleet , besides the length of the passage , and incertainty of arrivall , is subject to casualties of sea , and danger of interception by enemies : and if england should breake out with her in good earnest into acts of hostility , those islands , which the english have peopled , colonized , and fortified lately ( being warned by saint christopher ) in the carrere to her mines , would be found to be no small disadvantage to her . france swarmes with men , and now ( more than ever ) with soldiers , she is a body well compacted ( though often subject to convulsions , and high fits of feavers , the bloud gathering up by an unequall diffusion into the upper parts ) and it is no small advantage to her , that her forme is circular , so that one part may quickly run , to succour the other : she abounds with corne , and being the thorough fare of christendome , she can never want money ; she hath those three things which the spaniard said would make her eternall , viz. rome , the sea , and counsell ; for she hath the the pope for her friend ( having had his breeding in her twenty years together ) shee hath holland for her arsenall , and richelieu for counsell ; who since he sate at the helme , hath succeeded in every attempt , with that monstrous cours of felicity : they of the religion , are now town-lesse , and arme-lesse , and so are her greatest peeres most of them out of office and provinciall command . so that if one would go to the intrinsique value of things , france will not want much in weight of the vast unweldy bulk , and disjointed body of the spanish monarchie . great britaine being encircled by the sea , and there being an easie going out for the natives , and a dangerous landing for strangers , and having so many invincible castles in motion ( i meane her ships ) and abounding inwardly with all necessaries , and breeding such men , that i may well say , no king whatsoever hath more choyce of able bodies to make soldiers of , having also most of her trade intrinsique , with many other insulary advantages , she need not feare any one earthly power , if she bee true to her selfe ; yet would she be puzzled to cope with any of the other two single , unlesse it be upon the defensive part , but joyning with holland she can give them both the law at sea , and leaguing with any of the other two , she is able to put the third shrewdly to it . now it cannot be denied , but that which giveth the greatest check to the spanish monarchy is france : and there is no lesse truth than caution in that saying , that the yeaue of the conquering of france , is the morning of the conquest of england ( and vice versa . ) it hath not been then without good reason of state , that england since that monstruous height of power that spaine is come to of late , hath endeavoured rather to strengthen france ( to beare up against her ) than to enfeeble her , having contributed both her power and purse to ransome one of her kings , at that time when spaine began to shoot out her braunches so wide : besides , during the last ligue , which raged so long through all the bowels of france with that fury , when there was a designe to cantonize the whole kingdome ; queene elizabeth though offered a part , would not accept of it , for feare of weakning the whole : therefore this chaine of reciprocall conservation , linking them together so strongly ; england may well be taken for a sure confederate of france , while france containes her selfe within her present bounds , but if shee should reduce the spaniard to that desperate passe in the netherlands ▪ as to make him throw the helve after the hatcher , and to relinquish those provinces altogether , it would much alter the case : for nothing could make france more suspectfull to england than the addition of those countreyes , for thereby they would come to be one continued piece , and so england her overthwart neighbour , should bee in a worse case than if the spaniard had them entirely to himselfe . for it would cause her to put her selfe more strongly upon her guard , and so increase her charge and care . to conclude this point , there cannot be a surer maxime and fuller of precaution for the security of england , and her allies , and indeed for all other princes of this part of the world , than barnevelt gave of late yeares , a little before he came to the fatall block . decrescat hispanus , nec crescat francus . but i have been transported too farre by this ticklish digression , which requires an ampler and more serious discours . in fine , with these particulars , a traveller should observe the likenesse and sympathy of distant nations , as the spaniard with the irish , the french with the pole , the german ( specially holsteinmen ) with the english , and in italy there have beene many besides my selfe , that have noted the countenance and condition of some people of italy , specially those that inhabite lombardy , to draw neere unto the ancient brittaines of this island , which argues , that the romanes , who had their legions here so many hundred yeares together , did much mingle and clope with them . amongst other particulars , the old italian tunes and rithmes both in conceipt and cadency , have much affinity with the welsh , ( and the genius of a people is much discovered by their prosody ) for example , vlisse ô lass● , ô dolce amor● muoro , &c. this agrees pat with the fancy of the welch bards , whose greatest acutenesse consists in agnominations and in making one word to tread as it were upon the others heele , and push it forward in like letters , as in the precedent example , whereof many italian authors are full , appeareth . sect. x. he must also observe the number of languages , and difference of dialects , as neere as he can , in every countrey as hee passeth along . the french have three dialects , the wallon ( vulgarly called among themselves romand , ) the provensall , ( whereof the gascon is a subdialect ) and the speech of languedoc : they of bearne and navarre speak a language that hath affinity with the bascuence or the cantabrian tongue in biscaie , and amongst the pyrenean mountaines : the armorican tongue , which they of low brittaine speake ( for there is your bas-breton , and the breton-brittonant or breton gallois , who speakes french ) is a dialect of the old brittish as the word armorica imports , which is a meere welsh word , for if one observe the radicall words in that language they are the same that are now spoken in wales , though they differ much in the composition of their sentences , as doth the cornish : now some of the approvedst ▪ antiquaries positively hold the originall language of the celtae , the true ancient gaules , to be welsh : and amongst other authors they produce no meaner than caesar and tacitus , to confirme this opinion : for caesar saith that the druydes of gaule understood the brittish druyds , who it seemes were of more account for their philosophy , because as he saith , the gaules came usually over to be taught by them , which must bee by conference , for there were few books then : besides tacitus in the life of iulius agricola reporteth , that the language of the brittaines and the gaules little differed , i restraine my selfe to the middle part of france called gallia celtica , for they of aquitaine spake a language that corresponded with the old spanish , they of burgundy and champagny with the german , and most part of provence spake greek , there having beene a famous colony of grecians planted in marseilles : other small differences there are up and down in other provinces of france , as the low norman useth to contract many words , as he will often say , i' ay un pet à faire , for i' ay un petit affaire , and the poictevin will mince the word , and say , ma mese , mon pese , for ma mere , mon pere ; but these differences are not considerable . the spanish or castilian tongue , which is usually called romance , and of late years lengua christiana , ( but it is called so only amongst themselves ) for a spaniard will commonly aske a stranger whether hee can speake christian , that is , castillian ? the spanish ( i say ) hath but one considerable dialect , which is the portugues , which the iewes of europe speake more than any other language , and they hold that the messias shall come out that tribe , that speake the portingal language ; other small differences there are in the pronunciation of the gutturall letters in the castillian , but they are of small moment . they of the kingdome of valencia and catalunia ( goth-land ) speake rather a language mixed of french , and italian : in the mountaines of granada ( the alpuxarras ) they speake morisco , that last part of spaine that was inhabited by the moores , who had possessed it above yeares . but the most ancient speech of spaine seemes to have beene the bascuence or the cantabrian tongue spoken in guipuscoa , the asturias and in some places amongst the pyrenes ; but principally in the province of biscaye , which was never conquered by roman , cartaginian , goth , vandall or moore , which nations overrunne all the rest of spaine , ( though some more , some lesse ) therefore whensoever the king of spaine commeth to any of the territories of biscaye , hee must pull off his shooes upon the frontiers , when he treads the first step , being as it were virgin holy ground . and as it is probable that the bascuence is the primitive language of spaine , so doubtlesse the people of that countrey are a remnant of the very aborigenes , of her first inhabitants . for it is an infallible rule , that if you desire to find out ( the indige●nae ) the ancientest people or language of a countrey , you must go amongst the mountaines and places of fastnesse , as the epirotiques in greece , the heylanders in scotland , the brittaines in wales , with whom ( i meane the last ) the biscayner doth much symbolize in many things , as in the position and quality of ground , in his candor and humanity towards strangers more than any other people of spaine , his cryed up antiquity ; for the spaniards confesse the ancientest race of gentry to have been preserved there : so that a biscayner is capable to be a cavalier of any of the three habits without any scrutiny to be made by the office , whether he be , limpio de la sangre de los moros , that is , cleare of the bloud of the moores or no , 't is enough that he be a montanero , that he be borne amongst the mountaines of biscaye . and many may be the reasons why hilly people keep their standings so well , for being inured to labour , and subject to the inclemency of the heavens , distemperatures of ayre , to short commons , and other incommodities , they prove the hardier and abler men , and happily with the elevation of the ground their spirits are heightned , and so prove more couragious and forward to repel an invading enemy . adde hereunto , that the cragginesse and steepinesse of places up and down is a great advantage to the dwellers , and makes them inaccessible , for they serve as fortresses erected by nature her selfe , to protect them from all incursions : as caesar complaines of some places in scythia , that difficilius erat hostem invenire , quam vincere . and now for further proofe that the cantabrian language is the ancientest of spaine , i thinke it will not be much from the purpose , if i insert here a strange discovery that was made not much above halfe a hundred yeares ago , about the very midle of spaine , of the pattuecos , a people that were never knowne upon the face of the earth before , though spaine hath been a renown'd famous countrey visited and known by many warlik nations : they were discovered by the flight of a faulcon , for the duke of alva hauking on a time neere certaine hils , not farre from salamanca , one of his hauks which he much valued , flew over those mountaines , and his men not being able to find her at first , they were sent back by the duke after her ; these faulkners clammering up and down , from hill to hill and luring all along , they lighted at last upon a large pleasant valley , where they spied a company of naked savage people , locked in between an assembly of huge crags and hils indented and hemmed in ( as it were ) one in another : as simple and savage they were , as the rudest people of any of the two indies , whereof some thought a man on horseback to be one creature with the horse : these savages gazing awhile upon them , flew away at last into their caves , for they were troglodites , and had no dwelling but in the hollowes of the rocks : the faulconers observing well the track of the passage , returned the next day , and told the duke , that in lieu of a hauke , they had found out a new world , a new people never knowne on the continent of spaine , since tubal cain came first thither : a while after , the duke of alva went himselfe with a company of muscateers , and conquered them , for they had no offensive weapon but slings ; they were pythagoreans , and did eat nothing that had life in it , but excellent fruits , rootes and springs there were amongst them ; they worshipped the sun , & new moone , their language was not intelligible by any , yet many of their simple words were pure bascuence , and their gutturall pronunciation the very same , and a gutturall pronunciation is an infallible badge of an ancient language ; and so they were reduced to christianity , but are to this day discernable from other spaniards by their more tawny complexions , which proceeds from the reverberatiō of the sun-beams glancing upon those stony mountaines wherewith they are encircled , and on some sides trebly fenced , which beames reflects upon them with a greater strength and so tannes them . but i did not think to have stayed so long in spain now nor indeed the last time i was there , but he that hath to deale with that nation , must have good store of phlegme and patience , and both for his stay , and successe of businesse , may often reckon without his host . section . xi . bvt these varieties of dialects in france and spaine , are farre lesse in number to those of italy ; nor do i beleeve were there ever so many amongst the greeks , though their countrey was indented and cut out into so many islands , which as they differed in position of place , so there was some reason they should differ something in propriety of speech : there is in italy the toscan , the roman , the venetian , the neapol●tan , the calabrese , the genovese , the luquesse , the milanese , the parmasan , the piemontese , and others in and about abouzzo , and the apennine hils ; and all these have severall dialects and idiomes of speech , and the reason i conceive to be , is the multiplicity of governments , there being in italy , one kingdome , three republiques , and five or six absolute principalities , besides the popedome , and their lawes , being different , their language also groweth to be so , but the prime italian dialect , take accent and elegance together , is lingua toscana in boca romana . the toscan tongue in a roman mouth . there is also a mongrell dialect composed of italian and french , and some spanish words are also in it , which they call franco , that is used in many of the islands of the aegean sea , and reacheth as farre as constantinople , and natolie , and some places in afrique ; and it is the ordinary speech of cōmerce 'twixt christians , iewes , turkes , and greeks in the levant . now for the originall language in italy , as the mesapian and hetruscan tongue , there is not a syllable left anywhere , nor do i know any countrey where the old primitive languages , are so utterly and totally extinguished without the least trace left behind , as in italy . touching the latine tongue , which is one of the ancientest languages of italy , but not so ancient as those i spake of before , the received opinion is , that the inundation of the goths , vandals and longbards , were her first corrupters but it is not so , as the learned bembo , and our no lesse learned brerewood are of opinion ; for as the latine tongue grew to perfection by certaine degrees , and in caesar and cicero's times ( whereof the one for purity , the other for copiousnesse , were the best that ever writ ) she came to the highest flourish together with the empire , so had shee insensible degrees of corruption amongst the vulgar , and intrinsique changes in her selfe before any forrain cause concurred ; for the salian verses , towards the end of the republique , were scarce intelligible , no more were the capitulations of peace 'twixt rome and carthage in polybius his time : and every one knowes what kind of latine stands upon record on the columna rostrata in the capitoll , in memory of the famous navall victory of duillius the consull , which happened but yeares before cicero . as also what latine had the vogue in pla●utus his time : and here it will not be much ou● of the byas , to insert ( in this ogdoastique ) a few verses of the latine which was spoken in that age , which were given me by a worthy polite gentleman , sic est , nam nenum lacient uls manaca , praes est andreas ; ipsus hortitor ergo cluo dividiam estricem ut genii averruncet , & ultra calpar , si pote , lurae insipet omnimodis , calpar , quod nymphis nenum ebrium , at argeliorum zitho , quod nostra haec vincia dapsiliter degulet , ha frux obgraecari ( haut numina poscent ) prodinit , topper morta modo orta necat . so that as before , so after cicero's time , the latine tongue wrought certaine changes in her selfe , before any mixture with strangers , or the intervention of any forraine cause : for as kingdomes and states with all other sublunary things are subject to a tossing and tumbling , to periods and changes , as also all naturall bodies corrupt inwardly and insensibly of themselves , so languages are not exempt from this fate , from those accidents , and revolutions that attend time : for horace complained in his dayes , that words changed as coynes did : yet besides this home bredd change , it cannot be denyed but the latine tongue , had some forraine extrinsique cause to degenerate so farre into italian , as the admission of such multiplicities of strangers to be roman citizens , with the great number of slaves that were brought into the city ; adde herunto at last those swarms of barbarous nations , which in lesse than one hundred yeares thrice over-ran italy , and tooke such footing in her : and as in italy , so likewise in spaine and france , they corrupted the latine tongue , though i beleeve she never tooke any perfect impression amongst the vulgar in those countreyes , albeit the romanes laboured to plant her there , making it their practise ( though not at first : for we reade of some people that petitioned unto them , that they might bee permitted to use the latine tongue ) with the law to bring in their language as a mar●e of conquest . but one may justly as●●e why the latine tongue could receive no growth at all amongst the brittaines , who were so many hundred years under the roman gover●ment , and some of the e●perours living and dying amongst them ? to this ●t may bee answered , that i● brittaine wee reade of no more than foure colonies that ever were planted ; but in spaine there were , and in france . but as i cannot cease to wonder that the romans notwithstanding those colonies and legions that had so long cohabitation , and coalition with them , could take no impression at all upon the brittaines in so long a tract of time in point of speech , ( notwithstanding that in some other things there be some resemblances observed 'twixt the people , as i said before ) i wonder as much how such a multitude of greeke words could creep into the welsh language , some whereof for example sake , i have couched in this distique . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . which words englished are , salt , water , birth , fire , the belly , an old woman , to teach , the earth , hony , to heare , the sun , destiny , drunkard . besides divers others , which are both greeke and wels● , both in pronunciation and sense . now for the greek tongue , there is no question , but it was of larger extent than ever the roman was , for these three respects , for the mighty commerce that nation did exercise , for their humour in planting of colonies , for their learning and philosophy , for greek is the scientificalst tongue that ever was , in all which they went beyond the romones : and it is not long ago since in some places of italy her selfe , as calabria and apulia , the liturgy was in the greek tongue . nor is some vulgar greek so farre adulterated , and eloignated from the true greek , as italian is from the latin , for there is yet in some places of the morea true greek spoken vulgarly ( you cannot say so of the latin anywhere ) only they confound these three letters , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , ( eta , iota , upsilon ) and these two dipthongs {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , all which they pronounce as ioata . as for {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , they pronounce {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , for {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , they say {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} there is also true greek spoken in some parts of the lesser asia , where there is no place upon the surface of the earth , for the proportion , where so many differing languages are spoken , yet most of them are but dialects and subdialects ; so that of those two and twenty tongues , which mithridates is recorded to have understood , above two parts of three , i beleeve , were but dialects . i dare go no further eastward , for it is beyond the bounds of so smalla volume as this , to speak of the levantine tongues , that go from the liver to the heart , from the right hand to the left , as the most spacious arabique , which is spoken ( or learnt ) throughoutal the vast dominions of the mahumetan empire , and is the most fixed language now upon earth , it being death to alter it , or translate the alcoran into any other language , to adde the least title to the first text , or comment upon it ; a rare policy to prevent schismes , and restraine the extravagant , and various restlesse fancies of humane braine . this page is also too narrow to comprehend any thing of the most large slavonique tongue , which above other languages hath this prerogative to have two characters , one resembling the latine , the other the greek , and in many places the liturgy is in both , one for sundayes and holy-dayes , the other for working dayes . there are above forty severall nations , both in europe and asia , which have the slavonick for their vulgar speech , it reacheth from mosco , the court of the great knez , to the turks seraglio in constantinople , and so over the propontey to divers places in asia , i● being the common language of the ianizaries . sect. xii . the german or teutonique tongue also is of mighty extent , for not only the large continent of germany high and low , but the kingdomes of england , scotland , denmarque , s●ethland , norway , island , and some parts of hungary and poland speake it vulgarly . and questionlesse the german is one of the first mother tongues of europe , whereof scaliger would have but eleven , though there be foure or five more , but i find that they who are cryed up for great clearks may erre , as he did in this , as also when hee made prester iohn an african and placed him in ethiopia , in the habassins countrey , whereas it is certaine that he was an asian , and king of tenduc in tartary above two thousand miles distant , besides he was a nestorian by his religion , and it is well known the habassines are iacobites and christians from the girdle upward , and iews downward , admitting both of baptism and circumcision . and so ancient is the german tongue , that goropius becanus flattered himselfe with a fancy , that it was the language which was spoken in paradise , which ortelius also shewed a desire to beleeve ; they grounded this conceipt upon these words , adam , eve , abel , seth , &c. which they would stretch to bee german words ; also that their language came first from asia , because godt , fader , moder , broder , star , are found to signifie the same things both in the german , and persian tongue . there is no language so ful of monosyllables and knotted so with consonants as the german , howsoever she is a full mouthd masculine speech : the speeches of the kingdoms before mentioned , are but dialects derived from her ; and the english is but a subdialect or branch of the saxon dialect , which hath no other name in welsh and irish to this day ; for take an englishman capa pea pea , from head to foot , every member hee hath is dutch . yet since the last conquest much french hath got in , and greatly embellished and smoothed the english , so that there is very much affinity between them , as for example , la fortune me tourmente , la vertu mecontente . or , men desir est infiny , d' entrer en paradis . which sayings are both french and english . of late yeares the english tongue hath much enriched her selfe , by borrowing of some choyce , well sounding and significant words from other languages also ; so that she may be compared to a posie made up of many fragrant choyce flowers : and truly , without interest and passion , let it be spoken , there is in english as true straines of eloquence , as strong and sinewy expressions , as elaborate and solid pieces of fancy , as far fetched reaches of invention , and as full of salt , metaphor's as faithfully poursued similies as aptly applyed , and as well cloathed and girded about ; as in any language whatsoever , both in poesie and prose ; it must be granted that some other languages , for their soft and smooth melting fluency , as having no abruptnesse of consonants , have some advantage of the english ; yet many of their fancies , which amongst themselves they hold to be strong lines and quintessentiall stuffe , being turned to another tongue become flat , and prove oftentimes but meere gingles , but what is witty in english , is so , with advantage , in any language else , unlesse the conceipt be topicall , or personall , and peculiar only to this island . but whither have i been thus transported ? the copiousnesse and pleasure of the argument hath carried mee a little further than i made account , for to bee a {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , to have the knowledge , specially the practicall knowledge ( for the theory is not nere so grateful nor useful ) of many languages is one of the richest and pleasingst kind of notions that is ; and we find upon the best record , that the first blessing which fell down from heaven upon those holy heralds of christianity , the apostles , was the knowledge of many tongues , inspired into them immediatly by god almighty himselfe . for what is imagination , invention and sense , without the faculty of speech without expression ? speech is the instrument by which a foole is distinguished from a philosopher : speech is the index , the interpreter , the ambassador of the mind , and the tongue the vehiculum , the chariot , which conveyeth and carrieth the notions of the mind to reasons palace , and the impregnable tower of truth : and although there be but one way thither , yet there be many sorts of chariots , some more sumptuous and better harnessed than others ; for amongst tongues there be some farre more rich , more copious , and of stronger expressions than others : and amongst tongues there is also a kind of , good fellowship , for they sometimes supply one anothers wants , and mutually borrow and lend . sect. xiii . bvt whether have i wantred ? i had almost forgot where i left my traveller , but now i remember wel it was in italy . and having surveyed italy , that minion of nature , he may crosse the alpes , and see some of the cantons , those rugged repub●iques , and regiments , and then passe through many of the stately proud cities of germany , till hee comes to bruxels , and there he shall behold the face of a constant military court , and provinciall government , with a miscellany of all nations , and if there be any leagers a foot , or armies in motion , it should bee time well spent to see them . for the netherlands have been for many yeares , as one may say , the very cockpit of christendome , the schoole of armes , and rendezvous of all adventurous spirits , and cadets , which makes most nations of europe beholden to them for soldiers . therefore the history of the belgique wars are very worth the reading , for i know none fuller of stratagemes of reaches of pollicy , of variety of successes in so short a time : nor in which more princes have been engaged ( though some more , some lesse ) for reasons of state , nor a warre which hath produced such deplorable effects directly or collaterally , all christendome over , both by sea and land . iean petit in french , is an approved author , guicciardin , don carles coloma in spanish , and sir roger williams in english , with others , there you shall reade of one towne taken by a boat of turfs , and reprized many yeares after by a boat of fagots , another taken by the flight of a ha●k , another by a load of hey , another by a cart full of apples , and many by disguises , either of boores , fryers , or marchands . having spent some small time in brabant and flanders , he may by safe conduct , as is usuall , passe to holland , where he shall find a people planted as it were under the sea , out of whose jawes they force an habitation , with infinite expence and toyle , checking the impetuous cours of the angry ocean , and shewing the world how far industry and art , can curbe and controule nature : and very expedient it is , hee should take an exact survey of the states of the united provinces , because they are accounted the surest confederates of england , and her fastest friends , for interest of religion , for community of danger , and consequently of reciprocall preservation . and it will be a wonderfull thing to see what a mighty subsistence of wealth and a huge navigable power that state in come too , by a rare unparalelled industry : for i dare avouch that the roman common-wealth , ( though she had her head as well knit in her infancy as any that ever was ) did not come neere her , in so short a progresse of time , to such a growth of strength . but it seemes all things conspired to rayse holland to this passe : first , the humour of the people , being patient ▪ and iudustrious , and of a genius more in clinable to a democraticall government than to a monarchy : adde hereunto the quality of the countrey , being every where half cut , and as it were inlayed with water , and thereby much fortified , and made in many places inaccessible ; so that , if need were , holland could turne her selfe into a huge pond when she list . hereunto concurred a further advantage of situation , having behind her the baltique sea , which affoords her all kind of materials for shipping , and for all kind of nutriment and military forces england and france , both swarming with superfluous people , suspectfull of the spanish greatnesse , and so not unwilling to contribute auxiliary strength for mutuall security and conservation . navigation and mercantile negotiation , are the two poles whereon that state doth move , and to both these , it seemes , nature her selfe hath expresly designed both countrey and people ; them be an extraordinary kind of propensity , the countrey by apt position , for having no land to manure , they plow the very bowels of the deep , the wrinkled fore-head of neptune being the furrowes that yealds them encrease . moreover , there being many great rivers that slice and cut the countrey up and down to disgorge themselvs into the ocean , those rivers may be said to pay them tribute , as well as to the sea , which rivers branching themselves into large and bearing streames , do so fitly serve one another , and all the whole , that it may bee said , nature in the frame of humane bodies , did not discover more art , in distributing the veines and arteries , for the easy conveyance of the masse of bloud into each part , as she hath shewed here in dispersing those waters so orderly for trafique . these rivers bring her what the large continent of germany , and other easterne countreys affoord , and shee lying between them and the sea ; furnisheth them with all far fetched indian , african , and spanish commodities . here you shall see the most industrious people upon earth , making a rare vertue of necessity , for the same thing which makes a parrot speake , makes them to labour . for having nothing of their own , yet they abound with all things , and may be said , to live by the idlenesse of some of their neighbours , i am loth to name here who they are . here you shall find a people grow rich also by that which useth to impoverish others , even by warre , for pri●es and booties abroad , go to make a good part of their wealth . yet in conversation they are but heavy , of a homely outside , and slow in action , which slownesse carieth with it a notable per severance , and this may bee imputed to the quality of that mould of earth , whereon they dwell , which may be said to bee a kind of ●●●●ding poole of ayre : and which is known to have such a force of assimilation , that when people of a more vivacious temper , come to mingle with them , at the second generation , they seeme to participate of the soyle and ayre , and degenerate into meere hollanders ; the like is found dayly in horses and dogs , and all other animals . occulta est batavae quaedam vis insita terrae . one remarquable piece of policy i forgot , that hee should observe in the vnited provinces ; viz. why in so small an extent of ground they have so many rich , wel-built and populous townes amongst them ; one of the principall reasons is , because they appropriate some staple materiall commoditie to every one of the great townes , as amsterdam hath the trade of the east and west indies , roterdam the english cloth , dort the rhenish wines , middelborough the french wines , treveres the scots trade , the hage the residence of the prince , and the states , haerlam subsist by knitting and dying , and so forth which is a very laudable cours ▪ not to suffer one place to swallow the wealth an● traffique of the whole , like the spleene in the naturall body , whose swelling makes all the rest of the members languish . sect. xiv . having thus passed the diameter of france , run over spaine , crossed the mediterranean to italy , and observed the multiplicity of governments therein ; having thus climbed the alpes , and traversed the best part of germany , having also taken the length of the belgique lion , ( of all which france for a kingdome , venice for a republique , millan for a duchy , flanders for a county beare the bell ) having i say , travelled through all these places , all which may bee done compleatly in three yeares and foure months , which foure months i allow for itinerary removals and journeys , and the yeares for residence in places ; it wi●l be high time now to hoyse sayle , and steere homwards , where being returned , hee must abhorre all affectation ▪ all forced postures and complements : for forraine travell oftentimes makes many to wander from themselves , as well as from their countrey , and to come back mere mimiques , and so in going farre , to fare worse , and bring backe lesse wit , than they carieth forth , they go out figures ( according to the italian proverb ) and returne cyphers , they retaine the vice of a countrey , and will discours learnedly thereon , but passe by , and forget the good , their memories being herein like haire seeves , that keep up the branne , and let go the fine flowr● ▪ they strive to degenerate as much as they can from englishmen , and all their talke is still forraine , or at least , will bring it to be so , though it be by head and shoulders , magnifying other ▪ nations , and derogating from their own : nor can one hardly exchange three words with them , at an ordinary ▪ ( or else-where ) but presently they are th●other side of the sea , commending either the wines of france , the 〈◊〉 of italy , or the oyle and sallets of spaine . some also there are who by their countenance more than by their cariage , by their diseases , more than by their discourses , discover themselves to have been abroad under hot climats . others have a custome to bee always relating strange things and wonders , ( of the humor of sir iohn mandevile ) and they usually present them to the hearers , through multiplying glasses , and thereby cause the thing to appeare far greater than it is in it self , they make mountaines of mole-hils , like charenton-bridge-eccho , which doubles the sound nine times . such a traveller was he , that reported the indian fly , to be as big as a fox ; china birds , to be as big as some horses , and their mice to be as big as monkeys ; but they have the wit to fetch this far enough off , because the hearer may rather believe it , than make a voyage so far to disprove it . every one knowes the tale of him , who reported hee had seen a cabbage under whose leafes a regiment of souldiers were sheltred from a shower of raine : another who was no traveller ( yet the wiser man ) said , hee had passed by a place where there were brasiers making of a cauldron , within , and without , beating the nayles in ; the traveller asking for what use that huge cauldron was ? he told him , sir it was to boyle your cabbage . such another was the spanish traveller , who was so habituated to hyperbolize , and relate wonders , that he became ridiculous in al companies , so that he was forced at last to give order to his man , when he fell into any excesse this way , and report any thing improbable , he should pul him by the sleeve : the master falling into his wonted hyperboles , spoke of a church in china , that was ten thousand and yards● long ; his man standing behind and pulling him by the sleeve , made him stop suddenly : the company asking , i pray sir , how broad might that church be ? he replyed , but a yard broad , and you may thanke my man for pulling me by the sleeve , else i had made it foure-square for you . others have another kind of hyperbolizing vaine , as they will say , there 's not a woman in italy , but weares an iron girdle next her skin in the absence of her husband , that for a pistoll one may be master of any mans life there ; that there is not a gentleman in france but hath his box of play 〈◊〉 about him ; that in germany every one hath a rouse in his pate , once a day ; that there are few dons in spaine that eat flesh once a week , or that hath not a mistresse besides his wife ; that paris hath more courtizans than london honest women ( which may admit a double sense ; ) that sevill is like a chesse-bord table , having as many moriscos as spaniards ; that venice hath more maquerelles , than marchands ; portugall more iews than christians : whereas i● ▪ is farre otherwise , for the devill is not so black as he 〈◊〉 painted , no more are these noble nations and townes as they are tainted : therefore one should ▪ parcere paucorum diffunder● crimen in omnes . and it is a generous kind of civility to report alwayes the best . furthermore , there is amongst many others ( which were too long to recite here ) an odde kind of anglicisme ▪ wherein some do frequently expresse themselves , as to say your boores of holland , sir ; your iesuites of spaine , sir ; your courtisans of venice , sir : whereunto one answered ( not impertinently ) my courtisans sir ? pox on them all for me , they are none of my courtisans . lastly , some kind of travellers there are , whom their gate and strouting , their bending in the hammes , and shoulders , and looking upon their legs , with frisking and singing do speake them travellers . others by a phantastique kind of ribanding themselvs , by their modes of habit , and cloathing ( and touching variety of cloathing , there be certaine odde ill-favoured old prophecies of this island , which were improper to recite here ) do make themselves knowne to have breathed forraine ayre , like sir thomas moore's ) traveller , whom i will bring here upon the stage . amicus & sodalis est la●us mihi , britanniaque natus , altusque insulâ : at cùm brittannos galliae cultoribus oceanus ingens , lingua , mores dirimant , spernit tamen lalus britannica omnia ; miratur expetitque cuncta gallica togâ superbit ambulans in gallica , amatque multùm gallicas lacernulas , zonâ , locello , atque ense gaudet gallico , et calceis & subligare gallico , totoque denique apparatu gallico , nam & unum habet ministrum , eumque gallicum , sed quem , licet velit , nec ipsa gallia , tractare quiret plus ( opinor ) gallicè , stipendii nihil dat , atque id gallicè , vestitque tritis pannulis , & gallicè hoc , alit cibo parvo & malo , idque gallicè , labore multo exercet , atque hoc gallicè , pugnisque crebrò pulsat , idque gallicè , in coetu , in via , & in foro , & frequentiâ rixatur objurgatque semper gallicè . quid ? gallicè illud ? imò semi-gallicè , sermonem enim , ni●fallor , ille gallicum tam callet omnem , quàm latinum psittacus . crescit tamen ; sibique nimirum placet , verbis tribus si quid loquatur gallicis , aut gallicis si quid nequit vocabulis , conatur id verbis , licèt non gallicis , sono● saltem personare gallico , palato hiante , acutulo quodam ▪ tono , et foemine instar garrientis molliter , sed ore pleno , tanquam id impleant fabae , balbutiens videlicet suaviter , pressis quibusdam literis , galli quibus ineptientes abstinent , nihi●l secus quam vulpe gallus , rupibusque navita ; sic ergo linguam ille & latinam gallicè , et gallicè linguam sonat br●tannicam , et gallicè linguam refert hispan●cam , et gallicè linguam refert lombardicam , et gallicè l●●guam refert g●●manicam , et gallicè omnem praeter unam gallicam , nam gallicam solùm sonat britannicè at quisquis insulâ satu britannica sic patriam insolens fastidie● suam , ut more simiae laboret fingere , et aemulari gallicas ineptias , ex amne gallo ego hunc opinor ●brium . ergo ut ex britanno gallus esse nititur , sic dii jubete , fiat fiat ex gallo capus . sec. xv . bvt such travellers as these may bee termed land-lopers , as the dutchman saith , rather than travellers ; such may be said to go out upon such an arrand , as wee reade saules-son went once out upon ; or like the prodigall son , to feed upon the huskes of strange countreys ; or as we reade , aesope travelled to istria , thence to afric● , and sundry other regions , only to find out the best crabs ; or like him who came from the furthest parts of hungary to england , to eate oysters : these travellers in lieu of the ore of ophir wherwith they should come home richly freighted , may be said to make their returne in apes and owles , in a cargazon of complements and cringes , or some huge monstrous periwigs , which is the golden fleece they bring over with them . such , i say , are a shame to their countrey abroad , and their kinred at home , and to their parents , benonies , the sons of sorrow : and as ionas in the whales belly , travelled much , but saw little , why , because hee was shut up in the body of that great ( aquatique ) beast , so these may be said to have been carried up and downe through many countreys , and after a long pererration to and fro , to returne as wise as they went , because their soules were so ill lodged , and shut up in such stupid bodies : no , an ingenious and discerning traveller will disdaine this , and strive to distinguish 'twixt good and evill , 'twixt that which is gracefull , and what 's phantastique , 'twixt what is to be followed , and what 's to be shunned , and bring home the best : hee will strive to be rather substance without shew , than shew without substance : from the italian he will borrow his reservednesse , not his jealousie and humor of revenge ; from the french his horsemanship and gallantnesse that way , with his confidence , and nothing else : from the spaniard his sobriety , not his lust : from the german ( cleane contrary ) his continency , no : his excesse , the other way : from the netherland his industry , and that 's all : his heart must still remaine english , though i allow him some choyce and change of habit , coelum , non animum mutet — and as the commendablest quality of oyle is to smell of nothing , yet it giveth an excellent relish to many sorts of meats : so he is the discreetest traveller , who savoureth of no affectation ; or strangenesse , of no exotique modes at all , after his returne , either in his cariage or discours , unlesse the subject require it , and the occasion and company aptly serve for him , to discover himselfe , and then an application of his knowledge abroad , will excellently season his matter and serve as golden d●shes to serve it in . if any forrainer be to be imitated in his manner of discours and comportement , it is the italian , who may be said to be a medium 'twixt the gravity of the spaniard , the heavinesse of the dutch , and levity of our next neighbours , for he seemes to allay the one , and quicken the other two ; to serve as a buoy to the one , and a ballast to th'other . france useth to work one good effect upon the english , she useth to take away the mothers milk ( as they say , ) that blush , and bashfull tincture , which useth to rise up in the face upon sudden salutes , and enterchange of complement , and to enharden one with confidence ; for the gentry of france have a kind of loose becomming boldnes , and forward vivacity in their cariage , whereby they seeme to draw respect from their superiours and equals , and make their inferiours keepe a fitting distance . in italy amongst other morall cautions , one may learne not to be over prodigall of speech when there is no need , for with a nod , with a shake of the head , and shrug of the shoulder , they will answer to many questions . one shall learne besides there not to interrupt one in the relation of his tale , or to feed it with odde interlocutions : one shall learne also not to laugh at his own jest , as too many use to do , like a hen , which cannot lay an egge but she must ca●kle . moreover , one shall learne not to ride so furiously as they do ordinarily in england , when there is no necessity at all for it ; for the italians have a proverb , that a gallopping horse is an open sepulcher . and the english generally are observed by all other nations , to ride commonly with that speed , as if they rid for a midwife , or a physitian , or to get a pardon to save one's life as he goeth to execution , when there is no such thing , or any other occasion at all , which makes them call england , the hell of horses . in these hot countreyes also , one shall learne to give over the habit of an odde custome , peculiar to the english alone , and whereby they are distinguished from other nations , which is , to make still towards the chimney , though it bee in the dog-dayes . sect. xvi . language is the greatest outward testimony of travell : yet is it a vaine and verball knowledge that rests only in the tongue ; nor are the observations of the eye any thing profitable , unlesse the mind draw something from the externe object to enrich the soule withall , to informe to build up and unbeguile the inward man , that by the sight of so various objects of art and nature , that by the perlustration of such famous cities , castles , amphitheaters , and palaces ; some glorious and new , some mouldred away , and eaten by the iron-teeth of time , he come to discerne ; the best of all earthly things to bee but frayle and transitory . that this world at the best is but a huge inne , and we but wayfaring men , but pilgrimes , and a company of rambling passengers . that we enter first into this world by travaile , and so passe along , with cries , by weeping crosse : so that it was no improper character the wisest of kings gave of this life to be nought else but a continuall travell : as the author crossing once over the pyrenes , writ to a noble friend of his in this distique , vita peregrinans iter est , sacrapagina monstrat , nunc verè vitam , nam peregrinor , ago . yet amongst these passengers , some find warme lodgings in this inne , with fift beds , the table plentifully f●rnished , and such is the poorenesse of some spirits , and the narrownesse of their soules , and they are so nailed to the earth , that when they are ●lmost at their iourneyes end , when they lyewind-bound at the cape of good hope , and have one foot in the 〈◊〉 ready to go off , with the next gale to another countrey , to their last home : yet , as the orator saith , quò minùs viae restat eò plus viatici quaerunt , the lesse way remaines , the more provision they make still for their journey . other passengers there are , which find but short commons , they are forced to trudge up and down for a roome to lay their heads upon , and would bee well content with a trucklebed , or a mattresse in the garret , for want whereof , they are often constrained to lye in state against their wils in the starre chamber , having the heaven for their canopy , and the brests of their common mother for their pillow . and it is the high pleasure of providence this disparity should be'twixt the citizens of this world , and that the earth should be divided into such unequall portions , to leave place for industry , labour , and wit , the children of necessity , and parents of vertue , for otherwise , few or none would pourchase any ground upon parnassus hill . to see the escuriall in spaine , or the plate-fleet at her first arrivall ; to see saint denis , the late cardinal-palace in richelieu , and other things in france ; to see the citadell of antwerp ; the new towne of amsterdam , and the forrest of masts , which lye perpetually before her ; to see the imperiall , and stately hans towns of germany ; to see the treasurie of saint mark , and arsenall of venice ; the mount of piety in naples ; the dome and castle of milan ; the proud palaces in and about genoua , whereof there are two hundred within two miles of the towne , and not one of the same forme of building ; to see saint peter's church , the vatican , and other magnificent structures in rome , who in the case she stands in , may be said to be but her owne tombe , in comparison of what she hath beene , being fallen from the hils to the plaines . to be able to spake many languages , as the voluble french , the courtly italian , the lofty spanish , the lusty dutch , the powerfull latine , the scientifique and happily compounding greek , the most spacious slavonique , the mysticall hebrew with all her dialects : all this is but vanity and superficiall knowledge , unlesse the inward man be bettered hereby ; unlesse by seeing and perusing the volume of the great world , one l●arne to know the little , which is himselfe , unles o●e learne to governe and check the passions , our domestique enemies , then which nothing can conduce more to gentlenes of mind , to elegancy of manners , and solid wisdome . but principally , unlesse by surveying and admiring his works abroad , one improve himself in the knowledge of his creator , prae quo quisquiliae caetera ; in comparison whereof the best of sublunary blessings are but bables , and this indeed , this vnum necessarium , should be the center to which travell should tend . moreover , one should evertuate himselfe to bring something home , that may accrue to the publique benefit and ad vantage of his countrey , and not to draw water to his own mill only ; for of those three that the orator saith , challenge a share in our nativity , our countrey is the first , and our selfs last . therefore he should pry into the policy and municipall lawes of other states and cities , and be able to render an accompt of their government , and by collation thereof with that of his own , examine well whether any wholesome constitution or custome may be applyable to the frame of his owne countrey . it is recorded in an ancicient greek author , that the famous ptolomey , he who conversed and travelled so much amongst heavenly bodies , culled out a select number of his pregnantest young nobles , and gentlemen to go to greece , italy , carthage and other region● , and the prime instruction they had in charge , was , to observe 〈◊〉 government , as they travelled along , & bring back 〈◊〉 of the wholesomest lawes out of every countrey . being returned , they related that in the roman republique , a most singular veneration was had of the temples , a punctuall obed●ence to governors , and unavoydable punishments inflicted upon malefactors . in carthage , the senat commanded , the nobles executed , and the people obeyed . in athens the rich were not suffered to be extortioners , the poore idle , nor the magistrates ignorant . in rhodes old men were venerable , young men modest , and women solitary and silent . in thebes the nobles did fight , the plebeians labour , and philosophers teach . in sicily iustice was entirely administred , commerce was honestly exercised , and all enjoyed equall priviledges and interest in the state . among the sicionians there were admitted neither physitians to hinder the operations of nature ; nor strangers , to introduce innovations ; nor lawyers , to multiply contentions . these men it seemes di● not go out to see feathers fly in the ayre , or reeds shaken with the wind , they did not go to get complements or cringes , or cariage of bodies , or new modes of cloathing , or to tip the tongue with a little language only , but they searchd into the solidest and usefullest part of humane wisdome , which is policy ; and doubtlesse , that rare wise king made excellent use of their observations , and rewarded them accordingly : and one of the happiest advantages to a monarchy is , to have a discerning and bountifull king when occasion requires , for subjects are accordingly active or idle , as they find their prince able to judge of their merit and endeavours , and so emp●oy them ; for in the common-wealth of letters , and speculative orbe of vertue , the benigne aspect and iufluence of the prince , is as apollo was to the muses , it gives a kind of comfortable heate , and illumination , whereby they are cherished and made vigorous . the most materiall use therefore of forraine travel is to find out something that may bee applyable to the publique utility of one's own countrey , as a noble personage of late yeares did , who observing the uniforme and ●regular way of stone structure up and down italy , hath introduced that forme of building to london and westminster , and else where , which though d●stastfull at first , as all innovations are , for they seeme like bug-beares , or gorgons heads , to the vulgar ; yet they find now the commodity , firmenesse , and beauty therof , the three maine principles of architecture . another seeing their dikes , and draynings in the netherlands , hath been a cause that much hath beene added , to lengthen the skirts of this island . another in imitation of their aqueducts and sluces , and cōveyance of waters abroad , brought ware-water through london streets : and it had been wished so great and renowned a city had not forgot him so soon , considering what infinite advantages redounds to her thereby ; for in other countreys i have seene statues erected to persons in the most eminentest places ( to eternize their memories by way of gratitude ) for inventions of farre lesser consequence to the encouragement of others , for it is an old rule of state , and will be in date to the worlds end , that honor nourisheth arts , and is the golden sp●rre of vertue and industry . sect. xvii . amongst many other fruits of forraine travell , besides the delightfull ideas , and a thousand various thoughts and selfe contentments and selfe contentments and inward solaces , it raiseth in the memory of things past , this is one : that when one hath seene the tally and taillage of france , the milstone of spaine , the assise of holland , the gabels of italy , where one cannot bring an egge , or roote to the market , but the prince his part lyes therinna : when he hath felt the excesse of heat , the dangerous serains , the poverty of soyle in many places , the homelinesse and incommodity of lodging , the course cloathing of the best sort of peasants , their wooden shooes , and straw hats , their canvas breeches , and buckram petticoates , their meager fare , feeding commonly upon grasse , hearbs , and roots , and drinking water , neere the condition of brute animals , who find the cloth always ready layed , & the buttry open : when hee hath observed what a hard shift some make to hewe out a dwelling in the holes of the rocks ; others to dig one under the sea ; when he feeles , how in some climes the heaven is as brasse , in others as a dropping sponge ; in others as a great bellowes , most part of the yeare ; how the earth , in many places is ever and anone sick of a fit of the palsie ; when hee sees the same sun which only cherisheth and gently warmes his countrey men , halfe parboyle and tanne other people , and those rayes which scorch the adusted soyles of calabria and spaine , only varnish and guild the green hony-suckled plaines and hillocks of england ; when he hath observed what hard shifts some make to rub out in this world in divers countreys , what speed nature makes to finish her cours in them ; how their best sort of women after forty , are presently superannuated , and looke like another charing-crosse , or carackes that have passed the line in three voyages to the indies : when hee hath observed all this , at his returne home , hee will blesse god , and love england better ever after , both for the equality of the temper in the clime , where there is no where the like , take all the seasons of the yeare together , ( though some would wish she might bee pushed a little nearer the sun : ) for the free condition of the subject , and equall participation of the wealth of the land , for the unparallelled accommodation of lodging , and security of travell , for the admirable hospitality , for the variety and plenty of all sorts of firme food , for attendance and cleanlinesse , for the rare fertility of shoare and sea , of ayre , earth , and water , for the longevity , well favourednesse and innated honesty of the people : and above all ; for the moderation and decency in celebrating the true service of god , being farre from superstition one way , and from prophanesse the other way , ( though ( with a quaking heart , i speake it ) there have been strange insolencies committed of late ) i say , when hee hath well observed all this , he will sing , as once i did to a noble friend of mine from denmarque , in this sapphique : dulcior fumus patriae , forensi flāmula , vino , praeit unda , terrae herba britānae , mage trāsmarino flore süavis . sect. xviii . having thus tasted of so many waters , and beene salted in the world abroad , and being safely restored to the bosome of his owne countrey , his next cours should bee , to settle himselfe awhile in one of the innes of court , ( which hee may do and yet bee a courtier besides ) to understand something of the common lawes of england , which are the inheritance of every subject , as also of the constitutions and orders of the house of parlament , the most indifferent , most wholesome , and noblest way of government in the world , both in respect of king and people : it being the greatest glory of a king , to be king of a free and well-crested people , and the greatest glory of a people to bee under a crown so embellished with flowers , and sparckling with such ancient and sacred gemmes of royall prerogatives : yet to bee under no law but of their owne making , to bee the setters of the great dyall of the common-wealth themselves . to bee subject to no ordinance , to no contribution or taxe , but what is granted in that great epidemicall counsell , wherein every one from the peere to the plebeian hath an inclusive vote . and if every degree high and low , both in towne and countrey is there represented by their subsistutes ; it were a hard measure ( under correction , i humbly speake it ) if the levites , the best of all professions , who besides the holinesse of their function ( as having charge of the nobler halfe of man , of that which should guide and regulate the understanding in making of all lawes , i meane the conscience ) do make a considerable part of the people of the kingdome , should be thence excluded ; for though it be inconsistent with their calling to have hands to execute , yet they may well have heads to consult in that great nationall senat : it were a hard case , i say , if those great lights , which were used to shine with that brightnesse to the envy ( not the reproach or scandall of any that i know of ) of all other reformed churches , should be now put in wooden candlesticks : that those promotions , endowments , and honors , which our well disposed progenitors provided , to nourish the arts , and serve as spurres to learning and zeale , should now be cut off , as if they served only for stirrops to pride . there being no professions , but have certaine steps of rising up , and degrees of promotion for their encouragement to make men aemulari meliora . and he who hath spent the vigor of his yeares and intellectuals in the lords vineyard , it may well become him ( having served , as it were , his yeare of iubile ) to have his gray haires dignified with some honor and authority , with reward and rest in his old age , and by his long experience and paines to see that other painefull labourers be put into the vine-yard , yet to have his hand often on the plough himselfe . if there bee a theefe in the candle , ( as wee use to say commonly ) there is a way to pull it out ; and not to put out the candle , by clapping an extinguisher presently upon it ; if these lights grow dim , there is a trienniall snuffer for them : if these trees beare not good fruit , or shoot forth any luxuriant boughs , they are sure to feele the pruning iron once every three yeares . in the name of god , let these lights be brought to move within the circumference of their own orbes , and be kept from irregular and eccentrique motions , and i am confident it will render them lesse obnoxious to envy and scandall , and draw upon them a greater opinion of reverence . there is a castle in the grand caire in aegypt , called the nilescope , where there stands a pillar with certaine markes to observe the height of the river of nile , at her annuall inundation ( which fals out precisely about the summer solstice ) if the streame come to bee higher or lower than such markes , it portends dearth , but if at highest floud it rest about the middle , it is an infallible presage of a plentifull yeare : so we may say of these great streames that are appointed to water the lords field , they must not swell too high , nor must they run in too low a channell : and as humility is the fairest gemme that can shine in a prelats miter , so the greatest badge of a well devoted soule , is to reverence the dispensers of the sacred oracles of god , the ghostly fathers , and governors of the church , ( which in analogy to the triumphant in heaven , hath also her degrees of hierarchy . ) for besides revenue there is a veneration , due to this holy function , and it were no hard matter to produce a gran iury of examples both humane and divine , that where this reverence fayled , it hath been a symptome , and an infallible presage of a declining state , or some approaching judgement . but i hope i shall never live to see the day that the noble english nation , who have been so renowned all the world over , and cryed up for their exemplary piety , as well as prowesse , will undervalue themselves so farre , and grow distrustfull or conscious of their owne judgements , their owne wonted worth , and ability so far , as to thinke those nations ( who have not meanes to make the church shine with that lustre ) to be wiser than they , or to out go them in zeale , as to receive laws for the conscience , and forme of serving god from those , who have been far behind them , both in the first reception of christianity and the reformation thereof — proh pudor — i will not say , by what i heard muttered abroad , it will be accounted a nationall diminution , but if it should fo fall out , it is no hard matter to be a prophet , yea , by what hath passed already , to take a plaine prospect of those anarchicall confusions , and fearefull calamities , which will inevitably ensue both in church and state ; unlesse with the pious care which is already taken to hinder the great beast to breake into the vineyard ; there be also a speedy cours taken to fence her from other vermine , and lesser animals ( the belluam multorum capitum ) which begin to brouze her leaves , to throw down her hedges , and so lay her open to wast , spoyle and scorne : vnlesse there bee a cours taken , i say , to suppresse those petty sectaries , which swarme so in every corner , with that connivence ( to the amazement of all the world , and disparagement of so well a policed kingdome ) who by their capricious and various kind of gingling fancies in serving god , do their best to bring in the opinion of the pagan philosopher ( themistius ) delivered once to valens the emperor , that as god almighty had infused into his handmaid nature , a diversity of operations , and that the beauty of the universe consisted in a proportion of so many differing things , so he was delighted to see himselfe served by various and sundry kinds of worship and invocations . in all humblenesse , ( and with submission of censure ) i desire to be dispensed withall for this excursion out of my first intended subject , but i hope the digression will prove no transgression , in regard the quality of the matter is such , that every one hath a share and interest in it , and should be sensible , when that liturgy and church is vilified , wherein he hath received his birth and baptism , and by whose compasse hee steeres his cours to heaven : when the windows come down ( and the chief pillars threatned ) the house must needs be in danger of falling , and he is worthy to be called a niding , one , the pulse of whose soule beates but faintly towards heaven , as having taken but weake impressions of the image of his maker , who will not run and reach his hand to beare up his temple . sec. xix . in the inns of court , where i left my returned traveller , hee will be acquainted with westminster-hall , with the courses of pleading in the courts of iudicature , by which knowledge , he may learne how to preserve his own , for , for want of some experience herein , many have mightily suffered in their estates , and made themselves a prey to their sollicitors and agents : nor indeed is he capable to beare any rule or office in town or countrey , who is utterly unacquainted with iohn an okes , and iohn a stiles , and with their termes . having beene thus settled awhile at home , if businesse and the quality of his life will permit , hee may make one flying journey over againe , and in one summer review all those countreys , which hee had beene forty months a seeing before : and as the second thoughts are held the wisest , so a second survey is more exact , and of a more retentive vertue , and amongst other benefits , it will infinitely improve one in his language . noah's dove brought the branch of olive in her bill , at her second journey ; from the latter end of mars , to the beginning of october , one may leasurely traverse france , crosse the pyreneys , the mediterranean , and the alpes , and so returne either through germany or through france againe , and thence come home through the netherlands : but being ( bis redux ) returned the second time , let him thinke no more of forrain iourneys , unlesse it be by command , and upon publique service . now to find entertainement for his houres of leasure at home , hee may amongst other studies , if his inclination leads him that way , apply himselfe to the most materiall and usefull parts of the mathematiques , as the art of navigation and fortification . the study of the mathematiques is abstruse , and therfore they require a ripe and well-seasoned judgement , they have this property , to make a dull capacity acute , and an acute capacity dull , if he fals unto thē too soon : which makes us to be censured abroad in the method of our studies in england , to make green wits not yet halfe coddled as it were , to fall too early to such profound notiōs in our universities , as putting childrē to stād too soon upon their leggs . for conclusion , in this variety of studies & divertismēts , i will give him this caution , that he fall not into the hands of the alchymist , for though there be a world of rare conclusions , and delightfull experiments ( most usefull and proper for physitians ) to be found in chymistry which makes many to bee so inchanted therewith ( that being got once in , they have not power to get out againe ) yet i never knew any yet , who made the benefit countervaile the charge ; but i have knowne many melt themselves to nothing ( like icarus wings melted , when he attempted the art of flying ) and while they labour so with the sweat of their brows to blow the cole , and bring gold over the helm , they commonly make● shipwrack of their own fortunes . et bona dilapidant omnia pro lapide . and the reason well may be , that 't is doubted , whether such undertakings , bee pleasing to god almighty or no , for though art be nature's ape , and is found to perfect her in some things : yet , it may well bee termed a kind of presumption in man ( by fetching downe the planets and damning them as criminals to certaine mettals ) to attempt the transmutation of one species into another , as it were against the first ordinance of the creator , and the primitive intent of nature , whose hand-maid shee is , in the production of all elementary bodies : therefore to be led into a kind of fooles paradis , and a conceipt of the philosophers-stone , and to spend much money in chymistry , hee shall never have the advise of ▪ iames howell . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- * palatinat . b carolus magnus . c carol . a discours of the empire, and of the election of a king of the romans, the greatest busines of christendom now in agitation as also of the colledg of electors, their particular interests, and who is most likely to be the next emperour / by j.h. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a discours of the empire, and of the election of a king of the romans, the greatest busines of christendom now in agitation as also of the colledg of electors, their particular interests, and who is most likely to be the next emperour / by j.h. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by f.l. for charles webb ..., london : . written by james howell. cf. bm. "senesco, non segnesco" printed between author's initials. includes index. reproduction of original in cambridge university library. eng electors (kurfürsten) -- early works to . holy roman empire -- kings and rulers. holy roman empire -- history -- - . germany -- history -- - . rome (italy) -- history -- - . a r (wing h ). civilwar no a discours of the empire, and of the election of a king of the romans, the greatest busines of christendom now in agitation. as also of the howell, james b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ben griffin sampled and proofread - ben griffin text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a discours of the empire , and of the election of a king of the romans , the greatest busines of christendom now in agitation . as also of the colledg of electors , their particular interests , and who is most likely to be the next emperovr . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . j. senesco , non segnesco . h. london , printed by f. l. for charles webb , at the bores-head in s. pauls church-yard . the summ and substance of the ensuing discours as it is divided to seven sections . the proeme , shewing the motives that induc'd the author to undertake this task . the first section , treats of the first rise of the roman empire , and of the sundry rotations , or retrogradations of goverment that hapned in rome , &c. the second section , treats of the septemvirat , or the electors of the roman empire , their primitive constitution , and power ; with their precedence , and offices , &c. the third section , treats of the stile , and title of emperour , or caesar , and of the king of the romans , &c. the fourth section , treats of the diet , or imperial parlement , and the members therof , with the division of germany , and the strength of the empire , &c. the fift section , consists of a parralel 'twixt the empire pass'd , and the present , with the causes first and last of the declination therof , &c. the sixt section , treats of the enlargement of the colledg of electors , from seven , to an octum virat ; and of the contest that 's now 'twixt the count palatin of the rhin , and the duke of bavaria , touching the vicarship of the empire , &c. the seventh section , consists of som reflexes made upon the present conjuncture of things , and the political condition of germany , with a conjecture who is likely to be king of the romans , and consequently the next emperour , &c. a corollary . pauca in multa diffundere est opus ingenii , multa in pauca digerere est opus artis . a discours of the empire , in a letter sent lately to a noble personage . my lord , the election of a king of the romans , and consequently of a western emperour , being now the gran busines in agitation , and wheron the eyes not only of all christendom , but of other princes ( as well turk as tartar ) are more earnestly fix'd than at other times , because of so long a vacancy , and a kind of demurr ; as also for the opposition that france , with all her confederatts , are like to make for secluding , and putting by the house of austria ( especially the young king of hungary ) wherin the german empire hath continued above two hundred and odde yeers . and wheras that after som loose extemperall communications lately upon this subject , your lordshipp desir'd much to be inform'd of the present estate and interests of germany , together with the power and primitive constitution of the septemvirat , or the colledg of electors , with other reflexes upon that point ; being returned home , i fell a rummaging my old papers , and such remarques that i gathered when i was employ'd in some parts of the empire , and to comply with your lordshipps desires ( which shall alwaies be as binding to me as decrees ) i have digested into this short ensuing discours , consisting of seven sections . the first section . treating of the first rise of the roman empire , and the sundry rotations , or retrogradations of goverments that hapned in rome , &c. now for a cleerer illustration of things , and a more regular proceeding , it is not amiss to fetch in matters from their fundamental ( for the furthest way about is somtimes the neerest way home specially in the reserches of truth . ) and to do this , we must go to rome , a city that hath had as many strange traverses of fortune , and turns of goverment , as any other upon earth , having bin eight several times ravish'd and ransack'd by sundry warlike nations . first by brennus the bold britain , then by alaric the goth , afterwards by ge●sericus the vandale , then twice by to●ila the hun , after him by the moores and saracens , then by three christian emperours , viz. by henry the fourth , otho the third , and charles the fift when his general the duke of bourbon breath'd his last in scaling her walls , ( and she was lately like to receive an ill-favour'd shock by the duke of parma ) yet she never fell sans recource as they say , or was ever layed so flat upon her back , but she recovered herself , and rays'd up her crest again , whence it may be inferr'd , that an extraordinary providence , and tutelar genius doth attend that citty ; 't is tru that the translating of the imperial court by constantine , to bizantium ( which he christned afterwards with his own name ) was fatal to rome , when the glory of the tyber and tyrrhene sea pass'd over to the hellespont , yet a spiritual head preserv'd her still in some lustre , in so much that when the pope came to be her master , she might have bin sayed to have bin reduc'd to her first principles , and to have pass'd from one shepheard to another , viz. from romulus , to sylvester ; but ther were a world of vicissitudes and revolutions of goverments interven'd , and pass'd between ; her primitive , and original way of ruling was by kings , but , after a hundred and forty yeers continuance , she surfetted upon that , which surfett may be sayed to have proceeded from the peeples wantones rather than from tarquins lust ; then , she was govern'd a while by consulls , so call'd a consulends carrying a memento of their duty is their names ; then followed the decemvirs who were put down for the same vice that destroyed the kings after that , the supremacy was delated to two tribunes ; then it revolv'd to consulls , then to tribunes again , b●● more than two , which lasted a good tract of time above seventy yeers , then came consuls in again the third time , after that dictators , untill caius iulius caesars time who was the first perpetuall dictator , and a little after the first emperour , though it cost him dear , for he might be sayed to have cimented the foundation of the roman empire with his own bloud being murther'd in the senat by small contemptible tools , yet it remain'd in his progeny to six descents , viz. to domitius nero . thus after so many rotations or retrogradations of goverments , and a kind of cushion dance of several kind of rulers , the imperial was established at last , and the successive emperours were us'd to be chosen by the senat , and then saluted by the army ; but afterwards the legionary soldiers & pretorian bands made emperours sub hasta in the field , and galba was the first who was chosen so , and that with the consent of the senat ; now , it was the most unpolitique act that ever the roman senat committed , which prov'd so fatal to so many of the following emperours who held not their security as much as their lifes from the soldiers , which took them away at plesure ; for after that the election pass'd from the senat to the sword , ther were above thirty emperours that were put to violent deaths , and som of them very tragical , fower murthered themselfs , many also of those that were adopted caesars , and design'd to succeed in the empire were untimely made away , being rays'd to that pitch that they might perish the sooner , as an author sayes . but to go more punctually to work we will muster up here most of those emperours that came to immature and violent deaths ; iulius caesar was assassinated in the senat. octavius the first augustus ( called so ab augendo imperium , from enlarging the territories of the empire ) was made away by his wife livia ; tiberius by macro ; caligula by cassius chereas ; claudius poyson'd by his wife agrippina ; nero and otho slew themselfs ; galba and vitellius were done away by the soldiers ; domitian by stephanus ; commodus by letus , and electus ; pertinax and iulianus by the praetorian bands ; caracalla by macrinus command ; macrinus , heliogabalus , alexander , maximinus , maximus , and balbinns by the soldiers ; hostilianus by gallus and aemilianus , and they by the legions ; valerianus died in parthia ; florianus waas ccessary to his own death ; aurelianus murther'd by his own meniall servants ; gallienus , quintillus , tacitus and probus by the militia , &c. now , that which heighned the spirits of the soldiery to such infolences , was the largesses , and encrease of salary , that the praetorian bands us'd to receave from the new emperour , which pernicious kind of bounty was begun first by claudius caesar , and is now practised by the turk : for evry new sultan useth to enhance the pay of the spahies , and ianizaries to so many aspers more for fear of mutinieng , which in time may be the bane of the ottoman empire , for such hath bin the presumption allready of the sayed ianizaries of late yeers that they have murther'd two of their emperours in lesse than five and twenty yeers . but in the roman empire the military bands came to such an exorbitancy of power , that somtimes they did prostitute , and put the empire to sale by publique outcry , as we read how sulpitianus offerd twenty sestertiums ( which are neer upon eight pounds sterling apeece ) to evry soldier , but iulianus rays'd the market higher , and out-bad him ; but constantine the great ( the first christian emperour and a britain born ) found out the policy to regulat , & lessen the praetorian bands , till at last he quite casheerd them , at least reduc'd them to such a nomber that they could do no hurt . the removal of the imperial court to constantinople , though it prov'd advantagious to the bishop of rome , who had the citty transferr'd unto him by way of a pious donation from constantine about his departure from italy to the levant , as the church annals affirm , though some by way of drollery , and derogation to the pope do say , that he hath the same right to rome , as venice hath to the dominion of the adriatique gulph , and that they are both inserted in one patent , though that patent cannot be found upon any record ; i say though this removall was an advantage to the bishop of rome , yet it prov'd very prejudiciall to italy in general , and to all the western parts of the empire , for many rough-hewn northern nations , that desir'd to come neerer the sun , took the advantage hereby to rush in , not only to italy , and harasse her so often , but like so many fwarms of locusts they cover'd other countreys , ( and some fear'd the like of the late swedish army , had they prosper'd in poland ) the huuns took such firm footing that they gave the name to hungary ; the longobards to insubria , and the territoties about milan ; the goths and vandales piercing the very heart of france overcame spain , and denominated andaluzia , insomuch that the present king of spain doth acknowledg himself to be de la sangre de los godos , to descend from the goths , wherby som wold inferr that he is a german not only by extraction from the house of austria , but also from the gothique race , who were a branch of the teutons , or germans , taking the word in the largest sense ; but more properly may germany challenge the french , and english to be her children , the first comming from the territories of franconia , the other from the lower circle of saxony wherof they bear the names ( saissons ) among the welsh and irish to this day . but to proceed from the main subject , the eastern part of the roman empire bore up many ages after constantine with som lustre in the levant , though the northwest parts suffred many eclipses , being so pittifully dilacerated , and torn by the fury of forein nations ; now the chiefest cause therof may be ascrib'd to the remotenes of the emperours person at constantinople , who by reason of so incommunicable a distance could not reach a timely hand to assist them with auxiliaries ; but about the yeer eight hundred a new kind of auspicious star appeer'd in the west , which was charlemain , whom the germans do claym to be their compatriot , though they go a great way back and fetch him from pharamond , or the first race of the kings who invaded gallia , and by way of conquest call'd it france . charlemain was the gran-child of charles martell , who being maire of the palace , or chief steward and surintendent of the kings court gott his son pepin to be crown'd king of france over the head of chilperic his liege lord and master , martel giving out that he did not follow the ambition of his heart , but the inspirations of heaven in this act ; so the scotts stories tell us that the family of the stewards came to be kings of scotland by taking their surnames from their office , for as charles martell was in france , so the first of them was steward of the kings court in scotland . pepin though a little man did great exploits , for he cross'd the alpes , and recover'd lombardy where a race of goths had bin kings above yeers , and at his return to france conferr'd the exarcbatship , or vicegerency of italy upon the bishop of rome . charlemain his son did higher achievments , for he clammer'd ore the pyreneans and debell'd the saracens in spain , discomfited the saxons , and confirm'd the conquest of italy , so that he was solemnly saluted emperour of the west at rome by the general voice , and wonderfull acclamations of the peeple , and so confirm'd by the popes benediction ( leo the th . on christmas day . nicehporus in constantinople storm'd extremely at first ther shold be another emperour besides himself , alledging that he was the sole roman emperour , and accordingly us'd to send his exarques , or viceroyes to govern italy , but not knowing how to remedy it , he complied at last with charlemagne who then kept his court in germany , where he died , and was buried at aquisgrave , leaving ludovicus his son to succeed him , who partitioning the empire afterwards twixt his three sonns did wonderfully enervat and enfeeble it , as a great river cutt out into many armes , and sluces must needs grow weaker and shallower in her first bed . now , though charlemain was an extraordinary heroique , and a magnanimous gallant man as his actions tell us , yet his children for fower descents together did strangely degenerat , and prov'd but poor spirited men , his son lewis was call'd the gentle for his soft nature , charles the bald was of a baser alloy than hee , lewis the stuttring inferior to both , charles the grosse the last emperour and king of france died a most disastrous death ; after him the empire was soly devolv'd to the germans ; charlemain and his dependants enjoy'd it yeers , then it came to the house of saxony who held it yeers , the house of suevia , other families ( wherof the house of the count palatine of the rhin , and of nassaw were somtimes ) held the empire yeers , untill it came to the house of austria , who have held it longer than any one family ever did . now , ther is a remarquable tradition how the house of austria came to that comble of greatnes , which they report thus , rodulph earl of habspurg returning homeward fromhunting one day overtook a priest that had the eucharist under his habit , comming from visiting a sick body , the earl finding he was tyr'd alighted , and help'd the priest a horsback , and holding the bridle in his hand wayted upon him as a lacquay till he came to the church , and replac'd the host upon the altar , the priest sang an extraordinary masse ( where the earl devoutly attended all the while ) and pronouncing the benediction at the end , he cross'd the earl , saying that for so signal , and a sweet act of piety , his house shold be one of the greatest , and most glorious families that ever was upon earth , which prov'd tru , for a while after not only the german empire , but the east , and west indies , with all the dominions of spain , wherof some are the tother side of the world , came to that family . and now , my lord , i will proceed to the septemvirat , or colledg of electors ( wherof i promis'd an account in the beginning ) whose creture the emperour may be sayed to be , for t is their breath that makes him . the second section , touching the septemvirat , or electors of the roman emperour , their primitive constitution , and power with their precedence , and offices , &c. for two hundred yeers after charlemain , who was the restaurator of the occidental parts of the roman monarchy ( which had bin so pittifully shatter'd by the irruption of sundry barbarous peeple , as was sayed before ) and therfore meritoriously stil'd , the first emperour of the west , i say for a long time ther was no certain or regular way of election , and the customs was that the emperour regnant us'd to nominate , & recommend his son , or neerest kinsman to the german princes , but in the yeerabout after the incarnation , rome began to rayse up her crest , and brussle , by re-demanding and challenging the election of the emperour , alledging , 't was a prerogative of hers de jure antiquo ; the raking up of the ashes of this old right , was like to kindle a great fyre on both side of the hills , for the italian princes stuck to her in the claym ; but otho the third a prudent prince found a way to prevent it , by procuring a cosen of his to be created pope by the name of gregory the fift , who being a german born , was so favorable and indulgent of his own countrey , that he confirm'd the choosing of the vvestern emperour to the german nation , but the romans , with some italian princes stomaching heerat , they depos'd gregory , and chose the bishop of placentia pope in his place , by the title of iohn the ninth : otho took this in so great indignation , that he suddenly rays'd an imperial army , clammer'd or'e the alpes , and made his way by the point of the sword towards rome , which open'd her gates unto him without much difficulty , so he seaz'd upon the person of the new pope , disoculated that counterfait light of the church by plucking out his eyes , and replac'd gregory the fift his cousin in saint peters chair with triumph . otho being victoriously return'd to germany , convoqu'd the chiefest princes , and propos'd unto them the multiplicity of inconveniences , encumbrance , and causes of confusion , that the incertain , and unestablish'd way of choosing an emperour , and his immediat successor , was subject unto , therfore he desir'd them to consider of a more regular way of election ; so after many mature deliberations , and bandings of opinions they fell upon settling a septemvirat , viz. seven princes , in whom a plenary power shold be invested , to elect an emperour , and his next successor ; herupon the colledg of electors was founded , and constituted , but they must be all within the german pale ; addresses were made to the pope about this business , who not only approv'd herof , but was ready to confirm the act , provided that three of the sayed electors were ecclesiastiques ; so the western empire was made purely elective , giving encouragements therby for princes of vertue and merit to aspire . herupon the archbishop of mentz , the archbishop of collen , and the archbishop of tryers were chosen for the three spiritual , and for the secular the palsgrave of the rhin , the duke of saxony , the marquis of brandenburg , and in case their suffrages were equal , the duke of bohemia ( made about yeers after king ) was chosen to have a session among them , and whom he nam'd of those two that they had elected , shold be emperour , so that the bohemian might be call'd rather an umpire than an elector in these transactions . this great act was solemnly voted , and enroll'd in the imperial chamber , and som hundred of yeers after 't was ratified and fortified by the famous aurea bulla , the golden bull , who regulated matters more punctually touching the offices , the precedencies , and other particulars reflecting upon the sayed electors . the archbishop of mentz was made high-chancellor of germany , he of colen high-chancellor of italy , and he of tryers high-chancellor of france ; the duke of saxony was made sacri imperii archi-marascallus , lord high marshall of the sacred empire ; the count palatin of the rhin sacri imperii archidapifer , lord high sewer of the sacred empire ; the marquis of brandenburg was made sacri imperii archicamerarius , lord high chamberlain of the sacred empire ; the duke ( now king of bohemia ) was made sacri imperii archipincerna , lord chief buttler of the sacred empire , all which offices are contracted in this tetrastique . moguntinensis , trierensis , coloniensis , quilibet imperii fit cancellarius horum ; et palatinus dapifer , dux portitor ensis , marchio praepofitus camerae , pincerna bohemus . thus in english , mentz , colen , tryers , let these three each of them an arch-chancellor bee , duke , bear the sword ; count , the first dish take up ; marquis look to the chamber , boheme the cup . so the secular electors are compos'd of a king , a duke , a marquis , and a count . upon an occasion of a new choise , these with the ecclesiastiques were to be summon'd by the archbishop of mentz , to assemble within three months time , and to be garded by the countrey as they passed along , but their retinue was not to exceed two hundred horse , wherof ther shold be but fifty armed . being conven'd , the ecclesiastical electors were to put their hands only on their breasts , the secular princes solemnly upon the book , to choose a fit imperial head for christendome , and they were to do this within the compass of thirty daies , and not to go out of frankford , or the place where they mett in the interim , & iury-like to have no other nutriment but bread and water after the expiration of the sayed thirty dayes . the choice being made by the assembly of electors , the new emperour , according to the tenure of the golden bull the grand charter of the empire ( so call'd because 't was confirm'd by the pope ) is saluted by the title of king of the romans , and not emperour till he be crown'd with three crowns , viz. with the golden crown representing rome , with a sylver crown representing germany , and with an iron crown representing lombardy , which ceremony useth to be perform'd at aquisgrave for all the three places , but he is not to be call'd augustus till confirm'd by the pope . at the first day of the emperours inauguration , the foresayed electors were to give their personal attendance in the emperours court , but now they are dispens'd withall to do it by proxy . before the palace gate ther us'd to stand a heap of oats to the breast of a horse , then comes the duke of saxony mounted , having in his hand a sylver wand , and a sylver measure stood by , which was to weigh two hundred marks , he fills the measure , sticking his wand afterwards in the remainder , and so goes to attend the emperour ; the three arch-bishopps say grace ; the marquis of brandenburg comes also on hors-back with a sylver bason of water , of the value of twelve marks , and a clean towell which , being alighted , he holds to the emperour ; then comes the count palatin of the rhin a hors-back also , and being alighted he carries fower dishes of meat , ev'ry dish of the value of three marks ; then the king of bohemia comes with a napkin on his arm , with a cover'd cupp of twelve marks which he presents . touching the precedence of the electors among themselfs one may judg of it by the maner of their session with the emperour , when he sitts in majesty , which is thus . the arch-bishop of tryers high chancellor of france sitts over against the emperour ; the arch-bishop of moguntia or mentz , as high chancelor of germany sitts on the right hand of the emperour ; the arch-bishop of collen on the left hand ; the king of bohemia hath his seat on the right hand of the arch-bishop of mentz , and next him the count palatin of the rhin ; the duke of saxony fitts on the left hand of the arch-bishop of collen , and by him the marquis of brandenburgh . moreover when they us'd to go in procession with the emperour 't was ordain'd in the golden bull that the arch-bishop of tryers shold go before his imperial majesty , and neer him on both sides one of the ecclesiastical electors ; the king of bohemia was to go alone after the arch-bishops , and after him the elector of saxony with the naked sword of the empire in his hand , having on his right hand the count palatin of the rhin , carrieng the golden apple which denotes the world to be under the roman empire ; and on the left hand of the duke of saxony , the marquess of brandenburgh was to march with a scepter in his hand , then followed the emperour himself . by what hath bin spoken the discern reader may judg who had the priority of place , the count palatin of the rhin or the duke of saxony , a contest that hath gravell'd many . the third section , touching the stile & title of emperour or caesar , and of the king of the romans , &c. concerning the character , and title of emperour , it is of a younger date than that of king , and among the romans it was in the beginning given to him who was commander in chief of the militia , nor was it neer of such a transcendency then as now it is , he was at firstbut tutoyè he was but thou'd when he was spoken unto , but afterwards in regard he had the prerogative to conferr honors , and offices , to grant pardons , and patents of grace , with other obliging motives , the courtiers , especially the churchmen began to magnifie , or rather deifie him with sublime attributs , as we read in symmachus in his epistles to theodosius , and valentinian , wherin his stile unto them is vestra aeternitas , vestrum numen , vestra perennitas , vestra clementia , &c. then he began to be call'd divus imperator ; but touching the title of majestas , which was given ab augendo imperium ( as was touch'd before , ) or as some wold have it a majori statu , it is an attribut of no great antiquity , for it is not found among the old authors , and it came not till henry the seconds time to france who is not us'd to be backward in assuming , and applyengtitle of greatnes to her self . but concerning the dignity of emperour , as heretofore , so is he still accounted the prime potentat and prince paramount among christians , and not only among them , but the turk , next himself accounts the german emperour the greatest monark upon earth , and esteems him accordingly , which appeer'd in the person of david vngnadius , who being not an age since ambassador in constantinople for the christian emperour , and coming for audience to the duana in the seraglio , the perfian ambassador had come before , and got the chair , but vngnadius offering to go away ther was an upper chair put for him . another time upon the celebration of mahomet the thirds circumcision which lasted forty daies & nights , ther being then in constantinople the legats of the greatest monarks upon earth , yet hee who was ambassador at that time for the emperour rodulphus the second had alwayes the first place . some civilians exalt the emperour with divers transcendent titles , wherof one is , dominus totius terrae , the lord of the whole earth ; that caesar is proximus deo ; caesar is next to god almighty ; but though the emperour be accounted the sole supereminent prince in christendom yet ther have bin other kings who assum'd that title besides him ; som of the kings of spain have bin call'd imperatores hesperiae ; king edgar whowas row'd upon the river of dee by fower kings , wherof the scot was one , had this title , which appears upon good record by this bouncing character . ego edgarus altitonantis dei largiflua clementia anglorum basileus omniumque regum insularúmque , oceanique britanniam circumjacentis , cunctarúmque nationum quae infra eam includuntur imperator , et dominus , he was call'd also albionis imperator . i edgar by the bountifull clemency of the highthundring god , king of the english , emperour , and lord of all the kings , islands , and seas circumjacent to britain , and of all the nations included therin , he was stil'd in another place emperour of albion . moreover the realms of england was declared an empire by act of parlement octavo henrici octavi and in divers other acts the crown of england is call'd the imperiall crown , and the city of london the imperiall chamber . now touching the respects that other christian kings owe the emperour , they acknowledge no other but that of precedence only , though henry the second of england in his letter ( which stands upon record ) to frederique barbarossa , and richard the first in his to henry the . emperour , seem to acknowledg a kind of subordination by way of complement ; but edward the third of england wold not kisse the emperour lewis of bavaria's feet at their enterview in colen , and the reason he alledg'd , was , because he was rex inunctus habens vitam & membrum in potestate sua , &c. because he was an anointed king having life and limb in his power , &c. which edward , as the german annals attest , ab electoribus fuit vocatus , et nominatus vicarius imperii , he was call'd , and nominated vicar of the empire , and as some have it , was offer'd to be emperrour , in regard of his acquests , and glorious exploits in france , whence he brought the three flower de luces upon his sword , after the french had sent him that geering answer that la couronne de france n'est pas liee a la quenoville , that the crown of france was not tied to a distaff . add herunto that the emperour cannot be call'd so pure , and independent a monark as some other kings , for besides that he is but tenant for life and govern'd by diets which are imperial parlements , the electors may be sayed to be his associats , and to have a share in the goverment ; nay , the emperour by the ancient customs of the empire may be brought to answer in causis pro quibus impetitus fuerit , sayeth the bull , before the count palatin of the rhin , but he can passe no iudgement unlesse the emperour himself be present in imperiali curia . ther want no examples that some emperours have bin depos'd for their mal-administration , an instance shall be made in wenceslaus in the yeer . who was formally degraded by the archbishop of mentz upon a publique theater in the plaines of brubach neer the river of rhin by a judicial sentence , which i thought worthy the inserting here . vvee iehn archbishop of moguntia , prince elector and archchancellor of the german nation , in the name of other princes electors , dukes , landgraves , counts , and other lords , barons , and potentats of the empire , in regard of divers dommageable interests , and for the special importance of all the empire , we do depose , and deprive by common consent , and mature deliberation , wincestaus as negligent , unprofitable , and unworthy of the roman empire ; we degrade him of all the dignities and of all the honors which were due to him from the empire , and we publish him in the presence of all the princes , barons , and potentats of the empire for a prophane person , and unworthy of such an honor , and dignity ; enjoyning evry one of what quality or condition soever he bee , not to yeeld him obedience as emperour , prohibiting evry one to payhim any kind of tribut , fief , or forfeiture , either by right or by covenant , or any office appertaining to the empire , nay , we will that those perquisits be reserv'd untill god doth give us the grace to elect an emperour , that may be for the benefit of the whole empire , and the christian common-weale . and it is well known how often he hath bin admonish'd by the princes electors both in publique and privat , and particularly by ev'ry one of our order that he wold leave his unworthy deportments , and carry himself as his dignity requir'd . concerning the king of the romans , it is but a modern title , peculiar to him who is declar'd heir apparent , or the design'd successor of the empire ; but at first , he who was so chosen was called caesar , and it was the emperour adrian who first cal'd aeliusverus by that title , insomuch that the family of iulius caesar being extinct in the person of domitius nero who was the sixt in descent ( as afore was told ) the name caesar ceas'd to be us'd as the name of a family or blood , but it was us'd as a name meer honorary , and precedent to the empire ; afterwards the design'd successor to the empire was call'd despote , after that he was call'd king of italy , then king of germany , and lastly king of the romans , romischer konig in high dutch , and the emperour himself was only call'd caesar keyser in dutch , wch appellation continueth to this day ; and it was charles the who introduc'd the title of king of the romans , who since is acknowleg'd the immediat , and unquestionable apparent heir and to succeed in the empire , whether it be by resignation , by deprivation , or death , being in proximo fastigio collocatus to the emperour ; nay som civilians hold that the king of the romans may make edicts without the regnant emperour , being bound only as they say , majestatem imperialem comiter observare , making him hereby to owe a duty of reverence , but not of superiority to the keysar or emperour . the section . touching the diet or imperial parlement , and the members therof , with the division of germany , and the strength of the emperour . the german empire is divided to ten circles , viz. austria the high , and low , franconia , bavaria , saxonia , westphalia , the lower circle of saxony , burgundy , the two palatinatts ; the goverment wherof is principally in the emperour , contractedly in the electors , and diffusively in the diet or imperiall parlement , and other courts , wherof the chamber of spire is the supreme , whence ther is no appeal . in the diets , after the emperour , the princes electors are the prime state , among whom the prelats have still the priority ; the second state is compos'd of four arch-bishops , viz. he of magdenkurg ( who is primat of all germany ) he of salzburg , he of besanson , and the arch-bishop of breme , which archbishoprick the kings of denmark have had a long time ; then ther are one and thirty bishops , and eleven abbats , wherof he of fulda is the chief , having above fourscore thousand rich dollers in annuall revenue ; then come the secular princes of the empire , wherof the arch-dukes of austria are first , and they are divided into two branches , viz. of germany and burgundy . the third estate is compos'd of imperial towns which are about sixty five in nomber , som wherof hold soly from the emperour ( which are accounted the most noble , ) and some are relevant from other princes . ther is another sort of towns call'd the hansiatique towns , twixt whom ther is a strong confederacy , and fraternal league in merchantile affairs : they are divided into fower classes , or metropolitan cities , to wit lubeck , colen , brunswick , and danzick , who have a solemn yeerly convention at lubeck where they keep their records . the hans or hansiatique association is of long antiquity ; touching the word , some wold fetch it from hand , because they of the society plight their faith when they enter into the fraternity ; others derive it from the word hansa , which is counsell or advice in the gothique toung ; others wold have it from hander see which signifieth a place neer the sea , and this passeth for the most current etymologie , in regard that all their townes are so situated , or upon som navigable river leading to the sea . the extent of the old hans was from the nerve in liefland , as far as the banks of the rhin , comprehending about townes of trassique , whereof the fower great towns afore nam'd were the several precincts ; the kings of poland , and sweden have sued to be their protector , but they refus'd them , because they were not princes of the empire ; they put off the king of denmarque also with a complement , nor wold they admit of the king of spain when he was most powerfull in the netherlands , though afterwards they desir'd his help when 't was too late ; they refus'd also the duke of anjou , notwithstanding that the world thought at that time he shold have married queen elizabeth of england , who appeer'd for him in this busines , wherby 't was probable , they might have recover'd their old priviledges in england ; so that i do not find that they had any other protector ( unles of late yeers ) but the great master of prussia , and their want of a protector did do them some prejudice in that famous difference they had with queen elizabeth ; the old hans had extraordinary immunities conceded unto them by our henry the third , because they assisted him in his warrs with so many ships , and , as they pretended , the king was not only to pay them for the service of the sayed ships , but for the vessels themselfs in case they miscarried ; now , it fortun'd , that upon their return to germany from serving henry the third ; a great part of their fleet was cast away by distresse of weather , for which according to covenant they demanded reparation ; our king in lieu of money gave them some immunities , and among other acts of grace , they were to pay but one per cent custom , which continued till queen maries time , and by the advice of king philip her husband she enhanc'd the one to twenty percent ; the hans not only complain'd , but clammor'd allowd for breach of their ancient privileges confirm'd unto them by long prescription from thirteen successive kings of england , which they pretended to have pourchas'd with their money ; king philip undertook to accommodat the busines , but queen mary dieng , a ltttle after ( out of a conceit of the lesse of calais , which she sayed upon her death-bed should be found engraven in her heart if she were open'd ) and he retiring hence , there could be nothing done ; complaints being made afterwards to queen elizabeth , she answered , that , as she wold not innovat any thing , so she would protect them still in the immunities , and condition she found them . hereupon their navigation , and traffic was suspended awhile , which prov'd very advantagious to the english , for they tryed what they could do themselfs herein , and after som adventures they thrive so well that they took the whole trade into their own hands , and so divided themselfs to staplers , and merchant adventurers , the one residing constant in one place , the other stirring , and adventuring to divers towns abroad with cloth , and other manufactures ; this so netled the hans , that they devis'd all the wayes they could to draw upon them the ill opinion of other nations ; moreover the hans towns being a body incorporated in the german empire , complain'd to the emperour , who sent over ambassadors to mediat the busines , but they return'd still re infectâ ; herupon the queen caus'd a proclamation to be publish'd , that the merchants of the hans shold be intreated , and us'd as all other strangers within her dominions in point of comerce , without any mark of distinction . this nettled them the more , therupon they bent their forces more eagerly , and in an imperial diet at ratisbon they procur'd that the english merchants who had associated themselfs in corporations both in embden , and other places , shold be adjudg'd monopolists ; whereupon ther was a comitial edict procur'd against them that they shold be exterminated , and banish'd out of all parts of the empire , which was done by the activity of suderman a great civilian ; ther was there at that time for queen elizabeth mr. gilpin , as nimble a man as suderman , and he had the chancellor of embden to countenance and second him , but they could not stop the edict wherby the society of english merchants adventurers were pronounc'd a monopoly ; yet gilpin played his cards so well that he wrought under hand that the sayed imperial ban shold not be publish'd till after the dissolution of the diet , and that in the interim his imperial majesty shold send an ambassador to england to advertise the queen of such proceedings against her merchants ; but this made so little impression on the queen , that the sayed ban grew to be rather ridiculous than formidable ; for the town of embden harbour'd our merchants notwithstanding , and afterwards the town of stode ; but they , being not so able to protect them against the imperial ban removed , and settled themselfs in hamburgh ; after this the queen commanded another proclamation to be publish'd , that the hansiatique merchants shold be allowd to trade into england upon the same conditions and payments as their own subjects did , provided that the english merchants might have the same privileges , to reside , and trade peaceably in stode or hamburgh , or anywhere else within the precincts of the hans ; this incens'd them more , therupon endeavours were made to cut off stode , and hamburgh from being members of the hans , or of the empire , but they suspended this dessein till they saw what successe the great spanish armada shold have which was then preparing in the year , for they had not long before made their addresse to the king of spain which had done them som good offices ; wherfore to this day king philip and his councell were tax'd of a great oversight , that ther was no use made of the hans towns in that great expedition against england . queen elizabeth finding that they of the hans were not contented with that equality she had offer'd to make twixt them , and her own subjects , put out a proclamation that they shold transport neither corn , victuals , arms , timber , masts , cables , metals , and any other materials , or men to spain , or portugal ; and after , the queen growing more redoubted , and famous by the overthrow of the fleet in , the hans began to despair of doing any good ; add herunto that another disafter befell them , which was the taking of sayles of their shipps about the mouth of the river of lisbon by the queens shipps , that went laden with ropas de contrabando , or goods prohibited by her former proclamations into the dominions of spain ; and as these shipps were ready to be discharged , she had intelligence of an extraordinary assembly at lubeck , which had purposely mett to consult of means to be reveng'd of her , therupon she made absolute prize of the sayed shipps , only two were freed to bring home tydings what became of the rest ; herupon the pole sent a ranting ambassador in the behalf of the hans , who spake in a high tone , but the queen herself did suddenly answer him in a higher . these premisses being well considered , it prov'd an advantagious thing for england that this clash fell out betwixt her and the hans , for ever since the english merchants have beaten a peacefull and an un-interrupted trade into high and low germany , with their manufactures of wool , the golden fleece of england , and found also a way through the white sea to archangell , and mosco , which may be sayed to have been the chiefground of that encrease of shipping , mariners , and merchandising which she is come unto . now , ther is one passage in this relation observable , that the hans-towns , do not tie themselfs to obey the bans , and edicts of the imperial diet no further than it conduceth to their own interest , as it appeer'd by the examples of embden , stode and hamburgh , in the traverses of this busines , which towns stuck stil to the english factories , notwithstanding the publique transactions & prohibitions of the diet to the contrary , aeneas sylvius hath a memorable critical saying of the german diets when he sayeth omnes germanorum dietas esse valde faecundas , et quamlibet in ventre habere alteram , ac credible est quia faemineum sit nomen libenter impregnari , pietas est parturire . all the german diets are fruitfull , in regard ev'ry one hath another commonly in its belly , and 't is credible because diet is of the faeminine gender she is more willing to be got with child ; wherunto alluded also the saying of ( charles the fift , viz. that the german diets were like vipers , for as these destroy their damms , so the latter decrees of diets destroy the former . i have dwelt longer upon this particular , than my propos'd brevity requir'd , but the hans being that part of the empire with whom england hath most correspondence in point of negotiation and comerce , i suffred my self to be transported till my pen came to a full period . the fift section . a parallel twixt the empire passd , and the present , with the causes of the declination therof , &c. though by the tru rule of proportion , no parallel canbe made 'twixt the roman empire pass'd , and the present , no more than 'twixt an eagle and a wren , yet because comparisons and examples conduce much to the elucidation of things , somthing shall be said to that point . the roman monarchy when she was at the highest altitude of greatnes , and glory , may be sayed to have had no horizon , while she sate upon her seven hills she may be sayed to have overlook'd the world ; she was once fifty miles in circuit , and five hundred thousant free citizens were computed to be within her walls , by that famous cense which was made that vopiscus relates ; the roman eagle fix'd his talons upon the banks of euphrates eastward , on the nile south , on the danube and the rhin northward , and flew west as farr as the british and german seas ; her annual revenues were then computed at a hundred and fifty millions , wherof the salary of her legionary soldiers amounted to above twenty milions ; some of her generals usually brought ten thousand talents into her aerarium , her exchequer , at their return from abroad , and gabinius twenty thousand ; som of her emperours are recorded to have strew'd the amphitheater with gold sand in their publique spectacles , & triumphs , so she might well have taken then the vowels for her symbole a , e , i , o , v , which signified , aquila , electa , iustè , omnia , vincit . but she may be sayed to have shrunk since from a giantess to a dwarf , insomuch that he who hath the empire now may be sayed to have an eagles feather only in his capp , for he must have somthing of his own to support the sacred caesarian majesty , els he may be put to live upon alms ; take all the tributes of the free towns , they come but to five thousand crowns a yeer , but for any tru fundum , or real estate ther 's none ; he depends meerly upon the plesure of the diet for all publique pecuniary erogations , and taxes ; and wheras we read that charles the fift had once ninety thousand foot , and thirty five thousand effectif horse against solyman , and above that nomber against the lutherans , most of those were leavied in his own dominions , and patrimonial territories , insomuch that if the roman eagles were not imp'd with austrian feathers they wold be as bald as a coot . yet germany or almain , as the knowing statists have delivered their opinions , is a continent of that large expansion , and so well peepled , that take the whole bulk together she is able to rayse two hundred thousand effectif men , and maintain them by a general unanimous contribution . now , my lord , if you desire to know the reason of this so great an alteration and decay of the roman empire , ther were many causes concurr'd therunto , the main cause was touch'd before , viz. the translation of caesars court from rome to constantinople , wherby italy , and the rest of the western parts of the empire were left obvious and as a prey to other nations ; add herunto the dismembring of the empire into east and west , with other accidents pointed at before . but for the declination of the occidental empire founded by charlemain , ther was a greater concurrence of caufes ; first the unhappy partition that lewis the gentle charlemains son , made of the empire to find a-pannage and portions for his sons , wherof he had three ; adde herunto , that when the empire came to be within the german pale , and italy became but a province to germany , being to be dispos'd of by the colledg of electors , they who aspir'd to be emperours , or to have their sons to succeed them us'd to prepossesse , and oblige the electors by donatifs , and indeed no lesse than bribes , as charles the fourth to make his son vvenceslaus capable to succeed him , offer'd them a hundred thousand florins apeece , as aeneas sylvius hath it , but having no ready money to satisfy them , he transferr'd , and pass'd over som imperial townes unto them , wherof the count palatin of the rhin had three for his share at one time , viz. openheim , inquelien , & keyserlausen . it is recorded in the imperial annals that gerardus archbishop of mentz was call'd pro pola imperii , the hucster of the empire , and having conspir'd with others of his complices against albert the first , and design'd to elect another emperour , the sayed gerardus having a hunting horn about him , and being a potent popular man , he winded out these words in hoc cornu complures gesto caesares , in this horn i carry many keysars , viz. caesars ; the empour taking this in indignation , by the speciall benediction of heaven , he was quit with him , and his confederats afterwards , by making them carry doggs about the countrey so many miles , which is acccounted in germany the disgracefullest and most opproprious kind of punishment that can be inflicted upon a nobleman , or gentleman , wheras a boore or plebean is condemn'd according to the quality of his offence to carry only a chair from one county to another ; such a peculiar punishment ther was of old in france , for wheras ther was a law call'd la loy de la chevelure that none shold wear long hair but the nobles , he who had committed any degenerous offence was adjudg'd to have his hair cutt off before the tribunal of iustice , and so was degraded from being a gentleman , his honor going away with his hair , and so made a roturier or yeoman : the story tells us that the emperour frederique barbarossa made hermannus count palatin of the rhin , and ten counts more to carry doggs above one german mile , for the praedations , and ill balancing of dollars , with other insolences they had committed while he was in italy warring with the pope , against whom we read he had twelve pitched battails . such another clash the emperour conradus had with guelphus duke of bavaria , who bore up a good while against him , at last the emperour , recruting his army with italian auxiliaries , shut up the duke in vvinsberga , and beleagred him so close that he was ready to famish ; and the emperour having bin provok'd so farr that he had vow'd to put all to fyre and sword , the duchesse being a comely couragious lady went through the throng of the army into the emperours tent , and made such a flexanimous speech which so melted the emperour , that he publish'd a proclamation , that for her sake all the women of vvinsberga shold have safe conduct to depart and carry away upon their backs as much of their most precious wealth that they could bear . herupon the dutchesse took the duke upon her back , and evry wife by her example her husband , mayds and unmarried women took up their brothers , and kindred , and so all marched out ; the emperour being much taken with this witty peece of humanity , publish'd a generall act of amnestia , and so the duke was redintegrated into his favor . this memorable story i couch'd once into verse , being a task impos'd upon me , and the epigram runns thus . tempore quo bavarum superârat roma guëlghum , seria festivo res fuit acta joco ; conradus victor vvinsbergam oblesserat vrbem , hinc fame , deditio facta , premente , fuit ; matribus at miserans bavaris , sponsaeque guelphi , induperator iis tale diploma dedit ; quaelibet ut mulier tuto cum rebus abiret quas humeris posset sustinuisse suis . cum reliquis comitissa novo diplomate nixa inde viros portant , pondera grata , suos . pendebant collo nati nataeque lacertis sic abiit licita faemina virque fugâ ; hac delectatus caesar pietate , pepercit omnibus , atque novum cum duce faedus init . but to return where we left , another cause of the empours decay , was , that being often reduc'd to som exigents for want of money , they us'd to have recours to the richest imperial towns for a supply , who us'd to lend them money , and the emperours payed them their money back with immunities ; many towns in italy got their necks out of caesars yoak this way , and som of them very cheap , as florence , for it cost her but six thousand crownes , and luca ten thousand ; &c. in so much that the liberties of most of the free citties of italy , much more of high and low germany , sprung out of the necessities of the emperours , wherby their power as well as their glory did daylie decline ; adde herunto that the bishopps of rome feather'd their nests from time to time with the eagles plumes , specially in italy , for besides the city of rome , and the countreys adjacent , such was the high reverence the church had in those daies that many other territories were given to the apostolical see , and since , by well devoted princes , insomuch that the pope is grown herby to he a great temporal prince , for the state of the church extends above three hundred miles in length , and about two hundred miles in breadth ; it contains the dutchy of ferrara , bologna , romania , the marquisat of ancona , sabina , perugia , with a part of toscany , the patrimony of saint peter , and latium ; in these there are above bishopricks ; he doth signorize also over the dutchy of spoleto and the exarchat of ravenna , he hath the towns of benevento in the kingdom of naples , and the county of venisse in france call'd avignon , he hath title good enough to naples also herself , and calabria , but rather than incurr the diplesure of the king of spain his champion , and chief supporter of his chair , he is contented with an annual heriot of a white mule with a pursfull of pistols about her neck ; he pretends also to be lord paramount of sicily , urbin , parma , and masseran , as also of norway , ireland , and england since king iohn did prostrat our crown at pandulpho his legats feet : his dominions reach from one sea to another , viz. from the tyrrhene to the adriatique , and these territories run through the center of italy , which enables the pope to do good or harm to the princes about him , and makes him capable to be an vmpire , or a potent enemy , his authority being mixt twixt secular and spiritual , for he can use the sword , and thunder-bolt of excommunication at plesure ; and ( to return to our chief subject ) most of the countreys pointed at before being feathers of the eagle did much decrease her strength . moreover , as the roman church did this way impair the power of the empire , so the reformed church , and the difference of religion in germany did much enfeeble it ; for those princes who turn'd lutherans daylie encroach'd upon , and impropriated the demeans of the church , which was a great support to the emperour , being more devoted to him ; than to the secnlar princes . but to go a little more particularly to work , we will not rove in asia and afrique where so many mighty parts of the continent fell from the roman empire , nor will we look so farr back in europe as to speak of the defection of spain , france , and great britain , which was the first province that fell from rome , though indeed rome may he sayed to have fallen first from her , being not able by reason of warrs she had in other countreys , to protect the britains against the picts , as england sayes now in point of religion that she had never fallen away from rome , unlesse rome had fallen from her self ; i say we will not look so fart back , but come to more modern times since the empire came within the german pale ; the suisses were one of the last that revolted , who being summon'd to the imperiall chamber at spire , they sent a rough hewn ambassadors totell the imperial councel in these words , domini confaederati heluetii vos vicinos suos salvere jubent , mirantur verò quod tam crebris citationibus , &c. the lords confaederats of switzerland do greet you their neighbours , but they wonder that by your so frequent citations you wold disquiet them , therfore they pray and exhort you , that you would no further molest them . in charles the fifts time the livonians fell off , and he summoning them to their obedience , and menacing to reduce them otherwise by force , they sent him a geering answer , that they beleev'd his horse wold tyre before he could reach the skirts of liefland , as thuanus hath it . a german author hath it upon record , that since the reign of rodolph the first , above two hundred states and princes have un-membred , and emancipated themselfs from the german emperour , who were us'd to obey his summons , & make their apparance accordingly . touching germany it self , 't is tru , that it is a huge continent , and full of princes , which make som compare her to a firmament spangled with stars ; others compare the emperour to a great luminary incircled with the seven planets , meaning the septemvirat , or the colledg of electors , and not improperly , for this agrees with the caesarean arms , which are sol , saturn arm'd , and crown'd mars , and the eagle displayed with two heads ; yet , though therby the emperour be call'd rex regum , these princes are prejudicial to his greatnes , wherof ibraim ambassador to solyman the great turk gave a hint by an ingenuous fable which was thus ; when maximilian the second was chosen emperour , the foresayed ibraim was then at frankfort , who having bin a spectator to the ceremony , and observ'd what great princes attended the emperour that day , and being told that som of them could rayse an army of them selfs , and maintain it against any power , the ambassador smilingly sayed , that he doubted not of the puissance of germany , but he observ'd that the minds and actions , the counsels and interests of the germans were like a beast with many heads , and tayls , which in case of necessity being to pass through a hedg , and ev'ry head seeking to find a particular hole to pass thorough , they were a hindrance one to another , ev'ry head drawing after his own fancy , and so hazarded the destruction both of all the heads body & tayls : but the empire of solyman his great master was like a beast with many tayls , yet she had but one head , which head being to get thorough or over any passage , without any confusion , or difference of fancy , all the tayls , and the whole body follow'd smoothly after . lastly , the fatallst cause of the decay of caesar was the monstrou ; successes of the mahumetan , whose half moon fill'd out of the wane of the roman empire both east and west , it being a sad saying , that whersoever the turks horse sets once his foot , ther 's no christian grasse will ever grow there again . the sixth section , of enlarging the colledg of electors from seven to an octumvirat , and the contest that is now twixt the count palatin of the rhin , and the duke of bavaria touching the vicarship of the empire . the attempting the crown of bohemia by frederiqne count palatin of the rhin , as it prov'd unsuccessfull unto himself and family , so it prov'd fatal to all christendom besides ( as the preceding comet did foretell an. . ) for directly or collaterally it hath bin the cause of all the warrs that happen'd ever since in christendome , which made king iames , as if he had bin prophet as well as prince to say unto his privy councell , upon the first tydings which were brought him that his son-in-law was gone to prague , my lords , this is a sad busines , and the youngest man amongst us shall not live to see the end of it which prov'd tru . the bohemian crown was first offer'd by the revolters to the duke of saxony , but hee out of a political prudence , as well as out of the fidelity and alleageance he ow'd the emperour , declin'd it ; then they reflected upon the count palatin of the rhin as a prince that might be par negotio , and able to go through-stitch with it , in regard of his powerful alliances , the king of great britain being his father-in-law , the king of denmark his onckle , the states of holland his confederatts , and maurice prince of orenge with the duke of bovillon ( who was call'd the old ardenian fox ) being also his oncles , which last three , incited him first unto that great attempt , though he paus'd a good while upon it , and resolv'd twice to decline it , till his lady seem'd to reproch his pusillanimity , telling him , had you sir , the courage to venture upon a king of great britains sole daughter , and will you not venture upon a crown when 't is offer'd you ? the count palatin then was look'd upon as one of the fortunatst princes in germany , having the best lady in his bed , the best stable of horses , the best library of books , the best cellar of wine of any of the rest . maximilian the old duke of bavaria , stuck close to the emperour in this quartell , for by his assistance and conduct an army of . was routed by lesse then fifteen thousand , and the city of prague with the whole kingdom was recover'd for the emperour ; on the otherside by the arms of the king of spain and the conduct of marquis spinola the palatinat was conquer'd , though the princes of the vnion had an army of forty thousand effectif men under , the marquis of ansback and others to defend it , but 't was sayed that dolus versabatur in generalibus , that the generals were corrupted , and that the acquest was made more by spanish pistolls , than by spinola's sword . herupon at a solemn assembly of the electors at ratisbon anno , the electorship of the rhin , and the archidapifership , with all the prerogatives , and perquisits , the authorities and enfranchisements , and honors annexed therunto was conferr'd upon the duke of bavaria for term of life ; but in another assembly , which was five yeers after at prague , this great grant was not only confirm'd unto him during his own life , but entayl'd upon his heirs to perpetuity , and withall , the upper palatinat was transferr'd unto him , with the county of cham in consideration of his expences in the wars , which amounted to thirteen million of dollars . but in the treaties at munster and osnabrug anno , fower and twenty yeers after , this grant was qualified , that in case the gulihelmian line which is the house of bavaria did fayl without masculine issue , the electorship of the rhin , with the archidapifership and all the prerogatives therof shold revert to the rodulphian line which is the palatin , being the elder house of the two . now , concerning the gulielmian or bavarian line ther are but living , wherof two are churchmen , viz. the archbishop of colen , and the bishop of frizing , which can leave no issue behind ; then is ther the now duke of bavaria and his brother , nor are they also likely to get issue , for as the tradition in germany goes maximilian the former duke of bavaria having maried the last emperours sister who was young , and the duke being old and crazy having issues then about his body , ther were some jesuitts that brought such a prolifical cordial from italy that enabled the old duke to get children , but those children shold be impotent and barren , as it hath hitherto prov'd tru , insomuch the palsgrave is in fair hopes to get the electorship of the rhin again in a short time , and then the eighth electorship must be extinguished . besides , publicae tranquillitatis causa , as the instrumentum pacis hath it , for setling a firm and general everlasting peace in germany which had bin so miserably depopulated and torn by the late wars , which had not only scratch'd her face , but rent her very bowels , for about thirty yeers together , as also for diremption of all strife for the future , the count palatin was created the eighth elector , which is term'd in the instrument by a new coynd epithet or logical term simultanea investitura , a joint or contemporary investiture ; and because ther 's an office annexed to ev'ry electorat , he was made arch-treasurer of the empire , which he executed at the election of the last king of the romans , and the coronation of the empresse at ratisbon , by throwing medaills some of gold , some of sylver among the peeple ; under this notion he hath a session and suffrage in the colledg of electors , but he must be content to sitt last of all ; moreover by the said instrument of accommodation at munster , he was to renounce all right pro tempore not only to the upper palatinat , and the county of cham , but he was to part with the bergstrad ( one of the best parts of the lower palatinat ) and re-deliver it to the archbishop of mentz , who had oppignorated , and pawn'd it to his ancestor anno for a sum of money , but cum pacto perpetuae reluitionis , with a proviso that it might be redeem'd at all times . the emperour ferdinand the third , being not long since dead ther arose a contest , which continues still undecided , 'twixt the elector palatin , and his cosen , and co-elector the duke of bavaria about the vicarship of the roman empire ; and to illustrat this point the better it must be understood that by the fundamental laws of the empire , exemplified in the aurea bulla , it is enacted , that in the absence of the emperour ( who was us'd oft in former times to crosse the alpes to italy ) or after his death during the vacancy or interregnum , ther were two vicars or imperial deputies appointed to manage the affaires of the empire , to witt the count palatin of the rhin , for the jurisdictions of franconia , svevia , and the country about the rhin , and the duke of saxony for those large territories that lay within that circle ; the bavarian alledgeth that this prerogative of vicarship appertain'd unto the count palatin of the rhin ratione electoratus , by vertu of the electorship , & the office of archidapifer or chief sewer of the sacred empire , for which he produceth the golden bull both in the original latin , and also translated into dutch ; hee takes also the great instrument of munster for his buckler , wherin the sayed electorship of the rhin , and the ofice of archsewership with all the prerogatives , perquisits , and appendixes therunto belonging , wherof the vicarship is the chiefest , is totally transferr'd uuto him and his issue male to perpetuity . the count palatin utterly denies that , and positively affirmeth that this office and prerogative of vicariat was conferr'd upon him and practis'd by his progenitors before ever the colledg of electors , and the subsequent aurea bulla was constituted , which bull or magna charta of the german empire was not the donor but confirmer only of that great ancestrial prerogative which inconcussa consuetudine , by an unshaken custom belong'd to his family ; avouching further , that it is an annexum inseparabile comitatus , that it is an heirloome of the county palatin of the rhin , in which county he was formally and plenarily reinvested in the yeer : he excepts likewise against the translation of the sayed aurea bulla into the teutonique , or high dutch , alleadging it is erroneous in many passages ; and lastly concludes that his progenitors enjoyed this prerogative of vicariat , ratione comitatus , not electoratus , as may be inferr'd out of the politicall reason why that office was conferr'd upon his ancestors wch was in regard of the position of their ditions & territories which lye apposit & proper to have the goverment of those countreys of franconia svevia , &c. because they are situated neer , & som of them conterminant with the rhin . this controversy remains still indecided ; in the interim the protestants of those parts make their addresses to the count palatin , and the roman catholiques to the bavarian as their occasions require , either for renewing or letting of leases , the forfeiture of felons goods , the protection of idiots , and lunatiques , &c. the seventh section . some reflexes made upon the present coniuncture of things , and the political condition of germany , with a coniecture who is likely to be king of the romans , and consequently the next emperour . having allready , my lord , in a succinct , but i hope , some satisfactory way treated of the german empire , of the octumvirat , or colledg of electors , with other matters concident , and homogeneous with this subject , i shall now wind up this small bottome , and conclude with some glances upon the present estate of germany , together with the particular interests therof . your lordship hath read before that the office of emperour , in statu quo nunc , is meerly a title , and like a feather in one's capp , whosoever undertakes it must have pillars of his own to support it ; now among the princes of germany , the duke of saxony , next after the house of austria , is thought to be best able to bear the three imperial crowns , and at the late emperours death he began to be much spoken of , but ( as an observing gentleman , who came lately thence , told mee ) all the peeple that are under his subjection did rise up , and with open mouth protested against it , cryeng out that they wold put themselfs under the protection of another prince , if he wold be the keysar ; now , the reason is , that if the elector of saxe were emperour , he must of necessity enhance their tolls and taxes to support the dignity . the duke of bavaria since he hath bin invested in the upper palatinat , and the county of cham , is grown very considerable , and to be able to counterpoise the saxe in power , their yeerly revenues amounting to above a million of rich dollars apeece ; besides , the bavarian sylver mines have wonderfully thriven of late yeers both for the purenes , and quantity of bullion ; and if maximilian the former duke of bavaria could lay out thirteen millions for the service of the emperour , in consideration wherof he had at first a part of the territories of austria hypothequ'd unto him , and afterwards the upper palts and the county of cham transferr'd unto him , together with the electorship of the rhin in full and valuable satisfaction of the said millions , i say if the former duke was so powerfull , it may be well inferr'd that the present duke is much more , by the new acquests he hath made , and so might be capable of the empire , but notwithstanding that the french is sayed to spurr him on , and that the elector of colen be his oncle , yet 't is not probable he will make any competition with his cousin-germin the king of hungary , his peeple like them of saxony being also very averse therunto , though his peeple be in a surer way of subjection and vassalage unto him , than other germans are , ther being no great ones in his dominions to clash with him . touching the marquis of brandenburg , though he be great master of the teutonique order , and hath such spacious and large territories that he can go upon his own demeans above miles from cleve to the furthest parts of prussia , yet is he thought to be inferiorto the other two in revenues , & wealth , therfore the lesse able to bear the weight of the german empire ; adde herunto that of the eight electors , five are still roman catholiques , so that it is improbable , a protestant shold be chosen , for ther are such ceremonies to be perfotm'd that are incompatible with a protestant , besides the pope wold never confirm such an emperour , and without his confirmation no emperour can be call'd augustus . touching the king of denmark though he be capable of the empire being a kind of german , yet the nature of those kings and peeple hath bin rather to preserve what they have than to extend their country further ; moreover the present king is ingag'd in an open war against the swed ; ther is also a late clash 'twixt him , and the town of hamborough about the huldygen , which is an inauguration to be her protector , as his father was : for hamborough was built upon , and stands still upon the king of denmarks ground ; yet she refuseth to huld him , alledging that she bought him out for great summes of money , and so pretends to be now an imperial free town , and to hold soly from the keyser ; wheras others averre that she is meer hansiatique within the verge of lubeck her neighbour , which is the chiefest of the first precinct of the old hans , as was touch'd before . adde herunto that the last king of denmark hath some particular obligations to the house of austria , his great gran-mother having bin charles the fifts sister . besides , when general tilly was like in the eye of human reson with a veteran victorious army to overcom all holsteyn , ferdinand this king of hungaries gran-father made a friendly , and favourable peace with christian the fourth , who had invaded germany with a considerable army , but with little successe , in the behalf of the count palatin of the rhin his nephew . the swed mought have bad fair for the imperial golden apple had he took firmer footing in poland , and succeeded in his notable designs further ; nay , his army being compos'd of soldiers of fortune , might still by new recreuts as they push'd on their hopes , have prov'd in time as formidable , and fatal to the test of christendome as their ancestors the goths and vandales were of old , who pierc'd the very center of europe to find warmer habitations . nor was the swed altogether incapable to have stood for it in regard of those territories which gustavus got , and annexed to the crown of sweden within the pale of the empire , viz. pomerland , and breme ; but the dane entring into a new warr with him , and the marquis of brandenburg deserting him , and having the house of austria , the pole , the moscovit his actual enemies besides , 't is thought his hopes are blasted for enlarging his dominions at this time , but 't is well if he can now secure sweden it self , much more the new acquests aforesaid in germany ; specially his friends ( viz. england and france ) being so remote from him , and his enemies so neer about him . the french king , though i beleeve he be in despair to have it himself , he being exterus & non germanus , a scranger and no german , and ther being a fundamental law that no forrener be emperour , as ther is a sanction in the conclave among the cardinals , that no tramontane , viz. one born this side the alps can be pope , i say , though the king of france looks not for it himself , yet he spends all the interests he hath , and is like to employ all the power he can with all the artificies besides to cajoll , i will not say , corrupt the electors for the secluding of the young king of hungary , and that the empire shold not be alwayes a prostitut to one family . but france they say hath few real friends in germany among the princes ; 't is true the elector of tryers being perpetual arch-chancelor of france , hath always bin , and is still fleurdelizè , he is flowdeliz'd and frenchified all over , and france alwaies sticks to him also upon all occasions ; 't was about him that ther was such a counterbuff 'twixt lewis the thirteenth , and gustaphus adolphus , because he had invaded part of his territories ; 't was for his sake , besides the still growing greatnesse of spain , that this present warr was denounc'd by sound of herald against the house of austria , by the last french king : moreover , 't is tru that the marquis of brandenburg while he lately adher'd to the swed was devoted to france , but since he hath accommodated matters with the pole , he hath chang'd his interest , and is like to enter into the general league they speak of to be made between the princes of the empire for preserving the common peace of germany against all that shall attempt to disturb it ; and besides the electors themselfs , the duke of brunswick , prince of anbalt , luneberg , lawenburg , the landgrave of hesse , darmstad't , baden , newburgh , wittemburgh , though the last , and some of the other smell rank of the french interest , yet to prevent a new warr in germany they are like to enter into the foresayed patrial league , together with all the imperial and hansiatical towns . touching the palsgrave , or prince palatin of the rhin , 't is tru that ther hath bin a great deal of intimacy , and reciprocal leagues twixt his progenitors , and france , but the last emperour and his son the king of the romans oblig'd him ( and his brother prince rupert ) by many recent civilities ; at the treaties of osnabrug , and munster the emperour wold have his busines to be dispatch'd first , and was very indulgent of him all along the while ; the fower hundred thousand dollars which were assign'd himself , and to make portions and apennages for his younger brothers , the twenty thousand dollars that were awarded the lady dowager his mother pro victalitio , and the ten thousand dollars which were assign'd for dowries to evry one of his sisters , were all granted as the words of the instrument run pro benevolo suae majestatis caesareae affectu ergo domum palatinam , for the benevolent affection his imperial majesty bore to the family of the palatin , which summes the emperour punctually payed ; moreover at the coronation of the empresse , and the creation of the last king of the romans , the prince palatin officiated in person , and ther were many endearments pass'd twixt the emperour , and him ; in so much that 't is thought he will be no back frend to his son the now king of hungary when the busines of election comes to be canvas'd . these premisses , & particular interests being well considered , in the eye of all humane probality 't is thought , that the last emperours son leopoldus ignatius , now king of bohemia and hungary , &c. and being one of the electors himself , and chiefest of the temporals , is like to be the man , and make the fourtinth emperour of a direct austrian line ; and they who think thus , ground their conjectures upon divers reasons deduc'd from the present posture of things . first , because the iunta , or assembly of the princes electors is stil deferr'd , and like to be so , till the sayed king of hungary be come to his majority , which by the german law in this point is at eighteen yeers , and this will be in iune next ; then being out of his bassage , or minority , he is capable both to be king of the romans , and to have a suffrage among the electors as he is king of bohemia , and archbuttler of the sacred empire . secondly , because if the king of hungary have the canvas , and be rejected , ther will be an inevitable warr in germany , which she will avoyd if possible she can , having had not only her face scratch'd , but her very entrails rent asunder for so many yeers by a cruentous lingring warr , and the deep wounds she receav'd thence are not yet consolidated in som places . thirdly , because ther is no prince so potent and proper to bear the weight of this great burden than the king of hungary , or to keep out and encounter the common enemy , to witt , the turk , as hee , for he hath not only most of the dominions of austria , but two kingdomes besides situated on the confines , and serving as ramparts against him by land , as the republique of venice doth by sea ; insomuch that both the danger , as well as security of the house of austria is involv'd with the empire it self , and indeed of all europe . now we shall find all these countreys in the title of the last emperour , which runns as followe's . ferdinandus tertius divinâ favente clementia electus romanorum imperator , semper augustus , ac germaniae , hungariae , bohemiae , dalmatiae , croatiae , slavoniae , &c. rex , archidux austriae , dux burgundiae , bragantiae , stiriae , carinthiae , carniolae , &c. marchio moraviae , dux lucemburgiae , ac superioris & inferioris silesiae , wittemburgiae , & teckae , princeps sveviae , comes haspurgi , & gloritiae , langravius alsatiae , marchio sacri imperii romani , burgaviae , ac superioris , et inferioris lusatiae , dominus marchiae slavonicae , portus naonis , & salinarum , &c. in this accumulation of eight and twenty titles ther are but two that he had from the empire , viz. the stile of emperour , and ring of germany , all the rest are appendixes of the house of austria ; and the king of spaiu who is of the elder house hath many more , being great granchild to the emperour charlesle quint , who made a spontaneous resignation of the empire to ferdinand his second brother , though as a privat author hath it , the second day after his resignation , was the first day of his repentance . now , to rayse up the house of austria to this altitude , six of the greatest families of europe concentred in one , viz. austria , burgundy , castile , aragon , hungary , and portugal , so that it may be call'd a palace six stories high , ( though as emperour he hath not a house to hide his head in ) austriacûm domus armipotens sex fulta columnis . fourthly , because the house of austria hath the good wishes of the pope , and of the iesuitts , who underhand do good offices for him , though the pope dare not appeer publiquely in the busines for fear of giving any distaste to france ; for he may be sayed to hold france , and portugal also , as one doth a dog by the ears , fearing they shold run away from him to patriarks of their own making ; nor hath any king in christendom a greater temptation to fall away from rome , in regard the gallican church , by a late computation which was made , hath above three hundred and forty millions of liures in annual revenue , which , shold he renounce the pope , wold devolve most of it to the crown . moreover , this gentleman told me that the electors , with the princes and cities of empire , are more and more sensible to find the king of france shold appeer so much , and as som write , intrude himself into this busines , by sending ambassadors with such gawdy trains , whose rich liureys are like to be worn out before the election day , so that they had needed to have brought a lantern and candle with them comming so long before day , as one made a pasquill of them in frankfort , who with som difficulty did open her gates unto them , it being an ancient constitution of the empire , that none shold be admitted to lodge in the town where the election is to be held , but the princes electors themselfs and their train , which come to nere upon two thousand horse ; but the germans are more sensible and startled , that the french shold draw such forces to their frontires as to metz , philipsburg , and brisack ( for brisack-bridg makes now france and germany one continued piece , ) as if ther wer a design hereby to controul the electors in their choice , and embroyl germany again in a warr ; which puts the young king of hungary to extraordinary expences , of making new levies , insomuch that he will have by the next spring , as they write , an army of thousand effectif men , to confront the french . but indeed it may be wondred ther shold be any ambition at all , of aspiring to the roman german empire in statu quo nunc , it being but an ayrie bare shadowy title , or a skeleton of part of the old roman monarchy , therfore a late german author confesseth , quod nobis est magnum momentum politicum , exteris est magnum deridiculum , that which we make to be of so high political a consequence , seems to forreners to be but a thing of laughter , alluding to that adoe ther is us'd about the election of an emperour , as in venice to creat a doge who in point of power is no other than tecta di legno a head of wood . nor are those who live under the empire tyed to so strict an obedience , ther is not that exact relation , and reciprocation of subjection , and protection 'twixt the emperour and his vassals , as useth to be 'twixt prince and peeple in other places , where the liegeman is bound to submit , and the liegelord is bound to defend ; touching the later , he spoke like a statist , that sayed , defendere subditos est attributum naturale inhaerens visceribus regiminis , est qualitas infixa ossibus , et indivisibilis , ita utregimen , & protectio unum & idem judicatur indivisible . defence of the subject is a natural attribut inhaering in the very bowels of goverment , 't is a quality infix'd in the very bones therof , insomuch that protection and goverment is adjudg'd to be the self same indivisible thing : 't is not so in the imperial government , wher ther is a looser kind of clientele , and protection ; nor is the submission of the liegeman so absolut , for an imperial ban is not so much obey'd there as an edict in france , a prematica in spain , a proclamation in england , or a placart in the netherlands , wher ther is a more punctual obligation 'twixt prince and peeple , the one to obey , the other to defend their persons , and maintain their privileges ; though som do hold , that a country giving her self to a prince , what privileges soever the peeple reserve to themselfs by contract , they are all lost when they enter into subjection , which by its nature makes a man subordinat to another without any exception , whensoever the publique good is concern'd , and that those privileges by the sayed subjection pass into the nature of concessions of princes afterwards , which they may stretch , restrain , or revoke according to the urgency of their publique occasions ; and when ther is a necessity to do so , the peeple are not allow'd to revolt , or right themselfs by violence ; 't is tru , that in all privat particular treaties the unobservation of the conditions , acquitts the parties from the obligations of the contract , but this doth not reach to soverain princes , when the peeple have once chosen them for their advantage , and security . but to return to our chief matter , the princes , and towns of the empire , though they acknowledg the keyser for their soveraign , yet are they not oblig'd in that strictnes of obedience to him , as their own peeple are to them ; these princes may be sayed to be rather his collegues , and associats in governing rather than snbjects ; it being a rule in germany , that quilibet imperii status in suo territorio tantum possit , quantum imperator in toto imperio , ev'ry state of the empire within his own territory , may do as much as the emperour in the whole empire ; they have power of life and death , they may coyn money , send ambassadors abroad , and make confederacies , and leagues with forren princes , with other territorial prerogatives ; but that power of making leagues was restrain'd in the late treaty at osnabrug , for the instrument sayes , ius faciendi faedera liberum esto , ita tamen ne ejusmodi faedera sint contra imperatorem , & imperium , pacemque ejusdem publicam , let it be free to make confaederacies , provided that the sayed confaederacies be not against the emperour , and the empire , with the publique peace therof ; nay further , the princes of the empire have such a latitude of power that they write se regnare dei gratiâ , that they raign by the grace of god ; and that within the verge of the empire the princes electors are not to give precedence to any other forren prince , or potentat whatsoever ; therefore when charles king of scotland , was a few yeers since at frankfort , the count palatin of the rhin sent him word that he desir'd to give his majesty a visit , but by the constitution of the empire he was not to give priority of place there to any , it being an imperial town , but if his majesty wold please to come to any of his own territories he wold then respect his majesty in that point accordingly . the states of the empire have also a territorial authority , to change their religion at plesure , by a late constitution , where 't is sayed , religionis mutatio est sequela territorialis iurisdictonis , ac inhaeret territorio sicut nebula paludi ; the alteration of religion is a sequele of territorial iurisdiction , and is inhaerent in the territory as a clowd in a pond . by what hath bin spoken it appears what a small extent of power the sacred caesarean majesty hath over those that professe obedience to him ; nay , when ther is a king of the romans 't is a question who hath the greater power the emperour or hee ; for the emperour and the king of the romans may be sayed to be like two sunnes in one firmament , the one declining , the other rising , and the later hath more eyes upon it than the former . by those particulars that have bin pointed at in this section , a conjecture may be made , if not a judgment , who stands fairest to be the next emperour ; but they who harbour some doubts of the king of hungary , have one shrewd argument that he may go without it , which is his late encrease and amplitude of power , for he hath not only the large kingdom of bohemia with the great territories annex'd therunto now as hereditary by way of conquest , but ther is an ovverture , if not an offer and privat treaty a foot that the crown of poland will be entayl'd upon him , and his successors for the future ; though this augmentation of power be good for the christian common-wealth in general , because it enableth the emperour to bear up the better againgst the common enemy the turk , yet not only the electors , but some other princes of the empire conceave some jealousie of this enlargement of the imperial power , not without some apprehensions of fear , that if the eagle shold ranew his bill , and have his feathers come home to make his wings full summ'd again , hee might seaze upon , and make a prey of sundry towns , and territories which divers of the sayed princes hold from the empire but by crazy weak titles ; nay it putts a flea in the venetians ear also , who have bin alwayes jealous of the austrian greatnes , in regard of contiguity of territories they both have in dalmatia , croatia , and other places . but it may be well expected that the princes electors will rather look upon the generall good and incolumity of the christian common-wealth , as their oath doth bind them , which is as astringent , and conjuring kind of oath as possibly the witt of man can draw , or devise , for they are not to be transported by any pact , price , promise , or prayer in the election . which oath runns thus . the solemn oath that 's administred to the princes electors , when they meet for choosing a king of the romans , the spiritual having their hands upon their breasts , the secular upon the book all the while . ego r. sacri imperii princeps elector , juro ad sancta dei evangelia , heic praesentialiter coram me posita , quod ego , per fidem qua deo , & sacro romano imperio sum astrictus , secundum omnem discretionem , & intellectum meum , cum dei adjutorio , eligere volo temporale caput populo christiano , id est , regem romanorum in caesarem promovendum , qui ad hoc existat idoneus , in quantum discretio , & sensus mei me dirigunt , & secundum fidem praedictam , vocemque meam , & votum sive electionem praefatam dabo absque omni pacto , stipendio , precio , seu promisso , vel quocunque modo talia valeant appellari , sic me deus adjuvet , & omnes sancti . ir . prince elector of the sacred empire , do swear by the holy gospell of god put here before me , that i by the faith wherin i am bound to god , and the holy roman empire , will choose according to all my discretion & understanding , with the help of god , a temporal head for christian peeple , to wit , a king of the romans to be promoted to be caesar , one that may be idoneous for it , according as my discretion & senses shal direct me ; and according to my foresayed faith i shall give my voice , and vote , or forenamed choice , without any pact , stipend , price , or promise , or by what names soever such things may be call'd ; so help me god , and all his saints . this tremendous oath is pronounc'd in latin , the language of the empire in all negotiations with forein princes ; though the electors be enjoynd by the great charter of the imperial constitutions , viz. the golden bull , to speak the teutonique or high dutch , the italian , and slavonique languages . the corollary . thus have we cast the roman monarchy as it were into the eagles egg again , as 't is recorded that homers iliads were once put into a nuttshell , and as falconers observe the eagle can lessen her self into a lark by her high soaring , so we may say the roman monarchie hath lessn'd her self by her stooping . therefore this small volume is not unsuitable unto herin point of proportion as the case stands with her now , being shrivell'd a large folio to a decimo sexto , and mouldred away from a castle into a cottage , or rather from a mountain to a mole-hill . such is the method of the all-ruling providence with whom the greatest kingdomes are but as kittlepins which he tipps down at pleasure . ludit in humanis divina potentia rebus 't is he who transvolves monarchies , tumbles down empires , and cantonizeth them into petty common-wealths at pleasure , whereunto the pagan philosopher seem'd to allude when being asked what iupiter did in heaven ? he answered magnas ollas rumpit , et ex frustis earum parvulas componit , he breaks great potts , and of their fragments makes little pitchers ; and remarkable it is how symbolizing in point of sence and similitude , the holy psalmist is with the philosopher herein , when he sayeth tanquam vas figuli conteres eos , thou shalt bruise them in peeces ( viz. the potentates of the earth ) like a potters vessel , which shews the brittlenesse , the lubricity , and unfixednesse of all sublunary things as well political as natural , so that to find out a stability , and permanence , we must travel beyond trismegistus circle , and seek it in the other world . to conclude , having thus cast a few glances upon the ro. german empire , i hope , my noble lord , it will suffice to quitt me of that obligation i owe to your commands , which shall be alwayes to me as favours and i look upon your favours as a considerable part of my happines , which makes me delight so much in the character of holborn calendis ianuarii . your most obedient and ever ready servant , jam. howell . infantium cerebri quadragessimus . an index of the principal matters contain'd in this treatise . a the arms of the empire fol. alarick the goth sacks rome . an extraordinary providence watcheth over rome . austrian family enjoy'd the empire more than any that ever was . arch-bishop of mentz prime elector and arch-chancellor of germany . arch-bishop of colen arch-chancellor of italy . arch-bishop of triers chief chancellor of france . arch-bishop of magdenburg primat of all germany . arch-duke of austria chief prince of germany after the electors . a maga animous speech of the lady elizabeth . augustus a title soly given by the pope . the austrian house● six stories high , and how . . b brennus the britain first ransack'd rome . bourbon breathed his last in scaling the walls of rome . bohemian king chief butler of the empire . a ban against the english pronounc'd by the imperial diet , and not obey'd . boores carry chairs , and noble-men doggs for a punishment in germany . brandenburg hath spacious territories . bavaria and the palatin of the same line , this the rodulphian , the other the gulielmian . the bavarian duke grown very potent of late years . brisack bridge makes france and germany one continued peece . c caesars issue enjoy'd the empire for descents . consulary goverment thrice in rome by retrogradation . claudius caesar first began the pernicious way of enhancing the soldiers pay . constantines policy to the soldiers . constantin gives rome to the pope . charlemain the first western emperour . charles martel and his story in brief . charlemains exploits . charlemain proclaim'd emperour in rome upon christmas day . charlemains issue degenerated . the civilians exalt the emperour by high titles . the crown of england called an imperial crown by act of parlement . the crown of france not tyed to a distaff . the comparison of germany to a firmament spangled with stars . count palatin of the rhin arch-treasurer of the empire , and eighth elector . the count palatins interests . d the distance of the roman emperour the cause of the declination in the west . duke of saxony lord high marshal of the empire . duke of brandenburg lord chief chamberlain of the empire . electors how they precede one another . domitius nero the last of the race of iulius caesar . the division of germany . the diets of germany , or imperial parlement . dutchesse of bavaria a couragious lady . duke of bavaria at present impotent of getting children , and the reasons thereof . duke of saxony a potent prince . divers reasons why the young king of bohemia is fittest to be emperour of the king of denmark . e the empire of rome put often to sale by the soldiery . the exorbitances of the roman militia . english and french descended of the germans . the eastern empire . the exarchat of italy given to the pope by king pepin . the empire devolv'd to the germans . electors first constituted . emperours but thou'd at first . the emperours next to god almighty on earth . edgar an emperour , and his high titles . edward the third of england ▪ vicar of the empire , &c. embden a great friend to the english . the english declar'd monopolists in germany . the empire now but a feather in ones cap. the emperours titles . the empire an airy title in statu quo nunc . the electors bound to learn to speak dutch , italian , and the slavonique . f france and portugal like to make patriarks of their own . furthest way about is the nearest way home in the researches of truth . a facetious comparison of the german dietts . a facetious tale of the arch-bishop of mentz . a facetious answer of the lieflanders to charles the fift . the famous siege of winsberga . the title of emperour but an eagles feather in ones cap. g gensericus the vandal sacks rome . galba the first emperour chosen by the soldiers . a geer upon rome and venice . of the goths and vandals . german princes do carry dogs for their punishment . german princes feather themselfs with the eagles plumes . germany able to raise thousand electif men . h hungary took name from the huns . henry the second in france had the first title of majesty . the high power of the king of the romans . hans-towns whence derived . how hamburgh first receiv'd the english staple . a hundred and fifty millions the revenues once of the roman monarchy . how the imperial towns got out of caesars yoak . i iulius caesar cimented the empire with his blood . iulianus bought the empire of the soldiers . imperial towns . immunities payed for monies to the towns of the empire . ibraim the turks ambassador his witty parable . king iames his prophetique saying . k kings continued in rome years . king a more antient title than emperour . kings of spain sometimes called emperours . king of denmark arch-bishop of breme l the late swedish army like to have prov'd such another as that of the goths and vandals of old . lombardy freed of the goths by king pepin . lutherans a great cause of the decay of the empire . the latitude of power which the princes of the empire have . the lubricity of political bodies as well as natural . m the moors and saracens sack rome . the manner of electing an emperour . majesty and other high titles how they began . maximilian duke of bavaria takes prague from the palatin with a lesser army . marq-spinola takes the palatinat . the mahumetan moon fill'd by the wane of the christian empire . of the marquis of brandenburg his interest . n the names of divers of the emperours that were put to violent deaths . a notable saying of charles martel . the names and offices of all the electors . nothing so unlike as the present empire and the old . a notable story of a bavarian dutchess the notable symbolisation of sense 'twixt the psalmist and a pagan philosopher . o one of the cause that may oververthrow the turkish empire . the new ottoman emperour must encrease the ianizaries pay . otho the third the first establisher of the electors . the offers of wenceslaus to the electors to make his son emperour . of the swed . the tremendous oath the electors take . p the present king of spain a goth by descent . pepin a little man , but a great conqueror . pope iohn the ninth , taken prisoner , and his eyes pluck'd out . palatin of the rhin arch-sewer of the roman empire . parallel 'twixt the empire pass'd , and present . palatin of the rhin adjudg'd to carry a dog for his punishment . the pope a great temporal prince . the poor revenues of the empire . q quarrell 'twixt rome and germany for choosing the emperour . quarrel 'twixt queen elizabeth , and the hans-towns . quarrel 'twixt the count palatin and the duke of bavaria touching the vicariat of the empire . quarrel 'twixt the king of denmark , and hamburgh . a thing like a quarrel 'twixt the king of scots and the palsgrave . r the rise of the roman empire . rome eight times ravish'd and ransack'd . the roman emperours held their lifes from the army . the roman monarchy shrunk from a giantess to a dwarf . reasons why the king of hungary is likeliest to be emperour . the revennues of the french church millions of liures and . s the several kinds of goverments in rome . the stewards in scotland , and charles martel of france had the same beginning . the septemvirat or the seven electors . staplers their first rise . the suisse one of the last that fell from the empire , &c. the spaniard the popes champion . the small power of the emperour . a sad saying of the turks . the spaniard comes from the elder house of austria . the several interests of the princes of germany . t totila the hun sacks rome . the translation of the empire to constantinople fatal to rome . thirty emperours put to violent deaths by the army . two turkish emperours kill'd in less than years . a tradition remarkable how the house of austria came to be so great . the turk gives place to the emperors ambassadors above all other . the titles of the heirs apparent to the empire from time to time . the territories of the pope miles in length . the pope pretends to be lord paramount of england by king iohns grant . titles of the house of austria . v the vastnes of the old roman monarchy . the vast circumference of rome in vopiscus time miles compass . a very witty embleme of the turks ambassador touching germany . a very witty devise of the dutchess of bavaria to preserve her husband . the vicarship of the empire challeng'd by the count palatin , and his reasons . a very witty way found by a iesuitt to make the old duke of bavaria get children . the upper palatinat , the county of cham , with the electorship conferr'd upon the bavarian . w the wantones of the peeple more than the tarquins , cause of the expulsion of kings . a weak act of the roman senat. the welsh and irish have no other name for an english man , but saisson or saxon. wenceslaus the emperour , depos'd , and the manner how it was . why england fell from the roman emperour , and from the pope . were not the imperial eagles imp'd with austrian feathers they wold be as bare as a coot . gloria honorque deo saeclorûm in saecula sunto . chronogramma . a survay of the signorie of venice, of her admired policy, and method of government, &c. with a cohortation to all christian princes to resent her dangerous condition at present / by james howell esq. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a survay of the signorie of venice, of her admired policy, and method of government, &c. with a cohortation to all christian princes to resent her dangerous condition at present / by james howell esq. howell, james, ?- . [ ], [i.e. ], - , [ ] p. : ports. (double plates) printed for richard lowndes, london : . at head of title: s.p.q.v. reproduction of original in bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng venice (italy) -- politics and government. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion s. p q. v. a survay of the signorie of venice , of her admired policy , and method of goverment , &c. with a cohortation to all christian princes to resent her dangerous condition at present . by james hovvell esq. london , printed for richard lowndes at the vvhite lion in s. pauls churchyard , neer the west end . m. dc . li. to the supreme authority of the nation , the parlement of england . most noble senators , length of age argues strength of constitution ; and as in naturall bodies , so this rule holds good likewise in politicall : whence it may be inferrd , that the signorie of venice from her infancy was of a strong symmetry , well nursd , and swadled with wholsom lawes , which are no other than the ligaments of a state , or the arteries whereby the bloud is directed and strengthened to run through all the veines in due proportion , though nature allowes som to have a greter quantity than others . to this may be attributed her so long duration , for having bin born a christian , and free from the beginning , she hath continued a pure virgin , and an independent ( but only upon her-self ) neer upon ages ; she hath shind in her vvatry orb among all other republiques upon earth , as the moon doth in the heavens among the rest of the planets , though she hath cop'd with the gretest potentats of the world , and particularly with the huge ottoman emperour her neighbour ; having not only scratchd his face , and oftentimes cut off those tuffs of hair wherin his strength lay for the time , but peeld his beard , and somtimes pluckd him by the mustachos ; she is now in actuall luctation , and hath bin any time these six yeers at handy-gripes with that monstrous giant , who this yeer intends to bend , and bandy all his forces both by land and sea , to ravish and ruin her ; therfore it imports all christian princes to resent her condition , she being both the key , and bulwark of europe that way ; and , with humble leave i speak it , it may well becom england ( now that she is more formidable at sea than ever ) to be sensible of her case , that republic having bin her antient confederat ever since the association of the holy warr , and having , for this last centurie , mingled interests , and run the same cours of state with her ; nor is it a quaere altogether impertinent , but may very well admit of a debate , whether a warr against the turk might not prove more advantagious to england than his wares . moreover , if likenes may beget love , england hath reson to affect venice more than any other , for in point of security ther is much resemblance between them , being both seated in the sea , who is their best protector ; the one preserves her-self by her gallies , the other by her galeons ; the fairest flower of england is the dominion of the narrow seas , the gretest glory of venice is the dominion of the adriatic gulph miles in extent ; venice had the chiefest hand in framing the rhodian lawes for sea cases , by which all the levant parts are guided ; and england was the busiest in constituting the maritim lawes of oleron , whereby the western world is governd . this following survay ( which is like a frame indented with sundry peeces ) will , i beleeve , make the reder both outwardly and inwardly acquainted with this mayden republic , for it shewes her policy and power , her warrs , exploits , and confederacies , her interests of state , together with her advantages and defects , and how farr she hath trodd in the stepps of old rome ; therfore , most humbly under favor , the author deemd it a peece of industry not alltogether unworthy to be presented unto that noble assembly by their daylie orator , howell . the famous hexastic which sannazarius made upon the citty of venice , for which he receavd zecchins for evry verse ( amounting neer to ▪ sterling ) in lieu of reward by decree of the senat. viderat adriacis venetam neptunus in undis stare urbem , & toti ponere jura mari , nunc mihi tarpeias quantumvis , iupiter , arces objice & illa tui maenia martis , ait ; sic pelago tibrim praefers ; urbem aspice utramque , illam homines dices , hanc posuisse deos. when neptun 'mong his billowes venice saw , and to the adrian surges giving law , he sayed , now iove boast of thy capitoll , and mars his walls ; this were for to extoll tiber above the main : both citties face , you 'l say , rome men , venice the gods did trace . a short analysis of the whole peece . a venice looking-glasse , wherin that rare and renowned city and signory is represented in her tru colours , with reflexes , i. upon her constitutions , and government , wherin ther may be divers things usefull for this meridian . ii. of the extent and distance of her dominions . iii. of her interests of state , with the rest of the princes of italie , and others . iv. of her imitation of old rome in most things . v. of her advantages and defects . vi. of her power by sea and land. vii . of her dukes , doges , or souverain princes . in whose lifes is involvd the historicall part which looks upon the greek empire , and turky as well as upon most countreys in europe ; in whose councells , tending either to peace or warr , the republic of venice hath had as great a share as any other christian prince . the author desires to prepossesse the reder with this advertisement , that he would not have adventurd upon this remote out landish subject , had he not bin himself upon the place ; had he not had practicall conversation with the peeple of whom he writes : as little had he presumd upon the life of the last french king ( and richelieu his cardinall ) in the story calld lustra ludovici , unlesse he had bin spectator of most of his actions . and herin the author desires to be distinguishd from those who venture to write of forren affaires , and countreys by an implicit faith only , taking all things upon trust , having themselfs never trodd any part of the continent . upon the citty and signorie of venice . could any state on earth immortall be , venice by her rare goverment is she ; venice great neptunes minion , still a mayd , though by the warrlikst potentats assayd ; yet she retaines her virgin-waters pure , nor any forren mixtures can endure ; though , syren-like on shore and sea , her face enchants all those whom once she doth embrace ; nor is ther any can her bewty prize but he who hath beheld her with his eyes : these following leaves display , if well observd , how she so long her maydenhead preservd , how for sound prudence she still bore the bell ; whence may be drawn this high-fetchd parallel , venus and venice are great queens in their degree , venus is queen of love , venice of policie . i. h. of the republic or signorie of venice . the proeme . were it within the reach of humane brain to prescribe rules for fixing a society and succession of peeple under the same species of goverment as long as the world lasts , the republic of venice were the fittest pattern on earth both for direction and imitation : this maiden city , which denominats the whole common-wealth , had the prerogative to be born a christian , and independent , wherof shee glorieth , and that not undeservedly , above all other states or kingdomes ; it seems some propitious star was predominant at her nativity , and that nature brought her forth with her limms well knit , and apt to grow up to a strong constitution , which is the cause that she is so long liv'd , and hath continued above a thousand hot sommers an intemerat virgin under the same face , and form of goverment ; it is the cause that she looks still fresh and flourishing , without the least furrow of age in her forehead , or any visible symptom of decay , wherunto civill bodies as well as naturall , by those distempers and common accidents which attend time , use to be subject . this beauteous maid hath bin often attempted to be deflowrd , som have courted her , som would have bribd her , and divers wold have forcd her , yet she still preserv'd her chastity entire ; she hath wrestled with the greatest powers upon earth , east , west , north and south , both by land and sea ; the emperour , the kings of france , spain , and hungary , with most of the other princes of christendom in that famous league at cambray , at which time she had a shrewd fit of the green sicknes which threatned a consumption , would have quite sunk her , but she bore up still above water , and broke that league to flitters , though , i must confesse , she was forced then to peece her lion's skin with a foxe's tayl , and to destroy that by wit which she could not doe with her weapon . the eastern emperours have divers times set upon her skirts , the gran turk hath bin often at her , ( and she is now tugging hard with him ) but he could never have his will of her , for though she hath often clos'd with him , yet she came still off with her mayden-head cleer ; she hath had sundry thunder-bolts darted at her from the vatican , yet she kept her self still free from all inward combustions , and all popular tumults both in her church & state , notwithstanding that she expeld from her territories , the greatest supporters of the popes chair , when she gave the iesuits this cold farewell , andate , niente pigliate , & mai retornate , goe your wayes , take nothing , and never return ; as also that she long since made her ecclesiastics incapable to inherit stable possessions , or sit in the senat , in regard they have a dependance and juramentall obligation , in divers things , to another prince , viz. the pope ; therfore before any suffrage passe in the councell , the common cry is , fuora i preti , out presbyters ; this curbing of the clergy hath caus'd divers clashes twixt her and rome ; so that once the pope began to question her right to the dominion of the gulph , and asking her ambassador what warrant she had for it , he answered , if your holines please to produce the instrument wherby the emperour constantine passed over the city of rome to your predecessors , upon the back of that grant your holines will find the venetian charter to the dominion of the adriatic gulph ; another time gregory the . threatning to excommunicat the doge and the senat about a controversie that had arisen touching the bounds of their territories , nicholas pontanus answered , censuram pontificiam esse gladium vagina inclusum , qui temerè distringi non deberet , ne discerent homines contemnere ejusmodi tel●…m , &c. the pontificiall censure , viz. excommunication , is like a sword sheath'd up in a scabbard , which ought not to be rashly drawn out , lest men might learn to slight that kind of weapon . yet these traverses twixt saint peter and saint mark could never shake venice in the main of the roman religion wherin she was born , baptized and bred , but she still reverenc'd the church in her own sphere and function ; and suffers her to enjoy above . millions of yeerly revenue to this day . and indeed 't was one of her primitive principles of policy , at the first erection of her republique , to bear a singular veneration to the church , imitating herein , as in many other particulars , the common-wealth of rome her mother , who rais'd her self a notable repute among other nations , for her extraordinary reverence to the gods. nor are ther many christian princes who deserve better of rome than venice , for she hath often supported the popes chair when it was tottering , nay , being once quite thrust out she riggd her gallies and resettled him in it as will appeer : and of later yeers she resented it extremely when bourbon scal'd the walls of rome ; besides , she wold not admit henry the fourth's ambassador from france to her chappell till his master was reconcil'd to the church of rome . nor did she keep saint peters bark only from sinking , but she spread her sayles , and displayed her banners allso for preserving the eastern emperour ( when christian ) from the furie of the saracens and other barbarous peeple . she had so great a share in the conquest of the holy land , that she had one part of ierusalem allotted her for her quarter ; and had not the state of genoa ( a potent republic in those times ) bin so perverse , and repin'd at the glory of venice her elder sister , venice had bin the glory of europe , and the christians might in all probability have kept footing in palestine to this very day ; for the clashings betwixt these two were the cause that the conquests which the crosse had gott in those eastern parts were of so small continuance . we read how rome became a prostitut to severall nations , and sorts of governments , and one only warr made as it were an end of her quite , but venice , vertu like — repulsae nescia sordidae intaminatis fulget honoribus : i say venice to this day , though all her neighbours round about , farr and nere , have tuggd with her by land and sea , yet like the constellation of virgo among the celestiall bodies , she shines still among the kingdoms on earth like a bright unravish'd virgin : and may do so to the worlds end , if she be still true to her self , as thuanus sayeth , who undertakes to be her prophet in these words , venetiae non nisi cum rerum ●…aturâ , et mundi machinâ periturae . till nature and the univers decline , venice within her watry orb shall shine . som reasons why venice hath lasted so long in the same condition of liberty . now , how this longliv'd republic came to do those notable atchievments abroad , and conserve her self from all popular tumults and revolutions at home so many ages , may be imputed , ( besides the politic frame of her goverment in generall , which shall be treated of hereafter ) to these particular reasons following . . she hath bin allwayes constant to her self , and to her first fundamentalls & principles , for she hath bin allwayes an enemy to change , holding it to be a wholsom caveat that ipsa mutatio consuetudinis magis perturbat novitate quàm adjuvat utilitate , viz. the change of custom useth to perturb a state more by it's noveltie , than advantage it by it's utilitie ; she hath a rule allso that malè positum saepiùs mutatur in pejus , this makes her decrees irrevocable ; as one of her ambassadors answer'd henry the fourth of france when he interceded for the abrogation of a decree of hers , serenissime rex , senatus venetus diu deliberat , antequam decernat , sed quod seriò decrevit revocat nunquam ; most gracious king , the venetian senat doth deliberat a long time before it decrees any thing , but when it is once seriously decreed 'tis never revoked . whereunto he added further , gli decreti di venetia non sono comme ligridi di parigi , the decrees of venice are not like the cryes of paris ( meaning the french edicts ) proclam'd to day , and repeal'd to morrow . to this maturity of deliberation , may be added , the gravity of her senators , and the exact reverence the younger sort bear , not only to the persons , but opinions of their elders ; it is not there as in other places , where young men make lawes for old men to observe , they abhorre that inversion of the law of nature , but gray heads sway , and green heads obey ; so provident they are of the future , when they consult of a busines to day , they think what may befall ▪ yeers after . nor is ther any admitted to their superior councells till he be somwhat stricken in yeers , untill he hath pass'd employments of public trust within her own territories , or embassies abroad . touching this second service they have certain degrees which they observe in the removall of their ambassadors , for commonly one passeth from the cantons of swisserland to be ambassador in holland , thence he is transmitted to england , thence to france , so to spain , and thence either to the emperour or to be ●…ailio of constantinople , where he lives in great height , and is not accountable for his expences as all other ambassadors are , nor ever after employed in any legation . but though she be so constant to her self at home in her primitive constitutions , and intrinsique goverment , yet in her correspondency , leagues and confederacies abroad she often varies , and casts her cours of policy into new moulds , as the fortune of other princes or states do rise or decline ; her principall aym being to keep not only the state of italy , but allso spain and france , which are the two poles whereon europe may be sayed to move , in aequilibrio , to keep them in a counterpoize . . another cause of the longaevity of this republic may be allegd to be , that she hath allwayes bin more inclind to peace than war , and chosen rather to be a spectatrix or umpresse , than a gamestresse , her chief motto being , pax tibi marce ; insomuch that no christian prince or state , except the popedom , hath labourd more by costly legations to reconcile the quarrells of europe , and quench the fyre that issued out of them to the disturbance of the public peace , as allso for preventing the advantages which the common enemy the turk ( one of her next neighbours ) might take therby : which hath bin the cause that for the sagacity of her men , and maturenes of her counsells , she hath bin oftentimes desird to be mediatrix of differences 'twixt the greatest potentates , which she hath don with that addresse and diligence as is admirable , so that thuanus gives her this character , to be civilis prudentiae officina , the shop of civill prudence . . a third reason for the continuance of this republic in such a prosperous condition may be sayed to be the rare temper of her peeple , who with exact obedience and promptitud execut what is enjoynd them by their superiours ; so that it may be sayed of venice what a grave historian speaks of sparta , when he pass'd his judgment of her , sparta diu stetit , non quod rex benè imperabat , sed quia populus benè parebat , sparta lasted so long , not as much that the prince did command well , as that the peeple did obey well . nor , is the venetian of so volatil an humor ; and so greedy of change as other italians , he is not so fickle as the florentine , milaneze , or they of naples , who , as the history relates , hath had eight and twenty revolutions ( with this last ) in lesse then . yeers , in which time the napolitan courser threw off his rider five times . . add herunto that the venetians are mighty good patriotts , and love their country in an intense degree , every gallie that goes in cours thinks she hath venice her self aboard of her ; as if the print of that old roman rule were stil fresh in their hearts , dulce & decorum pro patria mori : and as in this particular , so in many qualities besides , the soul of rome seems to have transmigrated into venice , as shall be shewn herafter . they are equally studious and eager to conserve the glory and greatnes of the republic , for which they have bin ever ready to part with their bloud and fortunes ; there are many examples how the women have bin ready to part with their braceletts , earings and necklaces in time of extremity , nay they have offered their very hair to make ropes for their gallies , &c. but though they continue still such great zelotts to their own country , and goverment thereof , they are not so to the church of late years , as it is observ'd ; and were it not for those confusions that ensued therby in other countreys , and the hatred they shold heap upon themselfs from their neighbours , som think the republic by this time would have drawn her neck from the roman yoak , which made cardinall ossat say , that venice hath now no more devotion to rome than needs . . a fi●…t reason that venice hath continued a mayd so many centuries of yeers , is , her advantagious site and position , being seated in an arm or estuary of the adriatic sea upon an assembly of small ilands to the nomber of above threescore consociated and leagud together by . and odd bridges ; so that sitting thus securely on thetis lapp , she need not fear any invasion by land , or any approaches to her from sea without knowing pilotts : she hath as it were cutt the ocean into so many aqueducts through her streets , as we read cyrus causd the river pindes to be draind into . channels , which he did out of a revenge because she had drownd one of his horses , but venice clean contrary doth this out of affection to neptun , that therby she might embosom her self the more easily between his armes . this rare situation of the city of venice induc'd divers to be of opinion that som superior power to man , that som heavenly intelligence had a hand in founding and tracing her out . . sixtly , this rare perpetuity of the republic of venice may be ascrib'd allso to her tresure , and arsenal , wherof the one is grown to be a proverb for riches , the other for strength , being stord with such huge magazins of both : the first could never be yet exhausted or estimated ; the other can , in case of necessity , put so many gallies to the sea as ther be daies in the yeer , having . persons perpetually at work , with other advantages , as will appeer when we com to describe it , with the tresury , for these are but prolegomena , and generall ideas of things . . seventhly , the counterpoise of rewards and punishments may be sayed to have bin the plummetts which have made the great clock of this commonwealth to go tru so many ages : in this government whosoever is detected to have the least attempt or thought of conspiring any thing against the republic , dies without mercy ; on the other side , whosoever finds out or invents any thing that may tend either to her advantage or honor , shall be as sure of his reward , as the other of punishment . . another reason why venice hath lasted so long at such a constant stand , is her wonderfull sagacity in discovering any privat conspiracy against her self , her cautions to prevent it , and ready means to suppresse it ; for there is allwayes a privat armory ( besides the great arsenall ) wherin ther are choice armes ready for . men , the musketts , and arquibuzes chargd , match ready , and every thing fitted for a present execution in case of a sudden surprize or uprore . this armory is very secretly kept nere the dukes palace , and not to be shown without . gentlemen of the great councell , being reserv'd meerly for the use and safety of the senat , in case they shold be assaulted by any ill-favour'd commotion , or privat outrage while they are consulting about the affaires of the republic : it is closely and curiously kept , and hath many new divises of armes , as steel-bowes which shoot needles or small darts , and hitt unseen , ther be musketts and pistolls that will go off . times together , halbards with pistolls in them one at each end , strange kinds of polaxes , with other sorts of defensive and destructive armes , if occasion should require . besides this means of suppressing all violence , she hath many cautions besides to prevent them : it is death without mercy for any of her senators , officers or gentlemen to receave pensions from any other prince or state ; nor is it permitted that they have any privat conversation with their ambassadors or public agents ; her own ambassadors must not conceal the presents and gifts they receav'd from other princes where they are employ'd , but at their return they must present them to saint mark 's tresury , which hath much multiplied the wealth of it . . another reason of her so constant subsistence may be the sundry restraints she putts to the power of the prince , which are such , that 't is impossible for him to be a tyrant , or able to attempt any thing against her liberty and government ; he may be sayed to be but a collegue to the rest of the senators , diffring from them only in the hinmost part of his capp , which riseth up like a cornet . besides , though maydens commonly love young men , yet she never chooseth any to be her prince or duke till he be stricken in yeers , and season'd with the experience of the world , untill he be half mortified , having shaken hands with those extravagant humors , appetits and passions that attend humane nature . hereunto may be added the limitations she putts to the wealth of the nobles , that none of them grow over rich , but to such a proportion , in regard that it is a quality ever inhaerent and hereditary in the nature of man , that excesse of riches puffs up the mind , and incites it to ambitious and high attempts , nor is there a more catching bayt for one to take vulgar affections , and draw them after him , than wealth : therfore one of her prime principles of state is to keep any man , though having deserv'd never so well by good successe or service , from being too popular ; therfore when forren ambassadors are employed to her , they have it among their privat instructions not to magnifie any of her subjects in particular , for she cannot endure to hear of it , though she can be allways very well contented to hear her self extoll'd , and tickled with complements in the generall . . add herunto , that one of her policies is to exempt her cittizens from going to the warrs , but she hires others in their places , by whose death she sustaineth the lesse losse , for she hath bin allwayes observ'd to be parsimonious of her own bloud : moreover , she entertaines som forren prince for her generall , whom , the warrs being ended , and the game played , she presently discards ; by which cours she avoyds not only superfluous expence , but likewise all matters of faction , and apprehensions of danger , which might well happen if she shold employ any of her own peeple in so high an employment , which might elevat his spiritts to too great an altitud . she hath allso another politic law that permitts not the younger sonnes of the nobility and gentry to marry , lest the nomber encreasing so exceedingly it should diminish the dignity , and her great councell shold be too much pester'd , and this may be one reason why she connives at so many courtisans for the use of the cadett-gentlemen . . eleventhly , the rare secrecie she injoynes in her chiefest councells , may be a reason that no forren prince could come nere her privy parts all this while ; for it is there an irremissible crime , and such a mortall sin that drawes upon it death without mercy , to reveale the privat transactions , and secretts of her councell of state ; in so much that the designes of this close mayd may be sayed to be mysteries till they be put in execution . . lastly , the cause of her continuance may be imputed to another reach of policy she hath , not to admitt churchmen to any of her secular councells ( nor was she ever subject to the authority of women ) and the reason why the clergy is made incapable to sit in the senat is , because ( as it was touch'd before ) they have relation to another goverment , viz. the pontificiall . moreover , she hath had a speciall care of the pulpit ( and presse ) that no churchman from the meanest priest to the patriarch dare tamper in their sermons with temporall and state-affairs , or the transactions and designes os the senat ; it being too well known that churchmen are the most perilous and pernicious instruments in a state , if they misapply their talent , and employ it to poyson the hearts of the peeple , to intoxicat their brains , and suscitat them to sedition , and a mislike of the government ; and now churchmen have more power to do this in regard they have the sway on the noblest part of the rationall creature , over the soul and the intellectualls ; therfore if any intermeddle with matters of state in the pulpitt , they are punish'd in an extraordinary severe manner . yet they bear a very high respect unto the church ( as long as she keeps within her own sphere , and breaks not out into ceccentricall and irregular motions . ) they suffer her to this day to enjoy above . millions of crowns in yeerly revenue , holding it for a maxime , that reverence , riches , decency and splendor are the greatest pillers that support religion . she hath allso two very eminent men , the one a sound divine , the other a learned casuist , that have a pension from the republic , who are allwayes ready in case she have any contestation with rome , to defend and vindicat her by public writing , and to satisfy the world of her proceeding , as paolo servita did . thus have you in part som reasons ( which will be enforced in the following description of her goverment ) how venice came to last so many centuries a pure unspotted virgin , and free not only from all forren ravishments and assaults , but allso from all intestin commotions and tumults . 't is true that som short combustions have happen'd in her , but by her wisedom and providence they prov'd but as fyres of flax or stubble , which no sooner flash'd out but they suddenly extinguish'd of themselfs . and this is the more to be wondred at , because it is observ'd , that as rank excuberant grounds use to be more subject to bear weeds of all sorts , than other soyles , so rich luxurious citties are more expos'd to corrupt superfluous humors , which use to break out into strange distempers , and high feavers . 't is well known that venice hath bin allwayes such a cittie , yet by her extraordinary prudence she hath and doth still preserve her self from such distempers , notwithstanding that she swimms in wealth and wantones as well as she doth in the waters , notwithstanding that she melts in softnes and sensualitie as much as any other whatsoever ; for , 't is too well known , ther is no place where ther is lesse religion from the girdle downward : yet she suffers not those frayl vessels of plesure to mingle with her other daughters in church-communion . but now we will proceed to the originall of her republic , and the frame of her goverment , wherby she hath endur'd so many hundreds of hard winters , and hott sommers . of the originall of the signorie of venice , and of her government . italie hath bin allwayes accounted the eye of europe , the mirrour of policy , and once , mistresse of the world ; although , putting all dimensions together , and taking her length to peece out her latitude , she be scarce as big as england , yet hath she a kingdom . miles long , and . in breadth , ( for naples and calabria are so ) which containes . townes , . archbishopricks , sixcore and seven bishops , . princes , . dukes , . marquises , and . barons : she hath a popedom which extends its territories . miles long , and is situated 'twixt two seas , viz. the adriatic , and tyrrhene seas , and so runs through the midst of her ; which makes the pope to be more proper ct capable to be an umpire or enemy upon any occasion of difference that side the alps ; for besides his navall strength he can put into the field an army of . well arm'd men in case of necessity , being a mixt prince 'twixt spirituall and temporall . she hath allso divers other principalities ; the dutchie of milan is little inferior to the popedom in point of strength ; the gran duke of toscany hath . arm'd men inroll'd , train'd up and in perpetuall pay , with . light horse , and . gendarmes , all which are quarter'd in so narrow a compasse that he can command them all to his court at florence in fower and twenty howers ; the duke of savoy , who is accounted allso one of her princes , is far beyond the florentine in power ; there be allso in her the dukes of parma , of urbin and mantoua , who are soverain princes . besides all these , italie hath three republiques , viz. that of venice , that of genoa , and that of luca , which may be sayed to differ one from the other as the three degrees of comparison , wherof venice is the superlatif ; and indeed she may be term'd so , being compar'd to any republic on earth , take her power by sea and land together . it is well known that kingdomes take their denomination diversly ; som take their names from the whole bulk of earth and countrey it self which they possesse , as the kingdom of spain , the kingdom of denmark , &c. som are denominated ab eminentiori , from the chief metropolis , as rome in times pass'd had the glory to denominat the whole empire , and after her constantinople , and as now morocco names that kingdom , and naples christneth hers , though i must confesse the king of spain now adaies termes not himself king of naples , but utriusque siciliae , of both siciles , and it may be thought he doth this to displease the pope the lesse , who still claymes title to it . thus is it with kingdoms , but touching common-wealths , they for the most part take allways their denomination from the principall cittie , as athens of old , with divers others , and now venice , genoa , &c. but i find that venice takes the state upon her to be nam'd still in the plurall nomber venetiae ; which strain of statelines , doubtles with other things she borrowed from the greeks , who nam'd sundry of their citties only in the plurall , as thebae , athenae , &c. but more of this hereafter : now to her government . of the government , constitution , and frame of the signorie of venice . there is not any thing that discovers the prudence of a peeple more than the manner and method of their government ; government is that great hinge wheron all kingdoms and commonwealths do move : but in this aequorean republic , for she may not improperly be call'd so , in regard she commands , secures , and scowres all the yeer long above . miles of sea , for that is the extent of the adriatic gulph from the cittie of venice , to otranto in calabria , i say government in her may be call'd the r●…dder that steers the great vessell of state ; her constitutions and lawes are the ligaments and cables ; felicity , wealth and glory are the sayls , and the breath of her senators the wind that blowes them : the common good is the pole wherat the needle or lillie of the compas allways points ; religion the main mast which bears the colours of her saint , though the chief pilot or master of this vessell ( the doge ) be of himself but as a head of wood , a testa di legno ( set up in the forecastle of the stern ) without the coadvice of som of the masters mates , wherof there are many , because she wold not be subject to the infirmities and faylings of one , who might haply erre , and be mistaken in the use of the compasse , or transported with irregular passions . now , there is nothing so uncertain and difficult as the art of goverment , hominem homini imperare difficillimum , and those who from apprentices have bin bredd up iourneymen , and masters in this art , and have spent their youth , manhood , and a long time of old age therein , yet when they left the world they profess'd themselfs still but novices therin ; and this may be imputed to those various events and contingencies which attend humane negotiations , together with the discrepant fancies of men , specially of the common multitud , who in lightnes match the winds , and outgoe the waves of the sea in fury oftentimes . ther is a certain way to break , guide , and keep in aw all other animalls , though never so savage and strong ; but there is no such certain way to govern a swarm of men , in regard of such frequent turbulencys of spirit , and variety of opinions proceeding from the rationall faculty , which other cretures , that are contented only with sense are not subject unto : and this may be sayed to be one of the inconveniences that attend reason . but if ever any hath brought humane government and policy to a science which consists of certitudes , the venetian republic is she , who is as dextrous in ruling men as in rowing of a gallie or gondola , otherwise she could never have lasted so long , and kept in such an exact obedience . millions of men , for therabouts by frequent censes that have bin made is the nomber of her subjects . we are going now to describe the method this republic hath allwayes us'd in her goverment , which is the most materiall thing in point of knowledg : for to stand raking the ashes of times pass'd to find out the pedigree of a peeple , countrey or cittie ; or to know their power and wealth , their exploits and extent of territory , affoords only matter of discours ; but to pry into the policy and soul of a state , wheron her goverment and whole incolumity depends , is a knowledg far more advantagious and usefull , for therin ther may be things for imitation : therfore in treating of this republic , i will begin with the most necessary part , viz. the form of her goverment . the venetian goverment is a compounded thing , for it is a mixture of all kinds of goverments , if the division of the philosopher into monarchy , aristocracy and democracy be allowed to be perfect : this goverment may be sayed to have a grain of monarchy , a dose of democracy , and a dramm if not an ounce of optimacy . the duke , doge or prince hath something of a monarch in him , as will further appeer . the senat which consists of . counsellors , of decemvirs whose colledg consists of . senators , and of sages or praeconsultors , which make a nomber of . choice men . the great councell which is composd of a generall convention of cittizens , and this hath much of democracy in it . of the duke or prince of venice . all things to whom the god of nature hath given an entity , prop●…nd to unity ; wherin earth comes to the nearest resemblance with heaven ; for nothing conduceth more to regularity and order , no strength is so operative as the united : therfore the venetian peeple having tryed for som hundred yeers the goverment of consulls , and afterwards of tribunes , they found it an inconvenience , or deformity rather , to have two heads upon one body , and so thought it at last a better policy to sett upp one head : but the miscarriage and exorbitancies of the tribunes were the cause that they fell upon this alteration . whereupon a generall assembly being convokd , wherin the bishop of grada presided , divers speeches were made , that ther was no more hope of the venetian commonwealth and public liberty , which had bin preservd and purchasd by their noble progenitors with such heroic resolution , unlesse the tyranny of the tribunes might be suppressd ; otherwise they might be sayed to have left the firm land , to find out slavery among the waters , &c. many high acrimoniall orations were pronouncd at this convention of that nature ; wherof ther was one more notable than the rest , which is inserted before the legend of paulutio anafesto , the first duke or prince of venice , as will appeer herafter in the historicall part of this work. upon the pronouncing of these speeches , they gave an unanimous shout and suffrage , that a duke or prince should be elected , who might represent the whole honor and majesty of the state , but with such cauteles and reservations that might consist with the public liberty . and this mutation happend , according to the approvedst authors , in the yeer after the incarnation . this duke ever since hath had the prime place in the republic ; he hath a kind of regall , though dependent , power ; he hath the representation and gravity of a soverain governor ; he is allwaies stild , serenissime princeps , and reverence is don to him accordingly ; he goes allwayes cladd in silk and purple , somtimes he shewes himself to the public in a robe of cloth of gold , and a white mantle ; he hath his head coverd with a thinn coyf , and on his forhead upward he weares a crimson kind of mitre with a gold border , and behind , it turns up in form of a horn ; on his sholders he carries ermin skinns to the middle , which is still a badg of the consulls habit ; on his feet he weares embroderd sandalls tied with gold buttons , and about his middle a most rich belt embroderd with costly jewells ; in so much that the habit of the duke , when at festivalls he shewes himself in the highest state , is valued at above . crownes : he hath a place elevated like a throne in the senat. besides public , he hath peculiar officers and ministers of his own , dignified with sundry titles , who have their salary from the republic : he hath a chancelor , a knight major , who is by particular appellation calld the dukes knight ; he hath divers chaplaines and churchmen to attend him , commonly calld donzelli , who wayt on him when he goes abroad ; all magistrats and cittizens whatsoever speak to him standing , and bare-headed , but he doth not rise up to any ; all public letters go forth in his name being seald with lead , a particular priviledg which pope alexander the third gave him , for the high favors that venice did the said pope when he was forcd to fly thither for sanctuary against the rage of the emperour frederic barbarossa ; all decrees , lawes , and public instruments are promulgd in his name ; all coines , as well gold as sylver , bear his stamp ; all letters from forren princes are addressd to him , and answers returnd under his hand , and whether he be present or no yet all speeches are directed to him , being stild allwayes by ambassadors and others , serenissimo principe , most gracious prince , in the concret , and serenità , in the abstract . the office of the duke was of larger extent at first , but now the principall duties of it are , that he preside in all councells , as well the great councell , as other colleges of senators ; that he have care that every magistrat acquit himself of his duty ; that every wensday he visit all the courts , and put every one in remembrance of his office , that privat causes be not neglected , or public delayed : he is not capable of any other inferior office ; if he find that any one neglects his duty , he is to convent him before the whole colledg , and give him sharp reprehensions , but he never useth to do so in privat , and if the offence require it he transmitts him over to the judges ; he is often to grace with his presence the courts of justice , wher he hath a suffrage ; but he can passe no public instrument , nor dispatch any busines of himself without the adjunction of other senators ; nor can he leave the cittie , or marry any forrener without the knowledg and consent of the senat ; insomuch that we read of duke falerio that was putt to death for marrying a stranger without the suffrage of the senat : in fine , this high politicall magistrat hath only the presence of a soverain prince , but nothing of the power . in the old records of venice the reasons are yet extant which inducd the republic to elect this formall prince for her head , wherof these are the remarkablest , we have observd that in this vast universitie of the world bodies according to their severall natures have multiplicity of motions , yet they receave vertu and vigor but from one , which is the sun ; all causes derive their originalls from one supreme cause ; we see that in one creture ther are many differing members , and faculties who have various functions , yet they are all guided by one soul , &c. the duke for his salary hath . zecchins ( which coin wants above twelvepence of ten shillings english ) brought him every wensday to his palace . among all these restraints which keep him from trenching upon the common liberty , and doing injustice , ther is another , and that a shrewd one ; which is that lex repetundarum may be executed upon his heir after his death , for there is a iunta appointed to make a scrutiny of the actions of the deceased duke , and if any can prove he was wrongd by him , he shall have reparation out of the heirs estate . of the venetian senat. the senat consists of . grave men , wherof ther are threescore calld ordinary senators , and threescore of the junta ; they are calld all together the pregadi , because being taken for wise men they are prayed to be assisting the commonwealth with their counsells . the sixty ordinary are created yeerly by the suffrages of the great councell in the months of august and september , observing this order , that at every meeting six be chosen of the sayed senators , untill the whole nomber be compleated . the other sixty senators of the junta are ascribd unto these other sixty ; but there is one caution observd , that ther may be but two of a kinred chosen among these sixty ; but the other allow three of a kinred . to these . senators are adjoind the duke and decemvirs , with other orders , the . judges of capitall causes , the provosts of salt and corn , the sages of health , the prefect of the arsenal , and proctors of saint mark , with other magistrats ; and these in effect have the management of the whole republic : they treat of peace and warr , their power extends to lay taxes , to make extraordinary levies and erogations of moneys : they make choice of ambassadors to be employd to forren princes ; they have power allso to summon the sages of land and sea , with all the chief magistrats . of the decemvirs and their colledg . the colledg of decemvirs is composd of . senators , ten of these are chosen by the great councell , and are in ordinary , having this priviledg , that he who is in that magistracy may not procure in two yeers that any mention be made of him in other meetings and conventions . of these evry month three senators are chosen to be of the quorum , these are the chief of the colledg , & are commonly calld capi di dieci , the heads of ten , and have power to summon the decemvirall colledg , and referr matters unto it ; they have a privat conclave where they daylie meet , having o●…icers of sundry sorts to attend them . they read the letters addressd to the decemvirat colledg , and make relation unto them of the substance therof , and ther must be two of them which must do it . to these decemvirs is adjoind the duke in chief and six councellors , whose peculiar priviledg is to be chosen out of the six precincts or sextaries of the citty , this order observd , that three be chosen this side of the rialto , and three on the other ; they are to be assistant to the duke eight months , with him they are to take care of all things that concern the wellfare of the republic and citty ; it is sufficient that fower of them subscribe all public orders . touching matters of moment they are to make relation to the great councell . the prince therfore , with the decemvirs and six sayed councellors do constitut the decemvirat colledg , which is the supremest authority , and hath a kind of dictatorian power . they are to take care that no discord or any public quarrells happen which may disturb the peace of the citty , and draw after them any insurrection . they are to have an eye that no factious or fantastic cittizen introduce any dangerous innovation . that no counterfeit coyn be stamped or brought in . that sodomy , and all other flagitious crimes be enquird after , which they have inappealable power to punish . of the colledg of sages or preconsultors . this colledg consists of . senators which are of the chiefest cittizens , and they are calld savii , or sages , because they are presumd to antecell others both in dignity and experience : these use to preconsult of generall matters tending to the administration of the commonwealth , as allso of peace and warr , with other the most important affairs , and make relation therof to the senat. this colledg is divided to three orders ; the first containes . senators , which are calld savii grandi , the great sages , who consult of all things touching the honor of the republic in generall , specially of sea matters , and other requisitts reflecting upon peace or warr , and make reports of their consultations to the senat. the second order consists of . cittizens or gentlemen of venice , commonly calld savii de terra firma , the sages of the continent , who allthough they have the like authority to make report of matters to the senat , yet are they much inferior to the former in dignity and trust : their chiefest duty is to have care of the militia by land , and of salaries of such soldiers that are entertaind by the republic , whether forreners or natives . the third degree consists of . cittizens or gentlemen of venice , who are commonly young men , & primae l●…nuginis , of the first shaving of the razor as they say , but learned , and well versd in the sciences , which are inferior to the other two , and make report of all sea businesses to the senat ; and these are calld savii de gli ordini , and they are culld out of the choicest witts to be made capable for future employments . to this colledg of sages or preconsultors are adjoind the prince , the six councellors , the triumvirs of the forty who preside over criminall causes ▪ so that the whole colledg may be sayed to consist of . senators or cittizens of the patrician order . the maner of the convention of this colledg is thus , the prince sitts in the middle mounted upon a high seat , and about him those councellors who were chosen out of the six precincts of the cittie , three on the right , and three on the left hand , and after that rule the other preconsultors sit : but the young men of the third degree use to sit lower . their office is , that evry sunday and festivall day they meet in the ducall palace to hear privat complaints at such an hower , and to releeve them presently , or else to referr them to delegats , or make a report to the senat , according to the merit of the cause . they hear all letters read by the secretary of state that were sent to the senat. they are allso to hear forren ambassadors and agents . it is to be observd that these preconsultors continue in authority but . months . forren agents affaires , and privat complaints being heard , they retire to another room to consult of public busines , observing this order : ther is a president chosen evry week , who proposeth to the rest what is to be agitated , and he asketh their opinion severally : the eldest delivers his opinion , and so evry one according to seniority , but the young are silent unlesse it be about som naval busines ; the last of all having collected the opinion of the rest , delivers his suffrage ; the matter being thus canvasd and discussd pro & con with much deliberation , they make an addresse to the prince and councellors , who joyn again in the debate ; that opinion to which the prince and the councellors shall adhere unto is couchd in writing ; then the whole senat convenes , before whom that which was debated by the preconsultors is first handled , with their opinions ; and if more then one half of the senat give their suffrage therunto , passeth for a decree . of the public scribes , and of the great chancelor . in evry colledg of senators ther be public scribes which are of the senats councell , and are held to be of the best rank of men ▪ and of highest integrity ; they are elected by the public suffrage of the decemvirs , and sitt allwayes in the councell , their duty is , to be ever present at the consultations of the colledg and senat , in passing all decrees . the registring of all transactions , and the engrossing of all instruments whether for public or privat respect is committed to their care and trust , to which purpose they have large salaries allowd them . some of these are ministers only to the decemvirs , to register all their acts , being privy to all things that are transacted in that colledg ; in which honor they remain during life . of these one is chosen by the solemn suffrage of the great councell , who is chiefest of all , and is calld by the title of il gran cancellier , which officer is held in singular esteem and honor ; he is dignified with the order of knighthood ; evry patrician and senator gives him the place , except the proctors of saint mark ; no secrecy of state must he conceald from him ; he hath a great revenu out of the public stock ; and at his exequies ther is allwayes a funerall oration , which honor is don to no other but to the prince . of the great councell . the great councell consists of an universall meeting of all the cittizens , and the whole republic may be sayed to depend upon it ; but it is composd of such cittizens that are of the patrician order only , wherof som being passd twenty yeers of age are admitted to sit in councell by extraordinary favor , provided that the advocat magistrat give testimony that they are descended of a noble or patrician familie : , besides , ther must attestation be made that they are legitimat and no bastards , thre must be proof allso made by oth that they are passd twenty yeers of age , but they are chosen by lotts : and though peradventure fortune favour them not then , yet after they are passd . they are capable by birth of this public honor , and to sitt in councell , with the provisos pointed at before . the office of the great councell is to ordain and ratifie all lawes and constitutions appertaining to the republic ; they allso make choice of all magistrats , as well in townes as countreys , and of any other officer to whom any public trust or civill incumbency is comitted . of officers or magistrats in generall . all magistrats are either urban or forren , viz. of town or countrey ; to them of the townes belongs the cognizance of all causes as well criminall as civill ; to them belongs the administration and erogation of all public sommes that arise into the tresury either out of public tolls and imposts , or other extraordinary taxes and leavies of moneys ; to them it belongs to consult what may be added to the wellfare , honor or bewtie of the cittie . forren magistrats , as they call them , are those that obey and put in execution all the decrees of the senat in the countreys up and down , as allso all comands by sea in fleets and armies : all these magistrats are but temporary , and have a time limited them ; the urbane or citty magistrats some of them continue in office . months , others . months , others are annuall ; but the forren or countrey officers are commonly twice so long in an office ; but the maritime officers som are bienniall , som trienniall , and som quinquenniall of . yeers continuance . of iudges . among the urbane or cittie magistrats the judges are rankd , and they have the cognizance of all capitall or civill causes , and they are calld either iudges of the first instance , or , iudges of appeal : the judges primae instantiae are divided into many tribunalls . on the first tribunall sit the iudices proprietatum , judges of proprieties , who determin all sutes touching lands or houses within the precincts of the cittie , to them allso belongs all widdowes cases . on the second tribunall sitt the iudices procuratorum ; these if any controversy arise touching lands on the continent , or minors and pupills right , have power to determin it . on the third tribunall sitt the iudices mercatorum , the judges or consulls of marchants , who determin all controversies belonging to trafic and marchandizing , who must be formerly well versd in the practicall part and mystery of comerce . on the fourth tribunall sitt the iudices advenarum , the judges of strangers , before whom all matters and differences touching forreners are brought and decided . on the fifth tribunall sitt the iudices petitionum , judges of petitions , who determin all controversies touching privat bargains , stipulations , and contracts . on the sixth tribunall sitt iudices mobilium , the judges of moveables , before whom causes of lesser importance are pleaded . on the seventh tribunall sitt the judges whom in the vulgar language they call cattaveri , which is a much as to say , inquisition of truth : these if any thing be found hid or lost , and if any controversy arise about it , have power to determin it . on the eighth tribunall sitt iudices publici , commonly calld piovegi , who if any man raise a building that may impede the common passage , or the channells of the cittie , are to prevent it , and punish the offendor . on the ninth tribunall sitt certain judges calld sopragastaldi ; these sell the goods of condemnd persons under a speare , and decide all matters belonging to the lombards , as pawnings and lendings . on the tenth tribunall sit iudices examinatores , the judges examiners , who determin all causes touching depositions and oaths . on the eleventh tribunall sitt iudices praefectorum noctis , the provosts of the night , that heare all brabbles or misdemenures committed in the night , and punish them : to them allso it belongs to adjudg all controversies twixt men and mayd servants , &c. the highest councell for criminall causes , except the decemvirat , is a councell calld the councell of forty , for so many meet there upon life and death , and they are very choice men . in the cittie of venice ther are allso officers who are supervisers of all manufactures , and other things of moment : the first are signori di panni d'oro , the superintendents of cloth of gold ; these do warily looke that no fraud be usd in any cloths of tissue , or other cloths of gold , sylver or silk , and severely punish the transgressors herin . ther are other officers calld proveditori della zeccha , their charge is to look to all sorts of bullions and coines , that they be not embasd and adulterated , and that the par of the standard be kept even . ther be other officers calld signori alla farina , who are to look to all sorts of grain that they be well conditiond ; they are allso to looke to the corn that is stord up in the public magazins , that if any grow musty , they are to putt good into the place . ther be other officers calld signori al sale , and this is a great office , for all the salt which is brought into the cittie out of salt pitts round about is to be brought to them , who store it up in magazins , and no privat man can sell salt unlesse he buyes it of these magistrats , who are strictly accountable to the senat ; these salt officers have power to decide all controversies that may arise touching this commodity . ther be other officers calld signori delle biaui , whose care is that the cittie be allwayes provided with a sufficient proportion of wheat , and other grain . ther is no cittie that is more carefull of her health than venice , therfore ther be officers , and they are qualified persons , whose charge is to have a speciall care that the plague creep not into the cittie , and if any infection com , they are to suppresse it with their utmost endeavours ; they are to see that the pesthouse be at least three miles distant from the cittie ; if any hath conversd with an infected body he must for . dayes to the pesthouse before he can return to his own dwelling . ther is no shipp whatsoever that comes thither from another countrey can have pratique or be permitted to com ashoare and sell his mar , chandise unlesse he produce a certificat that he comes from a place not infected , otherwise he is to stay aboard . dayes . ther are other officers calld proveditori di comun , and they are three ; they supervise the minor fraternities , among others they looke to printers and stationers , and sett prizes upon all new books ; they have the superintendency of bridges , wells , conduits , wayes , cawses and such public things which they must see repaird ; they are allso to see that shipps be not over laden , and they have power to punish such who transgresse herin . ther are other officers calld proveditori all' arsenale , provisors of the arsenal ; they have care to furnish that huge magazin of strength ( one of the greatest on earth , as shall be declard herafter ) with all things that shall be necessary , as carpenters , smiths and all other opificers , but to have speciall care that they be choice able artists , and of the most ingenuous sort , unto whom they pay their wages evry eighth day . ther be other officers of great trust calld signori all' acque ; these are to have speciall care that no man whatsoever do any thing that may impaire the banks , dikes and stronds about the cittie , that no carrion be thrown into the channells running through the streets of the cittie , that no place be choakd up with sands to stopp navigation ; these officers have power to punish severely all such that transgresse in this kind , and they may be sayed to be conservators of the walls of the cittie which are the waters ; these officers are allso to appoint the stations where shipps shall ride at anchor ; and lastly , that the channels be clensed once a yeer . ther are other officers calld signori sopra il ben vivere , which are no other than censors , but because that word is too rigid for such a free cittie they modifie it by another title : these are to take care that the lawes and customes of the cittie be observd , and if any one offend they have power to punish by pecuniary fines , they take cognisance of the wages of servants , and punish such that have embezeld any things from their masters . ther are other officers calld syndicks , who supervise the acts of public notaries that serve the cittie and the magistrats therof , taking care that they exact no unlawfull reward , and they have power so sett rates upon all commodities . ther be other officers calld sopra consoli ; they take cognisance of marchants and creditors affairs , and compose differences between them ; they preserve the debter from prison , and allow him two months time to pay his creditor , and in the interim he hath liberty to go abroad to negotiat and compound with his creditors ; but if the creditors be so refractory and perverse that they will not hearken to any composition , they may by authority compell them therunto : these officers have power to sell the goods of bankrupts and fugitives under the spear , as they call it ; they have power allso to keep moneys depositated . ther be other officers calld signori alla mercantia ; these have power to appoint wages for mechaniques , and to end all controversies twixt man and master ; they supervise the prises of all marchandises , and moderat them ; they take care that no mechanic use any fraud in his work , and if it be found they punish him severely . ther are other officers calld signori della ▪ grassa ; they supervise all sellers of cheese , butter , oil , salt flesh , as bacon and lard , and sett moderat prizes upon them , which if not obeyd they have power to punish by pecuniary amercement . ther be other officers calld ragion vecchia ; their charge is to register in books the expences made upon the coming of any prince or ambassador into the cittie by decree of the senat , and to take care that while a forren prince be in the cittie he be honorably entreated , and not overreachd in the prizes of things . ther be other officers calld giustitia vecchia ; their charge is to supervise all weights and mesures , and that whatsoever is sold or bought be according to the standard ; they have power to impose rates upon all sorts of fruits and roots , and punish such that obey them not ; they preside allso over shoppkeepers and mechaniques , that none take down an old sign and set up a new without their leave : if any hire a boy or servant , he must make his addresse to these officers and acquaint them with the conditions , otherwise ther is no bargain in that kind of any validity , nor is either party bound to stand to it . ther be other officers calld giustitia nuova , these officers supervise taverns , & taphouses of all sorts , with all victualing houses and hostries , they overlook that they pay all duties , they take care that no musty or ill conditiond wine be sold , they have power to punish and decide controversies . ther be other officers calld signori sopra le pompe , and they are a triumvirat ; they supervise that no extraordinary exces or luxury be usd in food , in apparrell or housholdstuffe , and in other things which appertain to food and rayment ; they have power to restrain all immoderat expences , lest the wealth of the cittizens be exhausted by too much profusenes and riot , having authority to punish the transgressors of their orders by pecuniary mulcts , and to determin themselfs ▪ all controversies in that kind ; and these officers are of high respect and authority . of the procurators of saint mark. these high officers , and they are the highest of all next the prince , enjoy perpetually during life the privileges and dignity of senators , and have right of suffrage in evry councel ; their authority is coetaneous with the duke himself and expires not till death , the office of the great chancelor hath the like prerogative ; and those cittizens soly are delegated to this magistracy , who having passd all other offices of honor , are reputed to be men of most eminent and singular probity , and ability , so that they becom the principall pillars of the republic ever after ; all degrees of peeple do shew them a speciall reverence , and whersoever they chance to com they have priority of place given them ; they have the tutele of pupills and orphans when ther is no gardian nominated in the will of the testator ; they are divided into three classes which they term procuratorias , and in evry one ther are three which preside . the procurators of the first classis are the chiefest and of most ample authority and trust ; they supervise the temple of saint mark , and together with the duke they have the goverment therof ; they have the administration of all the revenues that appertain to that church , which are very great ; and once evry month they assemble , after their solemn devotions , to receave the rents therof , and they are carefull to provide all things that are necessary to continue the splendor of that sanctuary , and keep it in repaire . the procurators of the second classis , who obtain their name from the first ( allthough they be not civill incumbents of the church ) are administrators of the old procuracie as they call it , and to their charge is committed the care of all the pupills on this side the rialto , which is about half the cittie . the procurators of the third classis are allso calld by the same title procurators of saint mark , these preside in the new procuracie as they term it , and to their office belongs to have care of all the pupills the other side of the rialto : evry one of these three classes have in his charge to provide for the poor and indigent , and having mighty proportions of money with other wealth comitted unto their trust , they rayse great sommes to that use , as allso for the relief and enlargement of prisoners , and for the redemption of captives , wherof ther are multitudes that live in miserable servitud among the turks . of extern officers and magistrats which are employd abroad out of the cittie of venice . in the greatest citties which are under the dominion of the republic , ther are commonly sower magistrats , a pretor or podestá , a prefect , a questor , and the governor of the castle , wherof in som places ther are two or three ; in the lesser townes ther is commonly but one magistrat who is the pretor or podestá . the pretor administers the law to all the inhabitants of the place wherof he is magistrat , and determines all sutes , and punisheth delinquents ; he hath the most knowing civil lawyers for his assessors , provided they be not born in the place but som where els under the signorie to avoyd partiality towards kinred . the prefect or captain hath the care of the militia , and governs the soldiery that are within that precinct , he decides all sutes between them , and punisheth offendors ; he hath the care of the castle or forts , of the walls and ramparts , together with the gates of the cittie , and of all the tributs , gabells and demeanes which belong to the republic both in town and the circumjacent countrey : but ther is an appeal permitted from pretor and prefect to the senat in som cases , according to clauses of reservation . the questor is but one , or two at most ; these have the administration of public receits and erogations of money , who have power to exact it , and employ it , and they keep the books of public accounts , yet they seldom do any thing without the command of the prefect , and somtimes without the concurrence and order of pretor and prefect they cannot expend any somme ; in the ilands they have the title of councellors , and they are assistant to the prefect in matters of law , but they have no suffrage at all . the governors of castles are somtimes one , somtimes many ; these have the authority over the soldiers , and care of the armes and ammunition , and all things conducing therunto ; yet ther is none chosen to be governor of any castle but is subject to the prefect or podestá , having no jurisdiction of himself : but in the lesser towns the pretor executs the office both of prefect and questor , and administers the law to the inhabitants ; he chastiseth offendors , and hath the management of the public receits , but matters are appealable from him to the senat , and most commonly to the councell of forty . of extern magistrats in fleets and armies . these magistrats are of two kinds ; the generall in warr upon the continent is commonly som forren prince ; he is not chosen either of the senatorian or patrician order ; he hath an ample salarie , viz. ten captaines pay , and . crownes a yeer ; ther goes along with him two legats or proveditors , who are gentlemen of venice , and of the senatorian order ; and without the concurrence of their advice he neither acts nor decrees any thing , nor can he attempt any thing himselfe without their intervention : these proveditors are perpetually assistants to the generall , they pay the soldiers salaries , and their main care is that nothing be don rashly to the detriment or dishonor of the republic . in sea service every gallie hath a prefect or captain who comands both men and vessell , he may inflict punishments but he hath no power of life and death ; he hath absolut comand ore the mariners and rowers , and of all things within the gallie . ther are allso officers calld presidents of gallies , and they comand fower or five gallies . in time of peace ther are commonly fower of them , their charge is that the sea be kept secure for marchants and navigators ; that they suppresse pyrats , and scowre the gulph of corsaries . ther is another officer or admirall calld classis legatus , and he hath comand ore the whole fleet , and over the prefects or captains of evry gallie . ther is seldom any generall of a fleet but in time of warr , and then he hath absolut comand ore the whole fleet , and a kind of dictatorian power in all the maritime provinces , yet hath he no implicit commission , but before he attempt any thing considerable he must receave directions and commands from the senat. of other extern magistrats which use to be created upon extraordinary occasions . these are calld syndiques , who are created evry five yeers , and use to be employd abroad both in the continent and maritime provinces which are subject to the republic : they take knowledg , and make scrutinies into the cariage and actions of all pretors or podesta's , and other magistrats who are employed abroad upon the service of the signorie ; if they find any to have exceeded their commissions , and perpetrated any thing against the lawes , they give information accordingly , which is unquestionable , and taken for certain truth . ther is an officer who in time of exigence is appointed proveditor generall of candy , and he is chosen by the suffrages of the senat ; he during the time comands the whole iland in a supreme way of authority , and hath a kind of dictatorian power for the time : if he comes to any town or castle they presently bring him the keys ; he administers the law himself , if he please , and disposeth of all public levies of moneys ; he superintends all kind of magistrats and officers both by land and sea , and is subject to no controulment but what comes from the senat. ther is another great officer calld proveditor generall of the continent , and he allso useth to be created upon extraordinary ocasions ; he comands all the firm land in the highest way of authority ; he hath a transcendent power over all prefects or captains , and all other magistrats and officers that are under the empire of the republic , yet ther is nothing of moment can occurr , or be putt in execution , but he must receave directions and comand from the senat. ther are other officers calld the proconsulls of syria and egypt , who are created by the suffrage of the senat , and they are trienniall magistrats ; they have their residence either in aleppo in syria , or in the gran cayro in egypt , where they live in a decent and splendid equipage ; all differences twixt any marchants that acknowledg obedience to the signorie of venice are brought before them , and they have power to determine the controversie ; these proconsulls do allso good offices to all other christians , whether italians or any other nation , that resort thither either for curiosity or comerce , and they are respected as if they were in qualitie of ambassadors , or soverain agents . the republic of venice employeth divers ambassadors abroad , and no state more , and they are either ordinary or extraordinary ; the commission of the ordinary ambassadors continueth for three yeers ; these are employed to the pope , the emperour , the kings of france , spain , and england , to the duke of savoy , the states of holland , and they have commonly allwayes one residing in all these courts in a magnificent maner ; they have allso an ambassador in constantinople attending the motions of the great turk , calld the bailio , residing there perpetually , and the republic allowes him a greater salarie than to any other ; nor indeed hath he any sett salarie , but whatsoever he spends is allowd him upon his own accounts without examination ; all these are elected by the suffrage of the senat. the republic employs allso abroad ambassadors extraordinary very often , who have a greater latitud of power , and are soly for matter of state , or som particular negotiation : the ordinary scope of their legations is either to congratulate or condole with soverain princes when occasion is offerd . all these ambassadors have secretaries whom the senat takes notice of , and the republic allowes them a salarie , and they are persons of good extraction and breeding ; this is don because they may afterwards be in a capacity , for their knowledg and experience , to be ministers of state themselfs : but touching ambassadors extraordinary ther are never any employd unlesse they have bin ambassadors formerly . and touching this kind of employment the republic hath certain degrees , or scalary ascents and rules of removall , which are never transgressd . these kind of political and public ministers are strictly examind by a junta expressly for the same end at their return touching their comportment in the legation , they are to discover what presents they receavd from the prince or state to whom they were sent , and it is of dangerous consequence for them to conceale any thing . these are the magistrats and officers wheron the republic of venice hath stood firm , as upon so many pillars , so many centuries : now , ther are few or none who are greater patriotts than the venetian gentlemen , their prime study is the public good and glory of their countrey , and civil prudence is their principall trade wherunto they arrive in a high mesure ; yet as it may be easily observd , though these gentlemen are extraordinary wise when they are conjunct , take them single they are but as other men. of the dominions and territories that belong to venice , wherof she hath absolut and soverain command . this mayden cittie hath large fardingalls , and long sleeves which reach farr by land , and they stretch by sea farther than many kingdoms : upon the continent of italie she doth signorize over three entire provinces ; the mark of treviso ( as they calld it , ) friuli , and istria ; she hath allso a good part of lombardie , viz. the territories of brescia , of bergamo , and verona , then she hath crema : eastward she confines partly upon the arch-dukes of austria , partly upon the adriatic sea : northward she confines allso upon the austrian territories , upon trent , and swisserland : westward she hath the duchy of milan for her neighbour ; the same duchy is her contiguous neighbour southward allso , together with the duchy of mantoua , and the ecclesiastic dominions . the mark of treviso is a very plentifull and generous countrey , full of opulent townes , and splendid citties ; the natives are esteemed very dextrous and apt to make statesmen of , being a peeple much given to contemplation and gaining of knowledg ; they are allso active when necessity requires in the management of armes ; the country abounds with corn , wine , and all sorts of fruit , and they have many pleasant spacious fields ; ther are hott and wholsom fountaines there , divers sorts of mineralls , many noble rivers and lakes ; the air is temperat , healthy and delightfull ; in fine , she is endowed by benign nature with so many gifts , that she may well take place among the noblest regions of italie . the countrey of friuli ( in old times forum iulii ) is terminated eastward by the river formio , northward by the julian alps , and westward allso by other parts of the alps , where the river liquentia separats her from the mark of treviso ; and southward runns the adriatic sea : she is a region that hath plesant fields , well waterd with rivers and fountains , ther are great store of vineyards , woods , mineralls , and quarries of stone : the noble river hydra runns there , nere which ther is quicksylver diggd up ; the inhabitants are ingenious enough for all humane arts , and marchandizing ; friuli is commonly among the venetians calld la patria , whence som inferr that they had their originall thence . istria hath for her bounds westward the river timavas ; northward the alps , which separat hungarie and carniola from italie ; eastward she hath the river arsias , the rest is compassd with the adriatic sea ; she is a rough uneven countrey , yet she may be sayed to swell with hillocks rather than high hills ; but she hath one which surpasseth all the rest calld montemajor : she hath woods fitt for shipps and all other uses ; she hath allso good store of stone quarreis , whence ther is much marble diggd out for the service of venice her mistresse , and other places of italie ; the inhabitants are poorer than in other countreys , yet they have divers citties , townes and villages . the countrey of brescia is of large extent , neer upon one hundred miles , and fifty miles broad ; in this tract of land there rise up mountaines , hillocks , plaines and valleys inlayed with townes , villages , and plesant houses very thick in most places ; so that ther is little of the earth left idle . in this territorie ther are so many castles , townes and villages , that they can hardly be found thicker any where : the soyle abounds with wheat , millet and other grains ; ther is plenty of wine and oile , with other fruits ; moreover , ther is great quantity of iron and copper diggd up and down in the mines , wherof the inhabitants make very great benefitt . the countrey of bergamo is fertile enough except towards the north , where it is mountanous , rough and barren : yet ther are valleys in great nombers , wherof som produce wine and oile very plesant , but som of them are steril and good for nothing , only som iron mines are found here and there ; in bergamo is spoken one of the coorsest dialects of all the italian toung . verona and her territories are next ; she is seated on a very plesant and comodious river the athesis ; she is cape cittie of the second rank through all italie ; som hold her name to be originally brenona of brennus the britain , who was general of an army of gaules for his extraordinary valour ; in this name of verona is comprehended the three most renowned citties of italie , viz. ve-venice , ro-rome , and na-naples ; her territories are . miles in length , and . in bredth : this cittie hath yet the ruines of one of the fairest amphitheaters that ever was , and catullus the poet makes her somwhat more famous because he was born in her : the countrey circumjacent abounds with wheat , wine , oiles , sheep , and very good fleeces , with abundance of the choicest and most delicat fruits ; it hath excellent quarreis of stone , with rivers , lakes and pools , and rare fountains & sources of fresh waters , with most choice medicinal simples upon the mountain baldus where all physicians resort . crema bordering upon milan with her territory hath an excellent soyl , fruitfull and well cultivated , and extraordinarily well wooded ; she hath very generous wines , and exquisit sorts of fruit ; many brooks of cleer water which are well stord with fish , and abundance of lampreys ; they have one kind of fish whom the inhabitants call marsoni , whose head is neer twice as bigg as the body , but of a most savoury tast . crema was a long time under the vicountship of milan untill the yeer . at which time , together with brixia , it came under the dominion of the signorie by conditions of peace twixt francis sforza & them , since when she is mightily improvd in wealth and civilitie ; iohannes cremensis was a natif of this , he was employd anno . by pope honorius the second in quality of legat to england to disswade the clergie from mariage , wherupon a convocation was calld , wherin the legat made a very eloquent speech in comendation of celibat , and how advantagious it was for churchmen to live single and sequestred from the cares of the world , and encombrances of humane affaires . padua , a most reverend learned old citie in latin calld patavium ; antenor the trojan is recorded to be her founder , whose tomb is there still extant ; she was erected an academy anno . her fame spreads all the earth over for a seminary of the best physicians , having a garden of simples accordingly ; she is famous for the birth of livie the great roman annalist ( whose picture is to be seen fresh to this day ) and of late yeers for zabarell and maginus ; in former times she was much cryed up for the mansuetude of the men , and the pudicity of her women ; so that the patavian chastity grew to be a proverb , wherunto alludes the roman epigrammatist speaking of her in his wanton poems , tu quoque nequitias nostri lusúsque libelli uda puella leges sis patavina licet . pad●…a was in times passd girt about with a treble wall , but a double contents her now , which hath very deep ditches round about , for the river brent with infinit expence and labour was brought to this cittie , which hath much advantaged her both for strength and navigation : she is situated in a most delightfull and uberous plain , enjoying a sweet temperat clime , with a singular good soyle by reason of the neighbourhood of the euganean mountains which are westward of her ; the inhabitants have high witts , and apt for pike or pen ; the circumference of the cittie is twofold , inward and outward , the first hath but three miles compas , the second neer upon seven miles ; about the cittie the walks may be calld a perpetuall kind of gallerie ; her temples and dwelling houses both public and privat are more magnificent than elswhere ; she hath six stately gates , five large markett places ; she hath within the walls . great churches , . monasteries , and . religious houses for nunnes ; she hath the most renowned hall for public justice of any town in italie , coverd all with lead , and yet propd upon no pillars ; the councell court hath gates and columns of marble ; she hath . bridges archd over the brent which runns through her ; she hath very spacious piazzas ; she hath . hospitalls , three for the poor , and three for pilgrims ; she hath a place calld the monte de pietá , which was set up of purpose to root out the lucre and exorbitant feneration of the jewes , who were usd to demand twenty in the hundred for brocage ; she hath two hospitalls besides for orphans , and other poor children : ther are . crownes depositated in the hands of severall persons of quality , where the poorer sort may make their addresse with their pawns , and if it be under thirty shillings they pay no use for the money , if it be above they pay five in the hundred for maintaining certain officers , and releeving of the poor ; the bishoprick of padua is rankd among the best of italie ; the cittizens are great artists now as in former times , and make much marchandize of wool : but to give a short description of padua and her territories , this of leander is the best ; southward of her runns the river athesis ; northward the peuso , a little river ; eastward the venetian lakes , and westward the enganean hills , and the countrey of vicenza , all this circuit about . miles , wherin ther are in nomber . villages and hamletts , with a world of countrey houses whither the italian gentlemen and cittizens use to retire with their families in the sommer time . the cittie of padua remaind under the roman empire untill she was taken and burnt by attila ; then was she repaird by narsetes , and afterwards she was burnt by the longobards , but under charles the great and other kings of italie she did not only revive , but florish again ; under otho , as the rest of the citties of italie , she began to govern by her own lawes , and she remaind in form of a republic till frederic the second , then by the perswasion of actiolinus she yeelded her self again to the protection of the empire , and receavd a german garrison with actiolinus yoak , anno . he presently turnd lawfull power into tyranny , therfore they shook him of : a little after marsilius carrariensis under the name of governor drew the town unto him , but the scaligers thrust him out , who ruld there som successions , yet afterward marsilius re-enjoyed it and left ubertinus heir , who was thrust out by mactinus scaliger , but was restord again ; then marsilius the second succeeded , who was slain fower dayes after by iacobinus his oncle , and that iacobinus was slain afterwards of gulielmus the bastard the fourth yeer of his principality ; him succeeded franciscus , who very fortunately governd , but attempting to free vicount barnabas his son in law he allso was cast into prison by iohannes galeacius , but a little after franciscus secundus receavd the comand of the cittie from galeacius , and livd in the principality . yeers , but with continuall apprehensions of fear till the death of galeacius , at which time the scaligers being nefariously assassinated , he came to be master allso of verona , and lost it a little after with his life ; his sonnes ubertinus and marsilius went into the fields of florence where they made a head , and there the noble familie of the carrarienses utterly expird ; then the cittie remaind under the venetians dominion a few yeers when maximilian the emperour gott it , but the republic recoverd it anno . which they have fortified to good purpose , that being since often assalted and beseigd by the confederat princes in that mighty league of cambray , she was able to resist them all . vicenza is a cittie excellently built and beutified with faire structures , among which the praetorium is most magnificent ; she is situated at the foot of a hill , and divided by two navigable rivers bacchillione and rerone , which tumbling down from the neighbouring mountains meets with bacchillione in the very cittie , which aelianus reports to have the best yeeles of all italie : this cittie abounds with all things conducing to necessity or plesure , in regard of the unusuall fertility of the circumjacent soyl , which affoords plenty of grain , wine , and oil , with all maner of fruit ; ther is such a nomber of mulberry trees both in town and countrey up and down wheron silkwormes do feed that it is admirable , but they bear white fruit , therfore the silk is not so well conditiond as is woven by those wormes that feed upon black mulberry trees , yet the inhabitants make mighty benefitt herby : the vicentins are a spiritfull peeple , much given to letters , as allso armes and marchandizing , and they are of extraordinary trust ; she hath an episcopall see annexed to her , as her neighbour verona ; she continued under the dominion of rome untill attila's incursions , and being destroyd by him she came afterwards under the yoke of the goths , then of the longobards , and afterwards under the kings of italie ; upon their banishment she enjoyd her liberty under the empire till frederic the second , by whom she was ravagd and burnt ; in this vicissitude of things she had divers masters , the carrarienses , the patavins , the scaligers of verona , the galeacii of milan , and the venetian ; then being infested by the armes of maximilian the first , and reducd to his obedience , she yeelded her self at last to the republic of venice , under whom she hath livd in prosperity and security ever since : not farr from the cittie ther are two noble stone-quarreis in the mountain cornolius , vulgarly calld covelo . brixia is a cittie seated at the foot of a hill among the cenomans , and was in times passd the head of that peeple . she hath rich peasans up and downe , and more gentile than ordinary ; she was under the roman emperours as long as the majesty of them continued , which declining , and the goths comitting such devastations in italie , she came under radagaso , who as he made his way to rome did spoyl and burn her . she was afterwards re-edified by martianus , then came she under the dition of alboinus king of the longobards , and she remaind under their yoke till desiderius was taken prisoner by charlemain ; the kingdom of the longobards expiring , she came under the dominion of the french , who had then the empire , wherfore ther are som fields about her to this day calld francia corta : under charlemain nacmon duke of bavaria governd her , by whom she receavd much instauration and benefitt ; after charlemains death she had divers masters ; at last under oth●… she petitiond to govern her self , promising to be feudetarie and faithfull to the empire , which granted her ; afterwards she livd free as sundry other towns in italie ▪ but she was dismantled & deprivd of many immunities by the emperour henry the fourth , but recovering her self a little after she gave ocasion to mactinus scaliger to invade her in that most pernicious fewd twixt the gibelins and guelphins , under whom she passd ▪ all kinds of calamities ; scaliger being at last thrust out , azo vicount of milan occupied her ; this azo had luchinus for his successor , and he had iohn archbishop of milan , whom barnabas and galeacius succeeded , who were afterwards thrown into prison by galeacius , who assumd to himself the whole government , and was created duke of milan . who left for his successor iohn maria : afterwards pandulphus malatesta gott to himself the dominion of the town , but he quickly made a cession of her to philip maria duke of milan ; five yeers after when iohn maria had kept the brixians under a hard servitud , nor could not by any petition make him slacken the reins of his rigid goverment , the cittie being heated with indignation by the persuasions of som guelphian agents , she had recours to venice , who shelterd her , freed her from that tyranny , and afterwards she florishd a good while under the dominion of the republic , till the yeer . at which time she made a dedition of her self to lewis the . of france , who passd her over to the emperour maximilian , and he to charles his nephew king of spain ; then she was tumbled to francis the first king of france , till at last she returnd under the venetian . ther is a gentle river runns through the cittie ; she hath many townes and villages wherof she is mistresse , but the worst is that the mountaines are too neer them , which causeth that they cannot be so fruitfull . besides these places upon the continent of italie , the republic hath dominions over all the maritim coasts of dalmatia , and the ilands therunto belonging : among others ther be two celebrous citties , zara and cathara ; zara is a place wonderfully well fortified , and hath a very convenient port , but cathara lieth in the bosom of a nook of the adriatic sea towards the east ; all the countrey swells up and down with delightfull hills and hillocks which are all manurable , but in regard of the circumambient mountaines is so oreshadowed that they have not that proportion of light which their neighbours have . of the ilands which the republic of venice comands in the ionian sea. the first is corcyra , now calld corfú , scarce a mile distant from albania's continent ; she is threescore miles long , . in breadth , and in compasse . she hath the shape of a bow bent towards the east ; she is mountanous towards the south , and flat towards the north ; her soyl is craggy and destitut of water , so that a south wind oftentimes spoyles their harvest , therfore do they employ the earth in planting vineyards and olives , with other fruit trees , and what they produce is extraordinarily good in evry kind ; in so much that she abounds with wine , wax , honey , oile , pomcitrons and divers other fruits ; on the north side ther is the castle of saint angelo which is notably fortified , so that it hath frustrated the hopes of the turk in sundry expeditions ; towards the east ther are divers creeks and ports with two peninsulas , where upon one of them stands pagiopolis , the other by a little streight is cutt off from the great iland : opposit to these stands corfú at the foot of a hill , with two castles strongly built by rules of enginry which in a manner hang over her ; wherunto ther is another lately built of very great consequence : upon the right side of the cittie ther lieth a promontorie where the famous fountain card●…cchio is ; the port of this town is a very safe harbor , and hath shelter sufficient against the fury of any tempest , lett the wind blow which way it will. the captains of these castles upon pain of death without mercy , are neither to meet or converse one with another , or send any letters , tickets or any messages , but the governor of the town must be present ; and these cautions are usd because those castles being as it were the keyes of venice and the gulph , and consequently of infinit consequence and trust , the senat wold prevent all ocasions that may be imagind to betray them : in this iland of old the poets do sing that king alcinous raignd , whose plentifull orchards were so memorizd by them , insomuch that ever since they are grown to be a proverb for their fertilitie ; this alcinous preservd ulysses from shipwrack , so that the poets make often mention of him , one instance shall be , quid bifera alcinoi referam pomaria ? vósque qui nunquàm vacui prodistis in aethera rami ? of cephalonia . cephalonia is of a triangular form , and hath in circumference . miles ; she hath many stations for shipps , among whom argostolica is the chiefest , and capable to hold any fleet within her bosom : ther is another that lieth behind a promontory calld guiscardo , wher ther yet remain many ruines of castles , palaces and other edifices ; and ther are daylie diggd out of the earth many old coines , with other monuments of antiquity . this iland produceth a good proportion of wheat and oil , and she is well stord with sheep ; she hath allso plenty of hony , of manna and raysins of the sun , but she wants a sufficient competency of water ; ther is a white muscadel grape that growes which perfumes the breath after it is eaten , and that wine which is made therof is accounted the delicatst sort of greek wines , though it make the brain clowdy if one drinks above two cupps ; but by reason of the over delicatnes therof it cannot brook the sea any long time , but it will prick , and lose both tast and colour . this iland may have about . soules men and women in her ; this iland is computed to have . townes of all sorts , besides those two before mentiond , nollo is the chiefest . she was first calld melena , then telebous , whose king prerelaus was killd in battail by amphytrion a theban captain , wherby the ile came to be subject to thebes : during the stay of amphytrion two accidents happend in greece , the first was , that iupiter gott his wife alcmena with child of hercules ; the second was , that cephalonia a nobleman of athens being a hunting killd his wife procris with an arrow insteed of his prey , wherupon he fledd to amphytrion , who was newly victorious ore the teleboans , who resenting his case made him governor of this iland , calld ever since cephalonia after his name . of zucinthus or the i le of zant. zant comes next to be surveyd , which hath about . miles in circumgyration ; towards the east she is mountanous and rough , but smooth and even towards the north ; she is more subject to earthquakes than other places ; her wealth consists in oil , wine and raysins , wherby the inhabitants subsist ; but she wants corn because all the earth is turnd to vineyards ; she hath a town which beares the same name with the iland , with a strong castle , and about . villages . the english nation hath much improvd the wealth of this iland since they traded for currans thither , wherof the english spend more than all other peeple ; at first the peeple of the i le seeing the english buy so much currans , askd them whether they usd to dye clothes , or fatten hoggs with them , for those two uses they only make there of them . of crete or candie . crete , now calld candie , is one of the most noble ilands of the mediterranean sea ; she hath . in length , and . in latitud ; her situation is so oportune , that aristotle affirmed she was so situated that natur her self intended her to be mistresse of the sea ; she is but a few dayes sayl , not . distant both from syria and egypt , being equally remote from both ; from caramania , cyprus and albania she is . miles distant ; her coasts are fretted out into divers creeks and promontories , the principall wherof are capo spada , and capo salmone , wherof the one looks westward , the other eastward , but in the midst betwixt both drepano rayseth up himself which is now calld capo melecca , and the promontory zephyrium which is now calld alcelico ; that part of the ile which beholds the sun rising lyeth high and is not so fruitfull . among the rest of the hills wherwith this gentle iland swells up and down , mount ida stands . this iland was calld in old time hecatompolis or cent oppidum , having . citties in her , but now she hath not three of any moment , and they are towards the north. the chiefest is candia ( formerly calld candida or candace ) which hath about . souls ; canea is the second ( formerly calld cydona or gnasos ) which hath . soules in her , and rhetino which hath so many more ; besides these ther is another calld scythia , a town of . fyres ; the rest are villages and dorps to the nomber of . wherin by the last cense that was made ther are . souls or therabouts ; but up and down evry where ther are ruines marks and monuments of antiquity , and of other old townes ; that part which looks towards the south is infested ever and anon with northern blasts . the secundity of the iland consists in pasturage , and valleys wherin ther are great nombers of cattle feeding , and on her plaines ther is good store of corn growes , but not a competent quantity for the whole iland ; she abounds with rare wines famous all the earth over ; ther is great store of hony had there , which is carried most comonly to alexandria ; ther is no place in the world wher ther be such high and goodly cypresses ; she hath but small rivers ; this iland sympathiseth in one qualitie with ireland , for she produceth no venemous beast ; she abounds with a luscious wine calld muskadell , wherof the english marchants have brought som yeers into england above . butts , together with sugar-candie , gumms , hony , sugar , olives , dates , apples , oranges , lemmons , cittrons , pomgranatts . it is a little wanton luxurious iland , which it seemes hath corrupted the nature of the inhabitants , insomuch that the old poet epimenides , whose verse is cited by saint paul , gives this ill-favourd character of them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes very happilie into latin verbatim , cres semper mendax , mala bestia , venter obesus . the candiotts are allways lyers , ill beasts and slow bellies . by reason of the situation of the iland , being seated in the midst of the mediterranean sea , the inhabitants came to be excellent seamen , so that it grew to be a proverb , when one wold thwart an improbable thing , he would say you will make me beleeve as soon that cretensis nescit pelagus , the candiot is no seaman . though ther be no venemous cretures in this iland , yet they say womens teeth are more poysonous there than elswhere , for if a woman bite a man any thing deep he will never recover : besides they write that in this i le an herb grows calld allimos , which if one chaw in his mouth , he shall feel no hunger ; the republic came to this iland by her money , for she bought her of the prince of monferrat anno . but of late yeers , though the spaniard offerd as much for the haven of sada it self as she payed at first for the whole iland , the republic would not listen unto the motion . of the cittie of venice her-self . we are com now to the mayden cittie her-self , to that miracle of nature , to neptune's minion , to that impossibile nel impossibile , for it was the character which that famous mariano sozzino gave of her , when at his return from venice to rome he gave an account of his embassie to the pope , when he went back dalle scale del senato , alla sede apostolica , from the scales of venice to the seat of rome , for those are the stiles of distinction betwixt both the courts ; as constantinople is calld the port , the king of spains court the palace , the emperours la corte the court simply and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or per eminentiam . this wonder of citties is seated in the bosom or betwixt the armes and aestuaries of the adriatic sea , who spreading himself gently along towards the continent of italie , leaves som green tuffs or tombs of earth uncoverd , upon which the cittie is built , and as it were chaind together by i know not how many hundred bridges ; insomuch that venice is no other than a convention of little ilands peeping up above the waters , which may be an excuse for her salacity , having such a salt tayle steepd and brind perpetually in the sea : in so much that it may be well thought that the goddesse venus and the cittie of venice had one kind of procreation being both engendred of the sea ; it is allso very likely aphrodite that wanton lady had her original out of that white spume which neptune casts upon those little gentle ilands wheron venice makes her bed . the ocasion that made these watry iles a mansion for men , was , when that northern deluge of goths , vandalls , hunns and longobards did overflow all italie , which made peeple of all sorts fly to these lakes to avoyd the land torrent that was like to swallow them up ; and finding the air to be gentle and fitt for habitation and propagation , and the clime more temperat than in other places , though sited under the same latitud , by reason of the fresh breezes and eventilations of the circumjacent sea , which makes it lyeope to all winds , and evry point of the compas ; they pitchd their tents upon these iles , and associated them by conjoyning bridges ; inviting all peeple to com and cohabitt with them , in so much that som derive the name of venetiae from the word venite , venite , ( or veni etiam , com again ) by which they invited them of the continent to dwell with them , and fix their commoration there . they are therfore much deceavd who think that the gentry of venice are of a baser allay than others , taking them to be no other than fishermen at first ; no , they were of the best rank of peeple , that to avoyd the inundation of those barbarous peeple fledd thither from rome , aquileia , padua , heraclea and all other places for a secure rendevous , being frindly invited therunto , which makes the cittie of venice to be the most hospitable place upon earth to this day for all commers . now , the first venetians had not their beginning from italie , but were issued of an ancient race of peeple in asia calld the hevetians of paphlagonia , who after the destruction of troy came under the conduct of antenor to italie , whose tomb is to be seen standing in padua to this day . now the original of the cittie of venice , according to the opinion of the most judicious historians , hapned in this manner . as the fear of the hunnes had possessd most of the inhabitants of italie , and that the venetians as formost in the danger were more apprehensive therof than any other , therfore for their owne incolumity and freedom , and being neerest than any other , they retird from about those plesant places which borderd upon the adriatic sea into these small iles or lakes whither the enemy could not pursue them ; and those who were the first leaders were rich and honorable persons , full of piety and religion , specially those of aquileia , padua , and heraclea , who with their substance and families came first to grada , and thence to the rialto ; those places wheron at this day the cittie of venice is seated being then but bare iles and mansions for fish , as many parts of holland was : now , those of padua were they that began to build at the rialto where the first foundation was layed , and is now as it were the center of the cittie ; how religiously the same was don may be conjecturd , because by how much the more one did affect christianity , so much more he shunnd the conversation of the barbarous peeple . the temple of god was the first house that was in intention , though not in execution , because it was a work of time , wherof the first stone was layed in saint marks place the . of march , about the vernall equinoctiall in the beginning of the spring , which may be sayed to be a good cause why the cittie florishd so wonderfully ever sinee , for about the same time the first man receavd his creation , and the redeemer of mankind his conception . now allbeit for populating this new cittie all the most experienced mariners were calld from all parts , with promise of reward to such as could build shipps , yet as the old records have it , they were carefull not to admitt any man of a servile condition , or any murtherer or fugitifs for offences ; with such sorts of men we find that rome was first populated . the new cittie did daylie encrease in inhabitants and building , when a fyre kindled upon a sudden and burnt . houses ; and because the matter which fedd the fyre was scatterd here and there , and so could not be quenchd by humane strength , all the peeple betook themselfs to their prayers , and , as the record hath it , so soon as they had made a vow to erect a church to the honor of god , calld saint iames church , the fury of the fyre ceased ; this church is to be seen standing to this day in good repair in the midst of the rialto , and this was about the yeer . at first they were governd by consulls , then came they under a tribunary power , then under a prince or duke because ther is a greater energie of love and power in unity ; yet this duke is but a kind of collegue with som others of the senators , and differs only from them in the rising corner of his capp ; when he goes abroad in state the sword is carried behind him , but before the senat who com after him , and he is so restraind that 't is impossible for him to be a tyrant . ther have bin since the beginning of this principality neer upon . dukes , wherof . have bin either slain or sentencd ; ther is choice and chance that concurr in his creation ; now as senatus ex populo , so princeps è senatu oritur , and commonly one of the procurators of saint mark is chosen ; as the popes , so the princes of venice are made of ancient men , who have passd through divers offices , and so have bin long bredd up in the school of experience , which is that great looking-glasse of wisedom ; persons that have their humors daunted , and their passions mortified in them . contarenus describes the election of the duke in this maner ; presently upon the vacancy , all the gentry above . do assemble . so many as meet cast their names into a pott , and in another are just so many balls , wherof . only are gilt , then a child draweth for each , till the . gilt ones be drawn , for which . the child draweth again a second time out of another pott that hath only . gilt balls ; the . so drawn nominat . out of which , . are again selected by the same kind of lott ; these . nominat . out of whom . are by lott sett again apart ; these . nominat . who are by lott reducd again to . these . choose . of the senat of the best and principall rank ; these . after evry one hath tied himself by solemn oath to choose whom they shall think most worthy , write in scrolls whom they think most worthy ; the scrolls are mingled together and then drawn , the fittnes of the persons thus drawn is discussd , and he who hath most voices above . is the man whom they pronounce to be elected , and adjudg him to be created duke with all solemnities ; by lott allso they choose gentlemen to sitt in the senat , and creat public officers , so that this republic hath much of the modell of platoes platform . som derive the etimologie of this rare cittie from venetia , which in old latin signifieth the frothing or seething of the sea , for as varro hath it , venetia est maris exaestuatio quae ad littus pellitur : ther are . iles that support venice , and the nearest part of the continent is . miles distant ; ther be banks and dikes cast up to preserve her from the impetuousnes of the waves extending in length above . miles , through which ther are . places broken out for passages of boats , but no way for vessells of bigger burden saving at malamocca , which is . miles distant from the main cittie , and at the castles of lio , which are fortified according to the utmost art of enginry ; so that t is impossible to surprize venice , or to take her , unlesse it be by an army of . miles compasse ; she is above . miles in circuit , and hath of all sorts neer upon . bridges ; besides , ther be above . gondolaes which ply up and down perpetually , som wherof have two rowers , som more ; so that in case of necessity the cittie could make an army of above . gondoliers . her fabriques public and privat are extraordinary specious and sumptuous , and her streets so neat and eevenly pavd , that in the dead of winter one may walk up and down in a pair of sattin pantables and crimson silk stockins and not be dirtied : ther are above . palaces fitt to receave any prince with his ordinary retinue ; in fine , her situation is so rare , evry street allmost having an arm of the sea running through it , and her structures so magnificent and neat , that this virgin cittie useth to ravish at first sight all strangers that come to visit her , specially if they com from sea , and not passd through others of the dainty townes of italie . venice besides her churches and monasteries , hath three things worthy of sight , viz. saint marks church and steeple , the tresury , and the arsenal . the church is built throughout with rare mosaique work , and the furniture of the church surpasseth the fabrique in richnes ; her walls are inlayed in many places with precious stones of divers colours , and in such a maner that they seem to be the work of nature rather than of art ; but the full description of this temple shall be reservd for another place , viz. for that time that saint marks body was first transported from alexandria to venice , which will appeer in the historicall part as i shall run over the life 's of the dukes . the arsenal of venice is one of the greatest magazins of armes in all the world ; it is . miles in compas , of which circuit the turks seraglio is thought to be ; ther are above . artificers perpetually at work , who make or repair all things belonging therunto ; when these grow impotent through age , yet have they a salary from saint mark as long as they live . this arsenal hath armes to furnish . men and upwards , and hath constantly belonging to it . gallies in dock or abroad in course , besides her galeasses and galeons , with all provisions necessary for them : when henry the third passd from poland to france by venice , he went to see this arsenal , and in lesse than two howers ther was a new gallie made in his presence , and launchd ; he so admired the place , that he sayed he wold be willing to exchange three of his best townes in france , except paris , for the arsenal of venice ; here is commonly kept that ancient and admired vessell calld the bucentoro , built above . yeers since , yet is she fresh and bewtifull ; in this the prince is rowed evry ascension-day in wonderfull great state to the sea , being accompanied by the senat and ambassadors , and throwing a gold ring into the water he espouseth the sea to the cittie once evry yeer : which rare priviledg pope alexander endowed the cittie withall , as an argument of his gratitud to her for preserving him from the fury of the emperour frederic barbarossa , for taking otho his son prisoner in his quarrell , and for restoring him to saint peters chaire again when he was fledd from rome to venice for shelter ; he allso gave the republic a priviledg to seal with lead the same time , and made her lady of all the adriatic gulph which extends above . miles . this bucentoro is the self-same vessell wherin pope alexander performd this ceremony of marrying venice to the sea many hundred yeers agoe , and she is still usd to fetch in ambassadors and forren princes when they come to visitt the cittie ; but though she be still taken for the same shipp , yet i beleeve ther is little of the first materialls remaining in her , she hath bin so often trimmd , putt upon the carine , and metamorphosd . the sight of this shipp when i was there , made me think on theseus famous shipp ( as i have it elswhere ) nay , it made me fall upon an abstracted notion of philosophy , and a speculation touching the body of man , which being in a continuall flux , and succession of decay , and consequently requiring ever and anon a restauration of what it loseth of the vertu of the former nutriment , and of what was digested after the third concoction into bloud and fleshy substance , which , as in all other sublunary bodies that have internall principles of heat in them , useth to transpire , breath out and wast away through invisible pores by exercise , motion and sleep , to make room still for a supply of new nouriture ; i fell , i say , to consider whether our bodies may be sayed to be of the like condition with this bucentoro , which though it be still reputed the same vessell , yet i beleeve ther 's very little of the first timber remaining in her which she had in her first dock , having bin , as they told me , so often plankd , and ribd , caukd , peecd and gilt : in like maner i considerd our bodies may be sayed to be daylie repaird by fresh sustenance which begetts new bloud , and consequently new spiritts , new humors , and i may well say new flesh , the old by continuall deperdition and insensible transpirations evaporating still out of us , and giving way to fresh ; so that i made a question whether by reason of these perpetuall reparations and accretions the body of man may be sayed to be the same numericall body in his old age that he had in his manhood , or the same in his manhood that he had in his youth , the same in his youth that he carried about him in his childhood , or the same in his childhood which he woare in his mothers womb ; this was the theory which the sight of that amphibious old yet fresh venetian peece of wood infusd into me at that time . this rare vessell is calld bucentoro as som think of his centum , because she holds . persons in her besides the rowers , who are more ▪ she is richly gilt over from stemm to stern having but one room in all , which is archwise ; the arches on both sides are supported with golden pillers , except where the duke sitts at the upper end , and hard by him lies venice her-self mounted upon a winged lion , rowed by . oares on both sides , and . men to evry oar. besides the church and steeple of saint mark ther is the piazza of saint mark , which is the fairest , and the most spacious markett place of all the townes of italie , and beares the form of a greek Γ. here one shall see daylie walking and negotiating all sorts of nations , not only europaeans , but arabians , moores , turks , egyptians , indians , tabrobanes , tartars , americans , asians , brasilians , &c. of which place these ingenious verses were composd by one who was astonishd with the bewtie of it : si placeat varios hominum cognoscere vultus , area longa patet sancto contermi●…a marco , celsus ubi adriacas venetus leo despicit undas , hic circum gentes cunctis è partibus orbis , aethiopes , turcos , slavos , arabésque , syrósque , inveniésque cypri , cretae , macedúmque colonos , innumerósque alios varia regione profectos ; saepe etiam nec visa prius , nec cognita cerne●… , quae si cuncta velim tenui describere versu , heic omnes citiùs nautas , celerésque phaselos , et simul adriaci pisces numerabo profundi . now , we will enter into the tresury of saint mark , which is so much cryed up throughout the world , that it is com to be a proverb when one wold make a comparison of riches : in this tresury they say ther is enough to pay . kings ransoms , ther are jewells of all sorts of incredible greatnes and value , diamonds , rubies , saphyres , emerauds , cupps of agat of a huge bignes , the great diamond which henry the third gave the republic when he was made gentleman of venice ; ther you may see an armour all of massie gold , and besett all over with large pearl , turkies , rubies , and all maner of precious stones in such a quantity and bignes as they alone wold be enough to make a tresure ; ther are allso . corsletts of gold besett with precious stones ; ther is a huge gold chain that reacheth from piller to piller ; divers chests of gold , among others ther is one great iron chest with this motto engraven upon it , quando questo scrinio s'aprirá , tutto'l mundo tremera , when this chest shall open , the whole earth shall tremble : ther are allso there to be seen two large hornes which are unicorns ; a great bottle made of a chalcedonian stone transparent and cleer , and so bigg that it will hold above a quart ; ther is allso a garnett of a vast greatnes , formd into the shape of a kettle that will hold neer upon a gallon ; ther are divers crosses and crucifixes of pure massie gold , besett with jewells of all sorts ; ther are allso to be seen there the crowns of cyprus and candie , as allso that of the dukes of venice , all inlayed with such choice rich diamonds , great rubies , emerauds , saphyres and other stones that wold begett an astonishment in the beholders eye ; in that of the dukes ther is one great ruby that beares . crownes value ; ther are cupps of sundry formes cutt out of rich stones , with dishes of sundry kinds ▪ ther are allso to be seen there divers presses of plate , huge and massie , with statues of sylver , and large chalices of gold , with variety of other rich objects that no eye is capable to judg therof ; ther are allso . crownes more of massie gold which were taken at the sacking of constantinople when the french and the venetian divided the spoyles . ther was a bold and cuning candiot attempted the robbing of this tresury , and — quid non mortalia pectora cogit auri sacra fames ? this candiot lay skulking in saint marks church divers nights , untill he had wrought a mine under the wall behind an altar , and so gott in to the tresury , whence he had embezeld divers rich jewells to the value of about . crownes , but he was detected , and hangd twixt the two columnes ; this tresury may be calld the great arterie of the republic ; the chests have bin often exhausted , and supplied again ; in the warrs with lewis the twelfth of france ther were . millions spent in a short time ; in tugging with genoa , who was then a large potent republic , she spent from time to time above . millions , and against the great turk incredible sommes ; the duke of ossuna when he was viceroy of naples , pickd a quarrell of purpose with her to make her spend her self ; he causd a book to be publishd in disparagement of this tresury , calling it , tesoro de duendes , the tresury of fayries or hobgoblins ; and evry one knowes the tale of pacheco the spanish ambassador , who coming out of curiosity to see this tresury , fell a groping whether it had any bottom , and being askd why ? he answerd , in this among other things my great masters tresures differs from yours , that his hath no bottom as yours i find hath , alluding therby to the mines of mexico and potosi . among other little gentile ilands which attend the cittie of venice , ther is one calld murano , about the distance of a little mile , where crystall glasses are made ; and t is a rare sight to see a whole street where on the one side ther are above twenty furnaces at work perpetually both day and night ; it hath bin observd and tryed , that if one shold remove a furnace from murano to venice her self , nay to the other side of the street , and use the same men , materialls and fuell , and the same kind of furnace evry way , yet one cannot be able to make cristall glasse in the same perfection for bewty and lustre as they do at murano ; and the cause they alledg is the qualitie and cleernes of the circumambient air which hangs ore the place , and favoureth the manufacture , which air is purified and attenuated by the concurrent heats of so many furnaces together which never extinguish , but are like the vestall fyres that allwayes burn ; now it is well known in other places , what qualifying and extraordinary impressions the air useth to make , as particularly t is observd in the air of egypt where they use to have so many common furnaces to hatch eggs in camells dung , if , during the time of hatching the air happen to be orecast and obnubilated , not one egg in twenty will take ; but if the skie continue still serene and cleer , not one in a hundred will miscarry . the art of glassmaking is very highly valued in venice , for whosoever comes to be a master of that profession is reputed a gentleman ipsa arte , for the art sake ; and it is not without reason , it being a rare kind of knowledg and chymistry to transmute the dull bodies of dust and sand , for they are the only main ingredients , to such a diaphanous pellucid dainty body , as we see cristall glasse is , which hath this property above gold and silver , or any other mineral , to endure no poyson ; glasse allso hath this rare qualitie , that it never loseth any thing of its first substance and weight , though usd never so frequently , and so long : it is wonderfull to see what diversitie of shapes and strange formes those curious artists will make in glasse , as i saw a complete gallie , with all her masts , sayles , cables , tackling , prore , poope , forecastle , anchors , with her long boat , all made out in cristall glasse , as allso a man compleat in armor . when i saw so many sorts of curious glasses blown at murano , i thought upon the complement which a gentleman put upon a lady , who having five or six comly daughters , sayed by way of complacency , that he never saw such a dainty cupboard of cristall glasses in all his life . as i stood prying into the materialls , and observ'd the frame of their furnaces , the transubstantiations , the calcinings and liquefactions that are incident to this fyerie art , my thoughts were raysed up to a higher speculation , viz. that if such a small furnace fyre had vertu to convert lumps of dust and sand crumbled together into such a transparent body as cristall , surely that great universall fyrewhich shall happen at the day of judgment , may by its fervor and violent ardor vi●…rifie and turn to one masse of cristall the whole body of the earth . they have a saying there , that the first hansom woman was made of venice glasse , which implies beuty , but brittlenes withall , and venice is not unfurnishd with cretures of that mould ; her courtisans love variety , and this makes them so fond of strangers ; they go allwayes vayld in black , wheras wifes and women of honor go in colours and unvayld ; they are low and of small statures for the most part , which makes them to rayse their bodies upon high shooes calld chapins , which gave one occasion to say that the venetian ladies were made of three things , one part of them was wood , meaning their chapins , another part was their apparrell , and the third part was a woman ; the senat hath often endeavourd to take away the wearing of those high shooes , but all women are so passionately delighted with this kind of state that no law can weane them from it : a story runns of a strange gentleman , who being extremely enamord with one of them bargaind for a nights lodging for so many crownes , but in the morning finding her so low and little from what she had appeerd the day before he wold pay her but the one half of what he had contracted , in regard she was but half the woman that had bargaind with him formerly . among other peculiar lawes in venice ther is one that limitts the dowries of women , for lest the patricians or gentlemen shold exhaust their estate , and not be able to live like themselfs , they restrain the dowry to . crownes , so that no senator or nobleman may give more with his daughter ; but a plebean marrying his daughter to a gentleman may give . crownes . the trade of the cittie of venice hath bin somwhat declining since the portuguais found out the carreer to the east indies by the cape of good hope , for this cittie was usd to fetch all those spices , and other indian commodities from the gran cayro in egypt , whither they usd to be carried upon camells backs , and convoyes of dromedaries threescore dayes journey ; and so venice usd to dispence all kind of indian marchandises through the countreys of christendom , which not only the portuguais , but the english and hollander use now to transport , and may be sayd to be the chief masters of the trade , yet ther is no outward appearance of poverty , or any kind of decay in this soft effeminat city , but she is still fresh and florishing , abounding with all kind of comerce , and flowing with all bravery and delight , all which may be had at cheap rates ; which made those that could not tell how to use the plesures of venice aright , to give out this saying of her venetia , venetia chi non te vede non te pregia , mà , chi ' t' ha troppo veduto te despregia , in english thus rendred : venice , venice , none thee unseen can prize , who hath seen thee too much , will thee despise . they speak of an old prophecie , that venice shall continue a virgin untill her husband forsakes her , meaning the sea , to whom pope alexander married her long since , and the nuptialls are confirmd and solemnly revivd evry yeer ; now som observe that the sea in som places doth not love her so deeply as he did , for he beginns to shrink and grow shallower in som places about her , nor are her tides so high ; nor doth the pope who was the father that gave her to the sea affect her as much as formerly he did , specially since the expulsion of the jesuitts , and that she fell a clipping the temporall possessions of the clergie , as shall be shown , which make som of her emulators bode her downfall , since that father and husband begin to abandon her. in that notable league of cambray pope iulius incited all christendom against her , so that her maydenhead was never more likely to be taken than at that time , but by her extraordinary submission she charmd the pope by her . senators whom she sent disguisd to rome , and allso by that humble embassie she sent to maximilian the emperour by antonio iustiniano , whose notable oration was this that followeth , though it be not to be found among her records . veteres philosophos , atque summos illis temporibus viros , invictissime caesar , ●…um eam gloriam quae ex sui ipsius victoria comparatur , veram , firmam , aeternam , immortalémque esse affirmârunt ▪ eámque supra omnia regna , trophaea atque triumphos extulerunt minimè errasse manifestum , certúmque est ; haec scipioni majori tot victoriis claro majorem splendorem quàm africa devicta , & carthago domita dedit : nonne haec eadem res magnum illum macedonem immortalitate donavit ? cum darius maximo praelio ab eo victus deos immortales ut regnum suum stabilirem precatus est , quod si secus statuissent se non alium successorem quàm tam benignum hostem , tam mansuetum ab illis petere : caesar ille dictator à quo caesaris cognomentum habes , & ejus fortunam , libertatem , magnificentiam aliásque virtutes obtines , nonne concedendo , remittendo , condonando qui in deorum numerum referretur dignus est judicatus ? denique senatus populusque romanus ille mundi domitor cujus imperium in te solo est , cujusque amplitudo & majestas in te conspicitur , nonne plures populos ac provincias clementia , aequitate & mansuetudine quàm bello armisque imperio suo subjecit ? quae cum ita sint minimè inter postremas laudes id tibi ascribetur , caesar , si cùm victoriam adversus venetos in potestate tua habeas , quàm humanae res caducae sint memor , ea moderatè uti noveris , magis ad pacis studia , quàm incertos belli eventus propensus ; quanta enim rerum humanarum inconstantia sit , quàm incerti casus , quàm dubius , fallax , varius periculisque obnoxius sit mortalium status externus , priscisque exemplis ostendere non est opus , satis supérque respublica veneta docet , quae paulò ante florens , splendens , clara , atque ita potens erat , ut ejus nomen & fama , non europae finibus terminaretur , sed egregia pompa africam , asiámque percurreret , atque in extremis orbis terrarum finibus magno cum plausu resonaret ; haec eadem nunc unico eoque levi adverso praelio rerum gestarum gloria orbata , opibus spoliata , lacerata , conculcata atque eversa , omnium rerum ac praesertim consilii egens ita corruit ut omnis pristinae virtutis imago consenuerit , omnisque armorum ardor defferbuerit ; sed falluntur , falluntur proculdubio galli si haec propriae virtuti tribuunt ; antehac enim veneti gravioribus incommodis agitati , maximis detrimentis cladibúsque perculsi atque attriti , nunquam animum abjecerunt , ne tum quidem cum ingenti periculo cum saevissimo turcarum tyranno multos annos bella gesserunt , imo semper ex victis victores facti sunt ; idem & nunc sperassent nisi majestatis tuae tremendo nomine , copiarúmque tuarum vivida invictáque virtute audita , ita omnium animi concidissent , ut nulla non modò vincendi , sed ne obsistendi quidem spes relicta sit ; quocirca armis abjectis in majestatis tuae incredibili clementia , vel potiùs divina pietate spem omnem locavimus , quam nos nostris rebus perditis inventuros minimè diffidimus : itaque principis , senatus , populusque veneti nomine humili devotione supplices oramus , obtestamur , atque obsecramus , ut clementiae tuae oculis res nostras afflictas aspicere digneris , iisque salutarem medicinam afferre , omnes pacis leges , quas tu nobis imposueris amplectemur , omnes , justas , honestas & ab aequitate rationeque minimè alienas ducemus ; sed forsan qui nobis ipsis mulctam imponamus , digni sumus : ad te verum & legitimum principem omnia quaecunque majores nostri sacro imperio & austriae ducatui ademerunt , rede●…nt , quibus ut decentiùs veniant omnia quaecunque in continente possidemus adjungimus quarum rerum juribus quocunque modo partis cedimus ; praeterea , quotannis tuae majestati & legitimis imperii sucessoribus in perpetuum quingenta auri pondo tributi nomine pendemus , imperiis , decretis , legibus , praeceptisque tuis libenter obtemperabimus . defende nos quaeso ab illorum cum quibus paulo ante arma nostra conjunximus insolentia , quos nunc saevissimos hostes experimur , qui nihil aliud expetunt quàm veneti nominis interitum ; tua ista clementia conservata te urbis nostrae parentem , genitorem , conditoremque appellabimus ▪ ingentia tua beneficia in annales referemus , liberis nostris perpetuò memorabimus ; nec verò parva haec erit ad laudes tuas accessio te primum esse ad cujus pedes veneta respublica supplex se humi prosternat , cui cervices supponat , quem velut deum coelo delapsum colat , revereatur , observet : si deus optimus maximus eam mentem majoribus nostris dedisset , ut res aliorum non attingere non studuissent , jam nostra respublica gloriae plena reliquas europae civitates longè superarat , quae nunc in squalore , sordibus & foetore languescens , ignominia , probroque deformis ludibrio atque contumelia referta unico momento omnium victoriarum laudem amisit ; sed ut unde incepit eò mea revertatur oratio , in tua potestate est , caesar , venetis tuis ignoscendo & condonando nomen laudemque comparare qua nemo unquam vincendo majorem splendidiorémque adeptus est ; hoc monumentum nulla vetustas , nulla antiquitas , nullus temporis cursus è memoria hominum delebit , sed omnia saecula te pium , clementem , omnium principum gloriosissimum praedicabunt , confitebuntur : nos tui veniti quod vivimus , quod auras coelestes carpimus , quod hominum comercio fruimur id omne tuae virtuti , faelicitati , clementiaeque tribuimus . though this pittifull speech be not to be found among the records of this republic , yet it is kept to this day in the archives of the empire , and because it is so remarkable a one we hold it not amisse to render it in english. most invincible emperour , the ancient philosophers , and the great men of their times did not err in their opinions when they esteemd that glorie which one gaines by a conquest over himself to be the truest , the most firm , and best of victories , and to exceed all other acquests , achievements , trophyes and triumphs ; this pourchasd scipio major more honor , and made him more illustrious than by debelling of afric , and daunting the proud cittie of carthage : did not the same kind of victorie make that great macedonian immortall , when king darius being discomfited by him prayed the immortall gods that they wold establish his kingdom , which if they pleasd to ordain otherwise he desird no better successor than so mild an enemy , and gentle a conqueror . that caesar the dictator , from whom you have your sirname , and whose fortune , liberality , magnificence and other high virtues you inherit , was not he judgd worthy to be placd among the gods for his clemency , concessions , gentlenes and mercy ? lastly , the senat and peeple of rome who were the tamers of the world , whose empire is now soly in you , and whose amplitude and majesty doth so shine in you , did not they reduce more nations to their obedience by their justice , equity and mansuetude than by warr and arms ? since this is a know truth , o caesar , it will not be the least of your glories , since that you have the victorie ore the venetians now in your hands and power , to call to mind how frayl all humane things are , and consequently to use your victory with moderation , and to incline more to the study of peace , than the doubtfull events of warr ; for how inconstant all mundane affaires are , how casual , various , false and flattering , how obnoxious the state of mortalls is to hazard and danger , i shall not need to illustrat either by new or old examples ; the venetian commonwealth shewes it sufficiently , which being a little while agoe florishing and splendid , illustrious and renowned , and so powerfull that her name and renown was not contented to be bounded within the precincts of europe only , but it passd over to afric and asia , and rebounded with no ordinary applause in the extremest parts of the world : this , this republic is now by one and that but a slight battail deprivd of the glory of all her tropheys , she is bereft of her wealth , torn as it were in peeces and trampled upon , daunted and overcom , being destitut of all things specially of councel , so that the image of her former virtues are faded and allmost utterly defacd , and her wonted heat in arms quite allayed . for in former times the venetians being oppressed with greater calamities , and harassd with worse miseries , ill successes and misfortunes , yet they never lost their spirits , no not then when with infinite losses , dangers and hazards they bore up for many yeers against that most cruell tyrant the turk ; nay from being overcom they became conquerors afterwards , they might hope the like now , but the redouted name of your majesty , and the invincible vertu of your military forces being understood , their hearts are so dejected , that ther is little left us to resist , much lesse to overcom ; but they are deceav'd , yea mightily deceav'd if the french attribute any thing of this to their valour . therefore all armes being cast away we place all our hopes in the rare clemency , or rather the divine piety of your imperiall majesty : and in the name of the prince , the senat and peeple of venice , with humble devotion and in most supplicant maner we pray , beseech and implore that you wold vouch safe to behold with the countenance of compassion our most afflicted condition , and to apply som comfortable remedy unto them : all the laws of peace that you shall impose upon us , we will embrace , we shall obey all just , honest and equitable comands not swarving from reason ; but haply we deserve that we lay a necessity upon our self , that all things may return to you as tru and lawfull prince that which our progenitors took from this sacred empire , and the dukedom of austria , which that it may be don more handsomly , we add whatsoever we possesse in the continent , we yeeld , notwithstanding any rites we can clayme unto them . moreover we are willing to pray every yeer to your majesty , and the lawfull successors of the empire weight of gold in lieu of tribut , and we are ready to obey all decrees , manats , precepts or lawes , that come from your majesty . defend us therefore from those , we beseech you , with whom we lately joyned our armes , who we find now to be most cruell enemies , which study nothing more then the utter ruin of the venetian name ; being preserved by this : our clemency we shall call you our farther , and parent , our protector and founder , and we shall digest these your mighty benefits into our annalls , and our late nephews , shall be ever mindfull of them : and truly this will be no small accession of glory to you , that you were the first before whom the republic of venice did present her self , to whom she layed down her neck , whom she adores , and reverenceth as som god decended from heaven . if almighty god had given our ancestros that mind that they had not middled so much with other mens things , our republic had surpass'd by this time all the citties of europe , whereas she is now forlorn and squalid , coverd over with ashes , ignominy and shame , having in a moment as it were had her beauty blasted , and becom a derision to all nations , and lost the glory of all her former victories ; but that my speech may return where it began , it lieth in your power o caesar , that pardoning and absolving your venetians you pourchase now to your self a name and glory then which never any got a greater by conquest or victory . this monument no age , no time , no antiquity or cours of mortall things shall ever deface out of our memories , but all ages shall confesse , declare , and proclaime you to be the most pious , and most glorious of all princes , we your venetians shall ascribe it to your goodnesse , that we live and breath the celestiall air , that we have the conversation of men , we impute it all to your vertu , felicity , and clemency . this was the lamentable speech , that the mayden republic breath'd out before the emperour maximilian , by the mouth of her ambassador antonio iustiniano ; but 't is known that mayds have teares at will , therefore most men thought these words were not cordiall but meer complements , and to temporize , yet they produced a peace , and 't is a cheap peace that is got by a complement ; but this submission the republic made was partly recompencd , by a generous and pious act she did in refusing the help , and auxiliaries which the turk offered her so earnestly in those her extremities . about addua she receavd the mortall'st blow that ever she had , and it was like to have bin as fatall to her as canna to the romans , or pavia to the french king ; the genoways also brought her once to a low ebb , so that she sent very low proposalls to him , which he refusing , she made vertu of necessity , and reinforcing her self soundly bangd him . before i part with this mayden city , i will make a parallel betwixt her and old rome , for of all the cities of italy ther 's none resemble her more in her constitutions and policy , nay she is more like old rome then rome her self as now she is , as if the soul of old rome by a pythagorean kind of meterapluchosis , were transmigrated into her , she is obdurated with the same kind of vigor and vertu as old rome ; but it seemes that she is of a far stonger constitution , and more constant in her way of policy ; som do brand the one to be a shepheards town at first , and venice a fisher town ; 't is tru that rome is fabled to be so , so that it might be said , that when the pope came to be her head she was reduced to her first principles , for as a shepheard was the founder , so a shepheard ( spirituall ) is still her preserver from utter ruin , otherwise she had bin long since turn'd into a heap of rubbish which had becom her tomb ; so that providence seems to have a care of her still , though present rome may be sayed to be but the monument of her self compard to times passd when she was in that florish wherin saint augustin did wish to see her ; she was then of . miles circumference as vopiscus witnesseth , and she had . free cittizens in a famous cense that was made in claudius his time , which allowing but six to evry family in women , children and servants , came to . millions of soules , but she may be sayed to be now but a wildernes in comparison of that nomber , yet she is esteemd to have yet bout . miles incircuit ; moreover she is much humbled since the church came to be her head , for wheras she was before elevated upon seven hills , she now spreads her-self upon a flatt , having descended to the plaines of campus martius : so she who tamd the world seemd to tame her-self at last , and falling under her own weight grew to be a prey to time , who with his iron teeth consumes all bodies at last , making all things both animat and inanimat which have their being under that changeling the moon to be subject unto corruption and dissolution . a parallel twixt the government of old rome and venice . the greatest thing wherin old rome differs from venice , is , that after kings or souverain princes rome was governd by consulls , but here clean contrary , after consulls a doge or princely head came to govern , yet doth he carry still the badg of a consull in the vest upon his back . among the romans tribunus celerum he who had the comand of the cavalrie had the chiefest charge , just so , the venetians use to create a captain general of the armies in the continent ; and as he at rome defended the king , and cittie , and was the first that assalted the enemy , and the last that left the field , so doth the venetian general , therfore he hath the next place to the prince himself . moreover , a good while passd when the consulls could not levy the cense which evry one according to his substance was bound to pay in regard of other more important affaires wherin they were involvd , therfore the censors were chosen , so calld because their first office was to gather the cense , which was to know the nomber of cittizens , and putt an estimat upon their states , and so a tax ; afterwards this magistrat did grow to that esteem and use , that he came to have authority allso over the maners and customes of the romanes , and to have superintendency both of the senat , the cavalry and gards . in conformity to this office ther are ten censors in venice which are calld vulgarly gli dieci savii , the ten sages , who supervise not only the cense but the customes allso of the cittie ; but the cittie encreasing , and peeple multiplying daylie with busines , venice did choose other censors giving them authority over the pomp , the food and rayment of the cittizens ; which magistrats are calld la giustitia nuova , instituted in the time of renier zeno , who have authority over all inns , hostries , and lodgers of strangers . the romans , peeple still encreasing , and having warrs in divers places , created in tract of time a new officer of greater authority whom they calld dictator ; from him ther was no appeale to be made , and he had in the highest way of authority power over the life 's of men : the general of the sea among the venetians hath som resemblance with this officer , only with this difference , that he is chosen upon extraordinary ocasions , but as long as he is abroad he hath a dictatorian power , for to what maritim place soever he arrives he hath the keys of the town brought him , with those of any castle or fortresse . but here it is to be observd , that this officer cannot enter venice with any armed gallie , but as soon as he comes to istria , which is distant . miles from venice , he payes the mariners and all other officers their salaries , and so disbands them , and returns to venice with a very few of his retinue : this corresponds with the custom of the romanes , who usd to restrain their generall to passe over the river rubicon by this peremptory comand , imperator , sive miles , sive tyrannus armatus quisquis , sistito , vexillum armáque deponito nec citra hunc amnem rubiconem trajicito : emperour , or soldier , or tyrant , whosoever thou art , putt off thy armor , else crosse not this river . this was the reason that iulius caesar was declard enemy to rome because he had passd that river . afterwards in rome they added to the dictator officers calld magistri equitum , who shold be present at all councells ; and in case the dictator shold be sick they were to execut his office , as being as it were his compagnous , and witnesses of his virtues : just so , the venetians use to choose two proveditori in evry army who have the next place to the generall , and must be present at all councells , and have a concurrence of their opinions before any enterprize . besides these the venetians make choice of three of the patrician order , whom they stile auvogadori de communi , who resemble tribunos plebis in rome ; these three are rather sollicitors then judges for the peeple , they are their intercessors upon all ocasions . add herunto that the romanes thought it fitting to choose officers that should have care of the profitt , the ornament and provision of the cittie , therfore did they constitut divers persons of probitie , and known integrity , and they went all under the name of aediles ; the first two they did choose , were to have speciall care of the temples and fanes , as as allso of other fabriques and ornaments of the cittie , which officers were stiled aediles ●…dium : ther were others calld aediles curules , whose charge it was to supervise all weights and mesures : ther were others calld aediles cercales , who supervisd all sorts of grain , of oile and such provision : in venice ther are sundry officers that may be compard to these aediles . first , the procurators of saint mark , who have the superintendence of the church , and the tresury therof : then com the proveditori alla sanitá , which have it in charge to see that no noisom and unwholsom things be brought into the cittie , the generall health and incolumity wherof they are to study : next them are the proveditori all ▪ acque , who supervise the waters , lakes and channells within and without the cittie , which they are to see scowrd and cleansd : then follow signori alla giustitia vecchia , the lords of the old justice , who severely punish those that are discoverd to have false weights , and they sett reasonable prizes upon fruits and other things : then is ther another sort of aediles calld proveditori alla farina , that supervise the mesure and the wholsomnes of all kind of graines , and that they be well conditiond : then is ther another sort of edills calld proveditori all sale , who rent all the salt pitts , provided that the cittie be servd at reasonable rates : then are ther other sorts of aediles calld gli signori alla ternaria vecchia , who were instituted in the time of giovanni dandalo , who supervise the oil ; then gli signori alla grassa , who supervise cheese , bacon , and all salt things : then signori del vino , who look to the condition and rates of all kinds of wines ; then gli signori di panni d'oro , who take a speciall care that no fraud be us'd in the making and vending of any gold , silver , tissue , or silk stuffs ; then you have the signori della dogana di mare , which were instituted in the government of tomaso mocenigo , whose charge is to look to the freight of all sorts of ships and gallies , if they go laden with any marchandize , and overlook that the republick be not cosned in her imposts ; lastly , ther be a sort of ediles calld delle ragion vecchie , who have it comitted to their charge that in case any ambassador com , or any forren prince into the city , they are to see that he be entertaind , and defrayd by the publick expence of s. marke . the romanes had also officers calld quaestores , who receav'd and distributed the public treasure , and they were calld so ab inquirenda pecunia , from making search after moneys ; so in venice ther are such officers calld camerlinghi , who have the very same charge . and as the questors in rome were to accompanie the emperour or generall , to keep account of the publick salaries , and treasures ; so the venetians when war happens use to send their camerlinghi to the army , who are always present with the generall , and do not only administer the public stock , but supervise all preyes and booties taken from the enemy . in rome ther were questors allso in times of peace ; so likewise in all the cities belonging to the republick , ther are such questors who have power to recover , spend and pay the public deniers , whereof they use to send a particular account to the senat with the treasure that remaines unspent ; in resemblance to these roman questors , ther are divers other officers in the republic of venice , as gli governatori dell ' entrate they who receave the public revenues of the signorie , with all sorts of gabells and impositions . ther are also i signori sopra i conti , who are as it were the auditors generall , and look to all public accounts that belong to the republic . ther is la dogana da terra , and l'vsata , whereof the one lookes to all commodities imported , the other to all exported . ther is an office also calld the messetaria , who takes up two in the hundred in sale of all stable goods , as well within as without the city . but those questors which are paymasters , are only the three chambers the tr●… camere de monti , the old , the new , and the subsidiary mount , who daily disburse and pay moneys . besides these ther were among the romans , other questors calld quaestores candidati , so called because they went clad in white , whose office was to read in the senat all kind of letters that were of any moment . the chancellor of venice resembleth this questor , who is of the rank of citizens , and of mighty repute among all men ; because he only while he lives , can see , know and understand all things that is agitated in the senat , although the most secret transactions ; he goes in a senatorian habit , and is held a most honorable person , although he be not of the patrician and noble order . it is time now to speak of the decemvirs , who , all other magistrates being casheerd in the city of rome , were created to have the sole and superintendent power of all things ; every one of these was used to sit upon the tribunall ten dayes , and determine all matters , and they were used to succeed one another ; in imitation hereof the venetians have the same magistrates who jump with those of rome both in nomber and authority , which is vulgarly calld il consiglio di dieci , the councell of ten ; that in rome dur'd for a yeer , and so doth this , both of them were without appeal unlesse it be in venice to the colledg , and then a busines is sayd to go à l'altra mano . in this rome and venice differ , that this kind of magistrate in the one was of short continuance , and quickly perished , but this in venice hath for many hundr'd yeers continued to the great wellfare and safety of the city ; when the decemviri in rome were created all other officers ceasd , it is otherwise here ; those governd only for ten days , and of these three are chosen every moneth , which are calld glitre capi ; one of them alone hath no power to judge or refer , but he must have another to joyn with him , but in both citties they were advancd to the decemvirat who precelld others in experience and age , in probity and known sufficiency . there were allso a long time after the foundation of rome officers elected called praetors , for the story relates the citty stood yeers before any was created ; the wars were the cause of the election of this magistrate , because in the confusion of armes the consulls could not tend all businesses , therefore ther were other judges created calld praetors ; of these praetors ther were among the ancients three sorts , urbani , forenses , or provinciales , the first determind controversies betwixt cittizens and tounsmen ; the second sort decided cases twixt cittizens and countreymen , and the third went to the government of provinces ; so likewise in the republic of venice such praetors are created , and in the same degree of order ; the praetores vrbani are represented by those that are of the corti de petitione , and other offices , which determine all differences twixt citizens ; the praetores forenses are those that preside in the ufficio calld del forastiero , and the provinciall praetors are represented by those who go up and down the dominions and cities that are under the obedience of the republic , & they are calld praetors or podestá . the first officers in this kind were del petitione , and they were sufficient at first to dispatch all sorts of differences , but afterwards in proces of time , businesses augmenting with the age and strength of the signorie , ther were divers other magistrates of the same kind created . the iudici de petitione determind all sutes as far as ducketts , or any above . they cause all bargaines to be performed ; they tax the allowance of pupills for their sustenance , and education , unlesse they be within the precincts of the procurators of s. mark. ther be other officers stild guidici all' officio del mobile , they determine all controversies and causes ducketts upwards that happen about moveables , and personall estates . ther are allso judgesexaminers ; ther be other officers calld cataveri , which is much of the same nature though inferior in degree to the camerlinghi ; ther is another officer calld il pio vego , who takes cognizance of all contracts tending to usury , this officer hath allso care of the public ways ; ther be other officers calld syndicks , which supervize all public expences ; ther be others calld sopragastaldi , who put in execution the sentences that are pass'd by other judges , and sell the goods brought in by sentence of the court ; and because som error may arise in the sale of such goods , ther 's another office calld de superiori , who are to censure the acts of the sopragastaldi ; to these may be added the consulls and sopra consoli , who are peculiar officers touching marchants affaires , and carry the busines so that a bankrupt cannot be utterly ruind . the last kind of pretor is del forestiero , who determines differences twixt venetians and forener , or twixt forener and forener . all controversies touching rents of houses go before these judges , as allso touching the hyre of shipps and barkes . the romanes had also certaine officers calld centumviri , in analogy to whom the republic hath consilio di quarentie , or the councell of . and hence it may be sayd that the division sprung it being of three orders , viz. two upon civill causes , and the third upon criminall ; touching civill causes the one is calld la vecchia , before whom all causes com from the auditori vecchi , whereof former mention hath bin made ; the other is calld la nuova created by the pisan law , where all causes that are introducd into the court by the auditori nuovi are decided ; but in tract of time controversies multiplying together with the peeple , il collegio de venti savii , the colledg of sages were adjoynd to it , who take cognizance of differences as far as duckets ; and lastly the colledg of twelve was added , who shold terminat all sutes as far as crownes : so the centumviri in rome were divided to ●…ower councells , whence came the saying iudicium quadruplex , who usd to meete in foro ducario , and in ancient times in the church of saint iulia , which places were so contiguous , that they could overheare one another as quintilian observes . these counsells of have three heads or presidents of their order , who for two moneths have the precedency of the rest , and introduce the causes which are to be handled ; they cast lotts in three boxes , whereof one is in favor , the other clean contrary , and the third nor one nor the other , which is call'd non syncero . the romans had also foure men who had care of the streets , and the same officers are in venice , who are calld proveditori di comun , whose care and industry is to keep the streets well repaird , with the bridges , whereof ther is nere upon of all sorts , with other public places ; but whereas ther were foure officers in rome of this nature , ther are but three in venice , yet they have many for their substituts . moreover ther were in rome three officers who supervizd the coines of gold and silver , ther are the same number in venice , who are proveditori alla zeccha . after all these com the prefects or captains that are appointed for the goverment of citties abroad , who may be 〈◊〉 compard to the prefects of places among the romans , and their office is the very same ; they have care of the walls of the cittie , with the gates thereof , and upon any insurrection they have power to rayse and assemble the inhabitants of the place to suppresse it ; they sett the gards , and look to all things that tend to conservation and outward security of the cittie . ther were allso in rome officers calld praefecti victuum , that had care to see the place well provided with victualls , and prevent famine by bringing in corn and other necessaries from abroad ; so in venice ther are three chosen that have the like charge , which are called prodveditori alle biade , and upon extraordinary ocasions ther are other two added to them calld sopra proveditori , but these kind of officers may be rankd more properly among the aediles . lastly , the romans had an officer calld the praefectus vigiliarum , who had care to prevent all fyrings of houses , and if any happend to suppresse and extinguish it , before it shold spread further , as allso to take cognizance of burglaries , thefts and robberies don in the night time ; so the republic of venice , who hath bin industrious to search into all lawes , holding it no disparagment to imitat any that may tend to her better wellfare , have ten gentlemen elected , who are divided to two parts , but both calld signori di notte ; to the one five are brought all civill causes , to the other all criminal that have relation to the night ; the office of these is to secure evry one in his own precinct , and prevent that the obscurity of the night do not procure dommage to any body , to prevent murthers , and breaking into houses . of the precincts or sextaries of the cittie of venice . now the whole cittie is divided to . precincts , viz. castello , s. marco , canareio , s. paolo , s. croce and dorsoduro : under castello ther are s. pietro , s. biasio , s. martino , s. gio : baptista in bragora , s. antonino , s. trinitá , s. severo , s. procolo , s. gio : di nuovo , s. maria formosa , s. marina , s. leone , and the church of the dominican fryers , s. francesco della vigna , s. antonio , ss . giovanni è paolo , s. francesco di paola , and the nunnes of that order ; s. maria delle virgine , s. daniele , s. anna , s. gioseppe , s. maria celeste , s. sepolchro , s. lorenzo , s. giovanni laterano , and s. zaccheria , with other churches of s. gio : di forlani , di ss . filippo , è giacopo , and of s. georgio of greece . in s. marks precinct ther is s. marks church her-self , s. gemmiano , s. moise , s. maria sobenigo , s. mauritio , s. vitale , s. samuele , s. angelo , s. benedetto , s. paterniano , s. fantino , s. luca , s. salvatore , s. bartelmeo , s. iuliano , and s. basso : s. stephano , s. salvatore , with nunnes of that order ; s. rocco , santa margherita , s. theodoro , s. maria di consolatione , s. maria di broglio , and the school of iustitia . in canareio ther are s. lucia , s. gieremia , ss . erma●…orn , and fortunato , s. maria madalena , s. marciale , s. fosca , s. felice , s. sofia , ss . apostoli , s. canciano , s. maria nuova , s. gio : chrysostomo , and s. leonardo ; de frati s. iobbs , s. maria de servi , s. maria del horto , s. maria de crocecchieri , with the nunnes of s. lucia , s. catarina , corpo di christo , s. luigi , s. gyrolamo , and s. maria de miracoli . in the precincts of saint paul ther are these parishes , s. paolo , s. tomaso , s. stefano confessore , s. agostino , s. ubaldo , s. apollinare , s. sylvestro , s. gio : eleemosinario , s. mateo , s. giacopo , frati di s. maria , and frati minori . in santa croce ther are these parishes , s. croce , s. simeon profeta , ss . simon , s. guida apostolo , s. gio : decollato , s. giacopo del orio , s. eustasio , s. maria mater domini , s. cassano , s. nicoló di talentino , the nunnes of s. croce , s. andrea , s. chiara . but it is to be observd that in som precincts som ilands are included , with churches belonging to monasteries , as s. helena , s. andrea della certosa , s. georgio maggiore , s. clemente , s. maria delle gratie , s. spirito , s. francesco dal diserto , s. giacopo di paludo , s. nicolo di lito , s. christoforo della pace , s. michaele , s. georgio in alga , s. angelo di concordia , s. secondo , with the nunnes of s. servolo , with other of s. erasmo , s. lazaro , lazaretto nuovo , lazaretto vecchio . lastly , in dorsoduro ther are these parishes , s. nicoló , s. rafaele , s. basilio , s. margherita , s. pantaleone , s. barnaba , ss . gervasa and barnabá , s. portasio , s. agnese , ss . vito and modesto , s. gregorio , s. eufemia della giudeca , frati di s. giacopo della giudeca , il redentore , s. gio : della giudeca , s. sebastiano , i carmeni , maria della curitá , the nunnes of s. biasio catoldo , s. croce della giudeca , ss . cosmo è damiano , le convertite , s. marta , s. maria maggiore , lo spirito santo , ogni santi , la trinita ▪ , le citelle , abbatie & priorati , s. georgio maggiore , s. nicolo di lito , s. gregorio , s. giovanni della giudeca , s. tomaso di borgognoni , s. andrea della certosa , s. helena , s. gio : del templo , la trinitá , la misericordia , s. gio : evangelista , s. gio : laterano ; in the precinct of dorsoduro the jesuitts had nested themselfs untill they were thrust out . ther are divers rich hospitalls allso in venice , the first is di giesu christo à s. antonio , di s. pietro è s. paolo , della pieta , della casa di dio , à s. martino à i croceccheri , alla misericordia , alla carita , à s. gio : evangelista , à s. croce , à s. andrea , à s. vito , al volto santo , à s. ubaldo , à s. rafaele , à s. gio : paolo all' incurabili , s. lazaro , lebocole , lazaretto vecchio , lazaretto nuovo , ill soccorso , & quello de mendicanti . ther 's no place on earth where ther is greater provision for poor maydens , in so much that evry yeer ther are great nombers married out of the common stock , and they the mayds of saint mark , or della caritá , della misericordia , di s. gio : evangelista , di san rocco , or di san teodoro , &c. herin allso venice doth imitat her mother rome , whose principall endeavour was to pourchase an opinion of piety and holines among all peeple , that by that bayt they might com under her obedience the sooner ; so that she hath in churches , monasteries , nunneries , and hospitalls neer upon . nor do i beleeve that he is much wide of the mark who made an estimat of the revenue of the venetian church both in the continent , and islands to be above two millions of crowns . besides old rome , venice did likewise borrow somthing of the greek comon-wealths her neighbours allso , as will appear to any that will be curious to make re-searches into the code and digest of her lawes ; but touching her next neighbour athens , she by dabbling too much with the sea , and forsaking her interests in the continent , undid her self ; but the citty of venice had contrary successe , for the sea made her , and quickned her industry , it made her turn necessity into industry , for , just as the hollander , she having at first no land to manure , fell a plowing up the sea , and by putting a bridle in neptunes mouth , she forcd by art a mansion for her self out of those places which fish shold naturally inhabit ; so that in the midest of the salt surges , and billowes of the hadriatic sea she may be sayd to be mediâ immersabilis undâ . the main instruments that govern this republic are the gentry , for the venetians do call those gentlemen that have a share in the government of this common-wealth , viz. those that have authority to elect the publick magistrats , and have a capacity themselfs to be elected . this prerogative is given unto them by their birth , so as whosoever are born of noble parents ( now these words noble and gentleman are synonimas amongst them ) is accounted noble , and may at a certain time and manner limited by the lawes , enter into the great councell , where the ordinary election of magistrats is made ; into this rank are receavd either those , who having bin the chief inhabitants of the cittie , and being most famous for vertue or wealth , have from the beginning had the managing of public affaires ; or allso those who for som notable exploits or worthy act don in the service of the republic are at sundry times , and upon speciall occasions admitted thereunto , who for the most part have bin of the chief , and noblest familys , or som other place subject to the signorie , or some others to whom by speciall grace and favour this title of nobility hath bin given ; wherein neverthelesse they have carried themselfs very sparingly , it being granted but to lords of great estates , and in this maner were the families of este , gonzaga , and farneses with som other of the chiefest of italy admitted therunto . henry king of poland after the third of that name of france , being at venice among other honors receavd the title of a venetian gentleman , and he seemd to be highly pleasd with the dignity as appeerd by his presents : moreover all those that descend from such as receave this degree , have the same preheminence as their parents in such a tract of time ; but to the end it may be continually maintaind in it's perfection , they do curiously search out the predigrees of those who are to enter into the great councell , not only the nobility of the father , but likewise whether they be born of lawfull matrimony , and of no comon woman , but of some honorable degree and condition , whereof a register is kept by one of the chief magistrates , termd the avogario of the republic . the chief orders of knight-hood in the venetian republic are first those of s. mark , begun in the yeer . and reviv'd anno . they are to be of the noblest sort of patricians ; the second is of the glorious virgin instituted by bartholomeo of vicenza , and is more ancient then the other for it was instituted anno . their charge is to protect widowes and orphans , and to defend the peace of italy ; it was approvd by pope urban the fourth anno . the armes are a purple crosse between certain stars , a white robe over a russet cloak , but the generall armes are gules , two keyes in saltier , or , stringed azure ; the motto which the knights of s. mark carry is pax tibi marce evangelista ; ther are under the dominions of venice two patriarks , and thirty fower archbishops , and bishops . now it will not be amisse to speak somthing of the military strength of this republic by land and sea ; touching navall power , she hath more gallies and galeasses than all europe besides , and her security depends more upon the sea than shore ; yet she entertaines in constant pay by land foot in lombardy , besides som of the cantons of swisserland and the grisons , in dalmatia and istria she hath about more ; she hath allso in perpetuall pay men of armes , whereof every one must keep two horses a peece , for which they are allowd duckets a yeer , and they are for the most part gentlemen of lombardy ; when she hath any extraordinary expedition to make , she hath a stranger for her generall , and many soverain princes have thought it no disparagement to serve her in this kind , but he is supervizd by two proveditors without whom he cannot attempt any thing . touching the annuall revenues of the republic of venice , they exceed any other state in christendome , and all kings except spain and france , for she hath above foure millions of constant incomes every yeer ; she hath out of brescia her self and her precincts crowns of annuall revenue ; out of padua . out of verana . out of vicenza . out of bergamo . . out of friuli . out of marca trevisana . out of dalmatia . out of the cittie of venice herself above crowns of annuall incomes ; besides what she hath from the greek islands that are under her dominions ; in times of pressing emergences she hath divers wayes to make levies , for the security and advantage of the signorie , among others she hath bin forc'd to make sale of offices , and admit young gentlemen into the great councell before their time ; by this way she hath got many millions from time to time , for preservation of her maydenhead , and supplies of urgent necessities ; but this cours is used with a reservation alwayes , that merit must concur with money , so that it is not the highest bidder that carries it . oftentimes in case of danger she makes the gentry , and cittizens that enjoy any stable possessions under the republic , to advance the rents for so many yeers ; she makes allso some of her magistrats serve her gratis , and without salary for a time ; she allso makes frequent use of lotteries to serve her turn ; and the church useth to contribut very largely , yet they never exact any thing of the ecclesiasticks without acquainting the pope , which is only pro formâ : but the war ceasing , these extraordinary levies cease allso with the cause , and all things return exactly to be in statu quo priùs , which hath often happend , and this makes the peeple contribute more cheerfully , because she is alwayes very carefull to keep her public faith with her subjects inviolable . i will conclude this particular description of the so much admired cittie of venice with one observation more , viz. that ther are few places where ther are more curious and costly books for the illiterat vulgar , for so the romanists term church ▪ images and sculptures , whereof ther are great nombers à la mosaica , and made by the famous titiano a venetian born ; one of the most remarquable is that of the virgin maries at saint marks church , where those who desire to know whether a friend absent be living or dead , use to set up a wax candle in the open aire before the picture , and if the party be living the candle doth quietly burn out be the wind never so high ; if he be dead , the least puff blowes it out according to their belief . ther is also on saint marks walls , among divers others , the picture of two cocks carring away a wolfe , which represents lodovico sforza the duke of milan , and the cocks denote lewis the twelf , and charles the eighth kings of france who outed him of his duchy . ther are allso two emblematicall lions , one meagre and leane lying on the land ; the other plump and fat sporting in the water ; the last refers to s. marks lion the armes of venice , who hath both enrichd , and defended her self , more by the sea than by land ; for whereas som citties of italy are said to be walld with fire ( meaning flint ) venice may more truly be sayd to be walld with water ; it is the water , wherin she lies like a swannes nest , that doth both fence and feed her ; to which purpose she hath many thousands of wooden horses perpetually bringing her provisions , and carrying her inhabitants up and down within and about the citty ; but a horse of flesh were as strange a thing to be seen there as an elephant upon london streets . therfore it were as absurd an impertinency to prefer a farrier to venice , as it was in him who wold have prefer'd a spurrier to queen elizabeth . to speak of the sundry sorts of antiquities , monuments , and ingenious epitaphs , which are in the churches up and down venice , wold afford matter enough to fill volumes , i will only produce an instance of one extraordinary odd kind of epitaph , upon peter aretin in s. lukes church : qui giace l'aretin poeta tosco , chi disse mal d'ognun fuor che di dio , scusandosi , dicendo , n'ol conobbi . englished thus : the toscan aretin lies in this grave , he who at all , excepting god , did rave ; and if the reason you desire to have , he knew him not . having thus endeavourd to sett forth this mayden cittie in her tru colours , and made the narrowest inspection into her water we could , the close of her character shall be som peculiar epithetts that are given to her among the rest of the fair towns of italy , as followeth ; fama tra noj ; roma , pomposa & santa ; venetia riccha , saggia , signorile ; napoli odorifera & gentile ; fiorenza bella , tutto il mondo canta ; grande milano in italia si vanta ; bologna grassa , & ferrara civile ; padona dotta , & bergamo sottile ; genoa di superbia altiera pianta ; verona degna , & perugia sanguigna ; brescia t'armata , & mantoa gloriosa ; rimini buona , & pistoia ferrigna ; cremona antica , & luca industriosa ; furli bizarro , & ravenna benigna ; et singallia de l'aria noiosa ; et capo●…a l'amorosa ; pisa frendente , & pesaro giardino ; ancona bel porto al pellegrino ; fidelissimo urbino ; ascoli tondo , & lungo recanate ; foligno delle strade inzuccarate , et par da'l cielo mandate le belle donne di fano si dice ; mà siena poj tra l'altre più selice . among all these citties we find that venice is rankd next rome , and hath three as it were proverbiall attributs given her higher than any of the rest , viz. to be rich , wise , and ladylike or stately ; wherunto i shall add another saying , venegia , venegia , chi non ti vede non ti pregia ; the eye is the best judg of venice . having now don with the topography , and local description of venice , together with her method of goverment and magistracy both urban & rurall ; having allso given som touches of her wealth , power and extent of dominion , with other singularities peculiar to her , we will now make som reserches into her annalls , and speak of her martiall exploits up and down the world ; as allso of the transactions and traverses of state twixt other princes and her which are various and very remarkable , she having allwayes bin one of the most politic and pragmaticall'st republics on earth ; therfore in her 's the story of many parts of christendom and other regions may be sayed to be involvd ▪ all which shall be don in a regular way of succinctnes , and a speciall care had to avoyd trivialties and impertinencies , as well as that no materiall passage may be omitted . of the princes , and dukes of venice . paulutio anafesto , the first doge , or duke , of venice . vnity is as much requisit for the well-being of things , as entity is for their being , the philosophers ( as formerly was said , ) call it the highest point of perfect on , all bodies incline and propend towards it , by a secret instinct of nature as to their center : the republic of venice therefore finding som inconveniences , or half a kind of confusion , if not a deformity , to have two heads upon one body , grew weary of the tribunitial power , and so resolv'd to reduce the soverain authority under one ; to which purpose , a notable speech was made to this effect : that there was no more hope to be had of the venetian common-wealth , nor yet of their liberty , which had bin pourchased and maintain'd by their progenitors with such generosity , unlesse the fury of the tribunes expired ; that their self-same ancestors had in times past for the sweetnesse of liberty abandoned their most pleasant countrey , their houses , and all other matters which men commonly esteem most dear , and were com into barren ilands , where there was nothing that might invite them to dwel ; that if they could have dispens'd with their liberty , they might with all safety have remain'd in the city where they were first born and brought up ; and with this losse alone , might have liv'd peaceably among the barbarians ; but being full of innated courage , they suppos'd that they ought not to lose their freedom , but with their lives ; wherefore divers of those that were there present , following the example of their predecessors , came only into those places to live at liberty ; to what purpose then was their designs ? what profit had they by their dislodging ? why had they so many churches , buildings , and so many public and private houses ? why did they forsake the firm land to eschew bondage , and yet meet it in the midst of the waters by the insolency of a few , whither it was likely , that the barbarous enemy who was so near them , wold take any rest , till he had found som means to ●…uinat this new domicile of liberty , seeing that tyrants hate nothing so much as that name , and undoubtedly 't was his wish , to see the whole venetian state destroy'd by civill discord , which he could not shake by any other means . hereupon they suddenly resolv'd to elect a new duke who shold represent the honor and majesty of the whole state , and have power to assemble the general councell , to choose annual tribunes in the inferior ilands , from whence the appeals should come before him : and moreover , if any had obtain'd any dignity o●… prelatship by the su●…rages of the clergy , he shold not enjoy the same , without the ratification of the duke . upon these deliberations paulutio of heraclea , a man of integrity , evperience and courage , was chosen duke after the cities foundation , about . he took an oath , well and faithfully to provide whatsoever should be fit for the honor of the common-wealth , and the venetian name ; hereupon he was adorn'd with divers noble ensigns to make the dignity the more illustrious : being instal'd duke , his first care was to free the republic of the war that was than afoot with luitprand , which he did ; and he extended the limits of heraclea , from the river of pi●…vo , unto the little stream call'd piaricolle , and brought the equilines under his dominion : in his time , those of tourcedes built a magnificent temple to the honor of the virgin mary , which is yet standing , and in good repair to this day . marcello tegaliano succeeded paulutio , who swayed o're the signory twenty years and upwards ; this duke marcello , got more repute by peace then warre , and governed nine yeares . hor●…o call'd ur●…us hypatus succeeded marcello , the longobards at that time had taken ravenna , and the exarch flying to venice for refuge , by the intercession of the pope , the venetians rais'd a considerable army and took ravenna again , and restor'd it to to the exarch , in which exploit prodeus of vicenza , a person of renown was slain ; this duke was of a spirit more haughty then ordinary , and making warre out of a private spleen against heraclea , he was slain by the citizens of venice upon the eleventh year of his magistracy : ursus being thus thrust out of the world , there happen'd an intervall in the ducall government , and another kind of magistrat was chosen , call'd the master , or consull of the men at armes , dominico leo was the first , and cornicula succeeded him ; but the fifth year after the creation of this new magistrat , the whole city was transported with a marvailous desire to have a duke again . hereupon theadato hypato son to the slain duke , was chosen the fourth doge of venice in an assembly at malamocca ; but there was a powerfull man in the republic call'd galla , who malign'd him , and having rais'd a party , surpriz'd him the thirteenth year of his government , and put out his eyes , managing the businesse with so much art , that he succeeded him in the dukedome . galla in his second year of his principality displeasing the people , had his eyes also put out , and was banish'd . dominico monegario was forthwith appointed duke , but being of a furious nature , there were yearly tribunes chosen to assist him , and counterpoise the violence of his spirit , but the fift yeare of his authority , his eyes were outed of his head , and his person of his office. mauritio of heraclea was chosen next , who did purchase so much popular love , that he obtain'd that which none of his predecessors could compasse , which was a liberty to associat his son givanni as collegue with him in the principality . in his time a bold declaration was publish'd , which imported , that the venetians were a free people , acknowledging neither of the empires east or west ; this did so move charles of france then emperour , that he commanded his son pepin , who then governed the affairs of italy , to make furious warres upon the venetian coasts where heraclea and equ●…ine stood , the inhabitants whereof being frighted thereat , fled to m●…lamocca , and the rialto . giovanni mauritio , son , succeeded the father in the dukedome , there happen'd a shrewd clash 'twixt him and the bishop of grad●… , a man eminent for sanctity ; giovanni sent his son mauritio with som troupes to assail the said bishop , who being taken , he was thrown headlong down from a high tower : hereupon , pepin by order from charlemain to expiat the bishops bloud , made a fierce warre upon the venetian territory : hereupon giovanni and his son were expell'd the city , and heraclea the place of their nativity was utterly demolish'd , and obollerio anthenorio of malamocca was chosen duke , anno dom. . 〈◊〉 associated his brother beat●… for collegue , and an eager warre happen'd 'twixt pepin and the republic , who infesting the sea frontires up and down , came as far as malamocca ; and thinking to passe thence to the rial●…o to find out the duke ; he vvas beaten back by a tempest , wherein he lost the greatest part of his army : about this time the lombards kingdom was extinguish'd by pepin , . there was another battail fought among those lakes , ' tvvixt the venetians and king pepin , where the venetians had the better again : hereupon a peace vvas concluded , and french ambassadors came to the rialto , where having being honorably entertain'd they departed ; obellerio vvho vvas cryed up to be the occasion of the former vvarres was cut to peeces by the fury of the peeple , and his bowells gushing out , they were drawn at length like ropes , and torn up and down the streets , his wife likewise who was of the bloud royall of france was slain with him . angelo partitiato succeeded next , and he was the first that held the seat at the rialto , heraclea was repair'd in his time , and call'd villa nuova , anno dom. . the historians rank the 〈◊〉 the noblest family that came from heraclea . there happen'd a hot war in this dukes time , 'twixt venice and the bishop of aquileia , who had bin declar'd heretique by pope alexander ; the venetian took him prisoner : but they gave him his liberty , on condition that they shold send yearly to venice on the same day that the victory was got twelve wild boars , which with a bull shold be kill'd before the generall assembly by way of sacrifice ; this custom , with other sports continues annually to this day . and now i may say , that the republic of venice did passe her infancy , her youth may be sayed to follow hereafter , as by her actions will appear . justiniano was chosen next , in whose time a fleet was sent to assist michael the eastern emperour against the saracens , who did good service ; but the remarkablest passage in this dukes government , was , that the body of st. mark was translated from alexandria to venice , where it is kept with great devotion to this day , in a curious church made of mosaicall work . giovanni partitiatio , brother to justiniano , was declar'd the next prince , but having many potent adversaries , he was surpriz'd neer to st. peters church , whither he was going to his devotions , and being disrob'd of the ornaments of soveraign dignity , they shav'd his beard and head ; and confin'd him to a monastery in grada . pietro tradonico was chosen in his place , he was born at pola , a very ancient city built by the colchians ; there came ambassadors from ver●…na , to desire help of the republic against some enemies they had , which they obtain'd , and overcame their foes at the lake of benae , whereupon they sent rich gifts to the venetian for their succour : theodosius the greek emperour , sent his high admirall to sollicit the republic for auxiliaries against the moors , whereupon she armed sixty gallies which did do notable exploits , in rega●… whereof , tradonico the duke of venice , was call'd protospater ( viz. the first father ) of the graecian empire by theodosius : but at the battail of crot●…na the greeks not sticking close to their businesse , the venetian receav'd a shrewd overthrow by the moors under saba their captain , who aftervvards grew so insolent , that he march'd to rome , and pitifully ransack'd s peters church , with others . a little after pope benedict came to venice , unto whom , about the year ▪ he promis'd the bodies of s. pancratius and sancta sabina ; lotharius ▪ also the emperour did confirm unto venice many extraordinary immunities : but in this dukes time the republic receav'd divers illfavor'd successes abroad , and there were odd factions at home against the duke , in so much , that returning one day from st. zacharies church he was murthered , but the actors and conspirators thereof were soundly punisht for 't : this duke had govern'd nineteen years . urso partitiatio came next to the ducall dignity , who had a magnanimous young man to his son , and did divers exploits against the moors and saracens in the behalf of the greek emperour , so that the title , of protospater was confirm'd again to the duke of venice ; who , among other presents , sent twelve bells to constantinople , which was the first time that the greeks us'd bells , anno dom. . giovanni partitiatio brother to urso was chosen to govern , but he did voluntarily depose himself , and retire to his own house , having escap'd a dangerous disease . pietro candiano succeeded him , who fighting with great courage against the narentines ( the ancient enemies of venice ) was slain , having govern'd but six moneths . pietro tribuno was chosen next , who was also declar'd protospater of the graecian empire , he added many fortifications for the securing of the city : in this dukes reign the hunnes broke into italy , and made cruell havock up and down , and at last resolv'd to besiege the rialto ; hereupon a noble venetian made this hortatory speech unto the city , that it was now time by their actions to shew themselves valiant men , that a mighty danger did not only threaten their countrey , but their lives ; that they had to do with a people , vvho as little us'd to spare the bodies of the dead , as their lives in battail , yet nerethelesse they were not made of iron , but their bodies might easily be pierced ; that they shold call to memory , how the ancient venetians , vvith a fevv inhabitants of the latines , made no difficulty in their countreys behalf , to expose their lives before the vvals of aquileia against . men , for attila had so many in his army ; that the event of that battail did manifest how vertue and courage is much better in warre then multitudes ; that their ancestors had in the same places where they were now to fight , vanquish'd in times past king pepin follow'd vvith his ovvn forces , and those of the emperour his father , and that then they only fought for their liberty , but novv they vvere to fight for their faith , and bloud : hereupon the venetian gain'd a most signall victory over the hunnes , which much encreas'd the glory of the city , and was of such consequence , that they left italy a while after . urso badoairio succeeded tribuno , he sent his son pietro to visit the greek emperour at constantinople , where being confi●…m'd protospater , he receav'd many rich presents ; badoairio in in the eleventh year of his government , did voluntarily depose himself , and became a monk. pietro candiano or sanuto succeeded this voluntary resignation , in whose time iustinopoli came under the venetian dition . pietro badoairio follow'd next , who as he return'd from greece , was taken prisoner in slavonia , but ransom'd . pietro candiano next succeeded , whose government was somewhat unquiet , yet he debell'd the narentines , who infested the gulp with pyraticall depredations . candiano the fourth son to pietro succeeded , who for som misdemeanours had bin banished , but waxing more wise by years , he was recall'd and created duke ; but herein the city of venice receav'd no small reproach abroad , in regard she had formerly made a solemn vow never to advance this candiano to the government , and a judgement fell upon her presently upon 't , for a fire happen'd , which besides the dukes palace , burnt down the magnificent cathedrall church of the city , and those of st. theodore and maria iubenica , with above . privat houses more . this candiano died most tragically , for the peeple fell upon him as upon a tyrant , and he flying into that part of st. marks church which was left unburnt with his son in his arms , they knock'd him down , and cut both in peeces . pietro urseola with much entreaty of the pe●…ple was chosen next , who wold not undergo the charge , unlesse the pe●…ple wold bind themselfs by solemn oath unto him , which was done ; in his time st. marks church vvas repair'd , with the ducall palace ; he overcame the saracens at barri , he had but one son , and as soon as he vvas born , both he and his wife foelicia vovv'd perpetuall chastity : in his time istria became tributary to venice ; but at last he voluntarily quitted the government , and went disguis'd in a pilgrims habit to aquitain by the persvvasion of a great holy man call'd guerin . vitalis candiano succeeded , vvho also deposed himself , and cloister'd himself in st. hi●…arie , monastery . tribuno memio a great vvise man , but of fevv vvords , vvas chosen in his steed , in vvhose time som civill discords happen'd , and a great feud fell out ' tvvixt the republic and o●…ho the emperour , vvho forebad all the cities of the empire any trade vvith the venetians , but he died not long after , and this duke also deposed himself voluntarily , and died a monk. pietro urseolo the second succeeded , in vvhose time the republic did vvonderfully encrease , for she obtain'd of basilius and alexis , vvho at that time did jointly command the grecian empire , to be free from all customes and taxes throughout all their dominions : moreover , he suppress'd the narentines , and reduc'd nola and divers other cities in istria and dalmatia under the empire of the republic , lesina also which vvas the chief rendevous of the narentine pyrats was taken by her , and reduc●…d to st. mark , as spalatro also , vvith divers other places : in this dukes time sundry priviledges vvere granted by the emperour otho to the venetians , and the emperour himself came disguis'd , and in nature of a pilgrime to st. marks church to venice , where he sojournd divers daies vvith the duke privately , and departed ; before he vvent , he remitted for ever the cloak of cloth of gold , vvhich the republic was bound by solemn accord to give yearly to the emperour , so being presented with divers rich gifts , he went back to ravenna . otho urseolo succeeded pistro's son , a young man of great hope , insomuch that the king of hungarie married his daughter unto him ; he defeated the hadrians in a furious conflict betwixt the river po and adice ; yet was he dismiss'd of his dignity , and banish'd to greece . pietro centranico succeeded , who being depos'd by the peeple , was shorn , and turn'd to a monastery . domenico flabenico was then chosen , who prevail'd so far with the people , that he got the family of the urseoli to be made ever after incapable of the soveraign dignity , or of any office in the republic , and so made the peeple to be ministers of his hatred to that house ; he abolish'd also the custom of associating for the future any colleague in the principality , which is carefully observ'd to this day , anno dom. . dominico contareno was made the thirtieth duke of venice , he reduc'd zara to obedience , pope leo came in his time to venice upon a kind of pilgrimage to st. mark , which he endow'd with many new priviledges . dominico silvio came after him , who was cryed up duke as he accompanied contaveno to his grave ; the normans did about this time much infest the levant parts , and the greek emperor nicephorus , whom the venetian assists and grows victorious , but afterwards , both the greeks and venetians receav'd a notable overthrow at durazzo by the normans . vitalis phalerio succeeded , as soon as he was chosen , he propounded to the people , to send ambassadors to constantinople to the emperour alexis to obtain that dalmatia and croatia which they had taken from the usurpers with so much expence of bloud and tresure , might by right of war for ever remain to the venetians ; all which was freely condescended unto , so that this phalerio was the first duke , who in his titles did bear these provinces . the western emperor henry came to venice to visit st. mark , where the annallists write of a great miracle that happen'd . anno dom. . vitalis michaeli was next after , in his time a mighty army of christians were sent to syria for recovery of the holy land ; he that gave the first hint to the expedition was peter a french hermit , who gave out , that he had a vision appear'd to him to that purpose : hereupon pope vrban came expressely to the councell of clermont , and made this hortative oration . that he was not departed from rome , and come to that holy assembly for the affairs of the church of rome only , although it needed greatly to be reform'd , but was stir'd up by another occasion which was more holy , & was likewise more notable ; that he did not doubt but those who were there assembled had heard tell of what had befaln long since in syria , and chiefly in the confines of that region which is call'd the holy land , the injust usurpation of the holy sepulcher of our soveraign lord jesus christ ( which he could not utter without tears ) by those cruell barbarous saracens ; that there was no church , altar , or any other sacred place , but was either raz'd down to the ground by those accursed mahumetans , or converted to their profane uses ; that the religious peeple dwelling there at such time as the enemy made themselfs masters thereof , were constrain'd som for fear of horrible punishment , to renounce the faith of jesus christ ; others that woldpersever therein were destroy'd by fire and sword , and others by various sorts of torments were miserably consumed : that devout matrons going thither upon pilgrimage from all parts of europe , had not bin only forc'd by them to satiat their brutish lust , but likewise in contempt and derision of us were tormented by monstrous embracements , that if that which he had related was not sufficient in their opinions to incite them to take arms , and to prosecut revenge , he besought them at least to consider , and call to remembrance , how in a short time through the negligence of their ancestors the forces of asia were encreas'd , and besides●… , how far the mahumetans had in length and breadth extended their dominions ; how many countreys they possess'd , who had in times past belong'd to the roman empire ; but wold to god ( sayed he ) that the affairs of christendom were brought to that passe , that we were but to complain of other mens miseries , we have , helas , in our daies seen our italy wholly destroy'd by their incursions and spoils , castles , cities , and churches beaten down , and burnt by those sacrilegious persons : but wherefore do i relate the murthers , captivities , rapes , & other tyrannies never heard of before , which this land hath endur'd a long time , seeing that spain likewise , and her neighbour aquitain , and all the occidentall provinces have not only felt the like losse , but having at this day scarce dried up their tears , do stand in fear of the like . and ye o frenchmen , though this wound be not yet entred into our bowels , no doubt but in regard of your neighbourhood , you have heard and seen somwhat of that whereof i have now spoken ; and the germans , with other northwest nations , who have not as yet felt those losses , ought often to forethink what dangers menace them from the east , nay how neare they are to them already . i knovv not if the venetians were not , vvho with strong garrisons defend the sea coasts , and vvho have often repulst this cruell enemy from dalmatia and istria , whether this storm ere this wold have blown into hungary and germany : the power of the grecian empire , vvhich vvhilst her strength and vigor lasted , vvas vvont to be the bulvvark of europe on the east and west side , is in such sort ruined , as the emperour dreams on nothing but on means and forces vvhereby he may conserve his city of constantinople ; vvhich place if vve had lost , as god forbid , vve may easily conjecture hovv great such a losse vvold be , as vvell to all europe as to him : i tremble vvith horror vvhen i do but think vvhat vvill happen , if this fire be not quickly quench'd , vvhich doth daily more and more kindle : all the miseries vvhich have befallen those vvhom vve bevvail hang over our heads , men and vvomen shall be reserv'd to satisfie the luxury of those barbarous peeple , and ye vvill aftervvards lament vvhen ' t vvill be too late , that having had means , you have not oppos'd your selfs against these miseries : it may be you think 't is impossible this should com to passe , so did they once who since have felt it , and wold to god we did not feed our selves so often with vain hopes , but 't were better o couragious spirits while we have strength , councel , aid , power and money ready , and generally , what may give hope of a victory to divert this evident perill , nor is our enterprize above human strength , that charls surnamed the great , in a manner your countrey-man : o ye germans in regard of the descent of his ancestors , and your king o ye frenchmen , and the glory of your name did drive the saracens forth of spain and aquitain , the same charles constrain'd them to quit italy ; the same charles of whom ye so much vaunt did recover ierusalem which ye term holy , and drave thence the enemy , and by how much glory and ●…eputation is great , by so much the more ought it to incite you which are descended from him , to attempt som new exploit which may augment this your ancient renown ; if ye do not thus , but give your selfs to rest and idlenesse , ye shal not only hazard what your ancestors have left you , but you shall suffer the native countrey of our soveraign king to your great shame and contempt , with that of all christendom likewise , to be trodden down by these cruell enemies , and his sepulcher , temple and other holy places to be polluted by murthers , rapes , and sacriledges ▪ arm your selfs therfore in time , and prevent this common infamy , pourchase to your selfs and all europe an assured safety , i think you may easily do it , for by how much your forces surpasse those of charles , if ye all joyntly undertake this voyage , by so much more shall the victory be certain and easie for you ; the victors profit shall be great and inestimable by the spoils of so opulent a nation , and such rich kingdoms , but the celestiall reward shall be much greater , which in the name of almighty god , we promise to as many as shall valiantly venture themselfs . this flexanimous speech did so heighten and melt the hearts of all , that a croisada was presently resolv'd upon , whereunto the republic of venice did contribut . vessells of all sorts , which sayl'd to ionia under the conduct of hemico contareno a bishop , and michaeli vitalis the dukes son ; this fleet did much advantage that mighty expedition , though som affirm that the venetians came not to asia till ierusalem was taken ; but they being com to rhodes , a shrew'd clash fell 'twixt them and the pisans , of whom they took . gallies ; afterwards they took smyrna , and scout'd the seas of pamphilia , silicia and syria , till they came to ioppa , which they kept , afterwards having left sufficient gards for their vessells , they came from ioppa , and march'd in battail array to ierusalem , and returning thence they took ascalon , tyberias , caypha , with others . about this time matilda a noble lady of the sigefretti being reinvested in the city of ferrara by the help of venice , she granted unto her freedo●… for ever of all matters within that city , and a little prince vitalis died . ordelapho phalerio was elected in his room , who in the second year of his government , sent a fleet of . gallies to syria in poursuance of the croisada , where they took ptolemais and sydon , as also another town call'd faronia by assault ; this made the emperour henry the fourth , to indulge venice with many priviledges , but a fierce war fell out 'twixt the venetians and padouans a little after , and the padouans being orepowr'd by the padouan , had recourse to the emperour , who thereupon sent to venice , wishing them to remember how they were sprung from the padouans , therefore they shold greatly erre , unlesse they honor'd the city from which they were descended , and respect the inhabitants thereof in the same manner , as well bred children do their ancient parents ; that the padouans on the other side insteed of envying the venetian glory , ought rather to rejoyce to see those who were descended from them , to have pourchased so great fame and repute by land and sea ; so there was a reconcilement made by the emperours intercession . about this time , a great part of venice was consum'd by fire , at which time malamocca was almost burnt : upon this dismall accident of fire , there came news , that zara was revolted from venice to calamon king of hungary , but she quickly reduc'd her to obedience , and this gave advantage to the venetian to pierce further into croatia , and take other places , which they keep to this day ; but they had ill successe the year following in dalmatia , where the duke came himself in person , and being too forward in the battail , was kill'd . dominico michaeli succeeded , and baldwin the second king of ierusalem being taken prisoner by balochus king of the parthians , ther were pittifull complaints sent to rome , that the holy land was like to be utterly lost , unlesse speedy supplies were sent : hereupon he moved venice therunto by the intercession of her patriarch of grada her prime churchman , who being admitted to the senat , spake as followeth : i think , o peeple of venice , that you are not ignorant , what our own forces in part , and partly those of the rest of europe have don these precedent years for the recovery of palestine , which ye call the holy land , for this is the . year which so many princes taking up the holy crosse , undertook for the same purpose to invade asia , where by the divine bounty and their valour , all that which stretcheth from bythinia to syria was gain'd , and ye your selfs having taken smyrna , and done other exploits all along the coasts of syria , did not only gain glory therby , but you have had your share in the cities ; but now ther is news brought how baldwin is carried prisoner to cayro , whereupon his holinesse thinking the venetians to be most worthy of such an enterprize , hath written to your prince accordingly : therfore go on ye noble venetians to preserve that which is already got by you , even that land where christ our king was born , did hide himself , wept , was betrayed , taken and crucified , and his most holy body layed in the grave , and who shall com soveraign judge one day to enquire of the deeds of all mankind , what churches , what monasteries , what altars do you think can be so agreeable to him as this holy voyage ? but because human affairs are of that nature , as ther is almost no publick charity free from ambition , so that haply you demand within your selfs what glory , what recompence may be gain'd by this expedition ; certainly it is , and eve●… shall be for our highest repute , that the venetians only of all europe , have bin able and fit to oppose in a manner all asia ; the furthest part of the east shall ring of the venetian power , afric shall admire it , and europe shall magnifie and cronicle it ; that which we have don formerly in asia , seems to be effected rather by strangers then by us , but now the work shall be solely attributed to you : moreover , i doubt not but you are all willing to enlarge the republic , but how ? by what means will you effect it ? in living idly , or rowing up and down these lakes in your little boats ? he that thinks so doth greatly deceave himself : the ancient romans of whom ye vaunt your self to be descended , and whom ye desire to imitat , did not pourchase the empire of the world , by living idly and at ease , but by making one war grow out of another , those whom we relieve , as they have already , so they will give us still a share in the conquer'd towns and countrey , depart then in gods name , &c. upon this speech , the venetians resolve to succor the holy land , and arm . bottomes of all sorts , and michaeli the doge himself goes chief , who sayling to ioppa found it block'd up by the barbarians , but the venetians freed the town from the siege , and open'd the passage of the sea , with great slaughter of the enemy , and prizall of many rich booties . thence the duke of venice went to ierusalem , where he obtain'd many priviledges for the republic , as that the venetians shold in all places of the kingdom of ierusalem , and principality of antioch have a particular street apart to plead before their magistrate , that they shold be free from taxes through all syria , &c. after this , the most ancient city of tyre was deliver'd up to the christians by the help of the venetian , who had the third part of the city awarded him : besides all these prerogatives som historians mention , that it was agreed and confirm'd while the duke of venice shold make his aboad in ierusalem , he shold enjoy the same honors as the king did . while the venetian was thus busie in the holy land , the greeks being emulous of his glory , began to raise arms against him , but prince michaeli at his return , took in his passage most of the greek ilands , as samos , lesbos , andros , &c. then coming to dalmatia he recover'd zara , and spalatro ; so he came back all glorious to venice , where he finish'd his daies a while after . . pietro pollano succeeded his deceased father in law michaeli , a notable wise prince , of that high esteem , that he was chosen arbiter 'twixt conradus , and emanuel , the two emperours of the east and west : add to this wisedom his valour , for he gave a famous defeat to the padouans and pisans , and reduc'd corfu first into subjection . dominico morosini succeeded polani , who reduc'd to obedience the tumultuons istrians in pola ; they of ancona were admitted to the venetian society ; there was also a league struck with william king of sicilie , whereby the venetian got divers priviledges in that iland in their public marts . vitalis michaeli succeeded , the second of that name , he sides strongly with the pope against barbarossa the emperour ; the republic receaves much detriment by the perfidiousnesse of emanuel the greek emperour , by seizing on all the venetian marchants up and down without warning given ; a great mortality happend in the venetian army , because the greeks had poyson'd the waters , this duke was murther'd in a popular sedition . te●…astiano cyani succeeded , in his time ther was a greek emperour emanuel , who perfectly hated the venetians , and studied nothing more then to do them mischief , and the chiefest grounds of this hatred was that lighting upon a book of predictons , he was frighted with one verse , which sayeth , that those of adria should one day command constantinople , which was interpreted to be venice . this emanuel drew from her confederacy ancona , but she making a league with ariminium , brought ancona to the former amity . the tresure of venice being much exhausted , and melted by reason of so many irons she had in the fire , it was decreed that the moneys of particular men layed in deposite , shold be brought to the tresury of s. mark , to be employ'd and kept in the name of the common-wealth as need shall be , untill the city had recover'd her self . ther happen'd at that time a mortall feud 'twixt pope alexander , and the emperour frederick , who favor'd octavian the antipope , the pope fled disguis'd to venice , and continued so a good while in the hospitall of charity . being discover'd at last , the venetians sent an ambassador to the emperour for an accommodation , the pope being present when the credentiall letters to the emperour were to be seal'd with wax , he commanded in favour of the republic , that ever after the dukes letters shold be seal'd with lead , which is observ'd ever since . the venetian ambassadors being com before fredrerick , were courteously intreated at first , but so soon as the mention pope alexander , he fell into a rage , and sayed ; get you hence , and tell your prince and peeple , that frederick the roman emperour demande●…h his enemy , who is com to them for succour , whom if they send not presently bound hand and foot with a sure gard , he will proclaim them enemies to him and the whole empire , and that ther is neither alliance or law of nations which shall be able to free them from his revenge for such an injury : to prosecut which he is resolv'd to overturn all divine and human laws , that he will suddenly bring his forces before their city , and contrary to their expectation plant his victorious eagles in the market place of s. mark. the ambassadors at their return to venice having reported all this , they decreed to arm a great nomber of ships , and make themselfs ever masters of the sea ; but while they were thus preparing , news was brought that otho the emperours son was entred into the gulph with . gallies , ciani the duke resolv'd to meet him with as many gallies as were ready , before he launch'd out , the pope sang masse himself , with speciall prayers for the prosperity of the enterprize , and honor'd the duke with the golden sword , and other ensig●…s of knighthood : so he met with the imperiall fleet upon the coasts of istria , where he utterly defeated the emperours son , made him prisoner , and took . gallies besides ; the duke being com so triumphantly ashore , the pope presented him with a gold ring , saying , take ciani this ring , and by my advice give it to the sea , obliging him thereby unto thee , which both thou and thy succ●…ssors likewise shall for ever hereafter yearly do on this same day , to the end posterity may know , that ye have in times past by right of warr pourchas'd the entire dominion over the sea , making it subject unto you , as a woman is to her husband . the venetians suffer'd otho upon his parole to go to his father ; promising to return howsoever , being com into the emperours presence , he embrac'd him with the more joy , because he had bin doubtfull whether he had bin alive or no ; otho began to discourse of the battail , referring the defeat to have happen'd by gods providence , saying further , that he had not omitted any thing that might becom a carefull captain , and that ther wanted nothing to have obtain'd a victory , but a just quarrell ; it behov'd his majesty then , to believe that god was powerfull therein , not men , seeing so mighty an army as theirs was , and not being slow to fight , was defeated by a few who were not half their nomber ; and howsoever they might well overthrow and destroy human forces , yet 't was impossible to surmount divine : therefore he did most humbly beseech his caesarean majesty no more to trouble alexander for his place , whose quarrell he might perceave by the successe , to be maintain'd not only by men , but by god himself , alleging further , that he had already disquieted him with the forces of the empire , and sought to put him from his seat , but all in vain ; that therfore he shold do a deed pleasing to all men , and worthy of a christian , if all hatred being forgotten , it would please him to change his mind , and after assurance taken from the venetians of his safe conduct , he wold be pleas'd to visit the pope , and give open satisfaction . otho's advice proceeding so ingeniously from him did mightily prevail with frederick , wherupon he resolv'd to go to venice , and pietro ciani the dukes son , was sent with six gallies to attend him at ravenna : being arriv'd at venice , the emperour without more adoe went to see the pope , who tarried for him at s. marks gate in the highest gravity of state : when the emperour came nere him , he threw off his purple robe , and crept on his knees to his holinesse feet , which he humbly kiss'd ; the pope rais'd him up and embrac'd him , then both going to the church , went to the high altar where that famous table of massie gold , which useth to be in s. marks tresury , was taken out of purpose , and so a perfect reconcilement vvas made . from venice the pope and frederick went to ancona , attended by prince ciani ; the city sent out tvvo canopies , one for the pope , the other for the emperour , but the pope commanded a third to be brought for the prince of venice , allovving , that for ever after he and his successors shold use one at all solemnities ; alexander being com to rome , among other triumphs there were other silver trumpets made to welcom him whereof he took eight and gave the prince of venice , which the republic shold use ever after in all solemnities . ciani taking his leave of the pope , and being return'd to venice , mariners were appointed to receave him in the bucentoro , being landed , he had a white burning taper carried before him , which was given him by the pope for the first gift , besides the canopy , the eight silver trumpets , the golden sword , with other ensigns . ciani now drooping with age , remov'd himself to s. george's monastery , where in a few daies he died , making s. marks church his heir . this prince , as he was one of the stoutest , so was he the saint-likest man of all the dukes that preceded him or follow'd him ; by the rich legacies he left , s. marks church was wonderfully adorn'd , and because the sayed church gives occasion of wonderment to all strangers that behold her , i held this an apposit place to bring her in , and make her appear to the curious reader in her own colours , according to the description i receaved from others , and my own observation . the description of s. marks church . this church , as divers other , is not so much magnified for her largenesse , as for her riches ; she is built in form of a crosse , whose corners are highly vaulted and cover'd with bright lead , as all the rest is which is discern'd of seamen higher then all the buildings of the city above sixscore stades distance : the whole bulk is supported besides with most curious arches , contignated and joyn'd together by marvailous art ; the inner part from the middle to the highest part thereof glistereth with gold , and the concavity of the vaults is enriched with divers goodly and ancient pictures , made most of them , after the greek manner , which , with the labour to behold them in respect of their height , do present unto the spectator by their grave and venerable aspect , a kind of awe intermingled with piety and religion ; that which is from the gilding down to the pavement , is so well compass'd and joyn'd together with goodly tables of marble , as by their pleasant veins in form of rayes , the eyes of the beholders are rather fed then satisfied ; the seats below are of an extraordinary red stone like to porphyrie , the pavement all of marble engraven with divers figures , wholly different and of varions colours : ther are sundry columnes and tables of parian , spaitan , & numidian work , that environ the seats on both sides the quire. the coming in to the church on both sides , is in a manner of the same trimming , while gilded arches are sustein'd without , by more then . exquisit pillers , not so much for their greatnesse as their diversity of colours : the space between those pillers , being fill'd with choice tables of marble : on the height of this entrance four great brazen horses all gilded are to be seen , so lively , as if they seem'd to neigh , and making towards you , which are accounted rare pecces , but not of our time : all this bears the highest top of the church divided into six steeples , ev'ry of which is rear'd up like a pyramis , and hath on the sharpest point thereof a white marble statue of a naked man standing up : divers other representations delightfull to the eye , and wrought with exceeding skill do beautisie the spaces betwixt the steeples ; the whole work , as well on the right as the left hand , is of the same substance and workmanship , and all that which is valuted underneath is cover'd with gold . in sum , ther is no place in the whole church either within or without , but is either deck'd with marble , gold , or precious stones , so that the two columnes of alablaster which stand nere to the high altar , and the chalcedony stones , which are to be seen in the midst of the pavement , with the mosaicall works , we counted the least curiosities . auria maripietro was surrogated in the room of sebastian ciani , or ziani , in whose time things prosper'd well with the republic in the affairs of syria . henrico dandulo was then declar'd prince , in whose time the republic did mightily encrease their bounds both of her renown and territories ; the pisans who had taken pola were defeated : baldwin erl of flanders , with other princes that went for the succour of the holy land arriv'd all at venice , where they found magnificent welcome , they had so much money given them in presents as they wold have borrow'd , and . vessells vvere provided them to transport their forces ; but the venetians had this benefit for their money , that those forces help'd them to recover istria , which by the raising of zara was revolted from them ; these princes sail towards constantinople , where principally by the help of the venetian the city was taken , baldwin erl of flanders declared emperor of the east , and tomaso morosino was made patriarch of constantinople by the venetians : moreover , they had the i le of candie given them at that time , which they hold ever since ; this vvas about the yeer . pietro ciani son to sebastian , was created duke next , and was erl of arba at that time ; in his time fell out the first warr'twixt venice and genoa , who had many ships in course that turn'd pyrats ; giovanni trevisano was sent with nine gallies well provided against them , who took twelve of the pyrats vessells and brought them prize : in this dukes raign ther was a colony sent to corfu , and the possession of candie was further secur'd by a new colony which suppress'd divers insurrections ; this duke being struck in years , having rul'd twenty two years , depos'd himself voluntarily , and retiring to s. georges monastery died soon after . giacomo tepulo was chosen in his place , the first thing he did was the suppression of the candiots who had mutined ; ther was a great fleet employed also to constantinople against the greeks , in regard that it was alledg'd the venetians had a right and title to part of the empire , and so was bound to succour the chief seat therof : the republic assisted also in this dukes time the genoveses against the emperour frederick and the pisans , and suppress'd the fift rebellion of zara. marino morosini was afterwards chosen duke , but by a manner of election , he took in padoua philippo fontano bishop of ravenna , being sent legat from pope gregory to venice , propounding everlasting life for recompence to all those who should take arms with him against the tyrant eccel●…n an upstart , who did much mischief up and down italie . the venetians presently levied forces and assisted the pope to quell this new monster , for which service the pope granted that the dean of s. marks should in high solemnities use a mitre and carry a pastorall staffe , which none of their predecessors could ever obtain before . raineri zeno succeeded morosini ; in the beginning of whose government an ill favour'd clash happen'd 'twixt the venetians and genoways about a church which was allow'd them both in p●…olomais , commonly call'd acon , or acoe ; the pope to decide the differences sent unto them , that since divine service was the same , and common to them both in that church , the church likewise ought to be so ; but this wold not heal the wound , for the genoways had seized upon the church , and made a kind of fort of it . hereupon the venetians rigg'd a fleet of thirty gallies under lorenzo tepulo , who coming to the haven of ptolemais , broak the chain and furiously charg'd the genoa ships , and two gallies , being in the harbour , and having taken and despoil'd them of all their tackling , they burnt them in the port. they went afterward to the church in question call'd sancta laba , which the genoways had fortified and seized on it ; after this ther was another hot encounter 'twixt them where the genoways had the worst again . the christians in syria were much divided in regard of this feud 'twixt venice and genoa , which the pope endeavour'd to reconcile , but could not . the italians who were in ierusalem favour'd venice , but those of tyre held to genoa ; at trapani the venetian gave the genoway another shrewd defeat , wherin were taken twenty foure gallies , and many thousand prisoners carried away , and slain . yet the genoways made head again , and sailing along the coasts of candy they took cydon now call'd canea , and pillag'd it , but the venetian met them a while after , and was soundly reveng'd of them . this warre with genoa put the republic to extraordinary expence , whereupon a a new impost was levied upon white meats , wherat there was a small insurrection , which was quickly suppress'd , and the authors severely punished . lorenzo tepulo upon the death of zeno succeeded , the pope with the kings of france and sicilie did labour to reconcile matters 'twixt the venetian and genoway , in regard this quarrell betwixt them made things go to wreck among the christians in syria , but nothing could prevail . the genoways scour'd the seas , so that no corn could be brought to venice , either from apuleia , or sicily , which pinch'd the city : a truce at last was made between the two republics , but a new war did happen 'twixt venice and bologna about trade , which lasted three years ; at last under the conduct of maria gradonico an army was sent , who utterly defeated the bolonians , which made themseek for peace . giacomo contareni succeeded tepulo , at the beginning of whose government ther was a hot quarrell for the time 'twixt the republic and them of ancona about imposts ; the pope sided with them , in regard they were feodaries to the church and slighted the venetian ambassador , yet venice wold not make peace with ancona till she had receav'd satisfaction from her , though it cost s. mark very dear , in regard that the republic had lost a whole fleet by a tempest during this warr . giovanni dandulo came after contareni , at which time the sea did in such sort overflow the city , that it was held by som very prodigious , and their augury prov'd tru , for soon after ensued an earthquake , and a warr with the patriark of aquileia , wherin the republic had no great successe ; she had worse luck in syria , for the king of babilon besieg'd acre , which the venetian with the popes souldiers defended a good while , but no aid coming unto them from the rest of the princes of christendom , the city was taken , and so the christian name grew to be almost wholly extinct in syria , the yeere . pietro gradonico succeeded dandulo , and the truce being expired with the genoways , ther was a fiercer war renew'd then ever . in running over this history of the venetians , divers matters offer themselfs so conformable to those of the ancient romans that possibly may be , as well in point of counsell , travail , successe , accidents of fortune , and sundry other traverses ; but among all , the venetian war with genoa seems to have great resemblance with those which the romans had in times pass'd with carthage ; for the neer neighbourhood , as it most often happens , did not beget this emulation betwixt them , or caus'd the war , because they are as far distant one from the other , as are the tyrrhene and libian seas 'twixt italy and africk ; to cleer which point , it will not be amisse to give a little short description of the situation of both their countreys . italy is a promontory stretching from the alpes , whose height on the one side extending towards the south , serves her for a rampart ; she is besides water'd towards the west with the ligustik and tyrrhene seas , and on the east with the adratic and ionian , from thence the waves begin to mingle themselfs together , and to make her the more strong , they wold fain shut up the alpes the more closely ; in the adrian gulph stands venice ; on the o●…her side , the ligustik sea laboureth as it were to hold fast the feet of the apennin hills , and within this turning lieth the city of genoa , emulous of the venetian greatnesse , in such sort as they are in a manner opposit one to the other ; prudent nature did set betwixt rome and carthage a vast sea , which might serve for abarr to keep them from jusling one another , as also to cool their fury ; but to venice and genoa she hath not only interpos'd the bredth of italy , but the huge tops of the apennin , stretching from liguria to ancona , from whence being beaten by the waves of the sea , they soon turn towards the mount gargan ; then on a sudden as if they sear'd the sea , they go on to the furthest parts of italy , to subdue in a manner those waves they had so often shun'd ; but neither distance of the sea could restrain the wrath of rome and carthage one against the other , nor could the difficult accesses of the apennin h●…l keep venice and genoa from bussling one with the other . the romans held themselfs descended of the trojans , the venetians pretend the same originall ; the libians mingled themselfs with the phaenicians , and the ▪ genoways say they were likewise deriv'd from them ; emulation of great achievments did first stir up the former with desire of more dominion ; on these two hinges the quarrell mov'd betwixt these two republiques ; rome and carthage fell out first about sicily ; venice and genoa about ptolemais or acre ; the romans notwithstanding they were victors , were oft times in greater danger then the carthaginians whom they had vanquish'd ; the venetian hath been somtimes in the same condition ; those two people fought above a hundred years together , and though they had truces somtimes , yet the hostility still remain'd ; these likewise have had sundry cessations of arms , though not of enmity ; in induciis semper manebat bellum ; but as carthage to rome , so genoa vayl'd to venice at last . about this time andrew king of hungary came to venice , his mother having bin of the family of the morosini , a venetian race . ther happen'd at this time a notable navall fight 'twixt venice and genoa nere corfu , where the venetians lost almost their whole fleet , and andrew dandolo their admirall was taken prisoner with five thousand more , and carried to genoa ; this victory was got by a reserve of fifteen gallies the genoways had , which at the fagg end of the fight came fresh out , as those reserve of five hundred men which don iohn of austria kept fresh under hatches for the last push . this defeat lay heavy upon venice , for she lost then above sixty gallies , yet she appear'd again shortly after , and about the streight of gallipoli she lost again sixteen gallies , and the genoway a little after took canea in candy ; but a peace was at last mediated ' twizt venice and genoa . upon these ill successes abroad , ther were some treasons detected in venice , but quickly suppress'd ; padoa also stir'd , but to little purpose . the next yeer , notwithstanding all the late losses , the republic sends a considerable fleet against paleologus the greek emperour , whereof iustiniano was generall , because he refus'd to pay the republic a great sum of money which he ow'd her , this fleet sailing into the pontik sea , quickly brought paleologus to reason & to repay the mony . this victroy did much heighten the spirits of venice , which had somwhat languish'd for her great losses in the ligustic war with genoa ; she also made her self mistress of ferrara a little after , which being a city fewdetary to the church of rome , the pope excomunicated venice , interdicting her from the use of the sacraments , which drew a great deal of odium upon her , so that she thought it high time to restore ferrara to the popes legat , yet she wold pause a little further upon 't . about this time , the famous conspiracy of ba●…amonti tepulo was suppress'd , who was kill'd by a venetian woman out of a zeal to her countrey , who had an honorable pension ever after during life . marini georgo was now created the fiftieth duke of venice ; in his time zara revolted the sixth time from the republic , but was reduc'd . giovanni sovranza succeeded georgio , who had govern'd but ten moneths ; the city which had bin a good while anathematiz'd , sent francisco dandulo to the pope ; this nobleman being admitted to the presence of clement , who perfectly hated venice because of ferrara , by a wonderfull example of piety to his countrey , and love to religion , continued a long time on the ground before the popes table ; with an iron chain about his head like a dog , untill the excommunication was taken off , which was don upon those acts of penitence ▪ hereupon a little after venice had a notable successe against genoa in the pontik sea , where above thirty bottomes were sunk and taken by justiniano the generall . francisco dandulo who had bin ambassador with the pope , and by that penance formerly spoken of had got the excommunication taken off , was elected the next duke , the polani and the valesians who had bin a long time subject to the patriark of aquileia , did voluntarily yeeld themselfs under the protection of venice ; about this time the republic did divers exploits upon the coasts of syria against the turks , for securing of navigation upon those coasts ; she likewise did many feats in lombardy , her army took padoua and bergamo , brescia also fell under her protection . bartilmeo gradonico was chosen next , and a little after ther arose one night a most furious tempest , which caus'd such an inundation three foot deep above the streets of the city : in this dukes time ther came ambassadors from england , craving aid against philip the french king , whom the genoways , who were mortall enemies to venice , did favour , but nothing could be obtain'd , and this was the first time that ther was any acquaintance 'twixt england and venice , which was in the yeer ▪ ther was another revolt in candie suppress'd . andrea dandulo came next to the principality , a man of extraordinary parts of learning as well as valour , for he compil'd the venetian story in two styles . the republic sent a fleet against the turk , which took smyrna again . there was an ambassadour sent by the senat to the king of babylon concerning the venetians free trade into egypt , which though stood upon by the pope , in regard they were infidells , was setled . zara had rebell'd now the seventh time , but was reduced , and lewis king of hungarie repuls'd . there happen'd a fearfull earthquake in venice about this time , which overturn'd divers steeples and palaces ; this earthquake usher'd in a fearfull contagion which brought the city to a pitifull desolation for the time , the said earthquake lasting fifteen dayes by intermissions . this terible earthquake gives me occasion to desire leave of the reader to step a little aside out of the great road of this history , and make a short excursion to give a touch of the causes of these dreadfull effects of nature , of these tremblings and shiverings of the earth , or rather aguish shaking fits , wherunto we find her body is as subject as the body of men or lions , who are observed to have their monthly paroxismes . the babylonian philosophers think the cause of these impetuous motions hapneth by the force of som planet meeting with the sun in the region of the earth : others hold it to be a vapour a long time engendring in som concavities of the earth , and restrain'd from sal●…ying forth into the air ; others affirme that 't is a wind pe●…'d up in the entrails of the earth ; pliny sayeth that the earth never quaketh , but when the sea is very calm and the air so still and clear , as the birds can hardly bear themselves up , and that the winds are then shut up in the bowells of the earth , their improper station . he addeth further that an earthquake is nothing else but as thunder in the air , or an overture and crevice in the earth , or as lightning breaking forth violently and making irruptions from the midst of the clouds , the wind inclos'd therin , and strugling to comforth by force . the stoicks speak of divers sorts of earthquakes that cause the gapings of the earth , the swellings of the water , and boiling of the same , a horrid confus'd sound commonly precedeth and accompanieth this quaking , somtimes like to the roaring of a bull , somtimes to the lamentable cry of som humane creature , or like the clattring of armor , according to the quality of the matter which is inclos'd , or according to the form of the cave , and hole , or spelunca , through which it passeth , which resounds in vaulty and hollow places : it waxeth hot , in sharp and dry places , and causeth defluxions in those that are mo●…st and humid . now amongst all earthquakes , the agitation of the waters is most dangerous , for lightning is not so hurtfull , nor the shaking of buildings , or when the earth is puff'd up , or falleth down by an interchangeable motion , because the one keeps back the other . the safest buildings are those upon vaults , the corners of walls , and on bridges leaning one against another ; beside , brick buildings are lesse dangerous in such accidents ▪ your skilfull navigators can foretell these earthquakes , at such time as they perceive the waves to swell on a sudden without a wind ; and likewise those on land may likewise foretell them when they behold birds in a maze to stay their flight , or when waters in wells are troubled more than ordinary , having a bad unsavoury smell : all these are presages of such hideous motions : pherecydes the syrian drawing water out of a well , foretold an earthquake , and so did anaximander milesius ; and the truest signs are , either when the wind blows not , or when the sea and region of the air are calm , for an earthquake never hapneth , when the wind blows , or the sea swells . this strange earthquake in venice , among other direfull effects it produc'd , caus'd that many hundreds of women miscarried in childbed , and a plague follow'd , which reduc'd the city to such a he●…ht of misery , that it was almost depopulated ; wherupon the senat made a decree , that as many as wold com to dwell at venice , shold after that they had sojourn'd there two years be free citizens : moreover , during this contagion , divers places on firm land revolted from the republic , which were reduc'd again . the genoway also went about to deprive the venetians of all trafic in the pontic seas , and therupon took divers candiot marchants : hereupon marco marosino admirall of the adriatic sea , went abroad in course with thirty five gallies to fish for some genoways , and meeting with twelve in the haven of carista , which lieth towards negrepont , they surpriz'd them , being richly laden with merchandizes , and carried them to venice ; this defeat was of that consequence , that the senat decreed that the same day the genoways were o'rethrown at charista shold be ever after celebrated for a holy day . ther happen'd the year after a terrible nocturnall fight 'twixt venice and genoa at the thracian bosphorus , and though ther were auxiliaries both from the king of aragon , ( with whom the republic had made a league a little before ) and from the greek emperour also , yet the venetian had the worst of it ; but the yeer after , about the coasts of sardinia she handsomly met the genoways , and linking her gallies together , fought with that pertinacity and resolution that she took thirty two gallies , which so weakned the genoways , that he was forc'd to fly to the viscont of milan to implore help , and put her self as it were under his protection ; a little after the venetian gain'd another victory of the genoways nere the morea . the viscont of milan appearing for genoa , venice made a counter-balancing league with the king of boheme , and that he shold invade the territories o●… milan , with a land army to find him work to do . marini phalerio was chosen the next duke , who was erl of va●…uarin ; the first yeer of his government the republic had a shrewd losse in the i le of sapientia nere morea , where pagano doria , who was the new admirall of genoa , surpriz'd pisant the venetian generall , and ▪ gave him an overthrow ▪ ; this phalerio by a very bloudy way thought to make himself king of venice ; but it was detected , and he with his complices put to death . giovanni gradonico , surnamed naso , succeeded phalerio , in whose government a peace after five years cruentous war was concluded with the genoways and their allies ; but another land war did rise 'twixt the king of hungary , and the common-wealth in dalmatia . giovanni delphino succeeded gradonico , who made a peace more necessary then honourable with the king of hungary ; for the republic was to renounce all right to dalmatia , and that the king for his part shold redeliver whatsoever was taken from them in istria . lorenzo celso followed after , in whose time the duke of austria came to see venice , and after him the king of cyprus ; the candiots rebell and continue so a good vvhile , at last they were reduc'd by arms , the news wherof being brought to venice , prisoners were set at liberty , divers maids were married out of the tresury of s. mark , tilts and tournaments continued for divers daies in s. marks place , with divers other exultations and triumph . marco cornari succeeded celso , with many triumphs , but before the years end som tumults arise in candie which were suppress'd with much difficulty . andrea contareni follow'd cornari , and refusing to accept the principality , he was threatned unto it : tenedos did then yeeld to the venetian ; but in this dukes time ther happen'd terrible wars 'twixt the venetians and the king of hungary , as also with the arch-duke of austria , and interchangeable overthrows were given on both sides , but by the mediation of the patriarch of aquileia a peace was concluded ; but the rancor of the genoway broak out again , and after some hostile encounters a peace vvas concluded by the intercession of the duke of savoy ; afterwards the republic leagues with the king of cyprus . michael morosini succeeded next , who lasted but four moneths in his principality . antonio venieri then sueceeds , in whose time ther fell out a fierce warre in lombardy , which was but collaterall only to the venetians , yet they were the chiefest sticklers therein , and accommodators at last . michaeli steno procurator of s. mark then succeeded , and presently the fire broak out 'twixt venice and genoa again , bouciqualt a notable resolut frenchman was generall of the genoways , yet the venetian still put them to the worse : v●…cenza came then under the protection of s. mark , who sent a garrison thither . verona also one of the most famous cities in lombardy , put her self under the venetians , which much heigtned the glory of the republic : add hereunto that padoua also was brought by force of arms under her subjection : all things being afterwards setled in a firm peace , ther came forty gentlemen from verona to venice all clothed in white , wherupon the senat commanded a theater to be erected of purpose in s. marks place , where the duke with his family clothed also all in white were ready to receave them . the veronois being all com to the thea●…et , after they had saluted the prince and the senat , they layed down their public ensigns , and the keys of their city gate , at their feet , entreating them to accept thereof , beseeching god that the proffer might be both to venice and verona as fortunate and profitable as that was an assured pledge of their fidelity , as well public as particular towards the venetians , requesting them of their accustomed goodnesse to continue in the preservation , defence and maintenance of them , their city , their means , and fortunes , with all other , both divine and humane matters ; and as for their unfained love towards them , they durst freely say and affirm , that they wold ▪ be ▪ extremely sorry , if among so many peeple as did obey them , any shold go before them in love , duty and affection . these ambassadors being courteously entertain'd , were assur'd by the duke , that as long as they continued to be such as they promised , the senat wold e're long let them know , that the greatest happinesse which can befall those who have not means to defend themselfs , is to be shrowded under a lawfull government , which they shold find to be as pleasing ( in regard they had recourse to the only fort of liberty , and cast off a tyrants yoak ) as a safe harbour useth to be to a man that hath escaped a terrible tempest ; they might therefore depart when they pleas'd , and take with them the venetian ensigns ( and in so saying the duke gave them to their prolocutor ) which they were to erect in the midst of their city ; he wish'd they might prove to themselfs & to the venetians ever happy ; and being so erected to hold them in reverence : then he will'd them to execut justice , in regard they had in times pass'd obey'd the commands of a tyrant : so they were dismiss'd ; those of padoua following their example , came soon after , only with this difference , that in lieu of white the padouans were cloth'd in purple , anno dom. . thomaso mocenigo was next chosen , and ther being great dissentions raiis'd 'twixt the bishop of aquilea , and them of udine , the venetians recover feltre , bellluna and other places . the udinois did also yeeld themselfs to the republic , with the whole countrey of the patrians in friuli ; but upon these notable successes by land , ther happen'd a most raging fire in venice , which burnt the dukes palace , and melted all the lead upon s. marks church , which was contiguous . the fire being quench'd , the senat decreed that no man under pain of forfeiting a thousand ducats , shold dare to propound to pull down the old palace , and reedifie it more sumptuously ; the prince then preferring the honor of the city to his own private profit , brought the same sum to the senat , requesting that they wold permit the fore part of the ducall palace might be reedifi'd in a more magnificent manner , as was befitting the majesty of the republic , and so willingly forfeited his thousand ducats : so the work was done accordingly , but the duke died before 't was finish'd . francisco foscard was then elected duke , the same year ther was warres begun against philip duke of milan , and the republic concluded a league with the florentines against him , which league consisted of these heads , that the venetians and florentines shold arm at their own common charge one thousand six hundred horse and eight thousand foot , they shold furnish two navall armies , with the one the venetians shold sail up the river po to resist the forces of philip , the. florentines along the river of genoa , that none shold speak of peace till the venetians shold command it . that all the cities , forts , and towns taken on the confines of flaminia , shold belong to the florentine , the other shold be joyn'd to the vetetian state , or given to whom they pleased . lorenzo the florentine ambassadour did herupon cast himself at the dukes feet , and with a loud voice sayed , that the florentine peeple shold be ever mindfull of such a signall benefit , and besought god that the glorie of venice might increase , and if ever it happen'd that the venetian peeple shold have need , the florentines wold be ever ready with their utmost means to aid the republic : divers others , as amadeo duke of savoy , king alonso and syena entred into this league . this enforc'd the duke of milan to a peace , which imported that he shold quit to the venetians bressia with her confines , together with that part of cremona's territories which is contiguous to the river olio , as also that part of bergamo which stretcheth towards the river adi●…e . the marquesse of monferrat being oppress'd fled to venice for refuge , who restored him to his territories . there arrived about this time iohn paleologus the grecian emperour , ioseph patriarch of constantinople , with the prince of morea , to confer with the pope about matters of religion ; they went to ferrara to find out eugenius the pop●… , who was a venetian born , and this conference produced good effects , and an union for the time . about this time there came to venice the bishop of aquileia and pietro barbe cardinall , that was pope afterwards , that had splendid entertainment . but the emperour frederick , with his wife loenora , had more magnificent reception ; for besides the buccentoro richly hung with cloth of gold , wherin the prince and senators were , divers great vessells were set forth besides , whose poopes were all new gilded , in which were many hundreds of the venetian clarissimi , the ganzari and patischerme that are lesser vessells which were numberlesse , were as allantly deck'd , wherin were the common citizens , who did strive who shold exceed one another in bravery ; the whole city was hung up and down as they pass'd with cloth of gold and rich tapestry , in every corner musicall instruments , songs and melodious voices were heard . the empress landed a little while after in the same glory , attended by two hundred of the prime venetian ladies , she was presented with an imperiall crown of gold set with rich stones , and a coat for a little child , with a cradle cloth of purple , powdred with pea●…ls , in regard 't was thought she was with child , &c. the emperour being gone , the senat to furnish the warres of lombardy , decreed that all officers , as well in the city as abroad , judges , registers , and others of meaner quality under great officers , who in any kind had pensions of the republic , shold pay a certain sum , and that other sorts of clarissimi shold serve the signiory gratis for six months . in this dukes time a cunning candiot , by sapping under the church got into s. marks tresury , and stole thence jewells and other things to a mighty value , but he was detected by his companion before he could get away , and hang'd betwixt the two columnes in s. marks place . in this dukes time also was constantinople won by the turk , in regard of the sloth , supiness and stupidity of the rest of the christian princes , but especially for the frowardnesse of the constantinopolitans themselfs , who wold not give timely aid to the emperor , out of a base kind of covetousnesse , and with constantinople the whole greek empire perish'd , which had stood above eleven hundred yeers ; this gave an alarum to all italy , and caus'd a generall peace about anno dom. . mahomet at the taking of constantinople did endeavour to oblige the venetians more then any other christian nation ther , wherfore in the generall slaughter he sav●…d them , knowing that none was more powerfull to do him hurt then venice . paschalis maripietro succeeded foscaro ▪ who continued in the principality longest of any of his sixty five predecessors , for he govern'd above thirty six years , and being stricken in age he made a voluntary resignation to paschalis , who preserv'd the republic in peace all his life time : in his government happen'd that universal earthquake , which shook most parts of italy , anno dom. . chistophoro mauro was next elected , the i le of lemnos was delivered to the venetians in this dukes time , and oenos was taken , but the republic had very ill luck in the morea , and before corinth , moreover they lost negrepont . micolao trono succeeded moro ▪ whose short government was very fortu●…at , because th●… republic in his time made a league with the king of persia , and united the iland of cyprus to their dominions ; the pope at his time sent a fleet of gallies to second the enterprises of the venetians in the greek seas , and being met , mocenigo the generall for the republic , made this speech to the popes legat , who was admirall for the church . i am sure most excellent and reverend father , that you are not ignorant how val●…antly the venetians have hitherto born themselves for the christian faith ; this is the ninth year we have fought by sea and land against this cruell enemy , without the assistance of any christian prince but king ferdinand only ; it is needlesse to rehearse the losses , travails and dangers which we have sustain'd , for ther is no place in all morea , no shore in greece , nor iland in all the ionian and egean seas which is not mingled with our bloud , or with that of our enemies ; we have not spar'd any labour or expence , and we heartily wish that whatsoever we do now , or shall hereafter execut , may be for the weal of christendom ; we have lately with fire and sword wasted eolia and caria , two rich provinces of the enemies , and now we hope by your happy conjunction to do som nobler enterprize ; it rests therfore on your part to teach us what you know to be profitable for christendome , and prescribe us what to execute , and we hold it our parts to execute your commands . the legat answer'd , it is sufficiently known with what zeal and affection the noble venetians have till this present defended christian religion , and how by their valour and industry they have preserv'd whole common-wealths , ilands and cities , but for your own particular generall mocenigo , i must say , that although other commanders have done valiantly , yet you have not only comported your self valiantly , but fortunatly , and if i may so say , divinely : this being thus , i entreat you to go on as you have begun , and let not our conduct , or that of any one els , interrupt the course of your happy proceedings ; for my self , as becometh a churchman , i will pray unto god and his saints , that all your enterprises may succeed prosperously ▪ and those troupes which i have brought with me , shall follow your commands . mocenigo had forty six ●…allies of the republic under his command , twenty of the popes , and fifteen of king ferdinands , he infested the turks up and down in divers places , taking sundry places and prizes ; among others he took sichin and seleucia , where the turks being too confident of their strength , cryed out from over the walls to mocenigo , get ye home o venetians , and command the sea and fishes , but leave the empire of the land to ottoman . mocenigo having taken seleucia went after to cyprus , where he understood that iames the king was sick of a dissentery , and being come to visit him , he entreated the king to be of good cheer , and with patience to undergo the force of his malady , who made him answer : i know very well most excellent captain , and already feel , that by the violent torment of my disease , i am in great danger of life ; and not to ●…atter my self , i have no hope to escape ; therefore i make my dearest wife with the child she bears in her body , mine heirs , and she , as thou knowest , is daughter to marco cornari , and being adopted by the venetian senat , was by them given me in marriage : if i die , whereof i make no question , i recommend my wife , issue , and kingdom to venice ▪ therefore i heartily entreat thee , in regard of our friendship , and for the greatnesse of the venetian state ( if it com to that ) that thou wo●…'st defend and keep both her selfe , issue and kingdome from all wrong and oppression . mocenigo answer'd : thy body , most royall king , is yet in a good estate , and thou in the prime of thine age , which may put thee in good hope of a speedy recovery , but if it shold fall out otherwise , which god forbid , i beseech thee be confident , that neither my self nor the venetian forces will be wanting to thee or thine . mocenigo parting from cyprus , sayl'd towards the ilands nere licia , where making incursions into the firm land , he resolv'd to besiege mi●… , which he took and plundred , thence he sayl'd to flisca , where the king of cyprus daughter , the lady charlotta allied to the duke of sa●…y , sent to crave assistance of him against iames her base brother ; who was the son of a concubin . mocenigo's answer was remarkable : he sent her word , that in the republics name he wold do the lady charlotta all favour , yet he greatly wonders , that she did not remember how that the right of kingdoms is rather debated by the sword , then by law , and that the iland of cyprus had not bin only taken from her , but also from the genoways who then held part thereof : for his part he knew how that the wife of the late king , the adoptif daughter of the venetian senat , being left with child , had bin , together with the fruit of her womb , made heirs by the deceased king before his death in his hearing ▪ therefore he told them plainly , he wold espouse the quarrell of the pregnant queen dowager , who he hop'd wold shortly bring forth a young king. a while after the popes legat being revok'd , and taking his leave of mocenigo , spake unto him thus ; i take my leave of thee o thou valiant man , and will be the public witnesse and trumpet of thy heroick deeds ▪ and if god shall send me safe to italy , not only the pope and the most reverend colledge of cardinalls , but all europe , with the princes and 〈◊〉 nations of christendom , shall understand what venice under thy conduct , skill and counsell hath done against our common enemie the turk , in asia , licia , and pamphilia : go forward brave captain , as thou hast begun , to inlarge the venetian glory , and bear up the banners of the crosse , thereby to imortalize thy own name : i beseech almighty god to favour all thy attempts , and i hope 't wil come so to passe , that all the losses which christendome hath sustaind by this barbarous enemy , shall e're long by thy own valour , and to their ruine , be fully compensated . after this , mocenigo was godfather to the young prince , and made governour of cyprus . nicolao marcello succeeded afterwards , in whose principality divers things prospered on the republics side in macedonia . pietro mocenigo was chosen next , who being s. marks admirall , for many years did notable feats by land and sea , but in the compasse of a year and two months he gave up the ghost and his government . andrea vendrammo succeeded , the turks besiege croia and are worsted , but they ravag'd and burnt the countrey of friuli , and the fire was so violent , that it was seen from som of the turrets of venice . giovanni mocenigo was next elected duke , and shortly after there was a peace concluded with ottoman the turk upon these conditions , that the venetians stold have free and safe trafic into the pontick seas , and that ottoman shold have lemnos and scutary given him up : he afterwards took otrauto in calabria wherby he fill'd all italy with a terror of invasion ; in this dukes time the island vegia in dalmatia gave her self up to venice ; in this dukes time there was an eager warre begun , and prosecuted with much heat 'twixt venice and ferrara ; malateste was generall to the republic ▪ who did many notable exploits , and brought the ferrarois to a very low ebb , at which time pope sixtus enjoyn'd the venetians to lay down their arms by his nuncio . but the senat answer'd somewhat roundly , that the republic was so far from entertaining this war without his holines consent , as they did it at first by his instigation , that as then so now , they did prefer peace not only before warr , but before victory , so it were seasonably sought , and not on such conditions as might make their lenity to be interpreted indiscretion : that they were confident his holinesse actions had no privat ends , but such as imported the common good of christendome , only in this it was notorious to the whole world , that he dealt more subtilly then sincerely , that for twenty years , wherein both by land and sea they had bin singled out by dreadfull ottoman , none of the princes of italy contributed one drop of bloud towards the quenching of this neighbour flame , but seem'd deaf to all sollicitations , and same to all assistance : but in this privat cause of ferrara , those who shrank back from the public quarrell could all bandy together , not as if they wold arbitrat , but enforce a peace ; that they humbly desir'd his holinesse to ponder this businesse temperatly , which others did passionatly , and to let his own understanding advise him whither it more concern'd him to favour the venetians or the ferrarois ; as for them they were resolv'd to prosecut that war , which by his advice they had undertaken , hoping the successe wold prove as happy , as the cause was just and honorable . this was the substance of the venetians answer , whereat the pope was so incens'd , that he excomunicated the doge ; and the senat , having leagu'd himself with frederick , and alfonso duke of calabria , who came with two thousand men for succour of ferrara , among whom were four hundred turks , which he brought from otrauto ; but they a while after ran away to the venetians , which though it was some advantage unto them ▪ yet they had an ill-favour'd disaster in the city at that time , for the dukes palace was half burnt down . the republic having many potent enemies banded against her , by the instigation of the pope , employ'd ambassadors to the french army , and germane princes , with others , to have a generall councell call'd , wherin it might be lawfull to complain of the pope or any other . herupon a while after pope sixtus apprehending some fears , a treaty was set on foot for a peace , which was quickly concluded ; the venetians a little before , had taken gallipoli in calabria ; and though they lost neither honour or territory during this warr , yet in lesse than two years it cost the republic nere upon three millions . marco barbadico succeeded next , in whose time a trade was begun with portugall , to which purpose the republic sent an ambassador expresly to lisbon , anno dom. . when this duke was upon his death-bed , there came a great ambassador from bajazet the turkish emperor with rich presents unto him , but he enjoy'd them little ; he was buried with greater solemnitie than ordinary , and the ceremonies which were us'd then continue constant to this day at the interment of venetian doges , which is thus . after the duke is dead , he is unbowell'd , his body embalm'd , and laid under a canopie of gold , with his gilt sword and spurres revers'd ; he is publiquely kept in the palace for three whole dayes , then all the companies in the city , which are as many as ther be trades , do with their banners in solemn order go before the body , after them followeth the clergy , next to them the mourners , who are in great multitudes in sad funestous manner : last of all come the senat cloth'd in scarlet and purple , to demonstrat that the city which is free , doth never in mourning habit follow the exequies of any prince , how vertuous soever : in this manner and habit so soon as the body is brought into the church they sit round about it , whilst the memory of the deceased prince is recommended to the peeple in a funerall oration : from thence the senators returning to the palace , do publish the first assembly for the creation of a new duke . augustin barbadico , brother , to the defunct , and procurator of s. mark , succeeded ; most of the princes of germany ▪ bandy against venice , who met them about trent , where sanseverino her gallant generall , the best soldier of those times , was utterly routed and drown'd . about this time there was a fleet sent for the garding of cyprus , for divers aim'd at that dainty iland , therfore georaio cornari was sent thither by the senat to induce the widdow queen his sister ( & adopted daughter to venice ) to remit the government to the senat , & retire to venice , to live among her kindred in contentment , ease , & honor . the queen wonder'd at her brothers proposition , saying , that she wold not for a world part with so sweet a kingdom , and that the senat might be satisfied to have it after her death : her brother replied with this charming subtill oration , intreating her not to make more account of cyprus , than of her own dear countrey , because that worldly affairs being variable and inconstant , it might in short space com to passe that she might be expuls'd , it being so thought on already by divers potent lords , and her self envied by many of her subjects , who disdain'd to be govern'd by a woman , therefore one only means was left her to prevent all these mischiefs , which was , seeing she had no children to transmit the government of the realm to the venetian state now in her life time ; he added further that the republic was well contented she shold rule as long as the times were quiet , and free ●…from suspitions . but now when all her neighbours wait for an occasion , and lay snares to surprize her , the senat hath thought this onely remedy most expedient ; but if she fear'd not these dangers , he be sought her to consider , what she was likely to have fallen into the yeer before , for had not the republic rescued her with their gallies , she had bin in danger to have bin carried captive to constantinople ; it is good to foresee that which som odd accident or small errour may hurl us into , and to prevent it , fortune is blind and volable , nor can we ever prevent our enemies designs , nor can our friends be alwaies ready to help us when we want them ; there is a great distance by land , and a great sea 'twixt the adriatic gulph and cyprus ; this , madam you ought to remember and timely consider , that though nothing enforc'd you thereunto , yet what greater honor , or more lasting glory can you leave behind you , then to have bequeath●…d to your own countrey so florishing a kingdome , and that venice was augmented by a child of her own ; you shall still be a queen , and truly if the ●…ase were mine , i shold desire rather to see my greatnesse with such safety in cyprus out of the bosom of my own countrey : never was princesse so welcom to venice as you will be , you know you are to thank the senat for being queen , but if you deny this motion , you will seem to acknowledge it very little ; in a word , i being your brother , and one who ought to have som interest in you , if you dismisse me with a deniall , the world will judge it is not you have done it , but my councell , whereby i shall incur a high displeasure ; therefore i pray madam consider well of it , ther is nothing more worthy of praise then to know how to entertain fortune modestly when she smiles on us , and not to desire to be still on the wheels top , &c. cornari having thus discours'd to the queen , he prevail'd so far with her , that m●…lting into tears , she made him this answer : brother , if this be your opinion , i wil conform to it , and wil strive to overmaster my self , but venice shall thank you for cyprus , not me . so she was conducted to venice , and receav'd with all imaginable state after she had rul'd cyprus fifteen years . a little after this , the king of tremisen in affrique sent to venice his ambassador , to entrust som venetian gentlemen to see justice done to the venetian subjects , who liv'd in three of his cities , therupon lodovico piramane was sent , who had the hundredth peny upon all marchandize for his salary . not long after the patriarch of aquileia died at rome , and hermolao barbaro being there ambassador for the republic , the pope confer'd that high ecclesiastic dignity upon him , and made him cardinall . this being known at venice , notwithstanding that hermolao was a minister of great desert , and had acquainted the senat hereof ; yet because there was an expresse law , forbidding all venetian gentlemen , being ambassadors at rome , to receave any obliging dignity of the pope , during the time of his legation , the senat took the audacious infringing of this law in ill part ; and though he were rich , well allied , and had great friends , they sent expresse command , that he shold resign the patriarkship again to the pope , if not , they wold take from his father the procuratorship of s. mark , and confiscat all his estate ; the father died before the years end , of meer resentment , and the son having compos'd many excellent books , died a little after of a squinancy . venice was now very quiet , when charles the viii . of france sent three ambassadors one after the other to the duke , that their king being resolv'd to com to italy , to conquer the kingdome of naples , which by hereditary right belong'd to him , he desir'd to know the venetians inclination towards him , and whither they wold continue the former league and amity ; the senat answer d the ambassador , that the signory did ever prefer peace before war , and did now desire it more then ever , therefore they could wish , that their king being now in a perfect peace , wold suffer the princes of italy to be so too . afterwards the french king being daily push'd on by lowtksforza the duke of milan , and the prince of salerno then an exile in france , send philip of comines again to venice , who propos'd to the senat , that if they wold joyn with them in the recovery of naples , they shold have a considerable share of the kingdome , if not , that they shold persever in their former friendship . the senat answer'd , that the king was so potent and well provided with all warlike necessaries , that he needed no help from them , therefore they determin'd according to the laudable custome of their ancestors , not to stir , who never made war but upon constraint : moreover , they desir'd not to have any share in that kingdome whereunto they had no claim ; for the rest , they sayed , they wold still make high esteem of his friendship . the republic had at this time a great fleet upon the coasts of slavonia , because they understood bajazet the great turk began to arm ; at which time there came a solemn embassie from florence to crave their advice how they shold behave themselfs 'twixt the kings of naples and france , the latter of which had sent to desire passage through their countrey . the senat answer'd : that in so difficult a businesse , subject to such a world of accidents , they knew not so suddenly what was best to be done , and though they loved the one better then the other , they durst not deliver their opinion , because that fortune is commonly mistresse in warre , and that it usually falls out , that matters done by chance and adventure , do oftentimes prosper better then those which are premeditated , and beaten upon the anvill of long premeditation ; therefore they ought to ask counsell of none but almighty god , who only knew what was best for men to embrace or avoid . the french king rushing into italy , found no resistance scarce , till he had crown'd himself king of naples . the venetians were at this time put mightily to their plunges and reaches of policy , because it was not wholesom for them or italy , that the french shold grow so powerfull , therefore the king of the romans , the spaniards , and the duke of milan , who had fallen from the french , sending their ambassadors unto them , they strike a league to represse the french proceedings . the venetian takes manapoli , pulignano , and mola , and partly by arms , partly policy , the french are driven out of italy ; yet charles the viii . being dead , they make a new league with king lewis of france against the duke of milan upon these conditions , that lodowick sforza being elected king , shold have milan , and the republic cremona and abdua , and it came so to passe . the republic had but sorry successes against the turk in this dukes time , for at cephaloma they receav'd a terrible blow , yet she reduc'd at last that iland to a perfect subjection . leonardo loredano succeeded barbarico ; in his time the french and portugall assist the signory against the turk , so that a peace ensued ; the republic receav'd a mighty wound in her comerce about this time , in regard that the portugalls had found a passage to the east indies , by the cape of good hope , and so brought home in their carraks those spices which venice was us'd to fetch from alexandria , and dispence up and down europe . . but pope iulius the ii. gave her a worse blow , by drawing a most heavy war upon the republic , in regard she wold not part with faenza and rimini , for which she offer'd to pay him any rent in quality of tenant , alledging that it was dangerous for the signory in regard of their situation , that they shold be in any other hands : hereupon , that notable league at cambray was privatly struck against venice , wherin ther were confederates , the pope himself , the emperour , the king of france , the kings of aragon , and spain , with divers others : it was given out , that they met there to accommode the businesse of the duke of gueldres , but that was only a pretext , which the republic could not smell out . the republic by this huge powerfull league , had lost almost all the towns she had in the firm land of lombardy , as far as padoua ; the great turk offer'd the republic aid in this exigent , but she modestly refus'd any : besides other places , she receav'd a most fearfull overthrow hard by abdua ; being thus oppress'd with the spirituall armes of rome , and most of the temporall armes of europe , rather then break , she complemented with the emperour , and bow'd to the pope , by delivering him those places aforesayed in flaminia : among others , the cardinall of york in england did do her good offices to the pope , as her annales make mention : the french having taken milan , and other places , grew insolent in italy ; therefore there was a new confederacy made 'twixt the pope , the king of spain , and the venetians ; at ravenna the french became victors in a great battail , but a little after the swisse coming in as confederates against them , they were totally routed and driven over the hills again . the venetians recover'd crema , and the spaniard having taken bressia , and delaying to render it to venice , there was a new occasion offer'd for the republic to make a league with france again against the spaniard , and francis the first by their help regain'd milan . the republic was never so driven to her shifts as she was in the time of this duke , in divers traverses of warr , and confederacies against her , which she dissolv'd by pure policy , more then any power . she was afterwards much persecuted by pope and emperour , in so much that maximilian sent to selim the new great turk an ambassador , to invite him to a warr against the venetians , and to invade their sea coasts , while he assaulted them by land. pope leo sent petro bembo upon a solemn embassie to the republic , that they shold break with the french , and league with the emperour and spaniards against them ; whereunto the senat made this grave answer : that his holinesse ambassador was greatly pleasing to the senat , as well in respect of himself , whose vertue and particular affection towards their countrey was sufficiently known to all men , as likewise in regard of the prince who sent him , seeing the republic had ever born all reverence and honour to the soveraign bishops of rome ; but they more particularly inclin'd to pope leo ; that the senat had ever most highly esteem'd his good and wholesom counsell , but the mischiefe was , that by how much they above all others had desir'd his friendship and alliance in that incertainty of all things , by so much more were they continually kept from it ; and albeit , their love was never disjoyn'd from him , yet their forces were ever divided ; as then they did humbly thank his holinesse , and confess'd themselfs much bound unto him , in that he had bin ever ready by divers good offices to embrace and favour their cause , even so likewise they were extremely griev'd , that they could not follow his counsell , it being their ancient custom not to leave an old friend for a new , specially being not provok'd thereunto by any wrong , their ancient fathers thinking that alone to be profitable , which was most honest ; therefore they could not without great blemish of their reputation break or abandon the alliance which they had already contracted with the french ; and if the pope wold call to mind the ancient benefits of the french kings , not only to the venetian common-wealth , but likewise to the church , and consider the wealth and power of that kingdome , he wold not only excuse but commend the venetian councel , and be desirous himself to follow it because that being back'd by the french forces , with those of the venetian , ther was likelihood , that he shold be abler to lay surer foundations , as well for the state of the church , as for the greatnesse and advancement of his own house . hereupon the republic sent ambassadors , both to lewis of france , and henry of england , to congratulat their alliance ( for old lewis had married young henries sister ) and to streighten this league betwixt them against the emperour . the republic likewise employed two ambassadors to confirm the peace with the great turk selim , who had newly subdued the mammalukes and soldan , that had bin lords of the gran cayro and egypt above three hundred years , anno . the french king sent to borrow one hundred thousand crowns of the venetians towards the end of this dukes government , which was done accordingly . lewis king of hungary sent two ambassadors unto them , who procured both men and money against the turk . prince lor●…dano having sate at the stern of the republic twenty years in most tempestuous times , payed nature her last debt and made way for antonio grimani , who about the beginning of his government was sollicited , that the republic of venice might be godmother to a daughter of france . the face of affairs in christendom being much chang'd at the coming in of charles the fifth the emperor , the venetians wav'd their league with france ( who was ready to invade italy for the dutchy of milan ) and enter'd into an alliance with the emperor , cashiering trivaltio , who was too much affected to the french , and making the duke of vrbin their generall , and this was done principally by pope adrian the fourth his intercession , who was a low dutchman having bin a brewers son in vtrecht , and schoolmaster to charles the fifth : in this dukes time the isle of rhodes was taken by the turk to the great detriment of christendom , and dishonor to her princes , . andrea gritti succeeded grimani , about the beginning of whose principality the venetians depart from the french , and for important reasons of state enter into league with the pope and emperor ; the french king makes himself again master of milan , and of divers other places in italy . the venetians upon emergent reasons of state leave the emperor , and renew their confederacy with the french , but during this league , the french king was taken prisoner at pavia , and carried into spain , and after foure years captivity dismissed : rome is beleaguer'd by the spaniards , the walls seal'd by the duke of bourbon , who in the action breath'd his last , and pope clement besieg'd in the castle of s. angelo ; the king of england hen. viii . was one of the principall instruments both of the french king and popes enlargement . the french rush again 'ore the hills to italy , take pavia and destroy it ; the venetians seize monopolis in the kingdome of naples . doria admirall for the french o'recoms the imperiall fleet , but he turn'd afterwards to the emperour . the vicount of tureen coms upon a splendid embassie to venice in the popes behalf , to entreat them that they wold satisfie the pope by rendition of ravenna and cervia : the senat alledg'd their just titles to them , having receiv'd the one from obizzo polente lord therof more than four hundred years pass'd ; and that cervia was fallen to the republic by the testament of dominico malateste , for which she was to pay yearly som godly legacies , which they continued for performance of the testators will : they representd further , how that if they had bin desirous to possesse towns belonging to other men , they wold not have refus'd the offer of those of furli , and of other cities of romania , who sought much to be under their obedience ; nor wold they have defended or maintain'd with such extraordinary cost and danger the city of bologna , with others belonging to his holiness , nor have kept them from him , and that those cities had bin taken at such time as the pope had quitted the league , and that they might justly now detain them for the same occasion ; moreover they had spent a great masse of tresure in that warr which those cities were not able to recompence ; they desired that the king wold take it into serious consideration how much it might import him , if those so commodious cities shold be quitted by his friends and confederats to be given to the pope , who stood so coldly affected to the crown of france , nay even into the hands of the imperialls , seeing that it was apparent how the pope either by his own proper motion , or through fear did wholly depend upon the emperour , that he was besides to consider of their interest , and the wrong which wold be offer'd their confederats , viz. the florentines and the duke of ferrara , whoquestionlesse wold be greatly distasted hereat , and wold cool that heat which pusheth them on to the affairs of the league : and moreover how that these towns did serve for a bridle to contain the pope within his bounds , seeing that without them he wold already have shewed himself an open friend to the emperor . a little after the republic lends the king of france , & the duke of milan a considerable sum of money ; chastillon coms ambassador to venice and brundusium in apulia , is taken by her admirall : herup on a treaty of peace was appointed by all parties to be at cambray , and the republic employ'd lodovico falieri to the king of england to entreat him , that since he had ever shew'd himself a royall friend to the republic , his majesty wold be pleas'd , as at all other times , to take into his protection , and to procure that in those affairs which were handled at cambray , nothing might be concluded to the hurt and prejudice of the republic , nor to the liberty of italy , whereof many years before he had to his immortall praise taken upon him the defence , while preparations were made on all fides to disturb her , if not destroy her . about the fag end of this dukes government solyman makes warre upon the hungary , and takes ●…uda ; he warr'd also with the venetians , but against them he had not so good successe ; for they took scardona from him , and 〈◊〉 in dalmatia : upon this a solemne league was struck 'twixt the pope , the emporor and the republic , against the common enemy . in this dukes time the republic sent to the pope that she might have the nomination of her own bishops , for which he had made divers proposalls formerly , but could get no definitive answer ; herupon ther was a seizure made of the temporalities of divers bishopricks which the pope had collated , wherat his holiness was much incens'd . the senat considering the importance and difficulty of the business , did deliberat theron in open councell , where opinions were very different , but for the present it was decreed , that in favour of the pope the temporalities of those who had bin promoted by his holiness shold be surrendred them in the cities under their jurisdiction ; yet nevertheless they did not give over their demands , saying that what they had then done was for the extraordinary respect and reverence they bare to pope clement , hoping that herafter they wold grant them more than they crav'd : the pope nevertheless , who at first made shew that he demanded nothing els but that , stood after upon greater difficulties . solyman having made peace with the persian , intended to assail christendome on all sides by sea and land : hereupon he entertain'd barbarossa the famous pyrat , and sent word to the venetians , that they shold us●… him no more as a pyrat , but one of his own port. to bear up against solyman , the senat thought fit to levy the tenths upon the clergy , but they could not obtain it of the pope , who made answer , that he had a purpose to levy two tenths upon the goods of all the italian clergy , to employ them for the relief of the cantons of the catholic swissi , against the other apostat cantons , who threatned them with war. a little after venice made her self mistresse of a town in dalmatia call'd obrovatza , a place of considerable strength and advantage . pietro landi succeeded gritti , who had continued prince nere upon sixteen years , guy vbaldo duke of vrbin , the old duke being dead , was chosen generall of the republic by land ; he was allow'd ten captains pay , and four thousand ducats yearly salary besides : the senat at that time decreed that four hundred artificers of the city shold be inroll'd , with whom four times a year , the gallies appointed for that purpose shold be mann'd , that they might all of them row together , which they commonly call'd regater , and pensions were appointed them who had serv'd so thrice : this decree pass'd , to the end they might be assur'd to have men alwaies fit and ready to mann any nomber of gallies . ther happen'd a mighty dearth of corn through all italy in this dukes time , which lighted more heavy upon venice then any place ( among other causes ) which necessitated her to make peace with the turk , but the marquis of guasto governor of milan , and the lord of annebalt marshall of france , and her generall in piemont , came to venice to divert her ; they had extraordinary magnificent entertainment , both for the quality of their own persons , and of the great princes that sent them . the marquis of guasto coming to the senat , told them that he was sent by his imperiall majesty to acquaint them , as his trusty and inward friends , with the enterview that he intended to have with the french king , and in flanders with king ferdinand his brother , and the queen his sister , who govern'd ther for him , assuring them , that in the same assembly of princes affairs wold be handled concerning the universall good of christendom , and the particulrr advantage of that republic , which the emperour did as much desire as well as of his own estates ; and that now they were ready to assail the turks with very great forces ; the emperor therefore was desirous to know the senats will and intentions therein , what provision they wold judge to be necessary , and what they wold have him to do for his part towards the better managing of this great design . marshall annebalt spake to the same effect , protesting his kings good will to the common peace of christendome , amd particularly of the common-wealth of venice . answer was made by the senat to the marquis and the marshall , that their arrival was very pleasing and acceptable , as well in respect of the princes whom they represented , as for their own persons , for which , and for the honor and friendship which they did professe to the republic , they did infinitely thank their princes ; the news of the good correspondence and certain hopes of peace 'twixt two such mighty kings had much rejoyc'd them ▪ and so much the more , by how much greater the profit was which all christendome shold receave thereby : but as for the declaration of their meaning and intendments towards the present occasions , it might be sufficiently known by their actions , how for their parts they had for three years born the brunt and burthen of the warr against the common enemy , and being invited by those hopes , they were ready again to embark and expose themselfs : yet neverthelesse all might well perceave , that they were not able alone to hold out long against the power of so potent a foe , therefore what could they say more ? their necessity being known to all men , how ev'ry one knew that barbarossa was in the gulph of lepanto , with a fleet of eighty gallies , and intended to winter there , whereby the whole world might perceave , to what danger the state of the common-wealth was expos'd , and by consequence all christendom , unlesse the navall armies might be ready by the month of february to divert his designs , all which things were exactly to be thought upon , and speedily remedied . this was an answer without a resolution nor could those two great ambassadors get any other at all , for the sagacious senat smelt out whereunto these practises tended , and what the emperors true designs were , namely to feed the french with vain hopes of a restitution of the duchy of milan , and the venetians by propounding unto them to make preparation against the turk , though he cared not to perform either , but only thereby to win time , by being assur'd of the quiet of the french arms , and diverting that king from warr . but the republic was constrain'd a little after to conclude a peace with the turk by surrendry of naples in peloponnesus , and malvesia into his hands . the inhabitants of napoli and malvesia were exceedingly afflicted that the republic wold give them up to the turk , therefore generall mocenigo made unto them this consolatory tender oration . the fatherly love wherewith venice hath alwaies embrac'd and receav'd you from the beginning under her rule and protection , and then gently govern'd you for a long time , may very easily perswade you , that the very same which i am enjoyn'd to deliver unto you , viz. that this city and malvesia your neighbour are to be deliver'd to solyman , hath bin done rather upon extreme necessity , then by any freedom of will : divers things may make you clea●…ly perceave how dearly the republic ever lov'd you , specially these last wars , wherin for your relief , she hath oftentimes expos'd her self to the greatest dangers ; she hath furnish'd you with money , souldiers , and munition , for fear you shold fal into the enemies power , who with barbarous cruelty wold have bath'd his hands in your bloud : but what greater demonstration of love can the republic make you in this present exigent , then to promise all those who are willing to depart , another fit dwelling place wherin they may safely live under her protection , and to help , favour , and nourish them . the ancient sages said , how that the same place may be term'd ones countrey where he hath his well being : now what better thing is ther then to live under the moderat government of a good princce . divers nations ( their numbers growing ●…ver great at home ) have of their free wills departed from their native countrey , and followed fortune ; in miseries to have an assured refuge carrieth with it such a comfort , as a man doth oftimes remember things pass●…d with greater contentation : we cannot remove hence , the houses and walls of the city , but you may bear away what 's d●…arer unto you , your goods & persons shall be preserv'd , your posterities shall propagat in another place , and who knows but you may beget such generous children that may revenge your wrongs som other day , so great is the change of mundane affairs , wherunto the greatest empires are as subject as the smallest villages , you may be well assured ; that the republic will retain still a desire to take up arms at all times when she sees that christian princes will seriously unite , that ther may be som probability to do good . whilst mocenigo did thus comfort them , both men and women did shed warm tears , being all melted into love as well as sorrow . not long after the french king finding that he could get nothing but promises instead of performances , for the surrendry of milan from the emperor charles ; he employ'd one rincon ambassador to solyman for aid against francis of france ; this rincon was near pavia in italy slain by the emperours forces , as he was on his way to turky ; therupon polin was sent , whom the republic did furnish with a gallie to carry him to constantinople : he negotiated so well that solyman sent a fleet of sixscore gallies which took reggio in calabria , with the city of nice , and so arrives at marseilles . the republic was eagerly importun'd both by the emperor and french king to enter into a league with them , but nothing could put off from their neutrality . francisco donato was chosen after the death of lande , in his time cardinall grimani , the peeple complaining of his oppressions , his temporall dominion was taken from him , and restor'd to the republic : in his time also friar george bishop of varadine , and cardinall , suspected to hold intelligence with the turk , was massacred . marc antonio trevisano was next elected , in whose time notwithstanding that all the princes of italy were ingaged in some warre or other , yet the republic was peacefull and quiet ; this duke being at masse one morning , died suddenly of a faintnesse in the head . francisco venieri succeeded next , in whose time charles the emperour being tired with labour , and weary of the world , resign'd the empire to his brother ferdinand , and all the rest of his dominions to his son philip the second , reserving to himself an annuity of a hundred thousand crowns , and so retir'd to a monastery : som write that he was sorry for it afterwards , and that his son shold say , that the second day of his resignation was the first day of his repentance , this happen'd in the year . lorenzo priuli then was created duke , a great learned man , in whose time after a long funestous warre , a peace was concluded 'twixt france and spain much by the endeavours of the republic . jeromino priuli succceeded next in the principality : in his time the councell of trent begun , anno dom. . and broke off , pius the fourth being pope , who though by his own naturall inclination he was meek and gentle , yet being importun'd by the great complaints made unto him against his predecessors nephews , who during their oncles papacy committed som extorsions , he therupon committed to prison charles , and alphonso caraffi both cardinalls , the duke of palliano their brother , and two others their neer kinsmen , whose processes being form'd and consider'd by the judges deputed to that end , they were found guilty of sundry crimes , in so much that cardinall charles was strangled in the castle of s. angelo , the duke of palliano with the other brother were beheaded in the tower of nona , and shew'd afterwards publiquely to the peeple ; cardinall alphonso was put only to a pecuniary amercement . the republic sent to the councell of trent miolo de ponte , and matteo dandulo , men much renown'd , to represent the state , and above twenty venetian bishops assisted there besides ; but as the counsell was newly open'd , a strange thing happen'd at rome , for certain young men were incited by a vision , which they gave out they had receaved from angells : it was , that another diviner man shold succeed the pope now living , who shold be the only monarc of the world , commanding both the spirituall and temporall jurisdiction , and shold bring all men to an exact knowledge of the tru god ; they being desirous to have it suddenly com to passe , not tarrying till the pope shold die a naturall death , resolv'd to massacre and dispatch him ; one of their nomber call'd benedetto accolto undertook to do it as he was reading of a petition , but when it came to the point of execution , he was daunted so , that he retir'd in a trembling posture ; wherupon one of the conspirators fearing that they shold be detected , went to the pope and open'd the whole businesse ; so that they were all apprehended and executed . the gulph was mightily infected with pyrats in this dukes time , but the republic did quickly remedy it , sending great fleets abroad to scowre the adriatic , and secure trade . the pope sent to the venetian senat , that the inquisition might be establish'd in their dominions , to which end he employ'd a nuncio of purpose , who urg'd it very pressingly ; but they wav'd the businesse , alledging what miserable effects the pressing of the inquisition had wrought both in naples and milan already ; and their republic thanks be to god , needed not such extraordinary means , they were generally such perfect christians , but if any were convicted of any notorious heresie , if they did not abjure their errours , there were lawes strict enough already to punish them . the republic sent a splendid embassie to congratulat selym the new turk , martin caballo was employed to that purpose , who made the following speech unto the emperour . as much grief ( most gracious emperour ) as the venetian reipublic , so highly affected to the ottomans , hath receiv'd by the death of solyman that glorious and wise emperour , so much joy and contentment she hath received , to understand that divine power hath raised you to such a dignity , and plac'd you in the throne belonging to the famous and most just family of the ottomans ; for it is most certain that the soul of solyman doth at this present glory , not only for that he doth so much surpasse all men in happinesse , having been meek and gentle to the humble , liberall to his friends , and faithfull to his allies , but he rejoyceth to have left you his son behind him , far more excellent than himself ; for he having bin ever invincible , and never given place to any mortall wight , is not onely at this time joyfull , but likewise accounteth himself more honor'd for being surmounted and overcom by his son in all vertues belonging to an emperor . the excellency of so many great monarks , your noble ancestors , do invite us , or rather enforce us , most mighty emperor , to expect as much good from you , the glory of the ottomans , the high attempt of your progenitors , every where so much renown'd , doth draw us therunto , and the fame of your forefathers , continued so many years without intermission , doth confirm it unto us : these things being thus , the venetian senat hath sent me hither to confirm and establish the same friendshid and alliance which hath ever bin betwixt the ottoman empire and our republic , and this amity with your most excellent majesty ought to be the more pleasing unto you , by how much it is more ancient , confirm'd by sundry good offices on either part , and continued for so many years ; for indeed all worldly things do in tract of time corrupt and grow feeble , and still new things are found best , but friendship being a sacred and divine thing , and which cannot be but amongst good and just men , the older it is , the more perfect and durable it is : our republic then being indued by these reasons , doth continually pray unto almighty god for your health and prosperity . this ambassadour was dismissed with extraordinary respect , having rich garments , terra sigillata and balsamum , with divers other precious things bestowed upon him . pietro loredano was allotted and chosen to be the next duke : the city of venice , in the beginning of his government , was oppressed both with fire and famine , for the arsenal was burnt . the great turk having notice herof by a jew , iohn miches by name , was advised by him to attempt the taking of the island of cyprus , tho the gran visier with other of the bassaes held it a more glorious thing for him to relieve the afflicted moores of granada in spain ; but in regard that no gran signor is respected as absolute emperor , till he hath built a mesquite , or perform'd som great exploit against the christians ; selym being transported with the counsell of the said jew , broke the league of peace with the repubic , and invaded cyprus . the venetian republic having timely notice herof , send an encrease of forces to cyprus , and sollicit most of the christian princes , to enable her against the brunt of the common enemy ; she encreaseth the number of the procurators of s. mark , and admitted divers young gentlemen under age into the senat , provided they wold supply the republic in this extremity with certain sums of money . pietro loredano had the beginning of his government usher'd in by two ilfavour'd disasters ; for the arsenal of venice was set on fire , which falling among the pitch and tarre , with other combustible stuffe , made a most hideous noise farre and near ; after which follow'd an intollerable dearth , insomuch , that for the peeples relief they were forced to employ the magazin which was reserv'd for the fleets ; the great turk having intelligence herof by iohn miches a pernicious jew who was turn'd turk , and incited also by his councell , apprehended this opportunity to pick a quarrell with the republic , and to demand the island of cyprus , or else he denounced warre against them ; som cronicles report that selym a little before sent to the duke of savoy to incite him to recover that island which did of right belong unto him , and he promised to assist him in the enterprise , but the savoyard wold not hearken to it . herupon selym himself resolv'd upon it , and arm'd accordingly ; wherupon the venetian bailio which was resident at constantinople , not daring to send advertisement by land for fear his letters shold be intercepted , made his addresse to bassa mahomet , who was ever averse to this design , hoping therby to obtain his desire : he told the bassa how ill beseeming it wold be for the majesty and generosity of so great a prince to invade those on a sudden and unexpected , who upon his word and oath thought themselves firm and safe ; as though when time and occasion wold be offer'd he could want forces to employ against them for the recovery of that which might justly belong unto him , against whom he ought first to proceed by way of justice , and next by force , using first gentle means before he did take arms . herupon by the advice of mahomet bassa the gran visier selym sent a chiaus to venice , who being admitied to a privat audience , was brought to the senat , and according to the usuall custome , being plac'd on the dukes right hand , he kiss'd his gown , and after divers reverences , he presented a purse of gold tissue , wherin were the emperors letters , saying , most excellent sir , this is a letter from my lord , when you are acquainted with his demand i expect an answer ; the duke answer'd it should be so . the cwiaus being at a stand because he had no other answer , addressed himself to the senators , saying , my lords , mahomet the visier bassa hath commanded me to tell you that he is very sorry , that an occasion is offer'd that he must break with you , having ever sought to continue your friend , but complaints coming so often to the port , and from so many places , of the unfriendly dealing of the officers belonging to this state , and specially of the kind entertainment and reception given to the western pyrats at cyprus , who this very year have done great hurt to the musulmans hath taken such impressions in the mind of the great lord , and so often provok'd him against this common-wealth , finding that complaints made hereof to your baylio hath taken little effect , that he could detain himself no longer from denouncing war against you ; and because you cannot hold out long against the arms of so potent a prince , he adviseth you as a friend to take som course to shield you from so many dangers ; and to this end he hath procur'd my coming hither , offering to do all he may , that ye may avoid this mighty stroke offortune , and continue your ancient friendship with the great lord. the prince replied , that the senat had resolv'd on an answer which shold be read unto him , that he might the better understand and know their intentions , which was don by antonio milladonna secretary to the councell , which was thus , that the senat did extremely marvail , that his lord being no way by them provok'd , nor upon any just cause , wold violat that oath wherby he had so solemnly confirm'd the peace , taking now for a pretence to make war upon them , because they wold not give away a kingdome which they had so many years lawfully and peaceably enjoy'd , wherewith he might be well assur'd they wold never part ; but seeing that he was determind to proceed against them in that manner , the republic wold not fail to defend that which did belong unto her , hoping by so much more to be the better able to do it , by how much the justice of their cause wold procure them all aid and succour , both divine and human , and so the chiaus was dismiss'd with an answer to his letter , which was as followeth . that the venetians had inviolably maintain'd the peace concluded with his imperiall majesty , and contemn'd all other respects whatsoever , by refusing many fair oportunities , whereof they might have made good use to their extraordinary advantage , because that above all worldly things , it befits a prince to keep his promise ; and they being carefull to avoid all suspition of so great an infamy , had dissembled and buried in silence divers wrongs done unto them , because they wold not be the first disturbers of the peace ; but now perceaving that upon no occasion he denounc'd war against them at such a time as they least expected it , they wold not refuse it , for the defence of their own , and in particular for defence of the iland of cyprus , which as their ancestors had enjoy'd by so just a title , they did likewise hope that god wold give them grace to maintain it valiantly against all those that wold injustly take it away from them . the chiaus being return'd to constantinople , selym took it in high indignation , that the usuall ceremonies us'd to ambassadors were not perform'd to his chiaus cubat , who coming before him , and relating what preparations the republic made , he seem'd to repent himselfe of his determination , and fell into a great heat of passion ; therupon there were gards put upon the bailios palace , as also upon all the venetian consulls in egypt , and syria . lodovico mocenigo was elected the next duke , at the beginning of whose government the turk sent mighty forces both by land and sea for the conquest of cyprus ; the i le of rhodes was the first rendevous of the whole fleet , which came to more then two hundred armed vessells , accounting one hundred fifty gallies , together with fusts and galeots , among which ther were certain mahonnes , which are like to great gallies , not altogether so big as a galeon , six ships , and a great nomber of vessells commonly call'd caramussolini , and som fifty palandaries to transport horse . this fleet bended it's direct course towards cyprus , was descryed nere batto the first of iuly , . they dispatch eighty gallies , and divers flat battom'd vessells to tripoli , and to the river of caramania , ther to raise more horse and foot forces , all which arriving in cyprus , made up the nomber of fifty thousand foot , two thousand five hundred horse , three thousand pioners , and thirty peeces of ordnances , with one hundred and fifty falconets . the ordinary garrison of the iland was but two thousand italian foot , and som thousand recreuts sent from the firm land with martinengo , two thousand fresh soldiers , many whereof perish'd by incommodious transportation , so that the greatest hopes of being able to defend the towns and castles , consisted in the fresh supplies , which the iland her self , being populous , had promis'd to levy , and for cavalrie , ther were but five hundred stradiots which were upon the pay of the republic . things being thus , and sufficient forces wanting to repell so huge an enemy , the cavalry was too weak to hinder his landing , and the infantery too few , therfore resolution was taken to defend the two main cities , famagosta and nicotia . the two chief commanders of the turkish army was mustapha and piali , wherof the first was of a fierce fiery spirit ; these two differ'd in opinion which to besiege , first piali was for famagosta , but mustapha was for nicotia , saying , that the reputation of so great an army as theirs , ought not to be blemish'd by attempting any mean enterprize , therby to encrease the enemies courage , and diminish their own ; that the genoways had for ninety years held famagosta at the same time as the kings of the family of lusignan commanded the iland , wherby might be gather'd , that the taking of that city wold be of no great importance for the taking of the whole iland ; that the nobility , and the better part of the peeple were retir'd to nicotia , where all the wealth and strength of the kingdome was ; so as that only exploit being perform'd , wold quickly put a period to all the rest , and their first atchievment give an end to all their designs : so they invested nicotia , a city seated in the midst of a campane in a wholsome temperat air ; she hath excellent water , and the soil is very fruitfull : in former times 't was nine miles in compasse , but the venetian the better to fortifie it , reduc'd it to three ; she is proportion'd like a star , with eleven points ; in ev'ry one of which there is a bulwark made only of earth , which were not perfectly finish'd when the ottoman army arriv'd , but the rules of fortification were so exactly observ'd , as the greatest engines accounted it the most absolute peece in the world : there were in the city ten thousand foot , among whom were fifteen hundred italians , and the rest were cypriots ; some contestation happen'd in nicotia among the chief commanders , but in mustapha's army there was a wonderfull unanimity and obedience , who among other choice men had six thousand janizaries , and four hundred spahies pick'd out of purpose for that expedition . mustapha gives a fierce assault to four bulwarks at once , and they of the city making a sally upon the enemy under andrea cortese a stradiot captain , he was taken prisoner , and as soon as he was brought before mustapha his head was chopt off . the turks pursue their batteries with such a resolution , that they made themselves masters of all the bulwarks , and so quickly rush'd into the town , wher the governor and bishop , with the better sort , had retir'd into the palace ; and having received mustapha's word for the safety of their lifes , so soon as they had open'd the gates , the rabble fell in upon them , and put them all to the edge of the sword ; which being done , they ran confusedly , and without ensignes up and down the city , seeking , spoiling and ruining all things , ( except churches ) dishonoring wifes , ravishing virgins , and massacring all as they went without distinction of sex or age , so that there was slain that day above twenty thousand christian souls they who were reserv'd were chain'd together , and haled over the bodies of their dead friends ( reaking with hot bloud ) to prison . thus was the famous city of nicotia after fourteen daies siege taken and sack'd , a place that had flourished in great pomp and pleasure for many ages . the turks did afterwards with much ease become lords of cyprus , famagosta excepted , whither mustapha march'd soon after , and encamp'd himself three miles from the city , causing his horse to make daily incursions to the very gates , bearing the head of the chiefest nicotians upon their lances points to daunt the souldiers , who were rather the more encouraged for revenge ; so that when he made nearer approaches to the walls , they made many sallies out , and did notable execution upon the enemy ; with their ordnance they demolish'd three forts which had bin rais'd by mustapha , but it turn'd to their prejudice afterward ; for thereby they spent above fifty thousand pound weight of powder , which they afterwards wanted . winter now approaching , and mustapha having intelligence of a great league which was like to be between the christian princes , mustapha did often , and by divers insinuating waies , sollicit the city to hearken to some agreement touching their rendition , but the captains and inhabitants of famagosta wold hearken to no parly at all ; but sent to the venetian senat , intreating them not to treat with the bloudy barbarous enemy , but to send them more forces , for they resolv'd to sell their life 's as dearly as ever christians did . ther was then at suda in candy , a great fleet of christian gallies , both venetian , spanish and roman , united by a late league ; there was a consultation among the chief commanders what to do , some held it was best to assault some places belonging to the turk , thereby to enforce the enemy to quit cyprus , and come to the rescue of their own : but zanne the venetian generall was of another opinion , perswading them to sail directly to cyprus , alledging that the principall design of that fleet was to preserve that island , which was in so desperate a condition , that if they directed their course elsewhere , 't was impossible to keep her from utter ruine : that the probablest and most magnanimous way was to find out the enemies fleet , because that upon report of their coming the turks wold be enforced to quit their land enterprises , and retire to their navy , for the defence therof ; which if they shold not do , they were then sure to find their gallies empty in the haven expos'd to their mercy : he added further , that though haply the enemy was more in number of vessells and men , neverthelesse they were without all doubt in goodness of shipping , as also in courage and goodness of quarrell farre superior unto them ; moreover to approach the enemies fleet , though no other profit shold ensue therof , wold increase their own reputation , wheras on the contrary to turn away from them wold argue fear and cowardice ; that it was no sound advice to lose his own first , upon hope to get it of another man. these reasons being well enforc'd , were approv'd by every one as agreeable to the senats decree , wherupon the whole fleet , consisting of an hundred eighty light gallies , namely one hundred twenty foure of the venetians , forty five of the king of spain's , and twelve of the popes , besides twelve great gallies , and fourteen venetian men of warre , with great number of other vessells of burthen , which carried ammunition , with other necessaries , in which fleet there were fifteen thousand mercenary footmen , besides great numbers of volunteers , and most of them gentlemen ; this fleet i say hois'd sails , and sail'd with a fair wind towards cyprus , and in three dayes came to castelrosso , which is seated on a rock , opposite to carimania , som hundred and fifty miles from famagosta ; there they received the heavy news of the taking of nicotia , which did much trouble them ; therupon a councell was call'd the next day , wherin doria the spanish admirall openly protested , that he wold return home , saying , that he came from candy with a designe to relieve nicotia , which being lost , the cause of his journey ceas'd , and that he knew no other reason to expose them to the hazzard of a battail ; for the enemies being therby grown more insolent , wold quickly embark themselves not only to repell , but to assail us ; he added further , the unfitnesse of the season , winter drawing on , and the speciall charge he had for preserving his fleet by the command of his catholic majesty : so doria took his leave of the rest , not a little to his dishonor , and directed his course for puglio , and so to sycily . colonna the popes admirall , and zanne desirous to do somthing ▪ remain'd still together , but having intelligence that piali the turks admirall was with his whole fleet making towards them , they weigh'd anchors and made for candy . though the republic had ill luck at sea , and in cyprus this year , yet there were som compensations made to her in albania , for divers towns did rise up there , who being desirous to shake off the turkish yoke , they sent to venice for some auxiliary supplies , protesting unto them , that upon the first sight of their ensignes they wold run unto them , and becom their subjects for security ; wherof they wold give them their chiefest children for hostages : so the governors of autivari , dulcigna and budua , did in the name of the republic receave the oath of alleageance of more then one hundred towns and villages . while poor cyprus and her chief city famagosta was upon making her last wil , the renewing of the league was treated at rome , which the hauty spirit of the spaniard did much retard . the pope in his hortative offer'd to go upon the fleet ; among other things , the spaniard propos'd that the venetians shold be bound upon pain of ecclesiastical censures , to observe in ev'ry point that which shold be resolv'd on in the league , as though they had suspected the republics integrity ; wherunto the venetian ambassadors gave a round and stout answer ; they did moreover contend about a generalissimo , the spaniard proposing not onely to nominat him but his lievtenant also , who in his absence shold have the same authority : this did much distract the treaty ; ther was another rub besides in the businesse , which was a darknesse that was like to be 'twixt the emperour and the pope , for conferring a new title upon the duke of florence , which the emperour wold not allow of . ther was a motion of peace made about this time by the turk to the republic , but as she was ready to send ragasson instructions accordingly , generall colonna the popes generall was sent from rome to disswade her from it ; the spaniard also seeks unto her about the same purpose , and to desire her to re-enter into the league which was now absolutely concluded : hereupon she gave colonna a pleasing answer , and after much canvasing the point in the senat , a resolution was taken to send new commissions to her ambassadors at rome accordingly . so in rome after most solemn divine service , and the procession ended , in s. peters church , the league was publish'd , the particular articles whereof were as followeth . betwixt pope pius quintus , promising for the sea apostolic and his successors , with the consent of the whole colledge of cardinalls , philip the catholic king , and the duke and senat of venice , a league and perpetuall confederacy hath bin made to abate and overthrow the turks power , who of late hath invaded with a mighty army the realm of cyprus , a countrey very commodious for the conquest of the holy land. that the confederats forces shall consist of two hundred light gallies , one hundred ships of war , fifty thousand footmen , italians , spaniards , and almains , four thousand five hundred horse , with artillery and ammunition proportionable to such a force , all which shall be employed for the defence , as wel of the confederat states , as to assail the enemy , and particularly for the enterprize of algier , tunis , and tripoli ; that all these forces shall be united in the month of may next ensuing , or in the month of april at otrauto , to passe into the levant against the enemies , as times , and the councell of captains shall think fit ; that th●…se forces neverthelesse may be changed by increasing or diminishing the provisions of war , as necessity and the quality of the enterprise shall require ; wherupon a yearly meeting shall be at rome in automn , ther to consult what is best to be done ; and if it shall ther be concluded not to attempt anything that year in common , yet it might be lawfull for ev'ry of the confeder●…s to execute their particular enterprises , specially for the king of spain , to enterprise those of algier , tunis , and tripoli ; in which , so that ther be no mighty turkish army abroad , the venetians shall be bound to aid the king with fifty gallies of purpose : that the sayed king shall be likewise bound to aid the venetians , whensoever they shall enterprize any thing in their gulph against the common enemy ; on this condition neverthelesse , if he which shall crave this aid have far greater forces ready . that all the confederats shall be oblig'd to defend the states of any one of them whom the turk shall invade , and in particular with other places that shall belong to the church : that for the expence of the war , his catholic majesty shall pay one half , and the other moitie being divided into three parts , the venetian shall pay two , and the pope the third : they shall be bound to give the pope twelve gallies ready rigg'd and munition'd , which his holinesse shall mann for the service of the league ; that generally each of the confederats shall be bound to contribut for the common necessity , whatsoever he shall abundantly have , and others want , which afterwards shall be allow'd upon account : that the store-houses for corn shall ●…e ev'ry where open for the common good , and that grain may be taken forth out of commodious places , so that he of whom 't is taken make first his own provision : that at councells and consultations the commanders of the three consederat princes shall be present , and what the most of them resolve upon shall be concluded ; neverthelesse the execution of matters determin'd shall remain to the generall of the army ( who was presently nam'd , to wit , don john of austria ) and in his absence marc antonio colonna with the same authority , though at the same time he retain the title and rank of the churches generall . in this league , which was struck . ther was a place reserv'd for maximilian of austria the elect emperour , for the king of france , and the king of portugal to enter into the confederacy when they shold think it fit , and to all other christian princes , who had a desire to engage in it , and in case any strife shold arise ▪ twixt the confederats , the pope as umpire shall decide it . these articles were not to be put in execution till the year following : in the mean time , because famagosta was so much streightned , the republic sent thither marc antonio quirini with four ships , attended by twelve gallies , to carry supplies thither , who safely landed sixteen hundred foot , with great store of victualls and munition in famagosta , which did beyond expression encourage them ▪ and whilst he remain'd ther , he took a ship of the enemies , with other smaller vessells , and raz'd certain forts which the turks had rais'd upon the rock of gambella ; there was another supply of eight hundred fresh men sent to baillone the governour of famagosta in other ships a little after . the turk made some overtures of peace again to the venetians , which they wold not hearken unto , in regard of the new league ; hereupon there came another formidable fleet of two hundred and fifty gallies again to perfect the conquest of cyprus , which arriving at candy did ravage the countrey ; but beaten out with losse , they row'd up and down , and pillag'd divers other places in zant and cephalonia ; at last don iohn of austria arrives at genoa with his promised supplies , whence he sent to venice to acquaint them of his arrivall , and thank them for their good opinion of him . the turks after the taking of nicotia had deferr'd the siege of famagosta by reason of winter , but as soon as the next spring approch'd , they replanted the siege , and with sixty four great pieces of ordnance , with four huge basiliscos they did batter the place night and day . the besieged did for ten dayes space make so furious a counter-battery , as they made fifteen of the enemies canons unserviceable , and ●…lew thirty thousand of their men : at last their powder failing them , they could not be so active ; which the inhabitants understanding they went in a hubub to the governor , that he wold propounda treaty with the cruell foe to save their wives and children ; so there being commissioners employ'd on both sides , it was agreed upon , that the christian soldiers shold be convey'd to candy in turkish vessels , carrying with them their arms and baggage , with five pieces of ordnance , and three horses belonging to the three chief commanders . that the inhabitants who were desirous to depart , might do the like , and those who wold continue there shold have assurance given them to enjoy their goods , and to live in their christian religion still . these articles being sign'd by mustapha , there were forty vessells appointed to transport the soldiers and inhabitants ; but as soon as the turks entred the city , they began to offer violence : wherupon bragadini sent martinengo to mustapha , to complain of the soldiers ; mustapha entertain'd him kindly , desiring to know so valiant a captain , and to confer with him : bragadini giving credit to these sugred words , being accompanied with martinengo , and quirini , and attended on by sundry captains all on horsback , with som four musqueteers , go to mustapha's tent : bragadini rode foremost under a crimson umbrella cloth'd in purple , wearing his usuall robe of magistrat , who being come to mustapha's pavilion ▪ left their weapons at the doore ; and being entred were courteously entertain'd by mustapha ; who cau'sd them to sit down , among other discourses he craved caution for the vessels that were sent to candy ; bragadini having made answer that no such thing was mention'd in the articles , and besides he had no man there with him who he could leave for pledg behind him ; mustapha pointing at quirini said , let that man be pledg ; bragadini constantly maintain'd the contrary , and told him he could not justly detain any of them , mustapha waxing impatient , and being no longer able to master his choler , did fiercely thunder many injurious speeches against him , commanded them all to be manacled , then thrusting them forth of his tent , he caus'd his soldier to murder before his face , baillone , martinengo , quirini and all the rest before bragadini's face , who was reserv'd for a greater torture , having before his death endured many martyrdomes : they forc'd him twice or thrice to offer his neck , as though they wold have chopt off his head , which they did not do , but only cut off his nose and ears . count hercules who had bin sent formerly for hostage , being likewise manacled , was likewise bound , but hid by mustapha's eunuch till his fury was pass'd ; all the rest of the christian soldiers were also bound , and those which were already ship'd were made gallie-slaves , and despoil'd of their goods . two daies mustapha entred the city , wher he commanded tepulo to be pulled up , and hang'd at the yards arm of a gally ; then causing bragadini , who was so pittifully mangled and dismembred , to be brought before him , he was loaden with two baskets full of earth , the one before , the other behind , and was made to carry them to the great breach , making him to kisse the ground so oft as he pass'd by him ; thence he was hurried away into a gally of rhodes , where he was bound in a chair , with a crown at his feet , and so hoisted up to the main-yard of the gally , that he might be the better discern'd of the slaves and christian soldiers that were in the haven : being thence brought back to the city with drums and trumpets into the market place , he was ther stript of his clothes , and most ignominiously layed upon a scaffold , wher they fell a flaying of him alive ; the noble gentleman enduring all things with invincible patience and magnanimity , without any murmuring , only taxing the perfidious bassa with perjury and breach of faith , at last expir'd , when the bloudy executioners had come with their knifes as far as his navill ; then was his skin stuff'd with straw , and carried round about the city , 't was afterward hung at the yard arm of a galleot all along the coasts of syria , as he return'd to constantinople . such was the immanity and barbarousnesse of mustapha at the taking ▪ of famagosta , where he had lost during the siege above thirty thousand men ; and so was the famous and delicat i le of cyprus , the parent of the queen of love , ravish'd , and made a slave to the mahumetan , to the great reproach of all christian princes , who were consulting all the while upon a league , and standing upon puntillios . but the triumvirat admiralls of the league , don iohn of austria , sebastian venieri , and marc antonio colonna , met at last at messina in sicily , wher ther was bandings of opinions on all sides , how to employ those fleets upon such an enterprise that might tend to advantage and honor , the main debate was whither they shold oppresse the enemy by some actuall invasion , or stand upon the defensive part for the preservation of their own territories ; hereupon bernardino de requiseus , don iohn oracle , with a clear voice , and grave gesture and countenance spake as followeth , addressing his speech to don iohn . your highnesse , most excellent prince , in commanding my opinion before these more sufficient commanders , observes the rules of feasts , wher the coursest meats are tasted first ; my councell may perhaps be lesse pleasing , yet as wholsom as any others ; the question is , whether we must assault the enemy by sea , or keep him from infesting us by land ? this will be best resolv'd of , when we have made a tru discovery and comparison of his forces with ours ; if we be stronger 't will be more honorable to invade ; if weaker , 't will be more fitting to repell ; what the nomber of the enemies gallies is we may see ; how those gallies are arm'd we may conjecture ; and how those men are flesh'd and heightned with late successes we need not doubt : let us take heed , that while we seek to revenge our harms , we do not aggravate them , nor lose in striving to recover ; it were a perpetuall infamy that such a fleet shold return without performance of any thing , but it were not onely a shame , but an utter undoing not to ●…eturn at all : the common-wealth were better to want the interest than the principall ; this fleet is the surest anchor of hopes , and to lose it , wold indanger the wrack of all italy ; let us not therfore offer to fight , unlesse some advantage of time and place be offer'd us , and counterpoise on our sides the odds of strength on theirs ; nothing can be to us of greater importance , then the preservation of the fleet it self : the storminess of winter will shortly calm the fury of the turk , in the mean time it will be a degree of victory to limit and stop the course of theirs : this , most excellent generall , is my opinion , wherunto i am not yet so wedded , but that clearer judgement may divorce me . this by som cooler tempers was heard with a kind of applause , but of the noble 〈◊〉 with disdain , which yet was modestly smooth'd by barbarico , as followeth . i deny not , most excellent generall , and you my noble lords , but that the last speech w●…s enrich'd and fortified by strong arguments , wherein if there be any defect , it proceeds not from too little judgement , but from too much care and tendernesse of the christian state , a zeal which not only excuseth , but almost justifieth and endeares his error : i confesse that to assault an enemy with a weaker power were to betray it , but wherin appears it that we are the weaker ? if they exceed us in nomber of gallies , we excell them in strength and swiftnesse ; if they exceed us in multitudes of men , we them in courage and discipline ; he thinks their victories have added much to their courage , i think it hath drawn more from their strength ; questionlesse our men in cyprus , and other places , held their altars , liberties , wifes , children , wealth , houses and lifes at too high a rate to deliver them up gratis ; the●… have found the christian markets dear ; nay , their victories may haply beget ours , breeding in them not as much animosity , as security and presumption , which useth to be their own traytor : was this fleet built and united with such infinite care , cost and difficulty , presently to dissolve and break up , as if we had met but to salute one another , or went only to sea to purge and return ? or shall we stay only to look on our enemies , as if we could destroy them like basilisks ? but winter will cool their heat : were we not better quench it now , that it may not break out again the next spring : will not this crocodile which devours us both by land and sea , fatned with christian bloud and spoil , wax stronger by a years growth ? if we be too weak for him now , how shall we resist him then ? how shall we look our selves , nay heaven in the face , or lift up our eyes to it , not daring to lift up our hands against its enemies ? but i surfeit your ears with perswasions , needlesse to such judgements and resolutions ; your fathers imperiall majesty displayed in your brow , promiseth the same magnanimity in your brest ; ther is ( i know ) too much caesar in you to have the patience not to fight : make hast then most illustrious prince , to reap the fruit of a victory with your sword . this was the sense of the noble venetian , which the speakers repute , and gracefull delivery gave more life and strength unto ; it was afterwards confirm'd by carnia a spaniard , the sympathy between whose toung and the genaralls ear further'd perhaps his resolution to fight , willing that so noble a councell might be rather attributed to one of the nation , then to barbarico : carnia's speech in effect was this : ther are three motives , most magnificent generall , which without imputation of fear or omission of duty , may induce a commander to decline battail : first a disproportion between the benefit of victory , and prejudice of overthrow on either part ; in this respect the duke of alva did politiquely abstain from encountring the guise in naples when they could lose but their army , but the spaniard his army , and kingdom of naples : secondly , if he foresee an easier and cheaper means to dissolve the adverse army then by battail ; thus did your highnesse father , charles the emperour of sacred memory , break the neck of the lutheran armies in germany : lastly , the inequality of strength , he being the weaker , and likely to miscarry in the attempt , wherof ther are so many presidents , that i need alledge none ; but neither of these can be applied to divert us from battail , where if we prevail we recover our own again , and haply greece her self for interest ; if fighting valiantly we be overcome , yet shall we in the conflict so far weaken and maim the enemy , that we shall sooner arm a defensive navy then he an offensive , and more easily secure our own , then he make any further impression on it . touching protraction , the winter will indeed dissolve his fleet , but so that it will bud forth againe the next spring perhaps a greater , and get the start of our navy , his being united by nation , ours by combination . touching inequality of force , it is propable we exceed them more in men , then they us in vessells , for he must needs consume many men , in taking so many strong towns and forts , and employ many in keeping them ; neither are the scars of the late pestilence healed among them , therefore my advice is , the gallies of candy being ●…om , that you hasten to corfu , by which they must needs passe , least having intelligence of your resolution to fight , they prevent the danger of incountring , and carry from you the fruits of their own victory , and the oportunity of ours . don iohn after this serious consultation concluded to assail the turkish fleet , and attempt to intercept their harvest of cyprus , with other maritin parts of christendom ere they shold house it ; therefore departing from messina , and being lanch'd out to open sea , he compos'd his gallies to that form of battail which he intended to observe in fight ; so marshalling and exercising them before , that ev'ry squadron might know his place , and ev'ry gally his squadron , and be able to transform themselfs to all figures without confusion , when occasion shold require . two daies after they arriv'd at the cape of colonnes , wher they came to anchor by reason of a contrary wind , as also because they were to take their fresh supplies of men ; in the mean time they dispatch'd three venetian gallies to corfu , to make discovery of the turkish fleet , who brought news that they had pass'd along in view of zant , and entred into the gulph of lepanto . herupon , though with som difficulty , by reason of contrary winds , they put to sea , and the seventeenth of september arriv'd at corfu , wher an ill-favor'd accident happen'd , for don iohn having sent doria to survey the army , and finding som venetian companies not compleat , he distributed among them certain nombers of spaniards , wherof mutius tortona commanded one band , who being a man of turbulent spirit , rais'd a mutiny , so that they fell from words to blows , wherupon by venieri the venetian generalls command , tortona and his ensigne were hang'd by martiall law : don iohn being a little too indulgent of his countreymen the spaniards , complain'd , that his authority was more contemn'd by venieri , then venieries by tortona , for which if ther were not honorable satisfaction given , he wold take it himself , and teach venieri , that though he respected the honor of the republic , he wold not neglect his owne ; venieri protested on the other side , that he did it not to derogat from the authority of the generall any way , but to preserve his own , and prevent the sudden confusion of the mutiny , looking upon the offender not as a spaniard , but as a mut●…neer ; he affirm'd further , that if the generall shold take this necessary peece of justice as an occasion to break the league , which was applied as a means to keep it , it would be manifest that not devotion but ambition diverted him from this honorable action ; as for violence , he shold find him as dangerous an enemy , as otherwise a necessary friend . colonna the popes admirall fearing what this might grow unto , us'd his intercession to atone the difference , conjuring don iohn , in whom he found great obstinacy of discontent and estrangement , and telling him the act was just , though sudden like the occasion , and that suddennesse is necessary in dangers of so swift extension , which having once got the start , remedy could hardly overtake them : that mutiny in an army was of as instant conveyance as a gangrene in the body ; if the party infected were not presently cut off , it endanger'd the whole ; that this was no intrusion on the generals authority , for an under-admiral in his own squadron to execut a privat offender : that indeed he had no cause of offence , & if he had cause ▪ he had no leasure to entertain it : that the enemies strength could not so much endanger them , as their own division weaken them ; that as nothing could heap more honor upon him then the suppressall of the enemy , so nothing could lay fouler aspersion then to lose this oportunity of doing it ; therfore if he could not casheer his passion , he shold employ it against the common enemy . these perswasions , strong , though not bitter , mov'd don iohn then to abstain from the effects of choler , but not to extinguish it , so that by reason of this distast with venieri , he communicated all things afterwards to barbar●…co . from co●…fu the whole fleet held her course to cephalonia , and thence to the gulph of lepanto , and drawing nere to the place , and discovering the enemy , and resolv'd to assail him , don iohn commanded the decks to be clear'd , chests stowed , those cabins which might be an impediment to the combatant taken down , the rest that might be receptacles to cowards lock'd up , leaving neither excuse for his men , nor advantage for the enemy ; and as he prepar'd all essentialls , so he neglected no ●…maginary or opinionat part of defence or offence ; therfore knowing that strength was the beauty of an army , but bravery the ensigne of that strength , his men were richly arm'd , and his gallies sutable to his men , both carrying the badge of triumph , and the face of victory , displaying magnanimity and confidence , like a bright , though dreadfull flame . and because he might husband the small remainder of time to the utmost mi●…t , he caus'd victualls to be proportion'd to his men mode●…atly , not superfluously , far from the swinish custom of some northerly nations , who ( as if wine were the nurse of val●…r , as oyl to a lamp ) against any fight , knock out the heads of their barrells , and drink reason out of their own heads , and so reel aboard , somtimes tumbling upon victory , but seldom upon honour , which ever derives her self from vertue : this noble temperat captain then not taking intemperance to be the fountain of resolution , did therfore distribut as much to his soldiers as might strengthen their bodies , not weaken their judgement , and breed co●…age in them , not rage , which being with more speed then ceremony ended , he with a countenance and habit becoming such a place and person , descended into his barge , wherin he pass'd through the body of the fleet , being rang'd in form following . it consisted of four principall distinct parts , viz. two wings , the main battalion , and the reserve of succours : in the right wing were contain'd fifty three gallies , wherof doria was admirall , bearing in his main top a green flag ; the left wing was compos'd of an equall nomber of gallies commanded by augustino barbarico , with a yellow flag on the starboard side of the top ; in the main battail were included sixty one gallies , wherin don iohn himself was distinguish'd by a sky-colour'd flag : the two wings and the main battail were . gallies strong ; so plac'd , that the two wings carried forward the body in equall part , the one not forsaking the other , yet twixt all three ther was sufficient distance to admit three or four gallies a brest , without falling foul either on themselfs , the wings , or the main battail ; as well to give way to those supplies of resc●…es which shold be needfull in any part , as to transform the whole battail it self into any figure without confusion : the marquis of santa cruz bearing a white flag in his poop , conducted the reserve for succours , consisting of thirty eight gallies , out of which were deducted eight , commanded by don iohn de cardona prec●…sor of the whole fleet , who running about twenty miles before the rest by swift frigots , signified unto the generall whatsoever was necessary to be known in their discovery , with commandment when they descryed the turkish navy , to retire and imp themselfs to the two wings in equall division , cardona to the right wing . the gall●…sses and argozies were half a mile before the gallies , two before the right wing , two before the left , and two before the middle battail , ev'ry galleasse a mile before each other ; the first were commanded by ambrosio and antonio bragadini , the second by iacomo g●…ori , and antonio duodi , the third by andrea pisara , and pietro pisano : the use of these greater vessells ( being fortified with plenty of ordnance , and lin'd with multitude of small shot ) was to receave the first fury of the enemies fleet passing by , that being weakned and disordred by them , the next charge might be more safe and easie : and in respect they were huge and unweldy vessells unapt for oars , ev'ry galeasse was rowed by two severall gallies whensoever they were becalm'd , and had lost the use of their sails ; the galeasse of antonio duodi was tow'd by the generall and colonna ; the galeasse of giacomo guori was tow'd by venieri , and christophoro lieni , the galeasse of ambrosio bragadini by augustin barberigo ; the galeasse of antonio bragadini by antonio canali ; the galeasse of andrea prsano by the prior of messina ; the galeasse of pietro pisano by andrea doria. the general , like the heart in the body , was seated in the midst of the battail , garded on the right side by marc antonio colonna the popes admirall , and on the left by venieri : colonna was flank'd by the admirall of genoa , wherof hector spinola was captain , associated by the prince of parma . venieri was flank'd by the admiral of savoy , commanded by lieni , accompanied by the prince of urbin : ast●…n the generall , colonna and venieri were back'd by a gally nam'd the prince of spain , and another belonging to the great comendador of castile ; the right side of the main battail , opposit to the wing , was strengthen'd by the admirall gally of malta , commanded by the prior of messina : the left side was commanded by a gally call'd the captain of pietro lomelino , by paulo vrsino : in the right wing cardona seconded andrea doria : in the left wing augustin barbarico was supported on one hand by marco quirini , and on the other by canali . yet was the whole fleet , though distinct in order , so intermixt in nation , that neither the spanish , venetian or papall gallies could respect their particular safety . in regard that this was the most furious & greatest fight that ever was upon salt water , and the most successefull that ever christians had against the turk , i shall be the more exact and punctuall in the relation of it ; therfore i shall here set down a catalog of the names of all bottoms and chief commanders in both the fleets . the gallies and captains , who went before the fleet , for dicsovery , were these , gallies . captains . the s. magdalen of venice , marco contarini . the sun of venice , vincente quirini . the admirall of sicily , juan de cordona . the vice-admirall of sicily ,   the admirall , david imperiali . the joannica of sicily ,   s. catheina of venice , marco cicogna . the lady of venice , pietro francisco maripietro . the gallies and captains of the left wing . gallies . captains . the admirall of venice , augustin barbarico , proveditor . the vice-admirall of venice , antonio canali , proveditor . the fortune of venice , andrea barbarico . the archer of naples , martino pyrola . the treble-hand of venice , georgio barbarico . the double-dolphin of candie , francisco zeno. the lion and phaenix of canea , francisco mengano . s. nichola of cherso , colanes drase . the victory of naples , octavio roccardi . the lomelina , augustin conevali . the elengina of the popes , fabio vulciati . the lady of canea , philippo polani . the sea-horse of candy , antonio de cubelli . the double-lion of candy . nicholo fratello . the lion of istria , dominico de tucco . the crosse of cephalonia , marco cimera . the s. virginia of cephalonia , christophoro crissa . the lion of candy , francisco bonaccio . the christ of candy , andrea cornelio . the angell of candy , giovanni angelo . the pyramis of candy , francisco buono . the l. of candy with arm'd horse , antonio eudominiano . the christ rais'd of venice , simone gora . the lesser christ of venice , frederico renieri . the christ of corfu , christophoro condocollo . the christ rais'd of canea , georgio calerga . the great christ of venice , bart. denato . the christ rais'd of vegia ,   the retimana , nicholo avonali . gallies . captains . the christ of candy , giovanni cornelio . the christ rais'd again of rhodes francisco zancaruolo . the rodus of canea , francisco molino . the s. euphemia of brescia , horatio fisogna . the la. marquis of doria , francisco sphedra . the fortune of andrew , lodovico belui . the arm of canea , michael visamano . the sea-horse of venice , antonio canali . the christ of canea , daniel calefattio . the arm of venice , nicolo lipamanno . our lady of zant , nicolo modono . the christ rais'd again , francisco zancaruolo . our lady of venice , marc antonio pisano . the trinity , gio. contareni . the flame of naples , juan cuetta . the s. john of naples , garcia vargaro . the envy of naples , torribio acaveso . the valour of naples , michael quixada . the s. jocaba of naples , monferrato guardiola . the s. nicolaico of naples , christophoro monguia . the christ rais'd again of venice gio bautista quirini . the angell of venice , umphredo justiniano . the s. dorothy of venice , paolo mani . the admirall of venice , antonio quirini proveditor . in the main battail , were these captains and gallies ▪ gallies . captains . the admirall of lomelina , jordano orsino . the master lomelina . pietro lomelino . the admirall bandmella , bandinello saulo . the master of genoa , pollerano . the toscuno of the popes , metello caracciola . the sea-man of vicenza , gia. dressano . our lady of venice , gio. zeno. the s. jeronimo of lessina , gio. babzi . the joannica of venice , antonio collioneo . the alexandrica of bergamo , georgio d'este the admirall marina , jeronimo canali . the logg of venice , berticaio contareni . the mongabell of venice , francisco dandulo . the virgin of candy , cypriano marini . the temperance of doria , vicenzo paschali . the good fortune of naples ,   the castle of spain , baccia pisano . gallies . captains . the victory of the popes ,   the pyramis , antonio uliana . the christ of venice , jeromino contareni the s. francesco of spain , christophoro guasches . the peace of the popes , perpignano . the pearl of doria , gio. spinola . the wheel of venice , gabriel canali . the pyramis of venice , francisco buono . the palm of venice , jeromnico venieri . the admirall of gil andruda , cinoguerra . the granado of spain , puolo botenio . the admirall of genoa , hector spinola . the admirall of venice , sebastian venieri . the gally royall , don john of austria . the admirall of the great comendador ,   the popes admirall , anto. colonna . the admirall of savoy , lieni . the gri●…onia of the popes , alexandri negroni . the s. theodora of venice , theodoro balbi . the mendoza of naples , martino de cayde . the mount of canca , vizamano . the gio. bautista of venice , gio. mocenigo . the victory of doria. ph. doria. the pisana of the popes , hercole lotta . the figuera of spain , diego lopes . the christ of venice , georgio pisano . the s. john of venice , daniele moro. the florence of the popes , tomaso de medici . the george of naples , eugenio de vargus . the master of naples , francisco benavides . the moon of spain , emanuel aguilar . the passata of venice , pietro pisano . the lion of venice , ludovico pasqualio . the s. jerom of venice , gasparo maripietro . the admirall of grimaldi , georgio grimaldi . the master of da. imperiali , nicolo lucano . the s. christopher of venice , alexandro contareni . the judith of zant , marino sicuro . the larmelina of candy , pietro gradonico . the middle moon of venice , valerio valerosso . the doria of john doria , gia. casali . the order of s. peter , santabio . the order of s. john , lod. tessera . the admirall of malta , the prior of messina . the right wing . gallies . captains . the admirall of sicily , don juan de cordona . the piemontan of savoy , octavio moreto . the admirall of mic. doria. pandolpho polydoro . the force of venice , reniere zeno. the queen of candy , gio. barbarico . the nino of venice , polani . the christ rais'd again of venice , benedict soranza . the armed man of retima , andrea calergo . the eagle of retima , andrea calergo . the palm of canea , ja. medio . the angell of corfu , stellio carciopula . the s. joannica of arbera , gio. de domeni . the lady of fravica , lod. cipico . the ship of venice , antonio pasqualio . the lady of candy , foscarini . the christ of crema ▪ francisco forneri . the s. vittoria of crema , zorlano . the master of grimaldi , lorenzo treccia . the master of marini , antonio cornili . the margaret of savoy , battaglino . the diana of genoa , georgio lasagna . the gnigana of naples , gabriel medino . the moon of naples , julio rubbi . the fortune of naples , diego madran . the hope of naples , pietro busto . the fury of lomelina , ja. chiappo . the master of lomelina , georgio greco . the negrona , nic. constano . the bastar'd negrona , lorenzo de tani . the fire of candy , je. contareni . the eagle of candy , je. georgio . the s. christopher of venice , andrea trono . the christ of venice , antonio lando . the hope of candy , antonio buono . the royalty of padoa , buzacarinor . the s. josefica of venice , francisco oseda . the resolut of naples , giovanni caraffa . the sicil a of sicily , francisco amadea . the master of nic. doria , jul. centaurio . the eagle of corfu , pietro duono . the s. trisonica of catarra , basanteo . the tower of vicenza , lod. de portu . the s. mary of the popes , pandolfo strozzi . gallies . captains . the s. joannica of the popes , angelo bifalio . the master of nigroni , lod. gumba , the admirall of nigroni , amb. nigroni . the monark of jo. andrew , garibaldo . the handmaid of jo. andrew , mi. imperiali . the admirall of gio. doria , gio. andrea doria. the reservation for succour placed behind as a gard. gallies . captains . the s. joannica of sicily ,   the buccana , pietro morilo . the leena of naples , pietro di lagia . the constancy of naples , pietro di lagia . the marqueza of naples , juan machado . the s. barbara of naples , juan ascaleo . the s. andrea of naples , rufio de velasques . the s. caterina of naples , rufio de velasques . the s. ba●…ilmeo of naples ,   the s. angelo of naples , juan de rupe melino . the terrana of naples , marco mo●…no . the christ of venice , gio. loredano . the double-hand of venice , the marquesse of sancta cruz. the admirall of naples ,   the faith of venice , contareni . the piller of venice , maripietro . the magdalen of venice , lod. balbi . the lady of venice , gio. benito . the menidus of venice , filippo leo. the hope of venice , gio. benedetto . s. peter of venice , pietro badoario . s. george of subenica , chr. lachico . the s. michael of venice , georgio cochio . the sibilla of venice , dani●…li trono . the crane of spain , luis de hereda . the admirall of vaschido . vaschedo coronado . the suprana of the popes , antonio de a●…coli . the occasion of spain ,   the master of the popes ,   the calm of the popes ,   the generall descending , as hath bin sayed , into his barge , pass'd through the whole fleet , taking a short , but exact view of the form of the battail , and by breef , but pathetique speech , breath'd courage into his men : his oration was to this purpose : brave invincible spirits ; whom gracious heaven hath held worthy to be his champions , to whom the angells will not be idle spectators , but actors and assistants in this sacred tragedy : nature i know hath given you the strongest temper of valour and devotion , set so keen an edge on that temper , as i need not whet it by any further encouragement ; only let me tell you , that you have the fairest occasion that ever was to unsheath and use it ; let victory set such a glasse upon it , as no rust of oblivion may ever eat out . now is the time to bring that dark half moon , which seeks to eclipse the bright sun of heaven , to such a wane , as shall never fill again . let her not any longer usurp domination o're the sea : our enemies exceed us in nombers made up of cyphers and shadows of men , but let us excell them in resolution ▪ the essence of soldiers ; they are imprison'd and immur'd by shores and rocks , as much as i wold say victory cannot scape us ; they must fight because they cannot fly , we because we must overcom ; we have a necessity of conquest , the danger mix'd with it doth but season and ennoble it , who wold triumph over women ? we are to share the whole wealth of nature , the earth to the survivors , the heaven to the martyrs : the scarrs of the wound wil be beautiful , because honorable : who would ingratefully refuse to bleed for that loving god , who refus'd not to die for him ? courage therfore divine champions , forget not that some of you are romanes ; and which is more , all christians . this speech was answer'd with applauses and wonderfull conclamations on all sides , in which humor we will leave them a while to behold the countenance of the enemy , and how the moon appear'd . the turks in the interim us'd more then ordinary circumspection and providence ; for having information by spies , fugitives , greeks and prisoners , not only of the conjunction of the confederat fleet of the christians , but of their nere approaches , being now engag'd in the gulph of lepanto : mehemet bey was dismiss'd with sixty gallies to asprospicio a neighbour city , to bring from thence som competent supplies of victuall and men , in which businesse he used such celerity , that in short time he return'd , bringing with him plenty of provision & ammunition , besides ten thousand ianizaries , two thousand ordinary soldiers , and two thousand volunteers ; with which multitude and false supposition of our paucity , they were not so confirm'd in their courage , but stood possessed of a kind of ominous mistrusting the event . in which respect ali bassa the high admirall , though by his own inclination , and his masters command he stood resolv'd to fight , call'd a generall councell to deliberat on so huge a design , most of them perswaded to give battail , but partau bassa generall of the land forces , earnestly oppos'd it : on the contrary side h●…ssan bassa son to barbarossa , sometimes viceroy of algier , a fiery yong man , and full of mettle , exhorted them as followeth ; most excelse and victorious prince , the turkish nation hath so nobly behav'd it self , that it is a question whether their fortune or their valour hath bred their greatnesse , or whether the latter hath commanded the former ; once it may be affirm'd , that if our starrs have favor'd us , we have not forsaken our selfs , nor shamed them , but magnified their influence by our actions : our predecessors have left us ample territories , wherein we have not bin such unthrifts , but husbanded them , that if they have made little much , we have extended that much almost to infinite ; so that if we hold on this course of victory , alexander never stood more then we in need of new worlds ; which of these prying inquisitive christians had not discover'd unto us , our valour e're long wold want work ; yet let us not seem so glutted and cloyed with conquest , as to refuse to accept of this one triumph more ; this by sea will serve to counterbalance that glorious land victory lately pourchas'd ; let us fill both the hands of our emperour , one with spoils of land , the other of sea ; these feeble tyr'd christians have bin but our porters , they are now ready to deliver them , let us not disdain to take it of them , least they cozen us now , as they did my father thirty years ago , when they ran away with their burden ; we have gallies enough , not only to stow their wealth , but if need were to take in their gallies ; therefore most invincible admirall , let us prevent their flight by a speedy assault . this speech utter'd by a man , whose performance heretofore had ever bin correspondent to so confident expressions , not only incourag'd , but inflam'd many of the hearers , wherof vluzzali generall of the forces of barbary could not contain himself , but with many earnest and pregnant arguments averr'd the same with hassan ; alledging besides the oportunity , the necessity of obeying the gran signors command , ca●…abeg the sanzak of smyrna ecchoed the same . yet many of the graver , and more advised sort of captains dissented from this more hot then deliberat resolution , specially mehemet bey the sanzak of negropont , who though not so eloquently , yet more truly demonstrated the danger of fighting , as followeth . i am sorry magnificent ali , that at this time the counsell of illustrious hassan , is rather to be admir'd and applauded for greatnesse of courage then follow'd for soundness , fitter to set our toungs then hands on work , i mean to be answer'd , then executed ; it is most tru in raising the ottoman empire , that the turkish valour hath ever guided their fortune , but it is as tru , that their wisdom hath alwaies directed their valour , els they had never created this world of their greatnesse out of nothing , or made it out of atomes and such slender principles ; they have not by posting to the end of their desires lamed or tyred the means that carried them , but by going softlier have gone further ; greatnesse is steep and high , not to be climb'd but leasurely , those that strive to mount up violently use to fall precipitatly ; such was the sudden floud and ebb of the goths , such the inundation of tamberlain ; one kingdome is a sufficient crop for one year , after that rate we may soon begger christendom , and perfect the turkish monarchy ; as we have won cyprus and may keep it , so we may lose that and our selfs too in seeking to get more : if you conceave the christians have come so far but with resolution to fight , or to fight but with probability of prevailing , you must think them either fools or madmen ; but if after so familiar and long hostility , overvaluing our selfs , they hinder us not to know them , we must needs think their swords and wits to be as sharp as ours : it is not their pusillanimity but their division hath ruin'd them , & our multitudes have rather wearied then conquer'd them . from preveza they departed themselfs , we did not drive them , at least the shame of flying then will incite them to fight now ; our odds of strength is incertain , if they be the weaker , supplies may strengthen them , if we the stronger , many accidents may weaken us , but none strengthen us : therfore my counsell is , that we go home while our way is open , and we have our welcom in our hands , and let not hope defraud us of certainty , yet is my opinion ever subject to your correction . this speech was highly applauded of partau bassa , siroch and calabey , yet fate and their emperours expresse command urg'd publiquely by vluzzali , transported them so far against their own judgement , that they resolv'd not only to hazard battail , but to seek it : to which end having distributed those . soldiers wher they found most need , they weigh'd anchor and came to galanga about the evening the seventh of octber , and ther stayed to supply themselfs and their gallies with whatsoever was requisit for the incounter . now drawing nere , the admirall neglected nothing that might tend to the augmentation of strength , or for the ostentation of his vessels and men : one principall care was the fastning of his slaves , least their bodies as wel as their minds instead of necessary instruments , might prove dangerous revoltedengins against them , knowing that desire of liberty and revenge , two violent appetits , wold make them apt to snatch at any oportunity : he caus'd their allowance of diet to be augmented to cherish their bodies , that they might be more strenuous for labor , mixing hopes of future lenity with fear of present punishment , that stubbornesse , a thing invincible , which obdurats the minds of slaves might not hinder the utmost extent of strength : he likewise keeping good intelligence at sea to prevent a sudden invasion , drew forth his fleet in order of battail , that both his men and gallies when need requir'd might not be to learn their duty or order , which he neglected not to practise continually as he approach'd the christian fleet , till he had brought them to perfection therin . the eight of october very early in the morning , hoping inexpectedly to have com upon the christian fleet as they were at anchor , they hoisted their sails half mast high , so to hinder their discovery , and with a gentle gale sailed towards cephalonia ; both fleets were within twelve miles one of another , yet undescried , by reason of certain capes and head-lands dividing and shadowing them . they first ken'd the christian navy cleer of the cruzalares which had somwhat disordred them ; and seeing andrea doria stand to sea-ward vainly , imagin'd that he had fled , as upon the like reason the christians were deluded with the like conceit of them , which opinion as it begat contempt of the adverse part , so it bred confidence in themselfs ; the place wher both the fleets met serv'd aptly to fight , and not to fly . the gulph being in circuit not above two hundred & fifty miles , immu●…'d with rocks , shores and ilands , so thick , that to fly threatned well nigh as much danger as to stay ; on the north they were shut with part of alban●…a ; extending from s. mauro to lepanto eighty miles ; on the east they were embarr'd by morea , stretching seventy miles from the mouth of the gulph to cape tornezzo ; on the south the i le of zant oppos'd her self twenty five miles in length , the west was clos'd up by cephalonia and s. maura , the one being forty , the other fifteen miles long on that coast ; on the coasts of albania , scarce a mile from the main , were the rocks cruzulares of an inequal bignesse , but the lesser the more dangerous : here again the christian fleet before conceal'd by interposition of headlands bewray'd truly her own greatnesse , which though inferior to the turks , yet exceeding their expectation , did somwhat shake their former resolution , yet hope , shame , and which was more then both , necessity spurring them forwards , they approach'd in form following . they divided their fleet which consisted of two hundred seventy vessels , gallies , & foists , into four battaillons correspondent to that of the christians . in the middle battail was the high admirall ali bassa , and therin were contain'd ninety gallies , in the midst of whom in a rich and a well appointed gally was he himself flank'd on the right side with partau bassa , and on the left with the tresurer of the navy , who were assisted each of them by three admiralls : the right wing consisted of fifty gallies , wherof mehemet s●…roch had the charge ; the left wing included nine gallies conducted by vluzzali ; the reserve for supplies was a mixture of ten gallies and twenty foists , commanded by amurat dragutra●…s : he himself in a beautifull and well fortified gally , somtimes admirall of constantinople ; their main battail was oppos'd to ours ; their right wing to our left , and their left to our right ; ev'ry battail distinguish'd by different flags , very curiously and richly wrought ; ev'ry privat gally adorn'd with pendants and ensigns of great worth , which serv'd to breed an appetit in the couragious christian rather then fear ; the galeasses they rather wondred at for hugenesse of bulk , then redoubted for offence or danger in service , thinking them fitter for burthen then fight ; neither could they yet entertain an assurance that their adverse fleet wold offer to assail them ; yet did not this distraction make them neglect all possible means for their owne safety , and damage of the enemy ; all unnecessary things they stow'd in hold , all needfull they brought upon the hatches , as powder , shot , pikes , arrows , and all offensive or defensive provision ; ev'ry captain encourag'd his soldiers , ev'ry soldier his fellow , and custom of victory took away all conceipts of discomfiture , ev'ry one cherishing in himself the remembrance of the christians flight at preveza , the vicinity of place bringing it fresh to their apprehensions ; the very winds seem'd to whisper into their ears secret arguments of prevailing , to which their credulity listned ; but soon were those arguments confuted , when the wind which till now had bin still partiall unto them , became a neutral to both , and a flat calm , giving attention ( as it were ) to the voice of the cannon ; and not only the wind , but the sun seem'd now to bandy against them , who having with too much light dazled the christian navy at the instant of joyning ba●…tail , remov'd that prejudice : moreover , the winds , as if awakened , and come to do service to the god who made them , breath'd a gentle gale from the west , which aptly serv'd to carry away the mists of the waters , and smoak of the ordnance upon the turks , whose battails contain'd these principal commanders and gallies . the turks divided their fleet into four bataillons . the right vving . . the first was the admirall , mehemet siroch governour of alexandria . . the second gally of alexandria was commanded by . carus tubat . bagly saraf . giafer chiagey . osman celebin . perusio reis . bink cusapoli . osman occan. drivis aga. bajazet siman . osman ali. deli aga. dardagan bardan bely . casli cuian . insuf aga. insuf magar . calafat chedar . mustafa genovel . darinigy pery . mat assan . all these had gallies of alexandria . cheder aga. solyman bey . hibraim . saban . caia celebin . cheder siman . ali cara. mustafa . their gallies were of constantinople . juran saba . david jusuf . solac rais. arnaut ferrat . juzel memy . shender selim. lumag jnsuf . ba●…dach celebin . bagdat asau . guzel allibi . brusali piri . rodle ali. these gallies were of tripoly in barbary . aga bassa with the admirall of constantinople . sinaman mustapha gregiore ali. amurates reis . calepy memy . marul mustapha . heder lumet . these commanded over the gallies of etolia . sinaman dervis . memen●…y durmis . algagias sinan . adagi rustan . chingevey musata . jusuf celebin . tufer mustapha . these also commanded over the gallies of despotado , or etolia . ali a genowayes , and pyrat , captain of a small gally . megil reis with a small galeasse . mehemet bey with the small admirall gally of negropont . the battail had these captains and gallies following . assam bey governor of rhodes . deli chafer the warden of rhodes . occi rais. postunag ogli . gazizy reis . ●…alefact ogli . dromus reis , with an admirall of constantinpole . herberey . caragias rais. ocean rais. deli piry . these commanded the gallies of rhodes . giafer aga. bastian rais. coz ali. olach rais. oluz rais. assan bassa , barbarossa's son . these commanded some gallies of constantinople . caruf rais. jungli ogli . arnaut celebi●… . magar ali. giafer celebin . deli assan . carapeti aga. sinan rais. carua mustapha . sali aravar . previl aga. their gallies were of naples in romagnia . the two sons of ali in a gally of constantinople . osman rais in an admirall of constantinople . deli jusuf . ferat baly . cuia celebin . bagdar rais. halvagi mustapha . their gallies were of mitilene . giaut ali mustapha admirall of small gallios . caracoza with gallies of valona . mamatris saderbey governour os mitilene . ali bassa high admirall of the fleet in a gally royall . portau bassa generall by land , with an admirall gally . mustapha esdey tresurer . marmati rais. alicicgbli . tramontan rais with an admirall of constantinople . sulimum celebin . deli ibrain . murat corossua . denur bali . caby heit . murat trasy scribe of the arcenal . caras deli. ferat ceragli . pervis sinam . dardagan bali . giafe●… caran . dervis sach . curbaly . all these had gallies of constantinople . giafer aga captain of tripoly . carau hamat . rustan chialmagi . dunnis ogli . shender dernigi . maumet alis. they commanded o're the gallies of tripoly . afis cluega governor of callipolis . selim siach . heder baschi . sicun mustapha . salu rius . deli ischender . these gallies were of calipolis . the lord of marus with an admirall gally of constantinople . pericis la humagi . hasuf bali . siran bardachi . jusuf cinigi . these gallies were also of callipolis . piri begogli with an admirall gally of constantinople . deli osmun . piri sinan . demir celebin . dervis hidir . sinan mustapha . hasirgy rais. asey ogli . caias saraf . agadi ahameth . osman sehet . dervis celebin . giafer rais. dardagan the governour of the arcenall . all these were gallies of constantinople . the left wing . carau hozias admirall . catalus a pyrat . chiazel sinan . chior mehemet . hignau mustapha . cademly mustapha . vsechiaffy memy . carau morat . passa dervis . jagli osman . pisman rais. tascivis sisman . jesil hogli . these commanded o're the gallies of natolia . cara cialibina captain of small gallies . suizi memy . magli rais. osey assan . curnigi hasuf . they had small gallies , and obey'd chialibin . cadeh sidir . osman rais. these two had gallies of constantinople . caraperi a pyrat , captain of a small gally . julio pervis . calobodan solyman . jachali mamar . sayr giafer . chior memy . these had small gallies , and were commanded by carape●…i . chiusel giafer with an admirall of constantinople . ramazzan . calemy memy . giesman ferat . h●…ipris assan . zambal murat . sa●…msach rais. tunis soliman . calepi jusuf . tech●…del assan . cyan memis . osman bagli . all constantinopolitans . caragial with the admirall gally of algier . caraman ali. alman . sinam celebin . agdagi mustapha . daglias ali. seith . pervis selim. murat dervis . hes ogli . machazer ali. joias ▪ osman . sali deli. these had small , and some common gallies of algier . nasut fachir with a gally of constantinople . gymongi mustapha . rustau cringi . bali . david ali. sitinau rais. carum hidir . magar ferat . arnaut alis. natis rais. curmur rhodo. cos cluagin . cusly memy . all these commanded the gallies of negropont . caram bey with the admirall of the sonne of uluzzali . deli murat . abazar rais. scin sciander . alman balli . assan sumbar . seir aga. assan sinam . cumy falagan . osman gynder ▪ these had small gallies of valona . dermat bey . jusuf alis. caran alman . murat biassan . carabiney the governor . their gallies were of sunasara . calau bastagi . carabi . giafer hedi . ferat . memy beogli . osman piry . piry rais. casam rais. talaragi rais. rus celebin . tutur ali. constantinopolitans . uluzzali king of algier with an admirall gally . the battail of succours . amurat bragat in an admirall of constantinople . caram casli . hassam rais. these were captains of foists also . abdula rais. aligau assan . cus ali. ginzel ali. curtat celebin . deli bey . saudagi memy . these were foists also . dardagno reis had an admirall of constantinople . deli dorni he had a gally . cuidar memy governour of sio . shetagi osman . haeder . delius heder . armat merney . susan reis . giafer bey . cabil sinam . amurat reis . sariogi grafer . mor ali. all foists . piali murat he had a small gally . caragiali rais. murat alias . jumez alias . bostagi murat . foists . assan sinan a gally of constantinople . deli sulmian was in an admirall of constantinople . so that the nomber of all bottomes came to . vessels . all things thus dispos'd of , ali bassa richly cloath'd andarm'd after the turkish manner , thus spake in the poop of his gally to the captaines and commanders ther assembled to receave direction . most heroick captains and invincible ianizars , the scourge of the christian , and right hand of the ottoman empire ; we have hertofore taken pains to fetch ourslaves , but now our enemies have brought them us ; despairing of their successe by land , they are come to try the same fate in another element , as if ther were any important difference to burn on shore , and drown at sea ▪ they have changed place , but not spirit ; the same effeminacy which they had in other parts they have transported hither , constant only in their vices and vanities ; magnanimity and the effect therof , brave honor are not more hereditary and inherent in us , then cowardize and servility in them ; we much exceed them in nomber , but more in weight of ability , we were soldiers when children , they children now they are men : what are their soldiers but players , minstrells and tumblers , a multitude of unghelt eunuchs ? what is their generall but a youth , fitter to lead a mask then an army ? what are both but the remainder of this years victory , wherof cyprus was the late rich earnest ? neither can they so soon forget to yeeld as we to overcom : therfore be confident brave fellows in arms , that not resolution , but their destiny hath brought them bither ; italy is the gate of christendom , and venice the key of italy : this fleet is that barre , which if you can either break or put back , all flies open before you , and we shall go beyond caesar in the west , or alexander in the east , making the rising and setting sun the confines of the turkish empire . go on then , let us fill the sea with their bodies , our gallies with their wealth , our selfs with the honor and glory of both . the christians having in all respects provided for so great an attempt as far as human wisdom and strength could extend , ( considering this fleet to be their ark , and god himself interested in the controversie ) ceased not with importunat , but most humble invocations , to implore the aid of heaven , which by their confessors was confidently promis'd them : their devotions concluded , and each battail facing each other , the charge was given by a canon from ali the turkish admirall , and answer'd by one from each wing , with obstreperous clamours after their custom , which they think awakens the courage of the soldier , with amazement and terror to the enemy ; they quickly make towards the christian fleet , who in a differing manner made trumpets , drums , fifes , and other such martiall music , the delightfull prolog to a more dreadfull scene : venieri back'd his gally with two other of giovanni l●…redano , and catarin●… malipietro ; colonna did the like with two other ; and now being within distance of their ordnance , the turks passing by the galeasses , were inexpectedly torn by their great shot , which brake forth on all sides like thunder and lightning out of some black cloud : they being high and close , fearfully spoil'd the naked turks and rowers , making that breach at which the christian fleet entred , for it disordred them so , that they had no time to recollect themselfs ; in which confusion desperatly passing the galeasses , they ran upon a sharper point of danger , for the wind resisting the swiftnesse of their approach , stayed and set them up as dead marks to the christian ordnance , which had more certain aim at them lying still , then in motion and course : besides it did benight them with smoak , augmenting the terror of those invibcile mischiefs which they felt , but could not see either to shun or revenge : the hideous noise of som commanding , others answering , the cracks of gallies , falling foul of each other , terrified both the turk who suffer'd , and the christian which heard it , victory appearing to them in a dreadfull countenance ; in som gallies the officers slain , the slaves brake loose , and like lions slaughter'd their keepers ; in others the powder taking fire casually , seem'd to rebell against them besides , shooting them up for sacrifices to that christ whom they blasphemed ; here men falling over board wanted gallies ; here gallies emptied of their companions wanted men , and floated like dead bodies without souls , which mehemet syrock , now finding himself a truer prophet then he desired , observing , withdrew himself from the body of the fleet , thinking to circumvent the christian left wing , betwixt whom and siroch , augustin barbarico oppos'd his squadron , wherwith he shut up the passage the easier , because of a promontory call'd michangali , which extended it self that way : ma●…no c●…tarint resolv'd to be a sharer with his oncle barbarico , both in honor and danger , and so follow'd and united himself to that squadron ▪ betwixt whom a most cruentous fight pass'd on both sides : the tu●…h left wing commanded by vluzzali , and confronting our right , was very nere to have joyn'd with doria , who considering himself inferior in nomber of gallies , he having but fifty , his enemy ninety , 〈◊〉 it not : vluzzali balancing with the christian his own odds of strength , was contented likewise to abstain : doria ▪ after some suspence stood out to seaward with certain of his gallies a mile from the remainder ; in the mean time don iohn , colonna and venieri , the the confederat admiralls , in exact order incountred the middle battail of the enemy , exchanging at the approach divers volleys of great shot , with much disadvantage to the turks ; the christian vessells being snug and stooping from the ordnance of the turks higher gallies , and many of their peeces choak'd with christians bullets casually shot into their mouths , and ther sticking , which difficulties bred rather fury then despair in them , and induced them by violence of oars to make hast to grapple that ther fighting hand to hand , the difference might be decided by pure man-hood : therfore now being nearer swarmes of arrows and small shot interchangeably stung both sides , with artificiall fires , reciprocally lightning ev'ry where : at last death and wounds drest variously , were the entertainment of that visitation , whence sprung such a deluge of bloud , that the gulph of lepanto might have bin call'd the red sea for the time . now stroch perceaving himself not onely frustrated the interposition of barbaricos squadron , but distress'd by the irresistible force of it , yet he persisted still in fight to save his honour , though not his life , using all the powerfull rhetoric he could for the encouragement of his languishing men , wherin by speech , as well as by example , he so prevail'd , that desperation whetting resolution , they had recover'd now not only hopes of resistance , but of victory : for after divers unequall and doubtfull conflicts in many parts , here nomber oppressing valour , ther valour making amends for the odds of nomber , specially in the gallies of the two barbaricos , while with discreet courage they ran still to the weakest part , like the vitall spirits in the body : one of them was mortally wounded by a fatall turkish arrow in the left eye , himself being indeed not only the eye , but the very heart of his squadron ; he falling down , confirm'd that the life-bloud of an army runs commonly in the veins of the chief commander : his owne men shrunk back , the turks intruded and press'd into his gally , which had bin taken , but that frederico nani , and silvio porcia came into her rescue . these heroick gentlemen growing up like hydras heads in the room of barbarico , repell'd the turks , and recover'd the former hopes of victory : porcia receav'd a wound in his thigh , the honorable badge of valor . in another part cicogna barbarico oppress'd with multitudes of turkish gallies , was ( as one might say ) refin'd with wild fire , and his face beautified with an eminent scar , but was at last preserv'd by speedy supplies , being so far from yeelding either to wearinesse or pain , that after this he boarded and took a principall gally , & one of their imperiall ensigns , which to this day ▪ serves in the venetian armory to display the invincible courage of the taker : but siroch surrounded with danger and mischiefs on both sides , having no means to satisfie his revenge on all , desperatly rush'd upon giovanni contarini , whose kinsman was before not cheaply slain , and that such an impetuous violence , that he had almost stem'd his gally , which he obstinatly persevering to board , was ther mortally wounded , as before in judgement , so now in valour , having manifested himself a compleat and absolut soldier : his fall bred such an amazement in the turk , as the fate of barbarico in the christian ; his men slain and wounded , left their decks to their thronging enemies , who rushing in , were like to have made the gallie a common sepulcher to both ; for she being shot between wind and water , was upon point of sinking : the turks leaped over board , hoping by swimming to find the land more mercifull unto them then the water ; siroch was taken not quite dead , but his wounds were search'd and found incurable , in pity rather then cruelty he was dispatch'd out of his pain . his death though it was dearly bought , was a mortall wound to the turks whole navy ; for those that were before busied with his incounter , this right wing or arm being cut off , converted their forces , though much enfeebled , against the other members of the fleet , assisting where they saw need and had oportunity ; besides the battail of succours continually supplied and releev'd impartially all parts distress'd . now the two generalls , don iohn , and ali bassa , meeting like two furious currents , began so terrible a fight in midst of both the fleets , that the rest seem'd to be but spectators to them two ▪ the gallies that incircled them were ( as it were ) the scaffold , and they two the stage ; contrariety of religion , emulation of honor , anger , hope and fear produc'd admirable effects in both : while ali made violent impression on don iohns gally on the prow , she was by others likely to have bin entred at the poop , which being perceav'd , was prevented by those that back'd her , who boording those boorders , took their gallies , but with great slaughter and difficulty . the turkish generall knowing the fortune of the day to depend upon his successe , desperatly contended to inforce don iohn ; wherin he prevail'd so far , that he compell'd him to bring out of hold his fresh reserves that he had under deck , to exchange place with his wounded and wearied men upon the hatches , which strange and inexpected supply , sprung as it were out of the womb of the gallie to defend her mother , bred an amazement , and by amazement hastned the destruction of the fainting turks : ali ▪ being shot in the head , his gally soon yeelded , himself being yet alive and presented to don iohn , his head was struck off , which being mounted on the point of a pike , was held up for a public demonstration of victory ; a gratefull object to the christians , but dreadfull to the turks ; the same cause bringing forth at once two contrary effects , viz. hope and fear , which yet lesse dismay'd them , not discerning it afar off ; but the advancement of the crosse royall on the top of their admirall gally , danted them more then all the rest , for that was visible throughout the fleet , and the fatall signification of it easily interpreted , so that now they began to fly , but in such a confusion , that while they shun the poursute of one gally , they fall foul upon another : besides marco quirini , and antonio canali , two venetian commanders , intercepted many of the gallies flying , and men swimming to the shoare . in this most memorable fight , many commanders on either side were taken or slain , whose distinct catalog shall be inserted at the end of the battail , not yet absolutely concluded : for vluzzali foreseeing now too late this generall overthrow , studied how he might in some measure revenge what he could not prevent : therfore hovering aloof from the fleet to expect some straglers of the christians , at last found oportunity to cut off certain venetian gallies , who at first had follow'd dorta , but now desirous to have bin sharers in so noble a victory , were retiring to the main battail ; them he chas'd , fetch'd up and boarded ; but they bravely repelling him , and dorta wheeling about to assail him , knowing it dangerous for him to persever in fight , when his own force wold continually decrease , and his enemies be augmenmented by confluence of rescu from all parts of the army , executing most of his mischief upon those venetians , he with sail down stood off to sea , towing after him the gallies of pietro bua , of corfu , of the prior of messina , and lodovico tipico of tra●…u , benedetto soranza mortally wounded and oppress'd by multitudes , fighting to the very last , was slain and his gally taken , but so that the getting ( in conclusion ) prov'd their losse , for many of the enemies thronging into the gally , either by casualty or desperat malice of som captain , she fir'd and they perish'd in a wretched mixture of death 'twixt burning and drowning : it seems that the fury of the slaughtered turks reviv'd in vluzzali , who alone gave all the three battails som tast of his dev'lish rage ; notwithstanding all those gallies which he had taken were recover'd , except that of pietro bua of corfu , in whose pourchase he had a very hard bargain ; the night was his best protectresse in shadowing him from the poursuing conquerour , who now despairing to fetch him up , whom they could not see to follow , gave over the chase , and stood back to the fleet ; so that vluzzali escaped with about thirty gallies ; many of which could not swim , being alive , as if death had taught them that skill , floated being dead , and the sea glutted with multitudes spued up their carcases ; many labouring in the water for life , found now more safety in their wracks , then before in their gallies , and somtimes a turk and christian taking hold of one plank began a privat fight , while a third took benefit of what they strove for , the sea in the mean time becoming victor of both ; here a tyred christian calls to a friend for help ther a turk implores it of his enemy : most lamentable and confus'd cries com from both , when now the billows begin to roare lowder then all ; for the navy was yet scarce collected and reduc'd to a safe haven , when towards night ther arose so sudden and violent a storm , as ( if the battail had not now bin ended ) wold have bin a stickler in it . to conclude , the insolent enemy being thus overthrown , and their spoil gather'd , the next care was to cure the wounded men , and repair the bruised and torn vessells , wherin the commanders shew'd no lesse industry , then in preparation for the fight , and their admired valour in it . it is hard to decide , which of these three admiralls , don iohn , venieri , or colonna , merited most applause : they all did what could not be exceeded by any other , nor equall'd but by themselfs : the former distast 'twixt ▪ don iohn and venieri , as it had bin providently pacified by mediation of colonna , so was it in the conquest nobly forgotten of themselfs . don iohn towards the beginning of the battail , being endanger'd by inequality of nomber , venieri with his own danger bravely rescued him , like two metled mastiffs jarring among themselfs , when the bear comes , forbear privat strife to joyn against the common enemy ; which noble courtesie , the generall nobly and gratefully acknowledg'd , honoring him with the title of author , and which is more , the father of the victory . the whole army in united voice gratified the divine mercy for so great a preservation , and elevating their victorious hands to heaven , acknowledg'd to be taught to fight by it ; ev'ry man congratulated the safety of his living friend , yet moderately lamented the fate of the dead , the sorrow of their death being dried by the merit of the cause ; those bodies that were recover'd were honorably buried , the rest detain'd by the sea , were yet eterniz'd on the shore . to repeat the noble action of ev'ry particular man were a plutarks labour , ev'ry life wold be a story ; and we know that plutark gave lifes to many , though the longest to himself ; but among the most eminent , shines the noble indifferency of the marquis of santa cruz , who disposing of the reserve of succours , distributed them not according to his own affections , but other mens necessities , bewraying at once excellency of judgement , courage and celerity . many circumstances gave lustre to this victory , but nothing more then the flight of the christian fleet , not many years before from about the same place , the infamy of the one glorifying the other , and serving as a foil to it , as shadows set forth and enlighten pictures . it was a pleasing consideration to those who had bin forc'd to be fugitives , to think they shold find their honor where they lost it : to this may be added the remembrance of the like battail fought 'twixt augustus caesar , and marc anthony , above a thousand years past in the same place , as if destiny had made it a stage for great actions , and that this heroick battail had bin but the second part of the first . the totall nomber of the dead were . the chief of the venetians were augustin barbarico proveditor generall of the venetian fleet , benedetto soranza , marin and ieronimo contareni , marc antonio lande , francesco bicono , iacomo de messa , caterin maripietro , giovanni loredano , vincenzo quirini , andrea and georgio barbarici , all senators ; of romanes horatio caraffa , ferrante bisball , virginio and horatio vrsini . of the spaniards , iohn and bernardin●… de cardona : of the knights of malta divers were slain , among others these three germans , ioakin spart comendador of moguncia , ro. of hamburg comendador of hemm●…ndorf , and francis drost ; the chief men wounded were don iohn the generall , venieri the venetian admirall , paolo iordano , marco molino , and troylo savello , and well nigh seven thousand privat men . this great losse was lessen'd by that of the turks , who are reported by some authors to have lost nere upon thirty thousand : but the multitude of their gallies taken , wrack'd , and dead bodies floting on the sea , carrying with it a resemblance of the generall deluge , must needs acknowledge it to be great . among the slain was the generall ali , mehemet bey , alias siroch , governour of alexandria , hassan bassa barbarossa the great pyrats son ; the greatest prisoners were achmat and mahomet , sons of the generall ali , mehemet bey governour of eubaea , with thirty thousand vulgar soldiers . ther escaped partau bassa , who since others wold not follow his counsell in abstaining from fight , made use of it himself : vluzzali a desperat renegado , who fought , but so alwaies that he might fly : there were taken one hundred thirty vessells , whereof one hundred seventeen were gallies , thirteen galeots , som report one hundred sixty . ther was much tresure found in the gally cleopatra , which the generall distributed among the best deserving : among others a macedonian , by whose fortunat hand ali bassa fell , had a noble reward , but a far nobler by the magnificent venetian republic , who did confer three hundred duckets of yearly pension upon him . but the most esteemed spoil had from the turkish fleet , was the redemption of so many christians , in nomber twelve hundred ; words are but mute expressions of the pitifull slavery they were in , being compell'd both actively and passively , to suffer for , and act against their own religion ; nothing could equall it , but the joy of this enlargement , nor was this joy peculiar and solely to themselfs , but multiplied by portions among their friends and kinsmen . the n●…neteenth of the same moneth , humphredo iustiniano arriv'd at venice with advertisement of this victory to the senat : never any music so feasted their ears as that news : the congratulating ambassadors flock to s. mark from all christian princes , acknowledging him their prime protector , and champion . i will conclude this relation with the division of the spoils of the enemies betwixt the three generalls . the popes share was . gallies , whereof . ordinary , . galeots . . canons , wherof . great , . of the smaller sort . . prisoners , among whom were achmat , and mahomet , sons of the generall ali bassa . the venetians share was . gallies , wherof . ordinary , . galeots and a half . . peeces of ordnance . . prisoners . the spanish share was . gallies . . peeces if ordnance . . prisoners . the division was thus concluded , though not in a proportionable rate of equality , yet to the satisfaction of all , the venetians thinking they had the more honor , though the spaniards the greatest luggage , and the reason might be , that the spaniard contributed more money , though the venetian more gallies . venieri highly extoll'd the magnanimity of the general , propo singunto him the rescue of greece , an exploit which shold immortalize him more then the conquest of tunis did his father , whose genius wold not envy , sayed he , to see it self exceeded by him , which was not equall'd by his predecessors . this much inflam'd the hot aspiring mind of the youthfull conquerour , insomuch that they proceeded to consultation , how this trophy might be perfected , whose hardest work , to wit , the foundation , was already so happily layed ; therfore making aprill the time , and corfu the rendevous of their next years convention , the navies were dissolv'd , don iohn returning to messina . venieri expecting that don iohn wold by his example have poursu'd the point of this victory , was much heightned in his spirits , but somwhat discontented , and the spaniard expos'd himself to som reproaches abroad hereby , so that don iohns departure was interpreted no lesse then a kind of running away : for in the opinion of all the world , had this opportunity bin well improv'd , ther might have bin made far greater use of it : for though that high spirited turk , to expresse the inequality of the taking of cyprus , with the defeat of this fleet , said , that selym had cut off an arm of the christians , and they had but shav'd his beard . intimating therby : that timber wold grow again , but not kingdoms , that ships might be built , but not ilands ; yet was it manifest , that the chief strength of that samson lay at the same time in that tuff of hair , and if he had bin re-essail'd e're it had grown out again , the razor which took off his beard , might have cut his throat . here it will not be improper to add an answer of an old chious , who being com ambassador to england in king iames's time , and being ask'd among other things by the king , whether he had bin at the battail of lepanto , yes , sayed he , and at the taking of cyprus also . colonna departed also with don iohn , and return'd to rome , where his fame had arriv'd long before him : this successe rais'd the spirits of that ancient city in a shape of rriumph , to see her aged glory give such a fresh lustre in this glasse of victory , to entertain her new champion ; the whole city seem'd to be turn'd inside outward , the rich tapistries now beautifying the wals without , the streets were strew'd with flowers as at a marrage : it is reported that a little before this battail , the pope pius quintus had perform'd many rigid and austere penances in his own person , and having bin a whole night contending with god in prayer , in his own privat oratory ; he came at last suddenly out with a cheerfull countenance , and in a kind of ravishment or extasie , saying , alegramente la vittoria é nostra , be of good cheer the victory is ours , and as the manuscript hath it , this was the very morning before the battail began . no lesse were the triumphs at the court of spain , when tydings were brought to philip the second of this signall and glorious victory ; yet when the very first , and long expected news therof was brought and related unto him , he never chang'd countenance , or gave as much as a smile , or least outward shew of alteration , he was a man of such a rare constancy of temper , only he sayed after a long speculative pause , mucho ha aventurado mi hermano don iuan , my brother don iohn hath ventur'd very far ; but it was the first time that ever he was heard to call him brother , which stile he continued ever after . the republic hoping that the rest of the christian confederat princes wold be constant in the league , rigg'd up their gallies again , and made great preparations against the following spring , but pius quintus deceasing , who gave the greatest vigour to the league , matters began to languish ; yet ther was a conjunction of som forces the sommer after against vluzzali , a great pyrat , and admirall to the turk ; and there were considerable fleets on both sides , the turk had two hundred sails , the christians not so many , and about the mona they twice fac'd one another , but encountred not ; so all dissolv'd without performance of any thing , though venieri made fair propositions unto them for som attempts ▪ both by land and sea , and to be the first in the van himself , but the spaniard was too cold and cautious ; besides don iohn of austria himselfe had promis'd to come in person , but did not . hereupon it was high time for the republic to hearken to a peace with her potent neighbour , specially ther having bin divers overtures made by the gran visier to that purpose : among other inducements which might move her thereunto was , that the spaniard was not able as formerly to continue the league , in re●…ard he had so much new work cut him out in flanders , by the revolt of som of the seventeen provinces : moreover the senat had notice that an ambassadour was come from constantinople to the emperours court , to desire safe passage for the turkish army to passe through some of his territories to invade friuli ; besides the bishop of a●…x , who was ambassador at the port , for the king of france , advis'd her in his masters name to a peace , for which purpose he came himself expressely to venice afterward : so after much difficulty , and divers proposalls on both sides , a peace was at last solemnly concluded ; the two main articles whereof were , that all the venetian merchants goods shold be restor'd unto them which were taken by turks in so many years , and that the signory shold pay a hundred thousand crowns for three years . the world pass'd sundry censures of this peace , specially in regard the venetians had done it without the consent of the other confederats ; paul the third then pope storm'd at it , but the king of spain seem'd to dissemble his discontent , saying , that he doubted not , but that the motives which shold induce so wise a senat were of great importance , hoping that as he had freely employed his forces for the generall incolumity of christendome , and particularly of the venetian , so they likewise wold if occasion requir'd be ready to do the like for him ; the world wondred at this calmnesse in the spaniard , and the reason which peeple alledg'd then , was the revolutions in the low countreys , and that he was like to fall out with france , with whom he was loth the venetian shold ligue together against him . notwithstanding this solemn peace with selim , yet the republic understanding that amurath , who had newly succeeded in the ottoman empire upon the death of selym , did arm apace to be reveng'd upon spain , in regard that don iohn of austria had lately sack'd tunis in barbary ; this made the republic apprehend som fears , that the turk wold fall foul up on some of their dominions , specially the i le of candy : hereup on she rigs up her gallies again , but in the interim a chiaus coms from constantinople in quality of ambassador extraordinary from amurath to confirm the former peace . this year . the duke of aniou having bin newly elected king of poland , and scarce setled in the throne , and understanding his brother charles was deceas'd in france , and fearing to lose the 〈◊〉 for a thistle , ( viz. france for poland ) got away surreptitiously from cracovia , accompanied only with three followers ; and passing through the territories of divers princes , came at last to italy , with a curiosity to see the admired city of venice ; being come upon the confines , he was met by a gallant troup of noble men , with eight hundred well arm'd soldiers : the next day sour of the senators came to him from venice in quality of ambassadors ; the dukes of ferrara and nevers came also to visit him : so being attended by infinite nombers of peeple , he came first to murano , where the next day he was visited by the prince and senat with fourteen gallies ; and being conducted thence to lia , he entred the bucentoro , together with the prince and senat ; from thence with mighty magnificence he transported to venice , all the channell 'twixt the city and lia thronging with boats , made in fashion of sea monsters , wherin were all the youth of venice richly attir'd , with infinite nomber of gondolas , which row'd before , and on ev'ry side of the bucentoro , which was gently tow'd to the palace stairs , where he remain'd divers daies , and was entertain'd to the height of all magnificence ; and here began that great league of love which hath continued so firm 'twixt france and venice ever since ; but presently after the kings departure , ther happen'd an ill-favor'd disaster , for the prince celebrating the day of his election , the ducall palace was like to be all consum●…d by a casuall fire , and a fearfull plague remov'd it selfe from trent to venice , where it began to rage fearfully ; thereupon no humane remedy appearing , the prince and senat had recourse to god almighty , and meeting in the highest postures of reverenee at s. marks church , the prince in all their names made a solemn vow to god , to build a church and dedicat it to the worlds redeemer , imploring his divine majesty with heart and mouth , that it might please him of his infinite mercy to hear them , and appease his just wrath ; it pleas'd god that this furious contagion did thereupon cease in a wonderfull manner : the church was suddenly built at la zuecca , whither the prince and senat go in solemn procession every year ever since ; baromeo did also , as they write , strange penances in milan for asswagement of such a contagion the same year . sebastiano venieri succeeded mocenigo in the principality , the peeple with extraordinary acclamations extoll'd this election to the very starrs , in regard he had done such exploits while he was generall so long at sea , both in the battail of lepanto , and elswhere : but that which seem'd most strange , was , that among such multitudes of all sorts of peeple who went to congratulat his new dignity , ten turks who were then in venice came and kiss'd his feet , saying aloud , this is that invincible generall , who by defeating our fleet and us , hath justly pourchas'd to himself this deserved crown of honor , unto whom we wish a long and happy life . pope gregory the thirteenth sent him a little after a rose of gold , which useth to be one of the greatest favors that the pope useth to confer upon princes . alexander the third sent the like in the year . to sebastian ciani , for preserving him from the fury of the emperour barbarossa . old venieri had scarce govern'd nine moneths , but being strucken deeply in years , and having lost much bloud in the warres , he payed nature her last debt ; the arch-duke of austria , with other princes , desir'd to have his picture ; and about the same time , anno . don iohn of austria died in the netherlands , having bin both generalls in the battail of lepanto . nicolo ponte a grave and learned senator succeeded venieri in the dukedome , being aged eighty eight years ; francisco de medici , great duke of toscany , a powerfull prince in those daies , was desirous to marry signora bianca daughter to capello a venetian gentleman ; to which end he sent maria sforza to acquaint the senat ; the senat sent for capello and his son vittorio , whom they knighted ; then they adopted bianca who was to be gran duchesse , daughter to the signorie , in the same manner as they had done catharina queen of cyprus . this year divers new constitutions were enacted against lux in apparell . . the use of all sorts of perl , tru or counterfeit , was prohibited , onely women might weare a small coller about their necks . . costly skins and furrs were wholy forbid to be worn . . all gold and silver lace was prohibited upon garments . . no courtezan must wear any jemms or jewells , or use any tapistry . . excessive expences were forbidden at womens churchings , and the extraordinary invitation of friends , except nere kinsfolk , was restrain'd . . a decree was made against all super fluous diet , and that no double dish of fish or flesh shold be serv'd in . these laws are exactly observ'd to this day . in this dukes time , and partly by a hint given from him , the calenlendar was reform'd : for pope gregory the xiii . finding by consultation with the best astronomers , that because the solar motion had not bin rightly observ'd , the vernall equinoctiall had gotten ten daies before ●…he course of the sun , whereby the feast of easter , whereon all other moveable feasts depended , was not celebrated at the just time appointed in the primitive church by the councell of nice ; the incongruity thereof was , were it not reform'd , that the festivalls of winter will be celebrated in sommer , and those of sommer in winter : hereupon the chiefest mathematicians of europe were summon'd to rome , to confer their speculations about this point , and commanded after an exact calculation of the course of the planets , to refer the vernall equinoctiall to the twenty one of march , as it had bin in old time decreed by the fathers of the sayed councell of nice , and so to find out some rule , that the same inconvenience might be for ever remov'd ; these learned men did what the pope commanded , by referring the equinoctiall to its true place , and by taking for once ten daies from october : the pope concurring with them in opinion , and being a great theorest himself , enjoyn'd this computation to be observ'd all christendome over , lodovicus lilius a famous astronomer , was one of the chiefest instruments in this businesse , . in this dukes time ther happen'd a contrasto 'twixt the republic and the knights of malta , because they had taken some turky vessells in the venetian seas , whereat amurath did thunder out a revenge ; the republic complain'd to the gran master , intreating him to forbear the taking of any turkish vessells in her seas , while the peace lasted 'twixt her and the port ; but the malteses making no account hereof , the venetian gallies took from them a galeon which they sent into candy , and not long after two gallies more , which being brought to corfu , all the turkish sl●… in them were set at liberty , and the empty gallies restor'd to the knights . the ve●…erians also the same year to satisfie the turk , caus'd publiquely to be beheaded gabriele meme a gentleman of venice , in regard that meeting with a turkish galeot passing from algier to constantinople , with the vice-queen of that kingdome and her children , who carried rich ●…esents to ●…urath , the sayed heme put to the sword all the turks in the sayed galeot , and freed the christian slaves . paschale cicogna came to be the next duke of venice , in his time an academy was in●…uted in venice , at the instance of some choice gentlemen ; besides that exact and admirabld fort nova palma in friuli was erected with so much expence and enginry ; that miraculous high arch'd bridge at the 〈◊〉 was reat'd up also in his time . marini gri●…arci succecded cicogna in the government , in his time a 〈◊〉 little wa●…e happen'd 'twixt the vscoc●…ht and the republic , who committed daily depredations upon the coasts of dalma●…ia and 〈◊〉 , but they were quickly chastis'd and restrain'd by phileppo paschali ; theodoro balbi was also employed against some barbary pyrats , who 〈◊〉 the seas far into the gulph , he took from them three 〈◊〉 , and set many hundred christian slaves at liberty , and so terrified them , that they durst look no more that way . i●… fell out in this dukes time , that the clergy of padona having ve●…emently p●…sted ag●…inst francisco zabarella , for the sute prefer'd to sell certain ancient ●…hurch lands , the senat made a decree , that the church shold not appropriat to her self rents possess'd by the laity , grounding that decree upon a prohibition made by the senat , anno . that no 〈◊〉 shold be given or bequeath'd in perpetuity to any church within the city and signory of venice , and if any were left , they shold be sold by a certain time prefixt , and the money arising out of the sale to be o ly theirs , alledging for reason , that the clergy who pretend themselfs and their goods to be exempt from all necessary charges belonging to the common-wealth , the nomber of them daily increasing , and on the contrary , that of the citizens still decreasing , who serve and b●…sie themselfs in the civill government , and the quantity of their goods , whereon the public revenue depends , beginning to fail , in the end all wealth wold of necessity fall to the clergy : this law was variously observ'd till the year . when it was reduc'd to this form , that none ●…f what quality soever shold g●…ve lands to the church , but only for two years space , after which time they shold be sold , and if the sale were not made by the 〈◊〉 , a civill magistrat shold be appointed to do it ; this being consider'd by the senat , it hath ever since b●…n practis'd generally throughout the whole republic . the year . the senat decreed , that no venetian citizen of what 〈◊〉 soever , shold within the precincts of the city without the senats consent build any new church , hospitall or monastery , yet did not the senat totally prohibit any such buildings , but because the prince and state as super●…ors wold consider whither i●… were needfull or no , ther being already in the city one hundred fifty churches , monasteries , and hospitalls , with other like places of devotion in this dukes time the famous fort call'd nova palma was finish'd , which is thought to be the goodliest , and built more exactly according to the modern rules of enginry , then any in all italy , the expences whereof viis & modis were estimated to be half a million of crownes ; there was another strong castle erected also in cephalonia ; that stupendous arch in the rialto was also perfected , having thirty six staires on each side built of the stones of istria . in the year . pope clement the eighth deceas'd , and alexander de medici succeeded , who liv'd not a moneth to an end ; the cardinalls proceeding to a new election , and desirous to make hast , the cardinalls farnese and montalto went to cardinall aldobrandini , intreating him to name three among the whole colledge of cardinalls ( tuscus and baronius excepted ) and one of those three shold be created ; therupon cardinall borghese was chosen by the name of paulu quintus . the venetian clergy , notwithstanding the senats decree , did daily more and more augment and improve their revenues , as well within and about the city as abroad ; the senat for reducing the state to one conformable custome , had before , as it hath bin sayed , divulg'd their decree through all their dominions , and added therunto a prohibition , that none within the city or signory under what colour soever , shold sell , give , or in any sort al●…enat lards to the clergy , without the senats commission , which shold not be granted , but with the same solemnities usuall at the alienation of the public revenue , and all the alienations made otherwise shold be declar'd void , the lands confiscat , and the notaries punish'd : paul the v having notice of this law , did strictly examin it , and wold by no means approve of it ; but towards the end of october the same year , complain'd therof to the venetian ambassador at his time of public audience , saying , that whilst the sea of rome was vacant , the venetians had made a law which prohibited the clergy to pourchase lands , adding , that though it were made upon urgent occasion , as they pretended , and by vertue of a former decree , yet the canons disanull'd them both , therefore his pleasure was to have them repeal'd , injoyning the ambassador accordingly to signifie so much unto the republic . the ambassador did what the pope injoyn'd him , and within a while after he receav'd instructions and a commission from the senat , to acquaint his holines with the equity of their cause , and justice of their law , together with the signories decree , and unquestionable authority to passe such decrees : the pope being confident in his own opinion , sayed aloud , that he gave him audience only to content the venetians , but not to admit any of his propounded reasons or excuses , then he made another complaint about the detaining of a canon of vicenza , and the abbot of nerveze , both of them accus'd of notorious crimes ; and within a while after , concerning another law forbidding to build churches without permission , being resolv'd to have those two laws revok'd , and the prisoners delivered to his nuncio residing in venice : hereupon on the tenth of september , he pass'd two injunctions , one concerning the two laws , the other about sentencing the clergy ; so he sent a commission accordingly to his nuncio to present them , resolving upon their refusall to proceed to excommunication ; but the nuncio being peradventure mov'd with pity because the senat at that time had chosen an extraordinary ambassador , by humble means thinking to divert his holines from his resolution , and to induce him to consider better of the matter , delayed the presenting of those injunctions , which the pope took in ill part ; whereupon in all hast he sent him an expresse commandement , to present them without further procrastination ; in regard whereof upon christmas day when duke grimany lay at the point of death , and that the senators were solemnly assembled , som wherof had receav'd the holy sacrament , and others were ready to receave , the nuncio craved audience , and produc'd the two injunctions , but the dukes death hapning the next day , they were not open'd till after the election of the new prince . leonardo donato knight and procurator of s. mark succeeded grimani , after whose election the two injunctions being open'd , were found to be both of one substance , which in effect was , that his holines was advertised that the venetian senat had decreed divers things contrary to the liberty of the church , and authority of the sea apostolie , and divulg'd through all the dominions of the signory certain laws peculiar only to the city of venice , forbidding to build churches or monasteries , or to alienat the secular possessions of the clergy without the senats permission , which , as repugnant to the churches liberty , his holines declared to be invalid , and they who enacted them to have incurr'd ecclesiasticall censures , commanding them under pain of excommunication , presently to revoke and abrogate the sayed lawes , threatning to proceed further in case they did not conform . to this the senat answer'd . of ian. anno . as followeth : that with grief and amazement they understood by his holines letters , that he dislik'd the laws of the venetian republic , prosperously observ'd for so many ages , and never tax'd by any of his predecessors , the revokement wherof wold not only shake , but utterly overthrow the very fundamentalls of the state ; that he interpreted those laws to be prejudiciall to the sea apostolic , and the authority thereof , blaming those who had made them as infringers of the churches liberty , notwithstanding that they were known to be persons of singular piety , and to have done good service to the sea of rome ▪ , and were now doubtlesse in heaven ; that the senat according to his holines advertisement had narrowly examin'd both the new and old laws , and could find nothing in them but what might be decreed by a soveraign prince , concluding , that the venetians did not think they had incurr'd any censures , and that therfore his holines so repleat with religion and piety , wold not without pondering well the cause , continue his menaces . this answer did much displease the pope , who presently awarded an excommunication against them , which on the seventh day of april of the same year was publish'd throughout all rome , and hung up in the usuall places , namely on the great gate of s. peter's church , the chancery and market place of campo di fiore by christophoro fonduto and gio. dominico di pace the popes poursuyvants . the prince and senat having intelligence of what had pass'd at rome , to prevent all popular tumults and commotions which might peradventure thereby arise in the towns and cities subject to their jurisdiction , were desirous to acquaint all sorts of people therwith ; to which end they fram'd two declarations , the one directed to all the clergy of their dominions , and the other to all secular magistrates and officers , to stop and restrain all disorders that might hence ensue ; wherupon all that year divers books were written pro and con , som condemning the venetians , others the pope , ev'ry one as his passion did transport him ; but at last this great contention had like to have bin decided by the sword , both sides making preparations for war. for the venetians having understood that a great number of foot and horse was levied at ferrara , and that the romanes had offer'd to aid the pope in that war with men and money ; they likewise rais'd forces accordingly , and fell to fortifie their towns with greater strength , because they wold not be surpriz'd , or taken unprovided , so that there was a great likelihood of an eager bloudy warr , had not france vigorously appear'd as mediatrix in the businesse . hereupon henry the iiii. to prevent the danger and scandall which might arise by this war , did speedily send the cardinall ioyeuse both to the pope and the venetians from him , and in his name to intercede for a peace amongst them , which embassie took very good effect ; for the cardinall being speedily dispatch'd from france with instructions & other dispatches necessary for his negotiation , he arriv'd at rome on a thursday night . martii . and the same evening confer'd with the cardinalls and the french ambassador there resident , to propound the businesse to his holines : therupon the next day the cardinall accompanied with the leger ambassadour , went to see his holines ; unto whom the cardinall did largely relate the occasion of his coming ; but the pope seem'd to be inexorable to any terms of agreement with the venetians , til the clergy and jesuits ( who had bin banish'd not long before ) were restor'd to their churches & colledges ; the cardinall at this first audience wold not put him out of hope of their restitution , but only told him , that he did not despair of reconciling the jesuits to the venetians , having bethought himself of a fit meanes , whereof if his holines wold not make use , he doubted not but it wold be prevalent . the pope being much desirous to know this new devise ; did the next day early send for him , then the cardinall de ioyeuse told him , that to hope by any expresse treaty to obtain of the venetian senat the restauration of the iesuits , were but to spend time to no purpose , but if his holines wold give ample commission and authority to revoke the censures , and send him to venice with such a power , some good might be done upon the public producement of the sayed commission . the pope made shew , that he neither could nor wold approve of this motion , therfore he sayed , that he had engag'd his promise not to abandon the iesuits , who had bin expuls'd for favouring his interdiction , unto whom he had pass'd his word never to be reconcil'd to the venetians , till they were re-establish'd ; but after sundry other allegations , this conference was to little purpose , ev'ry man perceaving by his holines countenance that he was perplex'd . the french cardinall and others meeting to reconcile these differences , and remove the difficulties , entreated cardinall perron to go the next day after dinner , to get expresse audience of the pope , and if it were possible to induce him to grant certain points for the advance of the businesse . cardinall perron at their intreaty undertook the task , and a good while debated the point with his holines about the restoring of the jesuits , shewing him the danger whereunto he expos'd the church and christian religion for one particular order , whose restauration was to be hop'd for therafter , though for a time defer'd : he told him that his holines shold first re-establish his own authority in venice , and that being once done , ther was no doubt but the other might follow after : so after many other prevalent reasons , perron obtain'd of the pope , that seeing for the present he could not prevail in the jesuits behalf , he shold let it passe , and insert a clause in the article , wherby it might appear to the world , that he had not neglected their restauration : then the cardinall speaking of the commission , the pope wold hardly be drawn therunto , supposing it to be dishonorable to the sea apostolic , in regard that the revocation of censures ought to be done at rome , and not sent to venice ; yet the cardinal alledging divers reasons to the contrary , the pope at last consented to give the cardinal ioyeuse commission to revoke the censures which he shold carry with him to venice , but on this condition , to do his best for the restauration of the iesuits , before he disannull'd the interdiction . he also , though with som difficulty , induc'd his holines to be pleas'd that the french ambassador resident at rome , and not he who lay at venice , shold in the french kings , and the signories name , crave of him the revocation of the censures in writing ; for the pope told him that the spanish ambassador resident at venice had crav'd it in the name of his master and the republic ; in a word , the pope granted all his demands , only he seem'd unwilling to declare his intention to the consistory , saying , that he suppos'd he ought not to do it publiquely , because he had not yet acquainted the cardinalls herwith ; neverthelesse he wold resolve upon 't , and the next day in the consistory wold impart it to som particular cardinalls , and the same afternoon call one after another into his chamber , to take their suffrages in secret : according to this resolution , the pope having in the consistory declar'd his intent to som particular cardinalls ; he did the same afternoon call the rest into his chamber , secretly to take their opinions , and in that businesse spent the whole week . the spaniards being not well pleas'd , that they were not sought unto in this businesse , and desirous to frustrate the matter , divulg'd certain rumors contrary to the popes will and meaning , and among others , a cunning letter was written by don francisco de castro , wherin he certified the pope , that if he stood first for restoring the iesuits , he was likely to obtain , it and that the republic determin'd to make a protestation , by surrendring the prisoners contrary to that which had bin concluded , and which his holines had promis'd to himself : these false rumors distracted the pope , who therupon made som difficulty to proceed further ; but cardinall perron solliciting him , and assuring him of the contrary , he deliver'd , according to his former resolution , the commission to cardinall ioyeuse , willing him to make hast to venice . the spaniards being not able to crosse this resolution , made sute to have card●…nall zapata joyn'd in commission with cardinall ioyeuse , but their labour in that point was lost ; and yet in other solemnities zapata and the spanish ambassadour had in appearance som intelligence with the french ministers ; because in the kings name they were sureties for the signory , as were cardinall ioyeuse and the french ambassador for his christian majesty ; yet the world accounted it but a vain and idle fable , for they had no such authority from the republic , as had the french , who executed their commission to their kings advantage and honor . cardinall ioyeuse with the commission receav'd from his holines containing the conditions wheron the censures were to be revok'd , being in nomber six , goes on his journey : the conditions were to this effect , . that the two churchmen prisoners , namely the abbot of nerveze , and the chanon of vicenza , shold be freely given to the pope . . that his holines shold revoke his censures , making a declaration therof to the colledge . . that the venetian signory shold within a while after send an ambassage to the pope : that the venetian duke by a declaration shold certifie the clergy under the state , that the first declaration is revok'd : that the three decrees mention'd in the popes inderdiction , and other laws of the signory shold continue in their full force and power , with this proviso , that the senat shall promise the french and catholic king , not to execute them till the businesse be fully concluded 'twixt his holines and the signory , having first more amply inform'd the pope of the justice and equity of those laws : lastly , that all churchmen and religious orders which are banish'd and expuls'd from venice , or the jurisdiction therof , by reason of these troubles , may return home to their houses and convents ; but concerning the return of the jesuits , his holines is contented to defer it , till an ambassador from the signory hath treated particularly with him concerning that point , certifying him , that their expulsion proceeds from certain causes and reasons which have no community with the interdiction , and if it shall be found otherwise , then to admit their restauration , as well as of other ecclesiastiques . now cardinall ioyeuse departed from rome with his commission , and the articles aforesayed and arriv'd at venice , wher he was extraordinarily entertain'd , many senators going to meet him in the bucentaure ; the next day one of the states secretaries accompanied with the captain and other officers of the prison were sent to him ; and for the greater solemnity , with a public notary , brought the two prisoners to the house of monsieur du fresne ambassador for the french king at venice , and deliver'd them unto him , as granted to the pope at the instance of the king his master , without prejudice to the states jurisdiction in such cases , and the french ambassadour did presently consign them to the hands of cardinall ioyeuse , who was in the same house in the presence of the secretary , with these words , these are the prisoners which the signory hath granted to his holines , not adding at whose entreaty , and so the cardinall receav'd them as his proper prisoners , wherunto the secretary at that time made no reply ; in this manner , by this omission on the one part , and silence on the other , it seemed that som did not well understand what remain'd betwixt the pope and the signory . the next morning the cardinall came to the colledge , and after som circumstances of the popes fatherly goodnesse , he assur'd them that the censures were revok'd ; so having given them his benediction , he went to celebrat the masse in the patriarks church ; the dukes first declaration was revok'd also in this manner . leonardo donato , by the grace of god , duke of venice , &c. to the reverend patriarks , archbishops , and bishops of our state and jurisdiction of venice , and to the vicars , abbots , priors , rectors of parish churches , and all other ecclesiasticall peeple , greeting . seeing it hath pleas'd our good god to find out a way wherby our holy father pope paul the v. hath bin duly inform'd , as well of our good meaning , as of the integrity of our actions , and continuall honor and reverence which we bear to the see of rome , and thereby to take away all cause of strife , we , as we have ever desir'd and procur'd unity and good correspondence with the sayed see , of which we are loving and obedient children , do receave likewise this contentation , to have at last obtain'd the accomplishment of our holy desire ; therfore we thought good by our declaration to advertise you herof , giving you besides to understand , that whatsoever did belong herunto , hath bin faithfully perform'd on both parts , and the censures and interdiction remov'd ; the protestation likewise we made against them , hath bin , and is revok'd ; we being desirous , that herin , as well as in all other our actions , the piety and religion of our state may still more and more appear , which we will carefully observe as our predecessors have ever done . given in our ducall palace the . of aprill . sign'd , marco ottobon secretary . the duke having publish'd this declaration , the senat was not a little perplext with a doubt of no mean consequence , which was , that the pope for his part having made no mention at all concerning books and writings publish'd in the behalf of the sayed decrees , nor of the authors of the sayed books , which were two very important points , and which did threaten ●… breach of the whole reconcilement ; the state doubting that the pope by this silence and omission had an intent to proceed afterwards against the authors of the sayed books , by the ordinary way of ecclesiastical justice , and thinking it dishonorable to abandon those that had done them so good and faithfull service , after mature consultation , the senat made a very notable and honorable decree , that the signory shold protect them against all dangers , and assign them a perpetuall pension . a particular narratif of the notable contestation 'twixt paulus quintus , and the republic of venice , . &c. now , in regard that ev'ry corner of christendome did ring aloud , and sounds yet to this day of that high contestation 'twixt pope paulus quintus and the republic , i shall spend a little more oil and labour to acquaint the judicious reader with the circumstances therof . paulus quintus having ascended to the pontificat , the bent of all his consultations were to advance the priviledges of the church , and mortifie the presumption , ( those were his words ) of such secular princes and states that seem'd to bandy against them , specially of the signory of venice ; wherupon he employed thither in quality of nuncio , horatio ma●…hei bishop of g●…erace , a man so fervent in this cause , that in full assembly he told the duke of venice , that almes and other works of piety , the frequenting of the sacraments , with all other good and christian actions , ad nihilum valent ultra , were nothing available , if men did not favour the ecclesiasticall jurisdiction : in privat communication he also sayed , that he had heard the piety of the city of venice often and amply magnified , yet he himself could perceave but little , considering that christian perfection doth not consist in deeds of charity and devotion , as much as in exalting the ecclesiasticall authority , which is the true c●…ment of that perfection . ther happen'd a little difference betwixt paul the v. and the republic of luca at this time , who in regard that many of her citizens having chang'd their rel●…gion , had retir'd themselfs to protestant countreys , she publish'd an edict by which all her subjects were forbidden to have comerce , or to correspond any way with such persons : this ed●…ct being come to the pope , he highly approv'd of the law , but he sayed , that the state of luca had no authority to make any such ordinance of her self , because it concern'd religion ; therfore he commanded that the sayed edict shold be raz'd out of the records , promising to form another which shold be the same in substance , but to be publish'd by his pontificall authority . ther happen'd about this time another clash 'twixt him and the republic of genoa , who being inform'd that the governors of certain lay-fraternities , instituted by devotion , had not dispens'd the revenu with requisit fidelity , she resolv'd to examin their accounts , to which effects the books were commanded to be brought before the duke ; but this was not well accepted by paul the v. therfore he gave the republic of genoa to understand , that these proceedings were against the liberty ecclesiastical , so he expresly enjoyn'd them to revoke their edicts , otherwise he wold proceed to the censure of excommunication : both these states complied with the pope , but the state of venice was more stiff-neck'd , and constant in the maintenance of her decrees . the first cloud of discontent 'twixt this pope and the venetians appeard , when he having solicited the republic for a contribution of summs of money to aid the emperor in the warrs of hungary against the turk , he receav'd from her a complementall deniall : he afterwards propos'd the revocation of an ordinance made by the senat a little before , forbidding the subjects of the signory to set forth any vessells by sea , or to make any assurances or companies for the traffic of any merchandize whatsoever , to be exported out of the state of venice into any other countreys , unlesse it pass'd first by venice , alledging that this wold hinder the commerce in the state of the church and was against the ecclesiasticall liberty . the republic answer'd herunto , that ev'ry prince commands his subjects , in that which may serve for the commodity of his own estate , without considering what may follow therupon to neighbour princes , who cannot justly be therwith offended , howsoever they may be in some sort incommoded ; therfore whensoever his holines shall command his subjects any thing which may turn to the profit of his government , the state wold not take it in ill part , nor esteem it against their liberty . the pope perceaving by this essay that he could not compasse his ends , these differences being not within the bounds of things spirituall , and finding that his desires were so little prevalent with the venetian , thought to be quit with him som other way , and an opportunity was offer'd a little after ; touching one scipio sarraceno canon of vicenza , and upon the complaint of a young gentlewoman his cosen , whose doore and ring therof ( which is a common kind of revenge in italy ) he had besmear'd with excrements , and don her som other wrongs ; she herupon complain'd to the senat , who therupon cited and imprison'd the canon ; complaints herof being made to the pope , the republic answer'd , that the just title and authority which she hath to judge ecclesiasticall persons in causes criminall , were founded on the power of a naturall prince , and on custom , never interrupted by the space of a thousand years and upwards , which hath bin approv'd of by the popes breve's themselfs , yet extant in the public archives . this being deliver'd by the venetian ambassador to pope paul , he receav'd it with som impatience , saying , that the reasons alledg'd were frivolous , that to judge of an affair , it was to no purpose to ground it upon custom , which is often so much the worse as it is ancient ; and for the breve's , ther were no other archive of the papall breve's but at rome ; that those which they pretended for their justification were but wast papers , &c. to this occasion ther was superadded another , which was the imprisoning of count brandolin valdemanno abbot of nervese , as was formerly mention'd ; the pope sent order , that both the sayed count & canon shold be releas'd , but the senat pass'd it over with a complement ; the pope also excepted at that decree in venice , that none shold erect either church or chappell without the permission of the senat ; he adjoyn'd further , that the republic retain'd in her hands five hundred thousand crowns of ecclesiasticall legacies ; charging , that in all these particulars she shold give him satisfaction ; answer was made , that god had not given to popes any greater authority in the government of their estates , then to other princes , who by the law of nature have all power which is necessary , and as it appertain'd not to the venetians to govern the state of the church , no more doth it belong to ecclesiastics to govern the state of venice ; and wheras it was alledg'd , that the republic had reserv'd such a portion of legacies ecclesiasticall , it was a meer suggestion , and if his holines wold give credit to ev'ry such calumny , differences wold grow infinit . here the pope stayed , saying , that touching the legacies he wold say no more ; but he wold reduce all the differences to three heads , viz. . to the decree touching building of churches . . to another decree against the aliening of laymens possessions to ecclesiastics . . to the wrong imprisonment of the canon and the abbot aforesayed . in all these he expected to be obey'd , otherwise he wold apply such remedies as the nature of things requir'd . about this time genoa publish'd a manifesto , by revoking a decree which the pope had excepted against ▪ he made use herof for an example , to make the venetians conformable to his will , using these words , sequimini paenitentes , follow the penitent ; answer was made , that ther was not the same reason for the republic of venice , seeing she had not seven cardinalls her citizens , as genoa had , to mediat for her upon all occasions with his holines ; that the decrees of the senat were the main pillars of the republic ; that they were well known to his predecessors , who , before their election to the papacy had lived at venice in quality either of confessors , inquisitors or nuntio's , and that after their promotion they never question'd them . this gave no satisfaction at all to the pope , therfore he sayed he wold send a breve hortatory to the republic , concerning the three points before mention'd , and if he were not obey'd by such a time , he wold proceed further ; for he must not suffer the authority of the church to decline , but according to his office , he wold vindicat and uphold it to his utmost , and to which end he had legions of angells for his aid , and assistance , &c. herupon he seal'd and sent two breves a little after to his nuntio in venice , with charge to present them accordingly ; they were address'd marino grimani duci , & reipublicae venetorum . after this he call'd a consistory , wherin he declar'd how the state of venice had violated the ecclesiasticall liberty , by publishing two laws prejudiciall therunto , and by detaining in prison two persons of the church , &c. the cardinalls were very sparing to deliver their opinions herin , and when it came to bellarmin to speak , he sayed , that his holines shold rather think on the residence of prelats in their churches . the venetian senat thought good to send an ambassador expressely for this purpose ; and to shew their high respects to the apostolic see , they made choice of the lord leonardo donato an ancient senator of the wide sleeve , who was afterwards duke . the nuntio in venice having receav'd the breves but the next day after , the embassador extraordinary stayed the presentation therof , and sent advice by an expresse of the choice of the sayed ambassador ; the pope was not well pleas'd when he heard of this , that the nuntio shold presume to interpose his own judgment after his ordinance ; therfore he dispatch'd unto venice an expresse courier with a mandamus to the nuntio , to present the sayed breves immediatly after the receit of his letter , & that this might be conceal'd from the ordinary ambassador of venice , then resident at rome , he caus'd the courier to go out in a coach without boots , and so take horse at the second stage . the nuntio having receav'd this command on christmas eve , that he might punctually obey his holines , did present that solemn high festivall day the sayed breves unto the senators assembled to assist at a solemn masse , in the absence of the duke grimani , who was then strugling with the pangs of death , and expir'd the morning after , so that the breves were not open'd till the creation of a new duke . the pope having advice herof , writ to his nuntio to make a protest unto the senat , and enjoyn them not to passe to a new election , in regard it wold prove void , being made by men excommunicated ; the nuntio pressing for audience herupon , was delayed , in regard it hath ever bin the custom of the signory to treat of no businesse of state during the vacancy . duke grimani being buried , they fell to ballotation for another , nor according to the constitutions of the republic , can they fall to the election of another , till the former duke be under ground ; so it fell to the lot of leonardo donato to be chosen : all ambassadors went to congratulat the new prince except the nuntio ; yet did the prince write unto the pope as the custom is , to give him advice of his election . pope paul herupon , though it was beyond the expectation of divers , did receave this letter from the new doge by the hands of the ordinary venetian ambassador then sojourning at rome , and return'd a congratulatory amswer therof , revoking the order formerly sent to the nuntio of presenting himself to the duke . the first affair that was agitated in the senat after this new election was this difference with the pope , and pietro duodo knight , was nominated ambassador for rome instead of donato ; the breves were open'd , and they were both of the same substance , viz. that it was com to his knowing , how the republic in former years had determin'd in her councells many things contrary to ecclesiastic liberty , and to the canons , councells , and constitutions pontificall ; but among others , that in the year . she had in the decemvirat , having regard to certain laws of their ancestors , who had forbidden to erect churches or other places without permission , instead of nulling the old ordinances touching this matter , she had reviv'd the same , extending that statute which only concern'd the city of venice , to all other places of their dominions under great penalties , as if churches and persons ecclesiasticall were in any sort subject to the secular jurisdiction , or he who foundeth a church were worthy of so rude a chastisement , as if he had committed som great crime ; moreover , that in the moneth of may last , the senat having regard to another law made in the year . wherby was prohibited the perpetuall alienation of lay-mens possessions within the city and signory of venice to ecclesiasticall persons , without permission of the senat under certain penalties , instead of revoking that law , as their duty requir'd , they had renew'd it , and extended the penalty to all their dominions , as if it were lawfull for temporal princes to ordain any thing for the exercising of any jurisdiction , or to dispose in any sort without the ecclesiastics , and particularly of the pope , of the goods of the church , specially of such goods as have bin given to the church , of persons spirituall , and other places of devotion granted by the faithfull for remedy of their sins , and discharge of their consciences : that these ordinances tending to the damnation of souls , to public scandalls , and also contrary to the ecclesiasticall liberty , were of themselfs void and of no validity , as furthermore he declar'd them to be such , no man being oblig'd to observe them ; on the contrary , that they who had made the statutes , or any like , or they who had further'd them , had incurr'd the churches censures , and depriv'd themselfs of all such possessions as they held of the church , as also their estates and demains were subject to other penalties , in such sort , that they could not be absolv'd , unlesse they revok'd all such laws , and re-establish'd all things in their former estate : that therupon being plac'd in the soveraign throne , and not being able to dissemble or indure these things , he admonish'd the republic to consider well the danger wherinto they had cast their souls upon this occasion , and to seek remedy betimes , otherwise in case of contumacy he commanded under pain of excommunication latae sententiae , that the afore sayed lawes ancient and modern shold be abrogated ; that this monitory shold be publish'd in all places throughout the republic , expecting from them an account herof , if not , upon notice had from his nuntio , he wold proceed to execution of the penalties , and to such other remedies that were meet , remembring the reckoning that he was to give to god at the day of judgment , and that he could not in duty dissemble when the authority of the see apostolic was diminish'd , ecclesiasticall liberty trod under foot , the holy canons neglected , the right of the church and clergy violated ; of all which the charge lay upon him , affirming that he was not induc'd hereunto for any worldly consideration , for he desir'd nothing els but the glory to acquit himself of his apostolicall function ; and as he intended not to usurp anything upon the secular authority , so he wold not permit the ecclesiastic shold be diminish'd ; he concluded , that if the republic wold conform , they wold deliver him from much pain which he endur'd in their behalf , and they might still retain the lands which they held of the church : that the best means wherby she might prevent the incommodities that might fall upon her from infidells , were to conserve the church-men in their rights , who watch in perpetuall prayers to god for her conservation . the senat with much maturity ponder'd these breves , and therupon sent to confer with their learnedst counsellors in the civill lawes , amongst whom they admitted paul of venice , of the order of the servites , an eminent divine and canonist , with other padouan doctors , to consult what answer they shold return the pope . the republic also sent to consult other doctors , themost renowned of europe for sound knowledge , as henry the viii . of england , had don touching the legality of a divorce with katherine of aragon . having receav'd the judgments of the learnedst men in france and spain , specially of giacomo monochio president of milan , a man much cried up in those daies for learning , the senat fram'd the answer to the popes monitory , as followeth . that with much grief and wonder they understood by the letters of his holines , that their laws observ'd carefully through so many ages , and never question'd by any of his predecessors , the revokement wherof wold shake the very foundations of the republic , were reprehended as contrary to the see apostolic , and that they which made them ( having bin persons eminent for merit , and well deserving of that see , who are now in heaven ) were noted for violaters of ecclesiastic liberty ; that according to the admonition of his holines , they had examined with much exactnesse their laws old and new , but had not found anything which a soveraign prince might not have well ordain'd without any just offence to the popes authority , it being a thing evidently belonging to a secular prince , to have regard what companies are erected in h●…s dominions ; as also to prevent the building of such edifices as in time to com might be hurtfull to the public safety ; and though their state abounds with churches , and places of piety as much as any other , yet when they saw it convenient , they never refus'd to permit new foundations themselfs contributing liberally therunto . that in the law against perpetuall alienation of lay goods unto ecclesiastics , the question being of things purely temporall , they could not be tax'd to have don any thing contrary to the canons or decrees ; that if the popes have power to forbid the clergy to alienat any goods of the church unto persons secular without leave , princes may do the same , and take order that the goods of seculars shall not be alienated to the clergy without permission ; nor do the ecclesiastics lose any thing bequeath'd unto them herby , seeing they receave a price answerable in value , to the immoveable adjoyning ; that it tends to the great prejudice , not only of the temporall state , but also of the spirituall to weaken the forces of the republic , which by such alienations is depriv'd of necessary services , and which in effect is a vangard or fortresse for all christendom against infidels : that for these reasons the senat could not perswade themselfs to have incurr'd any censures , since secular princes have by divine law , from which no human law may derogat , a power to establish laws in things temporall ; as also that the admonitions of his holines have here no place , wher the question is not of any thing spirituall , or any way trenching upon the pap●…ll authority , much lesse yet could they beleeve , that his holines , so ful of piety and religion , wold persist without knowledge of the cause in his comminations . this was the substance of the senat 's answer , remitting themselfs further to their ambassador extraordinary . ther happen'd a businesse in savoy about this time , which might have scatr'd the venetian , being much of the same nature ; for pope paul hahaving notice that the duke of savoy had commanded the bishop of fossano to depart out of his dominions , the pope being incens'd therat , did so menace the duke with excommunication , that he revok'd his commandement . the senats letter being deliver'd to the pope by nani the venetian ambassador in ordinary , to prepare the way for duodo the extraordinary ; he sayed , being a little transported , that monitory breve's must not be answer'd by letter , and that the answers of the senat were frivolous ; he added that lately he had heard of another law touching goods ecclesiastic holden as emphyteutike , which was fit to be revok'd with the other , and although he had not till then made any mention of it , yet he had more to say against it then any other , therfore it behov'd them to obey him , because the cause was gods , et portae inferi non praevalebunt contra eam ; and if they wold not revoke the sayed lawes , they were tyrants , and degenerating from their ancestors , &c. a little after he sent another breve to be deliver'd the duke , for the release of the canon and the abbot under pain of excommunication , latae sententiae , which he commanded shold be deliver'd into the hands of his nuntio , &c. the senat consulted the doctors again about this breve , whereupon after some eventilations of the matters , this answer was sent : that the breve of his holines was read with much reverence , and no lesse regret , as perceaving therby that matters tended to encrease discord , that his holines went about to destroy the laws of their republic , which so many ages had bin kept entire ; to deliver up the canon and abbot , was nothing els but to demand that they shold despoile themselfs of their just power to chastise crimes and wickednes , which power they had enjoy'd with the approbation of his predecessors , from the originall of the republic : that god the founder of all states had bestow'd this power upon them from the beginning , and that they did derive it from their progenitors , &c. duodo the extraordinary ambassador made no great hast to rome , wherat the pope receav'd offence ; being arriv'd ther at last , he was not suffer'd to passe his first audience with complement as the custom is , but the pope wish'd him to fall to the businesse presently ; so he deliver'd with much gravity and pressing elocution the reasons that mov'd the republic not to revoke those laws , and to detain the persons of the sayed churchmen . the pope answer'd with som heat , that the exemption of the clergy was iure divino ; he sayed , that he wold not meddle with things temporall , but their three aforssayed laws were usurpations . as the pope had formerly acquainted most princes with these traverses 'twixt him and venice in a complaining way , so the senat sent unto the republics ambassadors abroad , that they shold truly inform those princes in whose courts they resided , of the truth of things ; in venice ther were at that time ambassadors from the emperour , france and spain , to whom the businesse was communicated by some of the senators ; the imperiall ambassador sayed , that his master desired peace , and that in such matters he wold not foment the will of the pope . the count of santa cruz who was for spain , approv'd of the reasons already alledg'd in rome for the republic ; mons du fresne the french ambassador answer'd , that he knew not what to make of those pontificall laws , whereby princes are restrain'd to govern their subjects , &c. pope paul was still eager in the businesse , telling the venetian ambassador that ther were none in the senat that understood rightly the case , which made them have recourse to doctors , but that he had written to such persons as were able to set their doctors at school , concluding that he wold proceed with his spirituall arms in this matter , but touching other things , he wold still account of the venetians , as of his children . herupon a consistory was call'd , and most of the cardinalls ran bias with the pope , except the cardinalls of verona and vicenza , who were more moderat ; examples against hen. ii. king of england , the king of castile , and against the kings charles , ii. iv. were produc'd , who underwent the spirituall censures in like cases ; so he resolv'd upon an interdiction , yet he wold give the senat twenty four daies of longer time to consider herof , wherunto the cardinalls gave their suffrages , but a libell was cast up and down the streets of venice , that the consistory herin was brought to assentari , not assentiri . a little while after the interdict was affix'd in the accustomed places of the city of rome , and scatter'd ev'ry wher , som in latin , som in italian , wherin after recapitulation of those decrees in venice , and the imprisonment of the foresayed church-men , the pope declar'd that after the example of ten of his predecessors , with the councell and consent of the cardinalls , after mature deliberation , though the former sayed decrees of the senat were of themselfs void , and of no validity , neverthelesse he now declar'd them to be such ; therfore he did excommunicat , declare and pronounce for excommunicated , as if they had bin particularly nam'd , the duke and senat of venice which then were , and which shold be herafter together with all their favourers , promoters and councellors , if within the term of twenty four daies to be counted from the day of the publication , the duke and senat did not recall , abrogat and disanull the decrees aforesayed without any exception or excuse , and if they caus'd not openly and in all places the sayed abrogation to be publish'd , as also actually to render into the hands of his nuntio the imprison'd canon and abbot . that from this excommunication they could not be absolv'd but by the pope , except it were upon the point of death , in which case if any one receav'd absolution and shold afterwards recover health , he shold fall again within this excommunication , if he did not as far as in him lay obey this his commandment ; that untill they had obey'd , he forbad any one to be buried in holy place ; and if after the sayed twenty four daies , the duke and senat shold continue in their obstinacy , he put all their state under the interdict , in such sort , that none shold celebrat masse or divine service ; he depriv'd the duke and senat likewise of all their goods which they held of the church of rome , or of other churches , as also of all their priviledges and indults obtain'd by it , and specially of that priviledge inabling them to proceed against clerks in certain cases , reserving to himself and his successors a power to aggravat and re-aggravat this censure against them and their adherents , &c. the public ministers of state who were than resident at rome , made instances to the pope to retard a while this interdict : the marquis of chastillon who was for the emperor , d' alincourt who was for the french king , the count of verriie who was for savoy , but his holines was inflexible , saying , he wold bring the offendors to obey ; wherupon the savoy ambassador replied , that the word obey was too harsh to be us'd towards a soveraign prince ; yet after the publication of the sayed interdict , the sayed ambassadors gave a solemn visit to the venetian ambassadors , and communicated unto them what they had don with the pope in the transaction of affairs . the publication of this interdict being flown to venice , it was order'd by the senat , that ev'ry one shold have recours to his prayers ; it was resolv'd upon to recall the ambassador extraordinary from rome , to testifie the resentment they had of the wrong , but to leave the leger ambassador ther still , to prevent an absolut rupture ; it was also determin'd to write to gregorio iustiniano then ambassador in england , that he shold inform the king herof : sir henry wootton ambassador at that time in venice , complain'd that the senat had communicated these things to other forren ministers before him , but for the pretensions of the pope , he sayed , he could not understand that roman theology , &c. ther was public command given to all prelats and ecclesiasticall persons , that they shold not publish , or cause and suffer to be publish'd or affix'd in any place whatsoever , any bulls , monitories , breves , or other writings which shold be sent unto them from rome : furthermore proclamation was made under pain of incurring the displeasure of the prince , that whosoever had any copy of a certain breve divulg'd at rome touching the republic , he shold bring it to the magistrats at venice , or to governers of castles and other officers of the state. hereupon all peeple did so cheerfully obey this command , that 't was a marvailous thing to see how many had bin imprinted and scatter'd ; neither was any one of them affix'd in any place , by reason of the generall diligence of the peeple . duodo the ambassador extraordinary at rome , having receav'd order for his revocation , went to take his leave of pope paul , telling him , that since his holines wold not take into consideration the reasons by him represented , and having no more to say or act , he was recall'd : the pope answer'd with more mildnesse than ordinary , that touching the difference , he had don nothing but what his conscience and duty oblig'd him to do , that the case was cleer and decided , that in the whole order of his proceedings he had follow'd the example of his predecessors , that his weapons in this quarrell were spirituall , the use wherof accorded well with that fatherly love which he had ever born to the signory , requiring only such obedience as the greatest princes render him . the popes nuntio at venice after th●…s interdict was observ'd to frequent the colledg of the iesuits wher were possevino , and bernardin castorio men eminently known , the first had don great things in moscovia , the other had bin provinciall of the jesuits when they were expell'd out of lions , with divers others of note . the sayed nuntio came som daies after to the senat , wher first shewing a resentment of what had pass'd , he sayed that they ought not to proceed towards his holines with such a repugnance , that the pope was mov'd by pure zeal , and that yet , if they yeelded a little , all things might be accommoded ; to which effect he desir'd that his serenity wold think upon a temperament , that for his part he was not most ready to present and favour it . the duke answer'd that none of sound understanding could approve that a republic so pious and catholic shold be vex'd in such a fashion , and that the actions of the pope could not be justified ; that he had publish'd a monitory which ev'ry one held injust without scruple , that he fell upon so weighty a resolution , without weighing before hand how the world is govern'd ; that his holines could not have don an act more perillous to cast the apostolic see upon the censure and hatred of all peeple , and into a manifest danger , that if the republic shold think upon a separation , it wold be follow'd with an irreparable losse ; but though the republic wold not depart from her piety , yet wold she defend her self ; that for his particular ( meaning the nuntio ) he did well to perswade peace , but he shold turn his speech to the pope who troubled it . eight daies after the nuntio had audience again , wherin speaking much of the popes prudence , he shew'd a displeasure , that he saw no appearance of a temperament , concluding , that the senat shold take heed , lest while they desir'd to support a particular law , they might draw on themselfs universall ruine ; wherunto the duke answer'd , that he ought not to speak of prudence in the pope , who had us'd so much precipitation , and that he shold do well to set before his eyes the imminent danger which may follow herupon , and tell him that these councells came from a man old in affairs of state , as well as years . the pope hearing of the proclamation against his monitory , & how the pulse of the venetians did beat , who shew'd themselfs so obedient to the senat , and so forward to uphold their liberty , he thought his nuntio could not stay in venice any longer with his honor ; therfore he sent him letters of revocation , and dismis'd from rome nani the republiques ambassador , charging him expresly not to leave behind him any of his company : yet he desir'd to see him before he went provided , if he came unto him in quality of a privat man ▪ nani made answer , that he could not tell how to separat from his person the title of ambassador ; so he left rome , being well accompanied out of town with roman barons and gentlemen , but with few prelats ▪ the next morning , the pope sent after him a colonell to accompany him throughout the state of the church , who o'retook him at gorligno . in venice the duke had caus'd a manifesto to be publish'd and affix'd at ev'ry door , that wheras he had receav'd advice of a publication made at rome of a certain breve fulminated against the senat and signory , he being oblig'd to have a care of the public tranquillity , and of the authority of a soveraign prince , did protest before god and all the world , that he had not omitted any means possible to make the pope capable of the most clear and strong reasons that were produc'd in behalf of the republic , but having found his ears shut , and seen the breve publish'd against reason and justice , against the doctrines of holy scriptures , of the fathers , and canons in prejudice of the secular authority given by god , and of the liberty of the state , with the trouble of the repose of his subjects , and to the great scandall of all the world , he did pronounce that breve not only injust , but meerly void and null , and so unlawfull , that he need not repute it needfull to have recours to such remedies , as in other occasions the republic , and many soveraign princes have us'd against such popes as out-pass'd their power , exhorting and injoying that the prelats continu in their accustomed cour●… in celebration of divine service , the republic being resolv'd to persever in the holy catholic faith , and in the reverence of the roman church , as they have done from the beginning . upon this interdict , the only ecclesiastics that went out of the republic , were the iesuits and capuchines , wherof the first was banish'd , the other dismiss'd , the rest did still officiat , alledging , that the difference 'twixt the see of rome , and the signory was not touching any point of the catholic faith. but at rome her self it was expected that the sayed interdict wold produce three effects : . that the religious wold al depart : . that the cities and peeple seeing themselfs depriv'd of church offices wold raise a sedition , and so force the senat to give the pope satisfaction : . that the nobility upon this occasion might be disordered , terrified , and divided among themselfs , but none of all these three effects hapned ; for the senat was greatly united in their resolutions , the city of venice and common peeple kept themselfs in wonderfull obedience : and this so generall a calm did not only proceed from the voluntary conformablenes of the peeple , but also from the providence of the senat , and diligence of the magistrat , who provided for all accidents ; besides , this great affair was conducted with so much prudence and dexterity , that no bloud of any man was shed for contempt or mutiny , which made the world to stand at a gaze , that so great a body and government shold be kept npright without any violence , execution , or the least shock given ; notwithstanding ther were many under practises us'd afterwards . the jesuits in ev'ry place wher they had taken footing , did put all irons in the fire , and fell a beating them to brand the republic of venice , insomuch that her ambassadors receav'd affronts in som places , as in poland and prague , but it was by privat persons , for which they had satisfaction from the emperour , and the king of poland ; for the signory was not so carelesse , but she sent a punctuall account of all these traverses 'twixt the pope and her ; genoa and savoy was also displeas'd with her , because both they had bin succumbent to the popes censures before , and submitted . among other princes , iustiniano the venetian ambassador residing then in london , had command to acquaint the king of england with his contrasto 'twixt the pope and the senat. king iames after he had very attentively heard the relation of the ambassador , shew'd how well he accepted that esteem , and highly commended the laws of the republic , adding , that he long'd to see the whole church of god reform'd , to which end , he much desir'd a free councell to determine so many controversies , which have no other cause but the usurpations of the roman bishops , in which desire , he thought the king of france and other princes wold joyn with him ; that perhaps god meant to produce this happines out of these troubles of the signory ; that he had sent word therof to pope clement , then when he was mov'd by him , the first time he came to the crown of england , to unite himself to the roman church , but he wold not hear any thing of a councell ; that this union was much to be desired , but clearly ther was no other means to effect it then by a generall councell ; he added moreover , that that ruine of the church proceeded from this , that the popes esteem'd themselfs as gods , and were so corrupted by flattery , that 't was no marvail they could give no ear to any reason , and if they proceeded oftentimes with such precipitation . the separated states of holland writ letters full of of affection unto the republie upon this occasion , offring her a supply of arms , ships , and victualls , if the case requir'd , with any other good office of friendship . all christian princes were sensible of this rupture 'twixt the pope and the republic , specially the roman catholikes , in whose courts the venetian ambassadors did refrain for a while , to go with the rest into their chappell 's after the accustomed manner . the duke of savoy did appear more against the republic then any other , not treating her ambassador as formerly , though he took hold of another occasion , because she had written to his children by the title of excellency not of highnesse . the republic apprehending som fears , that such a confederacy might be procur'd against her by pope paul the eight , as was by iulius the second , who carried fire in his hands ; she was very willing that matters might be reconcil'd by the mediation of other princes ▪ wherin mons. du fresne stir'd more vigorously then any other , by order from henry the iv. of france his master : the duke of mantoua also offer'd to com to venice in disguize , to know their intentions , and then passe to rome , of purpose to treat with the pope for an attonement . the senat took this as a very high respect , and sayed , that the republic who us'd to be accounted the right hand of rome , wold do nothing unworthy of her self ; and it was just , that he who had first offended shold repair the offence ; therfore it was fitting that the pope shold revoke his censures , and so open the way to a treaty ; for no wound can heal , till the inflammation be taken away . while this difference lasted 'twixt rome and venice , a certain writing was affix'd at vicenza , and other places , wherin the republic was exhorted to shake off the popes yoke , calling him antichrist ▪ &c. the senat was much mov'd herat , therfore they caus'd a rigorous ba●… to be publish'd , wherin they promis'd a large reward to him or them that shold discover the author of that infamous paper , giving charge that a diligent search shold be made after the authors ; but none being found , 't was thought to be an artifice of the jesuits , to induce the venetian therby , to com the sooner to an accord with the pope . the king of spain in these doubtfull traverses of things , writ a letter full of terms of reverence and complement unto the pope , that if need were , he wold joyn his temporall arms to maintain the spirituall arms of the church ; to which purpose , he had written both to his viceroy of naples , and governor of milan : upon the receit of this letter , ther were bonfires made at rome , and the flames of the fire flew upon the wings of fame all christendome over , which gave the republic such an alarm , that she began by land and sea to arm apace ; she was offer'd assistance if need were from som of the greek christians , that were subjects to the turk , as also from the reformed churches of france , but she wav'd both ; but it was thought that this letter of the spanish king , wherin he promis'd warlike succours to the pope , was not a thing really meant , but only to terrifie the republic , and bring her the sooner to an agreement ; which appear'd , in regard he had sent expresse commands to don innigo de cardenas his ambassador , residing in venice , to propound som overtures of treaty : wherupon he propos'd to the duke and the senat , that his catholic majesty affecting the conservation of peace , desir'd that the disgusts 'twixt his holines and the republic might cease , to which end he had commanded all his ministers to co-operat accordingly , and particularly had commanded him to pray the senat accordingly , &c. the duke much extolling the good inclinations of the catholic king , answer'd , that the republic could not do more then what they had done already , that it was more proper to begin with him who had bin the cause of all these broils , that it was not for them to open the way which had bin stopped up by others ; that the pope by dismissing their ambassador , and revoking his nuntio , had broken off all means of treaty , which could not be set on foot , unlesse the censures were taken off , with which the republic thought her self much injur'd . the ambassador replied , asking the duke , whether his serenity were content that he shold pray his holines in the name of the catholic king to take off his excommunication . the duke rejoyn'd , that it was necessary to remove the impediment , but that this shold be don by this means or that , by the free-will of the pope , or at the instance of another , it little imported for the substance of the thing , and that his majesty might do what pleas'd him . the ambassador answer'd , your serenity may well be content that the pope be entreated by your name ; the duke sayed , that for the repose of italy , if the catholic king were certain that the pope being thus mov'd wold do the thing , he wold not hold it any inconvenience to be so contented ; he sayed further , that neither himself nor the senat had given any occasion of disgust to the pope , if he had taken any of himself they could not help it , that in voluntary discontents ther is no other remedy then a voluntary acknowledgement , besides he desir'd him to consider , that the king his masters interest , and of all temporall princes besides , was involv'd in the cause of the republic . the french ambassador du fresne being then also in the senat , sayed , that the pope could not be induc'd to revoke the censures , unlesse ther were som assurance given what the republic wold do in point of correspondence , that it was needfull for her in some sort to submit , for no temporall prince could be disparag'd to yeeld unto his holines , it being a jus commune to humble ones self to the soveraign bishop . the duke answer'd , that it was necessary to apply the remedy to the part whence the evill proceeded , therfore since his christian majesty desir'd a pacification , it was meet that he shold make his addresse to the pope , &c. while these traverses happen'd at venice , the pope by the predominant advice of som cardinalls , and relying much upon the foresayed letter which the king of spain had written unto him , made a shew of arming , wherunto the conte de fuentes governor of milan was very forward , therfore it did not stand with the prudence of the republic to be idle . herupon she sent to her ambassadors abroad to acquaint the princes , wherwith they resided , to inform them accordingly ; she imparted the businesse likewise to those ambassadors that lay at venice , and among the rest to the english , who having thank'd the senat for this communication of affairs , he prayed their generosity and resolution to defend their honor , assuring them , that upon so important occasion , they shold have from his king all furtherance and aid , as well in good offices , as in arms and succours : he sayed further , that he had particular commandement from the king his master , to oblige him under the word of a king to a neer union with the signory , to assist her with councell and forces , as also to labour that all his friends shold do the same , not for any base ends or privat interest , or to foment division , or com into concurrence and opposition with any other prince , but specially for two reasons . first , for that acknowledging himself oblig'd to god for infinit favours receav'd from him , he thought it his duty to defend his cause , that is , to conserve the power which his divine majesty had establish'd upon earth : secondly , in regard of that bond of amity which he renew'd with the republic , &c. the main knot in the businesse was , whether upon a promise of the revokement of the ecclesiasticall censures by the pope , the signory wold also promise an abrogation of the foresayed decrees touching church-lands , which she could not be induc'd to do ; but somthing shold be don if a treaty were comenc'd , wherof the senat was thought incapable while they lay under the sayed censures . the french ambassador a few daies after came to the senat , where he made a long discours for an accord ; but he was advertis'd from rome , that the pope had receav'd som new offences from the signory , for hindring navigation into the places of the church , and for the eternall ban against the jesuits . wherunto the senat made answer , that touching that point of navigation it appertain'd to ev'ry good government to provide that the state may be well furnish'd with things necessary for her self , and provide that they be not carried away to others ; that in order to this , the republic had stayed all vessells at sea , wherin ther were provisions necessary for the state ; wherupon if the state ecclesiastic was in want , this was not their fault , but the order of human things so requir'd : concerning the jesuits , it was alledg'd , that they were not banish'd , but rather were gone away of themselfs , as refusing to obey the commandements sent unto them to continue divine service ; but after their departure , having notice of an infinit nomber of injuries , machinations and treasons contriv'd by them , the senat ordain'd , as justice requir'd , that they never more return . whilst these things were in agitation , the spaniards were like to have imbroil'd the signory in a war with the turk , in regard the marquis of santa cruz with a fleet of napolitan and sicilian gallies had sack'd and burnt durazzo , a town of the turks in albany ; som thought this was done of purpose to make the turk fall upon the venetian , and so impell him to make his addresse to the spaniard for aid ; therefore at constantinople the gran visier perceaving well the artifice of spain herein , and that the taking of durazzo had bin attempted to no other end , then to set them at odds with the signory ; letters were sent to the captain aga the admirall , that he shold still keep good union and intelligence with the venetian forces , to the domage of the pope and the spaniard . this year ther were divers libells , pasquills flew up and down in ev'ry corner of italy , some in favour of rome , som of venice : ther were also many books and tractats came forth on both sides . the doctrine of the venetian writers was , that god had establish'd two governments upon earth , the one spirituall , the other temporall , each of them being supreme , and independent one from the other : the one is the church regiment , the other the civill ; of the first he gave charge to his apostles and their successors ; of the temporall , the charge is put in the hands of secular princes , in such sort , that one may not intermeddle with that which appertains to either : therfore the pope hath no power to abrogat the laws of princes in civill matters , nor to deprive them of their estates , or free their subjects from their alleageance which they owe unto them ; that to depose kings , is a new thing never attempted but within these five hundred years , it is against the holy scriptures , the examples of christ and his saints : that to teach , that in case of conscience 'twixt the pope and a prince , 't is lawfull to poursue him with fraud and force , and that the subjects therby do obtain remission of sins , is a doctrine seditious and sacrilegious ; that church-men by divine law are not exempted from their secular power , neither in their persons or goods , whensoever his necessities constrain him to serve himself of them ; that the pope ought not to think himself infallible , unlesse wher god hath promis'd him his divine assistance , which must be understood only in the fundamentall points of faith ; that the authority of binding and loosing ought to be understood with this caution , clave non errante , seeing that god hath commanded the pastor to follow the merit and justice of the cause , and not his own inclination ; that when the pope thunders out any censures , it is for the doctors to consider whether they have proceeded clave errante aut non errante . that the new name of blind obedience , invented by ignatius loyola , is a psudodoxall tenet , &c. on the contrary , the doctrine of the roman writers or papalines , as they term'd them , was , that the civill power of princes is subordinat to the power ecclesiastic , and subject unto it ; therfore the pope hath authority to deprive princes of their estates and honors , for their faults and errors which they commit in government ; yea though they have committed no fault , when the pope shall judge it fit for the common good of the church ; that the pope may free subjects from obedience , and from their oath of fidelity which they owe the temporall prince , in which case they are to shake off all subjection , and even to poursue the prince if the pope command it ; som of the modester sort held that this authority did not reside in the pope , because christ gave him any temporall authority , but because this was necessary for the spirituall monarchy . divers tretises were imprinted and publish'd pro & con 'twixt the pope and the republic to this effect , and bellarmin was very busie in upholding s. peters chair , at last ther was a strict inhibition ther shold be no more writing on this point , so the treaty began to advance , wherin the french ambassador was very active , therefore he propos'd two things to the senat. the first was , that the duke and senat wold suspend the execution of the laws , and the protestation publish'd against the monitory of the pope , upon condition that his holines wold do the like to his censures for five moneths , during which time they might treat of the merit of the laws that were question'd . the second was , that the ecclesiastic prisoners might be rendred without prejudice to the cause of the republic ; that the religious gon out of venice by reason of the interdict might return ; he concluded that it was not the intention of his christian majesty that any thing shold be don against the dignity and justice of the signory , and if either of these proposalls were to her prejudice , he was content to let them passe in silence : he desir'd them further to consider , that it was necessary to give som apparent occasion to his holines to induce him to a retractation , because it was never heard that a pope had revok'd his bulls , excepting at the councell of constance . the senat did fall to deliberat of things with more maturity then was usual ; at last they resolv'd with one joynt consent to prefer the conservation of their liberty before all other respects , together with the authority of their laws : but for yeelding up the prisoners in gratification to his christian majesty , they thought this did not trench much upon their liberty , in regard it was a particular fact which drew not with it any consequence , that the like ought not to be don in time to come ; therefore the senat answer'd the ambassador , thanking his majesty for his mediation , & adjoyn'd , it was easie to perceave , wherat the designs of the pope aim'd , who seeing that the justice of the republic , for the merit & ground of the cause was known and confess'd by all , wold therfore find out som error in the form of proceeding , wherin the justice of the republic was so clear that it was manifest to all , and the errors of the pope so grosse , that they could not be excus'd : wherfore it was not consentaneous to reason , to correct the faults of another with their own detriment and dishonor , they added further , that these proceedings of the popes were of such pernicious consequence , that they might have hurl'd the whole signory into flames of civil combustions . the senat at last granted , that when the king shold be assured and have the firm word of the pope that he wold totally take away the censures , the two prisoners shold be render'd unto him , although they were guilty of foul crimes ; they wold also let fall their protestation , yet saving their public reasons , and their power to judge ecclesiastics when it shold be expedient for the state ; this was all the french ambassador could wring from the senat , wherof when the king was advertis'd , he writ a letter , wherin he thank'd them for their fair respects , in which letter he took occasion to renew the memory of the favour they did him to co opt him into the body of their nobility . after this don innigo de cardenas the spanish ambassador , earnestly sollicited the senat for an accommodation , but he could hardly prevail as much as the other : in the interim ther was a new kind of councell erected at rome , cal'd la congregation de guerra , the congregation of war , which consisted of fifteen cardinals , and this was don , to strike som apprehensions of fear into the signory . the senat inform'd the french and spanish ambassadors of this strange news from rome , touching a councel of war ; they also impa●…ed to the english ambassador , telling him , that he might now publish the declaration of the king his master , and think upon the succours he promis'd . cavalier ●…tton ( then ambassador ) testified very much contentment to do this office , affirming that it was to publish the glory of his king ; he pass'd further , and sayed , that ther were but three ways to compound this difference , either by yeelding , or referring the matter to princes , or by warr : he saw well the signory had no mind to the first , and if they resolv'd to make a reference to any , they could not make choice of any fitter then his king , who marvailously well understood how much it imported him to maintain the authority given by god to princes ; but if the matter shold come to arms , he prayed his serenity to consider , that though philosophie tells us the sun warms these inferior bodies , without heat in it self , yet in human things it is not so , but he that wold heat in his favour , must first be hot himself . the senat determin'd to signifie unto all princes the declaration of the king of great britain , wherin he call'd god to witnesse , ' that his resolution to defend the cause of the republic , had no other end but the service of god , and to conserve the liberty which god gave to all princes , not for any ill will that he carried to the pope , nor was he mov'd by the particular interest of the republic , but only so far , because he knew she defended a cause most just and acceptable to god , which the more he considered in his mind , so much the more was he confirm'd in her protection and defence , not finding any the least shadow of reason to relinquish her ; that he had already taken this resolution , and wold sustain it suddenly ; that he wold not do as the spaniard , who by a letter had fill'd the popes spirit with vanity to carry him into a precipice , but that he wold execut with courage and sincerity what he had promis'd : he consider'd also as a thing of great consequence , that the pope prepar'd himself for warr , and had to this effect erected that new congregation of men disaffected to the signory , and all dependents of spain : herunto he added , that he wold be as ready to perform his promise , as to publish his declaration , and wold besides procure som good offices from his brother the king of denmark , and other princes of germany his allies . the kings of france and england appearing so earnestly in this businesse , the emperour also did contribut his intercession ; the grand duke of florence likewise stir'd in it , yet nothing could be concluded to any purpose . therfore the spaniard begins to arm in the duchy of milan , to which end the count de fuentes had particular commission . the republic having intelligence herof , it did not stand with her wonted prudence and circumspection to stand idle ; wherfore to meet with all occasions that might occurr , she sent to padoua , verona , crema , bergamo and brescia five hundred thousand crowns , one hundred thousand for each city to prepare themselfs for all exigents : unto the old nine thousand six hundred footmen , and six hundred horse : to the one hundred & fifty albanian horse , she added six hundred italian foot , and one thousand albanians more under paolo ghini . order also was given to count francis ma●…tinengo to levy in the confines four thousand french soldiers , and six hundred cuirasses which she caus'd to be arm'd : to the three great gallies was adjoyn'd one other , and to the thirty eight light gallies they sent five more in the iles of the levant , and twelve more newly arm'd at venice . in candy also were arm'd twenty gallies , & nicola●… sagredo proveditor general by his prudence & dexterity , which was singular in managing of martial affairs , wrought in such sort , that all this was don at the expence of privat gentlemen ; so that ther were in all seventy five light gallies , & four great ones got together : divers of the french nobility made profer of their service to the republic , and the great turk seem'd to importune her to accept of his assistance : she utterly refus'd the last , and wav'd the first . the rumor of these preparations fill'd ev'ry corner of christendome , therfore the kings and princes who were already engag'd in quality of mediators 'twixt the pope and the republic , stir'd more nimbly in the businesse , specially the french , who to accelerat things , and do them with greater countenance , employed to that end the cardinall de ioyeuse in a splendid embassie both to rome and venice . in spain the duke of lerma complain'd to the english ambassadour for the proser of such assistance that his king had made to the republic , which had put her to stand higher a tiptoe against the holy father , and impeded the treaty , for she wold not shew her self so obstinat against him , if she were not so much incouraged by his king , because from france she could expect but words , or peradventure som troops hired with her own silver . the treaty began now to be poursued with som heat , and the cardinal de ioyeuse carried himself with such address , that he overcame all difficulties , and brought both parties to a conformity ; but the republic wold by no means part with her laws , or revoke her decrees formerly mention'd touching ecclesiastics , and her ban against the jesuits , she only deliver'd the foresayed count and canon to the french ambassadors hands , who deliver'd them afterwards to the nuntio ; so the quarrel ended , the thunder c●…as'd which had made such a noise , and cut the princes of christendom so much work to do : herupon letters of thanks were written to the kings of france and spain , but specially to the king of great britain , for his propensity and good intentions towards the republic : the cardinall ioyeuse had a present of . crowns value , and don francisco de castro had another of . who had bin sent from the king of spain expressely to compose these differences , which charge , in his first speech before the duke & senat , he sayed , that he had willingundertaken both in obedience to his catholic majesty , and for the particular affection he did bear unto so illustrious a signory , hoping easily to conclude a peace betwixt the holy father and his serenity , specially seeing he shold not meet with those three impediments that usually render all treaties difficult ; which are , first , the passion or extraordinary affection of him in whose name men treat , or of him who treateth : secondly , the inconvenience of the matter treated ; and thirdly , the incapacity or want of good will in the person with whom the treaty is . for touching the first , it was certain that the king his master was well-affected , and had no other aims but the common good ; that the greatnesse of the republic was advantagious unto him , as being the bullwark of christendome against the power of the turk ; and for his own person , he protested , that he was not com to use deceit or subtilty being noble by birth , and therfore oblig'd to tell truth above all things . touching the second , the point of treaty was for peace , a thing excellent in its own nature , and for an union with the see apostolic , a thing very profitable to the republic , all stories being full of the mutuall good offices which they have ever rendred one to the other , as on the contrary , their disunion must needs be pernicious to the republic ; for if their cause were injust it wold incense all princes against them , and though it were reasonable , yet was it not fit therfore to forget what reverence men shold owe to the soveraign bishop . touching the third , that the treaty was with a senat of great prudence , lovers of peace , enemies of novelty , who had bin authors alwaies of tranquillity in italy , not of troubles : he discours'd further of the domages of war , and the m●…schiefs of heresies , saying , that although the republic by her own strength and greatnesse could repell all sorts of violence , and was able to withstand sufficiently all that shold assault her , nerethelesse other succours not expected or desired wold , un●…all'd for , offer themselfs , and such as might be suspected hard to dismisse , &c. we will now take a little more pains then ordinary to acquaint the reader with the manner of that ban by which the jesuits were exterminated from the venetian dominions ; which was exactly as followeth . of the expulsion of the jesuits . the republic of venice having taken , as formerly was sayed , into their prudent and cautious consideration the multitude of religious orders , & the daily encrease of them up & down , & that almost half the revenues of the state was by that means got into the churches hands , perceaving also the multitude of monasteries , & that they were seated in such posts as might prove a hindrance to the public defence , being places fitter rather for fortresses then convents , considering also that ther were instituted already religious orders enough for the propagation and preservation of christian religion , and for directing them in the way to heaven ; and having upon these reasons pass'd those two decrees , the first wherof was , that no other order but what was already establish'd shold be admitted into the territories of the republic , and that none shold build any churches without the concession of the senat ; the second , that no person whatsoever shold give or leave any lands by way of legacy unto the church , but those lands shold be presented to the senat , who in lieu of those lands wold give the church a countervailable summe of money ▪ and annex the lands to the public demeans of the state , to prevent , least in tract of time the church might ingrosse all the staple possessions of the signory : the republic , i say , having pass'd these preventive edicts , the jesuits , who not long before had crept into the republic , began to stir and storm at these new decrees , conceaving that they were made directly against them , and their society ; wherupon they complain'd to the foresayed pope paulus quintus a borgheze , desiring his holines that he wold write to the senat to have these decrees revok'd , and abolish'd , as being destructive to the church , to piety , and charity in generall , as also to some particular orders of religious men , who subsisted by the secular charity ; which if it were thus restrain'd , wold be of exceeding ill consequence : herupon the pope writ to the senat ( as was sayed ) to recall their edicts ; they refuse it , he therupon interdicts and excommunicats the republic , commands all religious orders to come out from amongst them , and that none shold say masse , or officiat in any of their churches ; wherupon many departed . the senat herupon , to justifie and uphold what they had done , sent for all the religious orders , and commanded them , notwithstanding this interdiction , to officiat , and sing masse as formerly , otherwise they shold expect severity from the duke and senat : the jesuits , among others , were convented before the senat , who appearing , they were interrogated , if they wold continu to officiat and say masse notwithstanding this interdiction ; they answer'd , that they wold do their offices . the senat herupon not expecting any equivocation , dismiss'd them to their cells ; so they departed , and instead of officiating they did shut up their church doors , and refuse to say masse : herupon the senat sent for them again , and ask'd them whether they had not promis'd to officiat , and celebrat the masse ; they answer'd , we promis'd to do our office ; by which they meant to read so much ev'ry day in the roman breviary as was enjoyn'd them : the senat finding themselfs thus trifled withall , and affronted by these equivocations , presently dismiss'd them for the time , and falling to a serious consultation what to do , and weighing well the danger of their stay , took occasion forthwith to banish them , both from the city of venice , and out of all the rest of her dominions : this businesse was carried so closely , that within two daies after , in one and the same day and hour , they were exterminated out of ev'ry part of the republic to ferrara , and to other parts of the popes state. but the jesuits themselfs all this while , having not the least suspition or fear of such a rigid proceeding , they were surpriz'd upon a sudden ; and the decree executed upon them in this manner . at night som senators were appointed to go to the jesuits monastery ( which was done in other parts at the same houre ) where being com , they call for the rector to appear presently before them ; he in venice comes out half unready , he was demanded what nomber of jesuits ther was in the convent , which being known , they were also suddenly sent for , som were taken out of their beds , som without shoes or stockins , and generally all unprovided ; the senators demand strictly whether ther were any more of the order , they sayed ther were one or two who were in nature of cooks , and did other servile offices ; they were sent for also , and so the whole society standing thus before the senators , they acquainted them with the substance of the decree , viz. that forthwith , without returning any wher back , they must immediatly quit the city and republic ; the jesuits being astonish'd at the suddennesse of the thing ▪ desir'd they might have time to put their affairs in order ; 't was replied , no , they must away instantly ; for ther were boats ready for them : since ther was no remedy , they desir'd their books and papers , but it wold not be granted , nor leave to fetch their cloaths , but just as they stood they must pack thence ; which they did , being som of them half naked , and so they were transported to ferrara . afterwards ther were som appointed to peruse their papers , notes and books , wher many discoveries were made : the next day the senat met and confirm'd the former decree , wherunto was added this new clause , that if any prince d●…d mediat for them , before they shold enter into any consultation for an answer , the old decree shold be first solemnly read , and if it was to be put to the question , ther shold be an hundred of the hundred and twenty senators of the pregadi concur in their suffrages for them , els the determination shold be of no effect . immediatly herupon they sent a solemn embassie to the pope , to declare unto him the motives that induc'd the republic to such an extraordinary proceeding , hoping that he wold not prefer so upstart an order , before so ancient a daughter to the church of rome , &c. this high act of ost●…acisme for the expulsion of the jesuits , was not much displeasing to the venetian people , but men women and children sent these acclamations after them as they departed , andate , minte pigliate , & ma●… retornate ; go your waies , take nothing , and never return ; and a solemn suffrage pass'd afterwards in the senat , that none of what quality soever , not excepting the duke himself , shold for the future intercede for their re-admission , nor were the ●…est of the ecclesiastiques much sorry for their banishment ; for it is observ'd , that a kind of strangenesse and aversion appears betwixt other church-men and reclus'd orders , and this new society since their first establishment ; b●…t meer reason of state induc'd the venetians to shake them off , because they professe a stricter tie of obedience or slavery rather to another prince , which is the pope , to whom they do transmit , and make a kind of resignation of their bodies and minds ; they are to acknowledge him tanquam christum praesentem , & scripturam loquentem , as appears by loyola's letter to the fathers of portugal , wherin among other passages , he writes thus , we easily indure to be out-done by other orders , in fastings , watchings , and other hardnesses which they use in a holy manner , according to their institution , but in purity and perfection of obedience , i earnestly desire that we shold surpasse all the rest , with a true resignation of our own will to the holy father , and a deniall of our own judgment . this vow looks full upon another power , that under which they live , viz. the pope , to whom they commit both soul and body , and to be no more their own , not to beleeve their own sense , judgment or understanding , but to transfer all , and to submit themselfs totally to him , to go , com , do , say , execut upon all , and against all , whatsoever he shall command , according to the form of their vow , which is not improper to insert here , and runs as followeth ; as many as shall make profession in this society , let them not only know before they make it , but remember as long as they live , that all this society in generall , and more particularly those that are profess'd in it , serve god under a faithfull obedience to the most holy father the pope , and although we be taught by the gospell , and do know by the orthodox faith , and firmly hold that all the faithfull people of christ are subject to the pope of rome , as to the head and vicar of jesus christ , yet notwithstanding for the greater devotion to the obedience of the see apostolic , and the greater deniall of our own wills , and the more certain direction of the holy ghost , we have judg'd that it wold be very commodious that ev'ry one of us , and ev'ry one that shall herafter follow the same profession , besides the common tie of the three ordinary vows , be bound herunto by a more speciall vow , to wit , that whatsoever the present pope , and all others herafter for the time being , shall command for the good of souls , and the propagation of the faith , or into what countrey soever they shall please to send us , that we be bound to perform their pleasure immediatly , without any tergiversation or excuse for as much as lies in our power , whether they be aminded to send us against the turks , or other infidells whatsoever , yea though it be even unto those that are call'd indians , among heretics and scismatics , whosoever they be , or among christians ; and to the end that no ambition or refusall may take place amongst us , by occasion of these deputations and elections of provinces ; let ev'ry one know that he need not trouble himself about it , nor take thought for it , in as much as all the care therof must be left to god , and the pope as his vicar , and to the generall of the society . besides this generall astringing vow reflecting upon spirituall matters and missions , they have other tenets which are pernicious and destructive to the temporall jurisdiction of the prince , as emanuel sa , who was accounted one of the chiefest oracles of that order , hath it in his book entitled , aphorismi confessartorum , wherin after that he had studied the point forty years , as he professeth in his preface , he doth assert , that the rebellion of a clergie-man against the king is no treason , because he is no subject of his . they have another tenet , that subesse romano pontifici est de necessitate salutis , viz. that to be subordinate to the bishop of rome , is of the necessity of salvation ; besides , they hold that an error in points of faith is no other thing then an opinion held against the papall decision ; but the most dangerous of all is , that the pope can dispence with subjects from their alleageance to their prince , though lawfull and naturall . for these and other politicall considerations , the wise venetian did rid himself of the jesuit , fearing that in a short time this subtile society might prove to be respublica in republica ; nor since that day wold any intercede or stir for their re-admission , till this year . that the king of polands brother being of that order , hath made an overture of introduction in their behalf , with a profer of three hundred thousand crowns , which businesse is now in agitation . add herunto , that the jesuits being commonly incite●…s to warr , and paedagogs of arms ( as they call them ) they could not sute with the disposition of the venetian republic , who hath bin observ'd from her cradle to be more inclin'd to peace then war , therfore doth she give the shield for her arms , which is the embleme of defence , not of offence and assaults . antonio memmo was created next to leonardo donato duke of venice , who govern'd the republic about three years . giovanni bembo came after , in the beginning of whose principality the old controversie was reviv'd 'twixt the arch-dukes of austria , and the republic , touching their confines ; wherupon the vscocchi did much infest the seas ; so that the war grew hot with the arch-duke ferdinand ; the venetians march'd into friuli , with a considerable army , and seizing upon som towns upon the frontiers , beleager gradisca , ravaging the countrey up and down ; moscaniza afterwards was taken by the venetians ; the siege of gradisca being quitted , much hurt was given , and taken in croatia , istria and dalmatia , and the territories of friuli ; but afterwards the venetian army was disbanded by reason of the raging of the plague ; the castles of lucmi and z●…mini were taken by the venetian , but arch-duke ferdinand having got to be king of boheme , a treaty of peace was set on foot by the interposition of the kings of spain and france , but so many difficulties occur'd in the businesse , that no accord could take place ; therupon divers traverses of hostility pass'd between them afterwards ; then a truce was agreed upon , which brought with it a-little after a firme peace , upon the conclusion of which peace , duke bem●…o finish'd also his cours in this world . nicolao donato being nere upon fourscore years of age , was elected duke by the senat , the people not liking this choice , som sparkles of sedition began to appear , which by the sagacity of the senators were quickly quench'd : this duke liv'd but one moneth and a day , he was us'd to be much carried away with predictions , and to tamper with astrologers ; wherof one having pried into the horoscope of his nativity , and taken much pains to measure out his life , and foretell his destiny , he told him positively , that he shold die in carcere nobili , in a noble prison , meaning the dogeship or dukedom of venice , which is barricadoed with so many restrictions , specially , that the duke may not go out of the city of venice , without the knowledge and consent of the senat , &c. that it may truly be call'd no other then a noble prison , or golden cage , which made one say , when the senators were once so busie in their mysterious ballotations for creating a new duke , here 's a great deal of stir for setting up a head of wood ; alluding to the small latitude of power the duke hath . antonio priuli came to wear the ducal cap , and the coronet of venice next after nicolao donato ; in his time ther was a league struck betwixt the republic , and the states of holland ; to which purpose ther were splendid embassies sent by both parties ; but a little after this duke breath'd his last . francisco contareno then succeeded , at the beginning of whose government the republic made another league with the french king , and the duke of savoy ; both these leagues were made by the republic , of purpose to spite the spaniard , who had not long before set upon her skirts the duke of ossuna , being viceroy of naples , who wold pick a quarrell of purpose with her about the extent of her dominion in the adriatic gulph , which war put s. mark to spend much of his tresure for the time . a little after , ther happen'd a keen war about the valtoline , wherin the republic was interested , and stir'd nimbly in it , and good reason she had to do so against the house of austria . whilest the wars lasted 'twixt the republic and the duke of ossuna , she hi●…'d som men of war from england and holland ; the two thousand english , which were under the command of sir harry payton , complain'd about the conditions of their pay , which were not so good as those the hollander had : herupon a mutiny happen'd , and som of the english died by martiall law , but mr. herbert one of the chiefest of them was pardon'd , in regard he was allied to william then erl of pembroke , who interceded strongly for him , and had a great stroke with the venetian ambassador at that time resident in england . giovanni co●…relio was the next in succession to priuli . about these times ther was a notable and most rigid ( though mistaken ) piece of justice upon the person of a. foscarim , ●… noble venetian and senator of the wide sleeve , which is of the best rank , who had bin formerly employed ambassador in england , and other places for the republic : two pernicious malevolent fellows ▪ who it seems owed him a revenge , for som crosse office he had done them , did traduce , and accuse this gentleman upon oath , that he had had privat intelligence , and litterall correspondence with the spanish ambassador . now the republic of venice hath bin alwaies observ'd above all other states to be so cautio●…s of home conspiracies by a kind of exces of circumspection , that upon the least proof , the party suspected is dispatch'd to the other world , and never suffer'd to err twice in this kind : the sayed mischievous fellow being pertinacious in his accusation , this infortunat gentleman was condemn'd , and being drag'd to the place , was executed like a common malefactor betwixt the two columns in s. marks place , and sent on an embassie to the other world , though never to return : the year had hardly com about , that the sayed accusers were apprehended and imprison'd , condemn'd and executed for som flagitious crimes ; but as they were bidding a farewell to the world , they confess'd that they had wrongfully and most injustly accus'd the sayed noble gentleman : therupon his body was taken up and re-inter'd with extraordinary solemnity , and reparations made to his heir in a high measure ; besides , ther was a manifesto publish'd by the senat , for the vindication of his honor , and fidelity to the republic . ther was a casuall ill-favour'd clash happen'd 'twixt england and venice about these times , which was thus : england having a declar'd war then both against spain and france , sir kenelme digby had got letters of mart , or rather a commission royall , from the king against the french ; he steer'd his cours into the mediterranean , and arriv'd at algier , upon the coasts of barbary , wher being a cavalier of that lustre , and known to be a servant to his majesty of great britain , he was magnificently receav'd , so that he did many good offices for the english captiffs that were ther : thence he sail'd into the ar hipelago , and taking som prizes in the way , he turn'd the ships to men of war , so that he came to have a fleet of six vessels strong . after many encounters , he made at last towards the bay of scanderon ; he came first before cape congare , ten leagues distant from alexandretta , or scanderon , wh●…ch is counted the key of aleppo by sea , and wher he lay at hull all night : on the morrow he sent a boat to descry the road , and to bring back intelligence accordingly ; word was brought , that ther were before scanderon two venetian galeasses , with two other galeons , two english ships , and som french vessells , one of which had com in but the day before , being very rich , and having not as yet unladen any thing : sir kenelme spent all the night following surveyng the preparations for fight , and firing , in his severall ships , for that he expected a furious assault the next day from the venetian generall , who had declar'd himself protector of that road , and was reported to have given out , he wold sink all the english men of war he shold meet , either in the venetian or gran signor's seas ; sir kenelme understanding this , was not much daunted , but made towards the road , having prepar'd all things , and fitted his ships for defence , if need requir'd . the venetian generall having weigh'd anchor , hois'd up his sails , and directed his cours towards the english fleet , and being com within half a league , sir kenelme sent a satty to inform the venetians of his quality , and that he sail'd by vertu of his majesty of great britains royall commission , giving them assurance of all respect and friendship , and that the french were the only object of his attempts , for which he had sufficient warrant : he sent letters also to the two english vessells that were in the bay for their satisfaction , that his businesse was not to disturb their negotiations : but before this satty could go aboard to deliver the venetian generall this message , the admirall galeasse of the venetians discharg'd seven or eight shots , the first wherof lighting short was receav'd as a salute , and was answer'd with another piece from the english , but som of the rest hitting sir kenelmes ship , and seeing that ●…hey aim'd at his flag , he gave them three or four broad sides in a very short space , which did much hurt both to the venetian , and the french , who were joyn'd with them for protection : so they retir'd to a further distance , but the english ships poursued them , and played so well upon their galeons , that the men stow'd themselfs under hatches , and left their vessells to the fortune of the sea without guidance : the galeasses coming up then to their succour , receav'd also such a rude welcom , that they row'd away to shelter themselfs under the english ships that road in the bay , which was don purposely ; so the french were left alone , and som of their ships being lusty vessells , they came up close to sir kenelme , who directed his two lesse ships to deal with them ; but they being not able , the rere-admirall went to their succour , and so put the french to the worse . among the english ther were none hurt to death , but of the french and venetians it was reported ther were above eighty stain , of whom one was a commander of the land soldiers , whose losse was much lamented : this action of the english was question'd by the turks , because they had don hostility to his friends within the gran signor's road ; therfore by the subtilty of the venetian , and complaint of the french ; the bassa of aleppo , and cady of scanderon took hold of the occasion to take an avenia upon the english merchants , exacting from their consulls large summes . but landi the venetian ambassador then residing in london , made a high clamorous complaint against sir kenelme digby and his adherents , in a solemn audience before the king and councell of state ; aggravating the businesse to the very height , and aspersing sir kenelme , that such a man shold infringe the sacred peace , which was kept inviolably 'twixt the crown of england & s. mark so many ages , and never broken till then from the beginning of the world . but sir kenelme at his return justified all his proceedings , & prov'd that he had not contraven'd or transgress'd his commission any way . landi being shortly after to depart , and apprehending som danger from sir kenelme , the king commanded him to visit the sayed ambassador , and ( to save his honor ) to tell him that he had receav'd commandement from his majesty for so doing : sir kenelme accordingly perform'd this ceremony , which he had no sooner done , but the venetian ambassador came immediatly ▪ to his house to repay the visit , so they were reconcil'd , and the businesse ended . francisco erizzo was sworn duke of venice afterwards , which swearing they do not call an oath , but by a more civill term , 't is stil'd , promissione ducale in the record : he was a person full of years , and freighted with experience , therfore ripe enough for the government . at the beginning of his time the republic enjoyed a profound universall peace by sea and land ; but the growing greatnesse of the house of austria did trouble her , in regard of their new acquests in germany , the emperor having reduc'd the bohemians to an exact obedience by way of conquest , and the spaniard having the palatinat in his hands , therfore she was well pleas'd that the swed did rush into germany , which wars she fomented with her countenance , and somthing els : besides the emperor had a little before disturbed the peace of italy , by the imperiall title he claim'd to the tutele and protection of the young duke of savoy , during his minority , which the french king his oncle by the maternall side took upon him , but the emperor , back'd by the spaniard , thought to get it by the sword , which caus'd som perturbations in italy , therfore the pope also was well contented that the emperor was shaken a little by the swed . ther was employed about this time m. capello a venetian gentleman of an ancient extraction , a person of a small bulk , but well timber'd both for body and brain , to have the charge of the garding the gulph , with a nomber of well appointed gallies . at vallona upon the coasts of dalmatia , he met with the barbary fleet , whom he assaulted so vigorously , ther being many gentlemen of his own kindred engag'd in the service , that he sunk divers of them , and took the admirall gally of algier , ( a vessell of vast bignesse ) which he brought with him away , and she remains to this day for a trophy in the arsenall of venice : the gran turk did very much storm at this ; therfore the republic , rather then enter into open hostility against so potent a neighbour , was contented to part with three hundred thousand crowns to accommode the difference , wherof she recover'd part out of the comendams of the knights of malta , which they enjoy'd within her dominions ; but the foresayed capello was clowded a good while after , and had it not bin for his great alliance , it might have gon worse with him for having exceeded his commission in this action , such an exact obedience the signory expects to be had to her orders , be the successe never so glorious . ther was another piece of justice executed also upon c. moro , who had bin a senator , and one of the pregadi , but afterwards he took holy orders , and shav'd himself to becom an abbot ; he was us'd to go frequently in a disguize to the spanish ambassadors house , and hold correspondence with him , which is treason in a high degree among the venetians ; therfore being discover'd by a bandito , who had fled to the sayed ambassadors house for shelter , the bandito had the ban taken off , and a considerable annuall pension given him ever after , but the abbot was strangled , and his carkase drag'd to s. marks place , wher he hung by the leg betwixt the two pillars from sun to sun , in his monasticall habit . som years after ther happen'd a new disgust 'twixt the republic , and pope vrban the viii . about the extent of their boundaries upon one anothers frontire , which was aggravated by som books that were printed , and permitted to be expos'd to public sale in venice , which books reflected upon the old quarrell that had bin 'twixt paulus quintus , and the republic ; pope vrban resented it so far , that by the impulses of his nephews , he caus'd an ancient inscription or elogy to be defac'd and raz'd , which had bin set up in the sala reg●…a in the vatican , as a monument of gratitud to the honor of the venetians , for restoring pope alexander to s. peters chair , when he was chas'd thence by the emperor frederic , ( as formerly hath bin declared : ) the world thought that the republic was offer'd hard measure herin , and though the affront sunk deep into her , yet she hid the impressions it had made a good while , till she might find som oportunity to right her self . the luqueses also having ordain'd somthing for restraining the exorbitances of the clergy in that common-wealth , provok'd the popes indignation so far , that he excommunicated them : the gran duke of toscany fell also under the same censure , because he made the churchmen to pay a n●…w gabell upon grinding mills , as well as the secular subject . but ther fell a higher clash then all these 'twixt pope vrban and the duke of parma about a summe of money , which he was accountable for to the fameze bank in rome , for which he had engag'd his castle of castro : herupon he was also excommunicated , and a high feud fell out 'twixt the cardinall fameze , and cardinall barberini , the popes nephew , herabouts . the french ambassador at rome interpos'd in the businesse , by instructions from his master , but pope vr●…an told him , that he might chastise the duke of parma , who was his subject , as well as his christian majesty d●…d take off the head of montmoreney , & c. herupon the castro was secur'd for the pope , and besides , he musters up an army which advanc'd as far as the ●…rontires of modena , and so seconds his spirituall arms ( which had gon before ) with the temporall , making his nephew don taddeo his generall , who demanded passage to go on to the invasion of parma ; but he found more difficulty in this expedition , then he did in the taking of castro , wher he found no opposition at all . the duke of modena sent a complementall answer to the pontificiall generall , touching a free passage , which in effect did countervail a deniall , and this he did by consultation with his neighbour states ; for this papall army tending so much to the disturbance of italy ( who was in an universall repose before ) did awaken the spirits of all the princes : the luqueses in their little industrious republic began to humm like so many bees in a hive ; the grand duke of toscany stood in a maze , but the signory of venice , who was us'd to be the chiefest instrument to preserve the common peace of italy , was more deeply sensible of this disturbance , in so much that don taddeo was denied passage ev'ry where , which made one say , that ther was a great deal of difference betwixt that pontificiall army , and the ancient army of the people of israel ; for at the marching of the one , the sea it self divided his fluid body to let it passe , but at the marching of this , all the world seem'd to close together to hinder the passage : for a little after a league was struck to that purpose , 'twixt the republic of venice , the gran duke , the duke of modena , and him of parma , who had all former grounds of discontent . during this ●…ontrasto , and traverses of war 'twixt the pope and parma , ther was a notable libell or satyre drop'd up and down in divers places of italy against rome , and the person of vrban , which in regard 't is a very materiall piece , compos'd of a mixture of divinity and policy ; and that it tends much to the understanding of the state of italy , i thought worthy to insert here , a person of great knowledge and quality being the author therof . the famous invective against pope urban the eighth , and rome . the author faineth that the second person of the holy trinity complains to the first , touching the distolutenes and excesses of the roman church his spouse , therfore he desires a divorce from her . the father being mov'd by his sons reasons , commands paul to transfer himself to earth , to visit mortalls , and take knowledge of their complaints , specially in italy , against the roman spouse , and if need be , to form an exact proces of her actions , speaking to him as follometh : paul , great are the discomposures , and mischiefs which arise from an unchast woman , this very heaven cannot glory it self to be free of them ; my only begotten son is troubled and aggriev'd at the dishonest actions of the church of rome his spouse : i well hoped that she had bin capable of a reconcilement , but he holds himself so highly offended , and finds her nature to be so perverted , that he thinks she is incorrigible ; therfore with a constant resolution he seeks a divorce from her . now , what can i deny to my only son , specially when so much justice favoureth his complaints ? yet i do not intend to determin any thing upon the businesse so hastily , though the eternal word cannot tell an untruth , that to the end that our decree may have a sufficient foundation , we command thee to betake thy self on earth , and hear what mortalls can say against the roman spouse , and frame a charge against her accordingly ; the enterprise may prove somwhat difficult , because she useth to palliat her faults , and to persecute those men that write against her proceedings ; but we assure our selfs , that the approved vertue of paul , which heretofore knew how to support the persecutions of the wicked against the honor of christ , will not shrink a whit in this employment for his service . s. paul doth readily obey the lord , and descends to earth in human disguize , and steers his course for venice , but before he there arriv'd , he casually found upon the way a writing , the tenor wherof was as followeth and the endorsement thus , a memorandum for the most renowned republic of venice . amonst those princes who reverence rome , your serenity is she , most renowned republic , who being free from all superstitious credulity , do conserve your christian empire from all insidious pretences of religion ; by a most sage l●…w therfore you did constitut some years since , that the ●…lergy shold be made incapable to inherit staple possessions , for the dead daily multiplying , and consequently the nomber of legacies ev'ry day increasing , in tract of time , the ecclesiastics wold become masters of all that wealth , which giving subsistence to all kind of subjects , is destinated for the service of your serenity ; therfore whosoever lives free from all passions to the interests of rome , is bound to applaud the maturity of your deliberations in this point ; and he who professeth himself a friend to the greatnesse of your dominions , must needs acknowledge that your high wisdome is warn'd by public necessity to regulat two other no lesse important abuses : the first consists in perpetuity of legacies ; for what avails it to prohibit that staple goods passe not under the possession of the ecclesiastics all the while that by the multitude of perpetuall legacies , which use to be bequeath'd , and charg'd upon staple possessions , it will fall out in time , that all the rents shall be drunk up so , and what difference can ther be then i pray 'twixt a perpetuall legacy , and staple possession ? or what benefit shold your subjects receave from the foresayed law , who though they cannot be dispossess'd of the propriety of the land , yet they remain depriv'd of the usufruit of it ? now , this redounds to the greater advantage of the clergy ; for while the residuary seculars of the testators undergo the weight of all public duties and assessements , by keeping in their hands the fee , the churchmen do by vertu of their annuall legacies sweep away the rents without any burthen at all ; the zeal of your known prudence will stir you the rather for regulating this abuse , when you consider that the perpetuity of legacies was introduc'd at first , rather by the cunning of the ecclesiastics , then for the advantage of souls in purgatory : for if the pains of purgatory are sayed to be but temporary , wherefore shold the simplicity of peeple be perswaded to bequeath in the behalf of their souls perpetuall legacies and mansionaries ? moreover your serenity ought to consider , that the obligation of masses multiplying ev'ry day , with the nomber of legacies , a necessity seems to arise h●…nce , either to increase the nomber of churchmen who are uselesse for public service , or to defraud the wills of the well devoted testators , wheron if the public eyes wold fix themselfs , they shold see that the ecclesiastics do not perform , no not the least part of those daily sacrifices which they are tied unto ; but they salve their consciences , by saying , that the masse being of an infinit value , one masse may supply the necessities of many souls , one masse may also suffice to releeve the urgencies of one soul alone , and the remainder shall be thought a superfluous nomber , proceeding not from the necessity of the soul , but rather from the cheat arising out of the avarice of the priest. the second abuse consists in the multiplicity of pensions , which are payed annually to rome from the state of venice : touching this , it comes into my mind to remember your serenity , that the court of rome is like the middle region of the air , who useth to make her thunderbolts against the earth , ou●… of those exhalations she draws from the earth it self : so the roman church is us'd to form her power for oppression of other states , out of the rents , contributions , and pensions which she receaves from those states themselfs : and let this suffice for the high wisdome of your serenity in this particular . s. paul being arriv'd at venice , and sojourning there som daies , saw a priest drag'd into prison by order of the secular power , and it being ask'd why the temporall magistrat did exercise his jurisdiction so over an ecclesiastic , a venetian answer'd him thus . the republic of venice , nor for any other mens threats , or insinuations , ever deviated from that constant path which her progenitors hath pointed her out for her own safety from the beginning , among other jurisdictions which she hath alwaies conserv'd in the very face of romes pretensions and power , one is , to have authority to punish the persons of ecclesiastic delinquents , esteeming that dominion to be absolute and universall , which heaven hath afforded her within her own territories . this republic knows well , that when god did institut soveraign power , he confer'd it upon saul over all his people , and over all the tribes of israel without exception ; now , you cannot deny but among the twelve tribes , ther were a great nomber of levites and priests ; ought the priests therfore to disswade the people from that obedience which was ordain'd by the divine majesty it self towards their naturall princes ? the sacraments were ordain'd by god to wash away the pollutions of sin in the soul , but not to deface the characters of subjects on the body : nor was the law of christ ever incompatible with the jurisdiction of caesar , but in their opinions only , who seek pretences to traduce and calumniat it . the ecclesiastics who interpret all things to their own advantage , pretend to withdraw themselfs from the secular power , by those words of the gospell , nolite tangere christos meos , but he who is of a sane and sound understanding , will easily discern how much they are deceav'd in the sense of these words ; for although the same god forbad murther to all men by an expresse commandement , yet it is lawfull for magistrats to take away the life 's of malefactors . in the administration of justice lay-princes also represent god. now , for any to pretend a withdrawing of himself from their authority , is no other thing , then to be unwilling to be subordinat to divine institution : if ecclesiastics wold interpret scriptures with more reason then passion and partiality , they wold discern that those words nolite tangere christos meos bear no other sense , then to prohibit any injust outrage against those ecclesiastics , who for the goodnesse of their lifes , and innocency of their manners deserve the title of christs ; when a church-man is naught , he falls from that title , and consequently from the priviledge of it ; nor can the clergy of these times pretend to be exempted from the power of temporall justice by the foresayed words , unlesse it had bin in case that christ had sayed , nolite tangere anti - christos meos . this signory which can discern things in their tru essences , doth not admit the falshood of any interessed opinion to purblind her own proper understanding : if a clerk may err temporally against the state , the state thinks it reasonable that he may be punish'd temporally , by no other hand , then by that to whom god hath committed the care of the state. the danger of a state wold be too too evident , and the confusion also , if the crimes that are committed against the conservation , and common tranquillity therof , shold stand in fear of no other punishment then what shall come from a forraign prince , who regulating himself by certain politic interests in lieu of correction , wold haply tolerat , or●…connive at the crime to the public domage of that state , and for his own advantage : behold for example how many princes in italy , wher the pontificiall power predominats , are disquieted ever and anon , and corrupted , by reason of the impunity of ●…lericall libertines ; and what other thing can be hence expected , but that the ecclesiastics being exempted totally from secular justice , they may arm themselfs , joyn in bands , and turn their cloisters to so many castles , that trampling so under foot the authority of their own prince , they may establish another kingdom within a kingdom ? that wisdom which sits at the stern of the republic of venice , will never suffer her own subjects to be able to supplant her , by the protection and support of any forraign authority ; clerks are punish'd temporally , when they offend temporally against the tranquillity of the state , not els , and if it seems strange to the pope that the venetians assume to themselfs civill jurisdiction over the ecclesiastics , much more seems it strange to the venetians , that the ecclesiastics shold usurp worldly dominion over the persons of seculars : in the mean time they know well that christ profess'd openly to have no kingdomin this world . this speech being ended , and s. paul desiring to understand the late differences which had bin controverted 'twixt the republic and rome , is inform'd by a noble venetian as followeth . the church of rome was reverenc'd by us in that manner which was sitting for christs lawfull spouse , but she corresponding with little gratitude , hath not only conspir'd our ruine more then once , but at last hath thrown out of doors the ancient monument of our services , which have bin proclaim'd to the world for so many ages by the trump of fame , by the tr●… narration of historians , & approv'd by all precedent popes in public elogies ; s. marks lion can hardly endure to have that glory eclips'd , which was alwaies the food of his generous thoughts , and it seems strange to us , that venice having rescued a sugiti●… pope , and re-plac'd him in his lost chair , with the expence of so much of her bloud and gold , the memory of this high desert shold be now thrust out of rome : yet the republic being very unwilling that any incongruity shold grow 'twixt the roman church and her , consented that the crown of france shold be umpresse . but pope vrban the viii . since he differeth so much from s. peter , will not confesse when he denieth the truth imo nec voce galli , but persevering in an obstinat opinion not to restore the elogy , being contented by a foolish capriccio of his own to give this generall attestation only , that the church of christ hath bin alwaies serv'd by princes of all sorts : insomuch that that ancient inscription which was seen registred in the vatican , as a monument of ecclesiastic gratitud towards venice , that monument which time it self could not deface all this while , the barberini have annihilated at last , because peradventure that having banish'd all vertu from rome , it displeaseth them ▪ to see gratitud lodg'd under the roof of their house ; or rather because the barberini do not hold themselfs beholden for those services that the church receav'd from s. mark , in regard they are more her betrayers then governors ; in the interim we cannot but be sensible of this monstrous ingratitud , yet we comfort our selfs to see that the popes disaffection and power to do us hurt , can extend it self no further then the walls of his own house . s. paul having parted with venice , goes to lucca , where understanding the contumacy of that little republic , he wold know the grounds of it , and a citizen answers him thus in a sad and solemn posture , being glad of the occasion to make the truth known . among the popes of our age , vrban the eighth hath bin most prodigall of iubilees and indulgences untill these his latter years ; but to shew , peradventure , that he hath no lesse power over curses , then over benedictions , he hath at last by altering his stile , put forth his hand to dart out excommunications : it was the fortune of this small republic to bear the brunt of his first censure in this kind ; he therby imitating those who use to try the vertu of poison upon the lesser animalls first : the connivency wherby other princes dissembled this out mishap , gave him scope to thunder out the second against the duke of parma ; nor must christendom expect other things herafter but excommunications ; in regard that if the affairs of the world use to succeed one another in equall vicissitudes , 't is necessary that excommunications be as frequent as iubilees have bin . now touching the grounds of the papall distasts with us , they are aldy manifested to the world , i must say , though very sparingly , that the originall of ev'ry accident here , sprung from the insupportable licentiousnesse of churchmen , who did necessitat us to a just resentment . it seem'd strange to the church of rome that so small a republic as ours durst resent the outrages of ecclesiastics , who shold rather comply with them , considering that this state is too narrow to be sensible of such insolencies ; and so persisting in an obstinat censure , he chooseth rather to see our perdition hastned , then the exorbitances of his clergy moderated ; but we being not conscious to have committed any delinquency which might deserve to exclude us from the face of god , we comfort our selfs in this case with the memory of balaam , who injustly curs'd the people of israel ; nor have we ever rested since , to procure a right understanding , by the interposition of a person of great credit with the cardinall nephews , that they wold be pleasd to appease his holines's displeasure ( expecting still a miracle from the words of some asse ) but to this hour ther hath nothing come of it . but the barberini are in armes , and this martiall appearance they think will inforce us to desire a reconciliation ; as for the rest which concerns the soul , if an excommunication hath power to cut us off from the union of this present church , why shold we think it capitall to be separated from so infected a body , and freed so by continuall examples of sacrilegious lifes , and from the despair wherinto the clericall tyranny wold plunge us ! confiding therfore in the justice of our cause , and in the assistance of those wise princes who cannot away with the ravenousnesse of this pope , we trust to receave som fruits of the introducement of these censures , in regard that if this course hold , the world will see that as iubilees pass'd were pretexts for som new imposition , excommunications will serve herafter as pretext for some new rapin. s. paul having understood the grievances of the luqueses , passeth on to parma , wher having in the habit of a fryer insinuated into the acquaintance of the duke , he desires to understand from his mouth the contestation he hath with the roman church , and the duke answer'd him thus . the world hath already understood too much the causes of the quarrell i have with the church of rome , being publish'd not only by my manifestos , but by the writings of other particular pens , who have willingly protected the justnesse of my cause . but since it pleaseth you , good father , to hear from my own mouth the grounds of these differences which have kept such a noise . i will relate them unto you with that brevity of words , which may suit rather with the present encumbrances that afflict me , then with the nature of the thing it self . know then that the particular urgencies of my house have erected in rome a bank call'd the farnese bank , which obligeth my fortunes to contribut an annuall cense to my creditors . now vrban the viii . being assail'd by some turbulent spirit in these last periods of his life , thought with himself to build a little new fort of divers pretences upon this bank , therby to set upon my duchy of castro : but i had good reason to hope now in these my troubles som support , rather then any oppression from that seat , of whom the ashes of my progenitors do yet glory to have merited so well ; but all gratitud being extinguish'd in the brests of ecclesiastics , charity is also much diminish'd amongst them , which neither moves them to any compassion , nor to be a whit aggriev'd , though they see mountains of miseries heaped on one's back ; a desire to enrich the nephews , which is the primum nobile of the popes mind in these times , prevail'd over all reason , and prepotency of plundring did facilitat the way to dispossesse me of mine own ; nor did the tyranny of vrban the viii . stop here , but he thought that i wold take it nothing ill if he did excommunicat me , that being so segregated from the communion of the faithfull , none durst hear my grievances , or reach a hand to help me : a great cruelty in a shepheard , that flaying his sheep alive , wold not have them to carry naturall affections about them to resent the hard case of one another ; moreover to varnish the pretext of his censures , he publisheth me for a disobedient son to the universall father of christianity , but whether he is to be acknowledg'd as a father , who enemy-like robs his children , judge you ? can he expect to be reverenc'd as s. peters successor , when diffring from s. peter , he stops his ears to the words of christ , who commanded him to sheath his sword ? christ did institut a peacefull kingdom , nor did he ever ordain that his cause shold be handled with armes : neverthelesse the present bishops make use of them , because they are ready to meddle with any other cause then with that of christ : in the interim , good fryer , my fortune is worse then that of malchus , for if malchus was offended with the weapon of peter , he was heal'd again by the hands of peter ; but i find my self hurt by s. peters sword , yet cannot perceave his hand is dispos'd to cure me , or restore me mine own . s. paul being departed from parma goes to florence , wher being brought to the court , he heard the gran duke much transported with choler , speaking to a councellor of his in this manner . then vrban the viii . intendeth that a clergie-man shall go exempted from the imposition of milstone , wherunto the interests of my state oblige me to subject without exception any one that lives under my government ; and who is he that arrogats temporall jurisdiction over anothers authority ? in the time of christ secular princes had their tribut , and shall they now be refus'd in vrban's time ? by this means the credulous simplicity of the laity shall be continually taught to contribut so many gabells to the clergy , and the clergy shall be free from all taxes to them , and who at any time leaves possessions to the ecclesiastics , they must be free from such contributions which the law of nature awards ev'ry protecting prince . who did ever affirm that the legacies of privat men can be exempt from the public jurisdiction of their prince ? these are new doctrines which tear the world in pieces , being introduc'd by those bishops , who together with the evangelicall precepts , have forgot that christ himself when he was upon earth payed tribut to caesar , professing that he came to fulfill the law , not toabrogat it ; and shall we admit in our free states an authority , which beyond the order and example of christ pretends to have power to controul , and transvolve the dominions of others ; yea to trample upon the princes themselfs ; is this the paradise that christ promiseth to them that observe his law , or rather a hell , which they worthily deserve who beleeve too much in an adulterated church . but i observe that the ecclesiastics by too many stiles ▪ do subject the simple seculars to pay contribution for indulgencies , for dispensations , for the word of god , for sacrifices of the altar , and in sum for all the sacraments , which the divine goodnesse ●…ath afforded gratis to all the faithfull : but what do i say ? the avarice of the clergy is grown to that height , that it doth not permit those poor souls that are under the agonies of death to depart from this world to the other , till they conjure them under the pretext of pious legacies to pay a toll for their safe conduct , constraining to bargain for their very graves , they sell them for ready money the embraces of our common mother the earth ; and i in my free state must not impose the least tax as that of the milstone upon my subjects : but let vrban practise what he please , let him thunder what excommunications he will upon my gabelleers , i shall learn well enough how to fence away his blowes , i will make the jews my receavers ; nor shall i ever suffer that toscany be oppress'd by such rapacious tyrants , who under the mantle of religion exercise such robberies upon us . s. paul leaving florence , resolves to visit the state of the church ; in his journey he is accompanied with a subject of the popes , who vented forth his discontentments unto him in these words , upon som expostulations of s. pauls . i was born a subject under the particular dominion of the church of rome ; and that 's enough , good frier , to pronounce me miserable ; the civill justice administred in my countrey by ecclesiastics , the authority abus'd by them that govern , and their custom degenerating daily into cruelty and rapine , have made the subjection insupportable , and the life 's of those unhappy who live under the temporall scepter of the roman clergy ; my toung cannot sufficiently expresse the rigidnes of their government , let ev'ry one comprehend by their tyrannicall practises they do exercise abroad what they do at home ; i was enforc'd to forsake my house for a tax impos'd upon me for living well ; when a young rich man is discover'd by greennesse of age , and heat of bloud to be prone to any lightnesse , presently comes a new edict which will make him lie under a grosse sum of money ; herby it comes oft to passe , that a small fillip somtimes doth equall murther , and words are as dangerous as deeds ; for all comes under the title of transgression , though the fault be no other then a slip of youthful lightnesse . furthermore , the ministers who govern our state of rome under colour of zeal to our salvation , are wont ever and anon to send certain catchpouls to search mean blind places & cottages , to see whether any subject cohabit with a concubine ; ev'ry thing lies under the search of prowling eyes , and the insolent hands of those ragamuffins ; i will say no more then this , that under the domination of other princes the jews are more gently us'd then we are under the regiment of the ecclesiastics ; nor is it a wonder ; for som churchmen of our times are haply greater enemies to the gospell of christ , then som christians are to the talmud of the hebrews . s. paul a little after meets with a maronit passenger , who had taken a journey from mount libanus in syria to see rome , and was returning homewards ; s. paul begins to mingle speech with him , asking him of his countrey , and of the motives that induc'd him to com to italy , and what opinion he had form'd within himself of rome ? wherunto he answer'd thus : my countrey is armenia , the cause which brought me to italy was no other then a desire to learn the tru tenets of the catholic doctrine , which in our region is adulterated with such a multiplicity of sects , that they confound one another . the eleventh year is now coming about that i have breath'd air under the climes of europe , having sojourn'd longest in rome , being led thither by fame , which somtimes useth to represent things otherwise then they are in their own essence : i figur'd within my self that city to be she , who as she pretends , so she had deserv'd to be the head of all christian people , as being the school of sanctity , and patern of all vertu . and truly at the first sight i thought i was not a whit deceav'd by any extern appearance which oft times doth dazzle and fascinat the eyes of the simple . the magnificence of her temples , the great nomber of pardons , such a confluence of people flocking to church , and the visit of holy places , imprinted within me such an opinion of the roman piety , that when afterwards i fell to observe the lifes and luxury of the cardinalls , little compatible with the doctrine of christ , i ascrib'd the cause of my mistake rather to my own ignorance , then want of religion in others ; but when i seriously descended into my self , i thought i was not born senslesse : processe of time and mature reflexions , made me discern afterwards that the roman religion consisted most in ceremonies of exterior worship , which were it properly defin'd , might be call'd a kind of practise of life in the small sort , and an hypocrisie in the greater . for the rest , ev'ry action being judiciously examin'd , you will find it tending chiefly to objects of privat interest and temporall benefit ; profit and delight are the two poles wheron the firmament of roman designs wheel about ; if christ and his law be embrac'd , it is not embrac'd for the tru finall end , but as means to compasse some terrene businesse , which transform'd me to wonder while i observ'd how much christ was vilified among the romans , considering how much he serves their turn for encreasing their temporall interests : you shall find all vices reduc'd in this city , as to their proper center , and which is worse , with specious titles of holines ; their pomp appears under the name of church decorum , and their ambition under the title of majesty , their tyranny under the semblance of zeal , nay most scandalous lusts are brought into the houses of the greater sort under the mantle of spirituall recreations : adulation hath founded here her palace , for you shall have it preach'd most impudently that the pope cannot err , notwithstanding that his actions are the very tops of errors : tell me o reverend frier , if the pope cannot erre , wherfore are ther decrees and ordinances of councells instituted ; 't were enough to be regulated by his will , only without importuning any synod , or attending any rules from the universall fuffrage of christianity ; but to unbowell unto you my tru meaning , i hold that the ecclesiastics now that they see they cannot fit the custom of the pope to the laws , they procure to fit the laws to his customes ; god forgive them who somenting a parasiticall doctrine introduce so many enormities to gods house , so frontlesse and void of all shame ; these men being dandled with ambition , have transported s. peters seat from caves to thrones of gold ; these being carried away with avarice to declare this magnificence to be necessary for the dignity of the church , together with those worldly dominions so expressely forbidden by christ : poor church , to what case art thou reduc'd ? the time was when the clergy were reverenc'd for the sanctity of their lifes , and profoundnesse of their learning , and for the fame of their miracles ; but now they raise respect unto themsels by worldly rule and greatnesse , for nothing els makes them to be reverenc'd now adaies . but to compasse this mundane grandeur , which is founded most commonly upon bases of gold , what unlawfull path is not troden ? what iniquity is not practis'd ? the law of christ being turn'd by the ministery of the romans to be a law of ruin and rapin : ther is no action exercis'd in the roman church , but you shall find it conjoyn'd with the interests of worldly emolument ? o how deplorable are these times , were they parallel'd with those of the ancients , yea , when the world was depriv'd of evangelicall light ! then , if an alexander rose up , who with an immense kind of cupidity snatch'd at ev'ry thing ; nature who is a friend to counterpoises , created a philosopher , who glorying in his poverty , contemn'd the possession of all transitory princes . but now among the christians , if a pope starts up , who with insatiable appetit goes about to grapple all , we do not find that vertu hath such a force as to dispose any ecclesiastic to shew an example of that poverty which is commanded him by heaven : good frier , if you have ever bin in the dominions of the church , you will be astonish'd at such abominations wherwith the worship of god is daily prophaned . moreover , you shall hear nothing els preach'd in the pulpits but paradoxes , delight , not the utility of souls being the scope of their matter , and so the ears being tickled with the doctrine the collections use to be greater , which under the name of almes is drain'd afterwards from the auditors ; but their sacrilegious greedines stops not here , you shall see often lame miracles publish'd for gain , you shall often see those inspired fathers use certain acts of conjuration , rather to draw money out of the purse , then to cast devills out of the body ; you shall oft times see many neglected images making themselfs miraculous upon a sudden to enrich the ecclesiastic professors , deluding by this trick the simplicity of those who hold that the vertu of doing miracles being lost in men , is retir'd into statues of stone and wooden pictures . in somm , the abuses are so many which are introduc'd by the covetousnesse and rapacity of the romans , that i prognosticat that all reality of religion will be quite extinguish'd e're it be long , and faith her self also as much as remains ; for i have observ'd that christ did not live long upon earth when he was put between two theeves . ther is an opinion that 's current among som theologues , that when the host begins to moulder the divine presence , immediately departs from the eucharist . now , if christ cannot stay , no not the least moment in corrupted bread , how shall we think that he can abide to stay amongst a corrupt people ? friend , if your salvation be dear unto you , turn face about and never go to rome , cast your self rather upon the remotest shores of india , whither they say all vertu and religion is retir'd perhaps to be the further off from rome ; one cannot so journ in this city without endangering his faith ; take example by me , who being com from among the mahumetans to learn to lead the life of a catholic , do now go away hence with strange kind of confus'd imperfect thoughts within me to turn turk . s. paul having parted with the maronit , and advancing towards lorette , while he pass'd in a friers froc hard by a village , he was call'd in to confesse a dying cardinall , he goes in , and hears his confession , which was thus : father , i feel the pangs of death com upon me , god summons me to satisfie the last debt of human nature ; my soul finding her self in these extremes , trembleth to appear before the face of god , in regard she is so full of carnall spots . it is your function to help me to wash them off , while these eys of mine shall afford you tears , and this panting spirit , though strugling with the assaults of death , shall endeavour to declare unto you in short periods the sum totall of all my offences pass'd . know then that i was born to a poor fortune , but nature , who hath also her portion of goods in this world to dispense among mortals , was pleas'd to endow this body with such prerogatives , that my parents might well formalize som hopes within themselfs of my greater advancement at rome , being grown up to twelve years , devoting my self not to god but to ambition , they cloath'd me with the habit of an ecclesiastic , and to stablish the foundation of their hopes the better , they applied me to the service of a cardinall . now 't is a rule , that wher the end is crooked , the means tending to that end can hardly prosper : hence it coms to passe , that now adaies in rome to arrive to the end of their designs , they do not use learning and vertu , the effects of a tru heavenly vocation , for means , but courtship and flattery , which are the base parts of that interest which hath alwaies an eye to the worldly advantage of ones self : i applied my particular study to be a proficient in the garb & fashion of the court , which is no other thing then to devote ones person to any pleasure of the great ones ; he who confesseth must not conceal any thing , but be pleas'd father to comprehend in your imagination whatsoever , wherin an engaged and well respected youth may sin , and suppose it in me , so my feeble toung shall be exempted from the labour of my narration ; only this i tell you , that i knew how to gain the entire affection of the prelat my protector , and he , for my sake was not ill look'd upon at court. pensions did reign upon my person , which made me wonder at that which the ancients write , that iupiter shold metamorphose himself into a showr of gold only for danae , since he converts himself so more often now for ganimeds : this my youthful age was free from those passions which use ordinarily to transport the minds of young men , viz. from the love of women ; yet i do not deny to have tried it oft , it seeming to me very strange that i shold pray , who was us'd to be prayed unto ; but i continued not long in that state , my humor alter'd with my age , then i entangled my self in feminine love , and in a short time i tried what adultery , fornication and incest were ; in the mean time i arriv'd to that age which was capable of priesthood , then taking holy orders i liv'd a while retir'd within my self , being perswaded to a moderation of life by that synedresis , that touch of conscience , which coms somtimes by nature , and teacheth som sort of respect which is to be had to that sacrament ; but at the end too much familiarity turn'd into contempt , for wheras at first i began to sin with som scruple , those scruples quickly flew away from my conscience , and so i came to such a reprobat sense , that fornication , rebellion of the heart , and celebrating of the masse , was in my person but the act of one hour oftentimes . father , 't was no sacrament , 't was a devill that entred into my soul when i took the character of a priest ; it was an infernall spirit that perswaded me not to fear that christ , which was daily to passe through my hands ; i found my self immediatly dispos'd to ev'ry wickednes : and wheras at first no affection molested me , but that of lust , me thought that all vices assail'd me in a moment : nor is it to be wondred at ; for if iudas found himself to betray christ after he had taken the sop unworthily , though but once , much more must it be suppos'd , that those impious priests must be inclinable to all motions of prophanesse , who ev'ry day receave the sacramentated redeemer , peradventure more unworthily then iudas : covetousnesse also came to be my inseparable companion , fomented chiefly by occasion of that command & authority , i began to get in the state of the church ; while i exercis'd the office of a shepheard , i learnt quickly the art to shear my sheep , all that belong'd to the subject was created , me thought , by nature ; for the service of my affections : my favors were still expos'd to the highest offerer , nor did i ever refuse a present from any hand , i did wonder at the custom of the priests of the old testament , who rejected many oblations as unworthy for the sacrifice , and so concluded within my self , that because the times and laws were alter'd , the priests of the new testament ought to receave any thing offer'd them : but this was the the least ; for if the parishoners did not do it voluntarily , i found waies to snatch it from them . i remember that among other passages , taking occasion once to visit a young gentleman , who was within the compasse of my jurisdiction , i observ'd in his house som pictures of good value , and giving him an inkling of my desire , he with many humble complements answer'd , that he wold be very unwilling to be dispossess'd of them ; i kept this deniall in my brest , and having trac'd a way by means of the holy inquisition to clap him in prison , he presented unto me the foresayed pictures , that he might be remov'd only to a gentler goal , and afterwards , for his full liberty , was forc'd to suffer the better part of his estate to be confiscated ; but fearing that by his appeal to rome , this act of mine might be too narrowly winnow'd , and so i might run a hazard of the precipitation of my fortunes not yet so firmly grounded , to secure my self from after-claps , i call'd him unto me , and rebuking him for his course carriage towards me at first , it made me by right of that incumbency i held over him , to reform all misdemeanours , and to teach him how to comply with church governours for the future : in fine , for the reparation of his losses pass'd , i made him a friendly promise to point him out a way how he might be made capable to weare an ecclesiastic habit , and so ascend to the dignity of a prelat : for they in the romane state , ●… among the multitudes of their miseries , have no other comfort but this , that they may easily arrive to such a condition , as may enable them to a revenge upon some others the wrong they receave themselfes : by these meanes i knew how to feather my nest so well , that i return'd afterwards to rome to live in the lustre of a conspicuous prelat , by introducing to my house the wonted pomp and exces of the old romanes , i parallell'd any other in ornament of rich hangings , of magnificent coaches , in nomber of groomes and laquais , and specially in multitudes of courtiers , and gelded musitians , the greatnesse of rome's ambition being to shew her self barbarous , yea in the pomp of eunuchs ; eleven youths did undergoe the martyrdome of orig●…n , of purpose to devote themselfs to the luxury of my pleasure : poor boyes ! by what a strange effect doth the lust of others make you chast ? while i did lead this splendid life , the cardinall my protector came to the popedom ; by this exaltation myhopes soard very high , nor did ther much time passe , when i saw my person , being a creature of the popes , advanced to the dignity of a hat ; so i moumed to the degree of a cardinall , wherein i stand now . now if my voice had strength to unmask every particular thing , you would be struck with amazement to discover a life so impious in the persons of them who glory in the title of christs disciples . i 'le tell you in a word , that from the time i obtain'd the cardinallship , i never kept lent , i never recited my houres , i never confess'd to god , till now in these extream agonies of my sicknes : such being the custome almost of all cardinalls , who finding themselfs in a posture to aspire to the keyes of heaven , doe think perchance to be able one day to find a way to enter there , without any necessity of good workes . but woe is me , i perceive now to have deviated from the wayes of heaven ; i discern too well by the light of divine grace ( which i know not by what excesse of mercy may please to save me for all this ) that to lead an ecclesiasticall life is an now accustomed is nothing at all to live a christian : but if pagans , yea atheists , preceiving their own errours , have hopes to be sav'd , why should i dispair ? this is the onely argument of my hopes , although i think the salvation of an infidell more easy , than that of a perverse christian ; because my soul finds at this very moment that the understanding is more easily illuminated , than the will humbled and rectified being too tenacious of her delights in those pleasures , which she must now relinquish with the hat ; but , father , my spirit failes me , give me an absolution , for i feel my self upon point of expiring . s. paul having absolv'd the cardinall , upon his departure thence he met with an angell , who after som salutations fell to relate unto him what he had overheard in a parlatory of nunnes as followeth . you know allredy , o apostle of god , that i am of those angells which never descended before on earth , and if in strange countrys the curious mind of the passenger desires to satisfy it self , i confesse that among other things , which i coveted to see , one was a monastry of nuns , who were so much spoken of in heaven that i took them to be angells on earth . being come therfore to one of the prime citties of italy , i took the form of a strange youth , and entred at the privatest hour i could into a monacall parlatory . i found at the windows a young nun , which had no other busines it seemes , but to attend the comming of som body . i was scarce spyed by her , when she asked me an account of my country , and what fancy took me to traverse the world up and down in that maner ; i , bethinking my self of heaven , answerd , my country , most gentle sister , is too far distant from this place , and whereunto few of this region arrive . touching the fancy that leads me to traverse up and down the world , it is no other than curiosity , which often draws youthfull lightnes to neglect their own profit , and to regard others . foolish youthfulnes which canst not learn how to value thy countries good but a far of ; then i added , happy are they who never departing from within the paradise of these holy walls , seem as so many angels alwayes appearing before the face of god. she being as full of spirit as she was of beauty answered thus , o how many of us would willingly change our paradise for your peregrination , wherfore then doe you complain so causelesly of your travels ? which being no other than the motions of a civill life , it cannot chuse but be so much the sweeter to elevated minds , by how much the higher the movements of their souls are . behold the sun , behold the planets , which never staying still in one place delight to be continuall travellers in the univers . i being much taken with the vivacity of this femal spirit , replyed : it is true lady , that the sun and the planets are in a continuall peregrination , but there are in heaven fixed stars also , which , because haply they are more noble , are superiour to the other , and consequently nearer the throne of the almighty ; these nuns then , who to serve god are always permanent in one place , like the fixed stars , may more than any other mortalls comfort themselves with an assurance that they are nearer god. the beauteous maiden sighed at these words , and then answered : god , i deny not , dwels nearer to the fixed stars , but not to desperate souls ; and now you discover your self to be a stranger , that you are not acquainted with our condition . the cruelty of our parents , and the rigour of our destiny hath pend us in here for ever , the church of rome concurring hereunto by admitting any pretext whatsoever , bear with me sir , that i speak thus . it is a hard fate to be born to a perpetuall prison , while it is seen that all other living creatures have the whole world to solace themselves in ; and that prison , which it seems the very infants fly from , when they sally out of their mothers wombs before they have as it were any sense of life , we are constrainde to endure , after that nature hath given us the perfect use of our sense , and life , and the knowledge of our miseries ; the destiny of that mortall must needs be a hard one who is born to live in restles infelicity . this cloyster , which surrounds our liberty , is not , as you imagine , a paradise ; for in paradise there dwels no discontentment ; it is rather a hell wherein the flames of inextinguible desire the naturall affections of our humanity are condemned to be tortured every minute . i will not stand to expresse the cause why our parents are so inhumanly cruell unto us , for it is too well known , that for to spare that dowry which is due to our sex , they condemne us twixt these walls , to be deprived for ever of any worldly delight , for no other cause , but because we are born women , yet you must know , that the shutting us thus by force between these stones , cannot deprive us of those carnall affections which may well be covered but not quench'd in that religious habit that you see about us ; nor can this kind of life conduce to heaven , considering ther 's no concurrence of the will , which is so acceptable to the all-knowing lord , we are rather destinated to an abisse , by a course clean contrary to our genius , being bereft also of that common privilege , which other souls use to have to go to hell what way they please . in ancient times it was the custom to slay the victimes first , and then sacrifice them to god , because haply the principall seat of the corporeall affections lying in the blood , 't was not held convenient to offer his divine majesty any holocaust , which was not first purg'd by effusion of that bloud from all earthly passions ; but this is not observ'd in us by our parents , who do make sacrifices of us with all our blood and passions about us , then , how can we believe that it is gratefull to god almighty ? and being not gratefull to him , consider what despair our souls are plung'd in , which see themselfs shut out of the world here , without any assurance of heaven herafter in regard we have not power to extinguish our naturall affections , and so are in danger to precipitate our selfes headlong into hell through a kind of suppos'd innocence . if christ died to reduce us to such a hard condition , oh how better were it for us that he had not died . be not offended o stranger at the words , for the tongues of the damned can bring forth nothing but blasphemies : yet we know that christ hath no hand in this our hard condition , for his death had for its principall object the freedom and enlargement of souls , not their captivity . the popes are most in fault , by yeelding to the cruell covetousnes of our parents to transvert the keys of paradise into the keys of a prison . it was not christ , no , it was the impiety of herod , that by reason of the humanation of our saviour caus'd so many innocents to be slain . behold , we are in a case equall to theirs , because we being yet innocent children under the mark of holines , we are segregated and cut off from the society of the living , ther being no difference twixt us and them , but they dye before buriall , and we are buried before death . nor can our innocency , or our fears prevaile any thing , nor are those privileges sufficient which nature hath granted these faces of ours ( for which peradventure you stiled us angells ) to implore from others pity and succour , having found the church of rome so ingratefull , while we consider that the time was when st. peter was freed by an angell out of prison , but now clean contrary angells are cast into prison by the successors of s. peter . but whither doth violence of just passion transport me thus to rave ? helas , the name of angell doth not suit with our condition , and l●…sse with our operations : for although we are brought innocents hither , yet we cannot preserve our selfes long in this monastique life from the motions of desperat passions ; the religion which clasp'd us in here is not ador'd , but detested by som of us , vanity and faeminine wantonnes is here in the height ; here dwels curiosity in excess , and desire of knowledge in worldly matters without end ; ambition , envy , discord , and hatred , is never wanting among us : lastly her's observ'd neither constitution , law or vow , but out of pure necessity and unavoidable violence . but what shall i say of that maiden-chastity for the conservation whereof we are principally penn'd in here ? i leave that for you to imagine , it being not permitted to femal modesty to make any further expressions in this kind ; i only tell you this , that we procure all means possible to outrage and abuse it , and not without reason , for if this chastity hath been the principall thing that hath retrench'd our liberties in this maner , we ought to aym and bend our chiefest forces to be reveng'd of our chiefest enemy . and here this beauteous nun blush'd , and broke the thread of her discours . i confess unto you o holy paul , that if i had a breast capable of terrene affections , i wold doubtles have tenderly resented the misery of this discontented soul ; but compassion is vain , where ther 's no power to comfort ; therfore i held it expedient to take my leave , that i might not imbitter her passions any further ; so at my departure , i said , when i came in hither , oh most beauteous nuns , i look'd upon you as on so many seraphins , but hearing the state of your hard condition , i find you to be the unhappiest creatures that live under the law of christ. wer it permitted me for to help you , i promise you i wold batter down these walls and give you that liberty which others take from you ; but since 't is not lawfull for any to do so , comfort your selfs at least that heaven is reserv'd for your suffrances . and although you protest not to suffer for christ , yet christ is so mercifull , that he can give beatitudes to those cyreneans who cary his cross though forc'd therunto ; and i dare assure you , that if you cannot gain heaven as virgins , you shall gain it at least as martyrs . s. paul afterwards going on in his journey arrives at last at rome , before the gates wherof he meets with an angell in a melancholy posture , who was the gardien angell of urban the . therfore he making himself known to him begins to expostulat with him why he had abandon'd the care of the popes person , wherunto the angell made this answer . i stand here , o holy paul , to gard the gates of this city , because it is not in my power to preserve the soul of urban ; it is impossible to bridle his caprichios , nor can any angelicall strength do it ; i have tryed al imaginable meanes to reduce him to the way of reson , but cannot do it ; therfore i will expose no longer the divine inspirations to scorn , but i intend to take my ●…light to heaven to give god an account of the deviations of his soul , and to supplicat afterwards that he will be pleasd to disburden me of the weight of so heavy a charge , which hath in a maner perturbd the whole peace of my evangelicall state ; it is a great happines for holy paul to be made an angel , but he who knew how heavy the ministry of garding humane soules is wherin we angells are employd , specially when we encounter refractory humors in a soul , as in that of urbans , he wold peradventure more esteem the happines of man , who having travelld but one age only in this lower world , goes afterwards to enjoy without any disturbance the repose of heaven : but i repine not at the state of others , yet you well know that he must needs be somwhat movd who finds he cannot serve his own lord as he desires : you , who have had the incumbency to instruct peeple , and convert whole nations , know it by experience how uncouth it is to observe the humors of men . and now that you have understood the grounds of my grievances , tell me freely whether i complain without cause , for perchance god hath sent you hither either to check me , or comfort me . the twentieth yeer runns now on that urban the . holds the papacy , whence one may easily calculat how few yeers are left behind , if it be tru what 's commonly spoken , that no pope shall see as many daies as peter ; but if i may unfold my thoughts , i do beleeve that he who spoke those words seemd to prophecy , that none shall see the church of god in that state of christian perfection as it was in the daies of peter ; but be it as it will , the more yeers com on , the faster evry man runns to that pitt which is the center wher all mortalls terminat their cours , being drawn down by the weight of that earth wherof humanity is composd : most commonly old men when they com to such a period of yeers use to check within themselfs those spiritts which in their youth were usd to lash out into a thousand inordinat passions , endeavouring , being now as it were abandond by the world , to acquire unto themselfs by meanes of a tru repentance som sort of shelter in the sanctuary of divine grace which is ever redy to receave all those that are forlorn ; but be astonishd , o paul , urban the . the older he growes , the more loose he leaves the reignes to his own senses , and the neerer he approcheth death , the further he goeth from good operations : he excessively loves the plesure of his nephews , nor doth he study any thing but what aymes at their interest : he seldom reflects upon the incumbency of his charge , and if at any time som flying thoughts represent unto him his own duty , he discerneth well that a kind of relation passeth twixt the papacy and his person , yet he flattereth himself with this fond conceit , that the papacy is more bound to serve his person , than his person the papacy : he detests in the extreme the memory of his excesses , the most effectuall meanes wherby the garding angells use to tame the prowdest soules ; he will not as much as think on death , or if somtimes he is brought to think on t , by converting the physick into poyson , he applies his cogitations presently in ruminating how he may aggrandize his house before he goes . if i should tell you how often i found him chimerising within himself how he might make it possible to render the popedom electif , and to depend no more upon the consistory , but solely upon the person regnant , that he might establish it in his posterity , you would be amazed at those extravagant imaginations that possesse the mind , even of the vicar of christ. but would god were pleasd , that such wishes did terminat altogether in the vanity of the designe , they end commonly in more practicall resolutions , to drain the patrimony of saint peter for to enrich their own houses with the spoiles of the holy church . but the avidity of urban stops not here , he little esteems the millions of gold purloynd from the altar , to leave his nephews the possession of an independent principality , wher they may lay up the unsecurd tropheys of their own rapines ; ther was ever yet in the world a greater nomber of those who wish to be princes than principalities themselves . hence it comes , that to purchase these from the tenacious hands of others , there must be force necessarily usd , because hardly any reasons can be found , which may perswade the mind of man to lay down voluntarily the right of a free dominion ; which makes urban the . being transported by his passions to machinat violent means for to invest his nephews in another princes estate . i could tell you som further designs and fury of his . he accounts often upon the kingdom of naples , but he finds the enterprise to be fuller of desire than hopes ; he thinks upon the dutchy of milan , lending his eare unto the glozing offers of som minister of a tramontane crown , but he dares not trust to that , for if others should intervene , he cannot leave all to the barberini . he fixd his eyes upon lucca , but perceiving it a petty state , he doubts whether the benefit will countervaile the charge . he hath a months mind to mirandola , but being feudetary to the empire , and a place that breeds som jealousy twixt the neighbouring princes , he is afraid to draw germany or lombardy on his back . lastly , he turns his eyes to parma , and this enterprize being made lesse difficult by the advantage of som pretences , he purposes to deprive the poor duke ( beginning with castro ) of all his possessions . i put him in mind how much it did misbecom bishops , and other prelats of the holy church , who make profession of a life differing from sword-men , to change the crosier into musket-rests , rochets into corslets , and their miters to murrions . i put before his eyes the scandall that would redound to all christendome therby , the scorn that infidells would conceive of it , and the danger the church should incur , foretold by our saviour , who positively warneth that every kingdom divided in it self hath its dissolution near at hand : but it is to beat the aire , to tell urban of all this , which hath everything for his aime , but the indemnity of the church . finding that these arguments were of little force , i applyed unto him the spur of nature , alleging that the events of war were dubious and dangerous , to raise in him therby some apprehensions of fear , which commonly takes place in old mens breasts ; but nature could prevaile little , reason lesse , and the inspiration of an angell nothing at all over the hair-braind humors of urban . he who now entreth rome , may see a pope turn'd armiger , now in his decrepit times , one that takes up armes then , when he should meditate how to lay down his life to nature ; and which is worse , he thinks all this to be according to the dictamen of reason , so that vrban the eighth never doth that which he believes , but believes in that which he doth , insomuch that at the same time when he tears italy to pieces , and snatcheth the state of another , he publisheth his actions to be right , his intentions holy , and that all tends to the service of god , and the object of good ; as if the formality of good in his idea were different from that which is in the opinion of other men . but i omit many extravagances wherwith this capricious soul hath abusd my last patience . once he setled a resolution within himself , not to give any satisfaction at all to the princes of christendome , notwithstanding , that i often put him in mind that this was the basis whereon was founded the conservation of christian obedience . another time he resolved to create no more cardinalls , it may be to merit the more of the church of god by abolishing so perverse a generation ; but he repented himself afterwards of this , for no other reason , but because i opposd him in this resolution . if a tutelar angell can suffer greater contempts , tell me , o thou apostle of god ? i find that the reputation of angelicall custody is too much engagd in continuing to stand about him thus : therfore in despair of his amendment , i have given over all care of his person that i should not delay my return to heaven . saint paul having understood the complaints of the tutelar angell of urban , enters rome , but an accident befell him which enforcd him to fly , and as he was going along another angell comes in his way , whom he encounters with these expressions . you come , o heavenly messenger , peradventure to charge me from his divine majesty that i should avoid rome : behold how i have left her already before your comming ; for divine inspirations forerun the very flight of angells : but now that i am come out of rome , let 's repose a while , and i wil relate unto you the unexpected cause of my hasty departure . you know , o angell of god , that i was sent from heaven to earth to hear the complaints of mortalls , and to form a proces against this adulterons naughty spouse : i lighted to this purpose in many places , wher having fully understood by all degrees of people her dissolute deportments , to confirm with mine own eyes what came from other tongues , i resolvd at last to come to the city of rome it self . i passd too and fro at first in the froc of a frier , there , as i went through a little blind hamlet , i was calld in to confesse a dying cardinall , which gave me warning , that the habit descrying me to be a religious person , t was likely , that entring so to rome , i might ( according to the custome ) be questiond for the patent of my orders , or the license of my superiours ; i hereupon to evade the telling of any lye , held it expedient to lay down the froc and take my sword : so i came into rome intending to lodge in some covent of friers , who being usd to thrust themselves into worldly affaires more than the seculars themselves , i thought i could there very leisurely have a free and exact information of all things , specially because the freedom of speech is retird now into cloisters for more security , in regard of the extream rigour which is usd to punish those who speak any thing against the court. the monastery where i was lodgd was famous for the study of letters , and so it was frequented by many learned men ; but the greatest concours was of strangers , who so abound in rome of all nations where desiring to know what conceit forrenners had of that church , i disputed often upon some point of religion : there happened to come thither a turk , rather to hear , as i imagine , the noise of the disputation , than to inform his judgment ; so i askd him his opinion of christian religion , wherunto beyond all expectation , he answered thus . amongst the turks it is held for certain that god doth favour those people most , where he is truly ador'd ; so , from the prosperity of the turkish empire , we inferr , that our faith is good , and the observance of it not displeasing to god. touching the christians religion , we have an opinion , that she was not naught , untill she was adulterated , and made naught by christians themselves : but in the state she is now in this city , we believe her to be abhominable to god almighty , specially since we see that of late she goes annihilating and mouldring away by little and little , by her own inward and endlesse discords . such was the conclusion of the turk , which made me , i confesse , to marvell not a little , while i observed , that even those who professe not much knowledge , can deduce from far-fetchd principles consequences so near the truth . having had his opinion , i went on in making a further scrutiny , and i fell to expostulate with a greek , who was usd to repair to rome for the opportunity of studying in clementine colledg , who answered to my interrogatories thus . the roman and greek churches are sisters issued from one father , but the greek is the first born , and i know not by what wiles the roman came to take away her birthright . for this cause they live in most grievous disgusts one with another ; but the one enjoyes the possession of all her paternall goods , wheras the other lives as esau did excluded , and under the dominion of another . touching the particular customes of the roman church , i say nothing ; for the that censures her in this city , shews he knows not his own danger , and he who approves her carriage , understands not the law of christ. with such words the greek satisfied my demands . as touching the opportunity which was offered me to mingle speech with a frenchman upon the same subject , i understood his conceit thus . the name of the church is reverenced by a great part of the kingdome of france , but the wisedom of our governors hath never permitted the pope to extend that excesse of pre-dominion beyond the alps , which he doth exercise in italy ; for our policy is supported by particular gallican rites : and the reason is , because the french being naturally impatient , and now that nere halfe france ( to withdraw it self from under the roman yoak ) is infected with heresy , certainly if the pope should exercise upon the consciences of that spritfull people the tyranny he doth exercise in italy , the rest of that great kingdome would fall from him quite . such were the expressions of the frenchman , which did stir in me a curiosity by way of opposition , to hear what the spaniard would say . nor was it difficult for me to obtain my desire , by meeting with a nobleman of sevill , who frequented the same convent , i entred into his friendship , and he rendred me satisfied by such discours . friend , to serve you i will speak beyond the customes of this nation , with all ingenuity of heart : the reverence which the spaniards do professe to the roman church , may be considered in two manners , inward and outward : if you ask me of the inward reverence , suppose it to be not unlike that of other people who have full knowledge of her customes ( the spaniards being of a genius apt to esteem things as they are in value ) but if you ask me of the outward reverence , knew , that the spanish nation in extern appearance shew themselves very observant of the roman church , because that having found her alwaies most partiall to the interests of their crowns , they hold themselves obligd by termes of gratitude to correspond with her at least in outward observance . my king knows well how available for depressing of the suspected greatnes of his subjects hath bin the pretext of the holy inquisition : he lives mindfull of that promptitude shewd in the court of rome , to deny an absolution to the house of bourbon , untill he had conformd himself to the austrian satisfaction ; and lastly he knows how much to this very howr the pragmaticall iesuits have serv'd him to dilate in evry part , ( with their own advantage ) the bounds of the castilian empire ; so that in contemplation of all these respects , the spaniards hold themselfs oblig'd to reverence the roman-church , in exterior appearance at least , though she were far wors than she is . here the spaniard did terminat his censure , while my diligence , which desisted not to procure all punctuall advertisements brought me to discourse with an english-man , who gave this modest answer : sir , i am a declared enemy of the roman church , therfore , i presume , my words can gain no credit with you ; but if you desire to know what respects this church finds northward , read our doctors and perchance your curiosity will be fully satisfied . thus o angell of god , i endeavour'd in rome to bring to perfection the proces which was committed to my charge against the adultrous spouse ; and passing one morning by a church , where they wer casting out a devill , i went in because of the noise , and then the ill spirit knew my person , and began to cry out , her 's s. paul , her 's s. paul ; truly he is com in an ill time from heaven , to view the state of that church for which he shed so much sweat ; good saint , what motives brought him to this lower world ? was it to see how his labours fructified ? ah , the pure grains of that doctrine which his eloquence sow'd in the vineyard of the lord are turn'd to tares , and becom food for ravenous birds such as these are , who stand about me now , to disconjure me with their hideous noise . upon this cry the priests began to fix their looks upon me , wherupon , fearing to be discovered , i softly rotir'd ; but the words took such impressions in the mind of the exorcist , that he did conjure the spirit by violent threats to manifest who i was , who being not able to resist the violence confess'd i was s. paul , who by resumption of humane shape ( he knew not why ) wandred now upon earth ; the priest had no sooner knowledge herof , but he presently found means to give notice to the pope ; a little after , my lodging being found out by spies ( wherof ther are a multitude in rome ) i suddenly perceiv'd a courtier making towards me , and breathing out these words ; o holy paul , in the name of urban the eight i com to do you reverence ; he is well informed of the condition of your being here : he earnestly desires that you would be pleas'd to favour his house with your presence , for he is ambitious to have a stranger of so high a quality for his guest . the courtier spoke to me , o angell of god , thus in very proper phrase ; for in these times saints use to be call'd strangers in the state ecclesiastique ; whither i was astonish'd or no to see my self thus surpriz'd and discover'd , judge you ; i thank'd his beatitude in the best manner i could , for his courteous offer , and excus'd my self not to be able to receive that honour , in regard i was of necessity to depart from rome within a a few howres : when i had disintangled my self thus from the courtier , i call'd my thoughts to counsell , and feeling , that my heart did presage me som sinister accident , i resolved upon flight ; and i was gon but few paces further , when the same courtier came again and told me thus ; urban the eighth , o holy paul , doth remand me to you , to second his first invitation , but if in case you are resolv'd not to grace his palace with your presence , i have order to propose another request unto you : in your epistles we read , o apostle of god , certain passages which manifestly contradict the humors of our holy father urban the eighth , he prays you to mend them , because it is not fitting that paul should ga●…nsay the will of peters successor : and if you desire to know which are those passages , one among the rest is , that , let every soul be subject to the higher powers . urban the eighth would , that from this universall proposition the souls of popes should be exempted ; he thinking it not fitting that the popes shold be subordinate to any other law , but that of their own affections and fancy , for so their actions shold not be censur'd by every sensles man , as they are ever and anon now adayes ; his holines also much desires , that the words be utterly expung'd , which assigning to every bishop his own incumbencys , do speak in particular , diaconos habeant non turpe lucrum facientes , let them have deacons not given to base lucre . these periods displease in a high measure urban the eighth , for he of necessity must have about him his nephew cardinalls and to grow rich . here the courtier stop'd , when i poor paul fell to discours with my self thus : see , thou art in danger to be entrappd , notwithstanding that thou hast been confirm'd in the state of grace , but what could be expected lesse in rome ? perceiving at last that he attended no answer , i put my self to reason with him thus : o papall messenger , the busines which you propound to me , is of no light moment ; for he who is tender of his own repute , cannot be easily induced to unsay himself ; you know that my doctrin hath run through the world till this day without alteration , now what will people say to see it now differ from times past ! and who will not perswade himself that the alteration proceeds rather from the caprichio of some convicted hereticks , than from pauls pen. moreover to what purpose will it be to vary apostolicall doctrins , when the popes without any regard to them do operat still according to their own fancies ? but now that his beatitude doth desire this superfluous alteration , i will not faile to serve him in the best maner that god shall inspire me . the courtier departed with this answer , which he took for a promise ; but i to reserve my self to execute what god had injoyn'd me did immediately fly away from rome , being warn'd from heaven so to do . i was scarce out of the citty , when i remembred to have left my sword behind , and being in suspense with my self , whether i shold return to fetch it or no , i spyed coming after me , one who was also a forrener in the same convent where i had lodgd , and had often shewed me arguments of love , who coming near me , cryed out , friend , begon , begon , i come after you of purpose to tell you , that you were scarce gon , but another courtier came to seek you , and inform'd of your flight , he carried news therof to the pope , and a little after the pope himself came to your lodging , who finding not your person , took away your sword , saying in a kind of choler , that if pauls pen refuse to serve him his sword shall . this sword shall force princes to bend and bow at my feet ; this , this shall conserve castro , subdu parma , and shew the world that ther is no necessity of reason , where the edge of a brandishing sword shall make a way . giving thousand thanks to my frend , who knew not what paul nor what sword the pope spake of , i took my leave of him , and continued my flight , being troubled in my thoughts , that my arms shold be left in such a hand which imployes them for the service of his own tyrannicall affections to the universall scandall of christianity . if it were possible , o angell of god , to bend him to the voyce of the almighty , i could wish you to go and inspire him to peace ; but urban hath too too refractory a soul ; therfore i hold it more expedient , that you wold please to diffuse your inspirations amongst the princes of italy , to incite them to take out of his hands these armes , which were taken from me without reason , and are now drawn out against them without justice . to this end i have fram'd a letter , addressed to the italian princes wherunto i held it not much necessary to affix my name , because it is known already i am on earth , and it is of this tenor . urban the eighth , o princes , transported with the violence of an unknown wrath , took possession of my sword , of purpose to make use of it against the quietnes of your states ; if you will not resolve to take it out of his hands , i doe exhort you in the name of the divine majesty to do it , because it is not fit , that that blade which is designed for the conversion of infidells , should be stained in your blood ; nor let that idle scruple amuse you , that he is your shepheard , for the true shepheards do guide their flocks with gentle wands not with weapons . remember that isaac suffered himself to be slain with the hands of his father , to be sacrificed to god , not to the fury and passion of his father . and s. peter left a fishers knife behind him to be us'd against fish , which are not creatures of our element . encourage your selfs therefore by his counsell and mine , neither think yee the designe difficult , for although urban seem furious , yet he that is not habituated to handle weapons may easily let loose his hold . god inspire your hearts , and prosper your resolutions . this is the tenor o angell of god of this letter , which i beseech you to carry ( with your inspirations ) to the hearts of christian princes . i in the interim , before i return to heaven , must go and visit ierusalem , to kiss that place again , wher the very inanimate stones being more gratefull than men , keep yet fresh the memory of divine mercy . the aforesayd confederacy being made between the princes of italy in behalf of the duke of parma , his spirits were so heightned therby , specially the republic of venice being engagd therin , that he put spurrs to his horse , and entred like a whirlwind into the papall territories , finding no opposition at all in his passage ; he incamped the first night not far from urban fort , whence don taddeo the nephew had got away upon the newes of his march ; from the felicity of this beginning his heart being elevated , he resolves to push on his fortunes to the very walls of rome ; all forts , and townes at his approch did open their gates to receave him rather for a frend than a foe ; and although the countrey could not choose but be damnified by the march of such a tumultuary sudden unfurnish'd army , yet as one observ'd , the vassals of the ecclesiastic state are so accustomed to hard usage from their own governors , that the domages of forren troops seem'd but light unto them ; yet ther were such strict rigid injunctions , and martiall comands given out for regulating the army that none durst commit any rapin or outrage under pain of life . the duke with these inexpected successes advanced towards the walls of rome with well appointed horse , which caus'd a great deal of confusion and terror in the citty ; pope urban , with the cardinalls and chiefest of the roman inhabitants , retir'd to the castle of s. angelo , where for more security they stowed their tresure , and richest moveables ; thus that rome which in times pass'd , could look hanniball , and the gaules in the face , doth now shake as it were into a quivering palsie at the approch of horse only which came to vindicat the quarrell of the farneses ; in this confusion ther was not one wold propose the facing of the insolent enemy , evry one be took himself to stand on his gard , and the defensive part ; evry gate look'd like a diocesse having som bishop appointed to keep it ; herupon pope urban sent cardinall spada to propound a trety with the duke , which negotiation was carried so politiquely that it took effect , and so a truce was agreed upon for the present ; so the duke of parma return'd , having reap'd no other fruit by this march , but the name to have displayed his colours almost in the face of rome ; which , as the most serious sort of men were of opinion , became him least of any prince in regard he was a vassall of the church , his progenitors having receav'd such temporall possessions from her. this little war produc'd good effects in italy at last , for it took off afterwards various sorts of discontentments , these temporall armes took off the censures of the spirituall armes under which divers princes lay ; for by the vigorous interposition of france a trety was to be held at venice , where the dukes of parma and modena came in person , and cardinall bichi , a person par negotio , being a moderat grave prudent man came as plenipotentiary from the pope , who in the conduct of this busines carried himself with that dexterity and height of wisdom , that in one afternoon he made an end of all differences ; the signorie of venice was to have her ancient elogium set up in the sala regia in the vatican , it was to be renew'd , and inscrib'd in a larger table ; the duke of florence was to have the excomunication taken off , and for the future , the churchmen shold be subject to new impositions as well as the laity , provided that his holines be acquainted ther with before hand , and his consent had ; the duke of modena was absolv'd from the spirituall censures , and got the gabells of som places in right to the duchy of ferrara ; the duke of parma had the church censures taken off of him , and got further time for the repayment of his arreares putting in caution accordingly ; lastly the little republic of luca fish'd so well in these troubled waters , that she also got her-self absolv'd from the church censures which lay upon her : thus the italian like a wise nation compos'd in a short time so many differences that perturb'd the public peace , which was don by the sage management of the venetian , as allso by the discreet comportment of the aforesayed plenipotentiary cardinall bichi a sienese born , a kind of war having lasted above two yeers , in all which time ther were not . men lost in all , which argues that the italian is more parsimonious of his bloud , and more carefull of his life , than either german , french or english who in their civill wars have lost i cannot tell how many thousands in a far shorter time especially the last , which shews that they are not so indulgent of nature , and of that image which god almighty hath imprinted upon man , as the italian . not long after that the republic of venice had got out of these bryars , & that principally by her intervention the pope and the italian princes were reconcild , an illfavourd black cloud began to engender against her in the levant , the mahumetan moon appeerd red , and her hornes very sharp , which portended windy and tempestuous wether as it happend afterwards and continueth so to this day ; the vapor that went to condense this hideous clowd issued first from the knights of malta , who had taken at sea som gallies and caramusalls that carried passengers upon a pilgrimage to mecha , among whom was one of ibraims sultana's , and another of the ottoman race . the malteses having made prize of them , arriv'd afterwards in candy where they found reception and frendly entertainment as was usuall . ibriam the great turk upon news herof storm'd mightily , and rag'd so far that he vow'd a revenge ; therupon he sent for the christian ambassadors that resided at that time in the port , relating unto them by the mouth of his visier what affronts he had receiv'd of the malteses , and that he wold peck that little scabb of an island into the bottom of the sea , disguising his displesure all the while he bore against the venetians , who was more in his thoughts ; so a great fleet was provided against malta as was given out , though his aym was against candy ; st. sackvile crow then ambassador in constantinople for the king of great britain , had such choice intelligence that he acquainted the venetian bailio herof , and writ allso to the late earl of arundell who was then in padua to give advice herof to the senat , that the turk arm'd for candy : but the senat having no notice therof from their own bailio made no account of the intelligence , wherin the world adjudg'd venice to com far short of her wonted circumpection ▪ for that sommer the turks with a formidable fleet and land-army did in a maner surprize canea the second port of candy , coming with such a resolution as if they came to meet a victory and not expect one ; the newes herof being brought to ibraim it puff'd him up very much , though he was over-heard to mutter , that if he overcame so often he shold lose all at last , for above turks , wherof the third part were ianizaries , perish'd in that expedition . the next sommer the bassa of bosnia tumbled into dalmatia with a great land army , but he was repell'd with much vigor , so that in regard he did no exploit , he was sent for to constantinople , wher ibraim caus'd him to be strangled . the republic being now sadly engag'd in a war against so potent an enemy , betook her-self to her prayers more fervently , making a vow to build a chappell to saint lorenzo , a holy man , who had liv'd about yeers since in venice , which she perform'd with much magnificence . the next sommer she had notable successe against the turk in dalmatia in divers places , and made her-self mistresse of clissa a place of mighty strength , and much consequence ; being frontire twixt bosnia and dalmatia ; the baron of dagenfelt was employed by the republic in dalmatia , but in this expedition of clissa generall foscolo , count schotto , and proveditor georgio were chief ; mehemet bei sangiac of clissa after the articles of rendition were concluded , was to send four hostages whereof filippovich was chief , who after fled away , whereupon the sangiac himself stood for him and sent a letter of this humble tenor to foscolo . to the most mercifull , and preordain'd by god to all good fortune , the most excellent lord generall of the venetians , the most humble reverence of master mehemet bei sangiac of clissa . after that we had tasted of your excellencies grace , and concluded the trety , filippovich hath betray'd us , whose face ought for ever to freeze with shame , but his base flight hath not only stain'd his own honor , but it hath allso don us much wrong ; if you think that i had any hand in his escape , i stand to your mercy , for we are all in your hands , and i will be responsible for the fugitif . i attend your answer , and god exalt you to higher honors . at the taking of this town the christian soldiers were so flesh'd in bloud , and heated for losses they had formerly receav'd , for a great many of the morlacchi perish'd in the action , that the generall could not hold them within the bounds of obedience , but they fell furiously upon the turks after they had entred the town , and hack'd them to peeces , notwithstanding the articles to the contrary . generall foscolo being got into the town planted the venetian standard in the market place , and then kneeling upon the turkish banners , he heard masse sayd by the archbishop of scutari , and afterwards te deum was solemnly sung , and so lowd that the very heavens ecchoed with the sound . ianizaries were slain and above wounded in this siege , and about christians . ther was a great debate in the senat at venice touching clissa , whether she shold still stand or be demolish'd , they who perswaded a demolition usd these arguments . that clissa though never so famous and well fortified yet was she known to be expugnable , insomuch that the turk might recover her by the same meanes as the venetian got her ; that ibraim finding his greatnes to be eclipsd herby , wold venture all his forces to regain her ; or that happly the turkish army might leave her behind and march on to spalato or tragurio , and so cut off all succors from her ; that in case a peace ensued , clissa must be rendred , therfore to bestow any money to fortifie her was superfluous ; the venetian tresure shold be employd to strengthen her own forts , and not the enemies ; lastly , that it stood more with the prudence of the republic to conserve rather than conquer . they of the contrary opinion alleg'd that clissa was allwayes esteem'd a thing inexpugnable for her situation , as allso for the valour of the puissant state that now holds her ; that she hath repell'd in former times an army of combatants , that she stood very conveniently to stave off the turk from rushing into dalmatia ; moreover it wold tend to the dishonor of the republic to raze clissa , in regard the world will judg that she did it for want of strength or courage to preserve her ; that venice was us'd to shew her power not only upon the ruines , but allso within the fortifications of the enemy ; that the keeping of clissa will render a peace more easy ; that the soldiers wold lose the comfort they use to receave in a conquer'd place , &c. this second opinion prevayl'd , therfore monsieur d'amur with other engineers were presently sent to fortifie the town of clissa according to the modern rules . as by land , so by sea allso the republic bore up stoutly and successfully against her formidable foe this yeer , for meeting with a great fleet of turkish gallies and mahoons in the egean sea , she chas'd them into the bay of foggia ( phocis of old ) where som english ships , and a scottish vessell did her som signall service ; for the turkish fleet having fled into the bottom of the bay , the ianizaries ran ashore , insomuch that the captain aga set out a proclamation , wherin he promised such a reward for any that wold bring the head of a dead ianizary , or his living body : had the venetian fleet poursued the turks into the bottom of the bay , in all probability they might have don the turks much mischief at this conjuncture of time ; but it seems the generalls comission extended not so far , and venice loves to have her comissions punctually observ'd . the sommer following the republic did hold the great turks nose so close to the grindstone , that his gallies durst not peep out of the dardanelli into the egean sea ; yet hath he powr'd new forces since into canea by the gallies of rhodes , sio , cyprus and negrepont . this war hath bin very expencefull to st. mark , and drain'd much both of his tresure and arsenall , the one of money , the other of amunition ; but the tresure and arsenall of venice may be sayed to be like the sea ( wherin they stand ) who notwithstanding the perpetuall emission of waters , yet no diminution is discern'd in him , besides if he lose one way , he getts another way ▪ this potent enemy hath put the republic to extraordinary wayes of raysing money by lotteries , sale of honors and offices , by revokement & pardoning of banditi , &c. insomuch that though her bank hath been shutt for a while , 't is now open again , ajusted and regulated and of as high repute as ever . genoa her sister republic , and old emulatix wold furnish her with money and ten auxiliary gallies if she wold stoop to treat her in equality with her-self , by the name of serenissima , which 't is thought she will do in these pressures , for he is a cheap frend that 's got by a complement . besides , the jesuitts offer her a vast sum of money of late to be readmitted , to which end the king of polands brother , who is of the society himself , is lately sent to negotiat with her , but they write that he hath but a cold employment of it . thus have we drawn at length the history of venice in the smallest thread we could and freest from thrumbs , the author being a profess'd enemy to superfluities , and immateriall circumstances ; we will now proceed to display som other singularities , for the white at which we aym in this peece , is to make the reader thoroughly acquainted with this mayden republic . a discours of the interests of the republic of venice , with the rest of the states of italie . having bin a guest so long to this hospitable mayd ( the cittie of venice ) and traversd her torritories up and down , it will not be amisse to give a short visit to som of her italian neighbours , and look a little upon their differing aymes of policy , as they relate to other states , specially to the monarchies of spain and france , which may be termd the two great axletrees wheron the power of this part of the world doth turn . the pope being a mighty temporall prince as well as spirituall , and having a great stroke in most of the cou●…ts and councells of christendom , in regard of the authority he is allowd to have over the consciences and soules of men , is first to be considered ; he knowing that other princes cannot gain much of him , and that first or last they must cast up what they have taken from him , takes not much care , nor useth to beat any great charge to fortifie his frontires ; his power is safest by keeping the power of other princes in their due proportion , and that it may not out-balance ; to which end he hath often changd his cours of policy , and crossd the designes of the king of spain ( though covertly ) fearing that if he shold swell too bigg he might be brought at last to be but his chaplain ; he hath allso dealt so with france more than once . alexander the . who opposd the first ambitious motions of the french , was one of the chiefest instruments that fram'd and fomented the ligue , driving back again the ▪ other side the hills charles the . restoring the arragonians to the kingdom of naples , following heerin the tru interest of the apostolic see not to permit any power to grow over-great ; yet afterward he betook himself again to the frendshipp of the french , making a bridg for lewis the . to invade the kingdom of naples , and the duchy of milan , hoping by the same forces to represse the contumacie of the vicarii della romagna , and della marca , and out of their ruines to erect a colosse for the future greatnes of cesar borgia . iulius the second favourd at first the designes of the french king , and putting all italie in a flame he suscitated all the princes of christendom against the venetian ; but summoning his second thoughts to councell , and foreseeing that upon the depression of the republic of venice he might be brought to depend upon the power of forreners , he turnd his armes against the french , and drove them out of italie , together with the swisse , and the spaniards . leo the . being passionat for the advancement of his family was somtimes a partisan with france ▪ somtimes with spain as his interests directed him . at first he sided with francis the first , but afterwards he did confederat with charles the . and employed the armes of the church to chase away the french out of milan . clement the . having labourd in vain to make a truce of . yeers twixt charles and francis , and perceaving at last that the latter of the two was the stronger in italie , he drew his own misfortune upon himself , by the sack of rome ▪ and imprisonment of his person ; so that he was forc'd afterwards to comply with the ambition of charls to exalt his nephews . paul the . kept awhile that spirit of indifferency , and freedom ▪ 〈◊〉 the pope shold professo towards all , yet to rear up the grandeur of the farneses , he covertly favord and somented the designes of charles the emperour to remove those obstacles which lay in the way twixt d. 〈◊〉 lu●…gi and a principality . i●…lius the . to cast duke octavio out of parma being allready declar'd contumacious to the church , and to settle therin iohn battista de 〈◊〉 his nephew , sufferd himself to be hurld into a warr against france , but being weary of the excessive charge therof , and in despair of any good to be don , he returnd to his former indifferency : but paul the . being too indulgent of his affections towards his nephews , permitted himself to be transported upon vain hopes to an open warr with the king of spain , procuring to this effect , that the truce did break twixt the two crownes ; in which enterprise the successe did not answer his expectation , for had it not bin for the piety , and prudence of the duke of alva he had bin utterly ruind , for ther wanted very little that rome had not felt the same catastrophe that happend in the time of clement the . the civil warrs of france then beginning to rage , and consequently that wonted power being taken away which usd to serve for a counterpoise to the greatnes of spain , she grew therby to a greater height , and became arbitresse of the affaires of italie , in so much that the succeeding bishopps had no oportunity offerd them to declare themselfs partisans of the french , allthough som sparkles of these affections did break out somtimes ; so that for their own interests , and by the cunning conduct of the spaniard , som of them by degrees came to be dependents wholly upon that crown ; and the spaniard finding that their greatnes in italie could not receave a sounder establishment , or shrewder shakings and shocks than by the frendship or enmitie with the pope , he hath ever since essayed all kind of wayes to engage that court unto him ; and when he waged any warr , though the merit of the cause was meer civill , yet he gave out t was for religion , wherby he still engaged rome to be his partisan , as he did against the germans , and english , and in favor of the guysards . nor was he short-handed in distributing his gifts up and down , with collation of honors upon their nephewes , and other of their favoritts , wherof he hath plenty in naples and calabria , which he enjoyes by paying a heriot evry yeer : nor is ther any prince that 's tied in more observances to the pope than the king of spain , in regard that he payes him homage for most of his kingdomes ; nor is the pope of late yeers tied for more variety of respects to any prince than to the spaniard ; he complies also with the colledg of cardinalls , endeavouring mainly to have a strong party there to out poise the french ; though in the election of urban the eighth , the last pope , his power fayld him among them ; which pope was fleurdelizd all over having bin raysd by the french faction that then was predominant in the conclaves ; which made this pasquill among others , to be scatterd up and down , cur petrus negat dominum ? quia gallus cantat . nor was urban the eighth averse only to the spaniard , but to the whole house of austria , in so much that when the emperour sent to sollicit him for a sum of money to support the war against the swed , and the northern peeple that had hurld themselfs into the territories of the empire , he wold not part with a peny of s. peters patrimony to that use ; which made the spanish souldiers up and down the streets to call him lutherano ; and others to give out that ther was secret intelligence twixt him and the king of sweden , that when he had don his work in germany , he wold assist him to recover his right to the kingdom of naples ; but indeed his aversnes to the emperour was , because a little before he had disturbd the common peace of italy , about the quarrell with the duke of savoy . this present pope innocent the tenth is as much an austrian , as the other was a bourbonian which hath not a little advantagd the spaniard as it hath appeard by som successes since his creation ; he is more catholic than christian , whereas his predecessor was vice versa . touching the interests and disposition of the dukes of toscany , in regard they were first introduc'd and establishd in that dutchy by the armes of the house of austria , they hold their chiefest interest to be a dependency upon that house , adhering allwayes to that party with money & armes ; yet this tie was not so strong but it slackned sometimes , when public liberty was at the stake ; wisely considering that the oppression of their neighbours wold not exempt them , but reserve them for a more certain ruin . whereupon cosmo the first stuck not to assist the genoways in a quarrell that was abetted by the crown of spain ; and after him duke ferdinand with great sums of moneys assisted henry the third , and henry the fourth of france , perswading the latter to break with savoy , that by possession of the marchisat of salucces , france might alwayes have a gate open to italy ; and cosmo the second to the same purpose supported the duke of mantoua against him of savoy ; but this present duke ferdinand although he makes shew to breath nothing els than a kind of religious observance to the austrian family , yet he hath utterly refusd at present to engage against france , whereupon in policy he disarmd those gallies wherewith he was usd formerly to scowr some of the mediterranean and greek seas , to prevent that neither kings shold desire his assistance . touching the interests of the republic of genoa , since by meanes of andrew doria she drew her neck out of the french yoke , and put her self under the protection of spain , she hath still mingled interests with that crown ; charles the first finding that the citty of genoa stood very commodiously for him to convey his forces to italy , sollicited often andrew doria to consent to the erecting of a sortresse , which , notwithstanding that he was movd thereunto by the emperour both with menaces and money , he wold never agree unto ; whereupon the emperour thought upon another new and more ingenious way to engage that citty , by putting a bridle of gold into her mouth insteed of that iron one he thought of at first ; for ever since genoa serves spain for a scale to convey her treasure to high and low germany , whereby her bank of s. george hath so swelld , and the whole citty hath so enriched her self that it is wonderfull ; for it may be sayed that most of the indian gold hath pass'd ever since through their fingers , so that much thereof must needs stick unto them , by the use the spaniard gives them when they advance any sum by way of assiento as they call it , untill his fleets com from the indies ; so that they have a saying in spain that the genoways did use to carry their consciences in thin pocketts , but the weight of the indian gold hath broken thorough , so that now ther is neither bottom or bounds left in them . now , ther is no state in italy that 's more capable to incommode the spaniard , than that of genova , and to put him in a hazard to lose milan , and consequently the other territories he enjoyes in italy , which she may do if she denies him her ports , and hinder the landing of his ships upon her coasts , or by shutting the passages in that long list of land which is calld the river of genoa ; therefore the spaniard , because he wold not depend soly upon the affection of that city , raysed up a fort at monaco , and another at finale , thereby , if it were possible , to reduce the republic to an entire dependence upon him ; in the last war with savoy the genoways felt the benefit of the spaniards protection , which by way of diversion preservd them from much danger . therefore in point of interest genoa may be sayed to be an inseparable confederat of the king of spaines both for profit and preservation , she is in relation to him like a partridg under a faulcons wings , as the little republic of luca is to the duke of florence , who can seize upon her when he list , but that he finds it more advantagious unto him to permit her to continu an industrious republic still of herself . touching the dukes of savoy , their interest hath bin allwayes to keep good intelligence with france , therfore they never swervd from her friendship , but once in the time of charles the fifth , when by the inducements of a portuguez wife , charles emanuel refusd passage to the french king , which cost him afterwards very deare ; and it had cost him much more , unlesse he had comported himself with extraordinary cunning and artifice , which made him to be termd the little fox of the mountaines . the dukes of mantoua , as the rest of the minor princes of italy ; were usd to professe a totall dependence upon the house of austria ; yet duke ferdinand a wise prince , knowing that in the first motions of monferrat , the designes of savoy were fomented by offices underhand from the spaniard for his own advantage , he chose rather to defend himself from savoy without the spaniards help : but d. carlo succeeding he was forcd to adhere to the king of france for his safety , in regard of divers garrisons he had up and down monferrat . the dukes of parma , though thrust out of piacenza by charles the . and having bin beaten by him in parma , they had good reason to follow the interests of france , by whom they had receavd both their conservation and restablishment , more than once , yet they thought safer still to stick unto him that was duke of milan , till now of late that this present duke is much frenchified . touching the politicall interests , and inclinations of the duke of modena , and the state of luca , they have more confidence in the house of austria than in the french , and so they apply themselfs accordingly in point of respect and compliances : nor indeed can it be denied but all italie is beholding to the spaniard in divers respects , as for the introducing of tresure , and increse of trade ; as allso that his outpoising power keeps the inferior princes in peace , and from encroching one upon the other , lest if he shold strike in by way of auxiliary , he might swallow up both parties ; yet , it may be observd , that the italians respect the spaniard out of meer politicall interest , not out of any affection ; so that all of them would restrain his power if they could , but like the mice in the fable , they cannot find any that will venture first to hang the bell about the catts neck . having by these short expatiations given a few touches of the rest of the principalities of italy in point of politicall interests , we now return to poursue and perfect the survay of the signorie of venice in this particular allso ; which , taking her power by land and sea conjunctly , is acknowledgd to be the strongest knot of strength in italie , if we consider the reaches of her dominions , with the firmenes and solidity of her establishment , as allso the prudent and cautious conduct of her proceedings . now touching her interests , and disposition towards the two great kings forementiond , all her counsells and designs , ever since the entrance of forren armies into italie , have tended to conserve her own liberty and greatnes : it being an old observation , that all states do retain still the humor of their first founders ; as ambition , and desire of warr appeerd allwayes in the citty of rome , because her first founders were full of that humor ; but those of venice being not transported with such exorbitant thoughts , but addicted to peace , trafic , wealth and repose , having bin formerly harassd by the long calamities of italie , and the inundation of barbarous peeple , when they had gott into those safe retirements , the first and fundamentall maxime of policy they proposd to themselfs , was to maintain their common freedom , and live secure . and herin the republic of venice may be sayed to differ from the late states of holland allso , whose first foundation was layed in bloud by armes and warr ; now it is a rule that eodem modo , res conservatur , quo acquiritur ; by the same meanes things are conservd wherby they are gott ; in so much that if holland follow the humors of her first founders , she will love warr better than peace , and happly be incited therunto by an old prophecy that runns of her ; marte triumphabis , batavia , pace peribis . holland , by warr thou shalt encrease , thou wilt destroy thy self by peace . now , one of the wayes wherby the republic of venice hath endeavourd to preserve her maydenhead and freedom so long , hath bin to keep the power of the potentst princes in a counterpoise ; wherby she hath often adapted her designes , and accommoded her-self to the condition of the times , and frequently changd thoughts , will , frends , and enemies ; she hath bin allwayes usd to suspect any great power , to fear much , and confide little , to be perpetually vigilant of the operations of others , and accordingly to regulat her own consultations and proceedings ; wherby she hath bin often accusd of exces in circumspection . therfore when that impetuous shock was given italie by charles the . she only lookd on a good while , and kept her ▪ self neutrall ; but afterwards seeing the common freedom of italie floting among the french armes , she made head against them at last , freeing milan from that imminent danger which hoverd visibly ore her head , and so forcd that king to find his way back ore the alpes , and to leave the kingdom of naples to the aragonians ; to free her-self from the stratagems of mor●… , and to joyn cremona to her republic , she favourd the designes of lewis the . upon the state of milan ; but this conjunction was like that with the lion , who useth to snatch all to himself ; for lewis afterwards to thrust venice out of cremona colleagud himself with divers other princes , inciting them to invade her territories on firm land ; in so much that he introduc'd the pope , the spaniard , and king of the romanes ; but while they thought to rush into the venetian territory , they were cunningly excluded by the spaniards their confederatts , who gathering the fruit of other mens labours impatronizd himself of som townes , to recover which the venetians betook themselfs to the frendship of francis the french king , by which league they recoverd what formerly had bin taken from them . but afterwards finding that the french for their disorders had lost the duchy of milan , and that by continuing that league they exposd to som hazard their own liberty ; the republic with fortune changd her frend , and entred into league with charles the emperour : but upon that monstrous successe of fortune in pavia when the french king was taken prisoner , to preserve the common liberty of italie which was like to be swallowed up by the emperour , she re-entred into a new league with francis not without extreme hazard , because in the peace of cambray he had quite abandond her , so she was left alone to wrastle with the emperour and the formidable armies he had then afoot , against whom she bore up with much generosity a good while , wherby together with the peace of bologna she procurd the restitution of francesco sforza to the duchy of milan ; an accord which she observd with such candor and punctuality that although she was invited by many favourable conjunctures to unite again upon high advantagious termes with the crown of france , to thrust the spaniards out of milan , whereof they had rendred themselfs masters after the death of francis sforza , yet she wold never lend any ●…are therunto meerly out of her filial affection to italy , that she might not be plungd again in new troubles ; as allso finding how unlucky the french had often bin that side the alpes ; so that ever since the peace of bologna ▪ which was in the yeer . ther never happend any open war twixt spain and venice . ever since , the republic perceaving that the popes were often transported with their own interests , and that other princes were either their dependents , or their forces weak , the republic of venice hath stood as it were in perpetual centinell to watch the common freedom of italy , whereby she hath much incurrd the hate of the spaniard , who seemd to stomack it much that venice shold so stand in counterpoise with him ▪ thereupon because he could do no good by open force ▪ he went another way to work to do her a displesure , which was by erecting 〈◊〉 fortresses in the valtoline to impede all supplies that might com that way unto her upon ocasion ; the republic finding that tho spanish ministers aymd at nothing more than to depresse her strength , and so make themselfs masters of all italy in time , she studied to find meanes by money , and counsell to divert the strength of the spaniard , and cutt him out som work another way out of italy , imitating herein the faul●…r who standing himself in repose and firm upon the earth , let ts fly goshauks , and faukcons at the birds of the air. and although venice appeerd for the support of m●…ntoua , yet this was don so cunningly , that it did nothing prejudice her peace with spain , or obligd her to second france in that busines , though she was much courted thereunto by belieure , and other great ministers to engage . so that although in former times she hath bin often constraind to play fast and loose twixt spain and france , yet this last century she hath kept herself alwayes in a politique neutrality . since the principall aym of this peece is to make the industrious reader fully acquainted with this mayden republic ▪ therefore we thought it worth the labour , to insert here the opinions of the most approved and authentique writers , ( that have exposed to the world any thing of politicall goverments ) and a collation of their judgements , with the variety of expressions may conduce much to instruct the reader , and perfect his knowledge of this famous signorie . bodinus de republica lib. . contarenus thinks the same judgement to be pass'd upon the venetian republic , which he thinks may agree with all the three kinds of governments ; est , inquit , in duce regia quod●…modo potestas ; in senat●… , aristocratia ; in concilio maximo , democrati●… . ther is sayeth he , a kind of regal power in the duke , an aristocracy in the senat , and a democracy in the great councell . but ianotus who hath described the state of that common-wealth from her first originalls , and written most accuratly of her secrecies of goverment convinceth contarenus , and accuseth him of grosse errors ; he demonstrates therefore that before sebastiano cyani who was doge of venice , which is about yeers since , the republic then was plainly a monarchicall goverment . contarenus averrs , that she hath remaind about yeers in the very same condition she is now in ; paulus magustius speakes of yeers , which ianotus proves to be false out of the public acts , and the history of the times . howsoever it be , it is most evident that , in statu quo nunc the republic of venice is a pure aristocracy : for by the description of the citty and the cense that was made of the inhabitants yeers since , ther were about . cittizens excepting women , and children that had not exceeded seven yeers of age ; as also the patricians in whom the power of the republic is seated , whose nomber may amount to . all kind of churchmen are exempted out of this nomber , and young men under five and twenty , who have no accesse either to the great councell , or the administration of any office , unlesse upon request made by their seniors the same be obtaind ; nor is ther in the assembly of the great councell , which hath bin so long establishd both in our ancestors , and late progenitors times , more than ; but in former times ther were much fewer as appeers among the historians ; this convention therefore of the patricians , gentry or nobility hath the supreme power over all lawes and magistrats , of peace and war , of last appeales , of life and death as contarenus himself confesseth . which being so who can doubt but this republic is a pure aristocracy ? for if the better sort of men had nothing els but the power of the law and magistracy , it were argument enough to judg that it is an optimacy as we taught before ; since that the election of magistrats , of the senat , of the colleges , of the septemvirat , of the decemviri , of the forty privat , and so many public judges criminal and civil , depends meerly upon the grand councell of the nobility or gentry , and the rest meere precarian powers . the duke is he , who being a soverain governor may be sayed only to want comand , for he can neither summon any one before him , or apprehend any by his sole comand , or demand any , nor hath he more power in any colledg of senators , whether great or small but only that he gives the last suffrage ; nor can he open any letters either from forren princes , or any magistrat , or officer , nor admit or dismisse any ambassadors without som of the colledg of the septemvirat , or decemvirat ; nor can he marry a stranger , or go out of the citty of venice without leave . duke falerio , because he married a lady that was born out of the dominions of the republic without the consent of the senat , was by the decemvirat councell sentencd to death , and executed ; besides him sabellious enumerats twelve dukes that either were slain in a popular tumult , or punishd when they abusd their power . the same author in his . book writes thus : but the senator must take this for a principall caution , that he suffer not himself to be depravd by any bribes , or engagd by any benefitt ; which allthough it be capitall there , yet is it ordinary elswhere in other states , and except the signorie of venice who hath a senat so free and pure from this kind of sordidnes , that the very churchmen allthough they be cittizens and patricians born are restraind therfore from their civill councells , because they are known to be sworn to act not any thing against the profitts , and interest of the roman bishop ; that cry is well known to all the world , that before all suffrages this acclamation useth to be in the great councell , fuora preti , insomuch that hermolao barbaro ( and what a man was he ? ) receavd the sentence of banishment , because while ambassador in rome he sufferd himself to be coopted into the colledg of cardinalls without the consent of the senat. iac. aug. thuanus lib. . the venetian senat , which may be truly calld the shopp of all civil prudence , hath it for a speciall caveat , that none initiated in holy orders shold touch any part of the republic . the same in his . book . ther 's no prince in all italie except the venetian republic , in the conciliation of whose frendship the king ought to labour much , for by her lawes it is severely prohibited , that none of her subjects receave any pension from a forren prince . cardinall arnoldus ossat in his . epistle . the venetians to speak truly have no more devotion than needs ; yet they manage their affaires with as much prudence and gravity as any other prince ; you remember without doubt , how after the death of the last king , they presently acknowledgd this present king ( viz. henry the . ) and how they respected our ambassador as formerly , yet they would not admitt him to com with the other ambassadors to the chappell , till the king was reconcild to the church of rome ; this they did because the pope , with the king of spain , and all the world might bear wittnes , that , howsoever what they did for politicall reasons , yet they were exact observers of the catholic religion . interdicti veneti histor. lib. . the republic of venice excludes all ecclesiastiques from the participation of her goverment , and only she neither gives or takes any pensions from the court of rome . paulus paruta in histor. venet. lib. . our progenitors took singular care that the cittizens of venice shold employ their industry to navigation and maritime negotiation for the encrease and improvement of public and privat wealth , and that the venetian name might be propagated to remote and outlandish nations ; the situation of the cittie seemes to invite her to such studies and exercises , and to infuse such a propensity into the minds of her inhabitants ; in regard that the citty having not of her-self any lands to cultivat , which might answer their industry , and make them rich , and being destitut of all things els that are necessary for humane subsistence , necessity herself did excite them to naval industry , and to furrow the sea , which fills her with abundance , and affluence of all things conducing to a being , and well-being ; this made her employ hundreds of shipps and gallies abroad into forren countreys , as well to christian regions , as to infidells , and bring back rich commodities of all sorts , not only for her own ocasions , but to exercise comerce and exchange comodities with her neighbours farr and neer to her unspeakable advantage : in these gallies many young men of the gentry and patrician order do use to imbark themselfs , as well for marchandizing , as to gain experience up and down the world , specially in the art of navigation ; many wherof use to sojourn a long time among forren peeple , and dispatch not only their own affaires , but do favours and negotiat for others : wherby they attain to a great proportion of knowledg in all things , and being returnd and salted as it were in the world , and composd to frugality and modesty , they com to the management of the public affaires of the commonwealth . bodinus de repub. lib. . but because no man may think that so many counsells shold breed a confusion in so well ordred a republic , he must think that she divides her councells into ●…ower principall classes besides the senat , ther is the councell of sages which is calld the marine councell ; then is ther the councell of sages , who have the incumbency of matters by land ▪ then is ther a councell of decemvirs , and septemvirs , wherin the duke , as in all other colleges , presides ; which councells though they be sejoynd in colleges and offices , yet when the quality of the affair requires , they all consociat . the senat is composd of . gentlemen , who with so many more cittizens have the greatest management of affaires . idem ibidem . what we have spoken for matter of taking counsell , it is no where practisd better than it is in venice , for when ther is a doubtfull deliberation of things in both the councells of sages , they use to expedit it conjunctly with the decemvirs ; therfore it is subscrib'd underneath the decree con la giunta ; but if all this be not sufficient to put a period to the busines in agitation in regard of discrepancy of opinions , the septemviri are consulted ; and if this will not serve the turn , for discrepancy of censures , the senat is assembled , where the whole matter is displayed ; but if the authority of the senat will not suffice , but ther will be still dissentient suffrages , then it is finally determin'd by the great councell . idem lib. . the venetians restrain dowries by a specall law , viz. that the portion of a patrician damsell , or gentlewoman be but . crownes , lest the wealth of illustrious families be exhausted ; but if a gentleman marry a plebean , the dowry is terminated to . crownes : but they suffer now this law to be in a maner antiquated , that the poverty of som gentlemen may be repaird by the dowry of a wife ; but this is prudently observ'd , that they use as much as may be to remove women from hereditary right , if ther be any male extant . idem lib. . not long since in the yeer . the venetians created three magistrats , and endowd them with a censorian power , whom they calld a triumvirat , for the reformation of the manners of the citizens ; commonly calld i signori sopra il ben vivere della citta ; and they were thus entitled because the word censor seemd to grave and severe for a cittie that was so free from the beginning , and abounding with affluence of all plesures . idem eodem lib. the venetians do dayly exercise and entertain above . persons in public works , than which nothing can be more profitable to the common peeple , more commodious to the citty , and more delightfull to all men ; and as they employ so many in public works , so with wonderfull benignity , they distribut part of the public wealth for the relieving and sustentation of the aged and indigent . paulus paruta in hist. ven. lib. . it hath bin provided by a singular way of circumspection , and for the advantage of the republic , that her ambassadors which she employed abroad upon legations of state to forren princes , shold not reserve to themselfs what is given them by way of gift , but to confer it to the public ; but if by particular favour such ambassadors were permitted to retain such presents , such a grace must passe by the suffrage of the senat , to oblige them therby more to the benevolence of the senat , than to the bounty of any forren prince . paulus iovius lib. . the citty of venice is ample and magnificent , by navall study , and mercantile negotiations she grew up from small beginnings , but for her incredible advantage of situation she is admird , and preferrd before all other citties under the sun ; because that she being girt about with the waters of the interfluent hadrian sea , and so not exposd to any sudden surprises or assaults , she securely enjoyes her-self , and her tresure , hoording it up for times of danger ; for ther is no approch to her by land , in regard . stades of sea intercede ; nor any advenue by sea , in regard of the blind and low foords , unknown to strangers , which are round about . the venetians generally are grave in counsell , severe in judgement , constant in adversity , and moderat in prosperity ; ther is an unanimous study in them all to conserve the public liberty , and to encrease their empire ; in the senat they speak with much freedom and oftentimes with much heat and eagernes if the cause require . ther is not any of the senatorian order or others , though he excell the rest never so much in wisdom , spirit or valour , and services performd for the republic , that is sufferd to grow too high , or by conciliation of popular credit and esteem to becom too powerfull ; by which reach of policy and institution , they use in their wars by land to employ strangers for their generall , lest one of their own might be puffd up with pride , and grow too ambitious ▪ they are all grave gownmen , who have administerd this republic from the beginning , and preservd her from intestin tumults ; but touching maritime affaires , and navall discipline these grave men shake off their togated habitts , and receave martiall employment , according to the exigency of the ocasion . some observations of the citty and signorie of venice , taken out of sansovino . the air of venice is exceeding good , because it is continually purgd with the flux and reflux of the adriatic sea , which carry away with it every six howers whatsoever is corrupt and noysom , besides the multitude of fires dissolveth all unwholsom vapors , and the free scope of the winds blowing every where without impediment maketh the air more sound , and vigorous ; besides much is attributed to the saltnes which being by its nature more hot and lesse cold engendreth an equall and most sweet temperature , so that strangers with great amazement do not any where behold men more venerable , of greter age , fuller of flesh , streight bodied , of goodly presence , and more vigorous constitution ; but above all other things this is most strange , that this air by a speciall priviledg of nature doth agree with the complexions of all commers that resort thither of what nation , or under what climat soever they be born , whether the same be subtill and penetrating , or thick and foggie . round about ther is such an innumerable quantity of all excellent sorts of fish , that not only the inhabitants have plenty of fish taken twice evry day , but they allso furnish the adjoyning citties upon the continent , as well those that are under their dominion as others ; the like marvailous abundance they have of wildfoull , so different in kind , and divers in colour , that t is strange to see their various sorts , their variety being such that we have seen severall kinds of them painted most exactly in their naturall hue by marino malipiero , the most exquisit and ingenious man of his time in that art. this citty above all other is worthy to be admired , as being singular by her self , and brooking no comparison with any other ; for what other citty soever hath bin either plesant by situation , or glorious in goodlines of buildings , yet it had som kind of resemblance with others ; but only this being seated in the midst of the waters hath not any thing upon earth to which it may be resembled , the rare position whereof being such , that it injoyeth the comodities of the waters , and the plesures of the land , secure by being among the waves from land assaults , and free by not being founded in the depths of the sea from maritim violences ; so that whereas other citties do keep and defend their cittizens with walls , towers , and gates , this being naked and without ramparts , is not only secure her-self , but rendereth allso with admirable prudence such citties secure as do sleep under her wings . among many other rare edifices sumptuous as well in the richnes of the matter , as marvailous for the most singular curiosity of workmanship the steeple of s. mark is most miraculous , the same being so huge high and stately , that in faire wether it is seen and discernd by those that sayl from istria miles off ; the speciall care and oversight wherof is comitted allwayes to a person of speciall quality , who hath for his allowance . crowns yeerly stipend . vve will now descend to som particular customes of this mayden citty as her maner of marying , and of the fruits therof her christnings . mariages among the nobility ar for the most part alwayes treted of by a third person , the bride being never suffer'd as much as to see her future husband , nor he her , untill the mariage dower , and all things therunto appertaining , be fully agreed upon and concluded , which being don , the next morning the bridegrome goeth to the court of the palace , and there the match being publish'd he receaveth well-wishing speeches , and salutations from such of the nobility as doe enter into the pallace , and withall inviteth his frends to the house of the brides father , to be there at a certain time appointed in the afternoon ; at the entry of the dore they are attended by the bridegroom and his kinred , and brought up to a hall wher ther are none but men only , and there the bride is brought forth apparrell'd by an ancient custom all in white , her haires dischevell'd , and hanging about her sholdiers woven in and out with filletts of gold ; where being betroth'd with many solemn ceremonies , she is led about the hall with flutes , drums and other instruments , still dancing in a soft mesure , then she boweth down to those that salute her ; having so shew'd her-self she goeth in & returneth out again , if any men friends do chance to com that had not seen her before , she comes out and presents herself , then she entreth to a gondola , and being attended by divers other she goeth up and down to the nunneries , specially to those where any of her kinred are reclusd ; now this shewing of her ▪ self abroad is to no other end , but in regard of her children and sundry other things , it may after happen she may make her nuptialls apparant to all : at evry wedding ther is a gentleman or two calld compari , that are as it were masters of the revells , because their charge is to see unto the musik , and whatsoever other shewes or pastimes appertain to the feast , the next morning their friends and kinred present the new married couple with sundry sorts of restoratives and sweet meates . the christnings in venice are somewhat diffring from other places , for the father inviteth not two god-fathers and a god-mother , or two god-mothers and a god-father , but as many as they list , insomuch that somtimes ther have bin above at a christning , but to the end that this goshipship shold no way be a bar or impediment among the gentlewomen in matter of mariage , it was by a law ordained , that one gentleman shold not take another gentleman for his goship , whence it cometh that when the priest powreth the water on the childs head , he first maketh mention of the law , and then demandeth if ther be among the goships any one of the venetian nobility . nor are ther any women admitted to the christning but only the nurse , who hath the charge of the child ; the next day the father sends to evry goship a marchpane , and evry of them sendeth back som present or other to the child according to the custom of the citty ; their greatest magnificence and charge , is at the nativity of the child , for then they wonderfully exceed not only in the sumptuousnes of their banquetts , but also in rich furniture , and adorning of their houses . likewise ther is no place on earth wher the funerall of the meanest cittizen is solemnizd with greater ceremony and expence ; nor is ther any countrey wher strangers find better entertainment , and live in greater security . the plesures , recreations and pastimes of the gentlemen are of divers kinds , among the rest they take great delight in fowling making great matches who can kill most fowle in a day , turning still the end therof to banqueting and plesure . they have boats of purpose calld fisolari so nam'd from fisolo , which is the name of the bird they seek after ; in evry of these boates they have six or eight servants apparrell'd in blewish , or greenish garments , suited as nere as they can to the colour of the water , these row the boat up and down , turning her suddenly to evry side as they are commanded by their masters , who sits close with his peece or bow wholy intentive upon his sport ; if he chance to misse when he shooteth , the fisolo divers under water , and where he riseth again thither they turn their boats with much nimblenes ; divers boates use to goe to this pastime , which is very chargeable to the gentlemen ; upon their return they hang the fowle they have killd out of the window , as hunters do upon their dores the heads of beares , bores , hares , taking it as a great reputation to kill more of these in a day than their fellowes can . the dukes of venice have by ancient priviledges confirmd by sundry emperours , authority to create erles and knights , and likewise poetts laureat , with either of which dignities the prince of venice doth use to honor and reward persons of merit and virtu . the dukes have oftentimes matchd in the greatest and royallest houses of christendom , which alliances with forren princes growing suspected to the commonwealth , ther was a law made in the yeer . that the duke might not marry the daughter of any stranger , though by priviledg and adoption he had obtaind the right and title of a venetian gentleman ; and in the yeer . it was ordaind that he shold not marry the daughter , sister or kinswoman of any forren prince , without the licence and consent of the great councell . the dukes of venice were wont in times passd to honor themselfs with high and princely titles , as calling themselfs dukes of venice , dalmatia and croatia , lords of a half part , and a quarter of the whole roman empire , &c. which vanity of titles was taken away in the yeer . and utterly prohibited , and this title only allowd , i. d. by the grace of god duke of venice , &c. the common coin is stampd with the inscription of the dukes name then in being , but it is against the law that any duke shold ingrave , imborder or paint his peculiar coat of armes in any ensignes , banners , gallies , seats of justice , or public places of honor , but only within the precincts of the palace . yet is he buried with all the princely magnificence that may be : being dead , his bowells are taken out , and his body embalmd , after which he is kept divers daies openly in the hall attended by the senators ( as sayed before ) his herse being coverd over with a large cloth of rich gold , and his sword and spurres lying athwart of the herse ; he is wayted on to his grave by all the fraternities of the cittie , and the churchmen with an innumerable company of torches ; next follow the officers and chief servants of the dukes familie all apparrelld in black , with hoods ore their heads , and a long train ; next them com the senators all in scarlett and grain , signifying the cittie of venice to be ever free , therfore ought not to mourn at the death of any prince how virtuous soever : with this pomp they passe to saint marks place , where the beer is lifted up on high nine times that evry one might take his perpetuall farewell of him ; then is he carried to the church , and a solemn funerall oration is made for him ; then the senators return to the palace , and presently proceed to the election of a new duke , which they cannot do by the ancient constitution till the other be first under ground ; and so corruptio unius , est generatio alterius . privat instructions given to cardinall f. when he was sent nuntio to venice . it being the main designe of this discours to make the reader perfectly acquainted with this mayden republic , it will not be amisse to insert here the instructions that were given by pope gregory to his nuntio , when he was employd upon an extraordinary legation to the signorie of venice ; for it will conduce much to understand the stile of the signorie , and compliances that must be usd in that court. the first discours your excellency shall hold with the prince and signorie of venice shall ayme at two ends ; the one , to expose unto his serenity the plesure of his holines , therin declaring the ocasion and aymes of your legation ; the other , to expresse the particular affections you bear to that most excellent signorie . touching the first , it shall suffice that you follow the tenor and substance of your commission , having a speciall charge not to recede from it in any materiall point . touching the second , it is referrd chiefly to your own election and judgment what to deliver , for endearing your self to the duke , and senators . and in generall you may say that what employment soever his holines had cast upon you , you had esteemd it a high favor , being entirely addicted to him , and the holy seat ; but that you were far more obligd to his holines , that he vouchsafd to employ you to his serenity , and that most illustrious republic , because you had a long desire to renew the memory of that servitude , and high affections which the arch-bishop your oncle had vowd to the signorie , to whom both your parentage and person will be ever well affected ; besides , you held it a great honor that you had to negotiat with a prince so full of majesty , and grandeur , being the head of the greatest , the most florishing , and best orderd commonwealth in the world ; in so much that after the service of his sanctitie , you will preferr that of his serenity before all other , and that you will be ever ready to make it good in effect , as well as in affection , and turn your words to actions , and that you stand there most ready to give proof therof ; moreover , that the bent of your endeavors , and study will be to preserve , and improve the paternall love which his holines beares towards that most noble republic ; that you love the very name of venice ; therfore nothing shall take greater room in your thoughts than to maintain the good intelligence , and union which is , and ought to be betwixt the popedom and the republic , in regard that the princes of both aym at the same object , they have the same wills , and incumbency to conserve the authority of their states ; that in order to this you will employ your main strength , with all your spirits , and that you will be so zealous herin as if you were born his holines vassall , being very loth that your oncle shold go before you but only in time in point of good will and affection towards that most illustrious signorie . your own prudence shall direct you herin , and how to place your words , that they may be more or lesse moving to gain the amity and confidence of the lords of the senat , wherin gravity will advantage you much , and it may be , more than any thing els : in this first discours you are to mingle with your best dexterity som honorable mention of the republiques ambassador at rome , and what contentment he gives to his holines in all treaties , and how well he deserves of his countrey ; as allso what respect and benevolence all the prelats of the roman court do professe unto him ; this intimation shall serve you for two ends , for you will therby draw thanks from the kinred of the sayd ambassador , and making them your confidents they will further you in all your negotiations ; besides , you will therby oblige the ambassador himself , who will take ocasion to correspond with you in like civilities , therfore you must not fayl to give the sayed ambassador here a solemn visit , and take conge of him , desiring that he wold comand you in any service to his kinred and friends , whither you are going , endeavouring thereby to make the deepest impressions you can upon his soul , that you go to venice with a resolution to serve and honor him and his upon all occurrences , wherof you are to desire him to certifie them by letters , and possesse them before hand in your behalf that they wold love , and favour you with their friendship ; you may assure the ambassador allso that you will never propose any thing that may be prejudiciall to any of them . in sum , you are allwayes to preserve the friendship of the ambassador entire , both by letters , and other good offices you shall do to his friends , and kinsmen , but not engaging your self to do the like in his behalf to others , for that wold haply turn to a disservice to the gentleman , and be no advantage to your self . som dayes after your first audience you must think what visits to make , and because you need no instruction how to comport your self towards the prelats , i must give you a speciall caution not to visit the doge by himself , or speak to him alone ; nor must you visit all sorts of senators , specially those that be young , for that wold be unseemly ; nor indeed doth any senator much desire to be visited because it may breed jealousy , and so draw danger upon him ; and ther may be two reasons alledg'd why they do not desire to be visited by strangers ; the first is the parsimonious and privat lifes they lead ; the other , because they have som of their brothers or children that are prelats , so that it wold be a kind of offence to them to visit their parents , either for the small splendor of their dwellings , or for the simplicity of their maners . therfore allthough no exact rule can be given you what persons you are to visit , yet in the generall , they must be those that for office or magistracy live with more magnificence , and splendor than others having palaces accordingly , such as are the procurators of s. mark ; nor must these visits be frequent , but only twice a yeer will suffice , or it may be a longer interposition of time , according as custom shall teach you , allthough they who com to visitt you do it oftner . when any of the principall senators shall com to your house to salute you , or treat of any busines , those of your family must be all ready to receave him at the gate , and you must meet him upon the staires , but when they depart , you are to bring them to the bottom of the staires , though they reject it never so much : your comportment towards gentlemen of younger yeers , and lesse dignity shall be regulated by your own judgment , and in such a maner as shall be obliging to them but not undervaluing your self ; you must propose this as an universall rule to your self , that if you entreat the prelats well , and bind them unto you , as i know you will evertuat your self to do , they may becom instruments of great matters by the meanes of their parents , although their parents may not make any shew that you are so affected to them , or they to you : the prelats being well satisfied by you , will much avayle you , in giving good reports of you at rome . i must advise your excellency again that gravity will steed you much , because the venetian gentlemen make profession thereof , and esteem it above any thing , not as much for apparances only , as for well becoming public ministers of state ; because it is an argument of staydnes , of vertu and prudence . yet this gravity must not turn to an austerity , or take away that affability , candor and sweetnes which you are to use towards all people , for so you may be esteemed to be fantasticall and proud . therfore you must speak , and treat with such an unaffected gravity that may be sutable to your person : and when you have any thing to do in the senat , be mindfull of the rank you hold , and of the quality of that prince whom you represent ; yet shewing a great deal of reverence , and presupposing that you are in the presence of a king. all the discours you shall make in the senat , shall be addressed to the prince , and allthough you speak to the whole colledg , yet you shall allwayes use these words , vestra serenitá , or serenissimo principe . you must have a speciall care to honor the venetian gentlemen , according to their age and dignity , and you must know that those gentlemen love to be courted and complimented , specially if they be invested in any office of dignity ; and honor is the more dear unto them , when it comes from a person of noble employment and extraction ; wheras otherwise they will deem it an injury not to be respected , turning such disrespects into disdain and scorn of him that will not give them their due , because the senators and patricians of venice have high conceits of themselfs for their antiquity , and for their freedom continued so many ages inviolable . besides the difference that ought to be put betwixt old and young , or those that are graduated with offices or not graduated , wherof the first of both are to be the more esteemd , you must allso make som distinction betwixt families . now , the families of the venetian gentry is divided to three ranks , viz. to ancient , new , and midling houses ; the ancientst are the most honorable , and esteemd more then others , therfore allthough you are to respect all gentlemen in generall , yet you must have a speciall regard to put your self in lower postures of reverence towards those ancient families ; but you must beware not to doe it in public , so that others take notice therof , but particularly , and in privat discours ; so that this distinction of old and new families must be reservd within your own brest , otherwise the other rank of nobles will take exception at your partiall behaviour , which may turn to your prejudice . among the prelats of that nation the patriark is the prince , and more highly esteemd than any other , as well for his age , as eminency , as allso commonly for his parentage , and frends , and that he lives more splendidly and hospitably then any other ; and the senators affoord him in som cases as much respect as they doe to the colledg of ten when they send to him for his opinion , which yet cannot turn to a suffrage : you must make great account of him therfore , but take heed that this great prelat doe not overact himself in point of return . i beleeve you know well what was negotiated of old at rome in behalf of that patriarch , and how the signorie her-self recommended him unto the pope , and thought to pourchase him that honor ; but seing him excepted against , she stirrd no further , or made any more instance for any other during the time of that pope . that prelat nevertheles ceaseth not to aggrandize himself by recommending his cause to all the nuntio's : therfore you shall be easily prayed to do som good offices for him about his holines , it may be , you may receave high answers , and replies , therfore you must carry your self with a great deal of dexterity , and moderation in this busines ; but if you undertake to do such an office , the signorie will be ill satisfied , and the refusall he receavd from other nuntio's will serve you for directions what you ought to doe : you must declare to such as shall discourse with you about this prelat , the high respect you bear unto him , for his singular parts of vertu , and merit , making shew to serve him in all things to the utmost extent of your ability , provided that it be acceptable to the signorie , and herin your answer must be short and strict . you must not invite any venetian gentleman to take a repast with you , specially any senator ; yet in som case one may doe it , and so your invitation will not be unpleasing , but well accepted ; this must be don , when any of those gentlemen chance to negotiat with you about eating time , because that inviting him then , is a signe that you rather comply with the time , then that you doe it out of a reall desire , but this rarely happens . if he who is invited doth not refuse to stay , you must remember that he is a senator , therfore you must not suffer him to sit beneath the prelats , but you must place him in the highest seat , allthough haply he make resistance ; but i beleeve you will find but little opposition , in regard that the prelats themselfs will concurr with you in this observance ; a little after the repast you must rise from the table , and give this senator the oportunity for to depart , without detaining him longer , and when he departs you shall accompany him to the bottom of the staires . you must refrain to shew your self over curious to know the secrets , and pry much into the mysteries of this republic , for then you may deprive your self of their conversation ; therfore you must not seem to make any streight friendship with her secretaries , yet you must honour them upon all ocasions , that it may appeer how much you esteem them ; and for public transactions you may be well assurd , that they will com home to your dores without the trouble of making any reserches after them . if it happen that you be requird to recommend anybody to the senators , ponder the busines so well before hand that you may not com off with a deniall ; you must take heed to recommend to any temporall judges the persons of churchmen in processes against the laiks : you must not favour in that citty or signorie the execution of any sentence given at rome , unlesse you have comandement from his holines so to doe , which you must shew . let your servants be observant to know the customes and fashions of the cittie , not geering at such things that may haply breed laughter in a stranger ; but on the contrary , let them be pliable to accommodat themselfs to the modes of the place ; for som fashions that are held comly in other places , may seem ridiculous here . and oftentimes they will not disdain to use in ordinary discours som termes of that countrey , and the venetian dialect , which you must not slight . allthough the commendation and praises which are given one , are accustomed commonly to procure frendship , and the good grace of him who is praisd , yet the custom and humor of the venetian cannot brook , that a nuntio or ambassador shold extoll and commend such that are in authority among them , either in their own presence , or before any other , for those kind of praises doe not use to sound or relish well : 't is tru , that before parents or kinred or intimat frends one may blazon the worth and vertu of som senator ; but the surest way is to abstain from commending any at all , and to be reservd in this point : but as a public minister cannot commend the actions or exploits of any venetian gentleman without endangering the party , and wronging his own judgment , yet the venetians are very well pleasd to hear the praises of the republic in generall , or any thing that may tend to the glory therof , or of the nation ; specially if one points at those things which are peculiar to that peeple or citty , and cannot be applied to any other , as the marvailous site of the cittie ; the maner wherby she is preservd , and securd , with the causes therof ; the public and privat magnificences , the patrician bloud , wherin the chief extractions of the roman nobility , and of many other townes of italy , with other places of europe , was conservd pure from mingling with the goths , vandalls , hunns , sarracens and longobards neer upon . hundred yeers : the christian nativity of this republic , having never followd any other religion ; the method of her goverment , and that she hath particular constitutions of her own which she never borrowed of others , but she did constitut her-self ; that she hath conservd her-self a longer tract of time than any republic that ever was ; having never lost or diminishd any part of her first liberty , or acknowledgd any other superiority but her own ; her temperat kind of mixture in point of goverment tends allso much to her honor , wherin all the qualities , and kinds of goverments are involvd ; the maner of electing her prince , and subordinat magistrat●…s by an extraordinary way of balloting or lottery , wherin choice and chance have a hand ; her formes of justice , with the cautious authority and moderation of her judges ; the prudence and maturity of her senat in all deliberations ; her matchles forces by sea ; her vast provisions , and preparatifs for all kinds of warr , wherin that signorie surpasseth all other potentats of christendom ; that no navall warr can be made against the ottomans , the common enemy , without conjunction with her ; that this republic is calld the shield , and principall safegard , and as paul the . sayd , the bullwark of europe ; the mighty forces she employed against cyprus against selym for her defence ; the generosity she hath shewed not to refuse the warr ; the deliberations she holds before she engageth in any fight , and her most celebrous exploits in the great battail of lepanto in the yeer . and not to extend my self further , i say you will extremely plese the venetians in elevating the achievments , ancient and modern , of the signorie ; moreover , t will be very gustfull unto her if you speak of her piety , and munificence to the church , and to have oftentimes bin the protectresse of saint peters chaire , renewing the memory of what passd twixt frederic the second and her , with the negotiations and protestations made by her before the duke of alva in the warr against his holines , and all things els that you can alledg conducible to this purpose ; lastly , remember well to extoll the royal and sincere proceedings of the republic upon all occurrences in public treaties ; commending her that she useth to negotiat frankly , without any artifice or disguise , but really , and without palliations . i will not name heer the princes that are belov'd or hated by the signorie , for it will tend to little purpose . the republic of ragusa , and genoa are no great friends to this signorie , ; yet they hate her not , but use to be sensible of her dangers , and troubles ; because that whosoever growes to be master of any of these republiques will have the greater strength ; which is just contrary to the aymes of the republic of venice , whose policy tends that the state of italy receaves no alteration , but be allwayes at a constant stand ; and for this cause she wold be contented that the dominions which the spaniard hath in that countrey were equally divided twixt spain and france , that the power of those two great kings might be counterpoisd , and that neither of them were so powerfull in italie . wherupon the signorie of venice extremely desireth that rome , with the state ecclesiastic , and the apostolic seat , might be preservd , in regard that beside the affair of religion , she observes the excellent regiment of the church , wherin all the vigor , and reputation of italie consists ; and touching the holy father , were he reducd to any extremity or danger , this pious republic would employ all her power to protect him , being wisely perswaded that all the domage which wold fall upon his sanctity , wold rebound upon her. i have forborn to observe hitherunto that the principall object of the consultations of this noble signory is the repose of italy , and to preserve her from revolutions of intestin broyles . you must allso take it among your instructions that in the discourses you shall hold with the venetians or others , you must not shew your self inclinable to make a new league against the turk , but rather when you fall upon this subject , you shall appeer rather for peace , and approve of the prudence of the signorie in her cariage towards this huge potentat to have no actuall hostility with him ; in which discours you must be mindfull of the three reasons , which the venetians use to alledg that it is necessary for that state to have peace with the turk . the first is in regard that all the iles , coasts and maritime places which the signorie possesseth do confine with som part of the ottoman empire , therupon she may be easily surpriz'd and invaded that way . the second is in regard that the citty of venice being the best peepled of all italy , she hath not territory enough to maintain and support her-self , or afford her all sorts of necessaries , therfore she must be oblig'd to other countries for her sustentation , now , ther is no prince upon earth , that lieth so oportunely to furnish her as the turk . thirdly , if a war be declar'd in the levant all traffick will cease by sea , as also commerce by land , therfore the citty of venice being one of the greatest mercantile towns in the world , her cittizens will grow poor , and want employment . you must add to these considerations the form and institution of the republic , being from the first time of her foundation ordained and born as it were for peace and plenty , as she hath found by experience ; therfore the venetian senators are alwayes pleas'd , when any motion is made of peace , and when any mention is made of the turk they will not be discontented to heer him extoll'd for a mighty great prince , implying thereby that the signorie is the wiser to be at good termes with him ; the reasons whereby the venetians did justify their proceedings , when against the capitulations of the league they did accommode themself with the turk , are so known to the world that it were a peece of impertinency to insist upon them here ; but in your discours among the venetians , you may make use of them as ocasion shall invite you . i finish these instructions with this necessary rule that evry ambassador , or public minister of state ought to render himself agreeable to the prince , with whom he negotiates , which may tend much to the happy conduct , and advancement of all his negotiations . a review of the navall strength of venice . in regard the main strength and incolumity , together with the principall defence and glory of this neptunian damsell is derived from the sea , it will not be amisse to make inspection once more into her waters , and fadom the depth of her navall power . now , to treat of her strength this way it will not be amisse to give a little touch once more at her arsenall , which strikes an admiration into all men that are curious to survey it , and may be rank'd one of the wonders of the world in that kind ; it is sited and encompass'd with a great chanell of the sea , it is girt about with strong walls three miles in circuit ; ther have been counted there at one time gallies , besides those that were in cours to secure the gulf whereof ther were above galeasses , which in comparison of the other gallies may be call'd men in compleat armes , or cuirasses , because they' are not so nimble in their motion neither for sayle or oar as others , but they give a far greater shock , and if they have a rowsing gale of wind and favorable , of these are able to encounter . of other gallies ; besides they have the advantage of galeons , because they have feet as well as wings . for timber to build all sorts of sayling vessells , ther is such abundance that by an extraordinary providence grow up and down upon the coasts not far remote from the cittie in the firm land that she never wants any , but can furnish her self out of her own stock . for rowers and sayles besides those that the citty can affoord , her-self , she hath great nombers in all the maritime townes ; and for souldiers for her gallies she employes those of dalmatia and croatia with other places call'd the cernides ; the captaines and lieutenants of her gallies are for the most part venetian gentlemen , wherof ther is a great multitude ; and besides the lieutenant , she employes alwayes two young gentlemen more to be exercis'd in maritime affaires , the art of navigation , and navall militia ; the greatest inconveniences she hath is scarcity of bread and bisket ; howsoever she is allwayes very carefull to supply their want , by those huge magazins of all sort of grain which she stores up in the arsenall , and other places : she hath commonly evry yeer , though she be in peace with all the world , about gallies to scowre the gulph , and secure her islands in the ionian sea , wherof ther is an admirall call'd the captain of the gulph , who hath duketts for his annual salary . these gallies do not only free the gulph from corsaries or pyratts , but they preserve the reputation of the republic , and breed alwayes a nursery of able sea-comanders : whensoever she understands that the turk arms at sea , she doth accordingly encrease this nomber of gallies , and names a generall . she is infested somtimes with petty compagnons call'd the uscocchi upon the coasts of dalmatia , who having snap'd up any little prize , use to retire suddenly to som of the territories of the house of austria , which causeth her to be at the charge of maintaining a fleet of small vessells calld fusti upon those coasts to secure her marchants . indeed , it cannot be imagind what nomber of vessells the signorie can put to sea , in regard she hath all kind of provisions , materialls , armes and other necessaries alwayes in a readines ; and she doth dayly improve her strength rather than diminish it ; therefore if about yeers agoe she did arme above . gallies and other vessells towards the conquest of the holy land , and so many in the conquest of constantinople where she joyned with the french , it is easy to conjecture how her power hath bin augmented since ; considering that all her neighbours have encreas'd in strength since that time , and it hath bin one of her prime rules of policy to have an eye to that , and proportion her forces accordingly , this being the chiefest thing that those great officers the three sages of the sea , and the three sages de terra firma have given them in charge : therfore when they are elected for those offices they have more honor given them than ordinary ; yet when any are so chosen ther is not any useth to congratulat them , or go to kisse their hands as was usuall when the great councell was risen after the election ; and this is one of the modernst lawes of venice , which was ratified and enacted with great approbation , viz. that when any was nominated to any office of honor or public trust , none of the senat shold congratulat them , whereas before evry man at the recesse of the councell wold presse to take those by the hand who were chosen magistrats , protesting with many vowes that they were seriously glad in their hearts of the advancement that had befallen them , yea even those wold say so that had given their suffrages against them by way of complement , which was adjudgd by the censors to be a great abuse and unworthy of the venetian nobility , being in all other things so grave and honorable . the sayed censors allso are of no long institution , they are created with great solemnity , their office being to represse the ambition and prodigality of the gentry , and to look with severity into their deportments . the defects of the signorie of venice . but now we have taken paines to recount the perfections and virtues of this powerfull and so well policed commonwealth , which are so many in nomber , and such , that they fill all the world with wonder ; it will not be impertinent to discover what are her defects and vices , considering that ther is no created body in this sublunary world , either naturall or civill , but is subject to imperfections , and no convenience is without its inconvenience . the first defect then and the greatest that venice is thought to be subject unto , is , that being lady of so many countreys , she must import nourishment for her children out of other places , and if she had not the sea for her frend she might endure a great deal of hardship , for want of bread ( which is the staff of life ) and of all sorts of grain ; therfore it is the principall motif that induceth her to be very loth to fall out with the turk , from whose dominions she fetcheth many commodities that conduce to sustenance and well being . it is another inconvenience unto her that candy in the mediterranean , and other iles she hath in the ionian seas , are so remote from her , and they so distant one from the other . another is , that she is enforcd in time of actuall warr to employ suisses , and germanes , with other strangers , who are acquainted with the new modes of combating ; for touching the italian infantery , they are softer , and hardly drawn from their old fashion of fight , and military discipline . another may be , that by reason of her overmuch jelousy and caution she dares not employ any of her own subjects in quality of generall by land for fear lest he shold grow too popular . lastly , that she being the next neighbour to the turk ; if any other christian prince or state offends him or his subjects , he is ready ever and anon to throw the catt at her shinns , to pick a quarrell , and wreck his revenge upon her , by setting upon her skirts either by land or sea , and this she hath often felt ; add herunto that this vicinity with so huge a potentat encreaseth both her cares and expences , for ther is no state consumes more in fortifications . touching her vices , she is taxd all the world over for the latitud of liberty she gives to carnall plesure , and the large conscience she hath under the navill , though naples exceed her in this kind , whence some wold derive the ground of the proverb , that venice and naples are two paradises where devills dwell ; but she may receave this infection from the greek and the turk her neighbours , who hold that the creator inordred his handmayd nature to infuse hott bloud into humane veines , and into that bloud appetits and motions not to be a torment unto him , but to be turnd into delight and plesure ; to this they say ther be multitudes of reclusd men and women in venice , who by their austere cours of continency make som compensation for this loosnes in others , and keep her citty from sinking ; for when the last cense was made , ther were neer upon . fryers and nunns immurd within the citty , who make vowes of continency , and have divorcd themselfs for such sensuall plesures . lastly , venice is taxd that her children are so mortally revengefull ; but this humor is incident to all italians , and other nations besides ; who if they receave a weighty injury from any , they will make sure work with him , and dispatch him , so that he shall not wrong them twice ; which a duellist useth to doe by exposing his life to equall hazard with his enemy . of the famous and renowned men which venice hath producd . ther are few citties which have brought forth men more celebrous for all the cardinall virtues than venice hath don , as allso more scientificall contemplative men , and greater artists ; whose names , to doe her a generall right , we thought it not improper to insert here . venice producd three popes , and they were accounted the best of popes ; viz. gregory the . of the corarian familie ; eugenius the . sprung of the cundelmerians , a man of transcendent parts of wisedom ; and paul the . of the extraction of barbi , whose virtues blondus , sabellicus , and platina himself , who was no frend to som popes , doth blazon forth in a high mesure . ther have bin a great nomber of cardinalls , as petrus maurocenus , marcus landus , iohannes amadeus , iohn baptista zeno , dominicus grimanus who was afterwards patriark of aquileia , he was a greater honor to the redd hatt than any , both for learning and all virtu ; his library had above . volumes of greek and latin authors ; ther was allso marcus cornarius , and marinus grimanus , gaspar contarenus , petrus bembus who was adopted to the colledg of cardinalls by paul the . of whose elegant and learned writings as well in greek and latin , with other languages , all the world doth ring . franciscus cornarius , and franciscus pisanus , marinus grimanus a man whom the world admird , who was so many times employed in quality of nuntio ; he was allso governor of parma and placentia from the pope , iohannes grimanus allso was a man renownd all the world over . touching learned men that left monuments to posterity they are nomberles ; ther was pantaleon iustinianus patriarch of constantinople ; hermolaus barbarus , laurentius iustinianus patriarch of aquileia ; maphaeus contarenus , andreas bendelmerius , gregorius corarius , iohannes boratius , maphaeus gerardus , thomas donatus , antonius syrianus , ludovicus contarenus ; antonius contarenus , hieronymus quirinus ; hieronymus trevisanus , petrus monteus , iacobus zeno , antonius pisamanus , aloysius lippamannus ; andreas dandalus duke of venice is to be rankd among these learned authors , who compild a gallant story , whom petrarch , blondus and sabellicus mention with so much honor : leonardus iustinianus , zacharias trevisanus , marcus lippamannus ; franciscus barbadius , daniel veturius , franciscus barbarus ; all these , with multituds more of this kind were sonnes of venice , whose works have flown through most parts of the world. the citty allso of venice producd many excellent lawyers , as barbonus maurocenus , ludovicus foscarus , vitalis landus , candianus polanus , nicolaus canalis , laurus quirinus , iohannes carnalis , paulus barbus , andreas iulianus , bernardus iustinianus , petrus thomas , ludovicus donatus , franciscus dedus , marcus sanutus , hieronymus donatus ; all these were great lawyers and senators , whose learned works are found yet in most of the libraries up and down christendom , with those of andreas navagerius . besides men of erudition and exquisit learning and policy , venice hath brought forth a great nomber of generalls and captaines renowned all the earth over for their prowesse and valour both by land and sea , who enlargd the territories of the republic by their exploits and victories ; ther com in the van of these iohannes and raynus polanus , who brought corfù or corcyra under subjection ; marinus gradonicus with dominicus maurocenus reduc'd pola ; iohannes basilius , and thomas falerius did daunt and discomfit the pisans when they infested the seas ; reinerus dandalus with rugerius permarinus , took metho and coton after a stubborn sieg , and with marvailous personall resolution ; iohannes trevisanus with nine vessells utterly overcame and took genoways nere drepano in sicilie ; petrus thomas , iohannes grittus , nicolaus balestrerius , marcus bonus , and andreas thealdus , did oftentimes reduce to obedience the candiotts in severall rebellions ; leonardus quirinus , and marcus onissorius brought away two famous victories from before constantinople ; reinerius zeno quieted most parts of dalmatia when they mutined : laurentius teupolus in the port of ptolemais took and sunk shipps of the genowayes , and afterwards being joyned with andreas zeno he took of their gallies and galeons nere tyre ; the greek emperour balduinus made mark gradonico admirall of all the seas ; marcus michael with a few gallies put to flight sayles of genowayes , and afterwards took chalcis . gilbertus dandalus , and iacobus dandalus in a bloudy fight nere drepano in sicilie took of their men of war ; raggierus maurocenus being generall of gallies did things beyond belief ; iohannes superantius with gallies took theodosia in the tauric cherchonesus , and a little after benedictus iustinianus took a great nomber of greek shipps . petrus zeno was the first generall that was employed against the turks , and brought home two victories in one yeer . ther suceeded him marinus falerus , andreas cornalis , petrus and marcus canalis , marcus iustinianus , who were never beaten in their lifes , but came off alwayes victors in seven navall expeditions . the first officers whom the republic employed in quality of proveditors to accompagnie the generall , and concur with him in all counsells were andreas maurocenus , and simon dandalus , and afterwards nicolaus gradonicus , and pancratius iustinianus , which charge and singular trust was delated unto them for their extraordinary prudence , and fidelity to their countrey , which they made appeer in the execution of their places , and the triumphant successe they had ; nicolaus pisanus deserves immortall prayse , together with iohannes delphinus in that he took away from the genowayes sayles of shipps ; paulus loredanus , marcus michael , and iohannes sanutus , deserve no lesse for their exploits in the levant seas ; marcus cornalis was not inferior to any of these , when duke falerius being slain the senat for his high deserts made choice of him to be prince with the acclamation of all the peeple ; bernardus iustinianus became glorious over all parts of the greek empire for his notable achievments , and extrordinary valour ; the fortitud and wisdom of victor pisanus in overcoming the assaults of sinister fortune was most memorable ; for being by the election of the senat , and applause of all the venetian peeple designd admirall of the gulph , upon som ill successes , and reluctancies of fortune , the genewayes occupying fossa clodia , was cast into prison by sentence of the senat , and venice was reduc'd to such streights , that she sent a blank to the genowayes to write their own capitulations for peace , which they refusing , the sayd victor pisanus by the cry and pastulations of all the people was demanded out of prison , which being obtain'd , he was by an universall suffrage of the great councell chosen admirall again , and launching forth into the archipelago , he carried away from the genowayes , who were then agogg for their great successes , the most glorious victory that ever was had of them , and so pluck'd up his countrey out of that deep plunge she was then fallen into ; sabellicus writes of this noble chieftain , that being sent for by the senat out of prison , he excus'd himself saying that he had somthing to do before he wold part from that schoole of repentance , therfore staying there all that night , and spending most part of it in spirituall meditation , he sent betimes the next morning for his ghostly father , and after a very penitent confession of his sinnes , he took the holy eucharist , protesting by that holy sacrament that he freely forgave all those who had don him injury by their traducements , and that he wold be as tru to his countrey , and as carefull of the glory of the republic as ever he was , not doubting but god , and all his holy angells wold accompagnie him . dominicus michael with a fleet of . well appointed gallies only , reduc'd the i le of candie to a perfect passe of obedience , when she had utterly fallen off from her obedience to the republic being fomented by divers princes in that rebellion . ther succeeded him in the generallship cressus molinus , michael delphinus , iacobus maurus , marcus iustinianus , carolus zeno who in the clodian battail against the genowayes shewd such notable evidences of valour ; michael iustinianus , petrus hemus , fantinus georgius , marcus grimanus , iohannes barbus , victor barbarus obtain'd eternall glory for their exploits against philip maria duke of milian ; franciscus bembus gaind no lesse renown by a famous victory he got of the milaneses upon the river of po by a fleet of gallifoists as blodus , sabellicus and corius make honorable mention in their works . petrus lauredanus made all the eastern world ring of his glory , so did after him andreas mocenigus ; stephanus contarenus gave three severall defeates to the dukes of milan that all italy sounded out his fame , when brescia came under the dominion of the republic : aloysius lauredanus , in that memorable expedition against the great turk , wherein pope eugenius , and the duke of burgundy were joynd , came off with admirable successe : victor capellus a man of cleer intellectualls and solid judgment was admirall in divers notable expeditions against the turk and never receavd any repulse , in so much that he was honord by his very enemies ; after him ursatus iustinianus , iacobus lauredanus , nicolaus canalis , petrus mocenicus , were famous both in the greek , the mediterranean and all the levant seas ; victor superantius made his name good by his actions , being a man of an undaunted spirit , yet very circumspect in the conduct of all his actions ; hieronymus canalis pourchasd an egregious name by taking maurus alexandrinus after a fierce and bloudy combat . vicentius capellus was renowned farr and neer for his exploits against the moors & turks , who durst not peep out while he was at sea for many yeers ; andreas trevisanus a knight though slow in deliberation , yet quick in execution , brought to the citty many prizes which enrichd her exceedingly , and had he livd to it he had worn the ducall capp . many other most illustrious heroes receavd their birth in venice , as antonius cornarius , nicolaus priulus , gieronimus georgius knight of saint mark a famous orator , who was employed ambassador to most of the kings of christendom , and was admired for his wisedom as well as for his eloquence ; marcus fuscarus , thomas contarenus , and laurentius amulius were men admird in their time both for their prudence in the senat , and prowesse at sea , where they took that notorious pyrat sarbanassa , who so infested the archipelago that he became a terror to all marchants and passengers ; to these may be added sebastianus venerius , who though he comes in the rere of all the rest , yet may he be deservedly rankd among the formost , both for his magnanimity , his rare knowledg in the art of navigation , and in prudent conduct of all his designes , but specially for his notable successes ; in that glorious battail of lepanto he was the man that did the most signal peece of service when he rescued don iohn of austria the generalissimo of the whole fleet when he was ready to sink being orepowerd by the turks , and don iohn did acknowledg it , calling him ever after his preserver and father , though ther had happend a little before an ill-favourd clash betwixt them ( as hath appeerd in the bulk of the story ) wherin venieri shewd that he was not inferior to him in courage , though he was an emperours son ; this brave sea-generall was chosen after to sitt at the stern of the whole republic , and to be prince of venice , which was don not only by the suffrage of the senat , but by the universall acclamations of the peeple ; when he died , divers forren princes sent for his picture , to preserve the memory of so gallant a man. these , with nomberles more , are those brave spirits which issued out of the womb of this mayden-city , wherof som were supereminent for holines , and high virtues ; others for erudition and learning of all kinds , whose works are yet extant up and down the libraries of christendom as eternall monuments of their worth ; others excell'd in prudence , and prowesse , in counsell and courage ; nor doe i beleeve , if one were curious to penetrat the whole bulk of the roman story , and peruse all her annalls , i say he will not be able to produce so many gallant men ; though we know that no citty in the world usd to magnifie her own children more than old rome , wherin she was somtimes so hyperbolicall , that among other things it was imputed to her as a vanity , wherof venice was allwayes free ; nor could athens , sparta , or lacedemon and other greek commonwealths , of whom the romanes seemd to borrow this vainglory , muster up so many worthies ; which common-wealths may be sayed to have bin but mushrumps in point of duration if compard to the signorie of venice . having now glanc'd here again upon old rome , and in the precedent parts of this discours made som parallels twixt her and venice , in her way of goverment , and politicall conduct of civill matters ; and having in the historicall part that went a little before spoken of the severall kinds of enemies , quarrells and combatings that she hath had , i thought it no impertinency or digression to make another short parallel twixt old rome , and the republic of venice in point of martiall affaires . another parallel twixt old rome and venice . as in magistracy and method of goverment the republic of venice doth much symbolize with old rome , as hath bin declard , so allso in their preliations and quarrells , as likewise in the cours and qualitie of their warrs both by sea and land with severall nations , ther is no little resemblance between them ; this only being the greatest disparity , that the romanes destroyed themselfs by one warr , but the venetian hath remaind yet invincible . let us make som comparisons betwixt them . such as at first the hernici , equi and volscians were to the romanes , such have the dalmatians , istrians and liburnians bin to the venetians ; the gaules under the conduct of brennus ( the britain ) was a destructive enemy unto them , having left them nothing but the capitoll ; the same nation ( called afterwards french ) much molested the venetians , and once took all from them except the rialto ; the cimbrians , te●…tomans , and ambrons were terrible to the romanes and to all italy ; the like were the goths , hunns and longobards to the venetians and their neighbours ; carthage was an enemy to the latin name , the like was genoa to the venetian ; but carthage shewed her greatest fury against the romanes when she was confederat with king philip and the syracusans against them ; in like maner genoa was never more terrible to the venetian than at that time , when in the warr of chioggia she was backd by lewis king of hungary and the padoans : pyrrhus was an enemy to the romanes , but more mild than the carthaginians ; pepin was so to the venetians , but much more tractable than the genoways ; the romanes had a tedious warr with mithridates ; the venetians with philippo visconte ; antiochus was a powerfull enemy against them , but the ottoman a more potent against the venetian ; the romanes maintaind the confederat warr , the most dangerous that ever was in italy ; and the venetians to resemble them in all things , did not onely in lombardie withstand the forces of all the princes of italy , who envied their greatnes , but brake them asunder . the romanes after their first establishment wanting women for propagation , invited their neighbours with their daughters to certain public histrionicall shewes , where they surprizd and seazd upon all the mayds , and kept them , whence issued a warr ; such an accident happend in venice upon her first erection ; for a great wedding being to be celebrated , where the bride being full of rich jewells , as also the bridemayds , with others that were invited , according to the ancient custom ; they were assaulted upon a sudden by certain pyratts who carried them all away as prize to dalmatia ; but the venetians arming those few gallies they had then , poursued them so eagerly , and overtaking them they sett upon them with such a resolution , that they not onely redeemd the bride with all the maydens , but having made a great slaughter of the enemy , they took all their shipps , by giving them an utter overthrow ; and this was the first victory that venice gott . as in quality of enemies , and warrs , so venice hath much resemblance with old rome in the management of her martiall affaires , specially in expecting an exact obedience to her commissions and instructions , which must not be exceeded under pain of life , or indispensable punishment ; for if good successe follow , it will be imputed to the weaknes of her senators who shold have given a larger commission , which prejudice is taken off by chastising the party ; herof ther are divers examples , but a late one shall serve the turn in the person of capello , who notwithstanding that he had performd a most noble exploit by overcoming the barbary fleet som few yeers since , and carrying away with him the admirall gallie of algier , which now lyeth in the arsenall among the chiefest tropheys , yet in regard he transcended his commission , he was arraignd as criminall before the decemvirat , and , but for good frends , he had breathd his last , and hangd by the legg betwixt the two columns in saint marks place . moreover , though rome had usually mighty armies abroad , yet the cittie was allwayes so peacefull as if there had bin no warr at all ; therfore when any generall returnd it was death for him to passe the river rubicon with his army ; so venice though she have never so many enemies abroad and armies in actuall service , yet ther is not the least signe of warr or disturbance in the cittie her-self , but she is peacefull at home , and when any of her generalls return they may not com within . miles of her walls under paine of death . of the advantages which venice hath of old rome . having made these parallels twixt old rome and venice , i will conclude with divers things wherin the last may be sayed to have the advantage , or may deserve the priority of the former . . rome was born a pagan , venice a christian when she was but an embryon , and so suckd farr better milk in her infancy . the romanes added still to their religion by entertaining new gods ever and anon from those countreys they subdued , alledging ther could not be too many gods to support so great an empire , though t is tru a decree of the senat was usd to passe before they were admitted into the pantheon , and other temples , which decree ran in these old latin words , nemo habescit deos n●…vos aut adve●…as nisi publicè ascitos , let none have new gods or strangers till they be publickly allowed ; venice was never subject to such levities . . in rarenes of situation venice is superior to rome , and indeed to any other cittie on the surface of the earth , for herin she brooks no comparison ; for when any stranger comes to see venice evry day will strike a fresh admiration into him for a long time together , and in this particular , rome may be sayed to be as farr inferior to venice as tyber is to the sea , in whom the cittie may be sayed to shine as a pearl in a muscle-shell . . in point of navall strength , rome was never comparable to venice , for she never had such a grandeza as her arsenall ; her sea-vessells were but shallopps compard to those which are now in use ; she did but lick the shore , whereas venice did launch out into the main , and rid triumphantly upon neptune's back . old rome was ever inclin'd to war , her mud-walls having been embrued with bloud at her first foundation , she still thirsted after more dominions , and her ambition was interminable , so that her republic was made up of magna latrocinia as one sayed ; venice on the contrary hath ever sought after peace both for her-self and her neighbours , having don the best offices that way of any state in christendom ; it was the vainglory of old rome to brag of the exploits of her children , which venice never useth to do , but ther is a law to the trary . . for extent of territories 't is tru that old rome went beyond venice , yet venice had a title than which old rome never had a greater , which was that her duke was call'd while the greek empire lasted protospiter graci imperii , first father of the grecian empire . . old rome had never such potent foes , and formidable armies to cope withall as venice hath had , she never had such a confederacy as that league of cambray against her ; she never had an enemy of such a vast power as the turk is ; it were a paradox to hold , that old rome had not brave magnanimous men whom her own stories magnifie so much , and it is as great a paradox to hold , that venice hath not had more ; though she be far more free from that humor of ostentation . ther were divers brave spirits in rome that did murther themselfs in height of spirit , and ther were braver spirits in venice that did mortifie themselfs , as divers of her princes have don , by shaking off the ducall robes for a froc , and so bidding a farwell to the pomp and plesures of the world . . in point of duration and longaevity old rome was not made of so strong a constitution as venice , who hath almost lasted twice her time , for she hardly continued a republic yeers ; yet venice to this day is plump and buxom , as if she meant to hold touch with time himself , and coexpire with the world . lastly , venice hath this preheminence of old rome , that she hath preserv'd her maydenhead to this day though situated in hot salt waters , and though oftentimes forc'd , yet was she never ravish'd ; whereas rome becam a prostitut to all nations , who ridd her often out of breath , but venice from the first moment of her conception to this very point of time . virgo manet medio pura , recénsque salo. to this latin pentameter we will add this english distic , ( for i know venice will not be displeas'd if she be told how old she is ) and so bid her farewell , ne're mayd did beare her age so well as venice , if her yeers you tell . — . a cohortation , by way of corollary , address ▪ d to all christian princes and states to resent the present dangers of the republic of venice . having in this large prospective or murano looking-glasse more properly , ( though i confesse not cut with a diamond cut ) represented unto the world the true face and physiognomy of this renowned virgin , having fetched her from her very cradle , set her forth in all her proportions , and attended her to that stature of perfection she is now grown unto , having allso dissected her government , and anatomiz'd evry lim thereof by pourtraying her in all her colours , both inward and outward ; having likewise taken an abstract of the story of all her princes , and felt the pulse of her courage by shewing what glorious exploits she hath perform'd up and down the world against the mightiest potentats on earth , having moreover pryed into her interests of state in relation to other princes , having allso made you know her defects , as well as her advantages , and unvayl'd her vices as well as her vertues ; lastly , having declared in what trepidations , and dangerous condition she stands at present , by having clos'd in actuall lucation with that great eastern giant the common enemy , who as the wolfe in the fable useth to take hold of any slight ocasion , if the waters be troubled , to quarrell with her , and ther her to peeces ; i take the boldnes now to direct this seasonable hortative or alarum rather , to all christian princes , and states , that it is high time for them to be sensible of her present engagements and consequently to reach her a helping hand , which as by a generall tie of christianity , so for sundry particular respects and indispensable obligations they are bound to do . . in regard 't is known and confess'd by all , that she is the main bulwork of the principallst parts of europe against the turk , for in the bottom of her gallies lieth the security and wellfare of all her neighbours ; it is she that holds him at the oares end that he cannot take any sure footing in italy , as he hath attempted often , and it is known by wofull experience that whersoever he or his horse once sets his foot , the grasse will never grow there again , therfore , under favour , they are oblig'd by the common and mutuall tie of danger to preserve this republic from sinking . . all christendom is beholden unto this wise republic , in regard she hath interceded from time to time , and labourd more for the generall peace and tranquility of christendom , and by her moderation and prudent comportment hath don better offices in this kind then any other whatsoever rome excepted . . it is she that hath bin the chiefest instrument to keep even the scales of the great balance of state betwixt the princes of the western world , that the power of one might not so out-poize and be trabocant that the rest shold be in danger to be blown up . . ther is an extraordinary respect and honor due unto the signorie of venice from the rest of christendom , in regard that wheras other princes have made use of the turk against their fellow christians as could be prov'd by many instances , yet the republic of venice , though fairely offer'd , and importun'd thereunto , wold never make use of him that way in her greatest extremities ; neither in that mighty league of cambray , when all the power of europe was knotted against her ; nor during the time of the interdict when the pope , and the house of austria were like to joyn against her with temporall and spirituall armes , yet she never wold accept the assistance of the turk ; though it be lawfull when ones house is set on fire to use foule water as well as fair , to extinguish it . . lastly , the signorie of venice is to be more look'd upon then other states , because they who have had pratic in the world , and observ'd generall dependencies confesse , that her peace hath caus'd the plenty , and her warrs the peace of most regions of europe ; it was she that opend the trade , and taught the northwest world a way to all the levant parts , as also into afric , and the southern coasts of asia as far as the red-sea and the indies ; moreover her bank of money , as it hath bin the ground and rule of all other banks , so it is the most usefull for marchants or gentlemen to any part of the world , nor do i see how christendom can subsist conveniently without it . therefore , humbly under favour , it highly behoves all other christian princes to be ayding and assisting unto this gallant and usefull republic , to preserve this virgin from being ravish'd by that rude tyrant of the levant , the common enemy , who is now actually uniting and banding all his forces both by land and sea , to shoot her twixt wind and water , and utterly to sink her ; having now got out from between the dardanelli with a great fleet to succour canea , and make good what he hath already got in candie . besides these generall ties , ther be som motifs of encouragement now more then formerly that may serve to incite all christian princes against the turk at this time , in regard that , according to the judgement of the wiser sort of men , that tyrannicall empire is upon point of declining , or to suffer som notable change ▪ because the ianizares of late yeers have much degenerated from what they were from their primitive institution , being now allowed to marry , and to exercise marchandizing , which makes them lesse venturous , and to be more carefull of their wealth , with their wifes and children , besides , they have lost that godlike kind of reverence they us'd to bear unto the person of the ottoman emperour , so far , that they have embrued their hands in the bloud of two of them allredy within these twenty yeers , the one had his braines dashd out by a poleax , having the day before bin hurried away to prison , and as he was going a horseback his turban was snatchd off by a contemptible fellow , who clapt his own upon the emperours head by way of exchange ; and as he road along through the seraglio , his own court , he beggd a dish of water out of a poor wenches cruse ; but being clapd in prison , the next day a company of soldiers went to strangle him , who rushing furiously into his chamber , he started out of his bedd , and thinking to defend himself a bold despicable slave knockd him down ; and this was the successe of that strange dream he had had a few nights before , when in his sleep he thought he was mounted upon a camel who wold not go neither by fair or foul meanes , and lighting down from off him , he thought to have struck him with his cimiter , but the whole body of the beast vanishd away . besides , som late astronomers , and those of the best rank among the jewish rabbins , do hold that the fate and fortune of a kingdom may be read in the heavens ; for they have observd that all the hebrew letters may be found out among the starrs ; rabbi chomer assures the world that it is now a good while since this hath bin observd , for the hebrew toung wherein god himself vouchsafd to speak , and was the first among mankind , hath certainly somthing of mysterie and excellence in it more than the other that had their beginning at the confusion of babel ; divers of the chaldeans and jewish rabbies , as rabbi kap●…l , abjudan and chomer spoken of before , have bin curious to spell these letters into words , affirming that this celestiall writing hath bin so from the beginning : and if a good astronomer , well versd in the hebrew , do observe what starrs are verticall over such a countrey , he may foretell the omens and fate of it , by observing which of the hebrew letters those starrs resemble , and so compose those letters into words . thus , a little before the temple of ierusalem was burnt , and utterly consumd by nabuzaradan , it was noted that the verticall starrs which hung over that cittie made this hebrew word hickschich , which signifieth to reject and forsake without mercy . thus the end of the grecian empire was likewise foreshewd by fower starrs which were verticall , that made this word parad , which signifieth in hebrew divide . thus over athens fower starrs were observd to be verticall a little before her dissolution , which made this hebrew word tsarar , the sense wherof is angustiis affici , to be troubled ; with divers other examples which a late curious french author doth produce . but that somthing may be instanced to the present purpose , and concerning things to com , the sayed rabbi chomer doth confidently affirm ( as the sayed french author hath it ) that this celestiall writing hath pointed out the declining of two great empires of the east ; the one is that of china , which countrey we know by the tartars irruption is in a fearfull confusion allredy ; the other is that of the turks , over which ther are observd seven verticall starrs , which being read from the west to the east this hebrew word caah is made , which signifieth to be batterd , to be feeble , languishing , and drawing to an end : but now seeing it may be doubted at which time this empire shall be reducd to this extremity , the same letters do allso resolve the doubt , for those letters being numericall make up the nomber of . so that when this kingdom shall have accomplishd the nomber of . yeers , it shall then be overthrown , and brought to ruin ; now , if we reckon from the yeer of our lord . which was the yeer according to our vulgar computation wherin the basis of this empire was layed , we shall find that it is to last till the yeer of our lord . for the completing of the foresayed nomber . so that reckoning from this present yeer . this empire is to last but fower yeers by this account . but one will say , these are but conjectures or curiosities rather , & fancies , yet we know that the heavens are calld a book in an uncontroulable text , and in a book ther must be letters and writing , which may foretell the good or ill omen of a countrey ; the first by reading them from west to east , the second from north to west , because ab aquilone pandetur omne malum , as poor england knowes too well : but as the chymists hold that none can com to the magistery unlesse he be a perfect good man , so he must be such a one that can attain the sense of this celestiall writing . i will enforce this cohortation or caveat rather , with a saying which the turks have , that italy is the gate of christendom , and venice is the key of italy ; that candie is a bridg archd with zant , cephalonia , and corfù , and corfù is the chief watergate of venice . therfore it is an easy thing to inferr this consequence , or rather to be a prophet , that the day when venice is lost , will be the eve of the winning of italy ▪ and , a few daies after , of all christendom . to put a conclusive period to all , ther is a saying that carries no less wisdom than witt with it , when one's neighbours house is afire , by the light therof , he may discerne his own danger ; the venetian flames at this time are of such a vast extent , that they may enlighten , not only the italians their next neighbours , but all europe besides , to foresee her future dangers , if the aforesaid islands , which are as so many limbs of christendom , be cut off , and that the mahumetan moon , increasing by such additions , come to predominat o're those seas . an index pointing at the principall'st passages throughout the whole peece . a an analysis of the whole work in the proem . an advertisement to the reder page ibid. the ambassador of venice his witty answer to the pope , page another witty answer to the pope , page the ambassador of venice his witty answer to the french king , page the arsenal of venice , page . ambassadors render their presents they receave from forren princes to the senat at their return , page of ambassadors ordinary and extraordinary in venice , page athens and venice likened , page a●…hetins epitaph , page attributs of the townes in italy , page a proverb of venice , page angelo participatio duke of venice , page an ancient custome in venice , page the admirall of greece comes to venice for ayd , page alexander the pope fled to venice , page acre taken again from the christians , page andrew king of hungary comes to venice , page the ambassador doth extraordinary penance at rome , page andria dandolo duke of venice , page archduke of austria , and the king of cyprus com to venice , page alphonso duke of calabria entertaines turks in his war , page an ambassador com from the king of tremisen to venice , page the arsenal of venice burnt , page the ambassador of venice speech to the turk about cyprus , page her answer to the turks ambassdor , page the armes of venice defac'd in the vatican , page an abbot executed in venice in his habit , page an ambassador sent from rome to venice with notable instructions , page apologies for the sensuality and revengefullnes of the venetian , page a catalog of som of the most renowned men of venice , page the advantages which venice hath of old rome , page ibid ▪ b of brescia , page of bergamo , page the bergamastro speaks the worst italian dialect , page the manner of the ballotations by which the duke of venice is chosen , page of the bucentoro page a bold motto in st marks tresury , page a bold candi●…t rob'd the tresury of st. mark , page the books of the vulgar are images , page a battail twixt pepin and the venetians , page the bishop of aquilia taken prisoner by the venetian , page badoairio duke of venice depos'd himself and turnd monk , page the bishop of gradus speech to the venetian for supplies of the holy land , page baldwin earl of flanders , with other princes going to the holy land com to venice , wher they receave extraordinary entertainment , page bologna beaten by venice , page brescia under the protection of venice , page buda taken by the turk , page barbarossa the great pyrat , page c. civill bodies subject to decay as well as naturall , page the churchmen of venice enjoy above two millions yeerly rent , page the clash twixt venice and genoa partly the cause of the l●…sse of the holy land , page change of custom dangerous , page cardinall ossatts speech touching venice , page . cyrus his revenge of the river pindes , because she had drownd his horse , page a counterprize of rewards and punishmen●…s observ'd in venice , page cadetts among the gentry restrained from marrying in venice with the reason therof , page the counsells of venice are mysteries till put in execution , page of crema , page how a courtisan cousned a gentleman , page the circuit of rome , page a cheap frend that 's got by a complement , page candiano chosen duke of venice , who was cut in peeces by the fury of the peeple , page a cloak of cloth of gold to be given yeerly by venice to the emperour , remitted , page centrenico duke of venice depos'd and turn'd to a monastery , page corfù first reduc'd to venice , page cyain duke of venice overthrowes otho the emperours son , page a comparison of venice and genoa , with rome and carthage , page ceremonies usd by verona , vicenza and padoua when they rendred themselfs to venice , page a candiot robbs the tresury of st. mark , page constantinople taken by the turks , their respect to the venetian above others , page the ceremonies usd at the duke of venice his buriall , page cornaris subtill speech to the queen of cypus for a resignation , page charles the . rusheth into italy , page a contract twixt the pope and venice , about the nomination of her bishops , page cardinall charles caraffi strangled at rome , page the spaniard a great cause of losing of cyprus , page carmas notable speech to don john of austria , page captain tortona a spaniard hang'd by venieri , page a contract twixt don john and venieri the venetian generall , page capello the venetian generall defeates the barbary fleet at vallona , page a clash twixt venice and urban the . page d. death for any venetian senator to receave pension from a forren prince , page the dukes of venice old before they be chosen , page of the dukes of milan and toscauy , page duke of venice a head of wood , page of the deceuiv●…rat or councell of ten in venice , page dominico mongario duke of venice he had his eyes put out , page the duke of venice stil'd protospater of the greek empire , page dominico contareno duke of venice , he conquers zara , page dalmatia and croatia added to the titles of venice , page dukes of venice have a privilege to seal with lead given them by the pope , page a description of st. marks church , page duke cyani makes st. marks church his heir , page doria the admiral of genoa puts venice to the worse in the i le of sapientia , page the ducall palace bnrnt in venice , page ubaldo duke of urbin generall of the venetians , page trevisano duke of venice died at masse , page a description of the christian fleet before the battail of lepanto , page don john of astrias speech at the battail of lepanto , page don john of austria rescued by venieri the venetian generall , page the division of the spoiles after the battail of lepanto at large , page the duke of parma with an army before rome , page a dangerous prophecy of holland , page the defects of venice , page e the enemies which venice hath had from time to time , page ecclesiasticks incapable to sit in the venetian , and to inherit stable possessions , and the reson therof , page ecclesiasticks dare not tamper with matters of state in venice , page the extent and power of the principalities of italy , page the etymology of venice , page experience the great looking-glasse of wisdom , page the election of the duke of venice , page the eastern emperour assisted by the venetians , page emanuel the greek emperour perfidious to the venetians , page ensignes given by the pope to the venetians , page of earthquakes and of their causes a phylosophicall discours , page eugenius the pope a venetian , page the emperour frederik with leonora his wife com to venice , page the emperour invites the turk to war with the venetian , page f. forren princes usually entertaind by venice , page falerio duke of venice put to death , because he married a stranger , &c. page of frivili , page the first prince of venice , page freedom from taxes granted to venice throughout all the greek empire , page freedoms granted by otho the emperour to the venetians , page flabenico duke of venice , page freedom given to the venetian through all syria , page emperour frederiques fast answer to the venetians , page th'emperour frederiques submission to the pope at venice , page the first war twixt venice and genoa , page the first excommunication against venice without ferrara , page the first ambassador from england to venice , . page g. of the gulps of venice , page the government of venice hath a grain of monarchy , a dram of democracy , and an ounce of optimacy , page the great councell of venice , page gentlemen of venice great patrons , page the governors of the two castles in corfù never to meet upon pain of death , page rare glasses made in venice , page glassmakers much esteem'd for their art , page giovani mauritio duke of venice , page giovani partitiatio put off the dukedom and confind to a monastery , page the greeks taught first the use of bells by the venetian , page giovani partitiatio duke of venice who voluntarily deposd himself , page the gnoway defeated by the venetian at trapani , page genoa vayld to venice , as carthage to rome at last , page genoa shrewdly beaten in the pontick sea by venice , page gallipole in calabria taken by the venetian , page genoa held famagosta in cypria above ninty yeers , page h. the habit of the duke of venice , page the habit of the duke with the iewells he wears upon festivall dayes valued at above cr . page the heir of venice answerable for his fathers faults , page a horse a monster in venice , page the high epithetts which are given venice above the rest of the townes of italy page horteo hypato duke of venice , page heraclea utterly demolishd , page the hunns overcom by the venetians , page henry the emperour comes to venice , page part of hierusalem given to venice , page honor don by the pope to the venetian , page hermolao barbaro punished for receaving dignities from the pope , page henry the . of england the great instrument of the french king and the popes release , page henry the . of france comes to venice , page how the king of polands borther interc●…ded for the readmission of the jesuits to venice , page how venice & rome , with the rest of the princes of italy carry themselfs in point of politicall interest , page holland and venice of a diffring humor , page i. impossible for the duke of venice to becom tyrant , page inhibition that courtesands mingle not with honest women in the venetian churches , page italy the ●…y of europe , page the iudges of venice , page of istria , page of the i le of corfou , page of the i le of cephalonia , page of the i le of zant , page of the i le of candis , page the incredible riches of st. marks treasure , page iustinianos speech to maximilian the emperor in behalf of venice , not found in her archies . page justiniano duke of venice , page justinopoli comes under the venetian , page the i le of candie under the venetian , an inundation , page juluis the second incites all the princes of christendom against venice , page the inquisition refus'd by venice , page the iesuits expell'd from venice with the causes therof recited at large , page the iesuits tenets page king james his declaration touching the quarrell twixt the pope and venice , page l. long age argues strength of body , in epist. lawes the ligaments of a state , page ibid. the lawes of rhodes and oleron the prince for sea affaires in epist. the lombards kingdom extinguish'd in italy , page the lamentable end of one of the dukes of venice , page lotharius the emperour endowes venice with many immunities , page lesina and spalato reduc'd to venice , page pope leo comes to venice and endowes with many priviledges , page lesbos , same 's , and andros taken by the venetian , page lemnos yeelded to ▪ venice , page the legat of the popes answer to the venetian generall , page the league of cambray like to destroy venice , page lodovico falieri employed ambassador to henry the . of england from venice , page a league against the turk in pius quintus time , the substance of it , page new lawes in venice , page luca excomunicated , page lep anto battail at large , page m. the maner and majesty how the duke of venice sitts , page st. marks proctors , the high dignity of their place , page the magistrats of venice in generall , page of the marke of treviso , page st. marks place , page the magistrats of old rome , and venice , parallell'd , page mariello tegaliano duke of venice , page maaritio of heraclea d. of venice page st. marks body transported to venice from alexandris , page the moors defeat the venetian under saba their generall , page the moors ransack rome , page st. marks church burnt , page meniro duke of venice turnes monk●… page matilda restor'd to her duchy of ferrara by the help of venice , page michaeli duke of venice goes with vessells to joppa , and frees her from the siege , page the marquis of monferrat restord to his territories by the venetian , page mocenigos speech to the popes generall , page the maner of mariages and christnings in venice , page n. nothing discovers the wisdom of a peeple more than the form of their government , page nothing so difficult as the art of government , page the neatnes of venice , page a notable speech against the tribunitiall power , page the narentines debell'd by the venetians , page the normans give a great overthrow to the greeks and venetians at darazzo , page a mighty defeat given to the venetians by the genowayes neer corfù , page a notable speech of philip the second touching his fathers resignations , page a notable speech of a turk before the battail of lepanto , page a notable speech of another turk page a notable speech of the turkish generall , page a notable answer of the turkish ambassador to king james , page nova palma built in friuli , page a notable invective against urban the eighth and his nephews , page the navall strength of venice reviewd , page o. of the three republiques of italy how they differ , page of the severall denominations of kingdoms and commonwealths , page the office of the duke of venice , page cardinall ossatts opinion of venice , page of the colledg of sages in venice , page the officers of venice , page of the great chancelor , page originall of the venetian , page d. of ossuna no frend to the venetian , page an old prophecy touching venice , page old rome and venice , parallell'd , page of one who would have preferr'd a spurrier to q. eliz. page obeserio duke of venice , page otho the emperour comes to venice , page otho urseolo duke of venice , he marries the king of hungarie's daughter , banish'd afterwards , page otho the emperours son taken prisoner by the venetians freed upon his parole , page otho's wise speech and advice to the emperour frederic his father , page p. peace alwayes preferr'd before war by venice , page the privat arsenal of venice , page the presse and pulpit strictly regulated in venice , page the pope a great temporall prince , page the pope fittest to be umpire of differences in italy , with the reasons alledg'd , page paulutio anafesto the first duke of venice , page the pastimes of venice , page of padous , page a speculation upon the sight of the bucentoro in venice , page the portugues trade into the indies prejudiciall to venice , page of rare pictures in st. marks church , page pepin warrs with venice , page pietro tradonico duke of venice , page pietro candiano duke of venice , slain in fight against the narentines , page pietro tribuno duke of venice , page pietro badoairio duke of venice taken prisoner in slavonia , page phalerio duke of venice , first entitled duke of dalmatia avd croatia , page peter the french hermits vision , page the pisans beaten by the venetians , page p●…olemais and sydon taken by the venetians , page phalerio the duke of venice kill'd in battail , page pietro polano duke of venice chosen arbiter twixt the western , and eastern emperours , page a prophecy touching venice , page paleologus the greek emperour beaten by the venetians , page padoua putts her-self under venice , page paleologus the greek emperour hath conference with the pope at ferrara . page paehalis maripietro duke of venice , he rul'd yeers , page the popes legats speech to mocenigo the venetian generall , page philip of comines comes ambassador to venice from charles the . page the passage by the cape of good hope to the east indies hurtfull to venice , page the calender reform'd , . page the pope and duke of parma at variance , page the pope flies to the castle of st. angelo , page q. a question whether warrs or trafic with the turk be better for england , in epist. an odd question of a zantois to an englishman , page the queen of cyprus modest reply to the venetian , page the quarrell twixt paulus quintus , and venice , demonstrated at larg , page the quarrell and fight twixt sir ken. digby and the venetians in the bay of scanderon , page a quarrell twixt pope urban and the duke of florence , page the quarrell twixt the pope and the duke of parma , page the quarrell twixt the pope and luca , page the querulous expressions of a nunn , page the querulous remorses of a dying cardinall , page a quaere what opinion spain hath of rome , page a quaere what opinion france hath of rome , page quaeres how the greeks esteem rome , page r. resemblance twixt england and venice , in epist. rome still esteemed by venice , page reasons of the lastingnes of venice , page rules observed by venice , in the removall of her ambassadors , page riches puff the mind , page restraints that none may grow over-rich in venice , page riches , reverence and dece●…cie the main supporters of religion , page resons why venice did choose one s●…verain head over her , page rome becom her own tomb , page rome in vopiscus time miles in compas , page the revenues of the republic of venice , page ravenna taken by the venetians , page a remarkable speech of mocenigo the venetian generall touching cyprus , page a restraint for building convents and churches in venice , without the senats leave , page requiseus speech to d. john of austria page s. sannazarius his famous hexastic of the citty of venice , in proem . secrecy wonderfully us'd in the councells of venice , page a speech against the tyranny of tribunes page the stile of the duke of venice , page the salary of the duke of venice , page of the senat of venice , page of the syndiques of venice , page the spaniards large offer for the port of suda in candie , page the spanish ambassadors speech upon the ●…ight of st. marks tresure , page a strange complement which a gentleman put upon a lady , page a shepheard the first founder and present preserver of rome , page the sextaries of venice , page a speech of a venetian nobleman , page the saracens orecom by the venetians , page the speech of pope urban at clermont for a holy war , page smyrna taken by the venetian , page smyrna taken again by the venetian , page steno duke of venice his speech to verona and vicenza , when they yeelded themselfs under the dominion of venice , page a speech of the turks generall to the venetian army remarkable , page seleucia taken by the venetian , page a speech of the king of cyprus to the venetian generall , page the senats wise answer to pope sixtus , page the second excomunication against the venetian , page sanseverino the venetian generall routed and drown'd at trent , page the senats sage answer to philip de comines , page the senats grave answer to pietro bembo the popes legat , page sir sackvill crowes timely advice to the venetians not regarded , page t. thuanus his saying of venice , page another , page the tresure of venice , page tumults in venice , alwayes suddenly suppress'd , page the territories of venice , page twelve dukes of venice slain or put to death , page the three remarkablest things in venice , page the tresury of st. mark , page theodato hypato duke of venice , who had his eyes put out , page tradonico duke of venice murther'd , page twelve bells sent for a present from venice to constantinople , page tyre conquer'd by the help of venice , page tenedos yeelded to the venetians , page the turk offers venice ayd which she refus'd , page the turk subdues egypt , page trent councell begun , page the turk fedifragous to venice , page the turk armes for cyprus , and invades her , page the turks barbarous usage towards bragadini in cyprus , page turks opinion of christianity , page thuanus opinion of venice , page v. venice comands . miles of sea , in epist. venice the fittest to be imitated in point of government , page the prerogatives of venice , page her wit more sharp than her weapon , page venice hath oft felt the fulminations of rome , page venice had a great hand in the conquest of the holy land , page she had a share of jerusalem given her , page venice eternall , page constant to her-self , page venice a great mediatrix for peace , page the venetians great patriotts , page venice loves to be magnified , page why named in the plurall nomber , page venice as dextrous in ruling of men , as rowing of a gallie , page she hath turn'd policy to a science , page venice hath large fardingalls , page of verona and her precincts , page of vicenza , page venice characteriz'd , page describ'd at large , page built in the spring , page venice hath borrow'd of the greek as well as the roman , page venice can make knights and poetts laureat , page venice free from the western or eastern emperour first declar'd , page verona assisted by venice growes victorious , page urso participatio duke of venice , page vitalis candiano duke of venice resignd the government , and cloistr'd himself , page venice contributs vessells for the warrs of the holy land , page venice maried to the sea , page she helps the pope to suppresse the tyrant eccelin , page venice defeats the genoways in the port of prolemais , page venice almost quite depopulated by an earthquake and a plague , page she beates genoa in the port of carista , page she beates her again hard by sardinia , page she beates her again neer the morea , page venice is godmother to a daughter of france , page a vision at rome , page venieries gallant speech to don john of austria , page his wise answer to him , page venice takes the strong citty of clissa from the turk , page she makes the turk fly at foggia , page venice and rome parallell'd , page venice superior in divers things to old rome , page her vices , page venice born a christian and independent , page w. a wise saying touching sparta , page the wonderfull sagacity of venice in detecting tresons , page why clergimen are incapable to be senators in venice , page why the spaniard termes not himself kiof naples , but utriusque siciliae , page why mankind more hard to be govern'd than other cretures , page warrs twixt otho the emperour , and venice , page war twixt venice and padoua , page the warrs of cyprus . page warrs with the uscocchi , page warrs twixt pope urban and the duke of parma . page 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e an. dom. . . the vision, or, a dialog between the soul and the bodie fancied in a morning-dream. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the vision, or, a dialog between the soul and the bodie fancied in a morning-dream. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for william hope ..., london : . "to the knowing reader" (p. [ ]) signed: jam. hovvell. title page vignette. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng a r (wing h ). civilwar no the vision: or a dialog between the soul and the bodie. fancied in a morning-dream. howell, james d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the vision : or a dialog between the soul and the bodie . fancied in a morning-dream . svmbolum auth. senesco , non segnesco . london , printed for william hope at the blue ●●chor on the north side of the roya● exchange , anno dom. . to the knowing reader . man is the worlds abridgement , who enrouls within himself a trinitie of souls ; he runs through all creations by degrees , first , he is onely matter on the lees , whence he proceeds to be a vegetal , next sensitive , and so organical : then by divine infusion a third soul , the rational doth the two first controul : but when this soul comes in , and where she dwels distinct from others no dissector tells . and , which no creture else can say , that state enables her to be regenerate ; she then becomes a spirit , and at last a devil or a saint , when she hath cast that clog of flesh , which yet she takes again to perfect her beatitude , or pain ; thus man is first or last allied to all cretures in heven , earth , or hells blackhall this vision may conduce to let us know our present baseness , and our future bliss , if it make any gentle souls to glow , and mend their pace that way , i have my wish jam . hovvell . to the right honourable the ladie elisabeth digbye , &c. madame , could the rational soul , whom philosophy calls the queen of forms , and divinity , the image of the allmighty , be seen by the outward eye of sense , she would ( as plato sometimes spoke of virtue were she so visible ) rayse in us a world of admiration ; we should be so ravish'd with her beauty , and so struck in love , that we would leave all things else to win her favour . an odd humorist vapouring once that women had no souls , was answered by a modest lady , 〈◊〉 sir , you are deceiv'd , for i can p●●duce a good text to the contrary . my soul doth magnifie the lord , and it was a woman that spoke it : no less humorous was he , who would maintain that the salique law was in force in heaven , as well as in france , which excluded women from raigning . but much more civil was a farewell that the count of lemos took of the dutchess of pastrana , who having invited him to see a new palace that she had built , with a stately chappell annex'd , at his departure said , madam , i see your body is fairly housd , but i find that your soul is far better housd than your body . madam , i have the happiness to know your l shp many years ( near upon . lifes in the law ) and truly i never knew any whose soul was better lodgd , and furnishd with more virtues and graces , which makes me resolv'd to live and die . your lshps most humble and dutifull servant jam . hovvell . the proem . it was about the summer solstice , when the measurer of time , that glorious luminarie of heven , allowed but little above three hours night to cover this part of the hemisphere , that after my sleep , a second stole gently upon me , which happend about the dawnings of the day , when those grosser sort of soporiferous fumes , that are wont to ascend from the stomack to lock up the outward senses for their natural repose , being dissipated and spent , the purest kind of subtil rarified vapours rise up to the region of the brain , which use to represent more plain and even objects to the imagination , and make the storie and circumstances of dreams more coherent and cleer , though the ●ost lucid fancies that appear u●●●●s in sleep , be but as stars in a cloudie night , or the branches of trees in a thick standing pool ; i say it was about the break of day , that i had an unusual dream , or vision rather ; for , me thought , a little airie , or rather an aethereal kind of spark did hover up and down about my bodie ; it seemed to have a shape yet it had none but a kind of reflexion , it was , me thought , within me , and it was not , but at such a distance , and in that posture , as if it lay centinel . at last , i found it was my soul which useth to make sollices in time of sleep , and fetch vagaries abroad , to practise how she can live apart after the dissolution , when she is separated from the bodie and becomes a spirit . afterwards the fantasma varying , she took a shape , and the nearest resemblance i could make of it , was to a veild nunn with a flaming cross on the left side of her breast , who in dolefull tones and thr●●●●g accents , broke out into these que●●●ous ejaculations . a dialog between the soul and the bodie . soul . ome ! how much reason have i to rue the time that ever i was cloistered up among those walls of clay ; what cause have i to repent that ever i was thrown into that dungeon , that corrupt mass of flesh ? for when i first entered , i bore the image of my creatour in som● lustre , but since that time , 't is scarce discernable on me , in regard of those soul leprous spots and taintures which i have contracted from those frail corporeal organs , which have so pitifully disfigured and transformed me , that i cannot be called the same thing i was at first , the character of my creatour being almost quite lost in me . bodie . dear soul , how comes it to pass that you are in so much anxietie ? how comes it that you are so discomposed , and transported with passion , imputing the cause of your indispositions to me ? alas ! you know well that i am but an unwieldie lump of earth , a meer passive thing of my self . it is you that actuats and animats me , otherwise i could neither think , speak , or do any thing , nay without your impulss i could have no motion at all ; you are the pilot that steers ●his frail bark ; you fit in the box of the chariot , i am but the organ , you are the breath ; you are the intelligence that governs and enlightens this dark orb of mine , so that all my motions are derived from the poles of your commands , it is you that denominates me a man ; therefore , if any thing be amiss , 't is i that have more reason to complain , in regard that being but a meer unwieldie trunk of my self , i am quickened altogether by you , whether you be {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} a continual motion as some philosophers would have you to be , or {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} the perfection from whence all motion proceeds as others term you ; therefore because i am liable also to future punishment as well as you , 't is i that have more cause of complaint , and to repent me of that syneresis and union which is betwixt us : for it had been less danger for me to have been an inanimate thing , and to have had neither vegetal , sensitive , or rational soul , either by traduction or infusion cast into me , for then i had been free from those numberless incommodities which all three are liable unto ; the first being subject to excess of moisture and drought , to blastings and the furie of the meteors ; the second to hunger and thirst with multitudes of diseases ; the third , to wit the rational , not onely to all these , but to vexation of spirit , to corroding cares , to griping thoughts , to a perpetual clashing and combating of the humours , insomuch that man of all creatures is heautontimorumenos , a self-tormenter , a persecutor and crucifier of himself , all which are emanations from the intellectual soul ; which besides useth to puzzle the brain with sturdie doubts , and odd furrnises , touching the mysteries of saving faith , whereas indeed , as sense should vail to reason , so reason should strike sail to faith ; moreover she is forward oftentimes to question the very works of creation , and quarrel with nature the hand-maid of the almighty in the method of her productions , as ( to make one instance for all ) the philosopher was angry with her , because she did not make the stones of the river for bread , as she did the water thereof for drink . soul . 't is true ( to answer the first part of your answer ) that it is my office to inform and actuat you , which operations are emanations from me ; i am , i confess being undivisible , inextensive , without parts and inorganical , tota in toto , & tota in qualibet parte , i am diffused up & down throughout that fabrick of flesh , i am all in the whole , and all in every part ; you have no movement at all without me , but you , yielding more obedience , and being more plyable to the sensual appetit , and the will , than to the dictates and directions of the intellect my principal facultie , have brought me to this pass ; whereas those eyes of yours should be as crystal casements , through which i might behold the glorious firmament , and studie my creator in the volumes of nature , you have made them to intromit , and let out beams of vanity and lightness ; they are foyl'd so thick with earth , that i can scarce discern heaven through them ; those ears of yours , whereas they should let in holy exhortations , and wholsom precepts , you have used them as trunks to receive any idle discourses , and vain sounds , they have delighted more to hear carrolls and catches than hymns and anthems . that mouth , tongue and voice of yours , whereas they were given you for organs to sound out the glory of your creator , and sing halelujahs unto him , you have made them instruments of equivocation , and profaness ; those hands of yours , whereas they were designed to be stretched forth to do deeds of charitie , and to pen divine meditations , you have employed them to work your own revenges , and to scribble idle frivilous fancies ; that throat of yours , whereas it was created for a conduit-pipe to let out pious ejaculations , you have made it the gullet of luxury and excess ; those feet of yours , whereas they were made you to walk in the paths of pietie and vertue , and lead you to gods holy house , you have us'd them to run into the road of all licentiousness ; when i examine your heart , the seat of your affections , whereas you should have made it a closet for your creator to reside in , and kept it sweet and cleanly for that purpose , i find you have made it a cage of unclean birds , of hatred , hypocrisie , choller and spirituall pride , the fuliginous evaporation whereof hath fum'd up into your brain , and infected all the cels thereof , your fantasie hath been extravagant and wild , your memorie hath been like a fierce that hath kept the chaff , and let out the pure grain , you have been more mindfull of bad than good turns ; your understanding hath been full of scepticisms , your will hath clashed with reason , your reason with faith , your faith with heaven ; in fine , when i take you all in a lump , i find you nought else but a bladder puffed up with ayrie passions , and malignant humours , amongst whom i am perpetually crucified as betwixt so many iudases ; insomuch that i may justly say , that you stand as a rotten wall twixt me and the beams of my creator , which would glance upon me with a stronger reverberation , were it not for that foul bulk of matter , that cargazon of all sorts of infirmities which are stowed up in that sluggie and frail vessel . bodie . a frail vessel indeed , yet , under favour , you sit at the helm of it ; but i confess you cannot give me terms low and vile enough in comparison of your self , who are of an infinitly more noble extraction , the rational soul being queen of forms , and the bodie , when she departs from it , the gastliest , and most noisom of things , yet though you be a ray of divinitie , and i but a rag of mortalitie , though you bear god almighties image , & i but adams , though you be in me as a diamond set in horn , though you be by a mysterious heavenly infusion , and i by a seminarie traduction , yet we have the same creator , ( as ants and angels have ) his hands have made me , and fashioned me in the womb , and the holy text tells me , that i am wonderfully made ; nature his subordinate minister took much pains about me , she used great deliberation in the business , for the passed four several successive acts before i was compleated . first there was a conjunction and cooperation of the sexes , which among some require divers years before the work take effect , as the present king of france was two and twentie years a getting ; and the last prince of conde thirteen moneths in the womb . secondly , then followed conception which required a well tempered vessel to conserve the generative sperm by occlusion and constringement of the orifice of the matrix , which sperm being first bloud , and afterwards cream , was by a gentle ebullition coagulated into a cruddie lump , which the womb by its natural heat made fit to receive form , and to be organized , whereupon nature fell a working , to delineate all the members and other parts , beginning with those that are most noble , as the heart , the brain , and the liver , whereof the galenists would have the liver to be first framed , in regard it is the source and shop of bloud ; but the peripatetiques held the heart to have the precedencie , because it is the first thing that lives and the last that dies . thirdly , nature continued in this operation until a perfect shape was introduced , which was the third act , and is called formation , being nought else but a production of an organical shapen bodie out of the spermatical substance caused by the plastick virtue , and vigour of the vital spirits , nor can i tell whether this act was finished in thirtie , fiftie , fourtie two , or fourtie five days after the conception , for the naturalists allow such varietie of times according to the disposition of the matter before the embrion be formed ; moreover , they observe , that nature proceeds with those deliberate pawses , that fourtie days after the conception , the creature is no bigger than a grain of wheat . fourthly , this being done , i was wrapped in three tunicles or membranes , then i was animated with three souls , the first with that of plants , called the vegetative soul , then with a sensitive , wherein i communicate with brute animals , and lastly , with the rational soul , was immitted ; the two first were generated ex radice , as the philosophers term it , viz. from the seeds of the parents , but the last , which is your self , was by immediate infusion from god himself , though neither naturallists nor divines have yet positively determined when this infusion is made ; nor could ever any anatomists , by their curious dissections , and inspections , find yet any organ in the bodie , or crannie and receptacle in the brain , or any distinct place differing from other animals where this rationall soul should reside in the humane body : thus hath man an intellectuall soul he knows not where , and infused he knows not how , nor when , so ignorant he is of the manner of his creation ; this last act is call'd animation , and as the physicians allow animation double the time that formation had , which sometimes happeneth in eight moneths , sometimes in ten , but most commonly in nine : by these degrees and pauses was i made , and casting off my secundine , i came into the world to be a domicile not a dungeon for you , to be a kind of ark to carry you to the port of bliss , to be a tabernacle for you , nay , to be a temple for the holy ghost to dwell in : nor did nature altogether play the bungler in doing her work , for she was pia mater , a pious mother in framing the cells of my brain , and though she set me forth in no great volume , yet by this slenderness & gracilitie of constitution , i have the advantage to carry less corruption about me , for the more flesh , the more corruption ; now , touching those fraylties you speak of , whereunto i am subject , you know they accompanied me to the world , and that i derive them from the protoplast , from the loins of my gransire adam , the rust and canker of whose skin and sin , stick unto me , being moulded of the same matter . soul . 't is true , that you are moulded of earth as adam was , but the earth it self which gave him his composition and denomination , did blush when she went to make him , fore-seeing , as it were his infirmities and propensity to all ill . but i find by this reply of yours , that you are well acquainted with your self , by the account you give me of the method that nature used in your generation ; now , self-acquaintance is , after the knowledge of the creator , the wisest ; it is one of the paths , though a slabbie one , that leads us to the high road towards heaven , ( which is a rougher way than that you found ore the alps and pyrenean mountains ; the speculations whereof would make you truely value and vilifie your self , it should prick those tumours , and timpanies of pride that use to rise up in the humane creature , when he contemplates how near that vessel wherein he slept so long in the bosom of his causes , is to the excrementitious parts . now , out of your discourse may be inferred , that man is that great amphibion of nature , he passeth through the degrees of all creations ; he was first but meer matter , then he grew up to be a vegetall , afterwards a sensitive , then a human creature , in which condition he is capable of a regeneration , and he is to be at last a spirit , good or bad ; now , you have two things that distinguish and specificat you from the first three ; the one is outward , which is that erect upright posture and shape you bear to behold heaven your last and indeed your onely true countrey , this being but a transitory passage to that , whereas your other fellow cretures have their faces looking upon the earth ; the is inward , viz. the faculty of reson , which makes you a compensation for some inconveniences and weaknesses , whereby you are inferior to other elementary creatures ; by reason man tames the libian lion , he puts castles upon the elephants back , makes the huge camel to kneel and take up his burden , by reason he fetches the eagle out of the air , and with his harping-iron draggs up the great leviathan out of the deeps ; by reason he rules and curbs nature her self , making her pliable to his ends ; now all the operations of reason , which are the best of human acts , you derive from me ; but whereas you say that there can be no particular place found out either within you , or without you , more than there is in the sensitive creature where i should reside , you must know , that as the solar light displayeth it self throughout the whole hemisphere , yet it cannot be said to possess any place more than another ; so i , being a beam of immortality , am diffused through that little world of yours to quicken and heat all parts , yet i confine my self to no peculiar cell , and this inorganitie sheweth , that i can live separat from you ( though you by no means without me ) as appears already by some functions that i exercise , and those abstracted speculations that i use without the help or concurrence of matter , and quantitie , which are my instruments onely in ordine ad sensibilia , not intelligibilia : yet i let you know that i have some closets in that fabrick of yours , more choice than others , i am radically in the heart , where the vital spirits have their residence , where the arterial and most illustrious bloud doth run in the left ventricle ; but i am principally in the brain , where the animal spirits inhabit , and whereon i cast my intellectual influences for discourse and reason , which influences , the brain of a brute animal is not capable of , or adapted by nature to receive ; moreover , the veins are branched up & down the body , the bloud is in the veins , the spirits in the bloud , and i am much in the spirits . by this intimacie of communication i am polluted daily more and more , i am infected hereby and leprified with sin , and i fear me , that as the wounds of my saviour appeared upon his bodie after his resurrection , so those gashes and black spots which i have received from you , will appear upon me after my separation ; and whereas you alledge , that you are liable to future punishment as well as i for the aberrations and transgressions of this life , i must tell you , that when after my devorcement from you , i become a spirit , a simple substance and a sphere of my self , the sharpness and activity , the simpleness & subtility of my pain being purely spiritual will be farr more grievous and cruciatory than , any those gross members of yours can be capable of , i shall endure all torments at once with certain knowledge of a succeeding perpetuity , without any hopes of the least discontinuance or relaxation . furthermore , whereas you say that i sit in the box to guide and govern that chariot of yours , t is true i do so , but as the divine philosopher said , that chariot of the body is led by two horses , the one black , the other white , this last which are your good inclinations i can easily rule , but the black one , which are your turbulent wild passions and and obliquities i cannot govern , so that i am afraid he is oftentimes so headstrong & furious that he will at last tumble us both down the precipice of destruction ; lastly whereas you alledge that i sit at the stern of that leaking bark of yours , t' is true i do so , but i sayl in her as one passing upon some part of the danubius , where she meets with the river sava , and the two rivers running in collaterall consortship many miles without intermingling , the boats that row along the stream , have oftentimes , on the one side , a black muddie water , and on the danubs side , a clear stream . in this manner do i sail in that bodie of yours , through good and bad affections , through clear and turbid humours ( though the last be more predominant ) whence such vapours arise , that cause strange tempests in me , and disturb the calm of my mind , which makes me wearie of this habitation , when i think on those pollutions , and black specks wherewith i am contaminated , whereunto my meditations tended lately in these few stanzas of multifarious cadences . lord i cry , lord i fly to thy throne of grace , this world is irksom unto me ; in my mind stings i find of that dismal place where pains still growing young ne'r die ; o thou whose clemencie reacheth to earth from skie set my sins from me as wide as is east from the west , or the court of bliss from the infern abyss , so far let us asunder ever bide ; angels blest , with the rest of that heavenly quire , which halelujas always sing , fain would i mount on high , and those seats aspire where every season is a constant spring ; o thou who thought'st no scorn to be in bethlem born though grand monarch of the sky , through a floud of thy bloud let me safely dive and at that port arrive , where i may ever rest from shipwrack free . faith and hope take your scope , and my pilots be , to waft me to this blisfull bay , gently guid through the tide of mans miserie my bark , that it lose not the way , when landed i shall be at that port , pardon me if i bid you both farewell , onely love reigns above 'mong celestial souls where passion not controuls , nor any thing but charity doth dwel . lord of light in thy sight are those mounts of bliss , which humane brains transcend so far , ear nor ey can descry , nor heart fully wish , or toungs of men and saints declare , those sense-surmounting joys that free from all annoys for those few up-treasur'd lie , which ere sun shone at noon have their names enroll'd in characters of gold through the white volums of eternitie . bodie . you are beholden to my frailties for this and such like meditations , who raise them in you , as rusty steel useth to strike sparks of fire ; sin it self becomes an advantage to us somtimes ; nay , mankind may be said to be beholden to the iews and iudas , because they were the outward instruments that wrought salvation ; for the cross , which they set upon mount ●alvarie for the crucifying of our saviour , was the first christian altar that ever was erected , and it may be well doubted , whether he that hates the altar , shall ever have benefit of the sacrifice , as one said . but i am sorry to hear from you , that your dwelling in me is so tedious unto you , all that i can say , is , i could wish you were better hous'd ; now touching those passions and affections you speak of , ( which are also my inmates ) they are to the soul , as sayls to a ship , they are also as so many gales to fill those sayls , as so many breezes to blow this small vessel of mine , wherein you are embarked to the haven of happiness , and as i said before , they are meer emanations from you ; for there is nothing of motion in me , but what i derive from you ; now touching affections and passions , how uncoth would all human actions be , unless they were sweetned by them : how stupid and slumbering would our spirits be without them ? what a dull thing were generation , if there were no concupiscence ? what comfort would there be in educating children , if there were not a natural love that affected us ? charitie would grow key-cold , if pity did not heat her to action ; and that souldier fights best , who being in the field , is possess'd with the passion of anger , which the philosopher calls the whetstone of fortitude ; he cannot becom a true penitent , that is not affectē with sorrow nor a true convert , who is not affected with hatred of sin . touching other infirmities you charge me withall , you know i have them by natural and hereditary propagation from my first parents , whose corruption was entail'd upon all mankind , which may also excuse , at least extenuat my faults . but besides these resons , i have another that may serve for an apologie in my behalf , which is , that all these members of mine , and that mass of bloud which runs through them , with the cestern of humors , as likewise all the cells of my brain , are guided and governed by the motions of celestial bodies , whose influxes do perpetually invade me , and are irresistible : add hereunto , that there is a malus genius an ill spirit that is always busie about me , and ready to take all advantages to impel me to acts of weakness . all these things being well considered , and weigh'd in a just balance , conclude me to be of my self but a poor passive thing , and to act by the impulses of others . touching those affections and passions you speak of , which are nought else but a conglobation of the spirits , i not onely allow , but am glad of them , they serve as wings to carry me up to heaven ( and you after me ) or as you say , they are as so many gales to send me thither , provided that the one do onely blow , not bluster and raise tempests ; and that the other be not irregular or exorbitant , but directed to their true object : the passions are as so many pleaders wrangling at a bar , and reson , my chiefest facultie , should be their chancelor ; but oftentimes those troops of furious spirits , which passion musters up , and sends up boyling to the brain , are so violent , that those spirits which are under the jurisdiction of reson , are not able to encounter them , though she unite all her forces to that purpose . moreover , whereas you would pin your infirmities upon your first parents , 't is true , that although adam at first was created in a state of integrity and perfection , being he was the epitome of the creation , and a kind of microcosm , a little world of himself , whereunto there may be some allusion in his name , which comprehends the four corners of the world , the word adam being made up of {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , viz. east , west , north and south ; although at first he was compleated to that state , and yet made capable of a higher perfection , which capacitie was no imperfection , but a seale to a higher ; i say , that although he was so accomplish'd to present happiness , yet by the seducement of the ill spirit , he fatally fell from it ; nor was the fault as much in the woman , being the weaker vessel , but in him who was the stronger ; now the tryal of mans universal obedience , being intended in him , and he failing , the guilt thereof falls upon his posteritie , that were all then potentially in his loins , who ever since have brought with them into the world the stains of that original corruption , which yet christians have a way to wash off in the font of baptism , the lavoir of regeneration : yet there is an eve lurking still within the humane body , viz. the will , which is so full of obliquities and fraylties , that while i lie at close ward against one infirmitie , another is ready to wound me ; which makes me so great a sinner , that the indulgences of a whole jubile ( had they such a virtue as some believe they have ) were not able to absolve me . moreover , whereas you averr the stars to bear sway , and to have an incontroulable predominance over all sublunary cretures , and consequently over that body of yours ; it is a truth that cannot be denied , as we find by daily experience , that all elementary cretures depend upon the motion and virtue of the heavenly : but though these influxes from above do by their operation toss and tumble the humors as they lift , and work upon corporeal things in man ; yet notwithstanding , it cannot be said that these operations do extend to those inclinations and actions , that depend immediately upon the empire of the will , with the other faculties and powers of the mind , which are immanent , and meerly spiritual ; yet i confess , if we observe the order and method that the understanding and the will do use in the production of their functions , it will be found , that the influence of the celestial luminaries , and the impressions that they make , must have something to do herein ; but it is indirectly and accidently , in regard that all terrestrial bodies by a gradual kind of subordination being govern'd , as was said before , by the superior , it must be inferred of necessitie , that whatsoever is natural in the humane creture , as the organs of that body of yours , must feel the power of their influences ; in regard that the spiritual faculties are so united , and have such an entercourse with the corporeal organs , that they cannot operate , unless the said organs ministerially concur , and contribute thereunto , by presenting the objects , which are the sensible species ; but i except the abstracted ideas and speculations of the mind ; whence it inevitably comes to pass , that in regard of this strict league , and natural correspondence , which is between them , the inward faculties partake somewhat of , and submits to the dominion that the planets and constellations have over the sensual appetite , which together with the will , are disposed often , and incited , i will not say constrained , by their influxes . out of these premisses this conclusion doth follow , that the stars do operate , and make impressions upon the humane creture ( as well as other productions of the elements ) both outwardly and inwardly , but they serve themselves of those material parts and organs of yours , that are as portholes to let in the influxes which they dart from above to work upon the faculties , to incline and incite them to good or ill , according to their dispositions , though not by way of enforcement , for they have not such a tyrannical and absolute supremacie , but there is a freedom still left to a well-ordered will ; and as there are outward bongraces , to preserve the face from being tanned by the violence of solar heat , so there are intern graces to keep the inward parts from all ill and malignant influences that are lanced from above ; according to the poet , — sapiens dominabitur astris . the wise man sways ore the stars ; therefore it was a very pertinent answer that one gave to a genethliacal astrologer , who having taken much pains to prie into the horoscope for the calculating of his nativitie , and telling the partie , that in regard such and such stars were in conjunction at the hour of his birth , therefore he must be subject to such and such ill humours and dispositions . 't is true , said he , that i was born such a one , but i was born again , meaning his spiritual regeneration : for as we find that a virtuous education doth oftentimes correct the infirmities , and rectifie the obliquities of nature , so there be interior motions of grace , which come from a higher power than the stars , that curb and check the operations which proceed from the supern influxes : yet are the intellectual powers easily inclined to be transported , and snatched away by the sensual appetit , and the natural allurements thereof , for the humane soul is not sui juris , she is not so independent and absolut of her self , but that she may be said to depend upon the totum compositum , upon the bodie in general , by the mediation of whose instruments she imploys her faculties , end exerciseth her actions in order to sensible things . but as the stars in this firmament are whirled away by the over-ruling motion of the primum mobile , the first mover from east to west , yet they have a particular and contrarie motion of their own from west to east , wherein they , proceed notwithstanding , in a constant interrupted pace ; so i may be said to be oftentimes whirld away by the irregular and violent motions of that compositum , that fleshly sphere of yours , yet i go on still in my own motion towards my last goal , and my sovereign good . now whereas the heavens work on inferior bodies , by three instruments , viz. by light , motion , and influence , the first ingendering heat in the ayr by attrition and rarefaction , which is done by a simple or compounded ray , to wit , reflection ; the second , by measuring our times and seasons , both which may be said to be external visible instruments ; the third , which is influence , is a hidden intern qualitie , it produceth metals , causeth fluxes and refluxes , ripens the embrion in the womb , with such like effects , and as it was discoursed before , it operates in the human creture upon his very intellectuals , through the exterior material parts ; yet not by way of compulsion , but inclination , as was said before , therefore the influxes of heaven are no excuse for you , as you alledg , because they are resistable . lastly , touching the malus genius an ill spirit , which you say doth haunt you , and is ever at your elbow , to push you forward to ill actions , and suggest into you bad conceptions , i must tel you there is also a bonus genius or daemon , a good spirit that always attends you , whose infusions , precepts , and cautions if you would obey , you would not onely see the best , and approve of it , but follow and put it in practise . bodie . this discourse doth administer me but small comfort , yet i thank you that you make me know my self better by displaying unto me my own condition , and that magazin of infirmities which are stored up in this little tabernacle of yours , yet i shall never make those infirmities , nor all the effects thereof , were they more in number , greater than my creators mercie , either out of any despondencie of spirit , and despair , in rejecting it as some do , or by presumption , in slighting it as others do : for if the first man , who was immediatly moulded and made by god himself in such a state of perfection , had his frailties ; if samson the strongest man had also his ; if salomon the wisest man had his ; if david , the holiest of men , who had so many advantages , as to be a prophet , and so anointed with oyl above others ; if that prophet who came of the chosen seed , and consequently , was not cast in so corrupt a mold as others , i say , if the prophet david who was a man after gods own heart , a character , the like whereof was never given to any but unto him , i say if such a man , and such men had infirmities in so high a measure , how is it possible but that i should have them in a greater number ? therefore my transgressions are but deeds of my defects , and effects of those general frailties that have attended , and are entail'd upon the best of men . now , touching my corporeal organs and senses which you tax so much , 't is true that my eyes have oftentimes gazed upon earthly vanities , and grass-green objects , yet at other times they have looked upon sky-colour . i have cast them up towards heaven , and fixing them a good while ( with some ejaculations ) upon a part of the deepest azure i could spy , they cur'd me once of a shrewd defluxion ( by which experiment , i also found that such a fixation doth much corroberat the nerves and conserve the sight ) that distil'd into them . i have by them oft admir'd the fair fabrick of the universs , surveing all the parts thereof round about as farr as my opticks could reach , & stood astonisht at their excellencies , as beams streaming from a heavenly creator ( & refracting on the visible world ) on whom their preservation depends , and in whom they were concentred intentionally before they had any existence ; i observe how nature is here and there check'd by him , when i see how he sets bounds to the vast tumbling ocean , and that those mountains of snow , which hang in the ayrie region , & those floud-gates of waters do not fall down and precipitate at once to over-whelm the earth , which is so little a thing in comparison of the vast expansion of the air ; as also in the operation of divers other productions of hers. for if nature did go on still in her own course & constant method of effects and causes , this might induce a belief , that she were governness of all things ; but when we see , that sometimes she hath not her full swing , intending things that she is not able to perfect , but falls short of her purposes , as also that her ordinarie operations are restrained , and grow lame , we must conclude , that there is a predominant power that ore-sways her , and moves the sphere of her activitie as he lift . thus by the opticks of the ey , ( the eminentest of my senses ) i make the {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , the universe my universitie to studie my maker , breaking out often ( when i go into the fields , and find all things subservient to man ) into that ejaculation of the psalmist , oh that men would praise the lord for his goodness , and declare the wonders he doth for the children of men . nor do i by the benefit of the ey read divinitie among sublunarie creatures where every spire of grass may serve for a letter , but i spel my creator among the stars , and indeed there is not any mundane object doth delight and ravish me so much , as to contemplate those glorious lamps of heven in a clear night , wherewith i find my self so much affected , that with emilius i could find in my heart to congratulate the moons deliverie from an eclips ; therefore it may stand well with christianitie , to hold those the best of pagans , that ask blessing of the sun . touching my organs of hearing , 't is true as you say , they serve too often to let in every frivolous tale , or sonet , yet as the philosopher calls the hearing sensum disciplinae , the sence of learning , whereby the soul , as he thought , being at first infusion a kind of rasa tabula , recovers all her notions by way of reminiscence , i have made it often ( let all this be spoken without vanity ) the sense of saving knowledge for faith comes by hearing ; i have set open the anfractuous passages thereof to take in the sacred oracles of god , and the mysteries of salvation , and when i hear a holy anthem it brings all my spirits to my ears in throngs ; a grave elaborat sermon works the like effect , such a sermon as he speak of , who coming out of a church , and being asked whether the sermon was done , yes , said he , 't is done in the church , but it begins now in me : but while my faith is fed , i do not love to have my reson famished , i do not love to be worded to death by such tautological & rambling insipid confused stuff that some enthusiasists use to evaporat , wherein it is as difficult to find any coherence in point of matter or methodical contexture , as it is to make a rope of that sand whereby they prate . my feet 't is true , go too often astray to the by-paths of vanity , but they come back again to the right track , as one going on a journey , and hearing by the way a pack of hounds , he goes and follows the sport a while , and then returns to his road ; i have the grace to direct them often to gods holy house , where with leggs and knees i employ them in the humblest manner of genu-flection , to offer him sacrifices of prayer and prayses ; i reach out my hands sometimes to lend unto the lord , by relieving the poor ( according to my pittance ) knowing that charity doth cover a multitude of sins : my fingers also i find pliable now and then to write divine meditations , whereunto i employ them altogether upon the holy saboth . my mouth , my toung , and heart , also joyn ( be it still spoke without vainness ) at least to ejaculat my guilt and his glory ; and i find the arterial bloud , which is in the least ventricle thereof boyling , me thinks , within me in affection towards him , the exhalations whereof rise up , and fill all the cells of my brain to contemplat his goodness , as will appear unto you in these few ternaries of stanzas . could i screw up my brain so high with soaring raptures that mightfly unto the empyrean skie , how would i laud the lord of light , who fills all things , and every wight with plentie , vigor , and delight . my voice with halelujahs loud should pierce and dissipat the clouds which in the airie region croud ; then through the element of fire unto the stars they should aspire , and so to the seraphic quire . thus earth and skie , with every thing should joyn with me , and carrols sing unto the everlasting king . touching my interior passions , i confess , they have too great a dominion in me , choler , which hath more heat than light in it , doth too often transport me , som fires glow in me , as if they were flown from hell , and such a fire no meaner man than saint paul , though a convert , and one that had been a traveller in the other world , felt within him , impatience and rashness , intemperance , self-conceit , and hatred have reigned in me , i have other odd things ( and indeed all things which attend human weakness ) that i am subject unto , as too much credulitie and lightness ; sadness contracts , and mirth too suddenly dilates my spirits , and makes them break out into violent fits of laughter , which though it be a harmless passion , yet there is none that distorts a man so much , for it extends the fore-head , declines the brow , half shuts the eye , raising a kind of splendor about them , it crumples up the nose , drives back the cheeks , and makes pits in them , it shews the teeth , makes the toung pendant in the mouth , it hindereth the swallowing by contracting and shutting the muscles which serve that action , it gives such girds to the diaphragma that it obstructs the respiration for the time , it contracts all the members , and beats upon the flancks , it puts forth arms , leggs and hands in strange posturs ; it causeth syncopes sometimes , and raiseth an irregular motion in the pulse ; thus this passion disguiseth me too often , & betrays my folly , though one , apologizing for this passion , saith , that laughter doth not as much discover a man to be a fool , but that there is a fool in his companie , which causeth him to laugh . there is so much prodigalitie in me , that i think i shall never be covetous , i shall never be condemned for a rich man , nor be so simple , as to roast meat for others , while i starve my self ; i have other passions that dwell in me , whereof there can be no excess , as hope and love ; by the first i think i shall be long liv'd , for of all the passions there is none so advantagious for health , in regard the spirits therein , which coroborat and quicken all the parts , are moderate , she stops , and keeps them back that they cannot dissipat nor make any vehement agitation or eagerness ; for if the spirits be too active and violent in their operations , they may produce strong actions , but it shortens our daies , because those spirits easily scatter , and so consume the natural moisture , which hope useth not to do . touching the other passion , viz. love , nature herein hath been benign , and bountifull unto me , for she hath given me good store , so that i think i am not in the arrear to any for that , i take much more pleasure in the retaliation of a good turn , than in the revenge of a wrong , &c. this love extends to all my fellow cretures , for it makes an impression of a kind of tenderness in me , when i see any of them go to the slaughter ; insomuch , that i could live a pythagorean , all the daies of my life , upon roots , fruits , pulse and whit-meats , which nature reacheth unto us so gently without any violence ; what a coil there is with so many hounds , horses and men to take away the life of a hare or partridge : what blowing and puffing , what sweating and swearing is us'd in killing a poor dear ? which makes me think upon the mad-man , whom the italian doctor had put naked in a pond up to the navil , and it hapning , that a falconer passed by , luring after his hawk , he asked the mad-man whether he had seen her , the mad-man staring upon him , and asking him divers questions touching his hawks , hounds , & horse , & finding that all that expence and pains was but to kill some poor bird ; he told the falconer , get you gon hence as soon as you can , for if the doctor comes out , and finds you , whereas he hath put me here but to the navil , he will clap you up to the very neck for a greater mad-man . but touching rational cretures which are of my own species , and bear the character of christians , i can hate no man onely for his opinion , difference of fancy and face to me is all one ; it mov's pity rather in me than hatred ; the greek , all the while he hath the same creed with me , though among other tenents , he denies , that the souls of holy men do enjoy the blissfull vision of god , or the souls of wicked men are tormented in hell before the day of judgement ; the melchites or assyrians , the greatest sect of christians in the orient , though among other wrong opinions , they hold , that the holy ghost proceedeth from the father , &c. the russian , though he receive children , after seven years of age , to the communion , and mingleth warm water with the wine in the eucharist , &c. the nestorian , though he hold , that there are two persons in our saviour , as well as two natures , &c. the iacobit , though he signs children before baptism , with the sign of the cross , some in the face , some ●n the arm , some in the breast , which badg of christianitie , they carry with them to their grave , &c. the cophti , or christians of egypt , though they baptize not their children till daies after their birth , and then presently administer the sacrament of the eucharist unto them , &c. the habassins , which are the ethiopians , a vast continent of christians , as bigg as half europe , though they circumcise their children , as well as baptise them , & so are jews from the girdle downward , though the cake of unleavened bread which they administer in the sacrament , have five dents in it , alluding to the five wounds of christ , and that day they communicat , they do not spit till the sun be set ; and the emperour , when in his progress , he comes to the sight of a church , he presently lights down off his dromedary , and crawls a while on his knees , but never remounts , till he be out of the sight of the church , with other ceremonies of theirs , &c. the armenians , who have more priviledges in the turks dominion than any other christians , though they deny the holy ghost to proceed from the son , and receive infants presently after baptism to the communion of the eucharists &c. the maronits that inhabit about mount libanus though they hold that human souls were all created together from the beginning , that the father may dissolve the matrimony of his son or daughter if he mislike it , though they use to create children . or . years old sub-deacons , and believe that no human creture entereth the kingdom of heaven before the generall ●udgement &c. the anabaptists , ●hough they baptise not their children till they come to years of dis●retion &c. the presbyterian , though ●e be against hierarchy , and the ce●emonies of the church and onely ●n love with the wealth thereof &c. the hollanders though they allow a man to cohabit with a woman all the daies of his life , and if upon his death bed he marry her , t' is time enough to restore her honour , and make the children formerly begot between them legitimate , &c. the roman catholicks , though they invoke saints , and pray for the dead , &c. all these , with sundrie sorts of christians besides , all the while they have the symbole of saving faith , and same apostolical creed with me , all the while they have the decalog , and holy scriptures , i have so much charitie to hold that they differ from me , not as much in religion as in opinion ; ( now opinion is that great ladie which sways the world ) therefore i wish that they might go up the same scale of bliss with me . nor are the swi●s and gritons to be hated , because they permit the lutheran to preach in one end of the church , and the calvinist in the other , yet in thei● moral civilities and negotiations , they live peaceably together . to conclude this discours touching common charitie and love , 't is tru my fellow-cretures , my kindred and friends have a great share of it , but i reserve the quintessence thereof for my creator and saviour , the one being the sea , the other the spring of all felicitie . i love my creator a thousand degrees more than i fear him , which makes me praise him more often than pray unto him ; and for matter of fear ( as i displayed my self elsewhere ) i fear none more than my self , who am indeed my greatest foe , i mean those obliquities and depravations which are my inmates , whereof the ill spirit takes his advantage , ever and anon , to make me run into aberrations , so that i may say , i stand more in fear of my self than of the devil , or death who is the king of fears . now touching this elixer of love that i reserve for my creator , it melted one morning into these stanzas : as the parchd field doth thirst for rain when the dog-star , makes sheep , and swain of an unusual drowth coplain , so thirsts my heart for thee . as the chac'd deer doth pant and bray after some brook , or cooling bay , when hounds have worried her astray so pants my heart for thee . as the forsaken dove doth mone when her beloved mate is gone , and never rests while self-alone , so mones my heart for thee . or as the teeming earth doth mourn in black ( like lover at an urn ) till titan's quickning beams return , so do i mourn , mone , pant & thirst for thee , who art my last and first . soul . i am glad beyond measure to hear these discourses drop from you , first that you make so good use of the objects of this inferior world , as to study your creator in them , proceeding from the effects , to the search of the cause which is the method of philosophy , whereas the theolog proceeds commonly from the cause to the effect . the pagan philosophers by the twilight of nature soard so high , that they came to discover there was a primus motor , an ensentium , an optimus maximus , they came to know that he was ubiquitary and diffus'd through the universs , to give vigor , life and motion to all parts as i do in that bodie of yours , though invisibly , if i may be so bold as assimilat so incomprehensible a greatness to so small a thing ; now there is no finit intellect can form a quidditative apprehension of god , no not the angels themselves . there may be negative conceptions of him , as to say he is immortal , immense , independent , simple , and infinit &c. or there may be relative conceptions had of him , as when we call him creator , governor , king , &c. or there may be positive conceptions of him , as the chiefest good , a pure act , or he may be described by an aggregation of attributs , as , mercifull , wise , pious , &c. but for the comprehensive quidditie of god , it cannot be understood by any created power ; among all these , one of the best wayes to describe him , is by abstracts , as to call him goodness it self , justice it self , power , pity & piety it self , he being the rule of all these ; some of those ancient wisards among the egyptians and grecians came by reach of natural resons , to the knowledge of one incomprehensible guide and conserver of the univers ; specially tresmegistus and socrates , but they durst not broach their opinions publiquely for fear of the fury of the peeple , among whom there was a kind of zeal in those dark times ; plato flew as high as socrates his master in divinitie , and among other passages throughout his works , there is one that is very pregnant , for writing to a friend of his , he saith , when i write to thee seriously ; i begin my epistle with god save thee , when otherwise , the gods save thee ; aristotle , plato's scholler , courted nature onely , groping her secrets ; a great philosopher he was , and no less a sophister , he was the first that entangled philosophy with subtilties , coin'd words and paralogisms , as the classicans did first distract divinitie , so that it was no improper character which one gave , that aristotles school was a great skold ; touching the celestial bodies i love you the better , that you are affected with them so much , that you sometimes speculat and spel your creator among the stars . now some of the rabbins hold , that the word iehovah ( which is the highest name of god almightie , and pronounced publickly in the synagog but once a year ) may be plainly made up among the oriental stars . nay , they affirm , that all the hebrew letters may be found in the firmament , which letters were the true characters of the constellations before the egyptians came with their hieroglyphicks , & that the greeks hois'd up such monsters so near the throne of god , as bears , bulls , lions , goats , rams and scorpions ; together with pitchers and planks of rotten wood . they hold moreover , that the fate and periods of monarchies may be read , not onely in comets , but in those fixd stars that are vertical over them . when medusa's head was vertical to greece , there were divers that presaged her destruction . ierusalem's ruin was read plainly among the stars , some years before . nay , postel , a christian writer , takes god and christ to witness , that in the hebrew characters among the stars , vidit omnia quae in rerum natura constituta sunt , he saw all things that were constituted by nature . doubtless that toung which was spoken in paradise , and by the almightie himself , may have some extraordinarie priviledge and mysteries in it , nor was postel lunatic when he broke out into such a protestation . but the authors of this opinion add unto it this caution , that he who will be a schollar , and a proficient in this sydereal school to spel the stars , and studie this book ( for the heavens are calld so in holy scriptures ) must be an extraordinarie pious , patient and prudent wel-wisd man , so he may find old orpheus words to be tru , when speaking of god he sings , — {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . thy certain order doth run immutable commands aong the starrs : now , touching those ancient notaries of nature , it may be well thought , those large ideas of knowledge they had , were illuminations from heven , whence every good and perfect gift doth descend , therefore erasmus cannot be much blamed for canonizing socrates for a saint , so confident he was of his salvation ; and it were no profaness to say , that as the holy prophets were harbengers to the second person of the trinitie , so the philosphers were the heralds of the first . touching your passions , senses and organs , though the first have been traytors so often unto me within doors , and the other rebells without , yet you apologize indifferently well for them ; age will take off their teeth and ougles in time , for they are no other than wild beasts ; insomuch , that it was not said improperly of him , who having pass'd his gran climacterique , viz. , said , that he was got loose from his unruly passions , as from so many tygars or wolves . but i like it well , that you have so much of hope and love ; touching the first , you say well , it maybe a cause of longevity , because it keeps the spirits in a temperat motion , and preserves them from wasting too fast ; and this may be one reson why kings and soverain princes are not commonly so long liv'd as others , because they have fewer things to hope for , and more things to fear . touching the largeness of your love , that it extends to a tender compassion towards sensitive animals , it is a thing not to be altogether discommended in you ( though it may be smild at by some ) nor are you alone herein , but there be some noble christian authors that are of your disposition , who say , that they could find in their hearts to inveigh against the cruel , bloudy and nasty sacrifices of the jews , had they not served as types of the great oblation for mankind ; nor is your charitable large love towards all those that bear god almighties image , to be blam'd , being well interpreted , specially towards christians , considering that they have the decalog , wherein there are omnia facienda all things to be done , and the dominical prayer , wherein there are omnia petenda all things to be asked for , and lastly the creed , wherein there are omnia credenda all things to be believed ; though the roman church be accus'd to mutilat one of them . 't is true , there have been haeretiques and hetroclits in divinitie from all times , specially in this doting age , and not only in divinitie , but also in philosophy , and policy . the church of christ , like saint peters bark , must expect , in this troublesom world , to be toss'd with cross winds , and somtimes with tempests , which proceed from the light and airy opinions of human brains ; and while they think to make the said bark tite , and stop the leaks , they make more holes in her ; others , going about to exalt the church , do raise her upon the devils back ; and the worst is , that peeple fall out about meer nicities , and extern indifferent forms ; for though they agree in the fundamentals and doctrin , yet they come to exercise mortal hatred one to the other ; but it hath been so from the beginning : what a huge clash did one little vowel made in a great general councel , whether {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , or {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , was more orthodoxal ; and what a huge gulph of separation is made now among christians , whether , in the holy eucharist , we take panem domini , or panem dominum ; there may be garments of divers fashions made of one stuff ; the same faith may admit of divers rites ; and indeed , it is very observable , how the genius of a nation may be discovered by their outward exercise and forms of religion ; the romans , who had large souls , did always delight in magnificence and pomp , in stately fabriques , in rich ornaments , in exquisit music , in curious sculptures and paintings , in solemnities and stately processions ; all these the italians , who are extracted of the romans , as also divers families in spain and france , do exercise in the practice of their religion , thinking nothing too costly and precious for their churches , and that it concerns all arts to contribut their best , and most quintessential pieces for the beautifying thereof , wherein all others , who are under the roman church do imitat her ; but there are other peeple that have souls of another temper , they care not for exterior shews , and appearances of pomp , or for feeding the eyes : and whereas the other nations do deck , trim up , and imbellish religion with the rarest ornaments , and richest jewels and furniture they can find , to set a good face upon her , whereas they house her in the stateliest manner they can , adorning , perfuming and keeping her temples as neat and decent as possible can be , to draw the peeple to a love and frequentation of them ; the other sort of peeple put her in homely plain attire , being loth to spend much money upon her , least if devotion shold produce too much welth , the daughter wold devour the mother . touching the charitable conceit you bear towards those sects of christians which you have nam'd , discovers a candid & charitable nature in you , for though the number of the elect be few , yet to confine them to one clime , and coop them up in one corner of the earth , is a presumption ; yet every one shold be so confident of his own religiō , as to wish that all mankinde were of the same as he. i like it extremely well that you reserve the best and purest motions of love for your creator , who is the source and wide sea , who is the sum and center of all happiness ; this love you may be well assured will not be lost towards him who taketh delight in nothing more than in the good of his cretures , and to see them do well ; he is always more ready to open than they to knock , more ready to hear than they to cry , more ready to bestow than they to begg ; moreover i like well those submissive and decent postures wherein you prostrat your self before him , there can be no exces of humility in your comportment that way , the inward man is known by the outward carriage , and when the members bow without , 't is a signe that the heart doth so also within : i like it well also that your praises are more frequent than your prayers ; prayers bend god , but prayses bind him ; prayer concerns our own interest , but praise aymes principally at his glory , and they who doth truly preform this part of piety , may be saied to discharge the duty of an angell upon earth ; god , who is omniscious , knows all our wants before hand , and what 's fitting for us , therfore to be too importunat and over-tedious in one praier , to eflagitat him with reiterations of the same thing discovers a doubting and diffident heart , therefore it more becomes a christian to be more vehement in prayse rather than in prayer , the one issuing out of the foggy vapours of sin , the other from the pure exhalations of piety and gratitude , which sooner ascend to heaven ; therefore a christian should not stand always knocking and begging at the gates of heaven , but endeavour to bestow some thing upon his creator , and there cannot be a better gift than praise , with expressions of thankfulness and with admiration of his longanimity and love , of his preservation and providence , of his power and greatness ; yet prayer should have a longer preparation than praise , in regard by it we make our addresses immediatly to god in the second person , and familiarly speaks to him as it were face to face ; whereas oblations of praise are commonly in the third person ; therefore under favour i do not much approve of their custom who before and after meat , when their brains are ful of worldly thoughts , and tied to civil compliances do rush rashly into a speech with him in the second person having no time for a fitting praemeditation ; at such times a short ejaculation expressed in the third person ( though it be only mental if the case requiers ) may be more acceptable , and freer from presumption than a long grace , for among those innumerable sins which man is subject unto , the sin in prayer , though least thought upon , is one of the greatest , when without trembling precogitations , god almightie is spoken unto , and thou'd in the vocative case . now , those benedictions , and strains of prayses which are utterd in the nominative and other cases , have a larger scope of boldness , and a greater latitude of notion , they keep at a further distance , and consequently require not so much reverence , and recollection of the thoughts beforehand , but may be extemporal ; 't is one thing to say god be praisd , another thing to say , o god i praise thee : the latter requires much more premeditation , for one presupposeth he is as it were locally and presentially before him , though the first may have as much of the heart , & be as effectual as the other . this makes me to take some paines when i invoke god in the second person by my orison , to obstract my self from all commerce with you for the present , and elevat my self upon the wings of faith in the sublimest posture i can towards heven taking the choicest affections and ideas with me along where i figure to my self a huge mountain of most pure and inexpressible light wherein me thinks i discern a glorious majesty , but the more i look upon him , the more he dazles mine eyes , that i cannot make him a fix'd object , or discover any shape in him , in regard of the refulgencie of his glory ; during this action , i endeavour to mingle with that light , for true love is nothing else but an appetit of vnion , and if i hold my self to be a spark , or part of that light from the beginning , and to be dart thence into that body of yours , and made a soul , may be no extravagant speculation . now touching this last notion , and the other concerning extemporall prayer , it is not utter'd to give the least occasion of scandal to any other soul , but onely to intimat , that there are for acts of devotion , as well as for all things else , fit places and times , where there may be a greater opportunitie for one to summon his spirits , to marshall his irregular thoughts , and raise his affections towards that glorious object , to whom prayer is directed . bodie . dear soul , my spirits are raised to an exceeding great height of comfort , that in the first part of this last discours , you are pleas'd with the method of my devotions , and carriage towards heaven ; that i reserve my purest and most intense affections for my creator , which i shall be most carefull ever to do , — dum spiritus hos regit artus ; he being my sole & soverain good ; and truly , i must tell you , that when by my lubricities , as by too free a genius in the fruition of a friend or otherwise , i chance to have offended him , i can never be friends with my self , till i am reconcil'd to him , and that i conceive his countenance to be turn'd again towards me ; yet , i had once a long fit of dejection of spirit that made me break out into these complaints , which you may well remember , for they were emanations from you . early and late , both night and day , by moon-shine and the sun's bright ray , when spangling starrs emboss'd the skie , and deck'd the world's vast canopy , i sought the lord of life & light , but oh , my lord kept out of sight . as at all times , so every place i made my church , to seek his face ; in forrests , chaces , parks and woods , on mountains , meadowes , fields and flouds , i sought the lord of life and light , but still my lord kept out of sight . on neptun's back , when i could see but few pitch'd planks 'twixt death and mee , in freedom & in bondage long with grones & crys , with pray'r and song , i sought the lord of life & light , but still my lord kept out of sight . in chamber , closet ( swoln with tears ) i sent up vowes for my arrears , in chappel , church and sacrament , the soul's ambrosian nourishment , i sought the lord of life and light , but still my lord kept out of sight . what! is mild heven turn'd to brass , that neither sigh nor sob can pass ! is all commerce 'twixt earth and sky cut off from adam's progeny ? that thus the lord of life & light , shold so , so long keep out of sight ? such passions did my mind assail , such terrors did my spirits quail ; when lo , a beam of grace shot out through the dark clowds of sin and doubt which did such quickning sparkles dart , that pierc'd the centre of my heart ; o how my spirits come again , how ev'ry cranny of my brain was fill'd with heat and wonderment , with joy , and ravishing content , when thus the lord of life & light did re-appeer unto my sight . learn sinners hence , 't is ne're too late , to knock and cry at hevens gate , that begger 's bless'd , who doth not faint , but re-inforceth still his plaint ; the longer that the lord doth hide his face , more brighter wil be his afterbeams of grace . thus at last i made mythridat of that viper , which me thought had gnaw'd so long upon my conscience , which prompted me all the while of my dangerous condition , and exhibited me my quietus est at last . soul . i like it very well , that you make the conscience your guide , and that you use to listen to his counsell ; for he is my dictator , & may be said to have a coordinat power with god himself . therefore it is the chiefest part of a wise christian , to take his conscience for his admonisher here , least he become his accuser hereafter , he is fraenum , and flagrum , he is a bridle before , but a scourge after sin . but i hope , those turbid intervalls of grief and gripings bettered you afterward ; for confession and sorrow without amendment ( as one truely said ) is like the pumping of a ship without stopping the leaks : it is a pithy and ponderous advice that an ancient father gives , commissa dole , dolenda non committe , repent of things committed , and commit not things to be repented ; there is another saying , that administreth both comfort and caution , that if sins present do not delight thee , sins passed will never destroy thee . there is a third which reflects upon god and man ; qui promittit poenitenti veniam non promittit peccanti poenitentiam . he who promiseth pardon to the penitent , doth not promise repentance to the peccant . it behoves you now , that you have passed above seven climacteriques ; and seen above seven and twentie hundred saboths , to make a more exact and frequent account with heaven , for all the noble natural parts must grow less vigorous in you ( and so draw you to your end ) specially the heart , which according to the old egyptian doctrine receives two dramms every yeer till it comes to , and then decreaseth so fast to a , whence turning to its original weight it makes no further progress ; therefore rogus & urna meditanda , you must now meditate on the pile and the pitcher , viz. on your winding-sheet and grave : for death may lie in wait for you in your shadow as you tread it . you must not now thirst so much after humane knowledge , and spend your time in the school of nature , by making such greedie researches into her causes and effects , you must seek after theological verities , you must not so much look after iacobs staff , as after his ladder . but in the search of divine mysteries , let me give you this caution , not to affect scepticism too much , for it may make you guiltie of spiritual pride , the two gran sins which reign in these times . it is a wholesom rule satis est sapere ad sobrietatem . it is enough to be soberly wise , to be contented to be of gods court , not of his councel , specially of his cabinet councel . nor in adiaphorous things must you be to violent , strict and insolent , or hating any to destruction . bodie . well fare you now , and better may you fare hereafter , that you have so much care of me , as it appears by affording me these instructions . it is a while since that i have put them in practice , by imploying my intellectuals to divine operations , and to give you some small instances , i will offer you from among others , a few of the psalms of the holiest of men , and the first instance shall be the verse that should precede all prayers and praises , which i have made to run upon english feet as smoothly and as faithfully as i could , diversifying it in four stanzas , whereof the reader may choose which he please . psalm . vers. vlt. o lord my saviour and support , grant that the words and cries my heart doth vent , and toung report be pleasing in thy eys . o let the notions of my mind and words my mouth doth yield , still in thy sight acceptance find my saviour , strength and shield . o lord my saviour strength and might , grant that the thoughts and words be always pleasing in thy sight my mouth and heart affoards . o let the words my lips prolate , and plaints my heart doth pour , find favour at thy mercie gate my saviour , strength and tow'r . now you shall receive some of the penitential psalms , which i hope i have not murthered in the version , as others are said to have done . psalm . . some pitie , lord , to me afford of thy abundant grace , for thy great love my sins remove and trespasses deface . wash off the slime of this foul crime , and throughly purge the blot ; for i confess my wickedness , i always see the spot . o lord 'gainst thee and onely thee have i committed ill , that thy words might be counted right and cleer when judged still . lo , in a frame of sin and shame were knit my flesh and bone , when i , alas , an embryon was of sinners i was one . in the inmost parts of contrite hearts thou wisdom do'st demand , and secretlie thou shalt make me tru wisdom understand . with hyssop cleance this foul offence , and purge my soul from ill , so shall i be white in degree to snow on hermon hill . o let me heer news that may cheer my trembling heart with joy , may free from grones , my shatterd bones , broke by thee with annoy . o turn aside thy face , and hide it from my foul offence ; and throughly blot this ugly spot , ere i be sumon'd hence . renew my heart in every part , thy saving grace inspire , so that my brest may be possess'd with flames of heavenly fire . oh do not chace me from thy face , nor of thy spirit deprive , for then should i in misery be worst than thing alive , thy joyes once more to me restore of thy salvation , so shall i preach and sinners teach the way to hevens throne . o lord from bloud that cries so loud fo● vengeance me defend , so shall i still with accents shrill thy noble deeds extend . my lips unseal for to reveal thy wondrous acts of old , so shall my toung the saints among thy righteousness unfold . nor bloud of lambs , or fat of rams are pleasing in thy sight , else would i come with hecatoms didst thou in them delight . the sacrifize which god doth prize are hearts with sorrow bruizd ; a heart broke so and split with wo , lord , thou hast nere refus'd . on sion hill o lord , distill thy gifts in a good hour ; build salems walls and keep from falls thy temple and her towr . here followeth another in a differing cadence and tune . psal. . correct me not in rage , nor chastize me in ire , but lord thy wrath asswage , and me with grace inspire , for i am faint , and all my bones , are vex'd with grones of just complaint . my soul doth also swell for griefs that me torment , but , lord , how long , oh tell , wilt thou thy self absent ? return o god , lord of all bliss , for i do kiss thy smarting rod . for in the shades of night , no mortall can thee mind , and in the pit what wight to thank thee canst thou find ? behold my teares , wherewith i drown each night my down , for old arrears . my beauteous daies are past , for griefs that me dismay , and like a flower i fade , and wither quite away , for fear of those that me annoy , and would destroy like deadly foes . psalm . . out of the fluds , out of the sudds of sin i roar and cry , lord bow thine ear , 't is time to hear : my groans and agony . if thou observe how oft we swerve from thee , who can abide to stand before thy judgement dore to be arraignd and tri'd ? but there 's with thee rich clemencie and plenteous store of grace , which makes thee lord to be ador'd so much by human race . my soul for thee incessantlie waits as the centinel waits for the day and phoebus ray , nights darkness to repel . let israel then boldly dwell and trust in god above . for there 's with him up to the brim abundant store of love . for it is he can onely free and israel forgive , and of his crimes done at all times an absolution give , soul . i am mightily well pleased that you employ your thoughts and words ( which are the chiefest cretures of the mind ) upon such meditations as these ; it much joye's me that you wind up your spirits to davids harp , a music that is sweet and rich enough to be of consort with that of the spheres , specially if your heart keeps touch with the tone for he is the truest penman of heavenly things , who feeles the joyes thereof , while he is enditing them ; now , in those holy hymns of david's , there is a coincidence of prayer , and prayse , which like two currents falling into one channel , makes the stream the stronger . but to inlarge my self a little further in that point whereon i insisted a little before , touching the studie of divine knowledge , which is the unicum necessarium , i advise you again , now that you have stepp'd a good way in the autumne of your age , and that a little bark of yours hath been toss'd and shatter'd with so many tempests , it were wisdom that you wold think upon your last port , and ballast her accordingly to arrive thither ; therefore whereas you have courted the hand-maids so long , you shold now make your principal applicatiōs to the mistress , you shold devote your self to the theory of divine things , which is the true fruit of the tree of knowledge , whereas the other are but the leafs thereof . now christianity of all other religions hath the hardest and highest reaches , the purest ideas and abstracted furthest from sense , and harshest to flesh and bloud , in regard of sundry transcendencies , and mystical tenents she contains , as the trinity , the incarnation and resurrection , in the re-serches of which points the quickest sight , may be said to be but one degree above blindness , therefore in the discussion and investigation of these , it is fit that you make reson ( whose uttermost ken can reach no higher than the sphere of nature ) to lye succumbent at faiths feet , and so conclude certainties out of impossibilities , and god being omnipotent may in justice demand such beliefs from us . nor must you be too presumptuous by prying into the power , prerogative and nature of the incomprehensible deity ; for if all the fages that ever were yet in the world , could not come to the knowledge of the least star in heaven , so far as to tell what substance she is made of : how is it possible for any humane capacitie to ascend so high , as to the knowledge of the immense majestie which created them ; therefore the safest and certainest knowledge touching god , is to confess , that we cannot know him in any perfection . insomuch that that inscription which was found upon the pagan altar among the greeks was a very modest one , & may be said to be still in date {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , to the unknown god : for the further that a finit intellect doth launch forth into the boundless and bottomless sea of this cōtemplation , the more he is in danger to go astray and loose it self , all human brain being too narrow and uncertain a compass to steer the cours by , though stars and angells contribute their help to direct him ; therefore it is a far securer way for a sober minded christian to sit down in an humble astonishment , and to vent forth this interjection of wonder , o the inscrutableness & immensity of god , his ways are past finding out &c. therefore you must be modest in your indagations this way , and cautious how you go awry into any by-path from the beaten road , and so wander in the wilderness of your own imaginations : for it is the common practise of the devil , when it pleaseth god to give him the reins to punish a nation , to tamper first with their intellectualls , and puzzle the brain with new doubts , and peremptory conceits , till he leads them into a maze of confusions , where at last he seizeth upon them for their spiritual pride . you must take heed of such an insobriety , and insolent zeal , but seek after singleness of heart , rather than after singularity of opinion ; be wary also how you meddle with classical divinity , but leave it to them whose holy function it is to controvert such matters , and doubtles are specially inspired for that purpose , employ your chiefest howers in penning or perusing things that may elevat the thoughts above the elements , and fill them with pious raptures ; but what authors so ever you read whither old or new , whither historical , polemical , or paraenetical , take this rule along with you to believe them for the holy scriptures sake , and the scriptures for themselves . antiquity is venerable , therefore the older the author is , the more to be valued , it being a maxim that may bear sway in divinity as well as in heralday , tutius est cum patribus quàm cum fratribus errare . body . these are wholsom precepts that you give me which i shall conform unto . and whereas in your former discourse you gave me an item of my age , and that having now made a good step in the autumnal part thereof , therefore rogus & urna medstands , it is sitting that the funeral pile and pitcher should be thought upon . truly , were it the custom of christianity , and that when you have left me , i must be reduced to my first principles , i could be well contented that this small bottom of clay whereon the ravell'd and thrumb'd thread of my life hath been wound up so long , should be turned to earth and ashes by fire , which is the noblest of the elements , rather than by letting it putrifie , and be made a feast for ugly worms in the grave so long , and to be digested in their maws . a conceit not altogether so extravagant as he who thought drowning to be the gentlest way of goin● out of the world , when the body b● smooth waving undulations glide● softly to its last home . let it not b● term'd a vanity in me to tell yo● that touching this elementar● world i have bin a good while o● of conceit with it , and had i b●lanc'd account with it , i could wi●lingly pay nature her last debt , an● render this small bag-full of bon● to the earth whence it first came ● know ther be sundry modes ho● this debt is payed , in some life go● out like a lamp when the oil spent , and so takes a gentle fa●well , in others life is puffed out violence , and so it commonly ther streams away in blood , or i● thrust out at the postern door ; in●thers , life is starv'd away , in som● in long lingring hectiques and s● like diseases ; som fall like mellow fruit , others are plucked off ; ther be a thousand wayes to go out , but one way to come into this world : i have liv'd already to see such things that former ages never saw , nor future i beleeve , can ever see ; i will confine my self within the compass of these last fifteen yeers , only , wherin ther have happen'd the most prodigious revolutions , and horridst accidents , not only in europe , but all the earth over , that ever befell mankind since adam cover'd himself with fig-leaves . i will begin with the fyeriest parts , with africa , wher the mighty habassin emperor was met in nostile way , and slain , together with his two sons , in open field , by ● common vassall of his , who had ●aised military forces against him , ●nd so made himself chief of that ●ncient and vast empire of ethio●ia ; the wild tartar rush'd through that four hundred mi●es huge wall , which fever's china from tartary , and so piercing the very bowels of that luxurious and most delicate continent as far as quinz●y ( the celestiall city as they call her ) and besieging the very palace of that most eastern monarch , he caus'd him to set it all on fire , and to do away himsel● violently with his thirty wive● and children , rather then he would become an inglorious captis● the great ottoman emperour , an● head of the musulmans was strangled by his own slaves in the seraglio . the knez org●an duk● of moscovia had some of his prim● nobles , and principall officer hack'd to pieces before his fac● and their heads being thrown int● vessels of strong water , they wer● fixed upon poles , and made t● burn before his court gate . i●naples a bare-footed fisherma● made himself the head of an army in lesse then four daies of men , and rendred himself as absolute as any monark : two provinciall kingdoms revolted quite from spain , viz. catalonia on the one side , and portugall on the other , renouncing all obedience unto him . the republic of venice soly with her own strength of tresure hath wrastled seven yeers together with the great turk . a king of great britain , the defendor of the faith , and head of the church , had his head chop'd off in a juridicall way . i live in a time that englands chiefest temples are turn'd to stables and ster●oraries , that dogs have bin christened at the font , and horses ●ed on the communion table , with sundry other spectacles , then which if i should live a thousand yeers longer , i think i shold not see more strange and stupendous . soul . all this that you say is too true , but ther is nothing to be wondred at now adaies . it is a good while since that i have given over wondring at anything ; and the greatest wonder is , that peeple have bin so habituated to see such strange things of late yeers that they have quite lost their wondring : but it is the pleasure and permission of the great architect of the world , in whose sight the vastest monarchies are but as so many mole-hils ; hee who transvolves empires and tumbles down diadems as he lifteth , that things should be so : nor is all this and what daily happeneth , but the effects of that branch of our daily prayer , thy will be done . moreover , when i seriously contemplat the frame of this frail inferior world , and find man to be the principall'st part of it ; when ( as i have touch'd else where ) i consider that fluxible stuffe which goes to make him up , and that the humors within him according to the elements are in perpetuall agitation , man will be man still , hee will be subject to changes and innovation ; as long as the moon shines above his head , and hath that dominion over him that he cannot cut a corn , or hair , or lop his tree , without seeking into her age : i say , as long as that instable planet makes impressions upon his brain , and those sluces of blood that run up and down his body , he will bee ever covetous of novelty , and gaping after mutation , specially the common fort of peeple , who will find som time or other to shew what they are : now , touching the moon , they that pry into the influxes and operations of heavenly bodies , do observe that she hath a greater power over this island then upon others , which causeth the brittish seas to swell up above fourscore cubits high in some places ; besides , daily experience shews , that empires , common-wealths and kingdomes , with all kind of civill bodies as well as naturall , are subject to distempers , to hot feavers , to fits of convulsions and vertigoes : they have also their degrees of growth , they have their consistences , declinings and catastrophes : and indeed the world it self which som held to be a great animal , as well as its parts , hath the like , which is now come to its decrepit age , the infancy whereof may be said to have bin from adam to noah , the childhood from noah to abraham , the youth from abraham to david , the manhood from david to christ ; the old age from christ to the consummation : insomuch that the older the world growes , the more subject the parts therof are to distempers , so that it is not to be wondred at , that men grow worse , that charity growes colder , that morosity and peevish inconstant humors reign more then ever , wherunto all revolutions , quarrels , and preli●tions may be attributed , wherby peeple becom active and eager oftentimes in the pursuits of their own ruine , and in li●u of those feathers which they cryed out before were such grievous burdens unto them , they draw sows of lead upon their backs . body . to this the pagan poet hath long since alluded , when he sung ; hoc placet o superi vobis cum vertere cuncta propositum nostris erroribus addere crimen . thus o yee gods , when yee intend to frame new governments , our errors bear the blame . this make some cry out that the times are such that they are able to turne one to an epicurean , who was not such an atheist as to think there was no god , but that the sublunary things of this lower world were too mean for him to take care of ; whereat another poet glanced , when he said , non vacat exiguis rebus adesse lovi . soul . 't is true , ther are some sort of crying black sins that raign now adaies , which are able to eclipse the sun it self , and obscure the whole face of heaven ; therefore i cannot be much blam'd of being weary of your consortship , and that i desire to be enfranchiz'd from that flesh , and made free denison in a better world . body . i confesse , my dear soul , that you have little comfort to sojourn in me , and i as litt●e to sojourn in the world as i said before ; yet though i am not so happy here as i desire , i am not so wretched as i deserve . ther are many odd extravagant humors that raigne now adaies , which make men to wander in the wildernes of their own exorbitant fancies , and leave the beaten road ; now , the vialls of the almighty's vengeance are various , but the sowrest and sorest are those which fall upon the brain , when the ill spirit is permitted to intoxicat the understanding , wherby som in searching after the the truth , do over-reach it as far as others com far short of it . the world was never so full of fancy , not only in d●vine notions , but philosophicall also as now it is . some presumptuous over-weening sciolists to raise the tarrasse of reson , wold ruine the battlements of faith , they wold make the miracles of holy scripture to proceed from naturall causes , they wold make som asptaltique bituminous matter to be the cause of the burning of sodom and gomorra ; they wold impute the drowning of pharoh and his army to a high spring tide ; the passing over of the israelites to a low ebb and eddy water : they admire not the raining of manna in the wildernes , because there is good store found in calabria , and other places ; they cannot believe that lazarus was rais'd from the dead , but they must be satisfied where his soul was all the while ; they censure the miracle of making the blind to see , because he saw men walk like trees , whereas he had never seen trees before , having bin blind from his nativity : they think it strange the● shold be a tree in paradise so soon , in regard the text saies positively that the plants of the fields were not yet grown , because it had not rain'd ; they question whether the handle of goliath's spear was as big as a weavers beam , and whether david had so many hundred thousand talents of treasure : moreover , they cast blemishes upon christian truth because general and great oecumenicall councels did so clash one with another : and that the fathers of the primitive church in divers opinions were not only differing one from the other , but dissonant to themselfs , as among other positions in the computations which they make of the yeers from the creation of the world to the incarnation , wherin they are so discrepant ; nay , they wold derogat from the dictats of the holy ghost himself touching som texts of scripture , because in the second of kings we read michal for merah , as may be perceived by comparing it with the first book of the same history : as also because st matthew hath written zachary for ieremy , chap. . likewise that st mark in the first chapter cites a passage out of isaiah which is recorded in malachy : moreover , when he saith that our saviour was crucified on the third hour , whereas st iohn saith , chap. . that he was but only condemned by pilat the sixth hour . so likewise where st luke saith , that cainan was the son of arphaxad , and salec the son of cainan , the place is contradicted in genesis . where it is said , that salec was not arphaxed's grandchild but his son , no other generation intervening betwixt the two ; and when ●● is said genesis the . that the cave which abraham bought was in sichem , being indeed in hebron , and that he bought it of the sonnes of emor the son of sechem , yet moses saith it was of ephron the hittite ; moreover wheras he saith that emor was sichem's son , it is said in genesis ● . quite contrary , that emor was sichem's father , and not his son . other supercritical spirits wold cast aspersions upon christianity , because constantin the first emperor of that religion was a very lewd man gildas , accusing him to have bin a murtherer , a perjurer , the tyrannicall whelp of the unclean lionness of dannonier's that likewise clovis the first christian king of france was as bad , and that henry the eight , the first reformed king , worse then either of them . ther are others that have another kind of spiritual pride , it being not only sufficient to arrogat from the holy scriptures , to pick ho●es in christianity , & criticize so upon her , but while they go about to magnify man , they detract from the chiefest instruments of gods glory , and his principall attendants the blessed angels , by paraleling mans creation to theirs , and that they were made , as all things els , for man , whom they cry up to be the epitome of the world , and that the principal ministerial function of the angels is to gard him . such as these may be said to be possessed with a giddy kind of spiritual drunkeness , or madness rather ; and touching those of this last conceit , they are like the cobler who drunk himself into a kingdom and thought himself a king while he continued in that humor . nor is religion only troubled with such critiques and detractors , but these times afford such in all sciences , to magnifie their own fancies they slight all antiquity , they will not stick to call plato a dotard , and hippocrates a quack-salver , thinking that they have more sublime notions then any . it is true , that in some sense , restraining it to saving knowledg , a child that understands his primer may be said to be more learned then all the philosophers that ever were , as the least fly , in regard she hath a sensitive soul within her , may be said in som respects to be more noble then the sun because he is inanimat . soul . it is too tru that the present times do swarm with such arrogant and over-curious spirits , though they be full of doubts and still at a loss , going after nothing els but more teaching still , yet they seem to have such a peremptory certitude of their salvation , as if they had seen their names registred in the book of life , expunging thence all other but their own . they cannot modestly beleeve the creed but they must know the very track that our saviour went to hell , they wold string the rainbow and be satisfied what kind of wood it is that the man of the moon carrieth on his back , &c. with a spirit much like this was scaliger possessed , who while he went about to amend the times , and correct errors , committed as gross ones himself as any one author he condemns ; he makes dagon a woman , the emperour of habassia , prester iohn ; what shallow conceits hath he of the depth of the sea , and how poorly was he vers'd in cyclometria , how scurrilously he railes against whole nations , and would understand nothing but what he liked ? body . truly i have bin ever averse to raise frivolous quaeres in any thing specially in the essentialls of faith , or enter into disputes and altercations or heat touching matters indifferent , i was never of their mind that against a cap and a surplis would put on a helmet , and armor ; i have bin contented to follow the first road i was put in towards heaven , moving after the motion of the superior orbs that were plac'd in the firmament of the church , though not altogether in an implicit way ; i have always made reson , and other sciences to truckle under divinity their mistress ; i have taken as much spirituall delight ( let all this be spoken without vanity , or any scandall to other souls ) in other offices and holy duties of the church as in sermons ; which makes me reflect upon a saying of s. lewis the french king , to henry the third of england , who asking him ( in those times of implicit faith ) whether he would go sooner unto the eucharist or to a sermon , he answered . i had rather see my friend then hear him only spoken of ; i have always inclined to love order and degrees of respect , & to abhor confusion , to love decencies rather then slut●isness , nor i hope , shall i be ever of their gang who to avoid superstition do fall into palpable prophaness . soul . i like you humor well touching all these particulars , nor will they offend , i beleeve , any one that is of a s●ne & sober judgment ; & concerning the last thing you spoke of , it makes the church militant to be most like the church triumphant , for in heaven , which is nothing els but one great temple , ther is among the angels ( which are compounded of essence and existence as you and i are of matter and form ) ther is i say a most exact order . they are divided to three hierarchies & in every hierarchy ther are three orders ; the first consists of seraphims , the second of cherubims , the third of thrones . the second consists of dominations , of vertues , and powers ; the third consists of principalities , of archangels , and angels ; now those of the supremest hierarchy partake of divine illuminations in a greater measure then of the inferior , and they one to another in respective manner , who are subordinat unto them ; you and i are created in a capacity to dwell in that temple of eternity , you after the resurrection , and i as soon as i part , with you , to see the face of my creator , and converse with those holy angels by thoughts and looks . body . 't is hard for flesh and blood to beleeve that , considering the immense distance which is twixt this ball of earth and 〈◊〉 empyrean heaven , you should so instantaneously arrive thither to behold the beatificall vision ; for the lowest neighbour to earth of all the celestiall bodies which is the moon , is by the opinion of the best astronomers computed to be . semidiameters distant from the earth , every diameter containing nere upon . miles ; so that put case one could fly thither , and mount . miles an hour , yet he would be above four months in his journey ; moreover from the first sphere , the primum mobile , put case a millstone should descend thence to the centre , it would be . yeers a coming down , though it make . miles every hour as the prime of astronomer averrs ; therfore under favor , how is it possible that you should immediatly upon your separation from me post up with such inexcogitable speed up to heaven , and behold the blissfull vision . soul . touching the operations , the movements , and conveyancies of spirits you must know that they are instantaneous , and so wonderfull , that the speculation thereof strikes philosophy dumb ; they need no succession of time or place , as bodies require in their motions , they meet with no stop or resistance at all in their passage : now , if light which is nothing els but dilated fire to the utmost tenuity that can be , and comes neerest to the nature of a spirit of any corporeal creature , if light i say doth exercise its function with such an admirable agility and suddennes as to expand it self from east to west over the whole surface of the hemisphere , what shall we think of spirits that are far fuller of activity : but you must understand , that when i am devested of you , the wall of partition , that interposition is instantly taken away which stood 'twixt me , and my creator , who is the son of the invisible world as that in the firmament which you see with the sensitive optiques here is of this materiall ; therefore i shall immediatly behold that infinitly more glorious sun the veyl of flesh being taken away , i shall be instantly within the temple of glory , wherof every corner is fill'd with the light of his countenance , insomuch that who is once in it , can never be able to go again out of it ; therefore though the blessed angels are employed up and down the world upon his service , yet they are alwayes within the verge of the beatificall vision . body . let it not be held a petulant , or impertinent curiosity in me , if i covet to know , since you now speak of angels , what degrees of difference ther may betwixt them and separated souls in heaven . soul . as they agree in many things , so they also differ in many ; angels and separated souls agree in that both of them are spirits , both of them are intellectual and eternal cretures , they behold the blissful vision ; they are courtiers of heaven , and act meerly by the understanding , the merits of christ was beneficiall to both , it made the one capable of the state of glory , and it confirm'd the other in it that they can never be apostats hereafter ; besides , ( as som hold ) at the day of judgment they are to receive augmentation of bliss by being freed from further employment , cares , and solicitings for men , and continue in an uninterrupted rest . now , as the blessed angels , and separated souls , do thus agree , so they differ also in sundry things ; they differ in their very essentialls ; for the principles of angels are meerly metaphysicall , viz. essence and existence ; but a separated soul continueth still a part of that compositum which formerly consisted of matter and form , and is still apt to be reunited to the body , till then she is not absolutly completed for all that while she changeth not her nature but her state : moreover they differ in the exercise of the understanding , and manner of knowledg , for a separated soul knowes still by discours and ratiocination which an angel doth not ; they also differ in dignity of nature , for angels have larger illuminations , and at the first instant of their creation they beheld the beatificall vision , yet separated souls are capable to mount up to such a height of glory as to bee like them in all things , both in point of vision , adhaesion , and fruitio● . body . but when you are setled in that state of blissfulness , how can i expect that you will desire to bee united again , to re-efform so frail and foul a thing as this body of mine ; why may not i think rather that you will assume some body of a nobler and more refined matter , according to the speculation of him who imagin'd , that rationall soules be they never so pious and pure , mount not up presently after their separation from the corrupt mass of flesh to enjoy the beatificall vision which is the height of all celestiall happiness ; but first they are carried to the body of the moon , or som other star according to their degrees of piety and goodness in this life , where they enter into , and actuar som bodies of a purer mould ; and being refin'd then they reascend to som higher star , and so to som higher then that , till at last they be made capable to behold the lustre of so glorious a majesty in whose sight no impurity can stand ; which fancy may be illustrated by this comparison , that if a prisoner ( as i touch elswhere ) after he hath bin kept close in a dark dungeon for many yeers , should bee taken out and brought suddenly to look upon the sun in the meridian , it would endanger him to bee struck stark blind ; so , no humane polluted soul , sallying out of a dark dirty prison as the body is , would be possibly able to appear before the incomprehensible majesty of god , or be susceptible of the fulgor of his all-glorious countenance , unless he be sitted before hand by certain degrees thereunto which might be done by passing from one star to another ; who , we are told in a good text , differ one from the other in glory , and consequently the creatures that are within them : now , they who please themselfs in this fancy adhere to their opinion who think that every star in heaven is peepled with som kind of creatures , which god almighty hath pleased to place there for his honour and service , it standing not with his providence that the concavities of those vast bodies whereof some are computed to be many hundred of times bigger then the globe of the earth , should be empty and void ; therefore these theorists frame a kind of scale of of creatures ; they place the elementary lowermost , as the most gross : the selenites or lunary peeple are of a finer composition then they , and as one star exceeds one another in height and glory , the creatures that are coloniz'd within them do so accordingly , but the most immateriall , the purest , and the most intellectuall are seated in the sphere of the sun where the almighty hath setled his throne , and they are his nearest attendants : the elementary creatures have more matter then form ; the solar have more form then matter , the inhabitants of the moon with other astraean colonies are of a mix'd nature , and the nearer they approach the body of the sun , who is the fountaine of light and heat , and the glorious eye of the world , the more pure and spirituall they are . soul . all this is but fancy , which although somthing of illumination and sublimity may bee in it , yet there is allo an extravagance in the idea , nor is it any way consonant to the orthodoxal faith , therfore never fear that by assumption of any other , i shall ever quite abandon that body of yours , but i shall reserve not only an aptitude , but a willingness to have you for my tabernacle again , and to bee recompact ; i shall be desirous to be a soul again , till when i shall be only a spirit ; but that bulk of yours shall be refin'd and sublimated to the perfection of celestiall matter , which is the purest and most quintescentiall part of the whole body of matter : it is the region wherein we shall go in equal pace with eternity it self ; therefore as man while he sojournes among the elements , bears a body sutable , congruous , and sympathetique to them ; so when he is exalted and made free citizen of the heavenly jerusalem , which is the true country for which he had a being , he shall be purified and ad●pted to the temper of it ; wherein man shall not only return to his first state of perfection , but to a far higher and greater exaltation of glory ; the {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} shall be no more {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} the body sh●ll be no more a sepulcher which may be the etymology of it here , but it shall becom a perpetuall temple for the holy ghost ; there his understanding shall not be subject to error , nor his will to passion , incertitudes and topiques shall be turn'd to de . monstrations , & faith to intuition ; provided , that he prepare himself accordingly , and in this school of nature make himself capable to remove thither ; provided , that he make use of those means which his creator hath prescrib'd him here , and that he employ his thoughts , words , and actions , to that end ; for man shall have degrees of happiness in heaven according to his works , though not for his works ; which makes me reflect upon a passage that happen'd in the reigne of edilred one of our saxon kings , who having chang'd his crown for a friers coule , and his court for a cloyster , went to visit a favorit of his that had bin a licentious young man , who telling the king that a vision had appear'd unto him the night before of two youths which hee had seen , one at his beds head with a white book thinne written , the other at his beds feet with a large black book blurr'd and very thick written ; the king answered that the meaning of this vision was , that the little book contained all his good works , the other his bad , yet god was so infinitely mercifull , that one good work would cover a multitude of bad ones , for hee never desir'd or absolutely design'd any creature of his for damnation , &c. body . yet ther want not now adaies such busie and profane spirits who rushing into his secret councels , do affirm that he hath by his determinat will preordain'd such and such creatures will they nill they for perdition ; an opinion then which we cannot conceive worse of the devill himself . but , my dear soul , you solace me beyond imagination , that you tell me , i shall bee reunited unto you , & made fit to share of your future beatitude ; yet , this , under correction , is a hard thing for humane capacity to apprehend ; that the very same entire body should bee found out and recompacted , after such putrefactions , after so many changes and revolutions ; where can all the splinters of a bone which a cannon bullet hath shiver'd and shatter'd to pieces bee found again ? where can all the atomes which a corrasive hath eaten from our limbs bee found ? what cohaerence , what rejoinder , is ther ever like to bee between a leg lost in turkey , and an arm lost in india ? the shark and other ravenous fish of the sea ; the tyger , the bear , the crocodile , with other savage beasts of the land use to devoure , to disgest and turn to chylus and so to blood , the bodies of thousands of men , and that blood goes to the generation of other such brute annimals , the wormes do the like in the grave ; burnt bodies are resolv'd into ashes , those ashes are blown into the gutter , that puddled water is carried by common-shores into rivers , those rivers pay tribute to the vast ocean which runs in , and retreats by so many ebbings and flowings , how can it enter into the brain of man that all the parts of these bodies can be retreev'd to make up the same compositum again ? soul . i know that the most searching and sagacious wits that ever were , were all at a loss when they meditated on this transcendent mystery , nor can the common principles of philosophy herein be preserved by any strength of reson , for they are bones that nature cannot disgest : but ( as i told you before ) in the scanning of divine mysteries we must oftentimes inferr certainties out of impossibilities , as also that god is omnipotent , otherwise it were not just for him to require such beliefs at our hands ; moreover , to illustrat unto you a little this article of the resurrection , you must understand that as at the creation ther was a separation of the chaos that huge indigested lump which went to the making of all cretures , so , after the last fire hath reduc'd all to their first principles and calcin'd them to ashes , ther shall be a separation of that confus'd mass of ashes by the same all powerfull hand , ther shall be a kind of second creation , and rallying of the individuall bodies which were formed at first , and every soul shall enjoy her first consort , though much more purified then it was before . body . you raise my heart to an exceeding great height of comfort , me thinks you imp this dull body , with eagles feathers to fly upwards , by telling me that after this transitory life which hangs upon such small filaments of sister threed is cut off , i shall be wrought into you again . soul . to make this point a little more perspicuous unto you , you must consider that matter taken singly by it self hath no distinctive form at all ther is an indifference & homogereous identity runs through the whole bulk of matter ; it is the substantiall form which is the soul that doth give a distinguishing shape and numericall individuation to every body ; now , as long as she continueth the same , the creture is still the same ; for that body of yours though you have not the same flesh about you , nor the same blood in your veines which you had twenty yeers ago , yet is it still the same body as long as i inform it ; for as the bucentoro in venice is held to be still the same vessel though having bin so often upon the carine , new caulk'd , ribb'd and plank'd , she may not have any of the first timber she was built of in the first dock ; in like manner humane bodies continue stil the same as long as the same individuator is in them which is the soul , notwithstanding , that they are in a continuall fluxibility , and a kind of succession of consumption and restauration ; for although the flesh and bloud in no man be the ●ame in his youth as it was in his infancy , nor the same in his manhood that it was in his youth , because they use to wast away by the intern principles of heat , as also to transpire , breathe out and evaporate insensibly through the pores to make still room for fresh nourishment which is concocted and so converted to new bloud , and new flesh , yet is the whole body alwayes numerically , and individually the same , as long as the same soul doth inform and actuat it ; so at the general resurrection what part or parcell so ever of that indifferent●omogeneous huge mass of calcin'd earth and ashes which my creator shal assign me to reinform , it will be the very same that you bear about you now , though much refin'd , and so we shal cohabit eternally , without any future divorce . body . the revolution of plato's great yeer seems to have some analogie with our resurrection , whereof that divine and high soaring philosopher might have a glimps when he held , that after such a period of yeers the world should be repeepled by the same cretures ; which makes me think ( now that you have quickned my spirits ) with these plesing ideas ) upon the witty answer of the tapster at botley , who having fill'd two pots of ale to a poor scholler as he was returning from wales to oxford , and the scholler telling him that he had spent all his money in his journey , but he would pay him the next time they met , the tapster ask'd when that would be , why said the scholler if it be not sooner , we are sure to meet here again at the revolution of platoes great yeer , for at the period of so many thousand yeers all things return to their former state , you and i shall meet here just as we do now , with the same bodies and minds , for so the world hath continued hitherto , and will so renew for ever ; why then said the tapster you and i mett here so many thousand yeers ago , yes said he ; i thank you for putting me in mind of it , for i remember you left then two pots of ale upon the score , pay me for them first , and then i will trust you for these two . soul . it cannot bee denyed but those great students of nature though they were soly guided by her twilights , had many glances of divine illuminations : now touching these mysterious tenets of christian religion , it is with them as with the body of the sun , ther is somwhat in that glorious planet ( according to the comparison of a very ancient father of the church ) which we may behold , if we will b●e contented to see that , we may freely do ti : but ther is somwhat in the sun , that may not be look'd on ; now , if wee bee not satisfied to see what wee may see , we may chance come to s●e nothing at all , for he that gazeth and setleth his optiques too fixedly on the sun , comes to see nothing at all , for he loseth his eyes : so the mysteries of saving faith , ther is much in them that may bee apprehended by the faculty of reson , and by what is reveal'd unto us , but if we will not be contented with that , but pry further , wee may not only be dazzled , but struck stark blind ; therefore wee must contemplat them with reservednes and sobriety : this may bee also paralell'd with the moon ; ther is somwhat in the opacous orb of the moon , that no mortall yet could ever come to the knowledge of it : the astronomers by all their curious inspections , and optic instruments cannot tell what are the spots , what the darkness is , that goes interwoven in the body of the moon , though she be nearest neighbour to us of all the heavenly : but there is somwhat in that planet , which wee can tell what it is , and it is the luminous part , by that it affords us light to know what it is ; so in the high points of salvation , ther be some dark parts that are not comprehensible , and ther be other parts that are comprehensible ; the first we may boldly look upon , but for the other , the dark and abstruse parts , we must close our eyes , and sit down with admiration , and comfort our selves that wee cannot understand them , that ther is somthing in this great work which concerns us , yet 't is impossible to bee comprehended : touching the parts which may be understood , we may look on them with a modest eye of inspection , but the parts that are obscure and cannot be look'd on , wee must not bee overcurious to find prospectives to look into them , but believe them ; let it satisfie us that they cannot be discern'd by mortall eye , in regard it is the pleasure of god not to have them known , let us be contented to bee ignorant of that which god would have us to bee ignorant of , till our faith bee turn'd to intuition , and where the understanding shall be adaequate to truth , as truth is the adaequat object of the understanding , which must be in the other world , in that true region of intellectuall light , where such abstracted speculations that so much puzzle us here , shall be as clear as the sun in the meridian , where we shall conceive the true sense of the ninth of the romans , of the apocalyps of saint iohn , and all other passages of holy scripture without an interpreter , and not to be subject to false judgments , constructions , or glosses . body . what an unutterable kind of joy do i feel running through al the veines of my heart , to hear that this flesh of mine shall rise again to be worn , and actuated by you , and to partake with you of that knowledge , and blissfullness which so far surpass all my senses , and your imagination i believe as yet ! soul . i do not say you shall rise , but you shall be raised , for solus christus resurrexit , alii suscitati , christ only did rise again by the power of his godhead , all others shall be raised ; that same body of yours shall be rais'd the same in substance not in quality , for it will be made purer and freer from corruption ; as i during the time of my separation on i shall not change my nature but my state ; i may be said to have no integrity , but remain as a part of you till our reconjunction , wherunto i shall still incline and propend , because you were the instrument wherby i became first a soul , which may be the cause that all the saints in heaven do so much long after the day of judgement , because they may bee reunited to their bodies , and by that consortship have a fuller fruition of bliss . those eyes of yours shall then receive their reward for their liftings up to heaven , those hands of yours for being instruments of charity ; those eares of yours for their attention to holy duties , those knees of yours for their bendings in gods holy house , that mouth of yours for receiving the blessed sacrament in such humiliation ; that tongue , heart , and brain of yours for their praises and ejaculations , and all other parts of yours that were the interpreters of your piety , shall all then receive their reward in the temple of eternity . body . but after your recesse , and separation from me , let it not bee esteem'd a too overbold curiosity , if i desire to know whether you will give then a finall farewell to earth , and bee seen no more in the elementary world , because ther be so many stories told of spirits that walk to discover hidden tresures , to detect murthers , &c. as also that they have appear'd in churchyards and charnell houses . soul . touching this speculation and doctrine of walking of spirits it hath gravel'd the highest wits both in divinity , and philosophy , they are all put to a nonplus , concerning the latter , they would produce naturall reasons why in cimitiers and other places they somtimes appeer ; and one is by the example of a vegetall body which being burnt and reduc'd into ashes , the form of the same numericall plant by a curious artist may be reviv'd visibly to the eye of the beholder , and made to start up out of those ashes being shut u● in a glasse , and heated in the bot●tome , in regard that the fixed fa● ( though much of the volatil hat● flown away ) remaines there still so a humane body or cadaver bein● reduced to ashes in the grave , b● the heat which the penetrating beams of the sun insuseth therinto , the shape of the said body may be exhal'd up and made to appeer in the air . now touching the theologues , the common opinion is that it pleaseth god almighty to give the devil a priviledg and permit him to assume any shape , that of man not excepted , wherby he deludes , and makes compacts with the weaker sort of peeple to destroy their souls ; for ther is no creture that the devil maligneth , and hates more then mankind , in regard he succeedes him in the beatitude that he lost ; which makes som divines hold , that when that number of angels which fell , and were tumbled down to hell is filled up by humane souls , the day of judgment will come ; but , as i said before , the ill spirit hath power by gods permission to transform himself to sundry shapes and to transfer that power to his petty cacodaemons and imps to beguile and inveagle the simplest sort of mankind , and most commonly women the weaker vessels , who somtimes out of a desire of revenge , and to wreck their malice , somtimes for lucre , and som petty supplies of money use to indent and make pactions with him though alwayes without a witness ; and hereof these times affoord more instances then ever any age did , therefore whosoever denieth ther are such kind of actuall delusions , and ill spirits , sheweth that he himself ( as was said elswhere ) is possessed with the spirit of contradiction and obstinacy ; for ther are no nations new or old but have published laws against such who adoperat , and make use of the devil for the ends afore mentioned , as also for other curiosities and predictions , 〈…〉 against them ; ther are edicts in france , and acts of parlement in england against such who invoke ill spirits , & make any contracts with them , wherof the very instrument and deed hath bin discover'd in divers places with the devils claw for his signature ; together with the injunctions that he layed upon them before hand , which in the romish countreys are , that they must first renounce christ and the extended woman ( meaning the blessed virgin ) they must contemn the sacraments , tread on the cross , spit at the eucharist , &c. as i have noted els where . therefore without any controversy ther are airy spirits that hover up & down perpetually about us ; but when i shall become a spirit which will be immediatly , upon my dissolution from that body of yours , i hope i shall appeer no more in this elementary world , till i attend my saviour at the day of judgment , to fetch you up also to heaven , as soon as we part from one another here you shall return to earth whence you first came , and i to god that gave me , you to your common mother , and i to the father of lights whence as a beam of immortality , i was sent to quicken , organize , and inform that body of yours , and make it capable of heavenly beatitude in time , being refin'd , and fitted first for that purpose ; i thank my saviour , i have that within me which assures me hereof , i am not left to such incertitudes & anxietie that have any thing of despair in them , such that an italian prince expressed when being upon his death bed and comforted by his friends touching the joyes of the other world whereunto he was going , he fetch'd a deep grone & said , oh i know what 's pass'd , but i know not what 's to come ; much like another in the same condition who said dubius vixi , anxius morior , quò vadam nescio , i liv'd doubting , i die anxious , i know not whither i go ; to these may be added an odd speech of a french baron not long since , who meeting two capuchins going barefoot in cold frosty weather with their scrips upon their backs a begging , & knowing them to be gentlemen of a good family , he said , how grosly are these men cosen'd , if ther be no heaven : that of rablais was not so bad as this , who being upon his death bed , and the extreme unction applied unto him , a friend of his who had come to visit him among other passages of consolation wish'd him good speed for he was upon his journey , to a good countrey , viz. to heaven , he answer'd , so it seems , that i am upon a journey , for you see they are lickering my boots already to that purpose : but that which is father'd upon paul the third is beyond all these , when he said upon his death bed that shortly he should be resolved of two things , whether ther be a god , and devil , or whether ther were a heaven and hell ; therefore earth may be said to be worse then hell in one respect , because it bear's atheists , which hell doth not , but rather converts them , in regard they feel god ther by his judgments , and begin to have an historicall faith of him , which here they had not . nor am i of that drowsie opinion to think that i shall sleep all the while among the common mass of souls in som receptacles ordain'd i know not where for that purpose till i be rejoyn'd unto you ; nor doth the religion i am of , admit of any suburbs in hell as purgatory and other places where i must be purified some yeers before i ascend to heaven ; as fray iulian of alcala doth averr upon record ( which is made authentique ) producing other spectators besides himself , that he visibly saw the soul of philip the second going up to heaven in two ruddy clouds some two yeers after his death at such an hour of the night . body . let not my soul bee offended if i bee curious to know somthing touching that most comfortable point of the immortality of the soul ; and this curiosity doth not arise out of any doubt , but a desire to be further confirm'd therein ; because there be some busie spirits that stumble at it , alledging that it is but a new tenet of christian faith not establish'd in the church till the latter lateran councell , and pumping out other quaeres and cavils concerning this article . soul . it is in divinity as in philosophy ; for as it was said long since that in this an impertinent sceptic may blurt out a question which all the sages of greece were they alive , could not answer ; so in divinity , an irresolute , inconformable stubborn spirit may raise doubts that the whole academy of christian learning cannot solve , such pyrrhonians , and perverse spirits have bin in all ages , ther are no principles can tie them ; their braines may bee said to bee like a skein of thrumb'd small threed , any thing will entangle them , and their thoughts like a bush of thornes that takes hold of any thing ; they are never satisfied either in points of faith or the operations of nature , like him who would have found somthing to shear off upon an egge . this may be cal'd one of the truest sorts of superstitions , whose etymologie is super stare to stand too precisely and peremptorily upon a thing , specially things indifferent , and to bee over hot either in the abolition or maintenance of them to the destruction of whole nations , as also in recerches after supererogatory knowledg , and interpretations of scriptures , wherby they would make the holy spirit speak what he never meant ; whereas the moderat , and submiss sober minded he or she are the best proficients in the school of divine knowledg . but wheras you say that you desire to be strengthned and illuminated further touching the imateriality , and consequently the incorruptibleness and immortality of the rational soul , let me tell you that not only christian divines but the best of pagan writers both poets , philosophers , and orators have done her that right . one calls her — divinae particulam aurae . another sings , igneus est olli vigor , & coelestis imago ; another mens infusa deo , mortalis nescia sortis . and cicero among other hath a remarkable saying to this purpose , si erro , credendo animam esse immortalem , libenter erro ; if i err in beleeving the soul to be immortall , i willingly erre . moreover the intellectuall humane soul doth prove her self to be immortall both by her desires , her apprehensions and operations ; her desires are infinit , and still longing after eternity ; now ther is no naturall passion given to any finit creture to bee frustraneous ; her apprehending of notions of eternall truth which are her chiefest employment and most adaequat objects , declare her immortall ; al corruption comes from matter and from the clashing of contraries , now , when the soul is sever'd from the body , she is beyond the sphere of matter , therefore no causes of mortality can reach her , ther is nothing in her that can tend to a not being : her operations also pronounce her immortall , which she doth exercise without the ministery of corporeall organs , for they are rather a clogg to her ; she doth use to spiritualize materiall things in the understanding , to abstract ideas from all individuals ; she is an engin that can apprehend negations , and privations , she can frame collective notions , all which conclude her immateriality , and where no matter is found ther 's no corruption , and wher ther is no corruptibleness ther must be an immortality ; now her prime operations being without any concurrence of matter , she may be concluded immortall by that common principle , modus operandi sequitur modum essendi : for in the world to come the state of the soul shall be a state of pure being , nor will ther be either action or passion in that state ; whence may be inferr'd she shall never perish , in regard that all corruption comes from the action of another thing upon that which is corruptible , therfore that thing must be capable of being made better or worse , now , if a separate soul be in her utmost final estate that she can be made neither , it follows she can never lose the being she hath ; moreover , since the egress out of the body doth not alter her nature but only her condition , it must be granted that she was of the same nature while shee continued incorporated , though in that imprisonment of hers , she was subject to be forg'd as it were by the hammers of materiall objects beating upon her , yet so , as she was still of her self what she was ; therfore when she goes out of the passible ore wherin she suffers by reason of the foulness and impurity of that ore , she immediatly becomes impassible and a fix'd subject of her own nature , that is , a simple pure being ; both which states of the soul may be illustrated in som measure by what we find passeth in the coppelling of a fix'd mettall , for as long as any lead or dross , or any allay remains with it , it continueth melting , flowing , and in motion under the muffle , but as soon as they are parted from it , and that it is become pure without mixture , and single of it self , it contracteth it self to a narrower room , and at that instant ceaseth from all motion , it grows hard , permanent , and resistent to all operations of the fire , and admitteth no change or diminution in it 's subject by any extern violence ; so the rational soul when she departs from the drossy ore of the body and comes be her single self , she becomes as it were exalted gold & to be perfectly by her self ; she can never be liable any more to diminution , to action , passion , or any kind of alteration , but continueth fix'd for ever . add hereunto that every humane soul is still breath'd , and immediatly created by god almighty himself , for though the sacred code tells us that he rested from all his works the sixth day , yet touching rational souls he may be said to be still a perpetuall agent touching their creation , not any creture els to concurr in that work , as he useth to do in the production of mortall and corruptible cretures . therfore ther are none but they whose souls s●ar no higher then their senses , but may feel within them an immortall essence , the apprehension whereof is as irksome to the reprobat , as it is comfortable to the elect. body . let me not be held too bold a sceptic if i desire to know whether you carry with you to the other world the knowledg you had here , and reserve it still ? soul . yes , i shall bring along with me the habit of all the science , and intelligible species that i had here , and get an infinit addition of more , for i shall not arrive to the full use of my understanding till then ; i shall retain also the habit though not the operations of the vegetall and sensitive soules as i did in the time of information when i was embodyed : i shall still know things by ratiocination and discourse , which angels use not to do ; i shall become an indivisible substance exempt from place and time , yet present to both , my activity shall require no application to either of them , but i shall be mistresse of both , comprehending all quantity whatsoever in an indivisible apprehension , ranking all the parts of motion in their compleat order , and knowing at once what is to happen in every one of them , wheras when i was immers'd in the body , and confin'd to the use of exterior senses , i could look but upon one definit place or time at once , needing a long chain of various discourses to comprehend the circumstances of any one singular action . my capacity shall not bee confin'd to the small multitude of objects , which division and time gives way unto , i shall bee a selfe activity , an essence free from all encombrances oftime ; for to bee subject to time , or comprehended in time , is to be one of those moveables whose being consisting in motion taketh up part of time , and useth to be measur'd by time , which belongs to bodies ; but when i shall become a spirit , and have my operations entire , as being nothing but my selfe , i shall bee absolutely free from place and time , though both do glide by me and under me , insomuch that all wch i shal know or do , i shal do it at once with one act of the understanding , therfore i shall not need time to manage and order my thoughts as when i was affix'd to that orb of yours , nor shall i need any extrinsecall mover , or the work of fancy , or any previous speculations residing in the memory ; i shall be a simple and self-subsisting form , a cement , and miroir to my self . body . these high abstracted notions do far transcend the short reach of of my sensitive faculty , but , under favour , you speak only of your activity and encrease of knowledge in the life to come , i would bee glad to hear somthing of the joyes and blissefulnes thereof . soul . these , as they are beyond expression , so are they beyond all imagination , that vast sea of felicity which i am capable to receive , cannot flow into me till those banks of earth be removed ; the joyes of heaven have length without points , breadth without lines , depth without surface , they are even and uninterrupted joyes , and to endeavour to relate them in their perfection , were the same task as to go about to measure the ocean in cockle shels , or compute the number of the sands with pebble stones . touching these faint and fading earthly pleasures , wee covet them when we need them , and the desire languisheth in the fruition ; moreover , worldly things when wee want them wee use to love them most , but lesse when we have them ; meats and drinks they nauseat after fulness , carnall delights cause sadnesse after the enjoyment , all pleasures breed not only a satiety but a disgust , and the contentment terminats with the act : 't is otherwise with celestiall things , they are most lov'd when they are enjoy'd , and most coveted when they are had , they are alwaiesful of what is desir'd , and the desire still lasteth , but it is a desire of complacency and continuance , not an appetite of more , because they are perfect of themselves ; yet there is still a desire , and satiety , but the one findes no want , nor can the other breed a surfet : the higher the pleasure is , the more intense is the fruition , and the oftner repeated , the greater the appetite will be ; whence this inference may be made , that ther can be no proportion at all' twixt the delights of a separate and an embodyed soul . but it must not bee forgotten , that as good soules being become purely spirituall , and beatified as soon as they are separate from the body , do by their simplicity and acutenesse apprehend and enjoy the blisses of heaven in their true nature , beyond the extent of quantity , and above all conceit of fancy : so a damned soul being a simple act also , and nothing but spirit , doth apprehend and endure the torments of hell , with all the activity , subtlenesse and energy that can bee , still receiving new strength and vigor to bee able to lie under the said torments : and as the assurance of a succeeding eternity delights the one , so it doth torture the other . moreover , as the greatest straines of anguish which torments the one , is to have lost heaven , so one of the highest conceptions of joy to the other , is to have escap'd hell ; insomuch that heaven in som sort may be called the hell of the damned , and hell the heaven of the blessed . body . let it not be term'd a presumption in me , if i desire to bee rectified in one point , that considering the humane creature is finite , and temporary , and that all which proceeds from him is so , how can it stand with the justice of allmighty god , whose will is the rule of justice and equity , who also is the source and sea of mercy , how can it stand , i say , with his goodnes , that ther should be such a disproportion betwixt the offence & the punishment , as to punish his poor frail finit creature with infinit and eternall torment ? soul . this hath bin a quaere much scann'd & discuss'd in the very infancy of the church , which made one of the originall fathers therof out of excesse of charity , to thinke that the damned soules , and devils should be sav'd at the day of judgement . but you must consider that though humane transgressions are finite , yet they are committed against an infinite and eternall majesty ; and had the sinner who committed them liv'd eternally , hee would have sinn'd eternally ; besides the reward which is reserved for humane soules is infinite and eternall , therefore it is just the forfaiture therof should be so to the forfaiture of heaven , one dram of whose happinesse is more then the whole masse of all earthly contentments ; one drop of whose abstracted , pure , permanent and immarcessible delights is infinitely more sweet then all those mixt and muddy streames of corporeall and mundane pleasures , then all those no other then vtopian pleasures of this transitory world were they all cast into a li●beck , and the very elixir of them distill'd into one vessell . body . me thinks , i feel that small triangle of flesh which beats towards the left side of my brest dilated with excess of joy to hear this discours touching your immortality , being so infinitly happy that i have so precious a guest within me , specially when i look upon the former discours you made touching the resurrection , and that i shall be also fitted to be reunited unto you in the region of eternity : moreover these patheticall expressions of yours have fill'd me with thoughts of mortification , whereof i shall endeavour to shew som future symptomes ; a salad or posie gather'd in a church-yard shall be more pleasing to me , and that my shirt be dried ther hereafter rather then in a garden ; therefore i desire that you would joyn with the rest of the separated souls in heaven that the time of my reunion with you may be hastned ; and so , good morrow to my soul . vpon this the nun vanish'd into me i know nor how , and diffus'd her self through all the cells of my brain , and through the whole mass of blood among the spirits ; now , it is observ'd that it is the practice of humane souls in time of sleep and the silent listning night to go oftentimes abroad , and exercise their abstracted notions , as also to try here ( as it was touch'd before ) how they can live separate hereafter by these noctivagations . it is recorded of iulius casar that he dream't to have layn one night with his mother , and i may be said to have layn with my soul ; by his mother was interpreted the earth the common parent of all , and it was presag'd of him by that dream that he should be conqueror of the world , which prov'd true ; so i hope this dream may foretell that i shall conquer this little world of mine , for both divines and philosophers make every man a microcosm or little world of himself . and now 't was high time for me to awake , which i did . for , lo , the golden orientall gate sp. of gray-fac'd heaven 'gan to open fair , and phaebus like a bridegroom to his mate came dancing forth , shaking his dewy hair and hurles his glitt'ring beams through gloomy air . so rest to motion , night to day doth yeeld , silence to noise , the stars do quit the field : my cinque ports all fly ope , the phantasie gives way to outward objects , ear and eye resume their office , so doth hand , and lip , i hear the carrmans wheel , the coachmans whip ; the prentice ( with my sense ) his shop unlocks , the milk maid seeks her pail , porters their frocks , all crys and sounds return , except one thing , i hear no bell for mattins toll or ring . being thus awak'd , and staring on the light which silver'd all my face and sight , i clos'd my eyes again to recollect what i had dream't , and make my thoughts reflect vpon themselfs , which here i do expose to every knowing soul ; and may all those ( whose brains apollo with his gentle ray hath moulded of a more refined clay ) that read this dream , therby such profit reap as i did plesure , then they have it cheap . est sensibilium simia somnium . i. h. finis . the ingredients , whereof this discours is compounded , are . divinity , . metaphysic , . philosophy , . poesie , &c. the principall points it handleth are the faculties & functions of the soul . the generations and frailties of the body . the influxes and operations of the stars . the wayes of knowing god almighty . the heavenly hierarchies and their degrees . the resurrection . of walking spirits , of the old philosophers . of the state of souls after this life . 〈◊〉 the joyes of heven . 〈◊〉 he torments of hell . 〈◊〉 sceptiques and critiques . 〈◊〉 sund●y sorts of christians throughout the world with many emergencies of new matter . 〈◊〉 the prose goeth interwoven with sompeeces of poesie , and history all along . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- sir k.d. londinopolis, an historicall discourse or perlustration of the city of london, the imperial chamber, and chief emporium of great britain whereunto is added another of the city of westminster, with the courts of justice, antiquities, and new buildings thereunto belonging / by jam howel, esq. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) londinopolis, an historicall discourse or perlustration of the city of london, the imperial chamber, and chief emporium of great britain whereunto is added another of the city of westminster, with the courts of justice, antiquities, and new buildings thereunto belonging / by jam howel, esq. howell, james, ?- . stow, john, ?- . survey of london. [ ], , - , [ ] p., [ ] folded leaf of plates : ill., port. printed by j. streater for henry twiford, george sawbridge, th and john place, and are to be sold at their shops, london : . "largely borrowed from stow"--dnb. paging irregular: "the seeming error may perhaps be attributed to the book being printed at different offices"--upcott. advertisements: p. [ ]-[ ] at end. reproduction of original in british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng london (england) -- description and travel -- early works to . westminster (london, england) -- description and travel -- to . london (england) -- buildings, structures, etc. -- to . westminster (london, england) -- buildings, structures, etc. -- to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion londinopolis ; an historicall discourse or perlustration of the city of london , the imperial chamber , and chief emporium of great britain : whereunto is added another of the city of westminster . with the courts of justice , antiquities , and new buildings thereunto belonging . by jam howel esq senesco , non segnesco . london , printed by j. streater , for henry twiford , george sawbridge , th● and john place , and are to be sold at their shops , de ponte londinensi ejusque stupendo situ & structurâ , ad ●nstar celebris illius hexastichi poetae sannazarii de urbe veneta — viderat hadriacis — cum londinensem neptunus viderat urbem , vectus ibi propriis atque revectus aquis , dum densam penetrat syluam , lucosque ferentes pro ramis funes , pro foliisque cruces , cum superimpositum torrenti flumine pontem viderat , et rapido ponere jura freto , cum tantos muros , ferrumina , castra , tot arcus vidit , & haec tergo cuncta jacere suo , arcus , qui possent totidem formare rialtos metiri si quis summa vel ima cupit ; haec deus undarum aspiciens , fluxusque retror sum tundere , & horrendos inde boare sonos , nunc mihi quanta velis terrae miracula pandas est primus mundi pons , ait , iste stupor . the same paraphrased in english . of london-bridg , and the stupendous site , and structure thereof . when neptune from his billows london spyde , brought proudly thither by a high spring-tyde ; as through a floating wood he steer'd along , and dancing castles cluster'd in a throng ; when he beheld a mighty bridg give law unto his surges , and their fury awe ; when such a shelf of cataracts did roar , as if the thames with nile had changd her shoar when he such massy walls , such towrs did eye , such posts , such irons upon his back to lye , when such vast arches he observ'd , that might nineteen * rialtos make for depth and height , when the cerulean god these things survayd , he shook his trident , and astonish'd said , let the whol earth now all her wonders count this bridg of wonders is the paramount . to the renowned city of london . to the right honourable , honourable , and all others , who owe their first birth or wellbeing to so noble a metropolis . it was a notable character , which cornelius tacitus , ( that famous register of time , who had lived here many years ) did give of london about fifteen hundred years agoe , londinum copiâ negotiatorum , & comeatu maximè celebre , london a most renowned mart for multitude of marchants , and commerce . if she deserved such a character in those dayes , what would she merit now ? who being compared to what she was then , may be said , in point of magnitude , to be as a large volume in folio , to a book in decimo sexto : and , in point of trade , as in an east indy carack , to a quinbourough oyster ketch . i have read of some , who have bin enamor'd of cities , as others use to be of mistresses : so charles the emperor , was struck with the love of florence , when among other expressions he said , that she was a fair lady , fit to be seen only on holidayes ; so a french baron was so taken with the city of paris , ( which is known to be none of the neatest ) that he said , could he live ever in paris , he would quit his right to paradise . and it is storied of tamberlain , that having got constantinople , the first complement he put upon her , was , that he had heard so much of her rare beauty , that he came from so far off to court her ; but answer was made , that it was the custom of thrace , to court fair ladies , not with trumpets and drums , but with dulcimers , and other melodious instruments . i may well affirm , that london is not inferior to any of these , as will appear in a parallel hereunto annexed : and having breath'd air , and ( lept in her bosom , now near upon forty years ( except the times that i was abroad upon forren employments , ) it is no wonder , if i be habitually in love with her ; nor have i bin wanting to express it many times by dedicating unto her the great french dictionary refin'd , and enrich'd with divers additionals ; then in giving her some warnings by the sad destiny of jerusalem , in an epitome that goes of josephus ; i shewed my self also very sensible of her case at that time , when i addressd unto her englands teares , and mercurius acheronticus . nor is it long since , that i made publick love to venice , and courted naples also , and i came off with no ill success ; i hope to do the like here . i know others have treated already of the same subject , and given a laudible account of the city of london , but gold may be often told over without fouling the singers . i have read near upon a dozen several survayes of rome and venice , with other cities , and i alwayes found new observations ; but it is now above thirty foure years agoe , ( which are near upon five ages in the law ) since any thing was written of london , and westminster her collateral sister ; which tract of time , assords variety of accidents , which the reader shall find in this new account : wherein as i have bin careful not to pretermit any thing that 's material , so my special caution hath bin not to thrust in any frivolous pedantick things , or superfluities , whereunto my nature hath bin alwayes averse ; moreover , i promise the reader , that he shall meet with many other observations here , which were never yet drawn off the presse , or exposed to publick light until now . i will conclude my epistle with this question , if it was esteemed an honour among the greeks , to be born in athens ; if among the italians , to be a roman ; if among the spaniards to be a toledano : why should it be lesse honour for an englishman to be born in london ? my hearty prayers to heaven are , for the incolumity , and welfare of this great city , for the aversion of all judgements , and that she may still flourish with affluence of all earthly felicity ; by which prayer i subscribe my self , much honoured sirs , your humble , and ready servant , jam : howel . some advertisements to the reader . they who make researches into antiquity , may be said to passe often through many dark lobbies , and dusky places , before they come to aula lucis , the great hall of light ; they must repair to old archives , and peruse many mouldred and moth-eaten records , and so bring light as it were out of darkness , to inform the present world , what the former did , and make us see truth through our ancestors eyes . now , though we commonly term them that went before us our ancestors , yet if we have respect to the extent of time , and the age of the world , we who live now , may be called the more ancient ; for they lived ; some of them in the non-age , some in the youth , some in the adolescence , some in the virility of the world , and we who now crawl up and down the earth , may be said to live in the declining and doting old decrepit age : therefore if relation be had to true longaevity , we may be rather called the older : insomuch , that a child born to day , as he is part of the universe , and the product of time , may be said to be more ancient then adam , which i conceive to be the meaning of that common saying among us , the younger brother is the ancienter gentleman . moreover , it is desired , that the discerning reader be advertized , that historians and antiquaries , may well be compared to architects , who in rearing up a fabrick , although the idaea , and design of the work , with the site , the contrivement of rooms , the contignation of parts and symmetry , be wholly in themselves ; yet in point of substance , they fetch their materials from else where ; so the historian and antiquary , though the method , the style , and compilement be his , yet he hath his matter from others , either from manuscripts , or printed records , except these modern passages that are synchronical with himself . furthermore , an historian may be compared to one walking in a garden , and making a posie of flowers , which he culs and plucks from divers beds and banks ; now , though the flowers be none of his , yet the choyce of them , and twisting them together , to give the fuller fragrancy , and not to thrust in any unsavory vegetal , is solely his own work . the lord bacon's henry the seventh , and my lord harbert's henry the eighth , though the composition , and digesting be theirs , whereby they denominate the books , yet , under favour , touching the main ingredients , they took them from others , who had written the life of those kings before : so , concerning this present treatise , although the trace , and form of the structure be mine own ; yet , i am so much the child of modesty , as to acknowledge to have fetch'd most of my materials from others , who preceded me in the same subject ; as from mr. stow , and those industrious persons , who have made additionals unto him : yet , as i gave a hint before in my epistle dedicatory , there be divers things inserted here , which are not found there , nor any where else ; besides those modern occurrences which have happened since , and are contemporary with my self . the chiefest materials that go to the compilement of this new peece . . a proeme . . the historical part of london touching her first rise and foundation , with her degrees of growth . . of the great and glorious temple of st. pauls , with its dimensions , and places annexed ; together , with the rest of the churches in city , or suburbs . . of the . several wards , precincts , or aldermanries of london , into which the whole city is divided . . of the political , and civil government of the city of london , as also of the spiritual . . of the walls , streets , gates , and towers of london ; with the prisons , and places of restraint . . of the inns of court and chancery , of the doctors commons , gresham , and sion colledge , with the publick schools . . of the twelve chief companies , whence the lord mayor is extracted , with other societies of marchant adventurers , and the . corporations . . of their several halls or guilds , dispersed up and down in convenient places . . of the great tower of london , the royal exchange , of guild-leaden - and bassings-hall , &c. . of the white , and black , the gray , cruchet , and austin fryers , with other religious houses , as nunneries and hospitalls . . of the famous , and great navigable river of thames , from the first source , till she dischargeth her self into the ocean . . of london-bridge , and her admired structure ; which nevertheless , would see better , had she fewer eyes , and that her nineteen arches were reduc'd to nine . . of the prerogative , and great trust , the lord mayor , and the city , have for the over-sight , and repair of the said bridge , with the conservancy of the said river . . of the city of westminster , and the abbey . . of the strand , the new exchange , the savoy , and all the great houses towards the water-side . . of the covent garden , saint giles , lincolns-inne-fields , saint martins , and drury-lane , with all the late new buildings . . of westminster-hall , and all the tribunals of justice , there sedentary , . of the high court of parliament , and the admiralty , &c. . a parallel 'twixt london , and other great cities of the world , whereof divers are spoken of in the corollary . view of london london london the glory of great britaines ile behold her landschip here , and tru pourfile . st. paul white hall suffolke house yorke house savoy somerset house arundell house . st clemens s. dunstane the temple . s. brides s andrew . baynards castle queene hythe . s p●lchees three cranes the waterhouse . the stillyarde bow churche guild hall s. michaels s lorentz poultney . fishmongers hall the old swan the bridge gray church . s dunstan in the east . belinsgate . custome house . the tower. tower wharfe . s catharins . s olaffe . s. marie overis . winchester house the globe . b●●r garden the swan . harrowe on the hill. hamsted . hygate . hackney . poutney . ●ll ships . gally fuste . cool harbour . the proeme , or first entrance into the city of london . my purpose is to give as exact an account , as my enquiries can , of the renowned city of london , with her suburbs annexed ; and , to proceed herein the more regularly , the foundation of my discourse shall be layed with that of hers , beginning with her first rise or original ; then it shall grow up with her , according to those degrees of profection , that she is now arrived unto . from her foundation we will bring you to her walls , and so lead you in at her gates ; whence you shall walk along her streets , and visit her churches with other ancient religious houses , and publique edifices ; then we shall bring you to refresh your self at her conduits , and aquaeducts , her brooks , bourns , and wells ; afterwards , we shall gently lead you along over her bridges , and so bring you to solace your self upon the rare , and renowned river of thames , which we shall derive from her very source , and accompany her stream all along , till she comes to pay tribute to the ocean ; then we shall make a perambulation in her severall precincts , divisions , and wards . and because nothing displayes the prudence of a city more , then her political way , and method of government , we shall endeavour to satisfie you in that point , and speak of her magistracy , her priviledges , her well-moulded corporations and companies , whereby we shall take occasion to revive the memory of those famous patriots , and worthies , which she hath produc'd and bred , with their munificence , their merits , and publique monuments . we shall go on then to give the neerest conjecture we can make of her dimensions , in point of length and latitude , and of the number of humane souls , that usually dwell , and lodge within her ; nor shall we conceal some clowds that have hung over her , and ill-favour'd clashings she hath had with her soveraign princes . and lastly , there will be a short discourse by way of parallel , betwixt the city of london , and other the most populous great marts of the world. of the foundation , and first rise of the city of london . it is as difficult a task to finde out the original of some nations and citties , as it is to finde out the spring of the mysterious river of nile ; which tumbling down with a horrid noise of cataracts through so many huge rocks , above two thousand miles , comes punctually every summer solstice , to visit the gran cairo ; and then takes her leave of her , as punctually the autumnal equinox next following , having first impregnared the hot womb of egypt , with a wonderful prolificall vertue , for the generation of so many species of animalls , and vegetalls . but to finde out the original of the city of london , 't is not so hard a matter ; yet , there are variety of opinions hereof , which we will briefly examine ; piolomy , tacitus , and antonine , call her sometimes londinium , and sometimes longidinium . ammianus marsellinus , calls her lundinum , and sometimes augusta , which is , the stately and magnificent city . there are some who call her troia nova , or troynovant ; which appellation , edward the first , in that famous long letter he writ to pope boniface , about the scots nation , seemes to assert : others call her caer lud , other dinas belin ; but that opinion which quadrats most with truth , is , that her first founders , and godfathers , were the ancient britains , ( whom we now call welsh ) who by confession of all antiquaries , both domestick and forraign , were the aborigenes , and first inhabitants of this countrey , being contemporary , and as it were concreated with the iland her self ; there are three denominations , which are derived from the britans , viz. llhogdin ; llhwndian , and llhandian , which we shall endeavour to explane ; touching the first , the britans call a ship llhong , and dinan a town . insomuch , that llongdin is no other then shipton , or a town of ships ; and i have read of many cities , who derive their names from ships , as nanpactum , nauplia , naualia augusti , nauctathmos ; but none of these hath more right to assume the title of shipton , or llhongdin ( according to the british ) as the city of london hath , in regard that she is situated , upon the gentle ascent , or flank of a hill hard by a dainty navigable river , which swelling at certain set houres with the ocean tides , she is able by her deep , and safe channel to entertain the greatest bottoms and ships , that can ride on neptunes back , which makes her so famous a mart , those ships bringing in all the rich commodities that the vvorld can afford ; whereunto alludes old robert of glocester , in the rimes of those dayes , which i thought worthy to insert here for the antiquity of the dialect . in the country of canterbury , most plenty of fish is ; and most chase of beasts about salsbury i wis , and london ships most , and wine at winchester , at hartford sheep and oxe , and fruit at worcester , soap about coventry , and iron at glocester , metal , lead , and tin in the country of exceter , euorwick of fairest wood , lincoln of fairest men , cambridge and huntingdon most plenty of deep venne , ely of fairest place , of fairest sight rochester . touching the second british appellation llhwndian , caesar , and strabo , do mention that the ancient britans called those woods or groves , which they had barrocadoed and fenc'd about with trees cast down , and plash'd , to prevent all inrodes and assaults , they call'd such a place i say llhwn , which is equivalent to a fenc'd town , or dwelling , as the poet sings of them . — their houses were the thicks , and bushy queaches hollow caves , and hardles made of sticks . and 't is more then probable , that in that place , where st. pauls church now stands , there was a wood or grove at first , in regard there was a fane or temple erected there to the honour of diana ; for historians observe , that whereas venus , mars , and vulcan were used to have their temples in the suburbs , jupiter and apollo within the city , the goddess diana was used to have her temples set up in woods , which might make the britains denominate that place llhwndian , which is as much as diana's grove or town . as this derivation carrieth a great semblance of truth with it , so the third , viz. llhandian carrieth as much , if not a greater verisimilitude , and weighs most with me ; the brittains to this day , call a church or temple llhan , whereof there be a great number in wales to this day , as llhangorse , llhansawel , llhandilo &c. which signifieth the churches of such places ; and whereas by the current and consentient opinion of all antiquaries , there was a pagan temple , or fane erected to diana , in that place where now st. paul's stands , there being yet there a place called camera dianae , where oxe heads and bones are daily found , which were used to be offered her as victims and sacrifices , i say , 't is more then probable , that the britains were induc'd thereby to call the place nhandian , which is the temple of diana ; and so in tract of time , the word was contracted , and came to be called london . now , who was the first founder of london , is no where precisely found . but whosoever first founded her , they shewed much prudence in the choyce of scituation ; for the happy and fortunate estate of the city , hath given good proof , that built she was in a good houre , when some propitious starre was then the ascendent , and marked for long life and continuance , and that she is for antiquity very honourable ; ammianus marcellinus giveth us to understand , that she was called an ancient city in his time , which is above twelve hundred years agoe ; cornelius tacitus doth seem to do the like three hundred years before , who gives her this character , londinum copiâ negotiatorum , & commeatu valdè celebre for multitude of merchants , and commerce , london is very renowned : this only was wanting to the glory thereof , that she had not the name of free city , nor of colony ; neither indeed had it stood with the roman interest , if any city flourishing with trade , should have enjoyed the right of a free city ; and therefore it was , as may be well supposed , that they ordain'd her to be a prefecture , for so they term'd towns where marts were kept , and justice administred , yet so that they had no magistrates of their own , but rulers were sent every year to govern them , and for to execute law in publick matters , namely of tax , tribute , tolls , customs , warfare , &c. from the senate of rome ; hence it commeth , that tacitus the panegyrist , and marcellinus aforesaid , call her only a town ; but although she was not lo●tier in name , yet in wealth , riches , and prosperity , she flourished as much as any other , yea and continued alwayes the same , under the dominions of romans , saxons , and normans , seldom or never afflicted with any great calamities . in the raign of nero , when the britains had conspired to recover , and resume their liberty , under the conduct of baeodicia , the londoners could not with all their vveepings hold suetonius paulinus , but that after he had leavied a power of the citizens to ayd him , he would needes dislodge , and remove from thence , leaving the city naked to the enemy , who forth with surprized and slew some few , whom either weakness of sex , feebleness of age , or sweetness of the place had detained there : neither had she sustained lesse losse , and misery , at the hands of the gaules , if she had not suddenly , and beyond all expectation by gods providence bin relieved ; for when c. alectus had by a deceitful stratagem , made away carausius , who taking advantage of our rough seas , and of dioclesians dangerous warres in the east , and withall , presuming of the gauls , ( now french ) and most venturous marriners , and servi●ors at sea , withheld to himself the revenues of britain and holland , and born for the space of six years , the title of emperour augustus , as his coines here very oft do shew : when m. aurelius asclepiedotus had in a battail slain alectus in the third year now of his usurpation of the imperial purple and state , those french who remained alive after the battle hastening to london , would have sack'd the city , had not the thames , who never fail'd to help the londoners , very opportunely brought in the roman legions , who by reason of a fog at sea , were severed from the navy : for they put the barbarians to the sword , all the city over , and thereby gave the citizens , not only safety by the slaughter of their enemies , but pleasure in beholding such a sight ; and then it was , as our chronicles record that lucius gallus was slain by a brook side , which ran almost through the middle of the city , and of him was called by the british nantgall , in english wallbrook ; which name remains yet in a street , under which there is a sewer within the ground , to rid away the filth , and ordures of the city , not far from london-stone , which i take to be a mile-mark or milliary , such as was in the market places at roms , from which were taken dimensions of all journies , every way , considering it is neer the midst of the city , as it lyeth in length . neither is it probable , she was yet wall'd about ; but a little after our stories report , that constantine the great , at the instance of his mother helena , did first fence her about with a wall made of rough stone , and british bricks , which took up in compasse , above three miles , so that it inclosed the model of the city almost four-square , but not equal on every side , considering , that from east to vvest , she is far longer then from south to north. that part of this wall which stood on the thames side , is by the continual flowing , and washings of the river fallen down and decayed ; yet there appear'd certain remains thereof in henry the seconds time , as fitzstephen , who then liv'd doth testifie . the rest now standing , is stronger towards the north , which not many years since , was reedified by the meanes of joceline , lord mayor of london ; but towards east and vvest , although the barons in old time , during their warres , repaired and renewed it with the ruynes of the jewes houses then demolished , yet it grew quickly , all thorow , out of decay ; for londoners like to those old lacedemonians , laughed at strong walled towns , as cot-houses for women , thinking their own cities sufficiently fenc'd , when they are fortified with bones , and not with stones . this wall giveth entrance at seven principal double gates ; for i willingly omit the smaller , which as they have bin lately repaired , so they have also new names given them ; on the west side there be two , to wit , ludgate of king lud a britain , or flud-gate , as leland is of opinion , of a little flud running beneath it , like as the gate fluentana in rome , built again from the foundation ; this gate was made a free prison , anno , bremer being major , which was confirm'd . by a common councel in the guild-hall , where 't was ordained , that all freemen of london should for debts , trespasses , accounts , and contempts , be imprisoned in ludgate , where at first for lodging and water , they did not pay anything . we go next to newgate , the fairest of all the gates so call'd from the newness thereof , whereas before it was call'd chamberlane gate , which now is the publick gaol or prison for criminalls ; and also for civil actions , for the country of middlesex . and it hath bin so many ages , as appears by records in king johns time ; as also in king henry the third , who ( as an old authour testifieth ) sent a command to the sheriffs of london , to repair the goal of newgate . on the north side are four gates , viz. aldersgate , or oldersgate from the antiquity thereof , or as others would have it from aldrich a saxon ; the second is cripplegate of a spitle of cripples sometimes adjoyning thereunto : the third is mooregate , call'd so of a moory ground hard by , which is now draind up , and made fair and firm , and turn'd into a field & delightful walks . which gate was first built by falconer lord mayor , in the year of our lord . then bishopsgate of a bishop the benefactor ; which gate the dutch marchants , or hans of the styliard were bound by covenant both to repair , and defend at all times of danger and extremity . on the east side there is aldgate , so named from the oldnesse , or elbegate as others terme it , which hath bin oft re-edified ; it is thought , that two gates more stood , besides the bridge gate , by the thames side , namely belinsgate , now a wharfe or a key for the scots trade ; and douregate or the watergate , commonly call'd dowgate . there be some posterns besides that may go for gates , as that of christs hospital , which was made in the reign of edward the sixth ; another was made out of the wall lately into moorfields . but the postern by the tower shews that it hath bin very ancient , and an arch'd gate of much trust ; for in times past there was alwaies a person of quality who was custos of that posterne . towards the rivers side , there are also many water gates for the better security of the city . where the wall endeth towards the river , there were two strong forts or bastions , of which the one eastward remaineth yet , usually called the tower of london , called in the old british bringwin , or tourgwin , which in english is , the white tower ; a most famous and goodly cittadel encompassed about with thick and strong walls , full of lofty , and stately turrets , fenc'd about with a broad and a deep ditch , furnish'd also with an armory or magazine of warlick munition , with other buildings besides , so that it resembleth a town of it self ; and one may well suppose , that those two castles which fitz-stephens recordeth to have bin on the east side of this city , went both to the making of this one : the other fort was on the west side of this city , where fleet a little riveret ran , whence fleetstreet took its name , and in time , it was able to bear vessels , as appears in some parliament rolls , which riveret dischargeth it self into the thames . fitz stephen calls this the palatin tower or castle ; and they write , that in the reign of william the conqueror , it was consumed by fire , out of the ruines whereof a great part of saint pauls church , was newly built ; and also on the very plot of ground where it stood , robert kilwarby archbishop of canterbury founded a religious house for the dominican fryars , whence we call the place black-fryars ; whereby a man may easily guess of what bigness it was ; howbeit , in that place , stood in the dayes of henry the second ( gervase of tilbury in his book call'd otia imperialia is my author ) two forts or ramparts , the one whereof belong'd to bainard , the other to the baron of monfichet by right of succession , but nothing remaineth of them to this day ; yet some think that pembroke house was a piece of them , which we term bainards castle , of bainard a noble man of dunmow , whose possession sometimes it was , & whose successors the fitz waters were in right of inheritance , who were ensign-bearers of the city of london , ( as shall be told hereafter ) and among them robert fitz water , had licence of k. edward the first , to sell the site of bainards castle to the forenamed archbishop kilwarby . neither was this city at that time wall'd only , but also when the flamins or pagan priests were taken away , and christian religion established under that good emperour constantine , a bishop was install'd in their room , for it appeareth at the councel of arles , which in the year of grace was held under the said constantine the great , the bishop of london was present ; for he subscribed , as it is to be seen in the first tome of the councel in this manner . restitutus , bishop in the city of london out of the province of great britain ; which restitutus and his successors , had their seat and residence as some affirm , as saint peters in cornhil . from that time , london flourished in such honour , that she began to be call'd augusta , and by that name was famous under the emperour valentinian ; for ammianus marcellinus in his book writeth thus , and going forward to london an ancient town which posterity call'd augusta : and in the book , he went from augusta , which men of old time call'd london ; whence it came that after constantine's time , there was a mint appointed therein ; for we read in those pieces of money , which he caused to be stamp'd in honour of his father constantius , and in others ; this was the inscription , p. lon. s. that is pecunia londino signata , mony stamp'd in london . he who had the charge and overseeing thereof under the comes of sacrarum largitionum , is in the book of notice term'd , praepositus the saurorum augustensium in britannia , that is , provost of the treasury of augusta or london , in britany . for this name augusta was a name full of dignity and majesty ; and both founders and repairers of cities , when they hoped or wish'd , that such cities would become flourishing and powerful , gave them significant names of good fortune ; but among the most auspicious names that be , none is more magnificent , none more auspicate and glorious than augusta . for , this of augustus , the most gracious & mighty emperour octavianus took unto himself , not without the judgment of the best learned . sirnamed he was , saith dio , augustus as one of great majesty above the nature of man : for what things be most honourable and sacred , are called augusta : neither had london this name for so high an honour , without the licence of the roman emperours ; in regard that names could not be impos'd upon cities without authority , as virgil notes in that verse of his ; urbem appellabant , permisso nomine , acestam . the city , by permission , acesta they did name . but as continuance of time has outworne this so honorable a name of augusta : so it hath confirm'd that other most ancient name londinum . whiles it enjoy'd the soresaid name augusta it scaped fair from destruction by a rebellious rout of ransakers ; but theodosius the father of theodosius the emperour did cut them in pieces whiles they were encombred with their spoils & entred , as marcianus saith , with exceeding great joy in triumphant manner into the city distressed before , & overwhelm'd with grievous calamities ; and marching with his army from thence , he by his valour and prowesse , so freed britain from those intolerable calamities and dangers wherewith she was beset , that the romans , as witnesseth symmachus , honored him among other ancient worthies , and men of high renown with the statue of a man of arms. not long after , when the romans empire in britain was come to an end , in that publick destiny , and fatal defection of the whole state , it fell unto the english saxons , but in what sort , it is not well agreed on among authors ; it is most probable that vortigern to redeem himself , being taken prisoner , delivered it for his ransome unto hengist the saxon , considering that it did belong unto the east saxons , whose countrey also , as writers do record , vortigern upon that condition made over unto hengist . at which time the state of the church went also to wrack , and endured sore affliction ; the pastors were either slain , or forc'd to fly , their flocks worried , and havock made of all , as well church goods as others . theon the last bishop of london of the british blood , was fain to hide the holy relique of saints for a memorial , as my author saith , and not for any superstition . but although those daies of the english saxons were such , that a man might truly say , mars then brandished and shook his weapons , yet was london neverthelesse , as bede testifieth , a town of trade , and traffique , frequented by many nations resorting thither by sea and land ; but afterwards when a more gracious gale of peace breath'd favourably upon this wearied island , and the english saxons began to professe christianity , it also began to flourish afresh ; for ethelbert king of kent , under whom sebert raign'd in this tract , as it were his vassal , and by courtesie , fouuded here a church , and did consecrate it to saint paul , which being soon reedified and repaired , became at last most stately and magnificent , it was endowed by degrees with fair revenues ; & livings , wherewith were maintain'd a bishop , a dean , a chanter , a chancellour , a treasurer , five archdeacons , thirty prebendaries , and divers other incumbents and officers , who might have a hansome subsistence thereby . the east part of this church seems to be the newer , and more curiously wrought , having under it a very fair large arch'd vault , which also is saint faiths church ; it was built out of the ruines of that castle palatine ( spoken of before ) by mauritius the bishop , about the year of our lord , whereas it had been formerly consum'd by a wofull accidental fire , whereof william of mamesbury wrireth thus ; the beauty whereof is so magnificent , that it deserves to be numbred in the rank of the most excellent edifices , so large as that arch'd uavlt underneath , and the church above it of such capacity that it may seem sufficient to receive any multitudes of people whatsoever . because therefore bishop maurice-carried a mind beyond all measure in this project , he transmitted the cost and charge of so laborious a piece of work unto those that came after : in the end , when b. richard his successor had made over all the revenues belonging unto the bishoprick to the building of this cathedrall church ; sustaining himself and his family otherwise in the mean while , he seemed in a manner to have done just nothing , notwithstanding that he spent his whole substance thereabout , and yet small effects came thereof . the west part , as also the cross isle ; are very spacious , high built , and goodly to be seen by reason of such huge columns , and are marvellously beautified with an arch'd roof of stone . where these four parts crosse one another & meet in one , there ariseth up a mighty large & lofty tower , upon which stood a spire steeple , cover'd with lead , mounting up to a wonderful altitude ; for it was no less than five hundred , and five and thirty foot high from the ground , which in the year , was set on fire by lightning , and burnt with a great part of the city , but being rebuilt , was afterwards fi'rd again with lightening about an hnndred and fifty years ago , and was not perfectly repair'd ever since . the measure and proportion of this stately structure , shall be here set down out of an old authentick writer , who saith , that saint pauls church containeth in length foot , the breadth thereof is foot , the height of the west arch'd roof from the ground carrieth foot , and the new fabrique from the ground is foot high , &c. the ground belonging to this great temple , in nature of a coemitery or church yard was of vast expansion , for , it reach'd north , as far as st. nicholas market place ; west , almost as far as ludgate ; and south , near to baynards castle : now , as they say , that rome was not built in a day , no more was this great and glorious sanctuary , but a long tract of time , and some ages pass'd before it came to be entirely compleated , and made a perfect crosse , which is the exact shape of it . nor did there want many advantages , according to the genius of those times , to advance the work : for persons of good rank , besides pecuniary contributions , did labour themselves therein , in their own persons , thinking to do god almighty good service , to have a hand in rearing up his temple ; besides , ic was an ordinary thing , for the ghostly father to lay penances upon some penitentiaries , as mafons , carpenters , bricklayers , playsterers , and others to work so many daies gratis in the building , before they could get an absolution ; insomuch , that it may be said , that as pauls church was partly built by the sinnes of the people , so it is now destroyed by the sins of the people . that there stood in old time , a fane or pagan temple to diana , in this place , ( as before was hinted ) some have more than only conjectur'd , for there are arguments to make this conjecture good ; certain old houses adjoyning are in the ancient records of the church call'd diana's chamber ; and in the church-yard , while edward the first raign'd , an incredible number of ox-heads were found , as we find in our annals , which the common sort at that time wondred at , as the sacrifices of the gentiles : and the learned know , that taurapolia were celebrated to the honour of diana . but ever since this temple was erected , it hath been the see of the bishops of london : and the first bishop it had under the english , some hundred years after theon the british bishop , was melitus a roman , consecrated by austin archbishop of canterbury , in honour of which austin ; ( though flat against the decree of pope gregory the great ) the ensigns of the archbishoprick , and the metropolitan see were translated from london to canterbury . within this grand cathedral , there lieth saint erkenwald , as also sebba king of the east saxons , who gave over his kingdom to serve christ : king etheldred , who was an oppresser rather than a ruler of this kingdom , cruel in the beginning , wretched in the middle , and shameful in his end ; so outragious he was in connivency to parricides , so infamous in his flight and effeminacy , and so disastrons in his death ; henry lacy earl of lincoln , john of gaunt duke of lancaster , sir simon de burlie , a right noble knight of the garter , excecuted by encroch'd authority without the kings assent , sir john de beauchamp lord vvarden of the cinque-ports , john lord latimer , sir john mason knight , william harbert earl of pembrook , sir nicholas bacon lord keeper of the great seal of england , a man of a deep reach , and exquisite judgement ; sir philip sidney , sir francis walsingham , two famous knights ; sir christopher hatton lord chancellor of england ; and a great many worthies more , lodge there until the resurrection . besides this church , there is not any other work of the english saxons extant in london ; for why , they continued not long in perfect peace , considering that the vvest saxons subdued the east saxons , and london began to be tributary to the mercians ; scarcely were these civil wars hush'd , when a new tempest brake out of the north , i mean the danes , who pitiously tore in pieces this whole countrey , and shook this city very sore ; for the danes brought her under subjection , but alfred recover'd her out of their hands ; and after he had repair'd her , he gave her unto ethelred earl of the mercians , who had married his daughter ; yet those wastful depopulators , did what they could afterwards to win her by siege : but canutus , who specially by digging a new channel , atrempted to turn away the thames from her , though the labour was lost , the citizens did still manfully repel the force of the enemy ; yet were they alarm'd and terrified ever and anon by them , until they lovingly receiv'd and admitted as their king vvilliam duke of normandy , whom god design'd to be born for the good of england against those so many spoilers ; presently whereupon , the winds were layed , the clouds dispell'd , and golden daies shone upon her : since which time she never sustain'd any signal calamity , but through the special favour , and indulgence of heaven , and bounty of princes , obtain'd very large and great immunities : for she began to be call'd the kings chamber , and so flourished anew with fresh trade , and concourse of marchants , that william of malmsbury who liv'd nere those times term'd it a noble and wealthy city , replenish'd with rich citizens , and frequented with the commerce of occupiers , and factors coming from all parts ; fitz-stephen living also in those daies hath left in writing , that london at that time counted parish churches , and thirteen convents or monasteries of religious orders ; moreover , he relates , that when a muster was made of able men to bear arms , they brought into the field under divers colours foot , and horsemen . london about this time began to display her wings , and spread her train very wide ; buildings did much increase , and the suburbs stretch'd sorth from the gates a great way on every side , but westward especially , which may be said to be best peopled , and the civillest part . for there , all the twelve inns of court are situate for the students of the law ; whereof fower being very fair and large belong to the judicial courts , the rest to the chancery : besides two inns more for the servientes ad legem , or the sargeants at law ; here such a number of young gentlemen do so ply their studies in all kind of sciences , and other civilities , besides the law ; that for a choyse way of education and gallantry , sir john fortescue , in his treatise of the lawes of england , doth affirm , it is not inferior to any place of christendom : the said four principal houses are the inner temple , the middle temple , graies inne , and lincolns inne ; the two former stand in the very same place , where in times pass'd , during the raign of king henry the second , heraclius patriark of jerusalem , consecrated a church for the knight-templers , which they had newly built , according to the form of the temple , neer unto the sepulcher of our saviour at jerusalem ; for at their first institution , about the yeer of our lord . they dwelt in part of the temple , hard by the holy sepulcher , whereof they were so named , and vow'd to defend christian religion , the holy land , and pilgrims going to visit the holy sepulcher , against all mahumetans and infidels , professing to live in chastity and obedience ; whereupon , all men voluntarily , and with candid christian hearts embrac'd and honor'd them : so that through the royal munificence of princes , and other devout people , having got very fair possessions , and exceeding great wealth they flourish'd in a high reputation for piety and devotion ; yea , out of an opinion of the holiness of the men , and of the place , king henry the third , and many noblemen desired much to be buried in their church among them , where some of their statues are to be seen crosse-legd to this day ; for so they were used to be buried in that age , having taken upon them the crosse to serve in the holy warres , and vow'd the same accordingly : among whom , was william marshall the elder , a powerful man in his time ; vvilliam and gilbert his sonnes marshals of england , and earls of pembroke . upon vvilliam the elder , there were in the upper part engraven these words , comes pembrochiae ; and upon one side this verse . miles erans martis , mars multos vicerat armis . but in process of time , when with insatiable greediness , they had hoarded up much wealth , by withdrawing tithes from many churches , and appropriating spiritual livings unto themselves ; and by other meanes , their riches rurn'd to their ruine ; which may be one day the fortune of the jesuites , as i heard count gondamar once say . for thereby , their former innocence and piety began to be slisled , they fell a clashing with other religious orders , their professed obedience to the patriark of jerusalem was rejected ; they drew daily more envy upon themselves , and an ill repute ; insomuch , that in the yeer . this order was condemned of impiety & other hainous crimes , & all this by the popes authority ; but specially , by the instigation of the french king , they were utterly abolished . nevertheless , their possessions here , were by authority of parliament , assigned unto the knights hospitalers of st. john of jerusalem , lest that such lands given to religious and good uses , should be alienated against the pious donors wills. yet it appeares in ancient writings , that this place , after the expulsion of the templers , was the seat and habitation of thomas earl of lancaster , and sir hugh spencer , king edward the seconds minion , afterwards of sir aimer de valence , earl of pembrook , and in the end turned to two colleges or inns of court for the study of the lawes ; the other two great inns , were also the mansions of noble men , grayes inne of the lord grey of wilton , and the other of the earls of lincoln . neer unto this , henry the third erected between the two temples , a house for converts , as they call'd it , for the maintenance of those that were concerted from judaisme to christianity , which edward the third afterwards made an archive , to keep rolls and records in , and therefore 't is called to this day , the rolls . in the yeer . the rebels of essex and kent , among other places destroyed and pulled down the lodgings and houses of this temple , took out of the church the books and records , that were in hutches of the apprentices of the law , carried them out into the street , and burnt them . the house they spoiled , and burnt also , out of an hatred they bore to sir robert hales , lord prior of st. john of jerusalem , which was a place of so high a dignity , that the prior of st. john's , was accounted the first parliamentary peer of england ; but the said house at sundry times , was repaired again , and touching the gate-house of the middle temple , sir amias paulet did build it up , while he remained prisoner , having incur'd the indignation of cardinal wolsey , for an old grudge . the great hall in the middle temple was built about the yeer . in the raign of queen elizabeth . the temple-church had of old a master , and four stipendary priests , with a clerk for the ministration of divine service , who had allowance given them out of the revenues of st. john of jerusalem , and that hospital ; but now by the revolution of time , and ecclesiastical alterations , they have but one minister to serve them . of fresh water rivers , aqueducts , conduits , and fountains that belong to the city of london . as , the principal thing that conduceth to the health of humane bodies , is the blood that runneth through their veins , so the chiefest thing that tends to the welfare of a city , is to have springs and conduits of fresh water run within her : therefore we will proceed now , to give an account of those ancient and present rivers , brooks , boorns , pools , wells , conduits , and aqueducts , which serve to refresh the city of london . in former ages , until the conquerors time , and long after ; the city of london was watred ( besides the river of thames on the south part ) with the river of wells , as it was then call'd , and on the west with water call'd wallbrook , running through the midst of the city , to pay tribute unto the thames . there was another water or boorn , which run within the city through langborn ward , watring the east part ; in the west suburbs was also another great water call'd oldborn , which had its fall into the river of wells . then were there . principal fountains or wells in the other suburbs , to wit , holy well , clements well , and clarks well ; near unto this last named fountain , were divers other wells , viz. fags well , skinners well , tode well , loders well , and rad well . all which wells having the fall of their over-flowings into the said river , much encreased the stream , and in that place , gave it the name of well : in west-smithfield , there was a pool in records , called horse pool , and another in the parish of st. giles without cripplegate ; besides which , they had in every street , and lane of the city , divers fair wells , and fresh springs , after which manner , the city was then served with sweet and fresh waters , which being since decayed , other meanes have bin found to supply the want : but the prime and principal device was found out by that worthy briton , and citizen of london , sir hugh middleton , by whose wit , care , and cost , the new river of ware was brought from chadwel , and amwel , to water and refresh the heart , and bowels of the city ; the business was long in suspence , and under weighty deliberation , it receiv'd heat and cold a long time , being exposed to so many difficulties , and vast expence , able to terrifie the stoutest man. at last , courage and resolution , with a love to the publique good met in the breast of the adventurer , and spur'd him on to so glorious an enterprise , which hath proved so happily commodious , and of such infinite utility to the whole city , that had he lived under some other meridians , that i know , he should have had his statue erected in the eminentest place of the city , to eternize his name & transmit his memory , and keep it fresh ( like his waters ) to all future ages ; now as mr. stow speaks very ingeniously , if those enemies to all good actions , danger , difficulty detraction , contempt , scorn , & envy , could have prevail'd by their malevolent interposition , either before , at the beginning , and in the very birth of the attempt , and a good while after ; this work had never bin accomplished . 't is true , queen elizabeth gave way , by act of parliament , to her citizens of london , and power for cutting and conveying of a river from any part of middlesex or hartfordshire into the city of london , with a limitation of ten years time for the performance thereof ; but that enterprize expir'd with her life : king james her immediate successor , did grant the like , but without-date of time for the same effect ; and when the courage of others were quite quail'd , and utterly refused the business , sir hugh middleton did undertake it , and so with infinite pains , and no lesse expence , he finish'd the work , by bringing a river of wholsom fine chearful water from chadwel and amwel , to the north side of london , near islington , where he built a large cistern to receive it . the work began the . day of february , anno dom. . and in the compass of five years was fully compleated . touching the aquaeduct , or the conveyance thereof to london , it hardly can be imagined , what difficulties and rubs there were in the way , by reason of the various qualities of grounds , through which the water was to passe ; some being ozie , soft , and muddy ; others again as stiffe , and craggy ; the depth of the trench in some places descended full thirty foot and more , whereas in other places , it required as much artifice , to mount it over a valley in troughs betwixt hills , and those troughs to be supported by woodden arches , some of them fix'd in the earth very deep , and rising in height above . foot . being brought to the foresaid great cestern , the water was not yet let in , till on michaelmas day , anno . being the day that sir thomas middleton , brother to the said sir hugh , was elected lord maior of london for the year ensuing . in the afternoon of the same day , sir john swinerton , then lord maior , accompanied with the said sir thomas , sir henry mountague , recorder of london , and many of the worthy aldermen , rode in a solemn manner , to see the great cestern , and first issuing of the strange river thereunto , which then was made free denizon of london , and the solemnity was thus . a troop of labourers to the number of threescore , or more , well apparell'd , and wearing green monmouth caps , after the british manner , all alike , carried spades , shovels , pickaxes , and such like instruments of laborious employment , and marching after drums , twice or thrice about the cistern , presented themselves before the mount , where the lord mayor and the aldermen were , where after a handsome speech , the flud-gates flew open , the stream ran chearfully into the cistern , the drums and trumpets sounding in triumphant manner , and a gallant peal of chambers gave a period to the entertainment . a noble achievement it was , as this reracted to sir hugh middleton , doth partly set forth , which never saw publique light until now . ad hugonem middleton equitem auratum de stupenda hac aquarum operâ . compit a qui fluvium per londinensia dûxti , ut jam quisque suis vicus abundet aquis , non aganippe tuas satis est depromere laudes , haec scaturigo nova quam tibi fundit aquae . of the famous , great navigable river of thames . vvee will go now from the new river to the old , the famous and ancient river of thames , and find out her source , bed , and streams . she hath her head or spring out of the flank of a hill in cotswold downs , about a mile from tetbury , near unto the fosse , a high road , so call'd in ancient times , where it was heretofore call'd i sis or the ouse , from hence it runs towards the east , not without some meanders and windings , and meets with the cirne or chiurne , a brook whereof cirncester town by which it runs takes the name ; from hence it hasteneth to creekelade , otherwise call'd crekanford , lechlade , ratcotebridg , newbridg , and evesham , receiving in her passage many other small rivelets , brooks , becks , and rundels ; and on this side the town , divideth her self into two streams , whereof one goeth streight to hincksey and botley , the other passeth by godstow ; this latter spreadeth it self for a while into divers small streams , which run not far before they meet again , and then embracing sundry fruitful medowes , she passeth at length by oxenford , who some imagine should rather be call'd ouseford of this river , where she joyns with the charwell , a little from whence the original branches do joyn , and keep company to abbandune or abington , call'd by some senshum , although at first no part of her did approach so near the town as now she doth , till a branch thereof was led thither by the main stream , through the industry of the monks , as also by the decay of caerdoure , now call'd dorchester , sometimes the high road from wales , and the west countrey to london ; from hence she goeth to dorchester and so into tame , where contracting friendship with a river of the like name , she loseth the name of i sis or ouse , whereof ousenny or osney at oxford is derived ; and from thence she assumes the name of thamesis all along as she glides ; from tame she passeth to wallingford , and so to reading , which in ages pass'd was call'd pontium in regard of the number of bridges ; there she receives the kenet which comes from the hills that lye about marleborough westward , and then the thetis , commonly call'd the tyde , that comes from thetisford . she hasteneth thence to sudlington otherwise call'd maydenhead , and so to windlestore or winsore , eton , and then to chertsey , where erkenwald bishop of london did erect a religious house or cell . from chertsey she directs her course to stanes ; and receiving another stream by the way call'd the cole ( whereupon colebrook stands ) she goes by kingstone , richmond , sheene , sion , & brentford or bregentford , where she meets with the brane or the brene , another brook descending from edgworth . from brentford she visits morlach , putney , fullham , battersay , chelsey , lambeth , westminster , and so to london . having accompanied our gentle , and smooth-gliding river now to london , she now makes great haste to meet with neptune her lovely husband ; the first water she greets is the brome , on kent side , west of greenwich ; whose spring is bromis in bromley parish , and so goeth thence to lewsham taking water from the east : the next water she meets withal , is on essex side , almost against woolwich , and that is the lee ; and being pass'd that , the darwent also dischargeth her self into the thames on kent side , two miles and more beneath erith having its rising at tunbridge , or tanridge . the next river that disgorgeth her self into the thames , is west of the wam i sles , a rill of no great note , or long course ; for rising about coringham it runs not many miles east and by south , till it falls into the mouth of this river ; last of all the thames takes acquaintance , and mingleth with medway a considerable river watering all the south parts of kent . this noble navigable river flows , and fills all her channels twice ev'ry natural day , by the flux and reflux of the sea , which holdeth on for the space of miles within the main land ; the stream or tyde being highest at london , when the moon doth exactly touch the north-east , and south or west points of the heavens , whereof one is visible , the other underneath us : these tydes do also differ in their times , each one coming later than the other by so many minutes as passe ; yet the revolution and natural course of the heavens , do reduce and bring about the said planet to these her former places , whereby the common difference 'twixt one tyde and another , is found to consist of minutes , which wanteth but twelve of a whole hour in as experience doth confirm ; in like manner we daily find , that each tyde is not of equal heighth and fulness ; for at the full and the change of the moon , we have the highest flouds , and such is their extraordinary course that as they diminish from their changes and fulls , unto their first and last quarters , so afterwards , they encrease again until they come to the full and change ; sometimes they rise also so high , especially if the wind be at the north or north-east , which brings in the water with more vehemency , because the tyde which fills the channel cometh northward , that the thames often inounds the bankes about london , which happeneth most frequently in january and february , which makes the grounds afterwards more fertile . neither do the tydes alter a whit , unlesse some impetuous winds from the west or south-west , do keep back and check the stream , as the east and north-east do hasten the coming in thereof : or else some other extraordinary occasion put by the course of the german seas , which do fill the river by their natural return , and flowings ; and the probablest reason why three or four tydes do chop in in one day is , because the winds blowing more strong than ordinarily north or north-east , make the sea to rush in with more speed , and abundance of water . the land streams or white waters , do oftentimes thicken the finenesse of the river , in so much that after a land floud , 't is usual to take up haddocks with ones hand beneath the bridge , as they float aloft on the water , their eyes being so blinded with the thicknesse of the water , that they cannot see whither they swimme ; and how to make shift for themselves before the poor creature be surpriz'd , otherwise the thames water useth to be as clear and pellucid , as any such great river in the world . having gone along so far with this great goodly river , even from her source until she disimboques , and payes tribute to neptune , and cast her self into his imbraces , it will be now expedient to go on further , and acquaint the reader with the jurisdiction , and prerogatives of the thames , with the extent thereof , which begins at a place call'd colnie ditch , a little above stanes-bridge , westward as far as london-bridge , and from thence to a place call'd yendall , alias yenleete , and the waters of medway , all which extent is under the jurisdiction and conservancy of the lord mayor , the comminalty , and citizens of london . true it is , that there have been some contests betwixt the lord mayor , and the lord high admiral of england , concerning the said jurisdiction and power , but after a fair and judicial tryal in open court , the controversie was decided in favour of the city ; and the lord mayor adjudged to be conservator of the thames . there were also some other controversial points about the rivers , of thames and medway , but all differences were absolutely concluded anno , sir john swinerton being then lord mayor , and mr. sparry being then his deputy , or respective bayliff for the execution of such a great trust repos'd in him . ever since , as well as in former times , the lord mayor of london hath been styl'd the conservator of the said river , within the forenamed limits and bounds , having plenary power to inflict punishments upon all transgressors relating to the said rivers ; the water-bayly of london being his substitute . and whereas there are a company of fishermen call'd tinckermen , frequenting the river of thames eastward , who in times pass'd have been reported , and found out to make an infinit destruction of the young brood or fry of fish , by using unlawful nets , and other engines feeding their hoggs with them ; by the singular care and cost of the lord mayor , and vigilance of the city , those prohibited engines and nets , are now quite suppress'd , and a true , and orderly manner of fishing brought into use , that such a havock may not be made of the young fry . moreover , there are a great number of other kind of fishermen , beside tinckermen belonging to the thames , call'd hebbermen , petermen , and trawlermen , that had lived in former times , by unlawful fishing on the said river , to the destruction of the young fish , as aforesaid ; but now they are restrain'd , and regulated to a more orderly way of fishing . there have bin other kind of abuses reformed herein , as upon complaint made to the lord mayor , concerning certain timbers standing in tilbury hope ; a matter not only dangerous to the passengers , but a cause also to destroy the young brood of fish , by the dammage those timbers did to the fishermens nets , in regard of their continual standing in the main course , and current of the river : that great grievance was speedily redressed , by the providence and prudence of the lord mayor , and the water-bayly . furthermore , there hath been care taken , to clear and cleanse the said noble river westward of seventy nine stops or hatches consisting of sundry great stakes and piles , purposely erected by fishermen for their private lucre , and standing illfavouredly for passengers near unto the fair deep ; but none of them remain now , but such as stand out of the passable high stream , and can be no prejudice to passers by ; yet some are permitted to be planted at the waters bottome , and so they serve as a great succour to the young brood of fish , being placed so remote on the river . nor is this provident care for security of passengers , and conservation of the young fry or fish , a new thing , for it appears that the like course was kept in the reign of henry the fourth , and after in henry the eighth , as records and chronicles do shew . moreover , there is a watchful eye , that no carren , or dead carkasses be thrown into the river to pollute , or infect the stream . to all these intents and purposes , the lord mayor , and the aldermen his brethren with the under officers , do use to meet eight times yearly , in the four counties of middlesex , surrey , kent , and essex , and have a judicial sitting for maintenance of the rivers rights , and priviledges , where they have power to empanel juries , to make inquisition after all offences committed upon the river within their extent ; and as the verdict given up by the jury make it appear , so they proceed to the punishment of the transgressors , according to the quality of the offence : and it is worthy the observation , to know the manner of their so solemn proceedings , whereof this instance shall be produced , extracted out of authentick records . sir john jolles knight and lord mayor of the city of london , and conservator of the river of thames , and waters of medway , assisted and accompanyed by the aldermen , and two sheriffs then contemporary , and attended by the recorder , and the sub-conservator , or water-bayly , with fifty officers and servants , took their barges at belinsgate the third of july , and within few hours arriv'd at gravesend in kent , where a session for the conservancy of the said river was kept before the said lord mayor , and his forenamed assistants ; at which time and place , a jury of the freeholders of the said county , being sworn to enquire of all offences committed in any part of the river whatsoever , within the said county , the common sergeant of the city ( the recorder being then absent upon extraordinary occasions ) deliver'd them a charge to this effect ; that , forasmuch as there had not been any session of conservancy in many years passed , kept by any lord mayor of london in that place , it was probable and evident they could not be well informed , neither of the lord mayors jurisdiction and power to reform annoyances and offences there , and to inflict due punishments upon the offendors ; nor of the nature of the service to be by them performed in the course of their enquiry ; therefore he thought it convenient to make it known unto them , both the one and the other . hereupon he shew'd them , the jurisdiction of the court of london in the river of thames , from stanes-bridge westward unto the points of the river next the sea eastward , appear'd to belong to the city in manner and form following . first , in point of right by praescription , as it appeareth by an ancient book call'd dunthorne , that , civitatis fundationis , aedificationis , & constructionis causacrat thamesis fluvius , quorum vero civitatis & fluminis gubernationem tam duces , majores , custodes , vicecomites , aldr. & magnates civitatis memoratae hucusque obtinuerunt & habuerunt ; whence he inferr'd , that the government of the river hath belong'd to the city , time out of mind . in . hen. . jorden coventry one of the sheriffs of the city , was sent by the mayor and aldermen , to remove certain kiddles that annoy'd the rivers of thames and medway , who ultra yenland versus mare , did take divers persons that were offendors , and imprison'd them ; whereupon , complaint being made to the king , he took the matter ill at the first , and sent for the lord mayor and citizens to kennington ; where , upon hearing of the matter before the said king , the cityes jurisdiction over the said river , was set forth and allow'd , and the complainants convinc'd , and every one of them amerc'd at l. and the amercements adjudged to the city ; and afterward , their nets were burnt by judgement given by the lord mayor and aldermen in the hustings . moreover , . richardi secundi , writs were directed to the sheriffs of essex and kent reciting the cities title , with command , not to suffer the citizens of london to be molested contrary to the liberties formerly granted , and allowed unto them . secondly , in point of right by allowance in eire , the conservation of the thames belongs to the city : for it was produc'd that . rich. . before hugh bigot being justice itinerant , the sheriffs and citizens of london were call'd in question for their jurisdiction exercised on the thames , before whom it was found by a jury in southwark , quòd nullus habeat aliquid juris in thamisia usque ad novum gurgitem nisi cives londonexs . in the . of ed. . the constable of the tower , was indited by divers wards of london , before the justices in eire at the tower , de muneris et recep . cove . pro kidellis in thamisiis , et constabularius ad kidellas respondet quòd justic . non habent jurisdictionem extra london plitum . inde cognoscere cum predict . kidelli sunt in aliis comitatibus , et justic . dixerunt , aqua thamisia pertinet ad civitatem london usque mare , & si velit respondeat , who then pleaded , not guilty . . he went further , that this jurisdiction belonged to the city by ancient charters , . r. . dominus ricardus rex , filius regis henrici secundi concessit , & firmiter praecepit , ut omnes kidelli qui sunt in thamisia amoveantur ubicunque fuerint in thamisia ; . joh. rex concessit , & firmiter praecepit , ut omnes kidelli qui sunt in thamisia vel in medway amoveantur , & ne caeteri kidelli alicubi ponantur in thamisia vel in medway super fort : x. li. sterlingorum . then he urg'd the famous charter of king henry the third , which ran thus . henry by the grace of god , king of england , lord of ireland , duke of normandy and aquitaine , and earl of anjou , unto all archbishops , bishops , abbots , priors , earls , barons , justices , sheriffs , stewards , ministers , and to all bayliffs , and to all his true men , greeting : woteth well , that we for the health of our soul , and the health of the soul of king john our fader , and the souls of all our ancestors ; and also for common profit of our city of london , and of all our realms , have granted , and steadfastly commanded ; that all the weares that be in thames , or in medway be done away ; and that from henceforth no weares be set in thames or medway , upon the forfeiture of . l. also we claim quit to our citizens of london all that , that our constable of our tower of london , was wont to take of the said weares . wherefore we will , and steadfastly command that no constable of the aforesaid tower , at any time from henceforth forward any thing ask , nor any grievance do , to any of the same city , by enchesen of the same weares ; it is to us known enough , and by true men , do us to understand , that most privacy , and most profit might fall unto the same city , and to the whole realm by enchesen of the same weares ; which we make for ever firm and stable unto the same city , as the charter of our lord king john , our fader , which our barons of london , thereof have reasonably witnessed . witnesses , eustace of london , peter of winchester , &c. at westminster the . of february , the year of our reign eleven . besides these , he produced divers others in this kings raign . . this jurisdiction belongs to the city of london , by acts of parliament . w. . ca. . an. . no salmons to be taken , from the nativity of our lady , unto st. martins day in all points ; nor none to be taken in mill-pools , from the midst of april , until midsummer , . offence , burning of nets , and engines . . offence , imprisonment for a quarter of a yeer . . a whole year . . r. . confirms the restraint of taking salmons in many waters , from the midst of april , until midsommer , upon the same pain ; nor within that time to use any nets call'd stalkers , nor any other engine , whereby the fry may be destroyed . . eliz. none shall with any manner of net , wee le , butcaining , kepper , limecreele , rawfagnet , trolnet , trimnet , scalboat , weblister , sturlamet , or with any other device or engine , made of cheare , woolbine or canvas , or shall by any heeling nets , or trimbleboat , or any other device , engines , cautelles , wayes or meanes soever , heretofore made or devised , or hereafter to be made or devised , take , or kill any young brood , spawn , or fry of eeles , salmon , pike , or pickrel , or of any other fish or flud-gate , pipe , or tail of any mill , weare , or in any streights , streams , brooks , rivers , salt or fresh . . none shall take or kill any salmon and trouts , not being in season , being kepper salmons , or kepper trouts , or shedder salmons , or shedder trouts , &c. the mayor of london , inter alia , shall have full power and authority by this act , to enquire of all offences committed contrary thereunto , by the othes of men or more , and to hear and determine all and every the same , and inflict punishments , and impose fines , accordingly . . then he proceeds to assert the cities right , to the conservation of the thames , and waters of medway , by way of inquisition , whereof there were two : the one taken at raynam in essex , the other at gravesend in kent , . hen. . before william grocer , then lord mayor of london , where it was presented , that whereas by the ancient ordinances of london , the mesches of nets should be two inches in the forepart , and one inch in the hinder part ; and it being found , that the offences according to the said inquisitions are contra libertates & consuetudines civitatis , it was adjudged , that the nets should be burnt , according to the ancient custom in that behalf provided . . he goes on after , to prove that this right belongs to the city by decrees . in . hen. . the mayor and aldermen did exhibit their humble petition to the kings councel reciting ; that , time out of minde , they have had the conservation and correction of the river of thames , of all trinks , nets , and other engines whatsoever in the river of thames , and medway placed , and have used to make a sub-conservator under them ; and complaining , that alexander bonner , then sub-conservator , having discharg'd his duty , in removing kiddels , he was ill entreated by the owners , the same owners dwelling in erith , putriferry , barking , woolwich , and other places in the counties of kent , and essex : and upon hearing of the matter in camera stellata , they were found guilty , and constrained to submit themselves to the lord mayor , and ordered to bring alwayes their nets unto him , before they should use them . and that the kiddles then taken , should be at the disposition of the lord mayor ; so the offendors made their submission accordingly . . he proceeds ; this right appertains to the city of london , by letters patents , which he proved by a grant made by edward the th , to the earl of pembroke , for setting up a weare in the river of thames : which grant was revok'd and annul'd , at the instance of the lord mayor , and the aldermen , upon shewing their right : therefore alledg'd , it was contrary to their ancient customs . at which time , the cities title to the conservacy of the thames , and medway , was at large set forth , and recited to have bin shewn to the lord chancellour , and to the said earl and his councel , which accordingly was allowed . . he reinforceth the right of the city by proclamations , whereof one was made by hen. . in . of his raign , wherein it is affirmed , that the lord mayor and his predecessors , have had by divers grants of the kings of england , and , by acts of parliament , enjoyed alwayes the conservacy of the thames , without impediments , or interruption ; by which proclamation , it was commanded that none should resist , deny , or impugne the lord mayor , or his deputy , in doing or executing any thing that might conduce to the conservacy of the river , and of the fish and fry within the same . . he produceth report ; for in a controversie 'twixt the lord admiral , and the lord mayor , for the measuring of coles , and other things upon the thames , it then fell into debate , to whom the conservacy of the river appertain'd which cause was referred by queen elizabeths councel of state , . to the atturney general , and solicitor , who joyntly certified among other things , that the conservacy and care of the river did , and ought to belong to the city of london , . by quo warranto , 't was proved , that the conservacy of the thames belongs to the city , for . jacobi ; a quo warranto , was brought against the city in the exchequer , to know by what title she claimed the conservacy of the river of thames , & the waters of medway : whereupon the city made her title good thereunto , by ancient prescription , and otherwise ; so judgement was given in her favour . . he goes on afterwards to confirm the right of the city , by proof of usage ; in regard the lord mayor and aldermen have time out of minde , made ordinances concerning the good government of the river of thames , as well for the seasons and manner of fishing beneath london bridge eastward , upon pain of penalties , as it appears from time to time , from the raign of hen. . and so downward : the lord mayor hath removed kiddels , weares , trinks , and other unlawful engines , and hath reformed the disorders of such as have offended besides , in the river of thames , and inflicted punishment , upon offendors accordingly . the right of the city appeares also by the writs and precepts under the teste of the lord mayor , to the sheriffs of kent and essex , for the returning of juries before him , to enquire of offences done in the river . the same right of the city , appeares also by commissions , whereof divers have bin directed to the lord mayor , to put in execution the acts of parliament , made for the conservancie of the thames and medway , and to enquire of all offences , made or done in the said waters , and to punish the delinquents accordingly . lastly , he makes good the right and title of the city , by the continual claim she made thereunto , as appears in those various contests she had with the lord admiral of england , wherein after divers debates and bandings , she kept still above water , and made her title good ; which moved king james , anno the d of his raign , to put a final determination to the business by the letters patents , he passed unto the city , wherein he saith , that ad omnem controversiam in hac parte temporibus tam presentibus quàm futuris tollendam , & omne dubium amovendum , that to cut off all controversies , as well of the present times , as of future , and to remove all doubts , he did confirm and ratifie the said right unto the city of london . thus was the title , prerogative , and right of the city of london stoutly , and strongly asserted by eleven pregnant , and convincing proofs , to the conservation of her dearly beloved minion , the river of thames , both by prescription ; by allowance in eire ; by ancient charters ; by acts of parliament ; by inquisitions ; by decrees coram ipso rege ; by letters patents ; by proclamations ; by report of the learned councel ; by a quo warranto ; and lastly , by ancient usage , custom , and continual claim . mr. stow in his survey of the city of london , hath more about this business , then here is inserted , which made the last king charles the first , to command sir john coke his secretary , to write to sir henry martin , judge of the admiralty , to this effect , that his majesty understanding , that a second edition of stowes survey of the city of london , was put new to sale , wherein there are some passages prejudicial to his majesties right in his admiralty , and derogatory to the just power belonging thereunto , his majesty did therefore require him , his judge in that high court , to examine the said book , and to cause the said passages inserted in prejudice of the admirals jurisdiction , and in support of any other pretence against the same , to be left out , or else to prohibite the publishing , and sale of the said book , &c. sir henry martin having received this letter , after the book was printed , and publiquely sold , all that he could do , was to have sir john cokes letter inserted in the last folio of stow , to stand there for a cautionary reserve , and record for the future . now , there be many things that concern the incumbency of the conservator of so noble a river , it being an office of no small extent . his first duty is to preserve the currency of the stream , and the banks on both sides . secondly , he must preserve the fish and fry within the same ; he must prevent all encroachments upon the river , and the banks thereof ; as also he must enquire of all flud-gates , mill-dams , and such like annoyances ; and whether any do hurl in any soyl , dust , or rubbish , or other filth whatsoever to choak her . but for the strength , and safety of the river , against the invasion of an enemy , by block-houses , forts , bastions or castles , and the securing of the merchant , and navigation to and fro , that charge belongs to the soveraign prince , and not to the city . but indeed , touching the former charge , circumspection and care of the river of thames , it is most proper for the city of london , who lies perpetually by her beds side , and therefore in a fit posture to be watchful of her : for which vigilance the thames rewards her abundantly , by bringing her in the spices of the south , the jewels of the east , and treasure of the west , insomuch , that it may be well said , this office of conservatorship , or superintendency of so noble and useful a river , is as a fair flower , or rich jewel , in the cap of maintenance . this famous river , taking all her advantages together , surpassing all other whatsoever , that pay tribute to the ocean , if you regard the streightness of her course , the stilness of her stream , for her proportionable latitude ; as also her length , for she comes sporting along from her first source , above ninescore miles before she embosomes her self in the arms of neptune . add hereunto , the great store , and variety of fish she abounds withall ; the most delectable , and fertile soiles , on both sides ; and lastly the conveniency of her scituation being towards the center of england . and then in her entrance to the sea , she opens upon france and flanders , having them both in her eye ; besides , she hath another advantagious property , that to the knowing native , the entrance into the river is safe and easie , but difficult and hazardous to strangers , either to come in , or go out ; insomuch , that the thames may be said to be londons best friend , which puts me in minde of a passage of drollery , that happened in the time of king james , who being displeased with the city , because she would not lend him such a sum of money , and the lord mayor and the aldermen attending him one day , being somewhat transported , he said , that he would remove his own court , with all the records of the tower , and the courts of westminster-hall , to another place , with further expressions of his indignation . the lord mayor calmly heard all and at last answered , your majesty hath power to do what you please , and your city of london will obey accordingly ; but she humbly desires , that when your majesty shall remove your courts , you would please to leave the thames behind you . of the great and admirable bridge in the city of london over the thames . having bin thus long upon water , and accompanied the thames to thetis lap , 't is time now to land , and take a view of her greatest bridge , which , if the stupendious site , and structure thereof be well considered , may be said to be one of the wonders of the world : though , as some think , it hath too many arches ; so that it may be said , if london bridge had fewer eyes , it would see far better . now as we fetch'd the thames from her spring , so we will fetch her bridge from its first foundation . at first there was but a ferry kept in the place where now the bridge is built , at length the ferriman and his wife deceasing , left the said ferry to their only daughter a mayden , who with other goods , left her by her parents , together with the profits arising from the said ferry , did build a holy house for nuns ; in place whereof , the east part of st. mary overies stands now above the quire , where she was buried : and unto that house of nuns , she bequeathed the over-sight and benefit of the ferry ; but afterwards , that house of nuns being converted into a house of priests , the priests did build a bridge of timber , and from time to time , kept the same in good reparation , till at length , considering the great charges which were bestowed in the frequent repair of the woodden bridge , there was at last , by the contributions of the citizens , and others , a bridge built of stone . the timber bridge had stood some ages before ; for the story saith , that when sweyn , king of denmark , had besieged the city of london , both by water and land in the year . the citizens manfully defended themselves under their king ethelred ; so that a great number of the enemies was slain in battel , and part of them were drown'd in the river of thames , because they could not recover the bridge : add hereunto , that in the year . canutus the dane , with a great navy came up to london , and on the south of the thames caus'd a trench to be cast , through the which his ships were tow'd towards the west side of the bridge , and then with a deep trench , and streight siege , he encompassed the city about . moreover , . the earl godwin , with the like navy , taking his course up the river , and finding no resistance on the bridge , he sail'd up the south side . further , . william the conqueror in his charter to the church of st. peter in westminster , confirmed to the monks serving god there , a gate in london call'd buttolphs gate then , with a wharf which was at the head of london bridge . we read likewise , that anno . in the raign of henry . the river of thames was so dryed up , and the water grew so shallow , that between the tower of london and the bridge , not only with horse , but people might have passed over a foot . in the year , thomas arden gave to the monks at bermondsey the church of st. george in southwark , and five shillings yearly rent out of the land pertaining to london-bridge . there is also a remarkable charter of hen. . upon record , to this tenor . henry king of england , to ralph chichester , and all the ministers of sussex , sendeth greeting ; know ye , i command by my kingly authority , that the manor call'd alceston , which my father gave with other lands to the abbey of battle , be free , and quiet from shiers and hundreds , and all other customes of earthly servitude , as my father held the same most freely and quietly , and namely from the work of london - bridge , the work of the castle at pevensey : and this i command upon my forfaiture . witnesse william de pontdelarche at berry . the first year of king stephen , a fire began in the house of one ailwards neer unto london-stone , which consum'd east unto ludgate , and west to st. erkenswald's sheine in st. pauls church . the bridge of timber upon the river of thames was also burnt , but afterwards repair'd . besides in the reign of the said king stephen , and of hen. . men stood in great numbers upon the bridge to see pastimes that were upon the river . in the year , that bridge was not only repair'd , but built all of new timber as before , by peter colechurch priest , and chaplain . this serves to shew , that there was a timber bridge a long tract of time over the thames , which was maintain'd partly by the proper lands thereof , partly by the legacies and liberality of divers persons , and partly by taxations in divers sheirs , at least years before the bridge of stone was erected . now , about the year the stone-bridge had its first foundation by the foresaid peter of cole-church , near unto the place of the timber bridge , but somewhat more west , for the chronicle saith , that buttolphes wharf was at the end of london-bridge ; the king not only countenanced , but assisted the great work , a cardinal being then here legate , and richard archbishop of canterbuty , gave marks towards the foundation . the course of the river for a time was turn'd another way about , by a trench cast up for that purpose , beginning east about radriff , and ending in the west about patricksey , now call'd battersay . this work to wit , the arches , chappel , and the stone bridge over the thames at london , having been years in building , was in the year finished , by the worthy citizens of london , viz. serle mercer , william almane , and benedict , botewrite , being principal masters of that fabrique : for peter colechurch was dead four years before , and was as the principal benefactor buried in the chappel on the bridge . certain void places were given by king john to build upon about london , the profits whereof were assign'd to maintain the bridge . a mason , being master workman of the bridge , builded from the foundation the large chappel on that bridge upon his own charges , which chappel was then endow'd with two priests and four clerks , &c. besides chanteries ; after the finishing of this chappel , which was the first building upon those arches , sundry mansion houses in tract of time were erected ; whereunto many charitable men gave lands , tenements , and sums of money towards the maintenance thereof ; all which was sometimes registred , and fairly written in a table for posterity , which was put up in the said chappel , till at last the said chappel was turn'd to a dwelling house , and then remov'd to the bridge-house : now , in hen. . time it stands upon record , that all the payments and allowances belonging to london-bridge , amounted to above l. by which account made then , may be partly guessed the great revenues , and incomes of the said bridge , and to what improvement , and encrease it may be come unto by this time . but this noble bridge , as other earthly things , hath suffer'd many disasters since : for four years after the finishing thereof , in the year , on the th . of july at night , the burrough of southwark on the south side of thames , as also the church of our lady of the canons there , being on fire , and an exceeding great multitude of people passing the bridge , either to extinguish and quench it , or to behold and gaze upon it , suddenly the north part by blowing of the south wind , was also set on fire , and the people which were then passing the bridge perceiving the same , would have return'd , but were stopp'd by the fury of the fire : and it came to passe as they stayed all in a consternation , and protracted the time ; the other south end of the bridge , was also set on fire ; so that the people thronging themselves betwixt two raging fires , did nothing else but expect present death ; whereupon , there came to save them many ships and vessels , into which the multitude so inadvisedly rush'd in , that the ships being thereby sunk , they all perished ; and it was found that above three thousand souls perished by this disastrous accident at that time , whose bodies were found half burnt , besides those who were turn'd to ashes . furthermore , in the year , through a great frost and deep snow , five arches of london bridge were born down , and destroyed : a little after , anna , the bridge was o sore decayed for want of reparations , that people were afraid to pass thereon , and a subsidy was granted towards the amendment thereof ; afterwards , sir john britain , being then custos of london anno , a great collection was made by all the clergy for the repair of london-bridge . in the year , on st. georges day was a great solemnity of justs and tournements upon london-bridge , between david earl of crawford of scotland , and the lord wells of england , whereby one may infer , that the houses were not there so thick , at that time . the tower on london-bridge , at the north end of the draw-bridge ( which was then in a posture to be drawn up ) was built anno , in the majoralty of john rainwell . anno , a house call'd the common siege on london-bridge , tumbled down into the thames by death of divers persons a little after . but in the year sixteen hundred thirty three , there happen'd a most raging dismal fire upon the north side of london-bridge , which by computation consum'd above the third part of the buildings thereof ; but by the commendable care of the city , there are other goodly structures rais'd up in some of their rooms , of a stronger and more stately way of building , and pity it is that the work were not compleated , there being no object ( after the church of st. pauls ) that can conduce more to the glory and ornament of this renowned city . besides , this bridge that may be call'd , the bridge of the world , there are other inferior bridges , which have still the names of bridges that belong to the city of london , the first is fleet-bridge in the west , fenc'd with iron pikes , on which towards the south there be certain lanthorns of stones , for lights to be placed in winter evenings , for commodity of passengers ; under this bridge runs a water sometimes call'd , the river wells , but since turn-hill brook , and now fleet dike , because it runs by the fleet under ground to the river of thames ; this bridge hath been far greater in times pass'd , but lessened as the water course hath been narrowed . over the sayd river of wells northerly stands oldenbridge , now holborn-bridge , so call'd of a boorn that sometimes ran down holborn hill into the river ; this bridge like fleet-bridge , serves for passage only . then comes cow-bridge more northerly over the same water near unto cow-lane , but this bridge being decayed , another of timber is made more north towards chicklane . there are some other small bridges over the town-ditch , viz. without ealdgate , without bishopsgate , mooregate , the postern of cripplegate , as also without aldersgate , the postern of christs hospital , newgate , and ludgate , which are now paved eaven with the streets ; only there remains one of timber over the river of wels or fleet dike . there have bin in former ages divers bridges in sundry places over the course of wallbrook ; but now they are made levell with the pavements of the streets , so that the water-course can now be hardly discover'd , being vaulted over with brick . of the chief fortresse or tower of london . and now that we are come so near the famous and great tower palatine , or cittadel of london ; we will try whether we can get in thither , without paying fees , and take a view thereof as briefly as we can , it being an ill-favoured , and tedious thing to stay there long . i know it is the current vulgar opinion , that julius caesar , the first conquerour , or rather indeed discoverer of britain , was the original founder thereof , but there is very litle probability of truth in that for two reasons ; the first is , the little stay he made here , during which he had other things to think on : the second is , that he himself who is so exact in his relations , specially if they conduce to his honour ; nor any other roman author , makes any mention of of such a work , or fabrique ; therefore , that opinion which approacheth truth the neerest , is , that william of normandy the conqueror , was the first tracer and erector of the tower of london , as edmond de hadenham , an old english antiquary affirms ; the first part that was built , was the great square and white tower , ( though black to some ) which was about the year , whereof gundulph bishop of rochester was principal superviser and surveyer , who was log'd then in the house of edmere a burgesse of london , as it stands upon latine record in the forenamed author . now it is to be considered , that at first the wall of the city was in many places furnish'd with sundry bastions and turrets in due distance one from the other , and divers stood on the waters side , where some of the said wall extended at first , but the thames with her ebbings and flowings , did as it were corrode , and subvert those buildings on the south side ; wherefore the conqueror ( for then the art of fortification was come to a greater perfection ) for defence of the city and river , pitch'd upon that place as most convenient , to erect a bulwark in the east part of the wall. the white square tower ( as was formerly said ) was first erected , and finish'd in the conquerors time , but stood naked and single without other buildings a good while : and the story saith , that in william rufus time , it was by the injury of the heavens , and violence of tempest sore shaken , and some part tumbled down , which was repair'd by the said rufus and henry the first , who also caused a castle to be built under the said white tower , on the south side towards the thames , and he surrounded that also with a strong wall ; now , henry of huntindon relates , that vvill. rufus challeng'd the investiture of prelates , and pill'd the people pitifully , to spend the treasure about the tower of london , and the great hall at vvestminster , whereof he was founder . the first keeper of the tower of london was call'd constable , ostowerus , acolinillus , otho , and geoffrey magnaville , were the first four constables of the tower of london by succession , all which held a portion of land that appertain'd to the priory of the holy trinity near algate , viz. east smithfield , as belonging to that office , making thereof a vineyard ; and would would not part with it till the second year of king stephen , when by judgment of the court , it was restored to the church . the foresaid geoffery magnaville , was at one time constable of the tower , sherif of london , middlesex , essex , & hartfordshire , as the chronicles relate ; he also fortified the tower of london against king stephen , but the king took him at last at st. albanes , and would not free him till he had surrendred the tower of london , with the castles of vvalden and plashey in essex . richard de lucie was anno constable of the tower of london , and also of castle the of vvinsore . about the beginning of the raign of richard the first , william longshank bishop of ely , and chancellour of england , for some dissentions 'twixt him , and john the kings brother , who was in rebellion , enclos'd the tower of london with an outward wall of stone embattail'd , and also caused a deep ditch to be cast about the same , and thought to have environ'd it with the river of thames . the lion tower was built by edward the fourth & frederick the emperor , having sent for a present three leopards : they were first kept at woodstock ( which was the first park of england seven miles about ; to the destruction of some churches , and chappels adjacent by henry the third ) but afterwards , all such wild beasts , as lions , ( which are call'd the beasts of the royall prerogative ) together with leopards , linxes , and porpentines , have been kept in that part of the tower , which is called lions tower ; and we read , that edward the d . commanded the sheriff of london , to pay d . per diem , to the keeper of the lions and leopards , for their sustenance , and three half pence a day for the keeper's diet , out of the fee-farm of the city . in former times , there were persons of high quality that kept these beasts ( whereof the earl of oxford was one ) and they had a pension from the crown belonging to the office. mr. robert gill a very worthy gentleman hath the place now , and hath had it many years , nor was the tower ever better furnish'd with lions than it is now , there being six in all , young and old . edward the fourth fortified the tower of london , and enclosed with brick●● certain enclosure of ground taken from tower-hill westward , now call'd the bullwark . his officers also set up upon the said hill a gallowes , and a scaffold , for the execution of offendors , whereupon the lord mayor complaining to the king , all the answer he had , was , that it was not done to the derogation of the city . in the year , the tower of london was delivered to lewis of france , by the barons of england , who banded against the king ; anno . the citizens of london , having made an uprore against the abbot of westminster , hubere de burgh chief justice of england came to the tower of london , and summoned before him the mayor and aldermen : of whom he enquired , and demanded the principal authors of that insurrection . among whom one constantine fitzaeluphe confess'd that he was the man , saying undauntedly that he was the man , and that he had done much lesse than he had thought to have done ; whereupon the justice passed him over to fulke de brent , who with a band of arm'd men , brought him to the gallowes where he was executed . anno . griffeth the eldest son to luellin prince of wales , being kept prisoner in the tower , devised means to escape , and having made a line of the sheets and hangings , he put himself down from the top of the tower , but in the sliding , the weight of his body , he being a corpulent man , brake the rope with his neck together . king hen. the d. imprisoned the sheriffs of london , anno . for the escape of a prisoner out of newgate . the same henry with his queen , to secure himself from rebelling barons , kept his court at the tower , & sent for the lords to hold a parliament ; and the next year his queen passing through london-bridge , the londoners did outrage her as she pass'd hurling stones and dirt at her , in so much that she was forc'd to return ; hereupon the mayor , aldermen , and sheriffs were sent to divers prisons , and a custos was set over the city for the time , viz. othon constable of the tower , until submission had bin made , and other satisfaction given . it is upon record , that edw. . allowed a knight d. per diem , and a squire a peny , for their diet , as long as they were prisoners in the tower upon his command : roger mortimer being prisoner in the tower , gave his watch-men a sleeping potion , and so escaped ; but afterwards , he was arraigned and condemned by his peers , without personal appearance , and so executed at the elmes , where he hung two dayes . the londoners in the year . seized upon the tower , wresting the keys out of the constables hands , they freed all the prisoners , and kept it in their hands for the use of queen isabel , and her son edward , both tower and city . the first gold that was coin'd in the tower , was in the raign of edward the third , and the peeces were call'd florences , of the value of s. d ; perceval de post being master of the mint at that time . all great sums before , were used to be payd by the weight , as so many pounds or marks of silver , or so many pounds or marks of gold ; but they bore no stamp , the lesser payments were in starlings , which was the only coin then current , and stamp'd , which were pence so call'd . and they had their antiquity no further , then from the raign of king henry the second . nevertheless , the saxon coines before the conquest , were pence of fine silver , somewhat weightier , and better then the latter starlings , and the probablest reason that is given , why it was starling money , was , because in the ring or border of the peny , there was a starre stamped . but to return to the tower of london : in the year . john the french king being prisoner in the tower , king edward the third , being newly returned victoriously from france , the first thing he did , was to visit his prisoner whose ransome was assessed afterwards at three millions of florences or nobles ; whereupon he was brought honourably to the sea side : anno . king richard kept his christmas in the tower , and the year after was clapt up prisoner there . in the year . there were justs and tournements in the tower , wherein the chief actor was the duke of somerset ; anno , henry the sixth , was brought prisoner to the tower , where he remained many years , of whom was given this character , that he was a good king , but born in an ill time : the mayor of london sir richard lee , and the aldermen , freed the said king henry once from his imprisonment ; but being sent thither again , he was pittifully murthered . anno . the duke of clarence was drowned in a but of malmsey within the tower : and . years after young edward the fifth , with his brother , were by the practices of richard the third , stifled there betwixt two fether-beds , as the current story goes . john earl of oxford , anno . was made constable of the tower , and he had also the keeping of the lions , and leopards , as the story makes mention . queen elizabeth , wife to henry the th , died in the tower , anno . in child-birth , and the year before there was running at tilt , and tourney there ; the chappel in the high white tower was burnt anno . queen anne bullein , was beheaded in the tower . and a little after , the lady katherine howard , both wifes to henry the eighth : anno . a strange accident happened in the tower : for one foxley , who was pot-maker for the mint , being fallen asleep , he could not be awakened by pinching , cramping , or burning for fourteen dayes , at which time he awak'd as fresh as at the first day he began to sleep . in henry the eights time , the tower was ever and anon full of prisoners , among others sir thomas more , lord chancellor of england , was clap'd there close prisoner : and at last they took away from him all his books , so he did shut up all his windows , and liv'd afterwards in obscurity , and being asked why , he answered , 't is time to shut up shop , when the ware is all gone : at his first entrance to the tower , the gentleman porter , ask'd for his fee , which is the upper garment , whereupon sir thomas pull'd off his cap to give him , but that not sufficing , he pull'd out a handful of angels , end gave him a good many , a knight that was in his company telling him , that he was glad to see him so full of angels ; yes , answered he , i love to carry my friends alwayes about me . the young lady jane , was beheaded there not long after , and upon the scaffold she made a most ingenious speech , and full of pity , that she came thither , to serve for an example to posterity , that innocence cannot be any protection against greatness ; and that she was come thither , not for aspiring to a crown , but for not refusing one , when it was offered her. queen elizabeth was brought up many years in that school of affliction , but afterwards she may be said to have gone from the scaffold to the throne ; for the truth is , that the scaffold had made an end of her , had not king philip her brother in law , strongly interceded for her . in her dayes , robert earl of essex lost his head in the tower , which he might have kept on many years longer , had he not bin betrayed by the lady walsingham ; to whom after the sentence of condemnation , he sent a ring , which the queen had given him as a token that she would stick to him in any danger : the lady delivered not this ring , and being a little after upon her death-bed she desired to speak with the queen , and having disburthened a great weight which lay upon her conscience for that act , the queen flung away in a fury , and never enjoyed her self perfectly after that time , but she would break out often into passion , and wring her hands , crying , o essex , essex . and this earl was the last , who was executed within the walls of the tower. in king james's time , for years , there was no blood spilt , in the tower , or upon tower-hill , only sir gervase elwayes was hanged there , when he was lieutenant : and one remarkable passage there was in his speech upon the ladder , that being in the low countries , and much addicted to gaming , he made a vow , that if ever he played more above such a value , he might be hanged ; but he did violate the oath , and so the just judgement of heaven did fall upon him , accordingly as he said . the earl of castlehaven was brought from the tower to be executed for horrid kinds of incontinencies in charles the first time ; afterwards , in the raign of the long parliament , and ever since , the tower of london hath had more number of prisoners , then it had in the compasse of a hundred years before . this stately tower of london , serves not only for a gaol to detain prisoners , but for many other uses , it is a strong fort , or cittadel , which secures both city and river , it serves not only to defend , but to command either , upon occasion ; it serves as a royal randezvouz for assemblies and treaties ; it is the treasury for the jewels and ornaments of the crown ; the great archive which conserves all the old records of the courts of justice at westminster ; it is the place for the royal mint , and coynage of gold and silver ; it is the chief magazin and armory , or arsenal of the whole land , for martial engines , and provision . there only , is the brake or rack , usually call'd the duke of exceters daughter , because he was the first inventer of it . and lastly , it is a great ornament , by the situation of it , both to the river and city . the city of london hath divers other interior towers , as that on the north of the great bridge ; at the south end over the gate , there is also another tower over london-bridge , which hath suffered many accidents of firing , and otherwise , and was still made up by the care and charge of the city , specially one time when it was under bastard fawconbridge , burnt by the marriners , and saylers of kent . the antiquaries speak of two castles that were in the west part of london , one call'd the castle of monfiquet , which was built by a baron of that name , who came over with the conqueror , which was afterwards demolished , and the black fryers risen up out of the ruines of it ; the second castle is baynards castle , by pauls wharf , built also by one baynard , who came over with the conqueror : who being ennobled , the honour of baynards castle succeeded from father to son , a long time , till it came to sir robert fitzwater , a valiant cavalier : who being fallen into the displeasure of king john , in the barons warres , was banished , and baynards castle destroyed ; but afterwards , being restored to the kings favour , by an exployt he did in france , he was re-invested in all his livings , and so repair'd baynards castle again : moreover , he was made chief banner-bearer of the city of london , whereof he had a charter , which ran to this sense , that he said , robert fitzwater , and his heirs , ought to be , and are chief bannerers of london , in fee for the chastilary , which he and his ancestors had from baynards castle , and the said city . in time of war , the said robert and his heires , ought to serve the city as followeth . the said robert ( he being the twentieth man of armes himself ) ought to come on horseback , covered with cloth or armor , under the great west door of st. paul , with his banner displayed before him ; and when he is come mounted to that door , and apparreld , as before is said , the maior ( with the aldermen and sheriffs ) in their arms , shall come out of the church of st. paul , unto the said west door , the maior bearing a banner in his hand , all on foot , which banner shall be gules , the image of st. paul gold , the face , hands , feet , and sword argent ; and as soon as the said robert shall see the maior , aldermen and sheriffs , come on foot out of the church , armed with such a banner , he shall alight off his horse , and salute the maior , and say to him , sir maior , i am come to do my service which i owe to the city : whereunto the maior , and aldermen shall answer , we give to you , as to our bannerer of see in this city , the banner of this city , to beare , and govern to the honour and profit of this city to your power : and the said robert and his heires , shall receive the said banner in his hands , and shall go on foot out of the gate , with the banner in his hands , and the maior , aldermen , and sheriffs , shall follow to the door , and shall bring a horse to the said bannerer , worth twenty pounds , which horse shall be sadled with a saddle of the arms of the said bannerer , and shall be covered with sindalls of the said arms. moreover , they shall present unto him , twenty pounds starling money , and deliver it to the chamberlain of the said bannerer , for his expences that day . then the said bannerer shall mount on horseback , with the banner in his hand , and as soon as he is up , he shall say to the lord maior , that he cause a marshal to be chosen for the host , one of the city ; which marshal being nam'd , the said bannerer shall command the maior and burgesses of the city , to warn the commons to assemble , and they shall all go under the banner of st. paul ; and the said bannerer shall bear it himself unto ealdgate , and there the said bannerer , and the maior , shall deliver the said banner from thence , to whom they shall assent and think good ; and in case they make any issue out of the city , then the said bannerer ought to choose two out of every ward , the most sage personages , to foresee and look to the safe keeping of the city , after they be gone forth ; and this councel shall be taken in the priory of the holy trinity , near unto aldgate ; and also before every town or castle , they shall besiege , if the siege continue a whole year , the said bannerer shall have for every siege one hundred shillings , and no more of the comminalty of london . these be the rights that the said bannerer shall have in time of war ; but the rights that belong unto the said bannerer sir rob. fitzwater in time of peace are these , that is to say , the said robert hath a soke or ward in the city , that is to say , a wall of the canonry of st. paul unto the thames , & so to the side of the mill , which is in the water that cometh from fleet bridge , & so goeth by london walls betwixt the fryars preachers & ludgate , & so returneth back by the house of the said fryrs , unto the said walls , of the said canonry of st. pauls , viz. all the parish of st. andrews , which is in the gift of his ancestors by the said signority ; and so the said robert hath appendant unto the said soke , all these things under-written , & if any of the sokemanry be impleaded in guild-hall , of any thing that toucheth not the body of the lord mayor , or the sheriffs for the time being , it is not lawful for the sokeman of the sokmanry of the said robert to demand a court of the said robert ; and the mayor and the citizens of london ought to grant him a court , and in his court he ought to bring his judgments as it is assented and agreed upon in the guild-hall , that shall be given him . if any therefore be taken in his sokemanry , he ought to have his stocks and imprisonment in his soke , and he shall be brought thence to the guild-hall before the mayor , and there they shall provide him his judgement that ought to be given of him ; but his judgement shall not be publish'd till he come unto the court of the said robert , and in his liberty . and the judgement shall be such , that if he have deserved death for treason , he is to be tied to a post in the thames at a good wharf , where boats are fastened , two ebbings and two flowings of the water : and if he be condemn'd for a common thief , he ought to be led to the elmes , and there suffer his judgement as other thieves ; so the said robert and his heirs hath the honour , that he holdeth a great franchise within the city , that the mayor of the city , and the cittizens are bound to do him of right , viz. that when the mayor will hold a great councel , he ought to call the said robert and his heir to be with him in the councel of the said city ; and the said robert ought to be sworn of the councell of the said city , against all people ; saving the king , and his heirs . and when the said robert comes to the hustings in the guild-hall of the said city , the mayor or his livetenant , ought to rise and set him down to sit neer him ; and so long as he is in the guild-hall , all the judgements ought to be given by his mouth , according to the records of the recorders of the said guildhall ; and so many waifes as come while he he is there , he ought to give them to the bayliffs of the said town , or to whom he will by the councel of the city . these are the ancient franchises that belong to the bannerer of london , as they stand upon ancient authentick records ; but when this honor fell from the fitzwaters , and from baynards castle , 't is incertain ; now , that castle fell afterwards to the earl of march , who was crown'd there by the title of edward the fourth , to whom this city stuck very close ; but in the seventh year of king edward's reign , many of the greatest men of london were attach'd for treason , with divers aldermen , whereof though they were acquitted , yet they did forfeit their goods to the value of marks ; among whom sir thomas coke , sir john plummer , and humfrey howard , were of the number ; and the said coke lord mayor a little before was committed to the tower , with one hawkins ; nor could coke be acquitted until he had paied marks to the king. henry the seventh rode in majesty through the city with all the knights of st. george , from the tower to st. pauls church , where they heard vespers , and so the king lodg'd that night at baynards castle , which he had newly repair'd before . queen mary was also proclaim'd there , notwithstanding that the lady jane had been proclaim'd a little before . there was also another tower or castle , near adioyning unto baynards castle , which was call'd legates inne , but now there is no trace of it left . there was also another castle call'd the tower of monfiquet ( spoken of a little before ) upon the river of thames more westward , where afterwards a monastery of fryars was erected , call'd to this day the black fryars ; first built by kelwarby , archbishop of canterbury , to whom the mayor of london , gave two lanes or wayes adjoyning to baynards castle ; there was also another tower stood there , above years , which was demolished by john sha lord mayor of london anno , the king giving leave to do it . there was another tower or castle , that stood in the same place that bridewell now stands ; which being demolished , yet notwithstanding , there was a royal palace stood still where the kings of england kept their courts , and call'd parliaments : and among others , it stands upon good record , that king john summoned a parliament thither , where he exacted of the clergy in a parliament held at saint brides in london marks ; and besides this , the white monks were compelled to cancel their priviledges , and pay the king marks ; this house of saint brides of later time being left , and not used or inhabited , fell to ruine , yet the platform still remained among the filth and rubbish , together with a fair well . a great part of the house on the west side , was given to the bishop of salisbury , whence salisbury court derives its name to this day ; the other part towards the east remain'd wast , until henry the th , did build a stately palace there in a very short time , and call'd it bridewel , which he did for the entertainment of his nephew charles the fifth emperour and king of spain , who came hither anno , and was there entertain'd in a princely and magnificent manner . there was another tower call'd the tower royal in the parish of saint michael de pater noster , where king stephen was us'd to keep his court , which was call'd afterwards the queens wardrobe ; barbican was also another tower , besides , there was an ancient tower , in bucklersbury , called sernes tower , and the story saith , that edward the third kept his court there , appointing his exchange of moneys to be also there kept , which he gave afterwards to his free chappel of st. stephen in vvestminster , now call'd henry the sevenths chappel , who spent ls . in the building of it , and about the same time a great ship was built which cost just as much . of the publick places of sciences and literature which london hath . it is observed , that the english nation hath bin alwaies extraordinarily addicted to literature , and to the love of knowledge : which among other instances appears ; in that , of old times , there were three principal churches in london which had famous schools , wherein there were professors & doctors , which were famous for their knowledge in philosophy and the mathematicks ; the three churches which had these schools by priviledges , were the cathedral church of saint paul , for by general councel held in the year at rome in the patriarchy of saint lateran , it was decreed , that every cathedral church sho uld have a school-master to teach poor schollers , and others . the second , was st. peters in westminster , whereof ingulphus abbot of crowland in the reign of william the conqueror writes thus ; i ingulphus an humble servant of god , born of english parents in the most beautiful city of london , for to attain to learning , was first put to westminster , and after to study at oxford , &c. the third school , seemes to have bin in the monastery of st. saviour in bermondsey at southwark . there were other schools built afterwards , as that of st john by smithfield , and that of saint bart holmew , that of saint mary overies , and that of the holy trinity by ealdgate , with divers others ; but touching philosophy and other sciences , in regard that the colledges in oxford and cambridge did so much encrease ; the former meetings in london , and di putes in philosophy , that were used to be , did discontinue ; only of late years , that noble maecenas and patrior , sir thomas gresham , did erect to his eternal honour a colledge for all the sciences , in bishopsgate-street , as an attendant to his royall exchange . the chronicles teach us , that henry the fifth having suppressed the priories aliens , whereof there were some about london , namely , our lady of rouncival by charing crosse , one other hospital in oldborn , now holborn , another without gripplegate , and the fourth without aldersgate , besides others that are worne long since out of memory , only that of rouncival continued till the reign of henry the eighth , being converted to a brotherhood ; but edward the sixth appointed by patent , that there should be in london more grammar schooles erected , to wit , one in st andrews in holborn , another in alhallows the great , another in st peters on cornhil , and another in the hospital of st. thomas of acon in west cheap . the free-school of pauls was built of an old ruined house in ample manner , and richly endowed anno , by doctor colet dean of pauls , for poor mens children : for which there was a chief master , an usher , and chaplain ordained . moreover , in the year , after the erection of christs hospital , which risse out of the ruins of the grey fryers that stood there , a great number of poor children were taken in , and a fair school appointed at the charge of the city , though edward the sixth bear the name of patron . anno the marchant taylors of london , founded one notable school . in the parish of st. lawrence poultney . the house was sometimes the duke of buckinghams called , the mannor of the rose , which mr. richard hills master of the company , did purchase for l. and bestowed it for a free school . there was an old custome in london , that the school , masters should meet on festival daies , and their schollers should dispute in logick , as well as grammer questions , and principles , and the most common randezvouz , was saint bart holmews in smithfield , being a priory , where upon a bank boorded under a tree , they used to meet , and the best schollers were rewarded with bows and arrows of silver , which they carried away as prizes : but that laudable custome is grown obsolete , and quite discontinued . a great emulation there was 'twixt pauls schollers , and those of st. anthonies ; the schollers of pauls would taunt , and term them , st. anthonies piggs ; and they would call st. pauls schollers , pigeons of pauls , and many feuds happen'd amongst them in the open streets : but st. anthonies school decaying , the quarrel also ceas'd . anno , a publick lecture of chirurgery was founded , to be read in the colledge of physitians in knight-rider-street twice every week ; the founder thereof was , the honourable baron the lord lumley , and richard chadwel doctor of physick ; and doctor foster was the first reader thereof . a mathematical lecture was also founded about the same time , to be read in a fair ancient chappel , built by simon eyre within leaden-hall ; but this chappel , being employ'd afterwards for stowage of goods taken out of a spanish cara●k the said lecture ceas'd there , and was used to be read in mr. tho. smiths house in grass-street , . anno sir thomas gresham ( queen elizabeths royal marchant or agent , spoken of before ) gave the royal exchange , with all the buildings thereunto appertaining , viz. the one moity to the mayor and comminalty of london , and their successors , upon trust that they perform as shall be declared ; and the other moity to the mercers on the same confidence ; the maior & aldermen are to find four to read lectures of divinity , astronomy , musick , and geometry within that dwelling in bishopsgate-street , and to bestow the sum of l. viz. l. per annum to every reader . the mercers also are to find three readers in the same place , that is , the civil law , physick and rhetorick , and every reader was to have l. a year stipen'd , which great gift was confirm'd afterwards by act of parliament , and so to continue for ever . these lectures are to be read every day in the week in term time ( sundays excepted ) in the latine tongue in the morning , and the same in english in the same dayes afternoon , only the musick lecture , whereof doctor bull was the first lecturers was to be read only in english . moreover , there is in and about the city of london , a whole university , as it were of students , practisers , or pleaders , and judges of the lawes of england , not living of common salaries , as is used in other academies ; but of their private maintenance , as being supported , by their own means or practise , or exhibition from their friends ; in so much that most of them are sons & younger brothers to wealthy parents , where , besides the knowledge of the laws , they learn all other civilities and exercises besides . of these nurseries or societies there are fourteen , whereof nine do stand within the liberties of the city , and five without ; those that stand within the liberties are , sargeants inne in fleet-street , sargeants inne in chancery lane , the two temples , which are called , inns of court ; the other are , cliffords inne , thavies inne in holborn , furnevals inne , barnards inne , and staples inne , which are termd inns of chancery . without the liberties , there is grayes inne in holburn , lincolns inne , ( which are inns of court ) clements inne , new inne , and lions inne , which are houses of chancery . in former time , there was in scroops court in holborn an inne of sargeants also ; there was likewise where somerset house now stands chesters inne or strand inne , in the liberty of the dutchy of lancaster , which was pull'd down with many other buildings , to make room for somerset house , who had also his materials from st. john of jerusalem , which some held to be no better than sacriledge ; and therefore that fatal death , to be beheaded , befell the duke of somerset , who with his councel were , it seems , so infatuated , that they forgot to call for his clergy , whereby , by the lawes of england ; he might have bin saved . jussice fortescue makes mention also of a tenth house of chancery , but he names not the place . the choisest , gentliest & most ingenious wits of the land , are founds among these students of the inns of court , having cōmonly bin graduates before , in one of the universities ; but the inns of chancery being as it were provinces subjected severally to the inns of court be chiefly made up of attorneys , sollicitors , and clerks that follow the courts of westminster hall ; yet many of them remove to one of the great inns of court , where continuing seven years , and frequenting readings , mootings , boltings , and other learned exercises , they improve themselves in the knowledge of the lawes : they are then by the consent of the benchers , who are most commonly of the grave and learned sort selected , & call'd to the degree of utter barristers , and so enabled to be practitioners in the law , both in their chamber , and at the barre in open court-of these after they be call'd to a further step of preferment , . were used to be chosen every year to be readers , who make two readings every year out of some choise hard points in the law , one in lent , the other in august . out of these benchers and readers , sergeants at law are made , and of them the judges , unlesse it be that some by special favour of the prince are chosen otherwise ; but being made sergeants , they leave the inns of court and remove to one of the sergeants inns ; where they only , and the reverend judges are admitted . touching the two temples , they are discoursed of here in another place ; but , concerning grayes inne and lincolns inne , they took their denominations from two noble lords , who had formerly palaces in those places where those two innes now stand ; the one is singular , for a curious chappel it hath ; the other for choise delicate walks , high and low , with a large delightful prospect that carrieth the optiques very far , where the choisest beauties both of city and suburbs use to resort in the summer , to solace themselves , and breath fresh aire . thus have we rambled through the city of london , and waded hitherto through universals ( wherein there is not alwaies plain-dealing ) we will now hunt dry foot after particulars , and find out the primitive mode , & method of government which london had , with the titles of her chief magistrates ; we will then muster her twelve prime companies , with all the rest of her corporations ; then , a perambulation shall be made through all her precincts , aldermanries and wards , as far as the point of the lord mayors sword doth reach ; then shall there be a parallel 'twixt london , and other the greatest cities in the world ; wherein it will appear to the impartial discerning reader , that , if consideration be had to the prerogatives and power of her chiefest magistrates , to their plenty , magnificence and hospitality , to the security of passengers up and down her streets at midnight , as well as at noon daies , the city of london admits no parallel . of the political government , and civil sway of the city of london . it is no incongruous allusion , that some polititians make , when they compare a city to a great ship , whereof government is the healm and rudder , which regulate , and guide her course ; good lawes and constitutions , are the cables and ligaments ; the main-mast is religion , and the standard , of the crosse ; the foremast is honour and renown ; the misen mast is trade and wealth ; judgement and prudence is the ballast ; authority and strength the artillery . this comparison may quadrat with london , as much as with any other city , on the surface of the earth . the lord maior is as the pilot and master ; the aldermen , his mates ; the recorder and sheriffs the chief gunners ; the scavengers , the swabbers ; other inferior officers are the mariners , to weigh anchors , to hoise and furle the sails , &c. touching the primitive government of london in the time of the britains , antiquity scarce affords us any light , whereby to discern what it was , caesar gives us most , when he writes , that mandrubacius was king of the londoners , or the trinobants , which last word extends also to some of the counties adjacent ; but it may be wondred , that julius caesar should know so much , in regard that he never took firm footing in great britain , but , by way of exploration , did only discover her ; augustus and tiberius may be said to conceal her. caligula intending an invasion , was diverted by his warres with the germans . claudius caesar ( from whom glocester takes her name , being no other then castrumclaudii , the castle of claudius ) was the first that fixt here , and he sent over publins agriola for his lieutenant , who took great pains to civilize the nation : and as he was about the work , he sent notice to rome , that he preserred the british wits before the gallic . then was london made a praefectura , and the magistrate in chief , was called praefect ( as he of rome is called to this day ) this title continued all the time that the romans had dominion here , which was above years . afterwards , the romans having so many great irons in the fire by warres they had against divers nations , who had revolted from them , they drain'd this iland not only of great numbers of the british youth , to serve them in their wartes abroad , but drew away at last their own legions ; whereupon , the iland being thus grown weak , much depopulated , and to a long desuetude of arms , the saxons , who are now the english ( yet keep still their first denomination of saxons , both in the british and irish tongues to this day ) came over with a considerable strength , and having in a parly on salsbury plains , mustered most of the british nobility by a stratagem , and taken vortiger the king prisoner , he for his ransom was forc'd to give , not only london , but most part of the iland to the saxons . and the chief magistrate of london , they call'd portreve , which is a gardian or governour of a port , and that name is yet used in england , in some places . the saxons then changed their names into englishmen , yet they continued pagans a long time after but at last , the britains converted them to christianity , and then the city of london flourished exceedingly for many ages , till there came over a swarm of danes , who proved more fatal to london , then any other nation ; for by fire and sword , they had almost utterly destroyed her , had not the londoners at last rowz'd up their spirits , who making vertue of necessity , did fall upon king swein the insulting enemy , with such a resolution , that by a mighty slaughter , and extraordinary prowesse , they utterly repel'd him ; the city having recovered her former lustre ( though 't was a good while first ) she continued under the english government , and the magistracy of a portreve , till the norman rush'd in ; yet the title was not alter'd a good while after , when at last he came to be call'd bayliffe , and sometimes provost : richard the first , for supporting the croy sada , and his warres in the holy land , got great contributions of monies , from the londoners ; in lieu whereof , he gave them leave to choose two bayliffs annually . king john after him chang'd their bayliffs into a maior , and two sheriffs : to these henry the third adds some aldermen , who though yeerly elegible at first , grew afterwards perpetual ; now , this word alderman , is consonant to senator , being both derived from old age and gravity . the first alderman we read of in england , was in the time of king edgar , about years agoe , whose name was ailwine , and was descended of the blood royal , as appeares by his epitaph in that goodly monastery , in the i le of ely , whereof he was founder himself , which epitaph runs thus . hic requiescit dom. ailwinus inclyti regis edgari cognatus , totius angliae aldermannus , & hujus sacri coenobii miraculosus fundator . here resteth the lord ailwine ( cousin to noble king edgar ) alderman of all england which some interpret chief justice , & miraculous founder of this holy abbey . hence it may be infer'd , that the appellation of alderman , is not only venerable , but ancient , & honourable . and from this lord ailwine , it seemes the first maior of london descended , who was henry fitz-alwin , anno . who continued many years in the office , & lies buried in st. mary bothaw , near london-stone ; and the next maior to him was roger fitz-alwin , after whom the office grew annual . the city being thus , in tract of time , come to a fixed and setled government , she began to flourish exceedingly . and as she increased in men , manufactures , and merchandizing , so the kings did enlarge their royal favours unto her , anno . henry the third confirmed unto the citizens of london , free warren , or liberty to hunt about the city , and in the warren of stanes ; moreover , that the citizens of london , should passe toll-free , throughout all england , and that the keddles and weres in the rivers of thames and medway , should be plucked up and destroyed for ever , because navigation to london might be more free . roger renger was maior , when these patents were granted . a few years after the liberties , and franchises of london , were ratified by the same king , who granted , that either sheriff should have two clarks , and two sargeants , and that the citizens should have a common seal : a little after the same king granted that the maior elect , should be presented to the barons of the exchequer , and they should admit him . moreover , he gave way , that the city should be fortified with posts , and iron chains , drawn athwart over the streets . anno . edward the third much increased the immunities of the city , and the authority of the maior ; for he granted , that the maior should be justice for the gaol delivery at newgate , and have power to reprieve prisoners . that the citizens of london should not be constrained to go out of the city of london , to any warre ; he granted also , that the liberties and franchises of the city , should not after that time be taken into the kings hands , as it had bin often before , when a custos was put in . moreover , he granted by letters patents , that there should be no other eschetor in the city , but the maior . anno . he granted , that the sargeants attending the maior and the sheriffs , should bear maces silver and gilt , with the royal arms engraven . anno . the same king ordained , that whereas the aldermen were used to be chang'd yeerly , they should not be removed without spetial cause for the future . then for the higher honour , and authority of the office , the sword was added with the cap of maintenance . thus in process of time , the government of london , grew to be more and more established . anno . sir henry barton being maior , ordained lanthorns and lights to be hang'd out on the winter evenings , betwixt alhollontide and candlemas : sir john norman , being maior , was the first who went upon the river to westminster , having made a stately barge to that purpose , anno . and the rest of the companies followed that laudable example , with their barges also . anno . sir john tate being maior , the sheriffs of london were appointed each of them , to have sixteen serjeants , and every serjeant to have his yeoman ; moreover , they were to have six clerks , a secondary , a clark of the papers , with fower other clarks , besides the under sheriffs clark. anno . it happened , that there was successively one after the other , three mayors , and three sheriffs of london , in the compasse of one year ; by reason of the sweating sickness , which rag'd so extreamly . anno . sir john sha being maior , added some state to the office ; for it was ordered , that the aldermen his brethren should attend him on horseback , from guild-hall to the rivers side , when he took barge for westminster ; besides , he was the first who kept court in his own house , for redressing of such matters that came before him ; sir william capel being maior of london , caus'd cages to be set up in every ward , for the punishments of vagabonds , and rogues . anno . sir thomas offley being mayor , the night bel-man was first ordained . queen elizabeth did much favour the city of london ; and for the better government thereof , gave way for a provost marshal to be appointed . thus have we observed , that the governours in chief of the city of london , have had from time to time , differing appellations . under the britains , they were call'd kings ; the romans stiled them , praefects . the saxons , portreves . the norman kings at their first comming , bayliffs , and sometimes provosts , then came the office to be established in the title of maior , which hath continued any time these . years , though it was interrupted sometimes by a custos ; which some of the kings , as henry the third , and edward the first , upon a displeasure against the city , were used to appoint . this great urban magistrate , the maior of london , useth to be chosen upon the feast of st. michael the archangel , every year out of the six and twenty aldermen , who are his brethren ; but he takes not his place , until the . of october next following . touching the state and authority of the lord maior of london , there is no oppidan magistrate in christendom , all things well considered , lives in a greater ; let us examine the particulars , and first go to his domestical attendance , and the officers thereunto belonging , which are , . a sword-bearer . . common hunt. . common cryer . and . water bayliffs , all esquires by their places . then is there the coroner of london , three sergeant carvers , . sargeants of the chamber ; sargeant of the channel , yeomen of the water side . the under water bayliffe ; two yeomen of the chamber , three meal-weighers ; two yeomen of the wood-wharfs ; and most of these have their servants allowed them ; but the common huntsman and water-bayliffe , have two a peece ; some of them have liveries from the lord maior , and the rest from the chamber of london . there be divers other great publick officers belong to the government of the city of london , as the two sheriffs , which , like the lord maior , are but annual ; the recorder , the chamberlain , the common sergeant , the town-clark , or common clark , the remembrancer , all esquires . the sheriffs are chosen upon midsummer day : they formerly were used to be elected out of the commonalty ; and sometimes they came to be aldermen , as many aldermen were made maiors , though not having bin sheriffs ; but of latter years , the sheriffs have bin aldermen before , or presently after their election ; and 't is remarkable , that nicolas faringdon was times maior of london , and yet never sheriff . now touching the election of these officers , we shall give a brief account , the prime magistrate , the lord maior and the aldermen , met at guild-hall at . in the morning , in their scarlet gowns , and their cloaks fur'd riding on horseback , and having bin a while in the councel chamber , they come forth into the orphans court , whence they go in their cloaks to the chappel , to hear service and sermon , where the lord maior , with some of the aldermen , take the communion , which being ended , and offrings delivered , they return to the councel chamber , and thence to the hustings , the highest court ; where the recorder makes a speech , touching the business in hand : then they go back to the lord maiors court , where they remain , the doors shut until the election be brought unto them ; then the common sargeant having the sheriffs on either side , and the sheriffs other officers al out them , makes another speech , touching the custom of the city in this kind ; whereupon , they choose two , whose names are brought up to the lord maior and the aldermen , who by scrutiny , elect one of those two , whom the commons had nominated before . then the lord maior returns to the hustings , and he who is chosen , goeth upon his left hand , and sitteth next him ; then the recorder speaks again to the commons , nominating the person whom the lord maior , and the aldermen had admitted , and demands whether it be their free choyce ; the commons affirming it , the sword-bearer goes to the lord maior , elect , and taketh off his tippet ( which he takes for his fee ) and puts on his chain ; whereupon , he making a short speech of gratitude , the lord maior , and the new elect , go to the eldest sheriffs house to dinner . after dinner , the lord elect taking the common hunt , and other officers to attend him , besides a company of aldermen , goeth to the lord keeper of the great seal of england , where five or six aldermen present him , wearing their violet gowns . the morrow after michaelmas day , the lord maior and the aldermen go with the two new sheriffs to the exchequer-chamber in westminster , where they are presented and sworn , and the old sheriffs are sworn also to their account . on simon and judes day , the aldermen and sheriffs attend the old lord maior at his house , whence they come in their formalities to the hustings , where being sate , the common cryer commands silence : then the town-clark exhibites an oath to the lord maior elect , which being done , the former lord maior giveth place to the new ; which being done , the chamberlain delivers him the scepter , next the keyes of the common seal ; and lastly , the seal of the majoralty ; then the sword-bearer delivers him the sword. on the morrow after , all the aldermen and sheriffs solemnly meet at the new lord maiors house , by . in the morning , whence they go to the guild-hall , and thence to the vine-tree , where they take barge , and are rowed in state to westminster-hall , the rest of the chief companies attending in their several barges , with their arms , colours , and streamers , in a very gay manner ; being come to the hall , they go round about , and salute all the tribunals of justice : then they ascend to the exchequer chamber to the barons , where after the recorder hath made a speech , the oath is administer'd . then they come down to the hall , and go first to the kings bench , then to the common pleas , and so to westminster abbey , where having walk'd about the kings tombs , they return to their barges , and so to london again ; where , being landed , they go to the guild-hall , where a most plentifull dinner is prepared , which lasts many hours , being called , the lord mayors feast ; the lords of the privy councel , the judges , with other lords and ladies of the best quality , are thither invited ; after dinner , the lord mayor with all the companies attending , ride solemnly to saint pauls , to do their devotions ; and so the ceremony of that great day is concluded . touching the election of the sheriffs , the lord mayor and the aldermen meet at in the morning at guild-hall in their violet-colour'd gowns , and their cloaks of scarlet lin'd but without horses ; where from the counsel-chamber , they go to the orphans court , & so to the hustings , where the recorder having made a speech touching the present meeting , the mayor & aldermen go to the mayors court , the dores shut upon them , then the commons fall to the election of sheriffs , as also a chamberlain , two bridg-masters , the auditors of the city and bridg-house accounts , and the surveyors for beer and ale : which being done , the sheriffs with the other officers , the common cryer going before them with his mace , go up to the lord mayor and the aldermen , to cary up the report of what is done at the hustings , whither the lord mayor , and the aldermen descend again , and confirm the elections ; then the recorder making them a speech of thanks , the meeting ends . now touching the hustings , which we have mentioned so often , it is the ancient'st and highest court of the city of london ; touching the etymology of it , it is a pure saxon word , and is derived of house and dhing or thing , which among the saxons signified a cause or plea ; in so much that hustings is no other then the house of causes , or pleading ; and thingere was the ancient word for a lawyer or pleader ; this court preserves the laws , rights , franchises , customs and dignities of the city ; there be handled also there the intricat'st accounts , and pleas of the crowns , and of the whole kingdom ; which court hath for many ages , conserv'd inviolably its own prerogatives and customs . this court was anciently held every munday , but it was chang'd of late years into tuesday , because of the sheriffs intending the market , which being kept upon munday would hinder their sitting in the hustings . edward the confeffors lawes refer much to this hustings court ; moreover , the cities o york , winchester , lincoln , the isle of shepey , and other places , have had their hustings . there is also another court peculiar to london , which discovers as much of charity , as of policy : it is call'd the court of requests , or the court of conscience . it was first erected by an act of common-councel anno . henry . viz. that the lord mayor and aldermen for the time being should monthly assign two aldermen , and four discreet commoners , to sit twice a week to hear , and determine all matters brought before them ( betwixt free-men ) where the due debt , or dammage did not exceed s . afterwards the said number of commissioners was encreased to the number of twelve , which continued till the end of q. elizabeths reign ; but , primo jacobi , it was confirm'd by act of parliament , that the said commissioners should have power to exhibit an oath , and to commit to prison such as did not obey their summons , or perform the orders they made , betwixt plaintiff and defendant , debitor or creditor , touching any debt , not amounting to forty shillings ; but such hath been the unconscionablenesse and malice of some men of late times , that they have endeavour'd to overthrow the the said court , by cavilling at some doubtful words therein , & wresting them to a perverse sense , the rich might have power thereby to oppresse the poorer ●orr , by bringing them to westminster hall to a further expence of time and trouble , there is then the court of the lord mayor , and the aldermen , which is a court of record ; the recorder and the two sheriffs ( being aldermen not else ) are members of this court , whose office it is , to redresse and correct the errors , defaults and misprisions which happen in the government of the city ; this court is kept tuesdays and thursdays throughout the year . then are the two courts of the sheriffs , one for every counter , whereof there are two lawyers as judges , well read in the customs of the city , as well as the common laws ; but if an erroneous judgment be given before the sheriffs , the party griev'd may sue a writ of error , and remove it to the hustings . then is the court of orphans ; for the mayor and aldermen , by custome , have the custody of the orphans within the city , and if they commit the custody of the orphans to another man , he shall have a ravishment of ward if the orphan be taken away ; it being enacted that the mayor and chamberlain of london for the time being , shall have the keeping of all the lands and goods of such orphans , as happen within the city ; saving to the king , and other lords , their rights of such as hold of them out of the same liberty ; now the chamberlain is a sole corporation to himself , and his successors for orphans ; and a recognizance made to him and his successors touching orphans , shall by custome go to his successor ; moreover , the government of orphans , is so invested in the mayor , that if any orphans sue in the ecclesiastical court , or else-where for a legacy , or duty due to them , by the custome , a prohibition doth lye . then is there the court of common councel , which hath some resemblance of the high court of parliament : for it consists of two houses , viz. the one of the mayor and aldermen , and the other of the commoners of the city ; here they make constitutions and laws for advancement of trade , and regulation of other things which bind the whole city . there is then the court of the chamberlain for apprentices ; now , one may be free of london three manner of wayes , first , by service ; secondly , by birth-right , being sonne of a freeman ; and thirdly , by redemption by order of the court of aldermen . the chamberlain of london , is an officer very considerable in point of power : for without him no man can set up shop , or occupy his trade without being sworn before him ; no man can set-over an apprentice to another , but by his licence ; he may imprison any that disobeys his summons , or any apprentice that misdemeans himself , or punish him otherwise . there are the courts of the coroner , and the escheator , which both belong to the lord mayor ; he being coroner , and escheator by vertue of his authority , and office. then is there a court for the conservation of the water & river of thames , which belongs to the lord mayor , from stanes-bridge unto the water of yendal and medway , as is amply spoken of before . then is there the court of the tower of london ; and this court is held within the verge of the city before the steward by prescription of debt , trespasse , and other actions ; now , part of the tower is within the city , and part in middlesex , viz. the east part , but the west in london , whereof there was a notable example in the person of sir thomas overbury , who being poyson'd in a chamber on the west part , the principal murtherers were tryed before commissioners of oyer and terminer in london , and so was sir gervase elwayes the livetenant of the tower at that time . there is also a peculiar court , call'd the court of policies , and of assurances in london , to marchants that venture and traffique on the seas , where ships and goods are insur'd at so much in the hundred , where there is an officer of good quality who registers these assurances . then is the court of halmote , or hall court , for every company of london having a particular hall. they use to meet there to deliberate of matters belonging to the company . then is the court of the wardmote , or of the wardmote inquest . for the whole city being divided to wards , every ward hath such an inquest consisting of twelve or more , who inquire after abuses and disorders , and present them to be redressed . there is also a kind of court call'd the colledge of the president , censors , and commonalty of physicians , who have peculiar lawes of their own : and among other , one is remarkable , that if one who is not of the mystery of a physician or chirurgion , take upon him the cure of a sick body , and he dieth of the potion or medicament , this is , as britton the great lawyer saith , covert felony . then is there the court of sessions , or monthly goal-delivery at the old-bayly , both for the city and middlesex for tryal of felons , whereof the lord mayor is the chief judge , and hath power of reprieving . touching the ecclesiastical government of the city of london . having thus in a cursory way run over , and taken in grosse as it were , a view of the civil government of the city of london ; we will now make some inspections into her spiritual way of government , which was alwaies episcopal from the beginning ; for there be records that may well induce us to believe , that in the time of the britains there were bishops of london , whereof they say thean was the first ; and in the reign of constantine , we read that restitutus , bishop of london , had his session in a councel he summoned at arles ; after that , the saxons making twice an irruption into this island , and at last possessing the better part of it , and being not reduced a good while after , to christianity , there was a long interruption , and no bishop of london till austin the monk came over , who was call'd the apostle of the saxons or english , for he absolutely converted them ; he consecrated melitus bishop of london , from whom to doctor juxon yet living , there are upon good record the names of bishops of london , who succeeded one another . in so much that the city of london was not without a bishop any time these thousand years till now : the prior of the holy trinity at aldgate was a great man also in the government of the city , for he used to ride with the mayor & the aldermen in robes ; but the chief administration of all ecclesiastical affairs was in the bishop . now the city of london hath oftentimes far'd the better for her bishops , who have done her many signal good services , upon some discomposures ; & stood as a skreen 'twixt the fury of the prince and her. when the norman came over , and was much incens'd against the city , william her bishop then , took off the edg of his fury , and introducing her to the conquerors favour , got her that famous charter which is worthy to be here inserted . william king greit william bishop , and godfregis posteren , and eall the bourough , waren bynden london , franchiste , and engliste , and ickhyd eth that ick yill that grete be ealbra yearalaga yec die yegret , &c. which in intelligible english runs thus . william king , greets william bishop , and godefroy portreve , and all the burgesses within london , french or english , and i grant you , that i will that ye be all your law worth that ye were in edward is his dayes the king ; and i will , that ich child be his faders eyer , and i wyl suffer that ony man you ony wrongys beed , and god you keep . the said bishop william , procured this charter , from the insulting conquerour , as appears by his epitaph ; and this saxon charter , was not only confirmea , but inlarged by henry the first in latine ; now as fat soils are subject to produce rank weeds , so rich populous cities are alwayes subject to bring forth turbulent spirits , whereof there is a world of examples in all stories ; nor doth london want good store of them , who used to bandy against their soveraign prince , and we well know , how often she forfeited her charter that way . it stands upon record , how henry the third , edward the second . richard the d , with other kings , had her their sore enemies ; it is well known , how often she smarted for it , how often her posts & chains were taken away , how her maior & sheriffs were clap'd in prison , and a custos appointed over her in the interim ; how rich. the first trounced her for murthering the jews , how she suffered for the barbarous fray 'twixt the goldsmiths and taylors servants ; for the blood , shed 'twixt her and the men of westminster on st. james's day ; for the brawl about the bakers loaf in salsbury court ; for the outrages done to st. martins sanctuary men ; for the ill may day ; and a little of late years for the murther of doctor lamb. but now that we are giving a touch of her church government , it is observable in history , how her bishops proved her best friends at a pinch , to pull her out of such plunges , and rectifie her again in the opinion of her soveraign . nay , it stands upon good record , that she was no city , till she had a bishop ; for we well know , that a city must have of necessity , a cathedral church , with the seat and see of a bishop . of the several companies , and corporations of the city of london . with their originals , and arms. having made a short transcursion through the government of the city of london , in general ; we will now visit their severall companies , corporations , and societies , whereof the main part of the city may be said to be composed : who for their industry and arts , their inventions , and sundry wayes of manufactures , may be compared to so many hives of bees , the emblems of sedulity and diligence , and first , of the twelve chief companies , out of which the lord mayor is to be annually chosen . . the mercers have bin alwayes allowed the first place , who were incorporated into a society , & enabled to purchase lands , th richardi secundi , anno . for their arms they bear gules , a mayden-head proper crown'd , or wascot purple , issuing out of clowds proper , within a bordure nebulee , or , . the grocers , who at first were called pepperers , were incorporated , anno . in the twentieth year of edward the third . the arms a cheuron between nine cloves , sable with this motto , god grant grace ; supporters helm and crest granted by clarenceux , king of arms in the raign of hen. . . the drapers were incorporated in the year of henry the th , anno . the arms first granted by garter , crest , and helm by clarenceux ; the coat gules three triple crowns , or capt gules issuing out of clowds , resting upon sun-beams , their motto , unto god only , be honour and glory . . the fishmongers were at first two companies , to wit , stock-fishmongers , and salt-fishmongers ; but . of hen. . they were imbodied into one company ; their arms azure , three dolphins in pale proper crown'd , or betwixt lives , salterwayes argent , all crown'd , or on a chief gules , crosse-keyes , saiterwayes , argent , the motto , all worship be to god only . . the goldsmiths were incorporated in the . year of richard the second , their arms quarterly gules and azure , two leopards heads , or fower golden cups , covered 'twixt two buckles , or , the motto , to god only be all glory . . the skinners are more ancient , having bin incorporated in the first year of edward the third , but made a perfect fraternity in the . of rich. the d , their arms , ermyn on a chief gules . ducal crowns , or , lind of the first , their motto the same with the goldsmiths , to god only be all glory . . the merchantaylors were compleatly incorporated by hen. th , anno . their arms , argent a tent . robes gules , on a chief azure , a lion passant regardant or , with this motto , concordiâ parvaeres crescunt . . the haberdashers ( called of old hurrers ) were incorporated a society of st. katherine hen. . anno . and they were confirmed . hen. . and named marchant-haberdashers : their coat nebulee argent , and azure , on a bend gules , a lyon passant , regardant , or , the crest and supporters , granted anno . with this motto , serve and obey . . the salters had the arms of a society given them the . of hen. . anno , the crest , and supporters by queen elizabeth . the coat party per cheuron azure & gules , . salts covered overflowing argent with this motto , salsapit omnia . . the ironmongers were incorporated in the , year of edw. . anno . their coat argent , on a cheuron gules , lockets capted , or between steel gads a zure . . the vintners are more ancient , being incorporated by edw. . by the name of winetonners , and confirmed by hen. . their coat sable a cheuron , between three tuns argent . . the cloathworkers grew to be a company , of hen. . at which time , they had arms first granted them , which are , sable a cheuron ermyn● in chief , two crabets argent in base a beazel , or , with supporters and crest ; and this motto , my trust is in god alone . next to the twelve chief companies , the marchants by whole sale , may well claim room in point of dignity . . among marchants , those of the staple , may challenge the precedence , who were incorporated by edw. . in whose raign they had their staple of wooll at callis : they have a fair coat of arms , with this motto , god be our friend . . the marchant-adventurers were incorporated in the raign of edw. . but their priviledges were much enlarged by queen elizabeth , they have also a fair coat , with the same motto as they of the staple , god be our friend . . the marchants of russia , were incorporated by edw. . and confirmed by queen elizabeth , they have also a fair coat with this motto , god be our good guide . . the marchants of elbing became incorporated by queen elizabeth . . the society of levant marchants , commonly called the turky marchants , being first incorporated by queen elizabeth , had their charter enlarged by king james . . the company of spanish merchants were incorporated by queen elizabeth . . the company of east india marchants , were also first incorporated by queen elizabeth , . . a new company of french merchant-adventurers , had a coat and crest of arms granted them by garter , and clarencieux , kings of arms in the th of king james , with this motto , reddite cuique suum . . the merchants of virginia , the bermudus , & summer ilands , began also in queen eliz. raign ; but since , they are mightily encreased , and pla●●ed in the charibbi ilands . having put this parenthesis between , viz. the noble company of marchant-adventurers , or trasfiquers , we will now return to the rest of the home-corporations , and first of the dyers . . the dyers were first incorporated by a special charter of hen. . their coat a cheuron , engrail'd between three wooll-sacks argents . . the brewers had a charter of incorporation of hen. . and confirmed eliz. their coat gules , on a cheuron engrail'd , argent three tuns sable , 'twixt garbes salterwayes , or . . the company of lethersellers is ancient , for they were first incorporated in the th year of rich. . and for their arms , they have . bucks trippant regardant gules . . the pewterers were a society in the raign of edw. th , their arms azure , on a cheuron , or . roses gules between . . the barber-chirurgions were first incorporated by edw. the th . but confirmed by every king and queen ever since , their arms a crosse quartered gules , a lyon passant gardant , or , in the first quarter , a cheuron between . in the second party , per pale argent & vert , a rose gules crown'd with an imperial crown , the first as the th , the second as the third . . the company of armorers , were incorporated at the beginning of hen. th , and the king himself made himself one of the society , their arms argent on a cheuron gules , a gantlet between three swords in saltire , on a chief sable , a buckler argent , charged with crosse gules , 'twixt two helmets of the first . . the company of white bakers are of great antiquity , as appears by many monuments in their hall , they were a company in the first year of edw. . their arms gules , . garbs , or , on a chief , an arm issuing out of the clowds proper holding a pair of scales , or , between . anchors of the first . . the company of wax-chandlers are also of an ancient standing , and of great doings in the time of the roman religion : their arms azure , on a cheuron between . lamps argent , as roses gules . the brother-hood of tallow-chandlers , is also of much antiquity ; yet they were first formally incorporated in . edw. th : their arms a pale counterchanged argent , and azure between . doves argent volant , with olive branches verd . . the company of cutlers , were incorporated at the beginning of the raign of hen. th , their arms swords salterwayes , proper . . the girdlers are not inferior for antiquity to either of these , yet came they not to be incorporated , till the twentieth year of hen. th , their arms azure , or & a pale between . grid-irons azure . . the butchers came not to be incorporated , till the d year of king james ; at which time , they were incorporated by the names of master , wardens , and comminalty of the art of mystery of butchers , yet the fraternity is ancient ; their arms azure , two axes salterwayes argent , between two roses argent , as many bulls heads cowped of the second attir'd , or a bores head gules 'twixt two garbs vert . . the society of sadlers must needs be of long antiquity , from the time of edw. the first ; their arms , a cheuron , between . saddles , or . . the company of carpenters were incorporated by letters patents of edw. th , by the name of master , warden , and comminalty of the mystery of freemen of the carpentry of the city of london ; their arms , azure , a cheuron engraild between . compasses argent . . the company of shoomakers , call'd cordwainners of old , were first incorporated . of hen. the th . and confirmed since by all kings ; their arms , azure a cheuron , or between . goats heads , drafed argent attir'd , or . . the company of painters having the addition of painters stainers , are of high antiquity ; yet were they not incorporated till . by queen eliz. their arms quarterly in the first azure , a cheuron between . heads , erected , or , in the second argent . escuchins azure , the third as the second , the fourth as the first . . the company of curriers , are also ancient , yet they were not reduc'd to a company , till the third of king james , their arms azure , a crosse engrail'd , or between . sawes , salterwayes argent . . the company of masons , otherwise call'd free masons , were us'd to be a loving brother-hood for many ages ; yet were they not regulated to a society , till hen. . their arms sable , on a cheuron between . castles argent , a pair of compasses of the first . . the company of plumbers were erected to a corporation th jacobi . . the company of inholders came to be reduc'd to a corporation . hen. . their arms azure a cheuron quarterly or and gules counterchang'd between . garbs , or . . the company of founders were incorporated on the th of septemb. in the th year of king james ; their coat , gules , a spoonpot betwixt two candlesticks , or . . the company of embroiderers came to be a corporation th eliz. their arms barry of . argent , and azure on a fesse or , a cup argent , between as many lyons passant regardant . . the company of poulters became a corporation in the th of hen. th ; their arms are three swans of the first , as many herons of the second . . the company of cooks became a corporation in the th year of edw. th ; their arms are a cheuron sable , between three burray branches proper . . the company of coopers was reduced to a corporation , the th of the raign of hen. th , by the name of master , wardens , or keepers of the comminalty of the freemen of the mystery of coopers , and the suburbs thereof . their arms party per pale gules , and or , a cheuron between three hoops in a chief azure . . the company of tylers and brick-layers , though very ancient , yet were they not made a corporation , till the th of queen eliz. their arms , azure a cheuron , or between a flower-de-lice , or in chief , 'twixt two gads of steel of the second . . the company of bowyers , though of much antiquity , and honor to the english nation ; yet their incorporation was but in the . of king james : their arms , sable on a chief , . mallets of the first , between . sawes of the first . . the company of fletchers are also a corporation , their arms sable a cheuron , or between . arrowes argent . . the company of smiths , or black-smiths , a very ancient fraternity ; were first incorporated by queen eliz. th of her raign , their arms , sable , a cheuron between three hammers crown'd , or . . the company of joyners , or seelers , were incorporated by queen eliz. th of her raign , their arms , gules a cheuron , 'twixt two compasses and a globe argent , on a chief pale gules , charg'd with an escalop , or , between two roses of the first . . the company of playsterers were incorporated into one fraternity in the raign of hen. th . their arms , azure an escucheon , or , a rose between two flower-de-luces gules , two hammers , and a brush argent . . the company of weavers , were of very ancient note indeed , as having three several societies of themselves , viz. the woollen weavers , the arras weavers , & the linnen weavers ; their arms azure , three leopards heads , with three shuttles in their mouthes , argent on a cheuron gules or between . . the company of the fruterers were incorporated d jacobi , their arms argent , the tree of paradice between adam and eve proper . . the company of soriveners became a corporation , th jacobi ; their arms , an eagle volant , holding in his mouth a penner , and an inkhorn . . as for bottle-makers and horners , though they may plead antiquity , yet are they no incorporation . . the company of stationers of great antiquity before printing was invented : their old dwelling was in paternoster row , and the adjoyning parts ; yet were they not incorporated till the third of philip and mary ; their arms , argent on a cheuron between . bibles , or a faulcon volant between two roses , the holy ghost in chief . . the company call'd the marblers , or sculpters , are in one fraternity with the masons , yet have they a differing coat , viz. a cheuron between two and a mallet argent . . there was a company of wooll-packers , in the time of the haunce , when the staple of wooll flourish'd , their coat , azure a wool-sack argent . . the company of farriers had their rise from henry de ferraris , a norman born , who was master of the horse to the conqueror , and had given him the hononr of tutbury , which was the first preferment of the ferrars , their arms three horshooes azure . . the company of paviours are ancient , their coat argent , a cheuron between three rummers sable . . the company of lorinors , or loriners , have for their arms , gules on a cheuron argent , three horscombs 'twixt three roses argent . . the company of brown-bakers were incorporated th jacobi , their arms , gules , a hand issuing out of the clouds , a chief barry wavie , or , and azure on a cheuron gules . . the company of wood-mongers came to be incorporated d jacobi , their coat , argent a cheuron 'twixt . faggors sable . . the company of the upholsters , or upholders , give for their arms , sable three tents gules , on a cheuron , or . tents of the second . . the company of turners came to be incorporated d jacobi , their coat azure , a katherine wheel argent . . the company of glasiers give for their arms two crosiers salterwayes sable , springs on a chief gules , a lyon passant , gardant or . . the company of the clarks , commonly call'd parish-clarks , is ancient , having bin incorporated th hen. d , their arms azure , a flower-de-lice , or , on a chief gules , a leopards head , 'twixt two books , or . . the company of watermen have for their arms barry waive of six azure and argent , a lighter proper on a chief gules , a pair of oares salterwayes , 'twixt two cushions , or . . the company of silk-throwers were made a fellowship of this city , th jacobi , they were incorporated by the name of the master , wardens , assistants , and comminalty of the trade , art , or mystery of silkthrowers , of the city of london . . the company of the apothecaries having separated themselves from the ancient society of the grocers , grew so much in favour with king james , that he us'd to call them his company ; and therefore gave them a charter of incorporation ; the th of his raign . thus have we visited all the publick societies , and corporations of this rich and renowned city , who may be called her best sorts of children , for increasing of her wealth , and advancement of trade . now every of these companies hath a handsome and well-furnish'd stately hall , with a clark , and other ministerial officers thereunto belonging , to attend them , when they meet there to consult , and inorder what may conduce to the better regulation of the society , and promoting of the publique good ; they also use to meet there frequently to rejoyce , and make plentiful feasts , for the increase of love and good neighbourhood among themselves ; and though there be some , who hold such corporations , and little body politiques , of this kind , to be prejudicial to monarchy ; yet they may be said to be one of the glories of london , and wherein she surpasseth all other cities . the perambulation of london , or , a progress made through the six and twenty particular wards , precincts , or aldermanries , whereinto the whole city is divided . great cities have commonly their divisions : and i could heartily wish , that the noble city of london , had not so many in one sense , i mean so many rents , factions , and feuds in the practice of holy duties , proceeding from such extravagant , heterodoxal , and fanatical opinions , or rather chymeras of unsetled brains ; but these are not the divisions that are here meant . those which i intend in this place , are only topical distributions , or districts , shewing the several position of parts , and differences of their locality , whereby the reader may have a kind of anatomy presented unto him , of all the members of this great populous city thus dissected . this general division consists of six and twenty parts , or precincts , which in the english dialect , are called wards , and are these that follow . the names of all the wards of the city of london . ward . . tower-street . ward . . port-soken . ward . . algate . ward . . limestreet . ward . . bishops-gate . ward . . broad-street . ward . . cornhill . ward . . langhorn . ward . . billingsgate . ward . . bridge-ward within . ward . . candlewick . ward . . wallbrook . ward . . dowgate . ward . . vixtry . ward . . cordwainer . ward . . cheape . ward . . colemanstreet . ward . . basings hall. ward . . cripplegate . ward . . aldersgate . ward . . faringdon intra . ward . . faringdon extra . ward . . breadstreet . ward . . queen hith . ward . . castle bainard . ward . . bridgewater without viz. the borough of southwark . whereof the greatest is the last , and bassings-hall the least . of the first ward or , aldermanry , called tower-street ward . out of an honour which is due to the tower of london , it being the prime fortresse and propugnacle of the city , both by water and land , the chief armory and archive of the whole island , &c. we will begin with tower-street ward , it being the first ward east-ward within the wall , extending it self along the river from the tower almost to billinsgate ; one half of the tower , the ditch on the west side , and bulwarks adjoyning , do stand within that part where the wall of the city of old time went streight from the postern gate south to the river of thames , before that the tower was perfectly built . then was tower hill sometimes a clear large plot of ground . but now pester'd with encroachments of houses , built upon the banks of the ditch , much to the prejudice , and choaking up of the said ditch . this hill hath alwaies a scaffold , and gallowes erected for execution of traytors and others , which the city opposed at first . many clashings have been also 'twixt the lord mayor and the lieutenant of the tower about the extent of their liberties , and some priviledges touching prisoners the lievtenant claim'd , which were reconciled ; in queen elizabeths time at nonsuch . on the northside of tower-hill , there is lumly house ; then is tower-street , stretching from tower-hill to saint margaret pattens . at the end of this is the parish church called alhallows barking ; on the north side whereof was sometimes a fair chappel , built by richard the first ; and some say that his heart ( which is call'd coeur de lion ) was buried there under the high altar ; it became afterward a little colledge of priests , and stood till edward the sixth . henry howard earl of surrey , being beheaded , was buried in barking church ; john fisher bishop of rochester , having layen naked upon the scaffold a long time , was at last carried thither , and buried in the churchyard ; there were divers other men of note buried there : and lately doctor laud archbishop of canterbury , who was beheaded by the long parliament . by the west side of barking , church lyeth sydon lane , commonly call'd sithing lane , wherein among other large buildings , there is walsingham house . then is there the parish church of saint olave , hard by hart-street , where there are some monuments of the noble family of the radcliffs earls of sussex . then is there mart-lane , part whereof lies in algate ward , where there are many fair houses , & rich marchants . then is there mincheon lane , so call'd , because of tenements there , sometimes pertaining to the minchuns , or nuns of st. helens in bishopsgate-street ; there dwelt in this lane divers strangers in times pass'd , and they were commonly call'd gallimen , because they brought up wines , and other commodities in gallies , which they landed in the thames street , in a place call'd galley key ; they brought also a coin with them call'd gally half pence , which was a ligurian coin ; but in the reign of henry the fourth , and henry the fifth , it was inordred , that whosoever should import that coin with suskins or dodkins , should be punished as a felon ; the clothworkers hall is in this lane. then have you the parish church of st. mary pattens , and bear lane hard by , reaching to thames street ; the next is spurrier lane , call'd so in times pass'd , but now named water lane ; then is there hart lane , call'd at first harp-lane , which likewise reaches to thames street . in this lane is the bakers hall. in tower street 'twixt hart-lane and church-lane , was in times pass'd a quadrant call'd galley-row , because galley men dwelt there : whence may be inferr'd , that galleys was a kind of shipping , not unknown to england in times pass'd . then have you two lanes out of tower street , both call'd church lanes , then hard by , is there another call'd fowl-lane . afterwards you come to the parish church of s. dunstans in the east : it is a fair large church of an ancient building , with a spacious church-yard ; the chiefest salters & ironmongers were us'd to be thick there . there are many monuments of knights , and other persons of ranke in this church ; among others , that of sir john hawkins the great seaman . there are many keys in this parish , among others vvooll key , where was used to be the trouage of woolls ; then custome-house key , which part of the town was used to be call'd in times passd petty vvales . and some are of opinion , that the princes of wales , when they repair'd to the city , had a pallace there , the ruines whereof remain to this day of firm stone . there was in former times an hospital in the parish of barking , for the sustentation of poor priests , with other both men and women that were lunatick . and so much in brief for what concerns tower-street ward . of the second ward of london called portsoken ward . vve will now make a salley out of algate , and visit port-soken vvard ; this portsoken signifieth franchise , where there was sometimes a very ancient guild or particular society , which had its beginning in the reign of king edgar ; there were then knights , who desir'd to have a portion of land on the east part of the city , which for some signal services done in the wars , was granted them with the liberty of a guild ; the king condescended hereunto , provided that each of them should victoriously perform three combats , one above ground , and another under ground , and the third in the water . they were to run in east smithfield with spears against all comers , which was us'd to be gloriously performed ; so that the king namd that place knighten guild , and so prescribed its bounds , which extended from algate to the place where now the barrs are eastward , on both sides of the street , and northward as far as bishopsgate ; and southward as far as the ihames , and so far into the river that a hor●eman might ride at low water , and throw his spear ; these knights continued their charter in the daies of edgar , ethelred , and canutus , which edward the coxfessor did not only ratifie but enlarge , which deed remain'd a long time fairly written in the saxon letter & tongue , in the book of the late house of the holy trinity ; after that vvilliam rufus confirm'd the said charter unto the heirs of those knights , as followeth ; william king of england , to maurice bishop , and godefroy de magun , and richard de parre , and to his faithful people of london , greeting . know ye me to have granted to the men of knighten guild , that belong'd to them , and the land that belong'd thereunto , with all customes as they were used to have the same in the time of my predecessors , &c. henry the first after him confirm'd the same ; but afterwards the church of the holy trinity , being founded by queen mutilda within aldgate , such was the piety of those times , that this knighten guild , which was of such large extent that it reach'd unto the thames , was voluntarily given to the canons of that church ; and for better ratification of the grant they offer'd upon the altar , saint edwards charter with the rest which they had , and put the prior of the holy trinity , in possession and saisin thereof ; by the church of saint butolph , which was built thereon , being the head of the land ; all which , king henry confirm'd by that famous charter which runs thus . henry king of england to r. bishop of london , to the sheriffs , and provost , and all his barons , and faithful people , french and english of london and middlesex , greeting ; know ye me to have granted and confirm'd to the church & canons of the holy church of the trinity of london the soke of the english knighten guild , and the land which pertaineth thereunto ; and to the church of saint buttolph , as the men of the same guild have given , and granted unto them ; and i will & streightly command , that they hold the same well , and honourably and freely with sack and soke , toll and thea , infangthefe , and all customs belonging to it as the men of the same guild in the best sort had it in the time of king edward ; and as king william my father and brother did grant it to them by their writs , witnesse a. the queen , &c. the prior and canons of the holy trinity beind thus seiz'd of the said land , and soke of knighten guild , being not only a part of the suburbe without the wall , but also within the city the prior was for him and his successors admitted as one of the aldermen of london ; and according to the customs of the city , he did sit in court , and rode with the mayor and his brethren the aldermen , as one of them , in scarlet , or other livery as they then us'd : until the year , at which time , the said priory was surrendred to henry the eighth by act of parliament , who gave it to sir thomas audley lord chancelour of england , and he pull'd down the church , and dissolv'd the priory ; since which dissolution , the said ward of portsoken hath been govern'd by temporal men , one of the aldermen of london . thus much for the out-bound portsoken ward , or knighten guild , touching the antiquity and government thereof . now touching the parts thereof , it is to be observed , that the east part of the tower stands therein , then an hospital of saint katherine founded by the foresaid queen matilda , wife to king stephen , by licence of the prior , and convent of the holy trinity in london , on whose ground she built it ; queen elianor wife to edward the first , was a second foundresse there , and appointed one master , three brethren chaplains , and three sisters , ten poor women , with six poor clerks ; for the maintenance of whom , she gave the mannor of clarton in vviltshiere , and upchurch in kent , &c. queen philippa wife to edward the third , founded a chantry there , and contributed to that hospital ten pounds land a year ; the quiere there , was not much inferior to that of pauls , which by one doctor wilson being master there , was afterwards dissolv'd . on the east and by north of the tower lieth east smithfield and tower hill , two plots of ground so call'd without the walls of the city , where sometimes stood a monastery call'd new abbey , founded by edward the d. upon the occasion following ; that having escaped a great danger in a tempest at sea he made a vow to build a monastery , in sign of gratitude to heaven , to the honor of god and our lady of grace , which he perform'd accordingly . but the said monastery , being afterwards pull'd down by sir arthur darcy of late time , in place thereof is built a large store-house for victual , with convenient ovens , for baking of bisket to serve the navy royal ; the rest of the ground is become into smal tenements . the company of marchant-taylors , have built thereabouts , hard by hog-street , divers fair alms-houses for poor women , and endow'd it with maintenance accordingly . westward hence from tower hill towards algate , there was a monastery of nunns of the order of santa clara , call'd the minories , founded by edmund earl of lancaster , brother to edward the first , anno , which was demolished in henry the eighths time , dame elizabeth savage being then abbesse : in the room of this nunnery , there are now store-houses for armour , and habillaments for war , with divers work-houses to that purpose ; and hard by , there is is a small church , called saint trinity for the inhabitants thereabouts . we come now to the church of saint buttolph , which the priors of the holy trinity did build , being patrons thereof ; in this church among others there lies buried , thomas lord darcy of the north , knight of the garter , who was beheaded anno . and also sir nicholas carew , of beddington in surrey , beheaded also anno . east from this parish church is hog-lane , that stretcheth towards st. mary spittle , which within these sixty years , had fair rows of elm-trees all along , which are turn'd now to houses on both sides , from hounds-ditch to vvhite-chappel . of the third ward , or aldermanry , called aldgate ward . we will still look eastward yet a good while , and go to the third ward within the walls , which is called ealdgate ward , or aldgate , as taking name of the same gate ; the principal street of this ward beginneth at ealdgate stretching west to sometime a fair well , where now a pump is placed ; from thence ( the way being divided into twain ) the first and principal street , ( called aldgute ) runneth on the south side to lime-street corner , and half that street down on the left hand is also of that ward . in the mid way on that south side , betwixt ealdgate and lime-street , is hart-horn alley a way that goeth thorow into fen-church street , over against northumberland house ; then have ye brioklayers hall , and another alley called sprinkle alley , now named suger-loaf-alley , of the like sign . then is there a fair house with divers tenements near adjoyning sometimes belonging to a late dissolved priory , but since possessed by mr. cornwallies widdow , and her heirs by the gift of king henry the eighth , in reward of fine puddings ( as it was commonly said ) by her made , wherewith she had presented him ; such was the princely liberality of those times . of later time , sir nicholas thragmorton knight , was log'd there . then somewhat more west is bahettars lane , so called of the first builder and owner thereof : now corruptly called billiter lane ; betwixt this belzettens lane and lime-street , was ( of later time ) a frame of three fair houses , set up in the year , in place where before was a large garden-plot , enclosed from the high-street with a brick wall , which wall being taken down , and the ground digged deep for cellerage , there was found right under the said brick wall , another wall of stone with a gate arch'd of stone , and gates of timber , closed in the middest towards the street ; the timber of the gates was consumed , but the hinges of iron still remained on , and their staples on both the sides . moreover in that wall were square windowes , with bars of iron on either side the gate ; this wall was under ground above two fathoms deep , as it was esteemed , and seemed to be the ruines of some house burned in the reign of king steven , when the fire began in the house of one aleward , neer londons stone , and consumed east to ealdgate , whereby it appeareth , how greatly the ground of this city hath been in that place raised . on the north side , this principal street stretcheth to the west corner of saint andrews church , and then the ward turneth towards the north , by s. mary street ; on the east side , to st. augustines church in the wall , and so by burryes markes again , or about by the wall to ealdgate . the second way from ealdgate , more towards the south from the pump aforesaid , is called fen-church-street , and is of ealdgate ward , till ye come to cullver alley , on the west side of ironmongers hall ; where sometimes was a lane , which went out of fen-church-street , to the middest of lime-street , but this lane was stopped up , for suspicion of thieves that lurked there by night . again , to aldgate , ( out of the principal street , even by the gate and wall of the city , ) runneth a lane south to crossed or crouched-fryers , and then woodroof lane , to the tower hill ; and out of this lane west , a street called hart-street , which of that ward stretcheth to sydon-lane , by st. olaves church ; one other lane more west from algate , goeth by northumberland . house towards the crossed fryars ; then have you on the same side , the north end of mars-lane , and blanch-axelton or chappleton , where that ward endeth . thus much for bounds . now for monuments , or places most ancient and notable ; i am first to begin with the late dissolved priory of the holy trinity , call'd christs-church on the right hand within aldgate ; this priory was founded by matilda , queen and wife to henry the first , in the same place where siredus somtime began to erect a church in honour of that crosse , and of saint mary magdalen , of which the dean and chapter of waltham , were wont to receive thirty shillings , the queen was to acquit her church thereof ; and in exchange gave unto them a mill ; king henry her husband confirmed her gift ; this church was given to norman , the first canon regular in all england . the said queen gave also unto the same church , and those that served god therein , the plot of aldgate , and the soke or tenements thereunto belonging , with all customs , so free as she had held the same , and l. blanks , which she had of the city of exeter , as appeareth by her deed , wherein she nameth the house of christs-church , and reporteth aldgate to be of her demains , which she granteth , with two parts of the rent of the city of excester . norman took on him to be prior of christs-church in the year of christ , in the parishes of st. mary magdalen , st. michael st. katherine , and the blessed trinity , and was ( in old time ) of the holy crosse , or holy road parish . the priory was builded on a piece of ground in the parish of st. katherine , towards aldgate , which lyeth in length , betwixt the kings-street , by the which men go towards algate near to the chappel of st. michael towards the north , and containeth in length eighty three ells , half quarter , and half quartern of the kings iron eln , and lieth in breadth , &c. the soke and ward of aldgate was then bounded , as i have before shewn . the queen was a mean also , that the land and english knighten-guild was given unto the prior norman , and the honorable man geffrey de clinton , was a great helper therein , and obtained , that the canons might enclose the way betwixt their church and the wall of the city , &c. this priory in processe of time , became a very fair and large church , rich in lands and ornaments , and passed all the priories in the city of london , or shire of middlesex . the prior whereof was an alderman of london , to wit , of portsoken ward . it is recorded , that eustacius the eighth prior , about the year , because he would not deal with temporal matters , instituted theobald fitz ivonas alderman of the said portsoken ward under him ; and that vvilliam rising prior of christs church , was sworne alderman of the said portsoken ward , in the first of richard the second . these priors have fitten and ridden amongst the aldermen of london , in livery like unto them , saving that his habit was in shape of a spirituall person , at which time the prior kept a most bountiful house of meat and drink , both for rich and poor , as well within the house as at the gates , to all comers according to their estates and qualities . but to take leave of this priory : king henry the eighth minding to reward sir thomas audley speaker of the parliament against cardinal woolsey , as ye may read in the chronicle , sent for the prior , commending him for his hospitality , promised him preferment as a man worthy of a far greater dignity , ( which promise surely he performed ) and compounded with him , though in what sort i never heard ; so that the priory , with the appurtenances , was surrendred to the king , in the month of july , the of the said kings reign , the canons were sent to other houses of the same order : and the priory with the appurtenances , king henry gave to sir tho. audley newly knighted , and afterwards made lord chancelour . sir thomas audley offered the great church of this priory , with a ring of nine bells well tuned ( whereof four of the greatest were since sold to the parish of stebunbith , and the five lesser to the parish of st. katherine christs-church , in exchange for their small parish church , minding to have pulled it down , and to have builded there towards the steeet ; but the parishioners , having doubts in their heads of after-claps , refused the offer . then was the priory church and steeple , proffered to whomsoever would take it down , and carry it from the ground , but no man would undertake the offer ; whereupon , sir thomas audley was fain to be at more charges than could be made of the stones , timber , lead , iron , &c. for the workmen , with great labour , beginning at the top , loosed stone from stone , and threw them down , whereby the most part of them were broken , and few remained whole , & those were sold very cheap ; for all the buildings then made about the city , were of brick & timber ; at that time any man in the city might have a cart-load of stone for paving brought to his door for d . or d . with the carriage . the said thomas , lord audley , builded and dwelt on this priory during his life , and dyed there in the year , since which time , the said priory came ( by marriage of the lord audley's daughter and heir ) unto thomas duke of norfolk , and was then called the dukes-place . at this time the inhabitants dwelling & abiding in the said dukes-place became utterly destitute of any parish church , for resorting to gods divine service , and the administration of the blessed sacraments ; which in the time of their former zeal , the demolished priory , not only serv'd their use , but infinite numbers besides , resorted thither . in which respect , the parish church of st. katherine being so near , and standing in the coemitery or church-yard of the late dissolved priory of the holy trinity , whereby it was called saint katherine christs-church , they resorted thither at the hours of divine service , and for the benefit of the blessed sacraments , whereby they became a burthen to the said parish , yet well enough borne withal , in regard of the benefit ensuing by them , so that they carried the respect of equal parishioners , exercising and accomplishing all duties there , even as if it had been their own proper parish . the long continuance of them in this kind , although some much misliked , and gladly would have compassed means for remedy thereof ; yet their power not stretching so far , nor the way ( as yet ) fitting for their purpose , they remained contented against their wills , till time would fit them with more convenient opportunity ; ground they wanted not , for raising a sufficient parish church to themselves , neither did any good will fail in them for the effecting their purpose ; but only were curbed by the lack of strength , how and which way to bring it about . at length perceiving their ground ( intended for so good a use to themselves ) aimed at for buildings to private mens benefits , that so they might be frustrate of any such help , when occasion should in better manner shine on them , some of the best advised among them , by petition solicited the lord archbishop of canterbury , to make their desire and intention known to the king , which he did . and the king , finding the case so truly honest and religious , for new erecting a church where such necessity required , and where superstition had so long time formerly been harboured , not only gave the lord archbishop and the suitors , both thanks and commendation , but also under his hand and broad seal , authorizable warrant for their proceeding . the lord mayor and senate of aldermen , having intelligence in the case , and perceiving what an honour would redound thereby , first to god who inspired them thereto ; next to the king , for so royally granting the suite ; and then to the city , for furthering it to effect , notwithstanding that divers oppositions were made by them , who would have things still continue , as formerly they did , without benefit of a parish church of their own . it proceeded on with good & prosperous success , to the no mean honour , and commendation of the lord maior then being , sir ed. barkham by name , the court of aldermen , and state of this famous city by whose good meanes it is made a very beautiful and comely parish church , it being called in the time of re-edifying , trinity christs church , raised out of the long decayed ruines , of trinity priory in the dukes place . by this time , the work is grown to such fulness and perfection , as now nothing wanteth , but the windows glazing , which was performed in this manner , the main and great east light in the chancel , sir edward barkham himself undertook , and effected it at his own charge , as the expression testifieth in the same window . the other sideling by it ; but inclining more southerly . mr. george whitmore , and mr. nicholas rainton , performed . and the third , standing northerly in the same chancel , mr. walter leigh , who had bin a serjeant at arms , to the kings majesty , and then sword-bearer of london , did likewise at his own charge perform , the two western lights in the bottom of the church , being ( indeed ) very fair lights ; the company of drapers effected the one , and the wood-mongers society finished the other . beside , the two southerly windows , the one done at the charge of mr. cornelius fish , chamberlain of london ; and the other by mr. waldron , then marshal : so now ye have the church of st. james compleat . the parish church of st. katherine , standeth in the caemitery of the dissolved priory of the holy trinity , and is therefore called st. katherine christs church . the church seemeth to be very old , since the building whereof , the high street hath bin so often raised by pavements , that now men are fain to descend into the said church , by divers steps , seven in number ; but the steeple , or bell tower thereof , hath bin lately builded , to wit , about the year . for sir john perceival marchant-tailor , then deceasing , gave money towards the building thereof . now concerning this parish church of st. katherine christs church , commonly cree-church , as formerly hath bin said , it had a descent down into it by seven steps or stayers ; but being now newly built , and made a very fair church : the ascent into the church , is by four or five degrees . at the north-west corner of this ward , in the said high street , standeth the fair and beautiful parish church of st. andrew the apostle , with an addition , to be known from other churches of that name , of the knape , or undershaft and so called st. andrew undershaft : because that of old time , every year ( on may-day in the morning ) it was used , that an high or long shaft , or may-pole , was set up there , in the midst of the street , before the south door of the said church , which shaft or pole , when it was set on end , and fixed in the ground , was higher then the church steeple . jeffrey chawcer , writing of a vain boaster , hath these words , meaning of the said shaft . right well aloft , and high ye bear your head , the weather-cock , with flying , as ye would kill , when ye be stuffed , bet of wine , than bread , then look ye , when your wombe doth sill , as ye would bear the great shaft of corn-hill . lord so merrily , crowdeth then your croke , that all the street may bear your body cloke . this shaft was not raised any time since evil may-day ( so called of an insurrection made by prentices , and other young persons against ali●ns , in the year . ) but the said shaft was laid along over the doors , and under the pentiles of one rowe of houses , and alley-gate , called of the shaft , shaft-alley , ( being of the possessions of rochester-bridge ) in the ward of limestreet . it was there i say , hanged on iron hooks many years , till the third of king edward the sixth . that one sir steven , curate of st. katherine christs church , preaching at pauls crosse , said there , that this shaft was made an idoll , by naming the church of st. andrew , with the addition of under-shaft ; he perswaded therefore , that the names of churches might be altered : also , that the names of the dayes in the week , might be changed , the fish dayes to be kept any dayes , except friday and saturday ; and the lent any time , save only betwixt shrovetide and easter : this man forsaking the pulpit of his said parish church , would preach out of an high elm tree , in the midst of the church-yard . and then entring the church , forsaking the altar , to have sung his high masse in english , upon a tomb of the dead , towards the north ; but his sermon at pauls crosse , took such effect , that in the afternoon of that present sunday , the neighbors and tenants to the said bridge , over whose doors , the said shaft had lain , after they had dined ( to make themselves strong ) gathered more help , and with great labor , raising the shaft from the hooks ( whereon it had rested two and thirty years ) they sawed it in pieces , every man taking for his share , so much as had lain over his door and shall , the length of his house ; and they of the alley , divided amongst them , so much as had lain over their alley gate . thus was his idoll ( as he termed it ) mangled , and after burned . soon after , was there a commotion of the commons in norfolk , suffolk , essex , and other shires , by means whereof , streight orders being taken for the suppression of rumors , divers persons were apprehended , and executed by marshal law ; amongst the which , the bayliffe of rumford in essex , was one , a man very well beloved : he was early in the morning of mary magdalens day ( then kept holy-day ) brought by the sheriffs of london , and the knight-marshall , to the well within aldgate , there to be executed upon a gibbit , set up that morning , where being on the ladder , he had words to this effect ; good people , i am come hither to die , but know not for what offence , except for words by me spoken yester night to sir stephen , curate and preacher of this parish , which were these , he asked me what newes in the country , i answered , hea●y newes ; why quoth he ? it is said , quoth i , that many men be up in essex ; but thanks be to god , all is in good quiet about us ; and this was all , as god be my judge , &c. thus much , by the by. now again , to the parish church of st. andrew under shaft , for it still retaineth the name , which hath bin new builded by the parishioners , since the year . every man putting to his helping hand , some with their purses , others with their bodies . stephen jennings marchant-taylor , sometimes mayor of london , caused ( at his charges ) to be builded the whole north side of the great middle i le , both of the body and quire , as appeareth by his arms , over every pillar graven ; and also the north i le , which he roofed with timber , and seeled . also the whole south side of the church , was glazed , and the pewes in the south chappel made of his costs , as appeareth in every window , and upon the said pewes . he deceased in the year . and was buried in the grey fryers church . john kirby marchant-taylor , sometimes one of the sheriffs , john garland marchant-taylor , and nicholas levison mercer . executor to garland , were great benefactors to this work , which was finished ( to the gla●ing ) in the year . and fully finished . now in the second way from aldgate , more toward the south , from the well or pump aforesaid , lieth fenne-church street ; on the right hand whereof , somewhat west from the south end of belzetters lane , is ironmongers-hall , which company was incorporated in the third of edward the fourth , richard flemming was their first master , nicholas marshall , and richard cox , were custodes or wardens . and on the left hand , or south side , ( even by the gate and wall of the city ) runneth down a lane to the tower-hill : the south part whereof , is called woodroof-lane ; and out of this lane toward the west , a street called hart-street . in this street , at the south-east corner thereof , sometime stood one house of crowched or ( crossed ) fryers , founded by ralph hosier , and william sabernes , about the year . stephen the tenth prior of the holy trinity in london , granted three tenements for s. d. by the year , unto the said ralph hosiar , and william saburnes , who afterwards became fryers of s. crosse . adam was the first prior of that house : these fryers founded their house in the place of certain tenements , purchased of rich. wimblush , the th prior of the holy trinity , in the year . which was confirmed by edward the third , the seventeenth of his raign , valued at l. s. d. surrendred the th of novemb. the . of henry the th . in place of this church , is now a carpenters yard , a tennis-court , and such like : the fryers hall was made a glasse-house , or house , wherein was made glasse of divers sorts to drink in : which house , in the year . on the fourth of september , burst out into a terrible fire , where all meanes possible being practised to quench it , notwithstanding , as the same house in a small time before , had consumed a great quantity of wood , by making of glasses ; now it self , having within it about billets of wood , was also consumed to the stone walls , which nevertheless , greatly hindred the fire from spreading any further . adjoyning unto this fryers church , by the east end thereof in woodroffe lane , towards the tower-hill , are certain almes-houses , . in number , builded of brick and timber , founded by sir john milburn , draper , sometime maior , . wherein be placed . aged poor men , and their wives : these have their dwellings rent-free , and s. d. a peece , the first day of every moneth for ever . next to these alms-houses is the lord lumleys house , builded in the time of king henry the th , by sir thomas wiat the father , upon one plot of ground , of late pertaining to the aforesaid crossed fryers , where part of their house stood . and this is the farthest of aldgate vvard toward the south , and joyneth to the tower-hill ; the other side of that lane , over against the lord lumleys house , on the wall side of the city , is now for the most part ( or altogether ) builded , even to aldgate . then have ye on the south side of fenne-church-street , over against the wall or pump , amongst other fair and large builded houses , one that sometime belonged to the prior of monte joves , or monastarie cornute , a cell to monte joves beyond the seas ; in essex it was the priors inne , when he repaired to this city ; then a lane that leadeth down by northumberland house , towards the crossed fryers , as is afore shewed . this northumberland house in the parish of st. katherine coleman , belonging to henry percy , earl of northumberland , in the . of henrie the sixth ; but of late being lest by the earls , the gardens thereof were made into bowling alleys , and other parts into dicing-houses , common to all commers , for their money , there to bowl & recreate themselves . but now of late , so many bowling alleys , and other houses for unlawful gaming , have been raised in other parts of the city and subburbs , that this which was used to be the ancientest , and only rendezvonz of sport , is left and forsaken of the gamesters , and therefore turned into a number of great rents , small cottages , for strangers and others . at the east end of this lane , in the way from aldgate , toward the crossed friers , of old time , were certain tenements , called the poor jurie , of jewes dwelling there . next unto this northumberland house , is the parish church of st. katherine , called coleman ; which addition of coleman , was taken of a great haw-yard , or garden , of old time called coleman haw , in the parish of the trinity , now called christs church . and in the parish of st. katherine , and all-saints , called coleman church . there are some handsome tombs in this church , and particularly of sir henry billingley knight , and lord mayor of london , who was a benefactor or thereunto . then have ye blanch appleton , whereof we read in the th of edw. the first , that a lane behind the same blanch appleton , was granted by the king to be inclosed , and shut up ; this blanch appleton was a mannor belonging to sir thomas roos of hamelake , knight , the th of rich. the d , standing at the north-east corner of mart lane , so called , of a priviledge sometime enjoyed to keep a mart there , long since discontinued , and therefore forgotten : so as nothing remaineth for memory , but the name of mart lane , and now corruptly termed mark lane. of the fourth ward , or aldermanry of london , called limestreet ward . we will now give a visit to limestreet ward , which takes its denomination from the street , and the street from making lime there , in times passed . in limestreet are divers fair houses ; for marchants and others , there was sometime a mansion house of the kings , called the kings attirce , as it stands upon record , in the th of edward the first ; but now grown out of knowledge : we read also of another great house , in the west side of limestreet , having a chappel on the south , and a garden on the west , belonging to the lord nevill , which garden is now called green yard , of the leaden hall. this house in the th of rich. . pertained to sir simon burley , and sir john burley his brother ; and of late , the said house was taken down , and the fore-front thereof new builded of timber , by hugh offley , alderman . at the north-west corner of limestreet , was ( of old time ) one great mesuage , called benbridges inne ; raph holland , draper , about the year . gave it to john gill , master , and to the vvardens and fraternity of taylors , and linnen armourers of st. john baptist in london , and to their successors for ever , they did set up in places thereof , a fair large frame of timber , containing in the high street , one great house ; and before it , to the corner of limestreet three other tenements , the corner house being the largest ; and then down limestreet , divers handsome tenements : all which , the marchant-taylors , in the raign of edw. . sold to stephen kirton , marchant-taylor , and alderman , who gave with his daughter grisild , to nicholas woedroffe , the said great house , with two tenements before it , in lieu of an hundred pounds , and made it up in money , three hundred sixty six pounds , thirteen shillings four pence : this worthy man , and the gentlewoman his widow , after him , kept those houses down limestreet , in good reparations , never put out but one tenant , took no fines , nor raised rents for them , which was ten shillings the piece yearly ; but whether that favour did over-live her funeral , the tenants now can best declare the contrary . the next is leaden-hall , of which we read , that in the year . it belonged to sir hugh nevil , knight , and that the lady alice his wife , made a feoftment thereof , by the name of leaden hall , with the advousions of s. peter on cornhill , and other churches , to richard earl of arrundel , and surrey , . moreover , in the year . alice nevil , widow to sir john nevil , knight of essex , confirmed to thomas cogshall , and others , the said mannor of leaden-hall , and the advousions , &c. in the year . humphrey de bohun , earl of hereford , had the said mannor , and in the year . robert rikeden of essex , and margaret his wife , confirmed to richard whittington , and other citizens of london , the said mannor of leaden hall , with the appurtenances , the advousion of st. peters church , s. margaret pattens , &c. and in the year . the said whitington , and other , confirmed the same to the maior , and comminalty of london , whereby it came to the possession of the city . then in the year . the one and twenty of henry the sixth , john hatheyr ley , maior , purchased licence of the said king , to take up . fodder of lead , for the building of water conduits , a common granary , and the crosse in west cheape , more richly , for the honour of the city . in the year next following , the parson and parish of st. dunstane , in the east of london , seeing the noble and mighty man ( for the words be in the grant ; cum nobilis & potens v. r. ) simon eyre , citizen of london , among other his works of piety , effectually determined to erect & build a certain granary , upon the soil of the same city at leaden hall , of his own charges , for the common utility of the said city , to the amplifying and inlarging of the said granary , granted to henry frowick , then maior , the aldermen and commonalty , and their successors for ever , all their tenements , with the appurtenances , sometime called the horse mill in grasse-street , for the annual rent of four pounds , &c. also , certain evidences of an alley , and tenements pertaining to the horse mill , adjoyning to the said leaden hall in grasse-street , given by vvilliam kingstone , fishmonger , unto the parish church of st. peter upon cornhill , do specifie the said granary , to be builded by the said honourable and famous marchant , simon eyre , sometime an upholster , and then a draper , in the year . he builded it of squared stone , in form as now it sheweth , with a fair and large chappel in the east side of the quadrant ; over the porch of which , he caused to be written , dextra domini exaltavit me , the lords right hand exalted me . within the said church , on the north wall , was written , honorandus famosus mercator simon eyre , hujus operis , &c. in english thus , the honourable and famous marchant simon eyre , founder of this work , once maior of this city , citizen and draper of the same , departed out of this life , the th day of septemb. the year from the incarnation of christ , . and the . year of the raign of king henry the sixth : he was buried in the parish church of st. mary wolnoth , in lumbard street ; he gave by his testamont , to be distributed to all prisons in london , or within a mile of that city , somewhat , to relieve them . more , he gave marks upon a condition , which not performed , was then to be distributed to maids marriages , and other deeds of charity : he also gave marks to the drapers , upon condition , that they should within one year after his decease , establish perpetually a master or warden , five secular priests , six clerks , and two queristers , to sing daily divine service , by note for ever , in this chappel of the leaden-hall ; also , one master with an usher for grammar , one master for writing , and the third for song , with houses there newly builded for them for ever ; the master to have for his salary , ten pounds , and every other priest , eight pounds ; every other clarke , five pounds six shillings eight pence ; and every other chorister , five marks ; and if the drapers refused this to do , within one year after his decease , then the three thousand marks to remain to the prior and covent of christs-church in london , with condition to establish things as aforesaid , within two years after his decease ; and if they refused , then the three thousand marks to be disposed by his executors , as they best could devise in works of charity . thus much for his testament , not performed by establishing of divine service in his chappel or free-school , and scholars ; neither was it known how the stock of three thousand marks ( or rather five thousand marks ) was employed by his executors , he left issue thomas , who had issue thomas , &c. true it is , that in the year , the third of edward the fourth , it was agreed by the mayor , aldermen , and commonalty of london , that notwithstanding the kings letters pattents , lately before granted unto them , touching the trouage or weighing of wares , to be held at leaden-hall ; yet suite should be made to the king , for new letters pattents , to be granted to the mayor of the staple , for the trouage of wools , to be holden there , and order to be taken by the discretion of thomas cooke , then mayor ; the councel of the city , geffrey filding , then mayor of the staple at westminster , and of the kings councel what should be paid to the mayor , and aldermen of the city , for the laying and housing of the wools there , that so they might be brought forth and weighed , &c. touching the chappel there , we find that in the year , by licence obtained of king edward the fourth , in the sixth of his reign , a fraternity of the trinity of priests ( besides other brethren and sisters ) in the same chappel , was founded by rouse , john risby , and thomas ashby priests : some of the which sixty priests , every market-day , in the fore-noon , did celebrate divine service there , to such market people as repaired to prayer , and once every year , they met altogether , and had solemn service , with procession of all the brethren , and sisters ; this foundation was in the year , by a common-councel confirmed to the sixty trinity priests , and to their successors , at the will of the mayor and commonalty . in the year a great fire happened upon leaden-hall , by what casualty it was not known , but much housing was there destroyed , with all the stocks for guns , and other provision belonging to the city , which was a great losse , and no lesse charge to be repaired by them . in the year . the eighteenth of henry the seventh , a request was made by the commons of the city , concerning the usage of the said leaden-hall , in form as followeth ; please it the lord mayor , aldermen , and common-councel , to enact , that all frenchmen bringing canvas , linnen cloth , and other wares to be sold , and all forreins bringing woolsteads , sayes , stamins , kiverings , nayles , iron work , or any other wares , and also all forreins , bringing lead to the city to be sold , shall bring all such their wares aforesaid , to the open market of the leaden-hall , and no where else to be shewed , sold and uttered , like as of old time it hath been used , upon pain of forfeiture of all the said wares , shewed or sold in any other place than aforesaid ; and the shew of the said wares to be made three daies in a week , that is to say monday , tuesday , and wednesday ; it is also thought reasonable , that the common beam be kept from henceforth in the leaden-hall , & the farmer to pay therefore reasonable rent to the chamber , for better it is , that the chamber have advantage thereby , than a forreign person ; and also the said leaden-hall , which is more chargeable now by half than profitable , shall better bear out the charges thereof ; also the common beam for wool at leaden-hall may pay yearly a rent to the chamber of london , toward the supportation and charges of the same place : for reason it is , that a common office occupied upon a common ground , bear a charge to the use of the communalty ; also that forrains bringing wools , felts , or any other marchandizes or wares to leaden-hall , to be kept there for the sale and market , may pay more largely for keeping of their goods than freemen . thus much for the request of the commons at that time . now to set down some proof , that the said hall hath been employed and used as a granary for corn and grain ( as the same was first appointed ) leaving all former examples , this one may suffice , roger achley mayor of london in the year , the third of henry the eight , when the said mayor entred the majoralty , there was not found one hundred quarters of wheat in all the garners of this city , either within the liberties or near adjoyning , through the which scarcity , when the carts of stratford came laden with bread to the city ( as they had been accustomed ) there was such press about them , that one man was ready to destroy another , in striving to be served for their money ; but this scarcity lasted not long , for the mayor ( in short time ) made such provision for wheat that the bakers , both of london , and of stratford , were weary of taking it up , and were forced to take much more than they would , and for the rest the mayor laid out the money , and stored it up in leaden-hall , and other garners of the city ; this mayor also kept the market so well , that he would be at the leaden-hall , by four a clock in the summer mornings , and from thence he went to other markets to the great comfort of the citizens . we read also , that in the year , the twentieth of henry the eighth , surveyers were appointed to view the garners of the city , namely , the bridge-house and the leaden-hall , how they were stored of grain for the service of the city ; and because we have here before spoken of the bread-carts coming from stratford at the bow , ye shall understand , that of old time the bakers of bread at stratford , were allowed to bring daily ( except the sabbath and principal feasts ) divers long carts laden with bread , the same being two ounces in the penny wheaten loaf heavier than the penny wheaten loaf baked in the city , the same to be sold in cheap , three or four carts standing there 'tween gutherans lane , and fausters lane end , one cart on cornhil by the conduit , and one other in grasse-street ; and we may read , that in the fourth year of edward the second , richard reffeham , being mayor , a baker named john of stratford , for making bread lesser than the assize , was with a fools hood on his head , and loaves of bread about his neck , drawn on a hurdle through the streets of the city . moreover , in the four and fortieth of edward the third , john chichester being mayor of london , as we may read in the visions of pierce plowman , a book so called as followeth ; there was a careful commune , when no cart came to town with basket bread from stratford tho gan beggars weep , and workmen were agast , a little this will be thought long in the date of our dirte , in a dry averel , a thousand and three hundred , twice thirty and ten , &c. we read also in the twentieth of henry the eighth , sir james spencer being mayor , six bakers of stratford , were amerced in the guild-hall of london , for baking under the size appointed ; but these bakers of stratford left serving this city , i know not upon what occasion , above forty years since . in the year a petition was exhibited by the commons to the common-councel , and was by them allowed , concerning the leaden-hall , how they would have it used , viz. meekly beseeching , sheweth unto your good lordship , and masterships , divers citizens of this city , which ( under correction ) think , that the great place called the leaden hall , should , nor ought not to be letten out to farme , to any person or persons and in special , to any fellowship or company incorporate , to have and hold the same hall for term of years ; for such conveniences as thereby may ensue , and come to the hurt of the common-weale of the said city in time to come , as somewhat more largely may appear in the articles following . first , if any assembly or hasty gathering of the commons of the said city , for suppressing or subduing of misruled people within the said city , hereafter shall happen to be called or commanded by the mayor , aldermen , and other governours and councellors of the said city for the time being ; there is none so convenient , meet and necessary a place to assemble them in , within the said city , as the said leadon-hall , both for largenesse of room , and for their sure defence in time of their counselling together about the premises . also , in that place hath been used the artillery , guns , and other armors of the said city , to be safely kept in a readinesse , for the safegard , wealth , and defence of the said city to be had and occupied at times when need required . as also the store of timber , for the necessary reparations of the tenements belonging to the chamber of the said city , there commonly hath been kept . item , if any triumph or noblenesse were to be done , or shewed by the commonalty of the city , for the honour of our soveraign lord the king and realm , and for the worship of the said city , the said leaden-hall is the most meet and convenient place , to prepare and order the said triumph therein , and from thence to issue forth to the places thereof appointed . item , at any largesse or dole of any money , made unto the poore people of this city ; it hath been used to be done and given in the said leaden-hall , for that the said place is most meet therefore . item , the honourable father , that was maker of the said hall , had a speciall will , intent , and mind , that ( as it is commonly said ) the market men and women , that came to the city with victuals and other things , should have their free standing within the said leaden-hall in wet weather , to keep themselves & their wares dry , and thereby to encourage them , and all other , to have the better will and desire , the more plentiously to resort to the said city , to victual the same ; and if the said hall should be letten to farme , the will of the said honourable father , should never be fullfilled , nor take effect . item , if the said place , which is the chief fortresse , and most necessary place within all the city , for the tuition and safegard of the same , should be letten out to farme , out of the hands of the chief heads of the same city , and especially to any other body politick , it might at length ( by likelihood ) be an occasion of discord and debate , between the said bodies politick , which god defend . for these , and many other great and reasonable causes , which hereafter shall be shewed to this honourable court , your said beseechers think it much necessary , that the said hall be still in the hands of this city ; and to be surely kept by sad and discreet officers in such wise , that it might alwaies be ready to be used and occupied , for the common-weale of the said city , when need shall require , and in no wise to be letten to any body politick . thus much for the petition . about the year one thousand five hundred thirty four , great means was made about the leaden-hall , to have the same made a burse for the assembly of marchants , as they had been accustomed in lumbard-street ; many common-councels were called to that end , but in the year , john champneys being mayor , it was fully concluded , that the burse should remain in lumbard street , as afore , and leaden-hall no more to be spoken of concerning that matter . the use of leaden-hall was us'd to be thus ; in a part of the north quadrant , on the east side of the north gate , were the common beams , for weighing of wooll and other wares , as had been accustomed ; on the west side of the gate was the scales to weigh meal : the other three sides were reserved ( for the most part ) to the making and resting of the pageants shewed at mid-summer in the watch : the remnant of the sides and quadrants , were employed for the stowage of wool-sacks , but not closed up : the lofts above were partly used by the painters , in working for the decking of pageants and other devices , for beautifying of the watch and watch-men : the residue of the lofts were letten out to marchants , the wooll-winders and packers therein , to winde and pack their wools. and thus much for leaden-hall may suffice . now on the north of limestreet ward , in the highstreet are divers fair houses for marchants , and proper tenements for artificers , with an alley also called shaft alley , of the shaft or may-pole , sometime resting over the gate thereof , as i have declared in aldgate ward . in the year . partly at the charges of the parish of st. andrew , and partly at the charges of the chamber of london , a water-pump , was raised in the high street of lime-street ward , neer unto lime-street corner , for the placing of the which pump , having broken up the ground , they were forced to dig more than two fadome deep , before they came to any main ground , where they found a hearth made of britaine , or rather romane tyle , every tyle half yard square , and about two inches thick , they found coal lying there also ( for that lying whole will never consume ) then digging one fadome in the main , they found water sufficient , made their prall , and set up the pump , which pump , with oft repairing and great charges to the parish , continued not four and twenty years , but being rotted , was taken up , and a new one set in the place , in the year . thus much for the high-street . in saint mary street had ye ( of old time ) a parish church of saint mary a virgin , saint ursula , and the virgins , which church was commonly called saint mary at the axe ; of the signe of an axe , over against the east end thereof , or saint mary pellipar , of a plot of ground lying on the north side thereof pertaining to the skinners in london ; this parish about the year . was united to the parish church of saint andrew under shaft , and so was saint mary at the axe suppressed , and letten out to be a ware-house for a marchant ; against the east end of this church , was sometime a sair well , now turned to a pump ; also against the north end of this saint mary street , was sometime one other parish church of saint augustine , called saint augustine in the wall , for that it stood adjoyning to the wall of the city , and otherwise called saint augustines papey , or the poor , as i have read , in the reign of edward the third . about the year , in the reign of henry the sixth , the same church was allowed to the brethren of the papey , the house of poor priests , whereof i have spoken in aldgate ward , the parishioners of this church were appointed to the parish church of alhallowes in the wall , which is in broad street ward , and this brotherhood called papey , being suppressed , the church of saint augustine was pulled down , and in place thereof one grey apothecary , builded a stable , a hay-loft , &c. it is now a dwelling house , those two parish churches , both lying in the ward of lime-street ; being thus suppressed , there is not any one parish church or place for divine service in that ward , but the inhabitants thereof repair to saint peters in cornhill ward , saint andrew in aldgate ward , alhallows in the wall in broad-street ward , and some to saint denys in langbourne ward . now , because there hath been some question , to what ward this church of saint augustine papey should of right belong , for the same hath been challenged by them of aldgate ward , and ( without reason ) taken into bishops-gate ward , from lime-street ward , i am somewhat to touch it . about years since , the chamber of london , granted a lease of groundlying near london wall , in the ward of lime-street , from the west of the said church or chappel of saint augustine papey , towards bishops-gate &c. on the which plot of ground , the leasee builded three fair tenements , and placed tenants there , these were charged to bear scot and lot , and some of them to bear office in lime screet ward , all which they did willingly without grudging ; and when any suspected or disordered persons were by the landlord placed there , the officers of lime street ward , fetched them out of their houses , committed them to ward , procured their due punishments , and banished them from thence ; whereby in short time that place was reformed , and brought into good order , which thing being noted by them of aldgate ward , they moved their alderman , sir thomas offley , to call in those houses to be of his ward ; but mr. stow producing a fair ledgier book , sometime pertaining to the late dissolved priory of the holy trinity within aldgate , wherein were set down the just bounds of aldgate ward , before sir thomas offley , sir rowland hayward , the common-councel , and ward-mote inquest , of the said lime street ward , sir thomas offley gave over his challenge , and so that matter rested in good quiet , until the year . that sir richard pype ( being mayor , and alderman of bishops-gate ward ) challenged those houses to be of his ward , whereunto ( without reason shewed ) sir rowland hayward yeilded ; and thus is that side of the street from the north corner of saint mary street , almost to bishopsgate , ( wherein is one plot of ground , letten by the chamberlaine of london , to the parish of saint martins oteswich , to be a church-yard , or burying-place for the dead of that parish , &c. ) unjustly drawn and with-holden from the ward of lime-street , as master stow avoucheth . of the fifth ward , or aldermanry of london , called bishopsgate-ward . the ward next in order is bishopsgate-ward , whereof a part is without the gate ; and of the subburbs , from the barres by st. mary spittle , to bishopsgate , and a part of hounds-ditch , almost half thereof ; also without the wall of the same ward . then within the gate is bishopsgate-street , so called , of the gate , to a pump , were sometime was a fair well , with two buckets , by the east end of the parish church of st. martin oteswich , and then winding by the west corner of leaden-hall , down grasse-street , to the corner over against grasse-church ; and these are the bounds of that ward . monuments most to be noted , are these , the parish-church of st. battolph without bishopsgate , in a fair church-yard , adjoyning to the town-ditch , upon the very bank thereof ; but of old time , inclosed with a comely wall of brick , lately repaired by sir william allen , mayor , in the year . because he was born in that parish , where also he was buried . an anchoresse ( by bishopsgate ) received forty shillings the year , of the sheriffs of london . next unto the parish church of st. buttolph , was a fair inne , for receipt of travellers , then an hospital of st. mary of bethlem , founded by simon fitz mary , one of the sheriffs of london , in the year . he founded it to have been a priory of canons , with brethren and sisters ; and king edward the d , granted a protection , for the brethren called milites beatae mariae de bethlem , within the city of london , the th year of his raign . it was an hospital for distracted people . stephen gennings , marchant-taylor , gave forty pounds toward purchase of the patronage , by his testament , . the mayor and commonalty purchased the patronage thereof , with all the lands and tenements thereunto belonging , in the year . now it shall not be amisse , to insert here that memorable ancient deed of gift , given to bethelem , or bedlam , by the foresaid simon , the son of mary , as followeth . to all the children of our mother holy church , to whom this present writing shall come , simon the sonne of mary , sendeth greeting in our lord , where among other things , and before other lands , the high altitude of the heavenly councels , marvellously wrought by some readier devotion , it ought to be more worshipped ; of which things the mortal sickness ( after the fall of our first father adam ) hath taken the beginning of this new repairing : therefore forsooth , it beseemeth worthy , that the place , in which the son of god is become man , and hath proceeded from the virgins womb , which is increaser , and beginning of mans redemption ; namely , ought to be with reverence worshipped , and with beneficial portions to be increased : therefore it is , that the said simon , son of mary , having special and singular devotion to the church , of the glorious virgin at bethelem , where the same virgin of her , brought forth our saviour incarnate , and lying in the cratch , and with her own milk nourished ; and where the same child to us there born , the chivalry of the heavenly company , sang the new hymne , gloria in excelsi● deo. the same time the increaser of our health , ( as a king , and his mother a queen ) willed to be worshipped of kings , a new starre going before them , as the honour and reverence of the same child , and his most meek mother : and to the exaltation of my most noble lord , henry king of england , whose wife and child the foresaid mother of god , and her only son , have in their keeping , and protections ; and to the manifold increase of this city of london , in which i was born . and also for the health of my soul , and the souls of my predecessors , and successors , my father , mother , and my friends . and specially for the souls of guy of marlow , john durant , ralph ashwye , maud , margaret , and dennis , women : have given , granted , and by this my present charter , here , have confirmed to god , and to the church of st. mary of bethelem , all my lands which i have in the parish of st. battolph , without bishopsgate of london , that is to say , whatsoever i there now have , or had , or in time to come may have , in houses , gardens , pools , ponds , ditches and pits , and all their appurtenances , as they be closed in by their bounds ; which now extend in length , from the kings high street , east , to the great ditch in the west ; the which is called deep ditch ; and in breadth , to the lands of ralph downing , in the north ; and to the land of the church of st. battolph in the south ; to have and to hold the aforesaid church of bethelem , in free and perpetual alms ; and also to make there a priory , and to ordain a prior , and canons ; brothers , and also sisters , when jesus christ shall enlarge his grace upon it . and in the same place , the rule and order of the said church of bethelem solemnly prosessing , which shall bear the token of a starre openly in their coapes and mantles of profession ; and for to say divine service there , for the souls a foresaid , and all christian souls ; and specially to receive there , the bishop of bethelem , canons , brothers , and messengers of the church of bethelem for evermore , as often as they shall come thither . and that a church or oratory there shall be builded , as soon as our lord shall enlarge his grace , under such form , that the order , institution of priors , canons , brothers , sisters , of the visitation , correction , and reformation of the said place , to the bishop of bethelem , and his successors , and to the charter of his church , and of his messengers , as often as they shall come thither , as shall seem them expedient ; no mans contradiction notwithstanding ; shall pertain for evermore : saving alway the services of the chief lords , as much as pertaineth to the said land. and to the more surety of this thing , i have put my self out of this land , and all mine . and lord godfrey , then chosen of the nobles of the city of rome , bishop of bethelem , and of the pope , confirmed then by his name in england , in his name , and of his successors , and of his chapter of his church of bethelem , into bodily possession , i have indented and given to his possession all the foresaid lands ; which possession he hath received , and entred in form abovesaid . and in token of subjection , and reverence , the said place in london , without bishopsgate , shall pay yearly in the said city , a mark sterling at easter , to the bishop of bethelem , his successors , or his messengers , in the name of a pension ; and if the faculties or goods of the said place ( our lord granting ) happen to grow more , the said place shall pay more , in the name of pension , at the said terme , to the mother church of bethelem . this ( forsooth ) gift and confirmation of my deed , and the putting to of my seal for me , and mine heires , i have steadfastly made strong , the year of our lord god , a thousand , two hundred , forty seven , the vvednesday after the feast of st. luke the evangelist , &c. king henry the th , gave this hospital unto the city , the church and chappel were taken down in the reign of queen elizabeth , and houses builded there , by the governours of christs hospital in london . in this place , people that be distraught in their wits , are now ( by the luir of their friends ) received and kept as before , but not without charges to their bringers in . then is there a fair house of late , builded by john powlet . next to that , a far more large and beautiful house , with gardens of pleasure , bowling allies , and such like , builded by jasper fisher , free of the goldsmiths , late one of the six clarks of the chancery , and a justice of peace . it hath since ( for a time ) been the earl of oxfords place . the late queen elizabeth hath lodged there , it now belongeth to the earl of devenshire . this house being so large , and sumptuously builded , by a man of no great calling , possessions , or vvealth ; ( for he was indebted to many ) was mockingly called fishers folly , and a rithme was made of it , and other the like , in this manner . kirbyes castle , and fishers folly , spinola's pleasure , and megses glory . and so of other like buildings about the city , by citizens , men have not forborn to speak their pleasure . from fishers folly , up to the west end of berwards lane , of old time so called ; but now hogge-lane , because it meeteth with hogge-lane , which commeth from the barres without ealdgate , as is afore shewed , is a continual building of tenements , with allies of cottages , pestered , &c. then is there a large close , called fazel close , sometime , for that there were zazels planted for the use of cloth-workers , since letten to the crosse-bow makers , wherein they used to shoot for games at the popingey . now the same being inclosed with a brick-wall , serveth to be an artillery-yard , or garden , whereunto the gunners of the tower , weekly do repair ; namely , every thursday , and their levelling certain brasse-pieces of great artillery against a but of earth , made for that purpose ; they discharged them for their exercise , present use is made thereof by divers worthy citizens , gentlemen , and captains , using marshal discipline , and where they meet ( well-neere ) weekly , to their great commendation , in so worthy an exercise , whereof hereafter , i will speak more at large . then have ye the late dissolved priory and hospital , commonly called , saint mary spittle , founded by walter brune , and rosia his wife , for canons regular , vvalter , arch deacon of london , laid the first stone in the year . vvilliam of st. mary church , then bishop of london , dedicated it to the honour of jesus christ , and his mother , the perpetual virgin mary , by the name of domus des , and beatae mariae , extra bishopsgate , in the parish of st. buttolph , the bounds whereof , as appeareth by composition between the parson , and prior of the said hospital ; concerning tithes , beginning at berwards lane , towards the south , and extendeth in breadth to the parish of st. leonard of sores-ditch , towards the north ; and in length , from the kings street on the west , to the bishops of londons field , called lollesworth on the east . the prior of this st. mary spittle , for the immortising and propriation of the priory of bikenacar in essex , to his said house of st. mary spittle , gave to henry the th , four hundred pounds , in the two and twentieth of his raign . this hospital surrendred to henry the th , was valued to dispend four hundred seventy eight pounds per annum , wherein was found , besides ornaments of the church , and other goods pertaining to the hospital , one hundred eighty beds well furnished , for receipt of the poor ; for it was an hospital of great relief . sir henry plesington knight , was buried there , one thousand four hundred fifty and two . and here is to be noted , that time out of minde , it hath been a laudable custome , that on good friday in the after-noon , some especial learned man , by appointment of the prelates , should preach a sermon at pauls crosse , treating of christs passion , and upon the three next easter holydayes , munday , tuesday , and wednesday , the like learned men , by the like appointment , have used to preach on the forenoons at the said spittle , to perswade the article of christs resurrection ; and then on low sunday , one other learned man at pauls crosse , to make rehearsal of those four former sermons , either commending , or reproving them , as to him ( by judgement of the learned divines ) was thought convenient ; and that done , he was to make a studied sermon of his own , which in all , were five sermons in one ; at these sermons so severally preached , the maior with his brethren the aldermen , were accustomed to be present in their violets at pauls , on good friday , and in their scarlets at the spittle , in the holydayes ( except vvednesday , in violet ) and the maior with his brethren on low sunday in scarlet , at pauls crosse . touching the antiquity of this custom , i finde , that in the year one thousand three hundred ninety eight , king richard having procured from rome , confirmation of such statutes , and ordinances , as were made in the parliament begun at vvestminster , and ended at shrewsbury ; he caused the same confirmation to be read , and pronounced at pauls crosse , and at st. mary spittle , in a sermon before all the people . philip malpas , one of the sheriffs , in the year , one thousand four hundred thirty nine , gave twenty shillings by the year , to the three preachers at the spittle . stephen foster maior , in the year , . gave l. to the preachers of pauls crosse and spittle . we find also , that the aforesaid house , wherein the maior and aldermen do sit at the spittle , was builded ( for that purpose ) of the goods , and by the executors of richard rawson , alderman , and isabel his wife , in the year . in the year . this pulpit being old , was taken down , and a new one set up : the preachers face turned towards the south , which was before towards the west . also a large house ( on the east side of the said pulpit ) was then builded , for the governours and children of christs hospital to sit in ; and this was done of the goods of william elkin , alderman before deceased ; but within the first year , the same house decaying , and like to have fallen , was again ( with great cost ) repaired at the cities charge . on the east side of this church-yard , lyeth a large field , of old time called lolesworth , now spittle-field , which about the year , . was broken up , for clay to make brick : in the digging thereof , many earthen pots called urnae , were found full of ashes , with burnt bones of men , to wit , of the romans that inhabited here ; for it was the custom of the romans , to burn their dead , to put their ashes in an urn , and then bury the same with certain ceremonies , in some field appointed for that purpose near unto their city ; and commonly , there was another urn of fresh water , laid by the other , denoting the teares of their friends . every of these pots had in them ( with the ashes of the dead ) one piece of copper money , with the inscription of the emperor then reigning , some of them were of claudius , some of vespasian , some of nero , of antoninus pius , of trajanus , and others ; besides those urns , many other pots were found in the same place , made of a white earth , with long necks , and handles , like to our stone jugs : these were empty , but seemed to be buried full of some liquid matter , long since consumed , and soked through ; for there were found divers vials , and other fashioned glasses ; some most cunningly wrought , and some of crystal , all which had water in them ( which it seems were the teare-bottles ) nothing differing in clearness , tast , or savour from common spring water , whatsoever it was at the first ; some of these glasses had oyl in them very thick , and earthy in savour ; some were supposed to have balm in them , but had lost the vertue ; many of these pots and glasses were broken in cutting of the clay , so that few were taken up whole . there were also found divers dishes and cups , of a fine red coloured earth , which shewed outwardly such a shining smoothness , as if they had been of curral ; those had ( in the bottoms ) roman letters printed : there were also lamps of white earth and red , artificially wrought with divers antiques about them , some three or four images , made of white earth , about a span long each of them ; one was of pallas . amongst divers of those antiquities , there was found one urn , with ashes and bones , and one pot of white earth , very small , not exceeding the quantity of a quartern of a wine pint , made in shape of a hare squatted upon her leggs , and between her eares is the mouth of the pot. there hath also bin found ( in the same field ) divers coffins of stone , containing the bones of men ; these i suppose to be the burials of some special persons , in time of the britons , or saxons , after that the romans had left to govern here . moreover , there were also found the sculls and bones of men , without coffins ; or rather , whose coffins ( being of timber ) were consumed ; divers great nails of iron were there sound , such as are used in the wheels of shod carts ; being each of them as big as a mans finger , and a quarter of a yard long ; the heads two inches over : those nayles were more wondred at , then the rest of the things there found ; and many opinions of men were there passed upon them ; namely , that the men there buried , were murthered by driving those nayles into their heads . but to set down what was observed , concerning this matter ; there were there , the bones of a man lying , the head north , the feet south , and round about him ( athwart his head ) along both his sides , and thwart his feet such nails were found ; wherefore it may be conjectured , they were the nayls of his coffin , which had bin a trough cut out of some great tree ; and the same covered with a plank of that thickness , fastened with such nayls , and found under the broad heads of some of those nayls , the old wood was found scant turned into earth ; but still retaining both the grain and proper colour . and thus much for that part of bishopsgate-ward ; now we will proceed to that part which lyeth within the gate . and first , to begin on the left hand of bishopsgate ; from the gate ye have certain tenements of old time , pertaining to a brother-hood of st. nicholas , granted to the parish clarks of london , for two chaplains to be kept in the chappel of st. mary magdalen , near unto the guild-hall of london , in the . of henry the sixth . the first of these houses towards the north , and against the wall of the city , was sometime a large inne or court , called the wrastlers of such a signe ; and the last in the high street , towards the south , was sometime also a fair inne , called the angel , of such a signe . amongst these said tenements was ( on the same street side ) a fair entry or court , to the common hall of the said parish-clarks , with proper alms-houses , seven in number adjoyning ; for parish-clarks , and their wives , and their widows , such as were in great years , not able to labour ; one of these by the said brother-hood of parish-clarks , was allowed sixteen pence the week : the other six had each of them nine pence the week , according to the patent granted to that effect . this brother-hood ( amongst other ) being suppressed , in the raign of edward the sixth : the said hall , with the other buildings there , was given to sir robert chester , a knight of cambridge-shire , against whom the parish-clarks commencing suit , in the raign of queen mary ; and being like to have prevailed , the said sir robert chester pulled down the hall , sold the timber , stone , and lead ; and thereupon the suit was ended . the alms-houses remained in the queens hands , and people were there placed , such as could make best friends , some of them taking the pension appointed , and letting forth their houses at great rent , have given occasion to the parson of the parish , to challenge tithes of them , &c. next unto this is the small parish church of saint ethelburgh , virgin ; and from thence , some small distance is a large court , called little st. helens , because it pertained to the nuns of st. helens , and was their house : there were there seven alms-rooms , or houses for the poor , belonging to the company of leather sellers ; then somewhat more west , is another court , with a winding lane , which commeth on● against the west end of st. andrew undershafts church . in this court standeth the fair church of st. helen , sometime a priory of black nuns ; and in the same the parish church of st. helen . this priory was founded before the raign of henry the third ; william basing dean of pauls , was the first founder , and was there buried ; and william basing , one of the sheriffs of london , in the second year of edward the second , was holden also to be a founder , or rather an helper thereof : this priory being valued at l. s. d. was surrendred the five and twentieth of november , the thirtieth of henry the eighth : the whole church , the partition betwixt the nuns church ; and the parish church being taken down , remaineth now to the parish , and is a fair church , but wanteth such a steeple , as sir thomas gresham promised to have builded , in recompence of ground in that church , filled up with his monument . the nuns hall , and other housing thereto pertaining , was since purchased by the company of leather-sellers , and is their common hall ; which company , was incorporate , the one and twentieth year of richard the second . a young new born child was taken up , between the great ware-house , and sir john spencers back-gate , being ( by a most unnatural mother ) there buried in a great dung-hill of sea-coal ashes , with the face upward ; yet found alive by richard atkinson , who used to make cl●●n the passage there of the soyle , carrying it thence with his wheel-barrow . the child had not any ragg , or cloth about it , but was all bloodied , by reason that the navil string was untyed , and the body meerly crusted over with the seacoal-dust ; yet being made clean by the poor mans wife , it was found to be a most goodly man-child , strong and well-featured , without any blemish or harm upon it ; but strangled inwardly , by sucking in the noysome filth and ashes . he was christned , and named job cinere extractus , job taken out of the ashes , he lived three dayes , and lies buried in the church-yard , the fifth of september , . of the sixth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called broad-street ward . we will now proceed to make a perambulation in broad street ward , whereof part lies , contiguous to bishopsgate ward : for it beginneth from the water conduit , westward on both sides of the street , by athallows church , to an iron grate on the channel , which runneth into the water-course of wallbrook , before ye come to the postern called moregate , and this is the farthest west part of that ward ; then have ye broad street , where of the ward taketh name , which stretcheth out of the former street , from the east corner of alhallowes church-yard , somewhat south , to the parish church of saint peter the poor on both sides , and then by the south gate of the augustine fryars , west , down throgmorton street by the drapers hall , into loathbury , to another grate of iron on the channel there , whence the water runneth into the course of wallbrook , under the east end of st. margarets church ; certain posts of timbe● are there set up ; and this is also the furthest west part of this ward , in the said street , out of the which street it runneth up bartholomew lane , south , to the north side of the exchange , then more east out of the former street ; from over against the fryars augustines church south gate , runneth up another part of broad streete , south , to a pump , over against st. bennets church . then have ye one other street , called threed-needle street , beginning at the well with two buckets , by st. martins oteswich church wall ; this street runneth down on both sides to finkes-lane , now called finch lane , and half way up that lane , to a gate of a marchants house on the west side , but not so far on the east ; then the aforesaid street , from this finkes lane now finch lane , runneth down by the royal exchange to the stocks , and to a place commonly called , the scalding-house , or scalding wicke , but now scalding alley , by the west side whereof , under the parish church of st. mildred , runneth the course of vvallbrooke , and these be the bounds of this ward . here stands the parish church of alhallowes in the wall , so called of standing close to the wall of the city near moorfields , and over against winchester house , which was so vast and spacious a mansion , that it has been many years since cut into divers habitations ; for the glasse-house stood in part of it , the spanish ambassadour had another part ; and now of late , the excise office hath bin kept in another part . on the other side of the street , among many proper houses ( possessed for the most part by curriers ) is the carpenters hall , which company was incorporated in the seventeenth year of edward the fourth . then east from the curriers row , is a long and high wall of stone in the foresaid winchester house , enclosing the north side of a large garden , adioyning to as large an house , builded in the reigns of king henry the eighth , and of edward the sixth , by sir william powlet , lord treasurer of england , thorow his garden , which ( of old time ) consisted of divers parts , now united , was sometimes a fair foot way , leading by the west end of the augustine fryars church straight north , and opened somewhat west from alhallowes church against london wall , towards mooregate , which foot-way had gates at either end , locked up every night , but now the same way ( being taken into those gardens ) the gates are closed up with stone , whereby the people are enforced to go about by saint peters church , and the east end of the said fryers church , and all the said great place and garden of sir william pawlet , to london wall , and so to moorgate . this great house adjoyning to the garden aforesaid , stretcheth to the north corner of broad-street , and then turneth up broad-street all that side , to and beyond the east end of the said friers church ; it was builded by the said lord treasurer , in place of augustine fryers house , cloyster , and gardens , &c. the fryars church he pulled not down , but the west end thereof , enclosed from the steeple and quire , was in the year , granted to the dutch nation in london , to be their preaching place ; the other part , namely , the steeple , quire , and side iles to the quire adjoyning , he reserved to household uses , as for stowage of corn , coal , and other thing : his son and heir , marquiss of vvinchester , ●old the monuments of noble men ( there buried ) in great number , paving stone , and whatsoever , ( which cost many thousand pounds ) for one hundred pounds , and in place thereof ; made fair ●abling for horses ; he caused the lead to be taken from the roofs , and laid tyle in place , which exchange proved not so profitable as he looked for , but rather to his disadvantage , for there have been some remarkable judgements upon that family since . on the east side of this broad street amongst other buildings , on the back part of gresham house , which is in bishopsgate street , there are placed eight alms-houses , builded of brick and timber , by sir thomas gresham knight , for eight almes-men , which be now there placed rent-free , and receive each of them by his gift , six pound thirteen shillings four pence yearly for ever . next unto pawlet house , is the parish church of saint peter the poor , so called for a difference from other of that name , sometime ( peradventure ) a poor parish , but at this present there be many fair houses , possessed by rich marchants , and others . in this little church there be some fair monuments , one of sir thomas lowe , and another of sir vvilliam garaway , with john lucas esquire of colchester . then next have ye the augustine fryers church , and church-yard , the entring thereunto by a south gate to the west porch , a large church having a most fine spired steeple , small , high , and streight , that there are few the like , founded by humphrey bohun , earl of hereford and essex , in the year one thousand two hundred fifty three riegnald cobham gave this messuage in london , to the enlarging thereof , in the year one thousand three hundred fourty four . humphrey bohun earl of hereford and essex , re-edified this church in the year , whose body was there buried in the quire. the small spired steeple of this church was overthrown by tempest of wind , in the year one thousand three hundred sixty two , but was raised of new , as still it might have stood , had not private benefit ( the only devourer of antiquity ) pull'd it down . both that goodly steeple , and all that east part of the church , hath lately been taken down , and houses ( for one mans commodity ) raised in the place , whereby london hath lost so goodly an ornament , and times hereafter may more talk of it . this house was valued at fifty seven pounds , and was surrendred the twelfth of november , the of henry the . there were many great monuments in this fryers church , one of edmond first son to joan mother to richard the second , guy de meryke earl of saint paul , lucie countesse of kent , richard the great earl of arundel , surrey , & vvarren , sir francis atcourt earl of pembrooke , john uere earle of oxford , with aubery de uere his son , the lady of bedford , with edward duke of buckingham , and very many more persons of quality . on the south side , and at west end of this church , many fair houses are builded ; namely in throgmorton street , one very large and spacious , builded in the place of old and small tenements , by thomas cromwel , master of the kings jewel-house , after that , master of the rolls , then lord cromwell knight , lord privie seal , vicar general , earl of essex , high chamberlain of england , &c. this house being finished , and having some reasonable plot of ground left for a garden , he caused the ●ales of the gardens adjoyning to the north part thereof , on a sudden to be taken down , two and twenty foot to be measured forth-right into the north of every mans ground , a line there to be drawn , a trench to be cast , a foundation laid and an high brick wall to be builded ; and this was suddenly and no warning given , nor other answer , but ( when any spake to the surveyers of that work ) they said their master sir thomas commanded them so to do ; so that no man durst go to argue the matter , but each man lost his land ; thus the sudden rising of some men , causeth them to forget themselves . the company of drapers in london bought this house , and now the same is their common hall. this company obtained of king henry the sixth , in the seventeenth of his reign , to be incorporate . john gedney was chosen to be their first master , and the four wardens were , john vp otton , j. darby , robert breton , and t. cooke ; the armes granted to the said company by sir vvilliam bridges knight , first garter king at arms , in blazon are thus . three sun beams , issuing out of three clouds of flame , crowned with three crowns , imperials of gold , upon a shield azure . from this hall , on the same side , down to the grates and course of vvallbrooke , have ye divers fair houses for marchants and other , from the which grates back again on the other side in lotisbury ( so called in record of edward the third , the thirty eighth year , and now corruptly called lothbury ) are candlestick founders placed , till ye come to bartholmew lane , so called of saint bartholmew's church , at the south-east corner thereof . in this lane also are divers fair builded houses on both sides , and so likewise have ye in the other street , which stretcheth from the fryers augustines south gate , to the corner over against saint bennets church . in this street , amongst other fair buildings the most ancient was ( of old time ) an house pertaining to the abbot of saint albans ; john catcher alderman ( after ) dwelled there ; then is the free school , pertaining to the late dissolved hospital of saint anthony , whereof more shall be shewed in another place , and so up to thred-needle-street . on the south part of which street , beginning at the east , by the well with two buckets , now turned to a pump , is the parish church of saint martin called oteswitch , of martin de oteswitch , nicholas de oteswich , william oteswich , and john oteswich founders thereof , and all buried there , as appeareth by their monuments . there is also there a fair engraven stone , with a latine epitaph upon the lord james fulkes treasurer of holland and ambassador for the states of the united provinces here in england . sir thomas row gave l. to perpetuity to this parish , to buy bread and coals for the poor . some small distance from thence is the merchant-taylors hall , pertaining to the guild and fraternity of saint john baptist , time out of mind called of taylors and linnen armorers of london ; for we find that king edward the first , in the eight and twentieth of his reign , confirmed this guild by the name of taylors and linnen armorers , and also gave to the brethren thereof , authority every year at mid-summer to hold a feast and to choose unto them a governour or master , with wardens ; whereupon , the same year , one thousand three hundred , on the feast day of the nativity of saint john baptist , they chose henry de ryall to be their pilgrim ; for the master of this mystery ( as one that travelled for the whole company ) was then so called , untill the eleventh year of richard the second , and the four wardens were then called purveyers of alms , ( now called quartredge ) of the said fraternity . this merchant-taylors hall , sometime perteining to a worthy gentleman , named edmund crepin , dominus creeping after some record ; he , in the year of christ , the sixth of edward the third , for a certain sum of money to him paid , made this grant thereof , by the name of his principal messuage , in the wards of cornhill and broad-street , which sir oliver ingham knight , did then hold , to john of yakeley the kings pavilion-maker ; this was called the new hall , or taylors inne , for a difference from their old hall , which was about the back side of the red lion in basing lane , and in the ward of cordwayner street . the one and twentieth of edward the fourth , thomas holm , aliàs clarentiaux king of armes for the south part of england , granted by his patents to the said fraternity and guild of saint john baptist of taylors and linnen armorers , to bear in a field silver , a pavilion between two mantles imperial , purple , garnished with gold , in a chief azure , a holy lamb , set within a sun , the crest upon the helm ; a pavilion purple , garnished with gold , &c. after this king henry the seventh , was himself a brother of this fraternity , or guild of s. john baptist , of taylors or linnen armorers , ( as divers others of his predecessors kings had been ) to wit richard the third , edward the fourth , henry the sixth , henry the fifth , henry the fourth , and richard the second . and for that divers of that fraternity had ( time out of mine ) been great merchants , and had frequented all sorts of merchandizes into most parts of the world , to the honour of the kings realm , and to the great profit of his subjects , and of his progenitors , and the men of the said mystery , ( during the time aforesaid ) had exercised the buying and selling of all wares and merchandizes , especially , of woollen cloth , as well in grosse , as by retaile , throughout all this realm of england , and chiefly within the said city ; therefore he of his especial grace , did change , transfer , and translate , the guild aforesaid , and did incorporate them into the name of the master and wardens of the merchant-taylors , of the fraternity of s. john baptist in the city of london . some distance west from this merchant-taylors hall , is finkes lane , so called of robert finke , and robert finke his son , james finke and rosamond finke ; robert finke the elder , new builded the parish church of saint bennet commonly called finke of the founder ; his tenements were both of st. bennets parish , and saint martins oteswich parish , the one half of this finke lane is of broad-street ward , to wit , on the west side , up to the great and principal house , wherein the said finke dwelled ; but on the other side , namely the east , not so much towards cornhil . then without this lane , in the aforesaid threed-needle street , is the said parish church of saint bennet a handsome church in which are sundry old monuments . there happened lately a great fire in threed-needle street , over against merchant-taylors hall , which rag'd as far as saint bennets church walls , and there the fury was stopped , otherwise it might have destroyed all this city . the french reformers have their sermons in this church , and the exercise of calvins religion . on the north side of this street , from over against the east corner , of st. martins osteswich church , have ye divers fair and large houses , till you come to the hospital of st. anthony , sometime a cell of st. anthonies of vienna ; for we read , that king henry the third , granted to the brother-hood of st. anthony of vienna , a place amongst the jewes , which was sometime their synagogue , and had been builded by them , about the year . but the christians obtained of the king , that it should be dedicated to our blessed lady ; and since , an hospital being there builded , was called st. anthonies in london . it was founded in the parish of st. bennet finke , for a master , two priests , one school-master , and twelve poor men ; after which foundation , amongst other things , was given to this hospital , one messuage and garden , whereon was builded the fair large free-school , and one other parcel of ground , containing thirty seven foot in length , and eighteen foot in breadth , whereon were builded the alms-houses of hard stone and timber , in the reign of henry the sixth . which said henry the sixth , in the twentieth of his reign , gave unto john carpenter , dr. of divinity , and master of st. anthonies hospital , and to his brethren , and their successors for ever , his mannor of pomington , with the appurtenances , with certain pensions , and portions of milburn , burneworth , charleton , and up-wimburn , in the county of southhampton , towards the maintenance of five scholars in the university of oxford , to be brought up in the faculty of arts , after the rate of ten pence the week for every scholar ; so that the said scholars be first instructed in the rudiments of grammar , at the colledge of eaton , founded by the said king. in the year . edward the th granted to william say , batchelor of divinity , master of the said hospital , to have priests , clerks , scholars , poor men , and brethren of the same , clerks , or laymen , queristers , procters , messengers , servants in houshold , and other things whatsoever , like as the prior , and covent of st. anthonies of vienna , &c. he also annexed , united , and appropriated the said hospital , unto the collegiate of st. george in windsor . the protectors of this house , were to collect the benevolence of charitable persons , towards the building and supporting thereof . in the year . sir john tate , sometime alebrewer , then a mercer , caused his brewhouse , called the swan , near adjoyning to the said free chappel , college , or hospital of st. anthony , to be taken for the enlarging of the church , which was then newly builded ; toward the building whereof , the said tate gave great sums of money , and finished it in the year , sir john tate , deceased . and was there buried , under a fair monument by him prepared , dr. taylor master of the rolls , and other . walter champion , draper , one of the sheriffs of london , . was buried there , and gave to the beadmen twenty pounds , the lands by year of this hospital , were valued in the . of king henry the eighth , to be l. s. and . pence . one johnson ( a schoolmaster of the famous free-school there ) became a prebend of windsor , and then ( by little and little ) followed the spoil of this hospital : he first dissolved the quire , conveyed away the plate and ornaments , then the bels ; and lastly , put out the alms men from their houses , appointing them portions of twelve pence the week to each ; but now i hear of no such matter performed ; for their houses , with other , be letten out for rent , and the church is a preaching place for the french nation , as was touched before . this school was commended in the reign of henry the sixth , and sithence commended above other ; but now decayed , and come to nothing , by taking that from it , which thereunto belonged . next is the parish church of st. bartholmew , at the end of bartholmew lane , thomas pike alderman , with the assistance of nicholas yoo , one of the sheriffs of london , about the year . new builded this church . west from this church , have ye scalding alley , of old time called scalding house , or scalding wick , because that ground ( for the most part ) was then imployed by poulterers , that dwelled in the high street , from the stocks market , to the great conduit . their poultry which they sold at their stalls , were scalded there : the street doth yet bear the name of the poultry , and the poulterers are but lately departed from thence , into other streets , as into grasse-street , and the ends of st. nicholas flesh-shambles . this scalding wick , is the farthest part of broadstreet-ward , and is ( by the water called wallbrook ) parted from cheap-ward . of the seventh ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called corn-hill ward . now cornhil ward comes to consideration , corruptly called cornwel by the vulgar ; it was called corn-hill of a corn-market , time out of mind there holden , and is a part of the principal high street , beginning at the west end of leaden-hall , stretching down west , on both the sides , by the south end of finkes lane , on the right hand , and by the north end of birchoven lane , on the left part : of which lanes , to wit , to the middle of them , is of this ward , and so down to the stocks market ; and this is the bounds . the upper or east part of this ward , and also a part of limestreet ward , hath been ( as i said ) a market-place , especially for corn , and since for all kind of victuals , as is partly shewed in limestreet ward . it appeareth by record , that in the year . the rippiers of rie and other places , sold their fresh fish in leaden-hall market upon cornhill ; but forraign butchers were not admitted there to sell flesh , till the year . and it was enacted , that butchers should sell their bief , not above a half peny the pound ; and mutton , half peny , half farthing : which act being devised , for the great commodity of the realm , ( as it was then thought ) hath since proved far otherwise ; for , before that time , a fat oxe was sold at london , for six and twenty shillings eight pence , at the most ; a fat weather , for three shillings four pence ; a fat calf at the same price ; a fat lamb for twelve pence ; pieces of bief weighing , . pounds and a half at the least , yea , . pound or better for a peny , on every butchers stall in this city ; and of those pieces of bief , , or fourteen for twelve pence ; fat mutton for eight pence the quarter ; and one hundred weight of bief , for four shillings eight pence , at the dearest . what the price is now , i need not set down ; many men thought the same act to raise the price , by reason that grasiers knew , or supposed what weight every their beasts contained ; and so raising their price thereafter , the butcher could be no gainer , but by likewise raising his price : the number of butchers then in the city and suburbs , was accounted sixscore , of which every one killed six oxen a peece weekly , which is in forty six weeks , . oxen , or seven hundred and twenty oxen weekly . the forraign butchers ( for a long time ) stood in the high street of limestreet-ward , on the north side , twice every week , viz , wednesdayes and saturdayes , and were some gain to the tenants , before whose doors they stood , and into whose houses they set their blocks and stalls ; but that advantage being espied , they were taken into leaden-hall , there to pay for their standing to the chamber of london . thus much for the market upon cornhill . the chief ornaments in cornhill-vvard , are these ; first , at the east end thereof , in the middle of the high street , and at the parting of four wayes , have ye a water-standard , placed in the year . in manner following ; a certain german , named peter morris , having made an artificial forcier for that purpose , conveyed thames-water in pipes of lead , over the steeple of st. magnus church , at the north end of london-bridge ; and from thence into divers mens houses in thames-street , new fish-street , and grasse-street , ( now gracious-street ) up to the north west corner of leaden-hall , the highest ground of all the city ; where the waste of the main pipe rising into this standard ( provided at the charges of the city ) with four spouts , did at every tyde run ( according to covenant ) four wayes , plentifully serving to the commodity of the inhabitants , near adjoyning in their houses ; and also cleansed the channels of the street , toward bishops-gate , aldgate , the bridge , and the stocks market ; but now no such matter , by what default i know not . then have ye a fair conduit , of sweet water , castellated in the midst of that ward ; this conduit was first builded of stone , in the year . by henry vvallis , maior of london , to be a prison for night-walkers , and other suspicious persons , and was called the tunne upon cornhill ; because the same was builded somewhat in fashion of a tunne , standing on the one end . to this prison , the night-watchers to this city , committed not only night-walkers , but also other persons , as well spiritual as temporal , whom they suspected of incontinency , and punished them according to the customs of this city ; but complaint therefore being made , about the year of christ , . king edward the first , writeth to the citizens thus . edward by the grace of god , &c. vvhereas richard gravesend bishop of london , hath shewed unto us , that by the great charter of england , the church hath a priviledge , that no clark should be imprisoned by a lay-man , without our commandment , and breach of peace : which notwithstanding , some citizens of london , upon meer spight , do enter in their vvatches , into clarks chambers , and then ( like felons ) carry them to the tunne , which henry le wallis , sometime maior , built for night-walkers ; wherefore we will , that this our commandment , be proclaimed in a full hustings , and that no vvatch hereafter enter into any clarks chamber , under the forfeit of thirty pounds . dated at carlile , the th of march , the . of our reign . more we read , that about the year of christ . the seven and twentieth of edward the first , certain principal citizens of london , to wit , t. romane , rich : gloucester , nicholas faringdon adam helingbury , t. saly , john dunstable , richard ashwy , john wade , and william stortforde , brake up this prison , called the tunne , and took out certain prisoners ; for the which they were sharply punished , by long imprisonment , and great fines ; it cost the citizens ( as some have written ) more than marks , which they were amerced in , before william de march , treasurer of the kings exchequer , to purchase the kings favour , and the confirmation of their liberties . by the west side of the aforesaid prison , then called the tunne , was a fair well of spring water , curbed round with hard stone , but in the year . the said prison house called the tunne , was made a cestern for sweet water , conveyed by pipes of lead , from tyburne , and was from thenceforth called the conduit upon cornhil ; then was the well planked over , and a strong prison made of timber , called a cage , with a pair of stocks therein , set upon it ; and this was for night-walkers : on the top of which cage , was placed a pillory , for the punishment of bakers , offending in the assize of bread , for millers stealing of corn at the mill ; for bawds , scholds , and other offenders . as in the year . the seventh of edward the fourth , divers persons , being common jurors , such as at assizes , were forsworn for rewards , or favour of parties , were judged to ride from newgate , to the pillory in corn-hill , with / miters of paper on their heads , there to stand , and from thence again to newgate , and this judgement was given by the maior of london . on the north side of this street , from the east unto the west , have ye divers fair houses , for marchants and others ; amongst the which , one large house is called the wey-house , where marchandizes brought from beyond the seas , are to be weighed at the kings beame : this house hath a master , and under him four master-porters , with porters under them , they have a strong cart , and four great horses , to draw and carry the wares from the marchants houses to the beam , and back again ; sir thomas lovel , knight , builded this house , with a fair front of tenements , toward the street , all which he gave to the grocers of london , himself being free of the city , and a brother of that company . then have ye the said finks lane , the south end of which lane , on both sides , is in corn-hill ward . then next is the royal exchange , erected in the year . after this order , viz. certain houses upon corn-hill , and the like upon the part thereof , in the ward of broadstreet , with three allies ; the first called swan alley , opening into corn-hill ; the second , new alley , passing through out of corn-hill , into broadstreet ward , over against st. bartholomew-lane ; the third , st. christophers alley , opening into broadstreet-ward , and into st. christophers parish , containing many thick housholds , were first purchased by the citizens of london , for more than . pounds , and were sold for . pounds , to such persons as should take them down , and carry them thence ; also the ground , or plot was made plain , at the charges of the city , and then possession thereof was by certain aldermen ( in name of the whole citizens ) given to sir thomas gresham knight , sometimes agent to the queens highness , thereupon to build a burse , or place for marchants to assemble in , at his own proper charges ; and he , on the seventh of june , laying the first stone of the foundation , being brick , accompanied with some aldermen , every of them laid a piece of gold , which the workmen took up ; and forthwith followed upon the same , such diligence , that by the moneth of november , in the year . the same was covered with slate , and shortly after fully finished . in the year . on the . of january , the queens majesty , attended with her nobility , came from her house at the strand , called sommerset-house , and entred the city by temple-barre , through fleet-street , cheape , and so by the north side of the burse , through thredneedle-street , to sir thomas greshams house in bishop gate-street , where she dined : after dinner , her majesty returning through corn-hill , entred the burse on the south side ; and after she had viewed every part thereof above the ground , especially the pawne , which was richly furnished with all sorts of the finest wares in the city , she caused the same burse , by an haurald and a trumpet , to be proclaimed at the royal exchange , and so to to be called from thenceforth , and not otherwise . next adjoyning to this royal exchange , remaineth one part of a large stone house , and is now called the castle , of such a sign at a tavern door ; there is a passage thorough out of cornhill , into threed-needle street ; the other part of the said stone house was taken down , for enlarging the royal exchange ; this stone house was said of some to have been a church , whereof it had no proportion ; of others , a jewes house , as though none but jewes had dwelt in stone houses , but that opinion is without warrant . for beside the strong building of stone houses , against invasion of thieves in the night when no watches were kept , in the first year of richard the first , ( to prevent casualties of fire , which often had hapned in the city , when the houses were builded of timber , and covered with reed and straw , henry fitz allwine being mayor ) it was decreed , that from thenceforth , no man should build within the city but of stone unto a certain height , and to cover the same building with slate , or burnt tyle ; this was the very cause of such stone buildings , whereof many have remained until our time that for gaining of ground , they have been taken down , and in place of some of them being low , ( as but two stories above the ground ) many houses of four or five stories high are placed . from this stone house down to the stocks , are divers large houses , especially for height , for merchants and artificers . on the south side of this high-street , is the parish church of saint peter upon cornhill , which seemeth to be of an ancient building , but not so ancient as fame reporteth ; for it hath been lately repaired , if not all new builded , except the steeple which is ancient . the roof of this church and glazing , was finished in the reign of king edward the fourth , as appeareth by armes of noble men , and aldermen of london then living . there remaineth in this church a table , wherein it is written i know not by what authority , but of no late hand , that king lucius founded the same church , to be an archbishops see , metropolitane , and chief church of his kingdom , and that it so continued the space of four hundred years , unto the coming of augustine the monk. now , because many may be curious to be further acquainted therewith , i have here inserted the same verbatim , as it is there recorded in the table . be it known unto all men , that the year of our lord god , lucius the first christian king of this land , then called britaine , founded the first church in london , that is to say , the church of st. peter upon cornhill ; and he founded there an archbishops see , and made that church the metropolitan and chief church of this kingdom , and so endured the space of four hundred years , unto the coming of st. austin , the apostle of the english , the which was sent into this land by st. gregory the doctor of the church , in the time of king ethilbert ; and then was the archbishops see , and pall , removed from the foresaid church of st. peter upon cornhill , unto doreburniam that now is called canterbury , and there remaineth to this day . and millet the monk , which came into the land with s. austin , was made this first bishop of london , and his see was made in pauls church , and this king lucius was the first founder of st. peters church upon cornhill ; and he reigned in this land after brute , a thousand two hundred fourty five years , and the year of our lord god , a hundred twenty four , lucius was crowned king ; and the years of his reign were seventy seven years , and he was ( after some chronicle ) buried at london ; and ( after some chronicle ) he was buried at glocester , in that place where the order of st. francis standeth now . joceline of furncis writeth , that thean or theon , the first arch bishop of london in the reign of lucius builded the said church , by the aid of ciran chief butler to king lucius : and also that elvanus the second archbishop builded a library to the same adjoyning , and converted many of the druydes learned men in the pagan law , to christianity . william harrison , discoursing hereon more at large , hath these very words , there is a controversy ( saith he ) moved among our historiographers , whether the church that lucins built at london , stood at westminster or in cornhill ; for , there is some cause , why the metropolitane church should be thought to stand where st. peters now doth , by the space of four hundred and od years , before it was removed to canterbury by austin the monk , if a man would lean to one side without any conference of the asseverations of the other ; but herein there may lurk some scruple ; for , besides that st. peters church stood in the east end of the city , and that of apollo in the west ; the word cornhil , a denomination given of late ( to speak of ) to one street , may easily be mistaken for thorney . for as the word thorney , proceedeth from the saxons , who called the west end of the city by that ●ame where westminster now standeth , because of the wildernesse and bushinesse of the soile , so we do not read of any street in london , called cornhill , before the conquest of the normans : wherefore , i hold with them , which make westminster to be the place , where lucius builded his church , upon the ruines of that fane , years ( as malmsbury saith ) before the coming of the saxons , and four hundred and eleven before the arrival of augustine . read also his appendix in lib. fourth pontif. where he noteth the time of the saxons , in the of grace , and of augustine in of christ , which is a manifest account , though some copies have for the one , but not without-manifest corruption and error . and now to return where we left ; true it is , that a library there was , pertaining to this parish church , of old time builded of stone , and of late repaired with brick , by the executors of sir john crosby alderman , as his arms on the south end do witnesse . this library hath been ( of late time ) to wit within this seventy years , well furnished of books , john leyland viewed and commended them : but now those books are gone , and this place is occupied by a school-master , and his usher , for a number of scholers learning their grammer rules , &c. notwithstanding before that time , a grammar school had been kept in this parish , as appeareth in the year a thousand four hundred twenty five . we read , that john whitby was rector , and john steward school-master there ; and in the five and twentieth of henry the sixth , it was enacted by parliament , that four grammer schools in london , should be maintained , viz in the parishes of alhallowes in thames street , saint andrew in oldburn , saint peters upon cornhill , and saint thomas of acres . then have ye the parish church of st. michael the archangel : for the antiquity thereof , we find that alnothus the priest , gave it to the abbot and covent of covesham ; raynold the abbot and the covent there , did grant the same to sparling the priest , in all measures , as he and his predecessors before had held it : to the which sparling also , they granted all their lands which they there had , except certain lands which orgar le proud held of them , and paid two shillings yearly ; for the which grant , the said sparling should yearly pay one mark of rent to the said abbot of covesham , and find him his lodging , salt , water , and fire , when he came to london ; this was granted , a thousand one hundred thirty three , about the thirty four of henry the first . the fair new steeple or bell-tower of this church , was begun to be builded in the year , which being finished , and a fair ring of five bells therein placed , a sixth bell was added , and given by john vvhitwell , isabel his wife , and william rus , or rous alderman , and goldsmith , about the year , which bell named rus , ( nightly at eight of the clock , and otherwise for knels , and in peals , rung by one man by the space of years ) of late over-haled by four or five at once , hath been thrice broken , and new cast , within the space of ten years , to the charges of that parish more than marks . and here note of this steeple : upon st. james night , certain men in the loft next under the bells , ringing of a peal , a tempest of lightning and thunder did arise , and an ugly-shapen sight appeared to them , coming in at the south window , and lighted on the north , for fear whereof , they all fell down , and lay as dead for the time , letting the bells ring and cease of their own accord ; when the ringers came to themselves , they found certain stones o● the north window to be raised , and scratched , as if they had been so much butter printed with a lions claw . the same stones were fastned there again , and so remain till this day ; they may be seen to this day , together with the holes where the claws had entred , three or four inches deep . at the same time , certain main timber posts at queen-hith , were scratched and cleft from the top to the bottome ; and the pulpit-crosse in pauls church-yard , was likewise scratcht , cleft , and overturned ; one of the ringers lived in queen elizabeths time , who would verifie the same to be true to his knowledge . robert fabian alderman , and chronicler of england , lieth buried in this church , with divers others persons of note . this parish church hath on the south side thereof a hansome cloyster , and a fair church-yard , with a pulpit-cross , not much unlike to that in pauls church-yard ; sir john rudstone mayor , caused the same pulpit-crosse in his life time to be builded , the church-yard to be enlarged , by ground purchased of the next parish ; and also hansome houses to be raised , for lodging of quire men , such as at that time were assistants to divine service , then daily sung by note in that church . then have ye burchover lane , so called of burchover the first builder , and owner thereof , now corruptly called birchin lane ; the north half whereof , is the said cornhill ward , the other half is of langborn ward . this lane and the high-street neer adjoyning , hath been of old inhabited ( for the most part ) with wealthy drapers , in whose room now mercers and silkmen are come ; from birchover lane , on that side the street down to the stocks , in the reign of henry the sixth , had ye ( for the most part ) dwelling there , frippers or upholders , that sold apparrel and old houshold stuff . the popes-head taverne , with other houses adjoyning , strongly builded of stone , hath of old time been all in one , appertaining to some great estate , or rather to the king of this realm , as may be supposed , both by largenesse thereof , and by the armes , to wit , three leopards passant gardant , which was the whole arms of england , before the reign of edward the third , that quartered them with the armes of france , the three flower de luces . of the eighth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called langborn ward . vve are now by discourse , and degrees of observation , come to langbourn ward , so called of a long bourn of sweet water , which ( of old time ) breaking out into fenne church-street , ran down the same street , and lombard street to the west end of st. mary woolnoths church , where turning south , and breaking into small sloares , rills , or streams , it gave the name of share-borne lane , or south-borne lane , ( as we read ) because it ran south to the river of of thames ; this ward beginneth at the west end of ealdgate ward in fen-church street , by the ironmongers hall , which is on the north side of that street , at a place called culver alley , where sometime was a lane , through which men went into lime-street , but that being long since stopped up , for suspition of theeves that lurked there by night , as is shewed in lime-street ward ; there is now in this said alley a tennis-court , &c. fen-church-street , took that name of fenny or moorish ground , so made by means of this bourne , which passed through it ; and therefore ( until this day ) in the guild-hall of this city , that ward is called by the name of langbourne , and fenny about , and not otherwise ; yet others be of opinion , that it took that name of faenum , that is , hay sold there , as grass-street took the name of grasse or herbs there sold . in the midst of this street standeth a small parish church called , s. gabriel fen-church , corruptly fan-church . helming legget esquire , by licence of edward the third , in the fourty ninth of his reign , gave one tenement , with a currelarge thereto belonging , and a garden with an entrey thereto leading , unto sir john hariot , parson of fen-church , and to his successors for ever , the house to be a parsonage house , the garden to be a church-yard or burying place for the parish . then have ye lombard street , so called of the longobards , and other merchants strangers of divers nations , assembling there twice every day : of what original , or continuance it hath been , ther 's no record , more than that edward the second , in the twelfth of his reign , confirmed a messuage sometime belonging to robert turk abutting on lombard street toward the south , and toward cornhill on the north , for the marchants of florence , which proveth that street to have had the name of of lombard street before the reign of edward the second ; the meeting of which merchants , and others there , continued until the th of december in the year , on the which day , the said merchants began to make their meetings at the burse , a place then new builded for that purpose , in the ward of cornhill ; and was since by her majesty , queen elizabeth , named the royal exchange . on the north side of this ward , is lime street , one half whereof ( on both sides ) is of this langbourne ward , and therein on the west side , is the pewterers hall , which company were admitted to be a brotherhood in the thirteenth of edward the fourth . at the south west corner of limestreet , standeth a fair parish church of st. dionys , called back-church , new builded in the reign of henry the sixth . john bugge esquire , was a great benefactor to that work , as appeareth by his arms , three water-budgets , and his crest a morions head , graven in the stone-work of the quire , at the upper end on the north side , where he was buried . also john darby , alderman , added thereunto , a fair ile or chappel on the south side , and was there buried , about the year . he gave ( besides sundry ornaments ) his dwelling house , and others unto the said church ; the lady wich , sir edward osborn , sir james harvey , with divers other persons , and benefactors to that church , lie interred there . then by the four corners ( so called of fen-church-street in the east , bridge-street on the south , grasse-street on the north , and lumbard-street on the west ) in lumbard-street is one fair parish church , called alhallowes grasse-church in lumbard-street ; for so 't is read in evidences of record ; for that the grasse-market , went down that way , when that street was farre broader then now it is , being straightned by incroachments now . this church was new builded : john warner , armorer , and then grocer , sheriff . builded the south i le , his sonne robert warner , esquire , finished it , in the year . the pewterers were benefactors towards the north i le , &c. the steeple , or bel-tower thereof , was finished in the year . about the . of henry the th , the fair stone-porch of this church , was brought from the late dissolved priory of st. john of jerusalem , by smithfield , so was the frame of their bells ; but the bells being bought , were never brought thither , by reason that one old vvarner , draper of that parish deceasing , his sonne mark vvarner , would not perform what his father had begun and appointed , so that fair steeple hath but one bell , as fryers were wont to use , &c. next is a common ostery for travellers , called the george , of such a signe . this is said to have pertained to the earl ferrers , and was his london lodging in lumbardstreet . and that in the year . a brother of the said earl , being there privilyslain in the night , was there thrown down into the dirty street . next is the parish church of st. edmond , the king and martyr , in lumbard-street , by the south corner of birchover lane. this church is also called st. edmond grasse-church , because the said grasse-market came down so low ; sir john m●lburn , and sir vvilliam chester , both lord maiors , with others , have monuments in this church . from this church down lombard-street , by birchovers lane , ( the one half of which lane is of this ward ) and so down , be divers fair houses ; namely , one with a fair fore-front towards the street , builded by sir martin bowes , goldsmith , since maior of london . and then one other , sometime belonging to william de la pole , earl of suffolk in the . of richard the second , and was his marchants house , and so down towards the stocks market , lacking but some three houses thereof . the south side of this ward beginneth in the east , at the chain to be drawn thwart mart-lane , up into fenchurch-street , and so west , by the north end of mincheon-lane , to st. margaret pattens street , or rood lane , and down that street to the mid-way , towards st. margarets church , then by philpot-lane , ( so called of sir john philpot that dwelled there , and was owner thereof ) and down that lane , some six or eight houses , on each side , is all of this ward . then by grasse-church corner , into lumbard-street , to st. clements lane , and down the same to st. clements church , then down st. nicholas lane , and down the same to st. nicholas church , and the same church is of this ward . then to abchurch lane , and down some small portion thereof ; then down sherborn-lane , a part thereof , and a part of bearbinder-lane , be of this ward , and then down lumbard-street , to the sign of the angel , almost to the corner over against the stocks market . on the south side of this ward , somewhat within mart-lane , have ye the parish church of alhallowes , commonly called stane-church , ( as may be supposed ) for a difference from other churches of that name in this city , which ( of old time ) were builded of timber , and since were builded of stone ; sir john test , knight of the holy sepulcher , hath here a monument with others . then is the parish church of st. nicholas acon , or hacon ( for so it is read in the records ) in lombardstreet . sir john bridges draper , maior . newly repaired this church , and imbattelled it , and was there buried . then is there ( in the high street ) a comely parish church of st. mary wolnoth , of the nativity ; the reason of which name , the annals make no mention ; this church is lately new builded , sir hugh price goldsmith , mayor in the first year of henry the th , keeper of the kings exchange at london , and one of the governours of the kings mint in the tower of london , under william lord hastings , the fifth of edward the fourth deceased , . he builded in this church a chappel , called the charnel ; as also part of the body of the church , and of the steeple , and gave money toward the finishing thereof , besides the stone that he had prepared ; he was buried in the body of the church , and guy brice or boys , was also buried there , with some other of note . simon eyre , . he gave the tavern , called the cardinals hat in lumbard-street , with a tenement annexed on the east part of the tavern , and a mansion behind the east tenement ; together , with an ally from lumbard-street to corn-hill , with the appurtenances ; all which were by him new builded , toward a brother-hood of our lady in st. mary wolnoths church : among others sir martin bowes hath a monument there , who anno . gave certain lands for discharging langborn ward , of all fifteens granted by parliament . of the ninth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called billingsgate ward . we will now go south-east , and take a survey of billingsgate-ward , which beginneth at the west end of tower-street ward in thames-street , about smarts key , and runneth down along that street , on the south side , to st. magnus church , at the bridge foot , and on the north side of the said thames-street , from over against smarts key till over against the north-west corner of st. magnus church aforesaid . on this north side of thames-street , is st. mary hill lane , up to st. margarets church , and then part of st. margarets pattens street , at the end of st. mary hills lane ; next out of thames-street , is lucas lane ; and then buttolph lane ; and at the north end thereof philpot lane , then is there rother lane , of old time so called ; and thwart the same lane is little east-cheape , and these be the bounds of billingsgate ward . touching the principal ornaments within this ward , on the south side of thamesstreet , beginning at the east end thereof ; there is first the said smarts key , so called , of one smart , sometime owner thereof . the next is billingsgate , whereof the whole ward taketh name , the which ( leaving out of the roman's faining it to be builded by king belinus , a britain , long before the incarnation of christ ) is at this present , a large water-gate , port , or harbor for ships and boats , commonly arriving there with fish , both fresh and salt , shell-fishes , salt , oranges , onions , and other fruits and roots , wheat , rie , and grain of divers sorts , for service of the city , and the parts of this realm adjoyning . this gate is now more frequented , then of old time , when the queens hith was used , as being appointed by the kings of this realm , to be the special or only port , for taking up of all such kind of marchandizes , brought to this city by strangers and forraigners , because the draw-bridge of timber at london bridge , was then to be raised , and drawn up for passage of ships , with tops to the said queen hith . touching the ancient customs of billingsgate , in the reign of edward the third ; every great ship landing there , paid for standage , two pence , every little ship with orelocks , a peny : the lesser boat , called a battle , a half-peny ; or two quarters of corn measured , the king was to have one farthing ; of a combe of corn , a peny , of every weight going out of the city , a half peny , of two quarters of sea-coals measured , a farthing ; and of every tun of ale , going out of england , beyond the seas , by marchants strangers , four pence ; of every thousand herrings , a farthing , except the franchises , &c. next to this is , sommers key , which likewise took that name , of one sommer , dwelling there , as did lyon key , of one lyon , owner thereof , and since of the signe of the lyon. then is there a fair wharf or key , called buttolphs-gate , by that name so called , in the time of william the conqueror , and before him , of edward the confessor . next is the parish of st. buttolph , a comely church , and hath had many fair monuments therein , now much defaced and gone ; among others , there is william rainwel and his sonne , who gave a stone-house to be a vestry to that church ; with lands and tenements to discharge billingsgate , dowgate , and algate , of fifteens granted to the king , and other tolls : this was about the year . this parish of st. buttolph , is no great thing ; notwithstanding , divers strangers are there harboured , as may appear by a presentment , not many years since made , of strangers inhabitants in the ward of billingsgate , in these words . in billingsgate ward , were one and fifty housholds of strangers , whereof thirty of these housholders , inhabited in the parish of st. buttolph , in the chief and principal houses , where they give twenty pounds a year , for an house letten , used to be let before for four marks : the nearer they dwell to the water side , the more they give for houses ; and within . years before , there was not in the whole ward above three nether landers ; at which time , there was within the said parish , levied for the help of the poor , seven and twenty pounds by the year ; but since they came so plentifully thither , there cannot be gathered above eleven pounds ; the strangers being exempted , to contribute to such charges as other citizens do , in regard they much advance the trade of the city . on the north side is bosse alley , so called of a bosse of spring-water , continually running , which standeth by billingsgate , against this alley ; and was sometimes made by the executors of richard whittington . then is st. mary hill lane which runneth up north from billingsgare , to the end of st. margaret pattens , commonly called rood-lane ; and the greatest half of that lane , is also of billingsgate ward . in this st. mary hill lane , is the fair parish church of st. mary on the hill , called so , because of the ascent from billingsgate . in the year . in the moneth of april , as labourers digged for the foundation of a wall , within the church of st. mary hill , near unto billingsgate , they found a coffin of rotten timber , and therein the corps of a woman , whole of skin , and of bones undissevered , with the joynts of her arms , plyable , without breaking of the skin , upon whose sepulcher this was engraven . here lie the bodies of richard hackney , fishmonger , and alice his wife ; the which . richard , was sheriff , in the fifteenth of edward the second . her body was kept above ground three or four dayes , without noyance ; but then it waxed unfavory , and was again buried . this lane on both sides , is furnished with fair houses for marchants , and hath at the north end thereof , one other lane , called st. margaret pattens , because of old time , pattens were usually there made and sold ; but of latter time , this is called rood lane , of a rood there placed , in the church-yard of st. margaret , whilest the old church was taken down , and again new builded ; during which time , the oblations made to this rood , were imployed towards building of the church ; but in the year . about the . of may in the morning , the said rood was found to have been in the night preceding ( by people unknown ) broken all to pieces ; together , with the tabernacle , wherein it had bin placed . then have ye another lane , called rother lane , or red rose lane , of such a signe there , now commonly called pudding lane , because the butchers of east-cheape , have their scalding-house for hoggs there , & their puddings , with other filth of beasts , are voided down that way to their dung-boats on the thames : in this church you have the sepulchers of sundry worthy men , among other of mr. vandepute , a very worthy marchant , whose son mr. giles vandepute , was lately buried also there . then on the west side of st. mary hill church , is a lane called rope-lane of old , and after lucas-lane , but now love lane ; then have you the parish of st. andrew hubbart in east-cheape ; then is there buttolph-lane , and afterwards the church of st. george buttolph-lane , which though small , hath divers monuments . of the tenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called bridg-ward within . we will direct our pace downward now , and take a survey of bridge ward within , so called of london bridge , which bridge is a principal part of that ward , and beginning at the stulps on the south end by southwark , runneth along the bridge , and north up bridge-street , commonly called ( of the fish market ) new fish-street , from fish-street hill up grass-street , to the north corner of grass-church . all the bridge is replenished on both the sides , with large , fair , and beautiful buildings , inhabitants for the most part rich marchants , and other wealthy cittizens , mercers , and haberdashers . in new fish-street , be fishmongers and fair taverns ; on fish-street hill , and grasse-street , men of divers trades , grocers , and haberdashers . in grass-street , have ye one fair conduit of sweet water , castellated with crest and vent , made by the appointment of thomas hill mayor , , who gave by his testament a hundred marks towards the conveyance of water to this place ; it was begun by his executors in the year , and finished of his goods , whatsoever it cost . on the east side of this bridge ward , have ye the fair parish church of saint magnus , in the which church have been buried many men of good repute , whose monuments are now for the most part defaced . among others sir richard morgan chief justice of the common-pleas , and morris griffith , bishop of rochester , both born in wales about the year . then is the parish church of st. margarets fish-shreet hill ; a proper church , but monument it hath none of any note . up higher on this hill , is the parish church of st. leonard milk-church , so termed of one vvilliam melker , an especial builder thereof , but commonly called saint leonards east-cheap , because it standeth at east-cheap corner . this church , and from thence into little east-cheap , to the east end of the said church , is of the bridge ward . then higher in grasse-street , is the parish church of st. bennet called grass-church , of the herbe market there kept ; this church also is of the bridge ward , and the farthest north-end thereof . the customes of grasse-church market , in the reign of edward the third , as appears in a book of customes , were these : every forreign cart laden with corn , or malt , coming thither to be sold , was to pay one half penny ; every forreign cart bringing cheese , two pence ; every cart of corn and cheese together , ( if the cheese be more worth than the corn ) two pence ; and if the corn be more worth than the cheese , it was to pay a half-penny ; of two horses laden with corn or malt , the bayliff had one farthing ; the carts of the franchise of the temple , and of saint mary le grand , paid a farthing ; the cart of the hospitall of st. john of jerusalem , paid nothing of their proper goods , and if the corn were brought by merchants to sell again , the load paid a half penny , &c. on the west side of this ward , at the north end of london bridge , is a part of thames street , which is also of this ward , to wit , so much as of old time was called stock-fishmonger row , of the stock-fish-mongers dwelling there ; down west to a water-gate , of old time called ebgate , since ebgate lane , and now the old swan , which is a common stair on the thames , but the passage is very narrow , by means of encroachments . on the south side of thames street , about the mid-way betwixt the bridge foot and ebgate lane , standeth the fishmongers hall , and divers other fair houses for merchants . these fishmongers were sometimes of two several companies , to wit , stock-fishmongers and salt fishmongers . of whole antiquity we read that by the name of fishmongers of london , they were for fore-stalling , &c. contrary to the laws and constitutions of the city , fined to the king at marks , the eighteenth of king edward the first ; moreover , that the said fishmongers hearing of the great victory obtained by the same king against the scots , in the six & twentieth of his reign , made a triumphant and solemn shew through the city , with divers pageants , and more than a thousand horsemen , &c. these two companies of stock-fishmongers and salt-fishmongers , of old time had their severall halls , to wit , in thames street twain , in new fish-street twain , in old fish-street twain , in each place one for either company , in all six several halls ; the company was so great , that it lies upon records , that these fishmongers have been jolly citizens , and six mayors have been of their company in the space of four and twenty years , to wit , walter turk , john lofkin , john wroth , , john pechie , simon morden and william wallworth . it followed , that in the year , through the counsel of john northhampton draper , then being mayor , vvilliam essex , john more mercer , and richard northbury , the said fishmongers were greatly troubled , hindred of their liberties , and almost destroyed by combinations made against them , so that in a parliament at london , the controversie depending between the mayor and aldermen of london , and the fishmonger , nic. exton speaker for the fishmongers , prayeth the king to receive him and his company into his protection for fear of corporal hurt , whereupon it was commanded , either part to keep the peace , upon pain of losing all they had ; hereupon , a fishmonger starting up , replyed , that the complaint brought against them by the movers , &c. was but matter of malice , for that the fishmongers , in the reign of edward the d. being chief officers of the city , had for their misdemeanors then done , committed the chief exhibitors of those petitions to prison . in this parliament the fishmongers ( by the kings charter patents ) were restored to their liberties ; notwithstanding , in the year next following , john cavendish fishmong●r , craveth the peace against the chancellour of england , which was granted , and he put in sureties , the earls of stafford and salisbury , and challengeth the chancellour for taking a bribe of ten pounds , for favour of cavendish case , which the chancellour by oath upon the sacrament avoideth . in further triall , it was found , that the chancellours man ( without his masters privity ) had taken it ; whereupon cavendish was judged to prison , and to pay the chancellour marks for slandering him . after this , many of the nobles assembled at reading , to suppresse the seditious sheirs of the said john northampton , or combarton , late mayor , that had attempted great and hainous enterprises , of the which he was convict ; and when he stood mute nor would utter one word , it was decreed , that he should be committed to perpetual prison , his goods confiscate to the kings use , and that he should not come within a hundred miles of london , during his life ; he was therefore sent to the castle of fintegall in the confines of cornwall ; and in the mean space the kings servants spoiled his goods : john moore , richard northbury , and others were likewise there convict , and condemned to perpetual prison , and their goods confiscate , for certain congregations by them made against the fishmongers in the city of london , as is aforesaid , but they obtained and had the kings pardon in the fourteenth of his reign , as appeareth upon record and thus were all these troubles appealed . those stock-fishmongers and salt-fishmongers were united in the year , the eight and twentieth of henry the eighth , their hall to be but one , in the house given unto them by sir john cornwall , lord fanhope , and of ampthull , in the parish of saint michael in crooked lane , in the reign of henry the sixth . thus much was thought remarkable to be spoken of the fishmongers , men ignorant of their antiquities , and not able to shew a reason why , or when they were in a mity with the goldsmiths , do give part of their arms , &c. neither to say ought of sir william walworth ( the glory of their company ) more than that he slew jack straw , which some do question : for the said straw was after the overthrow of the rebels , taken , and by judgement of the mayor beheaded , whose confession at the gallows is extant in mr. stows annales , where also is set down the most valiant and praise-worthy act of sir william walworth , against the principal rebel wat tyler . on that south side of thames street , have ye drink-water wharf , and fish wharf , in the parish of saint magnus . on the north side of thames street is saint martins lane , a part of which lane is also of this ward , to wit , on the one side to a well of water , and on the other side as far up as against the said well . then is st. michaels lane part whereof is also of this ward , up to a well there &c. then at the upper end of new fish-street , is a lane turning towards st. michaels lane , and is called crooked-lane , of the crooked windings thereof ; above this lanes end , upon fish-street hill , is one great house for the most part builded with stone , which pertained sometime to edward the black prince , snne to edward the third , who was in his life time lodged there ; and 't was called the prince of vvales his court , which was afterward for a long time a common hostry , having the sign of the black bell. of the eleventh ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called candle-wick ward . we will now see what light antiquity can give us of candle-wick street , or candle-wright street ward . it beginneth at the east end of great east-cheap , it passeth west through east-cheap to candle-wright street , and thorough the same down to the north end of suffolk lane : on the south side , and down that lane by the west end of st. lawrence church-yard , which is the farthest west part of that ward ; the street of great east-cheap , is so called of the market there kept , in the east part of the city , as vvest-cheap is a market so called , being in the west . this east-cheap is now a flesh-market of butchers , there dwelling on both sides of the street : it had sometime also cooks mixed amongst the butchers , and such other as sold victuals ready dressed of all sorts ; for of old time , when friends did meet , and were disposed to be merry , they never went to dine and sup in taverns , but to the cooks , where they called for meat what them liked , which they alwayes sound ready dressed , and at a reasonable rate ; for v●ntners then sold only wine . in the year , the eleventh of henry the fourth , upon the even of saint john baptist , the kings sonnes , thomas and john , being in east-cheape at supper , ( or rather at break-fast ; for it was after the watch was broken up , betwixt two and three a clock after mid-night ) a great debate happened between their men , and other of the court , which lasted one houre , till the maior and sheriffs , with other citizens appeased the same ; for the which , afterwards , the said maior , aldermen and sheriffs , were called to answer before the king , his sons , and divers lords , being highly moved against the city ; at which time , william gascoigne , chief justice , required the maior and aldermen , for the citizens to put them in the kings grace ; whereunto they answered , that they had not offended , but ( according to the law ) had done their best , in stinting debate , and maintaining of the peace ; upon which answer , the king remitted all his ire , and dismissed them . and to prove this east-cheape to be a place replenished with cooks , it may appear by a song , called london lick-penny , made by lidgate , a monk of bury , in the reign of henry the fifth , in the person of a country-man , comming to london , and travelling thorough the same . in west-cheape ( saith the song ) he was called on to buy fine lawn , paris thred , cotton umble , and other linnen clothes , and such like , ( he speaketh of no silk . ) in corn-hill , to buy old apparel , and houshold-stuffe , where he was forced to buy his own hood , which he had lost in westminster-hall . in candlewright-street , drapers profered him cheap cloth. in east-cheape , the cooks cryed hot ribs of beef rosted , pies well baked , and other victuals . there was clattering of pewter-pots , harp , pipe and sawtry ; yea by cock , nay by cock , for greater oaths were spared , some sang of jenkin , and julian , &c. all which melody liked well the passenger , but he wanted money to abide by it ; and therefore gat him into gravesend-barge , and home into kent . candlewright ( so called in old records , of the guild-hall of st. mary overies , and other ) or candlewick-street , took that name ( as may be supposed ) either of chaundlers , or makers of candles , both of wax and tallow , for candle-wright is a maker of candles , and of wick , which is the cotton , or yarn thereof , or otherwise which is the place where they used to work them , as scalding wick by the stocks-market , was called of the poulterers dressing and scalding their poultry there . and in divers countries , dairy-houses , or cottages , wherein they make butter and cheese , are usually called wickes . there dwelled also of old time , divers weavers of woollen clothes , brought in by edward the d ; for i read that in the four and twentieth of his reign , the weavers , brought out of flanders , were appointed their meetings to be in the church-yard of st. lawrence poultney ; and the weavers of brabant , in the church-yard of st. mary sommerset : there were then in this city , weavers of divers sorts , to wit , of drapery or tapery , and nappery : these weavers of candlewicke street , being in short time worn out , their place is now possessed by rich drapers , sellers of woollen cloth , &c. on the north side of this ward , at the west end of east-cheape , have ye st. clements lane ; a part whereof , ( on both sides ) is of candlewicke street ward , to wit , somewhat north , beyond the parish church of st. clement in east-cheape . though this church be small , yet there are some comely monuments in it , among others of william chartney , and william overy , who founded a chantry there . next is st. nicholas lane , for the most part on both sides , of this ward , almost to st. nicholas church . then is abchurch lane , which is on both sides , almost wholly of this ward : the parish church there ( called of st. mary abchurch , apechurch , or upchurch , as i have read it ) standeth somewhat near unto the south end thereof , on a rising ground . it is a fair church , simon de winchcombe , founded a chauntery there , the th of richard the d , john littleton founded another , and thomas hondon another . here are likewise some remarkable monuments , particularly of sir james , and sir john branch , both lord mayors of london , about the year . on the south side of this ward , beginning again at the east , is st. michaels lane ; which lane is almost wholly of this ward , on both sides down towards thames street , to a well or pump there ; on the east side of this lane is crooked lane aforesaid , by st. michaels church , towards new fishstreet . one of the most ancient houses in this lane , is called the leaden porch , and belonged sometime to sir john merston , knight , the first of edward the th ; it is now called the swan in crooked lane , possessed of strangers , and retailing of rhenish wine . the parish church of this st. michaels , was sometime but a small and homely thing , standing upon part of that ground , wherein now standeth the parsonage house , and the ground thereabout was a filthy plot , by reason of the butchers in east-cheape , who made the same their lay-stall . vv. de burgo , gave two messuages to that church in candlewick street , . john loveken , stock-fish monger , four times maior , builded ( in the same ground ) this fair church of st. michael , and was there buried in the quire , under a fair tombe , with the images of him and his wife in alabaster : the said church hath bin since increased , with a new quire , and side chappels by sir w. walworth , stock-fishmonger , maior , sometime servant to the said john loveken ; also the tombe of loveken was removed , and a flat stone of gray marble , garnished with plates of copper , laid on him , as it yet remaineth in the body of the church . this william walworth is reported by some , to have slain jack straw ; but jack straw being afterward taken , was first adjudged by the said mayor , and then executed by the losse of his head in smithfield : true it is , that this william walworth , being a man wise , learned , and of an incomparable manhood , arrested wat tyler , a presumptuous rebel , upon whom no man durst lay hand , whereby he delivered the king and kingdom , from most wicked tyranny of traytors : the mayor arrested him on the head with a sound blow ; whereupon , wat tylar furiously stroke the mayor with his dagger , but hurt him not , by reason he was well armed , the maior having received his stroke , drew his ba●●iliard , and grievously wounded wat in the neck ; and withall , gave him a great blow on the head ; in the which conflict , an esquire of the kings house , called john cavendish , drew his sword , and wounded wat twice or thrice , even to the death , and wat spurring his horse , cryed to the commons to revenge him : the horse bears him about eighty foot from the place , and there he fell down half dead , and by and by , they which attended on the king , environed him about , so as he was not seen of his company ; many of them thrust him in , in divers places of his body , and drew him into the hospital of st. bartholomew ; from whence again the maior caused him to be drawn into smithfield , and there to be beheaded : in reward of his service , ( the people being dispersed ) the king commanded the maior to put a basenet on his head ; and the mayor requesting why he should so do , the king answered , he being much bound unto him , would make him knight ; the mayor answered , that he was neither worthy , nor able to take such an estate upon him ; for he was but a marchant , and had to live by his marchandize only : notwithstanding , the king made him to put on his basenet , and then with a sword in both his hands , he strongly struck him on the neck● as the manner was then , and the same day he made three other citizens knights ( for his sake ) to wit , john philpot , nicholas brember , and robert launde , aldermen . the king gave to the maior , a hundred pound land by year , and to each of the other forty pound land , yearly , to them and their heires for ever . after this , in the same year , the said sir william walworth , founded in the said parish church of st. michael , a colledge , of a master and nine priests , or chaplains , and deceasing . was there buried in the north chappel by the quire ; but his monument being ( amongst other by bad people ) defaced in the reign of edward the sixth ; and again , since renewed by the fishmongers , for lack of knowledge , whatsoever before had been written in this epitaph , they followed a fabulous book , and wrote jack straw , instead of wat tylar . it hath also been , and is now grown to a common opinion , that in reward of this service done by the said william wallworth , against the rebel , that king richard added to the arms of this city ( which was argent , a plane crosse gules ) a sword , or dagger , ( for so they terme it ) whereof mr. john stow makes a doubt ; but to the contrary , he alledgeth , that in the fourth year of richard the second , in a full assembly made in the upper . chamber of the guild-hall , summoned by this william walworth , then mayor , as well of aldermen , as of the common councel , in every ward , for certain affaires concerning the king , it was there by common consent agreed and ordained , that the old seal of the office of the majoralty of the city , being very small , old , unapt , and un●omely for the honour of the city , should be broken , and one other new should be had , which the said mayor commanded to be made artificially , and honourably for the exercise of the said office thereafter , in place of the other . in which new seal , besides the images of peter and paul , which of old were rudely engraven , there should be under the feet of the said images , a shield of the arms of the said city , perfectly graven with two lyons supporting the same , and two serjeants of arms ; in the other part , one , and two tabernacles ; in which , above , should stand two angels , between whom ( above the said images of peter and paul ) should be set the glorious pirgan . this being done , the old seal of the office was delivered to richard odi●am , chamberlain , who brake it , and in place thereof , was delivered the new seal to the said mayor , to use in his office of majoralty , as occasion should require . this new seal seemeth to be made before william walworth was knighted ; for he is not there intituled sir , as afterwards he was ; and certain it is , that the same new seal then made , is now in use , and none other in that office of the majoralty , which may suffice to answer the former supposition , without shewing of any evidence sealed with the old seal , which was the crosse , and sword of st. paul , and not the dagger of william walworth . in this church are sundry ancient monuments , of mayors and sheriffs of london . west from this st. michaels lane , is st. martins orgar lane , by candlewick-street , which lane is , on both sides down to a well , replenished with fair and large houses for marchants ; and it is of this ward . one of which houses was sometime called beauchamps inne , as pertaining unto them of that family . thomas arundel , arch bishop of canterbury commonly , for his time was lodged there . the parish church of st. martin orgar , is a small thing . william crowmer , maior , builded a proper chappel on the south side thereof , and was buried there in an ancient tombe . where are some others , of maiors and aldermen . then is there one other lane , called st. lawrence , of the parish church there . this lane , down to the south side of the church-yard , is of candlewick street vvard . the parish church of st. laurence , was increased with a chappel of jesus , by thomas cole , for a master and chaplain ; the which chappel and parish church , was made a colledge of jesus , and of corpus christi , for a master and seven chaplains , by john poultney maior , and was confirmed by edward the third , the twentieth of his raign ; of him was this church called st. laurence poultney in candlewick street ; which colledge was valued at seventy nine pounds , seventeen shillings eleven pence , and was surrendred in the reign of edward the sixth . in this church , robert and henry radcliffe , earls of sussex , lie buried . of the twelfth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called wallbrook ward . we will now proceed , and make a perambulation of walbrook vvard , which beginneth at the vvest end of candlewick street vvard , it runneth down candlewick street , vvest toward budge rowe ; it hath on the north side thereof , st. swithens lane , so called of st. swithens , a parish church by london-stone ; this lane is replenished ( on both the sides ) with fair builded houses , and is vvholly of vvallbrook vvard . the said parish church of st. sw●then , standeth at the south vvest corner of this lane ; licence vvas procured , to new build and increase the said church and steeple , in the year . sir john hend draper , and maior , was an especial benefactor thereunto , as appeareth by his arms in the glasse vvindows , even in the tops of them , which is in a field argent , a chief azure , a lyon passant argent , a cheueron azure , three escalops argent ; ralph jo●eline , maior of london , among others , hath a monument in this church , having bin a benefactor to it . on the south side of this high street , near unto the channel , is pitched upright a great stone , called london stone , fixed in the ground very deep , fastned with barres of iron , and otherwise so strongly set , that if carts do run against it , through negligence , the vvheels be broken , and the stone it self unshaken . the cause vvhy this stone was there set , the time when , or other memory thereof is none , but that the same hath long continued there , is manifest , namely since ( or rather before ) the conquest ; for in the end of a fair written gospel book , given to christs church in canterbury , by ethelstane , king of the vvest saxons , mention is made of lands and rents in london , belonging to the said church , whereof one parcel is described to lie near unto london stone . of latter time we read , that in the year of christ . the first of king stephen , a fire , which began in the house of one ailward , near unto london-stone , consumed all east to ealdgate , in which fire the priory of the holy trinity was burnt , and vvest to st. erkenwalds shrine in pauls church , and these be the eldest notes that i read thereof . some have said , this stone to be set there , as a mark in the middle of the city within the wall , but in truth it standeth far nearer to the river of thames , than to the wall of the city . some others have said , the same to be set , for the tendering and making of payment by debtors to their creditors , at their appointed dayes and times , till of latter time , payments were more usually made at the font in ponts church , and now most commonly at the royal exchange ; some again have imagined , the same to be set up by john or thomas london-stone dwelling there against it ; but more likely it is , that such men have taken name of the stone , than the stone of them : as did john at noke , and thomas at stile , william at w●ll or at well &c. but the most probable opinion , is , that it was placed there by the ro●ans for a milliare , as was observed elswhere in this discourse . down west from this parish church , and ●rom london-stone , have ye wallbrooke corner , ●rom whence runneth up a street north to the stocks called walbrook ; because it standeth on the east side of the same brook by the bank thereof , and the whole ward ●aketh name of that street . on the east side of this stree● , and at the north corner thereof , is the stocks market , which had this b●ginning . about the year of christ , henry wallis mayor , caused divers houses in this city to be builded towards the maintenance of london-bridge , namely , in one void place neare unto the parish church called wooll-church ; on the north side thereof , where sometime ( the way being very large and broad ) had stood a pair of stocks for punishment of offenders ; this building took name of tho●e stooks , and was appointed ( by him ) to be a market-place for fish & flesh , in the mid●t of the city : other houses be builded in other places , as by patent of edward the first it doth appear , dated the ●enth of his reign . after this , in the year , the seventeenth of edward the second , a decree was made by hamond chickwell mayor , that none should sell fish or flesh , out of the markets appointed , to wit , ●ridge-street , east-cheap , old fish-street , st. nicholas shambles , and the said stocks , on pain to forfeit such fish or flesh as were there sold , for the first time ; and the second time to lose their freedom : which act was made by co●mandment of the king , under his letters patents , dated at the tower the th of his reign , & then was this stocks let to farm for forty six pounds thirteen shillings four pence by year : this stocks market was again begun to be builded , in the year , in the eleaventh of henry the fourth , and was finished in the year next following . in the year , the same was rented fifty six pounds nineteen shillings ten pence ; and in the year , john cotes being mayor , there was in this stocks market , for fishmongers five and twenty boards or stalls , rented yearly to pounds , shillings . pence . there was for butchers boards or stalls rented at pounds , shillings pence , and there were also chambers above sixteen , ●ented at five pounds , thirteen shillings four pence , in all , eighty two pounds three shillings . next unto this stocks is the parish church of st. mary vvool-church , so called of a beam placed in the church-yard ▪ which was thereof called wool-church haw , of the tronage or weig●ing of wooll there used , and to verifie this , we find amongst the customs of london written in french , in the reign of edward the second , a chapter intituled , les customes de vvooll-church haw , wherein is set down , what was there to be paid for every parcel of wooll weighed ▪ this tronage , or weighing of wooll , till the sixth of richard the second , was there continued : john church-man then builded the custome-house upon vvooll key , to serve for the said tonnage as is before shewed in tower-street ward . this church is reasonable fair and large , and was afterwards new builded , by licence granted in the twentieth of henry the sixth , with condition to be builded fifteen foot from the stocks market , for sparing of light to the said stocks , the pa●son of this parish is to have four marks the year , for tyth of the said stocks , paid him by the masters of the bridge-house , by a special decree , made the second of henry the seventh . in the year about , john vvingar lord m●yor , gave two basons of ●ilver to this church ; and richard shore sheriff of london made the porch at the west end : they lye both there entombed . from the stocks market , and this parish church east , up into lombard-street , some four or five houses on a side , and also on the south side of vvooll-church have ye bear-binder lane , a part whereof is of this vvallbrook ward . then down ●ower in the street called ▪ wallbrook , is one other fair church of st. stephen , builded new on the ea●● side thereof ; for the old church stood on the west side , in place where now standeth the parsonage ho●●e , and therefore so much nearer to the brook , even on the bank. this church was finished in the year . the breadth thereof is sixty seven foot , and length one hundred twenty five foot , the church-yard ninty foot in length , and thirty seven in breadth , and more . rob●rt vvhittingham ( made knight of the bath ) in the yeer , purchased the patronage of this church , from john duke of bedford , unkle to henry the sixth ; and edward the fourth , in the second of his reign , gave it to sir richard lee then mayor , who ileth there hansomely entomb'd , having bin twice lord maior , with divers others . lower down from this parish church , be ●ivers fair houses , namely one , wherein of late sir richard baker , a knight of kent was lodged ; and wherein also dwelled mr. thomas gore , a mercha●t famous for hospita●ity . on the west side of this vvalbrook street , over against the stocks market , is a part of the high street , called the po●ltry ; on the south side west , till over against saint mildred● church , and the s●alding wike , is of this ward . then down again wallbrook street , some small distance , in buckles bury , a street so called of buckle , that ●ometime was owner thereof ; part of which street on both sides , three or four houses , to the course of the brook , is of this ward , and so down vvalb●ook street , to the south corner , from whence west , down budge row , some small distance , to an alley , and thorow that alley south , by the west end of st. johns church upon vvalbrook , by the south side and east end of the same , again to vvalbrook corner . this parish church is called , st john upon vvalbrook , because ●he west end thereof is on the very bank of walbrook by horshooe bridge , in horshooe-bridge street . this c●urch was also lately new builded : for about th● year , licence was granted by the mayor and communalty , to the parson and parish , for the inlarging thereof , with a piece of ground on the north part of the qu●re , one and twenty foot in length , seventeen foot in breadth , and three inches ; and on the south side of the quire , one foot of the common soyle . on the south side of walbrook ward , from candle-wick street , in the mid-way between london-stone and walbrook corner , is a little lane with a turn-pike in the middest thereof , and in the same a hansome parish church , called s. mary bothaw , or b●at-haw , by the erbar . this church being near unto downgate , on the river of thames , hath the addition of botha● or boat-haw , of near adjoyning to an haw or yard ▪ wherein ( of old time ) boats were made and landed from downgate to be mended , as may be suppo●ed ; for other reason i find none , why it should be so called . this church hath one remarkable thing in it , viz. the monument of the first lord mayor of london , sir henry fitz alwin ; his dwelling house remains yet in the parish , but divided to divers tenements ; mr. s●ow relates , that he was buried in the holy trinity within algate , but it is far more probable that he was buried here , because his arms are both upon the gravestone and the windows . of the thirteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called dowgate ward . we will now , following the thred of our discourse , descend to down-gate ward , which beginneth at the south end of wallbrook ward , over against the east corner of st. johns church upon walbrook , and descendeth on both the sides to downgate or dowgate , on the thames , and is so called of that down going or descending thereunto , and of this downgate the ward taketh name ; this ward turneth into thames street westward , some ten hou●es on a side , to the course of walbrooke , but east in thames street ( on both sides ) to ●●gate lane , or old swan , the land-side whereof hath many lanes turning up , as shall be shewed when we come to them . but first to begin with the high street called dowgate : at the upper end thereof , is a fair conduit of thames water , castellated , and made in the year , at the charges of the citizens , and is called ▪ the conduit upon dowgate . the descent of this street is such , that in the year , on the fourth of september in the afternoon , there fell a storm of rain , where-through the channels suddenly arose and ran with such a swift course towards the common-shores , that a lad of eighteen years old , minding to have leapt over the channel near unto the said conduit , was taken with the stream , and carried from thence towards the thames , with such a violence , that no man , with staves , or otherwise , could slay him till he came against a cart-wheele , that stood in the said water-gate ; before which time he was drowned and stark dead . on the west side of this street is tallow-chandlers hall , a hansome house , which company was incorporated in the second year of edward the fourth . somewhat lower standeth the skinners hall , a fair house , which was sometimes called copped hall by downgate , in the parish of st. john upon wallbrook . in the nineteenth year of edward the second , ralph cobham possessed it , with five shops , &c. this company of skinners in london , was incorporate by edward the third , in the first of his reign ; they had two brotherhoods of corpus christi viz. one at st. mary spittle , the other at st. mary bethlem without bishopsgate . richard the second ▪ in the eighteenth of his reign , granted them to make their two brotherhoods one , by the name of the fraternity of corpus christi of skinners ; divers royal persons were named to be founders , and brethren of this fraternity , to wit , kings six , dukes nine , earls two , lords one ▪ kings , edward the third , richard the second , henry the fifth , henry the sixth , and edward the fourth . this fraternity had also once every year on corpus christi day afternoon a a procession , which passed through the principal streets of the city , wherein was borne more than one hundred torches of wax , ( costly garnished ) burning light , and above two hundred clerks and priests in surplesses and coaps , singing ; after the which , were the sheriffs servants , the clarks of the compters , chaplains for the sheriffs , the mayors sergeants , the councel of the city , the mayor and aldermen in scarlet and then the skinners in their best liveries . then lower , was a colledge of priests , called jesus commons , a house well furnished with brasse , pewter , napery , plate , &c. besides a fair library well stored with books ; all which of old time were given to a number of priests that should keep commons there ; and as one left his place ( by death or otherwise ) another should be admitted into his room ; but this order within these . years , being discontinued , the said house was dissolved , and turned into tenements . down lower have ye elbowe lane , and at the corner thereof , was one great stone-house , called old-hall ; it is now taken down , and divers fair houses of timber placed there : this was sometime pertaining to william de pont le arch ▪ and by him given the priory of st. mary overy in southwark , in the reign of henry the first . in this elbow-lane , is the inholders hall , and other fair houses : this lane runneth west , and suddenly turneth south into thames-street , and therefore ( of that bending ) is called elbow-lane ▪ on the east side of this downgate-street , is the great old house before spoken of , called the erbar , neere to the church of st. mary bothaw ; geffery sc●●●p held it by the gift of edward the third , in the fourteenth of his reign : it belonged since , to john nevel , lord of raby ; then to richard nevel , earl of warwick ; nevel , earl of salisbury , was lodged there , . then it came to george duke of clarence , and his heires males , by the gift of edward the fourth , in the fourteenth year of his reign . it was lately builded by sir thomas pullison maior , and was afterward inhabited by sir francis drake , that famous navigator ; next to this great house , is a lane turning to bush-lane , ( of old time called carter-lane , of carts , and carmen having stables there ) and now called chequer-lane , or chequer-alley , of an inne called the chequer . in thamesstreet , on the thames side west from downgate , is greenwitch lane , of old time so called , and now fryer lane , of such a signe there set up . in this lane is the joyners hall , and other fair houses . then is granthams lane , so called of john grantham , sometime maior , and owner thereof , whose house was very large and strong , builded of stone , as appeareth by gates arched yet remaining ; ralph dodmer , first a brewer , then a mercer , maior . dwelled there , and kept his majoralty in that house : it is now a brew-house , as it was before . then is down-gate , whereof is spoken in another place ; east from this downgate , is cosin lane , named of one vvilliam cosin , that dwelled there in the fourth of richard the second , as divers his predecessors , father , granfather , &c. had done before him ; vvilliam cosin was one of the sheriffs , in the year . that house standeth at the south end of the lane , having an old and artificial conveyance , of thames water into it ; and is now a dye-house , called lambards messuage ; adjoyning to that house , there was lately erected an engine , to convey thames water unto downgate conduit aforesaid . next to this lane , on the east , is the steel-yard ( as they terme it ) a place for marchants of almain , that used to bring hither , as well wheat , rie , and other ●rain , as cables , ropes , masts , pitch , tarre , flax , hemp , linnen cloth , wainscots , wax , steel , and other profitable marchandizes ; unto these marchan●s in the year . henry the third , at the request of his brother richard , earl of cornwall , king of almain , granted , that all and singular the marchants , having a house in the city of london , commonly called guilda aula theutonicorum , should be maintained and upholden through the whole realm , by all such freedoms , and free usages or liberties , as by the king and his noble progenitors time they had , and enjoyed , &c. edward the first renewed and confirmed that charter o● liberties granted by his father ; and in the tenth year of the same edward , henry wallis being mayor , a great controversie did arise between the said mayor , and the marchants of the haunce of almaine , about the reparations of bishops-gate , then likely to fall ; for that the said marchants enjoyed divers priviledges , in respect of maintaining the said gate , which they now denyed to repair ; for the appeasing of which controversie , the king sent his writ to the treasurer , and baron of his exchequer commanding that they should make inquisition thereof ; before whom the marchants being called , when they were not able to discharge themselves , sith they enjoyed the liberties to them granted for the same , a precept was sent to the maior and sheriffs , to distrain the said marchants to make reparations ; namely , gerard marbod , alderman of the haunce , ralph de cussarde a citizen of colen , ludero de denauar , a burgesse of trivon , john of aras a burgesse of trivon , bartram of hamburgh , godestalk of hundondale , a burgesse of trivon , john de deal a burgesse of munster , then remaining in the said city of london , for themselves , and all other merchants of the haunce , and so they granted marks sterling , to the maior and citizens ; and undertook , that they and their successors , should ( from time to time ) repair the said gate , and bear the third part of the charges in money , and men to defend it , when need were . and for this agreement , the said maior and citizens , granted to the said marchants their liberties , which till of late they have enjoyed ; as namely , amongst other , that they might lay up their grain , which they brought into this realm , in inns , and sell it in their garners , by the space of forty dayes , after they had laid it up ; except by the mayor and citizens they were expresly forbidden , because of dearth , or other reasonable occasions . also they might have their aldermen , as they had bin accustomed ; provided alwayes , that he were of the city , and presented to the maior and aldermen of the city , so oft as any should be chosen , and should take an oath before them , to maintain justice in their courts , and to behave themselves in their office , according to law , and as it stood with the customs of the city . thus much for their priviledges , whereby it appeareth , that they were great marchants of corne , brought out of the east parts hither ; insomuch , that the occupiers of husbandry in this land , were enforced to complain of them , for bringing in such abundance , when the corn of this realm was at an easie price ; whereupon it was ordained by parliament , that no person should bring into any part of this realm , by way of marchandize , wheat , rie , or barley , growing out of the said realm , when the quarter of wheat exceeded not the price of six shillings eight pence , rie four shillings the quarter , and barley three shillings the quarter , upon forfeiture one half to the king , the other half to the seisor thereof : these marchants of the hawnce , had their guild-hall in thames-street , in the place aforesaid , by the said cosin-lane : their hall is large , builded of stone , with three arched gates towards the street ; the middlemost whereof , is far bigger than the other , and is seldom opened , the other two be mured up , the same is now called the old hall. in the th of richard the d , they hired one house next adjoyning to their old hall , which sometime belonged to richard lions , a famous lapidary , one of the sheriffs of london in the of edward the d ; and in the th of richard the d , by the rebels of kent , drawn out of that house , and beheaded in west-cheape : this also was a great house , with a large wharf on the thames ; and the way thereunto was called windgoose , or wildgoose-lane , which is now called windgoose-alley ; for that the same alley is ( for the most part ) builded on by the styliard marchants . the abbat of st. albans , had a messuage here , with a key given to him , in the . of henry the th . then is one other great house , which sometime pertained to john rainwel , stock-fishmonger , maior , and it was by him given to the maior and commonalty , to the end , that the profits thereof , should be disposed in deeds of piety ; which house , in the th of edward the th , was confirmed unto the said marchants , in manner following , viz. it is ordered by our soveraign lord , and his parliament , that the said marchants of almain , being of the company , called the guild-hall theutonicorum , ( or the flemish geld ) that now be , or hereafter shall be , shall have , hold , and enjoy to them and their successors for ever , the said place , called the steel-house , yielding to the maior and commonalty , an annual rent of threescore and ten pounds , three shillings , foure pence , &c. in the year , the th of edward the th , through complaint of the english marchants , the liberty of the steel-yard marchants , was seized into the kings hands , and so it resteth . then is church-lane , at the west end of alhollowes church , called alhollowes the more in thames-street , for a difference from alhollowes the lesse , in the same street ; it is also called alhollowes ad faenum in the ropery , because hay was sold near thereunto , at hay-wharf , and ropes of old time made and sold in the high street : this is a fair church , with a large cloyster on the south side thereof , about their church-yard , but fouly defaced and ruinated . dr. lichfield , a learned man , and an authour , who died . lieth here buried , with other benefactors . at the east end of this church goeth down a lane called wharf-lane , now lately a great brew-house , builded there by one pot ; hen. campion , esq ; a beere-brewer , used it , & abraham his son , since possessed it : then was there one other lane , sometime called woolseys gate , now out of use , for the lower part thereof , upon the bank of thames , is builded by the late earl of shrewsbury ; & the other end is builded on , & stopped up by the chamberlain of london . j. butler , draper , one of the sheriffs , in the year . dwelled there ; he appointed his house to be sold , and the price thereof to be given to the poor ; it was of alhollowes parish the lesse . then is there the said parish-church of alhollowes called the lesse , and by some alhollowes on the cellars ; for it standeth on vaults , it is said to be builded by sir john poultney , sometimes mayor : the steeple and quire of this church , stand on an arched gate , being the entry to a great house , called cold harborough , the quire of late being fallen down , is now again at length , in the year . by the parishioners new builded . touching this cold harborough , i finde , that in thirteenth of edward the second , sir john abel , knight , demised , or let unto henry stow , draper , ill that his capital messuage , called the cold harborough , in the parish of all saints ad faenum , & all the purtenances within the gate , with the key which rob. hartford citizen , son to w. hartford , had , & ought , & the foresaid rob. paid for it rent , s . the year . this ro. hartford being owner thereof , as also of other lands in sarrey , deceasing without issue male , left two daughters his co-heires , to wit , idonia , married to sir ralph biggot , and maude married to sir stephen cosenton knights , between whom the said house & lands were parted . after the which jo. bigot sonne to the said sir ralph , & sir john cosenton , did sell their moyeties of cold harborough unto john poultney , sonne of adam poultney , the th of edward the d. this sir john poultney dwelling in this house , and being four times mayor , the said house took the name of poultneys inne ; notwithstanding this , sir john poultney , the . of edward the d , by his charter gave and confirmed to humphrey de bohune , earl of hereford , and essex , his whole tenement , called cold harborough , with all the tenements and key adjoyning , and appurtenances sometime pertaining to robert de hereford , on the way called hay-wharf lane , &c. for one rose at midsommer , to him and his heires , for all services , if the same were demanded , this sir john poultney deceased . and left issue , by margaret his wife , william poultney , who dyed without issue ; and margaret his mother was married to sir nicholas lovel knight , &c. philip st. cleare , gave two messuages , pertaining to this cold harbrough , in the ropery , towards the enlarging of the parish church , and church-yard of al-saints , called the lesse , in the . of richard the second . in the year . the . of richard the d . john holland , earl of huntington , was lodged there , and richard the second his brother , dined with him , it was then counted a right fair and stately house ; but in the next year following , i finde , that edmund , earl of cambridge , was there lodged , notwithstanding , the said house still retained the name of poultneys inne , in the reign of henry the sixth , the of his reign . it belonged since to h. holland , duke of excester , and he was lodged there , in the year . in the year . richard the third , by his letters patents , granted and gave to john vvrith , alias garter , principal king of arms of english men , and to the rest of the kings heralds , and pursevants of arms , all that messuage , with the appurtenances called cold harber , in the parish of al-saints the little in london , and their successors for ever , dated at vvestminster , the second of march , anno regni sui primo , without fine or fee. how the said heraulds departed therewith , i have not read ; but in the reign of henry the eighth , the bishop of durhams house , neer charing crosse , being taken into the kings hand , cuthbert tunstall , bishop of durham , was lodged in this cold harber ; since the which time it hath belonged to the earls of shrewsbury , by composition , ( as is supposed ) from the said cuthbert tunstall . the last decea ed earl took it down , and in place thereof , builded a great number of small tenements , now letten out for great rents , to people of all sorts . then is the dyers-hall , which company was made a brother-hood and a guild , in the fourth of henry the sixth , and appointed to consist of a gardian , or warden , and a communalty , the twelvth of edward the fourth . then be there divers large brew-houses , and others , till you come to ebgate lane , where that ward endeth in the east ; on the north side of thames-street , be divers lanes also , the first is at the south end of elbow lane , before spoken of , west from downgate , over against greenwich-lane , then be divers fair houses for marchants , and others all along that side ; the next lane east from down-gate , is called bush-lane , which turneth up to candlewick-street , and is of down-gate ward . next is suffolk lane , likewise turning up to candlewick-street , in this lane is one notable grammar school , founded in the year . by the master , wardens , and assistants of the marchant-taylors , in the parish of st. lawrence poultney , richard hills , sometimes master of that company , having before given l. toward the purchase of an house , called the mannor of the rose , sometime belonging to the duke of buckingham , wherein the said school is kept . then is there one other lane , which turneth up to st. lawrence-hill , and to the south vvest corner of st. lawrence church-yard , then another lane , called poultney-lane , that goeth up of this ward to the south-east corner of st. lawrence church-yard , and so down again , and to the west corner of st. martin orgar lane , and over against ebgate-lane ; and this is all of downgate-vvard , the thirteenth in number , lying east from the water-course of vvallbrooke , and hat hnot any one house on the west side of the said brook. this dowgate vvard is more considerable then others , in divers things ; for it hath more halls then any other ; it hath also the great hans , or the teutonique guild , call'd now the stil-yard . mr. john robinson , who hath his house in milk-street , is lately made the alderman of this vvard , a generous , discreet , and worthy gentleman , being of the company of the turkie , or levantine marchants . of the fourteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called vintry ward . the wards spoken of hitherto may besaid to lye on the east . now i am to treat of the other wards , twelve in number , all lying on the west side of the course of wallbrook , and first of the vintry ward , so called of vintners , and of the vintry , a part of the bank of the river of thames , where the merchants of bourdeaux craned their wines out of lighters , and other vessels , and there landed and made sale of them , within forty daies after ; until the twenty eighth of edward the first , at which time the said merchants complained , that they could not sell their wines , paying poundage , neither hire houses or cellars to lay them in : and it was redressed by virtue of the kings writ , directed to the mayor and sheriffs of london , dated at carlaveroke or carlile , since the which time , many fair and large houses ( with vaults and cellars for stowage of wines and lodging of burdeaux merchants ) have been builded , in place where before time were cooks houses : , for fitz stephen , in the reign of henry the second , writeth , that upon the rivers side , between the wine in ships , and the wine to be sold in taverns , was a common cooks row , &c. as in another place i have set down . whereby it appears , that in those daies , ( and till of late times ) every man lived according to his own professed trade , not any one interrupting another ; the cooks dressed meat , and sold no wine ; and the taverner sold wine , but dressed no meat for sale , &c. this ward beginneth in the east , at the west end of downgate ward , at the water-course of walbrook , which parteth them , to wit , at granthams lane on the thames side , and at elbow-lane on the lands side , it runneth along in thames street west , some three houses beyond the old swana brew-house ; and on the land side , some three houses west , beyond saint james at garlick hithe . in breadth , this ward stretcheth from the vintry north , to the wall of the west gate of the tower royal , the other north part is of cordwainer-street ward . out of this royal-street by the south gate of tower royal , runneth a small street east to st. johns upon walbrook , which street is called horseshooe-bridge , of such a bridge sometime over the brook there , which is now vaulted over , and pav'd . then from the south gate west , runneth one other street , called knight-riders street , by saint thomas apostles church , on the north side , and wringwren lane , by the said church , at the west end thereof , and to the east end of trinity church in the said knight-riders street , where this ward endeth , on that south side the street ; but on the north side it runneth no farther than the corner against the new builded taverne , and other houses , in a plot of ground where sometime stood ormond place ; yet have ye one other lane , lower down in royall-street , stretching forth from over against saint michaels church , to and by the north side of saint james church by garlick hithe , this is called , kerion lane ; and thus much for the bounds of the vintry ward . now on the thames side , west from granthams lane , have ye herbert lane , or brickles lane , so called of john brickles , sometimes owner thereof . then is simpsons lane , of one simpson ; or emperours head lane , of such a sign : then the three cranes lane , so called , not only of a sign of three cranes at a taverne door , but rather of three strong cranes of timber placed on the vintry wharf , by the thames side , to crane up wines there as is aforesaid ; this lane was of old time , to wit , the ninth of richard the second , called the painted tavern lane , of the tavern being painted . then next over against st. martins church , is a large house builded of stone and timber , with vaults for the stowage of wines , and is called the uintry ; there dwelled john gisers vintner , mayor of london , and constable of the tower ; and then was henry picard , vintner , mayor ; in this house henry picard feasted four kings in one day , as is shewed before . then next is uanners lane , so called of uanner that was owner thereof ; it is now called church lane , of the coming up from st. martins church . next is broad-lane , for that the same is broader for the passage of carts from the uintry wharf , than be the other lanes . at the northwest corner of this lane , is the parish clarkes hall , by them purchased , since they lost their old hall in bishopsgate-street . next is spittle-lane , of old time so called , since stodies-lane , of the owner thereof named stodie ; sir john stodie , vintner and mayor in the year gave it , with all the quadrant wherein uintners hall now standeth , with the tenements round about , unto the uintners . the uintners builded for themselves a fair hall , and also thirteen alms-houses there , for thirteen poor people , which are kept of charity rent-free . the uintners in london , were ( of old time ) called marchant uintners of gascoyne , and so i read them in the records of edward the second , the eleventh year , and edward the third the ninth year ; they were as well english-men as strangers born beyond the seas , but then subjects to the king of england , great burdeaux merchants of gascoyne & french wines , divers of them were mayors of this city ; namely , john adrian vintner , reignold at conduit , john oxenford , henry picard that feasted the kings of england , france , scotland , and cypres ; john stodie , that gave stodies lane to the vintners , which four last named , were mayors in the reign of edward the third , and yet gascoyne wines were then to be sold at london , not above fourpence , nor rhenish wines above six pence the gallon . i read of sweet wines , that in the fiftieth of edward the third , john peachie , fishmonger was accused of , for that he procured a license for the only sale of them in london , which he endeavoured to justifie by law , yet he was imprisoned and fined . more i read , that in the sixth of henry the sixth , the lombards corrupted their sweet wines ; when knowledge thereof came to john raynwel mayor of london , he ( in divers places of the city ) commanded the heads of the buts and other vessells in the open streets , to be broken , to the number of a hundred and fifty , so that the liquour running forth , passed through the city like a stream of rain water , in the sight of all the people , from whence there issued a most loathsome savour . i read in the reign of henry the seventh , that no sweet vvines were brought into this realm but malmsyes , by the longobards , paying to the king for his licence , six shillings eight pence of every butt , besides twelve pence for bottellage . in those daies malmsey was not to be sold above three half-pence the pint ; for proof whereof , it appeareth in the church of st. andrew under-shaft , that in the year , j. g. and s. k. then church-wardens , for eighty pints of malmsey spent in the church , after one penny half penny the pint , paid at the years end for the same ten shillings . moreover , no sacks were sold , but rumney , & that for medicine more than for drink ; but now many kinds of sacks are known and used . and so much for wines . i read further that in the reign of henry the fourth , the young prince henry , t. duke of clarence , j. duke of bedford , and humphrey duke of glocester the kings sons , came to supper amongst the merchants of london , in the vintry , in the house of lewes john a briton . the successors of those vintners and wine-drawers , that retailed by the gallons , pottel , quart , and pint , were all incorporated by the name of wine-tunners , in the raign of edward the third , and confirmed the fifteenth of henry the sixth . next is palmers lane , now called , anchors lane , the plummers have their hall there , but are tenants to the vintners . then is worcester house , sometimes belonging to the earls of worcester , now divided into many tenaments ; the fruiterers have there hall there . on the land side , is the royal street , and pater noster lane , i think of old time called the arches , for i read , that robert de suffolk , gave to walter darford , his tenement with the apurtenance , in the lane called les arches , in the parish of saint michael de pater noster church , between the wall of the field called winchester field on the east , and the same lane on the west , &c. more , there was a stone house called stoda de winton , juxta stodum bridge , which in that lane was over walbrook water . then is the fair parish church of saint michael , called pater noster church , in the royal street ; this church was new builded , and made a colledge of s. spirit , and s. mary , founded by richard vvhittington , mercer , four times mayor , for a master , four fellows , masters of art , clerks , conducts , chorists , &c. and an alms-house , called gods house or hospital , for thirteen poor men , one of them to be tutor , and to have sixteen pence the week , the other twelve , each of them to have fourteen pence the week for ever , with other necessary provision , an hutch with three locks , with a common seal , &c. the licence for this foundation was granted by king henry the fourth , the eleventh of his reign , and in the twelfth of the same kings reign , the mayor and the communalty of london , granted to richard vvhittington , a vacant piece of ground thereon , to build his colledge in the royall ; all which was confirmed by henry the sixth the third of his reign , to john coventry , jenkin carpenter , and vvilliam grove , executors to to richard whittington . this foundation was again confirmed by parliament , the tenth of henry the sixth , and was suppressed by the statute of edward the sixth . the alms-houses , with the poor men , do remain , and are paid by the mercers . this richard vvhittington was ( in this church ) three times buried , first , by his executors , under a fair monument ; then , in the reign of edward the sixth , the parson of that church , thinking some great riches ( as he said ) to be buried with him , caused his monument to be broken , his body to be spoiled of his leaden sheet , and again the second time to be buried ; and in the reign of queen mary , the parishioners were forced to take him up , and lap him in lead , as afore , to bury him the third time , and to place his monuments , or the like , over him again , which remaineth still and so he rested . among others , sir thomas tanke knight of the garter born in almain , a great martial man , lieth buried there . at the upper end of this street , is the tower royall , whereof that street taketh name ; this tower & great place was so called , of pertaining to the kings of this realm , but by whom the same was first builded , or of what antiquity continued , it doth not appear , more than that in the reign of king edward the first , the second , fourth , and seventh year , it was the tenement of simon beawmes ; also that in the thirty sixt of edward the third the same was called the royal , in the parish of st. michael de pater noster , and that in the three and fortieth of his reign , he gave it by the name of his inne , called the royall , in his city of london , in value twenty pounds by year , unto his colledge of saint stephen at westminster ; notwithstanding , in the reign of richard the second , it was called the queens wardrobe , as appeareth by this that followeth . king richard , having in smithfield overcome and dispersed the rebels , he , his lords , and all his company , entred the city of london with great joy , and went to the lady princesse his mother , who was then lodged in the tower called the queens wardrobe , where she had remained three daies and two nights much affrighted ; but when she saw the king her son , she was greatly rejoyced , ah son , what great sorrow have i suffered for you this day ? the king answered and said , certainly , madam , i know it well , but now rejoyce , and thank god , for i have this day recovered mine heritage , and the realm of england , which i had near-hand last . this tower seemeth to have been ( at that time ) of good defence ; for when the rebels had beset the tower of london , and got possession thereof , taking from thence whom they listed , the princesse being forced to fly , came to this tower-royall , where she was lodged , and remained safe , as ye have heard , and it may be also supposed , that the king himself was at that time lodged there . i read , that in the year , lyon king of armony , being chased out of his realm , by the tartarians , received innumerable gifts of the king and of his nobles , the king then lying in the royall , where he also granted to the said king of armony , a charter of a thousand pounds by year during his life ; this for proof may suffice , that kings of england have been lodged in this tower , though the same ( afterwards ) hath been neglected , and turned into stabling for the kings horses , and now letten out to divers men and divided into tenements . in horse-bridge-street , is the cutlers hall , richard de wilehale , , confirmed to paul butelar this house , and edifices , in the parish of saint michael pater noster church , and saint john upon walbrook , which sometime lawrence gisers , and his son peter gisers did possesse , and afterward hugonis de hingham , and lyeth between the tenement of the said richard towards the south ; and the lane called horse-shoe-bridge , towards the north , and between the way called pater noster church on the west , and the course of walbrooke on the east , paying yearly one clove of gilliflowers at easter , and to the poor and convent of saint mary overy , six shillings . this house sometime belonged to simon dolesly grocer , and mayor , they of this company had ( of old time ) three arts , or sorts of workmen , to wit , the first were smiths , forgers of blades , and therefore called bladers , and divers of them proved wealthy men , as namely , walter nele blader ; one of the sheriffs , the twelfth of edward the third , deceased , and was buried in saint james garlicke hithe , he lest lands to the mending of high-wayes about london , betwixt newgate and wicombe , ealdgate and chelmesford , bishopsgate and ware , southwark and rochester , &c. the second were makers of hafts , and otherwise garnishers of blades . the third sor● were sheath-makers for swords , daggers , and knives . in the tenth of henry the fourth , certain ordinances were made betwixt the bladers , and the other cutlers , and in the fourth of henry the sixth , they were all three companies drawn into one fraternity , or brotherhood , by the name of curlers . then is knight-riders street , so called ( as is supposed ) of knights well armed ' and mounted at the tower-royall , riding from thence through the street west to creed-lane , and so out at ludgate , towards smithfield , when they were there to turney , just , or otherwise to shew activities before the king and states of the realm . in this street is the parish church of saint thomas apostles , by wring-wren lane a hansome church , and in the year , well repaired and finely garnished ; but monuments of antiquity , there are none beyond the reign of henry the eighth , except some arms in the windows , as also in the stone-work , which some suppose to be of john barnes mercer , mayor of london , in the year , a great builder thereof . h. causton merchant , was a benefactor and had a chantry there about , . t. roman mayor , had also a chantry there . fitz williams also a benefactor , had a chantry there . more , sir william littlesbury , aliàs horne , ( for king edward the fourth so named him ) because he was a most excellent winder of an horne ; he was a salter , and merchant of the staple , mayor of london in the year , and was buried in this church , having appointed ( by his testament ) the bells to be changed for four new bells of good tune and sound ; but that was not performed : he gave five hundred marks towards the repairing of high-waies , between london and cambridge ; his dwelling house , with a garden and appurtenances in the said parish , to be sold , and bestowed in charitable actions . his house called the george in bread-street he gave to the salters , they to find a priest in the said parish , to have six pounds , thirteen shillings , four pence the year ; to every preacher at pauls-crosse , and at the spittle , four pence for ever ; to the prisoners of newgate , ludgate , marshalsey , and kings-bench , in victuals , ten shillings at christmas , and ten shillings at easter for ever , which legacies were not performed . among others , ther 's one epitaph in greek in this church on the lady katherine killegree . then west from the said church on the same side , was one great messuage , sometime called ipres inne of william of ipres a flemming , the first builder thereof ; this william was called out of flanders , with a number of flemmings to the aid of king stephen , against maude the empress , in the the year , and grew in favour with the said king for his service , so far , that he builded this house near unto tower-royall , in the which tower it seemeth the king was then lodged , as in the heart of the city , for his more safety . robert earl of glocester , brother to the empresse , being taken , was committed to the custody of this vvilliam , to be kept in the castle of rochester , till king stephen was also taken , and then the one was delivered in exchange for the other , and both set free . this william of ipres gave edredes hith , now called queens hith , to the prior and canons of the holy trinity in london , he founded the abbey of borley in kent , &c. in the first of henry the second , the said william , withall the other flemmings ( fearing the indignation of the new king ) departed the land , but it seemeth that the said william was shortly called back again , and restored both to the kings favour , and to his old possessions here , so that the name and family continued long after in this realm . on the other side , i read of a messuage , called kinged hall : king henry the eighth , the thirty two of his reign , gave the same ( with four tenements adjoyning ) unto morgan phillip , aliàs wolfe , in the parish of saint thomas apostles in london , &c. over against ipres inne in knight-riders street , at the corner towards saint james garlick hith , was sometime a great house builded with stone , and called ormond place , for that it sometime belonged to the earls of ormond . king edward the fourth in the fifrh of his reign , gave to elizabeth his wife , the mannor of greenwich with the tower and park , in the county of kent . he also gave this tenement called ormond place , with all the appurtenances to the same , scituate in the parish of saint trinity in knight-rider street in london . this house is now taken down , and divers fair tenements are builded there . then lower down in royall-street , is kerion lane , of one kerion sometime dwelling there . in this lane be divers fair houses for merchants , and amongst others is the glasiers hall. at the south corner of royall-street , is the fair parish church of saint martin , called , in the vintry , sometimes called st. martin de beremand church ; this church was new builded about the year , by the executors of matthew columbars , a stranger born , a burdeaux marchant of gascoine and french wines : his armes remain yet in the east window , and is a cheveron , between three colombins . sir john gisors mayor , with his brother , and his son , lye there buried ; he had a great mansion house called gisors hall , in st. mildreds parish in bread-street . there are sundry latin epitaphs in this church . then is the parish church of st. james , called , at garlick hith , or garlick hive , for that ( of old time ) on the river of thames , near to this church garlick was usually sold ; this is a comely church , whereof richard rothing one of the sheriffs , is said to be the new builder , and lyeth buried in the same : so was walter nele blader , one of the sheriffs , john of oxenford , vintner , mayor . i read in the first of edward the third , that this john of oxenford gave to the priory of the holy trinity in london , two tofts of land , one mill , fifty acres of land , two acres of wood , with the appurtenances in kentish town , in value twenty shillings and three pence by year . the lady stanley , the countesse of huntington , and the lady harbert , lye buried in this church . of the fifteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called cordwayner ward . vve will passe now from the uintry to cordwainer-street ward , taking that name of cordwayners or shoomakers ; curriours , and workers of leather dwelling there ; for it appeareth in the records of henry the sixth , the ninth of his reign , that an order was taken then for cordwayners and curriours , in corney-street and sopers lane. this ward beginneth in the east , one the west side of walbrooke , and runneth west thorow budge-row , ( a street so called of budge furre , and of skinners dwelling there ) then up by saint anthon●es church , thorow atheling ( or noble-street ) as leyland termeth it , commonly called wathling-street , to the red-lion , a place so called , of a great lion of timber placed there , at a gate entring a large court , wherein are divers fair and large shops , well furnished with broad-cloths , and other draperies of all sorts to be sold , and this is the farthest west part of this ward . on the south side of this street from budge-row , lyeth a lane turning down by the west-gate of the tower royal , and to the south end of the stone wall beyond the said gate , which is of this ward , and is accounted a part of the royall-street . against this west gate of the tower-royall , is one other lane , that runneth west to cordwainer-street , and this is called turnbase lane ; on the south side whereof is a piece of wring-wren-lane , to the north-west corner of saint thomas church the apostle . then again out of the high-street called wathling , is one other street , which runneth thwart the same , and this is cordwayner street , whereof the whole ward taketh name . this street beginneth by west-cheap , and saint mary bow church is the head thereof on the west side , and it runneth down south , thorow that part which of latter time was called hosier lane , now bow lane ; and then by the west end of aldermary church to the new builded houses , in place of ormond house , and so to garlick hill , or hith , to st. james church . the upper part of this street towards cheap , was called hosier lane , of hosiers dwelling there in place of shoomakers ; but now those hosiers being worn out by men of other trades , ( as the hosiers had worn out the shoomakers ) the same is called bow-lane , of bow church . on the west side of cordwainer-street , is basing-lane , right over against turn-base-lane , this basing-lane , west to the back gate of the red lyon , in wathling-street , is of this cordwainer-street ward . now again on the north side of this high street , is budge-row : by the east end of st. anthonies church , have ye st. sithes lane , so called of st. sithes church , ( which standeth against the north end of that lane ) and this is wholly of cordwainer-street ward ; also the south side of needlers lane , which reacheth from the north end of st. sithes lane , vvest to soper lane ; then vvest from st. anthonies church , is the south end of sopers lane , which lane took that name , not of sope-making , as some have supposed , but of alen le sopar , in the ninth of edward the second ; nor can we read of sope-making in this city , till within this hundred and fifty years , that john lambe , dwelling in grasse-street , set up a boyling house ; for this city ( in former time ) was served of white sope in hard cakes ( called castle-soap , and other ) from beyond the seas , and of gray sope , speckled with white , very sweet and good , from bristow , sold here for a peny the pound , and never above peny farthing ; and black sope for an half-peny the pound . then in bow-lane ( as they now call it ) is goose-lane , by bow-church ; william essex , mercer , had tenements there , in the six and twentieth of edward the third . then from the south end of bow-lane , up wathling-street , till over against the red lyon , are the bounds of cordwainer-street ward . then is there a fair parish in budge-row , called st. anthonies at first , and now st. antlins . sir thomas knowles lord mayor of london , lyeth buried there , who repaired , and was a great benefactor to that church , upon whom is this epitaph , here lyeth graven under this stone , thomas knowles , both flesh and bone , &c. next on the south side of budge-row , by the west corner thereof , and on the east side of cordwainer-street , is one other fair church , called aldermary church , because the same was very old , and elder then any church of st. mary in the city ; till of late years , the foundation of a very fair new church , was laid there by henry keeble , grocer , and mayor , who deceased , and was ther buried in a vault , by him prepared , with a fair monument raised over him , on the north side of the quire , now destroyed and gone : he gave by his testament , a thousand pound toward the building up of that church ; and yet was not permitted a resting place for his bones there afterwards . richard chawcer vintner , thought to be the father of jeffrey chawcer the poet , was a great benefactor to this church . at the upper end of hosier-lane , toward vvest-cheape , is the fair parish church of st. mary bow ; this church in the reign of vvilliam the conqueror , being the first in this city , builded on arches of stone , was therefore called new mary church , of st. mary de areubus , or le bow , in vvest cheaping ; as stratford bridge , being the first builded ( by matilda , the queen , vvife to henry the first ) with arches of stone was called stratford le bow ; which names , to the said church and bridge , remain till this day ; the court of the arches is kept in this church , and taketh name of the place , not the place of the court ; but of what antiquity , or continuation that court hath there continued , 't is uncertain . this church is of cordwainer-street , and for divers accidents happening there , hath bin made more famous than any other parish church of the whole city , or suburbs . first we read , that in the year , and the third of vvilliam rufus , by tempest of vvind , the roof of the church of st. mary bow in cheape , was overturned , wherewith some persons were flain , and four of the rafters of six and twenty foot in length , with such violence were pitched in the ground of the high street , that scantly four foot of them remained above ground , which were fain to be cut even with the ground , because they could not be plucked out ; for the city of london was not then paved , but a moorish ground . in the year . vvilliam fitz osbert , a seditious traytor , took the steeple of bow , and fortified it with munitions and victuals , but it was assaulted , and vvilliam with his complices , were taken ( though without blood-shed ) for he was forced by fire and smoak to forsake the church , and then being by the judges condemned , he was by the heels drawn to the elmes in smithfield , and there hanged with nine of his fellowes , where because his favourers came not to deliver him , he forsook maries son , ( as he termed christ our saviour ) and called upon the devil to help and deliver him : such was the end of this deceiver , a man of an evil life , a secret murtherer , a filthy fornicator , a keeper of concubines , and ( amongst other his detestable facts ) a false accuser of his elder brother , who had ( in his youth ) brought him up in learning , and done many things for his preferment . in the year . a great part of the church of bow fell down , and slew many people , men and women . in the year , the thirteenth of edward the first , lawrence ducket , goldsmith , having grievously wounded one ralph crepin in west cheap , fled into bow-church , into the which ( in the night time ) entred certain evil persons , friends unto the said ralph , and slew the said laurence , lying in the steeple , and then hanged him up , placing him so by the window , as if he had hanged himself , and so was it found by inquisition ; for the which fact , lawrence ducket being drawn by the feet , was buried in a ditch without the city ; but shortly after ( by relation of a boy , who lay with the said lawrence , at the time of his death , and had hid him there for fear ) the truth of the matter was disclosed ; for the which cause , jordan good-cheape , ralph crepin , gilbert clarke , and joffrey clarke , were attainted , and a certain woman named alice , that was chief causer of the said mischief , was burned , and to the number of sixteen men , were drawn and hanged , besides others that , being richer , after long imprisonment , were hanged by the purse . the church was interdicted , the doors and windows were stopped up with thorns for a while , but lawrence was taken up , and honestly buried in the church-yard afterwards . the parish-church of st. mary bow , by meanes of incroachment , and building of houses , wanting room in their church-yard , for burial of the dead , john rotham , or rodham , citizen and taylor , by his testament dated the year . gave to the parson and church-wardens , a certain garden in hosier-lane , to be a church-yard , which so continued near a hundred years , but now is builded on , and is a private mans house . the old steeple of this church , was by little and little re-edified , and new builded up , at the least so much as was fallen down , many men giving sums of money to the furtherance thereof , so that at length , to wit , in the year , it was ordained by a common councel , that the bow bell should be nightly rung at nine of the clock . shortly after , john donne mercer , by his testament dated , according to the trust of reginald longdon , gave to the parson and church-wardens of st. mary bow two tenements , with the appurtenances , since made into one , in hosierlane , then so called , to the maintenance of bow bell , the same to be rung as aforesaid , and other things to be observed , as by the will appeareth . the arches or bowes thereupon with the lanthorns five in number , to wit , one at each corner , and one on the top in the middle upon the arches , were also afterward finished of stone , brought from cane in normandy , delivered at the customers key , for four shillings eight pence the tun , and , william copland being church-warden . it is said that this copland gave the great bell , which made the fifth in the ring , to be rung nightly at nine of the clock : this bell was first rung ( as a knell ) at the burial of the same copland ; it appeareth , that the lanthorns on the top of this steeple , were meant to have bin glazed , and lights in them placed nightly in the winter , whereby travellers to the city might have the better sight thereof , and not to misse of their wayes . in this parish also was a grammar-school , by commandment of king henry the sixth , which school was ( of old time ) kept in an house for that purpose prepared in the church-yard ; but that school being decayed , as others about this city , the school-house was let out for rent , in the reign of henry the th , for four shillings the year , a cellar for two shillings the year , and two vaults under the church , for s. both . there are monuments of divers citizens of note in this church , but most of them much defac'd , and mouldred away . without the north side of this church of st. mary bow , towards west-cheape , standeth one fair building of stone , called in record sildam , a shed which greatly darkneth the said church ; for by meanes thereof , all the windows and doors on that side , are stopped up ; king edward the third , upon occasion , as shall be shewed in the ward of cheap , caused this side or shed to be made , and strongly to be builded of stone for himself , the queen , and other states , to stand there to behold the justings , and other shewes at their pleasures ; and this house ( for long time after ) served to that use , namely , in the reign of edward the third , and richard the second ; but in the year . henry the fourth , in the twelfth of his reign , confirmed the said shed or building , to stephen spilman , william marchford , and john wattle , mercers , by the name of one new sildain , shed or building , with shops , cellars , and edifices , whatsoever appertaining , called crounsild , or tamersild , scituate in the mercery of west-cheape , and in the parish of st. mary de arcubus in london , &c. notwithstanding which grant , the kings of england , and other great estates , as well of forraign countries repairing to this realm , as inhabitants of the same , have usually repaired to this place , therein to behold the shewes of this city , passing through west-cheape ; namely , the great watches accustomed in the night , on the even of st. john baptist , and st. peter at midsommer ; the examples whereof were over-long to recite , wherefore let it suffice briefly to touch one . in the year , on st. johns eve at night , king henry the eighth , came to this place , then called the kings-head in cheape , in the livery of a yeoman of the gard , with an halberd on his shoulder , and there beholding the watch , departed privily , when the watch was done ; and was not known to any , but whom it pleased him ; but on saint peters night next following , he and the queen came royally riding to the said place , and there with their nobles , beheld the watch of the city , and return'd in the morning . of the sixteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called cheape-ward . we enter now into the center of the city , which is cheap-ward , taking name of the market there kept , called west cheaping ; which ward , as a river , as mr. stow saith , that hath three heads , and running along to the uttermost of his bounds , issueth out on the sides into little streams : so this ward , beginning on the course of wallbrook , and is not the meanest of the wards , ( if for no other cause , yet because it is nearest to the heart of the city ) hath his beginning on the east from three places . the high street of the poultrey , the lower end of buckles bury , and the nether part of the venell , or entry into scalding alley , & so running along , as far as unto the north-east corner of bow-lane on the south side , and from thence into bow-lane on the east side , until ye come to the channel over against the cellardoor under the church ; & then , on the north side of cheap , up to the standard , stretching it self into divers lanes and peeces , onthe right hand , and on the left hand , as it commeth along . first , for the high street of the poultrey ( which is the main body of this ward : ) on the south side thereof toward the east , this ward beginneth in the way going down to st. mary wooll-church . now for antiquities , and things worthy of memory in cheap-ward . first , in the main body of this ward , that is , the poultry , standeth the hansome little church , that beareth the name of st. mildred in the poultry the virgin , which name was given surely for distinction not for superstition ; for so was the custom of the kingdom ( & yet is ) in building their things for the service of god , thatthe founders called them by the name of some apostle , saint , martyr , or confessor , as best liked their own conceit , at the present time , to distinguish them from others . who this mildred was , whether she was the eldest daughter of merwaldus , king of the vvest-mercians , as some think , or that she was daughter of ethelbert , king of kent , one of the founders of pauls church , it is incertain : neither is it much material , but it is probable , that she was some holy and devout maid , which the people of that age held to be a saint afterward in heaven . in what years this church was first erected , or who was the first founder of it , we find not ; but it appeareth by some ancient evidences of the said church , that from the beginning it had not so much spare ground about it , as to make a church-yard of , until in the year of our lord god , and the th of king henry the fifth , thomas morsted esquire , and chirurgion to the kings , henry the fourth , henry the fifth , and henry the sixth . ( and afterward , in anno dom. . was sheriff and alderman of london ) gave unto the church a parcel of ground , lying between his dwelling-house and the said church ( and adjoyning unto the said church toward the north ) to make a church-yard of , for the burial of their dead , containing in length , from the course of vvallbrook , toward the west , forty five foot , and in breadth , from the church toward the north , thirty five foot . within short time after , some body , of religious and charitable disposition , erected upon the sides of the said church-yard , but upon posts and pillars , with cloysters underneath , toward the west , a parsonage house , or mansion , and free dwelling of the ministers and rectors of the said church , and toward the east four chambers , then called the priests chambers , now converted into a tenement or dwelling house , & demised for yearly rent , but the church-yard is much abridged , and of late fouly defaced ; and the lights of the said parsonage hindered by additions of pieces , to the said ancient chambers , which ought not to be : in this ancient church , some citizens of note lie buried . some few houses west from this parish church of st. mildred , is a prison-house , pertaining to one of the sheriffs of london , and is called the counter in the poultry : this hath bin there kept , and continued time out of minde ; for i have not read of the original thereof : west from this counter , was a proper chappel , called of corpus christi , and st. mary , at cony-hope lane end , in the parish of the said mildred , founded by one named jorivirunnes , a citizen of london , in the raign of edward the third ; in which chappel was a guild or fraternity , that might dispend in lands better then twenty pounds by year ; it was suppressed by henry the eighth , and purchased by one thomas hobson , haberdasher : he turned this chappel into a fair ware-house , and shops towards the street , with fair lodgings over them . then is cony-hope lane , of old time so called , of a signe of three coneys , which hung over a poulterers stall at the lanes end ; within this lane standeth the grocers hall , which company being of old time called pepperers , were first incorporated by the name of grocers , in the year , at which time , they elected for custos , or gardian of their fraternity , richard oswin , and lawrence hallwell , and twenty brethren were then taken in , to be of their society . in the year , the custos or gardian , and the brethren of this company , purchased of the lord robert fitzwaters , one plot of ground , with the building thereupon , in the said cony-hope lane , for three hundred twenty marks , and then laid their foundation of their new common-hall . about the year , the grocers had licence to purchase five hundred marks land ; since the which time , near adjoyning unto the grocers hall ; the said company have builded seven proper houses , for seven aged poor alms-people ; thomas knowles grocer and maior , gave his tenement in st. anthonies church-yard to the grocers , towards the relief of the poor brethren in that company : also henry keeble , grocer and maior , gave to the seven alms-people , six pence weekly for ever ; which pension is now increased by the masters , to some of them two shillings a peece weekly , and to some of them lesse , &c. henry ady grocer , , gave a thousand marks to the grocers to purchase lands , and sir henry pechy , knight banneret , free of that company , gave them five hundred pounds to certain uses : he builded alms-houses at luding stone in kent , and was there buried . west from this cony hope lane , is the old jury , whereof some portion is of cheape ward ; at the south end of this lane , is the parish-church of st. mary cole-church , named of one cole , that builded it : this church is builded upon a vault above ground , so that men are forced to go to ascend up thereunto , by certain steps , i finde no monuments of this church more , than that henry the fourth granted licence to william marshal , and others , to found a brother-hood of saint katherine therein , because thomas becket and st. edmond , the arch bishop were baptized there . the old jury hath had alwayes citizens of quality , and fair large houses , as there is now gurney-house , where alderman friderique lives , a very worthy gentleman . there is also another ancient fair house of thomas bowyer , and another of mr. bonnel , worthy and wealthy brave marchants . we read of bordhangli-lane , to be of that parish ; and thus much for the north side of the poultry . the south side of the said poultry , beginning on the bank of the said brook , over against the parish-church of st. mildred , passing up to the great conduit , hath divers fair houses , which were sometimes inhabited by the poulterers , but now by grocers , haberdashers , and upholsters . concerning other antiquities there , first is bucklesbury , so called of a mannor , and tenements pertaining to one buckle , who there dwelled , and kept his courts ; this mannor is supposed to be the great stone-building , yet in part remaining on the south side of the street , which of late time hath been called the old barge , of such a signe hanged out , near the gate thereof ; this mannor , or great house , hath of long time bin divided , and letten out into many tenements ; and it hath bin a common speech , that when wallbrook did lie open , barges were rowed out of the thames , or towed up so far ; and therefore the place hath ever since bin called the old barge . also , on the north side of this street , directly over against the said bucklesbury , was one ancient and strong tower of stone ; the which tower , king edward the third , in the eighteenth of his reign , called by the name of the kings house , and cornet stoure in london , and did appoint his exchange of money , there to be kept : in the nine and twentieth , he granted it to frydus guynysane , and landus bardaile , marchants of luke , for twenty pound the year ; and in the three and twentieth , he gave the same tower to his colledge , or free chappel of st. stephen at vvestminster , by the name of cornet stoure , at bucklesbury in london . this whole street , called buckles bury , on both the sides throughout , is possessed of grocers , and apothecaries ; toward the west end thereof , on the south side , breaketh out one other short lane , called in records , peneritch-street , it reacheth but to st. sythes lane ; and st. sythes church , is the farthest part thereof ; for by the west end of the said church , beginneth needles lane , which reacheth to sopers lane , as is aforesaid . this small parish church of st. syth , hath also an addition of bennet shorne , ( or shrog , or shorehog ) for by all these names it hath bin called ; but the ancient is shorne , wherefore it seemeth to take that name of one benedict shorne ; sometime a citizen and stock-fishmonger of london , a new builder , repairer , or benefactor thereof , in the year of edward the second , so that shorne is but corruptly called shrog , and more corruptly shorehog , here are divers monuments , and among other the tomb of sir raph vvarren , knight , alderman , twice lord maior of london , and marchant of the staple at callis ; with his two wives , anno . then in needlers lane , have ye the parish church of st. pancrase , a proper small church , but divers rich parishioners therein , and hath had of old time , many liberal benefactors ; but of late , such as ( not regarding the order taken by queen elizabeth , ) the least bell in their church being broken , have rather sold the same for half the value , then put the parish to charge with new casting : late experience hath proved this to be true , besides the spoil of monuments there ; this little church hath also some handsome monuments . then is a part of sopers-lane , turning up to cheap . by the assent of stephen abunden , maior , the pepperers in sopers lane , were admitted to sell all such spices , and other wares , as grocers now use to sell , retaining the old name of pepperers in sopers lane , till at length , in the reign of henry the sixth , the same sopers lane was inhabited by cordwayners and curriers , after that the pepperers or grocers had seated themselves in a more open street , to wit , in buckles bury , where they now remain : thus much for the south wing of cheap-ward . at the west end of this poultry , and also of bucklers bury , beginneth the large street of west cheaping , a market place so called , which street stretcheth west , till ye come to the little conduit by pauls gate , but not all of cheap ward . in the east part of this street standeth the great conduit , of sweet-water , conveyed by pipes of lead , under ground from paddington , for service of this city , castellated with stone , and cisterned in lead , about the year , and again new builded and enlarged by thomas ilam one of the sheriffs , . about the middest of this street is the standard in cheape : of what antiquity , the first foundation is , i have not read . but henry the sixth by his patent , dated at windsor , the one and twentieth of his reign ( which patent , was confirmed by parliament , ) granted licence to thomas knolles , john chichle , and other executers to john wells , grocer , sometime maior of london , with his goods to make new the high-way , which leadeth from the city of london , towards the place of westminster , before and nigh the mannor of savoy , parcel of the dutchey of lancaster , a way then very ruinous , and the pavement broken , to the hurt and mischief of the subjects , which old pavement , then remaining in that way , within the length of five hundred foot , and all the breadth of the same , before and nigh the site of the manner aforesaid , they were to break up , and with stone , gravel , and other stuffe , make one other good and sufficient way for the commodity of the subjects ; and further , that the standard in cheape , where divers executions of the law before time had bin performed ; which standard at that present was very ruinous with age ; in which there was a conduit , should be taken down , and another competent standard of stone ; together with a conduit in the same , of new , strongly to be builded , for the commodity and honour of the city , with the goods of their testator , without interruption , &c. of executions at the standard in cheape , we read , that in the year . three men had their right hands smitten off there , for rescuing of a prisoner , arrested by an officer of the city . in the year , the burgesses of london , caused walter stapleton , bishop of exceter , treasurer to edward the second , and others , to be beheaded at the standard in cheap ( but this was by pauls gate . ) in the year , the six and twentieth of edward the third , two fishmongers were beheaded at the standard in cheape . , wat tylar beheaded , richard lyons , and others , there . in the year , henry the fourth , caused the blank charters , made by richard the second , to be burnt there . in the year , jack cade , captain of the kentish rebels , beheaded the lord say there . in the year , john davy had his hand stricken off there , because he had stricken a man before the judges at westminster , &c. then next is the great crosse in vvest cheap , which crosse was there erected in the year , by edward the first ; upon occasion thus , queen elianor his wife , dyed at hardeby ( a town near unto the city of lincoln ) her body was brought from thence to vvestminster , and the king in memory of her , caused in every place , where her body rested by the way , a stately crosse of stone to be erected , with the queens image , and arms upon it , as at grantham , vvoborn , northampton , stony-stratford dunstable , st. albones , vvaltham , vvest-cheape , and at charing , from whence she was conveyed to vvestminster , and there buried . this crosse in vvest-cheape , being like to those other which remain to this day ; and being by length of time decayed , john hatherley , mayor of london , procured in the year , licence of king henry the sixth , to re-edifie the same in more beautiful manner , for the honour of the city ; and had licence also to take up two hundred fodder of lead , for the building thereof , & of certain conduits , and a common granary . this crosse was then curiously wrought , at the charges of divers citizens : john fisher mercer , gave six hundred marks towards it , the same was begun to be set up , and finished , the second of henry the seventh : it was , after , gilt over , in the year , against the comming in of charles the fifth , emperor . in the year , against the coronation of queen anne . new burnished against the coronation of edward the sixth ; and again new guilt , against the comming in of king philip. since which time , the said crosse having bin presented by divers juries , ( or quests of wardmote ) to stand in the high-way , to the let of carriages ( as they alledged ) but could not have it removed ; it followed , that in the year , the twenty one of june , in the night , the lowest images round about the said crosse ( being of christ his resurrection , of the virgin mary , king edward the confessor , and such like ) were broken , and defaced : proclamation was made , that who so would discover the doers , should have forty crowns , but nothing came to light : the image of the blessed virgin , at that time was robbed of her son , and her arms broken , by which she stayed him on her knees ; her whole body was also haled with ropes , and lest likely to fall ; but in the year . was again fastened and repaired ; and in the year next following , a new mis-shapen son , as born out of time , all naked , was laid in her arms ; the other images remaining , broke as afore . but on the east side of the same crosse , the steps being taken thence ; under the image of christs resurrection defaced , was set up a curious wrought tabernacle of gray marble , and in the same an alabaster image of diana , and water conveyed from the thames , prilling from her naked brest for a time , but now decayed . in the year , the timber of the crosse at the top , being rotted within the lead , the arms thereof bending , were feared to have fallen , to the harming of some people ; and therefore the whole body of the crosse , was scaffolded about , and the top thereof taken down , meaning in place thereof , to have set up a pyramis : but some of her majesties honourable councellors , directed their letters to sir nicholas mosley , then maior , by her highnesse express commandment concerning the crosse , forthwith to be repaired , and placed again as it formerly stood , &c. notwithstanding , the said crosse stood headless more then a year after , whereupon the said councellors in great number , meaning not any longer to permit the continuance of such a contempt , wrote to william rider , then maior , requiring him , by vertue of her highness said former direction and commandement , without any further delay , to accomplish her majesties most princely care therein , respecting especially , the antiquity and continuance of that monument , and ancient ensign of christianity , &c. dated the four and twentieth of december , . after this , a crosse of timber was framed , set up , covered with lead , and gilded , the body of the crosse downward , cleansed of dust , the scaffold carryed thence . about twelve nights following , the image of our lady was again defaced , by plucking off her crown , and almost her head , taking from her , her naked child , and stabbing her in the brest . but in the year , during the reign of the long parliament , the said crosse , by an ordinance thereof , was utterly demolished ; and while the thing was doing , there was a noyse of trumpets blew all the while . upon the utter demolition of this so ancient and visible a monument , or ornament of the city of london as all forrainers esteemed it , it fortuned , that there was another new one , popp'd up in cheap-side , hard by the standard , viz. a high square table of stone , left in legacy by one russel a porter , and well-minded man , with this distichengraven , god blesse the porter who great pains doth take , rest here , and welcome when thy back doth ake . thus much for the crosse in west-cheape . then at the west end of west-cheap-street , was sometimes a crosse of stone called the old crosse . ralph higden in his polychronicon saith , that walter stapleton bishop of exceter , treasurer to edward the second , was by the burgesles of london beheaded at this crosse , then called the standard , without the north door of st. pauls church ; and so it is noted in other writers that then lived . this old crosse stood and remained at the east end of the parish church called st. michael in the corner by pauls gate , near to the north end of the old exchange , till the year , the thirteenth of richard the second , in place of which old crosse then taken down , the said church of st. michael was enlarged , and also a fair water-conduit builded , about the ninth of henry the sixth . in the reign of edward the third , divers justings were made in this street , betwixt sopers lane and the great crosse , namely , one in the year , about the one and twentieth of september , as 't is observed by divers writers of that time . in the middle of the city of london , ( say they ) in a street called cheap , the stone pavement , being covered with sand , that the horses might not slide , when they strongly set their feet to the ground , the king held a tournement three daies together with the nobility , valiant men of the realm , and others , some strange knights ; and to the end the beholders might with the better ease see the same , there was a wooden scaffold erected crosse the street , like unto a tower , wherein queen philip and many other ladies , richly attired , and assembled from all parts of the realm , did stand to behold the justs , but the higher frame in which the ladies were placed , brake in sunder , whereby they were ( with some shame ) forced to fall down , by reason whereof the knights , and such as were underneath , were grievously hurt ; wherefore the queen took great care to save the carpenters from punishment , and through her prayers ( which she made upon her knees ) pacified the king and councel , and thereby purchased great love of the people . after which time , the king caused a shed to be strongly made of stone for himself , the queen , and other states to stand on , and there to behold the justings , and other shewes , at their pleasure , by the church of st. mary bow , as is shewed in cordwayner-street ward . thus much for the high street of cheap . now of the north side of cheap street and ward , beginning at the great conduit , and by st. mary cole church , where we left ; next thereunto west-ward , is the mercers chappel , sometime an hospital , entituled of st. thomas of acon , or acars , for a master and brethren . militia hospitalis &c , saith the record of edward the third , the fourteenth year , it was founded by thomas fitz theohald de heili , and agnes his wife , sister to thomas becket , in the reign of henry the second : they gave to the master and brethren the lands with the appurtenances , that sometimes were gilbert beckets , father to the said thomas , in the which he was born , there to make a church ; there was a charnel , and a chappel over it of st. nicholas and st. stephen ; this hospital was valued to dispend two hundred seventy seven pounds , three shillings four pence , surrendred the thirtieth of henry the eighth , the one and twentieth of october , and was since purchased by the mercers , by means of sir richard gresham , and was again set open on the eve of saint michael , the three and thirtieth of henry the eighth ; it is now called the mercers chappel , therein is kept a free grammar school , as of old time had been accustomed , commanded by parliament . in this chappel there is every sunday morning throughout the year a sermon in the italian tongue , beginning about ten a clock . here be many monuments remaining , but more have been defaced ; among others , there is james butler earl of ormond , and dame joane his countesse , . before this hospital towards the street , was builded a fair and beautiful chappel arched over with stone , and thereupon the mercers hall , a most curious pieceor work , sir john allen mercer , being sounder of that chappel , was there buried , but since his tombe is removed thence into the body of the hospitall church , and his body-room divided into shops , are letten out for rent ; these mercers were enabled to be a company , and to purchase lands to the value of twenty pound the year , the seventeenth of richard the second ; they had three messuages and shops in the parish of saint martins oteswich , in the ward of bishopsgate , for the sustentation of the poor , and a chantry , the two and twentieth of richard the second . henry the fourth in the twelfth of his reign , confirmed to stephen spilman , w. marchford and john watild mercers by the name of one new sildam , shed , or building , with shops , cellars , and edifices whatsoever appertaining , called crownsildes scituate in the mercery in west-cheap , in the parish of st. mary de arcubus in london , &c. to be holden in burgage , as all the city of london is . next beyond the mercers chappel , and their hall , is ironmonger lane , so called of ironmongers dwelling there . in this lane , is the small parish church of st. martin , called pomary , upon what occasion i certainly know not ; it is supposed to be of apples growing , where now houses are lately builded . farther west , is st. lawrence lane , so called of st. lawrence church , which standeth directly over against the north end thereof . antiquities in this lane i finde none other , then that among many fair houses , there is one large inne for receipt of travellers , called blossomes inne , but corruptly bosomos inne , and hath to sign st. lawrence the deacon , in a border of blossoms or flowers . then near to the standard in cheap , is hony-lane , being very narrow , and somewhat dark . in this lane , is the small parish church called alhallowes in hony-lane ; there be no monuments in this church worth the noting . i find that john norman , draper , mayor , was buried there . he gave to the drapers his tenements on the north side the said church ; they to allow for the beam light and lamp , thirteen shillings four pence yearly , from this lane to the standard . and thus much for cheap ward , in the high-street of cheap , for it stretcheth no farther . now , for the north wing of cheap ward , have ye catte-street , corruptly called catteaten-street , which beginneth at the north end of ironmonger lane , and runneth to the west end of saint lawrence-church , as is afore-shewed . on the north side of this street is the guild-hall , wherein the courts for the city are kept , namely , first the court of common-councel , second the court of the lord mayor and his brethren the aldermen , third the court of hustings , fourth the court of orphanes , fifth the two courts of the sheriffs , sixt the court of the wardmote , seventh the court of hallmote , eight the court of requests , commonly called the court of conscience , nine the chamberlains court for prentices , & making them free ; this guild-hall , saith robert f●●ian , was began to be builded new in the year , the twelfth of henry the fourth by thomas knowles , then mayor , and his brethren the aldermen ; the same was made , of a little cottage , a large and great house , as now it standeth , towards the charges whereof , the companies gave large benevolences ; also offences of men were pardoned for sums of money towards this work , extraordinary fees were raised , fines , amercements , and other things imployed , during seven years , with a continuation thereof , three years more , all to be employed to this building . the first year of henry the sixth , john coventry & john carpenter executors to richard whittington , gave towards the paving of this great hall twenty pounds and the next year fifteen pounds more to the said pavement , with hard stone of purbeck ; they also glaz'd some vvindows thereof , and of the mayors court , on every which window , the arms of richard whittington are placed . the foundation of the mayors court was laid in the third year of the reign of henry the sixth , and of the porch on the south side of the mayors court , in the fourth of the said king. then was builded the mayors chamber , and the councel chamber , with other roomes above the staires . having here so just occasion , speaking of that former ancient councel chamber , which hath continued so ever since , i cannot but account it expedient ( as in no place better fitting ) to remember the fair and goodly new councel chamber , a worthy act , and an honour to the city . the said new councel chamber , with a fair room over the same , appointed for a treasury , wherein to preserve the books and records belonging to the city , and another room also underneath the same chamber , reserved for necessary use and employment , began to be builded the first week after easter , in the time of the majoralty of sir thomas middleton . knight , and alderman , in the year of our lord , it was fully finished shortly after michaelmas , at the latter end of the majoralty of sir thomas hayes , knight and alderman ; but the lord mayor , and the aldermen his brethren , kept their first court in the said new councel chamber , on the seventh day of november , in the year of our lord , sir john jolles knight and alderman , being then lord mayor ; by whose order and direction , the said building was performed , from the first beginning thereof , to the finall finishing of the same , amounting to the charge of l. than which , no money could be better bestowed , nor more to the cities credit and renown . last of all , a stately porch entring the great hall , was erected ; the front thereof towards the stouth , being beautified with images of srone . now for the chappel or colledge of our lady mary magdalene , and of all saints by guild-hall , called london colledge , we read , that the same was builded about the year , and that peter fanelore , adam francis , and henry frowick citizen , gave one messuage with the appurtenances , in the parish of st. foster , to william brampton custos of the chauntry , by them founded in the said chappel , with four chaplains ; and one other house in the parish of st. giles without creplegate , in the seven and twentieth of edward the third , was given to them . adjoyning to this chappel on the south side , was sometime a fair and large library , furnished with books pertaining to the guild-hall and colledge . these books ( as it is said ) were in the reign of edward the sixth , sent for by edward duke of somerset , lord protector , with promise to be restored shortly ; men laded from thence threescore carts with them , but they were never returned ; this library was builded by the executors of r. whittington , and by w. bury ; on the other side , it is now lofted through , and made a store-house for cloaths , south-west from this guild-hall , is the fair parish church of st. lawrence , called , in the jury , because ( of old time ) many jewes inhabited there about ; this church is fair and large , and hath divers monuments . in this church there was the shank-bone of a man , and also a tooth of a very great bigness , hanged up for shew , in chains of iron , upon a pillar of stone : the tooth ( being about the bigness of a mans fist ) is long since conveyed from thence ; the thigh or shank-bone , of five and twenty inches in length by the rule , remaineth yet fastned to a post of timber , and is not so much to be noted for the length , as for the thickness , hardness , and strength thereof ; for when it was hanged on the stone pillar , it fretted ( with moving ) the said pillar , and was not it self fretted , nor ( as seemeth ) is not yet lightned by remaining dry : but where or when this bone was first found or discovered , i have not heard . of the seventeenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called coleman-street ward . vve will now stear our course northward , and look towards london walls to find out another ward , and next to cheap ward on the north side thereof , is coleman-street ward , and beginneth also in the east , on the course of wallbrook , in lothbury , and runneth west , ( on the south side to the end of ironmongers lane , and on the north side , to the west corner of basing-hall street ; on the south side of lothbury , is the street called the old jewry ; the one half , and better , on both sides towards cheap , is of this ward . antiquities therein to be noted , are these , first , the street of lothbury , lathbery , or loadbay ; this street is possessed ( for the most part ) by founders , that cast candlesticks , chafing-dishes , spice-mortars , and such like copper or latin workes , and do after turn them with the foot , and not with the wheel , to make them smoth and bright , with turning and scrating , ( as some do term it ) making a loathsome noise to the by-passers , that have not been used to the like , and therefore by them disdainedly called lothbury . on the south side of this street amongst the founders be some fair houses and large , for merchants ; namely , one that of old time was the jews synagogue , which was defaced by the citizens of london , after that they had slain seven hundred jewes , and spoiled the residue of their goods , in the year , the forty seventh of henry the third . and not long after , in the year , king edward the first banished the remnant of the jewes out of england , as is afore shewed . the synagogue being so suppressed , certain fryars got possession thereof ; for in the year , ( saith matthew paris ) there were seen in london a new order of fryars , called de poenitentia jesu , or fratres de sacco , because they were apparrelled in sackcloth , who had their house in london , near unto aldersgate , without the gate , and had licence of henry the third , in the four and twentieth of his reign , to remove from thence to any other place ; and in the fifty sixt , she gave unto them this jews synagogue . after which time elianor the queen , wife to edward the first , took into her protection , and warranted unto the prior and brethren de poenitentia jesu christi , of london , the said land and building in cole-church street , in the parish of saint olave in the jury and st. margaret in loathbury , by her granted , with consent of stephen de fulborn , under-warden of the bridge-house , and other brethren of that house , for threescore marks of silver , which they had received of the said prior and brethren of repentance , towards the building of the said bridge . this order of friers gathered many good schollars , and multiplyed in number exceedingly , untill the councel of lyons ; by the which it was decreed , that ( from that time forth ) there should no more orders of begging fryers , be permitted , but only the four orders , to wit , the dominick or preachers , the minorites or gray fryers , and the augustines : and so from that time the begging fryers decreated and fell to nothing . now it followed , that in the year , robert fitzwalter , requested and obtained of the said king edward the first , that the same fryers of the sack , might assigne to the said robert , their chappel or church , of old time , called the synagogue of the jewes , near adjoyning to the then mansion house of the same robert , which was in place where now standeth the grocers hall , and the said synagogue was at the north corner of the old jury , robert large , mercer , mayor , in the year , kept his majoralty in this house , and dwelled there until his dying day . this house standeth , and is of two parishes , as opening into lothbury , of st. margarets parish , and opening into the old jewry , of st. olaves parish , the said robert large , gave liberally to both these parishes , but was buried at st. olaves . hugh clopton , mercer , maior , dwelled in this house , and kept his majoralty there : it is now a tavern , and hath to signe a wind-mill . and thus much for this house , sometimes the jews synagogue , since an house of fryers , then a noble mans house , after that , a marchants house , wherein majoralities have bin kept , and now a wine-tavern . then is the old jewry a street so called of jews , sometime dwelling there , and near adjoyning in the parishes of st. olave , st. michael basing hall , st. martin ironmonger-lane , st. lawrence , called the jewry , and so west to wood-street . william duke of normandy , first brought them from roane to inhabit here . william rusus favoured them so far , that he sware by lukes face , his common oath , if they could overcome the christians , he would be one of their sect. henry the second , grievously punished them for corrupting his coyne . richard the first forbad jewes , and women to be present at his coronation , for fear of inchantments ; for breaking of which commandment , many jews were slain , who being assembled , to present the king with some gift , one of them was stricken by a christian , which some unruly people perceiving , fell upon them , beat them to their houses , and brent them therein , or slew them at their comming out . also the jewes at norwich , st. edmonds bury , lincoln , stanford , and lyn , were robbed and spoyled ; and at york , to the number of five hundred , besides women and children entred a tower of the castle , profered money to be in surety of their lives ; but the christians would not take it ; whereupon , they cut the throats of their own wives and children , and cast them over the walls on the christians heads ; and then , entring the kings lodging , they burned both the house and themselves . king john , in the th of his reign , commanded all the jews , both men and women , to be imprisoned , and grievously punished , because he would have all their money ; some of them gave all they had , and promised more , to escape so many kinds of torments ; for every one of them , had one of their eyes at the least plucked out . amongst whom there was one , which being tormented many wayes , would not ransome himself , till the king had caused ( every day ) one of his great teeth to be plucked out , by the space of seven dayes , and then he gave the king ten thousand marks of silver : to the end , they should pull out no more , the said king at that time , spoyl'd the jews of sixty six thousand marks . the th of this king , the barons brake into the jews houses , rifled their coffers , and with the stone of their houses , repaired the gates and walls of london . king henry the third , in the th of his reign , granted to semaine , or ballaster , the house of benomie mittun the jew , in the parish of st. michael bassing-langhe , in which the said benemy dwelt , with the fourth part of all his land in that parish , which vvilliam elie held of the fee of hugh nevel , and all the land in colemanstreet , belonging to the said benomy ; and the fourth part of the land , in the parish of st. lawrence , which was the fee of thomas buckerel , and were excheted to the king , for the murther which the said benomy committed in the city of london , to hold to the said semaine , and his heires , of the king , paying at easter , a pair of gilt spurs , and to do the service thereof due unto the lords court. in the like manner , and for like services , the king granted to guso for his homage , the other part of the lands of the said benomye in st. michaels parish ; which law , the painter held , and was the kings excheter , and the lands of the said benomye , in the said parish , which vvalter turner held , and fifteen foot of land , which hugh harman held , with fifteen iron ells of land , and an half , in the front of iron-monger-lane , in the parish of st. martin , which were the said benomyes , of the fee of the hospital of st. giles , and which adam the smith held , with two stone-houses , which were moses the jew of canterbury , in the parish of st. olave ; and which a●e of the fee of arnold de reus , and are the kings exchetes , as aforesaid . the th of the said henry , the jews in london , builded a synagogue , but the king commanded , it should be dedicated to our blessed lady , and after gave it to the brethren of st. anthonies of vienna , and so was it called st. anthonies hospital . this king henry founded a church and house for converted jews , in a new street by the temple , whereby it came to passe , that ( in short time ) there was gathered a great number of converts . the twentieth of this king henry , seven jews were brought from norwich , vvhich had stolen a christened child , had circumcised , and minded to have crucified him at easter , vvherefore their bodies and goods vvere at the kings pleasure : the six and twentieth , the jews vvere constrained to pay to the king , twenty thousand marks , at two termes in the year , or else to be kept in perpetual prison . the five and thirtieth , he taketh inestimable sums of money , of all rich men , namely , of aaron , a jew born at york , fourteen thousand marks for himself , and ten thousand marks for the queen ; and before , he had taken of the same jew as much , as in all , amounted to thirty thousand marks of silver , and two hundred marks of gold to the queen . in the sortieth year , vvere brought up to vvestminster , two hundred jews from lincoln , for crucifying a child , named hugh ; eighteen of them were hang'd . the forty third , a jew at tewksbury fell into a privie on the saturday , and would not that day be taken out , for reverence of his sabbath ; wherefore richard clare , earl of gloucester , kept him there till monday , that he was dead . the forty seven , the barons slew of the jews at london , seven hundred ; the rest were spoiled , and their synagogue defaced , because one jew would have forced a christian to have payd more than two shillings , for the lone of twenty shillings a week . the third of edward the first , in a parliament at london , usury was forbidden to the jews ; and that all usurers might be known , the king commanded that every usurer should weare a table on his brest , the breadth of a paveline , or else to avoid the realm . the sixth of the said king edward , a reformation was made for clipping of the kings coyn ; for which offence , two hundred sixty seven jews were drawn and hanged ; three were english christians , and other were english jews . the same year the jews crucified a child at northampton ; for the which fact , many jews at london were drawn at horses tayls , and hanged . the th of edward the first , john perkham , arch bishop of canterbury , commanded the bishop of london , to destroy all the jewes synagogues in his diocese . the th of the said edward , all the jews in england , were ( in one day ) apprehended by precept from the king but they redeemed themselves for twelve thousand pounds of silver ; notwithstanding , in the nineteenth of his reign , he banished them all out of england , giving them only to bear their charge , till they were out of this realm , the number of jews then expulsed , were fifteen thousand and sixty persons : the king made a mighty masse of money of their houses , which he sold , and yet the commons of england had granted , and gave him a fifteenth of all their goods , to banish them ; and thus much for the jewes . in this street called the old jewry , is a proper parish-church of st. olave upwell , so called in record , , john brian , parson of st. olave upwell , in the jewry , founded there a chauntery , and gave two messuages to that parish , the sixteenth of edward the second , and was by the said king confirmed . in this church to the commendations of the parsons and parishioners , the monuments , of the dead , remain lesse defaced than in many other . from this parish church of st. olave , to the north end of the old jewry , and from thence west to the north end of ironmonger-lane , almost to the parish church of st. martin , ( was of old time ) one large building of stone , very ancient , made in place of jews houses ; but of what antiquity , or by whom the same was builded , or for what use , is not known : more than that king henry the sixth , in the sixteenth of his reign , gave the office of being porter , or keeper thereof , unto john stent , for terme of his life , by the name of his principal pallace in the old jewry . this was called the old wardrobe , but of latter time , the outward stone-wall hath bin by little and little taken down , and divers fair houses builded thereupon , even round about . now or the north side of this lothbury , beginning again at the east end thereof , upon the water-course of wallbrook , have ye a proper parish church , called st. margaret , which was newly re-edified and builded , about the year . by the west end of this parish-church , have ye a fair water-conduit , builded at the charges of the city , in the year , . next is the founders hall , a hansom house , and so to the south-west corner of basings-hall-street , have ye fair and large houses for marchants , namely , the corner-house , at the end of basings-hall-street , an old peece of work , builded of stone , sometime belonging to a certain jew , named mansere , the sonne of aaron , the sonne of coke the jew , the seventh of edward the first , since , to rahere sopers-lane , then , to simon francis. thomas bradbury , mercer , kept his majoralty there , deceased . part of this house hath bin lately imployed as a market-house for the sale of woollen bayes , watmoles , flanels , and such like . on this north side , against the old jewry , is colemanstreet , so called of coleman , the first builder and owner thereof ; as also of cole-church , or coleman-church , against the great conduit in cheape : this is a fair and large street , on both sides builded with divers fair houses , besides allies with small tenements in great number , on the east side of this street , almost at the north end thereof , is the armorers-hall , which company of armorers , were made a fraternity of guild of st. george , with a chantry in the chappel of st. thomas , in pauls church , in the first of henry the sixth ; also on the same side is kings alloy , and love-lane , both containing many tenements , and on the west side , towards the south end , is the parish church of st. stephen , wherein the monuments are defaced . this church was sometime a synagogue of the jews , then a parish church , then a chappel to saint olaves in the jewry , until the seventh of edward the fourth , and was then incorporated , a parish church . of the eighteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called basings-hall-ward . the next adjoyning to coleman-street-ward , on the west side thereof , is rassings-hall-vvard , a small thing , and consisteth of one street , called basings-hall-street , of basings-hall , the most principal house , whereof the ward taketh name : it beginneth in the south , by the late spoken market house , called the bay hall , which is the last of coleman-street-vvard . this street runneth from thence north , down to london-wall , and some distance both east and west , against the said hall , and this is the bounds of basings-hall-vvard . amongst divers fair houses for marchants , have ye three halls of companies , namely , the masons hall for the first ; but of what antiquity that company is , i have not read . the next is the weavers hall , which company hath bin of great antiquity in this city , as appeareth by a charter of henry the second , in these words , rex omnibus ad quos , &c. to be englished thus . henry king of england , duke of normandy , and of guyan , earl of anjou , to the bishop , justices , sheriffs , barons , ministers , and all his true lieges of london , sendeth greeting : know ye , that we have granted to the weavers in london their guuld , with all the freedoms , and customs that they had in the time of king henry my grandfather , so that they intermit none but within the city , of their craft , but he be of their guild ; neither in southwark , or other places pertaining to london , otherwise than it was done in the time of king henry my grand-father ; wherefore i will and straightly command , that over all lawfully they may treat , and have all aforesaid , as well in peace , free , worshipful , and wholly , as they had it freer , better , worshipfuller , and whollier than in the time of king henry my grand-father , so that they yield yearly to me , two marks of gold , at the feast of st. michael . and i forbid , that any man to them do any unright , or disease , upon pain of ten pound , &c. lower down , is the girdlers hall , and this is all touching the east side of this ward . on the west side , almost at the south end thereof , is bakewell-hall , corruptly called blackwell-hall , concerning the original whereof , i have heard divers opinions , which i over-passe as fables , without colour of truth ; for though the same seemed a building of great antiquity , yet ( in mine opinion ) the foundation thereof was first laid , since the conquest of vvilliam , duke of normandy ; for the same was builded upon vaults of stone ; which stone was brought from cane in normandy : the like of that in pauls church , builded by mauritius and his successors , bishops of london ; but that this house hath bin a temple , or jewish synagogue ( as some have fantisied ) i allow not , seeing that it had no such form of roundness , or other likeness ; neither had it the form of a church , for the assembly of christians , which are builded east and west ; but contrariwise , the same was builded north and south , and in the form of a noblemans house , and therefore the best opinion ( in my judgement ) is , that it was ( of old time ) belonging to the family of the bassings , which was in this realm , a name of great antiquity and renown ; and that it beares also the name of that family , and was called therefore bassings-haugh , or hall. now how bakewell-hall took that name , is another question , for which i read , that thomas bakewel dwelled in this house , in the . of edward the d , and that in the . of richard the d , the said king for the sum of . pounds , which the mayor and the communalty , had paid into the hanapar , granted licence , so much as was in him , to john frosh , william parker , and stephen spilman , ( citizens and mercers ) that they , the said messuage , called bakewell-hall , and one garden , with the appurtenances , in the parish of st. michael of bassings-haugh , and of st. lawrence , in the jewry of london , and one messuage , two shops , and one garden , in the said parish of st. michael , which they held of the king in burgage , might give and assign to the mayor and communalty for ever . this bakewell-hall thus established , hath bin long since imployed , as a weekly market-place for all sorts of woollen clothes , broad and narrow , brought from all parts of this realm , there to be sold . in the . of richard the second , richard whittington mayor ; and in the . drew barringtine being mayor , it was decreed , that no forraign or stranger , should sell any woollen-cloth ; but in bakewell-hall , upon pain of forfeiture thereof . this house ( of late years ) growing ruinous , and in danger of falling , richard may , merchant-taylor , at his decease , gave towards the new building of the outward part thereof , l . upon condition , that the same should be performed , within three years after his decease ; whereupon , the old bakewell-hall , was taken down , and in the moneth of february next following , the foundation of a new , strong , and beautiful store-house being laid , the work thereof was so diligently applyed , that within the space of ten moneths after , to the charges of two thousand five hundred pounds , the same was finished , in the year . next beyond this house , are placed divers fair houses for marchants , and others , till ye come to the back gate of guild-hall ; which gate , and part of the building within the same , is of this ward : some small distance beyond this gate , the coopers have their common hall. then is the parish church of st. michael , called st. michael at bassings-hall , a proper church , lately re-edified or new builded . the nineteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called cripple-gate ward . the next ward is called of cripplegate , and consisteth of divers streets and lanes , lying as well without the gate and wall of the city , as within . first , within the wall on the east part thereof , towards the north ; it runneth to the west-side of bassing hall's ward , and towards the south , it joyneth to the ward of cheap ; it beginneth at the west end of the st. laurence church in the jury , on the north-side , and runeth west to a pumpe , where sometimes was a well with buckets , at the south corner of alderman-bury-street , which street runneth down north to gayspur lane , and to london wall , which street and lane are wholly ( on both sides ) of this ward , and so be some few houses ( on both sides ) from gayspur lane , by and against the wall of the city , east to the grates , made for the water-course of the channels , and west to the creplegate . now on the south side , from over against the west end of saint laurence church , to the pumpe , and up milke-street south unto cheap , which milke-street is wholly ( on both the sides ) of cripplegate ward , as also without the south end of milke-street , a part of west cheap , to wit , from the standard to the crosse , is all of cripplegate ward . then down great wood-street , which is wholly of this ward on both the sides thereof , so is little wood-street , which runneth down to creplegate . out of this wood-street be diver lanes , namely on the east side is lad lane , which runneth east to milke-street corner , down lower in woodstreet is love lane , which lieth by the south side of st. albans church in wood-street , and runneth down to the conduit in aldermanbury-street ; lower down in wood-street , is addle-street , out of the which runneth philip-lane , down to london wall. these be the lanes on the east-side . on the west side of wood-street , in huggon lane , by the south side of st. michaels church & goeth thorow to gutherons lane ; then lower is maiden-lane , which runneth west to the north end of gutherons lane , and up the said lane on the east side thereof , till against kery lane , and back again , then the said maiden-lane , on the north side , goeth up to staining lane , & up a part thereof on the east side , to the farthest north part of haberdashers hall , and back again to wood-street , and there lower down is silver street , which is of this ward , till ye come to the east end of st. olaves church on the south side , and to monkes-well street , on the north side , then down the said monkes-well street on the east side thereof , and so to cripplegate , do make the bonds of this ward within the walls . of these more-fields , you have formerly read , what a moorish rotten ground they were , unpassable , but for cawsways ; purposely made to that intent ; what they were also in our own nearer times of memory , even till sir leonard halliday was lord major of london , iam very well assured many do perfectly remember . and what they are now at this instant by the honourable cost and care of this city , and the industrious pains and diligence of that worthy cittizen mr. nicolas leate , we all ( to our continuall comfort ) do evidently behold . then to turn back again , through the said posternlane to more-lane , which more-lane , with all the allies and buildings there , is of this ward . after that is grub-street more then half thereof to the streightning of the street , next is white-crosse-street , up to the end of beech-lane , and then red-crosse-street , wholly with a part of golding-lane , even to the posts there placed , as a bounder . then is beech lane before spoken of ; the east side of the red-crosse , and the barbican-street , more than halfe thereof toward aldersgate-street . touching the antiquitie of this old aldermans-bury or court , i have not read other , then that richard kenery , one of the sheriffs of london ; in the first of richard the first , which was in the year of christ . gave to the church of saint mary at osney by oxford , certain grounds and rents in alderman-bury , of london , as appeareth by the register of that church , as is also entered into the hustings of the guild-hall in london . this old bery , court , or hall continued , and the courts of the major and aldermen were continually holden there , untill the new bery-court , or guild-hall that now is , was builded and finished , which hall was first begun to be founded in the year , and was not fully finished in twenty years after , the ruines of the old court hall in alderman-bury-street yet appear which of late hath bin imployed as a carpenters yard , &c. then is the parish church of st. mary aldermanbury , a fair church , with a church-yard and cloyster adjoyning . in the which cloyster is hanged and fastned a shanke-bone of a man ( as is said ) very great , and larger by three inches and a half , than that which hangeth in st. laurence church in the jury , for it is in length twenty eight inches and a half of assise , but not so hard and steely , like as the other ; for the same is leight , and somewhat pory and spongy . this bone is said to be found amongst the bones of men removed from the charnell house of pauls , or rather from the cloyster of pauls church . beneath this church have ye gayspur-lane , which runneth down to london wall , as is afore shewed . in this lane , at the north end thereof , was ( of old time ) a house of nuns , which house being in great decay william elsing , mercer , in the year of christ . the third of edward of the third , began in place thereof the foundation of an hospitall , for sustentation of one hundred blind men : towards the erection whereof , he gave his two houses in the parishes of st. alphage and our blessed lady in aldermanbury near cripplegate . this house was after called a priory or hospitall of st. mary the virgin , founded in the year . by w. elsing for canons regular , the which w. became the first prior there . in the same place where the aforesaid elsing spittle and priory , were formerly scituated , there is now newly erected a colledge for the clergy of london , and liberties thereof , called by the name of sion-colledge : and almes-houses for twenty poor people , ten men and ten women . this was done by the especiall care and paines of mr. john simson , rector of st. olaves hart-street london , one of the executors of the last will and testament of mr. thomas white , doctor in divinity , vicar of s. dunstans in the west , and one of the canons residentiary of s. pauls church london : which ●o●e-named thomas white , ( besides sundry sums of money , and great yearly revenues given by him to pious and charitable uses in divers places ) gave three thousand pound to purchase and build the aforesaid colledge for the use of the clergy , and almes-houses for the twenty poor people aforesaid . he gave also unto the said colledge , and almes-houses , a hundred sixty pound , per annum for ever ; whereof there is a hundred twenty pound yearly allowed for the maintenance of the poor almes-men and women : and forty pound yearly for four dinners for the clergy , who are to have four latine sermons in the year one every quarter , and upon these dayes are to dine together in the colledge . in the same colledge the forenamed john simson did in his life time , at his own proper costs and charges , build a very faire and spacious library , containing , a hundred twenty one foot in length , within the walls , and above twenty five foot in breadth . and hath furnished it with wainscot , stalls , desks , seats , and other necessary and usefull ornaments befitting the place . to this library there have been already divers bountifull , and well disposed benefactors , who have given large sums of money towards the furnishing of it with books . then is there the parish church of saint alphage ; the principall i le of this church towards the north , was pulled down , and a frame of four houses set up in the place : the other part , from the steeple upward , was converted into a parish church of s. alphage ; and the parish church which stood near unto the wall of the city by cripplegate , was pulled down ; the plot thereof made a carpenters yard , with saw-pits . the hospitall it self , the prior , and canons house , with other lodgings were made a dwelling house , the church-yard is a garden plot , and a faire gallery on the cloyster ; the lodgins for the poor are translated into stabling for horses . now we will return to milk-street so call'd of milke sold there at the beginning . in this milk-street , is a small parish church of saint mary magdelen , which hath of late years been repaired . william brown , mayor . gave to this church fourty pounds , and was buried there . then next is wood-street , by what reason so called , i know not . true it is , that ( of old time ) according to a decree made in the reign of richard the first , the houses of london were builded of stone , for defence of fire , which kind of building was used for two hundred years or more , but of latter time , for the winning of ground , taken down ; and houses of timber were set up in their place . it seemeth therefore that this street hath been of the latter building , all of timber , ( for scarce one house of stone hath been known there ) and therefore called wood-street : otherwise it might take the name of some builder or owner thereof . on the east side of this street is one of the prison-houses , pertaining to the sheriffs of london , and is called the compter in wood-street , which was prepared to be a prison-house in the year . and on the eve of s. michael the archangell , the prisoners that lay in the compter in bread-street , were removed to this compter in wood-street . beneath this compter in lad-lane , or ladle hall , for so i find it of record , in the parish of saint michaell wood-street ; and beneath that is love lane , so called of wantons . by this lane is the ancient parish church of s. albans . one note of the great antiquity of it , is the name , by which it was at first dedicated to st. albanus , the first martyr of england . another character of the antiquity of it , is to be seen in the manner of the turning of the arches in the windows , and heads of the pillars . a third note , appears in the roman bricks , here and there inlayed amongst the stones of the building . very probable it is , that this church is at least of as ancient a standing as king aldelstane the saxon , who , as the tradition sayes , had his house at the east end of this church . this kings house , having adoor also into adel-street in this parish , gave name , as 't is thought , unto the said adel-street , which in all evidences to this day , is written king adel-street . one great square tower of this kings house seems yet remaining , to be seen at the north corner of love lane , as you come from alderman-bury ; which tower is of the very same stone and manner of building with s. albans church . there is also ( but without any outward monument ) the head of james the fourth king of scots of that name , slain at flodden field , and buried here by this occasion : after the battell , the body of the said king being found , was closed in lead , and conveyed from thence to london , and so to the monastery of sheine in surrey , where it remained for a time , in what order i am not certain : but since the dissolution of that house , in the reign of edward the sixth , henry gray duke of suffolk , being lodged and keeping house there , the same body was to be shew'd , so lapped in lead , close to the head and body , thrown into a waste room amongst the old timber , lead , & other rubble ; since which time , the workmen there ( for their foolish pleasure ) hewed off his head ; and launcelot young , master glasier to queen elizabeth , feeling a sweet savour to come from thence , and seeing the same dried from all moisture , and yet the form remaining , with the hair of the head and beard red , brought it into london , to his house in wood-street , where ( for a time ) he kept it for the sweetnesse ; but in the end , caused the sexton of that church , to bury it amongst other bones , taken out of their charnell , &c. there are divers records of a house in wood-street , then called black hall , but no man at this day can tell thereof . on the north side of this saint michaels church is maiden-lane , now so called , but ( of old time ) ingene-lane , or inglane . in this lane the wax-chaundlers have their common hall , on the the south side thereof ; and the haberdashers have their hall on the north side , at stayning-lane end . this company of the haberdashers , or hurrers , of old time so called , were incorporated a brotherhood of st. katherines , the twenty sixth of henry the sixth , and so confirmed by henry the seventh , the seventeenth of his reign ; the cappers and hat-merchants , or hurrers , being one company of haberdashers . down lower in vvood-street is silver-street ( i think , of silver-smiths dwelling there ) in which be divers fair houses . and on the north side thereof is monks-well street , so called , of a well , at the north end thereof , where the abbot of garendon had an home or cell , called saint james in the wall by cripple-gate , and certain monks of their house were chaplains there ; wherefore the well ( belonging to that cell or hermitage ) was called monks-well , and the street of the well , monks-well street . the east side of this street down against london wall , and the south side thereof to cripple-gate , be of cripple-gate ward , as is afore-shewed . in this street , by the corner of monks-well street , is the bowyers hall. on the east side of monks-well street , be convenient alms-houses , twelve in number , founded by sir ambrose nicholas , salter , maior , . wherein he placed twelve poor and aged people rent-free , having each of them seven pence the week , and once the yeer each of them five sacks of charcoals , and one quartern of one hundred of faggots , of his gift for ever . on the north side of the way , turning towards cripple-gate , and even upon , or close to london wall , ( as it were ) are certain new erected almes-houses , six in number , of the cost and gift of mr. robert rogers , leather-seller , and very good maintenance allowed ( for ever ) to such people as are appointed to dwell in them . then , in little vvood-street , be seven proper chambers in an alley on the west side , founded for seven poor people , therein to dwell rent-free , by henry barton , skinner , maior , . now without the postern of cripple-gate , first is the parish church of saint giles , a very fair and large church , lately repaired , after that the same was burned , in the yeer , the thirty seventh of henry the eighth , by which mischance , the monuments of the dead in this church are very few . in vvhite crosse-street king henry the fifth builded a fair house , and founded there a brotherhood of s. giles to be kept , which house had sometime been an hospitall of the french order , by the name of saint giles without cripple-gate . in the reign of edward the first , the king having the jurisdiction , and pointing a custos thereof , for the precinct of the parish of saint giles , &c. which hospitall being suppressed , the lands were given to the brotherhood for relief of the poor . one alley , of divers tenements , over against the north wall of saint giles church-yard , was appointed to be alms-houses , for the poor , wherein they dwelled rent-free , and otherwise were releeved ; but the said brotherhood was suppressed by henry the eighth , since which time , sir john gresham , maior , purchased the lands , and gave part thereof to the maintenance of a free school , which he had founded at holt , a market-town in norfolk . in red crosse-street , on the west side from s. giles church-yard , up to the said crosse , be many fair houses builded outward , with divers alleys , turning into a large plot of ground , of old time called the jews garden , as being the only place appointed them in england , wherein to bury their dead , till the year , the twenty fourth of henry the second , that it was permitted them ( after long suit to the king and parliament at oxford ) to have a speciall place assigned them in every quarter where they dwelled . on the east side of this red crosse-street , be also divers fair houses , up to the crosse , and there is beech-lane , peradventure so called of nicholas de la beech , lievtenant of the tower of london , put out of that office in the thirteenth of edward the third . this lane stretcheth from red crosse-street to vvhite crosse-street , replenished not with beech trees , but with beautifull houses of stone , brick , and timber : amongst the which was ( of old time ) a great house pertaining to the abbot of ramsey , for his lodging , when he repaired to the city ; it is now called drewry house , of sir drew drewry , who dwelt there . on the north side of this beech-lane , towards vvhite crosse street , the drapers of london have lately builded eight alms-houses of brick and timber , for eight poor widows of their own company , whom they placed there rent-free . then is golding-lane : richard gallard of islington esquire , citizen and painter-stainer of london , founded thirteen alms-houses , for so many poor people placed in them rent-free . he gave to the poor of the same alms-houses , two pence the peece weekly , and a load of charcoals among them yeerly for ever : he left fair lands about islington , to maintain his foundation . t. hayes , sometime chamberlain of london , in the latter time of henry the eighth , married elizabeth his daughter and heir , which hayes and elizabeth had a daughter named elizabeth , married to john ironmonger , of london mercer , who had the ordering of the alms-people . on the west side of red crosse-street , is a street called the barbican , because sometime there stood on the north side thereof a burghkenning or vvatch-tower of the city , called in some language a barbican , as a bikening is called beacon . this burgh-kenning , by the name of the mannour of base court , was given by edward the third , to robert ufford earl of suffolk , and was afterward pertaining to peregrine barty , lord vvilloughby of ersby . next adjoyning to this , is one other great house , called garter place , sometime builded by sir thomas vvirthe , or vvrithesly , knight , aliàs garter , principall king of arms , second son of sir john vvrithe , knight , aliàs garter , and was uncle to the first thomas , earl of southampton , knight of the garter , and chancellor of england : he built this house , and in the top thereof a chappell , which he dedicated by the name of s. trinitatis in alto. of the twentieth ward , or aldermanry , of the city of london , call'd aldersgate ward . the next is aldersgate ward , taking name of that north gate of the city : this ward also consisteth of divers streets and lanes , lying as well within the gate and wall , as without . and first , to speak of that part within the gate , thus it is , the east part thereof joyneth unto the west part of cripplegate ward , in engain lane , or maiden lane ; it beginneth on the north side of that lane , at staining lane end runneth up from the haberdashers hall , to st. mary staining church , and by the church east , winding almost to woodstreet ; and west through oate lane ; and then by the south side of bacon house in noble-street , back again by lilipot lane , which is also of that ward , to maiden lane ; and so on that north side west to saint john zacharies church , and to foster lane . now on the south side of engain or maiden lane , is the west side of gutherons lane , to kery lane and kery lane it self ( which is of this ward ) and back again into engain lane , by the north side of the goldsmiths hall , to foster lane are almost wholly of this ward : which beginneth in the south toward cheap on the east side by the north side of saint fosters church , and runneth down north west by the east end of engain lane by lilipot lane , and oate lane , to noble-street , and through that by shelly house , ( of old time so called , as belonging to the shellies ) sir thomas shelley knight , was owner thereof in the first of henry the fourth . it is now called bacon-house , because the same was new builded by sir nicholas bacon , lord-keeper of the great seal ; down on that side by serjeant fleet-woods house , recorder of london , who also new builded it to saint olaves church in silver-street , which is by the north-west end of this noble-street . then have ye maine street of this ward , which is called saint martins lane , in cluding saint martin , on the east side thereof ; and so down on both the sides to aldersgate . and these be the bounds of this ward , within the wall and gate . without the gate , the main street called aldersgate-street , runneth up north on the east side , to the west end of hounds-ditch or barbican-street ; a part of which street , is also of this ward ; and on the west side to long-lane , a part whereof is likewise of this ward . beyond the which aldersgate , is goswell street up to the barrs . and on the west side of hldersgate street , by saint buttolphs church , is briton-street which runneth west to a pumpe , and then north to the gate , which entreth the church-yard , sometimes pertaining to the priory of saint bartholomews on the east side & on the west side towards st. bartholomews spittle , to a paire of posts there fixed . and these be the bounds of this aldersgate ward without . the antiquities be these , first in staining lane , of old time so called , as may be supposed of painter-stainers dwelling there . on the east side thereof , adjoyning to the aaberdashers hall , be ten almes-houses , pertaining to the haberdashers ; wherein be placed ten almes people of that company , every of them having eight pence the peece every friday for ever , by the gift of thomas huntlow , haberdasher , one of the sheriffs , in the year , . then is the small parish church of saint mary , called staining , because it standeth , at the north end of staining lane . then is engain lane , or maiden lane ; and , at the north-west corner thereof , the parish church of st. john zachary , a fair church , with the monuments well preserved , of thomas lichfield who founded a chantery there , in the fourteenth of edward the second . on the east side of this foster lane , at engane lane end , is goldsmiths hall , a proper house , but not large ; and therefore to say , that bartholmew read goldsmith , mayor in the year kept such a feast in this hall , as some have fabuled , is far incredible , and altogether unpossible , considering the smallnesse of the hall , & number of the guests , which as they say , were more than one hundred persons of great estate ; but of late years the said goldsmiths hall is much enlarged and in a stately and sumptuous manner , in so much that it may compare with any other hall in london . then at the north end of noble-street , is the parish church of st. olave in silver-street , a small thing . on the west side of foster-lane , is the small parish church of st. leonards , for them of st. martins le grand . a number of tenements being lately builded in place of the great collegiate church of st. martin : that parish is mightily encreased . then in pope-lane , so called of one pope that was owner thereof ; on the north side is the parish church of saint anne in the willowes , so called , i know not upon what occasion , but some say , of willowes growing there abouts , but now there is no such void place for willowes to grow , more than the church-yard , wherein do grow some high ash-trees to this day . then in st. martins lane was ( of old time ) a fair and large colledge , of a dean and secular canons or priests , and was called saint martins le grand , founded by ingelricus , and edwardus his brother , in the year of christ , and confirmed by william the conqueror , as appeareth by his charter , dated . this colledge claimed great priviledges of sanctuary , and otherwise , as appeareth in a book written by a notary of that house , about the year the nineteenth of henry the sixth : wherein , amongst other things , is set down and declared that on the first of september , in the year aforesaid , a souldier , prisoner in newgate , as he was led by an officer towards the guild-hall of london , there came out of panyer alley five of his fellowship , and took him from the officer , brought him into sanctuary , at the west door of st. martins church , and took grithe of that place ; but the same day philip malpas , & robert marshall , then sheriffs of london , with many other entred the said church , and forcibly took out with them the said five men thither fled , led them fettered to the counter , and from thence chained by the necks to newgate : of which violent taking , the dean and chapter in large manner complained to the king , and required him as their patron , to defend their priviledges , like as his predecessors had done , &c. all which complaint and suite , the citizens by their counsel markham serjeant at the law , john carpenter common clerk of the city , and others , learnedly answered , offering to prove , that the said place of st. martin had no such immunity or liberty , as was pretended . notwithstanding , after long debating of this controversie , by the kings commandment , & assent of his councel in the starr-chamber , the chancellour and treasurer , sent a writ unto the sheriffs of london , charging them to bring the said five persons , with the cause of their taking and withholding , afore the king in his chancery on the vigil of alhallowes : on which day , the said sheriffs , with the recorder and counsel of the city , brought and delivered them accordingly , afore the said lords ; where the chancellour , after he had declared the kings commandement , sent them to st. martins , there to abide freely , as in a place having franchises , whiles them liked , &c. without aldersgate on the east side of aldersgate-street , is the cookes hall , which cooks ( or pastlers ) were admitted to be a company , and to have a master and wardens , in the two and twentieth of edward the fourth ; from thence , along unto houndsditch , or barbican street , be many fair houses ; on the west side also , be the like fair buildings , till ye come to long-lane , and so to goswell street . in britaine street , which took that name of the duke of britain lodging there , is one proper parish church of st. buttolph ; in which church was sometime a brotherhood of st. fabian and sebastian , founded in the year , the fifty one of edward the third ; and confirmed by henry the fourth in the sixth of his reign . then henry the sixth in the twenty fourth of his reign , to the honour of the trinity , gave licence to dame joane astley , sometime his nurse , to r. cawood and t. smith , to found the same a fraternity perpetually , to have a master and two custos with brethren and sisters ; this brotherhood was endowed with lands , more than thirty pounds by the year , and was suppressed by edward the sixth . of the one and twentieth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called faringdon ward intra . on the south side of aldersgate ward , lyeth faringdon ward , called intra , or within , for a difference from another ward of that name , which lyeth without the walls of the city , and is therefore called farringdon extra . these two wards ( of old time ) were but one , and had also but one alderman ; the whole great ward of faringdon , both intra and extra , took name of w. farrendon goldsmith , alderman of that ward , and one of the sheriffs of london , in the year , the ninth of edward the first ; he purchased the aldermanry of this ward , as by the abstract of deeds which are yet extant , may appear . at the south-west corner of wood-street , is the parish church of st , peter the apostle , by the said crosse : a proper church . john sha goldsmith , mayor , deceased , appointed by his testament , the said church and steeple to be new builded of his goods , with a flat roof . notwithstanding , tho. wood goldsmith , one of the sheriffs , is accounted a principal benefactor , because the roof of the middle isle is supported by images of woodmen , thought to be at his charge . the long shop , or shed encroaching on the high-street before this church wall , was licenced to be made in the year , yielding to the chamber of london three shillings four pence yearly for the time . also the same shop was letten by the parish , for three pounds at the most , many years since . then is guthuruns lane , so called of guthurun , sometime owner thereof , the inhabitants of this lane ( of old time ) were gold-beaters , as doth appear by records in the exchequer . for , the easterling money , was appointed to be made of fine silver , such as men made into foyle , and was commonly called silver of guthrons lane , &c. the imbroyderers hall is in this lane , john throwstone imbroyderer , then goldsmith , sheriff , deceasing . gave forty pound towards the purchase of this hall ; hugon lane on the east side , and kery lane called of one kery on the west . then in the high street on the same north side , is the sadlers hall , and then foster-lane , so called , of saint fosters , a fair church , lately new builded . henry coote goldsmith , one of the sheriffs , deceased , builded st. dunstans chappel there . john throwstone , one of the sheriffs , gave to the building thereof one hundred pounds by his testament . john brown sergeant-painter alderman , deceased , was a great benefactor , and was there buried . william thrist selerar to the king , john standelf goldsmiths , lye buried there . richard galder , agnes wise to william milborne , chamberlain of london , . in this west side is the barber chirurgions hall ; this company was incorporated by means of thomas morestead , esquire , one of the sheriffs of london , a thousand four hundred thirty six ; chirurgion to the kings of england , henry the fourth , fifth , and sixth , he deceased . then jaques fries , physitian to edward the fourth , and william hobbs , physician and chirurgion to the same kings body , continuing the suite the full terme of twenty years . edward the fourth in the second of his reign , and richard duke of glocester became founders of the same corporation , in the parish of saint cosme and damiane . the first assembling of that mystery was by roger strippe , william hobbs , thomas goddard , and richard kent , since the which time they builded their hall in that street , &c. at the north corner of this street , on the same side , was sometime an hermitage , or chappel of saint james called in the wall , near creplegate , it belonged to the abbey and covent of garadon , as appeareth by a record the seven and twentieth of edward the first , and also the fiftieth of edward the third , william de lions was hermit there , and the abbot and convent of garadon found two chaplains cestercian monkes of their house , in this hermitage one of them , for aymor de valence earl of pembrooke , and mary de saint paul his countesse . of these monks , and of a well pertaining to them , the street took that name , and is called monkes-well street . this hermitage with the appurtenances , was in the reign of edward the sixth , purchased from the said king by w. lambe , one of the gentlemen of the kings chappel , citizen , and cloth-worker of london ; he deceased in the year , and then gave it to the cloth-workers of london , with other tenements , to the value of fifty pounds the year , to the intent they shall hire a minister , to say divine service there . again , to the high street of cheap , from foster lane end , to st martins , and by that lane to the shambles or flesh-market , on the north side whereof is pentecost lane , containing divers slaughter-houses for the butchers . then was there of old time , a hansome parish church of saint nicholas , whereof the said flesh-market took the name , and was called saint nicholas shambles . this church with the tenements and ornaments , was by henry the eighth given to the mayor and communalty of the city , towards the maintenance of the new parish church , then to be erected in the late dissolved church of the gray fryers , so was this church dissolved and pulled down , in place whereof , and of the church-yard ; many fair houses are now builded , in a court with a well , in the middest whereof the church stood . then is stinking lane , formerly so called , or chick lane , at the east end of the gray fryers church , it is now kept clean , and free from annoyance , and called by the name of butchers hall lane , for there is the butchers hall. in the third of richard the second , motion was made , that no butcher should kill any flesh within london , but at knightsbridge , or such like distant place from the walls of the city . then is there the late dissolved church of gray fryars , the originall whereof was thus ; in the year , being the th year of the reign of king henry the d , there came out of italy nine fryers of the order of the franciscans , or frior minors ; five whereof were priests , and the other four lay-men ; the priests placed themselves at canterbury in kent , but the other four came to london , and were lodged ( for some short while ) among the preaching fryers , who lived then in oldburn , now holborne . afterwards , they obtained to be placed in cornhil london , in an house belonging to one john travers , who was then one of the sheriffs of london , in the same year , in which house they made themselves cells , and inhabited there for a certain time , till their number so encreased , and the citizens devotion grew to be so great , that ( within few years after ) they were thence removed , by the means of one john ewin mercer , who purchased a void plot of ground , near to st. nicholas shambles , where to erect an house for the said fryers . divers citizens seemed herein to joyn with the said john ewin , and erected there very beautiful buildings , upon the same ground so formerly purchased by john ewin , and a great part builded at his own charge , which he appropriated to the communalty of london , and then entred into the same order of friers , as a lay-brother himself . this whole church contained in length three hundred foot , of the feet of st. paul , in breadth eighty nine foot , and in heighth from the ground to the roof , sixty four foot , and two inches , &c. it was consecrated , and at the generall suppression , was valued at thirty two pound , nineteen shillings ; and surrendred the twelfth of november , the thirty of henry the eighth : the ornaments and goods being taken to the kings use , the church was shut up for a time , and used as a store-house of goods taken prizes from the french , but in the year , on the third of january , it was again set open , on the which day preached at pauls crosse the bishop of rochester , where he declared the kings gift thereof to the city , for the relieving of the poor ; which gift was inroll'd by patents . st. bartholmews spittle in smithfield , lately valued at three hundred five pounds , six shillings , seven pence , and surrendred to the king , was of the said church of the gray fryars , and of two parish churches the one of st. nicholas in the shambles , and the other of st. ewins in newgate-market ; they were to be made one parish church , in the said fryers church : in lands he gave for maintenance of the said church , with divine service , reparations , &c. five hundred marks by year for ever . the thirteenth of jannary , the thirty eighth of henry the eighth , an agreement was made betwixt the king and the mayor , and communalty of london , dated the twenty seven of december , by which the said gift of the gary fryers church , with all the edifices and ground , the fratrie , the library , the portar , and chapter house , the great cloistry and the lesser , tenements , gardens , and vacant grounds , lead , stone , iron , &c. the hospitall of st. bartholmew in west smithfield , the church of the same , the lead , bells , and ornaments of the same hospitall , with all the messuages tenements and appurtenances . the parishes of saint nicholas and of saint ewin , and so much of saint sepulchres parish as is within newgate , were made one parish church in the grey fryers church , and called christs church , founded by king henry the eighth . in the year , began the repairing of the gray fryars house , for the poor fatherlesse children ; and in the month of november , the children were taken into the same , to the number of almost four hundred . on christmas day in the afternoon , while the lord mayor and aldermen rod to pauls , the children of christs hospital stood , from saint lawrence lane end in cheap towards pauls , all in one livery of russer cotton , three hundred and forty in number , and in the easter next they were in blue at the spittle , and so have continued ever since . for these sorts of poor , three several houses were provided . first , for the innocent and fatherlesse , which is the beggars child , they provided the house that was the late gray fryers in london , and called it by the name of christs hospitall , where poor children are trained up in the knowledge of god , and some vertuous exercises , to the overthrow of beggary . for the second degree , was provided , the hospitals of saint thomas in southwark , and saint bartholmew in west smithfield , where are continually , ( at least ) two hundred diseased persons , which are not only there lodged and cured , but also fed and nourished . for the third degree , they provided bridewell , where the vagabond and idle strumpet is chastised , and compelled to labour , to the overthrow of the vicious life of idlenesse . they provided also for the honest decayed housholder , that he should be relieved at home at his house , and in the parish where he dwelled , by weekly relief and pension ; and in like manner they provided for the lazer , to keep him out of the city , from clapping of dishes and ringing of bells , to the great trouble of the citizens , & also to the dangerous infection of many , that they should be relieved at home at their houses by several pensions . st. bartholmewes hospital is incorporated by the name of mayor , communalty , and citizens of the city of london , governours of the hospital for the poor , called little st. bartholmews , near to west smithfield , of the foundation of king henry the eighth . christs hospitall , bridewell , and saint thomas the apostle in southwarke , are incorporated , by the names of the mayor , communalty , and citizens of london , governours of the possessions , revenues , and goods of the hospitals of edward king of england the sixth , of christ , bridewell , and saint thomas the apostle , &c. this church was full of many great monuments , as of the lady margaret daughter to philip of france , and wife to edward the first . of queen isabel wife to edward the second . of joane queen of the scots , wife to david bruce . of isabel , daughter to edward the third . of eleanor dutchesse of britain . of the lady beatrix , dutchesse of britain , daughter to henry the third . of roger mortimer , earl of march. of john hastings earl of pembrook . of john duke of bourton , who had been taken prisoner at agencourt , with divers other great personages . there is lately erected there in the south end of the chancel and extraordinary hansome monument to the lady venetia stanley , wise to the noble knight sir kenelme digby . now for the south side of this ward , beginning again at the crosse in cheap , from thence to fryday-street , and down that street on the west side , till over against the north-west corner of saint matthewes church ; and on the west side , to the south corner of the said church , is wholly in the ward of faringdon . from this fryday-street west , to the old exchange , a street so called of kings exchange there kept , which was for the receipt of bullion , to be coyned . for henry the third , in the sixth year of his reign , wrote to the scabines , and men of ipre , that he and his councel had given prohibition , that no englishmen , or other should make change of plate , or other masse of silver , but only in his exchange at london , or at canterbury ; andrew bukerel , then had to farm the exchange of england & was maior of london ; in the reign of henry the third , john somercote , had the keeping of the kings exchange over all england . in the eighth of edward the first , gregory rocksley , was keeper of the said exchange for the king , in the fifth of edward the second , william hausted was keeper thereof ; and in the eighteenth , roger de frowick , &c. these received the old stamps , or coyning-irons , from time to time , as the same were worn , and delivered new to all the mints in england . this street beginneth by vvest-cheap in the north , and runneth down south , to knight-rider-street , that part thereof which is called old fish-street : but the very housing and office of the exchange and coynage , was about the midst thereof , south from the east gate , that entreth pauls church-yard , and on the west side , in baynards-castle ward . on the east side of this lane , betwixt west-cheap , and the church of st. augustine , henry vvalleis mayor , ( by licence of edward the first ) builded one row of houses , the profits rising of them to be imployed on london bridge . the parish-church of st. augustine , and one house next adjoyning , in vvathing-street , is of this ward called faringdon . then is the north church-yard of pauls , in the which standeth the cathedral church first founded by ethelbert , king of kent , about the year of christ . he gave lands thereunto , as appeareth , ethelbertus , rex , deo inspirante , pro animae suae remedio , dedit episcopo melito terram quae appellatur tillingeham , ad monasterii sui solatium scilicet , s. pauli , &c. ego rex ethelbertus ita firmiter concedo tibi praesuli melito potestatem ejus habendi & possidendi ut in perpetuum in monasterii utilitate permaneas , &c. athelstan , edgar , edward the confessor , and others also , gave lands thereunto . william the conqueror , gave to the church of st. paul , and to mauricius , then bishop , and his successors , the castle of stortford , with the appurtenances , &c. he also confirmed the gifts of his predecessors , in these words , ut habeant quiet as in perpetuum , . hidas quas rex athelbert dedit s. paulo juxta murum london , &c. the charter of king william the conqueror , exemplified in the tower , englished thus . william , by the grace of god , king of englishmen , to all his well-beloved french and english people greeting : know ye , that i do give unto god , and the church of st. paul of london , and to the rectors and servitors of the same , in all other lands which the church hath , or shall have , within borough , and without , sack and sock , thole and the , infangtheef , and grithbirche , and all free ships by sea and by land , on tide , and off-tide , and all the rights that unto them christendom by rad and more speak , and on buright hamed , and on buright work , afore all the bishopricks in mine land , and on each other mans land. for i will , that the church in all things , be as free , as i would my soul to be in the day of judgement . in the year . this church of st. paul , was burnt with fire , and therewith the most part of the city ; which fire began at the entry of the west gate , and consumed the east gate . mauricius then bishop , began therefore the foundation of a new church of st. paul , a work , that men ( of that time ) judged , would never have bin finished , it was to them so wonderful for length and breadth ; and also the same was builded upon arches ( or vaults ) of stone , for defence of fire , which was a manner of work ( before that time ) unknown to the people of this nation , and then brought in by the french , and the stone was fetch'd from cane in normandy . the steeple of this church was builded and finished in the year . the crosse on the said steeple fell down , and a new was set up in the year . the new work of pauls ( so called ) at the east end above the quire , was begun in the year . henry lacy , earl of lincoln , constable of chester , and custos of england , in his time was a great benefactor to this work , and was there buried , in the year . the first of february , in the year . about two of the clock in the after-noon , the steeple of pauls was fired by lightning , in the midst of the shaft , or spire , both on the west side , and on the south ; but by labour of many well disposed people , the same was ( to appearance ) quenched with vineger . this steeple was repaired in the year . and the weather-cock again erected . robert goodwin winding it up , the rope brake , and he was destroyed on the pinacles , and the cock was sore bruised ; but birchwood ( the kings plummer ) set it up again ; since the which time , needing reparation , it was both taken down and set up in the year . at which time it was found to be of copper , gilt over , and the length from the bill to the tail , being four foot , and the breadth over the wings , three foot and a half , it weighed forty pounds , the crosse from the bole , to the eagle ( or cock ) was fifteen foot and six inches of assize ; the length thereof , overthwart , was five foot and ten inches , and the compass of the bole was nine foot and one inch . the inner body of this crosse was oak , the next cover was lead , and the outermost was of copper red varnished . the bole and eagle , or cock , were of copper , and gilt also . the height of the steeple was foot , whereof the stone-work was foot , and the spire was likewise foot. the length of the whole church is taylors yards , which make foot. the breadth thereof is foot , and the heighth of the body of that church , is foot. the colledge of petty cannons there , was founded by king richard the second , in honour of queen anne his wife , and of her progenitors , in the seventeenth of his reign . their hall and lands was then given unto them , as appeareth by the patent , robert dokesworth , then being master thereof . in the year . the petty canons then building their colledge , the maior and communalty granted them their water-courses , and other easements . there was also one great cloyster , on the north side of this church , invironing a plot of ground of old time called pardon church-yard , whereof thomas moore , dean of pauls , was either the first builder , or a most special benefactor , and was buried there . about this cloyster , was artificially , and richly painted the dance of mochabray , or dance of death , commonly called the dance of pauls , the like whereof was painted about s. innocents cloyster , at paris in france ; the meeters or poesie of this dance , were translated out of french into english , by john lidgate , monk of berry , the picture of death leading all estates . in the midst of this pardon church-yard , was also a fair chappel , first founded by gilbert becket , portgrave , and principal magistrate of this city , in the reign of king stephen , who was there buried . there was also a chappel at the north door of pauls , founded by walter sherington , by licence of henry the sixth . there was furthermore , a fair chappel of the holy ghost , in pauls church , on the north side , founded in the year , by roger holmes , chancellor , and prebendary of pauls . then under the quire of pauls , is a large chappel , first dedicated to the name of jesu , founded , or rather confirmed the . of henry the sixth , as appeareth by his patent thereof , dated at crowdown to this effect . many liege-men and christian people , having begun a fraternity and guild , to the honour of the most glorious name of jesu christ , our saviour , in a place called the crowds of the cathedral church of pauls in london , which hath continued long time peaceably , till now of late ; whereupon they have made request , and we have taken upon us , the name and charge of the foundation , to the laud of almighty god , the father , the son , and the holy ghost ; and especially , to the honour of jesu , in whose honour the fraternity was begun , &c. at the west end of this jesus chappel , under the quire of pauls , also was , and is , a parish-church of st. faith , commonly called st. faith under pauls , which served ( as still it doth ) for the stationers and others , dwelling in pauls church-yard , pater noster rowe , and the places near adjoyning . the said chappel of jesus , being suppressed in the reign of edward the sixth , the parishioners of st. faiths church were removed into the same , as to a place more sufficient for largeness and lightsomness , in the year . and so it remaineth . in the east part of this church-yard standeth pauls school , lately new builded , and endowed in the year . by john collet , doctor of divinity , and dean of pauls , for a hundred fifty three poor mens children , to be taught free in the same school ; for which he appointed a master , a sub-master or usher , and a chaplain , with large stipends for ever , committing the over-sight thereof , to the masters , wardens , and assistants of the mercers in london , because he was son to henry collet . mercer , sometime maior . near unto this school , on the north side thereof , was ( of old time ) a great and high clochier , or bell-house , foure square , builded of stone , and in the same , a most strong frame of timber , with four bells , the greatest of england : these were called jesus bells , and belonging to jesus chappel : the same had a great spire of timber , covered with lead , with the image of st. paul , on the top , but was pulled down by sir miles partridge knight , in the reign of henry the eighth : the common speech then was , that he did set one hundred pounds , upon a cast at dice against it , & so won the said clochier and bells of the king , & then causing the bells to be broken as they hung , the rest was pulled down : this man was afterward executed on the tower-hill , for matters concerning the duke of summerset , the fifth of edward the sixth . in the year . the fourth of june , betwixt the houres of three and four of the clock in the afternoon , the great spire of the steeple of st. pauls church , was fired by lightening , which brake forth ( as it seemed ) two or three yards beneath the foot of the crosse , and from thence it burnt downward the spire to the battlements , stone-work , and bells , so furiously , that within the space of four houres , the same steeple , with all the roofs of the church , were consumed , to the great sorrow , and perpetual remembrance of the beholders ; after this mischance , the queen elizabeth directed her letters to the maior , willing him to take order for speedy repairing of the same ; and she , of her gracious disposition , for the furtherance thereof , did presently give , and deliver in gold , one thousand marks , with a warrant for a thousand loads of timber , to be taken out of her woods , or else-where . the citizens also gave first a great benevolence , and after that three fifteens to be speedily paid . the clergy of england , within the province of canterbury , granted the fortieth part of the value of their benefices , charged with first fruits , the thirtieth part of such as were not so charged ; but the clergy of london dioces , granted the thirtieth part of all that payd first fruits , and the twentieth part of such as had paid their fruits . six citizens of london , and two petty canons of pauls church , had charge to further and oversee the work , wherein such expedition was used , that within one moneth next following the burning thereof , the church was covered with boards and lead , in manner of a false roof , against the weather , and before the end of the said year , all the said iles of the church were framed out of new timber , covered with lead , and fully finished . pauls church was full of great monuments , the ancientest are of king sibha , and king ethelred , two saxon kings : there are two ancient bishops of london , viz. erkenvald , and william norman , who being of the privy councel to william the conqueror , not only preserved , by his mediation , the old pri●iledges of london , but got them inlarged ; whereupon , it was the custom of the lord maior and aldermen , upon solemn dayes , when they came to pauls to walk to the graves stone , where this bishop lay ; and sir edward barkham , caused a table to be hung up there with verses thereupon , called the monument of gratitude . touching other remarkable peeces of antiquity , which belong to st. pauls church , i leave them to such a person of knowledge and industry , who may haply make it his sole task to preserve the memory of so stately a temple from the injury of time . without the north gate of pauls church , from the end of the old exchange , west up pater noster rowe , by the two lanes out of pauls church , the first out of the crosse isle of pauls , the other out of the body of the church , about the midst thereof , and so west to the golden lyon , be all of this ward , as is aforesaid : the houses in this street from the first north gate of pauls church-yard , unto the next gate , were first builded without the wall of the church-yard , by henry walleis mayor , in the year . the rest of those houses go to the maintenance of london-bridge . this street is now called pater noster rowe , because of stationers , or text-writers , that dwelled there , who wrore , and sold all sorts of books then in use , namely , a. b. c. with the pater noster , ave , creed , graces , &c. there dwelled also turners of beads , and they were called pater noster makers . at the end of this pater noster rowe , is ave-mary lane , so called upon the like occasion , of text-writers , and bead-makers then dwelling there . and at the end of that lane , is likewise creed-lane , lately so called , but sometime spurrier rowe , of spurriers dwelling there ; and awen-lane is added thereunto , betwixt the south end of warwick-lane , and the north end of ave mary lane. at the north end of ave mary lane , is one great house , builded of stone and timber , of old time pertaining to john duke of britain , earl of richmond , as appeareth by the records of edward the second ; since that , it was called pembrooks inne , near unto ludgate , as belonging to the earls of pembrook● , in the times of richard the second , the eighteenth year , and of henry the sixth , in the fourteenth year : it was after called aburgaveny house , and belonged to henry , late lord of aburgaveny ; but the company of stationers have since purchased it , and made it the hall for the meeting of their society , converting the stone-work into a new fair frame of timber , and applying it to such serviceable use , as themselves have thought convenient . betwixt the south end of ave mary lane , and the north end of creed-lane , is the comming out of pauls church-yard , on the east , and the high street on the west , towards ludgate , and this was called bowyer rowe , of bowyers dwelling there in old time , now worn out by mercers and others . in this street , on the north side , is the parish church of st. martin , wherein there are divers hansom monuments , and epitaphs . on the south side of this street , is the turning into the black fryers , which order ( sometime ) had their houses in old-born , where they remained for the space of five and fifty years , and then , in the year . gregory rocksley , mayor , and the barons of this city , granted and gave to robert kilwarby , arch bishop of canterbury , two lanes or wayes next the street of baynards castle ; and also the tower of mount fitchet , to be destroyed ; in place of which , the said robert , builded the late new church of the black-fryers , and placed them therein ; king edward the first , and eleanor his wife , were great benefactors thereunto : this was a large church , and richly furnished with ornaments , wherein divers parliaments , and other great meetings have been holden ; namely , in the year . the twenty eighth of henry the sixth , a parliament was begun at vvestminster , and adjourned to the black fryers in london , and from thence to leicester . in the year one thousand five hundred twenty two , the emperor charls the fifth , was lodged there . in the year one thousand five hundred twenty foure , the fifteenth of april , a parliament was begun at the black fryers , wherein was demanded a subsidy of . pounds , to be raised of goods and lands , four shillings in every pound ; and in the end , was granted two shillings of the pound , of their goods and lands , that were worth twenty pound , or might dispend twenty pounds by the year , and so upward , to be paid in two years . this parliament was adjourned to vvestminster , amongst the black monks , and ended in the kings palace there , the th of august , at nine of the clock in the night , and was therefore called the black parliament . the same year , in the moneth of october , began a parliament in the black fryers ; in the which , cardinal vvoolsey was condemned in the premunire : this house , valued at a hundred and four pound , fifteen shillings five pence , was surrendred the th of november , the th of henry the th . now to turn again to the black fryers , through bowyer rowe , ave mary lane , and pater noster rowe , to the church of st. michael ad bladum , or at the corn , ( corruptly , at the querne ) so called , because in place thereof , was sometime a corn-market , stretching up west to the shambles ; it seemeth , that this church was new builded , about the reign of edward the third , thomas newton , first parson there , was buried in the quire , in the year . at the east end of this church stood a crosse , called the old crosse , in west cheap , which was taken down in the year . since the which time , the said parish church was also taken down , but new builded , and enlarged in the year . the eighth of henry the sixth , vvilliam eastfield mayor , and the communalty , granted of the common ground of the city , three foot and an half in breadth , on the north part , and four foot in breadth toward the east , for the inlarging thereof . at the west end of this parish church , is a small passage for people on foot , thorow the same church , and west from the said church , some distance , is another passage out of pater noster rowe , and is called ( of such a signe ) panyer alley , which commeth out into the north , over against saint martins lane. next is ivy lane , so called of ivy , growing on the walls of the prebends houses ; but now the lane is replenished on both the sides , with fair houses , and divers offices have bin there kept , by registers , narnely , for the prerogative court of the arch bishop of canterbury , the probate of wills , which is now removed into warwick lane ; and also for the lord treasurers remembrance of the exchequer , &c. this lane runneth north , to the west end of st. nicholas shambles : of old time there was one great house , sometimes belonging to the earls of britain ; since that to the lovels , and was called loveis inne . then is eldesse l●●● , which stretcheth north to the high street of newgate market , the same is now called warwick lane , of an ancient house there builded by an earl of warmick , and was since called warwick inne : it is in record , called a messuage in eldenesse lane , in the parish of st. sepulchre : the twenty eighth of henry the sixth , cicilio , dutchesse of vvarwick possessed it . now again , from the conduit by pauls gate , on the north side , is a large street , running west to newgate ; the first part whereof , from the conduit to the shambles , ( of selling bladders there ) called bladder-street : then behind the butchers shops , be now divers slaughter-houses inward , and tipling-houses outward : this is called mount goddard-street , of the tipling-houses there , and the goddards mounting from the tap to the table , from the table to the mouth , and sometimes over the head. this street goeth up to the north end of ivy lane ; before this mount-goddard street , stall-boards were of old time set up by the butchers , to shew , and to sell their flesh meat upon ; over the which stall-boards , they first builded sheds , to keep off the weather ; but since that , ( incroaching by little and little ) they have made their stall-boards and sheds , fair houses , meet for the principal shambles . next is newgate market , first of corn and meale , and then of other victtuals , which stretcheth almost to eldenese-lane , a fair new and strong frame of timber , covered with lead , was therefore set up at the charges of the city : near to the west corner of st. nicholas shambles , for the meal to be weighed , in the first of edward the sixth , sir john gresham being then mayor . on this side the north corner of eldenese lane , stood sometime a proper parish-church of st. ewine , as is before said , given by henry the eighth towards the erecting of christs church . it was taken down , and in place thereof , a fair strong frame of timber erected , wherein dwell men of divers trades , and from this frame to newgate , is all of this ward , and so an end thereof . of the two and twentieth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called bread-street ward . then is bread-street it self , so called , of bread in old time there sold , for it appeareth by records , that in the year , which was the thirty of edward the first the bakers of london were bounden to sell no bread in their shops or houses , but in the market , and that they should have four hall-motes in the year , at four several terms , to determine of enormities belonging to the said company . this street , giving the name to the whole ward , beginneth in west cheap , almost by the standard ; and runneth down south , through or thwart wathling-street , to knight riders-street aforesaid , where it endeth ; this bread-street is wholly on both sides of this ward , out of the which street , on the east side is basing lane , a piece whereof , to wit , to , and over against the back gate of the red lion in wathling-street , is of this bread-street ward . then is fryday-street beginning also in west cheap , and runneth down south through wathling-street , to knight-riders street , or old fishstreet . this fryday-street is of bread-street ward , on the east side , from over against the north-east corner of saint matthews church , and on the west side , from the south corner of the said church , down as aforesaid . in this fryday-street , on the west side thereof , is a lane , commouly called mayden lane , or distaffe lane , corruptly for distar lane , which runneth west into the old exchange , and in this lane is also one other lane , on the south side thereof ; likewise called distar lane , which runneth down to knight-rider street , or old fish-street and so be the bounds of this whole ward . monuments to be noted here , first at bread-street corner , the north-east end , , of thomas tmolioson , causing in the high street of cheap , a vault to be digged and made ; there was so und at fifteen foot deep , a fair pavement , like unto that above ground , and at the further end , at the channel , was found a tree , sawed into five steps , which was to step over some brook , running out of the west , towards walbrooke , and upon the edge of the said brook as it seemeth , there were found lying along , the bodies of two great trees , the ends whereof were then sawed off , and firm timber , as at the first when they fell , part of the said trees remain yet in the ground undigged ; it was all forced ground , untill they went past the trees aforesaid , which was about seventeen foot deep , or better ; thus much hath the ground of this city ( in that place ) been raised from the main . next to be noted , the most beautiful frame of fair houses and shops , that be within the walls of london , or else wherein england , commonly called goldsmiths row , betwixt bread-street end , and the crosse in cheap , but is within this bread-street ward . then for watheling-street , which leyland calleth atheling , or noble-street , but since he sheweth no reason why , i rather take it to be so named , of the great high-way of the same calling . true it is , that at this present the inhabitants thereof are wealthy drapers , retailers of wollen cloths , both broad and narrow , of all sorts , more than in any one street of this city . of the old exchange , i have noted in faringdon ward , wherefore i passe down to knight-riders street , whereof i have also spoken in cordwayner street ward ; but in this part of the said knight-riders street , is a fish-market kept , and therefore called old fish-street , for a difference from new fish-street . in this old fishstreet , is one row of small houses , placed along in the middest of knight-riders-street , which row is also of bread-street ward . these houses , now possessed by fishmongers , were at the first but moveable boards , or stalls , set out on market-daies , to shew their fish there to be sold , but procuring licence to set up sheds , they grew to shops , and by little and little , to tall houses of three or four stories in height , and now is called fish-street . walter turke , fishmonger , mayor , , had two shops in old fish-street , over against saint nicholas church , the one rented at five shillings the year , the other four shillings . bread-street , so called of bread sold there ( as i said ) is now wholly inhabited by rich marchants , and divers fair inns be there , for good receit of carriers , and other travellers to the city . on the east side of this street , at the corner of watheling street , is the comely church of alhallowes in bread-street . on the same side is salters hall , with six alms-houses in number , builded for poor decayed brethren of that company ; this hall was burned in the year , and again re-edified . lower down , on the same side , is the parish church of saint mildred the virgin. out of this bread-street , on the same side , is basing lane , a part whereof ( as is afore shewed ) is of this ward , but how it took the name of basing , i have not read ; in the twentieth year of richard the second , the same was called the bake-house , whether meant of the kings bake-house , or of bakers dwelling there , and baking bread to serve the market in bread-street , where the bread was sold , i know not , but sure i am , i have not read of basing , or of gerrard the gyant , to have any thing there to do . on the south side of this lane , is one great house , of old time builded upon arched vaults , and with arched gates , of stone brought from cane in normandy , the same is now a common ostrey for receit of travellers , commonly and corruptly called gerrards hall , of a giant said to have dwelled there . in the high roofed hall of this house , sometime stood a large firr-pole , which reached to the roof thereof , and was said to be one of the staves that gerrard the gyant used in the wars to run withal , there stood also a ladder of the same length , which ( as they said ) served to ascend to the top of the staff . of later years this hall is altered in building , and divers rooms are made in it ; notwithstanding , the pole is removed to one corner of the hall , and the ladder hanged broken , upon a wall in the yard . now on the west side of breadstreet , amongst divers fair and large houses for marchants , and fair inns for passengers , had ye one prison-house pertaining to the sheriffs of london , called the compter in bread-street , but in the year , the prisoners were removed from thence , to one other new compter in wood-street , provided by the cities purchase , and builded for that purpose , the cause of which remove was this ; richard husband pasteler , keeper of this compter in breadstreet , being a willful and head-strong man , dealt ( for his own advantage ) hard with the prisoners under his charge , having also servants such as himself liked best for their bad usage , and would not for any complaint be reformed ; whereupon , in the year , sir rowland hill being mayor , by the assent of a court of aldermen , he was sent to the goal of newgate , for the cruel handling of his prisoners , and it was commanded to the keeper , to set those irons on his leggs which are called the widdows alms ; these he ware from thursday , till sunday in the afternoon , and being by a court of aldermen released on the tuesday , was bound in an hundred marks , to observe from thence forth an act made by the common councel , for the ordering of prisoners in the compters ; all which notwithstanding , he continued as afore : for being on a jury , to enquire against a sessions of goal delivery , in the year , it was found that the prisoners were still hardly dealt with all for their achates , and otherwise , as also that thieves and strumpets were there lodged for four pence the night , whereby they might be safe from searches that were made abroad , for the which enormities , and other not needfull to be recited , he was indicted at that session , but did rub it out , and could not be reformed , till this remove of the prisoners , for the house in bread-street was his own by lease , or otherwise , so that he could not be put from it . now in friday-street , so called of fishmongers dwelling there , and serving frydays market , on the east side is a small parish church commonly called saint john evangelist . the monuments therein be , of john dogget , merchant-taylor , one of the sheriffs in the year . then lower down , is another church of saint margaret moyses , so called ( as seemeth ) of one moyses , that was founder , or new builder thereof . in this distar lane , on the north side thereof is the cordwayners or shoomakers hall , which company were made a brotherhood or fraternity , in the eleventh of henry the fourth . of the twentie third ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called queen-hithe ward . next unto bread-street ward , on the south side thereof , is queen-hith ward , so called of a water-gate , or harborow for boats , lighters , and barges , and was ( of old time ) for ships : at what time , the timber bridge at london , was drawn up , for the passage of them to the said hith , as to a principal strand for landing and unlading against the middest and heart of the city ; this ward beginneth in the east , in knight-riders-street ; on the south side thereof , at the east end of the parish church called the holy trinity , and runneth west on the south side , to a lane called lambert hill , which is the length of the ward in knight-riders street , out of the which street are divers lanes , running south to thames street , and are of this ward ; the first is trinity lane , which runneth down by the west end of trinity church ; then is spuren lane , or spooners lane , now called huggen lane ; then bread-street hill , then saint mary mounthaunt , out of the which lane , on the east side thereof , is one other lane , turning east through st. nicholas olave ; church-yard , to bread-street hill ; this lane is called finimore lane , or five foot lane , because it is but five foot in breadth ; at the west end , in the middest of this lane , runneth down one other lane broader , south to thames street , i think the same to be called desborne lane ; for we read of such a lane to have been in the parish of saint mary summerset in the twenty two of edward the third , where there is said to ly between the tenement of edward de mountacute knight , on the east part , and the tenement sometime pertaining to william gladwine , on the west , one plot of ground , containing in length towards thames street , twenty five foot , &c. last of all have ye lambart hill , so called of one lambart owner thereof , and this is the farthest west part of this ward . first in knight-riders street is the small parish church of the holy trinity , lately very old , and in danger of down falling , collections were made for the repairing thereof ; but they would not stretch so far , until a general means was made , as appeareth by a publick notice thereof , declared in the said church . towards the west end of knight-riders street , is the parish church of saint nicholas cold abbey , a proper church somewhat ancient , as appeateth by the waies raysed there about , so that men are forced to descend into the body of the church , it hath been called of many colden abbey , of some cold abbey or cold bay , and so have the most ancient writings ; as standing in a cold place , as cold harbor , and such like , the steeple or tall tower of this church , with the south i le , hath been of later building , to wit , the first of richard the second , when it was meant , that the whole old church should have been new builded , as appeareth by the arching begun on the east side the steeple , under the which , in the stone work , the armes of one buckland , esquire , and his wife , daughter to beaupere , are cut in stone , and also are in the glasse windows , whereby it appeareth , he was the builder thereof , and repairer of the residue . in trinity lane , on the west side thereof , is the painter stainers hall , for so of old time were they called , but now that workmanship of staining is departed and out of use in england . lower down in trinity lane , on the east side thereof , was sometime a great-messuage pertaining unto john earl of cornwall , in the fourteenth of edward the third . on bread-street hill , down to the thames , on both sides , be divers fair houses , inhabited by fishmongers , cheesemongers , and merchants of divers trades ; on the west side whereof is the parish church of st. nicholas olave , a convenient church . the next is old fish-street hill , a passage so called , which also runneth down to thames street ; in this lane , on the east side thereof , is the one end of finimore or five foot lane. on the west side of this old fish-street hill , is the bishop of hereford's inne , or lodging , an ancient house , and large rooms , builded of stone and timber , which sometime belonged to the mounthaunts in norfolke . radulphus de mayden-stone , bishop of hereford about the year , one thousand two hundred thirty four , bought it of the mounthaunts , and gave it to the bishops of hereford his successors . charles , both bishop of hereford , and chancellour of the marches , about the year repaired it , since the which time , the same is greatly ruined , and is now divided into many small tenements ; the hall , and principall rooms , are an house to make sugar-loaves , &c. next adjoyning is the parish church of saint mary de monte also , or mounthaunt ; this is a very small church , and at the first builded to be a chappel for the said house of the mounthaunts , and for tenements there unto belonging . on the east side of this old fish-street hill , is one great house , now letten out for rent , which house sometime was one of the halls pertaining to the company of fishmongers , at such time as they had six hall-motes or meeting places , namely , twain in bridge-street , or new fish-street , twain in old fish-street , whereof this was one , and twain in stock-fishmonger row , or thames street , as appeareth by a record the twenty two of richard the second . next westward is one other lane , called lambart hill , the east side whereof is wholly of this ward , and but half the west side , to wit , from the north end of the black-smiths hall. then in thames street , of this ward , and on the north side over against the queens hith , is the parish church of saint michael a convenient church , but all the monuments therein are defaced . at the west end of that church , goeth up a lane , called pyel-lane ; on the same north side , at the south end of saint mary mounthaunt lane , is the parish church of saint summerset , over against the broken-wharfe . then is a small parish church of st. peter , called parva , or little , near unto pauls wharf . in this church no monuments do remain . at the west end thereof is a lane called saint peters hill ; but two houses up that lane , on the east side , is of this ward , and the rest is of castle baynards ward . on the south side of thames street , beginning again in the east among the cooks , the first in this ward , is the signe of david the king. then is towns-end lane , turning down to the thames . then is queen-hithe , a large receptacle for ships , lighters , barges , and such other vessels . touching the antiquity and use of this gate and hithe , first i find , that the same belonged to one named edred , and was then called edreds hith , which since falling into the hands of king stephen , it was by his charter confirmed to william de ypre , the farm thereof in fee and in heritage ; william de ypre , gave i● unto the prior and covent of the holy trinity within ealdgate . this edreds hith , after the foresaid grant , came again to the kings hands , by what means i have not read , but it pertained unto the queen , and therefore was called ripa reginae , the queens bank , or queens-hith , and great profit thereof was made to her use , as may appear by this which followeth . king henry the third , in the ninth of his reign , commanded the constables of the tower of london , to arrest the ships of the cinque-ports on the river of thames , and to compell them to bring their corn to no other place , but to the queens hith only . in the eleaventh of his reign , he charged the said constable , to distrain all fish offered to be sold in any place of this city , but at the queens hith . moreover , in the eight and twentieth of his reign , an inquisition was made before william of yorke , and the provost of beverley , henry of bath , and hierome of caxton , justices itinerantes , sitting in the tower of london , touching the customs of queen-hith , observed in the year last before the wars between the king and his father , and the barons of england , and of old customs of other times , and what customs had been changed , at what time the tax and payment of all things coming thither , and between vvoore-path , and anede hith , were found and seized , according to the old order , as well corne and fish , as of other things ; all which customes were as well to be observed in the part of down-gate , as in queen-hith , for the kings use , when also it was found , that the corn arriving between the gate of guild hall , of the merchants of colleyne , and the soke of the arch-bishop of canterbury , ( for he had a house near unto the black-fryers ) was not to be measured by any other quarter , than by that of the queens soke . next adjoyning to this queen-hith , on the west side thereof , is sult-wharf , named of salt taken up , measured , and sold there . the next is stew lane , of a stew , or hot-house there kept . after that is timber-hith , or timber street , so called , of timber , or boards , there taken up , and wharfed ; it is in the parish of saint mary sommers hith , as we read in the fifty six of henry the third , and in the ninth of edward the second . then is brookes wharfe , and broken wharfe , a water-gate or key , so called of being broken and fallen down into the thames . by this broken-vvharfe remaineth one large old building of stone , with arched gates ; which messuage , as we finde , in the reign of henry the third , the forty three year , pertained unto hugh de bigot , and in the eleaventh of edward the third , to thomas brotherton , the kings brother , earle of norfolke , marshall of england , in the eleaventh of henry the sixth , to john mowbray duke of norfolk , &c. within the gate of this house ( now belonging to the city of london ) is lately , to wit , in the year . and , builded one large house , of great height , called an engine , made by bevis bulmar , gentleman , for the conveying and forcing of thames water , to serve in the middle and west parts of the city ; the ancient great hall of this messuage , is yet standing , and pertaining to a great brew-house for beere . west from this is trigge lane , going down to the thames . next is called bosse-lane of a bosse of water , like unto that of belingsgate , there placed by the executors of richard whittington . then is one great messuage , sometime belonging to the abbots of chartsey , in surrey , and was their inne , wherein they were lodged when they repaired to the city : it is now called sandle house , by what reason we have not heard ; some think the lord sands hath been lodged there . of the twentie fourth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called castle-baynard ward . then next is castle baynard ward , so named of an old castle there ; this ward beginneth in the east on the thames side , at an house called , huntington house , and runneth west by pauls wharfe , by baynards castle , puddle wharfe , and by the south side of black-fryers ; then turning by the east wall of the said fryers to the south-west end of creed lane ; then on the north side of thames street , over against huntington house , by st. peters church and lane , called peter hill , along till over against puddle wharfe , and then north up by the great wardrobe , to the west end of carter lane ; then up creed lane , ave mary lane , and a piece of pater noster row , to the sign of the golden lion , and back again up warwick lane , all the east side thereof , to the sign of the crown by newgate-market ; and this is the farthest north part of this ward . then out of thames street be lanes ascending north to knight-riders street ; the first is peters hill lane , all of that ward , ( two houses excepted , adjoyning to st. peters church ) the next is pauls wharfe hill , which thwarting knight-riders street , and carter lane , goeth up to the south chain of pauls church-yard . then is adle-street , over against the west part of baynards castle , going up by the west end of knight-riders street , and to carter lane. thus much for lanes out of thames street . the one half of the west side of lambert hill lane being of this ward , at the north-west end thereof , on the south side , and at the west end of st. mary magdalens church ; on the north side , beginneth knight-riders street to be of this ward , and runneth west on both sides , to the parish church of st. andrew by the wardrobe . then at the said east end of st. mary magdalens church , goeth up the old exchange , all the west side whereof , up to the south-east gate of pauls church-yard , and by st. austins church , is of this ward . about the midst of this old exchange , on the west side thereof , is carter lane , which runneth west to the east entry of the black-fryers , and the south end of creed-lane , out of the which carter lane descendeth a lane , called dolittle lane , and commeth into knight-riders street , by the boar-head tavern , and more west is sermon lane , by an inne called the powl-head . then out of carter lane , on the north side thereof , the south chain of pauls church-yard , and the church-yard it self , on that south side of pauls church , and the church of st. gregory , the bishops palace , and the deans lodging , be all of this ward and such be the bounds thereof . the ornaments in this ward , be parish churches four , of old time a castle ' divers noble-mens houses , halls of companies twain , and such others as shall be shewed . in thames street at the south-east end , is an ancient messuage , of old time called beaumonts inne , as belonging to that family of noble-men of this realm , in the fourth of edward the third . edward the fourth in the fifth of his reign , gave it to w. hastings , lord chamberlaine , master of his mints ; it is now called huntington house , as belonging to the earls of huntington . next is pauls wharfe a large landing place , with a common stayre upon the river of thames , at the end of a street called pauls wharf hill , which runneth down from pauls chain . next is a great messuage , called scroopes inne , sometime belonging to the scroopes , in the thirty one of henry the sixth . then is one other great messuage , sometime belonging to the abbey of fiscampe , beyond the sea , and by reason of the wars , it coming to the hands of king edward the third , the same was given to sir simon burley , knight of the garter , and therefore called burley house in thames street , between baynards castle and pauls wharfe . then have you baynards castle , whereof this whole ward taketh name ; this castle banketh on the river thames , and was callest baynards castle , of baynard a nobleman , that came in with william the conquerour , of the which castle and of baynard himself , we have spoken in another place . there was also another tower by baynards castle , builded by king edward the second . edward the third , in the second of his reign , gave it to william duke of hamelake , in the county of yorke , and his heirs , for one rose yearly to be paid for all service ; the same place ( as seemeth ) was since called legates inne , in the seventh of edward the fourth , where be now divers wood-wharfes in the place . then is there a great brew-house , and puddle-wharfe , a water-gate into the thames , where houses use to be watered , and therefore being filled with their trampling , & made puddle-like , as also of one puddle dwelling there , it is call'd puddle wharfe . then is there a lane between the black fryars and the thames , called in the twenty six of edward the third , castle-lane . this ward ascendeth up by the east vvall of the black-fryers , to the south vvest end of creed lane where it endeth on that side . then to begin again on the north side of thames-street , over against huntington house , by st. peters church and lane , called peter hill , and so to st. bennet hude , ( or hithe ) over against pauls vvharfe , is a convenient parish church , which hath the monuments of sir vvilliam cheny knight , and margaret his vvife buried there . vvest from this church , by the south end of addle street , almost against puddle vvharfe , there is one ancient building of stone and timber , builded by the lords of barkley , and therefore called barkleys inne . this house is now all in ruine , and letten out in several tenements , yet the arms of the lord barkley remain in the stone-work of an arched gate , and is between a cheveron crosses ten , three , three , and four . richard beauchampe , earl of vvarwick , was lodged in this house , then called barkleys inne , in the parish of st. andrew , in the reign of henry the sixth : then turning up towards the north , is the parish church of st. andrew in the vvardrobe , a proper church , but few monuments hath it . john parnt hath founded a chauntrey there . then is the kings great vvardrobe , sir john beauchamp knight of the gartet , constable of dover , warden of the cinqueports , ( son to guido de beauchamp earl of vvarwick ) builded this house , was lodged there , deceased in the year , and was buried on the south side of the middle i le of pauls church . his executors sold the house to king edward the third . touching lanes ascending out of thames street , to knight-riders , the first is peter hill , wherein i find no matter of note more than certain alms-houses , lately founded on the west side thereof , by david smith embroyderer , for six poor widdows , whereof each to have twenty shillings by the year . at the upper end of this lane towards the north , the corner houses there , be called peter key , but the reason thereof we have not heard . then is pauls vvharfe , on the east side whereof is vvoodmongers hall. and next adjoyning is darby-house , sometime belonging to the stanleys , for thomas stanley : first earl of darby , of that name , who married the lady margaret , countesse of richmond , mother to henry the seventh , in his time builded it . queen mary gave it to gilbert dethick , then garter , principal king of arms of english men ; thomas hauley , clarentieux , king of arms of the south parts ; vvilliam harvey alias norrey , king of armes of the north parts , and the other heralds and pursevants of arms , and their successors , all the capital messuage or house called darby house , with the appurtenances , situate in the parish of saint bennet , and saint peter , and then being in the tenure of sir richard sackvile knight , and lately parcel of the lands of edward earl of darby , &c. to the end , that the said kings of arms , heraulds , and pursevants of arms , and their successors might ( at their liking ) dwell together , and at meet times congregate , speak , confer , and agree among themselves , for the good government of their faculty , and their records might be more safely kept , &c. on the west side of this street is one other great house builded of stone , which belongeth to pauls church , and was sometime letten to the blunts , lord mountjoy ; but of later time to a colledge in cambridge , and from them to the doctors of the civil law , and arches , who keep a commons there ; and many of them being lodged there , it is called the doctors commons . in lambard hill lane , on the west side thereof , is the black-smiths hall. over-against the north-west end of this lambard hill lane in knight-riders street , is the parish church of st. mary magdalen , a small church , having but few monuments . by the east end of st. mary magdalene church , runneth up the old exchange lane , by the west end of carter lane , to the south-east gate or chaine of pauls church-yard , as is before shewed ; and in this part was the exchange kept , and bullion was received for coynage , as is noted in faringdon ward within . in this parish church of st. mary magdalen , out of knight-riders street , up to carter lane , be two small lanes , the one of them called doo-little lane , as a place not inhabited by artificers , or open shop-keepers , but serving for a near passage from knight-riders street to carter-lane . the other corruptly called sermon lane , for sheremoniers lane ; for we find it by that name recorded in the fourteenth of edward the first ; and in that lane , a place to be called the black loft , ( of melting silver ) with four shops adjoyning . it may therefore be well supposed , that lane to take its name of shermoniers , such as cut and rounded the plates , to be coyned or stamped into estarling pence ; for the place of coyning was the old exchange . in knight-riders street , was the colledge of physicians , wherein was founded in the year , a publick lecture in surgery , to be read twice every week , &c. as is shewed else-where . towards the south , is called the lollards tower , and hath been used as the bishops prison , for such as were detected for opinions in religion , contrary to the faith of the church . adjoyning to this lowlards tower , is the parish church of st. gregory , appointed to the petty chanons of pauls . of the twentie fifth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called farringdon ward without , or extra . the farthest west-ward of this city , being the twenty fifth ward of london , but without the walls , is called farringdon without , and was of old time , part of the other faringdon within , until the seventeenth of richard the second , that it was devided and made twain , by the names of faringdon intra , and faringdon extra , as is afore shewed . touching ornaments and antiquities in this ward ; first , betwixt the said newgate , and the parish of st. sepulchres , is a way towards smithfield , called gilt-spur , or knight-riders street , of the knights and other riding that way into smithfield , replenished with buildings on both sides up to pye-corner , a place so called of such a sign , sometimes a fair inne , for receipt of travellers , but now divided into tenements , and over against the said pye-corner , lyeth cock-lane , which runneth down to oldburn conduit . beyond this pye-corner , lyeth vvest smithfield , compassed about with buildings : at first on the south side , following the right hand standeth the large hospital of st. bartholmews , founded by rahere , the first prior of saint bartholmewes thereto near adjoyning , in the year , . alfune , that had not long before builded the parish church of saint giles , without creplegate , became first hospitelar , or proctor for the poor of this house and went himself daily to the shambles and other markets , where he begged the charity of devout people for their relief , promising to the liberall givers , ( and that by alledging testimonies of the holy scripture ) reward at the hands of god. henry the third , granted to katherine late wife to vvilliam hardell , twenty foot of land in length and breadth in smithfield , next to the chappel of st. bartholomew , to build a recluse or ankorage , commanding the mayor and sheriffs of london , to assign the said twenty foot to the said katherine , the eleventh of henry the third , the foundation of this hospital for the poor and diseased , and their special sustentation , was confirmed by edward the third , the twenty sixth of his reign ; it was governed by a master , and eight brethren being priests , for the church , and four sisters to see the poor served . this hospitall was valued at the suppression , in the year , the thirty one of henry the eighth , to five and thirty pounds , six shillings , seven , pence yearly . the church remaineth a parish church to the tenents dwelling in the precinct of the hospital ; but in the year , on the thirteenth of january , the bishop of rochester , preaching at pauls crosse , declared the gift of the said king to the citizens , for relieving of the poor , which contained the church of the grey fryers , the church of saint bartholomew , with the hospital , the messuages , and appurtenances in gilt-spur , aliàs knight-riders street , briton street , peter key , in the parish of saint mary magdalen , in old fish-street , and in the parish of saint bennet huda , lime-hurst , or limehost , in the parish of stebunheth , &c. then also were orders devised for relief of the poor , the inhabitants were all called to their parish churches , where , by sir richard dobbs , then mayor , their several aldermen , or other grave citizens , they were by eloquent orations perswaded , how great , and how many commodities would ensue unto them , and their city , if the poor of divers sorts , which they named , were taken from out their streets , lanes , and alleys , and were bestowed and provided for in hospitals abroad , &c. therefore was every man moved , liberally to grant ( what they would impart ) towards the preparing and furnishing of such hospitals ; and also , what they would contribute weekly towards their maintenance for a time , which ( they said ) should not be past one year , or twain , until they were better furnished of endowment ; to make short , every man granted liberally , according to his ability . books were drawn of the relief in every ward of the city , towards the new hospitals , and were delivered by the major to the kings commissioners , on the seventeenth of february ; and order was taken therein , at the six and twenty of july . in the year . the repairing of the gray fryers house for poor fatherless children , was taken in hand ; and also in the latter end of the same moneth , began the repairing of this hospitall of st. bartholmew , and was of new endowed , and furnished at the charges of the citizens . on the east side of this hospital lyeth duck-lane , which runneth out of smithfield south , to the north end of little britain street . on the east side of this duck-lane , and also of smithfield , lyeth the late dissolved priory of st. bartholmew , founded also by rahere , a pleasant witted gentleman , and therefore in his time called the kings minstrel , about the year of christ , . he founded it in a part of the before named moorish ground , which was therefore a common lay-stall of all filth , that was to be voided out of the city : he placed canons there , himself became their first prior , and so continued till his dying day , and was there buried in a fair monument , renewed afterwards by prior bolton . to this priory , king henry the second , granted the priviledge of a faire , to be kept yearly at bartholomew-tyde , for three dayes , to wit , the eve , the day , and the next morrow ; to the which , the clothiers of england , and drapers of london repaired , and had their boothes and standings within the church-yard of this priory , closed in with walls and gates locked every night , and watched , for safety of mens goods and wares , a court of pipepowders was daily , during the faire holden , for debts and contracts . on the north side of this priory , is the lane truly called long , which reacheth from smithfield to aldersgate-street . this lane is now lately builded on both the sides , with tenements for brokers , tiplers , and such like ; the rest of smithfield , from long lane end , to the barres , is inclosed with inns , brew-houses , and large tenements . on the west side is chicken-lane , down to cow-bridge ; then be the pens or folds , so called of sheep there parted , and penned up to be sold on the market dayes . then is smithfield pond , which of ( old time ) in records , was called horse-poole , for that men watered horses there , and was a great water . in the sixth of henry the fifth , a new building was made in the west part of smithfield , betwixt the said pool and the river of the wells , or turnmill-brook , in a place then called the elmes , for that there grew many elm-trees , and this had bin the place of execution for offenders ; since the which time , the building there hath bin so increased , that now remaineth not one tree growing . amongst these new buildings is cow-bridge street , or cow-lane , which turneth toward holdbourn ; in vvhich lane , the prior of semperingham had his inne , or london lodging . the rest of that west side of smithfield , hath divers fair inns , and other comely buildings , up to hosier-lane , which also turneth down to houldbourn , till it meet with cowbridge-street , from this lane to cock-lane , over against pie-corner . in the year . the thirty sixth of edward the third , on the first five dayes of may , in smithfield , were justs holden , the king and queen being present , with the most part of the chivalry of england , and of france , and of other nation , to the which came spaniards , cyprians , and armenians , knightly requesting aid of the king of england , against the pagans that invaded their confines . the . of edward the third , dame alice perrers , or pierce , ( the kings concubine ) as lady of the sun , rode from the tower of london , through cheape , accompanied by many lords and ladies , every lady leading a lord by his horse bridle , till they came into west smithfield , and then began a great just , vvhich endured seven dayes after . in the year . the th of richard the second , certain lords of scotland , came into england , to get vvorship , by force of arms , the earl of marre chalenged the earl of nottingham , to just vvith him , and so they rode together certain courses , but not the full challenge , for the earl of marre was cast both horse and man , and two of his ribs broken vvith the fall , so that he vvas conveighed out of smithfield , and so towards scotland , but dyed by the vvay at york . sir vvilliam darel knight , the kings banner-bearer of scotland , challenged sir percey courtney knight , the kings banner-bearer of england , and vvhen they had run certain courses , gave over vvithout conclusion of victory : then cookborne , esquire of scotland , challenged sir nicholas hawberke knight , and rode five courses ; but cookborne vvas born over horse and man. now to return through gilt-spur-street by newgate , vvhere i first began , there standeth the fair parish church called st. sepulchers in the bayly , or by chamberlain gate , in a fair church-yard , though not so large●s of old time ; for the same is letten out for buildings , and a garden plot . this church vvas newly re-edified , or builded , about the reign of henry the sixth , or of edward the fourth , one of the popham's , vvas a great builder there , and 't is lately also vvashed over , and furbish'd . next to this church , is a fair and large inne , for the receipt of travellers , and hath to signe the sarasens head , vvhere oxford men resort . there lyeth a street from newgate , west , to the end of turn again-lane , and winding north to oldbourne conduit ; but of late , a new conduit vvas there builded in place of the old , namely , in the year . by vvilliam lambe , sometime a gentleman of the chappel to king henry the eighth , and afterward a citizen and clothworker of london . from the west side of this conduit , is the high way , there called snow-hill , stretching out by oldbourne-bridge , over the oft-named water of turn-mill-brook , and so up to old-bourn-hill , all replenished with fair buildings . without ould-bourn-bridge , on the right hand , is gold-lane , as is before shewed , up higher on the hill , be certain inns , and other fair buildings ; amongst the which , ( of old time ) was a messuage called scroops inne , for so we finde the same recorded in the . of henry the sixth . this house was sometime letten out to sergeants at the law , as appeareth , and was found by inquisition taken in the guild-hall of london , before william purchase mayor , and escheater for king henry the th , in the th of his reign . then is the bishop of elies inne , so called of , belonging and pertaining to the bishops of ely , will. de luda , bishop of ely , deceased . and gave this house , by the name of his mannor , with the appurtenances in holdbourne , to his successors , with condition , that his next successor should pay a thousand marks , towards the finding of three chaplains , in the chappel there . the first in the year . the fourth of edward the fourth , in michaelmas terme , the sergeants at law , held their feast in this house ; to the which , amongst other estates , matthew phillip , mayor of london , with the aldermen , sheriffs , and commons of divers crafts , being invited , did repair ; but when the mayor looked to keep the state in the hall , as it had bin used in all places within the city and liberties ( out of the kings presence ) the lord gray of ruthen , then lord treasurer of england , unwitting the sergeants , and against their wills ( as they said ) was first placed , whereupon , the mayor , aldermen , and commons , departed home , and the mayor made the aldermen to dine with him ; howbeit , he and all the citizens were wonderfully displeased that he was so dealt with , and the new sergeants and others , were right sorry therefore , and had rather then much good ( as they said ) it had not so happened . next beyond this mannor of ely-house , is lither-lane , turning into the fields . then is furnivals inne , now an inne of chancery , but sometime belonging to sir william furnival knight , and thomasin his wife , who had in holdbourne two messuages , and thirteen shops , as appeareth by record of richard the second , in the sixth of his reign . now again from newgate , on the left hand , or south side , lyeth the old baylay , which runneth down by the wall , upon the ditch of the city , called houndsditch , to ludgate : we have not read how this street took that name ; but it is like to have risen of some court of old time there kept ; and we finde that in the year . the thirty four of edward the third , the tenement and ground upon houndsditch , between ludgate on the south , and newgate on the north , was appointed to john cambridge , fishmonger , chamberlain of london , whereby it seemeth , that the chamberlains of london , have there kept their courts , as now they do in the guild-hall : and till this day , the mayor and justices of this city , keep their sessions in a part thereof , now called the sessions hall , both for the city of london , and shire of middlesex ; over against the which house , on the right hand , turneth down st. georges lane , towards fleet lane. in this st. georges lane , on the north side thereof , remaineth yet an old wall of stone , inclosing a peece of ground up sea-cole-lane , wherein ( by report ) sometime stood an inne of chancery ; which house being greatly decayed , and standing remote from other houses of that profession , the company removed to a common hostery , called of the signe , our lady inne , not far from clements inne , which they procured from sir john fincox , lord chief justice of the kings bench ; and since , have held it of the owners , by the name of the new inne , paying therefore six pounds rent , by the year , as tenants at their own will , for more ( as is said ) cannot be gotten of them , and much lesse , will they be put from it . beneath this saint georges lane , is the lane called fleet-lane , winding south by the prison of the fleet , into fleet-street , by fleet-bridge . next out of the high street , turneth down a lane , called the little bayly , which runneth down to the east end of st. georges lane. the next is sea-cole-lane , i think , called limeburners lane , of burning lime there with sea-cole ; for we read in record of such a lane , to have bin in the parish of st. sepulchre , and there yet remaineth in this lane , an alley , called lime-burners alley . near unto this sea-cole-lane , in the turning towards oldbourne-conduit , is turn-again-lane , or rather , as in a record of the fifth of edward the third , wind-again-lane , for that it goeth down west to fleet dike , from whence , men must turn again the same way they came , for there it is stopped . then the high street turneth down snow-hill , to holdbourne conduit , and from thence , to ouldbourn-bridge ; beyond the which bridge , on the left hand , is shooe-lane , by the which , men passe from ouldbourne to fleetstreet , by the conduit there . in this shooe-lane , on the left hand , is one old house , called oldbourn-hall , it is now letten out into divers tenements . on the other side , at the very corner , standeth the parish church of saint andrew . from this church to st. andrew , up oldbourn-hill , be divers fair builded houses ; amongst the which , on the left hand , there standeth three inns of chancery , whereof the first , adjoyning unto crook-horn-alley , is called thavies inne , and standeth opposite to ely house . then is fewter-lane , which stretcheth south into fleet-street , by the east end of st. dunstances church , and is so called of fewters ( or idle people ) lying there , as in a way leading to gardens ; but the same is now of later years , on both sides builded thorow with many fair houses : and in the wast grounds and gardens , betwixt shooe-lane and fewter-lane ; there are now many fair convenient houses , built by the company of the goldsmiths ; as also a street called new-street , betwixt aldersgate and redcrosse-street . beyond this fewters lane , is baynards inne , aliàs mackworths inne , which is of the chancery . then is staple-inne also of the chancery , but whereof so named , i am ignorant ; the same of late , is ( for a great part thereof ) fair builded , and not a little augmented ; and then at the barres endeth this ward , without newgate . without ludgate , on the right hand , or north side , from the said gate , lyeth the old bayley , as i said , then the high street , called ludgate-hill , down to fleet-lane ; in which lane standeth the fleet , a prison-house , so called of the fleet , or water running by it , and sometime flowing about it , but now vaulted over . then also , against the south end of shooe-lane , standeth a fair water-conduit , whereof william eastfield , sometime mayor , was founder ; for the mayor and commonalty of london , being possessed of a conduit head , with divers springs of water gathered thereunto , in the parish of padington , and the water conveyed from thence , by pipes of lead , towards london unto teyborn , where it had lain by the space of six years , and more : the executors of sir william eastfield , obtained licence of the mayor and communalty , for them , in the year . with the goods of sir william , to convey the said water , first , in pipes of lead , into a pipe , begun to be laid besides the great conduit head at maribone , which stretcheth from thence unto a separall , late before made against the chappel of rounseval , by charing-crosse , and no further ; and then from thence , to convey the said water into the city , and there to make receit , or receits for the same , unto the common-weale of the commonalty ; to wir , the poor to drink , the rich to dresse their meats , which water was by them brought thus into fleet-street , to a standard which they had made and finished . from this conduit up to fewters lane , and further , is the parish church of st. dunstane , called in the west , ( for difference from saint dunstane in the east . ) next beyond this church , is cliffords inne , sometime belonging to robert clifford , by gift of edward the second . somewhat beyond this cliffords inne , is the south end of newstreet , ( or chancelor lane ) on the right hand whereof , is sergeants inne , called , in chancery lane . and then next was sometime the house of the converted jews , founded by king henry the third , in place of a jews house to him forfeited , in the year . and the seventeenth of his reign ; who builded there for them , a fair church , now used , and called the chappel ; for the custody of rolles and records of chancery , it standeth not far from the old temple and the new ; in thee which house , all such jews and infidels , as were converted to the christian faith , were ordained and appointed ( under an honest rule of life ) sufficient maintenance : whereby it came to passe , that in short time , there were gathered a great number of converts which were baptized , instructed in the doctrine of christ , and there lived under a learned christian , appointed to govern them ; since the which time , to wit , in the year . all the jews in england , were banished out of the realm , whereby the number of converts in this place was decayed , and therefore in the year . this house was annexed by patent , to william burstall clark , custos rotulorum , or keeper of the rolls of the chancery , by edward the third , in the fifty one year of his reign ; and this first master of the rolls was sworn in westminster-hall , at the table of marble-stone ; since the which time , that house hath bin commonly called the rolls in chancery-lane . on the west side , sometime was an house , pertaining to the prior of necton park , a house of canons in lincolnshire : this was commonly called hereflete inne and was a brew-house ; but now fair builded for the six clerks of the chancery , and standeth over against the said house , called the rolls , and near unto the lane , which now entreth fickets croft , or fickets field . then is shere-lane , opening also into fickets field , hard by the barres . next is bride-lane , and therein bridewell , of old time the kings house ; for the kings of this realm have bin there lodged , and till the ninth of henry the third , the courts were kept in the kings house , wheresoever he was lodged , as may appear by ancient records , whereof there are many ; and for example , have set forth one in the chapter , or towers and castles . king henry the eighth , builded there a stately and beautiful house of new , for receit of the emperor , charles the fifth , who in the year of christ . was lodged himself at the black-fryers ; but his nobles , in this new builded bridewell , a gallery being made out of the house over the water , and thorow the wall of the city , into the emperors lodging at the black-fryers : king henry himself often times lodged there also ; as namely , in the year . a parliament being then holden in the black-fryers , he created states of nobility there . in the year . the seventh of edward the sixth , the tenth of april , sir george barne , being mayor of this city , was sent for to the court at white-hall , and there at that time the king gave unto him , for the communalty and citizens , to be a work-house , for the poor and idle persons of the city , his house of bridewell : and seven hundred marks land , late of the possessions of the house of savoy , and all the bedding and other furniture of the said hospital of the savoy , towards the maintenance of the said work-house of bridewel , and the hospital of st. thomas in southwark . this gift , king edward confirmed by his charter , dated the . of june , next following . and in the year . in the moneth of february , sir william gerrard mayor , and the aldermen , entred bridewel , and took possession thereof , according to the gift of the said king edward , the same being confirmed by queen mary . the bishop of st. davids had his inne over against the north side of this bridewell , as i have said . then is the parish church of st. bridget , or bride , of old time a small thing , which now remaineth to be the quire ; but since , increased with a large body , and side iles , towards the west , at the charges of william vinor esquire , warden of the fleet , about the year . all which he caused to be wrought about in the stone , in the figure of a vine , with grapes and leaves , &c. the partition betwixt the old work and the new , sometime prepared as a screne , to be set up in the hall of the duke of summersets house at the strand , was bought for eightscore pounds , and set up in the year , one thousand five hundred fifty seven . the next is salisbury court , a place so called , for that it belonged to the bishops of salisbury , and was their inne , or london house , at such time as they were summoned to come to the parliament , or came for other business : it hath of late time bin the dwelling , first of sir richard sackvile , and after , of sir thomas sackvile his sonne , baron of buckhurst , lord treasurer , who very greatly inlarged it with stately buildings . then is water-lane , running down by the west side of a house , called the hanging sword , to the thames . then was the white fryers church , called fratres beatae mariae de monte carmeli , first founded ( saith john bale ) by sir richard gray , knight , ancestor to the lord gray of codner , in the year . king edward the first , gave to the prior and brethren of that house , a plot of ground in fleet-street ; whereupon to build their house , which was since re-edified , or new builded , by hugh courtney , earl of devonshire , about the year one thousand three hundred and fifty , the four and twentieth of edward the third . john lufken , mayor of london , and the commonalty of the city , granted a lane , called crockers-lane , reaching from fleetstreet to the thames , to build in the west end of that church . then is the sergeants inne , so called , for that divers judges and sergeants at the law keep a commons , and are lodged there in terme time . next is the new temple , so called , because the templers , before the building of this house , had their temple in oldbourn : this house was founded by the knights templers in england , in the reign of henry the second : and the same was dedicated to god , and our blessed lady , by heraclius , patriark of the church , called the holy resurrection in jerusalem , in the year of christ , . many parliaments and great councels have been there kept , as may appear by our histories . in the year . all the templers in england , as also in other parts of christendom , were apprehended , and committed to divers prisons . anno . a provincial councel was holden at london , against the templers in england , upon heresie , and other articles , whereof they were accused ; but denyed all , except one or two of them ; notwithstanding , they all did confesse , that they could not purge themselves fully , as faultless , and so they were condemned to perpetual penance , in several monasteries , where they behaved themselves modestly . philip king of france , procured their over-throw throughout the whole world , and caused them to be condemned by a general councel to his advantage as he thought ; for he believed to have had all their lands in france , and therefore seizing the same in his hands , caused the templers , to the number of . or after fabian , threescore , to be burnt at paris . edward the second , in the year . gave unto aimer de la valence , earl of pembrook the whole place & house , called the new temple at london , with the ground called fiquetes croft , and all the tenements and rents , with the appurtenances that belonged to the templers in the city of london , and suburbs thereof . after aimer de valence ( saith some ) hugh spencer ( usurping the same ) held it during his life ; by whose death , it fell again to the hands of edward the third ; but in the mean time , to wit , . by a councel holden at vienna , all the lands of the templers ( lest the same should be put to prophane uses ) were given to the knights hospitalers , of the order of st. john baptist , called saint john of jerusalem ; which knights had put the turks out of the i le of rhodes , and after , wan upon the said turk , daily for a long time . in the reign of the same edward the third , was granted ( for a certain rent of ten pounds by the year ) the said temple , with the appurtenances thereunto adjoyning , to the students of the common lawes of england , in whose possession , the same hath ever fithence remained , and is now divided into two houses of several students , by the name of inns of court , to wit , the inner temple , and the middle temple , who keep two several halls ; but they resort all to the said temple-church , in the round walk whereof , ( which is the west part , without the quire ) there remain monuments of noblemen , buried to the number of eleven , eight of them are images of armed knights , five lying crosse-legged , as men vowed to the holy land , against the infidels , and unbelieving jews , the other three straight-legged . the rest are coaped stones , all of gray marble : the first of the crosse-legged , was william marshal the elder , earl of pembrooke , who died . william marshall his sonne , earl of pembrooke , was the second , he dyed . and gilbert marshall , his brother , earl of pembrooke , slain in a turnament at hartford , besides ware , in the year . of the twenty sixth , or the last ward of the city of london , called the bridge-ward without , containing the bourough of southwark . we have now almost finished the perambulation ; for having treated of wards in london , on the north side of the thames , ( in number five and twenty ) we are now to crosse over the said river , into the burough of southwark , which is also a ward of london without the walls , on the south side thereof , as is portsoken on the east , and faringdon extra on the west . but before we come to the particular description of this ward , it will not be impertinent to declare , when , and by what meanes the burough of southwark , now called bridge-ward without , was made one of the six and twenty wards , belonging to the city of london , which was in this manner . after the dissolution of the monasteries , abbeys , priories , and other religious houses , in this realm of england , the mayor , commonalty , and citizens of this city of london , taking into their considerations , how commodious , and convenient it would be unto the city , to have the burough of southwark annexed thereunto ; and that the same burough was in the kings hands wholly , they became humble suiters unto king henry the eighth , and unto the lords of his highness privy councel , for the obtaining of the same . which suit not being granted unto them ; after the decease of king henry the eighth , they renewed their suit unto his sonne and next successour , king edward the sixth , and to the lords of his privie councel for the obtaining of the same borough . at the length , after long suit , and much labour , it pleased king edward the sixth , by his letters patents , sealed with the great seal of england , bearing date at ●vestminster the three and twentieth day of april , in the fourth year of his reign , as well in consideration of the sum of six hundred forty seven pounds , two shillings and a penny , of lawful money of england , paid to his highnesses use , by the mayor , communalty , and citizens of london , as for divers other considerations him thereunto moving , to give and grant unto the said mayor , and communalty , and citizens of london , divers messuages , lands and tenements , lying near the borough of southwark , in the said letters patents , particularly expressed , which were sometimes the lands of charles late duke of suffolk , and of whom king henry the eighth did buy and purchase the same . but there was excepted out of the said grant , and reserved unto the said king edward the sixth ; his heirs and successors , all that his capitall messuage , or mansion honse , called southwark place , late of the said duke of suffolke , and all gardens and land to the same adjoyning ; and all that his park in southwarke , and all that his messuage , and all edifices and ground , called the antelope there . and the said king edward the th , did by his said letters patents , give & grant to the said mayor , communalty , and citizens , and their successors , all that his lordship , and mannor of southwarke , with all and singular the rights , members , and appurtenances thereof , in the said county of surrey , then late belonging to the late monastery of bermondsey in the same county ; and also all that his mannor and borough of southwarke , with all , and singular the rights members , and appurtenances thereof , in the said county of surrey , then late parcel of the possessions of the arch-bishop and bishoprick of canterbury , together with divers yearly rents , issuing out of the divers messuages or tenements , in the said letters patents particularly expressed . but there was excepted and reserved out of the said grant , to the said king edward the sixth , his heirs , and successors , all his rights , jurisdictions , liberties , and franchises whatsoever , within the walk , circuit , and precinct of his capital messuage , gardens , and park in southwarke ; and in all gardens , curtilages , and lands , to the said mansion house , gardens , and park belonging . also , there was excepted and reserved out of the said grant , the house , messuage , or lodging there , called the kings-bench , and the gardens to the same belonging so long as it should be used as a prison for prisoners , as it was then used . also , there was excepted and reserved out of the said grant , the house , messuage , or lodging there called , the marshalsey , and the gardens to the same belonging , so long as it should be used as a prison for prisoners , as it was then used . also , it was provided , that the said letters patents , should not be prejudicial to the offices of the great master or steward of the kings houshold , within the borough and precincts aforesaid , to be executed while the same borough and precincts should be within the verge ; nor to john gates knight , one of the gentlemen of the kings privy chamber , concerning any lands , tenements , offices , profits , franchises , or liberties to him granted during his life , by the said king edward the sixth , or by his father king henry the eighth . about the space of a month after the said borough of southwark was so granted by king edward the sixth , to the mayor communalty and citizens of london , and that they by force of the said letters patents , stood charged with the ordering , survey , and government of the same borough , and of all the kings subjects , iuhabiting therein , and repairing thither . at a court holden before sir rowland hill knight , then lord mayor of london , and the aldermen of the same city , in the guild-hall of london , on tuesday the eight and twentieth of may , in the said fourth year of the reign of king edward the sixth , the said town or borough was named and called the ward , or bridge vvard without . not long after , it was enacted , that besides the then ancient accustomed number of five and twenty aldermen , there should be one alderman more elected , to have the rule , charge , and governance of the said borough and town . and that four discreet persons , or more , being freemen of london , and dwelling within the said city , or the borough of southwarke , or in other the liberties of the said city , should from thenceforth , as often as the case shall require , be from time to time nominated , appointed , and chosen by the inhabitants of the said borough for the time being , before the lord mayor of london for the time being ; and that the said lord mayor for the time being , should ( at the next court of aldermen , to be holden at the guild-hall of the said city , next after such election ) present the names and sirnames of all such persons , as so should be named before him , and put in the said election ; and that the said lord mayor and aldermen , for the time being , should of those four persons , or mo , so presented , elect and chuse one , by way of scrutinie , to be an alderman of the said city , and to have the peculiar ordering , rule , and governance of the said borough and town of southwarke , and of the inhabitants thereof , and of all other the kings liege people , repairing to the same . this borough being in the county of surrey , consisteth of divers streets , waies , and winding lanes , all full of buildings inhabited ; and first , to begin at the west part thereof , over against the west suburbe of the city , on the bank of the river thames , there is now a continual building of tenements , about half a mile in length to the bridge . then south a continual street called long southwark , builded on both sides with divers lanes , and alleys up to st. georges church , and beyond it through blackman street , towards new town , ( or newington ) the liberties of which borough , extend almost to the parish church of new town aforesaid , distant one mile from london bridge , and also south-west a continual building , almost to lambeth , more than one mile from the said bridge . then from the bridge along by the thames east-ward , is st. olaves street , having continual building on both the sides , with lanes and alleys up to battle-bridge : to horse-down , and towards rother-hith also , some good half mile in length from london bridge , so that i account the whole continual buildings , on the bank of the said river , from the west towards the east to be more than a large mile in length . then have ye from the entring towards the said horse-down , one other continual street , called barmonds eye street , which stretcheth south , likewise furnished with buildings on both the sides , almost half a mile in length up to the late dissolved monastery of st. saviours , called bermondsey . and from thence is one long lane ( so called of the length ) turning west to st. georges church aforenamed , out of the which lane , mentioned long-lane , breaketh one other street towards the south and by east , and this is called kentish-street , for that it is the way leading into that county ; and so have ye the bounds of this borough . the antiquities most notable in this borough are these ; first , for ecclesiastical , there was bermondsey , an abbey of black monks ; st. mary overies , a priory of canons regular ; st. thomas , a colledge or hospital for the poor ; and the loke , a lazar-house in kent-street . parish churches there have been six , whereof five do remain , ( viz. ) st. mary magdalen , in the priory of saint mary overy ; now the same st. mary overy is the parish church for the said mary magdalen , and for saint margaret on the hill , and is called saint saviour . saint margaret on the hill , being put down is now a court for justice ; st. thomas in the hospital serveth for a parish church as afore ; st george a parish church , as before it did ; so doth st , olave , and st. mary magdalen , by the abby of bermondsey . there be also these five prisons , or goals , the clink on the bank , the compter in the late parish church of st. margaret , the marshalsey , the kings-bench , and the white-lyon , all in long southwarke . now to return to the west bank , there were two bear-gardens , the old and new , places wherein were kept bears , bulls , and other beasts , to be bated ; as also mastives , in several kenels , nourished to baite them . these bears and other beasts are there baited in plots of ground , scaffolded about , for the beholders to stand safe ; but this kind of sport is now prohibited . next , on this bank , was sometime the bordello or stewes , a place so called of certain stew-houses , priviledged there , for the repair of incontinent men , to the like women , of the which privileage we read thus . in a parliament holden at westminster , the eight of henry the second , it was ordained by the commons , and confirmed by the king and lords , that divers constitutions for ever should he kept in that lordship or franchise , according to the old customs , that had been there used time out of mind ; amongst the which , these following were some , viz. that no stew-holder , or his wife should let or stay any single woman to go and come freely at all times , when they listed . no stew-holder to keep any woman to board , but she to board abroad at her pleasure . to take no more for the womans chamber in the week than fourteen pence . not to keep open his doors upon the holy-daies . not to keep any single woman in his house on the holy-dayes ; but the bayliff to see them voided out of the lordship . no single woman to be kept against her will that would leave her sin . no stew-holder to receive any woman of religion , or any mans wife . no single woman to take mony to lye with any man , except she lie with him all night till the morrow . no man to be drawn or enticed into any stew-house . the constables , bayliffe , and others , every week to search every stew-house . no stew-holder to keep any woman , that hath the perilous infirmity of burning : not to sell bread , ale , flesh , fish , wood , coale , or any victuals , &c. these allowed stew-houses had signs on their fronts , towards the thames , not hanged out , but painted on the walls , as a boars head , the crosse-keys , the gun , the castle , the crane , the cardinals hat , the bell , the swan , &c. ancient men of good credit do report , that these single women were forbidden the rights of the church so long as they continued that finful life , and were excluded from christian burial , if they were not reconciled , before their death : and therefore there was a plot of ground called the single womans church-yard , appointed for them , far from the parish church . in the year of christ , one thousand five hundred forty six , the seven and thirtieth of henry the eighth , this row of stews in southwarke , was put down by the kings commandement , which was proclaimed by sound of trumpet , no more to be priviledg'd and used as a common brothel . then next is the clinke , a goale or prison for the trespassers in those parts , namely , in old time for such as should brabble , fray , or break the peace on the said bank , or in the brothel houses ; they were by the inhabitants thereabout , apprehended and committed to this gaole , where they were streightly imprisoned . next is the bishop of winchesters house , or lodging when he commeth to this city . adioyning to this on the south side thereof , is the bishop of rochesters inne , or lodging , by whom first erected , it is not upon record ; but 't is known well , the same of longtime hath not been frequented by any bishop , and lieth ruinous for lack of reparations . the abbot of naverly had a house there . east from the bishop of winchesters house , directly over against it standeth a fair church , called st. mary , over the rit , or overy , that is , over the water ; this church , or some other in place thereof was ( of old time long before the conquest ) an house of sisters , founded by a maiden , named mary , unto the which house and sisters they left ( as was left to her by her parents ) the over-sight and profits of a crosse-ferry or traverse-ferry over the thames , there kept before that any bridge was builded ; this house of sisters was after by swithin , a noble lady , converted unto a colledge of priests , who in place of the ferry , builded a bridge of timber , and from time to time kept the same in good reparations ; but lastly the same bridge was builded of stone , and then in the year , was this church again founded for canons regular , by vvilliam pom del l' arch , and vvilliam daunly knights normans . this peter de rupibus or de la roch , founded a large chappel of st. mary magdalen , in the church of st mary overy , which chappel was afterward appointed to be the parish church for the inhabitants near adjoyning . this church was again new builded in the reign of richard the second , and king henry the fourth . john gower esquire , a famous poet , was then an especial benefactor to that work , and was there buried on the north side of the said church , in the chappel of st. john , where he founded a chantry ; he lyeth under a tombe of stone , with his image also of stone over him ; the hair of his head auburne , long to his shoulders , but curling up and a small forked beard : on his head a chaplet , like a coronet of four roses , an habit of purple damasked down to his feet , a collar of esses of gold about his neck , under his feet the likenesse of three books , which he compiled . the first named speculum meditantis , written in french ; the second , vox clamantis , penned in latine ; the third , confessio amantis , written in english , and this last is printed ; vox clamantis , with his chronica tripartita , & other both in latine and french , were never printed . besides on the wall where he lyeth , there was painted three virgins crowned , one of the which was named charity , holding this device , en toy qui es fitz de dieu le pere savue soit , qui gist soubs cest pierre . in thee who art the son of god be sav'd who lyes under this clod . now passing through st. mary overies close ( once in possession of the lord montacute ) & pepper alley into long southwark ; on the right hand thereof the market hill , where the leather is sold , there stood the late named parish church of saint margaret , given to st. mary overies by henry the first , put down and joyned with the parish church of st. mary magdalen , and united to the late dissolved priory church of st. mary overy . a part of this parish church of st. margaret is now a court wherein the assizes and sessions be kept , and the court of admiralty is also there kept ; one other part of the same church is now a prison , called the compter in southwarke , &c. farther up on that side , almost directly over against st. georges church , was sometime a large and most sumptuous house , builded by charles brandon , duke of suffolke , in the reign of henry the eighth , which was called suffolk house , but coming afterwards into the kings hands , the same was called southwark place , and a mint of coynage was there kept for the king. queen mary gave this house to nicholas heth , archbishop of york , and to his successors for ever , to be their inne or lodging for their repair to london , in recompence of york house near to westminster , which king henry her father had taken from cardinal woolsey , and from the see of york . then is the white lion , a goal so called , for that the same was a common hostery for the receit of travellers by that sign . this house was first used as a goal within these hundred years last , since the which time the prisoners were once removed thence to an house in new-town , where they remained for a short time , and were returned again to the aforesaid white lion , there to remain as the appointed goal for the countey of surrey . next is the goal or prison of the kings-bench , but of what antiquity the same is , it appears not . we read , that the courts of the kings-bench and chancery , have oft times been removed from london to other places , and so hath likewise the other goals that serve those courts , as in the year , edward the first commanded the courts of kings-bench & the exchequer , which had remained seven years at york , to be removed to their old places at london . and in the year , the eleaventh of richard the second , robert trisilian chief justice , came to the city of coventry , and there sat by the space of a month , as justice of the kings bench , and caused to be indicted in that court about the number of persons of that country , &c. it seemeth therefore , that for that time the prison or goale of that court was not far off . also , in the year , the sixteenth of the same richard , the archbishop of york , being lord chancellor , for good will that he bare to his city , caused the kings bench and chancery to be removed from london to york , but ere long they were returned to london . then is the marshalsey another goal or prison , so called , as pertaining to the marshalls of england , of what continuance kept in southwark , it appears not ; but likely it is , that the same hath been removeable , at the pleasure of the marshalls . and then thieves lane by st. thomas hospital , first found by richard , prior of bermondsey , in the cellerers grounded , against the wall of the monastery , in the year , he named it the almery , or house of alms , for converts and poor children . in the year , the citizens of london , having the void suppressed hospital of st. thomas in southwark , in the month of july , began the reparations thereof , for poor , impotent , lame , and diseased people , so that in the month of november next following , the sick and poor people were taken in , ; and in the year , on the tenth of april , king edward the sixth in the seventh of his reign , gave to the mayor , communalty and citizens of london , to be a work-house for the poor , and idle persons of the city , his house of bridewell , and seven hundred marks lands of the savoy rents , which hospital he had suppressed , with all the beds , bedding , and other furniture belonging to the same , towards the maintenance of the said work-house of bridewell , and of this hospital of saint thomas in southwark . this gift , the king confirmed by his charter . the church of this hospital , which of old time served for the tenements neer adjoyning and pertaining to the said hospital , remaineth as a parish church . but now to come to st. olaves street : on the bank of the river of thames , is the parish church of st. olave , a fair and meetly large church , but a far larger parish , especially of aliens or strangers , and poor people . next is the bridge-house , so called , as being a store-house for stone , timber , or whatsoever pertaining to the building or repairing of london bridge . this house seemeth to have taken beginning with the first founding of the bridge , either of stone or timber ; it is a large plot of ground on the bank of the river of thames , containing divers large buildings , for stowage of things necessary , towards reparation of the said bridge . there are also divers garners , for laying up of wheat , and other granaries for service of the city , as need requireth . moreover , there be certain ovens builded , in number ten , of which six be very large the other four being but half so big : these were purposely made to bake out the bread corn of the said grayners , to the best advantage , for relief of the poor cittizens , when need should require . then is battaile bridge , so called of battaile abbey , for that it standeth on the ground & over a water-course , ( flowing out of thames ) pertaining to that abbey , and was therefore both builded and repaired by the abbots of that house , as being hard adjoyning to the abbots lodging . beyond this bridge is bermondsey street , turning south , in the south end whereof was sometime a priory or abby , of st. saviour , called bermonds eye in southwarke , founded by ailwin , a citizen of london , in the year . in the year , deceased alwin , founder of this house . then william rufus gave to the monks , his mannor of bermondsey , with the appurtenances , and builded there for them a new great church . in the year . this abbey was valued to dispend by the year , l. fourteen shillings four pence half penny , and was surrendred to henry the eighth , the one and thirtieth of his reign , the abbey church was then pulled down by sir thomas pope knight , and in place thereof , a goodly house builded of stone and timber , since pertaining to the earls of sussex . next unto this abbey church standeth a proper church of st. mary magdalen , builded by the priory of bermondsey , serving for resort of the inhabitants ( tenants to the priors or abbots near adjoyning ) there to have their divine service ; this church remaineth and serveth as afore , and is called a parish church . then in kent street , is a lazar house for leprous people , called the loke in southwark , the foundation whereof is incertain . this borough at a subsidy to the king , was used to yield about a thousand marks , or eight hundred pounds , which is more than any one city in england payeth except london ; and also , the muster of men in this borough doth likewise in number surpasse all other cities , except london . and thus much for the borough of southwarke , one of the six and twenty wards of london . having thus tra●ers'd the whole body of this great city , and her severall wards , from the center to the circumference ; it is now to be observed , that every ward hath its particular alderman as an overseer , or guardian assign'd thereunto , who hath a greater latitude of power , than an ordinary justice of the peace . this alderman hath one deputy , and in some wards more . there are likewise a number of common-councel men , constables , men of the wardmote inquest , scavengers , some more , some lesse , with beadles in every ward . the last ward which is the borough of southwark , differs from the rest in this , that the alderman appointed there , hath three deputies and a bayliff , but no common councel men . of places adjacent , and contiguous to the city of london . having endeavoured already to dissect the city of london , so that all her members , and homogeneal parts may be discern'd : we will now passe on to her heterogeneal , or suburbian parts , which yet are contiguous , and make one entire continued peece : we will , as formerly , take our first aym eastward , and begin with those parts that are without the postern by the tower of london . the second of henry the third , the forrest of middlesex , and the warren of stanes , were disafforested ; since which time , the suburbs also about london , in tract of time , and , as it were , by an insensible augmentation , have wonderfully increased in people and edifices . near the tower of london , is the hospital of st. katherine ( spoken of before ) founded by matilda , wife to king stephen , that renowned and most religious queen . from the liberties of st. katherine to wapping , the usual place of execution for pyrates , and sea-rovers , there to continue hanging till three tydes overflow and cover them ; i say , from st. katherines to wapping , 't is yet in the memory of man , there was never a house standing , but the gallowes which was further removed , in regard of the buildings . but now there is a continued street towards a mile long , from the tower , all along the river , almost as far as radcliffe , which proceeded from the encrease of navigation , mariners and trafique . the citizens of london , were the chief benefactors , towards the erecting of the new church at wapping , a chappel of ease to white-chappel : and upon a high beam , in the midst thereof , there is a memorable neat inscription , viz. this chappel was dedicated to almighty god , and consecrated to the honour and glory of his great and wonderful name , the seventh day of july , . by the right reverend father in god , john king , then bishop of london . north-east of the tower , lyeth east-smithfield , hoggs-street , and another tower-hill , near whereunto was an hermitage , in times passed , called the new abbey of grace , founded by edward the third , in gratitude to heaven , for his victorious successes in france ; which commendable custom , continueth still beyond the seas , as lately there is a fair costly church , erected in venice , dedicated to st. lawrence , in remembrance of a signal victory she obtained against the common enemy the turk , about that saints day ; as philip the second did build the escurial for st. quinten victory . then is there radcliffe , much encreased also in buildings , and nightingale-lane ; from thence towards aldgate , were the minories , a famous abbey of nuns , of the order of santa clara , founded by edmund earl of lancaster , leicester and darby , brother to edward the first , as hath bin formerly spoken . without algate there is a spacious huge suburb , about a mile long , as far as white chappel , and further : white chappel was as it were , a chappel of ease to stebunhith , now called by a strange contraction , stepney parish : the church of white chappel , was called st. mary marfelon , because a frenchman having served a rich widow hard by and murthered her for her wealth , the women and boyes stoned the felon to death , as he thought to fly away . from algate , north-west to bishopsgate , lyeth houndsditch , a long street , then is the fair parish church of st. buttolph : then is the hospital of st. mary of bethlem , founded by a london citizen , as hath bin shewn before ; without which is norton-fallgate , a liberty belonging to st. pauls . thence up to the priory of st. john baptist , is holy well , where there was in ancient times , a nunnery , founded by stephen gravesend , bishop of london , . in the high street from holy well , there is a continual building to sewers ditch , then is there shore-ditch , golding-lane , goswell-street , then hoxton , ( vulgarly called hogsdon ) which was once a prebend belonging to st. pauls . then is there in this suburb , the hospital of st. mary spittle , and a great palace , called fishers folly , built by the lord john powlet . in former times , there was in shoreditch , a row of small almshouses , built there by the prior , which being suppressed , they were called the rotten rowe . then is there the parish church of st. leonard , in shoreditch , whereof the arch-deacon of pauls de jure , is alwayes parson ; we are come now to moor-fields , which in former times , was but a fenny quagge , or moore , and is now , by the industry and bounty of well disposed citizens , come to that perfection , and pleasantness , as now we behold it in , whereof mention is made before . we passe now to cripplegate , and st. giles church , built by one , alfune , first hospitaler of st. bartholomew in smithfield ; near unto this church , there was in former times , a fair pool of sweet water , where in anne of lodberry was drowned , as the story shewes . then is there forestreet , moore-lane , and grubstreet , white-crosse-street , which is of great extent , and reacheth to old street . from the west end of forestreet , lyeth redcrosse-street , and beech-lane , with golding-lane , full of small tenements . then is there barbican , anciently called houndsditch , all these populous places , are within the precincts of st. giles parish . aldersgate suburb is next , where the parish of st. buttolph stands , and little britain street on the one side ; then it stretcheth all along north , with very handsome edifices , and a large street , as far as barbican , on the one side , and long-lane on the other . this street resembleth an italian street , more then any other in london , by reason of the spaciousness & uniformity of buildings , and streightness thereof , with the convenient distance of the houses ; on both sides whereof , there are divers very fair ones , as peter-house , the palace now , and mansion of the most noble marquis of dorchester : then is there the earl of tenets house , with the moon and sun-tavern , very fair structures . then is there from about the middle of aldersgate-street , a handsome new street butted out , and fairly built by the company of goldsmiths , which reacheth athwart as far as redcrosse-street . at the furthest point of this suburb northward , there was a winde-mill in times past , which being blown down by a tempest , queen katherine of aragon , first wife to henry the th , erected there a chappel , and named it mount calvary , which was afterwards suppressed , and the place came to be called mount-mill , whereof the long-parliament made much use for their fortifications . we are going now to newgate , where towards smithfield , i meet with gilt-spur , and knight-riders-street : then is smithfield it self , which hath bin spoken of before , in faringdon ward . without smithfield barres , there is st. johns street ; on the right hand whereof , stood the charter-house , founded by sir walter manny , knight of the garter to edward the third . hard by , is pardon church-yard , whereas the annales record , above fifty thousand souls were buried in one year , who had dyed of a raging great sweeping pestilence , in the reign of the foresaid edward the third . the chievalrous and most devont knight , first built a chappel there , then a monastery of carthusian fryers , which are the severest and most rigid of all claustral societies : this monastery was called at first the salutation . in this charter-house , was the monument of the said sir walter manny , and above twenty knights more , besides ladies and other persons of high rank , and at the suppression of abbeys , this monastery had l. yearly rent , a mighty sum in those dayes . this demolish'd charter-house , came a while after , to the possession of thomas earl of suffolk , lord treasurer of england , in king james his raign , and the place being sweetly scituated , with accommodations of spacious walks , orchards , and gardens , with sundry dependencies of tenements , and lands thereunto belonging , gave occasion to that worthy and well disposed gentleman , mr. thomas sutton , of castle camps , in the county of cambridge esquire , but born at knayth in lincolnshire , to alter his resolution of erecting an hospital at hallingbury in essex , where he had first pitched his design , and to purchase this place of the earl , for l. first peny payd before the sealing of the conveyance ; which charitable , great , and noble enterprize , was countenanced by king james , and his privy councel . so having in few years raised up that goodly fabrique , ( though it pleased god to take him to himself , before it was quite finish'd ) and endowed it with competent allowance , by passing away many goodly mannors , he had in lincoln , wiltshire , middlesex , cambridge and essex , with other goodly possessions , the work was compleated , and nominated the hospital of king james ; which hospital , consisted of a master , a governor , a preacher , a free school , with a master and usher , . poor people , and . schollers , maintained all by the revenues of the house , anno . on munday next , after michaelmas day , the captains , gentlemen , and officers , entred into this new hospital . now there were by letters pattents under the great seal of england , divers governors appointed of this hospital , whereof the arch bishop of canterbury was chief , the lord chancelor , and treasurer , the bishops of london and ely , the lord chief justice of the common pleas , the attorney general , the dean of pauls , the dean of westminster , and divers others ; but the late long parliament , inverting the order and will of the founder , did nominate others in their rooms . a little without the. barres of west smithfield , is charter-house lane ; but in the large yard before , there are many handsome palaces , as rutland house , and one where the venetian embassadors were used to lodge ; which yard hath lately bin conveniently railed , and made more neat and comely . then is there st. johns street , with turnmill-street , which stretcheth up west to clarken-well , and it is vulgarly called turnball-street : there is another lane called st. peters lane , which turns from st. johns street , to cow-crosse . the dissolved priory of st. john of jerusalem , stood on the left hand , founded almost . years since , by jorden briset , a pions brave man , who had founded also a priory of nuns at clarken-well . the rebels and rabble of kent , did much mischief to this house . setting it on fire , and letting it burn seven dayes : at the suppression of abbeys , this house among the rest , felt the fury of fate ; yet it was not quite demolished , but employed as a store-house for the kings toyles and tents , as well for hunting , as for the warres . but in edward the sixth's time , that goodly church for the most part , i mean the body and side iles , with the great bell-tower , a most curious peece of fabrick , being engraven , gilt , and enamel'd , to the great ornament of city and suburb , was barbarously undermined , and blown up with gunpowder : the stones whereof were carried to finish the then protectors house in the strand , viz. the duke of somerset , but strange judgements fell afterwards upon him , as is before mentioned . cardinal pool , in queen maries raign , closed up again part of the quire , and side walls on the west side , and made sir thomas tresham , prior thereof ; but thinking to bring the place to its first principles , it was suppressed again by queen elizabeth . a great number of knights of that order , had monuments in that church . north from the said house of st. john's , was the priory of clarken-well , which also was very ancient , being built anno . we must now go back to giltspur-street , where this suburb first begins , where hard by standeth a comely fair church , called st. scpulcher , in the baylic . hard by is turnagain-lane , hosier-lane , and cow-lane ; then you come down sorc-hill ( now vulgarly called snow-hill ) to oldborne , now called holborn-bridge : then you go up by chick-lane , and lither-lane ; but before you come thither , you passe by the bishop of elies great palace , and hatton-house , and brook-house : beyond the barres , there is postpool-lane , and grayes inne lane. southward of this lane , there is a row of small houses , which is a mighty hindrance to holborn , in point of prospect , which if they were taken down , there would be from holborn conduit , to st. giles in the field , one of the fairest rising street in the world. from newgate on the left hand , lyeth the old dayloy ; and so down by sea-cole and fleet-lane , we passe then over the common sewer , up to shooe-lane and so to fewter-lane , now vulgarly called fetter-lane ; but betwixt these two lanes , there is another new street , butted out by the company of goldsmiths , called newstreet , where there is a knot of very handsome buildings . above the barres , there was a house of the tamplers , but they removed thence to fleetstreet : there was also adjoining thereunto , the bishop of lincolns house , which was very ancient ; for the records say , 't was built anno . but of late years , it hath belonged to the noble earls of southhampton ; and lately , it hath bin quite taken down , and turned to several private tenements , as durham house is in the strand . insomuch , that if one should ask , what god almighty doth now in london , he might ( as the pulse of the times beats ) give the same answer that was given by the pagan philosopher , who being demanded what jupiter did in heaven , he said , magnas ollas rumpit , & ex frustis earum parvas componit , jupiter breaks great vessels , and makes small ones of their peeces . side long of this ancient house of the bishop of lincoln , is newstreet , for so it was called at first ; but now 't is called chancery-lane , where edward the third annexed the house of converted jews , to the office of custos rotulorum . here the cursitors office was built by sir nicholas bacon , lord keeper of the great seal . here also is the six clarks office , which is a fair convenient peece of stone and brick building newly erected , the old being consumed by a casual fire of late years . the bishop of chicester , ralph nevil , had much ground given him thereabouts , by henry the third , which now is become all tenements , thick built , and quite alienated . then is lincolns inne , very much encreased in building , it appertained sometimes to the said ralph nevil , bishop of chicester , lord chancellor of england , having bin before the house of the black-fryers : and after the decease of the said bishop nevil , henry lacy earl of lincoln , constable of chester , and custos of england , added much building to this place ; and sir thomas lovel did also add much thereunto , in henry the eighth's time ; but now it is one of the foure inns of court , for the students in the law. behind lincolns inne westward , is a spacious field , where many fair houses , or rather palaces , are taken up by the gentry . then is there towards drewry lane , a new market , called clare market ; then is there a street , and palace of the same name , built by the earl of clare , who lives there in a princely manner , having a house , a street , and a market , both for flesh and fish , all bearing his name . there was something omitted which should have bin spoken of the church of st. giles of the field , which is , that being a very ancient church , and so decayed , that it could not be repaired , a new one was erected , partly out of the ruines of the old ; which work was begun and finished in two years ; and a while after , the fair brick wall that encompasseth it . there were divers well disposed persons , who contributed to so pious a work ; but specially the lady alice duddeley , according to that which is engraven upon the north door , in pure and ponde●ous latine , which i thought therefore worthy to be here inserted . quod falix fanstumque sit posteris , hoc templum loco veteris ex annosa vetustate collapsi , mole et splendore auctum multa paraecorum charitas restauravit . in quibus pientissimae heroinae , dom. aliciae duddeley munificentia gratum marmoris hujus meretur eloquium : huc etiam accessit aliorum pietas ; quibus provisa sunt grates in coelo . heus viator an effaetum est bonis operibus hoc seenlum ? from the north end of chancery lane , is high holborn , which extends up to st. giles in the field , where the famous devout queen matilda did found an hospital , as she did eastward st. katherines beyond the tower. at this hospital the prisoners conveyed from london to tyborn , were used to be presented with a bowl of ale , for their last refreshment in this life , and it was commonly called st. giles's bowl : then is there a spacious fair street , called long acre , and then pickadilly , full of fair houses round about . thus have we as succinctly as we could , avoiding superstuities , and unnecassary trivial things , spoken of the skirts of london , and the places thereunto annexed , without the gates , and now , naviget hinc aliâ jam mihi linter aqua . i mean , let us steer now to the city of vvestminster . of the savoy , the dutchy , and city of westminster , with the antiquities , the tribunals of justice , and liberties thereunto belonging . having taken so fair a prospect , and finished the perlustration of london . it were a high incivility , and a soloecism in good manners ( or rather a piacle ) not to give vvestminster also a visit , being so near and contiguous a neighbour : it is true , that they were once above a mile asunder ; but by insensible coalition , and recruit of people , they came at last to be united , and incorporated into one continued peece , in point of posture , though not of government . and the union with scotland , did not a little conduce , to make this union 'twixt london and vvestminster ; for the scots multiplying here mightily , neasted themselves about the court , so that the strand , from mud walls , and thatched houses , came to that perfection of buildings , as now we see . moreover , the city of vvestminster hath divers magnalia's , which may deserve as exact a view as any within london ; for if london of old had her temple of diana , vvestminster had one to a greater deity , which was apollo ; and since , ( in those very places ) ; if st. paul , hath his church in london : st. peter , the prince of the apostles , hath his in vvestminster , which was used to keep the regalia's and the crown . add hereunto , that if london hath her guild-hall , and the hustings . vvestminster hath the great praetorian , or common hall , where the chief courts , and general tribunals of justice , do make their sessions , though to her high prayse be it spoken , london hath a far more expedite way of doing justice , and determination of causes then westminster hath ; besides , in point of safety and strength , if london hath her artillery garden , westminster hath her military : and in point of extent and government , if london hath her six and twenty wards , and so many aldermen ; westminster also hath her twelve burgesses , and so many distinct wards ; but for the quality of inhabitants , london must vayl to her ; most of the nobility and gentry residing in , or about her precincts . moreover , in one particular , westminster may claim a great advantage of london , in regard as the royal court once was , so the residence of the soveraign magistrate is still there : insomuch , that westminster may well glory of three things , that she hath the chiefest courts of justice , the chiefest court of the prince , and the chiefest court of the king of heaven ( for every temple is his house and court. ) now the abbey of westminster , hath bin alwayes held the greatest sanctuary , and randevouze of devotion of the whole iland : whereunto , the scituation of the very place , seemes to contribute much , and to strike a holy kind of reverence and sweetness of melting piety in the hearts of the beholders . but before we steer our course to westminster , we must visit the dutchy of lancaster , and the savoy , which are liberties of themselves , and lie ( as a parenthesis ) 'twixt london and westminster . without temple-barre westward , is a liberty pertaining to the dutchy of lancaster , which beginneth on the north side of the thames , and stretcheth west to ivy-bridge , where it terminates . and again , on the north side , some small distance without temple-barre , in the high street , there stretcheth one large middle row , or troop of small tenements , partly opening to the south , and partly towards the north , up west to a stone crosse , over against the strand ; and this is the bounds of the liberty , which first belonged to brian lisle , after to peter of savoy , and then to the house of lancaster . henry the third did grant to his uncle peter of savoy , all those houses upon the thames , which pertained to brian lisle , or de insula , in the way , or the street , called the strand , to hold to him and his heires , yielding three gilded arrowes , every year in the exchequer . this peter , earl of savoy and richmond , son to thomas earl of savoy , brother to boniface arch bishop of canterbury , and uncle unto eleanor wife to henry the third , was the first founder of the savoy , anno . which he gave afterwards to the fraternity of monjoy . queen eleanor did purchase it for edmund duke of lancaster , her son , of the fraternity ; which duke did much augment and improve the structure . john the french king was lodged there , being then the fairest mannor of england . anno . the rebels of kent and essex , did most barbarously burn this house , with many vessels of gold and silver , which they threw into the river ; all which they did out of a popular malice to john of gaunt , duke of lancaster . it came afterwards to the kings hands , and henry the seventh did re-edifie and raise it up again , but converted it to the hospital of st. john baptist ; yet was he content , that it should be still called the savoy , and bestowed lands , for maintenance of . poor men ; but afterwards , it was suppressed by his granchild , edward the sixth : the beds , and bedding , with other furniture , were given to the city of london ; together , with bridewell , to be a work-house for idle persons ; and some of savoy furniture was given also to furnish st. thomas hospital in southwark : but afterwards , the savoy hospital was refounded , and endowed with lands , by queen mary , who made one jackson , first master thereof : and it is memorable , how the mayds of honour , and ladies of the court , in those times , did much contribute for storing it again with new beds , and furniture , and so it hath continued ever since : the chappel of this hospital serving for a parish church , to the neighbors thereof near adjoyning , and others . now touching the prerogatives , and enfranchisements of the dutchy of lancaster , let the reader know , that henry the fourth , by his royal charter , and concurrence of parliament , did sever the possessions of the said dutchy from the crown , and that which john of gaunt hold for term of life , was established to perpetuity , by the statutes of edward the fourth , and henry the seventh : which separation was made by henry the fourth , in regard he well knew , that he had the dutchy of lancaster ( par regno ) by sure and indefesble title , whereas his title to the crown was not so assured , because that after the death of richard the second , the royal right was in the heir of lionel , duke of clarence , second son of edward the third . and john of gaunt , who was father to henry the fourth , was the fourth son : therefore his policy was , to make it a distinct thing from the crown , for fear of after-claps . it was edward the third , who erected the county of lancaster to a county palatine , and honoured the duke of lancaster therewith , giving him jura regalia , having a particular court , the officers whereof , were the chancellor , the attorney , the receiver general , clark of the court , the auditors surveyors , the messenger ; the seal of the dutchy of lancaster remains with the chancellor ; but the seal of the county palatine , remains alwayes in a chest , in the county palatine , under the safe custody of a keeper . now , all grants and leases of lands , tenements , and offices in the county palatine of lancaster , should passe under that seal , and no other ; but all grants and leases out of the county palatine , and within the survey of the dutchy , should passe under the seal of the dutchy , and no other ; otherwise such grants are voyd , ipso facto . though this county palatine was a younger brother , yet it had more honours , mannors , and lands annexed unto it , then any of the rest ; and all this by acts of parliament , whereby all the franchises , priviledges , immunities , quittances and freedoms , which the duke of lancaster had for himself and his men , and tenants , were confirmed . the liberty of the dutchy was used to be governed by the chancellor , who had under him a steward , that kept court le●t , with an attorney of the dutchy . there were also four burgesses , and four assistants , a bayliffe , who had others under him , four constables , four wardens , that kept the stock for the poor , four wardens for high wayes , a jury of . ale-cunners , which looked to the assise of measures , four scavengers , and a beadle , and the common prison is newgate . and now we must make a step back towards temple-barre , and so by degrees , to westminster all along , we will begin with the right hand , or the north side , and so passe up west , through a back lane or street , wherein do stand ( as was touched before ) three inns of chancery , the first called clements inne , in regard it is near st. clements church , and clements well . the second new inne , which was made of a common hostery , about the beginning of the reign of henry . the third is lions inne . this street stretcheth up unto drury lane , which lane extends northward , towards st. giles in the field . but now we must go back , as was said before , towards temple-barre , and so by taking the strand , all along return by degrees to westminster it self , in a direct line . i have heard often of a british prophecy , which came from an old bard , viz. the church man was , the lawyer is , and the souldier shall be . true it is , that bishops lived in the equipage of princes , in former times ; and among other instances , one is , the goodly palaces they had in and about london , and westminster ; for from dorset house in fleetftreet , as far as white-hall , all the great houses , which were built upon the banks of the thames , were all episcopal palaces , except the savoy and suffolk-house . the first for greatness was excester house ( now called essex ) where of the chiefest founder was edward stapleton , bishop of that see , who was beheaded by the londoners in cheap-side , and his body was then brought , and buried in a heap of sand or rubbish , in his own house near temple-barre , in the raign of edward the second . bishop edmond luey , built the great hall in the raign of henry the sixth . the same was since called paget-house , being enlarged by william lord paget . then was it called leicester-house , of robert dudley , who was the great favorite to queen elizabeth , and then it came to be called essex-house , from robert earl of essex , who was also a favorite of queen elizabeth , and beheaded in the tower. opposite to this house , standeth the parish-church of saint clement danes , so called , because harold , a danish king , with other of that nation , were buried there . then was the bishop of baths inne , or city-house , builded by the lord thomas seamer , admiral of england : which house , came afterwards to be possessed by the earl of arundel , & so it beares the name of arundel-house : neer there adjoyning there was once a parish-church , called the nativity of our lady , or the innocents of the strand , with a fair coemitery , or church-yard , wherein there was a brother-hood kept , called saint ursula of the strand . near adjoyning to the said church , betwixt it and the thames , there was an inne of chancery , called chesters inne , because it belonged to the bishop of chester , and sometimes 't was called strand inne . then was there a house belonging to the bishop of landaff , which one of those bishops purchased of the duke of lancaster . then was there the bishop of chesters inne or palace , which was first built by walter langhton , treasurer of england , in the reign of edward the first . and not far from that was the bishop of worcesters inne or palace ; all which viz. the parish church called saint mary of the strand , strand inne , with the bishop of chester , and bishop of worcesters houses , with all the tenements adjoyning , were by commandement of edward duke of somerset , uncle to edward the sixth , & lord protector pull'd down , and laid level to the ground anno . in place whereof , he erected that large and goodly house , call'd now somerset house , which rose out of the ruines of the church ; therefore the roman catholiques observed , that an apparent judgement from heaven fell upon him afterwards , being beheaded a little after ; and he and his counsel were so infatuated , that he forgot to call for his clergy , which he might have claimed by the law , and so sav'd his life . then is there bedford house , which was sometimes the bishop of carliles inne . it stretched from the savoy to ivie bridge , where sir robert cecill earl of salisbury raysed a large and stately house of brick and timber ; worcefler house lies sideling of it , and there being a great vvalnut tree there growing , which much hindred the prospect of salisbury house eastward , the earl bargained with one of the lord edward of vvorcesters servants , that if he could get leave of his lord to cut down that tree , he would give him li. the servant told his lord of it , who bad him fell down the tree and take the money ; but the old earl ( there being no good correspondence 'twixt salisbury and him ) caused presently a new brick building to be there erected , where the tree stood . we come now to durham house , built by thomas hatfield bishop of that see , a very capacious edifice , on the north side whereof stood a row of thatch'd stables , which the earl of salisbury purchased , and pull'd down , and erected in place thereof , the new exchange , or britains burse ; which was built with wonderful celerity , for the first stone thereof was layed on the tenth of june , and it was fully finished the november next following . the earl did then invite king james with the queen , to see his new house , where after a rich banquet the king named the place britains burse . next beyond durham house and this new building , is another great palace , belonging of old to the bishop of norwich , but afterwards it came to the arch-bishop of yorke , by this occasion . when cardinal woolsey , arch bishop of yorke , was indicted in a premunire , whereby the king was entitled to all his goods and possessions , he among other things , seazed upon the said cardinals house , where he then dwelled , commonly called york place , and changed the name thereof to white-hall . the arch-bishops of york , having then no house in london or westminster , queen mary gave unto nicholas heath then arch-bishop of yorke , suffolke house in southwark , lately built by charles brandon ; which house the said arch-bishop sold , and in lieu thereof he purchased the bishop of norwich's house , which ever since hath been called yorke house , though it came afterwards to the possession of the duke of buckingham george villers , who added much to the old edifice , and would have had it called buckingham house , which name is engraven upon the watergate in great letters . there was of old , an hospitall of st. mary rouncival ( an order which came from navarre in spain ) by charing-crosse , where a fraternity was founded in the fifteenth of edward the fourth , which was afterwards suppressed and turned to tenements . near unto this hospital was an hermitage with a chappel of st. katherine over against charing-crosse , which crosse was erected by edward the first to the honor of his queen ( as is spoken else-where ) eleanor , and it was a goodly monument , which was utterly destroyed by the fury of the long parliament . west of this crosse stood sometimes another hospital called st. james , consisting of two hides of land in the parish of st. margaret in vvestminster , and founded by the citizens of london , for sister-maidens that were leprous ; then were there added eight brethren to minister divine service there . afterwards , there was a great addition of land made to this hospital , and edward the first granted a fair to be kept there every year . this hospital being surrendred to henry . the sisters were allowed pensions during their lives , and the king erected there a mannor house , with a park annexed , encompassed about with a brick wall. but before we advance further northward towards westminster , we must make a step backward to saint martins church and lane , where on the west side there are many gentile fair houses in a row built by the same earl of salisbury who built britains burse , but somewhat before . then have we bedford berry , commonly called the coven garden , because there was a large convent , or monastery there in times pass'd , where there are many good structures , cloystered underneath some of them , with a large piazza or market place , and a church that bears the name of saint paul , which , though within the precincts of saint martins parish , yet by act of parliament , it is now exempted . the founder who was the earl of bedford , paying the minister l. per annum . on the left hand of charing-crosse , there are divers fair houses built of late years , specially the most stately palace of suffolk or northampton house , built by henry of northampton son to the duke of norfolk , and lord privie seal to king james . then is there a large plot of ground enclosed with brick , called scotland yard , where the kings of scotland were used to be lodg'd , and margaret queen dowager of scotland , eldest sister to henry the th , kept her court there after the king her husband had been kill'd in flodden field . and now we are come to white-hall , belonging of old to hubert de burgh , earl of kent , and justicier of england , who gave it to the black-fryers in holborne ; but being fallen to henry the . ordained it to be called an honor , and built there a huge long gallery , with two gate-houses thwart the street to st. james park . from these gates we passe in a direct line to kings street ; on one side whereof passing through st. stephen alley is canon row , ( but now though very corruptly calld channel row ) so called because it belonged to the dean and canons of saint stephens chappel , who were lodg'd there , but now they are all turn'd to be temporal habitations . then we come to woolstaple now the common market place of westminster . in the reign of edward the first , we read that the staple being at westminster , the parishioners of saint margarets , and merchants of the staple builded the said church of new . henry the sixth , had six wool-houses within the staple at westminster , which he granted to the dean and canons of saint stephens . because we are not yet ready to speak of the abbey , we will passe by it to the gatehouse of westminster , and so to totehill and petty france . the gate-house is called so of two gates , the one out of the colledge court towards the north , on the east side whereof was the bishop of londons prison for clerks convict ; the other gate-house is a goal or prison for felons , one walter warfield ce●●erer to the monastery of vvestminster , was founder of both these gates , in edward the third's reign . on the south side of these gates , henry the the seventh founded an alms-house for poor men ; one of them to be a priest , and above years old , the rest to be aged years without wives . near to this place , was of old , the chappel of st. anne , where the lady margaret henry the sevenths mother , erected an alms-house for poor women , and it was called eleemosynary , and now almory , or ambry , because the alms of the abbey were there distributed to the poor : and there islip abbot of vvestminster set up the first press of book-printing that ever was in england , anno . and one caxton citizen of london , was the first who brought over that art. then is there totehill street , where there are of late years sundry fair houses on the back of st. james park . the lady anne dacre built there an hospitall for twenty poor women , and so many children to be brought up under them . then is there petty france , where , upon a place call'd st. hermits hill , cornel●us uan dun a brabanter born , and yeoman of the guard to henry the th , edward the sixth , queen mary and queen elizabeth , built twenty houses for poor women to dwell rent-free . and near hereunto there was of old a chappel of st. mary magdalen which is now quite ruinated . there is of late years a new large chappel of brick erected there , at the entrance to totchil fields ; where mr. palmer , a well disposed and reverend divine , hath also erected lately another new hospital , with a competent allowance to the poor that shall be admitted thereinto . and now we will return to the abbey of vvestminster , a place which was us'd to be of very high devotion ; it gives the denomination to the whole city , and certainly , that place cannot choose but be happy which hath gods house for its godfather , as munster a great and renowned city in germany , takes her name from the chief church . of westminster abbey . this church is famous , especially by reason of the in auguration and sepulture of the kings of england . sulvard writeth , that there stood sometimes a temple of apollo in that place , and that in the daies of antoninus pius , emperor of rome , it fell down with an earthquake ; out of the remains whereof , sebert king of the east-saxons , erected another to st. peter , which being by the danes overthrown , bishop dunstane re-edified , and granted it to some few monks . but afterwards king edward surnamed the confessour , with the tenth penny of all his revenues , built it a new for to be his own sepulture , and a monastery for benedictine monks , endowing it with livings and lands , lying dispersed in divers parts of england . but listen what an historian saith , who then lived . the devour king destined unto god that place , both for that it was near unto the famous and wealthy city of london , and also had a pleasant scituation amongst fruitful fields , and green grounds , lying round about it , with the principal river running hard by , bringing in from all parts of the world , great variety of wares ; and merchandize of all sorts to the city adjoyning ; but chiefly for the love of the chief apostle , whom he reverenced with a special and singular affection . he made choice to have a place there for his own sepulchre : and thereupon commanded , that of the tenths of all his rents , the work of a noble edifice should be taken in hand , such as might beseem the prince of the apostles : to the end ( as the annales have it ) that he might procure the propitious favour of the lord , after he should finish the course of this transitory life , both in regard of his devout piety , and also of his free oblation of lands and ornaments , wherewith he purposed to endow , and enrich the same . according therefore to the kings commandement the work was nobly began , and happily proceeded forward : neither the charges already disbursed , or to be disbursed , were weighed and regarded , so that it might be presented in the end unto god and saint peter , and made worth their acceptation . thus the words of the old record run . touching the form of that ancient building , we read in an old manuscript book , that the principal plot or ground-work of the building was supported with most lofty arches , cast round with a four square work , and semblable joynts . but the compasse of the whole , with a double arch of stone on both sides is enclosed with joyned-work , firmly knit and united together every way . moreouer , the crosse of the church which was to compasse the mid quire of those that chaunted unto the lord , and with a twofold supportance , that it had on either side to uphold and bear the lofty top of the tower in the midst , simply riseth at first with a low and strong arch ; then mounteth it higher , with many winding stairs , artificially ascending with a number of steps : but afterward with a single wall it reacheth up to the roof of timber , well and surely covered with lead . but after an hundred and threescore years , king henry the third , subverted this fabrick of king edwards , and built from the very foundation a new church of very rare workmanship , supported with sundry rowes of marble pillars , and the roofe covered over with sheets of lead : a piece of work that cost fifty years labour in building ; which church the abbots enlarged very much toward the west end ; and king henry the seventh for the burial of himself and his children , adjoyned thereto , in the east end , a chappel of admirable artificial elegancy , the wonder of the worlde , as leland calleth it : for a man would say , that all the curious and exquisite work that can be devised , is there compacted ; wherein is to be seen , his own most stately magnifical monument , all of solid and massie copper . this church , when the monks were driven thence , from time to time , was altered to and fro with sundry changes . first of all , it had a dean and prebondaries : soon after one bishop and no more , namely t. thurlbey , who having wasted the church patrimony , surrendred it to the spoil of countiers ; and shortly after , were the monks with their abbot set in possession again by queen mary ; and when they also within a while after , were by authority of parliament cast out , queen elizabeth converted it into a collegiate church , or rather into a seminary and nurse-garden of the church , appointing twelve prebendaries there , and as many old souldiers past service , for alms-men , fourty schollars , who in their due time are preferred to the universities ; and from thence sent forth into the church and common-weale , &c. over these they placed d. bill dean , whose successor was gabriel goodman , a right good man indeed , and of singular integrity and an especial patron of literature . within this church are intombed ( that i may note them according to their dignity and time wherein they died ) sebert the first of that name and first christian king of the east-saxons . harold the bastard son of canutus the dane king of england ; edward king and confessour , with his wife edith ; maud wife to king henry the first , the daughter of malcolme king of scots ; king henry the third , and his son ; king edward the first , with eleanor his wife daughter to ferdinando the first king of castile and of leon ; king edward the third , and philippa of henault his wife ; king richard the second , and his wife anne , sister to vvencelaus the emperour ; king henry the fifth , with katherine his wife , daughter to charles the sixth king of france ; anne , wife to king richard the third , daughter to richard nevil earl of vvarwick : king henry the seaventh , with his wife elizabeth , daughter to king edward the fourth , and his mother margaret countesse of richmond ; king edward the sixth ; anne of cleave the fourth wife of king henry the eighth ; queen mary and queen elizabeth ; prince henry eldest son of king james the sixth of scotland , and first of england , who lies there also interred with queen anne his wife ; and lastly , the first male born of charles the first , dying an infant . of dukes and earls degree , there lie here buried , edmund earl of lancaster , second son of king henry the third , and his wife aveline de fortibus countesse of albemarle ; william and audomar of valence of the family of lusignian , earls of pembrooke ; alphonsus john , and other children of king edward the first ; john of eltham earl of cornwall , son to king edward the second ; thomas of woodstock duke of glocester , the youngest son of king edward the third with other of his children ; eleanor , daughter and heir of humphrey bohun earl of hereford , and of essex , wife to thomas of vvoodstock ; the young daughter of edward the fourth , and king henry the seventh ; henry a child two months old , son of king henry the eighth ; sophia the daughter of king james who died , as it were , in the very first day-dawning of her age ; phillippa mohun , dutches of yorke ; robert of henault in right of his wife lord bourchier ; anne the young daughter and heir of john mowbray duke of norfolk , promi●ed in marriage unto richard duke of york , younger son to k. edward the th ; sir giles daubeny , lord chamberlain to king henry the th , and his wife of the house of the arundels in cornwal ; j. viscount vvells ; farnces brandon dutchess of suffolk , mary her daughter , margaret douglasse countesse of lennox , grandmother to james king of great britain , with charles her sonne ; vvinifred bruges , marchionesse of vvinchestèr ; anne stanhope dutchess of sommerset , and jane her daughter ; anne cecill countesse of oxford , daughter to the lord burleigh , lord high treasurer of england , with mildred burghley her mother ; elizabeth berkeley countesse of ormond ; frances sidney countess of sussex ; james butler vicount thurles , son and heir to the earl of ormond . besides these , humphrey lord bourchier of cromwall ; sir humphrey bourchier son and heir to the lord bourchier of berners , both slain at bernet field ; sir nicholas carew baronesse powisse , t. lord wentworth ; thomas lord wharton ; john lord russel ; sir t. bromley , lord chancellour of england ; douglas howard daughter and heir general of h. vicount howard of bindon , wife to sir arthur gorges ; elizabeth daughter and heir of edward earl of rutland , wife to william cecill ; sir john puckering lord keeper of the great seal of england ; francis howard countesse of hertford ; henry and george cary , the father and son , barons of hundsdon , both lords chamberlains to queen elizabeth ; the heart of anne sophia , the tender daughter of christopher harley ; count beaumont , embassador for the king of france in england , bestowed within a small gilt urne over a pyramid ; sir charles blunt earl of devonshire , lord livetenant general of ireland ; and ( whom in no wise we must forget ) the prince of english poets , geoffrey chaucer ; as also he that for pregnant wit , and an excellent gift in poetry , of all english poets came nearest unto him , edmund spencer , william cambden , clarencicux king of arms ; causabon the great french writer ; michael drayton . then there is george uillers duke , marquiss and earl of buckingham , favorite to king james , and charles the first . the late earl of essex , with divers other during the reign of the long parliament . there was also another colledge or free-chappel hard by , consisting of a dean and twelve chanons , dedicated to st. stephen , which king edward the third in his princely magnificence repaired with curious workmanship , and endowed with fair possessions , so as he may seem to have built it new , the time as he had with his victories over-run and subdued all france , recalling to mind ( as we read the charter of the foundation ) and pondering in a due weighty devout consideration , the exceeding benefits of christ , whereby of his own sweet mercy and pitty , he preventeth us in all occasions , delivering us , although without desert , from sundry peills , and defending us gloriously with his powerful right hand , against the violent assaults of our adversaries , with victorious successes , and in other tribulations , and perplexities , wherein we have exceeding much bin encumbred , by comforting us , and by applying , and in powring remedies upon us , beyond all hope and expectation . there was also adjoyning hereto a palace , the ancient habitation of the kings of england , from the time of king edward the confessor , which in the raign of king henry the eighth , was burnt by casual fire to the ground ; a very large , stately , and sumptuous palace this was , and in that age , for building incomparable , with a vawmure , and bulwarks for defence . the remains whereof , are the chamber wherein the king , the nobles , with the councellors , and , officers of state , do assemble at the high court of parliament ; and the next unto it , wherein anciently they were wont to begin the parliaments known by the name of st. edwards painted chamber , because the tradition holdeth , that the said king edward therein dyed . adjoyning unto this , is the white-hall , wherein at this day , the court of requests is kept ; beneath this is that hall , which of all other is the greatest , and the very praetoriuns , or hall of justice , for all england , in this , are the judicial courts ; namely , the kings bench , the common pleas , and the chancery ; and in places near thereabout , the star-chamber , the exchequer , court of wards , and court of the dutchy of lancaster , &c. in which at certain set times , ( we call them termes ) yearly causes are heard , and tryed : whereas before king henry the third his dayes , the court of common law , and principal justice , was unsetled , and alwayes followed the kings court ; but he in the magna charta , made a law in these words , let not the common pleas follow our court , but be holden in some certain place ; which notwithstanding , some expound thus , that the common pleas , from thenceforch be handled in a court of her own , by it self a part , and not in the kings bench , as before . this judgement-hall , which we now have , king richard the second , built out of the ground , as appeareth by his arms , engraven in the stone-work , and many arched beams , ( when he had plucked down the former old hall that king william rufus in the same place had built before ) and made it his own habitation ; for kings in those dayes , sate in judgement place , in their own persons , and they are indeed , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , judges , whose mouth ( as the royal writer saith ) shall not erre in judgement ; but the foresaid palace , after it was burnt down , in the year of our lord , . lay desolate , and king henry the eighth , translated shortly after , the kings seat , from thence to an house not far off , which belonged but a while before , to cardinal woolsey , and is called white hall. this house is a princely thing , enclosed on the one side with a park , that reacheth also to another house of the kings , named saint james ( where anciently was a spittle for mayden lepers ) demolished by king henry the eighth , as is spoken else-where . hard by , near unto the mues , so called , for that it served to keep hawkes , and now is become a most fair stable for the court horses : there remaineth a monument in memorial of that most pious and kind queen eleanor , erected by king edward the first , her most dearly beloved husband ; and certainly , the memory of her conjugal love shall remain worthy , to be consecrated to eternity ; for she , the daughter of ferdinand the third , king of castile , being given in mariage to edward the first , king of england , accompanied him into the holy land , where , when as he was secretly fore-laid , and by a certain moor , wounded with an envenomed sword , and by all the remedies that physitians could devise , was not so much eased as afflicted , she took her to a strange cure , i must needs say , and never heard of before ; howbeit , full of love , care , and affection . for , her husbands wounds infected with the poyson , and which , by reason of the malignity thereof , could not be closed and healed , she day by day , licked with her tongue , and sucked out the venomous humor , which to her was a most sweet liquor , by the vigour and strength whereof , or to say more truly , by vertue of a wives singular fidelity , she so drew unto her , all the substance of the poyson , that the wounds being closed , and cicatrized , he becam perfectly healed , and she caught no harm at all ; what then can be heard more rare , what more admirable then this womans faithful love ? that a wives tongue thus annoynted , as i may so say , with faith and love to her husband , should from her well beloved , draw those poysons , which by an approved physitian , could not be drawn ; and that which many , and those right exquisite medicines effected not , the love only , and piety of a wife performed : these are the words of the ancient record . but we must not passe by the mewse so sleightly ; that place was called so of the kings faulcons there kept , which in former times , was an office of high esteem ; but henry the eighth , having his stablings at lomesberry , ( now called blomesberry ) which was then a mannor in holborn , it fortuned , that the same was consumed by fire , with hay and horses ; whereupon , the mewse was enlarged , and made fit for the kings stables , which hath continued ever since , receiving divers additions from time to time . but now we are , according to the method of our discourse , summoned to appear at westminster-hall ; but i had almost pretermitted one signal thing , which belongs to the great dome or temple of westminster abbey , which is the great priviledge of sanctuary it had within the precincts thereof , viz. the church , the church-yard , and the close , whereof there are two ; the little , and the great sanctuary , vulgarly now called centry ; from whence it was not lawful for the soveraign prince himself , much lesse , any other magistrate , to fetch out any that had fled thither , for any offence : which prerogative , was granted near upon a thousand years since , by king sebert , then seconded by king edgar , and afterwards confirmed by edward the confessor , whose charter i thought worthy the inserting here , the tenor whereof , runs thus , in the modern english . edward by the grace of god , king of englishmen , i make it to be known to all generations in the vvorld , after me , that by special commandment of our holy father pope leo , i have renewed , and honoured the holy church of the blessed apostle , st. peter of westminster ; and i order and establish for ever , that what person , of what estate or condition soever he be , and from whence soever he come , or for what offence , or cause it be , either for his refuge into the said holy place , he be assured of his life , liberty , and limbs . and over i forbid under pain of everlasting damnation , that no minister of mine , or any of my successors , intermeddle themselves with any the goods , lands , or possessions of the said persons , taking the said sanctuary ; for i have taken their goods and livelihoods into my special protection . and therefore i grant to every each of them , in as much as my terrestrial power may suffice , all manner of freedom of joyous liberty ; and whosoever shall presume , or doth contrary to this my grant , i will , he lose his name , vvorship , dignity and power ; and that with the great traytor judas , that betrayed our saviour , he be in the everlasting fire of hell. and i will and ordain , that this my grant , endure as long as there remaineth in england , either love or dread of christian name . and this record may be ranked among the most ancient of the land. about what time , king edward the confessor , did renew it , he removed st. margarets church , which before was within the abbey , to the place where now it stands . of westminster-hall , and all the tribunalls of justice , which have their motion therein ; and first of the high court of parliament . having visited god almighties house , we will now take a view of the chief praetorium of great britain , which is vvestminster-hall , and of the courts of judicature , which are thereunto annexed ; and first , of the court paramount , the high national court of parliament : vvhich great councel vvas used to be the bulwark of our liberties , the boundary and bank vvhich kept us from slavery , from the inundations of tyrannical encorachments , and unbounded vvill-government . and in this high court , there was used to be such a co-ordination of power , such a wholsome mixture 'twixt monarchy , optimacy , and democracy , i mean , 'twixt prince , peers , and commonalty , during the time of consultation , that of so many distinct parts , by a rare co-operation and unanimity , they made but one body politique ( like that sheaf of arrowes in the fable ; ) they made but one entire concentrical peece ; and the results of their deliberations , but as so many harmonious diapazons arising from the touch of different strings . and what greater mark of freedom can there be to a people , then to be lyable to no lawes , but what they make themselves ? to be subject to no contribution , assesment , or pecuniary levies whatsoever , but what they vote , and voluntarily yield unto themselves . for in this great compacted body politick , there be all degrees of people represented ; the yeoman , marchant , tradesman , and mechanick , have there their inclusive votes , as well as the gentry and freeholders , in the persons of their trustees , viz. their burgesses and knights . the clergy also , which make a considerable part of the common-wealth , were used to have their representatives there , not only in the persons of the bishops ( which at the first constitution , were the prime parliament , and continued so many ages ) but in the convocation which was an assembly of divines , fairly chosen to that purpose . nor is this soveraign super-intendent councel an epitome of this iland only ; but it may be said , to represent the whole universe , according to the primitive constitution . the soveraign prince was as the sun , the nobles the fixed starres , the itinerant judges , and other officers , that were wont to go with messages 'twixt both houses , to the planets : the clergy ( when there was a convocation house , as was said before ) to the element of fire : the commons to the solid body of the earth , and the rest of the elements . he who hath bin conversant with the chronicles of this iland , will finde it hath bin her fate , to be four times conquered ; but the scot , never till now of late . these so many conquests , must needs bring with them , many tumblings and tossings , many disturbances and changes in government ; yet i have observed , that notwithstanding these various tumblings , england retained still the form of monarchy , and something there was alwayes , that held an analogy with the great assembly of parliament . the first conquest was made by claudius caesar , at which time it may be said , that the standard of the crosse came in together with the roman eagles ; 't is well known , how the roman governed . he had his comitia , which bore a resemblance with our convention in parliament , the place of meeting was called praetorium , and the lawes which were enacted , were called plebiscita . the saxon conquest succeeded next , in which were the english , and the saxons governed by parliament , though it was under other names , as michel gemote , michel sinoth , and vvitenage mote . there are records near upon a thousand years , of these parliaments , in the raigns of king ina , osfa , ethelbert , and others . the third conquest was by the danes , and they governed also by such generall assemblies , in the raign of canutus and others . then came the norman , whose successors did revive , and ratifie the way of governing by parliament , witness magna charta , which was used to be called the foundation of the english liberty ; and it may be compared to divers outlandish graffs set upon one stock : for the choysest of the british , roman , saxon , danish , and norman lawes , being cull'd and pick'd out , and gathered as it were in one bundle , out of them the foresaid grand charter was extracted : the establishment whereof , was a work of a parliament : now by an ancient statute of edward the third , it was enacted , that all statutes are repealed , which are against magna charta , or charta de foresta . nor are the lawes of this iland only , and the immunities of the people conserved by parliament ; but all the best policed countries of europe have the like . the germans have their diets : the dane and swedes their rich-daghs . the spaniard , las cortes ; and the french , the assembly of the three estates , though it hath bin for many years discontinued . and touching england , the parliament was used to be the principal fountain , whence the soveraign prince derived his happiness and safety . it was the great conduit-pipe , which conveighed unto him the peoples bounty and love . it was the truest looking-glasse , wherein he discerned their affections and allegiance . in parliament , the soveraign prince used to appear , like the sun in the meridian , in the altitude of his glory , in his highest royal state , as the law tells us . but we will go now more particularly to work , and treat of this great national conncel , according to the first constitution , and establishment thereof . this court consisteth of the kings majesty sitting there , as in his royal politick capacity , and of the three estates of the realm , viz. of the lords spiritual arch bishops and bishops , being in number twenty four , who sit there by succession in respect of their counties , or baronies parcel of their bishopricks , which they hold also in their politick capacity ; and every one of these , when any parliament is to be holden , ought , ex debito justitiae , to have a writ of summons . the lords temporal dukes , marquesses , earls , viscounts , and barons , who sit there , by reason of their dignities , which they hold by descent or creation ; and likewise , every one of these being of full age , ought to have a writ of summons , ex debito justitiae ; for they are called parliamentary barons . the third estate is the commons of the realm , whereof there be knights of shires , or counties , citizens of cities , and burghesses of burghes . all which are respectively elected by the shires or counties , cities and burghes , by force of the kings writ , ex debito justitiae , and none of them ought to be omitted ; and these represent all the commons of the whole realm , and trusted for them , and were used to be in number , near upon . now the king and these three estates , were the great corporation or body politick of the kingdom ; but they were to sit in two houses , viz. the king and lords in one house , called the lords house , and the knights , citizens and burgesses in another house , called the house of commons . the commons are in legal understanding , taken for the franck tenants , or freeholders of the counties . and whosoever is not a lord of parliament , and of the lords house , is of the house of the commons , either in person , or by representation , partly coaugmentative , and partly representative . of this court of parliament , the soveraign prince by the law is caput principium & finis , the head , beginning , and ending . and as in the natural body , when all the sinews , being joyned in the head , do unite their forces together , for the strengthening of the body , there is ultimum potentiae ; so , in the politique body , when the king and the lords spiritual , and temporal , knights , citizens , and burgesses , are all by the kings command assembled and joyned together , under the head in consultation for the common good of the whole realm , there is ultimum sapientiae . the third year of henry the sixth , it appears in a parliament roll , that the parliament being called , as hath bin said , commune consilium , every member of the house being a counsellor , should have the three properties of the elephant ; which are first , that he hath no gall. secondly , that he be inflexible , and cannot bow . thirdly , that he is of a most ripe and perfect memory ; which properties , as there it is said , ought to be in every member of the great councel of parliament . first , to be without gall , that is , without malice , rancor , hear , and envie , in the elephant , melancholiae transit in nutrimentum corporis , every gallish inclination ( if any were ) should tend to the good of the whole body , the common-wealth . secondly , that he be constant , inflexible , and not to be bowed , or turned from the right , either for fear , reward , or favour ; nor , in judgement , respect any person . thirdly , of a ripe memory , that they remembring perils past , might prevent dangers to come , as in that roll of parliament it appeareth . the prince de advisamento consilii ( for so be the words of the writ of parliament ) resolving to have a parliament , doth out of the court of chancery , send out writs of summons , at the least forty dayes before the parliament begins : every lord of parliament , either spiritual , as arch bishops , and bishops ; or temporal , as dukes , marquisses , earls , viscounts , and barons , peers of the realm , and lords of parliament , were used to have several writs of summons . and all the judges of the realm , barons of the exchequer of the coif , the kings learned cousnel , and the civilians masters of the chancery , are called to give their assistance and attendance , in the upper house of parliament ; but they have no voices in parliament , being only ministerial ; and their writs differ from the writs to the judges ; for their writs be , quód intersitis nobiscum & cum caeteris de concilio nostro , ( & sometimes nobiscum only ) super praemissis tractaturi , vestrumque consilium impensuri ; but the writ to the barons is , quód intersitis cum praelatis , magnatibus & proceribus , super dictis negotiis tractaturi , vestrumque consilium impensuri . moreover , in every writ of summons to the bishops , there is a clause requiring them to summon these persons to appear personally at the parliament , which is in these words , premonientes decanum & capitulum ecclesiae vestrae norwicensis , ac archidiaconos totumque clerum vestrae dioces , quod iidem decani & archi diaconi in propriis personis suis , ac dictum capitulum per unum , idemque clerus per duos procuratores idoneos plenam & sufficientem potestatem ab ipsis capitulo & clero divisim habentes predict ' die & loco personaliter intersint ad consentiendum hiis quae tunc ibidem de communi concilio dicti regni nostri divina favente clementia contigerit ordinari ; and the bishop under his seal makes certificate accordingly . and these are called procuratores cleri , and many times have appeared in parliament , as spiritual assistants , to consider , consult , and consent , ut supra ; but had never voyces there , because they were no lords of parliament ; and this assembly was called the convocation-house , which the last king continuing , ( after the dissolution of the parliament ) and the bishops comming amongst them to consult , and make canons , the next parliament protested against their proceedings as irregular , and prejudicial to the priviledges of parliament . observable it is , what difference there was in the writ , whereby the spiritual lords were summoned , and that whereby the temporal lords were called . the ecclesiastical barons were required by the kings writ to be present , in fide & dilectione quibus nobis tenemini , in the faith and love you are bound to us ; but the secular lords were summoned to appear , in fide & homagio , quibus nobis tenemini . in the faith and homage you are bound unto us ; now touching the commons , their writ or summons to the sheriff runs thus . the king to the vicount , or sheriff , greeting : whereas by the advice and assent of our councel for certain arduous and urgent affaires concerning us , the state , and defence of our kingdom of england , and the anglioan church , we have ordained a certain parliament of ours , to be held at our city of the day of next ensuing , and there to have conference , and to treat with the prelates , great men and peers of our said kingdom , we command , and strictly enjoyn you , that making proclamation at our next county court , after the receipt of this our writ , to be holden the day and place aforesaid , you cause two knights girt with swords , the most fit and discreet of the county aforesaid , and of every city of that county two citizens ; of every borough two burgesses , of the discreetest and most sufficient , to be freely and indifferently chosen by them , who shall be present at such proclamation , according to the tenure of the statutes in that case made and provided ; and the names of the said knights , citizens and burgesses so chosen , to be inserted in certain indentures to be then made between you and those that shall be present at such election , whether the parties so elected be present or absent , and shall make them to come at the said day and place ; so that the said knights for themselves , and the county aforesaid , and the citizens , and the burgesses for themselves , and the commonalty of the said cities and beroughs , may have severally from them , full and sufficient power , to do , and to consent to those things , which then by the favour of god , shall happen to be ordained by the common councel of our said kingdom , concerning the businessse aforesaid , so that the business may not by any means remain undone for want of such power , or by reason of the unprovident election of the foresaid knights , burgesses and citizens ; but we will not , in any case that you , or any other sheriff of our said kingdom , shall be elected , and at the day and place aforesaid the said election being made in a full county court , you shall certifie without delay unto us , in our chancery under your seal , and the seals of them who shall be present at the election , sending back unto us , the other part of the indenture aforesaid , affil'd to these presents , ogether with the writ . witness our self at westminster . this commission or writ , is the foundation , whereon the whole fabrick of the power , and duty of both houses of parliament is grounded . the first house is to parley , or have conference , and to treat and consult with the king , the other house is to do and consent only unto what the other shall ordain . this was the law and usage in former times ; but what is the power of the commons in these dayes now that the government is altred , and cast into another mould , ( the house of peers being dissolved ) it is not the intent of this discourse to determine . at the return of the writs aforesaid , the parliament could not begin , but by the royal presence of the king , either in person , or by representation : by representation two wayes , either by a gardian of england , by letters patents under the great seal , when the king was in remotis , out of the realm ; or by commission , under the great seal , to certain lords of parliament , representing the person of the king , he being within the realm , but absent in respect of some infirmity . on the first day of the parliament , the king himself , or most commonly , the lord chancellor , or keeper , in the presence of the lords and commons , did shew the causes of the calling of his high court of parliament ; but the king might have appointed any other to be his prolocutor , in this case . then the commons are to choose their speaker ; but in regard , that after their choyce , the king might refuse him ; for avoiding of time and contestation , the use was as in the conge deslire of a bishop , that the king doth recommend a discreet and learned man , whom the commons elect ; but without their election , no speaker can be appointed for them , because he is their mouth , and intrusted by them , and so necessary , that the house of commons cannot sit without him : therefore a grievous sickness is a good cause to remove him , as in henry the th raign , john chervy speaker , was for sickness discharged , and sir john dorewoold chosen in his place ; but sickness is no cause to remove any knight , citizen , or burgesse . the speaker being voted in the house , was presented to the king , where being allowed , he made a supplication , consisting of three parts . first , that the commons in parliament might have free speech . secondly , that in any thing he should deliver in the name of the commons , if he should commit any error , no fault should be imputed to the commons . thirdly , that as often as necessity for his majesties service , and the good of the common-wealth shall require , he may by the directions of the house , have access to his royal person . any of the peers , by the kings leave , may absent himself , and make a proxy to another lord ; but a knight , citizen , or burgess , cannot make a proxy , because he is elected , and intrusted by multitudes of people . and it is to be observed , though one be chosen for one particular county or city , yet when he is returned , and sits in parliament , he serveth for the whole common-wealth . there belongs to parliament , a prorogation , or adjournment , which differ in this : a prorogation presupposeth a session , and then such bills as passed in either house , or by both houses , and had no royal assent unto them , must at the next assembly begin again ; for every session in parliament , is in law a several parliament ; but if it be but adjourned , then there is no session . when a parliament is called , and doth sit , and is dissolved without any act passed , or judgement given , it is no session of parliament , but a convetion . touching the power and jurisdiction of parliament , for making of lawes in proceeding by bill , it is so transcendent , and absolute , as it cannot be confined within any bounds . no alien is capable to be chosen a parliament-man , nor can any of the judges of the kings bench , or common pleas , or barons of the exchequer , that have judicial places , or any church-man , that hath care of souls , be chosen a member of the house of parliament : for others , the king cannot grant a charter of exemption to any man , to be freed from election of knight or burgesse of the parliament , because the elections of them , ought to be free for the publique service . of the covrt of the kings-bench , the royallest court in the land ; now called , the upper bench. the lawes of england , presuppose the king to be the fountain and oracle of justice , and to have special inspirations from heaven to that purpose ; therefore all the tribunals of judicature , were used to be ambulatory with his court , and he was wont to sit in person in the upper bench , which is the supreme tribunal of the land. the justices in this court , are the soveraign justices of oyer and terminer , goal-delivery , conservation of the peace , &c. in the realm . in this court the kings of this realm have sat , as being the highest bench , and the judges of that court on the lower bench at his feet ; but judicature only belongeth to the judges of that court , and in his presence they answer all motions , &c. the justices of this court are the soveraign coroners of the land , and therefore , where the sheriffs and coroners may receive appeals by bill à fortiori , the justices of this court may do it : so high is the authority of this court , that when it comes and sits in any county , the justices of eire , of oier and terminer , goal-delivery , they which have conusance , &c. do cease without any writing to them ; but if any indictment of treason or felony in a forain county , be removed before certain commissioners of oier and terminer , in the county where this court sits , yet they may proceed , because this court ( for that this indictment , was not removed before them ) cannot proceed for that offence ; but if any indictment be taken in midd. in the vacation , and after this court sit in the next term in the same county ( if this court be adjourned ) then may special commissioners of oier and terminer , &c. in the interim proceed upon that indictment ; but the more usual way is by special commission . and this was resolved by all the judges of england at winchester , anno º jacobi regis , in the case of sir everard digby and others , and so had it been resolved , mich. and eliz. in the case of arden and somervile , for this kind of special commission of oier and terminer ; and herewith agreeth pl. com. in the earl of leic ' case , anno mar. reginae . and so supream is the jurisdiction of this court , that if any record be removed into this court , it cannot ( being as it were in his center ) be remanded back , unlesse it be by act of parliament ; and this appeareth by the judgment of the parliament , in anno . h. . but by the authority of that act , indictments of fellonies and murders , removed into the kings bench , may by the justices of that court be remanded , and this court may send down aswell the bodies of all felons and murderers , as their indictments , into the counties where the same murders or felonies were committed or done ; &c. in such manner , &c. as if the indictments had not been brought into the kings bench. out of this court , are other courts derived , as from one fountain several springs and rivers , in respect of the multiplicity of causes , which have encreased . jurisdictio istius curiae est originalis seu ordinaria , & non delegata . the justices of this court have no commission , letters patents , or other means to hold pleas , &c. but their power is original & ordinary . they were called ancienlty justiciae , justiciarii , locum tenentes domini regis , &c. the chief justice , justicia angliae , justicia prima , justiciarius angliae capitalis , and justiciarius noster capitalis ad placita coram nobis terminand . to observe the changes of these names , and the reason and changes thereof is worthy of observation . before the reign of e. . the chief justice of this court was created by letters patents , and the form thereof , ( taking one example for all ) was in these words ; rex &c. archiepiscopis , episcopis , abbatibus , prioribus , comitibus , baronibus , vicecomitibus , forestariis , &c. & omnibus aliis fidelibus regni angliae , salutem . cum pro conservatione nostra , & tranquillitatis regni nostri , & ad justiciam universis & singulis de regno nostro exhibendam constituerimus dilectum et fidelem nostrum philippum basset justiciarium angliae , quamdiu nobis placuerit , capit alem ; vobis mandamus in fide qua nobis tenemini firmiter injungentes , quatenus in omnibus quae ad officium juscitiarii praedicti , nes non ad conservationem pacis nostrae et regni nosiri eidem dum in officio praedicto st●●●rit , pleniùs sitis intendentes . teste rege &c. the king &c. to all archbishops , bishops , abbots , priors , earls , barons , vicounts , foresters , &c. and to all other faithful to the kingdom of england , greeting . whereas for our conservation and the tranquillity of our kingdom , &c. for the exhibition of justice to all and every one of our kingdom , we have constituted our beloved and faithful philip basset chief justice of england , as long as we shall please . we command you upon the faith you hold unto us , and firmly enjoyn you to all things that belong unto the office of chief justice aforesaid , for the conservation of our peace , and of our kingdom , and that you be very intentive , as long as you stand in the said office. witnesse the king , &c. this philip basset was the last of this kind of creation by any like letters patents , and he died chief justice near to the end of the reign of h. . king e. . being a wise and prudent prince , knowing that cui plus licet quam par est , plus vult quàm licet , ( as most of these summi justiciarii did ) made three alterations , . by limitation of his authority . . by changing summus justiciarius to capitalis justie . . by a new kind of creation , viz. by writ , lest if he had continued his former manner of creation , he might have had a desire of his former authority , which three do expresly appear by the writ yet in use , &c. rex &c. e. c. militi salutem . sciatis quod constituimus vos justiciarium nostrum capitalem ad placita coram nobis tenenda , durante beneplacito nostro , teste &c. the king &c. to e. c. greeting . know ye , that we have constituted you our capital ( or chief ) justice in pleas , held before us during our pleasure . witnesse &c. a short writ , but of large extent in point of authority . the rest of the judges of the kings bench , have their offices by letters patents , in these words , rex omnibus ad quos praesentes literae pervenerint , salutem . sciatis quod constituimus dilectum et fidelem johannem doderidge , militem , unum justiciariorum ad placita coram nobis tenenda durante beneplacito nostro , teste &c. these justices of the kings bench , are styled , . capitales . . generales . . perpetui . . majores à latere regis residentes ; but the chief justice is only by the king , capitalis justiciarius noster . they are called first capitales , in respect of their supream jurisdiction . . generales , in respect of their general jurisdiction throughout all england , &c. . perpetui , for that they ought not to be removed without just cause , . majores à latere regis residentes , for their honor and safety , that they should be protected by the king in administration of justice , for that they be a latere regis , that is , by the kings fide . and whereas . e. . it was holden by all the justices in the exchequer chamber , that a man cannot be justice by writ , but by patent , or commission , it is to be understood of all the judges , saving the chief justice of this court ; but both the chief justice , and the rest of the judges may be discharged by writ under the great seal . none can be a judge of this court , unlesse he be a serjeant of the degree of the coif ; and yet in the writ or patent to them made , they are not named sergeants . there have been for a long time , and still there are great complaints for multiplicity of suits in law , and it were a wholsome and happy thing , could it be prevented : but because a disease cannot be cured without knowledge of the cause , it is to be observed , that there be six causes of the increase of them , whereof two be general , the other four particular ; the general be peace , and plenty ; the particular , . the dissolution of so many monasteries , chanteries , &c. and the dispersing of them into so many several hands . . the swarm of informers . . the number of concealors . . the multiude of atturneys . for the first general ; in the reign of e. . r. . h. . h. . and part of the reign of h. . in respect of the wars in france , &c. & in the residue of the reign of h. . & in the reign of e. . in respect of the bloody & intestine wars , & in almost continual alarms within the bowls of this kingdom , between the houses of lancaster & york , there could not be so many suits in law , as since this kingdom hath enjoyed peace , which is the first general cause . peace is the mother of plenty , ( which is the d general cause ) and plenty the nurse of suits . in particulars , by the dissolution of monasteries , chanteries , &c. and dispersing of them , &c. upon the statutes made concerning the same ( there being such a confluence of ecclesiastical possessions ) there arose many questions , and doubts , whereupon suits were greatly increased . . informers and relators raised many suits , by informations , writs , &c. in the kings courts at westminster , upon penal statutes , many whereof were obsolete , inconvenient , and not fit for those daies , and yet remained as snares upon the subject , so as the subject might justly say with tacitus , priùs vitiis laboravimus , nunc legibus . . concealers ; helluones that endeavoured to swallow up cathedral churches , and the ecclesiastical possessions of church-men , and the livings of many others of the kings subjects . lastly , the multitude of atturneys , more than is limited by law , is a great cause of encrease of suits . touching the jurisdiction of this court , which was used to be called the kings bench , it is of a larger extent of power , and more incontroulable than any other tribunal : for the law presums , that the king is there still in person . he being the lord chief justice of england himself : as king james gave a check to one who call'd lord coke , lord chief justice of england , saying , that he was but chief justice of his bench , and that it was his own office to be chief justice of england ; yet it is observable , that though the king be chief justice of england , and that he personally sit upon the bench , yet he can passe no sentence of judgement , but by the mouths and mediation of his judges , who did use to sit there at his feet when he was present . of the court of chancery , or equity and conscience . it is taken pro confesso by all antiquaries , that both the brittish , and saxon kings , had their chancellors , and court of chancery , the only court out of which original and remedial writs do issue ; as taking some few examples before the conquest . edward the confessor had reinbald his chancelor ; this edward granted many mannors , lands , &c. and franchises to the abbot of westminster , and endeth his charter thus , ad ultimum , cartamistam sigillari jussi , & ipse manu meâ propriâ signum crucis impressi , & idoneos testes annotari praecepi . and amongst those witnesses this you shall find , swardus notarius ad vicem reinbaldi regiae dignitatis chancellarii hanc cartam scripsi & subscripsi , he had also lefrick to his chancelor . king etheldred also had a worthy name , and a worthy man to his chancelor , rex etheldredus statuit atque concessit quatenus ecclesiam de elye ex tunc & semper in regis curia cancellariae ageret dignitatem , &c. this king began his reign anno domini , which albeit , it was void in law to grant the chancelorship of england in succession ; yet it proveth then there was a court of chancery . king edgar had adulph ; king edred had thurkettle , king edmond the same , king athelstane wolsine , their chancelors &c. in the chancery are two courts , one ordinary , coram domino rege in cancellaria , wherein the lord chancelor , or lord keeper of the great seal proceeds , according to the right line of the laws and statutes of the realm , secundum legem & consuetudinem angliae ; another extraordinary according to the rule of equity , secundum aequum & bonum ; and first of the former court. he hath power to hold plea of scire fac ' for repeal of the kings letters patents , of petitions , monstrans de droite , traverses of office , partitions in chancery , of scire fac ' upon recognizances in this court , writs of audita querela , and scire fac ' , in the nature of an audita querela , to avoid executions in this court , dowments in chancery , the writ de dote assignanda , upon offices found , executions upon the statute staple , or recognizance in nature of a statute staple , upon the act of . h. . but the execution upon a statute merchant is retornable , either into the kings bench , or into the common place , and all personall actions by or against any officer or minister of this court in respect of their service or attendance there ; in these if the parties descend to issue , this court cannot try it by jury , but the lord chancelor or the lord keeper , delivereth the record by his proper hands into the kings bench to be tried there , because for that purpose both courts are accounted but one ; and after trial had to be remanded into the chancery , and there judgment to be given . but if there be a demurrer in law , it shall be argued and adjuged in this court. nota , the legal proceedings of this court , be not inrolled in rolls , but remain in filaciis , being filed up in the office of the pety-bag : upon a judgement given in this court , a writ of error doth lye retornable into the kings bench. the style of the court of the kings bench is coram rege , ( as hath been said ) and the style of this court of chancery is coram domino rege in cancellaria , and additio probat minoritatem ; and in this court , the lord chancelor or the lord keeper is the sole judge , and in the kings bench there are four judges at the least . this court is officina justiciae , out of which all original writs , and all commissions which passe under the great seal go forth ; which great seal is clavis regni , and for those ends this court is ever open . and this court is the rather alwaies open , for that if a man be wrongfully imprisoned in the vacation , the lord chancellor may grant a habeas corpus , and do him justice according to law , where neither the kings bench nor common pleas , can grant that writ , but in the term time ; but this court may grant it either in term time or vacation : so likewise this court may grant prohibitions at any time , either in term or vacation : which writs of prohibition are not retornable , but if they be not obeyed , then may this court grant an attachment , upon the prohibition retornable , either in the kings bench or common place . the officers and ministers of this court of common law do principally attend , and do their service to the great seal , as the twelve masters of the chancery , whereof the master of the rolls is the chief , who by their original institution , as it is proved before , should be expert in the common law , to see the forming and framing of original writs , according to law , which are not of course ; whereupon such are called in our ancient authors , brevia magistralia ; then you have the clerk of the crown , the clerk of the hamper , the sealer , the chafe wax , the controuler of the chancery , twenty four cursitors for making writs of course , or form'd writs according to the register of the chancery ; the clerk of the presentations , the clerk of the faculties , the clerk examiner of the patents , the clerks of the petty-bag , and the six attorneys . having spoken somewhat of this court 's ordinary jurisdiction , something shall be said of the extraordinary proceedings thereof , according to the rule of equity , secundum aequum et bonum , or according to the dictates of conscience ; for the lord chancelor , or keeper of the great seal of england , may be said to be keeper of the kings conscience , for mitigation of the rigour of the common law. yet this court of equity proceeding by english bill , is no court of record ; therefore it can bind but the person only , and neither the state of the defendants lands , nor property of his goods , and chattles ; therefore if the lord chancelor impose any fine , it is void in law , he having no power but on the person only . yet the lord chancelor or keeper , is sole judge both in this court of equity , and in the court concerning the common law ; but in cases of weight or difficulty , he doth assist himself with some of the judges : and no greater exception can be taken hereunto , than in case of the lord steward of england , being sole judge in tryal of the nobility , who also is assisted with some of the judges . touching this court of equity , the ancient rule is , that three things are to be considered in a court of conscience ; covin , accident , and breach of confidence ; all covins , collusions , frauds , and deceits , for which ther 's no remedy by the ordinary course of law. accident , as when the servant of an obligo● or morgageor , is sent to pay the money on the day , and he is robb'd &c. then remedy is to be had in this court against the forseiture ; the third is breach of trust and confidence , whereof there are plentiful examples . the ancient custome was when one was made lord chancellor , for the king to hang the great seal about his neck . cardinal woolsey had the chancelorship by letters pattents during life ; but it was held void because an ancien office must be granted as it was accustomed . henry the fifth had two great seals , one of gold , which he delivered the bishop of durham ; and another oft silver , which he delivered the bishop of london . the chancellors oath consists of six parts . . that well and truly he shall serve the king our soveraign lord , and his people in the office of chancellor , or lord keeper . . that he shall do right to all manner of people poor and rich , after the laws and usages of the realm . . that he shall truly counsel the king , and his counsel , he shall layne ( or conceal ) and keep . . that he shall not know , nor suffer the hurt or disheriting of the king , or that the rights of the crown be decreased , by any means as far as he may let it . . and in case he cannot let it , he shall make it clearly and expresly to be known to the king , with his true advice and counsel . . he shall do and purchase the kings profit in all that he reasonably may . there be in this court many officers , whereof mention is made before , the principal whereof is the master of the rolls , which is an ancient office , and grantable either for life or at will , according to the prince his pleasure . edward the third by letters patents , annex'd the house of the converted jew : in chancery lane to this office , for keeping of the records of the chancery , viz. charters , letters patents , commissions , deeds , recognizances , which before the reign of henry the seventh , were used to be transmitted to the tower of london , the master of the rolls used to have jure officii , the gift of the offices of the six clerks in the chancery ; and in the absence of the lord chancellor , he heareth causes , and giveth orders . of the covrt of common-pleas in westminster-hall . in times pass'd , the courts and benches , or banks of justices ( as was touched before ) followed the kings person wheresoever he wert , as well since the conquest as before : which thing being found chargeable and cumbersome ; the ninth of henry the third , it was resolved , that there should be a standing place appointed , where matters should be heard and determined ; and the court of the common pleas was the first that was fix'd , wherein tenures of lands , and civil actions used to be pleaded ; and it is one of the statutes of magna charta , quod communia placita non sequantur curiam nostram sed teneantur loco certo , that the common pleas follow not our court , but be kept in a certain place . now , pleas are distinguished into pleas of the crown , as treason and felony , with misprision of treason and felony , ( which belong to the upper bench ) and to common or civil pleas , whereof this court takes cognizance : this court therefore is call'd , the lock and key of the common law of england , and the judges there sitting had need to be more knowing , and learned than any other ; for here all reall actions whereupon fines and recoveries , the common assurances of the land do passe , and all other reall actions by original writs , are to be determined , as also of all common pleas mixt or personal , in divers of which the kings bench , & this court have a concurrent authority ; but regularly this court cannot hold common plea in any action , real , mix'd or personal , but by writ out of the chancery and returnable to this court ; yet this court in some cases may hold plea by bill without any writ in the chancery : as for , or against any officer , minister , or priviledged person of this court. this court also , without any writ may upon a suggestion grant prohibitions , to keep temporal as well as ecclesiastical courts , within their bounds and jurisdictions , without any original , or plea depending ; for the common law , which in those cases is a prohibition of it self , stands instead of an original . the chief justice of this court , is created by letters patents during the pleasure of the prince , and so are the rest of his associats , but none is capable to be constituted a judge here , unlesse he be a sargeant at law of the degree of the coif . the jurisdiction of this court is general & extendeth throughout england . the officers of this court are many , viz. custos brevium , three protonotaries , clerk of the warrants , clerk of the kings silver , four exigenters , fourteen filazers , clerk of the juries , clerk of the essoins , clerk of the outlaries which belongeth to the attorney general , who doth exercise it by deputy . in former times great abuses have been by attorneys of this court , by suing out a judicial processe with any original , which when detected have been severely punished . of the covrt of the exchequer . the authority of this court is of original jurisdiction , without any commission . in the chief place of account for the revenues of the crown ; the hearers of the accounts have auditors under them , and they who are the chief for the accounts of the prince , are called barons of the exchequer , whereof one is called lord chief baron . the greatest officer of all is the lord treasurer . in this court are heard , those that are delators or informers in popular or penal actions , having thereby part of the profit assign'd unto them by the law. in this court , if any question be , 't is determined by the common law of england , by twelve men , and all subsidies , taxes , and customes by account ; for in this office the sheriffs of the counties do attend upon the execution of the commandements of the judges . if any fines or amercements be extracted out of any court or any arrearages of accounts of such things as is of customes , taxes , & subsidies , and other such like occasions , the same the sheriff of the county doth gather , and is answerable therefore to the exchequer . this court is divided into two parts , viz. judicial accounts called , scaccarum computorum , and into the receit of the exchequer , the prime officer of this court , as was mentioned before , is the lord high treasurer of england , who receives a white staff from the king ; but in former time he had this office by delivery of a golden key . then there is cancellarius scaccarii the chancelor of the exchequer , who keepeth the seal : then you have the chief baron , and his associates , whereof one , though he sits there , yet he hath no voice ; therefore he was used to be call'd by way of drollery , baron tell-clock , yet he takes the same oath that others do , he hath a fee of marks per annum , at daies of prefixions , he hath to do with the sheriffs accounts , he can take recognizances ; but he hath not the robes , nor any suffrage upon the bench in point of judicature ; and that nickname baron tellclock came up first in baron southertons time , who when he felt the chimes ring in his stomach towards dinner , he was us'd to tell chief baron tanfield , my lord'tis twelve a clock . then have you sundry other inferiour officers , more then in any other court , except the kings house . this court i● called exchequer from a french word vne place quarrée a four-square place , because the carpet that lay before the judges , is in the form of a chess-board , and of two colours : thence the name of exchequer was derived . now , it is to be observ'd , that albeit the barons are the sole judges of the exchequer court , yet the lord treasurer is joyn'd with them , in keeping of the records . the lord treasurer hath also granted him by patent under the great seal , thesaurarium scaccarii regis angliae , which of ancient time , as the lord coke hath it , was a distinct office by it self . then is there the pipe office , whereof the chancelor of the exchequer is contrarotulator or cont●ouler . the original institution of the pipe office was taken from a conduit of water , which was conveyed by pipes into a cestern which lay in a court : or as water is derived from many fountains springs , by aquaeducts into a cestern house , and from thence into several offices of the same : so this golden and silver stream is drawn from sundry courts as fountains of justice , and other springs of revenue reduc'd and collected into one pipe , and thereby conveyed into the grand cestern of the princes receit , &c. therefore , all accounts and debts to the crown , are delivered and collected out of the offices of the kings remembrancer , and treasurers remembrancer , and so drawn , and put in charge in the pipe. there be five auditors of the revenue royal within the survey of this court , and their office is , to take accounts of the kings receivers , sheriffs , escheators , collectors , and customers , and to audite and perfect the account ; but an auditor cannot allow any licence or grant , in regard he knoweth not whether it be good this belongs to the barons ; neither can the auditor put any thing in charge , his office being only to take and audite accounts . there is the auditor of the prests , whose office it is to take the accounts of the mint , ireland , and barwick , and of all other imprested or moneys advanc'd before hand . then is there the auditor of the receits , which is an office very considerable , and consisting of many parts ; for first , he is a kind of filazer ; for he fileth the tellers bills , and entreth them . secondly , he is a remembrancer , for he gives the lord treasurer a certificate of the money received the week before . then he is an auditor , for he makes debenturs to every teller , before they pay any money , and takes and audites their accounts . besides all this , he keepeth the black book of receits , and the lord treasurers key of the treasury , and seeth every tellers money lock'd up in the new treasury . of those tellers there are four , and their office consists in four duties . first , to receive money due to the soveraign prince . secondly , to pay all persons moneys by warrant of the auditor of the receit . thirdly , to make yearly and weekly books of their receits and payments , which they deliver to the lord treasurer . and lastly , to give the clerk of the pell a bill of what moneys they receive , whereby he may be charged . now , touching clericus pellis , the clerk of the pell ; his duty is , to enter every tellers bill into a roll call'd pellis receptorum ; his office also is , to enter into another roll payments , call'd pellis exitus , signifying by what warrant the payment was made . concerning the kings remembrancer in the exchequer his office , consists in eight duties ; first , to write process against collectors of customs , subsidies , and fifteens . . he entreth in his office all recognizances before the barons , and taketh bond for any of the kings debrs , for observing of order , for appearances , and his duty is to make out process upon every of them . . he maketh process upon informations upon penal statutes , all which informations are entred into his office. he maketh bills of composition upon informations upon penal statutes . . he taketh the statement of debts , and entreth them . . the clerk of the star-chamber , was us'd to certifie into his office what fines were there set , whereof he maketh a record , and draweth them down in the pipe. . in this office ought to be kept all assurances , conveyances and evidences whereby any lands , tenements , hereditaments , or other things are granted to the soveraign prince . . there is a court of equity holden in the exchequer chamber by english bill , whereof all the proceedings and bills are entred into this office. the lord treasurers remembrancer , is also an office of trust , and consequence , which consisteth of seven duties . first , to preserve the royal tenures , and to make out process for the revenues thereof . . he maketh process of fierifacias , to extend for debts due to the prince , either in the pipe or with the auditors . . he awards process against all sheriffs , escheators , receivers , and bayliffs , to bring them to account . . he is to make an entry of record , whereby it appears whether sheriffs , and other accountants pay their proffers due at easter and michaelmas . . he makes another entry of record to the end that it may be known , whether sheriffs and other accounts keep their day of prefixion . . the green wax is certified into this office , and by him delivered to the clerk of the estreats . . there ought to be brought into this office , all the accounts of customers , controulers , and all other , to make an entry of record in this office , to avoid delay and concealments . the oath of the barons of the exchequer , consists of ten parts . first , that he shall well , and truly serve in the office of baron . . that , truly he shall charge , and discharge all manner of people , as well poor as rich . . that for higness , nor for riches , nor for hatred , nor for any deed , gift , or promise of any person , which is made unto him , nor by craft engine , he shall let the kings right . . he shall not let , disturbe , or respite contrary to the lawes of the land the right of any other person . . he shall not put in respite the kings debts , where goodly they may be levied . . that he shall speed the kings need before others . . that neither for gift , wages , nor good deed , he shall layn , disturb , nor let the profit or reasonable advantage of the king , in the advantage of any other person , nor of himself . . that nothing he shall take of any person to do wrong or right , to delay , or deliver , or to delay the people that have to do before him , that as hastily as he may them goodly , to deliver without hurt of the king , &c. . where he may know any wrong or prejudice to be done to the king , he shall put and do all his power and diligence that to redresse . . the kings counsel he shall keep and layne in all things . in the exchequer chamber , all cases of difficulty , either in the kings bench , or the common pleas , were used to be debated , argued , and resolved by all the judges of england , and the exchequer barons . the treasurer of the kings chamber , and the keeper of the privy purse , with such domestick offices of the kings house , are not subject to this court of exchequer . this court was first erected for the particular profit and service of the soveraign prince ; and this profit is mediat or immediat ; immediat , as of lands , rents , franchises , hereditaments , debts , duties , accounts , goods , chattels , and other profits , and benefits whatsoever due unto the soveraign prince . mediate , as the priviledge of the officers , and ministers of the court ; for two things do principally support the jurisdiction of a court ( as my lord coke hath it ) first the preservation of the dignity thereof , and then the due attendance of the officers and ministers of the same . the chief baron is created by letters patents , and the office is granted , quamdiu se bene gesserit , wherein he hath a more fixed estate , it being an estate of life , than the justices of other benches have , who are durante beneplacoto ; and in like manner are the rest of the barons , constituted with the patents of the attorney general and solicitor . there is a court called the court of equity in the exchequer chamber . the judges of this court are the lord treasurer , the chancelor of the exchequer , and the barons ; their jurisdiction is as large for matter of equity , as the barons of the exchequer have for the benefit of the king by the common law , but if in either court they hold any plea that doth not concern the profit of the king , there lieth a prohibition . to conclude , there are seven courts that belong to the exchequer . . the court of pleas or of the barons . . the court of accounts . . the court of receits . . the court of the exchequer chamber , being the assembly of all the judges of england for matters in law. . the court of exchequer for errors in the court of exchequer . . a court in the exchequer chamber for errors in the kings bench. . the court of equity , spoken of a little before . but touching all the officers , either coordinate or inferior , that belong to the exchequer , and the revenues customes , & perquisits of the soveraign prince , they are very many , & far more in number than in any other court as was touched before ; yet nothing so numerous as those financiers , and swarm of other officers which belong to the revenues of france , which are so many that their fees being payed there comes not a quardecu in every crown clearly to the kings coffers , which is but the fourth part : but there is one publick advantage in it , that thousands of younger brothers , and others , have a hansome subsistance , to carry themselves hereby in the garbe and equipage of men . of the court of admiralty . having thus made some inspections into so many courts , we must not pretermit the court of admiralty ; for great britain being an island which makes the sea , and woodden castles , to be her chiefest conservators : the court of admiralty may be said to be more pertinent and necessary to her , then to divers other states : therefore the lord high admiral is by the law of england , one of the four officers of the crown , with the lord chancelor , the lord treasurer , and lord privy seal . some hold the etymology of admirall , to come from the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifieth salsugomaris , the saltness of the sea ; others derive it from ammir , an arabian word , which signifieth a king , or emperor ; and some would have it to come from the low dutch , aen-meer-all , which signifie , on the sea all , the reader , according as his own judgement leads him , may adhere to which he please ; for i know of none that have positively asserted , which is the truest . but to know the nature and jurisdiction of this court , it will conduce very much , if we insert here certain grievances which the lord admiral presented in the th year of k. james , concerning prohibitions , granted by the judges of the courts of westminster , against the jurisdiction and prerogatives of this court , with the answer which the judges returned to every point . . the first objection was , that whereas the cognizance of all contracts , and other things done upon the sea , belongeth to the admirals jurisdiction , the same are made tryable at the common law , as if they had bin done in cheapside and such places . the judges of westminster-hall answered , that by the lawes of the realm , the court of the admiral hath no cognizance , power , or jurisdiction of any manner of contract , plea , or querele , within any county of the realm , either upon the land or the water ; but every contract , plea , or querele , and all other things arising in any county of the realm , either upon the land , or the water ; and also wrecks of the sea , ought to be tryed , discussed , determined , and remedied by the common lawes of the land , and not before , or by , the admiral or his lieutenant , in any manner ; so that it is not material , whether the place be upon the water , intra fluxum & refluxum aqua , or whether it be upon any other water within the precincts of a county . but the said judges acknowledged , that of contracts , pleas , and quereles , made upon the sea , or any part thereof , which is not within any county , from whence no tryal can be had by twelve men , the admiral hath , and ought to have jurisdiction . and no president can be shewed , that any prohibition hath bin granted for any plea , contract , or querele , concerning any marine cause , made or done upon the sea , taking that only to be the sea , wherein the admiral hath his jurisdiction , which is before described by law to be out of any county . . the second objection was , that when actions are brought to the admiralty , upon bargains and contracts , made beyond the seas , wherein the common law cannot administer justice ; yet in these cases , prohibitions are awarded , in prejudice of the court of admiralty . the judges answer , that bargains and contracts made beyond the sea , wherein the common law cannot administer justice , do belong to the constable and marshal ; for the jurisdiction of the admiralty , is wholly confined to the sea , which is out of any county ; but if any indenture , bond , or other specialty , or any contract , be made beyond the seas , for doing of any act , or payment of any money , within this realm , or otherwise , wherein the common law can administer justice , and give ordinary redress : in these cases , neither the constable nor marshal , nor the court of admiralty , hath any jurisdiction : therefore when that court hath proceeding , in derogation of the common law , prohibitions have bin issued out , as by the law they ought . . the third objection was , that whereas time out of minde , the court of admiralty hath taken stipulations for appearance , and performance of the acts and judgements of the same court , it is now affirmed , by the judges of the common law , that the admirals court , is no court of record , and therefore not able to take such stipulations : hereupon , prohibitions are granted , to the utter overthrow of that jurisdiction . the judges answered , that the court of the admiralty , proceeding by the course of the civil law , is no court of record , and therefore cannot take any such a recognizance as a court of record may . and for taking recognizanses against the law of the realm , we finde , that prohibitions have bin granted . and if an erroneous sentence be given in that court , no writ of error , but an appeal before certain delegates do lye , which proves , 't is no court of record . . the fourth objection was , that charter parties , made only to be performed upon the seas , are daily withdrawn from that court by prohibitions . the judges answered , that if the charter party be made within any city , port-town , or county of this realm , although it be to be performed , either upon the seas , or beyond the seas , yet it is to be tryed and determined by the ordinary course of the common law , and not in the court of the admiralty , and therefore , when that court hath encroached upon the common law , in that case , the iudge of the admiralty , and party there suing , have bin prohibited , and oftentimes the party condemned , in great and grievous dammages , by the lawes of the realm . . the fifth objection was , that not withstanding the clause of nou obstante statuto , which hath foundation in his majesties prerogative , and is current in all other grants ; yet in the lord admirals patent , 't is said to be of no force , to warrant the determination of the causes , committed to him in his lordships patent , and so rejected by the iudges of the common law. the common lawyers answer , that without all question , the sundry statutes which declare the jurisdiction of the court of admiralty , and wherein all the subjects of the realm have interest , cannot be dispensed with , by any non obstante statuto ; and therefore not worthy of any answer ; but by colour thereof the court of admiralty hath , contrary to those acts of parliament , encroached upon the jurisdiction of the common law , to the intolerable grievance of subjects , which hath oftentimes urged them to complain , in his majesties ordinary courts of justice in westminster-hall , for their relief in that behalf . . the sixth objection was , that to the end that the admirals jurisdiction , might receive all manner of empeachment , and interruption , the rivers beneath the first bridges where it ebbeth and floweth , and all the creeks and ports are by the iudges of the common law , affirmed to be no part of the sea , nor within the admirals jurisdiction , and thereupon , prohibitions are ordinarily awarded upon actions depending in that court for contracts , and other things done in those places , notwithstanding , that by use and practise , time out of minde , the admirals court hath had jurisdiction , within such ports , creeks , and rivers . the judges answer was like to their first , and 't was further added , that for the death of a man , or mayhm in those two cases , only done in great ships , being and hovering in the main stream only , beneath the point of some rivers nigh unto the sea , and no other place of the same rivers , nor in other causes , but only in those two , the admiral hath cognizance . but for all contracts , pleas , and quereles , made or done upon a river , haven , or creek within any county of this realm , the admiral without question hath no jurisdiction ; for then he should hold plea of things , done within the body of the county , which are tryable by verdict of twelve men , and meerly determinable by the common law , and not within the court of the admiralty , according to the civil law ; for that were to change and alter the lawes of the realm in like cases , and make those contracts , pleas , and quereles , tryable by the common law of the realm , to be drawn off ad aliud examen , and to be sentenced by the iudges of the admiralty , according to the civil law. . the seventh objection was , that the agreement made anno . between the judges of the kings bench , and the court of the admiralty , for the more quiet and certain execution of admiral iurisdiction , is not observed as it ought to be . the iudges answered , that the supposed agreement , mentioned in the article , hath not as yet bin delivered them ; but having heard the same read before his majesty ; they answer'd , that for so much thereof , as differeth from these answers , it is against the lawes , and statutes of this realm : therefore the iudges of the kings bench , never assented thereunto , as was pretended . . the eighth objection was , that many other grievances there were , which in discussing of these former , would easily appear worthy of reformation . to this the judges answered , that this article was so general , as no particular answer can be made thereunto , only it appeareth , by that which hath bin said , that the lord admiral his officers and ministers principally by colour of that non obstante , and for want of learned advice , have injustly encroached upon the common lawes of this realm ; for which the marvel is the lesse , because that the lord admiral his lieutenants , officers , and ministers , have without all colour , intruded upon the right and prerogative due to the crown , in that they have seized and converted to their own use , goods and chattels , of infinite value taken at sea ; and other goods and chattels , which in no sort , appertain unto his lordship , by his letters patents , wherein the said non obstante is contained ; and for which , he and his officers , remain accountable to his majesty ; and they now wanting , in this time of peace , causes appertaining to their natural jurisdiction , do now encroach upon the jurisdiction of the common law , lest they should sit idle , and reap no profit . they added further , that touching their proceedings in granting of prohibitions concerning any of the said articles , two things were to be considered of , first the matter , then the manner ; touching the matter , nothing hath bin done therein , by the court of westminster , but by good warrant of law , and former judicial precedents ; and for the manner , they granted none in the vacation time , nor in their terme time , in any of their chambers , nor in the court in the terme-time , ex officio , but upon motion made in open court , by learned councel ; and after a day prefixed , and warning given to the adverse party , &c. hereupon they proceeded , to prove and confirm their answers , by three kind of authorities in law. first , by authority of high court of parliament . secondly , by judgement , and judicial precedents . thirdly , by book-cases . concerning the acts of parliament , they urged the statute of richard the second , viz. that the admiralls and their deputies , shall not meddle from henceforth , with any thing done within the realm of england , but only with things done upon the sea , according to that which hath been duly used in the time of the noble king edward , grandfather to richard the second . concerning the second proof by judgements , and judicial precedents , and the third by book-cases , they alledged divers cases , which are to be seen in that great light , and laborious champion of the common law of england , the lord coke , in the third part of his institutes ; but , the result of all which the iudges of the common law driv ' at , was , that the court of admiralty , was to take no cognizance , nor had power to determine any thing that had happened , and should give occasion of plea , upon any waters , either fresh or salt , that were within the precincts of any county ; but it was tryable by the common law of england , and by the empanelment , and verdict of twelve men , which is not the way of tryal of the civil law , by which the admiralty is directed . by this notable clash , and contestation 'twixt the iudges of westminster-hall and the lord admiral , the reader may learn what the extent of the authority of that court is , and that the jurisdiction of the admiral is confined to the high sea. in times past , there were distinct admirals , in point of power , as we read in richard the seconds raign , the earl of northumberland was admiral of the north ; and the earl of devonshire , admiral of the west : who were to receive the subsidy of poundage and tonnage , for the garding of the seas . among other prerogatives , which belonged to the lord admiral of england , one was to erect beacons upon the maritim coasts ; which word , is derived from the old saxon , or dutch becnam , which signifieth , to give a signe , as we use the word , to becken at to this day . before the reign of edward the d , there were but stakes of wood , set upon high places , which were fired , upon the discovery of any enemies ; but in his time , pitched barrels were set up ; and by the law of the land , whosoever fired a beacon , commits felony , unless there were authority and just cause for it . in other countries they are called phares , which are no other then speculatory , or maritime monitory fires , which serve for two ends , as well to direct sea faring men , as to fore-warn the approach of an enemy ; which with such wonderful celerity , give the whole land an alarum , and so puts them in a posture of defence . but there are three main matters , whereof the lord admiral is to take cognizance , which are flotsan , jetsan , and lagan : whereof the first is , when a ship is sunk and perished , and the goods floating upon the waters : the second is jetsan , when in stresse of weather , or other occasions , the goods are thrown over-board . the third is , when goods are tyed to a cork , or cable , and may be found again ; but the court of admiralty , hath not to do with wrecks ; for then the goods are deposited in the custody of the officers of the next town , where , if the proprietor come within a twelve moneth and a day , he may claim them by law. henry the sixth did constitute by charter , john holland , duke of exceter , and henry his son , to be admirallos angliae : but the iudges of the common law , held that charter to be invalid ; and the reason they alledged , was , that that charter being of a judicial office , it could not be granted to two . when the former contestation happened 'twixt the court of admiralty and westminster-hall , they were choyse powerful men at that time , who swayed as grandees of the common law , as sir edward coke , the lord bacon , iudge doddridge , and hubbard , which made them carry the bucklers from the civilians , at that time ; but there were some learned treatises published afterward , to vindicate the right of the civil law ; which , without controversie , hath more in it of natural equity , and reaches of pure reason , then any other : it is the product of that mighty monarchy of the romans , who though they conquered by the lance , yet they conserved by their lawes , so many vast distant territories , and nations , which they had subdued , leading so many people captive by their policy , as much as by their prowesse ; and indeed , the civil law is fitted for the general affaires of mankind , and for all nations ; for though every particular state hath some few municipal lawes peculiar to it self : yet no where beyond the seas is there any profession or science of law but of the civil ; nor are there any other studied in universities . only in england there are inns of court , which are equivalent to an academy , where lex terrae , or the common municipal law of the land is studied , and graduates proceed , and are made therein accordingly , which is no where else ; but the civil law extends to all man-kind . and , if regard be had to the university of humane reason , it is no where so narrowly discussed , and eventilated , and the judgement rectified by clear notions : moreover , there is nothing , of what nature soever it be but the civil law hath ordained a means to bring it to a tryal , either by giving a speciall action in the case , or a general one releeving by ordinary remedies ; or if those fail , by such as are extraordinary , helping the clyent , jure actionis , or officio judicis . yet there was one notable example of one business , that not only caused a clash 'twixt the civilian , and common lawyer , but puzzel'd them both , so that neither could try it . it was , that one peacock , struck lacy in alto mari , and the ship landing at scarborough , lacy dyed a little after , of the stroke that was given at sea : there was a great contestation , whether the court of admiralty , or the common lawyer , should try peacock ; but it was found , that the cognisance hereof belonged to neither , so the party escaped without condemnation . but now we will resume the thred of our survay of westminster , and add to that which hath bin already spoken of the great hall , which as it hath bin , and continueth still the usual place of pleadings , and ministration of justice ; so it was in former times , the principal seat , and palace of the kings of england , since the conquest ; for here the feasts of coronation , and other solemn feasts , as that of christmas were kept : it is recorded , that at the day of circumcision , henry the third commanded his treasurer , william de haverhull , to cause . poor people to be fed at westminster-hall , upon the kings account ; richard earl of cornwall , the kings brother , anno . being married to cincia , daughter to the countesse of provence , kept his bridall feast at westminster-hall , where , the story saith , there were three thousand dishes of meat , served in at dinner . rich. the second having repaired the great hall which had bin burnt by a pittiful fire , kept his christmas there , in a most sumptuous manner , with justings , and running at tilt , where there was such a huge confluence of people , that for divers dayes , there were spent . fat oxen , and sheep . the king himself wore a gown of cloth of gold , garnished with precious stones , which was valued at marks , a mighty sum in those dayes . henry the th keeping his christmas at westminster-hall , invited ralph austry , lord mayor of london , with all the aldermen , to a feast on twelf day , the king , the queen , and some ambassadors , sate at the marble table , . knights and enquires , served in the kings meat , which consisted of . dishes , and the queen as many . the mayor was served with . where after sundry sort of disports , he supped also , and it was break of day , before he , and the aldermen returned by barges to london . parliaments also were used to be kept frequently at westminster-hall , and one was kept in richard the seconds time , which proved fatal unto him ; for he was deposed there , notwithstanding , that he had bin the greatest repairer of that hall , when it had bin destroyed by fire . for it hath bin the hard destiny of this great hall , to suffer many times the fury of fire ; but the last that happened , was in the beginning of henry the eighths raign , anno . at which time , a great part of the palace was consumed which was never re-edified since ; so that the kings courts , have bin from that time , sometimes at baynards castle , then at bridewell , and since at white-hall , called before , york place , as hath bin said before . in this great palace at westminster , there was st. stephens chappel , which was built by king stephen himself ; it was repaired and enlarged by edward the third , and . persons were appointed there to serve god , viz. a dean , . secular canons , . vicars , . clarks , . chorists , a verger , and a keeper of the chappel , who had endowments , and houses built them near the thames : there were also , lodgings assigned them , 'twixt the clock-house , and the wooll-staple , called the weigh-house : he also built for their use , a strong clochard , in the little sanctuary , covered with lead , where there were three great bells , which usually rung at coronations , and funeralls of princes , which gave such a huge sound , that 't was commonly said , they sowred all the drink in the town ; but now there 's scarce any marks left of that clochard . this chappel of st. stephens , at the suppression in henry the eights time , was valued to dispend one thousand eighty five pounds ; and in edward the sixths time it was made to serve as a parliament for the house of commons , who formerly were used to sit in the chapter-house of the abbot of westminster . before the great hall , there is a large court , called now the new palace , where there is a strong tower of stone , containing a clock , which striketh on a great bell every houre , to give notice to the judges , how the time passeth ; when the wind is south south-west , it may be heard into any part of london , and commonly , it presageth wet weather : the dean of st. stephens , was used to have the keeping of this clock , having six pence every day out of the exchequer , for keeping the kings clock , or great tom of westminster . we must now make a step southward , before we leave westminster , and perform some further devotions to the old abbey , the prime sanctuary of the land ; whereunto belongs another very ancient priviledged place , and sanctuary of st. martin le grand , hard by aldorsgate in london , whereas formerly was said , there was of old a fair and large colledge of a dean , and secular canons or priests , founded by ingelricus . and confirmed a little after by william the conqueror , as appeareth by that ample charter he gave thereunto , which in regard of the ancient saxon termes then used , i thought worthy the inserting here , and it runs thus . willimus conquester per chartam suam corroborat , & confirmat deo & ecclesiae beati martini intra muros london sitae , quod sit quieta ab emni exactione , & inquietudine episcoporum , archidiaconorum ; &c. et possessiones suas ab omni regali juris dictione liberari , & ab exercitus expeditione , pont is restauratione , munit : one , & castelli auxilio quiet as habent , secuam , & toll , & team , & infangthefe , blodwite , mundbrice , burghbrice , meskenning , seawing , alcesting frithsorn , flcamina , finnithe , welgerthofe , uthleap , forfeng , fyhfeng , firdwite , firthwit , weardite , hengwite , hamsokne , forsteal , & si quas alias libertates , & consuetudines aliqua ecclesiarum regni mei anglie meliores habeat : si quis vero hoc in aliud quam concessimus transferre presumserit cum juda proditore dei luat poenas ; dat. anno dom. . annoque regni mei secundo , die natalis domini . et post modum in d●e pentecostes confirmo quando matilda conjux mea in basilica sanctil petri westmonasterii in reginam divino nutu est consecrata . this priviledge of sanctuary , was confirmed , and strictly enjoyned by divers succeeding kings , under the same curse that the infringers thereof should be eternally damned , and suffer the like torments , as judas the betrayer of god , &c. touching the hard saxons word of this charter , the reader is referred to those worthy persons , who made additionals to mr. stow , where he shall find them explain'd ; for many ages , this saint martin le grand continued by it self a place of as great priviledges , as westminster , or beverlay , which were counted the chiefest in the whole land ; but henry the th annexed it at last , to the monastery of st. peter of westminster , which claims title ever since , to the free chappel , the priviledges , and sanctuary thereof , and hath enjoyed it , without controlement or question . and now before we bid a farewel to westminster , we will acquiant the reader in brief , with the modern civil government thereof ; now as london is divided into . wards , so westminster is partition'd to . for the which , the dean of the collegiat church , was wont with the high steward , to elect . burgesses , and as many assistants , viz. one burgesse , and one assistant , for every ward : out of which twelve , two are nominated yearly , upon thursday in easter week , for chief burgesses to continue for one entire year , who have authority to hear , examine , determine , and punish according to the lawes of the realm , and customs of the city , matters of incontinency , common scolds , inmates , with publique annoyances ; and likewise to commit such persons , as shall offend against the peace , giving notice thereof within . houres , to some justice of the peace , in the county of middlesex ; and this mode of government , westminster hath by vertue of an act of parliament , in the twenty seventh of queen elizabeth . a parallel , by way of corollary , betwixt london , and other great cities of the world. having hitherto rambled up and down the streets of london , and pryed into every corner thereof ; having endeavoured to fetch her from her very cradle , ( which may not be improperly said ; for we found her at first a grove of wood ) and so attended her all along , to that marvellous degree of perfection , she is now arrived unto , by insensible coalitions of people , improvement of trade , and encrease of structures : we will now , for the better illustration of things , and further enlightning of the reader , make a comparison or parallel twixt her , and other great cities of the world , which are accounted cities of the first magnitude ; for as the starres in heaven are distinguished by degrees of magnitude , so are cities on the earth : or , to descend lower , as there are ships of the first , second , and third rate ; so there are cities , now among those various wayes , which tend to convey knowledge to the understanding , & rectifie ones judgement , examples , comparisons , and parallels conduce much thereunto ; and plutarch was the first that prescrib'd this way , who , as t' was said of him , by giving life to so many noble greeks and romans , after their deaths , gave himself the longest life ; so it may be said , that by his parallels , he made himself parallel'd . the terrestial globe , which the great god of nature was pleased to entail upon man-kind for his mansion , and to hold it ( for himself and his heirs ) in capite , from him ; i say this masse of earth is compared by some , to a camels back , in regard of the bunchy unevenness of it ; by others , to a libbards skin , in regard of the sundry heterogeneous parts , and variety of habitations : by others , to a great piece of embrodery , enchas'd up and down , whereof the most bossie , and richest compacted parts are towns and cities , where people are linked in a nearer bond of love , and lead a more civil course of life ; for urbanity , and civility , derived their names first from thence . these comparisons are lesse wide , and more significant , then that which lucian makes , when , by way of drollery , he makes the greatest cities upon earth , to appear like so many birds neasts . it is a catholique truth , wherein all chronologers , & antiquaries , do unanimously concur , that in the non-age of the world , man-kind had no other habitation then woods , groves , and bushy queaches , which they fenc'd about with hardles made of twigs , and loose stone-walls , to defend them from the invasions of wild and ravenous beasts ; some lived in grotts , and concavities of rocks , to shelter themselves from the inclemency , and rigor of the air : insomuch , that all men were troglodites at first , as there are many nations , who are housed so to this day , making themselves holes and hollowes , in rocks , and sandy dry grounds , as we find in this iland some of those troglodites , both in nottingham , and bridge-north . then by degrees , they made themselves small huts : from huts , they came to build houses , and so to cohabit in hamlets : and thence sprung up towns and cities . the first of any fame , was that stupendous city of babylon , founded by nimrod , the great hunter , and enlarged by that notable virago , semiramis : which was girded about with walls , . foot high , and fifty broad , whereof the circuit was furlongs ; she had also . turrets upon the walls , which were of such a latitude , that chariots might go upon them ; and if old historians may oblige us to a belief , there were three hundred thousand men that were employed in the building thereof ; she continueth still , a vast and flourishing city , called by the turks bagdat ; asia , being the most orientall countrey on this side the hemisphere , as it was first peepled , for adam was that countreyman , so towns , cities , castles , altars , and other buildings , first began to be erected there ; and indeed , all other knowledge , besides architecture , came first from those parts , being next neighbors to the rising sun : the indian brachmans , or gymnosophists , were the first scientifical men , and students of philosophy ; the persian magi were her next students : then she cross'd the red sea , and came to memphis among the aegyptians , whence she steered down the nile , and got over the aegean seas to corinth and athens among the greeks , whence she took wing to rome , and from thence she clammer'd ore the alps to france , germany , great britany , and other north-west climats . now as asia had the first cities , so she glories to have to this day the greatest : we will instance only in the city of quinzay , who arrogates to her self , the name of the celestial city , whereof divers modern authours do write portentous things ; and truly , he must have a strong faith , who will believe them : she is the chief city of the empire of china , lying under the same climate as venice doth , with whom she hath a great resemblance , being built upon the south side of a huge laque ; she hath in length about forty miles , in latitude thirty , and one hundred and twenty miles in circumference ; she hath above a thousand bridges , some whereof are so high , that ships under saile , may passe under them : her houses are of stone and earth ; the lowest whereof , is five stories high , of marvellous beauty and strength : she hath many magnificent temples , but one next the royal palace , of a stupendious structure , being of that altitude , that the ascent is threescore and fower marble stairs : there are an incredible number of fair palaces in her ; among which , after that of the emperour , those of the ten governours , are the stateliest , and among them that of the captain of the tartars . about the center of the city , stands the imperial court , which is fenc'd about with seven walls , whereof every one is garded by ten thousand souldiers , the palace is ten miles in circuit , and hath fourscore great halls ; but that where the great councel sits is four square , and hath windows and gates looking towards the four parts of the heaven , east , west , north and south , where officers and others that have business , do enter , according to the scituation of the countrey , whence they come , there being above threescore several kingdoms , under the dominion of the emperor , and every one hath a particular hall and councel , where they deliberate , touching the government of every kingdom . 't is such a ravishing voluptuous place , that there are objects to please and charm all the five senses , the eyes are fed in beholding the goodly structures , gardens , and trees which are up and down : the eares by hearing , the chirping of the birds , and sweet murmure of the waters ; the smell is feasted with odoriferous sent of flowers , and other rich perfumes ; the taste by most delicate fruits ; and the other sense , by most beautiful , and ravishing women , which are able to tempt a stoick , having by their rowling large eyes , and other postures , extraordinary wayes of allurement . there was a computation made of above a million of houses within her , so that allowing ten to a family , there be ordinarily about ten millions of humane souls that breath within the city ; they are very rich in their habits , and there is not much difference in the clothes of male and female , only the women have more diversity of colours ; blew and red are the commonest , but black is never worn : there be birds there , of such a wonderful bigness , that they will take up a whole mutton alive , up into the air , and sometimes a man in armor . there are abundance of elephants , dromedaries , camels , and other huge beasts , that do their work ; and all animals , both volatil , and terrestrial , are there , of a bigger size and proportion , then any where else , by special influences of the heavens : it is incredible , what number of nations do resort thither for traffique and commerce , as all the indies , cathay , tartary , arabia , and persia ; they are rare artists ; for 't is thought , that guns and printing were there invented thousands of years agoe ; their characters , and way of reading , being not either from the left hand to the right , as the greeks and latines use ; or from the right hand to the left , as the hebrew , and all the dialect thereof , as the arabian , persian , and others , but perpendicular downward : there is one law amongst them , that conduceth much to make them such exquisite artisans , which is , that the sonnes are alwayes of their fathers trade , whereby they come to have a more natural dexterity , genius , and aptitude to the trade , and their parents train them therein more industriously , and discover unto them all the mysteries thereof . touching the rare china dishes and cups they make , the masse of earth , whereof they are moulded , useth to be buried in lumps , within the bowels of the earth , sometimes a hundred years before they fall to work upon it , and such a masse of aged earth is the common patrimony , that parents use to leave their children : in fine , they pretend to so much sagacity , wit , and industry , that 't is a saying among them , that they only have two eyes , the europaeans one , and all the rest of the world is blind . they have such a high opinion of their king , that they think he is descended of the race of some demy-god , and so adore him accordingly . they believe there is some divinity in his blood , insomuch , that he never marries any , but either his own sister , or daughter , or next a kin , for fear of staining the royal blood ; he is seldom seen openly , but he hath a private place , when his councel sits , whence he may hear whatsoever is agitated , and he signifieth his pleasure invisibly through certain hollow trunks , and he gives audience to ambassadors also in that manner . we will now over the red sea to afrique , and take a short transient survay of the gran cairo in egypt , a city also of a huge gigantique stature , being near upon forty miles compasse , having five and thirty thousand meskeetos , that is , churches and chappels : there are in her four and twenty thousand noted streets ; some whereof are two miles in length , every one is locked up in the night , with a dore and chains at each end : there is a huge number of horsmen , under the command of so many saniacks , which watch and gard the town all the year long , to the number of eight and twenty thousand men , for fear of the incursions of the wild arabs : the cause of the vastness of gran cairo is , that there are three cities incorporated into one , that is , old memphis , babylon , and elkhaire ; for there was another city hard by , called babylone , but by encrease of trade , and new concourse of people , the soldans and mammalucks reduc'd all three to one entire city : which would be a pittiful poor place , did not the river of nile give her a yearly visit from the mountains of the moon , about the sommer solstice , and retire again about eighty dayes after . we will now crosse the greek seas to europe , and take a quick view of most of those cities , which are of the first magnitude ; for indeed , this parallel aymes only at the euroaean cities ; and it will be found by any impartial reader , that london needs not vail to any of them , if regard be had . . to conveniency of situation , and to salubrity of air . . to method of strict government . . to magnificence of the chief magistrates . . to regulation of trade . . to variety of artisans . . to a greater number of corporations and halls . . to plenty of all provision , that air , earth , or water can afford . . to springs , conduits , aqueducts , and other conveyances of fresh wholsome waters . . to the universality of trafick , and bravery of the adventurers . . to solidity , and richness of commodities . . to artillery , ammunition , docks , and a number of military stout well armed citizens . . to ( once ) a glorious temple . . to an admirable great bridge . . to a noble navigable river . . to a chearful and wholsome green circumjacent soyl. . to hospitality , and festival publique meetings of corporations , and other societies for encrease of love , and good intelligence between neighbors . . to number of coaches by land , and all sorts of boats by water , for the accommodation of passengers . . for sundry kind of reliefs for the poor , and indigent . . for various kinds of honest corporal recreations and pastimes . . and lastly , for the number of humane souls . many of these may be found severally in other cities , who may haply exceed london in some particulars ; but take them all together , she may vie with the best of them , and run no great hazard . but to proceed the more methodically in taking a view , to this purpose , though short and cursory of the greatest cities in europe , we will begin eastward at constantinople , called of old bizantium , and now stambole by the turks , being the chief court or port , as they terme it , of the ottoman empire , the word being derived from faith and plenty : 't is true , she is plac'd in a fit , and advantageous posture , to be commandresse of the world , she was raised by a constantine , and lost by a constantine ( both of them , the sonnes of helens ) about a thousand years after ; but touching her site , she hath on the one side , the pontus , or black sea , and the marmora , or hellespont on the other : the mouthes of which seas are so narrow , that no passage can be forced against the castles , she ●●bu●st upon the utmost levant point of europe , and hath all the vast continent of asia , before her from seutari ; insomuch , that she stands almost in the center of the old world , and thereby , capable to send her commands more speedily to other countries ; yet since the discovery of america , the new world , some modern geographers balancing the parts of the old with the new , they find that rome stands more appositly to command the whole earth , because she is rather situated more towards the middle ; in some things 't is confessed , constantinople may claim the precedence of london , as first for the huge palace of the seraglio , which is about three miles compasse ; 't is thought also , she exceeds for number , of humane souls and houses ; yet in point of building , they are but low , and cottage-like , nothing comparable to those of london . and if you go to the quality of the inhabitants , constantinople may be called but a nest , or banner of slaves ; and herein , as in many other of the particulars pointed at , before london hath the start of her. we come now to italy , and first to rome , which though in circuit she be yet about as big as london ; yet in point of people , she may be called a wilderness , in comparison of her : she is also far inferior for traffique and wealth ; as also for temperature , and wholsomness of air , that of rome being not so healthy , which some impute to the burning of stubble , for fertilizing the bed of the earth ; others , to the ill-favour'd vapors that come from divers subterranean hollowes that remain up and down , out of the ruines of old rome ; for rome at present , may be called but a skeleton of the old ; or like a tall man , shrunk into the skin of a pygmey , being compared to that monstruous stature she was of , in vopiscus his time , who leaves it upon record , that she was fifty miles about , and had above four hundred thousand free citizens ; and consequently , about four millions of souls with in her bosome , as some infer ; she then made the ocean to do homage unto the tyber , she made asia , and afrique , feudetaries to europe ; but she who daunted the world , yielded to the lawes of time , who gives all great cities a space of growing , of subsistence , and of declination ; but a wonder it is , how so much of her is left , considering , that from brennus the britain , to the duke of bourbon , she was eight times sack'd , whence it may be inferr'd , that there is an extraordinary providence , that seems to watch over her . for as she subsisted before by the pike , the pen may be said now to support her , i mean her ecclesiastical courts , which causeth a great confluence of people to resort thither , from all corners of the earth : insomuch , that the number of strangers in rome , may be said to exceed the number of the natives , because she is accounted the communis patria , and chief randezvouze of all christians , in regard of the residence of the chief bishop , in whom every catholique claimes an interest : insomuch , that rome may be said to be more beholden to shepheards , then to any other profession ; for as a shepheard was her founder , so a shepheard is still her preserver . the next city of the first magnitude in italy , is milan , which of all other towns , may be said to have this singularity , to have no suburbs ; 't is true , she may pretend much for her dome , her cittadel , and hospital , with number of excellent artisans ; yet who is well acquainted with both places , will find that london is not much inferior to her , in any of these fower things ; and for other particulars , as ubiquitary traffique , by sea as well as land , for multitude of people , and divers other things , pointed at before , milan comes short of london . touching the city of venice , 't is true , she hath many things to glory of , as her wonderful situation , that she was born a christian , that she hath continued a virgin near upon thirteen hundred years , having been never ravish'd by the assaults of any enemy , ( though some out of malice would make her a concubine to the great turk ) . she may also glory of her great arsenal , and that she hath the sea for her husband ; yet if one go to multitude of inhabitants , to the magnitude of both cities , to number of corporations , with other particulars pointed at before , venice will not disdain to vail to london ; but touching the last thing she glorieth of , london may claim as much interest in the sea as she , if regard be had to maritime dominion and naval power . and lastly , while venice is steeping and pickling in salt-water , london sports her self upon the banks of a fresh stately river , which brings into her bosom , all the spices of the east , the treasures of the west , the gems of the south , and the rich furs of the north. naples 't is confess'd , is a populous great mercantile town , and hath three castles , with handsom buildings , and store of nobility ; but besides magnitude of places , and multitude of people , with other advantages which london hath of her , the sun , whiles he doth as it were broyl the neapolitan , doth with the gentle reverberations of his rayes , but guild the walls of london . genoa , though she be a proud city , yet she stands not upon her own legs , but she subsists most by the king of spains money , by being a sceal to convey it by cambio to flanders , and else-where , having little of her own to trade withall ; whereas london hath native substantial commodities of her own , and is far superior to her for bigness , and number of souls , with other advantages . touching florence , there is beauty enough to be seen there , but she may partly thank london , that she is so fair , by the trade she bears to ligorn , of late years . touching the rest of the cities of italy , though they be ranked among those of the first magnitude , yet they bear no proportion with london . touching sicily , there is palermo , the residence of the viceroy , a jolly neat city , which may glory of one thing , that neither london , nor any other city in christendom hath the like , which is a fair spacious uniform street , of above a mile long ; next to which , is that of edenburgh in scotland , extending it self in a direct line , from the royal palace to the castle . concerning spain , there are divers large cities of the first magnitude , as barcelona , the metropolis of catalonia ; saragossa the cape city of aragon ; valencia the chief of that kingdom ; pampelona the head of navarr ; burgos the chief of old castile , and toledo of the new ; murcia ; granada , sevill , and lisbonne in portugal , which is the biggest of them all . the two last are best peopled ; but madrid where the catholique court is kept ( though a village ) hath more then any of them ; but all these come short of london , in point of greatness , and populousness , with divers advantages besides . vienna the imperial court is of an extraordinary bigness , being fenced about with english walls , which richard the first rear'd up for his ransome : it is also well peopled ; so is prague . which though the latter be made up of three cities , yet they both come short of the city of london in amplitude , and number of people , with divers other properties mentioned before . germany hath divers fair cities , that may take place amongst them of the first magnitude , as mentz , colen , frankfort , strasburg , norimburg , auspurg , magdenburg , and others , which though they beat a land trade , being mediterranean cities , and abound with wealth , and numbers of artisans , yet they are inferior to london , for many respects . touching the hans , and imperial towns , there are divers of them large , wealthy , and full of trade , as lubeck , danzick , and hamburgh the biggest of them , which owes much of her prosperity to the staple of the london marchant adventurers , who are there setled ; but there 's none of these cities , though they be threescore more in number , that will presume to compare with london , in any of those twenty properties before mentioned . touching copenhagen in denmark , and stockholm in swethland , they come far short ; nay , if you go more northward , upon the white sea , as far as the gran mosco the emperor of russias court , which is a huge woodden city , and inviron'd about with a treble wall to stop the incursions of the tartar , you will find it inferior to london , in every of those twenty particulars . touching low germany , or the netherlands , which is one of the greatest countries of commerce in christendom ; 't is true , there are there many noble cities . among others , the city of gant in flanders , which for bigness , bears the bell of all the cities of europe , being computed to be twenty miles in circuit , which makes the flemins twit the french , by saying nous auons un gant qui tiendra paris dedans , we have a glove ( meaning gant , which is a glove in french ) that will hold paris within it ; yet for number of humane souls , this great city is but a kind of desart , being compared to london . antwerp is a noble city , both for her cittadel , and fortifications , which are so vast , that two coaches may go abrest upon the walls ; she may compare with any other city , she was in former times , one of the greatest marts , this side the alps : insomuch , that guicciardin reports , that after the intercursus magnus was established betwixt england and the netherlands , the trade 'twixt london and antwerp , came to above twelve millions yearly ; but upon the revolt of the confederate provinces from the king of spain , when secretary walsingham told elizabeth , that he would give both the spaniard , and the french king such bones to gnaw , that might shake both their teeths in their heads ; meaning thereby , the revolt of the hollander from the one , and the kindling of the ligue in france . i say , when these tumults began , amsterdam may be said to have risen up out of the ruines of antwerp , which town is come , in lesse then fourscore years , and by a stupendous course of commerce and negotiation , to be one of the greatest marts of the world , being before , one of the meanest towns of the first magnitude in holland ; but she is swoln since , twice if not thrice as big as she was : insomuch , that she may be said to give the law to all the rest of the united provinces , and to smell rank of a hans town , or little common-wealth of her self . among other causes , this may be imputed to the trade of the east and west indies , which is appropriated unto her , and to a mixture with the jewes , who have there two synagogues : yet is this fresh great mercantile town , much inferior to london , almost in all things . first , in point of populousness , as may be conjectured out of her weekly bills of mortality , which at the utmost , come but to about threescore a week ; whence may be inferred , that london is five times more populous ; for the number that dies in her every week , comes commonly , to near upon three hundred . secondly , in point of wealth , amsterdam comes short of london ; for when sir ralph freeman was lord mayor , it was found out by more than a probable conjecture , that he , with the . aldermen , his brethren , might have bought the estates of one hundred of the richest bourgemasters in amsterdam . then , for sweetnesse of site , and salubrity of air , she is so far inferior to london , that her inhabitants may be said to draw in fogs , in lieu of free air , the countrey being all marsh and moorish about her ; so that amsterdam is built as it were in a bog , or quag ; for in their fabriques , they are forced to dig so deep for a firm foundation , by ramming in huge piles of wood , that the basis of a house , doth often times cost more then the superstructure . moreover , amsterdam hath neither conduit , well , or fountain of fresh water within her , but it is brought to her by boats ; and they wash with rain water , which every house preserves in cisterns , to that purpose . touching the river of texel , that brings her in all commodities she is nothing comparable to the thames , in point of security of sayling , or sweetness of water : touching the first , they say there stood a forrest of wood in times past , where now the texel makes her bed , which could not be cut down so clean , but there are divers ill favoured trunks , and stubs of trees , still found under water , which is a great annoyance to ships . there are in the united provinces , many jolly towns besides , which may be ranked among them of the first magnitude , especially utrecht , which hath the face of an ancient stately town , & subsists more by her self : the rest grow great , and flourish in wealth , buildings , and people , by having some peculiar staple commodity appropriated unto them , as amsterdam hath the trade of the east and west indies assigned her , ( as was formerly mentioned ) . rotterdam , hath the staple of english cloth ; dort , of the rhenish-wine , and corn that comes from germany ; haerlam hath a charter for weaving and knitting ; leyden is an university ; the hague subsists by the residence of the hoghen moghen , the councel of state ; middleburgh in zeland , by the staple of french wines ; trevere , by the scots commodities , &c. but none of these bear any proportion with the city of london , who trades in all these several commodities together , and hath particular corporations accordingly , with many more . we will now hoyse up sayl for france , which also hath divers cities of the first magnitude , as rouen in normandy , bourdeaux in gascogny , tholouse in languedock , with the other five courts of parliament ; as also amiens in picardy , and the city of lions , and marseilles : the one whereof , subsists by her bank ; the other , by being the chief arsenal of the french gallies ; but none of these will offer , i think , to compare with the city of london , nor any of those towns that stand upon the loire , whereof there are many gentile ones . paris i confess , may be capable of some comparisons with london , for which she hath many helps , as being a citè , villè & universitè , a city , a town , and an university ; as also the chief residence of the french kings , and the parliament . but le ts go a little to particulars . and first , to the populousness of both cities ; they say in paris , that the parishes of saint eustance , and saint innocent , have above one hundred thousand communicants in them alone : and that by the last cense that was made there , was near upon a million of humane souls , found in the city and suburbs of paris . it may be so , but we shall find in the ensuing discourse that london hath more . secondly , for magnitude : 't is true , that paris hath the advantage of an orbicular figure , and so is more capacious . but by the judgement of those mathematicians , who have observed both cities ; if london were cast into a circle , she would with all her dimensions , be altogether as big as paris . touching the loure , 't is true , that it is a vast fabrick , and the like is not found in london ; but it is the only court the french king hath in paris , whereas in london there are fower royal seates , with two parks annexed to one ; i hope the bastile will not offer to compare with the tower of london , nor the river of seine with the thames ; much lesse i believe , will paris offer to make any comparisons with london , in point of traffique , and societies of noble adventuring marchants , who trade on both the hemispheres ; nor of her provost with the lord mayor of london . i allow paris to have rich banquiers , but they are most of them strangers , and not natives . moreover , i think paris would be loth to compare with london for neatness of streets , or for sweetness of site ; for paris hath scarce any verdure about her , but the proclere ; whereas london hath most delightful fields round about her , of a deeper greene , not so fading as that of france : and touching streets , the dirt and crott of paris may be smelt ten miles off , and leaves such a tenacious oily stain , that it is indelible , and can never be washed off ; 't is confessed , that paris hath waters of a singular vertue , for the die of scarlets ; but 't is as well known to the world , what extraordinary vertues the thames water hath for many things . ask the hollander , and he will tell you , there is no such water to fatten eeles , and all sorts of fish . thames water beer bears the price of wine , in many places beyond the seas . and the portugalls have found of late , such vertue in that water , that they carry it away by whole tuns , to lisbon . i might enlarge my self further , in shewing what advantage the city of london hath of paris , but i will suspend my discourse till i proceed a little further , only i will conclude this paragraffe with this one objection , that london hath far better blood in her veins , then paris , i mean a greater number of wholsom springs , conduits , aqueducts , and sources of sweet waters , whereof paris hath not so many . and now there comes into my memory , a facetious passage , between henry the th , and the provost of paris , touching those waters ; which happened thus . the king had appointed the suisse ambassadors , whereof there were many in commission , to be lodged in the city , and that plenty of the best wines should be provided for them ; the ambassadors having lain long upon the parisians , and drunk daily very deep , and being at last dismissed . the provost made an humble remonstrance to the king , how the city had so long time win'd the suisse ambassadors , and their numerous retinue , which put her in some arreares , therefore he humbly prayed , in the name of the city , that his majesty would be pleased to give leave , that a small tax might be laid for a while upon the water-pipes and cesterns of fresh waters , for the discharge of those arrears for wine , &c. the king pleasantly answered , ventre de saint gris , there must be some other way found out to do this ; for 't was our saviour only , that could turn water into wine , therefore he would not presume to attempt it . having thus rambled up and down the world , and cast some few glances upon the most renowned cities ; and having pointed before , at twenty properties , wherein london may well compare with any of the greatest cities in europe , we will now more particularly , treat a little of those properties , and take them all single , as they are ranked . . the first is , conveniency of situation , and salubrity of air , wherein the wisdom of the old britains our ancestors , in point of election of the place , and the benignity of the heavens , in point of influences and temperature , have made london as happy as any other city under the vast canopy of the heavens ; some say , that that city is best situated , which resembleth a camels back , who hath protuberancies , and bunches , so a city should be seated upon rising grounds , or small hillocks ; it is the posture of london ; for she is builded upon the flanks , sides , and tops of divers small hillocks , lying near the banks of a noble river , and being encompassed about with delightful green medows , and fields on all sides ; and she is in so fair a distance from the sea , that no danger of forren invasion can surprize her , but she must have notice before : the nature of her soyl s sandy , which is wholsomost for habitation , and conduceth much o goodness of air , the barrenness whereof , is made prolifical by art . . touching the second property , which is a method of strict , and punctual government , ther 's no city goes beyond her , or indeed equalls her , take night and day together ; for there is not the least misdemeanor , or inconvenience that can be ; but there be officers in every corner of the city to pry into them , and find them out ; but especially , the wardmote inquest , which are to be men of repute , and known integrity ; they by vertue of their office inquire , if any man outlawed , or indited of treason , or felony , lurk within the ward ; they inquire if the publique peace be any way disturbed , or broken ; they enquire of all offences , and dammages done to the river of thames , and make a speedy presentment of them to be redressed ; they inquire after riotors , dissolute persons , and barrators , walking by nightertayle , without light at unseasonable houres . they inquire after those that play at unlawful games . they inquire after potours , panders , and bawds , common hazardors , champartors , maintainers of quarrels , or embracers of inquests . they inquire after witches , strumpets , common punks , and scolds . they inquire after hot houses , and sweating houses , whereunto any lewd women resort , or others of ill repute . they inquire after any inholder , taverner , brewer , or huckster , that hold open at unseasonable houres . they by vertue of their office , inquire if any manner of person , after rain , or any other time , cast or lay any dung , ordure , rubbish , sea-coal ashes , rushes , or any other thing of noisance in the river of thames , or the channels of the city . they inquire , whether any manner of persons , nourish hogs , oxen , kine , ducks , or any other living thing , that may cause unwholsomness , or any grievance . they inquire , if any false chevesancers , or extortioning usurers , dwell within their ward . they inquire , if any freeman against his oath made , doth conceal , cover , or colour the goods of forreiners against the franchises of the city . they inquire , if any forrainer buy and sell with any other forrainer , within the city or suburbs thereof , any marchandizes or goods , to the prejudice of the natives . they inquire , if every freeman which receiveth , or taketh benefit of the franchises of the city , but continually dwelling out of it , hath not , nor will not pay scot and lot after his oath made , nor be partner to the common charges of the city , when he is required . they inquire , if any conceal the goods of orphans , whose ward and mariage belong to the lord mayor and aldermen . they inquire , if any officer , by colour of his authority , do extortion to any man , or be a promoter , or maintainer of quarrels against right , or take carriage , and arrest victual unduly . they inquire , if any boat-man , or ferriman take more then is due for his boat-hire . they are to inquire , if any pourprestures be made upon the common ground of the city by land , or water , as in walls , pales , stoops , grieces , doores , or cellars ; or if any porch , pent-house , or jetty be too low , in letting of passengers that ride , or carts : they are to inquire , that pentises , and jetties , be at least the heighth of nine feet , and that the stalls be not but of two foot and a half in breadth , and to be flexible , and moveable , viz. to hang by jewmews or garnets , so that they may be taken up , and let down . they are to inquire , if any common course of water be forclos'd , or letted to the noyance of the city . they are to inquire , if any pavement be defective , or too high in one place , and too low in another , to the disturbance of the riders , goers , and carts that passe along . they are to inquire after regrators , or forestallers of victuals , or of any other marchandizes which should come to the city to be publiquely and fairly sold . they are to inquire , if any butcher , fishmonger , poulter , vintner , hostler , cook , or seller of victuals , do sell at unreasonable prizes . they are to inquire , if any retaylor do sell unwholsome victuals , or dearer then is proclaimed by the lord mayor . they are to inquire , whether any vintner , inholder , alehouse-keeper , or any other person whatsoever , do use , or keep any cans , stone-pots , or other measures which are unseal'd , and are lesse then due measure , and whether they sell any beer or ale above a peny a quart , and small ale above a half peny . they are to inquire in shops and houses of chandlers , and others which sell by weight , that all their scales be right , and according to the standard ; as also , that all yards and ells , be of their just length , and that none do sell by venice weights . they are to inquire , if any inholder do bake bread to sell within his own house ; and if any baker of sowre bread , bake white bread to sell , and take more for the baking then three pence in a bushel . they are to inquire , if any house be covered , otherwise then with tile , stone , or lead , for peril of fire . they are to inquire , if any leper , faitor , or mighty begger reside in the ward . they are to inquire , if any baker or brewer , bake or brew with straw , or any other fewel , which may indanger fyring . they are to inquire , if any go with painted visage . they are to inquire , if any neglecteth to hang a lanthorn at his door , with a candle therein burning , after the usage at the season of the year appointed . they are to inquire , whether any bring to be sold , or sell and offer , or put to sale any tall-wood , billets , fagots , or other fire-wood , not being of the full assize . they are also to inquire after them , who go to the countrey , and ingrosse any billet , tall-wood , fagot , tosard , or other fire-wood , and so keep it , till they may sell it at excessive prizes , and above the prizes set by the lord mayor . they are also , to inquire after ingrossers of butter and cheese , in great quantities , in going into the countrey to buy it , and after , convey it by water , or otherwise to the city , to be sold at excessive rates . they are to inquire , whether any use the priviledge of freemen , being none ; and to that purpose , they shall demand a sight from those whom they suspect , of a copy of their freedom , under the seal of the office of the chamberlain . they shall inquire after all such as melt tallow , contrary to an act of the common councel in that case made and provided . they shall inquire after such who use any fire-presses within the city , and liberties for pressing , or dressing of netherstocks , wollen clothes , or other things . they shall inquire of all armorers , and other artificers , using to work in metals , which have or use any reardorses , or any other places dangerous for fire . they shall inquire , if any who have undertaken to be appraysers of the goods of any freeman deceased , leaving behind him any orphan or orphans ; and the said appraysers not having bin sworn before the lord mayor , or the alderman of the ward . they are to inquire if any freeman buy any wares or marchandizes unweighed , which ought to be weighed at the kings beam , of any stranger or forrainer free of the city of london . they are to inquire if any buy or sell any cloth or clothes in the shop , ware-house , or other place of any cloth-worker ; or if any cloth-worker do receive , or harbor any cloth , before the same be brought to blackwell-hall . they are to inquire , if any carman take for carriage of any commodity , above the rates ordained . they are to inquire , if any make , or cause to be made , any new buildings , or divide , or cause to be divided , any house , or houses , or receive any inmate , or inmates , contrary to the kings majesties proclamation , or to law , or any statute of the land. they are to inquire after hawkers , which go up and down the streets , and from house to house , to sell any wares , contrary to an act made in that behalf . they are to inquire , if any have fraudulently , or unduly obtained the freedom of the city . they are to inquire after women-brokers , such as use to resort to mens houses , to suborn young maydens with promise to help them to better service . they are to inquire , if any have , or use any common privy , having issue into any common sewer of the city . they are to inquire , if any constable , beadle , or other officer , be negligent , and remisse , in discharging their duties , touching the execution of the statute made for punishment of rogues , vagabonds , and sturdy beggars , &c. they are to inquire , if those to whom the execution of the statute for the relief of the poor , doth appertain , be remisse in discharging their duties that way . they are to inquire , if any executor , or others , keep in their hands any legacy , sum of money , or other thing , given to charitable uses . they are to inquire , if any that keep horses in their houses , do lay their stable dung , or such kind of noysome filth , in any streets , or lanes of the city , and do not cause the dung-cart to be led to the stable door . the ward-mote inquest , by vertue of their office , are bound to search into all these enormities , and to meet once a moneth , or oftner , if need require to that purpose . and whosoever doth judiciously observe these several heads , will find , there 's nothing wanting to preserve a city , or the people thereof in the wayes of neatness , safety , and industry , or for the advancement of vertue , and suppression of vice. by these particulars , with what hath bin spoken of formerly , in the body of this book , the reader may observe , how exact the city of london is in her urban government . . now touching the magnificence , gravity , and state of the chief magistrate : neither the pretor of rome , or the prefect of milan ; neither the proctors of saint mark in venice , or their podestas in other cities ; neither the provost of paris , the markgrave of antwerp , can compare with the lord mayor and sheriffs of london : if one go to the variety of their robes sometimes scarlet richly fur'd , sometimes purple , sometimes violet , and puke . what a goodly spectacle it is to behold the lord mayor , and the companies attending him in so many dainty barges , when he goes to be sworn in westminster-hall ; and what brave shews there are attending him by land , at his return ? what a plentiful sumptuous dinner , consisting of so many huge tables , is provided for him ? what a variety of domestick officers wait upon him perpetually , whereof , with the remembrancer , there are five of them esquires by their places , as was hinted before ? what a comely sight it is to see the lord mayor , sheriffs , and aldermen , going in their robes upon festivals to the cathedral church of saint pauls , though they who stand not so well affected to the present government , say , that he goeth in now at the wrong end of the church : what a goodly sight it is , when he goeth upon easter holidayes , to the spittle , with the sword , and cap of maintenance going before him ? how his robes are fitted for the season , as from michaelmas to whitsontide , he weares violet fur'd ; from whitsontide to michaelmas , scarlet lined : and for distinction among the aldermen , they who have bin lord mayors , have their cloaks lined with changeable taffata ; but those that have not , with green taffata ; what great places of trust are committed to the lord mayor , as the keeping of the great bridge in repair , which hath such large revenues belonging unto it , with a particular stately seal , which of old , had the effigies of thomas of becket , ( a londoner born ) upon it , with this inscription in the name of the city . me quae te peperi , ne cesses , thoma , tueri ; but the seal was altered in henry the eighths raign : what a great trust is it for the lord mayor to have the conservation of the noble river of thames , from stanes bridge , till she disgorgeth her self into the sea ? how stately is he attended , when he goes to take a view of the river , or a swan-hopping ? and lately , what a noble addition was it for the lord mayor to have a park of deer of his own so near the city , to find him sport , and furnish him with venison ? what an honour is it for the lord mayor to be accounted the first man of england , upon the death of the soveraign prince . as when king james was invited to come , and take the crown of england , robert lee , lord mayor of london , was the first man who subscribed , and then the officers of the crown , with the chief noblemen after him . the recorder of london also , is primus consiliarius angliae , and is priviledged to plead within the barre . the lord mayors of london have bin called sometime , to sit at the councel table , as sir john allen was in henry the eighths time , with others , ( which allen , gave that rich collar of gold , which the lord mayors use to wear ) and the aldermen his brethren , were used to be called barons . . we are come now to regulation of trade , wherein london is not inferior to any city whatsoever , witness ( among others ) what prudential lawes , restraints and cautions the marchant adventurers , who trade in the golden fleece of england , viz. in woollen manufactures , have propos'd to themselves , as likewise all other corporations in like manner , for the improvement of that particular trade , and preserving it from confusion . . touching variety of artisans , london yields to no other , 't is true , that mingling with forreiners , hath much advantag'd her in this kind ; but 't is observed , and confessed by all nations , that though the londoners be not so apt to invent ; yet when they have got the invention , they use alwayes to improve it , and bring it to a greater perfection . . touching corporations , halls , fraternities , guilds , and societies , london hath not her fellow : witness the twelve honourable companies ; out of one of which , the lord mayor is yearly chosen . the several societies of those , who venter abroad in all parts of the habitable earth , as far as the antipodes . and threescore companies of citizens besides ; whereunto the new company of coachmen , is lately added , who have their halls , their regular orders , and officers accordingly ; and touching all sorts of artificers , and variety of industrious wayes to improve all kind of manufactures , and thereby gain an honest livelihood , and so enrich the place . london may be called a hive of bees , ( as formerly was touched ) or a hill of ants , which have bin alwayes made the emblems of industry , and providence . . touching plenty , and abundance of all kinds of provision , as flesh , fish , fowle , fruits , fuel , variety of drinks , and wines , with any other commodity , that conduceth to pleasure and delight , as well as necessity , london may glory to be as well served , as any city under heaven . a knowing spaniard said , that he thought eastcheape shambles alone , vends more flesh in the year , then all the court of spain . gascon wines drink better in london , then in bourdeaux , and so do all other , provided they be not sophisticated . nor doth london abound with all things so plentifully , for the belly alone , but also for the back , either to keep it warm , or make it gay ; what varieties of woollen stuffs there are in every shop , with broad cloth equal to the price of silk , being come to that heighth of perfection , that some hath bin made of ten pounds a yard in price ; but the hollanders and others , have now got the art of making our stuffs and cloths , by those foolish giddy headed puritans that pretended to fly for persecution of their consciences , whereby they have done their own countrey no little mischief in this particular , as in many things besides . but in point of plenty , it may be well avouch'd , that no oppidan magistrates on earth , go beyond the lord mayor of london , and the two sheriffs , for constant hospitality all the year long : the time was , that the lord mayor of london feasted four kings at once . insomuch , that of all other places in the iland , those verses of michael , the cornish poet , may be most verified of london . nobilis anglia , pocula , prandia donat , &c. . concerning wholsom , clear waters , as 't was said before that london hath good blood in her veins , by those many aqueducts , conduits , and conveyances of fresh waters , to serve for all uses , so she hath good veins in her body , by those rivulets , springs , and sources she hath within and about her : what an herculean work was that , to bring the river of ware , to run through her streets , and refresh all her houses . and what an ingenious fabrick is lately rear'd up in the thames , to furnish the strand , drury lane , the convent garden , and all the new houses thereabouts , with convenient proportions of fresh water . . for universality of trade , there is no countrey upon the surface of the earth , no seas that any of the winds blow upon from the artick to the antartick pole , from the rising to the setting sun , but london by her navigations , findes them out , and so barters , and brings all kind of commodities ; what goodly vessels doth she send forth , to crosse the line to the east indies , to italy , and the bottom of the streights , the turks dominions : as also to the baltick sea , how she flyes ore the vast white ocean , to moscovy , and to hunt the great leviathan in groenland . how her marchants and factors are more reputed , and have greater priviledges every where , then any other , particularly in the huge hanse city of hamburgh , and rotterdam , &c. . in point of solid and useful wares she hath of her own , what a substantial commodity , and of what high esteem , all the world over is her cloth , her kersies , and divers other kinds of woollen manufactures ; together with her lead and tin , how she turns the first to silk , and cloth of tissue , the last to gold and silver ; what rich returns she makes of her fish , from all the catholick countries ? what large ware-houses , and spacious fair shops she hath of all mercantile commodities ? and touching her royal exchange , those of antwerp and amsterdam , have but baubling pedlery wares , in comparison of hers . insomuch , that a wager was offered once to be laid , that crashawes shop alone , was able to buy all those in the busse at amsterdam . . for strength defensive and offensive , for arms of all sorts , for artillery , ammunition , for arsenals and docks on both sides the river , for castles and block-houses , &c. london is not inferior to any ; she hath twelve thousand trained-band-citizens , perpetually in a readiness , excellently armed ; which when count gondamar saw in a muster one day in saint james's fields , and the king asking him what he thought of his citizens of london ; he answered , that he never saw a company of stouter men , and better arms in all his life-time ; but he had a sting in the tayl of his discourse ; for he told the king , that although his majesty was well pleased with that sight at present , he feared , that those men handling their arms so well , might do him one day a mischief , which proved true ; for in the unlucky warres with the long parliament , the london firelocks did him most mischief . in times passed , the city of london hath sent out strong fleets to scoure , and secure the four seas from depredations , and pyracy . and if in the year . she was able to set forth a fleet of ninety five ships , as it stands upon record , what would she be able to do now , if she were permitted ? moreover , if in king stephens raign , as another record hath it , she raised . foot , and . horse for land service , how many more were she able to do now in case of necessity , that being compared to what she was then , were to compare a gyant to a dwarf ? but besides these several kind of strengths , and arms , there 's no place so well furnish'd with amonition de bouche , as the frenchman hath it , with munition for the mouth , viz. with magazines of corn , and arms against famine , as london is ; for besides that at leaden-hall , and the bridge-house , how many halls have store-houses of this kind ? there 's no place also better armed against the fury of the fire ; for besides the pitched buckets that hang in churches and halls , there are divers new engines for that purpose . but it had bin wished , that the proclamations of the two last kings for building with brick , had bin observed by london , for besides that , it had made her lesse subject to casual fyrings , it had conduced much to the beauty of her streets , and uniformity of structure . . for healthful corporal recreations , and harmless passe-times , london may go in the van , to any place that i ever saw yet . go and walk in her fields , you shall see some shooting at long marks , some at buts ; some bowling upon dainty pleasant greens , some upon bares ; some wrestling , some throwing the barre , some the stone , some jumping , some running , some with their dogs at ducking ponds ; some riding upon nags , some in coaches to take the fresh air , some at nine-pins , some at stool-ball , though that stradling kind of tomboy sport be not so handsome for mayds , as forreiners observe , who hold , that dansing in a ring , or otherwise , is a far more comely exercise for them . within the city , what variety of bowling allies there are , some open , some covered ? there are tennis courts , shuffle-boards , playing at cudgels , cock-fightings , a sport peculiar to the english ; and so is bear , & bull-baytings , there being not such generous dogs , and cocks any where else . go to the river , what a pleasure it is to go thereon , in the summer time , in boat or barge ? or to go a floundring among the fishermen ? there was in former times a sport used upon the thames , which is now discontinued : it was for two wherries to row , and run one against the other , with staves in their hands , flat at the fore-end ; which kind of recreation , is much practised among the gondolas of venice . the time was , that stage-playes , and fencing , were much used in london : the history speaks of a play , anno . performed by the parish clarks of london , at the skinners well , besides smithfield , which continued three several dayes : the king , queen , and the court being present . and of another , in the year . which lasted eight dayes , the subject was touching the creation of the world , whereunto the court , and nobility were invited : but those kind of stage-playes , were turned after to tragedies , comedies , histories , and enterludes ; for representing whereof , there were more theaters in london , then any where else ; and it was a true observation , that those comical , and tragical histories , did much improve , and enrich the english language , they taught young men witty complements , and how to carry their bodies in a handsome posture : add hereunto , that they instructed them in the stories of divers things , which being so lively represented to the eye , made firmer impressions in the memory . lastly , they reclaimed many from vice and vanity ; for though a comedy be never so wanton , yet it ends with vertue , and the punishment of vice . . for a stately cathedral temple , and dome of devotion , the time was , that london did not yield to any city under the sun in this particular ; saint pauls church being esteemed by all nations , to be one of the eminentest , and visiblest temple , one of the most glorious piles of stones under heaven , taking all the dimensions , together with the chearful conspicuous site thereof , being near the center of the city , and upon a rising ground ; being also founded upon faith's , by having a large church of that name truckling , as one may say , under her chancel ; add hereunto , what a comfortable object it was , to behold above twenty miles distance , round about , this goodly structure , raysing it self above the rest , and serving as it were for a crest to the whole city ; but now this famous fabrick , which was accounted the greatest glory of london , is become her greatest shame ; for many forrainers , ( who are none of those that place any inherent sanctity in senseless inanimat stones ) have bin overheard to say , that pauls church in that posture she now is , is the saddest sight , and most ruthful spectacle upon the surface of the whole earth ; nay , some have bin heard to say , that whereas a stable became once a temple in palestine , a temple among us hath bin made a stable ; nay , they went further , not sticking to say , that as christ was born in a stable , so antichrist is like to be born in a stable in england . the time was , that london was used to have a greater care of this temple , when a solemn act of the lord mayors , and common councel passed , which stands yet upon good record , to this effect , and stands still in force . for as much as the material temples of god were first ordained for the lawfull and devout assembly of people , there to lift their hearts , and lawd and prayse almighty god , and to hear his divine service , and his holy word , and gospel , sincerely said , sung , and taught , and not be used as markets , and other prophane places , or thorow faires , by carriage of things : and for that of late years , many of the inhabitants of the city of london , and other people repairing thither , do commonly use , and accustom themselves very unseemly , and unreverently ( the more the pitty ) to make their common carriage of great vessels full of ale and beere , great baskets full of bread , fish , flesh , and fruit , and such other things , fardels of stuffe , and other grosse wares , and things , through the cathedrall church of saint pauls , and some in leading moyles , horses , and other beasts , through the same unreverently , to the great dishonour , and displeasure of almighty god , and the great grief also , and offence of all good people , be it therefore for remedy and reformation thereof , ordained , enacted , and established , &c. that no person , either free or forren , of what estate or condition soever , do at any time from henceforth , carry or convey , or cause to be carried , and conveyed through the said cathedrall , any manner of great vessel , or basket with bread , ale , beer , fish , flesh , or any other like thing or things , upon pain of forfeiture , or loosing , for every such his or their offence , three shillings four pence ; for the second , six shillings eight pence ; for the third , ten shillings ; and for every other offence , after such third time , to forfeit ten shillings , and to suffer two dayes and two nights imprisonment , without bayl or mainprize , the one moyety of all which pains and penalties , shall be to christs hospital within newgate , and the other half , to him that will sue for the same , in any court of record within the city , by bill , original complaint , or information , to be commenc'd , or sued in the name of the chamberlain of the said city for the time being , wherein no essoyne , or wager of law , for the defendant shall be admitted , or allowed , &c. such was the reverence , that london shewed her cathedral church , not long agoe , which may be said , to look now like the hulk of a great weather beaten ship , that had cross'd the line eight times , forward and backward , to the east indies , and lies rotting upon the carine : such is the condition of this stately church , which is like to be buried shortly in her own ruines , and so become a heap of rubbish ; and then how bold london will look , let them judge , who have taken a judicious prospect of her. moreover , there 's another reason , that may induce london to prevent this ; for if pauls were down , she forfeits the name of a city ; for all lawyers concur in this opinion , that there can be no city , without a cathedral church ; t' is but a village without one , or a town at most : therefore london hath great cause to wish , that those unlucky scismaticks had never bin born , who first brought pauls church to this pittiful passe ; for it may well be said , that all those casual fires which she suffered , ( whereof there were many ) did not do her as much mischief , as the fatuous fires of some fanatical zelots have done ; as one said also of the house of peers , that the long parliament was more destructive unto it , then the powder-plot had bin , if it had taken effect . touching particular appropriated places for the service of god. we know there were such from the beginning . as soon as noah got footing on dry ground , he erected an altar , which was in lieu of a church , the patriarks had theirs ; then from altars , they came to have arks , and ambulatory tabernacles ; and we read , what a conceit of holiness was carried towards them : then salomon , by instructions from heaven , did build a fix'd , and standing material temple ; and we well know , how highly our saviour himself was incensed against the money changers , and others , who prophan'd that place ; and what sharp reprehensions his apostle gave afterwards to those , who used to eat and drink in those places which were appointed for devotion . that hyper●on or room , where our saviour did please to celebrate the passe-over , and institute his last supper , may well be thought to have more sanctity in it , then an ordinary chamber , considering how many holy things were done there afterwards ; for our saviour appeared in that very place , twice after his resurrection ; the holy ghost came down in cloven tongues in that place . james was created bishop of hierusalem , and seven deacons were elected in that place , which in regard of so many holy transactions , was enlarged , and made afterwards a goodly church , long before constantine : whosoever is versed with the primitive fathers , knowes well how often they speak of peculiar places , set apart to celebrate divine service ; as also of set times , and that the posture must be eastward ; among the primitive christians , those places were called by some , basilica ; by others , dominica , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence the german word kerk , was derived ; by others , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by some they were termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by others , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. all which were but synonyma's to churches , or holy oratories . one of the first fathers saith positively , that churches were in the apostles time . another saith , they continued from the apostles time , to constantine , with whom the roman empire came to be christian first . and in all the ten persecutions , which happened by intermissions , we may read , how that by the edicts of the emperors , the oratories or churches of the christians , were to be in some places burnt , in others , demolished . and in the last persecution under dioclesian , the history saith , that a great number of ancient edifices , and churches of the christians were destroyed ; and observable it is , that one of those primitive fathers , compares the churches on the shore , to safe harbors in the sea , which surely must be interpreted , to relate to the places , and not to the persons only . histories also speak plainly , how in the first and second century after christ , in the persecution that was in persia , many goodly oratories and churches of the christians were destroyed . by these short disquisitions into the ages of the world and history , it appears , that among the patriarks , there were holy places that had an analogy with churches , which continues among the jewes ever since : and touching christians , there were oratories , and appropriate sacred places , from the very infancy of the gospel , which served as a general rendezvouz to celebrate divine service all along from the apostles time , through the three centuries of the primitive church : therefore they must be possessed with a strange spirit of contradiction , and prophaness , who make no account of those peculiar houses , which pious devout souls have appropriated , rea'rd up , and dedicated to the sole service of almighty god , but hold all places promiscuous , and indifferently proper for that use . it may justly be doubted , whether such sordid poor narrow souls , who so malign the beauty , the holiness , and decencies of gods house here in the church militant , will ever be admitted to behold the glory of the church triumphant . and now , having presumed to speak so much of londons great temple ( than which there is not a more conspicuous object upon earth , except the mount olympus , which is said to bear up heaven ) ; and having with a true sense of sorrow set forth the sad condition thereof , my prayers are , that it would please god to put it into the hearts , and move the spirits of those worthy patriots , who are now assembled to mend all breaches in the common-wealth , to propose some way for preserving this ancient great visible ornament from tumbling down : and there is a fair opportunity offered to this purpose ; for if those irregular new buildings be questioned ( whereof there are by computation , above a hundred thousand pop'd up within these forty years ) , it would , most humbly under favour , be very proper to employ part of the tax upon those houses , to repair gods house . . touching a noble bridge , and a navigable river , spoken of before , london is not inferior to any other city whatsoever : concerning the first , what a large rent hath it to preserve it self ? what a vast magazine of corn is there alwayes in the bridge-house , against a dearth ? what a number of officers , that look to the reparations thereof , are handsomly maintained thereby , and some of them persons of good quality ? touching the second , the river of thames hath not her fellow , if regard be had to the straightness and length of her course running from east to west , without many meanders , her convenient distance from the sea , to prevent surprizals , the chearfulness of the soyl on both sides , the wholsomness of her water , which makes the best-beer in the world , & is transported by forrein nations for other uses ; the variety of her fish , the fatness of her mud ; if regard be had also to those forrests of masts , which are perpetually upon her , the variety of smaller woodden bottoms plying up and down , the stately palaces that are built on both sides of her banks so thick , which made divers forrein ambassadors affirm , that the most glorious sight in the world ( take water and land together ) was to come upon a high tide from gravesend , and shoot the bridge to westminster . . for number of humane souls , breathing in city and suburbs ; london may compare with any in europe , in point of populousness : the last cense that was made in paris , came under a million ; but in the year . king charles sending to the lord mayor , to make a scrutiny , what number of roman catholiques and strangers , there were in the city , he took occasion thereby , to make a cense of all the people ; and there were of men , women , and children , above seven hundred thousand that lived within the barres of his jurisdiction alone ; and this being one and twenty years passed , 't is thought , by all probable computation , that london hath more by the third part now , then she had then . now , for westminster , and petty france , the strand , bedford berry , st. martins lane , long acre , drury lane , st. giles of the field , high holborn , grayes inne lane , st. jones , and st. georges street , clarken well , the out-lets of red and whitecrosse-street , the out-lets beyond the barres of bishopsgate , aldersgate , and southwark barres , beyond the tower , &c. take all these places , with divers more , which are contiguous , and one entire peece with london her self , i say , take all these buildings together , there will be found by all probable conjecture , as many inhabitants at least , as were found before within that compass , where the point of the lord mayors sword reacheth , which may amount in all , to a million and a half of humane souls : now , one way to know the populousness of a great city is , to observe the bills of mortality , and nativities every week . i think , there is no such custom in paris ; but for amsterdam , which is a very populous mercantile place , the ordinary number there , of those that go weekly out of the world , is but fifty , or thereabouts , and about so many come into the world every week ; but in london , the common weekly bills come to near upon . that come in , and about so many that go out of the world , though the last years general bill made twice as many to go out , as came in ; for it gives account of fourteen thousand and odd that dyed , and but seven thousand christened ; but this may be imputed ( the more 's the pitty ) to the confusion of sectaries , which swarm since the long parliament , as anabaptists , and others who use not to christen their children , a sad story to tell , so that there were many thousands born , which were not baptized , and whereof the bill speaks not . touching the form and shape of london , it may be aptly compared to a lawrel leaf , which is far more long then broad ; and were london round , as paris and other cities are , she would appear more populous , by a more often encounter of the passengers . concerning the length of london , take all buildings that are contiguous one to another from east to west , from the utmost point of westminster , to the utmost point beyond the tower , she may be well thought to be near upon five italian miles in longitude , and about half so much in latitude , and in circuit , above twelve miles . 't is true , that the suburbs of london are larger then the body of the city , which make some compare her to a jesuites hat , whose brims are far larger then the block , which made count gondamar the spanish ambassador to say , as the queen of spain was discoursing with him , upon his return from england , of the city of london . madam , i believe there will be no city left shortly , for all will run out at the gates to the suburbs ; and for the men , i think they are gone by this time into the country , for i left them all booted and spur'd when i came away . but touching the amplitude , and largeness of london , whereas charles the emperor , to put a complement upon paris , said , that she might be called a province , rather then a city , this term may better befit london , who is a county of her self . . from proportions and quantity , we will now go to the quality of the persons she hath produced from time to time : whereof there have been great numbers of most gallant and generous , most wealthy and worthy , most eminent and munificent brave men , who had souls as large as their substance , i mean such that received , either their first being , or well being from her. charles the quint was used to glory , that he was a citizen of ghent , having bin born there . henry the great , in answer to a letter of the king of spains , wherein he had enumerated above a score of soveraign titles , stiled himself only henry , roy de france , & bourgeois de paris . henry king of france , and burgesse of paris . but london hath greater cause to glory in this point , for constantine , the first christian emperor , a britain born , was her child . and a foul mistake it was in him , who writ the book of martyrs , when in his epistle dedicatory he saith , that constantine was the son of helena , an english woman , ( being pure british ) ; for the name of english was not then in the world , nor did the saxons , whence the english are derived , take footing in great britain , but a long time after . maud the empress was also a londoner born , with divers other great kings and princes . thomas becket , a man very famous in all the catholick countries , and held one of the highest saints , was born in london ; he was first one of the sheriffs clarks , then he was parson of st. mary hil ; then he went to bologna in italy , to study the law ; and at his return , he was made chancellor of england , and arch bishop of canterbury . innumerable other great clarks , and eminent bishops , were born in london ; and of late times , bishop lancelot andrews , who for his vast stock of learning , might be called , the universal bishop . there are now living , two great luminaries of the church , doctor wren , and doctor warner , born both in london , the one bishop of ely , the other bishop of rochester , a person of most acute intellectuals , and of rare excellent knowledge . fabian the famous chronologer was sheriff of london , and born there ; what a number of most munificent benefactors hath london had among her own natives , besides those whom she bred ; what a noble useful structure is leaden-hall , built at the sole charge of sir simon eyre draper , and lord mayor of london ? what a worthy foundation is st. johns colledge in oxford , built by sir thomas white , lord mayor of london , who was benefactor also to bristoll , reading , and above twenty towns besides ? what a bountiful benefactor was mr. william lambe , free of the company of clothworkers ? what a world of charitable deeds , did he do in town and countrey ? what a noble soul had sir thomas gresham mercer , and marchant , who built the royal exchange , gresham colledge , with another great countrey palace in middlesex ; what a notable benefactor , was mr. thomas howel , bred in his youth in spain , and afterwards in london , who was one of the greatest benefactors of the company of drapers , and , besides many other large acts of charity , he hath left such means to drapers hall , that if any mayden can derive her self from the right linage of howel in wales , the said hall is to give her l. towards her portion ; and this to continue for ever ; what a free large soul had mr. william jones , marchant , and free of the haberdashers , who in monmouth , the countrey where he was born , did build a fair free school , with very large allowance to the masters ; he was benefactor also to hamborough , stoad , and divers other places at home and abroad . to these two britains , we will add a third , which is sir hugh middleton , goldsmith ; what a hazardous , expenceful mighty work , did he perform , in bringing ware-river to run through the streets of london ? what an infinite universal benefit doth accrue thereby , to the whole city and suburbs ? how often did this great design take heat and cold , what faintings and fears , what oppositions did it break through , before it was perfectly finished ? what a large noble soul had sir baptist hicks , lord vicount campden ? what a number of worthy things did he in his life , and at his death , both for the advancement of religion and justice ? at campden , in the county of glocester , he repaired , and adorned god almighties house , and reard another for the poor , before he built any for himself ; he founded also there , a very commodious market-house , and having done many things more for the publick good in that place , he erected afterwards , a stately palace for his posterity , though the hard fate of the times , and the fury of the warre hath half destroyed it : he was also a great benefactor to the churches , and the poor of hamsted , and kensinton , to st. bartholomewes , and christ-church hospitals in london , to all the prisons ; as also to st. laurence church in the old jury : he purchased divers impropriations , and bestowed them upon the church in divers counties ; he was at the charge of erecting a convenient session-house , for the justices of middlesex to meet , in the middest of st. john's street , which is called hicks hall , and will so be called to all posterity . all these great lights he carried before him , and at his death he gave a world of legacies , and divers pensions to pious ministers and others , and bequeathed a great sum to be distributed among all his servants . to speak of all those noble londoners , who have done glorious things , both for church and state , in point of piety , stately structures of divers natures , for the publick good , and deeds of charity , would make a large volume of it self . i will conclude for the present , with a late worthy man , one mr. john walter , who was clark of drapers hall , who , having resolved with himself , when he had attained a competent subsistence for himself and his children , to employ the rest every year , for charitable uses , which he did constantly for many years : he built two hospitals near london , and it was a great while before the founder of them was known . he used to send a proportion of bread to be distributed among the poor , to divers churches ; and it was not known , who sent it , till he was dead , and that he was missing . it is thought by a computation that was made , that he had employed above ten thousand pounds to charitable uses of all sorts , private and publick , and he was so free from vain-glory , that his greatest care was to do them in such a manner , that his left hand should not know what his right hand did ; and in his study after his death , there was a bag of l. in gold , with a label in paper upon it , this is none of mine , but the poor's . lastly , for prerogatives , enfranchisements , immunities , charters , and liberties , for hospitality , and plentiful treatments ; as also for antiquity , the city of london comes not in the arrears to any . touching the last , 't is true , there are some cities in the east , that have the start of her in point of time , yet london was built years before rome , which is a fair age. touching the second , some call london , a lick-peny , ( as paris is called by some , a pick-purse ) because of feastings , with other occasions of expence and allurements , which cause so many unthrifts among countrey gentlemen , and others , who flock into her , in such excessive multitudes ; but this must be imputed not to the place , but to the persons ; for one may live in london as frugally , if he hath wit to make use of it , as in any other city whatsoever . t' is true , that the prizes of all things use to be enhanc'd by confluences , and swarms of people , which a judicious forreiner observing in london , said , that she bore no proportion with the iland , but might serve a kingdom thrice as big , and that england may be rather said , to be in london , then london in england , which made some compare her to the spleen , whose over-swelling , make the rest of the body languish ; but it might be answered , that london is rather like the stomack , which digests the wealth of the land , and after a good concoction , disperseth it again in wholsom nutriment to all parts . touching the third , viz. freedom and immunities , there 's no city hath more . in the raign of richard the second , it was enacted , that the citizens of london were to enjoy their priviledges , and franchises , licet usi non fuerint , vel abusi fuerint , whether they were not us'd or abus'd , notwithstanding any statute to the contrary , as the lord coke hath it in his institutes . in the lawes of the land , london is called sometimes camera regis , reipublicae cor , & totius regni epitome , the kings chamber , the heart of the common-wealth , and compendium of the whole kingdom ; sometimes she is called caput regum & legum , the head of kings , and of lawes ; nay , some of the roman emperors in their edicts , called her augusta , which is a name alwayes of magnificence and state. and now will i take leave of the noble augusta , or city of london , concluding with this hearty wish , couch'd in these two hexameters , and relating to her proportion , or shape , which is a laurel leaf , as formerly was said . londinum lauri folio non impare formâ , floreat urbs , sicut laurus , semperque virescat , london is like a laurel leaf , may she , be verdant still , and flourish like the tree . finis . an index pointing at the chief passages throughout the whole book . a. augusta , a name given by the roman emperors to london . fol. . appellations which forrain authors give of london . fol. . of algate . fol. . of amwel river brought to london , fol. . the lord ailwine first alderman in england , anno . fol. . of the authority and state of the lord mayor of london . fol. . his attendants and officers , with divers prerogatives . fol. . of the ancient court of the hustings . fol. . austin the monk , the english-mens apostle . fol. . the arms of all the companies and corporations of london blazon'd . fol. . the antiquity of all the companies of london . fol. . of allhallowes barking . fol. . of algate ward . fol. . of st. andrew undershaft . fol. . of augustine fryers . fol. . st. albanes , a very ancient church in london . fol. . of aldersgate ward . fol. of the ancient great monuments in christs church . fol. . the antiquities of southwark . fol. . an alderman alotted to every ward . fol. . the abbey of westminster , the greatest sanctuary . fol. . of the court of admiralty . fol. . a contest 'twixt the court of admiralty , and westminster hall. fol. . of amsterdam . fol. . of auspurg . fol. . b. the britains concreated with this iland . fol. . the british etymologies of london . fol. . the britains were first founders and god-fathers of london . fol. . of bainards castle . fol. . of the chief banner-bearer of the city of london . fol. . the black fryers built of the ruines of the tower of monfiquet . fol. . bishops have bin good friends to london . fol. . of barking church . fol. . the bayliff of rumford strangely executed . fol. . the common burse at first in lombard-street . fol. o● bishopsgate ward . fol. of bethlem , now called bedlam , and the notable deed of gift that was made thereof . fol. of broad-street ward . fol. of billingsgate ward . fol. of billingsgate some things remarkable . fol. of the bridge-ward within . fol. of buckles-berry . fol. of basings-hall ward . fol. of backwell-hall . fol. the history of the black-fryers . fol. of breadstreet ward . fol. of bridewell . fol. of st. brides . fol. of the bridge-house . fol. a british prophecy , lately verified . fol. bishop of chesters inne . fol. of bedford , york , salisbury , worcester-house , with others . fol. of bedford berry . fol. of babylon , fol. c. cornelius tacitus lived seven years in britain . the epist . the character which tacitus gives of london . fol. constantine the great , first builder of london walls . fol. contests 'twixt the lord admiral , and lord mayor about the thames . fol. the conservancy of the thames , belongs de jure to the lord mayor . fol. the character of london bridg in latine and english verse fol. a city compared to a ship. fol. of the several courts belonging to the city of london . fol. ceremonies used in the election of the lord mayor and the sheriffs . fol. the clashes 'twixt the city of london , and divers kings . fol. no city without a cathedral church , and a bishops see. fol. of the several companies and corporations belonging to the city of london . fol. corporations prejudicial to monarchy . fol. the custom-house key called in former times , petty wales . fol. of the crouched fryers . fol. of cornhill-ward . fol. of candlewick-ward . fol. the charter of the styliard . fol. of cordwainers-ward . fol. of cheap-ward . fol. of the great crosse in cheap . fol. of colemanstreet-ward . fol. of cripplegate-ward . fol. of the chappel of jesus , hard by pauls . fol. the counter removed from bread-street , to vvood-street . fol. of castle-baynard-ward . fol. a clash 'twixt the lord mayor and the lawyers . fol. d. of diana's chamber hard by pauls . fol. a description of pauls . fol. the duty of the lord mayor to conserve the thames . fol. divers small bridges in former times in london . fol. of drapers-hall . fol. of dowgate-ward . fol. dowgate-ward hath many things considerable . fol. of the dance of death , painted at pauls . fol. the difference 'twixt southark and london , in point of government . fol. of the dutchy of lancaster and savoy , with the liberties thereof . fol. of durham-house . fol. e. the english converted to christianity by the britains . fol. the emperor charles lodged in the black-fryers . fol. of the elms , the place of common execution in times passed . fol. edward the confessors charter to vvestminster . fol. of the exchequer court. fol. of the court of equity , or chancery . fol. an encomium of the civil law. fol. of the city of florence . fol. an extravagant saying of a french baron . in the epist . of the eminent citizens of london . fol. f. the foundation and first rise of the city of london . fol. fitstephen reports of london . fol. of the fresh water rivers that were in london . fol. . a factious saying of the lord mayors to king james . fol. fearful fires on london-bridg . fol. of the four inns of court. fol. of the present factions in london . fol. of fishers folly hard by bishopsgate . fol. of fenchurch . fol. of the fishmongers company . fol. of faringdon intra ward . fol. of faringdon ward extra . fol. of bartholomew-fair , fol. of fewter or fetter-lane . fol. g. of the gates of london . fol. of the great famous river of thames . fol. of grayes inne . fol. of gresham colledge . fol. the government of london . fol. of knighten guild . fol. of grasse-street , vulgarly called gracious-street . fol. of grocers-hall . fol. of the guild-hall . fol. of st. giles by cripplegate . fol. of golding-lane . ibid. the history of the gray fryers , by newgate market . fol. of the great wardrobe . fol. of st. giles of the field . fol. of the gran cayro . fol. of genoa . fol. a guesse at the number of humane souls breathing in london . fol. of the general trade of london . fol. of the gravity , and state of the lord mayor , and the aldermen . fol. h. of sir hugh middleton , and ware river . fol. the history of london bridge , from its beginning . fol. the history of the great tower of london . fol. the history of the saxons , or englishmen . fol. of the hustings court. fol. of the holy trinity by algate , a famous priory , with the great prerogatives thereof . fol. of st. helens church , sometimes a nunnery . fol. of the haunce of almain , or the styliard . fol. . henry the eighth came in habit of a yeoman to see the watch. fol. the history of cheap-side-crosse . fol. the history of the guildhall . fol. the history of the jews in england . fol. the history of moorfields . fol. the history of sion colledg . fol. the history of pauls church . fol. of houndsditch . fol. of hamburg and the hans towns. fol. of the inns of court. fol. fol. justs and tournments in former times upon london-bridg . fol. of the inns of chancery . fol. julius caesar only a discoverer of great britain , and claudius caesar the conqueror . fol. the ill may-day . fol. of jack straw . fol. the jews banish'd out of england . fol. where the jews had their synagogue in london . fol. jews murthered by the londoners . fol. of the jew that fell into a jakes at tewksbury . fol. of james the fourth , king of scots . fol. of st. james hospital , or the charter-house . fol. of st. james's house and park . fol. l. of london-stone . fol. of ludgate . fol. london bridg hath two many eyes . fol. london much beholden to her bishops . fol. london like a hive of bees . fol. london a lick-peny . fol. of lumley-house . fol. of limestreet ward . fol. of leaden-hall , and the foundation thereof . fol. a laudable custom at st. mary spittle , for rehearsal of sermons . fol. of loseworth or spittle-field , and strange monuments that were found there . fol. of langborn ward fol. of lombard-street . fol. of lothberry . fol. of lollards tower. fol. of lincolns inne . fol. the length of london . fol. the latitude of london . fol. m. the method of the work . fol. of moorgate . fol. the lord mayors of london had divers appellations . fol. of the lord mayor , and manner of his election . fol. of mart-lane , and minchinlane . fol. of the minories . fol. of st. mary spittle . fol. of marchantaylors-hall . fol. of st. michael in corn-hill . fol. . of mercers chappel . fol. of melitus bishop of london . fol. of the ancient monuments in pauls church . fol. of the monuments in the temple church . fol. of the marshalsey . fol. the chief monuments of westminster . fol. of the mewse . fol. n. a notable saying of count gundamar , touching the jesuites . fol. of northumberland-house . fol. a new monument of a porter in cheape-side . fol. of newgate , and the market thereof . fol. of the new market in st. clements field . fol. of the city of naples . fol. o. otia imperialia , an ancient book of gervase of tilberry . fol. of the officers attending the lord mayor of london . fol. of the old jury . fol. of the old exchange . fol. of old fishstreet-hill . fol. of the heralds office. fol. of old burn , or holburn . fol. of the old baylie . fol. of the clink . fol. of st. mary overy . fol. of st. olaves . fol. p. the proeme . fol. the parallel . fol. of the posterns about london . fol. of pauls church . fol. pauls church built partly at first , and now destroyed , by the sins of the people . fol. the passage of the thames from her first spring . fol. the pittiful speech of queen jane when beheaded . fol. divers priviledges given to the lord mayor of london . fol. provost marshal given the city by queen elizabeth . fol. the prior of the holy trinity at aldgate , once a great man in the government of the city of london . fol. paris a pick-purse . fol. of portsoken-ward . fol. the famous priory of the holy trinity , built by queen matilda . fol. the prior of the holy trinity , alwayes an alderman of london . fol. of pawlet , or winchester house in broad-street . fol. of st. peter upon corn-hill , and of the ancient table that hangs there . fol. of the priory of st. bartholomew . fol. of the priviledges of london . fol. the popes-head-tavern a kings palace in times passed . fol. of the priviledges of the styliard . fol. pauls steeple and church-fired . fol. parliament kept in black fryers . fol. of puddle-wharf . fol. a purchase made of much lands in southwark by the city , of edward the sixth . fol. of the prisons in southwark . fol. of the high court of parliament . fol. of the common pleas. fol. of palermo . fol. of paris . fol. q. of queen hith . fol. of the pious queen matilda . fol. of the most pious queen eleanor . fol. of the city of quinzay , call'd the celestical city . fol. r. restitutus bishop of london , sate at the councel of arles , in constantines time . fol. of the royal exchange , and the name given unto it by queen elizabeth , with the ceremonyes us'd . fol. of robert fabian the chronicler . fol. of the rolls and six clerks office . fol. of rome . fol. rome eight times sack'd . fol. of the city of roven . fol. s. of the publick schools in london . fol. of the sheriffs of london , and their election . fol. the several courts belonging to the city of london . fol. of the spiritual government of london . fol. of sydon lane , vulgarly sithinglane . fol. of the shaft of st. andrew . fol. a strange accident happened in st. michaels church in corn-hill . fol. a strange tomb found in st. mary hill church . fol. of the stock , and salt fishmongers , and their antiquity . fol. of the stocks . fol. of the steelyard , or guilda aula teutonicorum . fol. of sweet wines . fol. of the standard in cheap . fol. a shank-bone and tooth of a marvellous bigness in st. laurence church . fol. of sion colledge . fol. of st. martin le grand , and the great priviledges it had . fol. of smithfield . fol. of southwark ward . fol. of the stew-houses allowed in times pass'd . fol. of the suburbs of london . fol. of suttons hospital . fol. the strange judgements fallen upon the duke of somerset for sacriledge . fol. of the savoy . fol. of the shape of london . fol. t. of the tower of london . fol. of the lyon tower. ibid. the tower of london delivered to lewis of france . fol. theon the britain , first bishop of london . fol. of tower-street ward . fol. the prerogatives of the tower. fol. of the tun , a prison in cornhill in times passed , now a conduit . fol. of the tower royal. fol. the tragical end of william fitzosbert . fol. great tryumph in smithfield in times pass'd . fol. the templer knight arraigned in london . fol. twenty particulars , wherein the city of london may compare with any other city . fol. v of the vintry ward . fol. the vintners of old , called marchant-vintners of gascogne . fol. the lady venetia stanley , hath a fair monument in christ-church . fol. of the upper bench court. fol. of venice . fol. of vienna . fol. w. william the conquerors charter to the city of london . fol. the wardmote-inquest a wholsome constitution . fol. of the six and twenty several wards of london . fol. westminster first called thorney . fol. of wat tylar . fol. of sir william walworth , and the manner of his knighting . fol. of wallbrook ward . fol. whittington four times lord mayor , and thrice buried . fol. the weavers ancient charter . fol. of watling-street . fol. of winchester-house . fol. of wapping . fol. westminster and london compared . fol. of westminster-abbey , with the history thereof . fol. of white-hall . fol. a witty speech of henry the th of france . fol. a witty saying of charles the emperor . in epist . of the wardmore inquest . fol. a witty passage of henry the great , of france . fol. a witty saying of count gandamar of london . fol. a catalogue of mr. howels works , in several volumes . printed by mr. humphrey mosely . . mr. howels history of lewis the thirteenth , king of france , with the life of his cardinal de richelieu . fol. . mr. howels epistolae hoelianae , familiar letters , domestick and forreign , in six sections , partly historical , political , philosaphical , the first volume with additions , octavo . . mr. howels new volume of familiar letters , partly historical , political , philosophical ; the second volume with many additions , octavo . . mr. howels third volume of additional letters , of a fresher date , never before published , octavo . . mr. howels dodona's grove , or the vocall forrest , in folio ; together , with the second part in folio , never printed before . . mr. howels englands teares , for the present warres . . mr. howels pre-eminence and pedigree of parliament , in duodecimo in an answer to mr. pryn. . mr. howels instructions and directions for forrain travels , in twelves , with divers additions for travelling into turky , and the levant parts . . mr. howels votes , or a poem-royal , presented to his majesty , in quarto . . mr. howels angliae suspiria , and lachrymae in twelves , tumulus thalamus , two counter-poems ; the first an elegy upon edward earl of dorset ; the second , an epithalamium to the lord m. of dorchester . parallels reflecting on the times . a german dyet , or the ballance of europe , wherein the power and weakness , glory and reproach , vertues and vices , plenty and wants , advantages and defects , antiquity and modernness , of all the kingdoms and states of christendom , are impartially poiz'd , by james howel esq fol. parthenopoeia , or the history of the most noble and renowned kingdom of naples , with the lists of all their kings ; the first part translated out of the italian , by mr. samson lennard ; the second part continued to the present times , . by james howel esq ; more of mr. howels works , printed by other men . the great french dictionary refined and augmented , in a large folio . a survey of the signiory of venice , in folio . a dialogue 'twixt the soul and the body . the first part of the late revolutions in naples . the second part of the said revolutions . the warre of the jews epitomiz'd . sir robert cottons works , which he was desired to publish . saint pauls progresse upon earth . some sober inspections made into the cariage and consults of the late long parliament . a venetian looking-glasse . a winter dream . the trance , or mercurius acheronticus . a dialogue 'twixt patricius and peregrin . an inquisition after blood . the instruments of a king. the late kings declaration in latine , french , and english . bella scoto anglica , or the traverses of warr , 'twixt england and scotland . mercurius hibernicus . the process and pleadings in the court of spain , for the death of mr. ascham , in folio . londinopolis , or a new prospect of the city of london and westminster . three of all which books are translations , the rest his own compositions . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * the prime bridge in venice . an inquisition after blood. to the parliament in statu quo nunc, and to the army regnant; or any other whether royallist, presbyterian, independent or leveller, whom it may concern. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) an inquisition after blood. to the parliament in statu quo nunc, and to the army regnant; or any other whether royallist, presbyterian, independent or leveller, whom it may concern. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. s.n.], [london : printed in the yeer, . attributed to james howell. place of publication from wing. annotation on thomason copy: "july th". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng great britain -- history -- civil war, - -- early works to . great britain -- politics and government -- - -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no an inquisition after blood.: to the parliament in statu quo nunc, and to the army regnant; or any other whether royallist, presbyterian, in howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - angela berkley sampled and proofread - angela berkley text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an inquisition after blood . to the parliament in statu quo nunc , and to the army regnant ; or any other whether royallist , presbyterian , independent or leveller , whom it may concern . blood is a crying sin , but that of kings cryes loudest for revenge , and ruine brings . printed in the yeer , . an inquisition after blood . the scope of this short discourse is to make some researches after truth , and to rectifie the world accordingly in point of opinion , specially touching the first author and aggressor of the late ugly war in england , which brought with it such an inundation of blood , and so let in so huge a torrent of mischiefs to rush upon us . there be many , and they not only presbyterians and independents , but cavaliers also , who think that the king had taken the guilt of all this blood upon himselfe , in regard of that concession he passed in the preamble of the late treaty at the isle of wight ; the aime of this paper is to cleere that point , but in so temperate a way , that i hope 't will give no cause of exception , much lesse of offence to any : the blood that 's sought after here , shall not be mingled with gaule , much lesse with anie venome at all . we know there is no principle either in divinity , law , or phylosophie , but may be wrested to a wrong sense ; there is no truth so demonstrative and cleere , but may be subject to cavillations ; no tenet so plaine , but perverse inferences may be drawne out of it ; such a fate befell that preambular concession his majesty passed at the transactions of the late treaty , in that he acknowledg'd therein that the two houses of parliament were necessitated to undertake a war in their owne just and lawfull defence , &c. and that therefore all oaths , declarations , or other public instruments against the houses of parliament , or any for adhering to them , &c. be declared null , suppressed , and forbidden . 't is true , his majesty passed this grant , but with this weighty consideration , as it had reference to two ends . first , to smoothen and facilitate things thereby to ope a passage , and pave the way to a happy peace , which this poor iland did so thirst after , having been so long glutted with civill blood . secondly , that it might conduce to the further security , and the indemnifying of the two houses of parlement , with all their instruments , assistants , and adherents , and so rid them of all jealousies , and fear ( of future dangers ) which still lodg'd within them . now touching the expressions and words of this grant , they were not his owne , nor did he give order for the dictating or penning thereof ; the king was not the author of them , but an assenter only unto them : nor was he or his party accus'd , or as much as mentioned in any of them , to draw the least guilt upon themselves . besides , he pass'd them as he doth all lawes and acts of parlement , which in case of absence another may do for him in his politic capacity , therefore they cannot prejudice his person any way . i am loth to say that he condescended to this grant , — cùm strict a novacula supra , when the razor was as it were at his throat , when ther was an army of about thirty thousand effect if horse and foot that were in motion against him , when his person had continued under a black long lingring restraint , and dangerous menacing petitions and papers daily obtruded against him . moreover , his majesty pass'd this concession with these two provisos and reservations , first , that it should be of no vertu or validity at all , till the whole treaty were intirely consummated . secondly , that he might when he pleas'd inlarge and cleer the truth with the reservedness of his meaning herein , by public declaration : now the treaty being confusedly huddled up , without discussing , or as much as receiving any proposition from himself as was capitulated , ( and reciprocal proposals are of the essence of all treaties ) it could neither bind him , or turne any way to his disadvantage : therfore under favour , ther was too much hast us'd by the parlement , to draw that hipothetick or provisional concession to the form of an act so suddenly after in the very heat of the treaty , without his majesties knowledge , or the least intimation of his pleasure . add hereunto , that this grant was but a meer preambular proposition , 't was not of the essence of the treaty it self : and as the philosophers and schoolemen tell us , there is no valid proof can be drawn out of proemes , introductions or corallaries in any science , but out of the positive assertions and body of the text , which is only argument-proof ; so in the constitutions and lawes of england , as also in all accusations and charges , forerunning prefaces and preambles ( which commonly weak causes want most ) are not pleadable : and though they use to be first in place , like gentlemen-ushers , yet are they last in dignity , as also in framing , nor had they ever the force of lawes , but may be term'd their attendants to make way for them . besides , ther 's not a syllable in this preface which repeales or connives at any former law of the land , therefore those lawes that so strictly inhibit english subjects to raise armes against their liege lord the king , and those lawes è contrario , which exempt from all dangers , penalties or molestation any subject that adheres to the person of the king in any cause or quarrell whatsoever , are still in force . furthermore , this introductory concession of the kings , wherein he is contented to declare , that the two houses were necessitated to take armes for their defence , may be said to have relation to the necessity , à parte pòst , not à parte antè : self-defence is the universall law of nature , and it extends to all other creatures , as well as the rationall : as the sluent roman orator in that sentence of his , which is accounted among the critiques the excellentest that ever drop'd from him ; est enim haec non scripta , sed nata lex , quam non didicimus , accepimus , legimus , verùm ex natura ipsa arripuimus , hausimus , expressimus , ad quam non docti , sed facti , non instituti , sed imbuti sumus , ut si vita nostra in &c. for this ( meaning self-defence ) is not a written , but a law born with us ; a law which we have not learnt , receiv'd or read , but that which we have suck'd , drawn forth , and wrung out of nature her self ; a law to which we are not taught , but made unto , wherewith we are not instructed , but indued withall , that if our lifes be in jeopardy , &c. we may repell force by force . therefore when the house of parliament had drawn upon them a necessity of self-defence ( and i could have wish'd it had been against any other but their own soveraign prince ) his majesty was contented to acknowledge that necessity . as for example : a man of war meets with a marchant man at sea , he makes towards him , and assaults him ; the marchant man having a good stout vessell under him , and resolute generous seamen , bears up against him , gives him a whole broad side , and shoots him 'twixt wind and water ; so there happens a furious fight betwixt them , which being ended , the marchant cannot deny but that the man of war , though the first assailant , was necessitated to fight , and that justly in his own defence , which necessity he drew upon himself , and so was excusable , à posteriori , not à priori ; as the civilians speak of a clandestine marriage , fieri non debuit , sed factum valet ; it ought not to have been , but being done 't is valid : whereunto relates another saying , multa sunt quae non nisi peracta approbantur . there are many things which are not allowable till they are pass'd . the kings of france have had sundry civill warrs , many bloudy encounters and clashes with their subjects , specially the last king lewis the thirteenth , which turn'd all at last to his advantage ; among other treaties upon that of loudu● , he was by force of article to publish an edict , dons lequel le roy approuvoit tout le passé comme ayant esté fait pour son service , &c. whrein the king approv'd of all that was pass'd , as done for his service , &c. and these concessions and extenuations are usuall at the close of most civill warrs ; but there was never any further advantage made of them , then to make the adverse party more capable of grace and pardon , to enable them to bear up against the brunt of lawes , and secure them more firmly from all afterclaps ; they were pass'd in order to an act of abolition , to a generall pardon , and consequently to a reestablishment of peace ; now , peace and vvarr ( we know ) are like vvater and ice , they engender one another : but i do not remember to have read either in the french story , or any other , that such royall concessions at the period of any intestin war were ever wrung so hard , as to draw any inference from them , to cast therby the guilt of blood or indeed the least stain of dishonor upon the king ; for royall indulgences and grants of this nature are like nurses breasts , if you presse them gently there will milk come forth , if you wring them too hard you will draw forth blood in lieu of milk : and i have observed , that upon the conclusion of such treaties in france , both parties wold hugg and mutually embrace one another in a gallant way of national humanity ; all rancor , all plundrings , sequestration , and imprisonment , wold cease , nor wold any be prosecuted , much lesse made away afterwards in cold bloud . touching the comencer of this monstrous war of ours , the world knows too well , that the first man of bloud was blewcap , who shew'd subjects the way , how to present their king with petitions upon the pikes point , and what visible judgements have fallen upon him since by such confusions of discord and pestilence at home , and irreparable dishonour abroad , let the world judge . the irish took his rise from him : and whereas it hath been often suggested , that his majesty had fore-knowledge thereof , among a world of convincing arguments which may cleer him in this particular , the lord maguair upon the ladder , and another upon the scaffold , when they were ready to breath their last , and to appear before the tribunall of heaven , did absolutely acquit him , and that spontaneously of their own accord , being unsought unto , but only out of a love to truth , and the discharge of a good conscience : but touching those c●uentous irish warrs , in regard there was nothing whereof more advantage was made against his late majesty , to imbitter and poison the hearts of his subjects against him then that rebellion , i will take leave to wind up the main causes of them upon a small bottome . . they who kept intelligence and complied with the scot , in his first and second insurrection . . they who dismiss'd the first irish commissioners ( who came of purpose to attend our parlement with some grievances ) with such a short unpolitic harsh answer . . they who took off straffords head , ( which had it stood on , that rebellion had never been ) and afterwards retarded the dispatch of the earl of leicester from going over to be lord-lievtenant . . lastly , they who hindred part of that disbanded army of . men rais'd there by the earl of strafford , which his majesty , in regard they were souldiers of fortune , and loose casheer'd men , to prevent the mischiefs that might befall that kingdome by their insolencies , had promised the two spanish ambassadors , the marquesses of velada and malvezzi , then resident in this court : which souldiers rise up first of any , and put fire to the tumult to find something to do . they , i say , who did all this , may be justly said to have been the true causes of that horrid insurrection in ireland ; and consequently 't is easie to judge upon the account of whose souls must be laid the blood of those hundred and odd thousand poor christians who perished in that war : and had it been possible to have brought o're their bodies unputrified to england , and to have cast them at the lower house door , and in the presence of some members , which are now either secluded , or gone to give account in another world , i believe their noses would have gush'd out with blood for discovery of the true murtherers . touching this last fire-brand of war , which was thrown into england , who they were that kindled it first , the consciences of those indifferent & unblassed men are fittest to be judges , who have been curious to observe with impartiall eyes , the carriage of things from the beginning . i confesse 't was a fatall infortunate thing , that the king should put such a distance 'twixt his person and his parliament , but a more fatall and barbarous thing it was , that he should be driven away from it , that there should be a desperate designe to surprize his person , that ven with his myrmidons , and bourges with his bandogs , ( for so they call'd the riffraff of the city they brought along with them ) should rabble him away , with above four parts in five of the lords , and neere upon two parts in three of the commons : yet 't is fit it should be remembred , what reiterated messages his majesty sent from time to time afterward , that he was alwaies ready to return , provided there might be a course taken to secure his person , with those peers & others who were rioted away from the houses ; 't is fit it shold be remembred , that there was not the least motion of war at all , till hotham kept his majesty out of his own town kingston upon hul , where being attended by a few of his meniall servants , he came only to visit her , which act of hotham's by shutting the gates against him was voted warrantable by the house of commons , and it may be call'd the first thunderbolt of war : 't is fit it should be remembred , that a while after there was a compleat army of . effect if horse and foot inrolled in and about london to fetch him to his parliament by force , and remove ill counsellors from about him , ( long before he put up his royall standard ) and the generall nam'd to live and die with them : and very observable it is , how that generalls father was executed for a traytor , for but attempting such a thing upon queen elizabeth , i meane to remove ill counsellors from about her by force . 't is also to be observed , that the same army which was rais'd to bring him to his parliament , was continued to a clean contrary end two yeers afterwards to keep him from his parlement . 't is fit it should be remembred , who interdicted trade first , and brought in forraigners to help them , and whose commissions of warre were neere upon two moneths date before the kings . 't is fit it should be remebred how his majesty in all his declarations and public instruments made alwaies deep protestations , that 't was not against his parliament he raised armes , but against some seditious members , against whom he had onely desired the common benefit of the law , but could not obtaine it . 't is fit to remember , that after any good successes or advantage of his , he still courted both parlement and city to an accommodation ; how upon the treaty at uxbridge , with much importunity for the generall advantage and comfort of his people and to prepare matters more fitly for a peace , he desired there might be freedom of trade from town to town , and a cessation of all acts of hostility for the time , that the inflamation being allayd , the wound might be cur'd the sooner : all which was denied him . 't is fit to remember how a noble lord at that time told the parlements commissioners in his majesties name , at the most unhappy rupture of the said treaty , that when he was at the highest he wold be ready to treat with them , and fight with them when he was at the lowest : 't is fit the pres●●● army shold remember how often both in their propos●●● , and public declarations they have inform'd the world , and deeply protested that their principall aime was to restore his majestie to honor , freedom and safety , whereunto they were formerly bound , both by their own protestation and covenant , that the two commanders in chief pawn'd unto him their soules thereupon . let them remember , that since he was first snatch't away to their custody , he never displeas'd them in the least particular , but in all his overtures for peace , and all his propositions he had regard still that the army shold be satisfied : let it be remembred , that to settle a blessed peace to preserve his subjects from rapine and ruine , and to give contentment to his parlement , he did in effect freely part with his sword , scepter , and crown , and ev'ry thing that was personall to him : let it be remembred with what an admired temper , with what prudence and constancie with what moderation and mansuetude hee comported himselfe since his deep afflictions , insomuch that those commissioners and others who resorted unto him , and had had their hearts so averse unto him before , return'd his converts , crying him up to be one of the sanctifiedst persons upon earth : and will not the blood of such a prince cry aloud for vengeance ? let it be remembred , that though there be some precedents of deposing kings in this kingdome , and elsewhere , when there was a competition for the right title to the crown by some other of the blood royall , yet 't is a thing not only unsampled , but unheard of in any age , that a king of england whose title was without the least scruple , shold be summon'd and arraign'd , tryed , condemn'd , and executed in his own kingdom , by his own subjects , and by the name of their own king , to whom they had sworn alleagiance . the meanest barister that hath but tasted the laws of the land can tell you , that it is an unquestionable fundamentall maxime , the king can do no wrong , because he acts by the mediation of his agents and ministers , he heares with other mens eares , he sees with other mens eyes , he consults with other mens braines , he executes with other mens hands , and judges with other mens consciences ; therefore his officers counsellors or favorits are punishable , not 〈◊〉 and i know not one yet whom he hath spar'd , but sacrificed to justice . the crown of england is of so coruscant and pure a mettall , that it cannot receive the least taint or blemish ; and if there were any before in the person of the prince , it takes them all away and makes him to be rectus in c●r●a . this as in many others may be exemplified in henry the seventh , and the late queen elizabeth : when the first came to the crown 't was mention'd in parlement , that the attainder might be taken off him , under which he lay all the time he liv'd an exile in france ; it was then by the whole house of parlement resolv'd upon the question , that it was unnecessary , because the crown purg'd all . so likewise when queen elizabeth was brought as it were from the scaffold to the throne ; though she was under a former attainder , yet 't was thought superflous to take it off , for the crown was lieth away al spots , and darteth such a brightnesse , such resplendent beams of majesty , that quite dispel al former clouds : so that put case king iames died a violent death , and his son had been accessary to it ( which is as base a lie as ever the devil belch'd out ) yet his accesse to the crown had purg'd all . this businesse about the playster which was applied to king iames , was sifted & winnow'd as narrowly as possibly a thing could be in former parlements , yet when it was exhibited as an article against the duke of buckingham , 't was term'd but a presumption or misdemeanure of a high nature : and 't is strange that these new accusers shold make that a parricide in the king , which was found but a presumption in the duke , who in case it had been so , must needs have been the chiefest accessary . and as the antient crown and royall diadem of england is made of such pure allay , and cast in so dainty a mould , that it can receive no taint , or contract the least speck of enormity and foulenesse in it self , so it doth endow the person of the prince that weares it with such high prerogatives , that it exempts him from all sorts of publique blemishes , from all attainders , empeachments , summons , arraignments and tryalls ; nor is there or ever was any law or precedent in this land , to lay any crime or capitall charge against him , though touching civill matters , touching propertie of meum and tuum , he may be impleaded by the meanest vassall that hath sworn fealty to him ; as the subjects of france , and spain may against their kings , though never so absolute monarchs . in the constitutions of england , there are two incontroulable maximes , whereof the meanest mootman that hath but saluted littleton cannot be ignorant : the first is , rex in suis dominiis neque habet parem , nec superiorem . the king in his own dominions hath neither peer , or superior . the other is satis habet rex ad poenam quod deum expectet ultorem : 't is punishment enough for a king that god will take revenge of him . therefore if it be the fundamentall constitution of the land , that all just tryalls must be by peers , and the law proclaimes the king to have none in his own dominions , i leave the world to judge , what capacity or power those men had to arraigne the late king , to be in effect his accusers and judges ; and that an exorbitant unsampled tribunall shold be erected , with power and purpose to condemn all that came before it , to cleer none , and that sentence of death shold passe without conviction or law upon him that was the head and protector of all the lawes . lastly , that they who by their own confession represent but the common people , should assume power to cut off him who immediately represented god , — cui dabit partes scelus expiandi iupiter ? — well , we have seen such portentous things , that former ages never beheld , nor will future ages ever be witnesse of the like : nay , posterity , after a century or two will hold what is now really acted to be but romances : and now with thoughts full of consternation and horror ; with a heartfull of amazement and trembling for the flagrant and crying sins of this forlorn nation , which hath drawn such an endlesse warr , and an unheard of slaverie upon it self , i will conclude with this short prayer , which carrieth with it as much of universall charity , as of particular : god amend all , and me first . finis . a german diet, or, the ballance of europe wherein the power and vveaknes ... of all the kingdoms and states of christendom are impartially poiz'd : at a solemn convention of som german princes in sundry elaborat orations pro & con ... / by james howell, esq. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a german diet, or, the ballance of europe wherein the power and vveaknes ... of all the kingdoms and states of christendom are impartially poiz'd : at a solemn convention of som german princes in sundry elaborat orations pro & con ... / by james howell, esq. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , , , [ ] p. : port. printed for humphrey moseley, and are to be sold at his shop ..., london : . errata: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng national characteristics. europe. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion heic tutus obumbror symbol . auth. a german diet : or , the ballance of europe . wherein the power and vveaknes glory and reproch vertues and vices plenty and vvant advantages and defects antiquity and modernes of all the kingdoms and states of christendom are impartially poiz'd . at a solemn convention of som german princes in sundry elaborat orations pro & con. made fit for the meridian of england , by iames howell esq. senesco , non segnesco . london , printed for humphrey moseley , and are to be sold at his shop at the prince's armes in saint paul's church-yard . . to the right honorable , and the most accomplishd lord , john , earle of clare , &c. my lord , my brain was a good while in labor before it could produce a resolution , to whom of those noble personages i have the honor to wait upon somtimes i shold most properly addresse this piece in point of dedication : at last , my thoughts reflecting upon your lordship , did there acquiesce and settle . nor , i beleeve , will any knowing soul question my judgment in this election , considering how excellently your lordship is versd in the customes , conditions and languages of divers nations , which is the scope and subject of these criticall orations , though running in a new untrodden way . moreover , the orators here being princes , and noblemen , wherof those of germany are esteemd to be of the ancientst extraction and purest allaye of any in europe , being those who yet retain their first integrity as machiavill confesseth , i say , the orators here being all peers , i thought it not incongruous to present their conceptions to a personage of their own rank , that patronus might be par operi . lastly , the main design of this application to your lordship was to divulge my gratitude for the frequent noble respects i receave within your walls , that not only the present times may bear witnes , but future ages may find it allso upon record ( in this small monument ) how much i am ( and was ) my highly honored lord , your most humble , and truly devoted servitor , iames howell . london idus junii , . to the discerning reader , whether home-bred , or broken in the world abroad . as fire is comonly struck by concussion of flint and steel , which are two differing bodies ; so truth , who is the child of light , as also knowledg , who is the child of truth use to break out , and appeer more conspicuous by contest of argument , and the clashing of discrepant opinions : it was the first dessein , and it is the method of this work all along , which descants by way of contraries and altercations upon the humors of all the european nations : som of these orations ( in point of matter ) may be sayed to be sugar dissolv'd in oyl , others salt mingled with pepper and som dashes of vineger , yet it is not sal momi , but sal mercurii , ther is nothing here scurrilous or favouring of malice ; the dirt which is thrown here is like the dirt of oysters , which rather cleanseth then contaminats : we all are coppies of adam the prototype , infirmities are entail'd upon us by a conveyance drawn in his time , therfore it must not be expected that man shold be better out of paradis , then when he was in 't : ther is neither horse , nor humane creture so good but is subject to stumbling , and that stumbling may make him afterwards go faster and stronger in the road of vertu . i have read of an old french poet iean clopinel or de meung who was a great satyrist , his pen was like the dart of death , it spar'd none ; and having fallen foul upon the queen's maydes of honor for their wantones in these two verses which were fix'd upon the dore of the back staires . toutes estes , serez , ou futes de fait on de volonte puttes . yee are , or will be , or have bin all whores in act , or thought of sin. complaint being made herof , iean de meung was deliver'd over for a sacrifice to the maydes , who having got him bound to a post to be whip'd , he sayed , noble ladies , let me desire but one boon of you before you fall to execution , and it is , that she of you which finds her self most guilty wold give me the first lash : therupon they fell gazing one upon another , and none wold begin ; so the poet scap'd . the application herof is easy if it be made to relate to the countreys of europe : we read the queen of bewty herself had a mole , and queen anne of bullen had a wren upon her neck , to hide which , ruffs were brought first in fashion . so the best region and fayrest city on earth have their blemishes . now touching those frailties which are thus hereditary to mankind ; ther is nothing contributs more to the propagation & practise of them then diversity of opinions and caprichios of the brain , which are infinit ; and how can it be otherwise ? for if out of . letters only in the alphabet so many millions of differing words may be fram'd , and if these two verses alone ( which relate to good and bad according to the subject of the book ) rex , lex , grex , res , spes , ius , thus , sal , sol , ( bona ) lux , laus , mars , mors , sors , fraus , fex , styx , nox , crux , pus ( mala ) vis , lis ; i say if so few words ( and we know words are the indexes of the mind ) may be varyed ( as it hath bin tryed ) to nere upon four millions of verses , how many variations of crochets and opinions must then the boyling braines of so many millions of men be subject unto ? to this may be ascribed the miseries and distempers of most countreys , especially the rents and heresies in religion , wherof som peeple have so many that they need not pray , adauge fidem nostram , ( lord increase our faith ) but rather , o lord decrease our faiths , they are so many ; and i am sorry that england deserves to have a fillip upon the nose for this . now as these alternative orations treat of the humors of nations , so they do also of the quality of their countreys . they will tell you that france hath the best granary of europe , england the fattest kitchin , spain the best exchequer , italy the richest wardrobe , germany the best woodyard , holland the best dayrie , &c. they will tell you that som countreys compar'd to others are like gold compar'd to silver , others as silver compar'd to brasse : as ireland to england is as silver in point of value to gold which requires . ounces for one , and scotland to england is as brasse to silver which requires . ounces for one in proportion of intrinsique value ; in so much that one may say the union 'twixt england and scotland was like oil mingled with vineger : they will tell you also that som countreys are so perfect that they are created to preserve themselfs only , and not to propagat , as england with her concomitant provinces ; others to plant abroad and expand themselfs , as spain with her dominions ; others to be umpires and arbitrators among their neighbours , for their fit posture , as france , and the popes territories , the first being seated about the midst of europe , and the other running through the midst of italy ; others are unhappily placed 'twixt two neighbours more potent then themselfs , as savoy and lorain , the one being seated 'twixt the emperour and france , the other 'twixt france and the dominions of spain in italy , so that they cannot make a legg to the one but they must pull off their hatts to the other ; they will also tell you how some peeple are so fiery mouth'd that they must be ridd with a bitt as the napolitan and french , &c. whereas a small snaffle will serve others , fearing that if they cast their rider they may fall from bad to worse , as the castillian , the savoyard , the venetian , and florentine . — touching the perfecting of this work , ther were stones fetch'd from many quarries ( whereof the learned and well-read lansius affoorded most ) which were pil'd up to compile this fabrique . now , i impos'd upon my self this task for the demulsions of my life , and to delude those tedious howers and turbid intervalls which the contemplation of these sad disjointed times makes many subject unto besides my self , specially those active spiritts who having bin formerly in employment who lead now a sedentary and umbraticall life ; so i wish that this peece may produce the same effects in the reader as it did in the writer . — sic tempus adulor . the names of the princes and orators who conven'd upon this occasion . . the duke of wirtemberg , and teccia , count of mountpelgard , &c. lord president of the assembly make the proeme . . francis duke of saxony , angaria , and westphalia , &c. pleads for germany high and low. . the lord wilhelm of retwiz pleads against germany . . the lord ioachim ernest duke of sleswick , and holstein pleads for france . . the lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d. of saxony declaims against france . . the lord george fredrique baron of limburg declaims for spain . . the lord magnus duke of wirtemberg declaims against spain . . the lord george baron of stubenberg replies for spain . . the lord wolfangus baron of stubenberg declaims for england , scotland , and ireland . . lord daniel bensin declaims against england , ireland and scotland . . lord maximilian of mesch pleades for poland . . the lord axelius of goerholm declaims against poland . . lord albert baron of limburg pleades for hungary . . lord schafeliski declaims against hungary . . the lord laurentius bensin pleades for italy , the popedom , repub : of venice , &c. . lord george rolderer declaims against italy . the result of all these declamations , and rising up of the assembly . to the knowing reader upon the subject of these princely orations . axiom . contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt . black sidelong putt , or standing opposite doth use to add more lustre unto white ; a perl shine's brighter in a negro's ear , som ladies look more fair who patches wear ; so vice , if counterplac'd , or seated neer makes vertu shew more lovely , strong , and cleer . this book hath vice and vertu , white and black , 't is as a crystall glasse fo●…l'd on the back ▪ 't is like a chessboard ( or an ermins skin ) checkquer'd with two extremes both out and in , it weighs and winnowe's good from bad which any of europe's kingdom 's have ( and they have many . ) now , if those purer regions of the sky where ev'ry star's a perfect monarchy ; if the bright moon , and glorious sun above have spotts and motes , as opticks organs prove , how then can these grosse earthly regions bee , and we that peeple them , from taintures free ? this were for us to arrogat that blisse which adam could not keep in paradise . i. h. an advertisement to the reader . wheras there are various quotations here out of sundry forren authors in their own language , you may please to take notice that they are rendred into english all along , that so they may fall under the capacity of any reader . humphrey moseley . frederique , duke of wirtemberg , &c. appointed lord president , and proloquutor of the diet , his proeme , or introductory oration to the rest of the princes . most illustrious , and high-borne princes , how joyfull am i to see this day ! o , how happy i am to behold this glorious assembly ! what a high honour is it to be a member of it ! specially being met upon such a brave designe of vertue , as to render a voluntary free account of our forreigne peregrinations ; to discover what we have observ'd most memorable abroad : and to do this with such a latitude of liberty , that our hearts and tongues may be relatives , they may go together all along ; it being the prerogative of this noble consistory , that every one may deliver and descant upon , without the least apprehension of danger , or giving any distast , what he hath met withall most remarkable in other countries , as well as his own , either in point of morality , or military discipline ; either referring to their vertues , or vices , their poverty , or wealth , their weaknesse , or strength , their policy , or misgovernment . and so in order to the province he hath undertaken , to vent his conceptions , and passe his judgment accordingly . the inhabitants of china , a potent , and eagle-ey'd people , as being the nearest neighbours to the rising sun of any upon this side of the hemisphear , are reported to have such a haughty conceit of themselves , that beholding all other nations with a supercilious disdainfull countenance , they magnifie and extoll their own , contemning as it were , the rest of man-kind , as an inferiour and ignorant race of rationall creatures , which appeares by a kind of proverbiall saying they have common amongst them : that the chineses have two eyes , the europaeans one , and the rest of the world is blind . for my part , i cannot deny but the people of china , or sina , more properly the true appellation of the country , being sinarum , or tzinarum regio , may be an ingenious progeny of men : they may be exquisite artists , as we finde by their manufactures ; they may also have good intellectuals , and forecasts in framing wholesome statutes , and politicall constitutions , for the safe and peacefull government of that huge tract of earth , which is estimated to be in one intire peece , eight times as big as the whole continent of france . yet , under favour , they have two lawes which favour not so much of prudence and rationability . the first , an inhibition , that none of their natives must travell abroad beyond the bounds of their own country , under pain of loosing one of his eyes . the second , that no forreigner be permitted to enter into the bowels of the land , except onely ambassadours , and ministers of state , and they also must be carried hoodwink'd all along from the marine . i say , though the chineses in other things may haply be wise , and argc-ey'd ( who was all eye ) yet herein they may be said to be as blind as buzzards , and their noddles to be as flat as their noses , which is a peculiar shape they have above all other people : for these restrictive lawes are repugnant to common humanity ; they destroy the magna charta , the grand ordinance of nature , which injoynes mankind in generall to endeare themselves one to another , by reciprocall offices of benevolence and love , of charity and compassion , of comfort , and mutual commerce . such a dotage as this seem'd to have sez'd upon lycurgus and plato in point of opinion : the furr'd muscovit , and frozen russe is possess'd also with it to this day . but oh immortall gods ! what infatuation , or frenzy rather transports this people so far from the dictates of reason ? what a transcendent presumption is it in them , to invade , as it were , the capitoll of heaven , and violate the decrees of the divine providence : for we well know that god almighty himselfe , by the mouth of his chancellour moses , hath commanded peregrinos non minui ac cives benignè habendos esse : that strangers should be as gently intreated , as the natives themselves . moreover there is a sanction published by our saviour , love thy neighbour as thy selfe ; nay , nature her selfe doth dictate unto us , that man hath the least share in his own nativity , but he is born to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a communicable creature , born to benefit others : therefore that custome and constitution of china is dissonant to the law of the creator , the dictates of nature , and disagreeable to humane reason . now whom shal we give credit unto , the eternall word of god , or the policy of these men ? for , if as the canon goes , de imperatoris judicio disputare sacrilegij instar est , if to dispute of the judgment of the emperour be a kind of sacriledge , what trespasse , what piacle , what a flagitious crime are they guilty of , who doubt of the verity of divine oracles . it is the imperiall decree of gratianus , valentinianus , and theodosius , confirm'd by all their successors , qui divinae legis sanctitatem aut nesciendo ●…mittunt , aut negligendo violant & offendunt , sacrilegium committunt : whosoever doth by ignorance omit , or by negligence infringe , or offend the sanctity of the divine law , commits sacriledge . therefore i may say , that the chineses are sacrilegious , that the muscovits are likewise so , with all their adherents , who unlesse they would go about to overthrow the rights of the rationall creature , unlesse they would extinguish all the sparkles of charity , would not put in practise so absurd a law. for it stops the channels , and choakes up the cisternes of all hospitality , of all kind of humanity ; it utterly subverts all increase of knowledge , all mutuall offices of love , all trade and commerce , all improvement of wealth , and plenty , all intercourse of kindnesse , and civility among the children of adam . for , in my judgment , this whole globe of the earth , is no other then the native country of all kind of men : it is but one common city , domicile and habitation . therefore that saying of socrates was a true philosophicall one ; when being askt what country-man he was , he answer'd , i am a cosmopolite , i am a citizen , or free denizon of the world. for what an indignity is it to captivate the mind of man , which heaven can scarce hold , to one territory or clod of earth ? what an injustice is it , that the volatils of the aire should have such liberty to flye , and the fish of the sea to swim where they please without controulement , or interruption , and that man , who by divine charter is lord of all elementary creatures , should be confin'd within the compasse of one poor tract of ground . therefore as those high ethereall , and heavenly bodies above delight in motion , so among men all generous and noble spirits should take pleasure in peregrination ; they should make truce with their domestick affaires , ask their parents blessing , embrace their kindred , bid their friends farewell , and shake hands a while with their own country , to take a view of the world abroad , to observe the customes , and carriage of other people , to pry into their lawes and government , to their policy and waies of preservation , to attain unto the knowledge of their language , to convert every good thing they see into wholesome juice and blood , and for the future benefit of their own country ; to learn how to converse with all people : for the french have no improper saying , un honneste homme est un homme mesle , an honest , or wise man , is a mixt man ; that is , one who hath something in him , in point of knowledge of all nations . truely , that i may discover unto you the most intrinsick thoughts of my soule , i am of opinion that it is a kind of degenerous thing , for any gentile spirit to sit still at home , as it were lurking in the chimny corner , & be so indulgent of himselfe , as never to see the world abroad . nay , a noble mind should resolve with himselfe to undergo any injury of the elements , any roughnesse of waies , any difficulty of passage , to be acquainted with forreigne nations ; he should presently get his bills of exchange , or letters of credit , settle his servants , call for his boots and spurs , put his sword by his side , and mount a horseback , being invited thereunto by so many noble examples , specially by yours , most illustrious princes , who have made such exuberant fruits of your peregrinations , whereof all germany your deare country is like to make such a mighty benefit . for i know there is none of you here , but , as the prince of poets speakes of ulisses , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you have seen the manners of millions of men , with so many magnificent cities , castles , fortifications , and palaces . touching my selfe , though i do not travell in body , as i have done , yet in a contemplative way , and upon the wings of fancy i daily passe through , and measure with my thoughts all those most flourishing kingdomes of europe i once perlustrated with my eyes : i travel still in my imagination , and nothing is so delightfull unto me , as the ideas of those various objects i have seen abroad . i confesse there are some , and they are too many , who abuse this excellent benefit of forreigne travell : if they have but once saluted france , they return altogether frenchified ; if they have eaten their bread a while tother side the alpes , they come back altogether italianated : if they have cross'd the pyrenies , they return altogether spanioliz'd : they force themselves by affected and fanstastick postures and gestures , to imitate forreigne fashions , by their garb , their cloathes , their speech ; they would shew themselves travellers in a kind of histrionicall , mimick way , like actors or comedians upon a stage , whose part is to represent others ; they seem to slight , and some of them to scorn the manners , the custome , and behaviour of their own country . such a caprichious traveller , or stage player , sir thomas more , that golden english knight , hath accurately set forth in his own colours in that witty facetious epigram , which i beleive is not unknown to any of this illustrious auditory . amicus & sodalis est lalus mihi , &c. in the person of lalus this renowned chancellor displayes a phantastick travellor , or landloper rather ; who having breathed a while the ayre of france , returned all metamorphozed , and frenchifield in the motion of his members , in the accent of his words , in the tone of his voyce : he was become , ex brittanno gallus , or capus ; he came home all transvers'd , not only in his braine , but in his body and bones , having haply left a snip of the nose he carryed with him , behinde him . such sort of lalie's , such capons are most worthy of cybeles priesthood ( whose flamins were hermaphrodites , or capons ) we finde in the midst of germany . now , as the spanish mares use to conceive sometimes by the gentle breezes of a southerly favonian winde , but the colts they bring forth , presently languish and dye ; so these fantastick landlopers , returning home , pregnant with some odd opinions or fashions , bring back nothing that is serious and solid ; but their braines are stuffed only with windy fables , and frivolous stories . and as neer charenton bridge in france there is an eccho , that reverberates the voyce thirteen times in atticulate sounds , so these peregrinators do oftentimes multiply what they heare , or see . as those who reported to have seene flyes in india as big as fo●…es , others , to have seen trees in russia which could not be shot over , and that an army of men might finde shelter under their branches in foule weather ; others had seen pigmies upon rams backs , going to warr with the cranes : some speak of the generation of basilisques , of the crocodiles of aegypt , of the phenix of arabia , of the rooks of madagascar , of the scots clakes , and geese , and so come back more arrand geese then they . and what they have haply read of in pliny , lucian , or brandanus , they vapour as if they had seen them all , and that with strong asseverations , and sometimes with oathes . de nihilo magna , & de parvo maxima fingunt . they make mountaines of molehills , and whales of sprats . but the most judicious sort of noble germans make other use of peregrination ; it makes them not to disdaine their owne countrey afterward , or to be infected with any affected forraine humour , but continue constant to themselves , and true germans in point of naturall affection . but now , most illustrious princes , and noble lords , whom i see present at this splendid convention , may you please now to reduce into an oratory methodicall way those discourses and forraine observations , wherewith you have been used to season your tables and meetings at other times , confining your selves to the kingdomes and common-wealths of europe , according as you have pleased to assigne every one his particular task ; that at last we may make a conjecture which country of europe may merit the palme and prerogative of all the rest . i know by proposing this , my boldnesse is as great as my request ; but i shall endeavour to make some retaliation unto you most noble princes , and brightest eyes of germany , when any opportunity whatsoever doth present it selfe , and shall court all occasions to do it . and now , you my most illustrious cozen francis charles , duke of saxony , &c. be pleased to begin . the oration of prince francis charles , duke of saxony , angaria , and westphalia , &c. for germany . most excellent prince , and princes , with the rest of this illustrious assembly : before i launch out into the maine of this large sea of matter , and that my sayles be filld with the gentle breezes of your favourable attention , i have something to say , while i remain yet in the port , of perigrination , or forren travell , which your excellency hath already approved of , and applauded in such a high straine of eloquence . yet for my part i wold after the example of the chineses , were i worthy to give counsell herein , prohibit forren travell , under pain of a penalty , as the times go now , or at least i wold prescribe som exact lawes to regulat peregrination . now whereas the young traveller shold apply himself principally to the knowledg of that which might prove pertinent and profitable to the publique good of his own countrey ; let him make account before hand that he cannot find that every where as he passeth : for as a man cannot expect to find out in a taylors shopp in hungary a suite of clothes that will fitt a spaniard , or in spain a suite that will fitt a frenchman , though his next conterranean neighbour , their modes of habit being so different . so every countrey hath som municipall constitutions and customes peculiar and proper to themselfs , which are not onely disagreeable , but incompatible with the goverment of other nations ; and one of the chiefest curiosity and care the prime judgment of a traveller shold be to distinguish betwixt such lawes . but helas , how many go now abroad , of whom ther are high hopes conceav'd that at their return they might act the part of agamemnons ; but having so journed som yeeres in italy and other hott countreys in the flower and spring of their youth , they com back grown old men before their time , bringing home winter in their faces , and so are rather fitt to act the part of thersites then agamemnon . how few do rerurn true germans ? having habituated themselves to softness , effeminacy , and lux , or to some il-favour'd posture ; either by shrinking in the shoulders , by cringing with the k●…ee , and sweeping the earth with their feet , or by ducking down their necks , by poudring their dublets , by extenuating the tone of their voice , after a womanish fashion , or by jetting , dancing , or pratling up and down the streets , with other loose , and affected modes . now , as paris in homer , when he went abroad , fell enamour'd with helen , which was the onely fruit of his travels : so these never looking after serious things , hunt after toyes , and bables ; or as physitians observe of horse-leeches , that when they apply them to the body , they use to suck onely the ill , corrupted blood : so these travellers draw in the worst things , and it were well , if it remained onely with them ; but the mischiefe is , that they disperse the poyson among others , and infest them by their touch , or breath . for where can be found a greater lux in apparrell , then in germany ? where a greater vanity in cloathing dead walls ? while poor living soules , who beare the image of god almighty , go naked . where is there greater excesse in dyet , in queckshoses , made-dishes , and sawces ? and all this may be imputed to peregrination . where is there more crisping of haire , more boring of eares to hang in rings ? where is there more dead mens haire worn upon the heads of the living ? and we may also thank peregrination for this . how many have gone to france with some religion , and come back without any ? how many have gone to spain with cheerfull , and well-dispos'd humours , but come back with a kinde of dull melancholy ? how many have gone o're the alpes with plain and open hearts , but return'd full of cunning and mentall reservation ? how many have gone to england , ' and come home with tobacco-pipes in their mouths ? how many have gone to holland gentile men , but come back meer boors ? and we may thank peregrination for all this . the french disease , the english sweat , the hungarian scab , the african leprosie , the spanish calenture came into germany by peregrination . the physitians observe that if a man hath drunk poyson , and be presently clap'd into the belly of a mule , he may recover ; and if one mule will not serve , another must be kill'd . i was told of one that was preserv'd so by the death of ten ; but i beleive if all the mules of barbary were sacrificed , they would not be enough to cure our german gentlemen , who have suck'd in so much venome abroad , under the tast of hony. now , if there be a strict law among us , to punish those severely who import counterfeit merchandises by way of commerce ; and if it be death to bring in base sophisticated coine , how much more do they deserve to be punisht , who indroduce vice instead of vertue , bad customes for good ; to pervert the manners , the dispositions , and nature of the whole nation ? i know this itch of travelling , and to wander abroad , is no where greater then among us : how many thousands of us are found in paris at this time ? how many hundred in padua , and venice ; england is full of us , and many other countries . prince rodolphus discoursing with one that had been a great traveller , told him , iam vidisti orbem terrarum universum , qui nihil aliud est quam colles , montes , valles , planities , syluae & hujus generis alia . i finde thou hast gone over most part of the earthly globe , which is nothing else but hills , and dales , mountaines , vallies , plaines , and champians , woods , and groves , with such like things . eudoxus wish'd and implor'd the gods , that he might but have power to go neer the body of the sun to behold his beauty , magnitude , and matter , and he would willingly be content to be afterwards burnt with the beames thereof . so many of our country-men are so greedy of peregrination , that they will venture upon it though they shorten their lives thereby . let us heare how seneca that grave philosopher , descants upon peregrination , when he writes thus to lucilius . quid per se prodesse peregrinatio cuiquam potuit ? what hath peregrination of it selfe profited any man ? it hath not bridled lust , attemper'd pleasure , repress'd anger , nor broke the un●…amed violence of love ; it hath ro●…ted no ill out of the minde , it hath not improv'd the judgment , nor rectified errour , but it hath detain'd us a while with new sights , as boyes are with rattles : it provokes the inconstancy of the minde , and by tossing it to , and fro , makes it more light and moveable ; therefore men use to be quickly cloy'd with those places they formerly did so much covet ; and like birds , flye away thence almost before they have taken any footing . peregrination will give you knowledge of nations , it will shew you new shapes of mountaines , of fields , and meadowes , with the course and nature of some river : as how nilus swels in the sommer solstice , and tygris is suddenly snatch'd away from our sight , but passing a little under the earth recovers her former greatnesse : how meander , which hath afforded the poets so much matter and sport , is intangled with so many windings , and often-times rushes into her neighbour before she can recover her selfe , but she growes thereby neither better , nor wiser . beleive me , my noble country-men , unlesse this strange itch of forreigne travell be cured in us , or at least-wise unlesse there be some lawes and cautions prescribed to regular peregrination , that there be better returns made , our ancestors ghosts will rise up against us , and posterity will bewaile our incogitancy , and weaknesse too late ; for they will hardly be able to finde out among us what were the primitive manners , the continence , the constancy and nature of a true german . and now to the task impos'd upon me ; but before i buckle my selfe for the businesse , i make it my humble request that those touches i have given of peregrination , may be understood in a sane sense : it is not out of any dislike i have of it , for there is no creature on earth hath a greater esteem thereof , then my selfe , acknowledging it to be the ripest schoole and principall academy , for the study both of men , and manners ; and the world affoords not more gallant students and proficients herein , then i finde now before me in this princely assembly : but what hath dropt from me , was touching the abuse thereof , as also in order to the method we have propos'd to our selves , to discourse of things pro & con , and to answer in part to that incomparable speech of your highnesse , made in praise of peregrination . and now i will enter into the province i have under-taken , which is high germany , and for performance of your desires , most excellent prince , which are commands to me , i will compose my voice and tongue accordingly ; and at the very first , will unmask my minde unto you in three words : germania europae princeps , germany is the princesse of europe . and truly never any opinion proceeded more impartially , and more from the center of my heart , then this : for the maintenance of which tenet there wants not much oratory , or any moving perswasions and allurements of words , which the ancient orators both greek , and latine did use , when they delivered their mindes in any doubtfull or desperate matter . the greatest difficulty i finde in this businesse , is out of such a hugh heap of matter to cull out , and put before you the choicest and best peeces : and as geographers in describing the world , use by little lines to shew the course of mighty rivers ; as danube , nile , ganges , thames , tyber , tagus , with others ; as also in small points to describe rome , constantinople , the gran cayre , paris , london , and ghent , the greatest wall'd towne in europe : so will i be as briefe and as punctuall as possibly i can , in setting forth the praises of this mighty country , and nation . but to speak the worst at first , i pray hear what cornelius tacitus , the critique of his times , writes of it ; quis prater periculum horridi & ignoti maris : who without the dangers of a doubtfull and unknown sea would leave asia , affrique , or italy , to seek germany , an informed peece of earth , a rough clime , a land unmanured , full of thick horrid woods , huge lakes , impatient of fruitfull trees , yet full of cattle though small : in stead of silver vessells they have them of the same stuff as themselves , of pure earth : they have no cities , they are given to sleep , sloth , and gluttony , being ignorant of the secrets of letters ; they use dice among their serious affaires , with so much rashnesse in winning or losing , that at one cast they will hazard their bodies , and liberty . caes●…r also saith , that the germanes hold it a kind of policy to have large vast wildernesse about them , wherin they permitt robberies for the exercise of their young men , and avoyding of idlenesse , &c. such speeches caesar and tacitus give of the germans ; but will you know the reason of it ? because the one in divers conflicts was soundly beaten by them , and the other speaks ignorantly , or partially , because he was an officer under vespasian in france , then a little after upon the beginning of trajans raign , the emperour nerva being newly gone out of the world , a matter of a hundred yeers after the incarnation he scribbled a book , de mori●…u germanorum , of the manners of the germans : but caesar himselfe saw onely the skirts of the countrey , whence he was repelld , he never entred into the bowells of the land , and what he delivers he took up in trust by confused rumors : but if either of these liv'd now , they wold sing another note , they wold stand astonish'd that germany should have so many florishing provinces , so many noble and opulent cities , so many pleasant villages ▪ such fruitfull orchards , fragrant gardens , and fart fields , such mines of gold ▪ silver , lead , iron , with all other mettalls , such martiall people so many universities , so many archdukes , princes , marquises , landgraves , earls , barons , knights , with a world of noble families that can exactly draw their pedigree thousands of yeeres pass'd : i say , if caesar or tacitus liv'd now , they wold be more enlightned , and cry out , we romans in many things were too credulous in beleeving what was spoken of our enemies , and in some things we injur'd them to shew our wits , but our owne senses do convince us now , and tell us that germany is another thing : we were trojans once , but all our glory hes buried in the dust of our nephewes and posterity , having with sloth , idlenesse , and foulnesse of vice , soyld all our heroik exploits : but the germans continu still great heroes both in respect of their own vertues , and their progen●…tors . they are still magnanimous , most just , religious , fortunat , and so bless'd , that there you cannot discover any decay at all in the age of the world. if virgi●… were reviv'd , and again upon earth , leaving the barren theme of praysing augustus ▪ he wold break out into the admiration of our german emperour , and having got so rich and divine an argument to rowse up his muse , he wold sing , ille ego qui quondam gracili modulatus avena carmen , & effudi laudes magnae urbis in orbem , gratum opus augustis , at nunc horrentia martis arma , virosque cano , romae quae moenia primi aequavere solo , superatis alpibus , amplos et de fortuna tandem duxer●… triumphos , &c. in lieu of the romanes he would extoll the germanes , who first ransack'd and ruin'd rome . but most princely auditors , let us not examine as much what our predecessors did , but how we follow their steps , and how neer [ our vigilance , vertue ▪ and valour comes to theirs : it is the practise of providence , and the rule of divine majesty , not to powr down all his benedictions at once , but to reserve some of them for future ages . and homer , as blinde as he was , could discern this , when he sings , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gods do not showre down all their blessings at once upon man-kinde . but how mightily have we profitted , what huge advantages have we now of our fore-fathers ? t is true wee were once without god , because without christ , as all gentiles were ; but now by his ineffable grace , and immense goodnesse we are his domestiques , we are coopled and admitted to enjoy the priviledges , and rights of children , of his chosen ; therefore t is fitting that every christian heart when he falls into the contemplation of this high prerogative , shold with pious ejaculations cry out , sanctus , sanctus , sanctus dominus deus exercituum , plena est omnis terra gl●…ria ejus , holy , holy , holy is the lord god of hosts , all the earth is full of his glory . now as there be som rivers that presently as soon almost as they are derivd from their fountains encrease and flow with such a force , that they can bear shipps of burden , and drive mills ; as blavius in this countrey , and the little loire in france hard by orleans , which within almost a flight shott from the source , swells to such a stupendous fulnesse and depth , that ther 's a bridg with diverse arches over her : so the glorious light of the gospell darted from above did irradiat all germany as it were in a moment , it dispelld all the clowds of paganisme , and with its powerfull beams it did melt the hearts of the most frozen and remotest parts with admirable celerity : for presently there were such pious contentions who shold exceed one another in devotion and acts of charity , that a world of schooles , hospitalls , temples , monasteries , and religious houses were built , and endow'd with plentifull revenues soon after . and such was the height and excesse of piety among our ancestors , that they were forcd to enact lawes to restrain the disposing of legacies for ecclesiasticall uses : there were som emperours , and german princes that bequeathd to the holy church whole provinces and territories ; bishops became equall to kings , and prelats fellowes to princes , and abbots to barons , both in authority and dignity , in extern pomp , power , and riches : no nation hath bin more munificent to the church of rome , and no countrey endowd her own churches with larger demains : among others , i will instance in one abbot and his greatnesse , whereby you may make a conjecture of the rest , and he is the abbot of fuldo , who as lipsius hath it , supplyed the emperour at one time with threescore thousand fighting men . and for the nomber of monachicall persons you may make a guesse what a huge nomber ther is of them , when in lower germany alone ther are seven thousand nunns . but as in a most delectable garden ther are somtimes , beyond the expectation of the gardiner , weeds and noxious herbs that grow up , as tares among the best wheat ; so where god builds his church , satan commonly putts up his chappell , superstition mingles with devotion , and men grew greedy after innovations and changes ; such deformities crepd into the german church , that it might be well termd an augaean stable ; purgatory , exorcismes , idolatry , indulgences , and other things in derogation of the merits of the messias were introduc'd . the church now required another hercules to clense her , and shee found one , a true one , not a fabulous one , such as the poets sing of , who strangled gyants , killd the erimanthaean bore , choakd the two snakes sent by iuno , drive away the stymphalian monstrous birds , slew busiris , took cerberus by the throat , killd the nemaean lyon , suppressd the many headed hydra : but our hercules did more , for he overthrew antichrist , and with a goose quill did more then hercules did with his iron clubb , and germany alone was worthy of such a champion ; i meane martin luther , an augustin monk , who , though a man of mean birth and meanes otherwise , observing the exorbitances , ●…nd excesse of churchmen , and the marchandise that was made of indulgences , could indure it no longer , but armd himself to subvert the babylonish empire , he rusheth against the pope , spitts in his face , and hath shaken his kingdom ever since very shrewdly : this happend when the bishop of rome was at his highest pitch of power , when it was beleevd that the pope might dispense with the writings of the apostles , and sanctions of generall councells : and this seasonable champion made such a progresse , that not only whole townes , citties , and provinces , fell from the roman church , but common-wealths and whole kingdoms abandond her , and among other pasquills , this epigram was compos'd . roma orbem domuit , romam sibi papa subegit , viribus illa suis , frau●…ibus iste tuis . quanto isto major lutherus , major & illa , illum illamque uno qui domuit calamo ! i nun●… , alcidem memorato graecia mendax , lutheri ad calamum , ferrea clava nihil . rome orecame the world , the pope orecame rome , shee by strength , he by cunning ; but luther is greater then either , for with his pen he subdued both ; let lying greece bragg no more of her hercules , the quill did more atchievments then the club : the one knockd down the nemaean lyon , and the other ill-favouredly knock'd leo the tenth . in this large field of matter , if i should hunt for arguments to set forth the glory of germany , i shold find innumerable ; let the testimony of bodin himself , who was known to be no freind to germany , serve for one , when he saith , nullum illustrius est exemplum , there is not on earth so illustrious an example as that of the germans , who but diffring little from the wildnesse of beasts , who wandring as it were in marshes and moores , and being averse to all kinde of civility and literature , are becom now such great proficients in both , that in humanity they bee said to surpasse the asians , in philosophy the graecians , in military discipline the romans , in geometry the egyptians , in astronomy the chaldaeans , in arithmetic the phenicians , in religion the hebrews , and in variety of manufactures all other nations whatsoever . here what paulus iovius saith , a man not very well affected otherwise to us ; litterae non latinae modo , — not onely the latine , but the greek , and hebrew letters have by a fatal comigration pas'd over to germany ; who now being not content with their old way of military discipline , whereby they took away from rome her martiall glory , invents new ones every day ; besides , she may be said to have bereft languishing greece , and drowsie wanton italy , not onely of the ornaments of peace , but also of arts and literature : which makes machiavill rebuke his country-men , in regard they made use of germans to survay their land. it is acknowledg'd by all people that regiomontanus might be compared to t●…ales , eudoxus , calippus , or ptolom●…y himselfe . nor could the pope correct the yeer , and bring it from the old intercalation , for reducing of the paschall ceremonies to set courses of the moon without him , being sent for to rome of purpose for that end . it is incredible , since the councell of constance , how schooles and academies have multiplied in germany ; witnesse vienna , prague , frankford , heydelberg , erford , basil , triers , witeburg , gripswald , mentz , r●…stoch , regiomontana , dillingham , lovain , helmstad , leyden , franiker , tubingen , with divers other universities ; nor is there any german gentleman , be he never of so mean extraction , but he hath his education in one of these , otherwise it will be cast in his teeth as an opprobry . the emperour lotharius a saxon born , when he found the schooles in a squalid kind of condition , cover'd over with barbarism from the time of charlemain a german born , he caus●…d the dust to be swept off , and restor'd them to their former lustre , with restauration of publique lectures , and chaires for all sciences , which did so augment the nomber of knowing men , that in one university alone there were . that had the magisteriall laurell given them within the compasse of a few yeers . besides these academies there be divers monasteries that have schooles to train up youth , as amongst the rest i will instance in the abbacy of fuldo , where . gentlemens sons in sturmius his time were bred , and . doctors reading to them in one yeer . what do i speak of noble men ? there are soverain princes which daily becom graduats in one academy or other . iohn , duke of megalopolis would not return to the government of his country , till he had studied . yeers in paris . harman prince of hassia took the degrees of mastership in prague , and was congratulated by the emperour himselfe , and the chiefest nobles of the kingdome of boh●…miah . richwinces duke of lorain did the like : albert count of 〈◊〉 took the degree of doctor of the civill law , with others ; ●…ut the examples of the duke of geldres is admirable . a●…nold and william were brothers , whereof the one was learned , the other illiterat ; the one was in favour with the pope , and all other princes , the other was neglected for his ignorance : which disgrace least it might be transmitted to his posterity , william his brother , sent his sons to be educated in paris , whence they return'd not till they were both masters of art. albert the th . duke of bavaria , the founder of ingolstad university , did dignifie learning with so much honor , that he himselfe took the degree of batchillor of arts , and publiquely woare the formalities of the order up and down the streets . but what shall we say , charlemagne our compatriot , whereof sigebert a french author writes , that charlemagne was not onely excellently vers'd in his own maternall toung , but in other ●…orreigne languages ; he put old barbarous verses which spoak of the acts of kings in a more refined stile ; he also caus'd the grammar to be rendred in the vulgar toung : he commanded teutonique , or german names to be impos'd upon the months of the yeer , as also all the winds which he divided to twelv , being afore but fower . he us'd to be present at school-exercises , encourag●…d the commons to learning , and threatned a degradation to noble men that were illiterat . what shall i say of otho the second , who being overcom in greece , and left alone , escaped because he spoak greek so well . frederique the second was excellently vers'd in sundry languages , and caus'd aristotles works to be translated out of greek , and arabique into the common toung . charles the fourth fed the imperiall eagle in the muses garden , and made a firm league twixt mercury and mars . charles the fifth had thu●…idides alwaies with him as his companion in the field : he much favour●…d doctor seldius , who after he had voluntarily resign'd the empire to his brother , and the rest of his domimon to his son , was his individuall companion , and attending him to flushing where he was to embark for spain ; and the emperour discoursing with him very late at night he at last toll'd a little bell to call up some of his servants , who were all asleep , whereupon he lighted down the doctor himselfe , saying , now seldius forget not this , that caesar , charles the first , who was used to be guarded with whole armies , hath not now a servant to wayt on him , and he who thou hast attended so many yeers , doth now serve thee , and light thee down . how many most signall , and glorious men hath germany produc●…d ? as adrian the th . io. brentius , cochlaeus , staupicius , philip melancthon , zuinglius , osiander , car●…lestadius , oecolam●… , cassander , bucer , grynaeus , fagius , wigandus , bullinger , mathesius , 〈◊〉 , mentzerus , winckellman , gretzer , becanus , tannerus , ursinus , h●…nnius , hondius , gerlachius , paraeus , musculus , hutterus , lessius , backmeisterus , mylius , drexelius , biderman , balduin , sigwardus , meisnerus , gerardus , finkius , pappus , pelargus , scultetus , pitiscus , simlerus , flaccus , illiricus , thummius , and the excellent hafenriffus ; all these were renowned divines , whose works are extant , with divers more . now for polititians , and civilians , their nomber is endlesse . there is baron skenckins , heimburgius , henningus , g●…eden , strenius baro , enenchelius baro , camerarius , zasius , zuiclemus , everardus , marnixius , haloander , mudaeus , oldendorpius , pistores , welserus , leunclavius , who having bin employ'd ambassador to the post to osman , the great turk , by the emperour rodolphus , did compile the annals of the mahumetans , and all the historie of the orientall world. there are moreover iustus lipsius , freherus , iunius , reusnerus , besoldus , wackerius , bocerus , rulandus , godelmannus , lechmannus , fabrus , herwartus , and multitudes more , whose works are extant for the universall good of man-kind . for physick , there is vesalius , copus , crato , hadrianns iunius , guinterius , langius , tragus , dodonaeus , vierus , zuingerus , sceckius , planerus , peucerus , tragus , horstius , sennertus , pistorius , philippus , theophrastus ; and abundance more of most renowned men . for philosophy and philologie , who by profound speculation of divine and humane things , and a curious indagation of the hiddenst closets of nature , have expos'd to the world many mysterious rarities : there is in the first place albertus magnus , agricola , trithemius , reuclinus , nauclerus , pirckleimerus , erasmus roterodamus , whose wit longolius preferrs before all the wealth of france . rhenanus , huttenus , celtenus , who was first that was crown'd poet laureat by the emperour frederique the th . own hands . there is cranzius , aventinus , cuspinianus , sleidanus , lazius , surius , golzius , gruterus , clennardus , carion , scioppius , kirkmannus , g. agricola , who digg'd deeper into the bowels of the earth for the knowledge of mettals more then any one . add hereunto cranter , sturmius , gesner , xylander , buxtorfius , b. keckerman , baudius , heinsius , dousa , taubmannus , melissus , calaminus , meursius , crusius , frisklinus , sibcros , sabinus , glareanus , stigelius , and a great many more , who have transmitted their names to immortality by printed monuments . for mathematicians there is no country hath produc'd rarer men ; witnesse mullerus , regiomontanus the son of trapezuntius , whom after the correction of the kalender , the greeks out of envie , because he was superiour to them in knowledg found a trick to poyson . let purbachius be added hereunto , who first reviv'd the study of the stars under this clyme : st●…fflerus , copernicus , mestlitus , braheus , keppler , clavius , whom scaliger so much esteem'd , that he said , he had rather be corrected by him , then commended by others . there is stadius , reinholdus , schonerus , both the appians , gemma frisius , vadianus , dyander , stevinus , mercator , ortelius , peutingerus , dasypodius , merula , cluverus , munsterus ; and many more . for musitions , ther have bin orlandus lassus , hasleros , lechnerus , praetorius , with others . but oh , immortall god! besides these me-thinks i see before me an host of rare renowned authors , who have contributed infinitely to the common-wealth of learning , as if the muses had taken up the chiefest mansion in germany ; what a world of books and libraries are up and down ? insomuch , that book-merchants drive a greater trade in our marts then any wher else ; therefore those verses of horace may well be applied unto us . venimus ad summum fortunae , pingimus , atque psallimus , & luctamur achivis doctius unctis . avant hence then those base calumniators , and forgers of lies and scandals , and if they have any tincture of shame left , let them away to utopia , and there belch out their venom , specially that opprobrious saying , that i tedischi hanno l'ingegno nelle mani , the germans have their wit in their hands ; as if they had none in their brain . how can this be aver'd by any that hath the least spark of ingenuity and truth in him ; considering that i have already musterd up so many heros in all knowledg , as well in theologie , as in civill policy , in physic , in history , in the mathematiques , in philosophie , philologie , with all other kind of knowledg , as well morall as naturall ; so that germany may be without derogation to any other country be call'd the gran schoole and academy of all knowledg . but most illustrious princes , because by our adversaries own confessions we have such ingenious hands , let us search a little into the ground of this saying . the first broachers of it were the italians , who were well known to be a cunning acute peeple , yet they give us the priority almost in every thing ; there passeth never a yeer but they send out of germany for architects , statuaries , limmers , painters , surveyors , aqueduct makers . aeneas silvius had all his artificers hence : france also makes the same use of our men , for the best tapistry , hangings , and household-stuff , with tables , chaires , curious glasse which are fetcht away hence . norimberg is admired all the earth over for her rare industry , and inventive faculty : the goldsmiths of auspurg are cryed up in every corner for bracelets , rings , chaines , necklaces , and other curiosities , which are carried every where abroad , from the rising to the setting sun. nor doth norimburg and auspurg excell only , but every citty in germany abounds with exquisit opificers , though som townes do apply themselfs to one thing more then another . in friburg they have an art to polish christall , and make vessells and curious cupps therof : other townes are dextrous in making muskets , archibuses , and pistolls : ulms excells in drapery and weaving of cloth , whereof she vents an incredible quantity : other places excell in making of pewter , tinn , brasse , and copper vessells ; som in casting of canons , som in making of all kind of pikes , som in exquisit sorts of dying , som in painting of glasse , som in framing of all kind of earthen potts , som in devising new sorts of waggons : but he who desires to see a compendium of the manuall subtilties of the german , let him beg leave to go to dresden in saxony , or to stutgard in wirtemberg , or to munchen in bavaria , and ther he may take a surfet of beholding thousands of rarities , and feed his eyes with new objects a whole twelvmonth together . now what we have already spoken of high germany , may be as well sayed of the lower , who is little inferior herein to the higher , whom thuanus avoucheth to abound with artificers more then any part of the earth in so narrow a compas . it is upon record in story , that iu the yeer one thousand three hundred and thirty , ther were in lovain alone , four thousand weavers loomes , every workhouse employing thirty or forty persons to prepare the wooll , to spinn and card it ; so that by this computation ther must have bin an hundred and sixty thousand soules at least did eat their bread upon this sole manufacture . and what credit the english cloth hath now gaind , may be attributed to the lovanians , and other low-countrey opificers , who brought whole colonies into great britain , and made that nation such able workmen in this kind of comodity , who were given altogether before to agriculture and grasing of cattle : for the fury of the duke of alva drive many families of flemins thither , where they peepled many townes which were very thin of inhabitauts before , as norwich , colchester , maidston , sandwich , canterbury , hampton , and others , teaching them the art of making bayes and serges , with other such like woollen manufactures ; yet the belgians still florishd by this industry , and the drapers of wooll began to lessen among them ; ther was a compensation made by making linnen cloth , wherin they are so exquisit , and herin the batavians or hollanders bear the bell , who are arrivd to that perfection of making fine cambricks , and other cloth , that holland hath given the name to the thing it self , which is commonly calld holland ; and their dexterity is such herin , that their loomes may be compard to arachnes webb for finenesse , as if they were woven by pallas her own hand ; for they may be sayd to equall the snow in whitenesse , lawne in thinnesse , silke in softnesse and value : cambray is also famous for this , and growes rich from what it was beyond beliefe : for thuanus reports there are . clothes made in that town alone every yeer , which at four pound sterling a peece come to a vast somme . flanders also excels in woven pictures , specially holst , and oudenard , fit for the pomp of princes ; i know the ancients have been admirable for the needle , the phrixian gownes , the istrian cadowes , the attalicall hangings , and the babylonian cutwork were very famous , according to that of martiall . non ego praetulerim babylonica picta , superbé texta semiran it quae variantur acu . but all that curiosity by a kind of transmigration is remov'd to germany : the thing exceeds faith , no colour is wanting here , think upon what you will ; the peacock is not adorn'd by nature with more gay colour'd feathers , then art makes tapistry here to delight the optiques with such changable and various objects , insomuch that no nation exceeds them herein , or produceth more inventive spirits . among others the quintins , the florians , the brugelians , the clerians , the brillians , the mabuseans , the mores , the schoorelians , the hemskirkians , the pourbusians , the barensians , the winghians , the hofnalians , are most famous , specially iohn eckius , who first found out the way of mingling oyle with colours ; and albert durer of norimberg came to a wonderfull height of perfection herein , which extorted a confession from the italians themselves , who using his name in vaine , would father their workes upon him to make them more vendible . and now let all those limmers , and painters who have gain'd immortality by their rare peeces , come and appeare ; let apelles , zeuxis , protogenes , parrhasius , and the theban aristides com ; let the most renowned architects appeer , let ctesiphon gnosius , who erected the ephesian temple to the honour of diana , let dinocrates , who trac'd alexandria : let philo the famous athenian com , let all the choicest sculpters , leochares , alcamenes , briaxis , scopus , pythis com ; let the most celebrous statuaries appeer , as polycletus , praxiteles , ctesias , lysippus : let the ablest artificers and opificers the world ever affoorded appeer , and they shall find that germany hath their equals , and as great masters as they in every thing . but they will be transported with wonder , when they meet our albertus magnus , who made a statue so neer the life , that by the motion of certain wheels and ginns , latent within , made the tongue move & prolate articular sounds ; which statue , when albertus had got tho : aquinas the angelicall doctor into a chamber where it was , and making it speak with an audible voice , aquinas being suddenly surpriz'd with amazement , struck it with a stick and broak it , whereupon albertus in as great amazement , sayed ; ah thomas ! what hast thou done ? thou hast destroyed in a moment the work of thirty yeers . could any of these old artists make an eagle of wood , such a one as regiomontanus , upon the emperours entrance into norimberg , making her to flye in the air , and welcome him to town . but these are triviall things , most illustrious auditors , they are stars of the least magnitude , in comparison of others that shine in this firmament : what think you of the invention of gunns , and printing , the first for mars , the last for mercury ; two mighty things worthy of german inventors , whereby armes and arts are so much advantag'd . the bow , the sling , the roman ramms , the scorpions , and engines of battery , were nothing compard to the canon which doth such execution , and destroyes men , and horses at such a distance : if any thing can compare with thunder , t is the sound of a culverin , in noise and terriblenesse : witnesse when at the three yeers siege of osten , the report of the canon was heard at lovain ; and when the duke of guyse surpriz'd and took calis from the english , the noise of the great gunns reach'd as far as antwerp , having the wind favourable for its transport ; which made scaliger say , pace tua dicam , iupiter , fulmina nostra sunt terribiliora tuis ; age , coge nubes ut tonare queas , nos etiam te tranquillo iratum regnum tuum faciemus . by your good leave , oh , iove ! our thunder-bolts are more terrible then yours ; go gather clouds , that you may thunder and teare the air , when you are quiet , we also can make your kingdom angry : and berchtoldus scharwarzius was the first inventor of this miracle , a franciscan philosoper . but the finder out of typography , or printing was a german knight , iohn guttenberg of mentz , though winphelingus sayeth , he projected it first at strasburg , and perfected it in mentz : the greatest advantage that ever the common-wealth of learning receav'd , which made beroaldus the italian break out into a kind of admiration , and this lyric verse . o germania muneris repertrix quo nil utilius dedit vetustas ; libros scribere quae doces premendo . what a toyl it was to exscribe authors before , and preserve them from the injury of time ? what a care the emperour took to keep tacitus , commanding him to be written out ten times every yeer ; yet this golden author had been like to perish , had he not been found in corbe monastery in westphalia , whence after many ages silence tacitus was brought to speak again : besides the negligence of scribes in former times used to fill the books with errors , as cicero witnesseth in his time , viz. that latin books were so falsly written in his time , and adulterated , that he knew not what to do ; whereupon christian authors thought it fitting that booksellers shold be sworn to divulge none but tru examind coppies , which made irenaeus in the end of his worke to adjure the transcriber by the name of christ , and the dreadfull day of judgment , that all coppies therof shold be examind and made concordant with the originall . typography may be sayed to cast a bridle in times mouth , that he may not devoure so much , and bring things under the yoke of mortality : typography may be calld ars memoriae , & mors oblivionis , the art of memory , and death of oblivion : ther is no epithet or elogium adaequat to the worth of typography , it deserves such attributs as philon the physition gives to his compositions , calling them manus dei , or as others call theirs , manus christi , apostolicon , gratiam dei , catholicon , antidotum paulinum , and such divine epithets : for the christian world owes more to frobenius , and oporinus of basile , to plantine of antwerp , to aldus manutius of venice , to robert and henry stephanus of paris and geneva , which have so much promoted all kind of sciences in such durable characters ; i say the christian world owes more to these men , then to the greatest captains and warriers who have enlargd the bounds of their countrey : and i hope it will not be fastidious to you , most noble auditors , if i recite unto you an epigram in praise of aldus manutius , made by beza . didonis cecinit rogum disertus maro , pompeij rogum lucanus ; et discite adeo hoc uterque fecit , ut nunc vivere judicetur illa , nec jam mortuus hic putetur esse . imo sunt redivivi & hic & illa ; ergo credere ●…as erit poetas divos , utpote qui loquendo possint vitam reddere mortuis , quod ipsis est divis proprium & peculiare . quod si fas credere deos poetas , vitam reddere quod queant sublatam ; quanto est justius aequiusque , quaeso , aldum manutium deum vocare , ipsis qui potuit suo labore vitam reddere mortuis poetis ? virgil sung on dido's hearse , and lucan on pompeys , and they did it so well , that neither shee nor hee may be sayd to be dead , but both do daily revive : therfore poets may be termd gods in one sense , because they can give life unto the dead , which is proper and peculiar to the gods : but if poets may be taken for gods , because they can restore life , how much more just and equitable is it to call aidus manutius a god , who could by his labour give life to so many divine poets ? if therfore typography may be calld a goddesse , because she restores vertuous men to life , may not the germans who got her , be termd gods : these are the two great beneffits which germany hath communicated to the world , and made therby a way to peace and recovering of right , to vertu , and all kind of learning , to religion , to heaven , and christ himselfe : boterus doth also attribut to us the first invention of wheel clocks , wherby the courses and recourses of time and the starrs are distinguished , when he saith , i tedeschi sono stati inventori della stampa , dell ' artiglieria , et dell ' horologio a ruota , cose nobilissime . the germans have bin the inventors of printing , of artillery , and wheeld clocks , three most noble things . i will relate here what scaliger writes of all three , by the canon we imitate ioves anger , by the presse we make men immortall , and by dialls and wheel clocks we are made companions with time , and go still along with him . this noble continent of germany was once townlesse , and without citties , but now i pray what part of the habitable earth hath more ? your duchy of wirtemberg alone , most excellend prince , hath threescore , holland in a small circuit of ground comprehends three and thirty cities , gorchon tower will shew you two and twenty . utrecht stands betwixt fifty citties , wher of the remotest is but one dayes jorney distant . now high germany is so thick with citties , that they may be sayed to shake one another by the hand , and all of them are most beutifull , both for amaenity of soyl , for firmenesse of structure , for statelinesse of palaces , for delicacy of fountaines , for curiosity of walks , for cleanlinesse of wayes , for comodity of rivers , for stadshouses , for monasteries , chappell 's , and churches . can ther be a better fortified place then vienna , for which t is tru we are beholden to an english king : can ther be neater citties then harlam ( who also arrogats to her self the first invention of printing ) then amsterdam , then strasburg , then brunswick , then ingolstadt , then dresden , then lubec , then hamburgh , then breme , then magdenburg ( the metropolis of germany ) then antwerp ? can ther be more pleasant townes then auspurg , leipsic , bern , noremberg , lunsburg , saltzburg , basil , leiden , and bruges ? can ther be greater townes then ghent , prage , erford , lovain , and colen ? with other wherof ther might be made a farr larger catalog ; in diverse of these the cittizens houses look like the palaces of princes . srabo writes that the romans went beyond the greeks in purity of citties ; and boterus an italian confesseth the germans to surpasse his countreymen herin , hora i tedeschi accanzano di gran lunga i romani : the character which charles the emperour gave one of florence in toscany , being ravished with her bewty , viz. that florence was a citty to be seen upon festivalls , and holydays ; the same may be sayed of many of the german citties ; behold antwerp , a place situated upon a faire navigable sweet river , a spacious plain , which streets and structures , for order and symmetry , for high , strong , and spacious walls , whereon three or fower coches may go abrest , for wayes , prospects , and an universall kind of elegancy , ther is not any can surpasse her : if one observe all the members of her body with an unpassionat judgment , i know he will give his suffrage with me : let scaliger , a branch of a german stemm , be one of her judges in this hexastic , making the citty her self by way of prosopopoeia , speak : oppida quot spectant oculo me torva sinistro , tot nos invidiae pallida tela petunt : lugdunum omnigenum est , operosa lutetia , roma ingens , res venetum vasta , tolosa potens , omnimodae merces , artes priscaeque novaeque : quorum insunt alijs singula , cuncta mihi . add herunto that incomparable cittadell , built according to the tru rules of enginry , and this slately plain like a campus martius which lyeth twixt her and it . now if a man shold go to particulars , and observe the greatnesse of ulm temple in suevia , the bewty of freidenstad church in wirtemberg , the magnificence of the jesuitts colledg in bavaria , the neatnesse of halberstadt church ▪ the mount olivet in spire , the armory of dresden , the suburbs and gardens of stutgard , the tower of strasburg , which is computed to be five hundred seventy four foot high , with innumerable other singularities ; i say , if a judicious spectator shold survay all these , he will acknowledg germany to be inferior to no countrey upon the earth . therfore what tacitus writes of germany , was taken up in trust , and from imperfect hearsayes ; nor must we take all the narrations of the ancients for gospell , or articles of faith. what false things have they delivered of the countrey which l●…eth under the torrid zone , whom they made so parching and scorching , that it was inhabitable ? yet 't is now found by experience , and the travells of spaniards , english , hollanders , french , and others , that it is a temperat clime , that one need not throw off his cloke for immoderat heat , nor keep it on for cold : indeed ioseph acosta sayeth , that at the vernall equinoctiall he found himself so cold that he went to the sunshine to get heat by aprication : what aristotle and many others write of the swan , that shee sings her own dirge before her death , we find to be false ; sundry other things the old wisards deliver for truth , which our experience find to be false , therfore we must not give credit to all that tacitus writes , whom budaeus stiles the wickedst of all writers ; tertullian calls him lyingst , and orosius the flatteringst ; what a simple grosse error was that in him to derive the etymologie of the jewes ( iudaei ) from the mountain ida in crete ? but the epithetts that were given him were a little too bitter , for i must confesse with lipsius , that he may be well rankd among the prudentst and soundest of all the roman historians ; but ther 's no pomgranet but may have som rotten grains : now put the case that barbarisme did once cover the face of this countrey ( as it did all other at first ) how marvellously is it civilizd since ? open the windowes and look about , and where will you now find such uncouth fenns , and horrid woods as tacitus speaks of : 't is tru that the her●…ynian forest might be once nine daies jorney broad , and whose beginning after sixty dayes travell none could find , as caesar reports , but now t is otherwise , for it may be easily survayd ; and all other places are cultivated and made commodious for mans use : this most noble duchie of wirtemberg may be calld the marrow of germany ; alsatia , and those territories upon the rhin , may be termd the garden of germany ; westphalia , hassia , saxony , bavaria , sil●…sia , thuringia , and misnia , may be calld the granaries of germany : franconia , silesia , thuringia , and tirol , the pantry of germany : styria and austria , what are they but a kind of paradis ? what is all germany but a pandora's box ? ther is no kind of ground , whither sandy , fenny , or rocky , but is made usefull som way or other ; among other places ●… will instance in holland , which though by her low situation she be nothing else but a moore or marsh , i pray what character ioseph scaliger gives of her , who sings thus to dousa . ignorata tuae referam miracula terrae , dousa , peregrinis non habitura fidem . omnia lanicium hic lassat textrina minerva , lanigeros tamen heic scimus abesse greges . non ca●…iunt operas fabriles oppida vestra , nulla fabris tamen heic ligna ministrat h●…mus . horrea triticeae rumpunt heic frugis acervi , pascuus heic tamen est , non cerealis ager . heic numerosa meri stipantur dolia cellis , quae vineta colat nulla putator habet . heic nulla , aut certé seges est rarissima lini , linifici tamen est copia major ubi ? heic medijs habitamus aquis , quis credere posset ? et tamen heic nullae , dousa , bibuntur aquae . both italy , and hungry spain with divers other countries , tast often of the fatnesse of germany . t is well known that som yeers since , the city of rome being reduc'd to such extremity , that all the jews and courtisans being commanded out of the city , eight ounces of bread was allow'd to every mouth , but the hansiatique townes fetching a huge compas by hercules pillars , kept them from starving by a fleet of corn ships which they sent into the tyber ; and the pope did gratifie the first bringer in of the newes with a thousand ducates . among other places , let bern in swizzerland shew the fertility of germany , which though it be inferior far to wirtemberg and alsatia , yet is it compard to the great plain about milan , which is accounted one of the best corn countries in italy : according to the proverb , berna & il bernese , vale milano , & il milanese . and for wine , germany hath divers most generous sorts of her selfe , which are carried to england , poland , moscovie , and other regions . what 's more delicat then that of the rhine ? what wine 's more pure then that of the neccar ! what 's stronger then that of franconia ? what 's sweeter then that of austria ? and so excellent are the german wines , that bacchus himselfe it seemes desired to be worshipped here , more then any where els ; as appeers by an altar that was erected to him in the lower palatinat , call'd bacchara , where the choicest grape growes . now the plenty of wines seem to contend with their plesantnes : augustus caesar delighted more in german wine , then in any , so did tiberius ; charles the th . drunk no other then backragg , and divers emperours have preferr'd the franconian wines before the falernian : and t' will strike a wonder in any man , to see what a world of huge butts ther are in wrisburg , call'd herbipolis of old , and dedicated to diana , where she had a sumptuous fane . go to stutgard , and there you will find a proverb among them , that they have more wine then water ; insomuch that the wines of stutgard , besides their own provision , may affoord the value of . rose nobles in marchandize . but if you travell upon a wooden horse upon the danube , what a world of vineyards may you behold about vienna , which though the countrey was not com to that perfection of industry as it is now , nor the city half so much peepled , yet aeneas sylvius , neer upon . yeers since speaks of her thus . it is incredible what a world of provision is thrust into vienna every day ; what a company of carts come in laden with eggs and crabfish , with bread , with fish with volatills tame and wild , yet in the evening you shall find nothing in the market . the vintage lasts here a matter of forty daies , there 's not a day passeth but there are . carts employ'd laden with wine , and some laden twice or thrice ; there are above a thousand horses us'd in the vineyards ; their caves are of that depth , and so spacious , that the subterranean places may compare with those above ground , and such an exuberance of wine ther is in som places of germany , that they will exchange a butt of wine for one of water ; nay , they use in som towns to mingle wine with their morter , and macerat their lime with it . if you go to other drinks in germany , you will find sr. iohn barly-corn as well as bacchus to be there in his kingdom . nay , in som places he may compare for strength with bacchus himself ; witnesse the powerfull beer of rostock , of brunswik , of breslaw , of danzik , of delph , and paderborn . the like may be sayed of mede , which surpasseth candy wine in sweetnesse . and for beer the world knowes what a medicinall vertu lubecks beer hath to heal bruises , and other distempers . what shall i speak of the austrian saffron ? of the frankincense and myrrh of moravia , of the licorish of franconia , of the mader for diers in silesia ! of the ambar of thuringia ! all which are accounted the best in that kind that can be found any where . for all other commodities either for pleasure , profit or necessity , what doth germany want ? what delightfull orchards are there , what large fields of graine , what a world of cattle ; where can you finde cowes that will yeeld twelve quarts of milk every day as in holland ; where can you find better cheese ? where can you find such bacon as in westphalia ; a gamon whereof is accounted so rare , that in feasts it is served up last after all the fine courses of fowle and fruit. heare what guicciardin spoak in his times of holland , that in cheese and butter , shee did vent every yeare above a million : and what shall we think shee does now , that her trade is com to such a portentous encrease ; some think that the benefit shee makes of milk may compare with bourdeaeux wines , or the spices of portugall . touching other animalls , and horses especially , germany yeelds to no other countrey , either for all kind of labours , as also for service in warre , as france knowes well , who is furnish'd hence : what horse can carry a cuirassier more stoutly then a frislander ; what famous marts are in germany for horses ! what choice breed ! i will instance but only in one prince of holsteyn , a kinsman of ours , who at one time had above a thousand mares for breed , and above one hundred choice stallions . now will i go to the shores of prussia , pomerland and livonia , to gather gum ; and lord what abundance of it is found there ! a curious kind of aromatique ambar , which tricles down from the firre trees , whereof there are such huge forrests , which serves for marchandize all the world over . now for noblenesse of rivers ; what countrey is comparable to germany ! we have the danube acknowledg'd by all to be king of rivers . qui centum populos et magnas alluit urbes . shee waters a hundred severall people ; with many mighty citties ; the rhin is ours , the elve is ours , the main , the mossell , the skeld , the vistula with ten great navigable rivers are ours ; which for fish and freighting of comodities and conveyance of them from place to place run very conveniently ; guicciardin in his time made a supputation that the fishing of the low countries alone came to above two millions a year . now in high germany there are some fish , who of themselves are so savoury and sweet that they need no sawce : and in prague he is held to have but a very dull tast who useth any sawce with some sorts of fish . now for salt pits , what numbers are there in luneburg , in saxony , in suabland , austria , and other places ? what variety of baths and medicinall waters have wee ? whose virtue proceeds from mineralls , whereof there are such plenty ; what curious marble is dig'd up in limburg , and namur ! you have there marble of all colours , white , black , red , gray , which may vie with crystall for lustre and brightnesse . germany hath her mines also of gold , silver , copper , lead , tinne and iron ; the german dollars furnishd all the mints of europe , before the mines of mexico and potosi were discovered in america . and it is wonderfull how the plenty of gold and silver is encreasd in germany these two last ages which hath enhancd the price of all things . yet the helvetians scarce made any use , or had any esteem of gold and silver , till they gave that fatall over-throw to charles the hardy nere granson , where they carried away their cap-fulls of gold and silver , which since is extremely multiplyed amongst them by the salary the kings of france have given them both for their attendance about his person , by way of garde as also for their service in the warre against the house of austria ; the swisse herby being come to the apprehension of the value of gold and silver , with other nations have mightily approvd their stock since that time . in so much that they provd often very usefull to france and other people in great sommes of money . and as germany abounds thus with gold and silver , so the bowels of her earth is also full of mettalls in divers places ; tirol above other provinces of europe hath plenty of mettalls : the elve , edera with other rivers afford gold ; corbachi in westphalia hath also som , steinheid in franconia and other places . cellerfiela in saxonie hath mines of silver , as also friburg , marieburg , anneberg , and sneberg ; ioachims vale , cotteberg and other soyles in bohemia have much silver . schonback also , and beraun in bohemia hath quantity of quick-silver . melibot and carpat abound with copper . aldeberg and irberesdort in misena , likewise have great store of white lead , and the mountaine ramel in saxony hath black , and ash-colour lead : there are innumerable places where iron is found , the best in sorland , gishubel , and lavestein . in this affluence of all earthly commodities , germany hath often relievd her neighbours , and supplyed them with necessaries according to the rule of charity , the germans being observd to be least given to the base vice of covetousnesse , they have been hospitable in the highèst degree , making no difference twixt native and stranger herin , as tacitus himselfe confesseth ; and to this in most places we retain that primitive vertue . but because by giving still , and not receiving , the 〈◊〉 might draw scarcity upon her self , therefore the mystery of marchandizing was found out , and permitted to be exercisd by way of commutative justice , for bartering commodities by way of exchange , or else by taking reasonable prices for them ▪ in so much , that any under the degree of a gentleman might export superfluous wares out of germany , and make a return of others in their steed , which custom tended both to publique and private benefit , and nombers hereby have raysd their families to be great and rich . and as high germany is full of such gallant marchants , so the lower germans exceed all other in the feat and mystery of comerce , where women as well as men do exercise the trade , and beat bargaines in their husbands absence ▪ and the advantagious situation of their countrey seems to invite them hereunto . and if any doubt this , let him look upon the multitude of shipps that lye in every port , so that take bottoms of all sorts , they have more that sayle upon salt water then all christendom besides : witnes els that nomber which the king of denmark did stay of theirs at one time in the baltique sea , which were for offring an affront to his ambassadors . in amsterdam alone ther go in and out as many vessells of all sorts one day with another as there be dayes in the yeare , either for england , scotland , france , spain , italy , turky , egypt , norway , russia , and the east or west indies . what a thing was antwerp before the revolt of the low countries ? ther usd to be more mercantile businesses transacted there in one month , then a whole yeer in venice , ther being no lesse then families of spaniards there at one time , besides other nations ; she erected the first burse in christendom , where twice a day many thousand negociators use to meet , and upon the river of skeld before the citty two thousand five hundred vessells have rid at anchor at one time , one tide bringing in sometimes four hundred sayles , and two hundred waggons going out and coming in . nor do we include in this nomber , the countrey carmen , which were reckond in one week to have been ten thousand : so that by this vicissitude , and perpetuall exercise of comerce , five hundred millions of crownes were computed to have been received and payed by buying and selling at home and abroad upon the account of this sole citty . and when the spaniards fell one time to pillage that city , the booty they made was estimated at two millions of crowns : i do not put in this account the plate and jewells they took , nor the brave houses which were burnt : the common gregarian souldiers were so much enrichd hereby , that it was observd , one of them lost in one day neer upon ten thousand crowns in the exchange , where publique tables were erected of purpose for gaming . they made hilts for their swords , and daggers som of massy gold , som of silver , yea corslets and helmets were made of the same mettall ; but because they would not have it discovered when they went out of town , they causd them to be varnishd over with some other colour ; but therein the artificers and gold smiths were too hard for them , for they mingled copper with the gold , and tin with the silver , whereby they redeemed som of their wealth again from free-booters . yet negotiation did not quite depart from this glorious city , but she flourisht awhile afterward in the midst of the furies of mars ; insomuch , that at one time ther were a great many valued at millions of crownes a peece , and some worth three millions , some more . but i will make a step hence to high germany ; how many famous mercantile cities have you there , besides the sixty and odd hans townes ? ther is frankfort upon the main , the mistresse of all the marts of europe , where one may meet with all sorts of nations , and any kind of imaginable comodity ; and ther is such excellent order usd to secure their passage , that it is a most rare thing to heare of a robbery . and as , most illustrious duke , your renowned ancestor everard , the first duke of wirtemberg , calld barbatus ( because going young and beardlesse to the holy-land against the common enemy of christ , he after many exploits came back with a great beard which he had got there , and never cut it off afterward ) was usd to say , that when he went amongst his cittizens , or tenants abroad , he might sleep securely in any one of their lapps , and his men might carry home his rents in the palmes of their hands ; so is it universally up and down germany , where ther are fewer robbers then any where else : for innated probity and down-right dealing the german is cryed up more then any , as also for his fidelity and trust ; which hath causd divers great emperours and kings to put their lives in their custody . augustus caesar , tiberius , and other emperours till galba's time , had a guard of germans next their persons ; but galba , as suetonius recordeth , dissolved this most faithfull and valiant guard , whose fidelity had bin tryed so many yeers : yet other emperours took them afterwards ; nay , herodes king of iudaea sent for a guard of them : and they continue to have this high honour to this very day ; for not onely the late caesars , but the pope , the kings of spain , france , and sarmatia , together with the gran duke of toscany , with divers other soveraign princes , committ the custody of their lives and persons to this stout and honest nation ; insomuch that we may glory with the frizland legions , not onely in pompeys theater , as tacitus hath it , but all the world over , nullos mortalium armis , aut fide ante germanos esse , there are no kind of mortals superiour to the dutch in armes , and trust ; nor shall you seee a tru german ever beat his servant , or clap in prison any of his tenants for non - payment of rent , but either defalk something out of the wages of the one , and amercing the other to some small heriot . and as the probity of our nation is like a great flourishing tree , whose branches shoot every where , so the german chastity is very remarkable ; which as egidius the fraciscan sayed , is like a cleer crystall glasse which may be darkened by the breath onely : and where doth this chastity look more cleer , and shine more bright then in germany . for one to have knowledg of a woman there before yeer twenty , is held a great turpitude , and a disgracefull thing : let caesar be heard herein : the german lust is care , every one is contented with his own wife , so that adultery is rare among them , and it is not as much the punishment as the publique shame that deterrs them from it . and thuanus sayeth , that no nation observes the honests of conjugall honesty according to gods holy praecept more then they ; insomuch that the verses of the lirique may be applyed to them . nullis polluitur casta domus stupris , mos & lex maculosum edomuit nefas , laudantur simili prole puerperae : culpam poe na premit comes . which causes a strict law against bastards , which are rendred incapable of all promotions ; which was the reason that mary queen of hungary , sister to charles the th . could never be entreated by the emperour to pardon one of her prime noble-men , who had deflower'd one of her maydes of honour , though much importun'd thereto . to this vertu of chastity we may add the strength of conjugall love , which is found in germany ; and hereof there be many signall examples . among other , let that in the reigne of the emperour conradus the third take place here , who having in your town of writsberg in writemberg , streightly block'd up guelpho of bavaria , and reduc'd the place to extreme exigents , at the cryes and importunity of the women of the town , he publish'd a diploma , or imperiall placart , wherein he indulg'd all women this priviledg , that they might freely depart from the town , but not carry any luggage with them , but what they could bear upon their own backs . hereupon the dutchesse took guelpho her husband on her sholders , and all the women else following her example , came out of the gates laden with men and youths . the emperour being much taken with this witty stratageme , forgave guelpho the duke with all his adherents . lorenzo de medicis , duke of toscany reading this story , was transported with so much joy and plesure , that being sick of an indisposition , whereof all his physitions could not cure him , recovered his health hereby , as bodin relates . let us proceed now to another vertu , which is signal and shining in the german , and that is modesty . can there be a greater example then that of charles the fifth ? who being yet in a vigorous state of body , voluntarily resignd the german empire to his brother ferdinand , and all his spacious dominions to his son philip ; though as some malevolent spirits reported afterwards , that the next after his resignments was the first day of his repentance . but now i will speak something of the heroik valour and fortitude of our nation , whereby europe hath stood unshaken so many ages : and truely to dilate this , my words must needs com short of the matter ; and herein it was the disadvantage of germany to be destitute of writers ; for our progenitors were more for the pike then the pen ; bipennem , non pennam tractabant : and it was enough for other nations to extoll their own feats , not ours , so that it may be sayed of the children of this noble continent , vixere fortes ante agamemnona multi ; sed omnes illachrymabiles urgentur , ignotique longa nocte , carent quia vate sacro . the memory of dido had rotted with her body in her grave , had not maro preservd it ; so had ulisses without homer : mecaenas , had it not bin for horace , lucilius without seneca , and divers other heros , whose names were made indelible and immortal by the quil : therefore as bodin sayeth , one of the greatest motives that inducd the scythians and goths to burn libraries , was , because the fame of other nations , as well as their own reproaches might perish . yet those fragments of stones which are found up and down in our archives , shew well what heroique spirits this clime hath bredd , and what martiall men ; in comparison of whose preliations and fights , those of the greeks were but combats twixt froggs and mice . i will not go so far as tuisco , mannus , ingavo , istaevon , hermion , marsus , gambrivius , suevus , and vandalus ; but i will come neerer our times , it is enough we are germans , ergo all men , and manfull according to the etymon of the word . tacitus sayeth , it was an infamous crime among us , to leave our colours behind in the field , or to com thence alive , the prince being killd ; for it was held a kind of religion to protect , and defend his person , as also to assign the glory of all exploits to him : so terrible we were to our neighbours the gaules , that the very name of a german was a scarecrow unto them ; for gallia lay alwaies open to us , though they never took foot of ground in germany . how did andirestus trounce them , making them flye to iulius caesar , and implore ayd so pittifully , or at least his intercession , to make peace twixt them and the teutoniques . hereupon iulius caesar employing some ambassadours to ariovistus then in suabland , that he would appoint an indifferent place for a parley : he answerd , that if caesar had any businesse with him , he might com to him accordingly , at he wold do if he had any businesse with caesar ; hereupon a war was denouncd : but certain travellers , and merchants telling the gaules , what huge mighty men both for stature and spirit the germans were , and how habituated to armes being abroad in the fields , without houses ; such apprehensions of fear and terror did seize upon that army of gaules which caesar had levied against ariovistus , that they durst advance no further , but retire ; such was the high valour of the suevians at that time , which made caesar himself break out into this confession : suevis ne deos quidem immortales pares esse posse , reliquum quidem in terris esse neminem quem non superare possint ; galli vero paulatim assuefacti superari , multisque victi praelijs , ne se quidem ipsi cum germanis virtute comparabant . the immortall gods are not like the swablanders ; there are none upon earth but they are able to overcom them , but the gaules being accustomed to be beaten , and discomfited in many encounters , did not hold themselfs by their own confession equall to the germans . when iccius and ambrogius came ambassadors to caesar , among other things they told him that the belgians were the valiantst of all the gaules , who were descended of the germans , who had crossd the rhine to settle themselfs there for more commodiousnesse by the expulsion of the gaules , which countrey was calld for distinction sake , ci●…-rhenana germania , which is now calld the netherlands , or belgium , the inhabitants wherof have dutch for their naturall language ; therfore they were usd to call germany , magnam patriam , their great countrey . now as cities use by degrees to grow greater , and have outwalls and suburbs ; and as great rivers do not tie themselfs to one direct even channell , but oftentimes inound , and gain ground ; so kingdoms have their fate : it is not therfore the rhin , the danube and vistula that confines germany , though they run like great veines of bloud through her body , but beyond them she hath belgium , the swisserland , the grisons , and alpes , styria , carniola , carinthia , austria , a great part of sarmatia , denmark , swethland , norway , finmark , with other most potent and patent regions , who glory in the name and language of germans : moreover touching the gaules , the germans may be termd their fathers , as well as their conquerors ; for ammianus marcellinus sayeth , in galliam vacuam populos quosdam ab insulis extremis , & tractibus trans-rhenanis crebritate bellorum & alluvione fervidi maris sedibus expulsos . som peeple from the outward islands and territories beyond the rhin , by the fury of warr and the encroachments of the tumbling sea were driven to gallia : and whence can this be , but from germany ? nor was a great part of gallia alone , but great britany also was colonizd by germans ; wittnesse the words of caesar , who sayeth , germanos si non patres , tamen britannorum avos esse . the germans , if they were not the fathers , yet they were grandfathers to the britains . and as the hither parts of gallia , so the southerly parts also towards the pyreneys and spain were colonizd by germans , i mean languedoc : and this is plain argumento ducto ab etymologia , the word languedoc being derivd from langue de goth , though som would foolishly draw it from langue d' ovg , or languedoc . but let us go neerer to work , and with more certainty ; i pray whence hath france her last and present appellation , but from the franconians in germany ? hear what a famous author writes . francos , francos nostros sequamur , gentem omnium quotquot magna illa & vasta germania tulit generosissimam , acerrimos libertatis propugnatores . let us follow the french , the french one of the most generous peeple that huge germany ever bore , and the greatest propugnators of their liberties . and this revolution or transmigration happend upon the decay of the roman empire , in the time of valerianus and gallienus , the one being taken captif by the persian , the other eclipsing the empire with luxury and sloth ; so pharamond the german rushd into france ( then gallia ) and his successor establishd there a monarchy which hath continued in three races of kings above these twelve hundred yeers ; t is tru , the whole countrey was not all reducd at once by the franks , but by degrees , and being once settled , nothing could resist their valour , but they still got more ground : whence that proverb hath its rise from valentinianus augustus , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have the frank , or the frenchman for thy friend , not for thy neighbour . and the name of frank , or french grew so renownd , that iustinian the emperour calld himselfe francicum , whereat theudebert king of france took exception , because he was neither born there , nor gott one foot of the countrey . and now the fame of the franks , like a bright flame of fire flew higher and higher , and at last it grew so high , that in charlemaynes time all gallia , and all germany that extended from the rhin to illyrium , was calld france , nay the name of freink or frence came to be of such a huge extent and latitude , that all christians , among the turks , and up and down asia , of what nation soever they were , were calld freinks ; yea the christian affricans in ethiopia , calld the habissines , calld all the europaeans alfrangues , and the countrey frankia . herby , most noble princes , by our fortitude and constancy we became twise the fathers of gallia , and so we may be sayed to be also twise the fathers of the britains : for the saxons ( which som wold derive from the saci , a renowned peeple in asia , but wrongfully ) being , as zosimus sayeth , for their magnitude of spirit , strength of body , and patience in labour , grown famous and feard by the romans , as marcellinus hath it : the saxons , i say , were sent for by the britons , to help them against the incursions of the picts and scots , where being arrivd , after many vicissitudes , they settled there a monarchy , so that by som it was calld transmarina saxonia : nor have the ancient britons , irish , and scotts , any other name for an english man to this day , but sasson : nor was the english language any thing else at first but a meer dialect of the german , so that all their townes terminant in dutch , either in ham , thorp , wich , burg , berg , sted , heim , stadt , &c. now i pray were not the ancient kings of spain , before the house of austria , all germans , with the principallst families of spain , who to this day take it a glory to be descended of the goths ? now it is observd that whersoever the german and goth took footing , they never forsook the place , but multiplied there exceedingly ; nor is there any nation so fruitfull and prolificall as the germans ; witnesse these examples , though somthing prodigious . margaret florence , the fourth count of hollands daughter , and wife to the earl of henneberg , being about two and forty yeers old , about nine a clock in the morning was brought to bed of an almanack of children , viz. three hundred sixty five , as many as there be dayes in the yeer , whom guido the suffragan bishop of utrecht christned all alive , being brought all to church in a great bason , and being half boyes and half girls , the males were calld iohns , and the females elizabeths , but they all expird with their mother in one day , which was anno . another margaret , wife to a count of holsten some thirty yeers after brought forth so many . but these were unusuall abortive weak issues , germany needs , and daylie produceth stronger broods : i pray observe that nere tubinga ther is a castle calld entringh castle , which for the serenity of the ayr , the sweetnesse of soyl , and amaenity of walks , is a place most delectable ; there livd within these few yeers in this castle five gentlemen with their wifes , in a rare harmony of affection , who got a hundred children , who livd to be all men and women . consider the countesse of dalburg , who saw her numerous issue to the third degree , of whom this distic was made : mater ait natae , dic natae , filia , natam ut moneat natae plangere filiolam . rise up daughter and go to thy daughter , for thy daughters daughter hath a daughter . the story is notable of babo count of abeneberg , who of wifes had two and thirty sonns and eight daughters , whom he gave the choicest education unto that could be ; this count being invited one day to hunt with the emperour hen : the second , took oportunity to bring his troup of sonns well horsd , and in gallant equippage , and making a present of them to the emperour , he took them all with much grace and contentment to his service , and married them very nobly , insomuch that many illustrious families sprung from their loynes . and the emperour was bound to do this according to law , for whosoever in germany getts seven sonns together , the emperour is to maintain them all ; and though the german continent be very vast , yet is it full of people , so that as boterus hath it , ther was a cense of ten millions of soules who breathd ther at one time ; but he corrected himself afterward , and averrs , veggo che quella amplissima provincia passa . millioni d'anime senza comprendervi i regni di danemarca & di boemia : i find that that huge province besides denmark and bohemia hath nineteen millions of soules within it . therfor though an army of two hundred thousand soldiers shold be carried out of germany , ther would be no misse at all of them . what shall we say of the normans in france , who establishd a monarchy both in england and sicilie by their meer prowesse ; and having subjugated that fertile province in france , calld normandy ever since , they did so infest the rest of that spacious kingdom , that it was a part of their letany , a furore normanorum libera nos domine . from the norman fury the lord deliver us . at last charles the simple was forcd to give rollo their duke , his daughter gista to wife , with that whole province ; and when at that ceremony rollo was advisd by his nobles to kisse the kings foot ; answerd no , by god , which is the cause that the normans are calld by-gods to this day . roger hoveden speaks thus of the normans , audax francia normannorum militiam experta est , ferox anglia captiva succubuit , dives apulia sortit aestoruit , heirosolyma famosa , & insignis antiochia se utraque suppoluit . bold france felt the norman disciplin , fierce england yeelded her selfe as captive , rich apulia receavd them , and flourishd ; holy ierusalem , and famous antioch subjected themselfs both unto him . what a man of men was tancred , who going as a martiall adventurer abroad with many goodly young princes , his sons did perform many exploits in italy , chasd the saracens out of sicilie , and did sundry brave feats in the holy-land : and to this day the sicilians acknowledg that it was by his valour they enjoy their own country , that they live free , and became all christians again . tacitus himself , though no great friend to our nation , confesseth that the germans cut the romans more work to do , then either the samnites , the carthaginians , the spaniards , or french and parthians ; for what can the orient , as he sayeth , bragg of , but that they conquerd and killd our generall crassus , and pacorus ? but the germans did not onely rout five roman armies in the consulship of carbo , cassius , scaurus , aurelius , servilius , cepo , and manlius , but they took away varus with three legions besides ; and this happened when rome was at her highest point of strength . it was cryed up for a triumph that caligula brought and put in the capitoll of rome , certain cockle shels that he had gathered upon the costs of holland . augustus caesar himself who was calld happy to a proverb , yet he receavd two overthrowes by the germans , calld lolliana , and variana clades : iulius caesar conquerd the gaules by the help of germans , and in the pharsalian fields they performd the prime service . then the romans , because they could not do much upon germany by strength and valour , they went another way to work , they found means to raise and foment divisins among the germans themselfs , and did more that way then they could by armes : which policy also charles the fifth , a german himself , did put in practise to break the strength of the lutherans . but that i may return a little to the old times , what shall i say of that german legion , which in spain gave the denomination to the kingdom of legio , now calld leon. what shall i say of the exploites of the vandales , who gave name to andalusia ? of the longobards , who denominated lombardy in italie , and occupied it two hundred yeers ? ? what of the goths , who did lead a dance through all europe ? all these were birds of our feathers : and charles the quint was usd to say , that the prime nobility of christendom descended from the gothique race , and that ther was no one more entire body upon earth then germany , if united . but to go from lesse to great , what a mirroir of men was our charlemagne , who first ▪ translated the roman empire to germany , where it hath continued above eight ages . by these rivulets you may gesse at the greatnesse of the river ; by these sparks you may conjecture what the flame is , and by these rayes you may know somthing of the sun. indeed in germany caesar sits like the sun himselfe in the zodiac , surrounded with seven planets ; that is , the septemvirat of electors , with multitudes of other refulgent stars : and this caesarean dignity is now so rooted in germany , that it is a fundamentall law , ne quis exterus , & non germanus in imperatorem eligatur , that no forrener , that is no german be chosen emperour . and why should we seek for any abroad , when there are so many imperiall families at home ? now , the imperiall majesty is without a fellow ; caesar of any mortall is next to god , and deserves veneration all the world over , his dignity being supereminent , and his power shold be transcendent . athalaricus the goth could say so much , that the emperour is doubtlesse an earthly god , and whosoever doth heave up his arm against him , he is guilty of his own blood . by baldus words he is summus superior , dominusque orientis , occidentis , meridiei & septentrionis . he is the highest superior , and lord of all the four cardinall corners of the world ; he is the supreme judg , from whom there is no appeal , the prime arbiter . it is he who in sign of excellence wears a triple crown on his head ; he is creator of kings , the chief source of honor , and fountain whence all greatnesse flowes . nay , the common and capital enemy of christendom , the turk , gives his ambassadors more honor then to any other potentate . as among others , ther is one pregnant example ; for when david ungnadius was ambassador for the emperour in constantinople , and went to take his leave of the grand turk , and the persian ambassador being com to the duana before him , and taken the chair before him , he was going away without saluting the sultan , but the gran visier , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or chief minister of state perceaving that , causd the persian ambassador , though a mahumetan , to take a lower seat. another time upon the celebration of mahomet the third's circumcision , which lasted forty daies and nights continually , there being in constantinople the legats of the greatest monarchs upon earth , yet he who was ambassador then in the port for rodulphus the second , had alwaies the first place . now , as the emperour himselfe is the prime potentat , so the princes and nobles of germany are the best descended of any other ; and wheras divers german princes bore great sway abroad , it is probable that they left there much of their of-spring . but in germany there are no forren extractions ; germany reducd and ruld other countries , but none ruld germany but her own children ; swarmes of germans have gone abroad to italy and other provinces for governors , but no strangers have swayd in germany . t is tru , that captives of all nations have been brought thither from italy and other places ; and among those captives ther might be haply som princely stemms : as now in westphalia among the boors ther are som found who derive themselfs from the caesarean , and consulary families in rome , but in rome her self there are very few of them left , having bin ravisht and ransackt so often . there are none left of the publicolae , of the iunij , of the fabij , of the valerij , of the manlij , of the cassij , of the cincinnati , of the menucij , of the papirij , of the bruti , of the fulvij , of the sempronij , of the tullij , of the hortensij , of the aurelij , of the tarquinij , hostilij , licinij , sempronij , caecilij , crassi ; and multitudes of other illustrious families of rome they are all extinct , onely the lakes of venice hath preservd som upon the inundation of the goths . therefore sayeth aeneas sylvius , ita agamus , ut nos potius germani quam itali nuncupemur , &c. let us carry the businesse so , that we may be calld germans rather then italians ; for ther the purest and certainst , ancientst nobility upon earth doth yet flourish . and indeed most of the nobles of italy that now are of german extraction originally , as the lords of colalta , della scala , di castel barco , della rovere , della beccaria , del caretto , di monte feltro , di porcia , fazzoni , and arogari , carrafi , bolchetti , rossi , landriani , gonraghi , gabrieli , palavicini , savorgnani farnesi , bentivogli , soardi , &c. all which acknowledg themselfs to have had their first extraction from germany . the pole in magnifying their sigismunds , the dane in extolling their christians , the sweds in glorying of their gustavus adolphus , do all this while commend germany ; whence they first descended . let england also boast of their nobility & gentry , and in so doing they praise germany and normandy . let spain vaunt of their king , and who knowes not but he is a german two wayes , by the gothique and austrian family , with the best stemms of spain besides , where he is accounted but an upstart noble-man , that is not derivd de la sangre de les godos , of gothic blood. let france stand as high a tiptoe as she will , to vaunt of her twelve hundred yeers monarks , and she will confesse her three race of kings , merovengians , carlovingians , and capevingians , whence lewis the fourteenth now regnant is descended , came all primarily of the german race . but let us com to germany her self , and you will find that she is like the firmament , spangled and glistring with so many coruscant starrs , i mean so many illustrious families . i will begin with those of the order of knighthood , which being so many in nomber , i dare not adventure to nominat one without naming all , for fear of offence ; let it suffice that ther are in germany her self , besides her annexed regions , above six hundred knights , who according to the lawes of the emperour henricus auceps ( the faulconer ) do train up themselfs in noble exercises , disdaining any kind of mechanique trade , or to marry any but a gentlewoman by descent . now , touching counts and barons , their number is incredible : i will instance in the chiefest . you have in germany the illustrious families of the barbij , the bronkhorstij , the castelli , the cimbrij , the eberstenij , the erbachij , the falkenstenij , the furstenbergij , the gerobrekij , the gleichij , the hannovij , the helfenstenij , the hohenloi , the isenburgij , leimnigij , the leonstenij , the limpurgij , the lippij , the mansfeldij , the monfortij , the nassovij , the oldenburgij , the ortenburgij , the oestfrislandij , the oettingij , the rappolstenij , the rhenigravij , the reussij , the salmij , the schaunburgij , the swaertenburgij , the solmij , the stolbergij , the sulzij , the tubingij , the waldburgij , the waldbeccij , the wirdij , the witgenstenij , the zollerij , and divers more . i put down here the names of the trees onely , whereof every one hath multitude of branches ; and some of these have such prerogatives and royalties , that countervaile some soveraign princes elsewhere . but to look upon the high classis of nobility , how many imperiall and regall families are there ? guilielmus brussius sayeth , that as italy excels in palaces , and monuments of antiquity , as france in soldiers , as spain with bishops , as england with yeomen , as poland with nobles , so germany abounds with princes . brussius herein said true ; but besides the last , he may also find all the rest in germany ; i will instance first in your princely family , my cosen frederique achilles ; how famous was ulric the seventh for his amability ? prince lewis for his probity ? prince georg for his hospitality , ulric the ninth ; the first , second , third , and fourth eberhards for their fortitude , and your father frederique for his magnanimity ? what a signall prince was eberhard the first , whom the italians seemd to adore , being inflamd with the rayes of his virtues ; soe that maximilian the first , passing by this tombe , sayed , there lyeth a prince that not left his fellow in the whole empire , of whose sage counsells i made mighty advantages . what a grandee was the lord christopher , whom catharina de medicis queen regent of france sent rascalon unto , desiring his assistance and advise , during those tumultuary times , and intricat warr of the ligue ; he at such a high ladies request went accordingly , but with a gard of three thousand horse and foot , which did notable service . so you , my noble cozen ioachim ernest , a branch of the illustrious and regall house of holsteyn , do shine with many splendid titles , whose vertues not all denmark , norway , gothland , or the kingdome of the vandals , nor holsasia , dictsmarsh and sleswic , nor oldenberg and delmenhorst can equall ; the immortall memory of your oncle frederique the second , of your granfathers , christians the second and third , of your great granfather christian the first , doth so illustrat and ennoble ; o the high felicity of the great witikind , whose renown after so many centuries of yeers is yet fresh and fragrant . i will be modest in speaking of my saxonian family , twise electorall , and in the setting forth of the magnitud of their merit ; he made the greatest oppositions against henry the sixt , who by indirect meanes was emperour a while , but afterwards he forcd him to quitt it ; an exploit to be preferrd before other tropheys and triumphs , because he therby did vindicat the liberty of germany . i could run into a larg field to display the princely vertues and merits of this family — sed cynthius aurem vellit . apollo plucks me by the eare , telling me that this copious theme is fitter for another then my self . of the anhaltin family , nere allied to the saxonian , how many heros have bin ? sigismund , wolfangus , rodolphus , ioachimus , ioannes , ernest , were renowned both for feats of armes , and acts of peace . in the badensian family ther have bin som starrs of the greatest magnitude , which have bin so refulgent for high achievments , prowesse , and justice : i will instance in iames duke of baden , who kept his territories so free and safe , that if any one was robd upon the high way , he wold command him to be satisfied out of his own tresure , upon good affidavit made . in brunswic princely family , how many worthies have flourisht ; cardinall conradus , henricus leo , albertus magnus : henry the peaceable , william the victorious , henricus iulius sago & toga illustris , famous for the gown , & the gun. in the stemm of mechelburg how many high-top trees have flourisht ; as henry of ierusalem , albert the first , casimirus the second , ericus the first , all mighty men in merit . in the pomerla●…d family suantipiorus , suantipotius , busglavus , were supereminent with divers more . in the hassian family , henry ironside , lewis the meek , who refusd the empire , with sundry more were famous , : as hermannus archbishop of colen , philip the thunderbolt of war , and morris the darling of the muses . in the brandeburgian family , there was albertus calld the german hector for his exploits ; iohannes for his eloquence calld the german cicero , with others most celebrous for their piety , their prowesse , their benignity , and justice . touching the family of the bavarian palatin , wheresoever i cast my eyes upon any part of europe , i find most parts eccho forth their glory : for out of this family as out of a trojan horse , there have issued out nombers of venturous and magnanimous princes . othowitelsbachius , who meerly for his high worth receavd bavariae from frederique the first , lodwick the first , and second , both electors : lodwick & rupert both emperours , wolfangus bipontinus , who with five thousand foot , and six thousand horse , penetrated the very heart of france , and from the banks of the rhin advancd as far as aquitane , insomuch that the very name of deuxponts is grown famous and dreadfull in france to this day . what shall i say of albert the third , who being offerd the kingdom of bohemia , by a very splendid embassy of the chiefest nobles , utterly refusd it : maximilian the present duke of bavaria is accounted a prince of consummated wisdome , his authority and esteem being so great throughout the whole empire : with what prudence , prowesse , and prosperous successe did he take prague , when ther was an army twice greatet in number that stood in his way ! how glorious is the memory of philip palatin of bavaria , who made the great soliman to break his vow , wherof he had made three , the one to finish that huge aquaeduct of bringing water into the city of constantinople from the danube : the second to erect two bridges in a creek of the hellespont , the third the reducing of vienna in austria ; though he finisht the two first , yet he fayld in the performance of his last vow , chiefly by the valour of the foresayed bavarian philip , who forcd him to quit the siege with tears in his eyes , and to go back with his three hundred thousand men , for his army consisted of so many , though the defendants in the town were not sixteen thousand , who repelld them after twenty times storming . but i ascend to the cumble of all renown and glory , the house of austria ; and now although i had a brazen brest , a hundred toungs , and so many throats , as the poet once wishd , i should not be able to set forth the majesty of this imperiall stemm : nay , if all the green leafs that wag in the hercynian forest were turnd to toungs , i should not be able to expand the glory of this heroique family . i may truly apply thereunto that of the lyrik , — micat inter omnes austrium sydus , velut inter ignes luna minores . let all posterity learn , and all annals have it upon record , and ruminat upon 't , that there wer never so many crowns , scepters , and empires , fell so suddenly upon any race : and i pray what could we do . niforet austriacis germania fulta columnis ? if germany were not supported with austrian pillars , she wold quickly torter . antiquity in former times did deifie many of their brave men , as iove , mercury , hercules and others , raysing them up , and fixing them in the firmament . but i dare say , there have bin divers of this divine progeny , that merit to be stellified more then they ; i could muster up thirteen emperours who have bin successively of this house : and indeed who is fitter and abler to make head , and preserve us from the common enemy , from the fury of the ottoman emperour , then the austrians ? considering that they have their hereditary territories upon the frontires of turky : how many saint-like persons have bin of this house , as well as great captains , and notable polititians ? what shall i say more my noble auditors ? i have read that when timanthes wold have drawn iphigenia standing at the altar , and ready to be sacrificed , together with the standers by , he painted them in a picture of deep melancholy , specially her oncle ; but being come to her father , all his fancy being spent , he coverd him with a vaile : so must i do at this time , passe over this semidean family with silence : for having spent my fancy in displaying the high vertues of other german princes , i want both imagination and words to set forth the glory of this . and now most judicious and noble gallant princes , what think you of germany ? may not she expect the highest roome among the kingdomes of europe ? yes surely , being the seat of the empire , the source of such a nobility , and having so many advantages besides . for my own particular , as we read that plato gave nature thanks for three things ; viz. that he was born a man , and not a woman , a greek , and not a barbarian , an athenian , and not a theban , specially in socrates his time : so i render most hearty thanks to the divine majesty for three things likewise , that he hath made me a man , a christian , and a german , and that i live in the raign of the most glorious emperour ferdinand , ever august , whom heaven conserve . the oration of the lord john gulielm of retwitz : against germany . most excellent president , and illustrious princess , to be a good patriot , and to love his countrey , discovers a noble mind in any man ; for my own part i am so wholy possessd with an inhaerent , and tru naturall affection unto her , that did necessity require , i wold not only employ all the limbs of my body , and faculties of my brain to do her service , but i would hazard the purest arteriall bloud which lies in the best ventricle of my heart , for her incolumity , honour , and wellfare ; but now there is a businesse of another nature incumbent upon me , which is touching the excellence and prerogative of germany , in relation to the rest of the provinces of europe ; and this task i must discharge impartially , measuring her according to her merit , not according to blind affection . it is far from the rules of justice , and incongruous to reason we shold exalt our own , by depressing other countries , or dares like , triumph before victory . we germans do not see that wallet that dangles behind us , which i will endeaver now to shake off with a gentle hand : and by the favour of this high and honourable assembly , and your patience , most illustrious duke of saxony , i will make it my businesse to make some inquiries into the extravagances , the manners and vices of our own country , which when i have displayed unto you , i beleive you wil revoke your former opinion of ascribing the principality to germany . now , touching the vices of germany , as cardinall bellarmin sayeth of the bishop of rome , tantam esse papae amplitudinem & majestatem , ut perquam difficile sit illam definiri , the amplitude and majesty of the pope is such , that it is a hard matter to define it ; so by a kind of antithesis i may say , the ill manners , and customes of germany are so large and lothsom , that it is a very difficult task to describe them . and where shall i begin this task ? i will take my rise at the power and dominions of germany , which i find to faint , and languish every day more then other . o immortall god! what diminutions hath she receavd ? how many potent and flourishing states have fallen away from her ? the venetian , the milanois , the florentine , the genoways , the luqueses , have quite shaken off her yoke : nay , rome her self hath played the fugitif , and ran away from her . witnesse the emperour charles the fourth , who being to make his entrance into rome , was let in , but limited to this condition by the cardinall of ostia , ut neque romae , neque in italia diu moraretur , that he should not sojourn long in rome , nor italy , as nauclerus hath it . nay , all the jurisdiction of the roman emperour is almost quite vanisht in italy ; insomuch that caesar cannot restore any of the popes subjects to his birth-right , either in point of title or possession , without the popes consent , which if it be wanting , the decree of legitimation is invalid : nay , the pope doth not onely interdict him in his , but he will not permit the emperour to exercise absolute power in his own territories : witnesse that act of sixtus quintus , who glorified himselfe to be of an illustrious house , meaning a small cottage , which for want of roof took in alwaies the lustre of the solar beames . in this sixtus his pontificat , it chancd that the count pepili possessd som manners beyond the river of po ; cardinall salviatus questioning his title , in that the said count came from the race of som banditi ; he producd the emperours grant , but this wold not serve the turn , for the sayed cardinall causd him to be apprehended in his own palace , and sending for a ghostly father to confesse him , he causd him to be presently strangled . the lorrainers , burgundians , and belgians ; i mean the united provinces are also revolted , who in regard they have by their armes shaken off the spaniard , alledg they have also at the same time freed themselfs from any homage to caesar . so have also the helvetians , or swisses , whom aeneas sylvius calls flagellum principum , ac nobilium ; homines naturâ superbos , qui ipsam sibi iustitiam famulari volunt , justumque id putant quod eorum phantasticis est conforme capitibus . the swisses are a scourge of princes and nobles , men naturally proud , and who wold make justice her self to attend them in quality of a servile handmaid , thinking that onely to be just , which conformes with their caprichious heads . hereof ther was a late example , for being summond upon a processe of a high nature to the imperiall chamber at spire , they sent their rough-hewn ambassadors , who told the councell , domini confaederati helvetij vos vicinos suos salvere jubent , mirantur vero quod tam crebris citationibus , &c. the lords confederats of swisserland do greet you their neighbours , but they wonder that by your so often citations you wold disquiet them , therfore they pray and exhort you that you wold no longer molest them . so also ther are very spacious countreys northward , who have fallen quite away from our german emperour ; among others , som part of the livonians countrey , who when they were summond to obedience by charles the fifth , otherwise he would reduce them by force , they answerd in a geering manner , that they knew his horse wold be tyred before he could reach the skirts of livonia , as thuanus hath it . good lord , whersoever i turn my eyes , i behold nations revolted from caesar , which makes the imperiall eagle so thinn of feathers , and almost stark naked . from the raign of rodolph the first , which is not much beyond the memory of man , i could instance in two hundred states and princes who have unmembred and emancipated themselfs from our german emperour , who were usd to obey his summons , and make apparance accordingly : all the hansiatique townes are now grown petty republiques , whereas they did once owe vassallage to the empire . the emperour charles the fifth , though a glorious prince , yet he made in his time such a pittifull complaint to pope adrian , that germany was reducd to that penury and indigence , that she was not onely not able to bear up against the incursions of the common enemy , but she was not able to suppresse domestique insolencies , and maintain peace and justice within her own dores ; this goldustus hath upon record ; nay scioppius goes further , that germany was grown so beggerly , that ther were some of her best born children , som of regall extraction , who had not three hundred crownes a yeer for their whole subsistence , insomuch that many of them went habited rather like poets then princes ; but this indeed is too much , it is a meer scioppian chymera , and indeed there was not since the creation of man , a more lying and base licentious toungd fellow then scioppius . now , our very foes can tell us our defects in government , and in what a deplorable condition germany stands , as will appeer by this example . when maximilian the second was chosen emperour , it chanced that ibraim , solimans ambassador was then at frankefort , who having bin a spectator of the shew , and observd what great princes did attend the emperour that day , and being told that som of them could raise an army of themselfs against the turk , the ambassador smiling , sayed , that he doubted not of the strength of germany , but that the minds , the counsells , and actions of the germans , were like a beast with many heads and tayles , who being in case of necessity to passe through a hedge , and every head seeking to finde a particular hole to passe through , they were a hindrance one to another , every head drawing after his own fancy , and so hazarded the destruction both of all the heads and tayles ; but the empire of solyman his great master , was like a beast with many tayles , yet she had but one head , which head getting through , or over any passage , withour confusion of fancy and dispute of any other , all the tayles and the whole body followed him accordingly ; well sayed the turk , and very wisely , and i am sorry that we find it so by wofull experience . ther is another mighty soloecism in the german government , which is the confusion and differences that useth to be in diets , which made . aeneas sylvius to give us a tart reprehension when he saith ; omnes germanorum dietas esse faecundas , et quamlibet in ventre habere alteram ; ac credibile est quia faemineum sit nomen , libenter impraegnari , pietas est parturire . all the german diets or assemblies are fruitfull , so that every one hath another commonly in her belly ; and it is credible that diets , because they are of the faeminine gender , are willing to become pregnant and bring forth . the emperour charles the fifth could also say to the same purpose , that the german iuntas , and iudicatories and diets were like vipers , for as these destroy their dam , so the latter decrees of diets destroy the former . now what a lame imperfect power the emperour himself hath in these imperiall chambers or diets we well know : indeed as one said , the name of caesar remaines , but the majesty is gone . the thing it self is vanishd , and the shadow remaines . o degenerous times ! o deplorable poor germany : in former times the greatest kings of europ and asia , and afrique , thought it no disparagement to submit to caesar , and now not only kings , but every meane count doth scorn to stoop to him ; and indeed it doth not tend much to the reputation of our ancestors , that in lesse then three hundred yeers nine german emperours should be destroyed , besides those that were deposed , and abdicated . it grieves me to remember here the improbous saying of gerardus bishop of mentz , who having with divers others conspird against . albert the first , and intending to elect another , the said gerardus having a hunting horn about him , and being a potent popular man , in so much that he was calld propola imperij , the huckster of the empire , he belchd out these words : in hoc cornu complures gesto caesares , i carry many caesars in this horn ; but the albert by the speciall benedictions of heaven was quit with them all at last , that he made them carry doggs so many miles , which is accounted in germany the most opprobrious and disgracefullest punishment that can be inflicted upon a nobleman or gentleman ; whereas a plebean is bound according to the quality of the offence , to carry a chair from one county to another . so we read that frederique barbarossa made hermannus , count palatin of the rhin , and ten counts more , to carry doggs above a whole german mile , for the praedations and insolencies they had committed , while he was in italy . but whereas this kind of punishment is grown obsolet , i could wish it were still in force , we should not then have so many treasons , and transgressions of imperiall sanctions , the majesty of caesar , the balance of dollars , the decrees of diets would be more regarded , and justice would not be so frequently baffled , and affronted . it is an odd character that velleius paterculus gives of our countreymen ; esse homines qui nihil praeter vocem et membra haberent hominum , in summa feritate versutissimi , natumque mendacio genus . the germans were men who had nothing but the voices , and members of men , yet they had a great deale of wilinesse in their wildnes , a race born for lies . witnes their perfidious carriage in great britany towards the old inhabitants therof , when at a solemn meeting and treaty they carried knifes hid in their stockins , wherwith in the midst of their salutations they murthered the ancient nobility of the britons , who had come armeles into the field according to the capitulations of agreement between them , that none should bring with him any offensive or defensive weapon . then when those saxons , which were tru germans , for they came from the lower circuit of saxony , and to this day are calld saxons by the welsh and irish , had taken firm footing in britain , what a world of spoiles and devastations did they commit both by land and sea : in so much that sidonius complaines of them , quot remiges videris saxones , totidem decernere putes archipiratas , ita simul omnes imperant , parent , docent , discunt latrocinari . hostis est omni hoste truculentior ; est ijs quaedam cum discriminibus pelagi non notitia solum , sed familiaritas — as many rowers you see of the saxons , you discern so many rovers and arch-pirats : they all command , and obey , they learn , and teach how to robb ; an enemy more truculent then any enemy , they have not only knowledg , but a familiarity with the sea &c. i beleeve ther is none here who is ignorant of the story of hatto the first archbishop of mentz , who so basely betrayed albertus bishop of bamberg , who had casually slain conradus the emperours brother , who having besiegd him in therussa castle , the sayed albert was perswaded by hatto to go and submitt himself to the emperour , and he promised to bring him safe back to his castle , which he did : but albert had his hand tied behinde , and so as soon as he returnd his head was chopd off ; but hatto sayed , to excuse himself , that he had only promisd to bring him back to the place from which he had fetchd him , and no more . what a horrible story is there of another hatto , an archbishop also of mentz , who was devoured and eaten up alive by rats for his uncharitablenesse to the poor in a yeer of famine , whom he had lodgd in a great barne , and putting fyre therunto in the dead of night he burnt them all , saying , that those were the rats which devourd his corn ; and that this story may be upon perpetuall record , the castle where he was eaten , is called rat castle to this day , being scituated in the middle of the rhin , whither the rats swomm after him , and never left him till they had bin the executioners of divine vengeance upon him . another such a horrid story as this was that of the devill who appeerd at hamelen in the shape of pied piper , which towne being very much infested with rats , the sayed piper did covenant with the burgers to free them of that vermin for such a reward , which he was to receave a yeer after they saw themselfs freed ; hereupon the piper playing upon a kind of bagpipes that he had , all the rats followed him to a great lough hard by , where he drownd them all : but returning at the yeers end for his reward , the burgers wold put him off with a small matter ; thereupon playing upon his pipes one evening , all the children of the town followed him to the mouth of a hill , where he and the children vanished ; there is a great stone piller stands in that place , whereon there is mention hereof , and the people of the town to this day in all their publick writings draw their epoches and computation of yeers from the going out of their children . and as the devill appeerd here in the shape of a piper ; so nere bremen he gott into a butcher , who being inraged one day with his wife that was bigg with childe , he took her into a stable and ripping up hir belly took out the embryon ; & ther being a sow hard by big with pigs , he killd the sow also , and taking out the piggs , he sowed them up in his wifes belly , and the childe in the sow's . can the witt of man run upon a more nefandous thing ? but germany is full of these bloody stories . and whereas you know we have a custom when any notorious theef is hangd to stick so many pegs in the gibbet as he had killd men , it is ordinary to finde in moravia , and other places such gibbets som with twenty , som with thirty , and i heard lately of one that had sixty three peggs stuck into it , denoting so many murthers by one man. now , if we descend to low germany , we shall find hir litle inferiour to the higher in strange kindes of immanities . what an inhuman thing was that in gant , when the father and the son being condemnd to die for one fact , it was adjudged they shold draw lotts whither the father should hang the son , or the son the father , and it fell to the son , who accordingly thrust out of the world him who brought him in . but now i speake of the citty of gant , which is held to bee one of the most mutinous and inconstant cities of christendom ( and therfore no wonder that she hath so many windmills within her walls ) what nation , i say , hath shewd more arguments of instability then allmain ; go first to religion , since that shaveling monke luther fell in love with the abadesse , to enjoy which he made religion his bawd , i pray you how many new sects have crept in since ? iohn calvin came apace after him , he usherd in the anabaptists , then what a swarm of swenkfeldians , osiandrians , huberians , oecolampadians , and arminians have we ; and if you desire more , you may go to amsterdam , where you shall find as many sorts as ther be of venice glasses in murano . what a scandall to the german nation was iohn of leyden , that frantique rascall ? what an opprobry to christianity is that amsterdam , wher such a confusion of religions is allowed ! & no wonder , for she is one of the nearest to hell of any town upon earth . and as in the reign of nimrod there fell a curse upon those that would dwel so high by a confusion of tongues , so a confusion of beliefs is fallen upon these men by dwelling too low , and cosening the fish of their inheritance , for indeed the fish shold inhabit that countrey which they have forced out of the jawes of the sea , and thereby may be called tru usurpers . but touching religion , the french fancy was never so greedy after new fashions in apparrell , as we germans high and low do thirst after new fangling opinions in matters appertaining to christian doctrin and discipline : it was a notable saying of queen katherin de medici when she was regent of france , that the two greatest heretiques which europe produced were luther and machiavil ( hir countrey man ) the one in matters of piety , the other of policy . but we germans being commonly of a higher stature then other nations , we are compard to houses of five or sixe stories high , wherein the upper rooms are worst furnished , meaning the cells of our brains ; as if the largenes of members shold lessen the strength of the mind , according to that of seneca , nimio robore membrorum vigor mentis hebescit , quasi abnuente naturâ vtriusque boni largitionem , ne supra mortalem sit felicitatem eundem et valentissimum esse , et sapientissimum . the vigor of the mind growes dull by too great strength and boysterousness of the body ; nature denying as it were such a double bounty , it being beyond humane felicity for the same man to be most valiant and most wise . it is the saying of bartolus , that longi homines sunt raro sapientes , tall men ▪ are seldom wi●…e : and as helvetia is so sterill that she cannot feed her self ; hassia so swelling with barren hills that somtimes she is ready to starve ; as the marquisat of brandenburg and westphalia are choak●…d with sand , as other places up and down germany are full of ill aird fenns and marishes that hinders the fertility of the countrey , and impaires the health of the people ; and as in som rank grounds weeds get up so fast that the corn cannot grow , so in our german natures there is still som obstacle or other that choakes the growth and tapring up of vertu . i confesse that our compatriotts are cryed up generally for continence , but truly i do not think they deserve it so much as the world thinks , for how many baths ( or rather brothell houses of lust ) have you up and down germany , where shirts and smocks promiscuously meet , whence som ladies that came penelop●…s thither , go away helens ▪ poggius writes a book entitled de schola epicureae factionis quae regnat in teutonia ; of the school of epicurism which raignes in germany , meaning the baths of boden and others ; he sayeth nulla in orbe terrarum balnea ad faecunditatem mulierum magis esse accommodata ▪ innumerabilem multitudinem nobilium et ignobilium ducenta millia passuum eo venire , non tam valetudinis quam voluptatis gratia ▪ omnes amatores , omnes procos quibus in deliciis vita est posita , eo concurerere ut fruantur rebus concupitis , multas faminas simulare corporum aegritudines cum animo laborent , omnibus unam mentem esse tristitiam fugare , quaerere hilaritatem , non de communi dividundo agere , sed de communicando divisa . there are no bathes so accommodated for the fruitfulnesse of women as the germans , an innumerable company of nobles and ignobles come thither two hundred miles off , not so much for health as pleasure ; all amorous men , all suters , all servants of ladies who delight in delicacies flock thither , many women go thither to cure the sicknesse of the mind rather then of the body ; they com thither not to treat of dividing the common , but of communicating what are divided : what sayeth the monke of ulmes of his own country women ? he sayeth , omnia aliarum regionum lupanaria habent foeminas de suevia , sic etiam omnia poene monasteria procul existentia habent virgines suevigenas ; et dilectae et utiles monasteriis sunt plus quam aliae propter bonam naturae dispositionem . the bordells allmost of all countrey●… have som women of suevi , and also all monasteries though a good distance off have suevian nunnes , for they are loving , and prove more usefull then others for their good naturall dispositions ; among other examples let this serve to shew the impudicity of our german ladies in the person of barbara count hermans daughter , and wife to the emperour sigismund , who having tried the mettall of the strongest backs in her husbands time , was after his death admonish'd by her ghostly father to live chast and like the turtle , wherunto she answerd , if you , father confessor , wold have me imitat birds , why shall i not the life of a sparrow rather then of a turtle ? — now , frederique the brother of this barbara was as bad as she ; who having murtherd his wife for the love of his concubine , and being dehorted by a pious freind from his damnable dissolut courses , specially now being ninety yeers of age , and to think on his grave , yes , i will , sayed he , and i intend to have these lines insculpd upon 't . haec mihi porta est ad inferos , quid illic reperiam nescio , scio quae reliqui : abundavi bonis omnibus , ex quibus nihil fero mecum , nec quod bibi , atque edi , quodque inexplebilis voluptas exhausit . this is my passage to hell , i know not what i shall find there , i know what i left : i abounded with all things , whereof i carry nothing with me , neither of what i ate or drunk or exhausted in insatiable pleasure . the example of henry duke of brunswik is very signal , who being desperatly in love with eva tottina , a young damsell , ( daughter to a gentleman of good quality ) that kept his dutchesse company , he plotted that she shold make ●…emblance to go to visit her frends , at such a castle , whither being com , she faind her self sick over night , and so her women who were her complices , gave out she was dead of the plague in the morning ; so having gott a wooden statue in a chest of purpose , they coffind the statue and sent it to be buried , so the duke did satiat his ●…ust and got seven children of her . what shall i say of the kings of denmark ? is it not a common thing for them to keep concubines in their courts , which are attended upon like queens ; it is well known how many bastards maurice prince of orenge left behind him , who being advised by a reverend divine upon his deathbed to marry that woman of whom he had most of his sons , & therby he might preserve her reputation from being a whore , and his children from being bastards : but being pressed to it , he answerd , no , i will not wrong my brother harry so much , who was to be his heir . albertus the archduke it seems preferrd the pleasure of his body before that of his soul , when he shook off his toledo miter , and cardinals capp , to ma●…ry the infanta of spain . touching intemperance , especially the vice of ebriety and excesse of drinking ▪ where hath it such a vogue as in germany ? it is her bosom peculiar sin , and she hath infected all other nations with it ; the belgian complaines that the immoderat u●…e of wine came tumbling down upon him from high germany , like snow rushing down the alpian hills , whence it found passage over with wind in poop to england , which are good at it , being of a german race , and therefore apt to take . nay , as they say , the english are good inventis addere , to improve any new invention , so they go beyond us ; for whereas the dutch doth pelt the brain with small shot , the englishman doth storm it with whole canons and huge carowses ; for he when he is at it doth not sipp and drink by halfs , or demurr upon it by som discourse as the german doth , or eat some salt quelchose between , but he deals in shire liquor , and is quickly at the bottom of his cupp without any intervening discourse . yet the dutch bears the bell away both from him and all others ; hereupon they use to characterize a dutchman to be an animal that can drink more then he can carry , as also one who useth to barrell up more then he can broch , that understands more , then he can utter : t is he who drinks cum mensura , but absque modo , according to measure , but without a mean. i heard of four old men in the upper saxony , that having mett at a clubb , they did not stir til they had drunk as many healths as they had yeers betwixt them ; all which came to above three hundred . i heard of another company who at a match of drinking upon the texells side in amsterdam , tippled so long looking out of a casement , that they thought they were at sea in a tempest ; therefore to lighten the shipp they began to throw tables and stooles with other luggage out of the windowes , thinking they were in danger of shippwrack . but he was not so intemperat a drinker , who used to drink according to the gamuth , vt , re , mi , fa , sol , la , tossing up one carouse to every one , saying it was , re-levet mi-serum fa-tum , so-litosque la-bores . aeneas silvius hath a story of the count of gorits , that to try whether his children were legitimat or no , he used to give them wine ; and if they grew sick upon it , he concluded them to be bastards , and none of his . but he was a witty soule , and deservd to drink wine of the best , who comprehended the lawes and causes of drinking in these verses . si bené quid memini , causae sunt quinque bibendi . hospitis adventus . praesens sitis , atque futura , et vini bonitas . vel quaelibet altera causa . to drink there may five causes be at least . . for to entertain a newcom guest . . to quench the present thirst . . prevent the next . . the goodnesse of the wine . . or any text . the jesuit hath a geerupon the german that he forsook the communion of the church of rome , because laymen have not the cup at the sacrament . now , to draw towards a conclusion , it cannot be denied but heretofore the germans were appoved men for military glory , but , helas , they are now much eclipsd ; the knights of rhodes disswading soliman the great turk to warr against europe , especially against germany , he answerd , i esteem the armes of the germans lesse , then of any others , and that for four causes . quia sunt discordes , et quemadmodum sui quinque digiti , it a illi nanquam in unum coalescant ; quia laborum sunt impatientes , et prae aliis germani sunt helluones , potatores , qui in castris scortorum turbam foveant , ducesque belli plumis potius , quam armis militaribus gaudeant , quia temere . — i value not the germans much , because they are at discord , nor can they be ever made one , no more then my five fingers ; they are impatient of labour , and above all others they are gluttons , and drinkers , fit to march in a field of whores , and they take more pride in their feathers then their armes . but germany glorieth much that she was the first inventresse of gunpowder , and printing , of artillery & typography ; whereof , contrary to the genius and function of the men , a fryer found out the first , and a soldier the second ; but if we may give credit to maffeius , and paulus iovius , and boterus , three serious and sober authors , they will tell you the contrary ; and they were first invented and practised in china , the most orientall countrey upon this part of the hemisphear . heare i pray you his words , aenea tormenta conflare , litteras imaginesque subjectis praelo typis excudere ( quibus cmomentis europa recentibus adeo gloriatur ) vetustissimo in usu apud sinas compertum est — to cast brasse gunns , or imprint characters by way of stamp hath bin of very ancient use in china , though europe arrogate the inventions to her self ; besides the moulding of canons , they have a way to make them loose in parts , which may be carried upon a porters back , or a beasts to any place without carriages ; then for printing , their characters are longer then ours , nor do their lines extend from left to right as greek and latins , or from the right hand to the left , as the hebrew and all her dialects , but perpendicularly from top to bottom ; there be books hereof both in the vatican , and the escuriall . boterus sayeth , sono piu di mille anni ehe i chinesi vsano la stampa . it is above a thousand yeers that the chineses use typography . and paulus iovius affirmes , maximé mirandum videtur apud sinas esse typographos artifices qui libros , historias , et sacrorum ceremonias more nostro imprimant , quorum longissima folia introrsus quadrata serie complicentur , cujus generis volumen a rege lusitaniae cum elephante dono missum leo pontifex humaniter nobis ostendit , ut hinc facile credamus ejus artis exēpla antequàm lusitani in indiam penetrarint , per scythas et moscos adincomparabile literarum praesidium ad nos pervenisse . it seems very strange that there shold be typographical artificers in china who used to print books & the ceremonies of their law , whose longest leaves were folded fowerfold innerly . pope leo did us the civility as to shew us such a volume , which was sent him for a gift , with an elephant , whence we may well thinke that long before the navigation of the portugalls to the east indies this art of typography might be brought to europe by way of scythia or moscovy . but , put case that germany was first foundress of these two inventions , truly i do not think she hath therby deservd any thing well of europe : touching gunns , they may be called things forgd in hell , and cast in belzebubs furnace , for they destroy the valiant with the coward ; and for printing , truly i think it hath bin the greatest cause of all the heresies , odd opinions and schismes that have swarmd ever since in the christian church . to conclude , in regard that the wallet that germany carrieth behind her is so full of vices , which cast such a shaddow that obscures all her vertues , i cannot give a full suffrage that she may merit the principality of europe , but rather vote for italy , whence all imperiall majesty was first derivd unto her. the oration of prince io achim ernest , heir of norway , duke of sleswik , &c. for france . most heroique princes , the emperour maximilian the first , who may be said to have deserved that name for the magnitude of his merits , his singular wisedom , his incomparable spirit , as well as from the sacred font of regeneration , in some familiar discourses with his domestique lords about the kingdom of france , is said to have broken out into this high commendation thereof . if it could stand with the order of nature that any mortal man might be a god here among the elements , and i were hee , i would so dispose in my will ( quantum ad familiae herciscundae judicium ) touching the division of my estate , that my eldest son should be god after me , ( absit proptana mens ) but my second should be king of france . this saying or excesse of speech must be interpreted with a sane judgment ; for hereby the noble emperour meant nothing els then to intimate his opinion touching that potent , populous , and opulent kingdom of france , and that no one countrey under the sun is preferrable to it . i use this preface , most excellent princes , for preparing your attentions ; and if peradventure i be transported too far with the elogie of france , i may have the suffrage of so noble an emperour and a countrey-man of our own , to apologize for me ; and truly though i owe my vitals to germany and all that i have , being my most dear native soyl , yet let me not be thought to degenerate a jot from the nature of a german , if in my subsequent discourse i hold france to have the advantage of germany in divers things ; as also of any europaean country besides ; which while i endeavour to assert and prove , i humbly desire this most noble auditory that the same gale of favor and candor may blow upon me all along as i go , which did on that illustrious prince who spoke before me . and now will i endeavour to take a survey of france , which noble monarchy whosoever will behold with a judicious and impartial eye , will acknowledg that first for her position and site she hath the advantage of any other countrey being placed in the center of europe , having italy , spain , germany , and great britain round about her ; she enjoyes a most delicate temper of clime , for she needs not either the stoves of germany to preserve her children from the inclemency of the heavens in point of cold , or the subterranean caves in other countries to refresh her in point of heat , nor is she much infected with unwholsom aguish and infectious aires which in other countreys produce such a legion of diseases . now , that which adds much to the advantage of her situation is , that she lieth accessible and open to all mankind for commerce and negotiation both by land and sea , and being seated so in the midst she is the fittest to be arbitresse , and to give law to the rest of christendom , as being able to divide , hinder , or unite the forces of europe when she pleaseth ; she stands commodiously to restrain the growing and unproportionable greatnes of some , as also to releeve the weaker , that they be not oppressed by the stronger : she bridles great britany backward ; on the right hand she checks spain , on the left hand germany both high and low . the ocean and mediterranean wash both her sides , the alps fence her from italy , and the pyrenean mountains from spain , those huge hills serving her as trenches of circumvallations against both ; and where nature fayles , she secures her self by art , by fortresses , cittadels , and castles . to this strength of hers may be added her plenty , and indeed she may be call'd a copia cornu , or a pandora's box of all things for necessity or pleasure , and she useth to give such largesse of her luxuriant fortune abroad , that she is a creditor to all other peeple , but a debtor to none ; those commodities which use to enrich other countreys singly are here all conjunct , and what is exotique or strange in other countreys is here domestique & common ; which italy , who useth to be sparing of other's praises , and prodigal of her own , doth acknowledg , for boterus saith , that those things which are found but in some places of italy , are found every where in france . therefore the character which pliny gave in times past to province , and salvianus gave to aquitania in particular , may be applyed to france in general . narbonensis provincia agrorum cultu , &c. the countrey of narbon saith pliny is not to be postpos'd to any other either for agriculture , for foecundity of soyl , for universality of wealth , for nobles and gentry , &c. and salvianus saith , that aquitania is not only a fat countrey , and full of marrow , but she hath as much jucundity as fertility , as much real pleasure as outward beauty : nam illic omnis admodum regio aut intertexta est vineis , aut florulenta pratis , aut irrigata fontibus , aut interfusa fluminibus , aut distincta culturis , aut consita pomis , aut amaenata lucis , aut crinita messibus , ut verè possessores ac domini illius terrae non tam soli istius portionem quàm paradisi imaginem possidere videantur . there every place is either interwoven with vines , or flowr'd with medowes , or set with orchards , or cut by corn fields , or peepled with trees , and woods , or refresh'd with fountains , or inchanel'd with rivers , or periwigg'd with all sorts of grain ; in so much that the inhabitants of that countrey may be sayed to have a peece of paradise rather then a portion of the common earth . but the four cardinal commodities of france may be said to be corn , wine , hemp , and salt , which boterus calls galliae magnetes , the four loadstones of france : for as the loadstone , especially the blew and ethiopian , is more precious in weight then silver , and hath an attractive vertu to draw , and embrace iron with other mettals , so these french loadstones which are so far more noble then the ethiopians , as the climes are in temper , and noblenesse , do draw unto them all the silver and gold of their neighbours ; so that france may be call'd the exchequer of europe . touching french corn ther 's no question but it is the perfect'st of all other , solinus , and pomponius mela expatiate themselves very far in the french fields , and speak much of their fatnesse and foecundity ; nor was cicero himself silent , but he speaks of vast proportions of corn which were exported from the gaules of france ; and pliny , one of natures protonotaries , bears witnesse that the gallic corn was nitidissimi grani . & plus panis reddere quàm far aliud ; it was of a neat grain , and yeelded more bread then other wheat : who knowes not but spain might starve without french corn , which is transmuted to indian silver and gold ; insomuch that the spaniard may be said to have the dominion of the mines of mexico , but the french reap the benefit thereof . now , touching the french wines we may well say they need no bush ; for by bartring of useful rich commodities , and great summes of money , the english , the scots , the flemins , hollanders , germans , danes , swedes , and other bibacious northern nations fetch away vast quantities by sea , and by land ; bodin speaks of one laud a marchant of cambray who bought and brought in carts . barrels of french wines in one yeer . now , as the grape streptos according to pliny doth turn about with the sun , so the french nectar conforming it self to the course of the sun , doth refresh as it were with a golden showr all the circumjacent countreys . what shall i say of the excellent stomack wines of bourdeaux , the full bodied wines of orleans , which by an expresse edict are prohibited from the kings cellers by reason of their strength ; the neat whites of aix , the rich frontiniak and most pleasant wines of province and languedoc fit to feast the gods withal ? in some places of burgundy there are wine vessels as big as some houses in altitude , little inferior to the vast vessels of heydel●…erg , tubinga and groninghen . now i come to hemp the third loadstone of france , and indeed it is more precious then any gem or jewel : who would think that such a contemptible vegetal scarce a yard high should be able to remove egipt to italy ? for we read that galerius in . daies sayl'd from sicily to alexandria , babilius in six , that can bring naples to hercules pillers , and the baltic sea to the hellespont : a poor vegetal that can remove this upper part of the hemisphere to the antipodes , for the navigators into the east indies do so . a vegetal that can resist eolus , and overmaster neptune himself both winds and waves , notwithstanding the impetuous whirlwinds of the one , and the tumblings of the other ; a vegetal that can joyn east and west , north and south together , and to interchange mutual offices of humanity and frendship . now where doth this so useful vegetal grow more copiously then in france ? she furnisheth all her neighbours with sayles for their ships , and shirts for their backs . i come now to the salt which savours all things , how much are all countreys obliged to france for this wholsome commodity ? i have heard there are rocks of salt in ormus , that in carra in arabia they make walls and houses of massy salt . in hungary they have mines of salt , but both sea and land makes france abound with salt wherewith she preserves from stinking , those huge regions of the north , where , as catullus saith , vix in tam magno corpore mica salis . what millions of bushels of salt are expended , and exported out of france ev'ry yeer ? how doth salt fill the kings coffers with treasure ? in so much that in the last computation that was made , it appeer'd that the french king had . millions of franks from this sole commodity which is two millions of pounds sterling . 't is tru , spain hath salt , but it is more corroding , and acrimonious ; therefore in charles the fifths time , when for the vent of the spanish salt he had put out a placart prohibiting that no french salt should be us'd in the low countreys , the countrey was like to mutiny for this tart proclamation , because the spanish salt was nothing so vigorous and sweet as the french. to these riches of france you may add oyl , figs , orenges , cytrons , saffron ; with all sorts of fruit and most excellent cydre . ther are not such delightful fields on the surface of the whole earth , such herds of cattle , and abundance of cloth and stuffs made , which makes le drap de berry so famous , such swarms of bees , such hosts of deer , and other wild beasts you will hardly find any where : nor do there want horses of all sorts , with other animals necessary for the use of man , about orleans they have . breeding mares perpetually : their numbers of forrests , chaces and parks , woods and groves ▪ ev'ry where is infinite . in fine , france is universally fertil in ev'ry corner , nor is there one acre of ground which produceth not something or other for need or pleasure , which they who made the perambulation and tour of france have found to be tru . ther are great number of large deep ponds . the countrey is cover'd in many places with delightful woods and lawnes , which , besides the pleasure the gentry are permitted to have without injury done to the peason , afford not only fire for the kitchin , but instruments for war by sea and land : pliny was not deceiv'd when he said that france was full of yew trees , which though it be poysonous if one sleeps or eats under them , ( whence may be inferr'd that toxica came first from taxica or taxus , ) yet there is a remedy found out , that if one doth beat into the yew a brasse nayl , it takes away the force of any poyson . hitherto most princely auditors i , have shew'd the face and outward purple of our french helen , i will now discover unto you her belly and inward parts , wherof she is pregnant , as iron the best and worst instrument of life , for herewith we manure the earth , we lopp trees , we prune vineyards , we build houses and ships , we arm our selves against the enemy , which makes the indians to prefer it before all metals , and when any ships arrive to their havens , the first thing they cry out for is iron , iron . but we use it also to pernicious uses , as killing and slaying , we give it wings to do mischief , &c. and nature hath furnish'd the bowels of france with this mettal more then ordinary that she might defend herself , and arm her couragious sons : there is good store also of other mettals , and although diodorus seems to undervalue france because she hath no mines of silver , he is deceiv'd ; for though by a casual fire that happen'd among the shepherds on the pyreney hills , which search'd the very bowels of the earth , and melted the mines of gold and silver ; yet dominicus bertinus affirmeth , that if we would go to the pains , there might be as much gold dig'd out of that part of the pyrenean hills which look upon france , as is found in peru. but the vertu of france looks upward towards heaven ; for since the upper parts of her earth affords all things that may satisfie humane desire and appetite , even apidicus himself , why should we tear the bowels of so kind and benigne a mother ? the pagan poet could complain of this , — itum est in viscera terrae , quasque abscondiderat , stygijsque admoverat umbris , effodiuntur opes irritamenta malorum . now for habitation , nature hath provided stones of all kind , marbles of all colours , with white specious free stone , wherewith the burgundian , and pyrenean hills abound ; now as her upper parts abound with woods , fruits and grounds , her bowels with mines and marble , so her veines , i mean her rivers , are full of fish , and some extraordinary ones ; there is observ'd to be in the river arari a great fish call'd clupea , which in the increase of the moon is white , and in the wane grows black , therefore sure those that eat of it must be inconstant peeple , having such a sympathy with the moon ; this fish growing too great is kill'd by his own finns , and in his head there is a stone taken out which is good against quartan agues , being tyed to the left side of the body in the decrease of the moon : there is a lake in bonvalle in burgundy that abounds with sundry sorts of strange fish , which lake hath a trick to hide her self for a while in the caverns of the earth , and then to appeer again . nor is there any countrey so conveniently water'd not only with rare sources , and rivulets , but with great navigable rivers which makes one province communicable to another ; for all the great townes of france are situated upon mercantil rivers that will bear ships and boats , whereby there is a very commodious way for intercourse of trade ; and in some of these rivers there are found out small ingots of gold , as in tagus in spain , the po in italy , pactolus in asia , and ganges in india . among others the sein is observed to be the most delectable , and gentlest river , never subject to inundations , and to have her banks mended , by her windings and maeanders she seems to visit and salute ev'ry place as she runs ; for in some places which are distant one from another but six miles by land , there is thirty miles distance by the river : this is that river which embraceth france in her armes ; france , whom iosephus calls the source of beatitude , cicero the nurse of plenty , and procopius prefers her in power before all the regions of europe ; o unspeakable indulgency of nature , o most delicate and divine part of the earthly globe , surely that character which was given of thee doth well be fit thee , la france est le petit aeil , et la perle du monde . france is the little ey and perl of the world. i come now to the inhabitants of france , who are a gallant peeple and deserve such a dwelling , but both fo●… quality and quantity , for their vertues and nombers i shall not be able to set them forth to any perfection : in a multitude of peeple lieth the kings dignity , and in the paucity his shame , saith salomon ; which was the cause that god almighty purposing to exalt abraham , promis'd him that his posterity shold so multiply , that their nomber should be like the stars in the firmament , or like the sands on the sea shore ; now what region under the cope of heaven is more repleted with peeple then france ? ther can be no vacuum found there , no desert corner , or any part of the air but is breath'd in by men ; so that , as one sayed , france may be sayed to be but one great city distinguish'd by passages , and wayes : and as it is observ'd in the ant 's common wealth ( the emblem of industry ) that ev'ry one is a doing something , so is this stirring peeple . ther are in france . episcopal citties , whereof . are metropolitan , with an incredible nomber of other townes : ther are nere upon . thousand parishes , what myriads of soules shall we think then may breath under those roofs ? what was spoken of old of narbo among the romans , may well be spoken of france in general . salve narbo potens salubritate , urbe et rure simul bonus videri , muniris , civibus , ambitu , tabernis , porto , porticibus , foro , theatro , delubris , capitolijs , monetis , thermis , arcubus , horreis , macellis , pratis , fontibus , insulis , salinis , stagnis , flumine , merce , ponte , ponto , unus qui venerere jure divos lenaeum , cererem , palem , minervam , spicis , palmite , pascuis , trapetis solis fise viris , nec expetito naturae auxilio procul relictis , promens montibus altius cacumen , non te fossa patens , nec hispidum objecti sudium coronat agger &c. quid quod caesaribus ferax creandis , felix prole virum semul dedicti nates cum genitore principantes ? now to com to the citties of france , it were an infinit task to speak of them all , i will instance in a few , behold nismes , where more antiquities , as fanes , palaces , amphitheater with other monuments are to be seen , then in any one town of italy except rome . take a survay of monpelier , a most ancient seat of the muses , and incomparable for simples and the study of physi●… , whither the saracens when they were expell'd from spain came with som arabian doctors disciples to avicen , averroes and others , who left their rare knowledg there behind them . now , paris may be call'd a little world of it self ; hear what boterus speaks of her , parigi cittá che di popolo et di abondanza dôgni cosa avanza di gran lúnga tutte láltre cittá di christianitá . the city of paris far exceeds all others of christendom for peeple , and plenty of all things ; charles the th said , that paris was not to be rank'd among citties but provinces , for her amplitude and affluence of all things ; nor was prince christopher your granfather , most noble duke of wirtemberg much out of his account , when he affirm'd that ther were more soules in paris then in all the territories of wirtemberg ; who will beleeve this that hath not seen paris , and who will not beleeve it that hath seen her ! it is a place of such infinit provision , that mons. vigner sayed , if he were to invite the greatest feasters among the romans , were they alive , as apicius , lucullus , pompey , with a dozen more , he would desire but a daies warning to do it , and they should be so treated , that they should confesse they never found the like in rome . among others henry the th . did contribute much to the glory of paris , he desir'd to survive but two wishes , the one to perfect the louure , the other to encompasse the suburbs of st. germain with a wall ; then for court and city he would compare with all the potentates upon earth : he would not suffer any new tax to be impos'd upon the parisians , insomuch that the provost of the citty desiring his majestie would be pleas'd to give way that ther might a small imposition be layed upon the water pipes towards the defraying the charges of the helvetian embassadors , he answer'd very pleasantly , that ther was need of an other invention , for it belong'd only to iesus christ to turn water into wine . but to proceed further in this theme , as of all the visible works of nature the firmament is the fairest , so of all earthly continents france is the most florishing , and fullest of the most vigorous gentry , nor doth the gentlenesse of the countrey effeminat their spirits , or the indulgence of the heavens soften their courage , but they are all of high heroical dispositions ; and as vertue dwells commonly in free minds , so france is the freest peeple upon earth , insomuch that it is a rule , servi peregrini ut primùm galliaef●…nes penetraverint liberi sunto , as bodin hath it ; strange servants as soon as they breath french air let them be free : i will produce one example . a marchant came to tholouse and brought with him a slave whom he had bought in spain , the slave being told of the constitutions of france , came and told his master , sir , i have serv'd you hitherto in quality of a slave , but i am now a freeeman , yet i am content to serve you still , but as a free attendant according to the custome of this noble countrey . the like thing happen'd at the siege of mets , where a servant had play'd the fugitive and ran away with his master don luis de avila's horse , who was master of the horse to the emperour , don luis sent to the duke of guyse a trompetor for his man and his horse ; the duke understanding that the horse was sold caus'd the money to be sent the spaniard , but for the servant he sent him word , that his servant had enter'd into the inner parts of france , where the law is , that if any of a servile condition puts his foot once , he instantly recovers his liberty , which custom being so consonant to reason , and agreeable to christianity , he could not nor would not violat . touching the magnanimity and valour of the french ther are infinit examples all the world over ; alexander the great hearing of their valour sent to know of them what they fear'd most ? they answer'd , ne coelum rueret , least the heaven should fall . 't is tru , gallia became a province to the romanes , but presently after the death of iulius caesar she was declared free : and rome call'd the gaules in their publique writings by the appellation of frends . 't is well known what footing the gaules took in italy , for the best part of lombardy was call'd gallia cisalpina ; we read in caesar that the time was cum germanos galli virtute superarent , that the gaules were superior to the germans in valour , that they had conquer'd much of the countrey about the hercynian forest : are not the britains of the gaulic or wallic race ? are not divers provinces in spain and portingal descended from them ? afterward in revolution of time the german franconians , and gaules , being neighbours , came by coalition to be one nation , and they have continued so above these ages . the kings of sicily descend from tanered the norman ; so do the kings of england from william the conqueror and the plantagenets ; the kings of cyprus , syria , and greece , com from guy of lusignan ; nay constantinople was held awhile by gallic emperours : what glorious expeditions have bin made to the holy land by . french kings in person ; me thinks i see godefroy of b●…llion having sold his duchy to that purpose marching with a huge army through germany , hungary , and greece , and so passing to asia and syria to encounter the forces of soliman the ottoman emperour , and chalypha the soldan of egipt with other barbarian kings whom he put all to flight , making himself master of nice , of antioch , and hieresulam her self with the holy sepulcher of christ ; me thinks i see him when he was to be crown'd king of hierusalem throwing away a crown of gold , and taking one of thorns in imitation of his saviour : me thinks i see all the tributary princes therabouts bringing offrings unto him , and he clad in the habit of a common gregarian soldier , wherat they being astonished , som of them , as the archbishop of tyre said , how is it that so great a king , so admirable a conqueror , who coming from the west hath shaken all the eastern world shold go so plain and homely ? but to step back a little , look upon brennus ransacking rome with an army of gaules : look upon charles martel who was call'd conservator of the christian world , which was then upon point of ruine , and to fall under the yoke of infidels and saracens . look upon pepin who chas'd the long●…bards out of italy ; upon bertrand who depriv'd peter king of castile of his kingdom for his tyranny ; i could instance in a great nomber who have their names engraven , and their ensigns hung up in the temple of immortality . moreover for cavalleers and horsemen it is granted by all nations that the french are the prime . it is recorded in good , how in the african warr . french repuls'd . moors : but to come neerer home , in the siege of mets where the fifth himself commanded in chief , what resolute sallies did the french make out of the town , causing the emperour at last to trusse up his bagg and baggage and go away by torchlight ; inso much that the town of mets being then kept by a french garrison put the last bounds to the conquests of that great captain , as a poet could tell him , si metam nescis , urls est quae meta vocatur . now to go from the sword to the crosier , what brave prelats , and champions against haeresie hath france bred ? st. hilary the queller of the arrian heresie , st. hierom ▪ pontius paulinus bishop of nola , rusticus , phaebadius , prosper , ●…cditius , avitus , mamertus archbishop of vienna , sidonius apollinaris , lupus , germanus , salvianus , remigius archbishop of rheims , with multitudes more all of them most pio●…s , and learned prelats , whose monuments shew them to be so to this day ; and so well devoted were the french alwayes to the church of god , that they thought nothing too dear and precious to endow her withall , witnesse those mighty revenues the gallican church possesseth : for in the late raign of charles the . ther was a cense brought in of the demains of the church , and they amounted to millions , and . thousand franks in annual rent besides voluntary oblations . now touching learning and eloquence lucius plotius a gaul was the first began to read latin lectures at rome , and cicero being then a boy , and finding such a great confluence of auditors to flock ev'ry day to hear him , he griev'd that he could not do the like , as suetonius hath left it upon record ; marcus antonius gnipho a gaul did then florish also at rome , a man of singular elocution , and a prodigious memory , he delivered praecepts in greek and latin ; and among others cicero himself when he was praetor us'd to be his auditor . marseilles was very renowned for great learned men , having bin so many ages a greek colony ; so was lions also a special seat of the muses , as it is now for marchants of all nations , of whom the kings of france have borrow'd millions of money to supply their sudden necessities : valence was also famous for philosophers and poets , witnesse athenaeus , as also vienne where latin was so vulgar , according to that signal epigram of martial , fertur habere meos si vera est fama 〈◊〉 inter delicias pulchra vienna suas ; me legit omnis ibi senior , iuvenisque puerque , et coram tetrico cast a puella viro , hoc ego maluerim quàm si mea carmina cantent qui nilum ex ipso protinus ore bibunt ; quàm meus hispano si me tagus impleat auro , pascat et hybla meas , pascat hymettos apes . &c. and questionlesse no countrey florish'd with learning more then france in those daies , witnesse st. hierom when he writ , sola gallia monstra non habuit , &c. france alone had no monsters , but abounded still with most valiant , and eloquent men ; and elswhere , post studia galliarum quae vel florentissima sunt misit romam , &c. after he had finish'd his studies in gallia where they are most florishing , he sent him to rome , sparing no cost that he might season the copiousnesse and neatnesse of the french speech with the roman gravity . moreover in the constitutions of the emperours valens and gratianus ther is mention made that france was full of philosophers , rhetoricians , and grammarians , who excell'd both in the attique and roman learning . to this tribe of learned men are to be refer'd the druyds , the eubages and bards , among whom votienus montanus , domitius , after , gabinianus , m. aper , iul. florus , iul. secundus , nazarius , and nazarius daughter eunomia , eumenides , terentius varro , phavorinus , pacatus , rutilius numatianus , ausonius gratian , and valentinians schoolmaster , were most famous . now touching the lutetian academy in paris , she is acknowledg'd to be the mother of all the rest , one of the brightest eyes of all europe , the great nomber of masters in all faculties there make all the world to make their addresses thither for instruction . pope innocent the third gave this character of paris , that studium parisiense erat fundamentum ecclesiae . ther have bin known to be in paris at one time . students , and somtimes . until the emissaries of the roman capitol , the iesuits did draw away and allure the chief flower of our youth to their colleges . what a brave masculin spirit was robert of sorbon , a man of high reason , and an invincible disputant , who was born in a convenient time to vindicat his countrey from the encroachments of the papall power , and keep it within its own channel so that it shold not mound , and overwhelm the prerogatives of the gallican monarchy , whereof the colledg of sorbon may be sayed to be one of the chiefest props . besides paris ther are . great seminaries of learning , and seates of muses , whence as from never drieng sources all scientifical knowledg do flow , and disperse it self every where . what great lights of learning were io. gerson , peter lombard , gentianus hervetus , who was so much admir'd in the tridentine councel ; what giants of erudition were vatablus , io. mercerus , genebrardus , calvin , beza , sedelius , ducaeus , as also monsieur du plessis among the nobility or laytie : what a man of men was cardinal perron ; with great nombers of other besides ? moreover for the civil law france is acknowledg'd to have bred the acutest wits of the world ; witnesse duarenus , aemarus rinconetus , michael hospitalis , who underwent all the offices of the gown , and was observ'd to resemble aristotle in physiognomy , as in all other profounndesse of learning , and quicknesse of spirit ; ther have bin other great legislators , as car. 〈◊〉 whose lucubrations serve for lanterns to direct any in the study of the law , an , for the decision of all crabbed points ; let baptista menilius com in next , whd for rectitude of opinion was accounted an oracle : bonus broveus was famous also for his orthodox judgment , and moving flexanimous eloquence . to these may be added gulielmus budaeus whom erasmus calls the prodigie of france , olivarius , fabrus , hottoman , conanus , and contius , puteanus , bellonus , bodinus ▪ choppinus , bonifidius , and iacobus cuiaccius who was call'd the papinian of his time . now , touching physick what shall i say of fernelius , hollenus , charondas , gorreus , dalechampius , and quercetanus , foxius candala , orontius finus , io. p●…na , montareus , p. ramus , nostradamus , all most acute mathematitians , specially francis vieta , as also lescotus the greatest architect that europe ever had since the time of vitruvius , who was the first tracer of that stupendous castle of the louure , which in elegancy , in vastnesse of symmetry , and exactnesse of proportion when it is finish'd , may compare with any fabrique upon earth . augustus thuanus may now take place for the most methodical , and judicious historian that ever put pen to paper , or committed any thing to the archives of truth ; as also the sammarthans brother who were auxiliaries to thuanus in his collections ; and we desire and advise puteanus , and rigaltius to expose to public light those peeces that were committed to their trust by thuanus , and not frustrat the common wealth of learning of the sight of them by any longer procrastination . now for heavenly inspir'd poets let ronsard appeer first , the excellentest that hath bin since augustus his egresse out of this world ; let bellay come next him , and bellaqua be in the third place ; but we may well add a fourth to these three , which is auratus ; and for a fift let salust du bartas carry the place , who hath described the creation of the world so lively and elegantly , that he merits the praise and admiration of the whole world of wit ; witnes that modest opinion and applause which ronsard himself gave him , who being ask'd what he thought of dubartas his works ? answer'd no lesse ingeniously then ingenuously , mons. du bartas afait plus en vne semaine que je nayfait en 〈◊〉 ma vie , monsieur du bartas hath don more in one week , then i have don all the dayes of my life . now , for philosophers let turnebus , and montanus com in the van , men of rare erudition and probity ; let ant. muret , and passeratius accompany them ; let causabon also com in the same file of worthies , a man vers'd in omni ( cibili , in all knowledg as well as criticismes ; let ioseph scaliger bring up the rear and be dictator of all literature , who — eruditione idumaeus arabs , syrusque et indus , chaldaeus simul , aethiopsque civis , quemque achemenii suum vocarent , pelasgus simul , et simul latinus , et graius vetus , et quotidianus , et thuscus simul , et simul britannus , et quod altera secula obstupescant , hispanus simul , et simul batâvus . now , let it be observ'd that the french toung hath a great advantage in couching any kind of knowledg as well for the copiousnesse , as the lenity and smoothnesse of speech , wherein neither her mother the latin , or her two sisters the italian and spanish can contend with her , nor our teutonique also which is so sinewy and masculine a language being so knotted with consonants ▪ nor is ther any kind of science or knowledg but you shall find it in the french toung , so that if all other toungs were perish'd , ther might be an instauration , and consummation made of all arts and learning in the french alone ; therfore charles the emperour the compleatest prince of his time was overheard to tell his son philip in a privat discourse that he held it a signal honor , that by his grandmother mary of valois he was extracted of the illustrious progeny of france , and that he could speak that language , which was very frequent in his court among his domestiques . now , it cannot be denied but this french toung hath many dialects , and in these dialects ther are as is found in all other languages certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but the prime and purest property of idiotisms seems as it were to dwell upon the banks of the loire , and principally in blois , and orleans ; insomuch that as the attique was esteem'd the choicest dialect among the greeks , so the aurelian is by the french. now for language , vertu and learning the french have perfected all three with a marvailous dexterity and promptitude of nature , and a rare vigor of all the senses inward and outward ; which makes iulius scaliger to break out thus into their praises . i find there is a fiery kind of vigor , and mature celerity in the french which other nations have not : to whatsoever they apply themselves they become notable proficients , and arrive to a perfection in a short time , whether it be in the mystery of marchandising , in letters , armes or arts ; paulus me●…ula gives this testimony of them , i have observ'd , and became astonish'd , that among the french some will argue and discourse extempore of any probleme , and that with such an admirable method as if they had studied the theme many daies before : therfore sure servius was deceav'd in the french , when he sayes they are pigrioris ingenii ; so was iulius firmicus , wheen he calls them stolidos , foolish ; so was iulianus , when he terms them stupidos et rusticitatis amantes , blockheads , and lovers of homelinesse ; so was likewise polybius where he saith , that doctrinae et artibus operam non dant , they apply themselves neither to learning nor arts ; i know diodorus , athenaus , and clemens alexandrinus say , that they are faithlesse , and given to gluttony and drunkenes ; livie brands them to be light and effeminat ; mela accuseth them to be greedy after gold , proud , and superstitious ; solinus calls them vain-glorious ; plutark writes they are insatiable of money , and cicero sayeth , gallos minimè vlla religione moveri , the gaules are not mov'd at all by any religion : surely these writers took all these reports a far off , and upon trust . for they who have had intimacy with the french and studied the nation in general , will say otherwise of them . but that which is most noble in france , and which elevats her above all other empires is the majesty of her kings , wherof ther have bin so many brave heroique monarks who have don such exploits , that one may speak more of them in telling truth , then can be spoken of others in vapouring out hyperboles and lies . pope gregory writing to childebert king of france , quantò caeteros homines regia dignitas antecellit , tantò caeterarum gentium regna regni vestri culmen excellit . as much as kings excel other men , so far doth the glory of yours exceed the kingdomes of other nations . honorius the third said , that the kingdom of france was the unexpugnable wall of christendom . urban the fourth saith , that the king of france is the morning star in the midst of the western clowds , he is an earthly god in his own kingdom , he is above all kings ; ejúsque umbrâ totus mundus regitur , and all the world is govern'd by his shadow , saith baldus . nay st. thomas saith , that he who prayeth for the king of france hath . daies indulgence granted by pope clement , and . added by innocent the fourth . moreover france is not subject to the distaff as other kingdoms are , but the salique law proclaimes aloud , gallorum imperii successor masculus esto . for this is not only consentaneous to reason , but hath a congruity with nature her self , because that in man the mind , the body , the voice and all things els are more strong and strenuous , they are fitter for action , and attract more awe and reverence unto them ; in the female all things are softer and lighter , which may attract more affection , but there is a kind of contempt that mingles with it ; in the one , authority and majesty appeers , in the other fears , and jealousie : and how preposterous is it to the law of nature , for man to be a vassal to that sex which should be under him ? the pagan epigrammatist can tell you in oeconomical government . inferior maetrona suo sit , prisce , marito , non aliter fuerint foemina virque pares . i cannot deny but ther may be examples produc'd of som notable heroique queens , as zenobia , pulcheria , semiramis , isabella of castile , and of elizabeth queen of england , a lady that was prudent beyond her sex , and ador'd with literature , she understood greek and spanish indifferently well , but for latin , french , italian , english , and the old british she spoak them familiarly , which made pope sixtus the fifth break out into this wish , that he had a greater desire to see one woman , and one man , then all the race of mankind besides , and they were queen elizabeth of england , and henry of navar●… ; to whom , were they not tainted with heresie , he had things of mighty consequence to communicat ; but we may not forget what kind of queens other women have bin , as athaliah , cleopatra , messalina , faustina , iane of naples , and fredegunda of france , which made eumolpus or porphyrius under constantine to break out into this harsh tetrastique crede ratem ventis , animum ne crede puellis , namque est faemin●…a tutior vnda fide . faemina nulla bona est , et si bona contigit ulla , nescio quo fato res mala facta bona est . ther is another prerogative that the kings of france are said to have , which is never to die , whereupon maria de medicis being struck with a consternation when she heard of the death of her husband henry the fourth , and cryeng out helas , that the king is dead ; no , answer'd the chancelor , the kings of france never die ; and the reason that they die not is , because they are born kings , and perpetuat themselves so in their own bloud ; and as in all successions according to the mode of speaking in france , le mort saisit le vif , so in an hereditary kingdom — uno avulso non deficit alter , surculus — the next a kin succeeds though a thousand degrees off by right of bloud . which cours doth not only foment and encrease affections 'twixt the prince and his peeple , but it prevents all tempests of ambition , and pretences that may happen during the vacancy or interregnum , and propps the crown with columnes of eternity . but in elections , what expectations , and stirrs ! what sidings and factions do use to happen ; besides what prince will care for another mans , as much as for his own inheritance , which he is assured will descend upon his own issue and bloud : moreover in elective states what a nundination , what a buying and selling of suffrages is ther ? the roman empire presently after claudius , who was the first caesar that was chosen by the soldiers whose alleageance he bought with rewards , did fall upon vile and base heads by that kind of election or rather by that kind of emption for it may be sayed that the empire lay under the spear expos'd to publique sale ; what contestations happen'd 'twixt the senat and the legions ? in so much that ev'ry province might be sayed to have their several emperours ; and when zenobia was empresse ther were reckon'd . at one time . in our germany , how many interregnums have we had by this way of election ? how many yeers did she appeer as a monster without a head after the death of frederic the second ? what a world of confusion , and exorbitances , of fraud , and depraedations did she fall into ? what a base plot had charles the fourth , as also vuenceslaus who would have prostituted the empire for money ? they did so deplume the eagle that she became contemptible to all other creatures ; these were they whom maximilian the first call'd the stepfathers or rather the two pests of the empire . the same maximilian also in the councel of constance protested that he had rais'd . tonnes of gold out of his own patrimonial demeanes to support the sacred roman empire , and all that while he had not receiv'd from the states of the empire . florins . now , because my discourse hath transported me so far , i cannot but extremely groan , and deplore the state of the empire , and to what a pitiful low ebb 't is fallen unto ; for wheras in the time of frederic the first , ( and the strength of the empire was then much attenuated ) the annual revenues came to . tonnes of gold , which amounts to about . millions sterling , the exility of the rents of caesar which he gets by the empire are scarce able , as schneiderin a famous civil lawyer doth assert , to maintain the domestic expences of the imperial court , nor those neither unlesse caesar did contribut much therunto out of his own patrimonial inheritances , which made cardinal granvil to affirm aloud in the time of charles the . ex imperio ne tantillum emolumenti habere caesarem , that caesar had no emolument at all from the empire , and we know no king in christendom was reduc'd to that tenuity . but france is not subject to those comitial diseases or diets of the empire , being secure by the succession and prerogatives of her kings , who have a transcendent and absolut authority not derived at all from their subjects ; wherby caesar himself may be sayed to be inferior in point of power , though not in precedence to caesar himself , though as bartolus averrs , haeretici sunt pronunciandi quicunque imperatorem germanicum universi terrarum orbis dominum esse negant , they are to be pronounc'd heretiques who deny the rom. german emperour to be lord paramount of all the univers ; and he grounds this right upon the answer of the emperour antoninus to eudaemon of nicodemia , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ego quidem mundi dominus , lex autem maris ; i am lord of the world , and the law of the sea : he urgeth also another argument from the words of the holy evangelist , when he sayeth , ther issued forth a decree from augustus , that the whole world shold be taxed . but france acknowledgeth no such superiority ; for when l. madrutius was employed by ferdinand the emperour to francis the second , for the restitution of toul , and verdun , with other feathers which he had pluck'd from the eagle , franciscus olivarius the chancelor answer'd , that they deserv'd capital punishment who wold advise the king to such a surrendry , or held that the most christian king and first son of the church was any wayes inferior to caesar : herupon we know that the doctrine of the imperial lawes are prohibited in paris by this edict and caveat , ne quis publicè profiteretur romanas leges in academia parisiensi , neve quem scholasticos ejus disciplinâ ad gradus auderet provehere , that none shold make profession of the roman lawes in the university of paris , or dare to advance the students therof to any degree of dignity . herupon hospitalius charles the ninth's chancelor in presence of the king himself and the assembly of the three estates procur'd it to be enacted , that the kings of france the very same moment that they entred into the th yeer of their age shold be pronounc'd capable to raign , and to be out of his minority , and so govern inchoativè . now for the imperial lawes , their reason and equity may be haply made use of in other dominions , but not their authority and sanction ; no more could the romans in times past be sayed to be any way under the greeks , because they borrowed , and made use of som lawes of theirs . no more can the turks be sayed to be any way subject to the romans because they have the iustinian code translated into their vulgar language , and that their cadies make use of them to rectifie somtimes natural reason . furthermore the supereminent royalties of the kings of france appeer manifestly , in that they have the sole power to indict war , or establish peace , to make leagues and confederacies , to enact lawes , to creat magistrates of the gown and the sword , to give pardon for lives , to stamp money , to give letters of denization , to impose taxes , and make pecuniary levies at pleasure . now , the kingdom of france is like a most fertile and florishing medow , wheron infinit flocks of sheep do feed and bear golden fleeces , which may be shorn when the shepherd pleaseth ; yet i will except here the province of languedoc wher the king cannot exact any subsidiary contributions , without the expresse consentment of the three estates of that countrey . for administration of civil justice , france comes short of no other region , whose charge it is to preserve the kings prerogatives , as well as the priviledg of the subject ; to which end ther be . courts of parlement whose names are known to any that have travel'd france ; among these that of paris is the most praedominant in regard the parlament of peers is alwayes there residing , which high court useth to verifie ( not confirm ) all the kings edicts to make them the more plausible , and for form sake only . now , as france is the beauty of europe , so that parlement is the eye of france , and the parlement of peers is the apple of that eye ; nor do ther want examples how other forren kings and princes have refer'd themselves to this court of parlement , as a high consistory of reason , and justice , as being astrea's noblest tribunal . the emperour frederick the second refer'd the controversies 'twixt him and pope innocent the fourth , touching the kingdom of naples to the decision of this court : so the count of namur in a difference 'twixt charles of valois and him touching the county of namur put himself upon the verdict of this court , and he therby carried his businesse . philip prince of tarentum overcame the duke of burgundy in this court , touching som expences made in recovering the greek empire ; the dukes of lorain have in divers things refer'd themselves to the judgment of this court ; they of cambray who are a free peeple have bin willing to be tryed by it : the confederacy also 'twixt the kingdom of castile and portugal were confirm'd by this court , nor is ther any admitted to this soverain court but persons either priviledg'd by their birth , or men of exquisit knowledg , erudition , and integrity . when henry the second king of france by the eager importunity of a great princesse had recommended one of the long robe to this court , and being rejected , he spoke merrily , je pensois que parmy tant de chevaux d'espagne vn asne pourroit bien passer , i thought that among so many spanish ginets one asse might have well pass'd . now for the oppidan government of paris ther is such special circumspection had , that never any is intrusted with the chiefest office in the citty call'd the provost of the marchants , unlesse he be a man of eminent parts , probity and prudence , and generally esteemed so ; so that it is us'd as a common saying to their children if they commit any absurd or base thing , tu ne seras point prevost des marchands , thou shalt never be provost of the marchants . and among others the providence and prudence of lewis the twelfth was notable , who had alwayes by him a catalogue of the discreetest , and best qualified cittizens upon whom he us'd to confer offices of magistracy accordingly . and the time was when the kings of france us'd to sit upon the tribunal themselves to determine causes , charles the eight devoted two daies every week to that purpose , and st. lewis three ; nor are there any kings so obvious and accessible as those of france . for as the sun when he is up in the orient displayes his beames upon all alike , upon the prince as well as the peasan , upon the shrub as well as the cedar ; so the kings of france behold all their subjects with like humanity and grace ; they are benigne and affable to all both in speech , countenance and gesture , and seldom are any of them revengeful . as ther is a memorable passage of lewis the twelfth , who while he was duke of orleans fell in some disgrace with charles the eight ; herupon divers great men and others seeing him clowded in the kings favour , did him sundry ill offices , charles being dead and he succeeding in the throne , a courtier to get som boon of him , told him of such and such who had bin no frends of his in his predecessors time , and so wish'd his majestie to question , and punish them ; the king answered , tu vero aliud a me pete , & meritis tuis gratia erit , nam rex galliae non exequitur injurias ducis aurelianensis : propose som other thing unto me , and i will prefer thee , for the king of france is not to revenge the injuries of the duke of orleans . and as the kings of france are remarkable for their freedom , mildnesse and mansuetude to their subjects , so is the affection of the french alwayes in an intense degree towards their king. nor was ther ever a more pregnant example hereof then at the death of henry the fourth the report wher of struck such an earthquake into the hearts of many thousands , that som ladies miscarried in childbirth before their time , others died suddenly upon the newes : every one up and down the streets both men , women and children damn'd the assassin to a thousand hells both his soul and body ; every one scruing up his witt how to devise som exquisit lasting torment for ravillac . now if all matters were weigh'd in an impartial balance of justice , who can deny but the most christian king of france is preferrable before all other earthly potentates : for although the emperour by an old custom be the prime of princes , yet the king of france appeers in more glorious robes then he , he hath a far more numerous guard then he ; the king of france is the first son of the holy church ; and well they may deserve it for their sanctity , and munificence to the temple of god ; and so many voyages they made abroad to redeem the sepulcher of christ , and the countrey which he did blesse with his feet , from the slavery of infidels . now as homer and virgil are call'd the poets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by excellency ; as the pope is call'd the bishop ; so is the king of france the king : 't is he that by a special benediction from heaven doth cure the struma or the kings evil , and to that end his court is frequently strew'd with sick patients of all nations , and with spaniards as much as any other who clammer over the pyreneans hills , and make a kind of pilgrimage unto him , and he doth it with that modesty that he alwayes entitles the cure upon god , according to his speech in performance of the act , le roy te touche , dieu te guerisse . the king toucheth thee , god heal thee . therfore were it but for this vertue alone , and for his title , the most christian king , with his antiquity being the elder son of the church , the spaniard hath no reason to dispute precedency with him ; which made mendoza in the councel of trent to say somewhat modestly , se nolle quide●… anteire , tamen cogi non posse ut francorum legatos sequeretur . he wold not go before , yet he could not be compell'd to follow the french ambassadors . i shold enter into a field that had no horizon , if i shold attempt here to conine morat the heroique achievments and trophy's of the french kings , merovee quell'd attila's pride in the catalonian fields : childebert almaricu●… the gothic tyrant being slain subdued a great part of spain ; clota●…ius tam'd the dauntlesse saxons : pipin protected the roman church against astulphus the longobard , and erected the exarchatship of ravenna : charles the great above all re-establish'd the roman empire , freed italy from their invaders , and made the kings of galicia and scotland his tributaries : lodovicus pius ▪ daies before he died fed upon nothing but the holy host ; lewis the gros chac'd henry the fifth into germany , and gave sanctuary to four popes , paschal the second , calixtus the second , honorius the second , and innocent the second , when italy was too hot for them : philip augustus threw his crown upon the ground before his nobles , and invited any one to take it up ; st. lewis ravish'd the very barbarians with the admiration of his piety : charles the fifth did wrest again from the english what they had taken in france . charles the eight kept italy under subjection almost five moneths ; lewis the twelfth kept all lombardy for the time . francis the first the new apollo of the muses overthrew the helvetians in a memorable fight . henry the fourth was inferior to none of these , for vertu and fortune did contend which shold entitle him henry the great , they both striv'd for mastery in him , and which shold overcom , wheras indeed he may be sayed to have subdued both ; he was conquerour in fower pitch'd battailes , in . hot skirmiges , and above . personal encounters , with the siege of . several places wherin he prov'd alwaies victorious . his memory is still fresh in france , and taketh impression successively from father to child to make it eternal . ther is scarce any considerable town but hath his statue in brasse or marble , and pictures innumerable , insomuch as one sayed , una henrici oblivio e●… humani generis occasus , the memory of henry the great will not perish but with the world . but for a true character of him i will insert what is here engraven upon the belly of his brazen horse on the new bridge in sight of his most royal castle of the louure in paris . ie suis henry , grand honneur de la terre , l' astre de paix , et foudre de la guerre l' amour des bons , la cranite des pervers , dont les vertus meritoîent l'univers . henry i am , the glory of mankind , the star of peace , and thunderbolt of war , the spurr of vertu , scourge of vice , a mind that merited to sway more scepters far . we com now to lewis the th . his son , lewis the just , who though nature was a stepmother to him , by reason of some bodily imperfections , yet fortune was mightily indulgent and favorable to him ; he began to bear armes almost when he was no higher then a sword : for in his bassage he repress'd two ill-favour'd commotions in poitou and britany ; he was a victor all his life time , nor did he know how to be beaten ; he bang'd all his neighbours round about ; he clammer'd twise o're the alps , and came back having done his businesse . he clammer'd o're the pyreneys , and establish'd a french vice roy in catalonia ; he cross'd o're the meuse and made many ill-favour'd hacks in the ragged staffe ; his armies flew o're the rhin , and help'd to cuff the eagle in the german air : and lastly , he fouly foyld the english at the i le of ré . at home also he did marvailous things , he debell'd the huguenots and left them not one cautionary town to stand upon their gard ; an exploit which his five immediat predecessors could not do , though they attempted it many wayes : and by sea he improv'd the power of france ▪ more then ever . therfore , most excellent president , and you no lesse illustrious princes , i do not see but france and her monarks , if we respect the freedom , the fertility , the fairnesse and self-sufficiency of the one , and the glorious exploits against infidels both in europe , asia , and afrique , of the other , with their absolut power , their ordinary gards being greater then any one potentat's in christendom , if we consider the maner of their anointing , and what a divine prerogative they have to be physitians in curing the struma , i say , under the favor of this judicious assembly , that france may well stand in competition for priority with any countrey of europe . the oration of rodolphus maximilian duke of saxony , of angaria and westphalia , &c. against francé . most splendid and illustrious auditory , we read that actius syncerus sarmazarius a most ingenious poet , who was next maro for his muse and monument , — musâ proximus et tumulo , being buried hard by virgil , when he had made that famous hexastic , viderat hadriacis venetam , &c. in honor , and to the glory of the citty of venice , the senat for every verse gave him in lieu of reward . zecchins of gold : now , if sarmazarius merited such a gift , what guerdon do you deserve my illustrious cosen prince ioachim ernest , who have given france so gallant elogiums ? for whatsoever may be laudable or glorious you have confer'd it upon that countrey with such a prodigality of affection , and high straines of eloquence : surely you merit no lesse then to be peer or high constable of france for it . but under favour you have omitted one thing which bodin reports to have aristotle speak of france , his words are , neque tamen verum est quod aristoteles scribit , nullos in gastia hispanis proxima reperiri asinos — that ther are no asses found in france though next to spain ; indeed aristotle was much misinform'd therin ; for if he liv'd now , and made the tour of france , he wold find more asses there then in all europe besides , for all the common peeple and poor peasans of france are all made asses of , by the insupportable burdens they bear of so many impositions and tallies : but wheras bodin among other extravagancies falls a praising the asses of his countrey , that distic may be not impertinently applied unto him . dum laudas asinos patriae , bodine , quid erras ? ignotumne tibi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erat ? but wheras , noble cosen , you have extoll'd france so highly , and suffer'd your self to be transported so far with her praises , 't is tru she may be outwardly fair , but she is foul within , take off the gay saddle you have put upon the horse , and you will find his back all gaull'd ; take off those paintings you have with so much art put upon france , and i believe she will look but very homely . monsieur de la noüe one of her own children will tell you , that as a rapid torrent never stops her furious course till she be swallow'd in the sea ; so the french being snatch'd away by the torrent of their enormous vices , will never rest till they find their graves in the gulph of perdition . the same author will whisper you in the ear , that france is possess'd with . furies , viz. with impiety , injustice , and corruption of discipline , the first gnawes the conscience , the second gaules the cominalty , and the third raignes among the gentry . for impiety , let that horrid massacre on st. bartholomew's bear witnesse , at which time brother did butcher brother , the son the father , and children their mothers ; is it possible that a race of peeple adoring one god , born in one countrey , fellow subjects to one king ? is it possible that a christian peeple trusting in the same redeemer , govern'd by the same lawes , eating the same bread , breathing the same air , shold prove such tygers ? thuanus president of the parlement in paris abhors the very memory of it , applying most appositly those verses of papinius , and cryeng out , excidat illa dies aevo , nec postera credant saecula , nos certè taceamus , 〈◊〉 obruta multa nocte tegi propriae patiamur crimina gentis . let that black day be raz'd out of our calender for ever , that it may die with us , and never com to the knowledg of our nephews . and , which doth aggravat the thing ▪ what a horrid thing was it that charles the ninth shold give way that this butchery shold be done at the nuptials of his own sister the lady margaret of valois , and henry of bourbon king of navarr . in so much that , as one sayed , ther was more bloud spilt , then wine drunk at that wedding ; nor did this effusion of innocent bloud end in paris , but it went all the kingdom over ; and among others that had a hand in tracing this massacre , ther was a woman that was chief , and where women are in any conspiracy ther must be bloud , and this was katherine de medicis : a certain poet doth descant wittily upon the humor of that queen . tres erebi furias ne posthac credite vates ; addita nam quarta est nunc catharina tribus : quòd si tres furias a se dimitteret orcus , haec catharina foret pro tribus una satis . speak of three furies now no more in hell , katherin doth make them fower , and bears the bell , but if all three were thence dismiss'd , this one wold be enough for pluto's realm alone . about this time france did swarm with magicians , insomuch that trisalcanus their ringleader being condemn'd therfore to suffer death , confess'd that ther were above . of his camerades in the kingdom ; and 't was observ'd that queen katherine wold often confer with som of them : 't is observable what theodore beza sayeth of a new star that appeer'd the november next after this massacre in the asterisme of cassiopaea so refulgent , that it went beyond iupiter in his perigaeum for brightnesse , and gemma frisius affirms , that since the birth of christ , and that herod murther'd the children , ther was never such a phaenomenon seen , whether you respect the sublimity of the sign with the splendor and diuturnity of the star ; among these sanguinary assassinats old coligni the admiral was pistoll'd , with telinius his son in law , with divers noblemen mor ; peter ramus also was dispatch'd , having no fallacy in all his new logique to escape death , and above . more : nor had the king any remorse of sorrow for these murthers , but he was so far from it , that he caus'd new medals to be made in memory of the day , after the custome of the roman emperours , with this motto engraven , virtus in rebelles , et pietas excitavit justitiam ▪ carolus nonus rebellium domitor , valour and piety excited justice against rebels , charles the ninth the tamer of rebels ; besides , the parlement of paris did inorder that ther shold be an anniversary celebration of the day . and as charles the ninth was branded for this massacre , ( and died a little after a young and lusty man , which was held a judgment fallen upon him from the text that sayeth , the bloody man shall not live half his dayes ) so his successor did do a most unchristian and ignoble act , for to bear up against the house of austria he introduc'd the common enemy of christendom the turk into her bowels , by a solemn league struck betwixt both , and what a world of mischief did ahenobarbus solymans general in many parts of italy by vertu of this confederacy : and this league must be countenanc'd and confirm'd by publique writing and examples ; how a●…a king of the jewes , sought help of the king of syria against the israelites ; how david who was so great a prophet as well as king , being ill entreated by saul , fled to achis for to succour an idolater ; how constantine the great made use of the goths , and narsetes of the longobards ; how henry and frederic kings of castile made the sarracens their auxiliaries , and that other christian princes employed pagans and heathens and took them in pay ; what a rabble of rogues did follow monsieur monluc , the very scumm of the peeple , so that it grew to be a proverb , that a pack of raskals were call'd les laquais de monluc ; and he was us'd to say , tha●… one may make arrowes of any tree against the enemy , and if he could he wold evoke and employ all the infernal legions of devils for the destruction of him of whom he was in danger ; but a little after his conscience troubled him for that prophane speech , saying , dieu me le pardonne . confessing that since that confarreation 'twixt christians and mahumetans matters went from bad to worse with france ▪ and indeed antoine du pré who then was chancelor , refused to subscribe the transactions which pass'd 'twixt francis and solyman , it wold prove so great a scandal to christianity , and an indeleble blemish to france ; and matters succeeded accordingly , for this ignominious league did not only turn to the dishonor but detriment of france afterwards , for she lost all she had in italy , sand it prov'd so ominous , that henry francis his son was immaturely and unluckily kill'd at a tournement , leaving the crown most deeply laden with debt , and two young sons under the tutele of the foremention'd katherin , who descending from the house of medici could make philtres as well as compound potions for whom she listed ; and henries two successors as they were short liv'd , so they came far short in vertu and gallantry of other kings of france ; then come's henry the third , having stoln away surreptitiously out of poland , els he had bin sent away , for they had had too much of him . this king spent the publique treasure in voluptuousnesse and vanities , his very doggs and hawks stood him in an incredible summ , he was the first who had his table rayl'd about when he did eat ; he had so profusely exhausted the publique demeanes that in an assembly of the . estates at blois , he desir'd them to advise of som means to acquit his crown which was engag'd in above a hundred millions of gold . a little after this that horrid hydra , that mystical and many headed monster the ligue began to rage , this hideous monster did not onely like your indian serpents , as pliny reports , swallow up bulls and beasts , but it destroy'd whole provinces : good god in what a fearful and frantique condition was poor france at this time , as if all the furies of hell had bin let loose to distract and torment her ; ther were base mercenary preachers set on work to powr oyl upon the fire , to encrease it , rather then water to quench it ; among others , gul. rose , hamilton , bernard , christin , with divers more did bellow out nothing but war , and belch out bloud ; nay the college of sorbon which will be an everlasting reproch unto it , did passe a solemn decree , that the kings name , and the prayers that were appointed for him in the canon of the masse shold be expung'd : at last the french madnes being com to the highest cumble of wickednesse , the parisians sent a young cut-throat , a couled fryer to murther their anointed lawful king , his name was frere iacques clement , wherof ther was this pertinent anagram made , c'est l'enfer qui m'a cr●…é , 't is hell that created me : but he did his busines , and butcher'd the king with a long knife he carried in his sleeve so dextrously , as if he had bin brought up to the trade , but he was instantly hack'd to peeces . thus the valesian line extinguish'd ; and remarquable it is , what a vision the king had in his dream not long before , for he thought that he was torn by lions , wherupon he commanded the next day , this dream having made such a deep impression in him , that those lions and young cubbs which were in the louure shold be presently kill'd , which was done accordingly . ther was an epitaph put upon this henry , which i think it not impertinent to impart unto this ingenious auditory . adsta viator , et dole regum vicem , cor regis isto conditum est sub marmore , qui jura gallis , jura sarmatis dedit ▪ tectus cucullo hunc abstulit sicarius cùm magno potens agmine cinctus fuit , abi viator , et dole regum vicem . paraphrastically thus in english , whether thy choice or chance thee hither brings , stay passenger , and wayle the fate of kings , this little stone a g●…eat kings heart doth hold who rul'd the fickle french , and polaques bold , whom with a mighty warlike host attended with fatal steel a couled monster ended . so frayl are even the highest earthly things , go passenger , and wayle the happ of kings . now , though that nefarious conjuration of the ligue was partly dissipated by the fortitud and felicity of henry the th . yet this inundation settling it self so long upon the fair continent of france , left a great deal of scruffy odd dreggish stuff behind it , as it happens often when the pestilence ceaseth , the infection may a long time continue in beds and clothes ; for though it happen'd . yeers after , yet it was by one who was impell'd by the genius of the old ligue , ( and he must needs go whom the devil drives ) that henry the fourth was kill'd by ravillac ; so in revolution of not much above half an age ther were . henries all kings of france died violently , two by knifes , and the first by the splinter of a lance , all contemptible instruments ; the first was kill'd on horseback , the second in his closet , the third in his coach . now , as all is not gold that glisters , no more was the last henry so peerles a prince as he is cryed up to be ; we know well how he shrunk from that religion he had professed nere upon forty yeers , how it was his common practise to lye 'twixt other mens sheets , what a nomber of known natural children he left behind , besides those that were father'd by others ; we know how he repudiated his first wife of better extraction then himself , and being all gray maried a young princesse to whom he mought have bin a granfather for age : we know also how he wrought birons head to be chop'd off , and others who were the chief that put the french crown upon his head ; how he broke with queen elizabeth of england in the performance of many promises , who had done him such signal courtesies , &c. i will conclude this period of my discourse with a proverb worth the knowledg ▪ quand italie sera sans poison , angleterre sans trahison , et la france sans guerre , lors sera le monde sans terre . when italie doth poyson want , and traytors are in england scant , when france is of commotions free , the world without an earth shall be . i com now most noble auditors , to the third ery●…nis or furie of france ▪ injustice ▪ injustice , and this fury compar'd to the first may change places with her , and take the precedency ; ther is nothing so great an opposit , and profess'd enemy to the queen of vertues as injustice , she is covetous , revengeful ▪ and ambitious in the superlatif degree , yet she goes commonly under the holy , and wholsom name of justice wherwith she doth vayl and varnish all her actions , and yet while she palliats her proceedings she doth perpetrat a world of mischiefs , of rapine , of tyrannical exactions , and extorsions , with a thousand villanies more , she spares the nocent , and so wrongs the innocent ; nay she spils the bloud of the guiltlesse oftentimes , and swallowes bribes by gobbets ; her brain is alwaies at work to find new monopolies , new projects , new devices to rack and rend money , to grind the face and excoriat the poor peasan that she leaves him neither eyes to bewayl , nor toung to bemoan his misery ; this henry the th found to be true , for he observ'd that ther was a double tribute us'd to be payed , one to the king , the other to his officers , but the first was made intolerable by the second ; so that it was impossible but that both prince and peeple ●…hold be abus'd : wherof in the last civil warrs ther was a notable instance happen'd in a president of normandy , who being inordred to raise . crowns upon the reformists , it was discover'd that he had levied thousand crowns in lieu of the . but among other ocasions and bayts of injustice in france , the nundination and sale of judiciary offices which lye prostant for him who gives most , is one of the greatest and dishonorablest , for it is lawful for him who buyes to sell again , insomuch that it often falls out that they who buy by detayl do sell again in grosse : others clean contrary do buy in grosse and sell by detayl , as butchers use to do in buying a beast for the slaughter ▪ whom they afterwards cut into parts , and haply make one quarter to pay for the whole . it is recorded by a modest author , that in the compasse of . yeers ther came to the kings coffers above . millions of crownes this way ; and they wold justifie this by the example of the venetians , who to support the war they had against lewis the twelfth , they rais'd . millions by selling offices by outcry under a spear to the highest bidder , and by this way they were said to have levied . millions since to preserve s. marks bank from breaking : but the rate of offices in france is mounted now to its highest pitch , la vente des offices aujourdhuy est montés a sa periode . a president 's or attorney generals place is valued at about . franks , . l. sterling , which the poor client in a short time payes treble again . it was a brave law of theodosius and valentinian , that none shold be promoted to publique honors , or magistracies for money , but for merit , and that the party advanc'd shold be liable to an oath that he came to his place with clean hands ▪ without gratuity , price or compromise directly or indirectly . now as covetousnesse is sedulous ▪ so she is ingenious , as appeers by the edict of the paulette , wherby it is enacted , that if the officer doth not transmit it to another . daies before he dies ▪ the office returns to the king ▪ therfore to be free of this casualty they either give the more at first , or they give an annual pension wherby most of the places of judicature in france are not onely vendible , but hereditary . this was the device of one monsieur paulet at first , therfore when one hath bought an office he useth to say , j'ay paulette , or j'ay payé la paulette . besides this institory and marchandising way of handling justice , 't is incredible what multitudes of gown'd cormorants ther are in france , as advocates , proctors , scribes , clerks , solliciters , who prey upon the poor client , and suck his vital spirits , they are call'd the souris de palais , the mice of the court , and the judges the ratts , they are as thick as gnats , and able to corrupt ten worlds : stephen paschasius recordeth , and he was a man of great ingenuity and integrity , that the king of france might raise an army of thousand scribes or chicanears as they term common barretors , and clerks , and vvolfangas prisbachius thinks ther are more of those in paris alone , then in all germany , which is estimated to be two parts in three larger then france : ther 's not a word , syllable , or letter of the law , but they will draw you arguments of strife from them , for the propagation of pleas. nor is justice lesse abus'd there by the multitude of lawes which is beyond belief , which the subtile capacities and working brains of that peeple use to wrest , and distort as they please , making therof a nose of wax ; as also the revocation of ordinances and arrests , which is so frequent among them ; in so much that as baudius observes , the high supreme court of france whose authority was held so sacred , doth retain little of its pristin ancient majesty , the king edicts which they verifie being so commonly repeal'd . now , as in a working tempestuous sea ther is not a drop of water stable and quiet , but one wave struggles , and thrusts one another forward and backward , or as a shipp under sayl wrestleth as she makes her way with the tumbling billowes , so france may be sayed to be over-whelm'd with an ocean of confusion . and as france at home is so subject to acts of oppression and injustice , so whensoever she hath taken footing in any countrey abroad , her children shew themselves what they are , and who was their mother , by ther insolencies , and extortions ; they corrupt the manners of all nations where they com , with their fashions and levity ; they do not only corrupt the mind , but they infect the body with their foul disease , and leave stigmatizations behind them . had the french administred justice in sicily , or had they comported themselves with that humanity , prudence , rectitude and moderation they shold have done , the sicilian vespres had never happen'd , when the natives patience so often abus'd turn'd to fury , and made a solemn conjuration to free themselves of them for their tyranny , violation of virgins , scortation , ravishments , stupration , and insupportable taxes , wherupon by a national unanimous consent , and at the sounding of a bell they dispatch'd . french into the other world , not sparing the pregnant wombs and embryos , ther was such a mortal hatred generally conceived of the nation , having pittifully complain'd to the pope nicolas the third a little before , imploring him that he wold cast out of sicily that ill spirit wherwith she was so miserably possess'd ; so charles duke of anjou brother to st. lewis , having tyranniz'd in sicily . yeers was suddenly put out of his new kingdom , and the society of mankind all at once , with all his proling countreymen ; and he was ejected the same way as he entred , which was by bloud , for when king manfredus was defunct , a young prince conradinus , the lawful heir descended of the imperial stemm of the hohenstauffens was to succeed , but he was betrayed by a fisherman and surpriz'd ; and together with the austrian duke frederique he was barbarously butcher'd . which made an italian author expresse himself pathetically , veramente di sasso sarebbe coluy che non fosse — truly he shold be made of stone that wold not be mov'd at such a cruel tragaedy , that so hopeful a young king descending from so many caesars , with such a valorus duke being both but youths , shold be so basely made away , and that by the councel of a pope clement the fourth , which aggravat's the businesse much . ther is another pregnant example how the state of the united provinces having made a voluntary election of the duke of anjou for their governor , being induc'd therunto by the letters of the queen of england , how unjustly , perfidiously , and ingratefully the said duke did carry himself with his train of ruffling french , by attempting in a proditorious way to make himself absolute and independent , but the cocatrice was crush'd in the shell , and his design frustrated , yet for his person and domestiques he was suffer'd to depart civilly , and peaceably , though ingloriously in point of reputation to himself and his countrey ; this was the reward the french gave the belgians , notwithstanding that among many other demonstrations of confidence , affection and trust , they had made him duke of brabant , and given him the title of governor , which titles he wold not desert , but wold have them to his death , which happen'd a little after ; such are the humors , such the ambition of the french , which made henry fits allen earl of arundel , who first introduc'd the use of coaches into england , disswade queen elizabeth from matching with the said duke of alençon , because he had had sufficient experience of the inconstancy , arrogance and levity of the french , and that few of them had upright and just hearts . nor do the kings of france pay the debts , or hold themselves bound to perform the promises of their immediat predecessors , for they say that they come to the crown not as much by hereditary as kingly right ; as appeers by the answer which lewis the . gave the parisians , who humbly petitioning for som armes and canons which they had lent charles the . he told them that he was not charles his heir , much lesse his administrator : so the swisses demanding of francis the second , a return of those large sommes which they had lent his father , receiv'd this short injust answer , that he was not tied to the solution of any mans debts . nor do the french wher they com bestow the indian disease , and infect the bloud of their neighbours ; but in one part of france they have another disease as bad and more ugly , which is the leprosie , for in the south parts towards the pyrency hills in the countrey of bearn and other places , ther is a despicable kind of peeple call'd the capots ; and in another dialect gahets , most of them being carpenters , coupers , tinkers , or of such mean mechanique trades , whose society all men do shun and abominat , because they use to infect others with their leprosie , therfore they are not permitted to enter into any towns , and hardly to live in the suburbs , they have distinct stations apart in churches ; when any dye they can leave no lands but only their moveables to their children , scarce having the same priviledges in their own countrey , that iewes have in italy and germany . but to resume the threed of my discourse a little before , if the kings of france be not tied to pay the debts and legacies of their parents and predecessors , what law of honesty do we think can bind the vassals of france to do so ? caesar and tacitus had felt the pulse of this nation sufficiently , when they call them levissimum hominum genus , a most light race of peeple , that they have more of imagination then judgment , more words then common honesty . yet francis the first could vapour , as lipsius hath it of him , etiamsi fides toto orbe exularet — although faith shold be banish'd from among mortals , yet she shold be found among kings , who shold be tied to performance by her alone , and not by fear . you pleas'd to say , noble cosen ernest , that the kings of france never die ; shall they be eternal , and their faith so mortal ? i am not ignorant that bodin goes very far in the commendation of the french , being transported with passion more then judgment , and therin he shewes himself to be of a tru french humor ; and he thinks to do her right by wronging her neighbours , specially the empire and germany ; he calls the germans stupidos et rusticos , plus roboris quàm rationis habentes , leves , suavitatem orationis et veneres respuentes , &c. i say he calls the germans doltish and stupid , having more strength then reason , they are light , and averse to sweetnesse and elegancy of speech , that the german princes are feudatary to france , and their emperour to the turk , with such like calumnies ; bodinus herein shew'd himself a base , and ignorant sciolist , and his lies are so notorious , that they are not worth the answering , nor worthy of the indignation of a german prince ; for my self i hold them to be like a brute beast besmattring a traveller upon the high way with dirt , for which the passenger is not angry , nor doth he respect it coming from an irrational animal , and such a beast may bodinus be in aspersing the germans as he doth . the third furie which possesseth france is her temerity and unadvisednesse most commonly seen in her actions , which as caesar , who was not only a travellor , but a conquerour , and dweller there , saith , gallorum genti temeritas est innata , rashnes is innated in the french nation : and as we read of moving ilands , so the french is not only stirr'd , but toss'd perpetually with the waves of temerity and lightnes ; especially when the circian or southern wind blowes ; augustus made his vow unto the gods that it should not blow upon them ; for the french have a whirlwind in their brains , they have quicksands in their breasts , which tosseth their councels , and cogitations to and fro . the physitians dispute whether the worms that are engendred in man out of putrefaction proceed from the stomack or the belly ; but i am of opinion that in french bodies those magotts are generated in the brain , rather then any place of the microcosm besides . to confirm which tenet i will produce one of their own authors and countreymen who shold be best acquainted with their genius , it is alexander pontamarinus in his description of the french nobility ; and no limmer could put them out more to the life , when he sayeth , la jeuno noblesse de france est d'un estrange humeur , elle ne se plaist que d'une especce de mignotise , où elle rend plus preu●…e de lascheté que de valeur ; elle est tellement imbue de je ne sçay quel esprit de mespris , que tout son maintien n'est qu'un continuel desduin ; elle á plus de mouuement aux espaules , plus de bricolles aux pieds , plus de singeries aux mains , et de tournoyement en la teste qu'il n'y a de goute d'eau en la seine ; elle se contrefait , elle se deguise , elle begaye au lieu de parles ▪ elle pantalonne a cheval , et se comporte en toutes ses actions si ridiculement , qu'vn penitre ne scauroit auec plus d'artifice esbaucher la d'un figure fol que ce ce pouure gentilhomme françois en donne tesmoignage ; et piu●… oyes le discourir , c'est luy qui ne craint personne , et na iamais appris de se faire craindre , c'est luy qui bat tout le monde , et il ignore le moyen de se defendre , c'est luy qui est bien a cheval , et il ne scait pas tenir la bride ; c'est luy qui scait bien entretenir les dames , et les fiiles de chambre se mocquent de ses discours ; bref , c'est luy mesme qui est la fable du peuple , l'ordinaire , pitiè des honestes gens , et le scandale de sa lignee ; va-il par la rue il ne fait pas vne demarche qu'il ne negarde en arriere pour se glorifier en l●… suite de ses valets ; chasque fois qu'il aurá les yeux sur ses souliers , il postera la main sur le collet de sa chemise , homme sot et miserable : this character of a french gentleman is rendred as wittily in latin. nobilis gallus in delicias et inertiam quàm magnanimitatem est proclivior , cum perpetuo rerum omnium fastidio , ubicumque in inimicis pedum , manuumque gesticulationibus , scapularum motationibus , capitis vibrationibus prodigiosè frequens ; i●…cessu , vestitu , sermone , et in omnibus actionibus ita ridiculus , et histrio , vt omnem consummatissimi fatui indolem , et personam exactè representet ; si coll●…quii res sit hic ille est qui prosternit omnes , sed qui modum se defendendi ignorat ; ille est qui omnium optimè regit equum , sed qui frenos moderari adhuc nescit ; ille est qui ginecaei applausum sibi vendicat , sed quem a tergo s●…mularem multa ciconia pinsit ; summa , ille est fabula vulgi , bonorum miseratio , ordinis sui macula ; si verò deambulationibus per vrbem indulgeat , sine stultitiae scen●… id n●…n facit , modo vno vix gradu promoto ad pedissequos oculos rejicit gloriosulè se praedican●… ▪ mod●… in calceis mir acula quaerit , modò indusii collare manibus terit , homostolidus , 〈◊〉 publicis christianorum supplicationibus includendus . the french gentleman is a thing of an odd humour , he pleaseth himself in a kind of fantastiquenesse , which discovers more of softnesse , then manhood , he hath ever and anone such a slighting way , that all his carriage is but a kind of perpetual disdain ; he hath more stirrings about his sholders , he fetcheth such stroakes with his feet , he hath such apish motions in his hands , he hath such windings of his head , that ther is no member at rest about him ; he counterfeits , he disguiseth , he gapes and lisps insteed of speaking ; he doth so pantonolize it on horseback , and comports himself in all his actions so ridiculously , that an expert painter cannot draw a fool with more artifice then this poor french gentleman doth it really and to the life : hear him discourse and he will tell you that he fears no body , yet never learnt any body or boy to fear him ; it is he who could beat all the world , yet knowes not how to defend himself against a pigmey ; it is he who is the only man on horseback , yet haply he knowes not how to hold his bridle : it is he who is the only entertainer of ladies , and yet the chambermaids make mowes at him . in fine , 't is he who can hold excellent discourse , yet he is the by-word of the peeple , the pity of honest men , and the reproach of his family : doth he march in the streets , he scarce makes two steps , but he looks back to behold his laquay strutting behind him , he hath his hands often upon his locks , and his eyes upon his shooes ; o poor sot , fit to be pray'd for in all churches that he recover his wits . thus pontamarius in his protean academy doth describe and characterise a true monsieur , though he was one himself : among their liberal sciences dicing and carding are two wherunto they are excessively addicted , and many of them hereby bring a milpost to a thwittle , and a noble to lesse then ninepence : a physitian 's son , when i was in paris , lost in one night above . thousand crowns ; nor do young gallants only , but schollers , lawyers , and marchants of all sorts frequent this school of fortune . one ionas kept a gaming house in the suburbs of st. germain , that som daies and nights he had above franks to his box . and as the french are thus extremely given to gaming , so in the academy of venus they are the greatest practitioners of any peeple , the other us'd to wast their estates , but this consumes their bodies , and commonly ther is no french gentleman but is a surgeon himself of the venerean disease , which makes him carry his salve box and implements alwaies about him for fear he get a clapp . som parts of france have bin proverbially infamous for this kind of turpitude ; among other , marseilles in province is one , wherof the greeks have a saying , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sayl to marseilles if you desire your choice of whores ; they us'd also there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to make use of boyes , but this nefandous custom they had from the soft greeks ▪ who had a colony there so many ages , and infected their neighbours with it ; indeed ther is no countrey where venus keeps so great a court , and where they go sooner to it , so that som women cannot tell when they were mayds : and as the french are observ'd to be thus extraordinarily salacious , and given to this kind of lux , and wantones with such a strong propensity of nature ; so is their language fit for such effeminacies and soft plesures , which language is but squama latini sermonis , et rubigo trivialium barbarismorum , she is but the scales of the latin , and rust of other old toungs . i know that many distinguish thus among languages , that it is fittest to speak to god in spanish for the majestie of it , to princes in italian for the gravity of it , to the enemy in dutch for the manfulnes of it , to women in french for the softnes of it . ther is a tale of a german ambassador to charles the fifth , who being ordred to deliver his embassie in high dutch , a spanish don being attending the emperour , and then at the audience , observing the strength and severity of the language , said in a kind of passion , voto al' antichristo — i swear by antichrist i think it was high dutch that god almighty spoak when h●… ejected adam out of paradice , and caus'd an angel with a flaming formidable sword to be porter that none should re-enter : wherunto the german acutely answer'd , that he esteem'd the spanish language for her subtlety to be that which th●… devil us'd when he seduc'd our poor granmother eve ; ther is another story of langas sent ambassador from ferdinand the first , to poland , who convers'd much with don pedro ruyz a spaniard , and privy councellor to caesar , and being both one day at dinner , and the said don pedro hearing dutch much spoken in a dispute at the table , and listning to the high though harsh accents and pronuntiation of it , broke out into this speech , me thinks the germans do not speak but thunder , &c. but let us still love our maternal language , and not be allur'd by those loose lascivious toungs of spain , italy , and france especially which serves chiefly to make wanton loves and complements , to compose amorous sonnets , and attract femal bewty , or frame such odd romances , and hyperbolical stories , as amadis de gaule , and such like ; what a world of wanton books are ther in french which tend chiefly to amuse the understanding with vicious thoughts , and to corrupt maners ? what stories they have of adulterious loves , of unbridled lusts , what stratagems do they relate of such things ? teaching that vowes made by the goddesse venus are not obligatory , according to the poet when he gave councel to one that was desperatly in love , nec jurare time , veneris perjuria venti irrita per terras , et freta longa ferunt . such books are fitter to be made a sacrifice to vulcan , then kept in gentlemens studies , or to be transported to sicilie , where parents are put to a perpetual kind of watching to preserve their daughters from being stollen away , and suborn'd ; the lacedemonians by a vertuous law caus'd the works of archilochus , though a very ingenious and great poet , to be banish'd from their citty , because the reading therof might deprave the pudicity of their youth , least more hurt might com by the wantonesse , then good by the wittinesse of the verse . o most prudent and provident act ! but how few such lacedemonian patriots are found now a dayes , specially in france ? but the french venus is not only a smooth pratling gossip , but she is also profuse and luxurious . i pray hear what ammianus marcellinus speaks long since of the french , vini avidum genus , affectans ad vini similitudinem multiplices potus — a race of peeple greedy of wine , and affecting according to the similitude of the wine multiplicity of compotations , they are quickly transported with excesse this way ; i will produce one example of a notable wine-bibber , which was rablais , who though he was very well instructed both in the greek and latin toungs , and an excellent physitian , with other choice parts , yet at last leaving all other serious studies , he did totally inslave himself to epicurisme , to gluttony , and drunkennesse , in which humors he belch'd out that atheistical kind of book which goes under his name though under pleasant notions able to turn ev'ry reader therof to a democritus : as i have instanced in a man ( wherof ther might be produc'd thousands in this kind ) so i will bring before you a woman a rich widow who liv'd hard by bourdeaux , who was got with child while she was in a deep drunken sleep , who beginning to swell thought it was onely a tympany , but her physitians told her she was with child ▪ wherupon she caus'd it to be openly publish'd in the church of the parish , that if he who got her with child wold confesse it , she wold take him for her husband herupon ; herupon a yong vineyard man who was us'd to frequent her house , did confesse that he had done it as she slept in a chair one night by the fire side , having drunk much wine upon such a holiday , so she married him , and he thanked bacchus for it . 't is tru , that virgins use not to drink wine in france , it being a great dishonor if they shold , only they give somtimes a tincture to a glasse of water with some few drops of claret , but bacchus goes down smoothly the married womens throats . and as for drinking , so for eating also the french are inferior to none in point of excesse , and indeed they seldom make sacrifices to bacchus , but they have ceres with it ; bishop reginald belney a man renowned for eloquence and learning , us'd to eat at ev'ry . hours end night and day , which was six times ev'ry natural day : and indeed they hold it no disparagement in france among the best sorts of ladies , to be alwaies eating somthing or other as they go along the streets in their coaches : and 't is a common saying in france ▪ com le ts go to dinner quickly , that we may have time enough for a collation in the afternoon , and so go in a seasonable hower to supper , to take afterwards a nuntion , and so go to bed betimes , that we may rise early in the morning to breakfast . other nations eat , and chew their meat , but divers of the french do devour and swallow it up whole , and after they have eaten their pottage , it is common among som to lick the dish and their fingers afterwards . i com now from their diet to their clothing ; good lord , was ther ever any nation so mimical , so fantastique , and variable in their vestments ? i know they are greedy of change , and gaping after novelty in all things , but for their apparrel , nor proteus , nor vertumnus , nor the camelaeon was so transformable ; in the kings court the fashion of the sute you put on in the morning growes obsolet in the evening , and their brains are at labour in the night to find som new mode for the next day . but this alteration and variety of fashions though it impoverisheth private men , yet it tends much to the kings emolument ; for thuanus avoucheth that this liberty of vestments brings the king in above thousand crownes yeerly , by those stuffs that are brought in from italy , and other places ; yet ther have bin edicts and sumptuary lawes enacted often touching apparrel , but such is the humor of the nation , and their elboes so itch ever and anon for new fashions , that no lawes were ever observed long ; nor is this to be soly imputed to a desire of change , as much as to an innated national pride which raigns in the french. then came up to foment this pride , sale of honors and offices , nay , the highest dignity of all , which is st. michaels order , was prostant for money , which made tiercelin a knight of very ancient extraction to say , that the conchyliatus torques , the order of st. michael was becom a coller now for ev'ry asse . to raise this pride higher , the use of coches was introduc'd in the raign of francis the first , by iean de laval a gentleman of noble extraction , who being of a corpulent and unweldy constitution , was the first who had one made for him ; yet we read , that in henry the seconds time which was a good while after ▪ ther were but two coches in all paris , one for the queen , and another for his base daughter . but now their nomber is so monstrously increas'd , that one may say ther be as many coches in paris , as ther are gondolas in venice , and indeed no place wants them more , paris being one of the dirtiest townes in christendom , nor is it an ordinary but an indeleble oily coagulated dirt whose spots cannot be wash'd off with any sope , and the sent of it so strong , that one may smell the dirt of paris miles before he comes at her if the wind be in his face . moreover as the french grow quickly in love with any thing , so are they sooner cloyed therwith then any other ; and for their affections one to another and towards strangers they are soon hot , and soon cold ; they will take a pet at any thing , and pepper in the nose though their bodies be not pepper proof all over ; an inquiet nation , and enemies to tranquillity , impatient of peace untill they have recover'd the ruines of war , lovers of stirrs and motion , which makes his next neighbour the flemin to have this proverb of him , quand le françois dort , le diable le berse : when the frenchman sleeps , the devil rocks the cradle . ther is not a more sanguinary and barbarous rabble in the world then in france , 't is an ordinary thing to digg one out of his grave and dragg him up and down in peeces , as among others they did the marquis of ancre , whose death and the manner of it redounds infinitly to the dishonor both of king and peeple . the king having commanded him to be kill'd in his own house the louure , whose walls were besprinkled with his bloud , and king●… courts shold be sacred places , and then a thing which prov'd ridiculous to all the world his proces was made after his death : nor were any of that base rascality punish'd who broke into the church , and into his mortuary , whence they pull'd him out and dragg'd him like a dogg up and down the channels , and then hanging him to a gibet by the heeles , they hack'd his body in mamocks , notwithstanding that he was neither arraign'd , convicted or condemn'd , but death is not sufficient to satiat the french malice : what an inhuman thing was it ? an act that a wild arab wold never have don ▪ to roast a man alive in the market place at bourdeaux without any form of law . gaspar coligni writ in a letter of his to charles the ninth , c'est le naturel de francois . it is given by nature to the french , that if they cannot find an enemy abroad they will make one at home ; they seldom rob but they kill ; and 't is safer to fall into the hands of any then into a french pyrat's , for ther is no mercy with them , but all must overboard ; what horrid barbarismes have they committed at the plundring of towns ? how have they ravish'd nunns at the altar , not sparing any sex , as tillemont of late yeers can bear testimony ; nor are ther any peeple so contentious , so quarelsom , so malitious and bloudy among themselves at home and abroad . it is the saying of montagne , mettez trois francois aux deserts de libye ils ne seront pas vn mois ensemble sans se harceler , et esgratigner , put three frenchmen in the deserts of lybie , they will not be a month together but they will scratch one another ; nay the least ocasion in the world will make them thirst after one anothers life : for upon the least affront or surmize of affront , ça Ça , they must presently to the field and seek one anothers hearts bloud : and ther be more monomachyes and duels fought in one yeer in france , then in . yeers all christendom over ; st. lewis had damn'd this fury of single combat to hell , but philip de valois fetch'd her out again . ther have bin . edicts of late yeers against it , but the french are possess'd with such spirits , that they care not for body or soul to preserve a little puntillo of supposed honor . but francis the first brought monomachy to be very frequent by his example , when he defied charles the emperour in the consistory at rome for giving him the lye to a duel , insomuch that the lye hath bin ever since a mortal word ; it being the principle of that king , that he could not be a good man who return'd not the lye with his sword . but , most noble and highborn cosens , som may haply admire that i shold perstringe the french peeple thus sharply , considering that they are extracted from us , and branches of the great german tree . 't is tru they are so , but as the poets sing of circe , that she transform'd men to beasts , so the clime of that countrey hath quite metamorphos'd , perverted and quite alienated their primitive natures & dispositions , gallia hath prov'd a circe to germany herin ; or as ther be som fountains in italy and elswhere , which have that quality as to turn stone to iron , so have the germans which went to france degenerated from themselves by a strange kind of transmutation of nature . you may please to hear what one of themselves confesseth in these words , les francois passans le rhin ne cesserent de tourmenter les gaules , jusques a ce que les francois les ayans tous sinon chessé du moins appaisé les vns , et forcer les autres a faire jo●…g , y establirent en fin leur domination ; lesquels reprenans , comme par droit de legitime succession avec les commoditez du pays le bien et le mal , tant de l'insuffifance , que de la pen discrete legereté de ces peuples anciens , n'ont esté moins signatez pour vn semblable naturel guerrier , que pour les grands troubles , et trop animeuses divisions les quelles ont assez souuent approché l'estat de sa ruine . this a pure frenchman acknowledgeth ; the french passing the rhin did not cease to torment the gaules , untill the french having if not chac'd away , yet at least induc'd som , and forc'd others to the german yoke , they establish'd ther at last their domination — to travel a little further in france they , say , se clementissimo aere frui , ne●… ulla caeli gravitate flagellari , they say that they enjoy a most mild air , nor are beaten by any inclemency of heaven . sure this cannot be tru , for claudian saith , that gallia is nive ferox , that france hath fierce snowes ; petronius hath a proverb , gallica nive frigidior , colder then french snow ; diodorus saith , that the french frost is so strong and contumacious , that rivers have bin pervious for whole armies to passe over dry foot both for cavalry and infantry . nay of late yeers in the siege hefore amiens it was so bitterly cold , that the wines did freeze in the cask , and was sold in cakes and by weight unto the soldiers . and for the wholsomnesse of that clime , sure it cannot be so far , it is found by experience , that the french both men and women are more subject to vermin , to the itch and scabs then any other peeple . but the greatest thing they glory of , is , that france is so fertile and exuberant a soyle that it may be call'd a copia cornu of all things ( i confesse indeed ther are in france of horns ) and that ther is not any part that is altogether barren ; but in point of fertility . this cannot be so generally tru ; for in burgundy not far off , ther is a town call'd orgelet , wherof ther is a proverb , that ther are there fields without grasse , rivers without fish , and hills without groves : betwixt bourdeaux and bayon you traverse such a tract of sandy ground , that one wold think he passeth through the deserts of arabia , when he goeth over les landes de gascoigne , for so they are call'd vulgarly ; ther are divers large tracts of gronnd which are as bad , in so much that bodin ingenuously confesseth , exploratum est deserta et inculta loca si aquas et vias iis adjungamus duos galliae trientes auferre ; it is is found and explor'd , that the desert and untill'd places , if we add to them waters and wayes , make up two thirds of france ; then he confesseth that ther is such a scarcity of great timber trees , that not only for building of ships , but for erecting of ordinary houses they must be beholden to other nations . is this that incomparable fertility of france you speak of , cosen ? is this that land of promise ? what a bragging do the bourdelois keep of their grove of cypres for the honor of which it was a custome that no ship shold go out of the port with wine till the magistrat had given him a branch of cypres tree , for which he was to pay such a gabel ; yet this grove wherof they vaunt is scarce seven acres in all . but salt is the great staple commodity of france , yet i pray be pleas'd to hear what lemnius speaks thereof , majores nostri salem confecerunt uberrimo sanè questu , non ex aqua marina solis ardore in salem concreta atque indurata , qualem ex hispaniis & galliis ad nos perfertur , sed ex maritimis glebis exusti atque in cinerem redactis quem infusâ aqua minutatim in salem reducebant splendidum ac nitentem nec alio salis genere tota belgica ad nostram usque memoriam usa est . qui conficiendi salis modus cum inducto externo inolesceret excogitatus est alius non minus quaestuosus , scilicet advecto ex hispaniis atque aquitanico sin●… rudi ac nigricante sordidoque sale , exempto limo , excoctisque sordibus candidissimum id nostrates efficiunt rebus conservandis ap●…issimum . sed alter ille modus facilè in usum revocari potest , si externus sal hostili odio denegetur , aut ex quavis alia causa copiam nobis deesse contingat . our ancestors made salt with much profit , not of sea water crusted by the heat of the sun and so obdurated , such as is brought us from spain and france , but out of maritime glebes burnt , and reduc'd to cindres , which powring therinto a small portion of water by drops , they brought to be splendid and pure salt , nor did all belgium use any other salt until our memory ▪ which mode of making when it grew out of use , a new extern way being introduc'd , ther was another no lesse gainful way invented ; which was that a rude and blackish sordid kind of salt being brought over from spain , or aquitane coasts , the dreggs and filth being excocted , we brought it by our art and industry to be candid and beautiful , and most fit to conserve things ; but the t'other way may be revived again very easily , if forren salt shold be denied us in case of enmity or otherwise . now although 't is confess'd , that france abounds with salt , and in that point may be sayed to be a sweet countrey , yet the inhabitants pay dear for it , for the king makes neer upon . millions of franks ev'ry yeer of the gabel of salt ( as it was spoken before ) which are two millions sterling ; in so much that although france have such plenty of salt , yet it is cheaper in any other countrey . for it is found that the marchant hath it at lower rates on the sea side then the peasan in the countrey , which makes the hollander oftentimes bring thither french salt back again and gain by it . one shall see somtimes the poor roturier or yeoman to go from the market with his pockets cram'd with salt to avoid paying the gabel , and women steal it home in their purses . now touching such an affluence of all things in france , besides which you insist upon , my noble cosen , it may be so , but then surely ther is the worst kind of government there upon earth , and the most unproportionablest divident made of that plenty , for i dare avouch france doth abound with beggars more then any countrey under the sun. one cannot ride upon the high way but he shall have swarmes of little mendicants sing before his horse head , as also when he remounts the next day ; the poor vigneron , and husbandman go in their wooden shooes and canvas breeches to church upon sundayes , and if their wifes have a buckram petticot she is brave . therfore wheras you say that france is the freest and frankest countrey in the world , and that she draws her etymology thence , she may be so to strangers and passengers , but for the natives i beleeve they are the arrand'st slaves upon earth , they are of a meer asinin condition , not only in relation to the king who so grinds their faces with taxes , but they are villains also to their lords : i will produce one example for all ; the lord of chasteauroux or red castle in berry had a tenant , that by his industry became bourgesse of paris , le seigneur vendica son serf , qui s'estoi●… retiré et obtint la provision , the lord in open court demands his slave , which the court could not deny , and so pass'd sentence accordingly . you say , noble cosen , that france is adorn'd with all vertues , truly i do not see how vertue can cohabit where such furies do tyrannize ; i am sure that scaliger speaks of som parts of france , quae ab omni humanita●…e et literis vasta est , ubi librorum et bonorum hominum maxima solitudo est . som parts which are void of all humanity and literature , where ther is a kind of solitude and wildernesse both of books and good men . touching the magnanimity and prwoesse of the french , 't is tru they did achieve som brave things while the german bloud continued fresh in them , and untainted ; cicero saith , that caius marius by his divine vertu and valour , influentes in italiam gallorum copias repressit , that he repress'd those swarmes of french who rush'd into italie , but caesar , who was a better historian then cicero saith , they were cimbri and teutones both which are high dutch , as also those which brennus brought to sack rome , and afterwards took delphos from the greeks . touching the french courage we know the trite proverb , that the french are at the first onset more then men , and afterwards les then women ; indeed florus sayeth , habent eorum corpora quiddam simile cum suis nivibus , quae mox vt caluêrs pugnâ statim in sudorem eunt , et levi motu quasi sole laxantur ; the french bodies bear some analogy with their snowes , for as soon as they are heated in fight they vapour into sweat , and they are as it were thaw'd by the sun at the least motion . but your highnesse seems to extol mightily the power of the french king , indeed 't is an old saying , that gallum in suo sterquilinio plurimum posse , the cock ( gallus ) can do much upon his own dunghill . but this power is not so superlatif if we descend into the truth of things , for touching the demeanes of the crown , the king cannot alienat one acre therof without the consent of the three estates , as ther is a pregnant example herof in the assembly of blois , where bodin lost the favour of henry the third about this debate : for the french king is by the law but an usufructuary of the crown possession ; nor could any of them be sold for the redemption of king iohn in england though it was then propos'd , nor of king francis in spain , though this was the greatest necessity that could be . we well know how often the parlement of paris hath clash'd with the king , and rejected his edicts ; nor is the single testimony of the king valid enough in france to take away any ones life , ther was a notable example herof in henry the seconds raign , who when he had commanded an italian servant to be clap'd in prison , and had solemnly sworn that he had found him in a most foul offence , yet the kings affidavit could not prevail with the judges , but they releas'd the prisoner . but now the integrity and stoutnesse of those brave ancient legislators and judges in times past is much diminish'd , because kings do use to lend their eares to parasits , sycophants , and buffons rather then to helvidius priscus , monsieur lavacre , or such sages . ther is a tale of bajazet the first , that he had an ethiop born in india about him , and having upon a march one day his tent pitch'd nere a high tree , he call'd the ethiop and sayed , dre areb , if thou lov'st me go up to the top of that tree , the indian scambled up presently , so the emperour sent presently for som to hew down the tree , the poor ethiop begging his life all the while , and that his counsellors wold intercede for him , but nothing prevailing , the ethiop pull'd down his breeches , and with his excrements and urine did so beray the hewers , that they gave over work , and in the interim the ethiop gets down , telling the turks counsellors , wold all such privy counsellors as you were so beray'd , whose oouncel cannot do as much as my excrements . the french kings use to have many such weak councellors . touching the unlimited power the french kings have to make pecuniary levies and lay taxes , i pray hear what philip comines sayeth , one of lewis the xi . chiefest councellors of state , and whom he employ'd in the most intricat and arduous ocasions , nemo omnium est principum qui jus habeat vel teruncium vnum exigendi a suis praeter constitutum annuum censum nisi populus assentiatur , sunt quidem principes quibus hoc frequens est in sermone vt dicant habere se privilegia vt quantum velint exigant a populo , galliarum vero rex omnium minimè causam habet vt istud de se jactet , nec enim vel ipsi vel cui vis alii licet . ther is no prince that hath right to raise the least farthing of his subjects besides his settled revenues , without the peeples consent ; 't is tru , ther are som kings who have it frequently in their mouthes , that they have such praerogatives to impose what they please , but the king of france hath the least cause to vaunt thus of himself . the exorbitancies of the french kings this way hath bin the ground of all the warrs that were wag'd pour le bien public , for the common good which have harass'd france so often ; charles the grosse herby came to such an extreme exigence that being overcom by arnosplus he begg'd his bread of him to preserve him from starving , and so obtain'd of him a small pension in germany . neverthelesse , though a clowd of examples of this kind could be produc'd , the kings of france do still use to flay their sheep , insteed of shearing them ; witnesse the last king who assum'd to himself the epithet of iust , and god knowes he least deserv'd it of any , having exacted more of his people by extrajudicial wayes then any of his predecessors ever did , to maintain a groundlesse warr against the spaniard by the advice of an ambitious and bloudy cardinal , whose heart was as red as his habit , and of a deeper sanguine die . now as we read of a town in spain that was undermin'd by coneys , of another in thrace that was undermin'd by mol●…e of another in greece ranvers'd by frogs , another in germany that was subverted by rats , so i beleeve that ther are in france many such cunnies , moles , froggs and rats , i mean ambitious and sandy brain'd sycophants , that will undermine , ranverse and tumble to destruction their own dear countrey ; and pope gregory could prophecy so much of richelieu when he came to confirm'd bishop of lucon to rome at . yeers old , of whom he said when he had perceiv'd his genius by his discourse , this man will overturn the world ; nor is this cardinal inferior unto him awhit , but his head and his hat are altogerher as red ; he treads directly in his stepps , and so doth the queen in her husbands against her only brother : in so much that truly , if i apprehend any thing , one may see france running post to her own destruction . wheras you alledg that the kings of france are such divine physitians in curing the struma , i pray be pleas'd to hear what petrus crescentius a famous french doctor affirms , multoties se vidisse reges pro more tangere strumosos , sed qui inde sanatus fuerit , vidisse neminem ; he had seen often som of the strumatical disease touch'd by kings , but he saw not any cur'd meerly by the touch : i am of opinion ther be waters in moravia that can do the cure better , being of a saltish , bituminous , chalchanthian vein , and 't is more probable that god and nature shold infuse more vertu to those mineral waters , then to a mans fingers . all these things being unpassionatly considered and well ponder'd , i do not see how the countrey of france or her king , considering the slavery and poverty of the peeple , the unequal distribution of the public weal and blessings of the land , with sundry other reasons and solaecismes in government before mentioned , i say , i do not see what hopes or reason france may have to expect and demand the preheminence of the rest of the europaean provinces . dixi. the oration of magnus duke of vvirtemberg , and teccia earl of montpelgard , &c. lord of heidenham , &c. for spain . most illustrious princes , &c. the province i have undertaken , and the task that is impos'd on me , is to speak something of that most ancient , and noble countrey of spain ; therfore while i put my self under that hot clime , i humbly desire the heat of your affections , and accustomed candor may goe along with me . the emperour charls the v. a prince of approved judgment , although he was born , and bred in germanie , ( for he intitled himself citizen of gant ) yet he lov'd spain with a more profuse love then any other region , making his residence there most commonly when he was not engag'd in the french ; german , and african wars ; in so much that when he had transmitted , and made a voluntary resignment of all his kingdoms , he reserv'd that country for his last randevous ; and as it is curiously observ'd by divers caesarean writers , when he hois'd saile from sudeburg with eleonor queen of france , and mary queen of hungary his two sisters , and with propitious gales had landed in spain , he fell down prostrat upon the first ground he trod , and kissing it , brake out into these words : salve mihi optatissima tellus , nudus ex utero matris exivi , nudus ad te tanquam alteram matrem redeo , & quod unum possum , pro tam multis in me meritis corpusculum hoc , & ossa mea do dedicoque . haile o most wished country , i came naked out of my mothers ●…womb , and i return naked to thee as to another mother . and , which is the onely thing i can do now , i give up and dedicate to thee this body and bones of mine , for so many benefits i have receav'd from thee . now there be many eminent arguments for the high prerogatives of spain , — adeò sunt multa loquacem ut lassare queant fabium ; they are so numerous that they wold tyre the best orator , but i will end eavour to wind all up upon a small bottom . spain hath bin reputed from the beginning a most considerable countrey , witnes the roman by whom she was prima tentata , and ultima subacta ; first attempted , and last subdued : for the old romans , as now the ecclesiastique lords of rome , sought most after those places where the plenty and pleasure of the soyl might strive with their desire to make them happy , as it is now the humor of our new iasons ( the iesuits ) to plant themselfs there wher ther are fat and golden returns . but ther be other extraordinary conveniences in spain , the subtile and cleer temper of the air , the salubrity of the soyle , and the constancy of one sort of weather a long time , in so much that homer and other authors have plac'd there the elisian fields . ther are no grosse caliginous vapours rising up there out of any fenns , gorsy grounds or loughs . ther are most delicat breezes that blow from the sea , and penetrating the circumambient air , use to refresh both man , and all sorts of brute animalls , attenuating and chasing away all dull terrestriall meteors ; nay , navigators when they sayle along the sea , do come to know when they are nere the coasts of spain , by the fragrant odor which rosemary and other aromatique vegetalls , that grow there up and down the fields do usually transmit and cast into the air ; spain is neither parch'd with so violent a sun as afrique is , nor disquietted with such impetuous winds as france , or shaken with such earthquakes as italy , or benum'd with excessive cold as other regions are , but she partakes of all these in a middle kind of temperature . spain doth not only furnish europe , but the indian also with most generous wines , most perfect oil , most pure salt , excellent gaules , the best fruits , as almonds , figgs , raisins , orenges , lemons , pomgrannets ; and all other kind of vegitals , as roots , herbs and flowers , which are there in a greater perfection then in other countreys . the bowells of spain abound also with excellent mettalls , what iron , what steel goes beyond that of biscay ? what quicksilver comparable to that of medina ? what gold purer then that which is found in tagus ? what silke better then that of granada and valentia ? what flax so good as that of murcia ? what wool primer then that of segovia ? witnes the testimony of martial , vellera nativo pallent ibi flava metallo , et linit hesperium bractea viva pecus . the pasture , and soyl in som places is so exuberant , that the milk cannot turn to whey , nor can cheese be made unless you intermingle water with the milk 't is so creamy and thick , and this is observ'd about cales and other parts . now for horses , that generous animall , spain is well known to excell all other countries , read boterus , or quinqueranus and they will tell you that the cordovan ginetts in fierceness surpasse those of turky , in swiftness those of barbary , in bewty those of italy , som of those ginets are sold for above . duckets a peece , they are so daintily limm'd , as if they were made of wax ; the ginets of asturia called asturcones , are also brave mettall'd animals . they go so wantonly , as if they danced all the way , their feet moving in a kind of regular glomeration , as martiall hath it , hic brevis ad numerum rapidos qui colligit ungues , venit ab auriferis gentibus astur equus . for marble , and other curious stones , for architecture , spain is known to have variety and what may seem miraculous ; not far from barcelona , ther is a mountain call'd mondivi , and by the antients mons iovis , wherein there is an inexhausted quarrey of usefull stones for structure , for although great quantities are hewn out of the body of the hill every day , yet let the place rest but a while , and nature will quickly heale the ulcers , and fill the place again as if it had never bi●… touch'd . the monastery of saint laurence nere the escurial can witnes what dainty marble , and free stone spain abounds withall , a stupendous fabrique , an egregious and imperiall peece , which stood philip the . in more then . millions of gold ; let aegypt bragg as long as she will of her pyramids , greece of her fanes and temples , rome of her amphitheaters , and palaces , babilon of her walls , france of her louvre , venice of her arsenal , milan of her cittadel , turkey of her baths , this monastery and royall pallace doth exceed them all far , for matter and form ; it harbors and maintains . fryers , wherof every one is allowed his man and his mule , with great nombers of officers ; besides ther is a stately edifice annexed homogeneous to the rest ( which is part of saint laurence's grideiron ) that may lodg four kings , and every one have a capacious quarter . 't is incredible to think how many hundred weight the very keyes of the monastery weigh . for delicate orchyards , curious aqueducts and fountains , for grotts and groves , for galleries and ambulatories , for neatnes and amaenity of all things , you wold be so transported , that you wold think your self to be in som earthly paradis . and if hee who will take an exact survay of this stately structure must goe above . miles , passing from roome to roome , from quadrangle to quadrangle , with other places annexed , judg you therby of the magnitude and vastnes of the whole . he may be said to carrie a pompion in his breast in lieu of a heart , that wold not be inflamed with a desire to see this eighth wonder of the world . now for cities i pray who will dare to make any comparison with sevill in point of wealth , where divers fleets com yeerly from the indies laden with ingots of gold , and balasted with barrs of silver , as also with gemms , and other rich commodities , in so much that sevill alone payes the king in duties , and imports above a million every yeer ; therfor that proverb is not ill grounded , which saith , quien no ha visto sevilla , non ha visto mar avilla , qui no ha visto lisb●…a , no ha visto cosa boa ; i will now passe from sevill to ulissipolis the citty of ulissis or leisbon , the very name tells her antiquity ; for largenes , and commerce , she vayles to no citty under the sun , she was the first happy discoveresse of the east indies , whence she hath a world of spices , and jewels that her caraks bring yeerly , and which she dispenseth up and down the world ; what a delicat citty is granada , what a glorious peece is her allhambra which may be called a citty of it selfe , rather then a royall castle or pallace , for it is of such an amplitud that it will hold . thousand men ; what town is more renowned then toledo ? where . generall councells have bin kept , and no citty can say so much : what a heavenly temple is there ? what a stately antient palace where the gothic kings resided ? what a rich archbishoprick hath she , worth . thousand crownes in annuall rent ? what a noble aqueduct will you find there of the workmanship of ianelli turiano of cremona , who was so famous for invention of hidraulique fabriques ; in this antient citty ther be above . soules , that earn their living by spinning , twisting , and weaving of wool and silk ; what place can compare with vallodolid for a large market place . paces compasse ? the royal city of leon hath the sepulchers of ●… . kings : where can you find a more industrious people then in segovia , where a beggar is held a monster ; for salubrity of air what town is like madrid , the greatest village in the world , and the most populous , made so by the residence meerly of his catholique majestie , and his councells , in so much that at one time there was a cense made there of neer upon a million of soules . charles the emperour removed hither of purpose to be cur'd of a quartan ague , and he recovered , which made it first so famous : what a beuteous brave built citty is valentia , where there is a kind of spring all the yeer long ? the only place to make a stranger forget his own countrey ; the brute animalls , there make themselfs beds of rosemary and other aromatique flowers ; this citty affoorded lately two popes of the family of borgia , calixtus the . and alexander the . when queen margaret , philip the . wife passed through that city , the pomp of her entertainment amounted to . thousand crowns . what a commodious place for negotiation is bilbo or flaviobriga , whence above . shipps are laden with wools every yeer , and transported to other regions ? what a stately thing is barcelona , situated so commodiously upon the mediterranean , and to be an arsenall for the kings gallies ? what a rendevous for devotion is compostella , where ther is such a frequency of pilgrims to visit the body of saint iames the apostle ? pompey the great in his trophyes which he erected on the pyrenean hills , makes mention of . towns thence to the furthest part of spain ; ther is nere antiquera a choice kind of morter call'd tarra , which is far more solid and lasting then the playster of paris , and makes a more firm incrustation upon walls . nere corunna ther be quarrys whence jaspers are hewn out ; but i will passe now to minneralls , pliny in his natural history affirms that spain had great plenty of lead , iron , brasse , silver , gold , marble , and of speculares lapides , a certain kind of specular stones which being cut thin will be as cleer as crystall , wherwith in former times windows were usd to be glazed ; in so much that possidonius saith , pluto the god of riches dwelt in som of the subteranean parts of spain . moreover george agricola avers , that among those regions where mettals were digged , spain was the first , thrace the second , great brittain the third , france the fourth , greece the fifth . in biscay where the antient'st inhabitans of spain dwell , ther be such rich veins of steel and iron , that vulcan was said to have his chiefest forge there , and mars his armory ; pliny speaks of a whole mountain in cantabria ( now biscay ) which is all of iron , whereunto martiall alludes , auro bilbilis , & superba ferro . 't is wonderful what is read in the roman story , that about carthagena ther were . thousand men that digged in the mines of silver , which affoorded . drachmas every day , amounting according to budaeus his calcule to . crowns ; this no meaner man then strabo affirmes : he goes further and saith , that hannibal had begun a mine which affoorded . crownes every day . it is well known what diodorus writes of the pyreny mountains , that they were once very thick of gold and silver mines , that the phaenicians the first traders by sea of any people upon earth came often thither for tresure ; if we will give credit to livie ( and what historian i pray is more magisteriall ? ) he will tell us , that the spoils which the romans in a few yeers brought from spain came to . thousand weight of silver , and . of gold ; so that spain was then to rome , what america is now to spain . nay , som are of opinion that tortosa in spain , was that tharsis whether salomon sent his fleet for treasure , and they ground the probability of this opinion upon the frequent navigation of the tyrians and phenicians then into spain . but shall we passe with a dry foot the waters of spain ? strabo , pomponius mela , and ptolomy assimilat spain to an ox hide stretched upon the ground , whose sides are all washed with the circumfluent sea , the north side with the cantabrian , the west with the atlantique , the south with the herculean or balearique sea , but the neck of the hide lying westward is bound by the pyreny hills , where the distance twixt the cantabrian , and meditterranean seas is so small in som places , that iohn vaseus leaves it upon records , that when he travelled through biscay he might from the top of mount adrian , see both the seas . besides these various seas that like so many laundresses wash the skirts of spain , there are . rivers that water the continent up and down , and upon those rivers ther are about . bridges ; besides som ponds , lakes , baths and fountains ; in the field of xerezcher are above . springs . among other rivers ther is guadiana which playes bopiepe with passengers , for she suddenly steales away out of sight , and runs aboue . miles in subterrenean caverns under ground , and then she popps up againe to the ey of the beholder at villa harta ; wherupon when the spaniards speake of their miracles they say ther is a bridg in spain whereon many thousand heards of cattle do usually feed . ther are som spanish rivers , where they fish for gold sane , in so much that the portugals do glory , that their crown is made of their own gold , viz. of the sands of tagus , then which no oare is purer . ther are variety of things more that might be produced for the glory of spain , which made claudian to break out into this elogium . quod dignum memorare tuis , hispania , terris vox humana valet ? primo lavat aequore solem india , tu fessos exacta luce iugales proluis , inque tuo respirant sydera fluctu , dives equis , frugum facilis , pretiosa metallis . pacatus though a frenchman gives this encomium of spain , hispania terris omnibus terra foelicior cui excolendae , &c. spain a countrey more happy then all countreys , whom the supreme fabricator of the world hath indulged extraordinarily in point of agriculture and riches : she is not obnoxious to faint southern heats , or fierce northern blasts , but she is favoured with the temper of both the poles ; and being wall'd in by the pyreneans , with the gentle waves of three or four seas , she may be said to be a little world of her self ▪ what a nomber of noble citties shine up and down ? she hath golden streams , rocks of jewells , mines of all mettals , &c. but ( most noble auditors ) having expatiated my self thus up and down the countrey , let me speak somthing of the inhabitants ; and who knows not but the spaniard hath bin ever reputed and felt to be a stout magnanimous people , contemners of death , and mighty conservators of liberty ? we may beleeve lilius herin , where he sings prodiga geris animi , & properare facillima mortem ; namque ubi transcendit florentes viribus annos , impatiens aevi spernit novisse senectae , et fati modus in dextra est . the patience of the spaniard is admirable , ther are a world of examples hereof ; iustin speaks of a boy , that having bin reveng'd of his master , did exult and laugh in the midst of torment : and when augustus caesar had debell'd the bislayners , they write that most of them rather then becom slaves to a forrener , made themselfs away either by fyre , the sword , or poyson : mothers slew their children , and children their fathers . cantaber ante omnes hyemisque , aestusque famisque invictus — besides the spaniards did much glory to die in the field , for the incolumity of their countrey , and rather perish by famine , then yeeld up their fortresses . witnes the siege of sagunto called now morviedre in valentia , who when the people of the town could no longer repell the punique armes , and the strength and stratagems of hannibal , they brought all their jewells , tresure and wealth to the market place , together with their wifes and children , and made a bonefire of themselfs , and all the rest , rather then by a base succumbency to yeald themselfs slaves to an african . so that hannibal in taking sagunto might be said not to have taken the citty of sagunto , but the tomb of the saguntins . what shall i speak of numantia beleagerd no lesse then . yeers , though she had no walls or bastion but the bodies of the inhabitants , no stones but humane bones , to defend her self against a furious enemy , she had but . men against . romans . at last when the fatal destroyer of citties , scipio africanus , had taken her , he found rather a large sepulchre of dead men then a citty , for the numantines held out so long till they devoured one another , and when the bodies of the dead were rifled , they found in their bosoms joynts of human bodies , which they had killed for food , in so much that it was not in the roman force , but famine that took numantia . for their fidelity the spaniards have bin very signal in all ages , which induc'd iulius caesar to have a gard of them , and augustus caesar a band of biscayners or cantabrians . but how far the vertu and valour of the spaniards prevailed against the romans let paterculus be heard to speak , per ducentos annos in hispanis multo mutuoque certatum est sanguine — for the space of . yeers , ther were so many and mutuall conflicts of bloud , that many of the roman emperours , and armies being lost , much reproch , and sometimes great danger resulted to rome ; how many of their scipios were destroyed there ? how viriatus for ten yeers together did shake them ? what a disgracefull truce pompey made , and mancinus a more disgracefull . in all sertorius his time it was doubtfull whether spain shold be tributary to rome , or rome to spain . but why do i fly to pagan instances , when ther are so many christian examples at hand ? sancho king of castile ( i pray listen attentively to this stupendous story ) i say sancho king of castile took tariffa from the moors , but he being anxious and doubtfull whether he shold keep it or no , by reason of the vicinity of the enemy , and the great expences that it wold put him to , alfonso perez rise up and told the king that he wold undertake to secure & keep the place : thereupon the moore by the help of the king of morocco came with a numerous army before the town , and alphonso's son being taken prisoner at a sallie , the generall of the moores desiring a parley upon the walls with alfonso , he shewed him his son , protesting unto him that he wold torture and slay his son , unlesse he wold yeeld up the place : alphonso being not a whit abash'd , told him , that if he had a hundred sons , he would prefer his honour and countrey before all ; so the moor having barbarously kill'd young alphonso , they of the town made such a resolut sallie the next day , that they utterly routed the moores , and took so many prisoners , that he offered . moors for a victime for his son . to this alonso the family of the illustrious dukes of medina sidonia ow their rise . the spaniards are admirable for their military discipline , being exactly obedient to their comanders , and lesse subject to mutiny then any peeple . they are allwayes true to their trust , witnes that spanish centinel who was found dead in the morning in a tower upon the cittadel of antwerp with his musket in his hand in a defensive posture , and standing on his leggs all frozen . moreover ther is no people so mutually charitable and carefull of their nationall honor then the spaniards . for their modern exploits the name of alvaro sandeo is terrible to this day among the moors , for having invaded barbary with . spaniards , and beat before him above . miles , moores , with but . of his own : the memory of the . spaniards , is irksome to the french to this day , who routed and quite discomfited gaston de foix who had quintuple the nomber : gonzalo , call'd the great captain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is much spoken of amongst them to this day , for having with such admirable fortitude taken away the kingdom of naples from lewis the . and being return'd to spain , the king took off a gold chain from off his own neck and hang'd it about his ; antonio de leiva was a stout and sedulous commander , so was the count de fuentes don pedro encques , who did not only defend , but extend the boundaries of belgium for the king his master , and in the midst of a double warr took such towns , that might be in the wish but not in the hope of the flemish . the italians do yet tremble at the name of don fernand alvarez duke of alva and his ghost , who wold not take rome when he could . he who terrified france , secur'd hungary , subdued afrique , and appeas'd both germans high and low ; he who chastis'd spain , he who first after the death of don sebastian told king philip , that it was fitting he shold see the rites of buriall to be perform'd in lisbon for king sebastian . then henry being dead , in lesse then . dayes space he enter'd , survay'd , and subjugated all portugall ; and it was said se regnum lusitanieum eo modo , quo regnum caelorum acquiritur , cepisse , &c. that he had taken the kingdom of portugall in the same manner as the kingdom of heaven is got , that is , by eating bread and drinking water , and abstaining from other mens goods . and this was sayd , because his souldiers liv'd upon their allowance only , having no benefit of booty in any towns as they passed , such a regular and strict order was observed in his army . we germans do yet contemplat with admiration the exploit that a band of spanish soldiers did perform in the saxon warr , when stripping themselfs naked , they leap'd into the elve with their swords in their mouths , and swimming to the other side did fight for new cloathes , and did notable feats afterwards ; don christopher mandragon did do things in the low countreys beyond belief . i could produce here a long scrowle of other late notable spanish commanders : therfore all things well ponder'd it may be justly said hispania rerum potitur in europa . the spaniards are the men of europe , and their king the considerablest monark , for he hath not only all spain united under him , and reduc'd to one empire , but he hath taken footing both in germany and france by the house of burgandy ; he possesseth above half italy by having the duchie of milan with the kingdomes of naples and calabria , the first is the heart of lombardy , and the second the very marrow of italy ; then hath he sicily , sardinia , the baleares , and all the ilands in the mediterranean . he hath piombino in toscany , port hercules , telamon , orbitello , porto longone , all which bind the italians to their good behaviour towards him . genoa is as it were under his protection , like a partridge under a faulcons wings , who can seize upon the prey when he lift ▪ that citty being his scale for conveyance of his tresure is grown infinitely rich by his money , and tied to him by an indissoluble knot : nay , rome her self , by making som of the cardinalls his pensioneries , is much at his devotion ; the spaniard hath don more then alexander the great , for he hath not only got much of the old world , but conquered a new one , for which the greek sighed so much . and if we beleeve the civill lawyers he hath don this justly , for 't is the sentence of the almighty , quicquid calcaverit pes tuus — wheresoever thou shalt tread with thy foot , shall be thine , the heavens is the lords , but he hath given the earth among the sonns of men. moreover reason dictats unto us , that men who live like brute animalls , or wild beasts , shold be reduc'd to civility , and to the knowledg of the true god. besides , it is the law of nations , quae bona nullius sunt ea fieri occupantium , those goods which are no bodies , may be any one 's if he venture for them . the portingals have by their painfull discoveries made all the best ports of afrique as it were their own by way of commerce , as also the maritime coasts of asia , they found a way by the cape of good hope to the orientall indies . francisco almeyde did dissipat campsen with his egiptian fleet , and alphonso alburquerque did subdue goa , and placed there a vice roy : then he reduc'd malaca , and erected a castle at calecut , and brought the inhabitants from worshiping the devill , to adore the true god , and this he did when thousands of infidells were arm'd against so many hundreds of christians . o immortall god , what glorious exploits did fernando cortez achieve in the occidental indies , indeed they were rather miracles then exploits ; and as lupus suarez , sequera , meneses , vascus gama , gratia●… norogna , iuan de castro , by foyling the emperour of cambaia did establish unto the crown of portugal the east indies , and som part of the antipodes , on the other hemispher , so did christopher columbus ( who though an italian , yet his fleet was spanish ) americus vesputius , iuan de puente , ferdinand magellan , fernandez cortez , de vargas , & pizarro , reduce and settle the new world to the crown of spain ; they civiliz'd the savage inhabitans , and coloniz'd the countrey with christians , subjugated so many heathenish emperors , and introduced religion and vertue ; and i pray what heros can be compared to those worthies of spain who perform'd all this ? what age ever produc'd the like ? when had envy more matter to work upon ? let the fable of the argonauts be now exploded , let bacchus and hercules descend from heaven , and let spaniards take their room ; let that so much cryed up argo come down from among the celestiall bodies , for she made but a small short voyage through the pontique sea , and let that glorious galeon which conducted magellan to the discovery of a new world , let that happy vessell be fixed among the starrs , and make a new constellation , let her pilot iuan sebastian canoaa mountaneer of spain , a most excellent navigator make also another asterisme . but , most noble princes , me thinks i see a kind of amazement in your countenances at these mighty exploits of the spaniards from the rising sun to his setting ; but it is a hard question to determine whether the indians reap'd more benefit by the europaeans , or europe by them : but if a judicious soule enter into a true contemplation of the business , he will make it no question at all ; 't is true that we have receav'd from the indies gemms and gold which i confesse are the most precious productions of nature ; but what did the indians receave from us by way of barter ? they receav'd christianity , and vertu , civility and knowledg , government and policy ; all these benedictions the viracochas , for so the savage call the christians , the spaniards brought among them . it was the spanish navigation , who first confuted that grosse opinion and hereticall tenet ( for there was a bishop imprisoned in rome for holding the contrary ) that ther were no antipodes ; therfore the rest of europe , and indeed of asia and afrique also shold vayle unto the spaniard , and respect him more then any nation for this blessing of discovery , which it seems the god of nature had reserved for him from the beginning ; and a mighty blessing it was , and we must needs acknowledg it so , if we descend into the tru speculation of the thing , for therby ther was as much of the terrestriall globe discovered , as for extent and amplitude did equall the old world . but what a world of dangers and difficulties did they overcom ? on the one side the incertitude of the thing , and the perills of the vast confused ocean did offer themselfs , on the other the expences of the voyage , and the despair of more provision when the old store was spent , and in case they shold discover and take footing on a new earth , the savages might prove stranger then they . 't is tru , that such thoughts as these did possesse and puzzle them a while , but at last their courage and magnanimity was such , that it broak through all these difficulties : and as a wild boar being taken within the toyles doth try all wayes , turn about and struggle how to get out , at last when all will not serve , he lyes down betwixt quietness and despair , putting himself upon the mercy of the huntsman , so that american fortune being tyed to that fear which possess'd it , at last doth prostrat her self at the feet of the spanish vertu , tying her self therunto by a perpetuall tribut ; she brings her afterwards golden mines , and mountains , yea rivers running with gold , seas full of perl , som parts of the earth labouring with gems with all kind of arromatick spices , sweet woods , with new species of birds , beasts , plants and fishes ; all these things did india afford the spaniard for a gratefull return of his indefatigable and hazardous pains in coming to visit her : the mines of potosi in peru yeeld . crowns every day in good gold ore , the mines of mexico much more in silver . but what exchanges did spain make to amenia for this tresure ? mary she afforded her a far more precious thing , even christian religion ; and what a world of pains did the spaniards take to plant that among them at first ? it is recorded by borerus that one franciscan frier did christen . americans in the sacred laver of regeneration ; in so much that the spaniards may term themselfs with arrogance the apostles of the new world : they were the first who cultivated that vineyard , the first that brought light out of darknes ; and as the fryers in the west , so did the iesuits in the east indies take infinite pains in planting christianity , and their piety and diligence hath succeeded so well that it is got into the court of the great emperour of china . what brave atchievments are these to conquer and subdu souls , which is more then to subjugat the body ? certainly the spaniards may be call'd the grandees of these times above any other people . now although ther be a kind of proverbiall saying , espanam las armas , italia la pluma , spain is for the pike , and not so proper for the pen ; for the sword , not for sciences , which the italians are more apt unto ; though som authors do brand them to be somwhat idle and phlegmatique , yet i could muster up here a whole regiment of acute and learned wits in all faculties : and first for theologie ; i pray what great lights of the church were vigilantius , aquilius , severus , prudentius , osius , avitus presbyter , marcianus , paulus orosius , pacianus and dexter his son , audentius , isiodorus , iustinian , leander , martinus , fulgentius , eladius , eutropius ; to whom may be added , though of a judaicall adventitious tribe and sect , yet great learned men in their way , rabbi abenezra , rabbi moyses , rabbi david chimchi , moses of corduba , rabbi camora . franciscus ximenez cardinall and archbishop of toledo employed . thousand crowns , for the editions of the complutensian bible , a great spirit certainly , and born under a happy star , for these times and for the ornament of spain , for he incited others to workes of vertue ; franciscus de sancta aelia compos'd an usefull ecclesiastique dictionary ; but what a nomber of renound bishops both for piety and erudition hath spain had ? what shall i speak of hierom osorius , andrew resendius , benedictus arius montanus , who by a rare and most singular benignity , and for a great example to posterity , entertained lipsius , not only for a friend , but as a son , and invited him to spain , and as he continued to make him his associat in his life time , so he made him his successor at his death : what eminent men have the dominicans produc'd ? lewis of granada was born for the advancement of piety : what credit did franciscus forerius pourchase in the tridentine councell , though he died a violent death ? now , touching the fathers of the society , the iesuits , what saintlike men were hieronimus pradus , villalpandus , tunianus pererius , tolletus , who was first of that order that was coopted by clement the . into the colledge of cardinalls ? what a man was maldonatus ? what a bright star he was both for candor of maners , for quicknes of wit , for profound speculations in philosophy and theologie , and for singular piety , who studying ten yeers together in clermont colledg in paris , brought the french to have a better opinion of the iesuits by his example , whereas before they were so much hated : what rare commentaries hath he upon the four evangelists , published by the care and charge of puteanus , who was of the same society ? which comentaries never the lesse 't is thought by the judgment of the learnedst men , had bin better and purer if they had com out in his life time . but what shall i instance in particular men , go to the whole order of iesuits first founded by a spaniard , and you shall find in the new and old world above three hundred and fifty colleges of their society , the greatest seminaries for institution of youth , and a rigid practise of piety that are in the christian world , but specially for the propagation of christianity among infidels : in the kingdome of iaponia alone , it is credibly reported that they converted two hundred thousand of soules , among whom were three iaponian kings , who made a pilgrimage to rome to the amazement of all the world . henry the great of france came to have such an opinion of this so pious and prudent order , that he conferred mountains of favours upon them , for he gave them not only one of his best palaces in his life time , but he bequeathed them his heart after his death ; certainly the jesuits are men of extraordinary talents , they are said to be timothies in their houses , chrysostomes in the pulpit , and augustins in the chair ; being excited by their example , sancta teresia a woman of a masculine spirit rise up , and did mighty and miraculous things , for being a little stepped in yeers , she tooke a monasticall life upon her , where she liv'd with such austerity , that is wonderfull and transcending the frayle sexe of women ; she was the foundresse and instauratrix of a new order of reclus'd virgins , and 't were mervailous to relate what encrease this order receav'd not only in spain , but in both the indies , and other parts of christendom , being encourag'd by the countenance of pope sixtus quintus and clement the . now for great doctors and eminent men in the civill lawes , spain hath bred as profound as any , witnes calixtus the third . fortunius garzia , coraviva aspilcueta the navarrin a man of celebrous integrity as well as of knowledg : for when caranca archbishop of toledo , was by the permission of philip the second , summon'd and brought to rome for suspition of being a sectarian , doctor aspilcueta being his old friend , and having . yeers on his back went purposely to rome , and defended the archbishop with such strenuous arguments , that he brought him off cleer . he also made good the title of the kingdom of navarre to charles the emperour , when it was litigated , to the satisfaction of all rationall men ; to him may be added ferd : vasquius pinellus , the two vergaras , emanuel soarez , villalobos , alvarus valascus , gutierez , and goveanus , whom cujaeius consesseth to be the truest iustinian interpreter that ever was . for physitions , what part of the univers hath produc'd more famous men then spain ? as averroes of cordova , rasis almansor , messahallath , avicenna of sevill , nonius , amatus , christopher a vega , garcias ab horto , franciscus valessus , with divers other , able to make a whole college of physitions of themselfs . now for philosophers , rhetoritians and poets , spain hath produc'd many masculine births also that way , what a man of men was seneca the philosopher ? who in precepts of morality outwent and excell'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not only all his contemporaries , but all that went before him or came behind him ; next to the philosopher i wil bring in seneca the rhetor , of whom among other rarities 't is written , that ther being two thousand names told him , he presently repeated them all exactly in his oration ; lucan shall enter next , then silius italicus , after him martiall collumella , fabius quintilianus , pomponius mela , trogus pompeius , iustinus the great , alphonso king of castile . henry infant of portugal , arnoldus villanovanus , raymundus lullius , ludovicus vives , nonius , salinus , antperez , morales , surita , geomecius , and barosius the best compiler of the indian history ; all these by their workes have deserv'd infinitely much of all the common-wealth of learning : to these may be added that miracle of women-kind , aloysia sigea , who was practically vers'd in . severall languages , as latin greek , hebrew , syriaque , and chaldaique , in so much that the letters are yet extant which paul the third writ to this toledo virgin : i could muster here great nombers of learned men more whom spain hath bred . quos aget penna metuente solvi fama superstes . what therfor ausonius sung to augustus caesar in poeticall amplifications , i will now mention in part unto you , it being so proper for the subject . bellandi , fandique potens hispania honorem bis meret , ut geminos titulos , qui praelia musis temperat & geti●…um moderatur apolline martem , arma inter quantum cessat de tempore belli , indulget clariis tantum inter castra camaenis . i com now to the vastnes of the spanish monarchy , and certainly without controlment it is the greatest that hath been since the creation , considering all things ; it may be sayed take all the members thereof together , to be ten times bigger then the ottoman empire , although he hath in europe the better part of hungary , bosnia , servia , bulgaria , macedon , epire , greece , peloponesus , thrace , and the iles in the archipelago : all though he can go from buda in hungary , nere to tauris and all in his own territories ; nay it is of more extent then the roman empire was , when she was mounted to the highest pitch of power , and spaciousnesse ; for the domininions of philip now king of spain expand themselfs further . the sun doth perpetually shine upon som part of the phillippean monarchy , for if it sets in one clime , it then riseth in another . he hath dominion on both the hemisphers , and none of all the four monarchies could say so much , nor any potentat now living but himself ; therfore he may well joyn the sphear of the world to his armes , and better share empires with iove then augustus caesar could ; his scepter points at the four cardinal corners of the world , east , west , north and south , for of those . degrees in the aequinoctiall , portugall alone is said to occupie . iupiter in coelis , in terra regnat iberus . most illustrious auditors , you have hitherto heard the magnitude of the spanish monarchy , but that which tends most to the glory of spain , is her policy and prudence in governing so many distinct regions , so many squandred kingdoms , so many millions of people of differing humours , customes and constitutions . to be able to rule so many nations is more then to raign over them ; the one is imputed to the outward strength of bodies , the other to the sagacity of the brain ; but for spain her self ther is that sweet harmony twixt the prince and peeple , the one in obeying , the other in bearing rule , that it is admirable , and here the spanish king hath the advantage of all other imperando & parendo . he is neither king of asses as the french is , nor the king of devills as the english is , nor the king of kings as the emperour glories to be , but the king of spain is rex hominum , the king of men : he may also be termed the king of princes , according to the character which claudian gives spain , that she was principibus faecunda piis — there also as he signs — fruges , aera●…ia , miles vndique conveniunt totoque ex orbe leguntur ▪ haec generat qui cuncta regunt — therfore let candy the cradle of iove , let thebes the mother of hercules , and delos the nurse of two gods yeeld to spain . it was she who brought forth trajan to the world , who was as good as augustus was happie ; she gave hadrian the emperour , she gave theodosius the first , and the first of emperours for morality and vertue , who rays'd and rear'd up again the roman monarchy when she was tottering ; ferdinand the first , who was an infant of spain , a prince who for liberty and justice , for mansuetude and munificence , for assiduity and vigilance , for piety and peace was inferiour to none of his progenitors , and to this day they keep in spain the cradle , and rattles he us'd when he was a child in complutum where he was born , which town enjoyes to this day some speciall immunities for his nativity there . but spain gave all these princes to other nations ; how many hath she affoorded her self ? she gave ferdinand of aragon a prince of incomparable piety and prowesse who first lay'd the foundation of the spanish monarchy , by matching with donam isabella queen of castile , a heavenly princesse , she gave philip the second , call'd the prudent , and so he was , to a proverb ; how cautious was he in administration of justice ? how circumspect in distribution of offices ? how judicious in rewarding of men ? &c. how wary in conferring of honors ? for he was us'd to say , that honors conferred upon an unworthy man , was like sound meat cast into a corrupt stomack ; what a great example of parsimony was he ? yet magnificent to a miracle , witnes the eighth wonder of the world , the escuriall , which stupendous fabrick he not only saw all finished before his death , though the building continued many yeers , but he enjoy'd it himself twelve yeers , and carried his own bones to be buried in the pantheon he had built there . he was so choyce in the election of his servants , that he had no barber for his ambassador , nor taylor for his herald , nor physition for his chancellor , as we read of lewis the xi . of france , nor a faukner to his chief favorit as the last french king had . but that which was signall in this wise k. was , that he never attempted any great busines but he wold first refer it to the councel of conscience ; and before the acquisition of portugall he shewed a notable example hereof ; for king sebastian being slain in a rash war against the moores , and henry dying a little after , ther were many candidates and pretenders for the lusitanian crown , first philip himself , then philibert duke of savoy , after him farnessius duke of parma , then iohn duke of bragansa , and lastly katherine de medici ; king philip , though t was in vain to compasse this busines●… by legations , therfore he did it with his legions ; yet he paus'd long upon the busines , referring it to the debate of the learnedst theologues , and civill doctors , where it was eventilated , and canvas'd to and fro with all the wit and arguments the brain of man could affoord pro & con ; at last the title and right being adjudg'd for him , and having fairly demanded it in a peaceable way , and being put off , he raiseth an army answerable to the greatnes of the work , and yet being advanc'd to the borders he made a halt , and summons again both divines and civillians to deliver their knowledg and consciences herin , conjuring them by god and the sacred faith to do it with integrity , and freedom ; herupon they all unanimously concur'd in the confirmation of their former judgment , as ripsius doth testifie ; after this great transaction , he sends the duke of alva with an army to take possession of his right , wherin he was so prosperous that he invaded , survay'd , and subjugated the whole kingdom of portugall in a very short time , utterly defeating don antonio , whom though king philip might have surpriz'd a good while before lurking in a monastery , yet he would not do it ; besides , he caus'd the duke of bragansa's son , being captif among the moores , to be redeem'd at his own charge , and when he could have detained him , yet he suffer'd him to go where he would : now having debell'd and absolutely reduc'd the kingdom of portugall , among many others who were his opposers , the doctors of conimbria were most busy , yet he sent them not only a generall pardon , but encreased the exhibitions of the university ; this mighty king was also a great lover of his countrey , preferring the publick incolumity therof before his own bloud ; his only son charls , who being a youngman of a restles ambitious spirit , and being weary of the compliance he ow'd his father , was us'd to carry pistolls ready cock'd about him in the day , and put them under his pillow in the night ; he confest to his ghostly father , that he had a purpose to kill a man , and being denied absolution from him , he desir'd that he would give him unconsecrated bread before the congregation to avoid publick offence ; king philip being told of this confin'd his son , and put him over to the councell of the inquisition ; the councell deliver'd their opinion , and humbly thought that since his majesty could pardon those whom he hated most , he might well pardon him whom he lov'd most ; and so made instance in charles the great , who pardon'd his son pepin for a conjuration against his person , and having attempted it the second time , only committed him to a monastery ; the king herupon answer'd , that by the law of nature he was to love his son , but he lov'd spain better : therupon he put a question to them , whether the pardon he shold give his son would not prove a sin rather then an act of mercy , considering the publick calamities that might thence ensue , therfore he asked them which was to be preferr'd the peoples good or his son's ? they answered certainly , the peoples ; so he transmitted him to that councell , conjuring them in his name , who is to judg the angells one day , and will make no distinction twixt kings and coblers to do justice herin ; so the young prince was adjudg'd , and sentence of death passed upon him ; good god! what passions did struggle in the father , when he was to sign the sentence ? and t is his paternall affection to the chaire of justice : he was a father , therfore his affections could not grow to such a hatred , but they might returne to their own nature ; but after many such conflicts , he chose rather to be pater patriae , then pater caroli , to be father of spain then father of a son , and make naturall respects yeeld to prudentiall ; so the young prince dyed , yet not by the executioners hand , but as 't was rumor'd by poyson ; thus to the consternation of all the world the phosphorus of spain fell to the west , and suddenly set and divers of his favorites with him , if you desire to know the yeer this cronogram will tell you . filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annes . this phillip was also famous for his piety as well as iustice , which made gregory the . to break out in these words , the prolongation of my life can little availe the catholick church , but pray for the health of king philip , for his life concerns her more . he was wonderfully constant to himself , he was always without passion , and somtimes above them , of a marvailous equanimity , and longanimity , witness his patience in his sicknesses , wherof he had many , but that which brought him to his grave was the pediculary disease , which though nasty and gastly , yet he endur'd it with invincible patience . when he found his glasse almost run out , he sent for his son and daughter , and upon his death-bed told them , in this small afflicted body you see to how small a threed the pomp and splendor of all earthly magnitude doth hang , my mortall life is upon departing , the care of my sepulchre , and rites of exequies , i commend unto you with my blessing . among many other ther is one remarkable passage in this kings life ; when the duke of alva was upon point of going to portugall , he had a great desire to kisse the kings hand , but to the amazement of all the world , he was denyed at that time , which made the duke to say , that his master had sent him to conquer kingdoms , being tyed with chains and fetters . his son philip the second , did equall him in piety , and in nothing els , we know what a saint-like man he was , having his beads alwayes either about his neck , or in his hands . i will hold you no longer , only i will tell you that the kings of spain more then any other have don miraculous and immortall things ; for as god almighty when he builds , creates no lesse then a world , when he is angry , sends no lesse then an universall deluge ; when he conferrs grace to mankind , sends no lesse then his own son ; when he rewards , gives no lesse then paradise ; when he warrs , employs no lesse then legions of angells and makes the elements to fight , the sea to open , and the sun to stand ; so if finite things may beare any proportion with infinity , the kings of spain are borne to do no petty things , but mighty matters ; when they build ; they erect no lesse then an escuriall ; if they are angry , they drive forth whole nations , as the moores and the iews ; if they reflect upon the publique good , they sacrifice no lesse then their own sons ; if they desire to oblige any , they restore kings as muleasses to tunis , and make popes of their schoolmasters ; when they take armes , then they conquer not only whole kingdoms , but new worlds . therfore my dearest brother , frederique achilles , and you most illustrious cosens and auditors , i think i shall derogat from no other region , if taking king and countrey together , i preferr the spaniard for glory and amplitude of dominions , for fulgor of majesty , for the longest arm'd monark , for men and mines , for iles and continents , i say i do no wrong to any , if i prefer him before any other prince or potentat upon the earthly globe . dixi . the oration of the lord george frederique , baron of limburg , and hereditary officer to the sacred roman empire , and allwayes free. against spain . most illustrious prince and president , &c. we have hitherto delivered sundry opinions , wheron ther have been many learned and rhetoricall descants ; i observe allso ther are som divorcements and discrepancies in the said opinions ; but for my particular suffrage , i will preferr france before any province of the europaean world ; and if i shold attempt to speak more then hath bin presented by that high-born prince duke ioachim ernest upon this subject , it wold be an argument of rashnes in me , and so i shold incurr no small hazard of my reputation : me thinks i see ciceno before me , and saying , illam orationem solùm populus gallicus parem imperio suo habet , france hath that oration alone , equall to her empire . but though ther was much spoken of spain by that noble prince , duke magnus of wirtemberg , yet i will endeavour to shew that spain doth not deserve either the elogium or love of so great a prince in so high a degree ; for as shadows use to make bodies bigger then they are really in bulk , so it seemes his affection hath made spain more then she is in intrinsique value . for truly unlesse i be stark blind , i find spain to be the most unhusbanded , and the sterillest country of europe , the thinnest of peeple , the fullest of fruitlesse hills , which they call sierras , and are indeed no better then wildernesses : in so much that though she be so scant of inhabitants , yet hath she not bread enough to put into the mouths of the sixt part of them : so that unlesse she be very ingratefull and impudent , she must acknowledge germany and france to be her nources , and sicily her barn , as she was somtimes to the romans . and among these ther was a computation made once of foure millions of tresure that france receav'd that yeer from spain for corn in pistolls and patacoons , which made henry the fourth say that the great store of tresure which spain hath , discovers her necessity as well as her plenty , because she cannot keep her money at home , which she might well do , if she had corn as well as wine . for our wheat is scarce grown ripe , but the spaniard is gaping for it at our ports , or some other nation for them . in portugall , if a vessell com and cryes traygo●…trigo , i bring corn , he may turn it to present silver , and carry it away in the palm of his hand , which is not permitted for any other commodity but frumentarian : which makes frossard report that those english which went for the succour of spain under the duke of lancaster to portugall cry out that they wold be loth to return to spain , where they found such rough craggs which could not be eaten with verjuyce , a feverish air , troubled waters , indigent peeple , nasty and ill cloath'd . but ther is no man can judge of spain but he who hath travell'd the countrey , where his mule and he must lodg together in som places , and haply the mule may fare better then the master ▪ yet ther is not any that can dissemble saturity as much as the spaniard , who useth to stroake his beard and breast from crumms , and pick his teeth with that state , as if he had bin at a feast in germany . therfore it was charitably spoken by one , beati qui sterilitatem non viderunt , sed crediderunt , they are happy who have not seen the sterility of spain , but beleeve it . for whosoever doth purpose to see spain , must resolve before-hand to undergo hardshipps of all sorts , to have oftentimes the lower region of the air for his canopie , hunger for his food , and thirst for his drink ; he must resolve to fast perpetually , and if he lights by chance upon som edible things , as root , fruit , an ounce of flesh , or the like , t is a question whether he eats or fasts ; yet one shal be sure to stay there as much for such little modicums , as one shold do in france or germaay at a crown ordinary . frederique the ii. count palatine of the rhine going to spain to visit the emperour charles the v. came to a town call'd cervera upon corpus christi eve , and thinking to rest there the next day being a holy-day for the refreshment of himselfe , his train and horses , the corregidor or chief magistrat of the town sent to him , desiring him to depart the place , for fear of enhancing the rates of things . the next day going to gomorrha , a town of the second classis in spain , and sending his caterer to market to buy som butter , where being asked how much he wold have ? answered twenty or thirty pound : the shop-keeper cross'd himself , and said , you cannot find such a proportion in all this town , you must go to estremadura , where ther is good store of oxen and cowes . at last he brought him a kids bladder full of butter , as if he went to grease the wheele of a cart. but this scarcity brings one comodity with it , that spain is not so subject to be over-run by any forren force , for an army wold quickly starve there for want of aliment . which inconvenience diverted murat the great turk once from invading spain . yet of late yeers ther is a better accommonation for passengers in som of the chief towns , but they are strangers that do it . most of their opificers are also forreners , specially french , insomuch that in valentia alone ther were reckond at one time above ten thousand artists . for indeed the spaniard himself is of a flothfull , and stately nature ; he puts his sword by his side , his great ruff about his neck , and only goes with his asse to the market to buy him bread , with other necessities , which strangers use to provide for him . now , since the expulsion of the moriscos , which were a laborious peeple , and wold grubb up corn from among those craggy hills , spain is poorer then she was , and wold be more poor , were it not for those swarmes of gascons that crosse the pyreneys thither for love of their money . and as the countrey of spain is so indigent , so the inhabitants are poor in point of vertu , but rich for sundry sorts of vices . they use to make use of religion for a mantle to palliat their designs ; they rap out somtimes horrid blasphemies , and ther is an author ( but he is a frenchman ) who relates that a king of spain having had divers ill successes , fell into that impatience , that he swore he wold be reveng'd , therfore he comanded that none of his subjects shold adore god , or beleeve in him , or speak of him for so long a time . what shall i say of the portugalls , which are calld the new christians , whereas they are for the most part iewes in their hearts . it is recorded , that in the battaile where don sebastian was killd in barbary , ther were above . renegado christians of andaluzia that were in the army of moley molue king of morocco . 't is tru , that they have planted christianity in both the indies , raysd up the standard of the crosse , and taught sauvages the way to heaven ; but those pagans may say as robert duke of normandy said when he was going to the holy sepulcher , who being met by one of his own subjects , as he was mounted upon a great sarracens backe , & being much tyrd , he said , commend me to all in normandy , & tell them i am going to heaven upon the devills back . so the converted infidels may be said to goe to heaven upon the spanish iesuitts backs . but now that i have touch'd upon the iesuits , who are a tru spanish ospring , and the most intimat confidents of the catholic king , i will enlarge my self a little on this subject , for by laying open these men , you will better discover the humor of the spaniard . it was the saying of a burgundian nobleman , that a spaniard without his iesuit , is like a partridg without an orenge . un espagnol sans son iesuite , est come un perdrix sans orenge . these jesuitts have turnd all the world topsitervy ; they have bin the inceadiaries of all the differences , the fire-brands of all the warrs , the fomenters of all the rebellions that have bin in christendom ever since they had a bull to establish their society by pope teatin from whom they bear the name . and indeed it must be confessd , that they have bin very thankfull to the pope for it , for they have bin the greatest supporters of his chair ever since : in regard that all their consultations tend principally to depresse the power of kings , and enhance the prerogative of the pope , whom they hold to be the universall lord paramount of the universe among men , and the highest vice-roy of god allmighty in this elementary world . they take him for a speaking scripture , and that heresie is nothing else but a tenet in the points of faith , contrary to the decision of the pope . they hold he can absolve any from his allegeance and fidelity to his naturall lawfull prince , excommunicat any earthly monark , and not only so , but tumble him out of his throne , yea into hell both soul and body by the thunderbolts of excommunication . they hold he can dispense with subjects to levy armes against their soveraign prince , to meet him in the field and murther him , insomuch that the verses of the prince of pagan poets may be most fitly applyed to these kind of christians . tu potes unanimes armare in praelia fratres , atque odiis versare domos , tu verbera tectis funereasque inferre faces , tibi nomina mille mille nocendi artes — moreover 't is their tenet that the holy father cannot only depose any earthly potentat , but dispose of his dominions to any other . and if a new countrey be discover'd , the party cannot possesse it , till he receive it as a gift from him , wherin the king of spain did so far comply with him , that as soon as he had discover'd and conquer'd america , the first thing he thought upon , was to make his humble addresses to his holines for investiture . but the sages of the parlement of paris , and the most acute learned doctors of the colledg of sorbon detested such doctrines , therfore by a solemn arrest of that high court abetted by those great divines , caus'd the institutions of mariana the arch-jesuit , who broach'd such tenets and expos'd them to the world , to be made a sacrifice to vulcan by the hand of the common executioner , with another intitled de temporali potestate papae adversus gulielmum barclaium , and that under pain of committing high-treason , none should keep , communicat , print or vend any of those damnable bookes . the venetians , the prudentst and politiquest republic that ever was , as we may infer by the constancy of her goverment , and longaevity , did shew france the way of using the jesuits in this manner , but that grave senat went a rounder way to worke , for they did not only burn their pages , but banish their persons eternally from the republic of venice and all her territories . and although henry the . did earnestly mediat for their readmission , yet all wold not do , for ther was a double inconvenience in it , first , a hazard of disreputation , and opinion of rashnes upon the senat for revoking so solemn a decree , which was debated and determined with such mature deliberation contrary to their custom ; and secondly , ther wold be a continuall encrease of danger to the republique , for admitting such strangers into her bosome , for they were not ignorant that whersoever they live , or what countrey soever they are in , they are the subjects of another prince , viz. the popes . furthermore the iesuits have another dangerous doctrine prejudiciall to all soveraign princes , de confessione non detegenda , ne in causa quidem majestatis , & presenti regis ac regni periculo , that the confession of a penitentiary must not be reveal'd , no though it reflect upon majesty , and to the danger both of king and kingdom ; this is an appendix of the hildebrandine iesuiticall doctrine . the english cronicle makes mention that father garnet the jesuit being interrogated by the earl of notingham if any one wold confesse unto him in the morning , that he had a purpose to murther the king the next evening , whether he was bound in conscience to reveale it ? garnet answer'd no. which opinion binetus the jesuit confirm'd to causabon in these words , praestare reges omnes perire quam si vel semel confessionis sigillum violaretur , regem enim ait humani juris imperium esse , confessionem iuris divini ; it were better that kings should perish then that the seal of confession should be broken , for the power of kings is by humane right , confession by divine . moreover another jesuit in france did dare openly to affirm , si dominus noster iesus christus in terris versaretur morti obnoxius , & aliquis sibi in confessione dixisset velle se illum occidere prius quam confessionem revelaret , passurum se ut christus occidatur , if our lord jesus christ were himself again upon earth subject to death , and one under the seal of confession should tell him that he had a purpose to kill him , before he would reveale the confession he wold suffer that christ shold be slain . henricus henriques also another furious jesuit averrs that the holy seal of confession must not be broken for any cause whatsoever ; and the said spanish jesuit saith thus , quamvis se ageretur totius orbis salus ; aut ipsius paenitentis utilitas , nec pro vitando ullo damno gravissimo innocentis , aut quod esset totius orbis conflagratio , aut perversio religionis ; & omnium sacramentorum intentata demolitio . although it tended to the salvation of the whole world , or the utility of the penitentiary , or that som innocent might escape som grievous danger , or that the conflagration of the whole world depended upon it , or the perversion of religion , and the utter overthrow of all the sacraments , all these wold not be causes sufficient to impell the ghostly father to break the seal of confession . all this isaac cansabon doth averr to be tru in his works to fronton pucaeus , and cardinall perronius . for such a high and most venerable opinion they have of auricular confession , that what the penitentiary poures in the priests breast , is put up in the closet of god almighty , and so it must be kept with sacred silence . this may be one of the reasons that more penitentiaries make their addresses to the jesuits then to any other order , and it may be a reason also why other monasticalls do so much envie them , som malign them , others detest them . those which formerly were mentioned , are the tenets of the jesuits , touching privat auricular confession , if causabon may be believed , who ( 't is tru ) was a profess'd enemy of theirs , yet the positions are maintained but by the rigidst sort of teatins not generally as som affirm ; by these meanes of confession , they open the cabinets of princes , and know more of state-matters then any : for ther are none who have sooner and surer intelligence then they from all parts , and their correspondencie is admirable for the punctuality of it . ther are no ecclesiastiques so frequent in princes courts , and noble mens palaces , then they , which makes them have more legacies given them then any other . they have also another way besides secrecy of confession to oblige the nobility by instructing their children gratis , and they have a rare method of education that way , it cannot be denied . but in spain her self , though the jesuits have a powerfull hand over the king himself , and in the councell of the inquisition , as also a great stroak among the nobility and gentry , yet the common peeple malign and hate them generally , as appeers by the libel which was made in the court of spain which i think worthy the relating here . los mandamientes de los teatinos mas humanos son que divinos . . adquirir mucho diuero , . sugetar todo el mundo , . buen capon , y buen carnero , . comprar barato , y vender car●… . con el blanco aguar el tinto , . tener siempre el lomo en siesto ; . guardarse bien del sereno , . obrar lo suyo y lo ageno , . hazer del penitente esclav●… . mesclarse en cosas d'estado . estos diez mandamientes se encierran en dos . todo para mi , y nada para vos . the commandements of the teatine are more humane then divine . . to rake up much riches , . to subjugat all the world , . good capons , and good mutton , . to sell deare and buy cheap . to water red wine with white . . to lye warme and easie . to take heed of the serenes , and ill ayr●…s , . to do his own busines and others , . to make their penitentiaries slaves . . to be busie in matters of state. all these ten may be made two : all for my selfe and nothing for you . thus you see though som hug , yet divers hate the jesuit in spain it self . alexander hayes a jesuit himselfe gives this character of them , iesuita est omnis homo , a jesuit is every man ; that is in their subtile and nimble way of negotiation , wherein they will represent , and personat the humour of any man ; they are the great architects of all politic designes which tend to enrich themselfs , and enhance the omnipotency of the pope , for the wisest men are of opinion , that had it not bin for this pragmaticall order , saint peters chair might have tumbled down ere this , his bark sunk , and his keys lost . when they first negotiated to take footing in the academy of paris , they were asked whether they were seculars or regulars , they answered , they were tales quales , they were such and such ; herupon the parisian students brought up this character of them , that the jesuits were tales quales , and are nick'd so to this day ; herupon one applied this distic unto them . vestra datis cùm verba datis , nam 〈◊〉 vestrum est , et cùm verba datis nil nisi vestra datis . in england it was their equivocations that caus'd the clause without mentall reservation to be inserted in the oath of supremacy . one compares them to those little animals that seneca speaks of , qui mordent & non sentiuntur , that bite and are not felt , onely the swelling shews they are bitten ; so this subtile sort of ghostly fathers by insensible encroachments damnifie where they nestle , though the party knowes not where he is hurt . when they were first to be introduc'd to france , the parlement of paris desir'd the opinion of sorbon colledg compos'd of the acutest theologues in france , which they deliver'd thus as it stands upon record . novem hanc societatem appellatione insolita iesus nomen sibi vindicantem praebere occasionem — this new society arrogating to themselfs by an unusuall appellation , the name of jesus , doth administer occasion of schisme in the church , they subtract the obedience that is due to prelates , they deprive ecclesiastic lords and others of their rights , they induce much perturbation both in civill and sacred administrations , they usher in quarrells , contentions , debates , emulations , and divers scissures into the church , therfore they held them to be dangerous instruments in the busines of religion , as such that wold disturb the peace of the church , overthrow monasticall discipline , and that their order tended more to destruction then edification ; yet by the power of the guysian faction , they were admitted , but the parlement wold demur upon it a little before , herupon stephen paschasius an eminent doctor , did sharply argue against them ▪ sectam eam ambitiosam & fucatae religionis plebem appellans , in hispania natam — he call'd them an ambitious sect , fellowes of a counterfet religion , born in spain , but foster'd in paris , strengthned in rome , who under the specious shew of a gratuitous institution of children , cheat and exhaust many families , infusing pernicious principles into the brains of youths — then he went on with high exaggerations , and said , that their provinciall was alwayes chosen by the king of spain , to which provinciall , they yeeld an unquestionable blind obedience , — therefore he concludes , that if these new sectaries were admitted , they wold introduce a trojan horse into the bowels of the kingdome full of armed enemies , and that france shold repent her of her credulity when it would be too late , for these men by their subtilties , and superstition , by their praestigiatiory kind of artifices , would distract the settlement and tranquility of the whole kingdome . herupon while this busines was in agitation , king henry the iv. was thrust in lieu of his breast into the mouth by a yong jesuit , with the losse of one tooth , the king having escap'd so great danger , sayed pleasingly ; falloit il que les iesuites fussent convaincus par ma bouche ? was it needfull then that the jesuits shold be convinced by my mouth ? herupon by a solemn arrest of the court of parlement , they were utterly exterminated , and commanded to quit the kingdome by such a day under great penalties ; ther was also in the sentence an interdictory clause , that none shold send their children abroad to be instructed by the jesuits under pain of trea son . herupon ther was a new gallowes of stone erected before the pallace gate , to execute the transgressors of this decree ; but the king finding that his life could never be safe while he stood out with the jesuits , rather out of fear then affection , connived for the non-execution of the sentence , causing the said gallowes to be taken down , herupon one sung wittily to the king , sire , si vous voulez du tout a l'adenir de l'assassin chastel oster le souvenir , ostant la pyramide , & l'arrest qui la touche , quon vous remitte donc une dent dans la bouche . sir , if you will for the future extinguish the remembrance of chastel , take down the jesuits pyramid and sentence , then let them put in a new tooth into your mouth . elizabeth queen of england had so ill a conceit of this order , that by the credit the great turk gave to her embassador , and by her advise he banished them out of pera on the asian shore , over against constantinople where he had permitted them formerly to reside . but you will say iesuits are a great advantage to a state , because they propagate learning , and instruct youth so dexterously ; 't is tru , they instruct them , but they infuse into them besides , most dangerous principles of equivocation and cunnning , you will say they are the greatest and most masculine propugnators of the roman church ; 't is tru , but they are great weakners of the power of temporall princes ; they have planted the standard of the cross in the indies , and are the greatest propagators of christian faith among infidells . 't is tru , but they do it as much for extending the spanish monarchy ; for as they are the chiefest agents of the pope's where e're they come , so are they factors also for the king of spain , the bent of all their projects being to enlarge the power of the one , and establish the omnipotency of the other ; that prince or peeple are in a dangerous condition , when any censures from rome come against them , if ther be jesuits there , who are the punctuallest executioners of the papall excommunication ; such respects the spaniards give them , that they are called apostles in america , and disciples in portugall ; but finding at first that they were malign'd for assuming the name of jesuits , they did moderat it , and cal'd themselfs socios iesu , the companions of jesus : now , in the holy scriptures we read but of one that was cal'd the companion of christ , and that was iudas . but , most noble princes , be pleased to excuse me that i have bin so tedious and tart in displaying this new ignatian order , the reason is , that being to speak of spain , it was pertinent to speak also of them , who are so great votaries of that crown . i will give you now a little touch of the spanish inquisition , which is , that if any be found to doubt or dispute any thing of the roman church , he is answered with a syllogisme of fire or hemp , which concludes more strongly then a syllogisme in barbara . but such kind of arguing is fitter for butchers , hangmen and devils , then for the doctors of the christian church . now , as we read that heliogabalus the scandall of emperours , wold have had the vestall fyres extinguished , with all religious invocations and victimes , and the name of heliogabalus to be only ador'd , so the spaniard endeavours to extinguish all other orders and government , to set up the iesuit ( his chief chaplain ) and the inquisition . now this proceeds from the ignorance of the spaniard , who reads no authors commonly but his own countrey-men , because he understands no language but his own , which in the spanish academies and schools , sways more then latin , though the fourth part of the language be meer morisco , and patched up of arabick words . but i wonder , my noble cosen magnus , that in the catalog you give of the learned men of spain , you extoll raymundus lullius so much , a man foolishly subtile , who scarce understanding the latine tongue , which he mingled with his own , yet he dared expose som things to the world , but involv'd in darknes , such obscurities that few of his readers understand him . for my part , i hold his philosophers stone ; and his learning to be all one , but meer imaginary things , in so much that one may say ; qui lulli lapidem quaerit , quem quaerere nulli profuit , haud lullus ; sed mihi nullus erit . now for the nature of the spaniards , they are most made up of imagination , and a kind of fantastique gravity , under which is cloak'd a great deale of pride : they beleeve more what they fancie , then what they do . nor doth the portugais deny it , when he confesseth that he acts according to that which he thinks himself to be , then what he really is . portugalli dictitant se niti eo potius quod se esse putant , quam eo quod reverasunt . now for portugall , it is made up most of slaves , for the nomber of them in som places are allmost equall to the inhabitants ; and ther are few countreys where ther is lesse distinction made twixt men and beasts , for they are both sold in the market for money alike . now for the state of the spaniard , you shall have him march gravely ; with a croud of servants or slaves , two before him , another holds his hat upon occasion , another his cloak if it doth rain , another carryes a clout to wipe the dust off his shoos , another a cloth to rub his ginet while he hears mass , another a curry-comb to keem his mane , and all these when they come home will be content haply with a loaf and a radish a peece for their dinner . it is admirable and indeed hatefull to see with what a tympany of self-conceitednes the spaniard useth to swell , and how a common fellow will stand a tipto pulling out his mustachos , and saying , voto a tal jo soy tan buen●… como el rey don felipe , i vow by hercules that i am as good as king philip : they mightily puff themselfs up with hopes of preferment , ayming more at the honor of the thing then the profit . among many others i will instance in antonio de leyva , who from a gregarian common soldier came to be a generall to charles the v. and comming to attend the emperour , he was permitted to sit down , because he was troubled with the gout , but the emperour being told that he verily beleev'd he shold be a knight of the golden fleece , or one of the grandees of spain , and complaining of his gout one day , the emperour said , i beleeve you are more indispos'd in your brain then in your feet . barclay in his euphormio hath a story of a spanish woman that comming with three of her sons a begging to a french shomaker one day , he told her , good woman , i will ease thee of one part of thy charge , for if thou leave one of thy children with me , i will breed him up in my trade , wherby he may by his labour be able to live like a man ; o sir , god forbid i shold cast away my childe to a stranger , and to so mechanick a trade , for who knowes but he may be viceroy of naples or mexico ? one matheo serran a spaniard , was governor of the sluce , in the time of marquesse spinola , who asking him what provision & defence he had in the place , & advising to be carefull of furnishing it , he rapt out a great rodomontado , saying , marquesse look you to your siege at ostend , i know well what belongs to the conservation of the sluce without a monitor ; for if the enemy shold com with fifty thousand devills after him to besiege the place , he shall not thrust me out : yet for all this vanity this captaine lost the sluce afterwards ; and this fancy of pride raignes in the spaniard more then any other , for if one shold go to a casa de locos , a bedlam house in spain , and observe the humors of the prisoners ; he will find that one will say he is an emperour , another that he is king of such a countrey , another that he is pope , and so he shall observe that ther will be more of this kind of madnes then of any other distemper . now as the spaniards are bladder'd up generally with this arrogance , and altitude of mind , so they care not how they com by their wealth though they take it from another by violence to support it ; nor how little they worke to get a subsistance , for they are sloathfull and idle to a proverb , unlesse it be in the warrs ; this makes them to be cryed up for such theeves , herupon charles the v. their own king , being accompanied with many spanish dons , as he pass'd in germany by a great inne , where divers were a drinking and merry ▪ he asked his dons , are not the germans personable proper men , well complexion'd and limm'd ? this cannot be deny'd , the spaniards answer'd , but they are excessively given to drinking ; the emperour replyed , 't is tru , but do you know what vices the spaniards are guilty of ? for as these are greedy of wine , so are the spaniards greedy of another mans wealth , and so to interdict the german his wine were the same as to prohibit the spaniard he shold not robb , which was one of the ten commandements of god almighty , where you shall not find any against drinking . and as the peeple of spain are such robbers , so the kings of spain are the greatest of all ; they are robbers of whole kingdoms , and countreys , they are the harpies of the earth , for whersoever they confine , they cast about how to devoure their neighbours , using all artifices , and picking any quarrell to that end , in so much that those virgilian verses may very well quadrat with their practises . armati terram exercent , semperque resentes convectare juvat praedas , & vivere rapto . the greatnes of this nation is but modern and upstart , when the fortune of france was a little wayning , spain began to shine , first under ferdinand king of aragon grandfather to charles the v. so that as one sayd , ubi galli desierunt rerum potiri , ibi hispani inceperunt . this ferdinand , the first catholique king , vail'd and varnish'd all his enprizes with the plausible pretext of advancing religion , yet were his pen and his tongue double in doing this , he carryed oftentimes two faces under one hood , and played with a staff of two ends in his greatest negotiations , specially in the performance of articles 'twixt him and the french king lewis the xii . about the division of the kingdom of naples , that he shold have calaba and apulia , and the french naples , and campania ; but afterwards he sent his great captain gonsalvo who conquer'd both . he got also the kingdom of navarr by a trick , for when an english army who was sent from hen. the . of england for his assistance , was to passe from spain to aquitain , and the king of navarr ( who t is tru was then under excommunication , together with the king of france ) desiring his english son-in-lawes forces leave to passe through his country , ferdinand took his advantage hereby , with the help of the english , to seaze upon the kingdom of navar , and thrust out iohn labretan , who was then lawfull king. and to make his cause more specious , and pretend som right , he insisted upon the censure of the pope , saying , that they who were enemies to the holy father , might be assaulted by any christian king , and that his holines was to give the countrey to the first conquerour . now touching the east and west indies , the spanish title is unquestionable there you will say , but let us examin the busines a little . the right which the spaniards pretend to these two indies , is right of discovery ; for the east indies , it hath been so celebrated by ancient pagan writers , that to hold the spaniard to be the first de tector therof , were to maintain the grossest paradox that ever was ; for pliny relates how hanno the carthaginian being carryed about from the feet of gibraltar to the farthest end of arabia was the first discoverer of india , by twice crossing the equinoctiall ; and 't is easie to finde in antient authors , that malacca was call'd aurea cherchonesus , and that huge iland sumatra was known formerly by the name of tatrobana ; what is he who is never so little vers'd in antiquity but hath read the orientall brachman philosophers , and of the sinenses the peeple of china ? touching the west indies , they were not unknown to plato , for whereas he placeth atlantidis at the mouth of the gaditan frete , which is the mouth of the mediterranean , he sayeth , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ther is from atlantidis a passage to other ilands , and from them to a great opposit continent — what doth he intimat herby but the great canarie with other ilands in the atlantique sea , and by the other ilands cuba , and hispaniola , & by the opposit continent peru and mexico . moreover the spaniards themselfs confesse that in a valley call'd cautis in the province of chyli , they found among the sauvages many pictures and formes of two-headed eagles in midst of their houses , therfore the spaniards call that part of america the imperiall province to this day , because the armes of the roman empire were found there . there is a greater evidence then this that the spaniards were not the first discoverers of america , for ther was a welsh epitaph found there upon madoc a british prince , who it seems flying from the fury of the saxons in england , put himself in som bark to the fortune of the sea , and landed in america . and that the old britains or welsh were there , it may be confirmd further , in regard ther are divers british words found amongst them to this day . but what shall we wander so far in the indies ? we will come neerer home . we know well that solyman the turk denied charles the v. the title of roman emperor , alledging that he himself was the tru successor of constantin the great , who was emperour of east and west ; and that consequently the city of rome belongd to the ottoman empire , and selim , solymans son urgd such an argument when he took cypres from the venetians , for he sayed that the sayed ile appertained to the soldans of egipt which was now under his dominion . but the apostolicall concession and bounty of pope alexandor the vi. entitles the king of spain to america ; touching that i pray here what attabalipa a wild pagan king sayd , when he heard that his kingdome was given by the pope , to the spanish king ; surely , said he , that pope must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fo●…l , or som injust and impudent tyrant that will undertake to bestow oth●…r mens possessions so freely . but his title may be just , you will say , for the propagation of christian religion : yet christ enacted no such law , that any free peeple shold be made slaves , much lesse murther'd , and tortur'd , either for refusing the gospell , or continuing in their former religion , ther was not any of the apostles claym'd a kingdom for his preaching ; saint paul preaching to the romans , did not demand the empire ; our saviour sayd , go and preach the gospell to all nations , the spaniard's lesson is , go and preach the roman religion , and the spanish empire to all nations , and keep under you , or kill whosoever shall resist : for the first doctrine which the spaniards were us'd to vent in any place was ▪ vos indiani hujus loci — yee ▪ indians of this place , we make known unto you all ▪ that there is but one god , one pope , one king of spain , which you must all obey . thus motezuna king of mexico , and atabalipa emperour of peru were brought under the yoke , though they gave a house full of gold for their ransome . but the indians did more upon the spaniards , then the spaniards could do upon them ; for they brought more spaniards to adore the indian gold , then the spaniards brought indians to adore christ ; herupon a company of indians being ready to fall into the spaniards hands carryed som gold into the market place , saying ▪ this is the spaniards god , le ts dance about him , and worship him , for so he may command the spaniards not to be ●…oruell unto us . ther is not far from conimbria in spain , a well call'd 〈◊〉 , which swallowes any thing that 's cast into it , and yet she is never full as 't is found by experience , it seems the spaniards have an analogie with that well , in reference to gold which they have swallow'd in the indies , and yet are never satisfied : and as the spaniard is covetous , so is he extreamly cruell , for how many millions of men hath he made away in america ? bartholome de casa affirmes , that in . yeers , there were above ten millions of humane soules ( though savage ) kill'd in the new world as they call it , in so much that the indian husbands forbore to lye with their wives for fear they should prove with child , and bring more slaves for the spaniards . these millions before mention'd were kill'd out right , and if we add to them those who have died of working in the mines , of doing the offices of asses , oxen , and mules , to what a number do you thinke will they accrew ? som of them carry burdens upon their back of . pound weight , and that above . miles . how many of these poor wretches have perished by water as well as by land , being forc'd to dive so many fadomes deep for the fishing of perl , and to stay there somtimes halfe an houre under water panting and drawing in the same breath all the while , and being fed of purpose with corse bisket and dry things to be long-winded for that work . and if what is reported be tru , they hunt the poor indians with doggs to find them sport : wherupon ther goes a tale of a spaniard , who to exercise his dog and make himself some sport with an old woman , made shew as if he sent her with a letter to the governor of the next town hard by , the poor woman being gone a flight shot off , he let slip his dog after her , which being com neer , she fell down on her knees , saying , senior dog , senior dog , do not kill me , for i am going with letters from your master to the governour : the dog it seems was mov'd with compassion , and so only lift up his legg and piss'd upon her . one may easily imagine how detestable the spaniards became to these poor pagans for these cruelties , there is a tale of hathu cacico a stout indian , who being to dye , was perswaded by a franciscan fryer to turn christian , then he shold go to heaven , cacico ask'd whether ther were any spaniards in heaven ? yes said the fryer , 't is full of them , nay then said he , i had rather go to hell then have their company . but how hath the indian discovery prosper'd ? or what profit hath it brought to europe ? it cannot be denyed but we brought among them all slavery and cruelty , and i beleeve more vices and infirmities then we found , we brought them the small pox , the gastliest disease that can befall a humane body , and in exchange they gave us the venerean pox ; touching the tresure that hath been transported thence , it hath fomented all the warrs of europe ever since , upon this a french poet descants wittily . par toy , superbe espagne , & lo'r de tes doublons toute la pouvre france insensez nous troublons , et si de tes doublons qui causent tant de troubles il ne nous reste rien a la fin que de doubles . plutarch speakes of attinius asiaticus who brought gold first into peloponnesus , but it was found that it became an instrument of corruption , therfore attinius was accounted a publick enemy to his countrey ; the indian gold in europe hath not bin only the cause of corruption , but of the effusion of an ocean of bloud ; nor hath it much prosper'd with the spaniard , for although such a masse of tresure hath been transported from time to time , yet spain hath the least of it , for the common coyn there is copper and no countrey fuller of it ; moreover spain may be said to furnish all the world , yea the great turk , with tresure to fight against her self , and the rest of christendom . this indian tresure hath wrought another disadvantage to the spanish king , for it hath puff'd him up with a pride and an ambition that hath no horizon , it makes him flatter himself that he shall be at last monark of the western world , which drawes upon him not onely the emulation , but the hatred of all his neighbours , who are ready ever and anon to confederat and bandy against him , for fear he shold swallow them up one after another to satiat his ambition ; it was a witty saying of king iames , when he was only king of scotland , when he receav'd a caveat from his godmother queen elizabeth of england , to take heed of the spanish fleet , he answer'd , se non aliud ab hispano beneficium expectare quam quod ulyssi polyphemus promiserat , scilicit ut aliis devoratis postremus degluriretur , for his part he desir'd but one request of the spaniard , such a one that polyphemus had promis'd ulysses , that when he had devour'd others , he wold swallow him last of all . now as among those poor pagan indians , the cruelty of the spaniard was so much discover'd , so was it here in europe among christians , witnes els the tyranny of the duke of alva , who may be call'd the sponge of belgian bloud , for he bragg'd that he had dispatch'd to the other world above . belgians , either by fire , water , the rack , or the axe , his principles being , that a rebell must be us'd like a madd dogg , for whom ther is no cure but to be knock'd in the head , and we know mortui non mordent . now touching the gigantik power of the catholique king , if it be well weighed in the ballance of a knowing judgment , is not so great as we conceive it to be , the unsociable distance of his territories , the infinit sommes he owes to the genowayes and others , the vigilance and emulation , with the apprehensions they have of his still growing greatnes ; the universall dis-affection , and a kind of antipathy that all nations have to the peeple themselfs , is a great weaknes to him one way , as his riches and power another way ; for matter of justice , who is the queen of vertues , i beleeve she raigns as little in spain as among any peeple , unlesse it be among themselfs , nor universally among themselfs , but only the castilians may have her with more ease , and lesse expences then their conterraneans and the rest of their fellow-subjects ; i will produce an example of an arragonez who having a sute there long depending which put him to mighty expence and attendance , at last he came to the king himself , philip the second , who , opening his businesse unto him , gave him this absolute answer , ther 's nothing that you have propos'd can be granted ; sir , answer'd the aragones , i thank you , that you have refuted the lies of threescore ministers of yours in so few words , who with much expence of time and tresure did put me still in hopes that my busines was just , and it wold take effect , but had i known it , i wold have come to your majestie at first , and then i had been wiser then i was , and a better husband ; now for forreners it is as easie to redeem a damn'd soul out of hell as almost to recover any thing if they have got it once among their clutches : did not philip the second break , and make himself an absolute bankrupt with many thousand besides , when he alter'd the intrinseque value of coines and hois'd it higher , and found out som puntillios to pay the genoways their interest , which was cryed up to be a high point of injustice : how many hundred sutes have strangers had there , wherein the processall charges countervail oft times the value of the thing ? now for the power of the spanish monarchy , i must tell you that her castillia her head is grown almost bald ; portugall which was no other then a waxen nose to her is melted off ; her aragonian eyes have still som defluctions falling into them for their priviledges ; navarr one of her armes begins to have a gangreen , which none but french surgeons can cure ; her golden bowels of peru begin to be exulcerated , and so doth the duodenum of mexico : her hipps in italy feare they have a symptome of the sciatica , and her feet in belgium are pittifully sick of the gout , to cure which , she hath often applyed playsters made over with elixir of indian gold , which hath cost her more then belgium is worth ten times over , if it were to be sold in the market . now for tru reall innated and personall valour , how few spaniards shall you find indu'd with it ! it is a rare thing to heare of a duell in an age there , though every cobbler weare a sword by his side ; if they have receav'd affronts by any , they use to shew their courage , and draw their swords one upon another in the market-place , where they are sure to be parted , and commonly the minister of justice takes away both their weapons for the time , and so makes them friends ; the spaniards have a saying of the french , that al primer impetu son mas que hombres , y despises menos que mugeres , the french at first is more then a man , and afterwards lesse then a woman ; but the french have an illfavour'd saying of them , that the spaniards in point of tru active courage are bearded women . 't is tru in the conquest of the new world , they did exploits , but it was against men who had scarce any defensive armes , they had neither horse , steele , iron or gun-powder , they had no coats of males , they were poor naked inermous creatures , and so simple that they thought the horse and the man was but one animall , and a kind of monster or devill , therefore . horsemen only were able to profligat , and make their party good against many thousand indians , for they thought they had a conceit they were not borne after the ordinary cours of humane nature , but rather of som infernall fiends , which bugbeare opinion scar'd the ignorant american away more then the spanish valour . where was the spanish manhood in afrique , when sebastian was slain , and the moor got so signall a victory ? where was it at goleta nere tunis which was so shamefully lost ? which important place , sinan bassa got , by the pride as much as the pusillanimity of the spaniard , for pedro carera the castellan thinking to have the glory of preserving that place himself with his spaniards , would not admit of . italians , who offer'd themselfs for the service ; so the spaniards were thrust out of afrique in lesse then . dayes , and besides the castle they took . peece of ordnance in the place , which arm'd algier and tunis ever since , and brought them to be such pyrats ; and it was confidently reported that captain carrera during the furious siege and storming of the castle was under-ground in a vaut all the while , so that when the news was brought to rome , that goleta was lost , and consequently the whole kingdom of tunis , there was a pasquill went up and down that carrera's cowardise , the duke sesa's gout , don iohn of austria's codpish , and cardinal granvills ( then viceroy of naples ) his breeches had lost the guleta . yet your thrasonicall castillians will say that un espannol vale quatro tudescos , tres franceses , y dos italianos , that one spaniard is worth four germans , three frenchmen ▪ and two italians . now touching this vainglorious foolish humor of raunting , it is more peculiar to the spaniard , then to any other peeple : witnes this following rodomontado of a castillian captain , which goes far beyond that of pirgopolinices in plautus . quando yo pienso en mi mesmo demi terribilissima terrible terribilidad , de tal manera me espanto que no puedo caber en mi mesmo , pienso que . mill maestros de guarismo no podrian contar en tres annos has hazannas que ha hecho esta espada durindana , castiga vellacos , pobladora de ciminteries ; viene megana de reyr todas y quantas vezes , que yo me acuerdo que el gran turco estando al pique de perder su imperio contra el sophy , me embiava llamar , yo por no ser acustumbrad , de matar canalla can baxa l'embiava mi ritrato hecho por manos de quinientos pintores los quales todos murieron haziendo los 〈◊〉 d'este rostro basilisco , y como el gran turco lo vio cayo enfiermo de una calentura que le durava tres annos y mas , y embiandolo despues al campo luego que los ●…nemiguos lo miravan con la mayor presteza del mando alearon el cerco con perdida de quarenta mill y ochenta soldados los quales todos perecieron mirando este mi espantable rostro ; tengol●…s calcones llenos de barbas — when i descend into my self , and contemplat my most terrible horrible terribility , i can hardly hold my self within my self ; i beleeve that all the publick notaries of biscay are able in three yeers to cast up an account of those miraculous achievments which this toledo blade , this durindana , this scourge of lutherans , this converter of pagans , this peepler of church-yards hath performd : i cannot choose but smile when i call to mind how the great turk sending for me once , to preserve his empire , which was ready to be swallow'd up by the sophy , i , scorning to bath my hands in the bloud of such infidells , sent him only my picture . but the gran signor , as soon as he look'd upon it , out of pure fear he fell into such a loosenes , which lasted him divers months , that it had like to have cost him his life , and sending it afterwards to the army , the enemies at sight thereof , ran away like so many hares , when they beheld the basiliscan eyes of this physiognomy of mine ▪ these breeches i wear , are stuff'd with captains beards , and the mustachos of french generalls , the pillow i lay my head upon , is fill'd with amazonian hair , my cushion is made of a turban took off from the sultans head , my coverlet is the skin of that nemean lion which hercules kill'd , my courtains are made up of colours and ensignes taken in divers battailes , when i march into the field i commonly carry two drumms as pendants at my eares , i am lul'd asleep by noyse of trumpets , and brasse kettles , and perillus bull stretch'd along , serves me for a pillow . the month and day of my nativity was mars , who was then the predominant planet and my ascendant ; i came into the world about break of day , sol himself then suffer'd an eclypse , saturn stood astonish'd and dull , iove and mercury hid themselfs , and cynthia took in her hornes for fear , but mars and venus did cast benign influences being then in conjunction , yet that morning it rain'd blood , the streames of the greatest river turn'd redd , mongibel and strombola belch'd out more fire then ordinary , terrible earth-quakes happen'd in divers places , eolus blew very furious , which rais'd such impetuous stormes , that made neptune to tumble and swell very high ; nere the place which i was nurst in , ther was a den of lions that i might be inur'd to their roaring , and one time my mother caus'd a yong cubb to be slain of purpose to feed me with the bloud thereof ; to conclude , i am that invincible , transcendent great captain basilisco , espheramonte , generalissimo of all the melitia of europe , i am he who useth to swallow mountains , to breath out whirlwinds , to spit targets , and sweat quicksilver — by this rodomontado you may give a guesse at the vanity , and extravagant humour of the spaniard , who though he be not so big , yet he looks higher then any other nation in his own conceit , which makes them have that vapouring saying of themselfs in point of valour , that tres espanoles son quatro diables en francia , three spaniards are fower devills in france . when mendoza was ambassador in france , he wold break out often into this prophane ostentation , dios es poderoso en el cielo , y don felipe en tierra , gods power is in heaven , and king philips on earth , he can command both sea and land , with all the elements to serve him . when the english drake swomme to santo domingo , and plunder'd the place , ther was a pyramis erected in the market-place , whereon was engraven this arrogant motto , — non sufficit orbis , one world will not suffice don philip , yet that philip , that invincible philip , was overcom at last by a regiment of poor contemptible things , for herod-like , he went out of the world by the pediculary disease , which made no mean modern poet to sing , — rex ille philippus tot populis terrisque potens , lateque tyrannus occiditu â faedo rosus grege vermieulorum , carnificesque suos miserando corpore pavit vivens , atque videns , & propria funera planxit . som imputed this foul gastly kind of death to his lasciviousnes and lust ; som gave out it was a judgment upon him for doing away his son don carlos ; others gave out that hé suffer'd for alva's tyranny in flanders ; som gave out it was for bereaving portugall of her right heir ; but most affirm'd it was a visible judgment from heaven , because the bloud of so many hundred thousands of poor american souls did cry for vengeance , who for their gold and silver were made away , and extinguished by so many kindes of deaths , according to the italian proverb , la coda condanna spesso la volpe alla morte per esser troppo lunga . the foxes tayl condemns him to death , because it is too long . how far further could i enlarge my self on this subject ? but i will grate the eares of so princely an auditory no longer , therfore i will conclude with a character which a most ingenuous poet gives of one part of spain , when he sayld thence to france . iejuna misera tesqua lusitaniae gebaeque tantùm fertiles penuriae , valeta longùm , at tu beata gallia salve bonarum blanda nutrix artium , caelo salubri fertili frugum solo , umbrosa colles pampini molli comâ , pecorosa saltus , rigna valles fontibus , prati virentis picta campos floribus velifera longis amnium decursibus piscosa stagni , rivulis , lacubus , mari , et hinc & illinc portoso littore orbe receptans hospitem , atque orbi tuas opes vicissim non avara impertiens , amaena villis , tuta muris , turribus ; superba , testis lauta , culta , splendida , victu modesta , moribus non aspera . sermone comis , patria gentium omnium communis , animis fida , pace florida , iucunda , facilis , marte terrifico minax , invicta , rebus non secundis insolens , nec sorte dubia fracta , cultrix numinis syncera , ritum in exterum non degener , nescit calores laenis aestas torridos frangit rigores bruma flammis asperos , non pestilentis pallet austri spiritu autumnus aequis temperatus flatibus . non ver solutis amnium repagulis inundat agros , & labores elicit , ni patrio te amore diligam , & colam dum vivo , rursus non recuso visere . iejuna miserae tesqua lusitaniae glebaeque tantùm fertiles penuriae valete longùm — thus the scottish poet descants upon france , making portugall a foyl to her , and so he might have made his own countrey as well . and now , most highborn princes , i hope ther is not any of this auditory that will wrong his judgment so far as to think that spain for any respects shold carry away the palm , and claime precedencie of the rest of the provinces of europe . dixi . the reply of prince george , baron of studenberg , &c. in behalf of spain . most illustrious auditors , — this oration of the excellent baron of limburg , though flowing with powerful eloquence , hath not , under favour , wrought so much in me , as that gallant encomium of yours , prince magnus , in the behalf of spain , therfore i concurr still with you in opinion that she may deserve the primacy , and if the comparison that strabo makes be admitted , that europe is like an eagle whose head is spain , the neck france , germany the back and breast , italy and england the two armes , the thighs and leggs those huge tracts of earth northward , i say if this simile be allow'd , ther is no question but spain may challenge the priority and head-ship . but my noble cofen of limburg , i much wonder what came into your mind , to throw so much dirt into the face of spain and her children ; if you were now in the escuriall , and made such a speech before philip the fourth , i believe we shold heare no more of you , but you shold be buried alive in the inquisition all your life time . but is spain so hungry as you say , that she must eat grasse ? is she so weak that she needs crutches ? is she so abandond to vice , that she hath quite shaken off all vertu , and a good conscience ? surely no ; touching the first , she may be call'd the exchequer of all christendom for money , and i pray what can he want who hath money ? unlesse he make such a foolish wish as mydas did , that whatsoever he touch'd might turn to gold , for so he might starve medias inter opes inops . ther is a proverb in spain , that don sin dinero , no es don si no donayre , a man without money , is no man but a bable , but a man with money commands the world , according to those witty verses of petronius arbiter , quisquis habet nummos , securâ naviget aurâ , fortunamque suo temperet arbitrio ; uxorem ducat danaen , ipsumque licebit arisium jubeat credere quod danaen , carmina componat , declamet , concremet omnes et peragat causas , sitque catone prior . iurisconsultus paret , non paret , habeto , atque esto quicquid servius & labeo . multa loquor , quidvis nummis praesentibus opta et veniet ; clausum possidet arca iovem . i confesse it may be the catholick king may be plung'd in a gulph of debt , having allwayes his sword drawn , and being in perpetuall hostility with the common enemy of christendom ( to his great glory ) as also in actuall warr with some of the princes of europe , who if they wold let him be quiet , he might quickly subdue all mauritania the opposit shore to spain , yet for all ther is never any the least appearance of want in the catholique court , nor the least shew that spain is in warr or want , but all things flourish as if he did not ow peny , or as if he were in peace with all the world . it makes me think upon glareanus a great learned man but much in debt , who being asked by a friend of his how he liv'd ? he answer'd , i lead the life of kings and princes , for i drink , i eet , and indulge my genius , i game and have money always in my purse , yet i am in arrears to all ; so it may be said of the king of spain ; but it is brave security the spanish king gives to his creditors , no lesse then assignments upon his occidentall fleet , which weigh all circumstances well , is one of the greatest glories that ever monarch had . fortune her self may be call'd the king of spaines wife , who hath brought with her such a bottomles tresure for her dowry ; his closet is that punctum so often wish'd by archimedes , whence he moves the whole globe of the earth ; he hath more kingdoms then the french king hath provinces , more fleets then the french hath shipps , more nations then the french hath citties , more viceroys then he hath marshals , and more captains by land and sea then he hath common-soldiers . it is day , it is spring perpetually with him in one part or other of his dominions . strabo writes of one who had such a strong and piercing perspicuity of sight , that he could discern an object . miles off , for from lilybaeum a promontory in sicily he could discern and dinumerat the shipps that went out of carthage road ; but the catholique king hath stronger optiques , for from his councell chamber he can see what is a doing in the seralio at constantinople ▪ in the louvre in france , at white-hall in england , at vienna in austria , in the consistory at rome ; his sight is so sharp that he can penetrat the very cabinet-chambers of kings far and neer , and pry into their intrinsecallst and secretst councells . all other princes and states stand to him in the light , and he in the dark to them . but wheras you say that the spaniard is irreconcilable unto the reformed religion , let me tell you although the theologues there do sometimes inveigh against luther , and calvin , alledging that the god of the calvinists is the author of sin , deum calvinistarum esse authorem peccati , as may be infer'd out of iohn calvins own words , yet you must not count the spaniard an antichrist for this ; nor although he will rant it out sometimes , that he will go arm'd to paradis , and rapp out other rodomontado's ; 't is tru , the spanish soldiers , are great libertines , but not atheists ; nay som of them have good consciences and capable of repentance ; as ther is a true and memorable story of a spanish captain who wold have ravish'd a lawyers daughter in flanders , . who was of an alluring beauty , but strugling with her she took his own dagger and mortally wounded him to preserve her pudicity ; the spaniard thus wounded was taken away , and he sending for a surgeon , 't was told him he could not escape death many howers , therupon he call'd for his ghostly father ; to whom having confess'd and shewed great evidences of repentance he was absolv'd from the attempt , but this is not sufficient sayed he , the party whom i wold have wrong'd must pardon me : hereupon the yong virgin came , to whom he sayd in rathfull termes , i am here upon my deaths bed , therefore i desire you wold pardon my rash attempt , and for your pardon and the expiation of the offence , i bequeath unto you all my estate , provided that you will give me rites of buriall , and assume hereafter the name of my wife . the yong maid melting into teares , did do all the testator desir'd accordingly . but my noble cousin george frederique , i find 't was not enough for you to bespatter the spaniard , and tax him of pride , prophanes and many other vices , but you bereave him of the glory for discovering the new world , and of the right of that discovery ; seneca the spanish tragaedian was as much prophet as poet , he was a tru vates when he sung , — venient annis saecula seris , quibus oceanus vincula rerum laxet , & ingens pateat tellus ; typhisque novos detegat orbes , nec sit terris ultima thule . late yeers shall bring an age wherin the ocean shall slacken the ligaments of nature , a mighty tract of earth shall appeare , and neptune shall discover new worlds , so that thule or island will not be the furthest part of the earth . now , his countreymen made scneca a tru prophet herein , to whom that mighty blessing of discovery and dominion was reserv'd ; in so much that both the prophet of this new tract of earth , and the propagators thereof were spaniards . so most humbly thanking this noble auditory for this priviledg of reply , i desire you most noble cosen and illustrious baron of limburg , to have a more charitable and just opinion of spain . dixi . the oration of the most illustrious lord eubeswald , &c. for great britain . most honorable and heroique princes , if any one of this illustrious convention would set forth the glory of some great city , which flow'd with plenty of all things that were requisit , either for necessity or pleasure ▪ exceeding therein the very wishes of the inhabitants , a city which had also impregnable fortifications , and strength both by art and nature , with armes of all kinds , such propugnacles , such advantages by land and water both to defend her self , and destroy the enemy ; who had a grave way of administration of justice , whose inhabitants did florish with all sorts of manufactures , with all kind of vertu , invention , and elegance , and shining with all kind of pulchritude , i believe there is not any of this princely assembly but would passionatly desire to see that rare renowned city ; but , most excellent president , i have taken in hand to describe unto you not such a narrow thing as one city , or one countrey either , but a little world of it self , wherein many kingdoms are conjoind in one , and under one monarch , which little world doth swell with affluence of all things desirable ; those blessings which are found single in other parts of europe are found conjunctly here ; yet this is no other portion of the earth then an iland , but such an iland that before i have done with you , you will acknowledg that this iland may stand in competition for preheminence with any of those noble regions that you have displayed hitherto in most learned and eloquent orations ; and this is great britain , the queen of iles , the minion of neptun , the darling of ceres , incomparable britain ; for so the greek poet will tell you ; — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , no ile did ever dare with britain yet compare . which i le being disjoin'd from many other potent neighbours , and rich countreys , but by a small distance , lies very commodious to receive into her bosome by way of navigation and negotiation the wealth of all the world , and to make others happy with hers ; she lies very apposit to comfort , and relieve those that come neer her coasts , if they be in any danger by distresse of weather , or want of any thing that is needfull for vessell or men . the aire is there so temperat that a well disposed body may passe there without either stoves in winter , or shades in sommer ; there be gentle breezes that blow from the circumjacent sea , which refresh all kind of animalls both brute , and rationall , the clowds there drop fatnes , dissolving into silver wholsom showers to soften and fertilize her glebes ; she useth to have in december and ianuary frost enough to knit the joints of the earth , and so corroborat them ; in february she hath snow enough to fill her dikes , and like a coverlet to keep her plowd fields warm . and whereas the seas of spain and italy are barren of fish , hers have them by whole shoales , and in such variety that it is incredible . her forests and woods have no birds or beasts of rapine , and noxious animalls , but harmeles ( though wild ) creatures , as the stagg , the hind , and the hart , which serve for pleasure and hospitality . the bowells of her soyl , and hills are pregnant with mineralls , or fuell ; the sun which scorcheth spain and naples , doth gently warm britain with his rayes ; the air is nothing so thick and dull as in other climes , but attenuated and cleerd with refreshing and gentle blasts ever and anone ; nor is her earth subject to agues , to quaking and trepidation as other places are , but alwayes firme and sure . for store and superfluity of corn , in the romans time she was call'd the barn and granary of the western part of the empire , in so much that zosimus reports , that they us'd to lade eight hundred vessells with british corn for many yeers to supply their army upon the frontiers of germany . these ensueing verses of a forrener do hint a little upon the happines of this countrey . anglia terra ferax , tibi pax secura quietem , multiplicem luxum merx opulenta dedit . tu nimio nec stricta gelu , nec sydere fervens , clementi coelo , temperieque places . cùm pareret natura parens , variasque favore divideret dotes omnibus una locis , seposuit potioratibi , matremque professa , insulasis foelix , plenaque pacis , ait . quicquid amat luxus , quicquid desiderat usus , ex te provemet , vel aliunde tibi . eumenius in the famous panegyric he made to constantin melts thus into her praises . o fortunata & omnibus beatior terris britannia , quae constantinum caesarem prima vidisti ; merito te omnibus coeli ac soli dotibus natura donavit , in qua nec hyemis est nimius rigor , nec aestatis ardor , in qua segetum tanta faecunditas ut muneribus utriusque sufficiat & cereris & liberi ; in qua nemora sine immanibus bestijs , terra sine serpentibus noxijs ; contrà pecorum mitium innumerabilis multitudo lacte distenta , & onusta velleribus , certè quidem quod propter vitam diligitur , longissimae dies , & nullae sine aliqua luce noctes , dum illa littorum extrema planities non attollit umbras , noctisque metam coeli & syderum transit aspectus , ut sol ipse qui nobis videtur occidere , ibi appareat solummodò praeterire . o most fortunat britain , ( saith eumenius ) more bless'd then any other country , which didst first see constantin ! nature hath deservedly endowed thee with all gifts both of heaven and earth . in thee neither the excessive cold of winter , or ardent heat of sommer doth offend the inhabitant : thou swellest with such a faecundity of all kind of corn , that thou mayst be called the favorit of ceres and bacchus ; thy groves are without savage rapacious beasts , and thy heaths without poysonous serpents , thy fields are covered with innumerable multitudes of mild creatures labouring with exuberance of milk , and laden with rich fleeces ; for delightfullnesse or life , thy daies are very long , and no night but hath some glimpses of light . the glorious sun which sets and goes down in other countries , seemes onely but to passe by the coasts . that salt ditch which girds britain about , renders her invincible ; i meane the circumambient sea , which opens and shuts , and embosoms himself into her at divers commodious creeks . this sea is so high and turgid oftentimes , that some authors record it riseth . fadoms at a spring-tide in divers places . he sometimes salutes and covers the inviting soyle , then he departs , but to come again . he doth cast up sometimes and leaves upon the shore huge fishes , of strange shapes , as the lyric sings . — belluosus qui remoris obstrepit oceanus britannis . rejoyce therefore o britain , and triumph , that dame nature hath cast such a mote about thee , which no engine of man can choake , no reach of wit or labour can dry up . let the flemish secure ostend with new dikes , anwerp with a strong cittadel , let milan glory for her inexpugnable castle , let the venetians bragg of their palma , the hungarians of iavarin and comorra , the turkes theirs of goleta , savoy hers of monmelian , the french theirs of baion , where none must enter but the king himself , or the blood royal ; let the spaniard bragge of his havana , the pole of smolenksco , the austrian of vienna , the bavarian of ingolstad , the dane of croneburg , let brandeburg bragge of castreni , silesia of breslaw , the franconians of norimberg , the swed of stockholm , and let other kings and countries glory never so much of their strong holds , motes and fortifications ; but to compare them to that dike which is cast about great britain , were to compare a purl , or small rivulet of water to the archipelago , or a small tuft of earth to mount adrian . nor doth this huge mote give security alone to the inhabitants , but it brings them many other inestimable benefits ; it animates by vertue of the salt-waters the heat of the contiguous earth , it nourisheth the air with pregnant vapours , to make wholsom showres for the irrigation and refreshment of the earth ; it takes in and lets out many brave rivers for navigation , which are replenished with all store of fish. among other kind , the benefit that is made of herrings is beyond belief , which swimme in huge shoales like mountains about the iland . towards the summer solstice , they seek the coasts of scotland , then towards autumne they retire to the english , and it is incredible what huge quantities are taken twixt scarborough and the thames mouth from the month of august to september : then they move more southward to the british sea , and find matter for fishing till christmas ; then having as it were fetch'd a compasse about britain , they seek the western sea , and the irish coast , where they keep till iune , and then set forward for britain again , when they are grown fat , and numerous by multiplication . thus britany , like a microcosm of her selfe , is seated in the midst of a turbulent and working sea ; yet she within is still quiet , serene and safe . and now i will take a survay of this noble iland , as one would doe of some stately castle : and to do that exactly , one must not onely view the trenches and outworks which are about , but pry into the recesses and roomes within , and observe what fashion of men they are that keep it ; therefore i will make a progresse into the center and bowells of britain . touching the people who inhabit her , they are the wellfavourdest , and best complexion'd people of any upon the surface of the earth : they have excellent intellectuals , sucking capacities , and spacious understandings ; they add unto , and perfect any invention that is brought them . and truly , wee germans should be very ingrateful , unlesse we should acknowledge to have receiv'd great benefit by them : for in point of religion and literature they have been doctors and parents unto us . they brought christ and the standard of the crosse first amongst us , they dispell'd the black clouds of faganism and ignorance from amongst us , and let in the sweet raies of piety and knowledge to enlighten us . this , unlesse wee brand our selfs with the ugly mark of ingratitude , we must ingeniously confesse . now , it is observ'd that the britans were alwaies by a special instinct very much addicted to religion ; and as in the discipline of the druyds , whose founders they are held to be , they antecell'd all others , ( for caesar records that the gaules went over to be instructed by the british druyds ) so when the name of christ was known among them , with flagrant desires , and fervent affections they embrac'd that beliefe with a wonderful ready devotion ; and as the glorious sun when he culminates and appears in the east , doth as it were in a moment illustrate the whole hemisphear ; so the beames of christianity displayed themselves with marvellous celerity all the hand over . but this had very good helps to advance this work , for in the infancy of the church , as baronius doth assert , ioseph of arimathea a noble decurion arrived there , and claudia rufina , wife to aulus pudens the roman ; of whom the poet martial , nay saint paul himself makes honorable mention . simon zelotes having made a hot progresse through barbary , died in britain . nay , some say that saint paul being freed from nero's shackles , encreas'd the propagation of grace there . hereupon the britains having had the advantage of such great lights , applyed themselves to erect oratories and churches for the publique exercise of devotion ; wherein they grew so zealous , that lucius a british king left his crown , with all earthly pomp , and made a spontaneous pilgrimage to rome in the time of eleutherius , the year . after the incarnation , and spent the rest of his life in holy meditations , and practices of piety . now , what a glory it is for britain to have had the first christian king that ever was ; nay , the first christian emperor , constantine the great . and to speak truth , no region produc'd more constant professors of christianity then britain did , and more fincere propagators thereof , which will appear if we look into the catologe of saints , martyrs , and confessors . in so much that in lieu of that malitious character which porphyrie gives of her ( who hated her for being such a zealous christian ) by calling her feracem tyrannorum provinciam , a country fruitful for tyrants ; she may more deservedly be call'd regio sanctorum faecundissima , a region most abounding with saints . nor were the britans such zelots only at home , but they cross'd the seas to disperse the beams of christian knowledge abroad ; and their paines prov'd very successful herein . germany was beholden to winfridus , and willebrod that she was converted . france was beholden to alcuin for establishing the academy of paris , though paschasius , a cavilling author , denies it . touching us germans , among other testimonies of gratitude to britain , let this of an excellent almain poet serve for one . haec tamen arctois laus est eterna britannis , quod post pannonicis vastatum incursibus orbem illa bonas artes , & graiae munera linguae , stellarumque vias , & magni sidera caeli observans , iterum turbatis intulit oris , quin se relligio multùm debere britannis servata , & latè circum dispersa fatetur . quis nomen winfride tuum , quis munera nes●…cit ? te duce germanis pietas se vera , fidesque infinuans , caepit ritus abolere prophanos . quid non alcuino facunda lutetia debet ! instaurare bonas ibi qui faeliciter artes , barbariemque procul solus dispellere caepit . to these british champions of christianity we may add bede , who hath the epithet ( by the consent of the universall christian church ) of venerable given him . i will bring upon the stage next io. dunscotus , who was so supereminent in divinity , and the spiny art of logique , that he was call'd by the whole commonwealth of learning subtilis doctor , and he was a man of such large esteem , that he founded a sect who are call'd scotistae to this day : he also was call'd lima veritatis , the file of truth : he was so great a man , that as many cities contended for the nativity of homer , so did many kingdoms strive for him , ireland , scotland , england , and france ; yet , what a strange destiny befell this famous doctor ? for being surpriz'd by an apoplexy , and given for dead , he was buried alive , for it was found that he breath'd his last in the grave . after him i may instance in iohn wicklif , a great artist and theolog ; next to him i rank william ockam , patrem nominalium , who establishd a sect calld the nominalls , but both these were strong enemies to rome , as appeers yet by their penns ; there was another great doctor calld doctor resolutus by the italians for his acute way of disputation , and he was io : baconthorp , one of the deepest clerks of his time . what a rare man and of heavenly speculations was io : de sacro bosco , the author of the sphaere , which remaines yet engraven upon his tomb in paris ? some ages after these , the world of learned men did much esteem reginald poole , iohn colet , william lillie , linacre , pace , cardinall fisher bishop of rochester , sir thomas more , latimer , tindall , baleus , tunstall , men inferior to none , as well for sanctimony of life , as for rare erudition and knowledg ; toby matthew archbishop of york , another chrysostom , thomas stapleton , nic. wotton , iewell , cheek , humphreys , grindall , whitgift , plowden , ascham , cooke , smyth , whitaker , perkins , mountagu , those great speculative lords baeon and herbert , andrews , usher that rare primat , selden , who knows as much as both the scaligers , camden the english strabo , owen another martiall , with divers excellent dramatique poets , and it is a great wrong to the common-wealth of learning that their works are not made intelligible in a larger toung then that insulary dialect ; add hereunto , that for physicians and lawyers , both civill and common there are as profound spirits there as any on earth . and as for learning , so for prowess and magnanimity the inhabitants of great britain have been and are still very celebrous ; and though there hath been alwayes an innated kind of enmity twixt the french and the english , yet they have extorted prayses out of their enemies mouths : witnes comines , froissard , and bodin , who write so much in honor of the english ; nor do they herein complement or flatter a whit . what a bold britain was brennus ( who liv'd long before the english took footing there ) what notable feates did he perform in italy , greece , and asia ? so that the old britains , or welsh in honor of that heroe call a king after his name to this day viz. brennin , and there is a castle in wales of his name to this day . how manfully did the ancient britains tugg with the romans , who receav'd fowler defeats there then in any other region ? which one of their poets seemes to confesse , when he saith , — invictos romano marte britannos . the silures who are a peeple but of a few small shires in wales , viz. monmouth , brecknock and others , being animated by the courage of their king cataracus , and provok'd by the menaces of the emperour claudius , who threatned to extinguish the very names of them , met his army in open field , and cutting off an auxiliary regiment which was going to recreut the emperour under marius valens , they utterly routed him : in so much that ostorius the propraetor of britanny for the romans resenting this dishonor died out of a sense of grief . charles the great had to doe with them in three battailes , wherein there was such a slaughter of his men , that he cryed , si vel semel tantùm cum illis adhuc depugnandum foret , ne unum quidem militem sibi superfuturum , if he were to encounter the britains but once more , he should not have a soldier left him : a saying proceeding from such a man as charlemain , that tends much to the reputation of the britains . but the gaules are they whom the britains galld , having in so many victories left their arrowes in their thighs , in their breasts , and some sticking in their hearts ; which makes bodin complain , gallos ab anglis in ipsa gallia clades accepisse , ac pene imperium amisisse — that the french receaved many overthrowes in france herself by the english , and had almost lost their kingdom , whereupon the poet sings wittily , anglorum semper virtutem gallia sensit , ad galli cantum non fugit iste leo. for how often have the french kings with their nobles been routed , defeated and discomfited by the english gray-goose-wing ? how often hath it pierc'd the very center of the kingdom ? what notable rich returnes have the english made from france ? and what pittifull looks must france have , when edward the fourth got such a glorious victory at cressy , where above thirty thousand perish'd , among whom the king of bohemia was found among the dead bodies , ten princes , eighty barons , twelve hundred gentlemen , and the flower of the french fell that day , and king philip of valois did hardly escape himself to a small town , which being ask'd at the gate who he was , qui va la ? answer'd , la fortune de france , the fortune of france . this made france weare black a long time . but in another battail she had as ill luck , wherein her king iohn , and david king of scots where taken prisoners , and attended the prince of wales to england : yet such was the modesty of that prince , though conquerour , that he waited upon king iohn bareheaded at table ; this was such a passage as happen'd in king edgars raign , who had foure kings to row him upon the river dee hard by westchester , viz. kennad kind of the scots , malcolm king of cumberland ; maconus king of man , and another welsh king. the english reduc'd france to such a poverty at that time , that she was forc'd to coin leather money . in divers other battailes in the raignes of charles the fift , sixt , and seventh , and lewis the elevenths time , the english did often foyl the french , untill the war pour le bien public begun by the duke of burgundy . such a large livery and seifin the english had taken in france , that for three hundred and fifty years they were masters of aquitain and normandy ; nay henry the sixt of england was crowned king of france in paris . and so formidable were the english , in france , that the duke of britany , when he was to encounter the french army in the field , thought it a policy to cloth a whole regiment of his soldiers after the english mode , to make them more terrible to the french. what shall i say of that notable virago queen elizabeth , who did such exploits again spain , by taking the united provinces of the low countreys under her protection ? how did she ply the spaniard , and bayt him by sea and land , how did she in a manner make him a bankrupt , by making him lose his credit in all the banks of europe ! and all that while spain could do england no harme at all ; touching the strength of which kingdom you may please to hear what a judicious italian speaks of it , il regno d'ingliterra non há bisogno d'altri per la propria difesa , anzi non solo é difficile , mà si può dir impossible se non é divisione nel regno che per via de force possa esser conquistato . the kingdom of england stands in no need of any other for her own defense ; so that it is not only difficult , but a thing impossible , unlesse there be some intestin division , to make a conquest of that countrey . philip offer'd very fairly for her in the year eighty eight , when he thought to have swallowed her with his invincible fleet , which was a preparing three yeers : she consisted of above . saile , . mariners , . foot , besides voluntiers , she carried . canons of brasse , . of iron , and a hundred and twenty thousand granados of all sorts . the fleet stood the king in every day thirty thousand duckets ; insomuch that bernardin mendoza , the spanish ambassadour in france , being in a private conference one day with king henry the fourth , assured him , that viis & modis , that fleet had stood his master in above tenne millions first and last , from the time that she set sayl from lisbon . this fleet look'd like a huge forrest at sea as she made her way . good lord how notably did that masculine queen bestirre her self , in viewing her armies , in visiting her men of warre , and ships royall , in having her castles and ports well fortified , in riding about , and in the head of the army her self , in discharging the office of a true pallas , wearing a hat and feather in lieu of a helmet . henry the fourth of france sent her seasonable notice hereof , so that most of the roman catholiques up and down were commanded to retire to the i le of ely , a fenney place ; and others were secured in bishops houses till this horrid cloud which did threaten the destruction of england should be overblown . but this prodigious fleet being come to the british seas , how did the little english vessels pelt those huge gigantick galeons of spain ? whereof those few which were left ( for all the rest perisht ) were forc'd to fetch a compass almost as far as norway in . degrees , and so got to spain to bring the sad tidings what became of the rest . there were triumphs for this not onely in england , but all the united provinces over , where a medal was coyn'd bearing this inscription on the one side , classis hispanica , the spanish fleet ; on the other side , venit , ●…vit , fuit , she came , she went , she was : but had the duke of parma come out of flanders with his land army , then it might have prov'd a black day to england ; and herein holland did a peece of knight-service to england , for she kept him from comming forth with a squadron of men of warre . how gallantly did the english take cales , the key of spain , and brought home such rich plunder ? how did they infest the indies , and what a masse of treasure did drake ( that english dragon ) bring home thence ? he made his sailes of silk , and his anchors of silver . most noble princes , you have heard something , though not the tyth that might be said of the early piety and devotion , of the exquisite knowledge , and learning , of the manhood and prowesse of great britain ; but these praises that i give her is but a bucket of water cast into her seas . now touching both king and people , it is observ'd that there is such a reciprocation of love betwixt them , that it is wonderfull ; the one swayes , the other submits , obeyes , and contributes to the necessities and preservation of the honour and majesty of the king , for which he receives protection and security . touching the regall authority , and absolute power and prerogatives of the kings of great britain , it is as high and supreame as any monarchs upon earth : they acknowledge no superior but god himself , they are not feudetary or homageable to any , they admit no forraign jurisdiction within the bounds of their kingdomes , and herein they have the advantage of the kings of france and spaine , yea of the emperour himself , who is in a kind of vassalage to the pope , and may be said to divide authority with him in their own dominions . no , they have long time shaken off that servitude , and manumitted the crown from those immense sums which were erogated and ported from england to pay for first fruits , for indulgences , for appeales , palls , and dispensations , and such merchandises of rome . how many hundred of years did england pay tribute , though it went under the name of peter-pence , to rome , think you ? no less than near upon a thousand , from the reign of king inas the saxon to henry the eighth . from the power of the kings of great britain , let us goe to their justice , let us descend from the throne to the tribunall . now , such is the divinitie of the kings of great britain , that they cannot doe any injustice ; it is a canon of their common law that the king can doe no wrong ; if any be done , it is the kings minister , the judge , magistrate , or officer doth doe it , and so is punishable accordingly : such a high regard the english have of the honour of their king ; and such a speciall care the kings of england have us'd to take for punishing of injustice and corruption ; such a care as king edgar had to free the iland from wolves ( and corrupt officers are no better than wolves ) which he did by a tribute that he impos'd upon a welsh prince for his ranson , which was , to bring him in three hundred skinnes of wolves every year : this produced ●…o good effects , that the whole race of wolves was extirpated in a short time , so that it is as rare a thing to see a wolf now in england , as a horse in venice . touching the care that the kings of england us'd to have to enrich their subjects , hath been us'd to be very great , and to improve the common stock : edward the third ( that gallorum malleus , the hammer of the french , he quell'd them so ) was the first who introduced the art of making of cloth into england , whereby the exchequer , with the publique and private wealth of the kingdome did receive a mighty increment ; for wooll is the golden fleece of england , and the prime staple-commodity , which is the cause , that by an old custome , the judges , masters of the rolls , and secretaries of state in parliament time doe use to sit upon woolsacks in the house , that commodum lanarum & ovium non negligendum esse , parliamentum moneatur , that they put the parliament in mind that the commodity of wool and sheep be not neglected . the swede , the dane , the pole , the german , the russe , the turk , and indeed all nations doe highly esteem the english cloth . the time was that antwerp her self did buy and vend two hundred thousand english cloths yearly , as camden hath it . and great and antient are the priviledges that the english have in belgium ; for since the year , which is above three hundred yeares agoe , when lewis malan earl of flanders gave them very ample immunities in the town of bruges , since which time it is incredible how all kind of commerce and merchantile affaire did flourish among the flemins , for which they were first obliged to the english ; for the english wooll hath been a golden fleece also to the flemins , as well as the english themselves , because it was one of the principal causes of enlarging their trade , whereunto the duke of burgundy related , when he established the order of the golden fleece guicciardin makes a computation , that the traffique and intercourse betwixt england and flanders amounted to twelve millions yearly , where of five was for woollen manufactures . what an heroique incomparable princesse was queen elizabeth , who wore the english crown , and sway'd the scepter as politiquely , prudently , and stoutly as any of those kings which wore swords before her , or after her ; she raigned four and forty years in a marvellous course of prosperity , and all the world , yea her enemies did confesse that there was never such a virgin and a virago upon earth . her subjects lov'd her as their most indulgent mother , her foes fear'd her as a just revengresse ; her neighbour princes and states did attribute their safety to her , and all europe , yea the great turk , and the emperour of russia ( to whom she first open'd the way of commerce ) did behold her , though a far off , with the eyes of admiration . they esteem'd her as a great heroina , and the arbitresse of christendome ; for she might as well as her father have taken that motto , cui adhaereo , praeest ; he , whom i sti●…k to , prevailes . nay , she did more truly verifie that saying of her father's , galliam & hispaniam esse quasi lances in europae libra , & angliam esse lingulā , sive libripendem ; that france and spain were like the beams of the great balance of christendom , and england was the handle of that balance . touching the observance and fidelity which the english us'd to bear towards their soveraign prince , it hath been us'd to be rare and exemplary . they reverence him in his absence , as wel as when he is present ; for whersoever the chaire of state stands , all goe uncover'd , they honour his very shadow , they serve him upon the knee . the preacher makes three profound reverences in the pulpit before he beginnes his sermon . they pray for him five times in the publique liturgy , and for his queen , the heir apparent , by name , with the rest of his children ; which i beleeve is not done so often to any christian prince . their fidelity , and affectionate allegiance is also very remarkable , and may serve for a pattern to all subjects ; when the spaniard by internunciall negotiation and secret practises did treat with the duke of norfolk , and the earle of ormond , that the one in england , the other in ireland , should rise against queen elizabeth ; the people were so eager in the cause , especially on the sea side , that it is wonderfull how they flocked to all the ports voluntarily of themselves , to prevent an invasion , insomuch that there came a command to restrain such confluences of people , and that every one should retire home to his dwelling and business till there were occasion . when prince charles return'd from spain in safety , what exultations of joy was in every corner of the kingdome , specially in the great city of london , what huge bonefires , some of big massy timber , were up and down streets , which made them as lightsome in the night as if it had been noon ; insomuch , as one said , the flames of the fires might be seen as far as spain ; what barrels of beer , ale , and wine were brought out to drink carouses to his health ? but most illustrious princes , in regard this iland is so delicate a peece of earth , i 'le take her into parcels , and present her to your view . i will beginne with the southernst part , with cornwall , a province which abounds with diversity of necessary commodities , whereof spain hath every year a good share , being the nearest part of the iland towards her ; here besides gold and silver , and marble , there is great store of tinne digg'd out , which is so pure and white , that it may passe for silver when it is hammer'd into vessells . this commodity is transported and dispers'd into all parts of the world , & rich returnes made of it . then they have a savory fish call'd pilchards , which spaniards call sardinas , which is found in incredible quantities in the sea near that coast ; whereof there be huge cargasars carried to spain , and italy every year , and for barter they will give you silke , wine , oyle , cotton , and the best commodities they have . about november this fish is taken , and they shape the course of their voyages so , that they may be in spain & italie a little before lent , which is the convenientest for their market , because in those catholick countries , that season is observ'd so strictly . there is in this province of cornwall a wonderfull thing , and it is a great famous stone call'd mainamber , a little distant from a small market town call'd pensans . that stone though it be as bigg as a little rock , and that a multitude of men cannot carry it away , yet you may stirre and move it sensibly with your little finger . prince arthur , one of the . worthies , was born there , who is so much celebrated through the world , and by such a number of authors , among other things , for his round table which was made of stone , about which a selected number of chivalrous kinghts were us'd to sit with him , and they had special orders and lawes made among themselves , which they were bound to observe punctually . good lord , what a heroe was this arthur , being an old britain born ! he overcame the saxons in twelve several battells . in so much that an ingenious poet sung of him thus . prisca parem nescit , aequalem postera nullum exhibitura dies , reges supereminet omnes , solus praeteritis melior , majorque futuris . from cornwall i passe to devonshire , where there is also quantity of choice tinne , not inferior in purity to that of cornwall ; there is a place there also , where loadstone is found . winfrid , who was the apostle of the germans , was borne there at kirton , who converted the thuringians and friselanders to christianity . i will leave exeter the provincial town , neat , rich , and large , and wil go to plimouth , a most comodious and safe well frequented port. here sir francis drake was born , for naval glory and skill the ablest that any age hath afforded ; he did circumnavigate and compasse the world , i mean the globe of the earth , he saild further into the southern seas , into mare pacificum then any other ; where starres are so scant to guide one's course by : for there are but three of the first magnitude to be seen there . he gave part of america a new name , call'd new albion . among other prizes he tooke from the spaniard , the shippe caga fuego was one , which had seventy pound weight of gold in her , thirteen great chests cramm'd with patacoons , and a huge quantity of barrs and sowes of silver which serv'd for ballast . this rich ship this english iason brought with him to england with his own ship the publican in safety . but the spanish captain broke this jest for all the losse of his treasure , that his ship and drakes ship should change their names , and that his should be call'd caga plata , and drakes caga fuego . thus this english drake swom like the great leviathan to the new and old world ; of whom that most ingenious epigrammatist owen hath this hexastic . drake , pererrati quem novit terminus orbis , quemque semel mundi vidit utrumque latus , si taceant homines , facient te sidera notum , atque loqui de te discet uterque polus . plus ultra herculeas inscribas drake columnas , et magno dicas hercule maior ego . i passe now to dorsetshire , which province were it commendable for no other benefit , as it is for many , yet biertport doth make it singular for the great plenty of hemp which growes there , whereof cable and ropes for shipping are made . but somersetshire what a beautiful blessed county it is , wherein the city of bristol shines as a jewel in the bosse of a ring , for indeede that city affords plenty of diamonds ; a great merchantile town situate upon the avon , who not farre off disgorgeth her selfe into the severn : in the craggy rocks of this avon , diamonds are cut out in that plenty , that they are carried away by pecks full ; and on the other side there is an extraordinary hard kind of flintstones found , which are fetch'd for other countries . wiltshire is famous for the martial courage of her children , who in times pass'd did represse the fury and stop the progresse of the danes , that they should passe no further southward that way . there warder castle stands , made famous by the noble baron iohn arundel , who receives his title of honor from it , for having perform'd such noble exploits against the sworn enemy of christendom the great turk ; for which the emperor rodulphus did put a deserved mark of honor upon him , by making him a count of the empire , and the merit of the cause is thus mentioned in his patent . quod fortiter & strenuè se gessisset in apert is praeliis , & in civitatum & castrorum oppugnationibus , & spectato fortitudinis exemplo in expugnatione oppidi aquatici juxta strigonium , vexillum turcis sua manu eripuit , ipsum , omnesque & singulos liberos haeredes & posteros , & descendentes legitimos vtriusque sexus natos , aeternaque serie nascituros , veros sacri imperii comites & comitissas creavimus , fecimus , & nominavimus , tituloque , honore & dignitate comitatus imperialis auximus , & insignivimus . because the foresaid iohn arundel had comported him magnanimously and stoutly in open field-fights , as also in the oppugnation and beleagrings of cities and castles , and for that notable example of fortitude in storming and subduing a town hard by strigonium in hungary , where he tooke with his own hand the turkes colours ; we therefore have created , made and nominated the said iohn arundel , himself , and all and every of his children , heirs , and posterity of both sexes lawfully descended , or shall by eternal propogation issue thence , to be counts and countesses of the sacred empire , and do dignifie and adorn them with honor and title accordingly . hampshire is remarkable for many things , specially for the pretty port town southhampton , where king canutus the dane did a memorable act : for one day having many parasits and temporizers about him , who did magnifie his power , and in a manner idolize , by calling him great monarch of land , of sea , and men ; the king listning unto them with silence upon the sea-shore , caus'd his chair of state to be brought thither , wherein being sate in majesty upon the sands , it being flowing water , he made a speech unto the sea , saying , tu meae ditionis es , & terra in qua sedeo mea est ; nec fuit qui meo resisteret imperio . impero igitur tibi ne in terram meam ascendas , nec vestes , nec membra dominatoris tui madefacias . mare verò de more conscendens pedes regis sine reverentia madefecit , ille igitur resiliens ait , sciant omnes habitantes orbem , vanam & frivolam esse regum potentiam , nec regis quempiam nomine dignum praeter eum cujus nutui caelum , terram , mare legibus obediunt aeternis : nec unquam postea coronam sibi imposuit . o sea thou belongst to my dominions , and the earth whereon i sit is mine , nor hath there any yet resisted my commands unpunished ; i command thee therefore that thou come not up to my ground , nor presume to wet the vest , members of thy lord. but the sea still rising , began to bespatter and wet the kings feet , which making him recoyl backward . he said again , know yee all the inhabitants of the earth , that the power of kings is vaine and frivolous , and none deserves the name of a king , but he at whose nod heaven , earth , and sea obey his eternal lawes . so canutus would never wear the crown again . odia must not be pass'd over with silence , proud for a royal palace , where david the scots king pass'd some part of his captivity . thirteen english defended this place against lewis of france most couragiously for . daies . how many memorable things occur in barkshire ; reading can shew the ashes of henry the . and matilda his queen , daughter to the emperor henry the . this witty epitaph is put upon her. ortu magna , viro major , sed maxima prole , heic jacet henrici filia , sponsa , parens . she was daughter , wife and mother to three henries . but the most stately castle of winsore deserves a kind of admiration ; a most delicate and pompous palace , which hath been the cradle and sepulchre of many kings . among others ; edward the third ( that thunderbolt of warre ) was born there , who to excite military vertue with splendor and rewards , erected a noble society of knights call'd the knights of saint george ; whereinto many emperors , kings , and forren princes held it a great honor to be coopted . in the province of surrey there be many royal palaces , there is nonsuch house , where the amaenity and sweetnesse of the soyl and fite doth contend with the rare artifice and curiosity of the structure for priority . sussex is a strong peece of earth , for her bowells are full of iron ; whereof there be huge proportions made and dispers'd to other shires . i come now to kent , a very noble portion of great britany , abounding with pasturage , with medowes and fields of extraordinary fatnesse and fertility ; for any kind of cattle , though never so meager , do thrive when they come to feed on kentish grasse . this county is very plentiful for all sorts of fruit , specially for cherries , and 't is a pleasure to behold the orchards when they are ripe . this delicate fruit was brought to rome by lucullus from pontus . years after the founding of the city , and by the romans brought to britany , and 't is remarkable how the vein of earth and genius of that soyle doth agree with that fruit . this noble county enjoyes greater priviledges then any other , for kent was never conquer'd by the norman , but by way of treaty ; she conform'd upon such conditions : by her shores lie all the arsenals , and docks , where the royal shipps are built . there is canterbury an antient city , the metropolitan seat of the archbishop and primate of all england ; call'd by urban the . the patriarch of the other world. there stands dover with a stupendous high castle , which seems to menace france , that stands opposite and in sight of it . we will leave kent and go to the severn , on whose banks the gentle city of glocester , built first by claudius caesar , doth stand , with divers other very jolly rich towns , as worcester , shrewsbury , bridgnorth , teuxbury ; and that noble river of severn doth part england from the antient country of wales . in so much that he , who is master of the severn , may be said to be master of the d. part of england in point of power . i have a great mind now to come to oxford , a little earthly paradise for situation , salubrity of air , and sweetnesse of soyl , most daintily watered , and crested about with hills a convenient distance off ; because she might have a freer respiration . but the prime thing which graceth this delightful city , is , that renowned university which is founded there : she is rank'd among the . principal academies of europe for antiquity , for number of colledges , for large exhibitions to students ; for a library they may compare with the vatican . the story relates that in the reign of edward the first , there were thirty thousand students in oxford , which did homage to the muses . hear what lipsius saith , unum oxoniense collegium decem belgica : one oxford colledge is worth ten flemish . richard the first , call'd the lionhearted , for the vastnesse of his spirit , was born here , he who built the walls of vienna at his victorious return from palestine : it is a great pleasure to passe from oxford to buckinghamshire , to see those numerous heards of sheep which graze there , and bear excellent wooll . bedfordshire among other things hath such large fieldes of beanes and pease , that it is a great delight to behold them , for they make the very air redolent , and perfume it with a kind of fragrancy . the county of hartford hath all commodities in it . verolam stands there , famous for the protomartyr of britany , saint albons . middlesex comes next , wherein there are many memorable places , but that which illustrates all the rest , and indeed the whole iland , is the potent , and populous vast city of london , englands imperial chamber ; one of the greatest eyes of christendom . there you have as proud , and as deep a navigable river as ever made her bed between banks , you have an antient inexpugnable tower , you have two exchanges , old and new , of most curious structure , you have the largest hall at westminster for tribunals of justice of any in the world. the king hath divers royal palaces there : there is a bridge of ninteen large high arches over the rapid profound river of thames , which would astonish you to behold , and indeed it may be called one of the wonders of the world , all circumstances considered ; you have in the heart of the city , and the highest peece of ground , the antient church of saint paul , one of the stateliest piles of stone that ever was reard : this stately temple is founded upon faith ; for underneath there is another subterranean parish church , which is a rarity that no other i know of hath through all the christian world. there is westward a large abbey , the sight whereof would strike devotion into the beholder , and a most curious chappel annexed thereunto , call'd henry the sevenths chappel , which , as leland saith , may be call'd orbis miraculum . and judge you if london in the time of william the conqueror could send out forty thousand foot , and twenty thousand horse , as the annals have it , how many would she be able to set forth now that she is more opulent , more peopled , and greater in all dimensions by the d. part ; for her suburbs are of more extent then her self , so that some have compar'd her to a narrow crown'd hat with broad brimms . there are more parish churches there then in rome , viz. . there are divers hospitals , both for orphans , which come to above . and other poor people of both sexes above . in so much that one may say that poverty is no where better hous'd and fed then there . i goe now from london to essex , a most fruitfull and well hedg'd country : among other things she is famous for iohn hawknood , whom the italians , among whom he was so well known , call aucutho ; nor was he more known than honour'd by them ; for in regard of the rare documents he gave for military discipline , the senate of florence rays'd a statue and tomb for him . there is old walden in that country , where excellent saffron growes ; there is colchester , where the best oysters are , and dunmow , which hath the proverb for the best bacon . i pass to suffolk , a spritefull pleasant country ; and doctor despotino , an italian physitian , affirm'd that the healthfullest air under heaven , is that which moves over saint edmondsberry . that famous navigator , sir thomas cavendish , who sailed about the world , makes this country famous for his nativity there . norfolk lies next , a county full of acute wits , and abounding with lawyers ; norwich is the metropolis , a large city , and full of artisans ; for there are hardly found so many loomes any where . now comes in cambridgeshire , a self-sufficient county , where the antient academy of cambridge stands still flourishing with scientificall wits , and rare acute capacities in all professions , in all faculties and knowledge , and reputed all the world over for a most learned university : and she must needs be so , being so near allyed to oxford , as to be her only sister , and having such stately seats for the muses , though the circumjacent soyl , and site on camus banks be not so pleasant as that which stands on isis. huntingdonshire her neighbour is famous for rurall philosophy ; upon a time the town of gormonchester entertain'd the king , in a kinde of pomp , with ninescore ploughs . northampton is full of noble townes , villages , and churches , whereof most are of a danish built ; for you shall behold at once in some places , thirty holy pyramids or steeples as you pass along , and the field cover'd all over with sheep . leicestershire doth benefit all her neighbours , and warm them with her cole-mines , which she distributes up and down . lincoln was us'd to be a well devoted county ; for in her chief town there are half a hundred of churches , wherof the minster or cathedrall church is one of the most conspicuous and visiblest church in the world. notingham for delightfull prospects hath not her fellow ; there you have true troglodits , as on the mountaines of the moon in ethiopia , that hew their houses out of rocks . this country is singular for liquorish . derby lies next , famous for the best ale ; on the west parts her bowels are pregnant with excellent lead , in somuch that the chymists say that the planet saturn , who presides over lead , is more benign to the english than to the french. warwick excels for fabrarian inventions , for smiths work . worcester for salt-pits , and delicate sider ; for pears and apples grow there , as also in gloucestershire , up and down the hedges and highwayes . among other fish which the severn , which waters her soyl , doth afford , salmon is one , and 't is the best in the world , which the romans confessed . the trent , called so for thirty species of fishes that shee breeds , doth make staffordshire of extraordinary account ; others will have that river called so , because that thirty other rivers do pay her tribute , and disemboke into her . there is in this county a lake of an admirable nature , that no beast will enter into , though pursued never so close by dogges ; for they will rather dye than goe in : and as necham hath it , this lake is prophetique ; for when her waters roare , it is a presage of some ill . rugitu lacus est eventus praeco futuri , cujus aquis fera se credere nulla solet : instet odora canum virtus , mors instet acerba , non tamen intrabit exagitata lacum . shropshire for amenity of soyl , and neatnesse of well pav'd streets , yeelds to none ; she is a peninsula , compassed about every where with the severn , except one little neck of land , so that she beares the form of a horshooe . cheshire her neighbour is the shire of men ; she affords also good store of salt ; there is no shire that is fuller of gentry . hereford is a delicate little county , very frugiferous ; for passengers as they goe along the highwayes may pluck apples , peares , and plums off the trees without offence ; she hath good store of marble , and her lemsters ore , or wool , yeelds nothing in finess to the spanish , or that of apulia and tarentum ; and judge you of the salubrity and wholsomnesse of this county , when in the town of hereford , there was a morris-dance of tenne men taken up on the welsh side , that made above a thousand years betwixt them , the one supplying what the other wanted of a hundred ; and one philip squire the tabourer , and bess gwin the maidmarian , were above a hundred a peece . caermarthan , old maridunum , the court of the british kings , is a gentile county . giraldus speakes of a well there that in imitation of the sea doth ebbe and flow every four and twenty houres . then you have pembrockshire , where there are many families of the flemish race , that were sent to colonize there by king henry , for bridling of the welsh . this country is call'd little england beyond wales , because the english tongue is so frequent among them : this county is also celebrous for milford haven , the most comodious and capacious port in the world ; for a thousand sayles of ships may ride at anchor there in severall creeks , and one not in sight of the other ; and from hence she takes her denomination . she hath also an ancient stately temple at saint davids , call'd menevia , the seat of an archbishop in times past : it stands in a solitary by-corner of the whole isle , a place fittest for contemplation , and for sequestring the spirits for holy exercises of any upon the earth . next is cardiganshire , which hath the river towy , that affords rare salmon , which fish thirsting after fresh water , doth use to put himself in a circle , and by a naturall slight taking his tayle in his mouth , will spring and leap up three cubits high over wears into the fresh water , whence he cannot goe back , as ausonius hath very elegantly . nec te puniceo rutilantem vis●…cre salmo , transierim , latae cujus vaga verbera caudae gurgite de medio summas referuntur in undas . m●…n gomery shire hath good horses , merioneth shire hath a famous lake call'd pimble meare , which the river deva runnes through , and goes out of the same bignesse as she enters ; but that which is wonderfull , is that there is a fish call'd guiniad , which the lake breeds , and cannot abide the river , and the river hath salmons that cannot abide the lake water , which leland describes very hansomly ; illud habet certè lacus admirabile dictu , quantumvis magna pluvia non aestuat , atqui aere turbato , si ventus murmura tollat , excrescit subitò rapidis violentior undis , et tumido superat contemptas flumine ripas . the river conow makes arvon pretious , where there are musles bred , wherin there are plenty of pearl found , insomuch that i had it from a good hand , that one of those pearles was sold for two hundred and fifty crownes . denbigh and flintshire are wholsome high crested countreyes . now for the county of york it may be called a little kingdome of it self for the spaciousness of it , being halfe as bigge as all the fix united provinces in the netherlands . there is a famous quarrey there , whence is digged a free-stone , which is soft at first , but receives hardness and incrustation by the air . there is also a rare well , called dropping well , which transmutes wood into stone ; there is mougrave castle , where there is good store of rozin , with jet and agat stones , which is ranked among jewels , as marbodaeus sings wittily , nascitur in lycia lapis , & prope gemma gagates , sed genus eximium faecunda britannia mittit , lucidus & niger est , levis & levissimus idem , vicinas paleas t●…ahit attritu calefactus , ardet aqua lotus , restinguitur unctus olivo . among other properties of this stone , it burns in water , and that burning is extinguished onely by oyl . in this province stands scarborough castle highly mounted ; the sea underneath is almost as full of fish as of water , and this the hollanders know well , when they fish there for herring , with the leave of the castle , not otherwise ; so that it may be said the english doe reserve the honour to themselves , but pass over the profit to others . there is rippon temple , famous for saint vvilfrids needle , which is a hole to try the chastity of woemen , and onely the honest can passe through it : there is halifax , who hath a peculiar mode of punishment , which is an axe tied to a pulley , which falls down upon the neck of the malefactor , and chops it off in a trice , and heretofore they were us'd to punish first , and examine the cause afterward . in this county there is a jolley port town call'd kingston upon hull , which hath the true resemblance of a low-country town ; for she lies so low and flat , that she can inound and overwhelm the country four miles land-ward . the metropolis of this county is eboracum , called york , where a high provinciall magistrate was used to keep court , to determine all causes from trent to tweed . this city hath been famous for the residence of emperours ; for severus had his palace here , antoninus augustus died here , and breathing his last he sayd , turbatam rempublicam ubique accepi , pacatam britannis relinquo , i found the commonwealth full of troubles , i leave it peaceable . a hundred yeares after severus , flavius valerius constantinus having got constantin the great by his former wife helene , a british lady , kept his court here . i will now to richmondshire , whose mountaines swell with three severall commodities , with brasse , lead , and cole : the river swale runnes hard by , celebrous and sacred in regard the story speakes of ten thousand pagans that were baptised and regenerated there in one day by paulinus : here dwels the fruitful race of the metcalfs , whereof one of them being sherif , brought three hundred of his own name in blew-coats to wait on the itinerant judges at the grand sessions . there confines to the province of york , the bishoprick of durham , a county palatine , whereof the bishop is perpetuall sherif , there is a sumptuous antient cathedrall church belongs to it , and the soyl is so fat , that the fertility thereof doth contend with the labour of the tiller . then there is lancashire , that brings forth goodly oxen with larger hornes than ordinary ; besides that country produceth the handsomest and best favour'dst women of any in the whole iland . vvestmerland excells in the town of kendall for curious artists in all sorts of wooll . cumberland is singular for abundance of fish , and doth upbrayd the negligence of the inhabitants , who might make a farre greater emolument of them ; there runnes there the precious river of irt , which affords plenty of pearle . this county also hath mines of copper , amongst which is found some gold ore ; which mines were first discovered by a countryman of ours , gemanus augustan ; insomuch that caesar & cicero were in the wrong , when one saith , that he was forc'd to bring brasse to britany for coining of money , & the other saith , neque argenti scrupulum ullum esse in insula britannica ; for in cardigan in wales , there is both a silver mine , and a mint , which emploies about three hundred men every day in the week , and makes them rich returnes . and for other minerals , there is not onely enough to satisfie the natives , but to furnish other parts of the world besides , which is done by frequent transportation . the most northern county of england is northumberland , which is full of warlike stout people ; for every gentlemans house there is built castlewise , with turrets and motes . i have hitherto most noble princes spoken of the best part of great britain , which is england . i will now crosse offa's dike , which is a continued mount of earth that extends from sea to sea , which the romans did cast up to make a partition twixt england and scotland ; there is another water-partition that nature hath put betwixt them , which is the tweed ; but before i part with england , i will give you that character which pope innocent the th . gave of her . anglia est verè hortus deliciarum , & puteus inexhaustus , england , saith he , is a true garden of delicacies , and an inexhaustible well . but there is not any , who can make a true estimate of england , but he who hath seen her — auget praesentia famam . touching this elogium of mine , i confesse it too barren to set forth her fertility . i will now to scotland , which by king iames was united to england , he was the first who may be said to break down the partition-wall by way of descent , henricus rosas , regna iacobus . henry the eighth joyn'd the two roses , and king iames joyn'd the two kingdomes . and here it is worth the observing , how keneth the pict being utterly destroyed , carried with him a fatal stone out of ireland , and placed it in a woodden chaire in scone-monastery , with this inscription engraven upon it . ni fallat fatum , scoti quocunque locatum invenient lapidem , regnare tenentur ibidem . if fate failes not , the scots where e're they find this stone , there they shall raign , and rule mankind . this northern kingdome is fenc'd with the same salt ditch as england is . it is much longer then it is in latitude , in so much that there is never a house there that is much above twenty miles distant from the sea. there is plenty of fish , foule and flesh there . in sutherland there are mountaines that afford fair white marble , and among the craggs of craford there was a gold mine discover'd in the time of iames the fourth . but that which redounds most to the glory of scotland , is , that they can shew a cataloge of kings for above twenty ages , which come to the number of . from fergusius to charles the first . there hath a strong antient league been struck betwixt this nation and the french , who confederated alwaies with them against england upon all occasions . in so much that the french king hath a gard of scots ever about his person , call'd la garde de la manche ; then there is a gard of swisse , and the french is last . i passe now from scotland to ireland , which is no long voyage , it is but twelve leagues distance over a working and angry sea , full of rocks and little ilands , whereof there are hundreds about the two iles call'd the orcades and hebrides . ireland is a noble and very considerable region , if you explore either the fatnesse of the soyl , the conveniency of ports and creekes , the multitudes of fresh rivers , and huge loughs , as also the inhabitants who are a robust●… , nimble , and well timbred people . in so much that giraldus saith , naturam hoc zephyri regnum benigniori oculo respexisse , nature did look upon this western kingdom with a more benign aspect then ordinary : the temper of the air is such , that neither the summer solstice forceth them to seek shades or caves against the violence of the heat , and in the winter solstice they may make a shift to be without fire against the rigor of the cold . there are cattle there in an incredible abundance ; in so much that in one of the four provinces alone , there were reckon'd there hundred and twenty thousand head of cattle at one time . bees do thrive and swarm there infinitely in hollow trees up and downe , as well as in hives . they were christians with the first , for saint patrik , a britain born , did convert them , where he did many miracles . they so adore the memory of him , that it is a common saying among them , that if christ had not been christ when he was christ , saint patrik had been christ. hereupon many famous men flourished in ireland , both for sanctitie of the life and doctrine , which the roman ecclesiastic history speakes of , as caelius sedulius the priest , columba , colmannus , aidanus , gallus kilianus , maydulphus , brendanus , and divers of a holy and austere monastique life , who contemned the world , with the vanity and riches thereof . for it is recorded of columbanus , who being offered great matters by one of the kings of france , ) if he would not depart the country , ( as eusebius writes also of thaddeus , he answer'd , non decere videlicet ut alienas divitias amplecterentur , qui christi nomine suas dereliquissent , it was not fitting that any should embrace other mens riches , who for christ's sake had abandoned their own . nay , it is recorded in good story , that the saxons ( now english ) cross'd over those stormy seas to the mart of learning , which was then famous in ireland , so that you shall find it often mentioned in the english annalls , how such a one amandatus est in hyberniam ad disciplinam , he was sent to ireland to be taught , and in the life of sulgenus , who lived neere upon . years since , these verses are found . exemplo patrum commotus amore legendi , ivit ad hybernos sophiâ mirabile claros . according to the example of his ancestors , he went to ireland for love of learning , who were marvellously famous for wisdom and knowledge . this iland doth partake with creet , now candie , in one property , which is , that she produceth no venemous creature , as toads , vipers , snakes , spiders , and the like ; and if any be brought thither , they die . it is wonderfull what huge confluences of birds do flutter about the shores of this iland , as also of scotland , which offuscate the broad face of heaven sometimes , and likewise such huge shoales of fish. a thousand things more might be spoken of these ilands which are fitter for a volume then a panegyrical oration . i will end with the end of the world , and that is the i le of shetland , which most of your great geographers take to be that ultima thule that terminates the earth , which lyeth under . degrees , and the most northern point of scotland . and now most noble princes since the most generous i le of great britain , and her handmaid ilands , which indeed are without number , doth as it were overflow with abundance of all commodities that conduce to the welfare and felicity of mankind , and is able to afford her neighbours enough besides , as the hollander confesseth , when he saith , that he lives partly upon the idlenesse and superfluity of the english : since the antient britaines were the first displayers of christianity in most part of the western world ; since of late years they have been such navigators , that they have swom like leviathans to both the indies , yea , to the other hemisphere of the earth among the antipodes ; since that in the newfound world they have so many colonies , plantations and ilands ; yea , a good part of the continent of america annexed to the crown of england . and since that her inhabitants for comelines and courage , for arts and armes , as the romans themselves confessed , whose conquests in other places had no horizon — invictos romano marte britannos ; i say , that all circumstances and advantages maturely considered , great britain may well be a candidate , and conte nd for priority , and the dictatorship with other provinces of europe . for my part , according to the motto upon saint george his garter , hony soit quimaly pense , let him be beraid who thinks any hurt by holding this opinion , which neverthelesse i most humbly submit to this princely tribunall . another oration of the lord wolf angus , baron of stubenberg . for great britain . most illustrious president and princes , my most dear lord and cosen , the baron of eubeswald , hath made an elogium of the noble i le of great britain , as copious , and as full of eloquence , as the i le itself is full of all things that are requisite for humane accommodation : but most humbly under favour in this survey there are some things pretermitted , which are peculiar to great britain , and worthy the taking notice of ; one is the generous , strong-bodied , and dauntless race of dogs , which that ▪ i le produceth , whereof claudian makes mention . magnaque taurorum fracturi colla britanni . britain hath dogs that will break the huge necks of buls : i do not mean by these buls those fierce and truculent white-buls which are found in the woody caledonian hils of scotland ( who are so wild , that they will not touch any thing that men have handled , or blown upon ) for they cannot only repell , but they contemn the assaults of any dog. it was the custom of the romans , to bring in huge irod cages the british dogges to rome , which in their amphitheatres were put to tugge with huge wild beasts ; therefore there was an officer call'd procurator cynegi●… in britannis ventensis , the keeper of the dog-house among the britains , which cuiacius would have to be gynaecii , not cynegii , viz. a work-house for women , not a kennell for dogges : and pancirollus is of the same opinion , when he saith , gynaecia illa constituta fuisse texendi●… principis , militumque vestibus , navium velis , stragulis , linteis , & aliis ad instruendas mansiones necessariis , that those gynecia , or female work-houses were appointed to weave garments for the prince and souldiery , as also sailes for ships , beds , tents , and other necessaries for furnishing of houses . but wolfangus lazius holds to the first opinion , procuratorem illum canes imperatoribus in illa venta curavisse , that the said procurator did keep and provide dogges for the emperour . strabo saith further , that britanni canes erant milites , the english dogs were souldiers , and the old gaules made use of them so accordingly in their wars . they are also rare animals for hunting , and herein it is wonderfull what balaeus hath upon record , that two hundred and seventy years before the incarnation , dordanilla , king of scotland , did commit to writing certain precepts for hunting , and to be observed by his subjects , which are yet in force . great britain hath also the most generous and sprightfull cocks of any country , and 't is a great pleasure to be in one of their pits at that sport , where one shall behold a cock fight out his eyes , and yet retain still his naturall vigour to destroy the other ; and if these brute animals , beasts and birds be thus extraordinary couragious , we may well think the rational creatures may hold analogy with them . the oration of the lord daniel von wensin , against great britain . most excellent lord president , and princes , now , that i am to speak of the britains , i will begin my oration with that of ausonius , nemo bonus britto est — no good man is a britain , which ever since grew to be a proverb . god forbid this should be verified of all , but i believe i shal rectify the judgment of those noble princes who spoak before me , that ( as i observ'd when i sojourn'd there ) neither the countrey of great britain , nor her inhabitants are generally so good as they by their perswasive and powerfull oratory would induce you to give credit unto . for as the english sea is unfaithfull , and from beerfleet in normandy almost to the midst of the chanell is full of rocks and illfavourd ragged places ( wherin prince vvilliam , son to henry the first , and heir apparant to england and normandy , was cast away by shipwrack , together with his sister , and a great many noble personages besides ) so the nature of the britains may be said to be full of craggs and shelfs of sands , that vertue cannot sayle safely among them without hazarding a wreck . england is not such a paradis , nor the angli such angeli ( though styld so by a popes mouth ) which you make them to be , most illustrious baron of ewbeswald . first , for the countrey it self it is not sufficiently inhabited , notwithstanding there be some colonies of walloons & hollanders among them . the earth doth witnes this , which wants culture , and the sea is a greater witnes that wants fishermen ; touching the first , it is a meere desert in some places , having no kind of agriculture , though she be capable of it ; and for the other , the hollanders make more benefit upon their coasts then they themselves , and which is a very reproachfull thing , they use to buy their own fish of them . 't is incredible how many hundreds of busses they of holland put forth every yeer , and what infinit benefit they make thereof . therefore gount gondamar the spanish ambassador had some reason to say , that the king of great britain had a richer mine upon his coasts ( meaning fishing ) then his master had , either at mexico or peru , if he knew how to make right use of them ; some of the charibbi ilands also , which the english have as antego , mevis , and others , which have not neer the number of men which should colonize them , shew the scarcity of the peeple of britain , or which is worse , their sloth . now , touching the inhabitants of great britain 't is well known , as the sea tumbleth perpetually about the countrey , so their braines do fluctuat in their noddles , which makes them so variable and unsteady ; and herein they are little inferior to their next transmarin neighbours the french , only they use to come short of them in point of counsell and policy , wherein the french hath been too hard for them in all treaties . but they exceed the french in superstitious kinds of vanities , specially , ( as many writers brand them ) with prophecies , and old milesian tales , being very apt in arduous & important businesses to suffer their belief to be transported that way ; and as tages was to the hetruscans , indigenae dixere tagen , qui primus hetruscam edocuit gentem casus aperire futuros . so merlin of caermarthen the son of an incubus left behind him some things which they believe as oracles , though they be meere orestes dreames . to this merlin i may add that arch-heretick pelagius ( whose true name was morgan , an old british name ) who in europe , afrique , and asia , belchd out such pernicious opinions , as prosper sayed , pestifero vomuit coluber sermone britannus , like a poysonous viper he vomited much venome ; but in point of solid learning the english are much degenerated from what they were , they are grown more flashy , and superficiall , and nothing so pious as they us'd to be ; where shall we find now among them a winfred , an alcuin , a bede , men that converted whole nations ? yet this must be imputed to their supinesse and sloth , rather then to decay of nature in their intellectualls . now , in point of idlenes the women sympathize with their men , who have not onely their faces , but their hands mask'd with leather , for fear their skin should be too much hardned with working ; and for their femalls they seem to be hermaphrodits at first appearance , for they use to weare hatts as men do , with toting feathers in them . there cannot be found now among them such a woman as queen anne was , daughter to the emperour charles the fourth , married to richard the second , who first reform'd that wanton , unseemly fashion of riding astride on horseback . their men of late yeers are arrand pirats ; one of them , call'd captain ward , did do christendom one of the greatest mischiefs that ever was done , by teaching the art of piracy , and a better way of building shipps to the picaroons of algier and tunis . they go roving abroad to other seas , when their own might find them work enough , if they would make use of the comodities they affoord . they are but dull for invention , whereas 't is true they use to add something when they have seene a thing ; for matter of manufactures of cloth , and kersies with other woollen stuffs , they were flemmins that taught them first , as also all goldsmiths work , and argentry , with judgment in jewells . add hereunto that it is the proper humor of the english to be arrogant , high minded and proud , yea in forren countreys ; where if they have a little language , they will keep such a magnifying of their own iland , that it is fastidious to hear them . nor of any other nation can they agree among themselves when they are abroad , specially the marchants , who are envious , and repine at one anothers profit ; and so ready to cut one anothers throat . when the prince of wales was in spain , thinking to have the infanta for his wife , it was observ'd that the cariage of the english was very insolent there ; for some of them being dieted in the kings house , they would fall a vilifying the spanish fare , extolling ever and anon the good beef of england ; which was so much taken notice of , that it did much hurt to the treaty of the match . there is a saying , and 't is a true one , that england may be call'd the hell of horses , the purgatory of servánts , and the paradis of women . touching the first , the english take a great pride in galloping , and post it on the high way , as if they were going for a ghostly father , a midwife , or a physician for one mortally sick , though indeed there be no cause of any hast at all ; and then the poor beast is thrust into some cold corner , all in a water , where he commonly contracts some distemper . then have you huge long races , whereof there are many hundreds in england , wherein a poor sprightfull horse is rid off his legges , and made to spend his very lungs , having holes in his flank that will hide rowell and beame . and in this kinde of pastime , there is more cunning , and rooking then in cardes and dice , or any other sport . then for their carrs and carts they are so unmeasurably loaden , that the track doth not only spoil the pavements of the streets and highwaies as they passe , but oftentimes it seems to break the very heart-strings of the poor passive animall ; insomuch that of any nation that holy text is least observed by the english , a good man is mercifull to his beast . england is the purgatory of servants ; for they live no where in so much slavery : the poor footman must keep pace with his master when he gallops in hunting , they are sent upon arrands forty , fifty miles a day . the apprentices , though gentlemens sonnes of good extraction , sometimes are put to fetch tankards of water , carry coales , to sweep the gutters , and doe other as servile offices , as slaves doe in other countries ; and servingmen must not offer to put on their hats , though it rain , or the weather be never so cold , standing before their master ; which makes me think on a facetious tale of a german gentleman , who having entertain'd an english servant , and riding before him through a rough foard , where the horses stayed to drink , and the servant keeping his hat in his hand , though the winde blew hard , his master smil'd upon him saying , put on thy hat fool ; for our horses drink no healths . but you will say that england is the paradise of women : then it is either for the extraordinary respect the husbands bear them by permitting them to be alwayes at the upper end of the table ( whither their lightnesse carries them sometimes ) or for their extraordinary beauty . to the first i have nothing to say ; but for the second , 't is true , they are moulded commonly of good flesh and blood , and have sanguine clear complexions , but they are withall flegmatick and dull , and many thousands of them are so massie and big , that they seem men rather than women , unlesse they were distinguished by their clothes . now touching the haughtinesse of minde that is naturall in the english , there is one notable example in the person of nicolas breakspeare , born at langley in hartfordshire , who , being elevated to the popedome by the name of adrian the fourth , came to such a height of arrogance , that he rebuked the emperour for writing his name before him in a certain instrument . and being to hold the stirrup while that adrian mounted , he took hold of the wrong ; but a little flie cur'd in him this humour of pride , who getting into his throat choakt him , and so made him low enough . with such a spirit of pride was thomas wolsey possessed , who was at once chancellor , archbishop , and cardinall , though a butchers son of ipswich by blood . charles the fift in his letters subscrib'd himself his son and cosen ; for indeed he had a designe for the advantage of his affairs , as they stood then , to advance him to the popedom after the decease of leo the tenth ; but when the emperour had exalted adrian the sixth , a brewers sonne , his tutor , in lieu of the butcher his cosen , to the chair , and having denied him also the archbishoprick of toledo , he grew so implacable to the emperour , that he set all wheeles a going to make both england and france to bandy against him . he therefore began to whisper some surmises into henry's eare touching katharine of aragon his queen , vvhether the match was consonant to the holy scriptures , she having been his eldest brothers wife before ; and he raised this doubt the rather , because the said queen had miscarried so often in childbirth of male princes . the cardinal knowing his masters humor , might well think that this would make impressions within him , and so recommended unto him the lady margaret , sister to the king of france ; but when this scruple was thrust into the kings thoughts , and that a divorce was procurable , he did not look towards france , but he cast his eyes upon anne , daughter to sir thomas bolen , having no regard to majesty , but beauty and lust . this cool'd wolsey from negotiating the said divorce , and made him spinne out the time by tergiversations and delayes ; which his master perceiving , his favour began to decline towards him , and so he died , some say , out of apprehension of grief , others say by poyson . this wolsey was a man of a notable high spirit , and vast designes , and among other passages which discovered it , one was , that having built a colledge in oxford , he put his own armes before the kings , with this motto , ego & rex meus , i and my king : which , as one wittily said , might be true by the rule of grammar , which tels us that the first person is more worthy than the third , but the moral rule tels us otherwise . he had such a splendid magnificent family , than an earl , nine barons , and i cannot tell how many knights and squires , with near upon four hundred were his domestique servants ; there were all likewise choice personable men whom he entertain'd , so that after his fall , divers of them came to be the kings servants . after pride comes in the lust and luxury of the english ; it stands upon good record how pope boniface writ to king etheobald in these words , gentes anglorum spretis legalibus connubiis adulterando & luxuriando ad instar sodomiticae gentis faedam vitam ducere ; the english nation forsook their lawfull wives , and like a sodomiticall people spent their lives in adultery and luxury . there was one of the henries left thirteen bastards behinde him , as some write ; and it was more than probable that anne of bolen ( who was call'd in france , la mule du roy , & l'haquenée d'angleterre , the kings mule , and the english hackney ) i say , according to some writers , it was more than probable , that she was both daughter and wife to the eighth henry : among others , one inference was , that when sir francis brian , who was a facetious knight , asked the king what it was to lie with the daughter and the mother , it was no more , said he , than to eat the hen first , and the chicken after . this king married six several wives , whereof the second and the fift he chopt off their heads with an axe ; the first and fourth he repudiated ; the third was destroyed in childbearing ; the sixt he left behind him . this was that mercilesse prince who sign'd a warrant for beheading some noblemen upon his very death-bed , and being much troubled in conscience , as he was taking his farewell of the world , the last word he breathed out to the bishop by him , was , all is lost , all is lost , and so expir'd , to go before the tribunall of heaven to give account of his life , wherein he had confessed before , that he had never spar'd man in his rage , nor woman in his lust . but you say that the english are strenuous and stout : they might be such in former ages , but now they are much degenerated , their warrs are now in tap-houses and tobacco-shops ; for since drake brought that inchanting nicotian drugge from the indies against crudities and rheums , the use thereof is so frequent in england , that it is incredible ; the very impost of that indian smoak alone amounting to more than queen elizabeth received in custom for all commodities whatsoever . in ireland also this weed is taken excessively in sneezing , which the husbandman at the plough-taile , and the servant mayd at the washing block doe use to suck into their nostrils to beget new spirits in them when they are tyr'd with labour . king iames was a great enemy to this smoak , and when he was a hunting if any fogge or mist would rise up to interrupt his sport , he would swear that belzebub was then taking tobacco ; and being once surprised with a great showre of rain , and forced to goe to a pigstie for shelter , he caused a pipe of tobacco to be taken , that one stink , as extremes use to doe , might drive out another . moreover since the english have been accustomed to have beer for their beverage so much , not using so universally the old drink of england , which is ale ; the hop by its inflammation hath made them more subject to diseases , fill'd them with gravell , and so troubled them with the stone , strangury , and coliques . these with drinking such sophisticated wines , hath much enervated the english nation in point of strength , which in former times was such , that they could draw an arrow of an ell long , and make the gray-goose-wing fly through the heart of france . and now that i speak of wine , it is so adulterated in england , that it drinks in some places like a potion ; and i beleeve as many dye there by drinking bad wines , as of any other disease ; for indeed all vintners are brewers in england , they mixe french wines with syder , the spanish with milk , and feed other wines with flesh very frequently . now for the valour of the english in france , whereof the noble baron hath spoken so much , they were very valiant indeed , when a silly shepheardesse , anne d' arc did beat them away from before orleans , pursued them to paris , and so drive them over the seine to normandy , and when they could not be reveng'd of this mayd in the field , being taken by a stratageme , they cut her off by a forged accusation , that she was a sorceresse forsooth . then was the time , if the english had comported themselves like men of prowesse and policy , to have reduc'd all france under a perpetuall subjection , king charles the seventh being driven to such streights , that he was constrain'd to fly to bourges , and so for the time was in a jeering way call'd king of berry . but that notable mayd at her execution being tied to the stake was nothing daunted , but left prosperity and victory for a legacy to her countrey men , till the english should be beaten quite out of france , as they were afterwards ; for being driven and dogg'd as far as calais , they kept that a while , but afterwards they were by a writ of ejectment publish'd by sound of drum and trumpet , as also by the canon & musket of the duke of guise , thrust out of calais , and so casheer'd quite out of france ; which sunck so deep , and made such black impressions of sorrow upon the heart of queen mary of england , that she would often say , if she were open'd after death , the town of calais would be found engraven in her heart . now for the piety , goodnes and vertu of the english , which the noble baron did so much magnifie , you may judge what it was in those dayes by the ingenuous confession of an english captain , who when he had truss'd up his bagg and bagage to go for england , as he was going out of the gate he in a geering way was ask'd , o englishmen , when will you back again to france ? the captain with a sad serious countenance answer'd , when the sinns of france are greater then the sinns of england , then will the english return to france . nor indeed had the french much cause to affect the english , in regard of their insolence and cruelty , wherof there be divers examples : for in some good successes they had , the victory was more bloody then the battaill , cutting of prisoners off in cold blood for their greater security . but the english must needs be cruell in a forren countrey , when they use to be so in their own . what a barbarous act was that of edward the fourth , to clapp up his own brother , george duke of clarence , in prison , and afterwards to drown him in a butt of muscadin , by a new invention of death . but to descend to neerer times , what an act of immanity and ignoblenes was that in queen elizabeth , when she promis'd safety & welcom to mary queen of scotts , and dowager of france , if she came to england , for preventing the machinations of her rebellious subjects against her , and afterwards to suffer her to be hurried from one prison to another for twenty yeares , and then to suffer her head to be chop'd off , and by a cunning kind of dissimulation to lay the fault upon davison her secretary , and throw the bloud into his face , under pretence that he sent the warrant for her execution without her knowledge ? truly this was a most inglorious act , and the reproach of it will never be worn out , but will stick as a black spot to england while she is an iland , nor can all the water of the sea about her wash off the stain , but it wil continue still indelible . but 't is the more strange , that queen elizabeth should doe this , a queen that had been herself bred up a good while in the school of affliction , and might be said to have come from the scaffold to the throne , i say 't is strange that she should not be more sensible of anothers calamity . dido the pagan queen out of a sweet tendernes could say , non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco , and it had more becom'd queen elizabeth to have said so , being a christian queen . that queen elizabeth should do this to her own cosen , and sister queen , one as good as herself , who after an invitation to england would never suffer her to have the comfort of her presence all the while ; that queen elizabeth who was cryed up and down the world to be so just , so vertuous , so full of clemency should do this , it doth aggravat the fact much more then if another had done it . i must confesse she lost much repute abroad for it ; satyres , pasquills , and invectives being made in every corner of christendom : among others i will recite unto you one that was belch'd out in france , which was thus , anglois vous dites qu'entre vous un seul loup vivant on ne trouve , non , mais vous avez une louve pire qu'un million de loups . no wolfs ye englishmen do say live in your ile , or beasts of prey , no , but a wolfesse you have one worse then a thousand wolfs alone . among other kings and queens of england the example of this queen and her father may serve to verifie the saying of porphyrius which you alledg'd , most noble baron , britannia fertilis provincia tyrannorum ; that great britanny is a province fruitfull for tyrants . now nimrod was call'd the robustus venator , the strong hunter , which the divines do interpret to be a mighty tyrant ; and certainly the chasing and hunting of beasts , the killing of them , the washing of the kings hands in their blood , and feasting with them afterwards , must needs make the minds of princes more ferocious , and lesse inclinable to clemency ; wherefore they have a wholsom law in england , that no butcher who is habituated to blood may be capable to be a juryman to give verdit upon any mans life . the nobles of england may in some kind be call'd carnificers of some sorts of beasts , as the buck , and the doe ; with other such poor harmeles creatures , whereof some have no gall in them : for having wounded them first , and then worried them down with their doggs , at last as a signall of victory they bath their fingers in the blood of the poor animall , which they call to take the essay ; but certainly this must conduce to obdurat human hearts , and as it were flesh them in blood . now 't is well known there are no kings on earth such great hunters as the english , and who have more of variety of sport in that kind then any , for there are more forests , chaces , and parks ( besides variety of royall palaces ) annexed to the crown of england then to any other of europe , which might make the countrey far more copious of corn , fuller of cattle , and have fewer beggars , if they were made arable grounds , or turn'd to pasturage . moreover the english kings may not improperly be call'd nimrods , as bodin hath it herein , considering what rigorous punishments use to be inflicted upon the poor peeple , by vertu of the forest lawes . in the book call'd liber rufus , there was one law enacted in canutus time , omnis homo abstineat a venerijs meis super poenam vitae , upon pain of life let every man refrain from my deer and my hunting places . the swainmote courts have harsh punishments and amercements , and for the poor husbandman ther 's no remedy for him against the kings dear , though they lye all night in his corn , and spoile it ; sarisburiensis , a reverend and authentic author , comprehends all this in a few words , when he speaks of the exorbitancies of england in this kind . quod magis mirere , ait , pedicas parare , avibus , laqueos texere , allicere nodis aut fistula , aut quibuscunque insidijs supplantare ex edicto saepe fit genus criminis , & vel proscriptione bonorum mulctatur , vel membrorum punitur , salutisque dispendio ; volucres coeli , & pisces maris communes esse audieras , sed hae fisci sunt , quas venatica exigit ubicunque volant : manum contine , abstine , ne & tu in poenam laesae majestatis venantibus caedas in praedam . anovalibus suis arcentur agricolae , dum ferae habeant vagandi libertatem , illis ut pascua augeantur , praedia subtrahantur agricolis , sationalia insitiva colonis , cùm pascua armentarijs & gregarijs , tum alvearia a floralibus excludunt , ipsis quoque apibus vix naturali libertate uti permissum est . but that which is more to be wondred at , saith sarisburiensis , is , that to lay netts , to prepare trapps , to allure birds by a whissle , or to supplant them by any kind of wile becomes oftentimes a kind of crime by the edicts of england , and is punish'd either by amercement , or some corporall punishment ; whereas in other climes the birds of the air , and the fish of the sea are common , but not in england ; they belong to the fisk , or some particular person ; you must hold your hand , and refraine for fear of comitting treason ; the yeoman is hunted away from his new plowd fields , while wild beasts have liberty to wander in them at pleasure ; nay sometimes cattle are kept from pasture , and the bees are scarce permitted to use their naturall liberty of sucking flowers . but the english tyranny doth not terminat onely in the king , but it difuseth it selfe further among the nobles ; in so much that as camden relates there were in king stephens raigne as many tyrants in england as there were castellans , or governors of castles ; stephani regis temporibus tot erant in anglia tyranni , quot castellorum domini ; who arrogated to themselves regall rights and prerogatives , as coyning of money , marshall law , and the like ; for now , there is no kingdom on earth ( naples excepted ) where there have been more frequent insurrections then in england : for as the kings have been noted to be tyrants , so the subjects are branded for devills . in the civill warrs that happen'd in comines time there were above fourescore that were slain by the fortune of war , and otherwise , of the blood royall , besides the kings themselves that perish'd ; whereupon when the queen of scots heard of the fatall sentence that was pronounc'd against her , with an intrepid and undaunted heart she said , as an author of credit hath it , angli in suos reges subinde caedibus saevierunt , ut neutiquam novum sit si etiam in me ex eorum sanguine natam itidem saevierint , if the english have been often so cruell in the slaughter of their own kings , it is no new thing then , that they have grown so cruell to me that am descended of their blood . what a horrid and destructive conjuration was that subterranean plot of the gunpowder treason ? so bloody a designe no age can parallell . it was like the wish of caligula , who wish'd the peeple of rome had had but one neck , that he might cut it off at one blow ; he had it onely in wish , but these had a reall attempt to blow up not onely the blood royall , but all the nobility and chief gentry of the kingdom : and guido faux who was to set fire to the powder , did shew so little sign of feare and repentance , that he boldly said , it was none but the great devill of hell who had discovered the plot , and hindred him from the execution of it ; that god almighty had no hand in the discovery and prevention of that meritorious work , which if it had taken effect , one of the conspirators sayd , it would have satisfied for all the sins of his whole life , had he liv'd a thousand yeers after . and whereas , my noble baron , you travelled in your highstrain'd and smooth oration through all the shires of england , and pointed at some things extraordinary in every one of them ; you shall find that they have as many blemishes as they have blessings . when you extoll the province of cornwall so much , you should also have made mention of their pyrrhocoracas , their sea-theeves and pirates , which are so thick as choughes among them . and whereas you magnifie drake so much , he was no better then a corsary , or a skimmer of the seas , and an archpyrate , who , notwithstanding there was an ambassador here resident from spain , and a firm peace twixt the two crownes ; yet was he permitted to steal and robb by land as well as by sea among the subjects of the king of spain . nor did he exercise cruelty on the spaniards and indians only , but upon his own countrymen ; as for example , when he landed at port san iulian , and finding a gallowes there , set up by magellan , he hang'd up by his own power a gentleman better then himself , which was mr. iohn doughty , meerly out of envy , because he might not partake of the honor of his expeditions . you praise devonshire , and the town of exeter especially , about which there growes nothing but thin oates , and eares without grains in many places ; but you should have remembred , that whereas henry duke of that city had married edward the fourths sister , yet in tattered raggs , and barefooted , he was forc'd to begge his bread up and down in flanders . whereas you speak also of dorsetshire , you should have call'd to mind the tyranny of king henry the third , against de linde , for killing one of his dear , which was made a hart in white forrest ; for which he was not onely amerc'd in a great sum of money , but the tenants of those gentlemen that hunted with him were condemn'd to pay every year such a tax call'd white heart silver , every year to the exchequer . you passe also over portland , a poor naked iland without woods or any kind of fuel , but the ordure of beasts , which they use for fyring . for somersetshire , what huge tracts of wast grounds are found there up and down without inhabitants , which makes it so subject to theeves and robbers ? touching hampshire , what a large act of sacriledge did king william commit there , by demolishing divers churches , and takeing away the glebes from god and men the space of thirty miles and upwards , making it a wild forrest , to plant and people the country with bruite beasts useful only for his hunting , venery and pleasure . but the judgements of heaven fell visibly upon his children ; for richard his second son died of a pestilential air in the same forest. william rufus , another son of his , succeeding him in the kingdome , was kill'd there also by the glance of an arrow from sir walter terrell : henry also his granchild , sonne to robert his first begotten , breath'd his last there like absolon , hanging at a bow while he was a hunting . 't is true that barkshire hath one goodly structure , which is winsor castle ; but most of the country about is inhabited by savage beasts , who may be said to live better then the people thereabouts . for surrey , you should have remembred what a perfidious act godwin earl of kent perform'd at guilford ; who betraying to harald the dane a young prince , that was sent from normandy to receive the crown of england , was delivered to harald the dane . sussex is infamous for the murther of king sigebert by a swineheard . and the province of kent will never wash away the foul stain she received for the sacrilegious murther of thomas becket , a saintlike man ; which assassinate was perpetrated in the very church near the high altar : for which crying and flagitious deed , they say , that the race of the murtherers have ever have since a white tuffe of hair in their heads , and the wind blowing in their faces whersoever they go . for glocestershire , her inhabitants there are worthy of reproach , that by idlenesse and ignorance they would suffer the vineyards there to decay utterly , and in lieu of wine be content with windy sider . in oxfordshire was that lustful labarynth made at woodstock , where henry the second kept rosamond his concubine , whom the revengful queen poysoned . now touching the city of london , the metropolis of great britain , she may be well call'd a monster , for she being the head , bears no proportion with the rest of the body , but is farre too bigge for it , and might serve a kingdom thrice as bigge ; but what saint hierom spoake of constantinople , eam nuditate omnium civitatum constructam fuisse , that she was made up of the nakednesse ( and ruine ) of other cities , so may london be said to grow rich out of the poverty of other towns. she is like the spleen in the natural body , by whose swelling the rest of the members pine away . and herein let me observe the poor policy of the fatheaded english , who suffer this one town to be pamperd up , while other places though situated in as convenient places for navigation ▪ are ready to starve for want of trade . 't is true that queen elizabeth , king iames and king charles his son , did put forth proclamations for restraint of building in london , and that all the gentry should retire to their country dwellings in the vacation time , and at christmas ; but these proclamations were like a fire put under a green wood , which did flash a little , but suffer'd presently to go again ; so those royal proclamations were put in hot execution for a while , yet they quickly grew cold again . but indeed such is the crossgrain'd and contumacious perverse nature of the londoners , specially the schismatical part , that they suspect , or repine at any new command that comes from authority . for whereas there was a secure and comely durable way of structure inordred them , that every one should build for the future with stone or brick , and not with lath and wood ; and that they should build regularly for the beauty , prospect and evennesse of the streets , as also that the houses might not be subject to firing ; yet this obstinate selfwitted people do stand still in their own light , and fall againe to build with lath and lime , notwithstanding that they know well enough the great advantages that would redound to the city by the other mode of edifice : in so much that in england ther 's not near that elegance of building generally as in other cities , nor are their streetes so streight and lightsome ; by reason the houses paunch out , and are not so uniform as else where . i could condescend to the praises you give of essex & suffolk , were it not that in the one , at saint edmunds berry , there have happened so many popular tumults twixt the monks and citizens . and were it not for a sordid tenure that lands are held by them of hemingstone , where baldwin call'd le petteur , held lands from the crown by sarieanty , pro quibus debuit die natali domini singulis annis coram domino rege angliae unum saltum , unum suflatum & unum bumbulum , for which lands he was to pay one leap , one puff , and one crack of the taile , before the king upon christmas day , every yeare under paine of forfeiting his tenure ! o brave knight service ! o noble homage ! o brave devotion upon the birth day of christ. touching the norfolk men , they are naturally wranglers and cavillers . the fenny situation of cambridge is such , that i cannot wonder sufficiently how that place should be chosen out to be made a seat for the muses . huntingtonshire countrymen have such a rustiquenesse , that hardly admits any civility . northhampton , and leicestershire are so bald , that you can hardly see a tree as you passe through them . the people of lincolnshire are infested with the affrightments of crowlands daemonical spirits . notinghamshire doth delude the labour of the husbandman with the sandinesse of their soyl . god deliver us from the devills posteriors at the peak in darbishire ; warwik is choaked up with wood , there , as well as in lincolnshire , the ordure of the sow and cow doth make them fire and sope enough . i should like worcester but for cold flatulent perry . stafford relates many odde fables of her lake , and the river of trent . in shropshire the sweating sicknesse took its first rise , which dispers'd it self not onely all england over , but cross'd the seas , found out and infested english bodies in other regions . chester complaines for want of corn to make her bread . in herefordshire there are walking mountains ; for in the year . about . of the clock in the evening , there was a hill with a rock underneath , did rise up as if she were awaken out of a long sleep , and changing her old bed , did remove herself to a higher place , carrying with her trees , and folds of sheep , she left a gap behinde of forty foot broad , and eighty ells long , the whole peece of earth was above twenty acres , and the motion lasted above a natural day , that the sayd moantain was in travell . radnor with her crags would frighten one ; for the rest of wales , though the inhabitants be courteous and antient , yet the country swels with such a conglobation of mountains , that strangers would be hardly invited to visit her ; which mountaines in some places are so high , and yet so near one to another , that shepheards may talk one to another from the tops of them , and not be able to meet one another in a whole day , by traversing from one mountain to the other , through the valley , and precipices underneath . touching the large province of york , whereas you averre that constantine and his mother helen were britaines , and born there , nicephorus makes a question of it , and would have them to be of bithynia . towards richmond there are such squalid uncouth places , and horrid mountaines , that the english themselves call them the northern alpes , and there be such roaring streames of water which rush out of them , that the inhabitants name them hell-becks , that is , infernal , or stygian rivers . now for scotland , good lord what a pittifull poor country is it ! it were no petty kinde of punishment to be banisht thither , for it is a country onely for those to dwell in that want a country , and have no part of the earth besides to dwell upon . in some parts the soyl is such , that it turns trees to stones , and wheat to oats ; apples to crabbs , and melons to pumpions . in some places as you pass along , you shall see neither bird in the aire , nor beast on the earth , or worm creeping on the ground , nor scarce any vegetall , but a black gorsie soyl , a raw rheumatique air , or some craggy and squalid wild disconselate hils : and touching woods , groves , or trees , as stephen might have scap'd stoning in holland for want of stones , so if iudas had betrayed christ in scotland , he might ( as one sayd ) have repented before he could have found out a tree to have hang'd himself upon . and most noble auditors , you may make easie conjectures of the poverty of scotland by the demeans of the crown , which scarce amount to a hundred thousand dollars a year , which you know is the ordinary income of a german prince , and this both boterus and bodin do testifie , who were eagle-ey'd inspectors into the revenues of all kingdomes and states . and the answer which the duke of norfolk made queen elizabeth when she reprehended him for his presumption to marry the queen of scots , doth verifie this ; madam , said he , it is no great presumption in me to attempt this , for my revenues are not much inferiour to the king of scotlands . this induced the queen elizabeth to give king iames , her godsonne , and successor , a pension every year . nor were the revenues of the crown of england any thing considerable , till of late years that trade began to encrease so infinitely , and consequently the customes , with suits in law since the demolition of abbeyes , and the alienation of church-lands to the crowne with the first-fruits , fines , and other perquisites by offices , and courts of , justice , i say before these additions to the crown , the revenue of the crown of england was but very contemptible in comparison of other princes . i must confesse indeed that in these late wars , the wealth of england , as well as the strength thereof , hath wonderfully appear'd ; for i believe on both sides there hath been above two hundred millions consum'd . and there is now coming into this new republique , i beleeve , above twelve millions of crownes every year . and for her strength , one may say , england was like a horse , she knew not her own strength till now ; for who would have thought that england could have put forth a hundred thousand foot , and forty thousand horse , all arm'd , besides her power at sea ? i say , who could have thought it ? yet there were so many in number at least , betwixt king and parliament at one time . but to reflect again upon scotland , as the country is pittifully barren , insomuch that long keale and short keale , which is a kind of cabbidge , that they can dress twenty sorts of wayes , is one of their principall food , besides fish , and some odde fowle , as the solan goose , which is their greatest regalo , yet the eater must stop his nose when he takes a bit into his mouth , the smell is so rank and strong . i say , as the country is so steril , so is the people sordid , and subject to vermine . good lord what nasty little huts , and holes shall you finde there up and down ; what dirty courts , and stables above the anckle deep cramm'd with dung . the sight of an ordinary scots woman is a remedy against lust ; for they are as big as cows in the middle : nature seems to make no distinction there between the two sexes , but the women commonly are as bigge limb'd as the men . these short commons at home drive the men commonly abroad to seek their fortunes in swethland , denmark and poland , where they are in such multitudes , that in case of necessity , the king of poland might put in the field thirty thousand scots pedlars , though they passe by the name of merchants ; for if one can come up to a horse and a pair of panniers , he presently assumes that name unto him . now , though abroad the scots are kept under a strict discipline that they cannot steal , yet at home they are notable theeves , and indeed the caledonians were ever so to a proverb , they goe now under the names of mossetroupers . hear i pray what their own country man , iohn lesley the bishop of rosse speaks of them , noctu turmatim per invia loca , perque multos maeandros è suis finibus exeunt , interdiu in prostitutis latibulis equos viresque suas recreant , donec eò tandem per tenebras quo volunt perveniant . arrepta praeda similiter noctu per circuitus & devia loca dunt axat ad sua redeunt . quò quisque peritior dux per illas solitudines , anfractus & praecipitia , media caligine & tenebris esse potest , is ut ingeni●… excellens majore in honore habetur , & tanta calliditate hi valeut , ut rarissimè praedam sibi eripi sinant , nifi canum odoratu , quorum ductu rectis semper vestigiis insequentium ab adversariis non nunquam capiantur . in the night time the scots doe use to steal forth by troups , through odde invious places , and divers meanders and windings ; they bait in the way in some odde nook or cave , where they refresh themselves and their horses , untill they come unto the places they aime at , where they had intelligence there was booty for them , which when they have got , they return by some other devious passage , wheeling about until they are come to their own home . he who is the most cunning conductor through these unfrequented , and craggy by-places in the dark , is cried up to be a very knowing man , and consequently he is held in greatest esteem . and so cautious & crafty they are in their art this way , that their prey is seldome or never taken away from them , unlesse they be pursued with dogs . — but these borderers or mossetroopers , which this description aimes at , are far inferiour to the highlanders or redshankes , who sojourne 'twixt craggs and rocks , who in the art of robbery , go much beyond all other ; insomuch that it is a law in scotland , st quis ex aliqua illorum gente damna intulerit , quicunque captus fuerit , aut damna resarciat , aut capite luat : when any of the highlanders commit any robbery , let the next that is taken repair the losse , or suffer death . i know i shall strike a horrour and astonishment into this princely assembly , by relating here what saint hierome writes of this people he saith , se adolescentulum in gallia vidisse scotos , gentem britannicam , humanis vesci carnibus , & cum per sylvas porcorum greges , & armentorum pecudumque reperiant , pastorum nates , & faeminarum papillas solere abscindere , & has solas ciborum delicias arbitrar . when i was a young man among the gaules , i saw scots there , a people of britain , who fed upon humane flesh , for when they passed through the woods , where there were swineheards , and other shepheards , they us'd to seize upon , and cut off the buttocks of the male , and paps of the female , which they us'd to feed upon as the greatest dainties . for the learning of the scots , once in an age haply they produce a wit , but tentimes they prove pestiferous ; witness buchanan and knocks , which two villaines were fratres in malum , what a world of troubles have they rais'd ? what a distraction did they bring on mens braines ? what proud rascals were they in their own conceit ? how they would vapour and raunt ( an humor that is more the scotchmans own than any ) nay what a malitious and ingratefull monster was one of them ? i mean buchanan , who though a poor paedagogue , yet he presum'd to write in such familiar terms , and disgorge such base invectives against so great a personage , as mary queen dowager of france , and his own soveraign princesse , and which sets forth his abject spirit further , this paedagogues pen was mercenary ; for he was hir'd to doe it . yet king iames took him afterwards for his tutor , notwithstanding that he had been so ingratefull , and bespatter'd his mother so fowly , as appeares by these pedantick dunsticall incongruous lines , this most base and scurrilous libell which hee vomited against her with that virulencie . o maria , o scota , o meretrix , o quàm bene nota impurè illota , veneri dedidissima tota quae stimulis mota , moechos trahis ad tua vota , vinoque praepota , facis id quod rancida gota . reproba regina , mage salax quam messalina , altera faustina , semper recubans resupina , pellex palatina , temerans conjugia bina , moribus lupina , regni jurata ruina . belie incepisti tu quando puella fuisti , inguine pruristi , procaxque viros petiisti , hin●… excussisti pudorem , & aperuisti seram tuae cistae quam claudere non potuisti . quid precor egisti tu in francia quando fuisti ? antequam nupsisti , cum cardinale coisti ? marito & tristi tu ●…ornua multa dedisti , contra & jus christi vitrico temet subegisti . nec minus arsisti postquam in patriam rediisti , nonne tuo mystae davidi succubuisti ? unde viro tristi causam vindictae dedisti , et huic & isti mortis tu causa fuisti . nonne vir●… est scitum te propinasse aconitum , blandéque accitum somno jugulasse sopitum , nec mora , protritum moechum duxisti maritum , caede insignitum regni scelerisque peritum . at principatus moecho est pro munere datus , hinc scotiae status tumultibus est cruciatus , miles & armatus jugi in statione locatus , usque quò fugatus est boshwellus dux sceleratus . itaque cun●… tota sic intus & in cute nota , daemoni devota , tam prudens ut est idiota , ut sic amota cupimus ante omnia vota , fortunae rota si reflectat , vae tibi scota . but now that i have given a touch of ingratitude , i think the scots are a●… guilty of that base vice as any nation . what mountainēs of favours did the two last kings of england tumble upon them ? what honors , offices , and dignities did they conferr upon them ? what vast pensions had they from the english exchequer ? how did the last king enervat his own prerogative , to strengthen their priviledges ? what gracious concessions did he make them , according to their own confessions ? how he pull'd down bishops at their request and distributed the lands amongst them ; how at his last being in scotland in parliament he was so easy and yeelding unto them , that they did nothing but ask and have , in so much that as one said , he had granted them so much of his royall right , that for the future he was but king of scotland , as he was king of france , only titular . how at his depar●…ure they confessed , that they had nothing to complain of for the government of kirk or state , that they could imagine , and therefore in lieu of their gratitud their parliament voted , that the old act should be reviv'd , which is , that it should be det●…stable and damnable treason in any of the subjects of scotland of what degree , condition or quality soever , to make any military levi●…s , or put themselves in armes without the kings royall commission ; to observe which act they took their oths upon the evangelist , yet the yeer scarce revolv'd when they rais'd an army , and rush'd into england , not only without his comission , but point blanck and expresly against his royall letters , wherein he desir'd them ( as they confess'd themselves ▪ ) since they had nothing to complain of , that they would be spectators onely and no actors in some differences which were 'twixt him and his english subjects , yet directly against his will and request they did thrust themselves into the busines ; and afterwards , when their own country-man and king had fled to them in his greatest extremity for shelter and comfort , they most basely sold him away . o monsters of men ! o horrid ingratitude , and per●…idiousnes , which hath cast such foule blemishes , and indelible spo●…ts upon that nation , that i believe all the water of the tweed will never be able to wash away . but the judgments of heaven were never so visible upon any peeple as those which have fallen upon the scots since ; for besides the sweeping furious plague that raign'd in edenburgh , and the incredible multitude of witches which have encreas'd , and been executed there since , besides the sundry shamefull defeats they have receav'd by the english , who carried away more of them prisoners , then they were themselves in number , besides , that many of them died by meere hunger , besides , that they were sold away slaves , at half a crown a dozen , for forren plantations among sauvages ; i say besides all this chaine of judgments with divers other , they have quite lost their reputation among all mankind ; some jeer them , some hate them , and none pitty them . what 's become now of their hundred and ten kings which they us'd to raunt of so much ? what 's become of their crown which they bragg'd to be more weighty , and have more gold in it then any crown in christendome ? i will now by the continuance of the sweet gale of your noble favours cross over to ireland , another rough hewn country , and crosse graind peope too ; and indeed the irish and scots are originally but birds of one feather , the same tongue being maternal to both . yet for the soyl and the climes , ireland much exceeds scotland ; nevertheless , the country is full of boggs , of squalid and unfrequented places , of loughs and rude fenns , of huge craggs and stony fruitlesse hills ; the air is rhumatique , and the inhabitants odiously nasty , sluggish and lowsie . nay , some of them are pagans to this day , and worship the new moon , for the kerns will pray unto her , that she would be pleas'd to leave them in as good health as she found them . for all the paines the english have taken to civilize them , yet they have many savage customes among them to this day ; they plow their ground by tying their tacklings to ●…he horses taile , which is much more painful to the poor beast , then if they were before his breast and on his back . they burn their corn in the husk in stead of threshing it , which out of meer sloth they will not do for preserving the straw . but to set forth the irish in their own colours , i pray hear how saint barnard describeth them , when he speakes of saint malachias a holy irish bishop of a place call'd then conereth ; a man that had no more of his country rudenesse in him then a fish hath saltnesse of the sea. malachias , inquit barnardus , tricesimo ferme aetatis suae anno consecratus episcopus introducitur conereth , hoc enim nomen civitatis . cum autem caepisset pro officio suo agere , tun●… intellexit homo dei non ad homines se , sed ad bestias destinatum . nusquam adhuc tales expertus fuer at in quantacunque barbarie , nusquam repererat sic protervos ad mores , sic ferales ad ritus , sic ad fidem impios , ad leges barbaros , cervicosos ad disciplinam ▪ spurcos ad vitam , christiani erant nomine , re pagani . non decimas , non primitias dare , nec legitima inire conjugia , non facere confessiones . paenitentias nec qni peteret , ne●… qui daret penitus inveniri . ministri altaris pauci admodum erant , sed enim quid opus pluribus , ubi ipsa paucitas inter laicos propemodum otiosa vacaret ? non erat quod de suis fr●…ctificarent officiis in populo nequam . nec enim in ecoles●…iis aut prae●…icantis vox , aut cantant is audiebatur . quid faceret athleta domini ? aut turpiter cedendum , an t periculosè certandum : sed qui se pastorem & non mercenarium agnoscebat , elegit stare potius quam fugere , paratus animam suam dare pro ovibus si oportuerit . et quanquam omnes lupi & oves nullae , stetit in medio luporum pastor intrepidus , omnimodo argumentosus quomodo faceret oves de lupis . malachias , saith saint barnard , in the . year of his age , was consecrated bishop of conereth , but when he began to officiate , and to exercise his holy function , he found that he had to deal with beasts rather then with men , for he never met with the like among any barbarians , he never found any so indocil for manners , so savage in customes , so impious in their faith , so barbarous in their lawes , so stiffnecked for discipline , so sordid in their carriage . they were christians in name , but pagans in deed . there were none found that would pay tiths or first fruits , that would confine themselves to lawfull wedlock , that would confesse , or doe any acts of penitence : for there were very few ministers of the altar , and those few did live licentiously among the laiques ; neither the voice of the preacher or singing man was heard in the church : now , what should the champion of god do ? he must recede with shame , or strive with danger , but knowing that he was a true pastor and not a hireling , he chose to stay rather then flye , being ready to sacrifice his life for his sheep . and though they were all wolfs , and no sheep , yet the faithful shepheard stood fearlesse in the midst of them , debating with himself how he might turn them from wolfes to sheep . it seems this holy father s. bernard was well acquainted with ireland by this relation ; for ther 's no countrey so wolvish : they are in up and down heards in some places , and devoure multitudes not only of cattle but men . in deed of late yeers ireland , i must confesse , was much improv'd both in point of civility as also in wealth and commerce ; their mud cottages up and down , specially in dublin , where the court was , turnd to fair brick or free-stone-houses ; ireland was made to stand upon her own leggs , and not onely to pay the standing english army which was there , and us'd to be payd out of the exchequer at westminster , but to maintain the vice-roy with all the officers besides of her self , and to affoord the king of england a considerable revenu every yeer ; and this was done by the management and activity of the last lord deputy , after whose arrivall the countrey did thrive wonderfully in traffic ( which is the great artery of every ●…land ) and in all bravery besides . in so much that the court of dublin in point of splendidnes might compare with that of england ; but that refractory haf-witted peeple did not know when they were well . but now i will leave the irish to his bony clabber , and the scot to his long keall , and short keall , being loth to make your eares do penance in listning to so harsh discourses . therefore to conclude , most noble princes , i conceave it a high presumption in great britain to stand for the principality of europe , considering how many inconveniences attend her : for first though she be most of all potent at sea , yet she cannot set a ship under sayle in perfect equipage without the help of other countreys , she hath her cordage , pitch and tarr , she hath her masts , and brasse canons from abroad ▪ onely she hath indeed incomparable oke , and knee timber of her own ; she abounds 't is true with many commodities , but they are rustic and coorse things in comparison of other kingdoms , who have silk for her wooll , wine for her beer , gold and silver , for lead and tinne . for arts and sciences , for invention , and all kind of civilities she hath it from the continent ; nay the language she speaks , her very accents and words she borroweth els where , being but a dialect of ours . she hath a vast quantity of wast grounds , she hath barren , bad mountains , uncouth uncomfortable heaths , she hath many places subject to agues and diseases , witnes your kentish and essex agues ; what a base jeer , as their own poet skelton hath it , have other nations of the english , by calling them stert men with long tailes , according to the verse , anglicus a tergo caudam gerit , ergo caveto . what huge proportions of good ground lieth untill'd in regard of the sloth of her inhabitants ? she suffers her neighbours to eat her out of trade in her own commodities , she buyeth her own fish of them , they carry away her gammons of bacon , and by their art having made it harder and blacker , they sell it her againe for westphalia , at thrice the rate ; she hath affronted , imprisond , deposd , and destroyd many of her kings ; of late yeers she hath been bafled at amboyna , she made a dishonorable return from cales , she was fowly beaten at the i le of rè , the small handfulls of men she sent hither to germany , in the behalfe of the daughter of england , did her more discredit then honor . and her two lasts kings were overreach'd in the treaty touching the match with spain , and the restitution of the palatinate . she hath been a long time in a declining condition ; her common people are grown insolent , her nobility degenerous , her gentry effeminate and fantasticall , they have brought down their wasts to the knees , where the points hang dangling , which were us'd to tie the middle , they weare episcopal sleeves upon their leggs , and though they are farre from observing any rites of the roman church , yet they seem to keep as●…wensday all the year long by powdring not onely their locks and haire , but the upper parts of their doubletts , with the capes of their cloakes ; and the time was not many yeers since that they made themselves ridiculous to all the world by a sluttish yellow kind of starch , which was a pure invention of their own , and not an imitation of others , whereunto they are very subject ; specially of the french , in so much that they may be said to be scarce men of themselves , but other mens apes . therefore most excellent president , and princes , i see no reason why great britain should compare with the other noble continents of europe ; yet i allow her to be great within herself ( if she had the wit to make use of her greatnes , ) and to be the queen of iles. dixi. the oration of the lord maximilian a mosch for poland . most excellent president and prince , two perusian ambassadors were imployed to pope urban the fifth residing then at avignon , who being admitted , and desir'd to deliver their ambassage as succinctly as they could in regard of the popes indisposition , yet they made a long tedious oration , which did disquiet his holinesse as it was observ'd by the auditors ; the first ambassador having at last concluded , the second subjoyn'd very wittily , saying , we have this moreover given to us in charge , that if you will not condescend to our demands , this my colleague must repeat his speech again , and make some additions to it . the pope was so much taken with this , that he presently dismissed both of them very well satisfied for the businesse they came about . but i being to speak for the noble kingdom of poland , need no such trick of wit to procure your consent that it may have the principality of the rest of the provinces of europe ; nor confiding so much in your judgements need i any rhetorical florishes , or force of eloquence to induce you thereunto , for the argument hath strength enough of it self , to do the businesse . poland needs no artifice , she needs no mountibank to set forth her riches , which nature hath scattered in every corner with a liberal hand ; it is a high and very noble peece of the continent , she abounds with mines of iron , lead and sulphureous mettals , and with lazurium , a kinde of stone of a blew caerulean colour , which god himself pleas'd to make use of for the adorning of his own palace . lituania may be said to be ceres barn , and russia her haggard : for there if a field be sowd , it will be the year following , without necessity of throwing any new seed . in podolia there be grounds that return . graines for one , besides there be pasturages there that the horns of the oxen feeding therein can hardly be seen . the salt pits of cracovia may compare with any on earth , there are such concamerations in them that make a little town supported by great pillars of salt ; and the entrance is so high , that you need not stoop your head to go in ; there is no where better hony , and mix'd with lesser wax , or whiter then that which is found in samogitia ; the trunks of trees are full of their hives . there is such abundance of pears , apples , plumms , cherries , and nuts , and these in such variety , that no country can produce more in every one of the county palatines of poland , whence huge quantities of wheat , barley , and oates , with other grains , as also hopps , hides , tallow , allum , hony , wax , pitch , ta●… , pot-ashes , masts , and hemp are exported to other countries : the number of oxen and horses are infinite . now for the wealth of the subject , and private men i will produce you one stupendous example . in the year . about the season of shrovetide the emperor charles the th . his nuptials were to be celebrated at cracovia w th the neece of casimir the great king of poland ; the kings of hungary and denmark , peter king of cyprus , and a great number of the imperial princes were present ; vernicus germanus , being then consul of cracovia , entertain'd all these kings and princes in his own houses , and feasted them for many daies , dismissing them with presents , whereof that which he bestowed upon casimir was valued at thousand florins ; this vernicus being infinitely rich , exhausted his wealth in such publique gallantries , yet he looked to the main chance , that he left himself a competence to live well and honestly : a small pittance will suffice nature , when immense possessions cannot satisfie opinion . the pole doth not glory much in high ostentous buildings , measuring the vanities thereof by the frailty of his own body , which is subject to decay in so short a time ; so he falls into contemplation that the proudest fabriques will dissolve and crumble to dust at last . what shall wee think of the pyramides of egipt , towards the rearing thereof , there were ninescore talents erogated out of garlike , leeks and onions alone ; there were three hundred and sixty thousand opificers and labourers imployed for twenty years together in the work ; but what 's become now of those . pyramids ? they are all turn'd to rubbish . but observable it is , that one of them was reard by rhodope a courtisan , who was grown so infinitly rich by the publique use of her own . the temple of ephesus was no lesse then . years a building , to which all asia did contribute , the stupendous length whereof was paces , the latitude . it had columnes , . foot in altitude . the tomb of king mausolus was an admirable thing , and the love of artemisia his wife was more admirable in erecting such a tomb ; and not onely so , but taking some of the powder of her husbands body and drinking it in little doses next her heart , saying , that her body was the fittest tomb for her dear husband . now come in the walls of babylon , foot high , and miles compasse ; to finish which there came three millions of people together . i will now fix my eyes upon the rhodian colosse , which did bear the image of the sun in that glory ; it was cubits high , the thumb of the image could not be embrac'd with both the armes , and so you may guesse at the vast proportion of the rest ; the statue of iupiter olympius compos'd of ivory and gold by phidias was a work of wonder . i will conclude with old rome , wherin there were in the pagans time ▪ temples ; the very roof of the capitol stood in talents ; she was once above miles about : she had in one cense that was made above hundred thousand souls in her , but now in point of people she is but a wildernesse , and but a village in comparison of what a city she was ; being spacious once to hold all mankind , all her amphitheaters , her baths , statues and temples are mouldred away , and scarce any remnant left , together with her vast palaces which aemulate cities . the serious , wise pole considering the small duration , and great charge , with the vanity of such things , measures his house by his own body , as the turks do ; it is sufficient if it last him for his own life , let his sonne build for himself . it is remarkable what seneca saith ; romae olim cul●…um lib●…ros texisse , postea sub marmore atque auro servitutem habitasse , rome liv'd free under culme , and thatch'd houses , but afterwards she grew to be a slave under marble and golden roofs . for matter of civility you shall find italy her self in poland ; for complement you shall find france , for plain downright dealing , you shall find germany ; nay for urbanity , and elegance of manly attire , the pole goes beyond us ; his language also is smoother , and not so abrupt as ours : therefore they are very wide from truth , who charge sarmatia with asperity and roughnesse of manners ; for whosoever will converse familiarly with them , shall find that they are very humane and open-hearted , that they are simple and upright ; for the first integrity of the world may be found amongst them . moreover the polish air●… is favourable to the m●…ses , for ther 's both poore and rich , gentry & commonalty , town and country are vers'd in the knowledge of holy things , wherunto it is a great advantage that the latine tongue is spoken so frequently and vulgarly among them , in every dorp and petty village ; nay their hoslers , and chamberlains understand and speake it in many places ; they are also vers'd in the dutch , french , & italian ; which was wondred at in paris , when the delegats of poland came thither to declare that they had elected by unanimous suffrage the duke of aniou to be king of poland , for some of them spoak as perfect french , and knew the mode of paris as if they had been born there : besides the parisians did admire the goodly large bodies of their new guests their manly-physiognomies , their furr'd capps , their rich buskins , their costly scabbards with huge silver chapes , and it was also wondred at , that none of the whole company , whither laquay , page , groom , or cook , but could speak latin , and parly some french ; which many spoake so exactly , as if nature had brought them forth upon the bankes of the loire , and sein , rather then upon those of the vistula and boristhenes . in this splendid legation , sirius samosius chancellor of poland was chief , a man of rare erudition and policie ; there was also baldwin the celebrous civilian , who was the orator , which he perform'd to admiration ; the foresaid samosius was famous both for the gown and the sword ; touching the latter , he performd many exploits both against the muscovites , and the austrian family ; for the other , there are many printed works published in his name , as the history of the muscovian wars , which thuanus would father upon carolus sigonius , or secretary heidenstein , but wrongfully . among the polish nobility , whereof many are famous for arts and sciences , stanislaus hosius was very renowned in italy , where he had spent much time , both in padua and bolonia , where alexander farnese was a breeding the same time , together with madrucci , and otho truchsesius , who were all three coopted afterwards to the colledge of cardinals . besides hosius , iohn dantiscus was a rare man for knowledge , who when charles the emperor had resign'd both empire and kingdom with all earthly glory , and dismiss'd all from about him , yet he reserv'd iohn dantiscus ; but with what elogies sha●…l i celebrate the memory of martinus polonus , or matthias de miechow , or martin de ilte , who was the first composer of the almanak or ephemerides in europe ? cromerus , herbortus , varsevicius , bzovius , lascius , vaporius , dresnerus , herbestus , sternaus , lumbostus , cichocius , with multitudes more of authors , were men of sublime and celestial soules . the times are much altered now from what they were , when pope clement , the fourth bishop from saint peter the apostle did write , in sarmatia extremam germaniam contingente , nullum geometram , vel poetam pictoremve , aut trapezitam esse , in poland confining upon the furthest parts of germany , there was neither geometrician , poet , painter , or trapezit , viz. an exchanger of monies , or banker . there is a strange vicissitude since ; for all poland now is a most litterated country , as if athens had transported herself thither ; there is religion , and piety also there in the highest degree , since paganisme was expell'd thence by mieczislaus , and established christianity , which they maintain still with that stoutnesse and fervencie , that when the apostolical creed is read in the churches , every man stands up and drawes out his sword , which he holds naked in his hand till the creed be read , intimating thereby that they will uphold and defend it with all the strength that god and nature hath given them : a solemnity which is observ'd by no other nation so much . and it seems that god almighty hath plac'd religion thus under the clientele of poland , because that she confining upon divers ferocious and wild nations , which are capital enemies to the name of christ , at least wise dissociated and cut off from the latine church , she by the valour and virility of her inhabitants might be a propugnacle and rampart to the holy church , and by her fulminating legions , and armes , might be able to repel , and frustrate any attempt of theirs . the muscovit her confining neighbour , distant from her in faith , though not in territory , serves as a whetstone to sharpen the polonian courage , least by desuetude it should grow dull and rusty ; the mahumetan is also her limitaneous neighbour , but a sorer and more formidable foe then the other : for there is a saying , ubicunque equus ▪ turcicus ungulam impresserit , ibi gramen non crescere . wheresoever the turks horse doth once plant his hoof ▪ no grasse grows there any more : yet of late years he bears up notably against that huge giant , and apprehends no great fear of him ; as it appears by the magnanimous answer which king stephen gave the sultan , who having sent to him for some auxiliar forces against the persian , under pretext of an antient custom , he sent him word , candidam polonorum aquilam antea implumem , & viribus suis destitutam , nunc rejuvenescere , pennas recepisse , ungues & rostrum exacuisse the white eagle of poland which was thin of feathers before , had now renewed her strength , recovered her quills , and sharpned her pounces and bill . for the pole is naturally a stout man , that will neither be softned with pleasure , nor dismay'd by danger ; a death bravely purchas'd he holds to be an immortality , and a life disgracefully preserv'd to be worse then any death . he is more careful to keep his honor , then life ; & as , according to cromers testimony , near the town of streme , there is a hill , where pots , caudrons , and other vessells are found naturally so shapen , though they be soft within the earth , but being digged out , they quickly incrustrate and grow hard when they are expos'd to the cold air ; so the pole is naturally shap'd for a soldier in his mothers womb , but confirm'd afterwards by the severe discipline of his parents ; he feares the clashing of armes no more then the wagging of oken leaves , or the bubbling of waters ; and herein they retain still the genius of the great piastus , who as by probity and justice he got the kingdom at first , so his ospring conserv'd it by succession for . years . the women there also are indued with a masculine courage , for by the old constitution of poland , no maiden was to marry , till she had kill'd three enemies in the field ; but piastus abolished this custom , and commanded women to exercise themselves in matters more consentaneous to their sex . we read that augustus caesar gave in command to lentulus his ambassador , that he should not disquiet the sarmatian ; for if he were once provoked , he would not understand what peace was afterwards : so the danube did put limits to the so prosperous augustus , and the pole did terminate his progresse . all this is confirm'd by that disticke of ovid who was banished thither . maxima pars hominum nec te pulcherrima curat roma , nec ausonij militis armatimet . good lord , what victorious kings hath poland had ? ziemovit did debell the hungarians , bohemians , pomeranians , and made them all tributary ; boleslaus chrobri subdued the russe , bridled the prusse , chastised the saxons , and upon the frontires of his dominions erected brazen pillars : after his death all poland mourned a whole year , all which time there was neither feasting nor dancing . what shall i say of boleslaus the third , who fought . battailes , and was victor in all ? in his time the emperor otto the third , made a pilgrimage to poland to visit the body of saint adalbertus ( which boleslaus had redeem'd from prusse pagans ) and it was to expiate a crying sin that he had committed , which was thus . the empresse being light , she caressed an italian count so farre , that she offered him the use of her body , which he refusing , out of a malitious indignation , like pharo's wife , she accus'd the said count that he would have forc'd her ; whereupon he was arraigned , condemned and executed , but before his death he discoverd the whole series of the businesse to his wife . a little after a great sessions in roncalias , appointed to right orphans and widdows , the countess came before the tribunal , and brought her husbands head under her vest , so desiring leave of caesar to speak , she ask'd what punishment did he deserve that took away another mans life ? otto answered , no lesse then death . then o emperor you have condemned your self , who have taken away my guiltlesse husband , and behold here his head ; and because there wants proof in so private a cause , i will undergoe the ordeal , the fyrie tryal ; which the countesse having perform'd without any hurt , the empresse maria augusta , who had accus'd the count was brought , and condemned to be burnt , which was done accordingly . and the emperor gave the countesse dowager . castles in fuller satisfaction . to make further atonement for this offence , the said emperor otto came to poland upon a pilgrimage , and boleslaus came . miles to meet him , the way being cover'd with cloth of divers colours all along . hereupon the emperor for so signal a favour , did solemnly create boleslaus king , and his companion , and a friend of the roman empire , declaring him free from all tribute and jurisdiction for ever . but to come to more modern times . what a man of men was sigismund the first ? you know , most noble princes , that , the persians doe cry up cyrus , the macedonians , alexander the great ; the germans , charlemagne , for heroique and valiant kings . the athenians cry up miltiades , cimon , alcibiades , thrasybulus , phocio and others . the lacedemonians their pausanias , lysander , and agesilaus . the thebans , epaminondas , and pelopidas . the carthaginians cry up hamilcar , hannibal , and asdrubal . the romans do celebrate their fabios , their scipios , lucullus , and caesar for strenuous and incomparable captaines . 't is true , they might be so , but they had to deal with soft effeminate people . but the polonian sigismund had to doe with the toughest , the most intrepid and fiercest nations of the earth , and a most favourable gale of fortune did blow upon him , throughout the whole progresse of his life and actions . he tugg'd with mechmet the moscovian emperor , whom amurath the . acknowledg'd to be one of the greatest warriers in the world , and got the better of him . he wrastled with the grim tartars , with the furious valachians , and layed them on their backs . he cop'd with the great turk ( who glories in a perpetuity of victorship ) and foild him more then once . nay , he had divers praeliations with us germans , and took from us the spacious provinces of livonia , and prussia , which , not without a foule blemish to germany , he added to the crown of poland . and although the people of those countries have often solicited our diets , and put the german emperors in mind of the avulsion , and losse of those countries , yet we have thought it better to leave the quarrel alone , because there is nothing to be got by the pole but knocks , for the poleax is a terrible weapon . now , touching the strength of the king of poland ; you know that for cavalry , he is the potentest prince of europe . thuanus the frenchman confesseth that the king of poland can bring to the field in noble men and gentry alone , which are bound to serve him so long time upon their own charge , above a hundred and fifty thousand men of all sorts of arms. the name of cosacks is formidable all the world over ; and although they are cryed up to be freebooters , fighting onely for plunder , i will rectifie your opinion in that , by a late pregnant example in the ivonic war : for having taken the general of the enemie prisoner , although there was offer'd . times his weight , twice in gold , thrice in silver , and once in jewells , yet this would nothing at all move the valiant cosacks . now , for the nobility of poland , it is numerous and antient , nay , there be good authors affirm that the great families of italy , the ursins , the colonni , the ialians , the gastaldi are originally of a lituanian race . there are in poland the radivils , the ostrogians , the starasians , the tarlons , the herburtons , with . princely families more . all this considered , most noble princes , poland may well come in and stand in competition for the principality of europe , but — verbum non amplius addam the oration of the lord ac acius axelius against poland . most judicious and excellent president and princes , the oration that was pronounc'd before was too long and prolix , considering the poornesse and tenuity of the subject ; but to me it was too brief and concise , considering the eloquence and strength of the stile ▪ i will not say it was like those ranting speeches that are usually made upon the theaters of italy , who use to make an ox of a bee , or a mountain of a mole-hil , when they speak in commendation of the vertue of their balsams , to advance the vent of them . but i wonder what should come into the mind of the noble orator , before me to extoll poland so hyperbolically ; sure it was to trie what he could doe upon so bare and barren a subject . as we reade that archippus fell a praising the shadow of an asse , and passeratius the asse himself ; as glaucus fell in praise of injustice , polycrates and isocrates of busiris , h●…ttenus of the fever , or as maro fell upon the praise of a flea , synesius of baldnesse , pickhennerus of the gout , libanius of an ox , diocles of a rape , ●…ierius of poetical poverty , mirandula of barbarism , salerius of drunkennesse ; lucian of a fly , dion of a parrat , mayoragius of dirt , or as erasmus fell upon the praise of folly , and heinsius of a louse , to make experiment of their inventions what they could say upon such small theames . but to make poland contest either with germany , france , spain , italy , or great britain for superiority and worthynesse ; were to make vatinius and cicero competitors for one preferment , or arachne to contend with pallas , who was the best spinstresse . now , touching poland , let the report of those french gentlemen that attended the duke of aniou thither to be king , be heard , who questionlesse found the best things that poland could afford . they at their return to france , put her forth in such illfavoured colours , that possibly could be . they said she was the proper seat , and perpetuall domicile of all barbarism and misery ; therefore it was superfluo●…s labour for them to passe a decree , that no french should have a faculty granted him to purchase any stable possession in poland , for none of them was of so abject a mind or fortune , that would be great duke of lituania . let us take a survay of the fertillest piece of the country , which is podolia , and what is it but a harsh and a hard stony soyl , that a yoak of ten oxen are required most commonly to plough up the earth . then the cold is there so violent , that water thrown but a yard or two high into a ba●…on , will freeze in the air before it descends . but this extemity of cold hath been sometimes advantagious to the country ; for one year there r●…sh'd in an army of thousand turkes , but there hapned such a terrible frost upon a suddain , that . thousand of them starv'd for the rigor of the frost , and some of them were found wrap'd in horses bellies ; which did strike such a religion into the mahumetan , that he thought the pole and russe were protected by heaven . touching ●…amogitia , a large part of the kingdom , it is such , that the very nobles there dwell in cottages ; what shall we thinke then of the commonnalty ? touching the vertues of the pole , i will begin first with religion , and where is she hous'd so poorly as in poland ? where is she more mix'd with prophannesse ? near vilna , one of their capital cities , the mahumetan tartar doth observe his rites . nay between lituania and samogitia , there are many who attribute a divinity to a kind of serpents , which in their language are call'd givoijtos , they carry them home , and a certain time of the year they offer sacrifices unto them , they provide them meat , and if those penates or houshold gods of theirs do not eat , it is an omen of ill luck , and presageth calamities . nay , ( i will not tell so princely an auditory a falshood ) in some places of russia , lituania and samogitia , the country people , towards the latter end of october , do provide oblations and holocausts for the devill . they use to meet in some ba●…n or stable , and bring thither a calf , a hogge , a cock and hen , with other creatures to make an immolation of them , and when they are kill'd to that purpose , their priest or inchant or whispering out some words , doth strike the ground with his staffe , and cryes out , the whole brigade keeping tone with him in pronouncing these words . o god zeimminick ( for so they call the devill ) these things we offer unto thee , and render thee thanks , that thou hast vouchsafed to conserve us this year in safety and health . and now we pray thee be pleas'd to defend us for the future from fire , iron , the pestilence , and from our enemies . then they take the flesh of those slain animalls and eat them , throwing first into the four corners of the roome some morsells , and pronouncing these words , haec o zeimmenick nostra holocausta suscipe , & comede benignus ▪ o zeimmenick accept of these our sacrifices , and eat favourably : now i beseech you , how can we think that christ can cohabit or be found with those infernall , and reptill gods ? moreover the samogitians are so given to superstition , that whereas it was the old custom of that country to till the ground with wooden ploughes , and cul●…ers , and that the governor of one of their provinces brought them the use of iron plough-shares for the ease of the labourer , and that some years after by an unusuall distemper of the air , they had a dear year or two ; they threw away their iron ploughshares , and fell to the old wooden ones again , attributing a kind of divinity unto them , and unluckinesse unto the other . though the rest of the polonique people be not infected with such grosse idolatry , yet they are as grossly ignorant as any christians on earth can be . few of them can say the lords prayer , or know what the ten commandements are , they leave that to their landlords and priests , it is enough for them to believe by an implicit faith in god almighty , and his son iesus christ , and the holy spirit ; touching more knowledge , it belongs to princes and great men . now for the masse of common people ; they are meer slaves unto the gentry , and worse then the peasants of france ; a landlord may come into any husbandmans house , attended with a hungry train of followers , and there do or take away what he will , without any controllment . nor do the country people refrain from their ordinary labour upon the lords day , but they plough , and harrow , they digge and delve as upon other daies ; hereupon a stranger asking one of them , why he laboured upon the sunday ? because , said he , i must eat upon the sunday . the landlords there have not only a despoticall , but regal power over their tenants , having power of life and death ; which slavish custom , vitoldo duke of lituania brought in among them , who was such a tyrant , that if he bad any to go away and hang himself , the party must do it , or else he should be put to a worse kind of death . murther is no capitall crime among them , but onely finable ; if a gentleman kills another gentleman , he forfetis . crownes ; if a clown kill a gentleman , he forfeits twice as much , and if a gentleman kill a yeoman , it is but . crownes amercement : but sigismund the first reform'd these lawes , and made the price of blood more precious . that sigismund could crack a horshoe with his hands , or tear a whole stock of cards to flitters , or heave up a reasonable horse in his armes . but it is a thing much to be deplor'd , that the people of poland were divided to four parts , three parts of four are arrians in the i●…hearts , for that heresie reignes no where more in europe ; there are other among them , but this is the greatest : and can there be a greater heresie among christians ? now for religion , and all kind of civilities , the pole is oblig'd to the german , who was their first introducer and instructer ; as is evident by those reliques of the german tongue , which are yet found among them , which the slavonique did shoulder out . now the slavonique is the most spacious vulgar language upon earth , it extends as far as constantinople , one way , and mosco another way ; for above twenty severall nations speak it for their vernacular tongue . now touching the naturall disposition of the pole , it is as savage and sanguinary as of any nation . among a cloud of horrid examples which could be produc'd , that of king popiel the . is remarkable ; who finding himself to be illbeloved by his subjects , and suspecting that his brothers and uncles did goe to undermine him , he counterfeited himself to be sick , and so sent for them as it were upon his death-bed to take his farewell of them , committing his wife and children to their care , and speaking unto them faintly and with much tenderness ; he calls for a boul of wine to drink unto them , which he scarce touch'd with his lipps ; but they pledging him freely , were all poyson'd , and died soon after . hereupon the cunning queen crying out that they had an intent to poyson the king her husband , their bodies were depriv'd of christian buriall , and thrown into the lake goplus : but mark the judgements of heaven . out of the putrified bodies , there were such ratts engendred , more bigg then ordinary , that first devoured all popiells children , and then his queen , and lastly himself in crusvicia castle , in a most disastrous manner , to the astonishment of all mankind . moreover touching the perfidiousnesse of the polish nation ; there be as many pregnant examples as can be produc'd among any people ; but not to detain your ears long with such harsh notes , let this one serve . when ladislaus , the son and rightfull heir of king albertus was put by , and uladislaus the . made king of poland , god allmighty having respect to the innocence of young ladislaus , powr'd his judgement upon the pole in the varvensian battaile , wherein besides the loss of many thousand soules , christianity receiv'd the fowlest blemish that ever she did from her infancie to that day . for this usurping uladislaus , having agreed upon articles of peace with sultan amurath , and given him the holy host for caution in point of performance , the said uladislaus breaking the capitulations , caus'd amurath to rush into poland with a fearfull army , and as both were to close , the turk drew out of his bosome the host , and the articles which uladislaus had sworn unto , crying out , o thou crucified , o thou crucified , look upon thy perfidious people who have pawn'd thee unto me , yet in a most scelestous and perjurious manner have infring'd their vow : if thou art some god , let perjury be vindicated . hereupon there was a generall overthrow given to the austrian army , and uladislaus himself slain ; in so much that poland grew so despicable , that scarce any would undertake the title of her king. touching the cosacks which were so much applauded in the preceding oration . truly , most noble princes , let me tell you , that they are a race of people of the same trade the wild arabs are of , who live by robberies and plunder ; and i had almost said they are as wild as they , for they feede upon raw flesh , which they put sometimes upon their horses back under the saddle to warm a little , and so they devoure it . they are farre worse then the mosstroupers of scotland , the tories of ireland , the frondeurs of france , or the bandoleros of spain , which lurk among the pyrenean hills for rapine and spoil . to draw to a conclusion , as the genius and naturall disposition of the pole is rough , fierce and unpolish'd , so is their speech , which is a most abrupt and craggy kind of language , in so much that in some words you have ten consonants and but one vowell ; the words of the pole when he speakes high , are as so many stones thrown at a mans braines that heares him , they have such penenetrating harsh sounds and accents . the teeth of a wolf , dentes lupini , are the of poland , i arms wil not say their nature doth sympathize with that rapacious beast , but me thinks the latine tongue whereof they bragge so much in point of vulgarity , should sound but very harshly among such teeth . for conclusion , i will relate unto you the character which one of henry the thirds secretaries , when he was then attending the king , gives of poland and the people , which stands upon record in an authentique peece of story . quant a moy qui ne puis mentir je vous diray fort librement que je ne vis iamais un si miserable pays , ●…ant de pouvre noblesse , touts brutals & sauuage , mais toutesfois si pleins d' arrogance qu' elle n'estime ancune nation . ces sont choses difficiles a representer par escrit , & du tout impossibles a croire que par ceux qui les auroient veues . for my part , saith the french secretary , who cannot lie , i will tell you freely that i never saw in the whole course of my life so miserable a country ; so indigent a gentry , so brutish , and savage a commonalty , but nevertheless so full of arrogance that they esteem no other nation . these are things which are difficult to be represented by writing , and impossible to be believ'd but by them who have been eyewitnesses hereof , as i have been too long . surely it must be imputed to this arrogant nature of theirs , that they think no man worthy to be their king by birth , but by election . nature is not worthy and wise enough to give them a king , but they must choose one themselves . and it is observable that they are the only people among mortals , who fetch their kings from far , and admit forreners to rule over them , and one reason may be , that they who are acquainted with the squalidness of the country , will not take upon them such a spendid slavery . but the truth is , that poland hath neither king nor kingdom , but it is a kind of confus'd oligarchycall kind of government ; which made the lady christina , caesars daughter , and wife to uladislaus the . so say , summum illud jus , & authoritatem monarchiae in polonia esse vmbratilem . that the highest power and authority of the polish monarchy is meerly umbraticall , 't is but a shadow of a power ; for neither in the oeconomicall government of his domestick family , nor in choosing himself a wife , much lesse in the senate hath he any power of free will. therefore most excellent and judicious princes , for to make poland to have a precedence of the rest of the provinces of europe is the same , as when the bramble , according to the holy text , was made the king of trees . dixi. the oration of prince henry albertus baron of limburg &c. hereditary lord butler of the sacred roman empire , and allwaies free for hungary . most excellent president and prince , while we are in so serious a debate touching the kingdomes of europe , and which of them may deserve the principality ; truly me thinks that we are ingratefull to hungary , that we have deferr'd so long to speak of the stoutest people that march under the standard of the crosse , and by whose valour the peace and incolumity of the christian world hath hitherto stood . we should have been more mindfull of the memory of our benefactors . but as the roman respublique is oftentimes tax'd to have sinn'd against her best and most devoted cittizens , as when camillus was ostracis'd and banish'd , scipio dismiss'd , cicero after catiline undervalued , rutilius hurried over to smyrna , cato was denied the praetorship , vatinius the basest of men being preferr'd before him ; so truly it may be said that we have misdemean'd our selves towards hungary . now if hungary could transplant her self hither before us , she would sharply rebuke us for this preterition and neglect ; but because that cannot be , i will adventure to be advocate for that most noble kingdom . but as in a vast forrest full of trees , one intending to fell down one for timber , and building , but having such choise about him , is puzzled which to single out ; so am i at a stand being entred into this large forrest of matter , where or how to begin . will an inestimable treasure of all wealth delight you ? i pray where hath nature endeavoured with more industry to enrich a country ? if the amaenity of soyl , the marvellous clemencie of the air , the faecundity of ground can ennoble a country , i pray hath not hungary all these qualities ? such is the fertility of fields there , that grain growes no where so kindly and copiously as there . there are such vineyards up and down , that you will hardly find any where such generous and strong wines . the medows are there so luxurious , that one cart cannot see one another though at a small distance . for numerous heards of cattle where can we find the like ? how many thousand heads of fat cattell doe the graziers fetch thence for the supply of all the neighbouring provinces ? vienna her self , the caesarean court , spends above . thousand of them . such is the felicity of woods and groves , that they are full of fruit trees as well as timber , as chessnuts , walnuts , acrons , plumms , and apples ; besides they abound with wild beasts , and foul , as boares , hares , pheasans , partridges , which is the familiar food of the peasans . for stately deep rivers europe hath not greater , and more commodious and navigable for commerce , and the easie conveyance of all necessaries to and fro . they are quickned with abundance of fish , great and small ; insomuch that the river tibisco is said by a proverb of the circumiacent inhabitants to have two parts water , and the third fish , so that wernherus ▪ affirmes that . carpes taken out tibisco were sold for one hungary ducket . what shall i say of the richnesse of mines up and down , wherein there are precious ores of gold and silver , the purest that is in the world. in a mine of dalmatia , which is no ignoble part of the hungarian empire , there have been digg'd out . pound of gold in one day , out of a mine in the principality of nero as they call it . there be some rivers in transyl●…ania , wherein ingots of gold have been found half a pound weight , as bonfinius reports . there is a very credible report , that sigismund chanzares bishop of the five churches , was so rich in gold , in the memory of man , that he could entertain an army upon his own pay . hereupon when albertus the pole challeng'd the kingdom of hungaria from his brother uladislaus , he us'd to heighten the courage of his souldiers by puting them in mind of the exuberant riches of the country , saying , hanc esse illam regionem quam mediam danubius tot fluviorum consiuxu incolis percommodus intersecat , & quae universi paenè orbis faelicitatem complectitur . hanc esse illam optimdrum for acissimam fructuum , vinetis specio fissimam , equis & caeteris animalibus aff●…im abuudant●…m ; auri atque argenti , multorumque praeterea metallorum ditissimam , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ribns quae non modo ad vitae usum spectant , sed & luxum possit ministrare , instructissimam . this was that region which the danube with the conflux of other rivers doth cut up and down with many intersections , a country which hath the ●…aelicity of the universe . this is she that abounds with such variety of fruit , with fair vineyards , with plenty of generous horses , and other animalls of all kind . she is enrich'd with mines of gold and silver , with many other sorts of mettalls . in sum , this is that kingdome which is furnished with all things that appertain to humane life , either for use or pleasure . yet hungary doth not measure these splendid gifts of nature according to the common opinion and wish of man , but she proportions them according to the necessity and use . and the inhabitants must labour for them accordingly ▪ without doubt industry is a high and indefatigable vertue ; idlenesse and voluptuousnesse is a servile , slothfull , weak and degenerous thing , her station is commonly in stoves and taphouses , in baths , and hot ▪ houses , or such places ; when we find the other in the field , in the market , in the mines , or standing in defence of a town with hard callous hands . if vertue and industry can be found no where else , you are sure to find them embracing each other in pannonia , now hungary . what brave masculine births hath she produc'd , what grave and learned doctors for the church , as the most eminent b. martin a pious bishop , a pure apostolicall man. then she had saint hierom , who for his sanctity and learning is reckon'd , and with good reason , among the holy confessors and doctors of the church . then you have andrew 〈◊〉 ▪ an admired student of ciceronian eloquence , who writ thrice with his own hand all cicero's works that are instant . but at last leaving the papaci●… , the miter , the sublime honors of the court , and all worldly pomp , he be took himself to a private contemplative life , and to his devotions . if i should stuff my speech with all those rare and holy men which hungary hath produc'd , it may be the catalogue would be so large as that of germany , or france . some of them have deserv'd so well of the common-wealth of learning , that they have been greater benefactors then some kings or princes . among other ioānes sambucus a doctor of physick by profession , was so diligent in the collection of the best authors , that his library might be compared to any one private man 's in europe ; which nonnus and hesychius doe testifie at large . we are going now to make inspection into the heroique vertue of the hungarians , in point of valour and courage . and first we could nominate eight emperors , which under a benign and happy star were born in hungary . in the emperor decius , his vertues kept touch with his age , and grew up together . he came to the caesarian dignity , neither by ambition , by bought suffrages , nor canvasing and corrupting of friends ; but as his election was fair , so his government was so exemplary and glorious , that he was adjudg'd to deserve the character of optimus princeps by the unanimous judgement of the senate ; had he not been given so much to pagan superstition , and oppress'd christianity by such cruentous persecutions . aurelianus is cryed up to have kept the whole roman empire three years without the least invasion , or noise of warre ; he augmented the bounds of it , and enhanc'd the glory of it all his life time ; but he was tainted with the same stain as decius was . he was of a tall stature , but of a sinewy constitution , and robust ; in so much that it is recorded how in the sarmatian war he slew with his own hand in one day , but in all above . in so much that children and boyes us'd to sing up and down the streets on festivall daies . mille , mille , mille , mille , mille , mille decollavimus , unus homo , mille , mille , mille , mille , mille , decollavimus , mille , mille vivat , qui mille , mille occidit : what shall i say of probus the emperor , who for his meer vertue and valor was hois'd up to the transcendent dignity of an emperor , though descended of very mean parents , of a gardiner ; his name suted with his nature , for he was a man of punctuall probity . he trounc'd the pole , he extinguish'd tyrants , he pacified the vvorld , in so much that vvarres being ceas'd all the world over by land and sea , it was said , milites minimè fore necessarios , cùm desint hostes , souldiers were superfluous when there were no enemies . dioclesian was also an hungarian , a prince of a notable spirit , who would have antecell'd all the rest , had not the tenth persecution happen'd in his raign . for there were nine before under nero , domitian , tra●…an , marcus , severus , maximus , decius , valerianus , aurelianus , but that of dioelesian was the bloudiest of all . iovianus augustus was also a child of hungary , who being chosen emperor , refus'd it , saying , that he would not rule pagans . hereupon the soldiers with a loud voice said they were christians . valentinianus and valens were hungarians , and his son gratian , all emperors , who did more exploits , — quam quae comprendere dictis in promptu mihi sit — after this there rush'd into hungary many rough septentrionall people in swarms , as vandales , goths , hunns , ostrogoths , and longobards , at which time pannonia came to be call'd hungary , and those stout nations did incorporate and mix with the hungarians . attila struck in like a thunderbolt and brought hither the empire ; at which time hungary had greece and italy in vassalage , and stipendiary . she did persecute the gauls with devastations and ●…yrings ; she brought germany after many changes of vvar to be tributary unto her ; and to pay this tribute , germany was constrain'd to make use of , and melt her church plate , and that of monasteries . and there was no people on earth so formidable as the hungarian . for their empire did extend then from austria to constantinople , and the pontique sea , and from poland to the adriatique another way : in which compasse of earth there were . spacious kingdoms , subject to hungary ; in so much that the king began to be call'd archirix . but what shall i say of stephanus sanctus , who would never attempt any ▪ act in warre or peace , but he would offer up some extraordinary sacrifice to heaven . what shall i say of andrea the . who was so happy in the education of his children , that his daughter elizabeth being married to the langrave of hessen , for her austere and abstemious holy course of life , was enroll'd in the calender of saints ? what shall i say of ladislaus the first , who quell'd the pole , brought down the swisses courage , while he was upon an expedition against the sarracens , by conjunction with other princes , pai'd nature the last debt , and so died in the fulnesse of glory ▪ and the magnitude of his great exploits ; a man , besides valour , for integrity of life , and innocence incomparable . what shall i say of the geisis , of the belis , of emericus , of the many of the name of charles and lewis , of sigismund , albert , and uladislaus , and of other most gallant kings full of prowesse and piety ; vvith what praeconiums shall i blazon the praise of matthias the first ? ô what a heroe was that matthias , he that was a terror to the east and west . he that was son to huniades , who was so great an artist in policy , and a well temperd government ? he never embarqu'd himself in any businesse but he arriv'd at his wished port ; he never attempted any businesse though never so arduous , but he compas'd it , being most constant and thorough in all his resolutions , and in the prosecution of them ; who had such a dextrous and moving way to incite his souldiers , that he made hope of victory to serve for pay . the emperor maximilian the first , when he took the city alba , when he triumphantly entred the city , the first thing he enquired after was saint maries church , where the body of sanctus stephanus was interr'd ; but spying the armes and ensignes of matthias corvinus , being neerly fix'd and pendant upon the walls with this inscription , sub marmore hoc matthias situs est , quem facta deum ostendunt , fata fuisse hominem : here lieth matthias under this marble , whom his feats shewed to be a god , but his fate a man , having i say spied and read this , he burst into teares , so highly did maximilian esteem matthias ; and indeed the perfections and prosperity of such a man , whom would it not ravish ? for matthias in his time was the only man who was said to bear armes . he subdued the bohemians , he orecame the valachians , he afflicted the pole , he tam'd the rebells of hungary , he reduc'd austria under his dominion , he extended the limits of his possessions to the shores of the adriatique sea ; he rais'd the seige of otranto ; he dissipated innumerable swarmes of turkes , and so abated the spirit of the great sultan mahomet , who in . years had acquir'd two empires , had got . kingdoms , and taken . cities ; i say he so handled this mahomet , that he and bajazet his sonne desir'd peace . besides , this sultan mahomet when he gloried of himself that he had conquer'd and quell'd all the kings round about him , he used to except alwaies king matthias , who was call'd by him strenuus princeps , the strenuous prince . but that which adds much to the renown of this notable king , was that he joyn'd arts with armes , that he contracted a kind of matrimony twixt mars and the muses ; to whom he was much devoted in his private retirements . at dinner and supper he had alwaies some book or other read unto him , or some doctors discoursing by learned altercations : he would alwaies say that 't was impossible for any to be a generall , and to deserve the name of a great captain , unlesse he were vers'd in the institution of warre among our ancestors , and observ'd their discipline of warre and stratagems . he made buda the domicile and rendevous of all kind of vertue and knowledge ; for he was very liberall and munificent to all learned men as well as military , and his reign florished with both . earl emericus was another ulisses , his brother stephen an agamemnon , paul cinisius another aiax , micolas cyupor a diomedes , michael palatine a nestor , blasius magerus ( who was of ●…o robust a constitution , that he lift up a but of wine which three horses could hardly draw ) was another hercules , and king matthias himself was a true achilles . in his happy reign , hungary was no other then an academy of brave men in all faculties . he boar up most magnanimously against the whole power of the ottoman empire , who denounced warre so often against him ; that fresh empire which florisheth with such incredible wealth , most spacious and variety of dominions , with such veteran captains and exact discipline and exercised souldiery ; flesh'd so often with blood and a continuall course of conquering , having their courage elevated with the conceit of the puissance and large territories of their emperor , with divers other advantages which the soft . europaean princes have not , among whom either want of mony , the mutining of souldiers , the covetousnesse of commanders , the carriage of so much luggage and amunition for the mouth , the luxury , and excesses of the common souldier is so frequent . in so much that as an italian author hath it , it is a harder matter to take the smallest cottage from the turke , then it were to take calais or bayon from the french. hungary is the greatest rampart of christendome against that gigantique enemy , who magnifieth and esteems the hungarian , and slightes all other europaeans , confessing that when he comes to the field against them , he is sure to meet with men . nay the women of hungary have such masculine spirits , that it is admirable . among many other instances which might be made , i will produce a late one . when mahomet had closely begirt agria by a pertinacious siege , and that the praesidiaries being summon'd to make a rendition of the place upon very fair termes ; for answer they set up a mortuary with a death's head upon it on the top of one of their turrets , preferring death before a dedition . hereupon the next day he made a furious storm , and brought his scaling ladders round about the walls , but he was notably repuls'd twice by the inhabitants . wherein the virility and valour of the women was much seen , whereof one having her husband kill'd before her face , her mother being by , the mother said that she should have a care of her husbands body to give him buriall . god forbid , o mother , that my husband should go unreveng'd to his grave , pugnas hoc tempus , non exequias poscit , this is a time of fighting not burying , and so taking up her husbands sword and target , she rush'd in among the throng of the enemies , and never left till she had kill'd three turks with her own hands , as they were scaling a wall , and so offer'd them for a victime to her spouse , to whom she afterward gave the rites of buriall . another following her mother , who carried upon her head a great stone to throw down upon the scaling enemy , and being shot by a bullet and kill'd ; the daughter takes up the same stone and went furiously to the walls , where she made so happy a throw , that she knock'd down dead two huge turks as they were climing up a ladder . this female courage did much heighten the spirits of the men , who behav'd themselves so manfully , that the gran signior was constrain'd to raise his seige most ingloriously , and so trusse up his bagage and be gone . bonfinius hath another story of a valiant hungarian , who at the seige of iayza , clim'd up a turret where the turk had set up his colours , which he pull'd down , and fell down with the colours , and so sacrific'd his life . what shall i say of the portentous courage of nicolas iurischyzius who kept gunzium a small city against solyman , maugre his army of . thousand men . what stupendous exploits did nicolas serinius perform ●… at the siege of ligeth , who being encompas'd on al sides , with fire , famine , & thirst , with the howling and screeching of women and children , thuanus reports , he caus'd a gate to be open'd , and having a select company of adventurers with him , they rush'd into the midst of the enemy , to the amazement of the whole army , where some of them lost their lives so happily , that they rais'd the siege : but serinius like the salamander went through and through the fire without being burnt . necessity is vertues occasion , and it is the property of a man truly valiant to make use of it , and turn it to vertue . now vertue hath many waies to try the valour of her children . she tries the courage of regulus by fire , of rutilius by banishment , of socrates by poyson , of cato by his self-necion ; and of the hungarians by these and many other waies : thus she tryed serinius , iurischyzius , georgius thurius , and nadastus , who have got themselves high seates in the temple of immortality . it is hungary that is the antemurale , the true propugnacle of all europe , against that prodigious huge tyrant the musulmans emperor . the germans grow rich by the hungarian armes , the italians live by their funeralls , the french sleep quietly by their calamities , the spaniard is at leisure to warre else where by their perills , the english and dutch made the more safe for their power , the pole followes his spotes by their labour . and christians in generall live securely through their perpetual and contiguous dangers . so that noble hungary is not onely the inexpugnable rampart , but the buckler of christendom . therefore , most noble princes , the hungarians without much prophanesse may be call'd the patrons and tutelar angells of europe . therefore the pole , when the french henry had stole away from them , made no ill choice when they reflected upon stephen bartorius to be their king. what an heroique expedition did he engage himself in against the moscovite ; what an immense tract of ground was he to traverse , what thick endlesse woods , what huge rivers , what fenns and loughs with other horrid uncouth places was he to meet withal ! the turks expeditions to persia , the spaniards to the indies , the expeditions which were made in former ages to the holy land , come short of this difficult march which bartorius made . but what did he doe by this tedious and venturous march ? when he had gone from boristhenes to cerinova , from staricia , and novogard , as farre as the lake lohod ; depopulating all before him , and taking all the youth of the country captives , he constrain'd the sudari the emperor of mosco , to refrain from all navigation in the boristhenes , and all the ports of the baltique sea , and confin'd him to the interior russia , that he should wander no further . this bartorius extended his arme from the danube , the titisco , the dravo , and the river marossa to the furthest parts of the northern world. when the turk besieg'd plescovia , there came an ambassador from him into bartorius his army , where they were put in battalion . the ambassador beholding the countenances of the men , their postures , and regular discipline , with the splendor of their armes , and richnesse thereof , together with their horses and canons , he fel into a kind of astonishment , breaking out into these passionate words , faceret deus ut isti principes — would god were pleas'd that these princes , meaning his master the great turk , amurath the d. and king stephen bartorius were conjoin'd in a league , and they might subdue all the world. i will conclude with a brave character that vanotius gave of stephen bartorius . bartorius erat in templo plus quàm sacerdos , in republica plus quàm rex , in tribunali plus quàm senator , in iudicio plus quàm iurisconsultus , in exercitu plus quàm imperator , in acie plus quàm miles , in adversis perferendis injuriisq , condonandis plus quàm vir , in public a libertate tuenda plus quàm civis , in amicitia colenda plus quàm amicus , in convictu plus quàm familiaris , in venatione , ferisque domandis plus quàm leo , in tota reliqua vitâ plus quàm homo . bartorius was in the temple more then a priest , in the common-wealth more then a king , in point of judgement more then a lawyer , in the army more then an emperor , in the field more then a souldier , in suffring adversities and more then man , in pardoning of injuries more then man , in preserving the publique liberty more then a patriot , in all offices of friendship more then a friend , in his conversation more then familiar , in hunting and taming wild beasts more then a lion , in all the rest of his life more then a philosopher . all these things impartially consider'd and well ponder'd , i do not see , under correction of the judgement of this most sage assembly , but hungary may stand in competition for preheminence with divers other provinces of europe . the oration of the lord ernest schafeliski against hungary . most illustrious , and highborn princes , the noble henricus albertus , baron of limburg , hath detained your attentions a good while in setting forth the praises of hungary , and so to make her capable of the principality of europe ; but therein he hath labour'd to put a giants head upon a pygimes shoulders , or hercules buskins upon a childs leggs . for , as by unanswerable arguments i shall endeavour to prove , she hath no reason in the world to aim at such a prerogative . for the kingdom of hungary , although it enjoy a fat and fertile soil , and almost every where productive , yet by the fury of mars , and neighbourhood of the common enemy , her agriculture and mines have extremely suffer'd for many ages . besides , her air is found unwholsom , and disagreeable to all strangers , for the grossnesse of it in some seasons , and the tenuity of it in others . therefore they cannot continue in one place above a month without danger , least the languor hungaricus , the hungarian faintnesse seize upon them ; which is prevented by frequent remove of stations ; that disease of the hungarian languor or lithernes , having begun in the army at comorra , dispers'd it self to iavarin , and so the contagion did expand it selfe among the germans , bohemians , belgians , french , and italians , where it extremely raged for a while . and as at buda ( then which besides possonium there is scarce a city worthy the view of a stranger in all the kingdom ) there be some sulphureous waters of such an intense heat , that will singe hoggs if they be thrown into them , yet there are peculiar sorts of fish that are there generated , with certain kinds of froggs , but if you throw other rivers fish or froggs into them , they presently die and turn up their bellies . so the air of hungary agrees by decree of nature with the inhabitants themselves , but it is averse , pestilentiall and intollerable to other people . what shall i say of those kinds of lice , which are the ofspring of the hungarian air , which much infest all people ? for it is found there by experience , that if one take a napkin and wash it there in pond water , and expos'd to drying in the sun , it will be presently full of vermine . nay , if one sweat never so little , the moisture of his body will turn to lice by the pravity of the hungarian air . adde hereunto , that besides the malignity of the air , the waters are also there of an ill quality both fountaines and rivers , all for the most part except the danube , whose streames are wholsom and potable : the river rabniza which mingleth with the danube about iavarin , runns with such unwholsome waters , that the fish and crabbs which are caught there do cast an ill sent , yea , after they are boyl'd . but as parents , if they have a child either crump-shoulderd , hopperhipp'd , bleareyd , or mark'd with any other deformity , do make her a compensation for it in an extraordinary dowry , which is able to make a sow appear like susanna ; so nature and fortune have made hungary some amends for these her imperfections , and furnished her with patches to put upon her moles . now touching the inhabitants of hungary , i pray be pleas'd to hear what otto a grave bishop of frisinghen saith of them . hungari sunt facie tetri , profundis oculis , statura humiles , moribus & linguâ barbari & feroces , ut jure fortuna culpanda , vel potius divina patientia sit admiranda , quae ne dicam hominibus , sed talibus hominum monstris tam delectabilem exposuit terram . the hungarians saith the bishop ( and bishops should not lie ) are commonly of a tetrique countenance , hollow eyd , low statur'd , barbarous and fierce in their behaviour and speech ; that either fortune may be justly blam'd , or the divine providence admir'd , that such a delightfull country should be expos'd to such men , or rather monsters of men . the hunns , which are birds of a feather with the hungarians , if antient writers may be believ'd , had their originall from a sort of demons . for , as not only tradition , but the story goes , filimer king of the goths having in his army a huge vast-bodied woman which was accus'd of impudicity ; he banish'd her to a wilderness beyond the maeotis , where meeting with satyres and demons , she coupled with them and brought forth a numerous issue , which were afterwards call'd hunns . but certain it is that both hunns and hungarians came at first from the extremest parts of the north , out of a province call'd iuharia , or iurha , which were subject to the moscovite ; who in quest of a hotter clime came as farre as the banks of the danube , to that part of the continent now call'd ungaria , which took its name from iuharia ; for in that province of iuharia , they speak to this day the same language as the hungars do : of these iuharians claudian speakes . — quo non deformius ullum arctos alit , turpes habitus , obscaenaque visu corpora . marcellinus calls them bipedes bestias , vel quales in commarginandis pontibus effigiati stipites dolantur incompti in hominum figuras ; they are two footed beasts , or rough-hewn trunks effigiated in the form of men , which use to stand upon the margen of bridges . now their intellectualls are as ugly as their bodies . there were never before nor after such martins , and such hieroms , as hungary had the happe once to produce , which were two columns of christianity . what a bloody tyrant of christians was that decius you extoll so highly ? what a fierce persecutor was dioclesian ? valentinianus though a christian was a tyrant , and valens an arrian . but attila you say was that unparalleld heroe , yet i pray hear what lucan speakes of him . terrarum fatale malum , & sydus iniquum gentibus — that attila was a prodigious blasphemer ; he was us'd to belch out that , as olaus hath it , he would make stellas prae se cadere , terras tremere ; the starrs to fall before him , and the earth to tremble . in his publique diplomas , and warrants he stil'd himself to be attila filius beneduci , nepos magni nemroth , nutritus in engaddi , dei gratia rex hunnorum , medorum , gothorum , dacorum , flagellum dei , metus & malleus orbis . attila the son of beneduc , nephew to great nemroth , nurs'd in engaddi , by the grace of god king of the hunns , medes , gothes , dacians , the scourge of god , the terror and hammer of the world. he had an army of ▪ thousand men , yet fearing to be taken once , by aëtius the roman generall , he had caus'd many saddles to be put in a place , that if need were , a fire might be made of them to burn him : but it pleas'd god to throw away this iron rodd in the height of his pride ; for being to be married to the daughter of the king of the bactrians , this bloody tyrant was choak'd in his bed the night before by a sudden flux of blood . you well know , my noble princes , how these hungarians were for many ages like goads in our ancestors sides ; how prone they have alwaies been to rush into germany to breath better air ; but stories tell how magnanimously our emperors have repell'd and routed them . among others , how did henricus auceps , and otto the great trounce them ? they grew so insolent as to demand tribute of the emperor , who in disdain of them , sent them a lame old scabby dogg ; whereupon they came into the field with a formidable army , but heaven was so auspicious to henricus auceps , that he utterly discomfited them with the death of . thousand , and . thousand taken prisoners ; yet they made head again , and invaded the confines of germany by the incitement of horoldus bishop of salisburg , with such a numerous army , that they vapour'd in these words , nisi caelum cadens nos obruat , aut terra dehiscens nos absorbeat , nulla vis humana tanta erit quae vel aspectum nostrum sustinere possit : unlesse the heaven fall down and overwhelm us , or the earth gape and swallow us , there is no humane power never so great dare look us in the face . but otto the great pricked the tympany of their pride , utterly overthrew them , took their king bultzko prisoner , with their . chief generals , lelius , sura , toxus and schaba . this signall and mighty victory did so abate their spirits , that they could never since be elevated to that height against germany ; but that which confounded them most , was , that their but sco should be hang'd before that gate in ratisbone which looks towards hungary . there is a proverb that hungarus multum lupi in se habet , the hungarian hath much of the wolf in him : this alludes to his immanity , fiercnesse and cruelty . therefore one gave uladislaus this advice , as bonfinius hath it ; hungaros non clementia & impunitate , sed ferrea virga continendos esse , the hungarian was to be kept in aw , not by mildnesse and impunity , but with an iron rodd . much more might be spoken of the odd humors of the hungarians , but i will here cut off the thred of my discourse , for feare i should abuse the ears of so gentle an auditory with such abrupt matter . and , most noble baron of limburg , this presumption of hungary in demanding the precedence of other kingdoms , is like that of weiderad the abbot of fuldo , when in a diet at mentz , he demanded priority of the archbishop of colen , who answered , sure this imperiall councell will not think it fitting , that an archbishop should give the place to an abbot , nor a prince elector to a monk. the oration of the lord laurence vonwensin for italy . most illustrious , and nobly extracted princes , it is recorded of the macedonian alexander , that when he fell a reading those verses of homer , wherein the valiant hector challeng'd any of the nine greatest captaines of greece to combat , and that the army thereupon putting it to a sortilegious chance or lot , with trembling vows , so iupiter wish'd that he might be aiax , or agamemnon ; alexander broak out into a sudden passion and said , occiderem qui me tertium nominasset : i would kill him who should name me the third , intimating thereby that he scorn'd to be the third in chief among nine , though thereby he might have more under him then above him . but , most excellent princes , put case any were at rome , and in the presence of caesar or pompey should offer to range italy in the third place among the provinces of europe , i believe an ordinary death should not serve his turn , or such as alexander threatned , but he should be presently snatched to the gemonian scales , hurld into tyber , or praecipitated down the tarpeian rock . for indeed italy , fair italy is the most precious gemme of europe , and other provinces are but bristoll stones in comparison . i will begin with that character which pliny gives of her , who is acknowledg'd to be one of natures chiefest notaries . italia omnium rerum alumna , eadem & parens , numine divum electa , quae caelum ipsum clarius faceret , sparsa congregaret imperia , ritusque molliret , & tot populorum discordes ferasque linguas sermonis commercio contraheret ad colloquia , & humanitatem homini daret , breviterque una cunctarum gentium in toto or be patria fieret . italy is the nurse and parent of all things , she is the elect of the gods , as she who should make the heavens more clear , who should congregate scatter'd empires , and mollifie their customes : 't is she that 's cut out by nature , to draw unto her by sweet comerce of language the most discordant and fiercest people , yea , to give humanity to man. and lastly , 't is she who is fittest to be the common country of all nations . therefore i cannot choose but wonder , and not injustly , that she should be pretermitted all this while in so judicious an assembly ; but the same fortune befalls italy here , as doth commonly fall upon the most precious jewells expos'd in some cabinet to be sold , where the richest are shewn last : for if the praises of italy had been first dilated , the elogiums of all other countries had prov'd insipid and tedious . now as the glorious sun , when he culminates and toucheth the meridian circle doth cast a lesser shadow , then when he declines towards our horizon westward ; so the perfections of italy which are so high , that they may be said to be in the zenith , and the verticall point over all other nations . if i should undertake to speake of them , and draw them down to the horizon of humane understanding , i should shadow and obscure them the more . there is in italy such an harmonious concent of all creatures , that the elements can afford , and those in such a perfection , that as pliny saith again , quicquid est quo carere vita non debeat nusquam est praestantius . whatsoever is , that life ought not to want , is no where more excelling . the terroir or soil is gentle , copious and cheerfull , it returnes more profit to the husbandman then he sometimes expects , being at no great charge of culture , for the land doth not struggle there with her lord , but is gentle and complying with his desires . the italian wheat for whitenesse and weight is distinguish'd from any other countries ; the boetian is next , then sicily , and the african wheat is the fourth in goodnesse . here i pray what an emperor ( constanstin paleologus ) speakes of her , nisi scirem a sanctissimis viris in oriente paradisum esse ▪ meo judicio non alibi posse reperiri quam in persuavi patavina amaenitate . if i did not know ▪ saith the emperor , by the affirmation of most holy men , that paradise were eastward , it could be found no where else but in the most sweet amaenities of padua ; whence sprung the proverb , bologna la grassa , padoua la passa . there be some soyles in italy that afford four lattermaths of hay & grass ; there are cheeses made there in many places of a hundred poundweight . nor doth italy feed the eye onely as you passe with delectable prospects farre and near , but it feeds the smelling also with the most aromatical odors of her fruit , witness apulia with many other places , which would make you think you passe through the elysian fields as you journey along her territories . for vineyards , she may be call'd bacchus his inner cellar , where the most generous & sweetest wines are kept . and whereas pliny , who had survaid so much of the earth , doth enumerate fourscore kinds of wines , the one half of them may be appropriated to italy . who hath not heard of the greek wine that growes hard by naples , on that part of ground were the fierie mountain vesuvius is superincumbent ? the set in wine which augustus caesar preferr'd before all others ; the caecubum and falernian wine , the albanian , the surrentin , the massican , the statan , the calen●… , fundani and veliternian wines , with the rhetican which growes near verona , and is of a royall tast , which theodoric king of the ostrogoths , while he did signorize over italy , caus'd to be brought to rome for his own palate ; the ligustic and tabian wine , and lastly the wine about monte fiascone call'd lachrymae christi , the tears of christ , for the suavity thereof , which when one of our countrymen had tasted , he fetch'd a sigh saying , o domine , quare non lachrymâsti in nostris terris ? o lord why didst thou not shed some teares in our country ? at papia there grow most fragrant grapes which perfume one's mouth as he eates them . the licor of these grapes is better then any hellebor against melancholy , it expells corroding cares , and wonderfully elevates the languishing spirits . it is recorded that the famous boetius severinus , a patrician of rome being in prison , and but half alive , the sence of his captivity having sunk so deep into him , was so reviv'd by this wine●… that it begat new spirits in him . o faelicia vina quae labantem m●…rore animum , curisque depressum modico haustu erigunt , firmantque nutantem . o happy wines which elevate the mind depress'd with cares , and crestfaln with grief , bearing it up from going down , though he drink but a modicum of it . hereupon his strength and spirits being restor'd and instaurated by this wine , he fell to write his book de consolatione : who doubts but oenotria receiv'd her old denomination for the goodnesse of the wine that is gathered there . italy also excells for rare large cattle , whence she haply may receive her name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is a calf . the fame of the neapolitan coursier runs all the world over . and for heards of sheep she hath had alwaies great numbers , according to martial . velleribus primis appulia , parma secundis nobilis , altinum tertia laudat ovis . apulia hath the first fleeces , parma the second , and altinum the third . for volatills and aquatique creatures , italy also abounds with variety . for all sorts of metalls italy also vailes to no country ; there is a mine of quicksilver hard by the river hydra . for allum also in toscany , and the territories of the church there is great store , and it may be call'd now one of romes staple commodities , whereof there are mighty proportions carried away ; and to encourage the merchant to come thither , the pope hath long since publish'd a manifesto , that if any shipp be taken by pyrates , or cast away by storm being laden with roman allum , when he comes again he shall have it at halfe the rate he payed for it before ; 't is thought that france vents of this commodity above a million of duckets every year . there is most excellent salt made in italy ; she hath excellent alablaster , and marble . she hath manna , which no kingdome of europe hath besides her . she hath store of corral and porphyrie , she hath ophits , agats , and chalcedeny , shee hath the hard azur , and the lazul stones , the grain for purple dies , with innumerable other rich commodities . o precious italy , and among other territories of thine , o luxurious campania ? which florus doth describe thus very elegantly . omnium non modo italia , sed toto terrarum orbe pulcherrima campaniae plaga est , nihil mollius caelo , nihil uberius solo , bis floribus vernat , ideo liberi cererisque certamen dicitur , nihil hospitalius mari . heic illi nobiles portus , caieta & misenus , & tepentes fontibus baiae , lucrinus & avernus quaedam maris ostia . heic amicti vitibus montes gaurus , falernus , massicus , & pulcherrimus omnium vesuvius , aetnaei ignis imitator . campania is the most beautifull tract of earth , not onely of italy , but of all the world. ther 's nothing more gentle then her air , more luxuriant then her soyl . bacchus and ceres strive here for the mastery . there is no sea so hospitable , here are the noble ports of caieta , and misenum , lucrinus and avernus are as two gates to let in neptune ; here are baths fedd with tepid fountaines , here are hills clad with vines , gaurus , falernus , massicus , and the fairest of all vesuvius , aetna's ape . halicarnassaeus affirm'd in his time , that fruits are gathered there three seasons in the year ; what a place of pleasure was capua in tiberius his time ? what a paradise is naples at this time ? here virgil melted away his time when he writ his georgiques . horace , livy , statius , pampinius , claudian , anneius seneca , agellius , petrarca , panormitanus , laurentius valla , porcellius , blondus , facius with other excellent writers . for the lustre and number of nobility , there is not such a concourse upon earth of princes , dukes , marquises , and counts . who then , that hath the least ambition to vertue , but would be transported with a violent desire to visit italy , who hath cities that shine in her like so many constellations in the firmament ? those of the first magnitude are rome , holy and magnificent rome , wise , rich and lordly venice , gentile , and odoriferous naples , beautifull florence , a city , as charles the emperor said , to be seen only on festivall daies , milan the spacious , bolonia the fat , ferrara the civill , padoua the strong , bergamo the subtle , genoa the proud , verona the worthy , brescia the fortified , mantoua the glorious , rimini the good , siena the studious , luca the industrious , furli the wanton , ravenna the mild , capoua the amorous , urbin the loyall , &c. with divers renouned cities more that have their peculiar epithets . the divine ingenie , and inventive brain of the italian , is well known all the earth over , for all countries have reap'd the benefit thereof . there are not such opificers and artists in the world ; if you respect limmers , architects , painters , weavers , and such like ; who are not only imitated , but admir'd by the rest of the europaeans . what a rare chymicall invention was that of making christall glasses by the venetian . what a happy , and infinitly profitable invention was that of the mariners compass , found out by the subtile reach of a napolitan wit , that immortall iohn goia of amalphi : what prodigious fancies had michael angelo of florence , and raphael of urbin . now , as biscopius a british monk , made . pilgrimages to rome , and carried back to great britain in the year . the choicest artificers of italy , at which time one may say that that iland was first civiliz'd , so to this day all other countries fetch their chiefest artists from thence . moreover for all other speculative and theorical knowledge , the italian brain transcends all other in the study of the sciences . rome had but short skirts before litterature was introduc'd , which happen'd a little after the first punique warre , then she began to be another athens . o immortall gods , how did she expand her self afterwards , how violently did she thrive and augment her dominions ? what rare wits did she produce , as ennius rudinus , accius plautus , lucretius , catullus , statius , horatius , persius , and valerius flaccus , iuvenal , porpertius , ovid , & virgil ; all heavenly poets . for prose , porcius cato censorinus , q. claudius , marcus varro , who wrote more then others use to read , salustius crispus , cornelius nepos , pompeius trogus , titus livius , caius iulius caesar , velleius paterculus , cornelius tacitus , valerius maximus , suetonius , plinie , natures bibliothecary . what accurate rules of historizing are given us by archytas , aristoxenus , luritus , nicomachus , all tarentines . alchmen , and philolaus , crotonians , vitruvius of verona ; the mysteries of greek philosophy were open'd to us by papirius , and sempronius . for the pandects of the law we are beholden to papinianus , paulus , and ulpian . what shall i say of those hero's of eloquence , cornelius cethegus , appius caecus , q. metellus , c. laelius , p. africanus , ser. galba , aemilius lepidus , c. gracchus , q. catulus , herennius , titius , and the great standardbearer of orators , of tullius cicero . what were found single in all the other , met all in him together . his orations had the gravity of cato , the lenity of laelius , he had neither the boysterousnesse of gracchus , nor the heat of caesar , nor the confus'd distributions of hortensius , nor the sophisms of calvus , nor the niggardnesse of salust . there could nothing imaginable be either added , spar'd or alter'd in his orations . and what a powerfull stroak did the ciceronian eloquence carry with it against catiline ? what a virtue it had to preserve rome ? romulus did not so great an act to build rome , as cicero did to defend it . it was a great trophy that scipio carried away from hannibal , fabricius from pyrrhus , the other scipio from antiochus , crassus from spartacus , pompey from sertorius and mithridates , but it was a more wholsome victory for rome which cicero had of catiline . but after these glorious lamps of learning , there happen'd afterward dark times , by the irruption of many barbarous nations into italy , who ravish'd rome so often , overwhelm'd all italy with ignorance . but urban the . revok'd the muses from banishment , and learning began to flourish again . he sent for thomas aquinas to rome , who had been a scholler to albertus magnus . this aquinas was a man of extraordinary intellectualls , so that he grew more illustrious for his learning , then for his birth , though he descended from the antient counts of apulia : the old academy of rome was then re-established by new instaurations . after urban , clement the . in the councell of vienna made a decree , that at rome , or wheresoever the pontifical court should reside , the hebrew , chaldaic , and arabic should be read by publique professors . then in nicolas the . time choice agents were sent all europe over to fish for old authors , to which end he gave them golden hooks , and large allowance . he offer'd . duckets to him who could bring the hebrew copy of saint matthews gospel . cosmo , and laurence de medici , were great restaurators of learning . which made marsilius ficinus , argyropilus , chalco●…diles , picus , and politianus to come to florence . azon of bolonia did much in reviving the civill law , together with the glossaries of accursius . i come now to dante aligero , petrarca , and boccaccio a triumvirate , who were gran-masters of the italian tongue . leo the tenth was a man born for the reparation of letters , and advancement of knowing men ; from his time it is incredible how all kind of sciences did reflourish in italy , and consequently in all countries else ; for italy may be call'd the source or great cestern , whence all kind of vertues flow to the europaean world. divine writers did multiply , sadolet , caietan , contarenus , borromaeus , sirletus , caraffa , caesar baronius , who with much oyl and labour compil'd a gigantic work , viz. the ecclesiastic history , which for magnitude , for method , for variety of narrations , for expence and paines , must be confess'd that nil oriturum alias , nil ortum tale . there is not , nor will there be such a work . i bring bellarmine next to baronius , they were both purpurated , and great cardinalls , great in doctrine , as well as in dignity , there was a great heap of knowledge lodg'd under their red caps . peter martyr , zanchius , paulus venetus , isidore , clarius and folengius , two benedictins , were eminent men . for prudence of the law how celebrous is alciat , pancirolus , albericus gentilis , pacius , peregrinus , monochius , vaudus mascardus , farinacius , surdus , and hondaeus . what could hippocrates or galen know more in the secrecies and operations of physick then did fracastorius , fallopius , hierom mercurialis , aldrovandus , matthiolus , maranta , brasavolus , cesalpinus , baccius , iohn baptista porta , costeus , chlumna , ghinus , aloys , anguillara , tapivacius , tali●…otius , who could make lipps , noses , eares , and eyes so artificiall , as if they had been naturall , to the wonder of the spectator . within the whole circumference of phylosophy , what could be so criticall and recondit , that iulius caesar scaliger did not penetrate . fran. guicciardin need not give place to any historian old or new , according to the opinion of thuanus and lipsius . what singular men were paulus iovius , sigonius , bonamimicus , gyraldus , cardinal bembo , cardan , gauricus , onufrius , hermolaus , and daniel barbari , calepin , albertus , manucins , peter aretin , pomponius laetus , vergerius , picus , zabarella , piccolomini , magirus , bonciarius , ehinus , speronius torquatus tasso , paruta , ur sinus , ricobonus , superantius . what rare women for morality and erudition were laurentia strozzia , and olimpia fulvia morata . nor can italy choose but be full of such exquisite learned spirits , considering there are so many convenient seminaries to plant them in , so many brave universities . there is rome the mother of all . there is padoa her first daughter , there is bolonia the subtillest , siena the pleasantest , florence the fairest , milan the profoundest ; there is naples , pisa , papia , ferrara , with divers others , to the number of . in all ; therefore there must needs be good corne where there are such fields to sow it , and such good culturage . nor hath mercury only his pavilions in italy , but mars hath also his tents ther , military vertue and discipline never came to that height of perfection as it is there ; what notable ingenious engineers doth she daily produce ? what new waies of fortification doth she daily invent ? how she reduceth all to rules of art , so that any one is there a mathematitian . the italian doth not rush rashly into danger as other blind bayards ; but he doth cast the action first into the balance of judgement , to see whither it be feasable , and then he continueth in one degree of heat all the while ; whether it be in assaulting , or pursuing , whither he makes a halt or retires , he is still the same man in point of courage . in matter of treaty there is no nation ever went beyond the italian , he was never cosend that way , wherein he useth to shew resolution as well as reservednesse ; there is a memorable example of that , when charles the . came into italy , he advanc'd as farre as florence , where entring into a treaty with the duke , he employed . commissiones to the emperors camp , whereof caponi was one , who hearing the propositions read by the kings secretary , and finding them very high , snatched them from him , and toar them , saying , frenchmen , if you propose such high things , go and sound your trumpets , and florence shall ring her bells ; and so he and his fellow commissioners withdrew themselves suddenly from the kings bed-chamber , where the businesse was to be transacted . this resolute comportment of caponi startled the french , and brought them to farre lower termes . i should tire your patience too much if i should give a cataloge here of all the great captaines of italy , therefore i will instance but in few . who hath not heard of farinata uberti , celebrated by dante ? castruccio was admir'd by all . scaliger prince of verona was fear'd by all , balbicino , draccio , sforza , gutamelata , to whom the venetians erected a brazen statue at padoa piccinini , coleone , and feltrio prince of urbin , vitellio , ursini , liviano , macone , correggi , trivultio , gonzaga , davali , vastio , and prospero colonna , were all of them great martialists , and men of admirable conduct . what shall i say of the strozzi , of iacomo medicini , of castaldi , of andrea doria , another neptun , and of ambrosio spinola a great captain ; of sound prudence in counsell , and performance in the camp. what notable exploits did he do in high and low germany ? how important was his presence at the siege of ostend , where . thousand soules found their graves . what a stupendous circumvallation was that of breda ? how politiquely did he seaze upon the palatinat ; but being commanded a farre off from spain to raise the siege of casale , his great spirit not being able to brook it , he said , me han quitado la honra , they have taken away my honor ; which made such impressions in him , that he retir'd to the town of his nativity ( genoa ) and so march'd to heaven . but , most noble princes , excuse me that i have pretermitted so long one of your rank , alexander farnese , duke of p●…rma , of whom monsieur de la noue his enemy , and one of the greatest martialists in france , saith , iamais capitain n' eust plus de iugement en la conduite d'vne armee , ni plus de justice en la discipline militaire . never captain had more judgment in the conduct of an army , nor more justice in the discipline of warre . who doth not admire americo vespucio the florentine , who hath christn'd the new world , which is held to be as big as the old , with his name ? who doth not stand astonish'd at christophoro columba , who may be said to be a greater hero●… then hercules ; for he discover'd a farre greater world ; and went far beyond his nil ultra . truly all antiquity cannot parallel that exploit which he perform'd , meerly by strength of wit , and his rare skill in the mathematiques : for contemplating with himself , that the aequator the great circle in the heavens did divide the whole world into two equall parts , and finding that there was such a proportion of earth on the north-east side ; he concluded with himself that there must needs be so much on the south-west to counterbalance the globe , and make the heavenly circle to be just in his division ; and this speculation of his was grounded upon a true principle , as it prov'd by the effect ; though the ligurians his countrymen deem'd it a vain fancy . henry the . of england held it ridiculous , alphonsus the . a meer fancy , at last this great artist being in despair to find some prince to patronage the work ; he made his addresse to isabella queen of castile , a most pious and fortunat lady , who began to give ear and credit to him , & so accommodated him for the voyage , which notwithstanding a thousand difficulties , as the danger of those vast unknown seas , the murmuring humor of the spaniards that went with him ; yet he brought his ends home to his aim , and return'd with an olive branch , or rather a leaf of gold home in his mouth . thus as providence would have columba , a dove first to discover dry earth after the deluge ; so columbus first discover'd this new peece of earth to the inhabitants of the old world. in so much that this italian may be said to have laid the first foundation of the greatnesse , which spain is mounted unto at this time . but columbus chancing to be one time unkown among some spaniards , who discoursing of this discovery , and slighting it , saying it might have beeen feasable by any navigator , he calls for an egge , and laying a wager that none could make that egge to stand at an end upon a smooth table , the spaniards trying many wayes to doe it , and missing , columbo took the egge , and b●…uising the shell at one end , made it stand upright ; then every one could doe it after him ; whereupon he told them , just so when an italian had shewed you the way , 't was easie for you spaniards to goe to the new world. yet that brave queen isabella and ferdinand with their successors did nobly reward columbo , though genoa his own native town was ingratefull unto him , for having left her a mighty legacy at his death , she did not raise any monument , much lesse any brass statue to his memoey , which he so much deserved . but herein genoa carried her self towards columbo , as london in england did towards cavalier middleton , who fell upon a brave wholsome invention of bringing a fresh river fifty miles about , to runne through her streets to her infinite advantage for many uses . touching the noble virtue of friendship , she reigns no where so strongly as among the italians , who are naturally of a most humane and mansuete disposition , not onely among themselves but to strangers . there was a notable example thereof in alostio priuli , a gentleman who had contracted a strict league of love with cardinal pole an english man , which lasted many years , so that there was much notice taken at rome , of that conformity of manners , reciprocation of affection , and sweet sympathy which were between them . this friendship continued in the same strain of strength for twenty six years ; all which time priuli could not be wrought upon to enter into the colledge of cardinals , though often invited by iulius the third . cardinal pole falling at last sick of a lingring disease , signior priuli never stirred from his side all the while : at last , the physitians telling him he had not long to live , he sent for a notary , and made priuli heire of all he had ; but such was the generosity of the venetian , that he made not a penny benefit of it , but gave it all among his english kindred ; being twenty moneths in perpetual agitation for the recovering of the estate . nor are there any people so naturally addicted to charity as the italians : cardinal atestino was a great example hereof , of whom there was a kind of proverb in rome , that his house was an exchequer to the rich , an hospitall to the poor ; his person was the splendour of the sacred colledge , and an ornament to the roman court. i passe now to the nobility of italy , which is very numerous ; there is no clime under heaven , where virtue is more rewarded , good qualities more pryed into , and industry higher advanced . rome is the common-countrey of all nations , it is the rendevous of all ingenious spirits ; and its impossible for any person of merit to be there long , but he is sought after , and advanced . this makes italy so abound with nobles of all nations . for the generous exercise of riding great horses , they goe beyond all , and it is wonderfull to see , what a docible creature they bring those fiery mettall'd animals to be ; they use to make them dance , and keep touch with the musique , by a rare art , and do strange feats besides . what a famous master in this art was sigismondo locatello of ferrara ? grisonio was no lesse rare in point of horsmanship . among other compleat and gallant spirits which italy produced these latter ages , cosmo de medici was one of the most admired all the world over : 't was he that did first found the grandeur of the medicean family ; 't was he brought his hetruscan countrey to such a civility ; 't was he who taught soveraigne princes first , to look to the encroaching power of their neighbours , and to keep them in aequilibrio ; therefore apollo made fit choice of him to hold the balance , when all the kingdoms and states of europe were weighed before him at delphos . he was a man of an exquisite temper in his behaviour , of a notable reach of understanding , of a marvailous forecasting head , a subtile cleare brain , quick apprehension and profound judgement . he was munificent to strangers , liberal to his domestiques , and extreamly charitable to the poor , a mighty restaurator of gods houses . in all these acts he was equal to kings , he exceeded ordinary princes , and went far beyond all private men . now , although out of the largeness of his heart , and piety of his soul , he had expended a kings ransom in hospitals , monasteries , and churches , yet he was used to say , non potuisse se in suis accepti & expensi codicibus unquam reperire deum debitorem : when he went to look into his leger book of account what moneys he had received and issued , he could never find god his debter . yet this mighty man was , when auditor cossa did audit his expenses , 't was found , that he had spent forty millions in publique and private fabriques , and tenne millions in private acts of munificence , and charity . he was such a lover of his country , so mighty a patriot , that having lived above seventy yeares , this modest , but well merited epitaph was engraven upon his tomb , cosmus med●…ces heic situs est , decreto publico , pater patriae . cosmo of medici lyes here , father of his country by publique decree . and now that i am in toscany , i will visit pisa , who i finde was in former times a commonwealth of great authority by land , and power by sea , she did subjugate sardinia , and carthage also , bringing her king captive to the pope ▪ by whom he was converted ; she also made her self mistris of majorica , panormo , and salerno ; she was once at that cumble of wealth and greatness , that a hundred gentlemen of pisa were us'd to build and maintain upon their own charge every one his galley , to scowre and secure the ligustic sea . what shall i say of the state of genoa ? who among the records of her triumphs , can glory , that she took and possessed once , sardinia , cyprus , lesbos , and chio , as also pera opposite to constantinople on the asian shore ; she was also mistris of theodosia , or caffa , insomuch that her dominions extended as far as the banks of tanais : and to this day there be some christian rites , and italian families in that part of tartary . what tough wrestling , and terrible wars continued 'twixt her and venice for two or three ages together ? and we may easily conjecture how potent she was , when she could tugge with venice so long . the dutchy of milan is come to a stupendous height of magnificence , power , and riches ; insomuch that the insubrian revenues are above those of some kings . i come now to the most rare and renowned republique of venice ; she is of that high consequence , that without her , italy should want her chiefest ornament , liberty should want a refuge , europe should want her chiefest bu●… 〈◊〉 ▪ neptune should want a mistris , and nature a miracle . what shall i say 〈◊〉 venice , orbis christiani arx , the prime castle of christendome ; and the sea 〈◊〉 be said to be hers too ; she is lady of more sea than any state in the world 〈◊〉 point of extent ; she hath a fortress the most exactly built by the rules of ●…ginry of any upon earth , 't is palma , which cost two millions the erecting , 〈◊〉 the yearly keeping of it stands her in a hundred thousand crowns per annum ▪ she hath an arsenal that is almost as great a wonder as her self , there is no●…●…e like under the sun : she hath three hundred artificers perpetually in pay , and she spends communibus annis , above six hundred thousand crowns meerly 〈◊〉 that arsenal . she would ravish a fresh comer with the lustre of her palaces ▪ with her marble pictures , and marble statues , with the church of saint mark pav'd with porphyrie , and chequer'd with many kind of precious stones , and her roof and walls all mosaical work : if i could get into the treasury of st. mark , i could tel you more wonders ; but they who have seen it , report they were quite stupified at the wealth they saw there . touching the commerce of venice , it is beyond belief ; walk in the rialto , or saint marks place , and you shall meet with greeks turks , arabs , egiptians , moores , cannibals , tartars , ethiopians , persians , and indians : there you shall finde merchants of the black , white , and red sea , of the hellespont , of all the iles of greece , of the miditerranean , of ormus , besides european marchants from every corner ; the boyes there will not stand gazing at a turband or a shash , or any other strange habit which are worn there familiarly ; this city , though a virgin ( of neere upon thirteen hundred yeares standing ) hath been such a virago , that she hath wrastled with the greatest monarchs upon earth , and layed some of them on their back , but none of thē could lay her in such a posture as to get her maydenhead ; and lately she hath cop'd singly of her self with the great ottoman emperour any time these eight yeares both by sea & upon terra firma , and given him many ill favoured foyles ; now the reason that this sage signorie hath continued a pure intacted maid so many ages , besides her advantagious situation , the adrian sea being her protector , is , that the venetians are grave in their counsells , severe in judgment , constant in adverse fortune , and temperat in good ; they are excellent patriotts , they have publick soules , and it is the study of every particular man how to conserve their liberty , improve their strength , and the glory of venice . but her incolumity doth not depend upon any one frail mans life , progeny , or wit , but upon the prudence of a politic and immortall senat ; for although venice hath had most heavy , and in the eye of human reason irreparable defeates , as destructive as that of rome at cannas , yet she never sunk in her courage and counsells , but boare up still above water ; that overthrow at abdua , that at trebia and trasimeni , that at bresica and vicenza were very sore and fatall blowes , as great as that of cannas was to rome , yet she recovered herself in a shorter time far then ever rome could doe ; for the richesses of this state you may easily guesse at their greatnes , when the revenues of s. mark , use and imposts of the city of venice herself is able to support an emperour . besides the very demeanes of the church amount to three millions . and now o rome , o glorious rome , o holy rome , i make my entrance into thee , the pyramidall top of all glory , the lady of all vertues , the source of all piety ; it was the wish of s. augustin to see three things , christ in the flesh , paul in the pulpit , and rome in her highest florish . hear martial . terrarum dea , gentiumque roma , cui par est nihil , & nihil secundum . livie in his time gave this character of her , nulla unquam respublica nec major , nec sanctior , bonisque exemplis ditior fuit ; no common-wealth was ever more potent , more pious , and richer for good examples ; lipsius averres , that rome had three millions of men in her , and a hundred and fifty millions in annuall revenu : she had at one time in legions abroad and at home for her preservation six hundred and five and forty thousand armed soldiers ; from romulus to augustus caesar she had above three hundred triumphs ; iulius caesar brought into the aerarium or common treasury sixty and five thousand talents , which amount to almost forty millions of our money : she had above thirty miles in circuit , which in aurelianus his time extended to twenty miles more , and the people encreased accordingly . in so much that vopiscus affirmes , she fed at one time foure millions of men in city and suburbs . seneca left seventy and five hundred thousand philippicos , or crowns behind him ; caecilius claudius isidorus , although he had lost much by the civill warrs , yet he left . slaves , . yoke of oxen ; and of other cattle two hundred and fifty seven thousand : tacitus reports the first , and plinie the second . there were at one time in rome five hundred gladiators or fencers , a thousand beares , one hundred lions ; which were kept in divers denns . the high way of appia extended three hundred and fifty miles , the flaminian more . touching the aqueducts and fountaines , the baths , and the waters of rome , there were at once five hundred men hired to look to them , and the channells were so broad , that a horseman might foord over ▪ what art was used to furnish the seven hills with conduits and cesternes . when cyneas the ambassador of pyrrhus came to rome and was brought about to view the city , he was asked what he thought of her ? he answered ( looking upon her foure hundred churches ) he thought , said he , that all rome was but one temple , her senat is an assembly of kings , she is yet to this day the flower of the whole earth , and the better part of mankind . now rome came to this vast magnitude by her parsimony , by her severity , and industry ; she had her legions alwayes well trained , and never sufferd to be idle , nor did she pamper them with too much pay ; the senators were more carefull for the discipline of the soldiers , then of the education of their children ; they used to inure and habituat them to armes before they sent them abroad ; and certainly the romans must needs be very valiant men naturally ; besides so many victories did heighten their courage ; among thousands of examples which i could produce , let licinius dentatus serve for one , who as valerius maximus avoucheth , had receaved forty and five severall wounds and never a one backward , he had been in above one hundred battailes , and brought home thirty and foure spoiles . what notable great generalls did she breed of divers tempers ; marcellus was of a fiery spirit , fabius maximus was politiquely slow , pompey was daring , the scipios were patient , caesar for expedition , for martiall knowledge , and magnitude of mind was unparalleld . when pyrrhus came with a new race of men , and horrible elephants into italy , and was advanced within thirty miles of rome ; he sent unto her if she would parly , word was sent pyrrhus , italiâ cum copijs excedito , ubi excesserit , de pace si volet agito ; ni excesserit , arma & viros & acie●… expectato . let pyrrhus depart italy with all his forces , when he hath done that , there shall be a treaty for peace if he will , but if he do not depart , let him expect armes , men , and a battaile : such was the undauntable courage of rome in that age , which it seems did much degenerat afterwards , when the goths , vandalls , huns , and other septentrionall rough-hewn peeple appeared before her ; and the reason of this degeneration in the mind of the romans was , that by desuetude of arms , and want of an enemy they fell to voluptuousness , to ease and softnes ; before , they had a brave method in training up their youth , they were instructed in letters till they were twenty , & afterwards in military discipline . but new rome after so many assaults , and sackings of divers barbarous nations , as she fell in glory , so she also fell lower in situation , for she removed from the seven hills to the plaine of campus martius where she is seated now , having lost the fift part of her circumference , and magnitude , and being not the sixt part so populous ; yet a notable providence hath attended this city , that she florisheth still , and though she be not so bigg as she was ' , yet she is better , since the standard of the crosse was planted there by a speciall benignity of heaven ; she hath the law of christ insteed of her legions , as she was before the chiefest city in the world for armes , so she is now for religion ; she is the court of the chief pastor , and the common countrey of all christians , she is the gnomon of the great diall of saving faith , romana ecclesia est illa quae non modo tot principum & imperatorum , sed quod longè praeclarius est , omnium sanctorum catholicamater , & in cujus gremio mori faelicius est , quàm ab initio nasci , cùm non nasci satius sit , quàm in hac non mori . the roman church is she who is not onely the catholique universall mother of princes and emperours , but of saints , in whose lapp it is more happy to die , then to have been born , it being better not to be born at all , then not to die in her ; as montanus saith . this makes her so refulgent for so many prerogatives , that the greatest part of the european world , as also all the new converts in the american new world doe acknowledge her the chief seat of the oracles of god , and her bishop the chiefest ministeriall head of the holy church : and to deny this , if we may be-believe stapleton , summae impietatis vel praecipitis arrogantiae est : it is either the highest impiety , or the desperatest arrogance ; he is the universall shepheard , the successor of saint peter , and the vicar of christ ; the commission which our saviour gave saint peter , feed my flock , is transferr'd to him in chief , and with the commission the keyes , and power also of absolving , and binding . for which respect ( such an humiliation and reverence religion strikes into the soul of man ) all emperors and most kings doe willingly give not onely precedence , but perform offices of service unto him , as , among a world of instances that could be produc'd besides , charles the fifth , did at bolonia , and francis the first at marseilles . how many emperors have held the bason while he wash'd his hands , how many kings have held his stirrop while he mounted and descended off his mule , how many have lead his horse by the bridle . how many thousand princes have kiss'd his pantouffle , and carried him in a chair upon their shoulders , and gloried in all these acts of submission ; such a power christian religion hath to humble the hearts of the greatest princes , and make all temporall greatnesse stoop to the spiritual hopes of heaven . 't is true , that rome from her very infancy , when she was a pagan , was much given to the reverence of the gods. her pontifex maximus was then in high adoration , she had magnificent , and costly temples , altars and fanes which had singular immunities and prerogatives , the temple was then an asylum and sanctuarium , a refuge and sanctuary from all violence ; and of these ethnic temples rome had . times more then she hath now of christian churches . she had then her nunneries and vestall fires , her flamins and archflamins more in number then any other city ; when she had conquer'd any forren nation , their gods were brought to rome , and they were ascited among hers , & admitted ; alledging that there could not be too many gods to preserve so great a city . yet there was violence laid then upon the conscience in spiritual things , nor did the ecclesiastick power , and pontifex maximus ever clash with the temporal for superiority , but alwaies yeilding unto it , as receiving his protection , meanes and maintenance from it . this was the genius of old rome , but new rome came to be so high in her devotions , that she came at last to give more alleageance to the pontifical power then to the imperial . nor were the roman emperors ever in that adoration in old rome , as the pope is now in the new , whom she holds to be so farre above the temporall power as the soul is above the body . 't is true , there was much reverence given to the chief roman magistrate and senate , from all times . adherbal king of numidia call'd himself romanorum procuratorem , the romans procter . eumenes king of pergamus came to rome , and pulling of his capp , offer'd it to the senate , confessing he receiv'd his liberty from rome . prusias king of bithynia when he came to the senate , he us'd to kisse the threshal of the door , acknowledging himself mancipium senatus , a slave unto the senate . tiridates , king of armenia , bowd himself to nero's knees . but there was never such low submission done to any pagan governor , as is now done to the pope , whom the turkes call rumbeg , that is prince or lord of rome , and the persian rumschah , king of rome ; for we never read that the ethniques ever descended so low as to foot-osculation , which is a reverence peculiar and due only to the pope ; the emperor and other kings being contented only that the vassall kisse their hands , or hem of their garment . nor doth the pope return reverence to any other potentate by rising up , bowing his head , or uncovering his head to any , onely to the emperor after he hath kiss'd his feet , he is afterwards admitted to kisse his hand , and then he riseth a little and giveth him a mutuall kisse of charity with an embracement . there is a cloud of examples , how diver emperors and kings came to rome to do their filial duty to the holy father , and to have their coronations confirm'd by him . iustinian , did so to constantine , pipin to stephen the second , charles the great to leo the . lodovicus pins of france to sergius the . the emperor henry the forth to paschall the . frederic the first to adrian the . but that was a notable signal reverence which lewis of france , and henry the second of england did to alexander the . who came both together , and jointly attended the pope a good way to his lodging , he being on horsback , and they both a foot . now it is one of the high tenets of the catholiques , that the pope is the only free independent prince upon earth ; not accountable to any for his actions , but unto christ himself whose vicegerent he is . he cannot onely command , but make kings , at least confirm them . the king of spain did not hold himself perfectly established king of the west-indies , till the holy father pleas'd to allow of it , and confirm him . now touching the title of emperor , there is a notable letter upon record , which adrian the . writ to the three ecclesiastic electors of germany . romanum imperium a graecis translatum est ad alemannos , ut rex teutonicorum non ante quam ab apostolica manu coronaretur imperator vocaretur ; ante consecrationem rex , post imperator . unde igitur habet imperium , nisi a nobis ? ex electione principum suorum habet nomen regis , ex consecratione nostra habet , nomen imperatoris , augusti & caesaris . ergo per nos imperat , &c. imperator quod habet , totum a nobis habet ; ecce in potestate nostra est , ut dem●…s illud cui volumus , propterea constituti a deo super gentes & regna , ut destruamus , & evellamus , ut aedificemus & plantemus . the roman empire , saith adrian the . was transferr'd from greece to germany , therefore the king of the teutons cannot be call'd emperor , till he be apostolically crown'd , before his consecration he is but king , and emperor afterward . whence therefore hath he the empire but from us ? by the election of his princes he hath the name of king , but he hath the title of emperor , of augustus and caesar , by our consecration . therefore he is imperial by us , &c. that which he hath of emperor he hath wholly from us ; behold it is in our power to give the title to whom we please ; therefore are we constituted by god himself over nations and kings , that we may destroy , and pluck up , build and plant , &c. nor doth the papall power extend to give titles to emperors , but to make kings . it is upon record how pope leo made pipin king of italy , sergius made stephen king of hungary . pope iohn made wenceslaus king of poland . alphonso king of portugal was made by eugenius the d. edgar was made king of scotland by urban the d. iohn de brenna was made king of ierusalem by innocent the third ; pope pius the . gave cosmo de medici the title of gran-duke of t●…scany , notwithstanding , the opposition of maximilian the d. and philip the d. of spain . i saw in the archives of rome the names of those kings who are vassalls to the pope , and they are rank'd in this order , and bodins cataloge agrees with it . reges neapolis , siciliae , arragoniae , sardiniae , hierolosymorum , angliae , hiberniae , hungariae ; all these are , or should be at least feudetary and hommageable to the bishop of rome . nor can the holy father entitle emperors , and make kings and gran-dukes ; but he can , as he alledgeth , depose them if they degenerate to tyrants or heretiques ; he can absolve their subjects from all ties of allegeance . as among other examples innocent the . did to iohn king of england , and sixtus quintus did to queen elizabeth . innocent the . did not onely thrust arcadius out of his throne , but out of the society of christians . anastasius the emperor was excommunicated by anastasius the . pope constantine anathematiz'd the emperor philippicus , gregory the third delivered over to satan pope leo isaurus , and took from him all italy . gregory the . excommunicated the emperor henry the . and boleslaus king of poland . the emperor lewis the . was barr'd to come to church by benedict the . otho by innocent the . frederic the . by innocent the . and peter king of castile was quite thrust out both of his throne and the holy church by vrban the . who made henry the bastard capable to succeed him by a bull of legitimation ; and indeed that peter was a hatefull tyrant , having murtherd many of his own subjects , and his queen or the house of bourbon with his own hands . there is another high prerogative which the roman bishop claimes , which is to summon generall councells , which montanus , who was president of the councell of trent from the pope , did avouch in open assembly upon a design of removing the councell to bolonia , where he among other things did positively assert and pronounce , caesarem nempe non dominum a●…t magistrum esse , sed ecclesiae filium esse , se verò & collegas qui adsint , romane sedis legatos esse , penes quos ordinandi & transferendi concilii jus erat . caesar was not lord nor master , but sonne of the holy church . but he and his colleagues there present were legats of the roman see , whose right it was to ordain , and transferre general councells ▪ moreover the bishop of rome hath a great stroake in preserving the universal peace of christendom , and keeping earthly potentates from clashing one with another . in so much that the pope may be compar'd to that isthmos of land which runns twixt the ionian and aegaean seas , keeping their waters from jusling one with another . nor is the bishop of rome thus powerfull only by his spirituall authority , by vertue whereof , besides patriark●… , archbishops , and a world of bishops , he hath . cardinalls , who are accounted equal to princes , and who , as they are all of his making , so are they at his devotion ; which number of . was limited by a solomn diploma , or bull of sixtus quintus ; and the election to be alwaies in december , so many daies before christmas ; which is a general jubile of rejoycing for the nativity of our saviour . and as these cardinals are princes companions , so have they revenues accordingly from the common aerarium , or treasury of the church , which is an unknown thing and inexhaustible . for as long as men have soules within them , and believe there is a heaven or hell , the roman church can never want mony. there is a proverbe in italy , al papa non mancano maj danari quando non manca la mano & la penna . the pope can never want money as long as he hath fingers to write . in so much that when a league was struck twixt pius the . phillip the . and the venetians ; whereas the spaniard was to be at half the charge , the venetians two thirds of the other half , & the pope the sixth part of a third ; the venetian ambassador took him up somewhat short , telling him , that his holinesse quill might command all the wealth of europe . in that age there were . archbishopricks , and a thousand and seventeene bishopricks that the pope had the confirmation of , besides those of the east and west indies . touching monasteries and religious claustral houses , there were in charles the fifths time , and paul the . which was . years before , above a hundred and . thousand ; of parishes two hundred and fourscore eight thousand , which the pope had influence upon . in so much that when there was an ouverture of a league twixt charles the emperor and the french king , for a conjunction against the turk ; there was a proposition made , that every monastery should contribute . crownes yearly , and every parish . crownes towards the support of the warre , which would have amounted to near upon . millions per ann . and for men , if there had been cull'd out of every monastery , it would have made an army of fourteen hundred and forty thousand men : nor should so much regard be had to the number , as to the quality of the men , who having been accustomed to penances , to fasting , and watchings , could endure more hardship then other men . add hitherto the zeal they would have to the cause , being votaries and religious persons ; holding the pope to be an earthly god , and that those who lose their life 's in any service or expedition warranted by his cruzada , deserve a greater degree of beatitude in heaven . such an army as this the pope can raise , which no mundan potentate can do , or ever could do ; who out of a conceit of the holinesse they bear to his function , and power of his commission , would runne through fire and water , to serve him with their soule , as well as with their bodies . nor is the pope thus potent among the ecclesiastiques , for spiritual revenues and perquisits , but he is also a great temporal prince : witness the dutchy of ferrara , and bolonia ; each whereof singly is able to support a secular soveraign prince , besides other signories which he hath . wherefore it was well express'd by the poet , speaking of the pope . ense potens gemino , cuius vestigia adorat caesar , & aurato fulgentes murice reges . this is the largest field for matter that possibly an orator can run in , me thinks it hath no horison . now scaurus hath a wise saying ; non minus magnam virtutem esse scire desinere , quam scire dicere , it is no less vertue to know when to give over speaking , then to know when to speak . therefore most noble princes , i hold it safer to strike saile , and launch out no further into this ocean of matter : wherefore i will bid a farewell for this time to fair italy , and conclude with three several characters , which three famous authors gives her . mamertinus the panegyrist calls her gentium dominam , the lady of all nations . rutilius numatianus calls her caelestem , mundique reginam , a heavenly thing , and the queen of the world. dionysius halycarnassaeus calls her totius orbis optimam , the best of the universe . therefore under favour take spiritual and temporal power ; take the word and the sword , the pike and the pen , arts and arms together , italy , divine italy deserves without controversie , or any scruple at all , the supremacy of europe . dixi. the oration of the lord george roelderer von hoch , against italy . most noble , and anciently descended princes ; it is reported of francisco barbaro , and georgio trapezuntio , a pair of great scientifical men , and singularly vers'd in the greek and latin tongues , that by decay of their intellectuals , and decrepitnesse of age , they came utterly to forget both . the like is recorded of philip seci●…s , a famous jurisconsult , and professor of both the laws , both in padoa , florence , siena , ticini , and pisa , that his memorie came to be so strangely eclipsed and clouded , that he did not remember one paragraph of the roman law. and pliny , that great register of nature , doth write of messala corvino , that the faculty of remembrance was so declin'd in him by longaevity , and the revolution of so many winters , that he had forgot his own name . the same may be said now adayes of italy , she that was in former times the eye of the world , and rome the apple of that eye , are fallen to that delirium , and dotage , that neither of them can remember what once they were , most of her cities have almost forgotten their primitive names , her vital spirits , vertue , and valour are so far spent , by having so many yeares on her back , that she is quite transmuted from what she was , and grown ●…ank and litherly both in her strength and courage . touching rome , she is shrunk into a pigmey's skin , from that gigantick stature she was of ▪ and as some did guess at the magnitude of rome by that incendium , that huge voracious fire which happened in nero's time ( who was then in his turret tuning upon his fiddle the sack of troy , so little did he resent that direfull spectacle , but rather rejoyced at it ; hoping out of the rubbish of old rome to re-edifie a new citty of his own name ) which fire , though it was very consuming and violent , yet the city found it matter enough to work upon for nine dayes : i say , as partly out of that the hugeness of rome might be guessed at ; or by that raging plague which swept away about tenne thousand men every day in the time of vespasian ; or by the weight of those cobwebs which heliogabalus caus'd to be gather'd and poiz'd , which came to ten thousand pound weight ; i say , as out of these one may make a conjecture of the vast dimensions of rome , so out of that obscenity and filth which now reigns , out of the fire of concupiscence which rageth there ( no where more ) and lastly out of those numberless infectious diseases and various vices that now raign there , which i shall endeavour to produce before you , you may give a guesse at the goodness and government , the happiness and deserts of italy ; and then i beleeve you will not have so favourable a conceit of her as the noble lord who spake before , and was so prodigal in displaying her merit . the peacock when she beholds her glorious feathers , swels and puffs with an amorous opinion of her self , but looking upon her feet she is presently dejected : you have hitherto seen the gay feathers of italy , i will shew you now her ●…oul feet . the common tenet , that italy in goodness and riches excells all other regions , is a meer fable , which boterus her own child doth refell , accusing them of imprudence and shallow judgement who think so ; for we know wel that two third parts of italy hath no navigable rivers , and the fourth part is a steril rough-hewen umbratical country , made up by the apennine hil . bonfinius , who had been a curious lustrator of many countries , prefers austria before italy , though his own country . liguria was damn'd by nature her self to a perpetual sterility ; and the plaines of verona , though they be famous for some battles that have been fought there , yet doe they bear but a sorry report for the wildness of the soyl , and huge stones that are therein . in alagnia there is a cankerworm that corrodes the vines , and strangely grows with the grape , and takes wings at last , it revives with the culture of the earth , and dies with it ; besides there be swarmes of little stares that doth much annoy the crop both of corn and wine , and there is no fence against them , they are so numerous . the pisan , aquileian , and roman fields themselves how many patches of rough barren ground have they ? what ill air'd fens in many places ? which makes them so thinne of inhabitants . how many places in italy are there , whither strangers when they goe thither , are warned not to goe unto , in regard of the ill air ? as piombino , grossetto , sinigallia , arimino , cervia , pesar●… . pestilentiall fevers are frequent in venice and ancona , and tertians in ferrara ; nor is the meridian of rome free from them ; for upon the maritime coasts from port hercules to tarracina , which is a hundred and fifty miles in extent , there are hardly eight thousand inhabitants in all . the veliternian wines are good for nothing unless they be boil'd ; nor can those of viterbo last any time till they be also used so ; for generally the italian wines are so fading , that they will last scarce a year to an end ; whereas our german wines gather strength with their age , as those of the rhine , and the necc●…r ; but those of the po and the tiber grow quickly sower and flat , which made scaliger spit out this bitter jest of rome , urbem illam esse novum ac●…tum pessimum veteris vini optimi ; that she is the worst new vinegar of the best old wines . besides , there are some places in italy which might be fruitfull , if they had the hands of industry ; for the italians are not so industrious with their bodies ( i cannot tell what their braines may be ) as the world takes them to be , witnesse that capacious and noble port of ancona , which was suffer'd to be choak'd up with sand , meerly by the supinenesse and sloth of the inhabitants . for mettals ; i am sure in clement the sevenths time , there were knowing mineralists sent for from germany to italy , and they returned quickly after ; for they said that the benefit would not countervail the charge . moreover there is no clime so subject to vicissitude of tempests as italy : the apennine keeps her snow longer than the abnoba , the mother of the danube . how passengers are tormented with chinches , ●… stinking little vermin , in their lodgings at night ? the heat of naples is such , that none will travell in iuly and august , though the king should command him . 't is true that padoa hath fertile fields about her , but the tillers of them are half devils , and more humorous than any part of france . sicilia , once a part of the continent of italy , was used to bear away the bell for faecunditie , being called by cicero ▪ cella penaria reipub. & nutrix plebis romanae , she was romes nurse , and the peoples pantree ; but whereas there is a principle , omnes insulanos esse malos , pessimos autem esse siculos ; that all ilanders are bad , and the sicilians the worst of all ; it is truer now then ever it was . touching the calabrians , king alphonso could say that , nihil habebant praeter figuram , they had nothing of men , but the shapes of men . touching campania and the kingdom of naples it cannot be denied but they are luxurious countreyes , and very populous , in so much that bozius gives an account of above three millions of peeple there , and neere upon foure hundred thousand fit to beare armes , together with foureteen hundred and sixty towns ; but take all along with you , the improbity of the peeple is such , that there is a proverb among the rest of the italians , napoli é un paradiso , ma habit ato da diaboli ; naples is a paradis inhabited by devills . indeed it is so delicat a country that it will put to tryall the vertu of any one ; witness hannibal and his army . the genoways is as bad as the nopolitan , heare what the tartmouthed scaliger speaks of him , giving a wipe also to the english , by huddling up a company of epithets . genuenfi osor pacis , ac boni moris , unus brit annis tetrior , ligur cunctis , saxicola , pelagi cursor , invidus , spurcus , famelicosus , turpis , archipirata . now whereas you have been persuaded to believe that italy is the source of civility , the nurce of noblenes and vertue , the prime propagatresse of piety and learning , i pray herein take me along with you ; i will not say the italians are ignoble , but the corrupters of nobility ; they are not illiterat , but the perverters of letters : they are not vicious , but the very cutthroats of vertu ; they are not impious , but the abusers of piety : they have drunk so much superstition , and it hath got so far into their bones , that it will never out of their flesh . i am loth to bring all their vices before so princely an assembly , for feare the sent of them might be unpleasing unto you , and make you stop your noses , as peeple use to do when they passe by a carren , or dounghill : and when they once infect a german , they transform him to a devill , according to the proverb , tudesco italionato é un diabolo incarnat , a dutchman italionat is a devill incarnat . now there is no place upon earth where vice goes more oft in vertues habit , and so is able to deceave the wisest : for as in the sands of the river anien there are fine white stones gathered of various shapes , some like comfetts , others like round suger plumms , others like candid ●…innamon , which are call'd in derision the junketts of tivoli , and are put sometimes upon the table for a merriment to strangers , so are counterfet banquetts and sweets of vertu served before strangers in italy , though they be meer baits of vanity and vice . i confesse italy abounds with nobles , but what kind of one's are they ? such as are found in lunigiana , where a passenger spied three marquises upon one tre●… eating figgs to preserve them from starving : i marchesi di ceva , i conti di piacenza , i cavaglieri di bolognia , the marquises of ceva , the earles of piacenza , the knights of bolonia , are poore to a proverb ; for all of them will not make one compleat nobleman in point of estate . but indeed the italian nobles are rather marchants then nobles , nay many of their princes are no better : what i pray is the gran duke of florence ? what are the clarissimi of venice ? what are the senators of genoa but all marchants ? yet every broker and pedler is there termed by vostra signoria , which is , your lordship : the meanest prince in italy must be called serenissimo , a title used to be given only to the archdukes of austria ; they scorn to be call'd excellentissimi , or illustrissimi . nay the duke of savoy return'd the senats letters to venice , because mention being made in them of the dukes children , they termed them excellentissimi , not serenissimi . but learning and the sciences you say doe florish in italy more then any where ; indeed i confesse literature is a rare vertu , it enables one for any profession ; and no profession , unlesse it be mechanique , can be without it . the emperour sigismund did make high esteem of it , in so much that he preferr●…d a doctor before a knight , and his reason was that he could make twenty knights in a day , but not one doctor . you all know the famous apophthegm of alphonso king of aragon , rex illiteratus est asinus coronatus , an illiterat king is an asse with a crown on his head ; the genoa lady was of another opinion , who saied , penna non facit nobilem , sed penis . 't is true , we are beholden to italy for learning , and she to greece ; but as poore greece is now so degenerated in this point , that she who call'd all the world barbarians ( yea the italians among others ) is now become barbary herself in point of literature , and scientificall knowledge . in honorius time there dwelt but a few marchants of honey in athens . and i wish the same fate may not befall italy for her nefandous crimes which are rife there : but touching learning , i pray heare what muretus speaks ; in media italia , in medio latio , in media magna graecia vix centisimum quemque invenias , qui latinè aut graecè loqui sciat , in the midst of italy , in the midst of latium , in the mid●…t of magna graecia you shall not find the hundreth man that can understand greek or latin , or any kind of letters . and i pray , how doth italy use to encourage and reward learned men ? look upon philelphus the lea●…nedst man of his time , yet they were forc'd to sell his books to bury him in bolonia ; and who would have thought that aeneas sylvius , or pope pins the second , who was beholden to the muses for all his fortunes and promotion , i say , who would have thought that being congratulated by sundry peeces of poetry when he came to be pope , in lieu of reward he put them off with this distic . pro numeris numeros a me sperate poetae , carminaque est animus reddere , non emere . o poets , expect numbers for numbers , i use to return , not buy verses . but it seems that homers fate of inevitable poverty is devolv'd by way of inheritance to all poets ; paul the second , next successor to aeneas , had a mischievous designe to demolish all learning , in so much that he esteemed students and philosophers no other then heretiques or conjurers . and now that i have fallen among the popes , i beleeve you have heard of the common saying amongst them , nos accipimus pecuniam , & mittimus asinos in germaniam , we receive money , and send asses to germany ; there were two popes , i know not who was the wiser , who was the simpler of the two , viz. iohn the eighth , or calixtus the third : the first sold the crown of france to charles the bald for a vast summe of money , depriving the right heirs ; the other put edmund of england , and vincent of spain into the catalogue of saints , whereupon when cardinall bessarion heard of it , novi hi sancti de veteribus mihi dubium movent , these new saints puts me in some doubt of the old . alexander the sixt scrap'd up so much treasure by the nundination , and sale of indulgences , that caesar borgia ( his son ) loosing a hundred thousand crownes one night at dice , sayed , germanorum tantum haec peccata sunt , these are onely the sinns of germany . iulius the third intending to advance montanus to a cardinalship , and the consistory disswading his holines from it , because he was of very meane birth , and no parts , answered no lesse modestly then wittily , then what thinke you i pray of me , whom you have constituted prince of the christian commonwealth ? leo the tenth had a purpose to creat raphael urbinus , a meer painter , to be a cardinall , if he had liv'd to it . but touching the strange humors , and extravagancies of some popes , i put you over to platina , who was secretary to so many of them . but to revert a little , touching the older sect of italians , authors , there is more vice then vertu to be found in most of them ; witnes those triumvirs of wanton love , catullus , tibullus , and propertius ; ovid might be called a pander to venus in some of his works ; what spurcidicall and obscene things doe we read in martiall , and iuvenall ? what a foolish humor was that in persius to study obscurity so much ? and in virgil , whom we cry up so highly , what was he but a meere ape to homer , theocritus , and other greek poets ? i have seene homer's picture in a posture of vomiting , and all the latin poets about him licking up what he had spewd , but virgil lapp'd up more then all the rest . now cicero whom we magnifie above all , if we well observe him , we shall find that he sate often upon two stooles . petrus bembus was such a slave to cicero , and so sworn to his words , that he infected longolius with the same humor , who would use no other latin words but what he found in cicero ; therefore the senat of venice is alwayes call'd by him patres conscripti ; dukes and dukedoms , reges & regna ; the sophy of persia , and gran turk , reges armeniae & thracum ; faith is call'd by him persuasion ; excommunication , interdiction of fire and water ; nunns are call'd vestalls , the pope pontifex maximus , the emperour caesar , &c. in so much that he holds any word barbarous that is not found in cicero ; but touching learning and eloquence we well know that greece hath been the true source of both , whence the romans have fill'd their cisterns ; nay , for the latin toung herself we know she is two thirds greek , all her scientificall words , and tearms of art are deriv'd from the greek : in so much that it is impossible for any to be a perfect latinist , unlesse he understand the greek also . i will go a little back to bembo again , who as you have heard was so fantasticall , that he would use no words but pure ciceronian ; but this fancy drew him to a pure prophanes , for it brought him to contemne the epistles of s. paul , and in a kind of slighting way to call them epistolaccias , disswading his friends from reading them , least they should corrupt their eloquence . what shall i say of sanazarius , that in three books he writ of jesus christ , he hath not the name of iesus or christ through the whole work ? and the reason one gave was , that they were not latin words ; he puts the sibylls works in the blessed virgins hands , and making no use of esay or david , he makes use of pagan prophets to prove the coming of christ. but to leave these santastiques , i will now be more serious , and pry a little into the canon-law , which hath such a vogue in italy ; it makes the crown a slave to the miter , and the scepter to the crosier , and the emperours throne to the popes chair ; nay it lessens and distracts the allegeance of the subject to his natural rightfull prince ; for it is the concordant opinion of all the canonists ; imperij vasallos criminis rebellionis , & majestatis haud esse reos , si pro pontifice romano adversus imperatorem ipsum pugnent ; the vassalls of the empire cannot be guilty of the crime of rebellion , if they take armes for the roman bishop against the emperour ; and bartolus himself , who by schurfius is called magister veritatis , the master of truth , by menochius , iurisconsultorum signifer , the standard-bearer of reason , by natta , excellentissimus doctor , by others the lantern of the law , the guide of the blind , the mirroir and father of verity ; holding that his works are worthy to be bound with the sacred code , averres the same in favour of the pope , though he poorely excuseth it , that he held these tenets , when he was engaged in the roman court. moreover , these canonists are not only content to give his holines the keys of the kingdom of heaven , but also of the kingdoms of spain , of great britain , of france , and indeed of all the kingdoms upon earth : there are some think there are kingdoms likewise in the air , and he may as well pretend a power paramount over them also . but let us see how the pope came to this transcendency , to this cumble and height of greatnes . his first rise was when constantin gave him rome , and it was a notable rise ; yet all others , the canonists excepted , do question the validity of this donation , and aeneas sylvius himself did so before he was pope : for said he , callidè id provisum a pontifice ; it was cautiously provided by the bishop of rome , that this should be alwayes under controversy , whether that donation of constantine was valid or not valid , that such a donation might be presumed still to have been ; so the popes are not much displeased that another question should be still litigated , and that the schools should ring with the debate , whether that power which the bishop of rome hath over princes in temporalibus be directly , or indirectly ; for the stating of the question it self presupposeth that he hath a power . but many princes , not only those who have quite shaken off his yoke ; but others who still adhere to rome , have quite freed themselves of this servitude ; france did it long since in the clash that happen'd 'twixt philip le bell and boniface the eighth , claiming a jurisdiction in gallia over temporals ; but the king wrote to him in these tart words , que ta tres-grande sottise scache — let thy great foolishnes know , that in temporals we are subject to none but to god himself , and they who think otherwise are sots — . and monsieur nogaret going afterwards to rome in quality of ambassador , and using some bold termes at his audience , the pope upbraided him that his father had been burnt for a heretique ; thereupon nogaret tooke him , with a gantlet , which hee had on his hand , such a cuffe under the eare , that fell'd him . it is memorable also in what termes the greek churches writ to iohn the third , who demanding plenitude of power over the church universall , sent him word , potentiam tuam summam circa tuos subditos firmiter credimus , superbiam tuam summam tollerare non possumus , avaritiam satiare non valemus . diabolus tecum , dominus nobiscum . we firmely beleeve thy supreme power over thy own subjects , but we cannot endure thy pride , nor are we able to satiate thy covetousnesse . the devill be with thee , and god with us . it was an odde farewell . nor of late years touching the right to the crown of portugal , would philip the second , though extremely devoted to the see of rome , stand to the decision of the pope after the death of henry , of whom it is very memorable , that he died the moon being in an eclipse , and the very same day and hour that he had been born years before . no , king philip thought that the sword was fittest to be umpire in that business , which he made accordingly . of such an opinion was paul the third also for maintainance of his power ; for he was us'd to laugh at those who would make use of arguments to maintain the pontifical power ; no , he was us'd to say , it is not the word only , but the sword which must defend that ; good garrisons , castles , and bastions must do it , as well as excomunications and buls . the venetians of late years gave a shrewd wound to the papal power through the sides of paul the fifth ; when he had threatned them with spiritual armes , nicolao pontano the doge , or duke , a man of a free soul , answered the nuncio , that if rome would dart her thunderbolts so rashly , verendum esse , ne qui graeci olim fuissent , è latio in graeciam migrâssent , it was to be feared that they who were greeks of old , might goe again from italy to greece ▪ meaning to the greek church . in this quarrel the pope had recourse to spain for to appear in it , and thereupon did much complement with the duke of lerma , but a little under the dignity of a pope : he termed him , basin hispanicae coronae , super qua acquiescat monarchia catholica , unicum ecclesiae fundamentum . he writ , that lerma was the support of the spanish crown , upon which the catholique monarchy did rest , the onely prop of the church . in the year . lodovicus bavarus being emperour , there happen'd some contrasts 'twixt the emperour and the pope , who alledged that the electors made him king onely , but he made him emperour . hereupon at a solemn diet this notable sanction was enacted . sacrosanctum imperium , summa in terris potestas , coeleste donum est ; imperator enim primus ante omnes , secundus post deum est , per quem , leges , jura , regna humanae genti largitur aeterna majestas , & tam grande nomen à solo deo traditur , cui soli me reipub ▪ administrandae rationē reddendam habet . a curiatis igitur heptarchis rebus impositus , continuò more majorum atque jure gentium rex est & vocatur : ipsum contra majestatem reipub. decus imperii legatos ad sacerdotem romanum , ut author fiat copiam administrandi concedat mittere , eidem jurejurando fidem astringere , atque petere ab ipso usum regii diadematis religio est . nullum harum rerum sus omnino est pastori , qui servus ovium est , & in consecrando domino gregi servit ▪ quippe jure suffragiorum , beneficio electorum atque populi quisque imperat . haec verissima esse convenit inter omnes annalium , rerum humanarum , divinarumque peritos , atque jam saepius utriusque juris caesarei atque pontificii coelestis thesauri testimoniis comprobatum est . nonnulli quidem sanctuli praeter fas contra naturae legem docere non erubescunt , pastoris beneficiarium esse dominum , neque ante principem principum esse aut nominari oportere , quàm ille servus servorum author fiat , & dignum judicârit qui regnet , sed haec cum maxima christianae reipub. pernicie , intollerabili populi christiani , imperatoriae majestatis jacturâ , nec sine gravissimo tetrarcharum , dynastarum , clientium imperii detriment●… , instigante stygio principe , domino hujus mundi , commenta esse , eventus docet , exitus probat . quare decernimus , & perpetuò sancimus edicto , nimirùm ex solo electionis beneficio omnem potestatem imperiumque proficisci , nec ullo pacto pontificis romani in hac re sanctimonia , flaminio , authoritate , consensu opus esse . quicunque aliter docuerit , senserit , ●…actitarit , crimine laesae majestatis reus , hostis reipub . atque proscriptus esto , capite paenas solvito , bona ejus publica sunto , praedia infiscentur . the most holy empire being the highest power upon earth , is the gift of heaven : for the emperour is first before all , and second after god almighty , by whom the eternall majesty does bestow lawes , rights , and kingdomes to mankind , and so great a name is onely given by god , to whom onely he is accountable for the administration of the commonwealth . by the election of the heptarchicall electors , according to the custome of our ancestors , and by the law of nations he is king , and call'd so : for him to send ambassadours to the priest of rome , that he would authorize him , and give him leave to administer , is against the majesty of the empire ; but to binde himself unto him by oath , and seek of him the use of the royal diadem , is religion . the pastor hath no right to any of these things , who is servant to his sheep , and serves the flock in consecrating the lord : for by right of suffrage , by the benefit of the electors and people , every one reignes . that these things are true , is well known to all those that are vers'd in antiquity never so little , where they shall finde this doctrine confirm'd not onely by caesarean , but pontificial testimonies themselves . yet neverthelesse some sciolists , or little modern saints doe not blush to teach the contrary , viz. that the lord is a beneficiary to the shepheard , and that the emperour may not be call'd prince of princes , till he receive his authority from servus servorum , from the servant of servants , as the pope stiles himself to be . but this cannot be without much mischief to the christian commonwealth , and without the utter overthrow of the imperial majesty , on which so many princes and potentates depend . therefore it may be called a doctrin suggested by the stygian prince , and belched forth out of hell . therefore we decree and divulge it for an everlasting sanction , that the caesarean majesty is derived from the power of election , and not from any sanctimony , consent , or confirmation of pontificall authority . and whosoever shall maintain , publish , or teach otherwise , we pronounce him criminall of high treason , a professed enemy to the imperial commonwealth , and worthy of capitall punishment , or proscription , that the property of his goods be altered and confiscated . yet notwithstanding this solemn sanction , how hath the papal power encreas'd upon the imperial of late times ? caesar was us'd to summon universal councells . it was constantine the great , who call'd the nicene counsel . theodosius the constantinopolitan : theodosius iunior the ephesian . martianus that of chalcedon , which four councels are next in authority to the . evangelists , they are like the . rivers that ran through paradis . besides how many other general councels were indicted by emperors . besides it was their prerogative to institute popes . henry the . created clement the . damasus the . leo . and victor the . nay caesar was us'd to punish the contumacies , and exorbitances of the pope . so did otto the . chastice pope iohn and benedict . henry the . sylvester and gregory . henry the . depos'd pope paschal . there is a cloud of examples to prove this . the summons of henry the . to gregory hildebrand , that satanical st. as damianus stiles him , are very remarkable . tu hildebrande , non jam apostolice , sed false monache descende , vendicatam tibi sedem apostolicam relinque . alius sedem b. petri ascendet , qui nulla violentiam religione palliet , sed beati petri doctrinam doceat . ego henricus rex dei gratiâ cum omnibus episcopis nostris tibi dicimus descende , descende . thou hildebrand , who art no apostolical , but a false monk , descend ; leave the apostolical seat which thou claimst , another shall ascend blessed peters throne , who will not palliate violence with religion , but teach peters ▪ pure doctrine . i henry by the grace of god king , with all our bishops do tell thee , descend , descend . i do not see but the emperor is caesar still , and endow'd with the same power . now , touching the oth which the pope exhibits to the emperor , it is not an oth of alleageance or fidelity , but that oth relates to the protection , and defence which he is bound thereby to give the holy church , which lords use to promise ordinarily to their vassalls , and temporal princes to their subjects . and whereas of old , the emperor out of a pious reverence to the church , did use to calculate the time of his reign from the day of his coronation by the pope , we know well that that custom is grown obsolet , and antiquated by a long desuetude ; in so much that the german or electorian coronation is now as valid as the other . and i pray how many emperors have omitted the papal coronation , and neglected those superfluous formalities and ceremonies ? the emperor henricus auceps , being invited by the pope to be crown'd at rome , answered , it was sufficient for him to be king of the romans by gods grace , and so oblig'd to protect germany from the incursion of infidells . rodolph the . gave such an other answer , being advis'd to go to rome to be crown'd . italy said he , i know , hath consum'd many alman kings , i will not to rome , i am already king , i am already an emperor , and i hope i shall be able to act for the christian common-wealth , as if i had perform'd that ceremony at rome . the canonists , whose main endeavours are to elevate the popes miter above the imperial majesty , would have it ; that when caesar dies , the right is devolv'd to the pope , till a new election . but we well know , most noble princes , that by our golden bull it is ordain'd otherwise , & that during the vacancy of the empire , the right of administration appertains to the electors of the rhine and saxony . it is well known how paul the . would have molested ferdinand the . by his caraffical canons , but to little purpose . for as serpents do naturally retain a poyson still in them , though they do not alwaies vent it ; so the roman seaven headed beast doth still keep within him that malignant humor towards the emperor ; which may chance be his own destruction at last : as we read of iohn baptista bishop of concordia , who at a ducal feast in venice , kept in his gutts that wind which should have found vent backward , so long , that he died of it . now touching the right that his holinesse hath to rome by the donation of constantine , it is the same that venice hath to the dominion of the adriatique gulph ; they are both of them no other then titles of straw : yet that of rome doth produce the pope much grain . and as that vainglorious citty was first founded by fugitives and robbers , and afterwards patched up an empire of varia magna latrocinia , of divers great theeveries ( for kingdoms are little better ) which shee got by oppression , tyranny , and rapine ; so the same genius remaines still in rome , for she may be sayed to be a harpye still , and to robbe all the christian world that 's subject to her by her mercenary pardons , buls , and indulgences : she seldome takes the lamb without his fleece : lord , how is she degenerated from her self when she was a primitive christian ! in those times there were golden priests , and wooden chal●…ces , but now clean contrary , as boniface the martyr cryed out , — in time of old the chalices were wood , the priests were gold ; but now a man may swear by haly rood , the chalices are gold , the priests are wood . indeed the italians are generally covetous , and it is to foment their pleasures , whereof they are the greatest embracers of any people . about the precincts of padoa , there were two brothers that in a cleer shine night were walking in the fields , and one of them casting his eyes up to the firmament , wished that he had as many fat oxen as there were starres in the heavens . the other presently wished , that he had a field as large as the firmament ; the other replying , what he would doe with it ? he answered , to feed your oxen. but the judgement of heaven is observable herein ; for as they multiplied discourse about these prophane wishes , they fell a quarrelling , and so slew one another in the place . and now , i pray , what nation is more vindicative than the italian ? how many have been murther'd for casting but a few glances upon another mans wife out of a window ? what various inventions have they of poysoning , sometimes by the smoak of a candle , sometimes by the suavity of a flower , sometimes by a poyson'd glove or handkerchief , sometimes by small crossebowes with poyson'd needles instead of arrowes . what an inhumane horrid revenge did a millanez take of an old friend of his , to whom having been reconciled after some quarrell , he bore still a black rancor in his breast against him , and having surpris'd him in a convenient place , he put a dagger to his throat , vowing that if hee would not doe one thing , hee was a dead man , which was to abjure god almighty , the infortunate man did it thrice , and the third time as he was pronouncing the words , he stabb'd him to the heart , and so dispatcht him , glorying afterwards of the fulnesse of his revenge ; for hee had destroyed his body and soul ? and now that i am in milan , me-thinkes i see that glorious empresse barbarossa's wife , riding through the streets upon a mule , with her face towards the posteriors of her , and holding the tayle in her hand for a bridle ; o most unmanly , and base unparallell'd peece of barbarism ; but the emperour was soundly quit with them ; for besides those whom he put to death for this affront , he caus'd the chiefest of the town to lick out figges being stuck in a mules fundament , whence proceeded that proverbiall jeere which continues to this day in italy , ecco la fico ; lo here the figge : for when they would mock any , they use to put the thumb betwixt the two forefingers , and pronounce those words . and , to draw to a period , i pray hear what that noble french personage , alexander de pontaymery , a man of a candid and clear judgement , speakes of this wanton countrey of italy , nous allons , saith he , en italie auec une despense incroyable achepter la seule ombre de la civitité , & nous en rapportons la masse entiere de vices ; ceux de milan nous apprenment la tromperie , le venetien nous rend hypocrites , le romain nous plonge en un ocean d' atheisme & d' impieté , & le neapolitain nous change en satyre , où plustost nous fait un esgoust , & un cloaque de tou●… lascivité , mollesse , & paillardisse , le florentin nous enseigne l'artifice et l'operation de poyson — we traverse the alpes , and trot into italy with incredible expense , to take up certain shadows of civility , but we bring back the whole masse of vice ; the milanez teacheth us how to be iuglers , the bolognois to be lyars , the venetian to be hypocrites , the napolitan transformeth us to satyres in lascivity and lust , the roman plungeth us in an ocean of atheism , the florentine teacheth us the artifice of poysoning . therefore under the favour of this noble prince that spoak before me , and of this most celebrous and sage assembly , i hold italy , in statu quo nunc , to be most incapable to recover her former principality , but fitter rather to be the queene of pleasures , than the empress of europe . the oration of the l : nicholas bawnickhausen of balmerod , by way of apologie , or as a temperament to the preceding orations . most ample , illustrious , and high-born princes , there is no quality more naturally inherent , and so hereditary to humane braines , as variety and difference of opinions , which , i think never appear'd more evidently then in this most learned , and renowned assembly ; but i beleeve that those discrepancies of judgments , which have happen'd , have proceeded not from any hatred , or malignant humour , but from the innocent , and free conceptions of the mind ; let malice and partiality seek lodging among the vulgar , and not harbour in such noble breasts as yours ; 't is tru , ther hath been much acrimony and bitternes shew'd in detecting the vices of som peeple , but on the other side ther hath bin as much candor and sweetnes in displaying their vertues ; in performance of both , eloquence mounted up to her very height . but touching the vices you have spoken of , we must have a due and serious regard of the frailties of humane condition , and it is a high point of injustice to charge a whole nation with the misdemeanours of a few : so that apology which the amorous poet made in behalf of maydes , may be applyed to nations : parcite paucarum diffundere crimen in omnes ; spectetur meritis natio quaeque suis. we are all the sons of adam , and sprung from his loynes , omnes mali sumus , and it comes oftentimes to passe that what one reprehends in another , or abroad ▪ he finds it at home , and haply in his own bosome . now , as all quadrupedrall animalls , except asses , are subject to a kind of vermin , so ther is no nation unlesse it be meerly asinin , but is subject to some infirmities or other ; ther is a free and facetious common saying , nullam familiam esse in qua non sit fur aut meretrix , ther is no family ( high or low ) but hath a whore or a knave in 't : now , if single families cannot plead such an immunity , how shall we think that whole nations can be able to do it ? the greatest wits have a kind of mixture of madnes , and the best policied peeple , cannot be without som spice of exorbitancy . the purest fields have som kind of weeds that repullulat among the corn ; either intemperance , incontinence , idlenes or hypocrisy , or som other signall vice doth sway among all peeple more or lesse . wherupon when gaspar slickius was telling frederique the fourth , that he abhorr'd hypocrisy so much , that he wold go travell to find out a countrey wher ther were no dissemblers , the emperour smiling said , ultra sauro matas ergo & glacialem oceanum tibi eundum est ▪ tamen cum eò veneris non omnino carebit hypocrisi locus , si modo & tu homo non deus es , inter mortales enim nemo est qui non aliqua ex parta fictus fucatusque sit . thou must go beyond sarmatia , and the frozen ocean , yet when thou comst thither , thou wilt find that there is hypocrisie if they be men , and no gods , for there is not a soul among mortalls but is som way or other fain'd or counterfeited . vitia erunt donec homines , ther will be vices as long as ther are men , as cerialis sa●…th . but while we inveigh against the vice , it is no part of humanity to hate the person , let us hate the ill manners and not the man. and being mindfull of our own lubricities as well as of mankinds in generall , let us not be too eagle ey'd into other mens infirmities , unlesse it be by them to mend our own . i have heard , most excellen prince maximilian , what you have charged the french withall , viz. that they were possess'd somtimes with furies , alluding to their sundry civill commotions ; 't is very tru , yet they have not bin so far transported , but they came to themselfs againe , and i doubt not but the hand of heaven will in a short time quench these present flames that now rage there , and for us germans it were our duty to bring all the water of the rhin to do it ; by calling to memory that most holy league which was struck between the emperour frederique the second , and lewis the eighth of france , wherin the most ancient appellation of germans and franks , was reviv'd and acknowledgd to be the same nation , & sprung of the same stock , therfore it was capitulated , that when we came to mention one another , we shold mutually term our selfs brothers ; we must remember also how maximilian the first , caus'd the book which was kept among the records at spire , to be publickly burnt , wherin all the injuries and quarrells that had ever happen'd twixt the empire and the kingdom of france were couch'd . and you most adorn'd baron of limburg , under favour you have inveigh'd against spain with too much heat , as if she were nido di tradimento ove si cova quanto mal per il mond'hoggi si trova . as if spain were the nest , wherin was hatch'd all the mischief that hath befaln poore europe , since the castilian mounted to this greatnes . now as som painters when they draw a face take more pains to set out a mole , or wert , then the gracefulnesse of the whole countenance , so under correction have you bin pleas'd to delineat spain unto us ; it is true , the spaniard is much emulated by som , and hated by others , suspected by all ; but as many sweet and savoury things are not therfore insipid , because they prove so to squeazy and unsound stomachs , so the spaniard is not so bad of himself , because he is reported to be so , by such who either envy or maligne him ; all spaniards are not like the duke of alva , who because he perfectly abhorr'd a rebell , such as he held our countrey-man the low-german to be , did such severe execution upon them ; for wheras they alledg that king philip had broke his oath , and infring'd their privileges , by introducing the inquisition , and imposing new taxes , k. philip answer'd , that 't was they themselfs who had broken their own privileges first , by receding from that religion , wherein he found them , and wherin acording as he was engaged to god almighty by solemn oath , taken at his inauguration , he was bound to maintain them , which he could not do but by strength of armes and a warre , which they had drawn upon themselfs , and therfore it was just they shold maintain it : for what he did was to preserve his oath with the religion , and immunities he found them in , which they wold force him to violat , therfor they may thank themselfs for the miseries that befell them ; which yet in som respect turn'd mightily to their advantage , for it fil'd belgium with wealth and tresure ; in regard the spaniard being of so haughty an humor , that he wold not relinquish his right to those provinces , he employ'd so much indian gold and silver to reduce them that countervayl'd the price of the countrey forty times over ; and had it not been for those unhappy warrs , the catholique king might by this time have pav'd all his churches and palaces with peru ingots , and mezican patacoons . touching the society of iesuits , were it not for their hildebrandian doctrine , they might be very necessary members of church and state , both for the education of youth , the propagation of learning , converting of infidels and other things . for what concerns great britain , hungary and poland , truly the darts which som noble princes here have hurld at them , were a little too keen ; touching the two last , those encomiums which som noble princes whom i behold before ●…e have made of them , make a full compensation for what was spoken contra ; they a martiall peeple , perpetually inur'd to armes , and standing upon their gard , that the common enemy shall rush no further into europe . and for them of great britain , as they were in former ages much renoun'd for their trophies and feats abroad , ( for one of them built the walls of our vienna returning from the holy land , which , to confesse the truth , was more honor to him then to the arch-duke , who articled with him to do it ) i say as some ages since , the english were famous , so of late yeers they were envied by all nations for their mighty encrease of wealth and commerce , with peace and afluence of all felicity ; untill these late intestine warrs happen'd , which makes them now to be rather pittied then envied , to be rather scorned then respected ; yet they have discover'd that the same spirit of magnanimity and prowesse remaines still in the hearts of the peeple , as appear'd by those sundry battails , sieges and skirmishings they had , which were more then happen'd in any countrey for the time , considering the extent of ground ; but that addition of scotland to england was unhappy and fatall to her , for from that cold northern dore blew all her troubles . and now do i much admire what came into that prince his mind , who spoke of germany , to be so tart against her , and to throw so much dirt into the face of his own countrey ; surely as i beleeve he took those taunts and contumelies out of som forr ein author , who was no great friend to germany ; but 't is as easie for her to shake them off , as feathers off a cloak , or small flies when they infest us in sommer ; but as tiberius answer'd one , who told him of som aspersions that were cast abroad upon him , non indignamur aliquos esse qui nobis male dicat , satis est si hoc habemus ne quis nobis malè faciat ; we are not angry that ther are some who speak ill of us , it is enough that we are in such a condition , that no body can do us any ill ; so may germany say of her self . 't is too tru , that caesar hath receiv'd some deminution in point of power , but though som countreys which seem to have revolted from him seem to usurp his rights , yet he still claims them , and they acknowledg fealty ; we know that frederique the second writ to the pope , italia haereditas est mea , & hoc notum est toti orbi ; you know italy is my inheritance , and this is known to all the world , therfore when pius the fourth wold have made cosmo of medici king of hetruria , the emperour did countermand it ; and afterwards when pius the fift created him , gran duke of toscany , caesar did protest against it , as an invasion of his imperiall prerogative ; though that title was afterwards confirm'd to francis his son by the emperors special charter , and intercession of friends , yet with this proviso , that he shold acknowledg himself beneficiary of the empire . moreover it continueth to this day that when any difference happen twixt any of the italian princes about extent of territory , the decision herof belongs to the imperiall court ; ther is a late pregnant example herof , for when the genoways had encroached upon the marquis of final , and had in a manner exterminated him from house and home , the emperour ferdinand did summon them to answer for themselfs , with this menacing addition , nisi feciali suo parerent urbem & agrum genuensem se proscripturum ▪ if they wold not obey his herald , his imperiall majestie wold proscribe both the town and countrey of liguria , but they conform'd to his command ; now , ther is no civilian doctor but will confesse that caesar is lord paramount , and consequently hath jurisdiction over all the states of italy , and that it is an incontroulable truth , and a rule in law , nullis italiae civitatibus leges condere jus esse quae romanorum legibus quas fredericus promulgari jussit contrariae sint , ther is no city of italy can by right establish any law that may repugn any way the roman lawes which frederique comanded to be promulgated . touching the pope , all the world know that he is no other de iure but a vassall or chaplain to caesar , who gave him the praefecture of rome , and the countrey adjacent ; a confirmation wherof , he solemnly seeks of every new emperour : therfore caesar is not fallen from his property and imperiall right to rome to this day ; nor is it absolutely necessary for him to make his personall residence in rome , it being a rule , ibi est roma , ubi est imperator , ther rome is , where the emperour is ; we know that when constantine the great , did first transferr his court to constantinople , and fixed there , she being the fittest citty to rule the world by reason of her situation , yet he and his successors did still entitle themselfs roman emperours , preserving still their first rights ; as the athenians were sayed , notwithstanding that they had relinquished the citty to conserve athens still in their ships ; so that it may be sayd without much impropriety of speech , that rome is now at vienna , or prague , or norimberg , whersoever the imperiall person of caesar is : all the hans towns , though they have made use of caesar , and procur'd large priviledges for som pecuniary contributions , yet they acknowledg him still their supreme liege lord ; adde herunto that savoy , lorrain , and burgundy are members of the empire to this day ; as also the neitherlands or belgium , therfore when the confederat provinces having revolted from spain , had sent a splendid legation to elizabeth queen of england , to take them under her protection , the just and wise princesse put it to deliberation of councell , as it appears yet upon record , an cum alterius principis subditis protectionis faedus inire liceret , & an belgae faederati offerre jure possent sine caesaris consensu qui supremus feudi dominus erat ; i say the said prudent queen put it to debate , whether it was lawfull to enter into a league with the subjects of another prince , and whether those confederated provinces could make such a proposall with the consent of caesar who was soveraign lord of the fee : wherupon the first answer she sent them was , nihil sibi antiquius esse quam fidem cum honore con , unctam tueri , nec dum sibi liquere , quomodo salvo honore , & conscientia integrâ provincias illas oblatas in protectionem multo minus in possessionē accipere posset , nothing , sayd q. eliz. was of more religion to her , then to conserve her faith conjoyn'd with an honor worthy of a prince , and that it did not yet appear unto her how with safety of her honor and integrity of conscience , she cold undertake the protection , much more the possession of those provinces : yet afterwards som darknesses and jealousies encreasing 'twixt her and spain , she undertook the protection . and she prov'd a brave auxiliary unto them , both for men and money , in so much that the foundation of that free state may be sayd to be cimented with english blood ; 't is tru , that france concurr'd with her for pure politicall respects , for they were both as remoras to the spanish greatnes ; therfore although those sixe fugitive provinces which have revolted from spain have been strangers to the empire ever since , yet all the rest of the provinces acknowledg their old homage to caesar. now touching the helvetians or suisses , although by an imperiall diplom or charter , they have exemptionem à iudicio aulico , camerali & rotvillensi , libertatem foederationum , & immunitatem ab omnibus oneribus realibus imperio debitis , tamen constitutione fractae pacis publicae tenentur , & pacem imperii publicam violantes in camera accusari possunt , imo etiam contra omnes imperii hostes exteros suppetias ferre sunt obstricti . i say , although the swisses have exemption from court or chamber censures , although they have freedom or confederacy , and an immunity from all reall taxes of the empire , yet in case they infringe the publick peace , they are citable to the imperiall chamber , and they are bound to bring ayd against all forren enemies of the empire . touching the excesse of drinking , wherwith you brand the german , 't is tru , that no nation is more sociable and hospitable , which proceeds from the largenes of their souls , and free spirits , yet if they are peccant this way , their rare continence makes a compensation for their intemperance ; yet under favour ther be other nations that be as guilty this way ; for wheras the german doth pelt the brain with small shot , i mean with little draughts , the englishman doth use to storm it with canon bullet , i mean with huge drawghts at a time , in so much that of the two he is the purer drinker , for he is the only man who trades in sheere liquor , without eating any thing els , which all other nations use to do ; in so much , that scaliger doth not hit the humor right in his epigram , wherin he descants upon three nations , tres sunt convivae , germanus , flander & anglus , dic , quis edit melius , quis meliusve bibit ? non comedis germane , bibis , tu non bibis angle sed comedis , comedis flandre , bibisque bene . lastly , touching italy , renowned and triumphant italy , that noble prince who declaim'd in her praise spoke too sparingly , and he who pleaded against her , spoke too much , he rubb'd her sores with too rigid a hand , specially the imperiall seven-hill'd city , glorious and immortall rome , of whom it seems that providence hath a peculiar and more speciall care then ordinary , for although she hath bin so often ravish'd by such swarmes of barbarous peeple , yet she still-holds up her head ; and though so many crowns & scepters have forsaken her , yet the crosier bears still up her aged limbs , and keeps her from falling . she , who in former ages preserved her self by prowesse , doth do it now by piety . touching her bishops , that saying of guicciardin's was a little too virulent , wherin he tells us , hodie tam depravati sunt mores , ut in pontifice laudetur probitas cum caeterorum hominum nequitiam non excedit : ther is such a deprivation of manners now a dayes crept into rome , that if the popes vices do not exceed those of an ordinary man , he is accounted vertuous . touching the wealth of the church , and the bounty of our pious progenitors , i am none of those that repine at it , and i wold be loath to deprive saint peter of his patrimony , or have any of his lands to mingle with mine , for fear they shold prove as a canker in my estate , i wold be loath to exchange souls with any of those that robb the church , i would not fill my chests with such aurum tholosanum : ther was a remarkable thing happen'd in the time of frederique the second , who being extremely incenc'd against peter de vineis his secretary , caus'd him to be exoculated ; yet though he had so lost his eyes , the emperour readmitted him to his councel , because he was an extraordinary wise man : the secretary was very sensible of the losse of his eyes , and therfor studyed how to be reveng'd . herupon ther being a warre twixt the emperour and the pope , the secretary de vineis told him , vires ecclesiae suismet opibus esse conterendas , the power of the church is to be quell'd by her own wealth : herupon he advised the emperour to sell som of the church goods , which he did in pisa and other places , which being done , the secretary told him boldly , imperator , injuriam mihi à te illatam ultus sum , — o emperor i have now reveng'd my self of the injury that was done me , thou hast drawn upon thy self already the hatred of men , and now i have drawn upon thee the hatred of god by this act of sacrilege , therfor all things shall fare ill with thee hereafter , which proved accordingly as the history plainly tells us . touching the excesses of some popes , which poggio and platina ripp up , it cannot be denied but among so many som must be bad ; in the first election that our saviour himself made of his twelve apostles , we know ther was one naught , but let it not be forgotten that the first . bishops of rome were all martyrs ; if the cardinalls purple seem too gay in the eyes of that noble prince who spoke against it , and that som ecclesiastiques live in too much pomp and plenty , the capuchins frock , and the austere abstemious lifes of other mendicant fryers may make som compensation for their excesses ; if venice and naples with other places , have so many courtesans , the continence of so many thousand cloyster'd sweet soules who have quite divorc'd themselfs from the world , and wedded heaven , may serve to apologize for the countrey in generall ; yet i am not so far transported with the love of italy , ( or any region els ) that she may deserve to stand in competition for preheminence with germany ; no , italy comes as far short of her in that point , a●… an italian mile comes short of a german league , which in som places is five times longer . dixi . c. frederique von pliegianem . i have heard with no lesse pleasure then profit all those most learned and elaborat orations , which have bin pronounced in this princely diet ; and touching my own judgment i totally concurr in point of opinion with the personage that spoke last , and with his highnesse charles duke of saxony , who dilated himself so gallantly upon the same subject , viz. that of all the kingdoms and states of europe , germany deserves the palm , and principality . b. henry von pa●…owitz . and i also , most excellent princes , am setled also in the same opinion , which i hold to be orthodoxall , and not derogatory to any other countrey besides . c. ioachim von iaxheim . and i am cleerly of that mind , nor do i hold it a wrong or disparagement to any other part of europe to veile to germany , and come in the arreare . c. christopher von belward . i have weigh'd and winnow'd in my intellectualls , all those opinions that have been delivered in this high convention , and i hold it appertaines de iure to germany to have the preheminence , which i wold be ready to maintain with my sword , as well as with my saying , if occasion did require it ; nor doth this opinion proceed from any partiality or fondnes of affection because i am a german born , but from the pure dictates of reason and justice . the close of the assembly , by the most excellent , frederique duke of vvittemberg , & c. most illustrious prince , ever endeared cosens , and much honoured barons . — ther have bin many famous diets in germany , which have bin more populous , and of a longer continuance then this , but i beleeve ther was never any which transacted more busines in so short a time ; i dare say that europe was never so exactly survayed , & travelled over , as she hath bin these few dayes by us ; and this we have don without incurring any inconveniences or hazards at all ; either of difficult wayes , incursion of theeves , stumbling of horses , hard fare , illfavour'd lodgings , or crossing of seas , with those nomberles incommodities which we know are incident to perigrination , and journeying in forrein countries . and now me thinks , you expect with earnestnes , and a kind of impatience that i shold deliver my opinion touching the question which hath bin controverted so many dayes , and canvas'd to an fro , with such high straines of rhetoric and energie of wit in so many fluent orations swelling with such high tides of eloquence , and learning ; but i humbly desire to be excus'd herein , you know 't is a rule of morallity all the world over , that comparisons are odious ; besides , under favour , neither the place nor persons of this assembly , are fit to passe a definitive sentence hereof ; we are all germans , and do what we can , we must be a little indulgent to our own countrey by an irresistible instinct of nature : all regions have som advantage or other to make them lift up their crests . let germany glory that she hath the prince paramount of christendom for her perpetuall guest , that caesar keeps his court in her . let spain be the queen of mines , france of men ; let great britain be the queen of iles , italy the queen of policy , with all sorts of elegancies ; let it be granted that the french and pole are best a horseback , the englishman and hollander upon a deck , the spaniard at a siege , the italian in a treaty , the hungarian upon a rampart , &c. every nation hath a particular aptitude to somthing more then another , and this by the common decree of nature , who useth to disperse her benefits , and not powre them all together upon any one peeple . and now , most splendid and magnificent princes , my most dear cosens and compatriots , how shall i pay that due tribut of gratitude , which i confesse to have made my self liable unto , for this noble and vertuous congress ? truly , no words are strong enough to expresse my self herin , unlesse they were couch'd in such patheticall and gallant orations which have bin formerly framd ; all that i can say and desire for the present is , that you would please to accept of a lipp-payment only , ( which yet is cordiall ) untill som happy encounter may afford me an opportunity to return som reall acknowledgment : in the interim , most noble and hopefull princes , well may your soules fare , may your vertues encrease , and your fame flourish to all posterity . finis . a particular of such matters as were debated in this german diet. a a buse of forren travell . in the pro. sage advise to a traveller . fol. ibid. abbot of fuldo the greatest of christendom , he furnish'd the emperour with fighting men . . in that abbacy . gentlemen were usd to be bred , and . doctors to teach them . auspurg famous for goldsmiths . the admirable wooden eagle made by regiomontanus to the life all the old famous artists musterd up among the greeks and romans a notable passage 'twixt albertus magnus and thomas aquinas all the famous printers numbred antwerp characteriz'd acostas opinion of the torrid zone one of aristotles errors augustus caesar and tiberius drank most commonly german wines annwerp erected the first burse of ariovistus the valiant german , his stout answer to caesar above millions of soules in germany not counting denmark and bohemia , as boterus affirms a notable passage of babo count of aheneberg andaluzia from vandales augustus caesar twise defeated by the germans , call'd lolliana , and variana clades a memorable passage in constantinople touching one of the emperours ambassadors the ancientest race of noblemen is in germany of artemisia and her wonderfull love to her husband the answer of a pole why he held the plough on sunday a notable example of poysning us'd in poland , and the fearfull judgment that ensued thereupon aurelianus the emperour kill'd . men in one day in the field attila characteriz'd his death a wise answer of an archbishop of colen to the abbot of fuldo s. augustins wish a calabrian hath nothing but the shape of a man in him a shrewd judgment of a learned frenchman touching italy aquitaine daintily describ'd by salvianus , and province by boterus aristotle fouly err'd when he writes that there are no asses in france the duke of anjous miscarriage in the netherlands , he was made governor by queen eliz . letters of the french disease the french nation censur'd , they have whirlwinds in their brains , quicksands in their breasts , characters given of them by the ancients french kings not liable to pay the debts of their predecessors , examples produc'd a nasty leprous french peeple call'd capotts dwelling in bearn the invincible armada in the yeere describ'd of prince arthur , his character in verse mr. arondel of warder how he came to be count of the empire , his patent ausonius his character of a salmon his opinion of the britains adrian the fourth an englishman his haughtines anne of bullen taunted in france of the abuse of tobacco an apologie for human infirmities the advantages of divers countreys an apologie for the popes and the cardinalls another for italy the atheisticall life and saying of a german prince of amsterdam of the austrian family b bodins notable description of germany berchtoldus swartzius a franciscan first inventor of gunpowder bezas epigram of aldus manutius the printer boterus his opinion of the german cities of bachrag wines the benefit holland makes of her milk may compare with bourdeaux wines , or lisbons spices biscopius a welch monk made five pilgrimages to rome , and us'd to bring with him some choice artists bon●…inius preferrs austria before italy the bad popes censur'd bembo's prophanesse of a bishop that died by keeping in his wind backward at a feast beatrix emp : barbarossa's wife barbarously usd in milan , the emperor had his full re venge the britains of the gallic , or wallic race bodin censur'd great britain characteriz'd her advantag●…ous situation her seas as fruitfull as her shores her character in verse her character by eumenius to constantin the great the progresse that her fish makes about her throughout the yeer , with her severall seasons of fishing britain a microcosm of herself of the inhab●…tants of britain britain had the first christian king and emperour britain branded by porphyry the old britons or welsh the greatest planters of christianity most of the famous men of britain ancient and modern musterd up boniface his ill report of the english britain hath the best cocks and doggs the baths of germany bartolus saying , that tall men are seldo●… wise s. bernards description of ireland ●… a bitter satyre against the queen of scot land buchanan and knocks censur'd c they of china an eagle-eyd p●…eple , next neighbours to the rising sun. they disdain all other nations . their proverb . the true appellation of china , . times bigger then france . they are good artists . they have generally flat noses . they restrain strangers to come into their countrey . they inhibit the natives to travell abroad , &c. in the proeme . the character of man in the pro. the chino is enemies to humanity , to the law of nature in the pro. cybeles priests were hermaphrodites in the pro. charlemain vers'd in many languages , a good poet , he caus'd the grammar to be put in the vulgar toung , and german names to be impos'd upon the months in the yeer , he divided the winds into twelve , he was us'd to be present in the schooles , and threatned a degradation to all nobles that were illiterat charls the v. had thucydides alwaies with him in the field a comparison touching italy another comparison a comparison of the french wines a comparison of the french kings a comparison of monsieur de la nove two comparisons wittily us'd a fit comparison a comparison 'twixt the germans and italians caesar saluted onely the skirts of germany a comparison of rivers a comparison of weeds cicero●…s complaint of false writing a comparison of tacitus caesars saying of the swablanders a comparison touching kingdoms of the cosacks a high comparison about the praises of italie a comparison the italian wheat is the first , the boetian next , the sicilian the third , and the african next that of cosmo de medici and his rare abilities , his admirable pietie , his golden speech , his epitaph d. the duty of a traveller . in the pro. duke of saxony orator for germany his curious proeme . disswasions from forren travell danzick , delph , in low germany , and rostock , paderborn , brunswick , and breslaw in high germany the most famous for beer the duke of holyiein had at one time . ma●…es , and stallions of the danube that watereth a hundred people the dutch were grandfathers , if not fathers of the britains , as caesar writes . of divers that writ upon bald petty subjects , as archippus●…ell ●…ell upon the praise of an asse , passeratius upon his shadow , lucian of a fly , erasmus of folly , &c. the defects of italy in not having navigable rivers with others divers places in italy subject to ill aires of duke godf●…ey of bullen a discou●…se against elective kingdomes , and what confusions come by interregnums dirt of paris indelible montague his saying of his countrymen a discourse of forren travell by the duke of saxony of duels so much us'd by the french the dangerous opinions of the jesuits , and the various wayes they have to oblige the gentry of sir francis drake and his exploits e. the english taunted wittily fol. eudoxus his extravagant wish to go near the sun english sweat eckius first found found the way of mingling oyl with colours an encomium of printing the excellencies of the german cities england call'd transmarina saxonia entringh castle , a memorable passage that happen'd in it the encouragement the pope gives merchants to buy his allum aeneas sylvius his witty distic to the poets extravagant wishes of two brothers in padoa , whereby they both perished the excesse of speech that maximilian us'd touching france a notable example of a drunken woman in france of the english kings the english made trade to flourish first in flanders of queen elizabeth the english great reverencers of their kings the earth is the native country of all men ; she is but one mansion . in the pro. the marvellous eccho of charenton bridge in france , that reverberates times . in the pro. of the escurial in spain the eighth wonder of the world notable examples of the spanish constancy edgar row'd by four kings the exploits of the english in france the english formidable in france as by example the english king pray'd for more often than any other queen elizabeth caused the great turk to expell the jesuits out of pera the english censur'd englands inconveniencies the english and dutch compar'd in point of drinking examples of drunkards f. a fantastick traveller . fol. in the pro. set forth by sir thomas more in the person of lalus , a meer ape or mimick , &c. . in the pro. he turns a sprat to a whale . in the pro. france taunted forren travel the best academy the famous divines of germany muster'd up , the famous politicians , the famous physitians and philosophers germany the first correctresse of the kalender the fantastick humour of petrus bembus touching the latin tongue france the center of europe , she enjoyes a delicate temper , able to unite or hinder the conjunction of the forces of europe , her comodious situation the four loadstones of france according to boterus without france , spain might starve for bread of the french wines of the french hemp of the french salt compar'd with that of other countries of divers other french comodities wherewith the country abounds the bad fruits of forren travell friburg famous for crystal work florence a city to be seen on holydaies , as charls the emperour sayd of the french mines a fish in france that changes with the moon of the french rivers , and how commodiously they lie for navigation , france the eye and pearl of the world france hath episcopal cities , whereof four are metropolitan , she hath . parishes of the french towne , and of paris in particular france the freest country upon earth , and the reasons the freedome of france exemplified by two notable instances of the french martial kings of the french church , and the vast revenue thereof a frenchman the first latin lecturer in rome when cicero was a boy of the great learned men of france , and the colledge of sorbon of the french academies of the french tongue , and of ioseph scaliger , the dictator of literature the best french spoken upon the banks of loire of the french kings , and their excellencies the french crown not tied to a distaffe , and the reason alledged french kings never die , example thereof france prohibits the imperial law , french kings beginne to raign inchoativ●… at their high prerogatives , and of the parliament of paris french king more glorious than the emperor in gards , &c. the french king cures the struma , and the manner of it of the late french kings , and their characters , specially of henry the great , and his son the late lewis the . france and her king worthy to have the principality , and the reasons francis the first brought in the turk against spain , & the act authoriz'd by examples of the french ligue , and the monstrousness of it french kings censur'd of henry the . his vision , his death , his epitaph france possessed with furies sale of offices in france a high injustice french gentlemen all surgeons of the french language france full of wanton books of the french rablais the french often eaters the french most changeable when the frenchman sleeps the devil rocks the cradle , a proverb of the flemin the foolishness of the londoners in point of building g. gratianus his famous decree . in the pro. germany much better'd by forren travel . in the pro. the german gentlemen tax'd for abusing forren travel the germans very thick abroad in other countryes germany the princesse of europe gaunt in flanders the greatest city in europe germany suddenly turn'd christian , her marvailous piety germany describ'd by paulus iovius she hath mightily flourished since the councell of constance in universities and knowledge the german princes very covetous of degrees in learning of the duke of gelders all the german great townes excell in some particular thing a german fryer inventor of guns , and a german swordman inventor of printing , vice versa the german cities characteriz'd the german territories characteriz'd of the german wines germany compar'd to italy the german commodities set forth of the german horses of the german rivers of the german fish of the german mines of gold and silver , with other mettals the german most hospitable german gentlemen restrained from trade the germans never beat their servants , nor imprison their tenants germany an ill country for bastards the german rare for chastity and conjugall love of the german valour germany called by the belgians , magna patria germany the strongest body of europe if united the genoways only worse than englishmen the germans tartly censur'd the german way to try whether a child be a bastard h. an honest man must be a mixt man , the reason why . in the pro. hyperboles of divers sorts . in the pro. hollanders best makers of linnen cloth , their looms are as fine as arachnes webb holst & oudenard excel in woven pictures holland hath thirty three cities , whereof from gorcham tower one may see hercynian forrest once nine dayes journey broad holland characteriz'd by scaliger holland cowes give twelve quarts a day herodes king of iudaea had a guard of germans how the germans took footing in france horslers and tapste●…s in poland understand latin in many places how rome hath been ingrateful to those who deserved best of her hungary hath strong wines hungary hath a river call'd tibisco , whereof it is said , that she hath two parts water , and the third fish saint hierom an hungarian hungary hath had famous men , their names hungary affoorded eight roman emperours , their names other brave kings of hungary mentioned the brave answer of an hungarian gentlewoman hungary the antimurale and chiefest rampart of europe hungary glorieth of stephen bartorius , and deservedly , his character . of the hungarian languor , or fai●…iness some hungarian wells that will singe hoggs , yet they breed fish the hungarians described by bishop otto of frisenghen the huns said to have their original from som demons henry the of france censur'd many ways in henry the seconds time but two coaches in all paris the hollander lives partly upon the idleness of the english a horrid murrher of a german butcher i the italian taunted the italian sends yeerly to germany for artists as statuaries , architects , limmers , surveyours , aqueductors , &c. iohn guttemberg of mentz , first inventor of printing how irenaeus adjur'd the writer of his works tobe true of the italian mountibanks of idlenes and sloth italy to other kingdoms as a diamond to bristol stones italy characteriz'd by pliny the high elogy that an emperour gives of italy some italian soyles affoord ●…attermaths italy , bacchus his inner celler of the italian wines the wines of papia cur'd boetius , and afterwards he fell to write his book de consolatione the various comodities of italy italy describ'd curiously by florus the italian cities with their epithetts a napolitan found out the mariners compas , a venetian found out the making of glasse of the brave artists of italy , of the poets and orators with philosophers italy the great source and cestern whence all civility flow●…s italy hath . academies the italian cautious in exposing himself to danger the brave resolution of an italian when charles the eight entred italy italy bred great captains of christophero colomba a greater heroe then hercules , the reasons induc'd him to that design , his proceedings in short , how he jeerd the ranting spaniards , how he was slighted , & at last listned unto by isabella the italians are true friends , exemplified by signior priuli a venetian gentleman , and cardinall pole italy a seeker after , and rewarder of vertu , rome the common countrey of all nations where any is capable of dignity of the stupendous wealth and strength of venice , stil a virgin , the greatest mistresse of sea in the world , her exploits and policy divers characters of rome , one by livy , her admired populousnes and riches in times pass'd , of her bishop , alwayes a reverencer of the gods , of old and new rome , of the pope , and many examples produc'd , what adorations have been done him by emperors and kings , the notable letter of adrian the fourth to the electors of germany , the names of those kingdoms that are feudetary to rome , how divers emperours , & kings have been excōmunicated by him touching generall councels , a proverb of the pope in italy , &c. italy by many characters of merit deserves to have the precedence of all countreys in europe of famous iohn hawkwood ireland famous of old for learned men the irish have a holy proverb of s. patrick ireland and scotland censurd . k kingdoms no other then magna latrocinia fol. kingston upon hull like a low-countrey town of keneth the pict , who brought the coronation stone from ireland to scotland l the lord presidents complement to the rest of the princes . in the pro. lycurgus against forren travell . in the proeme the law of god that strangers should be as well us'd of natives . in the pro. of luther his quil compar'd to hercules club lotharius the emperour the first restaurator of learning in germany leunclavius compild the history of the mahumetans while he was ambassador for rodolphus in constantinople lovain had . weavers loomes in the yeer the english first taught to make cloth by the lovantans lubecks beer medicinall of lorenzo de medicis a memorable passage leo the tenth born for the restauration of letters london and genoa compar'd in ingratitude and why latin toung two thirds greek languages descanted upon laval in the raign of francis the first , a corpulent gentleman , was the first inventor of coches lipsius his opinion of oxford of london , englands imperiall chamber a libell in spain against the jesuitts , and another in france of love to ones countrey m man not tied to one place no more then a bird or fish . in the proeme man lord of all elementary creatures by divine charter . in the pro. machiavill rebukes his countrey men because they us'd german mathematicians magdeburg the metropolis of germany many errors of the ancients musterd up the monstrous trade of antwerp in times pass'd the marvailous riches of antwerp , when she was plundred by the spaniards the memorable history of a duchesse of bavaria , of conjugall love to guelpho her husband the miraculous story of a countesse in holland who brought forth so many children as dayes in the yeer lituania in some parts doth offer sacrifices to the devil ; the maner of their worship m. t. cicero the great standard bearer of orators a maxime of ilanders a modest saying of iulius the third , though an odd one a mighty clash 'twixt the pope and the king of france moses gods chancelor . in the pro. mets put bounds to the conquests of charles the fift of the great massacre in france , and the horrid comet that follow'd a little after , the eminent men that were slain medalls with the inscriptions after s. bartholome massacre of marseilles in france a greek proverb the marquis of ancre most barbarously murtherd of maurice prince of orenge , his speech upon his death bed n natures great ordinance . in the pro. nilus hath a strange property norimberg one of the most ingenious towns in europe a notable saying of valentinian touching the french the normans a valiant peeple issued from germany how they came to be call'd bygods the normans elegantly characteriz'd by roger hoveden notable exploits of the germans against the romans the normans chas'd first the saracens out of sicily a notable resolution of the gosack no learning at all left in greece at this time a notable saying of borgia pope alexanders son when he had lost . crowns at dice the notable cunning of aeneas sylvius touching rome nogaret the french ambassador takes the pope a cuff under the eare a notable letter the greek churches writ to iohn the third the notable speech of charles the fift to seldi●…s at flushing no river so full of meanders as the sein in france narbon curiously characteriz'd in latin verse a notable example of sacrilege of nations in general , & their dexterity three notable stories in germany o the occasion of this meeting . in the pro. otho the emperour scap'd imprisonment in greece , because he spoak the language so well of mary q. of hungary a remarkable passage of the glory of the emperor & the electors of charlemain the first founder of the german empire of the famous men in poland of ploughs and culters of wood to which the pole doth attribut a kind of divinity of some positions of the canon law of the canonists who are great champions for the pope of divers emperours who summond generall councells of divers popes who were elected , and chastiz'd by emperors of italy , france and england a proverb of the jesuits their rise , their progresse and policy , all factors for spain , their strange tenets , how they tugg'd to get into paris , how they were banish'd venice . of the indispositions of the spanish monarchy of the gastly death of philip the second , and many circumstances belonging to it , his epitaph . of portugall and her pittifull sterility of the strongest forts upon earth the opinion of an italian touching the strength of england the order of the golden fleece more proper to england then to any countrey els of york the seat of emperours of scotland of ireland of the lightnes of the britains of the prerogatives of the emperour of curing the kings evill by the french king , the opinion of crescentius of the base ingratitude of the scotts p in praise of peregrination . in the pro ▪ poyson cur'd in a strange way a proverb the italians have of the germans in the praise of poland of the perusian ambassadors employed to the pope a facetious passage . in pol. poland hath salt pitts under ground like palaces poland a very plentifull countrey a polonian marchant nam'd vernicius being consull of cracovia was rich to admiration , famous entertainment he gave to kings the pole delights not much in sumptuous buildings there were nine score talents erogated out of garlik , onions and leeks , towards the building the pyramids o●… egypt the pole measures his house by his own body the pole goes beyond all for manly attire the pole confines upon two potent neighbours , the turke and the russe the brave answer that stephen king of poland gave the turk potts found naturally shapen in the earth neere streme poland hath had very victorious kings , they are reckon'd up king of poland created a perpetuall friend to the empire philip the second would not refer to the pope the right to portugall the prerogative of the german diet . in the proeme . plato against forren travell . in the pro. the famous pilgrimage of otto the third to a saint in poland , & the story belonging to it the pole can bring into the field . thousand fighting men of the polish nobility the poles three parts of foure are arrians in some polish words there are . consonants to one vowell the polish words as so many stones thrown at a mans brain a proverb of hungary the power of pisa in times pass'd , when she had gentlemen that could put every one a gally to sea upon his own charge the power of genoa in times pass'd ibid. of philip the second , his consciousnes before he invested portugall , his sage cariage about his son before he died of the perfidiousnes of the english against the old britains of printing and gunns r. rome recovered learning by urban the . who sent for thomas aquinas as also afterwards by cosmo and lorenzo de medici reasons that great britain may stand in competition for the primacy of europe raphael urbin design'd by leo the tenth to be a cardinal reasons why great britain cannot deserve the preheminence of other countries the russe seldom travels abroad . in the pro. rodolphus the emperours wise speech to a traveller the rule of providence not to powre down all blessings at once of regiomontanus a remarkable passage of everard barbatus duke of wirtemberg the roman emperours had a guard of germans for their fidelity of the renowned families of germany , and their antiquity and extent through all europe rhodope a rich courtisan built one of the pyramids of egypt rome in one cense that was made had in her two millions and a half of soules rome when pagan had above temples , now christian she hath scarce the th part the sorry report the french gave of poland at their return with hen. rome often ravished rome shrunk into a pigmey's skin from that gigantick shape she was the hugenesse of rome conjectur'd by many arguments s. scotsmen men-eaters spain first attempted , and at last subdued by the romans spain preferr'd before all countries by charles the spain with her commodities laid op●… spain the fragrantst country in spain milk cannot turn to whey in some places spain the queen of horses of the chief cities of spain of the mines of spain the site and form of spain of the rivers that water spain spain hath a bridge twenty miles long , whereon cattle feed spanish crown made of her own gold spain describ'd by claudian a spanish guard about iulius caesar , augustus had a band of biscainers a notable example of the spanish valour the spaniards right justified to the west indies the spanish discoverers of the west indies , the discoverers of the east spaniards the sole grandees of this age spain hath bred notable spirits of the jesuits founded by a spaniard the spanish monarchy the vastest since the creation the sun alwaies shines upon some part of the philippian monarchy sacriledge to dispute of the emperours power . in the pro. spain taunted seneca's notable speech against forren travell satan doth commonly set up his chappel near gods house scaligers witty saying of ●…lavius scaligers cōparison 'twixt thunder & canon scaligers witty saying of printing ▪ of canon , wheele-clocks scaligers elogium of antwerp the swisse scarce knew the use of gold and silver til the overthrow they gave the duke of burgundy near granson spanish souldiers made hilts of swords of massie gold at the plundring of antwerp a notable speech of philip the second when his father resign'd him his dominions the wondrous strength of sigismund king of poland , who could crack a horshooe slavonique the most spacious tongue strange examples of some learned men that lost their memory as not to remember their own names scaligers tart opinion of rome sicily call'd by g●…cero , romes nurse , and the peoples pantry sannazarius writ three books of jesus christ , and yet never names him spain hath afforded many brave emperors the spanish grandezas expressed , and reasons alledged that the spanish king is to be preferrred before all other potentates in spain the mule fares sometimes better than the master ●… the sterillity of spain discovered by a pleasant tale of the count palatin of the rhine of the spanish pride some examples how spain came to this greatness a question whether the spaniards were first discoverers of the east and west indies of the spanish cruelty in the indies spanish king not so potent as we take him to be , and the reasons the spanish valour question'd divers spanish rodomantadoes the spanish fleet the highest grandeza that ever was the sharp sight of the spaniard a memorable story of a spanish captain in flander●… though the king of spain be in perpetuall war , and infinitely indebted , yet there is no appearance at all in his court t ▪ a traveller compar'd to a horsleech , and paris of troy tacitus his notable speech against germany thuanus saith that cambray makes linnen cloths yearly tacitus like to have been lost , had he not been received in a monastery of westphalia typography casts a bridle into times mouth typography ars memoriae , & mors oblivionis tacitus his opinion of germany rectified the tower of strasburg foot high tacitus call'd by budaeus , the wickedest of all writers , by tertullian , the lyingst , by orosius , the flattringst tyrol abounds most with mettals of any country the turks call all christians freinks , and the abyssins call them alfrangues the great turk prefers the christian emperours ambassador before all others the temple of ephesus years a building the pope a great temporal prince & proud a tart censure of the italian a tart saying touching saints v ulms excells in drapery of all sorts utrecht stands betwixt cities , whereof the remotest but a dayes journey vienna describ'd by aeneas sylvius vladislaus the perjur'd k. of poland & the horrid judgment that fell upon prince & peeple the yew poysonous to those that sleep under it , a brasse nayl beaten in takes away the poyson the vertu of iron a strange vision henry the of france had before his death how he was murther'd , with his epitaph ibid. vulcan hath his chief forge , and mars his armory in bilbo of viriatus the valiant portuguez a question discuss'd , whither the old world got more by the new , or the new by the old the vanity of the portuguais of the spanish inquisition the three vowes of solyman w bodin wittily taunted a witty epigram on katherin de medicis q of france a witty saying of henry the . of france a witty comparison touching bodin a witty character of the french by pontumarinus a witty chronogram witty reparties 'twixt a german and a dutchman touching their languages a witty epigram for drinking a wise law of the lacedemonians touching lascivious books a witty saying touching the order of knighthood in france two witty comparisons a wise saying of an english captain a witty letter of c●…ligni to the french king a witty epigram upon spain a witty saying how philip got the kingdom of portuga●…l a wise saying of philip the second his wise speech at his death a witty simile touching spain a witty speech of henry the fourth touching spain the witty speech of king iames touching the spaniard whither the indian gold hath done more hurt or good to europe some witty sayings of the wild indians reflecting upon the spaniards a witty saying of robert duke of normandy a witty speech of k. iames touching tobacco a wise saying of cosmo de medici walloons that fled from the fury of the duke of alva in flanders taught the english to make bays and serges a witty character of a king the wines of germany wine fo plentifull in germany , that in some places they macerat their lime and mingle their morter , with it the walls of babylon foot high , and miles in compas of the seven wonders where the turks horse sets his foot the grass never grows a witty answer of charles the sift a wise saying of scaurus a wise saying of sigismund the emperor , and of a●…phonso of aragon touching learning a witty epigram upon henry the a wise speech of the pontano duke of venice to the popes ambassadors a wise sanction made at a diet against the popes power in the election of the emp. a wise saying of the duke of alva . witty answers of som emperors to the pope a witty saying of an ambassadour the witty answer of hen. . to the parisians of brave women a witty saying of hen. the . king of france a witty saying of lewis the a witty saying of a spanish ambassadour a witty epigram upon sir francis drake ward the english pirat did a world of mischief to christendom a witty saying of a spanish client to k. phil. a witty pasquil against spain when the goletta was lost a witty comparison of europe a witty spanish proverb a welch prince freed england of wolves why woolsacks are in the house of peers the wise speech of king canutus a wise speech of charles the of the 〈◊〉 of wales women did ride astride til queen anne , wife to richard the second of c●…rdinal wolsey the weakness of the empire a witty anagram a witty comparison made to the french by florus a wise saying of the emperour frederique of the warrs of the low-countries and the grounds of them a wise answer of tiberius a wise answer of q. eliz. to the hollanders a witty comparison that florus makes of the french valour the witty saying of an aethiop water in moravia of great vertue a witty saying of henry the fourth the wise speech of paschasius against the jesuits a witty saying touching the philosophers stone a witty saying touching portugall a witty revenge of a secretary the witty answer of an empress a witty saying of katharine de medici the woful catastrophe and last words of henry the to the reader . the plen●…y of matter wherewith this book doth swel , might have made a larger index , but that the authour had a regard to the rule of proportion , viz. that the poster●…-gate should not prove too big for the fabrique . errata . edw. the . for hen. . pag. . best for left . p. . charls the first for fift . p. . an exact historie of the late revolutions in naples, and of their monstrous successes not to be parallel'd by any ancient or modern history / published by the lord alexander giraffi in italian ; and (for the rarenesse of the subject) rendred to english, by j.h., esqr. revolutioni di napoli. english giraffi, alessandro. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing g estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an exact historie of the late revolutions in naples, and of their monstrous successes not to be parallel'd by any ancient or modern history / published by the lord alexander giraffi in italian ; and (for the rarenesse of the subject) rendred to english, by j.h., esqr. revolutioni di napoli. english giraffi, alessandro. howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. : port. printed by r.a. for r. lowndes, london : . translation of: revolutioni di napoli. caption title: nevves from naples. reproduction of original in harvard university libraries. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng masaniello, - . naples (kingdom) -- history. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion effigie & uero ritratto di masianiello , comandante , in napoli . an exact historie of the late revolutions in naples ; and of their monstrous successes , not to be parallel'd by any ancient or modern history . published by the lord alexander giraffi in italian ; and ( for the rarenesse of the subject ) rendred to english , by i. h. esqr. non est quòd mireris praeterita , praesentia te reddent attonitum . liv. leave off admiring what before hath past , this present age will make thee more agast . london : printed by r. a. for r. lowndes . . to the right vvorshipfull the governour , the deputy , and the rest of the worthy company trading into the levant ▪ sirs , the scene of this ensuing story , was that country where princes are merchants , and with which you hold most correspondence ; this , with those high respects i have alwaies profess'd to that noble society , and the employment which by royall commission i once had to serve some of them , induc'd me to this addresse . the originall was very lately compil'd by an italian nobleman , and though it be a small volume , yet it contains as stupendous passages , as ever happen'd on earth since discord first entred into the vvorld ; and indeed were they not fresh , and acted , as it were but yesterday , it wold stagger any ones faith to beleeve , that in so well a policed city as naples , commanded by a viceroy , and three praesidiall castles , so full of nobility and gentry , as no place more , abounding with so many sober and politic heads , i say , it wold stumble any ones belief , that a young fellow , a petty poor bare-footed fisherman , shold draw after him in lesse then three days , above forty thousand armed men , and shaking off his linnen slop , blue wastcoat , & red bonnet , shold the fourth day ride triumphantly upon his coursier in cloth of silver , command all naples , and consequently neer upon six hundred thousand souls , as absolutely as ever monark did ; and all this by his own single orders , which were of force enough to plunder or burn any house , to banish the proudest lord , or chop off any head , without judiciall proceeding . in this narration , though short and small , you may see all the circumstances hereof related with much exactnesse : moreover , as in a little ring emboss'd with som precious stone , one may behold the effigies of a great castle , or mountaine ( by a rare contraction of the object ) so in this small history of * anello , which i present unto your eyes , you may discern the greatnesse of my desires , that the world shold witnesse how much i am x. may . your humble and ready servitor , iames howell . nevves from naples . the proem . that brave napolitan courser , no lesse generous then undaunted , who for excess of mettle , ( prancing and triumphing in his owne liberty ) wold not suffer either bit in mouth or saddle on back by any barbarous nation or foe for so many ages . he , who in so many warlike assaults full of martiall spirits did by his proud neighing kick down the pride , and broke the courage of the great hannibal , giving him such thumps on the breast that drove him back to the banks of carthage after his glorious victories against the romans , and other nations by him de●elld . he who stopp'd that formidable army of three hundred thousand combatants under king gens●erious the goth , after he had sack'd and burnt rome , forcing him to bid a farewell to fair italie . he who with a bold tooth did so irreparably strike bellisardus the greek , that he constrained him to take counsell of his feet , and betake himself to a shamefull flight . he that with a mortall kick struck alboinus the pagan , king of the longobards , with an innumerable army , having had the dominion of italie six hundred yeers and upwards . he who triumph'd o're three most potent barbarous kings , di fontana king of afric , di esdione king of boe●ia and carthage , and of marchinato king of syria and persia , taking pleasure to swim in the blood of two and forty thousand saracens , and never rested or drew back his foot till he got them all the spoils of that fearfull army . he who after three moneths of streight siege did force henry the german emperour to retire himself shamefully . he who being gamesom and full of heat , delighted chiefly to prance among armes and armed men , and to whiten the sands with his foame , being already stain'd with the blood of the enemy , and to trample upon unburied carcases . this brave napolitan courser came afterwads by his misfortune ( his antient liberty and innated bravery being lost ) into the possession of strangers , somtimes of the normans , somtimes of the swevians , somtimes of the french , with the expence of a world of blood : at last he fell into the hands of the arragonians , and the most renowned house of austria their succe●●ors , who looking upon him with a gentle look , and whether he was stroak'd with som magic hand , or switch'd with som inchanted rod , he received from them the bridle into his mouth , the saddle upon his back , and willingly took up the cavalier to manage him ever since . these afterwards by their naturall sagacity feeding and nourishing him with graines of many graces , and concession of priviledges , made him ready to obey , and deliver'd him to the government of their hors-coursers , that being well guided and instructed by them in the art of warr , they might quickly make use of him upon occasion of any enterprize . naples for the space of . yeers serv'd the majesty of this house with no ill-minded gratitude and fidelity ; she succor'd alphonso the first with a voluntary imposition of ten carlines upon ev'ry fire throughout the whole kingdom for ever ; they added five carlines more to ferdinand for ever , and so by degrees it mounted to . carlines , which she payes to this day , and comes to three millions of gold yearly . she serv'd the house of austria afterwards with more readinesse , having supplied charles the fift in ten donatives with five millions , philip the second with thirty in three and thirty donatives , and philip the third and fourth , from the yeer . to this day with a hundred millions and more , for which free donatives 't was necessary to impose many taxes and gabells upon all edible commodities , to the end that he might completely satisfie his desires . and poursuing the same affection towards her king now regnant in the yeer . and being desirous to present him with a new donative , without having any regard to her own forces now much infeebled , a new design was found out to put a new gabell upon fruits , which comprehended all sorts as well dry as green , as far as mulberies , grapes , figgs , apples , pears , &c. depriving her of her ordinary nutriment : but making her live so seven moneths continually , she fell down at last flat upon the ground by meer weaknesse , and then feeling her deplored estate , and of the whole kingdome , she took a new resolution to disburthen her selfe not onely of this , but of all other insupportable exactions formerly imposed , and this she did not without wel-grounded reasons : for it is a cleer case that there is ingraven in the breasts of men by nature her self a detestation of slavery , and how unwillingly they put their necks into the yoke of another , specially when it becomes intolerable , when exorbitant exactions are imposed upon subjects wherby they are reduced to extreme fits of desperateness . ad extremum ruunt populi exitium , cùm extrema onera iis imponuntur ; people ru● to extreme ruine , when extreme burdens are laid upon them , as tacitus truly taught . hence it came to passe , that in the royall city of naples , that masse of numberless peeple with their families being among other gabells much aggriev'd for that upon fruits , and not being able to indure it , & having made it often knowne unto the most excellent lord the duke of arcos vice-roy of that kingdom , by the public cries and lamentations of women and children , and the men of lavinaro , and other popular quarters , as he pass'd through the market place to the devotion of the most holy mother of carmine in the church of the carmelites , situated along the said market , and having petitioned him by the means of the most eminent cardinal filomarino the archbishop , and others , to take off the said gabell ; upon a sunday as his excellency went to the said church he heard a great buzz among the peeple , and little lesse then threatnings , presages of the following commotions which succeeded afterwards , and promising to take quite off the said gabell , he returned with such apprehensions of fear into the palace , that he not only went no more to the carmine , but he wold not suffer the most solemne feast of s. iohn baptist to be celebrated , which was us'd to be yeerly in naples ; and this was done of purpose for preventing such an infinite crue of people should not assemble in one place . in the interim the peeple much grumbling and muttering that the promised grace was delayed , put fire one night to a baracca of powder in the market place where the said gabell was exacted , which was afterwards repair'd after this had twice happen'd . there wanted not from day to day most pungent and bitter invectives full of popular grievances and of fiery protests against the public officers , fixed up in the most public places of the city . this boldnesse increased afterwards , and with this boldnesse an envie upon the report that was had of the good success the revolutions of palermo , and a good part of sicilie , messina excepted , had for their grivances by force of arms from the most excellent lord the marquis of velez vice-roy of that kingdom , who took off , or moderated most gabells , and gave afterwards a general pardon for all excesses , as for opening of prisons , murthers , thefts , arming in the countrey , and all other offences , &c , the tenor whereof was as followeth : the first ban , or act of grace in sicilie . his excellency in relation to the royall patrimony by this present act to be alwayes in force , doth take off , and abolish to perpetuity the gabell of meal , wine , oyl , flesh , and cheese throughout all this city and territory of palermo for ever , and that the consulls for the master ships are to have two popular jurats to perpetuity from this day forward , for the service of the peeple . in palermo this . of may , . the marquis of velez . subscribed by all the ministers of the patrimony , as also by the civil and criminal court , and by the master notary of the kingdom . the second ban in sicilie . because that this night the prisons of the vicaria were broken ope , and the prisoners made to go out that were found therein , and his excellency knowing the said prisoners to be faultless , by this present ban he pardoneth all and every one of the said prisoners : and likewise his excellency doth acquit and pardon them who were found left in the said prisons , and did not go out ; moreover his excellency doth give grace and pardon sub verbo & fide regia , by royall word and faith to all the said prisoners , as well for the delinquency of flight , as for all other delinquencies for which they were imprison'd . in palermo this . of may , . the marquis de los velez . don livio pente president of justice . the peeple of naples being thus allur'd and incouraged by the example of the neighbour kingdom , grew very envious to attain the same freedome , saying , and what ? are we lesse then palermo ? is not our peeple peradventure if they unite , more formidable and warlike ? have not we more reason far , being more burden'd and oppress'd ? on , on to armes , time is precious , 't is not good to delay the enterprize , &c. these , and like complaints made in divers conventicles became now public : whereupon the lord vice-roy in high wisdome being very desirous to prevent mischiefs , caus'd the six quarters or precincts of the city to meet oftentimes , viz. the fifth part of the gentry , and the sixt of the peeple , that by all meanes there might be wayes found out to take off that gabell or tax upon fruits . which designe though 't was pleasing to all for the satisfaction of the peeple , yet because it was prejudiciall to some of the farmers , there were secret wayes found to hinder the happy effect of the said business , but they went about to disswade the vice-king from the accomplishment of his promise made to the peeple , and either to please him , or for their owne private interest ( which is more probable ) they represented unto him , that a few poore tatterdimalians had made all that noise : therefore they induc'd him to repaire the toll-house for fruit that was burnt , which he did , but with a purpose to take it quite off , or find some temperate way to satisfie the discontented peeple on the one side , and the napolitans , nobles , gentry and merchants on the other side , who had advanc'd upon the said gabell above six hundred thousand crownes upon the account of the capital million , and eighty five thousand crownes of annuall rent . this way of temper was buzz'd abroad to be som new tax that was to be put upon corne and wine ; whereunto th' inraged peeple replied , and protested that they wold never give way thereunto , but they reiterated their instances to have the said gabell upon fruits to be quite taken off , and not to put any other in compensation of it . as matters were thus perplex'd , behold , an occasion did suddenly present it selfe in an instant , the . of july , . which made way to the totall execution of the desired purpose , as it shall be clearly declared very punctually from day to day , and that with as much fidelity and truth , as any pen can possibly promise upon this subject . sunday the . of iuly , . the first day . a young man about twenty four yeers old happen'd to be in a corner of the great market place at naples , a spritefull man , and pleasant , of a middle stature , black-ey'd , rather lean then fat , having a small tuff of haire ; he wore linnen slops , a blew wastcoat , and went barefoot , with a mariners cap , but he was of a good countenance , stout and lively as could be , as the effects will shew . his profession was to angle for little fish with a cane , hook and line , as also to buy fish , and to carry & retail them to som that dwelt in his quarter ; & such men are called in naples pescivendoli . his name was tomaso anello of amalfi , but vulgarly cal'd masaniello by contraction . this man dwelt in the market place , and under the window of his house there were the armes and name of charles the fifth , very ancient , towards the left side of a fountain hard by , which might be attributed to a mysterious presage that he should renew , and set afoot , as he himself wold say often very pleasantly , the priviledges which that unconquer'd monarque granted to the city and people of naples . besides there 's a tru observation , and 't is about a hundred yeers since , just in the yeer . but in the moneth of may , as iohn antonio relates in the history of naples ▪ when there was another commotion in the government of don petro de toledo , by reason of the tribunal of the holy inquisition which philip the second wold have introduced ; another masaniello , a sorrentine and bandito captain was chief of that tumult . but although the nobility was then joyn'd with the peeple , that sublevation was not very hurtfull , nor lasted any long time . and if such an union had now bin , so much ruine had not happen'd to king or peeple ; for what greater contagion can there be to a city then a disunion 'twixt her inhabitants ? what destroy'd carthage ? the two factions of barchiniani and hanoniani : what maintain'd war in france for . yeers , but the dissention of the house of burgundy and orleans ? what brought so much desolation to england ▪ and caused seven fearfull battells , wherein . princes of the illustrious bloud were slain , but the faction of the houses of lancaster and york ? and what ranvers'd and confounded the tranquillity of the florentine republic but the faction of the bianchi and neri ? in summe , the same that a fever is to a naturall body , the same is disunion in a city or kingdom . a city is a ship , and divisions are the leaks , through which , while the mariners fight one with the other , the water enters and drownes all : the wise pilot who steers ought to stop those leaks , and make up the breaches of division , and reserve himself without trusting any other for the helm , and specially not to place there any capricious heads , or factious spirits , and to be sure to keep himself still lord and patron of the vessell . this masaniello out of a kind of naturall craft having observed the murmurings up and down the citie , took hold of the following occasion . one day ( which was some four days before the most holy feast of corpus domini ) he went very angry towards his house , and passing by a church where the famous bandito perrone had fled for refuge with a companion of his , being ask'd by these , what ayl'd him ? he answered in great choler , i will be bound to be hang'd , but i will right this city ; they laugh'd at his words , saying , a proper squire to right the city of naples , masaniello replied , do not laugh , i swear by god , if i had two or three of my humor , you shold see what i could do : what wold you do ? ( said they ) he answered , will you joyne with me ? why not ? answered they ; give me then your faith , replied masaniello , and you shall see what we we have to do , so they having plighted their faith unto him , he departed . a little after he fell into a great choler , because his fish was taken from him by som of the court , because he had not payed the gabell , he thought then to make use of the occasion of the murmurings the peeple had then for the gabell upon fruit , and being departed from perrone he went up and downe the fruit-shops that were in that quarter , advising them that the next day they shold com all united to the market with a resolution to tell the countrey-fruiterers that they wold buy no more gabell'd fruit . in the interim that this noise diffus'd it self up and down the shops , the elect of the peeple andreas anaclerio being chosen that very day , betook himselfe to the market place where the fruits were distributed to the shop-keepers , they cryed out , they wold buy no gabell'd fruit , the elect perswaded that at that time the gabell should be payed , and it shold be speedily taken off , so the tumult ceased for that time . masaniello seeing nothing was don then , he went up and down those quarters , crying , avant gabell , avant gabell , for which som laugh'd at him , but others consider'd well of his words . moreover , about this time a great number of boyes being gathered together in the market-place he told them , say as i do , two torneses , to wit a baiocco for a measure of oyle , six and thirty ounces the loaf of bread , two and twenty the pound of cheese , six granas for beef , six granas for pulse , nine granas for veal , four granas the greek , two granas the pinte of wine ; these words he made them repeat divers times , and being taught and bearing them in memory they cried them up and down all the city , and in the face of the vice-roy , for then there was payed for every thing as masaniello had taught the children . besides , he gave them another lesson , which was this : viva dio , viva la madonna del carmine , viva il papa , viva il re di'spagna , e la grasica , e muora , muora il mal governo . let let god live , let the lady of carmine live , let the pope live , let the king of spain and grasica live , and let the ill goverment die , let the ill goverment die . this and such like doctrines being taught by masaniello to his schollers , and cried up and downe ; caus'd much laughter ●nd jeering at the master , they held him to be mad and foolish ; but he told them , ye laugh at me now , but you shall see shortly what masaniello can do , let me alone , if i do not free you from so many slaveries , let me be held infamous for ever , which words increased their laughter the more . but he not caring for that , tended his businesse , whereupon he inrolled such a number of those boyes 'twixt seventeen and sixteen yeers old , that they came to be five hundred , and at last two thousand , insomuch that he could not only , make a company , but whole regiments : he thus prepar'd them against the great feast of our lady of carmine , which was neer , of which militia he made himself generall , giving every one of them in their hands a little weak cane . the seventh day of july being come , which was a sunday , upon which day the festival of our lady of grace was us'd to be in a chappell hard by , and commonly the feast was made by all the boyes and common peeple about the market , with the meaner sort of the dwellers in the neighboring quarters , they erected there according to custom a castle of wood , which was to be battered with sticks and fruit , upon this occasion there assembled there abundance of peeple of the meaner sort , and although the houre was com that fruits were us'd to be brought to the market to pay gabell , and the boyes us'd to be there to gather such fruit that fell upon the streets ; but it chanc'd there came no fruit at all , because the shop-keepers had mutined and agreed not to buy any fruit , of purpose not to pay the gabell , as they were used to do , telling the fruiterers , that they shold pay the gabell if they wold , for the shopkeepers wold pay none : this seeming very strange , they came from words to blowes with the shopkeepers : and in regard of this difference there was no fruit then in the market which were fresh , but a few of the day before ; a tumult did arise among the peeple , which being told the lord zufia grassi●ro regent of the city , he ordered the forenamed anaclerio the elect of the peeple , that he shold apply himself to remedy that commotion ; which he attempted to do , but all in vain , in regard of the first and obstinate quarrell that was 'twixt the fruiterers and the retailing shopkeepers ; wherefore the elect , not to displease the peeple and shopkeepers , gave sentence against the fruiterers as forreners , ( most part of whom were of the city of puzzuolo ) reviling them with words , and threatning to bastinado them , and have them condemned to the gallies . among those of puzzolo there was a cosen of massianello's , who , according to the instructions given him , began more then any to incite the peeple , who seeing that he could sell his fruit but at a low price , and after he had payed the gabell , there was scarce left as much as would pay for the barque and quit cost , he flew into such a rage , that throwing two great baskets upon the ground , he cried out , god gives plenty , and the ill government a dearth ; therefore i care not a straw for this fruit , let every one take of it . the boyes eagerly ran to gather and eat the fruit . masaniello , all this falling out according to his expectation , rush'd in among them , crying out , without gabell , without gabell . but anaclerio threatning him with whipping and the gallies , not onely the fruiterers , but all the peeple threw figs , apples , and other fruits in great fury into his face . but this seeming but little to masaniello , he hit him upon the brest with a stone , and incouraged his militia of boyes to do as he did ; which they did : but anaclerio breaking through the crowd in a coach , made hast to the church of carmine , where finding a felluca , he imbark'd himself therein , and so got towards the pallace , otherwise he had been torn in peeces , or ston'd to death by the boyes . upon this success the people flocking in greater numbers as well in the said market-place , as else-where , they began to exclaime aloud against those intolerable grievances under which they groan'd ; so a mighty rumor ran up and down the streets protesting to pay no more gabell , and crying out , let th● king of spain live , but let the ill government die : the fury still increasing , masaniello being follow'd by an infinite company of boyes and all sorts of loose people , som with sticks , others with pikes and partizans taken from the tower of the carmine , he leap'd up upon the highest table which was among the fruiterers , and with a loud voice cryed , be merry dear companions and brothers , give god thanks , and to the glorious virgin of carmine , that the hour of your redemption drawes neer ; this poor bare-footed fellow as another moses , who freed the israelites from pharoahs rod , shall in that manner redeem you of all gabells , from the first time that they were ever imposed : a fisherman , who was peter , reduc'd with his voice from satans slavery to the liberty of christ rome her self , and with rome a world : now , another fisherman , who is masaniello , shall release naples , and with naples a whole kingdom , from the tyranny of gabells . from henceforth ye shall shake from off your necks the intolerable yoke of so many grievances , which have depress'd you hitherto : nor to effect this do i ●are a rush to be torn in peeces , and to be dragg'd up and down the gutters of naples : let all the blood in my body spin out of these veines , let this head skip from my shoulders by a fatall steel , and be perch'd up in this market upon a pole , yet i shall die contented and glorious ; it will be triumph and honor unto me , to think that my blood and life perish in so glorious a conquest . masaniello repeating often these and such like words inflam'd marvelously the minds of the peeple , who were dispos'd in their hearts to cooperate with him to this effect , and to begin the work there was fire put to the house that was next the toll-house for fruit , both which were burnt to the very ground with all the books and accounts , with divers of the farmers of the customers goods who were there put up . this being don , the common peeple increas'd in such nombers up and down the streets that ev'ry one did shut up his shop , ev'ry one being astonish'd at such a sudden garboyle seeming rather to dream of such a one then see it : whereupon many thousand peeple uniting themselfs went to other quarters of the citty , where all the gabell houses were as those of fruit , of corn , of flesh , of fish , of salt , wine , oil , cheese , silk , and all other either edible , or wearable comodities and spar'd not one of them , but taking out of them all the writings and books of entrance or issues appertaining to the said gabell ; as also all the furniture as well of the farmers as others , and all things that were there in pawn or otherwise , as hangings , chaires , armes great quantities of moneys with other rich moveables all was hurl'd into a great fire of straw ; benches , forms , sedans with other stuff were burnt all to ashes upon the streets , in which actions one thing was very considerable , that in plundring those houshold stuffs and moneys not one durst meddle with the least peece of any thing , because all shold be dedicated to the fire , being the quintessence as 't was said , of their blood , therefore they wold not have a jot of any thing preserv'd from the fury of the fire . the peeple taking hereby more and more boldnesse and courage because they found no resistance or obstacle , and the nomber still increasing to the nomber of about . they made towards the palace of the viceroy , many of them holding upon the tops of staves , and pikes loafs of bread , which was then sold very dear scarce weighing . ounces : the cry still continued more louder then ever , let the king of spain live , and let the ill government perish . so the first militia of masaniello consisti●g of . boyes march'd on , every one lifting up his cane and tying a clout of black cloth on the top went along the streets and cryed out with delorous and loud voices , which mov'd many to tendernesse and tears . have compassion upon these poor souls in purgatory , who not being able to endure the grievous burden of so many grievances seek how they may scape away : o brothers cooperate with us ! o sisters help so just so necessary an enterprise , and so profitable for ev'ry body ; in such dolefull tones going on from one street to the other , they came at last to st. iames his prison , where freeing all the prisoners they admitted them to their society . but being com before the palace and under the window of the viceroy , they began to cry out amain , that they wold not be freed of the fruit-gabell only , but of all other , specially that of corn . hereupon the viceroy came out into the balcone , and told them that the said gabell shold be abolish'd , and part of the corn gabell also : but the peeple bawl'd still that they wold not be releev'd in part , they wold have the whole taken off , yet they cryed out may the king of spain live , and the ill government die : and a good nomber of them thinking to go up the stairs of the palace to notifie unto the vice-roy the rest of their grievances , his excellency commanded the german and spanish gard that they shold not stir , but suffer them to passe and repasse freely , nerethelesse the viceroy being not altogether obey'd , because he was not heard by them , som resistance was made by the soldiers but the peeple with canes , and clubs only ( a thing incredible to beleeve ) and with huge cries made their entrance demanding audience of the viceroy , but he was got away , and they did so revile and affront the dutch and spanish gard who were at the gate , that they abandon'd their ports , and took a fair pair of heels to their quarters : thereupon the peeple entred the palace , and being com to the hall dore though shut they burst it open , entring there without any rub , then they wold have entred into the great chamber , but a gard of dutch and halbardeers were there , as also som spaniards who did what they could to resist their entrance , but all in vain , because the peeple still thrusting on they were constrained to yeeld their halbards and other weapons ; then going on at leasure they found easy entrance into all the rest of the rooms , untill they came to the last chamber where the viceroy was hid in a closet , and though they found the dore doubly bolted , yet by force of halbards and other instruments they forc'd their passage , and the viceroy hardly scap'd killing , but the duke di castel di sangro don ferrant corraciolo convey'd him away and so sav'd him from the mortall blow which was intended . the viceroy with a few gentlemen that were about him finding they were not secure there , thought good to retire into the castle , where the dutchesse of arcos had withdrawn her self a little before with her ladies , children and kinred ; but understanding at that houre that the ladies had taken up the draw bridg , the viceroy took a resolution to sly into the next church dedicated to st. lewis , where there was a friery of saint francisco de paola , but he wold first spie out of a window where the grosse of the peeple was , to let them know that he was willing to give them content , dispersing little cedules up and down to that purpose sign'd by himself , and seal'd with the kings seal , wherein he absolutely took off the gabel of fruit , and part of that of corn ; but the peeple being not satisfied hereat , they made signes with their hands , and cryed aloud that he wold come down and speak with them face to face ; hereupon the vice-roy went unto them to take off all ombrages of distrust . in the mean time that part of the peeple which remain'd in the palace ran up and down with much fury , they sack'd the chambers ev'ry where , putting fire to the sedans , balcones , tables , travesses , windows , scrines , and every thing they found , yet they wold not meddle ( which was a thing to be wondred at in the middle of such a fury ) with the quarter of the most eminent cardinal trinultio , who dwelt in the same palace . the vice-roy being com down to the rabble rout procur'd to put himself in a coach with two horses , and to secure himself within the said st. lewis church , and he was already got into the coach , but many of the peeple spying him they stayed the coach , and opening it with two naked swords in hand , they threatned him unlesse he wold take off the gabells , he promis'd he wold if they wold be quiet , but this wold not serve the turn unlesse he came out of the coach and shew himself to the peeple , which he did , and then some respect was shewn him , and som kiss'd his hands , and upon their knees cryed out most excellent sir , for the love of god disburden us once of these gabells , let us have no more slavery , let us breath , his excellence having confirmed unto them their request , was devising how to get from out of their hands , for although he was honor'd by many , yet he held himself not secure in such a confus'd multitude ; therefore to divert the peeple , he threw among them som hundred of zecchins of gold which he carried about him for that purpose , this took good effect , though many cryed out aloud we have no need to be releev'd with a little money , but to freed from the gabell , but while most of them were greedy to take up the gold , his excellence got safe and sound into the said church where he caus'd all the dores to be shut , and of the monastery also . the peeple perceaving this , and being much disdain'd that the vice-roy had scap'd from their hands , they went incontinently to the said monastery , and the first great gate being batterd down they thought to do so to the rest , crying out still to be released of the gabells , therefore they desir'd his excellence wold consign them a paper in writing under his hand and seal , wherein he shold promise so to do : and because the peeple should not passe further to do violence to the monastery notwithstanding that they still increas'd , he look'd on them from a window , and desir'd them to be quiet , for he was dispos'd and ready to content them ; but because the incredulous multitude had a conceit still fix'd in them that they shold be deluded , they went still on to batter down the other gate whereby they immediatly entred the monastery . while businesse was carried thus , the most eminent bishop filomarine , who being very zealous in his pastorall charge shew'd often to his excellence for the service of god and his church , endeavour'd to appease the peeple , for the avoiding of those irrecoverable losses which by his high wisdom and perspicacious wit he saw hanging or'e the citty : hereupon he made a sign unto them with his hand , that they wold be quiet ; but they replying , that they wold have the instrument for release of the gabells from the vice-roy , specially those upon corn and fruits , his eminence answer'd them , that he wold make it his care to obtain it , and so going out of his coach he went in person to the second gate of the monastery , to hinder the pulling of it down by the furious rabble , and he had his intent , for out of the great reverence they bore to their archbishop the fury ceas'd , but still they prayed that the gabells might be abolish'd ; the bishop promis'd to bring them the instrument sign'd and seal'd , but least if he parted from among the peeple the fury wold recomence , he sent to that purpose to the vice-roy being not able to com himself to mingle speech with him , that he wold send him the said instrument , which he did , desiring him to deliver it with his own hands to the peeple : the bishop having receav'd the said written instrument coach'd himself , and shew'd it to all the peeple which he drew after him all along toledo street , ev'ry one being greedy to know what it contain'd : but what ? the said written instrument was no sooner read with a loud voice by the bishop , but the peeple cryed out again that they were cheated , for that instrument contain'd only the taking of the fruit-gabell , and seven carlins upon wheat , but they wold have divers other gabells to be abolish'd : the bishop having delivered that written instrument to the capo del popolo to the chief of the peeple , retir'd to the palace peaceably . thereupon the peeple ran to the great market place to give notice of the said bill to the rest who were met there more in nomber then they ; and finding that this was but satisfaction in part , it was necessary for the common defence of the faithfull peeple of naples , to inroll som arm'd men to procure to a totall discharge of gabells : and many returning to the palace , thousands of men and boyes , they wold have again have attempted an entrance into the church and monastery of st. lewis , and being resolv'd to burst ope the dores of that part , where divers lords and ladies were , the spanish soldiers oppos'd them , and in particular one very valerous captain entertain'd the rabble with his sword , and the soldiers with their musquets till divers of them were killd , but in the mean while the ladies had time to retire into the fryers cells , and the vice-roy by the help of the abbot of the convent scald the walls till he came to pizzo fulcane into the monastery of jesuits , whence putting himself in an old sedan carried by spaniards , he transferr'd himself to the castle of st. elmo . thereupon it being known for certain that the vice-roy was gon from the monastery , the peeple returning to the palace resolv'd to disarm all the spaniards who were there in gard , but they deliver'd them drums and half pikes , and all other instruments their swords and muskets excepted ; they went to all the other courts of gards dispers'd up & down the city ; disarming all whom they met withal ; then went they to the suburbs of chiagia to the palace of don tiberio de caraffa prince of bisignano who was field master , and colonel general of the battalion of naples ; desiring that great cavalier , who by his innated benignity had made himself belov'd of all , and to be ador'd also by all naples ; they desir'd that he wold be pleas'd to be their defender , and an intercessor 'twixt them and the viceroy for a totall extinguishment of the gabells , according to the favourable priviledges granted them , specially by charles the fifth : as they were expecting the prince of bisignano , som of them going to the place where they exacted the gabell of fruit at chaggia ; they put fire to the house , and burnt every thing that was in 't , as they had don in other places : and the rabble still augmenting in that most populous suburb , they divided themselves into two squadrons , or rather into two armies : the lesser sort of boyes did put in the middle the foresaid prince who was a horseback , and desiring them to be orderly , he sayed , let 's go to take off the gabells , being conducted by the palace , and so along the castle , and thence through all the popular places till they came to the great market : the prince seeing there the peeple wonderfully increas'd to above fifty thousand persons , he endeavoured to quiet them ; and to do this the more conveniently , he went to the church of the most holy lady of carmine , which is situate in that place ; and being got up in a high place , with a crucifix in his hands , he prayed , exhorted , and conjur'd the peeple for the love of god , and of the most blessed virgin his divota , to be quiet a while , promising them by oath to obtain from the viceroy what they desir'd : but finding that all this wold do no good , he entertain'd himself a while in that market , to have the more opportunity to negotiate with the cape leaders of the peeple , and to perswade them to a good accord , assuring that he wold make it his own task to procure them complete satisfaction . in the mean time many other new recruits of peeple coming from other parts of the city , they went to break open the prison of santa maria d'agnone , and of s. archangelo ; whose gards not being able to resist , were necessitated to yeeld and flie for 't ; the gates being thrown into the midst of the streets , they made all prisoners go out , burning and turning to ashes all the books and processes of prisoners which were found in the offices . the same they did in the prisons for the arts of wooll and silk , and divers other , as that of the archbishops , the nunciatura , and of the great court of the vicaria , to which two last they sayed to beare reverence as to royall prisons , and because they had been in times pass'd kings palaces ; the sayed prince being their protector , and being come neer those prisons , 't was fear'd they wold do som mischief ; but the warders had time enough to fortifie and strengthen their gates , besides som being earnest for it , were disswaded by the prince of bisignano , that setting them at liberty being all foreners , murtherers and theeves , they would draw upon themselves great inconveniences . they steer'd their course towards the dogana or toll-house for corn , with fagots on their backs , and fire and pitch in their hands , and the gates being wrench'd , the sayed prince being not able to take them off , though he laboured earnestly , they entered there with such a fury , that they put fire on all sides ; nor were they satisfied till they saw all not onely burnt , but reduced to ashes ; as much corn , with great store of houshold-stuff , and much money , which the ministers of the dogana had in bank , being either their own , or in deposito , or pawn'd , all was consum'd in the flames . this sacrifice being perform'd , they went up to the piazza of s. laurence church , the prince not leaving their company all the while , in regard of the violent desire he had by degrees to quiet and o'recome them ; but being com thither , and entred through the church into the cloysters to go up to the steeple tower to sound the great bell , that all men shold put themselfes in arms ; the entrance was at first denied them by som who had fled thither for sanctuary , who fear'd they had com to find them out , but two of them were presently kill'd . now , som of the peeple began to apprehend divers fears ; but there was among them a sicilian , who ( as a person of good credit affirms that was there present ) appear'd to be rather a devill in humane shape , and one of the greatest furies that hell could have : 't is incredible with what boldnesse and with what ardor this fellow animated all to battail , he reproach'd them of their fears , he jeer'd their cowardize , he call'd them cravens , geese , hens , and poor spirited men ; truly , the body and tongue of that wretch seem'd to be possess'd by a whole legion of devills : but the justice of heaven found him out , for h● was kill'd from the said tower by a musket bullet in the forehead . the said prince finding himself weary after so many hours , and after so much mischief don to the city , and being weak in regard of an infirmity which he had , and growne fainty by reason of the heat of the season , and half choak'd by the swarmes of the common rabble about him , and casting about how to disingage himself from the labyrinth of that popular tumult , by a wise stratagem he distributed the said peeple into divers quarters of the city , with strict prohibition that they shold not sack nor assault any ones house : and his plot took ; for being thus divided , he might retire afterwards when he pleas'd to a kinsmans house of his hard by , whence having refresh'd his spirits a while there , he betook himself about the evening in a close sedan into castel nuovo , blessing god that he found himself free from the tempestuous gulf of of that implacable peeple . the report afterward being dispersed abroad of the retirement of the prince bisignano , and the peeple finding themselfs without a head , cried out for their leader and conductor masaniello , who accepting of that charge began more then ever by sound of drum to suscitat the peeple through all the city and suburbs : but for the evident danger of the infinite hurt that was like to ensue , specially the day beginning already to darken , and night to approach , 't was thought fitting that som religious men shold go out in procession through the city , not onely to appease the unbridled peeple , but to implore divine help : the first were the most reverend fathers the teatins , out of two of those six churches they have in the city , viz. from s. paul , and s. apostles , there being a hundred in every one of those to passe first through toledo-street , and so before the palace to s. lewis church , wherein the most pure milk of the most blessed virgin is kept ; and the other passing through other streets to the piazza of the great market , went in to make long prayers in the church del carmine , and then retir'd , which offices of the holy church was much acknowledged by the vice-roy , who sent effectuall relation thereof to the conde d'ognate then catholic ambassadour in the court of rome . the vice-roy and the whole nobility doubting that the rabble of the peeple which elsewhere were increasing in great nombers , shold go to st. laurence church , and seize upon divers things which belong to the city , and among the rest of sixteen pieces of ordnance , and other arms kept in the tower of that church , besides the sounding of the great bell to arms which hangs in the steeple of that church , and which useth to ring upon such occasion , therefore there were sent thither som compagnies of spaniards well arm'd , as also others for the gard of the said church and cloyster of s. laurence . at two a clock after midnight , the vice-king accompanied with much soldiery , remov'd himselfe from s. elmos castle to castel nuovo , which sticks to the royal palace , ther being a bridg to pass between , there went also thither cardinal trivultio , with many officers and cavaliers ; and although it seem'd high time for them to think of chastising the rebels , yet the viceroy , like a wise prince , put back his thoughts to satiat the hungry peeple with bread : wherupon he caus'd most even orders to be publish'd that night , and to be perform'd the next munday , that bread should be at . ounces , . graines , whereas before 't was scarce . ounces ; that the gabel of fruit shold be absolutely taken off : he ordered notwithstanding , that considerable gards shold be put about the castle . the peeple did not flag a whit in their former fury that night , but caus'd the b●ll of our lady of carmine to ring out thrice for arming , and consequently great companies flocking together , they divided themselves into divers quarters : som went out to put fire to all the out houses of naples , where the gabels were exacted , with drums beating before them ; others staying behind to prepare armes for the day following , they gave themselves over to plunder the shops for swords and muskets , for bullet , fire and match : others went among the marchants and lanciens , who without any resistance furnish'd them with all sorts of arms : and because one master of a shop wold foolishly have made opposition with noise and threats , and which was worse , by discharging a morter peece out of a window , which kill'd one of them , they were kindled with such high disdain and fury , that putting fire to his house , wherein there were divers barrels of powder , did not only fly up into the air it self , but carried with it eighty seven persons besides , and fourty four were hurt : to prevent such a disorder som other time , his excellency comanded , that all the powder in other places through the city shold be wetted : so the unbridled peeple passing every where with such an imperious authority through the city , began to put an army in order , and provide all things necessary for it . munday , july . . the second day . the vigilant and great preparations that the night before the peeple had generally made , caus'd , that although the day was not yet grown cleer , and that the glorious sun was not com out of the womb of the vermilian morn , yet up and down the city nothing was heard but drumms and trumpets , and clashing of arms , nothing then but colours displayed , choice soldiers , furnished swords , cock'd muschets , archibuzes , lances , targets , and that which was of more terror and astonishment , besides the citizens themselfs , the country swains appeer'd from the villages about with plowshares , pitchforks and shovels , and rang'd themselves in a military way for common defence to plow glebes of flesh , and water them with bloud : in fine , the women were seen in great numbers arm'd with fireshovels , and iron toungs , with spits and broaches , and their children with little staves and canes , encouraged the young men to battail : now let it be considered what such an infinity of citizens , all arm'd , could do , who being inviper'd as it were with bloud in their eyes , cryed out , let the king live , let the king our lord live , let the ill government dye : out gabels , out gabels ; let the dogs dye , who being transform'd to wolfs , have devour'd the flesh of innocent lambs : let them vomit the bloud they have suck'd into the cinders of their burnt wealth , the domestie and insatiable leeches of the city ; let these wasps fly away , which have hitherto suck'd the sweet honey of the bees . with such , and such like cries proceeding from the bottom of their brests , so that they stounded the very ayr , and were enough to soften the hardest marble , draw tears from the very pummies , and sighs from ice , they did animate one another , they re-inforc'd the streets , garded the passages , they did unbowel themselves to provide furniture for the war ; horror , bloud and amazement raign'd in evry corner ; the keys were consign'd from minerva to mars , books were neglected , studies were abandoned , the bar was solitary , the chairs were silent , the ecclesiastiques sing lachryma , the law was quiet , patronages were despiz'd , advocates were dumb , the judges were idle , tribunals were shut up , the arsenaths were only open , the pikes had got the better of the pen , force of wit , boldness of wisdom , the hand of the toung , atages of the gown . the whole city did burn , and was inflam'd with martial fury ; amongst which places there rag'd with most implacable and warlike heat , being fullest of peeple the places about the great market , about lavinaro , porta nolana , convaria , sellaria , the piaz of the elm , preparing form'd squadrons with fire-works : order was given to all the other precincts of naples , which are . in number , to arm in like manner , under pain of an irremissible burning down of their houses , which was punctually perform'd : and there being want of powder , they went to a house where som was sold to buy som , they sellers refusing to sell any without order from the vice-roy , they rag'd with such a fury , that throwing fir'd matches into that house , they blew up the power into the ayr , and within above . inhabitants , who were afterwards numbred , in regard their bodies remain'd many days unburied : this success happen'd at porta della calce del molo picciolo , and it caus'd such an earthquake , and so fierce a one , through all the city , that 't was like that terrible shake which divers weeks before that great galeon made , which was burnt , being not known to this day whether 't was by chance , or pure malice , in the very port of nables . but they were not a whit disheartened at this disaster , but going to the kings powder house out of the city , towards cap de chino , in greater numbers then before , they went about to seaze upon all that magazin of powder , had they not been prevented by the labourers , who had put the said powder in water for hindrance of the like mischance that happen'd in the port della calce . while the peeple made all these preparatifs the viceroy was not wanting by his wonded prudence to acquit himself exactly of his duty , although he was retir'd into castel nuovo with spaniards , dispers'd up and down for gards all along that castle , and in st francisco xaverio's street to the number of . he shut up in the royal palace for his gard . almanes , and at the gates . spaniards , with . italians . he fenc'd all pizzofalcone , which lieth above the palace , and all the neighbouring streets with good fortifications , making ramparts of faggots , and raising other trenches of earth about the gates of the old and new palace , and at the end of the street looking towards the said palaces . he comanded a great peece of ordinance to be put at the end of every street towards the stanto spirito , the father dominicans , and the father minimes , another against the cross of the palace , another upon the assent of santa lucia , and two before the great gate towards the middle of the new palace . and because the peeple knew there came a new regiment of germanes from pozzolo by order of the viceroy , they went to meet them , and kill'd part who made resistance , and the rest who willingly render'd themselfs were made prisoners , all bound and lead into the city : the like was don to two companies of italians , but by order of masaniello they were releas'd , and arm'd for the defence of the city , and he sent the germanes to the viceroy into the castle all loaden with bread , fresh and salt meats , cheese and wine , with other comodities ; and 't was a pretty sight to behold , that peeple go along the street dancing with meat in their hands , and bottles at their mouths , making mows all along . it happen'd upon munday morning , that the spanish gard , for som insolences they had receavd imprison'd two mean fellows , and the peeple fearing they should be executed , they rise up in such a manner , that by archibuz and muschet shots hurting many , and killing som of the said gard , they threatned , with howlings , and unusual schriches , to tear in peeces all the spaniards which were in naples , if those prisoners were not delivered them ; wherefore to avoyd such an inconvenience which certainly had happen'd , they were yeelded up safe , sound and free . that morning bread of a very hansom fashion , and of unusual weight , was sold , insomuch that wheras before a loaf of bread was but little more then . ounces , 't was now . ounces more , in all . therefore one may well conjecture what joy the peeple conceav'd at that : all peeple , both men , women and children , citizens and strangers , went crying up and down the streets ; let the king of spain live , let the most faithful peeple of naples live ; let grassa , let grassa live , and let the ill government dye . it seem'd expedient for the viceroy , being retir'd as was said before into the castle nuovo to dispatch that munday morning , by som lords of the collateral councel , and others of the councel of state , a note unto masaniello , who was then cape or head of the peeple , wherein he granted as much as was demanded the day before , which was the taking away of all kind of gabells : but the peeple wold not be satisfied with this , but sent to tell him , that they wold have further contentment , viz. a restitution of the priviledge granted them by king ferdinando , and frederic , and by the emperour charls the fift , all which by a public act , the viceroy , the collateral , and councel of state , with all the nobility , shold oblige themselves to observe . they wold that the votes of the gentlemen of the piazza's shold equal them of the peeple : that the peeple shold nominat the chief clark of the market or grassiero of the city , all which was promis'd ; and mean time there was chosen by the peeple the lord cornelio spinola for grassiero . it shold pass for a law , that never any new gabells for the future shold be impos'd without the intervention of the capo popolo , who shold be a lord by title , as it was anciently , when the prince of salerno was capo popolo ; that he shold be nam'd by the peeple , and the elect likewise made by the capistrada to be all chosen by the peeple , without any dependency , or having any recourse to the viceroys for the future . they stuck not to demand , that the castle of sant elmo shold be put into their hands , but they proceeded not very far in that proposition . his excellency perceiving the treaty of peace to be still delayed , and the people to be so implacable , and pleasing themselves with that kind of loose living , wold lend no ear to any accomodation of peace , he judged it expedient to do som favors to the duke of mataloni , and don ioseph caraffa his brother , and make them go out , the one out of the castle of sant elmo , the other by making him com from benevento , that joyning with other lords and knights they might go up and down the city to perswade the peeple to conformity and quietness , which was don , for many lords did ride up and down the streets in divers quarters , and in particular the prince of bisignano , caraffa di bel nuovo , il principe di monte sarchio of the house of avalos , the prince di satriano ravaschiero , the duke di castel di sangro don ferrante carraciolo , the prince della rocella , the lord don diomede caraffa , the lord of conversano , with other lords , dwelling in the piazza of the great market , where there were infinit store of peeple : they signified unto them , that his excellency the viceroy was very ready to give them all satisfaction . but they answered , that they desir'd no more , but that the priviledges of king ferdinando shold be made good to the city , which was confirm'd by charles the fift of happy memory , who by oath promis'd the city of naples , at his invectiture to the kingdom had from pope clement the . to impose no new taxes upon city or kingdom , as well he , as all his successors , without the consent of the apostolical seat , and being so impos'd , they shold be well impos'd , otherwise the city might rise up with sword in hand , without any mark of rebellion , or irreverence to the prince , for the maintenance of her liberties : now in regard that most of the gabels ever since , some few of small consequence excepted , have bin layed without his holiness consent , it was just that they shold be all taken oft , and that the peeple shold have the original of the said priviledg , which was within the archives of the city , which is in the church of s. laurence : those lords and gentlemen understanding all this , they went back to castel nuovo to impart all this to the viceroy , who presently convok'd the peeple collateral counsel , with that of state , as also the sacred councel of santa chiara to consult what answer shold be return'd unto the peeple . in the mean time the arch-bishop , according to his accustomed vigilance and paternal zeal to spiritual peace , as also to the temporal quietness of the people comitted unto him ; as likewise for the devotion and vassallage he profess'd unto the catholic king , to the service of his royal person and state , ordain'd , that the most holy sacrament shold be openly expos'd in many churches , to invite all comers to implore at such an exigent divine assistance . this was don nella capella del tesoro , where the dome is , where the miraculous bloud , and the holy head of san gennaro , the glorious protector of naples , was laid out : moreover all orders went in solemn processions up and down the city as the dominicans , franciscans , those del carmine , the augustins , the iesuits , capucins , teatins , and others , who gave som general edification . that day mighty diligences were made by the peeple who shold be their chief , that by their authority they might make their addresse to the viceroy , and obtain what they desir'd ; and in regard that among others which rid up and down the city the lords della rocella were of the chiefest , & in regard they also had their palaces in the great market ; therefore they made motions to the said lords , that they wold please to imploy themselfs in behalf of the peeple to find out the foresaid original priviledg of charls the fift : the said lords did promise to do so , and for the execution thereof they went to castel nuovo , accompanied by many peeple , where his excellency comanded them to be admitted , and to enter , the concourse of peeple remaining without all the while , expecting not without much anxiety an answer from the viceroy . at the same time , and to the same purpose , the lord prior was sent for from s. laurence , with a great train of peeple , and the multitude was so great , as if his horse had bin carried in the air , out of the lively hopes they had to find the said priviledg : but the lord prior finding it wold prove a difficult thing for him to find it , as also to be suffer'd to enter into the stanzas of s. laurence , by a turn which he gave in a straight street , going off his horse , and faigning to withdraw himself upon some business , he got away in the twinkling of an eye , with som of his servants , by an incredible way of art and velocity , retiring himself into the church of the holy apostles among the fathers teatins : this administred cause of extraordinary murmuring and discontent to the peeple , who thought themselves baffled and deluded by him , who they expected shold have bin their kind of defendor and advocat , although ther want not som who affirm , that the lord prior had brought them a kind of paper in a sheepskin , giving out , 't was the original out of a mind of the great charter of charles the fift he had to quiet them : but because when the peeple shew'd it to their satrapons and councel , and being told them that it was a counterfeit one , they fell into such a fierce disdain , that if he had not fled , that good lord had met with death , as they write , it happen'd som hours before to the prince of monte sarchio . the duke de roccella in the mean while was return'd from the castle , attended by much peeple , to the great market place , where the gross of the multitude was , carrying with him a coppy of of the priviledg desir'd by the peeple : and because he had heard of the dangerous success the lord prior was like to have , he durst not say it was the very original , but he clearly told them it was a true and real coppy , the original not being to be had for the present . hereupon it was receav'd at the beginning with some applause , but being read , and read again , and found imperfect , it rais'd a mighty discontentment in the hearts of the peeple , who cryed out they were mock'd , cozen'd and betray'd by the said duke , as they were by the prior , and so falling into a mortal hatred of all the nobility , they rag'd against them , threatning them ruin and revenge , and having the said duke della roccella in their hands , they clapt him in prison in the monastery del carmine , by appointing a famous bandito call'd perrone to be his keeper , who finding himself once chain'd in the same church , was put at liberty by the peeple ; but this man being an ancient friend and a confident of the dukes , did labour the business so effectually with the peeple , that he obtain'd the dukes freedom , obliging himself to restore him into their hands upon all demands ; so the duke having remain'd a day or two in his palace , retir'd afterward to his country houses . ther was appointed for one of the principal heads of the peeple to be about the person of masaniello a priest , by name iulio genoino , an old and well temper'd man , who had been the peeples elect during the government of the duke of ossuna , a person well practis'd in the affairs of the court , and who always endeavoured the advance of the peeples good , but he could not bring it then to passe , in regard the said duke was revok'd to spain . this man found himself at the beginning of these tumults in the prison of s. iames , which was open'd partly for his sake , therefore to gratifie his good will always towards them , they exalted him to this charge ; to him they added for a companion the foresaid famous bandito perrone . these two being joyn'd with masaniello gave out a list of . and odd houses of such ministers and others , who had meddled with the farming of the gabells , or had sold , let out , advis'd , or cooperated any way in the custom houses of the said gabells , having enrich'd themselfs , as was given out with the bloud of the peeple , therefore they deserv'd to be made examples to future ages , therefore their house and goods shall be burnt to the ground ; which was don accordingly , as more shall be said , and with so much order , integrity , and neatness of hand , that he hazarded his life who shold touch any the least thing to carry it away : thereupon one taking but a little towel was kil'd , another for the crouper of a horse had . lashes on the back , & divers others for stealing but small trivial things , after they had made their confessions to their ghostly fathers , wer hang'd by the public executioner in the market place by the comand of masaniello . he was held unworthy of pity , and to be no well-wisher of the peeples good , who commissiated the ruining or burning of any of those mens houses or goods , and who seem'd to rescent it , were esteem'd no better then complices to those public theeves : whereupon one man having unadvisedly , and by natural compassion , only pitied the burning of the rich furniture , house and goods of the duke of caivano , calling them by chance , povere robbe , poor goods , as they were a burning , he had much ado to scape away through a little wicket , while the peeple cryed out , where is this infamous rogue ? where is he ? let him be found out , and we will bray him in a morter . but to proceed more orderly in the relation of the burnt palaces , let it suffice to know , that the first was gieronimo fetitias , one of the farmers of the corn gabel , situat in the quarters of porta nuovo , near the houses of the lord mornili : there the peeple being flock'd with faggots and pitch , and getting into the house , they threw out of the windows all kind of houshold stuff , as all sorts of plates , dishes , stools , tables , chairs , carpets , tapistries , and all sorts of utensiles , with great store of money , chains and bracelets , breaking the windows wider for that purpose ; all which were brought to the market place , and hurld into a great fire , where they were all burnt to cinders , with huge out-cries of the peeple round about , who said , these goods are our blouds , and as these burn , so the souls of those dogs who own them deserve to fry in hell fire . this first act of the fiery tragdy being ended , they went next to the house of felice basile ; this fellow at first was a poor baker , who carried bread up and down the streets of naples , but in a short time , tampering with the gabells , he became very rich , and having friends at court ; he dwelt nere the spirito santo , where the peeple being met , and having plunderd his palace from top to bottom , they hurld out at the windows and bulcones all the houshold stuff , writings and books , with other rich curiosities , and ther were . great trunks nomberd to be thrown out into the streets , and som of them being broke open , ther appeer'd wondrous rich things , as cloth of gold , and tissues , with costly embroderies , that dazzled the eyes of the beholders ; all these they took , with a cabinet full of perl , and other precious stones , which were all hurld into the devouring element , without saving as much as a rag , nor durst any take up as much as a pin , unless it were to help the throwing of it into the fire . these two burnings lasted five hours , then they pass'd to the palace of antonio de angelis , a counsellor , who had bin elect of the peeple in the time of and he concur'd with that viceroy to impose many new gabells : this man being admonish'd by many of his friends to secure his goods , and his palace from firing , he neglected their advice ; and because the day before they had ta'ne down his gate only , he thought that their fury had terminated there , as being a sign they had no further malice unto him ; besides he made account that they wold bear som reverence to his long robe : but he reckned without his ●ost , his infortunat destiny blinded him so , and so stop'd his ears , that he would not listen to wholsom cautions . whereupon the rabble being com before his house , they furiously entred , and finding ●t full of all kind of costly furniture to admiration , they presently destinated all for the fire , leaving not a jot unburnt , and that which was of extraordinary consideration , and the more to be pitied , was , that the pleas , writings , charters , patents , and processes of divers poor and rich men were all consum'd ; ther was a library of curious books , and many thousand crowns found therin , there was two coches , four beutiful horses , and two mules , all burnt , and they threw bottles of oile into the fire to make it flame with more violence : in his pantry , larder house , and kitchin , ther were d●licat provisions , and divers chests of sweet meats , and a boy having ta'ne but a piece of bacon which fell by chance , he was ready to be torn in pieces by the multitud ; ther were . crowns in good silver burnt , besides vessels of plate , double gilt . the fire of this house was so great , that though it was in the night time , yet evry corner of the street was as clear as if it had been noon day . thence they ran to the house of antonio mirabella , another counsellor , and a napolitan cavalier , in the suburb of mayds , and they did the like to him , where they left not one stone upon another , but consecrated all to the voracious flame , which lasted above three hours . at six a clock they pass'd to the palace of the forenamed andrea anaclerio , who had been affronted and ston'd by the boys at first , being the elect of the peeple , but finding no great matter there , because he had wisely remov'd his goods the sunday before , presaging som violence , they in a furious disdain applied fire to all the four corners of the house , which made a horrible flame , to the terror of all the beholders , which lasted four hours , till munday night being pass'd , the sun return'd to enlighten the following morn of march. but while the peeple consum'd with fire the houses , goods and wealth , beforesaid , of those public theefs , as they term'd them , there burnt in the brest of the viceroy an ardent desire to put a period to these fearful combustions , and to hasten an accomodation of all things : hereupon the collateral , and councel of state and war had a sad serious discours of these calamities , and 't was resolv'd at last , that his excellence shold comand four companies of foot to re-inforce that squadron which was already in the castle all along , and 't was don accordingly . hereupon there was a legal instrument printed , wherein there was an abolition of those gabels , and a general pardon granted : as soon as this instrument was printed 't was sent into the great market , that all peeple beholding and reading it , might return to quietude and conformity : but it took no effect , because that the general pardon being found imperfect , nor specifying as much as the peeple wold have , but containing divers matters subject to cavillation ▪ therefore all went off the kings ages again , and the treaty was dissolved , to repair which , because the viceroy perceav'd the nobility to be already hateful to the city , and therefore unfit to quench the fire , but rather make it greater , therefore he purposd to make use of two of the prime advocats of the peeple , and much esteemd by him , who were andrea martellone , and onosico palma , therefore the viceroy having comanded them to come unto him , he comitted unto their care and prudence , and that with a great deal of heat and earnestnes the appearing of the peeple with large promises of remunerations . they executed what was impos'd upon them with much efficacy , but it produc'd no fruit , and being return'd to the viceroy , they said 't was impossible to asswage the fury of the peeple , unless they had deliver'd them the original of the gran priviledg that charls the fift granted : this being understood by the viceroy , as from the beginning he had ardent desire to content the peeple , specially in this point so much importun'd , he caus'd all diligence to be used , that the said charter of priviledg shold be found out : therupon he dispatch'd som of the nobles , elect of the city , together with don ioseph maria caracciolo a teatin , to the church of san lonuzo to this effect , which ioseph was a subject of great valour , and learning , besides his high birth , and a most earnest co-operator at all times , specially at the conjuncture of these revolutions , and much devoted to the service of his king and country . in the mean time masaniello made it known to all the marchants in the name of the peeple , and corporations in the city , that they shold be ready with arms ▪ in hand for the service of the peeple ; a great part of his train went a horsback , and som a foot , to the houses , as well of gentlemen , as other persons , of what estate or quality soever , to search for arms , which were delivered him , though with an ill will , both by all noblemen and officers , ther being found in all places many thousands of archibuzes , carabins , musquets , pistols , and such like arms , as also nine pieces of artillery which a marchant had in his house , and which were given him in pawn from the court for som thousands of duckets , whereof he was creditor ; they took two canons more out of a ship , assaulted by them in a new gally , which was disarm'd in the mole , which being arm'd , was sent to the said vessel to deliver those pieces , els they wold set her a fire ; so the captain being forc'd , deliver'd seven canons , all which they plac'd at the mouths of the principal streets of the city : and having understood that mazzola a genoway marchant had in his house good store of arms , they entred his house , where they found . musquets , which they distributed up and down the populass , who dwelt in the quarters of santa maria il parete . the archbishop seeing , that notwithstanding all proffers of accomodation the comotions advanc'd evry hour with more fury , it came into his head that he himself wold go abroad in procession , accompanied with the teatins , and those of s. hieroms , of the congregation of the oratorio , the the same munday ; but doubting it wold not be so pleasing to the peeple , he wold first feel their pulse , doing this with a great deal of prudence ; the grounds of his doubt was this , that when the evening before , and the same morning the said religious orders went out in a procession at way , the peeple did not much like those processions , in regard , that notwithstanding they were made with a good intent to appease the tumults , yet this being for no other end then to establish the ancient grassa in the city , they seem'd to marvail , and did tacitly grumble , to what purpose shold so many processions be made now , that they were busy to take off the gabels , and rid the city of all excessive impositions , and such processions were not made then , when , generally against the consent of the peeple , they were impos'd : therefore the archbishop , before he wold put in execution his designs , sent to the impositers of s. paul , and of the apostles , both of them being teatin churches , who coaching themselfs with some conspicuous secular priests , eminent for their lives and birth , who were particular elect , viz don carlo de bologna , and don diego de mendoza , they all went to the piazza of the great market to observe the humor of the peeple , how they wold like such a procession , the bishop having no other aims herein , but the service and satisfaction of the city , yet he wold know their inward inclinations herunto . the said fathers and lords being gon to the market place , they put in strict execution what they had in charge from the archbishop but they found tru what his eminence had formerly doubted , as 't was told them by some of the chief of the peeple , who yet thank'd very much the archbishop for his pious endeavors to favour them , not doubting a whit of his zeal and love to the city : but touching such a solemn extraordinary procession , they humbly advis'd his eminence not to do it , because the priests and religious men in those broken times might haply receave som incounter or disturbance , which might prejudice the reputation of the church , by reason of the great multitudes of arm'd men which were evry where , yet for no other end then the advancement of the public good : therefore they pray his eminence that he wold expose in the church the holy host , and inorder public orisons for . hours . the fathers and gentlemen being return'd to the cardinal archbishop , related unto him what they had propos'd , and what answers they had , therefore his eminence not thinking it expedient to put his former thoughts in action against the will of a tumultuary peeple , he inordred the said prepositors , and all chief heads and rectors of churches , as well secular as regular , that the blessed sacrament shold be expos'd , and public and privat prayers made , to recomend unto his divine majesty the woful condition of city and kingdom ; which was punctually perform'd evry day until the death of masaniello . when the archbishop had sent out those seasonable orders , it being now night , his eminence went to castle nuovo to confer with the viceroy , and try whether any accommodation could be pitched upon to free the city from those imminent dangers which hung over her , doing this with the greatest efficacy that cold com out of the brest of a cavalier patriot , and of a zealous pastor , associating unto him a little after to the same purpose the most illustrious the l. altieri , apostolical nuntio , for the time in that kingdom . ther retir'd into the said castle likewise towards the evening divers ministers , as well of the gown , as other officers , lords and cavaliers as well to treat with the viceroy concerning the same business , as also to withdraw thither for their greater security then they could be in their own habitations . and this is as much as happend the second day , which was munday . tuesday , july . . the third day . the nepolitan peeple were so heated in their desires , and so animated to battail , and to the destroying of the houses of public ministers and partizans of the royal court , as also of lawyers and farmers of the gabels , that no bounds were sufficient to stop their arrogance and fury : as a strong currented river having burst down the banks and dikes which kept her within her chanel can hardly be brought in again to her wonted regular stream , in the mean time , while the fearful countryman labours with earth , stones , clay , wood and iron to mend her banks , she pursues her raging exorbitant cours , dilates her self o're fields , spoils the corn , undermines the trees , enters boldly into house and cellar without controulment , and so doth a world of mischief . the numerous peeple of naples might be said to be such a river , swelling with disdain and choler against the public officers of the gabels , and rushing o're the wonted banks , which were the laws and royal authority of her prince , the reverence to the holy church , the fear of justice : but she was not only like an unruly mounding river , but like a tempestuous sea , figur'd peradventure by the evangelist s. iohn , in his book of divine mysteries , wher he saith , that with the waters of the sea there joyn'd living waters of fire , whence 't is call'd by him , mars mixtum igne : the viceroy , the archb●shop , the nobility , the lawyers labour'd to make up these banks and breaches , yet all wold not do , but the river was as impetuous , extravagant and violent as ever . hence it came to pass , that the glorious sun scarce appeer'd in the orient to illuminat the city the third day , but the furious peeple ran with swift pace to the palace of one valenzano , formerly a very poor plebean , and afterwards from a petty clerk in the do●ana came to be a farmer of the gabel of corn , and so enriched himself extreamly ; he dwelt out of saint carlo , and 't is incredible what a world of goods , very precious both for the quantity and quality , were found in his house , which were all reduc'd to ashes ; ther were two boxes full of gold found in the cupboard of a window , which were taken and dispositated upon account in the kings bank . hence they pass'd to the palace of the duke of caivano , towards the little gate of santa chiara , where all his writings , and public books , he being secretary of the kingdom , with all his library , and infinit store of rich moveables and utensils were found , all which were burnt in two great fires , and the palace harass'd to the ground : what rich coches , sedans and couches , with rare vessels of argentry , and jewels of all kinds , were consum'd in this palace ? ther were also great store of curious pictures found there , the profane were burnt , but som holy pieces were sent to divers churches , but reserving for the flame the frames of them , although they were very gallant and rich , which cours they observ'd in all other places : the flame of this fire was so great , that it reach'd to a monastery of nunns hard by , of the order of s. francisco , so that they cryed out they were all destroyed ; it took in a library of books , the leaves whereof flew up aloft , that some words were legible in the air , among which ther happen'd one leaf to fall upon the ground from the said cloyster , which treated of the nobility of the ancient dukes of milan . i shold be over tedious if i shold describe all the desolations and ruines which those fires did cause , with the quantity and quality of the goods ; i will briefly tell you , that the same cruelties , term'd by the peeple just revenges , were us'd in all those houses whereof masaniello gave a catalog to destroy and ruinat : these were bartolome d' aquino , the duke iohn de caivano , gio : battista bozzacarino , all three of chiaia , iohn andrea tuonavoglia , who dwelt out of the gate of san gennaro , the president cinnamo sopra gresu maria , the sons of mastrodatti , iuseppe sportello farmer of the corn , president gieronimo cacciotolo , cesar loprano against the little hospital , iohn zaralios , who being an officer of the pen , came by his favour at court to such huge wealth , that he made himself duke of osturis , a principal city in puglia , with sixty thousand crowns annual rent , dwelling in toledo street , whose palace was one of the proudest and most magnificent of any in naples , built by himself from the very foundation ; francesco pallavicino alle mortelle , geronimo nacatella of polysippo , and andrea capano his son in law , agostin de iulijs , giacomo frezza , petrillo di florio , bartholome balzamo , donado de bellis cashier of the gabel of corn , and many other persons had their rich moveables and furnitures , with their argentry and jewels of great value , all consum'd to ashes . in the palace of aquino a chiaia ther was an inestimable wardrobe found proportionable to a kings , which was all destroyed : and luprano having conveyed all his goods which were most precious to the monastery of the hospital of the padri zoccolanti , and basile brought his jewels and moneys to the conservatory of santa maria di constantinopoli , and zavaglio brought the flower of his goods to the monastery of the nuns of the conception nere his palace , yet masaniello came to know of all this , and therefore comanded the said monasteries to 〈◊〉 and bring forth all those furnitures under pain of burning , but being terrified by the peremptorines of the comand , they brought all forth , which were immediatly consum'd to ashes , and som coches with the horses alive , which were found out by the rabble , having bin hid out of the way in sundry places by their owners . while the peeple went thus revenging themselfs of their pretended adversaries , those two original priviledges of king ferdinando , and charles the v. both which the peeple did so earnestly thirst after , were found out , and so they were brought to the viceroy by the chief elect of the nobles , and by the foresaid don giuseppe caracciolo a teaten , which labour'd extremely in the busines : hereupon the viceroy did not let slip one moment of time , or the least advantage to com at last to an accord with the peeple , promising them still all posible satisfaction , the cardinal archbishop of naples did the like , who , with all his might and main , and by the help of his gentlemen , by going also often himself in person to divers places did not spare pains o● fear danger ; but the peeple finding that the treaty for a peace went still on with delayes , did begin to declare , that they would be masters of san lorenzo , and of the tower thereof to sound to a war at any time the great bell , as also to secure a port which they suspected might prove very offensive to their quarters in the great market by canon shot , besides they wold have the use of the artigliery , and other arms of the city , which were stor'd up therein ; to which effect about ▪ peeple being got before the place all arm'd , and having begirt the monastery of the fryers on all on all sides , they put themselfs in a posture to fight ranging themselfs in files , being resolv'd to do somthing : the convent was then forsaken by the fryars , som novices being only left , and som of the ancient'st , the duke of siano son to the regent capece latro , gio : baptista cicinelli , don tomas aquaviua son to the erl of conversano with other few gentlemen being there retir'd with spaniards sent the evening before by the viceroy , for garding the steeple , were there shut in . the assault was given , and som archibuses flew off , and a great many faggots were set afire , and they prepared themselfs to batter down the tower in the first place with a huge peece of ordinance brought thither of purpose : the people within and the spanish gard it self apprehending som fear made signs that they would yeild upon articles , whereupon the gates were opened and the souldiers sallied forth which were there for a gard as well spaniards as italians , with expresse order to leave behinde them their armes , granting them onely their lives and cloathing which they carried about them ; so that the peeple entring there , they seized upon all the arms , as p●ques , musquets , archibusses , with peeces of ordinance , put in there for the service of the city to the militia that came forth masaniello order'd , that after they had eaten they might be at liberty , and presently he comanded the great bell to sound to arms , but with a public protest without any intent of rebellion , but for the service of the peeple , which sound lasted a good while , as well to shew the victory they had obtain'd , as also to assemble the peeple to new attempts . and seeing that the charter of charles the v. did not yet appeer neither in that place where it ought to have bin kept , which was among the archives of the city , wher all ancient writings are us●d to be preserv'd , they grew very furious , and drew forth other goods to be burnt , among which was the present king of spains picture , which they not only preserv'd , but bringing it forth they expos'd it to public view , under a rich canopy , with much reverence , crying aloud , let god live , let our king live a thousand years , and let the ill government dye : they placed one great canon at the little gate of s. laurence , and another at the greatest gate of s. paul , levelling at that piazza of s. laurence , they plac'd to under the piatza of s. biaggio , two alla selleria , two upon the market place , two at the port of capua , two more at porta nolana , and the rest in other places , designing a sufficient nomber of men for the gard of those places ; and to secure themselfs from the assault of all enemies , they distributed in evry place a sufficient proportion of powder , of bullets , of match , and other instruments , to serve the artillery , and other sort of fireworks if need required . among those companies of combatants which went abroad that day , there were a great many women with archibuzes upon their sholders , and other sorts of arms , with their she captains , alterezes and sargeants , they appeer'd like so many amazons , and 't was a rare sight to behold , so that the ancient time of nero seem'd to be renew'd when he besieg'd rome . the companies went on , and in the midst of two soldiers a woman well clad , and not ill favor'd , went with the arms of his majesty upon her head , and with a writing in great letters round about it , viva il re , & il fidelissimo popolo di napoli ; let the king live , and the most faithful peeple of naples ; she went with a naked sword in her right hand , and a poynard in her left : ther followed after an incredible nomber of she archibuziers , and others arm'd with pikes , lances and halbards , others with clubs and staves , with faggots upon their backs , to put fire to the houses of traytors and public thieves of their country ▪ lastly the little wenches of four or five yeers of age went with little batoons and sticks in their hands , a spectacle strange to behold . ther came other troops of women from divers parts of the city in good order , carrying wood and sulfur upon their back to fire where occasion requir'd : and because ther were citizens enough in the gross of the army about masaniello able to make their party good against any power , the rest were order'd by him to go to defend their own quarters and homes : ther were som banditi that had mingled themselfs with these companies under a pretext to serve the peeple , but their design was , as 't was found afterwards , to take booties , or to plot som treson . the viceroy was not furnish'd with provision , nor wold they suffer any eatable thing to passe to the castle , a felluca was taken , which thought to have brought him provision ; the couriers were stayed , who brought him letters from divers places ; and he might be said to be in a manner besieg'd with all the gentlemen in the castle , the peeple having both land and sea in their absolut possession . the archbishop being return'd to the castle to confer with the viceroy , and the rest of the principal ministers , the last remedy by means of that reverend bishop was applied to make a final agreement : so the viceroy deliver'd into his hands the original charter or priviledg of charles the v. with a promise in writing , subscribed with his own hand , to observe it firmly , desiring him to go to the great market place to have it seen , and publish'd in the church of carmine . when the bishop had the tru priviledg in his hands he felt an extraordinary fit of comfort , not doubting but his beloved sheep wold be now altogether quieted , which certainly had happen'd , had not a secret treaty of matalone , and don gius●ppe caraffa his brother , against masaniello , and his followers , bin discovered , which put all things again out of square . the bishop therefore being com to the great market place , and receav'd by the peeple with mighty reverence and honor , he entred into the church of carmine , complemented by multitudes of peeple more then the said church could hold : the said charter was read with a loud voyce , and understood by all with a kind of jubile of contentment ; yet there wanted not , by the secret practise of the devil , som who , having still rebellious spirits , suspected the truth of that charter , and that it was not the original , but a suppositious one : wherupon suspecting themselfs to be deluded by the bishop , they began to cry out , yea to threaten him by telling him , will your eminence also deceave us ? at which instant the bishop stood in evident danger of his life : the bishop desiring to penetrat the cause of those whisperings , ask'd masaniello what was the matter , who told him . most eminent sir , this peeple suspect that this charter is not the true one , and that your eminence goes about to baffle us , but i do not believe it , and i will turn against them in your defence , or kill my self , knowing well how punctually honorable your eminence is . the b●shop answered , my dear son , these priviledges and charters are the very same which charles the v. subscrib'd , and which the peeple desire ▪ but because you may be sincerely satisfied of the truth of my proceedings , let us do this , find me an intelligent man whom you will ▪ and i will deliver it him , leaving it in his hands , and for a sign of the truth i will not stir hence , till this busines cleerly appeer , that you may know , that i hold you my sons as much as the gentry , and as your pastor and father ; i wold spill my bloud most willingly for my peeple , as also for the peace and quietness of my dear country . at which words masaniello grew very quiet , and with him the tumultuous peeple : so they sent for d. iulio genovino a most sagavous man , who knew as much as can be known of the affairs of the city and kingdom by his long experience , being . years old , and having bin . years a prisoner , during the time of another revolution happen'd in the government of ossuna . masaniello therefore made the priviledg to be deliver'd to that man , that he might study and review it , as he did all the night following with most exact diligence , all which time the bishop departed not from the church of carmine : and it was by the disposition of god almighty , and the most blessed virgin , that this happen'd , for that very night ther were . houses of cavaliers to be burnt , amongst whom in the first place was the duke of mataloni , the duke of medina las torres , the prince and prior della rocella , the prince of cellamare chief post-master of the kingdom , cornelius spinola , carlo spinelli , don ferrante caracciolo , carlo brancaccio the counsellor , don francesco capece latro , francesco tomacello , and the houses of divers other were to be a sacrifice , and by the sole endeavors of the bishop they scaped it : though these forenamed had been the principall heads and authors of the disorder hapned the year before in the procession of the reliques of san genaro , yet the bishop as a pious pastor , and common father , rendring them like a perfect christian good for evill , prayed more in the behalf of these then any other , specially for the houses of medina , and mataloni . wherefore masaniello perceaving the goodnes and integrity of the bishop , and sounding out his praises with full mouth to all the peeple , it made them desist from the firing that was intended , declaring that he had absolutly forborn it at his instance . it happen'd , that the same day and time that his eminence was to reason with the peeple in the church of carmine , another general whisper was or'e-heard : for after the charter of charles the v. was read , that which the viceroy did subjoyn was also read , which was , that he confirm'd all the said charter by abolishing all the gabells and impositions , and that he pardoned all the peeple for whatsoever they had don , and acted in that commotion , and he promis'd to obtain such a pardon from his catholic majesty for any act of rebellion that might have happen'd : when this was heard , you wold not beleeve how greatly the peeple were mov'd , wherupon they began to cry out with a loud voyce , that they never comitted any act of rebellion , but to have always bin most faithful vassals , and wold dye so towards his majesty , who ( and they rais'd their voyces to a great height ) they prayed to live a thousand years : the thing they only desired was , that the priviledges made good unto them by king ferdinando , and charles the emperour , might be made good unto them now : therupon thinking they were gull'd and betrayed , they wold give ear no longer to any accord , as also because in the said confirmation his excellency did not specify , that the whole kingdom shold be so disburdned , without the necessary clause of the apostolical assent , as they had made instance ; and therefore , without being a whit satisfi●d , they desir'd that the war might be prosecuted , until they might have compleat satisfaction ; yet the bishop labour'd still to divert them from such thoughts , by reading unto them the note following sent him from the viceroy . my most eminent and reverend lord , the most faithful peeple of this most faithful city prayed me to confirm their priviledges , and in regard of the affections and high love which they have always shew'd to his majesties service , i granted their petition ; and because instances have bin made unto me , that for the greater authority it shold be published in a pontificial way , i desire your eminence so to do , and it will be a favor unto me , and a comfort unto the peeple . god gard your eminence many yeers , according as i desire . datum july , . the priviledg is a dispatching , and those of the most faithful peeple shall bring it to your excellence . so i rest the greatest servant of your most reverend eminence , el duque de ercos . but the peeple not lending an ear to all this , thinking the bishops promises to be lame and imperfect , and being earnest to pursue the war as is said already , till ther be a condescension to all their reasons , they went on in ingrossing their militia through all the parts of the city , and by putting in order divers companies which very numerous , having . or . in evry one . the dominion was such , that the very women , arm'd in great numbers , som with batoons on their n●cks , som with naked swords in their hands , som with a sword in the right , and a dagger in the left , and with knifes on their sides , went strutting up and down the streets as so many amazons , before the royal palace , and elswhere , having one man before for their van , and another behind for their rere , crying out still , may the the king of spain live , but the ill goverment die . upon the report of these comotions in naples the spaniards which were quartered in the nere adjacent villages were coming to naples , which being known by the peeple , by 〈◊〉 scouts which they kept abroad , they sent a party to meet them , where they disarm'd them all , and sent them back : ther came also germans sent from capua , who were billeted ther by the governor of that city , but when they came nere the gates the peeple rushd out , and stripping them of their arms for their own use , they brought them in , and giving them som refreshment , they kept them a good while in the court of gard , making very much of them for the innocence they found in them . such a terror was struck into evry one , that if a boy said to a shop-keeper , for how much sell you the quart of wine ? for example sake sell it but for so much , and no more ; and so for fruit , and all other things , all obey'd : they went at first to put fire to the goods of cornelio spinola a genoways , who had resided in naples above . years , negotiating with the court , and having farm'd the gabels , and much peeple being found within for his defence , they went to him by way of stratagem , saying , they were com to treat with him to make him their grassier : he excus'd himself at first , saying , that he was not proper for so great a trust , being a stranger ▪ and they assuring him , that by long habitation he was becom a free denizon of the city , he accepted of it , wherupon he said , i have a million for the service of the king of spain , and the most faithful peeple of naples . an order came forth that day from masaniello , that in all those houses where ther were pieces of the king and queen of spain , they shold be thrown out , and the arms of the most faithful peeple of naples set up under canopies . the bishop about the evening dispatcht to the viceroy father francisco maria filomarino , a capuchin , who was his brother , with other gentlemen , praying him that he wold by all means yeeld to all pretensions , and give entire satisfaction unto the peeple , if he desir'd to prevent the mischiefs that were like to ensue . when the said filomarino was com into the castle , he began to treat with the viceroy in the bishops name , with a great deal of affection and earnestnes , in so much that by little and little they went overcoming all difficulties , so ther were high hopes that an absolut accommodation wold ensue . in the mean time masaniello gaining power more and more over the peeple , because he was found to be of a great spirit and hardines , he rendred himself by degrees the most belovd , the most respected and worthy of esteem by all that possiby could be , notwithstanding that in such a confus'd multitud of so many thousands of peeple ther were so many doctors , marchants , notaries , scriveners , proctors , physitions , soldiers , and very worthy artizans , and an infinit nomber of others that were men of judgment , wit , wealth , volour and experience , and the meanest of them superior to him in condition : but from tuesday , and all the time forward , when he went in the name of the peeple to negotiat with the bishop touching the present affairs , his eminence remain'd astonish'd at his spirit and parts , which got him dayly more and more credit amongst the peeple , who cryed him up therupon the chieftain , or captain general , so that all were willing to transfer unto him solemnly , as absolut patron , the supreme comand o're all the peeple , and to obey him accordingly . wherupon in the middle of the market place ther was a stage erected b● him , where from that time forward the said masaniello clothed in white like a mariner , and in his company other counsellors of the peeple , among whom genovino , and that famous bandito domenico perrone , taken out of the church of carmine , as formerly said , by order of the peeple , had the first places ; they gave public audience , receiving indifferently from all sorts of peeple , as well laicks as ecclesiasticks , who adher'd unto the popular party , petitions and memorials , pa●sing orders , and decreeing civil , criminal , and military sentences upon all causes , by arrogating to themselfs the sole supreme authority , and d●spotical comand o're all the city , villages and families , making account that all the armed men that were ready at masaniello's beck were no less then . thousand souls , without inclusion of women , boys and children , who were of an incredible nomber , among whom one wold com to visit her husband , another his father , som their sons , others their kinsmen or friends , declaring that if need were they wold raise another army for the defence of the peeple and city . and this is as much as happen'd the third day . wensday , the tenth of july , . the fourth day . the napolitan peeple did not seem satisfied to publish unto the world the extreme disdain they had taken against the chiefest authors of the gabels by outward firing and combustions , but they did still ruminat in the night , what further revenges were to be taken in the day . hence it came to pass that upon wensday betimes , when aurora had hardly usher'd up the sun into the orient , masaniello order'd that upon pain of death the brigade of his lifegard , which were in nomber about . or . persons , that they shold repair to the palace of the duke of caivano , who was thought by the peeple to be one of their chiefest enemies , therfore comand was given to pass through the street of the little gate of santa chiara to plunder again the said duke , because notice was had of goods of far greater value which were not yet discover'd , the soldiers herupon as swift as lightning went , in obedience to masaniello's comand , and re-entred the house , where battring down a door , they found two chambers full of the richest tapistry that could be seen , with sundry sorts of other costly moveables , then they descended into the gardens , and battered divers marble statues and fountains , grubb'd up the flowers and trees , broke down the balcones , and put fire to evry thing both in house and garden . ther went som hundreds of that soldadesca to the palace of the duke of mataloni to burn it also , and destroy it from top to bottom , purposing to sow the ground with salt afterwards ; but finding it well fortified with one hundred armed banditos , who were within , they went back to have a recrent of strength , and to return thither towards the evening to execut their design : so passing again to chaia to the palace of the young duke of caivano don francesco barile to get the residu of his fathers goods , preserv'd haply by him , they rush'd also into that house , and did miserable spoil to evry thing that came in their way and as they were doing this , peeple of all sorts , men , women and boys brought them faggots , with pitch , oyl , sacks ful of straw , and other helps , making hideous noise up and down the streets , as if they had bin stark mad , and crying , ther is but this little straw left in our houses , and it shall serve to put fire into the kennels of these dogs , who have impos'd , suck'd , and swallow'd such gabels from us , and saying this , they wold let down the sack of straw , and throw all into the fire ▪ other women wold bring in their arms their children , and putting little fir'd matches into their hands , they wold make them throw them into the fire , crying out , these poor lambs shall also take vengeance of these theefs for the bread they have taken out of their mouths , so with hurling exclamations and cur●es they went up and down ▪ yet somtimes with these interjections of prayer ; viva iddio sem●re , & il nostro re , & ruvoiano questi carri : let god live for ever , and our king , and let these dogs dye the death : the sight of all which things wold have mollified an adamant , and drawn compassion out of the very rocks . while the peeple went thus to evaporate their high discontentments and deep hatred against the pretended enemies of the public good , the bishop did very strictly negotiate with the vice-roy for a finall accord , by the intervention of som choice instruments whom he had sent thither of purpose , for 't was not fitting he himself shold remove from the church del carmine , because he prevented thereby the horrible firings and spoiles which were threatned to be also made thereabouts ; he imployed besides into the castle three gentlemen of speciall parts , who were caesar gerardini à luquese , a gentleman who was master of his chamber , one of a lovely conditition , of much vigor and prudence ; the second was don gennaro quaranta , and guiseppe de rossi , both neapolitan gentlemen , whereof the one was vicar-generall of the nunns of naples , a subject of high learning and goodnesse of life : and that wednesday morning the business was at so hopefull a pass , that a motion was made to make a solemn cavalcata to the church del carmine by the vice-roy , and where all the nobility shold attend him , that the capitulations of peace might be publikely read there , and afterwards a te deum solemnly sung , to give god due thanks for his graces : this was intimated to masaniello , who consented thereunto , yet he commanded the peeple to be still vigilant , and to stand upon their guard , and ev'ry inrolled soldier to have his armes ready , and to stand firm to his post and not to stir th●nce upon pain of death : as these things were in agitation and fully intended , the vice-roy ceas'd not to send messages ever and anon unto the bishop , desiring him to assure the peeple that they shold have all possible satisfaction , and it lay in his eminences hands in chief to maintain the crown of that kingdom , with the lifes and being of all the nobility throughout naples ; therefore he had sent him the day before the ancient charters of king ferdinand , and of charles the fifth , confirmed by the royall councell collaterall , and the councell of state held of purpose for that effect , wherein there was a generall indulgence or pardon granted unto the peeple of naples for any offence whatsoever committed , the tenor wherof was as followeth . philip by the grace of god , king , &c. don roderico ponce de leon , duke of arcos . we by an everlasting priviledge do grant to the most faithfull peeple of this most faithfull city of naples , that all gabells and impositions be extinct and abolish'd which were laid upon the city of naples , and the kingdom , from the time of the emperour charls the v. of happy memory untill this hour . moreover we grant a generall pardon for any offence whatsoever committed , since the beginning of this present revolution to this point of time , as also for ev'ry offence and inquisition pass'd that related to the sayed revolution . given in castel nuovo . of iuly . el duque de arcos . donato coppola secretary of the kingdom . this being receiv'd by the bishop , he procur'd suddenly by discreet waies to induce masaniello to convoque all the captains , and chief commanders of the peeple together to hear the reading of the sayed capitulations of the accord so much desired by them . the charter of charles the emperour being already acknowledg'd by don giulio genovino , and presented unto them by the bishop , as tru and original , therefore there were more then hopes , nay 't was held a thing beyond all doubt that an agreement wold follow : but mark , while the peeple were all assembled in the church de● c●●mine there being infinite multitudes which stayed without not being able to enter , because the church was full already , being there com to hear the articles read which they seem'd to desire with that anxiety , behold a new chance happen'd ( and god forgive him who was the cause thereof for he bore the punishment a little after ) which put all things out of square , and was able to put the whole city to fire and sword : the chance was that ther entred into the gate del carmine which leads to the market place , a great nomber of banditi at least . all arm'd a horsback , giving out that they came for the service of the peeple sent for by the forenamed bandito perrone as he attested himselfe before masaniello , and the substance of the fact was tru , but the end whereunto it tended differ'd much , because that he confederating with the duke of mataloni and d. guiseppe caraffa his brother , had an aym not at the service , but the destruction of the peeple , which was first to kill masaniello their leader , with divers others of the principall mutineers about the great market place , and other circumjacent pr●cincts , as 't was afterwards discover'd and shall be told hereafter . the sayed banditi being made to com before masaniello , they were receiv●d with great demonstrations of love , but while they were there in his presence , perrone made a motion , which was , that the said banditi shold go a horsback through the city , and take their quarters a part , which things he held to be very essentiall , and conducing much to the service of the peeple , wherunto masaniello replied , that 't was bootles to do this , ●ut 't was sufficient if divided they stood a foot ready at his commands : perrone persisting in his opinion sayed often that by all means the banditi shold be a horsback : masaniello suspecting som sinister practises of perrone in giving this same counsell , caus'd that he order'd more peremptorily they shold go a foot , and that they shold not budg from one corner of the market which he wold assign them for their quarter . the banditi being much disquieted in mind , because they had not their intent towards the execution of their design , as they parted there were seven archibuz shots made at masaniello , yet they miss'd him all , but som bullets burnt part of his shirt and so fell to the earth , all which was esteem'd a miracle of the most holy lady del carmine , whose medail he carried about his neck hanging down to his brest . ev'ry one may imagine how much this act might have mov'd the peeple to fury , but ther only happen'd confus'd dark rumors and whisperings for the present ; but afterwards they fell upon those banditi and discharg'd . musket shots at them , wherein they kill'd about thirty , two whereof fell down before the great altar , three in the vestry , one under the very seat where the archbishop was , and thither he had fled for safe-gard ; and the rest in divers parts of the convent , divers also were hurt , but the heads of the slain were set up upon poles in the market place ; and som of them scaping away into divers places from the crowd , fled into monasteries , but most into maria della nuova de zocolane . perrone was presently apprehended , and fetter'd by masaniellos order , and to be proceeded against as shall be told speedily . then they went in quest of one antimo grasso a man as notorious as facinorous , who was one of the chiefest of the plot , who was found , and murther'd in the same chamber where the bishop was , which was one of the stands of the generall . he receiv'd the shot in the window of the sayed chamber whilest perceiving himself to be pursu'd by death , he sought to fly into the cloyster , which precipitat flight confirm'd the jealousies the peeple had of him . the bishop was at that time in most evident danger of his life , neverthelesse without being a whit mov'd or losing one crum of courage , he confess'd and gave absolution to the said antimo grasso before he breath'd his last . the noise was so great , and the shots so many , and the tumult so high in the monastery , the gates being open'd and pull'd off the hinges , that all the fryers trembling with fear thought they were all dead men , and many of them confessing one to the other with crucifixes in their hands , and other images , expected no other then sudden death ; yet neverthelesse the archbishop did not give over , but with a notable magnanimity worthy of a prelat did encourage them , distributing his pastorall benedictions among them up and down with many sweet words of comfort . the peeple were much mov'd to see the holy church so polluted with bloud , and profan'd with slaughters , therefore those dead bodies were carried out into the market ; and the peeple went to find out the rest of the banditi who were hid in divers places , whereof divers were kill'd , and the rest got o're the walls to save their lifes . som were ta'n● alive who reveal'd the treason intended against masaniello set afoot by the duke of matalone , either for revenging of the affront he had receav'd the munday before , or to perform his promise made to the vice-roy , hoping thereby to disanimate and so disunite the peeple , their head being cut off . here upon the peeple not only dwelling about the market place , but in other places , having notice given them that the said . banditi came of purpose by the machinations of the duke of mataloni to make away masaniello , and that perrone was a chief instrument to bring this about , masaniello commanded the sayed perrone to be kill'd , but to be first put to the torment to draw out of him the trace , order and manner of the plot , with his complices , which being don , many things were discover'd tending to the prejudice and lifes of the peeple . he confess'd in particular , that he and the rest of the banditi were sent by order of the duke of mataloni , not only to murther the sayed masaniello , but also by a mine already made to blow up the i le of the house of masaniello , with the contiguous houses under which there were already twenty eight barrells of powder put ; and therewith the whole convent of carmine , under which there were also a mine layed with great store of gun-powder , having to this effect receiv'd from the sayed duke a bill for himself and his complices , who were engag'd in the plot of fifteen thousand crowns , which accordingly was found about him : so much perrone confess'd and no more , and though 't was enough , yet he confess'd not all , which was discover'd afterwards by others : having confess'd all th●s , his head was chopt off with a brothers of his , and they were pitcht upon pikes in the market place to be a spectacle to the world . 'twixt the banditi who were taken alive , and not shot , one of them desired his life of masaniello , and he wold discover unto him som conjurations far greater and more generall then perrone confessed , or grasso either , which if he detected , his life was promis'd him , provided his discoveries prov'd tru : hereupon he reveal'd that the night following , presupposing that the foresaid five hundred banditi horse had formerly had good successe , there were many troops of horse to second them , and they were to set fire to certain mines under the great market place , at such a time when it was fullest of people , and trod by armed men , which commonly according to their former custom ▪ was us'd to be about three hours in the night , at the striking of which hour they were to give fire to the mine , which consisted of fifty cantaras of powder and more , amounting to fifteen thousand pounds , or thereabouts , and spread up and down through the bowells of the said market place , which had made fly into the aire all the peeple then present , and blown up the edifices circumjacent , with the monasterie and church del carmine , insomuch that there had perish'd at lea●t besides the destruction of the holy buildings and profane , about one hundred and fifty thousand souls : a case of infinite compassion , justifying any other bloody revenge which the peeple might have taken for such a barbarous and unheard of cruelty : when the mines had taken effect , the banditi were to disperse up and down , joyning with som of the gentry whom they had brought in with them , and fall upon the rest of the common peeple , and put all to the sword ; this being understood by masaniello , he ordred that with all possible diligence those subterranean places shold be search'd that were reveal'd by the said prisoner , which being found tru and reall , he pardoned him his life , but with perpetuall banishment from the city and kingdom under pain of life ; the said powder being taken up from all those places under ground , did serve for provision to the peeple for many days , for they had scarcity thereof . it was discover'd also by the confession of other banditi , being put upon the rack , that by the machinations of duke matalone , and his brother perrone and grassa , having the chief hand therein , that the waters which by aqueducts serv'd the city of naples were poyson'd , as also the corne , which after much diligen●● being found to be tru , specially in those cisterns which receive the rain water , as in the sellaries , the public markets , and oth●r places inhabited by the meaner sort of peeple , for it was prov'd that two poor children had died by those waters ; therefore the aqueducts which convey'd those waters being broken ope , notice was given by sound of trumpet and drum , with bills fix'd in all quarters of the city , that none shold drink of those waters that pass'd through the formale , which was the common aqueduct . at the same time by order of masaniello were dispatch't many companies of armed foot and horse through all the city , and the suburbs , to take the rest of the banditi , who were retir'd for sanctuary to divers churches and monasteries , specially in sancta maria della nuova , where a great number got shelter , and it was bruited abroad , that don guiseppe de caraffa was com also thither for favors which he had receiv'd from the vice-roy from benevento to naples : he plac'd also at the same time divers gards at the gates , that the cavaliers shold not get out to joyn in bands against the peeple , which was much fear'd , out of the confessions which were drawn from the foresayed banditi ; therefore an exact search was made for these in all the monasteries throughout the city , where divers were found , and being drag'd out they had their heads chopt off , and put up upon poles up & down the streets . and because there was a report ran that the duke of matalone himself was hid at st. efrem , one of the capuchins churches , a great squadron of armed men went thither , with ravenous resolutions to drag him out and execute him ; but a little before having got timely advice by a spie , he got out in the disguise of a capuchin fryer ; and although the peeple went all the waies to overtake him , yet they could not do it , in regard that he was got before upon a swift coursier towards benevento ; the peeple being much inrag'd at his escape : but whosoever of his servants , pages , laquays , musick boyes , or any other that belong'd unto him came into their hands , they presently murther'd them . and because the rage of the peeple after the sayed duke of mataloni , was bent next against d. guiseppe caraffa his brother , there went . persons all arm'd to the foresayed monastery of santa maria della nuova of the zoccolanti , where he had secur'd himself , as also his brother father gregorio caraffa prior de la roccella , who being assisted by god for his innocence and innated goodnesse , became a prophet to himself , and to his brother don guiseppe , of the approaching danger that did menace their destruction , he exhorted & conjur'd him to get away with him , and to transfer themselfs to a place of greater security : but he , not giving eare to the exhortations of the prior , but yeelding to his hard destiny , he remain'd alone in the sayed monastery , the prior taking leave of him with teares in his eyes ; who being scarce gon , the foresayed rabble surpriz'd the place , and rushing in with extreme rage , though a great while they could not find him , he being hid in the secretest place of the monastery ; whence he got means to give notice to the viceroy of his desperate condition ; and therefore to amuse or divert the rabble , he desir'd him to let fly two peeces of ordnance ( but without bullets ) among them ; and it might be , that being so terrified , they might return to the town to take new counsells , and so he might have opportunity to make his escape . this note being sowed 'twixt the sole and the shoo of a poor converted frier , he gave him a good reward to go with it to the castle : but what ? the bearer had scarce put himself upon his way , but being stop'd by som malicious spies , he was search'd from head to foot , where they found the sayed note , and so they fell upon him most furiously , and chop'd off his head . caraffa hereupon having lost all hopes of preserving himself , for the certainty the peeple had got that he was in the sayed monastery , and for the hot eager malice wherewith they pursued him , he resolv'd to attempt an escape , being told by the fryers , that the brutish peeple wold search all the cells , dormitories , with any other places public or private within the monastery , as also the altars themselfs , church-yards , and ev'ry corner of church or convent : having don so in sundry places , and chop 't off the head of whomsoever they found ; but to do this with lesse danger he put off his fryers weeds and apparell'd himself with a secular habit , wherein leaping out of a window of the monastery over against a shop where a silkweaver dwelt , he recover'd himself with four of his confidents all habited like friers into the next house where a mean woman dwelt , and hiding himself there under a bed , he prayed her ( with large promises of reward ) to conceal him ; but the ill-natur'd and base woman promising her self a greater reward from the promiscuous crew , discover'd him , and deliver'd him into their hands , with the other foure of his retinue , among whom when they had seiz'd upon him , they dragg'd him along the little piazza of ceriglio , notwithstanding that he had promis'd twelve thousand crowns in good gold if they wold suffer him to escape : and although som began to hearken to such a proffer , yet the greater number would not , but barbarously cried out with loud exclamations , kill him , kill the traytor ; at which words , among others which slashed him with daggers and stillettos , a young fellow , son to a butcher hard by , with a great knife cut his throat , and chop 't off his head ; which being done , 't is incredible what exultations of joy and triumphing there was among them , as if they had taken off the head of the great turk , and cut to pieces the whole ottoman empire : so his head being fixed upon the top of a pike , and under it one of his feet and half a leg , with this inscription underneath , which was written in huge characters that they might be the more legible : questo é don peppo caraffa rebelle della patria , & traditore dell fidelissimo popolo . this is don peppo caraffa , a rebell to his countrey , and traytor to the most faithfull peeple . and because at the same time the heads of the other foure who were of his train were chopt off , and put also aloft upon poles , though lower then that where caraffa's head was , to make it appear the more eminent ; and having put his porter in the midst of four more , and tied about his temples a royall crown of lead , in this posture they made him go up and down the market place , dragging all along the bodies of those five , till at last they threw them upon a dunghill among stones and filth . this being don , they cried out , viva dio , & il nostro re mill ' anni , & muoiauo gli traditori del fidelissimo popolo . let god live , and let our king live a thousand yeers , but let the traitors of the most faithfull peeple die the death . with such funestous preparatifs , and in such an ignominious procession was the body and head of caraffa presented to masaniello , who was ther present all the while , & commanding his head to be brought nearer unto him , he pluck'd him often by the hair of his mustachos , disgorging many base opprobrious words , and making a kind of speech unto the peeple touching the justice of god , which comes surely , though slowly , to punish the guilty , and useth to make a compensation for the slownesse with the greater security , making application of the doctrine of that wise man , who without studying could by the meer light of nature say ; lento quidem gradu divina procedit ira , & tarditatem supplicii gravitate compensat . masaniello having terminated his speech unto the people , commanded that all the heads of the banditi , and other facinorous traytors that were taken in the monastery of the zoccolanti , and in the ceriglio , shold be distinguished from others , and plac'd by themselfs , and fix'd in the great market place , but the carcase of caraffa shold be tied to a beam athwart , and his head shold be put in a grate of iron with his foot nail'd underneath , and fix'd without the porta di gennaro , through which the passage was to the palace of mataloni , putting above that grate of iron , and under his carcase in the market place the foresayed words in large legible characters . don peppo caraffa rebelle della patria , & traditore del fidelessimo popolo , all which was punctually executed , the peeple still bawl'd aloud let traytors die , let traytors die ; and nothing was heard up and down the streets in ev'ry corner , but shrikings , and howlings with horrid curses , which made a hideous noise in the air . at this spectacle of caraffa the fear of the cavaliers encreas'd somuch , that they expected no other thing then to be torn in peeces , seeing them lay hands so inhumanely upon such that were us'd to make that city tremble at other times , as also the whole kingdom of naples : and the foundation of their fears was the greater , because that after the discovery of the plots made by the banditi , the peeple rise up and multiplied more fast then ever , for that very night there were numbred . armed persons , without black caps , and the gentletlemen that adher'd to the peeple , with divers other , as the catalog was seen in the hands of don georglo sersale . as also of the doubts they had that the viceroy himself had a hand in that conjuration of the banditi , and to make him resolve to grant them whatsoever they desir'd , masaniello commanded that no refreshments or provision shold passe into the castle , where he and his dutchesse ▪ with the collaterall counsell , and counsell of state , with the greatest part of the kings ministers , servants and officers resided , as also into those quarters where the spaniards were billeted , where they permitted neither bread , or wine , or snow to be carried , but only a few roots , and herbs . he commanded also , because he intended to choak them with thirst , as well as to famish them with hunger , that all the aqueducts shold be cut off : whereupon the viceroy seeing himself in so scurvy a condition , dispatch't a letter to the archbishop , that he wold make known to the people his sincere intentions towards them , and that he was not only a meer stranger , but most averse to the practises of the banditi , and their abominable conjurations ; for proof whereof he might assure them that he us'd all humane industry that could be imagin'd , to apprehend those banditi , and deliver them to the hands of the peeple , to do with them what they pleas'd ; such were the protestations of the viceroy to clear himself of those ombrages he found the people began to have of him . the tenor of the generall to the archbishop was as followeth : most eminent , and most reverend lord. the newes of the distrust of the peeple , with that accident of the duke of mataloni , put 's me in a great deal of care , for i desire no other thing but the satisfaction of the peeple , and the contentment of the city ; therefore i thought good to let your eminence know that if i had any of the banditi in my hands , i wold deliver them to the power of the most faithfull city , or any other that disturb'd our quietness . your eminence may please to let this be known , and command that notice be sent me of what passeth , and how your eminence fareth , whose most eminent person god preserve for many years . from the palace this . of iuly . your eminence may please to perform whatsoever i offer'd the most faithfull city in the behalf of his majesty and my self . my lord , what , hath lately happen'd leaves me full of wonder ; i offer to your eminence by the life of the king , that any of the banditi whom i can lay hold on i will immediately send them to the most faithfull peeple , to whom i wold be right understood ▪ for i desire nothing els but quietnesse . so i am the greatest servant of your eminence ▪ el duque de arcos . the archbishop did acquaint the people by vertue of the foresayed letter , with the right intentions of the viceroy towards them , which help'd to mitigate in part the ill talent that was conceiv'd against him ; yet notwithstanding masaniello did publish a rigorous ban , that all as well peeple , as cavaliers , shold be ready at the sound of the public bell under pain to have their houses fir'd ; for the suspition continued still , that there was a plot for more banditi to invade the city , and to joyn with the spanish and german militia to surprise her ; but whereas cavaliers were mentioned in that ban , 't was to make an ostentation of their power , rather then to make use of any of them , for they did not confide in them . there were vessells full of earth and stones plac'd at the head of ev'ry street , and upon the approach at night masaniello commanded for the watch of the city , and to prevent all robberies , that forts and bastions shold be rais'd at the mouth of ev'ry street , not only where the peeple , but where the nobility did inhabit , which was perform'd with such speed that 't was marvellous , for before half an hour of night all that vast city was found barricadoed and fortified , with barrels ful of earth , faggots , timber and stones , so that but one could pass at a time , and that with som difficulty : he commanded also that all the houses and palaces , as well of cavaliers , as of citizens , as also of monks and regular orders , under pain of having their monasteries burnt , shold put out lights towards the streets out of their windows and corners , as also that stubble , and other combustible things shold be put on fire to clear the streets , that in case the banditi entred the city , they might be more easily discern'd by the light of those fires dispers'd up & down the streets : all this was executed with punctuall and exact celerity by all , as far as the regents of the chancery , as by all the gown-men , nobles , cavaliers , regulars , and by all conditions of peeple , being all very much affrighted by the sad tragedy of poor caraffa , and . heads of the banditi , all which was don in less then the space of ▪ hours , which were seen fix'd upon divers poles up & down the streets ; they were also terrified at the huge number of . men all arm'd , and being ready to obey the beck of masaniello , who as he had been another cola di ●enza , did no sooner signifie his pleasure , but it was don in a minut , in such a māner , that if he sayed bring me the head of such a one , or let such a palace be burnt , & the house of such a prince be plundred , or any other the least thing commanded , at the very instant without any doubts or replies 't was put in execution , a glory that no king or emperour yet enjoy'd : and to put a period to the tragicall acts of this day , he declared by the dreadfull noise of drum and trumpet the duke of mataloni to be a rebell to his king and countrey ; and whosoever shold bring him in shold have thirty thousand crownes in gold , and his head shold ransom one hundred and fifty banditi , and ten thousand crowns were were added for a reward to him that shold bring him alive ; so he sent companies up and down to find him out , but masaniello imployed his own brother to find him out at benevento with a considerable strength of horse and foot. thursday the . of iuly , . the fifth day . 't is well knowne , by that which pliny and tiraquello do affirm , that in the olympick games , it often fell out the judges did give the palm and prize in doubtfull combats , not as much according to the vertue and valor of the combitant , as for the favour and applause of the peeple ; one may deservedly think then that masaniello , although but young , and of a very low birth , but having the empty gale of popular applause blowing upon him , and of such a huge masse of peeple as are in naples , obtain'd the truncheon of generall command over them : but the wonder is the greater , that so base a creature ( i will not say , a fisherman , but a fishermans boy , nor a complete man , but a youth in a manner ) shold draw after him such swarmes of peeple , and the second day to be attended by the civillest and discreeter sort of men ; the third to make himself absolute commander o're them , and the charge of generalissimo , ev'ry one shewing obedience to his commands accordingly ; the fourth and fifth day by his sagacious orders , ready dispatches , and oportune expedients : and above all , by his spiritfulness , efficacy and capacity in negotiating businesses of so great importance ; he was held to be of such wisdome and counsell , that he rais'd a kind of admiration in all men , and particularly in the mind of the archbishop , who more then any other had occasion to try his capacity and treat with him , and by the rigorous justice from the first day of his reign , to the last end of his usurped dominion which he exercis'd , as also for his precipitated barbarismes , as we shall touch anon , the ugly horrors and astonishments he struck into the whole city ; he had with an unspeakable boldness which seem'd wonderfull to the present , and will seem incredible to the absent , not as a plebean , or som abject fellow , but like a kind of great martiall commander , having threats in his looks , terrors in his gestures , and revenge in his countenance , subjugated all naples : naples the head of such a kingdom , the metropolis of so many provinces , the queen of so many cities , the mother of so many glorious hero's , the rendevouz of princes , the nurse of so many valiant champions , and spiritfull cavaliers , this naples by the impenetrable judgements of heaven , though having six hundred thousand souls in her , saw her self commanded by a poor abject vile fisher-boy , who rais'd a numerous army amounting in few hours to one hundred & fifty thousand men ; he made trenches , set sentinells , laid spies , gave signes , chastised the banditi , condemn'd the guilty , view'd the squadrons , rank'd their files , comforted the fearfull , confirm'd the stout , incouraged the bold , promis'd rewards , threatned the suspected , reproach'd the coward , applauded the valiant , and marvellously incited the minds of men , by many degrees his superiors , to battell , to burnings , to plunder , to spoile , to blood and to death : the whole city , yea , the spaniards themselfs stood astonished , that in so great and so confus'd a multitude of infinite numbers of armed peeple , he could proceed so regular in his orders , and that they were so exactly observed , that there was never seen nor known the like , that he should be so observant to ladies , so respectfull of the holy church and her officers , that all the while he wold not suffer any outrage to be offer'd them , except only in sancta maria della nuova in the quest of mataloni , that among such a world of tempting rich goods which there were burnt up and down , he wold not suffer the value of a pin to be converted to private use . the first order that was published by masaniello upon thursday morning betimes , was , that all men shold go without cloaks , gowns , wide cassocks , or such like , which was generally obeyed not only of the common sort , but of all the nobility , of all the churchmen , & religious orders , & 't was a marvellous thing , if not rather ridiculous , to see the dominicans , carmelites , the regular canons , iesuits , teatins , priests , and all sorts of regulars , yea the canons and dignitaries of the cathedral churches , the chaplains of the archbishop filomarino , of cardinal trivultio , of the viceroy , the apostolicall nuncio , and of all the bishops residing then in naples , and if we give credit to the relation of many , their eminences themselves went without upper garments all the while that masaniello reign'd , every one submitting to so vile a fellow . he commanded also that all women , of what degree or quality soever they were , shold go without fardingalls , which was also obey'd ; and that when they went abroad they shold tuck their petticoats somwhat high , that it might be discern'd whether they carried any arms underneath ; it having bin discover'd , that under such long robes sundry sorts of arms have bin brought to the banditi and other enemies of the peeple : and besides , the night before there were many papers thrown up and down , wherein ther were inklings given of som notable design against the peeple . that morning also all the streets were intrench'd , and the cannons from the magazing of san lorenzo were brought down , and set upon carriages , and plac'd in divers parts of the city which lay most advantagious , and companies both of foot and horse were dispers'd up and down , well arm'd , to be able to withstand any force . masaniello commanded also that all caval●ers under pain of life shold deliver their arms , as also all noble personages , to the hands of such officers as he shold send with commission accordingly ; and that all their servants shold also give up their weapons for the service of the peeple ; which they did , though with a very ill will ; for , they plainly perceiv'd the designe of this disarming , which was not only to make them unable to make any opposition , but to expose them to the mercy of the furious people their enemies . there was also that day an excize put upon all edible commodities , and at what price they shold be sold : there was also by command of the said masaniello in sundry of the most eminent places of the city , divers frames of pictures set up of charles the emperor , and of his catholike majesty philip the fourth , now regnant , with the arms of the city of naples drawn underneath ; and when the soldiers pass'd by any of those places , they cryed out , viva il re di spagna , & muoia il mal governo , let the king of spain live , and let the ill government die . while that morning the commands of masaniello were publish'd and executed ev'ry where throughout the city , the archbishop who from tuesday morning kept himself within the monastery of del carmine , to be able to negotiate with more conveniency with masaniello , and with other heads of the peeple , he was not wanting to publish the true intent of his meaning , and of that of the vice-roy , and the fervent desire he had to put in execution the last accord thereby to appease this high popular fury , which ev'ry day , ev'ry hour , yea , ev'ry moment , was the cause still of greater hurt and ruine ; therefore having sent into the castle father filomarino his capuchin brother to that effect , he imployed that morning caesare gherardini the master of his chamber to induce the viceroy to satisfie the peeple , and to give his assent to what was demanded , assuring him of the inclination that the said peeple had to a peace , so that all depended upon him , otherwise going thus arming daily more and more , and madding up and down the streets , he could not but prognosticate a totall and irreparable ruine to city and kingdom : the vice-roy receiv'd the embassie of the archbishop with unspeakable contentment , and to shew his readinesse and uniformity of thoughts with the said archbishop , he writ unto him again a most affectionate letter , wherein demonstrating the ardent disposition he had to publike tranquillity , he referr'd himself to ev'ry thing that his eminence had don , and wold ratifie whatsoever he wold promise , ex nunc pro nunc , to the end , that all delayes might be cut off by carrying and returning propositions and answers from one side , and the other , so much in prejudice of the publike good of the city : the letter was in effect as followeth . most eminent , and most reverend lord , the newes which the master of your eminencies chamber brought me , have administred to me much contentment , and they were conformable to the hopes that i have alwaies had to see all matters occommodated by the operations of your eminence , to whom all shall be attributed ; i pray continue your wonted diligence that hitherto you have us'd , that we may see this mighty businesse come to perfection : and because we may not be subject that what is once agreed upon may be intangled , the only remedy will be , that whatsoever you shall promise to this most faithfull peeple , i will make good ; and as i desire that nothing may be credited but what shall be sent from your eminence , so i shall not give faith to any thing , but what shall come from your hands : god gard your eminence for many years . from castelnuovo this . of iuly , . i kisse the hands of your most reverend eminence , and rest , the greatest of your servants , el duque de arcos . the archbishop having receiv'd from the viceroy this ample commission and faculty to do what he held expedient , he caus'd to be call'd unto him into the church del carmine , masaniello with his counsellors , genovino , & arpuia , and reading unto them the sayed letter , with much dexterity and eagernesse he forc'd himself to represent unto them the tendernesse of the viceroyes affection towards the peeple , and his own most ardent desires to give them all possible satisfaction that might afford them a plenary contentment : therfore they by a reciprocall correspondence of affection , and for the universall quietnesse of the same peeple were bound to condescend unto , and consummate the whole businesse , by conforming themselfs to an accommodation ; on these perswasions twenty of the chiefest rulers of the peeple being present in the church del carmine , and a great number of the most civill sort of peeple , they all promis'd by firm asseverations to his eminence , that for his love , and to correspond with the love of the viceroy , they were most ready to finish the accord : therfore ther shold be a care taken forthwith to make the capitulations . the bishop rejoic'd extremely for the assurance the peeple gave him that day to conclude the accord so much breath'd after ; and to give beginning to distinction of articles , the viceroy thought it expedient to put them together , who also did so greedily thirst after an accommodation ; and this he did by the agency of guiseppe de rossi a minor his conventuall theologue , and such advice being very gratefull to the viceroy , he answer'd the bishop with another letter , recommending unto him with the hottest tendernesse that could be , the expedition of the businesse , which could permit no longer delay , referring ( to which end ) to the substance of the letter formerly sent him by the master of his chamber ; the copy of the last is this , wherein he touch'd at the detension of certain gallies arriv'd at the port , but it shold be far from prejudicing or distracting the treaty any way ; or to hinder the satisfaction that was intended to be given the most faithfull peeple , as hereafter shall be mentioned . most eminent , and most reverend lord ; the theologue whom your eminence sent unto me , told me that to day shold be put in execution in the behalfe of the most faithfull peeple that which is capitulated , and that i wold detain the gallies : i send this order open , because they may be detain'd in any place where they shall be found , to day we hope we shall get out of this care by the intercession of your eminence , whom i return to pray , that no a●●aies be admitted , but that matters be transacted according to the paper which the master of the chamber brought from your eminence , whom god preserve many years . from the palace . of iuly . so i rest , of your most eminent reverence the greatest servitor , el duque de arcos . the theologue brought this general commission just at the time when the archbishop was very busie in distending the capitulations of the peeple for an accord ; which being dispatch't with greater celerity then was beleev'd , wherein there easily aypear'd a concurrence of divine assistance , by the intercession of the most glorious virgin del carmine , they were sent forthwith by the hands of father filomarino the capuchin by his eminence unto the vice-roy , that his excellence shold sign them with his own hand , which was don , and it being notified by the said father , that the desire of the peeple was to have the sayed capitulations legally authorized by public act , and subscrib'd not only by the viceroies hand , but the collaterall councell royall , together with the counsell of state , all was readily assented unto . therefore another letter was sent in more earnest terms then any of the former , wherein the archbishop by efficacious instances did desire his excellence wold operate to bring to a period that solemn ceremony so much panted after by the desires of the peeple , representing unto him the imminent dangers that otherwise wold ensue , and were visibly hanging o're city and kingdom , to the disservice of god and the king , the holy church , and the citizens , to the discomfort of women , and whereon depended the lifes of so many innocent babes , as also for the advantage and boldnesse the enemies of the crown wold take for to undermine it , and to embroyle ( as in former times was practis'd ) so flourishing a kingdom , notwithstanding its fidelity and constancy of loyalty known to all the world , specially to the alwaies sacred and catholic house of austria : the viceroy replied , that he wold willingly and most chearfully ratifie and confirme all things in the name of his majesty , and not any their priviledges , but the generall indulgence or pardon already promis'd , with assurance that for the future he wold most rigorously punish all the banditi , or any other perturbers of the public peace , esteeming all that most faithfull peeple for his majesties dear children , and the most beloved vassalls of all his crowns , and shold be respected so alwaies by himself . i thought good to display this in italian for such who do not well understand the spanish , but the letter of the viceroies wa● punctually to this following effect . most eminent , and most reverend lord ; by the hand of your eminence the pretensions of this most faithfull peeple of naples have been setled ; i have granted them the great charter or priviledge which they desir'd that was in the time of charls v. which i dispatcht in form , and i again approve and ratifie whatsoever that priviledge of his cesarean majesty contains in the name of his now catholike majesty regnant : and touching the generall pardon , let it be drawn up according to their own fancy , i will confirm it , both touching matters pass'd ; as also for the the future : moreover i will punish the banditi wi●● all severity , who were call'd in by any one whatsoever , and with greater rigor then formerly , as the chiefest pertubators of the publike peace ; but finding that the conclusion of this businesse still suffers delaies , and inconveniences arise thence ev'ry instant , i thought good to represent again and again unto your reverence all this , that as being the father of the whole city you wold intimate unto the most faithfull peeple , that from these protractions may arise , that the enemies of his majesty may lay hold on an occasion to disquiet this f●orishing kingdom , and sow new divisions in ev'ry corner , a thing which this most faithfull peeple must needs be sensible of , and it behoves them so to be ; which peeple have shew'd them alwaies so zealous in his majesties service ; i earnestly desire that all consultations may tend to their good : moreover your eminence may please to intimate , that all the inco●vences that shall grow by not taking speedy resolution to the service of god , to that of the kings , to the holy church , to the citizens , to women and innocent children , all this shall be put to their account who shall delay the accomplishment of that which is ●lready pitch'd upon , since for my part i am ready night and day in the name of his majesty to put ev'ry thing in execution : besid●s i ●ave done al things that were possible in the behalf ●f this most faithful peeple , whom his majesty doth ●steem for his sons , and the most beloved of all his monarquie , and i wold treat them so , desiring their ease and quietnesse . i put all things in your ●minences hands , whom god preserve many years . . iuly , . since i had written this letter i understood ●our eminence is not in the carmine , i pray be pleas'd to return thither , and treat with the most ●●ithfull peeple accordingly , and by our grave au●●ority to let them fully understand , how infinitely 〈◊〉 imports to put in execution what is agreed up●● , and to cut off all delaies , it wil be a work wort●y of your eminences care ; i wil add no more but that i am the greatest servitor of your reverence , el duque de arcos . as soon as the present letter , and the subscribed capitulations were delivered unto father filomarino , and brought back by him to the bishop , they were consign'd by him to the power of the peeple , it being solemnly appointed , that after the sayed capitulations had bin publikely read in the church del carmine in the presence of the whole peeple , masaniello should go in company of the archbishop to the castle to speak with the viceroy . about ten a clock the same day the repor● being dispers'd that the accord was finish'd and that masaniello was to transfer himself t● the castle to speak with the viceroy in per●son , 't was incredible what a multitude o● peeple gather'd together in the great marke● place , besides those numbers that fill'● the church of carmine , where the arch-bishop sitting under a great canopie of sta●● hard by the great altar in a stately chaire , t●● capitulations were read from the pulpit by notarie , where stood also on foot masani●ello apparell'd in cloth of silver , togeth●● with his counsellour genovino , and arpa● the new elect of the peeple : this was o● don genovino's old acquaintance the time of the duke of ossuna , who at the b●●ginning of these tumults found himself the government of teverola , an inhabitant of th● city of aversa , and was sent for purposely by masaniello . the capitulations being read and understood , and receiv'd with ●nexpressible joy and applause , genovino went up the pulpit , and with a loud voice sayed these words : my peeple , these are the things which you have so long desired , and indeavoured to be procured ever since the government of the duke of ossima , but could never be had ; but now by gods speciall grace , and the blessed virgin of carmine our lady , we have ●btained them ; let us iubilize for so high ●nd signal a blessing , let us triumph for so ●lorious a victory , let us give heaven due ●hanks for so deare a trophy , thundring upon ●his blessed occasion te deum ; to which ●ymne he himself giving the beginning , he ●ame downe from the pulpit , and the mu●●c was pursued by two quires , accom●anied with the deep sound of organs , ●nd the sweet quaverings of divers mu●●call instruments , which filled with such ● jubilee and joy the hearts of all peeple , that a good part of the spectators out of tendernesse did fall a weeping for excess of ●●ntentment . te deum being sung with that ravishment the bishop did prepare himself to accompanie masaniello with his company toward the pallace to visit the vice-roy ; but 〈◊〉 make this caval●ata more splendid , and wit● greater magnificence and decorum , masaniel●lo had commanded before under pain of firing that all masters of families shold hang the●● windows , walls and balcones with the riche● silk-pieces and tapestries they had ; besides , tha● care shold be taken to have all the street● cleanly swept which lead along to the castle 't was marvellous that this thing was 〈◊〉 sooner spoken , but executed by all sorts 〈◊〉 persons , as well nobles , cavaliers , ecclesi●●sticks , as merchants , citizens and artizans : 〈◊〉 one gentleman disdaining to obey the co●●mands of such a base fellow , he was persw●●ded by a well-weigh'd discreet friend of 〈◊〉 to conform , and not contract with so pow●●●full and popular a man , urging unto him 〈◊〉 examples of some spanish grandees 〈◊〉 complied with the time , and so became co●●queror as it were of the fury of masan●●●●lo , from whom by his disobedience had happily brought fire and ruine 〈◊〉 himself . masaniello dispatch'd presently a 〈◊〉 of his to the castle , to acquaint the vice●●● of his intention to com to parley with 〈◊〉 desiring to know his pleasure therein ; the viceroy made shew to like the message and the visite , therefore he answer'd , that he might com when he thought good , for he wold gladly see him . masaniello having shaken off his mariners vest , which was no other but a shirt , a wastecoat , and a linnen pair of breeches , he clad himself with cloth of silver , with a toti●g plume of feathers in his hat all white , with a naked sword in his hand , and mounting in this posture upon a prancing ginet , he march'd towards the castle , he went before the bishops coach , attended by fifty thousand of the choicest of the peeple , whereof the●e were ●om foot companies , som troops a horseback ; upon the right side of the bishops coach did ride masaniello's ●rother clad in cloth of gold , with rich sword ●nd dagger sutable , and upon the left side ●here rid the new elect of the peeple , fran●isco antonio arpaia , and immediately neere ●he coach came in a sedan the prime coun●ellor of the peeple , don iulio genovino : the ●urther the cavalcata advanc'd , the more did peeple increase of all degrees , ages , sexes , and occupations , wherewith all the streets were ●hronged , great acclamations and applauses were sent up to the aire , wherewith ev'ry ones ●eart did overwhelm for the different state of plenty and freedom which they were like to have from that condition of penury and subjection they were formerly plung'd in ; the cry was in ev'ry corner , viva il re di spagna , viva il cardinal filomarino , viva il fidelissimo popolo di napoli : let the king of spain live , live cardinal filomarino , let the most faithfull peeple of naples live : with such acclamations they entred the castle , where before the fountain medina there went to meet masaniello in the viceroy's name the captain of his gar● a horseback , but without arms , saluting him i● the name of his master , and giving him the welcom to the palace , where his excellenc● expected him with much desire : masaniell● returned him the salute , and 't was observed though not with as much curtesie , yet with a● much gravity and few words , which being don , masaniello stop'd , and made signes th● peeple shold go no further , there being twen●ty thousand peeple already entred , and ' twa● admirable to see how immoveable they a● stood , and with what incredible silence : the masaniello lighted off his ginet , and bega● to speak in a loud , yet gentle tone as fo●loweth : my deer and much beloved peeple , 〈◊〉 us give god thanks with eternall sound of jubilee , that we have recovered ou● former liberty ; who wold have though● we shold have come to so fair a passe ? they seem dreames or fables , yet you see they are truths and reall story ; let infinite thanks be given to heaven , and to the most blessed virgin of carmine , and to the paternall benignity of the most reverend bishop our shepherd ; well my peeple , who are our masters ? answer with me , god : and the peeple answered accordingly , and with ready ecchoes took the sound from their generall masaniello ; this being don , he took out of his bosom the charters of king ferdinand , and of charles the emperor , with the new priviledges confirmed by the viceroy , by the collaterall and councell of state , and with a louder voice then before , redoubling his words , he said ; now are we exempted and free from all gabells , we are eas'd of so many weights , impositions are taken away and extinguish'd ; now , now is restor'd that dear liberty in which rests the happy memories of king ferdinand , and of charles the emperor : i for my own particular desire not any thing , i doe not pretend any thing but your public good ; the most reverend archbishop knowes well , my right intentions told him often , and confirm'd by oaths , and as from the beginning of our just resentments for the desire his eminence had to see the peeple quieted , i was offer'd crowns a moneth out of his own purse , all the time of my life , provided i shold proceed no farther in the pretensions desir'd by us , but shold be an instrument to accommodate all things ; i ever , though with many thanks , refus'd that offer . moreover , if i had not bin tied by the strong tie of a precept to his eminence , and terrified with the thunder of excommunication , i wold not have apparel'd my self as you see me , i wold nev●r have shaken off my mariners weeds ; for i was born such , such a one i liv'd , and such a one i mean to live and die . after the fishing of publike liberty which i have made in the tempestuous sea of this afflicted city , i will return to my hook and line , not reserving to my self as much as a naile for my own dwelling : i desiring no more of you , but that when i am dead , you wold every one say an ave maria for me : do you promise me this ? yes , yet every one answer'd , we will do it but . yeers hence : masaniello replied , i thank you : and let me desire you not to lay down your arms till a confirmation com from spain of all these priviledges from the king our liege lord. trust not the nobility , for they are traytors , and our enemies ; and upon this theame he inlarg'd himself in such spitefull and acrimonious termes , that for modesties sake i omit them . he went on saying , i go to negotiate with the viceroy , and within an houre you shall see me again , or at least to morrow morning ; but if to morrow i be not with you , put to fire and sword the whole city ; do not you passe your words unto me to do so ? and why not ? yes that we will , they answer'd all resolutely , you may be sure of that . well , well , replied masaniello , though what hath hitherto pass'd hath not much pleas'd the viceroy , yet his majesty will find that he hath not lost any thing by it ; onely som of the nobility our enemies have lost by it , who will return to their former beggery , ravenous wolfs , who bought and sold our blouds , never regarding the glory of god , the service of his majesty , or the common good of city or kingdom . now the temples of the spanish monarchy shall be adorn'd with the most precious crown that ever she bore upon her head ; that which shall be given him by us hereafter shall be all his , and not as in former times ; for when we gave him any treasure , it vanish'd away , and was half drunk up by his officers . having spoken thus much and more , he turn'd at last to the bishop , saying , most eminent lord , blesse this peeple : the bishop reach'd out his cap out of the coach , and making two signes of the crosse on both sides , he gave them his pastorall benediction . and thinking to go on with his cavalcata , the number of peeple was so great , that it fill'd the whole castle , and so hindered the passage . and because going to treat of peace , 't was unseemly that such a confus'd company of peeple should go along , masaniello upon pain of life and of rebellion , command●d that no body shold make one step farther ; whic was inviolably observ'd with marvellous obedience . he advanced therefore a horseback first , and the archbishop in his coach with arpaia , and genovino , and masaniello's brother : being come neer the palace , where there was a strong trench garded by companies of horse and foot , and all the balcones and windowes being lin'd with armed men , masaniello pass'd furiously into the trench , and the bishop after him with other horses and coaches ; and being entred into the court , as they went up the stairs the viceroy was there ready to meet the archbishop , who brought in masaniello to do him reverence , which he did , and putting himself at his feet , he kiss'd them in the name of the peeple , thanking his excellence for the grace he had don them touching the capitulations granted them , saying he was com thither that his excellence might dispose of him as he pleas'd ; whether he would hang him , break him upon wheels , or put him to any other kind of death : but the viceroy made him rise up , saying , he never knew him to be culpable , or that he had offended his majesty in any thing ; therfore he might be merry , for he shold be alwaies well regarded by him , and with these words they say he often embrac'd him ; whereunto masaniello replied , that he never had any ill designs in all his life , but all were bent to do his majesty service , and unto his excellence , whereof he call'd god to witnesse , and saying this , being come up to the innermost rooms of the palace they discours'd a little alone ; then came in the archbishop , and they all three consulted about the affairs of the city then current , and the present estate whereinto 't was fallen . in the mean time there were divers whisperings in the court below , among that huge concourse of peeple which was gather'd together in such numbers , from all parts and corners of the city , besides those that were first assembled in the great yard of the castle , which were so thick , that one might have trill'd a bal upon their heads : the murmur did arise from som jealousies that masaniello might be arrested , or at least som hurt done unto him , ther●fore the viceroy thought it expedient that he might be publikely seen in an open balcone with the archbishop and himself , which was don accordingly , whence masaniello facing the peeple sayed , lo , i am here , i am alive and free , peace , peace ; at which words the peeple exceedingly rejoycing cryed also peace , peace ; a little after all the bells rung in the churches circumjacent , as in the churches of st. lewis , of the holy spirit , of the crosse , and santa maria del angeli , but he not liking that ringing , commanded they shold ring no longer , which was obeyed accordingly ; masaniello told the viceroy , now my lord you shal see how obedient the napolitans are , so he bade them cry out , viva dio , viva la madonna del carmine , viva il re di spagna , viva il filomarino , viva il duca de arcos , viva il fidelissimo popolo di napoli : let god live , let the most holy virgin of carmine live , let the king of spain live , live filomarino , and the duke of arcos , with the most faithfull peeple of naples , and with ev'ry viva that he cryed , the peeple followed him , and at last he cryed muo●a il mal governo , let the ill government die : this being don as the first proof , he tryed a second upon the peeple , and putting his finger upon his mouth there was a profound universall silence , that scarce a man was seen to breath ; afterwards , for a last proof of his authority , and the obedience of the peeple , he commanded with a loud voice out of the balcone wherein he was , that ev'ry soul there present under pain of rebellion and life shold retire from that court , which was punctually and presently obey'd , as if they had all vanish'd away , not one remaining behind , insomuch that the viceroy was amaz'd at such a ready and marvellous obedience . many discourses being pass'd in the palace 'twixt the viceroy , the bishop and masaniello , they appointed among themselfs that the capitulations shold be printed which were demanded of the peeple , and subscrib'd by the viceroy , as also by the collaterall , and the councell of state and war , and that the sunday next following the viceroy accompanied with all the tribunalls shold go to the dome in person , where the sayed capitulations shold be publikely read , and sworn unto by solemn oath , to observe them for ever , as also to procure that they shold be confirm'd by his catholike majesty : after this the bishop went down with masaniello ▪ having taken their leave of the viceroy to take coach : so afterwards the viceroy did ratifie all , as desiring nothing more then that by his moderation and prudence the confusion shold cease , and the city freed from bandit● , from plunderers and facinorous men ; hereupon he commanded his commissary generall of the field , to be alwaies at hand to receive his orders , which was obey'd exactly . after this parley masaniello swayed with more dominion then ever he did in quality of absolute monarque o're the city , as well in civill as warlike affairs ad modum belli , with uncontroulable independent authority till his head was chopt off . when he parted from the castle the viceroy bestowed on him a rich chain of gold of . crowns value , putting it about his neck with his own hands , although he had refus'd it divers times , but afterwards receiving it by the advice of the bishop , he was declar'd at the same time by the viceroy duke of st. george , by a renunciation made him of that title not long before by the marquis of torrecuso : and for the last seal of complement , masaniello prostrating himself at the feet of the viceroy , he kiss'd his knee , after which embracement , he sayed , son go in peace , & god blesse thee ; wherupon having taken his last leave , and going down , the archbishop brought him into his own coach , going thence to toledo street where the archipiscopall palace stood , in which journey 't was a pleasant sight to behold ev'ry window hung with rich tapestries , carpets , curtains , and hangings , and the streets full of great wax candles and torches , it being now one hour in the night , and the bells ringing out in ev'ry church that had ●ny through all the city . as they were com to the archbishops palace , while he was in discourse to entertain masaniello , a noise was spread abroad , that a great number of banditi were come against the peeple ; the marquis of st. ermo , who was of the family of the caraccio●● , entring the same time into the town , being return'd from his countrey houses with som horsemen , which made the jealous peeple think they were banditi ; so that there wanted but a little that the marquis had not been torn into pieces with all his company : but discovering himselfe what he was , and being knowne by divers , they went to acquaint masaniello with all , who was yet with the archbishop in his palace , and the first that went was the marchionesse of saint ermo , aunt unto the sayed marquis ; which she did as well to speak with masaniello , as to desire the archbishop to interpose and informe him of the truth for the security of her nephew ; masaniello had scarce understood the substance of her desires , ou● taking her by the hand he told her , lady marquis , the least hair of his head shall not suffer ; so he commanded som of the peeple who were there present , to acquaint the commanders and captains of the militia up and down the city with his pleasure herein . after this masaniello thinking to returne to his house in the market place , the bishop desir'd to make use of his coach , wherein putting himself with genovino and arpaia , together with his brother , they departed . by reason of the rumors which were spread that night , as is sayed already , that a great number of banditi shold invade the city , all the peeple remain'd arm'd , and very vigilant , for by command of masaniello divers bells were sounded to that purpose , specially that of st. iohn of carbonata , that of the market , and that of st. augustine ; the lights were also doubled that night in all the windows , and fires kindled up and down in most streets , which made the city as bright as if it had been at noon day : there were also triple gards plac'd at ev'ry gate , who ask'd the names of all such that pass'd and repas●'d , and examin'd them strictl● . friday the . of iuly , . the sixth day . the condition of the coward is so vile and abject , that he trembleth at ev'ry thing that suddenly hap'neth , the least puff of wind that bloweth , the least bird that chirpeth , the ●east bough that shakes , the least leaf that wags , the least vermin that stirs doth so affright him , that it fills his members with fears , his face with palenesse , and he seems to have a fit of an ●gue , or is like one shaking with extremity of ●old , and oftentimes if he hear any noise , or ti●eamar , he betakes himself to his heel● ▪ his feet proving his best counsellors . such apprehensions of fears seem'd to have been got into the hearts of the napolitans , both of the gentry and commonalty , the one ●earing enemies from abroad , the other those within the city ; the one stood in fear of the ●ate usurped power the peeple had got , the peeple did fear designs , plots , and stratagems from the nobility & gentry over whom they ●ad so much insulted . ev'ry troop of popular squadron seem'd to the gentry to be a whole army , on the other side any strange face that entred into the city seem'd unto the suspecting jealous peeple a trojan horse , that wold vomit out arrows and thunderbolds , and close entrapping enemies : hence it came to passe that so many of the nobles and gentry abandoning the town , and getting into the countrey , made the countrey all over to appea● like a florishing populous city , for not prostituting their honors and reputation , with the●● rich moveables to the diabolicall fury of a tu●multuous unbridled rabble : but the peepl● drew sinister arguments from this retiremen● of the nobility , for they suspected that the withdrew into the countrey out of a dangerous design to joyn with the banditi , whereo● they had an illfavour'd example upon wed●nesday before , in the person of the duke o● mat●loni , and his brothers , besides the publ●● noise which flew up and down upon th● wings of fame before that project was disc●●ver'd . god forgive them who introduced 〈◊〉 pestiferous an abuse . ther was taken that friday morning a fe●luca with six mariners , and four short ▪ coat● compleatly arm'd , one of them carrying great packet of letters , who being bound 〈◊〉 brought before masaniello where his squadro● was , the ●ayed letters being carried upon 〈◊〉 top of a pike , and 't was found they came from the duke of mataloni to his secretary , and though nothing could be inferr'd out of them in prejudice of the most faithfull peeple , yet neverthelesse in regard of the mode of writing which was dark , and in cyphers , and because of the former practises and malevolence of the said duke , masaniello caus'd those six to be drag'd to the rack , thinking they wold detect som new stratagems : the mariners also were strictly examin'd , but upon their innocent answers they were releas'd , but for the other , after they had been tortur'd with the ●ack most piteously their heads were chopt off . it being blaz'd up and down ev'ry where ●hat masaniello did exercise the office of captain generall of the peeple , and that it was confirm'd unto him the night before by ●he viceroy , he was therefore the more fear'd ●nd obey'd : he elected another tribunall in toledo street , with provision of all instruments that were requir'd to execute justice , and he plac'd there a lievtenant for him , who ●●at very day condemn'd four banditi more ●ith short cassocks , such as the coursers of the ●unciatura use , which four were beheaded up●n the new scaffold which he had commanded ●o be there erected , which struck a great terror 〈◊〉 the coursers call'd in naples sco●●otelle . the same morning though masaniello had put off his cloth of silver sute , and taken again the habit of a mariner , yet was he obey'd and fear'd by eve'ry one : he began betimes to give publick audience in the market-place , not upon a bank , but out of a window of his own house which look'd into the market , whither they us'd to reach him memorialls and petitions upon the ends of pikes which were infinite , he being with an archibuz in his hand ready cock'd , which was o● great terror to ev'ry one who came to negotiate with him ; and the more , because the●● were eight or ten thousand men in continuall watch before his doore : there were also thousands from other places , who came 〈◊〉 receive their commands from him , and to publish his orders , which ran all in these word● under pain of rebellion and death ; insomuc● that it was a thing beyond all wonder to 〈◊〉 so many commands , bans , commissions , an● orders publish'd and affix'd to posts an walls , subscribed thomas anello , d' amalp● capo , & capitan generale del fidelissimo pop● di napoli , thomas anello of malphi cap● and captain generall of the most faithf●●● peeple of naples : all which orders 〈◊〉 executed with marvellous promptitude 〈◊〉 exactnesse , a thing incredible to the abse●● and scarce credible to the beholders who we●● upon the place , that a wretch extracted out of the dregs of the peeple shold in five daies make himselfe patron of five hundred thousand souls , that he shold bridle such a spiritfull city as naples , and have at his beck of all sorts two hundred thousand combatants , who all acknowledg'd him for their generalissimo , that he shold have absolute dominion both by night and day , with the disposing of all things according to his pleasure and fancy : among other orders issued by him the said friday morning , these following were of the number . under pain of life ev'ry one shold cut off his great lock , and weare no perriwigs , declaring he had commanded this , because many banditi were found habited like women with armes underneath ; he renewed the orders of the day before touching priests and religious men that they shold not weare their upper habits ; that all friers or religious men that were found not to be of the city shold be brought before him , to be examined whether they were true friers , or banditi so habited : that upon the sounding of two a clock within night ev'ry one shold retire to his lodging , and after that time whosoever was found upon the streets shold die irremissibly without mercy . that that friday being pass'd , every one should rerire to his own shop , and that at ev'ry post four men shold be for a gard , who shold have a carlin given them , . measures of wine , & . ounces of bread ev'ry day , & that they shold change ev'ry other day , by which reckoning in city and suburbs the gards might amount to thirty thousand men . and because from the beginning of the revolution many lords , cavaliers , and officers were retir'd with great prudence to divers monasteries and convents , as also sundry ladies to the nunneries , one of the first friday orders by masaniello was that ev'ry one upon pain of life shold return to their houses , and incontinently ev'ry one was constrain'd to submit unto , and obey this command as far as duke , counts , and marquises , regents and officers , els they had expos'd themselfs to the fury of the mercilesse rabble . ther was another command issued out , which was a most rigorous one , that not only the natives , but forreners shold set upon thei● gates the arms of the king of spain on th● right hand , and the arms of the peeple on th● other , and 't was suddenly put in execution by foren lords , and ministers , and spanish regents , as well as by napolitanes . besides the hundred and odd banditi heads as was sayed before , which were expos'd t● to the public view of the world in th● common market place , divers other delin●quents were put to death this day , and acco●●ding to the quality of their offences , som were hang'd , som beheaded , som set upon wheels , and others shot to death . the friday morning betimes he caus'd one to be bak'd alive in a fornace , bacause he made his bread lighter by som ounces ; and in the evening he caus'd another being culpable of the same offence to be shav'd close head and beard , and so sent him to the castle to receive the rest of his punishment , by the viceroy : he caus'd a vintner to be hang'd because he had kill'd a centinell : he caus'd a sicilian to be beheaded , because he had taken fifteen carlines to murther a man : he caus'd a boy to be apprehended , who brought news that there were four thousand foot , and sixteen hundred horse upon their march towards naples , which boy he sent to the viceroy , who remanded him , and so was hang'd for an impostor : he had seven secretaries , and ten ministers to punish whom he pleas'd ; in so much that he was fear'd , obey'd , and serv'd with as much exactness , readinesse & terror , as ever any vassal obey'd the gran turk . all the banditi , and priests of a lewd life , who by his order were taken , were suddenly slain ; and if his commands were not instantly perform'd , he stood with a musquet in the window , which he did make shew to discharge often , but wold not . there was a good horse sent him of the value of . d●●kats , and he he sent presently to the kings stables , saying , 't was a horse fitter for his majesty . he sent also the viceroy with the sayed horse all sorts of provisions for his stables . he found hid in an odd place in gold , silver , and other money neer upon a hundred thousand crowns , which he commanded should not be squa●dred by any means , but reserv'd for the king ; he offer'd the viceroy five millions if need were : there were mighty presents made unto him by cavaliers , but he wold not receive the value of one farthing , saying , god deliver me from the cavaliers , that i may have neither peace nor truce with them . he sent a spaniard who had murther'd one , to the viceroy , that he would see him punish'd ; the viceroy remanded him , and desir'd that he might be hang'd in the market place . he caus'd the same day two banditi to be shot to death at porta medina , for being complices with the duke of mataloni , who though he hated him in perfection , yet he wold not put his palace a fire , fearing there might be som mine underneath , as also for an intention he had to make it a conservatory for poor maidens . by command of masaniello many armed men were dispatch'd through all the city and suburbs , to do their diligence to apprehend any servant , or any of the family and kinred of the duke of mataloni , and of don guiseppe his brother : hereupon divers complices were brought before masaniello , whereof som were put presently to death , others imprison'd , that being well examin'd , and put on the rack , there might be knowledg had where the duke was , and where he had hid his goods ; for none were left in his pallace ; as also to know other particulars . among these a slave of his was lighted upon , who was leading two horses very fair ones , who fearing he shold have been suddenly slain , sayed that he wold say what he knew or could if they spar'd him his life , which being promis'd him he discoverd , that touching the person of the duke he went at first to benevento , and afterwards to calabria he knew not whither , but touching his goods and furniture they were hid in certain churches , as santa maria de miracoli . santa maria della stella , as also in the monastery of the augustines ; whereupon the sayed slave was not onely pardon'd , but well rewarded , well clad , and feasted by command of masaniello , unto whom he gave also the staff of a captain . all this being known by masaniello , he caus'd the said churches and monasteries to understand , as also all other religious places and nunneries , that whosoever had any of the goods of the duke of matalini , who was such a traytor to the most faithfull peeple of naples , they shold without any excuse whatsoever , or any delay produce them all under pain of having their monasteries set a fire : hereupon the superiors of those churches and convents being shrewdly terrified , they took out all the goods of the duke of mataloni which were conserv'd in those places , amounting to a vast quantity , and of high prizes and value , for they were rated at five hundred thousand crownes , so that three hundred porters were imployed to fetch them out ▪ moreover , there was found there four thousand crownes in ready money , and all being brought before masaniello , he commanded that all his movables and goods shold be put in a magazin apart hard by the great market place , and that none under pain of life , shold touch the least rag , but the moneys shold be imployed to pay the souldiers ; afterwards from the monastery of the conception of our lady ( amongst which nuns were hid the goods of zavaglius ) were taken by . porters all the said goods of very great value . he commanded also that a research might be made in those houses that had their goods and furniture burnt formerly , to see wheth●r any more were remaining peradventure , nor was it in vain that he fell upon this designe , for there were much more found when the second inquisition was made , that were hid in sundry dark places : nor did it availe a whit the infortunate masters of those goods to have throwne them into wells , privies , grotzes , and other places under earth ; but they search'd all those subterranean places , and found out great quantities , specially zavalios house , where they lighted upon many vessells of silver , and bags of gold and silver , which they took out , as also out of the palace of the duke of caiuano ; they search'd the least corner every where both above and below ground , as they did likewise in the house of the counsellor navarreta , who had hid his treasure under an altar : they pried into the very privies and jakes in the house of counsellor d' angelis : they rush'd into churches , convents , and hospitalls to find out the goods of caesar lubrano ; in som they set a fire their friends and kinsmens goods and spar'd none whom they thought had inrich't themselfs by farms of any kind of gabell . masaniello also commanded a band of armed men to go to the countrey , and demolish also there the house of the duke of caiuano , and burn to cinders all the furniture and goods that were there depositated , which was done accordingly ; the palace of mataloni which was in cha●a , with whatsoever there was therein , was pitifully set on fire ; nay , the ●abble took his picture , with that of his fathers , and made them hoth passe the flames ; but first they mangled them most horribly , thrusting them thorough with their swords , plucking out their eyes , and cutting off their noses and heads ; and being returned to the great market place , they hung another picture of the duke of mataloni under the body of don peppo caraffa beforesaid , which was tied about a great beam , and writ a motto underneath , this is the duke of mataloni , rebell to his majesty , and traytor to the most faithfull peeple ; and the beam was supported with new pillars , whereunto the body of don peppo was tied , and the effigies of the duke , with his brother don guiseppe , who was also hung up in picture , and this was in the same place where the infortunate prince de sanza was beheaded , of whose so much lamented death , procur'd him by the duke of medina de la● torres , the said mataloni and the house of caraffa was thought to be the chiefest cause ; but afterwards when the innocence of his cause was known , his catholic majesty re-established his son in all his possessions , renew'd his titles and honors , with all the demeans , rents , and heriots , which son dying without children , and the estate falling to the count of castillano his uncle and fathers brother , he was so far esteem'd by his catholic majesty , that he gave him a company of spanish infantry , which is a very rare favor to an italian cavalier ; and now he hath the fourth office of trust , except the vicegerencies of naples and sicilia , with the government of milan , that any man hath in italie , which is the stradico of messina , which is a most honourable charge ; that town being the cape of the sicilian kingdome and metropolis thereof , and withall a fort of much jealousie , being the key of that island , and the outer wall of all italie , which office is executed by the said prince with much praise and emulation to his enemies , for his sincere remarkable fidelity , and rectitude in matters of justice . after this , further commands were given by masaniello to burn the goods of divers other officers , and particularly of the kings visitor ; yet this command was revok'd by the effectuall intercession of the archbishop filomarini ; as also it being ordered that regent zuffias shold run the same fortune , but the execution was suspended , and no man knew why , unlesse 't was because certain troops of horse were quarter'd at his house , which was intrenched round about . the viceroy all this while seeing himselfe ●s it were , beleaguer'd in the castle , and depriv'd of provision , and all sorts of victualls and refreshments , he sent to make instances ●o masaniello , that he might be furnish'd accordingly , whereunto he condescended very readily , thereupon fifty porters were sent unto him laden with bread , wine , snow , fruit , flesh , poultry , sweet-meats , and all other things that were eatable . all peeple went up and down the streets with as much security , & all kind of shops were open'd with as much freedom , and as little fear both by night and day , as if there had bin no souldiery at all in the town , or occasion of outrage , so great were the apprehensions of fear and terror , which were imprinted in ev'ry ones heart , of the rigorous and inflexible justice exercis'd by masaniello . there arriv'd in the port at that time thirteen gallies of the squadron of naples , and the generall gianettino doria having sent notice thereof to the viceroy , with desire t● land som men there for provision of refreshment for the gallies : the viceroy inordered that he shold make his addresse to masaniello which being don , he immediately commanded all sort of fresh victualls , with a supply of moneys also to be sent the generall , but with this proviso , that the gallies shold go farther 〈◊〉 the port , and that none shold set foot ashore ▪ either souldier or passenger , no not the general himself , because he intended to freight and send a felluca of purpose to this end . because the night before masaniello sent to the viceroy , that he much wondred he could not see cardinal trivultio all this while ; a petulancy which was held ridiculous in him . the sayed cardinal was advis'd by the archbishop to give him a visit , for masaniello was com now to that height , that he expected observance from ev'ry body , yea from the princes of the church ; therfore to prevent som rude affronts and outrages peradventure which vulgar brains are subject to offer , the cardinal transferr'd himself from the castle to the great market place to visit masaniello , which he did , by giving him the title of illustrissimo , the most illustrious ; but the first words which masaniello told him were laugh'd at , which were , the visit which your eminence gives me , though it be late , yet 't is dear unto me . immortall god , what could a crown'd prince say more ! 't is tru , that height of honor and power , with the pride of authority and command , will raise the spirits of the vilest man. so his eminence having complied with his respects to his most illustrious lordship , when he departed , he commanded two files of musqueteers to gard and conduct him to the castle . the cardinall trivultio was scarce gone , but divers gentlemen came from the castle with divers regalos , and presents to masaniello from the viceroy ; much thanking him for the refreshments that he had sent into the castle , and they brought him som complements also from the duchesse the vice-queen , who desir'd to know how he did , and that for her sake he wold make use of those things which were sent , and among othe● things ther was a rich sute of apparel sent him ▪ a strange metamorphosis of fortune , and so capricious and rare , that these things wil seem incredible , and meer romances to future ages , though all be a tru and reall story . this is as much as hap'ned the sixth day , which was friday . saturday the . of iuly , . the seventh day . he who desires the tru way to overcom and to conserve what he hath o'recome let him procure by all means the obedience o● the peeple subject to his command , and let hi● observe that memorable a●t of epaminondas : most glorious captain among the thebane● who being counsell'd by the oracle not to attempt a war against the greeks his enemies because the stars were conjur'd against him fo● them ; he being as sagacious as he was generous , by an ingenious stratagem he escap'd the influxes of heaven , and advanc'd himself in despight of the malignant stars , to victory and triumph . the stratagem was this ; he writ in a table these words , si ducibus obedietis , haec sunt oracula , victoria . if you obey your leaders these are oracles , victory . upon the other table he caus'd to be engraven , si ducibus non obedietis , exitium , if you obey not your leaders destruction . these oracles being presented to his soldiers , and finding therby that their victories depended upon their obedience to their captains , with an unwonted courage and extraordinary obedience , bursting into the enemies quarters , they came back triumphant . it is no wonder then that masaniello already pronounc'd and sworn captain generall of the napolitan peeple , was advis'd that ther was no other means more effectuall and sure to overcom , and triumph over any projects trac'd against his person or the peeple , then a punctuall obedience , which was shew'd him from the first instant of his command , and which he so exacted , that the least act of disobedience was punish'd with death , as being ●eld a capitall crime and irremissible ; judging ●hat at the beginning of his government , this obedience was more necessary unto him then ●he bread that he did eat , for the maintaining and continuance of his new authority : hence i● ca●e ●o p●sse , that it being com to the ears o● masani●llo , that upon friday night before som● went up and down the streets to sound the shopkeepers , and compose them to see thei● slavery , the first thing he did at break of day was to publish by sound of drum and trumpet ▪ and fasten orders upon posts and wals through the principall streets , that upon pain of life those seducers shold be reveal'd ; and som of them being found out and appeach'd , they were all hang'd upon gallowses , set up before those shops where they committed the offence . the● were gallowses set up also in divers other places of the city , wheron divers were executed that day : among others two vassalls of the duke of mataloni , who were discover'd to have brought som letters in the soles of their shooes , which because they were written i● cyphers , were imagin'd and adjudg'd to contain matter of rebellion , or som sinister councells and incitements to sedition , meerly upo● these suspitions only , for no body could understand the sayed letters , or prove any thing ou● of them ; they were hang'd up nere porta capoano . in fine his commands were executed without any expostulations or examination at , which transform'd all men to wonder , to se● such a vulg●r fellow so suddenly crept up to be so reverend , they knew not for what , no● what wold be the end of his usurped dominion . it was told him upon saturday that there was a great burglary and theft committed in the palace of the prince del colle cavalliero di casa di somma , at first they were thought to be som of masaniello's squadron , but after a diligent examination they were found to be som of the banditi , who had taken sanctuary in a little church , where they were dragged out , and executed in the public market-place . the same morning there came before him for justice a poor wench whose father had been killed , and the brother of him that had killed him being there present , he cryed out , that if the fact were pardoned , he would ●ake her for his wife without any dowry ; but ●hat kind of marriage did not please masaniello , because the young maid abhorr'd it in regard of the blood of her father : therefore he oblig'd the brother of the murtherer to find out two hundred crownes within four and twenty hours for the young maids dowr● , and so the offence should be remitted ; be●●des , he shold have the place of a captain in the soldadesca : so all parties being agreed , t●e sentence masaniello gave did terminate t●e businesse . a little after this , a murtherer was brought before him , who had been a friend to perrone , and giving him time of confession , he sentenc'd him to death , and that his head and his feet shold be chopt off , and his body dragg'd up and down the streets ; another bandito was us'd likewise just in the same manner . it was intimated the same saturday morning , that two squadrons joyn'd with seven hundred spaniards , shold go abroad that morning to find out the banditi which ( as advice was had ) were in bands together in divers places ready to invade the city : h● caus'd a proclamation of grace to be publish'd , that what bandito soever could discover any such plot , shold be absolutely pardoned , provided he was not depending upo● the duke of mataloni . he commanded tha● all artizans shold work openly in their shop● and not within their houses , as also that 〈◊〉 merchants should follow their businesse , 〈◊〉 be ready within half an hours call to tak● armes . about dinner time a message was brough● him from a cavalier upon som business 〈◊〉 consequence ; but he answer'd , i have nothin● to do with cavaliers , for god hath put 〈◊〉 here for the peeple , and turning himself to th● peeple , he said , my peeple pray for me , and pr●●serve me well ; for if you lose me , woe be 〈◊〉 you . there came down the same morning from the countreyes about naples innumerable peeple , and among them there came women with stafes upon their sholders , and naked swords in their hands , bringing with them their children arm'd also with somthing or oother , proportionable to their bignesse , and they came all to the great market place to do homage to masaniello , and to be redressed by him for divers grievances . but while masaniello was busied in such exercises , genovino and arpaia , accompanied with the brother of masaniello , went to the castle to put the viceroy in mind of his former ingagement of promise made upon thursday night , that he wold com upon the sunday following to the archepiscopall church , with all the tribunalls of the chancery , the councell of state and war , with the royal chamber of santa chiara , accompanied with all the civill and criminall judges of the great court of the vicaria ; in presence of whom and of the whole peeple an oath shold be taken to observe with all punctuality the capitulations of the grand accord to perpetuity , which oath was to be taken by the vice-roy , and all the said tribunalls . the day following after dinner , masaniello being to go to the castle to take the vice-roy and conduct him to the archbishops palace , he first commanded a proclamation to be publish'd , that under pain of firing , ev'ry one should cause the streets to be swept clean before their doors respectively , where the cavalcata was to passe , as also to adorn all the windowes , balcones , and walls with their best sort of furnitures , all which was obey'd and don . in the mean time the viceroy sent two of his best horses with rich furniture , and led by two of his servants to be at the service of masaniello and his brother , who being mounted upon them , and apparell'd both in cloth of silver , masaniello carried in one hand a naked sword , in the other the charter of charl● the emperor , and his brother carried the capitulations made with the viceroy , to be read publikely , and sworn unto in the archbishop● palace ▪ there rid in their company the new elect of the peeple francesco arpaia , and iulio genevino , besides divers others of the civillest sorts among the peeple : and in regard of the huge multitudes of peeple which innumerably increas'd through all the streets , and compass'd them on all sides , so that they could not passe forward or backward , masaniello with a loud voice commanded that none upon pain of life should make a step further or els go back , which was accordingly obey'd ▪ so they rid with a trumpet still sounding before them towards the castle , & being arrived thither , and brought to the palace of the viceroy , having entertain'd themselves a while with him , they came down with the collateral , the councel of state , and other prime officers of authority , who all coaching themselfs did advance before towards the archbishops house : ●i●st of all in the said cavalcata there were many trumpeter● a horseback , then a choice troop of one hundred horse , then masaniello and his brother , after them the elect of the peeple , and old genovino , who by reason of his great age was carried in a sedan ; after these came the captain of gard to the viceroy , & immediatly after the viceroy himself , with his pages , ●●quayes & spare horses , & his gard of germans , with a 〈◊〉 number of gentlemen and cavaliers , domes●ic and adventitious , and incompass'd with a n●mberlesse throng of pe●ple , who together with the viceroy , cried out with loud 〈◊〉 , viva il re●i spagn● , which voice 〈◊〉 and re-ecchoed al● th● way , & all 〈…〉 out for joy in ●v'ry church as they 〈◊〉 , which ●●ll'd every ones heart with 〈◊〉 & pleasure : all in general , final & 〈…〉 cri'd out , viav il re , but ma●y 〈…〉 resenza gabell● , let the king 〈…〉 gabel ; & 〈◊〉 spaniards 〈…〉 cry , viva el rey ▪ que ya pued● 〈…〉 the king live , for now he may say he is king. in passing through the piazzo of st. lorenzo , masaniello stopping ther a while , & with him the whole cavalcata , turning himself to the peeple he cryed out with a very loud voice , viva iddio , viva il re di spagna , viva il cardinal filomarino , viva il duca de arcos , viva il fidelissimo popolo di napali : whereat all the peeple took the word , and with strong ecchos cryed out viva , viva , doubling and redoubling the sound with incredible exultations . being com in this order , and with these applauses to the bishops palace , and being all dismounted , then the viceroy with all his gentlemen came : upon the entrance into the church he was met by the archbishop with all his canons , chaplains and officers , which made a splendid equipage ; then they went to the great altar , where the archbishop being set in a kind of throne , as also the viceroy , and all the tribunalls who were there attending cavalier donato coppola secretary to the kingdom , did read with an audible voice the capitulations desir'd by the peeple for a finall accord , which being sign'd by the viceroy , the collateral , the counsel of state & war , masaniello standing all the while afoot upon the steps of the archbishops throne , who to the wonderment of all added , and took away corrected and interpreted all things as he pleas'd , no man interrupting or replying unto him : so after the articles were read , a solemn oath was taken by the viceroy , and all the forementioned ministers and officers of state , to observe and accomplish the sayed capitulations to perpetuity , promising also , and swearing to procure to have them confirm'd by his catholic majesty : all this was don when two quires of music sung all the while with most exquisite voices , te deum laudamus , which while 't was a singing , masaniello was observ'd to swell with a kind of glory to have attain'd his ends , with so much felicity and applause , yet he carried still in his hand a naked sword , and sent divers arrogant and ridiculous messages to the viceroy : the first was , that from thence forward , he wold continue to be captain geneof the city : the second was , that by vertue therof he intended to go with a gard , and to give patents to all officers of war and arms : the third , that he wold dismisse from the castle all cavaliers . these and such like messages he sent the viceroy singly and severally , and ther were affirmative answers brought back , for not to disturb things with negatives ; but the gentleman that deliver'd these messages , made an apology for himself privately in the ear of the viceroy , for indeed most peeple there did blush , or laugh , or jeer the impertinences and malapartnesse of masaniello . while these messages were a sending , te deum was ended , then masaniello began to reason somtimes to good purpose , somtimes senselessely . he said that the most faithfull people of naples were naturally spiritfull and vivacious , and were so esteem'd by all netions , but they had almost quite lost their wonted magnanimity and courage , by the heavy weight of so many exactions and gabells which were impos'd upon them from time to time , not by their catholic majesties , but by ill ministers and their own compatriots . and although for the loyalty which he alwaies bare , & wil ever professe unto his king , he hitherto tolerated ev'ry thing , to avoid all stains of disobedience , yet considering the benefit of those impositions redounded rather to satisfie the ravenous lusts of officers and courtiers , and of others as wel forreners as natives , whereby they became excessively rich , and thrive by sucking the very blood of the peeple , yet finding the city generally inclin'd therunto , he took a resolution to cure her of this malady , as also the whole kingdom of such a contagion , which was hurtfull not only to the most faithfull peeple , but to his majesty also his liege lord , insomuch that of the bread they gave him he scarce had the crust , they themselfs reserving the pith and substance to fill their insatiable appetites ; hence it came to pass , that the more they gave the king , the more his wants still increas'd , though in sixteen yeers he had given him above one hundred millions , which had been sufficient not onely to have conquer'd flanders and france , but to have put under his feet the unlucky moon of the ottoman empire : therefore for the future all the public donatives that shold be given the king , care shold be taken that his majesty shold have the true benefit therof , and not be misapplied to inrich others : and hereof your excellency ( meaning the viceroy ) may be well assur'd ; insomuch that all these things considered , and cast into a true ballance , he was well assur'd , that he shold not only not receive any blame from the king his soveraine liege lord , or any mark of disobedience , but he should gaine the reputation and applause of a most faithfull vassall , seeing that whatsoever he had don was for the further service of god , of his catholic majesty , of your excellency his vicegerent , of the whole city , of the peeple , and of all the kingdom . during this discourse he so heated himself , and protested with such a fury and excesse of zeal , that the words proceeding from him so heartily and empha●ically , made all the peeple to stand amaz'd , and surpriz'd with a kind of dumb astonishment : at last all that were within the audience of these words up and down the church , which was as full as it could thwack in thick multitudes , gave a loud generall applause . then he said , that now he had brought his honest intents home to his aime , he wold return to his former calling to be a fisherman again , to demonstrate unto the world , that 't was not his own interest he levell'd at , but that of his king , countrey , peeple , city and kingdome , had induc'd and prick'd him forward to undertake so dangerous a tas● ; therefore he fell a tearing that cloth of silver sute he wore , with a great deal of fury , going to the archbishop and the viceroy , taking som of the peeces thereof and laying at their feet ; but he was hindred to tear all : so all being terminated at this solemne meeting , and nothing left undone , taking his leave of the archbishop and viceroy , who betook themselves to their coaches , but masaniello with his brother genovino and arpaia , with all the rest of the foot and horse , re-accompanied them to their homes ; and the viceroy being brought to the castle , caus'd all the ordnance to fly off : so masaniello with all that huge brigade of peeple returned to the great market place , and with high ceremony ended the seventh day , nothing having occur'd remarkable that night , but the exact diligence of all gards in all the principall posts of the city , and the splendor of the lights that were put in ev'ry window . sunday the . of iuly , . the eighth day . it is a thing impossible to expresse the rejoycings of the peeple of naples for the capitulations of peace which were sign'd and sworne unto the day before , which ended not that day , but they continued upon sunday following : the articles were printed , and fix'd through all places of the city , that all things might be manifested to the world : ev'ry one did contend who shold expresse greater contentment , such a kind of generall jubilee was among them , insomuch that it drew tears from som , which falling upon the ground , made those flowers of joy to spring up which the heavinesse of former times had caus'd to fade . and because the beginning of this reformation , and consequently of this joy , proceeded from masaniello , and from his stout undertakings , therefore was he extoll'd with highest praises by ev'ry one , and cried up to be l●b●rator patriae , to be the freer of his countrey , and the asserter of publike liberty , from the tyranny and gripes of so many ravening wolfs both in city , court and kingdom ; yea , of king and crown , who glutting themsel●s with the common blood of the peeple , increased their wealth by the beggery of others ▪ and all this was effected ( not by the hand of som invincible emperor , or som warlike prince , but ) by a poor young fellow , by a bare-footed fisherman : this made it fa● more admirable , and to attribute it the more to god , qui infirma mundi eligit , ut fortia queque confundat , who chooseth the weak things of the world to confound the strong . with the praises which the common peeple gave generally to masaniello , concurr'd also the just acclamations of divers of the nobility and gentry , of many sorts of officers , of ecclesiastics , and all religious orders ; ther● were many thanks and much honor given also to the archbishop , who took so much pains to attone , to sweeten , and accommode al● things , and had overcom so many difficulties ▪ therefore there were speciall acknowledgements made to him , next to masaniello . after the publication of the sayed capitulations and generall agreement , being affix'● ev'ry where , that they might be expos'd to ev'ry ones eye and knowledg , the city of naples seem'd to have a new face , so that ther was no more fear of any war , of further combustions , & consequently no need of any arm●d bands , or cautions for the mai●tenance and defence of the people from the insultings of enemies , yet neverthelesse it seem'd expedient to masaniello , to continue still a military power a foot , therfore he commanded that ev'ry one shold stand firm to his post : nor was it unnecessary or superfluous policy , because the city after so generall a convulsion could not presently recover her former health , nor after so many combustions could she be secure till the fire had been quite extinguish'd . hence it came to passe , that the soldadesca remaining still up and down the ●ity , masaniello went on to command more like an abso●ute master or tyrant then a captain generall ▪ he commanded that under pain of life ev'ry one shold discover if any goods were depositated in their hands , of those men whose houses were burnt : wherupon much wealth was yeelded up out of churches , monasteries , hospitalls and nunneries . it being known that that sunday morning four banditi were fled for sanctuary to the church of carminello among the jesuits ; he sent a considerable band of armed men to encompasse both cloister and church , whose gates being shut , the assaulters made their way in by pickaxes so that a great hole being made in the wall , they rush'd in , and took one of them , chopping off his head presently , as they did afterwards to the three other : and because one of those fathers being zealous of the church immunities , had made som resistance for the preservation of those miserable men , he was so mortally wounded that he died within a few daies after . notice being also had that within the monastery of nunnes call'd della croce di lucca much of the goods of caesar lubrano were depositated , because he had two daughters tha● were nunnes there , masaniello commande● som captains to extract thence , and to bring into the public market place the sayed goods with order that if the nunnes made any resi●stance , to threaten them with the firing of th● monastery : this was put in speedy execution and the soldiers repairing thither , unhing'd th● gates of the religious house , because they were denied to be open'd ; which struck such terror into them , that one of them was like to have breath'd her last , which being related by a flying messenger unto the archbishop , his e●minence was mov'd , and therfore sent about it to masaniello , who to excuse himself answer'd he knew nothing of it , but that it was don● without his order , therfore he wold give condign punishment to those captains , as he did , and commanding them unto him , he inordered they shold be examin'd , and so executed : notwithstanding that , he was resolv'd to have those goods , which were accordingly deliver'd him by those holy si●ters , being so much affrighted . an act much like this masaniello acted the same morning upon sunday , which was thus ; he had given strict command that under pain of life none shold dare to go out of the city without his expresse license , and because the most illustrious caffarelli archbishop of san●a severina had necessary occasions to remove himself from naples , where he resided then , to calabria , to visit his own church ▪ he went in a ●hort habit , and without a cloak ( there having ●een such an order in force , and yet most ●trictly observ'd ) to the house of masaniello to obtain leave of him . when he beheld him , he ●aid , che vuoi monsignore mio bello ? what wilt ●hou have my fine lord ? he answer'd , that i may safely passe to my church of santa seve●ina in calabria , with your good leave : my ●ord , answer'd masaniello , crying ola , let ●our hundred of my men go to accompany , ●nd serve my lord as far as his archbishoprick ▪ th' archbishop thanked him , saying that he ●ent by sea ; by sea sayed he ? then let . pellu●ucas be provided to attend my lord archbishop , he answering ther was no need , because he had alrea●y taken four for the transport of himself and his family , which were sufficient , and to have more wold be an encumbrance unto him , and incommodious . well , well , your lordship may do what you please , replied masaniello . a● leastwise you shall not refuse to acc●pt of this small bag of double pistolls , which he pr●sented unto him , saying , take this to defray ●he cha●ge of your voyage ; the prelat therupon 〈◊〉 , and giving him many thanks , he refus'd them a good while , saying he wanted them not ; but he was constrain'd with threats to receive five hundred , which he did fo● fear of hazarding his head with deniall to suc● a capricious and frantic man : and giving him a license in writing , he told him , and embrac'd him , my lord , go with safety . a little after ● gentleman of a●versa upon a businesse of hi● own came to sp●ak with him , who was of the family of tufo , and havi●g dispatcht him , and given him a kick , he sayed , go thy waies , 〈◊〉 make thee prince of auversa . he commanded that morning the house of a widdow baker to be burnt , because she had made light bread , being six ounces lesse in weight of the thirty six which were establish'd , that ev'ry loaf shold weigh . he caus'd also the head to be chopt off of an abbot call'd nicola● ametrano , to carlo vitale , and to spiritell● musico , as being dependents of mataloni ; likewise he commanded a little after the like to be done to another , who was comrade to ame●rano . he gave out order that it was his pleasure that the jesuits , the certosini , the benedictans , the fryers of mount-olivet shold pay ● great sum of money for the service of the ●eeple ; he commanded also to call b●fore him ●o the same effect many rich men , and asking ●hem first if they were loyall to their king , and ●hey answering that they were , he made them ●ubscribe to a writ●ng , wherin ev'ry one bound ●imself to pay him so much ev'ry one a part , ●elling them he did that for to observe the ●ord given the day before to his excellency , 〈◊〉 make a donative of six millions of gold to 〈◊〉 majesty ; towards whom bei●g desirous to ●evv himself the more devoted and faithfull , 〈◊〉 put out a proclamation , that none under ●in of life shold go for the future habited ac●●rding to the mode of france , and that ev'ry ●e shold have care to put the kings arms , and ●at of the peeple on his doores , and that ev'ry ●e shold tend his shop , yet with arms ready on all occasions . the same sunday morning pizzicarolo a ●●sen of masaniello , went to the palace , say●●● openly , that he began to dote , and that he 〈◊〉 told him if he did not give over his fyrings 〈◊〉 burnings , his throat wold be cut by his own friends : this pizzicarolo had more power over him then any other , for he took no meat from any hand but from his : he obtain'd of masaniello in behalf of the count of conversano a gard for his person , goods , and families , and palace ; he restor'd unto him two great hampers full of money and plate , which he had taken away from him , and it was sent to the castle of s. elmo , where he gave pizzicarolo twenty zecchins , and so the count went suddenly with divers other cavaliers into a gallie to preserve themselfs . the same day towards the evening fathe● rossi a theologue of the archbishops , wen● with a message to masaniello , desiring hi● that the peeple might lay down their arme● for he was secure enough now without so●●diers , and that he might retire himself a whil● to posilipo to recreate himself , or any when els his excellence would please : this messag● please him well ; so all things necessary we●● provided , and divers bands of superfluou● soldiers were disbanded , which was don with●out any grumbling , or questioning whatsoe●ver he did : but at last he grew odiously prou● he wold will , and unwill a thing at the sam● instant , and his head began to turn , bein● mounted so high , and from a simple fisherma● made himself a kind of monarch . all peepl● obey'd him , vice-roy , bishops , and all , who him the swinge , and humor'd him all the while , not doubting but he wold at last break his own neck , as it happen'd right ; thereupon when the squadron of napolitan gallies came from genoa , the vice-roy left to him the giving leave of letting them arrive at the port , he saw all the city arm'd , and depending on his beck , acknowledging him to be their absolute commander , and captaine generall , by an exact and a strange kind of implicite blind obedience , so ●ha● no king whatsoever could desire more allegiance from his own vassalls . hence it came to passe , that from an humble , judicious , and zealous spirit which raign'd ●n him , he became proud , a fool , and a tyrant , putting out such rigorous proclamations , commanding so many heads to be chop 't off , so many palaces to be burnt , meerly somtimes ●o please his own capri●nio , and to make himself formidable ; he wold go a horseback alone , and fetch the round of the city , imprisoning and torturing whom he pleas'd , shutting up of shops , preaching , and railing against the nobility and gentry , not sparing the vice-roy himselfe , but threatning to take off his head ; yet when he spake of the king he nam'd him with a great deale of reverence , taking off his hat , and bowing his body ; but one thing made him very ridiculous , that he made boyes , very mean fellowes captains , campmasters , and other officers of war. in the afternoon divers of the peeple , and som commanders , made by masaniello himself , sent to complain to the archbishop , that they were clap't in prison for small matters , for a thing of nothing , and som were commanded by him to have their heads sever'd from their bodies , and taken off as so many capons . thereupon his eminence spake unto him by way of advice , and because he saw him obstinate , he desir'd him at least to defer the execution of those men till the day following ▪ it being not fitting to shed humane blood upon a sunday , and stain the holy sabbath wit● such sacrifices of cruelty : the bishop spoke to him with that candor and winning affability ▪ turning his discourse to other facetious stories , that he obtain'd of him a deferring of the execution , and to recreate his tired spirits , he wish'd him to go to take the refreshments and pleasure of posilipo for a while : he imbrac'd his counsell , but desiring that his reverence wold accompanie him , he in scorn of such a companion , desir'd him to go before , and he would quickly follow . a little after masaniello went from the market , accompanied with a huge company of pleb●ans to the castle all the way a foot in a loose habit , having one stockin on , and the other off , without band , hat , or sword , but running on like a mad man ; he made a signe to the sergeant major of the spanish gard , that they shold make no noise ; so he entred and spoke to the vice-roy that he must eat , for he was ready to perish for hunger . the viceroy looking upon his servants , said , traigan da comer al senor masaniello : bring somthing to eat for the lord masaniello ; no sir , ( he replied ) let us go take fresh aire at posilipo , and leat us eat together there ; for i have provision already : and saying this , he caus'd divers mariners to com in with divers baskets of fruit . the viceroy did excuse himself as well as he cold , praying him to excuse him , because he was troubled with a great pain in the head , and he wold be very glad of his company at any other time ; so he gave order presently , that his own gondola shold be made ready to wait upon senior masaniello , where when he had imbarqued himselfe with divers mariners , he was attended at least by forty fellucas full of musicians , and other sorts of men fit to give him some recreation : there ran to the mole of chiaia many thousands of peeple to see the spectacle : in his way he gave order that som shold go to the regular canons of st. lateran , to draw thence such goods that he had unders●●od were convey'd and depositated there , which was don and brought to the market pl●ce : as he went along he threw peeces of gold into the sea , which the mariners swom after , and duck'd to take up , to afford him pleasure and pastime . then he fell to eating , or r●ther to feasting , for he had very choice provision ●n the gondola , and they sayed that before he came back he had drunk twelve bottl●s of wine call'd lachrymae christi , but the operations of that wine you shall read in the next daies work , which was munday : when he was return'd to naples , that evening he gave all those of the gondola , and fellucas which attended him , ten measures of wheat ev'ry one . the comedy of this day had not been compleat , if the wife of masaniello had not also acted her part ; who about the evening went to the castle clad in cloth of silver with a chain of gold and other jewells and galla●tries , which the duchesse of arcos had formerly sent her : she went in a very stately coach of the duke of mataloni's , which was made for the day of his marriage , and it was a very rich and magnificent peece , valued at least at eight thousand crowns : she was accompanied with divers gentlewomen of quality , who complied with the times , and they went also richly adorn'd : but these were no other then masaniello's mother , and two sisters , and other kinswomen of his , all fishermens daughters ; a little boy his sisters son bare upon his sleeve a kind of arms , which shew'd that his uncle was captain generall of the city of naples : when she came to the viceroys palace , ther were sedans sent for her and her company , with a gard of halberdeers , pages and laquays to attend them : then were they brought into the duchesse , where they found a great deal of welcom , and dainties . the duchesse presented her with a rich diamond , and the visitor generall took the young boy often in his arms and kiss'd him : masaniello's mother meeting upon the stairs with cavalier cosmo fonseca the grand ingeneer , who us'd to make epitaphs , she told him that he shold tell the viceroy that her son fear'd no body but god , and his excellence ; therfore he shold do well to send unto him to refrain from so much fire and blood . masaniello being return'd from his recreations at posilipo , was so heated with the abundance of wine that he had drunk , and with the heat of the sun , that he fell into a kind of dotage and foolishnesse : he sent presently to speak with the sayed fonseca , and inordred him to make divers inscriptions engraven in marble to this effect ; tomas anello of malphi , prefect , and captain generall of the most faithfull peeple of naples , did order , that his command shold be no longer obey'd , but only those of the duke of arcos : and thus ended that sunday . munday the . of iuly , . the ninth day . the thoughts of masaniello began to grow so vast and extravagant , as also so instable and unquiet , that not containing himself within the compasse of his sphere , and those huge honors and authority he had climb'd unto , but he wold be more then the sea , who though a raging element , yet is contented to hold himself within his bounds ; he wold be more then the heavens , who passe not their circumference ; more then the sun , who never goes out of the ecliptic ; he had an ambition ( had it been possible ) to inslave the whole earth , to tame the ocean , to debell the world , to confine the stars , and see the rising and setting of the sun. he was so blinded with arrogant desires , that they took from him the solace of his sleep , they kept him from seeing the precipices wherein he was like to fall from the top of his arrogant designes , and the miseries which attended his greatnesse . the staires whereby we ascend to honor , are of glasse , the top is an earthquake , the descent a precipice , and authority doth commonly discompose , and stound the mind of man , specially one of a base carat ▪ and low extraction , like a monkey clad with scarlet ; honors serve som men only for their ruine , as long haire serv'd absolon to hang himself : he that is far from iupiter need not feare his thunderbolts . if masaniello that saturday on which a te deum was sung in the cathedrall church , had renounc'd all his usurp'd authority and power into the hands of the viceroy , and return'd , as he sayed and sware he wold , to his former vocation of selling fish , he had deserv'd that the napolitan peeple should have erected him colosso's , and statues of gold , to the eternall memory of his magnanimous undertakings , brought to such a marvellous perfection : but a boundlesssse ambition did cast such a mist before his eyes , that breaking the reines of reason , upon the lords day it self his brain began to turn , doing so many acts of foolishnesse and cruelty . yet many reasons were urg'd for the continuance of his command : som say that he was willing to resigne it , but that by the instigation of his wife , and others of his kinred , he took a resolution to keep it still . others say , as having heard himself say , that he continued still his power , because if he left it , he was to expect no other but death , he was so generally hated by the nobles and gentry for having burnt and destroyed so many palaces , and wealthy substances , put to death so many of al sorts , &c. others say , that he continued still his authority , because sense oppos'd reason , being allur'd with the sweetnesse of rule and power . yet if his sayed usurped dominion had bin attended with that humility , discretion and judgment wherewith he began his reign , he might peradventure have continued longer , from that precipice whereinto he tumbled in so short a time . his ruine befell him , because he had broken out into a thousand delirium's and fooleries , which were the causes of his tyrannicall comportments , and consequently of the universall hatred at last of the peeple , which for many dayes depended totally upon him , as upon an oracle , and obey'd him as a sworn and naturall king. but if one be curious to know the reason why he fell into that stolidity , i could tell him , that it was a fatall drink given him by the viceroy to this effect , which had an operative vertu to work upon his brain , and distemper his pericranium , that so by becoming odious and ridiculous , the peeple might do him away . this is the opinion of many , which whether it be tru or no , i suspend my opinion . it may be well thought also , that that sottishnesse and foolerie which befell him , proceeded from excesse of vigilance , care , watchings , and not eating ; for he seldom slept , and he did eat more seldom ; his head being so full of thoughts , and new businesses coming like heaps upon him continually , whereof his little narrow understanding ( being exercis'd before to sell little fish onely ) was not capable : the extreme joy likewise which possess'd him , to becom from a petty pleb●an ▪ monarch of such a city as naples is , might have distemper'd a greater and more season'd brain then his . hence it came to passe , that ( putting himself upon his bed ) he hardly could close his eyes , but he wold suddenly rise up again , telling his wife , let us be lords of naples , and then let us sleep : up , up , let us put our authority in practice : then going to the window he wold face the gard , and call upon them , imploying them alwayes upon som design or other , that his usurped dominion shold not be idle ; what marvell then is it , all these things being well consider'd that he shold fall into such foolish extravagances ; such are the rewards of ambition , wherwith she useth to recompence her followers . domitian the emperor fell into such a foolish humor , being hanted by this spirit , that he would be reverenced and ador'd by the senate and peeple , as a kinde of god. primus domitianus se dominum , & deum appellari jussit . domitian was the first who wold have himself call'd a god , sayeth eusebius , therfore a parasiticall poet of that age , to comply with his genius , sayed and sung of him , edictum domini deique nostri , quo subsellia certiora fiunt . alexander being tyranniz'd also by this fury of ambition , was not asham'd to call his mother whore , in saying that he was begot by iupiter hamon . what shal we say of xerxes , who being mov'd therunto by the vastnesse of his thoughts , and capricios of his unsetled aspiring brain , threatned darknesse to the sun , and a yoke to the ocean ; who will not tax caius caesar of foolishnesse , and being not inferior at all to xerxes in rashnesse , when being angry with heaven he invented a certain engin , whereby he thunder'd against thunder , and lightned against lightning , perswading himself that that distic did very fitly quadrat with him ; iupiter in caelis , caesar reget omnia terris , divisum imperium cum iove caesar habet . such an extravagant passion as this did predominate and discompose masaniello , and more easily , being a creature of so low a degree : upon munday morning he appear'd upon the market place a horseback , with a naked sword in his hand , striking many men , and driving them before him , though no cause offer'd . being thus domineering in the market place , an old and well qualified captain call'd caesar spano of don prospero tuttavilla's regiment , told him , that he wold be pleas'd to command that the soldiers of that regiment might be consign'd unto him , who were germanes and walloons , which was don accordingly ; but he struck and wounded the old captain , giving him two cuts in the face , saying , be gon when i bid you . turning then his horse head he went towards toledo street , who meeting with one that was told him was a spie , he suddenly without forming of any processe caus'd his head to be chopt off ; he met with another , who complain'd that his wife was suborn'd , and carried away by an old bawd , & asking where she was , sayed in such a house , he went thither presently , and found her there with another man ; he commanded her to be hang'd , and him to be broken on wheels , which was presently done . afterwards he met about the church of st. ioseph with the prince of cellamare , chief postmaster of the kingdom , a discreet and wel temper'd prince , and complemented very much with him , saying , if he knew any , though he were the greatest potentate in the world , who favor'd mataloni , he wold chop off his head : a little after ther pass'd by the duke de castel di sangro don ferrante caracciolo , a cavalier of high esteem in naples , and not using any complement towards him , he ran a great hazard of his life ; for he made him com suddenly out of the coach , telling him , that a new elect was to be made o're the five piazzas of the nobles , & he wold publish an order that they who deserv'd that degree shold go decently habited , and that the cavaliers who were sellers of votes , shold retire to their dwellings bare-footed , and so he dismissed him : this being don , he transferr'd himself to the kings stables ; and ther being many horses ther , he sayed these are particular mens horses , but the grooms told him , they were his majesties , and that the lord carlo caracciolo the chief master of the horse in the kingdom , had the charge of them : he asked what carlo ? what master of the horse ? am not i ev'ry thing , not acknowledging any body , and saying this , he took for himself and his friends six of the best horses , but before he had half brought them to the market place , recollecting himself and thinking better on 't , he sent them back to the kings stables . the same time he dispatch't a band of armed men to the hospitall , and to the church of the zoccolanti , commanding them to deliver up the goods of the visitor generall of the kingdom , don iohn ponze de leon , and carried them to the market place , but return'd them again when he was told of the kisses he had given his nephew in the castle the day before : yet he told him ther wold be now no necessity of a visitor general , because he himself wold look well enough to the abuses of things , and to the public theefs of king and countrey . in regard of these , and sundry other high insolences , which were too tedious to insert here ev'ry one a part , the whole city tremble , yea the viceroy himself , when he understood of such extravagances and innovatious , because he thought that now all things were terminated by that message which was sent him by masaniello the day before by the archbishops chaplain , that he wold make a full resignation unto him of all authority , besides the agreement solemnly made and sworn unto upon sunday before , with the stipulation of the articles in the dome , so that apprehending more fear then formerly he retir'd into the inner palace , causing it to be fortified , and encreasing the gard : and it was held convenient by all to com to som galliard resolution , considering how that foolish and phrantic fellow pursued his authority and tyranny , to dispose of all things according to his own fancy , both in the courts of justice , as also in the councell of warr , in the grassa , and all other tribunalls , as if he were an absolute prince , or som imperious monark . after dinner he sent a peremptory order to don ferante caracciolo , before mention'd , that under pain of life , and the burning of his palace , in regard he had not in the morning com out of his coach to do him reverence , that he shold come to speak with him in the market place ; he sent also another message to don carlo caracciolo master of the kings horse , to do the like . they answer'd prudently and with sleme , that they wold do what he desir'd ; but holding it a diminution to their honor , instead of going to the market place , they went to the castle , having setled their houses and goods , to complain to the viceroy , and deplore the abject and sad condition wherin they were plung'd , with all the rest of the napolitan nobility and gentry , and so related unto him the arrogant propositions that were sent them by masaniello , so they concluded to die sooner , and to be torn by wild horses then to live , so vituperiously in such a basenesse & servitude , therfore 't was high time for all the napolitan cavaliers to awake , to rid the city of this intolerable ugly monster ; for it was a great blemish to their reputation to suffer him to sway so long . the vice-roy was extremely vex'd to hear such pungent reasons and grievances , but he durst not apprehend the fool , being so fortified and back'd by the besotted peeple all in arms ; and while they were discoursing of the means how things might be remedied , behold genovino and arpaia came into the castle , who bitterly complained also against masaniello . the first spoke very despitefully of him , saying that he could not prevail any thing with him , but he found himself ev'ry moment in no small danger of his life ( for he threatned to take off his head ) more then he was in the time of the duke of ossuna , and they say that he had often given him som blowes , yet he was constrained to dissemble and mollifie things . arpaia also had his mortifications and da●gers , he had publikely receiv'd a box from him , and all peeple were terrified by him , and affronted , yet they knew not how to right themselves , he having at his devotion a hundred and fifty thousand combatants well armed , although the major part , and the most ●ivill sort of these did hate him , specially since ●he sunday evening , by reason of his inhumane cruelties ; therefore 't was determined by the advice of genovino and arpaia , that all the peeple shold make their addresses to the vice-roy , and assure him , that they not only mislik'd , but hated the carriage of masaniello , and not to obey him any longer , but ev'ry where , and in all things to depend upon the commands of his excellence , provided that they might be well assur'd of the observance of their priviledges and infranchisements already granted and sworn unto , whereunto the viceroy condescending very readily , declar'd by public band the confirmation of them ; so they were to meet at the piazza of st. augustin , which they did , but a great number , fearing the frownes of masaniello came not thither , but he was gon again in the dutchesse's coach to posilipo : afterwards two resolv'd to chain him , and keep him in safe custody all the residue of his life in som castle , for they were not inclin'd to put him to death for the good things that he had operated for the public good . when masaniello was returned from posilipo , he went to the office of the gallies , and provided captains and other commanders for them , though they were far from the port ; and thence transferring himself to his house in the market place , he threatned divers captains to take off their heads , as also to genovino and arpaia , because they had not attended him that day : nay , he threatned fire to the whole city , because he perceiv'd they had lost the former respect and obedience which they did use to shew him . being extreme hot , he threw himself into the sea water in all his clothes , and being com out again , he began to shake his sword up and down , and do divers mad pranks , nor could any , no not the archbishop himself , bridle him , or keep him within any bounds , insomuch that the captains of the peeple were constrained to apprehend him , and put him in ho●d , with a band of souldiers for his gard in his own house ; and while all that night most part of the peeple did confederate and take arms in behalf of the vice-roy , an unlook't for accident did co-operate to conclude this tragecomedie by means of marco vitale , a hardy young man , who was secretary to masaniello , who under colour of remedying , did rather foment those tumults and firings , as shall be read in the passages of the insuing day . tuesday the . of iuly , . the tenth day . the foresaid marco vitale being early got out of the castle where the vice-roy kept his court , and where he slept that night , and going about nine a clock to chiaia the next gate to the castle , and royall palace , this vitale knowing not any thing of what was intended in the behalf of the vice-roy against his patron masaniello , and meeting with some armed bands in the way confederated and ligu'd together , he proudly ask'd them , why , and by whose authority and license they had taken up arms ? one of the captains answer'd him stoutly , 't was by order of the viceroy , vitale impertinently replied , well , well , i am going now to the market , and thy head shall pay for it : the captain drew out his sword , and gave him a shrewd slash , which being seconded by a musket shot , the infortunate wretch fell down dead , and being put in a sepulchre in the next church of s. lewis , among the minims , the peeple now adhering to the viceroy , drag'd him forth , chop'd off his head , and putting it upon a pole , they drag'd his body up and down the gutters of naples . that day was the feast of the glorious virgin of carmine , a holy day of very much devotion among the napolitans , specially among the common peeple , that church being situated nere the great market place . masaniello entred into this church , having a little before scap'd out of his irons , where he attended the coming of the archbishop filomarino to sing masse , and celebrate the day as he us'd annually to do , and he was scarce come to the church door when masaniello meeting him full butt , sayed , most eminent lord , i perceive now that the peeple will abandon me , and go about to deprive me of life . i desire that for my consolation , and of all this peeple , a solemn cavalcata be made , together with the viceroy , with the collaterall , and all the tribunalls of the city to this most holy lady , for being thus to die , i shall die contented : therfore i beseech your eminence to addresse this letter of mine to the viceroy , the bishop embrac'd him , and much commended his devotion ; and suddenly dispatch't a gentleman to the palace with the sayed letter to the viceroy , and going afterwards to the great altar of the lady of carmine , he lean'd there , intending to sing masse , the church being full , and replenish'd with peeple as much as it could hold : masaniello going up the degrees of the altar , and taking a crucifix in his hands , he recommended himself with much tendernesse unto the peeple ; that they shold not forsake him , commemorating what he had don for them , he aggravated the difficulty of the design , the danger he incountred withall , the hatred of so many thousands by reason of his fiery punishments , and the conclusion at last of the whole businesse in that very church . then a little while he fell a doting , and accus'd himself of the badnesse of his life past , exhorting ev'ry one to make the like confession before the feet of his ghostly father , that gods anger might be appeas'd , and because he fell into many ridiculous expressions , and som savouring of heresie , his gard forsook him ; and the archbishop not induring to hear him , being in the very act of celebrating the masse , he wrought so much that he got him down , which being don , he did prostrate himself before the bishops feet , praying his eminence that he wold please to send his chaplain to the castle , to advertise the viceroy , that he was willing to renounce his command unto his excellence ; which the bishop promising to do , he caus'd him to be conducted to a dormitory to be dried , for he was all in a sweat , and to repose awhile , thinking him worthy of compassion : so the bishop return'd to his palace . in the mean time masaniello being refreshed , and gon out into a great hall , he was leaning over a balcone to take the fresh air sea-ward , som hardy gentlemen rush'd in , accompanied with much peeple , who having first entred into the church of carmine , cried aloud , let the king of spain live , and let none hereafter under pain of life obey the commands of masaniello : and going thence to the cloister under pretext to speak with masaniello , and negotiate with him , they found him almost all alone , and hearing som body crying masaniello , the unfortunate wretch meeting with those who were conspir'd to dispatch him , he told them , ye go perhaps in search of me ; behold me here my peeple : so they discharg'd four musquet shots at him every one apart : the first were salvador , and carlo cataneo brothers , angelo ardizzone , and andrea rama , who were four of the principall that slew him : so he fell presently upon the earth , crying after the first shot , ah ingratefull traytors ! and so he breath'd his last . hereupon a butcher came and cut off his head , which being put upon a lance , they went into the church of carmine , where there were ten thousand peeple , and thence to the market place , crying out , let the king of spain live , and under pain of life let none henceforth name masaniello . masaniello is dead , masaniello is dead ; and discharging many archibuzzes , ad terrorem without ball , the common peeple were so affrighted that they lost their spirits quite ; and seeing themselves headlesse , they skulk'd here and there , not daring to do the least outrage unto them who flew their captain generall , that was so much fear'd , obey'd , and reverenc'd : insomuch that they went securely up and down the streets , with his head upon a pole , and the boyes dragging his body up and down the channells and publike wayes , where there was money thrown to them that drew him , by many , specially by the gentry , who all this while durst scarce peep out of their houses , or appeer abroad publikely : so they got a horse-back , and went to the castle to attend the viceroy , and give him the joy , who entertain'd them with infinite demonstrations of contentment . the archbishop went also thither , who after he had com from the carmine , had scarce reach'd his own palace , but the tidings of masaniello's death was brought him , which made him go directly to the castle to acquit himself of those duties of congratulation which were due to the viceroy , who sending very strict orders abroad that the street captains shold be in a perfect equipage and readinesse at his command , and that upon pain of life they shold not obey any body else whatsoever . he commanded to apprehend the complices of masaniello , as was don ; as his wife , his sisters , his kinred ; and being all made prisoners , they were brought up to the castle . and because his brother matteo was gon abroad to benevento with more company , to take ( as 't was given out ) the duke of mat●loni , there were armed bands dispatch'd thither to apprehend him , and conduct him to naples , which was don , and he was committed to the castle , though afterwards to please the peeple , he with others were set at liberty , as shall be delared hereafter . there were armed bands sent also to the market place to bridle the peeple , and gard the goods that were there depositated , belonging to divers owners . these good orders being given , the viceroy was exhorted by the bishop , and by all the nobility , and ministers royall , to shew himself publikely up and down the streets ; whereupon the bishop and he mounting on horse-back , attended by all the counsellours , ministers , officers , nobility and gentry , with all the tribunalls , being well garded with horse and infantry , they went to the chiefe church to give god thanks , and the most glorious protector of naples s. gennaro , whose holy head and blood was taken out and put upon the high altar , where extraordinary thanks were given for the tranquillity which was re-obtain'd by the death of so base a fellow , who by the secret judgements of god , had made himselfe so formidable , that he terrified the whole city : a cleer instrument , it cannot be said otherwise , of the just indignation of god , being offended with the sins of that city , who ( as somtimes he punish'd the egyptians with small contemptible creatures , as flies , and frogs ) did correct , humble , and chastise the city of naples by so vile a plebean . from the church the cavalcata pass'd to the market place , where the viceroy did again by sound of trumpet confirm the priviledges granted by charles the fifth , together with the capitulations ; he was receiv'd with extreme exultances of joy by all the peeple , who loudly cryed out , viva il re , viva il duca d' arcos ; let the king live , live the duke of arcos , whereunto others added , let filomarino live , the restorer of his countreyes peace : they gave also thanks to the most holy mother of carmine , and so they returned into the castle very joyfull , and afterwards ev'ry one unto his own home . the shops were suddenly open'd , the spanish soldiers took their arms again , and the dispersed gards up and down return'd to their former posts , but that in the castle was redoubled with walloons , and ev'ry one did with exact reverence submit unto the vice-roy , to whose prudence , patience , and dexterousnesse , joyn'd with the vigilance and indefatigable assistance of the most reverend archbishop , the preservation of that city may be attributed ; for if his reverence had not strongly and industriously interpos'd in the businesse , the whole city had been like to have been destroyed with fire and sword , as it will appeare by a copie of the following letter , written by a napolitan cavalier , one of the prudent'st patriots of the whole town , sent to a gentleman a friend of his , resident at rome , wherein also there is a relation made how san gernnaro , the protector and patron of naples , did appeare , which did prognosticate peace , tranquillity and happinesse to the napolitan peeple : the tenor of which letter was as followeth : deare sir , this morning i was to do my observance to the l. cardinall the archbishop filomarino , and i have reverenced him as much as possibly i could , as liberator of his countrey , who after he had done me sundry favours , told me , that yesternight the popular tumult ceas'd , conducting with himself tomas anello the captain generall of the peeple , and all capitulations were subscrib'd and sworn unto , whereof i will send you a copy by the next . this quietnesse was miraculous in a manner , for the many circumstances that attended it , wherof you shall have distinct advise ; that which i can say now unto you , is that from the mouth of the lord cardinal himself the glorious san gennaro was seen over the great church of carmine , with a sword in his hand , and ther were many persons examin'd upon oaths about this vision . his reverence also saw as he went to the church of carmine a most bright star , which gave him undoubted hopes of peace and quietnesse , which god hath pleas'd to restore to this place by his intercession , for he kept all the while the will of the sayed masaniello in his fist , as it were , insomuch that he did few things but what his reverence pleas'd and commanded ; and he was so prudent , as not to propose any thing , but what was fit to be obtain'd for the universall good . in sum , he hath given unto his catholic majesty our soveraign lord the kingdom , and hath so confirm'd it , that for the future there is no fear of any combustions , and this people is so well contented with the abolishments of the gab●lls , that they will be able to defend themselfs against all the world . the sayed lord bishop may be said to have given life to all the nobility , because the enrag'd peeple wold have taken away their lifes , he hath given quietnesse and sustenance to the poor , because bread is made here at thirty seven ounces , and all other things are in mighty great abundance , and very cheap : to conclude sir , a new heaven , and a new earth appears here , and it evidenly appears that the lord wold have it so . your most devoted , and most obliged servitor . astorgio agnese . in conformity , and by vertue of the p●ace aforesayed , many nobles and cavaliers were seen to passe ev'ry day along the streets to the castle in their coaches , shewing themselfs unto the peeple , from whose sight they had kept themselfs hugger mugger before . the ladies also went up and down with their fardingalls , which formerly they durst not do , by reason of masaniello's order to the contrary , yet they moderated their expences , and train , specially those who were us'd to gain by the gabells . the same time that masaniello was slain , ther happen'd two accidents , the first was , that the head and foot of don peppo caraffa remaining still , expos'd to public view in an iron grate , upon the gate of san gennaro , with an inscription , th●s is the head of don peppo caraffa di mataloni , traytor to his countrey , and of the most faithfull peeple of naples , which was don by the command of masaniello , as was sayed before in the successes of the fourth day . there was scarce news had of the death of masaniello , but that in that confusion of peeple , four gentlemen adventur'd , being kin to the family of the mataloni , to go boldly to the sayed gate , and in a commanding way , though ther were . soldiers thereabout , they got a ladder , and climing up , they broke the iron grate with the inscription , and took out the head , which they carried in a fair silver bason , cover'd with a silk towell , and brought it to the next parish church , cal'd san iohn de porta , delivering it to the curat of that church , iohn baptista iulino , and caus'd it afterwards to be put in a leaden box , and that an authentic instrument shold be made , ad futuram rei memoriam , by a public apostolicall notary authoriz'd by the court of rome , call'd don maria de iuliis : within the sayed church ther were for eye-witnesses , erasmo mastello , gennaro de pece , gio. baptista piccirillo . the four gentlemen who did this hardy act , were girolamo laudata , brother to the duke of marzano , and cavaliers , gastani sons to a carrafesca mother , don scipion , pietro antonio rastaldi ; gio. baptista d' afflitto , whose names are inserted in the sayed instrument to perpetuity . the second accident was , that masaniello a little before his death began to feel the pulses of the richest men up and down the city , demanding of them many thousands of crowns , because he purpos'd , as he gave out , to make five millions of gold for the king , which he had promis'd to his excellence already by way of donative : which millions were effectually to be made up out of the moneys found in the burnt houses , and a contribution of the cape merchants & citizens of naples , which he had effected within a few daies , had he not died , therfore 't was question'd whether his death tended more to the service or disservice of spain . amongst those rich merchants he had sent to one gaspar roomer , a most rich flemin , who to prevent the firing of his house , sent twelve thousand crowns unto masaniello , and so retir'd to a very fair house , four miles out of the city , a place call'd la barra , carrying with him all his best moveables , and goods he had in naples . to this marchant he sent savino converso of the carmine , a great confident of his the same tuesday , the day that he was slain ; with an order of his in writing , at sight whereof , he was to consign unto him ▪ zecchins , for the service of his catholic majesty , since that he had grown so rich out of good bargains he had from the viceroys from time to time ; roomer could not tell how to avoid the complying with his desires , and obey them ; so he deliver'd so much money in ready gold to the messenger , who leaving a receipt behind him , and returning to naples , he understood , as he pass'd by a little church hard by the carmine , of what happen'd to masaniello , so he imbark'd himself in a felluca , and went away with the moneys to rome ; therupon the merchant sent spies up and down to find him out : at last by the help of those of his order , for he was a fryer , he had notice where he was , and so recover'd much of his money . that tuesday in the evening , was brought to naples the brother of the sayed masaniello , and committed prisoner to the castle , together with his mother , and as they pass'd , all cryed out room , room for the lady duchesse of sarda ; with the brother of maesaniello were brought four heads of his companions , who wold not yeeld themselfs , but make resistance with musquet shot , and nine were taken alive , the rest mortally wounded , or put to flight . in this manner ended the life and empire of masaniello , having foretold it himself the ninth of july , the week before , being the third day of the revolution , when going up to the market place , he told the peeple , that what he did , was for the public benefit of the city , and he knew well , that when he had finish'd the work he shold be slain , and drag'd up and down the streets of naples ; yet he desir'd the peeple shold remember him , and they answer'd we will all die with thee . and so it happen'd , that having confirm'd the interests of the city upon saturday , and caus'd their priviledges , and the confirmation of them , to be subscrib'd and sworn unto by the viceroy , and all the councells , he was the third day after assassinated , and hal'd up and down the streets ; his head was thrown into a ditch , call'd the corn-ditch hard by the house of ardizzone , and his body cast into another ditch between the gates of nolana and capoana . the manifesto of the most faithfull peeple of naples . the most faithfull peeple of this city and kingdom of naples , saith , declares , makes knowne , and manifests to all peeple of what dignity , state , degree , or condition soever they be in christian religion , that this most faithfull peeple having profess'd , and professing still true fidelity to the catholic majesty of their king , and finding themselves laden with divers excessive burthens of heavy impositions and gabells , equalling almost the prizes of the commodities themselves , and there being no cessation of new ones ev'ry yeer by the ministers of the said catholic majesty , the greatest part whereof were impos'd by the voices of the nobility and gentry , and with violence of penall mandates and imprisonments : having also within these few yeers of war ( which his catholic majesty hath had ) leavied from them one hundred millions , whereby this most faithfull peeple was , and is reduc'd to such an extreme necessity , that the greater part of them were ready to famish , and the fathers , mothers , and husbands were constrained at very low rates to expose the most dear treasure of honesty , and chastity of living , by reason of those hard and violent exactions of the said gabells , for which , peeple of all sexes were cast into prisons , executed , and forc'd to pay under pain of excessive punishments , there being promis'd on the contrary to the nobility , and powerfull persons , an exemption from the said gabells and impositions ; whereby many of them became extremely rich , by renting and farming the said impositions ; the said nobles and royall ministers and officers being permitted further to offend the persons , and possesse the goods of the said peeple , insomuch that a company of poor and little children to whom these pressures were reveal'd , with weak canes and sticks did appeare before the most excellent the duke of arcos viceroy of this kingdom and city , upon the . day of july of this present yeer , . for to have the peeple eas'd of the said onerous exactions , with whom this most faithfull peeple concurr'd with armes in hand for the defence of their priviledges , and were permitted without incurring any punishment to resist those that were the authors of these burthens and damages : and his excellency the viceroy having taken notice hereof , together with the collaterall and councell of state and war , was pleas'd to abolish the said gabells and impositions of this city and kingdom , and also in remuneration of the perfect and lively fidelity of this peeple , demonstrated so often by their acclamations , let the king of spain live , as also by their actions , affixing the effigies of their said king in all the principall places of the city , whereby their priviledges were confirm'd , and promis'd to be also confirm'd within the space of three moneths by his catholic majesty , giving leave in the interim to this faithfull peeple to keep their arms still afoot , and all this being solemnly sworn unto by publike stipulation in the great cathedrall church of naples , and in the presence of the most eminent her archbishop filomarino : and this being concluded , and agreed upon , it was treated by som of the royall ministers , and other male-contented persons , for their own privat and particular interests , to make it appeare that this was don against the will of this most faithfull peeple : and whereas when they wold have represented all this to his excellence the vice-roy in the royall palace , they were suddenly assaulted by musket shot and archibuzzes from the kings soldiers , thereupon they were constrained to take armes againe for the defence of this most faithful peeple the . of august last past , but alwaies with these cries , let the king of spain live , with other demonstrations of love and loyalty towards his majesty . whereupon his sayed excellency granted new graces and priviledges , remedying also those things , which were the causes of grievance to this most faithfull peeple , and so reduc'd again this city to peace and universall tranquillity , by the mediation of their most reverend archbishop aforesayed , who went up and down this city on horseback , assuring this most faithfull peeple of the sayed peace and quietnesse , another solemn oath ensuing thereupon from the sayed viceroy , within the church of santa barbara , which is in castlenuovo , the seventh of september , . now expecting the confirmation of all the sayed graces and priviledges from his catholic majesty , on the first of september , the report being going abroad suddenly , though doubtfull at first , that his highnesse , don iohn of austria his majesties son was to arrive at this port , with a royall army , this peeple did run with an universall applause , thirsting to see so noble a personage , beeing of the blood of her most beloved king , and when from day to day they hoped to see him , it was represented unto them that he wold not dis-imbarque , if this most faithfull peeple wold not lay downe their armes , which was suddenly don , although according to their priviledges they might have refus'd to have don it ; insomuch that upon saturday in the morning the fifth of the same moneth , there appear'd not one armed person throughout the whole city , but there was an universall quietnesse ; and as they were greedy to see such a prince from whom they expected graces and favors , upon a sudden about mid-day this city was occupied by the royall soldiers by force of armes , entring into many monasteries and conservatories , violating virgins , and committing other exorbitant excesses ; and at the same time the city was assaulted , and battered with above . cannon shot from the three castles on ev'ry side , and by above forty vessells and gallies for many days and nights continually , and since that time to this , whereby so gentle , and noble a city , the garden of europe , was like to be made even to the ground , with all her most noble edifices , churches , monasteries of both sexes , with other places of piety , and her inhabitants extinguish'd against all piety and religion ; but the blessed lord did not permit that such cruell and fierce acts of his catholic majesties ministers shold have the effect of their desires . wherefore this most faithfull peeple hath been constrained to have recourse to the naturall remedy for their own preservation , and having no hopes otherwise of quietnesse , or that the royall ministers wold perform what they promis'd so often ; 't was thought therefore necessary to fly first to the divine majesty , to the most glorious virgin his mother , and to the blessed san gennaro , and to all the other saints , who are protectors of this noble city and kingdom , supplicating and invoking them to assist her in her just defence , praying also with entire zeal the holinesse of christs vicar , the sacred colledge , and prelates of the church , the majesty of the emperor , of other kings and republiques , of princes , dukes , marquesses , counts , barons , with all other dignities and titles whatsoever , or degrees constitututed , and every faithfull christian , that as well by prayer , as all other means they can and shall know to be necessary , they wold please to affoord their help and fafavour , for the protection of this most faithfull peeple in their said defence , and besides the remuneration which they may expect from the goodnesse of god in an act of so much justice and piety , this most faithfull peeple shall be ever bound to do the like or greater curtesies unto them according to their power in all occurrences . in naples , septemb. . . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * a ring . the pre-eminence and pedigree of parlement whereunto is added a vindication of som passages reflecting upon the author in a book call'd the popish royal favorite, pen'd and published by mr. prynne wherein he stiles him no frend [sic] to parlements, and a malignant, pag. : with a clearing of som occurrences in spain at his maiesties being there, cited by the said master prynne out of the vocal forest / by j.h. ... howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h b). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the pre-eminence and pedigree of parlement whereunto is added a vindication of som passages reflecting upon the author in a book call'd the popish royal favorite, pen'd and published by mr. prynne wherein he stiles him no frend [sic] to parlements, and a malignant, pag. : with a clearing of som occurrences in spain at his maiesties being there, cited by the said master prynne out of the vocal forest / by j.h. ... howell, james, ?- . prynne, william, - . popish royall favourite. p. printed by r.r. for humphrey moseley, london : . reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. eng england and wales. -- parliament. representative government and representation -- england. great britain -- politics and government. a r (wing h b). civilwar no the pre-eminence and pedigree of parlement. wherunto is added a vindication of som passages reflecting upon the author, in a book call'd the howell, james b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - tcp staff (michigan) sampled and proofread - allison liefer text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the preeminence and pedigree of parlement . wherunto is added a vindication of som passages reflecting upon the author , in a book call'd the popish royal favorite , pen'd and published by mr. prynne ; wherin he stiles him , no frend to parlements , and a malignant , pag. . with a clearing of som occurrences in spain at his maiesties being there , cited by the said master prynne out of the vocal forest . by j. h. esquire one of the clerks of his maiesties most honorable privy-councel . published by special order . london , printed by r. r. for humphrey moseley . . to my worthily honored frend , sir w. s. knight . sir , i have many thanks to give you for the book you pleased to send me , called the popish royal favorite ; and according to your advice ( which i value in a high degree ) i put pen to paper , and somthing you may see i have don ( though in a poor pamphleting way ) to clear my self of those aspersions that are cast upon me therin . but truly sir , i was never so unfit for such a task ; all my papers , manuscripts , and notes , having bin long since seized upon and kept from me . adde hereunto , that besides this long pressure and languishment of twenty three moneths close restraint ( the sense wherof , i find hath much stupified my spirits ) it pleased god to visit me lately with a dangerous fit of sicknes , a high burning feaver , with the new disease , whereof my body as well as my mind , is yet somwhat crazy : so that ( take all afflictions together ) i may truly say , i have passed the ordeal , the fiery tryal . but it hath pleased god to reprieve me to see better days i hope ; for out of this fatal black cloud , which now oresets this poor island , i hope ther will break a glorious sun-shine of peace and firm happines : to effect which , had i a jury , a grand-jury of lives , i would sacrifice them all , and triumph in the oblation . so i most affectionately kisse your hands , and rest your faithful ( though afflicted ) servant , from the prison of the fleet . j. h. the pre-eminence of parlement . sectio prima . i am a free-born subject of the realm of england ; whereby i claim as my native inheritance , an undoubted right , propriety , and portion in the laws of the land : and this distinguisheth me from a slave . i claim also an interest and common right in the high national court of parlement , and in the power , the priviledges and jurisdiction thereof , which i put in equal ballance with the laws , in regard it is the fountain whence they spring : and this i hold also to be a principal part of my birth-right ; which great councel i honour , respect , value , and love in as high a degree as can be ; as being the bulwark of our liberties , the main boundary and bank which keep us from slavery , from the inundations of tyrannical rule , and unbounded will-government . and i hold my self obliged in a tye of indispensable obedience to conform and submit my self to whatsoever shall be transacted , concluded , and constituted by its authority in church or state ; whether it be by making , enlarging , altering , diminishing , disanulling , repealing , or reviving of any law , statute , act , or ordinance whatsoever , either touching matters ecclesiastical , civil , common , capital , criminal , martial , maritine , municipal , or any other ; of all , which , the transcendent and uncontrolable jurisdiction of that court is capable to take cognizance . amongst the three things which the athenian captain thank'd the gods for , one was , that he was born a grecian , and not a barbarian . for such was the vanity of the greeks , and after them of the romans , in the flourish of their monarchy , to arrogate all civility to themselves , and to term all the world besides barbarians : so i may say to have cause to rejoyce , that i was born a vassal to the crown of england ; that i was born under so well moulded and tempered a government , which endows the subject with such liberties and infranchisements that bear up his natural courage , and keep him still in heart ; such liberties that fence and secure him eternally from the gripes and tallons of tyranny : and all this may be imputed to the authority and wisdom of this high court of parlement , wherin ther is such a rare co-ordination of power ( though the soverainty remain still entire , and untransferable in the person of the prince ) ther is , i say , such a wholsom mixture 'twixt monarchy , optimacy , and democracy ; 'twixt prince , peers , and communalty , during the time of consultation , that of so many distinct parts , by a rare co-operation and unanimity , they make but one body politic , ( like that sheaf of arrows in the emblem ) one entire concentrical peece ; and the results of their deliberations , but as so many harmonious diapasons arising from different strings . and what greater immunity and happines can ther be to a peeple , then to be liable to no laws but what they make themselves ? to be subject to no contribution , assessement , or any pecuniary levy whatsoever , but what they vote , and voluntarily yeeld unto themselves ? for in this compacted politic body , there be all degrees of peeple represented ; both the mechanick , tradesman , merchant , and yeoman , have their inclusive vote , as well as the gentry , in the persons of their trustees , their knights and burgesses , in passing of all things . nor is this soverain surintendent councel an epitome of this kingdom onely , but it may be said to have a representation of the whole universe ; as i heard a fluent well-worded knight deliver the last parlement , who compared the beautiful composure of that high court , to the great work of god , the world it self : the king to the sun , the nobles to the fixed stars , the itinerant judges and other officers ( that go upon messages 'twixt both houses ) to the planets ; the clergy to the element of fire ; the commons , to the solid body of earth , and the rest of the elements . and to pursue this comparison a little farther ; as the heavenly bodies , when three of them meet in conjunction , do use to produce som admirable effects in the elementary world : so when these three states convene and assemble in one solemn great junto , som notable and extraordinary things are brought forth , tending to the welfare of the whole kingdom , our microcosm . he that is never so little versed in the annales of this isle , will find that it hath bin her fate to be four times conquered . i exclude the scot ; for the situation of his countrey , and the quality of the clime hath bin such an advantage and security to him , that neither the roman eagles would flie thither , for fear of freezing their wings ; nor any other nation attempt the work . these so many conquests must needs bring with them many tumblings and tossings , many disturbances and changes in government ; yet i have observed , that notwithstanding these tumblings , it retained still the form of a monarchy , and somthing there was alwayes that had an analogy with the great assembly the parlement . the first conquest i find was made by claudius caefar ; at which time ( as som well observe ) the roman ensignes and the standard of christ came in together . it is well known what laws the roman had ; he had his comitia , which bore a resemblance with our convention in parlement ; the place of their meeting was called praetorium , and the laws which they enacted , plebescita . the saxon conquest succeeded next , which were the english , ther being no name in welsh or irish for an englishman , but saxon , to this day . they governed by parlement , though it were under other names ; as michel sinoth , michel gemote , and witenage mote . there are records above a thousand yeers old , of these parlements , in the raigns of king ina , offa , ethelbert , and the rest of the seven kings during the heptarchy . the british kings also , who retain'd a great while som part of the isle unconquered , governed and made laws by a kind of parlementary way ; witnes the famous laws of prince howel , called howel dha , ( the good prince howel ) wherof ther are yet extant som welsh records . parlements were also used after the heptarchy by king kenulphus , alphred , and others ; witnes that renowned parlement held at grately by king athelstan . the third conquest was by the danes , and they govern'd also by such general assemblies , ( as they do to this day ) witnes that great and so much celebrated parlement held by that mighty monarch canutus , who was king of england , denmark , norway , and mher regions yeers before the compiling of otagna charta ; and this the learned in the laws do hold to be one of the special'st , and most authentic peeces of antiquity we have extant . edward the consessor made all his laws thus , ( and he was a great legis-lator ) which the norman conquerour ( who liking none of his sons , made god almighty his heir , bequeathing unto him this island for a legacy ) did ratifie and establish , and digested them into one entire methodical systeme , which being violated by rusus , ( who came to such a disastrous end , as to be shot to death in lieu of a buck for his sacriledges ) were restor'd by henry the first , and so they continued in force till king john , whose raign is renowned for first confirming magna charta , the foundation of our liberties ever since : which may be compar'd to divers outlandish graffs set upon one english stock , or to a posie of sundry fragrant flowers ; for the choicest of the british , the roman , saxon , danish , and norman laws , being cull'd and pick'd out , and gathered as it were into one bundle , out of them the foresaid grand charter was extracted : and the establishment of this great charter was the work of a parlement . nor are the laws of this island onely , and the freedom of the subject conserved by parlement , but all the best policed countreys of europ have the like . the germanes have their diets , the danes and swedes the riicks dachs ; the spaniard calls his parlement las cortes , and the french have ( or should have at least ) their assembly of three states , though it be grown now in a manner obsolete , because the authority therof was ( by accident ) devolv'd to the king . and very remarkable it is , how this hapned ; for when the english had taken such large footing in most parts of france , having advanced as far as orleans , and driven their then king charls the seventh to bourges in berry ; the assembly of the three states in these pressures , being not able to meet after the usual manner in full parlement , because the countrey was unpassable , the enemy having made such firm invasions up and down through the very bowels of the kingdom ; that power which formerly was inherent in the parlementary assembly , of making laws , of assessing the subject with taxes , subsidiary levies , and other impositions , was transmitted to the king during the war ; which continuing many yeers , that intrusted power by length of time grew as it were habitual in him , and could never after be re-assumed and taken from him ; so that ever since , his edicts countervail acts of parlement . and that which made the busines more feasable for the king , was , that the burthen fell most upon the communalty ( the clergy and nobility not feeling the weight of it ) who were willing to see the peasan pull'd down a little , because not many yeers before in that notable rebellion , call'd la jaquerie de beauvoisin , which was suppressed by charls the wise , the common peeple put themselves boldly in arms against the nobility and gentry , to lessen their power . add hereunto as an advantage to the work , that the next succeeding king lewis the eleventh , was a close cunning prince , and could well tell how to play his game , and draw water to his own mill ; for amongst all the rest , he was said to be the first that put the kings of france , hors de page , out of their minority , or from being pages any more , though thereby he brought the poor peasans to be worse then lacquays . with the fall , or at least the discontinuance of that usual parliamentary assembly of the three states , the liberty of the french nation utterly fell ; the poor roturier and vineyard-man , with the rest of the yeomanry , being reduced ever since to such an abject ●●●nin condition , that they serve but as sponges for the king to squeeze when he list . neverthelesse , as that king hath an advantage hereby one way , to monarchize more absolutely , and never to want money , but to ballast his purse when he will : so ther is another mighty inconvenience ariseth to him and his whole kingdom another way ; for this illegal peeling of the poor peasan hath so dejected him , and cowed his native courage so much by the sense of poverty ( which brings along with it a narrownes of soul ) that he is little useful for the war : which puts the french king to make other nations mercenary to him , to fill up his infantry : insomuch , that the kingdom of france may be not unfitly compared to a body that hath all its blood drawn up into the arms , brest and back , and scarce any left from the girdle downwards , to cherish and bear up the lower parts , and keep them from starving . all this seriously considered , ther cannot be a more proper and pregnant example then this of our next neighbours , to prove how infinitely necessary the parlement is , to assert , to prop up , and preserve the publike liberty , and national rights of a peeple , with the incolumity and welfare of a countrey . nor doth the subject onely reap benefit thus by parlement , but the prince ( if it be well consider'd ) hath equal advantage thereby ; it rendereth him a king of free and able men , which is far more glorious then to be a king of slaves , beggars , and bankrupts ; men that by their freedom , and competency of wealth , are kept still in heart to do him service against any forrain force . and it is a true maxime in all states , that 't is lesse danger and dishonour for the prince to be poor , then his peeple : rich subjects can make their king rich when they please ; if he gain their hearts , he will quickly get their purses : parlement encreaseth love and good intelligence 'twixt him and his peeple ; it acquaints him with the reality of things , and with the true state and diseases of his kingdom ; it brings him to the knowledg of his better sort of subjects , and of their abilities , which he may employ accordingly upon all occasions ; it provides for his royal issve , payes his debts , finds means to fill his coffers : and it is no ill observation . the parlementary-moneys ( the great aid ) have prospered best with the kings of england ; it exceedingly raiseth his repute abroad , and enableth him to keep his foes in fear , his subjects in awe , his neighbours and confederates in security , the three main things which go to aggrandize a prince , and render him glorious . in sum , it is the parlement that supports , and bears up the honour of his crown , and settles his throne in safety , which is the chief end of all their consultations : for whosoever is entrusted to be a member of this high court , carrieth with him a double capacity ; he sits there as a pairiot , and as a subject : as he is the one , the countrey is his object , his duty being to vindicate the publike liberty , to make wholsom laws , to put his hand to the pump , and stop the leaks of the great vessel of the state : to pry into and punish corruption and oppression , to improve and advance trade , to have the grievances of the place he serves for redressed , and cast about how to find somthing that may tend to the advantage of it . but he must not forget that he sits there also as a subject , and according to that capacity , he must apply himself to do his soveraigns busines , to provide not onely for his publike , but his personal wants ; to bear up the lustre and glory of his court ; to consider what occasions of extraordinary expences he may have , by encrease of royal issue , or maintenance of any of them abroad ; to enable him to vindicate any affront or indignity that might be offered to his person , crown , or dignity , by any forrain state or kingdom ; to consult what may enlarge his honour , contentment and pleasure . and as the french tacitus ( comines ) hath it , the english nation was used to be more forward and zealous in this particular then any other , according to that ancient elequent speech of a great lawyer , domus regis vigilia defendit omnium , otium illius labor omnium , deliciae illius industria omnium , vacatio illius occupatio omnium , salus illius periculum omnium , honor illius objectum omnium . every one should stand centinel to defend the kings houses , his safety should be the danger of all , his pleasures the industry of all , his ease should be the labour of all , his honour the object of all . out of these premisses this conclusion may be easily deduced , that , the principal fountain whence the king derives his happines and safety , is his parlement : it is that great conduit-pipe which conveighs unto him his peeples bounty and gratitude ; the truest looking-glasse wherin he discerns their loves ; now the subjects love hath bin alwayes accounted the prime cittadel of a prince . in his parlement he appears as the sun in the meridian , in the altitude of his glory , in his highest state royal , as the law tels us . therfore whosoever is avers or disaffected to this soveraign law-making court , cannot have his heart well planted within him : he can be neither good subject , nor good patriot ; and therfore unworthy to breathe english air , or have any benefit , advantage , or protection from the laws . sectio secunda . by that which hath been spoken , which is the language of my heart , i hope no indifferent judicious reader will doubt of the cordial affection , of the high respects and due reverence i bear to parlement , as being the wholsomest constitution ( and don by the highest and happiest reach of policy ) that ever was established in this island , to perpetuate the happines therof : therfore i must tell that gentleman who was author of a book entituled the popish royal favorite , ( lately printed and exposed to the world ) that he offers me very hard measure ; nay , he doth me apparant wrong , to terme me therein no frend to parlement , and a malignant ; a character , which as i deserve it not , so i disdain it . for the first part of his charge , i would have him know , that i am as much a frend , and as real an affectionate humble servant and votary to the parlement , as possibly he can be , and will live and die with these affections about me : and i could wish , that he were secretary of my thoughts a while ; or if i may take the boldnes to apply that comparison his late majestie used in a famous speech to one of his parlements , i could wish there were a crystal window in my brest , through which the world might espie the inward motions and palpitations of my heart ; then would he be certified of the sincerity of this protestation . for the second part of his charge , to be a malignant , i must confesse to have som malignity that lurks within me , much against my will ; but it is no malignity of mind , it is amongst the humours , not in my intellectuals . and i beleeve , there is no natural man , let him have his humours never so well ballanced , but hath som of this malignity raigning within him ; for as long as we are composed of the four elements , whence these humours are derived , and with whom they symbolize in qualities ; which elements the philosophers hold to be in a restlesse contention amongst themselves ( and the stoick thought that the world subsisted by this innatemutual strife ) as long , i say , as the four humours , in imitation of their principles ( the elements ) are in perpetual reluctancy and combate for praedominancy , ther must be some malignity lodg'd within us , as adusted choler , and the like ; wherof i had late experience in a dangerous fit of sicknes it pleased god to lay upon me , which the physitians told me proceeded from the malignant hypocondriacal effects of melancholy ; having been so long in this saturnine black condition of close imprisonment , and buried a live between the wals of this fatal fleet . these kinds of malignities , i confesse are very rife in me , and they are not onely incident , but connatural to every man according to his complexion : and were it not for this incessant strugling and enmity amongst the humours for mastery , which produceth such malignant effects in us , our souls would be loth ever to depart from our bodies , or to abandon this mansion of clay . now what malignity my accuser means , i know not ; if he means malignity of spirit , as som antipathy or ill impression upon the mind , arising from disaffection , hatred , or rancor , with a desire of som destructive revenge , he is mightily deceiv'd in me ; i maligne or hate no creature that ever god made , but the devil , who is the author of all malignity ; and therefore is most commonly called in french le malin asprit the malignant spirit . every night before i go to bed , i have the grace , i thank god for it , to forgive all the world , and not to harbour , or let roost in my bosom the least malignant thought ; yet none can deny , but the aspersions which this my accuser casts upon me , were enough to make me a malignant towards him ; yet it could never have the power to do it : for i have prevail'd with my self to forgive him this his wrong censure of me , issuing rather from his notknowledge of me , then from malice ; for we never mingled speech , or saw one another in our lives , to my remembrance : which makes me wonder the more , that a professor of the law , as he is , should pronounce such a positive sentence against me so slightly . but me thinks i over-hear him say , that the precedent discourse of parlement is involv'd in generals , and the tropique axiome tels us , that dolus versatur in universalibus , there is double dealing in universals : his meaning is , that i am no friend to this present parlement ( though he speaks in the plural number parlements ) and consequently , he concludes me a malignant ; therin , i must tell him also , that i am traduc'd , and i am confident it will be never prov'd against me , from any actions , words , or letters ( though divers of mine have bin intercepted ) or any other misdemeanor , though som things are father'd upon me which never drop'd from my quill . alas , how unworthy and uncapable am i to censure the proceedings of that great senate , that high synedrion , wherin the wisdom of the whole state is epitomized ? it were a presumption in me , of the highest nature that could be : it is enough for me to pray for the prosperous successe of their consultations : and as i hold it my duty , so i have good reason so to do , in regard i am to have my share in the happines ; and could the utmost of my poor endeavours , by any ministerial humble office ( and somtimes the meanest boat-swain may help to preserve the ship from sinking ) be so happy , as to contribute any thing to advance that great work ( which i am in despair to do , while i am thus under hatches in this fleet ) i would esteem it the greatest honour that possibly could befal me , as i hold it now to be my greatest disaster , to have faln so heavily under an affliction of this nature , and to be made a sacrifice to publike fame , then which ther is no other proof , nor that yet urg'd against me , or any thing else produc'd after so long , so long captivity , which hath brought me to such a low ebbe , and put me so far behind in the course of my poor fortunes , and indeed more then half undon me . for although my whole life ( since i was left to my self to swim , as they say , without bladders ) has bin nothing else but a continued succession of crosses , and that there are but few red letters found ( god wot ) in the almanack of my age , ( for which i account not my self a whit the less happy ; ) yet this crosse has carried with it a greater weight ; it hath bin of a larger extent , longer continuance , and lighted heavier upon me then any other ; and as i have present parience to bear it , so i hope for subsequent grace to make use of it accordingly , that my old motto may be still confirmed , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . he produceth my attestation for som passages in spain , at his majesties being there , and he quotes me right , which obligeth me to him : and i hope all his quotations , wherin he is so extraordinarily copious and elaborate in all his works , are so ; yet i must tell him , that those interchangeable letters which passed between his majesty and the pope , which were originally couch'd in latine , the language wherin all nations treat with rome , and the empire with all the prinees therof ; those letters , i say , are adulterated in many places , which i impute not to him , but to the french chronicler , from whom he took them in trust . the truth of that busines is this : the world knows ther was a tedious treaty of an alliance 'twixt the infanta dona maria ( who now is empresse ) and his mijesty , which in regard of the slow affected pace of the spaniard , lasted about ten yeers , as that in henry the sevenths time , 'twixt prince arthur and ( afterwards ) queen katherine , was spun out above seven : to quicken , or rather to consummate the work , his majesty made that adventurous journey through the whole continent of france into spain ; which voyage , though ther was a great deal of gallantry in it ( whereof all posterity will ring , until it turn at last to a romance ) yet it prov'd the bane of the busines , which 't is not the arrand of so poor a pamphlet as this to unfold . his majesty being ther arriv'd , the ignorant common peeple cryed out , the prince of wales came thither to make himself a christian . the pope writ to the inquisitor general , and others , to use all industry they could to reduce him to the roman religion ; and one of olivares first complements to him , was , that he doubted not but that . his highnes came thither to change his religion : wherunto he made a short answer , that he came not thither for a religion , but for a wife . ther were extraordinary processions made , and other artifices us'd by protraction of things to make him stay ther of purpose till the spring following , to work upon him the better : and the infanta her self desir'd him ( which was esteem'd the greatest favour he received from her all the while ) to visit the nun of carion ; hoping that the said nun , who was so much cryed up for miracles , might have wrought one upon him ; but her art failed her , nor was his highnesse so weak a subject to work upon , according to his late majesties speech to doctor mawe and wren , who when they came to kisse his hands , before they went to spain to attend the prince their master , he wished them to have a care of buckingham ; as touching his son charls , he apprehended no fear at all of him ; for he knew him to be so well grounded a protestant , that nothing could shake him in his religion . the arabian proverb is , that the sun never soiles in his passage , though his beams reverberate never so strongly , and dwell never so long upon the myry lake of maeotis , the black turf'd moors of holland , the aguish woose of kent and essex , or any other place , be it never so dirty . though spain be a hot country , yet one may passe and repasse through the very center of it , and never be sun-burnt , if he carry with him a bongrace , and such a one his majesty had . well , after his majesties arrival to madrid , the treaty of marriage went on still , ( though he told them at his first coming , that he came not thither like an ambassadour , to treat of marriage ; but as a prince , to fetch home a wife ; ) and in regard they were of different religions , it could not be done without a dispensation from the pope , and the pope would grant none , unless som capitulations were stipulated in favour of the romish catholikes in england , ( the same in substance were agreed on with france . ) well , when the dispensation came , which was negotiated solely by the king of spains ministers ; because his majesty would have as little to do as might be with rome , pope gregory the fifteenth , who died a little after , sent his majesty a letter , which was delivered by the nuncio , wherof an answer was sent a while after : which letters were imprinted and exposed to the view of the world , because his mijesty would not have peeple whisper , that the busines was carried in a clandestine manner . and truely besides this , i do not know of any letter , or message , or complement , that ever pass'd 'twixt his majesty and the pope , afore or after ; som addresses peradventure might be made to the cardinals , to whom the drawing of those matrimonial dispatches was referred , to quicken the work ; but this was onely by way of civil negotiation . now touching that responsory letter from his majesty , it was no other then a complement in the severest interpretation , and such formalities passe 'twixt the crown of england , and the great turk , and divers heathen princes . the pope writ first , and no man can deny , but by all moral rules , and in common humane civility . his majesty was , bound to answer it , specially considering how punctual they are in those countries to correspond in this kind , how exact they are in repairing visits , and the performance of such ceremonies : and had this compliance bin omitted , it might have made very ill impressions , as the posture of things stood then ; for it had prejudiced the great work in hand , i mean , the match , which was then in the heat and height of agitation : his majesties person was there engag'd , and so it was no time to give the least offence . they that are never so little vers'd in busines abroad , do know that ther must be addresses , compliances , and formalities of this nature ( according to the italian proverb , that one must somtimes light a candle to the devil ) us'd in the carriage of matters of state , as this great busines was , wheron the eyes of all christendom were so greedily fix'd : a busines which was like to bring with it such an universall good , as the restitution of the palatinate , the quenching of those hideous fires in germany , and the establishing of a peace through all the christian world . i hope none will take offence , that in this particular which comes within the compas of my knowledg , being upon the stage when this scene was acted , i do this right to the king my master , in displaying the truth , and putting her forth in her own colours , a rare thing in these dayes . touching the vocal forest , an allegorical discourse , that goes abroad under my name , a good while before the beginning of this parlement , which this gentleman cites ( and that very faithfully ) i understand there be som that mutter at certain passages therin , by putting ill glosses upon the text , and taking with the left hand what i offer with the right : ( nor is it a wonder for trees which lie open , and stand exposed to all weathers , to be nipt ) but i desire this favour , which in common justice , i am sure in the court of chancery , cannot be denied me , it being the priviledg of evry author , and a received maxime through the world , cujus est condere , ejus est interpretari ; i say , i crave this favour , to have leave to expound my own text , and i doubt not then but to rectifie any one in his opinion of me , and that in lieu of the plums which i give him from those trees , he will not throw the stones at me . moreover , i desire those that are over critical censurers of that peece , to know , that as in divinity it is a rule , scriptura parabolica non est argumentativa ; so it is in all other kind of knowledg . parables ( wherof that discourse is composed ) though pressed never so hard , prove nothing . ther is another rule also , that parables must be gently used , like a nurses brest ; which if you presse too hard , you shall have blood in stead of milk . but as the author of the vocal forest thinks he hath done , neither his countrey , nor the common-wealth of learning any prejudice thereby ; ( that maiden fancy having received so good entertainment and respect abroad , as to be translated into divers languages , and to gain the public approbation of som famous universities . ) so he makes this humble protest unto all the world , that though the designe of that discourse was partly satyrical ( which peradventure induc'd the author to shrowd it of purpose under the shadows of trees ; and wher should satyres be , but amongst trees ? ) yet it never entred into his imagination to let fall from him the least thing that might give any offence to the high and honourable court of parlement , wherof he had the honor to be once a member , and hopes he may be thought worthy again : and were he guilty of such an offence , or piacle rather , he thinks he should never forgive himself , though he were appointed his own judge . if ther occur any passage therin , that may admit a hard construction , let the reader observe , that the author doth not positively assert , or passe a judgment on any thing in that discourse which consists principally of concise , cursory narrations of the choisest occurrences and criticisms of state , according as the pulse of time did beat then : and matters of state , as all other sublunary things , are subject to alterations , contingencies and change , which makes the opinions and minds of men vary accordingly ; not one amongst twenty is the same man to day as he was four yeers ago , in point of judgment , which turns and alters according to the circumstance and successe of things : and it is a true saving , wherof we find common experience , posterior dies est prioris magister . the day following is the former dayes schoolmaster . ther 's another aphorism , the wisdom of one day is soolishnes to another , and 't will be so as long as ther is a man left in the world . i will conclude with this modest request to that gentleman of the long robe ; that having unpassionately perus'd what i have written in this small discourse , in penning wherof my conscience guided my quill all along as well as my hand , he would please to be so charitable and just , as to revers that harsh sentence upon me , to be no frend to parlements , and a malignant . finis . proedria vasilikē a discourse concerning the precedency of kings : wherin the reasons and arguments of the three greatest monarks of christendom, who claim a several right therunto, are faithfully collected, and renderd : wherby occasion is taken to make great britain better understood then [sic] some forren authors (either out of ignorance or interest) have represented her in order to this particular : whereunto is also adjoyned a distinct treatise of ambassadors &c. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) proedria vasilikē a discourse concerning the precedency of kings : wherin the reasons and arguments of the three greatest monarks of christendom, who claim a several right therunto, are faithfully collected, and renderd : wherby occasion is taken to make great britain better understood then [sic] some forren authors (either out of ignorance or interest) have represented her in order to this particular : whereunto is also adjoyned a distinct treatise of ambassadors &c. howell, james, ?- . [ ], p., leaves of plates : ports. printed by ja. cottrel, for sam. speed ..., and chr. eccleston ..., london : . advertisement: p. . dedication "to his majesty" [charles ii] signed: j. howel. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng precedence -- early works to . diplomacy -- early works to . ambassadors -- early works to . monarchy -- early works to . state, the -- early works to . great britain -- kings and rulers -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion Π Ρ Ο Ε Δ Ρ Ι Α - Β Α Σ Ι Λ Ι Κ Η : a discourse concerning the precedency of kings : wherin the reasons and arguments of the three greatest monarks of christendom ▪ who claim a several right therunto , are faithfully collected , and renderd . wherby occasion is taken to make great britain better understood then some forren authors ( either out of ignorance or interest ) have represented her in order to this particular . whereunto is also adjoynd a distinct treatise of ambassadors , &c. symbolum authoris senesco , non segnesco . london : printed by ia. co●…trel , for sam. speed , at the rainbow ; and chr. eccleston , at the middle shop under st. dunstans church in fleetstreet . . to his majesty of great britain , france and ireland , &c. sir , ther are many who have written of the pre-eminences and antiquity , of the power and prerogatives of france and spain in order to a precedence or superiority ; but while they magnifie their own kings , they derogat from other : moreover , while they produce their resons , they often fall into such excesses of speech , that they may be calld rather rodomontados then resons . but ther is none who hath written yet of great britain in relation to this point ; therfore t is the principal scope of this vvork , wherin ther is an endevour to make her better understood ; and to prove by relevant and lively resons , ( without offence to any ) that the monark of great britain if he go not before , at least he ought not to come behind any king whatsoever . now , in regard t is a theme of so sublime a nature , and depends chiefly upon ancient records , history , and the opinion of civilians , ( who have bin principally consulted ) the author hath had a special care and caution to be very exact and tru in his quotati ons of all kinds . lastly , the author ( most humbly under favor ) did deem himself not altogether incapable of such a task , for having bin in most of the great courts of christendom ; for having negotiated by royal commission above three years in the court of spain ; for having bin orator in an extraordinary ambassage to denmark , and divers princes of germany ; for having bin so often in france , and sundry courts of italy , &c. he may be thought not to be impar negotio . may all the blessings and best influences of heven light upon your royal head this new-year , and many , many , many more , according to the due and dayly devotions of the humblest of calendis januarii , . your majesties votaries & vassals , j. howel . to the discerning reader . the ingredients and matter wherof this new kind of historical peece is composd , may be said to be all of crown-gold , the subject therof being kings : whence it is worth the observing , that history is a lady of that excellence , that she hath kings to her subjects . we well know what a ticklish and tremendous task it is to treat of kings , who have power of life and death ; ther must be as much caution as care usd therin ; it is as perilous as it is painful : it is as walking upon the ridg of a high house , or dancing upon a rope , where unless one be well counterpoizd , he is in danger to break his neck ; especially a task of this high nature , that treats of regal precedence . and we find that they who write too peremptorily thereof , have done it with more offence then satisfaction . and indeed ther was never any binding determination made therof , but where decisions have bin made , the princes upon new occasions have excepted or protested against them : therfore the author here doth not presume to determine the question positively and definitively en dernier ressort ; for — tantas componere lites non opis est nostrae — therfore he refers it to the discerning reader , who is left free , and evry way unsubornd to pass his iudgment accordingly , in mesuring evry king by the merit of his own resons , which are here fairly and faithfully exhibited ; and those of france and spain exactly drawn out of their own authors , having not omitted any that hath any weight . now , t is found among historians , that contestations about precedence of session and superiority , with other formalities , complements , visits and ceremonies , have bin very fatal to christendom ; and t is observd also that the various dignities in the church hath multiplied them : the great clash twixt rome and constantinople , ( twixt st. peter and st. andrew ) was the unhappy cause of the defection and total separation of the greek church from the latin : the hot dispute for precedence twixt the emperour frederiki and pope adrian . did put all the christian world on fire : the great oecumenical council at lyons , which concernd so much the interest of christendom , broke up about punctilios for precedencie : the great contest twixt patriarks and cardinals bred a great deal of confusion ; but at last the patriarks had the better , for they of constantinople , hierusalem , antioch , and alexandria precede the cardinals , though they be calld the princes of the church , and have the prerogative not to be tryed without witnesses , i mean the bishop-cardinals ; witnesses the cardinal-priests , and the deacon-cardinal . one of the causes , ( and it proved the greatest ) that the english lost france , was a clash that happend at st. omers twixt the duke of bedford and burgundy about punctilios of complement and precedency . that hopeful trety of peace at bullen twixt queen elizabeth and her brother-in-law phil. . king of spain , after a long lingring war by sea and land , broke off for question of precedence , or rather for the peevishness of the spanish ambassadors , who had no other argument that had any probability of reson , but that the catholik king was encreasd in territories ; wheras the civilians say , that supervenient and accessory dominions , with accumulation of titles , have no force twixt princes all the while they continue still in eodem gradu dignitatis . nor could they give any answer at all to the arguments the english ambassadors producd , wherof one was , that of volaterranus , who doth plainly relate how the pope did adjudge the prerogative of precedence to hen. . of england , before ferdinand of spain , as it will appeer more at large in the following discours . now , ther have bin divers means found by prudent mediators from time to time for accommoding and reconcilement of differences in point of precedence ; somtimes by dilatorious ways ; somtimes by alternatif determinations , yet jure partium integre reservato ; as the great clash twixt warwick and buckingham in england was composd that they shold precede alternatim evry three yeers ; so the hot contest twixt the ursini and the colonnas , two of the antientst families in rome , was reconcild , that the elder of the two who were living , shold precede , which makes the younger never come to the popes chappel , where they take place next kings ambassadors . the difference inter scherensem , & wolfeggianam familiam in germany was reconcild , that the one shold carry the pomum aureum , the golden apple of the empire going in , the other at going out . among artificers , and men of trade , the civilians say , that each one is to precede according to the dignity of the stuff wheron they work . moreover , when publik instruments are made , that kingdom in whose right t is made hath the precedence , so somtimes scotland is namd before england , &c. general precedences do differ according to the genius of some nations ; as among the turks , to go on the left hand is more honorable sedendo & incedendo in sitting and going then on the right ; and the reson is good , because he may seaze upon his companions sword at plesure . in spain the pages and laquays go before , and the lords follow ; and in some cases t is so in france , as in going over a bridg , a plank or a river , the man goes before the master , according to the old proverb , en pont , en planche , en riviere valet devant , maitre derriere . concerning ambassadors , ther is a way that they shall never clash , which is , to make them parallels , viz. that the ambassadors of those kings who stand in competition for precedence , do never meet ( unless it be in visiting one another ) and the mathematician tells us , that parallelae etiamsi ducantur in infinitum nunquam concurrent , parallels although they be drawn in infinitum , they will never meet ; and if ambassadors never meet , they will never jussle or jarr . j. h. the civilians , antiquaries , and historians , both latin , english , british , italians , spanish , and french , that were consulted , and cited in the compilement of this work . goldastus cassanaeus besoldus valdesius francisco vasquez volaterranus bodin boterus albericus gentilis lansius augustin caranato thesaurus politicus ant. corsetus camillo borrello boccolini sleidon dr. gaspar bragaccia paschalius don ant. de zuniga mariana garibai fredericus de marselaer carolus de grassaliis du haillan comines pierre matthieu the bishop of rhodes du serres vers●…egan il conte losco the lord coke bishop usher sir thomas more sir walter raleigh sir robert cotton sir henry spelman sir richard baker sir iohn finet sir iohn price iudg doddridge humphry lloyd iudg ienkins mr. campden mr. selden mr. fabian philipps barclays argenis matthew paris polydore virgile sir henry wotten sir isaak wake mr. minshew . besides these authors , many ancient records and manuscripts have bin consulted ; and the perusing of old parchment-records is a hard and harsh work ; it may be said to be like the peeling of old walnuts . analysis totius operis . touching the matter and method in framing this work , it is by dividing it into four compartments , viz. into four sections ; the first three treat of the precedence of kings ; the fourth of ambassadors . evry one of the sections is subdivided into ten heads or paragraphs , containing still new matter . the first section consists of the resons of the king of great britain , &c. first , that he had to his predecessors as ancient kings as france and spain , and as famous ; among others mulmutius dunwallo , who raignd here many hundred yeers before the romans came in , and he was so great a legislator , that his laws are calld leges mulmuntinae , and stand upon record to this day . moreover , his majesty now regnant is the hundred thirty ninth king of britain , and the hundred and ninth of scotland ; wheras neither spain or france can shew a catalog of half the number . . the king of great britain had to his predecessor the first christian king that ever was upon earth , viz. king lucius , according to the concurrent opinion of all antiquaries , for st. peters church in cornhil was built by him , as a record yet extant shews ; and this was many hundred yeers before france or spain had any christian king , which made england to be entitled in all dispatches from rome , primogenita ecclesiae , the first-born daughter of the church . now , it is a canon among the civilians , summa ratio quae ducitur à religione ; and grotius hath also a principle , qui primò christianismum professi sunt praecedant , &c. . the king of great britain hath a merum & immixum imperium he hath as absolut possession and authority , and more independent then france or spain , take spiritual and temporal together . . the king of great britain for eminence of royal dignity , for state and titles , hath as fair flowers , he hath as rich jewels in his crowns as any other ; he hath as noble arms , the cross , and the lyon who is king of animals . . the king of great britain had to his predecessor the first christian emperour constantin , and the first christian worthy arthur the first founder of martial knighthood , whom ther is truth enough to make famous without that which is thought fabulous . . the king of great britains predecessors were the first who freed themselfs from the roman yoke long before france or spain ; and this is one of the greatest arguments that those kings do produce for a precedence one of another . . the kings of great britain had precedence adjudgd them both of france and spain in general councils , as also by the decrees of popes , as it will appeer in the following discours . . the king of great britain is souverain of as noble an order of knighthood as any in christendome , wherof eight emperours , and well neer eight times as many kings have bin , and is more ancient then the royal orders of france or spain . . the king of great britain hath had as martial and magnanimous progenitors as any of the other two , who performd great acts both far and neer ; and touching exploits in the holy land , the kings of spain had little share in them . . the king of great britain hath as free-born and strong sturdy peeple of four several nations to make soldiers of , as either france or spain : he hath the best mariners , the stoutest men of war , the noblest haven , for so milford is accounted by all geographers : he hath the inaccessiblest coasts , with the greatest command and power at sea both defensive and offensive of any king whatsoever . the second section consists of reasons and arguments why france doth pretend and challenge priority of place ; which reasons ( under favor ) may be appliable also to the king of great britain , and the world knows why : but for to make the king of great britain come after the king of france , is to make him come behind himself , which is no less then an absurdity . the third section consists of the reasons and arguments which spain alledgeth for precedence , at least of an equality with the two forementiond kings ; extracted with as much fidelity as carefulness out of her own authors , as don diego de valdez , d. francisco vasquez , with others . the fourth section consists of a discours of ambassadors . t is tru , ther are some who have written of this subject already , yet not any under this meridian ; but those forreners who have discoursd therof do amuse the reader with such general notions , that the breeding and qualities which they require , as also the monitions , precepts and instructions which they prescribe , may fit any other minister of state , or man of business . but this discours doth appropriat it self soly to the subject we undertake , viz. to the function , office and incumbency of an ambassador . a necessary aviso to the reader . wheras the four following sections which may be calld so many decades , in regard evry one consists of ten several discourses , which makes forty in all ; i say , wheras they are full of quotations , authorities , texts , testimonies , and examples , both modern and ancient ; and wheras the author was not so precise as to point at the particular pages , paragraphs , or chapters where they are found , and wherwith other books have their margens so cloggd : the reader is humbly desird to take this advertisement , that it belongs to school-men , and professors of the laws , who use to deal with matters of meum & tuum , or of life and death , to be so punctual ; but , under favor , free historians are not tied to such a strictness : wherfore they may modestly expect , that , with an ingenuous candor the readers wold carry with them a generous confidence , which they may do here without scruple of conscience , or incurring any danger to wrong their faith. j. h. several books worth buying , to be sold by samuel speed at the rainbow neer the inner temple-gate in fleetstreet . guillims heraldry : folio . atter sol on philemon : folio . ammianus marcellinus : folio . porta's natural magick : folio . pharamond , a romance : folio . shepards actions on deeds : folio . palmerin of england : . artificial changeling : . bacons history of england : . dr. griffiths bethel : . purchas of bees : . white on the sabbath : . genealogies : in . in . in . mountagues essays : . perkins catechism : . judge ramsey of coffee : . ramsey of poysons : . paracels●… of metals : . ainsworths communion of saints : . sadlers art of physick : . burgersdicius logick : . the life of henry the fourth : . latine bibles : . andrews catechistical doctrine : . drexelius christian zodiack : . wollebius in latine : . — in english : . these to be sold by christopher eccleston , under st. dunstans church in fleetstreet . crooks report : fol. wingates reports : fol. latches reports : fol. queens closet : . wits recreations : . athanasius life : . life of st. cuthbert : . littleton on the church-catechism : . wars of the jews : . cases of conscience about things indifferent . grand case of the present ministry . review of the grand case . sales epigrammatum , being the choicest dysticks of martials epigrams , of chief latine poets that have been these last two hundred yeers . shakespears plays . touching the precedence of soverain princes . concerning the pope and the emperour , ther never was any question or controversie of their precedencies , and consequently of their representatives in all transactions and signatures , at all oecumenical councils , with other public meetings , being allowed to the one ( by those who are devoted to him by way of filiation ) as he is held the vica●… of christ , the successor of the prince of the apostles , the holy father , who hath the command of the spiritual sword which strikes deep , having dominion over the noblest part of man which is the soul ; insomuch that some have magnified him so far , and fallen to such an excess of speech , as to say , that he antecels all temporal princes as much as the soul excels the body . nor do they onely allow him priority of place , but out of high ideas of holiness , both emperour and kings esteem it a great honour to hold the bason and towel when he washeth his hands ; nay , to hold his stirrop and bridle , yea to kiss his feet : according to the poet , who gives this character of him : ense potens gemino , cujus vestigia adorat caesar , & aurato vestiti murice reges . he who commands the two-edg'd sword , whose feet caesar , and crowned kings with kisses greet . insomuch that when at the great ceremony of his consecration by the cardinal-bishop of ostia , the papal mitre is put on his head , the chief deacon says aloud , accipe tiaram tribus ornatum coronis , & scias te esse patrem regum , & rectorem orbis , &c. receive the mitre adorned with three crowns ; and know , that thou art the father of kings , and rector of the world , &c. from hence is derived the precedence that all other church-men have ; as at the election of the emperour , the three ecclesiastical electors , viz. the archbishops of mentz , colen , and triers , take place of the king of bohemia , and all the rest . moreover , out of a special veneration of the church , when the tremendous oath is read and administred unto them to be just in their choice , the archbishops put their hands onely upon their breasts , whereas all the secular electors hold their hands upon the book all the while . adde hereunto , that the cardinals being princes of the church , deduce such a pre-eminence from the pope , that they take precedence of all ambassadours whose masters are devoted to the roman see. moreover , among the peers of france , the six spiritual without any scruple take precedence of the rest : as also our bishops do in england in the parliament-house of all the lay peers . furthermore , the pope hath still such a sway and influence upon the emperour , that he cannot be stil'd augustus , or receive the golden crown , until he be confirmed by the consistory at rome . of the emperour . we come now to wait on the emperour , who retains still the title of caesar , and semper augustus : he also is stil'd numen , divus ; and his edicts are call'd sancita divalia , god-like decrees . for many descents the empire continued in the race of iulius caesar , until domitius nero's time ; then the name of caesar grew to be accidental , and given by way of adoption to the heir apparent of the empire , whereas before he was call'd princeps iuventutis : and when the western empire came to be reviv'd in charlemain , the next to succeed was term'd king of italy , but now he is created king of the romanes ; which institution was made by charles the fifth . iulius caesar was the first who rais'd rome to an empire , though it cost him dear : for the foundation thereof was cimented with his own blood , being assassinated in the senat by his nearest confidents in compassing that great work : whereby 't is observable what an extraordinary kinde of fate did betide that city : for as the first foundation thereof was sprinkled with blood when romulus caus'd his brother rhemus to be put to death , when the first walls thereof were erecting ; so the roman empire was afterwards first raised by caesar's blood. and the spiritual empire she enjoys since , may also be said to have been raised by the blood of christian martyrs , among whom above thirty of the first bishops of rome were of the number . now , if one should compare the present roman empire with the old when it was at the highest flourish , the parallel would bear no more proportion then a wren ( who yet is call'd in latine regulus , a little king ) doth hold with an eagle : for the roman monarchy when she was at the greatest pitch of sublimity and altitude of puissance and glory , may be said to have no horizon , no termination ( as the author hath it elsewhere ) while she sate upon her seven hills , she may be said to have overlooked the world. the city of rome was then fifty miles in circuit ; five hundred thousand free citizens were computed to sleep within her walls , by that famous cense which vopiscus speaks of . the roman eagle fixed his talents upon the banks of euphrates eastward ; on the nile , and the mountains of the moon , south ; on the danube and rhin northward ; and west , as far as the british and german ocean . her annual revenues were computed at millions , whereof the salary of her legionary soldiers amounted yearly to above millions , &c. but that high-soaring eagle , who with full-summ'd wing flew so far , and may be said to have the sun himself for her companion , now with a few broken and tatter'd flaggy plumes flies onely twixt danube and the rhin ; and were she not impd with austrian fethers , she wold be as bald as a new-pluck'd capon . yet for all this fatal stoop , had the emperour at present all germany entirely subject to himself , as he precedes in title and place , so he might haply compare in power with any one christian prince : for almaine or teutony is a continent of such a vast expansion , that it might give the law to any one single kingdome in europe were it subject to one head. but the emperour in statu quo nunc , may be said to be but titulary emperour of germany : for of those ten circles where into it is divided , viz. austria high and low , franconia , bavaria , saxonia , westphalia , the lower circle of saxony , the two palatinats , and burgundy , he hath no absolute authority but onely in austria , which is his patrimonial inheritance . the government of the rest , though it be principally in the emperour , 't is diffusedly in the dier or imperial parlement , but contractedly and actually in the seven electors , who have a kinde of ius regale in them , as power of life and death , coyning of moneys , levying of men , and settling what religion they please ; it being a rule and prerogative among them , that quilibet imperii status tantum possit in suo territorio , quantum imperator in toto imperio : every state of the empire hath as much power in his own territory , as the emperour hath in the whole empire . yet they cannot make any league or confederacy with any other prince , but with this reservation , that it be not prejudicial to the common peace of the empire . now we finde that there were many fatal causes which concurred to bring the roman empire to so low an ebb : the first was the translation of the imperial court from rome to bizantium or constantinople , whereby the eagle grew to be a monster with two heads , the one looking eastward , the other west : yet he of the east stil'd himself still for about years the roman emperour , governing the west by deputies ; during which time , a world of tough northern nations broke into italy to draw nearer the sun ; and there as well as in other places , took firm footing , until charlemain chac'd them away , who first stil'd himself emperour of the west by an agreement made with nicephorus at constantinople : which western empire also received soon after a fatal blow by the partition that his son lewis the debonnaire made to finde portions for his three sons ; insomuch that the roman empire came to be coop'd up at last within the german pale : and since that time it stands upon historical records , how from the raign of rodolph the first , above princes , states , and imperial cities , have dismembred and emancipated themselfs from the empire ; some by working upon the emperours necessities , and furnishing him with tresure to support his wars ; and for their moneys they had immunities granted them equivalent to a releasement from subjection . moreover , as the popes temporal dominions most of them were plumes taken from the roman eagle , so the change of religion by the lutherans did much weaken him , for many since revolted quite from him without paying any thing . the last were the lituanians , the swisses , and geneva ; the first fell from charles the fifth , who summoning them to their obedience , and threatning else to reduce them by arms , they returned this jeering answer , that they believed his horse wold tire before he could reach the skirts of lituania . and the swisse falling from their spiritual obedience to the pope , fell also from their temporal allegiance to the emperour , and to have any thing to do with the chamber of spire . thus we see in part the degrees and causes of the declination ●…f the roman monarchy at first , and of the german empire afterwards , which may be said to have shrunk from a great lyon into a cat-skin . but to know the principal cause , we must cast our eyes upward , and attribut all to the will and high plesure of the all-disposing emperour of the universe , who as he puts bounds to the raging billows of the great ocean , so he sers boundaries and periods to all earthly grandeurs . nevertheless , though in point of power and territories the emperour be grown so weak and naked in comparison of what he was , yet in point of precedence and dignity he bears up still the same , being accounted the prime potentat , and prince paramount of christendome . and well may all christian kings esteem him so , in regard that their territories may be said to be but branches of the great roman tree , which falling off , and taking new roots , they began to taper up , and grow to be regal trees of themselfs . great britain , as she was the last that was reduced under the roman yoak , so she was the first who shook it off , and enfranchiz'd her self : which is no mean honour and advantage to her king in point of precedence , as will appeer more at large in the ensuing discourse . nor is the emperour and his ministers thus esteem'd among christian kings onely , but also by the turk , who stiles him still the roman emperour , and next himself the greatest monarch ; reputing his ambassadours accordingly , by allowing them to have palaces in constantinople the same side the seraglio is on ; and they go always concomitant with the ottoman court wheresoever it removes . they have the precedence given them of the ambassadors both of the persian and tartar , notwithstanding that the first holds himself the greatest potentat upon earth , having a custome duely observed , that after dinner an officer winds a trumpet at his court-gate towards the four parts of the world , to give notice to all other princes that he hath dined already , and so they may go now all to dinner . and concerning the persian , the example of the lo. david ungnadius shall serve , who being ambassador in the turks court for the emperour , and coming for audience to the duana , the persian ambassador had come before , and got the chair ; but ungnadius offering to go away , the gran visier caus'd an upper chair to be put for him . another time at mahomet the thirds circumcision , which lasted days , there being then in constantinople the ambassadors of the greatest monarchs upon earth , yet the ambassador of rodulphus the emperour had the precedence of them all . all this is but collateral to the main designe of the intended discourse , which aims chiefly at kings , whereunto we now hasten ; but we will first give a few hints or prolegomenas of the original of kingly government . of royalty , or kingly government . there is a saying in france , pape par voix , empereur par force , roy par nature : pope by choice , emperour by might , king by nature , viz. successive , and hereditary kings who ought to have the precedence of elective . whence may be inferred , that kingly government is most agreeable to nature . now 't is a tru and elegant principle , that naturam sequi est deo obsequi ; to follow nature is to obey god. concerning the character or title of king , it is of a more ancient date then that of emperour . for they who grope at government before the floud , speak of kings in chaldee and egypt . rome began with kings , and it may be said , that it was more the peeples wantonness then tarquin's which put them down . afterwards the name of emperour was given to that person who was commander in chief of the army or praetorian bands , and legionary soldiers : it was not a title of that sublimity and transcendence as it proved afterward . among the greek authors the names of monarchs , kings and emperours are taken promiscuously : but all writers that pretend to policy , acknowledge that kingly government of all other as it is the most ancient , ( and may be said to begin with adam ) so it hath most conformity with that of heaven , whence the best patterns for all humane actions are to be fetch'd , and 't is no presumption to do it . moreover , of all kinde of ruling powers , royalty is the prime ; for in it , as the civilians say , there is formalis , & completa gubernandi ratio , the most formal , and compleat essence of government . royalty also hath the easiest , the fewest , and certainst principles , ( if any certain can be found ) for there is no knowledge so subject to confusion and incertitudes , as the art for man to govern men ; it could never yet be brought to a science , which consists of general and tru apodictical demonstrations . the reason may be , the various inclinations , caprichio's , and humours of peeple , proceeding from the diversity of climes , and coelestial influences ; as also , from that world of contingencies which attend human negotiations ; likewise from the diffring positions of earth , for those laws and kinds of government which may be proper for the continent , will not fit an insulary peeple ; nor those laws of a maritime country can sute with meer inland , or mediterranean territories : therefore , that gran senior of all knowledge , the stagirite , whereas he useth to be constant to himself while he gives maximes for other sciences , when in his politiques he comes to human government , and beats his brain how to prescribe certain rules conducing thereunto , he is not found onely at a loss , and wavering to himself , but he wraps his scholars here and there in clouds of ambiguities . nor can we blame him and others to rove up and down in that manner upon this subject , it being beyond the compass of human brain to enact such laws may fit all times , prevent all accidents , and quadrat with the genius of all nations . some peeple are so fiery-mouth'd that they must be rid with a bit , curb , and martingale ; but a snaf●…le and gentle hand will serve to manage others : now 't is observ'd , that they who inhabit hard and barren countries , are more easily govern'd then those who live in fat and luxurious soyls , where being pamper'd with plenty and wealth , they are apt to grow wanton , and kick at , or overthrow their riders . yet it may be said , that there is one certain and universal rule for government , and to keep a peeple in a constant and exact obedience ; and that rule is , for the soveraign prince to have always a standing and visible actual power in motion , as well to conserve as to curb a peeple in case of any commotion ; and 't is consentaneous to good reason , that the subject shold contribut for this general protection , according to the saying , defend me , and spend me ; that so evry one may rest under his own roofs , and sit at his own fires in quietness and safety . in sum , all statists concur in this , that there is an awe due to a king , as well as affection ; he must be a dread soverain , as well as a gracious ; and that goverment●…s best temper'd where a few drams of fear are blended with the peeples love. but now to our main work. touching the precedence of kings , and particularly of the great triumvirs , or the three most potent kings in europe . in discussing this high point , we will first look westward : for there is a story tells us , that once when there were divers who stood in competition for the kingdome of persia , it was agreed between them , that the next morning they shold all meet in a great plain , and he who did first see the sun rising , and that his horse did neigh , shold be the king. being met on horse-back at break of day , as the rest stood gazing towards the east , darius one of the competitors , look'd always towards the west ; and at last finding a glance of the solar beams , his horse neighed ; whereat he suddenly turned back , and so claim'd the kingdome : so , to finde the truth of what is here sought after , we will first look westward towards great britain , whose king may compare with any other whatsoever for these reasons . first , for antiquity of predecessors , and particularly of christian kings . secondly , for an independent , absolute and unhomageable possession and authority , both spiritual and temporal . thirdly , for eminence of royal dignity , state and titles . fourthly , for martial exploits and atchievments abroad . fifthly , for a stout and strong sturdy freeborn peeple , with a plentiful masculine country , and generality of wealth . sixthly , for a royal long-lind extraction and blood. seventhly , for hospitality , and a plentiful kingly court , with number of officers , and stately attendance . eighthly , for diversity of nations , and diffring maternal languages ; as also that no kings face shines upon his coyn in purer metal . ninthly , for prudential laws and constitutions . tenthly , for greatness of power by sea and land defensive and offensive , with other prerogatives : i say , that the king of great britain may hereby not onely claim an equality with the other two , but stand fair for a precedence . now , for proof of all the fore-pointed particulars , we will put evry one by it self , and treat thereof in several paragraphs ; and first , of the antiquity of the king , and particularly of the christian kings in great britain , whereby we take a jove principium . — it is observed by most annalists who write of countries and nations , that the britains who were the aborigenes , the primitive inhabitants , and may be said to be connatural with this iland it self , were by a special instinct much devoted to the contemplation of heavenly things : for the ancient druydes that were the first divines or professors of religion , ( who in lieu of monasteries or colleges , were used to retire themselfs to woods and solitary places to speculat the works of god and nature ) were renowned far and near beyond the seas ; and the emperour iulius caesar writes , that the gaules ( now french ) were wont to come over to be instructed by the british druydes , who , as he saith elsewhere , and is seconded by cornelius tacitus , ( which spent part of his life here ) had more pregnant capacities then the gaules . now , in those times ther were divers martial kings here , whereas they scarce make mention of any in gallia . to avoid prolixity , we will instance onely in boadicia that admired virago , and cataractus , who having maintain'd for many years this kingdom from the romanes more by the bodies of men , and pure natural valour , then by arms , was at last carried prisoner to rome , where being not a whit daunted , he reproach'd the romanes , ( yet with a kind of complement ) that he wondred how they having such stately palaces at rome , wold take such long hazardous journeys to dwell in homely houses of clay , as those of britain were in those days . before the romans raigned here , there had been very many kings of this iland , for cassibelan whom caesar speaks of , was the sixty third british king thereof ; when it pleased the father of light to display the early beams of christianity in this iland , which was very betimes : for , as gregory the th says in his letter to his late majesty at that time in spain , ( which he was to receive in common civility as the pope is also a temporal prince ) no sooner did the roman eagle fly over hither , but the standard of the cross was inarborated and set up : i say , that then , which may be said to be in the nonage of the church , lucius surius , call'd in british , llei vab coel lucius , the son of coel , ( who was king before him ) sent to eleutherius for his laws to govern the church by , who returned him this answer : vicarius dei estis in regno vestro , gentes vestri regni pulli vestri sunt , &c. habetis penes vos legem , & fidem christi ; habetis utramque paginam , &c. you are gods vicar in your kingdome , your peeple are your chickins ; you have the law , and faith of christ ; you have both the testaments , &c. this king lucius afterwards having frequent symptomes and fits of extraordinary devotion , forsook all earthly pomp and plesure , and went on pilgrimage to rome , where he employed the remnant of his life in the theory of holy things , and to study the art of mortification , as venerable bede and baronius , with all authors both old and new , do affirm . now , this was a long tract of time before ther was any christian king in france or spain , or indeed any where else . 't is true , that st. iames the apostle was in spain , but as the story says , there were but nine persons that were converted ; but in great britain it may be said , that as the sun when he begins to appear and culminat in the east , doth as it were in a moment enlighten the whole hemisphere ; so the rays of the son of righteousnes did with marvellous celerity and success ( leaping over as it were many other countries ) illuminat this western iland first , insomuch that when austin ( whom many call the apostle of the saxons or english ) arrived here some ages after , ther were then in bangor and elsewhere above monks . he found the pentateuch of moses & the new testament translated into british , as also a form of divine service , which stand yet upon record . the huge continent of germany , with norway and denmark , with divers other countries , acknowledg to have receiv'd the first light of learning and of the gospel from hence by winfrid and willebrod , as an ingenious german-poet confesseth in these numbers : haec tamen arctois laus est aeterna britannis , quòd post pannonicis vastatum incursibus orbem illa bonas artes , & graiae munera linguae , stellarumque vias , & magni sydera coeli observans , iterum turbatis intulit oris , quin se religio multùm debere britannis servata , & latè circum dispersa fatetur ; quis nomen winfride tuum , quis munera nescit ! te duce germanis pietas se vera , fidesque insinuans coepit ritus abolere prophanos ; quid non alcuino facunda lutetia debet ? &c. and as it is the consentient opinion of all antiquaries , that the first christian king who ever raign'd in europe was of this i le , so the first christian emperour ( constantin the great ) came from her bowels , being son to helena that renowned british lady , who bears one of the first places in the catalogue of saints , and is called elen luyddiog ( the warlike helen ) in welc●… to this day . these premises being well weigh'd , this conclusion may be deduc'd , that the king of great britain may well claim de iure the title of the first son of the church . therefore , under favor , it may be justly question'd why the next king eastward shold assume it ; for clouis the first christian king in france was neer upon years after king lucius , as all historians do assert . moreover , t is well known that besides the title of defendor of the faith , ( whereof we will speak hereafter ) the title of christianissimus was sent to hen. . with much solemnity by pope iulius the second , accompanied with a cap of maintenance , and a sword ; which title was confirmed by authority of the lateran council : which great transaction was solemnly publish'd in the cathedral church of st. paul , and seconded with justs and tournements ; yet this was but the renewing of an old title , for among the saxon kings some were call'd so , and ther are records yet extant that king oswald and edward the third were stil'd so . we will conclude this paragraph with this observation , that great britain was the first country in europe who shook off the roman yoak , and rais'd some of the former old british blood to be kings again for many descents , insomuch that the romans here made but an interregnum : and this was before any absolut king was elsewhere in europe upon the declinings of the empire , specially in france and spain , who continued but roman provinces many years after . we will now to the second paragraph . of the independent , absolut and unhomageable possessions and authority , both ecclesiastical and temporal , of the king of great britain . from the precedent paragraph it appears , that albion or great britain was a royal i le from the beginning , since there was any coalition or aggregations of mankind within her to govern . for in the body of the british laws made by mulmutius dunwallo , which are yet to be read in fair british-manuscripts , ther are these words , un goron arbennig y sydd y ynis bridian ; one monarchical crown is held in the i le of britain : just according to the ancient greek poet : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many lords are not good , let there be but one. now from that time to this , the king of britain had and hath as souveraign and incontroulable a sway as any . 't is true that he admits others sometimes to share with him in counsel , but not in power : by a kind of influence he gives light and command to others , but he himself receives none from any . in the neighbouring monarchies it cannot be said so , and particularly in france and spain , where it may be said ther is regnum in regno , ther is another power à legatus de latere , that in a court of plea sways ore the ecclesiastiques who make a considerable part of the peeple . touching the latter , the king of spain is feodary either to the pope , the emperour , or to france , for all the countries he hath : the kingdomes of navarre and granada were made feodary to the pope under iulius the second : aragon to innocent the third , as also sardinia in formula fiduciae . sicilia is relevant from the church , as also both the indies and the canary ilands . for the kingdome of naples and calabria he sends a mule , with a purse-full of gold , as a heriot to rome evry year , ( for fear of an excommunication the next day ) at the receit whereof the pope says , sufficiat pro hac vice . he holds the dukedome of milan from the empire , and most of the provinces in the netherlands from france , whereof he is a double peer , as he is duke of burgundy and earl of flanders . now 't is questionable among the civilians , whether a feodary or homager may be call'd an absolut prince , specially when appeals may be made from him to another court , as the spanish clergy may from the king to rome in divers cases . the kings of england are free from subordinations of that kind , as the fundamental laws of the land , and all the ancient learned judges do evidence . 't is a principle in the english laws , ( which is confirm'd by baldus , and other great forren jurists ) that rex neminem habet in dominiis suis nec superiorem nec parem : the king in his own dominions hath neither superior nor equal , ( he may be said to be both caesar and pompey . ) there is another , omnes sub illo , ille sub nullo ; all under him , he under none . another yet , satis habet rex ad poenam quod deum expectet ultorem : 't is enough for the king that god is to be his judge ; which is expressed in this distic : subditus in regem peccat , legemque fidemque at rex in solum , rex quia , nempe deum . ther are divers others that are conducing hereunto ; as , the king must not be put to do any thing per aspertè , but of his free plesure : the king never dies , but the heir apparent is king inchoative as soon as the former dies ; and the coronation is but a meer ceremony not essential : for divers kings , as hen. . and others , had alleageance sworn unto them before they were crowned . there are more maximes yet , that the king can do no wrong , but his ministers may , through whose mouths he pronounceth sentence . moreover , nullum tempus occurrit regi , ther 's no immemorial or prescription against the king. it is high treson not only to contrive , but to imagine ill against the king. by the kings prerogative life it self may be leased , &c. but that traverse twixt king iohn and the legat pandolpho , when they say he transferred the crown to the pope , is much insisted upon : wherunto t is thus answered : that ther are four great things whereof the records cannot be found : the first is that wherin the emperour constantine gave rome to the pope ; the second is that wherin venice hath the dominion of the adriatic or illyrian gulph ; the third is the salique law ; the fourth is that instrument wherby king iohn pass'd over his crown , and made the pope lord paramount of england . sir thomas more , who was so far devoted to rome that he is canoniz'd for one of her martyrs , denieth absolutly that king iohn either did or could make england feudetary to the pope , because without the consent of his barons an act so much prejudicial to his royal successors was not valid ; and that the peter-pence which they hold to be a tribut relating to the foresaid act , was but a meer alms which was given by king ina years before . moreover , put case ther had been such an act , yet it stands upon good record that innocentius the third did give a release in these words ; per praeceptum domini papae iulii homagium relaxatur omninò . the rome-scot also was but regis larga benignitas , the kings bountiful kindness . adde hereunto , that when the pontificial power was here at the highest pitch , no legat de latere was allowed , but the archbishop of canterbury ( his subject ) who by his dignity is perpetual legat de latere , he is legatus natus ( as he of toledo is in spain , and the primat of armagh in ireland ) and in point of precedence , at the council of clermont anno . a prerogative was given him for ever to sit at all general councils at the popes right foot ; pope urban at that time declaring in these terms , includamus hun●… in orbe nostro tanquam alterius orbis pontificem maximum , let us include him in our world as pope of another world . 't is true , ther have been other legats de latere upon extraordinary occasions admitted , but it was with the kings leave , and with this proviso , that he hath no authority to hold plea in the realm prejudicial to the laws thereof , or derogatory to the king. thus it appears that no extern power hath any thing to do in great britain ; and as the pope , so the peeple neither , whether consider'd diffusively , collectively , representatively , or vertually , partake any thing of the souverain power ; ther is no power either co-ordinat , co-equal , corrival , or collateral with it . the kings of england have had always by the known laws of the land a pure underived power , not depending upon pope or peeple , or any other prince whatsoever : they are kings by the grace of god , which implies no earthly dependency . it stands upon good record , how king ina in the preamble to his laws ( for he was a great legislator ) begins , i ina , by the grace of god king , &c. and this was above a thousand years ago , about two hundred years before charlemain , in whose time that stile of dei gratia came first in use in the empire . and as on land the king of great britain hath such a latitude and independence of supreme power , so by sea he hath the like ; which is such , that ( without disparagement , much less any injustice to any ) i may avouch no other prince hath the like . the greatest claim of sea-dominion that france makes , is to the coasts of armorica , or little britany , and a few leagues in the mediterranean . the spanish laws are for the community , and free use of the sea , challenging no dominion at all . ther are divers states in italy that claim a particular command and propriety in some seas ; as the duke of tuscany challengeth a dominion of the tyrrhene sea ; the state of genoa of the ligustique ; venice claims a right to the adriatic as ( symbolically ) to a husband , for she marries him upon ascention-day evry yeer , the duke going in procession with great solemnity in the buantoro to that purpose , and throwing a ring into the water ; and she hath power to do in that part of the sea which she calls her gulph , as much as she can do in venice it self in point of laying impositions and gabels , and to cause what mercantile ships she please to unlade their cargazons at the city of venice it self . god and nature hath much favoured the king of denmark with the command of a neck of sea , i mean the sound , for it is the strongest sinew of his crown by the tolls he receaves of those who pass and repass into the baltik . he commands also at large the norwegian or hyperborean sea. but among all , if we observe his title , the king of portugal hath a greater maritime command then all these , which title runs thus : dom manuel por graca de deos rey , &c. senhor de guinee , & da conquista , navigacaon , & comercio d' etiopia , arabia , persia , & da india à todos , &c. don emanuel by the grace of god king , &c. lord of guiney , and of the conquest , navigation , and commerce of ethiopia , arabia , persia , &c. these are the princes who have most command of sea , but they command only the strands and ports , or maritime tract . they cannot be said to command the sea it self , as the king of great britain doth , for he commands no less then four seas , which are circumfluent about his territories ; and the law says , the sea is of the ligeance of the king as any other thing : he is protector as well as lord of them : he takes both the dominion and defence of them ; also he scowres and secures them from pyrats and praedatory rovers : he makes all ships , whether merchants or men of war , forreners or subjects , to dash their colours , and strike their topsayls not onely to his castles , but to any of his ships royal as they pass and repass . which mark of dominion the republic of venice hath not , though she also hath her gallies always in cours to scowre and secure the gulph from cursaries and robbers , which is one of the chief regalia's st. mark hath , though the sea she thus commands be scarce leagues in extent , for it is but fourscore italian miles . nor doth the king of great britains dominion terminat in his own seas , but as most civilians hold , it extends as far as the shoares of his transmarin neighbours , and as far north as the artic circle : which grotius did once acknowledg , and publish to the world ( though another caprichio came into his head afterwards ) in the panegyrike he sent king iames at his inauguration , when he says , — — rerum natura creatrix divisit populos , & metas ipsa notavit ; sic juga pyrenae , sic olim rhenus , & aspes imperii mensura fuit . te flumine nullo detinuit , nulla nimbosi verticis arce , sedtotum complexa parens hic terminus ipsa substitit , atque uno voluit sub limite claudi ; te sibi seposuit supremo in gurgite nereus ; finis hic est qui fine caret , quae meta britannis littora sunt aliis , regnique accessio tanti est quod ventis , velisque patet — we will put a period to this paragraph with a request to the reader , that having well weighed the power of the king of great britain , and joyn'd that of the sea with the land , as also the reasons of the preceding paragraph with this , to judge whether it be fit that he shold go or come in the arriere to any king whatsoever . we will now to the third paragraph . touching the eminence and royal dignity , the state , grandeur and titles of the king of great britain . corsetus , a known and well-accounted author , divides kings into illustres , and super-illustres ; he gives the king of england the second place among the super-illustres ; and one of the reasons are , that he is an anointed king , whereas the king of spain and others are not , unless the king of spain may claim it as he entitles himself king of ierusalem and sicily ; for besides the kings of england and france , they two are onely capable of being anointed . the king of england hath a gift also to cure the strumatical disease , call'd therefore in england the kings evil , ab effectu sanationis , whereas in french 't is call'd les ecrouelles , and los lamperones in spanish , &c. some have written that the king of england hath a vertu to cure this disease as he is king of france ; but that 's a vulgar error : for king edward the confessor was us'd to heal that way , which was years before . platina makes the king of england filium adoptivum ecclesiae , the emperour filium primogenitum , and the french king filium natu minorem ; one the adopted son , the other the first-born , the third the cadet or younger son. volaterranus is related by philippus honorius in a well-known work of his call'd praxis politicae prudentiae , anno . that iulius . gave the precedence to the english ambassador before him of spain . hen. . was king of ierusalem , and edward . was made perpetuus vicarius imper●…i , which is no mean title . the spanish ambassador never questioned the precedence of the english ambassador till in the council of basile ; and touching the contest twixt them in the council of constance , ther was at lovain anno . a book entituled , nobilissima disputatio super dignitate & magnitudine regnorum britannici & gallici habita ab utriusque oratoribus in concilio constantiensi ; where you see he puts britains king before the french in the very frontispice ; and the chiefest reasons asserted therein are found in this discours . hen. . employed thomas polden bishop of chichester , with others , in quality of ambassadors to the council held at siena , to claim his session , otherwise he would protest , and poursue the protestation . in the raign of hen. . ther was a public instrument put forth by ericus king of sweden and denmark , wherein he puts england before france ; which instrument ●…uns thus : caveant omninò mercatores & alii quicunque homines & subditi reg. angliae & franciae ne de caetero sub poena amissionis vitae & bonorum , visitare praesumant terras islandiae , finmarchiae , halghalandiae , seu alias quascunque terras prohibitas , aut portus illegales in regnis daniae , sueciae & norwegiae . an authentic copy of this instrument was brought by the danish ambassador to breme . and shew'd to the english delegates there at that time from queen elizabeth about the great business of the hans towns. in the capitulations of peace twixt hen. . of england , and iohn . of denmark and norway . england is put before france : as for example : sancitum est quod mercatores , & homines ligii , piscatores & quicunque alii reg. angliae & franciae subditi liberè possint temporibus futuris in perpetuum ad insulam tyle i. e. islandiam , &c. augustus de cavallis , who is no obscure author , infers the queen of england from her ancestors , both in respect of inheritance , conquest and gift , to be queen of france de iure . in the treaty twixt hen. the . and philip of castile . the english commissioners subsign'd first . as also in the treaty of marriage with queen mary , anno . the first signature is given to the english ambassadors . when queen elizabeth employed the earl of derby , the lord cobham , sir iames crofts , doctor dale , and doctor rogers in quality of ambassadors , with their assistants to ostend , anno . dignitatis praerogativa & incedendo & sedendo , the prerogative of going and sitting was given her ambassadors . in the treaty at bullen twixt england and spain for renewing the burgundian league , queen elizabeth sent sir hen. nevil , sir iohn herbert , robert beale and tho. edmunds , who in their instructions had command in no case to give precedence to the spanish ambassadors ; but being met , ther was a contest happend : the english produc'd a certificat procur'd privatly from rome out of the book of ceremonies there , which according to the canon giveth the rule in such cases , that the king of england is to have place before the king of castile ; that the english quietly held this right in the councils of basil , constance , and others : they alledg'd also that the kingdom of castile ( which is the spaniards first title ) is but an upstart-in regard of england ; for it had no kings but earls till the year . moreover , pope iulius . gave sentence for hen. . of england against ferdinand of spain in this particular , &c. furthermore , for eminency of title , great britain is oftentimes calld an empire by forren authors ; nay , pope urban terms it a world of it self at the council of clermont almost a thousand years since , wherin the archbishop of canterbury is call'd alteterius orbis papa , the pope of another world : what wold he say now that ireland and scotland are added ! some of the saxon kings stil'd themselfs emperours , as ego ethelredus , ego edgarus anglorum induperator , &c. william the conqueror writ , ego willielmus rex anglorum ab incarnatione domini . anno mei imperii . this is found upon record in his charter to the monastery of shaftsbury . in hen. . raign , the eighth year thereof , england was declar'd an empire in parlement , where he had also these epithets , metuendissimus , praepotentissimus ; and london was call'd the imperial chamber . but most memorable is that of king edgar in the charter that he gave the church of worcester ; which charter is yet extant , and runs thus : altitonantis dei largifluâ clementiâ , qui est rex regum , ego edgarus anglorum basileus , omniumque regum , insularum , oceanique britanniam circumjacentis , cunctarúmque nationum quae infra eam includuntur imperator , & dominus ; gratias ago ipsi deo omnipotenti regi meo qui meum imperium sic ampliavit , & exaltavit super regnum patrum meorum ; qui licet monarchiam totius angliae adepti sunt à tempore athelstani , qui primus regnum anglorum & omnes nationes quae britanniam incolunt , sibi armis subegit , nullus tamen illorum ultra ejus fines imperium suum dilatare aggressus est . mihi autem concessit propitia divinitas cum anglorum imperio omnia regna insularum oceani cum suis ferocissimis regibus usque norwegiam , maximamque partem hiberniae cum sua nobilissima civitate dublinia anglorum regno subjugare . quos etiam omnes meis imperiis colla subdere , dei favente gratia , coegi . quapropter ut ego christi gloriam & laudem in regno meo exaltare & ejus servitutem amplificare devotus disposui , & per meos fideles fautores dunstanum archiepiscopum , ayeliolanum ac oswaldum archiepiscopos quos mihi patres spirituales , & consiliarios elegi magna ex parte disposui , &c. facta haec sunt anno dom. . indictione regni . ego alfrye regina consensi , & signo crucis confirmavi ✚ . this being so ancient a record , and of so high a tenure , i thought good to render it into english for the satisfaction of the common reader . by the clemency of the high-thundring god , who is king of kings , i edgar king of the english , and of all kings , of ilands , and of the ocean circumjacent to britain , and of all nations which are included within her , emperour and lord ; i give thanks only to almighty god my king , that he hath amplified and exalted my empire above the kingdome of my fathers , who although they had obtain'd the monarchy of all england from the time of athelstan , who was the first that subdued the kingdom of the english , and all nations who inhabit britain , yet none of them attempted to dilate his empire beyond its bounds . but propitious divinity hath granted unto me to subjugat , together with the empire of the english , all the kingdomes in the iles of the ocean , with their most ferocious kings as far as norway , and most part of ireland , with her most noble city of dublin . all whom i compell'd to bow their necks to my commands , the grace of god so favouring me , &c. this king edgar , though very little of stature , was so magnanimous and successful , that he was row'd upon the river of dee by four subjugated kings , whereof kennad king of scots was one . ther is also a very remarkable and authentic story of king canutus afterwards , who being upon southampton-strand at the flowing of the sea , he sate in a chair of state which was brought him upon the sands ; and the billows tossing and tumbling towards him , he gave the sea this command : thou art my subject , and the earth wheron i sit is mine , and ther was none yet that ever resisted my command who went unpunish'd : therefore i command thee that thou come not up upon my earth , nor presume to wet the garment , or the body of thy lord. but the sea continuing his cours , dash'd and wetted his feet and thighs illfavouredly , without any reverence or fear : whereupon the king stepping back , declar'd , that none is worthy of the name of a king , but only he whose nod both sea and earth observd . and , as the story hath it , he never wore the crown of gold again , but being fix'd to a cross , did consecrat it to the image of our saviour . ther have been also titles of dignity given to our kings in the abstract , ( which hath more of state and substance in it then the concret ) as celsitudo tua , magnitudo tua , given by the pope in his letters to ed. . and edward the . was us'd to write , nostra regia majestas ; though indeed that word majestas began first in france , but in hen. . raign , ( and sacra majestas since . ) therefore pope leo gave it betimes to hen. . in that famous charter he sent him , when he commanded all christians , that in their directions to him for the future , after the word king , they shold stile him defender of the faith. which great charter sign'd by the pope and cardinals , . i thought proper and worthy to insert here , having procur'd a faithful copy from the very original . leo episcopus servus servorum dei , charissimo in christo filio henrico angliae regi , fidei defensori , salutem , & apostolicam benedictionem . cum supernae dispositionis arbitrio , licet imparibus meritis , universalis ecclesiae regimini praesidentes ad hoc cordis nostri longè lateque diffundimus cogitatus ut fides catholica sine qua nemo proficit ad salutem continuum suscipiat incrementum . et ut ea quae pro cohibendis conatibus illam deprimere , aut pravis , mendacibusque commentis pervertere , & denigrare molientium sana christi fidelium praesertim dignitate regali fulgentium doctrina sunt disposita continuis proficiant incrementis partes nostri ministerii , & operam impendimus efficaces . et sicut alii romani pontifices praedecessores nostri catholicos principes , prout rerum & temporum qualitas exigebat , specialibus favoribus prosequi consueverunt , illos praesertim qui procellosis temporibus , & rabida scismaticorum & haereticorum fervente perfidia , solùm in fidei serenitate , & devotione illibata sacrosanctae romanae ecclesiae immobiles perstiterunt ; verum etiam tanquam ipsius ecclesiae legitimi filii ac fortissimi athletae scismaticorum & hereticorum insanis furoribus spiritaliter & temporaliter se opposuerunt . ita etiam nos majestatem tuam propter excelsa & immortalia erga nos , & hanc sanctam sedem in qua divina permissione sedemus , opera & gesta condignis & immortalibus praeconiis ac laudibus efferre desideramus , ac ea sibi concedere propter quae invigilare debeat à grege dominico lupos arcere , & putrida membra quae mysticum christi corpus inficiunt , ferro & materiali gladio abscindere , & nutantium corda fidelium in fidei soliditate confirmare . sanè cum nuper dilectus filius iohannes clerk majestatis tuae apud nos orator in consistorio nostro coram venerabilibus fratribus nostris sanctae romanae ecclesiae cardinalibus , & compluribus aliis romanae curiae praelatis librum quem majestas tua charitate quae omnia sedulò , & nihil perperam agit , fideique catholicae zelo accensa , ac devotionus erga nos & hanc sanctam sedem fervore inflammata contra errores diversorum haereticorum saepiùs ab hac sancta sede damnatos , nuperque per martinum lutherum suscitatos , & innovatos , tanquam nobile & salutare quoddam antidotum composuit , nobis examinandum , ac deinde authoritate nostra approbandum obtulisset , ac luculenta oratione sua exposuisset , majestatem tuam paratam ac dispositam esse , ut quemadmodum ver is rationibus , ac irrefragabilibus sacrae scriturae ac sanctorum patrum authoritatibus , notorios errores ejusdem martini confutaverat : ita etiam omnes eos sequi , & defensare praesumentes totius regni sui viribus , & armis persequatur , nosque ejus libri admirabilem quandam , & coelestis gratiae rore conspersam doctrinam diligenter , accurateque introspeximus , omnipotenti deo à quo omne datum optimum , & omne donum perfectum est , immensas gratias egimus qui optimam , & ad omne bonum inclinatam mentem tuam inspirare , eique tantam gratiam supernè infundere dignatus fuerit ut ea scriberes quibus sanctam ejus fidem contra novum errorum damnatorum hujusmodi suscitatorem defenderes , & reliquos reges & principes christianos tuo exemplo invitares , ut & ipsi etiam orthodoxae fidei & veritatis evangelicae veritati in periculum & discrimen adductae omni ope sua adesse , orportunéque favere vellet . aequum autem esse consentes eos qui pro fidei christi hujusmodi defensione pios labores susceperunt omni laude , & honore afficere , volentesque non solùm ea quae majestas tua contra ●…undem martinum lutherum absolutissmâ doctrinâ , nec minori eloquentiā scripsit condignis laudibus extollere , ac magnificare , autoritateque nostra approbare & confirmare , sedetiam majestatem ipsam tuam tali honore ac titulo decorare , ut nostris ac perpetuis futuris temporibus christi fideles omnes intelligant quam gratum acceptumque nobis fuerit majestatis tuae munus , hoc praesertim tempore nobis oblatum . nos qui petri quem christus in coelum ascensurus vicarium suum in terris reliquit , & cui curam sui gregis reliquit , veri successores sumus , & in hac sancta sede à qua omnes dignitates ac tituli emanant , sedemus , habita super hiis cum iisdem fratribus nostris matura deliberatione de ●…orum unanimi consilio & assensu majestati tuae titulum hunc , viz. fidei defensorem , &c. et profectò hujus tituli excellentia , & dignitate ac singularibus meritis tuis diligenter perpensis & consideratis , nullum neque dignius , neque majestati tuae convenientius nomen excogitare potuissemus , quod quoties audies ac leges , toties propriae virtutis optimique meriti tui recordaberis . nec hujusmodi titulo intumesces , velin superbiam elevaberis , sed folita tua prudentia humilior , & in fide christi ac devotione hujus sanctae sedis à qua exaltatus fueris , fortior , & constantior evades , ac in domino bonorum omnium largitore laetaberis perpetuum hoc ac immortale gloriae tuae monumentum posteris tuis relinquere , illisque viam ostendere , ut si tali titulo ipsi quoque insigniri optabunt talia etiam opera efficere praeclaraque majestatis tuae vestigia sequi studeant , quam prout de nobis & dictâ sede optimè merita unà cum uxore & filiis , ac omnibus qui à te , & ab illis nascentur nostra benedictione in nomine illius à quo illam concedendi potestas data est , larga & liberali manu benedicentes altissimum illum qui dixit per me reges regnant & principes imperant , & in cujus manu corda sunt regum , rogamus , ac obsecramus ut eam in suo sancto proposito confirmet , ejusque devotionem multiplicet , & praeclaris pro sancta fide gestis ita illustret , ac toti orbi terrarum conspicuam reddat , ut iudicium quod de ipsa fecimus , eam tam insigni tit●…lo decorantes , à nemine falsum aut vanum judicari possit . demùm mortalis hujus vitae finito curriculo sempiternae illius gloriae consortem atque participem reddat . dat. romae apud sanctum petrum , anno incarnationis dominicae millesimo , quingentesimo vicesimo primo , idus octobris , pontificatus nostri anno nono . ego leo christ. catholicae ecclesiae episcopus ss . then his seal or signet , engraven within , sanctus petrus , † sanctus paulus ; and this motto about , ad dominum cùm tribularer clamavi , & exaudivit me. then the subscription of cardinals on both sides of the signet , the cardinal - bishops on the right-hand of the signet , and close to it ; then on their right-hand the priests-cardinals ; and on the left side of the signet ( as it is accustomed in all bulls , and other public instruments ) the deacon-cardinals have their place , and precedence . king henry's book against luther was presented to the pope in full consistory by sir iohn clerk , ( then ambassador at rome for the king ) with a long solemn oration : the original of which book is yet to be seen in the vatican at rome , with this inscription written with king henries own hand : anglorum rex henricus leoni x̄ . mittit hoc opus , & fidei testem , & amicitiae . henry king of the english sends this work to leo the tenth , as a witness both of faith and friendship . and as the kings of england themselfs have such super-eminent titles , so their first-born sons have a title not inferior to any royal heir apparent in christendome , which is prince of wales ; and this title is many years more ancient then that of dauphin in france . moreover , whereas other kings sons come so naked to the world that they have not of their own wherewith to buy them clouts , or pay their nurses , but what they have from their parents , the first-born of the king of england , ipsissimo instante , the very same instant that he is born , is duke of cornwal , and is presuppos'd by the law to have liv●…ry and seisin then given him of the said duchy , with all the lands , rents and honors therunto annex'd . t is tru , that the conferring of the title of prince of wales , depends meerly upon the kings plesure , which was done out of a political consideration , to keep the kings first sons still in awe , and within the bounds of a greater obedience . nor is there any queen also lives in a greater state and dignity , or hath more prerogatives and greater joyntures then the queen of england : for though aliens at first , and still under couvert baron , yet they may pourchase lands by fee-simple , they may make leases and grants without the king ; they also must be petitiond unto first , before any can implead them in point of right . we will proceed now to the fourth paragraph . touching the martial exploits and achievments which the kings of great britain have performed from time to time , &c. to proceed in this paragraph , we must make retrosvects a far off : we will begin with brennus that bold britain , who in the government of consuls took and sack'd rome , ( yeers before christ ) and did notable feats afterwards in greece and asia : insomuch that the welch in honour of that heroe their country-man , call a king from his name brenin to this day . cataracus overthrew a mighty army of the romanes , and boadicia slew thousand of them in one battel , as their own stories declare . king arthur is rank'd among the nine worthies , for he discomfited the saxons in twelve several battails , and erected the first order of knighthood . there was one english king , and three kings sons went to the wars of the holy land. what exploits did richard coeur de lion perform there , so much to the envy of the king of france , who therfore returnd before him ! he conquerd the iland of cyprus , where marrying berengaria , he transferrd the kingdome to guy lusignan , who had right to the crown of ierusalem , which in exchange he resignd to king richard. but the french are they whom the english did so often rout , subdue and subjugat with the grey-goose wing , wherwith they did so often penetrat the very heart of france in so many glorious victories that can be hardly paralleld , take all circumstances . we will instance in some of the most famous , and begin with that of cressy the first great battel . the battail of cr●…ssy in france . that heroyk king edward the third , having been provoked by divers affronts that philip of valois the french king had offe●…'d him , goes over in person to france with an army of men at arms , and archers , as froissard hath it . he takes with him his son the prince of wales and duke of guyenne , being but years of age , ( calld afterwards the black prince ) to train him up in feats of arms. landing in normandy he carries all the country before him as far as poissy , within ten miles of paris , and after divers skirmiges a battail was appointed . king edward had incamp'd neer a village calld cressy , where he divided his army to three battalions ; the first was led by the prince of wales , the second by the earls of arundel and northampton , in the third was the king himself . the battail thus orderd , being mounted upon a white hobby , he rides from rank to rank , encouraging evry man to the performance of his duty , and to have a regard to the honor of his king and country . the french kings army was at least twice the number , consisting of above combatants , with all the flower of the french chivalry , whereof the chief were the duke of alanson the kings brother , the king of bohemia , the duke of lorrain , the earl of flanders and savoy , with other great princes . the vangard was led by the kings brother , the reer by the earl of savoy , the main battail by the king himself . the french king was so fierce in assurance of victory , that he wold scarce admit of any counsel . the old king of boheme advis'd that the army shold receive some refreshment before , and that the infantry of genowais , whereof ther were crossbows , shold make the first front , and the cavalry to follow : which being agreed on , the duke of alanson did stomack that the genowais shold have the honor of the first rank ; so in a kind of fury he caus'd them to change place : which bred such a discontent , that they were more incensd against their leader then against the enemy ; but in the interim ther fell such a showre of rain that wetted their bowstrings , which they had not the wit to cover all the while , ( as the english did ) that for the limmerness therof when they came to action they grew useless . at the ceasing of the showre the sun did shine full in the face of the french , therby dazzling their eyes , but on the back of the english. king edward being got into a windmil all the while , whence as from a sentinel he might explore and behold the face of the enemy , and discovering the disturbance that was made because the genowais were put to change their place , instantly gave order to charge that part , which made the discontented genoway to recoyl . alenson perceiving this , rides on in a rage , crying out , sa , sa ; on , on ; let 's make way ore the bellies of these genowais , for they do but hinder us . so riding through them , he came up to the english battail , where the young prince was . the fight grew hot , and doubtful , insomuch that the commanders sent to the king to come up with more power : the king asking the messengers , whether his son was hurt or slain , and being answerd no , he replies , then tell them who sent you , that so long as my son is alive they send no more to me , for my will is that he have the honor of the day . so the fight on both sides growing very furious , the french king having his horse kill'd under him , withdrew ; which being known by the english , it added so to their courage that they soon after won the field . this was the first considerable battail the english had of the french , which was so sanguinary , that ther were none made prisoners , but all put to the sword , and the number of the slain french surmounted the whole army of the english ; for the number of the slain were about . the chief whereof was alenson the kings brother , the dukes of bourbon and lorain , the earl of flanders , the dauphin de viennois , son to imbert , who after gave dauphine to the king of france , provided his first son shold still be calld the dauphin , which hath continued ever since . this signal victory was seconded the same yeer , about six weeks after , with another the queen of england got against the scots , then confederat with the french , where david the scots king was taken prisoner : but this is reserv'd for another place , because for a more methodical order we will hasten to the second great victory in france , the battail of poitiers . the battail of poitiers . the black prince being taperd up now to a good growth , was sent by advice of parlement to gascony ; whence the truce being expird , he oreran and ravagd all the country as far as tourayne . iohn the french king raiseth a potent army , more numerous then that at cressy ; and going to find out the prince of wales , found him about poitiers , having not much above effect if men in his army , wheras the french had six times as many : whereupon being advisd to make for bourdeaux , he was prevented by the french army on all sides ; so a battail being intended , two cardinals came from the pope to mediat a peace , but the french king wold hearken to none , unless that he wold as a vanquish'd man send him four hostages , and give up himself and his army to discretion . the prince answerd , that he was willing to restore what places he had taken of his in good war , but without prejudice to his honor , wherof he was accountable to the king his father , &c. iohn not hearkning to this , but being resolvd to fight , the prince also resolvd to part with his life upon as high a rate as he could being reducd to this streight , therfore he providently makes use of the position of ground ; and finding that the main army of the french consisted in horse , he entrenchd among the vineyards ; where when the french cavalry entred , being wrapd and encomberd among the vines , the english archers did so ply and gall them , that , being therby disorderd and put to rout , the whole army was soon totally defeated . but , it seems this battail was not so fierce as that of cressy , where no quarter was given : for in this , prisoners were made , among whom was king iohn himself , whom the prince brought to england ; and , as the french historians themselfs confess , he was so civil to him all the while , that he knew not whether he was a free king or a captif . besides lords , ther were slain of the french nobless , as froissard hath it , in this battail ; and , as at cressy , more french slain then the whole english army was in number . we will now to agencourt . agencourt - battail . henry the fifth , that man of men and mirror of princes , being come to the crown , he did cast his eyes presently towards france for claiming of his title . in order wherunto , he alterd in his arms the bearing of semy de luces , and quarters the three full flower de luces as the king of france himself did bear them . he sends the duke of exceter , with the archbishop of dublin , and sundry other noblemen , in a magnificent ambassy , attended by horse , to paris , to demand the crown : but receiving no satisfactory answer , but rather a kind of jeer , the dauphin sending him a sack full of racket-court-balls to pass away his time ; he replyed , that for evry one of those balls , he had so many fiery bullets to shoot at the proudest turrets in france , as he shold shortly find . and he was as good as his word : for he presently got over , and encountring the french army at agencourt , he gave it an utter overthrow , and took more prisoners then his own army had soldiers ; which was upon a sunday-morning about ten of the clock : whereof having sent notice to england before , and that extraordinary masses shold be sung then in all churches , he stood upon the defensive part till that hour ; but then making a speech of encouragement to his army , and among other strains , telling how all england was praying for them at that time , he carried away a compleat victory ; he himself leading the main battail with the duke of glocester his brother , &c. but besides the foresaid piety , ther was policy also usd ; for the king , to prevent the fury of the french cavalry , appointed divers stakes studded with iron at both ends of six foot long , to be pitch'd behind the archers , and ordred that pioners shold attend to remove them as they shold be directed : which invention conduc'd much to the success of the action . the king himself charg'd the duke of alenson , and beat him off his horse , who therupon was slain ; so ther was a compleat and glorious victory obtain'd . we come now to the battail of spurs , so calld because the french-men trusted more to their spurs in fleeing away , then to their swords and lances . it was before terwin in hen. . raign , when maximilian the emperour servd under his banner , and receavd pay . ther came french horse to relieve the place , and a hot dispute happend ; but they were all routed , and put shamefully to flight , so the town was taken by the english. ther were a world of other warlike encounters and skirmiges twixt the english and french , whereof the stories are full ; and t is observd , that the english at most were but half in number to the french in all engagements ; insomuch that by pure prowess and point of the sword they possessd two parts in three of that great kingdome . we read that when the english were at the height of their power in france , the pope came then to keep his court at avignon ; and ther was a common saying among the peeple , which since is grown to be a kind of proverb , ores le pape est devenu francois , & iesus christ est devenu anglois ; the pope is turnd french-man , and jesus christ is become an english-man : which was spoken in regard we had such prodigious successes . before i part with france at present , t is very fit ( the main subject of this work being of precedence ) to speak something of the black prince while he was governor of aquitane , where he performd such notable exploits ; and among other , of that fa mous charter of precedence which was given to the crown of england by don pedro king of castile , who being detruded out of the throne by henry his younger brother , fled for succour to the black prince in gascognie , who had at that time two other kings in his court , viz. ricaredo king of navarre , and don iayme king of mallorca . which charter being yet upon authentique record , and not specified in the story of either nations , may very well deserve to be inserted here ; and it runs thus . petrus dei gratia rex castellae & legionis , omnibus praesentibus pariter , & futuris praesentes literas inspecturis , lecturis aut audituris salutem , & fidem plenariam iisdem adhibere . cum in largitione , donatione , & concessione privilegiorum , libertatum , franquesiarum , ac honorum praerogativa , illis nos liberales , & gratiosiores reddere debeamus à quibus multiplicia beneficia & honores nos recognoscimus recepisse ; cumque illustrissimus rex angliae , & edoardus ejus primogenitus princeps aquitantae & walliae consanguinei nostri nos & praedecessores nostros reges castellae retroactis temporibus fuerint favorabiliter prosecuti , & specialiter cùm nuper per henricum quondam comitem de trestamare qui factâ cum quibusdam suis complicibus coadunatione regna nostra invasit , usurpavit , & etiam occupavit more praedonico , & hostili , & ea indebitè detinet occupata de regno in regnum , & de dominio in dominium , & loco ad locum ad mortem nos esset insecutus à qua persecutione per receptationem dicti dom. principi●… in terra sua de nobis factam fuerimus liberati , & per ipsum & gentes suas comfortati , ac honorabiliter recepti , & tractati , nos memores dicti accepti beneficii , & in aliqualem praemissorum recompensationem , & alias de nostra certa scientia , speciali dono , & regia donatione , & potestate damus & concedimus pro nobis , haeredibus & successoribus nostris regibus castellae per praesentes dicto illustrissimo regi angliae , & edoardo ejus primogenito principi aquitaniae & walliae , quòd quandocunque idem rex & ejus primogenitus qui nunc sunt , aut eorum haeredes & successores reges angliae , & eorum primogeniti qui pro tempore fuerint , voluerint venire in propria persona ad guerram quam nos habebimus , aut haeredes nostri reges castellae habebunt contra regem granatae , aut alios fidei inimicos , quod iidem reges , & eorum primogeniti habeant primum bellum sive la delantera ante omnes mundi christianos , & omni tempore . ita tamen quod nos possimus & haeredes nostri reges castellae si voluerimus ponere vexilla nostra in dicto bello pariter cum vexillis regis angliae , vel ipsius primogeniti . item quod si contigerit dictos reges , aut eorum primogenitos ad guerram quam nos & haeredes nostri habebimus contra regem granatae , aut alios fidei inimicos non venire , aut nolle , vel non posse venire , volumus & concedimus quòd unum vexillum de armis regis angliae sit omni tempore in dicta guerra in primo bello , sive in la delantera honorificè prout decet nostris , & successorum nostrorum castellae regum propriis sumptibus & expensis . item quia patria ejusdem nostri consanguinei plurima damna , & expensa innumerabilia sustinuit tempore quo ipse pro nostro succursu exercitus suos congregabat prout oculis propriis conspeximus , licet flebiliter gereremus , in recompensationem praemissorum , privilegiamus , volumus , & concedimus quòd omnes homines , incolae , nobiles , peregrini , cujuscunque status , sexus aut conditionis existant , regni , patriae , & dominii angliae , & principatus aquitaniae sint immunes ab omni pedagio , leuda , costuma , maletota , ceu aliis quibuscunque impositionibus , exactionibus in regnis nostris impositis , seu in posterùm imponendis . ita quòd dicti homines dictorum regni , patriae , & dominii angliae , & principatus aquitantae transeundo , morando , & redeundo per regna nostra per mare velper terram , costumam , pedagium , leudam , maletotam , seu quamcunque aliam impositionem vel exactionem minimè solvere teneantur , nisi dicti homines causâ mercimonii vel pro emercimiando aliquid emerent . super quo an causa mercimoniandi empta existant nec ne , per officiarios nostros , & receptorum dictorum pedagiorum stare volumus dictorum hominum juramenta de quibus rebus causa mercimoniandi emptis non compellantur solvere , nec aliquid ultra ab iis exigatur quàm caeteri mercatores solvere consueverunt . et juramus ad sancta dei evangelia à nobis corporaliter manu tacta & in verbo promittimus regio concessiones , donationes , privilegia praedicta , & omnia & singula in praesentibus litteris contenta tenere , complere , & inviolabiliter observare . in quorum & singulorum praemissorum testimonium , & ad ipsorum majorem firmitatem his praesentibus nos manu propria subscripsimus , & iisdem sigillum nostrum in pendenti duximus apponendum : volentes , & concedentes ac etiam requirentes vos magistrum iohannem de london publicum autoritate apostolicâ notarium quatenus ad perpetuam omnium & singulorum praemissorum memoriam vos cum praesentibus testibus subscribatis , praesentesque literas signo vestro solito consignetis . datum apud liborniam diocesi burdegalensis die mensis bris anno dom. . praesentibus praecharissimo consanguineo nostro domino iohanne duce lancastriae , regis angliae filio ac fratre dicti principis , & reverendis in christo patribus dom. helia archiepiscopo burdegalensi , dom. barnardo episcopo xancton . iohanne electo bathoniensi , & wellensi cancellario aquitaniae , iohanne shandos constabulario , & thoma de felton senescallo aquitaniae , nigello de loereyn camerario dicti principis , balboyno de frevilla senescallo xancton . & aliis testibus ad praemissa . yo el rey. i the king. et ego iohannes de london cler. winton . diocesis publicus authoritate apostolica notarius undecima die mensis februarii anno domsupradicto , indictione quinta , pontisicatus sanctissimi in christro patris , & domini nostri dom. urbani divina providentia papae quinti anno quinto infra castrum civitatis baionae in capella ejusdem castri unà cum testibus infrascriptis fui praesens quando dictus dom. rex petrus promissa omnia & singula innovavit , confirmavit , & juramento suo vallavit tangendo propriis manibus suis sancta dei evangelia , & quando ipse rex manu sua propria se subscripsit , & me requisivit , & mandavit ut praesentibus literis me subscriberem , & signum meum apponerem consuetum . testes qui fuerunt praesentes ad ista unà mecum sunt dom. frater martinus lupi magister militiae domus de alcantara ordinis cistern . rogerus dom. de la wara , gomeicus dicti dom. regis magister , paulus gabrielis civis ispalensis . iohannes guttern decanus ecclesiae segobien , & magister robertus fregand notarius cancellarius domini principis aquitaniae & walliae supradicti . then the great seal of castile and leon was affixd . by vertue of this charter legally made to king edward , and the prince his son , and to their heirs and successors kings and princes of england for ever , it is therby granted that whensoever it shold please them to be in person in the wars with any king of castile , against the king of granada , or any other enemy of the christian faith , they shold have the first place in the vangard above all other princes of christendom ; and although neither of them were present , yet ther shold be always provided by the kings of castile and their successors a standard of the arms of england to be born in the same place . this instrument was made after that the black prince had done the work , and restord don pedro to his kingdom : therfore he passd it as a monument of eternal gratitude unto him . but before the prince uudertook the business , ther was also a bond from the king to pay so much money for defraying the princes army ; and in consideration also of this undertaking , it was legally agreed that the prince shold have the castle of vermeo , de la quet , bilbo , biscay , and the castle of ordials , a tenir perpetuellement à li & ses heirs & successeurs , & pour doner là où luy plerrà , to be held perpetually by him and his heirs and successors , and to give to whom he pleasd . all which was ratified under the great seal of castile , and confirmd by oath upon the holy sacrament in the great church of burgos . the original of which instrument remains yet in thes. regio apud westm. we will pass over the exploits done in armorica or little britany , and cross over to a tougher peeple the scot , who though conterranean , and our neer neighbours , yet they did always confederat with the french against england , and england still boar up single and victoriously against both of them : for when scotland was at the highest pitch of power , when she had active and boysterous kings to her generals , and the french for her coadjutors and auxiliaries , as also the danes in ages past , yet the english carried away many fair victories , with divers of their kings prisoners . as will appear by a short survay we shall take of such battails and warlike encounters which intervend from time to time twixt the two nations . we will begin with that famous battail twixt king athelstan and them , when they had a great army of danes joynd with them , and being twice in number more then the english , yet king athelstan obtaind a signal victory both by prowess and policy ; for the two armies being ready to joyn , the english made semblance to flee away , leaving their bagage behind ; which as the scot and dane were a sharing , the english did suddenly wheele about by the advantage of a woody hill , and finding them in disarray , and laden with booty , they rushd upon them with such a resolution , that above thousand of them , and , as buchanan their chief chronologer hath it , the flower of their nobility , perishd there at that time . the first fire-ball of war which was thrown twixt both the nations since the norman invasion , was in william rufus his raign , when the scot having made divers incursions into the english borders , moubray earl of northumberland was sent against them , who incountring their king malcolm with his eldest son in the field , they were both slain , and the whole army overthrown . in king stephens days , thurston then archbishop of york , was sent with an army against the scot , who meeting the king himself in the head of his forces , utterly routed him , with the death of above of his men. henry the second employd only the knights of yorkshire , as , humphry-vile , scuttvil , and vescy , to make head against the scot , which they did with such valour and success , that they took the king in the field ; and as a trophy of their good service and victory , they presented him prisoner to the king at northampton , whence he carried him along to attend him in his french vvars . william the scots king attended richard the lion-hearted at his second coronation when he returned from the holy land , and carried the sword before him bare-headed . edward the first , calld in story , and as his tomb in westminster tells us , scotorum malleus , the hammer of the scots , summond king baliol to newcastle to swear fealty unto him : but fleeing afterwards to the french king , at his return king edward summons him again to berwick , where he re-submitted himself with all his nobles in open parlement , which king edward held there ; and for caution brought baliol along with him , leaving the earl of surrey warden of scotland . then started up a notable blade , one wallis , who notwithstanding that king baliol was prisoner in england , gatherd such a strength , that causd king edward to go again in person , and at fonkirk battail killd outright of their nobles and gentry , with about forty thousand common soldiers . then he summons a parlement at edinburgh , where all the scots nobles swore fealty to him ; and then he carried away thence their great charter , calld the ragman-roll , the black-cross , and the stone , wherein they believe the fate of scotland is fixd . then ther was a third provocation offer'd , for le bruce was crownd king of scotland , wherupon the earl of pembrook was sent against him , who utterly defeated him at iohnston : yet all was not quiet , but king edward was forcd to make a fourth expedition thither in person , when he constraind le bruce to flee away to norway , where he blew on his nayls while king edward liv'd . but bruce being come back , and usurping during edward the seconds time , ( who we read was so infirm and infortunat a king ) his father edward the third restord baliol by force of arms , and made him swear fealty to england again . but some yeers after king edward being deeply engagd in the french wars , david the next scots king rush'd into england with about sixty thousand men , being confederat with the french king to divert the war there . but queen philippa , with the archbishop of york , and the lords and knights of the north , encounterd this huge army , and utterly defeated it , one copland taking the scots king prisoner , whom he he reservd for a present to give king edward when he came from france , and to keep company with iohn the french king , who also was taken prisoner by the black prince : and there were but six weeks difference of time twixt both victories . in richard the seconds raign , the french king sent his high admiral , with a thousand choice men at arms , in a fleet of sayl of ships , with arms for men more into scotland . therupon an english army being raisd , it struck into scotland like a whirlwind , and piercing the very heart of the country , advancd as far as dundee , and returnd victorious . henry the fifth took iames the first prisoner , and carried him over to attend him in his french vvars . in hen. . time , the scots king ( although his brother-in-law ) taking his advantage when he was in france , battring the walls of bullen , with the flower of the english nobility , raisd the greatest army that scotland could make for invading england ; therupon king harry sent a commission to the earl of surrey to raise forces accordingly . the two armies met at flodden-field , where the scots king and the archbishop of saint andrews his brother were slain , with twelve earls , barons , and more . not long after solmosse battail was fought , where eight scots earls were taken prisoners , with gentlemen and others : insomuch that as the story saith , ther was never an english soldier but had his couple of scots prisoners . four and thirty yeers after , the same day both of the month and the week , ( as the historians observe ) musselborough-battail was fought ; which because it was the last , and one of the most signal and sanguinary great battails from the conquest that was fought twixt the english and the scots , i will here particularize , but with as much brevity as may be . the duke of somerset was general of the english , the earl of warwik his lieutenant , the lord-admiral clinton had ships of war , which were to hold cours with the land-forces ; the whole army consisted but of about foot , men at arms , light-horse , peeces of ordinance , evry peece having a gard of pioners who came to about . from berwick they entred scotland , and marchd as far as musselburgh far within the country ; they seizd upon three small castles as they passd , and with infinit pains overcame the natural and artificial difficulties of the ways . they understood that the scots army far exceeded them in number , and ther came recreuts dayly unto it : for the fire-cross was carried about by the heralds through all parts , ( which is two firebrands upon the point of a spear ) that all above sixteen , and under sixty yeers shold repair to the general rendevous : insomuch that the scots historians themselfs do mention that ther were above thirty thousand in the whole army , which was twice the number of the english. the battail was fought with much resolution and cagerness on both sides ; yet notwithstanding that the scot was at his own home , and that the english were tir'd by a long difficult march , they obtaind an absolute conquest : ther were slain of the scots about out-right upon the place , wherof ther were kirk-men , as fryars and monks , huntley with other great lords were taken prisoners , peeces of ordinance were taken and shippd for england , with iacks , as the record says ; and the english plunderd the country five days march further , and did what they wold . we will conclude with the late battail at dunbar still fresh in memory , where ther were not much more then english , and the scot had them at a great advantage , yet the english making a vertu of necessity , utterly overcame an army of about scots ; an army that had been long a moulding , and consisted of many of their nobility and gentry : they lost both bag and bagage , artillery and arms : ther were above slain , taken prisoners , whereof ther were officers , arms , and peeces of ordinance , and neer upon of their colours were brought to hang in westminster-hall for trophies . out of what hath been said , this inference may be made : that in all those traverses and encounters of war that england had with scotland , which were neer upon an hundred since the conquest , take small and great together , the english did always foyl the scot , except in ed. . time , as shall be said hereafter . in some battails we may find how they carried away more captives then they were common soldiers themselfs , driving them as it were like sheep before them : and observable it is , that the greatest battails were fought in scotland it self , after that the english had been tir'd and dispirited by long marches , over uncouth and strange places , being ignorant both of the advenues and advantages of them . tru it is , that in ed. . raign they won two or three victories , wherof that at bannocks-battail was the greatest , where gilbert de clare earl of glocester , and about barons , with knights and english gentlemen , were killd . in hen. . raign they got also a small victory , when sir ralph evers was slain . in the time of the long fatal parlement they did likewise many insolencies , and rush'd far into england : but those invasions may be rather termd invitations by some spurious and unworthy-degenerated english-men , who had contrivd their coming in long before ; whose memories will stink in the nostrils of all posterity . but the english have taken four of their kings captives , killd two other in the field , carried away their crown , with the chiefest ensignes of royalty , &c. nor were such high exploits performed by the kings of england on land only , but by sea they have been as glorious . historians say how king edgar had a navy of three thousand six hundred ships , and bottoms of all sorts , which he divided to three fleets that usd to coast about , and scowre the seas as far as norway evry year , and he in person would go often admiral himself , and be all the summer abroad . philip the french king not long before the battail of cressy , to hinder edward the thirds return into france , got a mighty navy in equippage of sayl of ships , besides gallies in the haven of sluce ; wherof king edward being advertised , prepared such another fleet , and encounters the french with such resolution and success , having the wind and the sun for him , that he utterly defeated the whole navy , slew about thirty thousand men , and so returned with mighty triumphs , and the admiration of all europe . philip the second of spain , having ( as he conceavd ) endured divers affron●…s and injuries from queen elizabeth , conceald his discontents a long time , until he had provided the invincible armada , as it was calld , wherewith he hoped to have swallowed all england . it was three years preparing , it consisted of above sayl , wherof most of them were galeons : they were mannd by mariners : they carried listed soldiers , besides volunteers : they had brass cannons , of iron , and granado's , with other fireworks of all sorts . this prodigious fleet stood the king of spain in millions first and last , from the time that she set sayl out of lisbonne , as t is found in their annals : she lookd like a forest at sea as she steerd along . q elizabeth had first news hereof from hen. . of france . but then how did that masculine queen , that notable virago , bestir her self ? how suddenly was there a great fleet in a readiness , and an army by land ? how magnanimously did she view her musters , and encouragd the soldiers , riding up and down with a plume of feathers in her hat like another boadicia ? so that mighty armada passing through the narrow seas as far as the downs , her great galeons were so plyed and pelted by the english ships , that they were utterly overthrown , only some few fetching a compass about scotland , got safe to spain to bring news what became of the rest . i have been somwhat overlong in this paragraph , but ther shall be a compensation made for the prolixity thereof by the brevity of those that follow . the fifth paragraph . that the king of great britain hath as stout and strenuous sturdy free-born peeple to his subjects as any other king , with as generous a country , and generality of wealth . i will begin this paragraph with a late eloquent character that an italian nobleman the count alfonso loschi of vicenza gives both of the peeple and the plenty of england in his late printed volume , calld , compendi historici . la popolatione d' inghilterra è innumerabile , gli huonimi sono disposti , & ben organizati , grandi di corpo , di faccia serena , bianca , & rubicunda , nella guerra terribili , & audaci , nelle risolutioni precipitosi , & crudeli . qe donne riescono à maraviglia belle , & gratiose & can la leggiadria del vestito rapiscono i cuori . inghilterra vanta non immeritamente titolo di monarchia in expressione , & gieroglifico di che tiene il re di sotto allo scettro la palla per figura della dominatione del mondo . non cie potentato che con armata maritima possa approdare à liti , à quali servendo per mura l' oceano , & per isbarco sicurissimi , & arenosi recessi non vimprontano l'orme piedi stranieri , & se ben spesso con intestine seditioni non havesse contro le proprie viscere rivolto le seditioni , & l'armi riuscirebbe indomabile , ne cisarebbe potenza sopra l'inglese . l'aere salubre , ricchezze grandissime , li terreni fecondi , & minerali , li pascoli abondanti , & delicati , onde le lane d'inghilterra tengono il primo luogo , &c. which character coming from so indifferent a judge , and so fresh an author , and a personage of so high a wit and quality , i thought worthy the rendring into english. the peeple of england are innumerable ; the men welldisposd , and organizd or limmd ; tallish of stature , of comely countenances , white , and reddish : they are terrible in the wars , and bold , headlong and cruel in their resolutions . the women are marvellously beutiful and handsome , and by the quaintness of their dresses do ravish hearts . england not undeservedly glorieth of the title of monarchy , by the expression and hierogliphic that the king bears under his scepter , which is a globe or ball that represents the government of the world . ther is no potentat whatsoever that with any naval power can approach his shores , wherunto the ocean serving for a wall , with most secure and sandy recesses for disimbarking , the stranger cannot plant his foot . and if england did not use so often to turn the sword into her own bowels by intestine seditions , she wold prove invincible , and ther wold be no power above the english. the air is healthful , mighty riches ; the soyl is plentiful , and abounding with minerals ; the pasture luxurious and delicat , whence it proceeds that the english wool is incomparable . this new noble author when he comes to deliver his opinion of france and spain , doth not speak half so much of either , nor of any country els ; for he treats of all the kingdomes of europe , and of other besides . now , it is taken pro concesso , t is a truth granted by all , that ther is no king hath more choice of lusty and stout bodies to make soldiers of , then the king of great britain hath in his dominions ; ther is the english , welch , scots and irish , nations that keep still entire their innated spirits , and stoutness uncowd : and this may be imputed to the policy and moderation of government , to the equal distribution of the vvealth and plenty of the country . for the yeoman and franklin goes well clad , hath wholsome nutriment ; and as a return of his labor from the grateful earth , hath wherwith to provide for his children that they may not encrease the number of beggers . it is not so in some countries , which made one say , ( though ther may be some excess in the expression ) that the yeomen and freeholders of kent are able to buy half the peasants of france . such subjects and such a country the king of great britain commands ; which made eumenius in his famous and elegant panegyric to constantin the great , to melt thus into her praises . o fortunata & omnibus beatior terris britannia , quae constantinum caesarem prima vidisti ; meritò te omnibus coeli ac soli dotibus natura donavit , in qua nec hyemis est nimius rigor , nec aestatis ardor . in qua segetum est tanta foecunditas ut muneribus utriusque sufficiat & cereris & liberi . in qua nemora sine immanibus bestiis , terra sine serpentibus noxiis . pecorum mitium innumerabilis multitudo lacte distenta , & onusta velleribus , certè quidem quod propter vitam diligitur longissimae dies , & nullae sine aliqua luce noctes , dum illa littorum extrema planities non attollit umbras , noctisque metam coeli ac syderum transit aspectus , ut sol ipse qui nobis occidere videtur ibi appareat solummodo praeterire . o most fortunat britain , ( saith eumenius ) more blessd then any other country ; which didst first see constantin caesar ; nature hath deservedly endowed thee with all gifts both of heaven and earth . in thee neither the excessive cold of vvinter , nor the ardent heat of summer doth offend the inhabitant . thou swell'st with such a secundity of all kind of corn , that thou mayst be calld the favorit of ceres and bacchus . thy groves are without savage rapacious beasts , and thy heaths without any poysonous serpents . thy fields are covered with innumerable multitudes of mild cretures ▪ labouring with exuberance of milk , and laden with rich fleeces . for delightfulness of life , thy days are very long , and no night but hath some glimpses of light : the glorious sun which sets and goes down in other regions , seems only to pass by thy horizon . from this temperatness of clime and fertility , may proceed the well-favouredness , the procerity , as also the health and longaevity of the inhabitants ; in regard nature doth not finish her cours in the bodies of males and females so soon here as she doth in france and spain . for t is observd by all strangers , that an english woman looks as fresh and beutiful at forty , as a french or spanish at five and twenty ; it being very ordinary for them to continue still teeming and prolifical when they are past fifty years . and for the men , it wold be registred for a miracle in spain or france to finde ten men of a thousand years , ( one with another ) as were found in hereford about years since , within two miles compass of the town , who were so vigorous , strong and spriteful , that they danced the morice-dance in the market-place for many hours , with a maid-mariam of a hundred and three , and a tabourer of a hundred and five years old . from the fertility and generousness of the earth , may proceed also the extraordinary courage and hardiness of the peeple ; which hath been so well known and felt in other countries beyond the seas , as the examples in the former paragraph do prove at so many signal and difficult famous battails , where the english army was never half so numerous in any they got , no not somtimes the third or fourth part in number to the enemy ; and such an esteem they had in france , that ( as their own stories relate ) when the duke of britany or armorica was to encounter the french army in a battail , he thought it a policy to clothe a whole brigade of his soldiers after the english mode , to make them appeer the more formidable to the french. nor doth that primitive innate courage languish a whit , or decline in them , ( as some think the world doth ) as we find it hath done in other nations , as the iew and greek , with others , but it continueth still at the same height ; as it appeerd in the year eighty eight by sea , as was said before , and in several exploits in the low-country wars , as newport , the retreat before gaunt , &c. by land. likewise by fresher examples in the late civil wars twixt king and parlement , and since , wherin the power , strength and wealth of england was never more discovered : for the late usurper ( having such a command over the peeples purse , and never wanting money ) made spain and france strive who shold be his confederat , as also the hollander , the swed , and others : i say , in those times the ancient stoutness of the english appeerd in many traverses of war ; as at dunbar in scotland , and by sea against the hollander , who were beaten and batterd into a peace . what a hazardous peece of service was performed when we invaded barbary at tunis ? but especially that desperat exploit blague did at the canaries ? the french king confest that the brigade of english before dunkirk , commanded by a little bold britain , though not the fifth part of the army , did contribut most to the late taking of that strong praedatory town . and the king of portugal acknowledgd , that in this years great defeat . he gave don iohn of austria neer ebora , that brigade of english who servd there , though not much considerable in number , did perform the toughest part of the service , and first shewd them the way of using the rests of the musquet to knock down the enemy ; which made the french-men cry out , faisons comme les anglois , let 's do as the english. the sixth paragraph . touching the ancient and long-lind extraction , decendency , and bloud-royal of the kings of great britain , &c. the races of kings may be said to be like great rivers , that stream out into divers large channels and arms , which become great rivers of themselfs afterward : or like huge trees which use to stretch their branches beyond the ocean , where being inoculated and graffd , they make divers other royal trees to sprout out of them in forren soyls . ther were divers royal ingraftings of this kind that great britain had with the chiefest potentats , and some of them imperial : the first was before the english took footing here , between the emperour constantius and helene , a britain born , and mother to constantine the great , the first christian emperour : for this iland was held in such high esteem by the roman emperours , ( when they had almost all the world besides ) that divers of them kept their courts here ; among whom severus , and constantius died at york : which city may deservedly vaunt of two things , viz. that two roman emperours were buried , and a third born in her , viz. constantin the great . after the saxons came , this iland also continued in such a repute , that ethelwolph son to king egbert , anno . married the lady iudith , calld the fair for her extraordinary bewty , and daughter to the emperour charles le chauue , granchilde to charlemain . the emperour otho the great married the sister of king athelstan , whose friendship was so much sought by all his neighbouring kings , that they wooed for it by rich presents : which made the king of france send him the sword of constantin the great , in the hilt wherof ther was one of the nails that fastned christ to the cross : he sent him also the spear of charlemain . the king of norway sent him a curious ship , with a gilt stem , purple sayls , and the deck garnishd all with gold. the emperour otho his brother-in-law sent him a vessel of precious stones artificially made , wherein were landskips with vines , corn and reapers so much to the life , that they seemd to move , and act , &c. ther have been eight nuptial conjunctions twixt great britain and france , ( besides the scots alliance with that country . ) the first was about the yeer . twixt charles the first of france , and the lady ogine daughter to edward son to king alfred , that admired saxon king , who is so famous in story for divers signal things : for he cleerd the whole kingdome of the danes , who had so much infested and harassd it . he founded the university of oxford , anno . he was the first who divided england into shires , hundreds , and weapontakes . he divided the natural day also into three parts ; eight hours for recreation , and matters concerning his health , as sleep , &c. eight hours for meditation and exercise of piety ; and eight hours in council , and the publick affairs of his kingdome . he founded also shaftsbury-abby , winchester-church , and eldinsey-monastery . the second marriage with france was twixt hen. . of england , and the lady margaret daughter to lewis the seventh of france . the third was between edward the first , ( that great hero of his time ) and the lady margaret , daughter to philip the hardy of france . the fourth twixt edward the second and the lady isabel , eldest daughter to philip le bell king of france , mother to edward the third of england , who by right of her claimd and carried afterwards the crown of france . the fifth was twixt king richard the second , and the lady elizabeth , daughter to charles the sixth of france : but she was but his second wife , for his first was the lady anne , daughter to the emperour charles the fourth . the sixth was between henry the fifth of england , and the lady katharine , another daughter to charles the sixth of france . the seventh was twixt lewis the twelfth of france , and the lady mary , second daughter to king henry the seventh of england . the eighth and last inoculation twixt the rose and the flower de luce , was that of charles the first of england , with the lady henrietta maria of bourbon , youngest daughter to henry the great of france . in which matches england hath had six daughters of france , and france two of england . by the fourth match twixt ed. . and isabel eldest daughter to philip le bell , edward the third of england being her eldest son , was heir to the crown of france ; and demanding his right therunto , he was answered , la couronne de france n'est pas lièe à la quenouille , that the crown of france was not tied to a distaff : wherunto he replyed , that he would then tie it to his sword ; and he was as good as his word . but henry the fifth some fourscore years after tied it faster , for he reducd charles the sixth to such terms , that after his death he shold immediately possess the crown and kingdome of france , and that in the interim the dauphin his son ( afterwards charles the seventh ) shold be disinherited ; that in the interim king henry shold be regent of france , ( in regard the present king was sometimes crazd in his intellectuals ; ) that he shold take to wife the lady isabel , daughter to the said charles : all which capitulations not onely the king , but the chiefest peers and nobility of france did consent unto , and ratifie by solemn oath , obliging themselfs further to uphold and assist henry of england , with his lawful heirs and successors , against charles the dauphin whom his father had legally disinherited . hereupon henry the fifth dying in france , ( a death much too soon and immature for so brave a man ) his son hen. . was proclaimd king of england and france in paris : in which publick proclamation , t is very observable how england had the precedence ; and therupon the chiefest of the officers of the crown and nobles swore fealty and alleageance unto him ; divers of which nobles grew afterwards apostats , and joynd with the dauphin . against edward the thirds right the salique law was alledgd , which they wold force and pin upon a text of scripture , lilia neque nent , &c. the lilies neither spin , &c. but though king edward had cut the labels of that law with a victorious sword , yet it was not quite cancelld : nor indeed could it be possibly done , for it was but a kind of chymera , a meer imaginary law ; and one of the authentiqust french historians du haillan hath no better opinion of it . they who are the greatest champions of that law , acknowledg that it was at first a particular topical law made at salem , a place upon the rhine , but they have stretchd it since to all france : as if the law of gavelkind , which is peculiar to kent and other distinct places , shold be made to extend it self , and be in force all england over . but some ther are that will not allow any essence at all to the salique law , no not to be a local restraining law to the foresaid place neer the rhine ; therfore the same answer may be fit to be given un to the assertors of it , as was given by the venetians to the pope , when ther happening a clash between them touching the sea about ancona , which they alledgd belongd to the venetian gulf wherof they had the dominion , and the pope demanding what warrant they had for it , t was answered , by a kinde of sarcasine , if your holines please to produce the instrument wherby the emperour constantine the great passd over the city of rome to your predecessors , upon the back of that grant your holines will find saint marks charter to the souverainty of the adriatique gulph : whence an intimation was made , that neither of the charters had ever any being ; which may be justly applied to the salique law. and besides that , du haillan , though a french-man , in the first volume of his history , confutes that law. it is confirmd also that ther never was any such law in france by the testimony of the duke of burgundy , who when philippe le long was created king , he openly cryed out against his creation , alledging that the kingdom of france belonged then to iane daughter unto hutin king of france formerly : but to stop his mouth , philip was forcd to make a gift unto him of the dukedom of burgundy in dower with his eldest daughter . but touching the title of henry the fifth , which was confirmed by solemne agreement , and sacramental oaths , the french found out another evasion . for it was avouchd , that the kingdom of france goeth not by descent or inheritance , but by succession , which is grounded not upon a law but upon custom ; by vertu wherof the next of the bloud royal , be he of the furthest degree that may be to the kindred , succeedeth , not as lawful heir , but as a successor by custom , not newly invented , but of long continuance , even from the time of pharamond . but this new-devised objection is refuted also by the foresaid du haillan one of the prime french historiographers , and a french-man born , who reckons up a long catalog of french kings which did not succeed one another , but were chosen one after another . another objection was also suggested , that charles the sixth , who made the foresaid contract with henry of england , was no better then a lunatique , though he had somtimes lucida intervalla . wherunto it is answerd , that at the time when that agreement passd he had a lucid interval , and was in his right wits and memory : besides , the chiefest nobility of the realm were parties in ir , and did not only consent , but obligd themselfs by oath to the performance of it . ther was a third objection which kept a higher noise , viz. that the king of france cannot alienate the demeanes , rights , titles , and interests of the crown , without the consent and suffrage of the assembly of three estates , which was not had then , because a great part of the peers , nobles , and others were then absent . whereunto t is answerd , that in claims which go by plurality of voices , it is not always necessary that all shold be present , if the greater and better part of them be there , specially if after citation the rest absent themselfs : for although the point that concerneth all , shold be approvd by all ; yet , as civilians hold , when some or all may approve or disallow the things which concern them , and they will not be present to shew their consent or dislike , their absence shall not prejudice the stipulation of the contract . and in this great business twixt two kings , those who were away were traytors to charles the sixth , for they were in arms against him , by taking part with the dauphin who was in rebellion against his father at that time ; therfore their absence could not in any respect prejudice the validity of so solemn a contract wherupon depended peace or war. the fourth objection carried more of pusillanimity with it , then strength of proof , viz. that when the foresaid contract was made , the english had almost over-run all france , and that the king was coopd up in a corner of the country ; therfore whatsoever he did being done by fear , duresse and compulsion , was of no better force then a covenant extorted by violence , or made in prison by a private man , which when he is at liberty he is not bound by law to perform if it tend to his damage . to this t is answerd , that the case is far different twixt souverain princes and privat men , for between the one ther fall out but processes and suits in law if they disagree , or not perform what is a greed upon ; but between princes , bloud and wars , fire and sword , death and destruction somtimes of whole countries and millions of human soules do ensue : therfore when a king by the propitiousness of heven , and his own prowess , by the hazard of his life , loss of his peeple , with infinit pains and expence of tresure , hath gaind a victory by the justness of his cause and divine decree , or redu●…d his enemy to a streight , all the civilians concur in one unanimous opinion that he may make the best advantage he can of his good successes , and reduce his enemy to what terms he please ; and the articles which shall then be capitulated , consented and sworn unto , are to be exactly performd ; otherwise there wold be no end of any war. now , rhe french chroniclers themselfs acknowledg that henry the . might at that conjuncture of time and fortune , have destroyed the whole realm of france , and taken the king prisoner , or driven him quite out : but he was so far from doing so , that he sufferd him to enjoy the kingdom while he livd , and by taking his daughter to wife made her issue therby capable not only of the french , but also of the english crown , with all the dominions thereunto annexed . whence some authors observ that the english have bin usd in all treaties and stipulations to be over-reasonable , merciful , plain and downright ; but the french crafty , double minded , inhumane , high and subdolous upon all advantages : insomuch that t is a question which was sharper , the english blade , or the french brain . i will conclude this digressive discours with another argument of the french , viz. that charles the sixth could not legally disinherit his eldest son , being hei●… apparent to the crown of france . to this may be answerd , that neither charles the sixth was rightful king , nor consequently his son heir apparent : for since edward the third of england , all the french kings were but usurpers ; they were kings de facto , not de jure . moreover ther are many examples how the eldest sons of the kings of france have bin disinherited : we read that robert made his second son henry king of france , by disinheriting robert his eldest , who for compensation was made duke of burgundy . lewis le gros , with the consent of all the peers and estats of france , made also lewis his second son king , and gave robert his eldest the earldom of dreux . dagobert made clouis his second son king of france , by putting by sigisbert his eldest son . i have bin somwhat long in discours of this great transaction twixt england and france , because the chief aim of this work being at precedence , the discerning reader may regulat his judgment accordingly . we will now go on to conclude this paragraph , the main scope wherof being antiquity , and continuance of royal bloud . the genealogical tree of the kings of this iland , as all other countries , hath had various stems : the first were britains ( now calld welsh ) who may contend for antiquity , and may be said to be coetaneous with the iland it self , yea before it was an iland ; for ther want not some who hold that it was at first a continent , or a peninsula tied to gallia by an isthmos or neck of land stretching from dover to bullen : for the rocks on both coasts being of a colour and shape , look as if they were slented one out of the other . before the romans took footing here , which was neer upon yeers before they could do it peaceably , the britains did still so bear up against them ; wheras gallia or france was fully conquerd in less then yeers : i say , before the roman eagle fixd his talons here , ther had bin kings of the british bloud : but then that race being interrupted by the romans for above yeers , the iland being freed of them , some of the old british bloud came to be kings again , among whom some were very famous , as 〈◊〉 , and arthur his son the chief christian worthy , who was the first founder of warlike honour conferrd upon his knights of the round table . and this race of the old british kings lasted till the raign of cadwallader , anno ; yet ther were welsh princes that swayd still ( as among other howel dha the great legislator ) and stood stoutly for their liberty until the raign of edw. . in whose raign leol●… the last prince of the british bloud being slain in battel , his head was brought to king edward , who commanded it to be crownd with i●…ie , confessing that he had met with more valour in the welsh then the scots , for he had fierce wars with both . but cadwallader being dead , the british race was interrupted again ( till owea tewdors time , who descended from cadwallader , as shall be shewd ) by a g●…rman peeple inhabiting the lower circuit of saxony , and so calld saxons by the welsh and irish to this day . they had a 〈◊〉 a long time ; but egbert by conquest redu●…d them to a monarchy , and he was the first who calld himself king of england . then that english race al●…o of kings had two short interruptions , one by the danes wherof ther raigned here three kings , but all their raigns extended not to ●… yeers ; then by william of normandy , and that interruption ●…asted about yeers , till henry the first married the lady matilda daughter to malcolme king of scotland by the lady margaret sister to edgar athel●…g , wherby the english bloud royal was restord . then by a marvellous providence the british royal bloud after about yeers interruption was resto●…d by owen tewdor , who married the queen dowager katherine , and so was granfather to hen. . which tewdor by an exact 〈◊〉 that was made by the british bards , and confirmed by the english heralds , came lineally from the foresaid king cadwallader and leolin : so ther were three kings , viz. hen. . hen. . edw. . with two queens , viz. mary and elizabeth , all tewdors . then came in the royal race of scotland by the lady margaret tewdor eldest daughter to hen. . and first branch of the two roses . now , by a due computation made of the premises , it will be found , that ( take british or english ) the source and series of the bloud royal of england is above a thousand yeers since . and if from cadwallader you go to the british kings before the romans interrupted the royal succession therof , it will be neer upon yeers ; which no kingdom ●…ls can say . moreover , the bloud royal of scotland some hundreds of yeers before was incorporated in the british : for the mother of the first king of the stuarts was a british lady . and as ther is a register of british and english kings , so there is an exact catalog of scots kings : wheras all the three races of the french kings make but kings in all . nor did any of those three royal races continue much above yeers in a bloud , but were quite extinguishd , both merovingiens , carlevingiens , and capevingiens . the house of valois extinguished in the late queen margaret , first wife to hen. . and this present king is but the third of the house of bourbon . spain cannot say so much : for the furthest line that her kings can draw , is not much above yeers ago , from the counts of castile ; nor was ther ever any king of castile till the yeer . and touching the house of austria , it became royal but about yeers since . to conclude this paragraph , his present majestie of great britain , in point of royal extraction and linage , is the greatest born prince that any age can produce . for wheras his granfather and father were allied only , if you regard forren consanguinity , to the house of holstein , and that of lorain ; charles the second of england bears in his veins not only that bloud , but also the blouds of all the great princes of christendom , being neerly linkd to the houses of france and bourbon , to the house of austria , and consequently to the emperour and spain by the maternal side , as also to the dukes of savoy and florence . moreover , he is neerly allied to the king of denmark , and to all the prime princes of germany , as the saxe , brandenburg , bavaria , the palsgrave , &c. the seventh paragraph . touching the hospitality , and plentiful kingly court , with number of officers and stately attendants of the king of great britain . t is ordinary for latin authors old and new , to break out into the praises of great britain , and their elogiums are many : but le ts hear what a great greek poet speaks of her. — — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no ile did ever dare with britain yet compare . among other encomiums of england , she is much cried up for her wonderful fecundity and fulness of all things relating to the nourishment of mankinde , all things that earth , water or air can afford : which ( with the divine benediction ) must be imputed to the temper of the clime ; and besides , ther be gentle breezes that are conveyd from the circumfluent seas , which refresh all kinde of animals both brute and rational . the clouds there may be truly said to drop fatness , dissolving into silver wholsom showers to soften and fertilize her glebes : in december and ianuary there is commonly frost enough to knit and corroborate the joynts of the earth : in february ther is usually snow enough to fill the dikes , and like a gentle white rugg to cover her plowd fields , and keep the bed of the earth warm from the inclemency of the circumambient cold air . it is observd that ther is not such a multitude of volatils any where : and touching her seas , ther are not any wher so great variety of fish swimming in such huge shoals like mountains , and taking their turns and seasons about the iland once every yeer : her fresh rivers are also full of them . her forests and woods have not such ravenous beasts as other countries use to have : yet ther are store of savage beasts for recreation , as the stagg , the hind , the hart , the hare , the otter , the fox and badger , &c. the bowels of the earth are no where so pregnant of metals , stone , and fuel , &c. the sun , which scorcheth other countries , may be said but to warm the english soyl with his gentle rays . the air is nothing so foggie and dull as in many other regions , but cleerd and attenuated ever and anon with refreshing blasts . nor is the body of the earth so subject to shaking agues and earth quakes , to trepidation and quakings , as other places are , which are full of sulphurous bituminous concavities . touching store and superfluity of corn , with all sorts of grain , britain in the times of the romans was calld , as tacitus says , the barn and granary of the western world . take all these particulars together , the poet doth not much complement with england when he breaks thus into a character of her . anglia terra ferax , tibi pax secura quietem , multiplicem luxum merx opulenta dedit . tu nimio nec stricta gelu , nec sydere fervens , clementi coelo , temperiéque places . cùm pareret natura parens , variásq favore divideret dotes omnibus una locis , sepofuit potiora tibi , matremque professa insula sis foelix , plenaque pacis , ait , quicquid amat luxus , quicquid desiderat usus , ex te proveniet vel aliunde tibi . this is the cause of that infinit commerce she hath to all parts of the habitable earth as far as the antipodes , and the incredible benefit which other nations make of her commodities ; insomuch that guicciardine , an author well to pass , relates that after the articles of the intercursus magnus were made with flanders or the netherlands , the annual trade amounted unto above twelve millions sterling , whereof the one half was in woollen manufactures , wherby the provinces did wonderfully improve in negotiation and wealth : insomuch that the ground of the order of the golden fleece established by the duke of burgundy , related to the english wool , which proved so infinitely beneficial unto them . from this marvelous exuberance and superfluity of substantial staple-commodities proceed the luxe , the plenty and profuseness of the inhabitants : for ther is no wher such frequent invitations and feasts in town and country ; which made one say , that among others , england hath an inchanting kind of quality , to make forreners forget their own countries , when they have once tasted of the sweetness therof . the franklins , yeomen or freeholders live like gentlemen , the gentlemen and esquires live like noble-men , the noble-men like princes . the lord maior and sheriffs of london have tables most days of the week fit to entertain kings . now , touching the royal court , which may be calld the epitome of the whole country , ther is no king whatsoever lives in that height of magnificence and plenty . ther was communibus annis servd in kind in provisions for his majesties house by way of composition , quarters of wheat ; oxen fat and lean ; muttons ; veals ; porks ; sturks ; boars ; flitches of bacon ; lambs ; barrels of butter ; dozen of geese ; capons cours dozen ; hens dozen ; pullets cours dozen ; chickins cours dozen ; wax weight ; sweet butter pounds ; charcoals loads ; talwood , billets , faggots , loads ; herrings barrels ; wine-cask from the vintners tun , &c. beer tun , &c. this was for the first cours : now for the second cours innumerable sorts of fowl and fish according to the season , which was exactly observd . this made bodin the great critique to confess , that considering all things , ther was not a more magnificent and plentiful court upon earth . now the riches and fatness of a country shold be principally seen in the kings house ; and indeed the greatest glory of england appeers there , as all observing forreners confess : and nothing conducd more to the continuance , increase and support of his power and honour , and which drew more awe and reverence from all peeple ; all which are so requisit and essential to the prosperity of king and peeple , as they cannot be wanting , but are and shold be perpetual attendants of the soverain prince . now , this cannot be without the concurrence and service of the peeple : now , from all times the english were observd to be industrious , and make it their chief care to provide the best things for the kings court ; according to that ancient , and no less eloquent speech of a great lawyer : domus regis vigilia defendit omnium ; otium illius labor omnium ; deliciae illius industria omnium ; vacatio illius occupatio omnium ; salus illius periculum omnium ; honor illius periculum omnium . the kings house shold be the watchfulness of all ; his recreations shold be the labor of all ; his plesures shold be the inventions of all ; his safety shold be the danger of all ; his honor the object of all. now , the greatest cause of the honour and plenty of the royal court in england , were the preemption , pourvoyances and compositions he had from evry county , which were so moderat , that they who have cryed them down , thinking it to be a great advantage and ease unto them , will find in time that they were no wiser then the ass in the fable ( as a very judicious gentleman observes ) who thought to make his burden of sponges the lighter by lying down with them in the water : for those compositions , considering the smalness of them , and how many went to bear the burden , were scarce any weight at all , as will appeer by those shires i shall produce for instances . all the thirteen shires of wales were chargd but at one hundred and fourscore sturks , which stood that whole dominion but in three hundred and threescore pounds , wherof anglesey , which hath parishes , payd but l . which amounts not to pence evry parish . the county of derby , which hath one hundred and six parishes , payd but l . per an . worcestershire , which hath one hundred and two parishes , was assessd at l . which is about three pounds seven shillings upon evry parish . yorkshire , which hath parishes , besides many large chapelries , was charged but with l . which was not two and twenty shillings upon evry parish one with another . bedfordshire , which hath one hundred and sixteen parishes , payed four hundred ninety seven pounds eight shillings four pence . cheshire , having sixty eight parishes , was to furnish but lean oxen at the kings price , viz. four marks a piece , &c. with other things , which came not to one pound nine shillings upon evry parish . cornwal , having an hundred and sixty parishes , did not bear so great a contribution as eight shillings upon evry parish . the county of devon , which hath three hundred ninety four parishes , paid no greater sum for evry yearly composition then ten shillings upon every parish . herefordshire , having one hundred seventy six parishes , made evry one to contribut no more then about twelve shillings six pence upon every parish . the huge county of norfolk , which hath parishes , payd but one thousand ninety three pounds two shillings and eight pence ; which in proportion comes not to one pound eleven shillings upon evry parish . somersetshire , which hath parishes , payd seven hundred fifty five pounds fourteen shillings eight pence , which amounts to about s. a parish . the county of northampton , which contains parishes , payd towards pourvoyance and composition nine hundred ninety three pounds eighteen shillings four pence ; which was for evry parish little more then three pounds . lincolnshire , which hath parishes , payd one thousand one hundred seventy five pounds thirteen shillings and eight pence ; which amounted to less then forty shillings a parish . glocestershire , which hath parishes , payd four hundred twenty two pounds seven shillings and eight pence ; which was not one pound eleven shillings per parish . ther be other counties , by reason of their vicinity to the court , and being very great gainers for the vent of their commodities by the kings constant residence , with his tribunals of justice in his imperial chamber of london , were chargd deeper ; as , the county of kent , which hath parishes , and is the common road of ambassadors passing to and fro , as also where his arsenals , docks and navie royal lies , with four of his cinq ports , &c. payd three thousand three hundred thirty four pounds and six shillings . the county of sussex , which hath parishes , payd one thousand and sixteen pounds two shillings and six pence . the county of surrey , having parishes , payd one thousand seventy nine pounds and three pence . hertfordshire , which hath one hundred and twenty parishes , payd one thousand two hundred fifty nine pounds nineteen shillings four pence . the county of essex , having parishes , for her neighbourhood to london and the court , payd two thousand nine hundred thirty one pounds two shillings and two pence . the county of buckingham , which hath parishes , payd two thousand and forty pounds sixteen shillings and six pence . berkshire , having parishes , payd one thousand two hundred and fifty five pounds seventeen shillings and eight pence . the county of middlesex , which hath parishes besides what are in the suburbs of london and westminster , paid nine hundred seventeen pounds nineteen shillings per an . which was no great matter in point of proportion to the rest of the counties , in regard of the great advantages this shire hath by the propinquity and residence of the kings court , and so by letting and setting of lands , pasturages , houses , lodgings at highet rates , with the improving the prices of all other commodities . the city of london , which hath such mighty benefits by the constant sojourn of the king , and of his principal courts of justice at westminster-hall , by the records in the tower , by the inns of court and chancery , with variety of other advantages , as the kings custom-house , wherby she is swoln up to be so vast in building , and to such infinit rich●…s , that she swallows up the trade of all the three kingdoms ; yet for all these advantages , she with the out-parts did contribut in grocery ware for the service of the kings house but about l. per annum . nor did the kings brewers in london , and four miles compass about , pay but one half ▪ peny in every bushel of mault ; which is now remitted : and what an inconsiderable small ease it is to so many brewers , let any man judge . out of the premises touching compositions for pourvoyances , this inference may be drawn , what a care and love our provident and prudent progenitors bore to the honor of their king , his court , and houshould ; and under favor i may say that these royal pourvoyances , and his tenures in capite , were two of the fairest flowers in the english crown , in lieu wherof it may be sayd ther is set in an ear of barly , with a chimney - wallflower ; ther is froth and fume given in exchange , which doth so much sully the luster of it : for , as i intimated before , the state and plenty of the court was accounted the greatest glory of the crown of england , as forren authors of most nations do acknowledg in their public writings . now , wheras some do affirm that the yeerly benefit of the excise doth make a full compensation for the court of wards , and tenures in capite , out of which ther was also computed fifty thousand pounds yeerly towards the diet at court , it is too well known that the said excise doth not make the king any equivalent satisfaction for his tenures alone ( if well managd ) much less for his pourvoyances , preemptions and carriages : for ther was an exact account made by his majesties special command , of the last yeers expence , that ther were seventy three thousand six hundred and seven pounds fourteen shillings and seven pence spent more in the court-diet , and provision of the stables , then were in the time of pourvoyance , besides the extraordinary charge of carriages for his removes , and navy royal. now , in expending those provisions that were servd into the court by way of pourvoyance and composition , ther was the greatest care and oeconomical good husbandry usd that possibly could be : for when ther were more beefs and muttons with other provisions servd in then the court wanted , the faithful officers of the green-cloth caused them to be sould , and with the moneys arising thence they were commonly usd to buy napery , and other houshold-things for the service of the kings house , as also in paying the arrears of som of his servants wages with the surplusages . but now that we dance after the french fiddle so fast , as we always did so for the back , and now begin to follow him also in things relating to the belly , by board-wages , &c. i wish the time may not come that we do not follow him too farr ; as that one cannot put a grain of salt in his pot unless he buy it of the king , wherby , in making salt his own commodity , the french king raiseth by the meer gabel which ariseth thence above millions of livres evry yeer , which is two millions sterling ; which sum is twice more then the king of great britain hath from all incoms whatsoever , as crown-lands , customes and imposts , excise and chimney-money , with other perquisits and casualities : and as the french thus cannot put a grain of salt in his pot , so the spaniard cannot put a corn of peper into his olla unless he hath it from the king ; nor can he buy a pair of cards or dice to pass away the time withal , unless he hath them of the king ; nay , he cannot buy half a sheet of paper to write either bond or bill , acquittance or receit , or other legal instrument , but he must buy all of the king ; which adds millions to his yeerly revenues : yet the peeple of spain are cryed up for a free peeple . but touching the imposition of excise ( which is given the king for his royal tenures , and house-keeping ) i well remember the time , that excise was held such an abominable word , that my lord carleton but only for naming it once in the parlement-house , ( yet to no ill meaning at all ) was violently cryed to the bar ; and , though a person of that eminence , as being then a privie counsellor , and principal secretary of state , he hardly escapd being committed to the tower. the excise was then calld the dutch devil , because it came first from holland , with other fine words , as plunder , storming , &c. which were all made free denizons of england by that so longd-for long parlement . and observable it is , that the first imposing and use of excise in england was to enable rebels to make war against their king and country . having thus briefly run over the sumptuary part of the english court , we will now proceed to the servants and officers , to the attendance and state thereof , which comes not behind any other court whatsoever : and this might be the ground of that ancient proverb in england , and nowhere els , there is no fishing to the sea , nor service to the kings . the court is the randevous of vertu , of cadets , and persons well qualified : it is the scale by which they rise , the king being the fountain of honour , as well as of bounty . but before we come to speak of the officers at court , and of their diet and bouche , which by a pitiful corruption is vulgarly calld budg , wheras it is bouche a mouth ; therfore it is a french phrase , il a bouche à la cour , he hath a mouth at court , viz. he hath a diet : i say , before we come to speak of the dishes and diet at court , let the reader take this small advertisement in the way , that evry dish at court was computed to cost the king viis & modis at the years end l. a dish : but now since the preemption and pourvoyance is taken away , evry dish doth stand in four times as much , at least . the kings court or houshold . the lord great chamberlain and earl marshal are rather officers of state , and as it were extraneous in relation to the houshold : so , in a manner , are the four officers of the crown who use to have houses abroad , viz. the lord chancellor or keeper of the great seal of england . the lord high tresurer . the lord privie seal . the lord high admiral . but the properst domestick officers are as follow , viz. the lord steward of the houshold , who hath allowed him evry day besides his fee — dishes . the tresurer of the houshold dishes ; and besides his table he hath a fee of — l. s. d. the controuler , besides thirty two dishes a day , hath a fee of — l. s. d. the cofferer , besides his table , hath — l. the principal secretary of state hath besides his table — l. the secretary for the latin toung , fee — l. the secretary for the french toung , fee — l. s. d. the clerks of the signet , fee every one — l. four clerks of the privie council , fee evry one — l. clerk of the council in the star-chamber , fee — l. s. d. two clerks of the parlement , fee the first , — l. two clerks of the parlement , fee the second , — l. clerk of the market , fee — l. post-master , fee — l. thirty standing posts appointed by the post-master , evry one fee — l. s. two carriers to one — l. s. d. two carriers to the other — l. officers above stayrs . lord chamberlain of the houshold , besides his table of thirty two dishes a day , hath a fee — l. the groom of the stole , who is always a gentleman of the bed-chamber , hath evry day — dishes . vice-chamberlain , fee — marks . knight-marshal , fee — marks . the gentlemen of the privie chamber , whose number is indefinite , fee evry one — l. three gentlemen-ushers of the privie chamber — l. ten grooms of the privie chamber , fee apiece — l. four carvers , fee evry one — marks . three cup-bearers , fee evry one — marks . four sewers , fee evry one — marks . four escuyers of the body , fee evry one — marks . four yeomen-ushers , fee evry one — l. s. d. twelve ordinary grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. four pages , fee evry one — l. clerk of the closet , fee evry one — l. four messengers , fee evry one — l. the band of fifty gentlemen-pensioners , fee for evry one — l. standard-bearer to the pensioners , fee — marks . the guard. captain of the guard , fee besides a livery-gown — l. two hundred ordinary yeomen of the guard , fee — l . s . d . fifty extraordinary , d. per diem — l. s. d. standard-bearer to the guard , fee — marks . clerk of the check , fee — marks . the great wardrobe . the master , his fee — l. livery — l. two clerks , fee each — l. . d. rent-gatherer , fee — l. s. d. four taylors , fee evry one — l. s. d. skinner , fee — l. s. d. three embroderers , fee evry one — l. s. d. the butlary of england . chief butler , fee — marks . the counting house . four clerks , fee evry one — l. s. d. clerk to the cofferer , fee — l. yeoman , fee — l. groom , fee — l. s. d. the iewel-house . master , his fee — l. yeoman , his fee — l. groom , his fee — l. s. d. the green-cloth . i should have spoken before herof in point of precedence , it being a court of justice continually sitting in the kings palace ; the chiefest wherof are the lord steward , the tresurer , the controwler , and cofferer , the master of the houshold , two clerks of the green-cloth , and two clerks controwlers . of these , the first three are usually of the privy-council ; for unto this , being as some hold the first and ancient court of justice in england , is committed the charge and surintendency of the kings court royal for matter of government . it is called the green-cloth , from the colour of the carpet at which they sit , wheron the kings arms are embrodered , and on each side the arms of the counting house bearing verd , a key and a rod or white staff argent saultie , signifying their power to reward or correct , as persons for their great prudence and experience thought fit to exercise both those functions . the robes . yeoman , fee — l. groom , fee — l. s. d. page , fee — l. harbingers . knight-harbinger , fee — l. four harbingers , fee evry one — l. thirty yeomen of the crown , fee evry one — l. s. d. the beds . five marshals , fee evry one — l. s. d. ob . four sewers , fee evry one — l. s. d. ob . two survayors , fee evry one — l. s. d. ob . two yeomen , fee evry one — l. clerk , fee — l. two grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. two pages , fee evry one — l. the pantry . sergeants fee — l. s. . ob . four yeomen , fee evry one — l. four grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. two pages , fee evry one — l. bread-bearer , fee — l. s. d. the boteller . yeoman , fee — l. groom , fee — l. s. d. the hall. servitors sixteen , to four , fee — l. s. d. to the rest — l. s. d. the buttry . four yeomen , fee evry one — l. four grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. two pages , fee each — l. the cellar . sergeant , fee — l. s. d. ob . seven yeomen , fee evry one — l. groom , fee — l. s. d. two pages , fee each — l. the ewry . sergeant , fee — l. s. d. ob three yeomen , fee evry one — l. two grooms , fee each — l. s. d. two pages , fee each — l. three clerks , fee evry one — l. s. d. ob . the bake-house . sergeant , fee — l. s. d. ob . seven yeomen , fee evry one — l. two grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. four conducts , fee evry one per diem — d. the kitchin. two master-cooks , fee evry one — l. s. d. ob . six yeomen , fee evry one — l. six grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. eight children , fee evry one — l. galapines , apparel for them of the hall , kitchin , and privie kitchin — l. surveyor of the dresser , fee — l. s. d. to the cooks at easter in larges — l. s. d. to the scullery , larges — l. to the pastry , larges — l. the spicery . clerk , fee — l. yeoman , fee — l. the pitcher-house . two yeomen , fee evry one — l. two grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. two pages , fee evry one — l. the chaundlery . sargeant , fee — l. s. d. ob . two yeomen , fee each — l. two grooms , fee each — l. s. d. two pages , fee evry one — l. the larder . sergeant , fee — l. s. d. ob . yeoman , fee — l. two grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. two pages , fee evry one — l. the boyling house . two yeomen , fee evry one — l. three grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. two pages , fee — l. clerk , fee — l. s. d. the neatery . yeoman-pourvoyer of salt fish , fee — l. yeoman-pourvoyer of fresh fish , fee — l. s. d. seven yeomen-pourvoyers of oxen , mutton , veal , lamb , &c. fee evry one — l. s. d. four grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. yeomen of the store-house , fee — l. the poultry . sargeant , fee — l. s. d. ob . clerk , fee — l. s. d. four yeomen-pourvoyers , fee evry one — l. s. d. the scalding house . yeoman , fee — l. two grooms , fee each — l. s. d. two pages , fee each — l. the pastry . two sergeants , fee each — l. s. d. ob . clerk , fee — l. s. d. two yeomen , fee each — l. four grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. four children or pages , fee evry one — d. the scullery . three yeomen , fee evry one — l. two grooms , fee each — l. s. d. two pages , fee each — l. amners . gentleman-amner , fee — l. s. d. ob . sub-amner , fee — l. s. d. ob . four yeomen , fee evry one — l. two grooms , fee each — l. s. d. chappel . gentlemen of the chappel , fee apiece — l. s. d. ob . master of the children , his fee — l. to the children at high-feast-largesses — l. s. d. allowance for their breakfasts — l. the laundry . two yeomen , fee each — l. two grooms , fee each — l. s. d. two pages , fee each — l. one woman-laundress , fee — l. the wafry . clerk , fee — l. s. d. yeoman , fee — l. groom , fee — l. s. d. the wood-yard . sergeant , fee — l. s. d. ob . four yeomen , fee evry one — l. four grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. two pages , fee evry one — l. two wood-bearers , largess to them at midsummer , and to the grooms of the kings hall — l. six porters and scowrers , largess at easter — l. porters of the kings gates . three yeomen , fee evry one — l. three grooms , fee evry one — l. s. d. master of the horse . besides thirty two dishes per diem , fee — l. in whose gift are , the chief avenor , fee — l. fourteen escuyers , fee evry one — l. clerk of the stable , fee — l. s. d. three survayors , fee evry one — l. s. d. sergeant of the carriages , fee — l. s. d. six riders , fee evry one — l. sixteen foot-men , fee evry one — l. eight coach-men , fee evry one — l. s. yeoman of the st●…rrop , fee — l. s. three sadlers , fee evry one — l. six litter-men , fee evry one — l. four yeomen-pourvoyers — l. s. three yeomen-granators — l. yeomen of the male , fee — l. s. d. sargeant-ferrier , fee — l. s. d. three yeomen-ferriers , fee — l. yeoman-bittmaker , fee — l. s. d. yeomen of the close cart , fee — l. s. d. ob . sixty four grooms , fee evry one — l. s. the tents . master , fee — l. controuler , fee — l. s. d. clerk , fee — l. s. d. keeper of the tents , fee — l. yeoman , his fee — l. s. d. groom , his fee — l. revels . master , fee — l. yeoman , fee — l. s. d. four masters of the requests , fee a piece — l. hunting . master , fee — l. s. sargeant , fee — l. s. d. ob . officers and others serving under the master , wages and allowance for them — l. s. d. harriers . master , fee — l. s. officers and others subservient to the said master , wages and allowance for them — l. s. d. otter-hounds . master , fee — l. s. d. buck-hounds . master , d. per diem for himself , and to sundry hunters serving at his appointment — l. two sargeants , fee each — l. two yeomen-prickers , fee each — l. s. d. for meat for the hounds to the grooms — l. s. d. musicians and players . sargeant-trumpeter , fee — l. sixteen trumpeters , fee evry one — l. s. d. two luters , fee evry one — l. two harpers , fee evry one — l. s. eight singers , fee evry one — l. s. d. allowance to six children for singing — l. rebeck , fee — l. s. d. nine minstrels — l. s. d. six sackbutts , fee evry one — l. s. d. eight viols , fee evry one — l. three drumsteds , fee evry one — l. s. two players on the flute , fee a piece — l. s. two players on the virginals , fee a piece — l. seven musician-strangers — l. s. d. eight players of enterludes , fee evry one — l. s. d. two makers of instruments , fees — l. surgeons . two surgeons , fees between them — l. two other , fees to both — l. two more , fees between them — l. three physicians , fees evry one — l. three apothecaries , fee evry one — l. s. d. astronomer , fee — l. the kings barge . master , fee — l. s. d. twenty five water-men for the barge , one — l. s. d. another — l. s. d. the rest evry one — l. artificers . stationer , fee — l. s. d. printer , fee — l. cutler , fee — l. s. d. weaver , fee — l. s. d. wheelwright , fee — l. s. crossbow-maker , fee — l. s. d. coach-maker , fee — l. clock-maker , fee — ●… l. s. budget-maker , fee — l. s. d. feather-dresser , fee — l. s. d. lock-smith , fee — l. s. d. arrowhead-maker , fee — l. s. d. buckler-maker , fee — l. s. d. handgun-maker , fee — l. s. d. graver of stones , fee — l. sargeant-painter , and others under him — l. arbour-maker , and planters of trees — l. s. stillers of waters , fee — l. bowyer and fletcher , fee a piece — l. s. d. clock-keeper , fee — l. s. d. keeper of the libraries — l. s. d. the kings works . surveyor , for himself , one clerk , boat-hire , and riding-charges — l. s. d. controuler of the works , fee — l. one clerk , fee — l. s. d. clerk of the engrossment of the pay-book — l. s. pourvoyor , fee with charge of a horse — l. s. paymaster , fee d. per diem — l. s. keeper of the store-house , fee — l. s. d. clerk of the check , fee d. per diem — l. s. d. clerk of the controulment — l. s. d. carpenter , fee per diem d. — l. s. plummer , fee per diem d. — l. s. mason , fee per diem d. — l. s. joyner , fee — l. s. glasier , fee — l. s. survayor of the mines , fee — l. s. devisor of the buildings , fee — l. s. kings at arms and heralds . garter principal king at arms , fee — l. clarencieux king at arms , fee — l. norroy king at arms , fee — l. kings heralds seven , fee evry one — l. s. d. poursuyvants at arms four , fee apiece — l. sargeants at arms twenty five , fee evry one — l. s. standard-bearer , fee — l. banner-bearer , fee — l the admiralty . lord high admiral of england , fee — marks . vice-admiral , fee — marks . two clerks fee of the one — l. s. two clerks fee of the other — l. s. d. boat-hire upon all occasions — l. riding-charges during his travel , per diem — s. tresurer of the navie , fee — marks . two clerks , fee d. per diem — l. s. d. riding-charges upon occasion per diem — s. d. master of the ordnance , fee — marks . three clerks , fee among them per diem — s. d. boat-hire upon all occasions — l. riding-charges per diem — s. d. controuler of the navie , fee — l. two clerks , each per diem — d. boat-hire — l. riding-costs per diem — s. survayor , fee — l two clerks , each per diem — l. riding-co●…ts per diem — s. boat-hire upon all occasions — l. clerk of the ships , fee — l. s. d. boat-hire upon all occasions — l. riding-costs per diem — s. d. clerk of the store-house at deptford , fee — l. s. d. one clerk subservient — l. pilot , fee — l. victualler of the navie , fee — l. one clerk , per diem — d. riding-costs per diem — s. the ordnance . master of the ordnance , fee — l. s. d. two clerks one per diem — d. two clerks the other — d. surveyor , fee — l. s. one clerk , per diem — d. riding-costs per diem — s. lieutenant of the ordnance , fee — marks . one clerk , per diem — d. boat-hire upon all occasions — l. riding-costs — s. d. keeper of the great store , fee — l. clerk , per diem — d. riding-costs — s. d. keeper of the small store , fee — marks . riding-costs — s. d. clerk of the deliveries , fee — l. master-gunner of england , fee per diem — s. d. 〈◊〉 - maker , fee per diem d. — l. s. saltpe●…er-maker , fee — l. s. two gun-founders — l. s. d. gun-smith , fee d. per diem — l. s. d. engin-artificer , fee per diem d. — l. s. d. master-carpenter , fee per diem d. — l. s. d. ordinary gunners or cannoneers , one hundred and nine , fee — l. s. d. yeoman of the ordnance , fee per diem d. — l. s. d. the tower of london . constables fee — l lieutenants fee — l. porters fee — l. s. d. yeomen-waiters or warders , fee — l. s. d. allowance for fuel — l. s. d. keeper of the lions , &c. fee — l. s. d. carpenter , fee — l. s. d. keeper of the wardrobe , fee — l. s. d the armary . master of the armary , fee — l. s. d. armarers under the master , twenty , one at — l. five , evry one at — l. three , evry one at — l. the rest evry one at — l. s. d. the mint . master , or tresurer of the mint , fee — l. controuler of the mint , fee — marks . assay-master , fee — marks . clerk of the mint , fee — l. auditor of the mint , fee — l. s. d. allowance for paper , 〈◊〉 , and other necessaries — l. teller of the money , fee — l. s. d. survayor of the melting-house , fee — l. s. d. clerk of the irons , fee — l. s. d. chief graver , fee — l. chief finer , fee — l. sinker of irons , fee — l. three melters , fee evry one — l. s. d. two branchers , fee evry one — l. s. d. pourvoyer , fee — l. pot-maker , fee — l. porter , fee — l. diet to all these officers by the week — l. s. the high court of chancery . lord chancellor , or lord keeper of the great seal of england , fee per diem s. — l. for his attendance in the star-chamber — l. more by name of annuity — l. robes out of the wardrobe — l. wine out of the butlery twelve tuns — l. wax out of the wardrobe — l. sum. allocat . per an . — l. master of the rolls , fee — l. s. d. livery out of the hamper — l. s. d. masters of the chancery , fee apiece — l. s. d. clerk of the crown , fee — l. livery for summer and winter — l. s. d. protonotary , fee — l. s. d. clerk of the hamper , fee — l. s. d. annuity — l. livery for himself and his clerk — l. s. d. controuler of the hamper , fee — l. enrollers of evidences , fee — l. seal , fee — l. s. l. livery — ●… s. sargeant at arms , fee — l. s. cryer , fee and livery — l. s. d. chafer of wax — l. s. d. necessary charges of wax , parchment , paper , riding coats , and other yearly expences — l. the privie seal . lord keeper of the privie seal , fee per diem — l. allowd for his table at court — l. clerks of the privie seal , fee apiece — l. four masters of the requests , fee apiece — l. the kings bench. lord chief justice of the kings bench , who holds his place onely by a short writ , not by patent as others do , for his fee , reward and robes — l. s. d. wine two tuns — l. allowance for justice of assize — l. to three justices assistants , fee , reward , and robes apiece — l. s. d. allowance to evry one as justice of assize — l. clerk of the crown , fee — l. livery out of the wardrobe — l. s. d. protonotary , fee — l. s. d. keeper of the writs and rolls , fee — l. cryer , fee — l. s. d. the common pleas. lord chief justice of the common pleas , fee. reward and robes — l. s. d. wine out of the butlery , two tuns — l . allowance for keeping the assize of the augmentation-court — l . s . allowance for justice of assize — l. three coadjutant justices , fee , reward and robes to evry one — l . s . d . allowance for being justices of assize — l. attorney-general , fee — l . allowance for being justice of assize — l. sollicitor-general , fee — l . keeper of the writs and rolls , fee — l . four sargeants at law , to each fee , rewards and robes — l . s . d . allowance as justice of assize — l. allowance for keeping the assizes of the court of augmentations — l . s . d . cryer , fee — l . chief officers of the kings revenues , and of the exchequer . the lord high tresurer of england , fee — l . robes out of the wardrobe — l . s . d . wine so many tuns impost free — l . s . d . allowance for diet — l . s . d . chancellor of the exchequer , fee — l . s . d . livery out of the wardrobe — l . s . d . tuns of wine impost free — l . s . d . officers of the exchequer-court . lord chief baron , fee — l . livery out of the wardrobe — l . s . d . allowance for being justice of assize — l. tuns of wine impost free — l . s . d . the barons of the exchequer , to each fee — l . s . d . livery out of the wardrobe — l . s . d . allowance for being justices of assize — l. other officers of the exchequer . the kings remembrancer , fee — l . s . d . livery out of the wardrobe — l . s . d . the lord tresurers remembrancer , fee — l . s . d . livery out of the wardrobe — l . s . d . clerk of the pipe , fee — l . s . d . livery , &c. — l . s . d . under-tresurer of the exchequer , fee — l . s . d . livery , &c. — l . s . d . seven auditors , fee evry one — l . forren opposers , fee — l . s . d . clerk of the extreats , fee — l . clerk of the pleas , fee — l . clerk of the summons , fee — l . two marshals , fee apiece — l . two deputy-chamberlains , fees apiece — l . s . two secondaries in the kings remembrancers office , fee evry one — l . two secondaries in the pipe-office , fee — l . four secondaries in the tresurers remembrancers office , fee evry one — l . clerks of the tallies , fee evry one — l . s . clerk of the pell , fee — l . s . four tellers , fee evry one — l . s . d . clerk in the pipe-office for offring amercements , fee — l . s . d . clerk in the office of the kings remembrancer , fee for writing the fines , issues and amercements due to the king evry year — l . s . d . clerk in the office of the tresurers remembrancer , fee for offering the amercements — l . clerk in the office of the pleas , fee — l . the four ushers of the court of exchequer for their fees , in delivery of processes , and for paper , wax , and other necessaries by them provided , and bought for the officers of the court amongst them — l . four porters , livery to evry one — s . two joyners for tallies , fees apiece — l . two deputy-chamberlains to write the controulment of the pell , fees apiece — l . one clerk to write the tallies of controulment , fee — l . one porter of the baggs , and keeper of the tresure-house-keys , fee — l . s . d . four messengers , fee per diem — d . ob . the grooms of the receits fee by rewards and allowances — l . to the tresurers , and chamberlains officers , allowd for parchment — l . three ushers of the receits , fees , for diet , wax , paper , parchment , &c. — l . the court of first-fruits and tenths . chancellor , fee — marks . diet-money — l . hire for a house for himself , and for the records — l . tresurer , fee — l. diet-money — l . house-rent — l . a deputy — l . a clerk — l . s . d . attorney , fee — l . s . d . auditor , fee — l. diet-money — l . s . one clerk — l . s . d . other allowances and expences . clerk of the court , fee — l . keeper of the records , fee — l. messenger , fee — l . s . d . allowance — l . s . d . usher , fee — l . s . d . allowance — l . s . d . the dutchy of lancaster . chancellor , and allowance with l . for paper , ink and parchment — l . s . survayor , fee , and allowance — l . s . d . attorney , fee , and allowance — l . s . d . clerk of the court , fee and allowance — l . s . d . messenger , fee besides riding costs — l . assistants in the said court. one attorney for the dutchy in the exchequer , fee — l . attorney likewise in the chancery , fee — l. to the usher of the receits in the exchequer , fee — l. four learned men in the law retained for counsel for the said dutchy , fee evry one — l . s . d . besides auditors , receivers , &c. the presidential court in wales , or the council of the marches . lord president , diet for himself and council per an . — l . divers counsellors , to some — marks . to others — l . to others — l . secretary , his fee — l . s . d . atturney , fee — l . s . d . sollicitor , fee — l . surveyor , fee — l . s . d . touching the presidential court in the north , where ther was usd to be also a lord president , four of the learned counsel , a secretary and other officers , the king saves nere upon l . per an . the like sum or therabouts is savd by the court of wards , though the loss which the crown of england hath receavd therby in point of honour by tenures in capite , and royal pourvoyances , &c. be invaluable ; which makes our next forren neighbours in a kinde of jeer ( and the best of their wit lies in jeering ) to say , that all the noblemen and gentry of england , since tenure in capite was taken away , are become little better then roturiers , then yeomen that hold in soccage . the former catalog of court-officers was delivered to king iames at his first coming in , and ther may be some alterations since . now ther is a mighty number of other officers belonging to the crown : as auditors , receavors , surveyors , escheators , customers ; governors and constables of castles , keepers of forts , points and bulwarks ; rangers of forests ; keepers of chaces , parks and woods , &c. which wold make a volume of it self , and is not so proper to the designe of this subject , which aims principally at the menial and domestick servants attending at court , though we have bin transported as we went along to other offices . out of the premises this result may be drawn , that besides the unparallelld plenty , fatness and hospitality of the english court in point of provision , and munition de bouche , as the frenchman calls it , ther is no court in christendom servd with more punctual attendance and state ; wheras if you cross ore the chanel , and take a view of the next transmarin court , one shall see common laquays , scullions , and greasie galopins bring meat to the very rayls of the kings table : and touching the spanish court , t is so pitifully thin at dinner and supper-time , that one wold think he were in some monastery of capuchins : but go to either of their kitchins , one may break his neck as soon as break his fast. while i was writing this , a plesant repartie came into my memory that happend twixt that worthy and warlike british knight sir roger williams , ( who being general of an english army in france , henry the great confessd to be a better soldier then himself ) sir roger being at an ordinary in antwerp , where among others ther was a spanish alferez who began to speak much of the dainty fruits and salades of his country , sir roger let him go on a good while , and at last answered bluntly , 't is tru sir we have not such lemons , orenges , and pomegranats which you have in spain , but we have in england good chines of beef , and sirloyns of veal , &c. we have the meat , and you have but sauce for our meat . i will close up this paragraph with this humble advertisement ; that it highly concerns the common interest of the english nation to introduce again , and revive the most ancient and legal usage of his majesties just rights of preemption , and pourvoyance or compositions for them ; otherwise it is impossible for him to keep a court any thing sutable to a king of great britain . the eighth paragraph . touching the diversity of nations , and diffring original mother-tongs , with other dialects , that are under the dominions of the king of great britain : as also , of the variety of royal recreations , number of palaces , forests , chaces and parks , which belong to the crown , &c. the greatest antiquaries and linguists that treat of tongs , and of their originals , do affirm that ther are eleven maternal tongs throughout all europe , which are . the greek , . the latin , . the high-dutch , teutonick or german , . the slavonian , which hath two characters , both a greek and dalmatian character , which come neer the shape of the latin ; then ther is . the british or welsh toung ; . irish ; . the bascuence or cantabrian , which is the reliques of the old spanish , or iberian toung ; . the albanian , of a peeple who inhabit about the mountains of epirus ; . the hungarian , which came into europe out of asia with the huns ; . is that of finland , neer to which is that of lapland in the north of sweden ; . is that of the cosacks , and tartars . of all these the slavonian is of largest extent ; for it is observed that three and twenty several nations speak it . now , the french king hath not one mother , and pure inde●… toung spoken in all his dominions ; they are but dialects , languages or speeches derivd from other toungs : the purest french , which is spoken at court , and upon the river of loire , is but a dialect of the roman or latin toung ; so is the walloon , the provensal , the gascoon , the limosin , and others : that of bearn is but a dialect of the bascuence and gascon ; that of britany or armorica is but a dialect of the ancient british continued so wonderfully in wales after so many revolutions and changes of diffring nations to this day . indeed the king of spain hath an old maternal toung under his dominions , which is the cantabrian or bascuence ; all the rest are but several idiomes or dialects derived from the latin , and inlayd with a multitude of morisco words . the castilian , the portugues , the catalan , the valenciano , are dialects of the latin . but the king of great britain hath two pure ancient mother-toungs within his dominions ; which is the british , or old comraecan toung ; and the irish or hibernian toung , which are subsistent of themselfs , and have no derivation or affinity at all with any other toung . ther are six dialects also spoken in his kingdomes ; the english , which is a dialect of the saxon or high - dutch ; ther is the scotish , which is a sub-dialect of the english ; ther is the mankmen , or they of the i le of man , which is also a sub-dialect of the welsh . ther is the highlander or redshank , which is a dialect of the british and irish ; ther is the cornish , which is a dialect of the welsh ; and the language of iersey and gernsey ( the only remains that are left us of normandy ) which is a dialect of the french. now , it cannot be soberly denied but that it is an addition of honour to the king of great britain to have more mother-toungs ( reservd yet in his dominions , and as it were unconquerd ) then his two neighbour-kings . touching variety of palaces , and change of royal mansions , he may compare , if not out-go any of the other kings : for within half a days journey of london he hath eight several houses , and divers elswhere ; wheras the french king hath but the louvre , fountainbleau , bois de vincennes , st. germain de laye , and madrid , a small ruinous pile of stones which francis the first causd to be erected in commemoration of his captivity so many yeers in madrid in spain in a small brick house , wherinto ther was a low little dore built by the command of the emperour charles the fifth , of purpose to make the king stoop when he entred ; which he observing , because he should not bow his head , went in backward , putting in his bum first . the king of spain hath but his palace , and la casa de buen retiro in madrid ; he hath aranjuez with the pardo between madrid and the escurial ; where he hath a royal house , yet it is but a cantle of a monastery , t is but the handle of a gridiron , which that great structure resembles , in memory of the martyr st laurence ; philip the second having bin forced , for the advantage of avenues to batter down a convent dedicated to that saint a little before the battail of st quinten , where he provd victorious against the french ; and to perform a vow he then made , he built the monastery of saint laurence at the escurial . now , touching all the foresaid palaces in france and spain , winsore-castle may compare with any for magnitude , majesty and state ; as sir thomas roe , who had bin ambassador at the great mogors court , at the seraglio of the gran senior , at the german emperours , at the french , polonian , danish and swedish courts ; i say , sir thomae roe did confidently and knowingly affirm , that winsor-castle may not only compare , but have the precedence of all the rest , in point of grandeur , majesty , situation and stateliness . moreover , the king of great britain hath lodges , and other places of plesure without number ; in regard of so many forests , ●…haces and parks that are annexd to the crown . touching forests , ther is no potentat on earth hath so many , i may truly avouch . now , a forest is a franchise of so princely a tenure , that according to the laws of england none but the king himself can have a forest ; if he chance to pass one over to a subject , t is no more forest , but a frank chase. a forest hath peculiar laws of her own to take cognizance of , and punish all trespasses : a forest hath her court of attachments , or swainmote-court where matters are as legally pleadable as at westminster-hall . the hart , the hind , the hare , the bore , and the wolf , are forest-beasts ; the buck , the doe , the fox , the matron , the roe , belong to a chace and park . and all these kind of recreations the king of great britain hath in so many forests , wherof ther are in england ( besides thirteen chaces , and seven hundred eighty one parks ) these whose names follow alphabetically . forests name . county . . applegarth ebor. n. rid. . arundel sussex . . ashdown . susses . . bear-forest . hamp . . birnwood buck. . blackmore . wilt. . blethvay . radnor . . bowland . lanc. . braden . wilt. . buckholt . hamp . . cantselly .   . cardith . caermar . . chur. hamp . . charnwood . leicester . . chul . wilt. . coidrath . pembr . . copland . cumb. . dallington suff. . dartmore . devon. . delamere . chesh. . dene . gloc. . dereford . salop. . waterdown suss. . exmere . devon. . feckenham . wigorn. . the forest. cardig . . fromselwood . somers . . gaiternack . wilt. . gautry . ebor. . gillingham . dors. . hatfield . essex . . harwood . salop. . haye . heref. . holt. dors. . huckstow .   . inglewood . cumb. . knaresburg . ebor. . kings wood . gloc. . knuckles . radnor . . leicester . leicest . . st. leonards . suss. . lounsdale .   . lowes . northumb. . lune . ebor. . leyfield . rutl. . mallerstang . westm. . mocktry . salop. . narborth . pemb. . neroch . som. . new forest. hamp . . new forest. ebor. . peak . derb. . pewsham . wilt. . pickring . ebor. . radnor . radnor . . roscob . card. . rockingham . northam . . sapler .   . savernack . wilt. . sherwood . notingh . . selwood . som. . saucy . north. . wabridg . hunt. . waltham . essex . . west forest. hamp . . westward . cumb. . whichwood . oxf. . winfield . westm. . whitehart .   . whittlewood . northam . . whitway .   . wyersdale . lanc. . winsore . bark . . wolmer .   . wood. ebor. . worth. suss. . wutmer . hamp . this is the old number of forests in england ( wherof a few , as blackmore in wiltshire , with others , are deforested ) which forests cannot by the laws be in any ones hands but the kings ; and the reason is , because none hath power to grant a commission for justice in eire but the king , which iustice is to keep a court evry three yeers once , but the swainmoot-court evry one yeer thrice . forests were at first for the kings princely delight , venery and plesure , meerd with unremoveable marks and boundaries ; and the old law is , omnis homo abstinent a venariis meis super poenam vitae : it was capital to hunt in any of the kings forests without leave . now , if one shold make the perambulation of all france and spain , he will not find half the number of forests in both kingdoms : and whether this be not a notable advantage to the king of great britain in point of honour , let any unpassionat and sober-minded man determine . the ninth paragraph . touching the prudential laws and constitutions of great britain , relating to prince and peeple : as also , the eminence and variety of honours which the king can confer , &c. vvhat the arteries , nerfs and cartilages are to the body natural , the same are laws to the political ; they are the ligaments of a kingdom , which connect and tie all sorts of peeple , though of so many different humors , in one goverment , and under one souverain head . the common law of england , though in some things it differs from the civil , by which most parts of europe are governd , yet it hath the rationability and justness , the general notions and aym of the civil law , which is to preserve evry one in the possession of his own , and the souverain prince in honour , power and safety . the main quarrel against it , is , that it wants method , and that it is not reducible to any , or capable to be digested into such a pandect as the civil law is . wherunto it may be answered , that the common law of england hath for its grounds . custome , . iudicial records , and . acts of parlement or statuts . the two later being declarations of the common or customary law of the land , are methodizd and digested to order , as the book of statuts , &c. whence the sheriffs , the justices of peace , and constables , with other officers , may learn their duties , and how to execut their places , and any subject els may know how to keep himself within the bounds of his obedience . but the common law of the land consisting of cases , precedents and judgments , as also of immemorial and uninterrupted municipal customs , which being no written things , therfore it is no wonder that the professors therof have not bin so curious , to attempt hitherto the methodizing of that art which consists most of custom and usage ; yet fair essays are made daily for better retaining the same in memory , by putting particular cases under general rules , wherof ther are divers volums frequently publishd of late yeers . now , the laws of england look two ways , either upon the souverain prince , or upon the peeple : touching the later , ther is no law upon earth so careful and tender of a mans life ( or livelihood ) be he the meanest subject under the crown , as the common law of england is : for wheras in other countries a single judge and witness may take away ones life ( or estate ) wherof the one may be subornd , the other corrupted ; t is not so in england , but besides witnesses and judges , ther be two sorts of iuries , one the grand inquest , which consists of twenty four gentlemen , or able freeholders , to consider by a previous consultation of all bills of inditement to be preferd to the judicial court , which upon strict examination they either approve , and transfer to the court by writing upon the bill , billa vera ; or they disallow it by writing ignoramus . such causes as they approve , if they concern life and death , are further referrd to another iury to consider of , because the case is of such importance ; but others of lighter moment , are upon their allowance fined by the bench without more ado , except the party traverse the inditement , or chalenge it for insufficiencie , or remove the cause to a higher court by a certiorari , in which two former cases it is referrd to another jury , and in the later transmitted to a higher ; and presently upon the allowance of this bill by the grand inquest , the party is said to be indited ; but such as they disallow are deliverd to the bench , by whom they are forthwith cancelld or torn . the indited party being to stand afterwards at the bar , and desiring to be tryed by god and his country , ther is a petty jury empannelld of twelve , who bear the publick repute of honest men ; and the law of england is so indulgent of life , that the prisoner may challenge or except against any to such a number ; and withal a butcher , who is inurd to bloud and slaughter , is incapable by the law to be a jury-man for life . so the said jury , after a strict and painful examination of the fact , with all the least circumstances therof , deliver their verdict according to their consciences , wherby the judg doth acquit or condemn the party according to the quality of the offence : nor can any pecuniary mulct satisfie for the life of any , as it is in other countries . and as the common law of england is thus so tender of humane life , so it is as cautious , indulgent and careful of the livelihood and propriety of the meanest subject in the land , which in case of controversie is done also by jury , and put home to the consciences of twelve indifferent good men , and not left only to the breast and opinion of any one judge , be he never so learned , and incorrupt . the english law likewise favors widows and orphans , and the poor have counsel appointed them gratis , &c. it appeers out of the premisses what a great regard the common law of england , the lex terrae , hath to the lifes and properties of the peeple in point of justice . now in point of reverence and loyalty to the souverain prince ( which is more pertinent to this disourse ) ther is no law hath higher regards likewise that way , nor also to his honour and dignity , to his welfare and safety , to his royal prerogatives and glory , which prerogatives intrinsecally stick , and are inherent in the crown , yet are they , and the liberties of the subject determined , and bound by the law. the laws of england make the king their protector ; and reason good , for they are his own productions , t is he that puts life into them ; they bear such reverence to his person , that in his presence none can be seizd , or violently layd hands on , or arrested , his very presence being a protection for the time : he who giveth but a blow to any in his court , the law adjudgeth him to loose his right hand . the law sayth that the king hath his title to the imperial crown of great britain , and to his kingly office and power , not as a fiduciary thing conveyed from the peeple , but by inherent birthright , and inalienable heritage immediatly from god , from nature , and from the fundamental constitutions of the land : he hath not only ius paternum , a paternal power over his subjects , but ius despoticum & herile : he hath dominion over them , which dominion is devolvd upon him gratiâ dei , by divine dispensation and favour . ther is no alleageance or fealty due to any other power but to the king. the law is so careful of the sacred person of the king , that it reacheth unto the very thoughts , and restrains them from machination of any evil against him : for the law says it is treson to imagine mischief against the king , much more to attempt , act and execute it . the common law of england makes the king the supreme and independent governour , and all other persons derive their power and authority from him , either by his royal writ , patent or commission . the law presupposeth that he sits not only at the kings bench , but in other courts of judicature ; for the writs go , teste meipso : and because the law sayth that the king must govern in mercie and justice , the sole power of pardoning is in him. moreover , the power of coinage is only in the king , with the enhancing or decrying the price of money : he is the sole gran master of the mint ; wheras in france others partake with the king in this high prerogative : nor doth any kings face shine in purer metal ; for it shines onely in pure gold and silver , and that of the finest standard , mixture and allay of any in europe : wheras i have seen and felt the face of the french king in copper and brass , with other mixt mongrel stuff ; as also of the king of spain's , though he terms himself the monark of gold and silver mines ; yet the common currant coyn twixt merchant and mechanick is copper , wherin the hollander by his cunning hath done him a world of mischief from time to time , by counterfaiting that copper coyn , and ●…oysting it in by divers artifices ; as in a ship laden with lead and tin , ther wold be somtimes divers sows of lead hollowed and crammd with quartils , as also in hollowed masts , with other inventions ; insomuch that one time , when all the vellon or copper coin was calld in , and a scrutiny made how much had bin coynd , ther were many millions more found to be brought in , and counterfaited , then had bin stampd in the kings mint . by the common law of the land , the king of great britain hath three royal ensignes which cannot belong to any other : he hath the crown , the scepter , and the ( polemical ) sword , ( as i have mentiond in another treatise , and is proper to touch here . ) by the first , he reigns ; by the second he makes laws ; by the third , viz. the sword , he protects them . concerning the crown , or royal diadem , the laws of england assert , that it descends upon his head by a right hereditary line , though through d●…vers ancient royal races , wherof some were conquerors . the crown is his , as much as any mans cap 's his own ; and ther is no crown stuck with fairer flowers , i mean royal prerogatives , wherof divers were spoken of before . concerning the scepter , it may be calld an individual copartner , or a royal appendix to the crown : it doth capacitate the king to enact laws : for before his assent , all the results and determinations of parlement are but bills ; they may be said to be but abortive things , and meer embryos ; nay , they have no life at all in them , till the king by his breath infuseth vigour and animation into them ; and the ancient custom was for the king to touch them with the scepter , then they are laws , and have a virtue in them to impose an universal obligation upon all sorts of peeple . now , it is an undeniable principle of the law of england , that nothing can be generally binding without the kings royal assent , nor doth the law take notice of any thing without it : this makes them to be calld afterwards the kings laws ; and the judges are said to deliver the kings iudgments : nay , he himself is always lord chief justice of england , which title is not assumable by any subject . now , before an english law is made , ther is mature and mighty long deliberation goes before : for first the business is agitated and canvasd many days in the house of commons ( which represents all the peeple of england ) till it comes to the ripeness of a bill : the bill being drawn , is read thrice in the house ; and having passd the brunt of all exception , t is engrossd and transmitted to the lords ; and there also t is read thrice , and debated with much deliberation : then by concurrence of both houses t is presented to the king , who consults with his learned counsel whether ther be any thing therin derogatory to his prerogatives : if not , he gives his royal assent , and then t is created a law , and generally binding . touching the power of the sword , it is more proper to treat of it in the next paragraph . moreover , the lex terrae , the common law of england makes the king the fountain of honour ; nay , without any disparagement or offence be it spoken , he can confer honor upon other kings , and souverain princes , as he is souverain of the order of saint george , wherof ther have bin eight emperors ; five kings of the french , four of spain , seven of portugal , two of the scots , four of denmark , three of naples , one of poland , and another of sweden ; two dukes of urbine , one of millain , one of ferrara , one of savoy , one of calabria , one of holland , one of gueldres ; four princes of orenge , seven counts palatin of the rhin ; two dukes of brunswick , two of holstain , one of brandenburgh , and one duke of wittenberg , with divers other forren princes . now , among all orders purely military , ther is not any now remaining in the christian world , either more ancient or honorable then the noble order of saint george , wherof the garter is a symbole ; therfore are they calld equites periscelidis , knights of the most noble order of the garter ; which order was first instituted by that victorious king edward the third , ( who was offerd to be emperour ) anno . which was threescore yeers wanting one before the institution of the french order of s. michael by lewis the eleventh ; and yeers before the order of st. esprit by henry the third ; and full fourscore yeers before the erection of the order of the golden fleece by philip duke of burgundy : it is also more ancient then the order of the knights of the elephant , which was devisd by the kings of denmark ; and much more then that of amaranta excogitated by sweden , &c. now observable it is , that among all these orders , l'ordre del toison d'or , the order of the golden fleece related to the english wools which were transported to flanders by our merchants , wherby all the provinces adjoyning did so infinitly enrich themselfs : and this order of the golden fleece , as it is one of the highest esteem , so it hath most affinity with our order of st. george in point of regulation , as also that ther are so few of it . for our order is accounted far the nobler , because it hath constantly kept it self to the same number of knights , viz. . since the primitive institution ; wheras the french orders have multiplied so fast in number of knights , that one said the order of the french knighthoods are now become collers for every ass to wear about his neck . and as this high order of st. george hath the precedence of all other now worn by any king , in point of antiquity ; so the ground and designe of it was very noble : for when the first idea of erecting a new order of knighthood entred into the head of the foresaid heroick king edward the third , his thoughts reflected upon king arthur , who indeed was the first founder of knighthood not only among christians , but of any other nation upon earth , as also the first king who gave royal arms , his coat being azure , nine crowns or , marshalld . . . and . afterwards the saxon kings gave arms ; and edward the confessors coat was azure , a cross patence between four martelets or. and as king arthurs round table , which is yet to be seen at winchester , had seats for twenty six knights ; so it seems king edward proportiond his number . now , the occasion of it was , that he having resolvd upon a war with france for attaining that crown , which was due unto him by his mothers side , he conceavd it advantageous to invite and engage to his party such as were of a martial spirit , and to that end erected a round table at windsore , in imitation of king arthur , where they were entertaind with tilts and tournements , magnificent feasts , and other princely ways to unite and encourage them . philip de valois , who was in possession of the crown of france , went about to countermine him by erecting also the like table in his court , and so drew many gallant and adventurous spirits that way , and some out of england ; so that king edward not finding this designe answerable to his mind , he fell on another , such as might prove more adherent and binding unto him ; to which end he establishd this high order of chivalry consisting of twenty six persons of eminent note , wherof he himself and his successors kings of england were to be perpetual souverains : all of them were to be men of heroick parts , and such as shold be obligd by oath and honour to adhere unto him upon all occasions ; which might be the probablest cause that he made the garter for a badg therof to be fastned about the left leg with a buckle of gold to be continually worn ; therfore are they stild equites periscelidis , ( as was touchd before ) which hath its etymologie from the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , crura ambiens , girding about the knee ; which al●…udes that those knights shold be bound in one league and confederation of love and affection severally one unto another , and all of them in joynt service to the souverain . some ther are who are of opinion , that the garter was given because that in a battle where king edward provd victorious , he had given the word garter for a signal : others in a derogatory way wold ground it upon the countess of salisburies garter falling off from her in a dance , and so taken up by the king : but the black book in winsore ( which deserves most faith in this point ) gives the first reason for it . among other laws that were enacted in the chapter when this order was first raysd , one was , that evry knight by solemn oath upon the evangelists was sworn to defend the honor and quarrels , the rights and lordship of the souvrain , &c. such a sacramental oath the knights of the bath also take , which is , to love their sovrain above all earthly cretures , and for his right and dignity to live and die , &c. therfore , i have often stood astonishd at the largeness of the consciences of some knights of both these orders , who besides other astringing oaths , as those of allegeance , supremacy , &c. could dispense with them all in the late rebellion so far , as not only not to adhere to their sovrain liege-lord and king , when his life was sought for by small and great shots , with other instruments of open hostility and slaughter , but to appeer for , to serve and stick unto the contrary party all the while : truly under favor , i wold ▪ be-loth to exchange souls with them . we will put a period to this discours of the ancient noble order of st. george with a signal observation of bodin's : decretum fuit in collegio equitum periscelidis in anglia ponere stemmata regis francorum ante caetera omnia post principem ordinis : it was decreed in the college of the knights of the garter in england , to put the stems of the king of the french before all other except the prince of the order . and the reason i conceive was , that philip the second whiles king of england was formerly put before . but bodin was herin deceavd , for the emperours arms ( wherof ther have bin eight of the order ) go before , and have the precedence . out of the premises may be deducd this cleer conclusion , as a meridian truth , that the common law of england in all things ayms at the honour and glory , the power and authority , the safeness and incolumity of the sovrain prince , more then the laws of any country : and wheras we had some touches before , how the common law , which is peculiar only to england , hath the rationability of the civil law , though not so digested to method , in regard it consists most of custom , cases and presidents ; we will conclude this paragraph with some principles wherin they both agree ; as , actori incumbit onus probandi , the proof lies on the accuser : nemo oportet esse sapientior legibus , no man ought to think himself wiser then the laws : ubi lex non distinguit , ibi non est distinguendum ; we must not distinguish where the law doth not : accessorium non ducit , sed sequitur suum principale , the accessory doth not lead but follow the principal : volenti non fit injuria , no wrong can be done to him who is willing : agentes & consentientes pari poena plectuntur , actor and consenter are to be punished alike : apices iuris non sunt iura , the punctilios of the law is no law : nemo potest esse iudex in propria causa , no man can be judge in his own cause : caveat emptor , let the buyer beware : contraria allegans non est audiendus , who alledgeth contraries is not to be heard : cujus est dare ejus est disponere , the giver may dispose of his gift as he pleaseth : quilibet in arte sua est credendus , evry one is to be believed in his own art : potestas derivativa non potest esse major primitiva , a commissioner cannot have greater power then he who gave him the commission : dies dominicus non est iuridicus , the lords day is no day of law : dormit aliquando lex , moritur nunquam , the law may sleep a while , but never die : dilationes in lege sunt odiosae , delays in law are odious : facinus quot inquinat aequat , all are principals in a crime : generale nihil certi implicat , no certitude can be had out of generals : ignorantia non excusat legem , ignorance of the law doth not excuse the breach of it : lex non cogit ad impossibilia , the law doth not tie us to impossibilities : lex est summa ratio , the law is the highest reason : lex citius tolerat privatum damnum quàm publicum malum , the law tolerats a privat damage rather then a publick : mala grammatica non vitiat chartam , false latin doth not destroy a deed : linea recta semper praefertur transversali , a right descent is always preferrd before a collateral in kinred : nemo debet his puniri pro uno delicto , no man is to be punishd twice for one offence : nemo potest plus juris in alium conferre quàm ipse habet , no man can transfer a greater power to any other , then he hath himself : nemo tenetur prodere seipsum , no man is bound to betray himself : omnia quae movent ad mortem sunt deo danda , all things which cause death are forfeit to god : qui non habet in aere , luat in corpore , where the purse cannot , let the body suffer : qui peccat ebrius , luat sobrius , who offends when he is drunk , let him be punishd when he is sober : qui sentit commodum , sentire debet & onus , who receive the benefit , ought to feel the burden : quod semel meum est , ampliùs meum non est , that which was mine , is none of mine : stat praesumptio donec probetur in contrarium , a presumption stands till the contrary be provd : ubi non est principal is ibi non potest esse accessarius , where ther 's no principal ther can be no accessary : unumquodque dissolvitur eo ligamine quo ligatur , evry thing is untyed as it is bound : par in parem non habet imperium , equals cannot command one another : nemo dat quod non habet : no man can give that which he hath not : and this doth hold also in heraldry ; therfore the knighthoods ( with other honors ) that cromwel was so free to confer , are void in law , because he was never knight himself . by these few principles , with multitudes more , it appeers that the common law hath much affinity with the civil ; wherof ther are as learned professors in england as any where els . whence it may be inferrd , that the king of great britain is supplied with more helps for the administration of justice then any nation in the world besides . for in regard that england is an iland having such a great trade at sea , and so great dealing with divers other nations ; having also besides land-matters both temporal , ecclesiastical and maritime , which are not so proper for the common law , he allows of the civil law answerable to the quality of the case , which hath bin practised in england beyond the memory of man , or the reach of any record . and though ther happen oft some emulations and high contests betwixt these two professions , yet such hath bin the prudence of the souvrain prince to keep them both in as equal a balance as could be , and not to suffer the one to insult or encroach upon the other , but to have the same freedom of study and practice to the universal good of forreners , as well as of his own subjects . and so much concerning the national law , and prudential constitutions of england . the tenth and last paragraph . touching the greatness of power , of military might and puissance by land and sea , as well defensive as offensive , &c. of the king of great britain . the duke of rohan in his book calld les interests des princes , the interests of princes , saith , that england is like a great animal that cannot die unless he kill himself . he acknowledgeth her also to be latroise●…e puissance , the third power of christendom : but by the arguments that shall be producd in this paragraph , i believe it will appeer to any discerning and unbiassd . reader that england , taking her kingdoms annexd along , with her strength at sea as well as shore , will be inferior to none . ther was a comparison made long since , that gallia & hispania sunt quasi lances in europae libra , & anglia est lingula sive libripendens ; that france and spain were as the scales of the great balance of europe , and that england was the toung or beam of the balance , which keeps it in aequilibrio , in an even counterpoise , that neither side shold be trab●…ccant . this hath bin often verified , specially in the raign of henry the eighth , whose motto was , cui adhaereo praeest , he to whom i adhere prevails . he wold somtimes make francis the first to weigh down , somtimes charles the fifth : and touching the former , he acknowledgd king henry under god to be the chiefest deliverer of him and his children from his captivity in spain ; and so likewise did pope clement , when he was freed from the castle of st. angelo , where charles the emperour had coopd him up , therfore was henry of england calld liberator orbis by the whole confistory at rome , as he was before protector of the great clementine league , and indeed the arbiter of all christendom in his time . touching the martial might of the king of great britain , we will first examine that of england , which we must distinguish into intrinsecal or terrene , and into extrinsecal or maritime . concerning the first , ther are five counties alone can put into the field fourty thousand men , all armd ; for so many are listed in the muster-makers book as traind-band-men , viz. the county of york ; kent ; norfolk , 〈◊〉 and devonshire above apiece ; and the rest of the counties , whereof ther are fourty seven , may have twice as many at least ; which come to a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers e●…olld , and ready upon all occasions either for general service , or privat in the counties where they are , for assisting the sheriff and other officers in the execution of the law , in case of any resistance ; therfore are they calld posse comitatu●… . the power of the county . so that in time of peace england alone hath an hundred and twenty thousand soldiers enrolld , besides those in ireland and scotland : and in time of war , the late bloudy rebellion ( bleeding yet in the purses and estates of many thousand poor cavaliers ) hath sufficiently tryed the strength ( and wealth ) of england : for ther was a computation made at one time of those that were in actual arms for king and parlement , and they came to neer upon two hundred thousand fighting men under commission , wherof ther were about fifty thousand horse and dragoons : and i do not remember to have read that in the time of the famous ligue in france ther were so many , take in strangers and all . hence we see that the king of great britain may be said to have a constant standing army in time of peace , of which he hath the sole disposing : for the sword is his as much as the scepter and the crown , which are inalienable from his power , and incommunicable to any other but by his royal commissions : and indeed t is the sword that makes all kings powerful ; the crown and the scepter are but impotent , and poor unweildy things ; they are but naked indefensible badges without it . ther 's none so filly as to think ther 's meant hereby an ordinary single sword , such as evry one carrieth by his side ; or some imaginary thing , or chymera of a sword ; no , t is the publik polemical sword of the whole nation ; it may be calld an aggregative or compound sword , made up of all the ammunition , the artillery , pikes , muskets , helmets , headpeeces , with all kind of armes small and great ; it reacheth to all the military strengths both by land and sea , to all tenable places , as castles , forts , bulwarks , within and about the whole iland : the kings of england have had the sole power of this sword , and the law gives it them by vertue of their royal signory from all times : the very law doth gird it to their sides ; they employ it for repelling all forren force , for vindicating all forren wrongs and affronts , for suppressing all intestine tumults and rebellions , and to protect and secure the weal of the whole body politick . the peeple of england ( represented in parlement ) were never capable to manage this sword , the fundamental constitutions of the country flatly denieth it them ; this sword is fit only to hang at the kings side , as the great seal hangs at his girdle , being as it were the key of the whole kingdom : and it is recorded of the emperour charlemain , that he carried his great seal always embossd upon the pommel of his sword ; which signified that he was ready to make good and maintain what he had seald . now , to let the peeple have the sword , is to put it into a mad-mans hand : and one of the pregnantst forren examples to prove this , is that notorious popular insurrection in france calld la iaquerie de beauvoisin , when the peasans and mechanicks had a designe to wrest it out of the kings hand , for to depress all the peers and noblesse of the kingdom : and the rebellion had grown to such a strength , that it was like to take effect , had not the prelats and churchmen stuck close to the king and the nobility : but afterwards , poor hare-braind things , they desired the king upon bended knee to take the sword again . the civilians , ( who in all points are not so great frends to royalty as the common law is ) assert , that ther are six praerogatives which belong to a souvrain prince : . armamenta army : . potestas iudicatoria , power of judicature : . potestas vitae & necis , power of life and death : . bona adespota , masterless goods : . census , the numbring of the people : . monetarum valor , the raising or abating the value of the publick coyn. among these regalias we finde that arming , which in effect is nothing els but the kings sword , is one , and as i said before , t is as proper and peculiar to his person , and to be soly on his side , as the crown on his head , or the scepter in his hand , and of greater importance then either : for by those two he draws only a voluntary love , and an opinion from his subjects ; but by the sword ( as threed thorow a needles eye ) he draws a reverential fear and aw . now , these two mixd with the other , are the best ingredients of government . with the sword he confers honors , as dubbing of knights , &c. from this sword all the chiefest magistrates have their authority ; the lord deputy of ireland , the lords mayors of london and york have their swords by deputation from him ; and when he entreth any place corporat , the first thing which is presented unto him is the sword. nor doth the point of this sword pass thorow the diameter , and reach only to evry corner of his own dominions , but it extends beyond the seas , as well to preserve his subjects from oppression , and denial of justice , as to vindicat publike wrongs and affronts , to make good the interests of his crown , as also to assist his confederats and friends . and this publick sword is so inseparable from him , that by the law of the land he cannot ungird himself of it , or transfer it to any other ; for that were to desert the protection of his peeple , which is point blank against his coronation-oath , and office. therfore the very proposition it self , that the long parlement made to his late majesty to have the militia passd over unto them , was no less then high treason : for nothing could be more derogatory to his kingly honor , which they had protested so solemnly to maintain by their so many publick instruments and oaths . we proceed now from the rural power , or country-campane of the king of great britain , to his oppidan strength ; and first of his court at westminster , where ther are goodly tall men of his gard ; then he hath a band of pensioners , who are gentlemen of quality and wealth . moreover , he hath foot , and horse , for his life-gard , besides divers garisons in sundry towns. and now we make our entrance into the city of london , that huge magazin of men and might ; a city that may well compare with any in france or spain not only for power , but for any thing els , and in some particulars may haply go beyond them , and deserve a precedence , as shall be shewd . nor doth this power extend only to her own self-protection , but it may be made use of for any part of the kingdome upon any civil insurrection , or otherwise , as it shall please the sovrain prince ( and no other whatsoever ) to employ it . the city of london is like a fair quiver of keen strong arrows for the king to draw forth upon all occasions , for his own and his peeples preservation : for besides twelve thousand choice gallant citizens in london and westminster , with the hamlets of the tower , who are enrolld , and always ready , and have their arms fixd for honor and defence , ther may be , as appears by divers censes and computations which have bin made , about two hundred thousand choice able men raisd for service if necessity requires , and the city will scarce sensibly miss them ; nor are seamen , mariners and water-men meant to be of this number . the kings of france and spain , i may well avouch , have not any such town or city : that which is most capable of comparison with london is paris , for which she hath many advantages , for she is a cité , ville and université , she is a city , a town and an university , as also the chiefest residence of the french king. but le ts go a little to particulars , and first to the populousness of both cities . they say that the parishes of st. eustace and st. innocent which lie about the centre of paris , have above one hundred thousand communicants in them alone ; and that by the last cense which was made , ther were neer upon a million of humane souls in city and suburbs , wherof the sixth part are made up of strangers and church-men , which the king cannot make use of upon military occasions : but look a little forward it will appeer that london hath above a million of souls . for largeness and magnitude t is tru , that paris hath the advantage of an orbicular figure , which is most capacious of any : but by the judgment of those mathematicians who have taken a survay of both cities , if london were cast into a circle she wold be altogether as big as paris . touching publick buildings , t is tru , that the louvre is a vast fabrick , and the like is not found in london ; but t is the only court the french king hath in the city , wheras in london ther are four royal seats , with two parks annex'd to them . i hope the bastille will not offer to compare with the tower of london , nor the river of seine with the thames ; much less i believe will paris offer to make any comparison with london in point of traffick , and societies of noble adventuring merchants , who trade on both sides of the earth as far as the antipodes ; and divers kings have been of their corporations . nor will the provost of paris i think offer to compare with the lord mayor of london , being the prime man in england upon the decease of the king until another be proclaimed . the city of london hath divers other advantages not only of paris , but of any other city of europe take them all together ; which for a more methodical proceeding we will particularize as they are found in my londinopolis ; which being so proper to this paragraph , i thought fit to insert here , and being well considered , it will be found that london need not vail to any city under the sun. . for conveniency of situation , and salubrity of air. . for strictness of government both nocturnal and diurnal . . for the magnificence of the chief magistrates . . for regulation of all trades domestik and forren . . for variety of professions and artisans . . for a greater number of corporations and halls . . for plenty of all provisions that air , earth or water can afford . . for springs , aqueducts , and other conveyances of fresh wholsome waters . . for universality of trade , and bravery of the adventurers . . for solidity and richness of native commodities . . for artillery , ammunition , docks , and a number of military and stout well-arm'd citizens . . for an ancient and glorious large temple . . for an admirable mighty great bridge . . for a noble and straight navigable river . . for a cheerful and wholesome green circumjacent soyle . . for hospitality and festival publik meetings of corporations , and other societies to increase love , and good intelligence between neighbours . . for all sorts of boats by water , and number of coaches by land for the accommodation of passengers . . for sundry kinds of reliefs for the poor and lame . . for various kinds of honest corporal recreations and pastimes . . for the number of humane souls . t is confessd that many of these conveniences may be found in other cities , which taken singly may exceed london in some ; but take them all together she may vie with the best of them , and run no great hazard . concerning the first advantage , which is convenience of situation , and salubrity of air , the wisdome of the old britains our ancestors is to be much commended for the election of the place in point of the benignity of the hevens , with the temperature and influences therof , wherin london is as happy as any other city under the skies . some hold that that city is best situated which resembleth a camels back , who hath by nature protuberancies and bunches ; so a city shold be seated upon small hillocks or rising grounds : it is just the posture of london , for she is built upon the sides , flanks , and tops of divers small hillocks lying neer the banks of a great navigable river , being incompassd about with delightful green medows and fields on all sides : she is at so fitting a distance from the sea , that no forren invasion can surprize her but she must have notice therof . the quality of her soyle is gravel and sand , which is held to be the wholsomst for habitation , and conduceth much to the goodness of the air , though it useth to be barren : but that barrenness is remedied by art and composts , insomuch that round about the city , within the distance of a mile or two , one may behold two or three thousand milchd cows a grazing evry day of the week , besides number of other beasts . touching the second advantage , which is a strict and constant cours of government , ther 's no place goes beyond her , or indeed can equal her , take night and day together . and wheras in paris one dare not pass the pont-neuf , with any place els , after ten a clock at night without danger , one may pass through london-streets as safely as in the day time ; ther being constables and their watch up and down to secure passengers : yet they must give good account of their being abroad so late , ther being strict laws against noctivagation . touching the magnificence , gravity , and state of the chief magistrate , neither the pretor of rome , nor prefect of milan ; neither the procurators of st. mark in venice , or their podesta's in other cities ; neither the provost of paris , or the mark-grave of antwerp , or any other oppidan magistrate goes beyond the lord-mayor and sheriffs of london , if one go to the variety of their robes , somtimes scarlet richly surrd , somtimes purple , somtimes violet and puke . what gallant shows are therby water and land the day that the new lord-mayor is sworn ! what a huge feast and banquet is provided for him ! touching the regulation of all sorts of trade , and laws for the improvement therof , the city of london hath not her fellow . touching variety of artisans , london abounds with all sorts . t is tru , that mingling with forreners hath much advantagd her herin : but those strangers themselfs confess that the english having got an invention , use to improve it and bring it to a greater perfection . touching corporations , halls , fraternities , guilds , and societies , london hath not any superiour ; witness the twelve great companies , out of which one is elected yeerly to be lord mayor , with threescore several companies of citizens besides . and touching all sorts of opificers , and variety of industrious ways to improve all kinde of manufactures , and therby gain an honest livelyhood and proportion of riches , london may be calld ( as luca is in italy ) a hive of bees , or a hill of ants , which have always been accounted the emblemes of industry and providence . touching abundance , and plenty of all kind of provisions , as flesh , fish , fowl , fruits , fuel , variety of drinks and wines , with any other commodity that may conduce to plesure and delight as well as to supply necessity , london may glory to be as well servd as any city under heven . a knowing spaniard said , that he thought eastcheap-shambles alone vended more flesh then is spent one week with another in all the court of spain . gascon wines drink better in london then at bourdeaux : canary wines better then at lancerote : rhenish wines better then at backrag . nor doth london abound with all things for the belly alone , but also for the back , either to keep it warm , or make it gay . what varieties of woollen stuffs are found in evry shop ! what rich broad-clothes ! some being wrought to that height of perfection , that some have been made of ten pounds a yard in price . but our unlucky english-schismatiques pretending to flee for persecution of conscience , have set up their looms , and shewd the hollanders the way , to the great detriment of their own country . concerning wholsome sweet springs , and cleer waters , london may be said to have as good blood running through her veins as any other , by those aqueducts , conduits , and conveyances of fresh waters round about to serve for all uses . what an herculean work was that of sir hugh middletons to bring the river of ware threescore miles by compasses to run through her streets , and refresh her houses , as also to preserve them from firing ! for which ther are divers ingenious useful engines besides . concerning universality of trade , ther is no city upon the surface of the earth goes beyond her ; for ther are no seas that any of the two and thirty winds blow upon from the artik to the antartik pole , from the orient to the setting sun , but london by her navigations findes them out , and makes rich returns by way of barter or emption . touching solid and useful wares that she hath of her own , what a substantial commodity , and of what high esteem all the world over is her cloth , her kersies , and divers kinds of woollen manufactures ? adde herunto her lead and tin , which she transmutes to forren gold and silver . for healthful corporal recreations , and harmless pastimes , london may go in the van to any place that ever i saw : go and walk in her fields , you shall see some shooting at long marks , some at short ; some bowling upon cheerful pleasant greens , some upon bares and alleys ; some wrastling , some throwing the bar , some the stone ; some jumping , some running ; some with their dogs in duck-ponds , some at a bear-baiting , some at the bull ; some riding upon naggs , some in coaches to take the fresh air ; some at stool-ball , others at kittle-pins ; with variety of other . for a stately cathedral temple , and general dome of devotion , the time was , and i hope will be yet within a few years , that london did not yeild to any city in this particular ; saint pauls church being esteemd by all nations to be one of the eminentst & visiblest temples , one of the most glorious piles of stones that ever was reard , taking all the dimensions together , with the conspicuous site thereof , being about the centre of the city , and upon a rising ground . she hath also this singular property to be founded upon faith , by having a large parish-church of that name supporting her , and directly under her chancel . touching a rare huge bridge , and navigable river , london is not inferiour to any other city whatsoever . concerning the first , what a rich rent hath it to preserve it self yearly ! what a vast magazin of corn is ther always in the bridge-house against a dearth ! ( as well as in many other places . ) what a number of officers look to the reparations therof , and are hansomly maintaind therby ! touching the second , viz. the river of thames , she hath not her peer , if regard be had to the length and straightness of her cours running from west to east , without so many meanders as other rivers have ; her convenient distance from the sea to prevent all surprisals ; the amoenity of the soyle on both banks ; the wholsomness of her water , which makes the best beer in the world , being so much transported by other nations , and sold as dear as wine ; the diversity of her fish , the fatness of her mudd , &c. for number of humane souls in city and suburbs , london is nothing inferior to paris , whose last cense , as is said before , came to about a million : but in the year . command being sent to the lord mayor to make a scrutiny what number of strangers were in the city , he took occasion therby to make a general cense ; and ther were of men , women and children neer upon seven hundred thousand that livd within the bars of his jurisdiction . and this being years ago , t is thought that london hath since more by the third part in all probable conjecture . now for westminster , the strand , bedford berry , st. martins-lane , long-acre , drury-lane , st. giles of the field , high holborn , with divers other thick-peepled places which are so contiguous , and make one entire peece with london it self , i say take all these buildings together , the forenamed number of seven hundred thousand may well be thought to be double so many . touching the shape of london , i find nothing to assimilat it unto more properly then to a lawrel leaf that is far more long then t is broad , which may be a cause she doth not appeer so populous as paris , her passengers not encountring so often as they wold if she were of a round figure . touching her length , take all buildings that are adjoyning one to another from the utmost point of westminster to the utmost point beyond the tower , she may be well thought to be five miles long , about half so much in latitude , and in circuit about twelve italian miles . to conclude , touching the defensive and offensive power of the city of london in point of arms of all sorts , of artillery , ammunition , arsenals , and docks on both sides the river , her traind citizens and expert firelocks , neither france or spain hath her equal . it is recorded that in king stephens raign the city of london raisd foot , and horse : how many more were she able to do now in case of necessity ? for to compare her in statu quo nunc to what she was then , were to compare a giant to a dwarf in point of proportion and strength . the record hath it also that anno . london was able to put out a fleet of ships to scowre and secure the seas from depredations and pyrates , &c. which she was often usd to do . such an imperial chamber , such , such a potent and well appointed city hath the king of great britain always at his command : and if some of the roman emperours about fifteen hundred years ago in their diplomata's or edicts stild her augusta , ( which was always a name of magnificence and state ) how much more may she deserve that name in the condition she now is arrivd unto ! thus have we discoursd , though in weak imperfect expressions , of the power and military might of the king of great britain , not including all this while his two kingdoms of scotland and ireland , which being cast into the balance may make his power so much more . touching his maritime power , t is spoken of in another paragraph going before ; wherunto we will add , that the king of great britain hath such a haven that neither france or spain , or indeed any part of the world can parallel , which is milford haven , wherof the most famous ancient authors , not only latin but greek , make most honourable mention , calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the thousand foorded haven . one other passage we will adde , which is but fresh , that besides the reducing of the hollander , the very last year a few of the king of great britains frigats did beat those desperat pyrats of barbary into a peace , wheras neither france or the dutch could do it : and this year those few english that are in tanger did also force guyland the great morocco rebel to articles of peace . as i was writing this , me thought i had whisperd in my ear , that the french king hath one kind of power that transcends any of the king of great britains , which is , that he may impose what taxes he please upon the peeple by his edicts alone . t is tru he can , and he may thank the english for that power ; for when they had coopd him up in a corner of france , ( in berry ) the victorious english being masters of the rest , that power which before was in the assembly of the three estates of laying impositions , was invested in the king himself pro tempore during the wars because the three estates could not assemble : but this power makes him a king of slaves rather then of free subjects ; and if they may be calld subjects , they are subjects of an asinin condition which cannot have any tru manly courage in them , or a competency of wealth to bear it up ; which is the cause that though france be a rich and self-sufficient country , yet some think ther are more beggers in her then in all christendome besides . now , it is a principle in the civil law , that dominum habere nobiliorem confert ad dignitatem vassalorum , & nobiliorum habere populum confert ad nobilitatem principis ; to have the nobler lord conduceth to the dignity of the vassal , and to have the nobler peeple conduceth to the dignity of the prince . by this axiome the king of great britain is the more noble , because he is lord of a free-born wealthy peeple , and not of slaves and beggers . yet it cannot be denied but that it is one of the greatest advantages of power and repute for a king to be rich , ( provided he come not to be so by grinding the faces of his subjects . ) the republik of venice and the seat of genoa carry that high esteem in the world , because the one hath the tresury of saint mark , and the other the bank of st. george . the duke of florence is stild the grand duke more then other dukes who have larger territories , because he hath always a rich tresury . therfore i will draw towards a conclusion of this paragraph with this most humble intimation to the great council of england now prorogued , that at their re-access they wold please to consider ; that wheras the fame of being rich , and to have the coffers of his crown well ballasted , conduceth so much to the repute of a king , and so by reflexions upon the whole nation , as also to make him redoubtable both abroad and at home ; and wheras the contrary fame exposeth him to contempt , insultings and pasquils , ( as some frisking french wits have bin lately too busie and bold that way ) and likewise our neighbour hans who daily offers us such insolencies : which makes me think of an italian proverb , which though homely , yet it comes home to this purpose , cavagliero ( ò principe ) senza quatrini , è come un muro senza croce da tutti scompisciato ; a cavalier ( or prince ) without money , is like a wall without a cross for evry one to draw upon : therfore i am bold to reiterat the foresaid humble intimation ( i will not presume to say advice , though it may be well calld so ) to the honorable house of commons when they reassemble , that in their great wisedoms they wold have a sense of the present condition in this particular of their king so miraculously restord unto us by a pure act of the omnipotent : and that wheras the two neighbouring kings have of late yeers enhancd their revenues and incomes far higher then they were formerly , they wold be pleasd to think it not only agreeable to the rules of tru policie , but most necessary for the honor and safety of the whole nation , to make the monarck of great britain to correspond and bear up in a hansome proportion this way with either of them , as he doth in all other things besides . a corollary to what hath bin said in this first section in the preceding paragraphs it appeers by luculent and cleer proofs , how the king of great britain had to his predecessor the first christian king that ever was upon earth . he had to his predecessor the first christian emperour ( and empress . ) he had to his predecessor the first christian worthy , and the first erector of military knighthood . he had to his predecessors some of the most victorious kings that ever were . his predecessors were the first who freed themselfs from the roman yoke both in temporals at first , and in spirituals afterwards . it hath appeerd how he is sovrain of the noblest order of knighthood that any king hath . it hath appeerd that his ambassadors had the precedence given them in divers general councils . it hath appeerd how the king of great britain hath as free-born and valiant subjects as any other . it hath appeerd that he hath the most plentiful and hospitable court of any other king. that he hath as independent authority as any other king. it hath appeerd that he hath the stoutest men of war , the noblest haven , the inaccessiblest coasts , with the greatest command and power at sea of any other . which makes the english merchants to be so highly respected abroad above other nations , having more privileges at the entrance of the baltik in the sound , as also in hamborough and holland , where they have houses like palaces provided for them gratis , and free from excise . in ligorne , in constantinople , and the gran mosco , they are more esteemd then any other merchants : and t is well known how his subjects the scots have the privilege of preemption in the vintage at bourdeaux , with divers other immunities in france above other nations . wherfore if any king may be calld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , t is the king of great britain , to whom that famous verse of the father of poets may be applyed : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a scepter is given thee to be honord by all . to these particulars we will subjoyn the reasons that sir henry nevill with the rest of the english ambassadors sent by queen elizabeth in a joynt legantine commission to bullen in france to negotiat with don balthasar de zuniga , and others sent ambassadors from philip the second of spain and the archduke albertus ; i say , we will insert here the reasons which the english ambassadors gave then for prerogative and right of antecedence , in the contest that happend then with those of spain , by a remonstrance which they sent the said ambassadors in these words , as t is extracted out of the record it self . illustres & magnifici domini , perlegimus scriptum quod illustres & magnificae personae vestrae ad nos heri miserunt , & illa capita quae substitutionis potestatem , & sigilli vigorem attingunt statuimus non ulteriùs prosequi , confidentes de sinceritate serenissimi domini archiducis , & acquiescentes integritate illustrium & magnificarum vestrarum personarum quae nobis pollicentur bonam fidem in hoc quod agitur negotio summo cum candore & humanitate conjunctum . clausulam vero quam in serenissimi archiducis commissione omissam esse superiùs demonstravimus , quàm primùm commodumque videbitur quod polltcitae sunt vestrae illustres & magnificae personae petimus inserendum . quod verò illustres & magnificae vestrae personae asserunt insolitum & novum videri quod proposuimus de praerogativa & praecedentiae dignitate serenissimae reginae dominae nostrae semper debita , non possumus dissimulare , nos valde mirari illud viris vestrae conditionis , eruditionis & judicii novum esse & insolitum , quod universo orbi terrarum notum est , & celebratissimum . res enim est exploratissima quod regio hispanica cum distributa fuerit in diversa regna , & devoluta in manus regis ferdinandi & reginae isabellae , regumque granatae insuper ei adjunctum , unà cum caeteris partibus indiarum occidentalium orta est contentio speciosè magis quàm solidè recteque fundata de praecedendi dignitate cum regno anglorum tempore quo papatum occupavit ▪ alexander ejus nomini sextus natione hispanus , quae perducta ad tempora iulii secundi . volatarranus author imprimis bonus , historiographus italus nullo privato beneficio angliae obstrictus , quique eodem tempore romae vixit , ea de causa quemadmodum res actae , gestaeque fuerunt probè potuit intelligere , de hac re ita refert . inter oratores henrici septimi regis angliae & hispaniae regis inter sacra sedendo orta est contentio quae etiam sub alexandrio caeperat . iulius locum honoratissimum anglis pro tempore adjudicavit , quod quidem ius , & praerogativam regis angliae possidentes tenuerunt usque ad tempora caroli quinti imperatoris qui licet ratione caesareae majestatis supremam sedem dignitatis inter ▪ principes 〈◊〉 , illud tamen privilegium ad posteros suos in praejudicium aliorum principum transmittere non potuit . ideóque post obitum ejus quaestio illa praecedentiae ad eosdem terminos unde ante digresserat reversa est . cum igitur reges angliae semper tenuerunt priorem , & augustiorem sedem prae singulis illis regibus priusquàm regna eorum in unum reducta fuerint , reductisque in unum indeque ea de requaestione motâ jus suum ex sententia papae retinuerint de quo nullo unquam tempore aut occasione cesserunt : extra controversiam igitur putamus illud de iure pertinere ad coronam angliae , utcunque propagata & amplifica sunt territoria & dominia regni hispaniae quod recta rerum aestimatione nihil valet aut valere debet inter christianos principes ad hanc praecedentiae quaestionem : alioqui plurimi reges & principes assumerent sibi praecedentiam in multos alios principes quibus jam & liberè & libenter concedunt . amplius de haec praesenti controversia de praecedentiae dignitate hoc ipso tempore aliud est quod se non indignè offert judici is vestris examinandum , nempe quodunus è nobis quem serenissima regina domina nostra ad hunc tractatum pacis concludendum elegit , legatus ejus est qui quotidie residet apud christianissimum , quam dignitatem unà cum omnibus praerogativis quae eam comitantur retinet quoad in regno galliae commoratur . primus vero è vobis licet sit legatus catholici regis apud serenissimum archiducem cùm jam sit extra territorium archiducis , qualitatem eam , dignitatemque exui : censemus quoque nostrum in quo multiplicata ista dignitas elucet , & dominatur iure praeferendum unicuique qui singulari & nudo titulo deputati scilicet ad tractatum pacis inductus prodit . vobis igitur si placeat quaestio ista alto silentio praetermittatur , haecque praerogativa de qua agitur maneat habitetque in serenissima regina domina nostra ad quam iure spectat , pertinetque . ita alacrioribus animis ad conventum , colloquiumque cujus causà huc accessimus feremur . ista omnia pro prudentia & moderatione vestrarum illustrium & magnificarum dominationum petimus amicè & candidè accipi , ut quae profecta sunt ab observantiis & religione officii nostri , non à studio tempus consumendi aut contentionis excitandae . datum boloniae maii , stylo veteri . renderd thus in english. illustrious and magnificent lords , we have read through the writing which your illustrious and magnificent persons sent us yesterday ; and touching those heads which appertain to the power of your substitutition , and the vigor of the seal , we have resolvd not to prosecut further , confiding in the sincerity of the most serene the lord archduke , and acquiescing in the integrity of your illustrious and magnificent persons , which doth promise us a good faith in the business we are to agitat with the greatest candor and humanity that may be . and touching the clause we demonstrated before , we desire it may be inserted as soon and as conveniently it may be , as your illustrious and magnificent persons have promised . and wheras your illustrious and magnificent persons assert , that it is unusuall and new what we proposd concerning the prerogative and dignity of precedence due always to the most serene queen our mistress , we cannot dissemble , but we much wonder that that shold seem new and unusal to men of your condition , learning and judgment , which is so well known , and most celebrous to all the world . for it is a most explored truth , that the region of spain distributed to divers kingdoms , when it was devolvd to the hands of king ferdinand and isabella , wherunto the kingdome of granada was adjoyned , and the west-indies , a contention did arise more speciously then solidly and rightly grounded , touching the dignity of precedence with the king of england at that time , when alexander the sixth , who was a spaniard born , held the papacy , which continued to the time of iulius the second : and volaterranus a special good author , and an italian historiographer , being not engagd to england for any privat benefit , and one that was well capable to know how matters passd , and were transacted , doth relate that betwixt the ambassadors of henry the seventh king of england , and the ambassador of spain , a contention did arise about precedence of session in the church , and iulius adjudgd the most honourable place to the english ; which right and prerogative the kings of england possessd until the time of the emperour charles the fifth , who in regard of caesarean majesty , had the supreme place among all princes . but he could not transmit that privilege to his posterity , to the prejudice of other princes : therfore after his decease , that question of precedence returnd to those terms whence it had formerly digressd . since therfore the kings of england always held priority of place and session of those several kings before their kingdomes were reducd to one , a question being movd therabouts , they have retaind their right by the popes sentence , and never yeilded it upon occasion . therfore without controversie we think that right to appertain still to the crown of england notwithstanding that the territories and dominions of the kingdome of spain be propagated and amplified , which in the right estimation of things prevails not , or ought to prevail twixt christian princes touching this question ; for then other kings and princes would assume a right of precedence above others , to whom now they grant it , ever and anon , if their dominions increase . moreover , touching this present controversie about precedence , ther is another thing which doth not unworthily offer it self to be examined by your judgements , which is , that one of us which the most serene queen our mistress hath chosen her ambassador to conclude this treaty of peace , is one who daily resides in that quality in the court of the most christian king ; which dignity with all prerogatives he retains as long as he sojourns in france . but the first of you , although he be ambassador to the catholick king with the most serene archduke , and being out of the dominions therof , he puts off that quality and dignity . we think also that our ambassador in whom this dignity is multiplyed , and shines more , ought by right to be preferred before any that is appointed by a single and bare title onely for this great treaty . therfore if you please , let this question be pretermitted with deep silence , and let this prerogative remain , and dwell in the most serene queen our mistress , to whom it justly belongs and appertains ; so we shall more cheerfully apyly our selfs to the business for which we are come . all this we desire may be candidly and frendly accepted according to the prudence and moderation of your illustrious and magnificent lordships , as proceeding from the observances , and religion of our office , not with any dessein to consume time , or raise contentions . bullen maii , . henry nevil , iohn harbert , &c. the spanish ambassadors made an answer herunto , which we reserve for the third section , wherin the arguments of spain for precedence are set down , wherof one of the strongest he urgeth is the multiplication and encrease of dominions , which according to besoldus and cassaneus , with other great civilian jurists , is no argument at all , in regard it doth not hold among ordinary nobility . as for example : he of arundel is first earl in england ; he of angus in scotland ; and he of kildare in ireland , by the laws of heraldry and hereditary right : put case that some other of their fellow earls in either kingdome shold grow richer , and have more mannors , possessions and lordships , yet they will not offer to take place or precedence ; so the argument may hold a minori ad majus : for if it be so among noble-men , much more shold this rule have validity among souvrain princes . i will go on with a passage that happend in paris a little above twenty years since . hugo grotius residing at paris in quality of ambassador for the crown of sweden , attempted to make his coaches go before those of the earl of leicester , pretending a right of precedence , because the king of sweden whom he represented , was king of the ancient goths and vandals , &c. which was , under favor , but a feeble argument , for ther were kings of great britain thousands of years before the goths or vandals were scarce known to the christian world ; nor do any stories make mention of them until a little after the declinings of the roman empire , about the year from the incarnation , nor came they to be christians till a long time after ; and it is the position of grotius himself in his book de iure belli , inter reges qu●… primo christianismum professi sunt praecedunt , who first professd christianity ought to precede . moreover , the king of denmark entitles himself king of the goths and vandals as well . but my lord of leicester carried himself so like himself , that our swedish ambassador was put behind with a disgrace somewhat answerable to his presumption , and to the explosion of the spectators . now , let the prudent and unpassionat reader weigh with leasure the foregoing particulars , and reserve his judgement till he hath run through the reasons and arguments of the other two kings in order to a precedency . t is time now to cross over to france , and produce the arguments of that king , faithfully extracted out of the most receavd and celebrated authors who assert his right to sit next the emperour upon all occasions , as cassanaeus , ferhaut , besoldus , carolus de grasseliis , hierome bignon , pierre matthieu , &c. and let this be a close to the first section . the second section , consisting of the reasons wherby the french king pretends and claims priority of place , and proximity of session next the emperour at all solemn meetings , and in all publik transactions of state , &c. which reasons , in regard they lie confusd and scatterd in other authors , we will reduce to ten heads or arguments , wherof the first shall be drawn . a nobilitate regni , from the nobleness of the kingdome . . the second a nobilitate regionis , from the nobleness of the country . . the third a noblitate regiminis , from the nobleness of the government . . the fourth a religione , & nobilitate ecclesiae , from religion , and the nobleness of the church . . the fifth a nobilitate gentis , & multitudine subditorum , from the nobleness of the nation , and multitude of subjects . . the sixth a plenitudine regiae potestatis , from the absolutness of regal authority . . the seventh a potentia ipsius regni , from the power of the kingdome it self . . the eighth ab opulentia ipsius regni , from the riches thereof . . the ninth a fortitudine & rebus in bello gestis , from valour and exploits done in the war. . the tenth and last argument shall be drawn ab exemplo & antiquitate , from examples and antiquities . of the first argument , a nobilitate regni , from the nobleness of the kingdome . ther is a speech drawing neer to the nature of a proverb , great britain for an iland , france for a kingdome , milan for a duchy , and flanders for a county or earldome , are preferrable before all other ; they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their kind : this shews the supereminence of the kingdome of france . ther is also a signal saying of the emperour maximilian the first , who being in some critical discourses with his lords about the dominions of europe , broke out into this high encomium of france , that if it could stand with the order of nature and the plesure of the almighty that any mortal man were capable to be a god of the elementary world , and that i were he , i would so make my last will and testament in the disposing of my estate , that my eldest son shold be god after me , but my second shold be king of france . this saying or excess of speech must be interpreted with a sane sense , for the emperour meant nothing els hereby but to intimate his opinion touching that potent and noble kingdom : which kingdom hath continued an heredetary successive monarchy neer upon twelve hundred yeers by three races of kings , wherof lewis the fourteenth now regnant is the sixty fifth monark . now , whosoever will behold that noble kingdome , will finde that no other stands so commodious and strong by the position of nature her self . it is situated in the centre of europe , having westward the island of great britain ; eastward , italy and swisserland , with other regions ; it hath southward the kingdome of spain ; and northward the great continent of germany high and low : and it is notably fenced against all these by a special providence ; against the first , it hath a huge salt ditch , the sea it self ; against the second it hath the stupendious alpian hills ; against the third it hath the pyrenean mountains cast up as trenches by nature her self for the defence of france ; against the fourth she hath strong fortified towns , castles and rivers : the ocean on the one side , and the mediterranean on the other do wash her skirts , and mightily invite trade . and that which adds also much to the advantage of her situation , is , that she lieth accessible and open to all mankind for commerce and negotiation by sea and land. moreover , being seated so in the midst , she is fittest to be arbitratrix , and to give law to the rest of christendome , as being properly seated to divide or unite , to admit or hinder the forces of europe . she stands also in an advantagious posture to reach her hand to her frends in point of auxiliary assistance , or heave her hand against the enemy . she hath divers provinces , the governors wherof are equal to viceroys : and for her nobles , they are without number ; for she can horse about gentlemen for the wars . adde herunto that she hath a mighty advantage to be of a round orbicular shape , which makes all parts lie neerer for the assisting each other in case of necessity . ther is one other quality that makes for the nobleness of france , which is , though he be turk or tartar , moore or egyptian , or of any nation , if he be in quality of a captif or slave , as soon as he treads upon french ground he is eo instante frank and free , and as it were manumitted of the tie of slavery : for as bodin hath it , it is a principle in france , servi peregrini ut primum galliae fines penetraverint liberi sunto ; let stranger-slaves as soon as they come within the borders of france be free . among other , let this example serve : a merchant came to tholouse and brought with him a slave whom he had bought in spain ; the slave being told of the laws and privileges of france , came and told his master , sir , i have had relation to you hitherto as a slave and bondman , but now by the laws of this noble country i am a freeman ; yet i am contented to serve you still , but as a free attendant . the like happend at the siege of mets , where a slave had played the fugitive , and ran away with his master don luysd ' avila's horse ; don luys sent a trumpeter to the duke of guyse for his man and his horse ; the duke understanding that his horse was sold , causd the money to be sent the spaniard , but for the man he sent him word , that he was upon french ground , therfore was free by the custome of the country . in fine , france is so noble a region , that as the sun shines among the stars in the firmament , so france shines among the rest of kingdomes . the second argument , a nobilitate regionis , from the nobleness of the country . vve proceed now from the nobleness of the kingdome , to the fertility and riches of the country of france , as also to the temperature and healthfulness of the clime or climes thereof ; for france participats of the nature of divers climes : normandy , specially la basse normandy , partakes of the clime of her next transmarin neighbour great britain : picardy and champagne of that of germany ; provence and the countries towards the alps , partakes of the climat of italy ; aquitania and languedoc being walld southward by the pyrenean hills , have much of the climat of spain ; and the i le of france wherin paris is built , and the country therabouts , hath a particular clime of its own . these varieties of climes make the country the more fruitful for universality of wealth and plenty . nor is france onely a fat country and full of marrow , but she hath as much delightfulness as fecundity , as much real plesure as outward bewty : ther is no soyl under the sun where ther is more agriculture for bread , which is the staff of mans life ; insomuch that she may be calld the granary of ceres , and she may be calld as well one of bacchus his chief cellars , for a world of vineyards wherwith the country is coverd , with innumerable sorts of fruits ; insomuch that the character which salvianus gives of aquitania may extend to the whole country , when he elegantly saith , illic omnis admodum regio aut intertexta est vine is , aut florulenta pratis , aut irrigata fontibus , aut interfusa fluminibus , aut distincta culturis , aut consita pomis , aut amoenata lucis , aut crinita messibus , ut verè possessores illius terrae non tam soli istius portionem quàm paradisi imaginem possidere videantur : there evry place is either interwoven with vines , or flowrd with medows , or set with orchards , or meerd by corn-fields , or peepled with trees and woods , or refreshd with fountains , or enchanell'd with rivers , or periwiggd with all sorts of grain ; insomuch that the inhabitants may be said to possess a part of paradise rather then a portion of the common earth . now , among all these , the four staple commodities of france may be said to be corn , wine , hemp and salt , which boterus calls the four loadstones of france : for as the loadstone ( wherof the blew ethiopian is the best ) hath an attractive virtue to draw unto them iron and steel in a mysterious manner , so the foresaid four commodities have a magnetical virtue to draw into france the gold and silver of all nations . concerning the french corn , it is reputed the best of all other ; pliny , one of natures principal secretaries , hath left upon record that the gallic corn is nitidissimi grani , & plus panis reddere quàm far aliud , it is of a neat grain , and yeelds more bread then other wheat . the spaniard and others might starve were they not sustaind by french corn , yet she vents but her superfluities , and transmutes them to indian gold : for such is the scarcity of spain , that having not bread enough of her own for the hundredth child she produceth , whosoever brings thither a cargazon of corn , may make his return for it in gold or silver , and carry it openly in the palm of his hand without fear of seizure . touching the french wines , it may be said they need no bush : what vast proportions are carried away by all the northwest nations ? bodin speaks of one merchant in cambray which bought at one vintage barrels ; and t is worth the observation what a world of variety of wines grow up and down , for one can scarce go twenty miles but ther is still a differing sort of grape : in some places in burgundy and champagne ther are wine-vessels as big as some houses in height , not inferior to those vast vessels of heidelberg , tubinga , and groninghen , ( as the ingenious lansius hath it . ) touching hemp and flax , the third staple commodity of france , what mighty rich procedes come thereof ! for though it be a despicable vegetal in sight , and unsavory in the handling , yet it is of such virtue that it can remove rome to hercules pillars , egypt to italy , the east and west indies into england ; a vegetal that can controul eolus , and overmaster neptune himself , i mean the impetuous whirlwinds of the one , and the tumbling waves of the other . now , where doth this most useful commodity grow more plentiful then in france ? nor doth she hereby furnish her neighbors far and neer only with sayls for their ships , but with shirts for their backs , sheets for their beds , and napery for their tables . touching the last great staple commodity of france , which is salt ; t is so savoury in the kings coffers , that he draws twenty millions of livres evry year from the gabel of it : besides that incredible proportion which is spent in france it self , what millions of mesures are laden out for other countries ! spain also hath this commodity to a superfluity , but her salt is more corroding and acrimonious then the french ; therfore when the emperour charles the fifth ( as lansius relates ) had put out a placart prohibiting that no french salt shold be brought into the netherlands , the country was like to mutiny for that tart proclamation , because the spanish salt which was permitted only to be imported , was not so sweet and vigorous as the french ; specially as that of rochel , wherwith if flesh be salted , and a ship victualld with it to the furthest part of the east-indies , it will eat as sweet at the return of the ship as it did at first , as t is found by the frequent experience of our navigators . concerning the air and clime of france , it is the most cheerful and temperat of any other under the canopy of heven , which makes the inhabitants therof so spritful and debonnaire : t is rare to find a french-woman melancholy , which was the ground of the proverb , to make a compleat wife , let her be english to the neck ; from the navil to the knee dutch ; from the knee downward spanish ; but from the neck to the navil french , which relates to the heart , and to the merry disposition therof . nor are the french-women spriteful and merry most of any , but they are also wise and judicious : for cassanaeus relates in his catalogo gloriae mundi , that in the famous old league which was struck twixt hannibal and the gaules , it was capitulated that if any gaule was wrongd by a carthaginian , a carthaginian magistrat shold be his judge ; but if any carthaginian shold be wrong'd by a gaule , gallic women shold be judges therof . i will conclude this argument with the quaint verses of baptista mantuanus an italian : ignea mens gallis , & lactea corpora , nomen a candore datum populis , muliebra tingit ora color tyrius , paphium meditata colorem ex geminis fecit natura coloribus unum : laeti , alacres , lusu , choreis , & carmine gaudent ; in venerem proni , proni in convivia , proni ante dapes adsacra deum servire , j●…gumque ferre negant , fugiunt figmenta , & hypocrisin , ore liberi , & ingenuus mos est , tetricosque perosi , &c. the third argument , a nobilitate regiminis , from the nobleness of goverment . the form of goverment in the kingdome of france , is partly civil , partly polemical ; it is a mixt goverment between peace and war , composd of military discipline as well as of civil justice , in regard that france having so many open frontires and powerful neighbours by land , they cannot as other countries joyn peace and security together . touching their martial goverment t is very exact , ther are divers regiments of horse and foot in perpetual pay , being inrolld , and always ready for any occasion of service . moreover , in all the provinces and places of strength , ther are governors and garisons dispersd up and down , which is very advantagious for the preferment of the gentry . now , the governors are so cautiously disposd of by the king , that not any of them hath means to betray or deliver up a province into the enemies hands , the commands therof being so divided : for though the governor commands the country in general , and commonly the chief town , yet ther is a lieutenant that holds also by patent immediatly from the king , and not from the governor , and betwixt these two ther are some emulations and umbrages ever and anon . then most part of their towns , castles and fortresses have particular governors not subordinat to the governor of the province , but deriving their power expresly from the king ; so that in many places the town hath one governor , and the castle another ; indeed the country of provence only was usd to have a privilege , that her governor held it without a lieutenant . the noblesse or gentry in france are the sole body which participat in some fort with the prerogatives of the crown ; for from it they receave privileges above other men , and a kind of limited regality upon their tenants , besides real supplies to their estates by divers employments , pensions , and exemption from tallies upon their own demeans and lands as long as they manure them by their own servants : but what lands they let out to tenants is presently talliable , which causeth proportionable abatements in the rent ; and in compensation for this , they onely owe the king the service of the ban and arriereban , which is to serve him or his general three months within the land at their own cost . now as in time of war the noblesse undergo most part of the danger , so is their power then more peremptory above the rest of their fellow-subjects ; wheras in time of peace the king is ready to countenance inferiour persons against them , and is contented to see them wast one another by contention in law , or otherwise , for fear they grow too rich , because it is a principle of state in france , that as the noblesse use to do him the best service , so , they only misapplyed can do him most harm . now , the ancient french gentry was much diminished in the croisades , or wars of the holy land , because that to enable them for the service , divers of them did hipotheque or morgage their fiefs and lands to the church , which are not redeemd to this day : insomuch that it is thought by sundry computations which have bin made , that the gallican church possesseth the third part of the fattest fiefs in france . now , upon the foresaid diminution , the french gentry have been repaird and made up since from time to time of advocats , financiers , and merchants , wherof a great many by the kings favor are daily ennobled . such a gallant goverment france hath for the common incolumity and publik defence of the country , and for the employment of the gentry who are more numerous there then in any kingdome els ; wherby the tru rules of policy are observd that shold be in a monarchy , which are for the king to command , the nobles to execut , and the peeple to obey ; and indeed the peeple shold know nothing els but how to obey . now , one of the prime principles in france is to keep the common peeple under a perfect subjection , so that they may not be able to do any hurt . and if they are kept poor hereby , let them thank themselfs ; for if they were pamperd with wealth , they wold be ever and anon kicking at goverment : for we know ther is not a more instable hair-braind monster in the world then the common peeple , as england of late yeers hath had such woful experience . touching the civil goverment of france , and administration of justice , it is of that high esteem that divers forren princes have referrd their causes to be determind to the court of parlement in paris , as a consistory of high reason and integrity . it stands upon record how the emperour frederik the second referrd the controversies betwixt him and pope innocent the fourth touching the kingdome of naples to the decision of this court , en dernier ressort , to pass a definitif unappealable judgement . the count namurs in a difference twixt him and charles de valois , did cast himself upon the verdict of this court : philip prince of tarentum overcame the duke of burgundy in this court touching the expences he was at in recovering the greek empire : the dukes of lorain have in divers things stood to the arbitrament and justice of this court : they of cambray when they were a free peeple have , been willing to be tryed by this court : the confederacy also of the kingdome of castile and portugal was confirmd by this court. now , the reason why this court gains such a high repute , is , that none are admitted to sit in that tribunal but persons of known integrity , erudition and gallantry ; which made henry the second , as lansius hath it , when by the importunity of a great princess he had recommended one to sit there , and being a person but of shallow parts , and so rejected , the king said merrily , ie pensois que parmy tant de ginets un as●…e pourroit bien passer ; i thought that among so many ginets one ass might have passd well enough . besides this of paris , ther are divers other courts of parlement ( and praesidial seats ) dispersd up and down the country in such a convenient distance , that the client may not be put to make long journies for justice , and that the poor be not oppressd by the rich for want of means to make such long journies wherby they suffer the suit to fall , as many use to do in england in the remotest places from london for want of such courts . i will conclude also this third argument with some choice verses of ludovicus bologninus a celebrated civilian : francorum reges sacro sub nomine nati consilio semper valuerunt , semper & armis , sanctaque fautores bonitatis iura tenentes appellat romana suos ecclesia gnatos , et primogenitos tali sunt nomine digni , his deus imperium dedit , & sua iura tuetur , unguntur , sancti fiunt quicunque creantur . the fourth argument , a religione , & nobilitate ecclesiae , from religion , and nobleness of the church . some authors affirm , that when our saviour sufferd upon the cross , he lookd towards france ; whence they infer , that it was a blessed omen that christian religion shold florish most in that kingdome . moreover , it is a rare , and indeed an unparallelld thing , that ther was in france before the passion of our saviour a church , viz. ecclesia carnotensis , as it remains upon good record , which was dedicated virgini pariturae , to the virgin that shold bear ; as we read ther was in greece an altar erected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to the unknown god. this made the emperour iulius caesar , who had felt the pulse of that peeple more then any other , to give this encomium of them in his commentaries , natura est omnium gallorum admodum dedita religioni , t is the nature of all the gauls to be much addicted to religion . as in the dark times of paganism they were observd to be so devout , so since the glorious light of christianity did shine upon the flower de luces , the french nation hath bin found to be transported with an extraordinary zeal to religion . and this heavenly light began to shine and shoot its rays betimes : for we read that iraeneus one of the first primitive fathers was bishop of lions , and he was disciple to polycarpus , and polycarpus was disciple to st. iohn the evangelist , by whom he was sent from asia among the gaules for the plantation and propagation of christian faith , as st. hierome relates . st. hilarius who was another father of the primitive church , was also bishop of the picts in france , where he composd his excellent works which are partly expository , partly controversial , though ther occur often some african barbarous latin words in them , as disfrocite for degenerate , zabulus for diabolus , &c. what a multitude of hevenly martyrs hath france had ! for in all the ten persecutions ther were some of them signd still their faith with their bloud . in the emperour valerians time ther were famons french martyrs , as florentius bishop of vienna , pontius cassius victorinus , liminius , anatolianus , with others whom gregory turonensis mentions , and whose names are enrolld in the catalog of saints to all posterity . and this was a little before the unluckly novatian heresie crept into france , and infected divers other countries . nay , to go higher up , and to the very source of christianity , ther are some authors who avouch that st. paul was in france , and that the chief church in vienna was built by him , as this ancient verse there engraven shews : paulus praeco crucis tibi dat primordia lucis . ther be other authors who affirm that st. peter also was in france ; and that ther landed at one time in marseilles lazarus , mary magdalen , martha and marcella , as it is recorded in a manuscript of the english history in the vatican wherof baronius makes mention ; and about that time ioseph of arimathea , that noble decurion , passd through france into britain with the foresaid marcella , who was she that is mentiond in the gospel , who being divinely inspird , cryed out with a loud voice when christ was preaching , happy is the womb that brought thee forth , and the paps that gave thee suck . spencaeus also makes mention that st. luke was in france ; as also savinianus one of the disciples , and martialis another of them , who some do affirm to be he who sold the five barly loaves and the two fishes wherwith our saviour fed five thousand . and if the holy reliques of blessed saints may adde to the nobleness of a country , the churches of france are full of them ; reperies in francia ( as cassanaeus relates ) omnes christi exuvias , quippe praeputium , inconsutilem togam , spineum diadema , crucem , clavos , spongiam , lanciae cuspidem , & cum qua sepultus est sindonem . you will find in france all the exuvias or spoiles of christ , his praeputium , his seamless coat , his cross , the nayls , the sponge , the point of the spear , and the winding-sheet wherin he was buried . cassanaeus goes further , and says , that in burgundy the body of lazarus is buried , as also mary magdalens ashes are kept in a noble chest , and likewise those of martha , martialis , and of the three maries . adde herunto the most precious head of iohn baptist , and the finger wherwith he pointed at the immaculat lamb of god. the eleven thousand virgins are yet kept in france ; and likewise the reliques of st. denis , martin , cosma , damianus , sebastian , with other christian hero's are to be found in france ; as claudius and edmundus , whose bodies , bones and flesh are to be seen to this day , and are frequently visited by pilgrims . ther are also to be seen the three twins , st. geneveva , st. german , st. hilary , with sundry others . i must not omit the body of st. quintinus a great martyr , who hath a town of his name to this day , which formerly was calld samarobrina from the river samoria ; which martyr after many persecutions and punishments under dioclesian and maximinianus was at last beheaded ; his body and head were thrown into the river samoria , where it lay many years , until a roman matron calld eusebia being warnd by an angel came to search for the body , which being found , it immediatly cur'd her sore eyes ; and so she put the body and head under ground , wheron since a mighty sanctuary was erected bearing his name , and calld st. quintin : years after , in the raign of king dagobert , his body was taken out of the earth and put in a gold chest , where it remains to this day , and wherunto a great confluence of pilgrims do frequently resort by reason of the great miracles that he hath wrought in point of health to many thousands ; all which particulars cassanaeus relates . touching the nobleness of the french fabriques erected and consecrated for the worship and service of god almighty , as basilicas , temples , churches , sanctuaries , and other domes of devotion , the whole earth hath not fairer or more magnificent ; as also priories , abbeys , convents , monasteries , &c. what a glorious and indeed admired structure is the great carthusian monastery in provence ! it may be calld a little christian commonwealth of it self , and hath revenues able to bear up the port of a souvrain prince . now ther is no church upon the surface of the terrestrial globe that is comparable to the french in revenues and riches ; for the last computation which was made , the revenues of the gallican clergie amounted to above three hundred and twenty millions of livres ; a stupendous sum ! and indeed they need have so much ; for besides such a world of abbots , priors , monks , priests , and other ecclesiastical dignitaries , ther are in france archbishops , and suffragan bishops ; and such is the honor which is born there to the mitre , that they are all privy-counsellors by their dignity , and by the laws of france , though few do come to the said council unless they have an intimation of the kings plesure by particular letter . the fifth argument , a nobilitate subditorem , from the nobleness of subjects . in the third argument going before , ther were some touches of the french noblesse and gentry , how numerous they are , and the many ways of preferment the king hath for cadets or younger brothers , wheras the elder use to have great estates of their own ; for indeed some of them have mighty fortunes by patrimonial inheritance . the last duke of guyse kept a house like a souvrain prince ; he had above two hundred gentlemen waited on him as menial servants , and having domestik dependency , unto whom he gave such a liberal allowance and long leases out of his estate , that they might live like gentlemen ; which made one tell the duke that he had turnd all his estate to obligations ; meaning that he had obligd so many unto him by his munificence and bounty . yet ther are three sorts of subjects that live but poorly in france , which are the roturier , the vigneron , and the peasan . but they who dwell in towns , and have any profession or trade , live well enough : but the main wealth of the country is among the gentry or noblesse , who live plentifully and well . among divers others , ther is one singular quality in the french gentry , that they are extraordinarily affected to their king , and they are pleasd in nothing more then to have access , and see him . ther is a world of examples how close they have stuck to him in the wars when his person was in hazard , and rescued him though danger and death were inevitable in the action . for horsmanship and chivalry they surpass all other ; and indeed ther is none that becomes a horse so well , and hath a more comely seat on his back then a french-man . adde herunto that the french noblesse are naturally valiant , quick and hardy , not onely in the wars , and publick engagements , but in privat feuds , ther being more duels fought there then in all christendome besides . nor is ther any nation more covetous of honor , or more careful and tender to conserve it when they have it . i will conclude this argument in brief with the opinion of a famous poet , who sings thus of them : gallia fert acres animos , & idonea bello corpora , non illis ausit componere sese thracia quae martem genuit , non parthia versis quaebellatur equis fugiens , licet inclyta crasso facta sit extincto signisque superba latinis . quas gentes olim non contrivere ? per omnem invecti europam quasi grando aquilone vel austro importata gravi passim sonuere tumultu . scit romanus adhuc , & quam tarpeia videtis arx attollentem caput illo in monte superbum ; pannones emathii norunt , scit delphica tellus quam nisi terrificis subito convulsa ruinis oppressisset eos , non defendisset apollo . the sixth argument , a plenitudine potestatis regiae , from the absolutness of royal power . ther is no monark among christians that hath a more plenary and absolut power then the king of france , take together all the prerogatives that a king is capable of . he only can make peace , or denounce war ; he only can convoke , discontinue and dissolve parlements , i mean the assembly of the three estates ; he only can pardon ; he only can naturalize and ennoble ; he only can put value upon coin ; he only can press to the war : nay , he hath power not only to do all this , but he can make laws , and impose taxes at pleasure ; all which he doth by his own royal edicts . for as touching the formality that the said edicts shold be confirmd by the next court of parlement , that is , by the next assembly of the three estates , that assembly is now grown as obsolete as a general council , for ther hath been none these fifty years and upward . besides the real demeans of the crown , the king hath to support his greatness , . la taille ; . le taillon ; . les aydes ; . les equivalents ; . les equipollents ; . les crues , ou augmentations ; . l'octroy , ou benevolence ; . la gabelle ; . les imposts ; . le haut passage , or domain forain , ( for goods exported ; ) . le trait forain , ( for goods imported ; ) . la solde de soldats ; . the tenths besides . all these impositions are as old as lewis the eleventh , who , wheras before most of them were laid and levied upon extraordinary occasions , he found a way to make them perpetual . and if those fourteen strings touchd before will not serve his turn , he hath power to make more for his bow when he pleaseth ; and herein the king of france hath the advantage of his two neighbouring kings : this is that indeed which makes him so potent ; hereby he can lade an asse with gold when he will to break in through any wall though otherwise never so inexpugnable . it is a full purse that makes a king both feard at home , and formidable abroad ; wheras the contrary makes him but a kind of scar-crow king , as the spaniard tells us in his proverb , don sin dinero no es don , si no donayre . i will conclude with the greek poet , who sings to this purpose very elegantly : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . wherwith the latin doth verbatim and exactly correspond both in sense and verse : argenteis pugna telis , atque omnia vincès . fight with silver weapons and thou shalt conquer all . the seventh argument , a potentiâ regni , from the strength of the kingdome . ther is not such an intrinsique united power , such a knot of strength any where as france is : ther are in france thirty thousand parishes , so that taking but ten men out of one parish with another , an army may be composd of two hundred and fifty thousand combatants ; besides the city of paris , that huge mass and miscelany of all nations , which may furnish well-neer as many more : and it may be said that france was never so powerful since the time of charlemain as now she is , nor so entire , and that for many reasons . first , in regard that the hugonots , or they of the protestant religion , are reduced to an exact subjection , who indeed were the greatest weakness of france before ; for oftentimes they servd as dark lanterns to other princes both abroad as well as at home , to put combustions in france at plesure . they might be calld regnum in regno , having such a considerable strength as above towns , in many wherof they kept garisons , for the maintenance wherof the king himself was to contribut by article . two of these towns commanded the great river of loire , and others were neer the sea , so consequently fit to receave forren assistance , as rochel , the taking wherof did much startle spain , who had she foreknown that england could not have done it , she wold have sent assistance her self : which made cardinal richelieu to raunt that he had taken rochel en depit de trois roys , in despite of three kings , viz. the king of england , the king of spain , and the king of france himself , who was a great while averse to that business . but now all those towns of caution and safety the hugonots had , are dismantled ; besides , they have no garison any where , so that they are to relie for the future soly upon the kings savor , wherby they are brought to a perfect pass of obedience ; which great five kings of france before the last endevoured to do , but could never effect it . secondly , france is far more powerful because of the three keys which richelieu said he had got , viz. brisac to enter germany , pignorol to enter italy , and perpignan to enter spain at plesure , having therby besides added to france the whole county of roussillon . thirdly , because he hath got in a manner all lorain , which was formerly a countermure twixt france and germany , being engagd by homage to the empire . fourthly , he hath got the garison of strange soldiers which were in orenge to be dismissd , and the castle as good as dismantled ; which lying within the bowels of one of his own provinces , might be said to be another weakness to france . he hath also got the italian garison in avignon to be casheerd , which also was another inconvenience to france lying within her verge , and hath made himself master of the place , though it was part of st. peters possession above years . lastly , he hath graveling with dunkirk and other towns in the netherlands . all which considered , it may be said that the power of the kingdome of france is much more improvd then it was formerly in many hundred years . the eighth argument , ab opulentia & fertilitate , from wealth and fertility . in one of the former arguments we spake of the four staple commodities of france , viz. corn , salt , hemp and wines ; to these may be added silks , oyls , woollen stuffs , and saffron ; all manner of delicat fruits , as orenges , lemons , cytrons : the lady flora also hath one of her choicest houses of plesure there , as well as ceres and bacchus , ther being such abundance of choice fragrant flowers to be found in evry garden ; as likewise all sorts of edible roots and salade-herbs . pomona also may be said to have her best orchard there , for the excellentst cyder is made in low normandy ; and those who are habituated to drink it , are observd to have cleerer complexions then others who have only wine for their drink . ther are not more delightful medows and fields on the surface of the earth , such huge herds of cattle , and variety of stuffs and cloth made , which makes le. drap de berry in such high request ; with the most curious rich sattins and velvets of tours . ther is not such a beau-die , such a scarlet die in any country . what thick swarms of bees , and delicat hony is found in every peasans garden ? what delightful woods and lawns , chaces and vast forests , with whole hosts of huge headed deer , ( and other beasts for venery ) range up and down ! such forests that the sylvan gods themselfs are seen sometimes to hunt in them : as ther is a rare passage recorded by the bishop of rhodes in his late annals of henry the fourth , that at a great appointment of hunting one day in fountainbleau , as the king was in the heat of his chace , ther was another cry of hounds and horns heard , which afterward coming neer , a black man plainly appeerd to all , who cryed out three times , amendez vous , amendez vous , amendez vous ; and so he and his hounds vanished : the wood-men and officers of the forest being questiond about it , they answerd , that that black man was often seen to hunt there with his dogs , and wold suddenly disappeer , but he never usd to do hurt to any body : and surely this could not be the devil , as some poor shallow-braind authors do assert all spirits of the air to be . go to the bowels of france , and she is full of mines , and marble in many places , with great plenty of iron , ( the best and worst thing belonging to humane use . ) look upwards towards heven , and you shall see the air throngd with volatils of all sorts . nor is ther any country on earth so conveniently waterd as well with sources and sanative waters , as with great navigable rivers ; which makes evry part of the country communicable one to the other in point of mutual commerce , for all the great towns are situated upon some boat-bearing rivers : and besides , they are so delightful , that some of them are said to be embroderd with swans , borderd with crevices , and pavd with troutes , with all sorts of delicat fish : insomuch that ther is nothing which air , earth or water can affoord as well for voluptuousness and lux●… , as for necessity and common sustenance , but france affoords it in a kind of exuberance . paris is such a place of infinit provision , that monsieur vigner said , if he were to give a treatment to the most luxurious feasters among the romans , ( were they alive ) as apitius , lucullus , pompey , with many more , he wold desire but one days warning to do it , and they shold be so servd that they wold confess they never found the like in rome . how many ordinaries are ther in paris of pistol-price , and the tables servd all in plate ? which makes the italian poet break out very ingeniously into the praises of france , thus : gallia terreni pars est non infima mundi , sed longè latéque patens — terra hominum , frugúmque ferax , armenta , gregésque uberiùs pascens , plebis non languida coelo tabifico . non mortiferis infecta venenis ut lybiae , non perpetuis adoperta pruinis sicut hyperborei montes , non torrida ab aestu qui faciat steriles , ut decolor india , campos . non etiam noctis pallens semestribus umbris , quale sub arcturo positum mare , & ultima thule ; sed nec ut egyptus quia fusa palustribus undis , sed coelo , & tenerae faecunda uligine terrae , venatu , aucupio campos , montana , lacusque sallicitant , bellandi usu laetantur equorum terga fatigantes , loricae , hastilia , & arcus . deliciae genti sub dio ad sydera somnum carpere , fuscari sole , & ferrugine pulchrum est , pulvere conspergi , & graviùs sudare sub armis pro patria , pro cognatis , pro regibus ire in pugnam , & gladios , & morti occumbere dulce est . the ninth argument , a fortitudine & rebus in bello actis , from valour and exploits performed in the war. it is recorded in good story , that alexander the great founder of the third monarchy , viz ▪ the greek , hearing much of the fortitude of the gaules , and it seems having read of the great exploits performd both in italy , by ransacking rome , as also in greece her self , under the conduct of brennus that valiant britain , the cadet of mulmutius donwallo the famous legislator , and first king that wore a crown of gold in great britain many hundred years before the romanes entred : i say , that alexander hearing so much , and reading of the martial achievments of the gaules , ( now french ) sent to know of them , what they feard most ? they answerd , ne coelum rueret , lest the heven shold fall : a magnanimous answer ! and the french nation must by natural inclination be magnanimous and martial , because the astronomers who are so conversant with hevenly bodies , and their virtual power in relation to earth , affirm , that the planet mars is the ascendent of france , and hath a peculiar influence upon that nation more then upon any other . to pretermit for brevities sake many other victorious kings who had raignd formerly , what a triumphant hero was charlemain ! he vanquishd the saracens in the holy land , he freed spain from them ; he was a mighty champion of christ , and of the roman church : for he restord two popes , viz. adrian and leo , the one being besiegd , the other banishd , and living in exile . this was the prince who repaird the western empire being almost mouldred into dust , and raysd it to as high a pitch of sublimity as ever it was , by congregating the scatterd dominions therof : this was he who overthrew the tyranny of the longobards which his father pepin had begun , and quite freed italy of them , where they had lived and lorded above two hundred yeers . he subdued the empire of the huns , securd england , tam'd bavaria , subjugated spain , and possessd italy . he drive the moors out of corsica , the carthaginians out of sardinia , the saracens from the baleares insulae malliorca , &c. this was he who trounc'd the bohemians , checkd the impiety of the danes , broke the fierceness of the sclavonians , and reducd the saxons to civility . this is he whom all the oriental princes admird , ( as well as the west ) receaving their ambassadors laden with rich presents , and desiring a frendship and confederacy with him . this is he who was the founder of the university of paris , being very learned himself by the instructions he receavd from alcuin that famous english-man . this was that pious prince who confirmd the donation which constantin the great his predecessor made unto the holy father the vicar of christ of the city of rome , and conferd also upon him the exarchatship of ravenna : therfore was he as deservedly as gloriously crownd in rome emperour of the west , and the title of christianissimus given him , the empire continuing in his race by direct line above a hundred and ten yeers . what glorious expeditions have bin made since in the holy land by five several kings of france in person ? me thinks i behold godefroy of bouillon being countenancd and assisted by the french king , and having morgagd some part , and sold the rest of his duchy for that enterprise , marching with a huge army through germany , hungary and greece , and so passing to asia to encounter the forces of solyman the ottoman emperour , and chalypha the soldan of egypt , with other infidel kings whom he put to flight , making himself master of nice , of antioch , and hierusalem her self , with the holy sepulchre of christ. me thinks i see him when he was to be crownd king of ierusalem , throwing away the crown of gold , and taking one of thorns in imitation of our blessed saviour . me thinks i see all the princes therabouts tributaries unto him , and bringing him rich presents , though he himself went clad but in the habit of a common gregarian soldier ; wherat some of the said princes being astonishd , askd , how comes it to pass that so great a conqueror who hath shaken all the eastern world shold go so plain and homely ? but to draw to a conclusion of this argument , let 's descend lower to some of the modern kings of france , and the two last will afford matter enough to confirm the fortitude of the french nation , viz. henry the fourth , and his son lewis the thirteenth : concerning the first , valour and fortune may be said to contend which shold entitle him henry the great ; they both strivd for mastery in him , and which shold overcome : he was conqueror in four signal battails ; in thirty five hot skirmiges ; in above a hundred personal encounters , with the siege of about three hundred several places , wherin he provd always victorious ; which makes his memory to continue still fresh in france , and makes new impressions from fathers to sons to render it eternal . ther is scarce any considerable town but hath his statue in brass or marble , and pictures innumerable ; insomuch that one said , una henrici oblivio erit occasus humani generis , the oblivion of henry alone will be the end of mankind : but for a tru character of him , i will insert here that which is engraven on the cheval de bronze , the brasen horse on the pont-neuf in sight of the louvre his most royal castle in paris ; which character runs thus : ie suis henry grand honneur de la terre , astre de paix , & foudre de la guerre ; l'amour de bons , la crainte de pervers , dont les vertus meritoient l'univers . henry i am , the glory of mankind , the star of peace , and thunderbolt of war ; the spur of vertu , scourge of vice ; a mind that merited to sway more scepters far . touching his son and immediat successor lewis the thirteenth , he also did mighty things . he began to bear arms , and wear buff almost when he was no higher then a sword , at which height they say the kings of france are out of their minority : but before he came out of his , he repressd two ill-favourd commotions in poitou and britany . he continued conqueror all his life-time , nor did he know what it was to be beaten . he bangd all his neighbours round about him : he clammerd twice with his armies ore the alps , and came back again , having done the business he went for . he climd likewise with his troops up the pyreney hills , and establishd a viceroy in the kingdome of catalonia . he crossd ore the meuse , and made many deep hacks in the ragged staff. his horses foorded ore the rhine , and helpd to cuff the eagle ilfavouredly in the german air. and lastly , he foyld the english at the i le of rhe. these were exploits abroad . at home also within his kingdome he did marvailous things , by suppressing so many civil insurrections ; and lastly , by debelling the hugonots , which his five immediat predecessors could not effect , though they attempted it many ways : then which action nothing could conduce more to the security and improvement of the power of the french crown , and the tranquillity of the country . the tenth and last argument , ab exemplo & authoritate historicâ , from examples and historical authority . the arguments which went before may be said to be embroderies and florishes of reason ; yet those florishes were wrought upon good substantial stuff : but this last argument hath more of solidness , legality and weight in it , for it consists of examples , and historical authentik proofs of antiquity , which the logitian tells us is one of the strongest way of argumentation . we will not make such over-curious retrospects as to look on the times before charlemain , though ther be divers examples that ever since the time of clouis , who was the first christian king of france , ( which was above years before ) which prove that the kings of france had prerogatives of session , and precedence both of place and person next to the emperour . but since charlemain had the title of christianissimus given him , ther be divers cleer and convincing proofs , how after the empire was devolvd from charlemains race to the houses of saxony , suevia and austria ; nay since austria came to the highest cumble of greatness and multitude of new dominions , the kings of france have still had the antecedence both in general councils , in assisting the holy offices of the church , and in attending the popes person . now t is known that the court of rome , with the rules and practice therof , is fittest to determine this question of precedence . mausonius and others have it upon good record , how anno . pope pius the fourth passd a solemn decree , that the kings of france ought to have the precedence of any other king. nor indeed in former ages did any king contend with him herabouts but the king of england . the spaniard did but of late years stand for it ; it is but since the raign of charles the fifth . and as the kings of france before claimd it as succeeding charlemain , so the kings of spain wold challenge it as succeeding charles the fifth . yet in the famous treaty at vervins . after long concertations and canvassing of the point pro & con , the spanish ambassadors made a cession of precedence to the french ; and baldus the great civilian , as purpuratus relates , affirmeth categorically , nemo praesumat honorem super vexilla invictissimi franciae regis . it is tru , that some writers rank kings thus ; the king of hierusalem , the king of france , the king of sicily , and the king of england ; which four are the only anointed kings : and for this they shew an old manuscript of the church of rome , calld provincialis . saint gregory writes to childebert , quanto caetero●… homines regia dignitas antecellit , tanto caeterarum gentium regna regni vestri culmen excellit : as far as royal dignity excels all other men , so far doth the glory of your kingdome excel others . h●…norius the third says , reges gallorum opposuerum se tanquam marus inexpugnabilis pro populo christiano : the kings of france opposd themselfs as an inexpugnable wall for the christian people . gregory the ninth saith , regnum galliae est quasi pha●…etra quam christus sibi circa femur accinxit , ex qua sagittas electa●… extr●…hens , 〈◊〉 ●…t sibi gentes & regna subjiciat , in arcum brachii potentis em●… : france is a quiver which christ tied to his thigh , whence he draws arrows for the subduing of nations and kingdomes , &c. now , touching the point of precedence , the notablest contests that france hath had , have been with spain in the council of trent , which lasted so many long years by intermissions : the relations wherof lie scatterd up and down in divers histories , but we shall endeavour to give here a distinct and uninterrupted narration thereof , but first we will speak of a signal contest in venice . the famous contest twixt the most christian and catholique kings in venice , as also in the council of trent . it is well known how that before the rearing up of that huge colosse of the house of austria , which was anno . when ferdinand of aragon died , charles rendred himself very potent both in italy as well as in spain . but he encreasd more strength after the death of maximilian , being chosen emperour in his place , at which time he was mounted to the highest pitch of sublimity and power : i say , t is well known how till that time the kings of france were acknowledged the first after the person of the emperour , who hath still preference given him before all secular princes whatsoever . now , the question was never sur le tapis , was never controverted about priority twixt france and spain till the house of austria started up to that enormous greatness . and although before charles the fifth ther were six emperours of that house , and that the quality of emperour gives precedence to any who legally possesseth the title , be he of what family soever , yet that prerogative is not given to any of their posterity being not calld to the empire . in regard in electif states the election adhering only to the person of the elected , gives the eminence only to his person , excluding all other ; yea his own sons unless they be formally elected , although in successif hereditary patrimonial estates t is otherwise . insomuch that the house of austria hath no more right to the empire then the house of saxe , luxemburg , or brandenburg , with other families who were caesars before them . another house which much strengthend that of austria , was that of burgundy , which yet was feudetary to france , as also the counties of flanders and artois , though the rest of the seventeen provinces ( which came to spain by this alliance with burgundy ) are fiefs of the empire . the other houses who did aggrandize charles the fifth , were castile and aragon ; castile came to be a kingdome but after the yeer . and the kings of england took always precedence of them . arragon was but a small state , feodary to the church of rome , until the kingdome of naples which is also a fief of the church was annexd unto it . hereunto as fortune wold have it , were added the west-indies , discoverd first by an italian , and offerd to the king of england . then by alliance with portugal the east-indies came also to the crown of castile . this increase of countries raisd the spirits of the spaniard to claim precedence of france and england , two of the most ancient christian kings . and to go more methodically to work , we will divide the state of the house of austria to three times ; first , to that which preceded the year . when charles was establishd in the empire ; the second during his raign , until he retird to a claustral life anno ; the third to his progeny since . touching the first , t is certain that notwithstanding the promotion of this family to the empire , yet it continued still homageable to the empire : for philip the father of charles the emperour rendred solemn homage to the chancellor du rochefort , and charles after him for the counties of flanders and artois anno . so that the said charles being born in gant , was born a vassal to the king of france . that in the interview of lewis the twelfth , and ferdinand of aragon anno . at savona , although king lewis usd great civilities to ferdinand coming to visit him upon his own territories , and so gave him precedence , yet the world knows that it was but by way of complement : but before charles mounted the empire , this dispute of precedence never entred into the spirit of spain . in the year . charles was created emperour , which anno . he resignd to his brother ferdinand ; and at the same time he made a voluntary and absolut cession of all the rest of his dominions to his son philip the second , except the archduchy of austria , and the dependences therof in germany ▪ philip though he succeeded in the empire to which the precedence only belongs , yet he endevourd to keep it still , under pretext that he succeeded the emperour his father in all his large her hereditary dominions , who always took place in all assemblies , enterviews and tretises , specially in the great council of trent , though it was confusedly , because two qualities were in him of emperour and king which could not be distinguished or separated . but in the yeer . when meditating upon a retirement he resignd the empire to his brother , and all his kingdomes to his son philip , perceaving that his son could not take precedence of the king of france because he was not emperour , he made use of another artifice for conserving this pre-eminence for his son as well as for his brother . before his retirement he revokd don francisco de vargas his ambassador in venice , who had always taken precedence of the french ambassador without scruple : now , after his resignation of the empire , he sends again the said vargas to venice as his , and also his sons ambassador joyntly , though indeed he was but ambassador only to the king of spain : but he thought to over-reach the venetian because he employd still the same man qualified in apparance as formerly . vargas demanded of the senat the same precedence as formerly , which the bishop of lodeve , ambassador at the same time to hen. . of france , opposd , remonstrating to the senat that charles was no more considerable to the world being a reclusd person ; and if the ambassador of ferdinand to whom he had transferrd the empire were present , he wold yeild place unto him , but he wold not come after the ambassador of king philip. the senat apprehending some ill issue from this dispute , orderd that neither of the ambassadors shold be present at the feast of st. mark ; and so the business remaind at a stand by the irresolution of the senat , and the simplicity of the french ambassador , who at last was contented to give way to the ordinance of the republique in favor of vargas . but anno . francis de novailles bishop of acs succeeding him of lodeve , renewd the dispute ; and the ambassador of ferdinand arriving about the same time , novailles demanded of the senat to be maintaind in his rights , and to have the first place next the imperial ambassadors , and so took it couragiously before vargas , who observing the cunning of the emperour charles , ( who died in this conjuncture of time ) was discoverd , and that he passd for no more then for the ambassador of king philip , vargas began to speak high of the grandeur of his master , and to display the large dominions and states he lorded over , far more in numbee then those of the french king ; alledging that these customs of honor and antecedences ought to be alterd according to the times : that his master was the greatest king of the world , that he was able to assist the republique with arms , men and mony more then the king of the french , &c. but the bishop of acs though much heat intervend , obtaind of the senat a deer●…e wherby the precedence was adjudgd him before the spanish ambassador ; who loudly complaining therof , the senat made answer , that the republik did not trouble her self to examine the greatness of their majesties , but she found within her registers that in all acts both publik and privat , in all ceremonies , visits , and audiences , the ambassadors of france preceded those of spain ; wherin she wold acquiesce . this answer offended king philip , who therupon revokd his ambassador . but michael surianus ambassador for the republick in the spanish court , defended the decree of the senat very vigorously , and in some mesure appeasd the spirit of king philip , who notwithstanding advancd this question upon all occasions . the greatest endevours he usd , was four years after in the council of trent , which was the greatest theatre of religion and honor that had been seen above a hundred years before , wherof we shall give an exact relation as followeth . of the council of trent . a general council after the revolt of luther anno . was desird by all christians , and often proposd by charles the fifth and francis the first of france to pope leo the tenth , clement the seventh , and paul the third , who at last convokd an oecumenical free council to be held at trent , which was also kept at bolonia some part of the time , and ther were ten sessions made in eighteen months . then it ceasd until the death of paul the third , . the cardinal iohn maria de monte who had bin first president of the council under paul . succeeded by the the name of iulius . who presently made an indiction of the council again , which recommencd at trent anno . and lasted also under this pope above months ; during which time ther were six sessions : but being summond again by the same iulius , it ceasd under marcellus . who held the pontificat but days . then it continued under paul . anno . pius . succeeding him , made a new indiction of the council again , which began . under whom it lasted two years , during which time the nine last sessions were made : insomuch that the whole council by intermissions lasted about eighteen yeers , from the year . to . but the council sate together in deliberation but five years , take all the adjournments together . now , to understand the right of the precedences of ambassadors , we must know that in the said council three kinds of assemblies were made , viz. congregations general , particular congregations , and sessions . in the particular congregations the doctors assisted by some bishops examined questions of faith and reformation , according to the distribution that was made them ; and in this ther was no consideration had of precedence or ceremony ; they were actions intra privatos parietes , within privat walls . in the general congregation all the prelats assembled , and the legats presided , who proposed what ought to be treated in the particular congregations : there the theologians were heard , and ambassadors of princes had audience after their commissions had been examined . in brief , all things were concluded there which were to be promulgated in the following session , and ambassadors had their places there according to their rank . at last the session was the solemn day , at which after the mass of the holy spirit , and a sermon preachd by some prelat , or great theologian , the prelat officiating , pronounced aloud the decrees already resolvd upon , which had been approvd by the fathers by this canonical word placet . now all ambassadors had their seats of honor in those sessions , and at mass ; and this honor appeerd by the places where they sate , as also by the censer and pax which were given them to kiss during the celebration of the mass. in the council held by paul . and iulius . charles the fifth was emperour , and without any the least contradiction his ambassadors preceded all others , though the french scarce appeerd there , and in the first sessions ther was hardly any prelat of france : so there was no dispute of any precedence at all , the emperour having the first rank ; and ther was no occasion at all for any ambassador from the king of spain , because it was involvd then in the empire : yet ther intervend some things which declard the prerogatives of the king of france . first , in the bull of indicting the council by paul . the king of france is namd expresly after the emperour , and all other princes spoken of in general terms without any name , in these terms : charissimos in christa filios nostros carolum romanorum imperatorem semper augustum ; et christianissimum regem franciscum duo praecipua christiani nominis firmamenta atque fulchra or are atque obsecrare instituimus . then a little after : supra autem dictos imperatorem regemque christianissimum , nec non caeteros reges , duces , principes quorum praesentia si alias usquam , hoc quidem tempore maxime sanctissimae christi fidei , & christianorum omnium futura est salutaris , rogantes atque obsecrantes per viscera misericordiae dei , &c. we have appointed to desire and pray our most dear sons in christ , charles emperour of the romans always august , and francis the most christian king , the two chiefest supporters and props of christianity , &c. so that ther is no other prince particularly namd in the bull but the emperour and the king of france , the other kings and princes go under one general notion , which is a great advantage of honour to the kings of france . secondly , from the entry of the council . francis the first of france had appointed for his ambassadors claude d' urfé seneshal of the forests , iacques de ligneres president of the third chamber of enquests , and dean peter danes afterwards bishop of vaur : but being advertisd by some bishops which were at trent how ther were but little hopes that the said council was like to have good success , he revokd the said ambassadors who appeerd not at all in the council . but anthony filiolo archbishop of aix being there , and demanding that in the publik prayers which were made for all christian princes , the king of france shold be expresly nominated as he was in the bull of indiction : the legats eluded this demand , insomuch that the pope and the emperour were only namd in the prayers , and all other princes conceavd in general terms . in the yeer . king francis . sent peter danes bishop of vaur for his ambassador to the council , where making an eloquent oration , he represented the sad state of christendome , and the disorders which were crept into the church , yea into the roman court : wherupon one bishop laughd , saying , gallus cantat , the cock crows . danes replied suddenly , utinam illo gallocinio petrus ad resipiscentiam & fletum excitetur ; i wold to god that by this crowing of the cock peter wold be raisd up to repentance and tears . and this saying was afterwards in evry ones mouth . in the yeer . paul . in regard of the plague and wars then in germany , transferrd the council from trent to bolonia : but this he did , communicato etiam consilio cum imperatore , christianissimo rege , & aliis regibus ac principibus christianis , where the king of france is particularly namd . in the yeer . when iulius . had re-established the council again at trent , although hen. . the king of france had entred into a hot war against pope iulius for the affairs of parma , yet he employd iaques amyot abbot of belosana , and afterwards bishop of auxerre with a letter bearing this inscription , sanctissimis in christo & observandis patribus tridentini conventus . which letter the said amyot having delivered to cardinal crescentius president of the council , and the secretary having read the inscription , the spanish bishops cryed out , that it was a wrong done to the council to call it conventum , a convention , therfore protested against it . nevertheless after long dispute upon the signification of the word conventus , it was concluded that it might be taken in good part . the elector of mentz to apologize for france , stood up and said , how shall we receave the papers of the german protestants which we call concilium malignantium , if we reject the king of france's letter for calling us conventum ? hitherto charles the emperour being also king of spain , ther was no question of precedence : but at the third indiction of the council by pius . anno . ther were divers clashes happend twixt the french ambassadors and those of philip , which engendred great jelousies twixt the two crowns , and high contests which happend principally from the imprudence of pius . in his bull of indiction he used other terms then paul . and iulius . did ; for he names not the king of france as formerly , but involves him under the general notions of other christian princes : therupon philibert de la bourdesiere bishop of angouleme , ambassador for the king in the popes court , complaind of this omission in the kings name ; yet with a protestation , that notwithstanding this misprision and prejudice to his crown , he wold not hinder the continuance and progress of the council whither he had commanded his bishops to repair . the pope made answer , that he had given order to some cardinals to draw the bull , and it seems they had not been careful of this punctilio : for having namd the emperour , they judgd it not so necessary to name all kings , but to comprize them under one general notion : wherupon the french ambassador replyed , that it was one of the prerogatives of his most christian majesty not to be involvd in generals , but in express terms . the pope rejoynd , that he could not foresee all things , and for the future ther shold be a care had ther shold be no such omission . in the yeer . ther arrivd at trent , lewis de saint gelais , lord of lansac ; and three days after arnaud ferrier , and guy du faur pybrac , judge of tholouse , who were receavd very honorably by the council : nay , a gr●…at part of the prelats subject to the king of spain , went out to meet them ; but ferdinand de avalos marquiss of pescara and ambassador to king philip , departed from trent three days before , and retird to milan , wherof he was governor , under pretext that ther were some apprehensions of danger from the hugonots of dauphine , and from the swisse ; but in effect it was to avoid the meeting of the french ambassadors who took place in the general congregation next the imperial . the lord of pybrac made a notable oration , wherin speaking against the enormities of the church , the small progress the council had made in so long a time , and also for freedome of opinions , it was not fit to stand waiting of things so long from rome : and being seconded by lansac and ferrier upon the same subject , the pope complaind therof , and spoke loud that the king of france had not sent ambassadors to the council , but rather advocats for the hugonots , &c. the french bishops arrivd afterward at trent in november , conducted by the cardinal of lorrain , who was receavd honorably by the cardinal of mantua , and other legats ; but hitherto the point of precedence was not touchd . a little after the arrival of the cardinal of lorrain , and the gallican bishops , philip the second having revokd the marquiss of pescara , employd to trent ferdinand quiniones count of luna in quality of ambassador , who having passd before to germany to be assistant at the coronation of maximilian son to the emperour ferdinand , the count of luna desird to know of the fathers of the council what place he shold receave . therupon the cardinal of mantua the chief legat having consulted the ambassadors of france , and the cardinal of lorain , he proposd unto them a form of accommodation , that concerning them they shold hold their place next the imperial ambassadors , and another place shold be given the count of luna opposite to the legats on the other side , or after the ecclesiastical ambassadors , or in some other part out of the bank of ambassadors . wherunto the french replyed , that they were employd by their king not to judge of processes , or decide the rights of king philip , who was a good frend and brother-in-law to charles the ninth ; but if any offerd to take that place which was due to them , they were resolvd to defend it against any person whatsoever . and if the council wold question it , they had in their instructions order to withdraw themselfs with all the french prelats , and to protest against the nullity of all resolutions that shold be there transacted . to this the legat made no reply . this answer in apparance was fair and generous , but in effect it gave occasion of affronts , which afterwards were done to the french at the council , and tended to strengthen the pretensions of the spaniard , which continue to this day . for the right of the king of france is not only to be immediatly next the emperour , but to see all other kings come behind him : insomuch that it was the french ambassadors duty at that time to stand still upon it , and oblige the count of luna to take his place after them ; but to permit him to sit elswhere , was to cut out matter for a process : for although the french ambassadors did hold their places , yet to suffer the count of luna to sit apart , was tacitly to receave him into an equality : insomuch that as well in this first rancounter as afterwards when the dispute happend in the general congregation , the cardinal of lorain was blamd that he was not punctual enough in things relating to his masters honor. in the yeer . the legats apprehending some clash twixt the spanish and french doctors in point of precedence of delivering their opinions , ordaind , that without distinction of nation evry one shold speak according to the antiquity of his doctorship . and because ther were some french doctors that were more ancient then the spanish , yet not permitted to speak first , the legats quickly satisfied them , saying , that the doctors do not represent the prince his person as ambassadors use to do . but to compose these differences which grew very high , the doctors were divided to four classes ; and it was orderd that those which were sent from the pope being de iure to speak first , the french doctors shold speak next ; which was accorded by the legats : therfore it was voted that after salmeron the jesuit , and the popes theologue , nicholas maillart dean of the faculty in paris , shold speak , and after that , evry one shold speak according to his reception into the degree of doctor , which was practisd accordingly . but to content the spaniard , it was couched in the register of the council , that the french doctor maillart had spoken according to his antiquity into doctorship , no relation being had to precedence of nation . in the same year . on easter-day the count of luna was receavd at trent ; at his entry he marchd between the ambassadors of the emperour and the king 's of france . this action passd with much honor and civility twixt both nations ; and the same time the cardinal of lorain writ to the emperour ferdinand , who was then at insbrug in the county of tirol three days distant from trent , upon divers affairs of the council , and at the end prayed him to find out some temperament for allaying the dispute of precedence twixt the two crowns . but this clause of the cardinal to the emperour was blamd by divers , for he shold not have desird a temperament in the business , but demanded right . the emperour made answer , that it did not concern him to determine the differences twixt the two kings in this particular ; but to speak his sentiment herin , he thought that if the french ambassadors come immediatly after his , and that none disturbs them , what matter is it where the spanish ambassadors sit ? but these words were held to be of dangerous consequence : for in point of precedence , whosoever quits his place is presumed to scorn it , and seek after a higher ; which cannot be done without a prejudice to them who sate higher before . upon the of may , at the general congregation , the intention of the spaniards appeerd more cleer : the count of luna after the foresaid solemn entry absconded himself for days , without appeering openly in any ceremony or publik act ; and so being puzzled what cours to take in this busines , somtimess he resolvd to enter the assembly in the midst of the emperours ambassadors , aud after they were ●…ate to stand by them while his commission was verified , and then retire to his house . but thinking this cours not generous enough for his masters honor , he prayed the french ambassadors not to be there that day ; which being denied him , the spanish bishops proposd that secular ambassadors shold be prayed not to enter into the general congregations , but only the day of their reception , and that they wold be contented to assist the ceremony at the session only ; alledging , that it was practisd so in other general councils . but all the ambassadors did mainly oppose this . then it was privatly suggested to the spanish bishops by the count of luna , that they shold propose some point that might make the french ambassadors parties , and so not capable to sit in the assembly . as for example , they shold represent the domages which the whole church hath receivd by the peace which the king of france had made with the hugonots , or some such other thing . but that also taking no effect , and the congregation being put to delays from day to day by the obstinacy of the count of luna , at last that the affairs of the council shold not be retarded , the cardinal of lorain and the french ambassadors declard to the legats , that , provided their place shold remain immediatly after the imperial ambassadors , they did not much heed what place the ambassadors of spain shold take . this weakness of the cardinal , and of the french ambassadors , did scandalize all christendome ; and in france they blamd him to have betrayed the honor of their master ; nay , the fathers of the council took it in ill part , and at rome the cardinal de bourdesiere who was with the pope for the king , having complaind of this spanish ambition , and of this innovation introducd against the ancient orders , pope pius made answer , that he shold blame the french ambassadors , and their imbecility ; for his part , although he had bin sollicited before and after the count of luna's arrival at trent , that he shold favor this dessein , yet he remaind constant and inflexible ; and he wonderd that the french ambassadors were wrought upon so easily . the great day of the congregation being come , and evry ambassador having taken his place , the count of luna enters , and seats himself face to face to the legats , a good distance from the bank of the ambassadors ; and standing up , he presents his orders , and the will of his master ; protesting afterwards , that although the first place was due to him after the emperours ambassador , as representing the greatest prince of christendom , the greatest pillar of the church , &c. yet not to introduce any confusion in the affairs of the council , he deported himself from this right ; yet with condition that this his protestation shold be inserted in the acts of the council , and that they shold not be printed or publishd without it ; besides , that a copy shold be delivered him by the secretary of the council . when he had said these words , he took the place which was appointed him neer the table of the secretary of the council . therupon the french ambassadors who were next the imperials , said , that if the place which they had were not the most honorable after the emperours , as it was acknowledgd in all councils , and namely in the council of constance , and in the last lateran council held under leo the tenth ; or if the place they had given the count of luna was any way prejudicial to them , they prayed the council to provide presently either by orders , commandments , excommunications , or other courses taken in such a case , without having any regard to the person ; but because no body spake a word , and that also the imperial ambassadors connivd at this innovation , although they had equal interest to hinder it as well as the french because it might be disputed on against them , they added , that without any blemish to the honor of king philip , and to the alliance of the two crowns , they protested for a nullity of these proceedings , and requird that their protestation might also be inserted in the acts of the council , and a copy deliverd them . after these disputes , the fathers of the council not saying any thing , fontidon a spanish doctor made a latin oration in the name of the count of luna , wherin he exalted the grandeur of the king of spain , his zeal to religion , and the church in such extravagant expressions , and so derogatory to other princes , that the imperial ambassadors themselfs made complaint therof to the count of luna , who excusd himself , saying , that that harang had displeasd him as much as any other . now , the promoter of the council having made answer to the said oration , the spanish ambassador suddenly went from the assembly , ( not staying until the legats had risen up ) it seems of purpose to prevent a dispute that might happen with the french , which he observd also in the following congregations , sitting always a part , and going out alone . but the same order could not be observd in the church upon the day of the session , because the mode of sitting was otherwise , and the ceremonies were more precise in point of precedencie , as that of the pax and censer at the celebration of masse . therfore the fathers of the council consulted the pope before the session , who being gaind by the spaniards , and thinking also that the french wold shew another trick of weakness , he writ to his legats , that although in the session a place was given apart to the spanish , yet that the pax and censer shold be given to both the ambassadors at one time : but they were commanded to keep the business secret until the very point of the action , to prevent that the french shold make no stir . the day of the session being come , which was iune , being st. peters day , after that the bishop of valdasto in savoy had begun to sing the mass of the holy spirit , ther was suddenly a chair of black velvet brought from the sacristia or vestry , which was plac'd twixt the last cardinal and the first patriark , wherin the count of luna sate ; the cardinal of lorain , together with the french ambassadors , made a great noise , and did rise up with an intention to depart , when they understood that the pax with the censer shold be presented at the same time : but for fear to trouble the solemnity of the act , they were contented to protest only against it , and to declare that the right of the king of france did not consist in an equality , but in precedence . the gospel being read , and a theologue going up to the chair to make an oration , the legats , with the cardinal of lorain , and the other cardinals , with the ambassador of the emperour , and ferrier the second french ambassador , ( for lansac was returned to france , and had left behind him ferrier and pybrack ) i say , all these enterd into the sextry , whither they calld the archbishop of granada , ( a spaniard ) to find out some way of accommodation : at last , after many disputes and contestations on both sides , with many entrances and returns of the count of luna , it was concluded that mass shold be ended with the pax or censer ; wherupon luna went out of the church accompanied by his spaniards , triumphing as it were that he had made this first pass for the advantage and honor of his master . this action seemd very scandalous , and the legats were much cryed down , until at last being not able to bear the outcry , they were constrained to produce the commands they had receavd from rome : and the injury was held the more sensible , because it was offerd to an infant and pupil king as charles the ninth was , who was at the same time assiegd by the hugonots , and entangled in a civil war ; the cardinal of lorain did write stinging letters to the pope , yet all within the compass of reverence : but ferrier being a spritful and violent man , cryed aloud , that if at the first publick masse the preference of the pax and censer was not given to his master , he wold protest not only against the legats and the council , who had their hands as it were tied up , nor against king philip who made use of these advantages , nor against the church of rome , ( towards which he wold never loose due respects ) but against the proper person of the pope himself , who , as he wold prove , had bought the pontificat , and so wold appeal from him to a legal pope , and to a free and tru council ; and if the most christian king his master wold convoke a national council , it shold be as numerous and it is very tru that ferrier and pybrak had prepard a most acrimonious harang against the pope , and against this innovation which ferrier was to pronounce , and to command at the same time all the french bishops and doctors to retire home , with a promise they shold return when god shold please to give his church a legal pope , and re-establish the councils in their ancient and full liberties . this harang was printed , but not pronouncd : in the mean time the count of luna did glory that the legats had promisd him that at the first masse he shold be receavd in an equality touching the pax and the censer . the legats apprehending some ilfavourd issue from these rancounters , and because the ambassador of poland declard that if the ambassador of france wold withdraw himself from the obedience of the council he wold quickly follow him , as the ambassadors of divers other princes wold do ; the legats , and the most advised members of the council , specially madruccio cardinal of trent in behalf of the emperour , thought it expedient to sing publick masse without giving the pax or the censer ; wherunto they had the consent of the count of luna . this is the cours which was taken to offer so signal an affront to the king of france , wherof so much hath been spoken , and which hindred the good that was expected in france from this great council . a little after , the cardinal of lorain retird to rome , and ferrier declaimd loudly in one general congregation against the enormities and disorders which had crept into the church , &c. the pope took this much to heart , and for to sweeten the business , he sent the cardinal of lorain back again to the council with full authority to regulat , together with the legats , what was amiss in the proceedings of the council . he assisted at the twenty fourth session held the of novemb. . the day of the sacrament of marriage , and having receavd order from france to retire speedily with all the french bishops , the legats hastned the conclusion of the council , and inorderd that the five and twentieth and last session shold be held the third and fourth day of december , wherin as before , the french ambassadors took place , and the count of luna sate neer the secretary of the council ; and in the publick masses ther was no speech either of the pax or censer . so the council of trent finishd the of december . and cardinal moron who was then president gave the publik benediction to the fathers , saying , post gratias deo actas reverendissimi patres ite in pace : most reverend fathers , after giving god thanks go in peace : wherunto all answerd , amen . but because the custome is , that at the end of evry general council acclamations shold be made to felicitat the popes who had convoqud it , the fathers who had held it , and the princes who had assisted , the cardinal of lorain took a particular care this shold be performd , for which he was censurd as a care too inferior to his eminence , which he shold have left to the deacons , promoters , secretaries , and masters of the ceremonies of the council . but above all he was blamd that in the acclamation made for the secular princes , he causd not the name of the king of france to be particularly mentiond , as it was observd in the bull of indiction ; and for omission wherof , complaint was made that pius the fourth did it not , wherof the cardinal could not be ignorant . now , the acclamation that was made in favor of the secular princes , ( wherin the name of the king of france was omitted ) ran thus : the cardinal said aloud , caroli quinti imperatoris , & serenissimorum regum qui hoc universale concilium promoverunt , & protexerunt , memoria in benedictione sit ; let the memory of the emperour charles the fifth , and of the most serene kings who have promoted this universal council , be always blessed . then , serenissimo imperatori ferdinando semper augusto , orthodoxo , & pacifico , & omnibus regibus , reipublicis , & principibus nostris multi anni : many years to the most serene emperour ferdinand ever august , orthodoxal , and peaceful ; and to all our kings , commonwealths , and princes . then the fathers answerd , pium & christianum imperatorem domine conserva , imperator caelestis terrenos reges rectae fidei conservatores custodi : o lord , conserve the pious and christian emperour ; o coelestial emperour defend earthly kings , conservers of the right faith. the first acclamation was for the dead , wherin the cardinal forgot to express the name of francis the . and hen. . who had contributed their care and zeal for the good of the council . the second was for living princes , wherin he also omitted the name of charles . for which the said cardinal was blamd at the king of france his council . he excusd himself that it was for the fear he had to put division between the two kings ; and withal , that charles of france being yet a minor , he was like to be troubled about matters of religion in regard of the hugonots , and might have need of king philip , therfore it was no wisdom to exasperat him. thus have you a kinde of epitome of the great council of trent , specially of the celebrous contests , intrigues , competitions and artifices twixt france and spain in point of prerogative of place , and priority of session . the next contest was at the congress of ambassadors in vervins , . ( touchd at before ) where the french ambassadors receivd an accommodation by the moderation of the cardinal of medici . the manner of this accommodation was thus : the cardinal legat being under a cloth of state at the end of the table where the treaty was to be held , had upon his right-hand the nuntio , and next him the spanish ambassadors ; upon his left-hand the legat had the french ambassadors , and in that posture they proceeded to negotiat and treat without any exception or animosities ; wherby the business producd peaceful and blessed effects , wherof all christendome did reap very wholsome fruit . after this , ther happend a tough competition upon the same account of precedence in the court of rome ; and when the spaniard could not prevail there , he went to the emperours court maximilian the second his neer kinsman , wher his ambassadors had the prerogative of place before the ambassadors of charles the ninth king of france : wherupon gaspar coligni protested loudly against this apparent injury , and that it was a sufficient cause to denounce war. but mendosa the spanish ambassador being much pressd hereabouts , and reducd to a narrow streight , found out at last this witty evasion , saying , se nolle quidem anteire , tamen cogi non posse ut francorum legatos sequeretur : if he did not go before , yet he could not be forcd to follow the french ambassador . besoldus ( with others who are great advocats for the spanish precedence ) beat their brains to find out arguments to that effect : amongst which , the greatest is , the multitude of dominions that have accrued to the spaniard : whence they deduce this principle , ex facto sumitur ius , right is to be taken out of the fact ; and the fact being changd , the right also changeth . therfore the fact and circumstances of things being changd on the spaniards side , and respect had to his encrease of territories , and present condition , it may well alter the former custome of giving precedence to france . then he takes the cudgels against england in behalf of spain , notwithstanding that he acknowledgeth out of meteranus that the english are the most ancient christians , and that germany his own country owes her religion first to them ; that the kings of england are descended of the noblest families of any , which makes him instance in king cunobelinus , whose coyn is to be seen to this day , who raignd in great britain about our saviours nativity . he alledgeth further how the king of england is feodary or subordinat to no earthly power , but is gods immediat vicar in his own dominions : yet he concludes simply and irrationally in these words ; verùm & angli nimis antiquis argumentis pugnant , & praesenti majestati hispaniae aequiparandi minimè esse videntur : the english fight with too ancient arguments , and seem not to be compard to the present majesty of spain . he speaks also as simply , and indeed not without some absurdity , when after those uncontroulable arguments , he saith , sed porro absonum est quod anglus hispano sessionis litem movet ; it is a senseless thing that the english shold move any debate with the spaniard for privilege of session . and another great champion for the precedence of spain , viz. diego valdez , discourseth as weakly ; for notwithstanding that he acknowledgeth lucius to be a christian king of england in the time of pope eleutherius , ( which was many hundred years before ther was any in spain ) & that he confesseth that summa ratio est quae ducitur à religione , yet he wold not have england compare with spain in point of precedence : wherby he discovers not only a great deal of injustice and partiality , but also a gross ignorance in antiquity , by calling lucius king of england , wheras this country had not that name till the saxons came in , which was above three hundred years after : for till then t was calld britannia by all forreners , and loegria or lloygher by the native inhabitants ; which name continues among the welch to this day . nor is this his error alone , but of many other great antiquaries , and some of our own authors , who having no due regard to the computation of time , do very frequently call this country england many hundred of years before the word was created . thus have we producd and faithfully alledgd the principal arguments that france hath for a precedence : we will conclude with two late passages which happend in this kind ; one was in the hague twixt monsieur de thou , and don estevan de gamarra the spanish ambassador ; whose coaches meeting casually in a place where ther were two rails , ther happend a scustle for precedence ; but a band of soldiers came and kept them quiet till notice was sent to the council of state ; who sitting three or four hours about it , at last they gave command that the rails shold be cut down ; and so the way being left open , the scustle ended . the second was in london twixt monsieur l' estrade and the baron de batteville , both of them ambassadors at the english court , the latter for the king of spain , the other for france ; a new danish ambassador was to make his entry through london ; and his majesty of great britain having intimation that ther might be some clash between the coaches of the foresaid ambassadors if they sent them according to custome to bring in the said new ambassador , he sent unto them that they wold forbear to send their coaches because some inconvenience might arise : batteville answerd , that he wold conform to his majesties plesure , provided l' estrade did likewise do so : but l' estrade gave answer to the kings message , that his predecessor the french ambassador immediatly before him had receavd a check at his return to france for omitting this ceremony , and so was he like to do if he did not perform it . so both of them sending their rich coaches and laquays to tower-wharf where the new ambassador was to land , batteville it seems had taken such a survey of the place , that his coach stood in such a posture that none could get before it and the kings coach : besides , he had causd the rains and harness of his coach to be lin'd with wire , making them therby poof against the strokes of swords : so ther happend a hot and fierce scirmige , ther being pistols on both sides besides swords , and the french had some horsmen also ; so the poor horses were slashd , and some laquays killd on both sides , and one spanish gentleman was killd in the coach : but batteville stood firm to his ground , and so his coach went next to the kings all the way . news being sent herof to paris , it was much resented , and the spanish ambassador there being confind to his house , he presently dispatchd an expresse to madrid ; who being returnd , he sent to the louvre that he had receavd such orders that wold give his majesty satisfaction touching the late traverses in england , and so desired audience , which was appointed him the next day : in the interim command was sent that the princes of the blood and chief officers of the crown shold be there . the spanish ambassador being come , and expecting a privat audience , but finding such a solemn meeting , was a little stunnd at first ; yet he went on , and deliverd his message to the king : which was , that touching the late contest in england , it was done without his catholique majesties direction and knowledge , therfore he wold take a cours that no occasion shold be offerd for such differences herafter . besides these , he pronouncd other explanatory words that were equivalent to an acknowledgment of precedence to his most christian majesty , which were suddenly commanded to be registred in the council for an act of state , and so to stand upon record to posterity . hereupon ther was a most prudent act of state passd in the privy council of the king of great britain , that in regard of the inconvenience and disturbances which did thence arise , his majesty commanded that no forren ambassadors coaches shall for the future go to accompany and introduce any new ambassador whatsoever , because his majesties coaches are sufficient to accompany them in a fitting equippage : which act i believe will be a leading case to all the courts of christendome . before we conclude this section touching the right of precedence which the french king claims of other princes , we will adde what mr. de breves says in his appendix of the negotiations in the east , where he says , that in the raign of henry the great he took precedence of the ambassadors of rodulphus the emperour in constantinople at the port of the turks court , who values christian princes according to the merit of their might . we will now proceed to weigh and winnow the arguments of spain in order to a precedence , which we will extract also , and distil out of their own authors , as valdesius , francisco vasquez , camillo borrello , besoldus , morales , augusto cavaisll , caranato , with divers others . and let this be a close to the second section . the third section , containing the reasons wherby the king of spain pretends , and claims priority of place , and proximity of session next the emperour at all solemn meetings , and in all publik transactions of state , &c. which reasons we will reduce also to ten heads or arguments ; the first argument , proving , that the catholik king may challenge precedence , because spain is the noblest kingdome of europe , as being always accounted the head therof . the second argument , proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence by the authority of general councils , and the learned doctors of the church . the third argument , proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence , because spain first receavd and professd the catholik faith ; that the first christian church was built there ; the first council celebrated ; the first bishop was elected out of her , the first emperour created , &c. the fourth argument , proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence , because he is the catholick king , which is a more ancient title then christianissimus . the fifth argument , proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence because that in magnitude of kingdomes , in power and tresure he excels all other . the sixth argument , proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence for nobleness of family , and that the kingdome of france did justly belong to philip . the seventh argument , proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence because he is king of ierusalem . the eighth argument , proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence because of free and absolut dominion , and that he hath empires under him. the ninth argument , proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence because he hath done such great offices to the christian church . the tenth and last argument , proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence because the catholick church receaves greater protection and emoluments from him then from any other prince whatsoever . of all these arguments we shall treat distinctly in several divisions according to the former method , and distil out of the chiefest spanish authors that write of this subject , the elixir and strength of their reasons . but let the reader take this advertisement , that he must not expect here the particular quotations and marginals wherwith the spanish writers use to abound , and which indeed belong to civilians and iurists : no , the author here goes on in a freer and generous way , and the reader without abusing his faith may believe what he delivers , being extracted with much fidelity , and care out of the forementiond authors who write for the crown of spain , and in their own expressions ; and so we begin with the first argument , viz. that spain is calld the head of europe , and consequently the noblest kingdome . i. the beginning of evry thing as it is the hardest , so it is always accounted the worthiest and most noble part , as being the head and source whence the rest are derivd : so our blessed saviour is calld principium & caput , the beginning and head wherof all the faithful are members : he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and his vicar-general upon earth ( the pope ) is calld caput ecclesiae militantis , the head of the militant church . for in the head , as philosophers teach us , nature shews her chiefest skill in the architecture and composition of man ( the microcosm ) in regard that in the head all the senses are placd ; the eyes which are the casements of the soul are there ; the toung which is her chief interpreter moves there ; nay , all her faculties , as the will , the memory , and the intellect , by which we are distinguished from beasts , have their dwelling there as in a capitol : therfore , as cassanaeus saith , he is a monster of a man who wold compare the body with the head. now , by consent of all , if the head be the predominant part of the body , surely he who governs the head must be more excellent then he who governs the body ; as the city of rome being the capital city of the christian empire , the pope being bishop of rome , is acknowledgd the metropolitan and chiefest among the rest , because he hath the excellentst city and diocess . now an argument for precedence drawn a nobilitate regni , carries much strength and reason with it : therfore if the king of spain be he who governs the head of europe , it follows that he may be calld the chiefest king. now , to prove that spain is so , we will produce these proofs ; first , the authority of pliny , who saith thus : terrarum orbis universi in tres dividitur partes , europam , asiam , africam , origo ab occasu solis , & gaditano freto , quò irrumpens oceanus atlanticus in maria interiora diffunditur : the globe of the earth is divided into three parts , europe , asia and afrik , the head is from the setting of the sun , and the gaditan frete , which navigators commonly call the streights mouth , where the atlantick ocean breaking into the inner seas diffuseth it self . whence it appeers , that the beginning of europe is placed in the gaditan streight . strabo likewise in his cosmography , and others of the most ancient and best geographers concur herin , among whom nicephorus saith , in hispania sedes fixerunt quae prima ab hespero regio est ; and lucius marinaeus siculus , speaking of the situation of spain , begins thus : hispania sicuti plinius aliique scriptores tradiderunt , regio prima in solis occasu europae terminos claudit . abraham ortelius also in his theatre of the world , and cassanaeus confess all this ; and while they compare europe to a virgin , spain is placed in the head of her by the geography of ioannes encys●…s ; and it may be provd by two reasons that spain is the head , first , that since the terrestrial orb is begirt with the sea on all sides , the sea cannot diffuse it self to visit other regions but by the regions of spain , where the gaditan streight is as it were a fountain , beginning and origine ; where ther is a gate open , and whence as it were from a head it derives it self through europe , flowing one way into the mediterranean , and on the other side into the ocean , and so protends it self to asia and afrik ; insomuch that from this head the other members proceed , and from this spring other seas flow out like rivers , as pliny commemorates in another place . secondly , it make infinitly for the king of spain , that he doth lord over the new world where asia , afrik , europe , and divers parts of the east , west , north and south do converse , and where spain commands as queen and head , and reduceth dayly other regions to the catholik faith as members of that head. it being thus provd that spain is the head of europe , it remains to prove that it is the noblest region , and that it is a kingdom then which the sun doth not behold a more large and florishing ; for whatsoever hath nobleness , wit or splendor in it , she hath . ther is not any thing that can be expected from nature , vertue and fortune , but spain hath it abundantly ; she hath subdued most noble peeple , most resolut spirits , most warlike nations by wisdome as well as by arms : therfore spain is to have precedence after italy of all other european regions . hear what iustine speaks of her : hispania neque ut africa violento sole torretur , neque ut gallia assiduis ventis fatigatur , seà media inter utrasque hinc temperato calore , inde felicibus , & tempestivis imbribus in omnia frugum genera foecunda est , adeo ut non ipsius tantum incolis , verum etiam italiae , urbique romanae cunctarum rerum abundantia sufficat : spain is neither roasted by a violent sun as afrik is , nor is she troubled with continual winds as france is , but in a middle temper twixt both she enjoys a moderat heat with happy and seasonable showres towards the production of all kind of fruit , in such plenty that she hath not only sufficient to serve her own peeple , but she commonly furnisheth italy and the city of rome with her superfluities . what shall i speak of the amoenity of the soile , of the salubrity of air , of her excellent metals , of her exquisit vvoolls , of her incomparable iron and steel , of her rare vvines , of her silks , of her riches and tresure ! vvhat shall i say of the fidelity and fortitude , of the temperance and sobriety , of the devotion and sanctimony , of the religion and piety , of the abstinence and sobriety , of the admired patience and constancy of her inhabitants ! nor doth she supply other nations with her excess of divers commodities , but she furnisheth them with emperours and generals . we may read in the maccabees that one of the arguments which the roman captains usd , to terrifie the iews , was , how that they had subjugated many parts of spain . hear what the famous poet claudian sings of her in this rapture : quod dignum memorare tuis hispania terris vox humana valet ? primo lavat aequore solem india ; tu fessos exacta luce jugales proluis , inque tuo respirant sydera fluctu ; dives equ●…s , frugum facilis , pre●…iosa metallis , principtbus foecunda piis ; tibi saecula debent trajanum ; series his fontibus aelia fluxit , hinc senior pater , hinc iuvenum diademata fratrum ; namque aliae gentes quas faedere roma recepit , aut armis domuit , varios aptantur in usus imperii ; phariae segetes , & punica messis castrorum devota cibo , dat gallia robur militis , illyricis sudant equitatibus alae ; sola novum latiis vectigal iberia rebus contulit augustos , fruges , aeraria , miles undique conveniunt , totoque ex orbe leguntur . haec generat quae cuncta regit , nec laude virorum censeri contenta fuit , nisi matribus aequè vinceret , & gemino certatim splendida sexu placillam , mariamque daret , pulchramque serenam . and wheras innumerable things do offer to be spoken to the glory of spain , wherof both poets and prose-authors are full , i will make choice here of that eloquent character which pacatus latinus gives of her in his famous panegyrik to theodostus the emperour . nam primùm tibi patria est hispania terra omnibus terris foelicior , cui excolendae , atque adeo ditandae impensius quam caeteris gentibus supremus ille rerum fabricator indulsit ; quae nec austrinis obnoxia aestibus , nec arctois subjecta frigoribus , mediâ fovetur axis utriusque temperte . quae hinc pyreneis montibus , illinc oceani aestibus , inde tyrrheni maris littoribus coronatae natura solertis ingenio velut alter orbis includitur ; adde tot egregias civitates , adde culta incultaque vel fructibus plena , vel gregibus . adde auriferorum opes fluminum , adde rad●…antium metalla gemmarum . scio fabulas poetarum auribus mulcendis repertas aliquando nonnullis gentibus attribuisse miracula , quae dum sint vera , sunt singula , nec jam excutio veritatem , &c. in the first place thy country is spain , a land happier then all lands , which for agriculture and riches , the supreme fabricator of all things hath indulgd more favorably then other nations ; for it is not obnoxious to southern heat , nor subject to northern cold , but is cherishd with a middle temper of both the poles . this side spain is crownd with the pyrenean hills , on that side with the breezes of the ocean , then with the shores of the mediterranean sea , being fencd by the industrious hand of nature , as if she were another world . adde herunto so many gallant cities , adde cultivated and incultivated places , all either full of fruit or cattle ; adde the wealth of the gold-bearing rivers , adde mines of shining metals , &c. the renown of the spanish nation was before that of the romans ; for the fame of their valour did ring among the greeks in the vvars of peloponnesus ; and alcibiades in an oration that thucydides mentions of his , calls them fortissimos & pug●…acissimos omnium barbarorum , the valiantst and vvarlikst of all the barbarians , as the greeks termd then all other nations besides themselfs , which the romans did afterwards . annaeus florus calls spain bellatricem , viris armisque nobilem , annibalis eruditricem ; warlike , noble for men and arms , and who taught hannibal ; for all the exploits which he performd , he did with spaniards . and observable it is , that after the romanes had invaded the provinces of spain , they were the last whom they subdued , fighting in her , and for her in many desperat doubtful battails , being somtimes victors , somtimes vanquishd , the space of about two hundred long yeers , wheras they did spend not neer so much time in bringing under the roman yoke any other country unless it was great britain , ( now england ) who also wrastled so long before she could be reducd to a general obedience ; which discovers the innated stoutness of the two nations ; wheras all gallia was brought under in less then ten years , which may be the reason that iulius caesar ( their conqueror ) shold say , plebe galliae nihil contemptibilius , ther 's nothing so contemptible as the peeple of gallia . argum. . that the catholik king may challenge precedence by the authority of general councils , and the learned doctors of the church . the philsopher beats still upon the anvil of reason to make his conclusions good ; the mathematician by practical and visible experiments brings his conclusions to demonstrations ; the jurists and theologues do commonly make good their tenets by authority of the ancients , by examples of antiquity ; and indeed responsa patrum , consulta prudentum , have bin much reputed in all ages ; ther was always a venerable and religious esteem had of them , so that it is held one of the strongest ways of disputing ; therfore the dint of this second argument shall be to produce the authority of ancient oecumenical councils , that the noble kingdome of spain hath had the precedence from time to time of france , and consequently of all other countries . but let this previous advertisement go before , that superiority of session , and subscription in general councils , hath bin diversly usd : for sometimes the bishops have not subscribd , taken place , or given their suffrages in their own names , but in the name of the province or kingdom which they represented ; and in that case ther is not so much regard had of the person , or antiquity of consecration , but the dignity of the nation , as it appeers in two decrees of gratianus : therfore the bishop of milan did subscribe before him of ravenna , though ravenna be much the more ancient . this cours was observd in the nicene council , where the bishops voted , and subscribd not according to priority of consecration , but dignity of provinces , and of the souverain prince who sent them . the like cours was taken in the first constantinopolitan council , and others . but as baronius observes , to sit on the right-hand doth nor always imply superiority of place ; for he relates according to the ancient order of rome , that the priests had sometimes the right hand of the bishops , as appeers by these words , sedebunt ex locali dispositione ut intrantibus ecclesiam episcopi sint ad sinistram , presbyteri verò ad dexteram ; & quando pontifex sederit , & ad eos respexerit , episcopos ad dextram , presbyteros intueatur ad sinistram : they shall sit by local disposition so , that in entring the church the bishops shall be on the left hand , and the priests on the right ; but when the pope shall be sate , and looks upon them , the bishops shall be on the right , and the priests on the left. in the first act of the nicene and chalcedonian synod , it is left upon record that the pontificial legats sate on the left hand , the bible being placed in the middle of the hall , which denoted that christ was present and president . moreover , in the celebration of the masse the epistle is read upon the right hand , and the gospel on the left , though we know the gospel to be the worthier of the two . this being premisd , we will now to the promised authorities of ancient councils . we read that in the time of the apostles , and the very infancie of the church , ther were four publik assemblies or councils ; the first was of about of the faithful who met to elect and substitut matthias to be apostle in the room of iudas . the second , was to choose deacons , in whose number the blessed protomartyr st. stephen was one . the third , was to confute cerinthus the heretique , and whether circumcision was to continue . the fourth , was to give the circumcision an honorable burial . now , it is to be observd , that before the two last were held , st. iames the apostle had travelld spain , and having reducd that peeple to christianity , he brought over some of them to hierusalem , who were in all probability present at those two last councils : for in the acts of the apostles we read that all the faithful were at them . then was st. iames the first converter of spain , made the first martyr of all the apostles , being beheaded by herod agrippa , anno after the incarnation of our saviour . it having appeerd that some spaniards had bin at the first councils of the apostles , we will now pass to the nicene council , ( pretermitting the ancyritan and illiberitan synods , with others ) now , that of nice was the first universal or oecumenical council that ever was ; for it was convokd by authority of the secular power the emperour being then become christian. this celebrous council was in the time of pope sylvester . and as in the acts it stands upon record , the bishops therin did not subscribe according to antiquity of consecration , but according to the dignity and renown of the province for which they servd ; osius bishop of cordoua servd then for spain , and nicasius diviensis for gallia , but osius subscribd first to the canons of the council , and they are the first most authentik and legal canons of any , for the emperour did consent therunto . now as the record hath it , bishops subscribd to the acts therof , which begin thus : osius episcopus civitatis cordubensis provinciae hispaniae dixit ▪ ita credo sicut superius scriptum est : osius bishop of the city of cordoua in the province of spain , said , i believe so as it is written above . victor & vincentius presbyteri urbis romae , pro venerabili viro pap●… episcope nostro sancto sylvestro subscripsimus , ita crede●…tes sicut suprascriptum est : victor and vincentius presbyters of the city of rome , we have subscribd for the venetable man pope our bishop saint sylvester , beleeving so as is above written . provinci●… egypti alexander alexandriae magnae , &c. of the province of egypt alexander of great alexandria , &c. and when all provinces had in their order and several degrees thus subscribd , the last supscription runs thus : provinciae galliarum nicasius diviensis , of the province of gallias nicasius diviensis . i know the french have objected that osius might be then legat for the pope , and so had precedence ; but not a syllable of this is spoken of in the records of the council . others alledg , that osius being a man of extraordinary renown at that time because he had had a great hand in the conversion of constantin the emperour , an extraordinary respect was born him ; for nicephorus calls him the miracle of that age , and athanasius stiles him patrem conciliorum , ducem , & antesignanum : but ambrosius morales with others aver , that he subscribd first out of no other respect but as he was bishop of cordou●… , and represented the noble region of spain : and for that regard he preceded also the bishop of constantinople , as it appeers in a letter which was written from that nic●…ne council to the pope , which runs thus : beatis●…imo papae urbis romae cum omni reverentia colendo sylvestro , osius episcopus provinciae hisp●…niae civitatis cordubensis ; & macarius ecclesiae constantinopolitanae ; & victor & vincentius presbyteri urbis romae ordinati ex directione tua . to the most blessed pope of the city of rome to be worshipped with all reverence sylvester , osius bishop of the province of spain and city of cord●…a ; and macarius bishop of constantinople ; and victor and vincentius priests of the city of rome ordaind by thy direction , &c. after the nicene council celebrated under pope sylvester , other synods or small councils met where the bishops of remote provinces did not repair , but they who were not far distant . but at the great council of sard●… ( for so t is calld by athanasius ) ther assembled occidental bishops , and of the levant , who were most of them arrians : in this council also spain is namd next rome , as it appeers by the record which goes thus : sancta synodus dei gratia ex urbe roma , hispanis , gallis , italis , &c. and athanasius relates in his apologie against the arrians thus : fuere in magno s●…rdico c●…ncilio plures quam trecenti epis●…opi qui ex multis provinciis egypti , lybiae , 〈◊〉 , palestinae , &c. hisponiarum , galliarum , britanniarum , &c. eo se ad concilium contulerunt : ther were in the council of sardis above bishops , who out of many provinces of egypt , lybia , 〈◊〉 , palestine , &c. spain , gallia , britain , &c. did repair to the council . in the raign of constantius the emperour . he causd two councils to convene , one of the oriental bishops at seleucia ; the other at ariminum in italy , consisting of western bishops , and in the acts therof spain is still nominated before france . at the first council in constantinople , and that at rome under pope symachus , with others , ther can be no judgment made of precedencies , until lugdune●…se concilium , the second council at lions , anno . held under pope gregory the tenth , where among divers other ther were ambassadors from paleologue the eastern emperour , and the king of tartary . this council was convokd principally for reconciling the greek church with the latin , for the conversion of the tartars , and also for an expedition to the holy land. ther assembled archbishops and bishops , abbots , and prelats and doctors , among whom ●…onadventure and the angelical doctor thomas aquinas who assisted there did die . don iaime king of aragon was earnestly sollicited by the pope to be there , as peter 〈◊〉 hath it upon good record in the spanish toung , as followeth : viendo el papa gregorio que la yglesia tenia gran necessidad de concilia para much as cosas , y especialmente para las de ultrama●… determinò d●… juntar concilio en leon en francia para la p●…scua del espiritu 〈◊〉 ▪ y embiava à 〈◊〉 al rey de aragon , 〈◊〉 que no faltasse d●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessidad de 〈◊〉 presentia , para dar consejo , y favor à la santa ig be 〈◊〉 , &c. pope gregory seeing that the church had great necessity of a general council for many things , specially for affairs beyond the seas , determind to convoque one at lions in france towards whitsontide ; and sending notice hereof ●…o iames king of aragon , he endeard the business unto him , desiring his presence , in regard there wold be great want of his person to afford counsel and favor to the holy church , & ●… . king iames came accordingly in a splendid equip page ; and the cardinals , bishops , and the world of prelats ther came to meet him three miles , were so numerous , that though they set forth betimes in the morning ▪ ye●… it was after noon before he arrivd at the popes palace : the next day ▪ he made a noble speech , and hortative for a cruzada to the holy land , taking the superior place all the time he was there ▪ which raising some envy in the ambassadors of other kings , discontents grew , and so nothing took effect . under clement the fifth , anno . a council was convokd at vienna , wherin ther were bishops , besides other ecclesiastiks , where philippe le bel , with his son luys hutin king of navarre , and two other of his sons came , but ther is no mention made in the records of any matters of precedence , nor likewise in the council of mantua held by pius . . then came the council of basil , and hear what platina saith in the life of eugenius . et quod basiliense concilium jam 〈◊〉 inchoatum martini decreto augeri indies cerneret , conturrentibus eò hispaniae , galliae , germaniae , &c. principibus qui communem christianae reiqublicae causam in arbitrio concilii disponebant . and because the council at basil begun before by the decree of marlin was seen to increase daily , some princes of spain , france , and germany , &c concurring thither for disposing of the common cause of the christian republik , according to the arbitrement of the council , &c. where you find that spain is nominated before all other countries . in the council of florence begun at ferrara under eugenius . where iohannes paleologus the greek emperour , and the patriark of constantinople , and a great confluence of greek and latin prelats were assembled , ther is no superior place mentiond in the acts of that council , nor among the writers of the history therof . we come now to the council of trent , where the marquiss of pescara and the count of luna were ambassadors for philip the second , the mighty king of spain : you may finde that in the acts of that long concil they never came behind the emperour , but sate between the secretary of the council and the popes nuncio on the right hand , wheras the french ambassador fate upon the left hand both of the legat and the imperial ambassador . now to go from oecumenical councils to national , whersoever the bishops of spain and france met , spain had the first session , voice and nomination as the nobler kingdome . as appeers in the third council at toledo , in the raign of king ricaredus , as may be plainly read in the works of garsia loaisa , preceptor to the glorious and catholik king philip . and afterwards archbishop of toledo , whose sublime erudition joynd with integrity , and signal sanctity of life and manners do so contend for precedence , that it is hard to judge which of them excels most , they all are so perfectly resplendent . in the fourth toledo council ther is frequent mention made in morales , de hispaniae & galliae praesulibus ; de hispaniae & galliae sacerdotibus . go to the ancient doctors of the church where ther is mention made of spain and france , spain most commonly is namd first : we will first instance in tertullian in his book adversus iudaeos , where speaking of the multitude of nations that were converted to christianity , he speaks hispaniarum omnes termini , & galliarum diversae nationes & britannorum inaccessa loc●… romanis , christo vero subdita , &c. ther is a remarkable thing in irenaeus , et si in mundo loquelae dissimiles sint , virtus tamen traditionis una & eadem est ; & neque hae quae sunt in germania fundatae ecclesiae aliter credunt , a●…t aliter tradunt ; neque hae quae in iberis sunt neque hae quae sunt in celtis ; neque hae quae sunt in oriente ; neque hae quae sunt in egypto ; neque hae quae sunt in lybia ; neque hae quae in medio mundi sunt constitutae ▪ sed sicut sol creatura dei in universo mundo unus , & idem est , sic lumen ac praedicatio veritatis ubique lucet , & illuminat omnes homines qui volunt ad veritatis cognitionem venire . although the languages of the world be differing , yet the vertu of tradition is one and the same : for neither those churches that are founded in germany do believe , or deliver otherwise ; nor those which are in spain , nor those which are in france , &c. vve will conclude with saint hierome : hoc in ecclesiis suis faciant quod romae , sive quod in italia , &c. quod in hispania , quod in britannia , quod etiam ex parte per gallias , &c. this precedence for spain is also confirmd in the imperial laws of iustinian , where he saith , quae cunque in partibus hispaniarum , galliae sive francorum aguntur , &c. and ther was great care and caution usd to give evry country and nation its right touching this particular in the iustinian laws , whose principal aim was suum cuique tribuere , to give evry country and kingdome its due in point of dignity as well as of possession , and common right . argum. . that the king of spain may challenge precedence , because spain first receavd , and professd the catholik faith ; that the first christian church was built there ; the first council was celebrated there ; the first bishop and the first emperour was out of her , &c. they who write of the glory of nations , shold in the first place look upon their antiquity and origine . ther is a topik axiome , that bonum quò antiquius eò melius ; therfore antiquity conduceth much to the honour and dignity of a peeple ; as pliny doth elegantly express , reverere gloriam veterum ; nam hanc ipsam senectutem quae in homine venerabilis , in urbibus sacra est : reverence the glory of the ancients , for that old age which is venerable in man , is sacred in cities . touching the originals of spain , and of her inhabitants , with the propagation and succession of them , ther are four things to be considered in the enquiry therof ; first , of what peeple they first descended ; what transmigrations they made ; at what time ; and by what right or title . these may be calld the principles of a country . the arcadians did vaunt that they were synchronical , or contemporary with the gods ; that they were before the sun and the stars . other nations do labour much to derive themselfs from before the floud . now concerning spain , all annalists concur that tubal cain was her first populator , being allurd by the amoenity and fruitfulness of the country and clime ; and this was years before the nativity of our saviour , and from the creation , and years after the general deluge . berosus affirms that tubal raignd in spain yeers , and strabo concurs with him ▪ some call him iobel , and iosephus calls the spaniards iobeles from him . setubal in portugal receaves her denomination thence , as also tudela in the kingdome of navarre . some are of opinion that noe came also to spain , for in asturia ther is a town calld noega , and noela in galicia . spain was calld iberia from king iberus ; and ther 's a great river also of his name , vulgarly calld ebro , wherin many other rivers do disburden themselfs , which was the occasion of the proverb , me llamo ebro porque de todas aguas bevo . it is also calld hesperia from the occidental star ; at last it came to be calld hispania from king hispanus . we will now proceed to prove that spain receavd , and professd the christian religion first of any . and , as this inferiour world is governd by the motion , and circumgyrations of the heavens , so christian kingdoms are governd by religion and faith , and by the holy professors therof . now , spain had the advantage and honor to have the first martyr among the apostles for her father and founder , which was st. iames , who though he was beheaded in ierusalem , yet his body was transported to spain by a wonderful providence , where a stately dome or church is built for him , frequented by emperours and kings , with innumerable sorts of pilgrims . charlemain came of purpose to do his devotions in that church where such mighty miracles are daily wrought . now in tarragona the most blessed virgin appeerd to st. iames , and gave him order to erect a church there , which is the ancientst of any in the christian world . moreover , for the predication of the gospel , the hevenly tidings of salvation , it began in spain three yeers after the passion of christ , as it is recorded in the ecclesiastical history of baronius , and confirmd in the council of trent , with the whole current of antiquity , so that it can be no less then an impiety to make any hesitation therin . after the predication of st. iames , saint paul also came to spain ; nay the prince of the apostles st. peter performd a peregrination thither ; and among others he converted epinetus ; so that the christian faith was founded in spain by these three great pillars of the church . saint torquatus bishop of guadix was one of the first whom st. iames reducd to christ , and ther is an olive-tree planted by his hand which bears fruit to this day ; and the bridg is yet remaining which broke and fell down under those who did poursue and persecure the christians in those days . saint cecilius his church neer granada is standing to this day , where also so many miracles and wonderful cures are commonly wrought . there also is the famous valparayso , the valley of paradise , where so many martyrs sufferd , and their reliques remain to this day , as appeers by this record which i thought worthy to insert here . in nomine dom. nostri iesu christi , en el anno ix . del pontificado de nuestro santissimo padre clemente octavo , y el anno . del reyno del clementissimo , y catholico don philippo . nos don pedro de castro , por la gracia de dios , y de la santa sede apostolica arsobispo de granada , del consejo del rey ●…uestro senor , con consejo , y asenso de los reverendissimos prelados don iuan de fonseca obispo de guadix del consejo de su magestad , provincial , y sufraganeo nuestro , y don sebastian quintero obispo de gallipoli , y don alfonso de mendosa abad de alcala la real . a●…iendo tratado de las reliquias que el anno del nacimiento de nuestro salvador i●…su christo de . se hallaron deribando una torre antiquisstma en esta santa iglesia , y otras en el monte que llaman valparayso el conocimiento y aprobacion de las quales nos pertenece por derecho , y por el santo concilio de trenta , y por comission especial de nuestro muy santo padre clemente octavo ; visto este processo , y todas las informaciones , averiguaciones , y diligentias en el hechas , y aviendo avido conse●…o , y deliberacion con barones m●…y doctos , pios , y theologos , y de otras facultades con nos congregados , y todo lo demas que fue necessario , y verse convino . fallamos de un mesmo parecer , y asenso en que fueron todos conformes , que devemos declarar . — in the name of our lord jesus christ , in the ninth year of the pontificat of our most holy father pope clement . and in the second year of our most merciful and catholick king don philip the . we don pedro de castro by the grace of god , and the holy apostolik seat , archbishop of granada , of the council of the king our lord , with the counsel and consent of the most reverend prelats don iohn of fo●…seca bishop of guadix of his majesties council our comprovincial and suffragan , and don sebastian quintero bishop of gallipoli , and don alonso de mendosa abbat of alcala ; having treated of the reliques which were found . by pulling down a wall in this most ancient church , with others in the mount valparayso , the knowledge and approbation wherof belongs to us by the holy council of trent , and by special commission from our holy father clement the . the process herof being seen , with the informations , averiguations and diligences done therein ; and having taken the advice and deliberation of most learned and pious theologues , with other faculties which was convenient and necessary to be done ; we find according to the concordant and unanimous consent of all , that we ought to declare , and we do hereby declare , define and pronounce the said reliques in this process containd , viz. the one half of the cloth wherwith the glorious virgin mary wipd her tears at the passion of her son our saviour , and a bone of st. stephen the protomartyr , are the tru cloth of our lady , and bone of st. stephen ; and that having bin hidden , lockd up , and kept in the wall of a most ancient tower which was built neer this church , being put in a leaden box lind within and without , and within the said box a letter of most ancient parchment , wherein patricius the priest relates the said reliques to be ; and that he did hide them there by the command of saint cecilius ; and all was found within the said box upon st. iosephs day , of march , by pulling down and destroying the said tower ; we likewise declare , define and pronounce the said bone , dust and ashes , and white morter which were found in valparayso , to be really the reliques of holy martyrs who now rejoyce and raign with god in heven ; viz. of saint cecilio , saint hiscio , saint cthesiphon , disciples to the most blessed apostle saint iames zebedeus ; and of saint setentrio , and patricio disciples of st. cecilio ; and of turillo , panuncio , maronio , centulio , disciples of saint hiscio ; and of st. maximinio and lupario , disciples of st. cthefiphon , and st. mesiton ; and the said saints sufferd martyrdome some , by fire being burnt alive , some shut up in the caves and caverns of the said mountains for the faith of our redeemer jesus christ , and for preaching and publishing his gospel in the second yeer of the raign of nero , st. cecilio with his disciples suffring upon the calends of february , st. hiscius on the calends of march , and st. cthesiphon with his disciples on the calends of april , as four leafs of lead do manifestly shew in latin letters written in most ancient characters , with other old instruments of lead , all which was hidden and found in the caverns of the said mountains , and never discoverd until now ; and this process is verified , and god hath confirmd it by divers miracles . in consequence wherof we declare that the said reliques ought to be receavd , honord , reverencd , adord with honor and holy worship , as the tru reliques of the most blessed virgin our lady , and of the said martyrs who raign now w●…h god , according as the holy catholik church doth accustome to have in due veneration such reliques of saints , and expose them to publik view to that effect , that they may be incited to invoke them accordingly . and we with others here congregated do so receave and reverence them , commanding that they be kept in safe custody , and in a decent place according to the plesure and appointment of the most reverend archbishop that shall be then of this church . and we further declare the said valparayso , and the caverns wherin those blessed saints sufferd martyrdom to be holy places , which ought to be reverencd and honord , and have prerogatives accordingly , as the holy canons do allow to such places . and so we pronounce this our sentence , and firm it with our names , sealing it also with our seals . petrus de castro archiep. granatensu . iohannes episcopus guadix . s. episcopus gallipoli . alfonsus abbas . besides these , ther was , after due process made , a sentence passd also for seven more great saints , viz. st. secundus episcopus abulensis , where his body is had in great reverence to this day ; st. indalecius episcopus urcetanus , in the kingdome of aragon upon the confines of navarre ; st. cthesiphon bishop of almeria ; st. hesichius ; st. euphrasius episcopus illurgitanus of iaen in andaluzia , who as baronius affirms was auditor and disciple to st. iames the apostle , and was ordained bishop anno christi . in the raign of claudius caesar. besides these seven , ther is athanasius and theodorus neer the body of the holy apostle , the one on the right , the other on the left hand of the apostle , preserved with great vigilance to this day . now , all these martyrs and patrons of spain are mentioned by cardinal baronius and galesinus in their martyrologies , as also by vaseus , morales , and mariana , &c. now , that st. paul was in spain , hear what pope gregory the seventh saith in his epistle : gregorius episcopus servus servorum dei , alfonso , & sanctio regibus hispaniae , abbatibus , & episcopis in ditione sua constitutis salutem , & apostolicam benedictionem . cum b. apostolus paulus hispaniam se acti isse significet , ac postea episcopos ab urbe roma ad instituendos hispaniae populos à petro & paulo apostolis directos fuisse , qui destructa idololatria christianitatem fundaverunt , religionem plantaverunt , ordinem , & officium in divinis cultibus agendis ostenderunt , & sanguine suo ecclesias seminârunt , vestra diligentia non ignoret quantam concordiam cum romana urbe hispania in religione , & ordine divini officii habuisset satis patet . it appeers herby , as by a world of testimonies besides , what a sweet harmony and concordance ther hath bin always twixt spain and rome ; and how that the predication of christian faith , with the institution therof , begun by the apostle st. iames , was increasd by peter and paul , and confirmd by the seven forementioned martyrs , who were auditors and disciples of st. iames ; besides many others whose names are found in the book of martyrologies . in the second persecution under domitian , after the cruelties of nero , eugenius bishop of toledo was disciple of dionysius areopagita . this eugenius being a man excellent for wisdome and doctrine , made choice of the city of toledo for his fear , as being situated in the centre of the kingdome , that the spirit of christ might be diffusd thence as from the heart into the whole body of the country . the body of which eugenius was removd from france into the great church of toledo , and carried upon the sholders of the most religious king philip part of the way , anno . moreover , it stands upon good record according to mariana , how pope clement , st. peters immediat successor , sent philip and marcellus into spain as legats , and with letters and commission accordingly ; and it is agreed by all that they were the first legats , and they carried the first letters that ever were sent from rome by any nuncios , which are to be found to this day in the church of compostella . in the third persecution of trajan , sanctus mancius florishd in spain , who was one of the seventy two disciples of our saviour , and servd him at administration of the holy sacrament , and spread his vestment when he entred into ierusalem upon palm-sunday , who afterwards was made a glorious martyr . vaceus relates an epitaph which runs thus : belila hispana se●…va iesu christi requievit in domino , obiit aera . hoc est anno dom ▪ . belila a spaniard , servant of jesus christ , did rest in the lord ; she died in the yeer after the passion . venerus writes that this epitaph was found in biscay . ther is another epistle of pope clement written to the bishops of spain , which is also conservd in compostella-church to this day . and this was the state of the spanish church the first century of yeers after the nativity of christ , wherin iohn the evangelist livd , during which time thirteen bishopricks are registred in spain , and a great number of the faithful ; for in the city of pampelona were converted , and biscay or cantabria was most inhabited by martyrs , as iraeneus relates , an author who was neer the time of the apostles . furthermore , ther was a most signal and notable rare thing happend in spain ; for the same night that our blessed saviour was born , ther were three suns appeerd visibly in the spanish region , which by gentle degrees came to concentre into one . out of these premises it is apparent that the first martyr-apostle preachd in spain ; that he erected there the first church dedicated to the blessed virgin ; that she appeerd there being conducted by angels ; that the body of st. iames lieth there inhumd wi●…h so much state : and this was before ther was any predication of christian doctrine in france ; so that the first faithful , the first apostle , the first church , the first apostolical nuncio , and first epistle was sent by pope clement the first into spain . st. paul did second what st. iames had begun ; and all this is confirmd by st. irenaeus , one of the first among the primitive fathers . argum. . proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence because he is the catholik king , which is a more ancient title then christianissimus . one of the greatest foundations wheron france doth build her right to a precedence , is , that she wold perswade the world , that her kings are more ancient both in the reception and profession of christianity ; which assertion being well examind and discussd , it will appeer that both generally and privatly ther were catholik kings in spain before any in france ; and to proceed more methodically , we will deduce the business from the beginning . we know that the blessed apostle st. iames was put to death with the sword by herod , as appeers in the epistle of pope leo touching his martyrdome , and the translation of his body into spain ; which epistle he destinated for the spaniards ; wherin he relates , that when the iews had hurld his whole body without the city to be devourd by beasts and birds , his disciples having notice therof in his life-time , they recoverd the whole body , head and all , in the night-time , and carried it to ioppa for transportation of it to spain ; where being careful for the embarcation therof , they found a ship ready in the port , and some say it was of stone , where , after thanks being given to god , they placd the body of the most holy apostle ; and after many dangers they arrivd at iria flaria , now calld padron ; thence they carried it to liberum donum , now calld compostella , where they entombd it in a marble monument : but , as the disciples were seeking for a place fit for so great an apostle , they made their address to queen luparia or lupa , who sent them to king philotrus , who casting them into an obscure prison , they were freed by an angel ; and while the soldiers were in pursute of them , they were all drownd in a river , the bridg and all falling down with them , by which miracle king philotrus was converted . but luparia continuing obstinat , she threw their bodies to bulls and dragons , wherof some they slew , and some grew mild . then luparia being orecome by these miracles , causd a temple to be erected there for the holy apostle , as faber out of sophorinus doth affirm ; and although morales makes a doubt herof , in regard that spain was then subject to the romans , and so could have no kings , yet ther might be some kings there though subject and tributary to rome , as herodes agrippa was in hierusalem , and as queen candacis was . but because these passages are so overgrown with yeers , let us hasten to later times . the second signal time that spain receavd extraordinary influence of christian faith , was in the raign of constantine the great , who was so glorious an instrument to the church , his mother , a british lady being a christian , and osius a spanish bishop having taken so much pains for his conversion ; then theodosius who did propagat the faith more openly , and did destroy the pagan churches which were stuffd with idols , was by nation a spaniard , and his sons who succeeded him in the empire . the third time was , when the seat of the roman empire being translated to constantinople , divers rough northern nations broke in , and seazd upon most parts of the western territories therof , so that the goths invaded spain , and came to possess it ; and then by the special benediction of god , ther was a catholik king in spain before any in france : for an . . athanagildus king of the goths , according to the currant consent of all historiographers , professd the christian faith , as lucas tudensis hath it . then succeeded him leonegi●…dus ; then a little after came richaredus , and in his raign the whole kingdome of spain became catholik , and florishd exceedingly . but the french object that anno . clodovaeus was baptizd by st. rhemigius , and so had the start of richaredus in christianity ; but to that t is answerd , that the whole kingdome of france was not then converted ; nor was he king of all the kingdome , as richaredus was of spain : for gregorius turonensis relates , that clodovaeus with his two sisters were baptizd , and three thousand french more , the whole kingdome came not to be christian a good while after , wheras all spain was reducd entirely to the faith a good while before , and did make open profession therof in the council of toledo . moreover , a good part of france was then subject to theodoricus king of the ostrogoths , who then raignd in italy ; who were of the arrian heresie . but spain was then totally under richaredus : whence may be inferrd that spain generally had a christian king before france . but if we divide spain into provinces , ther were divers of them had christianity planted , and publiquely preferrd before clovis ; for rechiarius king of the suevians was christian anno . furthermore , t is very observable that from richaredus no king in spain fell from the true catholick church ; wheras , divers in france did after clodoveus , as chilperik and others ; witness what gaguinus writes , nec multò post chilpericus cujus malitia ut in homines multis fraudibus perspicua esset , in deum quoque impietatem meditatus est ; de divina quidem trinitate ita credi noluit , ut tres in illa personas sed unam confiteretur , &c. not long after , chilperik , whose malice was so evident against men , did meditat malice also against god ; for he wold not confess three , but one person in the trinity : and mausonius saith , chilpericus cùm multis rebus impiè gestis deum sibi iratum reddidisset mense quarto à natali clodovaei successoris sui apud callam vicum parisiorum occididitur : chilperik when for many things impiously committed he had made god angry with him , was killd in calla , a small village of the parisians . and in this last age , the last king of france before hen. . having done some acts of impiety , as imprisoning of cardinals , and other things , it induced a brother of the dominican order to dispatch him violently out of the world . besides , a king of spain rechiarius was the first , who out of a zeal to protect the tru religion , made the first war against the enemies therof , which were the arrian goths ; and ever since the kings of spain have bin the greatest champions and propugnators of the catholik church upon all occasions . but now we will take in hand the titles of christianissimus and catholik , and make it appeer that the kings of spain had the one , before the french kings had the other ; and because that names are the images of things , we will give you their primitive derivations . the first propagators of christianity we all know were the holy apostles , and their disciples ; but some of the latter falling into errors , the orthodoxal disciples to distinguish themselfs from the false , calld themselfs christians , which name they first assumd at antioch , and then it grew general , being derivd from christ , and christ a crismate or unction . it was afterwards raisd to a superlatif , to christianissimus , which was first given to the emperors , and to this day , as castaldus observes , they are solemnly prayed for in oratione parasceue , in good-friday-prayer evry yeer , oremus & pro christianissimo imperatore nostro ; wherin ferrault is deceavd by attributing it onely to the french king. moreover , divers kings of spain had that title given them upon oceasion , as all the spanish annalists do aver ; for richaredus was calld christianissimus anno . and after him sisebutus anno . when he expelld the iews out of the territories of spain ; and cinthillanus is calld so in the sixth council of toledo ; and pope leo writing to quirico calls flavium ervigium then king of spain , christianissimum in the fourth council of toledo ; and this was before charlemain , who first bore that title in france . ramirus king of aragon , and sancho . as also alphonsus magnus , was entitled so . now let us examine when this title christianissimus was given to the french kings : most do affirm that it began in charlemain , but observe , it was given him , and to some of his successors as they were emperours : for the ordinary title which was usd to be given the kings of france before , was illustris . ther is another opinion , that pope pius . gave lewis . of france the title of christianissimus , and that his father charles had it in the council of mantua anno . but grant that the french kings had the title christianissimus given them since charlemain , yet the title catholicus was given before to the kings of spain : for alfonso son-in-law to pelagius had it anno . as garabai and morales do affirm , and the epitaph upon his tomb doth justifie it , which is alfonsus catholicus . others are of opinion that richaredus who quelld the arrian heresie was first intitled catholicus . but now that we have spoken of the antiquity of these two titles in relation to the two kings , we will examine which is the superior and more excellent , christianissimus or catholicus , not but that both of them are sublime and glorious . touching the title catholik , it is so complete a word that nothing can be added to it , therfore it admits no superlatif ; it is of that comprehensif latitude , that it is universal , which is the tru etymologie of the greek word : now it is an axiome in all sciences , qui totum dicit , nihil excludit ; who says all , excludes nothing : therfore we say , ecclesiam catholicam , not catholicissimam ; as we say , concilium oecumenicum , or universale , not universalissimum . and certainly this word catholicum must be of extraordinary value , and ancient extraction , since it was an epithet given the church of christ in the apostolical creed , in that first symbole of faith , credo in spiritum sanctum , & sanctam ecclesiam catholicam . now , as we pointed at before , wheras any beleever was calld christian at first , and that by erroneous interpretations , some heresies began to creep in , the name of catholik was given him who was a constant embracer of the tru doctrine of the church : wheras the simple name christian might comprehend also a heretik , as pacianus observes against the novatians , christianus mihi nomen est , catholicus vero cognomen ; illud me nuncupat , istud ostendit ; hoc probat , illud significat : my name is christian , my firname catholik ; the one calls me , the other shews me ; this proves , the other signifies . insomuch that the word catholik did distinguish a tru beleever from a heretik . whence the excellencie of this word appeers , being a primitive attribut given both to church and faith ; for they were both calld catholik . nor doth it follow though evry catholik be a christian , that evry christian is a catholik : for when one is calld catholik , t is understood that he is an elect , that he is saithful , pure , constant and obedient to the doctrine of the holy church without mixture or taint : therfore most meritoriously is this high epithe●… peculiar to the king of spain , because he permits no aposta●…s , no schismaticks to be in his dominions , as the french , and other kings do : but by an humble filial obedience he adheres to the catholik mother-church , which is the roman ; for the roman and catholik church are synonimas according to saint cyprian , in these words , dividi à romano pontifice idem quod ab universa ecclesia scismate separari ; rursum illam communicare id ipsum esse quod catholicae ecclesiae unitati conjungi : to be divided from the roman bishop , is to be separated by schism from the universal church ; and to hold communion with him , is the same as to be joynd in unity with the catholik church . argum. . proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence because that in magnitude of kingdoms , in power , territories and tresure he excels all other . multitude of regions , affluence of wealth , and magnitude of power , is so considerable in kings , that this one reason of it self were sufficient by divine laws as well as humane , to yeeld unto him who excels in these particulars superiority of session and precedence . now , in all things by the very constitution of the creator , ther is a superiority and excellence ; eternity is above time ; the intellect is beyond reason ; and reason above sense . go to the fabrick of coelestial cretures , and the pulchritude of the stars ; we see the sun is as their prince ; and one star exceeds another in glory : so in this elementary and the lower world , specially among mankind , some are more illustrious , some more potent then others ; nature will tell you that all the fingers of the hand are not equal ; and this inequality conduceth to the bewty of the univers , and manilius tells us , est aequale nihil , terrenos aspice tractus . by which ratiocination he is most sublime , and may claim superiority who exceeds in multitude of peeple , in extent of regions , in wealth and dominions ; and since the catholik king excels in all these , as the french authors themselfs confess out of cassanaeus , certainly the higher seat is to be assignd him. the wisest of kings tells us , that in multitudine populi dignitas reg is , & in paucitate plebis ignominia principis ; in the multitude consists the dignity of a king , and in the paucity of peeple his shame . therfore at the meeting of councils , an universal council which is made up of most bishops is more illustrious , and carrieth a greater stamp of authority then a provincial , which consisteth of fewer ; as the emperour and pope have three crowns apeece , denoting asia , afrik , and europe , where the first exerciseth souvrain power in temporals , and the other in all spiritual affairs . now , to prove that the catholik king is more potent then any other in spacious dominions , it is no hard task : for go to spain it self , it cannot be denied but it is a large empire . t is tru , that spain in former times was divided into many kingdoms , as castile , aragon , navarre , leon , &c. but now they are all concentred in one crown ; adde herunto the kingdoms of naples and calabria , with the duchy of milan , which make up about the one moity of italy . he is lord of belgium , or the netherland ; he hath sicilie , sardinia , with other islands in the mediterranean sea , and the canaries , with divers other in the atlantik . he hath sundry places up and down the coasts of afrik ; he hath the moluccas and philipi●…a islands , which are without number in the indies . it was the spanish navigation that refelld the paradox , for which we read that a bishop was once imprisond for a heretik because he held ther were antipodes . o immortal god! what an heroik and incomparable exploit was that of discovering and conquering the west-indies , which counterbalanceth all the old world were they cast into a pair of scales ! which mighty benediction was reservd by a special providence for spain . but what a world of dangers , doubts and difficulties did precede the work ! on the one side the incertitude of the thing , and the perils of the angry-tumbling ocean did offer themsells ; on the other side the vast expences of the viage , with despair of new provision when the old was spent ; and in case they shold take sooting on a new earth , the clime might perhaps not agree with their bodies , and the savages might prove stronger then they , as they were in number above a thousand for one . t is tru , that such imaginations as these did much distract them a while ; but at last their courage and constancy was such , that they broke through all these dissi culties . and touching that huge mass of peeple in america , as a wild boistrous boar taken within the toyls doth foam , struggle , and turn about to try all ways how he may get out , at last when all will not serve , and having wasted his spirits he lies down with quietness and despair , putting himself upon the mercy of the huntsmen ; so the wild american having tryed all ways of opposition , lay down at last succumbent and prostrat at the spaniards feet ; and for a reward of their indefatigable pains and prowess , the divine providence gave them afterwards mines and mountains of tresure , yea , rivers running with gold , seas full of perl , with all sorts of gems and precious stones ; all kind of aromatik spices , sweet woods , with a world of new species of birds , beasts , plants and fishes which europe never knew . but what exchanges and recompence did spain make to america for all this ? marry , she affoorded her a far more precious jewel , which was christian religion , praequa quisquiliae caetera , in comparison wherof all other things are but bables : and what a world of pious pains did the spaniards take to plant that tree of life among them ? it is recorded by boterus that one franciscan fryar did baptise about savages in the sacred laver of regeneration ; insomuch that one may now travel thousands of miles in america , and very frequently meet with christian churches , chappels , monasteries , convents , nunneries , towns , villages , castles , forts , or bulwarks as he goes along . what a coyle do the historians keep about the achievements of alexander the great ? we well know that he subdued but part of asia ; but here a new world is conquerd about thrice as big as whole asia : therfore the kings of spain may be only said to have done miracles in steed of exploits . and as god al mighty when he builds , creates no less then a world ; when he is angry , sends no less then an universal deluge ; when he confers grace , doth sacrifice no less then the prime son ; when he rewards , gives no less then paradis ; when he wars , sends no less then legions of angels , making also the elements to fight , the sea to open , and the sun to stand : so , if finite things may bear any proportion with infinit , the kings of spain have bin desigud to do mighty things , if not miracles : when they build , they build no less then an escurial ; if they are angry , they drive forth whole nations , as the iews and moors ; if they provide for the publick good , they sacrifice no less then their own sons ; if they take arms , they conquer not only whole kingdoms , but new worlds : insomuch that the king of spain may be , according to the proverb , truly called rex hominum , the king of men ; wheras those of england and france are calld , the first , king of devils , the other king of asses . it is the king of spain alone to whom the gran mogor and sophy use to send this superscription , to the king who hath the sun for his helmet ; alluding to his vast dominions in all parts of the world , and that the sun doth always shine on some of them : besides , it is no mean preeminence to the catholik king , that god almighty is servd evry hour of the natural day in some of his territories . therfore it can be no derogation from any other monark , if for glory and amplitude of dominions , for men and mines , for fulgor of majesty and power , for islands and continents , for a long arm and sword , the catholik king be preferred before any other prince or potentat upon the terrestrial globe , take both the hemispheres together . argum. . proving , that the king of spain may challenge precedence for nobleness of family , as also for royal arms and ensignes , &c. nobility among the heralds is of two sorts , the one is of parental extraction and blood , and this is rather our progenitors then our own , being ingrafted or traducd unto us from them : ther is another nobility which is accidental , underivd or personal , and this comes either from abundance of riches , or from excellency of parts , or from the merit and glory of some great exploit . the first proceeds from descent , the other from desert . now among other prerogatives of kings , one of the highest is , that they are the source and fountain of nobility and honor ; therfore no vassal whatsoever , be he of never so ancient and illustrious extraction , is capable to compare with the king , though i am not ignorant that some of your french monsieurs will vapor somtimes that way . now , it contributs much to the honor of any country to have a king of a long-lind royal race . there is a good text which tells us , that beata terra , cujus rex nobilis est ; with another , quàm puchra est generatio cum claritate , immortalis enim est memoria illius , quoniam , & apud deum nota est , & apud homines : the land is blessd whose king is noble ; how beutiful is a generation with brightness ! the memory therof is immortal , because t is known with god and men. the kingdome of spain may glory to have had kings of both the foresaid nobilities , both progenial derivd from their predecessors , and personal from their own merit , and heroik perfections of vertue , as magnanimity and fortitude , as prudence and high wisdome , as extraordinary devotion and sanctitie . touching the royal tree of the genealogie of the kings of spain , we can fetch it from the families of the amalis and baltheis , whence the kings of the visigoths and ostrogoths descended above a thousand yeers since : then from the glorious house of austria , which may be calld a tru imperial tree by having producd so many emperours that have continued in that stem above these two hundred years without interruption , which house began with theobarto who came from sigebart duke of germany , anno . touching the shield-ensignes and the royal arms of the king of spain , they are as noble as any ; and it adds much to the nobleness of a kingdome to have noble arms ; which hath bin accounted no small blemish to the crown of france , whose ancient arms were three toads in a black field , though the signification of the hieroglyphik makes some amends for it , which relates to the fruitfulness of france ; for toads choose always the fattest soyle , yet is he an ugly slow poysonous creature , and abhorred by humane nature . but upon the conversion of king clouis to christianity , the french do vaunt that a shield with three flower de luces of a caerulean color fell down miraculously from heven , ( as numas shield did in rome , and the palladium did in troye ) which arms france gives ever since . but the truth of that miracle is much questiond : for the greatest authors , as emilius , gillius , reginon , and gregorius turonensis in the life of king clou is makes no mention of any such thing . but grant that france hath reason to give the lilies or flower de luces for her royal arms , yet spain hath a nobler ; for spain gives the crosse in her shield : for we know that many ancient and authentik writers affirm , how the cantabrians or biscayners ( who were left unconquerd by the romans ) carried a crosse in their banner long before the nativity of our saviour ; which king pelagius carried when issuing forth of the great cave calld cobadonga to this day , with not much above christians , he utterly routed saracens ; to the memory wherof t is thought the great church cangas calld st. crosses church was erected , where he lieth buried with a crosse ingraven upon his tomb. and after king pelagius who is calld the instaurator of spain , with other kings had the crosse in their banner . and san isodorus , who after st. iames the apostle is the patron of spain , always usd it , who was a bishop and a knight , so that wheresoever he is represented either in shadow or stone , he is painted in a pontifical vest , having the crosse in one hand , and the sword in the other ; and as the oriflambe is the chiefest banner of france , which is kept in the great church of st. denis ; so in the great church of leon in spain saint isodorus banner is devoutly kept up , which upon occasion of urgent necessity was usd by divers kings to be brought to the field against the saracens , and afterwards against the moores , wherby many glorious and wonderful victories were obtaind . nor is the crosse the ensigne onely of biscay and castile , but also of arragon and of navarre ; and the ground of it is related in beuter , illescas , and turapha to be , that when king garcia ximenez was ready to fight a battail against the saracens , and that the christians under his command grew to be dejected and faint-hearted , ther appeerd in a green tree a red crosse very resplendent , which struck such a comfort and courage , and made such impressions in the heart of the fainty soldiers , that they fell upon the infidel-enemy with so great a resolution , that they did utterly discomfit him ; wherupon he was called rey de sobrarbe , because that the holy crosse appeerd above a tree . argum. . proving , that the catholik king may claim precedence because he is king of jerusalem , and that the right of unction belongs also to him , &c. all authors concede that in all solemn pomps and publik places , the first seat in the church ( after the emperour ) belongs to the king of ierusalem , as corsetus , grasalius , and others , do observe : and the reasons are many ; because our saviour preachd and sufferd there ; because he made choice of his apostles and disciples there ; because he wrought most miracles there ; because he conversd and had conference with men there ; because he instituted his last supper there ; because he did consummat the eternal salvation of mankind there , and because he was buried there ; with multitude of other reasons . now , that the king of spain is right king of ierusalem , i beleeve ther are but few will deny it : for the holy father in all his bulls , in his apostolical letters , and all publik spiritual dispatches , doth stile him king of ierusalem ; and so doth the conclave , the college of cardinals , the rota , or judges of the apostolik chancery : and it is as cleer as the meridian , that this title is due to him as he is king of both the sicilies , viz. of sicily , calabria and naples , which appeers evident in all annals and chronicles ; although the french do cavil with him for a right to those kingdomes , which valdesius and vasquez do sufficiently answer , and refute . nor can it be denied but a double unction belongs to him as he is king of both those kingdomes ; wheras the kings of england and france have but one unction apeece relating to single kingdomes . now , that kings are to be anointed with holy oyl , the sacred code tells us plainly ; for it was the warrant which god almighty himself , the king of heven and earth , gave unto the prophet elias , unges asachel regem super syriam , & iehu silium namasi unges regem super israel : thou shalt 〈◊〉 ●…sachel king over syria , and thou shalt anoint iehu king over israel . in another place he speaks himself , inveni david servum meum , & oleo sancto meo unxi eum : i have found david my servant , and with my holy oyl have i anointed him . therfore kings are called christs upon earth , because they are anointed by god : nay , cyrus is calld christ in this sense , as the text saith , haec dicit dominus cyro christo ejus ; thus says god to cyrus his christ or his anointed . one of the prerogatives of the emperour is , that he is to be anointed by the pope himself ; but kings are anointed by their own prelats . augustin de ancona gives the reason for this ceremony , because oyl signifieth gladness , and promptitude to debel the enemies of the church , to fight for the orthodoxal faith , and carry away victories . therupon at the celebration of the olympik games the wrastlers were usd to be anointed , as the poet sings : exercent patrias oleo labente palestras nudati socii — the holy king saith , dilexisti justitiam , & odisti iniquitatem , propterea unxit te deus oleo laetitiae prae consortibus tuis : thou hast loved justice , and hated iniquity , wherfore god hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows . by oyl also is understood cleerness of conscience , as we read , prudentes virgines acceperunt oleum in vasibus suis : the wise virgins took oyl in their lamps . now they are hevenly wide of the truth who hold that these two kings , viz. of ierusalem and sicily , with those of england and france , are only capable of holy unction : for it belongs to all kings ; especially to the catholik king , who is a mixt person twixt temporal and spiritual , for he is canon of burgos as the french king is of a church in poitou ; but the kings of spain have bin from all times anointed from the time of king vuamba , and after him ervigius : for the text of the council of toledo saith plainly , serenissimus ervigius princeps regni conscenderit regni culmen , regnandique per sacram unctionem susceperit potestatem : most serene ervigius prince of the kingdome shall ascend the top of the kingdome , and by the holy oyl take a power to raign . after these the gothik kings were also anointed from pelagius downward . therfore t is a pure paradox , or rather a vulgar error , that none but the four mentiond kings are capable of holy unction . argum. . proving , that the catholik king may challenge precedence because of the free and absolut power he hath over his dominions , and that he hath empires under him , &c. it mightily concerns royal dignity to have a whole plenary dominion and rule , and not to be subordinat to any other temporal power whatsoever : such an absolut dominion the catholik king enjoys , and is entaild upon him by the laws of the land ; though as a dutiful son to the church , out of pure ideas of devotion he is contented to be obedient unto his mother in spiritual things . yet , ther are divers tramontan writers both italian and germans , who being devoted to the emperour , wold make the kings of spain , england and france to acknowledg the emperour , and they who do it not remain in no less then mortal sin ; and one of the main arguments which they urge , is , that the emperour sigismund before the council of constance assembled , sent his summons among other to ferdinand king of aragon to be there for the universal good of christendome . but herunto t is answerd , that the glorious emperour charles the fifth made a solemn protestation , that he decreed nothing in spain under the notion of emperour : for though he had a double quality , yet , whatsoever he acted in spain was singly as he was king therof . this signal diploma , or publick protestation is yet to be seen in the archives of spain , and is mentiond in the history of pedro mexia , which runs thus . don carlos por la gracia de dios rey de romanos , futuro emperador semper augusto , rey de castilla y de leon , &c. en uno con la muy alta , y muy poderosa reyna donna iuana mi sennora madre . por quanto despues que plugo a la divina clementia ( por la qual los reyes reynan ) que fuessemos eligidos rey de romanos futuro emperador , y que de rey catholico de espanna ( con que eramos bien contentos ) fuessemos promovido al imperio convino que nuestros titulos se ordenassen dando a cada uno su devido lugar ; fue necessario conformando nos con razon segun la qual el imperio precede a las otras dignidades seglares por ser la mas alta y sublime dignidad que dios instituyò en la i●…ierra , de preferir la dignidad imperial a la real , y de nombrarnos y intitularnos primero como rey de romanos y futuro emperador que la dicha reyna mi sennora lo qual hizimos mas apremiado de necessi●…d que de razon , que por voluntad que dello tenemos , porque con toda reverencia , y acatamiento la honramos , y desseamos honrar y acatar , pues que demas cumplir el mandamiento de dios a que somos obligados por ella tenemos , y esperamos tener tan gran sucession de reynos y senorios como tenemos . y porque de la dicha prelacion no se pueda seguir ni causar perjuizio ni confusion adelante a los nuestros reynos de espanna , ni a los reyes nuestros successores , ni a los naturales sus subditos que por tiempo fueren ; por ende queremos que sepan todos los que agora son , ò seran de aqui adelante , que nuestra intencion , y voluntad es que la libertad , y exempcion que los dichos reynos de espanna , y reyes dellos han tenido , y tienen , de que han gozado , y gozan de no reconocer superior les sea agora , y de aqui adelante observada , y guardada inviolablemente , y que gozen de aquel estado , &c. yo el rey. thus rendred into english. don carlos by the grace of god king of the romans , and future emperour always august , king of castile and leon , &c. together with the most high and most mighty dame ioan my lady mother . wheras since it pleasd the divine clemency , by which kings raign , that we were elected king of the romans , future emperour , and from a catholik king of spain , ( wherwith we were well contented ) we were promoted to the empire , it was convenient that our titles shold be orderd giving evry one his due place ; it was necessary ( conforming our selfs to reason , wherby the empire precedes to other secular dignities , it being the highest and most sublime dignity which god hath instituted on earth ) to prefer the imperial dignity before the kingly , and to name and intitle our selfs as kings of the romans and future emperour before the said queen my lady ; which we did being pressd more by necessity then by any willingness we have therunto , because we honor and respect , and desire to honor and respect her with all reverence and duty , in regard that besides the accomplishing of gods commandment wherunto we are obligd , we hold by her , and hope to hold so great a succession to kingdomes and dominions which we hold . and because no prejudice or confusion may ensue to our said kingdoms of spain , nor to the kings our ●…uccessors , nor to the native subjects that shall be for the time , therfore our desire is , that all those who now are , and shall be herafter , may know , that our intention and will that the liberty and exemption which the said kingdoms of spain and their kings have held and do hold , that they have enjoyd or do enjoy , not to acknowledge a superior , be observd unto them now and herafter , and be inviolably kept ; and that they enjoy the same liberty and ingenuity which at the time of our promotion , and before they had and enjoyd , &c. and our will is , that this declaration have the force and vigor of a pragmatical sanction , &c. given in the city of barcelona , . bris . . i the king. this royal manifesto , or pragmatical sanction you see doth assert the absolut and independent authority of the kings of spain , and that they do not only renounce all subordinations , but are free from the least acknowledgment to any forren power : insomuch that it is enacted by the laws of spain , that to avoid the least suspition of any obedience to the empire , the civil roman law is not to be kept , or alledgd as law. nor indeed for driving out the saracens , and other infidels was spain ever obligd to the empire , or any other extrinsik power , but she did it by the effusion of her own blood , by the strength and valour of her own natives . moreover , the kings of spain are so far from any recognition of subjection to the empire , or any outward power , that they themselfs in former ages have bin frequently called emperours in publik instruments , as decretals , acts of councils , and apostolical epistles from rome . now if they did merit to be calld emperours then , how much more is that title adaequat to the kings of spain in these latter times , wherin they are grown to be lords of above half of the whole terrestrial globe ? nor is the king of spain thus exempt from all forren extraneous authority , but in point of intrinsecal and domestik power he is as absolut as any other : for it hath not bin found this hundred yeers that his subjects did refuse the payment of any impositions , which have bin many in regard he wars with all the world who repine at his greatness . yet is he still re●… hominum , a king of men , viz. of free subjects , and not a king of asinigos , as his next neighbour is calld . argum. . proving , that the king of spain may claim precedence because he hath bin so obsequious a son , and done such great offices to the christian church . ther are three offices which all christian kings are bound to perform towards the holy church . the first is , to obey the precepts , canons and injunctions of the church , though it be only by an humble implicit faith. the second is , to protect and defend the holy church not only from infidels , and open enemies , but from heretiks and scismatiks . the third is , to erect temples and decent domes of devotion for the service and worship of god , and to bewtifie and enrich them accordingly with rents and ornaments . the kings of spain have bin more renownd for these three then any in christendome . touching the first , ther is no king or souverain prince whatsoever hath bin or is so exactly obedient to the canonical laws , and the constitutions , commands and sanctions of the church , as the catholik king is known to be . ther are no kings that do more corporal penances when they are laid upon them by their ghostly fathers : for that penitential whip which charles the fifth usd , and left all besmeard with his own blood , is usd often by this king , wherby he mingles his blood with that of his great granfather , besides that of his granfather and father ; which penitential whip is the most precious legacie that the kings of spain use to leave their sons upon their death-beds , and is like so to continue to all posterity . touching the second office for protecting the holy church as well from aposta●…s and scismatiks as from open enemies , i may well say without any derogation , that ther is no king comparable to the catholik king. spain did cleer her self with admired valour and prudence of three nations that were enemies to the christian church , viz. the saracens , the moors , and the iews : and the cat●…olik king always bore such a high reverence to the holy church , that they never got any considerable victory but they sent the trophies therof to the vicar of christ. i will produce one signal example : when king albohazin belamarin had invaded spain with a mighty fleet , transporting horse , and foot , the king of granada joyning with him also , with all the moriscos that were yet left in spain , he first besiegd tarifa , but alfonso the eleventh king of castile , with alfonso king of portugal did comport themselfs with such admired courage and magnanimity , having no auxiliaries from any other christian nation , but a pure army of spaniards , that they obtaind a wonderful and glorious victory , so that above moors were destroyed in fight and flight , the rest made all slaves , as mariana and zurita make particular mention in their chronicles . as soon as the triumphs for so blessd a victory were ended in spain , king alfonso sent a splendid embassy by don iuan de leiva to pope benedict ii. then keeping the apostolik seat at auignon in france ; which ambassador presented his holiness with a great banner , and four and twenty of the chiefest colours they had taken from the moors . ther were presented besides barb horses with rich saddles , wherunto shields , swords and javelins were hung , and evry horse had a marisco slave to attend him . then the very ginet wheron king alfonso himself did ride when he got the field , was presented with rich caparisons embroderd with perl . the pope having notice herof , sent all the cardinals , with a great number of prelats to meet the ambassador ; who being conducted to the pope , he descended from the pontifical throne , and taking the kings banner into his hands , he sang with a loud voice , vexilla regis prodeunt , fulget christi mysterium : so making a pathetik elegant speech of so glorious an exploit , they went all to the great church to give god the glory , where the said colours , ensignes and shields were hung up . i could bring many instances more of this nature , how highly respectful the catholik kings have bin always of the holy church , and of her chief governor in all ages ; and how ready they have bin to sacrifice their bloods in defence of her . but let us go to these modern times , we know that his catholik majesty is in perpetual feud with the common enemy the turk , and how he still disdaind to make a peace with him though often wooed therunto , wheras other kings make not only a peace but confederacies with him ever and anon . we know what a professd eager enemy the catholik king is to all heretiks , how he suffers none to breathe in his dominions ; how ready he is always to suppress them in defence of the catholik church , and st. peters chair , which by the supplantings and machinations of the late apostats had quite fallen down , unless the catholik king had reachd his arms to support and bear it up . touching the third office of a christian king , which is to erect temples , and hansome places for the worship of almighty god , no kings have bin more pious and munificent in that kind : witness that mighty monument the royal monastery of st. laurence at the escurial , a monument built to eternity , and to ●…ug with the iron teeth of time , as the thickness and solidity of the walls do shew . this one stupendous monument of piety , which is worthily accounted the eighth wonder of the world , wold afford matter for one entire volume of it self : let it suffice to know here that it cost above twenty millions the building : it was twenty years before it was finishd ; yet the founder philip the second , of eternal memory , enjoyd it twelve yeers after , and at last carried his own bones to be interrd in that glorious pantheon he had expresly causd to be built for that use . what a world of religious houses did this pious prince erect besides i for in europe and america he built upon his own charge above a hundred churches , monasteries , and hospitals . now , it is a great matter for other kings if they build a college , or chappel , and are prayed for as great benefactors ; then i pray what prayers and praises doth such a king deserve as philip the prudent was ! argum. . proving , that the king of spain may claim precedence because the catholik church hath and doth receave greater protection and emoluments from him then from any other prince . it is recorded , that when pope gregory the thirteenth was sick , it was told him that he was much prayed for , in regard his life so much concernd the welfare of the church : he answerd , helas , the prolongation of any life can little avail the catholik church ; but pray for the health of king philip , for his life concerns her more . now , spain hath been always renowned not only for protecting of the church , and conquering of infidels , but also for converting of hereticks . vve know that osius bishop of corduba had the chiefest hand in the conversion of constantin the great , after his mother helena a british lady , from whom he had suckd christian milk at first , though t was not concocted to good blood until osius did it . what great favours and indulgence did the poor persecuted christians receave from ●…rajan , from elius hadrianus , from antoninus pius , from theodosius ? all spanish emperours in the time of the ten persecutions . how strongly did spain tug with the arrian heresie till she was quite put upon her back , and at last converted ? the albigenses in france who had such nefarious , and indeed nefandous principles , as that it was lawful to destroy churches , to pull down crosses , to have wives in common , that the humane soul was of gods making , but the body of the devils , & c. i say , that these ugly heretiks were principally converted by st. dominik and by didacus , ( episcopus oximensis ) both of them being spaniards , and sent by pope innocent . expresly for that service in the raign of lewis . of france ; wherin also blanche queen of spain took much pains with great success . how much did charles the fifth labour to quell luther , and to crush the cocatrice in the shell ! which causd this distik to be made in those times of him , and henry the eighth of england : carolus , henricus , christi defensor uterque henricus fidei , carolus ecclesiae . charles and henry both defendors of christ ; charles of his church , henry of his faith. and spain is so zelous a christian , that t is not only sufficient for her to abstain from heresie , but from the very suspition therof ; which made her to erect , and raise up that wall of brass against it , i mean the tribunal of the inquisition . by which sacred office the vineyard of the lord in the spanish dominions is kept free from brambles and thorns , with all noisome weeds ; t is preservd and hedgd therby from all wild ravenous beasts that so much annoy her in other kingdomes , and set fire on her skirts so often , which spain by the most prudent and pious establishment of this holy office is so happily made free . moreover , ther have bin no kings so eminently liberal , and munificent to the holy house of god , together with their governors and ministers , as the kings of spain have bin in all ages ; insomuch that a computation hath bin made , that well neer the third part of spain are spiritual revenues , and the third part of the churches have bin founded by kings . the archbishop of toledo is the greatest ecclesiastical dignity in christendome next the papacy ; for it hath above crowns annual revenues , which countervails three of the best archbishopriks in france . nor have the catholik kings thought it any derogation to make their sons archbishops of that place , and chancellors of castile . furthermore , ther hath bin a late calculation made , that of those five or six hundred millions of tresure that hath bin transported to spain from mexico and peru since the discovery of the west-indies , the church hath the tenth part ; insomuch that in some petty rural churches one shall see huge massie candlesticks of silver , with large chalices , pixes , crosses and crucifixes , some of them of massie gold , and inlaid with precious 〈◊〉 ▪ nor is this tresure lost that is given the church ; for the clergie of spain have bin always ready to serve and assist their king in all his exigents and necessities : insomuch that it is a saying in spain , that los tesoros de la yglesia son como 〈◊〉 contra ●…na tormenta , the tresures of the church are as anchors against a storm . adde herunto that no kings of spain have felt the fulminations of the vatican , viz. the sentence of excommunication , as other kings have done ; but they have always obeyd with much exactness the doctrine of the holy church , resigning their intellectuals , and the whole inward man to the determinations therof ; as also to defend them against all opposers ; wheras divers french kings have had clashes , and frequent contestations with the holy father . what high feuds had philippe le bel with pope boniface ! for he passd an edict of interdiction , that none of his ecclesiastiks shold have commerce with rome : he obeyd not the pontificial censures , but toar his letters , detaind his legats , and convoqud a provincial council in paris against his order , wherin ther were accusations of simony and schism obtruded against him . but all this while the kings of castil●… and aragon adherd to his holiness as being the head and common father of the catholik church . lewis the eleventh of france against the ecclesiastical liberties did institut the pragmatical sanction , enforcing the pope to assent therunto , wherby all the cano●…cal laws and discipline fell in france , as mausonius observes . charles . enterd rome against the popes will , and did as good as war with him , as with an enemy , but the catholik king ferdinand . adherd to him to very good purpose . touching lewis . what a bitter enemy he was to the apostolik seat ! what troubles he excited against iulius . which gave the first countenance and rise to those heresies that have pullulated in the church , and so miserably torn the very bowels of her ever since ! philip . of france repudiating his lawful wife , married another not only without the consent of celestin , the holy father , but against the opinion of his own ecclesiastiks , whom he handled with so much rigor and tyranny . philip the first of france did no less bandy against the decrees of the church in divers things , and did likewise cast off his legitimat wife , and forcd another . lewis . of france did so persecut the holy church , that he drew anathemas and spiritual execrations upon him . lewis . of france had such contentions with pope innocent 〈◊〉 . that he remaind under the heavy sentence of excommunication three full yeers . charles le bel was so highly disobedient to pope iohn . that he interdicted to pay him his tenths , and other ecclesiastik rights . francis . and hen. . of france to their eternal reproach calld in the turk to their assistance against the christian emperour . of all which particulars ther are authentik historians who make mention , and leave it upon record to all posterity . but the french speak very loud how charles the fifth raisd such a fierce war against clement . that he besiegd rome , and made the pope prisoner . t is confessd , but it was upon a pure temporal score ; yet he resented it so much , that it drew repentance from him ; nor did he grieve a whit that his general the duke of bourbon was killd as he was scaling the walls of rome , because he had exceeded his commission : nor when the news came to spain of the success of the emperours army , was any joy of triumph shewd at all , but rather a dark sadness , and all the signes of sorrow , which possessd him to his dying day ; and for a compensation to the holy father , he establishd his nephew in the state of florence . thus have we collected the reasons and arguments of these three great monarks in order to a precedence of place , and superiority . concerning the reasons of the two latter , they are excerpted , drawn and deprompted out of the eminentst authors who have written in their behalf ; and that with such fidelity and truth , as the majesty of so high a subject doth require , not omitting any argument that had weight in it . touching the competition twixt other souverain princes , as that twixt the king of denmark and him of sweden , who both entitle themselfs kings of the goths and vandals ; as also that twixt the portugues and the pole ; twixt the republiks of venice and genoa , who both pretend to be teste coronate , to be crowned heads , because th●… one had the kingdome of cyprus , the other hath that of corsica under her dominion ; as likewise the old competition twixt the duke of savoy , and him of milan , ( which is now drownd in the spanish titles ) nor of the princes of germany ; i say , that the disputes of these precedencies do not belong to this present discourse . ther are also divers other competitions twixt cities as well as souvrain princes , as twixt milan and ravenna in italy ; twixt strasburg and norimburg in germany ; twixt toledo & burgos in spain , which philip . did in some mesure reconcile : for when in a parlement ( which they call las cortes ) ther was a high feud twixt these two cities , whose bourgesse shold speak first ; the king stood up and said , hable burgos , que por toledo hablare yo ; let burgos speak , for toledo i will speak my self . the like competition is in england for precedence twixt oxford and cambridge , which hath bin often debated in parlement , though oxford had always the better , because she is namd first in all acts of parlement for subsidies . nor indeed hath cambridge reason to contend in this point , if antiquity take place , and antiquity is a good argument ; for lucian will tell us , that when ther was a contest in heven twixt esculapius and hercules for precedence , esculapius carried it , because he came first thither . therfore cambridge need not be offended with the poet when he sung , hysteron & proteron praepostera forma loquendi , exempli causa cant'brigia oxonium . ther 's also another argument for oxford drawn ab etymologia , which the philosopher tells us is a good way of arguing , viz. ther was an ox and a ford , then came a bridge . but these two noble sisters as they are unparallelld by any other in their kind , let them be equal among themselfs , and listen unto the poet , sisters , why strive you for antiquity ? the older still the likelier for to die ; wold you wish your own ruine ? surely no , let mouldring age on meaner things take hold , but may you florish still , and nere grow old . and let this be a close to the third section . the fourth , & last section , containing a discourse of ambassadors . ther is a good rule in the schools , qui bene dividit bene docet : therfore we will make this fourth section to conform and quadrat with the other three in point of division ▪ it shall also be a decade with the rest ; and as ther is affinity of matter betwixt them , so ther shall be affinity of method ; for it shall likewise consist of ten parts or paragraphs . . the first shall be of the derivation and etymologie of this word ambassador ; with the definition , division and denomination of ambassadors and legats . . the second shall be of the indispensable and absolut necessity of ambassadors , and that mankind cannot subsist without them. . of the antiquity , the first rise and pedigree of ambassadors ; as also of their dignity , high honor and pre-eminence , and who are capable to employ them . . of their privileges , reception , security , and the inviolable sacred esteem of their persons . . of the breeding and education , the parts and perfections both acquird and natural which are requird in an ambassador . . of the election and choice of an ambassador , that he should be par negotio , adaequat to the employment he goes about . . of the office and duty of an ambassador in the execution of his place , and acquitting himself of the great fiduciary trust reposd in him. . of the laws of england relating to ambassadors , how they use to be receavd , and treated in the english court , and what rewards they receave , &c. . of the wise comportment , and witty sayings of divers ambassadors during the time of their negotiation . . of the extraordinary prudence and reservedness , the stoutness and generosity of divers english ambassadors , &c. ther are many authors who have made it their business to write of ambassadors , and of their office , incumbency and charge ; as also of their qualities , breeding , and sutable parts . they have moreover undertaken to prescribe them rules , precepts and cautions ; but those precepts may fit any other minister of state , or magistrat , and so they amuse the reader with universals . but this discourse shall keep close to the person of the ambassador , and to the nature of his function , office and duty . and so we will take the first paragraph in hand . paragraph , touching the derivation and etymologie of this word ambassador ; with the definition , division , and denomination of ambassadors and legats . neither don antonio de zuniga the spaniard , nor doctor gasparo bragaccia the italian , with divers others who have written so largely of an ambassador , do let us know what the word is , either ambassadeur , ambasciatore , embaxador , or ambascia . now we find them all to be of great antiquity , for they are derivd of an old celtik or gaulish word ; which celtiks were before the greeks or latins , a peeple that dwelt where paris in france now stands , being calld so before the romans or the franconians came in . now embassy or ambascy comes of ambachten , which is to work ; and ambacht was a servant in the old gaulik or celtik toung , wherunto alludes bachken , usd yet in wales for a servant ; wherby among divers other arguments it is very probable that the ancient gaules and britains spake one language originally ; from hence came ambactus which tacitus useth , when he saith , that galli plurimos circumse ambactos clientesque habent . so that ambasciator derivd hence , is come now to be a servant , or minister of honor ; for in some translations we have paulus dei gratia diaconus , & ambasciator : insomuch that it may well extend to the holy function of priests : for the minister on the desk may be said to be the peeples ambassador to god , and in the pulpit gods ambassador to the peeple . but the italians wold have ambasciatore to come from the old hetruscan word bascer , which signifidth nunciare , to report or declare . others have a conceit that it may come from the word ambo , because he is a mediator twixt both parties . now , touching the definition of an ambassador , or legat , don antonio de zuniga , defines him thus : a legat or ambassador is a conciliator of the affairs of princes ; a man sent from far to treat of publik concernments by particular election , not by strength and stratagems of war , but by eloquence and force of wit. others define him to be a subject who resembleth a mediator of love. concerning the word legat , resoldus tells us in brief , that he is one who is sent to deliver the commands of another : but none of these can be calld properly definitions according to the rules of logik , but descriptions . they are calld sometimes orators , from oracion , or the fluency of the toung , which is the chiefest tool of an ambassador . they are calld also nuncii , because they come to declare and tell . now , nuncii and legats are of late ages they whom the popa sends , whose ministers of this kind have a mixt employment twixt spiritual and secular . legats are of three sorts , ther is legatus natus , legatus missus , and legatus à latere : the first hath a perpetual successif legantine power , as the archbishop of canterbury in england , is endowed with that prerogative as a dignity annexd to the archbishoprik above years since ; therfore ther can no other legats come to england without the kings special consent : wherupon one of the articles against cardinal wolsey was , that he exercised a legantine power in england without the kings privity . then ther is legatus missus , and he signifieth as much as an ordinary nuncio . then ther is legatus à latere , or apostolical nuncio , who is desumd out of the number of cardinals only , and they are sometimes g●…vernors of provinces , or calld pro-consuls ; and they are calld legati de latere , because they are neerest the side , and the greatest confidents of the pope . we may read in iustine that ambassadors by some are calld lenones bawds , ( but taken in a chast sense ) because by smooth and alluring language they move the affections of the prince to whom they are sent . the greeks call their ambassadors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , because they ought to be of yeers , and well salted in the world . ther are also deputies and commissaries who have the same office as ambassadors ; but the civilians make this difference betwixt them , that ambassadors are sent to equals , deputies to superiors , and commissaries to inferiors . ther is also a publik minister of state calld agent ; and he is sent when ther is a suspition that the ambassador will not be honord as he shold be . therfore the french kings of late yeers have no ambassadors in the emperors court , but agents , because of the competition for precedence twixt him and spain . agents are likewise employd sometimes to save charges , or that the business may be done without noise . ahd of late yeers ther is a new minister of state invented , which is a resident , who is superiour to an agent , and inferiour to an ambassador . both agent and resident have the security , though not the session and state , or such a latitude of power as ambassadors have : now , agents may dispatch businesses of as great consequence as ambassadors , though they do it more secretly , and with lesse stir . therfore hottoman saith , that the queen of england , and the princes of germany had des agens secrets in venice , because that in regard of diversity of religion , the senat wold not seem to make too strict a frendship with them ; and for these secret employments merchants have bin thought to be the fittest instruments , because under the cloak of trading they may also hide affairs of state. ther are also heralds which are a sort of ambassadors , and they are very ancient ; they are calld caduceatores , whose office is to denounce war : for such was the open honesty of our ancestors , that they would not commence a war until they had sent notice of it in a convenient time beforehand ; and these had also the security of ambassadors for the time , but they were strictly tied to the very same words that were dictated unto them . their persons also are to be as free from any outrage as ambassadors are , which made the earl of essex check his soldiers in keinton-field when the late king sent sir william le neve king of arms the next morning after the battail was sought ; who wold have outragd him. ther are also other ministers of state that draw neer to the nature of ambassadors , which are calld consuls , wherof some have royal commission , though the nature of their office be to protect and assist the merchant , being practisd in the custome and language of the country , in their law-suits ; and ther is as much esteem had of these as of agents . of these england hath more then any , and they are allowd very noble allowance ; as he of aleppo hath dollars yeerly , and they of smyrna and mosco little less : but if ther be an ambassador in that dominion where they serve , they are subordinat to his commands in divers things . we will conclude this paragraph with this distinction of ambassadors , that some are extraordinary or pro tempore employd upon some particular great affairs , or condolements , or congratulations , or for overtures of marriage , &c. and they use to go with greater lustre and magnificence , and may return without sending for leave , unless ther be a restraining clause in their commission . the other are ordinary or lidger ambassadors commanded to reside in the place until they receave letters of revocation ; and as their time of return is indefinit , so their business is incertain , arising out of emergent occasions , and commonly the protection and affairs of the merchants is their greatest care . but albericus gentilis , with all the great civilians , alledge that these kinde of ambassadors were not known but of late yeers , and paschalius calls them no better then emissaries , explorators or spyes , which made hen. . of england , as he saith , admit of none . the second paragraph , of the absolut and indispensable necessity of ambassadors , and that mankind cannot subsist without them . if it were not for ambassadors wars wold be endless , and enmities everlasting ; ther wold be no knowledg , no frendship among princes , nor commerce among nations . brunus says , that among all functions , all offices and employments of a commonwealth , ther is none more necessary , more difficult , more honorable , and that requires greater discretion , sagacity and caution , then that of an ambassador : but as it is accompanied with honor and profit , so it is with danger and hazard . ambassadors are the emissititious eyes of a prince , they are his ears and hands , they are his very understanding and reason , they are his breath and voice ; in contemplation wherof the poet sings that an ambassador is — vox regum , lingua salutis , foederis orator , pacis via , terminus irae , semen amicitiae , belli fuga , litibus hostis . it is observd in all stories , and confirmd by multitude of examples , that the interview and encounter of kings hath bin rather a disadvantage then an advance to any great business , specially in treating of capitulations of peace . therfore in the politiks t is a principle , that in colloquies for pacification princes shold not appeer in person , but be represented by their ambassadors and commissaries . a journey to be performd by kings requires much trouble and charges ; much ado ther is in fitting their train , that they may appeer in a fitting equippage ; all which consumes time , as also what high ceremonies are to be usd in so solemn an action . philip comines , who always dismisseth his readers wiser then they came , gives special cautions for this , affirming that the congress of souverain princes in regard of the various circumstances that attend it , is a meer folly ; it is exposd to emulation , jelousies , and envy , as also to delays , and retarding of things by needless solemnities . he makes an instance in the personal encounter which the kings of england and france had , ( where it is observable that he puts england before france ) adding further , that lewis the eleventh though a politik wise king , was much afraid before-hand that some word might slip from him which might give offence , or some advantage to the king of england , or his ministers ; herunto he adds an infortunat journey that the king of portugal made to the said king lewis for assistance against the castilians , which perhaps he might have procurd by a discreet ambassador , which makes him give a caution touching this point . bien tard ●…n prince se doit mettre soubs la main d'un autre , ni aller cercher son secours en personne : a prince shold hardly put himself under the hands of another , or go seek aid of him in person . paulus emilius also describing the personal meeting that was between king richard of england and philip augustus of france , ( who also in the relation puts him of england before france ) saith , that their often conversation and colloquies did much retard and disadvantage the great business of an expedition to the holy land. we will adde herunto the memorable example twixt matthias king of hungary , and uladislaus king of bohemia , who after a long war were to meet for concluding a peace in olmutts in moravia , where matthias ( meerly out of state ) made uladislaus stay for him days ; moreover , matthias came with a green garland about his temples in policy that he might not uncover his head : uladislaus therupon causd his cap to be so girded and knotted about that it could not be taken off . — sic ars d●…luditur arte . but ther is a modern example far more pregnant then any of these , of charles the first king of england , whose journey to the court of spain , though the designe was princely and noble in it self , for it was to endear himself the more to the lady infanta ; yet it provd very disadvantagious , for it distracted and retarded the whole business both of match and restitution of the palatinat , when by the negotiation of ambassadors it had bin brought to such a passe of perfection , that it had taken effect had not the prince come thither , which gave occasion for the two great favorits buckingham and olivares to clash one with another , which broke the neck of so great a business that had bin a moulding above ten yeers ; which had it bin left to the sole management of ambassadors , had in all probability bin consummated . thus we see how absolutly requisit and necessary , how advantagious and essential ambassadors are to a kingdom or common-wealth ; which made the roman orator say , sentio legatorum munus tum hominum praesidio munitum esse , tum etiam divino iure circumvallatum : i ●…old the function of ambassadors to be fencd by mens power , and fortified by divine right . we will conclude with a cannon of the civilians , legatorum munus perquam utile est , ac perquam necessarium : the office of ambassadors is most 〈◊〉 , and most necessary ; which makes the spaniards call it santo officio y ministerio de los angeles , the holy office and ministry o●… angells . the third paragraph , of the antiquity , the first rise and pedigree of ambassadors ; as also of their dignity , high honor and pre-eminence , and who are capable to qualifie , and employ ambassadors . from the necessity of ambassadors we will proceed to their antiquity ; and surely they must needs be very ancient if they are so necessary . some draw their antiquity from belus the father of ninus ; but iosephus makes them more ancient , and refers their original to god himself , who was pleasd to create the angels for this ministry ; therfore embassy in greek is calld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as being derivd by imitation from the hierarchy of angels , who are made the ambassadors of the great king of heven upon extraordinary occasions , either for revelation of the successe of kingdoms , as the archangel gabriel was to daniel ; or for the declaring of some rare and signal thing , as he was sent also to the blessed virgin of the conception of our saviour , &c. now , ther is no order or government in this lower world as well ecclesiastical as secular but it is had from the pattern of the higher , in regard that god almighty created the elementary world , and appointed the government therof to conform with the architype and chief pattern , or ideal form of the same conceavd at first in the divine mind , and prescribd to the hevenly kingdome . herunto alludes the fiction of the ancient pagans ; for aristides tels us , that in the first age of the world , wheras mankind was infected by brute animals , wherof some were far stronger , others swifter , others were venemous , which made mankind become often a prey to birds , to beasts and serpents , prometheus being sollicitous and studious for the safety of the humane creture , became ambassador , or orator to iupiter for declaring the misery of mankinde ; herupon iupiter resolvd to send his son mercury to teach man rhetorik , that is , to speak well and movingly ; but with this restriction , that he shold not communicat this art to all , but to the excellentst , the wisest and valiantst sort of men : by means herof they came down from the mountains , and forth out of caves and places of fastness , and by means of that art of rhetorik or eloquence they united themselfs to civil societies and coalitions . hence it may be inferrd that mercury the god of eloquence was the first ambassador , and he is painted with wings on his heels to denote expedition ; besides , he carrieth a white wand calld caduceus in his hand , encircled with two dragons greeting one another , which signifieth that his office is to make peace , alliances and legues , as also to de nounce vvar , which is intimated by the immanity of the dragon . having thus displayed the antiquity , we come now to the honor of ambassadors ; and questionless they must needs be very honorable being so ancient . royalty may be said , without prophaness , to be a ray of divinity ; and honor is a ray of royalty ; the first is derivd immediatly from heven , the other from earthly kings , who are calld the fountains of honor. now , the reflections of this second ray falls no where so directly as upon ambassadors , who represent and personat souverain princes , which makes their houses sanctuaries , and their persons so sacred , inviolable and excellent : and they have this high honor given them not only for their own sakes , and their masters , but as they are instruments of so universal good , as suppressing of wars by making peace , frendship and concord ; or for the advancement of commerce and frendship . now , it adds much to the honor of ambassadors that none can send any under that title unless he be a souverain prince : ther is no subject capable to send or receave any ambassador , be he never so great a viceroy ; if he do , it is no less then high treson . therfore before the beginning of the last civil wars in england , it was treson in the highest degree for the scots inconsulto principe , to send lowden and others in quality of privat clancular commissioners to treat with the french king in the name of the whole nation for assistance . and though the king himself made a semblance not to admit or hear them , yet his fiery cardinal huggd them ; whence it may be well said the first flames of the said vvars broke out . it is recorded in the life of eliz. queen of england , that the duke of alva when he was governor of flanders sent christopher assonville in quality of a minister of state ; but the queen wold not admit him , because he could produce neither commission or credential letter from the king of spain , whose vassal alva was . in the year . the king of spain motiond that the publik minister who was here for the hollanders shold not be stild ambassador , because they are subject to the empire , and have a superior , having bin incorporated in the empire by charles the fifth . at the diet of auspurg , as meteranus relates , and says besides that rodolphus . writ letters unto them . as to vassals of the empire , and consequently they had no power to make peace or war without the consent of caesar , which they then acknowledgd by their letters sent to colen . the electors and princes of germany have got a privilege to send and receave ambassadors touching matters that concern their own territories , but not the state of the empire : the like the hans town may do . but rebels have no capacity to employ any in quality of ministers of state , no not so much as an herald : therfore charles the fifth was censurd for admitting a herald with letters denouncing a war from the lutheran party in germany , and dismissing him unpunishd ; though he told him that if he came again , in steed of a gold chain he shold have a halter for his reward . touching the electors or princes of germany , and the hans towns , or cities of the hansa , it hath bin much controverted whether they had ius legationis , whether they had a capacity to make a mission of ministers of state that might bear the quality and privilege of ambassadors . concerning the first , kirknerus a great civilian holds , that the german princes may have such a prerogative , but it is secundario tantum iure . et qui ius mittendorum legatorum secundario tantùm iure habent mittuntur legati non de rebus universum concernentibus imperium , sed tantùm sui territorii ratione , eo enim ipsis intuitu tantùm datum ; ultra igitur terminos non est procedendum , fieret enim altàs prejudicium imperatori , &c. the german princes may employ ambassadors to forren princes by a secondary right , not to treat of affairs concerning the universal empire , but of things only appertaining to their own particular territories , and beyond those bounds they must not proceed . and ther are some princes in italy also that are no less under the majesty of the empire in this kind , but , &c. as for the hans towns and corporations , they claim the same privilege as the princes do , for they are free imperial cities , and communicat of the same regalias , yet all by the indulgence of the emperour , wherunto his necessities from time to time enforcd him . the provinces of belgia , or the netherlands , under pretext of such a right sent the baron of montigni as ambassador to spain at the beginning of the tumults ; but philip the second choppd off his head , saying , that vassals , much less rebels , have no power to employ ambassadors ; yet this king his grandchild admitted ascham who came from as notorious rebels , ( though not in reference to him ) which he excusd in regard that queen elizabeth had receavd ambassadors from holland at their first revolt before they were acknowledgd a state , and that she was the chiefest supportress of them . vve will conclude this paragraph with this ticklish point , vvhether a protestant prince may not send an ambassador to the pope , and by way of civil correspondence receave another from him : though iustice ashton was of a contrary opinion , yet sir edward coke was for the affirmatif ; and his reason is , because that besides his spiritual jurisdiction the pope is a temporal prince ; and ther may be ambassadors sent to him as well as to the turk , or mogor . the fourth paragraph ▪ of the privileges , security , reception , and the honorable sacred esteem which hath bin always had of the persons of ambassadors . among many other privileges which ambassadors enjoy , and are endowd withal iure gentium by the law of nations , not only their persons have bin always esteemd sacred and inviolable , but their houses have bin held and allowd as sanctuaries , all their servants from the stuard to the scullion-boy are free from all kind of outrages , violence or arrests . and they have this security not only in courts and cities , but in the midst of armies in the field , twixt swords , muskets and guns : for though ambassadors come from an enemy , yet they are accounted none . vvhensoever they take footing upon the shore , or confines of any prince to whom they are sent , they use to be attended by harbingers and other officers all the way , till they arrive at the court. if they be robbd , the king makes good their losses : if an extraordinary ambassador , he is attended at his first entrance with a more splendid equippage ; he is lodgd , and dieted at the kings charge for so many days with his whole train . at his audience the king riseth to him , pulls off his hat , and bows his body , &c. besoldus produceth the king of england , anno . for an example how he observd the french ambassador as if he had bin the king himself ; his words are , angliae rex gallicum legatum planè ut regem observavit , eique supremum locum concessit , adeoque honoravit , ut in comoediis ipsius regis filiae sustineret personam : the king of england observd the french ambassador plainly as the king , and gave him the upper place , and he so honord him that he held by the arm the kings daughter to a comedy . but the princes electors carry themselfs high in this particular , for they take place of ambassadors ; and the reason which guetta and other civilians give , is , in praesente principe vera majestas , in legato tantùm dignitas aliena ; in principe reiveritas , in legato effigiata & adumbrata est : ut autem umbra luci , ita principi legatus ; quamvis enim fictio tantùm operetur quantùm rei veritas ipsa , tamen ubi veritas & fictio adidem collimant , veritas praevalet fictioni . in the present prince ther is real majesty , in an ambassador only a representative ; in the prince ther is the truth of the thing , in an ambassador the effigies or shadow : now as the shadow yeelds to the light , so an ambassador must yeeld to a prince ; for although a fiction operats as much as the truth of the thing , yet where truth and fiction aim at one thing , truth is prevalent . nay , the electors jointly hold themselfs to be more then the emperour , he being their production , and made by their suffrages and election ; and the rule of heraldry is honor est in dante . but all this is by the by . now , so high and transcendent is the privilege of an ambassador , and his person so sacred , that whosoever doth perpetrat any thing against his safety , he is guilty of high treson of laesae majestatis , that is , of prostituted faith , publik authority , and of a breach of the law of nations . qui violarit legatum lege iulia de vi publica tenetur , vvho violats an ambassador by the iulian law he is guilty of publik violence ; and by the pontifical law t is no less then a piacle , therfore he is interdicted from the benefit of holy things . we will produce some examples what revenges have followd for the violation of ambassadors . the king of the ammonits did deride and ill entreat the ambassadors of king david , and to make them more contumelious , their beards were half shaven , and their garments torn to their tails ; but what ensued ? the ammonits afterward were overcome in battail , and rabba their chief city being taken , it was sacrificed with other cities also to free plunder , and the fury of the soldiers ; so the affronts done to the ambassadors were vindicated . the romans usd for a piaculary revenge to send those who had violated an ambassador to the king whose person he represented as a victime , that he might inflict upon them what punishment he pleased for the a●…rocity of the fact. so minutius and manlius were sent to carthage by a solemn decree of the senat because they had wrongd her ambassadors at rome . and so respectful were the romans of the sacred persons of ambassadors , that if any free citizen of rome did offer the least violence though by words only , he was degraded of being a free citizen ever after . nay , the very name of ambassador is so sacred , that ther is a rare example that though some did counterfait it , yet they wold lay no violent hands upon them ; for scipio africanus having taken a ship laden with many illustrious carthaginians , they said that they were ambassadors sent to him , yet , though it was found they were none , he dismissd them peaceably , that as valerius hath it , romani imperatoris potiùs decepta fides quàm frustra implorata videretur . ambassadors also have a privilege that what children they get abroad , be it under what climat it will during their legation , they are free-born denizens of that country whence they come , and need no naturalization ; and the reason which hotoman gives , is , that they cannot be said to be absent thence all the while , being still doing the business of their own country , though they live as exiles for the time for the common good . besides , if they chance to die there , their goods are not subject to droit d' aubaine , that is , they do not fall by escheatage to the king as other strangers goods do in some countries . when they are revokd home , they are advanced to the best offices , and not only as a jeering french-man said to pluck capons , as sir henry vane , sir peter wichts , and sir thomas edmonds were , who were made officers of the green-cloth in the kings houshold ; lastly , after their deaths ther were statues erected to perpetuat their memories . the fifth paragraph , of the breeding and education , of the parts and perfections both acquird and natural which are requird in an ambassador . as in a general , or commander in chief of an army , ther is requird valour , magnanimity and courage ; so in an ambassador ther is wisdome , discretion and prudence requird : the one is for performance and action , the other is for counsel and negotiation . ther is also elocution requisit in both , in the one to enforce the justice of the quarrel , and to infuse courage into the soldiers by his hortatives , in lieu wherof sermons are made use of in latter ages ; in the other to move the affections of the prince he is sent unto . therfore mercury was appointed to be ambassador of the gods in regard of his eloquence . and this strain of well-speaking in an ambassador must be natural as well as by art ; for the italian tells us , una oncia di natura vale una libra di dottrina , an ounce of nature is worth a pound of learning . touching matter of literature , ther are two principal qualities requird in him , viz. to be a good historian and a good linguist ; being the first , t is presumd he is stord with examples , precedents and observations of the carriage of other ambassadors ; of what encounters and difficulties they found in their negotiations , and what successes they had . by being a good linguist he hath extraordinary advantage to facilitat his affairs , to converse with other ambassadors upon the place ; to get intelligence , and gain the knowledge and frendship of the prime men and ministers of that prince to whom he is employd , and to get his favor also . but it is a caution which the civilians give , that an ambassador shold not speak but in a language which he well understands for fear of slips , and placing a word amiss : now , t is a great truth specially in an ambassador , that meglio è sducciolare co ' piedi che con la lingua , t is better to slip with the foot then with the toung : now , the toung being by the institution of nature in udo posita , put in a moist place , is very subject to slip . that worthy knight frederik marselaer in his book calld the legat , and the civilians , point at divers qualities that shold be in an ambassador . . he shold be an indigena born in that country whence he comes , that all his hopes of preferment may be there : and certainly a stranger or alien though made free denizen cannot be so proper ; for a true-born childe must needs negotiat with more affection for the honor and safety , for the benefit and interest of his own native country and mother . . he must be a gentleman born , or noble ; for all gentlemen are accounted noble in other countries . he must be no agaso or caprimulgus , and then he will gain more respect from the prince and peeple to whom he is employd : for since he must take precedence of princes , dukes , marquisses and earls , &c. they will not think it much to give him priority of place being well born . . he must be a comely and graceful person being to represent the person of his prince ; for the peeple of that country to whom he is sent will be apt to think that the prince whom he personats is so . we read that artaxerces culld out sorty of the hansomst men that could be found to send in quality of ambassadors to alexander , who were also hansomely clad , so that it was a question whether they were a greater ornament to their garments , or their garments to them , as the greeks said . an ambassador being employed from england to rome with a train of very comely gentlemen , the pope beholding them , said , hi videntur potius angeli quam angli , these appeer rather to be angels then english-men . aristotle being askd why outward beuty and comliness begat so much love , answerd , that this was a blind-mans question . . that he shold be well in yeers ; for experience being the great looking-glass of wisdome , and wisdome being the principal vertu requird in an ambassador , men that have many yeers on their backs qui ont pisse en beaucoup de neiges , as the frenchman saith , must needs have more experience by observing the vicissitude of worldly things , and the successes therof ; who have passed the unruly affections of youth , which like so many mastiffs do daily set upon us . senators ( or counsellors of state ) are denominated from senes , old men ; and an ambassador , who may be rankd among the highest counsellors of state , shold be so . t is a tru saying , qui in multis versati , versuti sunt . . that he shold be of a proportionable good estate , and not indigent , for then he will be the more sedulous , diligent and careful in his charge , because he hath something to loose : for his estate may be said to be his bayl all the while he is abroad . moreover , it will add much to the reputation of an ambassador if he be known to be rich . . he must be liberal and munificent , remembring the person whom he represents : for a sordid parsimony and niggardness is odious in all men , specially in an ambassador . the spaniaro saith , that dadivas entran sin taladro , gifts make their way in without a wimble , and nothing concerns an ambassador more then to make his way into the consults and transactions of state of that court where he resides , which cannot be done if he be close-fisted . when sulpitius galba and aurelius cotta did contend who shold be sent to spain ambassador in the time of viriatus , emilianus one of the senators said , that neither of them was fit ; for the one was poor , and the other was covetous ; th●… one had nothing , and nothing wold satisfie the other . ther is a remarkable passage in iovius , that when the florentines sent ambassadors to charles . and clement . being then at bolonia , together with their houshold-stuff , they brought covertly many rich commodities to sell , because they might be free from paying the gabel : but the searchers of the custome house having discoverd it , they became a laughing-stock ; and , as unworthy of the office of ambassadors , they were remanded home without audience . by this example it appeers that ambassadors luggages may be searchd ; wherunto we may add another of sir thomas chaloner sent ambassador to spain by queen elizabeth , who sending complaint home that his chests had bin searchd , the council sitting therupon determind , as campden hath it , in these words , legato omnia aequi bonique ferenda , dummodo principis honor non directè violetur ; an ambassador must bear all things patiently , provided that the honor of the prince ( whom he serves ) be not directly violated . . he must be accostable and courteous , and not of a moross humor , yet reserving still his sta●…e and gravity when time , place and persons require . urbanity and gentleness works much upon all affections , and he is a cheap frend who is got by a complement : therfore it becomes and behoves an ambassador to comply with all in civilities by being of a winning , complacentious and benign behaviour ; yet not to make himself too cheap , and to have a special care where he placeth his complements . . an ambassador also must be constant , and tenacious of the religion of his prince and country , both in the confident profession , and constant practice therof ; if he cannot publikly , yet privatly within the walls of his own house ; for nothing raiseth a repute more then an opinion of piety . therfore he must be very careful in the choice of his house , that it be fair and large , and a good distance from the court , otherwise he may be pesterd with too many visiters that will have their feet under his table ever and anon . he must be also constant to the habit and vests of his own king and country : for he who doth not follow the fashion of his prince herin , may be said exuere personam ; and this was imputed as a great fault and fantastiqueness in my lord rosse when he went to spain in king iames his time , who appeerd at his first audience , and continued afterwards in the spanish habit . an ambassador must be also very careful in the choice of liveries for his pages and laquays , that they be rich and fair , but not fantastical : as likewise that he be well coachd , and that his coach be well drawn by good horses ; for nothing sets forth the lustre of an ambassador more . the sixth paragraph , touching the election and appointment of an ambassador , that he shold be par negotio , or adaequat to the employment he goes about . the discretion and prudence of a prince discovers it self in nothing more then in the choice of his instruments . the old poet tells us , if carpenter have not good tools , he makes ill-favourd chairs and stools . but of all other instruments and officers , ther must be most inspection had in the choice of his ambassador : for as the incolumity of the kingdome depends upon the king , so the welfare of the king depends much upon the ability of his ambassador . therfore this trustful charge , this sacred function must not be prostituted to evry one , for ex quol●…bet ligno non fit mercurius , evry one is not cut out for a mercury , that is , an ambassador ; for mercury is accounted the god of ambassadors . the romans for a time did choose ambassadors sortilegio , by lots , as the venetians now choose their doge ; and this was to prevent competitions and corruptions : some were chosen togâ , by the gown for their wisdome ; some sago , by the cassock ●…or their experience in the war , according as the quality of the present business did require ; and indeed t is a great advantage to an ambassador to have something of a soldier in him , howsoever he must go always cinctus gladio , with his sword by his side ; and the prince who sends him must have also his sword in his hand though he treats of peace . the principalst quality requird in him is to be intrepidus , to be fearless , resolut and stout . he must not be pusillanimous and sheepish ; for the witty proverb will tell him , chi pecora si fà il lupo se la mangia , who makes himself a sheep the wolf will devour him : therfore ther must be a special care had to pry into the genius and natural disposition of the party in this particular ; for t is a tru principle in humane nature , that a coward cannot be an honest man , and honesty is a main thing requird in an ambassador . therfore he must not be dejected and cast down at the cross traverses and success of any business ; his courage must not be daunted or dashd at any thing . he must be also bold and confident in his proposals and demands ; for qui timidè rogat docet negare , who asks with fear teacheth how to deny : and let him be sure to ask rather too much then too little ; for domanda assai , che non mancherà poi à calare ; ask enough , and ther will be enough to aba●…e afterwards : therfore let him not be stanchd , or mealy-mouthd in his demands and audiences ; blushing and bashfulness are commendable in maids and boys , but odious in ambassadors ; therfore the spaniard hath a witty proverb , al vergonzoso el diablo le truxo al palacio , the devil brought the bashful to court. wherfore in the election of an ambassador ther must be a regard had to his natural disposition , that he be confident and hardy . ther is a memorable observation and saying of philip the second king of spain , calld el prudente , that when he had designd one for an ambassador , he came faintily and coldly to him to propose some things for the accommodation of his embassy ; the king observing it , said , how can i expect that this man can promote and effectuat my businesses , when he is so fainty and fearful in the sollicitation of his own ? to prevent this , the probablest way is to make choice of a generous and well - extracted person , for degeneres animos timor arguit . one of the greatest blemishes that historians do cast upon lewis the eleventh of france , is , that he made choice of his barbe●… to be ambassador to the duke of burgundy ; and it was upon no ordinary business , for it was to make an overture of a march with the young princess his daughter ; but the mean opinion which was had of the quality of the man overthrew the business . matthaeus palmerius an apothecary of florence had bet●…er luck then the french barber had ; for he being sent in quality of ambassador to alfonso king of naples , and having acquitted himself so elegantly , and with so much generosity at his first audience , and the king understanding that he was an apothecary , said , se tali sono gli speciali di fierenze , quali debbono essere gli medici ? if the apothecaries of florence are such , what shall we think of their physitians ? but this apothecary although he was of an ordinary trade , yet he was an extraordinary man in point of parts and erudition , which made compensation for the meanness of his profession . moreover , it is an advantage to the affairs of a king that he make choice of a proper and graceful person , and of a sound healthful constitution to represent him abroad . we read that it was prohibited by the law of moses that any man who had any blemish or mutilation shold be made a levite : now , levits , as it was insinuated before , are as the legats of god almighty , and kings being types of him , shold not have any to personat them that had any deformity or indisposition . i remember when count gondamar and the marquiss of inojosa were here ambassadors for the king of spain , the one was troubled with the fistula , and the other had lost a peece of his nostril , therupon a libel was made that the king of spain made an odd choice of his ambassadors to england , for the one had the pox in his brich , the other in his nose . it hath bin much controverted among statists whether one person singly , or many joynd in commission be fittest for an embassy : this business is much canvasd pro & con among the civilians ; they that are for plurality urge solomon , that in multitude of counsellors ther is safety . they instance in divers examples , and produce virgil , qui dicta ferunt , & foedera firment centum oratores patria de gente latinos . darius employd ten in an embassy to alexander ; the romans sent ten to appease the tumults of asia ; they sent ten to macedonia ; four to the fidenates ; three to the carthaginians , &c. but paschalius gives a rule herein , tentando aut tractando unus satis est ; consummando plurtum interventus desideratur : in trying or treating one is enough ; in consummating a business the intervention of many is requird . so peter matthieu relates that ther were spanish gentlemen at the confirmation of the peace of vervins twixt spain and france , which might be calld a legion rather then a legation . but the most political civilians are for one single person , trop gran nombre est encombre , too great a number is an encumber among ambassadors , it is subject to confusion and delays ; it will make the business in treaty to take air , and be sooner discoverd . one is far more secret and sedulous when he acts by himself , then when he must concur with others . then ther are maximes in the law , cura plurium , cura nullorum ; the care of many , the care of none ; quod multos tangit , paucos angit . then many emulations and envy do often creep in with other inconveniences amongst many . therfore the most expedit and advantagious cours is , that ther be but one ambassador , but the prince must choose a choice man to be he ; he must be lectus antequam electus . another debate ther is , whether legatio be only a virile munus , a masculin task , or whether women are capable to be employd in an embassy ; and more are for the affirmatif part then the negatif . it was much controverted in rome whether veturia and volumnia , two roman matrons , were fit to be sent as the desperatness of the case then stood , upon an embassy to cori●…lanus and the volscians ; it was determind they shold , and the treaty took good effect . ther were roman dames sent upon an embassy to constantius the emperour for revoking pope liberius , and they prevaild . it was a practice among the romans to send the vestal virgins upon embassies . ther is a memorable example how guelpso the duke of bavaria having provokd the emperour conradus , he set so close upon his skits that he coopd him up in winsberg , where he beleagerd him ; caesar was so incensd that he vowd to put all to fire and sword . so the duke being reducd to great extremities , it was thought fit to send the duchess as ambassadress to the emperours camp , where she performd her part so gallantly , that she so movd and melted his heart , that for her sake all the women in winsberg shold have safe conduct to depart , and carry away upon their backs as much of the most precious wealth as they could bear , but the men shold abide his mercy . herupon the duchess took the duke upon her sholders , and evry wife after her example took her husband ; maids and unmarried women took up some their brothers , some their kinred , and so all marchd out ; so caesar pardond all . i will conclude with a late example of madame sardaus , who went so often privatly twixt bruxels and the hague until the peace was concluded twixt spain and holland after fourscore yeers wars by sea and land : therfore she was calld la maquarelle de la paix ; which was no disgrace to her . the seventh paragraph , touching the office , function and duty of an ambassador in the execution of his place , and acquitting himself of the great fiduciary trust reposd in him , &c. the civilians , who are best versd in the laws of embassies , say , legatio est mysteriosum quid , that it is a mysterious thing ; it is full of secrecie and darkness , as it is of faith and trust. the lord high chancellor of england , who is keeper of the kings conscience as well as of the great seal , hath a great trust reposd in him for to mitigat the rigor of the laws by way of equity . the lord chief justice of the kings bench , he of the common pleas , and the lord chief baron of the exchequer , have great trusts reposd in them : but all these deal twixt subject and subject , and sometimes twixt king and subject : but ambassadors have a higher trust , for they deal twixt kings and kings , twixt countries and countries ; therfore as the burden is heavier , so the honor is the greater : ther is no secrecie belongs to the other offices ; but reservedness and secrecie is the soul of embassy ; which made one say , if his cap knew his privat instructions , he wold hurle it into the fire and burn it . and as ther is honor in this high employment , so ther is much honor attends it ; which made one say , that that ambassador who loseth one hair of his masters honor , forfeits his head at his return . one of the principal duties of an ambassador , is to stick close to his instructions , and the mandats of his master ; and therin an ambassador lidger doth not run so much hazard as an extraordinary , who hath many things commonly left to discretion by way of implicit trust . besoldus defines the office of an ambassador thus , ut mandatum fideliter , & cum dexteritate exequatur , & acceptum responsum diligentissime notatum referat mittenti ; that with faithfulness and dexterity he execut the command , and report to him who sent him the answer most diligently noted . ther is a shorter definition , officium legati est ut mandata legationis diligenter conficiat , & ex f●…de , that he perform carefully the command of the embassy , and with faith. he derives all his power from his instructions ; for without them ther is no mission or embassy . ther is an example of the athenians , that having employd ambassadors with divers iustructions , wherof one was , that they shold take such a way as they went , they going another way , though they had performd all the rest of the instructions , yet they were put to death at their return for infringing this one . ther are divers instances how ambassadors exceeding their commissions , and falling into follies , have bin punishd upon the place . hector boetius relates that olaus and evetus killd the scots ambassadors . teaca queen of sclavonia killd a roman ambassador , as polybius mentions . the athenians causd darius ambassadors to be thrown into a well . dandolo the venetian ambassador had his eyes pluckd out by the king of sicily . but let us descend to latter ages : francis the first of france sent fregosa and rinion ambassadors to the turk ; charles . soldiers discoverd , surprizd and flew them in italy : the fact was justified by the emperour because they were both his subjects , the one being a milanois , the other of genoa , and servd his enemy , for ther were wars then twixt charles and francis. edward the second of england employd a french gentleman ambassador to france , who had bin executed for a traytor for serving the enemy had not the queen interceded . anno . the pope sent an ambassador to france , where he practisd some treson ; and being arraigned , convicted , and condemned to die , the popes frends procurd that he shold be banishd only . the venetian drew out of the french ambassadors house some who bad discoverd their secrets to the turk , where resistance being made , cannons were sent for from the arsenal , and so they were taken out by force , and the french king not offended . the ambassadors in these latter examples by their own indiscretion and misdemenures drew these violences upon themselfs . we will concude this point with a latter example in england . at which time ther were two spanish ambassadors residing in london , who were the marquiss of inojosa , and don carlos coloma ; and the prince of wales being newly returnd from madrid re infectâ , without the infanta , matters began to gather ill bloud twixt england and spain , in regard that the treties both of match and palatinat were dissolvd by act of parlement , which was done by means of the duke of buckingham . the said ambassadors finding that , they contrivd a way how to supplant and destroy the duke . herupon falling into consideration that king iames was grown old , and that the least thing might make impressions of distrust and jealousies in him , therfore in a privat audience they did intimat unto him that ther was a very dangerous designe against his royal authority traced by the duke of buckingham and his complices , which was , that at the beginning of that parlement the said duke with certain lords , and others consulted of the argument & means which were to be taken for the breaking and dissolving of the treties both of the spanish match , and for the restitution of the palatinat ; and if his majesty wold not conform therunto , their consultations passd so far , that he shold have a house of plesure where he might retire himself to his sports , in regard that the prince had now yeers sufficient , and parts answerable for the government of the kingdome . the king for the present dismissd them with thanks ; but the next day he made earnest instances that as they had discoverd a conspiracie , they wold also detect the conspirators , this being the only means wherby their own honor might be preservd in proving the truth of things . to this they replyed , that they had reveald enough already in order to the care and zeal they had to his royal person and dignity . therupon the king commanded that the duke of buckingham shold be put to his oath , with others who were most suspectful , which they all took for cleering their integrity . this being done , the king returnd to make new instances to the said ambassadors , that they wold not prefer the discovery of the names of the conspirators to the security of his person , as also to the truth and honor of themselfs , and to the hazard of an opinion to be held the authors and betrayers of a plot of so much malice , sedition and danger ; but they wold discover no more . yet a few days after they desird new audience , which was suspended to be given them , and in the interim the king sent sir edward conway his principal secretary of state , and sir francis cottington secretary to the prince , ( both lords afterwards ) to signifie unto the said ambassadors that he desird nothing more then a continuance of frendship twixt the two crowns ; therfore if they had any thing to say they shold communicat it to the said secretaries as persons of trust , which he employd expresly for that purpose ; and if they made any difficulty of this also , then they might choose among his council of state those whom they likd best , and he wold command that they shold presently repair unto them : and if this also shold seem inconvenient , they might send him what they had to say in a letter by whom they thought fittest , and he wold receave it with his own hands . but they gave no answer to all this : therupon the said secretaries told them according to their instructions which they had receavd from his majesty , that they being the authors of an information so dangerous and seditious , had made themselfs incapable to treat further with the king their master ; and were it not for the respect he bore to the catholik king his dear and beloved brother their master , and that they were in quality of ambassadors to such a majesty , he wold and could by the law of nations , and the right of his own royal justice , proceed against them with such severity as their offence deservd ; but for the reasons before said he wold leave the reparation to the justice of their own king , of whom he wold demand and require it . herupon sir walter ashton ambassador then in spain for the crown of england , had audience of that king , wherin he said , that the king of great britain his master had commanded him to demand refaction and satisfaction of his majesty against the marquiss of inojosa and don carlos coloma for scandalizing the duke of buckingham , ( with other of his best subjects ) and through his sides aiming at the prince himself ; for it is unlikely the duke wold have cast himself upon such a designe without the communication of it to him , and to know his plesure : so he remonstrated the whole circumstance of the business , &c. and in conclusion he said , that he humbly beseechd his majesty to observe and weigh well the care and tenderness wherwith the king his master had proceeded towards his majesties ambassadors ; not obliging them to any precipitat resolutions , but giving them time , and opening a way how they might have cleerd themselfs , &c. it was expected that the said ambassadors at their return to spain wold have bin punishd , or at least checkd ; but matters growing daily worse and worse twixt england and spain , the said ambassadors were rather rewarded then reprehended at their return , inojosa being made afterwards governor of milan ; and coloma receavd addition of command , and honors in flanders . but the high civilities of england at that time towards the said ambassadors was much cryed up abroad , that notwithstanding so pernicious a machination to demolish buckingham , and to discompose the whole english court , yet they were permitted to depart peaceably ; and sir lewis leukner was commanded to conduct them to the sea-side for prevention of any outrage upon their persons . we have dwelt the longer upon this business , in regard ther are extraordinary traverses of state in it , being a plot of an unusual reach of policy , which will be found more amply related in the addition the author made to finets ambassador : but in regard it is so pertinent to this paragraph , he thought it fit to insert the substance of it here . we will now resume things touching the office of an ambassador . it is very necessary he shold have his credential letters exact and plain ; his commission plenary , and fortified with as much authority as he can . the spanish ministers when the prince of wales was there , objected against the duke of buchingham that his commission ( for he came also in quality of ambassador ) was not so compleat and authentik as that of the earl of bristols ; for he had his commission under the broad seal of england , wheras the duke had his by the king only . the civilians make a question , si à legato mandata poscantur , is adigi possit ad ea exhibenda . their opinion is , that besides his credential or fiduciary letters , and his general commission , he is not bound to shew any more . touching his privat instructions , paschalius saith , mala eum agitat res qui in legati secreta irreligiose irrumpit . it is questiond further , whether it may stand with the office and honor of an ambassador to receave gifts and presents from the prince he is sent unto , which the civilians call lautia , a word peculiar only to ambassadors : some are for the negative , which the hollanders do follow ; for their ambassadors use to receave none , not so much as a bottle of wine : but most are for the affirmatif . but the venetians ( who are reputed to have the best rules touching ambassadors ) though they allow it , yet , their ambassadors are bound to exhibit their presents to the senat ; and t is thought much of st. marks tresure consists of it . they are also bound in a large oration to give an account ( besides that of their embassy ) what they observd most remarkable in the government , state and quality of the country ; of which oration they bring also a manuscript which is put up in their archives . iohn earl of bristol at his departure from madrid ( notwithstanding that the weather had grown foul twixt us and spain ) receavd a cupboard of huge massie plate valued at crowns of this king of spain , who also gave him a diamond ring off his finger , rated at l. sterling ; and the reason was , because he had found him so wise , faithful and industrious a servant to his king. the civilians make likewise a doubt whether it may not interrupt the office of an ambassador to have his wife and children along with him ; but they who hold the contrary are rather exploded then approved : for to leave his wife , is for one to leave half himself behind him ; besides , conjugal society is counted the prime of comforts : moreover , it saves trouble of writing , and charges for letters and packets , which come to no small sum at the yeers end , &c. we will conclude this paragraph with two special things which the civilians require further for the performance of the office of an ambassador , viz. that he be reservd and secret in an intense degree ; he must not be plenus rimarum , full of chinks : and herin the italian and spaniard are eminently imitable ; for all the drugs in egypt cannot draw away a secret from them , wheras a small purge or vomit will make others cast it up . furthermore , that an ambassador may facilitat the discharge of his office the better , it is requisit that he have a previous knowledg of the court and country wherunto he is employd : that he be well versd in the speech therof ; for it is a sad thing when one is sent ambassador to see fashions , and learn the language of a country . lastly , ther 's nothing more concerns the office and duty of an ambassador ( as it was touchd before ) then to be true to his instructions . brunus tells us , that qui extra mandatum agit , aliud agit ; who acts beyond his commission , acts another thing : yet it cannot be denied but many things in point of circumstance are left to the discretion of a plenipotentiary ambassador ; therfore , as i take it , ther was by the twelve tables in rome a latitude of power left to legats , quae bonum patriae eminenter tangunt etiamsi non mandentur , agunto : what eminently concerns the publik good , though not commanded , let them be done . the eighth paragraph , touching the laws of england relating to ambassadors in point of reception , audience , treatments and rewards ; as also what prudence hath bin usd for composing of contestations betwixt them in point of precedence , &c. having spoken hitherto generally of the concernments of ambassadors , and the privileges of legation , we will now make some inspections in particular into the constitutions and common laws of england , which may be calld civil , and very complying in this point . the law of england , as the great father of it my lord coke says , that honor legati honor mittentis est , the honor of an ambassador is the honor of him who sent him : that legati , aut proregis dedecus redundat in regem , the affront offerd an ambassador redounds to his king. by the common law of england t is high treson to kill an ambassador ; as among others ther are examples in the persons of iohn kerby and iohn algore , the one a london-mercer , the other a grocer , who were both arraignd , convicted , and condemned for killing iohn imperial , who was ambassador from genoa , for a patent he had got of the king for the sole importing of all commodities from the levant parts . i. hill was also condemned of high treson for killing of a. de walton who was ambassador , &c. then the high civilities that were shewd by king iames to the marquiss of inojosa , and don carlos coloma the spanish ambassadors , notwithstanding their high misdemenures for calumniating the last duke of buckingham , and through him the prince of wales his sole son , and heir apparent to the crown , as it is mentiond in the next preceding paragraph . and as the law of england is so respectful of ambassadors , so for her own she useth to furnish them with as political commissions and instructions , and as exactly couchd as any other kings ambassadors whatsoever . i will produce only two examples , the one ancient , the other modern : the first is of ambassadors sent to the council of basile , which runs thus : ad concilium basiliense sub eugenio papa destinati sunt per regem ambasciatores , & oratores episcopus robertus london , philippus exoniensis , iohannes roffensiis ; iohannes bajocens , edwardus comes moriton ; abbas glastoneensis , & b. m. eboracensis ; prior norwici ; henricus bromflet miles dominus vesciae ; thomas browne legum doctor , decanus sarum , iohannes coleville miles , & alii . dante 's & damus iis , & ipsorum majori parti potestatem , & mandatum tam generale quàm speciale nomine nostro , & pro nobis in eodem concilio interessendi , tractandi , communicandi & concludendi tam de iis quae reformationem ecclesiae universalis tam in capite , & in membris quàm in iis quae fidei orthodoxae fulcimentum regumque ac principum pacificationem concernere poterint . nec non de & super pace perpetua , guerrarumque abstinentia inter nos , & carolum adversarium nostrum de francia ; ac etiam tractandi , communicandi , & appunctandi , consentiendi insuper , & si opus fuerit aissentiendi iis quae juxta deliberationem dicti concilii initi statui , & ordinari contigerit . promittentes & promittimus bona fide nos ratum , gratum , & firmum perpetuò habiturum totum , & quicquid per dictos ambasciatores , oratores , & procuratores nostros aut majorum partem eorundem actum , factum , ceu gestum fuerit in praemissis , & singulis praemissorum . et hoc idem cùm de , & super iis certiorati fuerimus ad nos , & christianum principem attinet executioni debitae curabimus demanda●…i . in cujus rei testimonium has literas nostras fi●…ri fecimus patentes , datum sub sigillo nostro magno in palatio nostro west monasteriensi , x die julii , &c. we delegat to the council of basil under pope eugenius for ambassadors and orators bishop robert of london , philip of exceter , &c. giving , and do herby give them , and the major part of them power and command as well general as special in our name , and for us to be present , to treat , communicat and conclude things as well concerning the reformation of the universal church , as the pacification of kings and princes ; and likewise of and concerning a perpetual peace and abstinence from vvar betwixt us and charles of france our adversary ; and also to treat , communicat , appoint , and to consent besides , and if need be to dissent from such things that shall happen to be appointed and ordained according to the deliberation of the said council : promising , and we do promise in good faith to hold for ratified , acceptable and firm to perpetuity whatsoever shall be acted or done by our said ambassadors , orators , or proctors , or the greatest part of them in relation to the premises , and any part therof whensoever we shall be certified , and as becomes a christian prince ; we shall have a care that all be put in due execution . in testimony wherof we have causd these our letters to be patents , given under our great seal in our palace at westminster , x iulii , &c. ther repaird to this council also henry beaufort son of iohn of gaunt , bishop of winchester , and cardinal of st. eusebius , having had license to transport l. in gold and silver , which was a mighty sum in those daies ; which money , as the story hath it , though mute , yet they were moving ambassadors . the second example shall be of robert sydney now earl of leicester , in an extraordinary embassy to the king of denmark , and other princes of germany , whose instructions were these following . charles r. instructions for our right trusty and right well-beloved cosen robert earl of leicester , vicount lisle , and baron of sulney , our ambassador to our dear uncle christian . king of denmark , &c. vve have preferrd you before others to this honorable employment , because we have observd your constant application to vertuous and noble courses ; and wold have it known to all that we esteem titles not of those that bury them in obscurity and vice , but of such that improve their worth for publik service in vvar or peace , wherby tru nobility raiseth it self above the common sort . vve send you to a great king whom we love and honor not only for his crown and alliance , but also for neerness in blood. your message in the first part is a ceremony sutable to the affections and obligations of princes , to express the sense they have of the mortality of their frends ; which office is best performd by a person of noble rank , capable of the impression wrought in noble hearts . but the substance of your ambassage is for the publik peace , and the interest of our brother , ( the palsgrave ) and our dear sister depending therupon . to advance this great work , you must with convenient speed fit your self for your journey , and pass the seas in a ship appointed to transport you to the sound , or the river of elve , as by the way you shall learn where our uncle the king doth now reside . when you are landed , you shall forthwith give notice of your coming , that your reception may be with honor due to our ambassador of your rank . then , after your coming to court , you shall in our name demand audience , and then attend the kings plesure for your access ; but you shall not visit any other until you have had the honor of his presence to whom you are employd . at your first audience you shall deliver our letter of credence to our uncle ; and then with a significant expression of our entire and cordial affection proceeding from the obligations of frendship , you shall tell him what great sorrow we have conceavd together with him for the death of our dear granmother the late queen his mother , whose memory you must adorn with her stile , and due praises enlargd , as the information of her life and death , and your own judgment will best direct . this office being performd with the king without any mention of other business at that time , you shall address your self to the prince if he be present , or otherwise by special audience , and deliver with our letter of credence our like condoleance , with expression of our hearty affection , as to a kinsman whose prosperity and inward frendship we very much desire . our letters to our aunts the kings sisters you shall deliver afterwards , with signification of our condoleance and of our love to either of them ; and if more of our cosens be there , you shall pass like offices with them all . whilst you attend this ceremony , you are to inform your self by avery , who hath the charge of our affairs at hamborough , and is also chosen commissioner for our sister : what is done concerning that portion of our granmothers personal estate which is due unto us , as by our uncles own letters now to be deliverd unto you , may appeer . which portion we have given entirely to our said sister , with order to her commissioners to sollicit for the same at the appointed time : and in case you find performance to our sisters satisfaction , according to our former letters sent on her behalf , you shall take notice of it , and give our uncle hearty thanks for his just favor and expedition . but if you find refusal , or delay for the discounting of such debt as upon former treties , and by his last letters our uncle doth demand ; you shall assure him that before the receit of those letters which mention the compensation of such debts , we had conveyd by deed of gift to our sister all our interest in the goods ; and given warrant to her commissioners to attend the division : and we hope our good uncle in his royal justice and favor to our sister his neece , and her many distressed children , will not add affliction to affliction , but rather give them help by his forwardness in this our gift , which we can no more revoke . if this prevail not , you shall modestly demand what those debts are wherof he expecteth compensation ; and therin to clear all misunderstanding , you are thus to distinguish . the debts to which our uncle pretendeth , are of two kinds , all contracted by our father of blessed memory , and not by us . first , our father after that our uncle had undertaken the german war , sent sir robert anstruther with an advance of forty six thousand pounds present moneys , and promised to pay thirty thousand pounds monthly so our uncle wold maintain one thousand horse , and four thousand foot , for restoring our brother and sister to all their patrimonial dignities and estates . if then our uncle shall declare , that this is the debt he pretendeth to defalque out of the divided goods ; you shall with due respects ( and as it were unwillingly ) call unto his mind what manner of performance was found on his part , and how little those designes have bin advanced for which our father expressed his royal affection by so large an offer ; which caused us at our coming to the crown to send the duke of buckingham and earl of holland to meet our uncles ambassadors at the hague to qualifie those indigested assumptions , made de bene esse , for the present , without debate of articles indifferent for both parts . and then ( as our uncle well knoweth ) we setled the accompt upon a new foot , and therfore ought no more to be called back to those exorbitant demands , which notwithstanding upon due calculation of all our disbursements in money , and in charges of our auxiliary aids and diversions , we have so much exceeded : that ( laying a side all exception for not performing conditions ) we have just cause to claim retribution , or at least acknowledgment of well-deserved thanks , and not to be now strained for compensation of those debts . of our ●…ast expences ther hath bin a list transmitted to avery from sir henry vane , wherof you may make use by a copy to be now delivered unto you , to acquit us of those debts . but ther is another debt for money borrowed by our father , which we do acknowledg both principal and interest , and for liquidation therof have given former directions to our ambassador sir henry vane , who is to meet the kings ministers at the hague in his return out of germany , and to consider of a cours for our uncles satisfaction , according to his expectation and our desire . upon this meeting ( if otherwise you cannot ) you must discharge your self ; and having setled the division of the portion , and put off the accompts in this manner , you shall afterwards proceed as you find time and opportunity to your more weighty negotiation concerning the common cause ; representing to that king our uncle the present state of christendome , specially of germany , the seat of the war , that upon a mature consideration therof both he and we may best advise how to govern our proceedings , as well for our safety as for our interests with others , and chiefly for the obtaining of a sure peace , which is to be desired for the common good . to this purpose you shall move him to cast his eyes upon that progress the king of sweden ( his neighbour ) hath already made by his sword , almost through the empire , beyond all mens expectation : and to foresee in his great wisdome what the consequence will be , if by victorious arms he shall obtain power to give the princes and states on both sides what law shall please himself ; which may reasonably be feared , if no cours be timely taken for preservation of their rights by treaty or otherwise . on the other side you may lay before him the power yet remaining in the puissant house of austria , with the dependance of bavaria , and other german princes ; and how both sides are supported by forren assistants , those with the money and countenance of spain , these with the actual arms of france , besides the diversions of the low countries and italy ; so as in all probability the war is like to last long , and the balance may be swayd as other princes put to their hands . and the king of swede having lately moved both the princes and states of his alliance , and others , to joyn league for the liberty of germany , and for peace , and inviting us to joyn therin : and the emperour also discovering on his side an inclination to treaty and to peace , you must entreat for our better information our uncles sound advice , and how he stands affected , and whether he be engaged in any such treaty ; with whom , and how far ; and whether our conjunction with the rest will be desired . to which we may by him be perswaded to apply our selves , so as by the treaty the full restitution of our brother and sister to their patrimonial dignities and estates , ( being the only interest of our engagement ) may be effectually provided for . if upon these intimations the king shall reveal unto you any overtures of a treaty already in hand , and that therin our conjunction will be desired , you shall with speed give us account of the particulars , and of the grounds therof , with all the circumstances of persons , times and places , that therupon we may send you such further powers and instructions for your proceedings with our uncle and other princes , as with the advice of our council we shall think meet . besides this main business , other occasions may be apprehended there by you for the advantage of our service ; for i●… by conference with avery you shall understand of any impediment or obstruction of the trade of our merchants residing in hamborough , caused by any difference betwixt that king and the town ; or by his pretence of commanding the river of elve , you shall do offices in our name betwixt our uncle and the town to remove offences , and to settle good agreement upon honorable terms for the king , and so as an innovation may not be made , which may prejudice the intended treaty , or which may restrain our merchants from that freedome of trade there , which they have enjoyed so many yeers . and wheras by occasion of the war betwixt poland and sweden new impositions are raised in the pellow , and elsewhere , with other restraints of trade , which in the end will force our merchants and the low country-men also to seek the commodities of eastland in america , to the great detriment of the kings customes at elsenore , you shall in this regard advise with our uncle how the ancient freedom in like manner may be restored in that trade . for island you shall signifie to our uncle that in conformity to his late letters we have prohibited our subjects that fish in those seas , or fetch hawks from those parts , either to export or import any merchandise to hinder his farmers ; not doubting of his gracious reciprocal favor to our said subjects in their lawful proceedings . concerning our coller of rubies which hath formerly bin engagd to raise moneys , you shall inform your self by avery how the case now stands , and shall proceed as upon further advice therof we shall direct . you shall keep good correspondence with our ambassadors and agents in all parts as occasion shall be offered , but especially with sir henry vane , who is employed with the king of sweden , and with sir robert anstruther at the emperours court. iohn coke . by these two presidents of commission and instructions , we may see how exact and curious the english court is in this point ; how quaintly such publik dispatches are couchd , not so plain and flat , with such superfluity of speech as i have seen the instructions of other princes stuffd withal . we will to the reception , attendance , treatments , gifts , ( lautia ) composing of differences , with other high civilities usd towards forren ambassadors in the english court. touching the first , ther are no ambassadors whatsoever receavd more splendidly , and with greater state both by water and land , then in england : for first , he is brought in royal barges a good way upon a noble navigable river , through a forest of main masts on both sides , and landed at the stairs of a huge tower in sight of a stupendious bridg , such as i may well say the world hath not the like . then is he conducted in the kings coach with a great number besides through the centre of the city of london , to a house expresly provided for him if he comes extraordinary , where he is magnificently treated for divers days upon the kings charge . now the rule of the court is , that the ambassador of a king is to be brought in by an earl at least ; an ambassador from dukes and republiks to be brought in by a baron . t is a rule also that no ambassadors be allowd this honor at privat audiences but only at the first and last publik , or when any are invited to dine with the king. moreover , that no ambassador except a kings , is to be met with the kings coach further off then the tower-wharf : and wheras the coaches of other ambassadors residing upon the place were usd to go to accompany the new-landed ambassador from tower-wharf , which gave occasion of clashing for precede●…ce of coaches , as happened the last yeer twixt the spanish ambassador , the baron of batteville , and monsieur lestrade the french , which flew so high that it went to effusion of blood , and killing , ( as it is mentiond before in the last paragraph of the first section more particularly ) ther is an act of state passd , that all forren ambassadors shall forbear for the future from that complement of sending their coaches to that purpose . well , the new ambassador being so housd , is visited by persons of quality , as also by other ambassadors : now , it is a maxime among ambassadors , that the first come is to visit the last come . touching presents , ther 's no court goes beyond that of england : it was a rule that the french and spanish ordinaries were to have ounces of gilt plate at their departure ; the venetian ambassador ; the archdukes , &c. but ( by the examples of other courts ) ther was a retrenchment herof , and it began first with monsieur buisseaux in king iames his raign ; who had but ounces sent him ; the venetian , and the archdukes , &c. touching divers sorts of clashes , contestations , differences and punctilios betwixt ambassadors , ther have bin as prudent and preventing courses taken in the english court from time to time as in any other ; as will appeer in the printed observations of that worthy knight sir iohn finets , to whom i refer the reader . we will conclude this paragraph with some further inspections into the laws of england concerning ambassadors . in the of queen elizabeth it was gravely debated in the bishop of rosse his case , who was ambassador here for scotland , an legatus qui rebellionem contra principem ad quem legatus , concitat , legati privilegi is gaudeat , an ut hostis poenis subjaceat : whether an ambassador who raiseth rebellion against the prince to whom he is sent , is to enjoy the privileges of an ambassador ; or whether he is to lie under a punishment as an enemy ; it was resolved by all the judges of the land that he had lost the privileges of an ambassador , and was punishable by the law of the land. herupon mendoza the spanish amdassador was commanded away because he fomented a rebellion , &c. moreover , as my lord coke hath it , and therin he agreeth with the civilians , if an ambassador committeth a delect contra ius gentium , as treason , felony , adultery , &c. he loseth the privilege of an ambassador , and may be punished in england as any privat alien , and not to be remanded but upon courtesie : but committing any thing against the privat municipal law and customes of england , which is not malum in se iure gentium , he is not punishable . the breaking of truces and safe-conducts was once high treason by the laws of england , but that was mitigated hen. . furthermore , my lord coke holds in his fourth institut , that if one be namd but agent in his credentials from a king , yet he is an ambassador . the ninth paragraph , concerning the wise compliances , and witty facetious sayings and carriage of divers ambassadors during the time of their negotiation , &c. as it is a principal quality in an ambassador to be serious , abstruse , and reservd in the discharge of his function ; so it is a mighty advantage for him to be witty as well as wise ; to be facetious , and play the drol sometimes ; for the italian says , non è saggio chi non sà esser pazzo , he is not wise who knows not how to play the fool sometimes . apt , pleasant and sudden reparties discover a great deal of wit. an ambassador being sent to the king of morocco ( whose law we know is not to eat swines flesh ) be brought him letters wherin all his titles were not given him ; the king said , sus has literas peperit , a sow begat these letters . the ambassador suddenly answerd , ne iis vescaris , it was done that you shold not eat them . the town of agrigentum , as herodotus reports , having sent gellias a very hard-favord man ambassador to centuripe , a low dirty town in sicily , and being jeerd , and stard upon at his audience , he answerd , ne miremini centuripini , ut urbes sunt , ita cives mei legatos mittunt , pulchros ad pulchras , deformes ad deformes : do not wonder , o you of centuripe at me , for my masters of agrigentum send their ambassadors as the cities are , fai●… to fai●… , foul to foul. don pedro de toledo being employd ambassador to henry the . of france , ther were many traverses between them at one privat audience , and don pedro magnifying much the power of the spanish monarchy , king henry said , that it was much like the statue of nebuchadnezzar composd of divers peeces , but having feet of clay ; don pedro then replying somewhat high , the king rejoynd that if he were provokd he wold carry flames even to the escurial ; and if that he once mounted , he wold be soon in madrid . don pedro answerd , indeed king francis was there , meaning francis the first , who was taken at the battail of pavia , and remaind prisoner in madrid divers yeers ; the king going on further to tax the king of spain for usurping divers countries of his , and namely the kingdome of navarre , which he might live to recover ; don pedro answerd , that the iustice wherby the king his master held navarre , wold help him to defend it ; the king replyd , your reason is good till i be in pampelona ; don pedro therupon rising hastily , and going towards the door ; the king askd whither went he so hastily ? he answerd , to provide entertainment for your majesty at pampelona . a french ambassador ( monsieur de tilliers as i take it ) residing here , and being invited one day to dine with king iames , the king being well disposd began a health to him , saying , the king of france drinks the french kings health ; the ambassador answerd as pleasantly , le roy mon maitre est bon lieutenant , il tient bien la france de luy ; the king my master is a good lieutenant , he holds france well from him . but of any that i have heard or read of , don diego de acunia count of gondamar , had an extraordinary faculty this way ; and besides , he had well studied the genius of king iames , ( in whose raign he resided here ) how he was pleasd with sudden plesant reparties , therfore he did seria jocose , he did dispatch serious things in a merry way . when sir walter rawleigh was gone with a fleet to guiana , and when news was broght that he had taken san toma , plunderd the place , and killd the governor , which was as some say beyond the bounds of his commission , wherin he was restraind from doing any acts of hostility upon the firm land , gondamar came early one morning to the king , desiring to speak but only one word to his majesty : being admitted , he cryed out , pyratas , pyratas , pyratas ; intimating that sir walter rawleigh was turnd pyrat ; but that word was so fatal , that it took off sir walters head , though upon an old score . another time having discoursd of many things with the king in a privat audience in french , the king askd him whether he understood latin or no ? yes , sir , said gondomar , i understand it , and speak it . discoursing afterwards in latin of divers things in a free and facetions way , it happend that gondamar spoke false latin once or twice ; the king smiling , said , how comes it to pass that you being an ambassador to so great a king , who shold be exact in all things , how comes it that you break priscians head so often ? gondamar replyed , sir , i speak latin like a king , and your majesty speaks latin like an ambassador . count gondamar having bin outragd by the rabble in london , who threw tobacco-pipes into his litter , and did him other affronts , coming after to have a privat audience , and the king taking notice of it , he said , la harina de ingalatierra es muy delgada , y fina , pero el afrecho es muy grossero : sir , the flowre of england ( meaning the gentry ) is very fine ; but the bran is very coorse , meaning the common peeple . another time being to dispatch a courrier to spain , and the old countess of buckingham being then in extraordinary high favor , that most suters made their address unto her , he writ in a postscript to count olivares , that ther were never greater hopes then now that england wold turn roman catholik , for the mother was more worshippd then the son. count gondamar being invited another time to dine with the reader at grayes inne , at which time the palsgrave was newly come to prague , among other healths ther was one begun to the king of bohemia : he pledgd it very merrily , and thankd the reader , with the rest of the company ; for it was the first time that ever he pledgd the emperours health in england . having another time dispatchd an express to spain , and the weather having continued dark and clowdy in london for many days , the post having receavd the packet , and taken his leave , count gondamar commanded , and told him , i forgot one thing , i prethee when thou art come to spain commend me to the sun , for i have not seen him here a great while , and i am sure thou wilt meet with him there . king iames having granted leave to count gondamar to raise volonteers to flanders for the service of the king of spain under my lord vaux , and soldiers coming but slowly to the sound of the drum ; gondamar coming a little afterwards to court , the king askd him what number of soldiers he had levied ? he answerd , truly , sir , i can have but few soldiers , but thousands that wold be captains though they were but common soldiers before . i will conclude with count gondamar in this very witty passage : when he was to take his leave of england in his last embassy , the king sent to my lord mayor of london to invite him to dinner ; which he did with much solemnity , having bid the chiefest lords of the court to bear him company : at first the lord mayor after other complements told him , my lord ambassador , your excellency me thinks begins to grow very gray . yes , sir , said he ; but my lord mayor , we have a proverb in spain , canos y cuernos no uienen porannos ; gray hairs and horns come not by yeers . being sate at table , the lord mayor began divers healths ; at last gondamar calls for a good glass-full of canary , and said , you are the greatest magistrat in the world , for you give place to none but to your own king , as i hear , and you live also as plentifully : but now that you have made so much of me , that having pledgd so many healths you put me in a jovial humor , i crave leave of these noble lords and you to begin a health or two ; and the first shall be to the king of spains mistress ; so the health was drunk round . then he took another glass of canary , and began a health to the king of spains wife ; which also passd round among the lords and aldermen . then standing up , he thankd them all with many complements , and said , i will now discover who these two ladies are ; the king of spains mistress is the east-indies , and his wife the west-indies ; ther 's none so fond of a mistress but that if a frend hath a favor of her , he will connive at it , as you my lord mayor , and these worthy aldermen whom i have in my eye , use to have of the east-indies . but my masters wife is the west-indies , which he desires to have soly to himself according to the law of nations ; therfore i pray you my lord mayor , and these noble aldermen , do not offer to meddle with the king my masters wife . we will now proceed to a few others . an ambassador extraordinary being sent by an italian prince to the emperour that he wold confer the title of serenity upon his master as he had done lately upon divers other princes ; but being to depart re infectâ , and taking his leave of the emperour that morning , and the weather being foul and very tempestuous , he askd what was the reason he wold begin his journey upon such stormy weather ? he answerd , ilne faut pas craindre la tempeste , puis que votre majesté à remply le monde de tant de serenité ; one ought not to fear tempests , since your majesty hath filld the world with such serenity . don pedro andrea being sent ambassador to a prince whom he had offended so far that he threatned to have his head cut off , he answerd , sir , my dead head will do you more mischief then now that t is living . francisco marco being sent from genoa to galeazzo duke of milan , but being delayed audience , and st. iohn baptists day being come , who was protector of milan , he presented the duke with a golden vessel full of basilique ; being askd the reason , he sent word that the genouois have the property of the herb basilique , which if one handle gently , it will yeeld a sweet smell ; but if it be rubbd , and trod upon it , it will engender serpents : and this witty passage conducd much towards the ending of the differences which were then a foot . the samnits being pressd hard by the romans , they sent ambassadors to capitulat ; who said , noble romans , you are grown too strong for us ; therfore if you propose moderat terms we will observe them eternally : if otherwise , we will observe them no longer then till we have opportunity to break them . that ambassador wanted no wit , who being in a pagan country , and standing in the way where the great idol whom all were to worship which passd by , he let fall his ring , and as he bowd to take it up , t was thought he adord the idol . the ambassadors of portugal and poland being at sigismund the emperours court , and ther being always competition between them for precedence of session , they met casually at a place , where the portugais having come before , he was got into the upper chair ; the pole rising up , and making a step forward in a posture as if he wold speak with him , and the portugais coming towards him , he whippd behind him into the upper chair , and so kept it . we will conclude this paragraph with the two ambassadors of perugia sent to rome , wherof the one was witty , but the other not so wise : being admitted to the pope , who was then very sick a bed , one of made them a long tedious speech , wherof the pope had shewn signes of distast : therupon the second said , most holy father , our commission implies , that if your beatitude will not suddenly dispatch us with satisfaction , my collegue shold recommence his speech , and pronounce it again more lesurely . the pope was so taken with this , that he gave order they shold be presently dispatchd . the tenth and last paragraph , of the extraordinary prudence and reservedness , the stoutness and gallantry of divers english ambassadors , &c. we will begin with that grandee of his time cardinal wolsey , who went over to france upon an extraordinary embassy ; and he had to attend him ( though not in joynt commission ) cutbert tunstal bishop of london ; the lord sands , late chamberlain to the king ; the earl of derby ; sir thomas moore ; sir henry guilford , with other knights and gentlemen of great rank , to the number of a thousand two hundred horse : for after a short transfretation from dover , he had so many in his train when he went out of calice . the french king francis . in person , with his mother , and most of the chief peers , came to meet him as far as amyens , above two days distant from paris . he carried with him l . sterling , a prodigious sum in those days , ( though silver was but d . an ounce ) he transported that vast sum with him to assist the french king , and other confederats in a war against charles . emperour . ther is no history can parallel this embassy , it was performd with such a glorious equippage ; besides , the ambassador had such a plenipotentiary and transcendent cummission , that he gave the law both to france and the popedome ; and he comported himself with such dexterity and high wisdome , that all the princes of christendome ( who had their eyes fixt upon him ) admired him . this second example shall be of another strain of gallantry by sir ierome bowes , who was employd ambassador to the emperor of russia , who was cryed up for a tyrant ; sir ierome at his first audience having some affronts offerd to be put upon him , that he shold put off his hat , els it shold be naild to his head , he was not a whit daunted , but kept it on still , saying , he had no such commission from the queen his mistress . therupon the emperour slighting the queen in comparison of the emperour of germany , who was the only prince paramount ; sir ierome replyed , that his great mistresses father had the emperour ( his majesty speaks of ) to serve him in the wars , and receavd pay of him . wherupon with a kind of astonishment at his courage he parted peaceably . but afterwards being advancd in his journey as far as archangel , and being embarkd , ther came some of the emperours officers with presents of rich furs for the queen , and some for himself ; and being come to the side of the ship with them , he wold not suffer them to board , but drawing out his sword , said , my mistress the queen of england hath no need of your catskins , nor i neither , therfore you may carry them back . ambassadors being sent to bourbourgh to treat of a truce betwixt the king of spain and the hollanders , doctor dale was sent for an assistant ; and coming to kiss the queens hands , she told him , that understanding he was a learned man , and a good civilian , she made choice of him for that employment , and she wold allow him s . a day . he humbly thankd her majesty , and said he wold spend nineteen of them evry day for her majesties honor : therupon the queen asking him what he wold do with the other odd shilling ; he replyed , i will keep that for my wife kate : so the queen encreasd his allowance . being assembled to treat , ther was a debate in what language they shold treat : the spanish ambassador thinking to put a jeer upon our ambassadors , said , let us treat in french , for your queen is queen of france . no , said doctor dale , then let us treat in hebrew , for your master the king of spain calls himself king of ierusalem . sir edward herbert late earl of cherberry , being ambassador in france , it happend that he had a clash with the great favorit , and constable luynes , which was thus : sir edward had receavd privat instructions from england to mediat a peace for them of the religion ; and in case of refusal , to use certain menaces . hereupon he coming to the army which was then before st. iean d'angely , where the king was in person , and he finding that the approches to the town were almost finishd , he hastned his address to the king for an audience . the king referrd him to luynes , desiring that what he had to say might be imparted unto him : wherupon he went accordingly to luynes lodgings , and deliverd his message ; but so that he reservd the latter part , which was menaces until he heard how the business was relishd . luynes had hid behind the hangings a gentleman of the religion , who was upon point of turning roman , that being an ear-witness of what had passd between the english ambassador and luynes , he might relate unto them of the religion what little hopes they were to expect from the intercession of the king of england . the ambassador and luynes having mingled some speeches , the language of luynes was very haughty , saying , what hath your master to do with our affairs ? why doth he meddle with our actions ? sir edward replyed , it is not you to whom the king my master doth owe an account of his actions ; and for me , t is enough that i obey him : in the mean time i must maintain that the king my master hath more reason to do what he pleaseth to do , then you have to ask why he doth it ; nevertheless if you desire me in a gentle fashion i shall acquaint you further . wherupon luynes bowing a little , said , very well . the ambassador answerd , that it was not on this occasion only that the king of great britain had desired the peace and prosperity of france , but upon all other occasions whensoever any troubles were raisd in that country ; and this he said was his first reason . the second was , that when a peace was setled there , his majesty of france might be better disposd to assist the palatin in the affairs of germany . luynes said , we will none of your advices . the ambassador replyed , that he took that for an answer , and was sorry only that the affection and good will of the king his master was not sufficiently understood ; and that since t was rejected in that manner , he could do no less then say , that the king his master knew well enough what he had to do . luynes answerd , we are not afraid of you . the ambassador smiling a little , replyed , if you had said you had not loved us , i shold have beleevd you , and made you another answer ; in the mean time all that i will tell you more , is this , that we know very well what we have to do . luynes herupon rising a little from his chair with a fashion and countenance much discomposd , said , by god , if you were not monsieur the ambassador i know very well how i wold use you . the ambassador r●…sing also from his chair , said , that as he was his majestie of great britain's ambassador , so he was also a gentleman , and that his sword ( wheron he laid his hand ) shold do him reason if he had taken any offence . after which luynes replying nothing , the ambassador went on his way towards the door , and luynes seeming to accompany him , the ambassador told him , that after such language ther was no occasion to use such ceremony , and so departed , expecting to hear further from him . but no message being brought him from luynes , he did in poursuance of his instructions demand audience of the king at coignac , st. iean d'angely being now renderd up ; who granting it , he did in the same terms , and upon the same motives mediat a peace for them of the religion , and receavd a far more gentle answer from the king. the marshal of st. geran coming to sir edward herbart , told him in a frendly manner , you have offended the constable , and you are not in a place of surety here . wherunto he answerd , that he held himself to be in a place of surety whersoever he had his sword by him . luynes little resenting the affront he had receavd from sir edward herbert , got cadenet his brother duke of chaune with a ruffling train of field-officers , neer upon a hundred , ( wherof ther was not one , as cadenet told king iames , but had killd his man ) i say , this man came ambassador extraordinary to england a little after , who mis-reporting the traverses twixt herbert and luynes , prevailed so far , that sir edward herbert was presently revokd to answer the charge that shold be laid against him . in the mean time the earl of carlile was employd ambassador extraordinary to france for accommodating le mal entendu which might arise betwixt the two crowns . carlile was commanded to inform himself of the truth of the business aforementiond , and he could meet with no relation but what luynes had made himself , wherin more affronting and haughty expressions were laid to sir edward herberts charge then had truly passed : for though the first provocation came from luynes , yet the ambassador kept himself within the bounds both of his instructions and honor. but as my lord of carlile was ready to send this mis-information to england , the gentleman formerly spoken of who stood behind the hangings came to the earl of carlile , and said , that he owd so much duty to truth and honor that he could do no less then vindicat cavalier herbert from all indiscretion and unworthiness ; and therupon related the true circumstance of the business , which was as it was before told . the earl of carlile being thus rectified in knowledg of the truth , gave account to king iames accordingly , who cleerd sir edward herbert , and resolvd to renvoy him ambassador to france , wherof he having notice , he kneeld to the king before the duke of buckingham , and desird that since the business was publik in both kingdoms , he might in a publik way demand reparation of monsieur luynes : for which purpose he beseechd his majesty that a trumpeter if not a herald might be sent on his part to monsieur luynes to tell him , that he had made a false relation of the passages before mentiond , and that sir edward herbert wold demand reason of him with sword in hand on that point . the king answerd that he wold take it into consideration ; but luynes a little after died , and sir edward herbert was sent ambassador to france again . iohn the late earl of bristol being ambassador in spain , had many clashes with the alguazils , and the alcalde himself , together with divers officers , to preserve the privileges of his house in point of sanctuary , which was done with much courage and discretion . but ther was one signal passage among divers other , one scoppius had publishd an infamous base book against king iames , and being in flanders , ( where sir iohn benet was sent for , among other things , to demand justice of the archduke upon him ) he had fled to madrid , and the earl being in despair to get him punishd there where the iesuits are so powerful , he employd a good resolut gentleman mr. george digby his kinsman to give the said scoppius a bala●…re or slash ore the face , which he did to some purpose , for t is athwart ore his face , and his mouth that had offended , which he carried as a mark of revenge to his grave . the said earl being also employd ambassador to the emperour in the heighth of the wars for the palatinat , and returning neer heydelberg , or therabouts where count mansfelts army was , upon which the greatest strength of the palsgrave depended , which army being ready to disband for want of pay , the earl of bristol pawnd his whole cupboard of plate to find mony for the said army , els all had bin lost at that time . such an extraordinary noble act ( and beyond commission ) the earl of leicester did propose also to do when he was ambassador to the king of denmark : for wheras that king made a delay to pay the portion which was due unto the lady elizabeth out of the estate of queen sophia her granmother , which amounted to about l. and which the said earl had power to receave ; and the reason of the king of denmarks delay , being , because ther were some accounts to be liquidated twixt his nephew the king of great britain and him ; the said earl ( provided he might receave the said portion due to the lady elizabeth to comfort her now in her great extremities ) offerd to engage besides his honor , all the estate he had in england , ( which his majesty must partly know ) that this shold no way prejudice the accounts that were twixt him and the king of great britain . this motion of the ambassadors was highly extolld by the king and all the danish court for the nobleness of it . the said earl being afterwards ambassador for many yeers in france , he wold never give precedence to cardinal richelieu : and touching hugo grotius , who , as he was ambassador for sweden , wold have made his coaches drive before his , he was put back avec un pied de nez , with a nose a footlong , as is mentiond more at large in the last paragraph of great britain which went before . liberorum cerebri sextus post quadraginta . finis . the bookseller to the reader . the reason why ther is no table or index added herunto , is , that evry page in this work is so full of signal remarks , that were they couchd in an index , it wold make a volume as big as the book , and so make the postern gate to bear no proportion with the building . chr. eccleston . archaioskopia, or, a view of antiquity presented in a short but sufficient account of some of the fathers, men famous in their generations who lived within, or near the first three hundred years after christ : serving as a light to the studious, that they may peruse with better judgment and improve to greater advantage the venerable monuments of those eminent worthies / by j.h. hanmer, jonathan, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) archaioskopia, or, a view of antiquity presented in a short but sufficient account of some of the fathers, men famous in their generations who lived within, or near the first three hundred years after christ : serving as a light to the studious, that they may peruse with better judgment and improve to greater advantage the venerable monuments of those eminent worthies / by j.h. hanmer, jonathan, - . howe, john, - . howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed for thomas parkhurst and jonathan robinson, london : . erroneously attributed to john howe and to james howell--halkett & laing, and dnb. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng fathers of the church. church history -- primitive and early church, ca. - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : or , a view of antiquity . presented in a short , but sufficient account of some of the fathers ; men famous in their generations , who lived within or near the first three hundred years after christ . serving as a light to the studious , that they may peruse with better judgment , and improve to greater advantage , the venerable monuments of those eminent worthies . by j. h. m. a. perutile into necessarium est , ut ad lectionem patrum accessurus , habeat anted informatam in animò meth●dum , & sciat , quid sing●●lis sit praecipuum , & quasi emineat , ac ubi cavendi sint scopuli , &c. chemnit . de lectione patrum . london , printed for thomas parkhurst , and jonathan robinson ; at the bible and three crowns at the lower end of cheapside , and at the golden lyon in st. paul's church-yard . . imprimatur , g. iane r. p. d. henr. episc. lond. à sacris dom. decem. . . to the studious , especially such as are in the ministery or intend it . it 's our blessed saviour's encomium of iohn the baptist , that he was a burning and shining light , iohn . . in respect of purity of life , and perspicuity of doctrine , which eminently appeared in him : herein is he a minister's pattern , in whom both these are requisite : for light without life would make him little better then an ignis fatuus , apt to mislead ; or like a candle in the socket , not so pleasing by it's blaze , as offensive for it's ill savour ; and life without light will render him of little advantage , if not prejudicial ; both in conjunction make an happy mixture , and qualifie the person in whom they are for that weighty function . reading is his proper work , tim. . . which , with pains about his heart , and watchfulness over his flock , may well take up his whole time ; there will be little overplus for the unworthy world or worse imployments . one of the great wants he will have cause to complain of , will be of time , as too short for the dispatch of the grand affair personal and functional incumbent upon him : and indeed he that hath tasted the sweetness , or duly weigh'd the importance of those two , i much marvel how he should be taken off from , or neglective of either , for things comparatively so mean , and mostly pernicious . that which best deserves our pains in study is , . in the first place the sacred scriptures , discovering to us things most necessary and useful ; without the knowledg whereof , all our other accomplishments will prove but insignificant things , serving only for vain ostentation , as no way furthering our own , or others chiefest good . these therefore call for our diligent and daily perusal ; which we should labor to make familiar ; so that they may as a choice treasure dwell richly in us in all wisdom , that we may be as scribes instructed unto the kingdom of heaven , able upon all occasions to speak a word in season unto any that shall have recourse unto us either for counsel and direction in their doubts or for comfort and consolation in their distresses . to which we should never forget to joyn fervent prayer for the obtaining of the spirit , the only guide to the right understanding of these deep things of god , without which they will remain as riddles and a sealed book unto us ; of the great advantage hereof to study , luther ( who each day spent three hours in this duty ) out of his experience , thus speaks , benè oravisse est penè studuisse , and again , haec tria faciunt theologum , precatio , meditatio , tentatio ; melch. adam . . unto these , the writings of such as in the christian church are most ancient , challenge the next place ; who have obtained ( as accounted worthy of it ) the venerable title of fathers ; as nearest successors unto the apostoles , and therefore for some centuries together wont to be stiled apostolici , even as many as precedeed the first council of nice . parker de dsc . christ. l. . § . these well deserve our serious inspection , acquainting us not only with the meaning of the scripture , but the doctrine also and discipline agreeable thereto , preserved in , and maintained by the church ; who were ever held in great esteem , and approved of by the orthodox in the following ages unto this day ; from whom the learned and judicious zanchy did scruple to dissent , comparing them to old wine , which he preserred before new . epist. ante confes . fid . and in his observations upon that his confession ( composed by him for his family when he was seventy years old ) we have him twice declaring his mind herein , viz. in p. . his words are these . hoc ego ingenuò profiteor talem esse meam conscientiam , ut à ve●erum patrum sive dogmatibus , sive scriptur arum interpretationibus non facile , nisi vel manifestis sacr . literarum t●stimoniis , vel necessariis consequentiis , apertisque demonstrationibus convictus atque coactus discedere queam : sic enim acquiescit mea conscientia , & in hâc mentis quiete cupio etiam mori , and p. . — a quibus , inquit , presertim ubi plerique omnes consentiunt , me pro meâ tenerâ conscientiâ deflectere non au●ere , toti ecclesiae christi ingenuè confiteor . to reflect upon foregoing ages , in a landskip of them is a thing both pleasant and profitable ; for thus we seem to live in more ages then one , and in joy the benefit of that experience which the narrow limits of our own cannot afford . this may we be , in a sort said to do , in the view of those ancient worthies who are the subject of the ensuing discourse ; men living nearest the apostles times , and most perfectly resembling them in their excellencies ; the due contemplation whereof is like to produce the most notable effects in such as are seriously this way exercised . for what can be of more force to fit us for , and quicken us to our duty , then frequently to cast our eyes upon the pourtraitures of such men , in whom is represented what is most worthy our imitation ; seeing that to learn by example is not only the most facil , but effectual way ; this being , as the surest , so the most affecting sense , and what enters hereby , having the strongest influence . who can look upon that burning light ignatius , whose heart did so flame , and life spa●kle with love to christ and his church ; and not find himself at least warmed with the like holy affection ? who take into consideration the indefatigable industry of origen , and not be thereby excited to mend his pace , and bewailing former slackness to fall to his work with double diligence ? would we behold the sweet fruit of uncessant study in the vast and various knowledge attainable thereby , making men shine as stars of the first magnitude in their several spheres and to communicate their streams of light to after generations ; and would be awakened to the like course in order to the like , or at least considerable attainments ? let us fix our eye upon those magazines of learning clement , and tertullian . how eminently doth the beauty of christian zeal and courage in maintaining the truth and opposing heresie appear in those heroick champions iustine , irenaeus ▪ hilary ▪ and athanasius ? bulwarks for the defence & security of the one , against all the fierce assaults , and cunning underminings of its adversaries ; and mauls and engines for the battering and beating down of the other . in the last of whom , together with it , was most conspicuous the grace of invincible patience , making him adamant-like unyieldable unto the most violent attempts of restless persecutors . in divers of them may be seen in it's lustre that more then conquering grace of christian constancy , not loving their lives unto the death in the quarrel and for the honor of their lord and master , obtaining hereby the glorious crown of martyrdom , set upon their heads by that captain of our salvation ; briefly , what a goodly map ( as it were ) of the choicest christian vertues have we meeting together , and shining forth in holy cyprian , as so many stars in a constellation ; piety and prudence , meekness and humility , compassion and charity , patience and constancy in suffering often , and the utmost for the sake of christ ? of what singular advantage must it needs be to us , to have the endowments we should strive after , that may accomplish us for our station , in such lively colours represented and the things we should practice so fairly exemplified & set before our eyes , as in these eminent men we find them to be ? and for their writings they are a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a precious treasure , from whence ▪ being duly improved , we may be furnished with such things as may be of no small advantage to our selves , and make us no less useful unto others . for therein shall we meet with not a few apt interpretations and expositions of many texts of scripture ; such as will afford us more then ordinary light for the right understanding of them : divers grave and pithy passages which may well serve upon several occasions both for illustration and confirmation of any suitable subject ; also , nervous & weighty arguments wherewith they have so pressed and overborn the adversary , that the nakedness of error hath been discover'd to the confusion of it's fautors that have endeavoured to maintain it ; and the beauty and strength of truth to the great exultation and establishment of all that love it . lastly , the best account of the face and state of the church of christ , both as to the sound doctrine professed , and wholsom discipline exercised in them ; wherewith it may well be presumed they were better acquainted then most others , and could give us the fullest and truest information ; it having been their special work to publish and defend the one , and they having had the chiefest hand in the management of the other ; to all which add the necessity of a considerable insight into these ancient records , that we may become no contemptible antagonists to grapple with , and ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , tit. . . ) to stop the mouth of those of the romish synagogue , who , having shamefully corrupted the doctrines of christianity , and shunning the trial and determination of the scripture , betake themselves for shelter unto the monuments of these worthies , audaciously pretending that they are theirs , and with greatest , though groundless confidence of their patronage . the improvement of the ancients in these regards is the design and scope of the following treatise , presenting the reader with a scheme both of their lives and labors , as may beget in the mind a fair idea of both , and so prove a good step toward the attainment of the ends proposed ; for herein a brief account is given of each of the fathers discoursed of in this decade ; . of their lives and special imployments in the places of their abode ; and the dignities and offices they were advanc'd unto ; together with their diligence and continuance in them ; and various accidents betiding them . . of their excellencies and accomplishments whether natural or acquired by their industry , with their elogies in this regard ; which shew in what singular esteem they were held ( as they well deserved ) by the most pious and judicious in succeding ages . . the admirable products of their parts and pains , which they either left behind them , or intended so to do for the benefit of posterity ; whereof , . some are lost through the injury of time , little remaining of them besides their names and titles ; which yet here you find recorded , as far as by diligent search and inquiry after them , they could be found . . some have been happily preserved , and are extant at this day ; and because in the edition of the works of these worthies the brats of others ( which they would impudently father upon them ) are intermixed among their true and proper births , and of some 't is doubtful whose they are ; ( and hereof the romish champions make no small use and advantage for the upholding of their tottering and desperate cause ) you have here as full a catalogue as could be gotten of whatever bears their names , with a hint of what kind they are , whether genuine , spurious , or dubious ; to the end the reader may know ( as much as may be ) whom he hath to do withal , and so his abuse herein may be prevented ; and of the genuine , the augument and sum of each is briefly set down , together with the time and occasion of their writing , which may give some light to the understanding of them , help the reader in his choice , and provoke to diligence and attention . . the stile they used , which in some of them is such as that a perspicacious and critical observer may be able thereby to make a judgment , whether the piece he is perusing be indeed the authors whose name it bears , or no ; which in some of them is so elegant , and adorned with the flowers of rhetorick that it entertains the reader with singular contentment and delight ; and in whom it is otherwise , an intimation hereof is given , together with what may be apprehended to be the reason hereof . . a tast of the choice and useful passages , wherewith they do abound , which may serve for an invitation to the studious to bestow their time and pains upon them as being well assured they will be neither lost nor ill laid out , in case that care and judgment be not wanting ; . and because they were ( though more then ordinary ) yet but men , and so subject to slips and faillings , these are , salvo honore , taken notice of , with the causes of , at least , divers of them , that as rocks and shelves they may be avoided ; and the unwary student , together with what is orthodox , take not in that which is unsound and noxious . . all is closed with the close of all , their deaths , whether natural or violent , by whom , for what , and when and where procured . all which he that would throughly inform himself of ( as in some measure from this treatise he may do ) shall find it , i doubt not , a notable clew to wind and extricate him out of those labyrinths and difficulties , which otherwise he may haply be involved in ; and make his way and work by far more facil and pleasant ; which that it may be the issue of this undertaking is heartily desired by him who is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . i. h. each chapter consists of all ( or most ) of these following particulars concerning each father . § a brief account of his life and travels in the church . § his elogy and the esteem he was held in . § his labors and writings : whereof , . some are lost . . some remain : of which , . some are dubious . . some are spurious . . some are genuine , and of these . . their sum . . their censure . . § his language and stile . . § some notable and select passages . . § his slips and errors : whereof . the occasion and ground . . the apology and plea that may be made for some of them . . § his end and death . the fathers treated of in this treatise , viz. page . ignatius antiochenus . . iustinus martyr . . irenaeus lugdunensis . . clemens alexandrinus . . tertullianus . . origenes adamantius . . cyprianus carthaginensis . . lactantius firmianus . . athanasius alexandrinus . . hilarius pictaviensis . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; or , a view of antiquity . . ignatius antiochenus . § . as touching ignatius , ( surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) that ancient and eminent bishop and martyr , what country-man he was , how brought up and educated , in what manner and by what means converted unto the christian faith , and advanced unto the weightier functions in the church , is no where extant nor recorded in history . the relation of nicephorus seems fabulous , and inconsistent with what is to be found in the epistles attributed by some unto ignatius himself , wherein 't is said , that he never saw christ corporally or in the flesh . he therefore could not be ( as the above-named author reports him to have been ) that little child that christ called unto him and set in the midst of his disciples , commending simplicity unto them , and saying , except ye be converted , and become as little children , ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven . but though he so saw not the lord jesus , yet did he live , and familiarly converse with them , that had so seen him ; being ( as is generally received ) the disciple of the apostle iobn , as were also his contemporaries , papias bishop of hierap●lis , and polycarp ordained by the said apostle bishop of smyrna , as was our ignatius bishop of antioch by the apostle peter , of whose right hand ( saith theodoret ) he received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; of which church he was the third pastor or bishop , the apostle peter being the first , to whom next succeeded evodius , one of the seventy disciples , as saith dorotheus . eusebius makes ev●dius the first , and our ignatius the second pastor there ; which is true indeed of the fixed bishops of that city : for peter stayed but a while there , and then departed unto ierusalem and other eastern regions . if therefore the apostle peter begin the catalogue ( as some make him to do ) then is he the third ; but if evodint ( as others ) then the second bishop of that place . his zeal toward the house of god was exceeding great , even burning hot ; for which he was had in as great esteem , and most acceptable unto those of chiefest note , especially polycarp and the rest of the asian bishops : whereof they gave an ample testimony by their flocking to him as the most famous man of all the east , when they heard that he was lead bound toward rome . for in his way , being at smyrna , the neighboring churches having notice thereof , sent each of them their messengers to salute and visit him in their behalf ; among whom were the bishops of some of those places , accompanied by the elders and deacons ; the like also was performed by the bishop of philadelphia , upon his coming to troas ; an evident demonstration of the high and more then ordinary respect which they bare unto him ; and his answerable worth who ( as they deemed ) deserved it from them . § . he was accounted the first and chief of the oriental bishops , as excelling them all , both in the holiness of his life , and his powerfulness in preaching the gospel ; as well as in the prerogative of his seat : yea among the fathers of the primitive church he holds the first place : a doctor in every regard blessed ; whom bernard stiles by the name of the great ignatius , our martyr , with whose precious reliques ( saith he ) our poverty is inriched : a most holy man , and altogether the most ancient of all now extant ; one truly divine , and even unto our memory famous and in the mouthes of many : a clear evidence of his admirable worth , and that variety of the gifts of the holy ghost wherewith he was choicely adorned , a man of eminent sanctity , as also a singular and ●ervent lover of our lord jesus christ ; in publishing the word of god very zealous and no less learned ; in so much as his learning , as well as his vertues were celebrated of old ; amongst which , the magnanimity of his spirit in the cause of christ , happily conjoyned with sweet humility and holy simplicity , did add not the least lustre to this accomplish'd martyr . § . the remains of his learning and labors are only some few epistles , written by him unto several churches and persons not long before his death ; which as a certain well drawn picture do excellently represent and give us a lively image of him : for therein are notably discovered his vigorous and singular love to christ , his fervent zeal for god and his glory , his admirable and undaunted courage and magnanimity in his cause , accompanied with such sweet humility and exemplary meekness of spirit , that as in all he shewed himself to be a true disciple and follower of christ , so may he well serve as a pattern for the imitation of succeeding generation . talis erat sublimis illius animi submissio , & è contra , ejusdem submissi animi sublimitas , ut mirâ quadam connexione summis ima conjungat , quae admiratione & delectatione animum simul afficiant . such was the submission of that sublime soul , and on the other side , such the sublimity of that submisse soul , that with a certain admirable connexion he joyned together the lowest with the highest , both which may well affect the mind with wonderment and delight . these epistles do amount ( as now extant ) unto the number of fifteen , and may be divided or ranked in three sorts . . such as are genuine , and for the main and bulk of them by most apprehended and granted to be his ; of which casaubon thus ▪ for the epistles of ignatius , to deny them to be ( those ) of that most ancient martyr , and bishop of antioch , would be heresie at this day ; and verily as for some of them , we shall else where ( if it shall please the lord ) defend their antiquity by new reasons . these are six in number , though commonly thought to be seven , because so many are said to have been collected by polycarp bishop of smyrna , and so many are contained in the catalogues both of eusebius and ierom. but that skillful antiquary the reverend vsher conceives , that the epistle to polycarp ( which is reckoned among , and makes up the seven ) is none of his ; ignatius writing no peculiar epistle unto him , but that unto the church of smyrna only , directed both unto them , and also unto him joyntly , as their bishop or pastour : and this ( saith that learned author ) i do not at all doubt to have been in the mind of ierom ; whose words , ( et propriè ad polycarpum commendans illi antiochensem ecclesiam ) are to be read as in a parenthesis , not as denoting a distinct epistle from that to those of smyrna , but as relating to the same . for ( as the quick eyed casanbon observes ) those words of ignatius mentioned by ierom immediately after , ( in quâ arte ) are not taken out of the epistle to polycarp , ( as baronius imagined ) but out of that unto the church of smyrna , where only to this day they are to be read , and not in the other . and eusebius produceth the same words out of the epistle to the smyrncans : thus , hic ignatius cum smyrnaeis scriberet , &c. hence honorius augustodunensis , in his book de luminaribus ecclesiae , ( being an epitome of ierome , bennadius , isodore hispalensis , beda and others ) enumerating the epistles of ignatius , altogether omits that unto polycarpus , which therefore ought to be ( and is by vsher accordingly ) ranked among the second sort of his epistles . the six genuine epistles then are these , his epistle . to the ephesians , wherein he mentions onesimus their pastour . . to the church of magnesia , lying on the river meander , whose bishop was dama . . to the church of trallis , whose overseer was polybius . . to the church of rome . all these were written at smyrna in his journey from syria to rome . his epistle . to the church of philadelphia . . to the church of smyrna . written from troas . which yet the centurists leave to the consideration of the diligent reader , how unlikely it is that they who conducted him should go so much out of the direct way and road leading to rome , and fetch so great a compass about in their journey . though these ( and these only ) are judged to be genuine , yet have they not escaped the hands of those who have offered no small injury unto them ; having most unworthily corrupted these ancient reliques , partly by addition and interpolation of what never fell from the pen of ignatius , and partly by diminution and substraction of that which they saw would prove of disadvantage and prejudicial unto them . these epistles ( saith chemnitius ) have in them many sentences not to be contemned , especially as they are read in the greek , but withal there are mingled other things , not a few , which verily have not in them apostolical gravity : it 's most certain therefore ( saith cook ) that his epistles are either supposititious , or at least filthily corrupted ; so mangled and changed by insertion or resection . that ( saith rivet ) they are of little or no credit , but only in those things wherein they do agree with the writings of the apostles , from whose doctrine that ignatius did not recede , both his piety and learning do perswade us . so that even those six genuine epistles , through the foul abuse that hath been offered unto them , have clearly lost much of that authority which they they had of old . for the discovery of this fraud , take a few instances : in epist. ad philadelph . mention is made of this heresie ; that there was in christ no humane soul : yet was apollinarius laodicenus the first author thereof , who lived about the year , a long time after ignatius . and as this is foysted in , so are those words left out , which are cited by theodoret , in dialog . . being taken by him out of the epistle to the smyrneans : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. i. e , they , saith he , ( speaking of those hereticks that denyed the truth of christ's flesh ) admit not of eucharists and oblations , but reject them , because from the eucharist is proved the truth of christ's flesh . for thus doth tertullian learnedly argue , lib. . contra marcionem . quod est phantasma , figuram capere non potest : atqui corpus christi capit figuram , scil . panem : igitur corpus christi non est phantasma . i wonder therefore ( saith scultetus ) what judgment they have , who bring this place of ignatius to establish trans and consubstantiation . that passage also mentioned by ierom , ( ignatius that apostolical man boldly writes , that the lord chose apostles who were sinners above all men ) is not now to be found , which yet ierom had out of one of the seven , ( if not rather six ) epistles contained in his catalogue , for he speaks of ( and therefore 't is probable he had seen ) no more . the second sort of epistles are such as are dubious , and concerning which it is very questionable whether they be his or no : of these there be also six in number , being the second collection , made ( as the reverend vsher conjectures ) by one stephanus gobarus tritheita about the year : by anastasius patriarch of antioch , about the year : and by the publisher of the constantinopolitan chronicle , about the year . so that in the sixth century after christ , they grew up to the number of , coming out of the same shop that vented the canons of the apostles , augmented by the addition of to the former ; as also the apostolical constitutions variously trimmed and altered . so that these are of a much later date than the former , the only genuine birth of this famous martyr . these latter six are . epistola ad mariam cassabolitam , or ( as some call her ) zarbensem . in two ancient manuscripts she is stiled maria proselyta chassabolorum , or castabolorum . it seems to be derived from the place of her birth or abode , or both , which may be a city in cilicia , in the lesser asia , not far from tarsus , famous for the birth of the apostle paul there . for so i find strabo making castabala to be a town of cilicia , situate somewhat near unto the mountain taurus . pliny also reckons it for one of the inland towns of this country , near unto which are the anazarbeni , now called caesar-augustani : the inhabitants of the city anazarbus ( fruitful in olives , saith rhodignie ) the birth place of the renowned dioscorides , as also of oppian the poet : so stephanus bizantii , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · to whom add niger , thus speaking , the city cesarea was aforetime called anazarbeum , situate near the mountain anazarbeum : again , castabala also is another town beside the mountain taurus . so that with a little alteration ( which might happen through time and the errour of transcribers ) she might have the name of cassobolita from the one , and of zarbensis from the other of those towns. accordingly i find in one of the latine versions , this epistle inscribed thus , ad mariam cassobolitam , sive castabalitam : and so doth the reverend primate chuse to name her in the same chapter . the scholiast upon this epistle , thinks this to be that mary whom , among others , the apostle paul salutes , rom. . . a woman of singular piety , and stiled by our author , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , most accomplished for wisdom and learning , and his most learned daughter . . to polycarp bishop of smyrna . . to the church of tarsis . . to the church of antioch . . to hero deacon of antioch . . to the church at philippi . baronius is very confident , that these as well as the former are ignatii germanas easdemque sincerissimas , the true and unfeigned epistles of ignatius : supposing that none can rationally doubt thereof , who will compare them together ; seeing that in the judgment of all the learned , their agreement in stile , character and many other notes of words , sentences and things doth plainly speak out and evidence so much ; than which ( saith he ) a better proof cannot be brought or desired ▪ so that there is no ground for the least suspicion of imposture . but these big words of his upon examination will appear to be of little or no force , as the reverend vsher shews : for as touching the likeness of stile , &c. between these epistles , it is not such or so great , but he that would counterfeit ignatius , might easily imitate him so far . the forger observed some forms of speech and composition , frequently occurring and familiar to him , which he conceived was for his purpose carefully to retain . he considered that ignatius delighted in compounding words with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the end , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning : for as he himself was surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; so are the ephesians praised by him as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words and the like he useth also in other of his epistles . hence the same words are taken up by the framer of these epistles . so likewise in the true ignatius we meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. wherein he is imitated by his counterfeit , as also in divers other expressions and sentences , which the impostor might do without any great difficulty : so that it ought not to seem strange , if there be in some sort an uniformity of stiles found in them . besides , the deceit may be discerned by some passages contained in these , which cannot be imagined ever to have fallen from the pen of ignatius , e. g. this is reckoned among the heresies sown by the ministers of satan , that christ is he who is god over all . again , if any one shall fast on the lord's day , or sabbath ( one only excepted ) he is a murderer of christ : also , if any one celebrate the pascha with the jews , or receive the symbol of the festivity , he is partaker with those who slew the lord and his apostles : wherein he condemns the romans , who used to fast on the sabbath : and polycarp , whom he calls most blessed , together with the asian or eastern churches , who kept the pascha or easter after the manner of the jews . viz. as to the day whereon they observed it : which plainly shew the author of these epistles to have been some latter , obscure and absurd fellow , altogether unlike ignatius . moreover , in these epistles there is some mention of some stiled laborantes , who are ranked among the orders of the clergy : and diaconissae , & cujusdam divini cursoris , or letter-carrier , of which functions or offices ecclesiastical , there is a deep silence among the ancients ; which , how could it have been , had ignatius written so plainly of them ? lastly , writing to polycarp , he thus speaks , attend unto your bishop , that god may to you : what had he forgot , that he wrote to a bishop ? almost throughout this whole epistle , i find , saith scultetus , the genuine ignatius wanting . and well might he say so , had he only taken notice of those two words , which argues the author to have been but a mean grecian , and very unskillful in that language , viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the copious greek were destitute of words , by which to express the latine deposita and accepta . upon such considerations as these , the famous whitaker thus concludes concerning five of these latter epistles : ( for he accounts the genuine to be seven , because that to palycarp is reckoned as distinct from that unto the church of smyrna , both by eusebius and ierom ) it 's apparent ( saith he ) that five of these are without doubt adulterate and spurious : again , it 's certain these are suppositious , and foisted in by others . and therefore though baronius do affirm , that four of these should be added by the philippians , unto the former , collected by polycarp , and sent unto them ; and that they were afterward commonly known both to the greeks and latines ( which yet neither eusebius among the greeks , nor ierom among the latines ( both of them curious enough in their enquiries ) came to the sight and knowledge of ) who can imagine , and would give credit thereunto upon the bare report of the cardinal ? — credat iudaeus apella , non ego . besides these , there are three more of a later date added to the former by antiocbus the monk , who lived under the emperour heraclius , and so seems to be coetaneous with the constantinopolitan chronicler , one of those formerly mentioned , who collected the second rank of epistles , between which two collections there could therefore be no great distance of time . thus now at last they are grown up to the number of fifteen : the three last added are , . one unto the virgin mary , together with her answer . . two unto the apostle iohn . which , saith bellarmine , are not to be found among the greek copies of his epistles , nor do they at all savour of the gravity of ignatius his stile . and baronius leaves it to the prudence of the pious reader , whether he will allow them any credit or no : only ( saith he ) we know that they are cited by bernard , and some later● authors make mention of them : but ( saith possevine ) they are of no such certain credit as the other ; yea , seeing they are not found written in greek , nor mentioned by any of the ancient fathers , ad bernardum usque , unto the obscure age of bernard : it 's the safer course in my judgment ( saith mastraeus ) to rank them among the number of apocryphal writings , or at least to account them not altogether certain and genuine . so faintly and dubiously do even the romanists themselves speak of the authority of these three last epistles . hence may we observe with what caution the epistles of ignatius , even the most received and undoubted ( since so corrupted ) are to be made use of ; and upon how weak and sandy a foundation ( viz. the pretended authority of ignatius ) the papists build their unsound doctrines , of superstitious honouring the virgin mary , of the name of pope given to the bishops of rome , of the real presence , of collegiate and cloystered virgins , of the vertue of the sign of the cross to terrifie the devil , of their feasts and lenten fast , of the authority of traditions and of the church of rome . and well may they be driven to such shifts , who shun the scripture● as insufficient : yea , justly are they given up to these delusions , who not contenting themselves with the sacred oracles alone , and the doctrines contained in them , ( which are able to make perfect , and wise unto salvation ) do fansie and devise new ones in their own brains , and then coyn and impose authorities pretendedly ancient for the maintaining of them . frivolous therefore and vain is the flourish of baronius ; that it came to pass by the admirable counsel and providence of god , that these epistles should all of them be written by ignatius , and notwithstanding the shipwrack which so many writings have suffer'd , yet that these should be preserved intire and uncorrupt : whereas 't is very evident that the greater part of them now extant are counterfeit , and not his , and the genuine miserably corrupted and alter'd . so that it may upon better ground be said , that herein the good providence of god hath been eminently seen , that he hath been pleased to stir up and assist some of his servants in vindicating the writings of this , and other of the ancients from the injury that hath been offered them by base and disingenuous spirits , who have preferr'd their own interest before the honour and truth of god ; and in plucking off the vizar , and discovering the fraud and leger-demain of those that would abuse and cheat the world , by the obtrusion of novelty instead of antiquity thereupon . § . his stile savours of a certain holy simplicity , as did the state of the church at that time , full of gravity , suitable unto a primitive bishop ; lively , fiery and solid , becoming so glorious a martyr . § . that which is chiefly remarkable in these epistles , are those passages which are mentiond by eusebius and ierom , as being most unquestionably such as fell from the penof this blessed martyr : wherein are in a lively manner drawn and deciphered the purtraiture of his most excellent spirit , his singular and vigorous love to the lord jesus , ( whose name is said to have been ingraven upon his heart in letters of gold ) as also his undaunted courage and magnanimity in his cause accompanied with unconquerable constancy and sweet humility . . his earnest desire of martyrdom , he thus expresseth : from syria even unto rome i fight with beasts , by land and sea , night and day ; bound with ten leopards , i.e. with a guard of souldiers , who are the worse for favors : but i am the more instructed by their injustice , yet neither hereby am i justified : would to god i might injoy the beasts which are prepared for me ; who , i wish may make quick dispatch with me ; and whom i will allure to devour me speedily ( lest , as they have been terrified at others , and did not touch them , so they would not dare to touch my body ) and if they will not , i will even force them thereunto ; pardon me , i know what is best for me : now i begin to be a disciple ( of christ : ) desiring nothing of these things which are seen , so i may win jesus christ. let fire , cross , and troops of violent beasts , breaking of bones , dissipation of members , contrition of the whole body , and all the torments of the divel , let them all come upon me , that i may injoy jesus christ. . when he was now condemned to the wild beasts , and with an ardent desire of suffering , heard the lions roaring ; saith he , i am the wheat of god , whom the teeth of wild beasts shall grind , that i may be found the pure or fine bread of god. immediately before which , go these words . i write to all the churches , and injoyn them all ; because i willingly die for god , if ye hinder not : i beseech you therefore that your love toward me be not unseasonable . suffer me to become the meat of wild beasts , by whom i may obtain god. . his care of the churches was very great , whom he earnestly presseth to holiness and a conversation becoming the gospel : and commendeth unto polycarp , ( whom he well knew to be an apostolical man ) , the flock or congregation of antioch ; praying him to be careful of the business there , about the election of a bishop or pastor in his room : manifesting herein his zeal for god and his glory , as also his cordial affection and fidelity to the brethren . besides these , there are in the epistles other things worthy of notice , though not so undoubtedly his , as the above-mention'd ; they are such as these . . his creed or brief sum of christian doctrine , wherein he accords with the apostles creed . his words are , beloved , i would have you to be fully instructed in ( the doctrine of ) christ who before all ages was begotten of the father , afterward made of the virgin mary without the company of man ; and conversing holily , and without blame , he healed all manner of infirmities and sicknesses among the people , and did signs and wonders for the benefit of men , and revealed his father , one and the only true god ; and did undergo his passion , and by his murtherers the jews , suffered on the cross under pontius pilate president , and herod the king , and was dead , and rose again , and ascended into heaven unto him that sent him , and fitteth at his right hand , and shall come in the end of the world in his fathers glory to judge the quick and the dead , and to render unto every one according to his works . he that shall fully know and believe these things is blessed . . though he were one of the most eminent men of his time both for piety and learning , yet out of the depth of his humility he thus speaks of himself , when bound for christ and his truth and lead toward his martyrdom ; stiling his chains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : spiritual pearls : although i be bound ( saith he ) yet am i not to be compared unto any one of you that be at liberty . again , speaking of the pastours of the church ; saith he , i blush to be named and accounted in the number of them ; for i am not worthy , being the last , lowest or meanest of them , and an abortive thing : he also divers times stiles himself , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the least . . speaking of the lords day ; let every christian , saith he , celebrate as a festival , the day of the lords resurrection , which is the most eminent of all days . . a pious and religious man is money coyned and stamped of god ; but a wicked and irreligious man is false and counterfeit coyn of the devils making , matth. . . . as touching antiquity , thus : i have heard , saith he , some to say ; i will not believe if i find not the gospel among the ancient records . but to such i say , that jesus christ is to me antiquity ; whom not to obey is manifest and irremissible ruine . . the spirit of errour preacheth self , speaking it 's own proper things , or notions , for it is self-pleasing , and glorifies it self : it is bitter , full of falshood , seducing , slippery , proud , arrogant , talkative , dissonant , immensurate , pertinacious , streperous . . he warneth the ephesians to avoid and beware of hereticks , of whom many were sprung up in his time ; and for so doing he commendeth that church as most pure , renowned , and to be praised of all ages ▪ because they denied them passage , who wandred up and down to spread their errours , and shut their ears against them . these hereticks in his epistle to the trallensians he particularly names , viz. those who held the heresie of simon , as did menander and basilides , and their followers , the nicholaitans , theodotus , and cleobulus : giving them this character , that they are vain speakers and seducers , not christians , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , such as set christ to sale , and made a gain of him , fraudulently pretending the name of christ , and corrupting the word of the gospel ; mingling the venom of their errour with sugred words , as those that infuse poison into sweet wine , that by the delicious savour and relish thereof he that drinks it being deceived and taken , may unawares be destroyed . . to the romans he thus writes : request this only for me , that i may be supplied with strength , both within and without not only to say but to will , not only to be called , but also to be found a christian. a christian when he is hated of the world , is beloved of god. it is better to die for christ , then reign to the ends of the earth . life without christ is death . my love was crucified . § . as touching the cause of his martyrdom , it 's thus related . when the emperour trajan returned from the parthian war , and every where in the cities commanded heathenish sacrifices to be offered ; which were sharply and justly reprehended by ignatius even in the presence of trajan ; he was delivered bound with chains unto a band of souldiers to be carried to rome ; whither being come , he was not long after brought into the theatre , and there had two fierce lions let loose upon him , and forthwith rent and devoured him leaving only the harder bones ; and so according to his desire , the wild beasts became his sepulchre : which betided him in the eleventh year of trajan ; and of christ , one hundred and ten ; after he had been bishop or pastor of the church of antioch the space of fourty years : for he succeeded evodius in that office , an. seventy one , and continued therein unto the year , one hundred and ten . shortly after , viz. anno one hundred and eleven , followed a mighty and terrible earth-quake , wherein many perished in divers places , by the fall of houses which overwhelmed them ; among other in the city of antioch , quam penè totam subruit , which was almost ruin'd by it ; at what time the emperour being there was in great danger , and like to have perished by the fall of the house in which he lived , being drawn out of it through a window and so preserved ; this terrible earth-quake is particularly described by dion cassius . iustin martyr . § . jvstinus surnamed first the philosopher , afterward the martyr , he was the son of priscus bacchius , of the city of flavia neapolis , of syria palestina ; for so he stiles himself : which city was before called sichem , and corruptly in the time of christ , sichar , the metropolis of samaria , situate in mount ephraim , a city of refuge : the natives called it mabortha : pliny m●mortha ; now it hath the name of napolosa , or napolitza and naplos . hence he is said to be a samaritan , and he himself affirms so much , thus speaking , neither did i fear to offend mine own nation , the samaritans , when i gave my libel or apology unto caesar . being a philosopher greatly delighted with the doctrine of plato , he was afterward converted to christianity by the courage and constancy of christians in their sufferings and martyrdom : for hearing that they were led captives , neither fearing death nor any torments which are accounted terrible : i thought ( saith he ) it could not be , that this kind of men should be subject unto vice , and set on pleasures ; for what voluptuous or intemperate man can so embrace death ? he also elsewhere relates how he was brought to the knowledge of the christian religion by a divine hand guiding him thereunto , after this manner . being enflamed with a vehement desire after true philosophy , he joyned himself to almost all the several sects of philosophers , in order to his attaining of it : in the first place , unto that of the stoicks ; from whom after a while he departed , because among them he could learn but little of god : leaving them , he next applied himself unto one of the peripateticks , who demanding a reward of him , he forsook him thereupon , as not esteeming such a one ( a meer mercenary ) to be at all a philosopher : from him he went to one of great fame among the pythagoreans , who asked him if he were skilled in musick , astronomy , geometry , &c. to whom he replyed , that he was altogether unacquainted with those sciences . hereupon understanding that it would be but lost labour , to endeavour after the knowledge of those things that conduce unto true happiness , till he had gotten somewhat that way ; he was much grieved that he should fail and be disappointed of his hopes . therefore bidding him farewel , he betakes him unto the platonicks , under one of whom he profited very much , and was greatly delighted in those studies , deeming that in a short time he should this way attain unto the knowledge of god. being much taken up , and eager in the pursuit of what he sought for , he gets him into a desart from the society of men , where he was followed by ( as he thought ) a grave old man , who ( when iustin turning about had espyed him ) asked him , if he knew him : he answered no. after much discourse with him , he told him it was a vain thing for him to imagine , that he should find the knowledge of the truth among the philosophers , who themselves knew not god , nor were assisted by the holy ghost , and having for some time had communication together about the immortality of the soul , about rewards and punishments : iustin assented unto what he had said , and demanded of him by what means he might arrive unto the true knowledge of god. he willed him to read and search the prophets , and to joyn prayer thereunto : asking him again what master he should make use of ? above all ( quoth the old man ) do thou pray that the door of light or illumination may be opened unto thee : for those things ( which are contained in the prophets ) cannot be apprehended by any , but by him alone to whom god and his christ will give understanding . and having so said , he suddenly vanished , neither did iustin from that time see him any more . hereupon forsaking the philosophers whom formerly he had followed , he forthwith fell upon this course , and so became a christian. as touching the former of these relations , it is nothing improbable , that the admirable and extraordinary constancy of christians in their greatest sufferings for christ might be an inducement unto him to enquire after the doctrine and religion which they professed , the truth whereof they could so willingly and chearfully seal with their blood : a notable demonstration of the excellency and divine original thereof , and so might it make way to his conversion . many instances might be given of the strange effects that such spectacles have produced in the hearts of those that have been the spectators : trajan himself ( who moved the persecution against the christians ) hearing good ignatius ( at that time when the lions were ready to be let loose upon him ) to utter those words , i am the wheat of christ , whom the teeth of wild beasts must grind , to make me pure bread for god : with admiration breaks out into these words , grandis est tolerantia christianorum , great is the patience of the christians : who of the greeks would suffer so much for his god ? to whom ignatius meekly replyed ; not by mine own , but by the strength of christ do i undergo all this . but as for the latter , whether he had such an apparition or no , and directions given him by his old man , what course he should take that he might come to the knowledge of the truth ; penes lectorem esto , i leave unto the prudent reader to judge ; yet was not augustin's tolle , lege , altogether unlike it ; neither are histories wholly barren and silent in relations of the like kind . the gravity and piety of the author may justly challenge from us a suspension at least of our censure , and stir us up to take notice of the variety of ways that god hath ( who can , if in his infinite wisdom he see it meet ) go out of the way of his ordinary providence to bring his great counsels to pass , and the things he hath purposed to his chosen from eternity , after that he had once given up his name to christ , he became a most notable champion and defender of the christian faith against the enemies thereof in every kind , especially the heathen philosophers , the bitter opposers of it , with whom he maintained with a great spirit many sharp conflicts and disputes for the vindication of it from their calumnies : for which work he was singularly furnished and instructed , being well studyed and exercised in the doctrine of the gentiles , and eminently skilled in philosophy , as the very addition to his name more than intimates , being commonly stiled iustin the philosopher . moreover , he was very ready and expert in the scriptures , as may be eminently seen in his colloquies with triphon the jew , whom ( as another apollos , and eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures ) he mightily convinced that jesus was the christ , and had undoubtedly won him to embrace the faith , had he not rather chosen to imitate the inbred obstinacy of his nation , than yield to manifest and invincible truth : as saith the publisher and perfecter of that latine translation and edition which gelenius had began and enterprised , but could not finish , being prevented by death . § . he was an holy man , and a friend of god , leading a life very much exercised in virtue ; an eminent lover and worshipper of christ , which he abundantly manifested in being one of the first that in those times of hot persecution ( wherein the very name of christian was accounted a crime sufficient for them to be proceeded against with utmost rigour ) took unto him the boldness to be the christians advocate , ( a title peculiarly given to one vetius epagathus , who being moved with indignation at the unjust proceedings used against the christians , desired that he might be heard in their behalf , undertaking to prove that no impiety was to be found in them ; for which cause , he was afterward stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the advocate of the christians ) publickly to plead their cause , to clear their innocence , and to vindicate them from the groundless calumnies wherewith they were aspersed by their adversaries , in his learned apologies ; which he tendred unto the emperours and senate of rome : as did also about the same time , aristides and quadratus , who all three presented their apologies unto the emperour adrian ; the like did athenagoras unto aurelius antoninus and commodus the next succeeding emperours . wherein ( having with singular zeal broken the ice ) they were afterward followed by divers : amongst the rest , apollinaris bishop of hierapolis , apollonius a noble-man and senator of rome , melito bishop of sardis , tertullian , &c. he was one that had attained the height and top of philosophy , both christian and prophane , abounding in the riches of learning and history ; but little studious to set out the native beauty of his philosophy with the borrowed colours of the art of oratory : and therefore , though his books be otherwise full of strength and stuffed with knowledge ; yet have they but little relish or savour of the sauce of art , nor do they with winning inticements , and cunning insinuations allure vulgar auditors : so much he himself freely confesseth ; i shall ( saith he ) deal with you out of the scriptures , not shewing much art in the choice and quaintness of words ; for i am not endewed with such a faculty ; only god hath given me grace to understand the scriptures . so that there is to be found in him more solidity and strength of argument , than of the flowers and flourishes of rhetorick . and yet is not this later altogether wanting in his writings in the judgement of the author of the parisian edition : for that he was an oratour ( saith he ) is apparent from hence , that his apologies for the christians prevailed so far with the emperours , that the rigour and cruelty that was formerly exercised toward them , was much mitigated and abated ; which to effect , no small piece of rhetorick was requisite . the success whereof eusebius gives us an account of , to this purpose . the emperour upon the receit of his apology became more mild , setting forth his decree at ephesus , wherein among other , these words concerning the christians are to be read . concerning these men , many of the presidents of the provinces have heretofore written to my father adrian : to whom he wrote back again ; that such should not be molested , unless they were found to have attempted something against the roman empire . and many have informed me also concerning them ; to whom i returned a like answer as my father had done . if therefore hereafter any one shall persist to occasion trouble unto such , as such ; let him that is accused be freed from the accusation : and let the accuser undergo punishment . § . of the books which he wrote ; in the general eusebius thus speaks : iustin hath left behind him unto posterity many monuments of a mind accurately instructed , and full fraught with profit in every kind : which seem to be the first after the apostolical times that have come to our hands . of these , some are lost and perished , only we find the names or titles of them recorded by himself and others ; of this sort are , as ierom hath them . . a volume against the gentiles , wherein he disputeth of the nature of devils : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : de exilio daemonum : of the exile of devils , saith suidas . . a fourth volume against the gentiles , which he entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a refutation ; trithemius calls it , castigationum , lib. . . of the monarchy of god : of which more anon . . a book which he called , psaltes . . of the soul : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : a scholastical discourse , wherein various questions being propounded , he annexed the opinions of the heathen philosophers , which he promised to answer , and to give his own judgement concerning them in a certain other commentary . . against marcion the heretick , lib. . saith trithemius : how many for number , it 's uncertain . books saith photius , necessary to be read ; stiled by ierom insignia volumina , famous and excellent volumes . . against all heresies ; or sects as suidas , a profitable work , saith photius . . a commentary upon genesis . . a commentary upon the apocalypse : so ierom in the life of the apostle iohn . being banished , ( saith he ) into the isle of patmos , he wrote the apocalypse , which iustin martyr and irenaeus do interpret . . possevine saith , that in the catalogues of greek manuscript books which came to his hands , is to be seen such an inscription as this . iustini philosophi & martyris , explicatio in st. dionysii areopagitae episcopi atheniensis hierarchiam ecclesiasticam , & mysticam theologiam . . an epistle ad papam : mentioned by himself in his epistle to zena and sirenus . the books now extant under his name are of two sorts . . some genuine and by all granted to be his , viz. . paraenesis , his exhortation to the grecians : wherein he exhorts them to embrace the christian religion as being of greater authority , and of more antiquity than the heathenish : and in the end , shews them the way how they may attain it . . an oration unto the greeks : wherein he lays down the reasons , why he forsook their rites ; and invites them , to embrace the christian religion . yet is neither of these mentioned by ei●sebius or ierom. . his first apology , unto the senate of rome ; which bellarmine conceives to be the later , and not given up unto the senate ( as our books have it ) but unto marcus and lucius the successors of pius , and that this common deceit was hence occasioned , because the first apology ( as they are usually placed ) wants the beginning , and therefore it could not be known unto whom it was directed . herein . he complains of their most unjust proceedings in punishing the christians meerly for the name . . he makes answer unto those things which were objected to them by the gentiles . . he requests them , that to their decree , if they should publish any thing concerning this thing , they would publickly annex this apology , that the innocency of the christians might be known unto all . . his second apology which he tendred unto antoninus pius , to his sons , and to the whole senate and people of rome ; which baronius calls , fortem & gravem apologiam , a strong and grave apology , first named both by eusebius and ierom , and therefore likely to be the first of the two . the sum whereof baronius gives us in these words : multa exprobrat de iniquissimis in christianos judiciis , &c , i. e. he much upbraids them for their most unjust proceedings against the christians , viz. for that without any inquiry into cause or matter , they were adjudged to death as the most impious and flagitious of all men ; and that for no other reason , but because they were christians ; the very name being accounted crime enough . wherefore he doth notably clear them from the several calumnies cast upon them , and fully demonstrates their innocency by many arguments : particularly that they were not such as they were commonly fam'd to be , viz. atheists , because though they worshipped not the gods of the heathen , yet they knew the true god , and performed that service that was agreeable unto him : also that they looked not for an earthly kingdom ( as was suspected of them , for which cause the romans stood in fear of a rebellion and their defection from them ) but a divine and heavenly , that made them most willing to run the hazard , and suffer the loss of this present life ; which they never could do , were they possessed with any desires of reigning in the world. moreover , he wipes off those blasphemies wherewith the christians were loaded , for their worshipping of a crucified man , by such as were altogether ignorant of the mystery of the cross of christ. shewing , that the religion of such as worshipped the gods was but a vain and sordid superstition . he likewise learnedly and copiously discourseth of the divinity of christ , and of his incarnation or assuming our nature : and unfolds many things of the mystery of the cross : and by many clear and convincing arguments proves the verity of the christian faith : withal insinuating their harmless life , exact observance of chastity , patience , obedience , peaceableness , gentleness , and love , even to their very enemies . lastly , he lays before them the rites or manner observed by the christians in their sacred mysteries , viz. baptism , and the lord's supper , &c. because of the slanders that were raised and scattered abroad concerning them , as if horrible and abominable things were practiced by them ( such indeed as are not to be once named among them ) in their secret meetings upon such occasions . all which he performed with such admirable liberty and boldness , as became so zealous and advocate in so good a cause : wherein the magnanimity of his spirit moved with an holy indignation , may evidently be discern'd by the seriousness of the matter contained in it , and the solidity of the arguments by which , what he undertook is fully proved . . a dialogue or colloquy with tryphon a jew : which morel calls , illustris disputatio ; a notable disputation in ephesus a most famous city of asia , with tryphon the chief of the jewish synagogue , continued by the space of two whole days , for the truth of the christian religion : wherein he proves the jews to be incredulous , contumacious blasphemers of christ and christians ; infidels and corrupters of the scriptures , falsly interpreting the words of the prophets : and most clearly demonstrates by innumerable testimonies , fetched from the old law , that jesus our saviour , is the true messiah , whom the prophets foretold should come . . an epistle to zena and serenus ; which comprehends the whole life of a christian man , whom he instructs in all the duties belonging to him : of which yet bellarmine makes some doubt whether it be his or no. . an epistle unto diognetus ; wherein he shews why the christians have left the jews and greeks ; what their life and doctrine is , and why they contemn death . as not the two first , so neither are these two last mentioned by eusebius or ierom : yet are all these seven conceived to be the proper works of iustine . besides these there are other extant under his name , which yet are either question'd , or conceived to be none of his ; but supposititious , & falsly ascribed to him : they may be discerned from those that are genuine , either by the diversity of the stile , or some other evident notes distinguished the one from the other . and they are these that follow . . his book de monarchia : the stile whereof is not unlike that of iustine : yet is it doubtful , whether he were the author of it : . because the title differs from that mentioned by eusebius , ierom , photius and suidas , who intitle the book written by him , de monarchia dei : whereas this is only de monarchia . . in that he tells , that he fetcheth testimonies not only from our own authors , i. e. the sacred scriptures ; but also writings of the heathens : whereas in this now extant , the later sort of testimonies only are to be found . gelenius also in his latin edition of the works of iustin , ( which he saith comprehended all those then extant ) leaves this out altogether . perionius therefore concludes , that either this , that we now have is not perfect , but wants many pages ; or else for certain iustin wrote another book upon this subject . miraeus is of this judgement , that half of the other book de monarchia remains ; and that half of one book de monarchia dei is lost . the sum of it is to exhort the greeks , to leave their idolatry , and to worship the true god ; whom their poets did acknowledge to be the only creator and governour of all things ; but made no reckoning at all of their feigned gods . . an exposition of the true faith , or of a right confession of the holy and coessential trinity . which by divers arguments may evidently be proved to be none of his ; especially . . by the stile , which seems to differ from that of iustin , being more curt and neat than his . . because he speaks much more apertly and distinctly of the mysteries of the trinity , and incarnation , than the writers of that age are wont to do . . none of the ancients make mention of it . . the words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. were not then so usual in the church : nor are they any where to be found in the writings of iustin , when as yet he sometimes professedly handles the doctrine of the trinity . bellarmine himself therefore is doubtful of it : ambigo , saith he , ●n ejus sit : and well he might , there being so much cause . but whoever were the author of it , it is an excellent and profitable discourse , and worthy of such an author as iustin. herein he shews , that there is indeed but one god , who is known in the father , son , and holy spirit ; and that these three have but one and the same essence , as also discourseth of the incarnation of the word ; who is mediator according to both natures , the manner of the union whereof in christ is ineffable . . a confutation of certain opinions of aristotle : which ( saith possevine ) iustin did not write ; neither will baronius undertake to determine whether it be his or no. eusebins , ierom and suidas mention it not ; for which cause it is justly rejected , as not written by iustin ; though photius speak of it as his , and it have no evident note of falshood , in the judgement of bellarmine ; therefore , saith he , i have nothing to say one way or other . . certain questions propounded by the christians to the gentiles , and their answers to them , together with a confutation of those answers . which piece , as the stile bewrays it to be none of iustins ; so may it easily be discerned also from the often mention of the manichees in the confutation of the answer to the first question : who arose above an hundred years after iustin. . certain questions propounded by the greeks or gentiles , with the answers of the christians unto them . which are ranked with the former by the centurists . . this answers to questions , unto the orthodoxes : it seem not to iustins , saith possevine ; the same thinks bellarmine : yea , that this is certain , many things contained in them do plainly evince . as . some words , which were not in use in the church , till a long time after iustin. e. g. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. . in them is cited irenaeus . quest. . whom he stiles a martyr : yet did iustin die some fourty years before : viz. an. . where irenaeus suffered martyrdom , an . . according to the account of baronius . also origen is quoted , quest. . & . who yet was long after iustin. . divers passages are here to be found , which are cross to what is contained in the genuine writings of iustin. e. g. that the witch of endor did but delude the eye ; that they seemed to see samuel , when 't was not he . quest. . whereas iustin asserteth that 't was the true samuel that was raised . also , quest. . the angel that spake with iacob and moses , and other of the patriarchs , is said to be a created angel ; and that for his office committed to him , he was honoured with the name of god. whereas iustin earnestly contends and affirms , that that angel was christ the son of god. add hereto , that the stile shews them to be counterfeit ; which seems ( saith sixtus senensis ) not unlike unto that of theodoret in his questions upon the octoteuch : and it is conceived that they were written by some one who lived about that time . besides all this , there are among them so many questions and answers , unworthy of the piety , candour and learning of iustin , that if they be compared with his true writings , they will be found to differ no less than gold and lead , the one from the other . upon how frail a foundation then are those unsound doctrines of the papists built ( for the proof whereof these spurious writings are often alledged ) viz. the lawful use of the cross , the virgin mary without sin , keeping and worshipping of reliques , religious vows , baptism necessary unto salvation , the use of chrism , ceremonies of the mass , free-will and that confirmation is a sacrament . § . the stile that iustin used , was vehement and worthy of one that handled serious matters : but it came nearer to that of the philosopher , than to that of the orator ; which is the reason why he is sometimes obscure . § . many things of special note , and very observable are to be met withal in this ancient author : among the rest are such as these . . he acquaints us with the manner of the christians performance of the duties of worship in their publick assemblies ; which was thus : upon the day which is called sunday ( saith he ) or the first day of the week , are the meetings or publick assemblies of those inhabiting both the city and country : where are read , as time will permit , the writings of the prophets and apostles : the reader having ended , the pastor or president makes an exhortation instructing and stirring them up to imitation of things that are honest : afterward , we all rise up together , and offer up prayers ; which concluded , there is brought forth bread , and wine , and water : then the pastor , according to his ability , offers up prayers and thanksgivings , the people saying amen . then being consecrated , they are distributed unto every one , and sent to such as are absent by the deacon . the wealthier sort , if they please , contribute somewhat , as they will : and what is gathered , is deposited with the pastor ; who therewith relieves orphans , widdows , and such as through sickness , or any other necessity are in want ; as also such as are in bonds and strangers ; briefly he takes care of all that are poor . and therefore do we meet upon sunday , because upon it god dispelling the darkness , and informing the first matter , created the world , and also because upon that day jesus christ our saviour rose again from the dead . and a little before he thus speaks of the same matter . after baptism we bring him that believes and is added to us , to the place where the brethren , as they are called , are congregated , making their joynt prayers for themselves , or he that is illuminated or baptized , and for all others every where , with all their might . prayers being ended , we mutually salute one another with a kiss : then is there offered unto the pastor ( or president ) bread and a cup of water and wine : he receiving them , returns or sends up praise and glory unto the father of all things , through the name of the son and holy spirit ; and largely gives thanks , for that he accounted us worthy of these gifts : when he hath finished the prayers and thanksgiving , all the people that are present , follow him with their well-wishing acclamations , saying , amen , and , amen , in the hebrew tongue , signifies , be it so . then , after that the president hath ended the thanksgiving , and all the people have given their acclamations and approbations , they that with us are called deacons distribute to every one of those that are present , that each may partake of that bread , wine and water , that hath been blessed , and carry it unto those that are absent . and this nourishment or food among us is called the eucharist : whereof it is not lawful for any to partake , but only such a one as believes our doctrine to be true , and hath been washed in the laver for remission of sins , and unto regeneration , and lives so as christ hath delivered or taught . in this plain and simple manner were the ordinances according to christs institution then administred ; without all those pompous observations , ceremonies and superstitious additions , which in after times by degrees were brought in , practised and prevailed to the great dishonour of god , detriment of souls , disturbance of the church , and despoiling of the ordinances themselves of much of their beauty and lustre , which then shines forth most , when they are preserved in their native purity , and kept most free from all debasing mixtures of mens devices and adventitious supposed ornament , which rather deform than deck and adorn them . . o● the sufferings of the christians , their joy in them with 〈◊〉 ground thereof , and the 〈…〉 thus speaks . 〈…〉 we are slain , we rejoyce , having this perswasion that god will raise us up by his christ. there is none that can terrifie or bring us into bondage , who by believing have given up our names to jesus ; this is manifested through all the earth : for when we are slain with the sword , crucified , and punished with bonds , fire , and all kind of torments , it is sufficiently known that we forsake not our profession : and the more we are tormented , the more is the number of believers , and such as embrace the true religion , through the name of jesus increased . for as by pruning , the vine spreads and becomes more fruitful ; so fares it with us : for his people are a vine or vineyard planted by god and our saviour . . he shews that the gift of casting out devils , of prophesie , and other extraordinary gifts of the holy ghost , continued unto this time . whereof he thus speaks . we call jesus christ our helper and redeemer , the virtue of whose name the devils tremble at and fear ; and even at this day being adjured by the name of jesus christ , who was crucified under pontius pilate , the governour of iudea , they obey us : that thence also it may appear unto all that the father hath given him so great power , that even the devils are subject to his name , and to the oecomony , or dispensation of his passion . now if the oeconomy of his passion be shewn to have obtained , and to obtain so great power , how great will it be at his glorious appearing ? concerning this we have another passage to the same purpose , in his first ( as it s ordinarily accounted ) apology : as also no less than twice more doth he make report thereof in his dialogue with tryphon . in the last of which places ( which i therefore set down as his creed , because it contains the sum of the articles of the apostles creed , that respect jesus christ ) he thus saith : by the name of this very son of god , and first born of every creature , born of the virgin , and made a man subject to sufferings , crucified under ponti●● pilate by your nation , who died and rose again from the dead , and ascended into heaven ; every devil adjured is overcome and brought into subjection . but if ye should adjure them by any name of the kings , or just men , or prophets , or patriarchs that have been among you , not one of them should yield obedience . again , mentioning that prophesie : i will pour out my spirit upon all flesh , and upon my servants , and upon mine handmaids , and they shall prophesie : among us ( saith he ) you may see both women and men , having gifts from the spirit of god. lastly , among us even unto this day there are prophetical gifts : from whence you ought to understand , that those ( gifts ) which of old time were in your nation , are now translated unto us . of such places of scripture as do seem to contradict one another , he declares what he himself doth , and others should think of them . i shall never dare to think or say that the scriptures are contrary one unto another : but , if any scripture be propounded , which seems to be such , and to have a shew of being contrary to some other ; i being throughly perswaded , that no one scripture is contrary unto another , will rather confess that i do not understand the things that are spoken ; and will endeavour that those who suspect the scriptures to be contrary , would rather be of the same mind with me . so great was the reverence and respect that he bare unto the sacred scriptures . . unto what persons , and in what manner baptism , was then administred , he acquaints us , saying : as many as are perswaded and do believe those things that are taught and spoken by us to be true , and promise to live accordingly , they are taught to pray fasting , and to beg of god the pardon of their former sins , we praying and fasting together with them : then are they brought by us unto the place where the water is , and are regenerated after the same manner of regeneration wherewith we were regenerated . for in the name of the father and lord god of all , and of our saviour jesus christ , and of the holy spirit they are then washed in water . — and through the water we obtain remission of those sins which we had before committed . and this washing is called illumination , because the minds of those that learn these things are enlightned . . we make account that we cannot suffer any harm from any one , unless we be convicted to be evil-doers , or discovered to be wicked persons . you may indeed put us to death , but you cannot hurt us . . such was the innocency and tenderness of christians ; that , whereas ( saith he ) before we believed , we did murther one another , now we not only do not oppugn or war against our enemies , but , ( that we may not lie nor deceive the inquisitors ) confessing christ we die willingly . . so great was the courage and resolution of christians : that although , saith he , it were decreed to be a capital crime for any to teach or even to profess the name of christ ; we notwithstanding both embrace and teach it . . concerning the translation of the septuagint , he gives this account : that ptolemy king of egypt , erecting a library at alexandria , and understanding that the jews had ancient books which they diligently kept , he sent for seventy wise men from ierusalem , who were skill'd both in the greek and hebrew tongues , and committed unto them the care of translating those books . and that being free from all disturbance they might make the quicker dispatch of the translation , he commanded a like number of cells , or little rooms to be made , not in the city it self , but about seven furlongs from it , where the pharos was built , that each one should finish his interpretation by himself alone , requiring the servants attending them , to be in every regard serviceable to them ; only to hinder them from conversing together , to the end that the exact truth of the interpretation might be known by their consent . and coming to know that these seventy men used not only the same sense , but also the same words in the translation , and that they differ'd no not so much as in one word one from another , but had written in the same words of the same things ; being hereat astonished , and believing the interpretation to be accomplished by divine assistance , he judged the men worthy of all honour as loving , and beloved of god , and with many gifts commanded them to return again into their own country : and having the books in admiration ( as there was cause ) and consecrating them unto god , he laid them up there in the library : these things we relate unto you , o ye greeks , not as fables and feigned stories , but as those who have been at alexandria , and have seen the footsteps of those cells yet remaining in pharos : this we report as having heard it from the inhabitants , who have received the memorable things of their countrey by tradition from their ancestors : which also you may understand from others , and chiefly from those wise and approved men who have recorded these things , namely philo and iosephus . . concerning the sibyls , thus , o ye greeks , if you have not greater regard unto the fond or false imagination of them that are no gods , then unto your own salvation give credit unto the most ancient sibyls , whose books happen to be preserved in the whole world , teaching you from a certain powerful inspiration by oracles , concerning those who are called , but are not gods : and plainly and manifestly foretelling the coming of our lord jesus christ , and of all things that were to be done by him . for the knowledge of these things will be a necessary praeludium or preparation unto the prophecies , or to the reading of the prophecies of holy men. § . though his excellencies were great , yet were they accompanied with many imperfections , viz. his slips and errours that he had , which we shall briefly point at and give notice of , and they were such as these . . he was an express chiliast or millenary , and a most earnest maintainer of that opinion , as were many of the ancients beside him , viz. irenaeus , apollinarius bishop of hierapolis , nepos an egyptian bishop , tertullian , lacta●tius , victorinus , &c. the first broacher of this errour was papias , the auditor or disciple of iohn , not the apostle , but he who was called presbyter or senior , and whose the two latter epistles of iohn are by some conceived to be . this man was passing eloquent ▪ but of a weak and slender judgement , as by his books appears ; yet did he occasion very many ecclesiastical men to fall into this errour , who had respect unto his antiquity : and among the rest , iustin , as appears in divers places of his books : particularly in his dialogue with tryphon the jew ; who pressing him after this manner . tell me truly saith he , do you acknowledge that the city ierusalem shall be built again , and that your people shall be there gathered together , and live in pleasures with christ , &c. to whom i thus replyed , saith he , i am not such a wretch , o tryphon , as to speak otherwise then i think ; i have confessed unto thee before , that my self and many others are of the same mind , as ye fully know , it shall be even so : but withal i have signified unto thee , that some christians of a pure and pious judgement , do not acknowledge this : — but as for me , and those christians who are of a right judgement in all things , we do know that there shall be a resurrection of the flesh , and a thousand years in ierusalem re-built , beautified and enlarged , as the prophets ezekiel , esay and others have published . — and afterward that there shall be an universal and everlasting resurrection of all together and a judgement , as a certain man of our own , whose name was iohn , one of the twelve apostles of christ , in that revelation which he had , hath foretold . . he entertained a gross judaical conceit , concerning some of the angels : of whom he hath these words : that god having made the world , and put the earth in subjection unto man : — he committed the care of men themselves and of the things under the heavens unto certain angels whom he had appointed hereunto : but the angels transgressing the ordinance of god , were overcome with the company of women , on whom they begat those children which are called daemons : and moreover they brought the rest of mankind into servitude unto themselves , — and sowed murthers , adulteries , wars , and all kind of wickedness among men , this errour took its rise from an ancient edition of the septuagint , which philo iudaeus , and eusebius followed : they finding , genesis . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filii dei , the sons of god , rendred those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and hence it came to pass , that many of the ancients both greek and latin , did so expound that place , whence sprung the errour above mentioned . . he attributes too much to the writings of plato . and other philosophers , saying , that the doctrines of plato differ not from christ , but that they are not altogether like : also , whosoever live according to reason , . although they have been accounted without god , worshippers of no deity , yet are they christians : such among the greeks were socrates , heraclitus and the like to them . this it seems he delivered , that he might the more easily draw the gentiles unto the faith of christ ; saith osiander . . he too highly advanceth the power and freedom of man's will : whereof he thus speaks . caeterùm , nequis nostra dicta sic accipiat , quasi fati necessitatem asseramus , & que fiunt ideo fieri , quia praedicta sunt ; explicabimus hoc quoque . poenas ac praemia pro dignitate operum cuique reddi verum est , & compertum ex prophetarum oraculis . alioquin si fato regerentur omnia , nihil omninò relictum esset in nostrâ potestate : nam si fatali lege alius bonus esset , alius malus : nec laudeni ille , nee hic mereretur vituperium : et nisi homines arbitratu suo possunt turpia fugere , honesta sectari , extra culpam erunt , quicquid agant . caeterùm quòd liberâ voluntate vel pèccent vel officium faciant , sic demonstrabimus , &c. these things i mention not to discover the nakedness of this venerable father , but that it may from hence appear that the writings of the holy prophets and apostles only are exempt from errour and defects , and that those of the most eminent men are to be read with caution , to be examined by that touch stone , and so far only to be approved of , as they shall be found agreeing with that unerring and perfect word , and no further : for by it must we try the spirits whether they be of god , and proving all things , hold fast that only which it shews to be good . . as for his death or martyrdom , he was brought unto it by the procurement of one crescens a cynick philosopher , with whom he had much contended : which he himself did before apprehend and expect , as appears from his own words : i look ( saith he ) by some one of them who are called philosophers , to be betrayed , or brought to the stake or tree : it may be by crescens himself the philosopher , a lover of popular applause , and of insolent arrogance : a man unworthy to be called a philosopher , because he publickly witnesseth , the things which he knoweth not , as if the christians were atheistical , and impious : which he doth to curry favour with , and to pleasure the multitudes whom he hath deceived . this crescens , he had provoked , and stirred up his implacable malice against him , for that he had in a disputation publickly before the senate reprehended him not only of being ignorant of those things which it became a philosopher to know , but also for his foul and debaucht manners : wherefore he accused him to be a christian , and never left , till by his restless solicitations he had brought him to his end . so at rome he joyfully suffered martyrdom for the name of christ , under the emperours marcus aurelius and lucius verus , anno christi , . irenaeus lugdunensis episcopus . § . concerning his birth , where and of what parents he was born , we have nothing certain ; only probable it is that for country he was an asian , and that he came of honest and pious parents not far from , if not in the city of smyrna : for there in his youth was he trained up in the school of blessed polycarp a disciple of the apostle iohn ; and bishop of smyrna ; of whom it is reported , that being brought before the proconsul , and by him urged to blaspheme and revile christ , he thus answered him , fourscore and six years , saith he , have i served him , neither hath he in any thing ever wronged me ; and how can i then revile my king , that hath hitherto preserved me ? also in the same epistle of the church of smyrna , it follows concerning him ; that being in the fire , which in the form of a vault or sail of a ship , encompassed him about as a wall , his body seemed as gold or silver tried in the furnace ; and that from it there proceeded a sweet and fragrant smell , as of frankincense or some such like precious perfume : and that at length , the persecutors perceiving that the fire consum'd not his body , commanded the tormentour to lance him in the side with a spear ; which done , there forthwith issued such a stream of blood out of his body , as quenched the fire to the great admiration of the multitude . upon this reverend father did irenae●● with so great diligence attend , that the doctrine which he learned from him was deeply ingraven in his breast ; so that even to his ol● age he firmly retained the remembrance of i● yea his very gestures : so much he himself testifieth in his epistle unto florinus , sometime his fellow scholar , but tainted with that opinion that god was the author of evil , an● afterward with the errour of valentinus : remember , saith he , the things of old , bett●● then those of later times : for the things 〈◊〉 learn in our childhood , sink farther into 〈◊〉 minds , and grow up together with us ; 〈◊〉 that i do well remember , the place whe●● polycarp sate when he taught , his going o● and coming in , his manner and course 〈◊〉 life , the figure and proportion of his body the sermons which he made unto the mult●tude the relation he gave of his converse wit● the apostle iohn and others which saw t●● lord ; how he remembred their sayings , 〈◊〉 what he heard from their mouths touchin● the lord , his power , doctrine , &c. hen●● is he not unjustly stiled a man of the apost●lical times , very near unto them , and the su●cessor of them . by polycarp he was s●nt unto the city 〈◊〉 lyons in france , whereby his admirable v●●tue he soon became famous ; in so much that in a small space of time by his preaching he had made almost the whole city christian. of this church he was at first a presbyter of pothinus ( as ierom , eusebius and nicephorus call him ) or photinus , ( as the centurists , baronius and gregory of turon ) who was the first bishop of that place . at this time the churches of asia being much infested with the new prophesies and delusions of montanus , alcibiades and theodotus ; the gallicane churches ( either of their own accord out of their brotherly love to and care of them , or else at their request craving assistance from them against these corrupters of the gospel ) sent irenaeus unto them as the meetest man for such a work , with their letters ; that he might comfort those afflicted churches , confirm them in the truth , and confute those heretical adversaries : he took rome in his way , haply to confer with and crave the advice and help of eleutherius bishop there , about this affair , unto whom he had letters recommendatory from the churches making honourable mention of him . during his absence upon this weighty occasion , in the great persecution under antoninus verus ( which much raged in the churches of france ) the good bishop photinus aged ninety years , is imprisoned : and being brought before the tribunal , and by the president asked this question ; who is the god of the christians ; he perceiving this demand to be made rather in way of scorn , then out of a serious desire to be informed ; because h● would not cast pearls before swine , vouchsafed him no other answer but this ; si dignus fueris , cognosces : when thou shalt become worthy , thou shalt know . with which answer , as contumelious , the president being highly provoked , commanded the officers to beat him ; which accordingly they did , handling him in a most barbarous and cruel manner , and afterward , almost breathless , cas● him into a filthy prison ; wherein about two days after by a glorious death he obtained the crown of martyrdom . the church of lyons by this means being destitute of a bishop , none was thought mo●● worthy to suceed the aged martyr , then his presbyter irenaeus , who not long after returning , was accordingly chosen an● took upon him the government of tha● church . he entred upon the administration thereo● in a very unquiet and turbulent time ; the sta●● of affairs being much distracted , not only b● reason of that grievous storm of persecutio● they had lately been under , yea which 〈◊〉 yet scarcely calmed and blown over ; 〈◊〉 also through the busie attempts of dive●● impostours cunningly seeking to undermin● the doctrine of christ. for now had th● valentinian hereticks prevail'd and spread 〈◊〉 far as france , and among others bewitch●● sundry eminent women with their sott●● and absurd opinions , by means of one m●●cus a wretched sorcerer , and a wicked deceiver and abuser of the weaker sex ; but 〈◊〉 such a manner did this vigilant watchma● and painful pastour bestir himself , that he notably prevented the farther spreading of this pest , and recovered many of those who had been therewith infected : and having happily secured his own charge , he rested not here , but proceeded farther , affording his help by his excellent letters unto other churches also ; particularly unto that of rome ; out of which he endeavoured to weed those tares , which the envious man had there sown ; their careless bishop ( how unfit to be an universal overseer ! ) it seems securely sleeping the while , and leaving the work , that properly belonged to himself unto another . the chief instruments that satan here imployed in sowing those tares ; were florinus and blastus presbyters of this church , but by the bishop degraded for their impiety ; in commiseration of whose sad condition infected with so soul heresies , he wrote ( as is reported ) those five learned books now extant . in such kind of laborious imployments did he spend much of his time , under the emperours antoninus , the whole of commodus , and a good part of severus reigns : being very serviceable unto the church of god in his generation , not only by his preaching and disputations , but also by his writings which he left behind him , as singular monuments unto posterity of his zeal for the glory of god , and love to his truth : as a bright shining lamp lighted and set up by the lord , he diffused his rayes for the good of many , till the oyl was wholly spent and consumed . in his time fell out that sharp and lasting contention between the eastern and western churches , about the observation of the feast of easter , as also about the kind and manne● of fasting . the churches of asia , as from an ancient tradition , and herein following the examples of philip and iohn apostles , as also of polycarp with others their successors , observed this feast on the fourteenth moon , upon what day of the week soever it fell out , on which day the jews were to offer thei● paschal lamb. but the church of rome , together with others in the west , did celebrate it always upon the lord's day ; and hence grew a great rent between them : for those of the east refusing to leave their former usage and custom ( for which they had so good ● warrant ) and to conform themselves herei● unto the other : victor , who was the bishop of rome ( possessing that chair that would afterward usurp authority over all churches , and acting accordingly ) in the heighth of his pride , and the heat of his passion begins to threaten and thunder out his excommunication against them . hereupon irenaeus ( brooking his name , as a lover of peace ) with the brethren of the gallican churches , being grieved at such insolent and harsh proceedings , and foreseeing the sad effects they might produce , thought it their duty not to stand still as idle spectators , but to interpose at least by their letters , and to endeavour a prevention ( if it might be ) of those evils that were like to ensue , and follow upon so rigorous and sharp a censure : which they did accordingly , dealing plainly and roundly with the proud prelate , tartly reprehending him for handling his brethren in so unchristian a manner ; and that for things indifferent ( which he made necessary ) he would fall upon so extreme a course , the cutting off of so considerable a part from the body ; shewing withal , that his excommunication was void , and of no force . now , so great was the authority of the man with the bishop of rome ( who had not as yet exalted himself so high , that it should not be lawful for any of his fellow bishops to take the boldness to admonish him , or to say , what dost thou , though he should lead thousands to hell ) and such the strength of the arguments alledged , that the issue was ( as feuardentius relates ) the asswaging of his fury , and the deterring of him from that rash attempt of cutting off so many famous churches from the body of christ : whence followed a more serene face of things , and a great tranquillity to the churches of christ. § . he was a man exceeding eminent , and of chief note among those of his time , very ancient , and not far from the days of the apostles . honourable mention is made of him by those of the following ages : for eusebius , inter omnes coaetaneos ei palmam tribuit , gives him the preheminence above all his contemporaries : others stile him an apostolical man , admirable , and the light of the western churches , an ancient man of god ; highly commended he is as one in whom the resplendent beams and brightness of apostolical doctrine did gloriously shine forth : for what he had learned and received from polycarp , and polycarp from the apostle iohn , he retaining it in its purity , communicated i● unto the church ; so that in all things he resembled the face of the apostles . he excelled both in piety and learning , being so admirably endued with both , that he was no less famous for the one than for the other : stiled therefore by epiphanius a sacer irenaeus , holy man , so singularly accomplished and fitted for the work he was designed and called unto , as that he became praeclarum organum , a choice instrument for the good of the churches of christ. admirably well skilled he was in all sorts of learning , both sacred and secular ; very studious and ready in the holy scriptures , having by this means attained unto a more than ordinary measure of understanding and insight into them . and how notably instructed and furnished with knowledge in the arts and sciences , is abundantly manifested , by his subtil investigation of abstruse heresies which , though wonderfully obscure and confused , he representeth and sets forth to publick view with very great perspicuity and order : as also by his most acute and quick disputations , wherein he throughly discovers their vanity , and as soundly confuteth them : so that it is most evident ( saith erasmus ) that he was very exact in all the liberal science● . yea , how diligently he had read over the books both of the ancient philosophers , thales , anaximander , anaxagoras , democritus ▪ empedocles ▪ plato , aristotle , &c. as also of the poets , tragick , comick and lyrick , may be gathered from hence , in that he clearly evinceth those heresies which he impugned , to have been taken and to have had their original from those prophane authors , the names only being changed . so that he was not without cause stiled by tertullian , omnium doctrinarum curiosissimum exploratorem ; a most curious inquirer or searcher into all sorts of doctrines : very large is epiphanius his encomium of him ( who held him in high esteem , as appears by the great use he made of him ) old irenaeus ( saith he ) every way adorned by the holy ghost , brought into the field by the lord as a valiant and expert soldier and champion , and annointed with heavenly gifts and graces , according to the true faith and knowledge , contended against all the arguments of sottish hereticks , and most exactly confuted them . add hereunto ( which put a lustre upon all the rest ) that he was of a very meek and modest spirit , a great lover , and as studious a preserver of peace among brethren ; but withal no less earnest and zealous in the cause of god , and a bitter adversary of the wretched hereticks of his time : magnus ( to give you erasmus his words to this purpose ) ecclesiae propu●nator , ac pro sui nominis ●ugurio , pacis ecclesiasticae vindex . § . he wrote divers learned books upon several subjects and occasions ; the greater part whereof ( indeed all to one ) through the injury and neglect of foregoing ages are quite lost , not any of them remaining and extant at this day : and they are ( such as we find mention of . ) . a brief volume against the gentiles : and , saith ierom , another of discipline ; but herein is he mistaken , and those that follow him , as honorius augustodunensis , trithemi●● , &c. who supposed that they were two distinct books ; whereas by eusebius it appears 't was but one and the same volume ; for thus he speaks of it : extat adhuc liber illius adversus gentes compendiosissimus & summopere necessarius , de scientia inscriptus . . a declaration of the ( manner and way , possevin ) of the apostles preaching unto a certain brother , one marcianus . . a book intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , variorum tractatuum , saith ierom , variarum dictionum inquiunt centuriatores , or a disquisition of sundry things . possevin . . a book or an epistle de schismate , unto blastus . . a book de monarchiâ , or , that god is not the author of sin , unto florinus , whose doctrine ( he being of this opinion ) he proves to be both impious and blasphemous . . a book entituled ogdoas , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , written also for florinus , who was bewitched with the errours of valentinus , which ierom calls commentarium egregium , an excellent commentary : in the close whereof we have these words , containing a solemn obtestation , which both eusebius and ierom thought worthy of special notice : adjur● te , &c. i adjure thee ( whosoever thou art that copyest out or transcribest this book ) by our lord jesus christ , and by his glorious coming , wherein he shall judge the quick and the dead , that thou compare what thou hast written , and correct it diligently by the exemplar from whence 't is transcribed : and also that thou do likewise write out this adjuration , and insert it into the copy so taken . the like hereunto is that of ruffinus in his preface in his translation of origen , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which is found among the epistles of ierom , charging both the transcriber and reader not to add or diminish , to insert or alter any thing therein , but to be exact even to a letter , &c. . divers epistles unto victor , and many other pastors of churches about the controversies of easter ; as also against those who at rome did corrupt the sincerity of the churches . . volateran saith , that he wrote an ecclesiastical history , quam mutuatus est euse●ius testemque citat . . a commentary upon the apocalypse , as saith sixtus senensis . but these two latter are very questionable , seeing that neither eusebius , nor ierom in his catalogues , not honorius a●gustudonensis , nor trithemius make mention of any such . that of his which to this day the world injoys , is only a volume containing five books against the heresies of the gnosticks and valentinians , wh●ch was thus intitled , as both eusebius and photius have it ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . of redargution and the eversion of knowledge falsly so called : a learned and most famous piece , full fraught with learning and piety . this too , it seems , was almost lost , at least as to the western churches ; for , ( saith gregory ) we have long and diligently made inquiry after the writings of irenaeus , but hitherto not any of them could be found . erasmus therefore tells us , he that might well call him his , as being by his industry brought to light ( after it had been almost buried ) and recovered from the dust , being mouldy and moth-eaten . and should they have remained in perpetual oblivion : the loss had been exceeding great : for ( saith he ) his writings do breath forth the ancient vigour of the gospel ; yea his very phrase came from a breast prepared for martyrdom ; for the martyrs have a certain serious , bold and masculine kind of speech . it hath been a question , and doubted by some learned men , whether he wrote these books in the greek , or latine tongue : because they are now not to be found but in the latin only : yet was he a greek by nation , and his phrase savours of that language , having many grecisms in it . erasmus , a man of more than ordinary perspicacity and judgement this way , rather inclined to think it written by him in latin , yet would not peremptorily conclude it : for , saith he , it is not clear to me , whether of the two he wrote in ; though i rather soppose that he wrote in latin , but was more expert in the greek , and therefore speaking latin he is bold to make use of greek figures and forms of speech . but most are of another mind , judging the greek to have been the original language , werein his books were written ; and that they were afterward translated by himself , saith feuardentius , ( to cover over the faults of the translator , which are not a few , or lest the testimonies alleadged from the translation should lose of their authority and weight ) or ( which is most likely ) by some other . all consent in this ( saith baronius ) that he wrote in greek ; he wrote many excellent volumes in the greek tongue , saith sixtus senensis : and , saith rhenanus , proculdubio , without doubt he wrote in greek ; for else would not ierom have ranked him among the greek fathers , nor have made tertullian ( as he doth ) the third , but the fourth , ( as he should ) among the latins . pamelius also thinks that both he and those first roman bishops unto his time wrote rather in greek than latine , which things considered , it 's a wonder that erasmus should herein be of the mind he was : the latin copy of irenaeus ( saith cornatius ) is an exceeding faulty translation , and may better be restored out of epiphanius , than afford any help in the translating of epiphanius : so that marvailous it is that erasmus , a man otherwise endued with a piercing judgement in things of this nature , should think that irenaeus did wr●tein latin. to the same purpose speaks the great scaliger : i do admire ( saith he ) that from such a feverish latin interpreter , as he is whom now we have , erasmus should imagine , both that 't is the true irenaeus , and that he imitates the greeks : that latin interpreter was most foolish , and either omitted or depraved many things , which he understood not . the fragments which are extant in epiphanius ; also the history of the things done by irenaeus in eusebius , do sufficiently prove both that the man was a grecian , and wrote in greek : neither is it to be doubted of , &c. the greek copy therefore written by himself is long since perished ; only there are some remains of it to be found scattered in several authors , who saw and made use thereof : thus we have seven and twenty chapters of of his first book by epiphanius inserted into his panarium ; ( who took a good part of his second and third books word for word out of iuneus ) and some few fragments in eusebiu● and theodoret : by comparing of which wit● the translation we now have , it will easily appear how great a loss the church sustains in the want of it : for instead of elegan● greek , we have nothing else ( in the ire●e●● now extant ) but rude and ill-favoured latin● nor indeed can a translation , especially 〈◊〉 of greek into latin , equal the original , seeing that ( as ierom speaks ) the latin tongue r●ceives not the propriety of the greek . the contents of the five books of this excellent volume ( to give you a brief accou●● of them from grynaeus ) are these . . in th● first he at large sets down the dismal and diabolical errours of the valentinians ; together with a narration of the discords and impieties of those wretched hereticks : wh●●● opinions ( saith erasmus ) are so horrid , th●● the very bringing of them to light , is confutation sufficient : yea the very terms , as w●● as the opinions , are so monstrous ( saith the sa●● author ) that it would even turn the stomach and tire the patience of any one , but to peru●● them over . . in the second , he treats of the one eternal , true , omnipotent and omniscient god , besides whom there is none other : and that not any feigned demiurgus or angels , but this eternal god alone , father , son and holy ghost , did out of nothing produce this whole fabrick , both of heaven and earth ; and gave being to angels , men and all inferiour creatures ; and refuses the errours of the gnosticks concerning the same ; shewing what they stole from the philosophers to deceive the simple withal , and wounding , yea overcoming them with weapons or arguments fetched out of their own magazines and armory . . in the third , which is partly polemical , and partly exegetical , he discovers and proves the hereticks to be foully guilty of that heynous crime of corrupting and curtailing the sacred scriptures : and evidently demonstrates the perpetual consent of the prophets and apostles concerning our lord jesus christ , god and man. . in the fourth he clearly , and by solid arguments proves , that one and the same god was the author of both the testaments , the old and the new ; and that therein he hath revealed himself and his will concerning the restitution and salvation by jesus christ , of all men that do repent ; largely discoursing of the power of the will , and of our imperfection ; and being gotten out of the craggy and intricate places , he enters into a large field , explaining many scriptures depraved by the hereticks . . in the fifth and last book having made a repetition of divers things formerly handled , he comes to confute the vain conceits of the gnosticks concerning the utter perishing of the bodies of men ; and proves that our bodies shall not only be raised by christ at the last day , but also that the very bodies of the saints shall injoy eternal life , and be saved together with their souls . in the handling whereof he gives a notable experiment ( as the diligent reader may observe ) of a clear head , and as of a choice a spirit ; whence his weighty arguments sharpned with holy zeal , do pierce deeply into the very hearts of the enemies of the truth , to their shameful prostration , and utter overthrow : for great is the truth , and will prevail . he is one of the ancients , and the only one among those contained in this decade , that had the good hap not to have his name abused by being prefixed to the books he never wrote , nor the bastard-brats of others to be father'd upon him . § . as for his stile 't is somewhat obscure and intricate , yea he is oftentimes neglectin● of his words , and speaks improperly : ye such is the subject he discourseth of , that ● will hardly admit of clear and plain expressions : he himself disclaims eloquence , a● dwelling among the celtae , a people of a barbarous speech ; look not , saith he , for the art of oratory , which we have not learned : but what simply , truly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ● vulgar manner we have written in love , i● love receive . yet understand him of affected rhetorick , and not that he was altogether ignorant of that art : which could not be , seeing that in a subject so thorny and perplex , his stile is perspicuous , digested and coherent . so that considering the matter he handleth , 't is no wonder he is so obscure , and that so little art appears , but rather a wonder he is no more so : which proceeded not so much from want of skill in himself , as from the incapacity of the subject whereof he treateth . a most difficult thing it is ( saith the same author ) for him that discusseth things of a subtile nature , to joyn with perspicuity , the care of polishing his language . § . among many wherewith this learned piece is righly fraught and stored , i shall cull out and present you with a few memorable passages . . his symbol or creed , containing a brief sum , and confession of the faith of the churches of christ ( at least in the west ) at that day : his words are these . the church , although dispersed through the whole world , even unto the ends of the earth , received the faith from the apostles , and their disciples ; which is , to believe , in one omnipotent god , which made heaven and earth and the seas , and all things that are in them ; and in one jesus christ the son of god , incarnate for our salvation ; and in the holy ghost , who by the prophets preached the mysteries of the dispensation and coming of christ , and his birth of a virgin , and his passion , and resurrection from the dead , and the assumption of the beloved christ jesus our lord in his flesh into heaven , and his coming from heaven in the glory of the father to restore ( or recapitulate and gather into one ) all things , and to raise the flesh ( or bodies ) of all mankind , that unto jesus our lord , and god and saviour , and king , according to the good pleasure of the father invisible , every knee should bow , both of things in heaven , and in the earth , and under the earth , and that every tongue should confess to him , and that he should pass a righteous sentence or judgment upon all , and send the spiritual wickednesses and the angels that fell and became apostate , and also ungodly , unrighteous , lawless and blasphemous men into eternal fire : but for the righteous and holy , and such as did keep his commandments , and abide in his love , some from the beginning , and some by repentance gratifying them with life , might bestow on them incorruptibility , and give unto them eternal glory . where observe by the way , that though it may be wondered at , that irenaeus should no where expresly call the holy ghost god , yet that he held him to be god equal with the father and the son , is manifest , in that he makes in his creed the object of faith to be all the three persons of the trinity alike : as also from hence , that elsewhere he ascribes the creation of man unto the holy ghost , as well as to the father and the son. . he gives the reason why the mediatour between god and man , ought to be both god and man : for , saith he , if man had not overcome the enemy of man , he had not been justly overcome : again , unless god had given salvation , we should not have had it firmly ; and unless man had been joyned unto our god , he ( viz. man ) could not have been made partaker of incorruptibility . for it became the mediator of god and men , by his nearness unto both , to reduce both into friendship and concord ; and to procure that god should assume man ( or take him into communion ) and that man should give up himself unto god. . the whole scriptures , both prophetical and evangelical ( are ) open or manifest , and without ambiguity ; and may likewise be heard of all . again , we ought to believe god , who also hath made us ; most assuredly knowing , that the scriptures are indeed perfect , as being spoken ( or dictated ) by the word of god and his spirit . . fides , quae est ad deum , justificat hominem , faith towards god ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , heb. . . ) justifieth a man. . concerning the marks of the true church , and that it is not tied to one place or succession ; he thus speaks , when once the gospel was spread throughout the world , and the church gathered out of all nations , then was the church no where tied to one place , or to any certain and ordinary succession ; but there was the true church wheresoever the uncorrupted voice of the gospel did sound , and the sacraments were rightly administred according to the institution of christ. also , that the pillar and ground of the church is the gospel and spirit of life . . of the extraordinary gifts of the holy ghost , continuing unto his time , thus , some ( saith he ) cast out devils soundly and truly ; so that oftentimes even they who were cleansed from wicked spirits do believe , and are in the church : others have the foreknowledge of things to come , and also prophetical visions and sayings : others do cure and restore to health such as labour of some infirmity by the laying on of their hands . moreover , as we have said , the dead also have been raised and continued with us many years : and what shall i say ? the graces are not to be numbred , which throughout the whole world the church receiving from god , doth dispose in the name of christ jesus ( crucified under pontius pilate ) every day for the help of the nations , neither seducing any one , nor taking money from him . for as it hath freely received from god , so also doth it freely administer : nor doth it accomplish any thing by angelical invocations , nor incantations , nor any wicked curiosity , but purely and manifestly directing their prayers unto the lord , who hath made all things . . he plainly asserts that the world shall continue but six thousand years : for , saith he , look in how many days this world was made , in so many thousand years it shall be consummate . therefore 't is said in gen. . . on the sixth day god finished all his works , and rested the seventh day . now this is both a narration of what was done before , and also a prophecy of things to come : for one day with the lord is as a thousand years : in six days the things were finished that were made ; and it is manifest that the six thousandth year is the consumma●ion of them . . he finds the number of the beasts name , viz. . i● the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : whence he concludes it as very probable that the seat of that beast is the latin or roman kingdom . take his own words . sed & lateinos nomen ( habet ) sexcentorum sexaginta sex numerum ; & valdè verisimile est quoniam novissimum ( verissimum . erasm. edit . ) regnum hoc habet vo●abulum . latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant : sed non in hoc nos gloriabimur . . of the four evangelists he thus writeth : mathew ( saith he ) delivered unto the hebrews the history of the gospel in their own tongue . when peter and paul preached at rome , and planted that church , after their departure . mark the disciple and also interpreter of peter , delivered unto us in writing such things as he had heard peter preach . and luke the companion of paul comprised in one volume the gospel preached of him . after these iohn the disciple of our lord , who also leaned on his breast , published a gospel , remaining at ephesus in asia . . when the hereticks , saith he , are convinced from the scriptures , they betake them to the accusation of the scriptures themselves , as if they were not right , nor of any authority , and because they are variously spoken , and because from them the truth cannot be found out , by them that know not tradition . . we ought to obey them that are presbyters in the church , even those who have succession from the apostles , as we have shewn , who together with the succession of their bishoprick , have received the certain gift of truth , according to the pleasure of the father . — succession of doctrine is the principal , and without that certain gift of truth , it is vain yea impious to boast of personal succession . . of the translation of the septuagint , thus . ptolemy willing to have an experiment of them , and fearing le●t perhaps by consent they should through their interpretation hide that truth which was in the scriptures : he separating them one from another , commanded them all to interpret the same scripture , and this he did in all the books : when therefore they come together into one place with ptolemy , and compared their interpretations ▪ god was glorified , and the scriptures were believed to be truly divine , all of them reciting the same , both in the same phrases and in the same words from the beginning to the end : so that even the gentiles that were present did acknowledge that the scriptures were interpreted by the inspiration of god. . very memorable is that passage of his in an epistle unto victor bishop of rome , recorded by eusebius . although saith he , christians differed in their judgements about the manner of fasting , yet notwithstanding were they at unity one with another , for this variety of fasting commendeth the unity of faith. they that were presbyters before soter of that church , whereof now thou art president , anicetus , i mean , and pius , and hyginus , and telesphorus , and xystus , neither did so observe it themselves , nor left any such commandment to their posterity , and yet nevertheless they ( not observing it ) were at unity with them , who resorted unto them , from those churches that did observe the same , when yet their observance was contrary to those who observe it not . neither was any one at any time rejected , ( or excommunicated ) for such kind of fasting : but those very presbyters who were thy predecessors , have sent the eucharist to the brethren of those churches who kept it after their own manner . and when polycarp was at rome in the time of anicetus , and they were at variance among themselves about some certain small and trifling matters , they were soon reconciled ; but about this particular they had no contention at all . neither was anice●us able to perswade polycarp ( mark , the roman bishops used not , it seems , to command them as now ) that he should not retain that which he had always observed with iohn the disciple of our lord , and the rest of the apostles with whom he had been conversant : neither did polycarp perswade anicetus so to observe it , but told him he ought to observe the ancient custom of the elders , whom he succeeded ? and things being at this pass , they held communion one with another : and in the church anicetus granted the eucharist unto polycarp for the reverence which he bare him ; and so they parted from each other in peace , and in the universal church , both those that did observe it and those that did not observe it , were at peace one with another . these and many other the like worthy sayings are to be found in the books of this ancient father , but let it suffice to have given you this tast of them . § . yet are there some things observed in him as his blemishes and failings , wherein he is not to be followed , because therein he swerves from that un-erring rule the word of truth . even the most eminent men in the church , ( after the apostles ) have built some hay and stubble upon the foundation they held , which will not endure the trial of the fire : those of this father are as followeth . . somewhat harsh and to be corrected , is that concerning christ. si quis exquirat causam propter quam in omnibus pater communicans filio solus scire & horam & diem domino manifestatus est , neque aptabilem magis neque decentiorem , nec sine periculo alteram quam hanc inveniat in praesenti : quoniam cum solus verax magister est dominus , ut discamus per ipsum , super omnia esse patrem . etenim pater , ait major me est , & secundem agnitionem itaqu● praepositus esse pater annunciatus est à domino nostro , ad hoc , ut & nos , in quantum figura hujus mundi-sumus , perfectam scientiam & tales quaestiones concedamus deo : et ne fortè querentes altitudinem patris investigare , in tantum periculum incidamus , uti quaeramus , an super deum alter sit deus . . he hath some passages concerning free will , not to be admitted , though again in other places he hath somewhat directly opposite thereunto . e.g. dedit deus bonum , & qui operantur quidem illud , & gloriam & honore● percipient , quoniam operati sunt bonum , cum possint non operari illud . hi autem qui illud non operantur , judicium justum recipient dei , quoniam non sunt operati bonum , cum possint operari illud . item . quoniam omnes sunt ejusdem naturae , & potentes retinere & operari bonum & potentes rursum amittere id , & non facere ; justè etiam apud homines sensatos , quanto magis apud deum , alii quidem laudantur , & dignum percipiunt testimonium electionis bonae & perseverantiae : alii verò accusantur , & dignum percipiunt damnum , eò quòd justum & bonum reprobaverint . adhuc : quoniam liberae sententiae est deus , eujus ad similitudinem factus est , semper consilium datur ei , continere bonum , quod proficiscitur ex eâ quae est ad deum obedientiâ : et non tantum in operibus , sed etiam in fide liberum & suae potestatis arbitrium homini servavit dominus . contrà dominus pollicitus est mittere se paracletum , qui nos aptaret deo. sicut enim de arido tritico massa una fieri non potest sine humore , neque unus panis : ita nec nos multi unum fieri in christo iesu poteramus , sine aquâ , quae de caelo est . et sicut arida terra , si non percipiat humorem , non fructificat : sic & no● lignum aridum existentes primum nunquam fructificaremus vitam , sine supernâ voluntariâ pluviâ i. e. spiritu sancto . . his opinion concerning the age of christ , is evidently contrary to what may be collected from the history of the evangelists , for thus saith he : omnes venit per seipsum salvare , omnes , inquam , qui per ●um rena scuntur in deum , infantes , & parvulos , & pueros , & juvenes & seniores . ideò per omnem venit aetatem , & infantibus infans factus , sanctificans infantes : in parvulis parvulus , sanctificans hanc ipsam habentes aetatem , sim●● & exemplum illis pietatis effectus , & justitie & subjectionis . iuvenibus juvenis , exemplu● juvenibus fiens , & sanctificans domino . sic & senior in senioribus , ut sit perfectus magister i● omnibus , non solùm secundum exposition●● veritatis , sed secundum aetatem sanctificans simul & seniores , exemplum ipsis quoque fiens , &c. — quia autem triginta annorum 〈◊〉 primae indolis est juvenis , & extenditur usque ad quadragesimum annum , omnis quilibet confitebitur , a quadragesimo aut quinquagesimo ann● declinat jam in aetatem senior●m , quam b●bens dominus noster docebat , sicut evangeliu● & omnes seniores testantur , qui in asia apud ioannem discipulum domini convenerunt , id ipsum tradidisse eis ioannem : permansit autem cum eis usque ad trajani tempora . quidem autem eorum non solùm ioannem , sed & alios apostolos viderunt , & haec eadem ab ipsis audierunt , & testantur de hujus modi relation● . non multum aberat a quinquaginta annis , & ideò dicebaut ei , quinquagi●ta annorum nondum es , & abraham vidisti ? io. . . . ierom and others ascribe unto him the errour of the chiliasts or millenaries , though it be not to be found so expresly in his writings now extant . all which the impudent fryar feuardentius ( glad to take , yea to make an occasion , that he might fall foul upon the lutheran and calvinian hereticks , as he calls them ) labours after a sort to defend him in , as if they were meer calumnies and causless criminations : although some chief ones of his own catholick faction ; to wit , baronius and possevine , as also erasmus , charge him , with the same as well as others : and who so lists to peruse his books shall find they had just cause so to do . but the antidotes ( as he calls his defence prefixed to his edition of irenaeus ) of such mountebanks are no better then poyson ; and , saith the learned rivet , i would admonish young students to beware of the edition of this shameless and faithless monk , as being in many things corrupted , and defiled with his impious and lying annotations . besides these there are some other things and expressions which fell from the pen of this worthy man , that do need the friendly and favourable construction of his reader : among the rest , is that passage . lib. . cap. . propter hoc verbum dei homo , & qui filius dei est , filius hominis factus est , commixtus verbo dei , ut adoptionem percipiens fiat filius dei. also that , lib. . cap. . be●è iustinus dixit , quoniam ante domini adventum , nunquam a●sus est satanas blasphemore deum , quippe nondum sciens suam damnationem . also that , lib. . cap. . henoch sine circumcisione placens deo , cum esset homo , dei legatione ad angelos fungebatur , & translatus est , & conservatur usque nunc testis justi judicii dei , quoniam angeli transgressi deciderunt in judicium , homo autem , placens , translatus est in salutem . lastly that , lib. . discipulorum animae abibunt in invisibilem locum , definitum eis a deo , & ibi usque ad resurrectionem commorabuntur , susti●entes resurrectionem ; post recipientes corpora & perfectè resurgentes , hoc est , corporaliter , qu●madmodum & dominus resurrexit , sic venient ad conspectum dei. these and such like , do crave the candour and indulgence of the judicious reader . § . as touching his death and martyrdom ; ado bishop of vienna , gregory bishop of turon , and baronius do report , that in the persecution under the emperour severus , which raged especially about lyons , by the command of the emperour , the said city was invironed with soldiers , who slew with the sword all the christians that were found therein , the chief of whom was this irenaeu● their bishop , who with the rest received the glorious crown of martyrdom : at what time the slaughter was so great , ( saith gregory turonens . ) that the very streets ran with blood . in what year this hapned historians record , not only baronius conjectures that the persecution of the christians under severus began not until the tenth year of his reign ; and that one of the first places wherein he exercised his cruelty , was this city ; of whose constancy he had had such experience ; that he knew neither threats nor flatteries would make the church there under such a prelate to bend or yield , and therefore determined to destroy them by the sword. he therefore refers the martyrdom of irenaeus ad. an . d●m . . severi . . clemens alexendrinus . § . he stiles himself titus flavius clemens : for with this inscription were his books of stromes extant in eusebius his time : and so also had photius found in a very old copy , as he saith , those books of his entituled . what country man he was by birth is somewhat uncertain : only it is conjectured that he was born in athens , that city so much famed for learning throughout the world ; where was the first academy , or schools of learning known by that name , which since is become the common appellation of places of that nature . academiae nomen athenis primùm inclaruisse apud omnes ▪ fermè authores convenit , inquit iunius . epiphonius therefore speaking of him : some , saith he , call him clemens of alexandria , others of athens ; this latter being the place of his birth , as the former of his breeding and most abode : and as in the one he drew his first breath , so in the other having spent the most of it , he breathed out his last . being exceedingly desirous of learning and knowledge , he spent his first time of study in greece ; from whence going eastward , he came into palestine , and lastly from thence into egypt , setling in the famous school of alexandria , wherein he continued the remainder of his time , either as a scholar in learning , or as a doctor in teaching : whence he got that name by which to this day he is commonly call'd and known , viz. of clemens , not the athenian , but the alexandrian . in this place he was first an auditour of pantaenus , ( when or how he was converted to christianity is uncertain , ) a man very eminent both for his life and learning and this both sacred and secular ; who being at first a philosopher of the sect of the stoicks , and afterward converted unto christianity , was the first after the apostles who there exercised the office of magister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or instructour of the catechumens , and governour of the school or academy , doctor audientium ( as cyprian calls this officer ) the catechist ; unto which function he was called by demetrius , the then bishop of that place : whose work it was to open and interpret the scriptures , to instruct the catechumens or young believers in the grounds and principles of christianity , and to refute ethnick and heretical opinions ; which they used to do not in sermons and homelies , but in a scholastical manner : their auditors being not only such as were newly converted from heathenism , but also the children of believers grown up to years of understanding , specially such as were intended for ecclesiastical imployments : accordingly not only were the principles of religion taught , and the sacred scriptures expounded in these christian schools , ( whereof this at alexandria is conceived to have been the first and most famous : being founded by mark the evangelist , who planted the first church in that city ) but those who were trained up in them did also apply themselves to the study of the liberal arts and languages : in which regard alexandria is by gregory nazianzen in his oration in the praise of caesarius , called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shop of all kind of learning . of these schools duarenus gives us this account : fuerunt , inquit , antiquitùs ecclesiasticae scholae , ad clèrìcorum & aliorum egentium eruditionem institutae : quibus scholis praeficiebantur magistri qui non literas modò sacras , sed grammaticam etiam & liberales disciplinas docerent . erat igitur hoc munus a pastoris officio distinctum & separatum . hence it is conceived our universities took their original in this town ( viz. alexandria ) gautenus , ( saith heylin ) ( he should have said , pantenus ) read divinity and philosophy , an. . from whom it is thought , that the orders of instituting universities first began in christendom . thus did the ancients deem the liberal arts to be of great use , and very requisite to the preservation of the purity of religion ; for which end origen exhorted his scholars to the diligent study of them , affirming them to be very needful both for disputations , and also the explication of the sacred scriptures : and it is evident that the most famous fathers of the church did much excel therein , being richly furnished with the knowledg of them . clemens having here spent some time in these kind of studies with great proficiency , was at length made presbyter of this church ; and after a while ; pantenus dying , he was esteemed worthy to succeed him in the office of doctor or moderator of that school ; in which imployment he continued long , even unto the end of his days , managing it with much industry and prudence to the great benefit and advantage of those that attended upon him , and gaining general applause and approbation . § . he was a man of admirable and choice endowments of nature , of an acute wit , & most tenacious memory , which he imployed and improved to the uttermost , sparing neither industry nor travail for the attaining of learning and knowledge , which he was very greatly desirous , yea greedy of ; for which cause he betook him to the schools of those men in divers provinces and countries , who were most eminent and famous , drawing from them what he found to be best , and might most advantage him in that which he sought for . nor did he attend only upon the living , but also applied himself unto and consulted with the dead , diligently and judiciously perusing the monuments of men learned in every kind that went before him : as well heathen ( poets , philosophers , historians , whether greeks or barbarians ) as christian ; as his works full stuft with multiplicity of authors and variety of reading do amply testifie . by this means did he attain unto a great height and more then ordinary measure of learning , both divine and humane ; so that in all antiquity he was accounted vir celeberrimus , most renowned ; clarissimus horum temporum ecclesiasticus tractator ; and in the judgment of ierom ( than which what more accurate ? ) the most learned of all the ancients : in whose books , saith he , what is there to be found unlearned ? yea , what not extracted out of the very bowels of philosophy ? they are full fraught with learning and eloquence . hence he is adorned by others with the titles of an egregious , most learned and most eloquent man ; an holy man , & who exceeds all others in his skill and cunning in many things , of notable and almost incredible knowledge ( saith gentian hervet . in epist. ante paedagogum ) in whom it so abounds , that he cannot be drawn dry , briefly he is , saith heinsius , penu eruditionis & scientiae , a full store-house and plentiful magazine of learning and knowledge ; so that cyril ( who was afterward bishop of the same city , where our clement was presbyter and professor ) calls him , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , an eloquent man , endued with multiplicity of knowledge , one that dived so far into the writings of the greeks , as few of those had done , who went before him . his piety and zeal for the honour of god and the advancement of christian religion , were no less than his learning ; being a devout , and holy man : for he was serviceable not only to the church of alexandria ( whereunto he stood in special relation ) but went from thence unto the churches of ierusalem and antioch , who , by his preaching among them , were not a little advantaged , some being edified and confirmed in the faith of christ , and others recovered from their errours , who had been seduced by false teachers . somewhat this way sounds the testimony concerning him of alexander at that time bishop of ierusalem , in his congratulatory epistle unto the church of antioch : these lines , saith he , i send unto you by clement the blessed presbyter , whom ye also know , and shall now more fully recognize ; who coming hither by the providence and visitation of god , hath confirmed and increased the church of the lord. thus as a faithful servant and steward , did he diligently lay out , and imploy the talents that he had received , for the advantage of his lord and master , who had intrusted him with them . he likewise greatly improved both the learning and life of his master pantenus , ( who was a pious and a prudent man ) receiving from him not only instructions as a doctor , for his information , but also an example and pattern , as a president , for his imitation , for ( saith nicephorus ) as he succeeded him in his place and imployment , so did he also tread in his steps , and observed the same manner and method both in his life and lectures . § . . he was exceeding useful unto the church of christ as well by his pen , as by his preaching : for being a man of singular and more than ordinary abilities he wrote divers books , wherein he transmitted unto posterity the doctrines which he had received and taught , and vigorously asserted and maintained the truth against the adversaries and opposers of it . of which writings many are lost through the injury of time and neglect of succeeding ages ; and some are remaining unto this day . of the first sort , are such as these , by ierom and eusebius ; . a commentary de paschate : which , saith eusebius , he composed at the instance of some friends who earnestly desired that he would commit to writing for the benefit of posterity , those things which he had heard and received from the ancient presbyters . in which book he remembers melito , irenaeus , and certain others whose expositions he inserts and makes use of . . a book thus intituled , quis dives salvetur . so eusebius ; or as ierom ; quisnam dives ille sit , qui salvetur . a treatise learnedly composed , saith nicephorus , and worthy to be perused : whence , saith possevine , eusebius took that famous story of the young man , by the apostle iohn recommended to the care of a certain bishop ; who afterward became very debaucht and gave himself to all kind of vice , but was again by the same apostle in an admirable manner recalled and recovered : who so list may read this story at large in eusebius , li● . . cap. . . his disputations of fasting : which ( as also the following ) nicephorus calls homilies . honorius augusto dunensis divides the title ; but amiss : setting down as two distinct books , de iojunio unus : de disceptatione unus : contrary to ierome , whose catalogue ( with some others he epitomized : ) trithemius also is guilty of the same errour . . de obtrectatione , or of slander . . an exhortatory unto patience , composed for such as were newly baptized . . of the canons of the church , or an ecclesiastical canon , and against those who follow the errour of the jews ; which book , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he peculiarly dedicated it unto alexander , bishop of ierusalem : trithemius and the centurists make these two distinct books , wherein they may be presumed to be mistaken , seeing herein they differ from eusebius and ierom : the latter of the two the centurists entitle thus : of those who in the scriptures follow the sence of the jews . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , eight books of dispositions , informations or institutions : ( fetching the name haply from tim. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) wherein he goeth over the whole body of the scriptures in a brief commentary or compendious explanation of them , if not rather some special places of both testaments , the scope of the whole work seeming to be an interpretation of genesis , exodus , the psalms , the epistles of paul , and those called catholical , and lastly of the book called ecclesiasticus : yea , he omits not some of those that are ap●cryphal , altogether and generally rejected , viz. the revelation under the name of peter , and the epistle of barnabas . heinsius gives us this account of them : these books ( saith he ) as the inscription teacheth us , did contain an institution or delineation of the doctrine of christianity ; not so much methodical , dogmatical and artificial , as free and bound up or restrained by no rules ; for he interpreted divers places of the sacred scriptures , out of which without doubt he gathered a body of doctrine . the want of these books cannot be accounted any great loss , if the report of photius concerning them be a truth : for ( saith he ) although in some things he seems to be orthodox and sound in his judgment , yet in others he discourseth altogether fabulously and impiously : as in asserting the matter whereof the world was made to be eternal , in ranking christ among the number of things created , in mentioning with allowance and approbation the pythagorean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or transmigration of souls ; and that many worlds were before adam , that the word was not truly made flesh , but only seemed so to be , together with very many such like passages , withal adding ( as admiring and amazed that such an one as clement should be the author of them ) all which , either he himself , or else some other under his name blasphemously uttereth , which latter ( saith andrew scho●tus and possevine ) is the more likely ; for the arrians had corrupted his writings , as ruffine reporteth in his apology for origen ; and the doctrine contained in his other books is more sound and orthodox . besides these , there is elsewhere mention of the following treatises . . of the resurrection . . of continence . . of marriage : of these three he himself speaks in his books of stromes ; and particularly of the last in his paedagogus , lib. . cap. . where we have a summary of the contents of it , viz. how the wife ought to live with her husband , of the administration of the government of the family , the use of servants , and what things ought to be done by her apart , of the time of marriage , and of those things which appertain to women . . sozomen saith that he compiled an history : and indeed suidas makes mention of one clemens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the historian , who wrote of the roman kings and emperours : but baronius supposeth they meant not this but another clement ; and the truth is they both speak of a clement indefinitely , without any addition of the alexandrian , or otherwise . . many epistles . . he also promised a commentary upon genesis , which accordingly he clearly and entirely performed upon the whole book , as some do affirm , whom herein ( saith sixtus senensis ) i will neither give credit unto , nor gainsay . of the second sort of his books , viz. those remaining and commonly received at this day , are only the three following . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , his admonition or exhortation unto the gentiles , adversus gentes , liber unus , saith ierom. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , his schoolmaster , comprised in three books . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , eight books of stromes , a work variously woven after the manner of tapestry , mixed with testimonies taken out of the sacred scriptures , as also poets , philosophers and historians , whence he got the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , contextor , or the weaver . he himself gives the reason of the name , and why these books were so entituled by him : est in exiguo quidem spacio ( inquit ) multa genitalis copia semine eorum dogmotum quae comprehenduntur in hoc opere , tanquam ager omnibus herbis plenus . vnde etiam propriam habent inscriptionem stromata commentariorum , &c. again , permixtim nobis instar prati variata est stromatum descriptio : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of its proper and primitive signification the most learned casaubon gives us this account ; solitos veteres stragulam vestem pellibus involvere , & loris constringere , etiam iurisconsulti testes sunt — constat autem ex-veterum lectione , & stragula superiora , & involucrum istud , quod antiquiores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , recentiores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocarunt , var●●s coloribus distincta ferè fuisse . inde translatae eae dictiones ad res significandas varietate insignes : cujusmodi fuit piscis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictus ob coloris aurei virgas per totum illius corpus productas , inquit athenaeus , lib. . similiter & viri docti excerpta sua ex variis auctoribus , aut propria etiam scripta , sed veterum referta testimoniis , soliti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellare , ut clemens alexandrinus , &c. those books and commentaries ( saith martianus victorinus ) men call stromata , which contain in them variety of matter , because carpets and garments of this , compounded of divers colours and histories , were so interwoven . the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( saith eras●●ns ) is taken from pictured carpets or tapestry . also sixtus senensis thus ; a rapsody , which some call stroma , or a stromatical exposition , is an exposition made up of a composition out of divers authors . and in very deed such are clemens his commentaries or stromes , which contain so great and innumerable riches of all kind of learning ( saith gentian heroet ) that there is no one who is endued with any arts and sciences , but may receive from him exceeding great profit . yea ( saith the learned daille ) what can you name more mixed and fuller of variety than clemens his stromata , as he calls them , and his other works ; which are throughout interlaced with historical allusions , opinions , sentences and proverbs out of all sorts of writers , both sacred and profane , being here heightened with rich lightsome colours , there shaded with darkness , in such sort as that it is a vain thing for an ignorant person to hope ever to reach his meaning ? for which cause casaubon quoting a passage of these books , doth it after this manner : sic ait clemens alexandrinus , lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , centonum , which we may well call varias lectiones . the excellency and usefulness of all three , is thus fully and at large set forth by gentian heroet , who among others translated them into latine . of how great utility ( saith he ) this ancient father may be , doth from hence evidently appear : are there some that are delighted with the most ancient histories ? let them read clement , who retained them all so exactly , that none of these things which were done throughout the world , seem to have escaped his knowledge . are there who reverence the verses of the old poets , and certain divine answers of the oracles ? these must needs have clement in very high esteem , who citeth the testimonies of very many poets , whose works are at this day utterly lost and perished . are there , who would fain know and acquaint themselves with the ancient rites and ceremonies observed in or about the sacrifices of the gods ? let such betake them unto clement , who so unfolds all those abominable mysteries , that if any one among christians do yet praise and admire those old heathenish ordinances and customs ( and would to god there were none that did so ) he will forthwith ( unless he be more stupid than a stone ) upon the reading of clement cast away every fond opinion of those false gods , and must needs be ashamed of the madness of those who aforetime did worship them . would any know the decrees or opinions of the old philosophers ? let them view clement , who so delivers and describes the original of all philosophy , together with the several sects , successions and maxims of all philosophers ; that seeing a man so singularly learned hath preferred christian philosophy ( or religion ) before all other ; they will be forced ( though unwilling ) to confess that this is plainly divine , and in very deed inspired and published from god. have any a mind to understand what were the doctrines of those hereticks , who in its infancy and first rise disquieted the church of god ? they may hear them by clement explicated and confuted . are any willing to have evil and corrupt manners corrected and amended ? there is none that inveighs against vice more sharply , none that better exhorts unto vertue , none that shews the way how men should order and lead their lives more exactly then clement doth . an encomium large enough to invite the most curious reader , seeing there is such choice fare , and variety of dishes for his entertainment . there is observable in these works of his fore-named , an admirable order and method , purposely intended by himself ; which shews the mutual aspect and close connexion of the one unto the other ; so that even herein he is mysterious , and pythagorical . for , . in the first , he sets forth the vanity of heathenish idolatry ; by arguments drawn from the original and matter of their gods , and the judgement of the more sound ethnicks ; who , though unwillingly , yet acknowledged their errour : also from the vanity of their temples and images : and in the end exhorteth unto the profession of christianity and worship of the one only god , which may not unfitly be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or a purgation of such as would become christians from heathenish superstitions . . in the second , viz. his paedagogus ; he teacheth , that the son of god is our schoolmaster , and what the manners of christians ought to be . this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : the initiation or catechising of the new convert to christianity , wherein he omits no part of a christian life , which he doth not adorn with wonderful wisdom and learning . . in the third , viz. his stromes , there is great variety and plenty of matter , fetched both from the sacred scriptures and prophane authors ; for the more perfect instruction of those who had been initiated ; as setting strong meat before such as were of perfect or riper age , and had their senses exercised to discern both good and evil . and it may be called , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad sacra maxima , supremam dei notionem & aeternam contemplationem admissio : an admission unto the high and hidden mysteries of christianity . concerning this last , take a hint of these two things : . that herein he tyeth not himself unto any exact method or order , but is somewhat confused and abstruse : for so he himself confesseth , rendring the reason why he did so , viz. he therefore dispersed the doctrines that excite unto true knowledge here and there , that they might not easily be found out by any that are not initiated into these mysteries : therefore , saith he , neque ordinem neque dictionem spectant libri stromaton ; the books of stromes respect neither order , nor words : so that here , it seems he was curious in neither . again , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . these books being as a body composed of variety of learning , will artificially conceal the seeds of knowledge : wherein things as they occasionally offered themselves and came into his mind , are scattered up and down , as a meadow is variously deckt and adorned . and this seems to have been the manner of the ancients : in so doing ( saith peter halliox ) clemens imitated dyonisius areopagita , viz. in that he voluntarily and on purpose wrote his books somewhat obscurely , and would hide the seeds of knowledge , and sometimes makes use of new words : to the end that , ( as in hunting ) the truth being found with much pains , might be the more sweet and acceptable , as also that it might be the more remote and secure from the scorn and cavils of petulant men , who apprehend not holy things . yea , ( saith origen ) using such obscurity , he did herein as the prophets were wont to do . to which let me only add the account which he himself gives of his end in compiling these books ; his words are , as rendred in the parisian edition ; non est hoc opus scriptura artificiosè comparata ad ostentationem , sed mihi ad senectutem reconduntur monimenta , oblivionis medicamentum verè image & adumbratio evidentium & anim●tarum illarum orationum , quas dignus hahitus sum qui audirem , & virorum beatorum quique reverà erant maximi precii & aestimationis . . the eighth book of stromes is different from the rest . . in the bulk of it : being shorter then the fore-going ; whence it appears not to be an entire book . . in the inscription thereof : fo● in some copies it hath this title , saith photius , quis dives salveter : ( of which before ) and begins with these words , qui laudatorias or ationes : in other copies it is thus inscribed , stromat●n octavus , as the other seven , and begins with the same words , which the now extant eighth book doth ; sed neque antiquissimi philosophi . . in the subject thereof , or matter contained and handled in it : for the seven preceding books are altogether theological , but this wholly logical ; nihil continet ( inquit scultetus ) theologicum , sed de syllogismis argumentisque logicis quasdam praeceptiunculas ) wherein there are some things unsound , though not so many as in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or institutions : so far photius . heinsius supposeth that this may be a fragment , taken out of his institutions , to which some things contained in them that were not sound did stick : so that he conceives this book was long lost , and that now a part of the institutions hath invaded the place thereof : which haply may be the reason , wherefore freculphus reckons the books of stromes to be but seven . this i thought good to intimate , and so to leave it unto the discreet reader , to judge and make what use of it he can . that small commentary set forth by bigne , which he calls adumbrationes or shadowings ( baronius gives them the name of breves notae , short notes ) upon some of the catholical epistles , viz. the epistle of peter , the epistle of iude , and the first and second of iohn ( and the truth is , they give but little light into those scriptures ) though they bear the title of this ancient father , yet in all likelyhood are they none of his ; for neither eusebius nor ierom make any mention of them ; only cassiodorus affirms it , and that it is done in an attick or elegant stile ; wherein many things are spoken subtily indeed , but not so warily as they should have been . probable it is that these notes also were by some one taken out of his institutions . for these are said to contain in them an explanation of a great part of the sacred scriptures , and particularly of the catholical epistles . § . for the stile that he useth 't is elegant and full of gravity : both ierom and cyril commend in him his eloquence ; and trithemius stiles him eloquentissimus , a most eloquent man : it 's conceived that he was born in athens , and consequently it is likely that there also he had his first education , and the language of the place , which was of all other the best and finest . athenis ( inquit tertullianus ) sapiendi dicendique acutissimos nasci relatum est : in athens are born the most acute men , for wisdom and speech : athens being famous for eloquence , as was sparta for arms. his books of the school-master ( saith photius ) are nothing like unto his institutions or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : for besides that they have not in them any of those sottish and blasphemous opinions , which were to be found in the other ; the very phrase is more florid and rhetorical , rising to a certain well temper'd gravity mixed with sweetness . such was the attick dialect : atticorum aures teretes ad quas qui se accommodat is existimandus est atticè dicere ( inquit rhodiginus . ) ut nil sentiatur insolens , nil ineptum ; omnia ornata , gravia , copiosa : whence grew that adage ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , pr●venustâ lepidâque oratione . § . those excellent monuments of his own extant , may not unfitly be compared unto a pleasant garden , richly furnished with great variety of the choicest herbs and flowers : wherein the judicious reader may with much contentment recreate himself , and be thence abundantly stored both for his profit and delight . i shall gather and present you with a view for an invitation . . concerning the holy scriptures he speaks very venerably , plainly asserting the divine authority , perspicuity and perfection of them thus : we make use ( saith he ) of the scriptures for the finding out and judging of the truth of things : now whatsoever is judged , is not believed before it be judged ; wherefore neither is that a principle , that needs to be judged . if it be not enough to affirm what seems to be a truth , but that a proof of what is spoken be requisite , we expect not the testimony of men , but we prove what is inquired after by the voice of the lord , which is more worthy to be believed than any demonstration , or rather is the only demonstration . again , as in war , that order is not to be foresaken , which the commander hath given to the soldier : so neither is that order to be forsaken , that the word hath prescribed to us , which we have received as the prince or moderator both of knowledge and practice . . to believe in christ , is to be made one with him and inseparably united to him : not to believe is to doubt , and to be divided and at distance from him . faith is a voluntary anticipation ( or aforehand taking hold of what is promised ) a pious assent : the substance of things hoped for , and argument of things not seen . others ; an uniting assent unto things not apparent ; a demonstration , or manifest assent unto a thing not known . . the whole life of a godly man is , as it were , a certain holy and solemn festival day : his sacrifices are prayers and praises , and the reading of the scriptures before his repast ; as also psalms and hymns while he is at meat : likewise before he goeth to rest , yea , and in the night to prayers again . by these he unites and joyns himself unto the quire of heaven . but doth he know no other sacrifices ? yes ; namely , the largess of instruction , and relief of the poor . . the sacred scriptures are they , which make men holy like unto god. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . this is to drink the blood of jesus , viz. to be made partaker of the incorruption of the lord. . it 's the greatest argument of divine providence , that the lord permits not sin and vice , which had its rise from mans voluntary defection , to remain unprofitable , nor yet altogether hurtful : for it is the office of the divine wisdom , vertue and power , not only to do good ( for this is ( to say it once for all ) the nature of god , as it is of fire to burn , and of light to illuminate ) but also , and that chiefly , to bring that unto some good and profitable end and issue , that hath been devised by wicked men , and to use those things profitably , which seem to be evil . again , nothing comes to pass without the will of the lord of all : it remains therefore that we briefly say , that things of this nature , ( viz. persecutions , &c. ) do come to pass , the lord not letting or hindring them ; for this only salves both the divine providence and goodness : for we ought not to imagine that he doth effectually cause afflictions ; far be it from us so to think ; but we ought to perswade our selves , that he doth not hinder those who are the authors of them , but make use of the bold attempts of adversaries unto a good end . . god , who is good and gracious , chastiseth for three causes . . that he who is chastised may become better than he was . . that such as may or shall be saved , being admonished by examples , may be prepared . . that he who is injured , may not be contemned , and apt ( or exposed ) to more injury . . speaking of the several sorts of officers in the church , he makes mention only of those three commonly received , viz. bishops , elders and deacons . . reprehension is , as it were , a kind of chirurgery of the affections of the soul : and admonition is , as it were , a kind of dyet for the sick soul : which counselleth and adviseth unto those things that are to be taken ; and forbids such as are to be forborn . . he calls pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the metropolis , or principal seat of vice. . as touching the author of the epistle to the hebrews ( because i find it recorded by eusebius , nicephorus and others , i thought good not to omit it ) he affirmeth it to be pauls undoubtly ( whom he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : the divine apostle ) and therefore written in the hebrew tongue , for the hebrews sakes , but faithfully translated by luke ( who was the disciple of paul ) and published unto the gentiles or greeks : and therefore we find in it the like phrase or manner of speech , as is used in the acts of the apostles . and that we have not the wonted superscription prefixed in this epistle , viz. paul an apostle , &c. he gives this reason of it ; for , saith he , writing unto the hebrews , because of the ill opinion they had conceived of him , he very wisely concealed his name , left upon the sight thereof they should be dismayed , and refuse to read the epistle : and also , ( even as macarius the elder said ) for as much as the lord himself was the messenger of the almighty , and sent unto the hebrews ; paul for modesties sake , or out of his humility being the apostle of the gentiles , wrote not himself the apostle of the hebrews , partly for the honour due to christ , and partly also for that he being the apostle of the gentiles , did freely and boldly write unto the hebrews , . of the order of the evangelists according unto the tradition of the elders , he thus writeth . the gospels which contain the genealogies are placed and accounted the first , ( viz. matthew and luke ) the gospel according to mark was written upon this occasion ; when peter preached openly at rome , and published the gospel by lively voice ; many of his auditors entreated mark ( having been a hearer and follower of that apostle a long time , and one that well remembred his words ) to deliver unto them in writing such things as he had heard peter preach before ; which thing , when peter afterward understood to be done , though he had not given command that it should be done ; yet being done , he forbad it not . iohn last of all seeing in the other evangelists the humanity of christ set forth at large , being intreated by the disciples , and filled with the holy ghost , he wrote chiefly of his divinity . . by the gnostick in our author ( in whom this term is freequently used ) we are to understand the compleat and perfect christian ; whom he so stiles in opposition unto those foul hereticks and false christians , who for the excellency of knowledge , which they vainly boasted of , proudly assumed and appropriated unto themselves this name and title of gnosticks or knowing men ; by which they are commonly known : against these he opposeth the true gnostick , for the information and description of whom , he wrote his books of stromes ; as the inscription set down by eusebius , and more at large by photius , doth more than intimate : though especially and particularly he discourseth upon this subject , in the sixth and seventh books : wherein he treateth of the affections , science , speech , prayers , love both to god and to the truth , of the benignity , sacrifices , and contemplation of the true gnostick . in which description he is so exact , that he therein shews rather what a one a christian should be , than what any one is : there being no such example to be found ; such as was the pourtraict of a wise man by the stoicks , and of a common-wealth by plato , whom herein our author imitated . . he shews whence several heresies have their several names . some ( saith he ) take their names from the authors of them ; as from valentinus , marcion and basilides ; although they boast that they bring the opinion of mathias : for both the doctrine and tradition of all the apostles was one and the same : some are named from the place ; as the peratici : others from the nation ; as the heresie of the phrygians : some from their profession ; as the encratitae , ( because they abstained from marriage , wine , and the eating of flesh ) others from their proper opinions as the docitae and haematitae : some from their hypotheses , and the things which they honoured ; as those which are called cainists and ophiani : others from those things which they nefariously perpetrated and dared ; as those of the simoniani , who are called entychitae . of which last danaeus thus speaks : canistae ( qui ab amoribus turpissimis ita sunt appellati ) fuerunt tetriores : quanquam clement , strom . lib. . putat fuisse eutychitas ; sed errorem subesse in condicibus impressis , nemo qui aliorum de eisdem rebus scripta legerit , dubitabit . . in the first book of stromes , undertaking to demonstrate the antiquity of the christian religion ; and that it was before the philosophy of the heathen ; he proves that moses ( who flourished in the time of inachus the king of the argives ) was more ancient than any of the greek poets , philosophers , or wise men , yea , most of their gods : to which end he sets down and reckons the times of the kingdoms of the jews , persians , macedonians and romans : and so presents us with an exact and accurate chronology from the time of moses , unto the death of emperour commodus ; in whose successors reigns , viz. severus , ( for pertinax , who came between them , held the empire but a few months ) he wrote these books as eusebius concludes : for thus he : clemens writing his books of stromes , comprised in the first volume a chronicle , containing the times unto the death of commodus ; so that it is evident , ( saith he ) that he finished his books under severus . . he thus descants upon those words of christ : matth. . . when they persecute you in this city , flee ye into another : he doth not here perswade to fly , as if to suffer persecution were evil ; nor doth he command us , fearing death to decline it by flight ; but he wills us , that we be to none the authors or abettors of evil ; he requires us to use caution : but he that obeys not , is audacious and rash , unadvisedly casting himself into manifest perils . now if he that kills a man of god , doth sin against god ; he also is guilty of that murther , who offers himself to judgement . and such a one shall he be accounted , that avoids not persecution , presumptuously offering himself to be taken . he it is , that as much as in him lyeth , helps forward the impiety of him that persecutes . much like to this is that of athanasius , numb . . vid. . behold , o man ( saith he ) for how small a matter the lord doth give thee land to till , water to drink , another water whereby to send forth , or export , and to return or import thy commodities , air wherein to breath , a house to cover thee from the injury of the weather , fire wherewith to warm thee , and whereat to imploy thee , a world wherein to dwell : all these things so great , so many , thy lord hath , as it were , rented out unto thee , at a very easie rate ; a little faith , a little thanks , so it be true , so they be hearty : and most unkind thou , if thou denyest him that rent ; the earth is the lords , and the fulness thereof : if then thou dost not acknowledge thy lord being compassed round with his blessings ; he will then say unto thee ; get thee out of my land , and from out of my house ; touch not my water , partake not of my fruits . if i have rented these out unto thee for so small a matter , a little thanks , and thou dost deny me that little ; thou hast , in so doing , forfeited the whole , and i will require the forfeiture at thy hands . § . these and many such like excellent passages do his writings abound with ; but yet there are intermixed and scattered up and down , such things as are neither sound , nor sav●●ry , which are therefore carefully to be heeded and avoided . in so much as for this cause pope gelas●us did providently require , ( saith baro●ius ) that the works of this clement should be branded with the note of apocryphal : wherein notwithstanding he may justly be accounted more wary than wise ; for were this ground sufficient to reject the labours of the ancients , because among much good grain there is some chaff to be found , none of them would be remaining , or of any credit at this day . let us rather sever the gold from the dross , than dam up the mine , and let what 's bad be suffer'd to continue for the sake of what is good and useful in them , rather than what 's good be rejected for the bads sake . nevertheless , it may not be amiss to give notice of what will not endure the test and trial ; lest through inadvertency , and because of the antiquity and authority of the author , that should be esteemed and taken up for sound and current , which upon examination will prove adulterate and unpassable . of which sort are these that follow . . it is a ridiculous thing ( saith be ) to imagine , that the body of our saviour , as a body , did stand in need of necessary aids and ministries that it might continue : for he did eat not for his bodies sake , which was upheld by an holy power ; but lest it might occasion those with whom he conversed to think otherwise of him ; as indeed afterward some were of opinion , that he appeared only in a vision and phantasm : for , to say it once for all , he was void of passion , being one whom no motion of affection could take hold of , neither pleasure nor grief . a strange and gross conceit ▪ and directly contrary to clear texts of scripture . . that christ ought to preach but one year only , he fondly gathered from , luke . . he hath sent me , to preach the acceptable year of the lord : and supposeth that he suffer'd in the thirtieth year of his age . both which , as his errours , casaubo● maketh mention of ; and how manifestly repugnant they both are to the history of the evangelists , is obvious to every observing eye . . he is of the mind , that jesus christ descended into hell for this cause , that he might preach the gospel unto the dead , and that these are the bodies spoken of , matth. . . . that arose at the time of christ's passion , that they might be translated unto ● better place . yea , that the apostles , as well as the lord himself , did preach the gospel unto those that were dead . chemnitius thus reports it : clemens alexandrinus ( inquit ) multa citat ex apocryphis , quibus peregri●s dogmata stabilire conatur : vt ex libro pastoris hermae probat apostolos post mortem praedicasse illis qui anteà in infidelitate mortui fuer●nt , & illos conversos vivificasse . he thought that no man was saved before the coming of christ , but that those who lived piously and righteously by the law , or by philosophy were accounted righteous , yet wanted faith : wherefore in hell they expected the coming of christ , and the apostles , and that by their preaching they were converted to the faith , and so saved . . he frequently asserteth the freedom of man's will in spirituals . e.g. yours is the kingdom of heaven , if directing or turning your free-will unto god , you will believe only , and follow that short way that is preached unto . again , neither praises nor dispraises , neither honours or rewards , nor punishments are just , if the soul have not free power to desire , and to abstain . also , because it is in our power to obey or not to obey ; that none may pretend ignorance , the divine word gives a just call unto all ; and requires what every one is enabled to perform . lastly , defection , going back , and disobedience are in our power as is also obedience . and in this particular he erred not alone , the two immediately preceding , and divers other of the ancients being of the same judgement ; the ground whereof may be conceived to be this , because many of them had been in their first years brought up in the study of philosophy , and of philosophers being converted , became christians ; this made them attribute so much , even too much unto philosophy , which proved the occasion of many errours in them : hence it is that tertullian calls philosophers patriarchas haereticorum : and rhen●nus having shewn of how great advantage the philosophy of platonicks was unto valentinus ( who had been of that sect ) in the hatching of his wild and sottish heresies ; breaks out into these words ; see ( saith he ) how great mischief philosophy hath always done unto christianity , well therefore might the apostle so caution the colossians ; beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit . ierom also exercising some errours of his , wherein he had followed origen , thus pleads for himself ; fae me , inquit , errasse in adolescentiâ & philosophorum , i.e. gentilium studiis eruditum , in principio fidei d●●mata ignorasse christiana , & hoc putasse in apostolis , quod in pythagorâ & platone , 〈◊〉 empedocle legeram . cur parvuli in christo , 〈◊〉 lactentis errorem sequimini ? cur ab eo imputatem discitis , qui necdum pietatem noverat● secunda post naufragium tabula est , culp●● simpliciter confiteri . imitati estis errantem , imitamini & correctum . erravimus juven●● , emendemur senes , &c. now among other things philosophy doth beyond measure advance the power of mans will and natur● abilities : and this opinion drew on withi● the extenuation of original sin , and the depravation of the doctrine of the merit of christ ; into both which this father among the rest was but meanly insighted . and this may be the reason why the reverend cal●● stiles that doctrine of free-will , heatheni● philosophy : procul sit ( inquit ) à christi●● pectore illa de arbitrii libertate gentilis phil●sophia . . he affirms , that because the 〈◊〉 hath free-will , he may repent : which saying of his seems to have been the occasion 〈◊〉 that errour in origen his scholar , that the devils might be saved ; as both the cent●rists , and also gentian heroet conceive ; who in his education hath this note in the m●●gin upon these words of clement ; hinc 〈◊〉 origenis . . he also phansied , that some of the a●gels were incontinent , and being overcome with lust , they descended and disclose● many secrets unto those woman with whom they fell in love , and whatsoever things came to their knowledge , which the other angels conceal'd , and reserved unto the coming of the lord. besides these there are some other things wherein he is judged to be both unsound and uncertain ; sometimes affirming one thing , sometimes another ; as concerning the baptism of hereticks , which he seems altogether to condemn : also , that second marriages have imperfection in them , and are not without sin , yea , are little better than fornication ; contrary to that express text. timoth. . . i will that the younger women ( viz. widows , verse . ) marry . likewise , concerning good works , perfection and repentance , he seems sometimes to contradict himself , and vents very dangerous opinions : adeò in multis articulis lubricus est , ac saepenumerò sibi contradicit , ut quid constanti sententiâ affirmet , vix interdum agnoseas . § . how long this father lived , as also when , where and how he ended his days is very uncertain : histories being silent herein : only probable it is that he attained unto many years , and continued long after the death of his master pantaenus : for it seems that he compiled his book , both of stromes and informations or institutions ( if not all the rest ) after that time , seeing he mentions him as dead , and some good while before : as also that he had through length of time forgotten many of those things , which he ha● heard from him . he flourished ( saith i●rom ) under the emperour severus and autoninus caracalla : and ( as some report ) 〈◊〉 ended his pilgrimage by a natural death 〈◊〉 alexandria , where he had long taught ; dying ▪ in a good old age , and full of days , em●annum . tertullianus . he stiles himself in the titles prefixed to his books by the name of quintus septimius florens tertullianus ; perhaps to distinguish himself from some others , whose names did in part agree with his own . for his country , he was an african , and had for the place of his birth there the famous city of carthage , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as it 's called by strabo ) rome's corrival , de terrarum orbe aemula ( saith pliny ) that contended with it for the empire of the world . and 't is observed as memorable , that in his time two of his countrymen held the places of highest dignity both civil and ecclesiastical , viz. septimius severus and victor , both africans , the one being emperour , and the other bishop of rome . his father was a centurion , one of eminent rank , as bearing the office of a proconsul , who took care to have his son from his tender years to be well educated , and trained up in the schools ; where , having a pregnant wit and excellent parts , he proved a notable proficient , and soon attained unto such a measure of knowledge in philosophy and all kind of learning , that he was by all esteemed for one of the most exquisite and best accomplished scholars of his time . he for some years professed and taught the art of rhetorick in carthage with approbation and applause ; from which , after a while he proceeded to the practice of the law ( to the study whereof he had formerly applied himself , and became well skilled therein , as eusebius testifieth , stiling him a man well experienced in the roman laws ) accuratâ legum ( inquit nicephorus ) & actorum rom●norum peritiâ clarus ) performing the office of an advocate , in pleading the causes of such clients as entertained him , with much dexterity . but he is designed unto a more high and honourable employment , viz. to plead the cause of god , and to publish the glorious mysteries of the gospel : in order whereunto the divine goodness finds out a way for the translating of him from the school of the world into the shool of christ , by his conversion from gentilism to christianity . as touching the time and manner thereof , though nothing be lef● upon record , either by himself , or others directly pointing it out , and acquainting us therewith ; yet are then some things to be found from whence it may be probably conjectured , that it fell out while he was yet but young , and in the prime of his years . for . he wrote a treatise of the troubles attending marriage , cum adhuc esset adoleseens , when ( saith ierom ) he was but a young man : yet baronius conceives it most likely to have been done by him after his conversion ; for ( saith he ) i cannot think that ierom would have directed eustochium ( whom he wished to read that book of his ) unto the writing● of an heathen for her instruction in that particular . . ierom and others report concerning him , that he continued an orthodox presbyter in the church , usque ad statam mediamque aetatatem , unto his middle age ; and afterwards fell away unto the heresie of the montanists : but now evident it is , that he wrote the most of his books before that time , to the doing whereof , and furnishing for such a work , a great deal of time must needs be requisite . in the judgment of pamelius , and according to his computation , he became a christian in the third year of the reign of severus , in which also he is of opinion , that he wrote his book de p●llio , or of the cloak ; and so continued year after year to put forth some or other of his labours unto the time of his defection , which fell out in the eighteenth year of that emperour's reign : so that he remained in the church after his conversion about fifteen years before he arrived unto his middle age , and therefore could be of no great age when first he gave up his name to christ. that which gave the occasion of his relinquishing the heathenish , and embracing the christian religion , some conceive ( taking a hint hereof from a passage of his own ) to have been this , viz. that the devils being sometimes adjured , did , though unwillingly , confess that they were the gods of the gentiles . this put him upon the search and study of the scriptures , whose great antiquity ( as transcending all other writings in this regard ) asserted their authority , and the truth of the predictions contained in them ( testified by answerable events ) was a sufficient argument of their divinity : which two , duly considered , could not but prove strong inducements to perswade him , that the doctrine and religion therein taught and discoursed , must needs be the truest , and above any other most worthiest to be believed and embraced : to which he added , as no small help hereunto , the diligent perusal of those writings of his predecessors , wherein they had testified against the gentiles their profane practices and abominable idolatries . having after his conversion spent some time in carthage ( where he was promoted unto the degree and office of a presbyter ) he afterward came to rome , in which city he was had in great estimation , being famous among those learned men who flourished there at that time . upon what occasion he came to rome , and how long he made his abode there is uncertain : pamelius conceives th●● his book de coronâ militis was there writte● in the sixteenth year of severus , in the eighteenth year of whose reign he made his defection from the church , upon which he was excommunicated , and consequently in al● likelyhood then left that place , returning again unto carthage . but how long or short soever his continuance was there , it prove● too long for him , in regard of the mischi●● that there betided him ; for in this place 〈◊〉 was , that he split and dashed himself upon the rock of montanism , either through 〈◊〉 overlargeness of the sails of self-conceit , 〈◊〉 the impetuous gusts of his own passions . ierom and divers other historians do agree in this , that his defection took beginning from the envy conceived against , and contumelies cast upon him by the romish clergy ; moved hereunto , either by his learning and virtue ( wherein haply he might go beyond and out-shine them , and so seem to detract from their worth , and eclipse their glory ) or for that being extremely studious of continence and chastity , they thought him to lean toward , and too much favour ( though closely ) the heresie of montanus : or lastly , because in some of his books he had too sharply reprehended the vices which he had observed among them : hereupon , being a man of a cholerick and violent spirit , impatient and unable to brook and bear such injuries ( cum ingenio & calamo omnia vinceret , impatientiam vincere non potuit , inquit scultet . miserrimus ego ( inquit tertullianus ipse ) semper aeger caloribus impatientiae , patientiae sanitatem suspicem necesse est ) he openly joyned himself unto that sect , which being once faln to , he as zealously laboured to defend and plead for , as he had formerly opposed it ; proving as vehement an adversary of the orthodox , as he had been of the hereticks . some conceive the occasion of his fall might be , because that after the death of agrippinus he suffered a repulse , and was put by the bishoprick of carthage : ( sic valentinus , cum cujusdam ecclesiae episcopatum ambiret , & ipsius non fuisset habita ratio , offensus hac re , veteris cujusdom opinionis praestigias adversus orthodoxos docere caepit , hoc videlicet pacto sui contemptum ulturus ) whereunto may be added as a step to his fall , that he was a man of an easie belief , and of no great judgement , ( saith rivet ) insomuch as he was apt to give credit unto the feigned relations of every silly woman , and to prefer them before the most certain and catholick doctrines . these things thus making way for it , the work became the more facile and easie ; whereof one proclus was the unhappy instrument , reputed a most eloquent man and one of the more moderate followers of montanus : with this man being then at rome tertullian grew familiar , having him in admiration for his eloquence and virgin old age : ut , proculus ( inquit ) nostrae virginis senectae & christians eloquentiae dignitas : loqui autem eum de p●culo seu proclo montanistâ apparet , inquit p●melius , de quo suprà auctor lib. de praescri●● . advers . haeretic . proclus making his advantage hereof , soon deceived him , telling him that the doctrine which he professed , he had received not from man , but from the paracle● that descended first upon montanus : he highly commended chastity , injoyned fasting to be observed in the strictest manner , as by the instinct of the spirit , multiplyed watchings and prayers , and so much extolled martyrdom that he held it unlawful to fly , or use a● means for the preservation of life . what 〈◊〉 thus confidently taught and delivered , was ●●greedily taken in by tertullian , in so much ● he quickly became giddy , yea even drunk● with his fanatical opinions ; which as he entertained with facility , so did he retain the●● with pertinacy : in whom we find this verified ; that eminent gifts may occasion a 〈◊〉 fall , but cannot keep him from falling : it being grace alone that makes the soul steddy , and secures it against all the impetuous blasts of temptation . great par●s expose men to hazard . . through pride , which is too often the companion of them , and begotten by them : hence they soar aloft , prying into things secret , not content to walk in the common and safe road : they would ( as he , acts . . ) be some body more than ordinary ; and so transcending the limits of sobriety , they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : upon which precipice being once gotten , they soon fall into the snare of the devil . . through envy , which for the most part follows them , as the shadow the substance : this blasting their reputation , and being as a dead fly in the pot of their precious ointment ; they betake them unto factions : chusing rather to side with the erroneus in esteem , then with the orthodox in disgrace . . through ambition , they would fain be as eminent in place as in parts : accounting themselves injured when others are preferred before them : hence it comes to pass , that sometime in way of discontent and by way of revenge , they have deserted , yea set themselves against the truth , because they would make opposition against those that have stood in their way , and crost them in their expectations . by this means he lost both his repute , and also his place in the church , which excommunicated and owned him no longer . hence also it came to pass , that having erred so fouly , his writings were of little authority and lost much of their esteem : being prohibited to be read by gelasius : and because absurd opinions were in them , mingled with other things , they were by the orthodox condemned and reckoned in the number of apocryphal books . he was ( saith bellarmine ) an arch heretick , and in matters dogmatical of very small account : ierom therefore being by helvidius prest with the authority of tertulian : in his heat thus ●oundly replies ; i say no more of him but that he was no man of the church . nevertheless , that especially for which he was adjudged and proceeded against as an heretick , was this , that betaking him to the cataphrygians or montanists , ( whom before he had opposed ) he began to condemn second marriages ( contrary to the doctrine of the apostle , tim. . . ) as no better then fornication : which opinion he was the rather moved to embrace , ( saith rhenanus ) because he thought that the last day ( which elegantly he calls diem expeditionis lib. . ad uxorem . ) was near at hand , as also did ierom and other of the ancients grounding upon that of the apostle , cor. . . 〈◊〉 time is short , it remaineth that they that 〈◊〉 wives , be as though they had none . 〈◊〉 hereto he added ( which compleated his fault ) that being divided from the cataphrygians , he ● length gathered conventicles of his own , and became the authour of that s●ct , which from him are called and known by the name of tertullianists . doubtless the fall of this worthy man struck a very great fear with admiration into the hearts of the faithful , when they saw one so eminent , and learned , such a lover of truth , and in every regard so accomplished , to miscarry . in this sad condition did he remain unto the end of his life , for ought that appears in history to the contrary : which mentions his fall , but not his rise and recovery : herein greatly to be pittied , that having with so much zeal and strength maintained the doctrine of christianity against the adversaries thereof , he should at length unworthily desert the truth , and become a champion of the grossest errours . it is iniquity , and maketh a man a transgressor , to build again the things which he had destroyed , and a point of greatest folly to begin in the spirit , but to end in the flesh ; let him that thinketh he standeth , take heed lest he fall . yet i shall not omit to give you the judgement and charitable thoughts of the learned daille concerning him ; we are to take notice ( saith he ) that his montanism put no separation at all betwixt him and other christians , save only in point of discipline , which he , according to the severity of his nature , would have to be most harsh and rigorous : for as for his doctrine , it is very evident , that he constantly kept to the very same rule , and the same faith that the catholicks did . and this is evident enough , out of all those books which were written by him , during the time of his being a montanist : wherein he never disputeth or contendeth about any thing , save only about discipline . § . he is a very ancient authour , nea● neighbour unto the apostles times , the very first among all the latin fathers , and ecclesiastical writers , whose works are come to our hands , then whom the christian world scarce hath an elder : who preceeded all the councils , ( those in the acts only excepted ) and the first that strenuously asserted and vindicated the doctrines of the gospel against all the cunning cavils and bold attempts of prophane hereticks . he was a man of a sharp wit , and vehement spirit , very bold and undaunted , which he notably discovered in his plea and apology for the christians , wherein he budgeth not a jot from that constancy that became him , not caring and little curious to curry favour , as knowing well he had a just and honest cause in hand . vehementi ardore magnoque affectu pro orthodoxâ religione scribit , disputa● , pugnat , ut liqueat , eum nihil fingere , verae pietatis atque martyrii amantibus semper gratissimus . so accomplisht was he and exactly skilful in all kind of learning , as no man more in the judgement of ierom ; in so much as he accounted that what himself had , was but very little in comparison : also i pray ( saith he to fabiola ) ne meam 〈…〉 comparetis : compare not my drop to his stream : vir undecunque doctissimus : being excellently insighted into philosophy , a most accurate disputant , throughly exercised in the art of rhetorick , and most compleatly furnished with the knowledge of all antiquity . he had diligently perused all sorts of authors ( a large catalogue whereof is set down by pamelius ) grammarians , poets , historians , philosophers , mathematicians , orators , civilians , &c. from whence this industrious and busie bee , as from so many flowers , gathered that honey wherewith his hive was so replenished . he was no less acquainted with the greek , then with the latin tongue , as appears from his being conversant in authors as well greek as latin ( the most of ecclesiasticks that had gone before him , having written in greek . ) shortly , in the judgement of erasmus , he was inter latinos theologus multò omnium doctissimus . after his conversion he bent his studies to divinity , and spent night and day in reading not only ecclesiastical writers , but chiefly the sacred scriptures , wherein his books shew him to be more than ordinarily versed : in citing whereof he follows the interpretation of the septuagint in the old testament , and the greek text in the new : in translating whereof in a peculiar manner and different from all others , it 's very manifest that he was no mean grecian but familiarly acquainted with that tongue . he had a notably faculty in teaching , and could do much that way wherein as also in writing , he excelled both in fulness and gravity : yet would he sometimes have such sprinklings of the salt of his wit among ; as that he would move laughter in his auditors with his merry conceits : whom herein ierom too often imitates . he was as eminent and as exemplary in his life as other ways , non loquitur solùm magna , verùm etiam indubiè vixit , not only speaking great things , but without doubt acting and living accordingly : as minutius felix his contemporary ; in his octavio : speaks of the christians of that time , non eloquimur magn● , sed vivimus . of a comely behaviour , innocent and harmless , ubique , mirum , magnumque animi zelum in deum spirat : full of zeal toward god and of great austerity , insomuch as his over-valuing of continence , watchings , fastings , &c. gave proclus his seducer no small advantage , and became one of those baits whereby he was at length insnared . these things had made his name and memory sweet and precious amongst men unto this day , had not the dead fly corrupted and marr'd the savour of the fragrant oyntment . let vincentius lyrniensis be heard , ( an ancient father too ) and if any thing be wanting above , he will supply it , and make his encomium full . he is ( saith he ) accounted the chief among the latins , for who more learned then this man ? who more exercised in things both divine and humane ? in the wonderful vastness and capacity of his mind , he comprehended all philosophy , and all the sects of philosophers , the authors and assertors of those sects , together with all their discipline : all variety of history , yea of all kinds of study . was not his wit so weighty and vehement , that he propounded almost nothing to himself , to be overcome and master'd by him , which he either brake not through with the sharpness , or else dash● in pieces with the ponderousness of it ? moreover , who can set forth the praises of his speech , which is so invironed with i know not what strength of reason , that whom he could not perswade , he doth even force to yeild to his consent : in whom there are as many sentences as words , and as many victories as reasons : as marcion , apelles , praxeas , herm●genes , the jews , the gentiles , gnosticks and others knew full well , whose blasphemies he overthrew , with the many and mighty mounts and batteries of his volumes , as it were with certain thunderbolts . and yet even this man , by much more eloquent than happy , not holding the ancient faith , even he also became in ecclesiâ magna tentatio , a great temptation in the churc● of god. § . as he was a man of great abilities , s● was he of no less industry : as appears by those lasting monuments of his learned and elaborate volumes ; acutus scriptor & gravis ( inquit danaeus ) & qui totum hominem desideret , imò etiam saepè ingenii communem captum superet , who was had in great estimation , especially by holy cyprian ; so that he suffered no day to pass , without the diligent reading and perusal of some part of him : testifying the extraordinary respect which he bare toward him by the words he was wont to use , when he called for him , saying , da magistrum , reach hither my master : whom also in many things he imitated , borrowing even his words and expressions from him , and transcribing many passages out of him , which he inserted into his own books : many other also of the ancients that followed him made use of him , viz. ierom , ambrose , fortunatus , basil , isidore , &c , which plainly shews that they had him in great veneration . as the ancient ethnicks honoured homer the prince of poets , and particularly arcesilaus the academick , who was so delighted with , and studious of him , that he would always read somewhat of him before he went to sleep , as also in the morning when he arose , saying that he went , ad amasium , to his beloved . of his works some are wanting , but the most remaining unto this day . of the first sort are . . his treatise of the troubles attending marriage , unto a philosopher his friend : which he wrote when he was but young , ( ●um adhuc esset adolescens lusit in hac materiâ ) before , as pamelius thinks , but in the judgement of baronius , after his conversion . . his book of the garments of aaron , which ierom mentions in his epistle to fabiola . . of the hope of the faithful : wherein he declares himself to be a millenary : himself mentions it , advers . marcionem , lib. . . of paradise , which he thus speaks of himself , habes etiam de paradiso a nobis libellum , quo constituimus omnem animum apud inferos sequestrari in die domini . . against apelles ; who ( with lucian the heretick ) having been the disciple of marcion ; and falling upon errours of his own , differing from his master , became the author of a sect , that from him have the name of apelletiani , ( as tertullian stiles them ) or apelleiani ( as epiphanius ) or apellitae ( as augustine ) or apelliaci ( as rhenanus ) alluding unto them , as the denyers of the flesh of christ ( which was their errour ) quasi sine pelle , sive cute , hoc est , carne ; ut horatius iudaeum vocat apellam , quòd sine pelle sit , nempe quòd praeputium non habeat . against these hereticks did tertullian write this book , inscribed adversus apelletianos . . six books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of rapture ; which ( saith pamelius ) seem rather to have been written in greek than latine ; and a seventh , which he wrote particularly against appollonius ; ( who with victor are the only two latin fathers that preceded tertullian , who hath the third place among them in ieroms catalogue ) wherein he endeavours to defend whatever the other reproved him for . these were written after his defection against the church , containing in them divers of his wild , montanistical conceits ; which therefore may well be wanting without any detriment , the bad by much over-weighing the good that was in them ; they might haply be suppress'd by some , who wished well unto the peace of the church ; and surely the loss of them would have proved a gain , had the errours contained in them , been with them buried in everlasting oblivion . it 's a mistake of platina to say , that he wrote six books of ecstacy against apollonius ; whereas 't was only a seventh : so it is also of honorius augustodunensis , who reckons but five of ecstasie , and six against apollonius : and of trithemius , who records but one of each , which he saith he had seen ; so that they seem to have been extant , even unto his time . . a book against marcion , as he himself intimates ; written by him in his yonger years , somewhat overhastily : as ierom speaks of an allegorical exposition of the prophet obadiab composed by himself in his youth ; liberè profiteor illud fuisse puerilis ingenii ; in libris quoque contra marcionem septimius tertullianus hoc idem passus est . . of the submission of the soul. . of the superstition of that age , these two , saith gothfredus , among the rest were in the index of the books of tertullian , which was prefix'd unto that ancient manuscript , out of which he took those two books of his ad nationes which he published . . that the soul is corporeal , volumen hoc suppressum putamus , inquit rhenanus . to which added . . de fato . . de nuptiarum angustiis ad amicum philosophum . . de mundis & immundis animalibus . . de circumcisione . . de trinitate . . de censu animae adversus hermogenem : which pamelius hath in his catalogue also . . trithemius sets down in his catalogue a book of his contra omnes haereses ; which begins with divorum haereticorum . . the book of english homilies , tom . . part . . against the peril of idolatry , mentions his book , contra coronandi morem ; which i find no where else spoken off : unless it be the same with his book , de coronâ militis . . bishop andrews in his speech against mr. traske , mentions a book of tertullian's de sabbato iudaico , which ( saith he ) we have lost . his works that are extant follow here in their order , as rhenanus , and others have set them down . . of patience , wherein he ingeniously describes that grace , presenting us with a lively draught of it , pressing with divers notable arguments to it , and proving that neither losses in estate , nor provocations , reproaches , nor the death of friends , the desire of revenge , nor divine castigations are just causes of impatience . . of the flesh of christ ; that it was true and real humane flesh which he took : against marcion , affirming him to be clothed only with imaginary flesh , and not born , also against apelles , who granted him to have a solid body , but withal held that he took it not of the virgin mary , but borrowed it of the stars and coelestial substances , which he restored again , when he ascended . . of the resurrection of the flesh : liber verè aure us ; a truly golden book , saith gu●lther : wherein he proves it , luculentismis & firmissimis argumentis , most clearly and strongly : . because the dignity of the flesh is such , that it ought to be raised . . the power of god is such , that it may be raised . . the justice of god requires that it should be raised up . . the testimonies of scripture are clear , that it shall be raised . . of prescriptions against hereticks : an expression borowed from the civil law : used by civilians , pro exceptione perpetuâ : pr●escriptio ( inquit altenstaig ) est jus ex tempore capiens firmitatem . in what sense it is here to be understood , take scultetus his words . cum ( inquit ) vindicanti rem suam domino possessio longi temporis objicitur , praescribi ei dicitur ; eaque praescriptio longi temporis praecisâ locuti●● pro praescriptio ex longi temporis possessione appellatur . sic praescriptionem haereticorum & ecclesiae vocat tertullianus illud omne , quod j●ri● cujusdam specie , haeretici ecclesiae , & contrà haereticis orthodoxi opponebant . a most excellent , eloquent and convincing commentary ; a choice and truly golden piece ( saith zanchy ) wherein being willing to put a stop , if possible , to that spreading gangrene , he delivers unto the faithful certain rules , by which they might be enabled to discern , who are hereticks ; and the better know how to deal with them . . against the jews : wherein he convinceth them of their errours , in denying the gentiles admittance unto the gospel ( as thess. . . ) in ascribing too much unto the law of moses , and urging the ceremonies as necessary unto salvation , which he proves to be temporary and mutable ; and that they were accordingly changed by the coming of christ , as was fore-prophesied ; whom they deny to come ; therefore doth he from the scriptures largely discourse of , and prove the nativity , kingdom and passion of christ ; as also the calling of the gentiles , rejection of the jews , destruction of ierusalem , and the second coming of christ. . five books against marcion ; of whom eusebius reports , that meeting polycarp , and asking him ; dost thou know us ? polycarp , replyed , i know thee to be first born of sathan : among other his wicked errours , this was one : that there were two gods : one who was the father of christ , whom he called good , clement and merciful : the other the creator of the world , whom he called not only just , ( as cerdon his master had done from whom he sprung ) but also cruel and evil ; for which cause he is justly branded by clement of alexandria with this note , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; an ungrateful wretch towards his creator , the god of nature . this our author strongly confutes , proving the the creator of the world to be the only true god , and the father of christ. . against hermogenes ; who was an african , our authors country-man ; and by profession a painter . the errour he held , ( which here tertullian confutes ) was , that the matter whereof all things were made , was coeternal with god ; which errour he therefore embraced , because he hoped by this means to excuse god from being the author of evil , which ( saith he ) proceeded not from the creator , but from the matte● whereof things were created : vix alibi 〈◊〉 est argumentis : scarce any where doth he arg●● more strongly than in dealing with this heretick , whom he followeth closely , and press●● hardly every where . . against the valentinians ; who brought in and mixed their strange platonical fable●● ( crimina potiùs quàm numina inquit tertullianus ) with the doctrines of christianity● fancying no less than thirty aeones , ( crimi●● potius , &c. ) gods , male and female , born , ma●●rying and begotten ; not unlike the heath●● poet hesiod . errours so gross and sott●●● that they are altogether unworthy of a gra●● discussion ; the bare narration of them ●●ing a sufficient confutation ; etiam sol●● modò demonstrare , destruere est : which th●●fore our author for the most part cont●● himself withal , as deserving rather scorn ●●derision , than a serious consideration . 〈◊〉 in this book makes mention of irenaeus , 〈◊〉 before him had written on this subject quem penè ad verbum est imitatus ; for its apparent he took his relation from th●● adding little thereto , beside quips and jests ▪ . against praxeas ; who deny'd the 〈◊〉 of persons in the godhead : affir●● that there was no god , but the father 〈◊〉 that he was born of the virgin mary , 〈◊〉 upon the cross , and was jesus christ : 〈◊〉 hereticks who held this opinion , as they 〈◊〉 the name of praxeani from their author , 〈◊〉 also of patripassiani from their errour , 〈◊〉 they said it was god the father that suffe●● which heresie tertullian re●els , proving 〈◊〉 sundry arguments the doctrine of the trinity . this book he wrote after his middle age , and when he was tainted with montanism : for herein we have him speaking of the paraclete and new prophesie : it s therefore warily to be read ; in nullo libro c●ntiùs legi debit ( inquit rhenanus ) quam in eo quem adversus praxeam scripsit , unde periculum esse possit imprudenti lectori . . of the souldiers crown or garland , which was written upon this occasion . a christian souldier coming to the tribune to receive the emperous donative , brought his crown or garland of flowers in his hand ; which the rest ( as the manner was ) wore on their heads : for which being question'd , he boldly alledged this reason , that he was a christian , and therefore that it was not lawful for him to observe that ethnick custom : hereupon he was hal'd unto the prison to be punished . this act of his being censured by many as unadvised and needless , tertullian in this book undertakes the defence of it , proving it to be unlawful for christians to comply with the heathens therein : . from custom and tradition ( instancing in many particulars observed by tradition , and shewing the force of it . ) . from nature . . from the original of wearing those crowns , in honour of the heathen gods. wherein he with much zeal opposeth whatsoever becometh not the profession of christianity ; earnestly pressing christians unto constancy in that way , which they have entred into without ●●rgiversation . he in this tract also discovers his montanism ; for , answering the censurers of the souldier ; planè superest , ( inquit ) 〈◊〉 etiam martyria recusare meditentur , qui prophetias ejusdem spiritus sancti respuerunt : it 〈◊〉 therefore written after he was a montani●● : from whom he received all those idle ceremonies which here he makes mention of , 〈◊〉 the centurists very profitably conjecture ; though pamelius would fain have it otherwise . . to the martyrs : which book he 〈◊〉 unto those that were in prison , whom h● stiles designatos , destined unto suffering for the testimony of jesus ; comforting , confirming , and exhorting them to constancy ; shewing the commodity or benefit of a prison ; that the spirit is ready , though the 〈◊〉 be weak ; and that even heathens for 〈◊〉 glory have endured the utmost . . of the vailing of virgins ; this 〈◊〉 wrote as well in greek as in latin ; whi●● may be collected from those his first wor●● proprium jam negocium passus meae opini●●● latinè quoque ostendam , virgines nostras 〈◊〉 oportere . wherein he proves that virg●● ought to wear a veil upon their heads : 〈◊〉 he was moved to do by a contrary custom 〈◊〉 those of carthage , whose virgins used 〈◊〉 come into the congregations unveiled , 〈◊〉 so they might the more easily get them husbands . and whereas some objected that 〈◊〉 apostle , cor. . . spake of married women only , our author shews that he meant 〈◊〉 of virgins also . he concludes this bo●● with these words , which plainly shew it 〈◊〉 be his : haec cum bonâ pace legentibus , &c. 〈◊〉 those who with good and peaceable 〈◊〉 read these things , preferring profit before custom , peace and grace from our lord jesus be multiplyed upon them , with septimius tertullian , whose work this is . . of the habit of women : wherein he exhorts , unto christian modesty , wishing them to avoid excess in their apparel , and for this end to remember the condition that eve hath brought them into ; that evil angels were the first inventers of strange fashions , and that gold and silver were not ordained of god for such an use . . of the decking or adorning of women , a book of a much like subject with the foregoing ; only herein he particularly blames curiosity about their hair and skin , exhorting them not to addict themselves unto paintings , and what might set off their beauty . . unto his wife , two books ; wherein . he adviseth her , in case he should die before her , not to marry again . . he exhorts christian women to abstain from marrying with heathens , setting down the inconveniences of such marriages , viz. that they cannot so freely attend the duties of christianity ; and commends those of one christian with another , because such may have full liberty in their whole duty , which he thus particularly sets down , liberè aeger visitatur , indigens sustentatur , eleemosynae sine tormento , sacrificia sine scrupulo , quotidiana diligentia sine impedimento ; non furtiva signatio , non trepida gratulatio , non mutae benedictio , sonant inter duos psalmi & hymni , & mutuò provocant , quis deo meliùs ●anat ; talia christus videns & audiens gaudet . . of flight in time of persecution ; being consulted by one fabius a presbyter , whether it were lawful to flie at such a time ; 〈◊〉 wrote this treatise by way of answer , whe●● in he holds that in such cases a christi●● ought not to flie , but rather valiantly to 〈◊〉 for the name of christ : and that that precept , matth. . . when they shall persecute you in one city , flee ye into another , 〈◊〉 temporal , and concern'd that time and stated the church only . but ( saith peter mony ) who will so diligently weigh his reasons , 〈◊〉 find that they have in them much more ele●gancy than strength . this book was 〈◊〉 written against the church after his defect●●● the errour herein maintained being one 〈◊〉 those he had learned from montanus ; of 〈◊〉 baronius taxeth him somewhat tartly ; 〈◊〉 montanistarum ( inquit ) de non 〈◊〉 nec securitatem redimendo , tertullianus in p●●ceps semel infeliciter actus , edito eâ de 〈◊〉 mentario validissimè tutari conatus est , & 〈◊〉 admodum . . unto scapula the president of c●thage , whom ( because he threatened the c●●stians with utmost punishment , unless 〈◊〉 would abjure and deny christ ) he depre●● and admonisheth not to persist in his 〈◊〉 lest he should bring the wrath of god 〈◊〉 himself and the whole city , as it had 〈◊〉 others , whereof he giveth divers instances ▪ . an exhortation to chastity , wh●● he perswadeth his friend , who had lost 〈◊〉 wife , to abstain from marrying again ; c●●cluding from those words , cor. . . 〈◊〉 time is short : that the last day was not 〈◊〉 off , and therefore he should forbear , as 〈◊〉 because of the impediment arising from marriage . here in his heat he condemns second marriage , accounting it ( as montanus had done ) but little better than adultery . this book is another of those which he wrote against the church . . of once marrying , or single marriage , wherein he shews this discipline not to be new , but ancient , and peculiar unto christians . what in the former treatise he only perswaded , in this he magisterially enjoyns , more openly condemning second marriage : they are both of the same subject , and in divers places agreeing even in the same words . this is the fifth of those books which he wrote against the church after his defection . . of the cloak ; written upon this occasion , when tertullian had laid aside his gown ( the roman weed ) and taken on a cloak , as more becoming christian simplicity , he was by one branded with the note of inconstancy : hereupon ( in vindication of himself ) he writes this book , therein shewing the antiquity and commodious use of the cloak . this being the garment of the greeks , which they were wont to cast over their other garments : hence it came to pass , that by way of reproach , the christians using it , were called grecians ; and when they went abroad , they commonly heard this nickname or taunt , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alluding unto their garment . also because of the simplicity or meanness both of it and those that used it , it grew into contempt ; and it became a proverb among the carthaginians , a togâ ad pallium , from the gown to the cloak , noting the change from a more eminent to a meaner estate and condition , from riches to poverty . . of the testimony of the soul : wherein by a prosopopoea he fetcheth arguments from the soul it self , even of ethnicks , whereby he convinceth them of their atheism and abominable idolatries : among the rest , from those speeches frequent in the mouths of such as are not christians , e. g. si deus voluerit , deus bonus est , benedicat te deus , deus videt omnia , deo commendo , deus reddet , deus inter nos judicabit , &c. his last words in this treatise are remarkable , which are these , m●ritò igitur omnis anima rea & testis est , in tantum & rea erroris , in quantum testis veritati● ▪ & stabit ante aulas dei die judicii nihil habens dicere : deum praedicabas & non requirebas ; daemonia abominabaris , & il●a adorabas ; judicium dei appellabas , nec esse credebas ; inferna supplicia praesumebas , & non praecavebas ; christianum nomen sapiebas , & christianum pers●quebaris . . of the soul : wherein he handles divers questions ▪ and discusseth many controversies with the philosophers about the essence , operations , adjuncts and various state of the soul : which he would have to be corporeal , endued with form and figure , and to be propagated and derived from the substance of the father to the body of the son , and engendred with the body , encreasing and extending it self together with it ; and many other the like dreams he hath , in the maintaining whereof , he useth so much subtilty , strength of reason and eloquence , as that ( they are the words of the learned daille ) you will hardly meet with , throughout the whole stock of antiquity , a more excellent and more elegant piece than this book of his : yet was it composed by him when he was turned cataphrygian . hence bellarmine having made use of a passage taken from hence for the proof of purgatory , the most reverend vsher thus replies , he must give us leave ( saith he ) to put him in mind with what spirit tertullian was lead when he wrote that book de animâ , and with what authority he strengt●e●eth that conceit of mens paying in hell for their small faults before the resurrection ; namely , of the paraclete , by whom , if he mean montanus the arch-heretick ( as there is small cause to doubt that he doth ) we need not much envy the cardinal for raising up so worshipful a patron of his purgatory . . of spectacles or plays , written ( as pamelius conceives ) in the twelfth year of severus the emperour , in which were exhibited unto the people those plays that were called ludi seculares , because they were presented only once in an age or an hundred years , unto which therefore the people were solemnly invited by a publick cry made in these words , convenite ad ludos spectandos , quos neque spectavit quisquam , neque spectaturus est : come ye unto those spectacles which no man now beheld , or shall behold again . hereupon tertullian in this book ( which he wrote both in greek and latine ) makes it evident that these plays had their original from idolatry , and were full of all kind of cruelty and obscenity , and that therefore it was utterly unlawful for christians to behold them , and that they should provoke the truth of god against them , should they not fear to be present at them . therefore constantine the great did by a law prohibit the setting forth and frequenting of such kind of plays . and herein our author doth so largely treat of the several sorts of play which then were wont to be made use of , that a curious reader needs no other commentary fully to acquaint himself with those antiquities . . of baptism , against quintilla one of the disciples of montanus , who denyed or took away baptism by water ; of whom he scoffingly thus speaks , optimè novit pisciculo● necare , de aquâ auferens . he therefore proves , that it is not an empty or idle ceremony , but of great force and virtue , setting down the form and manner , together with the rites observed by the ancients in the administration thereof , and resolves divers questions about it . this also was written both in greek and latine . . scorpiacum , a book against the gnosticks ; so called from one scorpianus an heretick , against whom particularly it was intended , saith pamelius : but more probably from the nature of it , being an antidote against the bite and sting of the scorpion , to which purpose ierom thus speaks , scribit adversum haer●sim tuam , quae olim erupit contra ecclesiam ( ne & in hoc quasi repertor novi sceleris glorieris ) tertullianus vir eruditissimus , insigne volumen , quod scorpiacum vocat rectissimo nomine , quia arcuato vulnere in ecclesiae corpu● v●nena diffudit , quae olim appellabatur cain● haeresis , & multo tempore dormiens , vel sepult● , nunc à dormitantio suscitata est . these hereticks vilified martyrdom , teaching that it was not to be undergone , because god would not the death of a sinner , and christ had died that we might not die . by this doctrine they did much harm to many weak ones in the church , who , to save themselves , would deny christ and offer incense . against these tertullian herein opposeth himself , proving martyrdom to be good , and setting forth the excellency thereof by many examples . and in thus doing he deserved well , had he not ( unhappy man ) ran afterwards into the other extreme of the montanists , who magnified martyrdom too much ( denying the lawfulness of flight to avoid danger in that case ) as these did too much undervalue it . . of idolatry , written about the same time , with his book de spectaculis ; wherein , being desirous to take away all kind of idolatry , lest christians should longer labour under gross ignorance herein ; he shews the original of it , and how many ways ( and not only in the worshipping of idols ) they may be guilty of it , all which they ought to beware of and avoid , and not to comply with idolaters in their festivals , solemnities and such like observations . . of chastity , which was written upon this occasion ; zephyrinus bishop of rome having published an edict , in which he gave notice unto all the faithful , that the catholick church receives such as repent , though they had fallen into the sins of fornication and adultery : tertullian herein opposeth him , as may be gathered from his own words : i do hear , saith he , that there is an edict published , and that a p●remptory one : pontifex scilicet maximus episcopus episcoporum , dicit ▪ ego & moechiae & fornicationis delicta paenitentiae functis dimitto . o edictum , cui adscribi non poterit bonum factum . — erit ergò & hic adversus psychicos : so he used to call the orthodox after he became a montanist . and herein he undertakes to answer all the arguments brought for this practice ; denying that such ought to be received . ierom saith that he wrote this book against repentance , and wonders at the man that he should think those publicans and sinners with whom christ did eat , to be gentiles and not jews , the better to defend his error , weakly grounding his opinion upon that in deut. . non erit pende●s vectigal ex filiis israel . this book he wrote against the church . . of fasting , against the psychiici : so , as we have said , he contumeliously calls the orthodox ; accounting those to be carnal , who rejected the prophesie of montanus , and those only spiritual ( alluding unto , cor. . ) who received and embraced it . herein he defends the set fasts and stations observed by the montanists . of the name psychicus , baronius gives us this account . ignominiae caus● orthodoxos psychicos nominare , fuit ( ut autor est irenaeus . lib. . cap. . ) valentini haeresiarchae inventum , qui psychicos nominabat homines qui non essent , sicut ipse , ut aiebat , spirituales . transiit vox eadem ad cataphrygas , qui aequè omnes non suscipientes paracletum , psychicos appellabant . . of prayer ; which hilary calls , volumen aptissimum ; wherein he commendeth and commenteth upon the lords prayer , adding somewhat of the adjuncts of prayer . the title and subject hereof seem to intimate that it was a mistake in sixtus senensis , to imagine that he wrote two books upon this subject , one whereof he intitles in orationem dominicam , the other de oratione . . an apology against the gentiles in the behalf of the christians ; wherein he notably and at large defends their innocency , clearing them of the crimes falsely charged upon them , and fully evincing the groundlesness of the adversaries hatred to , and unjust proceedings against them ; imitating herein iustin and aristides who had undertaken the same task before him , who yet he far transcends , both in sharpness of wit and soundness of learning : how boldly doth he stand up against the gentiles ? how constantly maintain the purity of our faith ? what authors doth he not read ? which of their disciplines doth he not touch ? so that this book alone is abundantly sufficient to convince the pertinacy of the gentiles ? it contains in it ( saith ierom ) cunctam saeculi disciplinam : wherein he is more elegant than ordinary : the strength whereof was such , that in likelyhood it was the thing that prevaii'd to the mitigation of the enemies fury , and , in some measure , the cessation of the persecution then raised against the christians . it was written by him , as both pamelius and baronius conj●ct●●● , in the seventh year of the emperor severus , an. christi . of the excellency hereof prateolus thus speaks ; proculdubiò , inquit , verum est ; quum acris & ardentis ingenii non ferens gentilium insolentiam atque saevitiam quâ in christianos ferebantur omnes ingenii sui nervos in borum defensionem intendit , incomparabiles interim eruditionis & eloquentiae suae opes isthic oftentans . . ad nationes ; libri duo : set forth and published singly , by iacobus cothofr●dus , i.c. which by divers arguments he would prove to be tertullians ; also that they were written before his apologetick , as a prodrome or preparatory to it ; as his book de testimonio anim● followed after and was added as a third way whereby he attempted the gentiles , viz. by testimonies drawn from the soul , and by those forms of speech , wherein they named god in common use among them . he also shews it to differ from his apologetick , because in these books he directs himself unto the nations in general ; but in that , only unto the governors and presidents of the roman empire : besides , these are purely elenctical , wherein he undertakes not to defend the cause of the christians ( as in the other he doth ) but reproves the iniquity of the nations against the christians , and shews the vanity of the gentile gods. ierom mentions these books contra gentes , as distinct from his apology : quid , inquit , tertulliano eruditius ? quid acutius ? apologeticus ejus , & contra gentes libri cunctam saeculi continent disciplinam . of these following , it is doubted whether they be his or no. . an epistle , concerning judaical meats : wherein he shews that the difference between clean and unclean meats injoyned unto the jews , is taken away and abolished under the gospel . pamelius thinks this epistle to be none of his , but rather novatians , whose name therefore he prefixeth to it , thus , novatiani romanae ecclesiae presbyteri de cibis iud●icis epistola . it seems ( saith bellarmine ) to have been sent by some bishop unto his own people ; but tertullian was no bishop : yet i determine nothing . both the stile ( saith rivet ) and the texts of scripture otherwise translated then in tertullian ; as also that the author remembers his withdrawing in the time of persecution ; ( which tertullian is every where against ) plainly shew it to be none of his . . of the trinity : concerning which ruffin and others do report that certain of the macedonian hereticks , who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , finding somewhat in tertullians book of the trinity which was for their advantage inserted it among the epistles of cyprian , causing them to be dispersed about constantinople and sold at a low rate , that so being the more bought up and read , what was unsound therein might be the sooner embraced for the authority of so great an author , by which means , as they supposed , their cause would be credited and promoted . but ( saith ierom ) there is no such matter ; for that book of the trinity is neither tertullians nor cyprians , but novatians ; as both by the title and propriety of the stile doth evidently appear ; characterem alium & genus dieendi nitidius in eo notat laurentius . hence ierom speaking of novatian : he wrote , saith he , grande volumen , a great volum of the trinity , making as it were , an epitome of tertullians work upon this subject , which many ignorantly think to be cyprians : this piece of novatians exceeding in bulk that of tertullians now extant , it must needs refer unto some book of his on that subject , now wanting ; unless we will make ( which is absurd ) the epitome to be larger then the book it self , whose compend it is . bellarmine supposeth it to be beyond all doubt , that this book is none of tertullians , because the heresie of sabellius ( which began almost an hundred years after tertullians time ) is therein by name refuted , with whom pamelius accords , adding this as another reason of his confidence , that the author in the sixth chapter denieth corporeal lineaments in god , which tertullian more then once affirms . how ever it be ; it is a learned and elegant book ; ( though yet there are some things to be found in it , not agreeable to the christian faith ) and i conclude , saith sculteius , that whoever was the author , it is written according to the genius of tertullian , and therefore deservedly set forth under his name ; seeing it agrees so well with that noble work of his against praxeas . baronius tells us , that those of the eastern church did receive it as the legitimate writing of tertullian . . of repentance : wherein he discourseth of the excellency and utility thereof : perswading to beware of recidivation and returning unto sin again after repentance : particularly directing himself unto the catechumens , who for that they believed their sins would be all blotted out and wash'd away in baptism , were not so careful , as they should have been , to abstain from it . est autem hic commentarius ejusmodi , ut theologi eum debeant ad unguem ediscere : nam egregium monumentum est antiquitatis ; tam sanctè docet , tam piè suadet , tam instanter urget rem ecclesiasticae disciplinae summopere necessariam . in the argument of this book rhenanu● that expert antiquary & solertiss●nus tertulliani interpres , hath spoken so much and so freely against the auricular confession of the romish synagogue , ( crudelis illa conscientiarum carnificina , that cruel rack of consciences ) that the council , or rather that politick and pack'd conventicle of trent , took order that the most part of it should be expunged , as unskilful , rash , false , heretical , and otherways scandalous : as , they did also , by somewhat contained in the argument of his book de carne christi ; because it suited not with their doctrine of the perfection of the virgine mary ; a short way , were it as safe and honest , to make all sure . but this book also , in the judgment of the quick-sighted erasmus , grounded upon the difference of the stile from that of tertullian , is none of his but of some other , very studious in our author , and living about the same time : to whom rhenanus subscribes , though the author use many words and figures , agreeable to and borrowed from tertullian . i am of opition , saith daille , that both the birth and fortune of that piece de paenitentiâ hath been , if not the very same , yet at least not much unlike that of the trinity ; though pamelius and baronius be of another mind , and would fain it should be his . . his poems ; which are diverse according to pamelius , viz. . against marcion . books . . of the judgement of the lord. . genesis . . sodom . . his poem to a senator that turned from the christian religion to the service of idols . but should we reject them all as apocryphal ( seeing neither ierom nor eusebius make any mention of them ) together with iuret's , ionab and nineveh ( notwithstanding the authority of his old manuscript ) i suppose that neither our authour nor the commonwealth of learning would at all be injured hereby . pamelius tells us , that in his edition of cyprian's works he had entituled them unto him as the composer of them ; but thinks it not amiss to follow the censure of sixtus senensis who ascribes the poem of sodom unto tertullian , induced hereunto by the fidelity ( as he supposeth ) of some manuscripts : and because the stile is the same with that of the other , he concludes that all three were his , viz. genesis , sodoma & ad senatorem . a weak ground for him to change his mind , and build such confident conclusions upon , as well may we deny them to be either tertullians or cyprians , and so leave him to seek a father for them . § . for his stile and manner of writing , he hath a peculiar way of his own , s●us quidam est character , saith erasmus : sufficiently elegant ; ejus opuscula eloquentissimè scripta , inquit augustinus ; eloquentiâ admodum pollens est : full of gravity , and becoming a learned man ; creber est in sententiis , sed difficilis in loquendo : very sententious , and of much strength and vehemency , but hard , difficult and too elaborate : varius est ( inquit rhenanus ) in phrasi ; in disputationibus dilucidior & simplicior , in locis communibus , velut de pallio , &c. est durior & affectatior , not so smooth and fluent as many others , and therefore not in so much esteem as otherwise he might have been . his expressions , ( saith calvin ) are somewhat rough and thorny , and therefore dark and obscure , certè magis stridet quàm loquitur , idem in epist. . phraseos character ( inquit zephyrus ) minùs semper c●mptus , multùmque brevis & obscurus fuisse videtur . commata enim potiùs habet qùam ●ol● , & frequentes periodos , qualia decent gravi vehementique stilo , quo semper ipse usus est . so that , durè & tertullianicè loqui , to speak harshly , and like tertullian are equivalent phrases . and the causes whence this proceeded might be chiefly these four . . his country , being an african , of the city of carthage , which was a province of the roman empire : now those that were provincials , scarce any of them could attain unto the purity of the latin tongue , except such only as were brought up at rome from their child-hood : as was terence , our authour's country●man , romam perductus , cum in tenerâ aetate foret , comoedias sex composuit , easque ab apollodoro & menandro poetis graecis in sermonem latinum convertit , tantâ sermonis elegantiâ & proprietate , ut eruditorum judicio nihil perfectiùs aut absolutiùs in eo scribendi genere habitum sit apud latimos : cicero in epist. ad a●●icum refert terentium esse optimum autorem latinitatis . the same author elsewhere speaking of the difference in this language among those living in several countries , thus observes : romani omnes ( inquit ) in suo genere , pressi , elegantes & proprii : hispani autem florentes , acuti & qui ad peregrinum inclinent : punici & carthagiuenses , duri , audaces , improbi : palam aberrantes vitium virtuti praetulerunt : ut tertullianus , apuleius , & cyprianus . it 's also the observation of loys le roy , in his discourse of the variety of things : every thing , saith he , by how much the farther it is from its original spring , is the less pure , as the gauls , spaniards , and africans , did not speak latin so purely as the romans , for although their words were latin , yet they retained the phrase of their own country : insomuch , that speaking latin they were always known for strangers . perturbatissime loquitur tertullianus ( inquit ludovicus vives ) ut afer . and in the decrees of the africans ( many whereof augustin relates ) you may perceive ( saith erasmus ) an anxious affectation of eloquence , yet so as that you may know them to be africans . 't is no wonder then ierom should say , that the stile of tertul●ian and also of other africans , was easily discerned by nepotian : and it appeareth by augustin in sundry places , that the roman tongue was imperfect among the africans , even in the colonies . . his calling and profession : for before his conversion he had studied and practised the law : wherein he was very skilful : hence it comes to pass , that using many law terms ( & juris verborum erat retinentissimus ) and phrases borrowed from thence , his language comes to be more perplex and obscure . it 's apparent ( saith danaeus ) from his continual stile and manner of speaking , that he was a most expert lawyer , and by reason of the unusual novelty of his words , his stile is very obscure , saith sixtus senesis . . his constitution and natural temper , for words are the mind's interpreters , and the clothing of its conceptions , wherein they go abroad , which therefore are in a great measure fashioned by it and receives a tincture from it . hence it is that most mens stiles do differ as well as their faces : suus cuique stilus est ( inquit erasmus ) & quisque suum quendam habet gustum peculiarem : every one hath somewhat peculiar to him in this partic●lar . accordingly our author , being a man , ●cris & vehementis ingenii , of a rough , sharp , and vehement spirit , makes use of a stile answerable , viz. quick and crabbed , and consequently harsh and obscure : which he did of purpose , affecting it as most agreeable to his genius ; so that his expressions are such even in things that are plain and easie . this rhenanus ▪ renders , as the reason why his writings had so many faults , or errataes in them , viz. ●eglectus aut●ris , quo multis annis non est lectotum manibus tritus , & ips●m dicendi g●nus affectatum & africanum ( & affectati stili durities molestiam addit ) quod etiam magis effecit , ut minùs leg●retur , quàm quidvis aliud . which betided the poet persius , qui consul●ò est obscurus , suisque scriptis caliginem & tenebras exindustriâ objecit : for being by one taken in hand , and perceived to be so dark and cloudy , he was fairly laid aside with such like words as these : si nol●t intelligi , non legetur . . his converse in the greek authors whom he diligently read , being very skilful in that tongue , idenim temporis nihil extaba● ( inquit rhenanus ) apud latinos in sacris , praeter testamentum utrumque , tantum victor & apollonius scripserant opuscula : hence it is , that transcribing much from them , he retains their phrases : ( though he quote not his authors ; which was the manner of the first ages , viz. to cite none by name , but the sacred scriptures only ; especially if they had drawn the water out of the wells of the greeks ) and imitates their manner of speaking . by his assiduous perusal of their books , ( saith pamelius ) adeò graecas loquendi formulas imbiberit , ut etiam latinè seribens illarum oblivisci nequiret : he so drank in their forms of speech , that when he comes to write in latin , he cannot forget them : and both himself and rhenanus have taken notice of many phrases in him , which he borrows from the greeks , and wherein he conforms unto them . most of these , i find observed by that learned french-man mr. iohn daille , in his choice treatise concerning the right use of the fathers . what shall i say ( saith he ) of tertullian , who besides his natural harshness and roughness which you meet with in him throughout , and that carthagmian spirit and genius , which is common to him with the rest of the african writers , hath yet shadowed and over-cast his conceptions with so much learning , and with so many new terms and passages out of the law , and with such variety of all visions , subtilties and nice points , as that the greatest stock both of learning and attention that you can bring with you , will be all little enough to fit you for a perfect understanding of him . § . this father is full fraught with and abounds in grave and excellent sentences ; some few whereof i shall here insert ; which may serve a little to acquaint us with the state of those times in reference unto both the doctrine and discipline then professed and practised in the chuches of christ. . take a view of his symbol or creed , containing a summary of the faith which was generally received and maintained in his time : altogether one , the only immoveable and irreformable rule , as he stiles it : which is this . to believe that there is but one god , nor he any other beside the creator of the world , who made all things of nought , by his word , first of all sent forth : colos. . , . that word to be call'd his son ; in the name of god variously seen by the patriarchs : always heard by the prophets ; last of all brought down , by the spirit of god the father , and power , into the virgin mary , made flesh in her womb , and of her born a man , and that he is jesus christ ; moreover that he preached a new law , and a new promise of the kingdom of heaven : that he wrought or did wonders , was fastned to the cross , arose the third day ; that being taken up into heaven , he sate down on the right of the father ; sent the power of the ghost in his stead , that he might guide or act believers : that he shall come in glory to take the saints into the fruition of eternal life , and heavenly promises , and to adjudge the wicked unto perpetual fire ; a resurrection of each part being made with the restitution of the flesh . this rule instituted by christ , as shall be proved , hath no question made of it among us , but which heresies bring in , and which makes hereticks . a compend or brief hereof is to be seen in the beginning of his book of the veiling of virgins , as also in that against praxeas the heretick : unto which he subjoyns these words . this law of faith remaining , other things that concern discipline and conversation , do admit of a newness of correction ; the grace of god working and making a proficiency unto the end . so that where there is a consent in the fundamental and substantial truths of the gospel , differences in things of less moment may be born with , nor should they cause divisions among christians . that rule holding here , that opinionum varietas , & opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . he adds , that this rule hath ran down from the beginning of the gospel , even before any heresie sprung up ; insomuch as from hence this appears to be a firm truth ; id esse verum quodcunque primum ; id esse adulterum , quodcunque posterius . again , the church acknowledgeth one god , creatour of the universe : and jesus christ , of the virgine mary , the son of god the creator ; and the resurrection of the flesh : it mingleth the law and the prophets , with the evangelical and apostolical writings ; and from thence drinks in that faith . it signs with water , clotheth with the holy ghost ( which pamelius understands of confirmation ) feeds with the eucharist , exhorteth with martyrdom ; and so receives none against this institution . . he prescribes and lays down this for a sure rule , by which the truth may be known , viz. if the lord jesus christ did send out the apostles to preach , other preachers are not to be received then those whom christ did institute : because neither doth any other know the father but the son , and he to whom the son hath revealed him ; neither doth the son seem to have revealed him unto any others , save to the apostles whom he sent to preach . now what they have preached , ( i.e. what , christ revealed to them ) ought no other way to be proved , then by the same churches which the apostles themselves founded ; preaching unto them as well by a lively voice , as they say , as afterward by epistles . if these things be so , it is then evident , that every doctrine which agrees with the faith of those apostolical , mother and original churches , is to be accounted the truth ● undoubtedly holding that which the churches received from the apostles , the apostles from christ , christ from god : but all other doctrine to be adjudged false , which savoureth contrary unto the truth of the churches , and of the apostles , and of christ , and of god. . as touching their church meetings at that time , and the exercises about which in them they were imployed , he gives us this account . we come together , saith he , into the congregation , that we may as it were with an army ; besiege god without prayers ; which violence is pleasing unto god. we pray for the emperors and for their ministers and inferior powers , for the state of the world for the peaceable condition of affairs , and for the delay of the end . we are assembled for the rehearsal of the divine scriptures , if the quality of the present times doth need any thing by way of premonition or recognition . surely with the holy word do we feed our faith , raise up our hope , settle our affiance , nevertheless we do strengthen the discipline with inculcation of precepts : there are also exhortations , castigations , and the divine censure : and judgment is past with a great deal of weight and authority ; as among those who are certain of the presence , or inspection , of god : and it is the highest prognostick of the judgment to come for one so to offend , as to be cast out or removed from communion of prayer , and our assemblies , and all holy commerce . approved elders are presidents who have attained this honour not by price but testimony . every one brings some small piece of mony to the chest if he can , one day in a month , or when he will : for no man is compell'd , but gives freely . this is , as it were a pious depositum ; for it is not laid out in feasts , or gluttony or gormundizing ; but for the feeding and interring of the poor ; and for boys and girls that are destitute of estate and parents ; also for such as are aged , and for such as have suffered shipwrack : and for any who are condemned vnto the mines , are banished into islands , or are in prison , &c. . of their love feasts , thus ; of how great cost soever they be 't is ●gain to be at ex●ence for pieties sake ; seeing that the needy are holpen by this refreshing . no baseness or immodesty is admitted ; they sit not down 〈◊〉 prayer to god be first made : they eat as much as hungry ones use to take , to satisfie their hunger only : they drink as much as is meet for sober men to do : they are so filled , as who remember , they must even in the night worship god : they so discourse as those who know that god hears . after water for the hands is brought , as any one is able from the holy scriptures , or of his own invention , he is invited to sing unto god in the midst of all : hence it appeareth how hath he drank : likewise prayer concludes the feast . . we pray with our hands stretched out , because innocent ; with our heads uncovered , because we blush not ; lastly , without a monitor , because from our brest or heart . . the power of casting out divels continued unto his time ; for hereof he thus speaks . the devils by our touch and breathing do unwillingly grieving and blushing ( because you gentiles are present ) depart out of the bodies , which they possessed . . afflict , torment , condemn , break us in pieces ; your iniquity is the trial of our innocency : therefore doth god permit that we should suffer these things . — your exquisite cruelty , speaking to the persecutors of the christians , will avail nothing at all : it is rather an allurement unto our sect : we become the more , the oftner we are cut down by you ; the blood of christians is seed ; that very obstinacy which you upbraid us withal is a mystery ; for who is not moved by beholding it , to inquire , what is in the matter ? who having inquired , comes not unto us ? and coming , desires not to suffer ? &c. . take away from hereticks those things which they hold with ethnicks , that they may ground their questions upon the scriptures only ; and they are not able to stand . — again ; we need no curiosity after jesus christ , nor inquisition after the gospel ; when once we believe it , we desire to believe nothing else ; for this is the first thing that we believe , that there is nothing more which we ought to believe . . the greatest antiquity challengeth the chiefest authority unto the sacred scriptures or instruments : the cabinet of one prophet , viz. moses , for age surpasseth all your originals ; the veins of your ancient stile , the most nations , your famous cities , the very effigies of your letters , yea even your very gods themselves , their temples , oracles and sacred rites . . of the sufficiency and perfection of the scriptures ; adoro scripture plenitudi●em ; i do adore , saith he , the fulness of the scripture . . he hath a most elegant resemblance of mans body unto the earth out of which it was taken : what is the blood , saith he , but a red humor ? what is the flesh ; but earth turned into its figures ? consider the several qualities ; the muscles as clods ; the bones as rocks or stones ; also about the paps , certain pebbles ? behold , the firm connexion of the nerves , as the traductions of roots ; and the branchy running about of the veins as the windings of the rivers : the down , as moss ; the hair as grass ; and the hidden treasures of the marrow , as the metals of the flesh . . he gives us a lively draught or pourtraicture of the grace of patience , together with a large encomium of it from the admirable sorce and excellent fruits thereof : in these words : it fenceth faith , helpeth love , armeth or instructeth humility , governs the flesh , secures the spirit , bridles the tongue , binds the hand , tramples upon temptations , drives away scandals , consummates martyrdom . it comforts the poor , moderates the rich , it delights the believer , and invites the gentile ; it commends the servant unto the master , and the master unto god ; it adorns the wife , and approves the husband , it is lovely in a child , laudable in a youth , and admired in the aged ; it is amiable in every sexe and age . the patient man he thus describeth ; he hath a serene and pleasant countenance , a smooth forehead , not furrowed with any wrinkle of grief or anger : his eyebrows alike remiss in a chearful manner : his eyes cast down through humility , not adversity ; his mouth sealed up with the honour of silence ; his colour such as is that of secure and harmless ones ; the motion of his head frequent against the devil , and a threatning laughter ; the attire about his breast candid and close to his body ; as of one who is neither puffed up , nor disquieted . . the flesh shall rise again , even all , the same , and the whole : for it is every where deposited with god , by the most faithful mediator between god and men , jesus christ , who shall restore both god to man , and man to god , the spirit to the flesh , and the flesh to the spirit . for that which thou supposest to be the destruction thereof , know 't is but a departure . not only the soul is separated or laid aside ; the flesh also in the interim hath its receptacles in the waters , fires , fowls , beasts . when it seems to be dissolved into these , it is , as it were , poured into vessels ; if also the vessels themselves shall fail , when it flits out of them , it is , as it were , by certain windings swallowed up again into its mother earth . . if thou wouldest spend the time of thy life in pleasures , why art thou so ungrateful , as not to acknowledge and account sufficient , so many and such pleasures as art afforded thee of god ? for what is more than reconciliation with god the father , than the revelation of the truth , than ● calling to remembrance of our errour , than the pardon of so many sins past ? what greater pleasure than the loathing of pleasure it self ? than the contempt of the whole world ? than true liberty , than a sound or good conscience , than a sufficient life , then no fear of death ? that thou tramplest upon the gods of the nations , that thou castest out devils , that thou dost cures , that thou coverest revelations , that thou livest unto god ? . how shall i be able to declare the happiness of that marriage , which the church knits together , the oblation confirms , the angels reports it sealed , the father ratifies ? for neither on earth do children rightly marry without the consent of their parents . what a match is that of two believers , of one hope , one vow , one discipline , the same service ? both brethren , both fellow-servants , no difference of spirit or flesh ; but truly two in one flesh : where the flesh is one , and the spirit one : they pray together , they are humbled and fast together , leading and exhorting one another : in distresses and refreshments neither concealeth , avoideth , or is grievous unto the other : the sick is freely visited , the poor sustained ; alms are without torment , sacrifices without scruple , ( i.e. offerings for ministers and the poor ) signing ( viz. with the cross ) is not by stealth , greeting not with trembling , nor benediction mute : psalms and hymns sound forth from two , and they mutally provoke one another , who shall sing best unto their god : christ rejoyceth to behold and hear such things . which words ( saith rhenanus ) are worthy to be written in letters of gold. . he would have these to be the ornaments of christian women . they should ( saith he ) take whiteness from simplicity , redness from modesty ; their eyes should be painted with bashfulness , their spirits with silence , hanging in their ears the word of god , tying about their necks the yoke of christ. submit unto your husbands ( saith he ) and you shall be sufficiently adorned : imploy your hands in wooll ; let your feet keep at home ; and you shall more please , than if deck'd with gold. cloth you with the silk and purple of virtue , holiness and chastity ; being thus beautified , you shall have god for your lover . . a woman going unto the theatre , returned from thence possessed of the devil : wherefore in the exorcism , being pressed how he durst adventure upon a believer , he constantly replyed : i do it most justly : in meo eam inveni . for i found her upon mine own ground . . as touching the carriage and course of hereticks , he thus describes it : first of all , it is uncertain who among them is a catechumen , and who a believer : they congregate together , and hear together , pray together : if even heathens come in among them , they give that which is holy unto dogs , and cast pearls ( though not true ones ) before swine : they will have simplicity to be the prostration of discipline ; the care whereof among us they call an inticement : they also make peace every where with all : for it matters not with them , though they hold different opinions ; so that they agree together for the overthrow of the truth : they are all puffed up , they all promise knowledge ; even heretical women how malepe●t , who dare teach , contend , ex●rcise , promise cures , and perhaps baptize too : their ordinations are rash , light and inconstant ; sometimes they place in novices , sometimes such as are addicted unto the world ; sometimes our apostates , that they may oblige them by glory ( or preferment ) whom they cannot by truth : proficiency is no where more facile , than in the camps of rebels ; where even to be a desertor is a stept to promotion ; therefore one is a bishop to day , to morrow another : to day he is a presbyter , who to morrow is a lay-man ; he is to day a deacon , who to morrow is a reader : for even unto laicks do they commit pastoral charges , or the priestly office. what should i speak of the administration of the word ? seeing their business is not to convert the heathens , but to subvert ours : this glory they rather covet , if they may ruine those that stand , than raise up those that are fallen : because their work proceeds not of their own proper building , but of the destruction of the truth . besides , they know not to respect or reverence those that are over them ; and hence it is that there are scarce any schisms amongst hereticks ; for when there be , they obey not . finally , if we look narrowly into heresies , we shall find them all in many things differing from their authors : many of them have no churches ; they wander up and down , without a mother , without a seat , destitute of the faith , like banished ones : it is also observed , that hereticks have much acquaintance with magicians , juglers , astrologers , philosophers , being given to curiosity : every where minding that ; seek and ye shall find . so that the quality of their faith , may be estimated from their manner of conversation . doctrine is the index of discipline . they deny that god is to be feared : therefore all things are free and loose among them . &c. § . though these and many such like excellent passages are to be found in his works throughout ; yet is there a great deal of caution and judgement to be made use of in the perusal of them : for , . he hath many inconvenient and dangerous expressions , which without a favourable interpretation are not to be allowed of , for although in some of them he haply thought more commodiously than he wrote : yet his absurd phrases are no way to be approved of , nor can some of them by any means well be excused : as , where he saith , that god is corporeal , and hath a body , though not fashioned or figured : who ( saith he ) can deny that god hath a body , although god be a spirit ? which expression of his is very inconvenient , and unsuitable unto the most simple nature of god. yet hath the great augustine herein pleaded his excuse : he might perhaps ( saith he ) by a body , mean the very divine nature , substance or essence : which term he therefore useth , lest he should seem to make god an empty phantasm , and meer nothing . and indeed , comparing this expression with divers passages in the works of our author , we shall find there was cause why he should conceive this to have been his meaning , and that he had ground sufficient for so friendly a construction of his words . as , where he saith , the very substance is the body of every thing : also , every thing that is , is a body in its kind ; nihil est incorporale , nis● quod non est : nothing is incorporeal , but what is not . again , who will deny god to be a body , though he be a spirit ? for a spirit is a body of its kinds in its shape and fashion : the less reason had alphonsus de castro , to make tertullian the first author of the heresie of the anthropomorphites : ( though they might abuse these expressions of his , and by them be confirmed in their opinion ) confidering withal , that those scriptures upon which they built their gross conceits of god , art otherwise understood by him , than they were by them , e. g. where the scriptures do speak of the eye , ear , hand and feet of god , they understood them literally ; but he metaphorically , and as spoken after the manner of men to our capacity : for ( faith he ) by those expressions the divine operations are declared , but not corporeal lineaments given or ascribed unto god : for by the eye is signified that he seeth all things ; by the ear , that be heareth all things , &c. this therefore made him not an heretick . another such expression is this ; that the father was before the son ; and that the son had his original or beginning , when the father would that he should proceed from him . yet doth he in the same book assert the eternity of the son ; saying , that he was always in the father , nor can time be assigned unto him , who was before all time . again , the father is the whole substance ; but the son a derivation or portion of the whole . of which words bellarmine gives this favourable interpretation ; haec verba , inquit , intelligi debent de sola distinctione personali , quem iu toto libro intendit : vocat autem filium portionem , & patrem totam substantiam ; quia pater est fons & principium aliarum personarum , & in eâ ratione majoritatem quand●m habet . these and other the like dangerous expressions are scattered up and down his books ; in regard whereof rhenanus saw cause , why he should in the margin against the last mentioned passage , warn the reader , that here and elsewhere tertullian is to be read with caution : again , here and elsewhere ( saith he ) let the reader remember that he is perusing tertullian . yet again , divines , saith he , are to be admonished , that they do interpret some things more commodiously , or aptly then they sound , and indulge something to antiquity . . he delivereth and laboureth to maintain many unsound opinions and gross errours , which are carefully to be avoided and rejected , as what is sound and orthodox in him to be embraced : the good is not to be neglected for the bad , nor the bad to be received for the sake of that in him which is good . i think ( saith ierom ) that origen for his learning is sometime to be read in the same manner , as tertullian , novatus , arnobius , apollinarius , and some other ecclesiastical writers , both greek and latin , viz. so that we chuse the good in them , and refuse the contrary : according to the apostles saying ; prove all things ; hold fast that which is good . we are to make use of him as cyprian did , who honoured him with the title of master : though he took a great deal of delight in the wit of that learned and zealous man , yet did he not follow montanus and maximillia with him . and this gives a hint of his foulest errour , which i shall mention in the first place . . he became a follower of montanus ; whose gross and sottish errours having once entertained , he ( for ought that appears to the contrary ) persisted in unto the end of his days ; stiling and owning the blasphemous heretick , ( together with his female consorts priscilla and maximilla ) sor the paraclete or comforter , whom christ promised to send , distinguishing him from the holy ghost : contrary to that clear text , ioh. . . the comforter , which is the holy ghost , whom the father will send in my name , &c. this say his followers , descended upon the apostles , but the paraclete upon montanus and his minions ; whose prophesies , or rather idle dreams , and fancies they much magnified : wherein second marriages are condemned , and fastings and martyrdoms are exacted : which things tertullian being overmuch taken with , and approving of , he thereupon embraced that new prophesie . a strange thing that so learned and eminent a man should give credit unto such foolish and frantick conceits : especially considering that , not long before , himself had ranked the followers of montanus , viz. proclus and aeschines amonst the most notorious hereticks ; whom he chargeth with this blasphemy , as he call it , that they say the holy ghost was in the apostles , but not the paraclete ; and that the paraclete had spoken more in montanus , than christ had delivered in the gospel ; and not only more , but better and greater things . erasmus conceives that he did this contra mentis suae sententiam , appellans montanum omnis veritatis deductorem : for he could not be perswaded that a man of so piercing a judgement , and so exercised and versed in the sacred scriptures , did ever believe that montanus was the holy ghost or paraclete , whom christ promised unto the apostles . . he advanceth the freedom of mans will after the fall so highly , that even pelagius himself would scarce dare to do it with the like liberty , e. g. the law ( saith he ) would not have been given to him , that had not the obedience to the law , in his own power . and , a little after , thus : so we find the creator propounding unto man , or setting before him good and evil , life and death ; exhorting and threatning ; which he would not have done , unless man had been free , and voluntary to obey or contemn . again , behold , ( saith he ) the kingdom of god is within you : who will not so interpret it ? within you i. e. in your own hand and power ; if you hear , and do the command of god ? also , that the patriarchs , noah and abraham were just by the righteousness of the law of nature . . he condemns second marriages , accounting them no better than adultery , and worthy of excommunication : may we not say , ( saith he ) that second marriage is a kind of adultery ? &c. also , he calls the lawful company of man and wife , contumelia communis : a common contumely or reproach . . he denys that it is lawful for a christian to flee in time of persecution ; being immoderate in the praise of martyrdom ; as if it merited pardon of sin . who ( saith he ) doth not wish to suffer that he may purchase the whole favour of god , and all pardon from him by the compensation of his blood ? omnia enim huic operi delicta donantur . . he was of the opinion ( as was also clemens alexandrinus and cyprian , lib. de disciplin . & babit . virgin. ) that the angels fell in love , and accompanied with women ( misunderstanding that passage of moses , gen. . . ) and that they discovered many secrets and hidden arts , and especially divers curiosities for the adorning and setting forth of women ; for which they were condemned . . he held also the errour of the chiliasts or millenaries : we confess ( saith he ) that a kingdom is promised unto us in the earth , before heaven ; but in another state ; namely , after the resurrection for a thousand years in a city of a divine work or building . ierusalem coming down from heaven , &c. this we say is provided of god for the saints , to be there refreshed with all spiritual good things , in recompen●e of those things which in the world we have either despised or lost . for it is a righteous thing , and worthy of god , that his servants should exult and rejoyce there , where they have been afflicted for his name . . he thought that both angels , and also the souls of men , were corporeal ; and the latter derived from the parent unto the child by way of propagation . anima in utero seminata pariter cum carne , pariter cum ipsà sortitur & sexum , &c. augustine tell us , his opinion was , that the worst souls of men are after death converted , or turned into devils ; which absurd conceit pamelius thinks ought rather to be imputed unto those hereticks , that took their name from him , than unto tertullian himself , because it is not to be found in any of his writings : nor could danaeus easily be induced to believe , that augustine should charge him herewith , seeing he is more equal toward him . . he approves of and labours to defend the superstitious facts and stations ; as also other ridiculous ceremonies of the montanists , viz. the superstitious use of the sign of the cross , oblations for the dead , and annual upon birth-days , processions , &c. ( antiquae observationes ( inquit chemnitius ) quorum apud ▪ tertullianum fit mentio , non sunt omnes apostolicae traditiones ; sed multae ex montani paracleto profectae sunt ) these and such like , which he borrowed from those hereticks , did he practise and augment : though he himself confess that there is no warrant for them in the scriptures , nor were they instituted by the apostles . who list , may there see a large catalogue of such observations and practices ; which are built upon none other , than the sandy foundation of uncertain tradition . the materials of the anti christian synagogue were preparing betimes . § . as touching his exit , or the close of his life , i find this only recorded ; that he lived long , even to old age , yea , usque ad deerepitam aetatem : unto decrepit old age ; which yet pamelius would have to be but unto sixty three years : at what time ( saith he ) decrepit old begins : so that according to his account , he , ( as many other eminent men have done ) ended his pilgrimage in his climacterical year : or rather , then ceased to write any more ; for he is loath to affirm that he lived beyond this time , considering what ierom had delivered concerning him . some do rank him among the martyrs that suffered for the name of christ ; and rhenaenus makes regino the reporter of his martyrdom ; though , after diligent perusal , i do not find him so much as named by that historian : this therefore seems to be a mere and groundless conjecture , and very unlikely , seeing that neither eusebius , nor ierom do make any mention of it . true it is , that he was very desirous of martyrdom ; but it might be a righteous thing with god , not to vouchsafe that honour unto him , who had so unworthily deserted the truth , and esteemed martyrdom meritorions . but what kind of death soever put a period unto his life , he is herein much to be lamented , that having as a star of the first magnitude , shined in the church of christ so brightly the most part of his time ; he should at last , by forsaking it , be so much obscured , and go out so ingloriously . origenes adamantius . § . he is commonly known by the name of origenes adamantius ; so called of the adamant ; a stone of such hardness , that it yields not to the stroke of the hammer : not unlike whereunto was the spirit and temper of origen , indefatigably labourious , both in reading and writing ; scriptoribus aliquot propter indefatigatam studii tolerantiam admantini cognomen inditum fuit ; ut didymo grammatico & origeni theologo : for which cause also ierom gives him the name of chalcenterus & verè adamantinus , or brazen sides ; for so may the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be rendred : of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , intestina . photius renders this , as the reason of his name , quòd rationes , quas colligaret , adamantinis quibusdam quasi vinculis non absimiles viderentur . he was one whom neither austerity of life , nor perpetual pains taking , nor the hardship of poverty , nor the unworthy carriage of such as envyed him , nor fear of punishment , nor any face of death , could in the least remove from his holy course and purpose . his country was egypt , and the place of his birth therein ( as is conjectured ) the famous city of alexandria ; he descended of christian parents , both father , grand-father , and great grand-father , and pious from his childhood , trained up like another young timothy , in the christian religion and knowledge of the scriptures . his father's name was leonides , a pious and learned man , and according to some , a bishop : for so suidas ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : who in the cruel persecution under severus was crowned with martyrdom , being beheaded for the name of christ , origen was then but young , yet so fervently affected toward christian religion , that being hindred by his mother ( who hid his apparel from him to prevent the danger he would have exposed himself unto ) from going unto , and visiting his father in prison , he could not rest , but wrote unto him a letter , wherein he thus exhorts him ; faint not , o father ( saith he ) nor think of any thing ( because of us ) but suffering constantly . his father in his life time had carefully instructed him in the holy scriptures in the first place , and after that in the liberal arts , and prophane literature , in both which he profited exceedingly , and above his years : his manner was to demand of the child a daily task of some certain sentences , which he injoyned him to learn by heart ; by which means he grew unto such promptness and acquaintance with the scriptures ; that he contented not himself with the bare and usual reading of them , but proceeded farther , searching into the hidden and profound meaning of them ; so that many times he would even gravel his father , questioning him what was meant ▪ by this and that place , insomuch as his father would check him sometimes in outward appearance , admonishing him not to enquire curiously above the capacity of his years , and more than the plain letter gave him to understand ; yet inwardly did he rejoyce greatly hereat , and would oftentimes uncover the breast of his child while asleep , solemnly kissing it as the shrine or closet of the holy ghost , giving hearty thanks unto god that he had made him the father of such a son. from this domestical discipline he was delivered over unto other masters , whereof the famous clement of alexandria was one , and the learned philosopher ammonius another , whom he heard for the space of seven years . when his father was martyred , he was left an orphan of the age of seventeen years , with his mother and six children in great want , his father's substance and estate being all confiscated into the emperour's treasury : origen therefore casting himself upon the providence of god , he stirred up the heart of a matron in alexandria , very rich , and also religious , to compassionate him in his necessities , who received him into her house , and not only maintained him , but also liberally helped and promoted him in his studies at her own cost . there was in the house at the same time a certain man of antioch , named paulus , accounted a profound and wise man , but a notable heretick , whom she had adopted for her son ; to him resorted a very great number , not only of hereticks , but also of the orthodox as unto their master . origen then of necessity using his company , and having made so good a progress in learning , that he could discern between true and false doctrine , would by no means be drawn either to discourse , or to be present with him at prayers ; nor would he give him any respect at all ; so much did he detest his heretical opinions . about the eighteenth year of his age ▪ he● publickly at alexandria began to profess and teach the art of granmar , wherewith he maintained himself , that he might not be burthensome to any one ; olim senile & arduum fuit negotium grammaticam profiteri : a work of great difficulty in former time ( saith erasmus ) to the due performance whereof much labour and no less skill was requisite . and because by reason of the heat of persecution , those who had formerly catechised and taught in that school were forced to flie , so that none of them were lest ; he under the person of a grammarian acted the part of a catechist , sub occasione secularis literaturae in fide christi eos instituens , together with grammatical rules , scattering some seeds of piety and christian doctrine in the minds of his hearers ; which may be the ground of zonaras his words concerning him , annos , inquit , octodecim natus institu●ndis christianae religionis tyronibus praefuit . the seed thus sown grew and prospered so well , that divers of his scholars profited exceedingly , sucking from his lips the juice of christian religion and heavenly philosophy ; among whom one plutarch was the first , who at length was crowned with martyrdom ; the second , heraclas the brother of plutarch , who afterward succeeded demetri●s in the bishopprick of alexandria . having for a while continu●d in this exercise with good success , the charge of the school or office of catechist at alexandri● ( wherein he succeeded clement his master ) was committed unto him by demetrius the bishop of that city : origen perceiving that many scholars did resort unto him , and frequent his lectures , he laid aside the reading of humanity , and applyed himself to a more profitable course , viz. the exercise of godly discipline , and in the instructing of his auditors in the sacred scriptures , in which employment he continued and flourished for divers years . but at length the number of those who in companies flocked unto him , and that even from morning to night , growing so great , that he had scarce a breathing time afforded him ; and perceiving that by himself alone he was not able to undergo the burden of so great a work , nor could enjoy that leisure which he much desired , to search into the profound mysteries of the scriptures , which his mind was chiefly carried out after , he made choice of heraclas , a man expert in the scripture , most eloquent , and not unskilful in philosophy , to be his assistant in the work of catechising , committing unto him the instruction of those who were newly come to the faith , reserving unto himself the care of such as had made a farther progress therein , having attained unto more perfection . while he was thus employed in preaching the word , and instructing not only men , but also women resorting unto him , that he might cut off all occasion of suspicion and slander from the infidels , literally understanding those words of christ , matth. . . there be some who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heavens sake : he practised upon himself , either by abscission , or else by exsiccation , and deading of those parts by certain herbs or medicaments which he made use of for that purpose . a thing it seems commonly practised by the heathen priests : for so servius affirms , sacerdotes , inquit , qui maximae sacra accipiebant , renunciabant omnibus rebus , nec ulla in his nisi numinum cura remanebat , herbis etiam quibusdam emasculabantur , unde etiam coire non poterant . ierom gives us an instance hereof in the hierophantae , a sort of priests among the athenians , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sacrorum interpres , mysteriorum praeses ) ( qui enim sacris praesunt ceremoniis praedictionibusque deorum multiplici nomine censentur , namque hierophantas aliquos , alios hierodidascalos , nonnullos hieronomos , plerosque hi●rophylaces aut nomophylaces , qui frequentes erant , appellarunt graeci , inquit alexander ab alexandro ) of these ( saith he ) legant hierophantas atheniensium usque hodie cicutae sorbitione castrari , & postquam in pointificatum f●erint electi ( surrecti fuerint , inquit rhodiginus ) viros esse desinere , ut castissimè sanctissiméque sacrum facerent . of the virtue of which herb pliny thus speaks , certum est , quod lac puerperarum mammis imposita extinguat , ven●remque testibus circa pubertatem illita . chemnitius makes the reason of his so doing to be his too great admiration of single life , which example of his many others followed , adeò ut ecclesia coacta fuerit severiter 〈◊〉 prohibere . so doth the council of nice provide , that whoever was found guilty of g●lding himself , if he were already in orders , he should be deposed , if not , he was not to be ordained : agreeable to what we find in the canons of the apostles ( as they are called ) concerning this thing . this unadvised act of his origen desired to conceal , yet could not carry the matter so closely , but that it came to the knowledge of de●eirius the bishop , whereof what use he made , we shall hereafter declare . leaving alexandria he went unto rome in the time when zephyrinus was bishop there , a little before his death , as baronius conjectures : the cause why he undertook this journey , was the great desire that he had to see the most ancient church of the romans ; where , having made but a little stay , he returned un●● alexandria again , and there diligently attended his charge , the success of his pains being the gaining of many to the embracing of the truth , and the recovering of others from errour , among whom one ambrose ( addicted unto the valentinian heresie , or ( as ierom reports ) unto that of marcion , or ( as others ) partly a marcionist , and partly a sabellian ) was brought to see and forsake his error , and afterward called to the office of a deacon in the church of alexandria , famous for his confession of the name of christ , a man noble ▪ rich and learned . the same of origen was now spread abroad even unto other countries ; for a certain soldier sent from the governour of arabia , comes to alexandria , bringing with him letters unto demetrius the bishop there , and also unto him who was then lieutenant of egypt , requesting them with all speed to dispatch origen unto him , that he might instruct him and his people in the doctrine of christianity : for although there had before been a church of christ in arabia , yet it is credible , that the duke or governour with his court had persisted in his heathenish impiety even unto the time of origen , it being observed that for the most part the propagation of the christian religion begins with the lowest of the people , and gradually by little and little ascends unto the governours of common wealths . origen accordingly goeth thither , and having happily accomplished the end of his journey , he not long after returneth again unto alexandria , where , through a sedition , finding all in a combustion and tumult , and his scholars scattered , so that there was no abiding for him there , no nor in any other place of egypt in safety , he left his country , and betook himself unto caesarea , a city of palestina , where he was earnestly entreated by the bishops of that province to expound the scriptures , though he were not as yet called to the ministry ( legatione ad eum missâ episcopi permisere , ut dissereret de sacris literis : so nicephorus reports it . ) this act of his ( condescending to their request ) was much distasted by demetrius , who in a letter which he wrote unto those bishops , thus speaks of it , that such a practice was never heard of , nor could there any where the like precedent be found , that lay-men in the presence of bishops have taught in the church . but they in defence of what had been done , returning an answer unto him , have therein such words as these , we know not for what cause you report a manifest untruth , since there have been such sound as in open assemblies have taught the people , yea , when as there were present learned men that could profit the people , and moreover holy bishops at that time also exhorting them to preach : for example , at laranda euelpis was requested of neon , at icouium paulinus was requested by celsus , at synada theodorus by atticus , who were godly brethren . it is like also that this was practised in other places , though unknown to us . thus was origen , being a young man , honoured of bishops that were strangers unto him . but the storm of civil dissentions being blown over , and both demetrius and the deacons of the church by letters earnestly soliciting him to return , he leaves palestine , and comes back again unto alexandria , and there applyeth himself to his accustomed manner of teaching . not long after mammaea the mother of the emperour alexander severus , a most pious and religious woman ( christianissima , inquit trithemius , quae a christianissimo non abhor●●it , inquit osiander ) hearing of the eloquence and apostolical life of origen , and ●iving then at antioch with her son , sent for him by some soldiers to come unto her , accounting it no small happiness if she might see him , and hear his wisdom in the holy scriptures , which all men admired . to whom he accordingly repaired , and staying a while with her , he instructed her in the doctrine of christianity , which found so good acceptance with her , that she became both a lover of it , and a favourer of those who professed it ; ( not that she was now first brought to the knowledge and embracing of it , as some conceive ; ( audito origene christian● facta est ) but rather further confirmed therein ) who so far prevailed with her son , that not only the persecution against the christians ceased , but they also had a place granted them for the exercise of religion , and were had in high esteem with him . having here detained him a while , she at length dismissed him with honour , who again betook him to his school at alexandria . and now did he begin to comment upon the holy scriptures , being much instigated thereunto by ambrose whom he had reduced from errour , as hath been before said ; who , for his encouragement , furnished him with necessaries for that purpose , allowing parchments , and no less than seven notaries , who by turns took from his mouth , and wrote what he dictated unto them ; and as many libraries ( maintained all at the charge of ambrose ) who transcribed or copied out more fairly what the other had formerly taken ; and that this was the difference between the notarii and the librarii , may be gathered from erasmus his calling the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or swift , the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or fair writers . notariorum , inquit baronius , erat scribere ; librariorum exscribere . ierom ( saith miraeus ) calls those notaries , who with a swift hand took the words of him that did dictate , and sometimes they wrote by notes or characters : but those librarii , or scriveners ; who afterward more accurately committed the things so taken unto books . of this turuebus thus speaks , scribere notis non est compendio quodam literarum verba complecti ad celeritatem , sed quibusdam fictis signis comprehendere , idque docebantur pueri , non tantùm scribere ; cassianus enim martyr , qui puerorum s●ilis confossus christo animam reddit , notis scribere docuit : prudentias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , hym. . — magister literarum sederat , verba notis brevibus comprendere cuncta pertius , raptimque punctis dicta praepetibus sequi . aliud enim esse notis , aliud literis scribere , ostendit manilius , lib. . cap. , his verbis . hic & scriptor erit felix , cui litera verbum est : quique notis linguam superet cursumque loquentis . martial also the epigrammatist , of the notary thus : currant verba licet , manus est v●locior illis : nondum lingua suum , dextra peregit opus . so thirsty after the knowledge of the scriptures , and so pressing upon origen , unto this work was ambrose ( whom he therefore calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) that he would scarce afford him sufficient time to eat , sleep or walk for his recreation , or to read and review what the notaries had written , as himself complains in a certain epistle to his friend . about this time the churches of achaia being much pest●red and vexed with divers heresies , origen is sent thither with letters testimonial for the suppressing of them , who was now in his middle age , or about forty and three years old , as baronius conjectures : he supposeth that the cause of his going into greece , was his great desire to get the sixth edition of the bible , which was this year found at nicopolis , that he might adjoyn it unto the other five versions , which with unwearied pains and diligence he had formerly found out ; and so compose that laborious work of his , which he called hexopl● . now , passing through palestine toward athens , he was ( by alexander and theoctistus ( who greatly admired : origen ) two bishops of great authority , the one of hierusalem , the other of cesarea ) by imposition of hands made or ordained minister at cesares ; which office gained him much more respect , so that he was had in great esteem . this begat envy in dem●trius , who was highly offended with those bishops for what they had done , and by aspersions endeavoured to darken and eclipse the glory of origen in his letters unto all the bishops throughout the world : and having nothing else to charge him withal that might tend to his disparagement , he published his unadvised act of castration , as a mo●● foul and absurd fact of his , though when he first came to the knowledge thereof , he had admired and praised him for it , encouraging him still to go on in the office of catechising . origen therefore perceiving how much the mind of demetrius was alienated from and in censed against him ( forbearing to make use of any bitterness against his detractors ) chose rather to pass by the injury in silence , and to give place to their passion , than further to exasperate them : he therefore after his return and abode there for some small time , lest alexandria , having committed the office of a catechist there unto heraclas formerly his assistant in that work , and went again into palestine , remaining at cesarea , where he applyed himself unto the preaching of the word , many not only of that country , but also strangers from other places resorting thither and attending upon his ministry : among whom were divers eminent men , and of special note , viz. firmilian bishop of cesarea in cappadocia , who one while invited him into his province , to edifie or reform the churches there ; another while under pretence of visiting the holy places , he made a voyage into palestine , and for a good space continued there , that by origen he might be brought to the further understanding of the scriptures . also theodorus , called afterward gregorius , bishop of neocaesarea in pontus , a man most renowned , and for the miracles which he wrought , surnamed thaumaturgus , together with his brother athenodorus , whom ( continuing with him about the space of five years ) he converted from heathenism to christianity ; for which cause this theodorus a while after penned a panegyrick or enco●miastick oration in the praise of origen , to testifie his thankfulness for what he had received from him . after this , beril , bishop of bostra in arabia falling into heresie , and maintaining that christ before his incarnation had no being : he was dealt and disputed with by divers bishops assembled together : origen also was sent for who by strength of argument so convinced him of his error , that he restored him again to his former sound opinion : for which he returned him solemn thanks in divers letters written unto him : also certain others arose in arabia , who broached this pernicious doctrine that the soul died and perished together with the body , and that in the general resurrection , they arose together and were restored unto life again . these hereticks are by augustine called arabiei , by damaseen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , animimortales ; about which a great synod was assembled , wherein origen so discoursed of this matter , that the erroneous did soon renounce their absurd opinion , and were reduced to a better judgment . he also suppressed the heresie of the helcesaits , which sprung up about the same time ( called of epiphanius sampsaei ; in the region of per●● , whose first author was one elxaeus ) who rejected part of the old testament : denyed the apostle paul wholly : counted it an indifferent thing to deny or not to deny with the mouth in time of persecution , so that thou persist faithful in thine heart ; and used a certain book , which ( as they say ) came down from heaven , the which whosoever heareth and believeth ( say they ) shall obtain another kind of remission of sins then that which christ purchased for us . growing now old ( above sixty years of age ) and much worn out and wasted with long study and painful exercise , he at length was prevaild with and permitted , that those things which he publickly preached and disputed , should by notaries be taken and copied out ; which before he would not suffer to be done ; this erasmus understands of his sermons or homilies : tantae erat modestiae , ( inquit ille ) ut serò p●ssus sit excipi quae disserebat . and thus was his time and strength laid out and spent in the work of the lord , even from his childhood unto his old age , not hiding his talent , but as a good servant improving it for the advantage of his master , who had intrusted him therewith . § . he was man of extraordinary parts and endowments of nature , vir magnus & excellentis ingenii : which began to appear in him even from his very childhood , vir magnus ●b infantiâ : being a man in understanding , when but a child in years ; stiled therefore by erosmus , senilis puer ; of a notable strong and piercing wit , perspicacississimo ingenio , saith rhenanus ; for which nothing was too hard ( and so truly adamantine● ) nor nothing too high ( and so truly origenical , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . montigena : ) such a one as learned greece , the fruitful mother of the most happy wits , scarce ever bred the like ; immortale inge nium : so comprehensive , as not to be bounded within the limits of ordinary capacities ; there being nothing within the encyclopedy of arts that could escape his knowledge : for he exactly perused all kind of authors : wherein he had this advantage above many others , that he lost no time ; ei ( inquit erasmus ) nulla pars aetatis periit à studiis : his tenderest years being improved this way by his pious and careful father , by which means , the fair field of his great abilities being so well cultured and manured , began in his very spring to flourish and abound with the fruit of excellent skill in all the liberal sciences : whereof he gave a large proof and testimony , undertaking at the age of eighteen years the publick profession of the art of grammar in the famous city of alexandria ; a task of no small difficulty , to the dispatch whereof was requisite , besides elegancy of speech , insight into most authors , and acquaintance with history and antiquity ; together with a competent measure of knowledge in poetry , rhetorick , logick , arithmetick , cosmography and musick ; all which , being so young he had attained unto with wonderful celerity , as ierom testifies : he had diligently studied the writings of the several sects of philophers , viz. pythagoreans , stoicks , &c. but was specially conversant in plato : in which kind of learning he grew to such an height , that he became famous even among the heathenish philosophers ; in so much as many , and those of chiefest rank among them , resorted unto him and attended upon his lectures : in what esteem they had him , may be gathered from the words of porphyrius in 〈◊〉 plotim : cum , inquit , origenes aliquando romae venisset in scholas , plotinns ( qui tum publicè ibidem profitebatur ) statim genas rubore suffusus , assurgere volu●t : sermiones verò ab origene continuare rogatus , respondit : studium loquendi cessare , quando qui loquitur , ●uimadvertit se ad illos , qui idem ipsi noverint , verba facturum : atq●e ita , cum pauca quaedam disseruisset , inde surrexit . these bitter enemies of christian religion ; porphyrius , proclus & alii , ( inquit rhodiginas ) fatentur eum exactissimam omnium disciplinarum liberalium ●●gni●●onem tenere . yea , they frequently make honorable mention of him in the books written by them ; and would sometimes refer unto him the resolution of perplex doubts and questions . some of them also have dedicated their books unto him ; and others have delivered to him what they had written , as unto the censure of a master : so great was the reverence they bare him , and in such account was he had amongst them . he was philosophorum omnium sui temporis princeps ; tan●● ingenii , ut nulla eum lingua , 〈…〉 latuerit : and is stiled by the great at●●nasius , admirabilis & summae 〈◊〉 vir . but these philosophical studies did he addict himself unto , only as a step unto a higher form ; he prized the arts as things that might be of great use for the confutation of the heathens ; as also a help to the contemplation of divine mysteries , and a meet handmaid to serve and wait upon her mistress theology : and in this regard , as he judged them profitable and necessary for himself , so did he exhort and perswade others unto the study of them . nor indeed are they of small advantage , as they do fit the vessel for the receit of more precious liquor , sublimating the understanding , and so disposing it to apprehend those higher things contained in the scriptures : for thus do histories make men wise , poets witty , the mathematicks subtil , natural philosophy deep , moral grave , logick and rhetorick able to contend ; as that noble scholar hath observed . to the study of the scriptures therefore did he chiefly apply himself ; wherein he found such sweetness , and took so much delight , that he thought nothing worthy of his time or pains in comparison of them : quis ardentem ( inquit hieronymus ) in scripturis animum non miretur ? both day and night was he thus exercised , neither did he account his meat or sleep sweet unto him , if not seasoned with reading somewhat of those sacred oracles : judging it an unworthy thing that the meaner part of man should be refreshed , and the better and more noble neglected : to which he joyned fervent prayer as the best key to unlock that cabinet , that so he might come to and enjoy the precious jewel contained therein : lectio orationem ( inquit hi●ronymus ) excepit , & oratio lectionem . by this means the holy scriptures became so familiar unto him , through continual use and his being daily conversant in them ; that , by the help of a most strong and happy memory , he had gotten them by heart , ad unguem ●bsolutus in divinis literis , and as it were at his fingers end ; herein even another esdras : and for that he was of a searching and soaring wit , he confined not himself to the low and obvious sense of the words , but would mount aloft into the sublime and mysterious meaning of them ; yet herein is he blamed by many , and not without cause , as being too studious of allegories : in allegoriis , inquit erasmus , superstitiosior est interim & violentior , nimium in hoc intentus , ut destruat historicum sensum ; quasi locus non sit allegoriae , illo incolumi : in these he was to excessive and immoderate ; though in the framing of them he took much pains , and is very happy in many of them . but the truth is , had he followed the counsel given to iearus : — medio tutissimus ibis : he might have avoided his fate , and not , by singeing his wings , have fallen into such a gulf of errors as he did , through his audaciousness this way . and because he saw that he wanted one principal help to the more accurate finding out of the meaning of the scriptures , he ( contrary to his age being somewhat old , and also to the custom of his country ) fell upon the study of the hebrew tongue , the difficulties whereof he easily overcame ; and ( to the wonder of greece ) attained unto a competent measure of skill in that language in a few ( not to say months , but ) days . being thus furnished he diligently improved his talent , affording the help not only of his frequent lectures to his contemporaries , but also of his learned commentaries to posterity for the better understanding of the scriptures ; sweating night and day in the study of the explanation of them . nor is this the meanest flower in the garland of his praise , that he was the first among the fathers that undertook a work of this nature ; an enterprize of no small difficulty seeing he was to go in an untrodden path , none of those that lived before him , affording him any help or direction herein : primus ( inquit rhenanus ) quasi glaciem scidit , jux●● proverbium , in enarrandis scripturis divinis — divinae rei primus inventor . homo pen● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( inquit sixtus senensis ) & qu● primus aggressus est explanationem omnium divinarum scripturarum , nondum ob ingentem earum difficultatem ab aliquo attentatam . erasmus therefore setting him in the front of all the ancient commentators both greek and latin , adds these words , origenes , inquit , inter commentatores sic est primus , ut nemo cu● illo conferri possit . and indeed who among them all can say , that he is not beholding to him ? all that followed , took from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , their hints both of teaching and writing , so that they were not a little holpen by him ; basil and gregory nazianzen who collected the philocalia , call him omni●● theologorum cotem & maximum secundum apostolos ecclesiarum magistrum . and as all the latin poets followed ennins , so ( saith ranulphus cestrensis ) all expositors followed origen . ierom highly commends and ascribes much to his interpretations , though he disliked many of his opinions ; he stiles him the master of the churches next after the apostles ( as basil and nazianzen did ) wishing the envy of his name , with his knowledge in the scriptures . hilary and victorinus so much approved of him , ut ejus tractatus non ut interpretes , sed ut auctores proprii operis transtu lerunt . pamphilus the martyr had his expositions in so high esteem , that with his own hands he copied out ( as the greatest part of the volumes written by him so particularly ) five and twenty volumes of his expositions upon the twelve prophets , which ierom happily light on , kept and embraced , with as much joy , as if he had found the treasures of craesus . atque ( ut pancis dicam ) hortus quidam reverà nobis erat ( inquit gregorius thaumaturgus ) magni illins paradisi dei similitudinem referens . he beautified his learning with piety , being very eminent in this regard : sanctitate vitae incomparabilis : a true evangelical doctor , that practised in his life , what he preached with his lips : there being a notable agreement between his words and his works , prescribing rules with the one , and giving a pattern of them in the other . whence it was said of him , that as he taught so he liv'd , and as he liv'd so he taught : a sweet harmony . iejuniis , vigiliis , orationibus & continuis divinarum scripturarum studiis deo devotè serviens , intentus fuit . his abstinence and austerity was admirable , he often fasted and watched , always used a spare and mean dyet , only for necessity , forbearing altogether the use of flesh and wine ; except through infirmity forced thereunto : insomuch , as that having sold the prophane authors ( which he had diligently perused ) he enjoyned the buyer to pay him four half pence a day , which for the space of many years sufficed him for meat , drink , and apparel . abstinentiâ corporis vigorem àde ò domuit , ut omninò contabuisse sceletumque factum esse videretur . he took his rest ( which was but little ) not on a soft bed , but on the bare ground ; and supposing that our saviour ought especially to be observed , mat. . . &c . . he would not wear two coats , nor shoes , nor take care or thought for the morrow . such also was his love to , and zeal for the truth , and constant professors of it , that in times of persecution he frequently exposed himself to so great and eminent dangers , as he could not have escaped , had not the divine power in a marvellous manner preserved him ; he was sometimes so narrowly watched , and closely pursued by his persecutors , that he could no way pass safely through alexandria , being forced oftentimes to change his lodgings , that so he might avoid them ; yet would he not forbear to visit those that were imprisoned , yea and accompany such as were condemned , unto the places of execution , boldly embracing , kissing , and saluting them to his no small hazard , so that once the multitude in their rage had stoned him to death , had he not been even miraculously defended from them and preserved . it shall suffice concerning his worth every way , to add but a testimony or two more to what hath been already said , origenes ille ( in ▪ quit aventinus ) maximus omnium secundum legat●s christi , veritatis divine assertor , magn● famâ majori gloriâ caelestes literas interpretatus est ; & philosophiam christianam magnâ auditorum frequentiâ publicè docuit . cultoribus quoque deorum venerabilis , ad imperatores romanos , caesares augustos matresque eorum in ●ulam vocatus accessit , ad eosdem literas dedit . omnibus ejus vita , mores , studium , doctrina , admirationi fuerunt . vincentius lyrinensis more largely thus speaks of him . in him , saith he , so many excellent , singular , and wonderf●l things are to be found , that at first a man would easily judge all his assertions were to be assented unto : for if the life give any authority , his industry , purity , patience , and sufferings were great , if his stock and learning , what more noble ? springing from a family made illustrious by martyrdom . moreover , for christ was he deprived not only of his father , but also of all his substance , he proceeded so far in the straits of poverty , that he was oftentimes afflicted for the confession of the name of christ : such also was the strength of his wit , profound , sharp , and elegant , that by much and far he excelled well nigh all others ; so great was his knowledge and learning that they were but few things in divine , and almost none in humane philosophy that he throughly attained not unto ? what was there so difficult to be perswaded , that by the force of disputation he cleared not up ? what so hard to be done , that he made not to seem easie ? his speech being so pleasant , delightful and sweet , that to me their seemed to flow from his mouth , not so much words , as honey . but perhaps , his assertions were woven only with knotty arguments ? nay verily , never any of the masters did use more examples of the divine law. but ( you 'l say ) i believe he wrote but little ; no mortal man more : so that i have not only not read all his books , but it seems even impossible to find them all : and lest any thing should be wanting in him requisite unto the attaining of knowledge , fulness of age also abounded . but perhaps he was not happy in his scholars ? who ever more happy ? sith innumerable doctors , priests , confessors , and martyrs came from his bosom . besides , who can express how great admiration , glory , and favour , he had amongst all men ? who any way religious did not fly unto him from the utmost parts of the world ? who among christians did not reverence him as almost a prophet ; among philosophers , as a master ? how much he was respected , not only by those of a private condition , but also the empire it self , histories do declare , that report him to have been sent for by the mother of alexander the emperour , for the worth of his heavenly wisdom . his epistles also testifie the same , which in the authority of a christian master , he wrote unto philip , the first among the roman emperours that was a christian , concerning whose incredible knowledge , if any one will not receive the testimony of us christians reporting it , yet at least let him believe the confession of the heathen philosophers affirming it . for that impious porphyri●s saith , that he was by the same of him , stirred up , ( when almost but a child ) to go unto alexandria , and that there he saw him being now aged ; but surely such a one , and so great , as that he had gotten unto the very top of all knowledge . time would fail me to speak even but a little of the things , which were in that man , which notwithstanding appertain not only unto the glory of religion , but the greatness of temptation : for who would not use that sentence , ( viz. of cicero , concerning plato ) that he had rather err with origen , than be of a right judgement with others ? thus far vincentius . origen thus every way excellent was withal a wonderfully industrious and laborious man , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : inquit athanasius , wholly spending his time and improving his vast abilities in the work of the lord and for the behoof of the church : and this he did ; partly by preaching : for which employment he was compleatly furnished , being so familiarly acquainted with , and ready in the holy scriptures , which he abundantly made use of , beautifying and adorning therewith ( as with so many precious gems ) his discourses throughout : gentium testimonia ●usquam adhibet , nisi quoties id res ipsa postulat , quum nullum autorum genus non exactè tenuerit : sed totus hujus sermo ( inquit erasmus ) s●crorum voluminum sententiis undique seu gemmeis emblematibus distinctus est , sed adeò commodé & in loco insertis , ut nihilo seciùs cur●●t oratio : dicas esse non ascita , sed ibi nata ; 〈◊〉 aliunde quaesita , sed suâ sponte praesto esse . and this he did the rather , ( and i therefore add it because it is a notable testimony , that the scriptures at that time were read by all sorts of persons , in the vulgar tongue , or that in use among them ) because in that age the common people did understand the words of the scripture , being frequently exercised in the reading of the sacred volumes . for then even weavers and spinsters had those books at home , which as often as they had leasure , they carefully perused : neither to the understanding of them was their need of any other language , than that which the illiterate vulgar did make use of : and certainly that reading brought this profit with it , that they sate in the church more docil or teachable before him that expounded the mysteries of the scriptures unto them . he had an admirable faculty of speaking ex tempore , as he did many of those homilies which were thought worthy of the publick view , such were his six and twenty homilies upon ioshua : oratiuncul●s viginti sex in iesum nave , quas ex tempare in ecclesiâ peroravit adamantius senex ex graeco latinè tibi pro virium me●rum parvitate disserui : inquit ruffinus . also his explanation of the epistle to the romans . his sixteen homilies upon leviticus , &c. quotidi● & quasi ex tempore scripturas ad populum ena●rabat . of which kind of speaking meri● casaubon thus reports in his treatise of enthusiasm . for that faculty of the sophists ( saith he ) of extemporary speaking upon any subject , it was their common profession , that is most certain : and it was accordingly performed by many of them , with singular dexterity , to the great amazement of all their auditors : such was callisthenes the sophist or philosopher : the tarsenses of asia , are by the ancients noted , as for their love to learning in general , so particularly to have excelled in this faculty : — and quintilian a sober solid man , makes this a chief end and fruit of long pains and exercises in the art of rhetorick , to attain to such a faculty as to be able upon any sudden occasion , to speak pertinently without any premeditation : thus he . origen was also very zealous and lively in his delivery : for he loved the things which he spake , and of such we use to speak with affection and delight . his sermons were commonly short , for he would never exceed an hour , lest he should cloy his auditors , judging it better to preach often than long . in reproving he always remembred christian moderation ; sharp he would be , yet never bitter ; but for nothing he would more blame them , then for seldom and slack coming to the hearing of the word , and for oscitancy when they came , accounting diligence or negligence this way one principal note of proficiency or deficiency in piety . he observed this method : first , plainly and bri●fly to expound the history ; then would he stir them up to observe the mystical and all●gorical sense ; and lastly , handle some moral places , making application of what he had delivered and unfolded . partly also by writing did he improve his abilities ; and dictating unto those that wrote : whereunto of himself he was backward , but set upon it by the inst gation of ambr●se , ( christianae fidei conf●ssor i●signis , inquit trithemius , qui etiam ad off●cium diacon● tus meruit promoveri , vir certè doctissimus , & librorum studiosus amator . ) who pressed him hereunto above measure , giving him no rest , and exacted from him a continual or daily task . his works were innumerable , written by himself , and others from his mouth ; many whereof ierom saith , he had gotten together and perused : but not all ; for who of us , saith he , can read so much as he wrote ? some affirm , as from ierom , that he composed six thousand volumes ; though yet ierom himself deny it ; for , saith he , look over the catalogue of his books contained in the third volume of the life of pamphilus written by eusebius , and you shall not find the third part of that number ; yet did he utter above a thousand tracts in the church , and besides set forth commentaries innumerable : in a word , no man ever wrote more : for which cause suidas stiles him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or the composer . ierom in his epistle unto paula , the mother of eustocbiu●● , ( now not extant ) reckons up all the monuments of origens wit , comparing him unto that learned , varro , who by that time he had arrived unto the age of eighty four years : ( which yet it seems , he exceeded ; for pliny mentions the eighty and eighth of his age ) had written four hundred and ninety books ; of whom terentianus a carthaginian poet thus speaks . vir doc●●●●mus undecunque varro , qui tam multa legit , ut aliquando scribere vacasse miremur ; 〈◊〉 multa scripsit , quàm multa vix quemquam legere potuisse credamus . such another was didymus of alexandria , sirnamed also chalcenterus , ( nobilis grammaticus , qui iulii caesaris evo floruit ) quod indefesso labore libris assideret , who is reported to have written above three thousand and five hundred books , as meursius , and suidas : four thousand ( saith seneca ) but withal handling such trivial things , ( quae ( inquit ) erant ded●scenda , si scires ) that it cannot be said of him , as erasmus of origen ; in origene nihil ineptum aut redundans . briefly , his works were such and so many , that ( saith the learned daille ) had we them all intire , they would perhaps be able to give us more light and satisfaction about the present controversies in religion , than all the rest of the fathers . his works on the scriptures are by iero● distinguished into three sorts or classes ; ( & nullam scripturae partem ille praetermisit , in quâ non scripserit , inquit erasmus . ) the first sort he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; ociosa ; i. e. brief annotations upon obscure and difficult places , when he had not leisure to frame a full and just commentary : the second sort , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or homilies , that he preached unto the people publickly . homilia est familiaris & domestica divinae scripturae ad plebem elucidati● ; cujus seopus est explicare & hortari sen applicare : the third sort , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( which saith erasmus , he wrote himself ) books or volumes , majoris disputationis , wherein he disputes at large , spreading the sail of his wit to the full , and lanching out into the deep : which title he himself , saith ierom , gave unto his commentaries . to which three , eusebius adds two other , viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. epistolare , in quo questiones ex divinâ scripturâ , amicor●m literis ad se missas , rescriptis explicavit epistolis . e● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , interpretivum , in quo genere demùm ponendae sunt omnes scripturae divinae translationes , quas ipse , in hexaplis , octaplis , & palaestinae editionis codicibus complexus est . of these his labours , but few are now extant , and they in latine ; and of those that are lost , the names of few are remaining at this day : so great were the endeavours of those , who ( because of his errours ) sought to suppress his writings , that they would not suffer so much as the very titles to remain ; wherein they shewed more zeal than discretion and wisdom ; for surely , might we have been so happy as to have injoyed all that he wrote , the errours found in them might the better have been born with , being countervail'd , and by much over-ballanced by what in them was sound and orthodox . of how great esteem his works were among the ancients , may be gathered from hence , that divers of them thought it well worth their time and pains to translate much of what he wrote ; ierom tells us , that he himself translated seventy books of his : ruffine not a few , though not so faithfully ; hilary translated almost forty thousand verses , quadraginta fermè millia versuum ; of origen upon iob , and the psalms : and victorinus many things , non ut interpretes , sed ut auctores porprii operis , and the books of ambrose , almost all of them are full of the sayings of this man. § . of the almost innumerable number of those that are lost , we find recorded in di●ers authors these following . . his collections and collations of the translations of the old testament : a work of huge bulk , collected with great pains , and composed with no less diligence ; requiring no small cost to procure , nor less labour to pe●use it . an excellent piece , and of admirable use and advantage ; which fill'd all the ●amous libraries in those times : highly commended even by epiphanius himself , no friend to origen ; herein ( saith he ) he did well and profitably ; i would he had done others things as well . these were of three sorts . . he compiled that work which he named tetrapla , or his fourfold interpretation ; consisting of the translations ; . of the septuagint . . of aquila of pontus ; who was first a gentile , then a christian ; but being for his obstinacy in the practice of astrology , and calculating nativities , excommunicated , he became a jewish proselite , and was accordingly circumcised , being semi-iudaeus , semi-chri●●●nus , and having learned the hebrew tongue , he translated the old testament into greek ; about the year of christ . which he did , to the end , that as much as in him lay , he might subvert the prophesies of christ , for which cause epip●anius call him iudaizantem heraeticum . . of theodotion , of pontus also : or , as trithemius , an ephesian : who being first a christian ; ( but then a follower of those arch-hereticks , tatianus , marcion and ebion ) afterward turned jew ; and having been among them well instructed in the hebrew tongue , he also translated the old testament into greek : in the year of christ . whom ierom reckons among the judaizing hereticks : he was more faithful in his translation than the former ; and therefore did the churches of christ always use to read the prophet daniel , not according to the septuagint , but theodotions interpretation or edition . . of symmachus : he was a samaritan , ranked among their wise men ; but not having that honour from them which he expected , he fell to the jews , and was circumcised the second time ; si quidem arte medicâ & certis instrumentis ( spatisterem appellant ) iudaei solebant resectum praeputium iterum super inducere , sive attrahere ; & hoc est quod apostolus ait , cor. . . qui circumcisus vocatus est , non adducat praeputium : vel , ut clariùs sonant verba graeca , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i.e. non attrabatur . but living ingloriously among these also , he became a christian , embracing the heresie of the ebionites , who held that christ was a mere man , and born of ioseph and mary . he translated the old testament into greek , not word for word , as aquila had done , but according to the sense thereof : non verbum ex verbo , sed sententias ex sententiis reddidit : about the year of christ . this translation , origen saith , he found at caesarea with a certain woman named iuliana , which saith , that symmachus delivered it her to keep . . to the four above named , he added two more , viz. the hebrew text in hebrew letters ● . and again , the same text in the greek characters , for the help of those that could not read the hebrew : these texts with the former four interpretations were set one beside another ; each page being divided into six distinct columns for that purpose ; for which cause he intituled the work hexapla , as the former tetrapla , and the following octopla , for the like reason ; each page having in the one four , as in the other eight columns . erasmus rather approves of the writing of it without an aspiration , viz. exapla ; ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : to explain ; as conceiving it to take the name not from the number of columns , but from the nature of the work : but were it so , then might the same title have been given as well unto the foregoing and following , as unto this ; the etymology agreeing to them all alike . . to these six he added two more : which because he had found without the names of their authors affixed to them , he called the one quinta , or the fifth ; and the other sexta , or the sixth ; the former whereof he had found in the city of hiericho ; the later at nicopolis . these two , with the above named six made up his octopla , or eight fold interpretation : wherein they were disposed or set in this order . . the hebrew text in the hebrew letters . . the hebrew words in greek characters . . the translation of aquila . . that of symmachus . . the septuagint . . the translation of theodotion . . that edition call'd the fifth . . that call'd the sixth . of which alsted thus speaks : octopla ( inquit ) opus laboriosum & insigne magno ecclesiae malo amissum , and not much unlike , our learned whitaker : his labour ( saith he ) was incredible in gathering together all these editions : which being all thus brought into one body , proved a most divine work , the loss whereof is a great detriment to the church , and well might ambrose say of him ; multorum interpretationes diligenti discussit indagine . . he also set forth another translation for daily use ; composed of the septuagint , and that of theodotion : being a third from them both ; it a ut nova videretur , inquit bellarminus : which may be said to be , not so much a translation , as an emendation of the septuagint : wherein he added some things out of theodotions translation , which he found wanting in the septuagint : and these additions he noted with an asterisk or shining star * but those passages , quae hebraicè nou erant dicta , which were not to be found in the hebrew , he pierced through with a spit or spear — . of which ierom thus speaks : vbicunque virgulae , i.e. obeli sunt , significatur quòd septuaginta plus dixerint , quàm habetur in hebraew : ubi autem asterisci , i.e. stellulae praelucentes , ex theodotionis editione ab origine additum est . again : sed quod majoris est andaciae , in editione septuaginta , theodotionis editionem miscuit origines ; asteriscis videlicet designans quae minùs fuerant ; & virgulis , quae ex superfiuo videbantur apposita . isidore gives us this account of the notes ; asteriscus , inquit , apponitur in iis quae omissa sunt , ut illucescant per eam notam quae de esse videntur . obelus apponitur in verbis vel sententiis superfluè iteratis , five in iis locis ubi lectio aliquâ falsitate notata est . this work he undertook , because the septuagint had been , through the carelesness of notaries and transcribers , not a little corrupted and depraved . cum manum ( inquit masius ) septuaginta interpretationi admovere ausus est origenes , erat etiam tum perverfissima . and though some have judged it rather a corruption , than a correction of the septuagint ; yet was it indeed a diligent collation of those two interpretations , and a work very profitable unto all ; it being a most accurate restitution of the septuagint to its purity . concerning which emendation andreas masius ( a man , saith daille , of singular and profound learning , yet of such candor and integrity , as renders him more admired than his knowledge doth ) thus speaks : in correcting and conserving that interpretation of the septuagint , to their no small praise did helychius take great pains , lucianus more , origen most of all : by whose industry ( he saith ) he was provoked to deliver unto the age wherein he lived the septuagint translation , sound and intire in that one history of iosuah , as adamantius had done the whole throughout . this edition was afterwards so far approved of , that it quickly filled all libraries , and was received and made use of in their daily readings , by all the churches of of palestine and syria ; so that it was accounted as the vulgar translation . . he wrote ten books of stromes ; ( in imitation of clemens his master , whose work so intitled , consisteth of eight books ) wherein comparing the scriptures and philosophers together , he confirms the doctrine of christianity by the sayings of those heathens : but the two last of these books were spent in the exposition of the prophesie of daniel , and the epistle to the galatians . . his books of the interpretion of hebrew names contained in the scriptures : mentioned by the author of the answers unto certain questions propounded by the orthodox , falsely ascribed unto iustin martyr : which ierom ( who herein imitated him ) reckons among the excellent monuments of his wit , wherein he took pains as a christian , to supply , what philo , as a jew , had omitted . . of the resurrection , two books . . of prayer . . a dialogue between him and one candidus a defender of the valentinian heresie ; in whom ( saith ierom ) i confess i have beheld ( as it were ) two andabatae , or blind-folded champions encountring each other . of baronius thus : non ( inquit ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ tantùm pluribus scatebat erroribus , sed & blasphemiis refertissimus dialogus ille erat , quocum candido haeretico de dogmatibus fusiùs desputavit . . of martyrdom , or a book of martyrs : which he dedicated unto ambrose and protoctaetus ministers of c●sarea ; for that they both suffered no small affliction , enduring most constantly examination and confession , in the time of maximinus the emperour , a cruel persecutor : who ( out of spite that he bare unto the house of alexander his predecessor , which harboured many of the faithful ) gave commandment that the governors only of the churches , as principal authors of the doctrine of our saviour , should be put to death . of which book , saith vincentius bellovacensis : scribit tantâ dictrictâ spiritus virtute , ut ejus sententiis tanquam validissimis nervis multos ad martyrium stabiliret . . above an hundred epistles , which being scattered here and there , were collected and comprised by eusebius in several volumes , to the end they should be no more dispersed . . five books against hereticks . . an epitome of the history of susanna . moreover , he commented upon most of the books of the old and new testament : of which works of his , besides those now extant , these are recorded in several authors , viz. i. vpon the old testament . . a continued explanation of the four first chapters of genesis , in thirteen tomes ; but twelve saith eusebius . . one book of annotations upon exodus ; also the like upon leviticus . . one homily upon the song of hannah , king. . . one homily upon solomon's judgement between the two harlots king. . . many homilies or tracts upon the books of iob. . a brief exposition , or an enchiridion upon the whole book of psalms : also larger explanations thereupon at the request of ambrose . he was the first ( saith ierom ) that commented upon the whole psalter . trithemius saith that he wrote one hundred and fifty tracts upon the psalms ; which equals the number of them . . a commentary upon the proverbs of solomon . . explanations upon the book ecclesiastes . kimedoncius cites a testimony out of origen homil. . in ecclesiasten . . ten books of commentaries upon the canticles : five whereof he wrote at athens ; the other five returning from cesarea . a worthy work requiring much time , labour and cost to translate , for which cause ierom omitted it , and would not attempt or adventure upon it . in this work , containing well nigh twenty thousand verses , he discourseth so magnificently and clearly , ( saith ierom ) that as in the rest he overcame all others , so in this he overcame himself . . annotations upon the whole prophesie of esay : also continued explanations from the first chapter unto the thirtieth ; of which , thirty tomes came to our hands , saith eusebius : together with two books upon the thirtieth chapter . . a huge number of homilies upon ieremy , the most whereof are lost . . upon the lamentations nine tomes : of which ( saith eusebius ) we have seen five . . upon ezekiel twenty and five tomes , the which he wrote being at athens : besides many homilies . . upon the twelve minor prophets many tracts , whereof ( saith eusebius ) we have found twenty and five in the whole , which ierom saith , he found copied out by pamphilius among these were : one upon hosea ; of which ierom thus : origenes parvum de hoc prophetâ scripsit libellum , cui hunc titulum imposuit , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i.e. quare in osee appellatur ephraim , volens ostendere , quaecunque contra eum dicuntur , ad haereticorum referenda personam , &c. ii. vpon the new testament . . upon matthew , one book containing his scholia , or brief annotations upon obscure places : also , twenty five homilies upon divers places of the gospel . six and twenty , saith trithemius ; and nicephorus speaks of five books of his upon matthew . . upon luke five tomes ; and many homilies . . upon the epistle to the galatians five tomes ; also one book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or of choice passages : besides not a few homllies . . upon the epistle to the ephesians three volumes or commentaries ; of which ierom makes mention in these words . illud quoque 〈◊〉 praefatione commoneo , ut sciatis origenem tria ●●lumina in hanc epistolam conseripsissc ; quem & nos ex parte secuti sumus . . upon the epistle to the colossians three books . . upon the first epistle of the thessalonians divers books : for ierom maketh mention of the third volumn upon this epistle ; wherein , saith he , he discourseth with much variety and prudence . . upon the epistle to titus , one book . . upon the epistle to the hebrews many books : all which through the injury of time , and violence of his adversaries , are lost , and now not to be found . the books that are extant at this day under his name , are these following ; . seventeen homilies upon the book of genesis ; which are said to be interpreted by ierom whose name is prefixed to them , but falsly , as crynaeus supposeth : for indeed it was done by ruffinus , as appears by the liberty that he takes , to add detract and change what he pleased : which it seems was his manner : sed haec non est , inquit erasmus , libertas interpretis sed licentia potiùs contaminantis scripta aliena . again , ruffino peculiaris est ista temeritas , ( viz. ea quae verti● , truncare , augere , immutare , & ex alieno opere suum facere ) cujus unicum studium fuisse videtur , omnes illustrium autorum libros , attrectando contaminare . ha● a●rte vir glorie cupidus , putavit se reperisse viam , quâ vel invitis omnibus tereretur manibus hominum . certainly , saith the learned daille , he hath so filthily mangled and so licentiously confounded the writings of origen , which he hath translated into latine ; that you will hardly find a page where he hath not either cut off , or added , or at least altered something . a soul fault in a translator , in whom fidelity , as the chief vertue is required and most commendable . such is his dealing in this kind , that the reader is often uncertain whether he read origen or ruffine . which thing ierom often and tartly taxeth him for : and particularly for his unworthy translation of his book of principles , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which he calls , and that fitly enough , and not without ●est cause , an infamous interpretation : let it suffice once for all to have given this hint of the manner of ruffine in his translation of divers books of origen . and that this translation of these homilies upon genesis is his , appears from what ruffine himself hath said in his peroration added unto the commentary upon the epistle to the romans , wherein he professeth that he translated origen upon genesis : and probable it is , that the transcribers prefixed ieroms name as the more gracious and acceptable . grynaeus hath taken pains for the benefit of the reader to set down , as he hath done before all the rest of the works of origen in his edition of them , the several theological common places handled in these homilies : adding moreover that by them the diligent reader will confess , that he hath light upon a rich storehouse of christian philosophy , replenished with all kind of spiritual treasures . . upon exodus thirteen homilies ; translated also by ruffinus ; though for the gaining of the more credit unto them , the name of ierom be here also prefixed as the interpretor of them . . upon leviticus sixteen homilies ; eighteen say some : where the same craft is made use of in the alteration of the name of the translator as in the former . by some over-bold impostor , these are ascribed unto cyril of alexandria , under the title of so many books , or a commentary : whereas it is manifest , they are not commentaries , but homilies : for the author excuseth his brevity to his auditors , by reason of the straits of time ; and that he intended not a large exposition of the words , but to touch some few things briefly for their edification : the stile , saith bellarmine , and similitude of the doctrines contained in them , shew them plainly to be origens . . upon numbers , twenty eight homilies : ( some say , but twenty six . cent. . cap. . sixt. senens . lib. . and scultetus in medulâ ) which its likely was translated by ierom ; because ruffine speaking of his translation of genesis , exodus , leviticus , iosuah , and iudges , makes no mention of numbers : and , saith erasmus out of gennadius , ruffine translated all of origen , except what was done by ierom. yet that there are some additions of the interpretor in this piece is apparent , saith grynaeus , in homil . . in cap. . yea these homilies by their phrase seem to be the work of some latine author ; for in chap. . he expounds the difference between excudere and excidere : which could have no place in a greek . . upon iosuah , twenty and six homilies ; where we have also the name of ierom as the interpretor , instead of ruffine : as also a preface pretended to be his ; but so frigid and and foolish , that a more certain argument cannot be desired to perswade us , that neither the one , nor other is ieroms : and er●smus gives instance in divers particulars . . upon iudges nine homilies : where we have the same mistake of the interpretor ; liber inquit grynaeus satis bonus . here also the etymology of rex à regendo , gives cause to suspect , that these came out of the same shop , with those upon numbers . . upon the book of the kings , or one homily upon the first and second chapters of the first of samuel . . upon the book of iob , a large explation , divided into three books ; from the beginning of the history unto the middle of the third chapter . a learned piece it is ; and worth the reading : but both the stile and method shew it to be none of origens , both being far different from his . those commentaries , saith vsher , upon iob are wrongly ascribed unto origen . also the author is full of battologies or repetitions of the same sentence , which certainly is not the manner of origen . for my part , saith ●rasmus , i suppose him to be a latinist , and to have written in latine : for he speaks of the greek as not his own language , and interprets the word adamantius to signifie in greek , indomabilis , iuflexibilis : and saith he , lucianus , cognominatus est tanquam lucidus . he was one of free speech fit to teach the vulgar , but withal an arian , as is clear from divers passages ; and therefore it cannot be origens work ; for arius arose many years after him . besides , he brings in the exposition of lucianus the martyr in the third chapter , who suffered under maximinus , refutes the manichees in the seventh and eighth chapter , and makes mention of the homousianists ; none of which were known till after the time of origen ; the preface , saith erasmus , or prologue set before it , is of some prating fellow , that had neither learning nor modesty in him , unless the concealing of his name may be so interpreted : surely he had little skill in the latine ( yet , saith possevine , commentarii hi sunt pervetusti & pereruditi viri . ) the whole being nothing else but meer and miserable stammering . praefatio , inquit erasmus , testatur hoc opus ab aliis nonnullis fuisse versum sed neque bonâ fide neque doctè , dum ex benè graecis , reddunt malè latina : quum ipse qui haec praefatur , reipsá declaret , se fuisse hominem , qui nec latinè sciret , nec ingenio aut eruditione valeret ; sed qui tanto plus haberet arrogantiae , quanto minùs habebat peritiae . yet are these commentaries made use of as origens , by the po●tificians to prove their doctrines , of the invocation of saints , oblations for the dead , abstinence from flesh in lent and for giving of alms upon funeral days for the salvation of souls . erasmus conjectureth the author to have been one maximinus a bishop , whose disputations with augustine are extant . . certain homilies upon three of the psalms , viz. five upon the six and thirtieth ; two upon the seven and thirtieth , and two upon the eight and thirtieth ; in all nine : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sunt optima , inquit gynaeus , allegoriae frigidae . erasmus is doubtful , whether they be his or no ; for they do scarce express his wit and phrase , but come neerer unto that of chrysostom : he thinks it was some latine , that wrote them : which may be guessed from hence , that in explicating divers texts ; he tells us how they are in latine , how in greek : which was not the manner of the greeks to do ; for they little , or not at all cared for the latine tongue . but if ruffine translated it , he according to his custom , made that his own by defiling it , which was another mans : yet having observed the weakness of the preface , i can hardly think , saith erasmus , that ruffine was so very a child : who , if not so much by art , yet certainly by nature was eloquent enough : but if any contend , that ruffine is sometime foolish this way , i will not much oppose , so it be confessed that the genius of this work , doth not resemble the happiness of origen . bellarmine gives this hint of them , that some do doubt whether they be his or no : and scultetus reckons this and the immediately preceding , to have crept in among the works of origen , but to belong indeed unto others . yet from hence also do those of rome fetch authorities , as from origen , for the proof of their tenets concerning purgatory , auricular confession , the vertues of the cross , that wicked men do eat the body of christ in the sacrament , and that the book of iudith is authentick . . upon the canticles . . two homilies ; explanationis prioris . . four homilies , upon the two first chapters of the book ; explanatienis posteriovis : or rather a continued imperfect commentary . but they are indeed neither origens nor ieroms , but a work of some latin author , well learned and sufficiently eloquent : for , he quotes the greeks in his prologue as strangers , and interprets some latin words . verbum dei , inquit , apud graecos masculino genere : ex hoc ( inquit cocus ) evidenter perspicitur , non graecum , sed latinum fuisse autorem . erasmus suspects them to be his , who wrote the books de vocatione gentium , and certain commentaries upon the psalms , which go under the name of ambrose . merlin on the other side , is very confident that they are origens , as ( saith he ) the sagacious reader will easily perceive ; though his reason be weak enough to ground even a conjecture upon : yea himself confesseth that the stile differs from origens ; for which cause some deny it to be his . it is ( saith sixtus senensis ) a pious , learned , and eloquent work ; or rather a fragment , in which the two first chapters are excellently expounded , having in some ancient copies ierom's name prefixed to it : who indeed m●●tions four homilies written by himself upon the canticles . ierom● ▪ 〈…〉 of these ; 〈…〉 tractatus , quos i● morem quotidiani eloquii parvulis abhuc lactentibus composuit , fideliter magis quàm ornatè interpretatus sum , gustum tibi sensuum ejus , non cibum offerens . tu ( damase papa ) animadvertas quanti sint illa estimanda quae magna sunt , quum si● possunt placere quae parva sunt . . nine homilies upon divers places of the prophecy of esay , especially upon the sixth chapter , which fragment was by ierom ( as himself confesseth ) turned into latin. it wants a preface , which ( because it was ierom's manner to set a preface before what he translated ) erasmus supposeth to be taken away by those to whom he wrote , after that the name of origen became odious or envyed at rome : for very likely it is , that therein he spake highly in commendation of his wit , as he doth in his prologue before the commentaries upon ezekiel . yet notwithstanding the historical errours ( saith grynaeus ) the doctrines so weak and waterish , and the frigid allegories ( indignissamae origine & hieronymo ) together with the barbarism of the translation , do , i think abundantly shew , that neither origen was the author , nor ierom the translator of them . . upon ieremiah fourteen homilies , whereof ierom was the translator ; which are the only remaining of a huge number upon this prophecy . these and the following are ( saith grynaeus ) origene & hieronymo dignae . . upon ezekiel fourteen homilies , translated also by ierom , as appears both by his own testimony ( in hieremiam & ezekielem homilias origenis viginti octo è graeco in latinum verti ) and also by the preface which is undoubtedly his , because ruffine out of it objects a passage against him . . upon matthew , his commentaries : which are to be ranked among his tomes as the greek titles declare ; though some have imprudently divided them into tracts or homilies : whereas there is not the least footstep of that kind of writing to be found in them : for his homilies always end in a doxology , having sometimes a short prayer joyned therewith . it contains thirty eight homilies say some ; but thirty five say others : wherein we have an exposition of a great part of this gospel , viz. from the thirteenth unto the seven and twentyeth chapter . it is a piece ( saith erasmus ) most worthy to be read : origen is ardent every where , but no where more , than when he handleth the sayings and doings of christ , and in my judgement ( saith he ) no one of the evangelists doth more fully comprehend the life and doctrine of christ , then matthew . yet ambrose conceiveth our author to be far meaner in the new testament , than in the old. the translator , in all probability was ruffine , as may be gathered ( though the preface be wanting ) from the liberty which he takes in translating : it seems ( saith gryneus ) to be the writing of some latin : demptis iis quae vertit erasmu● : who translated a good part of this work , viz. from the thirteenth chapter unto the twentyeth verse of the sixteenth chapter . docti dubitant , an tractatus in matthaeum tribui debeant origeni . . upon luke thirty and nine homilies : of which without doubt ierom was the translator , seeing he professeth so much in his preface : and because they are not so elaborate , and are sprinkled with some errours that were condemned , he excuseth them as written by origen when but young ( as those upon matthew when he was old . ) he is no where in his homilies so short and concise , as in these . three and thirty of them are a continued exposition of this gospel , from the beginning thereof unto the midst of the fourth chapter . the six latter of them are an enarration of divers places scattered here and there . est liber optimus ( inquit grynaeus ) habet tamen aliquas salebras . it 's an interpretation ( saith merlin ) which those that envyed him have prophaned with sundry errours so that many think it not to be his , because of the many errours inserted therein . . upon iohn thirty and two tomes : ierom speaks of thirty and nine , which he durst not undertake to translate for the bulk of them . they all lay hid , till of late perionius a monk of cassinas found nine tomes of them in an old greek copy which he light on in the king of france his library , and turned into latin , yet were they in many places maimed and inconsequent . these were afterward by some obscure grecian , divided into thirty and two tomes , that they might be the more desired and sell the dearer : by whom ambrose of millain , a monk of cassina , was deluded , though a man sagacious enough , and of a quick wit , who translated and published them in thirty and two tomes as now they are : which ( saith he ) in his postscript , let the reader know i have done with utmost diligence and fidelity , so that it is not at all changed from what it was as written by the authour . . certain homilies upon divers places of the evangelists : which without doubt are not all origens : some of them ( saith erasmus ) it 's apparent , are not his , but of some latin author , and the rest impudently corrupted by ruffine . they are ten in number , whereof seven are upon certain places of matthew : two upon iohn , viz ▪ upon part of the first , and part of the twentyeth chapters : and one upon the epiphany without a certain text. the fifth upon matthew , seems to be of some latin authour ; for , saith he , spiritu● sanctus is of the neuter gender , not of the masculine , as with us : where he plainly discovers himself to be a latin. for the eighth ( saith merlin ) many think it to be origens , though it be not fully his stile . the ninth is a meer cento patch't up , the former part thereof with somewhat taken out of origens thirty fourth tract upon matthew : the latter part , with two fragments , the one taken out of gregory's morals , chap. . and some others later then origen : yea the stile of these fragments shew that they are none of his . the homily upon the first of iohn is apparently none of his , there being mention made of the manichees and arians , both which arose long after origen : and withal the author saith , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , apud graecos sunt masculini generis . the homily upon the twentyeth of iohn cannot be his , for it is clearly of a latin stile ; and if some be of latin authors , the rest may justly be suspected to be so too : yet are these cited by those of rome as origens , to prove the real presence of christ in the eucharist , that dionysius the areopagite is the authour of the ecclesiastical hierarchy , and what is the use and benefit of making the sign of the cross with the fingers . . commentaries upon the epistle to the romans , in ten books , as we have them divided by merlin and grynaeus ; though sixtus senensis , trithemius and some others make them fifteen . ierom is supposed to be the interpreter , though it do appear both from the preface , and especially from the peroration , that ruffine was the translatour of them ; who saith that he had contracted the whole work almost one half : how great an injury to deprive the church of such a treasure ? yet is salmeron of a contrary judgment upon the same grounds : ex epistolâ ad heraclium , inquit , quae loco prooemii praefigitur libris origenis in epist. ad romanos , & ex peroratione , in quâ se hieronymus interpretem illorum , non tantùm verbis , sed etiam stylo satis prodit , constat hieronymum , eos latinos reddidisse . . four books , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , quod vel de principiis vel de potestatibus dici potest , inquit ruffinus , of principles , or of powers , which he wrote in emulation of one longinus a philosopher , well known unto him ( as baronius conceives ) who in those times had set forth a commentary almost of the same argument . this is the book , the interpretation whereof occasioned so hot a contest between ierom and ruffine ( who both performed that task ) wherein especially ierom chargeth him with false dealing , for that he added some things , subtracted others , and took liberty to change what he pleased : whereas for his part he desired faithfully to discharge the duty of an interpreter . i , saith he , simply expressed what i found in the greek ; my care was to change nothing . again , i leave it to your judgment , what pains i did undergo in translating the books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing that to change any thing that was in the greek , would not have been the part vertentis , sed evertentis , of a turner or translatour , but of 〈◊〉 overturner ; and to express the same word for word , would not become him that desires to keep the elegancy of speech . my end , saith he , was to discover an heretick , that i might vindicate the church from heresie . and the truth is , origen is no where more foully erroneous than in this book , wherein there is more bad than good , it being full stuffed with gross errours : toti ( inquit scultetus ) scatent erroribus : so that it can hardly be believed how much in that work he betrayed the christian faith , which he had received from his predecessours . and as plotinus said of the forenamed longinus , that he was studious of learning , yet not at all a philosopher : so may it be truly affirmed of origen , as touching this book , that therein he meant to seem a philosopher rather than a christian ; the truth is , it is most obscure and full of difficulties : scias ( inquit hieronymus ) detestanda tibi in eis ( lib●is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) esse quam plurima , & juxta sermonem domini inter scorpiones & colubros incedendum . in the close of which epistle he shews with what caution these books are to be read , withal making an enumeration of the errours contained in them , it being intended by ierom as an antidote against them , binnius calls this piece multarum heresium promptuarium . the translation of these books which we now have ( as grynaeus conceives ) is ruffine's ; for in his marginal notes we sometimes meet with these words , loquitur ruffinus . . eight books against celsus the philosopher , of the sect of epicurus , who had most bitterly inveighed against and traduced the christian religion . this is the only work of origen , upon which the incomparably judicious erasmus past not his censure , being prevented by death ; the want whereof ( as also of his coronis ) is much to be bewailed , considering that by reason of his singular learning , and long exercise in the study of the ancients , it cannot but be presumed , he would have gone through and performed it in a most excellent manner . origen undertook this work by the instigation of ambrose , who was much grieved to see that the christian religion should be so reproached . celsus stiled his book the word of truth , though little were contained in it , but what was foolish , weak and false , and unworthy of a prudent man ; whose objections and slanders , ( as also those of all other both gentiles and jews ) origen in his answer ( which baronius calls celeberrimum commentarium ) most notably wipes off and refuteth . a piece it is of much use , especially unto the history of those times , which by it self is set forth in greek and latine by d●vid haeschelius , who gives this commendation of it , celso argumentis & rationibus origenes ita respondit , ut haud sciam an quicquam in hoc genere solidius atque eruditius existet . he set upon this work after that he had arrived unto maturity of age , viz. being then more than sixty years old . . of the right faith in one god , or three dialogues against the marcionists , which are mentioned by bellarmine as two distinct pieces of origen , though indeed they be but one and the same . for so the learned doctour humphries , that translated it into latine out of a greek manuscript that he obtained of frobenius , and set forth anno . ( as perionius had done the year before out of a greek copy which he found in the king's library ) entitles it , of the right faith in one god , against the three principles of megethius the marcionite . these two interpreters made use of two very different copies ; but it is evident , that that which dr. humphries followed was the more distinct and full . it is questionable whether this is origen's or no : . because the author speaks of kings and princes that piously believe : now there were none such in origen's time . . no ancient author of note hath recorded this disputation , wherein an ethnick ( viz. eutropius , a greek philosopher ) being made the judge , the church by origen should get the victory ; for the issue was ( as is affirmed ) the conversion of eutropius unto christianity , together with many others , who in the close of the disputation , celebrated the praise of origen with this acclamation ; david hath slain the tyrant goliah , and adamantius hath cut the throat of that opinion which fought against god. . besides , it is strange that this should not come to the notice of eusebius , or in case it did , that he should be silent herein , who so diligently sought out whatsoever might make for the commendation of origen . the dialogues against the marcio●ites ( saith vsher ) were collected for the most part out of the writings of maximus , who lived in the time of the emperours commodus and severus . of which maximus , ierom tells us , quòd famosam quaestionem insigni volumine ventilavit , vnde malum , & , quòd materia à deo facta sit . . the lamentation of origen , which he himself wrote with his own hand in the greek tongue , when after his fall and denyal of his master christ jesus , he wandred to and fro with great grief and torment of conscience , the which ierom translated into latine : these are the words of doctor meredith han●er , prefixed to this lamentation , set down in his english translation and edition of eusebius , between the first and second chapters of the seventh book ; having immediately before given us out of suidas the story of his fall . as touching his fall , viz. that he should chuse rather to offer incense unto idol , than to have his body defiled by an ethiopian : though epiphanius ( who was no friend to our author ) and suidas also deliver it for a truth ; yet doth baronius upon weighty grounds conceive it to be rather a meer fiction and slander of those that were his enemies , who envying , endeavoured this way to dark●● the same of origen : and ( saith d●ille ) that i may not dissemble , i profess my self much enclined to be of the cardinal's opinion , who thinks this story to be an arrant fable ; and that it was foisted into epiphanius , or else ( as i rather believe ) was taken upon trust by himself ; for this father hath shewed himself in this as in many other things , a little overcredulous . now the story it self being questionable , and so sandy a foundation , the superstructure must needs be weak ; nor , is the censure of erasmus without cause , that these lamentations were neither written by origen , nor translated by ierom , but the figment of some idle and unlearned brain , who studyed by this means to cast a blemish upon this excellent wit. it is therefore by gelasius ranked among the apocrypha . . there is another piece , which , because it is inserted in the catalogue of the works of origen , i thought good not to pass it over altogether unmentioned ; it is stiled by the name of philocalia , or ( as bellarmine renders it ) de amore honesti , of the love of that which is good . scultetus calls it quaestiones illustriores , or famous questions ; they were collected out of all the works of origen by those two eminent fathers basil and nazianzen : so that though origen supplyed them with the matter , yet they gave the form to this work , who therefore may as well be entituled to it as he . hanc non origenis magis quam basilii & gregorii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse dixerim , inquit tarnius ; by whom in his edition it is divided into twenty and six chapters , or so many common places , who gives us this account of it ; delectum hic liber continet quaestionum scripture it solutionum , ex variis origenis commentariis , ab illis divinarum rerum consultissimis gregorio & basilio , quem horum alter , gregorius theologus 〈◊〉 theodorum tyaneum id temporis episcopum , i● tabellis misit : in his letter he thus stiles it , electorum origenis libellum . § . as touching his stile , it was familiar , plain and free from rhetorical pomp , brief and succinct especially in his homilies , and sermons to the people , in whom ( saith merlin ) under a choice stream of words flows forth , i know not what secret divinity and breath of life ; by which the minds of men , do easily receive the knowledge of good and evil , his speech being pure and perspicuous : yea and withal very eloquent , which made it so pleasant , delightful , and sweet , that not so much words as honey seemed to drop from his lips : nor was it without a certain kind of majesty , in which regard ruffine stiles him , a magnificent trumpet : and pierius a presbyter of alexandria was honoured with the title of origen junior , as well for the elegancy of his language , as the multiplicity of his writings . but erasmus hath spoken so fully of this particular , that it would be superfluous to add any thing more , having once given you an account of what he hath said concerning the phrase of origen . he had , saith he , an admirable faculty of speaking ex tempore , and even in obscure matters his speech is very perspicuous ; nor is brevity wanting as often as the matter requires it : the sentence runs every where certainly , neither doth he hinder himself with words that do ●●rthen wearisome ears : ( graecis peculiaris est inquit erasmus ) erudita simplicitas , & orati● venusta , dilucidaque magis arridet , quàm grandis & operosa : ) he is no where too lofty , which ierom attributes unto hilary : nor doth he with borrowed and far fetch'd ornaments extend and lengthen out his books , as sometimes ierom doth : ( origenes vix unquam assurgit , inquit hyperius , sed totus est in docendo , nihil attingens affectuum , nisi quos ipsa move●res , quod est atticorum : ) he studieth not to move laughter in his auditors with quips and jests , as tertullian oftentimes , and ierom too much imitated him : but with a certain continual hilarity , he suffers not drowsiness to creep upon his auditors , nor doth affect the flowers of rhetoriek , quaint sentences and epiphonemaes , as ambrose and ierom , nor delight to retard and stop the reader with unusual words , as tertullian ; nor doth he spend away the time in frequent digressions , as is the manner of augustin in his treatises to the people , nor is he superstitious in the structure of his speech , shutting up each sentence with short pointed members , and periods , which gregory is not altogether free from , here you shall never meet with the like cadencies and endings wherewith augustin was delighted . § . of the useful and remarkable passages whereof not a few are to be found in the writings of this eminent ancient , i shall content my self with the rehearsal of these following . . his symbol or rule of faith , the particulars whereof ( saith he ) are delivered manifestly by the preaching of the apostles , which are these . . quod unus deus est , qui omnia creavit , atque composuit , quique ex nullis fecit esse vniversa , deus a primâ creaturâ & conditione mundi omnium justarum , adam , abel , seth , henos , &c. & quòd hic deus in novissimis diebus , sicut per prophetas suos ante promiserat , misit dominum nostrum iesum christum primò quidem vocaturum israel , secundò verò etiam gentes post perfidiam populi israel . hic deus justus & bonus pater domini nostri iesu christi , legem , & prophetas , & evangelia ipse dedit , qui & apostolorum deus est , & veteris & novi testamenti . . tum deinde quia iesus christus ipse qui venit , ante omnem creaturam natus ex patre est : qui cum in omnium conditione patri ministrasset ( per ipsum enim omnia facta sunt ) novissimis temporibus se ipsum exinaniens 〈…〉 est : incarnatus est , cum deus esset . 〈…〉 quod deus erat . corpus assumpsit corpori 〈◊〉 simile , eo solo differens , quòd na●um ex v●rgi●e & spiritu sancto est . et quoniam hi● iesus christus natus & passus est inveritate & non per imaginem , communem hanc mortem ve●è m●rtuus est : verè 〈◊〉 a morte resurrexit , & post resurrectionem conversatus cum discipulis s●is , assumptus est . . tum deinde honore ac dignitate patri ac filio sociatum tradiderunt spiritum sanctum . in hoc non jam manifestò discernitur , utrum natus aut innatus . sed inquirenda jam ista pro viribus sunt de sacrâ scriptura , & sagaci perquisition● in●estiganda . san● quòd iste spiritus sanctus unumquemque sanctorum vel prophetarum , vel apostolorum inspiravit ; & non ali●● spiritus in veteribus , alius verò in his qui in adventu christi inspirati sunt , manifestissimè in ecclesius praedicatur . . post haec jam , quòd anima substantiam vitamque habens propriam , cum ex hoc mund● discesserit , & pro suis meritis dispensabit , siv● vitae aeternae , ac beatitudinis haereditate potitura , si hoc ei sua gesta praestiterint ; sive igne aetern● ac suppliciis mancipanda , si in hoc eam scelerum culpa detorserit . sed & quia erit tempus resurrectionis mortuorum , cum corpus hoc quod in corruptione seminatur surget in incorruptione & quod seminatur in ignominiâ , surget in gloriâ . . of the authority of the scriptures : we ought , ( saith he ) for the testimony or proof of all the words which we utter in doctrine or teaching , to bring forth or alledge the sense of scripture , as confirming the sense or meaning which we expound or give : for as all that gold which was without the temple was not sanctified ; so every sense ( or interpretation ) which is without the divine scripture , though to some it may seem admirable , is not holy , because it is not contained in the sense of scripture . . of the divinity of the scriptures , and how they may be known of god : thus , if any one with all diligence , and with that reverence which is meet , do consider the sayings of the prophets , even then when he reads and carefully looks into them , it is certain that having his mind and sense strick●n or moved by some more divine inspiration , he shall know and acknowledge , that those words , which he reads , are of god , and not uttered by man , and of himself he shall perceive that those books were written not by humane art , nor mortal eloquence , but in a divine and lofty stile . . of the fulness of the scriptures , thus : it becomes us to believe the sacred scriptures not to have one apex or tittle void of the wisdom of god. the prophets receiving of his fulness sung or spake those things which they took of his fulness . therefore the sacred scriptures do breath the fulness of the spirit : and there is nothing either in the prophecy , or the law , or gospel , or in the apostle , which descendeth not from the fulness of the divine majesty . . of the great efficacy and utility of the scriptures , thus : because all scripture is given by divine inspiration and is profitable : ( in scripturis sanctis est vis quaedam , quae legenti etiam fine explanatione sufficit . ) we ought to believe it to be so , though we feel not the benefit thereof : as physicians are wont sometimes to give some meat or drink for the clearing of the sight , yet in taking of it we perceive not any benefit , but afterwards when its vertue reacheth it , it by little and little purgeth the sight ; after this manner we ought to believe the holy scriptures to be profitable unto the soul ; although for the present , our sense or reason reach not , nor attain unto the understanding of it . . that children ought to be baptized , thus : the church hath received from the apostles this tradition to give or administer baptism even unto infants , for they to whom the secrets of divine mysteries were committed , knew that there is in all the inbred filth of sin , that ought to be washed away by water and the spirit . . of the sabbath ; thus : let us see how a christian ought to observe and keep the sabbath : upon the sabbath , none of the businesses of the world ought to be done , if therefore thou cease from all worldly labours , and do no such work , but attend spiritual imployments , come to the assembles , apply thine ear unto the holy scriptures read , and sermons ; think of heavenly things , be sollicitous about the future hope , have before thine eyes the judgement to come , look not unto things visible , and that are present , but unto invisible and that shall be : this is the observation of a christian sabbath . . concerning excommunication , and that it ought to be performed by the church ▪ thus : if any one having been admonished and rebuked for a fault , once , again , and the third time , shall shew no amendment ; there remains no remedy but cutting off : for so saith the lord , if thy right offend thee , cut it off , i. e. if i that seem to thee to be a right hand , and am call'd a presbyter , and seem to preach the word of god , if i shall do any contrary unto ecclesiastical discipline , and the rule of the gospel so that i give a scandal or offence unto the church ; let the whole church conspiring with one consent , cut me off , their right hand . again , those whose sins are manifest , we ought to cast off ; but where the sin is not evident , we ought not to eject . . out of those prophesies or books of the scripture , which contains histories , we may receive benefit not only , or so much from the narration of the things , as from what is figuratively signified by them ; seeing that with greatest wisdom , they are so written and dispensed , that they do agree or suit with either the simple and vulgar among believers , or with the excellent that are willing and able to search them more throughly . . he reciteth the canonical books of the old testament , as they are now reckoned , viz. twenty and two in number , after the number of the hebrew letters ; and besides these , saith he , there are books of the machabees . of the epistle to the hebrews , he thus speaks ; the character of the epistle to the hebrews ( saith he ) setteth not forth the stile of paul , who confesseth himself to be rude in speech ; for the phrase of that epistle savoureth very much of the greek tongue ; whosoever he be that hath any judgement or discerning of phrases , will confess the same . i truly for mine own part , that i may speak as i think , do say , that the doctrine of this epistle is the apostles for undoubted ; but the phrase and order another mans , who noted the sayings of the apostle , and contrived such things as he had heard of his master , into short and compendious notes . . that christ cometh and goeth , and is not always enjoyed , nor alike present with his people ; thus : god is my witness , that i have often times beheld the bride groom coming unto me , and to be very much with me ; who suddenly withdrawing , i could not find what i sought for . i therefore again desire his coming , and sometimes he cometh again ; and when he appeareth , and was held in my hands , he again slips away : and being gone , he is again sought for by me : and this he doth often , till i truly hold him fast . . against the observations of ones birth-day , as an annual festival ; thus : it is no where recorded in the scripture that any of the saints did keep a festival , or hold a great feast upon the day of his birth ; only sinners rejoyce for such a nativity , as did pharaoh and herod . § . but as his worth was great , ( being great from his infancy ) and his excellencies many ; ( his deeds even from the cradle deserving , in the judgement of eusebius , to be recorded and transmitted unto posterity ) so were they equalled by his defects and blemishes ; and as for the one he was justly had in high esteem ; so did the other no less detract from his reputation ; which occasioned that speech so commonly made use of concerning him ; that , where he did well , no man did better ; and where he did ill , no man did worse . cui ( inquit cassiodorus ) & illud convenienter aptari potest , quod virgilius , dum ennium legeret , à quodam , quid faceret inquifitus , respondit , aurum ex stercore quaero . hence it came to pass that divers of the ancients were so divided in their judgements , and had such hot contests about him : some vilifying and opposing him , as did theophilus , bishop of alexandria , and epiphanius , bishop of salamis , a city of cyprus ; who speaking of the multitude of books , which he wrote , cryes out : o inanis operarie ; o empty scribler ! he was also perswaded by letters , which he received from the said theophilus ( qui scripsit adversum originem unum & grande volumen , in quo omnia penè ejus dicta , & ipsum pariter damnat , &c. ) to summon a council at cyprus , wherein by the bishops of the island assembled , it was decreed that none should read the works of origen : the like was also done shortly after , in a synod convened by theophilus himself in his own province : upon which divers of origens followers fled from thence unto constantinople , imploring the aid of chrysostom ; who admitted them to communicate with him : and this was it that occasioned the great contention between chrysostom and epiphanius upon his coming thither ; so that they parted in great heat . he was also anathematized , together with those that adhered unto him , and held his errours , by the fifth general council ▪ which was held at constantinople under iustinian the emperour , wherein they stile him the abomination of desolation , malè sanum , impium deoque repugnantem ; and his opinions , deliramenta & insanias ; exclaming thus against them ; o dementiam & inscientiam hominis insani & paganorum disciplinae explicatoris ; mente caecutientis , studentisque , christianorum fidei miscere fabulas , &c. epiphanius calls him dei & ecclesiae hostem ; as also , the father of arius and root of other heresies . he utters many things ( saith photius ) blasphemously , and other very absurd , and full of impiety . ierom also is very sharp against him ; ( though one that admired his wit and parts ) in plerisq , inquit , haereticum non nego : and tells us , that with a sacrilegious tongue , he blasphemeth ; that his opinions were venemous , dissonant from the holy scriptures , and offer violence unto them : professing that he was always an adversary to his doctrines . yet withal he thus adds ; i am not wont , saith he , to insult over the errours of those whose wit i admire , and if any one shall object or oppose to us his errours ; let him hear this freely : that sometime even great homer himself may nod or slumber ; let us not imitate his vices whose vertues we cannot follow . caesarius the brother of nazianzen , stiles him that impious origen ; and his doctrines pestiferous ; yea ●ugae , trifles and toys . and among the later writters , beza saith of him , that he was a select instrument of sathan , and stiles him , impurissimus ille scriptor , quem exoptem velex lectorum manibus excu●i , aut summo cum judicio à studiosis tractari . on the other side , some did no less magnifie and admire him ; pleading and apologizing in his behalf , basil , chrysostom , nazianzen and ierom did most highly esteem the doctrine , allegories and tropologies of origen , extolling him unto heaven with their praises ; those that did apologize for him were among other , pamphilus the martyr , and eusehius commonly sirnamed pamphili ; for the singular friendship that was between them : by whom were written six books in defence of origen ( which ierom calls latissimum & elaboratum opus ) five whereof were the 〈◊〉 labour of them both , and the sixth of eusebius alone after the death of pamphilus : as appears from the word of eusebius himself , lib. . cap. . quae ( inquit ) de ejus gestis sunt ad cognoscendum necessaria ea ex apologia quae à nobis pamphili sancti nostri temporis martyris operâ adjutis elucubrata est ( illam enim ego & pamphilus , quo ora malevolorum obtrectatorum , ●amae origenis detrahentium obturaremus , mutuis vigiliis accuratè eleboravimus ) licet facilè colligere ▪ photius gives us this account here of , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. i. e. lecti sunt pamphili martyris & eusebii pro origene libri sex , quorum quinque sunt a pamphilo in carcere , praesente etiam eusebio , elaborati : sextus verò , postquam jam martyr ferro privatus vitâ , ad unicè desideratum deum migrarat , ab eusebio est absolutus . these were seconded by ruffine who undertook the same task ; setting forth an apology for origen ; or rather , the apology of eusebius ( for so it s commonly called ) by him translated into latin ; unto which he added a volume of his own , bearing this title ; of the adulteration of the books of origen ; these were followed by some learned men of the latter times , viz. iohannes picus , the noble earl of mirandula , and phaenix of his time ; vir ingenii penè prodigiosi , & in omni artium , scientiarum & linguarum varietate usque ad miraculum exculti . also ; gilbert genebrard , a parisian divine , and professor there of the hebrew tongue ; and iacobus merlinus , victurniensis sacrae theologiae professor , who endeavours to vindicate both the holiness of his life , and the soundness of his doctrine . moreover , such an equipoise was there in him of good and evil , that with sampson , solomon , and trajan ( though i conceive the medley is as monkish as the scruple ) he is put into the number of those concerning whom 't is equally difficult to determine whether they were saved or not . but surely that bold shaveling went too far beyond his bounds , who in his book intituled pratum spirituale ( which is supposed to be written by abbot iohn moschus ) reports that a certain brother ( doubting whether nestorius were in an errour or no ) was , by one appearing unto him for his satisfaction , conducted to hell , where among other hereticks he saw origen tormented in those flames : ( the earl of mirandula is of a contrary judgement . ) but the jesuit possevine plainly tells us , that whosoever was the author , many of the relations in that book deserve but small credit , being indeed little better than down right lyes ; among which he gives an instance in this ( not unlike that of origen ) that in a vision chrysostom should be seen placed in heaven above all the doctors and martyrs : but enough of such stuff . however , evident it is , that he was very erroneous , yea , scarce any one of the ancients , more ; whether we respect the multiplicity , or quality of his errours : so that , as the orthodox that came after him , were much beholding unto him , as of great advantage to them in the interpretation of the scriptu●es : so did the hereticks take from him the hints of many of their foulest heresies : for which cause as epiphanius calls him the fountain and father of arius , so did the errour of pelagius ( saith ierom ) spring from him ; doctrina tu● origenis ramusculus est : yea , there is scarce any sect that had not its rise and beginning from him . the grounds whereof ( as vincentius lyrinensis conceives ) were such as these ; his abusing the grace of god too insolently his overmuch indulging his own wit , and trusting to himself ; his undervalueing the simplicity of the christian religion , his presuming himself wiser then others , and his interpreting some scriptures after a new manner ; contemning ecclesiastical traditions , and the authority of the ancients : epiphanius imputes it unto this , because he would suffer no part of the holy scriptures to pass , without his interpretation ; therefore he fell into error . yet do his apologisers labor to free him ; laying the fault of the errors fathered upon him unto the charge of others ; ruffine pleads in his behalf , that he was abused by hereticks , who adulterated his writings , as they dealt with divers others ; that so they might gain credit to their errors , by the names of those famous men , as if they were of the same mind with them ; he adds withal , that the epistle of origen unto certain friends of his in alexandria intimates so much wherein he complains of wrong done unto him in this kind , while he was yet alive . merlin mentions two ways more beside this , by which origen might be made to speak that which he never thought ; first , by the unskilfulness of the scribes , who might easily omit or alter what he uttered and dictated . . through the envy of those , who might think their own lustre eclipsed by the glory and fame of origen . ego sanè , inquit haymo , de eo dixerim , vel quòd haec omnino non scripserit , sed ab haereticis ob praedarum nomen ejus obsuscan . dum malignè conficta sint , & conscripta , & nomine suo praetitulata ; vel si scripsit , non statuit ex sententiâ , sed disser●it ex opinione ; & fortasse , cum in aliquibus locis scribendo atting● haereticorum errores , calumniatus est , hoc à semetipso dixisse . much to the same purpose speaks the noble italian , in his excellent and sinewy apology in his behalf ; wherein he proves that origen in his younger years delivered many things , as one that rather inquired after , than positively asserted them ; as is apparent from divers expressions of his own : e. g. these things , saith he , speaking of the reparation of the divels , are said by us with great fear and caution , rather discussing and handling , than for certain and definitively determining them . these and divers other ways do they endeavor to excuse him : wherein yet they do but wash a blackmore : for notwithstanding all that hath been said for him ; many soul spots and blemishes do and will stick fast unto him : for we have himself ( in a letter unto fabian bishop of rome ) confessing and repenting that he wrote such things ; imputing it to the unadvisedness of ambrose , who made that publick , which he delivered privately : secretè edita & minimè correcta ( inquit supplementum bergomense ) in publicum protulit . hoc mihi , inquit , praestiterunt amici mei : si tacuero , re●● censear ; & si respondero , inimicus judicabor . dura utraque conditio ; sed à duobus eliga● quod melius est . severus sulpitius reports that in his time it was decreed by a synod held at alexandria , that origen was by wise men cautiously to be read for the good that was in him ; but , by those , who were less capable , to be rejected , because of the evil that was in him : his words are , respuendam esse penitus lectionem , quae plus esset nocitura insipientibus , quàm profutura sapientibus : after which it follows ; i do wonder , saith he , that one and the same man could so much differ from himself ; ut in eâ parte quâ probatur , neminem post apostolos habeat aequalem ; in eù verò quâ jure reprehenditur , nemo deformiùs doceatur errasse . i shall content my self with the brief mention of some of the most notorious errours that have been observed in him , as i find them set down by os●●ander in his epitome of the centuries : and they are these following . . quòd filius dei patrem non videat : quòd sit creatura ; factus , non natus . quòd pater sit perfectè bonus , filius verò non absolutè bonus , sed tantùm cum additamento , ut , pastor bonus . filium non esse adorandum , neque cum filio patrem . omnia , quae à salvatore 〈◊〉 juxta historiam referuntur , putativè tantùm 〈◊〉 per allegoriam , accipienda esse . christum pro diabolorum salute etiam in aere & supernis 〈◊〉 passurum . . spiritum sanctum dixit , inferiorem esse 〈◊〉 majorem enim esse fortitudinem filii ; quàm spiritus sancti . of whom he spake so meanly , that saith ierome , his opinions of the son were bad , but those of the holy ghost , were worse . . mundos esse innumerabiles , non quidem simul , sed ita , ut semper mundi unius finis fit initium alterius mundi . . mundum per angelos ita gubernare , ut alii promptè , alii inviti mundum regant ; & propter angelorum negligentiam & peccata ( quòd res terrenas non rectè administrent ) sterilitates incidere . . diabolos , sicut & impios , adhuc salvandos ; & post longa supplicia , angelis bonis denuò associandos esse . . animas hominum fuisse ante corpora , & egisse aliquid ; ideoque crassis corporibus aligatas ; & animas postquam salutem consecutae fuerint , non ampliùs futuras animas . most of these , ierom mentions together thus . origenem , inqnit , in plerisq , haereticum non nego : erravit de resurrectione corporis , erravit de animarum sta●● , de diaboli poenitentiâ , & , quod his majus est , filium dei & spiritum sanctum , in commentariis esaiae , seraphim esse testatus est . . providentiam dei non demitt●re se 〈◊〉 omnes creaturas , & inferiora mundi : sed tantùm in coelorum regionibns commorari . . homini , etiam post lapsum talem perfectionom concedit , qualem adam habuit ante lapsum . liberum itaque arhitrium , etiam in spiritualibus , homini tribuit . . hominem operibus justificari credidit . . purgatorium post hanc vitam esse opinotus est . graviora delicta semel tantùm per p●nitentiam condonari putavit . . baptismum post resurrectionem necessarium futurum . . nuptiis seeundis parùm aequus fuit . . sensit etiam , animas post mortem in coelum ascendere : & nunc proficere , nunc ad inferiora delabi : ita ut per innumerabiles ruinas anima saepe moriatur . . resurrectionem corporum nostrorum s●c futuram , ut eadem membra non habeant : imò in alterâ vitâ fore nos sine corporibus ; aut certè corpora nostra id futurum , quod nunc est aether , aut coelum , aut si quod est aliud & syncerius corpus . . post resurrectionem angelos , diabolos & animas omnium hominum , etiam gentilium , fore unius conditionis : deinde alium subsecuturum mundum , in quo animae de coelo delabentes ali●s corporibus vestiantur . . denique sacras literas intempestivis & immodicis al●egoriis multò magis obscuravit , quàm explicuit ; & aliis scriptoribus ecclesiasticis occasionem dedit , ut & ipsi sacram scripturam per ineptas allegorias depravarent . origenis audacia ( inquit chamierus ) in affectandis allegoriis semper fuit suspecta , nec longè distans à temeri ●ate . to these many more might be added , which if the reader desire to acquaint himself withal ; let him peruse the epistles of ierom ad avitum , ad pammachium & occanum , together with his apologies against ruffine : epiphanius his panarium . haeres : . and in his epistle ad iohannem hierosolymitanum ; the centurists in cent. . cap. . dan●us in his commentary upon the . chapter of augustin de haeresibus ; and nicelas choniates in his treasury of the orthodox faith . lib. . haeres . . who there thus speaks of him ; that for natural and moral philosophy he was a doctor acceptable unto all ; but for matters dogmatical or of faith , & of theological speculation , he shewed himself the most absurd of all that went before or followed after him . which also those frequent passages of ierom , do shew ; where he saith ; i commended him as an interpretor , but not as a dogmatist : again ; i call origen ours for his learning and wit , not for the truth of his opinions and doctrine . lastly , as i ever attributed unto origen the interpretation and idioms or proprieties of scripture ; so i most constantly took from him truth in his opinions . for this cause also having at his request sent unto avitus , his translation of origens books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : in the close of his epistle he prescribes this as an antidote against the errors therein contained : whosoever , saith he , will read these books , and go toward the land of promise with his feet shod , lest he be bitten of serpents , and smitten with the forked wound of the scorpion ; let him read this book or epistle wherein are declared the dangerous passages contained in those books , that so he may know before he begin his journy , what things he must shun & avoid . hence beza gives this censure of him ; certainly , saith he , this writer is every way so impure whether he wrote so himself , or whether his writings were afterward depraved , that in matters controversial , he deserves no authority in the church . yet notwithstanding in the judgment of some , the good that was in him , exceeded the evil ; so that although he were guilty of the errors imputed unto him , yet being a man of so much learning , he deserves to be pittied ; whose faults , saith haymo , if there be any in his books , may be overcome by the celestial splendor of those things , which are faithfully written by him : and , saith scultetus , this age might well bear the precipitate publication of his works by ambrose , or the malevolent depravation of them , if withal , they had all come to our hands . many of his errors began first to be entertained by the monks and disciplinarians in egypt , from whose cells being vented they spread abroad , and were embraced and maintained by very many : unto whom ( as a sect or swarm of hereticks , deriving their errors from origen ) was given the name of origenists or adamantians ; who continued long , even unto the time of gregory the great ; for he testifieth that some of them were remaining in his days . adversus origenistas ( inquit baronius ) longa admodum & periculosa fuit ecclesiae concertatio . § . now as touching the last scene of his life , his going off the theatre of this world ; i find no large mention made of it . that his sufferings for christ were neither few nor small , ( though he suffered not martyrdom ) is abundantly testified ; so that in the judgment of merline , as also of mirandula , he came but little short of it , and deserves the palm : semper deo ( inquit pontius diaconus ) mancipata devotio , dicatis hominibus pro martyrio deputatur . and , saith haymo , voluntate martyr fuit : though he laid not down his life , yet he lost not the honor of martyrdom : for they were many and sore things which he did undergo , even in his old age , ( besides what in former time had be●ided him ) at what time the persecution against the church raged under the emperor decius : whereof eusebius makes report in these words : ( drawing toward the close of origen , about which the most part of the sixth book is spent ) what things they were , saith he , and how great , which hapned to origen in that persecution , and how he died ; the spiteful devil pursuing him with his whole troop ; striving against him with all might and every kind of sleight that possibly could be invented ; and especially against him above all the rest which then were persecuted to death ; and what and how great things he sustained for the doctrine of christ ; imprisonments and torments of body ; scourging at iron stakes , stench of close prison ; and how for the space of many days , his feet lay stretched four paces asunder in the stocks ; and how that constantly he endured the threats of fire and all that the enemy could terrifie him with ; and what end he made after the judge had wrought by all means possible to save his life ; and what speeches he uttered very profitable for such as need consolation ; sundry of his epistles truly ; faithfully and curiously penn'd , do declare . he lived the space of sixty nine years : of which ( reckoning from the time that he was by demetrius made catechist in the school of alexandria ) he spent above fifty most laboriously , in teaching and writing ; in the affairs and care of the church , in refuting heresies , and in the exercise of piety , and many notable vertues . but notwithstanding all his labours and worth , his age and end ( as well as the former part of his life ) were accompanied with poverty ; so small recompence and reward had he from men , who haply could be well contented freely to afford him their praises , but kept fast their purses ; sic , virtus laudatur & alget . and for this , rich ambrose above all other deserves most blame , that at his death was not more mindful of his old and indigent friend origen . hence it came to pass , that he ended his days in a mean and miserable condition ( miserabiliter , inquit nicephorus , infoelix obiit ) dying in the famous city of tyre , where also he was buried in the reign of the emperors gallus and volusian , and in the year of christ. . cyprianus . § . cyprianus , called also thascius , was born at carthage , one of the chief cities of africa , he was very rich , and of great note and power there , being one of the senatorian order , and among them held the first or chief place : his breeding was liberal and ingenuous from his tender years , being trained up in , and seasoned with the knowledge of the arts wherein his proficiency was such , that ( among the rest ) he became an excellent rhetorician , and publickly professed and taught that art at carhage , being had in very great esteem among them ; but all this while an ethnick , without the knowledge of christ , yea , a most bitter persecutor of the christians , withal à magician , and skilled in those curious arts , though this last be very improbable in the judgment both of baronius and pamelius . how long he continued in this condition is uncertain , yet that he was well stricken in years before converted unto christianity , may be conjectured , . partly from his own words : for ( while being a gentile , he thought of receiving the christian faith ) he conflicted with such reasonings as these ; he conceived it a hard and difficult thing ( as sometime did nicodemus ) for a man to be born again , that he should by the washing of water put off what he was before , and have his mind changed : how ( saith he ) can such a conversion be possible , that so suddenly that should be put off which was genuine and natural , and through length of time and old age had taken such deep rooting ? hence it appears ( saith baronius ) that he was senescens , near unto and upon the verge of old age when he was about to give up his name to christ. . partly also from the time that he sate bishop of carthage , which is generally conceived to be about the space of ten years , and not above ; for he was chosen unto the office about the year , and suffered martyrdom , an . . now both baronius and pamelius , as also before them , pontius his deacon and companion in his exile , who wrote the story of his life , do all affirm , that he was made bishop shortly after his conversion , and while but neophytus & novellus , a novice in christianity , and newly come to the faith. the instrumens by whom he was converted , was one caecilius a presbyter , who partly by his pious conversation ( which was very exemplary , he being a just man , and in honour , as well as age , a true presbyter ) and partly by his perswasions ( upon which his eloquence did set such an edge , that they were of great force and pierced deeply ) prevailed with him , and brought him unto the knowledge and profession of christianity . it seems the special portion of scripture that wrought upon him , was the prophecy of ionab , which haply caecilius was unfolding and preaching upon at that time ; for so much ierom intimates , where he saith , blessed cyprian having been before an assertour of idolatry , at length hearing the sermon of ionab , was converted and brought unto repentance . it is not unlikely that he had been before prepared and somewhat inclined unto the christian religion , by reading the books of christians , and particularly of tertullian his country-man , unto whom he was much addicted , and greatly admired him ; for had it not been so , baronius seeth not how ( unless you will ascribe it to a miracle ) he could in so short a time attain unto such a height of knowledge both in doctrine and discipline , as should furnish him for so high a function in the church . his love and affection unto his caeeilius ever after was so great , that he respected and and reverenced him not as a friend and equal only , but as a spiritual father , and one by whom he had received a new life , which he gave clear testimony of unto the world , by prefixing his name unto his own : so that unto this day he is called and commonly known by the name of caecilius cyprianus , as did eusebius in after times annex the name of pamphylus unto his own , for the love that he bare unto that martyr . but a very little time did intervene between his conversion and advancement unto the chief dignity in the church ; so great was his growth in the faith , that in a short space he attained unto such maturity as few perhaps do arrive at . herein he was singular , there having been scarce the like example before , which pontius speaks of as a thing almost incredible : nemo ( inquit ) metit , statim ut s●vit : nemo vindemiam de novellis scrobibus expressit : nemo adhuc unquam de noviter plant●tis arbusculis matura poma quaesivit : in illo omnia incredibilia occurrerunt . praevenit , si potest dici , ( res enim fidem non capit ) praevenit , inquam , tritura sementem , vindemia palmit●m , poma radicem . baronius sets down the story of his addition unto the church , and ascending unto the episcopal chair , as the occurrents of the same year . unto this dignity of sitting at the helm , in the first and principal of the african churches was he elected by the unanimous consent of the whole clergy and people , none contradicting , but the unhappy presbyter felieissimus , with a few of his associates , the seat being being vacant by the decease of donatus , agrippinus or some other ; for 't is uncertain who was his immediate predecessour . being called unto , and having undertaken so weighty a charge , as a careful pastour he bestirs himself accordingly : and in the first place , and while as yet the peace of the church lasted , he applyed himself with all his might to restore the discipline delivered by the lord ( whereof he was a great lover and advancer , and which long tranquillity had corrupted ) unto its ancient purity . but this continued not long ; for a very sore porsecution ensued very shortly after under the emperour decius , which mightily wasted the church of christ : the violence whereof reaching as far as carthage , cyprian felt amongst the rest , attaining not long after he was made bishop ( as pamelius gathers from the words of pontius , who saith it sell out , statim , eftsoon after ) the glory of proscription , unto which was added ( that not satisfying the people ) their violent clamour often repeated in the theatre , requiring him to be cast unto the lions . to avoid the violence of this storm , he withdrew not so much out of fear , as for divers other weighty reasons : as . in obedience to god , whose providences spake out no less than his command what he should do , as he himself speaks : you shall ( saith he in an epistle to the clergy ) hear all things , when the lord shall bring me back again unto you , who commanded me to withdraw . of which pontius gives us a larger account : 't was fear indeed ( saith he ) moved him so to do , but it was that just fear lest he should offend god , that fear which would rather obey god than be so crowned ; for his heart being in all things devoted unto god , and his faith subject unto divine admonitions , he believes that if he had not obeyed the lord , requiring him then to hide , he should have sinned in his very suffering . . lest by his presence he should stir up envy of the people , who could less away with him than any other of the presbyters ; and so the sedition already begun among them , should grow unto a greater height . . the church could not have been deprived of him but to her exceeding great detriment , especially at that time , there being none so able to afford that comfort , encouragement , direction , correction and restoring , which multitudes in the church did then stand in need of : well , well , therefore , ( saith pontius ) and truly by divine providence , it came to pass that a man so necessary in many regards , should be delayed the consummation of martyrdom . yet it seems that some were unsatisfied with , and calumniated this his action , which he therefore took occasion to clear and vindicate in divers of his epistles ; whereby he gave satisfaction unto the clergy of rome , who took it well , and judged what he did to be war●antable . during the time of this his secession ( which was about the space of two years ) he was not wanting ( though absent in body , yet very vigilant as present in spirit ) by his admonitions , and otherwise to provide for and promote the welfare of the brethren as much as he could , constituting divers presbyters to execute his office in his room . but that which did occasion no small grief unto him , was the schism and disorders that happened in the church , whereof his former adversary felicissimus was the principal author , with whom joyned five other presbyters , who granted rashly and promiscuously peace and communion to the lapsi , or such as through fear had faln in that time of persecution . these were set on and abetted by novatus a presbyter of carthage ( from whom afterward sprung donatus and his sect ) with whom sided fortunatus , set up by his party as a mock-bishop in opposition unto cyprian , who yet were of a contray opinion to the former ; denying all hope of peace to the lapsi : but though they were opposite in judgement unto each other , yet did they all at length conspire together , and made up one faction against cyprian ; who had given order , that as the lapsi should not be altogether excluded ▪ so neither should they be admitted unto communion , but upon their repentance and satisfaction given unto the church . this felicissimus with his complices proceeded so far , as that of those who adhered unto him ( who in number increased daily ) he constituted a church of his own , which he congregated in a certain mountain ; from whence the name of the montenses took its original , given afterward unto the party of the donatists , who in imitation of these , lived in the mountains . but though felicissi●us were the first in the schism , yet was he the less famous ; for his name growing more obscure , novatus gave the title unto the whole sect , who from him were called novations ; as also cathari or pure ; ●ecause they refused to communicate with the lapsi , though repenting , accounting them unclean . these schismaticks growing unto this height , the careful cyprian , though in exile , is very sollicitous how to suppress them ; and to prevent further mischie●s , that hereupon might ensue : he falls upon the last remedy , writing unto caldonius and herculanu● his collegues , as also unto rogatian and numidicus , compresbyters , that they excommunicate felicissimus and his followers , which accordingly they performed , as appears by their letters unto the clergy of carthage . after two years he returned from his banishment , decius that cruel persecutor being slain by the gotbs , and so peace restored unto the church . immediately after his return he useth his utmost endeavours to close up the rent that had been made in the church during his absence ; for which end he convenes a synod , wherein after due debate , this moderate temperament was agreed upon concerning the lapsi ; that the causes and necessities of their fall being examined , the libellatici ( who were such as by their friends did offer or give in their libels unto the magistrate , wherein they did deny christ , but withal desire that they might not be compelled to sacrifice ) as the less delinquents should be admitted unto communion upon their repentance ; but the sacrificati ( who were such , as to preserve their estates , or being by others perswaded thereunto , did offer unto the idols ) should have a longer time of repentance set and assigned unto them ; and in case in●irmity urged , they should receive peace , or be reconciled at the time of their death . in which decree cornelius bishop of rome agreed with them , a little after calling a council at rome , which consisted of sixty bishops , so many presbyters , and many deacons , wherein the business of the lapsi was throughly scann'd , and novotian ( set up as bishop of rome by his party against cornelius ) together with novatus and felicissimus , were excommunicated ; the sum of which decree was this , that novatus together with such as consented unto his opinion , which was repugnant unto brotherly love , should be banished the church , and that the brethren , fallen through infirmity in the troublesome time of persecution , should be received , after that the salve of repentance and confession had been applied unto the maladies . by these schisms was the church much vexed for sometime , and cyprian loaded with calumnies by the authors and maintainers of them ; which he bare and overcame with invincible courage and patience . many councils were celebrated at carthage , and in other provinces , both of the eastern and western churches , for the suppressing of them . what afterward became of these schismaticks is not found ; but persecution being renewed , seems for the present to have put an end unto these controversies . after this arose the question about the rebaptization of hereticks returning again unto the church : which had been in use in the african churches , in the time of agrippinus , the predecessor of cyprian , and before him in the time of tertullian . this was occasioned by the practice of the novatians , who were wont to baptize again , as unclean , such as they had drawn from the church unto their faction ; which provoked divers african bishops to emulation , among whom cyprian was the chief . three councils were by him call'd about this thing , in the last whereof were assembled at carthage , out of africa , numidia and mauritania , eighty and seven bishops ; by whom it was concluded , that such as had been by hereticks baptized , were upon their return unto the church to be admitted again , by rebaptization : and that , because there is but one baptism , which is no where to be found , but in the true church . the sentence of cyprian is in the last place set down in these words . my sentence ( or judgement herein ) ( saith he ) the epistle written unto our collegue iubaianus hath most fully express'd , viz. that according to the evangelical and apostolical contestation , the adversaries of christ , and called antichrists , when they come unto the church , are to be baptized with the only baptism of the church ; that they may be made friends of foes , and of antichrists christians . which opinion was rejected by stephen bishop of rome , and the council by him there assembled . yet did many of the eastern bishops , and of egypt , as well as of africa consent with cyprian in this his opinion ; which having for a while , to their utmost defended , they at last relinquished it , subscribing to stephen , and the rest of the church of rome ; and that cyprian did so among the rest is very probable , of which more hereafter . shortly after followed another grievous persecution under the emperour valerian and galienus , which lasted three years and an half ; and extending very far , africa as well as other provinces felt the violence thereof ; where the first that was aimed at and vexed , was cyprian , who by paternus the proconsul was banished unto curubis ( or curobis , as ptolemy ) a town invironed with the lybian ocean , almost in the manner of an island , standing on the promontory of mercury , over against sicily , distant from carthage about fifty miles . in this place , of a pleasant situation , was he fitted with a convenient lodging , and visited by many of the brethren : continuing here the most part of a year , he was not idle , as his letters , not a few , written from hence do testifie ; wherein he ceased not to exhort those , unto whom he wrote , to constancy in suffering , even unto the laying down of their lives for christ ; in which imployment let us a while leave him , till we shall come to speak of his matyrdom . § . he was a man of excellent natural parts ( the elaborate piece of nature , saith nazianzen , the flower of youth ) and these to the utmost improved by education and industry ; so that he attained unto a great height of secular learning in all kinds , before his conversion . for besides his exactness in the art of rhetorick , ( whereof he was publick professor in the famous city of carthage , and he so far excelled , that he went beyond other men in eloquence , as much as we exceed the brute creatures ) he was accurately skill'd in all other arts ; one ( saith nazianzen ) that had gotten unto the top of learning , not only of philosophy , but other sciences , in every kind , take him where you will : so that , in variety of knowledge , and in absolute insight into the arts , yea , in every regard , he excelled all others . to which was added , his through knowledge in the tongues , viz. the greek and latin , ( the two learned languages ) wherein he was most skilful . the most eloquent preacher , danie● tossanus , did perswade both my self ( saith keckerman ) and other candidates of the ministery , that among all the fathers , we would in the next place after the holy scriptures , and most diligently , read cyprian : and certainly i know not what spirit of eloquence breaths upon us , when we have read this author . these things did afterward prove of great advantage unto him , as did unto the jews the gold and silver whereof they spoiled the egyptians ; 't is augustine's allusion , whose words for their weight and worth do deserve perusal , which i shall here insert . as the egyptians ( saith he ) had gold and silver , and rayment , which the people of israel departing out of egypt , did clancularly challenge for a better use , not by their own authority , but by the command of god ; the egyptians ignorantly lending them those things , which they used not well : so the doctrines of the gentiles do contain the liberal arts , very useful to the truth , and some most profitable moral precepts ; as also some truths concerning the worship of that one god ; which gold and silver , as it were , of theirs ( that they themselves instituted not , but did dig out certain mines of the divine providence , extending it self every where , and which they perversly and injuriously abused to the worshipping of devils ) 〈◊〉 christian , when he departs from them , and in heart separates himself from their miserable society , ought to take or bring away for the just use of preaching the gospel ; and what else did many of our good and faithful men ? do we not see with how great a burden of gold , silver and rayment , the most sweet doctor and blessed matyr , cyprian departed out of egypt ? so also did victorinus , optatus , hilarius , and innumerable of the greeks , &c. thus he : and not much unlike is that passage of ierom ( 〈◊〉 alluding unto those words of moses , deut , . , &c ) . who being demanded by magnus a roman orator , cur in opusculis suis saecularium literarum interdum poneret exempla & caudorem ecclesiae ethnicorum sordibus pollueret ? responsum , ( inquit ) breviter habeto : quis nesciat & in moyse & in prophetarum voluminibus quaedam assumpta de gentilium libris ? sed & paulus apostolus p●etarum epimenidis , menandri , & arati versiculis abusus est . quid ergò mirum , si & ego sapientiam saecularem propter eloquii venustatem & membrorum pulchritudinem , de aneillâ & captivâ israelitidem facere cupio ? & si quicquid in eâ mortuum est idololatriae , voluptatis , erroris , libidinum , vel praecido vel rado ; & mixtos purissimo corpori vernaculo , ex eâ genero domino sabaoth ? labor meus in familiam christi profecit . but the most splendid jewels , that were his principal ornaments , christianity only furnished him withal ; which made him exceeding amiable in the eyes both of god and men ▪ so that nothing was more illustrious or famous in the whole world : ( saith billi●s quoting the words of ierom ) accounted by the church as a star of the greatest manitude : non solùm malos catholicos ( inquit augustinus ) nullo modo comparamus , sed nec bonos facilè coaequamus beato cypriano , quem inter r●ros & & paucos excellentissimae gratiae viros numer●● pia mater ecclesia . he was ( saith nazianzen ) sometime ( viz. before his conversion ) the singular honour of carthage ; but now , viz. since his becoming a christian , of the whole world . his natural disposition was very sweet and lovely ; but being polished by religion , it became much more so : in whom was to be found such an equal composition of gravity and chearfulness , severity and mildness , that it might be doubtful whether he deserved to be more feared or loved , but that indeed he equally deserved both . his knowledge in the mysteries of the gospel was such , that for it he was renowned every where , his writings that were dispersed f●r and near , did spread his fame and made him of great note not only in the african and western , but also in the churches of the east . in comparison of whom the great augustin doth so far undervalue himself , that ( saith he ) i am very much ▪ yea incomparably inferiour unto the desert of cyprian . and he was not only a shining , but also a burning light , so exemplary in his conversation , that the rays of grace and holiness streaming forth therein , did even confound the minds of the beholders . talis ubique sermonis habitus et ( inquit erasmus ) ut loqui sentias verè christianum episcopum , ac martyrio destinatum . pectus ardet evangelicâ pietate , & pectori respondet oratio : loquitur diserta , sed magis fortia quàm diserta : neque tam loquitur fortia , quàm vivit . insomuch that in the sentence pronounced upon him , he is stiled the standard-bearer of his sect , and enemy of the gods qui futurus esset ipse documento , & cujus sa●guine inciperet disciplina sanciri ▪ among the rest , those graces , whose lustre and brightness , the place he held , the employments he managed , and the condition of the times that he lived in , did more especially discover , were such as these . . his humility , that sweet grace , peculiar to christianity , this added a beauty unto all the rest , tanto erat excelientior , quanto humilior , inquit augustinus ; who was so much the higher in the account of others , by how much the lower he was in his own . being to deliberate about weighty affairs , his manner was to decree nothing without his colleagues , neither would he pertinaciously love and adhere unto his own apprehensions , but rather embrace what was by others profitably and wholesomely suggested . . his charity and compassion to those in want and durance : for immediately upon his conversion he parted with what he had , and gave it for the relief of the poor . he was ( as iob speaks of himself ) eyes to the blind , and feet to the lame ; a father unto the put , and the cause which he knew not , he searched out ; he brake the jaws of the wicked , and plucked the spoil out of his teeth . and when many had been taken captives by the barbarous goths , or scythians , he sent an hundred thousand sestertia from the church , for the redeeming of them : so himself speaks : misimus ( inquit ) sestertia centum millia nummû● , quae isthic in ecclesiâ , cui de domini indulgentiâ praesumus , cleri & plebis apud nos consistentia collatione collecta sunt . the sum being so vast , pamelius conjectures it ought to be only sestertia centum , and that millia nummûm , added for explications sake , is from the margin crept into the text : or else , he thinks it should be thus read : sestertium centum millia nummûm . yea while he was in exile , he not only wrote , but also sent relief unto those poor christians who were condemned unto the mines . he manifested also this grace in his indulgence to forgive and receive those offenders , who repenting returned unto the church : hear his own words — remitto omnia , inquit , multa dissimulo , studio & voto colligendae fraternitatis , etiam quae in deum commissa sunt , non pleno judicio religionis examino , delictis plusquam oportet remittendo penè ipse delinquo : amplector promp●â & plenâ dilectione cum paenitentiâ revertentes , peccatum suum satisfactione humili & simplici const●entes . . his patience in bearing injuries and wrongs : whereof he gave an ample testimony in his behaviour toward those who opposed him , when he was chosen bishop ; oh how patiently did he bear with them , and with what a deal of clemency did he forgive them ; reckoning them among his friends to the admiration of many . . his equanimity and peaceableness ; being a very great lover and maintainer of unity among brethren , which he was studious to preserve and hold , even with those that dissented from him : as appears in the grand difference between him and stephen bishop of rome , and others about the rebaptization of hereticks : for , as himself did not break communion by separating from them , so neither did he cease to perswade others also , that they should bear with one another in love , endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace : his words that he used in the council of carthage , speaks out this sweet temper of his spirit . super est ( inquit ) collegae dilectissimi , ut de hac ipsâ re quid singuli sentiamus , proferamus , neminem judicantes , aut à jure communionis , aliquem , si diversum senserit , amoventes . to these many more might be added , as his contempt of riches , keeping under of his body , purity of life , diametrically opposite to the lusts of his former conversation , gravity joyned with humanity , equi-distant both , from arrogancy and baseness : fidelity , prudence , industry , watchings and the like , which more at large are commemorated and recorded by pontius and nazianzen , in all which regards he was very eminent : hence vincentius stiles him , illud sanctorum omnium & episcoporum & martyrum lumen , beatissimum cyprianum : he may be instead of many ( saith erasmus ) whether you respect eloquence or doctrine , or the dignity of a pastor , or a brest every where breathing forth the vigour of an apostolical spirit , or the glory of martyrdom . whose writings ( saith scultetus ) have in them so happy a genius , that , although they were interwoven with divers errours , yet they found some doctors of the church , not only admirers of the more sound doctrine , but candid interpreters even of the errours contained in them . how transcendent a man he was in the judgement of the great augustin is evident , and may be collected from the titles he gives him , wherein the epithets which for the most part he makes use of , such as are doctor suavissimus , lucidissimus , pacis amantissimus , excellentissimae gratiae , also martyr beatissimus , fortissimus , gloriosissimus , &c. a man ( saith he ) whose praise i cannot reach , to whose many letters i compare not my writings , whose wit i love , with whose mouth i am delighted , whose charity i admire , and whose martyrdom i reverence . add hereto the encomium of prudentius , whose words are : — tenet ille regna coeli , nec minùs involitat terris , nec ab hoc recedit orbe ; disserit , eloquitur , tractat , docet , instruit , prophetat . nec lybiae populos tantum regit exitusque in ortum . solis , & usque obitum , gallos fovet , imbuit britanuos , praesidet hesperiae , christum serit ultimis hiberis . let me shut up all with the words of pontius : i pass by ( saith he ) many other and great things , which the volume , lest it swell too big , suffers me not more largely to relate , of which let it suffice to have said this only , that if the gentiles might have heard them at their bars , they would perhaps forthwith have believed and become christians . § . the monuments of this excellent and choice spirit were many , sole clariora , lively representing as in a glass his great worth , and wherein though dead , he yet liveth and speaketh : of which augustin had so venerable an esteem , that he accounted all his own works not equal unto one of cyprian's epistles : and ierom giving directions unto the noble widow laeta for the pious education of her daughter paula , recommends the works of cyprian to her continual perusal : cypriani ( inquit ) opuscula semper in manu teneat . cujus singula prope verba spirant martyrium . they are but fragments as it were , that remain , and the loss of what is wanting is much bewailed by erasmus . of those many that are lost , i find but few mentioned in any authors : so that it seems , not only the books themselves , but even their very names and titles are exstinct with them . paulus diaconus reckoneth among the innumerable volumes ( as he hath it ) which he wrote , a very profitable chronicle compiled by him : also that he discoursed most excellently upon the evangelists and other books of the scripture . but how little credit this report deserves , will appear from the words of ierom ( a man as well as most acquainted with the writings of those that went before him ) who tells us , that he never commented upon the sacred scriptures , being wholly taken up with the exercise of vertue ( totus in exereitatione , aliàs , exhortatione virtutum ) and occupied or hindred by the straits of persecution : unless his three books of testimonies unto quirinus ( which are as it were common places out of the scriptures ) might be looked on by him as commentaries , wherein indeed he briefly glosseth upon and giveth some light unto many texts , though this were not the thing that he intended in those tables . among the works of cyprian that remain unto this day , his excellent epistles are deservedly ranked in the first place ; as having a notable vein of piety running through them ; ( epistolae cypriani , inquit chemnitius , referunt pectus ardens pietate , ita ut lectorem accendere possint ) and wherein is discovered abundance of that prudence , candour , meekness , modesty , gravity , and holy severity , wherewith his rare spirit was so much adorned . these are the most genuine births of our author , though yet they have not continued altogether untouched , nor have escaped the injury of those , whose fingers have been itching to tamper with and corrupt them , for the support of their tottering cause , which truth will never patronize . there are at this day eighty three of them in number , whereof some few were from others unto himself , the rest written by him unto the bishops , presbyters , and churches or brethren . they are by pamelius digested and cast into this order , two were written shortly after his baptism , thirty and eight in his first exile , which lasted the space of two years ; eighteen during the time wherein cornelius and lucius sate bishops of rome ; eight miscellany epistles , written in the times of the peace of the church ; ten in the time of stephen bishop of rome , concerning the rebaptization of hereticks ; and seven in his last secession a little before his martyrdom . the same authour hath taken good pains in his more exact chronological account of the particular years , wherein these epistles ( as also his other treatises ) were written , which affords not a little light for the better understanding of them : for he had found them to have such a mutual dependance one upon another , that many of them without the help of others could not well be understood . this chronology is prefixed by pamelius in his edition of these epistles , together with the rest of cyprian's works , in whose diligence in his emendations and annotations ( which contain many ecclesiastical antiquities for the illustration of them ) deserveth commendation ; yet in this was he unhappy , that being a sworn vassal of the romish synagogue , he strains his wit and skill , to reconcile ( which cannot be ) the opinions and judgement of cyprian and other ancients , with pontifician traditions and the anathematisms of the tridentine conventicle : which filth cast upon the famous cyprian and orthodox antiquity , simon goulart hath with good success endeavoured to wipe off in his learned notes , as an antidote subjoyned unto those of pamelius : by which means this edition comes to be more exact than any that were before it , though there were divers . of which pamelius a lovain divine , the said goulart gives this approbation , that he was an ingenious man , of much reading , most diligent , of very accurate and quick expression , and one that had merited much of those studious in theology in his edition of cyprian : if contenting himself to have pointed at the various readings , he had , either not touched , or more sincerely explicated , those antiquities . as touching these epistles , i shall refer the reader for the analysis and contents of them unto scultetus , who hath taken laudable pains in surveying the works of our authour , together with divers other of the ancients . it shall suffice me to reflect upon them in a more general way , and what is remarkable in them ; and to hint somewhat that may be of use in reference unto them : and herein i shall observe that order wherein they are ranked and set down by pamelius . the second epistle contains a flourishing and eloquent narration of his conversion and baptism , savouring much for its quaintness , of the rhetorick schools from whence he was newly come . the phrase of this epistle ( saith erasmus ) is more neat and florid , then that of the rest , retaining still the scent of scholastical eloquence . in secundâ epistolâ nonnihil lusit apparatu pompâque sermonis ; unde & augustinus , ( lib. . cap. . de doctr. christian ) comptae , jucundae splendidaeque dictionis depromit exemplum . it is entituled by trithemius , lib. de gratiâ dei. and by antoninus , de gratiâ & abundantiâ malitiae saeculi . but this accurate eloquence of his gotten with so much sweat , and augmented with continual exercise , and for which he was famous every where , he laid aside as of little profit and necessity , preferring before it christian simplicity . yet , that in this epistle he wrote in so high a strain , i suppose it therefore so fell out ( saith augustine ) or rather was advisedly done , that posterity might know , what a tongue the soundness of christian doctrine had recalled from such redundance or superfluity , and restrained to a more grave and modest eloquence : such as in his following writings is securely loved , religiously desired , but most difficulty performed . wherefore this holy man did shew , that he could so speak , because some where he spake so ; but withal that he would not , because he afterward no where doth so . nihil ( inquit erasmus ) reperies in cypriaeno , quod ad ostentationem inge●● videri possit ascitum , aut quod ullo pacto vafrieiem sapiat . in the twelfth epistle , ad plebem , wherein he desires them to wait for his return , that we ( saith he ) and our fellow bishops being assembled together , may examine the letters and desires of the blessed martyrs , according to the doctrine of our lord , and in the presence of the confessors , & secundum vestr●● quoque sententiam , and according as you shall think convenient . those last words are maliciously left out ; because ( saith daille ) they would not have us to know , that the faithful people had ever any thing to do with , or had any vote in the affairs of the church . in the thirty first epistle , there remained for a long time a foul fault uncorrected , by which the place was so depraved , that no perfect sence could be made of it : which was at length happily amended by the dexterity of that phoenix of her sex for learning , margaret the daughter of sir thomas moor : one unto whom erasmus wrote many epistles and dedicated his commentaries on certain hymns of prudentius , calling her the flower of all the learned matrons of england . she was of a quick and sharp wit , and composed in greek and latin both verse and prose ; and that most eloquently , to the admiration of those that perused her writings . this gentlewoman reading this epistle , and being come to the place corrupted , ( which was this ; absit enim ab ecclesiâ romanâ vigorem suum tam profanâ facilitate dimittere , & nisi vos severitatis eversâ fidei majestate dissolvere ) presently without help of other example or instruction , quoth she , those words nisi vos , must be , nervos : and so the sentence by that word is made plain and perspicuous . with this emendation is this epistle set forth in the edition of pamelius , who making honourable mention of the author thereof , reports it from costerus , that tells us he had it from doctor clement a learned physician , one familiarly acquainted with sir thomas his family , as having married mrs. margaret gage another rare proficient in that famous female academy . rhenanus stiles it a very notable epistle ; habemus ( inquit ) de disciplinâ romanae ecclesiae valdè insignem epistolam presbyterorum & diaconorum urbis romae . in the general there are three things especially observable in the epistles of our author . . there are to be found in them divers evident footsteps of the ancient discipline of the churches of christ. as concerning officers and the manner of electing them : of the power of those officers , and how it was made use of by them ; of the excommunication of offenders , and the restoring of them unto communion again , upon their repentance and satisfaction given unto the church : of the care that ought to be had of the poor , imprisoned , &c. of which see epist. . , , , , , , , ▪ . . many notable cases propounded unto , and resolved by him ; particularly , these following among the rest . . whether novatian the schismatick could or might baptize or no ? he denies that he could ( though herein he erred ) which he endeavours to maintain and make good by divers arguments : but the good bishop ( as goulart observes in his notes ) undertook a bad cause , in defending whereof he discovered much weakness , though withal no less modesty , in the close of his discourse . . whether a stage-player , persevering in the exercise of that unseemly art , ought to communicate ? to which his answer is in the negative , that he ought not . puto , inquit , nec majestati divinae , nec evangelicae discipline congruere , ut pudor & honor ecclesiae tam turpi & infami contagione foedetur , which place ( saith goulart ) meets with those who admit unto the communion without distinction , such as are impious and impure . . whether those who had been baptized by hereticks , upon their return unto the catholick church , ought again to be baptized ? his answer is affirmative , ( wherein joyned with him many other bishops ) and as the ground of it , he labours to prove the baptism of hereticks to be a nullity ; wherein he doth humanum aliquid pati . and this is the chief subject of divers epistles , viz. from the seventieth unto the seventy seventh , among which in the seventy sixth epistle , the first quaere , viz. that about the baptism of novatian , is answered . . whether the clinici ( i. e. those who were baptized upon their sick beds ) are to be accounted legitimate or rightful christians , because they are not washed , but only sprinkled with baptismal water ? unto which his answer is affirmative : nos , inquit , aestimamus in nullo mutilari & debilitari posse beneficia divina , nec minus aliquid illic posse contingere , ubi plenâ & totâ fide & dantis & sumenlis accipitur , quod de divinis muneribus hauritur , &c. this by pamelius is made to be the latter part of the seventy sixth epistle , and not an entire one by it self : and so thinks erasmus of it also , though in some editions it be disjoyned from it : it 's plain , saith erasmus , from the first words , that it is no entire epistle ; for who would begin an epistle after this manner , quaesisti etiam : yet in his edition are these made two distinct epistles , viz. one the sixth of the first book : the other the seventh of the fourth . . whether fortunatianus ( sometime a bishop ) who had sacrificed unto idols , might challenge or take unto himself his office again ? he answers negatively , rendring divers reasons why he so judgeth . . many excellent and pressing exhortations un●o constancy in suffering for the name of christ ; as also sundry choice documents and directions for holiness and christian conversation ; for which work he was so completely furnished , that pontius would conclude from thence , his flight in the time of persecution , and reservation from martyrdom for a while , to be from the special providence of god , because of the need the church then had of him : for , saith he , who should teach the lapsi repentance , hereticks truth , schismaticks unity , the sons of god peace and the law of evangelical prayer ? who should comfort christians tenderly affected with their losses , or rather those of little faith , with the hope of future things ? whence should we so learn mercy or patience ? who should raise up so many martyrs with divine exhortations ? well then it happened , that a man so many ways so necessary , should be for a while respited from martyrdom . he was therefore , saith pamelius , saved by the lord , that being destined unto martyrdom afterward , he might by his exhortations send before many martyrs unto the lord , who , had they wanted the incentive of this celestial trumpet , might else have fallen from the faith . hear the words of the presbyters and deacons at rome , to this purpose , say they in an epistle unto him , maximas tibi atque uberes gratias referre debtmus & reddimus , quòd — victores 〈◊〉 viribus tui sermonis animasti , ut quanquam h●e totum de fide confitentium & de divinâ indulgentiâ venire videatur , tamen in martyrio 〈◊〉 tibi ex aliquo debitores facti esse videantur . of this kind among the rest are epist. . , . . wherein in an eloquent and plainly divine stile , he confirmeth the confessors : also epist. . . . & . in epistolâ . ( inquit baronius ) elucet mirificè christiani nominis excellentiâ quae eo gloriosior redditur , atque praeclarior , quo magis fuerit afflictata molestiis , ac rebus fatigata contrariis , praestat eas literas audire , utpote novissimos cygnaeos viri sanctissimi cantus , qui mirificum quendam reddunt flagrantis spiritus cum suavitate concentum . for his other works , pamelius conceives , that in the last recited words of pontius , is hinted the order in which they were written ; for who can think , saith he , that meerly by accident , and not rather purposely and with mature deliberation , he should observe such an order in his words , which he therefore observes in his edition , and so shall i in the recital of them . his treatises then are these following . . of the discipline and habit of virgins , entituled by erasmus , only de habitu virginum : and by ierom and trithemius , de virginitate . it was written by him while he was yet a presbyter , or at least shortly after he was made bishop , viz. in the first year : of which rhenanus thus speaks , cyprianus scripsit de habitu virginum , nitidior aliquanto f●ciliorque hoc nostro authore , viz. tertulliano . ierom stiles it an egregious volume , wherein he exhorts virgins to a conversation suitable to their profession , to contemn the world , and to shun the abuses and corruptions of it , which in a lofty strain he stirs them up unto : for so augustin , ad virginitatem magno accendit eloquio cyprianus : in this tract , ( as in others also ) he much imitates his master , as he calls him , tertullian upon the like subject . . de lapsis . . of such as fell in time of persecution , which erasmus calls by the name of sermo : this with the two following was written shortly after his return from exile , peace being restored unto the church : wherein congratulating the confessors , and blessing god for their invincible constancy under the cross , he greatly bewails the fall of such , as by the threatenings of the adversary were drawn to sacrifice , and did not rather withdraw according unto the counsel of christ , blaming them , that before their repentance they would even extort communion and peace from some presbyters without the consent of the bishop : and lastly , by divers arguments he exhorts them unto a publick acknowledgment of their sin , and to give satisfaction unto the church . herein also he imitates tertulian in his book of repentance . . of the unity of the church ; some do add the word catholick : and this pamelius ( as himself more than once boastingly tells us ) from the fifty first epistle , first found out to be the true title of this book , which erasmus and some others do stile , a treatise of the simplicity of prelates : and augustine an epistle touching unity . a golden book , written by occasion of the novatian rent or schism , that he might deter his carthaginians from siding with novatus , who were too much inclining unto , and not so averse from him as they should have been . wherein he earnestly presseth the pastours carefully to preserve unity in the church , by many weighty arguments ; shewing the original and sourse of heresies to be the contempt of the truth and celestial doctrine of christ , commending unity in the church ; and in the close he discourseth of the duty of those who stand firm in the unity of the church , viz. to shun the society of schismaticks . this excellent piece of cyprian the vassals of the romish see have been most busily tampering with , and as palpably corrupting for their advantage in point of the popes supremacy ; having boldly foysted in here and there , as they thought fit , whole periods and sentences against the faith of the best and most uncorrupted manuscripts : the additions are these following , . he built his church on him alone ( viz. peter ) and commanded him to feed his sheep . . he established one chair . . the primacy was given unto peter , to shew that there was but ( one church of christ ) and but one chair . . he that forsakes the chair of peter , on which the church was founded , doth he hope himself to be in the church ? of these last words , saith philander ( after theophilus had named six editions of cyprian , in which they are not ) indeed i confess the words were wanting , till pamelius a canon of bruges found them in an old written copy lying in the abby of cambron . all these additions will evidently appear unto any one , who ( without having recourse unto other copies ) will but compare erasmus and pamelius their editions together . he that desireth to be farther satisfyed in the foul fraud of these shameless forgers in this particular , let him please to peruse the learned doctor reynolds in his conference with hart , chap. . division . . bilson in his difference , &c. part . pag. . and doctor iames , of the corruption of the fathers , part . so many have been the mutations , additions , detractions and variations of this small book , that the laborious abovenamed doctor iames ( in a little treatise written by him , which he entituled cyprian restored or revived ) hath observed no less than two hundred and eighty eight of them , by a diligent collation of four manuscript copies : this the bold jesuit possevine in his apparatus , inserts as his own , which the doctor thus chargeth him with : it hath pleased him , saith he , in his first tome , at the word cyprian , to steal a treatise of mine , and concealing my name , mutatis mutandis , chopping and changing some few words at his pleasure , to publish it unto the world : sic no● non nobis mellificamus apes . a most unworthy act , and at least deserving the brand of base ingenuity : a fault that crinitus blames in macrobius , who having been much beholding unto a. gellius , makes no acknowledgment thereof : cum sit , inquit , obnoxiae mentis & ingenii maximè infaelicis , uunquam fateri , pe● quos authores profeceris . . of the lord's prayer , which treatise augustine thus commends , i admonish , saith he , and much exhort you to read diligently that book of blessed cyprian , which he wrote of the lord's prayer ; and as the lord shall help you , to understand and commit it to memory : he writes it unto one valentinus and the monks that were with him . in this piece commending this prayer ; he shews how we ought to draw near unto god ; then explains the several parts and petitions of it : unto which he subjoyns somewhat of the necessity of prayer , how the mind ought to be composed in this duty ; and when it should be performed . herein also he imitates tertullian de oratione . est , inquit sixtuì senensis sanctae & venustae brevitatis expla●●tio . . unto demetrianus , the proconsul of africa ; an apologetical or invective oration ; erasmus wonders why any should rather call it a treatise , then an epistle . wherein , using a more elaborate stile , he clears the christians of those calumnies that were cast upon them by demetrian and other ethnicks ; who imputed it unto the christians not worshipping the gods , that those grievous judgments of famine , pestilence and war , did so rage in the romane empire : the true cause whereof he shews to be their contempt of christianity , which he proves by divers ●●guments ; and closeth with an exhortation unto the gentiles to come unto god , and to believe on jesus christ. in this likewise he imitates his master tertullian in his apology , and in his book against scapula ; but is blamed by lactantius for not handling the matter as he ought ; because he dealt with an heathen by scripture testimonies , which demetrian esteemed as fained and vain ; who should have been refuted by reason and arguments grounded thereupon ; yet herein is he defended by baronius who labors to excuse him . . of the vanity of idols ; or , that idols are not gods : wherein he proves that they were men , and consequently that the worshipping of them can be no way profitable : and that there is but one true god and lord of all , whom the christians worship . erasmus suspects it to be a fragment of a larger work , because it begins so abruptly . of which piece ierom thus speaks , commending his wit and skill : with what brevity , with what knowledge of all histories , with what splendor of words and sense hath cyprian discussed that idols are not gods ? herein also as he imitated tertullian in his apology , so likewise doth he minutius foelix in his octavius ; or minutius him : for they lived near about the same time . . of mortality ; written by him in a time wherein the pestilence invaded and raged in divers provinces , and chiefly alexandria and the rest of egypt . vsher calls it a famous treatise : wherein by divers arguments , he armeth christians against the fear of death ; and admonisheth them not to grieve immoderately for those that die , shewing what are the fruits of death , and of how great advantage it is unto them that die in lord. a book , saith augustine , laudably known to many , yea almost to all that love ecclesiastical writings ; in quo dicit mortem fidelibus utilem reperiri , quoniam peccandi periculis hominem subtrahit , & in non peccandi securitatem constituit . . of works and almsdeeds : augustin calls it an epistle : and ierom grande volumen , a great volum wherein he exhorteth those that were able , to contribute toward the relieving of the poor , who by pestilence , famine and other calamities had been reduced unto great exigencies . . of the good of patience , wherein , virtutem hanc per effecta magnificè amplificat : commending the practice of it from the example of god , christ & the saints : proving also both by scripture and reason , that 't is not only profitable , but also necessary for a christian. baronius shews us the occasion of the writing hereof . veritus , inquit , magnopere cyprianus , ne inter episcopos obortis contentionibus , magno aliquo sebismate catholica scinderetur ecclesia , ad ●ntevertenda futura mala , egregium illud prop●ylacticon praeparavit antidotum , libellum illum de bono patientiae scribens , quò demonstraret absque , patientiâ impossibile esse servari inter fratres mutuam charitatem . and cyprian himself in his epistle to iubaianus concerning the rebaptization of hereticks , having said in the last paragraph , that he would not for hereticks contend with his fellow bishops ; he shuts up all with these words : servatur à nobis patienter & firmiter charitas ●nimi , collegii honor , vinculum fidei , & concordia sacerdotii . propter hoc etiam libellum de bono patientiae , quantum valuit nostra medi●critas , permittente domino & inspirante , conscripsimus quem ad te pro mutuâ dilectione transmisimus . in this book also he much imitates tertullian upon the same subject , with a pious and commendable emulation : for he feared lest ( as it afterward fell out ) the writings of so eminent a man should be lost or laid aside : many even then abstaining from the reading of him , because he had so unhappily separated from the church . . of zeal ( he takes this word here in the worse sense ) and envy : which by many arguments he dehorteth from ; shewing whence it proceeds , and how much evil it produceth . sermo praeclarus , inquit keckerman●us , & egregia coneio . augustine calls this tract also an epistle ; and ierom , librum valdè optimum . the occasion of the writing of this , as of the former treatise also , was the controversie and great contest that arose between stephen bishop of rome and the african bishops about the baptizing of hereticks . . an exhortation to martyrdom ; written unto fortunatus ; distinguished into twelve chapters containing so many arguments , whereby he presseth unto martyrdom : which are collected almost verbatim out of the scriptures . baronius and pamelius are very confident , that it is cyprians , and much wonder that any should ascribe it unto hilary ; which yet marianus victorinus doth as confidently , induced hereunto by the stile , and authority of ierom. for which cause the industrious mr. cooke doubts not to rank it among the works falsly ascribed unto this father . . three books of testimonies unto quirinus , being none other then a rapsody or collection of several places of scripture . the two first , against the jews : in the one he shews that the jews have departed from god , and so have lost that grace and indulgence which formerly was afforded unto them ; and that the gentiles from among all nations have succeeded them , and come into their place . the other contains the mystery of christ , that he came according as the scriptures had foretold , and hath done and performed all things by which he might be known . in the third , which the centurists stile , de disciplina christianorum , he instructs quirinus in a christian life ; it being a collection of divine precepts and commands , which may be the more easie and profitable for the readers , for that , being but a few and digested into a breviary , they are the sooner read over , and more frequently repeated . pamelius cannot wonder enough at the censure of erasmus , that it should seem more probable unto him , that these books are not cyprians : yet is this sagacious censor seconded by scultetus , who renders some reasons why he should make question of it , viz. that some greek forms of speech , are used in the third book , which are not to be sound in the other works of cyprian : withal he adds , that many things do offer themselves unto the diligent reader , by which without any great ado they may be distinguished from what of this father is genuine . . the sentences or suffrages of the council of carthage concerning the baptizing of hereticks : which is none other than a rehearsal of what was done and said in that council ; as things were taken by the publick notaries , whereof he gives an account unto quirinus . this piece shuts up the second tome in pamelius his edition . his third tome contains those books that are doubted of or falsly ascribed unto cyprian : though in his preface pamelius makes them to be of three sorts . first , some , that by the stile and scriptures cited , do certainly appear to be his genuine works : but how true this is , we shall hereafter examine . secondly , others , of which there is some doubt ; yet are there many things to perswade us that they are his , or at least , of some author , no less ancient then he . . some that are certainly found to be none of his . but though divers pieces have his name affixed unto them , that he was never the author of ; yet , saith erasmus , herein was he more happy then some others , that nothing is ascribed unto him but what is learned , and proceeded from great men . these are , first , his book of spectacles ; which , he shews 't is unlawful for christians to be present at and behold . a book , which neither trithemius nor the centurists nor erasmus take notice of : and therefore not without cause suspected ; which also the stile gives sufficient ground for . herein the author much imitates tertullian upon the same subject . . of discipline , or the good of chastity ; wherein many passages are almost verbatim taken out of tertullian . bellarmine and pamelius conceive it to be cyprians : 't is a work of an uncertain but learned author , so that 't were pitty it should be lost ; ( saith erasmus ) yet in his judgement , the stile plainly shews it to be none of cyprians . . of the praise of martyrdom , unto moses and maximus ; wherein , pennis eloquentiae se mirificè extulit . but the stile is so elaborate and unequal , that erasmus supposeth no man is of so dull a scent , but he must needs perceive it to be far different from that of cyprian . he thinks it therefore to be an essay of some one that would exercise his pen ; wherein he shewed more care then , wit , and more affectation then ability . cardinal baronius is very angry with him for this his censure , calling him mome ; telling us that he that will prudently compare it with the apologetick unto demetrian , or his epistle unto donatus , will easily perceive by the same lineaments of their faces , that they proceeded from the same author . but the wit and wisdom of erasmus ( dictator ille rei literariae ) and his ingenuity in this kind are sufficiently known and approved of by the learned . and as he was able , so was he no less diligent in comparing one thing with another , that he might the better give a right judgment : so that the cavil might well have been spared and deserves little to be regarded , as issuing rather from heat and interest , then from candid and impartial animadversion . the truth is , both the cardinal and the canon pamelius looked on it as advantageous and making somewhat for their market ; affording them a considerable authority for the doctrines of purgatory and the invocation of saints ▪ who therefore strain hard and would fain perswade us that it is cyprians ; though they be levissima argumenta , very trivial and slender arguments , whereby they endeavor to make it appear so to be . . unto novatian the heretick : that hope of pardon ought not to be denied unto the lapsi , such as fell in time of persecution : which , saith erasmus , the stile will not suffer us to believe that it is cyprians : but withal , it is so eloquent and learned , that he judgeth it not altogether unworthy of cyprian ; yet rather thinks , that cornelius bishop of rome wrote it : which conjecture he grounds upon the words of ierom ; whom herein honorius augustodunensis follows and explains : saying , cornelius wrote a very large epistle unto novatian and fabius . . of the cardinal or principal works of christ , unto his ascension unto the father : which , besides the preface , consisteth of twelve chapters or sermons : . of the nativity of christ. . of his circumcision . . of the star and wisemen . . of the baptism of christ , and manifestation of the trinity . . of his fasting and temptations . . of the lords supper , and first institution of the ( sacrament ) consummating all sacraments ; wherein is comprehended the sense and consent of orthodox antiquity , and the catholick church concerning the lords supper . . of washing the disciples feet . . of annointing with oyl and other sacraments . . of the passion of christ. . of his resurrection . . of his ascension . . of the holy ghost . all these are urged as the authority of cyprian by divers romish champions for the maintenance of many of their unsound doctrines ; though it be doubted of by themselves for sundry weighty reasons ; among the rest these following , . the stile is lower than cyprian's useth to be . . the author ( in serm . de tentatione ) s●ith that the devil fell from heaven before the creation of man , contrary unto the opinion of cyprian , in his treatise de telo & invidiâ . . in the preface he gives unto cornelius bishop of rome , the title of sublimitas ve●ra , your highness : whereas cyprian always stiles him brother and collegue . the stile , saith erasmus , argues it to be none of cyprian's , though it be the work of some learned man , whereof that age had store . non cypriani quidem ( inquit casaubonus ) sed non indignus cypriano . and bellarmin himself elsewhere affirms , that the author of these sermons , without doubt , lived long since cyprian , yea , after the time of augustine ; and taxeth the boldness of him that first put cornelius his name in the fore front of this book . but in a very ancient manuscript in the library of all-souls colledge in oxford , the author is called arnaldus b●na●illacensis , who lived in the time of bernard , unto whom he hath written one or two epistles ; and the book is dedicated , not unto cornelius , who lived about the year of christ , . but unto adrian the fourth , who lived about the year , . and succeeded eugenius the third , unto whom bernard wrote his book of consideration . also that learned antiquary the reverend vsher saith , he hath seen besides the abovenamed , another manuscript in the publick library at oxford , wherein this book bears the name of the said arnaldus , as the author thereof . taking it then for granted , that it is none of cyprian's , let us give it its due in the words of scultetus , it is a book full of religious piety , and of great use to preachers : for they are popular declamations which do breath affections stirred up by the spirit of god. . of dicers , which game he proves by many arguments to be unworthy of a christian , especially an ecclesiastical man. but it certainly appears to be none of his by the stile , and seems to be written in the corrupter times of the church . bellarmin and pamelius speak doubtfully of it ; the former supposing it rather to be written by some one of the bishops of rome , as plainly appears from the author 's assuming unto himself the presidentship of the universal church , and to be christ's vicar , which indeed none ever dared to do , but that proud prelate of rome . . of the mountains sina and sion , against the jews , being a mystical interpretation of them ; the stile shews it to be none of his , as both bellarmin and pamelius confess , yea , it is altogether different both from the stile , and also the genius of cyprian , and is stuffed with such allegories and expositions of scripture as are far from the learning , piety and simplicity of this blessed martyr . . as for those poems , viz. genesis , sodo●● , & ad senatorem , pamelius hath adjudged them rather unto tertullian , because of the stile , and because cyprian was never ranked among the christian poets , but only by fabricius ( he might have added gyraldus ) so that he leaves the matter doubtful : and , saith bellarmin , we have no certain ground whence to conclude it . so also for the hymn de pascha , in many manuscripts it is ascribed ●nto victorinus pictaviensis : but , saith bellar●in of them , opera sunt gravia & docta , & s. cyprian● digna . to which i add the verses de sanctae crucis ligno , which lilius gyrald●s ascribes unto cyprian , being sixty nine heroicks in number , quos , inquit , ego legi : & si semel legatis , iterum & saepe legetis . but as i find them no where else mentioned as cyprian's ; so i conceive pamelius would not have failed to rank them among the rest , had he seen but the least probability why he might have eutituled them unto cyprian . . those two prayers , one for the martyrs , the other made use of by himself ( as is pretended ) on the day of his suffering , have the like censure from bellarmine that the po●●s had , who leaves them altogether uncertain . . of the single life of the clergy , and that they ought to abstain from the company of women . the work is not cyprian's ( as the many barbarous words to be found in it , and the phrase do plainly shew ) as erasmus conceives , to whose censure pamelius subscribes , who thinks it rather to be origen's , being induced hereunto by some authorities , ( vincentius bellovacensis in speculo hist. lib. . cap. . mentions a book of origen's , which he calls liber pulcherrimus de singularitate clerieorum . also laziardus caelestinus in epitom . hist. universal . ●aec babet : fertur originem codicem de singularitate clericorum composuisse ) by his mentioning without dislike those who make themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of god , and by divers grecisms here and there to be found in it . but , saith bellarmine the stile is against this , which shews it to be the work not of a greek but some latine author . baronius supposeth it to be cyprian's , though upon weak and slender grounds , as rivet shews . liber de singularitate clericorum , originem , cyprianum , augustinum praefert autores . it is therefore very uncertain whose it is ; but , saith erasmus , whoever were the author of it , it cannot be denyed that he was a learned and eloquent man : and without doubt , saith bellarmine , very ancient . . an exposition of the apostles creed , which ( though it be inserted among the works of cyprian ) yet is it generally conceived to belong unto ruffinus a presbyter of aquileia , as appears both by the phrase , and also by the authority of gennadius , who stileth him not the least part of the doctors of the church , and of an elegant wit to translate out of greek into latine : and , saith he , in this exposition , he through the grace of god so far excelled , that others in comparison of of him can scarce be said to have expounded it . pam●lius therefore entitles it unto ruffine , as the true author thereof , and not cyprian ; whose , that 't is not , it 's evident from the mention therein made of the heresies of arius , the manichees , samosatenus , eunomius , who all lived after the time of cyprian . yet by the consent of all it is a learned piece , and most worthy to be read ; but herein blamed by pamelius , because it denies the books of wisdom , ecclesiasticus , tobit , iudith and the maccabees to be of authority for the confirmation of the faith ; but for what cause is obvious enough . . of the incredulity of the jews , unto vigilius : it is none of cyprians , but rather the preface of one celsus upon the altercation between one iason a christian , and paviscus a jew of alexandria : and indeed in the close of it , the author so stiles himself : in mente , inquit , 〈◊〉 habe puerum tuum celsum . a confused piece it is , no way suitable unto the piety or learning of cyprian . . against the jews who persecuted our lord jesus christ , written by an uncertain author , the stile discovering it not to be cyprian's . . of the revelation of the head of iohn the baptist , and the translation of it into france under pipin the son of charles mar●ell . who lived about the year . by which it appears as clear as the sun to be none of cyprian's , who was some hundreds of years before this time : and they are meer fables that are contained in it , it might well come but of the cell of some superstitious monk , being fabulous , superstitious and ridiculous . . of a twofold martyrdom unto fortunatus ; it is to seek of a father ; for cyprian's it is not , as the mention of dioclesian , and of the emperour's war against the turk , do fully evidence . pamelius thinks it to be the work of some neoterick , and not unlikely ( as henry grave conjectures ) of erasmus : but this is very improbable , considering how sharp erasmus is against those , who by counterfeiting their writings , have so abused the fathers : and if he would in this kind have imposed upon the world , surely he was not so weak to let fall such passages as should so palpably discover it to be an imposture and supposititious ; we leave it therefore as an exposed birth . . of the twelve abuses of the world : the phrase is not cyprian's , and the quotation of the scriptures according to ierom's translation speaks it of a later date . erasmus is of the mind that it came from some honest laick : and pamelius guesseth it to have been written by one ebrardus , or iohannes climacus . . a small tract entituled coena : so unworthy the name of cyprian , that it deserves rather to bear that of a turk than a christian , it is so impure and ridiculous ; the author seemeth to have been an italian , some profane knave , being so well acquainted with all sorts of that country wine . § . his stile is such as hath a certain proper and peculiar face whereby it may be known : saith augustin , it tangs of his country , but yet is he more plain and candid than the rest of the africans : and i wish , saith erasmus , that as augustin did exceed him in the number of the volumes which he wrote , so that he had attained unto , and equalled him in the elegancy of his language : oh would he had as happily emulated his tongue , as he ingenuously admires it ! tertulliano , inquit ludovicns vives , loquitur clariùs , sed & ipse nonnunquam afrè . time was , saith erasmus , when i accounted ierom for the chief among the orthodox writers ; but when i looked a little more narrowly into cyprian , i was doubtful whether of the two to prefer , they both seemed to excel : but if a true and natural kind of speaking , and that which is more remote from a declamatory shadow , deserve the precedency ; herein cyprian went as far beyond ierom , as demosthe●●s beyond cicero ; he is every where more serious , and hath less of affectation ; his habit or form of speech is such that you may perceive him to be a true christian bishop , and destined unto martyrdom : his heart burns with evangelical piety , and his words are answerable ; ( non minùs fortiter quàm disertè loquens ) he speaks no less strongly than eloquently ; for worthyness became him more than neatness : yet is he quick enough sometimes ; as where he derides a certain heretick that denyed him to be a bishop : and likewise when he refutes those who deemed such not meet to be called christians , but clinicks , that in perilous diseases were baptized not only by immersion , but aspersion or sprinkling of water . for here besides that perpetual sweetness , which as blood runs through the whole body , he useth quips and jests . again , africa sent forth many men famous for eloquence and learning ; among whom tertul●ian and augustin were chief ; but scarcely unto any one happened the genuine purity of the roman language , but only unto cyprian . thus erasmus , like a pure fountain he flows sweetly and smoothly ; and withal he is so plain and open ( which is the chief virtue of speech ) that you cannot discern , saith lactantius , whether any one were more comly in speaking , or more facil in explicating , or more powerful in perswading . prudentius also in this regard thus extols him : o nive candidius linguae genus ! o novum saporem ! vt liquor ambrosius cor mitigat , imbuit palatum , sedem animae penetrat , mentem fovet , & pererrat artus ? his phrase is most elegant ( saith sixtus senensis ) and next unto ciceronian candour . and in the judgment of alsted , as lactantius may be truly accounted the christian's cicero ; so may cyprian their caesar ; for these two among the latines added ornament unto christian doctrine . now caesar , saith vives , is egregiously useful for dayly speech , unto whom tully gives the praise of a pure and uncorrupted dialect : quintilian of elegancy , whom he peculiarly studyed : and mr. ascham in that learned and grave discourse which he calls his schoolmaster , judgeth that in caesar's commentaries ( which are to be read with all curiosity ) without all exception to be made either by friend or foe , is seen the unspotted propriety of the latine tongue , even when it was in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , at the highest pitch of all perfectness : yet is his phrase various : sometimes he soars aloft , and is very copious with abundance of words : as in his epistle unto donatus : another time he falls as low , as in his epistle unto caecilius , of the sacrament of the lord's cup : but most commonly he is temperate , and keeps the middle way between these extremes , as in his treatise of the habit of virgins . in a word , he was , saith hyperius , plain , vehement , serious , and not unhappily fluent ; his words breathing a venerable elegancy , as the things which he wrote did piety and martyrdom : whereof i now proceed to give a taste . § . in his treatise of the vanity of idols , we have a sum of his faith , which froben in his index affixed unto the edition of erasmus , stiles the most elegant creed or symbol of cyprian : containing the doctrines of christ , his deity , incarnation , miracles , death , resurrection , ascension and second coming . his words are these , indulgentiae dei , gratiae , disciplinaeque arbiter & magister sermo & filius dei mittitur , qui per prophetas omnes retrò illuminator & doctor humani generis praedicabatur . hic est virtus dei , hic ratio , hic sapientia ejus & gloria , hic in virginem illabitur : carnem , spiritu sancto cooperante , induitur ; deus cum homine miscetur ; hic deus noster , hic christus est , qui mediator duorum , hominem induit , quem perducat ad patrem ; quòd homo est , christus esse voluit , ut & homo possit esse quòd christus est — cum christus iesus secundùm a prophetis ante praedicta , verbo & vocis imperio daemonia de hominibus excuteret , leprosos purgaret , illuminaret caecos , claudis gressum daret , mortuos rursus animaret , cogeret sibi element a famulari , servire ventos , maria obedire , inferos cedere ; iud●ei qui illum crediderant hominem tontùm , de humilitate carnis & corporis ; existimabant magum de licentiâ potestatis . hunc magistri eorum atque primores , hoc est , quos & doctrina illâ ille & sapientiâ revincebat , accensi irâ & indignatione provocati , postremò detentum pontio pilato , qui tunc ex parte romanâ syriam procura●at , tradiderunt , crucem ejus & mortem suffragiis violentis ac pertinacibus flagitantes — crucifix●s , prevento carnis officio , spiritum sponte dimisit , & die tertio rursus a mortuis sponte surrexit . apparuit discipulis talis ut fuerat , agnoscendum se videntibus praebuit , simul junctus & substantiae corporalis firmitate conspicuus ad dies quadraginta remoratus est , ut d● vel ab eo ad praecepta vitalia instrui possent , & discerent que docerent . tunc in coelum circumfusâ nube sublatus est , ut hominem quem dilexit , quem induit , quem a morte protexit , ad patrem victor imponeret ; jam venturos & è coelo ad poenam diaboli , & ad censuram generis humani , ultoris vigore , & judicis potestate . . concerning the article of christ's descent into hell , the author of the exposition of the apostles creed , thus speaks , we are , saith he , verily to know that it is not to be found in the creed of the roman church , neither in the oriental churches ; yet the force of the words seemeth to be the same with those wherein he is said to be buryed . . of the canonical books of the old and new testament , the same author of the exposition of the apostles creed , having enumerated the same books that we do : these , saith he , are they which the fathers concluded within the canon , out of which they would have the assertions of our faith to consist : but we are to know further , that there are other books which our predecessors called not canonical , but ecclesiastical , as the books of wisdom , ecclesiasticus , toby , iudith and maccabees , all which they would indeed have to be read in the churches , but yet not to be produced for the confirmation of the faith. . of how little esteem custom ought to be , if not founded upon truth , he pithily shews in that short sentence ; consuetudo sine veritate , vetustas erroris est : custom without truth is but mouldy errour . in vain therefore , saith he , do some that are overcome by reason , oppose or object custom unto us , as if custom were greater than truth ; or that in spirituals were not to be followed , which for the better hath been revealed by the holy ghost . again , if christ alone must be heard , as matth. . . we ought not to heed what another before us thought fit to be done , but what christ , who is before all , first did . neither ought we to follow the custom of man , but the truth of god. . he understands by tradition , nothing but that which is delivered in the scripture : let nothing be innovated , saith stephen unto him , but what is delivered . he replyeth , whence is this tradition ? whether doth it descend from the authority of the lord , and the gospel , or doth it come from the apostles commands and epistles : for those things are to be done , that are written : — if therefore this ( speaking of the rebaptization of hereticks , or receiving them into the church only by imposition of hands , which later was stephens opinion against cyprian ) be either commanded in the evangelists , or contained in the epistles or acts of the apostles , let it be observed as a divine and holy tradition . . that the baptism of children was then received and practised in the church ; and that performed by aspersion , as valid as that by immersion . this , saith he , was our sentence in the council , that none ought by us to be kept back from baptism , and the grace of god , who is merciful unto all . now seeing this ought to be retained and observed toward all , then we think it is much more to be observed about even infants and such as are newly born . — neither ought it to move any one that the sick are sprinkled or have water poured on them , seeing they obtain grace of the lord. — it appears therefore that sprinkling also obtains even as the salutary laver : and when these things are done in the church , where the faith both of the giver and receiver is sound , all things may stand , be consummated and perfected , with or by the majesty of the lord and truth of faith. concerning which opinion of his augustine thus speaks ; beatus cyprianus non aliquod decretum condens novum , sed ecclesiae fidem firmis●imam servans , ad corrigendum eos qui putabant ante octavum diem nativitatis non esse parvulum baptizandum , non carnem , fed ●●imam dixit non esse perdendam , & mox natum ●itè baptizari posse , cum suis quibusdam coëpiscopis censuit . . that devils were cast out in his time . be ashamed ( saith he unto demetrian ) to worship those gods , whom thou thy self must defend . — oh , that thou wouldst but hear and see them , when they are adjured by us , and tortured with spiritual scourges , and by the torments of words are cast out of possessed bodies , when wailing and groaning with humane voice and by divine power feeling whips and stripes , they confess the judgment to come . come and know the things we say to be true — thou shalt see us to be intreated by them whom thou intreatest , to be feared by those whom thou adorest : thou shalt see them stand bound under our hand , and being captives to tremble whom thou dost honor and reverence as lords . certainly even thus maist thou be confounded in these thine errors , when thou shalt behold and hear thy gods at our demand forthwith to bewray what they are , and although you be present , not to be able to conceal their sleights and fallacies . . the various operations of the three persons in the trinity , are thus elegantly described in the book of the cardinal works of christ. in this school of divine mastership , it is the father that doth teach and instruct ; the son that doth reveal and open the hidden things of god ; the holy spirit that doth replenish and endue us . from the father we receive power from the son wisdom , from the holy spirit innocence . by the father is given us eternity , by the son conformity unto his image ; by the holy spirit integrity and liberty ; in the father we are , in the son we live , in the holy spirit we move and go forward . . of inadvertency in prayer ; what slothfulness is it , saith he , to be alienated and drawn away with foolish and profane thoughts , when thou art praying unto the lord ? as if there were some other things that thou oughtest to think on , then that thou art speaking with god. how dost thou desire to be heard of god , when thou hearest not thy self ? wilt thou have the lord to be mindful of thee when thou prayest seeing thou art not mindful of thy self ? this is , not wholly to beware of the enemy ; this is , when thou prayest unto god , to offend with the negligence of prayer the majesty of god ; this is , to watch with the eyes , and sleep with the heart ; whereas a christian ought , even when he sleeps with his eyes , to have his heart waking . . he doth most rhetorically upbraid the slothfulness and sterility of the lords people , by bringing in sathan with his sons of perdition , thus speaking ; i , for those , o christ whom thou seest with me , have neither received blows , nor sustained stripes , nor born the cross , nor redeemed my family with the price of my passion and death ; neither do i promise them the kingdom of heaven , nor restoring unto them immortality do i call them back again to paradise : and yet they prepare me gifts very precious , great and gotten with too much and long labor , &c. shew me , o christ , any of thine , admonished by thy precepts , and that shall receive for earthly heavenly things , who bring thee such gifts : — by these my terrene and fading gifts ( he means the ethnick spectacles ) no man is fed , none clothed , none sustained by the comfort of any meat or drink ; all perish in the prodigal and foolish vanity of deceiving pleasures , between the madness of him that sets them forth , and the error of the beholders , — thou promisest eternal life to those that work , and yet unto mine that perish , thine are scarce equal , who are honored by thee with divine and celestial rewards . oh ; my dear brethren , what shall we answer ●nto these things ? . of admission into the church , thus . we ( saith he ) that must render an account unto the lord , do anxiously weigh and sollicitously examine ; those who are to be received and admitted into the church : for some there are , whose crimes do so stand in the way , or whom the brethren do so stiffly and firmly oppose , that they cannot at all be received without the scandal and danger of many . for neither are some rotten shells so to be gathered , as that those who are whole and sound should be wounded ; nor is he a profitable and advised pastor who so mingles diseased and infected sheep with the flock , as to contaminate the whole flock by the afflictation ( afflictatione ) of evil cohering : oh , if you could ( dear brother ) be present here with us when these crooked and perverse ones return from schism , you should see what ado i have to perswade our brethren to patience , that laying asleep or suppressing the grief of their mind , they would consent unto the receiving and curing of those evil ones . for as they rejoyce and are glad , when such as are tolerable and less culpable do return ; so on the other side they murmur and strive , as often as such as are incorrigible and froward , and defiled either with adulteries or sacrifices ( and after these things yet over and above proved ) do so return unto the church , that they corrupt good dispositions within : i scarce perswade , yet extort from the common sort , to suffer such to be admitted : and the grief of the fraternity is made the more just , because that one or other of those ( who though the people did withstand and contradict , yet were through my facility received ) became worse then they were before , nor could keep the promise of repentance , because they came not with true repentance . . that the people had at that time a voice in the election of their bishop or pastor , even in rome it self plainly appears in the case of cornelius so chosen ; yea that it was the use every where , is evident , by these words of his : that ( saith he ) is to be held and observed diligently from divine tradition and apostolical observation , which is held with us also , and almost through all provinces ; that to the right celebrating of ordinations , the bishops of the same province next unto that people over whom the chief officer is ordained , do convene or meet together ; and that the bishop be chosen in the presence of the people , who most fully know the life and conversation of every one . again , the people obeying the lords commands and fearing god , ought to separate themselves from a sinful overseer , nor to mingle themselves with the sacrifices of a sacrilegious priest ; seeing they chiefly have the power either of chusing such as are worthy , or refusing the unworthy . which very thing we see to descend from divine authority . and else where , speaking of cornelius , and of his great modesty and humility when called unto the office of a bishop ; he hath these words worth our notice ; non , inquit , ut quidam vim fecit ut episcopus fieret ; sed ipse vim passus est , ut episcopatum coactus ●●ciperet . et factus est episcopus à plurimis 〈◊〉 nostris , qui tunc in urbe româ aderant , 〈◊〉 ad nos literas honorificas , & laudabiles , & testimonio suae praedicationis illustres , de ejus ordinatione miserunt . factus est autem cornelius episcopus de dei & christi ejus judicio , de clericorum penè omnium testimonio , 〈◊〉 plebis , quae tunc affuit , suffragio , & de sacerdotum antiquorum & bonorum virorum c●llegi● . . of the interest of the people in the management of the affairs of the church , thus he . i determined , saith he , from the very beginning of my bishoprick , to do nothing by my private sentence , without your counsel , and the consent of my people : but when , by the grace of god , i shall come unto you , we will then handle in common those things which either have been done , or are to be done , as mutual honor requires . again , to the same purpose : this agreeth with the modesty , and discipline , and the very life of us all , that ( many bishops meeting together in one , the people also being present , unto whom even unto them honor is to be given for their faith and fear . ) we should dispose of all things with the religious care of common counsel . . of the original and rise of heresies , thus ; thence schisms and heresies have , and do arise , when the bishop ( who is one and set over the church ) is by the proud presumption of some contemned , and , a man honored with the dignity of god , is by men judged unworthy . by one bishop , that he means one bishoply office ( unus episcopatus ) appertaining alike unto all rightly called thereunto , appears from . epist. ad antonianum . . § . & tract . de unitate ecclesiae . § . § . these and many the like excellent passages are to be found in the writings of this eminent father ; yet was not the beautiful face even of this man without its blemishes ; though they were fewer then are to be observed in most of the ancients ; and , those that were , for the most part so small , that they may not unfitly be called rather freckles and morphew that do detract but little from his great worth . such as were some hard expressions that fell from his pen ; either through in advertency and want of caution ; or because they were in those times commonly made use of , perhaps harmlesly then , but abused in after ages by those , who ( to palliate their errors with a shew and pretence of antiquity ) strained them higher , and wrested them to another sense , then the innocent authors intended in them . of this kind are the following instances . . concerning free-will ; which in divers places he seems to assert : he some other where seemingly crossing himself , speaks the contrary . e. g. god , saith he , remunerates with the reward of paternal piety , whatsoever he himself hath performed , and honors that which he himself hath wrought in us . again , 't is of god , i say , 't is of god , ( saith he ) all that we can : thence we live , thence we have our strength . . he ascribes too much unto good works , particularly unto alms ; by which , he saith , the defilement contracted after baptism , is washed away ; but that the sins preceding conversion are purged by the blood of christ. which yet he may be conceived to have uttered in a declamatory way : and is to be understood here ( and throughout this whole treatise ) of works as conjoyned with or accompanying faith. . he attributes remession of sins to our satisfaction , wherewith , saith he , god is to be appeased : but of this a tolerable interpretation may be made ; the word satisfaction being ▪ catachrestically taken , for the repentance and confession of the lapsi , wherewith the church was satisfied , whereupon they were again admitted unto communion . and that they might the more commend unto men those ecclesiastical rites ; the ancients by little and little in their exhortations unto the people , began to speak hyperbolically of them , as , that pardon of sin and reconciliation were this way obtained : upon which ground , those passages of satisfaction and alms , fell inconsiderately ( saith chemnitius ) from the pen of cyprian . . he too eagerly and even superstitiously urgeth the mixture of water with wine in the eucharist , because water and blood came out of the side of christ ; true it is , that in the primitive times , the custom was in many churches ( that they might celebrate the lords supper with the greater sobriety ) to temper the wine with water : at length some went so far ( so did the aquarii , who had thence their name , quòd aquam offerunt in poculo sacramenti ) as to make use of water only , whom here cyprian justly reprehends ; though yet he urgeth the mixture of both too vehemently and upon too slender grounds . had he left it as a thing indifferent and not pressed it as necessary ( for which chemnitius justly blames the council of trent ) it needed not to have been ranked among his errors . . he seems to allow of the admission of infants or those not come to years of discretion , unto the lords supper ; ( its like to have been the common error of that time ) as appears by the story he relates of a young girl , who had been partaker of the idol sacrifices : afterward coming with her mother unto the christian assembly , puella mixta cum sanctis ( to give you his own words ) precis nostrae & orationis impatiens , nunc ploratu concuti , nunc mentis astu coepit fluctuabunda jactari , & velut tortore cogente , quibus poterat indi●iis , conscientiam facti in simplicibus adhuc anuis ( facinus enim commissum tam loqui & indicare non potuit , quàm nec intelligere prius potuit , nec arcere ) rudis anima fatebatur . vbi verò solennibus adimpletis , cali●em diaconus offerre praesentibus coepit , & accipientibus caeteris locus ejus advenit ; faciem suam parvula instinctu divinae majestatis avertere , os labiis obturautibus premere , calicem recusare . perstitit ●●men diaconus , & reluctanti licet , de sacramento calicis infudit . tunc sequitur singul●●● & vomitus . in corpore & ore violato eucharistia permanere non potuit . sanctificatus in domini sanguine potus , & de polutis visceribus erupit ; tanta est potestas domini , tanta majest●s . the necessity of this and the other sacrament he seems to conclude from . iohn . . except a man be ●orn of water and the spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdom of god ; and , i●hn . . except ye eat the flesh of the son if man and drink his blood , ye have no life in you . . but the greatest errour to be noted in him , ( which yet , oh how small , in comparison of some in many other of the ancients ) was that about rebaptization , by chemnitius too harshly called a fundamental errour : ha 〈◊〉 , inquit , errorem in fundamento . his judgment was this , that those who having been baptized by hereticks , did forsake their heresies , and return unto the church , were to be received by baptism . in this opinion many bishops , not of africa only , but of asia also , consented with him : about which , there having been three councils convened at carthage ; in the third ( wherein cyprian was president ) it was agreed in the affirmative , upon this ground chiefly , because they thought the baptism of hereticks to be a nullity . great was the contest between the african and western churches about this controversie : these latter holding with the bishop of rome , that hereticks returning unto the church , were to be received only by prayer and imposition of hands : wherein they are to be conceived no less erroneous than the former ; for that they allowed the baptism of all sorts of hereticks , without making any distinction between them : whereas , not long after in the council of nice , if any one flie unto the catholick church from the paulianists ( meaning the samosatenians , called by either name from the author paulus samosatenus ) and cataphrygians , it is ordained or decreed that they ought altogether to be rebaptized . the reason was , because these hereticks holding christ to be none other than a meer man , they baptized not in the name of christ ; and so the substance and true form of baptism not being retained by them , it was adjudged to be no baptism . and indeed whoever is baptized by such an heretick as openly denies the holy trinity , ought to be rebaptized : so that it was the errour of stephen , and those who joyned with him , that they excepted not such hereticks as these ; as cyprian erred in excepting none . but stephen , though he were little less erroneous than cyprian herein , yet did he differ much in his disposition and carriage : for according unto his hot and cholerick temper , he declared publickly against firmilian bishop of cesarea in cappadocia ( of cyprian's opinion ) and excommunicated all those that dissented from himself . contrariwise , cyprian discovering herein the mildness of his spirit , thus bespeaks his colleagues in the council of carthage : ( ierom in commendation of him , cites two passages of his to the same purpose , the one ex epistolâ ad stephanum episcopum romanum : the other ex epistolâ ad iubaianum : in the former his words are these , quâ in re , inquit , nec nos vim cuiquam facimus aut legem damus ; cum habeat in ecclesiae administratione voluntatis suae liberum arbitrium unusquisque praepositus , rationem actus sui domino redditurus . ) it remains , saith he , that we produce what each of us thinks concerning this thing , judging no man , or removing any of another judgment from the right of communion : for none of us makes himself a bishop of bishops , or with tyrannical terrour drives his collegues to a necessity of obeying : seeing every bishop hath a proper judgment , according unto his own liberty and power ; as , who cannot be judged by another , seeing that he himself cannot judge another . but we all expect the judgment of our lord jesus christ , who only and alone hath power of preferring us in the government of his church , and of judging our actions . oh how much is augustin taken and delighted with the peaceableness , charity and moderation of cyprian herein , for which he greatly admires and commends him . and , saith he , the lord therefore did not discover this truth unto him , that his pious humility and charity in wholsomly keeping the peace of the church , might be the more open and manifest , and taken notice of as a remedy , not only by the christians of that time , but also by posterity , &c. moreover , let me add ( as making much to his praise ) that he was not obstinate in his errour ; for as he was learned and skilful to teach oth●rs , so was he also docil and pat●ent to learn of others : which i doubt not , saith augustin , he would have demonstrated , had he discussed this question with holy and learned men . yea , saith he , perhaps he did correct his errour , but we know it not : for neither could all things , which at that time were done among the bishops , be committed to memory and writing ; nor do we know all things that were so committed . again , we do not find , saith he , that he corrected his errour ; yet may we imagine not incongruously of such a man , that he did correct it , and that it was perhaps suppressed by those who were too much delighted with this errour , and were unwilling to want so great a patronage . and this hath been by some so far charitably believed , that they have plainly affirmed so much , that he did , being convinced by the orthodox , renounce his errour herein : so bede , quoted by pamelius , supplement , bergomens . platina in vitâ lucii : scaliger in elench . trihaeres●i nicolai serari , cap. . and baronius , who tells us that none can justly doubt of it , seeing both the eastern and western churches have always used to celebrate the birth day of the martyr cyprian . briefly , either he was not , saith augustin , of the opinion that you the ( donatists ) report him to have been of , or he afterward corrected it by the rule of truth , or else he covered this ( quasi naevum ) spot as it were of his white breast , with the pap or veil of charity ; while he most copiously defended the unity of the church increasing through the whole world , and most perseveringly detain'd the bond of peace . § . as touching his martyrdom , it is recorded , that upon his first entrance into cu●ubis ( the place of his banishment ) it was revealed unto him in a vision ( whereof he had divers , and attributed much unto them ) that upon that same day in the year following he should be consummate and crowned ; which accordingly fell out : for being by galerius maximus ( who succeeded paternus in the proconsulship ) recalled from his banishment , he according unto the imperial edict , abode a while in his own garden ; from whence , being certified that certain officers were sent to bring him unto vtica ( a famous town not far from carthage ) he withdrew for certain days , by the perswasion of his dearest friends , unto whom herein he consented , and , as himself saith , not without just cause ; for that it is meet a bishop should in that city wherein he is set over the lord's church , there confess the lord , and so make the whole people famous by the confession of their present overseer : for whatsoever in that moment of confession , the confessour bishop speaketh , god inspiring him , he speaks with the mouth of all . if it should be otherwise , the honour of our so glorious a church shall be maimed , &c. here therefore lying hid , we expect the coming of the proconsul , saith he , returning unto carthage , that we may hear what the emperour shall command , and speak what the lord shall give in that hour . accordingly there came suddenly ( upon the ides of september ) two apparitours to bring him before the new pròconsul galerius ; but being put off till the next day ( the lord so willing that he might dispose of the affairs of the church ) he was brought then into the court of judgment , where he received this sentence , that having been the standard bearer of his sect , and an enemy of the gods , and one that would still be an example unto his own , refusing to offer sacrifice , it is my pleasure , saith galerius , that he be beheaded . which sentence being passed , he was led away unto a certain place called sexti , about four miles ( six saith baronius ) from the city , a great multitude following him , and crying , let us die together with the holy bishop . being come unto the place , he submitted himself unto the stroke of the sword , by which his head being severed from his body , he changed this frail for an eternal life , being the first of the bishops of carthage that sealed the truth with his blood . he suffered under the emperours valerian and galerius , anno christi , . the carthaginians did so highly honour , and had him in such veneration , that they erected unto him a most magnificent temple , and kept a yearly festival in memory of him , which from his name they call cypriana : as mariners do also a certain storm that usually falls out about the same time . lactantius . § . lvcius caelius was his name , unto which his eloquence gained him the addition of lactantius , from his milky and smooth kind of speaking : as his country that of firmianus , being an italian by birth , ( not an african , as baronius and posseviue imagine , because he was the scholar of arnobius that was so ) of the province called picenum of old , but afterward by the lombards , marchia anconitana , from the chief town therein , ancona : as also marchia firmiana , from the strong town firmium , heretofore the head city of the piceni , which country is a part of the land of the church under the government of the popes of rome . some do contend that he was of the german race ; and that at this day there is a family not obscure among the germans , which , bearing the name of the firmiani , do boast themselves to be the posterity of lactantius : but the general consent of authors shews this to be but a vain conceit . he was at first the scholar of arnobius , professour of rhetorick at sicca in africa ; as also some time at rome , where lactantius heard him , and profited much in the study of eloquence ; who also instructed him in the christian religion , which it seems , he had embraced before he came into bythinia ; whither , under di●olesian the emperor , he was called , unto the city of nicomedia , wherein for some while he professed the art of rhetorick , whereof he had been a learner before . but being a latine in a greek city , his auditory grew thin , so that he was destitute of hearers : hereupon laying aside the work of teaching he betook him unto his pen and fell to writing ; being provoked unto , and put upon it by a couple of impure and foul-mouthed philosophers , who either of them had belched out their books , against both the religion and name of christians . he was at length in france made tutor unto crispus , the son of constantine the great ( and his great friend ) who committed him for his breeding unto the c●re of lactantius ; an evident argument both of his fame and faithfulness . § . he was a man of great learning , 〈◊〉 eruditione clarus ; abundanter 〈◊〉 , inqui● trithemius : a very grave author , saith hospinian ; one notably skilled 〈◊〉 the art of rhetorick , and in all philosophy ; having diligently perused the writings of all sorts of humane authors , as his books do sufficiently testifie in which he omitted almost ●one of any science , or profession , whose testimony he made not use of : and so excelled in ●loquence of speech , that therein he was judged to be superior even unto his master arnolius , who yet was of chief note among orators . he is for this cause often stiled orat●● disertissimus , the most eloquent and elegant lactantius , who among the latines especially added ornament unto christian doctrine ; the very top , and most eminent of the latine rhetoricians : & in divinis scripturis nobiliter institutus . his great abilities he notably improved for the publick good ; for though he were somewhat defective in the inward knowledg of divine mysteries , and far inferiour unto many others for his skill in delivering and confirming the doctrine of christianity ; yet was he a stout champion for the truth and gave good testimony of his zeal thereunto in opposing with all his might the adversaries thereof ; for which work he was excellently furnished , having such a dexterity herein , that he easily refuted and overcame them . vtinam , inquit hieronymus , tam nostra confirmare potuisset , quàm facilè aliena destruxit . for observing the christian religion to be destitute of those that should eloquently defend it , the opposers of it being such , i , saith he , undertook this task ; being grieved with the sacrilegious writings which they published ; and stirred up hereunto with their proud impiety , and conscience of the truth it self : that so with all the strength of my wit , i might reprove the accusers of righteousness : not that i might write against them , who might have been confounded in few words ; but that i might at once , by one assault , put to flight all those , who every where do , or have undertaken the same work . a most laudable enterprise , wherein as he manifested no small love unto the truth in attempting it , so did he manage it with no less dexterity ; for which he hath been deservedly famous in the church of christ unto this day : his challenge that he makes of all the heathen is remarkable . si qua , inquit , 〈◊〉 fiducia est vel in philosophiâ , vel in eloquentiâ , arment se , ac refellant haec nostra ; si possunt , congrediantur comminus , & singul● quaeque ; discutiant . decet cos suscipere defen●●onem deorum suorum , ne si nostra invaluerint , ut quotidie invalescunt , cum delubris 〈◊〉 , ac ludibriis deserantur . — procedant in medium pontifices , seu minores , seu maximi flemines , augures , item reges , sacrificuli , quique ; sunt sacerdotes & antistites religionum . convocent nos ad concionem , cohortentur nos ad suscipiendos cultus deorum , persuadeant multos esse , quorum numine ac providentiâ regantur ●●nia , ostendant origines , & initia sacrorum , ac deorum , quomodo sint mortalibus tradita , qui sons , quae ratio sit , explicent , proferant , quae ●●rces in cultu , quae poena in contempta maneat , quare ab hominibus se coli velint , quid illis , si beati sunt , humana pietas conferat . quae ●mnia , non asseveratione propriâ , ( nec enim ●●let quicquam mortalis hominis authoritas ) sed divinis aliquibus testimoniis confirment , ficuti nos facimus . — doccant isti hoc modo , si qua illis fiducia veritatis est , loquantur , audeant , inquam , disputare nobiscum aliquid ejusmodi , jam profecto ab aniculis , quas● con●emnunt , & à pueris nostratibus error illorum ac sultitia irridebitur , &c. § . of the books that he wrote , many have been devoured by time , which hath left scarce any thing of them remaining besides the names , of which i find mentioned , . his symposium or banquet , which he wrote in africa , while he was but a youth in the schools ; or ( say the centurists ) unto the youths of africa : and ( as trithemius hath it ) in hexameter verse . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or his journey from africa unto nicomedia , in hexameter verse : ( this shews him to have been also an excellent poet ) of which i conceive damasus is to be understood , ( if not rather of his epistles or of both ) who gives us an account of the number and nature of them ; thus : i confess unto you that those books of lactantius which you sent me of late , i therefore willingly do not read , because in them many epistles are extended unto the space of a thousand verses or lines , and they do rarely dispute of our doctrine : whence it comes to pass , both that their length begets a loathing in the reader , and , if any be short , they are more fit for the schools then for us , disputing of verse or meeter , of the situation of regions or countries , and philosophers . . his book , which he entituled grammaticus . . ad asclepiadem , lib. . apud trithemium , l. . . of persecution . . four books of epistles unto probus . . two books of epistles unto severus . . two books of epistles unto demetrian his auditor or scholar . all these ierom reckons up in his catalogue . he also make mentions of the eighth book of his epistles unto demetrian : so that it seems he wrote so many unto him : unless we may suppose , that all his epistles were gathered into one volume , which make up the number of eight books ; whereof the two last ( and so one of them , the eight ) were unto demetrian . . his book of paradise , in hexameter verse ; all these are lost and perished , none of them being now to be found . those that at this day are extant under his name , are these that follow , viz. . seven books of institutions , against the gentiles , which with an high and heroick spirit he wrote under constantine the great ; for so he himself speaks ; hoc opus , inquit , nunc nominis tui auspicio inchoabimus constantine imperator maxime . baronius calls them luculentissimos libros . that which occasioned the writing of them was the cunning and calumniating books , especially of two great enemies of christianity : the one whereof , professing himself a man of chief note among the philosophers , wrote three books against the christian name and religion ; whom baronius supposeth to be porphyrius , an apostate , who at this time excelled among the platonicks , and set forth bitter commentaries against the christians ; ( which then no other philosopher did . ) and therefore by cyril not unjustly stiled , the father of calumnies . the other , ( being of the number of the judges , and one that was the principal author of the persecution then raised against the christians , in the city of nicomedia and whole province of bithynia ) wrote two books not against the christians , lest he should seem enviously to inveigh against them ; but unto the christians , that he might be thought gently and with humanity to advise them : which books he intituled , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : baronius thinks his name to be hierocles , a crafty fellow , concealing the wolf under the sheeps skin , that by his fallacious title he might ensnare the reader . to confute these , and to render the truth oppressed with reproaches , more illustrious and shining with her own beauty , lactantius undertook this noble task of writing his seven most excellent books of institutions . thus baronius . in annal . ad an . . § . ad . of which in general lactantius himself thus speaks . quanquam , inquit , tertullianus candem causam plenè peroraverit , in co libro , cui apologetico nomen est , tamen quoniam aliud est accusantibus respondere , quod in defensione aut negatione solâ positum est ; aliud instituere , quod nos facimus , in quo necesse est totius doctrine substantiam contineri ; non defugi hunc laborem , ut implerem materiam , quam cyprian●s non executus est in eâ oratione , quâ demetrianum , sicut ipse ait , oblatrantem atque ; obstrepentem veritati redarguere conatur . loctant . institut . lib. . cap. . the several books are entituled by these several names : . of false religion ; wherein he shews the religion of the gods to be false : after the proem , asserting providence , and that there is but one god , which he proves by the testimonies and authorities of the prophets , poets , philosophers , sibyls , and of apollo : also ( refuting the gentile gods and their religion in the general , and of the romans in particular ) he proveth that they were born at a certain time , lived most wickedly , and at length did undergo the law of all mortals . of this , and his book de opificio dei , chytraeus thus speaks ; prima pars operis , inquit , quae ethnicas idolomanias & philosophicas de deo & summo bono opiniones taxat , & liber de opifieio dei in structurâ corporis & animo humano , eruditus & lectu utilissimus est . . of the original of error , and that the religion of the gods is vain which he evinceth by divers arguments , shewing that the causes of all errors in this kind are these two . first , the defection of cham and the posterity of pious noah , from god. secondly , the cunning and craft of the devil . thirdly , of false wisdom ; wherein he demonstrate ; the vanity of philosophy and philosophers , instancing in the epicures , stoicks , pythagoreans and the rest , shewing how false their chief tenets and opinions be , and lastly that philosophy is not true wisdom . . of true wisdom ; which comprehends the doctrine of christ , his person , name , nativity , two natures , miracles and passion ; and afterward he declares the causes of heresies to be avarice , pride , ignorance of the scripture , and admiration of false prophets . . of justice : that 't is not to be found among the gentiles ; and that they are deceived , who think christians to be fools ; and that their sin is great and inexcusable ; who persecute the church pretending it to be for their good , viz. that they may bring them unto a right mind . . of true worship : which consists in this , that the mind of the worshipper be presented blameless unto god , discoursing at large of vertue and vice , as the ways leading unto heaven and hell ; and con●luding , that the best sacrifices which we can offer unto god are these two , integrity of mind , and the praise of his name . . of the divine reward , and the last judgment , the sum whereof he himself thus sets down ; the world , saith he , was made , that we might be born ; we are born that we may acknowledg god the creator of the world , and our selves ; we acknowledg him , that we may worship him ; we worship him , that we may obtain immortality , as the reward of our labors ; we receive the reward of immortality , that we may for ever serve , and be an eternal kingdom unto the most high god our father . . of the anger of god ; some philosophers denying it , he proves by nine several arguments that god is angry , and answers the objections to the contrary . he wrote this book unto donatus , and it is highly commended by ierom , who calls it a most fair or elegant book , which he wrote in a learned and and eloquent stile . . of the workmanship of god ; unto demetrian his auditor : a learned piece and most profitable to be read . it was written by him to this end , that by the wonderful structure of man , he might prove the providence of god : he therefore takes a view of , and looks into the several members of the body , and in them shews how great the power of divine providence is : withal removing the cavils of the epicures against it : and toward the end , discourseth of the soul for the same purpose . . an epitome of his institutions , which wants the beginning ; and is clearly , saith baptista ignatius , but a fragment : being a repetition of the chief heads of doctrine contained in that larger work . all these , saith bellarmine , are without controversie the works of lactantius . there are besides these ; certain poems that appear , and have been published unto the world under his name ; concerning which it is very questionable whether they be his or no : seeing , that neither ierom nor trithemius take any notice of them , nor did thomasius is he tells us , find them in any ancient ▪ copies . the titles of them are these following . . of the phoenix : they are not , saith thomasius , the verses of lactantius , but written by some most elegant poet , who yet , i believe , saith he , was not a christian : for he calls his phoenix the priest of the sun , and speaks of phoebus , as if he were in very deed a god . . of the day of the resurrection of the lord ; which for elegancy , is no way comparable unto the former ; whence it evidently appears that they are not of the same author and authority . thomasius saith , that he found them in the vaticane library among the works of the christian poet venantius fortunatus bishop of poictiers . and whereas in the ordinary editions the poem begins with this distich , salve festa dies . — by the authority of the vaticane copy , he placeth it twenty distichs off , immediately before that . mobilitas anni . — which from his copy he amends thus , nobilitas anni . — and in the pentameter , for stridula cuncta , he puts stridula puncta . and out of the same copy , he adds unto the poem , ten verses more then are usually found , both because they very well agree with it , and also because in the end of the poem be these numeral letters , cx . to make up which , those ten were to be added ; yea , i find an hundred and twelve verses of this poem , in the parisian edition of the poems of venantius . . of the passion of the lord ; of which poem thomasius tells us he could no where find any footsteps at all : and therefore unlikely to have lactantius for the author . yea the author both of this and the former is very doubtful , saith bellarmine , because some do deny them to be his ; though hereof we have no certain argument . his verses of christs passion , saith mr. perkins , are counterfeit , for they contradict all his true writings in these words , flecte genu lignumque crucis venerabile adora . perkins problem . for ( saith illiricus , in catalog . test . veritat . lib. . ) he vehemently inveigheth against images . . as for the arguments upon the several fables of ovids metamorphosis , and the annotations upon statius his thebais , by gesner and glareanus attributed unto lactantius , ( which they account most worthy to be read ) the diversity of the stile speaks them not to be his : they rather belong , saith po●sevine , unto luctatius placidus a grammarian . the commentaries upon thebais , saith gregorius gyraldus , are not of lactantius ; for in them many things almost word for word are taken out of servius the grammarian , who lived more then an age after firmianus : they are the work of one placidus lactantius , or ( as some learned men call him ) placidus lutatius : thus he . § . his stile is so accurate and polite , that he excelled all those of his time , ( vit omnium , inquit eusebius , suo tempore eloquentissimus ) and hath justly merited the name of the christian cicero ; coming nearest of any unto that prince of orators , in whom chiefly , the latine tongue was fully ripe and grown unto the highest pitch of all perfection . ierom therefore stiles him a certain river as it were of tullian , eloquence : and he that shall read his works , saith he , will find in them an epitome of cicero's dialogues . and as he followed his master arnobius , so did he , saith goddeschalcus stewchius , almost overtake him : for however arnobius might go before him in the strength of his arguments , and weight of things ; yet doth lactantius so recompence that in elegancy of speech , and gravity of sentences , that it is a hard matter to know which to prefer before other : the clearness and neatness of his language was wonderful ; being the most eloquent of all the christians ; his sound is plainly ciceronian ; to whom erasmus ascribes , faelicem facilitatem : fuit eloquentiae ciceronianae , inquit gyraldus , inter christianos praecipuus aemulator . § . there are to be found in his writings many grave sentences and excellent passages , that may be of great use unto the reader ; though in the doctrine of christianity he come short of many others ; his principal scope being the discovery and confutation of heathenish idolatry and superstition ; which he happily performed . non multum potest juvare lectorem , inquit chemnitius , tautùm enim fer● contra paganismum disputat . amongst divers things in him not unworthy of serious observation , take these that follow . . speaking unto those , who , having been accustomed unto polite orations or poems , pleasing and delightful to the ear , do therefore despise , as sordid , the plain and common language of the scripture : saith he , cannot god the former of the heart , speech and tongue , speak eloquently ? yea , but in his most wise providence he would have those things to want varnish , which are divine : that all might understand the things which he spake unto all . . again , to the same purpose ; the sacred scriptures , saith he , deliver things briefly and nakedly , neither indeed was it meet to be otherwise , as if when god would speak to men , he should assert his words with arguments , as if he were not to be believed ; but , as it became him , he spake as god himself , as the great judge of all things ; for whom , 't is not to argue , but to pronounce what is true . . of the mighty force and efficacy of the scriptures and christian religion , beyond all the rules of moral philosophy , to expel vice and plant in men all kind of vertue , he thus speaks . da mihi virum , qui sit iracundus : — give me , saith he , a man that is wrathful , foulmouthed , unruly , with a few words of gods book i will make him as gentle as a lamb ; give me one that is close fisted , covetous , greedy of money ; i will send him back unto thee liberal , bountifully distributing his money with his own hands . give me one that is fearful of torment and death ; he shall soon despise crosses , and fires , and phalaris his bull. give me a le●her , an adulterer , a haunter of brothel-houses ; you shall see him sober , continent . give me one that is cruelly disposed and blood-thirsty ; that fury of his shall be changed into true clemency . give me one who is unjust , unwise , a sinner , he quickly shall be just , wise , upright . so great is the power of divine wisdom , that being infused into the brest of a man , doth at one assault expel folly , the mother of vices . — hath any one of the philosophers either performed these things , or can he , if he will ? who when they have worn out all their time in the study of philosophy , can make neither any other , nor themselves better , if nature a little withstand . therefore their wisdom when it hath done its utmost , doth not abolish , but hide vices . whereas a● few precepts of god do change the whole man , and , the old being put off , do make him new , that you cannot know him to be the same . . of the church : thus . the church , saith he ▪ is the true temple of god , which consisteth not in walls , but in the hearts and faith of men , who believe on him , and are called faithful or believers . . again , that only is the catholick church , which retains the true worship of god. this is the fountain of verity , this is houshold of faith , this is the temple of god , into which who so shall not enter , or from which , who so shall depart , he is an alien from the hope of eternal life and salvation . — and because every company of hereticks , do think that they chiefly are christians , and theirs to be the catholick church ; we are to know , that that is the true ; wherein is religion , confession and repentance , which wholsomly cures the sins and wounds unto which the frailty of the flesh is subject . . of repentance thus ; he that repents of his deed , understands his former error : wherefore , the greeks do better and more significantly call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , then we latines can call it resipiscentiam . for he repents , and , as it were , recovers his mind from madness , who grieveth for his error , and corrects himself for his folly , and confirms his mind to live more uprightly , being most wary of this , that he be not again drawn into the same snares . . again , the conscience of sin and fear of punishment , makes a man the more religious : and always faith is by much more firm , which repentance resettles or puts again in its place . . he sets down the sum of the law , referring it unto two heads , after this manner . the first head or chief point of the law is to know god and to obey and worship him alone : or , the first duty or point of righteousness is to be in conjunction or communion with god : the second with man : the former is called religion : the other is named , mercy or humanity . — wherefore the principal bond of men among themselves , is humanity , the which , whosoever shall break asunder , is to be accounted a wretch and a parricide . for if we all have our original from one man , whom god formed , surely , we are of kin and of the same blood ; and therefore is it the greatest crime to hate a man , even an enemy : for which cause god hath commanded that we should never bear enmity toward any , but always take it away , to wit , that we should pacifie those who are enemies unto us , by admonishing them of the alliance that is between us . . god , saith he , is not to be worshipped with offerings and much blood ; but with a pure mind and honest purpose . temples are not to be builded unto him with stones heaped together on high ; but to be hallowed by every one in his own brest . if any one think that garments and gems and other things which are had in esteem , are dear to god , he plainly knows not what god is ; who thinks that he takes pleasure in those things , which , if even a man contemn , he shall be justly praised . what therefore is pure , what worthy of god ? but that which he himself in his divine law requireth . two things there are which ought to be offered ; a gift and a sacrifice : the gift is integrity of mind ; the sacrifice , praise and thanksgiving . . there is no man so rude and of such barbarous manners , but , when he lifts up his eyes unto heaven , albeit he know not by the providence of what god this universe , which he beholds , is governed , yet doth he understand that there is one , by the very vastness , motion , order , constancy , utility , beauty and temperament of thing : and that it cannot be , but that that which consisteth in such an admirable manner , is guided by some greater counsel . § . these and many other the like useful passages are to be found in his writings : though yet for the chief points of religion he handles them but very slenderly , and not so plainly as he should : for there is not a clear sentence concerning faith , the benefits of the son of god , or of any other necessary part of the doctrine of christianity to be met with in lactantius throughout : he being for the most part imployed in refuting the false opinions of the gentiles ; which is the ground of that speech of chemnitius , that lactantius cannot much advantage his reader . many points of religion he but toucheth only , and the most he understood not : so likewise speaks chytraeus of him ; doctrinam evangelii propriam , de beneficiis christi , & de fide parùm intellexit . whence it comes to pass that his errors were neither few nor small ; speaking of the weightiest doctrines very unfitly and improperly ; though perhaps in some of them ( as osiander charitably conceives ) he thought better , and was more sound in his judgment . his errors were such as these . . concerning god , his expression is very unmeet and dangerous , viz. that god made himself , yet may his meaning be that god had his being of himself ; for so : lib. . . 't is god alone who is not made ; — he is of himself , as we said : lib. . and therefore is such as he would himself to be , viz. impassible , immutable , uncorrupt , blessed , eternal . . he so speaks of christ , say the centuturists , that a man may well say , he never rightly understood either the person or office of the son of son of god. as where he saith ; that god did produce a spirit like himself , who should be endued with the vertues of god his father . also , the commands of his father he faithfully observed : for he taught , that god is one , and that he alone ought to be worshipped ; neither did he ever say that himself was god ; for he should not have been faithful , if , being sent to take away the gods , and to assert one , should have brought in another beside ( that ) one . these and such like words he hath , that do not a little smell of arianism . indeed , he in this particular doth not express himself so warily as he ought ; which hath occasioned such suspicions of him ; but yet however , that in his judgment he neither denied nor doubted of the deity or eternity of christ , seems clear from divers other places , where in so many words he acknowledgeth both ; as , where he calls him the word of god ; & , ( inquit ) meritò sermo & verbum dei dicitur , qui procedentem de ore suo vocalem spiritum , quem non utero sed mente conceperat , inexcogitabili quadam majestatis suae virtute , ad effigiem , quae proprio sensu , ac sapientiâ vigeat , comprehendit , & alios item spiritus in angelos ●●guraverit . also , if any wonder that god should be generated of god , prolatione vocis 〈◊〉 spiritus ; when once he shall know the sacred voices of the prophet , he will certainly cease to wonder . again , he saith , that the jews condemned their god. lastly , sicut ●ater , inquit , sine exemplo genuit authorem suum ; sic ineffabiliter pater genuisse credendus est coaeternum . de matre natus est , qui ante jam fuit ; de patre , qui aliquando non fuit . hoc fides credat , intelligentia non requirat , ne ●ut non inventum putet incredibile , aut reper●um non credat singulare . if therefore in some places he seem to deliver that which savors too much of arius , or speak not so clearly of christ as he should ; thomasius , that diligent peruser of him , who compared divers copies together , is of the mind , that there his books are by some arian corrupted ; giving sundry instances herein . . he unadvisedly saith , that christ after his resurrection went into galilee , because he would not shew himself unto the jews , lest he should bring them unto repentance , and save those wicked men . . he is silent concerning the priestly office of christ , mentioning no other ends of his incarnation or coming , and passion , but only to reveal and make known unto men the mysteries of religion , and to give them an example of vertue . . he knew nothing at all of the holy ghost ; and makes little or no mention of him in his books now extant . or , if he knew any thing , ierom acquaints us what his apprehensions of him were ; in his books , saith he , and especially in his epistles unto demetrian , he denies the substance of the holy ghost , saying , according to the error of the jews , that he is referred either unto the father , or the son ; and that the sanctification of either person , is demonstrated under his name . so that , what ierom spake of origen , may not unfitly be applied unto him also , viz. that his opinion of the son was bad , but concerning the holy ghost was worse . . he conceited , that the angels were given unto men to be their guardians , lest they should be destroyed by the devil , unto whom at first the power of the earth was given . and that those guardian angel , being allured to accompany with women were for this their sin cast down from heaven ; and so of the angels of god , became the ministers of the devil . . also , that god created an infinite number of souls , which he afterward put into frail and weak bodies that being in the midst between good and evil , and vertue being propounded unto man consisting of both natures , he might not with ease and delicacy obtain immortality , but with great difficulty and labor get the reward of eternal life . . he speaks nothing of the righteousness of faith ; but that salvation is merited by good works ; and that if a man serve not the earth , which he ought to tread underfoot , he shall merit everlasting life . cum lib. . & . ( inquit chytraeus ) orationem de justitiâ christiana ex professo instituerit , tamen de philosophies tantum sen legis justitia disputat & justitiae ●●dei , quae evangelii propriâ est , nullam ferè mentionem facit . . of prayer , saith he , as often as a man asks , he is to believe that he is tempted of god , whether he be worthy to be heard : of pardon of sin thus , that god vouchsafes it unto them that sin ignorantly , but not unto them that sin of knowledge and wittingly . also that a man may be without sin , which yet he contradicts within a few lines after . . he hath many superstitious things concerning the virtue of the sign of the cross , viz. that it is terrible unto the devils , qui adjurati per christum , de corporibus quae obsederint , fugiunt . nam sicut christus ipse daemonas verbo fugabas , ita nunc sectatores ejus eosdem , spiritus inquinatos de hominibus et nomine magistri sui et signo passionis excludunt . cujus rei non difficilis est probatio , nam ●um diis s●is immolant , si assistat aliquis signatam fronte gereus , sacra nullo modo litant , nec responsa potest consultus reddere vates . . he thinks it unlawful for a righteous man to go to war , or to accuse any one of a capital crime , because murther is forbidden . . he denyed that there were any antipodes , and that with much earnestness and confidence , bestowing a whole chapter upon the maintainance of so evident a mistake , in shewing the original , and ( as he conceived ) the absurdity of the antipodian opinion , and confuting it : wondring at the folly of those that held it . what shall we think , saith he , of them who give out that there are antipodes walking opposite unto us ? do they speak any thing to the purpose ? or are there any so stupid as to believe , that there are men whose feet are higher than their heads , or that those things there do hang which with us do lye on the ground ? that the plants and trees spring downward , that the snow and rain and hail fall upward upon the earth ? and need any man marvel that hanging gardens are accounted in the number of the seven wonders of the world , since the philosophers have made both fields and seas , cities and mountains all hanging ? — what to say of these i know not , who having once erred do constantly persist in their folly , and with vain defend vain things , only sometimes i think that they play the philosophers in jest , or wittingly and knowingly undertake to defend falshood , to exercise , as it were , and shew their wit in things that are evil . strange ignorance that accounts so palpable a truth so gross an error , yet herein was lactantius outgone by zachary bishop of rome , ( oh the infallibility of that chair ! ) who condemned one vigilius bishop of saltzburg as an heretick , only for holding that there were antipodes . . that the souls of all men are detained in one common prison , until the coming of the great judge . . he hath fond conceits of the coming of a great prophet immediately before the end of the world , who shall convert men unto god , and work strange miracles ; unto whom he applies those passages concerning the two witnesses , me●tioned in revel . cap. . . he is a millenary , asserteth two resurrections , and largely discourseth of the reign of the saints upon earth after the first , for the space of a thousand years , and what should fall out during that time . after this ( saith he ) shall be the last judgment , in which not all shall be judged , ( the wicked being condemned already ) but only those who know god , at what time their good works shall be weighed with their bad , and if the good do over ballance the bad they shall go into life , if otherwise they shall be condemned . a gross error and cross to plain scriptures . . he thus speaks of the last judgment , when ( saith he ) the lord shall judge the righteous , he shall prove or try them by fire , ( he seems to allude unto , cor. . . ) then they whose sins shall prevail either in weight or number shall be burnt , but those whom righteousness and maturity of virtue shall have fully concocted , shall not feel that fire : for they have somewhat that repels the force of the flame , &c. these and other the like unsound passages are scattered up and down in the writings of lactantius , who is therefore to be read with much caution , ( apud lactantium inquit hyperius , invenies plura quae sapientem lectorem desiderant . ) he made too much of philosophy , ( as did also other of the ancients ) chiefly that of plato , and too closely followed origen , which was the cause why in so many things , he swerved and wandred from the truth , and was so great a stranger unto it : retinuit tamen hactenus ( inquit bullingerus ) suam gloriam in ecclesiâ christi . § . as concerning his death , i find no mention at all in history , where , or after what manner he ended his life . that he lived unto a great age , may be gathered from what ierom writes of him , that in his extreme old age , he was in france , schoolmaster unto crispus the son of constantine the great , where therefore it is most likely he might end his days : but withal he was reduced to such poverty and want , ( which is somewhat strange being a man of such worth and so greatly favoured by that good emperour ) that for the most part he lacked even necessaries for his subsistence . athanasius . § . he was born at alexandria , of vetuous and godly parents , and their only son : from his very childhood he gave good evidences of his towardliness and inclination unto piety and spiritual things . one thing especially as very remarkable , and presaging his future dignity and employment , is recorded by most historians concerning him , and it is this : he with his play fellows in their childish sports , imitating those things that were done in the church , was chosen by the rest for their bishop : who acting his part accordingly , baptized some of the boys , that had not been baptized before , according unto the due form of interrogatories and answers usually preceding baptism ; giving them afterwards divers exhortations and admonitions . all which , alexander , then bishop of that place , passing by at a distance beheld , and understanding by examining them how he had proceeded , concluded with his presbyters , that what was done , though in childish simplicity , was valid , and that those children ought not again to be baptized . alexander being moved herewith , and having sent for his parents , earnestly besought and charged them that he should be carefully trained up in piety and learning for the service of the church : which accordingly they diligently performed , delivering him unto a certain notary , who instructed him in the grammar : after which he spent some small time in the study of the liberal arts ; lest he should seem to be altogether ignorant in this regard ; which having lightly tasted and passed thorow , he is , as another samuel , by his parents according to their promise presented unto the bishop : with him , being taken into his care and tuition , he applies himself wholly unto the study of divinity , most diligently perusing and meditating in the holy scriptures of the old and new testament , by which means he became deeply insighted into them : hereunto he added also the study of the law , wherein he attained unto so much skill , that sulpitius severus speaking of him , gives him the title of iurisconsultus or a lawyer . for a while he lived with the bishop as his amanuensis or scribe , who afterward promoted him unto the office of a deacon , and from thence unto the rest of the sacred orders ; all which he passed through , behaving himself in an admirable manner . the council of nice , ( so famous even unto this day , of which athanasius thus speaks ; nulla ( inquit ) est in catholicâ ecclesiâ synodus existimanda preter unicam nicaenam , quae omnium haersi●v profligatarum ac imprinius arianae trophaeum habenda est . and binnius thus : patrum hujus consilii autoritas erat orthodoxae fidei clypeus , impiorum terror ac luctus , ecclesiarum nexus & quies . ) this council , i say , being called by the emperor constantine the great , alexander bishop of alexandria going thither , takes along with him young athanasius , who was present not only as a spectator , but an assistant unto the bishop , now grown aged , helping him much in refuting the subtile sophisms of the adversaries : wherein he gave a notable experiment of his learning and piety , which much endeared him unto the orthodox , but made him from that time no less envyed and hated by the arian hereticks . alexander survived this council but a little while , not above the space of five months : when he was upon his death bed , he would often call for athanasius , who purposely absented himself , being unwilling to undertake the charge of that church , which yet the old bishop had designed him unto , using such like words as these ; athanasius , thou thinkest to escape , but thou shalt not : meaning hereby both the bishoprick , and also the many and great conflicts that he should undergo : which were such , that an historian applies unto him those words of christ unto paul ; i will shew him how great things be must suffer for my names sake . alexander dying , athanasius is by the general vote chosen bishop in his room ; being then about four and twenty years of age , so great was his proficiency in whatever qualifications were requisite for that office. this his election by an universal consent , is testified by the church of alexandria in these words . we with the whole city and province do testifie , that the whole multitude and people of the catholick church , being met together , and , as but of one body and soul , did with clamors and cries require that athanasius might be given us for the bishop of this church ; and that with publick prayers they desired this of christ ; which that we the clergy would do , they earnestly besought us night and day , themselves in the mean time not departing from the church , nor permitting us to depart . whence it evidently appears how great the inclination of them all was unto him , and how honorable an opinion they had of him . he no sooner undertook this weighty charge , but forthwith he applied himself diligently , ( and made it his main work ) to illustrate the truth , to assert and vindicate the doctrine of the eternal deity of the son of god , and to reduce those into the right way again , who had been led astray , being infected with the arian heresie : for which reason , that faction ( conceiving that their cause could not thrive and prosper , while it had such an adversary in so eminent a place & dignity ) became his implacable enemies , still contriving mischief against him , and endeavouring his disturbance by multiplied calumnies , and false accusations : so that , ejus annorum quadraginta sex episcopatus perpetua fuit persecutio , ( inquit espencaeus ) exilium propè irremissum , fuga frequens , & latitatio diuturna . the truth here of may be seen in the following passages of his life . his chief adversary was eusebius bishop of nicomedia , who with his complices many ways assailed him , as , . they cavilled at , and found fault with his election , as undue ; but that came to nought . . they traduced him unto the emperor constantine the great , as one that caused divisions and distractions in the church , and hindered concord : the ground whereof was , his refusing to receive the heretick arius ( a presbyter of alexandriae ) into communion , whose return from banishment had been procured by a certain presbyter about the emperor , upon his fained submission and consent unto the nicene faith . hereupon the emperor , ( giving too much credit unto the party of eusebius ) wrote menacing letters unto athanasius , threatning to remove him from his place in case he should persist to refuse arius : but he by his letters , gave full satisfaction unto the emperor ; shewing that such an heretick having been proscribed and justly excommunicated by so famous a council , ought not to be received again , but upon his repentance manifested , and by the publick consent of the pious . this not succeeding , his adversaries . . proceeded to accuse him as a fomenter of sedition aiding with mony one philumenus , who enterprised somwhat against the emperor . but he , coming unto constantinople , cleared himself , and made his innocence so to appear , that the emperor not only acquitted him from all suspicion of the crime objected unto him , but also honorably sent him back unto alexandria , with letters of high commendation . being thus disappointed , his restless enemies ceased not to charge him with more heinous crimes , unto which he made his answer in the synod of tyre consisting of sixty bishops , who were convened for the consecration of a magnificent temple which the emperor had built at hierusalem : of which binnius thus speaks : conciliabulum ( inquit ) & malignantium conventus ; ad quod convocati sunt episcopi duntaxat illi , quos eusebius & eusebiani nefarii haeresiarchae advocandos persuaserunt . the bishops being assembled , athanasius is . accused before them , by an impudent harlot ( whom the arians had suborned ) to have vitiated and abused her . but timotheus , a worthy presbyter , speaking unto her , as if he had been athanasius ; did i ever , saith he , enter into thine house , or had any thing to do with thee ? unto whom she pointing at timotheus with her finger , thus replyeth with much eagerness ; thou , thou art he that hast abused me , and dispoiled me of my chastity ; by which means the fraud being thus discovered , those of the conspiracy were surprised with shame , yet not desisting ; . they proceed to charg him with the murther of one arsenius , ( whom they had conveyed away and hidden ) sometime a reader , or , as some , a deacon in the church of alexandria ; producing and shewing forth the arm of a man , which they pretended to be his , and to have been cut off and kept by athanasius for some magick uses . upon the sight whereof there was a great cry among them against athanasius for so abominable a fact . but silence being made athanasius demanded , whether any one there present had known arsenius ? unto which some answering affirmatively he hereupon brings forth arsenius ( who had the day before come voluntarily unto tyre , and shewed himself unto athanasius ) and presents him before the council sound and having both his arms : whereat the conspirators were so abashed and consounded , that they knew not what to say , only they cried out , that he was a magician , and deluded the eyes of the beholders . unto all which they yet add , . that macarius a presbyter of alexandria being sent unto mareotis to forbid one isehyras or ischarion , ( who usurped the office of a minister ) to officiate or administer the holy things : he by the command of athanasius ( as they suggested ) had overturned the holy table broken the chalice , and burned certain books ; but the falshood hereof was soon made apparent ; for ischyras repenting , publickly confessed that he had slandered him , being suborned by the meletions , and enforced so to do : ( these meleti●●s , so called from meletius a certain aegyptian bishop were in this conspiracy confederates with the arians . ) hereat being greatly enraged , they would have offered violence unto athanasius , which to avoid , he went out of the synod , and betook him unto the emperor . being gone , they sentenced him , ●s guilty of the crimes laid to his charge , to be deposed from his bishoprick ; writing letters unto the bishops every where not to communicate or have any commerce with him . the famous confessor paphnutius bishop of the upper thebais , being now present in this synod , and perceiving that they purposed to proceed against athanasius , taking maximus bishop of hierusalem by the hand ; arise , saith he unto him , and let us depart hence , for it is not meet that we who have had our eyes put out for the word of truth , should partake with these wicked men , in their violent proceeding against the defenders of true piety . the emperor understanding what had passed , was much incensed against those bishops , and by his letters sharply reprehended them for what they had done , requiring them to appear before him at constantinople : whither being come , they waving all former accusations , instil into the emperors ears , another foul slander against athanasius , viz. that he had threatned to hinder the transportation of corn ( as was wont ) from egypt unto constantinople : which begat in the emperor such indignation against the bishop , that without hearing he banished him into france unto the city of triers ( galliarum metropolis , inquit athanasius ; treviris , ad mosel●ae r●ipam , olim ( inquie victorius ) insignis galliae , nunc germaniae imperialis urbs ) then belonging unto that kingdom , but since unto germany being now the seat of one of the ecclesiastical electors : although some conceive , that the emperor did this for the safety of athanasius , and in hope , that hereupon peace and unity among the bishops would ensue . arius upon the banishment of athanasius , entring again into alexandria , occasions new tumults there , which when the emperour understood , he sendeth for him unto constantinople , requiring him by subscription to testifie his ●onsent unto the nicen faith : this he doth ●ignedly . hereupon the emperour requires alexander bishop of constantinople , to receive ●im into communion : who all night long by ●arnest prayer beseecheth the lord either to ●ake him out of this life , or else to take away 〈◊〉 , lest by him this church should be in●icted with his heresie . arius , the next day ●oming with a great company toward the church , in the way turns aside to ease himself , which while he was doing he burst asunder in the midst like another iudas , so that ●is bowels came out , and dyed ignominiously ●n the place , whom the eusebians with shame ●nough took thence and buried him . so pre●●lent were the prayers of the good bishop alexander . shortly after this dyeth the emperour con●●nti●e the great , leaving the empire unto his three sons , viz. unto constantius the east , and the west unto the other two , constans and constantine . before his death he had a purpose to recal athanasius from his banishment , 〈◊〉 being prevented he commits the doing ●ereof unto his son constantine , which he accordingly performed , sending him back with letters recommendatory unto the church of alexandria , unto which he returned after he had been about two years and four months in exile . but he held not his government quietly above three years , for ( returning without out common consent , and the decree of the bishops ) he was by the arians accused unto constantius ( infected with , and a great favourer of that heresie ) and thereupon by the synod of antioch , ( wherein the arian faction prevailed ) consisting of ninety bishops , again deposed and one gregory set up in his room . athanasius now finding it not safe for him to continue in alexandria , fled unto iulius bishop of rome ; who assembling the western bishops , sends him back with letters testimonial , and pressing his restitution : but upon his return unto alexandria , a great tumult being raised by the arians wherein some were slain , the blame hereof is cast upon athanasius , and this seconded with other calumnies : which so enraged the emperour constantius against him , that he sent one cyrianus a captain with many soldiers to apprehend him : withal , by his edicts he required all his officers to make diligent search for him , promising rewards unto any that should bring him alive , or else his head unto the emperour . hereupon he is for●ed to hide himself ; which for sometime he did in a certain well or cave which was known unto none , save only to one of his familar friends , who sent him necessaries by a servant who at length discovered him : but athanasius having timely notice hereof , the same night wherein he should have been apprehended , betook him unto another place . yet finding it not safe for him to remain in the dominions of constantius , he fled into the west unto the emperour constance , who very honourably received him . unto whom he makes a very sad complaint of the injuries offered him by the arians , earnestly desiring him that a synod might be called for the discussing of his cause . the emperour hearkning unto him , obtains of his brother that an universal council both of the east and western bishops , should be convened at sardica in illiricum : of which , binuius thus ; concilium sardicense , ( inquit ) 〈◊〉 nicaeni appendix , et a multis nicaeni nomine umprehenditur . sculte●us stiles it , pa●em ni●enae synodo . where being assembled , the eastern bishops required , that athanasius and his sautors should he removed from the council : which being denied as unjust , the eastern bishops withdrew , and instituted an an●●synod at philopolis in thrace , wherein the decrees of the council of tyre against athanasius were confirmed , the doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concluded and agreed on , and iulius bishop of rome , hosius of corduba , maximinus of ●riers , and divers others for receiving atha●asius unto communion , were deprived of their bishopricks . what was the issue of these cross councils , appears in the following words . ex contrariis decretis harum synodorum ortum est ●tron et diuturnum schisma inter orientales et occidentales ecclesias , quod ante gratianum et theodosium imperatores non desiit , ita ut invicem ●●n communicarent . for on the contrary , the council of sardica , having heard athanasius clearing his innocency , received him unto communion , condemning his accusers : withal they confirm'd the 〈…〉 council , and decreed , that such as defended the contrary thereunto , should not only be deprived of their bishopricks , but also excluded from the society and communion of the faithful . constantius , notwithstanding the decree of this council of sardica , for the restitution of athanasius unto his bishoprick , refuseth to admit of him : hereupon his brother ; the emperour constans writes him a short , but sharp letter , threatning that if he should still persist to oppose and hinder the return of athanasius , he himself would come with an army , and whether he would or no , restore him again unto his place . this so far prevailed , that constantius yields , and again and again invites doubtful and delaying athanasius to return , by divers letters written unto him , who at length hearkens and returns accordingly . the emperour meeting with him at antioch , gently entreats and confers with him , permitting him with safety to go unto alexandria ; withal promising to admit of no more accusations against him , and by his letters ●ommended him unto the church of alexandria for his singular piety , exhorting them with all respect to receive him : but before his departure from him , he told him , that the bishops desired one thing of him , namely , that he would grant one church in alexandria unto those that dissented from , and could not joyn in communion with him . i am content ( quoth he ) so to do upon this condition , that the arians will vouchsafe one church unto the orthodox in the city of antioch , which the emperour inclined unto as reasonable , but the arians were altogether averse from it . athanasius , in his way to alexandria , coming unto hierusalem , prevails with maxi●●s then bishop of that place , to call a synod of the bishops of the neighbouring countries ; wherein they approved of his restitution , and also by their letters signified unto the bishops of aegypt and africa , their joyning in communion with him . coming unto alexandria , he is received with exceeding great joy and festivity , as it were in a kind of triumph , where he continued about the space of five years ; viz. unto the death of constance the defender of the orthodox . upon his decease , ( the inconstant constan●●us being sole emperour ) the arians again with might and main fall upon athanasius ; perswading the emperour that he made continual stirs throughout egypt and lybia , that in his journey he had ordained bishops and presbyters without his jurisdiction , and that he had been the author of dissention , between the emperour and his brother . the ciedulous emperour so far hearkens unto these accusations , that he abolisheth the decrees of the council of sardica , and commands that those bishops should be deprived and removed from their churches , whom that synod had restored : amongst these , athanasius was the chief , who by an order obtained from the emperour was to be dispatched and slain : for which end a captain that was sent with five thousand soldiers , begirts and enters the church , where by night athanasius and the people were assembled together . but he in a wonderful manner escapes , passing out among the rest undiscerned by the soldiers , and flying into the desert of lybia , he abode there until the death of constantius , being about ten years ; yet sometimes coming unto alexandria to confirm the church : though as some report , he lay hid all this time in alexandria , in the house of a sacred virgin. during the reign of constantius , divers councils of the eastern and western bishops were convened ; as at antioch , sardica , sirmium , millain , ariminum , and seleucia : chiefly intended for the promoting of the arian heresie , and against the faith of the nicene council : which yet succeeded not accordingly , the eastern being still stoutly opposed by the western bishops . in which time also nine several forms or confessions of faith were framed , all differing from that of nice : an evident argument of the distracted condition and state that then the churches were in . upon the departure or withdrawing of athanasius , george of cappadacia , a violent arian enters , and like a wolf in a furious madness makes havock of the church , exercising great cruelties and inflicting grievous tortures upon the orthodox : who yet ( saith billius ) was by the arians removed , because he shewed not himself so diligent in maintaining and propagating their doctrine , as they expected . but iulian the apostate succeeding constantius in the empire , ( who upon his death-bed bewailed these three things especially : . that he had a hand in murthering his kindred . . that he had changed the form of the nicene faith. . that he had named iulian for his successor . ) in the beginning of his reign restoreth those bishops unto their places again , whom constantius had removed : which he did not out of any love unto religion , but to impair the fame of constantius , and out of a hope he had , that by their dissentions christianity would suffer and be shaken : amongst the rest athanasius returns again unto alexandria . not long after this , the magicians and sorceters urging and crying out , that nothing could be done by their arts , until athanasius , the great obstacle , were taken out of the way , iulian not only banished but also commanded that he should be slain : hereupon , being about to take ship to shun the danger , and the people of alexandria standing weeping about him ; saith he unto them , be not troubled my children , nubecula est citò transitura : 't is but a little cloud , and it will soon pass away : which fell out accordingly . flying up the river nilus and being closely pursued by some that were sent to apprehend him , those that were with him being greatly afraid , perswaded him in this exigent speedily to get into the desert for his safety : why are you so much troubled , quoth he : let us rather go to meet them , that they may know he is greater that defends us , than they that do pursue us . hereupon they direct their course accordingly , and coming near them ( little suspecting any such matter ) the pursuers asked them if they had heard where athanasius was ? who answered , that they had lately seen him passing not far from thence . they followed him therefore as they thought with all the speed they could make , but all in vain , for by this means athanasius escaped their hands and came safe unto alexandria , where he lay hid until the death of iulian , who was shortly after slain in a battel against the persians , having reigned only one year and eight months . in his room iovinianus is by the army chosen emperour , a most pious , prince , who reduced from banishment the orthodox bishops : among whom for his singular virtues he much admired athanasius , and had him in great esteem , conferring and advising with him about matters of faith , and the right ordering of the churches : under whom they were like to have been in a very flourishing and happy condition , had not the shortness of his government prevented it , which the space of eight months put a period unto . after him followed valentinian , who associated with him in the government of the empire , his brother valens : these dividing it between them , valentinian had the west , and valens the east for his dominion . this valens did greatly favour the arian faction , in so much as he began to persecute the orthodox , especially athanasius , ( their great eye-fore ) sending an officer by force to expel him out of alexandria : athanasius fearing what might ensue hereof , and that stirs and tumults might be raised by the common people , hid himself for about the space of four months in his fathers monument : the citizens nevertheless grew so seditious , that to appease and satisfie them , valens , though unwilling , was fain to permit athanasius quietly to enjoy his bishoprick : which he did ( and the church of alexandria peace ) unto the end of his days . the narration of whose life and sufferings , let me conclude in the words of osiander . non volui in recitandâ tanti viri ▪ plusquam martyris historia esse brevior , quia nihil vidi , quod rectè omitti posset . § . he was a man of such transcendent worth and every way so excelled , that he was had in very high esteem and much admired by all the lovers of piety and sound doctrine : as appears by the honourable titles given unto him by divers eminent persons among the ancients . i saw ( saith the emperour constantine the great , in an epistle unto the alexandriaus , ) your bishop athanasius with delight , and so spake unto him as one whom i believed to be a man of god. nazianzen stiles him the great trumpet of truth , a principal pillar of the church , the eye of the world , that second light , and ( if we may use the word ) forerunner of christ , whom praising i shall praise virtue it self , for in him all virtues meet . basil hath recourse unto him , v●lut ad universorum apicem , quo consultore ac duce actionum ●●eretur . a most faithful master ( saith vincentius lyrinensis ) and a most eminent confessor . an illustrious and famous man ( saith cyril of alexandria ) and in the council of nice , one that was had in admiration of all : ( though then but young . ) theodoret calls him the most shining light of the church of alexandria , who was among the bishops thereof , as an orient pearl , most conspicuous , one most approved in the judgment of all ecclesiastical men , saith vigilius : a profound , and every way absolute divine ; in so much as he acquired , and accordingly is commonly known by the name of athanasius the great . he was for his natural parts more then ordinary , being of a strong and excellent wit , as also of a sharp and piercing judgment ; which he cultured and improved by the study of the liberal arts , and other humane learning ; wherein he attained unto a competent measure of skill , although he spent but a small time in them : for he chiefly intended things of an higher nature , applying himself unto diligent meditation in the scriptures , viz. all the books both of the old and new testament ; by which means he so increased in the riches , not only of knowledge and divine contemplation , but also of an egregious and shining conversation , ( both which he happily joyned together ; being vir sanctitatis & eruditionis eximiae ) as no man more : so that in learning he went beyond those that were famous for their learning , and in action the most apt for action : his life and manners were a rule for bishops , and his doctrines were accounted as the law of the orthodox faith : a man of great ability to oppose error and to defend the truth . he was adorned with all sorts of vertues ; of such gentleness , that the way was open and easie for all to converse with him ; free from anger and passion ; and very propense unto pity and commiseration ; withal of most heroick magnanimity ( inkindled in his brest by the holy ghost ) to bear any adversity , and of such invincible courage , that he could not be broken with any blows of persecution : his speech was pleasant , but his manners more ; of an angelical face ; yet in his mind more angelical ; he was indeed an exact picture of vertue , and pattern for bishops ; his skill was great in the management of the affairs of the church , and an admirable dexterity he had in the composing of differences and distempers , ( unto which his authority conduced much , and was of great advantage ) as appears by the addresses that basil made unto him , earnestly imploring his aid : who stiles him their only comfort against those evils , and one ordained by god in the churches to be the physician for the curing of their maladies ; for which work he was abundantly furnished . in a word , he was as a maul or hammer unto the hereticks ( semper arianis velut murus obstitit ( inquit sulpitius severus ) hereticorum nugis ( inquit cyrillus alexandrinus ) inexpugnabili quadam & apostolicâ prudentiâ restitit . ) as an adamant unto his persecutors , and as a loadstone unto such as dissented from him , drawing them unto the truth . § . his works declare him to have been indefatigably industrious , being very many , penè infinita , almost infinite , ( saith trithemius : ) some whereof are generally held to be his , and by the stile are discovered so to be : for they are destitute of those rhetorical flourishes , so frequently to be found in nazianzen , as also of those philosophical speculations in the works of basil : which yet ( had he made use of them ) would have rendred his writings more sweet and succulent : but some of these arts he shunned as diligently , as he did heretical opinions ; and others of them he useth very sparingly . netheless his labors were had in very great esteem , as may be gathered from the words of cyril who thus speaks of them ; quasi fragrantissimo ( inquit ) quodam ungnento , ipsum coelum scriptis suis exhil●ravit . and the abbot cosmas intimates his apprehensions of their worth in these words ; when , saith he , thou lightest on any of the works of athanasius , and hast not paper to write on , write it on thy garments . but , as many are genuine , so some under his name are dubious and questionable ; and others forged and supposititious . an injury which the best authors have not escaped , unto whom many books have been ascribed , which were not theirs ; but to none more then unto athanasius ; vt , inquit nannius , fertilissimis agris multa zizania una cum optimis frugibus nascuntur ; ita optimb cuique autori plurimi falsi & notbi libri adscribuntur ; nulli au●em plures quàm athanasio . indeed as they are now extant , scarce the one half do belong unto him ; which erasmus meeting with , he cast them away with indignation , and being full of them , cried out , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : having his fill , and unwilling to meddle more with such stuff . among other that offered him this wrong were the nestorian and entychian hereticks ( saith evagrius ) who set forth divers books of apollinarius , under the name of athanasius . the books extant under his name both of one sort and other , i shall briefly set down in the same order that i find them in the parisian edition ; ann. one thousand six hundred twenty seven , contained in two tomes . and they are these following . . an oration against the gentiles . . of the incarnation of the word of god ; ( which bellarmine thinks to be those two books against the gentiles , whereof ierom makes mention : ) by himself truly stiled the rudiments or character of the faith of christ ; for it contains in it an epitome of christian doctrine most necessary to be known , and not unpleasant to be read . . an exposition of the faith ; wherein the orthodox doctrine of the trinity is asserted , and the heretical refuted . of this bellarmine makes question whether it be his or no. . his answer unto an epistle of liberius bishop of rome : being a confession of the faith ; but expressed in words very improper ; it is also foolish in the allegations of scripture , and therefore not to be attributed unto him . . an epistle unto the emperor iovianus ; yet written not by him alone , but by the synod then assembled at alexandria . . his disputation against arius in the council of nice : which plainly appears to be supposititious , by the very inscription ; making it to be held . ann. . whereas that council was celebrated . ann. three hundred twenty five . also the disputation it self saith , that it was held not against arius , but against an arian . again , it is said in the lose of the disputation that arius was hereby converted of him in ecclesiastical history . lastly arius herein is made to impugne the divinity of the holy ghost , calling him a meer creature : which heresie he is not charged withal nor was it broached or maintained by him , but brought in by some of his followers . bellarmine knows not whether to stile it a disputation or a dialogue between athanasius and some arian : nor whether it were written by athanasius or some other . . an enarration of those words of christ : matt. . . all things are delivered unto me of my father , &c. against eusebius and his followers . i find this , enarration to be much larger in the latine parisian edition by articus albulei : printed an. one thousand five hundred eighty one , then in the greek and latine edition : ann. one thousand six hundred twenty seven , & the former to have annexed unto it a compendium , taken out of the above written , against those who say that the holy ghost is a creature : which compend is mentioned by the centurists , bellarmine and possevine . . an epistle , or , as others , an oration against the arians ; unto adelphius a brother and confessor . . an epistle , or oration unto maximus a philosopher , of the divinity of christ : of this the centurists make some question whether it be his or no. . an oration or epistle unto serapion bishop of thmuis a city of egypt , ordained by athanasius , and his familiar friend ; who for the elegancy of his wit was surnamed scholasti●ns . . a second epistle unto the same serapion ; both against those that make the holy ghost to be a creature . . a third epistle unto the same person , upon the same subject : which scultetus ( with erasmus ) conceives to be the work of some idle and witless man , who would fain imitate athanasius his book unto serapion . it contains a strange heap of places and confusion of reasons , together with a irksom repetition of things before spoken of : besides the author cites a place out of the prophet micah which is no where to be found : it 's therefore ranked , and justly ; among the suspected works of athanasius by the centurists and mr. perkins . . certain testimonies out of the sacred scriptures , concerning the natural communion of the ( divine ) essence between the father , the son , and the holy ghost : collected not by athanasius , but some other , as appears in that the compiler hath transcribed divers things verbatim out of the questions unto antiochus , whereof athanasius is not the author . . an epistle , shewing that the council of nice , well perceiving the craftiness of eusebius , did in congruous and pious words , expound their decrees against the arian heresie . . five orations against the arians ' wherein he useth great strength of argument , fortifyed with clear testimonies and demonstrations from the sacred scripture . so that these alone may abundantly suffice for the confutation of all arianism : yea he that shall say , that gregory the divine , and basil the great did from this fountain derive those egregious and pure streams of their books against the same heresie , verily he shall not say amiss . . an epistle , concerning the opinion of dionysius somtime bishop of alexandria ; wherein he proves the arians did belie him , in affirming that he was an assertor of their opinion . . an epistle unto all the brethren every where throughout egypt , syria , phoenicia , and arabia : ranked among those that are suspected . . a refutation of the hypocrisie of meletius , eusebius , and paulus samosatenus , concerning the consubstantiality of the father and the son : it 's suspected . . an epistle unto the antiochians , which seems to be a fragment of some intire book . . an epistle unto epictetus bishop of corinth , against the apollinarists , it is the most famous among all his epistles . the orthodox in the time of cyril of alexlexandria made much use of it , in confuting the heresie of nestorius , to avoid the dint and force thereof those hereticks did boldly adulterate it , substracting some things and putting in other , that it might seem to favour of the doctrine of nestorius . so much cyril gives us to understand , his words are these . cognovimus quod celeberrimi patris nostri athanasii ad beatum epictetum epistolam , orthodoxè loquentem , nonnulli a se corruptam ediderunt , ita ut hinc multi laedantur . epist. . again , speaking of this epistle : quia ex eâ ( inquit ) nestorius arguebatur , cum legentes eam defensores rectae fidei cohiberent , etiam eos qui probantur similia sentire nestorio , correptionem suae confutationis ex eâ impii formidantes , machinati sunt ●cerbissimum quiddam , et haeretica pravitate dig●issimum . praefatam namque adulterant epistolam , sublatis ex eâ quibusdam , aliis suppositis ediderunt , ita ut putaretur ille similia nestorio sapuisse , in ▪ epist. ad successum episcopum posteriori . . a sermon of the incarnation of the word of god against paulus samosatenus , it 's doubted of whether it be his or no. . a sermon or tome of the humane nature , assumed by the only begotten word , against the arians and apollinarius . . an epistle or treatise of the incarnation of christ against apollinarians . . an oration or treatise of the healthful coming of christ , against apollinarius ; it is perplex , intricate , and obscure : and by cook it is thought to be supposititious . the sermons against apollinarins do excel in grace and ornament , say the centurists . . an oration of the eternal substance of the son and holy spirit of god , against the company or followers of sabellius . . an oration that christ is one , . an epistle unto serapion concerning the death of arius . . an apology unto the emperour constantius , wherein he freeth himself from divers imputations , and defends his flight into the wilderness . . an apology for his flight . . another apology for his flight , wherein he professeth his innocency . . an epistle unto the africans , which is apologetical . . a catholick epistle unto the bishops of aegypt , syria , phaenicia and arabia , exhorting them to leave the arians , and to joyn with the orthodox . . an epistle unto all those , who any where do profess or lead a solitary life . the former part whereof only ( viz. from the beginning unto those words , the grace of our lord jesus crist be with you , amen . ) is the epistle unto the monks ; and ought to be placed before the five orations against the arians , as a dedicatory epistle unto those books . the following part thereof is without doubt a fragment ( suspected whether his or no ) of some other work , wanting a beginning ; to make up which defect , that epistle was added unto it . herein he recounts his own and the church's calamities . athanasius ipse ( inquit possevinus ) labores & persecutiones suas ubere epistolâ ad solitariam vitam agentes ob oculos ponit , quamobrem et illam perlegisse neminem penitebit . . the protestation of the people of alexandria , ferè nihil continet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . an epistle concerning the synods held at ariminum in italy and seleucia in isauria ; wherein is set forth the levity and inconstancy of the arians there present , in the matter of the faith . this bellarmine supposeth may well be taken for his book against valens and vrsatius ( mentioned by ierom ) two arian bishops , who ( saith marianus ) deceived the fathers in those synods , faining themselves orthodox . an epistle of athanasius and ninety bishops of egypt and lybia , unto the bishops in africa against the arians : wherein the decrees of the council of nice are defended , and the synod of ariminum is shewn to be superfluous , that of nice being sufficient . . an epistle unto all the orthodox wherever , when persecution was by the arians raised against them . . an epistle unto iohn and antiochus two presbyters ; also another unto palladius , nihil continent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . an epistle unto dracontius , whom flying away , he by divers arguments perswades to return unto the church of alexandria , whereof he was bishop elect , and that he would not hearken unto those that would deter him from so doing : it is ( saith espencaeus ) a learned epistle . . an epistle unto marcellinus , concerning the interpretation of the psalms , which seems to be the same that ierom calls ; of the titles of the psalms : stiled by sixtus senensis thus : in psalterium davidis ad marcellinum de titulis et vi psalmorum , isagogicus libellus . of which cassiodorus thus : testis est ( inquit ) athanasii , episcopi sermo magnificus , qui virtutes psalmorum indagabili veritate discutiens , omnia illic esse probat , quaecunque sanctae scripturae ambitu continentur . it is by mr. perkins put among the suspected works . , a treatise of the sabbath and circumcision , in the latine parisian edition , anno , . it is joyned as his enarration upon those words , matth. . . all things are delivered unto me of my father , &c. being the seventh in this catalogue . unto which is added in the same latine edition , a compendium of what had been formerly written against those who affirm the holy ghost to be a creature . . upon those words , matth. . . whosoever speaketh against the son of man , &c. suspected . . a sermon upon the passion and cross of the lord : the phrase ( saith erasmus ) savoureth not of athanasius : also it altogether forbids oaths which athanasius doth not : it is therefore supposititious . herein also the questions unto antiochus are cited , which are not of this author . besides the author foolishly makes christ to feign words of humane frailty , when hanging upon the cross he so cryed out , eli , eli , lama sabachthani : which yet , the true athanasius saith , were truly spoken of him according to his humane nature . sixtus senensis calls it eloquentissimam concionem . . a sermon upon matth. . . go into the village over against you , &c. it seems to be a fragment taken out of some other work or commentary : wherein the author ( as playing with them ) wresteth the scriptures , saith erasmus , it is forged . . a sermon of the most holy virgin , the mother of god or of the annunciation : it is evidently spurious : for the author is large in refuting the error of nestorius , and presseth the monothelites , both which errors were unknown , as not sprung up in the time of athanasius . the author also lightly and almost childishly derives the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : and moreover saith , that the attributes of god are not the very substance of god , sed circa substantiam versari , which is discrepant from the manner of athanasius , who is wont to speak very considerately . it appears by many passages that the author hereof lived after the sixth general council . . of virginity , a sermon or meditation it is dubious : if it be of athanasius's penning , he did ( saith erasmus ) strangely let fall his stile , and i may add ( saith seultetus ) that he also laid aside his theological gravity , if he prescribed those childish rules unto a virgin , which ( saith the author ) whoso observeth shall be found among the third order of angels , and also teacheth that no man can be assured of his salvation before his death . . an homily of the sower ; it is suspected as being found only in an english book . . a sermon against all heresies , it is none of his but some doting fellow , est vilis et confusus ut plurimum . . an oration of the ascension of christ , which because of the flourishing stile thereof , scultetus is scrupulous to ascribe it unto athanasius● . . an oration or history of melchisedech , in the end whereof , the author speaks of the fathers of the nicene council , as dead long before ; it 's therefore spurious . . a brief oration against the arians . i find no where mentioned , but in the parisian edition by nannius . . the declaration of leviticus , it is suspected . . short colloquies between iovianus and certain arians against athanasius . also . . of the incarnation of the word of god both which are no where to be found , but in the last parisian edition . . the symbol or creed of athanasius , by scultetus judged to be dubious , he having met with it in no book among the works of athanasius , only in one it is read without the name of the author . it hath been a great dispute among the learned ( saith pelargus ) whose it should be : some ascribing it unto athanasius , and others unto some later author as yet unknown . . an epistle of iovianus the emperour unto athanasius , and athanasius his answer ther●unto . . an epistle unto ammun a monk , it is dubious . . a fragment of a festival epistle , containing a catalogue of the canonical books of the old and new testament , it is dubious , i believe it ( saith scultetus ) to have been taken out of his synopsis . . an epistle unto ruffinianus . . theological definitions , said to be collected by clement and other holy men : it is supposititious and by scultetus ranked among those which seem to be written with no judgment . it seems not to have been of athanasius his writing , because therein gregory nyssene is cited , who ( in all likelyhood ) had not begun to write , till after the death of athanasius . besides the author speaks so distinctly of the two natures of christ in one hypostasis , that it seems to be altogether of a later date then the council of chalcedon . . a brief synopsis or compendium of the scriptures of the old and new testament ; wherein , first , he sets down a catalogue of the canonical and non-canonical books . secondly , he shews by whom each was written , whence it had its name , and what it doth contain . thirdly , he names the books of both testaments that are contradicted or accounted apocryphal . . five dialogues of the trinity . also , . twenty sermons against divers hesies ; which are pious and learned , and therefore most worthy to be read . the phrase shews them to have been both written by the same author ; not athanasius , but one maximus a very learned man , many years after the death of athanasius . scultetus tells us that he hath seen the name of maximus upon a certain old parchment , in which these dialogues were wrapt up . this maximus was a constantinopolitane monk , who lived in the time of pope honorius a monothelite , and died , ann. six hundred fifty seven . the catalogue of whose book mentioned by photius , or which are in the vaticane library , contains divers that have the very same title , with those which are inserted among the works of athanasius . . a book of divers questions of the sacred scripture , unto king antiochus : which appears to be supposititious , because : first , athanasius himself is therein cited , quaest . . and that under the name of athanasius the great , which would have argued too much arrogance : secondly , many things are to be found therein which are dissonant from the judgment of athanasius . thirdly , the mystical theology of dionysius areopagita is alledged therein , which i suppose ( saith sixtus senensis ) was altogether unknown in the time of athanasius : he conjectures it to have been collected out of the writings of the fathers by some studious man. fourthly , the questions are variously reckoned ; in some copies there being only fourty and six ; in others one hundred sixty and two . fifthly , gregory nazianzen is twice named in it : also , there are cited gregory nyssen and epiphanius as ancient authors : yet was athanasius before them : also chrysostom , scala iohannis , maximus , nicephorus , &c. all of them juniors unto athanasius . sixthly , yea , quaest . . the romans are said to be a kind of franks ; whence he evidently appears to be a late author : for all those of the west are called franks in the turks dominions . luce ergò clarius est ( inquit cocus ) libellum hunc filium esse populi , nec novisse parentem suum . yet is the authority hereof urged by many of the romanists to prove , that there are nine orders of angels , that the saints departed do know all things , images lawful , distinction of sins , orders of monks , necessity of baptism , sacrament of pennance , prayer for the dead , antichrist to be a certain person , the sacrifice of the altar , &c. . questions of the words and interpretations of the evangelical parables : they are supposititious ; for they are gathered out of chrysostom , cyril of alexandria and gregory nyssen ; their very names being expressed . . certain other anonymous questions which appear to be spurious : in all likelyhood the work of some late greek ; for in them the procession of the holy ghost from the son is denied . . the life of antony the monk : that such a narration was written by athanasius both nazianzen and ierome do affirm : but that this now extant should be the same , believe it who will ; i doubt not , saith scultelus , but that it is the figment of some foolish man ; for endeavoring to shew how in the whole course of his life , antony imitated christ , he talks childishly and ridiculously : and there are many things in it , saith tossanus , that are fabulous , and savour not of the gravity and simplicity of athanasius . besides , some report antony to have been a lawyer and very learned ; but this author makes him altogether illiterate . but that this is an ancient legend , appears from hence , that damaseen cites a place out of it : yet is it but a fable and no more , notwithstanding all bellarmines vain confidence to the contrary . . a sermon in parasceuen , or the preparation , which i find no where mentioned , but in the parisian edition by nannius : only possevine saith , that it was first set forth in greek and latine in the antwerp edition . . certain fragments of athanasius upon the psalms taken out of nicetas his catena : with some other , out of other authors . . eleven books of the united deity of the trinity : others reckon but seven : they are found only in latine ; and seem to have been written in that language , and not translated out of the greek ; as appears partly from the stile ; and partly because the author tells us how those things are expressed by the greeks , which he wrote in latine ; he also confutes one vrbicus potentinus , a disciple or follower of eunomius ; which athanasius could not do . . a disputation concerning the faith held at laodicea , between athanasius and arius : it is clearly commentitious and counterfeit ; nor can it be a true disputation between those two ; for athanasius is here brought in as a deacon disputing in the second year of constantius : whereas it appears that athanasius was made bishop long before , viz. in the one and twentieth year of constantine the great : and arius infamously died in the one and thirtieth year of the same emperor who therefore could not dispute in the reign of constantius . . herein is mention made of photinus , the heretick , as if from him arius had learned his heresie ; whereas photinus was after arius : it seems rather to be that dialogue which was written by vigilius bishop of trent , against sabellius , photinus and arius ; which he therefore set forth under the name of athanasius , that , saith he , persons present might seem to deal with those that were present . . an exhortation unto the monks ; it is forged . . an epistle unto pope mark , for the exemplars of the nicene council ; with the answer of mark thereunto ; both which without doubt are supposititious : for this mark was dead at that time , when , as 't is pretended , this answer was written : also , at this time was athanasius in banishment in france ; and so could not write from alexandria : so that both these epistles , and also the seventy pretended canons of the council of nice contained in them , are none other then a meer forgery . . a sermon upon the passion of our saviour ; which is a meer patch , taken almost verbatim , out of the sermon upon the same subject ; being the forth in this catalogue . . of the passion of the image of christ crucified at beryth in syria : it savors of the golden legend ; and that it cannot be the work of athanasius , may evidently appear from the title that anciently was wont to be prefixed hereunto : which was this : d. athanasii archiepiscopi alexandrini , de passione imaginis domini nostri iesu christi , qualiter crucifixa est in syria , in urbe quae berythus dicitur temporibus constantini senioris & irenae uxoris ejus . now it is known unto all , that athanasius was dead some centuries of years , before the reign of those two abovementioned . this fable is by sigebert referred unto the year , seven hundred sixty five , about which time the question about worshipping of images was agitated . it must needs therefore be the work of some later author , ( saith the learned daille ) so tastless a piece , and so unworthy the gallantry and clearness of that great wit , that he must be thought , not to have common sense that can find in his heart to attribute it unto him . . a fragment taken out of athanasius , concerning the observation of sabbaths . unto these there are added seven homilies more ( never before extant ) by lucas holsteinius , out of the french kings , the vatican , and oxford libraries ; and they are these following . . of the taxing of the virgin mary ; upon luke . . . upon matth. . . upon whi●h text we had an homily before , viz. the . in this catalogue . . upon luke . . which with the former holstein verily believes to be of athanasius . . upon the treason of iudas : which , as also the following , hath the character of athanasius by photius . . upon the holy pascha ; which , of all , is the best and most elegant . . upon the man that was born blind , iohn . . which , together with the following hath nothing of athanasius in it ; ( nec vola nec vestigium ) but the title only . . upon the fathers and patriarchs : a most foolish , rustick and barbarous piece . they may all well be conceived to be of very small credit , having lain so long dormant . also certain commentaries upon the epistles of paul , are by some ascribed unto athanasius ; which yet are not his , but theophylacts . some of his works are lost , of which the names or titles are these that follow . . commentaries upon the whole book of psalms ; which i think ( saith holstein ) to be palmarium athanasii opus ; the chief of athanasius his works . . upon ecclesiastes . . upon the canticles . . a volum upon iohn . § . athanasius hath a peculiar stile or manner of speech ; making use of words which were known only unto the age wherein he lived , and neither before nor after : the subject , whereof he for the most part treateth , being very high , viz. of the trinity : of the son begotten of the father before all time , equal unto him , but distinct in person from him , &c. yet making use of terms very apt to express those hidden and mysterious things by , which cannot well be rendred in the latine or other tongue , without loss or lessning the grace of them , such are , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. he shunneth all flourishes , and expresseth the mysteries of the kingdom of god in evangelical words . in his speech he useth much simplicity , gravity and energy ; and ( saith erasmus ) he is wonderful in teaching . he is most plain in his commentaries , yet in all his writings perspicuous , sober and candid : in his five books against arius vehement and profound , managing his arguments very strongly : moreover so fruitful is he and abundant , as is indeed very admirable . but his epistles ( especially those , wherein by way of apology he excuseth his flight ) are both elegant and splendid , and composed with much clearness , flourishing with such neatness and force of perswasion , that it is pleasant to hear how he pleads for himself . § . many are the memorable and worthy passages that are to be found in his works ; for a tast i shall present you with these that follow , . his symbol or creed : every where received and recited in the churches , both of the east and west : it was so famous and generally approved of , that it was embraced with an unanimous consent as the distinguishing character between the orthodox and hereticks . nazianzen calls it a magnificent and princely gift . imperatori , inquit , donum verè regium & magnificum offert , scriptam nimirum fidei confessionem adversus novum dogma nusquam in scripturâ expressum : ut sic & imperatorem imperator , & doctrinam doctrina , & libellum libellus frangeret atque opprimeret . it is as it were an interpretation of those words of christ , iohn . . this is life eternal , to know thee the only true god , and iesus christ whom thou hast sent : and may be divided into these two parts : . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . athanasius ( saith doctor andrews in his speech against mr. trask ) was great for his learning , for his vertue , for his labors , for his sufferings , but above all great for his creed . the words whereof are these . whosoever will be saved ; before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholick faith : which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled , without doubt he shall perish everlastingly . and the catholick faith is this ; that we worship one god in trinity , and trinity in unity . neither confounding the persons , nor dividing the substance . for there is one person of the father , another of the son , and another of the holy ghost . but the godhead of the father , of the son , and of the holy ghost is all one ; the glory equal , the majesty coeternal . such as the father is , such is the son , and such is the holy ghost . the father uncreate , the son uncreate , and the holy ghost uncreate . the father incomprehensible , the son incomprehensible , and the holy ghost incomprehensible . the father eternal , the son eternal , and the holy ghost eternal . and yet they are not three eternals , but one eternal . as also , there are not three incomprehensibles , nor three uncreated ; but one uncreated , and one incomprehensible . so likewise , the father is almighty , the son almighty , and the holy ghost almighty ; and yet they are not three almighties , but one almighty . so , the father is god , the son is god , and the holy ghost is god ; and yet they are not three gods , but one god. so likewise , the father is lord , the son lord , and the holy ghost lord ; and yet not three lords , but one lord. for like as we be compelled by the christian verity , to acknowledge every person by himself to be god and lord : so are we forbidden by the catholick religion , to say there be three gods , or three lords . the father is made of none , neither created , nor begotten . the son is of the father alone ; not made , nor created , but begotten . the holy ghost is of the father and of the son ; neither made , nor created , nor begotten , but proceeding . so there is one father , not three fathers ; one son , not three sons ; one holy ghost , not three holy ghosts . and in this trinity , none is afore , or after other , none is greater , or less then another . but the whole three persons be coeternal together , and coequal . so that in all things as is aforesaid the unity in trinity , and the trinity in unity is to be worshipped . he therefore that will be saved , must thus think of the trinity . furthermore , it is necessary to everlasting salvation ; that he also believe rightly in the incarnation of our lord jesus christ. for the right faith is , that we believe and confess , that our lord jesus christ , the son of god , is god and man. god of the substance of the father begotten before the worlds : and man of the substance of his mother , born in the world . perfect god , and perfect man , of a reasonable soul , and humane flesh subsisting . equal to the father as touching his godhead : and inferior to the father , touching his manhood . who though he be god and man , yet is he not two but one christ. one , not by conversion of the godhead into flesh ; but by taking the manhood into god. one altogether ; not by confusion of substance ; but by unity of person . for as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man ; so god and man is one christ. who suffered for our salvation ; descended into hell ; rose again the third day from the dead : he ascended into heaven ; he fifteth on the right hand of the father , god almighty : from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead . at whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies ; and shall give account for their own works ; and they that have done good , shall go into life everlasting ; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire . this is the catholick faith , which except a man believe faithfully , he cannot be saved . as for the censures annexed hereunto , viz. . in the beginning ( except a man keep the catholick faith . ) . in the middle ( he that will be saved must thus think . ) and . in the end ( this is the catholick faith , which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved . ) i thought good to give you dr. hammond's apprehensions of them , how they ought to be understood : his words are these . i suppose ( saith he ) they must be interpreted by their opposition to those heresies that had invaded the church , and which were acts of carnality in them that broach'd and maintain'd them against the apostolick doctrine , and contradictory to that foundation which had been resolved on as necessary to bring the world to the obedience of christ , and were therefore to be anathematiz'd after this manner , and with detestation branded , and banished out of the church . not that it was hereby defined to be a damnable sin to fail in the understanding or believing the full matter of any of those explications before they were propounded , and when it might more reasonably be deemed not to be any fault of the will , to which this were imputable . thus he . . the canonical books of the old and new testament owned by him , are the same with those which the reformed churches acknowledge for such , of which he thus speaks . all scripture of us who are christians was divinely inspired . the books thereof are not infinite but finite , and comprehended in a certain canon , which having set down of the old testament , ( as they are now with us ) he adds , the canonical books therefore of the old testament are twenty and two , equal for number unto the hebrew letters or alphabet , for so many elements of letters there are among the hebrews . but ( saith he ) besides these there are other books of the old testament not canonical , which are read only unto the catechumens , and of these he names , the wisdom of solomon , the wisdom of iesus the son of syrach , the fragment of esther , iudith , and tobith , for the books of the maccabees he made no account of them , yet he afterward mentions four books of the maccabees with some others . he also reckons the canonical books of the new testament , which ( saith he ) are as it were certain sure anchors and supporters or pillars of our faith , as having been written by the apostles of christ themselves , who both conversed with him , and were instructed by him . . the sacred and divinely inspired scriptures ( saith he ) are of themselves sufficient for the discovery of the truth : in the reading whereof this is faithfully to be observed , viz. unto what times they are directed , to what person , and for what cause they are written : lest things be severed from their reasons , and so the unskilful , reading any thing different from them , should deviate from the right understanding of them . . as touching the way whereby the knowledge of the scriptures may be attained , he thus speaks . to the searching and true understanding of the scriptures , there is need of a holy life , a pure mind , and virtue which is according to christ , that the mind running thorow that path , may attain unto those things which it doth desire , as far as humane nature may understand things divine . . the holy scripture ( saith he ) doth not contradict it self , for unto a hearer desirous of truth , it doth interpret it self . . concerning the worshipping of christ ▪ we adore ( saith he ) not the creature , god forbid . such madness belongs unto ethuicks and arians , but we adore the lord of things created , the incarnate word of god , for although the flesh be in it self a part of things created , yet is it made the body of god : neither yet do we give adoration unto such a body by it self severed from the word , neither adoring the word do we put the word far from the flesh , but knowing that it is said , the word was made flesh , we acknowledge it even now in the flesh to be god. . he gives this interpretation of those words of christ , mark. . . but of that day and that hour knoweth no man , no not the angels which are in heaven , neither the son but the father . the son ( saith he ) knew it as god but not as man : wherefore he said not , neither the son of god , lest the divinity should seem to be ignorant , but simply , neither the son : that this might be the ignorance of the son as man. and for this cause when he speaks of the angels , he added not a higher degree saying , neither the holy spirit , but was silent here , by a double reason affirming the truth of the thing : for admit that the spirit knows , then much more the word as the word ( from whom even the spirit receives ) was not ignorant of it . . speaking of the mystery of the two natures in christ ; what need is there ( saith he ) of dispute and strife about words ? it's more profitable to believe , and reverence : and silently to adore . i acknowledge him to be true god from heaven imp●ssible : i acknowledge the same of the seed of david as touching the flesh , a man of the earth passible . i do not curiousty inquire why the same is passible and impassible , or why god and man : lest being curiously inquisitive why and how , i should miss of the good propounded unto us . for we ought first to believe and adore , and in the second place to seek from above a reason of these things : not from beneath to inquire of flesh and blood , but from divine and heavenly revelation . . what the faith of the church was concerning the trinity , he thus delivers . let us see that very tradition from the beginning , and that doctrine and faith of the catholick church which christ indeed gave , but the apostles preached and kept : for in this church are we founded , and whoso falls from thence cannot be said to be a christian. the holy and perfect trinity therefore in the father , son and holy ghost , receives the reason of the deity , possesseth nothing forraign or superinduced from without , nor consisteth of the creator and creature , but the whole is of the creator and maker of all things , like it self and indivisible , and the operation thereof one . for the father by the word in the holy spirit doth all things , and so the unity of the trinity is kept or preserved , and so one god in the church is preached , who is above all and through all and in all : viz. above all as the father , as the beginning and fountain , but through all by the word , moreover in all in or by the holy spirit . but the trinity is not in name only , or an empty form of speech : but in truth and reason of subsisting , the trinity : for as the father is that very thing that he is , so also the word god over all , is that very thing that he is ; so also the holy ghost is not any inessential thing , but truly existeth and subsisteth . . according to the ecclesiastical canons ( saith he ) as the apostle commanded , the people being gathered together with the holy ghost , who constitute a bishop , publickly and in the presence of the clergy , craving a bishop , inquisition ought to be made , and so all things canonically performed . . concerning the lawfulness of flight in time of persecution , he thus speaks . i betook me to flight not for fear of death , lest any should accuse me of timidity , but that i might obey the precept of our saviour whose command it is that we should make use of flight against persecutors , of hiding places against those that search for us , lest if we should offer our selves unto open danger , we should more sharply provoke the fury of our persecutors . verily it is all one both for a man to kill himself , and to proffer himself unto the enemies to be slain : but he that flees as the lord commands , knows the articles of the time , and truly provides for his persecutors : lest being carried out even to the shedding of blood , they should become guilty of that precept that forbids murther . again concerning the same thing ; . that law ( saith he ) is propounded unto all in general , to flee when they are pursued in time of persecution , and to hide themselves when they are sought : for neither should they be precipitate and rash in tempting the lord , but must wait until the time appointed of dying do come , or that the judge do determine something concerning them , as shall seem good unto him : but yet would he have us always ready , when either the time calls for it , or we are apprehended to contend for the church even unto death . these things did the blessed martyrs observe , who while they lay hid did harden themselves , but being found out they did undergo martyrdom . now if some of them did render themselves unto their persecutors , they were not thorough rashness moved so to do , but every where professed unto all men , that this promptness and offering of themselves did proceed from the holy ghost . . he giveth this character of an heretick , heresie ( sa●th he ) or an heretick may thus be known and evinced , that whosoever is dear unto them and a companion with them in the same impiety , although he be guilty of sundry crimes & infinite vices , & they have arguments against him of his hainous acts ; yet is he approved and had in great esteem among them , yea , and is forthwith made the emperour's friend , &c. but those that reprove their wickedness , and sincerely teach the things which are of christ , though pure in all things , upon any feigned crime laid to their charge , they are prefently hurried into banishment . § . the defects and blemishes of this eminent father and champion of jesus christ , were neither so many nor so gross , as are to be found in most of the ancients that were before him : yet was he not altogether free but liable to error as well as others , as appears from somewhat of this kind that dropt from his pen , which were especially such passages as these in his genuine works , for as for the apparently supposititious , i shall forbear to meddle with them , having in them so much hay and stubble as we cannot imagine should pass thorow the hands of so skilful a master-builder . . he affirms the local descent of christ into hell. he accomplished ( saith he ) the condemnation of sin in the earth , the abolition of the curse upon the cross , the redemption from corruption in the grave , the condemnation of death in hell : going through all places that he might every where perfect the salvation of the whole man , shewing himself in the form of our image which he took upon him . again . the body descended not beyond the grave , the soul pierced into hell , places severed by a vast distance , the grave receiving that which was corporeal , because the body was there , but hell , that which was incorporeal . hence it came to pass that though the lord were present there incorporeally , yet was he by death acknowledged to be a man : that his soul , not liable unto the bands of death but yet made as it were liable , might break asunder the bands of those souls which hell detained , &c. . concerning the state of the fathers before christ , that they were in hell ; he thus speaks . the soul of adam detained in or under the condemnation of death , did perpetually cry unto the lord , and the rest who by the law of nature pleased god , were detain'd together with adam , and were and did cry with him in grief . in which passage we have also a third error of his , viz. . that men by the law of nature may please god , contrary unto what we find in heb. . . . he maketh circumcision a note or sign of baptism . abraham ( saith he ) when he had believed god , received circumcision for a note or sign of that regeneration which is obtained by baptism : wherefore , when the thing was come which was signified by the figure , the sign and figure it self perished and ceased . for circumcision was a sign , but the laver of regeneration the very thing that was signified . besides these there are in him some other passages , not so aptly nor warily delivered as they ought to have been , viz. . concerning the freedom of mans will , he thus speaks . the mind ( saith he ) is free and at it's own dispose , for it can , as incline it self unto that which is good , so also turn from it , which beholding its free right and power over it self , it perceives that it can use the members of the body either way , both unto the things that are , i.e. good things , and also unto the things that are not , i.e. evil . . he is too excessive and hyperbolical in the praise of virginity . the son of god ( saith he ) our lord and saviour jesus christ , among other his gifts bestowed upon us in virginity , an example of angelical holiness . certainly virgins endowed with that virtue , the catholick church is wont to call the spouses of christ ; whom being beheld by them the very heathen do prosecute with admiration , as the temple of christ. there is a large encomium hereof , in the end of the treatise of virginity , which being but a vain rhetorical flourish , and because the treatise it self is justly suspected not to belong unto athanasiùs , i shall forbear to set it down as being unworthy to be ascribed unto so grave and found an author . . he seems to assert the worshipping or adoration of the saints , thus : if ( saith he ) thou adore the man christ , because there dwelleth the word of god , upon the same ground adore the saints also , because god hath his habitation in them . it is strange ( say the centurists ) that so great a doctor should so write , but they do erre , ( saith scultetus ) not considering that he there speaks upon the suppositition of samosatenus , who thought that christ as man was to be adored , because of the word dwelling in him , which is the thing that athanasius denyeth , convincing samosatenus of falshood from an absurdity that would follow : for seeing the word dwelleth also in the saints , it would thence follow that they are to be worshipped , which athanasius in the same place affirmeth to be extreme impiety . and indeed he expresly elsewhere saith , that adoration belongeth unto god only . § . as touching his death , it was very remarkable in this regard : that in the midst of a most vehement storm and tempest ( the cruel persecution under the emperour valens ) he should so quietly arrive at the haven . for being forc'd to hide himself ( as hath been said ) in his fathers monument about the space of four months , the people that greatly loved him , and had him in very high esteem , grew so impatient of his absence from them , that they began to be tumultuous , threatning to burn the ships and publick edifices , unless athanasius were permitted to return unto them again . the emperour hereupon fearing what the issue might be , gave way to their fury ( being a hot and hasty kind of people ) and suffered him to enjoy his bishoprick again , from that time tempering himself from troubling alexandria and the country of aegypt . by this means it came to pass , that after so long labour and sweat for christ , so many encounters for the orthodox faith , so frequent and famous flights and banishments , having given many things in charge unto peter his successor , he did at alexandria in peace and a good old age , pass from this vale of trouble unto the rest above , after he had governed that church by the space ( though not without intermissions ) of forty and six years , in the seventh year of the emperour valens , and of christ , about . hilarius pictaviensis . § . he was born in france , and yet not gallus ; as himself answered leo bishop of rome in a certain council , asking him at his entrance in a proud insulting manner : tune es hilarius gallus ? at ille . non sum , inquit , gallus , sed de galliâ : ac si diceret : non sum natione gallus , sed de galliâ praesul . erat enim gente aquitanicus ; pontificali autem dignitate praeminebat gallis : for he was bishop of po●ctiers the chief city of the celtae or galli . for france of old was divided into three parts or provinces , viz. belgicam , aquitanicam , ( bodie guienne vocatur ) & celticam . now the inhabitants of this later were properly those called galli ; ipsorum linguâ celtae , nostrâ ( inquit caesar ) galli appellantur . so doth sulpitius severus distinguish his country men into these three sorts , aquitanes , galli and brittaines : the two former are so far differing the one from the other ( saith strabo ) both in habit and language , that the aquitanes are more like unto the spaniards , then unto the galli . it is reported of him , that in his younger years applying himself unto study , and not profiting as he desired , ( which made him to doubt whether he should ever attain unto that which he aimed at ) he left the schools , purposing to fall upon some other course : and passing along by a certain well in the way , walled up with great stone , he observed that those stones were much worn and hollowed in some places , by the often rubbing of the rope upon them , wherewith they used to draw the water : hereupon he fell into this consideration with himself : if this cord , that is much softer , hath by frequency of fretting made this hard stone hollow ; then surely may i also , by continuance of time , both profit and perfect or accomplish my desire : accordingly , he betook him again unto the schools , where by assiduity and constancy in study he at length became a most learned and accurate scholar . he seems to have been at first an ethnick , at what time perceiving and considering with himself how vain the opinions and conceits were which the philosophers had of the gods , musing much hereupon , he at length light upon the books of moses , the prophets , and the apostles , by the diligent perusal whereof he came to the knowledge of the truth , and to embrace the christian religion ; being now well stricken in years : yet in a short time did he so much profit in the doctrine of christianity , that he was deservedly esteemed a chief doctor and pillar of the catholick church . his country men , coming to understand of his great worth , soon advanced him unto a high degree of dignity ; though a married man , he being by them chosen to be bishop of poictiers , chief city of the province of poictou . about this time , the persecution under the emperor constantius , grew very hot ; in so much that many eminent bishops for holding fast and sticking close unto the catholick faith , were exiled and driven into banishment . hereupon hilary with divers other gallicane bishops , convening together , with mutual consent did by a decree separate saturninus , valens and vrsatius ( who were violent arians ) from their communion : adding withal , that if any , being admonished to shun their society , did not herein obey the sentence of the catholick bishops , they should be excommunicated . saturninus who was bishop of arles ( a factious and mischievous man ) took this very grievously , that he should be anathematized and excluded from communion with the rest of the bishops ; ( yet after this was he sor heinous crimes cast out of the church ) wherefore by the favor of constantius he procured synods to be congregatted at byterris , and at arles cities of france , unto which the catholick bishops should be forced to come : hilary , being one of those who were present in these synods , fearing least by the subtilty of the arians ( as was their manner ) the orthodox through simplicity might be circumvented , offereth a libel to be read , wherein the close conveyances , crafty fetches , and blasphemous heresies of the arians were laid open and discovered unto all . but the adversaries withstanding the reading thereof , prevailed so far , that hilary refusing to subscribe unto their ambiguous and captious contessions and decrees ( for he was very circumspect and quick sighted to discern and avoid their cunning devices and impostures ) was banished into phrygia in the east , where he continued for the space of three whole years and upward . in the fourth year of his banishment , the emperor commands a synod of the eastern bishops to assemble , at seleucia a city of isauria , ( about the time that those of the west met at ariminum ) at the which hilary was compelled by the emperors deputy , to be present among the rest : this the officers did by vertue of a general command that they had received , for the convening of all the bishops , having no particular order concerning hilary : which yet came to pass , not without the special hand of god so disposing it , that a man so well instructed in the knowledge of divine truth , should be present , when matters of faith were to be disputed of . being come , and received with a great deal of respect by the orthodox the minds of all being toward him ; they first demanded of him , what was the faith of the gallicane churches , ( for by the false reports of the arians , they were suspected by the eastern bishops to be tained with the heresie of sabellius : ) wherein having given them good satisfaction , and shewed them that in the faith they agreed with the council of nice , he was taken into their society , and added unto the council : in the which , the arians after much debate , were condemned by those that were but little better , being half - arians . some are sent unto the emperor , to give him an account of what had passed in the synod . whither being come ( those , who had been condemned , going thither also , presuming upon the strength of their party , and the emperors favor , who was of their faction ) they there found the delegates of the orthodox partly that had met at ariminum : who , partly through fear of the emperor , and partly through the fallacy of the arians , were compelled to joyn in communion with the hereticks , there having been delivered unto them a specious form of the faith , wrapt-up in fallacious terms and expressions , which indeed seemed to be catholick , but had the contrary doctrine closely couched under them . unto this , the emperor required those of the council of seleucia to subscribe , threatning banishment unto them that refused so to do : in so much as the greater part were drawn to yield hereunto , some by one means , and some by another . hilary being present with the emperor , waiting upon him to know his mind whether he should again return into exile or no ; and seeing the faith in so much danger , the western bishops deceived and the eastern deterred , and both overcome : he did most importunately by three petitions crave audience , and that he might be permitted to dispute the matter in controversie with the adversaries : which the arians shunned and altogether refused . at length hilary is commanded ( as being the seminary of discord and disturber of the east ) to return into france again . whither being come , he out of a mind burning with holy zeal , applyed himself with greatest care and industry unto this work chiefly , viz. to reduce into the right way again the western bishops that had been miserably deceived by the arians . for which end divers synods were assembled in france , wherein by his means the thing he intended , and so much desired , was at length happily effected : for the seduced were brought to see , acknowledge and amend their error , condemning what had been done and decreed at the council of ariminum , and so was that church reformed and the saith therein restored unto its ancient state again . for which great benefit the gallicane churches were ( as is evident unto all ) beholding chiefly unto hilary to whom they owe their freedom : by the brightness of whose beams ( as also of eusebius bishop of vercellis ) the thick mists of error that had so much darkned those countries , ( viz. of iuyricum , italy and france ) were dispelled and scattered . § . he was a very learned man , and of wonderful eloquence , wherein he so far excelled , that ierom calls him a most eloquent man , rhe most elegant of his time , even a rhodanus of latine eloquence : of a notable faculty to perswade and win men unto the truth , so that he was one of the most eminent lights of the age he lived in , and in france shining as the moon at the full in the temple of god : in whom this among the rest deserveth admiration , that ( though he were otherwise learn'd yet ) being for the most part ignorant of ecclesiastical controversies , he should in so short a time as he did , become so great a doctor and antagonist against the arians , as to be worthily esteemed a chief pillar of the catholick church , being the first among the latines that wrote against that heresie , of which he was a bitter enemy , branding the maintainers thereof with the black marks & characters of impious , blasphemous , pests , antichrists , travelling and taking exceeding great pains for the stopping of its current and the curing and recovering of the infected world , this contagion having spread it self far and near . he was excellently skilled in the knowledge of the scriptures and divine mysteries , so that he was of great fame and authority in the church , as appears by the venerable mention that ierom oftentimes makes of him . many were the the rare gifts wherewith he was richly adorned , and among others with a singular dexterity in teaching , and a notable faculty of perswading : unto which we may add , his acuteness in discerning and discovering the cunning conveyances and impostures of the hereticks . sixtus senensis stiles him an incomparable bishop ; and ierom , the confessor of his time , who stoutly maintained the truth , and constantly opposed the adversaries thereof , though in so doing he many times exposed himself to no small perils . he was of a sweet and mild temper , very venerable in his life and manners , and of such modesty and humility , that though he were deservedly ranked among thosee of chiefest note in his time , yet did he account himself the most unskilful and unlearned of them all . in a word , he was a man ( saith sozomen ) truly divine in respect both of his life and learning , yet in this latter not a little defective , in that he had but small skill in the greek and hebrew languages : hebraei sermonis ( inquit hieronymus ) ignarus fuit , graecarum quoque literarum quandam aurulam ceperat ; sed ab hiliodorio presbytero , quo ille familiariter usus est , ea quae intelligere non poterat , quomodo ab origene essent dicta , quaerebat . yet withal he adds , i dare not ( saith he ) reprehend so great a man , and the most eloquent in his time , ( vocalem illam ecclesiae catholicae tubam , inquit erasmus ) who both for the merit of his confession , industry of his life , and famousness of his eloquence , is spoken of as far as the roman name reacheth . i may not omit a passage in agobardus bishop of lyons concerning him . quâ cantela ( inquit ) iudaeorum semper et haereticorum devitavit hilarius profana consortia , vita ejus scripta fatetur : quòd it a scilicet hujusmodi hostes ecclesiae fuerit execratus , ut non solum convivium , sed ne salutatio quidem ei extiterit , cum his praetereunti communis . i shall close his encomium in the words of venantius , who was also bishop of poictiers , about the year of christ , . and a poet of chief note according to the time he lived in , he in four books of heroick verse wrote the life of s. martin , by whose help he had been cured ( as it is reported ) of a great pain in his eyes , in the first of which books he thus speaks in the praise of our hilary . — summus apex fidei , virtutis , amoris , hilarius famae radios jactabat in orbem : buccina terribilis , tuba legis , praeco tonantis : pulchrior electro , ter cocto ardentior auro , largior eridano , rhodano torrentior amplo , vberior nilo , generoso sparsior hystro , cordis inundantis docilis ructare fluenta , fontibus ingenii sitienta pectora rorans . doctor apostolicus , vacuans ratione sophistas , dogmate , luce , side informans virtute sequaces . which may be thus englished : hilary , top of honour , faith and grace , whose fame doth dart its rays in every place , the laws shrill trumpet , preacher of the most high fairer than amber , sparkling far and nigh , more than refined gold , larger than po , more vehement than rhone of swiftest flow , for fruitfulness passing th' egyptian nile , outstretching generous ister many a mile : whose swelling heart freely its streams out spues , and with his wit the thirsty brests bedews : doctor apostolick skilful to unty , the cunning knots of subtile sophistry , and by sound doctrine to inform aright his followers with virtue , faith and light . § . as for the writings of this worthy many of them have felt the force of time , which hath rak'd them up in the dust , so that , they are withdrawn from the view and use of the present , as also of some preceding ages . the little of them which with their names have been preserved unto this day , is that which follows , viz. . his commentary or tractates upon the book of iob , which is little else than a translation of origen : for herein ( and in his comment upon the psalms ) are to be found almost forty thousand verses ( quadraginta fermè millia versuum origenis in iob et psalmos transtulit ) translated out of that author , in which he keeps to the sence though not unto his words . these were extant in ieroms time , for he had the sight of them . . his comment upon the canticles , which ierom only heard of , but it came not to his hands . . of mysteries . . of the septenary or uneven number , a book mentioned by ierom , dedicated unto fortunatus : this book ( saith victorius ) is extant under the name of cyprian , but that 't is rather hilary's , appears ( saith he ) from the stile , ieroms authority ascribing it to him , and its dedication unto fortunatus , who was hilary's great friend , as his poems do testifie . . his book or commentary ( as possevin calls it ) against dioscorus a physician , or against salust a prefect : wherein ( though it were but short , yet was it a learned and accurate piece ) he shewed what he could do with his pen , putting out all the strength both of his wit and eloquence : which is wanting , not without the great loss of the history of the affairs of france , and other countries . . his book against valens and vrsatius , ( two pestilent arians , who had infected with their heresie , italy , illiricum , and the east , ) containing the history of the acts of the councils of ariminum and seleucia , which is lost , unless perhaps it be contained in his book of of synods . . a defence of the catholick faith. . of heresies . . a book of chronicles , or an history from the beginning of the world unto the time of christ. . a book of hymns , he was the first among the catholicks , that set forth hymns and verses . declarat ( inquit erasmus ) phrasis et compositio hilariani sermonis , in carmine non infoelicem fuisse . et fortassis aliquot hymni , quos hodiè canit ecclesia , non indoctos sed incerti authoris , illius sunt . . divers epistles , a work mentioned by sulpitius severus , which reporteth the great age of osius the famous bishop of corduba , as being above an hundred year old . the most of them seem to have been written after his return from banishment into france , wherein condemning the arian heresie , he labours to reduce therefrom those western bishops , who by the eastern in the council of seleucia had been by cunning and craft deceived and drawn into it . . whereas the centurists speak of a book of his concerning the rebaptization of hereticks , i suppose it belongs not to our , but another hilary , who was a deacon in the church of rome , and of cyprian's mind in the point of rebaptization of those that had been baptized by hereticks , and particularly the arians . he indeed wrote certain books upon this subject : of whom ierom is to be understood , calling hlm the worlds deucalion , as one that thought the whole world would have perished in the baptism of hereticks as in a second flood , had not he restored it by another baptism . there are extant to this day these following books , which are generally conceived to be his . . twelve books of the trinity against the arians , which he wrote when he was banished into phrygia , being the first among the latine fathers that dealt upon this subject : a work in this regard of no small advantage unto the reader , that therein he expounds divers places not a little obscure , in the gospel of iohn and epistles of paul , no less happily than accurately . the first of these books as it seems he writ last , for it contains an account or sum of the whole work , setting down particularly the subjects or contents of each of the other books . it is an elaborate piece , of much strength , and commended even by the adversaries themselves . . three books or apologues unto constantius the emperour , who much favoured the faction of the ariaus : all which erasmus thinks to be imperfect , for ( saith he ) they promise something exact and laborious , but perform not accordingly , being as it were suddenly silent . the first of these he conceives to have been written after the death of that emperour , because he therein deals more freely and sharply with him ; whereas in the other two he is more fair and moderate , baronius supposeth the first as well as the two later , to have been written while the emperour was alive , and therefore that the book mentioned by ierome to be written after the death of constantius , is not now extant ; because he saith that by this free confession , he tended to martyrdom , whereunto he exhorteth others by the like liberty of speaking , which would have seemed ridiculous if the persecutor had been now dead . but ( saith bellarmine ) perhaps these different opinions may be reconciled , by thus saying : that at the writing of the first epistle , hilary thought him to have been dead , though indeed he were then alive . . his book against the arians or aga●nst auxentius bishop of millain , written unto the bishops and people detesting the arian heresie : which by ierom is stiled an elegant book : wherein he accuseth the said bishop as infected with arianism . to which is annexed an epistle of auxentius , wherein he cleareth himself , as not guilty of the crime laid to his charge . . his book of synods unto the bishops of france , whom he congratulates that in the midst of so great tumults as are in the world , they had kept themselves free from the arian faction ; wherein he declares in what meetings of the bishops the arian heresie had been condemned . this book ( as himself testifieth ) he translated out of greek , but with this liberty that neglecting the words he kept still to the sense , and where the place invites him so to do , he adds and intermingles somewhat of his own . of which , chemnitius thus speaks . he gathered together ( saith he ) the opinions of the greeks concerning the trinity , and unless he had collected the decrees of the eastern synods , we should have known nothing of them as touching their opinions and doctrin●s . . his commentary upon the gospel of matthew , which he divided into thirty and three canons , by which name it is called of some : going through almost the whole of that evangelist , in a succinct and brief , but learned and solid explanation : being more delighted with the allegorical than literal sense herein imitating origen , out of whom i doubt not ( saith erasmus ) he translated this whole work ; it doth so in all things savour both of the wit and phrase of origen . for as it containeth many choice things which do proclaim the author to have been most absolutely skilled in the sacred scriptures , so is he sometimes too superstitious and violent in his allegories , a peculiar fault to be found in almost all the commentaries of origen . . his commentary upon the psalms , not the whole but upon the first and second : then from the one and fiftieth unto the sixty and second : according to ierom's reckoning , but as now extant in erasmus his edition , from the one and fiftyeth unto the end of the sixty and ninth : which addition sixtus senensis saith he had read being printed . also from the hundred and nineteenth unto the end of the book : only that upon the last psalm is imperfect , the last leaf ( saith erasmus ) in the manuscripts being either torn or worn away , as it oftentimes falls out . this work is rather an imitation than a translation of origen : for he adds somewhat of his own , some do affirm that he set forth tractates upon the whole book of the psalms , and that it was extant in spain , but commonly no more is to be found than the above mentioned . as also his book of the synods , being very large , ierom transcribed with his own hand at triers for he had him in very high esteem . there are also some books abroad under his name , which are justly suspected and taken for spurious ▪ as , . an epistle unto abram or afram his daughter , which is a mere toy of some idle and unlearned man , it hath nothing in it worthy of hilary , much less that which follows , viz. . an hymn which hath in it neither rhythm nor reason , yet doth ierom testifie of hilary , that he wrote in verse , and perhaps some of those hymns which at this day are sung in the church , whose author is unknown , may be his : he was so far skill'd this way , that gyraldus gives him a place and ranks him among the christian poets . bellarmine and possevin had but small reason upon so slender a ground , as they have , to affirm both of these to be his without doubt . . a book of the unity of the father and the son , which , whether it were his or no , seems very uncertain ; seeing ierom makes no mention of it . it seems to be a rhapsody of some studious man , taken partly out of the second , but for the most part out of the ninth book of the trinity ; who omitted and added what he pleased . with this as a distinct book from it , bellarmine joyns another , of the essence of the father and the son , which yet i find not named by any other author . indeed there is an appendix unto the former of the various names of christ , ( which bellarmine mentions not ) the phrase whereof differs much from hilary's . the author whereof would fain imitate hilary , which he was not negligent in the performance of : they are grave and learned books ( saith bellarmine of his two ) and not unworthy the spirit and eloquence of hilary . . an epistle unto augustine , concerning the remains of the pelagian heresie , which cannot be hilary's , because that heresie was not known in his time . . another epistle unto augustine , being the eighty and eighth in number among augustines : in which he propounds certain questions to be resolved , but neither this nor the ●ormer are our hilary's , who was dead before augustine became a christian , and yet in his answer he stiles him his son. they both seem to belong unto another hilary , that was afterward made bishop of arles ; who together with prosper of aquitain , defended the cause of augustine against the french semipelagians , the former of the epistles gave occasion unto augustine to write his treatises of the predestination of the saints and of the good of perseverance , to which are prefix'd this epistle , together with one from prosper concerning the same matter . . a fragment concerning the things that were done in the council of ariminum , rejected by baronius . . an heroick poem , stiled genesis written unto pope leo , who lived ann. . at what time hilary had left this life : and therefore it cannot be his , but may better be ascribed unto the abovenamed hilary bishop of arles . . a fragment of the trinity , which contains his creed , but of little credit as being no where else mentioned . it might happily be an extract out of his work upon this subject . § . as for his stile , it is perplex and th●rny , such , as should he handle matters in themselves very clear , yet would it be both hard to be understood and easie to be depraved . very lofty he is after the gallicane manner , for this seems to be peculiar unto the wit and genius of that nation ; ( as appears in sulpitius severus eucherius , and of late the famous budaeus , adeo sublimis , ut tubam sonare credas non bominem ; adeò faeliciter elaboratus , ut eruditum lectorem nunquam satiet , trivialiter literatos procul submoveat . ) and being adorned with the flowers of greece , he is sometimes involved in long periods , so that he is far above the reach of , and in vain perused by unskilful readers , which yet sixtus senensis thinketh ought to be referred unto his books of the trinity , wherein he imitated quintilian both in his stile , and also the number of the books : for in that work though the subject it self were profound , yet did he affect the praise of subtlety in the handling of it : which inconvenience ( saith erasmus ) may be lessened in the reader through custom and familiarity . but in his commentaries upon the psalms and gospel of matthew , his stile is succinct without any affection of art , solid yet sometimes obscure , but far from all swelling haughtiness . § . there are many things in his works well worthy of note ; i shall present you with a few which i shall chuse to do in his words lest they should lose too much of their weight , by the translation of them . . his creed or the sum of his faith , which he thus pithily sets down . intelliges ( inquit ad imperatorem constantium ) a me praedicari unum deum patrem , ex quo omnia ; et quem misit iesum christum , per qnem omnia , natum ex deo , qui est ante tempora aeterna , et erat in principio , apud deum , deus verbum , qui est imago dei invisibilis , in quo habitat omnis plenitudo divinitatis conporaliter : qui cum in forma dei esset , humilians sese salutis nostrae causâ , formam servi ex conceptu spiritus sancti de virgine accepit , factus obediens usque ad mortem , mortem autem crucis , et post resurrectionem mortis deinde in caelestibus sedens , aderit judex vivorum et mortuorum , et rex omnium aeternorum saeculorum . est enim unigenitus deus , et deus verus et deus magnus , super omnia deus , et omnis lingua confitebitur , quia dominus iesus christus in gloriâ dei patris est . . of the scriptures , as containing in them all things necessary to be known : quae ( inquit ) libro legis non continentur , ea nec nosse debemus . . of god thus . inter haec ( speaking of his doubts concerning the heathen gods ) animus sollicitus , devinum et aeternum nihil nisi unum esse et indifferens pro certo habebat , quia id quod sibi ad id quod est autor esset , nihil necesse est extra se quod sui esset praestantius reliquisse . atque ita omnipotentiam aeternitatemque non nisi penes unum esse , quia neque in omnipotentiâ validius infirmiusque , neque in aeternitate posterius anteriusve cougrueret . in deo autem nihil nisi aeternum potensque esse venerandum . . much to the same purpose . deus ( inquit ) beatus atque perfectus profectu non eget cui nihil deest , demutatione non novus est , qui origine caret . ipse est , qui quod est non aliunde est , in sese est cum est , ad se est , s●us sibi est , & ipse sibi omni● est , carens omni demutatione novitatis , qui nihil aliud quod in se posset incidere per id quod ipse sibi totum totus est reliquit . . of christ thus : hic unus est disponens ad abraham , loquens ad mosen , testans ad israel , manens in prophetis , per virginem natus , ex spiritu sancto , adversantes nobis inimicasque virtutes ligno passionis affigens , mortem in inferno perimens , spei nostrae fidem resurrectione confirmans , corruptionem carnis humanae gloriâ corporis sui periniens . — deo haec unigenito soli propria sunt . . of the anger of god , thus : poena patientis , ira esse creditur , decernentis . atque ita irascitur deus , cum per poenae dolorem iram decreti in se sentiat esse punitus , quae non per dem●tationem naturae in iram ex , placabilitate commota est , sed ex constitutione poenae ir● sit puniendis . . of faith , thus : pietas est non ambigere , & justitia est credere , & salus confiteri . non in incerta diffluere neque ad stultiloquia effervere , neque modo circumscribere potestatem , neque causas investigabilium sacramentorum retractare , dominum iesum confiteri , & à deo suscitatum à mortuis credere salus est . quae vr●ò insania est , qualis & oujusmodi sit iesum calumniari , ●um saelus sola sit hoc solum scire , quòd dominus sit . in simplicitate itaque fides est , in fide justitia est , in confessione pietas est . non per difficiles nos deus ad beatam vitam quaestiones vocat nec multiplici eloquentis facundiae gener● solicitat . in absoluto & nobis ac facili est aeternitas , iesum suscitatum à mortuis per deum credere , & ipsum esse dominum confiteri . . of the evil of divisions thus , — usus inolevit , qui postquàm nova potiùs coepit condere , quàm accepta retinere , nec verterata defendit , nec innovata firmavit , & facta fides temporum potiùs ▪ evangeliorum , dum & secundum annos scribitur , & secundum confessionem baptismi non tenetur . periculosum nobis admodùm , atque etiam miserabile est , tot nu●c fides existere , quot voluntates : & tot nobis doctrinas esse , quod mores & tot causas blasphemiarum pullulare , quot vitia sunt : dum aut ita fides scribuntur ut volumus , aut ita ut volumus , intelliguntur : & cum secundum unum deum & unum dominum , & unum baptisma , etiam fides una sit , excedimus ab eâ fide quae sola est , & dum plures fiunt , ad id coeperunt esse , ne ulla sit . . of hereticks , thus ; quis doctrinae profectus est , placida magis quàm docenda conquirere ? aut quae doctrinae religio est , non docenda desiderare , sed ●esideratis coac●rvare doctrinam ? sed baec seducentium spirituum incentiva suppeditant , & simulatae religionis falsiloquia confirmant . sequitur enim fidei defectionem hypoerisis m●ndax , ut sit vel in verbis pietas quam amiserat conscienti● . . of pardon of sin , thus : ex copiâ bonitatis suae misericordiam in peccatorum remissionem largitur deus ; & peccatorum remissio non probitatis est meritum , sed spontaneae indulgentiae voluntas ex bonitatis divitiis ad miserandi ●unus exuberans . . of merit , thus , virgines prudentes fatuis petentibus ut oleum mutuent ; responderunt , non posse se dare , quia non sit fortè quod omnibus satis sit , alienis scilicet operibus ac meritis neminem adjuvandum quia unicuique lampadi suae emere oleum sit necesse . suitable hereunto is that remarkable story recorded by melchior adams ; to this purpose that a little before the time of gobelinus , there was set forth a play at isenach in germany , of the wise and foolish virgins ; wherein the foolish desiring oyl of the wise , ( which the actor thus interpreted ; that they would intercede unto god for them that they might be admitted unto the marriage , i. e. the kingdom of heaven ) they utterly denied to lend them any . the foolish fell to knocking , weeping and instant praying , but could not prevail a jot ; but were bidden to be gone and buy oyl . hereat prince frederick ( being present ) was greatly amazed , crying out quid est fides nostra christiana , si neque maria ( she was one of the five saints that represented the wise virgins ) neque alia sancta exorari potest : ut deprecetur pro nobis ? quorsum tot merita & bona opera , ut sanctorum apud deus intercessionem nobi● conciliemus , & gratiam impetremus : this consternation was such , that through it he fell into a sore and dangerous disease , which ended in an apoplexy whereof he died about four days after . . of the qualifications of a bishop or pastor : thus , quae propria disciplinae ac morum sunt , ad sacerdotii meritum utilia esse significat apostolus , si etiam haec quae ad docendae ac tuendae fidei scientiam necessaria sunt , inter reliqna non deerunt . quia non statim ●oni atque utilis sacerdotis est , aut tantummodo innocenter agere , aut tantummodo scienter praedicare , cum & innocens sibi tant●m proficiat , nisi doctus sit : & doctus sine doctrinae sit autoritare nisi innocens sit . non enim apost●licus sermo probitatis bonestatisque praeceptis hominem tantùm seculo conformat ad vitam , neque rursum per doctrine scientiam scribam synagogae instituit ad legem , sed perfectum ecclesiae principem perfectis maximarum virtutum bonis instruit , ut & vita ●jus orn●tur docendo , & doctrina vivendo . . of scandal , thus . differt laqueus à seandalo : laqueus enim est adhortatio voluptatum , & ingenium appetitionis inhonestae , quod modo laquei fallens capit . scandalum autem est uxor irreligiosa , filius iniquus , & caetera deinceps domi nomina , & omnis ex ecclesiâ frater , aut contumeliosus , aut avarus , aut ebriosus , aut turpis . in his enim nobis est scandalum , quoticus ad necessitatem irascendi , inhibendi , vindicandi ex illâ quietâ fidei nostrae mansuetudine provocamur . . of being under the power of corruption , thus , animae captivitas quàm infoelix est avarus cariturus semetipso , carere timet pecuniâ , negociosus , tristis , anxius , sine requi● ulla , domni metu semper detinetur : honestatis immemor est , amicitiarum inobservans , humanitatis fugax , religionem nescit , bonitatem omninò odit . at verò cui libido domina est , in quo coeno dedecoris volutatur ? pendet ad occasiones adulteriorum , anxius circa lasciviae suae fervorem , oculis , mente , corpore totus in scortis est . videns quotidie atque audiens humanas in adulteros leges , adulterium in ipso foro cogitat : quod agit timet , & quod timet non fugit . quid verò infaelicius ebrietatis dominatu ? ventri ultra capacitatem infundere , sensuirationem a dimere , non loqui , non meminisse , non stare , & mortem quandam naturae incolumi imperare ? quàm dedecorosus autem est furentium motus , temeritatis impetus , odiorum stimulus , livoris anxietas ? quanta ergò perturbatio eorum est , quanta calamitas , qui suprà memoratis malis serviunt ? § . these and such like passages worthy of note , are frequently to be met with in the writings of this father ; wherein there also some things that call for the caution of the reader , as not so warily and fitly uttered as they should have been , nor altogether allowable and to be approved of . such are these that follow . . suam cuique personam distribuens , aeternitatem adsignat patri , imaginem filio , usum spiritui sancto . in the explication of which place , augustine much troubled himself , as not knowing what he should mean by the word vsus . . videtur christo tribuere corpus & animam , nullis obnoxiam molestis affectionibus , e.g. hominem ( inquit ) verum secundum similitudinem nostri hominis non deficiens à se deo sumpsit christus , in quem quamvis aut ictus incideret aut vulnus descenderet , aut nodi concurrerent , aut suspensio elevaret , afferrent quidem haec impeturae passionis , non tamen dolorem passionis inferrent , ut telum aliquod aut aquam perforans , aut ignem compungens , aut aera vulnerans — homo ille de deo est habens ad patiendum quidem corpus , & passus est , sed naturam non habens ad dolendum . . parùm benè ab eo dictum est : mariam virginem praeter concipiendi , gestandi & pariendi ministerium , nihil addidisse de suo : ac fi christus non ex substantiâ corporis mariae carnem & sanguinem suam sumpsisset . . asserit , nos cum filio & patre unum esse naturâ , non adoptione , neque consensu tantùm . . de creatione sensit : omnia creationis opera simul & semel , sine intervallis aut ordine operum aliorum post alia creatorum , extitisse ; quae opinio manifestè cum . capite geneseos pugnat . . de libero arbitrio non satis videtur cauté locutus : cum ait . in psal. . . prius ( inquit ) quae à deo sunt cum honore praeposuit , & tunc quae à se cum confessione subjecit . orat igitur ut deus tribuat . est ergò à nobis cum oramus exordium , ut munus ab eo sit : dehinc quia de exordio nostro munus est ejus , ex nostro rursum est , ut exquiratur , & obtineatur , & maneat . item . est quidem in fide manendi à deo munus , sed impediendi à nobis origo est . et voluntas nostra hoc proprium ex se habere debet , ut velit deus incipienti crementum dare ; quia consummationem per se infirmitas nostra non obtinet , meritum tamen adipiscendae consummationis est ex imtio voluntatis . § . as concerning his end , i find this : that upon the death of constantius , iulian his successor granting liberty of returning unto all those that by constantius had been banished , hilary among the rest returned into his own country , where having remained by the space of six years he peaceably ended his days , in the reign of the emperors valentinian and valens ; a●n . christ , three hundred sixty six , or as others , three hundred sixty nine . finis . reader , you are entreated to correct the errors of the press , particularly that in page . for all visions read allusions . mantissa . this treatise which hath lain dormant by me for several years , was dispatch'd and put out of hand , before mr. dallee's book of the writings of dyonisius areopagitae and ignatius antiochenus saw the light , and had it then passed the press ( as it was very near to have done ) i had been saved this labour , and no contest had happened between the very learn'd dallee and my self . but coming to a view of it , when mine was adventuring into the world , i thought my self concerned to say somewhat ( and much it shall not be ) in vindication of the epistles of that holy martyr ignatius , as being at least in part genuine , and not wholly supposititious ; though it cannot be denied that both he and they have been not a little abused by bold and dis-inngenuous persons . having therefore perused what the perspicacious mr. dallee hath done upon this subject , i find that therein he hath given sufficient proof of his singular learning , judgment and industry : and had his great pains been confin'd to and level'd at , the further discovery of the vile injury that hath bern offered to the worthy monuments of that famous martyr and primitive pishop , and not the utter extinction of them , his undertaking might have proved much more acceptable and successful . he herein follows his coaetanian countrymen salmasius and blondel ; and of the more ancient , ( who yet were eight hundred years after christ ) nicephorus patriarch of constantinople , and anastasius the library keeper at rome , and these are the principal whom he names to have been of the same mind with himself herein , though the greatest part of learned men go a contrary way unto him . the method he proceeds in is this : . he endeavours to make out the imposture ( as he apprehends it to be ) by no less than sixty six arguments , drawn from the ancients making no mention of these epistles , especially such as preceded eusebius : as also from divers expressions and passages found in them , which we cannot imagine should ever drop from the pen of ignatius . . he undertakes to answer the arguments and objections against it , made by those that dissent from him herein . in answer to the first argument drawn from the silence of the ancients making no mention of them : besides what the learned dr. hammond hath said , viz. that he is clearly destitute of positives , whoever would make use of negatives , and saith bellarmine , arguments negatively drawn from authority conclude nothing : both these sayings mr. dalle sets down , chap. . i would offer to consideration . . that it is more than probable that ignatius did write epistles : this mr. dallee seems to grant : 't is not question'd ( saith he ) whether ignatius wrote epistles , ( for who is so foolish to deny that he writ some ) but whether he wrote those that are carried about . p. . again , why do we not follow that which is most likely , to wit , that the impostor having learned that some epistles were of old written by ignatius , and perceiving that they were now wanting , took counsel from thence to feign and put forth his own under the same name . p. . to which he subjoyns these words of the learned petavius , i verily deny not that the epistles of ignatius , have been interpolated and changed by the addition of certain things , and depraved ; and that some are supposititious : but that no epistles at all were written by ignatius , i verily think to be too rashly affirmed . p. . now if he did write epistles , we cannot but suppose that those of his time who had him in so high esteem , would with utmost care preserve them , and not suffer through their negligence so precious a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be lost : and if so , what hinders why these now remaining should not ( at least in part ) be some of them ? . 't is known that the ancients do but seldom make use of the writings of those that went before them , and when they do so they do it many times without naming the author from whom the passages are borrowed . so irenaeus is wont ( saith mr. dallee ) to bring and recite the sayings and sentences of eminent men more ancient than himself , delivered by them , whether written or by lively voice , without naming the authors . p. . again , mr. dallee in his treatise of the right use of the fathers , lib. . chap. . p. . if the fathers ( saith he ) would have but taken the pains to have given us notice every time , who the author was whose opinion they alledged , this manner of commenting upon the scriptures , would have been much more beneficial to us and less troublesome . but this they very seldom do , as you may observe out of the expositions of hilary , ambrose and others who robbing poor origen without any mercy , do not yet do him the honour so much as to name him scarcely . from the ancients not mentioning the epistles of ignatius therefore , to infer that they are none of his , is very inconsequent , seeing this was a practice very usual with them . . we find that polycarp who lived at the same time with ignatius , as also irenaeus and origen , ( who were all before eusebius ) do make use of some passages in those epistles : and the double testimony ( saith mr. dallee p. . ) of polycarp and irenaeus prevail'd with eusebius so far , that he doubted not but that it was ignatius his work . it is true that the arguments drawn from hence by the most reverend vsser , and learned dr. hammond , mr. dallee labours to enervate as of no sorce : but of what strength his solutions are we shall make some tryal by and by : and thus much for his first argument drawn from the ancients not mentioning , as he pretends , the epistles of ignatius . . as to his second argument fetched from the expressions and passages found in them , which cannot be conceived to have come from ignatius , but have been inserted by some latter hand : to this it may be answered , that many of these ( and too many of them have crept into ignatius his epistles ) have been observed and made mention of by others : though the diligent and quicksighted mr. dallee hath taken notice of and discovered many more . the first discoverers of the imposture from thence concluded ( as well they might ) that ●oul hands had been tampering with and defiling them : ( and who of the most eminent ancients have not been so dealt with by wretched men ; that so those worthies might seem to own some errors , which by this means these hucksters seek to impose upon the world , and would fain that they should be entertained by unwary readers ) but yet did not conceive this to be a sufficient ground altogether to disclaim and reject them , as not written by ignatius : et gradus non alterat speciem . and had mr. dallee proceeded no further upon his more narrow inspection into , and espyal of the fraud of those interpolators , good might have been done by his laudable pains , and the mischief of the deceit more fully prevented . but mr. dallee seems to have been too much swayed by nicephorus p. c. and anastasius the roman library keeper , whom he follows herein , who upon this only account ( as vsser thinks ) because they were interpolated and corrupted , did rank these epistles in the number of apochryphals : as mr. dallee tells us p. . though the instances produced by mr. dallee ( too many here to be repeated ) be looked on and yielded to have been since added by unworthy interpolators , yet may there be so much found remaining , as may make up those epistles as they came out of the hands of ignatius ; those epistles of his reckoned to be genuine , being much shorter in the time of eusebius than they are at this day . the interpolations therefore are no sufficient warrant for their utter rejection . petav. p. . the second branch of this discourse consists of his answer made to the arguments of dissenters , wherein they shew that the ancients before eusebius , did make use of divers passages from ignatius , and therefore is his pretence of their silence in this regard of no sorce to annul the epistles of ignatius . their first argument is drawn from the testimony of polycarp his contemporary , which is found in his epistle to the philippians . to which mr. dallee returns this solution . . that that epistle to the philippians is apochryphal . answ. those whose judgment this is , are the aforesaid nicephorus p. c. and anastasius bibli . r. who follows nicephorus herein as mr. dallee owns , p. . f. so that upon the matter it amounts to no more than one single testimony ; against which we may well oppose the contrary judgment of eusebius , much more ancient than they who mention that passage of polycarp , ( viz. that he had sent them as many epistles of ignatius as he had by him ) as contained in his epistle to the philippians , without any hesitation of its being his . hist. lib. . cap. . and quotes irenaeus , lib. . cap. . as owning it to be his : thus , there is ( saith he ) extant an epistle of polycarp unto the philippians , very profitable &c. hist. lib. . cap. . solut. . the author ( saith mr. dallee ) of that particle in polycarps epistle , ( viz. of ignatius himself , and those that are with him , signifie what ye know for certain ) intimates that when he writ it ignatius was living , but the author of the epistle most plainly affirms , ( using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) that he was dead : therefore wa● it inserted into the epistle by some other . answ. . were it so ; yet this makes not the whole epistle apocryphal but only corrupted , as those of ignatius have also been , for which cause nicephorus and anastasius reject them : and upon the same reason , as mr. dallee imagines , do they conclude that the epistle of polycarp also is apocryphal , p. . m. but how weakly , judge . and for this particle inserted mr. dallee , ibid. thinks it no crime to say , that those epistles , viz. of ignatius , which in this epistle of polycarp to the philippians , are said to be collected by him , were not collected by polycarp , a conjecture but slenderly bottom'd . yea mr. dallee grants that if those words put in by the impostor be left out , all the rest of the epistle agrees with the judgment of photius one of the successors of anastasius in the patriarchship who saith : there was read the epistle of polycarp unto the philippians , full of many admonitions , with plainness and simplicity . p. . m. it seems by this that photius ( a most learned writer as mr. dallee there stiles him ) did not account that epistle to be apocryphal , nor did the judgment of his predecessor sway him herein , which therefore he did not look on as of so much weight as mr. dallee esteems it to be . and whereas mr. dallee tells us that it is apparent that the particle contained in this epistle ( wherein is mentioned that a collection of ignatius his epistles was made by polycarp ) was inserted by the impostor , whence he concludes that the collection was not made by him : it seems not to be so apparent , for admit that particle not to be be so coherent with the preceding clause , as mr. dallee conceives , yet we know how usual it is in the close of epistles , to add somewhat beside the main intendment of them occasionally . besides , all that he gathers from the seeming incoherence is only this ; that those words seem to have been rashly and beside the mind of the author sown on by some other hand : and if any thing were added , saith he , by the author beside the above mentioned words , i should believe that those last words which follow after the place objected against , ( viz. scripsistis mihi et vos & ignatius , &c. where he speaks of the collection of the epistles of ignatius made by him ) were the words that were added . p. ● . so , saith he , expunging all that which is said of ignatius and his epistles , the whole clause of the epistle would run decently . thus he p. . and what amounts all this conjecture unto , but only this that from the seeming incoherence of that particle with the foregoing words , it seems to him and he believes , and p. . 't is his opinion concerning the objected place in polycarp's epistle , that that particle was added by the impostor . let the reader now judge whether these conjectural apprehensions of his be sufficient to invalidate polycarps testimony of the epistles of ignatius . but what can be imagined that the impostor should have in his eye , in adding this particle to polycarp's epistle ? seeing it hath nothing in it , beside a commendation of ignatius his epistles , but some particular affairs : what advantage could he gain by such an abuse ? oh much , saith mr. dallee : the impostor ( whom i think we need not look far for ) is even he without doubt , whom we have hitherto demonstrated by many and manifest proofs to have substituted , feigning the name of ignatius , epistles framed by himself to the holy martyr . this is indeed said by mr. dallee , but how doth it appear that he is the man ? and if he framed ignatius his epistles , then all or only some of them : all he could not , for some were extant before eusebius his time , who mentions divers of them . lib. . cap. . and he lived . an . . and the second collection being six in number , was made ( as the reverend vsser conjectures ) ann. . or , as the publisher of the constantinopolitan chronicle thinks , ann . . so the space of time between those mentioned by eusebius , if collected but in his time , and the second collection is by the former computation . . years , and by the latter . years , a time too long to imagine the impostor to have lived . if he were the forger but of some only , 't is demanded of which ? and of this i suppose it will be found somewhat a knotty difficulty to determine . besides , if some only be the impostors , then the remainder must be of some other , and if so why not of ignatius , being the commonly reputed father of them . . that the author of the epistle saith plainly that ignatius was then dead , is not so plainly to be found therein . for those expressions , viz. that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had finished the least act of his conflict , do not necessarily imply so much , but might be made use of upon this account , because he had been condemned , and was under the sentence of death , being now also in the way to his execution : for such are dead in law and looked on as in that state : as that phrase holds out , psal. . . according to the greatness of thy power , preserve thou those that are appointed to dye , or as the margin reads , the children of death . . the second argument or objection made by the dissenters , is drawn from the testimony of irenaeus ; who in his fifth book against heresies , towards the end hath these words : as one of our own , who for the testimony of god , was adjudged to the beasts ; said , i am the wheat of god , &c. solut. irenaeus saith not that he wrote those words , but only that he spake so : then it cannot be gathered that he saw any writing of ignatius . answ. . the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes indifferently both the thing uttered by the voice , and those delivered in writing also : so tit. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : one of themselves even a prophet of their own , said , this was written by epimenides the poet. so then notwithstanding the expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he might have that sentence from some writing of ignatius . . ierom and others report , that those words were uttered by him , when he was adjudged to the beasts , which was no small while before he encountred them . for after his sentence pronounced , he was led from syria to rome , a long journey , wherein he writ his genuine epistles , of which that to the romans was one , containing the words pronounced by him : so that probable it is that he spake those words more than once , between the time of his being sentenced aud executed ; and therefore may well be conceived to have made mention of them in an epistle . . mr. dallee concludes that irenaeus never saw or knew of any epistle of ignatius . . because he brings the authority of such as were elders before him , and disciples of the apoles against the error of florinus and of polycarp by name ; but mentions not ignatius . answ. . his not mentioning of ignatius , is but a slender argument to prove that he saw not any epistle of his , he might have some reason unknown to us of this his silence . . ignatius is no less contained in the word elders , than polycarp : for he saith in general that florinus never had his doctrine delivered to him from those elders , the disciples of the apostles : which expression ( elders ) comprehends and may be understood of ignatius as well as polycrap , who were both the disciples of the apostle iohn . . in that fragment of his epistle to florinus , he saith this only of polycarp : i , saith he , saw thee florinus , when i was yet a boy with polycarp in the lesser asia , &c. and then adds , if that holy and apostolick elder had heard any such thing , he would streight have stopp'd his ears . this therefore is but a weak proof that he never saw any of ignatius his epistles : but rather the contrary , he being as well as polycarp comprehended in the name elders . . because where he mentions the difference between anicetus , bishop of rome and polycarp , about the observation of easter , he speaks not a word of ignatius ; especially considering that peremptory saying of his ( in his epistle to the philippians ) that if any one observed easter with the iews , he is partaker with those that slew the lord and his apostles : anicetus might well have objected this to polycarp . p. . answ. you have little reason to say that the epistle to the philippians , was altogether unknown to irenaeus , because he made not use of this passage to anicetus : for 't is conceived that those words fell not from the pen of ignatius , but were since foisted in by some one that corrupted that epistle : we grant that irenaeus never read those words there , nor could he well , seeing they were not at that time there to be found : yet might he see that epistle as it came out of the hands of ignatius , which had no such blemish in it . . because he is of a contrary mind unto ignatius , about the time of christs abode upon earth : ignatius rightly conceiving that being baptized about the thirtieth year of his age , he remained on earth but three passovers after that time : whereas irenaeus thinks that he taught to his fortieth or fiftieth year . answ. . irenaeus was not bound to follow ignatius in every thing , if he had a peculiar apprehension of his own in this matter , what eminent men have not in some things had the like , wherein yet sometimes they have been in the wrong ? . irenaeus erring herein , thought he had reason for his opinion . mr. parker . lib. . § . . de descensu . speaks in his behalf . this tradition , saith he , of irenaeus carried in it a certain shew of truth , and seems to have a foundation from the scriptures : he , i. e. christ was called master , and had the perfect age of a master ; he came to save every age , therefore he passed through every one : thou art not yet fifty year old , ioh. . . therefore was he forty or upward : for the jews lyed not , or missed , twenty years . also irenaeus brings in men of great name for authors , namely the elders which had lived with iohn in asia . he quotes for this iren. lib. . cap. . . no marvel then that he was mistaken , and his dissent from ignatius herein , is but of little strength to prove , that he was altogether unacquainted with ignatius his epistles . i may here make use of mr. dallee's words , cap. . p. . where speaking of the disagreement of clemens alexandrinus from ignatius , about the time of christs preaching after his baptism , ( whereas ignatius saith it was three years , clemens saith it was but one ) he hath this passage : if clemens had known the judgment of so great a man as ignatius , without doubt he either for his piety would have followed it , or for his learning he would certainly have brought reasons and confirm'd it , why he thought not that to be followed : thus he . and this we find irenaeus to have done viz. to have produced reasons . . the third argument or objection made by the dissenters , is drawn from the testimony of origen , in whom are to be seen two passages of ignatius that are found in his epistles : the former in bom . in luc. cap. . where naming ignatius , i , saith he , found written in an epistle of his , that the virginity of mary was hidden from the prince of this world , epist. ad ephes. the latter out of his prologue to his commentary on the canticles : where he thus speaks . i remember that one of the saints spake thus of christ ; my love was crucified . so ▪ ignatius in his epistle to the romans . solut. the latter of these passages , he saith , that he spake but not that he writ so . answ. . the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies speaking either with the voice , or by writing : as doth also the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same import : as act. . . as some of your own poets have said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : instancing in a saying of aratus , in his poem entituled phaenomena . . he might both speak & write so too , see his answer to his solution of the first argument from the testimony of irenaeus . . solut. each place , saith he , alledged out of origen , is of uncertain and doubtful authority . answ. . if those places be dubious , then the passages of ignatius might be reported by origen as well as not : and the authority is of equal strength for the affirmative or negative ; nothing certain can be concluded from them . . erasmus his censure ( which you produce who thinks it none of his ) is not infallible : and merlin ( to whose pains we are beholding for one edition of origen , who therefore should be acquainted with his works ) is very confident that these commentaries are origen's . the reason for which they are judged to be the work of some latine author , seems not to be so cogent , viz. because some greek words are interpreted by latine : for this he might do for the help of those that might not so well understand some greek words ; which therefore needed explication . besides it is known that for origen's works , although he wrote them in greek , yet have we scarcely any of them at this day , but only in latine ; except his excellent answer to celsus in eight books . therefore these interpretations of divers greek words by latine ; and the saying that such a latine word or expression is rendred so or so in the greek , may be done by the translators of his works , which is most likely : from whence therefore it cannot be inferred that those commentaries are none of origen's . . for his homilies on luke they are not mentioned by either cook or rivet among the tracts falsely ascribed to origen ; which doubtless they would , and ( in such a work , their censure ) they ought to have done , had they judged them not to be origens . . ierom the interpreter of these homilies on luke thinks them to be origens , but a birth of his younger years , and not so elaborate , for some errors sprinkled amongst them . sixt. senens . in biblioth . which errors , as merlin imagines , were inserted by those that envied him . so that notwithstanding what is said by mr. dallee , those sayings of ignatius may have been related by origen , which he might be acquainted with from his epistles . . the fourth argument or objection made by the dissenters , is drawn from the testimony of eusebius bishop of caesarea , who in his ecclesiatical history , lib. . cap. . mentions six epistles of ignatius : so the reverend vsser accounts them , making that to the church of smyrna , and to polycarp their bishop to be the same , but others reckon seven , judging that to smyrna , and that to polycarp to be two distinct epistles : these six or seven ( saith mr. dallee p. . ) we confess that eusebius acknowledgeth and holds them to be truly the epistles of ignatius . to these mr. dallee's solutions are . . solut. his testimony is of no force being of a man that was two hundred years later than ignatius . answ. . the epistles of ignatius might well be preserved unto that time : many mens writings have remained many hundred years longer . . if so , then might eusebius well come to the sight of them though others not ; being a man so inquisitive after books , and pamphilus his intimate companion , most studious and diligent in erecting the library at cesarea , and searching after books : so ierom. iulius africanus began a well furnished library in the university of caesarea , ( saith middendorp of academyes lib. . ) which pamphilus and eusebius so enriched , that there is not a more famous one in the whole earth . being then so intimately acquainted with pamphilus ( as that he added his name to his own , being called eusebius pamphili ) and assistant with him ( who was very curious to find out the writings of those that went before him ) in compleating his library ; questionless they would not omit so precious a treasure as the epistle of ignatius ; which ( saith polycarp . epist. ad philip. ) are such , that from them you may reap great profit , for they contain faith , patience , and all edification pertaining to our lord. here then eusebius might come to see and peruse them , if he had them not among his own store . . the work he undertook and accomplished , ( viz. the compiling of an ecclesiastical history , wherein no one had gone before him ) required that he should be supplyed with fitting furniture for such an enterprise : who therefore being most inquisitive after the chief monuments of antiquity , doubtless would not neglect so choice a relique as those epistles , that might contribute not a little to his intended design . so that if ignatius writ any epistles , ( and , saith mr. dallee it were a foolish part in any to deny that he did , p. . ) who was more likely to obtain them ( reserved with utmost care by those that lived with him , as polycarp and the churches to whom he sent them ) than eusebius , so conducing to his purpose ? solut. he leans , saith mr. dallee upon a broken reed , viz. the two passages in polycarp and irenaeus , which are falsly said to be found in them , as hath been made to appear . answ. but we have shewed before that the allegations from them are a ground sufficient to prove that for which they were produced , and therefore i refer you to what hath been said hereof already . solut. he evidently overthrows this his opinion by somewhat laid down by himself elsewhere , ( which mr. dallee stiles his golden rule ) which is this , that no books inscribed with the names of the ancients , are to be accounted for true , but only those whose testimonies were made use of by men , either of the same or certainly of the next memory or age , euseb. lib. . c. . answ. eusebius his words are these : speaking of the second epistle of clement bishop of rome to the corinthians ) we have to learn , saith he , that there is a second epistle of clement which was not so received and approved of as the former , seeing we find not that the elders ( or ancients ) did use it . now the question may be what use of it eusebius means ? not that which mr. dallee intends , viz. their alledging of it in their writings ; but the publick reading of it in the churches : for so eusebius records of his first epistle . one undoubted epistle , saith he , of his there is extant , both worthy and notable , which he wrote from rome unto corinth , when sedition was raised among the corinthians : the same epistle we have known to have been read publickly in many churches both of old and amongst us also , hist. l. . c. . again , saith he , dionysius bishop of corinth writing an epistle to the romans , viz. unto soter their bishop , remembreth the epistle of clement thus : we have , saith he , this day solemniz'd the holy sunday , in which we have read your epistle and always will for instructions sake , even as we do the former of clement written unto us , hist , l. . c. , so that eusebius his golyen rule ( as your term it ) being thus misunderstood by you , proves in its right sence , as no way advantageous unto you , so no whit at all prejudicial unto him . thus have i spoken a word in the behalf of ignatius's his epistles , which notwithstanding what hath been said by the learned mr. dallee do not appear to be altogether supposititious : and that , though they have been basely abused by unworthy persons with their corrupt interpolations , yet have we to this day found among us some remains of the monuments of that eminent and glorious martyr . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e so is luther called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui divino motu fertur , numine afflatus : by urban rhegius in loc . com . vid. epist . joan. frederi in ante rhegit loc . com . nicephor . l. . c. . magd. cent ▪ , c. . ubi supr● . mat. . , . cent. ib. hieronym . catalog . scultet , in medul . episcopus post petrum antiochi● secundus . origen . hom . . cap. . in lucam . in synopss . eccles hist. l. . c. . merid. han●●●rs chronol . cent. . c. . baron . annal . an . . § ● . ib. § ● . baron . an . § . posseum . apparat . usher ignat. epist. theodoret. dialog . . serm. . in psal. qui habitat . montac●te . apparat . euagr. hist. l. . c. . eus. l. . c. . scultet . medul . trithem . de script . ●ivet . crit. sac. baron . an . . § . ibid § . ibid. § . exercitat , § . hist. . cap. . in catalog . script . ignat. epist. cap. . in catalog . exercitat . . cap. . hist. lib. . cap. . cap. . cent. . cap. . examen pat . . pag. . in censur . crit. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 scultet . in medull . lib. . advers . pelagi . rivet . crit . sac . ignat. epist . cap. . & . idem ibid. cap. . coci censur . usher ignat. geograph . lib. . hist. lib. . c. . cesarea augusta plinio , quae priùs anazarba . ptolem. geograph . lib. . c. . lect. antiq . lib. . cap. . vadian . epit . lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in geograph ▪ asi● . ibid. so also castabala , oppidum ciliciae . ptolem. geograph . lib. . c. . usher ignat. ep . cap. . biblioth . patr . in epist. epist. ad heronem . ad an . . § . ignat. epist. coci censur . epist. ad tarsens . epist. ad philip. ibid. epist. ad antioch . epist. ad polycarp . in medull . in notis in epist. lib. de script . quaest . . ad an . . § . usher . ignat. epist. ● cap. . descript. eccles. ad an . . § . apparat. coci censur . praefat. ad epist. ignat. in biblioth . patrum . edit . paris . . per magarinum la bigne . nihil naeniis illis , quae sub ignatii nomine editae sunt , putidius . calvin . institut . l. . c. . § . ad an . . § . scultet in medull . vedelius . ex usher . igna. epist. jerom. in catalog . ex epist. ad roman ex editione usheri . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ieron . ib. ex epist. eade●● . euseb. lib. ● . cap. . epist. ad magnesian . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in epist. ad ephes. in epist. ad magnesian . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . epist. ad ephes. &c. epist. ad magnesian . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ibidem . epist. ad philadelph . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . epist. ad ephes. epist. ad ephes. epist. ad trallens . epist. ad roman . scultet . in medull . baron . ad an . . § . in epist. ad roman . baron . ad an . . baron . ad an . . § . id. ad an . ● zonaras . tom. . p. orosius . l. . c. . in vitâ trajani . apolog. . john . . adrichom in theatro ptolem. geograph . lib. . cap. . jos. . . plin. lib. . cap. . magnin . geograph . epiphan . lib. . tom. . in colloq . cum triphon . apolog. . in colloq . cum triphon . antonin . chronic. cent. . cap. . euseb. lib. . cap. . acts . . in epist. ad lect. ante opera justin . epiphan . haeres . . trithem . de script . euseb. lib. . cap. . hieronym . epist. . euseb. lib. . ca. . & . & lib. . cap. . photius in biblioth . num . . in colloq . cum tryph. epist. ad lect . imperatorem benignum erga christianos homines fecit . o●os . lib. . ca. . euseb. lib. . cap. . lib. . ca. . in the knowledge of the h●ly scriptures are very diligently exercised therein . bellarm. de script . in catalog . quae ad no● pervenit . inquit euseb. lib. . ca. . de script . euseb. ibid. de script . cent. . c. . biblioth . num . . cent. ibib . in catalog . in appa●at . omnium consensu ipsi tribuuntur scultet . in medull . edit . parisiens . . gr . & lat . scultet . medullâ . ibid. de script . eccles. & baron . ad an . § . aelius , adrianus . baron . ad an . . § . in praefat●ad opera justini . cont. . c. ▪ possevin . in apparat . de script . eccles. scultet . in medul . scultet . in medul . rivet . crit . sac . in observat . ri et . crit . sat . note in hieronym . catalog . in bibloth . eccles. scultet . in medull . cent. ● . cap. . scultet . in medul . bellarm. de scrip. ibid. scultet . ibid. in apparat . ad an . . § . de script . eccles. bellar. ibid. & possevin . in apparat . cent. . cap. . in apparat . de scrip. scultet . in medull . & coci censur . & cent. . cap. . in dialog . cum tryphon . bibliotia . lib. . sylburg . in annotat. scultet . in medull . dr. james corruption of the futhers . coci . censur . cent. . cap. . apolog. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 president . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : with all his might or earnestly : thorndike of religious assembl . and service , cap. . rendred , langus , quamtum pro virili suâ potest . by gelenius ; quantum potest . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈…〉 dialog . cu● triphon . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . apolog. . pag. . gr . lat . edit . dialog . cum tryphon . pag. . ibid. pag. . pag. . dialog . cum tryphon . pag. . apolog. . p. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ ibid. p. ▪ apolog. . p. . ibid. p. . exhortat . ad graecos . p. . exhortat . ad graecos pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . victor . schol. in hieronym . catalog . hieronym . in catalog . hieronym . ibid. euseb. lib. . c. . pag , ● . edit . gr. & lat. paris . apolog. . page . sixt. senens . biblioth . lib. . annot . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . apolog. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 epit. hist. eccles. cent. . lib. . c. . apolog. . interprete gelenio . apolog. . pag. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cent. . c. . baron . cent. . c. . graecus asianus & fortè smyrnaeus fuit . possev . apparat . euseb. l. . c. . in ep , smynens . eus. l. . c. . 〈◊〉 . haeres . hie●●●mym . in ca●●log . greg. tu●onens . l. . hist. c. . in catalog . l. hist. . c. ● . cent. . c. . eus. l. . c. ● ▪ euseb. lib. . cap. . baron . ad a● . . § . fevard . in vitâ irenaei . cent. . c. . theodoret. h●ret . f●bul . lib. . baron . ad ▪ an . . euseb. lib. . cap. . . cent. . gallic● sanctâque libertate objurgat . feuard . in vita ejus . in vitâ irenaei . vir apostolicorum temporum , & papiae , auditoris egelistae joannis discipulus . hieronym . epist. . theodoret. dialog . . & haeret . fab . lib. . august . lib. . contra julian . tom . . baron . ad an . . ● § . sixt. sen●ns . biblioth . lib. lib. haeres . . cent. . cap. . ● trithem . de script . f●uard . in vitâ iren. epist. ante iren . cent. . ibid. tertull. advers . valentin . epiphan . haeres . . illyric . in catalog . epist. nuncupat . ante iren. hieronym . in catalog . miaeus . schol. in catalog . hieronym . euseb. lib. . cap. ● . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hieronym . ibid. ibid. possevin . apparat . cent. . cap. . in catalog ▪ euseb. lib. . cap. . hieronym . in catalog . tom. . epis. . euseb. lib. . cap. . & . anthropolog . lib. . biblioth . lib. . liber doctissimo & eloquentissimo sermone compositus . hieronym . epist. . lib. . cap. . biblioth . ▪ rivet . crit . sac . bellarm. catalog . script . registr . lib. . epist. ● . epist. nuncupat . ante iren. ibid. bellarm. in catalog . scrip. in epist. nuncupat . ante iren. in vita iren. rivat . crit . ●ac . ad an. . § . biblioth . lib. . in annotat. in lib. ter. tull . advers . valent. also our learned fulke . ireneus wrote in greek , and is translated into latine by one that followed very much the vulgar latin text in his preface to the epist . dedicat . ante tertull . in praefat. ad epiphan . in epist. ad . thomsonum num . . rivet . crit . sac . chitraeus . in orat. de stud . theolog . feuard . commonit . in . ab . irenaei . rivet . crit . ●ac . in praefat . ante iren. in argument . lib. . in epist. ante iren. cent. . cap. . in prooem . lib. . erasm. in epist. nuncupat . erasm. praefat . ante hilarium . lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . dispositiones dei. so doth the centurists render it . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in prooem . lib. . lib. ● . cap. . domesticitatem . lib. . cap. . lib. . cap. . lib. . cap. . lib. . . lib. . cap. . dictiones . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . lib. . pag. . cap. . feuardent . edit . estenim dies dominl . irenaeus antiquissimus theologus hoc nomen tanquam valdè consentaneum huic mysterio divinâ sagacitate indagavit . paraeus comment . in apoc. . lib. . ca. . edit . feuardent . lib. . cap. . lib. ● . cap. . 〈◊〉 sunt dictae . lib. . ca. . ch●risma . lib. . ca . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . euseb. lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . divini senis verba no●anda . casaub . exercitat . . p. ● . iib. . ca. . lib. . ca. . lib. . ca. . ibid. lib. . ca. . lib. . ca. . ibid. lib. . ca. . in catalog . papias . in argum . in lib. irenaei . crit. sac . commentar . atas . . c. . hist. lib. . c. . ad an . . § . ad an . . § . baron . ad an . . § . lib. . c. . biblioth . num . . cent. . c. . patria ●uit atheniensis . baro. ad an . . § . communis quaedam institutionis & eruditionis officina . diodor. sicul . biblioth . lib. . lib. de academ . c. . haeres . . nobilissimum orbiterrarum gymnasium . cicero . in epist. famil . l. . ep. . cent. . c. . baron . ad . an . . § . hieronym . in catalog . rhenan . in tertul. lib. de poenitent . ex euseb . l. . c. . epist. . cent. . c. . of these schools . see hospin . de orig . templor . cap. . cent. . c. . hospin . ibid. cent. . l. . cap. . orat. . de benefic . lib. . c. . geograph . cent. . c. hieronym . in catalog . magister illius ecclesi . ruffin . in apolog. pro origine . baron . ad an . . § . cent. . c . baron . ib. hieronym . in catalog . chemnit . examen . par . . baron ad . an . . § . ep. . mag. idem . in catalog . trithem . de script . bergoma . supplem . chron . nicet . coniat . orthodox . l. . cap. . casaub. exercitat . . in praefat . ad annotat . in clem. contra julian . l. . cent. . c. ▪ trithem . descript . euseb. l. . c. . hieronym . in catalog . lib. . c. . in catalog . lib. . c. . lib. . c. . apparat. ibid. honor. august . de script . eccles. cap. . de script . eccles. cent. . cap. . cent. ibid. sixt. senens . lib. . p●otius in biblioth . numb . . cent. ibid. nicephor . lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 it . in clement . in biblioth . num . . in edit . clement . in not . ad mar . in apparat . photius . biblioth . numb . . cent. cap. . lib. . cap. . trithem . de script . euseb. lib. . cap. . biblioth . lib. ● . in catalog . nicephor . l●b . . cap. . strom. lib. . strom. lib. . in animadvers . in athenaeum . lib. . cap. . schol. in hieronym . epist . . in vitâ origen . biblioth . lib . in epist. ante strom. treat . of the right use of the fathers . lib. . exercitat . . ad apparat . annal. baron . in epist. ante opera clem. heinsius in annotat . in clement . scultet . in maedull . heinsius in annotat . ibid. possevin . in apparat . libri stromateon octo sunt , adversus paganos atque haereses pugnath instituentes . photius . num . . heb. . . h●i●s . ibid. strom. lib. . strom. lib. . strom. lib. . quest. . de vitâ & opibus dionys. areopagit . contra celsni . pag. . strom. lib. . heins . in annotat . in biblioth . in medul . in annotat. chron. tom . . lib. . cap. . biblioth . patrum , tom . . ad an . . §. . rivet . crit. sac. lib. de an●mâ . rhodig . iect . antiq . lib. . cap. . biblioth . num . . ibid. cap. . erasm. adag . strom. lib. ● . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . strom. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , hesychius . strom. lib. . strom. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in protreptico . paedagog . lib. . cap. . strom. lib. . strom. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . strom. lib. . strom. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . paedgog . lib. . cap. . strom. lib. . euseb. lib , . cap. . niceph. lib. . cap. . strom. lib. . euseb. nic●ph . ibid. scultet . in medull . augustin . de heres . heins . annotat . lib. . ca. . in biblioth . strom. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . comment . in augustin . de haeres . cap. . § . lib. . cap. . strom. lib. . in protreptico . gratian. part . . distinct . . 〈…〉 ● . § . because lactantius deny●d the substance of the holy ghost ; quis mihi interdicere potest , ne legem institutionum ejus libros , quibus contra gentes scripsit fortissimè , quia superior sententia dete●tanda est . hieronym . epist. ad pammach . & oceanum , de errorib . origen . strom. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strom. lib. . exercitat . . § . strom. lib. . ibid. in examin . parte . detradit . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in protreptico . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . strom. lib. . ibid. ce●t . . cap. . lib. advers . h●rmogen . in argumen . lib. tertull. advers . valentinian . coloss. . . epist. ad pammac● . & oceanu● de orrorib . orig. patrum nonnulli sunt , qui pro eâ quâ imbuti fuerunt adolescentes in scholis ethnicorum philosophiâ naturae viribus plus aequo tribu●●t . arrowsm . tactic . lib. . cap. . § . cent. . cap. . comment . in rom. . . strom. lib. . cent. . cap. . strom. lib. . & . cent. . cap. . cent. . cap. . in catalog . pamel . in vitâ tertull. geograph . lib. . hist. natural . lib. . cap. . pamel . ibi●● hieron . in catalog . ● baron . ad an . . §. . sixt. senens . lib. . lib. . cap. . lib. . cap. . advers . jovinian . lib. . ad an . . § . in catalog . nicephor . lib. . c. . in vitâ ter-tertull . in apolog. pamel . in vitâ tertull. euseb. lib. . cap. . clericorum nominatissimis romanae urbis . opus detemporib . mundi . in vitâ tertull . in catalog . cent . rhenan platina . nicephor , &c. cent. . cap. . pa●el . in vitâ . scultet 〈◊〉 medull . lib. de patient . pamel . in vit● . concil . tom . binnii notae invit . victor . rhenan . in argument . lib. tertull. advers . valentinian . baron . ad an . . controvers . tract . . q. . § . baron . ad an . . § . . lib. advers . valentinian in annotat . in loc . baron . ●ibid . hilar. in math. ● . gratian. par . . distinct . . cent. . c. . rivet . crit . sac . tom. . epist . . augustin . de haeres . c. . praefat. an t . opera tert. rhenan . in argument . in tertul. exhort . ad castitat . hoc tum apostolis , tum ●ypriano ( in exhortat . martyri● quoniam inquit , in fine 〈…〉 august . de haeres . c. . baron ad an . . § . gal. . ● . gal. . . cor. . . treatise of the use of the fath●rs lib. . cap. . vid. lib. de mon. cap. . et li. contr . psych . cap. ● . s● also meri● casaubon , it 's true he bacame a m●nt●nist or was 〈◊〉 so at least ; though in very deed he never was of his congre●ation or belief , generally : but in matter of private revelations only . treatise of enthusias●● . rhenan . in praefat . & in annotat . in lib. de cor . milit . item in arg●m . in li. de carne christi . primus latinorum qui quidem extet . theologus aventi● annal . rhenan . in praefat . hieronym . in catalog . zeph. in argum in apogoletic . rhenan . in argu● . in lide patient . 〈◊〉 institut . lib. . 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . mag●● epist. . rhenan . in praefat . cent. . c. . pamel . in vitâ . in praefat . in hilarium . pamel . in vitâ . cent. . c. . erasm. in prolegom . a●te grigen . cent. . c. . rhenan . argum . in lib. de patient . danzus . in aug. de haeres . cap. . baro. ad an . ● . §. . contra haeres . c. . in aug. in heres . c. . hieronym● in catal . pamel . in vitâ . diogen . laert . in vitâ ejus . fertur multa , quae non extant opuscula condididi●le . hieron . in cata . hieronym . advers . jovinian . lib. . in vitâ tertul . annal . ad an ▪ . § . epist. . hieronym . in catal . de papiâ . lib. de a●imâ . cap. . tertul. lib. de carne christi c. . epiphan . haeres . . de heraes . c. . in annot . in li. de carne christi . ter. pamel . fragment . tert. hieronym . in cat . rhenan . praefat . in opera tertu . in vitâ calisti . de script . eccles. cap. . de script . eccles. contra marcion . lib. . abdiam prophet . inproleg . ante lib. tertul. ad nationes . in argumen . lib. trrtul . de resurrect . ●arn . hyper. de rat . stud . theolog. scultet . medull . rhenan . argument . in l●b . august de heres . cap. . in apolog. pro zuingl . cent. . cap. . scultet . in medull . mynfinger . schol. in mistitut . just. lib. . in vocabulario . in medull . see also chamier . tom . . lib. . cap. . baron . ad an . . § . epist. de discer . spi●itib . rhenan . in argument . pamel . in arg●ment . lib. . cap. . epiphan . haeres . . augustin . de haeres . cap. . rhenan . in annotat . rhenan . in argument . idem . in annotat . dan●us in august . de haeres . cap. . nicet . choniat . thesaur . orth. ●id . lib. . cap. . pamel . & rhenan . in argument . rhenan . ibid. pamel . in vita . rhenan . in argument . augustin . de haeres . cap. . danaeus in hunc lib. ●ap . . pamel . in paradox . tertull. in admonit . de tertull. dogmat . tertull. principio lib. rhenan . in argumen● ▪ scultet . in medull . rhenan . ibid. ●e kins . problemat . in annotat. numb . rhenan . in argument . rhenan . in annotat . pamel . in annotat . rhenan . in argum . pamel . in argum . rhenan . in argum . tertul. ad uxor . lib. ▪ sub finem . rhenan . in argum ▪ ●pist . de fu●● in persecut . ●d an . . § . rhenan . in argum . rhenan . ●n argum . scultet . in m●dull . rhenan . in argum . pamel . in vitâ . hieronym . in catalog . rhenan . in argum . pamel . in argum . tertul. de 〈…〉 animae . scultet . in medull . treatise of the right use of the fathers , lib. . cap. . lord digby's second letter . in his answer to the iesuits challenge . cap. ult . d● animâ . pamel . in vitâ tertul. brisson . de formul . li. . baron . ad an . . § . pamel . in annotat . num . . tertul. de baptism . pamel . in argum . scultet . in medul . in annot . in hunc lib. advers . vigilant . baron . ad an● . § . this was also the doctrine of basilides the heretick ▪ see origen . tom. . in math. tract . . pamel . in vita tertul. pamel . in argum . scultet . in medul . baron . ad an . . § ● . in hoc libr● est vehementior . lib. de pudicit . paulo post initium ▪ veteres boni ominis causa● bonū factū praefari solebant in edictis . tu●neb . adversa . l. . c. . scultet . in medull . epist. damaso . num . . math. . . ●ame . in adnotat . see rhenan . annot . in lib. tertul. advers . praxe● scultet . in medul . baron . ad an . . § . comment . in math. scult●t . in medul . biblioth . sanct . l. . this was written by him in the latine tongue , saith nicephorus , l. . c. . but translated into greek . pamel . in argument . in epist. ad magnum . zephyr . in argument . panel . in vitâ tertul. ibid. baro. ad an . . § . de haeres . lib. . in prolego . ante notas in l. tertul. ad nationes . epist. ad magnū . . novatianus scripsit de cibis judaicis . honor. augusto dunens . descrip . eccles. also , hieronym . in catalog . scultet . in medul . pamel . edit . tertull. in catalog . script . ctitic . sac. ruffin . in apolog . pro origin . pamel . in argument . sixt. seneus . bibloth . sanct. l. . in apolog. advers . ruff. rivet . crit. sac. in catalog . parker . de descens . l. . § . pamel . in frag . tertul. in catalog . script . & controvers . de christo. l. . c. . pamel . in argument . cent. . l. . in medul . ba●on ad an . . § rhenar . in argument . ibid. scultet . in medull . index expurgat . pe● francise . junium . cent. . c. ● rivet . crit. sac. in argumen● . treat . of the use of the fathers part . . cap . in argum . ad an . . § . pamel . edit . tom . biblioth . patr. tom. . praefat. in tom. . in epist. ante ●ilar . de ●eres . ca. . nicephor . hieronym . epist. . sixt. senens . lib. . in vitâ ter. lactant. inst . lib. . cap. . instit. lib. ● ▪ cap. . § . in argum . in apologetic . casau● . exercitat . facundia ejus fe●rea . erasm. e● ▪ ante hilar. pet crinitus . lib ▪ . de poetis lat. de honest . disciplin . li. . cap . lib. . lib. de tradend . discip . epist. ante hilar. epist. . ad he●iodor . pamel . in vit● tertul. brerewoods inquiries cap ▪ . pamel . inadnot . in lib. de praescript . num . . pamel . in vitâ tertul. in aug. do haeres . c. ● . biblioth . sanct . lib. . novator vocabulorum tertullianus pamel . in adnot . in lib. de prescript . num . . & rhenan . in annot . in lib. eundem . epist. ante hilar. hieronym . in ●atal . duri in genil . baron ad ●n . . § . pamel . in ●pist . dedicat . rhenan . in argum . lib. ad ers . valentin . in praefat . ante tertul ▪ bond. in ep●st . ad lectorem . in annot . in lib. tertul. advers . valentin . hoc erat illius aetatis praeter s. scripturas neminem nominatim citare eras. epist. ante hilar. in vita tertul . rhenan . in annot . in lib. a●vers . valentin . lib. . cap. . lib. de veland . virg . l. de praes●rip . ad●er . h●res . pri●oomniū emissu● . delatum . vicariā vim sp sancti . qui agat . factâ utrius● ; partis resuscitatione . 〈◊〉 . b. lib. advers . 〈◊〉 de praescrippotat . pamel . in notis . martyrio exhortatnr . lib. de praescript . in apolog. quasi manu factâ ambiamus . pro●statu sculi . pro morâ finis . densamus . in apolog. praegustetur in apolog. in apolog. & lib. ad scapulam . in apolog. lib. de resurrect . carn . in apolog. lib. advers . hermogen . lib. de carn . christ. glebae , saxa . calculi . lib. de patient . remissa . lib. de resurrect . fidelissimum sequestrem dei & hominum . seponitur . lib. de spectacul . vita sufficiens . of marriage . lib. . ad uxorem . angeli renunciant obsignatum . volutantur . so albaspin . in notis . in annotat . in loc . womans ornaments . lib. de cult . foeminar . lib. de spectacul . lib. de praescript . of hereticks . ipsum esse illic pro. meter● est . osiand . epit . hist. cent . . lib. . cap. . august . de haeres . cap. . lib. advers . praxeam . aug. ibid. lib. advers . hermog . lib. de carne christi . lib. advers . praxeam . lib. . advers . haeres . lib. de trinitat . august . de ▪ h●res . c. . lib. de trinitat . ●ib . advers . praxeam . controvers . de christo. lib. . cap. . in argum . lib. de carue christi . in argum . lib. advers . praxeam . epist. . tranquillino . thess. . . hieronym . epist. pammach . & oceano . n. . lib. de resurrect . carnis . & saepius alibi . lib. advers ▪ praxeam . initio . hieronym . advers . vigilant . rhenan . in annotat in lib. ad●ers . praxeam . lib. de praescript . sculte● in medul . lib. lib. cap. . erasm. in vitâ origen . lib. . advers . marci●n . l●k . . lib. advers . marcion . lib. advers . judaeos . exhortat . ad castitat . lib. develand . virginib . lib. de fug . in persecut . lib. de idololatr . lib. de habit . muliebr . lib. . advers . marcion . lib. de anim● . ●x traduce . lib. de haeres . cap. . in vitâ tertull . in lib. august . de haeres . cap. . cent. . cap. . 〈◊〉 . part . . lib. de coron . m●lit . trithem . de script . hieronym . in catalog . in vitâ tertull . cent. . cap. . in vitâ tertull . erasm. adag . didymus scripsisse super ter mille & quingentos libros perhibetur . meurs . in notis in hesych . de illust . epist. . marcello . victor . schol. in hieronym . biblioth . cap. . erasm. in vitâ orig. euseb. lib. . cap. . in verb. origen . euseb. lib. . cap. . cent. . cap. . erasm. in vitâ origen . euseb. lib. . cap. . hieronym . in catalog . cent. . cap. . gabriel powel in his discourse of the unlawfulness of toleration , speaking of this paulus , and this very passage , adds ( as i think , saith he , samosatenus ) who was bishop of antioch : as euseb. lib. . cap. . erasm. in vitâ origen . hieronym . in catalog . tom. . in severo . euseb. lib. . cap. . euseb. lib. . cap. . cent. . cap. . hieronym . in catalog . & epist. ad pammach . & ocean . euseb. . cap. . euseb. lib. . cap. . ●rasm . in vitâ origen . in virgil. aeneld . lib. . suidas in verbo . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . genial . dier . dier . lib. . cap. . advers . jovinian . lib. . & in epist. ad ageruchiam viduam de monogamiâ . n. . lect. antiq . lib. ▪ cap. . alex. ab . alex . ibid. lib. . cap. . hist. natural . lib. . cap. . in exam . part ▪ . can. . bin. concil . can . . euseb. lib. . cap. . ad an . . § . erasm. in vitâ origen . in catalog . epiphan . haeres . . hieronym . in catalog . & schol. miraei in loc . euseb. lib. ● . cap. ● . cent. . cap. . osiand . epit . hist. cent . . lib. . cap. . cent. . cap. . hist. eccles. lib. . cap. . euseb. lib. . cap. . euseb. lib. . cap. . de script . eccles. hist. eccles. epit. n●●cler . zonoras . chronic. urspergens . osiander . hist. eccles. epit. euseb. lib. . cap. . erasm. in vitâ origen . ibid. ad an . . §. . in notis in hieronym . catalog . in hyppolyto . adversar . lib. . c. . lib. . ep●gr . . so jerom calls nepotian . epist. ad helio d●rum . num . ● . hieronym . in catalog . cent. . cap. ● . eras● . in vitâ origen . hieronym . in catalog . ad an . . § . eras● . ibid. cent. . cap. . osiand . cent . ● . lib. . cap. . niceph. lib. . cap. . ●●eronym . in catalog . euseb. lib . cap. . & ● . ut rem piam & fortem approbaverat . cent . . cap. . erasm. in vitâ origen . euseb. lib. . cap. . ad reformationem ecclesi● su● osiander . in epitom . fra●m . in vitâ origen . euseb. lib. . cap. . hieronym . in catalog . baron . adan . . § . euseb. l. . cap. . hieronym . in catalog . angelocrat . in epit . con. euseb. lib. . cap. . de h●res . cap. . & dan●us in com . in loc . euseb. lib. . cap. . epip . h●r . . euseb. l. . cap. . eras. in vitâ origen . jam scil . quando in eo erat vitae gravitas & maturitas ●tatis & mult● experienti● authoritas . haymo . eccles . hist. lib. . cap. . t●●ihem . de script . hieronym . epist. ad pammach . n. . in vitâ orig. in epist. ante opera orig. eras in vitâ origen . hieronym . in catalog . in vitâ orig. optimis disciplinis omnifariam excultus . rhenan . in epist. ante opera orig. eras. in vitâ origen . see polydor. virg. de● inventor . rec . lib. . cap. . in catalog . euseb. l. . cap. . baron . ad an . . § . in praefat . ad lib. . lect . antiq . eras. in vitâ origen . opus de temp-mundi . socrates . l. . cap. . euseb. lib. . cap. . . bacon . essay . . hieronym . epist. . epist. . trithem . de script . eras. in vit● origen . epist. pammach . n. . ibid. eras. in vit● origen . ibid. grinaeus in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ante origen . in genes . trithem de script . hieronym . in catalog . hieronym . epist. . 〈◊〉 paulam . hieronym . epist. . pamach . & oceano . in epist. ante opera origen . biblioth . l. . ratio verae theologiae . tarinus in epist. ante philocal . in polycronic . epist. . & . in praefat . ante li. heb. nom . in prooem . quaest . in genes . hieronym . epist. . hieronym . in catalog . in orat. panegyric . ad origenem . fascicul . temp . euseb. lib. . cap. . trithem . de script . euseb. ibid. erasm. invitâ origen . suidas . euseb. lib. . cap. . lib. . annal . ●●ior●m . contra haeres . cap. ● . in math. . . & in decret . nicen. synod . erasm. in vit● origen . eras● . ibi● . ruffin . in 〈◊〉 . ad chromatium in perorat . translator . sixt. senens . bibl. lib. . chap. . of rhetorical enthusiasm . such a one was boethus cujus facilitas apud tarsenses maxima videbatur , adeo ut ex tem●ore meo magno , impetu ad — omnem datam materiam 〈◊〉 ret . strab. geo-graph . lib. . erasm. in vitâ origen . sixt. senens . lib. . erasm. in vitâ origen . frasm. ibid. euseb. lib. . cap . de 〈…〉 vir nobilis & non inelegantis ingenii . hieronym . in catalog . apolog. advers . ruffin . lib. . epist. . pammach . is●dor . hispal . in orig. lib. . cap. . apolog. advers . ruffin . lib. . hieronym . epist. . vincent . lyrineus . aul. gell. ●oct . attic. lib. . cap. . hist. nat. lib. . c. . august . de civit. dei . lib. . cap. . mir●us in not . in hieronym . catalog . in notis in hesych . de viris illustrib . epist. . in censur . orig. in lib. job . treat . of the use of the fathers : lib. . cap. . in prolog . ante homil . origen . in ezech. in censur . in lib. origen . vid. sixt. senens . lib. . vacationes . p. . cent . . cap. . sixt. senens . biblioth . lib. . in vitâ origen . isido . hispa . orig. lib. ● . c. . epist. . pam●ach . sixt senens●ibl . lib. . erasm. in censur . lib. origen . scultet in medull . in apolog. ● . advers . ruffin . hieromyn . 〈◊〉 . & apolog. . ad●ers . ruffin . 〈…〉 baron . ad an . . hieronym . in praefat . in josuam . field of the church . lib. . c. . lib. de mensur . euseb. lib. . cap. . epiphan . lib. de mensur . miraeus . in notis in catalog . hieronym . buxtorf . epist. dedicat . ante lex hebr. miraeus in auctar . de s●ript . eccles . de script . eccles. sixt. senens . bibl . lib. . buxtorf . ibid. praefat. in lib. job . bellarm. de verb. dei . lib. . cap. hieronym . praefat . in dan. sixt. senens . bibl . lib. . bellarm. ibid. euseb. lib. . cap. . buxtorf . ibid. euseb. ibid. sixt. senens . lib. . in censur . in lib. origen . sixt. senens . ibid. epiphan . de mensur . baron . . § . field of the church , lib. . cap. . encyclopaed . hist. controv. de scriptur . cap. . in psal. . serm. . sixt. senens . lib. . dever . dei. . cap. . fiel . lib. . cap. . baron . adan . . § . * masius in epist . dedicante josuam . : epist. august . numb . . praefat. in lib. paralip . de origen . lib. . cap. . baron . ad an . . § . . in epist. dedicat . ante josuam . hieronym . advers . ruffin . treat . of the fathers : lib. . epist. dedicat . ante josuam . hesychius aegypti episcopus marian. schol. in hieronym . ep●st . lucianu● ecclesiae antiochenae prebyter hieronym . in catalog . sixt. senens . lib. . hieronym . advers . ruffin . hieronym . epist. ad magnum , numb . . sixt. senens . lib. . euseb. lib. . . respons . . hieronym . in praefat . in lib. heb. nom . euseb. lib. . cap. . cent. . cap. . hieronym . advers . ruffin . ad an . . § . euseb. l. . cap. . an. . in specul . hist. lib. . cap. . & haymo hist. eccles. lib. . cap. . lib. . cap. . trithem . de script . bellarm. de script . sixt. senens . lib. . euseb. lib. . cap. . sixt. senens . ibid. ibid. de script . eccles. sixt. senens . ibid. deverb . dei . lib. . cap . euseb. lib. . cap. . prolog . in cantic . ibid. sixt. senens . lib. . lib. . cap. . lib. . cap. . euseb. lib. . cap. . sixt. senens . lib. . lib. . cap. . in catalog . pamphilus . in praefat , in osee. sixt. senens . lib. . descript. eccles. hist. eccles. lib. . cap. . sixt. senens . lib. . ibid. apolog. . advers . ruffin . & in prooem . ant● comment . in ephes. sixt. senens . lib. . epist. . alexand. & minerio . sixt. senens . lib. . eras. in lib. orig. cens . in epist. ante hilar. eras. cens . de comment . in ep . ad rom. id. in cens . in hom . in levi. treat . of the fath. l. . c. . see an addition in hom . . de verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . scultet . in medull . apol. adver . ruffin . epist. . ad principiam virginem . ante hom . in gen. eras. in cens . hom . in gen. suppl . berg. eras. n. ib. grynaeus . ante libr. sixt. senens . l. . de script . eccles. trithem . de script . grynaeus . & merlin . in perorat . in ad roman . in cens . in libr. origen . in loc . rivet . cri● . sac. eras in cens . spuriae sunt , ut quae abundant soloecismis . perk. in problemat . erasm. ib. questionable riv. cri. sac. sixt. sen. l. . ans. to iesuits chall ▪ sixt. senens . lib. . in censur . coci censur . eras. in cens . locutulei . eras. in cens . in apparent . in epist. ante hilar. dr. jam. of the corrupt . of the fathers . coci censur . in ceasur . in censur . coci censur . eras. in cens . de script . eccles. in medull . dr. jam. of the corrupt . of the fathers . coci censur . cent. . c. . erasm. in censur . in censur . in cens . in lib. origen . post. homil . in cantic . b●●●ioth . san●● . lib. . in catalogo . epist. damaso . 〈…〉 erasm. in censur . ante homil . in esai . sixt. senens . lib. . erasm. in censur . in catalog . sixt. senens . lib. . eras. lectori ante hunc commentar . cent. . c. . sixt. senens . bellarm. grynaeus . & merlin . lectori epist . ante comment . sixt. senens . lib. . erasm. ibid. in lib. usher . de brit. eccles. primord . cap. . erasm. in censur . sixt. senens . lib. . casaub. exercitat . . § . in lib. in fine . merlin . in praefat . sixt. senens . lib. . gryneus : ad calcem commentar . bellarm. de script . in censur . bellarm. de script . ante hanc homil . sixt. senens . lib. . bellarm. de script . nullius est ponderis holloix : in quaest . . devita dionys. areopag . sixt. senens . lib. . nec cujus sunt authoris nec quant● antiquitatis facilè sciri potest . holl●i● . ibid. bellarm. ibid . coci censur . lib. . biblioth . sanct . erasm. in censur . in prolog . antelib . in comment . in epist. paul. disputat . . in prologo ad an . . § . hieronym . in apolog . . advers . ruffin . lib. . advers . ruffin . epist. paulino . num . . epist. ocea●o . num . . hieronym . epist. . baron . ad an . . § . praefat. ruffin . in lib. epist . a●itonum . . concil . tom● . opus elencticum & dogmaticum haeschel . in epist. ante libr. rhenan . in epist. ante opera origen . origen . contr . cel. cels . prooem . & sub ●inem . ad an . . § . scultet . in medull . miraeus in scl●ol . in catalog . hieronym . in epist. dedicat . ante edit . gr. lat. de script . eccles. humph. in praefat . ante libr. rivet . crit . sac . in argument . operis per doct. humphred . coronis tertii dialogi . answ. to the iesuits chal . in catalogo . haeres . . ad an . ● , § , &c. treat of the fathers . lib. . g●ynaeus ante lamentum . gratian. distinct . . bellarmin . de script . ibid. in medull . in notis in philocal . tarnius ante opus . sixt. senens ▪ lib. . merlin . in epist. ante . apolog . origen . vin●ent . lyrinens . contra haeres . cap. . in prolog . ante roman . hieronym . in catalog . erasm. de phras . origen . origenis sermo mirè perspicous . erasm. in epist . ante hila● . ibid. de ration . stud . theolog . lib . lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in prooem . tract . in math. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cap. . divino cothurno . homil. . in jerem. homil. . in joshuah . in epist. ad ▪ roman . c. ● . ver . . item . in levit. cap. . ver . . homil. ● . item . in lue , cap . homil . . in lib. numeror . cap. . in josuah . cap. . matth. . . in josuah . cap. . 〈…〉 . lib. . euseb. lib. . cap. . ibid. cor. . . in cant. homil. . in job lib. . item in matth. cap. . hieronym . ●p . ad pammach . merlin . in apolog. origen . vid. baron . ad an . . § . haeres . . gennad . de script . socrates , lib. . cap. . binnius . concil . tom . . ibid. in epist. ad johan . hierosolymitan . in biblioth . numb . . advers . vigilant . ep . . advers . ruffin . lib. . epist. . pammach . caesarii . dialog . inter opera nazianzen . in rom. . . grynaeus . in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in genes . in apolog. advers . ruffin . baron . ad an . . § . ipse quidem ( pamphilus ) proprii operis nihil omnino scripsit ( inquit ruffinus invita pamphili ) exceptis epistolis . hieronym . apolog. . advers . ruffin . biblioth . num . . bellarm. de script . horum tu primum librum vertis sub nomine martyris , inquit , hienym . apolog . . advers . ruffin . possevin . apparat . sixt. senens . lib. . merlin . apolog . ante opera origen . fascicul . temp . biblioth . patr. tom . . cap. . prati spiritual . possevin . apparat . & aloys . lipoman . in epist. ad lect . ante libr. in apalog . pro origen . possevin . apparat . in sophronio . contra socrates hist. lib. . cap. . epist. . inter hieronym . epist . 〈…〉 ad ●tesiphontem . zonaras . tom. . libr. advers . haeres . c. . haeres . . de adulter . lib. orig. sixt. senes . lib. . dicet aliquis corruptos esse origenis libros : nó resisto ; quin potiùs & malo . vincent . contra haere . c. . in apolog. hist. eccles. lib. . c. . mirandul . in apolog . pro orig. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hieroym . epist. . pammach . & oceano . supple . bergomens . gennad . de script . in vit● martini . l. . ibid. cent. . lib. . cap. . epist. . pammach . cent. . l. epist. adver . vigilant . num . . tom. . l . c. . epist. pammach . n. . apolog. adv . ruffin . l. . epist. ad theop. n. . ep. ad avita . num . . epist. . hist. eccles. lib. . c. . in medull . epiphan . haeres . . dan●us . in aug. de haeres . c. . ad an . . § . in apolog. in apolog. in vitâ cypriani . hist. eccles ▪ l. . c. . lib. . c. . euseb. hist. l. . c. . hieronym . in catalog . 〈◊〉 . . c. . horace . eras. in vitâ origen . hist. l. c. euseb. l. . cap. . baron . ad an . . epist. . pamel . in vitâ nazianz. orat . . pontius in vitâ . lactant. de institut . lib. . cap. . nazianz. ibid . epist. . § . edit . goula●t . ad an . ● . § . pamel . in vitâ . pontius in vitâ cypr. cent. . cap. . baron . ad an . . § . in jonan cap. . ad an . . §. . pontius in vitâ . post non multum temporis electus in presbyterum etiam episcopus carthagi●iensis con●titutus est . hieronym . in catalog . pontius in vitâ . ad an . baron . ad an . . § . cent . cap. . pamel . in vitâ . baron . ad an . ● ▪ . § . in vitâ cypr. pontius in vitâ . baron . ad an . . § . pamel . in vitâ . epist. . § . in vitâ cypr. pamel . in vitâ . cypr epist. . § . & epist . . § . & epist. . pontius in vitâ . pamel . in vitâ . baron . ad an . . § . pamel . in vitâ . baron . ad an . . § . pamel in vitâ . euseb. lib. . c. . baron . ad an . . § , . h●nce cyprian calls novatus interfector poenitentiae . baron . ad an . . § . ibid. § . ibid. § . august . de haeres . cap. & danaeus in comment . pamel . in vitâ . baron . ad an . . § . pamel . in vitâ . epist. . epist. cypr. . pamel . in vitâ . go●lat . in notis in cypr. epist. . n. . angelocrat ▪ epit. concil . gesner . hist. concil . pamel . in vitâ . euseb. lib. . cap. . gesner . hist. concil . baron . ad an . . § . pamel . in vitâ . baron . ad an . . § . baron . ad an . . pamel . in vitâ cypr. baron . ad an . . § . . ibid. § . . bin. d● concil . tom . . binnius ibid. baron . ad an . . § . ibid. . daille of the fathers , lib. . baron . ad an . . § . . . ibid. § . baron . ad an . . § . pamel . in vitâ . plin. hist. nat . lib. . cap. . in geograph . lib. . baron . ad an . ▪ § . pontius in in vitâ cypr. pamel . in vitâ . in orat . in laudem cypr. ingenio faceto , copioso , suavi & aperto . lactant. lib. . cap. . pamel . in vitâ . nazianz. in orat . in laud. cypr. ibid. possevin . in apparat . in rhetoric . eccles. lib. . cap. . § . de doct . christ. lib. . cap. . epist. . tit. . . cor. ● . . act . . ● . in notis in nazianz. orat ▪ . de baptis● . contr● do ratist . lib. . cap. . in orat . in laud cyprian . pontius in vitâ cypr. augustin . contr . dnas epist. pelagianor . lib. . cap. . contrà crescon . prammatic . lib. pontius in vitâ . in praefat . ante opera cypriani pontius in vit● ejus . de baptism . contr . donatist . lib. . cent. c. . scultet . in medull . pontius in vitâ ejus . job . , , . pamel . in vitâ ejus & in notis in epist . . epist. . § . in notis . num . . see brerewood de pretiis vet . nummorum . pamel . in vitâ ejus . cypr. ep. . epist. . § . pontius in vitâ ejus . august . contrà donatist . lib. . & contrà crescqu . lib. . epist. . § . 〈◊〉 . concil . tom. . nazianz in orat. in laud. cypr. lyrinens . contr . haeres . cap. . in praefat . ante opera cypr. in medull . contrà crescon . lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vitâ cypr. hieronym . in catal . strigel . cited in criseis melancthon . ad laetam epist. . bucholcer chronolog . in passione cyprian . apud pamel . epist. ad paulinum . n. . marian victor . in schol. erasm. in praefat . ante opera cyprian . pamel . in vitâ ejus . in orat. de lect patr ante loc . commun . rivet . crit. sac. for they have been bold to add not only sundry epistles , but have blotted and blurred divers of them , which were most evidently written by that blessed martyr , dr. james , of the mysteries of the indic●● expurgat . cent. . c. . index ante opera cypr. edit . goulart . pamel . praefat . ad lectorem . ●oulart . in epist. ante opera cypria . coci censur . bilson ' s difference . in epist. ante opera cypr. in medall● pat●um . cent. . c. . in annotatiuncul . erasm. in praefat . ante opera cypr. de script . eccles. chronic. ad an . . baron . ad an . . § . de doct . christ. lib. . cap. . in praefat . ante opera cypr. ad plebem . treatise of the fathers . cypriano papae , presbyteri & diaconi romae consistentes , salutem . m. s. the life of sir thomas moor. in annotat . num . . in schol. in vincent . lyrinens . in annotat . in lib. tert. de 〈◊〉 ad magnum epist. . ad eucratium epist. . in notis . epist. . in annotat ▪ ante opera cyprian . epist. . in vitâ cyprian . in vitâ ejus . epist. ▪ pamel . in argument . in praefat . in tom. . epist. ad demetriad . n. . de script . pamel . in vitâ . in argument . lib. tertull. de patient . epist. de doct . christ. lib. . cap . erasm. in margin . pamel . in praefat . ante tom . . pamol . in annotat . antonin . chron . part . . tit . . in annotat . in epist. ● . & in annotat . in lib. de unitat . eccles. co●tra creseon . lib. . c. . pamel . in vitâ . pamel . in notis . daille lib. . cap. . treatise of the fathers . bilson's difference , part . . rivet . crit . sac . james of the corrups . of of the fathers . part . . pag. . . . de honest . discipl . lib. . cap. . lib. de grat . & lib. arbit . cap. . schultet . in medull . bibl. sanct. lib. . in annotat. erasm. in margine . pamel . in annotat. de justit . lib. , cap. . hieronym . in epist. ad mag. n. . ad an . . § . in annotat. ad magnū . epist. . pamel . in vitâ ejus . ens. in chro. refers it ad an. . ans. to the jes. chall . de praedest . l. . c. . contr. ● . epist. pelag. ● . . c. . epi. ad pammach . . keck . rheto . eccles. ad an. . § . id jubaian . epist. . rhenan . in annotat. in tertull. de patient . id. in arg . in . tertul. de patient . rhetor. eccles. lib. . lib. de bapt . cont . donat. l. . c. . in epist. ad galat. cap. . pamel . in praefat . ante tom . . opera cypr. pamel . in arg . & baro. ad an . . §. . in annotat. in hierony . epist. . ad pammach . cens. patr. in praefat . cypr. cent. . c. . praefa . cypr. in lib. . in argu . in l. eras. in annot. ante opera cypr. in medull . eras. in annotat. 〈◊〉 tom . . in praefat . ante opera cypr. bellar. de script . eccle. rivet . crit. ●ae . pamel . in annotat. de script . eccles. in annotat. baron . ad an . § . erasm. in annotat. ad an . . § , . sphinx . c. . coci censu●● . rivet . crit. sac. in annotat. in margine . in catalog . cornelius . de script . eccles. goulart . in animadvers . coci censur . iames bastardy of the fathers . bellar. de script . eccl. possevin . in apparat . pamel . in apparat . pamel . in annotat . in praefat . exercitat . . § . de amiss . grat . lib. . cap. . iames b●stardy● of the fathers . answ. to the iesuits challenge . arnald●s carnotensis abbas bonae vallis . in medull . rivet . crit . sac . de script . eccles. in annotat . de script . eccles. in annotat . pamel . in argument . pamel . in tertull. de script . eccles. rivet . crit . ●ic . de script . eccles. de poet. hist. de script . eccles. in annotat . in praefat . ante tom. . operum cypr. & in annotat . ad an . . § . crit . sac . prideaux . in orat . de pseudepigraph . in annotat . de script . eccles. bellarm. de script . in catalog . 〈…〉 in annotat . pamel . in argument . bellar. de . script . eccles . goulart . in annotat . pamel . in a●ment . bellar. de script . pamel . in argument . erasm. in annotat . helvic . chron . scultet . in medull . ri●t . crit . sac . bellar. de script . eccles . rivet . crit . sac . coci censur . in argumen . rivet . crit . sac . trithem . de script . coci censur . goulart . in annotat . pamel . in argument . epist. . nec omuinò nihil habet africum cyprianus . eras● . in epist . ante opera hilarii . in praefat . ante opera cypr. de ▪ trad . discipl . lib. . ibid. erasm. in epist . ante opera chrysostom . hieronym . epist. ● . ad pa●linum . lib. . cap. . institut . in hymn . de pass . cypr. biblioth . sanct . lib. . e●cyclop . hist. de trad . disciplin . lib. . baron . adan . . § . august . de doct . christ. lib. . cap. . de stud . theolog. scultet . in medull . § , , . § ● . § . epist. . pompeio . epist. . § ad jubaianum . epist. . § . caecilio . epist. . § . pompeio . epist. . § . ad fidum . epist. . hieronymo . § . itē . de vanit . idol . § . tract . de bapt . christi . § . tract . de orat . dom. § . tract . de eleemosyn . § , . epist. ad cornel. . § . epist. . § § . epist. . anton. §. . epist. . § . ad presbyteros & diaco●os . ep. . § . epist. ad pupianū . . § . an exposition hereof , see in the hist. of the council of trent . l. . ep. ad corneliū . . § ● test. ad quirin . l. . § ● . ep. ● . § . ep. . § . tract . de eleemosyn . § . goulart . in notis . n. . tract . de lapsis . § ● ▪ goulart . in n●tis . n. ● . chemnit . examen . part . secund . cap. . epist. . chem●i● . in exam . part . secund . c. . august . de haeres . c. . ubi supra . tract . de ●apsis § . ad q●irin . l. . § . in orat . de lect . pa●ru● ante loc . com . bin. tom. . concil . epist. ad pompeium contra steph. epist. . § . bin. concil . tom . . ca● . . hieronym . advers . lucifer . dialog . august . de haeres . cap. . osian . epist. cent . . l. b. . cap. . epist firmil . ad cypr. . § . advers . luciferian . bin. tom. . concil . see de 〈◊〉 contra donatist . lib. . cap. . ibid. lib. cap. . ibid lib. . 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . . cap. . epist. . in vitâ cyprian . ad an . . § . epist. . ubere : velo saith doctor gaude● . in his suspiria eccles. anglican . lib. . c . pontius in vitâ cypr. epist. . § . pamel . in vitâ ejus . paul. diacon . in pass . cyprian● . pamel . 〈◊〉 ejus epist. . § . pamel . in vi●â . pontius in vitâ ejus . paul. discon . in passion . cypr. ad an . . § . pamel . in vitâ . niceph. lib. . cap. . scultet . in medull . cent . . cap. . ad an . . § . in apparat . magnin . in geograph . in ital. num . . heylin . geograph . winpeling . in epitom . rer . german . cap. . hieronym . in catalog . hieronym , in catalog . lib. institut . . c. . hieronym . in catalog . trithem . de script . osiand . epito . cent . 〈◊〉 script . eccles . de temp . c. . cent. . c. . scultet . in medull . chron. ber●om . trithem , de script . possevin . in apparat . ep. ad paulinum . . instit. l. c. instit. l. . cap. . hieronym . in catalog . cent. . c. . de script . eccles. hieronym . in catalog . ep. . inter hierony . epist. see riccard . vincent . in notis in cantacuzen . in cantic . hieronym . in catalog . in ep. ad gal. c. . trith . de script . in institut . libris contra gentes scrip . fortissimè . hierony . ep. par●m . . cent. . cap. . instit. lib. . cap. . ad an . . § . scultet . ● medull . lactantii institutionum libri apud catholicos & optimos quosque ; viros , praesertim sex priores , optimè audierunt semper . bulling . de orig . error . de rat . stud . theolog. lib. . c. . in catalog . & in comm . in ep. ad ephes . c. . scultet . in medull . in ep. ante edit . vene● . lact. opera . in schol. in lactant. in schol. in biblioth . patr . tom . . ibid. biblio . patr. ibid. de script . eccles. possevin . in appar . chro. bergomens . ibid. de poet. hist. in chron. ad an . . alsted . encyclop . hist. trithem . descript . ascham . schoolmr . l. ● in ep. ad paulin. . ep. ad magnum . . in elect . in l. . arnob. in praefat . ant. sab●lli . ennead . lud. vives . de trad . disciplin . l. . ante nazianz . opera . de poet . hist. in orat . de lect . patr . ante loc . ● . instit. l. . cap. . instit. l. . c. instit. lib. . cap. ● . non excindit vitia sed ●bscondit . instit. . c. inst. l. . c. 〈◊〉 inst. l. . c. inst. l. . c. consangu . act. . . gen. . . inst. l. . c. inst. l. . c. . cent. . c. in orat. de lect . patr . scultet . in medull . de stud . theolog. epitom . hist. eccles. cent . . l. . c. . inst. l. . c. . cent. . c. . inst. l. . c. . ibid. l. . . inst. l. . c. . ibid. lib. . c. . lib. . c. . in scholiis . in l. . c. . &c. . in bibli . patr. inst. l. . c. cent. . c. . scult . c. . chytr . de stud . theol. cent. ibid. ep. . pam. ibid. inst. l. . c. inst. l. . c. . inst. l. . c. lib. de opisi . dei . c. . de stud . theolog. institut . lib. . c. . institut . lib. . c. . institut . lib. . c. . institut . lib. . c. . hakewel . apolog . lib. . cap. . § . institut . lib. . c. . institut . lib. . c. . institut . lib. . cap. . institut lib. . c. . de rat . stud . theolog. lib. . thomas . in schol. in lib. . cap. . institut . de orig. error . c. . in catalog . euseb. chron . ad an . ● . athanasii omnino vita praelegenda est ab eo qui ejus scripta cum fructu cupit evolvere . possev . in apparat . socrat. lib. . cap. . ruffi● . hist. lib. c. . ruffin . hist. lib. . c. . sac. hist. l. . in epist. ad epictet●● . in praesat . a●t . concil . sardicens . ruffin , hist. lib. . c. . ruffin . hist. lib. . c. . act. . . possev . in apparat . nihil sibi prius a●endum rati sunt ariani , quàm ut athanasium ecclesi● submoverent , qui semper eis velut murus obstiterat , quo re noto , reliquos in suam libidinem cessuros 〈…〉 sever. lib. . in ti● . digre●● . l. . c. . in notis in conc . tom . . bin. in notis in concil . tom . . socrat. hist. l. . c. . banished the first time . in ep. ad solit . vitam agentes . in schol. in hieronym . epist. . hist. tripart . l. . c. . & ●than . in ep. ad vitam solit . agent . athan. de morte arii . hist. tripart . lib. . cap. . entituled by binnius . concilium antiochenum primum sub julio papa primo , celebratum , in quo ariani athanasium de posuerunt , atque gregorium cappadocem substitue●nnt . concil . tom . . anno . he flyeth a second time . hides the third time . and flyeth . quia concilium sardicense nicaenae tantùm fidei tutelam suscepit et quia patrum utriusque una suit sententia , una mens unus spiritus , semper appendix tanquam nicaeni concilii fuit habita . binnius ib. praefat. antconcil . sard. in medul . angeloc●at . in ep. consi● . osiand . in ep. hist. eccles . athan. in apolog . pro fugâ suâ . a fourth time he flie●h . sozomen . hist. eccles. . . c. . in sholiis . in nazianz. orat . . nazianz. orat . . . time 〈◊〉 flyeth . . time be hide●h . hist. eccles. cent . . lib. ● . cap. . theodoret , hi●● . eccl. l. . c. . orat. . orar. . epist. . l. contra h●●res . c. . epist. . in dialog . . contra eu tychen . l. . nannius in ep ante opera athanas. orat. de vitâ e●us a viro docto script . hyper. de stud . theol . l. . c. . nazianz. orat. . sixt. senens . lib . nazianz ib. ep. . & hist. sac . . . epist. . de script . eccles. scul●e● ▪ in medul● . nannius in ep . ante op . athanas. epist. . pratum spiritu●l . c. . i●●p . nuncu . pat●ante op . athanas. cont. . c. . hist. eccles. lib. . c. . de script . eccles. in catalog . sculter . in medull . de script . eccles. bellarm. ib. perk. prob . theod. hist eccle. l. . c. ri●et . crit . 〈◊〉 scul●et . in medull . de script . e●cles . sixt. senens . lib. . possevin . in apparat . cent. . c. possev . in ap . scul . in med . in medul . rivet . crit . sac . scult . in medul . ● photius in biblioth . cent. . c. . perk. prob . ibid. scult . in medull . cent. . c. . scultet . in medull . censur . patr . scultet . in medull . scultet . in medull . perkins . problem . in apparat . scultet . in medull . de script . eccles. in catalog . in schol. in hieronym . catalog . scultet . in medull . scultet . ibid. in timoth. digress . l. ● . c. . bellar. de script . eccl. in biblioth . lib. . in conclus . comment . in psalm . perutilem sanè libellum dedit athanasius in quo usum et finem quorumcunque psalmor●m compendiosè monstravit . hyper. deratjon . stud . theol. in praeparat . ad demonstrat . problem . perkins . ib. cent . . c. . et coci cens . scultet . in medull . perkins problem . rivet . crit . sac . in biblioth . lib. . scultet . in medull . coci censur . bellarm. de script . eccles . scultet . in medull . et rivet . in crit . sac . perkins . problem . scultet . in medull . perkins problem . scult . in medull . scultet . in medull . coci censur . rivet . crit . sac. in medull . ibid. perkins problem . symbolum hoe vulgò tribui solet athanasio : certè cum athanasii scriptis , imprimis verò sacris literis per omnia conveniens est ▪ pelarg. in symbol . athan . in medull . in symbol . athanas. athanasii doctrina et scriptorum omnium summa in symbola comprehensa est . chytraeus . ●de stud . theol. scultet . in medull . ibid. ibid. cent . . c. . bellar. de script . eccl. scult . in medul . scult . in medul . rivet . crit. sac. bellar de scrip . eccles. cent. c. . in bibli . l. . possevin . in apparat . bellar. de scrip . eccles. in censur . jam. of the corrupt ●f the fathers . rivet . crit. sac. ibid. in vitâ athanas ▪ in catalog . in medull . in synopsi . de script . eccles. possevin . in apparat . scul . in med . riv. crit . sac . bellar. de scrip . eccles. bellar. de scrip . eccles. riv. crit . sac . vigil . l. . ad●er . euty . raynolds de libris apoc. praelect . . perk. prob . cent. c. . possev . in ap . bennius in notis in has ep . tom . . concil . cent. . c. . c●ci censur . in chronico . treat . of the fathers . c. . lect. ante vol. ● . edit . paris . ibid. ibid. trithem . de scrip . eccles. bellar. de scrip . eccles. sixt. senens . ● . ib. ubi . suprà . phot. in biblioth . sixt senens . lib. . nannius in ep . ante op . athanas. anonym . in vit● ejus . photius , in blblioth . anonym . in vit● ejus . in orat. . pelarg. in symbol . athanas. in his treatise of fundamentals . in synopsi . whitak . de script . apocryph . q. . c. . orat. contra idola , et or . . contra arian . lib. de in . carnat . verb. dei. epist. ad ad●lphium . orat. . contra a●ian . in orat . christum esse unum . ep. ad serap . sp. s. non esse creaturam . ep. ad orthodox . in persecut . apol. ad impe●at . constantium . de fuga● sua● . epist. ad ▪ ●o●litar . vit . agentes . epist. de incarnat . chr●sti advers . apollina● . ibid. tractat. d● salut . advent . christi . in e●ar . in mat. . orat contra idola . in apolog. ad constan● ▪ lib. de incarnat . verb. dei. contra p. samosat . gent. . c. . in med . part . ● . c. . orat. . contra arian . socrat. lib. . c. . in vita ejus ab incerto authore . osiard . ep . hist. eccles. socrat. lib . c. . baron . annal. antonin . hist. part . . cap. . nomenclat . geograph . ad caesar. comment . in commen . de bello gallic . l. . plin. l. . c. s●rab . l. . pomp. mela. l ● c. . mag. in geog l. . antonin . 〈◊〉 . ●art . cap. . cent. . c. hilar. de trinit . l. . bellar. de scrip . eccles. bin concil . tom . . sulp. sever. hist. l. . vir sanè pessimus , & ingenio malo pravóque verùm etiam praeter h●resis infamiam multis atque infandis criminibus convictus , ecclesia e●ectus est . angelocrator . ep . conc . sulp. sever. lib. . bin. tom. . concil . ibid. sulpit. sever. sulp. sever. ib. c. . c. . euseb. vercel . est vir omni vitâ deo serviens hil. ad constantium . l. . sozom. l. . c. . anton. part . . c. . ruffin . hist. lib. . c. . trithem . de script . erasm. epist. ant . hilar. apolog. adv . ruff. lib. . in proaem . comment . in galat. lib. . ruff. lib. . c. . erasm. ubi supra . anton. hist. part . . baron . ad an . . bellar. de script . eccl. erasm. epist. ant . hilar. sulp. sever. lib. . sulp. sev. ib. erasm. epist. ant . hilar. cent. . c. . ruff. hist. lib. . c. . biblioth . lib. . epist. ad magnum . . ruff. ubi supra . trithem . de script . lib. de synod . advers . arian . lib. . c . erasm. in epist . an t . hil. ep●ad marcellam , num . . ibid. in epist. ante opera chrysostom . in epist. ad ludovic . imperat. de judaie . superstitionibus . nicaeus . in auctario . de script . eccl. biblioth . patrum . hierouym . apol. . adv . ruffin . hierouym . ibid. hieron . in catalog . cent. . c. . in catalog . ibid. apol. pro l●bris . advers . jovinlan . in schol. in apol. istam . cent. . c. . hieron . epist ad magnum num . . erasm. in ep . ante hilar. possev . in apparat . sulp. sever. lib. . erasm. in epist . praedict . trithem . de script . trith , ibid. berg. chron . ibid. in epist. ant . hilar. sac. hist. l. . cent. . c. . ibid. rivet . crit . sac . hilarius quidam , non pictaviensis episcopus sed romanus diaconus denuo hanc camarinam movit . pamel . in vita cypriani . in dialog . adv . luciferian . victorius . in schol. in loc . cent. . c. . chemnit . in or . de lect patrum . erasm. in ep . an t . hilar. erasm. ibid. socrat. h. l. . c. . theodor . l. . c. . cent. . c. . in epist. ant . hiiar . in catalog . de script . eccless . cent. . c. . in catalog . erasm. ant . hilar. epist. in or . de lect parr . ante loc . com . e●asm in epist an t . hi● sixt. senens . biblioth . l. . ibid. in catalog . in biblioth . lib. . in ep●st . an t . hilar. ep. ad fl●rentium . num . . fra●n in ep . an t . hilar. ●t 〈◊〉 . eras● . ibid. de poetis . bellat . de script . ecci . in catalog . libr. hilar. in edit . erasm. cent. . c. . ibid. r●v . crit . sac . de script . ecclef . riv. crit . sac . ibid. bellar. de script . ecci . riv. crit . sac . ad an . . riv crit . sac . bellar. de script . eccl. biblioth . patr. gr 〈◊〉 tom . . calvin . ep . . erasm. in ep . an t . hilar. hieron . ep . . ad pauli●um . biblioth . l. . hieron . epist . ad magnum . in epist an t . hilar. sixt. senens . lib. . ad constan. l. . sub sinem in psal. . de trin . l. ● . in psal. . ●e trin. l. . ●n psal. . de trin. lib. ▪ de trinit . lib. . in psal. . in matth. canon . . in vita gobelini personae . vixit . ann . . de trin. l. . tit. . ● . in psal. ▪ in psal. . lib. . de trinitat . cent. . c. . de trinit ; lib. . ibid. cent. . c. . do trin. l. ● de trin. lib. . in psal. . ibid. cent. . c. . osiand . epit . hist. eccles. cent. . l. . c. . sulpit. sever. l. . bucholcer . chron. baron . annal . notes for div a -e dallee page . the vote, or a poeme royall, presented to his maiestie for a new-yeares-gift. by way of discourse 'twixt the poet, and his muse. calendis ianuariis . howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the vote, or a poeme royall, presented to his maiestie for a new-yeares-gift. by way of discourse 'twixt the poet, and his muse. calendis ianuariis . howell, james, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by thomas badger, london, : . signed on p. : iames howell. an imprint variant of the edition with humphrey mosley given as publisher in imprint. annotation on thomason copy: "by james howell". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng charles -- i, -- king of england, - -- poetry -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no the vote, or a poeme royall,: presented to his maiestie for a new-yeares-gift. by way of discourse 'twixt the poet, and his muse. calendis howell, james a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - pip willcox sampled and proofread - pip willcox text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the vote , or a poeme royall , presented to his maiestie for a new-yeares-gift . by way of discourse 'twixt the poet , and his muse . calendis januariis . london , printed by thomas badger , . poema Στρηνετικον . the world 's bright eye , times measurer , begun through watry capricorne his course to run , old ianus hastned on , his temples bovnd with ivy , his gray haires with hollie crownd ; when in a serious quest , my thoughts did muse , what gift , as best becomming , i should chuse , to britaines monarch ( my dread soveraigne ) bring which might supply a new-yeares offering . i rummag'd all my stores , and search'd my cells where nought appear'd , god wot , but bagatells : no farre fetch'd indian gemme , cut out of rock , or fishd in shels were trusted under lock , no peece which angelo's strong fancy hitt , or titians pensil , or rare hyliards witt , no ermines , or black-sables , no such skinnes , as the grim tartar hunts , or takes in ginnes : no medails , or rich stuff of tyrian dye , no costly boules of frosted argentry , no curious land-skip , or some marble peece dig'd up in delphos , or else-where in greece , no roman perfumes , buffs , or cordouans made drunk with ambar by moreno's hands , no arras , or rich carpets freighted o're the surging seas from asia's doubtfull shore , no lions cub , or beast of strange aspect , which in numidia's fiery womb had slept , no old toledo blades , or damaskins , no pistols , or some rare-spring'd carrabins , no spanish ginet , or choyce stallion sent , from naples , or hot afrique's continent , in fine , i nothing found , i could descry worthy the hands of caesar or his eye . my wits were at a stand , when , loe , my muse ( none of the quire , but such as they do use for laundresses or handmaids of meane rank i knew sometimes on po and isis banks ) did softly buzz . muse . then let me something bring , my hansell the new-yeare to charles my king , may usher in bifronted ianus — poet . thou fond foole-hardy muse , thou silly thing , which 'mongst the shrubbs & reeds do'st use to sing , dar'st thou peck up , and the tall cedar clime , and venture on a king with gingling rime ? though all thy words were perle , thy letters gold , and cut in rubies , or cast in a mould of diamonds , yet still thy lines would be to meane a gift for such a majestie . muse . i 'le try ; and hope to passe without disdaine in new-yeares-gifts the mind stands for the maine , the sophy , finding 't was well meant , did daigne few dropps of running water from a swayne , then sure 't will please my liege , if i him bring , some gentle dropps from the castalian spring . though rarities i want of such account , yet have i something on the forked mount . nor i' st the first , or third accesse i made to caesar's feet , and thence departed glad . for as the sun with his male heat doth render nile's muddy slime fruitfull , and apt t' engender , and dayly to produce newe kinds of creatures of various shapes , and thousand differing features , so is my fancy quickned by the glance of his benigne aspect and countenance , it makes me pregnant , and to superfaete , such is the vigor of his beames and heate . once in a vocall forest i did sing , and made the oke to stand for charles my king , the best of trees , whereof ( it is no vant the greatest schooles of europe ring and chant ) there you shall also find dame arhetine , great henries daughter , and great britaines queene , her name engraven in a laurell tree , and so transmitted to eternity . for now i heare that grove speake's besides mine , the language of the loire , the po , and rhyne , ( and to my prince ( my sweet black prince ) of late , i did a youthfull subject dedicate . ) nor do i doubt but that in time , my trees will yeeld me fruit to pay apollo's fees , to offer up whole hecatombes of praise to caesar , if on me he cast his rayes . and if my lamp have oyle , i may compile the moderne annals of great albion's isle , to vindicat the truth of charles his raigne , from scribling pamphletors , who story staine with loose imperfect passages , and thrust lame things upon the world , t'ane up in trust . i have had audience ( in another straine ) of europes greatest kings , when german maine and the cantabrian waves i crossd , i drank of tagus , seine , and sate at tybers bank , through scylla & charybdis i have steerd , where restlesse aetna , belching flames , appeerd , by greece , once palla's garden , then i pass't , now all ore spread with ignorance and wast . nor hath faire europe her vast bounds throughout an academe of note i found not out . but now i hope in a successefull prore , the fates have fix'd me on sweet englands shore , and by these various wandrings true i found , earth is the common mother , every ground may be one's countrey , for by birth each man is in this vvorld a cosmopolitan a free-borne burgesse , and receives thereby his denization from nativity : nor is this vvorld , at best , but a huge inn , and men the rambling passengers , wherin some warm lodgings find , & that as soone as out of nature's closets they see no one , and find the table ready layd ; but some must for their commons trudg , and shift for roome : vvith easie pace some clime promotions hill , some in the dale , do what they can , stick still . some through false glasses smiling fortune spy , vvho still keeps off , though she appeares hard by : some like the ostrich , with their wings do flutter , but cannot fly , or soare above the gutter , some quickly fetch and double good-hopes cape , some ne're can do'tthough the same cours they shape : so that poore mortals are so many balls tossd , some o're line , some under fortune's walls . and it is heavens high pleasure man should lye obnoxious to this partiality , that by industrious ways he should contend , nature's short pittance to improve and mend . and industry ne're fail'd , at last , t' advance her patient sonnes above the reach of chance . poet . but whither rov'st thou thus ? well ; since i see thou art so strongly bent , and of a gracious looke so confident , go , and throw down thy selfe at caesars feet , and in thy best attire thy soveraigne greet , go , an auspicious and most blissefull year , wish him , as e're shin'd o're this hemispheare , good may the entrance , better the middle be , and the conclusion best of all the three , of joy ungrudg'd may each day be a debter , and evry morne still usher in a better , may the soft gliding nones and evry ide , with all the calends stil some good betide , may cynthia with kind looks , & phoebus's rayes , one cleere his nights , the other guild his dayes . free limbs , unphysick'd health , due appetite , which no sauce else but hunger may excite , sound sleepes , and sanguine dreames , which represent , symptomes of health , and the next dayes content ; cheerfull and vacant thoughts , not always bound to counsell , or in deep ideas drown'd : ( though such late traverses and tumults might turne to a lump of care the ayriest wight ) and since , while fragile flesh doth us array the humors still are combating for sway , ( which were they free of this reluctancy and counterpoys'd man would immortall be ) may sanguine ore the rest predominat in him , and their malignant flux abate . may his great queen ( in whose imperious eye raigne's such a world of winning majesty ) like the rich olive , or falernian vine , swell with more gemms of cions masculine ; and as her fruit sprung from the rose and luce , ( the best of stemmes earth yet did e're produce ) is tyed already by a sanguine lace to all the kings of europe's highborne race , so may they shoot , their youthfull branches o're , the surging seas , and graffe with evry shore . may home-comerce , and trade encrease from farre , that both the indies meet within his barres , and bring in mounts of coyne his mint's to feed , and banquers ( trafique's chiefe supporters ) breed , which may enrich his kingdomes , court and towne , and ballast still the coffers of the the crowne , for kingdoms are as ships , the prince his chests the ballast , which if empty , when distress't vvith stormes , their holds are lightly trimm'd , the keele can run no steedy cours , but tosse and reele . may his imperiall chamber alwayes ply to his desires , her wealth to multiply , that she may prize his royall favour more than al the wares fetch'd frō the great mogor , may the great senat with the subjects right put in the counter-scale , the regall might the flowrs of th'crown , that they may propp each other , and like the grecian's twin live , love together . for the chief glory of a people is the power of their king , as their is his . may he be still within him selfe at home , that no just passion make the reason rome , yet passions have their turnes , to rouse the soule , and stirre her slumbring spirits not controule , for as the ocean besides ebb and flood , ( vvhich nature 's greatest clerk ner'e understood ) is not for sayle , if an impregning wind fills not the flagging canvas , so a mind too calme , is not for action , if desire heat's not it selfe at passion's quickning fire , for nature is allow'd sometimes to muster her passions , so they only blow , not bluster . may iustice still in her true scales appeare , and honor fix'd in no unworthy spheare , unto whose palace all accesse should have through vertues temple , not through plutos cave . may his true subjects hearts be his chiefe fort , their purse his treasure , and their love his port their prayers , as sweet incense , to draw downe myriads of blessings on his queene and crowne . and now that his glad presence , did asswage , that fearefull tempest in the north did rage , may those frogg-vapours in the irish skie , be scatter'd by the beames of majesty , that the hibernian lyre give such a sound , may on our coasts with joyfull ecchos bound . and when this fatall planet leaves to lowre , vvhich to to long on monarchies doth powre his direfull influence , may peace once more descend from heaven on our tottering shore , and ride in triumph both on land and maine , and with her milke-white steedes draw charles his waine , that so for those saturnian times of old , an age of pearle may come in lieu of gold . be all his thoughts borne perfect , and his hopes , in their events fall out beyond their scopes , vertue still guide his course , and if there be a thing as fortune him accompanie . may no ill genius haunt him , but by 's side , the best protecting angell ever bide . may he go on to vindicate the right of holy things , and make the temple bright , to keep that faith , that sacred truth entire which he receiv'd from salomon his sire . and since we all must hence , by th'iron decree , stamp'd 'mongst the black records of destinie , late may his life , his glory ne're weare out , till the great yeare of plato wheele about . so prayeth the worst of poets , to the best of princes , yet the most loyall of his votaries and vassalls , iames howell . a arthetine , id est , vertuous . anagram of henrieta . b the parlament . c hippocrates . d king iames . bella scot-anglica. a brief of all the battells, and martiall encounters which have happened 'twixt england and scotland, from all times to the present. vvherunto is annexed a corollary, declaring the causes whereby the scot is come of late years to be so heightned in his spirits; with some prophecies which are much cryed up, as reflecting upon the fate of both nations. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) bella scot-anglica. a brief of all the battells, and martiall encounters which have happened 'twixt england and scotland, from all times to the present. vvherunto is annexed a corollary, declaring the causes whereby the scot is come of late years to be so heightned in his spirits; with some prophecies which are much cryed up, as reflecting upon the fate of both nations. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , - , [ ] p. s.n.], [london : printed in the yeare . anonymous. attributed to james howell. place of publication from wing. variant: title has "hightned". annotation on thomason copy: "aprill th". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng england -- military relations -- scotland -- early works to . scotland -- military relations -- england -- early works to . scotland -- history -- prophecies -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no bella scot-anglica.: a brief of all the battells, and martiall encounters which have happened 'twixt england and scotland, from all times t howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion bella scot-anglica . a brief of all the battells , and martiall encounters which have happened 'twixt england and scotland , from all times to this present . vvherunto is annexed a corollary , declaring the causes whereby the scot is come of late years to be so hightned in his spirits ; with some prophecies which are much cryed up , as reflecting upon the fate of both nations . printed in the yeare . bella scot-anglica . a briefe of all the battels and martiall encounters , which have happen'd 'twixt england and scotland , from all times to this present , &c. the proeme . the design of this short discourse , is to relate the quarrels , and sundry traverses of warre , which have passed from time to time between england and scotland , extracted out of the most approved and impartiall historians , as well scottish , as english , french , and others . out of which premisses are deduced these conclusions ; first , that scotland hath been alwayes apt and forward to apprehend any occasion to invade and visit her neighbour england . secondly , that when she was at the highest pitch of strength , and had the greatest advantages against her , when she had active and martiall kings for her generalls , and the french for her firm confederates , with other coadjutors and auxiliaries , she could never be a match no , not by many degrees , for england , whether you respect the int●insick power of the country , or the innated prowesse of the people : all which will clearly appeare by the circumstances and successe of divers battells and interchangeable exploits , which being indifferently ballanc'd it will be found ▪ that if scotland did sometimes beat england with the scabbard , england may bee truly sayd to have beaten her more often with the blade . i will not look back and rake the ashes of antiquity so far , as to speak of the sociall warre they entred into with the ancient brittaines and picts against the english , when they began to take first firme footing in england . nor , of that so famous battell 'twixt athelstan and them , at which time they had a great army of danes joyned with them ; when being above twice more in number then the english , king athelstan carried away a compleat victory by a kind of back-blow ( parthian like ) for the two armies being ready to joyne , the english made semblance to fly away , leaving all their baggage behinde , and much matter for booty , which as the scots and danes were sharing , the english suddenly wheeled about by the advantage of a woody hill , and finding them in disarray , and the souldiers laden with pillage , they rushed upon them with that resolution , that above fourty thousand of them fell , and as buchanan their prime chronologer recordeth , the flower of their nobility perished that day . but i intend not to involve my discourse in these mistie times , but will take my rise from the norman conquest , for indeed the historie of great brittaine being over clouded with so many incertainties , casteth but a dim light before those times , whereas since , she shines with such a lustre , that what stands upon record may be asserted for cleere and undeniable truth . at that time , i mean the time of the conquest , scotland did england a very good office by preserving the english blood-royall ( which not long after returned to the crowne in henry the second ) but it was casually : for prince edgar and his mother , with his two sisters , intending to goe for denmarke , ( some say for hungarie ) and being by distresse of weather driven upon the scottish coasts , they were hospitably received by malcoline , then king of scotland ; at which time civility with the english tongue took first footing in the scottish court , as the french did amongst the english . will . the second . the first dart of war that was thrown 'twixt england and scotland after the conquest was in will . rufus his raign , when the scots having made divers incursions into the english pa●e , moubray earle of northumberland was sent against them , who encountring their king malcoline with his eldest son in the field , they were both slain , and the whole army overthrown . afterwards the scots choosing the dead kings brother , king william went in person and depos'd him , causing edward the second , son of the slain king , to be crowned , and making him to sweare fealty and homage to england ; but the scots obtain'd the favour of king william , that neither english or norman should beare any office of state in scotland . king stephen . king stephen having oblig'd the scots by many high favours , by giving cumberland to david their king , and making his eldest son earle of huntington ; yet so ingratefull did they prove that they provok'd him to send thurston then archb. of yorke with such an army , that meeting with the king himselfe in the head of his forces , he utterly discomfited him , with the death of . of his men . henry the second . henry the second , though the pulse of those times did beat high , and that he was distracted with a world of con●●●ions yet employing the york-shire knights , humphrey vile ; scutvill and vescy , they with their victorious armes tooke the scots king in the field and tendred him prisoner at northampton , whence king henry carried him along to attend him in his warres in france . richard the first . richard coeur de lion caused william king of scotland to carry the sword before him at his second coronation at his return from the holy land : at which time king rich. passed a royall charter , that whensoever the king of scotland was summond to the english court , the bishop of durham , and sheriffe of northumberland , should receive him at tweede , and accompany him to teis , from teis the archbishop of yorke should attend him to the borders of that county , and so the bish. and sheriffs of other counties , untill he came to the english court . king john . king iohn one of the weakest princes , and the most forlorne that ever england had considering how the pope and all the world did bandy against him , and what fearefull exigents he was reduced unto , yet finding alexander the second then king of scotland to give sanctuary to his fugitive clergy , and foment others against him , made an expedition thither himselfe but the two armies being ready to buckle , the scot seing fire and sword to gape upon him , submitted himselfe , and subscribed to such termes as the conqueror propounded . edvvard the first . now come i to the scourge , or , as his tombe in westminster tells me , the hammer of the scotts-men . edwardus primus scotorum malleus hic est . he causeth balioll to come to newcastle to sweare fealty and homage to him , who after flying to the french king , edward was so netled for this his defection , that though he had a farre greater arrand in france , yet he chose rather to employ edmund earle of lancaster thither , and to march himselfe to scotland in the front of a puissant army ; where the scots in farre greater numbers shewed their teeth only but durst not bite . king edward summons balioll to berwicke when he resubmitted himself with all the nobles in open parliament which he held there ; and for caution brought the king himselfe along with him , leaving the earle of surrey warden of scotland . not long after the scots revolted againe notwithstanding their king was in england , having one wallie for their ring-leader , who did much mischiefe on the frontiers . and their insolency grew to that hight , that besides their inrodes , they began to rhime upon him . what this edward with his land shanks ? but he payed them for their rhiming with a vengeance ; he goeth againe in person and at ●●nkirk battaile kild out right . of their nobles and gentry , with . thousand common souldiers . then he summons a parliament at edenburgh where all the nobles sweare him fealty againe ; he carrieth away the ragman roll , the blacke crosse , and the stone wherein they say the fate of their kingdome is fixed . then was there offer'd a third provocation , when le bruce was crowned king of scotland . the earle of pembrooke was sent against him , who utterly defeated him at iohnston . hereupon le bruce flyeth to the popes pantofle making him lord paramount of scotland , which moved king edward notwithstanding the menaces and fulminations of the pope who wished him to forbeare the scots ( because they were an exempt nation belonging to the roman chappell ) to make a fourth expedition thither where he constrained le bruce to fly to norway , where he blew on his nayles while k. edward lived . and ▪ so eager was this great king in pursuite of this action , that falling sickly upon the way , he said , if i die before i enter scotland , i charge you to go on couragiously , and carry my body round about the country ; but it pleased god to reprieve him untill he had done his businesse himselfe . edvvard the second . but here comes a cooling-card for the english , edward the second ▪ whose greatest honor was to be son to a peerles father , and father to an incomparable son , rosa spinam , spina rosam genuit . in his time all went to wrack especially in scotland . at bannocks battaile gilbert de clare earle of glocester , and barons more , with knights and gentlemen , and as some stories record above . more were slaine . which defeat was imputed principally to the ill choice of ground the english had taken . the scots had behind them rocks , hills , and woods to fly into if necessity required , before them loughs , and moores , that the assailant could not march further . adde hereunto the pusillanimity of the king ( and the spirits of men are much raysed by their leader ) who was sayd to fly first : and better it is for a lion to lead sheepe , then for a sheepe to lead a company of lions . the scots hereupon were so agog that they enter ireland with an army under the conduct of edward bruce the kings brother , who landing at karig fergus ransack'd all the north parts , where he tooke such firme footing , that he proclaym'd himselfe king of ireland , though he had onely over-ranne ulster . at which time there was such a direfull famine , that in some places of ireland dead bodies were digged up , and their flesh boyled in their sculls to be eaten , as the story tells . but two yeares after , sir io. bremingham then chiefe justice , with the archbishop of armagh , went with such a power against this upstart king , that at dundalke they got a most compleat victory , one manpas as it seemed having kild the king hand to hand , for both their dead bodies were found together , and manpas covering the kings body . in england another army was sent against the scots , called the yorke army , which was also overthrowne at milton upon swayle . nevertheles the king would venture once more in person , and with a numerous army invaded scotland ; the scots fly into the woods , and places of fastnes ; and for want of provision in that hungry country , the english were forced to retire , but in the retraict they were so pursued that they lost all their ammunition , which was attributed to the treason of sir andrew harkley . but your criticall annalists ascribe it to the poverty of spirit in the royall head , who being become hatefull to god , and man first for perjury , by infringing the oath he made to his barons ; then by disobedience to his father who in his death bed charged him upon his blessing to abandon piers gaveston , whom nevertheless he still doted upon with the spencers , by whose counsels hee guided himselfe , and it was alwaies seen that princes of an ill destiny follow the worst counsells . edvvard the third . but here comes a spirit who will soundly vindicate his fathers affronts . edward the third , a prince that was the soonest a man , and the longest that lasted so of any in the whole catalogue of english kings ; yet being but young when the diadem first begirt his temples , after an encounter at stanhope park , where great multitudes of scots appeared , but vanished away like meteors , skulking in woods and mountains . in the parliament held at northampton , the king of scotland was released of his homage ; but some years after , when the young king began to understand himself , hee sent an army with balioll , whom he caused to be crowned at scone ; and afterwards there was a battell fought at hallidowne , where the english made the scots a bridge of gold to fly over , for they betook themselves all to their heeles . king balioll being thus restored , scotland became feuditary to england againe . but a few years after king ed. being deeply engag'd in his french wars , and thinking hoc agere , the scots presuming his absence would prove advantagious to them , make cursorie sallies out of scotland , and plunder all before them in the north , by the instigation of the french . but the queen and the lords of the north make such a levy of martiall forces , that they entred scotland like thunder , and at a mighty battell one copland takes the king prisoner , whom , pleading the law of arms he would not deliver the queen , untill the king had sent order from france . this overthrow was given upon saturday , and upon saturday six weeks before the battell of cressy had bin fought , with another against the duke of brittain ; in all which king edward prov'd victorious . and being triumphantly return'd from france , with the flower-de-luces upon his sword , and redoubted now by all the princes of the christian world having a triumverate of kings his prisoners , one would think the scot would have bin quiet but they still provoked him so far , that in the dead of winter ( and king ed. was a prince for all weathers ) he went thither in person himself , tooke berwick , and had all scotlond resign'd unto him , by the king himselfe , and the nobles who joyntly swore fealty and homage to him . richard the second . now the grand-childe of this great king ( who turn'd the wheele of his times every where up and downe the christian world as he pleased ) mounts the stage . the scots begin to infest the borders , and doe other acts of hostility being actually assisted by the french king , who sent thither his admirall with a . men at armes , and . sayle with furniture to arme . men more . king richard musters up an army worthy of a king , and rusheth into scotland like a whirle-wind as farre as dondee , and neither scot or french appeared to make oppos●tion . the scots ( as the french annales say ) not symbolizing with the humour of the french grew weary of them , and casheered them , but they kept jean de viene , the great admirall prisoner in a manner , untill the french king had payed his ransome , which he did , otherwise his admirall might have laine at dead anchor there all his life-time . but being returned to france , lest he should seem to shew no fruits at all of his voyage , he informs the king , that hee had pried into the uttermost intrinsique strength , both of scotland and england , and found that scotland was able to put in the field about men , and . horse , and england . foot , and . horse , this relation induced charles the frantique to attempt the invasion of england the yeare following , with a formidable army , and fleet , which was to make sayle from the sluce , and for land-forces far exceeded the invincible armada of the yeare . but the admirals account was found false , and to have reckoned much without his host , for as the french historians report . king richard had levied neere upon . foot and . horse . henry the fourth . in hen. the fourth's time the tumultuous scot stirs againe , and pillers about the marches at last he composeth the body of an army , whom hen. hotspurre encountred , and kil'd more enemies then he had men in his own army . sir robert umphreyvile being vice-admirall , takes . great ships laden with corn , together with the great galeon of scotland , hard by lith , which so abated the price of corn , that hee was commonly called sir rob. mend market . a little after the young prince of wales hurld himselfe seven daies march into scotland , and did what he would . henry the fift . henry the fift that man of men , and mirrour of chivalrie ( and the strangest convert that ever was ) being come to the crown , he falls like a politician to worke in erecting forts on the frontiers of scotland , which he did without controule . after he took the young king james the first , prisoner , in a very hot incounter , and carried him up and down with him in the french warres . henry the sixt . henry the sixt for some gallant parts in the aforesaid young king james the first of scotland , married him to the lady lane , daughter to the earle of somerset his neece ; but he proved afterwards hatefully ingratefull , and perfidious to king henry , banding all his main forces against him but he was shamefully repell'd and beaten by sir ralph gray , and the knights of the north . edvvard the fourth . and no lesse ingratefull and treacherous was iames the third in edward the fourths time who desiring in mariage cicilia the kings daughter , it was condescended unto so farre that he had part of her portion advanc'd him ; yet he fell to acts of hostility and frames an army , which the duke of glocester with men ill favourdly beat ( though they were twice more in number ) and got berwicke againe . henry the seventh . now come i to that great magus of his dayes henry the seventh who was said to be hanted with walking spirits simuell warbecke , and perkins , whom hee chased away by sprinkling of bloud . the scots entertained warbecke , though they knew him to be an impostor , and raised an army for him . the earle of surry and bishop foxe , were sent against it , who drive the king and warbecke with the whole army before them six dayes march into the country , at last the scots king sent a defiance for a battell , which being to be fought the next day , the scot steales away the night before in a silent march . hereupon a peace was concluded , provided that warbecke should bee banished scotland , whom notwithstonding they furnished with ships , to goe to try his fortune with the cornish rebels . henry the eight . and now come i to the glory of his dayes ( especially two thirds of them ) henry the . for never did prince rise with a greater lustre in englands hemispheare , and set in a darker clowd . and being extreamly busied in the warres of france , who should disturb him but his own brothervin-law , iames the fourth , excited by the french , who contributed great summes of money towards the support of the warre ; the king sends presently from france to the earle of surry to make head against them ; at first the earle sent sir vvilliam bullmer with . archers upon the borders to observe their motion . the lord humes , entreth with . men , and as he thought to returne with his booty , sir vvilliam bulmer having reinforced his , to . fell upon the . scots , with that fury , that he kil'd . took so many prisoners , and intercepted the whole booty . this made the young kings blood boyle within him for revenge , and composing a royall army of the utmost strength of scotland went in the head thereof himselfe . the earle of surry was not idle , but raised an army of men , and his son then admirall came to him from newcastle with . old sea souldiers . the two amies met in flodden , where after many hot incounters victory fluttered a long while with doubtfull wings , at last the king himselfe , with the archb. of st. andrews his brother , were slain , with . earles , and . barrons , and gentlemen and others , and there fell of the english but . only , nor could the scots rescue the body of their king , but to mend the matter a little , gave out it was not the kings body , but one elfinston attired like to him , to encourage the army . but afterwards , though they acknowledged it was his body , yet would not henry the , permit him to have the due rites of princely buriall , because he had so perjuriously violated his faith with him . some few years after the duke of albany rays'd an army , but he was prevented to do any hurt by the lord roos and dacres , who made bonefires of above . villages without seeing the face of an enemy , no sooner were they returned , but newes came , that the duke of albany had by this time in perfect equipage an army of . men . hereupon the lord treasurer and admirall , were sent to finde him out , but both armies being come to sight of each other , the scots not enduring well the countenance of the english forces , ran away and shamefully disbanded , so that if the lord generall had had then commission ample enough , they might have given a fatall blow to scotland , as they themselves confessed , but by the intercession of the queen dowager , hen. the eights sister , they obtained truce . after this king hen. condiscended to meet iames the fift at york , but he fayled , sending certain commissioners , and so cunning was the scot , that their commission , and private instructions looked two wayes , and as they were treating , tydings came , that the scots had rushed into , and rifled the marches most barbarously . hereupon the earl of norfolke was sent with . men , who for . daies did what he would within the bowels of the country . anothor army was sent undet the command of the lord dacres and wharton , who gave them such a mortall blow , that eight earls were taken prisoners , and . gentlemen , and . more , and the stories concurre , that there was scarce a souldier , but had at least his two prisoners , this was solmemosse battell . yet for all this such is the inclination of the english to bee at peace with their neighbours , that a match was concluded , and ratified by act of parliament , with a speciall instrument under the scots noble-mens hands between prince edward , and the young queen mary , yet by the cunning negotiation of the french , the scot fell off . hereupon old king henry , who could digest no indignities , sent . ships laden with souldiers to the frith , under the earl of hereford , who marched as far as edinburgh , burnt the town , and part of the castle , returning with revenge and rich bootie . a while after the scots understanding the king was gone to france , thought to serve themselves of that advantage , and to fall upon the borders , but the earl of hereford repelled them , edvvard the sixt . edward the sixt , though yet in his minority , seemed to be sensible of the affront the scot had put upon him for a wife , though his father had vindicated it pritty well , but as the case stood , nothing could concerne england more , then to hinder that the french of any in the world should have her . and now am i come to the last true battell that was fought 'twixt england and scotland since the conquest . the duke of sommerset was appointed generall , the earle of vvarwicke his lieutenant generall , the lord clinton admirall had . shipps of warre , which were to hold course with the land-forces . so from barwicke , with a sober army they entred scotland , consisting of about . foot and . men at arms , . light horse , . peeces of ordnance , every peece having a guard of pioners , who came in all to . they had marched as far as musselborough , far within the country , and with infinite pains did they surmount the naturall and artificiall difficulties of the wayes , three small castles they seized upon in their march without offering any act of violence to small or great . they understood the regent of scotland did far exceed them in number and there came recruits hourely to him , for the fire crosse was carried about by the heralds through all parts , which is two firebrands upon the point of a spear , that all above . and under should resort to the generall rendezvous so that the historians on both sides leave the number of them indefinite to this day , but they all agree , that they were at least twice as many and they had twice as many ordnance , yet notwithstanding many other advantage it pleased god to give the english a compleat victory ( and victories are the decrees of heaven , when there is no tribunall on earth to determine the quarrell . this hapned precisely the same day that flodden field battell was fought . years before . there were . slain out-right , whereof there were . kirk-men ; fryars and monks , above . taken prisoners , whereof young huntly , and other great lords were of the number ; the spoiles of the field jacks and . peeces of ordnance were shipped for england , and the english plundred the country up and down . daies march further . to these exploits at home may be added a smart blow the english gave the scots in ireland , in sir io. perrots government , for some . redshanks being come over by the burks means , like a swarm of catterpillers they proll'd and pill'd up and down , sir ri. bingham then governour of connaught , made head against them , with a small contemptible number , and at the river of earne neer slego , slew them all out-right , so that not one soule escaped , to return to scotland with newes what became of the rest . touching these late traverses of warre 'twixt england and scotland 't is true that infortunate england hath drawne upon her selfe a great deale of dishonour in the opinion of the world abroad , specially among those who understand not the true carriage of things ; for these late rushings in of the scot cannot be so properly call'd invasions a●invitations , by some spurious and most unworthy degenerous englishmen , who from a long time had plotted the bringing of them in , and it was the most pernicious and basest treason that ever was practis'd against poore england : but to give a full and satisfactory relation of this warre , i will deduce the busines from the beginning . before this unlucky storme fell 'twixt england and scotland there were certain clowds issuing from the vapors of divers discontented braines , plainly discern'd to hover up and downe a long time in both kingdomes specially in that northerne region : the first which appeard was , when some yeers after his majesties accesse to the crowne , there was an act of revocation passed , where some things which had insensibly slipped away from the crowne , and other things which were illegally snatch'd from the church were resum'd , and reannex'd to both ; which lighting upon some of the great ones , they were over heard to murmure though this was done with as much moderation as possibly could be , and by the mature advice of the counsell of state there , with the free opinion of the approved'st lawyers of that kingdome , and from hence issued the first symptome of discontentment . not long after his majesty being inform'd of the meane and servile condition of the ministers of that kingdome , which have the charge of the conscience , and service of god , and make up a considerable part of the free borne subjects ; his majesty understanding what poore pittances they receiv'd for their subsistence , and for those small stipends also , or rather almes of benevolence , they depended upon the pleasure of the laiks , his majesty by a speciall commission to that end found away to augment and acertain that allowance , and free them from that slavish kind of clientele and dependency they had upon the seculars ; whence may bee inferr'd what monsters of ingratitude those men shew'd themselves to be afterwards , by exasperating and poysoning the hearts of the people against their soveraigne in their virulent and seditious preachments , and inviting them to armes . not long after , when the poore husbandman and owners of corn were bound to pay tithes to lay persons call'd there the lords of the ●rection , were much incommodated by them , because they could not take in their corn till the parson had fetch'd away his tithe , who sometimes to shew his power or spleen peradventure would defer of purpose the taking in thereof , whereby the whole crop , by not taking advantage of the weather , would oftimes suffer : his majesty for the redresse of this grievance , appointed commissioners who found a way to purchase those tiths , and bring the impropriators to take a pecuniary certain rent counterveylable unto them : hereupon the laie lords and gentlemen finding that the respect and dependency wherby the ministers and owners of corn were formerly oblig'd unto them to be hereby lessen'd did tacitly discover much animosity and displeasure : moreover his majestie when he went thither to be crown'd having conferr'd honours upon some whom he had found industrious to promote his service , envie ( which is alwayes the canker of honour ) began to raign among divers of them which did turne visibly afterwards to discontentments . these were the conceal'd and private grounds , now the open and avowed causes were the introduction of our liturgy , the booke of canons , ordination and consecration with the high commission court among them : and it hath bin found since that those things were introduc'd by the cunning of those discontented spirits , that thereby there might be some grounds to suscitat the people to rise , which plot of theirs tooke effect . adde hereunto that after the king of swedens death divers scots commanders came over , and made a florish in our english court , but being souldiers of fortune , and finding no trading here , they went to scotland and joyn'd counsells with those discontented spirits to beget a warre that they might be in action . the only pretence they tooke for their rising then , was our common prayer booke , hereupon his majesty sent a proclamation to be published wherein he declar'd that 't was not his purpose to presse the practise of that book upon any ones conscience , therefore he was willing to discharge them from the use and exercise of it , and to abolish all acts that tended to that end and that all things should be in statu quo prius . but this would not suffice , for they went on to fish in these troubled waters , having a designe to drayne all the episcopall sees in the kingdome , and turn them to laic land : hereupon they entred into a holy league which they term'd covenant , without his majesties privity , and this was point blank against an act of parliament . which utterly prohibits all leagues , covenants or bands whatsoever without the kings consent : hereupon the body of an army was raised , and one lesley was made generall , so they marched to dunce hill within five miles of berwicke where the rendevouz was : they gave out they came with a petition to his majesty , though they brought it upon the pikes point . there were many noble english hearts which swell'd high at this insolency of the scot , and therefore went with wonderfull alacrity to attend his majesty to barwick , but there were others who were luke-warme in the businesse , and those of the greatest ones , which the scots knew wel enough , for there was nothing trans-acted or said in the kings cabinet counsell or bed-chamber , but there was intelligence given them : hereupon a pacification was shuffled up , and so both the armyes were dispersed . the king being returned to london , grew more and more sensible of these indignities of his subjects of scotland , and having called a parliament expresly for that purpose in england , some of the cheife members thereof were so intoxicated by the scot , that they did not only not resent this bravado he had done to england , but seemed to approve of his actions . his majesty finding the pulse of his parliament beat so faintly for enabling him to vindicate these indignities upon the scot , dissolv'd it , and propos'd the businesse to his privy counsell , who not only advis'd him , but supplyed him with noble summes to repaire his honour by war ; hereupon the former forces were rallied , and made up into the body of an army : the scot was not idle all this while , but reunited his former army , whereof there was a good part undisbanded ( contrary to article ) and choosing rather to make another country the theater of the war then his own , he got over the tweed , and found all passages open , and as it were made for him al the way til he came to the tine , & though there were considerable troupes of horse and foot at newcastle , yet they never offer'd as much as to face him all the way ; at nea●burg there was a small dispute , but the english infantry would not fight , so newcastle gates flew open to her inveterate enemy , without any resistance at all , where he had more freinds than foes , and the english generals rather then to be put to unworthy compositions retired in disorder : whither this happened either by secret faction , or want of affection in in the souldier , or by the faults of the generall , i will not determine ; but sure i am it was dishonourable enough to poor england , who was bought and sold in this expedition . this was the first entrance the scot made into england since these unhappy wars ; but this invitation was private , the last was publick , being voted by the english commons , and they rush'd in , in the dead of winter ; notwithstanding that his majesty had taken a toylsome journey not long before to sit amongst them himselfe in parliament , where he condescended to every thing they could imaginably desire , and they acknowledging his unparaleld grace , desired that act to be reviv'd whereby it was treason in the highest degree that could be , for any of the subjects of scotland of what degree or condition foever to levy any mlitary forces without his majesties expresse commission , and this they did to expresse their gratitude : as they said . but the yeare came scarce about before they had moulded another army , not only without , but expresly against his royall commission , and counter-command , and would intrude themselves to be vmpires twixt him and his english subjects whither he would or no ; so in they rush'd againe in dead of winter , and for martiall exployts , the little credit they got by storming of newcastle was nothing countervaylable to that which they lost before hereford , where the welsh-men bang'd them to some purpose from before the town , and made their generall to trusse up his pack and away , sending him a fat sow with pigs after her , and a blew bonnet upon her head for his break-fast . corollarie . thus have i run over , and faithfull related by collation of many authors , with their concurrent testimonies , those trave●es of warre which have passed betwixt the english and scots since the conquest , having omitted many circumstances which might have tended further to the glory of england , to avoyd prolixity , for i intended at first that this discourse should be like a skein of silke wound up close upon a small bottome , which a freer hand might put upon the loom and draw to a large peice . any man of a clear and unpassionate judgement will hence inferre that the scots have been alwayes farre inferiour to the english ( except in these latter unlucky invasions ) in poynt of true prowesse , and national power : in some examples you may finde how the english carryed away more captives then they were souldiers of themselves , driving them as sheep before them most of the battails they fought were in scotland herself , when the english had been tir'd with long marches , over uncouth , and strange places , being ignorant of the advenues , and advantages of them . indeed in edward the seconds reign they got three battails , and one at the fag end of hen. the . wherein sir ralph evers was slaine , but it was more by stratagem than strength , and besides the english might have been said to have fought rather against the heaven and elements then men , having wind and sun in their faces , but that might have been tearmed more properly a petty defeat then victory , for there fell not above . but what use did the scot ever make of those victories , though the north parts have many places of fastnesse , and tenable , yet i reade not of any place they kept except barwick ; all the rest of their warres were but tumultuary sallies , and predatory devastations , and pilfrings . but the english have taken foure of their kings captives , killed two of them in the field , carried away their crown ( which they give out to be greater and more weighty than that of england ) their ragman-roll , the blacke crosse , with other instruments of soveraignty , and did sundry acts equivalent to a conquest . they pierced the very heart of the kingdom , and the scot may be said to have onely trod upon englands toe , for they never came farther than the walls of yorke , till the reigne of this thing that cals it selfe parliament . but if one should aske me why the english having made such firme invasions from time to time into the very bowels of scotland , did not reduce it to a vassallage and perfect provincial obedience , as well as to make their kings fuedetary in which state they continued towards england near upon five hundred yeares ? my answer shall be the same that suetonius gives in behalfe of the romans , who notwithstanding they lorded over the rest of brittany four hundred and odde yeares , yet they never went about to conquer scotland , because they knew the prize would not have countervail'd the paines , by reason of the cragginesse of the countrey and incommodity of habitation , therefore they thought it enough that adrians wall which extended from tinmouth to solway frith , near upon fourscore miles should be the westerne bounds of their empire . out of the precedent examples we may also gather , that the scot hath been alwayes of a genius apt and forward to stir against england upon any the least occasion . for of those five and twenty kings and queens that have been since the conquest , onely five have been free of their insolencies : yet did england never begin with them till she was justly provoked thereunto , nor could alliances nor leagues , or any tyes of treaty confirmed by solemne oathes ( which are those religious bonds that passe 'twixt god and the soul ) detain the scotish kings from puzling and disturbing england , when her kings were most distracted in warres with france , and the better halfe of her strength imployed abroad , so that the scots may be said to have been from time to time as goads in englands sides , or a thorne in her toe ; and france leaguing meerly for his own advantage with them , may be said to have made use of scotland as the fox did of the cats foot to pull the apple out of the fire for his own eating : yet for all these eager and irrefragable combinations 'twixt the french and her against england , england ever bore up , and made her party good , and that in a victorious way against both , and for scotland she may be said to have given her blowes for phillips . but it seemes that italian was well versed in the scotishmens humours , who understanding of the late vnion between the two kingdomes , said that england had got no great catch by the addition of scotland , she had onely got a wolfe by the eares , who must be held very fast , else he will run away to france . some there are who much magnifie and cry up the scots of late yeares , for great souldiers , tacitly derogating thereby from the english , as if they should stand in some apprehension of fear of them ; but i cannot imagine upon what grounds they should do it ; true it is , that since the revolt of the hollander , and these seventy yeares tumults in the netherlands , some of them are much improved in the art of warre , and knowledge of armes from what they were ; they have also pushed on their fortunes in the warres of denmarke , sweden , russia , germany ; and france ; for poland , their profession there is to trusse packes rather than traile pikes . by reason of the quality of the soile and clime they have tough and hardy bodies , and it may adde to their courage that they venture for a better countrey , in regard they cannot go to a worse than their own . now it must be granted that the greatest advantage wherewith nature doth recompence a mountainous and sterile soile above a luxurious and easie , is , to make it produce suffering bodies ; which made the romans●e ninescore yeares conquering of spain , when they were but nine conquering of france . for the first , 't is answered , that if the scot hath made sallies abroad into other countries of late yeares , the english also have done the like , and are in some places in greater numbers , as in the low-countries , where at this day they treble the number of the scots , so that the netherlands may be said to be a military yard for the english as well : and he that is never so little versed in the moderne stories will finde that the foundation of that state hath been chiefly cimented with english bloud . for the east countrey , 't is true , there are many able scots leaders , and there are also many english of abilities and fame . to the second , if the scots are a hardy people because of their cragges and mountaines : i answer that the welch and cornish with them that dwell about the northerne alpes in england , are as mountainous as they , and i believe have as suffering and sturdy bodies ; which makes the world yield it for a maxime , that no prince of christendom hath a better choice to make souldiers of than the king of great britain . i will conclude with certain prophesies the scots do much speak of . the first is out of polychronicon , where the authour ranulphus cistrensis relates the words of a certain anchorite who lived in king egelbert his time , now near upon . yeares ago , and the words are these , angli , quia proditioni , ebrietati , & negligentiae domus dei dedit● sunt , primum per d●nos , deinde per normanos , tertiùm per scotos , quos vilissimos habent , conterentur : varium erit saeculum , & varietas mentium , designabitur varietate vestium . . the englishmen for that they wonneth themselves to treason , to drunkennesse , and wretchlesnesse of gods house ; first by the danes , then by the normans , and lastly by the scots , whom they holden least in esteem , shallen be overthrown , 't will be an instable age , and the variablenesse of mens mindes shall appear by the variablenesse of their vestments . the danish and norman conquest have happened since , and the third is to follow in the same manner , say they , not by succession , but by the sword . . the second are those prophesies of merlin , who much tampers with the single lion , and of the feats that he should do , which they say , is meant of their lion within a double treasure rampant , mars counterflowred . . then come they to the stone wherein they say , the fortune of their kingdom is fixed , which hath lain in westminster , now near upon five hundred yeares . ni fallat fatum , scoti quocunque locatum invenient lapidem regnare tenentur ibidem . if fate failes not , the scots , where ere they finde this stone , there they shall reigne and rule man-kinde . which they interpret also must be by the sword not by succession . . then do they apply to themselves a prophesie that the irish have very frequent amongst them , which is , that the day will come , when the irish shall weep over the englishmens graves . . lastly , that which is so common in the english mens monthes . [ lincolne was , london is , and yorke shall be ] which they say , shall be at last the seat of the british empire , to be erected there by them . but i am none of those that afford much faith to rambling prophesies , but will conclude with a late much cried up wise-man , ( sir w. r. ) that prophesies are as seeds sown in the vast field of time , whereof not one grain of a thousand comes to grow up : yet these prophesies may serve as so many prospectives for england , to behold , though a far off in a mist , the danger and destiny which may befall her , from this growing nation if not timely prevented . . hereunto may be added another very old and il-favoured one , which shall fore run her fall . gens tua te prodit , proh anglia , scotia rodit ▪ — o england , thine own people thee betray , and scotland makes of thee a prey . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- charles the . of france , called le phreatique . st paul's late progres upon earth, about a divorce 'twixt christ and the church of rome, by reason of her dissolutenes and excesses. with the causes of these present commotions 'twixt the pope, and the princes of italy. a new way of invention agreeable to the times. published by james howell, armig. divortio celeste. english. pallavicino, ferrante, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing p thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) st paul's late progres upon earth, about a divorce 'twixt christ and the church of rome, by reason of her dissolutenes and excesses. with the causes of these present commotions 'twixt the pope, and the princes of italy. a new way of invention agreeable to the times. published by james howell, armig. divortio celeste. english. pallavicino, ferrante, - . howell, james, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by richard heron for matthew walbancke at grayes-inne gate, london : . a translation of: pallavicino, ferrante. il divortio celeste. the first leaf and the last leaf are blank. a reissue, with cancel title page, of the edition lacking howell's name on title page. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng catholic church -- controversial literature -- early works to . catholic church -- government -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no st paul's late progres upon earth,: about a divorce 'twixt christ and the church of rome, by reason of her dissolutenes and excesses. with pallavicino, ferrante c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion st paul's late progres vpon earth , about a divorce 'twixt christ and the church of rome , by reason of her dissolu●enes and excesses . with the causes of these present commotions 'twixt the pope , and the princes of italy . a new way of invention agreeable to the times . published by james howell , armig. london , printed by richard heron for matthew walbancke at grayes-inne gate . . the argvment of the whole worke . christ , in regard he perceives the church of rome ( his spouse ) to prostitute her selfe to the lusts of divers popes , and particularly of vrban the eight , resolveth to be divorced from her , and to cohabit no longer with an adulteresse . the reasons are distinctly handled , which induce christ to such a resolution , viz. the repute she hath lost amongst most nations ; the wealth she consumes ever and anon to satisfie the greedy appetite of her adulterers ; and lastly , the dishonour which the sonne of god receives from that dissolutenesse which is so impudently practis'd in his house , rome being now become as it were a common bordell . the divine iustice being satisfied with these reasons , determines the divorce ; but his pleasure is , that , according to his wonted circumspection for the example of man , a processe bee first form'd of the offences of the said spouse : thereupon his majesty commands saint paul to repaire to earth for this purpose . saint paul being descended in this lower world , arrives in lucca , in parma , in florence , in venice ; and lastly , in the territories of the church , and so in rome her selfe ; where having discern'd the abuses , and heard by sundry sorts of complaints the misdemeanors of the church , he perfects the plea , and afterwards for some accidents befallen him , he is forc'd to get away from rome by flight , and so returnes to heaven , where , ther being nothing wanting to the full justification of christs complaint , the decree for a divorce issues out . from this separation which christ made with his church , it comes to passe , that there are no more any legitimat children engendred , to wit , holy men , and persons truly honest : as on the contrary side , by the commerce she hath with adulterers , are generated such bastards in christianity , as hypocrites , in whose number the iesuites are understood , and others , who under a specious vayle of holinesse , and religion , are in effect the worst , and most perverse race of people upon earth : the same divorce being published through all the vniverse , marcus effesus , martin luther , and others , runne immediately , and offer their church for a spouse to christ ; but our saviour calling to minde the wrong done him by the church of rome , chose rather to live single , than ever after to joyne in matrimony with the most perfidious nature of man . to my worthily honored friend , sir paul pindar , knight . sir , saint paul having descended lately to view italy , and other places , as you may trace him in the following discourse , he would not take his flight backe to heaven before he had given you a visit , who have so well deserved of his church here , the goodliest pile of stones in christendome of that kinde . of all the men of our times , you are one of the greatest examples of piety and solid integrity , which discovers a noble soule to dwell within you ; so that , me thinks , i see saint paul saluting and solacing you , that those constant works of charity you daily doe ( and them in such a manner , that the left hand knowes not what the right doth ) will be as a triumphant chariot to carry you one day up to heaven , to partake of the same beatitude with him . amongst those multitudes that honour you , i am one , and have done so a long time ; and as a small testimony hereof , i send you this new kinde of discourse , composed lately by a noble personage in italian , of which language you are so great a master . for the first part of this discourse , which consists of a kinde of dialogue 'twixt the two first persons of the holy trinity , there are examples of that kinde in some of the fathers of the primitive church ; as apollinarius , and nazianzen , and lately grotius hath the like in his tragedy of christs passion , which may serve to free it from all exception : so i most affectionately kisse your hands , and am your very humble and ready servant , iames howell . fleet . of march . to my very noble friend , sir paul neale , knight . saint paul cannot re-ascend to heaven , before he gives you also a salute : my lord , your father , having been so great a light , and a star of the highest magnitude in the firmament of the church . if you please to goe along with him in this his progresse , by the guidance of this discourse , you shall discover many things that are not vulgar , by a curious mixture of church and state affaires : you shall feele herein the pulse of italy , how it beates at this time , since the beginning of these late warres 'twixt the pope and some princes , with the grounds , procedure , and successe of the said warres , together with the interest and grievances , pretences and quarrels of every prince against rome . i must confesse , my genius hath often prompted me , that i was never cut out for a translater , there being a kinde of servility therein : for it must needs be somewhat tedious to one that hath any free-borne thoughts , and genuine conceptions of his owne ( whereof i have a few , though poore ones ) to enchaine himselfe to the sense of another . moreover , translations at the best , specially in languages which have an advantage one of the other , as the italian hath of the english , which may be said to differ as silke doth from clotb , the common weare of both countries where they are spoken , though cloth be the more substantiall ( as the english , by reason 't is so knotted with consonants , is more sinewy and stronger then the italian ) yet silke is the smoother and sliker : i say , translations are like the wrong side of a turkey carpet , which is fuller of thrummes and knots , and not so eeven as the right side . or i may say , translations are like wines ( as i speake elsewhere ) t'ane off the lees , and powred into other vessels , which must needs lose something of their first strength and brisknesse , which in the powring ( or passage rather ) evaporates into ayre . touching this present translation , i may say , it is a thing i did , when i did nothing ; 't was to finde something to passe away the slow houres of this sad condition of imprisonment , wherein i have been so long plung'd . i pray take this as a small token of the true respects i owe you , and to my noble lady , whose hands i humbly kisse , wishing you both , as the season invites me , with a good new-yeare ( which begins but now in law ) a holy lent , and a healthfull spring . fleet . of march . your much obliged and ready servant , i. h. the contents of the severall sections into which this discours is partition'd . section . gods reasoning with christ , touching a reconcilement with the church of rome . sec. . christs answer , wherein are expressed the distastes that have been given him by the church of rome , and so requires a divorce . sec. . the commands imposed upon saint paul , to repaire to earth , to heare the grievances of mortals , and to frame an exact processe of the life and demeanures of the romane church . sec. the complaints of the republicke of lucca . sec. . the grievances of the duke of parma . sec. . the discontentments of the gran-duke of florence . sec. . a caution given the republicke of venice , touching perpetuity of legacies , and the multiplicity of pensions they give the court of rome . sec. . reasons alleadged by the signiory of venice , why she undertakes the punishing of ecclesiasticall delinquents . sec. . the complaint of venice , why that ancient elogy of hers , which was engraven in the vatican was defac'd . sec. . a narration of the oppressions which the secular subjects doe groane under in the state of the church . sec. . the judgement of an armenian and a turke , upon the church of rome . sec. . the confession of a dying cardinall . sec. . motives for the late marriage 'twixt the cardinall of savoy , and the young princesse his neece . sec. . touching prohibited books . sec. . a character given by an angell , of the capricious soule of urban the eight . sec. . a relation what paul negotiated in rome , and how he left his sword behinde him . sec. . the complaint of a nun , who describes the infelicity of that condition of life . sec. . a cursory relation of these late distempers in italy . the authors caution to the tender - conscienc'd christian . the author who composed this present booke , hath peradventure more religious thoughts , and fuller of piety than thou canst imagine hereby , o serupulous christian : but the malignity of the times is come to that height , that he is cryed up in a manner for a hereticke , who consents not to the operations ( whatsoever they be ) of the court of rome . the cause hereof is thy simplicity , which confounding in one , the authority , and the affections of popes , canst not distinguish , which are the operations of the one ▪ and which are the operations of the other . the bishop of rome may erre as he is a man ; and being subject to errour , who dare maintaine but he may be reprehended ? christ , who knew no sinne , could be content to be crucified ; and a bishop , who is composed of peccable humanity , and who perhaps sinnes every day , must thinke it strange ▪ if he be but censur'd by any just reproofe ? david was not so dainty ; the most ancient pillars of the primitive church , who were went with humble retribution of thanks , not with proud disdaine , to listen unto the zealous corrections of others . poore st bernard , if he had corrected the exorbitances of these times , with that liberty , as he inveighed against the abuses of his owne , assuredly his name should be seene registred in the index of prohibited books , rather than in the catalogue of saints . but such dangers cannot dastardize me , neither am i induc'd to write this to justifie my owne intentions , it being sufficient for me , that god onely knowes the intrinsicals of my meaning . but i thought fit , o scrupulous christian , to offer thee this present booke , as an instrument , which haply may have power to unbeguile thy simplicity from those too credulous opinions , whence the presumption of some , is fomented to disturbe italy , and to scandalize all such that have a right understanding in christianity . if things which bring profit with them , doe use to be gratefull , i despaire not altogether of thy good acceptance of this . i know that at first sight , the title will appeare unto thee somewhat irreligious , and the argument not savouring of much piety ; but the palate must not be iudge of the physicke . i desire thee not to frame any judgement upon 't , till thou hast perus'd the whole booke , wherein if any thing conduce to make thee despise the true catholicke religion , or her tenets , i am content thou should'st condemne both the worke and the author : but if thou be taught to detest onely the ill practises of those that infringe the law of christ , thou must not impute any prophanenesse to that zeale which deplores the abuses in religion . many were condemn'd for heretickes , who have writ against the rites of the church of rome , but he must not incurre the same censure , who writes onely against them , that doe not rightly observe those rites ; for there is a great deale of difference 'twixt the blaming of externe observances , and the violation of religion her self . o but thou wilt say , this booke is against the bishop of rome ; thou must distinguish , o scrupulous reader , 't is against the affections of the said bishop : i reverence the authority , but christ hath not oblig'd me to reverence any earthly exorbitant passions of his . and if others doe lawfully take the sword in hand against such passions , i hope it is veniall for me to take the pen . nor thinke it strange , that i have imagined a colloquy 'twixt the persons of the holy trinity ; for 't is the stile of sacred writ , to accommodate it selfe to humane capacity . live happy . the heavenly divorce occasioned by the loosenesse of the roman spouse . the preface . thou deceiv'st thy selfe , o misbeleeving man , if thou art perswaded that thy impieties mount not up above the stars , to disturbe the repose of heaven . turne thy eyes ( if thou hast not altogether lost thy faith in holy writ ) and thou shalt see the son of god dragg'd and nayl'd upon a crosse , by the sin of one man , who might in some kind have made himselfe excusable for his transgression , in regard it was his first fault ; as also because he was then but a novice in the world . but what shall we say now ? iniquity being found to be so multiplyed , and spread through the whole vniverse , that to sin , and consequently to offend god , cannot be said to be a thing accidentall , but the very naturall property of man . o perverse world ! which under the title of naturall propertie , dost lessen that wicked transgression , which was enough to bring down from life to death thy own creator . if thou then giv'st credit to this , wonder not to heare those new changes , which being stirr'd in christ , by the faylings of the roman spouse , have produc'd those strange effects , which thou shalt find represented in this book . saint pauls late progres upon earth . sect. . the eternall father doth reason with his son , and asks whence proceeds the originall of his distaste with the roman church his spouse , perswading him to a reconcilement . not by the embassie of an angel , as at other times , o eternall word , but it is necessary now , that by this paternall voice , the will of heaven be manifested . in a busines that presseth so much , 't is fitting the father should discourse freely with his son , & that the son should hearken with attention to that which concernes the glory of his throne . 't is a good while since , o my only begotten son , that i observ'd that amorous flame which was us'd to be so ardent towards the church of rome , thy spouse , to go cooling within thy heart . were it fitting for the deity to wonder , i would without doubt much wonder at so great an alteration in the person of the eternall word . i know well 't was he , who for the love of his spouse , went under a servile shape , as far as upon the crosse , to expose his life , to gaine valuable merits to purchase her affections . 't was he , i say , who lov'd before he was belov'd , who dyed , not for any other greater necessity , than to make it appeare that he was a lover . is it possible then , that that love being turn'd to dislike , he should now live discontented with a spouse obtained by his own bloud , and got by so many martyrs ? i deny not , o son , that the time was when the divine iustice exhorted you never to turne your eyes of love upon the ingratefull nature of man , who was introduc'd to the world with contempt of his creator . but since thy love prevail'd over the rigor of just revenge ; since for the accomplishment of thy benigne desire , the divine providence decreed a reconciliation , what new reason doth now estrange from her thy affection , and disquiets all heaven with this alienation ? remember , o son , the contentment of this empyrean heaven , when the roman church being advanced to be thy bride , ther sprung dayly such a numerous and blessed off spring out of those reciprocall embraces betwixt you , that i hoped to see heaven peopled in a short space , and the end of humane creation fulfill'd . but now what is become of that happy time ? that time when thy beloved , vying with thee for love , did correspond dayly with the death thou didst undergoe for her , and by the suffrance of so many thousand innocent martyrs , who in counterchange of thy bloud , did continually expose their veins to be opened , and pierc'd by the merciles instruments of tyrants . son , i patronize not her cause , i recount not her merits pass'd , to sweeten thereby the bitternes of this present distast : but it is very true , that if any ill spirit , daring per adventure to tempt the deity it self , hath sowed any tares amongst you , i should be sorry , that once so delightful a spouse , lying now under the cloud of a sudden disdain , should by this repudiation find her bed widdowed , and her womb barren . this would tend too much to the prejudice of peopling this heaven , with equall advantage to hell it's enemy . and if this be , what fruit can thy passions pass'd produce ? this , this in conclusion is that spouse for whom thou didst make no reckoning of this empyrean , of the decorum belonging to thy divinity , of life it self . what conceits will people frame to themselves , to see thee so repenting ? forget not , o son , that it becomes not the deity to repent . sect. ii. the eternall word answers the father : he unfolds in generall the cause of his disgust with the roman spouse , and pleads for a divorce . repentance , o everlasting father , entered into this heaven , ever since the time that thy majesty having granted a being to man , he was necessitated afterwards to be destroyed for his wickednes . and so this creature proving so ungratefull for divine favours , not long after his creation , deserved those dolefull words from his creator ; paenitet me fecisse hominem , i repent me to have made man . nor doth that clash awhit with the immutability of his most gracious nature , since it was decreed so from the beginning , that his disfavours should necessarily succeed the demerits of man . then what wonder is it ? if i being grievously offended with the ingratitude of this apostat , have chang'd my love into dislike , and that i repent to have exalted him so high with the expence of my own bloud ? it belong'd to you , o father , to create man , to me it belong'd to redeem him , and to both of us , to be sorry , that he hath shew'd himself so unworthy either of your creation , or my redemption . but to reduce my self particularly to the church of rome , my spouse , i beseech your majesty to cast your eyes upon her a while , and doubtles you will find my disdain to be just , and this alienation to be necessary . behold her , o father , most vily prostituted to the lusts even of those to whō the holy ghost hath consign'd her to be govern'd : behold , how she continually hugg's in her bosom these adulterers , who using her like a lawfull husband , do corrupt her , and together with my honor , contaminat her customes . let thy divine eyes see , how gay she goes in gold , how embellished with gems , how full of excesse and luxe : the spouse of christ was never us'd to go so , untill the time that she began to study how to please her adulterers but what excesses doth she not commit now adayes , by letting the reins so loose to a reprobat sense ! what dissolutnes ! what impudence , al shamefulnes being lost , doth she not give way unto in my own house ! yet nevertheles , to affront me the more , she goes still by the character of my spouse ; her adulterers , by the title of my servants , and those which trample upon the dignity of my name , by the stile of my ministers . the time was , when i call'd the temple in jerusalem , a den of theeves , because i found it full of buyers , brokers , and sellers : what may i now call the roman church , which harbours such a multitude of those that do not buy but plunder ; of those that do not sell but powre out so wastfully to fulfill their own lusts and ambition , that , which being bought with my bloud is so unworthily provided for them ? these are they , o father , which my spouse idolatrizeth ; and i being mock'd and vilipended , must suffer them to sit in my throne , to receive the honour of faithfull innocents . i will not discourse of the use of my substance , which being bequeath'd by the piety of ancient christians for the sustenance of poore beleevers , is now reduc'd to the property of one alone , and he so insatiable , that he seems to take away the credit of that miracle describ'd in the gospell : that christ with so little bread , and few fishes did satisfie so many thousand persons , wheras now adayes , 't is found , that he cannot fulfill the gourmandizing-appetit of one only bishop , with so many millions of gold . let your majesty behold vrban the eight , how he hath swallowed all the wealth of the church , which he imployes only to nourish the pride , the avarice , and tyranny of his nephewes ; and this in such a height of scandall , that it is publiquely reported , that julian the apostat , who robb'd the church of all her riches , was more beneficiall to the increase of christianity , then the pious constantin , who , endowing her with such large incomes , ministred fuell to foment such pernicious abuses . but i marvell not at it , in regard when i was upon earth , my self , my garments were parted , even by them who crucified me . but i am not a little aggriev'd , that the dishonest pranks of my spouse are now more than openly apparant to all the vnivers : the publick murmurings of people do grieve me : her infamy runs through the mouths and pens of every one , though she study never so much to cover it . some call her a greedy babylon , others a nest of hypocrisie , others the school of wickednes , the refuge of all impieties , the publick brothell , where without any modesty are practis'd the basest kinds of lusts in the world . can divine honor therfore cohabit with such an opprobrious adultres without spotting it self ? the time was , o father , that i drank the bitter cup of passion for my spouse ; but now her deformities have so nauseated my stomack , that i cannot swallow another . i died then for her , because i might rise up glorious again : i will not live with her now , because she daily practiseth the losse of my repute and honor , i should become the scorne of people , should i by a longer dissimulation beare with her exorbitances ; her demerits cannot admit any reconciliation : i desire therefore a divorce ; nor do i hope will your majesty deny it me , in regard the whole trinity would be partaker of my dishonor . sect. iii. the almighty father being perswaded by the reasons of the son , is disposed to satisfie him ; but to proceed with the wonted circumspection of divine iustice , he commands saint paul to transfer himself-to earth , to understand the complaints of mortals , and to forme a diligent processe of the actions of the roman spouse accordingly : and he speaks to him as followeth ; paul , great are the discomposures which arise from an unchast woman ; this very heaven cannot glory it self to be free of them ; my only begotten son himself is troubled and aggriev'd at the dishonest actions of the church of rome his spouse . i hop'd she had bin capable of reconcilement , but he holds himself so much offended , and finds her nature to be so perverted , that he thinks her incorrigible ; therefore with a constant resolution he seeks a divorce . what can be denyed to my only son , specially when iustice favoreth his reasons ? but i do not intend to determin any thing upon the busines so hastily , though the eternall word cannot tell an untruth ; and though besides , her loose carriage be not unknown to me . the divine iustice in the fulmination of it's punishments useth to proceed with much caution for the example of man ; therfore , to the end that our decree may have a good foundation , we command thee to betake thy self to earth , to hear what mortals can say , and to frame an exact proces of the life and carriage of the roman spouse . the enterprise will prove somwhat difficult ; because she useth to smother her errors , to persecut those men bitterly , that write against her proceedings : but we assure our selves , that the approv'd vertue of paul , which heretofore knew how to support the persecutions of the wicked for the honor of christ , will not shrink awhit in this imployment . sect. iv. saint paul doth readily obey the lord , and descends to earth in humane disguise . he comes to lucca , where understanding the contumacy of thai republick , he would know the grounds of it , for to commence the preces , and a citizen answers him thus : amongst the popes of our age , vrban the eight , hath bin most prodigall of iubilees and indulgences , untill these his latter yeares . but to shew peradventure , that he hath jurisdiction no lesse over curses , than over benedictions , he hath at last by altering his stile , put forth his hand to dart out excommunications . it was the fortune of this small republick , to beare the brunt of his first censure ; he thereby imitating those who use to try the vertue of poison first upon the lesser sort of animals . the connivency wherby other princes dissembled this our disaster , gave him scope to thunder out the second against the duke of parma : nor must christendome hereafter expect other then excommunications , in regard if the affairs of this world use to succeed one another in equal vicissitudes , it is necessary that excommunications be as frequent as jubiles have been . now touching the grounds of the papall distast with us , they are already sufficiently manifested to the world . i must say ( though very sparingly ) that the originall of every accident sprung from the insupportable licentiousnes of church-men , who did necessitat us to a just resentment . it seem'd strange to the roman bishop , that so small a republick as ours , durst resent the outrages of ecclesiasticks , who should rather comply with them , considering that this state is too narrow to be capable of such insolencies . and so persisting in an obstinat censure , he chuseth rather to see our perdition hastned , than the exorbitances of his clergy moderated . but we being not conscious to have committed any delinquency , which might deserve to exclude us from the face of god , we comfort our selves in this case , with the memory of ` balaam , who injustly curs'd the people of israel : nor have we ever rested since , to procure a right understanding , by the interposition of persons of credit with the cardinall nephewes , that they would be pleas'd to appease his holines displeasure ( expecting still a miracle from the words of some asse , ) but to this houre ther hath nothing come of it . but the barberini are in armes , and this temporall interest they think will inforce us to desire a reconciliation ; as for the rest which concernes the soul , if an excommunication hath power to cut us off from the union of the present church , why should we think it capitall to be separated from so infected a body , and freed so by continuall examples of a sacrilegious life , and from the despaire , wherinto the clericall tyranny would plunge us ? confiding therfore in the justice of our cause , and in the assistance of those wise princes , which cannot away with the ravenousnes of this pope , we hope to receive some fruit of the introducement of these censures , in regard that if this cours would go on , to be master therby of anothers estate ; the world may bewel assur'd , that as jubiles pass'd , were pretexts for some new impost , herafter excommunication will serve for a pretext for some new rapine . sect. v. saint paul having understood the grievances of the luqueses , passeth on to parma , wher in the habit of a fryer having gain'd the affection of the duke , he endeavours to understand from his mouth the disagreement which he hath with the roman church , and the duke answers him thus : the world hath already understood too much , the causes of the quarrell i have with the court of rome , being published not only by my manifests , but by the writings of other particular pens , who have willingly protected the justice of my cause : but since it pleaseth you ( good fryer ) to heare from my own mouth the grounds of these traverses , which have kept such a noise , i will relate them unto you , with that brevity of words , which may suit more with the present encumbrances that trouble me , than with the nature of the busines it self . know then , that the particular urgencies of my house , have erected already in rome a bank call'd the farnes bank , which obligeth my fortunes to contribut an annuall cense to my creditors . now vrban the eight being assailed by some turbulent spirits , in these last periods of his life , thought with himself to build a little new fort , of divers pretences upon this bank , therby to set upon my dutchy of castro but i had good reason to hope now in these my troubles some support rather than any oppression of that seat , of whom the ashes of my progenitors do yet glory to have merited so well ; but all gratitude being utterly extinguish'd in the breasts of ecclesiasticks , charity is also much diminish'd amongst them , which neither moves them to any compassion , nor to be a whit aggriev'd , though they see mountains of miseries heap'd on one's back . a desire to enrich the nephews , the primum mobile in these times of the popes mind , prevail'd over all reason , and the pre-potency of plundring did facilitat the way to dispossesse me of mine own ; nor did the tyranny of vrban the eight stop here ; but he thought that i would take it nothing ill if he did excommunicat me , that being so segregated from the communion of the faithfull , none durst hear my grievance , or reach me a hand . agreat cruelty in a shepheard , that flaying his sheep alive , would not have them have naturall affection to resent the grief . moreover , to varnish the pretext of his censures , he publisheth me for a disobedient son to the universall father of christianity : but whether he is to be acknowledg'd for a father , who enemy-like robb's his children , judge you ? can he pretend to be reverenc'd as successor to saint peter , when diffring from saint peter , he stops his ears to the words of christ , who commandeth him to sheath his sword ? christ did institut a peacefull kingdome ; nor did he ever ordain , that his cause should be handled with armes . neverthelesse , the present bishops make use of them , because they are ready to meddle with any other cause , than that of christ . in the interim ( good fryer ) my fortune is worse than that of malchus ; for if malchus was offended with the weapon of peter , he was heal'd again by the hands of peter : but i find my self hurt by peters sword , yet cannot perceive his hand is disposed to cure me , or to restore me mine own . sect. vi . saint paul being departed from parma , goes to florence , where being brought to the court , he heard the gran-duke much transported with choler , speaking to a counsellor of his in this manner then vrban the eight , intends that the clergy-men shall go exempted from the imposition of the mill-stone , wherunto the interests of my state oblige me to subject without exception any one that lives under my government . and who is he that arrogats temporall authority over anothers jurisdiction ? in the time of christ , secular princes had their tribut ; and shall they be now refus'd in vrban the eights time ? by this means , the credulous simplicity of the laity shall be continually-taught to contribut so many gabels to the clergy , and the clergy shall be free from all taxes to them . and who at any time leaves any possessions to the ecclesiasticks , they must be free from such contributions , which the law of nature awards ev'ry protecting prince ▪ who did ever affirm that the legacies of privat men can derogat from the publick jurisdiction of princes ? these are new statuts , which tear the world in peeces , being introduc'd by those bishops , which together with the evangelicall doctrin , have forgot that christ himself , when he was upon earth , paid tribut to caesar , professing , that he came to fulfill the law , not to abrogat it . and we shall admit into our free states an authority , which beyond the order and example of christ , pretends to have power to controule , and transvolve the dominion of others , yea , to trample upon the princes themselves . is this the paradis that christ promiseth to them who observe his law ? or rather a hell , which they worthily deserve , who beleeve too much in an adulterated church . but i observe , that the ecclesiasticks , by too many stiles , do subject the simple seculars , to pay the contributions of indulgences , of dispensations , of the word of god , of sacrifices of the altar , and in sum of all the sacraments , which the divine bounty hath granted gratis to all the faithfull . but what do i say ? the avarice of the clergy is come to that height , that it doth not permit those poor souls that are under the agonies of death , to depart from this world to the other , till they conjure them under the pretext of pious legacies , to contribut a toll for their safe conduct , and constraining them to bargain for their very graves , they sell them for ready mony , the embraces of our common mother , the earth . and i , in my free state , cannot impose the least toll , as that of the mill-stone upon them . but let vrban the eight practise what he please , let him thunder what excommunications he will upon my gabelleers , i shall learn well enough how to fence away his blowes : i will make the jewes my receivers , nor shall i ever suffer that toscany be oppressed by such rapacious tyrannies , which under the mantle of religion are exercis'd in christendom to rob us of our own . sect. vii . saint paul having from the words of the gran-duke comprehended the cause why he was so mov'd , resolves to steer his cours for venice , wher being scarfe arriv'd , he found casually upon the way a writing , the tenor ▪ wherof was as followeth : a memorandum for the most renowned republick of venice . amongst those princes which reverence rome , your serenity is she , most renowned republick , which being free from all superstitious credulity , do conserve your christian empire from every insidious religion : by a most sage law therfore you did constitut some yeares since , that the clergy should be made incapable to inherit any stable possessions ; for the dead daily multiplying , and consequently , the number of legacies every day increasing , in processe of time , the ecclesiasticks would become masters of all that wealth , which giving a subsistence to all kind of subjects , are destinated for the service of your serenity . whosoever lives free from all passion to the affections of rome , is bound to applaud the maturity of your deliberations in this point : and he who professeth himself a friend to the greatnes of your dominions , must needs ackdowledg , that your high wisdome is warn'd by publick necessity to regulat two other no lesse important abuses . the first consists in the perpetuity of legacies : for what avails it to prohibit , that stable goods passe not under the possession of ecclesiasticks ? when by the multitude of perpetuall legacies , which use to be bequeath'd , and charg'd upon stable possessions , it will fall out in time , that all the rents shall be drunk up so ? and what difference can there be then i pray , 'twixt a perpetuall legacy , and a stable possession ! or what benefit should your subjects receive from the foresaid law ; who though they cannot be dispossed of the propriety of the land , yet they rest depriv'd of the usufruit of it ? this redounds to the greater advantage of the clergy : for while the refiduary seculars of the testator undergo the weight of all publick assessements , by keeping in their hands the fee , the clergy doe in vertue of the annuall legacy sweep away the rents without any burden at all . the zeal of your publick prudence will stir the rather for regulating this abuse , when you will consider , that the perpetuity of legacies was introduc'd at first rather by the cunning of the ecclesiasticks , than for the need of souls in purgatory : for if the pains in purgatory are said to be but temporary , wherfore should the simplicity of people be perswaded to bequeath in the behalf of their souls perpetuall legacies and mansionaries ? moreover , your serenity ought to consider , that the obligation of masses multiplying every day , with the number of legacies , a necessity seems to arise hence , either to increase the number of clergy men , who are useles for publick service , or to defraud the wils of the well-devoted testators , wheron , if the publick eyes would fixe themselves , they should see that the ecclesiasticks do not performe , no not the least part of these daily sacrifices which they are tyed to ; but they salve their consciences , by saying , that the masse being of an infinit value , one masse may supply the necessity of many souls : whence may be inferr'd , that if one masse may supply the necessity of many souls , one masse also may suffice to relieve the urgencies of one soul alone , and the remainder shall be thought a number superfluous , not from the necessity of the souls , but rather from the cheat arising from the avarice of the priest the second abuse consists in the multiplicity of pensions , which are paid annually to rome , from the state of venice . touching this , it comes into my mind to remember your serenity , that the court of rome is like the middle region of the ayre , which is wont to make her thunderbolts against earth , out of the exhalations she drawes from the earth it self : so the roman court is accustom'd to forme it's power for oppression of other states , out of the rents , contributions , and pensions which it receives from those states themselves . and let this suffice for the high wisdome of your serenity , in this point . sect. viii . saint paul sojourning in venice , sees a priest drag'd into prison by order of the secular power , and the cause being ask'd why the temporall authority exercis'd jurisdiction over a person ecclesiastick , a venetian answered him thus : the repub. of venice , nor for any other mens threats , or insinuations ever deviated from that constant path her own prudence hath pointed her out , for her own safety from the beginning . amongst other jurisdictions which she hath alwayes conserv'd in the face of romes pretensions and power ; one is , to have authority to punish the persons of ecclesiastick delinquents , esteeming that dominion to be absolut and universall , which heaven hath afforded her within her own territories . this republick knowes well , that when god did institut soveraign power , he conferr'd it upon saul over all the people , and all the tribes of israel without exception ; and ther was amongst the tribes , you cannot deny , a great number of levits and priests . ought the priests then disswade the people from that obedience which was ordain'd by the divine majesty it self towards their naturall princes ? the sacraments were ordain'd by god , to wash away the pollutions of sin in the soul , but not to deface the characters of subjects on the body ; nor was the law of christ ever incompatible with the jurisdiction of caesar , but in their opinion only , who seek pretences to traduce and calumniat it . the ecclesiasticks , who interpret all things to their own advantage , pretend to under-draw themselves from the secular power by those words of christ , nolite tangere christos meos . but he who is of a sound understanding , discerneth how much they are deceiv'd in the sense of those words : for although the same god forbad murther to all men by an expres commandment , yet it is lawfull for magistrats to take away the lives of malefactors . in the administration of justice , lay-princes also represent god , and for one to pretend to withdraw himself from their authority , is no other thing , then to be unwilling to be under divine obedience . if the ecclesiasticks would interpret scriptures with more reason , then passion , and partiality , they would discern that those words , nolite tangere christos meos , beare no other sense , then to prohibit an injust outrage against those ecclesiasticks ; which for the goodnes of their lives , and innocency of their manners , deserve the title of christs . when a church man is naught , he fals from that title , and so from the priviledg of it : nor can the clergy of these times pretend to be exempted from the power of temporall justice , by those words , unlesse it had been in case that christ had said , nolite tangere anti christos meos . this signory , which can discern things in their true essence , doth not admit the falshood of any interessed opinion , to purblind her own proper understanding : if a clerk may erre temporally against the state , the state thinks it reasonable , that he may be punished temporally , by no other , than by that hand to whō god hath transmitted the care of the state . the danger of a state would be too evident , and the confusion also , if the crimes that are committed against the conservation , and the common tranquillity therof should stand in fear of no other punishment , then what shall come from a forraign prince , who regulating himself by certain politick interests , in lieu of correction , would tolerat perhaps and connive at the crime , to the publick damage , and disturbance therof , and his own advantage . behold , for example , how divers states in italy , wher the pontificiall authority raign 's , are disquieted ever and anon , and corrupted , by reason of the impunity of clericall libertines . and what other thing can be hence expected , but that the ecclesiasticks being exempted totally from secular justice , may arme themselves , and joyn in bands , and turn their cloysters , when they please , to so many castles , that trampling so under foot the authority of their princes , they may stablish another kingdom within a kingdom ? that wisdom which sits at the stern of the republick of venice , will never suffer her own subjects to be able to bandy against her , by the protection and support of any forraign authority . clerks are punished when they offend temporally against the tranquillity of the state , not els . and if it seems strange to the pope , that the venetians assume to themselves temporall jurisdiction over ecclesiasticks ; much more seems it strange to the venetians , that the ecclesiasticks should usurp worldly dominion over the persons of seculars . in the mean time , they know well , that christ professed openly to have no kingdome in this world . sect. ix . saint paul desiring to understand the last differences which have been controverted 'twixt the republick of venice and rome , is inform'd by a noble venetian , in thess words : the church of rome was reverenc'd by us in that manner , which was fitting for christ's lawfull spouse . but she corresponding with little gratitude , hath not only oftentimes conspir'd our ruine , but at last hath thrown out of doors the monument of our services , which have been proclaim'd to the world for so many ages , by the trump of fame , by the true narration of historians , and approv'd in publick elogies by all her precedent bishops . this lyon can hardly endure to have that glory eclips'd , which was alwayes the food of his generous thoughts : and it seems very strange to us , that venice having rescu'd a fugitive pope , and plac'd him in his lost chaire , with the expence of so much venetian gold and bloud , the memory of this high desert should be now thrust out of rome . yet the republick being very unwilling that any incongruity should arise 'twixt her , & the roman church , consented that the crowne of france should be umpire of the difference . but vrban the eight , since he diffreth so much from peter , will not confes when he denyes the truth ; per le voci del gallo . but persevering in an obstinat opinion , not to restore the elogy , is contented by a foolish capricio of his own , to usurp this glorious attestation for the church , that she was ever serv'd by princes of al sorts : so that ancient inscription which was seen registred in the vatican , as a monument of ecclesiasticall gratitude towards venice , that which time it self could not deface all this while , the barberini have annihilated at last , because peradventure that having banish'd all vertue from rome , it displeaseth them to see gratitude lodg'd under the roof of their house : or rather , because the barberini do not hold themselv's beholden for those services , that the church receiv'd from st. mark , because they are more her betrayers , then governors . in the interim , we cannot but be sensible of this ingratitude ; yet we comfort our selves , to see , that the popes disaffection hath no means to do us any hurt , that is able to extend it self further then the wals of his own house . sect. x. saint paul being departed from venice , resolves to go towards the state of the church , and so embarques for ancona . in his voyage he is accompanied with a subject of the church , who after a long absence return'd to see his parents , saint paul asking him of his being , and the cause of his so long exile , declared his miseries in this manner : i was born a subject under the state of the church , and that 's enough , o good fryer , to pronounce me unhappy . the civil government administred in my country by ecclesiasticks , the authority abus'd by them that govern , and custom degenerating daily into cruelty and rapine , have made the subjection insupportable , and the lives of those most miserable , who live under the temporall scepter of the roman ecclesiasticks . my voice cannot sufficiently , expres the corruption of their government . let ev'ry one comprehend by the tyranny they do exercise abroad , what they do at home . i was inforc'd to forsake my house for a tax impos'd upon me for living well . this tax is a new way of confiscating for ev'ry light occasion . when a rich yong man is discovered by greennes of age , and heat of bloud , to be prone to any lightnes ; presently comes a new edict , which will make him lye under a grosse summe of mony . herby it comes often to passe , that a small fillip doth , equall murther , and words are as dangerous as deeds : for all comes under the title of transgression , though the fault be oftentimes be no otherwise than a slip of youthfull lightnes . furthermore , the ministers which govern our state of rome , under colour of zeal to our salvation , are wont to send often certain catchpols , to search mean blind places and cottages , to see whether any subject cohabit with a concubin : every thing lyes under the curiosity of the prowling eyes , and insolent hands of these ragamuffins i wil say no more then this , that under the dominion of other princes , the jews are more gently us'd , then we are under the regiment of ecclesiasticks . nor is it a wonder for some ecclesiasticks of our times , are haply greater enemies to the gospel of christ , then some christians are to the talmud of the hebrewes . sect. xi . the ship that carried saint paul towards ancona , happens by distresse of weather , and contrary winds , to be beaten upon the coasts of dalmatia , and striking into ragusi , saint paul meets there with a maronit passenger , who some few weeks before had come from rome , saint paul begins to mingle speech with him , and asks him of his country , and the motives that induc'd him to come to italy , ●nd what opinion he had form'd within himself of rome , wherunto he thus answers : my country is armenia , and my religion is the christian ; the cause which brought me to italy , was no other then a desire to learn the true tenets of that catholick doctrin , which in our regions is adulterated with such a multiplicity of sects , that they confound one another . the eleventh yeare is now come almost about , that i have breath'd under the climes of europe , and i sojourned most in rome , being led thither by fame , which somtimes useth to represent things otherwise than they are in their own essence . i imagin'd within my self that city to be she , who as she pretends , so she had deserv'd , to be the head of all christian people , as being the school of sanctity , and patterne of all innocence . and truly at first sight , i thought i was not awhit deceiv'd by any extern appearance , which oftentimes doth dazzle and inchant the eyes of the simple . the magnificence of her temples , the grea ▪ number of pardons , such a confluence of people flocking to church , and to the visit of holy places imprinted within me such an opinion of the roman piety ; that when afterwards , i fell to observe the lives and luxury of the cardinals ( little compatible with the doctrin of christ ) i ascrib'd the cause of my mistake rather to mine own ignorance , than to want of religion in others . but when i seriously descended into my self , i thought i was not born sencele . proces of time , and mature reflections made me discern afterwards , that the roman religion consisted most in ceremonies of exterior worship , which were it properly defin'd , might be cal'd , a kind of practise of life in the smaller sort , and an hypocrisie in the greater : for the rest , every action being judiciously examin'd , you will find it tending to objects of privat interest , and temporall benefit . profit and delight are the two poles , wheron the firmament of roman designs doth wheel about . if christ and his law be embrac'd , it is not embrac'd for the true finall end , but as means to compasse some terrene busines , which transform'd me to wonder , while i observ'd , how much christ was vilified amongst the romans , considering how much he serves their turn for the increase of their temporall interests . you shall find all vices reduc'd in this city , as to their proper center , and which is worse , blanch'd over with specious titles of holines . their pomp appears under the name of church - decorum , their ambition under the title of majesty , their tyranny under the semblance of zeal : nay , most scandalous lusts are brought into the houses of the greater sort , under the mantle of spirituall recreations . adulation hath founded here her palace , for you shall hear it preach'd most impudently , that the pope cannot erre , notwithstanding , that his actions are the very topps of error . tell me , o reverend fryer , if the pope cannot erre , wherfore are ther decrees and ordinances of councels instituted ? 't were enough for every one to be regulated by his will only , without importuning any synod , or attending any rules from the universall consent of christianity . but to unbowell unto you my true meaning , i hold that the ecclesiasticks now that they see , they cannot fit the customs of the pope to the laws , they procure to fit the laws to his customs . god furgive them , who fomenting a parasiticall doctrin , introduce so many abuses to gods house , so frontles and void of shame ; these being dandled with ambition , have transported saint peters seat from caves , to thrones of gold . these being carried away with avarice , do declare this magnificence to be necessary for the dignity of the church , together with those worldly dominions , so expresly forbidden by christ . poor church , to what a case art thou reduc'd ! the time was , when the clergy were reverenc'd for the sanctity of their lives . for the profoundnes of their learning , for the fame of their miracles . now they raise to themselves respect by worldly rule and greatnes , for nothing els makes thē to be reverenc'd in these dayes . but to compasse this mundangrandeur , which is founded most commonly upon the basis of gold , what unlawfull path is not trodden ? what iniquity is not praetis'd ? the law of christ being turn'd by the ministry of the romans ; to be a law of ruine and rapine . ther is no action exercis'd in the roman church , but you shall find it conjoyn'd with the interests of earthly emolument . o how deplorable are these times , were they paralell'd with those of the ancients , yea , when the world was depriv'd of evangelicall light . then , amongst the pagans , if an alexander rise up , who with an immense kind of cupidity snatcht at every thing , nature who is a friend to counterpoises , created a pholosopher , who glorying in his poverty , contemn'd the possession of all mundan greatnes . but now amongst the christians , if a pope starts up , which with insatiable appetit goes about to grapple all , we do not find that vertue hath that force as to dispose any ecclesiastick , to shew a counter example of that poverty which is commanded him by heaven . good fryer , if you have ever been in the dominions of the church , you will be astonish'd at such abominations , wherwith the worship of god is daily prophan'd . moreover , you shall hear nothing els preach'd in the pulpits but paradoxes , the delight , not the utility of souls being the scope of their matter ; and so the ears being tickled with this doctrin , the collections use to be greater , which under the name of almes is afterwards drawn from the hands of the auditors . but their sacrilegious greedines stops not here , you shall often see many lame miracles publish'd for gain : you shall often see a number of those inspir'd fathers use certain acts of conjuraration , rather , to drain mony out of the purse , then to cast devils out of the body : you shall see somtimes many neglected images , making themselves miraculous upon a sudden , to enrich the ecclesiastick possessors , deluding by this trick the simplicity of those who hold , that the vertue of doing miracles being lost in men , is retir'd now into statues and pictures . in summe , the abuses are so many which are introduc'd by the avarice , and rapacity of the romans , that i prognosticat , that that apparance of religion will be quite extinguish'd ere it be long , and faith it self also as much as remains ; for i have observ'd , that christ did not live long upon earth , when he was put between theeves . ther is an opinion that is current amongst some theologues , that when the host begins to moulder , the divine presence departs immediatly from the eucharist : now , if christ cannot stay , no not the least moment in corrupted bread , how shall we think he can abide to stay amongst a corrupt people ? friend , if your salvation be deare to you , turn face about , and never go to rome ; cast your self rather upon the remotest shoares of india , whither they say all vertue and religion is retir'd , perhaps to be the further off distant from the roman vices . one cannot sojourn in this city , without endangering the christian faith . take example by me , who being come from amongst the mahumetans , to learn how to lead the life of a catholick , do now go away hence with strange kind of confus'd imperfect thoughts to turn turk . sect. xii . the sea being calm'd , saint paul makes sayle , and arrives at ancona , whence he goes to loretto , and while he pass'd in a fryers weed hard by a village , he was earnestly cal'd in to confesse a cardinall that was a dying : he goes in , and hears the confession he made expressed in the words following : father , i feel the pangs of death come upon me , god summons me to satisfie the debt of human frailty . my soul finding her self in these extremes , trembleth to appear before the face of god , in regard she is so full of mundane spots . it is your function , to help me to wash them off , while these eyes of mine shall aford you tears , & this panting spirit , though strugling with the assaults of death , shall endeavour to declare unto you in short periods the sum totall of all my offences pass'd . know then , that i was born to a poor fortune , but nature , who hath also her portion of goods in this world to dispense among mortals , was pleas'd to endow this body with such prerogatives , that my parents might well formalize some hopes within themselves of my greater aduancement at rome . being grown up to twelve yeares , devoting my self not to god , but to ambition , they cloath'd me with the habit of an ecclesiastick , and to stablish the foundation of their hopes the better , they applyed me to the service of a cardinall : wher the end is crooked , the means tending to that end , can hardly prosper . hence comes it to passe , that now adayes in rome , to arrive to the pervers ends of their designs , they do not use for means , learning and vertue , the effects of a true heavenly vocation ; but courtship and flattery , which are the base parts of that interest , that hath an eye alwayes to the worldly advantage of ones self . i applyed my particular study to be a proficient in the garb and fashions of the court , which is no other thing , then to devote ones person to any pleasure of the great ones . he who confesseth , must conceal nothing , but be pleas'd , o father , to comprehend in your imagination all wherin an engag'd , and well respected youth may sin , and suppose it in me , and so my feeble tongue shall be exempted from the labor of long narrations . only this i tell you , that i knew how to gain the entire affection of the prelat , my protector , and he for my sake was not ill look'd upon at court . pensions did raign upon my person , which made me wonder at that which the ancients write , that jove should metamorphose himself into a showre of gold only for danae , when he converts himself so , more often for ganimeds . this my youthfull age was free from those passions , which use ordinarily to transport the minds of young men , viz. to love women : i do not deny to have tryed it , and i suddenly left it off , it seeming to me very strange , that i should pray , who was us'd to be prayed unto ; but i continued not long in that state ▪ my humor alter'd with my age , then i intangled my self in feminine love , and in a short space i tryed what was adultery , fornication , and incest : in the mean time , i arriv'd to that age which is capable of priesthood , then taking orders ▪ i liv'd awhile retir'd within my self , being perswaded to a moderation of life , by that synderesis , that touch of conscience , which comes somtimes by nature , & teacheth some sort of respect to be had to such a sacrament : but at the end , too much familiarity turn'd to contempt ; for wheras at first , i began to sin with some scruple , those scruples quickly flew away from my conscience , and so i came to such a reprobat sence , that fornication , rebellion of the heart , and and celebrating of the masse , was in my person but the act of one houre . father , 't was no sacrament , 't was a devill that then entred into my soul , when i took the character of a priest : it was an infernall spirit that perswaded me not to fear that christ which was daily to passe through my hands : i found my self immediatly disposed to every wickednes : and wheras at first , no other affection molested me , but that of lust , me thought , that all vices assayl'd me in a moment : nor is it to be wondred at ; for if judas found himself disposed to betray christ after he had taken the sop unworthily , though but once , much more must it be suppos'd , that those impious priests must be inclinable to all motion of prophanenes , who every day receive the sacramentated redeemer , peradventure more unworthily than judas : and covetousnes came to be my inseparable companions , fomented chiefly by occasion of that command and authority i began to get in the state of the church ; wher while i exercis'd the office of a shepheard , i learn't quickly the art to shear my sheep close : all that belong'd to the subject , was created , me thought , by nature for the service of my affections ; my favours were still expos'd to the highest offerer ; nor did i ever refuse a present from any hand ; i did wonder at the custom of the priests of the old testament , which rejected many oblations , as unworthy for the saciifice , and so concluded within my self , that because the times and lawes were alter'd , the priests of the new testament ought to receive any thing offred them . but this was the least ; for if the parishioner did not do it voluntarily , i found wayes to snatch it from them . i remember , that amongst other passages , taking occasion once to visit a gentleman , who was within the compas of my jurisdiction , i observed in his house some pictures of good value , and giving him an inkling of my desire , he with many humble complements answered , that he would be very unwilling to dispossesse himself of them ; i kept this deniall in my breast , and having trac'd a way , by means of the holy inquisition , to clap him in prison , he presented unto me those pictures , that he might only be remov'd to a gentler gaole ; and afterwards , for his full liberty , he was forc'd to suffer the better part of his estate to be confiscated . but , feariug that by his appeal to rome , this act of mine might be too narrowly winnow'd , and so i might run a hazard of the precipitation of my fortunes not yet so firmly grounded , to secure my self from after-claps , i cal'd him to me , and rebuking him for his coorse carriage towards me at first , it made me , by right of that incumbency i held over him , to reform all misdemeanors , to teach him how to comply with church-governors for the future . in fine , for the reparation of his losses pass'd , i made him a friendly promise , to point him out a way how he might be made capable to wear an ecclesiastick habit , and so ascend to the dignity of a prelat ; for they under the roman state , amongst the multitudes of their miseries , have no other comfort but this , that they may easily arrive to such a condition as may inable them to revenge upon some others the wrongs they receive themselves . by these means i knew how to feather my nest so well , that i return'd afterwards to rome , to live in the lustre of a conspicuous prelat , by introducing into my house the wonted pomp and exces of the old romans ▪ i parallel'd any other in ornament of rich hangings , of magnificent coaches , in number of grooms and laquays , and specially , in multitude of courtiers , and gelded musitians ; the greatnes of rome being ambitious to shew her self barbarous , yea , in the pomp of eunuchs . eleven youths did undergo the martyrdom of origen , of purpose to devote themselves to the luxury of my pleasures : poor boyes , by what a strange effect doth the lusts of others make you chast ! while i did lead this splendid life , the cardinall , my protector , came to the popedome . by this exaltation , my hopes soar'd very high , nor did ther much time passe , when i saw my person , being a creature of the popes , advanc'd to the dignity of the hat ; so i mounted to the degree of cardinal , wherin i stand now . now if my voice had strength to unmask every particular thing , you would be struck with amazement , to discover a life so impious in the persons of them who glory in the title of christs disciples . i 'le tell you in a word , that from the time i obtain'd the cardinalship , i never kept lent , i never recited my howrs , i never confessed to god , but now , in these extreme agonies of my sicknes : such being the custom almost of all cardinals , who finding themselves in a posture to aspire to the keyes of heaven , do think perchance to be able one day to find a way to enter there , without any necessity of good works . but wo is me , i perceive now to have deviated from the way of heaven ; i discern too well by the light of divine grace ( which knows not by what exces of mercy may please to save me for all this ) that to lead an ecclesiasticall life , as is now accustom'd , is nothing at all to live like a christian : but if pagans , yea atheists perceiving their own errors , have hopes to be saved , why should i despair ? this is the only argument of my hopes , although i think the salvation of an infidell more easie , then that of a perverse christian ; because my soul finds at this very moment , that the understanding is more easily illuminated , then the will humbled and rectified , being too tenacious of her delights in those pleasures , which she must now relinquish with the hat , but father , my spirit fayles me , give me an absolution , for i feel my self upon point of expiring . sect. xiii . saint paul having comforted the dying cardinall ▪ goes to loretto , where he is detain'd some dayes by the rain , there he fals into the friendship of a minister of savoy , who return'd from rome , with a dispensation obtain'd for a marriage 'twixt the prince cardinall maurice , and the princesse his nee●● , and being question'd about it , he makes that following relation : there are not many yeares , that the houseof savoy hath complied according to the custom of princes , with the ambition of the court of rome , by receiving a cardinals hat in the person of prince maurice , not by way of vocation , that he should have this for an ecclesiasticall life , but to secure the posterity of the elder brother , from all aspirings , and 〈◊〉 ▪ jealousies and dangers . this prince then did frame his customs sutable to the life that he had propos'd to himself , and to shun the better the troubles of those warlike spirits , which use to be naturally of his race , he resolv'd to retire himself to rome , esteeming this city the rendevouz of repose , and center of tranquillity , for all church-men . poor prince , he was herein mightily deceiv'd , for he was put to suffer such termes of incivillity from the indiscretions of the barberini , that oftentimes he repented to have underlaid the decorum of his nativity , to the handling of persons so meanly born . the ill satisfaction which he received hapned every day , so that one time breathing out his passions unto me , he said thus : i cannot but blame the roman church , because she useth to confer the papacy most commonly upon men , that for the obscurity of their birth , cannot adapt themselves to treat with princes : wherunto i answered , you cannot blame the church , while she follows the institutions of christ , who conferr'd the ministry of the apostleship upon people of the meanest rank : but they rather are to be blam'd , who with the ministry of the apostleship , receive no more that holy spirit , which at other times did sanctifie and indoctrinat poor fisher-men in the art of catching the benevolence of princes , and the affections of whole entire provinces . so i answered . but the distasts of this prince requir'd further satisfaction ; a fancy took him at last to return to savoy , wher being come , he found the court so rent into faction , by the domestick grudges betwixt the brother tomaso , the cosin mother , and the tutres of the pupill duke , that he concluded within himself , that some princes may be born never to find peace . he was constrain'd , not being able to stand neutrall , to declare himself for the brothers side , wherupon he obtain'd the government of the most important county of nizza . many accidents well known to the world fell out since , from the dis-union of this cosins bloud , the interesses of two crowns , now in enmity interposing , when the stars changing their aspects , turn'd discord into love , and hatred into union . some sparks of amorous complacency began to kindle in the breast of the prince cardinall towards the tender person of his neece ; and he was solicited so far , that at last he resolv'd to renounce the hatt , to get her for his spouse ; nor did the regards of affinity of bloud , or of disparity of years oppose this resolution ; because as the one was held feasable in rome , though with some expence : so the other did not fall under any consideration amongst them , who with the eye of prudence and policy foresee the benefit which will arise out of this marriage , to settle the peace of savoy . matters then being brought to such termes , i , an ancient servant of the house , was imployed to rome , as a messenger of the renunciation , and a procurer of the dispensation , which having obtain'd with more facility , and lesse charge then i could expect , i determin'd at my return , to passe by this holy place , to give heaven thanks for the successefull issue of my negotiation , and for the consolation which i reap by the peace of others . but me thinks , o reverend father ; to see you listen to this story with too austere a look , as if you judg'd it strange for a cardinall of the holy church to renounce the hat , to marry with his own neece . father , excuse me , if you were vers'd in the practises of rome , you would thank the divine providence , and ascribe to an effect transcending human vertue , that that cardinals hat did not infuse into prince maurice his head worse affections than these . sect. xiv . saint paul directs his cours from loretto to rome : in his lodging by the way , he over-hears two persons reasoning one with the other , in this manner : friend , you afflict your self too much for the prohibition which was lately made of your books in rome , if laying aside the heat of passion , you will lend your ears to my words , i shall perchance make you know , that , as the times are , a more desiderable fortnne could not befall the pains of your pen , nor a greater glory to the sweat of your wit . the title of prohibition , considered in it's own essence , is not as ev'ry one imagines , either shamefull or infamous ; for were it so , the tree of life which was prohibited to our first parents , and the terrestriall paradise which was prohibited to all mankind , should partake of the infamy and shame ; as also the holy scripture vulgariz'd , which is prohibited to the simple , and certain reliques which are prohibited to all prophane hands . in summe , all those things which are prohibited , either by nature , or by the law , to our appetit or desires , should be infamous : he is deceiv'd who breaths with such an opinion ; for prohibition of it self can bring with it , neither honor nor dishonor ; but he that considers this point seriously , will find that 't is not the prohibition , but the cause of it that renders a man glorious or infamous ; therfore it behooves you to know why the court of rome hath prohibited your books , and then to frame a judgment , whither such a prohibition may bring you , in the opinion of men of sound understanding , either discredit , or a good name , and so either affliction , or contentment . the causes have bin divers , why rome hath accustom'd from time to time to prohibit books ; the most ancient causes were , a zeal to preserve the purity of religion , and a care that the lives of christians should not be corrupted with those doctrins , that an ill author may suggest : the modern causes are , an aversion that some great ones have , that their vices should be reprehended , and expos'd to publick censure . he that first left the ancient use of the cane , to bring in the quill , did , in my judgment mysteriously allude , that as it is naturall to the quill to fly freely up and down ; so the conceits that go along with it , should partake of the same liberty . that quill which fals upon the dunghill of some base respect , fals from it's own naturall prerogative ; nor can that author be ever famous , who with an opinion inslav'd to the sense of another , discovers himself to have servile intellectuals . but tell me rome , if an author be a lyar , what greater infamy and punishment can befall him , then that his lies be publish'd to the world : if he write truth , why should that truth be kept from the eyes of the people ? we read that christ did open the eyes of the blind ; but we do not read , that he ever made any body blind to bring him to heaven . but shall i tell you my opinion , the ecclesiasticks have wish'd all men blind , since their vices have grown so visible . sect. xv . saint paul arrives at rome , at the gates wherof he meets with an angell standing very melancholy , and he was the guardian angell of urban the eight , he makes himself known to the angell , and expostulates with him , why he had abandoned the care of the popes person , wherunto the angel makes this answer : i stand here , o holy paul , to gard the gates of this city , because it is not in my power any longer to preserve the soul of vrban : it is impossible to bridle his capricio's , nor can any angelicall strength do it ; i having tryed all means imaginable to reduce him to the way of reason , but all in vain ; i will not expose to scorn any longer the divine inspirations , so i intend to take my flight to heaven , to give god an exact account of the deviations of this soul , to supplicat afterwards his divine benignity , that he will be pleas'd to disburden me of the weight of so heavy a charge , which hath in a manner perturb'd the whole peace of my angelicall state . it is a great happines for holy paul to be made an angell ; but he that knew , how heavy the ministry of garding human souls , wherin we angels are imployed , fals out somtimes , specially when we encounter refractory humors in a soul , as in that of vrban the eight , he would peradventure esteem the happines of man to be more , who having travell'd but one age only in this lower world , goes afterwards to enjoy , without any disturbance , the repose of heaven . nor do i repine at the state of others ; but you well know , that he must needs be somwhat mov'd , who sees he cannot serve his own lord in such a manner as he desires . you who have had the incumbency to instruct people , and convert whole nations , know it by experience , how uncoth it is , to observe the humors of men . and now that you have understood the grounds of my grievances , tell me freely whither i complain without cause , for perchance god hath sent you hither , either to correct me , or comfort me . the twentieth yeare runs now , that vrban the eight holds the papacy , whence one may easily calculat how few yeares of his life are left behind , if it be true what is cōmonly spoken , that no pope shall see the dayes of peter . but i , if i may unfold my own thoughts , do beleeve , that he who spoke those words , seem'd to prophecye , that none shall see the church of god in that state of christian perfection , as it was in the days of peter : but be it as it will , the more yeares come on , the faster ev'ry man runs headlong to that pit , which is the center wher all mortals terminat their cours , being drawn down by the weight of that earth wherof humanity is compos'd . most commonly old men , when they come to such a period of yeres , use to check within themselves those spirits which in their youth were us'd to lash out into a thousand inordinat passions , endeavouring , being now as it were abandon'd of the world , to acquire unto themselves by means of a true repentance some sort of shelter in the sanctuary of divine grace , which at all times is ready to receive those that are forlorn . be astonished , o holy paul ! vrban the eight the older he grows , the more loose he leaves the reins to his own senses , and the nearer he approacheth to death , the further he is from good operations : he excessively loves the pleasure of his nephews , nor doth he operat any thing , but what aymes at their interests . he never reflects upon the incumbency of his charge , and if at any time some flying thought represents unto him his own duty , he discerneth well , that a kind of relation passeth 'twixt the papacy , and his person ; but he flattereth himself with this fond conceit , that the papacy is more bound to serve his person , than his person the papacy . he detests in the extreme the memory of his excesses , the most effectuall means that the garding angels use to tame the proudest souls . he will not as much as think on death , or if somtimes he is brought to think on 't , by converting the physick into poyson , he applyes his cogitation presently , in ruminating how he may aggrandize his house before lie goes . if i should tell you how often i found him chymerising within himself , how he might make it possible to render the popedome electif , and to depend no more upon the consistory , but solely upon the person regnant , that he might establish it in his posterity , you would be amazed at those extravagant imaginations , that often possesse the mind , even of the vicar of christ . but would god were pleas'd , that such wishes did terminat altogether in the vanity of the designe . they end commonly in more practicable resolutions , to drain the patrimony of saint peter , for to enrich their own houses with the spoiles of the holy church . but the avidity of vrban stops not here . he little esteems the millions of gold purloyn'd from the altar , to leave his nephews the possession of an independent principallity , wher they may lay up the unsecured trophyes of their own rapines . ther was was ever yet in the world a greater number of those , who wish to be princes , then principalities themselves . hence it comes , that to purchase these from the tenacious hands of others , ther must be force necessarily us'd , because hardly any reasons can be found which may perswade the mind of man to lay down voluntarily the right of a free dominion , which makes vrban the eight , being transported by his passions , to machinat violent means for to invest his nephews in another princes estate . i could tell you some further designs and fury of his . he accounts often upon the kingdome of naples , but he finds the enterprise to be fuller of desire , than hopes : he thinks upon the duchy of milan , lending his eare unto the glosing offers of some minister of a tramontane crown ; but he dares not trust to that , for if others should intervene , he cannot leave all to the barberini . he fixes his eyes upon lucca , but perceiving it a petty state , he doubts whether the benefit will countervaile the charge . he hath a months mind to mirandola , but being feuditary to the empire , and a place that breeds some jealousie 'twixt the neighbouring princes , he is afraid to draw germany or lombardy on his back ; lastly , he turns his eyes to parma , and this enterprize being made lesse difficult by the advantage of some pretences , he purposes to deprive the poor duke ( beginning with castro ) of all his possessions . i put him in mind how much it did misbecome bishops , and other prelats of the holy church , who make profession of a life diffring from swordmen , to change the crosier into musket-rests , rockets into corslets , and their myters to murrions . i put before his eyes , the scandall that would redound to all christendome therby , the scorn that infidels would couceive of it , & the danger the church would incurre , foretold by our saviour , who positively warneth , that every kingdome divided in it self bath it's dissolution near at band : but it is to beat the ayre , to tell vrban of all this , which hath every thing for his aym , but the indemnity of the church . finding that these arguments were of little force , i applyed unto him the spur of nature , alleadging , that the events of war were dubious and dangerous , to raise in him therby some apprehensions of feare , which commonly takes place in old mens breasts : but nature could prevaile little , reason lesse , and the inspiration of an angell nothing at all over the hair-brain'd humors of vrban . he that now entreth rome , sees a pope turn'd armiger , now in his decrepit times , one that takes up arms then , when he should meditat how to lay down his life to nature ; and which his woorse , he thinks all this to be according to the dictamen of reason , so that vrban the eight never doth that which he beleeves , but beleeves in that which he doth , insomuch that at the same time , when he tears italy to peeces , and snatcheth the state of another , he publisheth his actions to be right , his intentions holy , and that all tends to the service of god , and the object of good , as if the formality of good in his idea , were different from that , it is in the opinion of all other men . but i omit many extravagances wherwith this capricious soul hath abus'd my last patience . once he setled a resolution within himself , not to give any satisfaction at all to the princes of christendome , notwithstanding , that i often put him in mind , that this was the basis wheron was founded the conservation of the christian obedience . another time he resolv'd to creat no more cardinals , it may be to merit the more of the church of god , by abolishing so perverse a generation ; but he repented himself afterwards of this , for no other reason , but because i oppos'd him in this resolution . if a tutelar angell can suffer greater contempts , tell me , o thou apostle of god . i find that the reputation of angelicall custody , is too much engag'd in continuing to stand about him thus . therfore in despaire of his amendment , i have given over all care of his person , that i should not delay my return to heaven . sect. xvi . saint paul having understood the complaints of the tutelar angell of urban the eight , enters rome , wher he attends the perfecting of the proces , but an accident befell him , which inforc'd him to fly , as he was going along , another angell comes in his way , whom he encounters with these expressions : you come , o heavenly messenger , peradventure to charge me from his divine majesty , that i should avoid rome . behold , how i have left her already before your comming ; for divine inspirations fore-run the very flight of angels . but now that i am come out of rome , let us repose awhile , and i will relate unto you the unexpected cause of my hasty departure . you know already , o angell of god , that i was sent from heaven to earth to hear the complaints of mortals , and to forme a proces against this adulterous and naughty spouse . i lighted to this purpose in many places , wher having fully understood by all degrees of people her dissolut deportments , to confirm with my own eyes what came from other tongues , i resolv'd at last to come to the city of rome it self . i pass'd too and fro at first in the froc of a fryer ; there , as i went through a little blind hamlet , i was call'd in to confesse a dying cardinall ; which gave me warning , that the habit descrying me to be a religious person , t was likely , that entring so to rome , i might ( according to the custome ) be question'd for the patent of my orders , or the license of my superiors ; i herupon , to evade the telling of any lye , held it expedient to lay down the froc , and take my sword . so i came into rome , intending to lodge in some convent of fryers , who being us'd to thrust themselves into worldly affairs , more than the seculars themselves , i thought i could there very leisurely have a free and exact information of all things , specially , because the freedome of speech is retyr'd now into cloysters for more security , in regard of the extreme rigor which is us'd to punish those who speak any thing against the court . the monastery wher i was lodg'd , was famous for the study of letters , and so it was frequented by many learned men ; ( but the greatest concourse was of strangers , who so abound in rome of all nations ) wher desiring to know what conceit forreners had of that church , i disputed often upon some points of religion . ther hapned to come thither a turk , rather to heare , as i imagine , the noise of the disputation , and see fashions , then to inform his judgment ; so i ask'd him his opinion of christian religion , wherunto beyond all expectation , he answered thus : amongst the turks it is held for certain , that god doth favour those people most , wher he is truly ador'd , so , from the prosperity of the turkish empire , we infer , that our faith is good , and the observance of it not displeasing to god . touching the christian religion , we have an opinion , that she was not naught , untill she was adulterated , and made naught by christians themselves . but in the state she is now in in this city , we beleeve her to be abominable to god almighty , specially , since we see that of late yeares she goes annichilating , and mouldring away by little and little , by her own inward and endlesse discords . such was the conclusion of the turk , which made me , i confesse , to marvell not a little , while i observed , that even those who professe not much knowledge , can deduce from far fetch'd principles , consequences so near the truth . having had his opinion , i went on in making a further scrutiny , and i fell to expostulat with a greek , who was usd to repair to rome for the opportunity of studying in clementin colledge , who answer'd to my interrogatories thus : the roman and greek churches are sisters issued from one father : but the greek is the first born , and i know not by what wiles the roman came to take away her birth-right . for this cause they live in most grievous disgusts one with the other : but the one enjoyes the possession of all her paternall goods , wheras the other lives as esau did ; excluded , and under the dominion of another . touching the particular customs of the roman church , i say nothing ; for he that censures her in this city , shews he knows not his own danger , and he who approves her carriage , understands not the law of christ . with such words the greek satisfied my demands . as touching the opportunity which was offer'd me , to mingle speech with a french-man upon the same subject , i understood his conceit thus : the name of the roman church is reverenc'd by a great part of the kingdome of france ; but the wisdome of our governors hath never permitted the pope to extend that excesse of pre-dominion beyond the alps , which he doth exercise in italy , for our policy is supported by particular gallican rites : and the reason is , because the french being naturally impatient , and now that almost half france ( to withdraw it self from under the roman yoake ) is infected with heresie , certainly if the pope should exercise upon the consciences of that spritfull people the tyranny he doth exercise in italy , the rest of that great kingdome would fall from him quite . such were the expressions of the frenchman , which did stir in me a curiosity by way of opposition , to hear what the spaniard would say . nor was it difficult for me to obtain my desire , by meeting with a nobleman of sevill , who frequenting the same convent , i entred into his friendship , and he rendred me satisfied by such discours . friend , to serve you , i will speak , beyond my custome of this nation , with all ingenuity of heart : the reverence which the spaniards do professe to the roman church , may be considered in two manners , inward and outward . if you ask me of the inward reverence , suppose it to be not unlike that of other people , who have full knowledge of her customs ; ( the spaniards being of a genius apt to esteem things as they are in value ) but if you ask me of the outward reverence , know , that the spanish nation in extern apparance shew themselves very observant of the roman church , because , that having found her alwayes most partiall to the interests of their crowns , they hold themselves oblig'd by termes of gratitude to correspond with her at least in outward observance . my king knows well how available for the depressing of the suspected greatnes of his subjects hath bin the pretext of the holy inquisition : he lives mindfull of that promptitude shew'd in the court of rome , to deny an absolution to the house of borbon , untill he had conform'd it self to the austrian satisfaction ; and lastly , he knows how much to this very houre , the pragmaticall jesuits have serv'd him to dilate in every part , with their own advantage , the bounds of the castilian empire ; so that in contemplation of all these respects , the spaniards hold themselves oblig'd to reverence the roman church , in exterior appearance at least , though she were far worse then she is . here the spaniard did terminat his period , while my diligence , which desisted not to procure all punctuall advertisements , brought me to discourse with an english-man , who gave this modest answer : sir , i am declar'd an enemy of the roman church , therfore my words , i presume , can gain no credit with you , but if you desire to know what respects this church finds northward , read our doctors , and perchance your curiosity will be fully satisfied . thus , o angell of god , i endeavoured in rome to bring to perfection the proces which was committed ●o my charge against the adultresse spouse ; and passing one morning by a church , wher they were casting out a devill , i went in , because of the noise , and then the ill spirit knew my person , and began to cry out , her 's saint paul , her 's saint paul ; truly , he is come in an ill time from heaven , to view the state of that church for which he shed so much sweat : good saint , what motives brought him to this lower world ? was it to see how his labours fructified ? ah , the pure grains of that doctrin which his eloquence sowed in the vineyard of the lord , are turn'd to tares , and become food for ravenous birds , such as these are , who stand about me now , to disconjure me with their hideous noise . vpon this cry , the priests began to fix their looks upon me , wherupon , fearing to be discovered , i softly retyred ; but the words took such impressions in the mind of the exorcist , that he did conjure the spirit by violent threats to manifest who i was , who , not being able to resist the violence , confess'd i was saint paul , who by resumption of humane shape ( he knew not why ) wandred now upon earth . the priest had no sooner knowledge herof , but he presently found means to give notice to the pope ; a little after , my lodging being found out by spies ( wherof the● are a multitude in rome ) i suddenly perceiv'd a courtier making towards me , and breaking into these words : o holy paul , in the name of vrban the eight , i come to do you reverence ; he is well inform'd of the condition of your being here ; he earnestly desires that you would please to favour his house with your presence , for he is ambitious to have a stranger of so high a quality for his guest . the courtier , o angell of god , spoke to me thus in very proper phrase ; for in these times , saints use to be call'd strangers in the state ecclesiastick ; whither i was astonish'd or no , to see my self thus surpriz'd and discover'd , judge you ; i thank'd his beatitude in the best manner i could , for his courteous offer , and excus'd my self not to be able to receive that honor , in regard i was of necessity to depart from rome within a few houres ; when i had dis-intangled my self thus from the courtier , i cal'd my thoughts to counsell , and feeling , that my heart did presage me some sinister accident , i resolv'd upon flight ; and i was gon but few paces further , when the same courtier came again , and told me , thus : vrban the eight doth remand me to you , o holy paul , to second his first invitation , but if in case you are resolv'd not to grace his palace with your presence , i have order to propose another request to you : in your epistles we read , o apostle of god , certain passages which manifestly contradict the humors of our holy father , vrban the eight , he prayes you to mend them , because it is not fitting that paul should gain-say the will of peters successor ; and if you desire to know which are those passages , one amongst the rest is , that , let every soul be subject to the higher powers . vrban the eight would , that from this so universall a proposition , the souls of popes should be exempted ; he thinking it not fitting , that the popes should be subordinat to any other law , but that of their own affections and fancy , for so their actions should not be censur'd by every sensles man , as they are ever and anon now adays : his holines also much desires , that these words be utterly expung'd , which assigning to every bishop in his own incumbencies , do speak in particular . diaconos habeant non turpe lucrum facientes , let them have deacons not given to base lucre . these periods displease in a high measure vrban the eight , for he of necessity must have about him his nephew-cardinals . here the courtier stopp'd , when i poor paul fell to discourse with my self thus : see , thou art in danger to be entrapp'd , notwithstanding that thou hast been confirmed in the state of grace , but what could be expected lesse in rome ? perceiving at last that he attended no answer , i put my self to reason with him thus : o papall messenger , the busines which you propound to me , is of no light moment ; for he who is tender of his own repute , cannot be easily induc'd to un-say himself : you know that my doctrin hath run through the world till this day without alteration , now what will people say to see it now differ from times pass'd ! and who will not perswade himself , that the alteration proceeds rather from the malignity of some convicted heretick , than from pauls pen . moreover , to what purpose will it be to vary apostolicall doctrins , when the popes , without any regard to them , do operat still according to their own fancies ? but now , that his beatitude doth desire this superfluous alteration , i will not fayle to serve him in the best manner that god shall inspire me . the courtier departed with this answer , which he took for a promise ; but i , to reserve my self to execute what god had enjoyn'd me , did immediatly fly away from rome , being warned from heaven so to do . i was scarce out of the city , when i remembred to have left my sword behind , and being in suspense with my self , whether i should return to fetch it or no , i spie comming after me , one who was also a forrener in the same convent wher i had lodg'd , and often shew'd me arguments of love , who comming near me , cryed out , friend , be gone , be gone , i come after you of purpose to tell you , that you were scarce gone , but another courtier came to seek you , and being inform'd of your flight , he carried newes therof to the pope , and a little after the pope himself came to your lodging , who finding not your person , took away your sword , saying in a kind of choller , that if pauls pen refuse to serve me , his sword shall . this sword shall force princes to bend and bow at my feet ; this , this shall conserve castro , subdue parma , and shew the world that ther is no necessity of reason , wher the edge of a slashing sword can make way . giving a thousand thanks to my friend , who knew not what paul , nor what sword the pope spake of , i took my leave of him , and continued my flight , being troubled in my thoughts , that my armes should be left in such a hand , which imployes them to the service of such tyrannicall affections to the universall scandall of christianity . nor knew i well what resolution to take . if it were possible , o angell of god , to bend him to the voice of the almighty , i could wish you to go and inspire him to peace : but vrban hath too too refractory a soul ; therfore i hold it more expedient , that you would please to imploy your inspirations amongst the princes of italy , to incite them to take out of his hand these armes , which were taken from me without reason , and are now drawn out against them without justice . to this end i have fram'd a letter , address'd to the italian princes , wherunto i held it not much necessary to affixe my name ▪ because it is known already i am on earth , and it is of this tenor . saint paul to the christian princes . urban the eight , o princes , transported with the violence of an injust wrath , took possession of my sword , of purpose to make use of it against the quietnes of your states : if you will not resolve to take it out of his hand , i do exhort you in the name of the divine majesty to do it , because it is not fit , that that that blade which is design'd for the conversion of infidels , should be stain'd in your bloud ; nor let that idle scruple amuse you , that he is your shepheard , for the true shepheards do guide their flocks with gentle wands , not with weapons . remember , that isaak suffer'd himself to be slain by the hands of of his father , to be sacrificed to god , not to the fury and passions of his father . and saint peter left a fishers knife behind him , to be us'd against fish , which are not creatures of our element , to intimat to the church , that if at any time she takes up armes , she must imploy them against infidels , which living out of her fold , may be cal'd animals of another element . encourage your selves therfore by this counsell of mine , neither think ye the design difficult ; for although vrban seem furious , yet he that is not habituated to handle weapons , may easily let loose his hold . god inspire your hearts , and prosper your resolutions . this is the tenor , o angell of god , of this letter , which i beseech you to carry ( with your inspirations ) to the hearts of christian princes . i , in the interim , before i return to heaven , must go and visit ierusalem , to kisse again that place , where the very inanimat stones being more gratefull then men , keep yet fresh the memory of divine mercy . sect. xvii . the angell readily offers to do saint pauls will , but first he relates to him what he over-heard in a parlatory of nuns , whither out of curiosity he betook himselfe i shall obey , o holy paul , your instructions , and will instantly carry your letter consign'd to the princes , inspiring them for the recovery of your sword from vrbans hand : but be pleas'd to hear what i lately understood in a parlatory of nuns ; for perchance it will not be impertinent for you to annex this to your proces , expressing the grievances of the unhappiest creatures , living under christs law . you know already , o apostle of god , that i am of those angels , which never descended before to earth , and if in strange countries the curious mind of the passenger desires to satisfie it self , i confes that amongst other things which i desir'd to see , one was a monastery of nuns , who were so much spoken of in heaven , that i took them to be angels on earth . being come therfore to one of the prime cities of italy , , i took the forme of a strange youth , and entred at the privatest hower i could into a monachall parlatory . i found at the windowes a young nun , which had no other busines it seems , but to attend the comming of some body . i was scarce spyed by her , when she ask'd me an account of my country , and what fancy took me to traverse the world up and down in that manner , i , bethinking my self of heaven , answered , my country , most gentle sister , is too far distant from this place , and wherunto few of this region arrive touching the fancy that leads me thus to traverse up and down the world , it is no other , then a curiosity , which often drawes youthfull lightnes to neglect their own profit , and to regard others . foolish youthfulnes , which canst not learn how to value thy countries good but afar off ; then i added , happy are they , who never departing from within the paradise of these holy wals , seem as so many angels alwayes appearing before the face of god . she being as full of spirit as she was , of beauty , answered thus : o how many os us would willingly change our paradise for your peregrination , wherfore then do you complain so causlesly of your travels ? which being no other then the motions of a civill life , it cannot chuse but be so much the sweeter to elevated minds , by how much the higher the motions of their souls are : behold the sun , behold the planets , which never staying still in one place , delight to be continuall travellers in the vnivers . i being much taken with the vivacity of her spirit , replyed : it is true lady , that the sun and the planets are in a kind of continuall peregrination ; but ther are in heaven fixed stars also , which , because haply they are more noble , are superior to the other , and consequently nearer to the throne of the almighty . those nuns then , who to serve god are alwayes permanent in one place , like the fixed stars , may more then any other mortals , comfort themselves with an assurance that they are nearer god . the beautuous mayden sigh'd at these words , and then answered : god , i deny not , dwels nearer to the fixed stars , but not to desperat souls ; and now you discover your self to be a true stranger , that you are not acquainted with our miserable condition . the cruelty of our parents , and the rigor of our destiny hath penn'd us in here for ever ; the church of rome concurring herunto by admitting any pretext whatsoever , bear with me sir , that i speak thus . it is a hard fate to be borne to a perpetuall prison , while 't is seen , that all other living creatures have the whole world to solace themselves in ; and that prison , which it seems the very infants do fly from , when they sally out of their mothers wombs , before they have as it were any sense of life , we are constrain'd to endure , after that nature hath given-us the perfect use of sense , and life , and the knowledge of our own miseries ; the destiny of that mortall must needs be a hard one , who is born to live in restles infelicity . this cloyster , which surrounds our liberty , is not as you imagine , a paradise ; for in paradise there dwels no discontentment ; it is rather a hell , where in the flames of inextinguishible desire , the naturall affections of our humanity are condemn'd to be tortur'd every minute . i will not stand to expresse the cause why our parents are so inhumanly cruell unto us , for it is too well known , that for to spare that dowry which is due to our sex , they condemne us 'twixt these wals , to be depriv'd for ever of any worldly delight , for no other cause , but because we are borne women . yet you must know , that the shutting us thus by force between these stones , cannot deprive us of those carnall affections , which may well be cover'd , but not quench'd in that religious habit which you see about us ; nor can this kind of life conduce to heaven , considering ther is no concurrence of the will , which is so acceptable to the all-knowing lord . we are rather destinated to an abisse , by a cours clean contrary to our genius , being bereft also of that common priviledge , which other souls use to have to go to hell what way they please . in ancient times it was the custom to slay the victimes first , and then sacrifice them to good , because haply the principall seat of the corporeall affections lying in the bloud , 't was not held convenient to offer his divine majesty any holocaust , which was not first purg'd by effusion of that bloud from all earthly passions ; but this is not observ'd in us by our parents , who do make sacrifices of us , with all our bloud and passions about us ▪ then how can we beleeve that it is gratefull to god ? and being not gratefull to him , consider in what a despair our souls are plung'd in , which see themselves shut out of the world here , without any assurance to enter heaven herafter , in regard we have not power to extinguish our naturall affections , and so are in danger to precipitat our selves headlong into hell , through a kind of suppos'd innocence , if christ died to reduce us to such a hard condition , o how better were it for us that he had not died . be not offended , o stranger , at these words , for the toungs of the damned can bring forth nothing but blasphemies : yet we know that christ hath no hand in this our hard condition , for ▪ his death had for it 's principall object the freedome and enlargement of souls , not their captivity . the popes are most in fault , by yeelding to the cruell covetousnes of our parents , to transvert the keyes of paradise iuto the keyes of a prison . it was not christ , no , it was the impiety of herod , that , by reason of the humanation of our saviour caus'd so many innocents to be slain . behold , we are in a case equall to theirs , because we being yet innocent children , under a mark of holines , we are segregated and cut off from the society of the living , ther being no difference 'twixt us and them , but that they died before buriall , and we are buried before death . nor can our innocency , or our fears prevaile any thing ; nor are those priviledges sufficient , which nature hath granted these faces of ours ( for which peradventure you stiled us angels ) to implore from others piety any succour , having found the church of rome so ingratefull , while we consider that the time was when saint peter was freed by an angell out of prison ; but now clean contrary angels are cast into prison by the successors of saint peter . but whither doth the violence of a just passion transport me thus to rave ? helas , the name of angels doth not suit with our condition , and lesse with our operations : for although we are brought innocents hither , yet we cannot preserve our selves long in this monastick life from the motions of desperat passions ; the religion which clap'd us in here is not ador'd , but detested by some of us ; vanity and feminine wantonnes is here in the height ; here dwels curiosity in exces , and desire of knowledge in worldly matters without end ; ambition , envy , discord , and hatred , is never wanting amongst us : lastly , her 's observ'd neither constitution , law , or vow , but out of pure necessity , and unavoydable violence . but what shall i say of that mayden chastity for the conservation wherof we are principally penn'd in here ? i leave that for you to imagine , it being not permitted to femal modesty to make any further expressions in this kind ; i only tell you this , that we procure all means possible to outrage and abuse it , and not without reason , for if this chastity hath bin the principall thing that hath retrench'd our liberties in this manner , we ought to aym and bend our chiefest forces to be reveng'd of our chiefest enemy . and here this beautuous nun blush'd , and broke the thread of her discours . i confssse unto you , o holy paul , that if i had a breast capable of terrene affections , i would doubtles have tenderly resented the misery of this discontented soul ; but compassion is vain , wher ther is no power to comfort ; therfore i held it expedient to take my leave , that i might not imbitter her passions any further ; so at my departure i said , when i came in hither , o most beautuous nuns , i look'd upon you as on so many seraphims ; but hearing the state of your hard condition , i find you to be the unhappiest creatures that live under the law of christ . were it permitted me to help you , i promise you i would batter down these wals , and give you that liberty which others take from you ; but since 't is not lawfull for any to do so , comfort your selves at least , that heaven is reserv'd for your suffrances . and although you protest not to suffer for christ ; yet christ is so mercifull , that he can give beatitudes to those cyreneans , who carry his crosse , though forc'd therunto : and i dare assure you , that if you cannot gain heaven as virgins , you shall gain it at least as martyrs . sect. xviii . paul being arriv'd in messina , doth imbark himself for jerusalem , in the mean time the angell carrieth the letter to the princes , and so takes his flight to heaven , wher having received new orders , he descends in ierusalem , and retrieves saint paul , to whom with the divine commission , he declares the affairs of italy in this manner : i return , o holy paul , from the execution of your commands , i come to give your curiosity an account of the estate of italy , and to your desires , an information of the divine will . know then , that i did invisibly represent to the hearts of christian princes the contents of your letters , and i found them so dispos'd to take your sword from the hand of vrban the eight , their eyes being opened to foresee their own danger , that i had more need to advise them of the means , than excite them to the enterprize . the pontificiall army did display their colours already upon the frontiers of modena , and imperiously demanded passage , to go on to the ruine of parma , when the demand was understood by the confining princes , upon a sudden , the spirit of a sleeping resentment was seen to stir . flying couriers did immediatly fly up and down , and upon a sudden , as it were in a moment , a league was miraculously concluded against the insolent pretences of the pope : now let every one know the difference 'twixt the present army of the church , and the ancient army of the people of israel ; for at the marching of the one , the sea it self divided to let it passe , but at the marching of this , all the world seem'd to close together to hinder the passage . don tadeo , one of the popes nephews , had the supreme direction of this church-army , but with martiall dignity ther joyns not alwayes that generosity which ariseth from birth , or experience . don tadeo , that was not us'd to other atchievments than to those of castro , wherin he had no opposition , when he heard the report of this league , he turn'd his back , wherby he discover'd the nature of a thief , rather than of a souldier . in the interim , the duke of parma could not contain the vigor of his innated hereditary courage , within such short & narrow bounds ; but he unites his cavalry , and puts spurs to his horse , and so entreth like a whirlwind into the papall territories , in scorn of the barberini , and so on towards the wals of rome . the generous prince expected , that either front or rere on the enemies side would have appeared , but at his voice all vanish'd as it were ; nor could the inhabitants of the state ecclesiastick imagine what became of their militia , nor the militia what became of don tadeo , nor don tadeo what became of his heart , or whither it was fled , when god wrought a kind of miracle : for the duke , who a little before found himself at the last period of an irreparable ruine , entreth triumphantly with three thousand horse only into the enemies countrey ; he incamped the first night not far frm vrban fort , which questionles , had it been capable of motion , had followed don tadeo when he fled ; but because of it's naturall immobility , it could not stir an inch from it's own trenches , therfore it stood quiet , and without the least noise , for feare the duke should over-hear , nor was any soul seen to peep out all the while . from the felicity of this beginning , the spirit of the duke being heightned , he resolv'd to push on to the very wals of rome , to present to the pope the crying of-spring of his immoderat passions , all forts and towns at the dukes approach did open their gates to receive him , ratther for a father then a foe ; and alalthough the country could not choose but be damnified by the march of such a tumultuary unfurnish'd army ; yet the vassals of the ecclesiastick state are accustom'd to such hard usage from their own governors , that the dammages which the hostile troops did them seemed but light ; the duke with unexpected fortune advanceth towards rome wher he found nothing but fear and confusion ; i want words to set down the strange effects that the tydings of his approach did produce . questionles , the castle of st angelo had not bin capacious enough to hold all those that ran into it , unles the hearts of the fugitives had bin much lessen'd and shrunk . the pope , and the chiefest of rome , began for more security , to stowe into the said castle their tresure , and all their costly movables , adorning , as one may say , that capitoll , with the triumphs of their cowardize , wher valour was us'd to hang up the trophyes of her victories . in fine , a just sword is formidable , what hand soever doth weld it . that rome , which in ages pass'd could look hannibal , and the gaules in the face , doth now fall into a shaking palsie at the approach of three thousand horse only , which came to vindicat the affronts done to the farneses . in this confusion , ther was not one that would offer to propose the facing of the enemy , every one was so busie to stand upon his gard ; ev'ry gate seem'd a diocesse , each having some bishop appointed to keep it . and such was the timorousnes of the romans , that finding themselves not able to secure their city with wals , and bastions , they went to do it with breviaries , for all preparations rais'd and regulated with fear , do terminat in acts of simple defense . now what would christ have said ? who told his disciples , o you of little faith , why have you doubted ? rebuking the weaknes of their faith , and consequently of their fear , when the boat was toss'd with waves , and upon point of sinking . in such a confusion rome was involv'd at this time , and tydings therof comming to hell , the chiefest cacodaemons began to sit in councell , and one amongst the rest smoak'd out this following speech : brethren , the state of the roman hierarchy is now in apparant danger , it is not fitting we should suffer a friends kingdom to perish , for therby ther would follow some reformation in christianity , which would hinder the peopling of this kingdome ; therfore we must lend our wonted help and counsels , since that the pusillanimity of vrban can do little good : at these words ther starts out a daemon , that was most practis'd in policy amongst them all , and offring to support the common cause , he took a flight to earth , and came invisibly to the soul of vrban , who was in extreme anguish , and us'd this speach : vrban , what dost dost thou ? behold thy temporall dominion is tumbling down , thy mundane greatnes is upon point of extinguishing , what dost thou pawse upon ? fear cannot repair thy losses , nor thy squandred and baffled squadrons thy honor , it is needfull to have recourse to craft . empires use to be conserved by the same artifices they are got . treat of an accommodation , propose hostages , and promise restitution , in the mean time the dukes forces may waste , break thy word , what matters it ? it will not be the first time ; thou art a pope , and so canst dispense with oaths , as thou shalt think most convenient . this parly the demon held with vrban , who immediatly followed his counsell . in fine , hell oftentimes executes that which heaven determines , but for differing ends . the princes of the league might in this confusion , and tremblings of rome , have seized upon the whole state ecclesiastick . the duke of modena might have gain'd the city of ferrara , to which he hath so just pretensions . the duke of florence might have made himself master of the duchy of vrbino , the fees therof appertaining to his house by dotall right . the republick of venice might have vindicated those outrages which have bin so often offer'd her upon her confines . lastly , those colleagu'd princes might have redeem'd from papall tyranny the unhappy vassals throughout all the roman dominion . now the omnipotent majesty saith , since these princes cannot husband the opportunity which heaven offreth them , i decree for the punishment of their irresolution , that the setling of peace be prolong'd , and that in the interim , vrban have means by a new breach of faith to work upon their credulity . so the counsels of hell joyning with the decrees of heaven , vrban the eight , by the mediation of cardinall spada ( sword ) found a way to spin out the busines at length , and to amuse the duque , till his troops ( which could not be idle ) being diminished by these dead delayes , he was inforc'd to abandon the enterprise , having reap'd no other fruit by this march , but the glory to have displayed his colours almost in the face of rome . in this case i left the affairs of italy , when to stay no longer on earth , i reascended to heaven , whither i came in a fit conjuncture of time , for amongst those bliss'full spirits it was discours'd , that a proposition was made in rome , to lay hands upon sixtus his tombe , every one concluding , that these garboiles would much redound to the expence of the church , and consequently , to the exhasting of peters patrimony . and saint peter concurring in the same opinion with the rest , went one day before the lord with his hand upon his cheek , crying out , oh sir , the barberini who have unsheath'd the ecclesiastick sword , in lieu of hurting the enemy , have hit me upon this eare , wherunto the lord said , that he understood well what he alluded unto : the time was , that peter with the armes of the church cut off malchus his eare , and now it is not to be wondred at , if to fulfill the law of retaliation , the barberini with the same armes , cut off a member of saint peters ; this being said , the lord turn'd towards me , and commanding me to him , said , i intend now to come to the expedition of the spouse , therfore go and retrieve paul , and tell him from me , that he consigne the processe to you , which he hath already framed , which you shall cause to be publish'd , that in case she will defend her self , she may produce her proofs ; let paul in the interim continue his sojourne on earth , and make an inquisition upon all cloyster'd regulars , that when the divorce is granted , the world may know who are spurious , and who are my true and legitimat children . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . a caveat to the knowing reader . every language hath certain idiomes , proverbs , and peculiar expressions of it's own , which are not rendible in any other ; therfore he over-acts the office of an interpreter , who doth servilize himself too strictly to words and phrases . i have heard of an excesse amongst limmers , call'd , too much to the life , when one aymes at similitude , more then skill . so in version of languages one may be so over-punctuall in words , that he may marre the matter ; the greatest fidelity that can be in a translator , is to keep entire the true genuine sense and designe the author drives at ; and this was the thing chiefly observ'd in this version . moreover , think it not strange , that ther are some italian words made free denizons of england in this discours , for by such means our language hath grown to be so copious , and grows every day more rich , by adopting , or natularizing rather the choicest forren words of other nations , as a nosegay is us'd to be made out of a tuff of flowers , gather'd from divers beds and banks . i. h. finis . ah, ha; tumulus, thalamus: two counter-poems, the first, an elegy upon edward late earl of dorset; the second, an epithalamium to the lord m. of [dor]chester. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) ah, ha; tumulus, thalamus: two counter-poems, the first, an elegy upon edward late earl of dorset; the second, an epithalamium to the lord m. of [dor]chester. howell, james, ?- . [ ] p. printed for humphrey moseley, and are to be sold at his shop at the prince's armes in st paul's church-yard., london, : . first poem signed: i. h., i.e. james howell. the syllable "dor" on the title page is set off by a series of brackets; it is intended to represent the first syllable of both "dorset" and "dorchester.". signatures: [a]⁴ b⁴. annotation on thomason copy: "may "; the in imprint date has been altered to a . reproduction of the original in the british library. eng dorset, edward sackville, -- earl of, - -- poetry. dorchester, henry pierrepont, -- marquis of, - -- poetry. elegiac poetry, english -- th century. a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no ah, ha; tumulus, thalamus:: two counter-poems, the first, an elegy upon edward late earl of dorset; the second, an epithalamium to the lord howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion ah , ha ; tumulus , thalamus : two counter-poems , the first , an elegy upon edward late earl of dorset ; the second , an epithalamivm to the lord m. of dorchester . invicem cedunt dolor & voluptas , funera , taedae , sorrow may endure for a night , but joy cometh in the morning . london , printed for humphrey moseley , and are to be sold at his shop at the prince's armes in st paul's church-yard . . an advertizement to the reader . in regard ther are divers imperfect and spurious copies of these two poems dispersed abroad , i obtain'd leave of the author to commit them to the press assuring the reader that these are concordant with the originalls . h. m. an elegy upon the most accomplish'd , and heroic lord edward , earl of dorset , lord chamberlain to his late majesty of great britain , and knight of the most noble order of the garter , &c. alluding to the quality of the times , his admired perfections , his goodly person , his antient pedigree , his coat of armes crested with a star , the condition of mortality , the passion of the author closing with an epitaph . an elegy upon the late earl of dorset . lords have bin long declining , ( we well know ) and making their last testaments , but now they are desunct , they are extinguish'd all , and never like to rise by this lords fall ; a lord , whose intellectualls alone might make a house of peers , and prop a throne , had not so dire a fate hung o're the crown , that privilege prerogative should drown ; where e're he sate he sway'd , & courts did awe , gave bishops gospell , and the judges law with such exalted reasons , which did flow so cleer and strong , that made astraea bow to his opinion , for where he did side advantag'd more than half the bench beside . but is great sakvile dead ? do we him lack , and will not all the elements wear black ? whereof he was compos'd a perfect man as ever nature in one frame did span . such highborn thoughts , a soul so large and free , so clear a judgment , and vast memory , so princely hospitable and brave mind we must not think in hast on earth to find , unless the times would turn to gold agen , and nature get new strength in forming men . his person with it such a state did bring that made a court as if he had bin king , no wonder , since he was so neer a kin to norfolks duke , and the great mayden queen . he courage had enough by conquering one to have confounded that whole nation , those parts which single do in some appear were all concentred here in one bright sphear , for brain , toung , spirit , heart , and personage to mould up such a lord will ask an age , but how durst pale white-liver'd death seaze on so dauntles and heroic a champion ? yes , to dye once is that uncancell'd debt which nature claymes , and rayseth by eschet on all mankind by an old statute past primo adami , which will alwaies last without repeal , nor can a second lease be had of life when the first term doth cease . mount noble soul , among the starrs take place , and make a new one of so bright a race may jove out-shine , that venus still may be in a benign conjunction with thee , to check that planet which on lords hath lowr'd , and such malign influxes lately powr'd ; be now a star thy self for those which here did on thy crest , and upper robes appear , for thy director take that star we read which to thy saviours birth three kings did lead . a corollary . thus have i blubber'd out some tears and verse on this renowned heroe , and his herse , and could my eyes have drop'd down perls upon 't in lieu of teares , god knowes , i would have don 't , but teares are real , perls for their emblems go , the first are fitter to express my wo ; let this small mite suffize untill i may a larger tribut to his ashes pay , in the mean time this epitaph shall shut , and to my elegy a period put . here lie's a grandee by birth , parts , and mind , who hardly left his parallell behind , here lie's the man of men , who should have been an emperour , had fate or fortune seen . totus in lachrymas solutus sic singultivit i. h. upon the nuptialls of that princely pair henry lord marquess of dorchester , and the lady katherine stanley , daughter to the late heroic earl of derby , an epithalamium by way of dialog 'twixt philemon and sylvius . alluding to their . complexions , he sanguin , she black and fair . . coats of arms , both field-argent , his a lion rampant in an orb of cinqfoyls . . countries . . pedigrees . going on with an hymenaeum , or vote , comprized in four musicall stanzas , the three first ayrie and poeticall , the last serious . the dialogue . philemon . vvhat object 's that which i behold dazzling my eyes with gemms and gold ? her face , me thinks , darts such a ray that adds more brightnes to the day , her breath perfumes the place , her curls and hair like indian spice aromatize the air , a sparkling white and black breaks from her sight like to the diamonds redoubling light , as she doth walk the very ground and stone turn to field-argent which she treads upon ; a mortal sure she cannot be but some transcending deitie ; my dearest sylvius pray unfold who 's that rare creature i behold ? sylvius . she is a princess and a bride goes to the temple to be ti'd in nuptiall bonds , her starrs will not permit that at the vestall fires she longer sit ; she 's derbie's royall bloud , derby le gran , and now she travells to the i le of man , she of the princely orenge is a branch imp'd on the high trimovillan stem of france , two of the fairest kingdomes strove , and try'd their utmost to compleat this lovely bride . 't is she which makes 'twixt gemms and gold that constellation you behold . philemon . but who 's that comely sanguine peer which on her heart-side walks so neer ? he likewise makes all argent as he goes , look at his feet how thick the cinqfoyl grows . sylvius . t is wise and wealthy pierrpont , who renowns with titles , three of englands chiefest towns , a precious pond'rous lord , whose fole estate a jury of new barons might create , patron of virtue , chivalry , and arts 'cause he himself excells in all these parts ; 't is he who by the hand doth hold that demi-goddess you behold . philemon . is 't so ? then my autumnall muse shall sing an hymenaeum , and fetch back her spring , this subject a fresh vigor doth inspire , and heats my brain with an unusuall fire . an hymenaeum , or bridal-sonet , consisting of four stanzas , and to be sung by three voices , according to a choice air set thereunto by mr. william webb . . chorus may all felicity betide this princely bridegroom , and his bride . may those delights this morn shall bring be endless as their nuptiall ring , may they be constant , and exceed each others wishes , hopes , and creed , may the three regions of the air powr showrs of blessings on this pair , may sol and cynthia with their rayes , silver their nights and gild their dayes . . chorus ▪ all joyes attend and best of fate this noble marques and his mate . . yee gentle nymphs of trent and dee make hast to this solemnity , your streames and beds now meet in one by this high-sprung conjunction , ye wood-nymphs who green garlands wear in shirewood launds , and delamer , yee dames of helicon attend , and graces your sweet presence lend , lucina com , and pray ther be employment in due time for thee . chorus . may all felicity betide this noble bridegroom , and his bride . . may they such gallant males produce both to the rose and flowerdeluce , that englands chivalry and french may multiply , and bourgeon hence , whose branches shooting o're the main may knit , and blossome here again , that pierrponts lion and cinqfoyl may ramp and root in every soyl ; nor may this noble race wear out till plato's great year wheel about . chorus . may all felicity betide this noble bridegroom , and his bride . . stanza closing with a serious graduall vote . may all the elements conspire to make them bless'd in their desire , may all the stars on them reflect their mildest looks in trine aspect , may all the angels them defend from every thing doth ill portend , may angells , stars , and elements affoord them such compleat contents that they have nothing els to wish but a perseverance of bliss . chorus . all joyes attend and best of fate this noble marquess and his mate . idem i. ● . finis . some sober inspections made into carriage and consults of the late long-parliament whereby occasion is taken to speak of parliaments in former times, and of magna charta, with some reflexes upon government in general. som sober inspections made into the cariage and consults of the late long parlement howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) some sober inspections made into carriage and consults of the late long-parliament whereby occasion is taken to speak of parliaments in former times, and of magna charta, with some reflexes upon government in general. som sober inspections made into the cariage and consults of the late long parlement howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed for ric. lownds ..., london : . dedicatory epistle signed: j.h. later published under the title: philanglvs. advertisement: p. . reproduction of original in huntington library. eng england and wales. -- parliament. great britain -- politics and government -- - . a r (wing h ). civilwar no some sober inspections made into the carriage and consults of the late long-parliament, whereby occasion is taken to speak of parliaments in howell, james f the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the f category of texts with or more defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - rachel losh sampled and proofread - rachel losh text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion some sober inspections made into the carriage and consvlts of the late long-parliament , whereby occasion is taken to speak of parliaments in former times , and of magna charta , with some reflexes upon government in general . cupio ut rectè capiar . london , printed for ric. lownds , at the white lyon in st. pauls churchyard near the west-end , . to his highnesse the lord protector . my lord , among the multitude of mighty atchievements which your highnesse hath performed so much to the astonishment of mankind , the dissolving of the late long parliament may well deserve to bee rank'd in the numbe : for thereby your highnesse hercules-like , may be said to have quell'd a monster with many heads ; such a monster that was like to gormandize and devour the whole nation , as will appear in the ensuing discourse , which though small in bulk , yet the subject matters is of the greatest concernment ( otherwise i had not ventured on so high a dedication ) for it treats of the power and practise of english parliaments in former times , with the first rise of the house of commons , and of magna charta , &c. which will bee found to have had but hard births . there was matter enough to have compil'd a far greater volumn , but i have woon'd it upon a small bottom , in regard that besides my natural hatred to superfluities and circumlocutionss ; i would not bee so unmannerly as to hold your highnesse too long , who have suca world of high businesses perpetually in your thoughts . one thing i humbly promise your highnesse , that the quotations here produc'd ( whereof there are many ) are all true , and extracted out of authentick records , but what consequences soever are drawn from them , the judgement is still reserv'd for your highnesse , endernier ressort . there is a memorable saying of charles martell in that mighty revolution in france , when hee introduc'd the second race of kings , that in the pursuit of all his actions , he used to say , that he followed not the ambition of his heart , as much as the inspirations of his soul , and the designs of providence : this may be applied to your highnesse in the conduct of your great affairs , and admirable successes . so craving pardon for this high presumption , and the boldnesse of the subject , for which i humbly beg your protection , i rest in the lowliest posture of obedience at your highness command i. h. to the knowing reader touching the method of this discourse . there are various wayes for the conveyance of knowledge to the understanding , and to distil it by degrees into the cels of humane brain ; it may be done either by a down-right narration and continued discourse ; or by allegories , emblemes , and parables ; or by way of dialogue , interlocutions and conference ; the first , is the easiest and most usual way ; the second , is the most ingenious and difficult ; the last the most familiar and satisfactory ; when one doth not onely inform but remove , and answer all objections and quaeries that may intervene all along in the pursuit of the matter . it is the mode and method of this treatise , which discoursing of the affairs of england , proceeds by way of colloquy 'twixt philanglus and polyander : the first a good patriot , and great lover of the english ; the other a person who had seen much of the world abroad , and studied men , as both their names do intimate . conveniunt rebus nomina saepe suis i. h. some inspections made into the cariage and consults of the late long parlement , &c. in a colloquy 'twixt philanglus and polyander . gentle sir , philanglus . how glad am i to see you so well return'd to england after so long a separation , having breath'd air under so many diffe●ing climes , convers'd with nations of so many differing complexions , and made so many hazardous voyages and itinerations both by land and seas , as i understand you have . polyander . 't is true , there is a kind of hazzard that hovers over our heads wheresoever we pass in this transitory incertain world , the morning cannot presage what the evening may produce , some odd thing may happen 'twixt the cup and the lip ; but the danger of forrein travel , or peregrination is nothing so great as 't is commonly apprehended ; one may travell all europe with as much security and accommodation as any part of england ; one may goe from calis to constantinople , as safely as from bristol to berwick ; one may passe from vienna to venice , from paris to prague , from madrid to magdenburgh , as securely as from london to lancaster , or from saint davids head to dover ; 't is true , that before negotiation and commerce made mankind more communic●ble , it was an uncouth thing to travel , or make removes far from home ; in this island , not an age since , if one were to make a journey from wales to london , much more from london to france , it was usual for him to make his last will ; but now the world growing still more populous and people more sociable by mutua ▪ traffique ; and knowledge of languages , the case is altered ; in my whole ten years travel , i thank my creator , i never rancounterd any danger or difficulty , but i might have met with the like in england ; if one observes these three small imperatiss , audi , cerne , tace , hear , see , and be silent , he need no other passeport to travel the world ; but dear sir , now that i am return'd to breath english air again , i hold it one of the best welcomes to find you so well after so long an absence , and i embrace you with both my arms , giving you a thousand thanks for the fair respects , and litteral correspondence you kept with me while i wandered abroad , for it was my greatest comfort . philanglus . sir , you teach me what i should say to you in this point , but truely you should have had a more frequent account of matters here , but that of late years it hath been usual to intercept and break up letters , which is a baser kind of burglary then to break into ones house , or chamber ; for this may be a plundering onely of some outward pelf , or baggage of fortune , but he who breaks open one letters , which are the ideas of the minde ( as is spoken elsewhere ) may be said to rifle the very brain , and rob one of his most precious thoughts , and secret'st possessions : but sir , now that i have the happinesse to re-enjoy you , what doe they say abroad of these late revolutions in england ? polyander . they say that the english are a sturdy , terrible and stout people , that the power and wealth of this island was never discovered so much before both by land and sea , that the true stroke of governing this nation was never hit upon till now ; politicians new and old have beaten their brains , and shot at rovers in writing of divers sorts of governments ; but the wisest of them concur in this opinion , that there is no government more resembling heaven , and more durable upon earth , or that hath any certain principles but monarchy , and such a monarchy that hath an actual visible military strength to support it self , and not only to protect , but to awe the people . aristotle in his politicks speaks of sundrie species of governments , he writes of monarchy , aristocracy , democracy , oligarchy , and s●ratocracy , ( as the greek tongue hath a faculty above all others in compounding names for things ; ) but he is irresolut to determin what aristocracies are truly perfect , he hath only this one positive assertion , that aristocracy allowes no aritificer to be a citizen or counsellor ; much of his discourse is of the first founders of common-wealths , as phaleas of the chalcedonian , hippodamas of the milesian , lycurgus of the lacedemonian , minos of the cretan , and solon of the athenian ; then he proceeds to correct the errors of common-wealths before he tels us what a common-wealth is , which is ( under favour ) an irregularity in method . in his first book he speaks only of the parts of a city , or common-weal , but he tels us not what they are til he comes to his third book , where in handling the kinds of government in generall , he flies backward and forward in a disorderly way ; but when he comes to treat of particular forms , he is full of contradiction and confusion ; in some places he seems to deny any natural right and publick interest , ( much more any underived majesty ) in the people , whom he saith to be little inferiour to beasts ; whereas elsewhere he affordeth a liberty to every city , to set up either by force or cunning what government they please , which in effect is to allow men to doe what they list if they be able : but at last he confesses that after kings were given over in greece , common-wealths were made of them who waged warre , and that all power was summ'd up in the government of an army , which is pure stratocracy , or military government . philanglus . we cannot blame this great philosopher to rove herein up and down , it being impossible for any humane brain to prescribe any certain and infallible universal rules of government that may quadrat with the nature of all climes , and be applicable to the humors of all people ; all other arts and sciences have apodictical , and undenyable principles , but the art of government hath no such maximes ; the reason is the various dispositions of people , and a thousand sorts of contingencies that attend worldly affairs ; it is , you better know then i , one of the main principles of policy in france to keep the peasan ( which is the grosse of the people ) still indigent and poor , because they are of such a volatil instable nature , that if they were rich and fed high , wealth and wantonesse would make them ever and anon to be kicking against government , and crying out for a change , whereas this principle of policy is held to be a paradox in spain , and other countreys . some nations are so firy mouth'd , that they must be rid with a bit , if not a martinghal , but a snaffle will serve others : nor are the same laws fit for the continent , that are proper for an island , nor those of a maritim continent fit for a mediterranean countrey . polyander . i concur with you there is no art so difficult , and fuller of incertainties , as hominem homini imperare , as the art for man to govern man , which made one of the deepest statesmen these modern times afforded to confesse , that though he had served so many apprentiships , and been a journeyman so long in this art , and reputed a master , yet he found himself still a novice : for state affairs as all sublunary things , are subject to alteration , the wisdome of one day may be the foolishnesse of another , and the week following may be schoolmistress to the week before in point of experience , which is the great looking-glass of wisdome , and policy . therefore whereas aristotle useth to be constant to himself in all other sciences while he displayes the operations and works of nature , when he comes to treat of humane government , he is not only often at a losse , and inconstant to himself , but he involves both himself and the reader in ambiguities . philanglus . i am of opinion that there is in policy but one true vniversal maxime , which is , as you said before , to have alwayes a standing visible effectif power in being , as well to preserve , as to curb a people ; and it is very fitting they should pay for their protection , it being a rule all the world over , and grounded upon good reason , defend me , and spend me . polyander . it is so indeed every where ; how willing is our confederat the hollander , so he be protected in his trade , to part with any thing , to pay tols for what he hath either for back or belly ; he is content to pay for all beasts sold in the market the twelf part for excise , six shillings upon every tun of beer , two stivers a week for every milch cow , six pence upon every bushel of wheat , and so upon all other commodities : the states of italy do more , in florence , and the republick of venice , ( which hath continued longest , and with least change in point of government of any country upon earth ) ther 's not a grain of corn , not a glassefull of wine , oyl , egges , birds , beasts , fish , fowl , yea , grasse , salt , and sallets , but pay a gabell for the common defence , nay the courtisans cannot make use of their own , but they must contribut to maintain twelve gallies . but sir , now that i have been absent so long , i pray be pleased to tell me something of the proceedings of the late long parlement , and of this mighty revolution ; for i find such a kind of transposition of all things in point of government , that england may be said to be but the anagram of what she was . philanglus . there is a periodical fate , that hangs over all governments , this of england may be said to have come to its tropique , to a posture of turning ; the people extreamly long'd for a parlement , and they had a long parlement , for it lasted longer then all the parlements that ever were in england since the first institution of parlements , put them all together ; there was never such an idol upon earth as that parlement , for people thought there was an inerring spirit tyed to the speakers chair , they pinn'd their salvation upon it , it was held blasphemy , and a sin against the holy ghost to speak against it , nay some gave out that that blessed parlement was as necessary for our refromation , as the coming of christ was for our redemption ; such a sottish kind of infatuation had seiz'd upon some kind of people . polyander . but what did that parlement do tending to the publick reformation ? philanglus . what did they doe ? they were like to undoe all things , had they sate longer , which they had done till doomesday had they been let alone , and their posteriors never aked ; 't is true , they were somewhat modest at first , but by the lenity of a credulous easie king , they did afterwards monstrous things . they assumed to themselves all the regalia's of the crown , they seiz'd upon sword , great seal , and soveraignty , upon the militia , and all the marks of majesty , nay , they did arrogate to themselves the legislative and supreme power . polyander . but doth not the supreme power reside ●n the english parlement , which is an epi●ome and representative of the whole nation ? philanglus . i will not resolve you in that , till i acquaint you with the pedigree , & primitive institution of parlement , which i will endeavour to do as succinctly as i can , but in regard that our parlement was erected at first in imitation of the assembly of the three estates in france , in which government you are so well vers'd , i pray do me the favour as give me a touch of the mode of france in those publick assemblies , and then i shall apply my self to satisfie you touching english , irish , and scots parlements , having in some measure studied the case . polyander . in france the kings writ goeth to the bayliffs , seneschals or stewards of liberties , who issue out warrants to all such ashave fees and lands within their liberties , as also to all towns , requiring all such as have any complaints , to meet in the principal city , there to choose delegats in the name of the province to be present at the generall assembly . being met at the principal city of the bayliwick , the kings writ is read , and so the delegates are elected and sworn ; then they consult what is to be complained of , and fit to be proposed to the king , whereof there is an index or catalogue made , which is delivered to the delegats to carry to the general assembly : all the bayliwicks are divided to twelve classes ; but to avoid confusion , and to the end there may not be too great a delay in the assembly by gathering of the voyces or suffrages , every classis compiles a brief , or book of the grievances and demands of all the bayliwicks within that classis ; then these classes at the assembly compose one general book of the grievances and demands of the whole kingdome . this being the order of the proceeding of the comminalty or third estate , the like order is observed by the clergy and nobility : so when the three books or cahiers ( as they call them ) for the three estates are perfected , then they present them to the king by their presidents in the open great assemby . the first who presents the cahiers is the president of the clergy , who begins his harang or oration on his knees , but at the kings command he stands up and ●o proceeds bareheaded ; the president ●or the nobility speaks next in the like manner ; but the president for the commons begins and ends his oration on his knees : whilst the president of the clergy speaks , the rest of that order rise up & stand bare , till they are bid by the king to sit down , and be covered ; and so the like for the nobility ; but whilst the president for the comminalty speaks , the rest are neither bid to fit , or to be covered . the grievances and demands being thus all delivered at once , and left to the king and his privy councel without further debate or expence of time , the general assembly of the three estates endeth , expecting afterwards such a redresse to their grievances , as the king and his councel shall think fit . philanglus . these proceedings of france are not much unlike the ancient usage of this kingdome for many ages , when all laws were nothing else but the kings answers to the petitions presented to him , and his councel , as is apparent by many old statutes , and the confession of sir edwar● coke ; and now to acquit my self of my former engagement unto you , i will impart unto you the manner and power o● the parlements of great brittain and ireland ; i confesse 't is more properly the businesse of a lawyer , which i am none ▪ otherwise then what nature hath mad● me , so , every man is a lawyer , and 〈◊〉 logitian also ( who was the first lawyer ) as he is born the child of reason , fo● law and logic are meerly founded upon reason ; this discoursive faculty of reason comes with us into the world accompanied with certain general notions and natural principles to distinguish right from wrong , and falshood from truth . but before i come to the english parlement , a word or two of the parlement● of scotland , and ireland . in scotland about three weeks before the parlement begins , proclamation is made throughout the kingdome , to deliver unto the kings clerk or master of the rols , all bils to be exhibited that sessions , then are they brought to the king , and perused by him ; and only such as he allows are put in the chancelors hand to be proponed in parliament , and no others ; and if any man in parlement speak of any other matter then is formerly allowed by the king , the chancelor tels him there is no such bill allowed by the king : when they have passed them for laws , they are presented to the king , who with the scepter , put into his hand by the chancelor , ratifies them , but if there be any thing the king mislikes they raze it out before . the parlement in ireland is after this manner . no parlement is to be held but at such a season as the kings deputy there doth certifie the king under the great seal of the land , of the causes , considerations and necessity of a parlement ; the causes being approved of by the king a licence is sent under the broad seal of england to summon a parlement in ireland , provided that all such bils that shall be proposed there in parlement , be first transmitted hither under the great seal of that kingdome , and having received allowance and approbation here they shall be put under the great seal of this kingdome , and so return'd thither to be passed in that parlement ; this was called poinings act in the time of king philip and mary . having thus given a concise account of the usage of parlement in our neighbour kingdomes , i will now passe to that of england . every freeholder who hath a voice in the election of knights , citizens , and burgesses to sit in parlement , ought to know well , and consider with what power he trusts those whom he chooseth , in regard the power of the house of commons is derived from that trust : now that which gives authoritie for the freeholders to make their election is the kings writ directed to the sheriff of the county , in which is expressed not only the sheriffs duty in point of summoning ; but the writ contains also the duty and power of such knights , and burgesses that shall be elected ; therefore to know the full extent of the power of parlement , you must have an eye , and observe well the words of the writ ; for the freeholders cannot transfer a greater power then is compriz'd in the writ to those that they appoint their servants in parlement . the writ being us'd to be in latin , few freeholders , god wot , understood it , or knew what they did ; i will faithfully render the said writ to you in english . the king to the vicount or sheriff , greeting . whereas by the advice and assent of our council , for certain arduous and urgent affairs concerning us , the state , and defence of our kingdom of england , and the anglican church : we have ordained a certain parliament of ours to be held at our city of the day of next ensuing , and there to have conference , and to treat with the prelates , great men , and peers of our said kingdom ; we command and strictly enjoyn you , that making proclamation at the next county court after the receit of this our writ , to be holden the day and place afore said ; you cause two knights girt with swords the most fit , and discreet of the county aforesaid , and of every city of that county two citizen ; of every borough two burgesses of the discreet●r and most sufficient , to be freely and indiffer●ntly chosen by them who shal be present a● such proclamation , according to the tenor of the sta●utes in that case made and provided ; and the ●ames of the said knights , citizens and bur●esses so chosen to be inserted in certain in●entures to be then made between you and those ●hat shall be present at such election , whether the parties so elected be present , or absent , and shall make them to come at the said day and place , so that the said knights for themselves , and for the county a●ores●id and the citizens and the burgesses for themselves and the commonalty of the said cities and bor●ughs may have severally from the●● full and sufficients power to do , and to consent to those things which then by the favor of god shal there happen to be ordain'd by the common council of our said kingdom concerning the business aforesaid so that the business may n●t by any mean●●●main undo● for want of such power , or by reason of the improvident election of the aforesaid knights , citizens , and burgesses ; but we wil● not in any case that you or any other sheriff of our said kingdom shall be elected : and at the day and place aforesaid the sai● election , being made in a full county court ▪ you shall certifie without delay to us in our chancery under your seal , and the seals of them which shall be present at that election s●nding back unto us the other part of the indenture aforesaid affiled to these presents together with the writ , witnesse our self at westminster . this commission or writ is the foundation whereon the whole fabrick o● the power and duty of both houses o● parliament is grounded . the first hour● is to parly or have conference , and to treat with the king ; the other house is onely to do and consent unto what the other shall ordain by their help and conference ; so that by this writ we do not find that the commons are called to be any part of the great council of the kingdom , or of the supream court of judicature , much less to have any share in the legislative power , or to consult de arduis regni negotiis , of the difficult businesses of the kingdom , but onely to consent ; and sir edward cook to ●rove the clergy hath no voice in parliament , useth this argument , that in their writ also the words are to come thither ad●onsentiendum , to consent to such things as ●ere ordained by the common council of the ●ingdom ; but the other word ad facien●um , to do , is not in their writ , action being ●ot so proper for them in regard of their ●lerical functions . polyander . then it may be well inferred from what ●ou have produced , that the king with the ●elates and peers is properly the common ●ouncil of the kingdom . philanglus . yes without controversie , nor until the raign of henry the first were the commons called to the parliament at all , or had as much as a consent in the making of laws . camden in his britannia teacheth us , that in the times of the saxon kings , and the ensuing ages , that the great or common council of the land was praesentia regi● praelatorum , procerumque collectorum , the presence of the king with his prelates and peers . selden also tells out of an old cronicle of the church of liechfield , that kin●edward by the advice of his council of baron● revived a law which hath lain dorma● threescore and seven years ; in the sam● chronicle tis said , that william the co●●querer held a council of his barons , an. 〈◊〉 regni sui apud londinias . the next ye●● after he had a council of earles and baro●● at pinend●n heath to decide the great co●troversie 'twixt lanfra●t arch-bishop 〈◊〉 canterbury , and odo earl of kent . in the . of eaward the third , there 〈◊〉 mention made of a parliament held . 〈◊〉 questoris , wherein all the bishops of 〈◊〉 land , ear●s and barons made an ordina●●● touching the exception of the abby of 〈◊〉 from the bishops of norwich . in the second year of william 〈…〉 there is mention made of a parliament 〈…〉 cunctis regni principibus . in the 〈…〉 of his raign there was another parliament at rockingham castle , episcopis , abbatibus , cunctisque regni principibus coeuntibus , wherin the prelates , abbots , and all the chiefe men convened in council . at the coronation of henry the first , all the people of england were called , and laws were then made , but it was , as the story saith , per commune concilium baronum ; in the third year ; the tenth year , and the twenty third year of his reign the same king held a parliament , or great council of his barons ▪ spiritual and temporal . henry the second in his tenth year had a parliament at clarindon , consisting of lords spiritual and secular : in his twenty second year , he had another at notingham , and a while after another at winsor , then another at northampton , wherein there is mention made onely of prelates and peers . richard the first after him held a parliament at notingham in his fifth year , consisting of bishops , earles and barons , which lasted but four days , during which time there were mighty things transacted ; hugh bardelf was deprived of the castle and sheriffswick of york the first day ; the second day he had judgement against his brother johu who was afterward king ; the third day there was granted the king two shilling of every plowd land in england ; he required also the third part of the service of every knights fee for his attendance to normandy , and all the wool of the cistercian monks . the fourth day was for hearing of grievances ; so the parliament broke up , but the same year he convoke● another parliament of nobles at northampton . king john in his first year summoned 〈◊〉 magnates , his great men to a parliament a●winchester , and the words of the roll 〈◊〉 commune concilium baronum meorum , the common council of my barons at winchester . in the sixth year of henry the third , the nobles granted the king for every knight fee two marks in silver at a convention i● parliament ; he had afterwards parliaments at london , westminster , merton , winchester , and marlborough ; now these precedents shew that from the conqust unt●● a great part of the reign of henry the thir● in whose dayes 't is thought the writ 〈◊〉 election of knights was framed first , the b●rons onely made the parliament or commo● council of the kingdom . polyander . by so many strong evidences , and prenant proofs which you produce , i find it to be a ●●ridian truth , that the commoners were no part of the high court of parliament in ages passed : moreover i find in an ancient manuscript , that the commons were reduced to a house , by the advice of the bishops to the king in the brunt of the barons wars , that they might allay and lesson the power of the peers who bandied so many yeers against the crown ; yet to prevent that they should not arrogate too much authority to themselves , ( as asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum ) it was done with those cautions th●● they had scarce as much jurisdiction given them as a pyepowders court hath , for they should neither exhibit an oath , nor impose fine , or inflict punishment upon any but their own members , or be a court of record , or grant proxies , therefore it may well be a quere how they can appoint committees , considering that those committee-men whom they choose are no other then their deputies , and act by power and proxy from them . but it is as cleer as the sun that the conquerour , first brought this word parliament with him , being a french word , and made it free denizon of england being not known before ; for therein the normans did imitate the romans , whose practise was that wheresoever they conquered , they brought in their language with the lance as a mark of conquest ; i say that besides those instances you produce , i could furnish you with many in the saxons times who govern'd by the councel of the prelates and peers , not admitting the commons to any communication in affairs of state : there are records hereof above a thousand yeer old in the reign of king i a , offa , and ethelbert ; and the rest of the seven kings during the heptarchy , they called their great councels and conventions , then michael smoth , michael gemote , and witenage mote , wherein the king and nobles with the bishops onely met , and made laws ; that famous convention at gratley by king athelstan was compose'd onely of lords spiritual and temporal ; such also was that so much celebrated assembly held by canutus the dane , who was king of england , denmark , and norway : edward the confessor established all his laws thus , and he was a great legislator . the british kings also who retain'd a great while some part of this island unconquered , governed and made laws this way by the sole advice of their nobles whom they call arglwyded ; witnesse the famous laws of prince howel called howel dha ( the good king howel ) whereof there are yet extant some welch records , and divers of those laws were made use of at the compilement of magna charea . but in your discourse before , among other parliaments in henry the third's time , you make mention of one that was held in , of his reign , at marlbourough , at which time braston the great lawyer was in high request , being lord chief justice : they that would extenuate the royal prer●gative insist much upon a speech of his , wherein he saith , the king hath a superiour god , he hath also the law by which he is made ; as also the court , viz. the earls and barons , but not a word of the commons : but afterwards he doth interpret , or rather correct himself , when speaking of the king , hee resolves thus , nec potest ei necessitatem aliquis imponere quòd injuriam suam corrigat & emen●et , cùm superiorem non habeat nisi deum , & satis erit ei ad poenam quòd dominum expectet ultorem . nor ( saith he ) can any man put a necessity upon the king to correct and amend his injury , unlesse he wil himself , since he hath no superior but god : it will be sufficient punishment for him to expect the lord for his avenge : to preserve the honour of this great judge , the lawyers found out this distinction , that the king is free from the coer●ive power of laws and councellors , but he may be subject to their directive power , yet according to his own will and inclination , that is ; god can onely compel or command him , but the law and his courts may onely advise and direct him ; but i pray sir excuse me that i have so much interrupted you in your discourse . you may please now to proceed . philanglus . to prove my assertion further , that the commons were no part of the high court , and common councel of england , i will make use of the testimony of mr. pryn , who was in such high repute most part of the late long parliament , and appeared so eage● for the priviledge and power of the lower house : in his book of treachery and disloyalty , he proves that before the norman conquest by the laws of edward the confessor , the king was to do justice by the councel of the nobles of his realm : he would also prove that the earls and barons are above the king , and ought to bridle him when he exorbitates from the law , but not a syllable of the commons . he further tels us , that the peers and prelates have oft translated the crown from the right heir , whereof out of his great reading he urgeth divers examples ; first , after king edgars decease they crowned edward who was illegitimate , and put by ethelred the right heir : then they crowned canutus a meer forraigner in opposition to edmund the lawful heir to ethelred . harold and hardicanute were both elected kings successively without just title , the lords putting by edmund and alfred the rightful heirs . upon the death of herold the english nobility enacted that none of the danish blood should raign any more over them ; edgar atheling was rejected by the lords , and though he had the best title , yet they elected harold . he goes on further in prejudice of the commons , saying that the beginning of the charter of henry the first is observable , which runs thus , henry by the grace of god king of england , &c. know ye that by the mercy of god and common council of the barons of the kingdom , i am crowned king . mawd the empress was the right heir , but she was put by the crown by the prelates and barons , and steven earle of mortmain who had no good title , was heav'd up into the throne by the bishops and peers . lewis of france was crowned king also by the barons instead of king john , and by the same barons was uncrowned , and sent back to france . in all these high transactions , and changes , mr. pryn confesseth the commoners had nothing to do the despotical and ruling power as well as the consultative being in the council of prelates , and peers ; and if mr. pryn could have found halfe so much antiquity for the knights citizens , and bourgesses , without question we should have heard from him with a witness ; but while he converseth with elder times , he meets not with so much as the names of commoners in any record . polyander . how then came the commoners to sway so much of late years , and challenge such an interest , in the publique government , and making of laws ? philanglus . it is a certain truth that in former ages the kings of england , as well saxons , danes , normans , and english kings did steer the course of their government by the advice of their own privy council , and in extraordinary cases by the compasse of the great council consisting onely of spiritual and secular barons , whom they convoked by royal summons when they pleased ; i told you this word parliament came in with the norman ; yet the commons were not call'd to parliament till that raign of henry the first , which was a good while after the conquest ; to which purpose sir , walter raleigh writes , saying it is held that the kings of england had no formal parliaments , till about the . year of henry the first , at which time the commons were summoned , and the great charter was granted : and if we believe sir walter raleigh and others , the house of commons , and magna charta had first but obscure births , being sprung from userpers , and fostered afterward by rebellion : for king henry the first did but usurp the kingdome , and therefore to secure himself the better against robert his eldest brother , he courted the the commons , and granted them that great charter , with charta de foresta ; which king john confirmed upon the same grounds , for he was also an usurper , arthur duke of britain being the undoubted heir of the crown , so the house of commons and these great charters had their original from such that were kings de facto not de jure . polyander . it is observed that usurpers are commonly the best law makers , which they do to ingratiate themselvs the more to the people , as besides these kings you have named , richard the third did , who was said to be a good king though a bad man , a character clean contrary to that i heard some abroad give of the last king ▪ who they said was a good man but an ill king ; but i pray be pleased to proceed . philanglus . whereas i told you before that it was in the raign of henry the first , that the people were admitted to the common council of the kingdome , yet they were not constantly called , for though the said king called them to his coronation , and againe in the . or . year of his reign , yet he did not so alwayes , neither many of those kings that succeeded . polyander . i remember to have read one remarkable passage in the reign of henry the first , that in his third year for the marriage of his daughter , he raised a tax upon every hide of land , but he did this by the advice of his privy council alone without consulting publiquely with either prelate , peer , or people . philanglus . so did divers of his antecessors , and successors also after the commons were admitted to partake of the common council ; but to illustrate this point further , notwithstanding that the commons were sought unto in henry the first's time , yet they were not constantly and formally sent unto till henry the third , in whose reign the writs of summons for elections were first issued ; but the succeeding kings assum'd a power to regulate those writs at pleasure by the sole advice of their privy council , as we read in the time of henry the sixth , who was the first framer of that famous ordinance , whereas elections of knights have been made with great outrages , and excessive number of people , of which most part was people of no value , yet pretend a voice equivolent to worthy knights and esquires , whereby many riots , manslaughter , and division among gentlemen shal likely be , our lord the king hath ordain'd that knight of shires be chosen by people dwelling in the counties , every one of them having lands or tenements to the value of s. per annum , at least , and that he who is chosen be dwelling and resiant within the counties where they are elected . polyander . but did not the kings of england reserve a power to except against any that came to parliament ? philanglus . mr. camden speaking of the dignities of barons , saith , that it was ordained and decreed in the reign of henry the third , that all those earls and barons unto whom the king himself vouchsafed to direct his writs of summons should come to his parliament , and no others : and this rule edward the first constantly observed , and continued ; for as c●mden hath it , that prudent king summoned alwaies those of ancient families , and who were most wise to his parliament , and omitted their sons after their death , if they were not answerable to their fathers in understanding ; in another place he saith , select men for wisedom and worth among the gentry were called to parliament , and their posterity omitted , if they were defective herein . polyander . if the king hath a power to except against a nobleman from sitting in parliament , sure , by an argument à majori ad minus , he may do it against a commoner . philanglus . it should be so in reason , and queen elizabeth , who was so great a darling of her people , did practise her power that way often . but the modesty of the house of commons was very great in former times , for they did arrogate no more power then what the kings writ gave them , they evaded matters of state as much as they could . . of edward the third , a parliament was called to consult of the domestick quiet , the defence of the marches of scotland , and security of the seas from enemies ; the commons were desired their advise herein , but they humbly desired not to be put to consult of things , queu●ils n'ont pas cognisance . things whereof they had no cogn●sance . in . of the same king , the commons being mov'd for their advice touching a prosecution of a war with france , by an elegant speech of justice thorp , after four days consultation , they answered , that their humble desire to the king was , that he would be advised there●n by the lords being of more experience then themselves in such affairs . in the . year of richard the second , the parliament was call'd to consult , whether the king should go in person to res●● the great city of ga●nt , or send an army the commons being ask●d their advice , the humbly answered by sir thomas ●uckerin● their speaker that the councils of wa● did more aptly belong to the king and 〈◊〉 lords . the next year after the commo● are willed to advise of the articles 〈◊〉 peace with france , but they modestly e●cuse themselves as too weak to counsell in ● weighty mat●ers : and being charged agai● as they did tender the repute of the county , and right of their king , the humbly de●ivered their opinions rathe● for peace then warre : such was the moderation and modesty of the house of commons in former times that they decline● the agitation and cognizance of hig● state affairs , specially forraign , humbl● transferring them to their soveraign , an● his vpper council ; a parliament ma● then , ( i mean a member of the commons house ) thought to be the adequ●● object of his duty , to study the welfare to complain of the grievances , and hav● the defects supplyed of that place fo● which he served : the bourgesse of 〈◊〉 studied to find out something that mough● have aduanced the trade of fishing : he 〈◊〉 norwich what mought ▪ have advantage the making of stuffs : he of rye , what might preserve their harbour from being choaked up with shelfs of sands : he of taverston , what might have further'd the manufacture of kersies : he of suffolk , what conduced to the benefit of cloathing : the burgesses of cornwal what belong'd to their stanneries , and in doing this they thought to have complyed with the obligation , and discharg'd the conscience of honest men , without soaring to things above their reach , and roving at random to treat of universals , to pry into arcana imperii , and bring religion to the bar , the one belonging to the chief governour , and his intern councel of state , the other to divines who according to the erymology of the word use to be conversant , and imploy their talent in the exercise and speculations of holy and heavenly things . polyander . i am clearly of your opinion touching the two last , particulars ; for secrecy being the soul of policy , matters of state should be communicated to the cognizance and deliberations of few , viz. the governor in chief , and his privy councel : and touching religion , i do not see ( humbly under favour ) how it may quadrat with the calling of laymen to determine matters of divinity , and discusse points of faith . but though the establishment of the house of commons be a wholesome thing in it self , i heard it censur'd beyond the sea , that there is a great incongruity in one particular , which is , tha● the burgesses are more in number then the knights of shires , for the knights 〈◊〉 shires are commonly gentlemen we● born , and bred , and divers of them verse● in forraign governments as well as the law● of the land : but the burgesses of town● are for the most part all trades-men , and being bred in corporations they are more inclining to popular governmen● and democracy : now , these exceeding th●knights in number , carry all before then by plurality of voices , and so puzzle the proceedings of matters : but now tha● i have mentioned corporations , i must 〈◊〉 you that the greatest soloecism in the polic● of this state is the number of them , specially this monstrous city , which is composed of nothing else but corporations which smell ranck of little republiques 〈◊〉 hanses ; and it was a great errour in the last two kings to suffer this town to sprea● her wings so wide , for she bears no proportion with the bignesse of the island , but may fit a kingdom thrice as spacious ; she ingrosseth and dreins all the wealth of the land , so that i cannot compare england more properly then to a cremona goose in italy . where they have a way to fatten onely the heart of the goose , but in doing so they make the rest of the whole body grow leanand lank : and as it was an errour so to suffer her to monopolize the trade and riches of the land , so it was in letting her gather so much strength in exercise of arms , by suffering her to have such an artillery garden , and military yard ; which makes me think on a speech of count gondamar the spanish embassadour , who being invited by the king to see a muster of the citizens in st. jame's fields ; after they were gone , he was ask'd by the king how hee lik'd his citizens of londons ? truly sir , said he , i have seen a company of goodly able men , with great store of good arms ; but , sir , i fear that these men will do you a mischief one day , for the conceit wherewith they may be puffed up for the knowledge they have in handling their arms , may heighten their spirits too much and make them insolent : my master the king of spain , though there breaths in his court well neer as many souls as there are in london , and though he be in perpetual war with some or other ; yet i● his court he is so peaceable that one shall see no sign of war at all , hee suffers not any armed men to strut under his nose , there is neither artillery garden , or military yard there at all , but onely a fe● partisians that guard his body ; therefore , as i said before , these men may do you majesty an ill turn one day , and whether gondamar was a prophet herein or no , judge you . but i pray , sir , be pleased to dispense with me for these interruptions ! give to your former discourse touching parliaments . philanglus . having formerly spoken something of the original duty and power of the great councel of the kingdom with the primitive institution of the house of commons , i will proceed now to that grand question , where the supream legislative power resides ? certainly , if we examine the writs of summons for both houses , with the bodies and titles of our ancient acts of parliament , we shall find the supremacy and power of making laws to rest in the king or governour in chief : now when the parliament is stiled the supream court , it must be understood properly of the king sitting in the house of peers in person , and but improperly of the lords without him ; it is granted that the consultative ▪ directive , or deliberativ● pa●er is in the house of peers , the performing and consenting power , in the house of commons , but the legislative powers lodgeth in the person of the king ; for parliaments are but his productions , they derive their being from the breath of his writs : he as sir edward cook doth positively affirm , is cap●t , principum , & finis , he is the head , he is the beginning and ending , the alpha and omega of parliaments . pol●ander . but some affirm that the legislative power is in the two houses ; and that they are above the king . philanglus . the difference 'twixt the king or supream magistrate , and the parliament , is this , that the one represents god , the other the people : 't is true , as i said before , the consultative power is in parliament , and 't is but by the kings permission , the commanding power resides stil in the chief governor , and is inseparable from him , the results and productions of parliament , at best are but bills , 't is the kings breath makes them laws , till then they are but dead things , they are like matches unfired , 't is the king that gives life and light unto them : the lords advise , the commons consen● , but the king ordains ; they mould the bills , but the king makes them laws , therefore they are ever after called the kings laws , the kings judgments : the lords , &c. have the indicatif part , but the king the imperatif : the liberties also of the people flow all from him , for magna charta begins thus , henry by the grace of god , know ye that we of our meer and free will , have given these liberties : in the self same stile runs charta de foresta . the statute of marlborough . . henry the third , runs thus , the king hath made these acts , ordinances , and statutes which he willeth to be observed of all his subjects high and low . . edwardi primi , the title of the statute is ; these are the acts of king edward , and after it it follows , the king hath ordained these acts ; the first chapter begins , the king forbiddeth and commandeth that none do hurt , damage , or grievance to any religious man , or person of the church ; and in the . chapter , the king prohibitet●s that none do ravish , or take away by force any maid within age . . edward the first , it is said , our soveraign lord the king hath established the acts , commanding they be observed within this realm : and in the . chap. the words are , the king of his special grace granteth that the citizens of london shall recover in an assize damage with the land . the statute of westmin . saith our lord the king hath ordained that the will of the giver be observed and in the . chapter , our lord the king hath ordained , that a woman after the death of her husband shal recover by writ of entry . the statute of quo warranto saith our lord the king at his parliament of his special grace , and for affection which he beareth to his prelates , earls and barons , and others , hath granted that they who have liberties by prescription shall enjoy them . in the statute de finibus l●vatis , the kings words are , we intending to provide remedy in our parliament have ordained , &c. . edward the first , the king wills that the chancellour , and the justices of the bench shall follow him , so that he may at all time have some neer unto him that be learned in the laws : and in the . chapter the words are , our lord the king after full conference and debate had with his earles . barons , and nobles by that consent hath ord●ined . the stat●●e de tallagio speaks in the kings person no officer of ours , no ●allage shall be taken by us , we will and 〈◊〉 . . edward the second begins thus , our lord the king willeth and commandeth . the statute of the . of the same king , saith , our lord the king by the assent of the prelates , earls , and other great states hath ordained . the statute of carlile saith . we have sent our command in writing firmly to be observed . . edward● . begins thus , king edward the third , at the request of the comminalty , by their petition before him , and his council in parliament hath granted , &c. and in the . chapter . the king willeth that no man be charged to arm himself otherwise then he was wont . . edward the third , our lord the king at the request of his people , hath establ●sh●d these things which he wills to be kept . . of the same king there is this title , our lord the king by the assent , and advice of his councel being there , hath ordain'd , &c. in the year of the same king it is said . because our lord the king hath receiv'd by the complaints of the earls , barons , also at the shewing of the knights of the shires , and the commons bytheir petition , in his parliament , &c. hath ordain'd by the assent , and at the request of the said knights and commons , &c. but very remarkable is that of of edward the third , where it is said , the king makes the laws by the assent of peers and commons , and not the peers and commons . the statute of ●ric . ● . hath this beginning , richard the second by the assent of the prelates , dukes , earls , and barons , and at the instance and special request of the commons hath ordained . as for the parliaments in henry the fourth , henry the fifth , henry the sixth edward the fourth ▪ and richard the thirds reign . most of them do all agree in this one title , our lord the king by the advice and assent of his lords , and at the special instance and request of the commons , hath ordained . the statutes in henry the seventh days , do for the most part agree both in the titles and bodies of the acts in these words , the king by the assent of the lords spiritual and temporal , and the commons 〈◊〉 parliament assembled , hath ordained . but very remarkable it is , that the house of commons was never petitioned unto till henry the sevenths reign , and 〈◊〉 was about the middle thereof ; which petition is inserted among the statutes , but though the petition be directed to the house of commons in point of title , yet the prayer of the petition is turn'd to the king , and not to the commons . the petition begins thus , to the right worshipful commons in this present parliament assembled , shews to your discreet wisdoms the wardens of the fellowship of the craft of upholsters within london , &c but the conclusion is , therefore it may please the kings highnesse by the advice of the lords spiritual and temporal , and his common i●● parliament , &c. thus it appears that in our fore-fathers days it was punctually expressed in all laws that the statutes and ordinances were made by the king : and withall , it is visible by what degrees the stiles and titles of acts of parliament have been varied , and to whose advantage . the higher we look the more absolute we find the power of kings in ordainin● laws , nor do we meet with at first so much as the assent or advice of the lords mentioned . nay , if one cast hi● eye upon many statutes of those that be of most antiquity , they will appear to be no other things but the kings pleasure , to whom the punishments of most offences were left : the punitive part which is the chiefest vigour of the law we find committed by the statutes themselves to the kings meer wil and pleasure , as if there were no other law at all , witnesse these precedents . . edward the first , the ninth chapter saith , that sheriffs , coronets and bayliffs for concealing of felonies shall make grierous fines at the kings pleasure . such as shall be found culpable of ravishing of women shall fine at the kings pleasure . the penalty for detaining a prisoner that is mainpernable is a fine at the kings pleasure . offenders in parks or ponds , shall make fines at the kings pleasure . committers of champarty , and extortioners are to be punished at the kings pleasure . purveyors not paying for what they take shall be grievously punished at the kings pleasure . the king shall punish grievously the sheriff , and him who maintains quarrels . taker away of nuns from religious houses to be fined at the kings will . if a goldsmith be attainted , for not assaying , touching and working vessels of gold , he shall be punished at the kings pleasure . there is a notable saying declar'd in the . yeer of henry the fourth , viz. potestas princip●s non est inclusa legibus , the power of the prince is not curb'd by law . in the . yeer of henry the fifth , there was a law made , wherein there is a clause , that it is the kings regality to grant or deny such petitions as he please . . henry the sixth , an ordinance was made to indu●e as long as it should please the king . now for further proof , that the legislative power is in the king , or supr●am magistrate , it is to be observed , that as sir edward cook saith . all acts of parliament in former times , were in form of petitions ; how , if the petitions were from parliament , and the answer from the king , 't is easie to judge who makes the acts : moreover sir john gla●vil affirms , that in former times the way of petitioning the king , was this : the lords , and speaker either by words or writing preferr'd their petition to the king , ( which was afterwards called a bill ) which petition being receiv'd by the king , he received part , and part he put out , and part he ratified , and as it came from him it was drawn to a law . furthermore it appears that ordimances , provisions and proclamations made heretofore out of parliament have been alwayes acknowledged for laws , and statutes . the statute call'd the statute of ireland , dated at westminster , . feb. . hen. the third , was nothing else but a letter of the kings 〈◊〉 gerard son of maurice justicer of ireland 't is hard to distinguish among the old statutes what laws were made by kings in parliament , what out of parliament , when kings called the peers only to parliament , ( and of those as many and whom they pleased ) it was no easie matter to put a difference 'twixt a proclamation and a statute ; or 'twixt the kings privy counsel , and his common counsel of the kingdom . in the statute of westminster 't is said , these are the acts of king edward the first , made at his first parliament by his council , &c. the statute of burnel hath these words , the king for himselfe , and by his councel , hath ordained and established . when magna charta was confirmed , there are found these two provisions in articules super chartas . first , nevertheless the king and his council do not intend by reason of this statute to diminish the regal right . the second , notwithstanding all these things before mentioned , or any part of them , both the king and his council , and all they who are present , will , and intend that the right and prerogative of his crown shall be saved to him in all things . the statute of escheators hath this title , at the parliament of our soveraign lord the king , by his council it was agreed , and also by the king himself commanded . the statute made at york , edward the third , goeth thus , the king by the advice of his council hath ordained . now touching the kings council , i mean his privy council , it hath been alwayes of great authority , and extreamly useful in the publick government of the common-wealth , and all kings have acted most by it . king edward the first , finding that bogo de clare was discharged of an accusation brought against him in parliament , yet he commanded him nevertheless to appear before him , & his privy council , ad faciendū & recipiendū quod per regem , & ejus concilium faciendum , and so proceeded to a re-examination of the whole business . edward the third in the star-chamber , which was the ancient councel table of the kings , upon the complaint of elizabeth audley commanded james audley to appear before him and his councel , where a controversie was determin'd between them touching land contained in her joynture . henry the fifth , in a sute before him and his councel for the titles of the mannors of serre , and saint laurence in the i le of thanet in kent , sent order for the profits to be sequestred till the right were tryed . henry , the sixt , commanded the justices of the bench to stay the arraignment of one varney in london , till they had commandement from him , and his councel . edward the fourth , and his privy councel heard , and determined the cause , of the master , and poor brethren of st. leonards in york , complaining that sir hugh hastings and others , withdrew from them a great ●art of their living , which consisted chiefly upon the having of a thrave of corn upon every plowland within the counties of york , cumberland , &c. henry the seventh , and his privy councel commanded that : margery and florence becket should su● no further in the cause against alice radley , widow for lands in woolwich and plumstead in kent . in henry the thirds time , an order or provision was made by the kings council , and it was pleaded at the common law in ba● to a writ of dower . we find also that it hath been very usual for the judges before they would resolve or give judgements in some cases to consu●● with the kings privy council . in the case of adam brabson who was assaulted in the presence of the justices of assise at westminster , the judges would not proceed without the advice of the kings privy council . green and thorp were sent by the judges to the kings privy council to demand of them whether by the statute of edward the third , a word may be amended in a writ . in the . of edward the third , in the case of sir thomas ogthred , who brought a formedon against a poor man and his wife , the judges said , sue to the kings council , and as they will have us to do , we will do , and no otherwise . thus we find that the court-council did guide and check the judges oftentimes , yet the judges have guided the great common council , or high court of parliament . polyander . i find that you have studied the point of king and parliament , to very good purpose , by these choice instances you have produced ; but i find that though the parliament hath been held the great councel of the kingdom , yet the ordinary way of government was by the king or soveraign magistrate , and his councel of state : for the great councel ( without disparagement ) may be called the production of the privy councel , witnesse the words of the writ of summons . but since you have proceeded so far , i desire to know , whether by an implicit faith we are to obey what the parliament determines ; or whether it may err or no , and what are those priviledges it hath . philanglus . i shall do my indeavour to satisfie you in all ; touching the first , no doubt but we are to acquiesce in what a true parliament ordains , for it is generally binding , and requires an universal obedience , because it bears the stamp of royal authority , and of the supream magistrate ; who is the head of the parliament , who is to consult with his judges , and privy council must be satisfied in conscience of the justnesse , of such bils that he is to passe for laws , because afterward he is to protect them , and his soul lyes by oth at the stake for the defence and safeguard of them ; he is also to consult with his learned and privy councel whether they trench upon his royal prerogative , and then his answer is , you know it , le roy s' avisera , the king will consider of it , which though in civil terms , is equivolent to a flat denyal . touching the second point , sir edward coke tels us that parlements have been utterly deceived , and that in cases of greatest moment , specially in the interpretation of laws , and in that point the twelve judges , who are called the sages and oracles of the law , are to be beleeved before the parliament , whose office is more to make new laws , then to expound the old ; parliament● being composed of men may erre ; mr. pryn , as i alledged before , tels us how many usurpers they have preferred before the rightful heirs ; how often did henry the eight make parliaments the panders of his lust ; in whose time there are three acts observable . . that proclamations shold be equivalent to laws . . that queen elizabeth was illegitimat . . that the king in his will might name whom he pleas'd to be his successor : besides in lesse then four yeers , religion was changed twelve times in his raign by parliament . polyander . touching the last act of naming a successor , i have seen a manuscript which makes mention that henry the eight som . yeers before his death summoned a parliament , wherein he intimated unto them , that one of the main designs of convoking that parliament , was , that they should declare a successor to the crown ; but the parliament with much modesty answered , that touching that point , it belonged to his majesty to consider of it , and consult with his learned and privy councel about it ; and whomsoever his majesty would please to nominat in his last will , they would confirm and ratifie ; whereupon old harry made a formal will , which was enrolled in the chancery , wherein ( remembring the perfidious carriage of james the fourth , his brother in law ) he declared the issue of his eldest sister , the queen of scotts , being forreners , incapable to inherit , and the issue of charles brandon , after the progeny of his own body , to succeed next : this will continued in the chancery all edward the sixts time , till queen mary , who about the midst of her reign did cancel it . but now sir , be pleas'd to pardon this parenthesis , and resume the thread of your former discourse , in displaying what are the priviledges of parliament which were so much insisted upon , and cried up in the late long parliament , till they swell'd so high , that they swallowed up and devour'd the prerogative . philanglus . if we will give credit to sir ed. coke , who was a great champion of the house of commons , and no friend to prerogative ( which he was us'd to call that great monster ) the priviledge of freedom from arrests is the onely priviledge of parliament . he cannot or at least , he doth not so much as name any other in his section of the priviledge of parliament ; neither is this priviledge so unquestionable and cleer as some do imagine , as divers examples may be produced in the reign of queen elizabeth , who was so great a darling of the commons : in the . of her reign , sir ed. hobby , and mr. brograve attorney of the dutchy were sent by the house to the lord keeper , to require his lordship to revoke two writs of subpoena's which were serv'd upon mr. tho. k●●vet a member of the house ; the lord keeper demanded of them whether they were appointed by any advised consultation of the house to deliver this message unto him with the word require ; they answered , yes ; he replyed as he thought reverently and honourably of the house , and of their liberties and privileges , so to revoke the said subpoenas in that sort was to restrain her majesty in her greatest power which is in the publick administration of justice in the place wherein he serves her , therefore he concluded , that as they had required him to revoke his writ , so he did require farther deliberation . eliz. report was made by the attorney of the dutchy upon the committee for the delivering of one mr. halls man , that the committee found no precedent for setting at large by the mace any person in arrest but onely by writ , and that by divers precedents of records perus'd by the said committee it appeared that every knight , citizen or burgesse , which doth desire privilege , hath used in that case to take a corporal oath before the lord chancellor or keeper for the time being . that the party for whom such writ is prayed came up with him , and was his servant at the time of the arrest made ; thereupon mr. hall . was directed by the house to repair to the lord keeper , and make oath , and then to take a warrant for a writ of privilege for his servant . eliz. richard coke , a parliament member , being served with a subpoena of chancery : the lord keeper boldly answered , that he thought the house had 〈◊〉 such privilege against subpoenas , as they pretended : neither could he allow of any precedents of the house used in that behalf , unlesse the house of commons could also prove the same to have been likewise allowed , and ratified by precedents in the high court of chancery . now , the original writ for election ; which is the foundation of the whole business , makes mention of no such privilege , and 't is a rule that to vary from the meaning of the writ makes a nullity of the cause , and the proceedings thereupon : for where a commissioner exerciseth more power then is warranted by his commission , the act is not only invalid but punishable . now the end and scope of privileges of parlement , is not to give power to do any publick act not warranted by the writ , but they are intended as helps only to enable the members towards the performance of their duties , and so are subservient to the power comprized in the writ ; for instance , the freedom from arrests doth not give any power at all to the house of commons to do any extraordinary act thereby , but the members are made the more capable to attend the publick service by being free from the trouble of arrests ; so that this privilege giveth no further power at all , but only helps to the execution of the power derived from the royal writ ; nor can the freeholders by their elections give any such privilege of exemption from arrests , but it is the meer gift , and grace of the soveraign prince , yet in point of treson , felony or breach of the kings peace this privilege extends not ; now , privileges are things contrary to law , or at least they serve as a dispensation against law , intended originally for the better expediting of the kings businesse , or som publik service . nor could the house of commons punish any for breach of this their privilege till they had conferr'd with the lords , and till the punishment had been referred by them to the commons ; there is a notable example hereof in the . of henry the eight , george ferrers the kings servant and burgesse of plymouth going to parliament , was arrested by process out of the kings bench for debt ; which being signified to sir thomas moyl then speaker , the sargeant that attended the house was sent to the counter to demand ferres , the officers of the counter refuse to deliver him , an● giving the sergeant ill language a scu●●● happened ; the sheriff of london being sent for , took part with the counte●● and so the sergeant returned without the prisoner ; this being related to the house of commons , they would sit no longer without their member , and desiring a conference with the lords , sir thomas a●dly then chancellour , and the rest judged the contempt to be very great , and referred 〈◊〉 punishment thereof to the house of commons it selfe . concerning liberty or freedome of speech which is held another privilege of parliament ; there is a speech of sir thom●● moors upon record , who being chosen speaker , . henry the eight , he first disabled himself , and then petitioned the king in the behalf of the house , that if i● communication and reasoning any ma●● should speak more largely then of duty be ought to do , all such offences should be pardoned , which was granted and entre● upon record . in which petition it is observable , that liberty or freedom of speech is not a power for men to speak wha● they will or please in parliament , it is ● priviledge onely not to be punished , but pardoned for the offence of speaking more largely then in duty they ought to do ; which in a right construction must be understood of rash , unadvised , ignorant , or negligent escapes , and slips in speech , not for willfull , malicious , much lesse for treasonable speeches : and then the kings pardon was desired to be upon record that it might be pleaded at bar to all actions . there is a speech upon record in queen elizabeths time , wherein the commons were warn'd not to meddle with the queens person , the state , or church-government . polyander . i have heard of divers traverses that hapned in the reign of that popular and long lived queen , which trenched as much , if not more upon the priviledges of parliament , and the liberties of the people , then any that happen'd in the reign of the two last kings . philanglus . it is very true , and i will give you some instances drawn from good authentick records : . elizabeth , mr. paul wentworth moved in the house for a publick fast , and for a sermon every morning at seven a clock before the house sate : the house hereupon was divided , were against it , and for it , and so an order passed accordingly ; the queen being told hereof sent a message to the house by her vice-chamberlain ; that her highnesse had great admir●●tion of the rashnesse of the house in commit●ing such an apparent contempt of her expresse command , as to put in execution such an innovation without her privity or pleasure fist known . thereupon mr. vice-chamberlain moved the house to make an humble submission to her majes●y , acknowledging the said offence and contempt , and to crave remission for the same , with●●full , purpose to forbear the committing of the like hereafter : so by the suffrage of the whole house , mr. vice-chamberlain carryed their submission to the queen accordingly . elizabeth , mr. peter wentworth , and sir henry bromley delivered a petition to the lord keeper desiring the lords of the upper house to be suppliants with them of the lower house unto her majesty for entayling the succession of the crown , whereof a bill was ready drawn . the queen was highly displeased herewith , and charged her councel to call the parties before them , so sir thomas henage was sent to fetch them ; so they were first commanded to forbear going to the house , and not to go out of their several lodgings ; afterward they were called before the lord tresurer , lord buckhurst , and sir thomas henage : wentworth was committed to the tower , and bromeley to the fleet , together with mr. stevens , as also mr. welch knight for worcestershire . the queen sent a notable check to the house of commons . of her raign for chosing and returning knights of the shire for norfolk , a thing impertinent for the house to deal withall , and belonging only to the office and charge of her chancellor from whom the writs issue and are return'd . in one parliament , when mr. coke , afterwards sir edward coke , was speaker , the queen sent a messenger or sargeant at arms into the house of commons , and took out mr. morris , and committed him to prison , with divers others , for some speeches spoken in the house ; thereupon mr. wroth moved the house that they would be humble sutors to her majesty , that she would be pleased to enlarge those members of the house that were restrain'd , which was done accordingly ; and answer was sent by her privy councel , that her majesty had committed them for causes best known to her self , and to presse her highuesse with this suit would but hinder the whole good they sought : that the house must not call the queen to an account for what shee doth of her royal authority : that the causes for which they are restrain'd may be high and dangerous : that her majesty liketh no such questions , neither doth it become the house to search into matters of that nature . the commons were told . elizabeth , that their priviledge was yea and no : and that her majesties pleasure was , that if the speaker perceived any idle heads , which would not stick to hazard their own estates , but meddle with reforming the church , and trans forming the common-weal by exhibiting bills to that purpose , the speaker should not receive them till they were viewed and considered by those who are sitter to consider of such things , and can better judge of them : moreover , the queen rejected . bills which had passed both houses , in that parliament . the house of commons by their speaker . elizabeth , complained of some monopolies , whereupon the lord keeper made answer in her majesties name , that her highnesse hoped her dutiful and loving subjects would not take away her prerogative , which is the chiefest flower in her garland , the principall and h●ad pearl in her crown and diadem , but that they will rather leave that to her own disposition . sergeant heal said . elizabeth . publiquely in parliament , that he marvelled the house stood either at the granting of a subsidy or time of payment , considering that all we have is her majesties , and she may lawfully at her pleasure take it from us , in regard she had as much right to all our lands and goods , as to any revenew of the crown , and he said he could prove it by precedents in the raign of henry the third , king john , and king steven . this speech agrees with that which sir edward coke hath in his institutes , where he saith positively . that the first kings ▪ of this realm had all the lands of england in demesne , and the great mannors and royalties they reserved to themselves , and enfeoffed the barons of the remnant for the common defence of the kingdom , there was a remarkable passage happen'd in the raign of henry the fourth ; the house of commons petitioned the king that they might have advice , and communication with certain lords about matte●● of businesse in parliament for the commo● good of the kingdom , which prayer , as the record hath it . our lord the king graciously granted , but with this protestation . that he did it not of duty , nor of custom , but of his special grace . so our lord the king charg'd the clerk of the parliament , that this protestation should be entred upon record in the parliament roll . this the king made known to them by the lord say , and his secretary : who told them that our lord the king neither of due , nor custom ought to grant any lords to enter into communication with them of matters t●uching the parliament , but by his special grace at this time he granted their request in this par●icular : and the said steward and secretary brought the king word back from the commons , that they knew well they could not have any such lords to commune with them of any businesse of parliament without special grace , and command from the king himself . polyander . but it is not the priviledge of parliament to examine misdemeanours of juridical courts , and officers of state according to lex repetundarum ? philanglus . this cannot be called properly a priviledge , for there is not the meanest subject , but hath liberty on just cause to question any court or officer , if he suffer by them ; yet it hath been esteemed a great favour from the prince to permit such examinations ; for we read that when the lords were displeased with the greatnesse of piers gaveston , 't is said , that in the next parliament , the whole assembly obtained leave of the king to draw articles of their grievances , which they did , two whereof were ; that all strangers should be banish'd the kingdom ( whereof gaveston was one . ) the second was , that businesses of state should be treated by the clergy and nobles . polyander . though the cognizance and debatings of great affairs of state , belong to the high court of parliament , yet i have read that oftentimes , the lords have transmitted such businesses to the kings privy council . philanglus . 't is a great truth , and many instances might be produced for proof thereof ; among others , when one mortimer , who stiled himself captain mendall ( otherwise called jack cade ) came with the rabble of the vulgar , with a petition to the lower house , the commons sent it up to the lords , and the lords transmitted it to the kings privy council to consider of . polyander . but the granting of subsidies is a peculiar priviledge of the house of commons . philanglus . i think not , for it is an unquestionable truth , that subsidies were raised , and paid before ever the commons were called to sit in parliament : the great and long subsidie of dane-ghelt was without any gift of the commons , or of any parliament at all as can be proved ▪ henry the third imposed a subsidie of two marks in silver upon every knight fee only by the advice of his councel . the words of the king when hee passeth the bill of subsidie are observable , which are these : le roy remercie ses loyaux subjects , accept lour benevolence , & aussy ainu● le ve●lt , the king thanks his loyal subjects , accepts of their good will , and also will have it ; which last words make the act of subsidy a law to bind every man to the payment of it ; in so much that the parliament cannot impose a peny upon the subject without the king , nor can the free-holders whom they serve , invest any such power in them . polyander . i finde by the substance of your discourse , that not onely all power and grace , but all parliamentary priviledges flow from the concession of the soveraign prince , and chief magistrate . philanglus . yes , without controversie you know ( as a gentleman wittily observes ) t is an axiom in philosophy , quod dat formami . that which gives the form , gives the consequence of the form ; the king by his writ gives the very essence , and form to the parliament , being the production of his breath , therefore priviledges which are but consequences of the form must necessarily proceed from him . in the . of king james , a declaration was sent from new-market to the parliament , wherein he asserts ; that most priviledges of parliament grew from precedents , which she wrather a toleration that an inheritance , there●ore he could not allow of the stile they us●d to him , c●lling it their ancient and undoubted rights and inheritance , but could rather have wished they had said , their priviledges were derived from the ●race and permission of his anc●stors and himself . thereupon he concludes . that he cannot with patience endure his subjects to use such antimonarchical words concerning their libertie , except they had subjoyned , they were gran●ed unto them by the grace , and favour of his progenitors ; yes he promiseth to be careful of whatsoever priviledges they enjoy by long custome , and incontrolled lawful precedents . at the presentment of the speaker of the house of commons to the king upon the first day of parliament , the speaker in the name and behoof of the commons humbly craves , that his majesty would be pleased graciously to grant them their accustomed liberties and priviledges , which petition of theirs is a fair recognition of the primitive grace and favour of the soveraign prince in bestowing of privil●dge , and is a shrewd argument against any other title . for our antecessors would not have been so ceremonious , nor so full o● complement , as to beg that of grace , which they might have claimed de jure by right : a●d the renewing of this petition at the beginning of every parliament , argues the grant to be but temporary . polyander . this was not the doctrine it seems of the late long parliament whose priviledges flew so high that they ●retopped the ●rerogative ; for they drew the reins of all rule and reason into their hands , and left the governour in chiefe neither of them ; and if he chanced to send them any advice or admonition 't was presently cryed up to be breach of p●iviled●e , breach of priviledge . but sir , by the seque● of our former discourse , i find that the high co●rt or common council of this kingdom was composed at first of prelates , and peers ; that parl. is but a modern word , and came in after the norman conquest : i find also that the commons came to be made ● house , and that magna charta and charta de foresta , were not free spontaneou● grants , but that they were in a manner extorted from kings in times of necessity and confusion ; i find also that the primitive and ordinary way of government was the one supream magistrate alone and his council of state , and when he pleased , by the common council ; but now sir , i pray be pleased to acquit your selfe of the promise you did me the favour to make , of acquainting me with the proceedings of the late long parliament . philanglus . to do that , i will deduce matters from the beginning , and to finde them our must look north ward , for there the cloud of all our ensuing confusions began to condense first . you know sir , the scots nation were ever used to have their king personally resident among them , and though king james by reason of his age , bounty , and long breeding there , with other advantages , drew such extraordinary respects from them that they continued in a good conformity all his reign , yet after his death they were often over-heard to mutter at the remoteness and absence of their king ▪ and that they should now become a kind of province truckling under england , by reason of such a distance from the royal court : moreover some of their nobles and gentry found not at the english court , nor at the late kings coronation in edenburgh , that countenance , familiarity , benefit and honours which they expected : and 't is too well known who he was that having got some wealth in the swedish wars , and being denied to be lorded , took a pet , and went hence discontented to his own country . these discontented parties tamper'd with the mercenary preach-men up and down scotland to obtrude and hold out to the people what doctrines were put into their mouths by their patrons so that the pulpits every where ●ung of nothing but of invectives against certain obliquities and solaecisms , and i cannot tell what in government , and many glances they had upon the english church . yet all this while there was not matter enough for an insurrection , nor to dispose the peoples hearts to a mutiny , untill by the policy of the said discontented party , the english liturgy was sent thither . this , by the incitement of those fiery pulpiteers , was cried up to be the greatest idol that possibly could be brought into their kirk ; insomuch that when it was first offer'd to be read , the women and baser sort of mechanicks threw stools at the bishops head in the kirk , and were ready to tear them in pieces : and here began the first storm . the king having notice hereof sent a proclamation , signifying , that whereas he had recommended that book of common prayer to be practised among them , whereby be himself served god almighty twice a day , he did it onely out of a design to establish an uniformity of publick divine service in all his dominions , specially in that his native country . but since it had produced such dangerous effects , he was contented to revoke it absolutely ; it never being his purpose to press the practise of thesaid book upon the conscience of any , for he did onely commend , not peremptorily command the use of it . therefore , he exhorted and required that every one unto whom it had given any scandal ▪ should return to his former obedience , and serve god as he was wont , offering therwith a general pardon , and to passe an act of amnestia for the abolition of all offence passed . polyander . and would not this suffice ? in natural motions we find that the cause being taken away , the effect ceaseth , and will not this rule hold in civil actions . philanglus . it seems this would not serve the turn , but there was a further reach in it , and to take the advantage of fishing in these troubled waters : you know the scots since their single lyon came to quarter with our three , were much heightned in their spirits , more respected , employed and trusted abroad , more elevated in their resolutions and aims , they grew rich , for you have heard of a silver mine that reached from westminster to edenbrough : and i beleeve you have not forgot b●ccolinies ballance , wherein lorenzo de medici was appointed by the oracle at delphos to weigh all the states of christendom , and throwing england into the scales to counterpoise france , you know how much he made her to weigh lesse by the addition of scotland . polyander . i beleeve we had been better without this addition , for the union 'twixt scotland and england may be said to be a mixture of vinegar with oyl . philanglus . to resume my discourse , the former proclamation , though it breathed nothing but grace , would not suffice the scots , but having an inch given them , they would take an ell , and nothing would serve their turn but an utter extirpation of episcopacy , for by trampling the miter under their feet , they hoped to have some of the birds plumes being plucked to feather their own nests , and they brought their work about : good lord , what a deal of dirt was thrown into the bishops faces by every rural petty clerk ? what infamous ballads were sung up and down ? what a thick cloud of epidemical hatred hung suddenly over them , so far that a dog with a white neck was called bishop amongst them . the chiefest contrivers of this uproar , finding their designs to fadge so well , and perceiving the country to be so eagerly bent against bishops ( and what artifices and suggestious were used to render them so odious , is incredible . ) but finding withall the king unwilling to alter the government his father had left him , and to which he had been sworn at his coronation : they put themselves in arms , and raised forces to beat down the miter with the sword , if the scepter would not do it . to the english frontires they marched with a numerous army , pretending they came as petioners , but they brought their petition upon the pikes point . hereupon the king raised a counter army , and marched as far as barwick , but some of the great ones about him grew cold in the action ; so a pacification was shuffled up , and i think it was the most dishonourable that ever england made . polyander . i could have wished two things , that either the king had then given them battel , having the flower of his nobility and gentry about him , who understood came with all promptitude and cheerfulness to the service , or else that after the pacification he had with a royal freedom , and a commanding confidence gone amongst them in person to hansel their new parliament house at edenburgh , for in all probabilitie this course might have averted those showrs and cataracts of miseries which fell upon him afterwards , but i pray sir proceed . philanglus . hereupon a parliament was summoned in england , a parliament do i call it ? it was rather an embrio of a parliament , a kind of ephemeran thing . in this short sitting the king declared to both houses the indignities he had received from his scots subjects , and therefore he proposed a supply to be made of twelve subsidies to suppress that rebellion , and in lieu thereof , he was willing to forbear , and utterly to abolish the ship-money , which he had reason to think legal , being advised thereunto by noy his attorney general , who was cryed up to be so great a clerk in the law , yet he would not rest there , but he advised further with his learned council of the sergeants at law and others who concurred in opinion with no ; nor would he rest there , but he had the approbation of all the judges si●gly , and afterwards of the major part of all the twelve upon a leasurely debate ; this he thought sufficient to induce his conscience to hold the things legal : it was proved that the moneys levied that way were employed to the right use and no other , viz. to the garding of the narrow seas , and to preserve the right of his dominion in them ( being the fairest flower of his crown ) which was not onely discoursed of abroad , but the french cardinal was over heard to question his right that way . and touching the danger that hung over england he alledged how could england but be in apparent danger considering how all her neighbours about her were in actual hostility , which made huge fleets of men of war , both french , dunkerkers , ha●burgers , and hollanders , to appear ever and anon in her channel and hard before her royal chambers . he declared further , that not one peny of that publique contribution came to his private coffers , or was given to any favorite , but he added much of his own treasure for the maintenance of a royal fleet abroad every summer ; yet he was ready to passe any bill for the abolishing of the said ship-money , and redressing of any grievance besides , provided his parliament would enable him to suppress and chastse the scot . some say the house was inclinable to comply with the king , but as the ill spirit would have it , that parliament was suddenly broke up , and it had been better for him that they who gave him that counsel had been then in arabia , or beyond the line , in their way to madagascar , yet those men were of high request in the long parliament afterwards being . the king reduced to such streights , and resenting still the insolence of the scot , proposed the business to his privy council , who suddenly made a considerable sum for his supply , whereunto divers of his domestick serv●n●s did contribute ; among others who were active herein , the earl of strafford bestirred himselfe notably , who having got a parliament to be called in ireland , went over , and with incredible celerity raised . men , and procured money of the parliament there to maintain them . an army was also levied here which marched to the north , and there fed upon the kings pay a whole summer . the scot was not idle all this while , but having punctual intelligence of every thing that passed at court as far as what was debated in the cabinet council , or spoken of in the bed-chamber ( where of the six grooms , five were scots ) which was a great advantage unto him . he armed also , and preferring to make england the stage of the war rather then his own country , and to invade rather then to be invaded , he got ore the tweed , where he found the passage open , and , as it were , made for him all the way , till he come to the river of tine : and though there was a considerable english army of horse and foot at newcastle , yet they never offered to face the scot all the while . at newburg there was indeed a small skirmish , but the english foot would not fight ; so newcastle gates flew open to the scot without any resistance at all , where 't is thought he had more friends then foes , for all presbyterians were his confederates . the king being advanc'd as far as york , summon'd all his nobles to appear , and advise with in this exigence , commissioners were appointed on both sides who met at rippon , and how the hearts and courage of some english barons did boil within their breasts to be brought to so disadvantagious treaty with the scot , you may well imagine : so the treaty began , which the scot , would not conform himself unto , unlesse he were first made rectus in cur●a , and the proclamation wherein he was call'd traitor revoked , alledging how dishonourable it would be for his majesty to treat with rebels . this treaty was then adjourn'd to londo● where the late long parliament was summon'd . polyander . truly sir , i must tell you , that to my knowledge those unhappy traverses with the scots made the english suffer much abroad in point of national repute ; but in this last expedition of the scot , england may be said to have been bought and sold , considering what a party he had here in court and country , specially in the city of london . therefore his coming in then may be call'd rather as invitation then an invasion . philanglus . the scot having thus got quietly into a town he never took , and nested himself in newcastle , our late long long parliament began at westminster : being conven'd , the king told them that he was resolved to cast himself and his affairs wholly upon the affection and d●lity of his people , whereof they were the representatives ; therefore he wished them to go roundly on to close up the ruptures that wer● made by that infortunate war , and that the two armies one english , the other forraign , which were gnawing the very bowels of the kingdom might be both dismissed : touching grievances of al natures he was ready to redress them , concerning the shipmony he was willing to passe a law for the utter abolition of it , and to canc●l all the enrollments , therefore he wish'd them not to spend much time about that : for monopolies he desired to have a list of them , and he would damn them all in one proclamation : touching ill counsellours either in white-hall or westminster-hall , either in church or state , hee was resolved to protect none : therefore he desired that all jealousies and misunderstandings might vanish , and so concluded with this caution , that they would be carefull how they shook and d●●jointed the frame of an old setled government too much , in regard 't was like a watch , which being put asunder , can never be made up again if the least pin be left out . thus at the beginning of the parliament there were great hopes of fair weather after that cold northern storm and that we should be rid of the scot , but that was least intended till some designs were brought about : the earl of strafford , the arch-bishop of canterbury , the judges , and divers other are clapp'd up , and the lord keeper finch took a timely flight t'other side of the sea : and in lieu of these , the bishop of lincoln is inlarged , bastw●ck , burton , and pryn , who were strong presbyterians , were brought into london with a kind of hosanna . polyander . it is possible that the lenity of the king should be such as to yeeld to all this ? philanglus . yes , and to comply further with them , he took as it were into his bosom , i mean he admitted to his privy council , such parliament lords who were held the greatest zealots among them : the lord say was made master of the court of wards , the earl of essex lord chamberlain . moreover to give a further evidence how firmly he was rooted in his religion , and how much he desired the strengthning of it abroad , the treaty of marriage went on 'twixt his eldest daughter and the prince of orange ; hereunto may be added as a special argument of compliance , the passing of the bill for a triennial parliament , and lastly he was brought to passe the act of continuance , which prov'd so fatal unto him . polyander . touching the triennial parliament , i heard of a prophetick mistake that came from a lady of honour , who sending news that time to the country , did write , that the king had passed a bill for a tyrannical parliament , whereas she should have said triennial ; and touching the act of continuance or perpetual parliament , i heard a tale of archy the fool , who being asked whether the king did well in passing that bill , answered , that he knew not whether the king was the greater fool to grant it , or they the greater knaves to ask it . but the saying of the late earl of dorset is remarkable who saluted the king the next morning with the stile of fellow subject , in regard that by that grant he had transferred both crown , sword and scepter to the parliament , for now we may say , that england hath four hundred and odd kings in her : but t is observed , that princes of a hard destiny do follow the worst councils ; but sir , in lieu of these monstrous acts of grace and trust , what did the parliament all this while for the king . philanglus . they promised , specially upon the passing of the last act , that they would make him the most glorious , the best beloved , and richest king that ever reigned in england , which promise they voted , and confirmed with the deepest protests and asseverations that could be . adde hereunto , that the earl of strafford was passed over unto them , who after a long costly tryal was condemned to the scaffold , and so made a sacrifice to the scot ( and them ) who stayed chiefly for his head . polyander . touching the earl of strafford , 't is true he was full of ability , courage and elocution , yet i heard his wisdom questioned beyond sea in divers things . first , that having a charge ready against his chiefest accusers , yet he suffered them to take the start of him , and have priority of suit , which if he had got , he had thereby made them parties , and so incapable to proceed against him ; secondly , that during the time of his tryal , he applyed not himselfe with that compliance to his jury as well as to his judges , for he was observed to comply only with the lords , and slight the house of commons , lastly , that knowing he had both parliament and scot his enemies , as also the irish , he would not go aside a while , and get beyond sea ( which he might have easily done from york ) in lieu of coming up to london . philanglus . i beleeve his death was resolved upon before his comming from york , if not by ordinary way of justice , yet by way of publique expedience , which appears , in regard the proceedings against him , was by a clause in the act not to be produced for a leading case , for example to future ages , and other inferior courts . good lord , how the rabble of the city thirsted after his death ! who were connived at , and countenanced by the parliament it selfe to strut up and down both before white hall and , westminster hall , where they cryed out , that if the common law failed , club law should knock him down : nay , their insolency was permitted to swell so high , that they demanded the names of those lords who would not doom strafford to death . polyander . is it possible that the grave and solemne high court of parliament should permit such popular insolencies to be committed before their faces . philanglus . yes , and notwithstanding that the lords did often solicit the house of commons to take a course for suppressing them yet 't was not hearkened unto ; nay when the king had commanded a double guard of constables and watch-men ( which is the usual way by law ) to attend at westminster hall , for suppression of such disorders , the commons cryed out , that it was a breach of the privileges of the house and a trenching upon their liberties ; so they took afterwards a band of souldiers to guard them of their own election , which was never known before . polyander . me thinks that the earl of strafford being gone , fair weather should have followed , he was the cause of the tempest being thus thrown over board . philanglus . 't is true , the scots were dismissed a little after , having fidlers fare , meat , drink , and money for eleven months together in england , with straffords head to boot . so the king prepared to go for scotland according to articles , to hold a parliament there ; this fill'd the house of commons with odd kind of jealousie , therefore they cast about how to prevent the journey : so they did beat their brains night and day about it , so far that they sate upon sunday in debate , but with another proviso , that it should not be made a precident for future ages , as the other caveat was for their proceedings against the earl of strafford . well , the king went to his scots parliament , where he fill'd every blank , for they did but ask and have . he granted them what possibly they could propone in point of governing , both for kirk and state , many received new honors , they made havock , and divided all the bishops lands amongst them ; for all which unparallel'd concessions and acts of grace , as an argument of gratitude , they caused an act ( though already in force ) to be publish'd and reviv'd . that it should be detestable , and damnable treason in the highest degree that could be for any of the scots nation conjunctly or singly to levy arms , or any military forces upon any pretext whatsoever , without the kings royal commission ; but how the scot observed this solemn act afterwards the world knows too well . during the kings being in scotland , that formidable hideous rebellion in ireland broke out ; which the irish impute to the english parl. first , in regard that one of their accusations against strafford was , that he used the papists in that kingdom too favourably : secondly , for the rigorous proceedings intended by the said parliament against the english catholicks ; thirdly , for design the english parliament had to bring the ●utch and the scot to plant in ireland , the last of whom the irish do hate in perfection above all other nation ; and lastly , the stopping of that irish regiment of cashiered souldiers , which the king promised by royal word and letter to the king of spain , who relying upon that imploiment which was denied them by order from the english parliament , rather then to begg , steal , or starve , they turned rebels . polyander . indeed , i heard that act of staying the irish forces much censur'd abroad , to the dishonour of the king of england and reproach of the parliament , considering ho● the marquis de velada , and malvezzi and don alonzo de cardenas , who were all three ambassadours here for the king of spain at that time , having by dependance upon the sacred word , and letter of a king , imprested money , and provided shipping for their transport , which came to a great charge ; but i pray be pleased to proceed . philanglus . the king having setled scotland , was his return to london received with much joy , but though he was brought with a kind of hosanna into one end of the town , he found a crucifige at the other ; for at westminster there was a remonstrance fram'd , a work of many weeks , and voted in the dead of night , when most of the moderate and well-minded members were retir'd to their rest ; in which remonstrance , with as much industry and artifice as could be , all the old moats in government were expos'd to publick view from the first day of the kings inauguration to that very hour . polyander . how could this agree with the protestation the house did make formerly to the king , to make him the best beloved that ever was ? i thought that before his going to scotland he had redress'd all grievances , by those acts of grace you spoke of before . philanglus . so he had , and he rested not there but complid further with the house , by condescending to an act for putting down the star chamber court ▪ the high commission court , the court of honor , nay he was contented that his privy councel shou●d be regulated , and his forests bounded , not according to ancient prerogative , but late custom ; nay further , he passed a bill for the unvoting and utter exclusion of the spiritual lords from the parliament for ever : add hereunto , that having placed two worthy gentlemen liev●enants of the tower , he remov'd them one after another ▪ to content the house , and put in one of their election : lastly , he trusted them with his navy royal , and call'd home at their motion , sir i. pennington who had then the guard of the narrow seas . polyander . i never remember to have heard or read of such notable concessions from any king ▪ but how came the bishops to be so tumbled out . philanglus . the city rabble were still conniv'd at to be about westminster hall , where they offered some out-rages to the bishops as they went into the house ; hereupon they presented a petition to the king and parliament , that they might be secur'd to repair thither to discharge their duties according to the laws of the land : in which petition there was a protest or caveat that no act should passe , or be valid without them : this petition , both for matter and form was much excepted against , and cried up to be high treason , so twelve of the old bishops were hurried to the tower ; but some of the knowingest lawyers being considered withall , whether this was treason in the bishops , or no ▪ they answered , that it might be called adultery as much as treason : so after many moneths imprisonment , the charge of treason being declin'd against them , they were releas'd in the morning , but coop'd up again in the afternoon , then they were restored to a conditional liberty touching their persons but to be eternal●y excluded out of the house , which made one of them in a kind of prophetick way , to tell one of the temporal●peers ▪ my lord you see how we are voted out of the house , and the next turn will be yours , which proved true . polyander . i remember when i was at york a gentleman shewed me a fair old manuscript of some things passed in henry the eighths time : and one passage among the rest sticks in my memory , how cardinal wolsey being sick at leic●ster , the king sent sir jo●n kingston to comfort him : to whom he answered . oh! sir john , 't is too late to receive any earthly comfort but remember my most humble allegeance to the king , and tell him this story from a dying man ; the bohemians repining at the hierarchy of the church , put down bishops ▪ but what followed ? then the comunalty insulted over the nobility , and afterwards the king himself was depo●●d ▪ so the government grew a while to be meerly popular , but then it turned from a successive to be an elective kingdom ; this , said he , will be the fate of eng. unless the king bear up the reverence ●ue to the church , and so i pray god that his majesty may find more mercy at the tribunal of heaven , then i have upon the earth ; but pray sir be pleas'd to proceed . philanglus . the parliament having the navy at their disposing ( which they found to be in a good equipage , gramercy ship money ) and having chosen the earl of warwick commander in chief , notwithstanding the king excepted against him , they demand all the land souldiers and military strength of the kingdom to be managed by them , and to be put in what posture , and under what commanders they pleased ; but the king answered , that he would consider of this , and it was the first thing that he ever denied them , yet at last he was contented to grant them this also for a limitted time ; but that would not serve the turn : hereupon growing sensible how they inched every day more and more upon the royal prero●ative he thought 't was high time for him to look to himself : and intending with some of his menial servants onely to go to hull to see a magazin of ammunition which he had bought with his own treasure , he was in a hostile manner kept out , the gates shut . cannons mounted , pistols cocked and levelled at him , and there the kings party said , the war first began . polyander . a hard destiny it was for a king to lose the love of his subjects in that manner , and to fall a clashing with his great council : but under favour ; that demand of the militia was somewhat too high : for every natural prince , and supream governour hath an inherent and inalienable right in the common strength of the country , for though the peoples love be a good cittadel , yet there must be a concurrence of some outward visible force besides , which no earthly power may dispose of without his command , and for him to transmit this power to any other , specially to any that he mistrusts , is the onely way to render him inglorious , unsafe , and despicable , both at home and abroad ; you know in the fable when the lion parted with his paws , and the eagle with her talons , how contemptible the one grew among all beasts , and the other among birds . the scepter and the crown are but bables without a sword to support them . there 's none so simple as to think ther 's meant hereby an ordinary single sword , such as every one carrieth at his side , no , t is the publique polemical sword of the whole kingdom , 't is an aggregative compound sword , and 't is moulded of bellmettle , for 't is made up of all the ammunition and arms , small and great , of all the military strength both by land and sea , of all the forts castles , and tenable places within and without the whole country : the kings of england have had this sword by vertue of their royal signory , as the law faith , from all times , the prerogative hath girded it to their sides , they have employed it for repelling of forraign force , for revenging of all national wrongs or affronts , for quelling all intestine tumults ; the people were never capable of this sword , the sundamental constitutions of this land deny 〈◊〉 them : 't is all one to put a sword in a mad mans hand as in the peoples : now under favor , the supream governor cannot transfer this sword to any other , for that were to desert the protection of his people , which is point blank against his oath and office : but i crave your pardon again that i have detained you so long from the pursuit of your former discourse . philanglus . the king being so shut out of one town ( i mean kingston upon hull ) he might suspect that an attempt might be made to shut him in within some other : therefore be made a motion to the york-shire gentlemen to have a guard for the preservation of his person in imitation of the parliament , who had taken a kind of choice praetoria● band many moneths before for their safeguard , though without the kings consent : the northern men came cheerfully to this service ; wherewith the parliament being not well pleas'd they interdicted all trade to newcastle . but i must make a step back ; when the king was return'd from scotland , he retir'd to hampton court , yet upon the lord mayors and cities solicitation , hee came back to white-hall , to keep his christmas ▪ but when the bill against bishops was in agitation , which lasted above ten months , and was twice cast out of the house of peers , a crue of hold sturdy mechanicks , marriners , and tar-pawlings came from the city , and ruffled again before white-hal and westminster-hall , and would have violated the abbey of westminster , under the parliaments nose , so that for many nights , a court of guard was forc'd to be kept in the body of that church . the king finding such distempers still in the parliament , and knowing the chiefest authors of them who he had impeach'd before but could get no justice against them in an ordinary way , though he desir'd the parliament to direct him in a course how to go on in the empeachment in such extremity , for desperate diseases requiring desperate cures . he took the palsgrave with him , and making use of the next coach he met withall at the court gate , he went to the house of commons in person to demand five members , which he would prove to be traytors in the highest degree , and to be the fomenters of all these divisions , protesting unto them upon the word of a king , that they should have as fair and legal a trial as ever men had ; in the interim , he desir'd onely that their persons might be secur'd : the walls of both houses , and the very stones of london streets did seem to ring of this high carriage of the king , and the sound thereof far and neer into the adjacent countries , whence the plebeans ( by incitement of some of the members ) came in whole herds to the city , and strutting up and down the streets , had nothing in their mouths but priviledge of parliament . polyander . yet as i observ'd in your discourses before queen elizabeth , though she was so popular , and such a minion of parliaments , did the like , and far higher things . but now that you have given a touch of the palsegrave , i remember a manifesto of that parliament , which they passed and published in favour of his restitution , which was laughed and libelled at in germany . philanglus . 't is true , the king went in state one day to the parliament in his behalfe , where he clear'd unto them the whole business , and because he doubted that sir thomas roe his embassadour should have but sorry success in the diet which was then held in germany , in regard he understood of an amnestia to come forth , whence the prince palatine was excluded , he desired the two houses to joyn with him in a publique manif●sto . the parliament did cheerfully approve hereof , praying that scotland would joyn with them : the manifesto consisted of two parts , or protestations , one against all acts whatsoever that should passe in the imperial diet in the prejudice to the palatine ; the other , that the king and parliament of great britain were resolv'd to espouse his quarrel ; but this business was little thought of afterwards . the king as i told you before , having gone to the house of commons himself to demand those members , it happened none of them were there , but retir'd to london for refuge , the house having had notice of the design from marquis hamilton who was us'd to reveal unto them whatsoever was intended at court . polyander . it may well be said then , that the infortunate king had greater traitors within dores , then abroad ; but it concern'd hamilton , with holland , and others to keep in with the house , because they were the chiefest monopolizers , specially the earl of m. who in regard his son was so great a zealot in the upper house , was permitted to keep a kind of office to compound , for his corruption , and briberies , whereof there were above forty prov'd against him , yet he scap'd without any punishment at all , or least mark of infamy . philanglus . well sir , the londoners grew stark wild when they heard of this attempt of the king , and the countries about , specially essex and buckinghamshire men being incited by hamden ( who was kill'd afterwards upon the same turf of earth where he call'd the people together ) came in great swarms to town , and joyning with the city and suburbian rabble . they brought the five members the next day to the house , in a kind of triumph , being guarded by water as wel as by land by such companions . a little after , sundry troops of count●y horse came , and instead of feathers or ribands , they carried a paper-protestation in their hats , as the londoners had done a little before upon their pikes point . polyander . i heard much of the said protestation , but i pray oblige me to tel what it was . philanglus . it consisted of many parts , being penn'd , and enjoin'd by the parliament for every one to take : the first part was to maintain the true protestant religion against all popish innovations ( but no other . ) the second was to maintain the person prerogative , and hono● of the kin . the third , the priviledge and power o● parliament . and lastly , the pr●priety and liberty of the subject . polyander . where was the king during all these popular riots ? philanglus . rather then expose himself to such indignities , and there being dark whispers of an attempt upon his person ; he retir'd to hampton court . thence to windsor castle , whence having accompani'd the queen , and his eldest daughter to the sea-side for holland , and having commanded the prince to attend him at greenwich against his return , the prince had been surpriz'd , and brought to london , had the king stayed but a quarter of an hour longer : thence he remov'd to york , where he sojourn'd all that summer ; and among other things he sent for his great seal thither , which rid post , and was pursued by the parliament , but not overtaken . the king being setled at york , the parliament still move him to have the disposing of the militia , and not to be limited to any time , which he denied , for he was loth to be dis-arm'd , and part with his sword : therefore he put forth his commissions of array according to the old law of england as he alled'd , which declares it to be the undoubted right , and royal signory of the king to arm or disar● any subject . the parliament send out counter-commands for the executing the said militia , so by this clashing 'twixt the commission of array and the militia , the first flash of that cruel , and cruentous civil war may be said to have broke out . a close committee was appointed , which was mix'd of lords and commons , and i cannot tell how many rural , and subordinate committees of mean mechanical men , who stood higher a tip-toe in conventing lords and knights before them , then the parliament members themselves ; an admiral also was sent to sea , against whom the king excepted . polyander . that was strange , considering how oft the king had complied with them that way , having at their request remov'd two lievtenants of the tower , and taken one of their election , having remov'd the governour about his son , and taken one of their choice , having remov'd sir thomas glenham from hull , and nominated hotham , &c. philanglus . the presbyterians who had brought in the scots army before , and were the activ'st men , cried out that the whole kingdom was like to be ruin'd by secret plots and machinations ; that there was a design to bring in the pope , and to cast the civil government into a french frame , wherof they made the pulpits to ring up and down ; nor did the pulpit onely help to kindle this fire , but the presse also did contribute much thereunto , dangers , and jealousies , and a kind of superfaetation of fears did daily increase in every corner , — traduntque metus n●c poscitur author . as the poet saith . polyander . there be sundry sorts of fears : there are conscientious fears , there are pannick fears , there are pusillaminous fears , and there are politick fears : the first proceeds from guilt of conscience , which corns oft to phrensie ; the second fear may be called a kind of chymera , 't is some sudden surprizal or consternation proceeding from no grounds ; pusillaminous fear makes a mountain of a mole-hill , it proceeds from poverty of spirit , and want of courage , and is a passion of abject , and degenerous minds , and is call'd cowardize ; politique fear is a created forg'd fear , wrought in another , to bring some design about ; and as we finde the astronomers ( as is said elsewhere ) do imagine such and such shapes and circles in the heavens , as the zodiack , equinoctial , c●lur●s , tropiq●es , and others , though there be no such things really in nature , to verifie and make their conclusions good ; so the sta●ist doth often devise and invent imaginary fears to make his proceedings the more plausible , and thereby to compass his ends . or as the sun useth to appear far bigger in the morning and evening , then at noon when he is exalted to his meridian , and the reason the philosophers use to give is the interposition of the vapours and exhalations , which are in the lower region of the air , through which we look upon him , ( as we find a piece of silver look bigger in a bason of water , then elsewhere ) so the polititian useth to cast strange mists of fears , and fogs of jealousie before the simple peoples eyes , to make dangers seem bigger . it is observed , that the torpedo fish ▪ when he fears to be catched , useth to disgorge an ●nky ●lack froth , to puddle and darken the water that he may not be seen and so avoids taking ; so one trick of a statist when he goes a fishing after some ends of his own , is to cast out before the eyes of the credulous vulgar strange mists , and apprehensions of fears and dangers , that they may scape in them if need be : but i pray deal clearly with me , was there a design to bring in the mass again ? philanglus . the mass ? you may say there was a plot to bring in mahomet as soon , to bring in the alchoran or talmud as soon ; yet i believe there was a pernitious plot to bring in a new religion , but what religion i pray ? it was not papery but presbytery , and with it to usher in buchanan and knox and to cast our church and state into a scots mould . polyander . i must tell you indeed that i heard the english much censured , and undervalued abroad , for enslaving , as it were , their understandings and judgements in point of religion to the scots , whom we made christians and reformed christians first , and now for us to run to them for a religion , what a disparagement think you is it ? but you spoke before of an empeachment of high treason ; the king had against the five members , for which he desired only the benefit of the law , i pray what was that treason ? philanglus . the main charge of treason that was intended to be exhibited against them , was the private intelligence , and combinations they held with a forreign nation , and to have been the prime instruments of bringing in the scots army , which had done so much mischiefe to england , and was dismissed upon such inglorious terms , for besides the plunder they got , they had a vast sum of treasure to be gone ; which was not the usua● 〈◊〉 that our progenitors used in dealing with the scot , for in former times england was 〈◊〉 to pay the scot his arrears ( when he came to visit her borders ) in another kind of mettal ; viz. with good iron and steel , not with gold and silver , but she hath soundly revenged her selfe since , for the insolencies of that hungry nation . but to proceed , the hierarchy , and english liturgy being voted down , there was a general liberty given to all consciences in point of religion ; the taylor and shoomaker might have cut out what religion they pleas'd ; the vintner and tapster might have broach'd what religion they pleas'd ; the druggist and apothecary might have mingled her as they pleas'd ; the haberdasher might have put her upon what block he pleas'd ; the armorer & cutter might have furbrish'd her as they pleas'd ; the dier might have put what colour , the painter what face they pleas'd upon her ; the draper and mercer might have measur'd her as they pleas'd ; the weaver might have cast her upon what loom he pleas'd ; the boat-swain and mariner might have brought her to what deck they pleas'd ; the barber might have trimm'd her as he pleas'd ; the gardner might have lopp'd her as he pleas'd ; the black-smith might have forg'd what religion he pleas'd . and so every one according to his profession and fancy was tollerated to form what religion he pleas'd , as was observ'd elsewhere . polyander . indeed i was told often beyond the seas that the liberty of the gospel , and the liberty of the people , were the two things which were mainly aim'd at , but how did the war begin ? philanglus . i told you before , that besides other causes the clashing of the militia , with the commission of array , did put all things in disarray throughout the whole kingdom , many declarations came from the king , but they were prohibited at last to be published , and the printers punish'd . a little after the parliament voted an army to take away ill councellours from about the kings person , and the earl of fssex was appointed general , with whom they voted to live and die . polyander . me thinks that lord was not so proper for the service , in regard his father before him lost his head upon the like occasion for offring to amove ill councellors from about queen elizabeth ; but i beleeve he might have a private quarrel of his own with the court , in that his first wise was articled , and sentenc'd away from him , and married to a scotch man whom he much hated , in king james his time , who made a deep asseveration , that if any thing was amiss in that divorce , he wish'd it might light upon his own soul ; but i pray be pleas'd to go on . philanglus . the king understanding that the parliament did thus arm , he was told that it was not fit for him to be idle , so having levied some forces in the north , he marched with them to nottingham , where he set up and displaied the royal standard , but the beam thereof by a gust of wind towards the evening was broke , which was held an ill augury . polyander . i heard by some of those that were then on the place that the king had not effective fighting men , when he put up his standard , and the parliament had an army of above in a compleat body , and upon their march about northampton , therefore i heard it censured a great oversight in the parliament , that they did not inorder their general , to find out the king at nottingham , where he might have either taken him prisoner or forc'd him to flie with his little confus'd army : but i pray pursue your discourse . philanglus . i must again step a little back , and inform you , as that army of the parliaments was a levying , these propositions were sent to the king , with a complemental introduction , which because they are of a very high nature , i will particularly relate unto you , the preamble was this . wee your majesties most humble and faithful subjects , having nothing in our thoughts and desires more precious , and of higher esteem , next to the honour and immediate service of god , then the just and faithfull performance of our duty to your majesty and this kingdom ; and being sensible of the great distractions , and distempers , and of the iminent dangers , and calamities , which the said distractions and distempers are like to bring upon your majesty and your subjects , all which have proceeded from the subtile informations , mischievous practises , and ill counsels of men disaffected to gods true religion , your majesties honour and safety , and the publick peace and prosperity of your people . after a serious observation of the causes of these mischiefs : wee do in all humility and sincerity , present to your majesty our most humble petition and advice , that out of your princely wisdom for the establishing of your own honour and safety , and gracious tendernesse of the welfare and security of your subjects and dominions , you will be pleased to grant and accept these our humble desires , and propositions , as the most necessary effectual meanes through gods blessing of removing those jealousies , and differences which have unhappily fallen 'twixt you and your people , and for procuring both your majesty and them a constant course of honour , peace and happiness . . that those of your privy council , and such great officers and ministers of state , either at home or beyond the seas , may be put from about you , and from those offices and employments , excepting such as shall be approved of by parliament ; and that the persons put into the places and employments of those that be removed , may be approved of by parliament ; and that all privy councellors shall take an oath for the due execution of their places as shall be agreed upon by parliament . . that the great affairs of the land may not be concluded or transacted by the advise of private men , or by unknown , and unsworn councellors , but that such matters that concern the publique and are proper for high assemblies , which is your majesties great and supream council , may be debated , resolved , and transacted here , and no where else , and such as shall presume to do any thing to the contrary , shall be reserved to the censure and judgment of parliament ; and such other matters of state , as are proper for your privy council , shall be debated , and concluded by such , as shall from time to time be chosen for what place by approbation of parliament ; and that no publique act concerning the affairs of the land which are proper for your privy council may be esteemed of any validity as proceeding from royal authority , unless it be done by the advice and consent of the major part of your council ; and that your council be limited to a certain number , no●t exceeding twenty five , nor under fif●●een ; and if any councellors place happen to be void in the intervalls of parliament , it shall not be supplyed without the co●●sent of the major part of the council , which voice shall be confirmed at the next sitting of parliament , or else to be void . . that all the great o●ficers of state and civil justice , as also your secretaries , may be chosen with the approbation of parliament , and in the intervals as formerly . . that he or they , to whom the government , and education of the royal issue shall be committed , shall be approved by parliament , and in the intervals as formerly ▪ and that all such servants which are now about them , against whom the parliament shal have any just exception , shal be removed . . that no all ●nce of any of the royal issue , by way of marriage , shall be concluded or treated with any forraign prince or other person whatsoever ▪ at home or abroad , without consent of parliament , under the penalty of a praemunire unto such as shall conclude or treat of any such alliance ; and the said penalty shall not be pardoned or dispensed with , but by consent of parliament . . that the laws in force against papists be strictly put in execution without any toleration or dispensation to the contrary ; and that some more effectuall course be enacted to disable them from making any disturbance in the state , or ●luding the law by trusts or otherwise . . that the votes of all papists in the upper house may be taken away as long as they continue papists , and that such a bill be drawn for the education of their children in the reformed religion . . that your majesty will be pleas'd to consent , that such a reformation bee made of the church-government , as the parliamsnt shall advise of : and that your majesty will contribute your best assistance for the raising of a sufficient maintenance for preaching ministers throughout the kingdom ; and that your majesty will be pleas'd to give your consent to laws , for the taking away of innovations and superstition , and pluralities , and against scandalous ministers . . that your majesty will be pleas'd to rest satisfied with that course the parliament hath appointed for ordering the militia , untill the same shall be further setled by ●●ill ; and that your majesty will recall your declarations , and proclamations against the ordinance made by the parliament concerning it . . that such lords and gentlemen that are members of the house , which have been put out of any place or office , may either be restor'd , or have satisfaction for the same , upon the petition of the court , whereof he or they are members . . that all privy councellors and iudges take oath , the form where●f to be agreed upon , and setled in parliament , for the maintenance of the petition of right , of certain statutes made by this parliament ; and that an inquiry of all the breaches and violations of those laws may bee given in charge by the chief iudges , to be presented and punished according to law . . that all the judges , and all the officers placed by approbation of parliament may hold their places , quam diu ●e benè gesserint . . that the justice of parliament may pass upon all delinquents , whether they be within the kingdom , or fled without it ; and that all persons cited by either court , may appear and abide the censure of parliament . . that the general pardon offered by your majesty may be granted with such exceptions as shall be advised of by the parliament . . that the forts and castles of the kingdom be put under the command and custody of such as your majesty shall appoint , with the approbation of your great council , and in the interval with the major part of your privy council , as formerly . . that the extraordinary guard , and military forces now attending your majesty , be removed and discharged , and that for the future , that you will raise no such guards or extraordinary forces but according to the law , in case of actual rebellion or invasion . . that your majesty will be pleased to enter in a more strict league with the hollanders , and other neighbour princes and states of the reformed religion , for the defence and maintenance thereof against all designes and attempts of the pope and his adherents , to subvert and suppress it , whereby your majesty will obtain a great access of strength , and reputation , and your subjects much enco●raged and enabled in a parliamentary way for your aid and assistance in restoring the queen of bohemia , and her princely issue , to those dignities and dominions that belong to them , and relieving the other reformed distressed princes , who have suffered in the same cause . . that your majesty will be pleased to clear by a parliamentary act those members you have empeached , in such a manner , that future parliaments may be secured from the consequence of ill presi●ents . . that your majesty will be graciously pleas'd to pass a bill for restrai●ing peers made hereaf●en from sitting 〈◊〉 voting in parliament , unless they be admitted thereunto by consent of both houses . and these our humble desires being granted by your majesty , we shall forthwith apply our selves to regulate your present revenew in such sort as may be to your best advantage , and likewise to settle such a● ordinary , and constant encrease of it , as shall be sufficient to support your royal dignity in honour and plenty , beyond the proportion of any former grants of the subjects of this kingdom to your majesties royall predecessors ; we shall likewise put the town of hul into such hands that your majesty shall appoint , with the consent , and approbation of parliament , and deliver up a just account of all the magazine , and cheerfully employ the utmost of our endeavors in the real expression and performance of our dutiful and loyal affections , to the preserving and maintaining of the royal honour , greatness , and safety of your majesty , and your posterity . polyander . how did these propositions relish ? they run in a very high strain , though the preamble and conclusion breath a great deal of humility and allegeance . philanglus . the king received these proposals with a kind of indignation , saying ; that he was worthy to be a king no longer over them , if he should stoop so low ; some alledged that the very propounding of them was treason in the highest degree , for they struck at the very foundation and root of all royal authority ; therefore the condescending to them would render him a king of clo●●s , and fit to be hooted at by all his neighbours . polyander . the world was much amazed abroad that the peers should concur in passing such proposals , considering how their honour must stand and fall with the royal prerogative : well si● , on . philanglus . you must think sir , that one part of foure of the lords were not there , the rest were with the king , who slighting those nineteen propositions ( an unluckie number ) it made the pulse of the parliament to beat higher , and to publish to the world a new declaration the substance whereof was , that the parliament hath an absolute power of declaring the law , and wh●tsoev●r they declare is not to be questioned by ●ing , magistrate or subject : that ●n p●●cedents can bound or limit their proceedings : ●at they may dispose of any thing wher●i● king of subject hath any rig't●forth ▪ publick good , wherefore they may be jud●es without royal assen : that none of their members ●ught to be molested or medled withal for treason felony , or any other crime , unlesse the cause ● brought b●fore them to judge o● the f●ct : that the s●v●raign power resides in them : that l●vying of warre against the command of the king though his person be present , is no l●vying of war against the king , but the levying of war against his politick person and laws , that is the onely levying war against the king . polyander . it was not the first time that this new kind of metaphysick was found out to abstract the person of the king from his office , and make him have two capacities private and politick , for the same metaphysick was made use of in edward the seconds reign , but it was exploded , and declar'd by act of parliament afterwards to be detestable , and damnable treason : this were to make soveraignty ( by separating it from the person ) to be a kind of platonick idea hovering in the aer , to make a king a strange kind of amphibium , to make at the same instant a king , and no king , of the same individuum a power which the casuists affirm god almighty never assum'd to himself to do any thing that implies contradiction . philanglus . the parliament or rather the presbyteria● army ( for the presbyters sate then at the helm ) increas'd dayly , and things being at such a desperate point , there were two choice earls ( southampton and dorset ) sent from nottingham with this pathetick letter of the kings to the parliament . we have with unspeak●bl grief of heart , long beheld the distraction of this our kingdom ; our very soul is full of anguish until we may find some re●●dy to prevent the miseries which are ready to overwhelm this whole nation by a civil war ; and though all our indeavors t●nding to the composing of those unhappy differences 'twixt us and our parliament , though pursued by us with all zeal and sincerity , have been hitherto without the successe we hoped for , yet such is our earnest and constant care to preserve the publick peace , that we shall not bee discouraged from using any expedient , which by the blessing of the god of mercy may lay a firm foundation of peace and happinesse to all our good subjects : to this end , observing that many mistakes have arisen by the messages , petitions , and answers betwixt us , and our great councel , which haply may be prevented by some other way of treaty , wherein the matters in difference may be clearly und●rstood , and more freely transacted , we have thought fit to propound unto you that some sit persons may b●e by you inabled to treat with the like number to be authorized by us , in s●ch a manner , and with such freedo●e of d●bate , as may best tend to that happy co●clusion which ●ll good people desire ▪ viz. the peace of the kingdom , wherein as we promise in the 〈◊〉 of a king all sa●ety and ●ncouragement to them , who shall be sent unto u● , if ye w●ll chuse the place we are to meet for the treaty , which we wholly le●ve unto you , presuming the like care of the safety of those wee shall employ if you shall name another place , so we assure you , and all our good subjects , that to the best of our understanding , nothing shall be wanting on our p●rt , which may advance the true reformed religion , oppose popery and superstition , secure the law of the land , upon which is built as well our just prerogative , as the propriety and liberty of the subject , confirm all just power and priviledges of parl ▪ and render us a people truly happy by a true understanding 'twixt us and our great council ; bring with you as firm a resolution to do your duty , and let our people join with us in prayer to almighty god for his blessing upon this work . if this proposition be rejected by you , w●e have done our duty so amply , that god will absolve us from the guilt of any of that blood which shall be spilt ; and whatsoever opinion other men may h●ve of our power , we assure you that nothing but our pious and christian care to prevent the effusion of bloud hath begot this motion in us : our provisio● of men , armies , and money being such as may secure us from violence , till it please god ●o open the eyes of our people . poly●nd●r . what impression did thi● letter make , for it promis'd much . philanglus . it made little or none at all , though it was all written with the kings own hand ; for the parliament was formerly nettled at a declaration he had sent , when having made ● motion to go himselfe in person to suppress the irish rebels ( which attempt the scots approved of , and highly applauded ) but being not liked by the english parliament , he replied unto them , to this effect . when we recommended the reduct●on of ireland to you , we intended not to exclude our self , or not to be concernd in your councils , but that if there were any expedient which in our conscience and understanding we thought necessary for that great work ▪ we might put it in practise ; we look upon you , as our great council , whose advice we always have and will with great regard and deliberation weigh and consider of , but we look upon our self as neither depriv'd of our understanding , or devested of any right we had , were there no parliament at all sitting ; we call'd you together by our our own royal writ and authority ( without which you could not have met ) to give us faithful counsel about our great affairs , but we resigned not hereby our interest , and freedom , we never subjected our self to your absolute determination ; we have alwayes weighed your counsel as from a body intrusted by us , and when we have dissented from you , we have returned you the reasons which had prevailed with ou● understanding and conscience , and with such candor , that a prince should use towards his subjects , and with that affection a father should express to his children ; what applications have been used to rectifie our understanding by reasons , and what motives have been given by you to perswade our affections , we leave the world to judge ; moreover , we must not forget to tell you , however a major part may blind you in matter of opinion , we hold our selfe ( and we are sure the laws and constitutions of the kingdom hath always held the same ) as free to dissent , till our reason be convinced for the general good , as if you delivered no opinion . when we summoned you first together , we did not intend to put the reins of all rule and reason into your hands , and by a kind of blind bruitish formality , and unprincely simpleness , to assent to every thing without examining our own conscience and judgement which yet never pleased us more , then when they concurr'd with yours , this were to bring us back to a nonage , now that we are come long since to the perfect growth of discretion ; you must not think to take from us the mastery and use of our innated reason , and the dictates of our own conscience , or that we will raise a tempest at home , within our brest , to calm a storm abroad ; in fine , we called you together , to propound , not to give law , to be our counsellors , not our controllers , for counsel degenerates from the nature of counsel w●en t is coercive . nor shall we ever enfeeble our regal power , or suffer it to be invaded so far as to give way , that any ordinance or omnipotency of votes , shall be able to suspend an act , already in force without our assent ; to conclude , as we firmly resolve to make the law the measure of our actions , so we expect it should be also the rule of your obedience and deliberations , and that the result of all your counsels be derived from it . polyander . this was home , and high , but what answer did the parliament make to the former letter from notingham ? philanglus . the noble personages who carried that letter were looked upon with an ill aspect by the parliament ; yet an answer was returned , containing this proposal , that the king wo●ld revoke and annul in the first place those proclamations , and o●her publique instruments whereby their adherents were declared traytors , u●der which notion 't was neither honourable for his ma●esty to t●eat with them , nor were they capable to treat with him . polyander . this doctrine i believe they had learnt of the scot ; but what did the king reply ? philanglus . he sent word that he was willing so to do , provided that the parliament would recal likewise their votes , orders , or ordinances passed against such whom they declared delinquents for adhering to the king according to the clear known law of the land , in the reign of hen. . which was , that n●ne should be molested or questioned for adhering unto , or assisting the royal person of the king . this the king desir'd by way of reciprocal correspondence , but it being denied , those overtures for a treaty came to nothing ; so the parliaments army begin to advance , and the kings did daily increase . thereupon the lords that were about the person of the king , whereof there were above threescore , made this publick manifesto . we do ingage our selves not to obey any orders or commands whatsoever , that are not warranted by the known laws of the land ; we ingage our selves and fortunes to defend your majesties person , crown , and dignity , with your just and legal prerogatives , against all persons and power whatsoever : we will defend the religion established by the law of the land , the lawfull liberties of the subjects of england , with the just priviledges of your majesty and the parliament : and we ingage our selves further , not to obey any rules , order or ordinance whatsoever concerning any militia , that hath not the royall assent . to this was subjoined another . we whose na●es are under written , in obedience to his majesties desire , and ou● of the duty we ow to his honour , and to truth , being here on the place , and witnesses of his majesties frequent and earnest declarations and professions of his abhorring all designs of making war upon the parliament ; and not finding any councels that might reasonably beget the belief of any such design ; we do promise before god , and testifie to all the world , that we are fully perswaded , his majesty hath no such intention , but that all his indeavours tend to the ●●rm , and constant settlement of the true religion , and the just priviledges of parliament , the lib●rty of the subject , with the laws , peace and prosperity of this kingdom . but all this would not serve the turn , for neither parliament nor people would give credit to any thing that drop'd from king or peers , specially the city of london , where the presbyterians played their parts notably , by inciting the people to a war for preventing the introduction of slavery and sup●rstition ; so , unusual voluntary collections were made both in town and country ; the seamstress brought in her silver thimble , the chamber-maid her bodkin , the cook his silver spoon , the vintner his bowl into the common treasury of war and they who contributed to so pious a work , were invited more then others in some churches to come to the holy communion in the very time of administration ; and observed it was that some sorts of females were freest in those contributions , as far as to part with their rings and earings , as if some golden calf were to be molten and set up to be idolized , which prov'd true for the covenant a little after was set up , which may be said to have been a kind of idol , as i shall make it appear hereafter . thus a fierce funestous civil war was a fomenting in the very bowels of england , which broke out into many storms and showers of blood : the fatal cloud wherein this storm lay long ingendring , though when it began to condense first it appeared but as big as a hand , yet by degrees it did spread to such a vast expansion , that it diffused it self through the whole region , and obscur'd that fair face of heaven which was used to shine upon this part of the hemisphere . the king fell to work then in good earnest , and made choice of the earl of linzey for general of the infantry , which choice was generally cried up of all ; prince rupert was made general of the horse , but that election did not find such an applause ; the first incounter that prince rupert had with his godfather the earl of essex was near worcester , where he defeated some of the flower of the parliaments horse ; the king having remov'd from nottingham to derby , and so to strafford , his forces increas'd all along ; but passing by chartly the earl of essex house , the souldiers hop'd to have had some plunder there , but a strict command was given by the kings own mouth that nothing should be touch'd , not as much as a buck , whereat their teeth 〈◊〉 water ▪ as they march'd through his park ; so he came to shrewsbury where the co● kept above a month , at which time , the army multip●i'd exceedingly , to neer upon ●o m● men , and the welchmen coming so thic● down the mountains , did much animate th●english . from shrewsbury the king took a reso●●tion to remove to oxford ▪ but after seve●● dai●s tiresome march , hee understood the parliaments army were within six mile of him , so he went out so far to find the● out , and fac'd them on a sunday mornin● from edg● hil ▪ as they lay in kinton field● where their colours were displayed : a sight of the royal army they discharge some peeces of ordnance in defiance so both parties prepared for battel , a●● the sun had declined above two hours the afternoon before the cannons a● kings infantry could get into the bottom being put there in a fighting posture , and having the wind favourable , the king gave command to let fly the cannons to begin battail ; thus a most furious engagement began , which lasted about three houres , till night parted them ; and some old french and german commanders who were there employed in the royal army , reported afterwards , they never saw such a manful fight in all their lives : prince rupert springing ore a low hedge lind thick with the enemies musqueteers , pursued their horse very far , and did notable execution upon them all the way , and had he not worried them so far , and deserted the infantry , or had not his german souldiers fallen a plundring too soon , matters might have gone better with the king . polyander . i heard it reported that this battail was fought just the same day twelve month that the rebellion and massacre began in ireland . it was so , being the . of october , a day fatal for blood ; now , though this battail of edg-hill may be said to be sudden , inexpected , and unpitched , yet for position of ground 't was fought in as indifferent and a fit place for a battail as possibly could be lighted upon , for the combatants had scope enough to fight , and the spectators , whereof there were multitudes upon the rising adjacent grounds , might behold all as plainly as a tragedy acted upon a stage , or cock fighting in a pit. the parliaments army had the advantage of the kings in point of infantry who were very good fire-locks , most of them having been trained up in london , and so left their wares to follow the wars . they had also the advantage of the king in point of arms , for scarce three parts of four were armed in his army : but for cavalry , the royalists had the greater advantage , for the flower of most of the english gentry was there , in so much that the life-guard of the kings was computed to above one hundred thousand pounds sterling of yearly revenue . about the evening of the day following , both parties retired from the field , the parliaments back towards northampton , the kings to their former road towards oxford , and in the way they took banbury , where there was a strong garison for the parliament , which sure , as the cavaliers gave out ▪ the earl of essex had preserved , had he been then master of the field . after this battail of edge-hill there happened diverse other traverses of war 'twixt king and parliament for about four years , in which revolution of time , there were more skirmiges and battails fought , then happened in those last thirty years wars of germany , or fourscore years wars 'twixt spain and holland . polyander . this shews that the english have still the same old innated valour , that they had when they made the gray goose wing fly through the heart of france , which made comines one of their greatest authors to confe●s , that no nation is more greedy of battail , and more impatient of delayes that way then the english , but how was it possible for the king to subsist so long considering the mighty advantages , the parliament had of him ? philanglus . there were mighty advantages indeed ; for they had all the tenable places , and towns of strength , both by land and sea . they had all the navy royal ; they had the tower of london with all the ammunition and arms of the crown ; they had the imposts and customs , poundage and tonnage , they had the exchequer at their devotion , with the revenues of king , queen , and prince ; they had the city of london , which may be called the great magazin of men and money , where there is a ready supply of all things that may feed , cloath , or make them gay and gallant , to put them in heart and resolution . polyander . then they had sea , city and scot on their side . but how came the scot to be so against the king , or to levy armes without his commission , considering the late great protestations and oaths they had made not to do it , by reviving the act of parliament to that effect ▪ which they said they did in recognition of those royal recent favours , and unparalleld mighty concessions and acts of grace , which he had done them by their own confessions ? philanglus . they were indeed mighty , or rather monstrous acts of grace that he had passed unto them , which did so trench upon the royal prerogative , and so de●ude him of all power that it mought have been said of him ever after , that he was king of scotland , no otherwise then he was king of france , titular only . polyander . how did the scots expresse their thankfulnesse to their king and country-man afterwards for such transcedant favours ? philanglus . they proved the greatest monsters of ingratitude of any upon earth specially the kirk-men whom he had obliged in an extraordinary manner ; for the king being informed of the mean condition of church-men in that kingdom , who by their holy function have a care of the noblest part of man , and being told what poor pittances or rather benevolences one●y they had ▪ and for those also how they depended upon the will and pleasure of the laic by a special commission to that purpose , he found a way not onely to augment but to ascertain those salaries of church ministers upon good firm rent ; whereby they might be free from that servile kind of clientele and dependency they had upon their secular patrons . polyander . questionlesse this was a mighty general advantage to the clergy of scotland , both in point of esteem and subsistence , but what returns did these royal favours receive ? philanglus . those foolish kirk men grew afterwards his greatest enemies by virulent seditious preachments and pasquils to corrupt and lessen the hearts of the subjects towards him nay , when he made himself a prisoner to the scots army at newark and newcastle those kirk-men did so little resent his hard condition , that they did preach up and down against his comming to scotland , &c. moreover , whereas , the common sort of freeholders who were bound to pay tithes to the impropriation or lords of the erection , as they stil'd themselves , were us'd to be much incommoded , and oftentimes damnified , because they could not take in their corn till the secular lord had fetched away his tithe , which he would sometimes delay of purpose , to shew his passion or power , whereby the whole crop for not taking the advantage of the weather , oft-times did suffer : the king for relief of the country husbandman , appointed certain commissioners to take this grievance into consideration , who after much pains taken in the businesse , found out a legal and indifferent way to purchase those tithes and bring the impropriator to take a pecuniary set valuable rent , which was also an advantage to him , in regard of the certainty of it . polyander . it was doubtlesse an advantage to both parties , but how did they carry themselves towards the king afterwards ? philanglus . just as the kirk-men did ; but you shall hear more , when the king , as i told you before , had in a full parliament confirm'd unto the scot all the priviledges of kirk and kingdom , when he had made an oblation to them of all the bishops lands , conferred many honours and offices , and done them many other obliging acts of grace , and all this gratis , the english parliaments using alwaies to answer their kings favours in this kind , with a supply of treasure , i say in having done all this gratis , he before his departure desired them to continue their allegiance , and live in peace , for they had not now the least grievance to complain of , and if any difference should fall out betwixt him , and his english subjects which he hoped god would avert , he desir'd them not to intermeddle , for whereas he might expect and demand aid of them if the case requir'd , yet he would not trouble the repose of that his native countrey : this they all did not onely promise to do , but they did solemnly oblige their souls thereunto by revival of the act i told you of before , at the publishing whereof one of their grandees fell on his knees , and lifting up both his arms , wish'd they might rot to his body before death , if ever he would heave them up hereafter , or draw sword against his gid king ; yet for all this they intruded themselves into the kings affairs , convok'd a parliament without his summons , sent commissioners to oxford , and thrust themselves to be vmpires : they made besides , a strict league with the english parliament , and at last rush'd into england again with an army in the dead of winter , which army they had levied not onely without , but expresly against the kings commission and countermands ; that wretch who had publickly vowed never to draw sword again without his majesties commission , &c. comming general of the said army : but for martial exploits the little credit that army got by storming newcastle was not countervailable to that which they lost before hereford , where the welchmen bang'd them to some purpose from before the town , and made their general after weeks siege to trusse up his pack and away , sending him a fat sow with a litter of piggs after her , and a blew bonnet upon her head for his breakfast . i must inform you farther , that the king being reduced to much extremity in oxford , by crosse successes and councils , he got away in a serving-mans disguise to the scots army neer newark as his last refuge , which plot was managed by the subtilety of the french agent then residing here : a man would have thought that nation would have deemed it an eternal honour to have their own king and country man to throw himselfe thus into their armes , and repose so singular a confidence in them upon such an exigent ; but they corresponded not with him as he expacted ; for though at first when the english parliament sollicited their dear brethren for a delivery of the kings person unto them , their note was then , that if any stranger prince had put himselfe so upon them , they could not with honour deliver him up , much less their own native king , yet they made a sacrifice of him afterwards for a summe of money ; whereupon bellieure the french embassador being convoyed by a troop of scots horse to such a stand , in lieu of larges to the said troopers he drew out half a crown piece , and asked them how many pence that was , they answered thirty pence , he replied , for so much did judas betray his master , and so hurld them the half crown . polyander . but afterwards the scots carried themselves bravely by sending a gay army under d. hamilton to assist the king . polyander . touching that presbyterian army , the bottom of its design is not known to this day , and i was told , that when the king heard of it , and that himilton was in the head of it , he should say ; then i expect but little good to be done for me . polyander . certainly the routing of that army , was a glorious exploit of the lord protector that now is , his forces not amounting to the third part of the scots . philanglus . it was certainly a very heroik achivement , as also was the battail of dunbar , where the scots had greater advantages far of him : which two exploits deserve to be engraven in large letters of gold in the temple of immortality , and transmitted to after ages ; for hereby he did more then roman emperours , or after them ▪ the saxon , danish , norman , and english kings could ever do , to conquer that craggy country , and make england scot-free ever hereafter . but before i have done with this unlucky nation ; i will give you a touch of those visible judgments which have fallen upon them so thick one upon the neck of another in few years more then fell upon the jews in forty ; first there happened the greatest plague in edenburgh , that ever was in that country , for in less then a twelve-month , the town was peopled with new faces , the pestilence having swept away almost all the old : there have been above witches arraigned and executed there within these few years : after the routing of d. hamilton , and the battail of dunbar , with that at worcest●r , many thousands of that nation have been bought and sold in quality of slaves to be banished , and sent over to forraign plantations , what numbers of them were starved , and buried before they were dead ; and what is now become of their hundred and ten kings , and their crown ? which i heard them brag , was more weighty , as having more gold in it then the english ? and for their government they are reduced to be as pure a subordinate providence , and subject to the will of the conqueror as ever country was . polyander . i must tell you also that they have lost much of their repute abroad ; but if i were worthy to be heard by the lord protector , i would make a motion that his highnesse would take in at least , all the land 'twixt barwick and edenburgh into the english pale , and impose a new name upon it for an eternal mark of conquest , and for enlargeing the skirts of england . but sir , it is time for you now under favour to return to london , and know what the paraliment doth . philanglus . there are all artifices used to make the king odious , and both the press and the pulpit joyn in the work ; new distinctions are coyned , that though he was gods ●nynted , yet he was mans appointed ; that he had the commanding but not the disposing power ; that he was set to rule , but not to over●rule us : that he was king by humane choice , not by divine charter ; that he was not king by the grace of god , but by the suffrage of the people ; that hee had no implicit trust or peculiar property in any thing , that populus ●st potior rege , that grex lege , lex rege potentior ; that the king is , singulis major , but universis minor . lastly , that he was but a creature , and production of the parliament● &c. moreover all artifices are used to raise money : the first way that the parliament used ( after a royal subsidy of l. ) was to poll us , then they went on to clip and shave us , and had they continued longer , they had fallen a fl●ying of us : they lighted on no lesse then twenty severall ways to get money above board , whatsoever they got below . polemoney , and the royal subsidy were the first two . . free loans and contributions upon the publick faith , which swelled to an incredible sum , . the irish adventures for sale of lands . the first and second time . . the general collection for relief of the distressed protestants in ireland , to which use the hollanders sent over in mony and corn , neer upon l. and the e●glish collections came to neer four times so much , so that in all , both collections amounted to above l. sterling , and yet not ten thousand pound , not the twentieth part was employed to the right use . . they grew so hungry for money , that they impos'd the weekly meal . . the city loan after the rate of five subsidies . . a particular assessement for bringing in our dear brethren , the scots . . the five and twentieth part . . the weekly assessment for the lord generals army . . the weekly assessement for sir tho. fairfax army . . the weekly assessement for the scots army . . the weekly assessement for the british army in ireland . . the weekly assessement for the lord of manchesters army . . the kings , queens , and princes revenues . . sequestrations and plunder by committee . . compositions with delinquents , and fines , which came to sums passed all understanding . that ●utch devil the excise . . fortification money . . bishops deans and chapters lands . to this may be added the ship sancta clara , valued in money and merchandize at ● l. sterling , which was detain'd at southampton for reparation of those damages that some english merchants had received by the spaniard , as it was declared in the house , but not a farthing thereof was imployed to that use , notwithstanding that many with expence of time and coin did solicit for the same ; and lastly , the houshold stuff of the king , queen , prince and others ; whereof some small proportion was allotted for payment of the arrears of the kings poor servants ; but they were to advance two in the pound be fore-hand before they could be admitted to any divident , and t is incredible what jugling there was used in that business , for some receaved nothing thereby but loss upon loss : nay they took away moneys given to repair churches , and in some places robb'd the very lazaretto . polyander . sure , these vast sums must amount to a huge mass of money , money enough to have pourchas'd half a dozen kingdoms instead of purging one . touching that du●ch devill you speak of , the excise , i remember sir dudley carleton when he was secretary of state did but name it in one parliament , and it was such a bugbear abominable word , that he was called to the barr , and hardly escap'd going to the tower , though he made use of it to no ill sense ; but was there no account given of these publik erogations and taxes ? philanglus . an account was often voted and promised , but never performed ; for then they should have discovered how much their own memberships had swallowed for their private interest of the publique tresure , by free gifts among themselves , and the perquisites of gainfull offices . polyander . but we heard beyond sea , that they had passed a solemne ordinance of 〈◊〉 o● self-abnegation , called the self-de●ying ordinance , whereby they made themselves incapable of offices , and other things of gain . philanglus . 't is true there was such an ordinance , and 't was thought it pass'd principally to remove essex from the generalship , whom they began to suspect , but nothing was afterward lesse observed . polyander . i heard you speak of money's borrow'd upon the publique faith , i pray how were those reimboursed ? philanglus . it was the first●time that publick faith did ever set up for herself , and she quickly grew to be a bankrupt ; and never was there such double dealing used by any publick assembly ; for when the lenders upon that publique faith came to demand their mony 's , they could not have them , unless they doubled the first sum , together with the interest they had received , and then they should have the valu in church or crown lands , but if they doubled not both interest and principall , they should not be capable to have any la●ds allowed for their mony 's ; divers to my knowledge have ruin'd themselves hereby , and though they clamor'd , and spoak high language at the parliaments dore , and were promised satisfaction , yet they could not get peny to this day . poliander . i heard this cry'd up abroad to be the arrand'st cheat that ever was done by a great counsel , and one of the foulest blemishes that england cold receave , by making her forefeit her faith in that manner . fides publica , fides punica . i heard likewise of divers interlopers , that for half a crown in the pound were used to buy the publique faith bills , as others drive on a trade to buy the soldiers debenters . but whereas we have spoke a little of that dutch devil the excise , we heard abroad of a scotch devil also , though of an other nature , that was risen up amongst you , which was the covenant ; i pray how was he conjur'd up ? philanglus . that covenant was conjur'd up by the presbyterian party , and , may be called a worse devill than the excise for the one tyranniz'd o're the purss , the other ore the conscience ; but what an unmanly and dishonorable thing was it for the english nation to bind their souls for conserving the religion of another foren people inferior to them ▪ for conserving the doctrine , disciplin , and government of that church which not one en●lish man in a thousand did understand , and yet every one must take the holy covenant by a blind implicit faith ? but now that we have fallen upon the covenant which may be said to be an engin ●org'd in hell for battry of the conscience , i will tell you of an odd passage that happend about that time ; there was one ma●ter heron a printer , who being sent for by the lady tilbury , she told him that now that there is a nationall covenant come forth , which every one must taste , she had a sermon in a fair manuscript of that great light of the church master brightman which treats of univers●l coven●n●s , how far they are agreeable to scripture , and consonant to the word of god , and it had bin preached before the house of commons thirty yeers before , therefore it would be now very seasonable to print and publish it ; the printer giving her ladyship many thanks , received the sermon , ( which she avouched upon her honour to be a true copy ) and undertook the business , so he went to him who was appointed by the synod to licence for the press pieces of that nature , to get an imprematur , but the syododcall man having kept the sermon above three dayes by him , the printer went for his sermon and found it formally licenc'd for the press , but most pittifully falsified , interlin●d and adulterated in many places ; for whereas the opinion of brightman throughout the whole sermon , was , that a n●tionall and generall covenant was agreeable to the word of god , provided , the k●ng did give his royall assent thereunto , without w●ich it w●s both detestabl● and d●mnable ; the holy synodicall man had expung'd the word king every where , and foisted in the room of it , sometimes the word parliament , sometimes the trustees of the common wealth ; the printer having perus'd the interlinations told him , that were he to get l. by printing that sermon , he would not be so arrand a knave as to wrong the dead so much , by making him speak what he never meant , nay things qu●te contrary to his meaning ; i saw the said sermon , and the manner how it was so basely sophisticated . polyander . there was another oath consisting all of negatives , called the oath of abjuration , which i also heard of , that came out about the same time , which extended to take away the liberty of the very thought , it did not only re●●h the outward man , but it ransack'd all the cells of his brain , with the intern ideas and cogitations of his mind . philanglus . truly , under favour , and correction , i humbly speak it , there is a kind of inhumanity , and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} in that oath ; for all laws are made , and all magistrates are instituted to restrain the outward man , and regulat his actions , as they refer to the public ; for it matters not what private crochets we have in our single selfs , so we be in comfort and tune with our companions ; the law considers us as we have reference one to another , and to the body politic , therefore it neither useth to limit our private spendings , nor ties us to any cours of diet or p●ysick , because our single fortunes , and health , though they mightily concern our selves , yet they are but of little importance to the publique ; and as every one enjoyes this liberty in relation to his body , and goods , so our souls ought to be allow'd a proportionable share of that freedom , so that it give no scandall to the publique . our thoughts , as long as we keep them within dores , cannot any way offend therefore the law hath provided no punishment for them ; the intention of murther is taken no notice of by the law , if the design of mischief stay at the imagination , and proceeds no further to any outward attempt , the law referrs that to the great tribunal of god who is the only kardiognostic , the sole searcher of the heart ; if a law were justifiable against erroneous thoughts in points of religion , with an oath of abjuration to make the suspected accuse himself , why ( as a gentleman doth rationally inferr ) should there not an oath be also provided against thoughts of treson , adul●ery and murther ? and so bring every one to swear whether he be guilty or no of such crimes . now , touching this presbyterian oath of abjuration , it is not contented with a modest , and simple deniall , that one believes there are no such and such things , but he must swear positively and point blank there are no such things at all ; now , though i am not of the same opinion with copernicus that the earth moves , and the sun stands still , yet i w●ld be loth to swear either the one or the other . polyander . i observe that this oath hath a double edg , for either it must wron● o●e's conscience , or ruine his fortunes ; besides he is condemn'd without either accuser or witness , the party himself must be both against himself , and what can be more repugnant to nature ? philanglus . it is not only opposit to the law of nature , but the common law of england doth so abhor that any shold accuse and condemn himself , that there were extraordinary provisions made against it by our progenitors , therefore if any had bin cited in the spirituall court to accuse himself pro salute animae , a prohibition lay at the common law to stop and supersede their proceedings : all which is humbly left to the consideration of the present government . polyander . i infer out of this , that if the presbyterian had established himself he had proved the ugliest tyrant that ever was on gods earth , if you relate to soul , body , or goods , in lieu of bishops , we should have had nine thousand and odd pop●s , who would have delivered us over t● satan ever and anon , and puzzeled us with their parochial , congregational , and national classes . but i cannot wonder enough that the house of commons shold so busy themselves so much , and undertake to frame , and impose new oaths , when by the law of the land they had● or ●ower as much as to administer an old oath to the meanest subject ; and touching that c●vena●t , what could be more opposit unto their former oath ? for therein they offered their souls to preserve that r●ligion which was established by the laws of ●ngland , and in the covenant they bind them●elves , to conserve that which was established by the laws of scotland , and to that purpose they may be said to offer to god for their security to sa●an ; moreover , those demogogs or popular dagons , though they were so forward to constrain all other of their fellow subjects to take and swallow up any oaths , yet two parts of three among themselves did not take them , as i have been often told . but sir , now that you have been pleased to inform me of their carriage in spirituall things , how did they comport themselves in civill matters , after they had monopolized unto themselves all power by the act of continuance ? phil●nglus . first i must tell you , that touching that monstrous act , the soundest lawyers of the kingdome were of opinion , that it was of no validity , that it was void in it self , in regard that what grants or concessions soever the king makes , the law presupposeth , they are alwayes made with these proviso's , sa●vo j●re regio , salvo jure coronae ; now it was impossible that any grant could possibly trench more upon the right of the king or crown , as that extravagant act of continuance , therefore it was n●l in its own nature at the first ; nay , as some affirmed , the very proposall of it was treson in a high degree . but having hooked the power thus into their hands , they strained it up to the highest pitch that could be ; they made themselves land-lords of al the three kingdoms , it was a common thing to take any man , house over his head , and make use of it for their service ; they meddled with every thing , so far , that scarce a church-warden or vestry-man could be made without them , they would have a hand in making common counsel men , and constables , with other petty officers . polyander . me thinks that was somewhat derogatory to the supremacy of their power , for great counsels should not descend to every petty object , but with their high authority they should enlarge their souls to consider of universals . philanglus . i could produce many instances how they undervalued themselves this way , but let this one suffice . it happened one day that a company of ramping wenches , who went under the name of mayds , or holy sisters , came with a remonstrance to shew their affections to the house , and they were headed by mrs. ann stagg ▪ who was to deliver the remonstrance ; hereupon a choise member was voted to go to mrs. ann staggs lodging , to thank her and the r●st of the maydens for their good affections to the parliament , &c. but to be more serious with you , touching civill matters , whereof you gave a touch before , there was nothing so common in those times as a ch●rg● without an accuser , a sentence w●thout a ju●ge ▪ and cond●mnation without hearing : how many were outed of their freeholds , liberty and livelihoods before any examination , much le●se conviction ? how many appeals were made from solemne tribunalls of justice to inferior committes ? how common a thing was it to make an order of theirs to control a●d suspend the very fundamental laws of the land ? polyander . but this was in the brunt of the war , which the king did necessitate them unto , as he acknowledged in the treaty at the isle of wight . philanglus . 't is true he did so , but he did it upon two weighty considerations , and as it had reference to two e●ds , first to smoothen things thereby , and pave the way to a happy peace : secondly , that it might conduce to the further security of the two houses of parliament with their adherents : besides he did it when the razor was as it were at his throat , when there was an army of above effect if horse and foot , that were in ●otion against him ; then , this acknowledgment was made , with these two proviso's and reservations ; first ▪ that it shold be of no vertu and validity at all till the whole treaty were totally consummated ; secondly , that he might when he pleased enlarge , and cleer the truth hereof with the reservedness of his meaning by publique declaration ; moreover , that grant or acknowledgment was but a preambular proposition it was not of the essence of the treaty it self ; now , as the philosophers and school-men tell us , there is no valid proof can be drawn out of proems , introductions , or corollaries in any science , but out of the positive assertions , and body of the text , which is only argument-proof , so in the constitutions & laws of england , as also in all civill accusations and charges , fore-running prefaces ( which commonly weak causes most want ) are not pleadable . and though they use to be first in place , like gentlemen ushers , yet are they last in dignity , and shold also be so in framings ; therefore there was too much hast used by the parliament to draw that hyp●thetic provisional concession to the form of an act , so suddenly before the treaty it self was fully concluded . polyander . but who was the first aggressor of that ugly war , the king or the parliament ? philanglus . i will not presume to determin that , only i will inform you , that the parliament took the first military gard ; they first interdicted trade : they countenanced all tumultuous riots , gave way to club-law , and they kept the king by force out of hull , issued commissions for horse , brought in foren force , and had a compleat army in motion , a good while before the royall standard was set up . polyander . i remember a witty motto that the last french cardinal caused to be engraven upon the brich of some new canons which were cast in the arsenall at paris , it was — katio ultima regum . viz. that the canon was the last reason of kings . but whether this motto may fit subjects , i will not now dispute . but sure the king was ill advised so to rush into a war , considering what infinite advantages the houses had of him , for as you say'd before , they had the sea , the scot , and the city on their side ; and the king had no confederate at all at home or abroad ; i am sure he had no friend abroad that one might say was a true friend unto him , unless it was the prince of ora●●e ▪ in regard he had disobliged all other princes : for you know , as soon as he came to the crown , he rushed into a war with the king of spain , and in lieu of making him his brother in ●aw●e made him his foe , which stuck still in his stomach ; as also th●● he had given so fair a reception to the ambassadors of don juan de braganza now king of portug●ll . a little after he broke with the fr●nch king , notwithstanding that he had his sister every night in his arms ; the holland●rs gave out that he had appeard more for the s●aniard than them , in that great fight with do● anton●o d'oqu●nd● ; and that he suffer'd his own ships and others to convey the king of spains mony to dunkerke . he was ingag'd to his onc●e the k. of de●mark in great old s●m● , whereof there was little care taken to give satisfaction ; the iri●h cryed out , they had bin oppressed ; the swed observed that he was more for the house of austria , than for gustavus adolphus ; and at home i have been told that the irish cryed out he had bin oppressed ; and the scot whom he had obliged most of any by such mountains of favours , with divers of his own creatures , and domestic bosome servants whom he had engaged most , started aside from him like a broken bow , so that all things did co-operat and conspir'd as it were to make him a hard-fated prince , and to usher in a revolution . philanglus . yet i heard that all princes were very sensible of his fall . polyander . t' is true , they did must resent it at first , yet they were affected rather with ●stonishment then sorrow ; and touching the roman catholique princes they did afterwards rejoyce at it , considering what a blemish the manner of his death brought upon the reformed religion ; but sir i pray be pleased to proceed . philanglus . the sophies , or gran signo'rs of the common-wealth , whereof we spoke before , scrued up their authority every day higher and higher , they declare , that an ornance of parliament without the royal assent is equivalent to an act ; they declare ; that not onely the consultative , ministerial , and directive power is in them , but also the judicatory , despotical , and legislative highest power is inherent in the walls of their two houses ; that their power is also arbitrary , vbiquitary and incontrolable ; that they are not subject to dissolution or time , being the eternal and irrevocable trustees of the commonwealth , with such rodomontado's ▪ which made one to think that a mid-summer moon had got betwixt them , and therefore thought this anagram a very fit one to be set upon the dore of the house , with the distic annexed , parliamentum , lar amentium . fronte rogas isto p. cur anagrammate non sit , in promptu causa est , principem abesse scias . polyander . they who have pryed into the true humour of a portuguez , have observ'd , that he useth to act more according to what hee thinks himself to be , then what he really is , it seems that these parliamenteers were possess'd and puffed up with the same humour ; but if the supream power were in an assembly , when that assembly is risen , i wonder what 's become of the power , sure it must rest in the air , or sticking to the walls of the chamber where they breath'd . now sir , touching long parliaments , i am of opinion , it is the greatest and generallest grievance that can be possibly to the english people , by reason that besides other irregularities , it stops the ordinary course of law , in regard of the priviledge they have , not to be subject to arrest with others to whom they give protection , now not one in four of that long parliament men , but ow'd money , and what use sir peter t ▪ and others made of that priviledge , to the detriment of a thousand poor creditors , is too well known : and were such men , think you , fit to keep the kingdomes purse in their pockets so long ? but having got the great seal , as well as the sword into their hands , what signal acts of justice did they do ? philanglus . 't is true they had got the seal and sword , which the law of england doth appropriate to the chiefest magistrate , the one should be girt onely to his side , and the other hang at his girdle ; and it was told them to their faces by the knowingest members in the house , that to cut a broad seale of england was the highest reason that possibly could be attempted , without the assent of the governor in chief . now sir touching any signal act of justice they ever did , i am to seek to this day ; but for horrid acts and passages of in justice , i think there could be produced a thousand clear , and yet crying examples ( which would make a greater volume then the book of martyrs . ) i mean acts that were done before the wars begun , and after it was ended , which takes away the specious colour of necessity wherewith they varnished all their excesses and actions . i will instance onely in two ( for this was intended for a short discourse , not for a story ) viz. the business of the lord craven , and sir john stawel : the first a personage who is a great ornament to this nation by his gallant comportments beyond the seas , the other one of the considerablest knights in the whole country . touching the lord craven , he went with consent of parliament to his charge in the low countries , not onely before the war , but before any discontentment happened at all 'twixt king and parliament , and being atten●ing his said military charge at breda when the king of scots came thither , and the queen of bohemia being also there , he could not avoid seeing them sometimes ; nor was there any order or act of parliament to prohibit any body from doing so ; but for intermedling with any affairs of state , or mixing with the scots council , he never did it ; at that time there happened to be in breda , many cashiered english officers , and among them one faulkner , who having a petition drawn , and written all with his own hand , the pourport whereof onely was , that the king would releeve their necessities ; they desired the intercession of my lord craven herein ▪ but he with a civil complement declined the business , for he was not fit to do them service , because , as he said , he was neither courtier nor servant to the king . hereupon faulkner being offended , both with king and craven , in a passion said ( as 't was proved ) this it is to follwo a thing called king , dam me , i 'le to england and do all the mischiefe i can ; being come to london he forg'd another petition , wherein there were scandalous words against the parliament , viz. that they were barbarous inhumane villains . then going with a confident of the parliaments who fed him with money to go on in his design , he made an affidavit upon oath , that the foremention'd officers at breda shewed this very petition to the lord craven , who read it , and delivered it to the king , ( both which was damnably false ) as soon as this deposition was reported to the house , they presently voted a confiscation of all the lord cravens estate ; he being then neer upon a thousand miles off in germany , and no soul appearing for him , nor could any on his behalfe procure a copy of faulkners deposition : craven having notice herof , he sent a most humble petition to the parliament , declaring his innocence , which petition was sent in the dutch ambassadours packet , who delivered it accordingly ; but it was denied to be read in the house , because there was none present , who could testifie they did see the lord craven subscribe it ; he sent afterwards another petition , but it was seven months before it could be read in the house ; in the mean time his estate had been sequestred , his woods cut down , and other spoils done ; his agents here to invalidate the affidavit of faulkner indited him of perjury , which was clearly proved in open court , and the original petition was produced , which was written by faulkner himselfe , wherein there was not one syllable that spoke of the parliament ; there was legal proofe also made that craven had nothing to do with that petition ; this inditement of perjury being found against faulkner by the grand jury , the parliament was informed therewith , yet neretheless a bill passed for sale of the lord cravens estate , and surveyors sent accordingly to the country ; faulkner being thus convicted of perjury , it was prov'd also in court what a nefarious atheistical , and most wicked fellow he was both in his words and actions , how he had nothing more common in his mouth , then dam me , blood and wounds , and buggering of his soul to hell : it was proved that at petersfield he drank a health to the divel , and that he should say our saviour was a bastard , and but a carpenters son , carrying a basket of tools after his father ; the parliament was acquainted with all this , and divers earnest and sedulous applications that possibly could be made , were used , but nothing would prevail . the lord craven finding the house so inexorable and obdurate , rather then so fair an estate should bee canconiz'd and squandred into so many hands , he proposed by way of humble petition , that the house would punish him by way of pecuniary mulct , and there were two able knights attending the door ready to undertake the payment thereof , which motion the lord general , now lord protect●r , did most nobly advance : yet all would not do , but the surveys of the estate being return'd , the bill of sale was compleated , and some of the members of the house stepp'd in with the first to buy the flour of his lands , to the value of l. per annum , as appears by the contracts made at drury house in their own names : that goodly house at causam near redding being in excellent repair , was bought by some , who for greedy lucre and gain utterly defac'd it , they pull'd down the wainscot , stair-cases , lead , iron , and all other materials about the house , which had cost above l. yet they gave the common-wealth , but little above l in monies for it , the price of debentets therein also included . polyander . truly sir , it was one of the hardest peeces of injustice i ever heard of , that such a princely estate ( for i heard by divers , that had the lord craven injoy'd it to this day , it would have amounted to above l. per annum ) a revenue that i know some soveraign princes come short of ; i say it was a sad thing , that by the single testimony of one man , and he such a perjur'd notorious villain as it was apparently proved , such an estate should be destroy'd . philanglus . a sad thing indeed , but besides those pregnant proofs which were produc'd and made good in open court , that abhominable wretch , being lately upon his death bed in the kings bench , confess'd all under his hand and what monstrous wrong he had done the lord craven . but i will proceed now to the other instance i promis'd you . the unlucky war 'twixt king and parliament being begun about the commission of array , the city of exceter was beleaguer'd by sir t. fairfax , which at last rendred her self upon article ; it chanc'd sir jo. s●awel was then in the town ; a full agreement being made , the capitulations sign'd and seal'd , and the place yeelded , sir john came to london in due time to reap the benefit of the articles which were solemnly confirm'd and ratified by both houses of parliament : now , two of those articles were that no oath , covena●t , protestation or subscription should be impos'd upon any person compriz'd within those articles , but onely such as should bind them from bearing arms for the future against the parliament . . that all persons compriz'd in those articles , having made such a subscription ▪ should be admitted to a moderate composition , which was not to exceed two yeers value of any mans real estate , &c. sir john stawel having subscrib'd accordingly , and brought a copy of his subscription , as also a fair certificate from sir tho. fairfax that he was compriz'd in exon articles , made his addresse to . goldsmiths hall , and producing the said certificate and subscription , he petition'd that hee might be admitted to compound according to article ; the commissioners answered , that hee was not capable of composition unlesse he would take the covenant , and negative oath , whereunto he modestly repl●'d , that there was no article for that , but rather è contrario ; whereupon hee was not onely barr'd of his composition , but he was sent prisoner to ely house ; afterwards by the sole order of the house of commons , he was committed to newgate for high treason , in levying war against the parliament , where he continued almost four yeers , in which time , he was several times i●dited of treason , and twice arraign'd at the k. bench bar for his life ; then was he remov'd from newgate to the tower and kept close prisoner , whence hee was several times convented before the high court of justice , which had been newly erected who after many daies trial would neither sentence him , nor acquit him , but onely certified their proceedings to the parliament . now sir , you must know , that presently upon the taking of exceter , his whole estate was sequestred , and continuing so above years , he being not allow'd a peny to put bread in his mouth , hee visibly lost above l. which he humbly prayed might satisfie for his composition , which would not have amounted to the sixth part so much according to article ; he was not onely denied that , but a nigrum theta a black bill was voted for selling away his whole estate : a little after , an act being passed , and commissioners appointed for the relief of prisoners upon articles in time of war , sir john made his addresses unto them , and after above ten moneths debate of the business , the whole court ( consisting of eight commissioners ) delivered their opinions cleerly , that sir john stawel was within the articles of exon , that he had not broken any of those articles ever since , but exactly observ'd and perform'd them , that consequently hee was not onely to have his person unmolested , and his whole estate restored him , but to have satisfaction for the great losses he had received while his estate lay under sequestration , &c. this clear and positive judgement being pronounced solemnly by the court of articles , and the demurres which the trustees appointed to sell forfeited estates , and the pourchasers of sir john staw●ls lands had made , being ov●r ruled , yet the parliament resumed the business , reversed , the sentence of that court they themselves had authorized , and voted that the pourchasers should quietly enjoy and occupy according to their several contracts , what they had bought of sir john stawels estate . p●lyander . good lord , what a world of hardships did that noble knight undergo , as to be so tossed from prison to prison , from bar to bar ▪ yet to be found guilty no where , but to be pronounced r●ctus i●curia , nevertheless , to have a sentence of civil death pronounced against him , viz the loss of so fair and noble an estate as any in the west of england , by the mischievous practice of a member of the house , who , as i heard professed most friendship unto him ! but was there no more care to observe articles of war which is held a sacred thing among pagans and infidels ? the t●rk and tartar , in this point will keep faith with the sword as well as with the cimiter , with the hat as well as with the turban or shash . philanglus . herein a difference may be said to have been 'twixt generals , for the presbyterian generals did not much care how their articles were broke or kept ; but his highness who is now lord protector , was very carefull for the observation of what articles he made , and clash'd about it more then once with the parliament . polyander . truely sir , you have related many horrid things , which might make the word parliament merit the same fate that befel tyrant , sophister , and others , which were good in their first institution , but afterwards came to be odious and reproachful , and will continue so to the worlds end . but 't is much that the parliament which should be the great physitian of the common wealth should become such a mountebank , that in lieu of making up the ruptures 'twixt king and people , and closing the leaks in the great vessell of the state ▪ they should cause more , that like banbury tinkers in lieu of stopping one hole they should make two . there is a saying , that infaeliciter agrotat c●● plus-mali venit à medico , quam à morbo ; that patient is in a sad case , who receives more hurt from the physitian then from the disease ; more mischief from the remedy then from the malady ; t is better for one to endure a little head-ach , then to have his pate broken . philanglus . there breaths not a soule inter quatuor maria , betwixt englands foure seas , who hath a more venerable opinion of parliaments then i , having had the honour to have been a good while a small part thereof ; they were used to be the bulwark of our liberties , the main banks and boundaries which kept us from slavery , from the inundation of arbitrary rule , and unbounded will-government ; this high superintendent court at its first constitution was used to be compared to the macrocosm the great world it self ; the soveraign magistrate was compared to the sun , the nobles to the fixed stars , the judges & other officers who went with messages 'twixt both houses , to the planets , the clergy to the element of fire , the commons to the solid mass of earth ; and as the heavenly bodies when three of them meet in conjunction , use to produce some admirable effects in the great world , so when the three states did use to convene and assemble in one solemn junta , some notable and extraordinary things were used to be brought forth tending to the wellfare of the whole kingdom . now , there were three essential properties that belonged to parliament , viz. fairness of election , fulness of members , and freedom of speech : 't is too well known how little of all three were found in the late long parliament , specially the last , to wit , liberty of speech . for none was permitted to speak , unless he spoke still to the sense of the house , to the sense of the house , which was a pure restraint ; what a deale of time was spent in bandying of answers in remonstrances , in replies , rejoynders , and descanting upon words ? so that the first . months were spent meerly in chopping logick with the king , and nothing at all done ; for fulness of members , they were purg'd at last very low , so that there was scarce the tenth part of what they should have been in number . the king offered to give them a little purge of five or six drams , but it was furiously cast away , because there was too much basilicon in it . then there was a purge of eleven drams given them , wherein there was some unguentum armarium that cures a far off , which made some of them to flie t' other side of the sea , where one member , as soon as he put foot on shore , fell sick of the plague , and so was buried no better then in the town ditch , because he had first infected the place ; at last they had a good sound purge , as big as a drench administred them , which purg'd away above a hundred members at once ; yet all this would not do , for some members were grown so corrupt and putrid , that nothing could cure the house but an utter dissolution , according to the old saying , — immedicabile vulnus ense recidendum — which great dissolution was made without one tear , or drop of bloud , as the portugal embassadour sent word to lisbon ; , for england had been long weary of her physicians , who had they continued longer , might have made her say as alexander the great did on his death bed , perii turba medicorum , i die of too many physicians . polyander . touching fullnesse of members i heard it censur'd by some criticks beyond the seas , for a solaecism in the english government , that they are so many , but specially that the burgesses should exceed the knights ; you know trop gran n●mbre est incombre , too great a number ushers in nothing but confusion encombrances , and noise , which oftentimes was so extreamly loud and obstreperous among them , that as i was told they were heard at lambeth , there could not be a greater among the o●ster women at billings-gate . now sir , there may be tyranny in one , in a few , and in many ; in one , as in the great turk ( and indeed all the eastern emperors ) who with his breath alone , without any legal processe , can take any ones life away , and is sole propriator of the whole country , insomuch that the best man in turky cannot leave one foot of land as an inheritance to his son , but it reverts to the grand signior . secondly , there may be tyranny in few , as in the thirty men of athens , or in some privy councel of state . lastly , there may be tyranny in many , as in some general great convention or popular assembly , and this is the worst of all , it being a rule , that plebs est pessimus tyrannus . philanglus . the late long parliament degenerated to such a one , whereof thousands of instances might be produc'd ; let this one serve at present ; the army had occasion to make their address to the house , upon a business of a just and general concernment ; but the grandees of the house answer'd , that if they should read those demands , they might chance to find them of that nature , as they could not with justice deny them , nor with honour grant them , &c. but herein they shew'd themselves but poor politicians ; for you know it is a true rule . ar●●a renenti , omnia dat qui usta negat . and was it not time then for the army to think of dismissing their memberships ? but the truth is , that if you go to the right rule of parliament , they had dissolv'd themselves i cannot tell how often before ; for besides that the original writ from whence they deriv'd their power was void by the kings death , how often did they rise up in confusion , without adjourning the house ? how oft did they sit without a speaker , he being fled to the army ? how many hundred ways did they break their own priviledges ? what things did they do which they voted shoùld not serve for presidents hereafter ? as strafford's death , and sitting on sunday , &c. how many bills were resum'd , being twice ▪ ejected out of the house of peers ? as those against bishops , and touching the militia , &c. yet were they taken into debate again the same session , which is point blank against the very fundadamentals of parliament : how many thousand petitions ( some whereof were recommended by the lords ) lay mouldring in corners , and were never so much as read in the house ? and was it not high time think you to quell this monster ? or rather , to pull down this idol ? truly this great prudential act of shutting up that house , and the barring up of that cold postern door in the north , may well take place among those many mighty things his highness hath done . polyander . they are mighty things indeed , and they are marvellous in our eyes ; nor do these isles only , but every corner of the habitable earth ring thereof : nay the sea swells high with the breath of them . england may be said to be heretofore like an animal that knew not her own strength ; she is now better acquainted with her self ; for in point of power and treasure , she did never appear so high both at home and abroad , as you said before : this makes france to cringe unto her so much ; this makes spain to offer her peace with indian patacons upon any terms : this makes the hollander to dash his colours , and vail his bonnet so low unto her ; this makes the italian princes , and all other states that have any thing to do with the sea , to court her so much ; though the emperor and the mediterranean princes of germany , whom she cannot reach from her gun-rooms care not much for her . now sir among those many heroick and difficult exploits of divers kinds which his highness hath performed there is one act ( humbly under favour ) may well become the greatness of his spirit ; it is , to reach a timely hand for preserving the stutely temple of pauls from tumbling down , and from being buried in her own rubbish ; a temple which hath above a thousand yeers tugg'd with the fury of the elements , and the iron teeth of time ; the goodliest pile of stones in the world , take all dimensions together . 't is also the greatest and most visible ornament of this renowned city , who would look bald , and as it were crest-fall'n without her ; a temple that hath this singularity above all others , as to be founded upon faith , having a spacious church of that name underneath to serve and support her . i remember it was observ'd how in that disastrous expedition to the isle of rhe , the great stones which were design'd to repair pauls , were carried away to make ballast for ships ▪ and for other warlike uses in that service , which made some judicious critiques of those times ●o foretel the unlucky and inglorious return we made thence . some giddy heady puritan in reading this , will presently shoot his bolt , and cry out , that i have a pope in my belly , but you know my intellectuals better . philanglus . i know well sir , your principles are otherwise ; but i concur with you in opinion , that it would be a very glorious thing to atchieve such a work , and one moneths tax or two would do it ; or if his highness would give way ▪ that a general contribution might be made to that purpose ; other vast sums are daylie spent , but little or nothing appears of them afterwards in point of effect ; those monies that would be employ'd in this , will leave somthing behind them , viz. a glorious visible monument to all posterity , which will make after ages to bless these times . polyander . such a monume●t would suit well with the grandeur of his highness , whom all nations cry up for the hero of the times , and a special instrument design'd for great actions , he would gain the applause of millions of souls hereby , both at home and abroad where i have heard divers , who are far from thinking any inherent holiness to odge in stones or inanimate things , i say , i have heard divers of the reformed churches sadly complain , that pauls in the case it is , is the ruthfull'st spectacle upon earth ; but now sir , i take leave to give you serious thanks for the elaborate relation you have been pleas'd to make me of the proceedings of that long parliament , which in lieu of redressing grievances , became it self at last the greatest grievance . as also of the practise and modesty of parliaments in former times , who declin'd high affairs of state , specially forraign , much more to arrogate to themselves the supreme power ; for soveraignty may be said to be an indivisible way , deriv'd and d●r●ed from the divine majesty it self , it cannot be divided among a multitude ; we never read that the people were call'd gods , or the lord's anointed , or nursing f●thers , nor do ●e read of any aristocracies or democraci●s at all in the holy scriptures . therefore i ascribe to his judgment ▪ who holds , that the firmest and most c●mp●ndious way of government is , when the supremacy resides in one per●on , whom the people ought to trust by an indispensable necessity for their own advantage , in steering the great vessel of the common-wealth , with the advice of a select council : and herein a state may be compar'd to a gally , wherein some are to observe the compass , others to furl the s●yls , others to handle the ropes , others to rug at the oar , others to be ready ●n arms , but there is but one pilot to sit at the helm . it is requisite also that this single person should be attended with a visible standing veteran army , to be pay'd well , and punish'd well if there be cause , to awe as well as to secure the people , it being the greatest soloecism that can be in government , to depend meerly upon the affections of the people , for there is not such a wavering windy thing , not such an humoursome and cross-grain'd animal in the world as the common people ; and what authors soever , either greek or latine , have pretended to policie , affirm so much . there be divers modern writers that busie their brains to prescribe rules of government , but they involve the reader in vniversals , or rather bring him to a labyrinth of distinctions , whereby they make the art of mast●ring man to be more difficult , and distracted then it is in it self . philanglus . sir , touching the account you speak of , that i have endeavour'd to render of the traverses that happen'd for matter of fact ▪ during the reign of the long parliament , i have given you but cursory short touches ; there would be subject enough for so many tomes as would make a library , if one should relate all ; but for inferences and conclusions in point of judgement which may be drawn out of what hath been said already , i leave that to be done in the close of every ones private conscience . gloria honorque deo saeclorvm in saecvla svnto . a chronogram of the present yeer , and that will last till . an advertisement . let the discerning reader be pleas'd to know , that whereas in the fore-going con●er●nce : there are some free touches at divers things happen'd in the late long parliam●nt . what is ●poken that way , is spoken with this restrictive rule of the logician : non de singulis generum , sed d● generibus singulorum : it is well known , there sate there as prudential and well temper'd men , as england affords , whose chiefest aym was the common good . the former discourse is far from meaning such noble patriots , but only those , who having tasted the sweetness of authority , thought to immortalize that session , and make themselves perpetual dictators . finis . a hermeticall banquet, drest by a spagiricall cook for the better preservation of the microcosme. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing v ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing v estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a hermeticall banquet, drest by a spagiricall cook for the better preservation of the microcosme. howell, james, ?- . vaughan, thomas, - . [ ], p. printed for andrew crooke, and are to be sold at the green dragon in s. pauls church-yard, london : . attributed sometimes to thomas vaughan or to james howell. cf. halkett & laing ( nd ed.). reproduction of original in huntington library. eng alchemy. medicine -- early works to . a r (wing v ). civilwar no a hermeticall banquet, drest by a spagiricall cook: for the better preservation of the microcosme. [no entry] f the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the f category of texts with or more defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a hermeticall banqvet , drest by a spagiricall cook : for the better preservation of the microcosme . london , printed for andrew crooke , and are to be sold at the green dragon in s. pauls church-yard . . to the right honorable isacke wake knight , embassadovr extraordinarie in savoy and piemonte , ordinarie for italie helvetia and rhetia , select for france , for his majestie of great britain , &c. right honorable , t is our custome in england , on the birth day of every year , for the tenant to lay down his offering at the altar of his landlord ; as an oblation of his gratefull servitude . i , your lordships tenant , or rather , as the anagram tells me , natent , ( confessing my self by your lordships solar influence , renated , and of a vegetable , made vitall ) not to abrogate custom , do here present my offering , to manifest a strong desire of gratitude , in the weakness of my expressions . our first wishes upon this day , is , for a merry new year . what better prologue to mirth , than a feast ? that my offering therefore may be the embleme of my wishes , i have here presented your lordship with an hermeticall banquet ; wherein are such plenty of cordialls , that i doubt not but it will make you heartily merry . i have caused it to be drest by spagiricall cooks ; partly to preserve your more delicate palate from the epidemicall nausea of galenicall potions , with these our hermeticall and bezoartick delicacies . and partly , because i have alwaies observ'd , in the universalities of your lordships studies , a particular genius much reflecting upon this art , as the key of natures cabinet . expect not much hony in your dishes ; since like a bee , shut up in the winter hive of my quarantena , and unable to fly abroad and rob other mens gardens , was constrained to make use of such as i had collected in the summer of my youth : where i fear your lordship will find more wax , than hony . i dance little after method , because no methodist . neither do i labour to oppress your stomack with dogmaticall gravity . no , i consider we are at a feast , and therefore prefer a jest before an aphorisme . how my mirth will take , i know not , believe me it was meant well : though for want of other musick i confess it is somewhat extravagant . i subscribe therefore to your lordships more mature judgement ; which , like a celestiall influence , penetrates even the center of inferiour actions . if it pass that magellan , it may boldly , and with a full sail plow through the tempestuous ocean of the universe . 't is your lordships approbation then that must protect our weak b●rk . your colours only displai'd , ban●sh all fears of assaults , and make it {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . under which banner , i desire to serve but as a common-souldier : that so hereafter by some bolder attempt , i may manifest unto the world , how little i respect superficiall wounds , in the atchievement of some better title , thereby to be judged worthy of so honourable a calling , as your lordship hath gratiously favoured me with , in making me your lordships physician and most humbly devoted servant . symposiates to his sympotae . gentlemen , i here place my self at the portall to bid you welcome to an hermeticall banquet . who comes by the common road of invitation , to me is ●east welcome . and those resolute ●parks which boldly open the door with ● complement , teaching good manners ●ow to temporise , believe me they shall ●e exalted two ceremonies above the ●alt . such guest are alwayes least trou●lesome ; they never put their hoast to the expence of a prologue ; raw , or rosted , ●hey fal to their business ; hunger brought ●hem to the duel , and when that 's over●ome they leave the field . i could hear●ily wish that all my guest were thus courtlike . for so i also might have time to eat , whilst they bid themselves welcome . i dare not invite many women , lest i quarrel with their lean manners before the second course enter . yet some i must have of necessity to help away with the sweet-meats . my servant told me he had invited a knot of merry gossips in the city , whose apern-strings itch'd to be here : but they sent me word that their husbands told them it was to publike a meeting , and therefore desir'd me to excuse them , and for my sake they would be merry at home in private . the other day , making use of an apothecaryes ●hop for a breathing , place , in comes an old galenist , sweating , and in choler ca●ls for some rose vinegar : i out of charity , ( fearing he might have been arrested by some {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) began to fortifie him with my younger arms , and ask'd him if he were not well . he saw i was a stranger , and therefore repai'd my curtesie with a god reward ●ou sir : and then told me he was a lit●le distempred with the sulphurious in●olencies of certain infernall spirits which seiz'd upon him , passing by the hell dore of a spagiricall cooks shop , who , quoth he , hath infected the air ●ven to the middle region round about ●im , with those pharmakouticall mine●alls , paracelsian fopperies which he is ●ow preparing to adorn a great feast which his master , iatrochimicus , cele●rates to morrow , calling it his herme●icall banquet . here i suspected his quick sence would have seiz'd upon me ; my pockets at that infant being full of ●hose bugbears : but as it hapned he neither conceiv'd me to be either an hermetick , galenist , or indeed physi●ian . with the better arm'd confidence ●herefore i told him , that the {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} of ●hat feast was a cardiacall friend of mine ; and had injoyn'd me upon the ●reach of friendship not to be absent : ●ut to fill up his feast with me and my friends : therefore sir , quoth i , tha● your nose may have satisfaction , you shall oblige me beyond the force of ceremony , to make your self my friend and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and accompany me thither to morrow , where , i can assure you , mirth shall supply the defect of a better welcome : the good old man more curious than hungry ▪ assur'd me he would be there , were it but to tast of our new cookery . if he come , gentlemen , i shall intreat you to give him licence to abuse himself : for i know he will be very unmannerly , smelling to every dish , like an ape in a hucksters basket : nay , twenty to nothing but he so far loseth himself in this strange land , that hee forgets where he is , and in that laethargy may disswade you from eating . which if he doe , deprive him not of ages attribute , which is , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , talkative : but let his tongue runne-on , whilst your teeth follow . your palates shall here exercise in the variety of foure courses . and because i find how strong an ascendent curiosity gets houerly upon every mans fantasy , i dare not dull your choice eares with those vulgar lowde-scraping motions which time calls musick ; but in place thereof i have thought upon some merry table talk , which may be more acceptable , in reguard it is both extravagant , and ridiculous . extravagant when ●oiz'd in the ballance of our more seri●us witts : and ridiculous , to those whose infirm judgements cannot digest ●t . the iudicious i know will not censure me , because wee are here at a feast , and not in the scholes . inter pocula non est disputandum . i feare none so much as the women i have invited : who perchance will cry , fie upon him , he speakes bawdy . if they ●e reasonable , they will pardon that , ●ecause i am a physician . but if there ●e any amongst them unreasonable , i know no sweeter course , than to stop their mouths with comfits . epigramma aenigmatica tetrastichon microcosmi avctoris benevolo lectori . to please a world i never can , it being a task too hard for man . i 'de please but one . so shall you see a world there will contented be . a hermeticall banquet , &c. an anthropogeographicall grace before meat , wherein the microcosme is hermetically analogiz'd to the sublunary and elementary globes . man was never better baptized than by the name {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} : for whatsoever the greater world contains , the like shall you find exquisitely exprest in this little world man . so that man is natures {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} or mirrour , wherein the eye of reason may compendiously contemplate on the great {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} his six days labour . there may you see the originall of miniature , where god ( as his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} or master-piece ) hath limb'd the worlds pourtraict in small . there may you read an epitomy of his greater volumes . so that , as one elegantly writes , hominem à deo post reliqua factum fuisse , ut deus in ipso exprimeret , sub brevi quodam compendio , quicquid diffusè ante fecerat . so far doe these two worlds symbolize , that a double {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} cannot separate their analogy . for the hermeticks ( whose doctrine i follow ) bring them both under this duplicate , celestiall and elementary . the celestiall part , as it hath reference to the soul , i recommend to theologists . m●dicus , non sacerdos sum . the elementary world by his proximity and contiguity embraceth a more near sympathy with man and therefore more agreeable and symbolicall to our present anatomy if any more criticall , than judiciall carpe at my dissection , let them know 't is my first manuall operation : and perchance for want of instruments answerable to my work ▪ i may now and then cut a veine . well , hit or misse , ( aud●ces fortuna juv●t , ) as i am none of those {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , so will i not proceed in their method , who make their first incision in the abdomen , and so orderly penetrate the membranes investing the parts dedicated to nutrition . but to shew that i am a pupill to paracelsus , who they call {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , i wil make a paraphrontick {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} and with his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} i strike first at the elementary world , the which i cut , alla reverso , into two parts , superior and inferiour : allowing the superior part , the elements of fire and aer for his portion : to the inferiour i allot the remnant , water and earth . that this separation may connect our analogy , i strike againe at this little world man : where laying aside all humane respect , i divide the head from the shoulders ( not comming neare the bowels , lest i should raise some {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} which might inanimate my spectators to a future audience ) and the head i symbolize with the elementary upper regions , fire and aer : where we see far more prodigious lights than any the elementary regions could ever produce . what heart is not sensible of two blazing stars , whose influences present us hourely with multitudes of amazing varieties ? those when they appeare in a serene and clowdlesse aer , doe they not penetrate with their astrophorus rays the center of this earth man , accending therein a vestall fire in that ●ittle point , the heart ? doe they not ( sicut radius ille fulmineus , ●orio non laeso dissolvit in eo metallum ) often melt the heart , leaving the skin unschorch'd ? doe they not with their motion , like the sun , cause spring and fall in this little world man ? doe they not , when in a bad aspect , make their catoblepick rays instruments of murder ? doe they not in their exaltations , like some prodigious comet , threaten strong insurrections , amorous phrensies , philogynies , mutuall embraces , extasies , cardialgies , syncopens , symptomaticall sweats , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and the like ▪ what diogenes ? what socrates ? what {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} can resist those {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , when like {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , they appeare in their zenith ? marke how , like straws , every heart leaps to their amber influence ! how ▪ with the north star , they make every mans verticall needle dance after their magneticall influence . in this superiour region likewise , the head , have we not that ignem fatuam , opinion , which leads so many men a wooll-gathering ▪ in the dark night of philautia : untill being over fool'd and mislead by that false light , confidence , they tumble at last into a {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ditch ? have we not here those erratick spirits ▪ hobgoblins , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , which fright so many out of their wits ? are not here those platonicall genii , good and bad , which governe every mans affairs , giving him either a gratefull applause in his publike actions , or a neglected scorne in all his proceedings ? to the inferiour regions of the elementary world , the vitall , and parts are serviceable to nutrition , are ( by the hermeticks ) analogiz'd . for as in the entrals of the earth ( partly the exhaling vertue of the suns rays , partly by astrall influences , as also by a proper and inbread heat of the earth ) many variable species of exhalations and vapours are excited which are the essence of so many mixt and imperfect bodies there generated , such as are those diversities of sulphurs , minerall salts , bitumens , mercuriall humidities , &c. so likewise in this terrene globe man , we find no lesse variety generated : here being saccharine salts ▪ nutritive . nitrous , amare , and acute salts , purgative , and abstersive . salts marine , which are balsamicall , and conservative . aluminous and pontick , which are stegnoticall , stypticall , and corroborating the retentive faculties . and lastly acide , vitriolate and esurine salts , which concoct , distribute , and excite apetite . there is likewise found in this microcosme as many species of bitumens , napthae , resinarum , pinguedinarum , lachrymarum , gummi , and such like sorts of sulphurs , as there are of the forementioned salts : and those likewise produce effects answerable unto their qualities . for there is one sort of sulphur which is odoriferous and fragrant ; recreating and renovative . an other faetide , narcoticall , and stupefactive . a third hypnoticall , papaverine , and somniferous . a fourth anodinous . a fifth septicall , arsenicall , and pestiferous . and the sixt cardiacall , vitall , and salutiferous . here to illuminate these two worlds analogies , with more eminent demonstrations : the veins and arteries , are they not so many rivers , dispers'd through the whole continent , lending in their motion , to every part their proper aliment and desir'd moisture ? and doe they not likewise imboak and evacuate their superabounding humidities into the ocean of the bladder ? which bladder ocean hath it not his flux and reflux , observing his tydes for high and low water ? and doe you not see his channels often so obstructed with the sands and gravell of this sea ▪ that the water is denied his naturall passage ? is not this sea-water , salt and brakish ? whose virtus lapidescens , doth it not hourely produce innumerable species of stones and lapidary vegetables whose forms and colours are no lesse variable than their number● some being red and coralline . others lesse compact whose rare and spungy bodies emulate the pumice ; others againe so vast , solid ragged , and mis-shappen that they appeare so many rocks threatning wrack to mans weak back . to give yet a greater light to these our analogicall instances , 't is requisite that i run over my first draught with more lively and per●picuous shadows lest that some of my guests to ease their doubts ▪ should consult with some dogmatist , and he abuse truth , by the strength of his methodicall ignorance . the chief point therefore which will oppose your common sense ( at having long since stagger'd galenicall philosophy and made them almost reele out of their method ) is those sulphurs , bitumens , vitriolated salts , mercuriall liquors , muscilaginous tartars , and such like , which hermeticks so rationally demonstrate to be generated in our microcosme . here you must expect but a leane satisfaction , if you take counsell of a galenist . for they will allow man to be {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , an epitomy of the greater world : but the symbolizations which must adde perfection to the analogy they invidiously renege . aske them why ? and they answer , that they are dissonant to galen's principles : and that they never found more in man than the four humors blood , choler , phlegma , and melancholia . this is just an answer given in method . good methodist , why doe you not aswell blot out cassia , tamarindi , mechiocan , gutta gamandra zalappa , and many other neotericall and exotick catharticks , forth from your moderne dispensatories , since your two great masters , hipocrates and galen never knew any of them ? obstinacy joynd with ignorance makes your errours impardonable . lay aside but a while those immense volumes and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} on hippocrates , galen , avicen , rhasi ; averrhoes , aetius , &c. cast away your nauseous potions , infusions , decocts , apozemes , and such like antistomatica : then put on an aperne and enter into our spagiricall kitchin : blush not to be ignorant , but let your patience view our fermentations , putrifactions , distillations , rectifications , cohobations , circulations , calcinations , sublimations , reverberations , solutions , precipitations , coagulations , filtrations , and such like enucleating preparations : there you shall see nature out of her smock , and in that nakednesse , her secrets so far laid open , that you will admire her modesty blusheth not . there shall you see the soule of every vegetable separated from its terrestriety . you shall see opium open it self against you all , and declare his innocency of that excessive coldnesse , which you falsely attach him withall : protesting he was never yet guilty of any cold distemper , but alwaies sleeping in the fulginious cradle of a hot narcotick sulphur . their you shall find that {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} have their prerogatives from a nitious and cathartick salt . that medicamenta adstringentia and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} receive their qualities from a stegnotick , pontick , and aluminous salt . that {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} operate by vertue of their tartareous and vitriolated salts . that dolorem sedantia , are such by reason of their anodynous and paregoricall s●lphurs with which they abound . that {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , doe renovate and reunite s●lutionem unitatis , from the benignity of their balsamicall sulphurs and sarcotick mumm●'s . and l●stl● that {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ▪ doe but execute the tyranny of their septick and arsenicall salts . here you shall quickly learne to correct your father galen's errour , where speaking de sopore , apoplexia , and epilepsia , he a little too confidently saith , horum trium morborum , frigiditas , ac crassus aut omnino viscidus humor causa est . which positive assertion ▪ he makes more erroneous by an apoplecticall instance , where he opposeth both moderne experience , and violates all peripateticall philosophy labouring to prove all apoplexies to be generated ex crasso & viscido humore . quod cito generentur , & solvantur . quod cito generetur , that argueth rather the cause to be ex vaporibus & exhalationibus spirituosis : humor enim crassus non potest non aliquo temporis intervallo in cerebro a●gregari . then , that apoplexia nunquam confestim solvitur , sed aegerrime potius , i subscribe to the experience of any apothecary's boy . no : when you have learnd perfectly to anatomize and enucleare the humors in our microcosme , then you will tell galen that ejusmodi vapores aut halitus , qui vertiginem inducunt , ex resinosis , tartareis , aut sulphureis , in ventriculo , aliove viscere contentis : vel ex unctuosiore magis sulphurea sanguinis substantia ▪ promanare : quae secum tincturam , aliquando , nigrae fuliginis , admodum ad tingendum & denigrandum efficacem , convehunt , citra tamen acrimoniam ullam ; unde scotomia oritur . that paralysis , and apoplexia , doe not proceed ex simplici frigiditate & crassitic , sed ex acerbitate , stipticitate , & acetositate spiritus vitrioli , sulphuris , vel salis in cerebro conglaciato . and from the constriction and coarctation of those acide and vitriolated spirits , ariseth those monentary and precipitate apoplecticall paroxysms . and when that vitriolated ice , either by force of nature , or help of art , dissolveth , and fals by the spondyls into the spinall marrow ( nervorum propago ) there , by its acidity , stipticity , mordacity , and acrimony , vellicating , stupifying and consopiating those tender-feeling parts , are procreated those paralyticall symptoms , ( stupores & indormitiones membrorum ) as infallible {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} to a future palsey . and lastly you shall find that epilepticall paroxysms are not produc'd ex humore simpliciter frigido & crasso , qualis creditur esse pituita . for by this argument all hydrocephali , and by consequence all children , whose brains swim in the deluge of phlegmaticall humidities , should inherit this disease as hereditary . 't is true , that children are most proclive to this evill ( whence avicenna calls it morbum puerilem ) yet not all ; though none are free from that superfluity of pituitous excrements . but 't is when the mother or {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} have ill dispos'd milk ; or when the infant is infirme and cannot digest the milk received , where it corrupts and sowres in the ventricle ; which corruption degenerats into an eruginous , virid , and vitriolated virulency ( ut ex eorum rejectionibus ac vomitibus hujusce coloris videre est ) whence are rendred those fearfull accidents of that more horrid malady . and this hipocrates makes more authentick , where his oracle prognosticats your galenicall errour in this aphorisme . comitiales melancholici facile fiant & melancholici comitiales . though i presume he never suspected such complexions to abound with acide and vitriolated humors . come ! let us to worke then : and let not your lady hands make any conscience in picking the colliars purse . off with arts epidemicall delicacies , and learne first to make glasse malleable with the fat of your mothers entrals . and then our freshmans first operation ( the sublimation of wine ) shall be my instance , to prove that the veins of mans little earth doe flow with minerals and semiminerals , no lesse than those of the greater worlds earth . whilst our coals are kindling therefore let us sit down , and rub up our sophistry a little , that the world may see , per artem spagiricam , we can rectifie errours , by the circulation of reason , and the cohobation of experience . reason therefore thus disputes . si magna est ejusmodi vitriolarum , mercurialium , sulphuriarum , salium copia in multis vegetabilibus quibus nutrimur , & ex quibus elaboratur sanguis : sequitur ut similibus inquinatur sanguis . sed in vino , cerevisia , pomatio , pyratio , &c. ejusmodi sulphura & salia reperiuntur . ergo . your tutor galen i know hath taught you to say nego minorem . your own experience too perchance ( in the sublimation of so many qua●t pots ) can confute me who in none of those l●quors could ever see or tast any such imaginary salts . yet me thinks i over-heare a secret confession acknowledge that in many wines which have past a triall of fire , you have often found store of saccharine salts sweet sir be not then so glucupricontically obstinate : but let 's to work , and make the alembick our moderator . i will give you an instance in a cup of claret , to excite alacrity in our operations , and to extract your errours out of your own element . in this distillation your dullest sense shall feele the truth of our argument and you shall see in this enucleation of wine both vitriolated , nitrosulphureous , and tartareous salts ; which demonstrated , consequence shall force your beliefe to acknowledge the same in our blood . by the way i desire you to be patient and stir not , lest we break glasses : for this operation is very phlegmatick ; and your choler may alter our degree of heat , and so produce an empyreuma in our aquavitae . stand quietly therefore with expectation ( like a spaniard at the siege of a piazz● ) and presently your errour shall evaporate , and both our opinions shall dance together in a limbeck . marke therefore how true an analogy there is between wine and mans bloud and then tell me whether hermeticks nurse any opinions but what are legitimate to reason . from wine , therefore , we first sublimate the aquavitae , by a temperat heat in balneo . from bloud , by the same soft naturall heat of the heart , is separated the aquavitae also , spiritus vitalis . againe from aquavitae , by rectification and circulation , we extract the spirits of wine , a part more aethereall and essentiall than aquavitae , a drop whereof let fall , ●stius in auram evanescat , quam in terram delabatur . so from the aquavitae or vitall spirits of the bloud , by rectification and circulation in the naturall balneo maris of the brain are produc'd the animall spirits , the which likewise in subtility and purenesse doe infinitely excell the vitall . in these preparations , remaine great quantity of unprofitable phlegme . and is not the same in bloud ? after the separation of the spirits and phlegma from wine , there remains store of dregs which abound with sulphur , niter , and tartar . the like shall you discover in the distillation of bloud , where choler doth aptly symbolize with those faeces , that being nitrosulphureous . of the dregs of wine is made vinegar , whose pontick and acide taste doth wholy resemble naturall melancholy , which subsides in the bloud , and from whence nature supplys the kitchin of her stomack with vinegar , her cook using no other sawce to excite appetite . in the distillation of vinegar likewise their remains a tartareous sediment , so sharp , black , and acrimonious , ( the major part being a vitriolated salt ) that dissolve the least quantity of it in a competent part of water , and it instantly inquinats the whole masse , making it acide like vinegar . and this is likewise seen in the bloud ; for those black dregs of vinegar , correspond unto black choler or melancholy adust as you falsely call it : for it is not such , from any adustion , as you dreame ; but from the separation of the mercuriall , from their sulphureous parts ; by whose permixtion , before it was made temperate , those corrosive salts being as it were lull'd asleep in mercuriall humidityes : which is evidently seen in culinary vinegar , whose mercuriall phlegma not separated is edible and usefull : but those humidityes by ebullition once evaporated , his salts like drowned flyes sensible of heat , begin to actuate , as your tongue may taste and testifie . 't is evident therefore , adustion cannot produce such acrimonies : for give common water , or the phlegma of wine , all the ebullitions and re ebullitions you can , they shall never be brought to this acrimony which you call adustion , because they are destitute of those vitriolated and nitrosulphureous salts . what you find in this anatomy of wine , the very same is likewise in cyder , perry , and beer : and not our drinks only , but all our nourishment , be it of vegetables or animals , abounds with those sulphurs and salts . how then shall the bloud escape from their infection ? your own master tells you talem esse sanguinem , quale nutrimentum . let an ingenuous confession then coutch ●his erroneous cataract ; and so without ●ading your nose with ages glasen opticks , you may perspicuously discover the grosnesse of your methodicall errours , which envidious ignorance would never yet suffer to be brought to the copella of examination . then armed with truth , you may boldly bring hither many a ridiculous page of galens to supply the defect of charta emporetica . i will not here discover any , lest imitating the sons of noah , i detect paternall nakednesse . no! but rather with reverence i adore the divine oracle of hipocrates : acknowledg●ing galen to be our {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ! and admiring their sedulity and infinite labours in laying the first foundation of {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} his temple ; tha● future ages by their examples might dayl● adde a stone to their architecture , tha● so with time it might glory in perfe●ction . those good old men are not to be co●●temned , or neglected , because their first prin●ciples have past the alembick of so ma● brains , that now all excrementitious hypo●stasis is separated , and they truely rectifie● but as hipocrates answers for all , sa●●ing , medicinam non ●am assecutam esse pe●●fectionem , cui nihil addi possit : sed in qua semper , vel aliquid modo reprenhendi , modo corrigi , modo addisci queat . so to his ingenuous confession , i adjoyn this absolution . facilius est inventis addere , quam ea primum excogitare . here me thinks i see som vitriolated stomacks , look sharply one upon another , and with a whispering murmur invite a departure , saying that neither the feasts of apicius , vitellius , or heliogabalus , were thus long in preparation . have patience sirs , and know that i have invited a world : whom i purpose to entertain with a banquet , not to satiate as those of vitellius and heliogabalus , who ex sacrorum ●iscium jecinoribus , muraenarum lacte , phasianorum ac pavonum cerebellis , phaenicopterorum , pavonum & lusciniarum linguis , atque●d genus inauditis ac inusitatis , maximorumque sumptuum eduliis parata atque confecta , illorum mensae replebantur . no! to those feasts i recommend cleonenes , lacydes , q. ennius , dionysius minor , mycerinus , timocreon , rhodius , bonosus , val. aurelianus imp. mutonius , philoxenes , meanthus , and the like gluttonous idolaters of ●●at loathsome goddess intemperance . here you must enter i●to the athenian and lacedemonian schools of temperance , where zeno , aristippus , socrates , epaminondas , cato , cicero , and such like sober guest , shall perswade you to a temperate diet. yet will i not confine you to the strict laws of solon and licurgus , and so present you only with galenicall sallads . no , your temperance shall heer consist in delicacyes : we will be prodigall , yet sparing : your stomacks shall be italionated with puoco●e buona ▪ little dishes but great nourishers : famish the eye ▪ but satisfie nature . for here every dish shall be so spagirically drest , and essentially ordered , that every man shall depart hungry , yet fully satisfied . my cooks do not like galens set all boiling as soon as the pot is over the fire ; so we might operam & oleum perdere , all our fat might be quickly in the fire . no , as our physick , so are our fires , na●turall and temperate , the which must be served with time and phlegme . i here therefo●e follow the old custom o●england : when guests are invited and the cook somewhat tedious , the symposiastes o● patron of the feast , with merry tales an● winning discourse labours to beguile time , an● ease the expectation of his hungry guest . as neer as i could therefore i have given you exercise before meat , proper for the aliment provided for you in my banquet : and between every course i shall interlard your lean dishes with wholesome though ridicuculous mirth . and my chiefest care shall be not to present any dish that shall either be nauseous or unsavory : but all such as may answer the delicacy of your most delicate palates . my anthropogeographicall mapp , dividing our microcosme into four parts , i allow every part his preservative , and from thence make foure courses . the first course is stomaticall , the second cephalicall , the third hepaticall , and the last cardiacall . now then as soon as you please , wash and fall to : and to imitate mine host , be merry , for you are wel-come gentlemen . the first course stomaticall . the reason why i begin with the stomaticall part of the microcosme , is , because we are at a feast . and indeed such a feast where every one shall find appetite in his dish . this part being likewise our cooks judgement hall ( where pallatus sitteth aloft as judge , and appetitus his baylieff under him , summoning every dish to his triall ) 't is requisite that we here first make our examination before we fall to execution . besides as it is the microcosmes kitchin , it must of necessity be first supply'd , since the whole world is nourisht by his alms. the stomack also is the physitians best almanack by which he prognosticats what weather is likely to insue , and what alterations are to be expected from the middle region of the microcosme . 't is necessary therefore that we first look into that : for when we have discover'd his indispositions and distempers , we shall the better learn how to preserve the whole microcosme . every one therefore which is carefull of his best treasure , health , must first reflect upon this part , as the little worlds nurse , which duly sendeth her milk by the meseraicks , unto every part. if this our nurse therefore have by disorder , or bad diet , her milk or chylus inquinated , how can the other parts her children expect health from such corruptible nourishment ? primae enim concoctionis error , in secundo non corrigitur . such as the devil is , such is his broth : and from sowre cream we must not expect sweet butter . that my guests therefore may not sit picking their teeth for want of apetite , i will here give you a catalogue of those principles wch nature presented unto that great monarck of the microcosme ( when she first establisht him in his dominions ) to the end he might injoy a peaceable and quiet reign . and as neer as i can i will deliver them verbally as i found them ( in my travells through the stomaticall territories ) ingrav'd in every portal of the prime governers , and prophylacticks of those parts . and they are these , . never oppress the stomack with such satiety , that it may produce either nauseam , or crudityes . . oblige not the stomack to any determinate hours of eating or drinking : for your worldly affairs will often give a diversion to those puntilii , misplacing the gnomon of your appetites horologe either more backward , or more forward . . but if possible , famem cibus , sitim potus expectet . when hunger begs ▪ be charitable and feed her . and if thirst put a dry jest upon you , answer her as inns of court gentlemen do schollers , and drink to her . . nitrosulphureous stomacks , let their drink exceed their meat : as of mercuriall and tartareous , the contrary . let all overmoist , unctuous ▪ and viscous aliments , which by relaxation debilitate , be reserv'd for watermen as a nourishment suitable to their exercise . . do not challenge nature to the duell of hard digestions : lest finding you raw spirited ▪ and no g●eat stomake to the quarrell , she , unable to digest such affronts , make you confess your own weakness , and so leave you . . all flatulent meats you shall recommend to marriners and ship-boyes , whose windy re●uctancies may help in a calm to fill the main sheet . from my banquet likewise i banish all such meats , as guest too turbulent and rebellious : since we here desire mirth and not blows . . let not judge pallatus be corrupted with rich presents of fish or fruits ; and advertise your baylieff appetitus , not to be brib'd by the delicacy of their tasts , and bid the great porter your mouth that he stand not gaping on the dishes whilst the fish leap in : for believe me this may ruin the whole republick . . if any one have a sweet-tooth , let him lick it with a sowre tongue : for , meats exactly sweet , must alwayes be allayed with some acide corrective , and made dolce picanti , otherwise they are not edible . . let the body have his exercise , before the stomack his collation : and let nature evacuate her superfluities before either . . at table , be sure that your teeth labour like so many gally slaves , keeping true stroke with the hand . for mastication is of many esteem'd the first concoction : and none will deny but that 't is natural-heats best agent ; for meats well masticated , are half digested . . of drinks , claret ( whose ruby tincture , emulating the blush of aurora , allures more souls to the courts of bacchus , than he hath stools to entertain them ) is the stomacks best favorite . . be not fearfull at any time of a second deluge , and so make your stomack noahs ark ▪ tumbling in at one past promiscuously all sorts of creatures , as beefe , mutton , lamb , pigs , capons , chicken , pheasants , larks , &c. why the confusion of babel was not greater . do but imagine what a horrid incounter this is to weak nature , when she finds a chaos of imperfect bodyes brought into her operatory , there to be digested , united , made homogeniall , and assimulated into a perfect body . why hoc contra naturam opus est ! nature must prepare new vessels for this operation ; for she fears the old will crack and the fire go out . me thinks i see her so puzzled in this work , that faint sweats water her temples ; and her lungs , with overblowing to preserve so weak a heat under her overcharg'd alembick , begin to double their motion : she grows dull and febrish ▪ so that at last , with a drowsie lassitude , her lamps being almost out , not able to hold up any longer , le ts fall her tongs , commits all to fortune , and sleeps . believe me in these disorders you scrue nature to the zenith of ●er patience . and who ever makes his teeth guilty of such massakers , violates her laws so far ▪ that at last she will give him over as an arch heretique . when occasion therefore shall tempt you with such varieties , let them serve only as a perspective to the opticks : let your eyes feed on all ; but let appetite satisfie it self with some one dish most sympaticall to your stomack and obedient to digestion . for in one dish fear it not , but you shall meet variety enough to keep all natures cooks in exercise . yet if any one have a caprizzious palate , that will daunce after his own pipe and contemnes the regular musick of dieteticall method , yet at least let him keep some homogenity in his choise , nam dissimilia quae sunt seditionem movent : and withall let him be sure to take temperantia for his maid marrian to make up the dance . this lady intemperantia is prologue to all maladies ; who with the sweet oratory of her bewitching delicacies , winns our audience to an insuing tragedy . she is like adams apple , pleasant , and though the devil were cook down it must . she labours to make every man sell natures portion for a mess of pottage . health , as our good genius , is vigilant in our preservation ; but she negligent of her graces , hath invented that loathsome rack of gluttony to martyr us . 't is now a vice too generall : and no man but is ambitious to hear his table groan under the burden of plenty . but stay ! i have almost leapt out of a limbeck into a pulpit . pardon me sirs : for if i preach , 't is not for a benefice : a fat goose will content me . neither do i rail at intemperance to make you partiall to my dishes : no , fall to on gods name , and spare nothing that either palate or appetite shall point at . for here you have licence to embrace variety , it being all homogeniall . eat therefore and wel-come ; remembring that your last morsell be as a ligature whose stegnotick ▪ and styptick vertue may incatenate naturall heat within the purse of the stomack , by an exact closure of his upper orifice . for which effect , i recommend a box of marmalade to your use . or this , ℞ . conser. rosar . diacydon . an. ℥ j. ss. sem. coriand . prae . ʒj . salis perlar . salis corallor . an. ℈ j. spir. rosar . gut . vj . fiat electuar . s.a. ℞ . rob de ribes . ℥ j. sal. coral . prae . ℈ j. essentiar . masticis . cinamomi an. g. iij . cum syr. corallor . q.s. misce . or which excells all , after meals you may eate a piece of our spagir●call sugar of roses ( for the preparation thereof i recommend you to our spagiricall kitchin ) whose corroborating vertue , ( which is no less cephalicall and cardiacall , as stomaticall ) i will deferr to the encomium of your future experience . the vulgar may in these necessities content themselves with a roasted pear or a medlar : it were a sin to cast pearls amongst swine . least my banquet should seem a vision or dream , out of which you remain little satisfied , i have here dish'd out in catalogues , aswell what is gratefull as offensive to the stomake : that every man may the better avoid the abortive meats of ignorance . i desire you therefore to put them up in your hankerchers in place of comfits , and carry them home to your children . things corroborating and acceptable to a weak stomack distempred by heate . marmalade . cons. of red ros. currans . cichory rootes condit . corall . medlars . strawberryes . sorrell . pomegranates . pears bak'd , or roasted . melons . mulberryes . ribes . barberryes . sowre cherryes . orenges . lemons . compounds . elect. de sorbis . elect. de bac . myrt . diarrhod . ab. diatrion . santal . and all such things whose acide and stiptick tasts are united by a temperate mixture . things corroborating and acceptable to a weak stomack distempered by access of cold and moisture . cal. arom . mastick mints . sage capers sampire worm-wood . fennell . cinamomum . rad. cyper . nepita . rosemary iunip . ber. caroway . anise . fennell-seed . wood of aloes . galingall . zedoaria , thymus . calamint . cubeb● . synap . zinzib . nuc. mosc . maceres . garyoph . piper . cardamom . satureia . serpillum . composita . aromat. rosat. . dianisum . diacyminum . diazinzib . elect. de citr . rosat . nou . diagalanga . diaxylaloes . diacynamom . diatrionpip . elec. ex bac . lau . diaspoliticum . the stomack hath many particular enemies , whom he abhorrs with that detested nauseo , that when he finds them in his kitchin , he is never well till he hath frighted them out with hot water . and those are galenicall potions . raw onions . radishes . old nuts . rochetts . garlick . cucumbers . fat meats . all cold things . green soure fruits brains . much use of oil. pompions . blites . orage . cole-worts . hellebor . lap. lazul . aloes unwash'd . scamon . ill praep. salt fish . butter . cream . legumin . non excort . but stay ! me thinks there is a crust of galens brown bread leapt into your broth gentlemen ! pray let it lie since 't is in ; for it must ( like an artificiall velvet mole in fair faces ) give our bread the greater lustre good galen ! was there never a searce maker in your dayes ▪ to teach you how to seperate the unprofitable bran from the flower , but you must needs choke your patients with brown bread-cawdles . what pollicy drew you into the method of making remedies more maligne then the disease . but alas good old man , he is no whit culpable since nihil perfectionem in principio gaudet . he left the embryo of his labours for future ages to perfect and preserve from abortment . he gave us the first , and true design of health , and left us the scizza . hermeticks they have wrought it to life , adorning it with the naturall colours , tinctures , and spirits themselves : so that their industry hath made them so excellent in this art of painting , that had they but such a coppy of the soul , i think they would ease nature , and make her creatures for her . i would gladly understand then why our neotericall dogmatists do not endeavour to perfect this designe of their masters : or at least why they will not take a coal in hand , and adde a shadow to the perfection of his scizza . no , by no means their hands shall not be guilty of our venemous mineralls . they dare not enter into the hell of our laboratory for fear the spirits fly about their fars . they say we preach new doctrine , and labour to silence us ; mineralls they all disclaim as venemous yet all their principal antidotes are infected with them . who doubts of this let him examine merepsus his book de antidotis ( where he hath selected the choisest and most authentick compositions of all the select band of galenists ) there you shall finde more than a hundred antidotes whose basis and principal ingredients are either mineralls or semi mineralls , and those crude and unprepar'd . there in antidoto persicae pauli , you shall see both crude sulphur , and five dragmes of unpraepar'd arsenick , which i suppose he intended for an {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . in antidoto . cap. . musae apollionio adscripta the same arsenick is imbrac'd as a principal ingredient . dioscorides likewise , doth he not prescribe a dragme of raw vitrioll mixt with hony as a prime secret against those ascarides , and for such whose wanton palate hath opprest nature with venimous fungi ? in that divine panacea , that so admir'd chaos of druggs , theriaca , is not calcitis an ingredient ? in mirepsus his mithridate is not calcin'd lead cald in as one of the jury ? are not lapis lazulus and lap. armenus , two of your familiar spirits against melancholy . again they say mineralls are too violent in their operations . let them look well into their vegetables , and then tell me if tithimalus , thapsia , helleb . alb. & nig . pityusa , elatorium , colocynthis , turpetum , bryonia , scammonium , thymelaea , chamelaea , cyclaminus , &c. do not emulate the violence of the most tyrannicall minerall , torturing every nerve on the rack of convulsions . here i lose my self in admiration to see so many famous physitians of our times lie puzzling in the dust of ignorance ; where losing their eyes they lye groaping in the dunghil of their drugs , whilst the hermeticks pick out the pearls . they see that every mans stomack riseth against their physick ; and yet they will still persecute poor nature , ●oftner frighting then curing diseases . go to a methodist , tell him your stomack is debillitated by a cold distemper , and he will presently prescribe you the decoction of anise , rew , and parsely seed , with diatrion-piperion , diacalamint . theriaca and the like . if your weakness proceed from heat and cholerick humors , he bids you purge with hiera picra ( galenae stomaticall panacaea ) and to drink endive and succory waters , mixt with vinegar . why this is pure judaical physick imitating the cure they used to our saviour , when he suffered thirst on the cross . me thinks as the old law is , so their physick likewise should be abrogated . be not dismaid at these relations good guest ! for here he promiseth your entertainment shall be more christian like . and when your microcosme shall discover any such distempers , retire to our spagiricall kitchin , over whose door you shall find written , sapores palato ingrati procul absint . there you shall not be allur'd to give christian buryall to a jewish potion , by perswasive apologies : but believe me , the sweetnesse of your cure , shall bring a plesant recompence to the bitterness of your malady . whosoever therefore is subject to any debilitation of the stomack : proceeding from a mixt distemper of humors , be they tartarius , vitriolate , nitrosulphureous or mercuriall : let him before he tast of our preservatives , first secure the stomack from all such false usurpers , by taking one , two , or three grains of our hermeticall panchymagogon . for ladyes and such delicate tempers , one graine renders a compleat operation . you may mix it with any dissolvent your stomack most approves of ; as wine , bear , broth , posset-drink , or any liquidity . or you may lend it the form of a pill by addition of some conserve , marmalade , quidiny geladine or the like . 't is not guilty either of tast or smell , neither doth it seek by violence to put any man out of his humor . no , you shall find it as good a fellow as may be ; and one that will dance after the caprizzio of every ones humor . for if they be cholerick , and will at the first dash con la furia francese , give a scalado by the upper orifice ; he straight consents , helps , and follows . or if they abound with spanish phlegma , and desire rather to entrench themselves first , and so make a long seidge ; why , he plays the pyoner , there too , and flings out as fast as the stoutest . believe me the operation hereof is miraculous , and the little experience which i have made would consume volumes in the description ; but as from my purpose i defer it to some better occasion . here i labour only to preserve , not to cure . if nature therefore suspect any summer assault , by acute and malignant fevers , tertians , plurisies , or the like ; this taken in the spring breaks their designes . if she fear any autumnall skirmish or winter seidge , by some cronicall disease do but scowre the enemies trenches with this artillery and ( under god ) i dare promise her peace . the preparation of this panchymagogon is thus . you must first rob our hermetticall curier when he rides post to caelum christallinum , and take from him two ounces of his false diamonds . then open a vein in your mothers belly , and from her coagulated bloud you shall pick out ℥ ij . of the bones of the . planets great grandmother these you shall charm into butter , and then season it for your winter service . but if any of you fear a vomit by reason of a streight chest , i recommend him to our tetrapharmacon panchymagogon , whose operation is exprest in an easie and low stile , never ambitiously reaching at those high streins . having thus scowr'd your ditches , and cast up your parapetts , that your fort may be strong for battery , now you must begin to fortifie your walls , and look to your out-works ; renue your weak flanks , and let nature , your inginier , search where and what part is most subject to the mine and there prepare her counter-mines : for by strengthing and preserving this piazza , you need not fear the whole world . if therefore the winter of your complexion produce a weakness to the stomack , by the ice of his violent and cold distemper you shall disgeal it with this insuing elixir , which is the stomacks proper balsamum . ℞ . cinamomi . zedoariae . cardamom . maceris an. ℥ j. garyophyl . nuc. mosch. cubeb . an. ℥ j. ss. galanoae . ʒiij . piper . long . ʒvj . garyoph . hortens . ros. rub. flor. buglos . flor. menthae rom. an. m. j. folior . menth . rom. absinthii . an. m. ss. bruse them small in a mortar , and adde thereto ten ounces of the crum of white bread . put all into a glass cucurbita , and powre thereto of the best sack as much as they can drink , with two fingers depth advantage : close your glass according to art , then give it . dayes fermentation : which done adjoyn this emulsion . ℞ . amygd . dulc. excort . lb. ss. aqu. rosar . buglos . an. lb. ij . sacchar . albis . ℥ iij . fiat emulsio . then destill all in balneo secund. attem . the dose is two spoonfulls an hour before and after , meat . here follows an other more excellent . ℞ . spir. vini , cum spirito . sem. anisii animato . lb.j. theriacae . ℥ j. confect . alcher . ℥ ss. specier . diarrhod . ab. zinzib . maceris . cinamom . an.ʒj. cort. citri . ʒiij . the ginger , mace , cinamon and citron-peeles , being all grosly beaten , mix all together , and in balneo by a gentle heat , extract the tincture . to which you shall adde these , tinctur . succini . tinctur . corallor . an. ℈ j. tinctur . auri. essent . perlar. an. gut . xx . spir. menthar . spir. faenic . spir. melissae an. ℥ ss. spir. rosar . ℥ j. essentiae sacci . ℥ ij . tinctur . croci gut . xij . who please may proceed farther in this preparation , by separating the spirits from the first theriacall tincture ▪ in balneo vaporoso , which spirits being sublimated , he shall find at the bottom of his cucu●bita an extract or coagulated tincture , admirable in corroborating the principle parts , specially the heart and stomack and far surpassing the common theriaca against all pestilential and infectious aer . then to those spirits thus separated from their tinctures you may adde the other forementioned tinctures . and who ever can attain to this , believe me he enjoyes a treasure worthy of a princes cabinet : whose vertues are so infinite ▪ that they would lose themselves in expression . it asswageth all inward dolours of the stomack , heart , liver , bowels , &c. and that on an instant . 't is a panacaea , in all pestilentiall fevers , both prophylactick and therapeutick . it corroborates all the vitall parts , and renovates the oyl of ages decaying lamp . to conclude , it recalls a departing soul by rendring the annuall tribute which weak natures exhausted treasury could no longer disburse . hippocras and artificiall aromaticall wines are much in use with us in england : & not without cause , since they have a peculiar efficacy in repairing cold , weak , and decaying stomacks . that those therefore which honour my feast , may at all hours , and on any occasion , prepare a quart of hippocras for their friends in an instant : i will favour them with this insuing hippocraticall extract . ℞ . cinamom . ℥ ij . vel iij . garyophyl . ℥ ss. zinzib . macropip . cardamom . gran. parad. galaneae an. ʒij . nuc. mosch. ʒj.ss . being all grosly powdred , put them into a glass violl , and powre thereon of the spir. of wine to the eminence of . fingers , stop your glass close , and set it in balneo , or in summer in the sun , for the space of three or four dayes , untill the spirits have rob'd the aromaticks of their tinctures : this done , separate it from the faeces , and reserve it for your use . when any of you therefore desire a cup of hippocras , mix but ʒ . ss. of this tincture with a pint or more of sack , adding what quantity of sugar you please , or which is better the essence of sugar , and your desire is answered : a glass of which with a toast , before meat , gives no small check to a cold distemper . here likewise i present a tast of spagiricall cla●et to your weak stomacks , by the often use of which , neither crudities or ventosities shall impaire your digestion . ℞ . cinamom . ℥ ij . maceris . ℥ ss. dactyllor . num . . myccbal . num . . uvar. passul . ℥ v. vel . . sem. anisi . coriand . prae . an. ℥ j. faenicul . ℥ ss. with the spirits of wine and canary sack of each lb iij . being mixt set them in some cool cellar to ferment the space of four or five dayes . of this you may take one or two spoonfulls in a morning . if i mistake not i heard some of you call for a glass of wormwood wine . i have none ready prepared : but here is a little violl of the spirits of wormwood with which who please to make a triall and put ●ut some few drops in a glass of ordinary white wine , he shall find his desire satisfied with a cup of exquisite wormwood wine , far more effectuall then any galenicall macerati●n or infusion , and that your defect may be supplied when this small quantity shall be exhausted , i ●ere lend you the receit , whereby you may ●ereafter furnish your self , and pleasure a friend . ℞ . summitat . absint . q.s. affunde aq . com . s.q. stent in digestione per dies aliquot : potest & quid ad fermentandum adjici . destilletur per vesicam : exibit . aquam , oleum quippiam continens . oleum per seperatorium separetur . aqua tota cucurbitae vitreae indatur atque in balneo semel atque iterum rectificetur , & saltem pars spirituosior absirahatur , quae odorem & saporem absinthit retinet . this hath a singlar vertue in corrobora●ing both stomack and liver , it resists putri●action , and deopilates obstructions , and is a ●pecifical preservative against all stomattical ●nd intestinall vermine . spirit of mints is ●ikewise an excellent and peculiar prophylactick of a weak and cold stomack , some few drops thereof put into a cup of sac● with a toast , adjoyning a drop of the essence of cinamon , and taken an hour before meat . to think to please every mans palate may well inlarge the list of impossibilities : yet despair shall not interrupt my carving : and where one dish likes not , variety shall presently bring in another . so that at length ●● presume the major part shall satisfie the variability of fancy , and give appetite a delight , in the stomacks preservation . who then please may tast of this spagiricall stomaticall syrupe , which in delicacy and vertue excelleth all your ordinary cinamon-waters . ℞ . cinam . gros . mod . pulv . ℥ iiij . vini hispam● . lb. ij . let them infuse in balneo three dayes : then separate the tincture from his faeces and adding thereto lb● . ss. of pure white sugar , put all into a glass cucurbita and with a boiling balneo distill it untill it remain at the bottom in consistence of a syrup . so in one operation you injoy both a syrup and an excellent cinamon water both of which for corroborating a weak stomack and expelling melancholy from a pensive heart , may take possessi●n among your secrets . but to make it more perfect , in place of sack you shall use spir. of wine . in the same manner you shall make syrup of nutmegs , the which is a little more spe●ificall for the stomack . for windiness of the stomack and bowels you may compose the like waters and syrups of annise and caraway seeds . but there are many whose natures so antipathize with wine , that both smell and tast ●hereof is offensive to them . such persons may make the above said syrups as followeth , ℞ . cinam . pulveriz . ℥ iij . vel . iiij . aqu . commun. . q.s. set them in some cold place the space of three or four dayes : then distill it . then take of that distild water , lb j. sugar lb. ss. fiat syrrup . s.a. this retains the fragant odour of cinamon : and this for the summer is more proper , to which you may adde an ounce or two of rose-water . gentlemen you are too modest ▪ because my cook ▪ to follow court fashion , sends in his dishes in duplicates ▪ every man expects that i should make the discovery . this lady-like nicety , had almost let a good dish here scape for the serving men . 't is a meat which you have already tasted of : the difference is only in the dressing , the which is rare and exquisite . take the above mentioned spirits seperated from the first cinamon syrupe : adde to it ℥ iij . or iiij . of gross beaten cinamon , then being exquisitely stop'd , set in a cold place untill the water have the perfect tincture of the cinamon : the which you shall separate , and to every ℥ x. adde ℥ iij . or . of sugar . then in balneo separate those spirits from the tincture , and you have the best sort of cinamon water ▪ together with an admirable syrup . if you will make one yet more excellent , 't is but adding fresh cinamon to these last rectified spirits , proceeding as before : and reiterating this operation three or four times , so that the last will render you an essence of cinamon whose vertues will repay your labour with interest . we have in our spagiricall kitchin certain stomatticall balsams , whose descriptions i must here forbear as frutta nova , and not yet for every mans table . such as are balsamum iunip . balsamum . nuc. mosc . bals . cinamom . balsam . rosmar . &c. these as they are rare and princely , so are they singular in corroborating both the stomack and the rest of the vitall parts , either intrinsicall or extrinsically applyed . and for such over-nice and delicate persons which either through coyness will not , or through weakners cannot receive any internall remedy , let them morning and evening externally annoint the stomack with this hermeticall balsam . ℞ . butyr . gelsomini . ℥ j. essent . rosmar . ℈ . ss. essent . cinamom . essent . nuc. mosc . an. ℈ .j. essent . masticis . ʒj . moschi . ambrae an. g. iiij . zibet . g. ij . cum cero virgin . decies in aq . rosar . lavat. q.s. fiat balsam . s.a. that no man may complain for want of bread to his meat , you shall tast of our spa●iricall biscuit , which i recommend to all weak and moist stomacks , especially to those who after some chronicall disease cannot digest ordinary bread . take lb. j. of the purest wheat-flower , of the best refined sugar ℥ xvj . fresh eggs numb. xij . the cream of almonds extracted with the best rosewater , ℥ iiij . essence of annise , cinamon , and nutmeggs , an. ℈ j. more or less according to the humor of your palate : spirit of roses q.s. mix them according to art ▪ and thereof make your biscuits . there are many other sorts of biscuits which every good wife knows how to prepare , as regal● biscuit , s●anish biscuit , french biscuit , lorain biscuit , italian biscuit , &c. therefore as too vulgar for our table i omit them : yet if any one desire a tast , let them call to our cook . now presuming upon the phlegme of your cold distempers , i will call in for a dish or two to refocillate our younger and more sulphureous stomacks , whose extra vagant disorders hath brought the stomack so far in choler with the microcosme , that he refuseth to supply it with his expected nourishment : this quarrell must not grow too hot : but t is necessary a speedy reconciliation be made , before the stomack grow too obstinate in his humor . in this case i know no better aparater tha● our panchymagogon : let him bring him up to the court of conscience , there he will be so qualified , that you may turn him to any conditions of peace . when you have him at this advantage , injoyn him for penance every morning to take three drops of the spirits of sulphur , or vitriol , with as many of the spirit of roses mixt with a glass of spring water , edulcorated with the essence of sugar . or this ℞ . sal. christalli . ℈ . ss. spir. vitrioli gut . iij . spir. rosar . gut . . essent . sacch . q.s. aq. fontan . distillat . ℥ iiij . misce . before meat half an hour or an hour let him use this , ℞ . rob. de ribes . rob. de berber . an. ℥ j. spir. 🜍 g. iij . salis perlar . ℈ .j. misce . after meals , this , ℞ . conser. corneol . diacydon . simp. . an. ℥ ij . salis coralor . ʒj . spir. salis gut . vj . spir. rosar . gut . x. misce . you which are thus distemperd , i desire you to entertain appetite with patience until the third course enter , where you may pick out variety of hepaticall dishes proper to your indisposition . in the mean time if any insolent stomack-worms quarrel for a breakfast before their master be served , you shall do wel to cut off their allowance , and then turn them out of your doors with a powder . ℞ . corn . cer. praep. coral . rub . praep. an. ℈ j. aquilae celestis ℈ . j.ss . verm . terrest . prae . cinamom . an. ℈ .j. scammon . cum 🜍 . praep. ʒj . misce . dos . ℈ .j. the furyes of appetite being laid , now your patience may dispence with a little idle table talk , to renovate the dull'd edge of your apetites , that they may be the livelier at the second encounter . the second course cephalicall . here dogmaticall discipline bids me be more compendious , and collect my method unto heads . but we are travellers , and must not be limitted : we are now landed on the coast of the cephalick peninsula , a place whose fame elevates it above all other parts of the world ; and where both tongue and eyes of all men sleep in admiration . here that great monarck of the microcosme hath his residence , who is an emperiall king , and full of divinity : his head being alwayes crown'd , as a type of his absolute and peaceable reign even to the worlds end . that his more celestiall thoughts may not be interrupted with state affairs he hath resigned the government of his microcosme , ( which he hath divided into three monarchies ) unto three of his ablest subjects , spiritus vitalis , spiritus animalis , and spiritus naturalis . to spiritus animalis , he hath given the cephalick peninsula , placing him neer unto himself , as his wisest counseller : for which consideration he hath made him likewise {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , lord secretary . to spiritus vitalis , and spiritus naturalis , he hath resigned the government of terra firma : an equall division being made , the one taking the cardiacall , the other the hepaticall parts . spiritus vitalis likewise being his lord treasurer ; and spiritus naturalis lord of the cinque-ports . other information of this king ( the soul ) i dare not enter into . de sacris in praesentia mysteriis non est loquendum . yet i will shew you a reflection of his greatness in the glass of his nobility and court , which i will here carve into descriptions which may serve you as picktooth's and table talk , untill our cook shall stop our mouths with the second course . know then that this king is retir'd into the cephalick peninsula , where his highness is lodg'd in an emperiall palace , whose fabricks are all of pure ivory . there the architect , emblematically expressing perfection ( and that the microcosme might not want his epitomy ) hath united all in a sphaericall figure . the walls of his court are invironed with a pleasant forrest : the naturall plantation of whose trees make so intricate a laborinth , that t is a delightfull pastime for the ladies of honor , every morning for exercise , to lose themselves an hour or two in the crispie twirles of those aromatick thickets . there likewise they sport themselves with young harts , which they find often so intangled , that unable to resist , they rely on the mercy of those weak females , suffering themselves to be fool'd withall , untill pitty shall send them liberty . sometimes more aged harts ( whose actaeon plumes calculate their nativity ) are secretly insnar'd , and lock'd so fast , that their relief is desperate , insomuch that they lie and pine away in the iealousie of their own weakness . the ladies of this court are so particularly delighted with the pleasant chase of the hare , that day and night the poor creatures take little rest ; hourly new engines being invented to intangle them . so that every day there falls more than all the court dogs can eat and scape choaking . as you approach this regall palace , your heart is planet-stroke by two celestial lights fixt in the frontispiece : whose magick fires captivate the souls of yong courtiers , making their noble servitude seem an imperiall liberty . those are the lights which lead men into fools paradise , where they study idolatry in a looking-glass . if you can pass the influence of those stars ; you may enter the great gate ( the mouth ) which at a word speaking is opened . this is strongly fortifyed with ivory percullises set in mosaick . here you are presently incountred by that wanton portress lingua , who cannot speak to a man without wagging of her tail , she recommends you to her lady and mistris eloquentia , who with sweet complements , and court ceremonies , invites you presently to a view of this imperiall palace : and so shews you first the out-chambers of the five lady sences : then leads you up to the lodgings of the princes phantasia , which is the prime side of the court for good fellowship . there you shall find this princess , with the nine virgin muses dancing a phantasticall brando to the melody of the lady musica . here she shews you the chambers of all the seven liberall sciences , whom phantasia hath honor'd with severall offices . geometria is her carver , arithmetica keeps her accounts . rhetorica is mistris of the ceremonies . grammatica governes the pages . astrologia serves in place of a ieaster , and tells fortunes to provoke mirth . musica , all the world knows her charge . poeta is her minion , to whom she resignes the whole government of her family . she makes hay whilst the sun shines ; and prefers all her poor kindred to severall places in the court . ovid she makes major-domo . homer because a merry greek master of the wine-cellars . aretine ( for his skill in postures ) growing old , is made pander . shack-spear , butler . ben iohnson , clark of the kitchin , fenner his turn-spit , and taylor his scullion . all these have their chamber-doors pester'd with sharking players , fidlers , ballad-singers , and such like hangers on . next , she carryes you to the middle lodg●ngs , where the viceroy of the cephalick pe●insula is lodged , next dore unto the great king animus . this viceroy atten●s wholly unto his king and master : putting over all publique affairs into the hands of the lord intellectus , his favorite , who governes all . yet spiritus animalis , having found him often corrupted by inferiour members , dares not trust him too far , but for the better security of the peninsula , he hath five fair ladyes , as secret spyes to inform him dayly how every part is govern'd . the lady visus hath her commission to have an eye on both sides , and to look to every part , specially the more noble , and to observe their humor and disposition towards intellectus , and whether they render freely their tribute . the lady auditus is commanded to lend an ear to chamber discourses of those court gossips , lingua , rhetorica , &c. who make every festivall day , a day of parliament . lady tactus is bid now and then to handle them somwhat ruffly : so to try who is most touchy , and if in their choler they be subject to rebellion , and disobedient to the laws published by intellectus . lady gustus is injoyned to be alwayes at his table as tastress ; to prevent the malice of some treacherous humor , which by casting some soporiferous mixture into his dish , he might be deposed by an apoplexy . lady olfactus she smells to every ones chollar : and like an ape suffers nothing to pass the court gate , but she must have a nose in it . here you shall see that fountain somnus ( the true helicon ) where orpheus sits and playes sweet requiems to the nine lady muses , memoria , and the five sensuall ladyes , who refresh their defatigated limms with the hypnoticall dew of this anodynous bath : and whilst they rest , the princess phantasia , who never enters that fountain , she sports her self with the jugling tricks of that artifex simulator que figurae , morpheus , his phobetur and phantasus . here if eloquentia forget not her self , she will shew you memoria , and her lodging . but now i remember my self , i have heard our cook and his hatch twice at knocks , because none will ease him of his second course . and i fear some of my more serious guest could do the like with me , who perchance expected grave apothegmes , and sententious aphorismes for their table talk . no , you both abuse your expectations , and break the rules of physick , if you gape for sentences here . ever whilst you live be merry at meat . t is to excite your mirth that i play the fool : laetitia coelum vos creavit sua ; laetitia coelum vos servabit vestra . why then be merry ! and with democritus jeere melancholy out of his humor , nam fata sinunt dum securi vivitis . and believe me , mirth is the main spring of your lives horologe : t is that maintains the clapper your tongue in motion . 't is healths chief panacaea , and absque hac una tanquam medicinarum omnium vita medicinae omnes ad vitam producendam adhibitae moriuntur . laugh and be fat therefore : and let doctor merryman alwayes make up your mess . but soft ! here comes the second course ! gentlemen pray have a care you commit no capitall crime in your table talk . for whosoever makes gravity his salt , and contemplation his sawce , gives so great an affront to intellectus , the favorite , that he may chance hang his head for it . for thus you corrupt the embassadours and agents which spiritus naturalis imployes in the stomaticall territories , by diverting them from their function , whereby their charge is rawly executed . next , you give a false alarme throughout the whole microcosme , making spiritus animalis retire his forces to the cephalick peninsu●a , when there is more necessity of their succour ●n terra firma . lastly , you rob the treasury , ●rawing from the exchequer of the heart ●ood angel-gold , pure vitall spirits , and ●nd back false , indigested metall , all mercu●iall , falsifyed by a weak externall tincture ●nly : but brought to natures test alla copella , ●nd after dissolved in her rectified spirits ▪ you ●hall scarce draw from a pound , one scruple ●f perfect aurum potabile . thus likewise you cause fearfull inundati●ns in this peninsula , making his fluxes and ●efluxes so violent , that they drown the very ●arrow and heart of the soil , bringing with ●a marine saltness , whose corrosive heat con●●mes the true balsamicall moisture , leaving ●●ose parts where it runs so impregnable that ●●thing prospers there but tussilago . nor is this all the danger ! for by eating ●●icks in the neck-land , it threatneth the ●●ole continent . here in the chamber of memoria , i found book in manuscript , full of politicall max●es and matchavilian principles , for the bet 〈…〉 government of the sephalick state . the ●●●ef whereof were these , ● . how ever the world go , be not too vi●●●ant in your affairs : le●t by over greediness of gain you lose your interest in the publique treasury , and at last abandoned by intellectus , you grow out of memory amongst your friends , and so pass for a man of small judgement . . be carefull that the inland inhabitants suffer not their culinary excrements to lye putrifying in their channells ▪ but dayly to evacuate them by the port esculine . for believe me , the contagious exhalations which ascend from those faetid● neglects will quickly breed the sickness in the cephalick land . . this peninsula being barren , and receiving all his provisions from the continent 't is necessary that you keep an eye open upon the stomaticall magazin , and see that memory forget not her self to charge all the lady sences to be vigilant in this action , and not so much as to dream of any other negotiation untill they have seen a full and perfect distribution . for if you let those ministers sleep you may be supplied with a corrupt munition sufficient to morbifie all your inhabitants . . here intellectus must answer the advi●● of his physitian sensus communis , with obe●dience , and moderate his hours of recreat●●on in the helicon ; lest he grow dull wit● those stupid vapours ▪ and so unapt to nego●ciate , be at last put out of his office by the princess phantasia . . as far as possibility permits , this peninsula must be defended from those injurious sea winds , especially from that pincerna pluviae the south , whose humid gusts , supported on the wings of noysome foggs , lend a new body to the investing aer ; increasing the violence of his fluxes , and sending a repletion even into the cranyes of that earth . . here is allowed , to intellectus , his particular recreations , for the preservation of his vigour and health : and those he shall borrow from the lady sences . for sometime visus shall divert his too serious and retir'd meditations , with the reviving aspect of some actuating beauty : whose presence will give such a charge to his defatigated spirits , that in a point of time , by the strong refraction of those rayes , all his forces shall be inflamed with a renovating fire . tactus , yet more audacious , shall bring him on to touch this beauty ▪ making him imbrace corporality , to adde a greater feeling to his delights . and there the intellect might die in e●●tasy , did not auditus presently by some syrene voice or orphean instrument relieve his melting soul from the abyss of plesure . and lastly gustus shall salute him with her arms full of restoring dishes , making the lady lingua invite him to a sack posset , as the most proper n●penthes for his lassitude , and of all approved for an authentick settle-brain . in this my cephalicall m●pp , you may discover the head to be the most noble part of the microcosme ! the little worlds britania ! wisdoms cabinet ! the muses parnassus ! apollo's oracle ! minerva's temple ! and which crowns all ▪ the souls imperiall terrestiall tribunall whose foundation is the body : which if once impaired his fair buildings fall ▪ and kiss their mother earth for a second admission into her bowels . who then so desperate of sence ▪ as to neglect the preservation of so principal a part ? believe me 't were madness in the abstract : and such might well pass for hair-brain'd humorists . this my second course therefore shall consist wholly of cephalicall preservatives . look from one end of my table to the other and you shall not see either gross , flatulent , unctuous , vaporous nauseous , or crude and indigestible meats , such as are , old beefe milk , fat broths , strong wines , butter , black olives , nuts , onions , cabbage , raw sallads , beans , pease , rochet , or any such cephalick enemy . no! i sent my spenditore to galens market , where he bought me these ingredients . betonica majoran . salvia hyssopus melissa rosmarin . fol. laur . satureia ruta . ocymum . cal. arom . melilotus paeonia sem. faenic . coriandri anisi rad freos caryophyllata . visc. querc . flor. tiliae . bac. iunip . acorus . pulegium . nepita . euphrasia calaminta serpillum spica lavendul . origanum . horb . paraly . lil. conval . galangae staech . arab. chamomilla anacard . nuc. mosch. succinum moschus ambra . griz . lig. aloes caryophyll . cubebae . cardamomi macis , &c. and these by an essentiall fire we have brought into quintessences , elixars , extracts tinctures , balsoms , magistralls , spirits , arcani , and the like : all which you shall find far more toothsome , & specificall to cephalicall distempers than any of these following methodicall dishes , diambra diamosc . amar . diacastor . diapaeonias . theria● . d●●tes . pleres archont . op●yra conf. anacard . hygija graec. diaolibar . aurea alex. mithridat . dianthos theriaca , &c. no , i presume all sorts of delicate and nice tempers will rather honour our hermeticall feast : especially those curious females whose very stomacks are complementall , in so much that they will not take a grain of physick , under a pound of ceremonies . nor can i blame them ! for whose disease hath once invited them to galens table , they shall find that the nauseous variety of syrups , potions , boles pills ▪ apozemes , emulsions , powders , electuaries , lozenges , eclygmes , with a world of such like kitchin-stuff , shall give his stomack so compleat a surfit , that at a second invitation , they will rather ( dispensing with good manners ) appeal thrice to the judgment of the nose , before they will once ask the opinion of the palate . this if any man deny , i refer him to the infallible experience of his next malady ; o● to the volums of hippoc. galen , avi●en ▪ rhasis , aretaeus , aetius , &c. whose practise our methodists now wholly imitate . read those , and you shall find most bitter examples of all that i have mentioned . and whose belief in this point , cannot be overcome but by instances ▪ let them tast a little of this so much admired antipilepticall antidote of aetius , ℞ . castorei . helleb . nig . scāmon . anʒij . opopanac . cumini thebaic . centaurii , nitri , sulphuris vivi , abrotani , ammoniaci , thymiamatis sem. rutae sylvest . absynt. an.ʒj. contusa & cribrata , excipe aqua & efforma pillulas fabae aegyptiae magnitudine , & unam quotidie praebe , cum aceti mulsi cyathis quatuor . oh sweet antidote ! me thinks i see the disease flying from it in the very preparation . gentlemen , one such a dish as this might make you all leave my table , and run to the cooks shops . here therefore you shall see the difference between a good cook and a bad . for my part , had i appetitus caninus , or that ravening {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , i should not move a tooth at such ogliopodridoes . i remember , about my second clymacterical yeer i had a quartan fever ▪ and requiring assistance of a good old and reverend dogmatist ! for my cure , he prescrib'd me a water to drink ; the which hath put me into an {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ever since . take heed sirs , how you mix such waters with your wine : for i can assure you , you may grow mad upon it . from galens cephalicall sallads , i have made many dishes , which i desire no man to commend untill he have tasted . pray therefore fall to this dish of extracts . a cephalicall extract . ℞ . nuc. mosch. caryophyl . cinamom . cardamom . calam. arom . succini maceris an. ℥ ss. sem. anisi sem. faenicul . sem. coriand . praep. sem. sileris mont . sem. paeoniae an. ℥ j. flor. betonicae flor. salviae flor. rosmar . flor. herb. paral . flor. euphrag . flor. lil. conoal . flor. paeoniae flor. tilia arboris flor. lavend. flor. staech . arab. an. p.j. folior . majoranae folior . melissae folior . lauri folior . nepitae folior . calamint . folior . serpilli folior . ocimi , an. m. j. rad. paeoniae rad. acori rad. galangae rad. caryophyllatae , rad. ireos ana. ℥ ij . bac. iunip . bac. lauri an. ℥ ij.ss. lig. aloes lig. sassafras lig. guaiacini lig. visc. querc . lig. coryli buxi an. ℥ j. ss. let the herbs be brused , the woods rasp'd the seeds , aromaticks , roots and berries grosly beaten . put all into a large matracio of glass , and cover them . or . fingers deep with spir. of wine animated with the spirits of sage and juniper berries . set them in balneo to ferment six or . dayes . then separate the tincture from the faeces per inclinationem . to the remaining faeces powre half as much as aforesaid of the s. of w. animated with the s of annise , and cinamon . set them again in digestion other six dayes ; which finish'd , and your matracium cold , separate the tincture from the faeces . adjoyn these tinctures , and by a gentle heat in balneo vaporoso first separate the spirits , then put your alembick in balneo bulliente and distill the phlegma until your tincture coagulat into an extract . to every ℥ ij . of which extract adde , magister . perlar . magist. coral . an.ʒj. tinct . confect . alcher . ʒij . essentiae ☽ . gut . xx . magister . cran. hum . salis cran . hum . an.ʒj. essent . nuc . mosch. essent . cinam . an. g. x. spir. {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . gut . vj . mix all according to art in the consistence of an extract . dosis . ℈ ss. vel ℈ .j. the spirits of this extract . have cochl . ss. vel cochl . j. to their dose . this extract doth miraculously corroborate the brain , and both preserves and cures you of all cepbalicall diseases , as apoplexies , epilepsies , palsyes , vertigines , hemicranies , sopors , torpors , lethargyes , &c. it fortifyeth the memory , acuates the sight , extenuates and dissipates cold , gross , viscous & tartareous humors of the brain , which cause noise and pain in the ears , deafnes and the like . for a preservative against all cold distempers of the head , the first extract without the mixture of those , other essences may excuse such as are not in our spagiricall cooks books . those which will not feed on that dish , let them satisfie nature with this elixir : though somewhat inferiour to the first extract which is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . elixir cephalic . ℞ . nuc. mosch. ℥ j. ss. maceris caryophyll . cinamom . an. ℥ ss. galano . calam. arom . an. ℥ j. euphrasiae . flor. lavend. rosmarin . herb. paral . an. mj. melissae ment. rom. card. ben. an. mj.ss. by the example of the former you shall extract the tincture with spir. of wine or ordinary cinamon water . then separate the elixir from his tincture , and proceed as before . the coagulated extract having ℈ .j. to his dose . the elixir half a whole sponfull in the morning : the which resists all cold and moist distempers of the brain : saves a bad memory the expence of table-books : and in one half year ( if generally used ) it would make our glasses cheap by runing the trade of spectacles . this likewise is a capitall enemy to tale-carryers : for it makes the sence of hearing so exquisite , that their imployment would become unnecessary . here variety calls you to another dish . ℞ . zinzib . santal . rub . caryoph . an. ℥ ss. cinamom . ℥ ij . nuc. mosch. maceris piperis . galangae cubebae cardamomi anisi sem. faenic . coriand . praep. an. ℥ ss. aromat. rosat. . spec. diambrae dianthos an. ʒij . majoran . flor. ocini lavend. an. p.j. ros. rub . m.j. with lb ij . of the best sack , and lb. ss. of the s. of w. with ℥ viij . of rose-water animated with the essence of musk proceed as in the other elixir . the vertues are the same with the former , but somwhat more efficacious . he that thinks these elixars and extracts will be too hot for him , let him play the good fellow and fall to our cock-broth which here waits for the innovation of his spoon . ℞ . an old fat cock or capon , being exenterated , cut him in pieces , and then put him into a large glass phialum adding , santal . citrin . lig. aloes caryophyl . nuc. moschat . cinamon . maceris an. ℥ j. galangae cort. citri . zedoariae croci orient . an. ℥ ss. flor. rosmarin . flor. salviae flor. betonic . flor. lavend. flor. borag . flor. bugloss flor. ros. rub . an. p.j. sal. corallor . ℥ j. granor. kerm . ʒiij . vini canarien . lb iij . sacchar . albis . lb. ss. set all well stoped , . or ten dayes in balneo fervido . then bring your cock to the press and there execute him : which done distill all in alembico vitreo : dosis j. . or iij . sponfulls . this restorative i recommend to students , whose cephalick treasure is exhausted , by their prodigall exercise of the brain , as most specificall . i have taken notice of some here who are so bad sighted that they cannot find the narrow passage of their mouths . others again before they can draw their eyes out of their pockets , lose many a choise bit which they gaped for . these things must be better look'd into : otherwise we shall make but a blind reckoning of it . that i may not be troubled with blind guest therefore , i will bring you to to your diet , and prescrib you this opthalmick water : and this is for such as prefer their ease , before their eyes : who rather than suffer a little smart , will sooner be at the charge of some well tutor'd mungrell , to follow his dogged humor . ℞ . euphrag . chelidon . an. m.ij. card. ben. betonec . an. m.j. rutae p.j. salviae fenic . an. m.j. enul . camp . rad. valerian . an. ℥ j. faenic . sem. anisi coriand . praep. siler . mont . an. ℥ ss. bac. iunip . ℥ j. ros. alb . flor. rosmarin . calondul . lavend. staeched . an. p.j. nuc. mosch. zinzib . cardamom . macropip . calam. arom . cinamum . an.ʒj. infuse all in lb. iiij . of the spir. of wine animated with the spirits of sage , for the space of four days in balneo : from whence accord●ng to art , you shall extract the spirits and tincture from the faeces , by calcination solution , filtration , and coagulation ; you shall resuscitate the soul of those vegetables , with which you are to animate the spirits , and phlegma . which phlegma dissolving therein {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} li , with a little crocus metallorum , makes an excellent externall opthalmick water . the spirits are to be inhibited the quantity of a spoonfull , or but half . the coagulated tincture ℈ ss. vel ℈ j. ss. who will prie far into other mens matters , though he smart for it , let him use this externall opthalmicall water . ℞ . suc . chelidon . euphrag . an. lb. ss. lact. caprin . lb. j. zinzib . maceris an. ℥ j. aloes ℥ ss. vitriol . alb. ℥ iij . give all four dayes infusion and then distill them in balneo . to this distilled water , take little peeces of tutia , heat them red hot in a new iron spoon , and extinguish them in this water , with nine repetitions , leaving your tutia at the last extinction in the water , and so reserve it for your use . a blind man may see the vertues of this water , a drop thereof being often put into his eys . it cures all opthalmies , gumms , salt tears , pearles , &c. in your first stomaticall course , i told you of a new hermeticall method in curing diseases ( which i have often practiz'd on infants and extream feeble patients ) only by externall remedies , without any internall praesidio : whereby i will undertake , and maintain , that any disease , either acute ▪ chronical , or astralis , ( where no malignity praedominates ) may be perfectly , and with far less expence to nature eradicated . and that all exteriour affects , as ulcers , wounds , &c. may be brought to an exact sanation without any locall application , but meerly by a magneticall sympathy . this opinion i know will be better than a gig to our modern methodists to provoke laughter : but let them beware , in their laughter they revive not the example of z●uxis that famous painter , who imitating the deformity of an old tripefac'd beldam , whose arch'd chin supported the fall of her nose , and the want of teeth gave her tongue liberty to drown her mumping eloquence with dribling oratory ; every eye likewise being so retir'd , that their gravity eclypsed all suspect of lightness . when he had finish'd this master-peece , and wrought it so neer to the life , that art had almost lost her interest in it ; he was so overcome with the extravagancy of his pensills perfection , that bursting into a violent laughter , he let out his soul to animate his pourtraict . thus perchance the extravagancy of our art mixt with perfection , may draw some of them to a violent laughter : but i fear t will be sardinian . faith if they laugh ! i must do as fools do , and laugh for company : yet with a more hearty laughter , as was of that of chrysippus , when he saw an ass forsake sweet grass and fall to thistles . apply who will . here ( purpose bringing me upon it ) to make this new art more speculative , and my opinion more apparent , i will give you an ocular instance . in all opthalmies where a plethora doth indicate evacuation , we have an hermeticall opthalmick water whereof three drops put into the eye hath these three properties . first per {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} it causeth a universall revulsion of the humor peccant , which flows to the part affected . secondly by a repulsion it resists the flux of humors . lastly , per {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} it makes an insensible discussion of those humors already compacted and coagulated in the eye . now they will not only laugh , but conclude i am mad ; to say that the dropping water in the eyes can purge per {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . if this seeme so strange to them , perchance i may shortly present them with a monster ( yet no {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} ) whose smell only shall excite intestin●ll evacuations . to shew that i am not in choller , therefore , with methodicall obstinacy , which jeeres at truth , to blinde their ignorance ; ● will drink to them in a cup of our hermeticall claret . ℞ . caryoph . nuc. mosch. m●ceris an. ℥ j. ss. zinzib . cardamom . an. ℥ ss. coriand . praep. anisi faenicul . an. ʒiij . diptamni zedoariae rad angel . an. ʒij . flor. rosmarin . bugloss . an. p.ij. tabel . arom . ros. ℥ j. sacchar . alb. lb. j. all grosly beaten , put them into a glass vessell with lbiiij . or five of the best wine of candia , or good canary ; set them the space of two or three dayes in balneo tepido . then pass it two or three times through a hippocras bag . which done , mix therewith of the spirits of roses essentiated with musk and amber ; then put it up into vessells for your use . one or two spoonfulls taken of this in a morning , corroborates all the animall , vitall , and naturall faculties . hence it conduceth to all cephalicall affects : as also to all cardialgiae , lipothimiae , sincopi , &c. 't is excellent in all weakness crudityes , and ventosities of the stomack . it corroborates the liver and spleen and cures all cachexies , hypochondriacall melanchollies , and hystericall passions . it preserves from the pestilence , worms , and all sorts of putrifactions . i must not here omit the recreating of your sences by some externall perfumes : accept therefore of these pomanders . ℞ . styrac . calam . landan . an. ʒj.ss . benzoesʒj . garyoph . macis lig. aloes flor. lavend. an. ℈ . ss. moschi ambrae an. g. iiij . gum . tragac. in aq . ros. dissolut . q.s. terebint . parum . in a hot mortar make them up into a pomander , according to art . if that please not , make use of this ℞ . ladaniʒij . styrac . cal . ʒj.ss . benzoes thuris succin . alb. lig. aloes ros. rub . lig. cypres . cinamom . garyophil . an. ℈ .ij. ambrae moschi an. g.v. with gum tragacanth dissolved in spir. of roses , q.s. make them up into small trochisks ; one of which cast upon the coals fills your chamber with a gratefull odour . or this , ℞ . thuris lig. aloes styr . cal. an. ℥ ss. styr . liq . ʒvj . laudan . ℥ j. ss. ambrae moschi an. g. vij . carbonum tiliae , vel salicis ℥ j. tragacant . ℥ ss. your gum dissolved in spirit of roses with a little s. of w. make them up into little roles like small candles . or use this water . ℞ . aq. rosar . lb iij . vin. malvat. lb. ss. flor. lavend. spicae an. ℥ ij . cort. citri ℥ ss. rad. ireosʒij . cinamom nuc. mosch. styr . calam . an. ʒss . after ten dayes infusion , distill them , putting in the nose of your alembick , musk and amber an. ℈ j. this water you may mix with common water for your hands or face ; or put some of it in a perfuming pot , the vapour whereof will recreate your sences with a delightfull aer . if none of those perfumes please you , i must call for my hermeticall cabinet , where i think to finde a balsam shall please you all in despite of your noses . ℞ . butyr . gelsom . ℥ ss. essent . flor . citri . essent . cort. citri . ess. cinamom . ol. nuc. mosch. essent . rosar . an. ℈ . ss. flor. benzoin . ℈ .j. essent . moschi essent . ambrae essent . zibettae an. ℈ . ss. these in some small mortar , sine calore you shall mix well together : and then reserve it in some silver box to your use . with this you may rub your gloves , handkerchief , or any thing else about you . when the barber elevates your mustachoes , this wil● be of singular use , making your whiskers stand up most sweetly . in time of pestilence it will be very serviceable , and where it layes hold it will a long time stick to your coat . here since i have taken you by the nose , i must hold you a little longer : for i have a secret to reveal to you , but it will trouble your brains , and therefore i doubt you will take it in snuff . yet as it concerns the health both of your soul and body , i am bound in conscience to reveal it : make good use of it therefore for my sake , and i le promise you every one shall pray for you . pulvis sternutatorius . ℞ . sem. nigel . helleb . alb. an. ℈ .j. majoranae . rosmarin . salviae an. ʒss . moschi g. iij . fiat pulvis . s.a. these and such like neesing powders are never to be used but fasting : for you know , fasting and praying go always together . this following is safer and better : but you will be the less praid for , ℞ . pyrethri ℈ . ss. helleb . nig . ʒj . nasturt . ʒss . fiat pulvis . tye it in a peece of fine cloath , and steep it in rose water , and by smelling to it , it gently provokes sternutation . here i have another dish for some body which perchance little dreams of it , ℞ . quatuor sem. frig. maj . an. ℥ ij . sem. papav. alb. lb. ss. lactucae ℥ iiij . hyoschyam . ℥ ij . flor. nymph . violarum . rosar . rub . papav. rhead . an. p.iiij. flor. sambuci . sūmitat . rutae an. p.ij. macis nuc. moschat . benzoini an. ʒvj . all grosly beaten infuse them four dayes in aqua rosar . lactucae nenupharis papav. rheadis an. lb. ij . then strein it with a strong expression , to which you shall adde requies nich. ℥ ss. croci orient . mumiae an. ʒiij . camphorae castorei . an.ʒj. being well mixt , distill them according to art . the dose is ℥ ij . at your wonted hour of rest . this spoils all your watches : silenceth your clocks , and makes you lose more time then you think of : the best property it hath , is , it makes a man forget all wrongs . all that is bad in it is this , that who ever takes of it he will be no more good for any thing a long time after . this is far safer and of better effect than any of the vulgar narcoticks , and it emulates our hermeticall laudanum , mitigating all internal dolours , inflammations , inquietudi●i , &c. gentlemen , i did let your noses go a little too soon : here is a bloudy action put in against them , which may cost some of you your lives . i should be very sorry to see any of my guest throw away themselves by their own weakness . believe me t is to be pittyed , and i would spend part of my best bloud to save them . whensoever therefore prodigious drops of bloud shall fall from the upper region of the microcosme , knock at our hermeticall cabinets door : for there you shall finde a sympaticall powder , which increaseth both in quantity and quality every time you make use of it : one dragm of which is sufficient for an army . 't is to be preserv'd in some little box in your pocket , and when your nose bleeds let but a drop or two fall on this powder : then put up the box presently from the aer , and you shall find your bloud stop miraculously . and thus it cures all fluxes of bloud either of man or woman without any other helps . and this i have here inserted , to adde a nerve to the truth of our former opinion . here when i call to minde the malice of ignorance , i could play the montinbanco and draw teeth . but from whom ? not from my guess ! but from the jawes of those {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} whose canine and rabid envy like that of timonus the athenian man-hater ( quod nihil ingratius animo concipiat quam erga homines benevolum ac beneficum deum se habere , eosque prosperè ac feliciter prospiciat degere ) runs snarling and biting at every man . nay nature her self cannot pass them ! but because she is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and favours man with the use of her secrets , they hourly labour to discredit her , and ruin her reputation with their malignant calumnies . but she is so well armed with her panacaeae , and truths arcani , that in vain with aesops dog they do but bark at the moon . while i was student in padoua , upon many particular occasions , i have often tasted of that bitter galenicall envy against hermeticall discipline . amongst which this was one . walking one day in the garden of simples , with one of the professours of that academy in physick : ( and none of the simplest neither ) we gathered our discourse out of our mothers aperne : where i by chance taking up the herb heliotropium ( whose name discovers his solar sympathy ) it gave me occasion to sublimate the terrestriety of our discourse into celestiall influences , where rising from the bare and elementary vertues of herbs an other vegetables ▪ we flew up at last unto their occult qualities : where i made sure account to have adorn'd the naked wings of my quaesiti , with the choisest feathers of this old asclepians answers . i entred him upon the signatures of vegetables and mineralls , telling him how many miraculous cures i had seen from sympatical remedies , to the great amazement of the ignorant , and to the greater elogie of hermetick , whose enucleating curiosity had thus stole into natures most secret mysteries . the good man was so suddenly cholerick to hear me attribute any truth or belief to sympaticall physick , that he had no leasure to answer me with patience ; but , calling me paracelsian , he began very galenically to rail in method against our hermetick discipline : telling me that if i had ever read galen or hippocrates , i should impart little honour to any of our chymiatri , or impyricall charletaines , who contemning rationall method , apply themselves wholly to venimous mineralls , magick spells , and diabolicall characters . our art , in that university being prohibited ! i durst not cure those broken heads with our balsamicall reasons , which he so desperately wounded with the blunt beetle of ignorance . but letting him run on his heat ; his over angry tongue had so bastonadoed his teeth , that at last they silenc'd him with a vendicative dolor . nature i think visiting his ignorance on purpose to shew him the experience of her sympaticall secrets . here like the samaritan i took out a little violl from the pharmacopaea of my pocket , and profer'd to lend him ease . imagine with what scorn he contemn'd my younger practise : but bidding me follow him to the apothecaries , i should see he was not destitute of remedies far better than any of my impyricall fopperies . there he made a mixture of theriaca with a grain or two of opium , with which he fill'd the hollow vault of his ruin'd tooth . this by the narcoticall sulphur of the opium , stupefied the nerve , and so for a while mock'd his martyr'd sence with a seeming ease : which brought him presently into the vanity of his secret encomium , asking me how long i would undertake to dig before i found a mineral so rarely qualify'd . i laughing ask'd how long it might be before he expected the return of his currier : at which very instant , his opiate was now overcome ; and his dolour answer'd him in a duplicate . once more i abused him with curtesie , and desired him to make use of my sympaticall unguent : praying him but to draw bloud from his aking tooth with his tooth-picker , and make a resignation of the stick to me ; i would return him an acquittance of his dolor , without any locall application . my oportunity at last won his obedience : and his toothpick was no sooner buried in my sympaticall vnguent , but a sudden ease contradicted his expectation . who , like a crocodyle , when i had picked the dolor out of his teeth , he was like to have swallowed me up with his malitious oratory : telling me that this cure was diabolicall , answerable to our hermetick doctrine ; and advised me not to make farther use of it , but to content my practise with rationall galenicall ingredients . i must confess it angred me to hear a philosopher so lost in obstinacy , who blushed not to repay the vse of natures secrets , with ingratitude . his ignorance gave my teeth such an {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , that i could never since masticate a galenicall sallad . gentlemen , i hope you are more rationall , and better natured : and when a tooth pains you , will rather make use of our sympaticall unguent , than draw it out . in this my cephalicall course , twenty to one but some old lady will be looking for a dish to renovate natures defac'd master-peece with some artificiall shadow : or to illuminate her microcosmical map with the superficiall beauty of our hermeticall tinctures . to say the truth , i had prepared many dishes for this effect : but my fear was lest some of our younger beauties ( whose perfection is so compleat that nature her self hath many years since confessed she cannot adde unto it ) would ▪ for want of more substantiall pastimes , fall a dappling with our spagiricall accidents : and like ambitious painters , which never thinking their retraits finished , with too much curiosity spoil the whole peece . indeed i should be heartily sorry to see a good face marr'd for want of a play-fellow . to such pregmaticall fansies therefore i will shortly ( god willing ) make a present , wherein they shall finde such variety of intertainment , that i doubt not but many a fair face will thank me for it . in the mean time i wish that their busie heads may nor abuse the innocencie of their beauty , cheating themselves of natures treasure under a colour of fair dealing . the desire therefore which i have to see such beauties flourish in their meridian , hath made me lose many a nights sleep in contemplation , before i could attain to their true externall prophylactick . i sent the embassadours of my fansie through every part of the world for vegetables , mineralls , semimineralls , fukes , belletti , smegmatick secrets , vnctions , pomadoes , waters , any thing that had or might be practized in that nature . faith i found all to be but curtains to a good picture , which only kept the dust from it , but eclypsed the glory of it . yet i could not rest thus satisfyed , but perswaded my self that nature had given all things their preservatives . in which contemplation i called to minde how that celestiall beauty , the sun , used no other art but fair water , morning and evening washing his bright rayes in that fountain the sea . this then as natures best secret for maintaining a lively , ruddy ▪ cleer , and snowy skin , i freely impart to all faire faces : wishing them to make some clear fountain their painter , and to dabble there as long as they please : remembring that they make not that , their glass of philautia ; and so sacrifice their good faces to narcissus . the third course hepaticall . see what a merry gossip health is ! she is alwayes exciting us to mirth . i have already wandred through two parts of the world with her : in which pilgrimage my ●ides are so larded with the fat operation of ●er good diet , mixt with the extravagancies of ●er ridiculous mirth , that with a months hard ●odging i might very well supply the defect ●f a christmass brawner . and now she hath ●ut me in this good plight , i must not leave ●er neither . if i but speak of parting , she ●enies me my billeto di sanita . then she ●ugs me , kisseth me , bids me rowse up my ●pirits , laugh , sing , dance , and let care go a ●atter-wauling . she swears that she is in love with my good diet ▪ and doteth on the temperance of my youth : and tells me that i shall do very ill to leave her , that have so often protested that i could not live well without her . faith i felt all this to be true ! and though i knew her to be a noted strumpet● one that would sell herself to any man for a little good diet. besides how inconstant she was drawing every mans eyes upon her to corrupt her ; and letting every boy lye with her . again ▪ accustomed to feed on the best and would not be brought out of her good diet ; but if she misliked her feeding , leave a man . yet considering that she was of good bloud , honest parentage , alwayes well disposed , and of good breeding ; full of mirth , a●●fable , not subject to any ill humors fair , and of a pure complexion . her vertues being equivalent with her vices ; i fell so far in love with her , that i made her lady of my desires & in short time she won so far upon me , that she govern'd me , and withall made me so fond of her , that if i were absent but a minute from her me thought i was sick . in fine ▪ let her be in what humor she would , i was her morpheus , and imitated : if she slep'd so did i . if she were distempered ▪ so was i● and being thus lost in the labyrinth of love : let her wander where she please i have vow'd to follow , humor her , and beat her charges . thus captivated there did i fall in the veines of poesy . the magick of my mistris eyes made me no more apologize : but at a look , where ere she went , follow i must , or lose content . here toth' hepatick land shee 'd go , where delicacies overflow : and there she promis'd i should see mars in a box of quidini . next venus court , whereas i might in time with cupid lose my sight . but ear these wonders i could see i first an israelite must be , and pass the mercy of a floud which some baptize the sea of bloud . there i was sea-sick and would fain with healths permission ope a veine : no she would no such bloudy trick , sheed first for company be sick ; empty my stomack , and she said the red-seas fury would be laid . after those waves had plai'd their sport , at last they brought us to a port whose milky torrent drove us in to loves restoring magazin . here sweet health laughs , gives me a buss , and bids me hug my genius ; then shews where venus hid her treasure , some for health and some for pleasure , next her temple ( whereat she bowes ) then her altar , then her vowes , ( upon which altar , a chalice stood brim full of desperate lovers bloud ) bids me be modest , shut mine eyes , lest i were call'd to sacrifice . and here she shew'd that fatall well wherein she said narcissus fell . hence in al haste my love departs and ushers out the queen of hearts , whose deity was magnifi'd by a rich train of courtly pride . her whiteboy cupid flew before to ●orce all strangers to adore his mothers beauty ; for which intent his bow was alwayes ready bent . next came intemp●rance with a cup of ruddy nectar : drinks it up , and then growes wanton : at me she ran and kist me twise . here health began to swell look big , and puffing to me said , i was to blame to kiss loves chambermaid . i prai'd my mistris not to take it ill : since she kist me , 't was manners to stand still . in this distemper venus came , who calls my mistris by her name , and ask'd where she that youngster had which made her maid intemp'rance mad . quoth health , a stranger t is , would be a pupill in your nursery . venus straight swore , hee 's patron here , such guest we have not every year : my family is so decai'd that i am forc'd to wo my maid intemperance , to bring me in some able sparks a gossiping . here venus kist me , and protests for health sake shee 'd obey my heasts , her mars from hence as old shee 'd quite deny , i was chief member of her family . she bids intemp'rance to retire , and charge her cooks to lay toth' fire their egge-pyes , marrows , armed fishes , what they thought restoring dishes . to see her dining chamber were perfum'd against guest entred there , and to express our wellcome more , bad her strew rushes at the door . then to her palace she invites the fury of our appetites . here health corrupted was she said by a strong phylter from loves maid , and therefore follow'd , gins to dance , and kisses sweet intemperance . entring , stood hercules at the door as portar , and a lambs skin wore . no sooner in , but venus she kist me again to welcome me . first by the kitchin dore we past , where i a sheepish eye did cast upon the cooks ( fair ladies all ) so busie at the funerall of hot potatoes , young cock sparrows , whose graves they dig'd in pyes of marrow . that men interr'd by such a strong refection must needs expect a speedy resurrection . some which delighted not in pyes were knuckle deep in quidinyes . there geladini , consummadi , cockbroth , caudles , pineoladi , eggs and amber , maqueroni avec gallorum coglioni made those sweet laydes sweat and labour so that every juncture seem'd in balneo . health whisper'd here into mine ear , and said those meats i must forbear , lest that temptation should at length force me to go beyond my strength . hence passing up to loves sweet chamber , where every step was musk , and amber , venus to vary her sweet blisses , numbred our steps with sugred kisses , and when we entred at the door she multiplied a thousand more . there a round table spread i found with diaper hanging to the ground , where the first course did ready lye epecting hungers battery . venus uncover'd all her dishes , better cheer for me she wishes , bids me fall to : then guides my hand into a dish of marzapan . my appetite being up , i fed like one new risen from the dead . and had 't not been for eggs and ling i had indanger'd surfeiting . venus there saw i was distasted , whispers to cupid ; who streight hasted , brings , sweet waters in a dish for us to wash after our fish . after a cup or two of wine , a kiss , a smile , in little time the second course here enter'd in . i fed as i had famish'd been . my hunger was so sharply set i laid about me till i sweat . venus so taken was at this my mouth she oft stopt with a kiss . swearing i was a well-come guest , whose hunger did commend her feast . health was content that i should here participate of venus cheere , until she saw a third course come , then shee 'd have had me left the roome . m' herculean pillar there she said that i must streight put up , and non plus ultra cry . how to please both i could not tell , venus i lov'd , and health aswell . if i neglected what was there love thought i scorn'd such homely fare ; if i exceeded 't was a chance but health would scorn m'intemperance . here i grew dull , and very sad . venus or drunk , or else half mad , claps in my spoon into a pot of perfum'd gelly scalding hot , and cri'd t was a restoring bit for such as diet health with wit . i curst a pox upon her gelly , wish'd spoon and pot within her belly , gave her knocks which made her ly for half an hour in extasy , flung down the table , split her dishes , rent all her napkins , burn'd the rushes , broke cupids head , & call'd health whore , made her drink drunk and sleep inth'dore : then up i went , call'd bacchus in , where he and i afresh begin . mars hid himself within the barrel , let out the wine to make us quarrell ▪ bacchus begins a double glass unto my mistress sanitas , i swore i 'd pledge it full as deep , and make her drink it in her sleep . health in a dream here stagring up made venus rise : then takes my cup and challeng'd bacchus . venus she fill'd cupids quiver ▪ and challeng'd me with a deep draught , a good yard long , of bristow milk , pleasant but strong , whose practise made her heave it in , as though 't had but a spoonful been . half spent before , i could not stand , against this bachanalian , i still gave back , and durst not venture , fearing i should not reach the center . venus the slut begins to boast , and ask if i would have a toast . or if i 'd have a neats-tongue pie , the which she said would make me drie , to save my credit ( for i saw a womans will would hear no law , and though it were a veniall sin , drunk or sober shee 'd hav 't in ) to it i went , and at first bout i suck'd but half the quiver out . she smil'd and bad me try again . i fear'd the breaking of a vein . yet this i saw , that she was laid and could not stand ; yet must be paid , swearing't should cost another fall but she would see me take up all . mad girl quoth i , then drink 't i wooll although it wear a pulpit full . heer 's to thy mars . were vulcan up wee 'd make his horn our second cup . and know that i am none of those which sleep when th'glass is at their nose oh how she hugg'd me for that word ! but lo comes health arm'd with her sword and vows if that we do not fly , mars would be at us by and by . for she had spi'd in bacchus butt a man lye arm'd from head to foot , and asking bacchus who t was there , he trembling said god mars i fear . tush let him come out of his barrell quoth venus ! i le maintain your quarrel what do you tremble at his sight ? my courtiers must expect to fight . at this boy bacchus staggers up , and forc'd my mistris tother cup . i flung a bowle of sack in 's eyes , and bad him learn to temporize : here bacchus flung me to the ground , his barrell broke , the hoops ran round , god mars awak'd , and out he comes , where head gainst head excus'd for drums . health here was wounded ; so was i. venus fell in a lethargy , the loss of bloud made mars retire . bacchus still cast new coals inth'fire . a bloudy fray there had you seen , if somnus had not entred in , who did his heavy club advance and knock'd us all into a trance . sanitas was dreaming here of bacchus bowles and venus cheer , so whilst i slep'd , she stole away three hours before the break of day . out of this trance when i awak'd , my brains they crow'd , my back that ak'd . i felt for health ; look'd under th' bed , faith she was gone . there i halt dead cald cupid : told him i was dry , pray him to bring some quidiny . the jacknapes boy gave a blind look , bad me to 's mother , she was cook . i flung my slippers at his head and weakly crawling out the bed i crope to venus chamber door 〈…〉 to enter as before . she thrust me back , and swore shee 'd see what arms i bare ear in i be . i knew 't was death for any one to bring toth' privie chamber a pocket pistoll in. therefore i durst not strive to enter lest that my firelock peradventer should take fire : but only ask'd if she knew where my sanitas might be . alas quoth venus corne you here to seek for health ! since fifteen year i never saw that sober lass your diaetetick sanitas , go home and fast with bread and water , you 'l see your mistris will come after . did not i tell you gentlemen what an inconstant baggage this health was . she was not only content to entice me to a bawdy house and there leave me ; but she must rob me of my poetry too . well she shall not scape me thus . rather than lose her i le follow her in prose : for in that disguise i may chance to recover her , since the very name of a poet makes her hide her self in the buttery . i know this is but a trick of hers to make me forsake venus court and follow her : for i remember at her parting she seemed much distempered only at the sight of venus , wishing her as far as naples . had she not spoke that in cold bloud i should have had little reason to believe her ; since i ever found her venus bosome friend , and alwayes alluring me to her court . nay i could never rest for her , untill she had entred me there : where for her sake i was content to do any thing , and yet the peevish slut would ever be hitting me in the teeth with my inconstancy ; though she know t was for her sake i first became dishonest . i think few men would do so much for a mistriss as i have done for her . i was content to lead my obedience into the race of her method : where i alwayes run one course , fed upon one dish , exercised but once a day , drunk but one sort of drink , never flattered appetite with more sawces than one , wch was hunger : & yet this precise girle would not be content . let her dance over her monologies with her lean sister temperantia and she will . for my part if i but finde her again , i le teach her another course of life : she shall be glad to dance after my pipe , or i le make her heart bloud smart for it . to go back again to venus court to seek her , i have no inclination in the world : neither doth hope give me any assurance of finding her there . yet find her i must that 's certain , or else all will not go well . i am almost of opinion that if i could but regulate my self according to the custome of these hepatick inhabitants , and settle my self wel here but one forty days , and let health run out her course , that in the end she would come sweating to me again . but i fear i shall not digest their hard diet. the other day in a hungry humor i was looking about in the cooks shops here for some choise bit : faith i could find nothing but dry livers , and a kind of black burnd broath they made which was bis●cotto . i asked the cooks what they did with the rest of their better meat ? they said that i was come in a very ill hour , and that they had already sent all their best provision to the cardiacall princes court . yea thought i ! here is no abode for me : i le none of your chew'd meat . hence wandring up and down in this bloody land ; i came at length into a passage so narrow , that at every step i gal'd my elboes . the bitterness of the passage , and the fury it put me into made my legs make many a motion to begon out of it . as hasty as i was , i could go but slowly , every lim being over-loaden with passion . if i had ●et my mistris there , i had beaten her out of all reason . i thought this had been the way to venus hospitall , it made me sweat so : but in over●oing a little more labour i found it was a ●lind passage to mars his arsenall . where i was no sooner entred , but i fell in choler with ajax lieutenant of the guard for stain●ng my stockins ▪ here i saw a great number of fachini strongly loaden with vast baskets on their shoulders , hasting to a little bitter well , where ● saw them open their burdens , taking somewhat out of their baskets , dipping of it in the water , and presently retiring of it again . my curiosity was upon thorns to understand the mystery of their exercise . so that drawing towards them and discovering their baskets to be full of humane tongues , i asked one of them what secret might be inclos'd in that bitter ceremony . quoth he ! the women of the hepatick●and ( being all sanguine and me●ry gossips ) one day at a publike feast in venus court were all so silenc'd by the thundring rodom●n●adoes of the garrison souldiers of mars his arsenall , that their tongues grew cold for want of motion . here they call'd a counsell among themselves , how they might arrive to this braving humor . a virago start up , and perswaded them that the best , and readiest way was to single out one of those souldiers from his cameradi , and said she i le undertake with the smell only of a baston to make him confess where they stole our female treasure o● talking and how they became so nimble linguists . this was approved of by all , and suddenly executed . they made venus call up one of those garrison so●ldiers into her chamber , there they all set their tongues on a wheel , and run upon him with so violent a prologue that thunder seemed still musick to it . the souldier , accustomed to such storms , answered their thunder with such a rimbombo , that his ecco's eat up their audience . here my virago takes him by the bigoteroes ▪ and by vertue of a bed-staf● first char'd him to be more masculine , and let silence skin his tongue which over galld with his continuall motion , and then give them leave to talk to whom other arms were prohibited . next quoth she i conjure thee by this fearfull maedusa's head of thine ( for he was a spaniard ) to reveal truly unto us , where you with the rest of your companions have learned this womanish art , and verball bravery . my poor d●● promises upon his knees , if they would omit violence he should discover how and where he was thus possest . venus her self secured him that no hand should be guilty of injury , only let him disclose his secret . why then quoth he , you must first know that our court of guard in mars his arsenall , when nature first practised chymistry , was her laboratory . mars being troubled with too many white-liver'd souldiers ( such as durst never serve but in some garrison where there was never any likely-hood of imployment ) one day discoursing merrily with dame nature concerning the philosophers stone , he told her that his curiosity led him not into those golden vanities ; so that his souldiers were paid , heed never mo●l for other treasure . but quoth he if i thought your skill afforded any secret to arm a coward with valour , i should gladly carry coales and be your pupill . in that , quoth nature you speak of impossibilities ▪ for those kind of men are composed of a mettal so dull cold and saturnine , that like salamanders , they resist and extinguish our actuating fires : so that i am ever fain to thrust them into the world do bak'd . yet said she , this i can do ; i will make you a spagiricall water which shall give cowardize an externall tincture of valour : into which let the dullest spirited man in your camps but dip his tongue , and he shall seem another m●gaera ; and maintain in a souldiers stile that the valour of achilles , and the labours of hercules were but a game at cudggells in comparrison of those conquests , siedges , batteryes , assaults , skirmishes , amboschadoes , pitch'd-battells , combats , sea-fights , duells , &c. which the world can witness his arm to be the author of . now as i am a souldier , quoth mars , this secret must not be lost . and though in our actions 't will lend us but little succour ; yet be it only to delight our collonels , and commanders at a siege , when they want pastime to call one of these rodomontadi into their tents , and hear him batter castles with his tongue , it will be very acceptable to me if you please to favour me with it . nature told him , very willingly , and withall desir'd his patience to stand by , and see the operation , which she promised him would be very delightfull to him . then she first took of tongues and galls of bulls . bears . wolves . dogs . magpies . dawes . parretts . parrakitoes . iayes . cuckoes . nightingales . an. n. j. from vegetables she took these herbs cynoglossum . hippoglossum . arnoglossum . buglossum . ophioglossum an. m. j. from reptilia animalia she took of the tongues and tailes of vipers . adders . snakes . lizards an. num . j. from spagiricall compositions she took of aurum fulminans . aqua fortis . gunpowder . an. lb. j. from every great bell she took a clapper , from every apothecaries great mortar she took a pestell . these she mixt all with the former ; and then luted them up in great bells , and so calcin'd them in the aetna . the ashes of which she dissolv'd in a water distilled from all the violent torrents and after filtrated it first through the leaves of calepine ( to make her operation the more verball ) then through twelve new moons , thereby to attract the essence of their change and variable inconstancy . being well filtrated , she distil'd all through a trumpet , and then separated the phlegma as unprofitable in this work . the spirits which remained , she put into the mouth of a canon , closly luting it sigillo hermetico , and then circulated them twelve years in the primum mobile : where contrary to our spagiricall circulating fires , they became more agile , mobile , and volatile . those spirits thus circulated she mixt with a mouthfull of the quintessence of every erratick star . then she opened the graves of all new deceased lawyers , charlitani , tripe-wives , oyster-wives , and such like talkative people ; cut out all their tongues , and with the skins thereof she made a great bladder ; which bladder she strongly luted with drum-heads ; and then fill'd it up with storms , tempests whirl-winds , thunders , lightnings ▪ &c. those for their better incorporation she set ( twelve other years ) in a ruff sea in fermentation . which finished , she mixt these with the former : and to be sure there should not remain the lest breath of phlegma , she rectified them every day thrice in a balneo of quick-silver twelve other years . lastly , to inrabiate the whole elixir , and make it the more canine , she cut a vein under the tongue of the dog-star , drawing from thence a pound of the most cholerick , adust , and maligne bloud ; from which she sublimated the spirits , & after mixt them with the fome of a mad dog . then incorporating all together , she return'd them into the former bladder , stitching it up only with the nerves of socrates his wife . and thus she finished her operation , and presented it to mars ; bad him put it into any spring , well or fountain , and it should suddenly contaminate the water with that talkative vertue . mars presently ( said the souldier ) put it into our well here in the court of guard in his arsenall , and commanded the better part of his souldiers once in the year to dip their tongues in this water , whereby ( quoth he ) fair ladyes i became so bitter a linguist . and said he ▪ if this be the ground of your ●uarrell ▪ i wish that all your tongues were perboiled in that water that so you might ne●er be taken prisoners by that dull enemy si●ence . here , the women had no patience to thank him ; but turning him speedily out of the chamber ( as having what they looked for ) they presently began a new to consult , how they might get their tongues washed in this well ; knowing that it was prohibited for any of their sex to enter mars his arsenall . some of them ( whose itching tongues could not admit of delay ) longing to have a lick at this water , stole privatly out of the chamber , and home they ran ; put on their husbands breetches , and a way to mars they went , took pay , and were admitted into his court of guard . the rest , concluded , that venus , having a great command over mars , should petitionate to him that all the womens tongues ( of the hepatick land ) might once in the year be dipt into his lexicon to make them talkative . mars for venus sake ( being resolved likewise never to marry ) gave them licence ; but upon promise they would send their tongues but once a year , and never to come personally . and thus , said the fachin , once a year i and my camaradi ( we having purchas'd the monopoly ) gain more upon this day than our familyes can consume all the year following : not a woman omitting the day appointed , to send their tongues , with a double fee ; to have them the better washed . this amazed me more than any thing i had hitherto seen in my travells . and indeed , the strangness of it had eat up my belief , had i not heard the tongues which he had washed lie● ▪ scolding in his basket . then i asked this fac●ino whether he had ever washed his wives tongue yet ? oh quoth he , she could never sleep untill she had it : insomuch that i am glad to wash mine own tongue twice for her once , and yet not able to silence her . upon this i desired him to give me a little bottle of that water to carry into my country as a rarity . by no means quoth he , for it will make you run mad and scold withall you meet . why then said i are not all your women mad ? marry replied he so they are , more or less , according to my descretion in washing them . i began to thank iove here , that this well was so far from our country : though i did suspect that some of them had been licking here . the generall love therefore which i bare to that sex , made me in pitty , not able to see their tongues so infected ; but drawing my sword i beat away more than a hundred of those tongue-loaden knaves , which were coming to this well : ( presuming that some wittall or other would put me in his prayers for it ) and then knowing i had committed an errour by drawing my sword in the arsenall , out i ran all in choler , and as yellow as a kites leg. i had not gone far from thence , but i met my wandring mistris sanitas with a double tertian on her back . she perceived that i had been lately in choler , which made her come shaking to me , and excuse her long absence with trembling apologies . i took her by the hand ( which fear had benum'd with a sleepy chilness ) and asked her why she trembled so ? oh quoth she , the fear which i have that you will not keep me , turns me all into a gelly . so that the organ pipe of your breath only makes me answer you in quavers . the poor girl lent me such pittifull looks , that i had a feeling of her misery : wherefore i presently eased her of the burden of her song , and took a tertian on my back , in place of a knap-sack , and away we went to seek out some charitable hospitall . thus thinking speedily to depart out of the torrid-zone of this hepatick land contra●y to expectation we found all the passages stopt , by a great inundation of waters : an affliction surely sent from heaven to punish those corrupt livers . this made us lye at anchor one month the longer : where i had much ado to keep life in my mistris sanitas , finding no provision there that was edible , all things being so unsavory with those brackish waters , that what ever we put into our mouths nature thought time lost in masticating them . hence not only we , but all the inhabitants grew weak , some pale , some greenish ▪ others yellow , and black , all sickly , for want of our fomer good nourishment . it would have mollified a heart of adamant to have seen those matchless beauties of this clymate ▪ young lasses of fourteen years , ruddy and sanguine ▪ have their virgin beauties eclypsed by the green mantle of loves standing pool . yong married wives whose tender palates having been lately accustomed to feed on fresh and dainty bits , now finding their markets ill served , with dull and sapless sallads ; their beccarii full of drowned calves whose flagging , and flashy flesh , scarce sweet , their dogs formerly would not have gap'd at : not able to subsist with this course diet , rather chuse to feed upon green fruits , and frutta nova , untill at last their forbidden diet bring them into a tympany . young lusty batchelours here , which entered into pension at other mens tables , never remembring this generall inundation , but finding their diet altered , their meat rank , stale , and of a fishly savor ; they suspecting the cause to be their hostesses desire of gain , forsake her table straggle up and down , taking here a snap , and there a snap , untill at last many littles of what is bad , corrupt them making them perfect pythagorists and abhor all flesh ever after . gentlemen , if any of you be travellers , and curiosity lead you at any time to visit the hepatick dominions , see first in the map of my travells whether you can make any observations profitable for so dangerous , and desperate a voyage ▪ read my description of venus court , and see if her entertainment can allure you out of your country . and when you go , be sure to make health your mistirss , and when you come to venus table , let not that wanton hostess intise you to disorder . or if she do ▪ do not drink your mistriss drunk that she might not be jealous , and then play false under nose . have a speciall care likewise that you be not too familiar with that lady venus , for she is mistris unto the viceroy spiritus naturalis , of those hepatick territoryes , who will play the tyrant if he take you napping : bringing you first on your knees to a publike confession , and then delivering you into the hands of the tormentor , who puts you into a little hole like a tub , and feeds you with nothing but dry musty crufts , and puddle water , the very smell whereof puts you into symptomaticall sweats . there hee 'l smoak you like a bacon hog : and for fourty dayes you must expect twice a day to be stewed in your own grease . believe me every bone will have a feeling of his torments , and though at last he relieve you , yet you shall never be your own man again . if you incounter with bacchus ( as he is never from venus court ) be sure that your first cup be a parting cup . and for mars come not near him , lest you grow cholerick , and so be inflamed , to your great loss of bloud . this hepatick land is so delicious , and bewitching , that few young men return from hence without a calenture . considering therefore how many strong and well-fleshed bodies are brought low in the torrid-zone of this hepatick land , i have altogether laboured in this third course to feed you as venus fed me , onely with restoratives , that you may travell more cheerfully with me unto the cardiacall court . but first that you may examine the honesty of our splenditore , i shall desire you here to over-see what hepaticall ingredients he hath brought out of galens market , before he deliver them to the cook , and his lardery ▪ that so if the cook and he should afterwards play false ; you may find it in your dishes . hepaticall ingredients which heat and corroborate a colde weak liver . agrimon . absinth . capill . ♀ salvia . cuscuta . asarum . schaenant . spica . agerat . faenicul . apium . asparag . eupator . avicen . helenicum . flos tunicis . vvae pas . pistachia . sem. calida . cal. aromat. cassia lig . cinamom . aromata omnia . nucl . persic . lig. indic . sassafras . rad. chinae . sassaparill . such as cool and strengthen a hot liver . endivia . cichoria . scariota . dens leon . portulac . rosae . violae . nimphaea . acetosa . fragaria . sem. frig. hordeum . santal . camphor . pom. gran . ribes . berberis . melones . cerasa . acetum . serum capr . now that our liquid restoratives may run down with a better relish , we will first fall to our biscuit . and for this purpose our cook here presents you with a french biscuit , which he hath borrow'd from a french cook ; and to make it the more sympaticall with your diet , he gives it here another heat . ℞ . of the purest flower , lb. ss. of the whitest sugar , ℥ iiij . cream of pinioli . cream of pistacks cream of almonds . an. ℥ j. oil of annise . an. g. x. oil of cinamon . an. g. x. with four or five fresh eggs beaten together in almond milk made with rosewater , mix all together , s.a. of which make your biscuit in what shape you please , and then recommend it to the oven . next comes in play a martiall bread , panis martius , which the french character stamps into maquaron ; whose composition , is thus , ℞ . sweet almonds blanched , lb j. beat them exquisitely in a mortar , moisten them with rosewater , then incorporate therewith of the best white sugar lb j. gum dragant dissolved in rosewater , with three or four whites of egges , beat all to a perfect mixture , and make your maquarons , and dry them only with a temperate heat . these give a speedy nourishment , and are therefore necessary in all consumptions of the liver and lungs . from biscuit we will fall to our diet d●ink : presuming every man to wax dry after a crust . that we may remember therefore our merry dayes past , le ts drink our own healths ●n this hepaticall cup : and if the last man quarrell because there 's no body to pledge him ; let him call his mistris sanitas in play , and then all will go well . the first hepaticall diet drink , ℞ . agrimon . fol. salviae . cochlear . eupator . avic . an. m. j. flor. rosmarin . spicae . an. p. j. sem. faenic . anis . an. ℥ ss. rad. asparag . petrosel . faenicul . an. ℥ j. cinamom . zinzib . calam. arom . an. ℥ iij . sassafras . ℥ vj . passularum . lb. ss. all prepared according to art , and put up in a canvass bag , cast it into a little barrell of white wine , or new wort. then have you a diet drink both therapeutick and prophylactick in all cold distempers of the liver , preserving likewise every part from obstructions the originall of most diseases . the second hepat . diet drink , ℞ rad. chinae . santalor . om. an. ℥ vj . rad. cichor . endiv. nymph . liqu●rit . an. ℥ j. flor. rosar . rub . violar . nymphae . an. p.j. sem. portulac . lact. papav. alb. an. ʒiij . with these proceed as with the former , but taking small wort , and you shall finde it a singular cooler after your travells in the hepatick torrid zone . and who ever loves coursing , and is at the charge of a runing nag , he shall find this his best watering . the third hepat . diet drink . ℞ lig. guaiac . sassaparil . sassafras . rad. chinae an. ℥ ij . sem. anisi . faenic . an. ℥ j. rad. glycyrrhys . cichoriae . endiviae . an. ℥ ss. cinamom . nuc. mosch. galangae . an. ʒij . inclose all in a barrell of white wine , and ●●serve it to your use , which is an excellent ●●yer of all superfluous humidityes of this ●epatick soil ; corroborates and califies a ●●ld distempered liver , evacuates all maligne ●apours per diaphorisin , and restores it to his ●aturall temper . therefore i recommend it ●●all philogynists . before you drink any more healths give our palate a little dry gust , and tast of these ●egall pastes , which in all consumptions , ex●●ustion of spirits , lost forces , bring you in ●●e field again and make you combatant . the first regall paste . ℞ amygdal . dulc. decort. . nucleor . pineor . pistachior . an. ℥ iii.j. sem. cucum . cucurb . melon . an. ℥ j. ss. all beaten in a mortar , irrigate them with rosewater , then adde sacch . alb. ℥ xij . peni●●dii . ℥ ij . gum . arab. ℥ iij . amyli . ℥ j. fiat● past . regal . s.a. the which is an excellent restoring cooler . the second regall paste . ℞ pulp . capon . assi. perdic . assatar . carnium testud . cancror . fluviat . invin . alb. lot . et in aq . hord . decoctar . an. ℥ iiij . pinearum recent . mund. in aq . rosar tepid . per . horas infusar . ℥ iij . . sem. frig. major . mund. amygdal . dulc. decort. . an. ℥ ij . penidiorum . ℥ j. ss. all beat in a marble mortar ; pass them through a scive with rosewater : to which you shall adde sacchar . alb. in aq . rosar . dissolut . lb. j. sacchar . cand. . ℥ ij . gum . tragaeant . ʒiij . boil them all with a gentle fire unto a convenient conglutination , which when it cools , you shall adorn with these jewells , salis perlar. salis coral . an. ʒij . then make it up into little cakes of what form your fancy falls into , and dry them in a tepid oven . this for restoring exceedes all , and is able to incarnate a {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} repairing nature so fully her losses , that she will run mad to be gaming again . the third regall past . ℞ rad. satyr . in jure capon . ebullit . et postea cum aq . ros. cribat . ℥ iiij . amygdal . dulc. decortic . pistach . mund. pinear . mund. an. ℥ iij . pulp . rad. . fring. per crib . passat . pulp . rad. . pastinac . cribr . an. ℥ ij . farin . cicerum . ℥ ij.ss. scinci marini . ℥ ss. galangae . zinzib . condit . an. ʒiij . vitel. ovor. recent . num . x. sacchar . alb. lb. j.ss . fiat past . reg. s.a. i did very ill i did not reserve this third regall past untill the end of my banquet : for i fear 't will make some of you rise before the last course enter . you hotter livers , shall use for a cooler this insuing amygdaline milk : which in summer heats , and after other calefying excercises , you shall find inflam'd nature repay your charity in cooler terms . lae amygdalinum . ℞ amygdal . decort. . ℥ iiij . sem. cucum . papav. alb. lactuc . melon . an ℥ j. macerate all four hours in rosewater , then with sugar . q.s. fiat lac . amygd . here is an italian dish for you gentlemen , very substantiall and pleasant : and i doubt not but when you have tasted of it you will gladly inrich your cooks with the ℞ . i will not bid you fall to whil'st 't is hot : for 't is to be eaten cold . bianco mangiare . ℞ . of the flower of rice . lb. ss. dissolve it in milk , q.s. then take the pulpe of a young capon tender boyld , sweet almonds numb. xxiiij . beat these well in a mortar , then mix them with the milk , and rice : pass all through a course cloath , adding thereto what quantity of sugar you please : then boil it on a soft fire , still stirring it , untill it coagulate into the consistence of a strong gelly : when it begins to cool adde thereto of amber , and musk dissolv'd in rose water as much as shall render it a gratefull odour . but for those which are brought so low , that nature is almost desperate of ever giving another flesh livery , to such i present this insuing restorative or consummada , which above all other , manifests his effects in a most momentary operation , replenishing the veins faster with bloud , than assimilation can dispence of it . the prime way for consummadoes . ℞ . an old capon exenterated , his neck , wings , and feet cast away ▪ and the rest cut into small pieces . then take one or two partridges , the flesh of a leg of veal all cut smal then macerate all . hours in white wine . then put the wine and flesh into a great glass phialam with ℥ ss of cinamon , and two nut-megs grosly beaten prepared pearls and corall of each ʒiij . flowers of borage , bugloss , an. p. j. all being well mixt together and the orifice of your glass exactly stopt , set it ●n balneo bulliente where let it boil well for eight or nine hours without intermission . then strain all through a coarse canvas , separating the fat which swims on the superficies , and if there yet appear any signe of crudity , reboil it again between two dishes untill it's whiteness manifests a perfect decoction . of which you are to take but three or four spoonfulls warm , reiterating the same every three hours : and thus in little time you may promise your bones a winter coat . here is don consummadoes cosin german signior geladino , who petitionates as a well-wisher to your state , and desires to enter into pay : pray sirs judge him not at first sight to be a coward , because he trembles when any man toucheth him : for upon my word he is hearty enough , and deserves to be your corporall . geladina . ℞ . a capon of two years old , the flesh of a leg of veal , four calves feet , white wine , fair water . an. lb vj . boil all in a new earthen vessell , scuming of all the fat : when 't is well boild , strein it , separating all the fat . then put this broth into a new vessell with lbj . ss. of sugar . cinamon unbeaten ℥ ss. cloves num . . boil it again a little , then adde thereto the whites of two eggs ; then rebo●l it again , and pass it per manic . hip. s.a. before it cool mix a little musk , and amber dissolv'd in rosewater with it . these hepaticall dishes which you have hitherto fed upon do onely restore : here i will close up your stomacks with a therapeutick dish ▪ an hepaticall antidote . ℞ . agrimon . fol. eupator . avi● . absinth . salviae . an. m.j. faenic . rad. petrosel . aspar . helenii . an. ℥ j. spicae . flor. salviae . tunicis . an. p.j. faeniculi . sem. anisi . carui . an. ℥ ss. calam. arom . cinamom . cassiae lig . sassafras . rad. chinae . an. ℥ ij . with the rectified spirits of wine draw their tincture : to which tincture you shall adde , extract . santal . extract . chelid . an. ℥ ss. 🜿ri 🜖lati . ʒiij . tinctur . croci ♂ cum 🝆 🜍ris praep. ʒij . salis corallor . ℥ ss. essentiae ♂ ʒj . circulate them all in balneo the space of twenty four hours , then in b. vaporoso separate the spirits from the tincture untill it coagulate to an extract which you shall reserve a part . the spirits you shal animate with the soul of his vegetables . the vertues . 't is a universall antidote against all hepaticall debilitations proceeding from a cold distemper . it corroborates the liver , and all the naturall facultyes , returning them their proper strength and temper . so that for all such persons as by reason of a weak liver are proclive to dropsies , cachexies , jaundice ▪ &c. art never lent us a more absolute preservative . dosis . you are to take the quantity of a scruple , either alone or in wine , broth , or some specificall water . the fourth and last course cardiacall . being well recover'd from my great weakness brought by disorders in my late hepatick travells : that i may finish my discovery of this microcosmicall globe ; and from my observations compose an anthropographicall map , for a light to such young travellers as hereafter the devotion of curiosity shall fall into this pilgrimage , i am now resolved to set on towards the cardiacall territoryes . my mistris sanitas dares not undertake this voyage : for she tells me we must imbark again in the red-sea from whence we shall sail into a bloudy gulf which hurries us down into a hollow vein of that earth , where we uncomfortably go many leagues under ground before we can arrive to the viceroyes court spiritus vitalis . besides quoth she , 't is to passionate a land for our weaker sex to abide in ▪ there abounding so many discontents , treacheryes , rebellions , dissimulations , flatteries , inconstancies , vain desires ▪ desperations , arrogancies ▪ mixt with envy ▪ hatred , avarice , pride , ambition , vain glory , with a thousand such like fanatick spirits in the hearts of those inhabitants that 't is too difficult a task either for young or old to live there without infection ; especially for her to whom they were all professed enimies . asking of her why she called those {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , fanatick spirits ? she answered , because the princess phantasia , of the cephalick peninsula first , in a depraved humor gave them their entertainment : where they grew to such a head , that spiritus animalis began to be jealous of his princess phantasia , fearing they might corrupt her : therefore he commanded intell●ctus his favorite whom it did likewise much concern ) to banish them his peninsula , and to confine them to the center of the microcosme . where said she they have now incroached into the cardiacall court , and so blinded the viceroy spiritus vitalis ▪ that they now command and rule his court . i could not but laugh here at sanitas to ●ere how like a woman she talked : and then ●urning to her ▪ i asked if she thought those mo●ives sufficient to divert the resolutions of a traveller . or if she took me for one of those milk-sops which durst not pass the sea because it roard ▪ and would defer his voyage into france untill the french-men had learn'd the english tongue . i told her i feared no bug-beares ; my nature was better pleas'd with horrid and forrain monsters , than with the yealping beauties of domestick puppy dogs . and though she were my mistris ; she had not yet drawn me into the predicament of slavery to oblidge me never to row out of her gally . i assured her i was free born , and her eyes were yet too dul to fire me out of my liberty . besides , i bad her remember in what a case she left me in the hepatick land : where when i return'd sickly to venus court , expecting a coppy of my first well come , venus then not knowing me ( i being before animus adipe & sanguine suffocatus ) shut her dore against me crying tuus inter nos non volat cupido ▪ the kitchin maids also anatomized my skeleton with jeasts , one asking me if i would drink a caudle ? and then singing ova uon meruit qui non galinam nutrit . another took up a lean gridiron , and with a rib of an old servant of hers , she scrape out this motto ▪ quam bene conveniunt . a third stood knocking of an empty marrow bone against a broken pipkin crying , iupiter non mella plus pluit , then threw it into the fire , and sung this epidicticon . lean bones which yeeld no fat at all , the fire is their best funerall . sweet sir , if you 'l renew desire ? go pass our therapeutick fire . then without knocking you may enter in , as prophylactick of our magazin . the remembrance of this was such a cooling card to sanitas , that she let fall all perswasive arguments , and leaves me to my wandring discretion ▪ telling me wherever i went i had her heart . and since she was unfit for such a journey ; she prayed me to accept of her sister convalescentia , who was very well acquainted with my humor and diet , and therefore might be serviceable in so long a voyage . i thank'd her with acceptance , and giving her a parting kiss , presently imbark'd on the red-sea where a fair gale brought me presently upon the cardiacall gulf ; where as health said ) we fell desperately under ground in a hollow vein of the earth , which ●rought our ba●k in few hours directly upon ●e viceroyes court , where had not the sluces ●indred us , we had landed at the court dore ; he court swimming in a lake of christaline water . there expecting the opening of those floud-gates , i was received by one of the court boats , the ferry-man whereof was at●●r'd more like a gentleman usher , than a water-man . his good clothes made me take better notice of him , and examin his profession . therefore i knew no better way to put my self upon his discourse , than by hitting him in the teeth with that empty headed complement , pray what may i call your name sir ? the gentleman ( as i after found him to be so ) answer'd in an affected phrase , that he was signior curioso , and son to the signiora curiosita lady of honour to the duchessa superbia , wife to his lord and prince don ambitio ▪ whom quoth he , i serve ; my place and charge being as you see , to ferry stangers over into his court . here i interrupted his geneologies , and desir'd him to row me back again , craving him pardon , for i was mistaken : my travells tending to the cardiacall court of spiritus vitalis , which it seemed was not there . sir quoth he , have patience ; you shall not nee● to return ; for you are entring the place which you seek : though it now be call'd the court of don ambitio , who being at first a favorite to this cardiacall prince , in few years gain'd so far upon the hearts of the subjects , that they all neglected their legitimate viceroy spiritus vitalis and wholly doted upon him who now rules and commands all : the other being only titular . finding him so open in his relations ; i resolv'd to make him dictator to my table-books , knowing that his curiosity would omit nothing . first therefore i brought him on , with superficiall questions ; asking him ( a dutch curiosity ) how many paces that cardiacall lake might eat up in latitude ? sir , quoth he , it seems you have not yet seen the new anthropogeographicall map lately extant ; where this cardiacall part is call'd italia microcosmi ( as containing the center of the world ) and this lake is there baptiz'd by the name il lago passionato , where the hearts of desperate lovers hourly float in passion . his mouth had scarce clos'd up this relation ; but lo ! appear'd the heart of dido swimming after our boat , and calling for her aeneas . this brought his theory into pra●tick , and made me the more credulous , and prompt to exercise his historicall tongue , with other propositions of my ignorance . turning my face therefore towards the cardiacall court , and seeing so princely a fabrick lye ●ounding with a perpetuall motion upon so still a water ! so soon as amazement return'd my tongue her liberty , i ask'd signior cu●ioso if it were not a vanity to demand the cause of that magick motion , which there appear'd dancing from dyastole to systole in the ●ircle of inchantments . he answer'd , that i had here brought him upon a great antiquity : the relation of which would be a present very gratefull to memory . know therefore quoth he that this lago passionato , is properly and anciently call'd the lake of icarus ( and by corruption ichor ) as ovid sings , icarus icarias nomine fecit aquas . for herein fell that ambitious son of daedalus , whose presumption was the originall of this cardiacal motion . for when daedalus by his winged art did emulate those angelic . 〈◊〉 deityes , as one day , he and his son were exercising their ambitious plumes ; flying beyond the region of mortall liberty , phaebus was call'd forth from his helion's sphear to view those presumptuous cretensi , daedalus had no sooner spi'd him draw back the curtain of his clouds , but , wisely , he retir'd . icarus , hot in ambition , and , neglecting his fathers more aged precepts , follows the sublimity of his fansy , and soars up so high , that phoebus in choller with his aspiring vanity call'd him up to the element of fire , where his wings being burn'd , his ambition fell with his body into thi● lake . then , to make him and his father secular examples ; he caused daedalus to build a floating tem●le in this lake , and to fill it with penitentiall fires ▪ then phoebus chain'd the winged soul of drown'd icarus , upon the top of this temple , there to labour in a perpetuall motion ; striving by the strength of his wings to elevate his ambitious soul , which was as fast pull'd down again by its overburdened terrestriety . which constant motion likewise did ventilate the inclosed fires , whereby the soul of icarus was hourly refresh'd in the violence of his exercise , to the end his torments might be eternall . and for daedalus he commanded him to wander perpetually in this lake ( wearing his ambitious plumes in his head ) that the hourly sight of his sons torments , might feed the memory of his presumption . hence said he proceeds the cause of this constant motion of our cardiacall palace : those penitentiall fires remaining to this hour in some chambers of our court : though now few or none make use of them in their sacrifice ; the whole court applying themselves wholly to the flattering of don ambitio , every one labouring to be his {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , and because he daies not perfume his greatness with the mortifying smoke of these penitentiall fires , ( lest it should choak the torrent of his pride , and bring him to a miserere ) they all , not to alienate from his humor , rake them up in the embers of vanity . but after some few hundred years said he , phoebus being mov'd to pitty by the tears of daedalus , and penitentiall offerings brought to this temple by his parentage , at last gave liberty unto their pining souls , by turning the soul of daedalus into an eagle , whereof he made a present to iupiter . and of icarus he made the phoenix , thereby to express the singularity of his pride : and lest time might blot out the memory of his great presumption , once in an age he inioyn'd him build an altar of arabian aromaticks and thereon to sacrifice his body with the fires of his so●ar rayes . in reward of which he promis'd that his youth should be as often renewed . in those dayes likewise , quoth he , this cardiacall palace , upon that occasion was call'd the temple of sol {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , whither many ambitious sinners came in devotion to kiss those penitentiall fires : so that no part of the world was so famous for devotion . but phoebus had no sooner relieved those tormented souls of daedalus and his son ; but streight religion here ceas'd : and it was presently inhabited by those fanatick spirits which intellectu had banish'd from the cephalick peninsula for bewitching of the princess fantasia , and threatning his ruin . here the viceroy , spiritus vitalis , one day in his progress , taking notice of these fair buildings , and seeing them lye buried in their ruines : falling in love with the situation of the place , presently sent for his magicians , whom he commanded to conjure all those spirits to retire into a little chamber in the left partition of this palace ( where lay the penitentiall fires ) and there to chain them up . then he caus'd his architects to renue the lost beauty of those demolish'd ruines : and to revive the dead fame of that former temple he made his magicians inchant it with a perpetuall and propheticall motion : on whose top , ( to make it more miraculous ) he rais'd a vast pyramis , hewen out of one intire ruby : and then proclaim'd it the oracle of aesculapius ; causing the fame thereof to be publish'd through out the whole vniverse ; and that all diseased , of what infirmity so ever , let them repair to this oracle in devotion , and but touching the motion thereof only , the oracle should infallibly assure them whether their disease were mortall or not . here our boat arriving at the palace gate , his relation ( which i found more poetical than rational ) was silenc'd by the approach of his mother the lady curiosita : who came thither ready with all her followers to attend my landing . where the earth had scarce kiss'd my feet , but she commanded her gentlemen ushers signior polito and signior ceremonioso , together with her waiting gentlewomen signiora impudentia , and signiora confidentia , to bring me forward . then presently she her self seaz'd upon me , leading me into the court , and telling me that her curiosity had impos'd that duty upon her , to give entertainment to strangers , her genius being most proper for such imployments . following that lady up a pair of high stairs ( whose altitude made our hearts nimbler than our heels ) and being with a quick sublimity , by the mercuriall complements of signior ceremonioso , brought to the highest step : there i was taken by the duchessa superbia . who ere she would deign to let her tongue move towards me , she comanded her m●ior domo , signior prodigo , to clap one of her lords ( don ambitio ) gawdy suites on my back , and to put me in fashion . here , me thought i look'd , like a candle in the sun : or like a wooden spoon in a sack posset . i was just like a new rigg'd ship , govern'd by a sculler : who labouring with a contrary wind to leave my common road , and shew my self in the ocean ; i made my rich apparell my compass : from which i never durst draw mine eyes , lest i should forget my course , and so be blown back again into my old harbour . i wish'd that she had lent my face a new cover to : for i was very suspitious lest that ( though impudent enough ) should have betrai'd my outside , there remaining still a rusticall character , which rich imbroaderyes could not eclyps , in fine she had put me so far out of fashion with my naturall gate , annuities , and obscu●e breeding ; that i was more troubled in practising how to be taken a man of my cloaths , than ever ierelictum was when he first tutor'd his apes . for courtly phrases and complements , wanted none : for , sir philip sidney , and ben iohnson can testifie , that i have so over-burthened my memory out of their granaries , that it being too weak to retain them lets them often drop here , and there to no purpose . for exteriour gestures , and ocular ceremonies , my private chamber practice had so inur'd me , that i mistook every man i met in the street for my looking-glass . to say the truth , nothing blank'd me , but a scurvy durty opinion , which like an evill angell hourly persecuted me : telling me that my cloaths would subscribe to antiquity , before my fortunes could renue their thred-bare titles , by some better calling . looking downward upon the ugly foot of this opinion , i was letting all my bravery ( with the peacock ) fall to the ground , and sneaking again into my posture . but here signiora confidentia prevented me : who cock'd up my beaver , gave me a resolute kiss , and assur'd me that her lady mistriss superbia was in love with me : for whose sake , she said , she had settled a good opinion of me ; bad me be bold , and confident of my well-come , and to proceed ; for she would warrant me preferment . at this , i began to make a noise with my spurs : call for my lackquies ( though they all knew poverty preserv'd me from that vanity ) and then desir'd this resolute young lass considentia , to carry me into the chief lodgings of the court , that i might be taken notice of by some of the nobility , whom i was then confident would cast a fortune upon me . the desperate wench , without f●rther ceremonies ▪ brings me presently into the chamber of presence , were sate don ambi●●o on a high throne swelling in the pride of his humane deity . where he gave entertainment to himself ( esteeming his conversation too great an honor for that poor worm man ) by viewing the retraicts of those proud egypptian pyramides , with that rhodian colossus ▪ and promising himself , that his name should feed posterity with greater memorialls . and somtimes reading the lives of caligula , domitian , and heliogabalus ( qui sibi divinos honores deferri , simulacra sua ubique erecta adorari , seque in deorum numerum referri , ●ussit ) whereupon he falls in love with that romish pride , and would fain second it ; but that his ambition will not admit of imitation . seeing him as it were lost in those serious meditations ; i ask'd signior confidentia , whether we were not fallen into presumption by daring to enter a place which seem'd prohibited . sir , quoth she , you can not do me a greater wrong than by nursing such vain suspects . no place to me is prohibited . were it in his most secret and private counsels , i am confident he would embrace me . he dares not shut me out at any time , lest i make him asham'd for it . for he knows full well , 't was i gave him his titles in the court , by putting him forward , and from a poor younger brother made him chief favorit here in the cardiacall court , where he now wholly commands . and though i be but a poor waiting gentle-woman , i can make him forsake all his negotiations , and hearken to any thing that i shall put into his head . with that she ran to him : strikes his book out of his hand , and kist him . i expected still when he should have kick'd her confidence . whereas he quite contrary payd her with interest in her own money , hugging of her , as if she had bin his minion . and then taking notice of me ( as being alone he must of necessity ) he began to mix anger with pride , and so threw a scornfull look upon me ; asking her in a low voice , what fellow that was which had thus lost himself in presumption . i began to tremble fearing he might think i had stoln his suit of apparell which i had then on my back : but confidentia excus'd all , and told him i was a poor gentleman , and a stranger that was betrai'd by fortune , and therefore came thither alone , to manifest his innocency . ask him quoth he , his name , his country and parentage . here that i might enter into the geneologies of his kindred , knowing him to have a spanish heart , i bad her tell him that i was a spaniard : my name signior aemulatio ; base son to one signior ambitio a man of great blood in spain , whose estate being decai'd , left his tender nursery to the blind tuition of fate : who had transplanted me out of that barren soil , hither into his cardiacall garden , where i hop'd the sun of his favour would make me fruitfull . she had no sooner deliver'd my answer , and name aemulatio ; but he presently start up ; began to look about him , and then calling three or four oaths to witness , swore that i was his cosin german , and the neerest in bloud to him , that day extant . whereupon he made me large promises : bad me be alwayes at hand : and not to leave him , untill he should supplant me by some greater fortunes . then he commanded signiora confidentia to wait upon me , cherish me , carry me into every corner of the court , and to recommend me unto his lady superbia for a favorite : then bad us retire a while , for 't was his hour of rest . signiora confidentia was mad untill she had entred me into the practice of the court : therefore bringing me speedily out of the chamber of presence , she lead me first into the lodgings of the lady avaritia , tesoriera to don ambitio , where we found her and her five furies ( diffidentia , metus , solicitudo , spes vana , and desperatio ) at dinner , excercising their lean rigid mandibles upon the hard , musty , and brown chippings of sowre barley bread ; with onions , garlick , stock-fish , red-sprats , ship-beefe which had been seazon'd with an indian voyage : without either table stooles , napkins , knives , or any such stomack instrument . but all lay in a horrid mixture upon a heap of straw , which after dinner they fir'd to encourage naturall heat to fall aboard on such indigestible materialls . amazement here broke my silence ; calling therefore confidentia aside , i told her how strangely i was lost in labyrinth of admiration , if she with the thread of reason did not guide me out . i pray'd her therefore to set me at liberty , in making me understand what new policy don ambitio had found to make shee-treasurers in his court : and besides to tell me what vertues could subsist in that dry hydebound hag and m●gaera avaritia , to make his ambi●ious spirit cast such principle honours upon her de●ested ugliness . confidentia hearing me no better then rail in my demands , presently falls into my tune , and professing her self an open enemy to that witch philargiria : satisfyes me with this impartiall description . quoth she , you must know that this now lady , was first a common baw'd , but so cunning , and dexterous in her calling ; that she would undertake by vertue of a jewell to make chastity her self a whore . and this profession brought her first into our court : where she presently forc'd a respect from the necessity of her calling . her beginning was in the kitchin ; from thence she rose to be a chamber maid ; and so to a waiting gentlewoman . here , notice began to be taken of her by the great ones : so that if any of them were love-sick , she presently felt their pulse , and with a small feeling from them , promis'd a speedy and pleasant cure . it happened that our lord don ambitio , among his infinity of mistrisses ▪ could not satisfie himself , but one day taking notice of three young vertuous virgin ladies ( signiora castitade , signiora innocentia , and signiora constantia ▪ who abhorring his insatiate and lascivious lust , and to avoide the malice of his ambition , liv'd retir'd ▪ and never appear'd publickly in the court unless upon a christmass , or easter day ) their beauties gave such an inflammation to his lust , that without opening of a vein there was no scaping of a phrensy . here , quoth confidentia , i like a mad girl , under hand plai'd the baw'd , and put him upon this more authentick baw'd avaritia , assuring him that she would corrupt them if corruptible . he , like an expert gamster at inn-and-inn , would not hazzar'd those golden heaps untill he had made the dice run of his side . sends therefore for , then but mistris , avaritia , and makes her lady of honour . thus he first made her a companion for the noblest ▪ that young simplicity might not dream of corruption in such greatness . then he throwes the dice freely ; venters all at a cast , opens his desires , and shews the game which he gave chase to : tells with what innocent and chast simplicity they avoided his snares , and how difficult it was to intrap them . avaritia laught at his ignorance : and then bad him take no more care , but go , and beat the bush for some new game : as for those , she would speedily bring them into his golden net . to those yong ladyes she goes ; enters into their cabinets ; there falls into discourse & familiar conversation : first fingring them , as lutanists do their more delicate and choise trebbles , with ordinary womanish discourse of husbands ; lamenting the unfortunate and miserable estate of a single life . if she perceiv'd no shadows of falseness in that motion ! then presently she admir'd their continency ; commended their chastity , told them how happy they were in that state of innocency & hereupon falls into an encomium of their beauties , their vertues , their rare qualityes , and so by little and little puts them on upon the sweet instrument of philautia . there she proves them again ▪ scruing them up with an ambitious pin , by swearing they are companions for emperours , and that she wonders not , why they let the flowre of their beauties fade in the mirrour of their own suns reflection , si●ce man is too rude a mixture to incorporate with such delicacies . here she scrues them up within a degree of breaking ; finding the higher they are scru'd up , the sweeter their answer was to the touch of her triall . then she playes on , makes them sing and dance ▪ in which merry tune , she lets the hand of her discourse by degrees slide down unto the belly of her lenatick lute , where by a more shrill and penetrating sweetness she brings their ears to such an itching delight , that auditus can no longer keep counsell , but presently calls in her neighbour sences to participate . when she perceives that they have now a feeling of those sweet aers , and that there is no time to be lost , but to keep them going whilst they were in tune , she windes them up yet a note higher , with great promises , and assurances of riches , honours , preferments , principalities , and the like : at which pitch , she no sooner toucheth them but they break . thus did she make those unman'd haggards , stoop to the rich lure of don ambitio . and by this practice she hath rais'd her preferment to this degree of tesoriera : where she now may dispose of what sums she please : for he knows , her covetous heart does so antipathize with prodigality , that she grows sick at the naming of a spend● thrift . i thank'd my little wagtail confidentia for her impartiall enucleation of this philochrysonticall lady : and my patience being somewhat distemper'd with those alliatick savors , whose loathsome violence being still augmented by the often recoiling of the lady avaritias stomaticall artillery , which was overcharg'd with stock-fish , and garlick i desir'd that we might depart those famished lodgings , and enter upon some more restoring objects . 't is true said confidentia , we have lost too much time with this purse-worm avaritia ; but our next visit shall recover it with interest . follow me therefore said she unto the lodgings of the old lady invidia , who you must first know was born mad , and therefore may presume she continues so , all physitians concluding her disease incurable , it being morbus haereditarius . this old trot , runs post day and night , from chamber to chamber , not suffering the poor ladies to lie quietly in their beds : therefore 't will deserve admiration if we find her in her own lodgings : besides we must expect a bastonado ere we depart , for she hates to see any thing that is hand-some : nay malice wrings her into a showre of tears , if she see but a healthfull body , and well apparelled , open her gates . here in spite of her teeth we entered her lodgings ; where i thought it had been carnavall time , there appearing none but masqueradi . she had more servants than all the court besides : but those so horrid , and deformed , that it appeared the school of ugliness . all her chambers were full of false glasses to make people appear ill favour'd and dismember'd ; for she could not abide that any one should discover themselves to be handsome . she had more than fourscore old decaied waiting gentlewomen attending on her ; all which had been turned out of service : some for putting mercury in their lady mistrisses pomade to spoil their good faces . others for eclypsing the lovely brown of their ladyes hair , with cypress powders , under a colour of shadowing some false additions . others for wearing out every other day a new ruff with often turning it in and out of fashion . those came all about us like so many furies , some pissing on my stockins to stain them ; others under pretence of courtesie to pick out the lace of my cuffs & tear them ; others with an envious hug twine their armes about my neck to bring my band in the same wrinkled predicament with their faces ; others kissing me to make my lipps scabby . signiora confidentia wanted not her share neither ; for some presented her with a sweet powder for her hairs , which brought them the falling sickness ; others gave her receipts for her teeth , which made them all dance out in method ; others pretending to renew the lost curles of her hair , sets them afire ; others gave her waters to make her fair , which no sooner applide , but her face looked like a pick'd goose . others , without farther ceremonies call'd her whore , scrach'd her face , telling she was the cause of their disgraces . whilest we were in this purgatory , in came the lady invidia , with her brother il conte odio , and her sister la contessa malitia . never was man frighted with more delight , than i at the sight of that monster invidia . who ever saw the bears masque , may conceive her entrance . she had eaten up all the flesh of her face with her own scratches : so that she look'd as if her head had been dished out in a grave , to a mess of hungry worms , who had pick'd all clean to the bones . her eyes were so dry with often weeping , that for want of moisture they had lost their motion : they being but as two pieces of rotten shining wood , stuck in a dead horses head . her nose , as i guest by the promontorious gristle had been roman . she hopp'd towards me with an intent to rail : but her mouth was so stuft with bitter languages that she could not speak : for with belching up too many hasty words at once into the little portal of her mouth , they wedg'd one another so fast in the door , that she saluted me open mouth'd with a driveling silence , just like a mad dog , whose depraved fancy could not resolve whether to bark or bite first . her brother count odio had the mine of a compleat courtier , and his better judgement , made him not dance into his sisters passionate rashness : but with a reserved malice , he made flattery the engine of his hatred . where like an old ape with his mimicall and fawning gestures he forced a belief of friendship , that so ( no false suspition opposing the operation of his lingring venom ) whil'st you slept in security , he might with the better advantage bite you . he entred upon me with a gratious smile ; desiring me not to take notice of his sisters distemper , a womans weakness being too poor an object for masculine reason : but rather bid me seal up her envy with his friendship , which he protested was more at my devotion than at his own . confidentia here tutor'd my eares with a soft whisper , and bad me loose no trust upon that old fox , for i could never hope to recover it again . he takes you quoth she for a green goose presented as a rarity unto some noble mans table : and fearing least from thence you might be preferred unto a more princely mess , he labors to undermine your designes with his scraping friendship that so without suspect , he may at his leasure blow you up . i had been formerly informed likewise of his double heart and how his malitious subtilties run all upon such aenigmata , that young novices must maintain their oedipus to understand him . very jealous therefore of his proferred courtesies ( which to me did little better then stink ) and finding his name a traitor to his promises : i resolved to trust him no farther than his lodgings . yet that i might bring him on to his purpose , and better my experience by making him a copy of my future practise , i desembled for company , and began to reveal unto him as private secrets , things , god he knows , but then born : to which he so seriously listned , that me thought i already saw his malice promise him , that he had theory enough to practise my ruine . i think , as cunning as he was , i had made some sport with him , had not prevention checked my design by the entrance of signiora iustitia , signiora amicitia , signiora fideltade , and signiora conscientia , all sweet young ladyes of honour in this cardaicall court , who as confidentia told me had long before been corrupted ( with the help of that bawd avaritia ) by don ambitio : and now they were come in visit to the young lady contessa malitia . the lady amicitia did so overflow with winning graces , that i fell desperately in love with her , and desir'd signiora confidentia ( who by her former confession i knew to be embassatrice de amore ) to put me forward into her friendship . but she desired me by no means not to take notice of her in that place , for don ambitio had turn'd her off to count odio , whom she began now to affect : although he abus'd her , and kept her only to make his detested projects the more advantagious . this information , put ice in my mouth : for i knew too much of that crabbed count , to become his rivall . yet being now a courtier , i thought my humor must aswell wait upon the fashion , as my clothes . every one i saw ▪ wore his mistrisses favor , otherwise no courtier . faith then a mistriss i must upon too , and wear her colours , though i had never yet spake to her . he●e i was in conceit that the lady iustitia was ready to cast her self away for me : for me thought she never look'd toward me but her heart laboured to steal to me in a sigh . knowing therefore how apt those tender-hearted creatures were to precipitate in passion and searing lest she might condemn me of cruelty ( though for my part i would have given her leave to have hang'd me for a kisse ) to answer her silent oratory , i began to return her sighs , and as neer as fansie could imitate ▪ i framed such looks withall , as she might call pityfull . then i call'd signiora confidentia apart , and told her what passages had hapned , and ●ow the lady iustitia made love to me . the jeering slut burst into such a laughter at my mistake that all the ladies took notice of it ; and desired to be brought into consort , by participating of the jest . but confidentia to save her credit and mine conceal'd it . and then told me that hereafter in the presence of ladyes she would not stand so near me , lest too much confidence might make me ridiculous . and then said that those sighs and sorrowfull looks of the lady iustitia , which i applied to my self , were for those injuryes . perjuryes , contempts ▪ neglects , brybes , partialities , and a thousand such like abuses which the world dayly cast into her teeth ; which makes the poor lady so slighted and low-priz'd of every man , that growing dull and melancholy , she lives so retir'd , that we can hardly see her above once a quarter . this mistake therefore made confidentia retire farther from me : insomuch that i became so overwise ever after , that when a woman look'd or smil'd upon me ▪ i thought she jeer'd at some defect : which mistrust made many pretty passages happen between me and the lady conscientia , for she had a minde to me in good earnest : as it after appeared by her fondness , and tenderness of me : who blushed not to cast her self into my brest ; prick me with her bodkin , to express her desires in hieragliphicks : rouse me , kiss me , and often put me to the start with her secret motions . all which i regarded not , suspecting still that it was but a plot of hers to betray my weakness . when ever she came neer me therefore , i told her plainly she troubled me ▪ and that she made all the world take notice of her bad proceedings : bad her go and accompany the lady iustitia who was melancholly , and had the green sickness for want of exercise , for my part i would not be guilty of her looseness . this lady conscientia , became so desperate upon my checking her : that stealing from us she ran out of the court-gate and threw her self into the lake of passion , where she perished . it was a long time before any of us mist her : so that had not the lady penitentia came in laughing and crying both at a breath and told us that conscientia had drowned her self , none had ever taken notice of it . here i observed what alteration this news would beget , and i found it almost impotent , producing no other issue but a few abortive tears , which were delivered by a womanish consent who like so many ducks , if one cry the whole brood answers . and those showres were suddenly drunk up by the sun of gladness . for in came don {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , with the lady laetitia , laughing so heartily that though at that instant , all were weeping ; their tears dissolved into such a storm of laughter , that the aier grew cholerick with his violent motions , and broke the windoes to prevent combustion , the jest was to hear every one laugh , and non able to satisfie reason with the cause : only all confessed that they felt their hearts of a sudden much lightned , and a free inclination invited them to any thing that might give them delight . well , the laugh being ended , don zara with a cheerfull countenance , ruddy as the aurora , step'd to the ladyes and thank'd them for the honour they did him in entring into his consort : then bad them proceed , rejoyce , sing , dance , and make no more scruple of honest mirth , but to be free and open in all their delights , without suspect of any future repentance ; for that {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} conscientia was dead . she that had caused so many showres of tears was now drowned in her own deluge . i presently took my advantage of this good news ▪ and began to renew my sute to the lady iustitia , who before had deceived me with the melancholy of her conscious jealousyes : now i presumed she would make no scruple of playing false with any man : wherefore i made the less doubt in corrupting her . and see how happy i was in this attempt ; as if fortune had vowed to chain all my desires together with the links of oportunity , and then throw them into my bosome . don z●r● to celebrate the death of his arch enemy , invited all the ladyes to a masque . where wanting masquers , he desired me to succour his necessity , and make one . it was the thing i gaped for ; my mouth therefore being ready opened to his hand , the first word that i could spit out , was a grant , with a willing acceptance . well for brevities sake gentlemen imagine you saw the ladies all placed ; the musick playing ; and the masquers entring , each of them having his hand enriched with a present , to bestow at discretion upon any of the ladyes . my present was a rich quadra , wherein was represented , the heavens opening , and from thence a wolf falling , with a lamb i his mouth . this embleme was eclypsed with a faire curtain of tissu , emaculated with golden letters , whose connexion made this emblematicall anagram , lady this embleme seems too rude for one professing servitude . but be not rash in judging me untill you finde i guilty be . you are my ● heaven , to whom i sha till i be heard , for mercy call . if you deny me , then i must needs say you'r cruell , and unjust . but if your harsh sententious eyes , will rather here embelmatize , then ope your heaven ; let wolf and lamb tumble toth'earth from whence they came . i le venture breaking back , yea neck and all , so that we may but once together fall . our presents being delivered ; before we dished out our capers into a dance , we made way for the lady laetitia ; who to express her joy in the loss of her enemy conscientia , she welcom'd the ladyes with this sonnet . sonnet . you pensive souls why are you sad ? conscience is drown'd ; then le ts be glad ; let not your pining hearts from hence stagger at future penitence . she that quench'd our joviall fires : checking natures sweet desires : shall no longer curb us in with horrid fears of mortall sin ! conscience shall here no more appear . come then sweet fansy shew thy pow'r , invent new pleasures every hour . teach don ambitio to betray , his dearest friend that stands in 's way . tell him that 't is a noble feat , by supplantation to grow great . and bid him quarrell now withall , that interpose him and the wall . conscience shall here no more appear . bid avaritia wider gape ; tell her she now may freely scrape : and propagate a minerall to renovate some prodigall . let her proceed and multiply in her extorting usury , without a thought of growing wise ; by a church building sacrifice . conscience shall here no more appear . let great superbia jeere , at those which out oft'h fashion wear their clothes . and bid her call her taylors in to massacre some new born sin . teach her some sweet and secret way how to maintain her rich array . bid her first turn an honor'd whore , rather then let her name grow pore . conscience shall here no more appear . bid penitentia wipe her eyes and check with smiles her peevish cryes , tell her it sutes not with the times , to lose her mirth for petty crymes . make her be cheerfull ! rowse her up ! and drown repentace in a cup . let her not fear the new-born day can now her night-past sins betray . conscience shall here no more appear . bid wise iustitia here be free , and make a present blind a fee . teach her to feed upon lost sheep , and pass her sentence in her sleep . let her not stick to play the whore with any ▪ so they be not poore . make her be confident , and say , with her shall dye the judgement day . conscience shall here no more appear . bid castitade blush no more because shee 's don ambitio's whore . and let constantia break with all , since his ambition made her fall . bid sad maeslitia now awake and d●own her cares in passions lake . let none forbear their hearts content , till they grow old , and impotent . conscience shall here no more appear . let now religious pieta come wait upon superbia . and bid her bring her bible in to elevate her passive sin . bid her upon a holy day neglect a sermon for a play . and let her trouble god no more , with often knocking at his dore . conscience shall here no more appear . kinde charitade now grow wise ! be no more gull'd with poor mens cryes . keep home , and learn to lock thy dore ; if any beg , tell them thou 'rt poore . be not so fond to run in debt , by building of a lazaret . no , keep thine own ; and only spend , to gain an office , or a friend . conscience shall here no more appear . come then don {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} lead your dance , whilst mirth layes sorrow in a trance . let your sweet revells blow the fires , of these fair ladyes hot desires . and when they burn , tell them they may ●et reputation melt away . the golden age is now come in where pleasure drowns {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} sin . conscience shall here no more appear . whilst the lady laetitia exercised her voice : i prostrated my self ( as the custom is at all masques in their parts ) on my knees , at my lady mistris iustitias feet . where with a feeling oratory i made my case known unto her : told her , her eyes were murderers : and i desired justice . the richness of my present made her take the better notice of me ; besides i found her disposition very corruptible . so that having brought her just upon the point of a mercifull promise : the sonnet being ended , we were forced to break up our session : every one falling into his posture , and then by mutuall copulations we begat a ballo . how every man governed his heels i commit to your fancyes : since every mans heart was freed from the heavy clog of conscience . well , our masque ended i renewed my sute again with that hard hearted mistris of mine iustitia : who in that little time , had dashed me out of her memory , acknowledging neither me nor present . here i cal'd my old chamerada confidentia : who presently assur'd me that there was no trusting to that lady above all the rest . for said she ; she is one of don ambitio's aged concubines , whom he first corrupted , and made her one day by false witnesses attach that noble lord {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , that he might usurpe his place . and now having served his turn , he hath cast her off , leaving her to her self : who now makes a trade of her necessity , and will lye with any man for his mony . when i heard this , i began to wish for my presen● again . yet content to buy my experience at that rate ; it growing late , confidentia and i departed ; every one wondring that i did not wait upon the lady iustitia to her coach . confidentia , as we left the lodgings of don {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} told me that there was never a chamber yet provided for me in the court ; therefore said , if i would accept of a part of her bed ( which said she , runs upon wheels under my lady superbia ) i should be very wellcome : for said she this cool weather i want a coverlid : and where are two in a bed , there wants not coverings . i laughed to hear her so confident in her loosenesse . and to bed we went without further ceremonies . in the morning i stole from her before she waked ( lest i should be made pay for my nights rest ) and going towards the court-gate , i met the spenditore and the master cook going to the market to buy provision for the cardiacall prince spiritus vitalis . having little other imployment i accompanied them partly to learn what dyet people kept in that countrey and partly for a breakfast out of the cooks fees . there for the younger and hotter spirits they bought these cooling cardiaca . rosae . violae . acetosa . borago . buglos . nymphaea . plantago . suc . citri . limon . granat . cerasa . pom. odor . rub. idaei . santal . corn . ceru . os de cord. c. vnicornu . terra sigil . bol. armen . margarit . corallium . bezoar non falsificat . hyacynth . saphyr . smaragd . chrystallus . some compounds ( to mix among their ordinary sawces ) they bought , which were these , diarrhod abbat . diarrhod . comun . diatrion . santal . diamarg . frig. elect. ex acetos , &c. for the more aged , and colder bloods they took up these , cardiaca calida . melissa . rosmar . ocymum . card. ben. scordium . veronica . cort. citri . sem. citri . chermes . charyop . hort . rad. angel . helenii . flor. calend. xyloaloes . ●● cook , or {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , was retired into a little private room , and there very close at work , upon an antepidemicall antidote , wherein as i remember he put these praeparations . ℞ . confect alkerm . confect . ex hyacynt . theriac . extract . bac . iunip . an. ℥ j. salis perlar. salis corall . an. ʒiij . antimon . diaphor . sulphuris , aurat . diaph . balsam . lact . sulp. an. ℥ ss. essent . crociʒij . essentiae camph . ʒj . tinctur . auri cum spir. sal. extract . ℈ j. lapid. bezoar . ver. ʒj . essent . cinamom . essent . caryophyl . an. ℈ .j. moschi . ambrae . an. g.viij . those he mixt ▪ s. art●m , and thereof made his antidote . which he told me was an admirable preservative against the plague every morning the quantity of a small pease being taken fasting , likewise for those which were already stricken with that infection , if they took , ʒ . ss. or ʒj . of it dissolved in ℥ ij . of some cardiacall water , it cured them by a violent sweat : corroborating the heart ; and banishing all contagious or pestilentiall spirits to the remotest parts of the microcosme . having seen that antidote finished ; i went into another fair large room which seemed another muran of glasses . there i found ready prepared . aurum potabile . tinctura auri. aurum diaphoret . arcanum auri. bezoardic . minerale . tartar . vitriolatum . spir. tartari . sal. viperin . essent . vnicorn . flores sulph . lac. sulphuris . spir. salis . spir. nitri . margarit . mineral . mercur. diaphor . sal. christalli . sal. corallor . sal. perlar. tinctur . croci . tinct . rubinar . tinct . smarald . tinct . hyacynt . tinct . corallor . tinct . antimon . balsam . cinamom . balsam . caryoph . bals . nuc. mosch. essentia ambrae . essentia moschi . spir. rosar . essent . corn . cerv. spir. melissae . spir. card. ben. spir. rosmarin . syr. corallor . syr. perlar. essent . flor. narant . essent . flor. citri . with many other such like principal cardiacall preparations . i returned again to the master cook , and desired him to give me the receipts of those cordiall rarityes which i had seen in his operatory . he answered that they were all secrets reserved for the preservation , and renovation of his prince spiritus vitalis , and were by him forbidden to be published to any but such who serve out their time in his kitchin . if any of you gentlemen have a liking to any of these dishes , ( the worst of which may be served to a princes table ) pray fall to whilest they are before you ; and when those are digested , who ever desires ▪ to make use of them at home for his private family , let him retire to any of our spagiricall kitchings , and you shall find our cooks more open hearted than those of the cardiacall princes ; and freely present you all their art in such hermeticall delicacyes . in the mean time i am sorry my cheer is not answerable to your merits . what you want in meat ; i desire you to satisfie with mirth : for so believe me you shall be heartily wellcome . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- exhalatio sterquilina . attenuantia incidentia . aperientia . galen . lib. de loc. affect . vigil●●●vitand . alvi excrement . quotidie expurgan . somnum fuge meridianum . somnus sit moderatus . vena . porta . vesica fellis . vena cava thērologia, the parly of beasts, or, morphandra, queen of the inchanted iland wherein men were found, who being transmuted to beasts, though proffer'd to be dis-inchanted, and to becom men again, yet, in regard of the crying sins and rebellious humors of the times, they prefer the life of a brute animal before that of a rational creture ... : with reflexes upon the present state of most countries in christendom : divided into a xi sections / by jam. howell, esq. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) thērologia, the parly of beasts, or, morphandra, queen of the inchanted iland wherein men were found, who being transmuted to beasts, though proffer'd to be dis-inchanted, and to becom men again, yet, in regard of the crying sins and rebellious humors of the times, they prefer the life of a brute animal before that of a rational creture ... : with reflexes upon the present state of most countries in christendom : divided into a xi sections / by jam. howell, esq. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p., [ ] leaves of plates : ill. printed by w. wilson for william palmer ..., london : . an allegory. title transliterated from greek. frontispiece engraved by melan and bosse, second plate engraved by r. gaywood after f. barlow. first ed. cf. grolier. wither to prior. "the first tome" no more published? advertisements: p. [ ] at end. reproduction of original in huntington library. includes index. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng allegories. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion heic tutus obumbrer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the parly of beasts ; or morphandra queen of the inchanted iland : wherein men were found , who being transmuted to beasts , though proffer'd to be dis-inchanted , and to becom men again ; yet , in regard of the crying sins , and rebellious humors of the times , they prefer the life of a brute animal before that of a rational creture : which fancy consists of various philosophicall discourses , both morall , metaphysicall , historicall , and naturall , touching the declinings of the world , and late depravation of human nature ; with reflexes upon the present state of most countries in christendom . divided into a xi sections . by jam howell esq senesco , non segnesco . the first tome . london , printed by w. wilson for william palmer , at the palm-tree in fleet-street near dunstan's church , . morphandra , or queen of the inchanted iland . m i am morphandra can turn man to brute , and brutes to human nature re-transmute . p and i pererius whom the gods did send this rare admired princesse to attend . in formas mutata novas mens dicere gestit corpora , & in primas iterum transversa figuras , dii faveant coeptis — the scope and substance of the ensuing sections . pererius , a wandring prince , after many traverses of fortune , and tempests in his long pererrations at sea , arriv'd at a strange northwest iland , where ther reign'd a queen call'd morphandra , descended of the high-born circe , daughter of sol , who ( according to the etymology of her name ) had power to transmute and metamorphose men to beasts ; pererius having obtain'd leave of her to see and speak with divers of them , viz , an otter , an asse , an ape , a hinde , a mule , a fox , a boar , a wolf , a goat , a soland-goose , a hive of bees , &c. morphandra infusing the faculty both of reson and ratiocination into them during that intervall of time ; as also full and full and free election to resume the shapes of men , and so return unto their own countries and callings : pererius attempted to perswade them therunto , but in regard of the rebellious humors , the horrid sacriledges , the new-fangled opinions , and gingling extravagances that human brains are subject unto , specially this last doting and vertiginous age of the world , with the nomberles indispositions wherunto the bodies of men as well as their brains are expos'd , they did choose rather to continu still in the state and species of brute animals , than become rational cretures again : at last prince pererius mingling speech with a hive of bees , who had bin formerly a monastery of nuns , he prevail'd so far by his melting perswasions , and high discours of the prerogatives and excellencies of the human soul , that he induc'd them to take on their first natures again , and so return to their cloysters ; these discourses are divided into eleven sections , every section carrying with it a new fancy and matter . touching the etymologies of the feigned words throughout the whole work , appropriated to the quality of every country , climat , and peeple , the roots of them must be fetched from the greek toung . he is the tru author who creates a fancy . to the great ornament of her sex , both for choice intellectualls , and high morall vertues , the right honorable , and excellent lady , my lady marie de la fontaine . madame , this fancy bearing in the front the name of a rare female , i thought it might well stand with the rules of congruity to make the dedication correspond with the title ; and after many revolutions of thoughts who shold be most proper for my designe , the contemplation of your honor did cast such strong influences upon them , that at last they fixed there ; nor will any discerning reder question my judgment herein , your ladiship being so able and fit ( as i have the honour to know by experience ) to receive this admired queen , and give her a suitable entertainment ; therfore , madame , if you please to admit morphandra into your closet , i believe she will afford you severall sorts of divertisements , and she haply may work somtimes a metamorphosis in your self , for she can transmute passions as well as persons , she can turn melancholy to mirth , and pensivenes to plesure ; for as it is in the french ( of which language you are so great a mistresse ) les morts font revivre les vivants , the dead enliven the living , wherby is meant ; that books , though the authors therof be dead and rotten many ages before , can beget new spirits in the living reder . now , such is the state of mankind , that the foresaid passions will have their interchangable turns , they will follow one another as duly as night succeeds day in any human creture , be the humors therof never so equally poiz'd ; it is denied to man to be always at home within himself , and it will be so to the world's end as long as he is compos'd of the four elements , and as long as the naturall humors within him sympathize with the said elements , who are in restles mutation and motion among themselfs for mastery , which made one break out into this excesse of speech , that if the four humors were ballanc'd aright in the human body , he wold live easily many thousands of years upon earth ; now , that person may be said to be the wisest among mortalls who can rule and controul those humors , it being a principle among the philosophers , that as the conduct of the passions ( which arise from the humors ) is the greatest prudence , so the conquest of them is the gretest pro●●●sse , when they grow rebelli●us : the ensuing work hath divers glances upon this subject , and variety of things besides , for every section affords a new fancy and matter . it remains now , madame , that i shold humbly desire , your honor would please to interpret this deditory addresse as a small argument of my great acknowledgment of your so many noble civilities , for which i stand so truly oblig'd ; and this acknowledgment standing upon so public a record , the ages to come as well as the present will testifie , how much i am and was , my highly honored lady , your most humble and devoted servant , jam howell . to the severer sort of reders . som of the antient sages , who were rank'd among the philosophers of the upper house , had a speculation , that the world was but one huge animal or living creture , compos'd of innumerable members and parts , som homogeneous or similar , others heterogeneous or dissimilar ; and in order to that they held , that god almighty was the great soul which did inform and actuat the whole bulk with motion and life , with vertu and vigor , for every part to perform its peculiar function towards the preservation of the whole : according to this doctrin an argument may be drawn by way of induction , that if the parts begin to impair , the whole must be in a declining condition ; it hath been a truth which hath pass'd from all times without controul , that mankind is one of the prime parts of the universe and paramount of the sublunary world , which is demonstrable by that dominion which was given him over all his fellow-cretures in aire , water , or earth ; he can make the towring eagle stoop to his lure from the middle region ; he can make the vast leviathan , though a hundred times bigger than himself , to flounce from the deep to do him homage on the shore ; he can make the elephant , though forty times stronger than himself , to draw up his ships on the carine , and do other drudgeries ; this appears also out of that awe , which by a kind of naturall instinct all other animals use to shew him ; insomuch that tryall hath been made , how if a man should go naked and with a confidence through the arabian desarts , where the gretest concours of wild beasts useth to be , ther 's none will assault him , but in a gazing and awfull kind of posture they will keep their distance : now , if man , who is so considerable a part of the world , doth decay in his species , 't is a shrewd symptom that the whole is en decadence , in a declining state ; now , that man doth impair as well in his intellectualls and the faculties of his soul , as in the motions and affections of his heart , this present age can afford more pregnant proofs than most of the ages before ; for touching the first , what fond futilous new opinions have bin hatch'd of late times , both in divinity and in the idaeas of holy things , as well as in all other sciences , specially in the art of policy , wherin such poor sciolists are crept up , that wold turn antient monarchies into new popular common-wealths , and so set a hydra's head upon an old lion's neck , or make a child's shoo to fit a giant 's foot . touching the motions of the heart , ther 's nothing of that love and offices of humanity which were used to be , not onely among private persons and neighbours , but that allegiance and love which subjects were us'd to shew towards their lawfull prince decaies more and more , whereof ther have been strange examples of late years ; in aethiopia , a large antient empire , the common peeple did rise up with a petty companion against their soveraign , and kill'd him with his two sons in open field ; in constantinople , two gran signors were thrust out of the world by their own slaves , yet they went not to that heighth of impudence as to arraign them before a barr of iustice ; the swed hath quite revolted from the pole , the portugues from the spaniard , and so naples wold have done ; what a huge army did the basha of aleppo raise lately ? and in the kingdom of morocco a mean fellow , under the seeming shew of sanctity , what a crew of riff-raff stuff did he drag after him against his lawfull king ? but touching these northwest ilands , they have out-gon all the rest : these metamorphos'd animals do point at all these , and other degenerations of the human creture : nor is it the first time that beasts did speak , for we read of one in the sacred code who spoke ; and besides , solomon sends in to som of them for instruction : the phrygian fabler was one of the first who taught them their abcee , then anian , barlandus , and others taught them their primer , and the two ingenious florentines , poggius and gelli may be said to have taught them their grammer : but these transmuted beasts speak in a louder dialect , who having tryed both natures , they tell the human creture his own , and how he growes daily from bad to worse , according to the propheticall lyric poet , aetas parentum , pejor avis , tulit nos nequiores , mox daturos progeniem vitiosiorem . made english thus . our fathers who worse than our gransires were got us worse than themselfs ; and we , i fear , will get worse than them both : such a sad curse hangs on mankind to grow from bad to worse . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; poema tempestivum . trees spake before , now the same strength of art makes beasts to cunn the alphabet by heart , and cutt their breaths to sounds articulat , discoursive congruous accents to prolate , for speech is breath , breath air let in and out , but 't is the mind that brings the work about ; such a rare charter the world's architect vouchsaf'd to give the human intellect to create words , for 't is mankind alone can language frame , and syllabize the tone . but here beasts speak , they mone , chide , and complain , and at the barr of justice men arraign ; such are our crying sins , that beasts resent our miseries , and wretched case lament : nor let it seem a wonder , because now wonders and monsters so familiar grow , this is an age of wonders , every clime abounds with prodigies , ther is no crime , not a notorious villany or fact , no foul infandous thing , or ugly act that ever adam's sons did perpetrate , but we have flagrant instances of late . for sacrilege , and horrid blasphemies , base lies , created fears , and perjuries , for scripture-pride , extorsion , avarice , ( the root of all our ills , and leading vice ) for public fraud , false lights , & fatuous fires , fanatic fancies clad in faith's attire ; for murther , and the crying sin of blood , the like but one was never since the flood . in summ , we may for these and thousands more vye villanies with any age before ; which shews the world is hecticall , and near its gran and fatal climacteric year ; the whole creation mourns , and doth deplore the ruthfull state of human kind ; therfore if men can not be warn'd when men do teach , then let them hearken here what beasts do preach . in formas mutata novas mens dicere gestit corpora , & in primas iterum transversa figuras . diî faveant coeptis — j.h. the contents of the severall sections . sect . i consists of divers interlocutions 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and an otter , who had bin first an amstelian mariner , and being proffer'd to be retransmuted to his first nature by morphandra , and to be transported by pererius to his own country , yet he wold hearken to neither , alledging the strange chimeras , and extravagant opinions which human brains have been subject unto in this latter age of the world , &c. sect . ii contains an interlocutory discours 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and an asse , who had bin once an artonian peasan , wherin ther are som glances upon the country it self , and upon the present government therof ; but though prince pererius us'd all the perswasions he could , and re-inforc'd argument upon argument to induce him to re-assume human shape , and so return to his country , calling , and kindred , yet the asse utterly refus'd it , and his resons why , &c. sect . iii consists of a dialog ' tiwxt morphandra , pererius , and an ape , who had bin once a preachman in gheriona , who having bin carried away with every wind of doctrin , and folling any fanatic new-fangled opinion , was transmuted to that mimicall shape ; in which dialog ther is an account given of the sad case and confusion wherin gheriona is involv'd at present . sect . iv a colloquy 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a hind , who had bin once one of the gretest beauties in marcopolis , and for som youthfull levities and wildnes was transmuted to that shape ; in this section ther are various discourses of the state and nature of women pro & con , &c. sect . v. discourses 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a mule , who in his manhood had bin a doctor of physic in tumontia , whom for som quacking tricks he had plaid , and for som other resons , morphandra metamorphos'd into a mule ; in this section ther be discourses of the art of physic , of the various complexions of mankind , and of the nomberles diseases of body , and distempers of mind that are incident to the human creture , &c. sect . vi consists of interchangeable discourses 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a fox , who had bin a saturnian born , whom for his cunning dealings and mountebankish wily tricks , she transformed from a merchant to that species ; this section treats of divers things , and particularly how the art of tru policy is degenerated , and what poor sciolists or smatterers therin are cryed up of late years , &c. sect . vii . a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a boar , wherein ther are various discourses , and particularly of the rare sympatheticall powder that is lately found out , which works sudden and certain cures without any topicall applications of medicines to the part affected , &c. sect . viii . a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a wolf , who had bin a cuprinian soldier , whom for his plundrings , rapines , and spoils she transfigur'd to that shape , &c. sect . ix . a discourse 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a goat , consisting of many speculations both naturall and metaphysicall , with other criticisms , &c. sect . x. a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a soland-goose , a carboncian born , who was transmuted to that shape for his foolishnes in rebelling against his own conterranean king , and so jugling himself into a slavery from that free-government he was formerly under , &c. sect . xi consists of a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a hive of bees , who had bin once a monastery of nuns , and were transmuted to those small insects , because that after a years probation , and their own praevious free election , they murmur'd at that reclus'd claustrall life , and wish'd themselfs uncloyster'd again ; in this section ther be divers discourses of the immortality and high prerogatives of the human soul , as also of the hevenly hierarchy , and ioyes eternall , &c. bibliopola lectori . if you will ope this work with ease , you must from greece go fetch your keys . m p f barlowe 〈◊〉 r gaywood fecit a key to enter more easily into the sense of morphandra , or , the parly of beasts the otter represents a dutch skipper , or mariner . the ass represents a french peasan . the ape represents an english preachman . the mule represents a spanish doctor of physick . the fox represents a genoa or an italian merchant . the boar represents a german count. the wolf represents a swedish captain , or freebotter . the goat represents the old britain , or inhabitant of wales . the soland goose represents a scotchman . the hind represents a venetian courtisan . the hive of bees represents a monastery of nuns . an etymologicall derivation of som words and anagrams in the parly of beasts , according to the alphabet . a aetonia , the eagles countrey , represents high germany , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aquila . alpiana represents savoy , being a countrey indented among the alps. artonia , the countrey of bread and wine , represents france , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 panis & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vinum . c carboncia , the coale-countrey , represents scotland . cuprinia , the copper-countrey , represents swethland . the cinqfoyl portugal cardinal mazarine , p. the coppices represents the common peeple . cerano , the anagram of nocera , an ancient town in italy . d diogenes , p. sir kenelm digby , dr. harvey , g gheriona , the countrey of wool , represents england , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terra & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lana . h hydraulia , the countrey of waters , represents holland , with the confederate provinces , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aqua , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 populus . hebrinia , ireland , being hibernia , anagrammatiz'd . the city of hereford , p. the hollanders are meant , p. l laroni , the d. of lorrain . london prentices , p . m marcopolis , the city of s. mark , represents venice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 civitas & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . morphandra , a queen that can transmute men into beasts , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 formo & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hominem . n nopolia , polonia , anagrammatiz'd . o orosia , a mountainous countrey , represents wales , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mons. oxford & cambridge , p. p pererius , a wandring prince of pererrando . polyhaima , the city of bloud , represents london , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 civitas & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanguis . the phrygian king , mydas . the phrygian fabler , aesop . the late k. of engl. p. the present k. ch. p. q the queen of sweden , p. queen elizabeth , p. r rinarchus , the palsgrave of the rhine , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , princeps , &c. rugilia , the state of genoa , the anagram of liguria , the ancient appellation of that territory . rainsborough , and admirall dean , roundheads variously tormented in hell , ibid. rovena , the city of verona in lombardy , anagrammatiz'd . s saturnia represents italy , cilisia , sicilia , ana grammatiz'd . the standels represent the nobles and gentry . selenians , or half-moon men , represent the turks ; of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , luna . t tumontia , a countrey swelling with huge hills , represents spain tomanto empire , the dominions of the great turk ; tomanto being ottoman , anagrammatiz'd . tarragon , catalunia in spaine , the ancientest town whereof is tarragona . therlu , the anagram of luther . therologia , the language of beasts ; of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , fera ; & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , sermo . v volganians , the moscovits , of the huge river volga . w the west-indies , p. z zundanians , the peeple of denmark . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the first section . consisting of divers interlocutions 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and an otter , who had been first an amstelian mariner , and being proffer'd to be transmuted to his first nature by morphandra , and to be transported by pererius to his own countrey , yet he would hearken to neither , alledging the strange chimeraes , and extravagant opinions which human brains have been subject unto , in this latter age of the world , &c. pererius , morphandra , an otter . pererius . may those starres be ever propitious which guided my cours to this coast ! may those winds be ever prosperous which fill'd my sayls , any blew me to this rare iland , this theater of wonders ! may this day be ever held festival , and bear one of the chiefest rubriques in the almanack of time , that makes me so happy with the sight of morphandra , the divine morphandra ! and truly so , being descended in so direct a line from the high-born circe , daughter of sol , the admired queen morphandra ! who useth to make nature her self not only succumbent and passive to her desires , but actually subservient and pliable to her transmutations and changes . morphandra . prince pererius ( for so i understand your quality and appellation to be ) ; touching the first part of your speech , which reflects upon this place , we shall endeavour to make it good by the hospitality and entertainment we shal command to be given you and your train , as also by the rare objects which you shall see : but as for the second part of your speech , which relates to my self , and to the power of transmutations ; i must tell you , that what i act this way , is by a special dispensation from above , for the punishment of humane vice in an analogical or sympathetic way , according to the quality thereof , and the humors of the men : i say , it is by the permission and fiat of the almighty , the great god of nature , that i do operat , not by any prestigious charmes , or confederacy with cacodaemons ; not by fascinations or philtres , by spels or sorceries , as the shallow-pated common people imagine i do , and so traduce me of witchcraft , and negromancy ; yet , i confess , 't is by way of magick i act ; for magick was the first philosophy among those acute nations which are neerest the rising sun , so that magus or magitian signified nothing else but a wiseman , which afterwards came to be traduced , and taken in an ill sense ; as it hath been the fate of tyrant , sophister , and other words besides , to incurre the same destiny , and i pray the same destiny may not befall the word parlement . pererius . most excellent queen , now that my starrs have made me so fortunat , as to conduct me hither , let it not be held to great a presumption , if for the enriching of my knowledge , and satisfying my curiosity , i humbly desire to see some of those human cretures that you have anthropomorphos'd , and transform'd to brute animals . morphandra . i shall willingly comply with your curiosity and desire in this kind ; for you shall not only be brought to the sight of them , but you shall mingle speech with them , and interrogat what you shall think fitting concerning their present condition . pererius . but , madam , how can that be ? how can i expect that they should be capable of what i speak , and consequently what answers or replies shall i hope to receive from them , while they continue in the shapes of brute cretures ? morphandra . let that be your least care ; for during that intervall of time , i shall re-infuse into them the faculty both of reson and ratiocination , whereby you may confer and discourse freely with them by interlocutions ; nor only so , but for a further argument of the great esteem i have of you prince pererius , and for the heightning of your welcom to my court , as also that you may make som reall returns of your voyage hither , if you can induce and fairly perswade any of them to reassume the shapes of human cretures , and to be invested again in their former condition , i shall give my free and full assent thereunto ; nay , to oblige you yet further , i shall give way that you take them a shipboard with you , and transport them to their own country , or whither you please besides ; provided that it be a spontaneous act , and that you have their voluntary election to this effect ; for the universal law tells us , that volenti non fit injuria , an unforc'd will cannot be wronged . pererius . most admired princess , you engage me beyond all measure or meanes of retaliation , beyond all degrees of gratitude , and me-thinks by these high civilities you have wrought a sudden kind of transformation in me , for i find my self all transformed to admiration , to a thing of wonder , by these unparallel'd favours . all that i can say for the present is , that , what air soever i breath ; under what climat soever blessed heavens shall shed their influences upon me , i shall blazon forth your nobleness for such transcendent favors all the world over . morphandra . we use not such complements under this meridian , such a distance doth not use to be 'twixt the heart and the tongue ; they are neerer relatives here . but , before you go to exchange words with these animals , take this advertisement before-hand , that ther are no wild or ferocious devouring cretures within the circumference of this ile ; they live all in a gentle and general community , in an innocuous freedom , and sociableness : the panther , bear , and tyger , put off their belluine fierce nature here ; the lamb will play with the lion without any apprehensions of fear ; the hart fears not the hound , nor the hare the greyhound , nor the bore the lime-hound ; the silly sheep fear not the wolf or the butcher's knife ; nor fish nor fowl fear here the dragnet or tramell : but all animals , both of air , earth , and water , live in an innocent security ; the reason being , that we neither kill , much lesse feed upon any creture here that hath blood , and a sensitive life , but upon fruits , pulse , roots , rice , with other nourishing and manducable things , that come forth gently , by the general benignity of indulgent nature , from the bowels of our common mother the earth ; and though we make butter sometimes our aliment , we abhorre cheese , because the cawle of a sensitive kill'd creture serv'd for the rennet . pererius . oh blissful region ! truly madam , i am of opinion , that this iland is a part , or some promontory of paradise it self before adam's fall , which , being slented off , and so got loose , was transported and fixed here ; at least , there are some grains of that mettal which went to the composition of the golden age of the world still remaining here unconsumed . morphandra . well , that i may acquit my self of the promise i made unto you , prince pererius , let us fetch a walk in those flowry fields towards the banks of that river , to take in the freshness of the air , with the fragancy of those vegetals : and now , in a favourable conjuncture of time , i spy a metamorphosed creture among those seggs , fit for your purpose ; it is an otter , whom i remember to have transmuted from a mariner or seaman , for his deboshments here ; and i observe , ther are no people so given to excesses as seamen when they come ashore ; which yet may be somwhat excused , for it is to recompence the hardships they endured at sea : nor was it an improper change for me to metamorphos the hydraulian mariner to that shape ; for as the otter is a kind of amphibious creture , living partly by water , and partly by land , so a mariner , navigator , or fisherman , useth to do : but there was another reson which induced me to this transmutation , for it related to the quality of the countrey whence he sprung , which is so inlayed , and every where so intercutt , and indented with the sea , or fresh navigable rivers , that one cannot tell what to call it , either water or land ; besides , the inhabitants dwell so low , that they lye lower than the sea in some places . and now you may make your approaches , and parly with him accordingly , while i walk up the river to visit my nymphs . pererius . otter , otter ! i conjure thee , as thou wast once a man , let me interchange som words with thee , and i may chance bring thee som news from thy countrey , and kinred . otter . how is this ? i not only hear , but i understand the voice of a man , oimee ! i am afraid that morphandra hath a purpose to re-transform me , and make me put on human shape again : well , sir , what 's your will with me ? pererius . let it not give any offence , if i desire to know what countreyman you were , when you were a rational creture ? otter . i came first into the world in hydraulia , not farr from amstena , and was a mariner by my profession . pererius . well , the most gracious queen morphandra hath been pleased to promise me the favor , as to turn you into man again , if you have a mind to it ; and , from that groveling quadrupedal shape , to make you an erect , and a rational creture once again . otter . sir , you bid me to my losse , for i live farr more to my contentment in this species , wherein my heart and eyes are horizontal , than when i was in an upright shape . pererius . consult better with your thoughts , for morphandra hath not only promised to re-convert you to man , but also she hath given me leave and liberty to carry you aboard of me , and transport you to your countrey again ; and i have a tite lusty vessel in the road , wherein you shall be accommodated with a cabbin to your contentment , and all things necessary . otter . these civilities might haply deserve thanks from an other , but not from me , in regard you proffer to reduce me from better to worse ; for if experience be the touchstone of truth , i find farr more quietude and contentation in this figure of body , than i did formerly ; therefore with this shape , i have put on also a resolution never to turn man or mariner again . pererius . i extremely wonder at this blindness , and unnatural obstinacy of yours : but now that queen morphandra hath , during this time of discours betwixt us , re-indowed you with the faculty of reson and speech , i pray impart unto me the cause of your strange aversion thus , to become man again . otter . truly , sir , though man doth vaunt , and cry up himself , to be the epitome and lord paramount among all sublunary cretures , though he vainly entitle himself , the microcosm , yet i hold him to be the most miserable of all others ; go to his prime faculty , reson , which , as he saith , is the specifical difference that distinguisheth him from us , i have found , that it fills his brain full of distraction , of extravagant opinions , and whimseys , of pining griefs , panting doubts , and pannick fears , of violent fancies and imaginations , which oftentimes turn to phrensies ; it tortures him with vexation and inquietude of spirit , insomuch , that som of the profoundest philosophers , as i have heard , affirmed , that the rational soul was given to man for his self-punishment and martyrdom ; he may be said to be his own tormentor , and the greatest tyrant to himself ; nay , these cruciatory passions do operat somtimes with such a violence , that they drive him to despair , and oftentimes to murther and destroy himself , before nature hath exspird her due cours in him , all which , we , that are guided only by sense , are not subject unto ; we only look upon the present object before our eyes , and take no other care but for shelter , and food , and to please our appetit only . pererius . 't is true , that all these turbulences , and perplexities of spirit proceed from the rational faculty ; but , in compensation thereof , we have by this faculty the prerogative to know our creator , to contemplat his works , and the fair fabrique of the world ; by this , we have a dominion and empire over all other elementary cretures , both of air , earth , and water ; by the reach of this , man with his crampons and harping-irons can draw ashore the great leviathan ; he can make the dromedary and camel to kneel down , and take up his burden ; he can make the fierce bull to endure his yoke ; he can bring down the vulture from his nest ; by this he can ride upon the back of the vast ocean , and with his winged coursers ride post from one pole to the other , as you know well by your own profession , when you were man and mariner . otter . yet these advantages com short , in my judgment , to countervail those calamities that are incident to the rational creture , which makes him come puling , crying , & sometimes weeping into the world , as foreteling his future miseries . but now that i have partly displayed the discomposures and vexations of his mind , i will give a touch of those infirmities that his body is subject unto , which is no other than a magazin of malignant humors ; a hull , wherein is stow'd a cargazon of numberless diseases , of putrid and ugly corruptions , insomuch that , as , in his life time , whiles he sleeps in the bosom of his causes within the womb , ther 's no creture lies neerer the excrementitious parts , so ther is none whose excrements are more faetid , and stinking ; the fewmets of a deer , the lesses of a fox , the crotells of a hare , the dung of a horse , and the spraints that i use to void backward , are nothing so foetid ; which may be the cause why , after man's death , ther 's no carcase so gastly and noisom as his , so that toads and serpents engender often in his scull ; nor is his cadaver good for any thing when life is gone . 't is tru , mummy may be made of it , but it must be don by embalment , and great expence of spices . but many things in our carcases after death , serve for divers uses , as particularly in mine ; my liver , reduced to powder , is good against the flix and cholic ; my stones or testicles against the palsie ; and my skin is of such value , that the fairest ladies will be glad to wear it , &c. pererius . 't is a great truth what you speak of human bodies , but all this comes accidentally ; it proceeds from variety of viands , esculents , and beverages , not from the primitive plastick vertu , and ordinance of nature : moreover , that which makes them so subject to putrefaction , is , because they abound in heat and humidity more than other bodies , which oftentimes makes som parts of the compositum rott , before life and motion leaves them . but let not these thoughts avert you from a return to your first beeing , whereby , when this transitory life is ended , you may be made capable to live in the land of eternity ; whereas all brute animals , whose souls soar no higher than the sense , are born to have a being only in this world : therefore take on a manly resolution to be redintegrated into your first principles , & so return to your own country , and kinred , to go on still in your calling , which is a useful and thriving profession , in the practise whereof you may see the wonders of the deep , and therby have oportunity more often to invoke your creator , than in any other trade . otter . i cannot deny , but the common saying is , that he who cannot pray , must go to church at sea ; yet i have often known , and i have tryed it in my self , that a mariner in a storm is a saint , but when the storm is over he is a mariner again ; witness he , who in a dangerous tempest made a vow to offer a wax-taper as big as his main-mast unto saint nicolas , if he would preserve him from shipwrack ; but being com safe ashore , a rush-candle did serve the turn ; so that , nautical piety is of no longer duration than the danger . pererius . without question , to be a mariner or navigator , as it is a necessary and noble vocation , so it affords more frequent opportunities to improve a man's devotion to heven , if one makes right use of it ; which cannot be don more properly , than by comparing the frail vessel wherein he sayls to his own body ; if he contemplat , within the theater of his thoughts , that the sea whereon he tumbles , is the world ; waves and surges are his passions ; anger , choler , and discontentments , are the storms and tempests ; his body is the bulk or hull of the ship , his neck is the stemm , the keel is his back , the planks are his ribs , the beams his bones , the pintel and gudgeons are his gristles and cartilages , the several seams of the ship are his arteries , veins , and nerfs , his bowels are the ballast , his heart the principal hold , his stomack the cook-room , his teeth the chopping-knives , his lungs the bellows , concoction is the cauldron , hunger the sauce , his belly the lower deck , his kidneys the close cabbins or receptacles , his arms and hands the can-hooks , his midriff the bulk-head , his scull the steerage-room with the round-house , his ears are the two chief scuttles , his eyes are the pharols , the stowage is his mouth , his lips are the hatches , his nostrils serve as gratings to let in air , the beak-head is his chin , his face and forehead the upper deck , reson is the rudder , the anchor is resolution , constancy the capstane , prudence the pilot , the prow-misen and main-masts , are faith , hope , and charity , which last , reacheth above the firmament : the owner of the ship is god almighty , and heven the haven to which he steers his course , &c. therefore recollect your self , and think seriously upon it ; shake off this brutish shape , and repair to the bosom of your own dear countrey , and calling . otter . truly , sir , to deal freely with you , i am quite out of conceit with , both : touching the first ; for me to remove hence thither , were to go from a fair flowry field into a great bogg , or a kind of quagmire , for such a thing my countrey may be called , if you have regard to the quality of the soil , in comparison of this : it is , for the most part , a foggy cobwebb'd air ; so canopied over , as it were , with thick fuliginous clowds , as if it were but one great brew-house ; they fence out both the aquatical creatures from their right habitations , and the true prince of the countrey from his hereditary possessions ; insomuch , that some do not stick to call them double usurpers : it is one of the most infimous and lowest part of the terrestrial globe ; which made one say , that they were the neerest confederats and neighbors to beelzebub . and this may be inferred also out of their natures and disposition : for openly or covertly , they have blown the bellows of all the warrs ( now warr is a fire , struck always in the devil's tinder-box ) that have happen'd round about them , ever since their revolt from tumontia , and since they invol'd artonia , & gheriòna in their quarrell , who first rais'd them to a free-state ; though i believe they have repented of it since . add hereunto that som do doubt , whether god and nature did ever design that lump of coagulated earth for the mansion of mankind ; for of it self it produceth neither bread to eat , nor stone to build , nor wool or silk to cloath him , nor wood or cole , or other combustible stuff , for fuel ; but the inhabitants use to fish for fire in the water , for ( fresh ) water in the air , and for air out of foggs ; insomuch , that if ever any countrey may be call'd a noun adjective , surely 't is that , for it cannot stand by it self . i remember , while i woar the shape of man in that dull clime , me-thought my blood was like so much bonny-clabber within my body , which i find now to be more quick , spriteful , and hot ; though my bloud in statu quo nunc be observed , i confess , to be the coldest of any quadrupedals . moreover , i found that mammon and gain was their chiefest god , and gold their greatest idol : but for the public religion which they profess , they have it but in a luke-warm degree ; ther 's scarce any heat of holiness , and devotion among most of them . pererius . i find now that you are of a tru brutish nature , so to beray your own nest , and bespatter the native soyl wherein you first received life . 't is true , ther 's no nation that hath not their peculiar humors ; but touching those you speak of in your countreymen , they have many signal vertues that make a compensation for them ; for they are one of the most industrious race of people upon earth ; so that the whole countrey may be compar'd to a hive of bees , or bank of provident ants : they are the only men that do miracles now adayes ; they are those , who put boundaries to the raging ocean , and by rare repercussions beat back his turgid and overwhelming billows , yet they reserve a power to command him in , at pleasure ; they are those men , who know the true mysteries of commerce , and how to regular it so , as to bring trade and policy to a science , and certain principles . how much are they to be commended for their neatness ? go to their ships , they may be said to be as cleanly as a milking-pail ; in their kitchins , the outside of their utensils are as bright as the inside ; ther 's never a room in their house , where so much dust may be found as to draw the name of slutt upon it : there is no countrey where there are fewer sorts of indigent and poor people , or where they who are poor are better lodg'd , and provided for . 't is true , they are somwhat heavy in motion , and dullish , which must be imputed to the quality of the clime ; but this dulness is recompenc'd with a grave advisedness , and circumspection in their counsels ; with a constancy , and perseverance afterwards , in their actions . in fine , they are a peeple who truly understand their own interest , which may be said to be the prime principle of wisdom , whereby they have fought themselves , from a company of fishermen , into a high and mighty common-wealth . otter . truly , sir , 't is pitty that you had not a better subject to spend your oratory upon . now , sir , concerning my former profession , let me tell you , that to be a mariner , or tarpaling , is one of the most servile and slavish condition of life that can be , it is the most expos'd to hardship and hazard ; he was no fool , who made a question , whether he should number a seaman 'twixt the living or the dead , being not much above two inches distant from death , viz. the thickness of a rotten plank : it may be also doubted , whether he be a free-man , or prisoner , being so coop'd up within so narrow a compass all the while . touching the hardship and toylsomness of this trade , let me tell you , that to plow , dig , delve , or thresh , are but exercises of ease , compar'd to our labor in distress of wether : how many times , when i went a fishing , did i carry isicles of frost at my nose , and fingers-ends ? how oft did i eat bisket , so mouldy , that danc'd up and down with ugly maggots ? how oft did i stop my nostrils while i drunk stinking beverage ? how oft did the stench of the pump strike me into a swoon ? but i thank the fates , and queen morphandra , i am now in a condition that i need not fear hunger or cold , i have a good warm coat about me , that will last me all my life long , without patching or mending ; which kind of fences against the injuries of time , and tyranny of the meteors , indulgent nature provides for us sensitive creatures , before we com into the world : whence may be inferr'd , that she takes more care for our preservation than she doth of mankinds ; beasts , have skins , fish have scales , birds have feathers , but man comes naked and wawling into the world , and cloaths himself afterwards with our spoils : nor hath he any habitation or ready food , provided him by nature ; whereas other animals find the table layed , and the buttry open for them as soon as they are born , and come out of the bosom of their causes ; whence it may be concluded , that they are the nobler cretures . pererius . it is given for granted , that man comes naked into the world , yet he hath the mastery and command , he hath the breaking , daunting , and disposing of all other cretures for his own turn , both in air , earth , & water , to cloath and feed him , according to his free election and plesure ; for all other elementary cretures are made for his use , and principally to that end . now 't is a true maxim , that the end is more noble than the mediums that serve for that end , therefore in that point ther can no comparison be made between us . otter . it is an experimental truth , that you make use of other cretures to array and nourish you , but much labor and toyl must be used , before you can bring them to serve your turn ; what a deal of work must precede , ere the tanner and furrier can make our skins fit for your wear ? what huge varieties of labors must go before , ere wheat come to be made bread , and barly drink ? ther must be ploughing , harrowing , sowing , weeding , reaping , sheafing , stacking , barning , threshing , winnowing , sacking , grinding , bolting , fermenting , and baking , before you can get a bit of bread to keep you from starving : what a deal of stirr must be us'd , before you can get a shirt on your back , or a handkercher to wipe your noses withall ? there must be planting , cutting down , hundling , watring , rippling , braking , wingling , and heckling of hemp ; which laberinth of labors and fatigues , we sentiant cretures are free from . pererius . it is without controversie tru , that man is born to sundry sorts of labors , but it is principally to exercise his spirits , and the faculties of the intellect , and so preserve him from the rust of idleness , which makes the greatest princes and potentates among men to have som manual trade , wherewith to passe away som part of their time . but , otter , let us word away time no longer ; let me know positively , whether you will make use of this singular favor , now offered you by morphandra , with my proposal , and advice , to reassume your former nature , wherein you may so serve & praise your creator , that may make you capable of eternity . in your whole life you cannot meet with so fair an opportunity ; for i have a ship to transport you , and you shall be well cloth'd , and cover'd , with accomodation of all things els accordingly ; therefore take time by the foretop , for he is bald behind , and you cannot take hold of him . otter . you may as soon wash white a negro , or blanch an ethiop , as soon as make me turn man or mariner again ; therefore you do but beat the air all this while by your perswasions ; and whereas you speak of eternity , it may be an eternity of torments as well as of bliss , i 'le none of that . but one of the greatest peeple among mankind , i mean the selenians , or half-moon-men , as also the banians , do believe , that we also sensitive cretures have a better world provided for us , after we have run out our cours here ; for we likewise have souls in us , and certain expressions that countervail speech , which is only understood by the great god of nature himself , whom we do not use to offend by any transgression of laws , as you do . but i feel the sun dart his rays somwhat quick , therfore i will go to refresh and solace my self in the gentle strems of that river . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the second section : containing an interlocutory discourse 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and an asse , who had bin once an artorian peasan ; wherin ther are some glances upon the country it self , and upon the present government thereof . but though prince pererius us'd all the perswasions he could , and re-inforc'd argument upon argument , to induce him to re-assume human shape , and so return to his country , kindred , and calling : yet the asse utterly refus'd it , and his reasons why , &c. morphandra , pererius , and an asse . pererius . incomparable lady , you have dilated my heart with a great deal of contentment , by admitting me to the sight of that transmuted animal i spoke withall last , and that you made him capable all the while to entertain discours with me pro & con , in so admirable a manner . morphandra . i have my share of that contentment you speke of : but what successe have you had in your design , of working upon his inclinations to becom man again , and so return to his country and calling ? pererius . madame , i have had conference with him of both , but he seems to undervalue , or rather abhorr the one , as much as the other , preferring the species , and present state he lives in under your dominion , to the state and former essence of a man. yet i am confident , that if you please to extend your favor further towards me , that i may mingle discours with som other , and put him in a capacity to hear , understand , and answer me , i am confident , i say , that i shall prevail with him , to be re-invested in his first beeing . morphandra . i espie upon the flank of that hillock an asse , whom i remember to have transmuted from an artonian peasan to that figure you see him in , whom i will re-indue with reson and ratiocination to hearken unto your perswasions accordingly : and if you can prevail with him , he shall put on his first nature again ; but as the power comes from me , so the will must proceed from himself to work this effect . pererius . madame , you will perform hereby the part of an angel , for i never heard of any asse that ever spoke ( unlesse it were in fables ) but of one , and that was at the appearance of an angel , which was by way of tru miracle . morphandra . yet i have been told , that one of your greatest philosophers ammonius alexandrinus , whose disciple origen was , hath it upon record , that an asse was once an auditor of wisdom . but touching that asse you mentioned before , i hear , the lawyers of your country have somthing of his nature in them , for they will not speak unlesse angels appear unto them . pererius . 't is a great truth , madam , for our lawyers toungs are said to be of an humor , contrary to the axle-tree of a new cart , in regard we use to annoint that , because it may keep no creaking or noise , but the lawyers toungs must be annointed , and oil'd with an unguentum rubrum , that they may make more noise , and to have their tongues more glibb . morphandra . the more is the foolishnesse of men discover'd in this point , who somtimes out of a pride , malice , or envy , somtimes out of a meer litigious humour , use to exhaust their estates , and impoverish themselfs , to enrich others by this means ; as i remember to have heard a facetious passage of a wealthy lawyer , who having built a fair palace of free-stone , with marble intermix'd , and having invited a knowing friend of his to take a view of the new house , and observe the symmetry , proportion , & conveniencies of the fabric , he asked his friend at last , what he thought that house was built of ? he answered , i see 't is built of good free-stone and marble , the lawyer replied , no , sir , 't is a deceptio visûs in you , for this house is made of asses heads and fools sculls , meaning the multitude of clients he had had . to such the proverb may sometimes be applied , that as the asse oftentimes carries gold on his back , yet feeds on thistles , so many poor clients carry gold in their pockets to feed their lawyers , yet they fare hard themselfs , and are ready to famish . but to leave off these impertinences , you may please to go on in the pursute of your enterprise , to try whether yonder long-ear'd metamorphos'd animal will bring your intent home to your aim , and turn man. pererius . i most humbly kisse your hands , and will towards him . poor stupid creture , how camest thou to be so unhappily transform'd , or deform'd rather , by assumption of this shape ? for i understand by queen morphandra , that thou wa'st once a man. how much do i pitty thy condition , compar'd to that which thou wa'st formerly of . asse . sir , you may reserve your pitty for others , in regard i need it not ; for i thank the fates , and queen morphandra , i enjoy my self , and the common benefits of nature , viz. air , earth , and water , which are the staple commodities of all sublunary cretures , i say , i enjoy all these more than ever i did , fenell excepted , which is my onely enemy . 't is tru , i was once a man , an artonian born , my profession was both a vineyard-man , and a roturer , a poor peasan i was , who for all my labour and toil , could hardly gain what could bear up the two columns of life in me , viz. the radicall moysture and naturall heat , much lesse to maintain my wife and family in any vigor . pererius . how could that be in so rich and plentifull a country as artonia is known to be ? where , according to her name , ceres is said to have her chief granary , and bacchus his prime cellars ; where neptune hath also his principle salt-pits , and whence venus commonly useth to fetch her smocks ? asse . 't is granted , that artonia in fecundity and self-sufficiency , yields to no other region under the sun , which makes some call her a noun substantive , that can stand by it self ; yet it may well be said , that ther 's is no country under the cope of heaven , where there 's lesse want , and more beggars , or more people , and fewer men ; the reson of the first , to my grief i speak it , is , that the common stock and wealth of the country is by mal-administration so unequally proportion'd , and distributed among the native inhabitants thereof ; for the court and the clergy suck the greatest part of the fat , whence grew the proverb , what the cheque takes not , the church takes . i speak not this , because i repine at any acts of piety towards the holy and decent worship of god almighty , and legacies left by sweet devoted souls . touching the first , 't is too well known , that the very tallies , besides the demeans of the crown , and the customs , amount communibus annis to near upon twenty millions of crowns , wherof 't is tru , that about four millions were remitted in the year . then the gabell of salt amounts to about seven millions every year , which is look'd unto so narrowly , that a poor peasan cannot carry a pocket or purse-full of salt home to his poor wife , but he must be searched . then ther are the taillons , aydes , droits , with divers other impositions and taxes , which though at first they were pretended to be impos'd for the present necessity of the times , yet soveraign princes are known to have the gift of making temporary things eternall in this kind ; neverthelesse , if this immense tresure went to the king's tresure alone , for the common defence and honour of the state , it would not so much trouble them that pay it ; but three parts of four are drunk up among hungry officers , whence grew the proverb , that the king's cheese goes away three parts in parings . touching the second , by a late computation that was made , the clergy hath in annuall revenue a hundred and six millions of crowns , and no wonder , ther being in that country , besides cardinals , and fifteen archbishops , a hundred and fifty suffragan bishops , and i know not how many fat abbots , with other dignitaries , monks , and monasteries without number . then comes in the noblesse , or gentry , which have all the rest ; insomuch that betwixt these three , the poor commoner , who yet makes up the bulk of the nation , useth to be grinded as betwixt so many milstones , whence grew this saying , that the artonian peasans are born with chains : yet they are the supporters of all the other three , and whence they have their subsistence ; insomuch that artonia may be compar'd to a stately palace , born up by mud-pillars ; while the poor toyling peasan melts the hoar frost with the sweat that trickles down his cheeks , others by good fire-sides drink carowses in the wine which he plants , while he with his panting breath and anhelation thickens the air befor him , others with carrolls and wanton musicall catches do attenuat it . concerning the second point i spoke of , viz. that no country hath more peeple and fewer men then artonia , 't is a truth too well known ; and the reson is , that the oppressed commons do so languish and groan under the insupportable burdens of the foresaid exactions , and heavy rents besides to their landlords , that they use to grow so dejected , pusillanimous , and heartless , their spirits come to be so cowed and cowardiz'd , that not one in twenty hath the courage of a man in him , or is found fit to shoulder a musket , to trail a pike , or perform any other military or manly service . pererius . 't is an apparent truth , that the artonian gentry are so numerous , and use to rack the peasantry so , that it makes them very abject and heartlesse ; for herein the politicall body may be faid to be like the naturall ; wherein if the blood and spirits were drawn all up into the upper parts , the supporting members below , as the legs and thighs , cannot have that proportion of naturall heat and vigor to quicken themselfs , the blood being all engross'd by the parts above . if the standells be planted too thick in a coppice , ther cannot be clean underwoods , for they will turn all to dwarfish shrubs . but the common peeple of artonia may thank their own volatil humors and nature for this , which is so instable , and still so covetous of change , that if they were fed high , and pamper'd with too much plenty , they wold ever and anon rush into civill commotions and tintamarrs , they wold winch , and go about to shake off the reins of government , and overthrow their rider ; therfore being so fiery-mouth'd , 't is fit they should be ridden with a bitt or curb , nor can it be tearm'd tyranny , or any soloecism in government , that they are us'd so . asse . sir , under favour you put the saddle on the wrong horse 't is not the commonalty , but the gentry , and they who are in high blood , that have such tumultuous boyling spirits within them , they are those who cause feavers and convulsions in the bowells of their own country , which i confesse are frequent , whence som observe , that though the air of artonia be not so hot as that of her next neighbour tumontia , yet she is more subject to distempers , calentures , and tovardillios ; therefore 't is one of the prime policies of artonia to find her gentry some work abroad , and employ them ever and anon in forraign warrs ; and ther have been of late two fiery flamines , one after the other , who have put this policy in practise to some purpose , their sanguin humors symbolizing with the colour of their habit , wherby nere upon a million of souls have perished within these few years . touching the second of these , his father little dreamt when he sold hatts in silicia , that his son should mount so high as to wear the red-corner'd cap , and give the law to all artonia ; wherby some hold it to be no small disparagement to so gallant a nation , and subtle a clime as artonia is known to be , to have none of her own children that had brain enough to sit at the helm of her government , but to suffer a forrener to lead all her nobles by the nose , as also to incorporat his family with the blood-royall of artonia and alpiana . pererius . well , let us leave these digressions , for as the proverb runs in your country , we have leapt from the cock to the asse all this while , we have gone astray from the matter , let 's return to the first subject of our discours , and to my main design ; poor long-ear'd patient beast , wilt thou shake off this thy il-favoured braying nature , and the species of a brute , to becom perfect man again ? asse . sir , though i were acertain'd to be one of artonia's peers , i wold not do it ; but , sir , touching my ears , you need not take me by them in so reproachfull a manner : for you know a phrygian king did wear once an asse his ears , and he was the richest that ever was among mortalls ; besides , my ears have a prophetic vertu , for when i prick them up , 't is an infallible presage of foul wether ; touching my braying , it is the tone which nature hath given me , and all the individualls of my kind , and you must grant , that nature the handmaid of god almighty doth not use to do any thing ill-favouredly ; but in lieu of our braying you have a passion , and as i remember your philosophers call it the proper passion of man , that is a far more distorting and ridiculous violent posture , 't is your laughter , which happens when your pleasure hath the liberty to scatter it self abroad , and that the senses bear a share therin , for then it causeth such an agitation , that the whole physiognomy of the face is changed , it begins to sparkle in the eyes , and mingleth it self oft-times with forc'd tears , the fore-head stretcheth it self , the lips grow redd , they tremble and slaver often-times , the voice becomes grosser then ordinary , and resounds , the rest of the body is subject to this agitation , an unusuall heat and vapor shedds it self through all its parts , which swells , and gives a new color , the eye-brows decline , the lidds contract themselves , and all the skin about them becomes uneven , and wrinkles it self all over , the eyes extenuat , they half shut themselfs , and grow humid , the nose crumples up , and growes sharp , the lipps retire and lengthen , ther is an ill-favor'd kind of gaping , and discovery of the teeth , the cheeks lift up themselfs and grow more stiff , they have pitts digg'd in them during the time , the mouth is forc'd to open , and discovers the tremblings of the suspended toung , it thrusts out an obstreperous interrupted sound , and oftentimes ther is a stopping of breath , the neck swells and shortens it self , all the veins grow greter , and extended , an extraordinary hue disperseth it self over all the face , which grows reddish , the brest is impetuously agitated , and with sudden reiterated shakes , that it hinders respiration , the perfect use of speech is lost , and it is impossible to swallow during the fit , a pain rises in the flanck , the whole body bends , and as it were wreaths and gathers it self together , the hands are set on the sides , and presse them forcibly , sweat gets up on the face , the voice is lost in hickocks , and the breath is stifled with sighs ; somtimes this agitation gets to so high an excesse , that it produceth the same violent effect as medicaments use to do , which is to put the bones so out of joynt that it causeth syncopes ; the head and the arms suffer the same throws , with the brest and the thighs , the body hurles it self with precipitation and disorder , and is cast from one side to the other ; the hands becom feeble , the leggs cannot support themselves , and the body is constrained to fall , and tumble , nay it causeth sometimes dangerous syncopes in the heart , and so brings death . weeping also the counter-passion hath many of these ill-favor'd motions , what an odd kind of face doth an infant make assoon as he is born ? how som of ripe age will screech , cry and howle in so many disordered notes , and singultient accents ? whereas we by our braying hold up our heads only , and so breath out our passions into the open aire , without any forc'd tones , or such variety of distorted postures . pererius . 't is tru , that laughter produceth sundry motions and pleasing violences in the human body , but they are recompenced by the joy that accompanieth it , which useth to rowse and raise up our slumbring spirits , and melancholly thoughts with an unusuall mirth and complaceny , whence it comes , that after those two , doctor diet , and doctor quiet , doctor merriman is requisit to preserve health ; touching the other passion sorrow , and the various emissions of it , it is an ease also to the spirits , which without such ventings would be subject to strangulations ; but , poor asse , do not let slip this fair opportunity which gracious queen morphandra offers thee , by my intervention , to be redintegrated and made a rational creture again . asse . i told you before but of the outward servitude and exigents that i endured when i was a man , which were incident onely to the body : i have not spoken to you any thing of the perturbations of the brain , and the inward agonies of the mind , which did trouble and torment me much more ; how was i perpetually vex'd not onely to pay the common taxes , and other pecuniary erogations , with my domineering landlords rents , but to find daily bread , sustenance , and cloathing for my wife and children ; now children is one of the greatest encumbrances that belong to mankind ; for as the proverb goes , children are a certain care , and an incertain comfort ; but they of my species at present are exempt from this , and a thousand inconveniencies more which are entayl'd upon mankind : 't is tru , touching our off-springs while they are young , and unable to do for themselfs , we are indulgent of them , and that for a short time , but afterwards we lose all care of them , being able to shift for themselfs . pererius . yes , and with your care you lose all affections unto them besides , but such is the noblenesse of man's nature , that both continu in him during life unto the third and fourth generation ; therefore without further ado , think upon thy first beeing , and to be restored thereunto : otherwise thou wilt be more foolish than that poor baffled asse in the fable , who when a horse came unto him , and out of wantonnes had desired him to lift up his left hinder leg , and take out a stone that had got into his foot , as soon as he had lifted up the legge , the horse fell a kicking him ill-favourelly on the face , and almost dasht out his brains ; or thou wilt be as foolish as the asse , who seeing a spaniell sawn upon his master , and getting into his lap , where he was stroked , the asse thought to do so too , but instead of being stroked , he was struck and bastinadoed away for his sawcinesse , which shews that an asse is a more contemptible thing than a dogge . asse . as contemptible as we are , there are two of us who have a bright place in heaven , as the constellation of cancer will shew you ; as contemptible as we are , some of your gretest philosophers have held grave disputes of our very shadow , and apuleius's golden asse makes him famous to eternity ; as contemptible as we are , the strongest man that ever was , made use of the jaw-bone of one of us to destroy thousands of his enemies ; the great empresse poppaea us'd our milk to make her skin the whiter , and you know what a soveraign thing that milk is against consumptions , and dysenteries ; nay our very urine is found to be good against tilers or morphews in ladies faces ; lastly , you know who made his entry into ierusalem upon one of us , for which we carry the crosse upon our sholders as the badg of a blessing to this day , which made a zealous tumontian break out into these lines upon the sight of that history of palm-sunday , neer a church dore . asno quien a dios lleuays oxala yo fuera vos , supplico os dios me hagays como el asno en que vays , y dizen que le oyò dios. o happy asse who god do'st bear , such as thou art , o wold i were . 't is said the man did pray so hard that prayer and person both were heard . pererius . poor besotted beast , yet thou knowest ther can be no comparison 'twixt the best of brutes and the basest of human cretures , who by the faculty of reson can tame and reduce to his subjection the strongest of other animals , though never so fierce and corpulent , and make them know that he is their lord and master . asse . whereas you speak of fiercenesse , truly sir i think ther 's no animal so fierce and ferocious , so savage and intractable as man : for whereas all other cretures can be rul'd , daunted , and broken , easily govern'd in time , the art of governing men is the most difficult of any , because of their various fancies and imaginations , their crosse-grain'd humors and pride , all which proceeds from the faculty of reson you speak of ; therefore i was very glad to be rid of it by this transfiguration , and the time seems tedious unto me that i have the use of it now so long to parly with you , for i remember when i was a man , it fill'd the cells of my brain ever and anon with turbid and turbulent cogitations , with strange chimera's and crochets , which disquieted the tranquillity and calm of my mind ; and as for my body , this shape which i now bear is more healthfull farr and neat , for now i am not subject to breed lice and other vermin ; and whereas this pedicular disease , with a nomberlesse sort of other maladies and distempers , attend mankind , ther 's but one onely disease that our species is subject unto , which the veterenarians or farriers call malila , and that is onely in the head , when som unusuall defluxion of rheume falls thence into the nostrills , which being stopp'd turns to the improvement of health , but if once it falls upon the lungs we are gone : and observable it is , that being dead , we have cleaner carcases than men , and divers medicinall things are found in them , as our liver , hoofs , or bones being reduc'd to powder are good , as the naturalists note , against the epilepsy or comitiall sicknesse , with other diseases ; nor do any crawling nasty worms grow out of our cadavers , but beetles , and other airy insects , which are not so noisome ; but i have spent too much time with you , i will therefore go now to browze upon the green leafs of that bramble . pererius . well , i find here two proverbs verified , the one is a homely one , viz. chanter a un asne , il vous donnera un pet , sing to an asse and he will give you a bum-crack the other , that one may bring an asse to the water , but not make him drink unlesse he list himself . asse . 't is very tru , i remember well they are proverbs us'd in our country , but the last shews much the temperance of our species , for we do not eat or drink but when we are a thirst or hungry , for the restauration of the parts that are lost , that is when nature requires it ; but you use to gourmandize it upon full stomacks , to force carowses and whole-ones untill you be full up to the very throat , and so transform your selves to worse then asses , so that oft-times neither hand nor foot can do their duty : which we never do . pererius to himself . it is a strange and strong incantation that holds this poor animal in this brutality , i will by the favor of morphandra try a conclusion next upon som other of a quicker apprehension , and one who had liv'd in a more plentifull and contented train of life whiles he was man. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the third section . consisting of a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and an ape , who had been once a preachman in gheriona , who having been carried away with every wind of doctrine , and following any fanatic new-fangl'd opinion , was transmuted to that mimicall shape ; in which dialog ther is an account given of the sad case and confusion , wherein gheriona is involv'd at present , &c. morphandra , pererius , an ape . morphandra . i saw you somwhat earnest in banding arguments with that asse , but how have you sped ? doth he desire to be disasinated , and becom man again , as i promised he should be , provided his will concurred therunto ? pererius . truly , madame , i find the old proverb tru , that he who washeth an asse's head doth lose both time and sope ; but , these two animalls i have treated withall , liv'd in a poor ignorant condition when they were men : i humbly desire i may mingle speeches with some transmuted animals , who when they were rationall cretures did live in plenty , and at ease , and who were bred up in knowledg . morphandra . you shall have your desire , and in that grove i spie an ape , who was once a prick-ear'd preachman in gheriôna , whom for his mimicall foolish humour , and following any new fond fatuous opinion , i thought it proper to transmute to that shape ; besides , i turn'd him to that long-tail'd beast , because they of his country are called stertmen that is men with long-tailes , for which ther is both tradition and story ; he came hither chaplain to a frigot , and had not the ship quickly tack'd about and got away , i had transfigur'd all the rest . ape . by the earnestnes of your looks and gazing , i believe you would speak with me , therefore i pray what 's your pleasure ? pererius poor ape , thou art an object of much pitty ; queen morphandra hath been pleased to discover unto me that thou wa'st once a man , and born in gheriona , a noble country , and a nation of no lesse esteem . ape . 't is tru , the country is good , but she may be said to be now like lucian's sick eagle , shot and pittifully wounded with shafts of her own feathers , gheriona never shewed she had in her as much to make her happy , as she shews now to make her self unhappy ; i fear me , there be som further dreadfull judgments , as the famine and the pestilence hanging over her : for it hath been observed that those three scourges of heven , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the famine , the plague , and the civill warrs are consecutif , and use to follow one another , though the last hath got the start of the other two ; but concerning the peeple , i verily believe ther were never any so far degenerated since the devill had to do with mankind , never any who did fool and puppifie themselfs into such a perfect slavery ▪ and confusion ; you seem to pitty my transfiguration from man to ape , but their case is to be much more resented , for they are turned from men to wolfs , if you go to their humours , ther 's a tru lycanthropy among them , els they wold never worry and devour one another in so savage a manner ; all which proceeds from a sad disease which hath seiz'd upon many thousands of them , it is a pure scotomia , an odd kind of vertigo that reigns amongst them , which turns the head round , and fills it with new chimera's ever and anon ; 't is tru that my country-men were ever observ'd to be inconstant in the fashion of their cloathing , in their outward comportment and garbs , which proceeded from imitation more then naturall inclination ; but this mimicall apish humor hath extended of late years not onely to their externall habits , but to the inward habitudes of their minds , and taken hold of their intellectualls , by being carried away with every wind of doctrine , and fanaticall new-fangled opinions , blown over from other countreys , and then multiplying amongst them ; for though my countrey-men have not any great genius to invent , yet 't is observ'd they have a faculty to add to any new invention ; and if any new odd opinion in holy things hath once taken footing among them , they will make it run upon more feet ; now it is in divinity as in philosophy , uno absurdo dato sequuntur mille , one absurdity being granted a thousand will follow , as aristotle the philosophers-pope doth affrim , for errors like ill weeds do grow apace ; and truly i must confesse , that this apish humor had seiz'd strongly upon me , which made me distrub the peace of the holy church wherin i was born , baptized , and bred , which made queen morphandra to transform me justly to this shape you see , being entertain'd chaplain to a man of war that arriv'd at this island , though i had been sensible of mine own errors a good while before . pererius . i know well that there was in gheriona a comely face of a church ; ther were such solemnities , venerations , and decencies us'd , that might discover som piety in the practice of holy duties ; ther was a public liturgy that link'd the souls of the whole nation in an unanimity , wherin ther were such pithy patheticall prayers that reached all occasions , and searched every crany in the conscience ; the sacraments were administred with a fitting posture of reverence , and genuflexion , yet far from any superstition ; god's houses were kept neat , cleanly , and in repair ; there was such a prudent handsom government , such degrees of promotion , such possessions annex'd to the church , that made them of that holy function not onely to be esteem'd and reverenc'd , but to be able to do deeds of charity ; but now i hear ther 's crept up such a nasty race of miscreants , who have no more esteem of god almighty's house than of a pig-sty , who have turn'd a pretended superstition to a palpable prophanenes , who have plunder'd all that belong'd to pious uses , who have nothing of that veneration , that sweetnes , and comfort that useth to attend tru devotion , which is turn'd to a giddy zeal , or a kind of lust still after more learning , as if christianity had no consistence or certainty , no sobriety ; or end of knowledg , wherin the inward man might acquiesce ; these poor simpletons pretending to imitate the apostles time wold have the same form of discipline and mode to govern whole nations , as it did at first a chamber-full of men in the infancy of the christian church ; they wold mak the same coat serve our saviour at five and twenty years , as fitted him at five : but you were speaking of other dreadfull judgments that you believe were hanging over gheriona , and what are the resons that induce you to that belief ? ape . i remember when i had a human shape i was much addicted to the reading of history , which is a profitable knowledge , for the observation of former actions may serve to regulat the future ; i took notice of a world of examples that the two nefandous crimes of sacrilege and perjury never went unpunished without some signall judgments ; among divers other these two do reign and rage in gheriona more then they ever did in any country under the cope of heven , and must she not then expect the vialls of a just vengeance to fall down upon her from above ? but that you may better understand the state of that calamitous country , that country of confusion , i will recount to you what befell me before my transmutation . perertus . you will oblige me beyond measure , if you impart unto me what you intend , and i shall listen unto you with much patience , and no lesse contentment . asse . it chanc'd one night i had a strange unusuall dream , i had fallen into so sound a sleep , as if the cinq-ports ( my five outward senses ) had been trebly lockt up ; my animula vagula blandula , my little wandring soul made a sally out of morpheus horn-gate , as she uses to do often , and fetch vagaries apart , to practise how she may live by her self after our dissolution , when she is separated from the body and becom a spirit ; i had all night long a world of visions , and strange objects appeerd unto me , which return now fresh into my memory ; during the said time i thought i was transported to the remotest place , and of the greatest distance that possibly could be from heven , me thought i was in the infernall pit , in the kingdom of darknesse , in hell it self among the devills and damned spirits , i had neither that golden branch , nor the help of a sybilla cumana to conduct me up and down as the trojan prince had , but a spirit did lead me gently and softly all along untill i came to pluto's palace , where a speciall councell was held to take a strict examination what service the three infernall furies , alecto , tisyphone , and megaera , with other inferiour fiends that were their assistants , had done upon earth towards the advancement of the kingdom of darknesse since their last mission thither , which was presently upon the appeerance of the last blazing star . pluto vouchsafed to be present at this solemn councell , and to be president or chair-man himself , to which purpose he had a strong legion of cacodaemons for his gard , but the busines was prepar'd and facilitated for his hearing before hand by a speciall committee appointed of purpose for that end ( whence i observed , that committees were first hatch'd in hell ) the three gastly daughters of night appeered with fiery conntenances before the stygian king , in lieu of air they evaporated huge flakes of fire which they took in , and let out with the accents of their words , huge bunches of vipers hung dangling and wavring about their heads , having their tayls rooted in their sculls ; a furious clash fell betwixt them who should be prolocutrix , but in regard that alecto and tisyphone had given account of their former missions , the one of the league in artonia , the other of the revolt of the hydraulian , which was about the appearance of the comet in the tayl of cassiopaea , it came now in due turn that megaera should have the priority of speech ; so the youngest of the tartarean girls began as followeth . may it please your high phlegetontic majesty to understand , that since the last happy comet anno . which by the parallax was found to be in the heven it self above the elementary world , we have for forty years together been more active and eager in your majesty's service than ever we were ; we have stirred the humors of the foolish inhabitants of the earth to insurrections , to warr and praeliation ; to effect which , our practise hath been to bring on the beggarliest and toughest peeple upon the nicest and softest , we brought the cuprinian upon the aetonian , and the zoundanian , the tarragon , and cinqfoyl upon the tumontian , the tartar upon the chinois , the selenian upon the marcopolist , the cosaque upon the pole , the carboneian upon the gherionian ; we have continued a bloody lingring warr in the bowells of artonia for thirty years together , we have thrust divers princes out of their antient inheritances , among others the duke of laroni and rhinarchos , we brought two gran selenian emperours to be strangled by their own slaves , we have often puzzled vinalia , we have made the kings of artonia and tumontia to bandy so fiercely one against the other , as if the one had been an infidell the other a iew , though each of them had one another's sister abed with him every night . but may it please your acherontic majesty to be inform'd , that the most advantageous and signall services we have done , have bin in the lsles of gheriona and hebrinia , for whereas we divided our selfs before , and went singly among other peeple , we went joyntly thither all three , and brought a regiment of fiery red-coated cacodaemons to guard us , because we might be sure to bring our great work home to your majesty's aime ; the nation fittest for our turn at first were the carboncian , who have bin so obedient to their kings , that of above a hundred they brag of , scarce two parts of three died in their beds , but were made away violently ; we did incite them first against their own country-man and native king , and to appear in a daring high hostile manner before him upon the borders ; at which time it cost us a great deal of artifice so to besot the gherioniams , and to abase their courage , so to entangle them with factions , having sure confidents to that end among them , that they durst not present battle to the carboncian at that time ; and this , sir , was an important piece of service , for had they fought then , or had they bin sensible afterwards of the dishonour they received at that time , their king being then amongst them in person , with the flower of his nobility and gentry , and consequently had they stuck to him afterwards to have vindicated that rebellious affront , all those we have fomented since might have bin prevented . we shortly after transmitted the same spirit of insurrection into hebrinia , who being encouraged by the good successes of the carboneian , who got then what tearms he listed , yet could he not sit quiet ; and the hebrinian commissioners being but harshly entertain'd by the great councell of gheriona , who intended to send them over a governour that should pinch them more than they were before in their consciences , and for divers other provocations , we caus'd the hebrinian also to rise in blood , which he did to som purpose ; then came we to work upon the gherionian , whom we found as fit to receive our impression as flax is to receive fire , in regard of their long furseit of peace and plenty ; we broke up one great assembly upon a suddain , because the members therof were not for our turn , but then we call'd another which was fit for our purpose , and we steer'd their courses all the while with a great deal of care ; the first thing we did was to endue them with a faculty to create fears and jealousies , whereof we made excellent use , and although those fears and jealousies appeared afterwards to every common man as plain as the nose on his face to be but meer forgeries , and supposititious things , yet we did still so intoxicat their intellectualls , that we made them to adore still the coyners of them ; and to give your stygian majesty among divers others , one most pregnant and undeniable demonstration what firm footing we got in that island , we did raise in few years more pythonesses , which the ignorant vulgar call witches there , then ever were in that country since your majesty tempted eve ; and we enabled our said pythonesses to send their inferiour imps abroad upon our service ; we stood at the king's elbow when he pass'd the act of continuance , wherein a carboncian was our chief engineer ; but the great city polihaima stood us in most excellent steed to compasse our designes , we made the riffraff and rakehells of that wanton city , whom som call'd myrmidons , others their bandogs , to rabble the king out of town , we brought also thither the silly swains of the country like a flock of geese to gaggle up and down the streets with papers in their hats they knew not about what ; we managed the businesse afterwards so dextrously , and did aggravate things by degrees , that we made their credulous king , because he was so profess'd an enemy to your majesty , to go disguis'd in serving-man's habit to his country-men the carboncians , with whom we prevail'd so far , that they delivered him over as a sacrifice , and betraid him iudas like to the gherionians , who crucified him sufficiently afterwards by tossing and tumbling him up and down , by depriving him of the comfort of all things that use to be dear unto man , as his wife , children , friends , and servants , by working upon his conscience in a compulsatory way , and stretching it upon the very tenter ; in summe , we have reduc'd that country to a conformity with this of your majesties , to a perfect chaos of all confusion , we have brought the sway into the common peeples hands , making all the nobility and gentry to crouch and cringe unto them ; and never did common peeple more truly act the part , and discover the genius of a common peeple more lively , whose nature is still thirsting after novelties , and utopian reformations , though oftentimes they fool themself thereby into a a baser kind of slavery , finding when 't is too late those specious idaea's , and confus'd forms of government they apprehended at first , and hugg'd in their own conceits , to be at last but meer absurdities , when they com to the application and practise therof . and , sir , the most advantageous instruments we have us'd to bring all this about have bin the pulpit and the presse , by these we diffus'd those supposititious fears and jealousies , formerly spoken of , to distract the brains of the silly vulgar ; instead of lights we put firebrands in their churches , who , according as we did dictat unto them , did baul out nothing but sedition , war , and blood ; we have made som of them to have as good an opinion of the alchoran as of their own liturgy ; we made new ordinances to batter down all the antient canons of the church , we have made them to un-saint all those who were call'd apostles , to prophane and plunder all places that were consecrated , we brought som of them to put a division 'twixt the trinity it self , we have brought them to keep their fasts more solemnly than the sabboth , upon which day we made them usually not onely to sit in councell , but to put in execution their chief designs of blood ; to work all this , the main and most materiall thing we made use of was spirituall pride your majesty's old acquaintance , which pride we have infus'd into the mind of every mechanic , or country-swain , who will boldly now undertake to expound any text of scripture new or old upon the warrant of his own giddy brain ; insomuch that we have made that book which they call the bible , that was ordained for the charter of their salvation , to be the chiefest instrument of their damnation ; we have brought those exotic words plundring and storming , and that once abominable word excise to be now familiar among them , they are all made free denizens , and naturaliz'd among them ; we have made those who came petitioners for peace to the great councill to be ill intreated , and som of them to be murther'd , but those that came for warr to be countenanc'd and thank'd ; we made the mother to betray her child , the child the father , the husband the wife , and the servant his master ; we have brought a perfect tyranny over their souls and bodies , upon the one , by tedious imprisonments and captivity , with a forfeiture of all their livelihoods before conviction , or any preceding charge , upon the other , by forcing them to take contradictory oaths , engagements , and protestations ; on that foolish superstitious day of christmas , with other festivals , we have brought them to shut up their churches , and to open their shops and shambles , so that in time they will forget the very memory of the incarnation of their saviour ; we have brought them to have as little reverence of their temples as of their tap-houses , and to hold the church to be no more than a charnell-house of rotten bones ; and though they still cringe and stand bare-headed before any wrangling bench of common pleading , yet we have so stiffned their joynts , and made their heads so tender in that which they call god's house , that there , they can neither bow the one , nor scarce uncover the other ; we have made the fundamentall laws to be call'd but meer formalities ; we have made that which was call'd their great charter to be torn to a thousand flitters , and stretcht the priviledge of the commons so wide , that it hath quite swallowed the royall prerogative , and all other priviledges ; we have grub'd up , and cast away those hopefull plants that grew in their two seminaeries of learning , and set in them graffs of our own choice ; we have made the wealth of town and country , of poor and rich , to shine in plunder upon the souldiers backs ; we have made them command free-quarter of those , that were more sitting to ask alms of them ; we have made them rifle the monuments of the dead , to rob the very lazaretro , to strip the orphan and widow ; we have made them offer violence to the very vegetables and inanimat stones , to violat any thing that was held holy , to make socks of surplices , to water their beasts at the font , and feed them on the altar , and to term the thing they cal the sacrament to be but a two-penny ordinary ; we have made them use on the close-stoole that book wherein the public devotion of the whole nation consisted ; in fine , we have made them turn supposed superstition to gross prophaness , preaching to prating , praying to raving , government to confusion , and freedom to fetters ; we have so intoxicated that dear daughter of yours polihaima , that she knows not what way to turn her self ; and whereas her apprentices did rise up like so many cubs of tygers against their lawfull prince , they are now becom as came as so many silly sheep against the souldiery ; we have puzzled their pericranium with vertiginous fancies , and fears among themselfs , that one neighbour dare not trust the other ; to conclude , we have eclipsed the glory of that nation , we have made them by all peeple far and neer that ever had knowledg , correspondence , or any commerce with them , to be pittied by som , to be laugh'd at by others , to be scorn'd of all , and to becom the very tail of all nations ; in fine , sir , we have brought that country to such a passe of confusion , that it is a fit place onely for your infernall majesty to keep your court in , for ther 's never a crosse there to fright you now : 't is tru they retain it still upon their coines of gold and silver , in honour of your plutonian highnesse as you are dis and god of riches . megaera having thus given up an account in behalf of her self and her two sisters , they all bowed their snaky heads down to their very feet , which were toed with scorpions , before the black throne of beelzebub , who giving such a humm that made all hell to tremble , answered thus , my pretious and most trusty tartarean daughters , we highly approve of the super-erogatory service you have don us for the propagation of our empire upon earth , and specially in gheriona ; we have sued a long time to have a lease of that iland , and we hope to obtain it , touching carboncia 't is not worth the while ; therfore when you have visited those of that nation whom you have sent hither already to peeple this pit , i would have you return thither , and prepare that place for one of our principall habitations , never leave them till you have thrust out religionem ex solo as well as regem ex solio ; make law , religion , allegiance , and every thing els arbitrary , let not one government last long , but shuffle the cards so that a new trump may be turnd up often , create still new fears , and foment fresh divisions among them ; let the son seek the fathers throat , let brothers sheath their swords in one anothers bowells , let the country clash with the towns , the towns one against the other , and the sea with both , till that the whole nation be at last extinguished that one may not be left to pisse against a wall ; let not a church or chappell , hospitall or colledge stand in the whole isle . i intend to have a new almanack of saints at my comming , for i have som star-gazers there fit for my purpose ; make haste therefore , and acquit your selfs of your duty for fear a peace be shuffl'd up , and that artonia and tumontia appeer in the busines , and espouse the quarrell of young caroloman ; and if you carry your selfs well in this employment , i may chance give you carboncia for your reward . the three lethean futies with a most profound reverence replied , may it please your majesty , your ferriman charon is continually so pestered with such multitudes of gherionian and carboncian passengers , that we were forc'd to stay a long time ere we could be transported hither , and we fear we shall be so hindred again . therfore we most humbly desire for our better expedition , that you would vouchsafe to give us a speciall mandamus that we may be serv'd first , with a non obstante , when we com to the banks of styx . you shall dear daughters , said pluto , and my warrant shall be addrest to som gherionian tarpalins , wherof ther are abundance these few years past , whom charon hath entertaind for his journey-men . having listned all this while unto what pass'd 'twixt pluto and his furies , my guiding spirit did lead me up and down hell to see the various sorts of torments that are there , which indeed are innumerable both old and new ; the first i beheld was ixion who was tyed with ugly vipers to a wheel that whirl'd about perpetually , and i might perceive a multitude of lesser wheels newly made therabouts , wherunto great nombers of gherionians , and divers of my acquaintants were bound in like manner ; i might discern also hard by a huge company of new windmills , and bodies tyed with black-spotted snakes at every wing turning round perpetually ; a little further ther were a great many broken by milstones who were whirl'd with them about incessantly ; in another place i might see black whirlpools full of tormented souls turning still round , i asked what was the reson of so many whirling tortures ? my good spirit answered , all these , except ixion's wheel , are new torments appointed for gherionian sectaries , who had destroyed from top to bottom all government both of church and state , and as their brains turn'd round upon earth after every wind of doctrine , so their souls turn here in perpetuall torments of rotation . a little further i spied prometheus removed thither from caucasus , with a ravenous vulture tearing and feeding upon his liver , which as one part was eaten , renewed presently after , and abundance of new commers were tormented in the same manner , these i was told they were gherionians also that were punishd like prometheus , because as he was tortured so for stealing fire from heven , by which was meant for prying too far into the secrets of the gods , so those fiery zelots of gheriona were tortured , for offring to dive too far into the high points of predestination , election , and reprobation , being not contented sapere ad sobrietatem , but were gaping ever and anon after new lights , and flashes of illuminations to pry into the book of life . then i came to the bottomles tub which danaus daughters were a filling , a nomberles company of other such tubs were there , and gherionian women and men were incessantly labouring to fill them up with the stenchy black waters of acheron ; i was told that they were those over-curious peeple in gheriona which wold be never satisfied with spirituall knowledg , having no other devotion than to be alwaies learning , and never comming to the truth , as these poor restlesse fillers could never come to any bottom . then i beheld the most horrid tortures of those giants who wold have pulld iupiter out of his throne , and a world of gherionians among them , who partaked of the same tortures , because they had conspir'd on earth to destroy their lawfull king. not far further i might spy dazling my eyes fiery glowing tubs made pulpit-like , and i was told they were prepared for those prophane presumptuous mechanicks , and other lay-men who use to preach , and so abuse the sacred oracles of god ; and uzza was not far off , who lay in torments there for being too bold with the holy ark. not far distant i saw hoops of iron that were made garter-like of hot candent steel , i was told that they were design'd for the perjur'd knights of that order in gheriona to wear upon their legs when they com thither , for breaking in the late war the solemn oath they had taken at their installment , to defend the honour and quarrells , the rights and dignities of their soverain , &c. nere unto them i might see brasse hoops glowing with fire , and they were scarfs-like , i was told they were ordained for those knights of the bath to wear for ribbands next their skins when they came thither , for infringing that sacred sacramentall oath they took at their election , which was , to love their soverain above all earthly creture , and for his right and dignity to live and die . a little beyond i saw a copper-table with chairs of the same , all candent hot , i was told that those were for perjur'd privy-councellors who had broke their oath to their king , which obliged them to be tru and faithfull servants unto him , and if they knew or understood any manner of thing to be attempted , done , or spoken against his majestie 's person , honour , crown , or dignity , they swore to lett and withstand the same to the uttermost of their power , and cause it to be revealed either to himself , or any other of his privy councill . hard by i saw a little furnace so glowing hot , that it lookt of the colour of a ruby or carbuncle , i was told that it was to clap in the master of a king's jewell-house when he comes thither , for being so perfidious and perjurious to his master . not far off i might see a huge brasse caudron full of molten lead , with som brewers cruelly tormented therein , for setting their own country on fire . i was curious to know , whether ther were any other infernall tortures besides those of fire ; yes , i was answered , for to speak of fire to a peeple habituated to a cold climat were not onely to make them slight hell , but to have a mind to go thither ; so my spirit brought me a little northward , and shewed me a huge lough , where ther were frosted mountains up and down , and i might discover amongst them a world of blew-caps lying in beds of yce , with their noses and toes nipt , the isicles stuck to their fingers ends like horns , and a bleak hispid wind blew incessantly upon them , they made the most pitteous noise that me-thought i had heard in all hell , for they wawl'd , screech'd , and howl'd out ever and anon this dismall note , wea is me , wea is me that ever i betraid my gid king. among all those damned souls i desired to see what punishment an atheist had , my spirit was ready to answer me , that ther were no atheists in hell at all ; 't is tru they were so upon earth before they came hither , but here they sensibly find and acknowledge ther is a god by his justice and judgments , for ther is here poena sensûs and poena damni , ther is inward and outward torture , the outward torments you behold are nothing so grievous as the inward regrets and agonies the souls have , to have lost heven wherof they were once capable , and to be eternally forsaken by their creator the lord of light , their chiefest good ; add hereunto that they know these torments to be endlesse , easelesse , and remedilesse ; besides these qualities which are incident to the damned souls , they have neither patience towards themselfs in their own suffrances , nor any pitty towards others , but their natures is so accursed that they wish their neighbours torments were still greter then their own ; moreover their torments never lessen , or have any mitigation by tract of time , or degrees of sense , but they persevere alwaies in the same heighth , they are still fresh , and the soul made stronger to bear them ; i saw that everlasting villain who committed one of the first sacriledges we read of , by burning the temple of diana , whose torments were so fresh and cruciatory upon him , as they were the first day he was hurl'd in thither ; iudas was in the same degree and strength of torture as he was the first moment he fell thither ; iack cade , wat tyler , iack straw , and ket the tanner did fry as fresh as they did that very instant they were tumbled down thither ; amongst whom it made my heart to melt within me when i saw som of their new-com'd country-men amongst them , wherof i knew divers ; and though society is wont to be some solace to men in misery , yet they conceived no comfort at all by these fresh companions . it is high time for us now , said my good guiding spirit , to be gone to the other world , so we directed our cours towards the ferry upon styx ; but lord what a nomber of lurid and ugly squalid countenances did i behold as i pass'd ; there was one sort of torment i had not seen before , ther were divers that hung by their toungs upon posts up and down , i asked what they were , answer was made , that they were prick-ear'd preachmen , iudges , and lawyers , who against their knowledg as well as against their consciences , did seduce the ignorant peeple of gheriona and carboncia , and incite them to war ; and ther was a new tenter-hook provided for one gran villain , who pronounced sentence of death against his own soverain prince , whose subject he was , and whom by a sacred oath of allegiance he was tyed to obey . a little further i might see multitudes of committee-men and others , slopping up drops of molten lead in lieu of french barly-broth , with a rabble of apprentices sweeping the gutters of hell , with brooms tufted with ugly adders and snakes , because they running into the wars and leaving their wares , had therby broke their indentures with their masters , and their oaths of allegiance to their lawfull prince . passing then along towards the ferry , a world of hideous shapes presented themselfs unto my sight ; there i saw corroding cares , pannick fears , pining griefs , ugly rebellion , revengefull malice , snaky discord , oppression , tyranny , disobedience , perjury , sacriledge , and spirituall pride ( the sin that first peepled hell ) put to exquisit torments ; couches of toads , scorpions , asps , and serpents were in a corner hard by ; i asked for whom they were prepared , i was answered , for som evangelizing gherionian ladies , which did egg on their husbands to war ; so having as i thought by a miraculous providence charm'd three-headed cerberus , by pointing at him with the signe of the crosse upon my fingers , we passed quietly by to the ferry , where being com i found tru what pluto had said before , that ther were divers gherionian tarpalins entertain'd by charon , but they were in most cruell tortures , for their bodies were covered all over very thick and close with canvases pitch'd and tarr'd , which continually burnt and flam'd round about them . herewith i got awake again about the dawning of the day , and it was high time to do so ; for lo , the golden orientall gate of gray-fac'd heven 'gan to open fair , and phoebus like a bridegroom to his mate came dancing forth , shaking his dewy hair , and hurls his glittring beams through gloomy air . so rest to motion , night to day doth yield , silence to noise , the starrs do quit the field , my cinq-ports all fly ope , the phantasy gives way to outward objects , ear and eye resume their office , so doth hand and lip ; i hear the carrmans wheel , the coachmans whip , the prentice ( with my sense ) his shop unlocks , the milkmaid seeks her pail , porters their frocks , all cries and sounds return , except one thing , i heard no bell for mattens toll or ring . being thus awak'd , and staring on the light which silverd all my face and glaring sight , i clos'd my eyes again to recollect what i had dreamt , & make my thoughts reflect upon themselfs — i say , that having after such a long noctivagation , and variety of horrid visions , return'd to my perfect expergefaction , i began by a serious recollection of my self to recall to my thoughts by way of reminiscence those dismall and dreadfull objects that had appeerd unto me , for though i was in hell , yet i did not taste of lethe all the while , insomuch that i did not forget any thing which i had seen ; all the said objects presented themselfs unto me so reall , that if i had bin transported with that opinion wherof many great clerks have bin , viz. that devills are nothing els but the ill affections , the exorbitant passions and perturbances of the minde ; i say , if i had bin plac'd in such an opinion , this trance wold have convinc'd me ; you may easily imagin what apprehensions of horror these apparitions left in my brain behind them , just as a river when by an inundation she hath swel'd out of her wonted channell , doth use to leave along the neighbouring medowes seggs and other weeds with much riffraff stuff behind her upon her return to her former bed ; so did this vision after that deluge of objects wherwith my brain was overwhelm'd for the time , leave behind them black sudds , and many a ghastly thought within me , which after some ruminations wrought in me a perfect change and detestation of those mimicall giddy opinions wherwith i was carried away before , but while i delayed the time of declaring my self that way , i was suddenly surprized , and justly transmuted to this shape and species . pererius . you may perceive by the effects of this visional dream the excellency and high prerogatives of the human soul , who by the ministry of the imagination can make such sallies abroad , that leaving the grosse tabernacle of the body she can at plesure climb up to the skies , and make a scale of the stars to conduct her to the empyrean heven ; she can also descend in a trice to the great abysse , and take a survey of the kingdom of darknes , and though it be a common maxim that , ab orco nulla redemptio , ther is no returning from hell the passage thence being irremeable , yet the rational soul while she informs the body hath this priviledg , that she can make egresses and regresses , she can enter and come off clear from hell it self , when she list , and all this in an instant ; wherin she may be said to participat of that admired quality which is inhaerent in that most comfortable of all cretures the light , which is held the souverain of all sensible qualities by the philosophers , and to com neerest to the nature of a spirit , for light requires but an instantaneous moment or point of time to perform its office of illumination , and to dilate it self from one pole to the other throughout the whole hemisphere , whence some infer that light is incorporeal , because 't is an unquestion'd principle among the naturalists , that all bodies require a succession of time in their motion , which light needs not ; but ther is this difference 'twixt the imagination of a human soul and light , that ther besom places wherinto light cannot enter , but ther is no part of the universe so impervious where the imagination may not make his accesses and recesses at plesure , as appeers by yours while you made that progresse during the time of that extasy ; and now me-thinks that these , and other excellencies of the rational soul should incite you to shake off that brutish nature , which hath no other idaea or object of happines , but what sense exposeth for the present time to corporeall things onely ; i say the contemplation of what i said before shold move you to becom man again . ape . man ! truly sir , i am sorry the shape i now bear resembleth man so much , i could wish it were far more unlike , for the horrid and unheard-of sacrileges and perjuries of my own nation makes me abhor the very name of man , much more his nature ; for i dare confidently assert , that ther were never since the devill had power to possesse poor mortalls such heteroclites in religion , such a bedlam of sectaries , who to exalt the kingdom of christ wold heave it up on beelzebub's back , for 't is the devill 's reformation to turn order to confusion , and certainties to incertitudes as they have done ; but these refiners of government will prove quack-salvers at last , for in lieu of raising up a common-wealth , they have pull'd down the two main pillars which use to support all states , viz. religion and iustice , making both arbitrary , and tumbling all things into a horrid disorder and hurliburly , insomuch that it may be truly said , these new sorts of recusants did more hurt than ever the old could have don , if the subterranean plot of nitre had taken effect ; for that had onely destroyed som few of the royall race , of the prelates and peers then in being , but these hell-hounds have wholly extinguished and blown up all the three to perpetuity , and all this onely by the stench of their pestiferous breath ; nor have they offered violence to religion onely , but they have affronted reson it self , nay they have baffled common sense ; and for all this we may thank carboncia , and polihaima that rotten-hearted city , who like a fat cheese is so full of maggots ; and indeed what could be expected else from these pseudopolitians but disorder , confusion , and ataxy , considering how their first reach of policy was to throw the ball of discord 'twixt the subject and his souvrain , whom yet they had vowed to make the best belovedst prince that ever was ; insomuch that darknesse it self is no more opposit to light , as their actions were diametricall to their words , oaths , and protestations . pererius . truly they are stupendous things that you have told me , but touching the difference you speak of that they did put 'twixt prince and peeple , it was the most compendious way to bring all things to confusion and ruine , to which purpose i shall relate unto you an apolog ; ther hapned a shreud commotion and distemper in the body naturall 'twixt the head and the members , not onely the noble parts ( many of them ) but the common inferiour organs banded against him in a high way of presumption ; the heart which is the source of life with the pericardium about it did swell against him , the splene and gall flowed over , the liver gathered ill blood , all the humors turned to choller against him ; the arms lifted up themselfs against him , neither back , hamms , or knees wold bow to him , nay the very feet offered to kick him ; the ribbs and reins , the hypocondrium , the diaphragma , the miseraik and emulgent veins were fill'd with corrupt blood against him , nay the hypogastrium and the bowells made an intestine warr against him ; while this feud lasted , it hapned that these tumultuary members fell out among themselfs , the hand wold have all the fingers equall , nay the toes wold be all of an even length , and the rest of the subservient members wold be independent ; they grew so foolish that they wold have the fundament to be where the mouth is , the brest where the back , the belly where the brain , and the yard where the nose is ; the sholders shold be said to be no more backwards , nor the leggs downwards ; a bloody quarrell fell out 'twixt the heart and the liver which of them received the first formation , and whether of the two be the chiefest shop of languification , which question bred so much gall 'twixt the aristotelians and the galenists ; while this spleene and strange tympany of pride lasted , it causd such an ebullition and heat in the masse of blood , such a stiffnes in the cartilages and gristles , such a lanknes in the arteries , that it put the whole compositum in a high burning feaver or kind of ravening frenzy , which in time grew hepticall , and so threatned a dissolution of the whole frame of the body . 't is to be feard that the same fate attends the politicall body of your nation as did the naturall i spoke of ; but matters may mend , and as you began to find a reformation in your self before you were transmuted to this shape , so the whole nation may come to their old temper again ; therfore you shal do well , now that you are invited by so pregnant an opportunity , and so reall a proffer , to shake off that apish or monky-fac'd figure you now wear , and resume the noble erect shape of man , to look towards heven , and be safely transported to the bosom of your own dear country , where you may by your advantageous holy profession , do a great deal of good offices to your deluded compatriots , by the contribution of your endeavours and talent , to reduce them to their right wits again , and so to the temper of their famous progenitors . ape . sir , you may as soon quadrat a circle , which the philosopher holds to be impossible , as convert a roundhead , for i have felt his pulse so well , that when a crochet hath got once into his noddle , 't is like quick-silver in a hot loaf , which makes it skip up and down to the astonishment of the ignorant beholder ; so when a caprichio , or some fanaticall idaea hath once entred into the pericranium of this pack of peeple , it causeth such a vertigo , that all the druggs of egypt cannot cure them : therfore , noble prince , you may please to practise your eloquence upon som other , but as for me you spend your breath in vain , and all this while you have said as good as nothing , for i so far detest human kind , that , in the mind i am in , i had rather undergo an annihilation , or to be reduced to a non-entity , which is so horrid a thing to all created natures , that the very devills themselfs abhorr it , then be as i was : therfore i am resolved never to turn man again , much lesse a cherionian , for , in statu quo nunc , i hold him to be not onely the prophanest sect of christians , but the worst race of mankind ; the wildest moor , arab , or tartar is a saint in comparison of him . but i espy an ill-favoured snayl creeping hard by , with her house upon her back , and stretching forth her ugly horns , which base creture those of my present species do naturally loath , ther being a perfect antipathy betwixt us , as well as with all shell-fish . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fourth section . a colloquy 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a hinde , who had bin once one of the gretest bewties in marcopolis , and for som youthfull levities and wildnes was transmuted to that shape ; in this section ther are various discourses of the state and nature of women pro & con , &c. morphandra , pererius , and a hinde . morphandra . it seems , most princely pererius , by that clowd i perceive waving in your countenance , that you cannot prevail with any of those transformed cretures with whom you have hitherto conferrd , to comply with your so laudable desires of wearing again the shapes of men ; therfore i wold wish you to try a conclusion upon a female , which sex useth to be more soft and pliable , and ther is one just before you , that lovely white hinde ( though she hath som black spots about her shingle ) which i see browsing upon that hedge , she was once a woman , therfore try what you can do upon her . pererius . madame , by treating with this last animal , i find the old adage confirmd , that simia erit simia , quamvis induatur veste aurea , an ape will be an ape though he be clad with tissue , he will never shake off his brutish nature ; but , most sagacious queen , though truth , as the proverb runs , begets hatred oftentimes in the minds of those to whom it is spoken , yet , knowing well that noble spirits do disdain to have one thing in the mouth , and another in the heart , i will take the boldnesse to make a free discovery of my mind , though i fear to incur therby your disfavor . morphandra . sir , you may frankly speak what you please , for ther is no greter a friend to generous souls than truth . pererius . i doubt , though you have vouchsafed the gift of ratiotination to those animals i have tampered withall , yet you have not bin pleased to give them the full faculty of reson , in regard i have found them so averse to re-assume their first beeing from that of beasts , which could not surely be if they had the full power of their former intellect . morphandra . truly if i had don so , you might have justly thought your self to have been deluded by me , and that i had don you but half a courtesie or a fained promise ; now touching promises a noble mind shold not make any , that he hath not the wil to do , or the power to perform , for the one proceeds from pure dissimulation , and the other from meer foolishnes : but know , that all that intervall of time you have held a parly with those transmuted animals you have tried already , they had the same reach and full light of reson as they had when they were men. pererius . oh , how is it possible then that the eyes of their understanding shold not be opend , to discern their own error ? morphandra . it may well be that they find and feel more contentment , and sweetnes in that life they now lead , wherof men have no sense or knowledg , therfore 't is no thing of wonder that they desire to continue so ; but go and poursue the point of your enterprise , for it may be you may find som other that will be conformable to your counsell herein , and 't is very probable that hinde may do it . pererius . 't is observed by wise men , that they who can prescribe a way of themselfs to live contentedly and well , are to be plac'd in the first degree of vertu ; and they which cannot do it of themselfs , but are content to be directed by the counsell of wiser men , are to be plac'd in the second degree ; but they who are not capable to counsell themselfs , nor receive counsell from others , are not worthy to be rank'd in the nomber of rational cretures ; of this last kind those silly animals are with whom i have held discours , therfore 't is no marvail that my perswasions could not take place with them ; but knowing it to be the greatest part of humanity for one to commiserat and help another , i will push on my endeavours in this point , and see what i can do with that lovely white hinde , for that sex whereof she was formerly useth to be more tender , and to take impressions more easily : gentle creture , i come to be the messenger of good tydings unto you . hinde . o! may heven be blessed , i understand the accents of man , and have the strings of my toung loosned to talk again . pererius . i hope now to have met with one fit for my purpose , for i hear her thank heven that she is come again to the gift of speech : give me leave to ask you , gentle hinde , how came you to be thus so strangely transfigured ? hinde . it was the great queen morphandra who hath put this shape upon me ; but , sir , give me leave to return you a question , wherfore are you so desirous to know the cause of my transmutation ? for i was never ask'd the reson ever since by any , nor had i my speech return'd unto me till now , ever since i went upon four leggs . pererius . the reson that i desire to know the cause of your transfiguration is for your infinit advantage , as you shall find , therfore i pray dispence with my curiosity , if i desire to know further what country and condition you were of when you were a rational creture . hinde . sir , i was born in marcopolis that rare maiden city , so much renowned throughout the world for the strangenes of her scituation , for her policy , riches , and power ; but though she continu still a virgin , yet she is married once every year to neptune whose minion she is , which makes her accounted so salacious ; there i had my first birth , and was accounted one of the beauties of my time , till for som dissolut courses and wildnes of youth , it pleased morphandra to give me a second kind of generation , and transmute me to this shape you behold . pererius . you may then thank those stars that guided me hither , for i have obtained leave of morphandra to talk with you , nor onely so , but she hath bin pleased to promise me that she will re-invest you in you former fair nature if you desire it , therfore i quickly expect your resolution , for the sudden counsells and answers of women are observ'd to be the best , in regard that the more you think on a thing , the more your thoughts use to be intangled ; therfore tell me whether you will be a woman again , i or no ? hinde . no ; ther 's a short and sudden laconicall answer for you . pererius . 't is short i confesse , but i conceive it to be as rash and inconsiderat , i hope you will think better on it , for what an infinit advantage it is to be transversed from a beast to be a noble rational creture . hinde . to be a rational creture is not the thing that i am so averse unto as much as to be a woman , which sex is so much undervalued and vilified by you , that som of your philosophers ( or foolosophers more properly ) have had the faces to affirm that we were not of the same species with men , and if we were , yet it was by an inferiour kind of creation , being made only for multiplication and plesure ; others have given out , that in point of generation woman by natures design is still meant for man , and that a female is a thing brought into the world beyond nature's intention , either by the imperfection of seed , or some other defect ; which absurd opinion how contrary it is to the just order of nature , is manifest to any one that hath but a crum of wit , considering how we also concur to your generation , though som of your old doting wisards have held the contrary , holding us to be meerly passive in that point . pererius . 't is tru , that aristotle who was one of the secretaries that attended nature's cabinet-councell doth affirm , that in the female ther is no active principle of generation , but that she is meerly passive , affording onely blood and the place of conception , the plastic formative vertu residing in the male's feed ; but this opinion is exploded by our modern physitians and naturalists , who assert that in the female also ther is an active and plastic principle of generation , with a procreative faculty , as appeers in the engendring of a mule which is a mix'd species proceeding from the horse and the asse , whose whole form is made up by the concurrence of both parents , so that the horse alone is not sufficient to produce such a creture , but the asse must co-operat as the efficient cause . hinde . you may well add hereunto that the child oftentimes resembleth the mother , therfore she must also be an active principle in the formation ; if it be so , what a wrong is it to the justice and rules of nature that women shold be held but little better than slaves ? how comes it that they shold be so vilipended and revil'd ? as that foolish naturalist or ninny , who wish'd ther were another way to propagat mankind than by copulation with women ; another blurted out , that if men could live without the society of women , angels wold come down and dwell among them ; but that stinking cynick was the worst of all , who passing by a tree where a woman having been abus'd and beaten by her husband , had done her self violently away , he wished that every tree might bear such blessed fruit . pererius . such speeches as these proceeded from a kind of raillery or way of jesting , not from the judgment or wishes of the parties that spoke them , and it is commonly seen that they who play upon them with their wits , have them most in their wishes ; for ther is no sober-minded man but doth acknowledg them to be born for our comfort and dearest companions , and to be of equall degree with us in point of creation and excellence , as also capable of the same beatitude . hinde . ther is good reson to think so , for the creator took the first woman out of the midst of man therby to be his equall , and without any ostentation be it spoken she was made of a more refined matter , viz. of the rib , which is a purer substance than the red slimy earth wherof adam was fram'd ; and daily experience tells us , that we are composed of purer plasticall ingredients than you , because that if a man , be he never of so fine a paste , wash his hands with the clearest water in severall clean basons never so often , yet he will leave som foulnes and faeculence behind ; but a woman can do so and leave the water at last so clear , so fair and limpid , as when it came from the fountain or source it self in few times washing . pererius . 't is tru , she was made of a rib , but 't was a crooked one , which makes many of your sex to be so crosse-graind ; this causeth many of them to be kept under a greater servitude than otherwise they wold be . hinde . a servitude indeed , or rather a tyranny , and we must purchase this servitude with the weight of gold , you having made that fine law , that when any woman is to be your companion , she must bring mony with her , which you call dower or matrimoniall portion forsooth . pererius . this law is enacted for your good , for knowing that you , in regard of your in-experience and weaknes , cannot tell how to conserve your estates , the said dower is consign'd to your husbands to improve it for your further profit , and to maintain you ; insomuch that your husbands cannot be called patrons of your goods , but your procurators in conserving them , and if you chance to survive them they all return to you , and most commonly with som advantage ; in the interim we trudge and toyl without , and you within doors , onely to conserve it , which is but an easie task . hinde . you say very well in that , for unlesse ther be a good houswife at home to keep , in vain doth the husband labour abroad to gather ; but wheras you say that we have not that prudence to manage an estate , and govern it , i pray call to mind the kingdom of the amazons , how long and how wisely was it governed by women ? look upon that of babylonia which was so much amplified by semiramis , and that of scythia by tomiris , especially upon a late notable queen in gheriona , who rul'd triumphantly near upon years ; and whereas you speak of the want of wisdom that we have , i pray what were the nine muses the inventrices of all sciences ? what were the three graces ? what were the twelve sybills ? what are the three spirituall vertues ? nay what was minerva the goddesse of wisdom , born out of the brain of iove himself ? were they not all women ? pererius . 't is tru that minerva issued out of iupiter's brain , but she had no woman to her mother , for so she had not prov'd so wise ; and touching the muses , graces , and sybills you speak of , you know as well that the three fatall sisters , and erynnis the mother of discord , were all women as well , together with the three furies of hell ; but if you look upon heven , you are but few there , for among the planets ther are but two of your sex , ( viz. venus and cynthia ) all the rest are male . hinde . you may as well argue , that because among the twelve celestiall signes ther are but three human cretures , and seven brute animals , ( with two inanimat ) that ther are more brute animals in heven than men ; but , sir , under favour , wheras you alledg that among the hevenly planets ther are but two females , the rest males , it shews that men are of a more erratic and wandring humour than women ; now sir , touching that wisdom you speak of , you have more opportunity to get it by conversing with the world abroad , and so pourchasing experience which is the mirroir of wisdom ; wheras we are kept within doores , and shut up 'twixt a few walls , whence you have a saying , that that woman deserves onely respect and honour , whose actions and praises go not out of the walls of her own house : and hereunto that you put us to all the drudgery and servile offices at home , while you are joviall and feast it abroad ; nor do you onely coop us up so in a kind of prison , but you clap oftentimes a barbarous kind of lock upon us , wheras you , though you have inclosures of your own , yet you may go abroad when you list , and , when your lust drives you , feed upon the common without controul ; and is not this pure slavery in us , and tyranny in you ? pererius . concerning the first , apelles us'd to paint a good houswife upon a snayl , which intimated , that she shold be as slow from gadding abroad , and when she went she shold carry her house upon her back , that is , she shold make all sure at home ; now to a good houswife , her house shold be as the sphere to a star , ( i do not mean a wandring starr ) wherin she shold twincle with neatnes as a star in its orb ; and how can you call that a prison wherof you keep the keys , and are commandresses in chief ? the imperium domesticum you rule within doors , whither we bring all that we gain abroad , and it is your office to improve and augment it , though many of you are so lavish that you make the poor husband oftentimes to turn a noble to nine-pence , as is intimated by that famous picture of polygnottus made of one ocnus , who being a cordwayner by his trade , as he was making new ropes , there was a wisell hard by that gnawed off the cordage , by which was meant his wife ; for it is in the wife to husband what the man gets , according to the poverb , ask my wife whether i thrive or no , for if she be prodigall she will bring her poor husband quickly to thwitten a mill-post into a pudding-prick . touching the second point , of laying artificiall restraints upon your bodies , it is because som of you can be no further trusted than you are seen ; but this ill-favoured custom i confesse is us'd onely in that country , where women are more hot and lustfull than under other climes , for the naturalists observe without any partiality , that your sex is more salacious than the masculine , wherof ther might be produced a clowd of examples , i will instance onely in two , and they of the highest rank , viz. in two empresses , the one a roman , the other a german ; the first was so cunning in her lust , that she wold take in no passenger into her barge ( for women are leaking vesells ) untill the barge was freighted , for fear the resemblance of the child shold discover the tru father , and then she wold take in all commers ; the second having buried a most gallant man she had to her husband , her confessor advised her with ghostly counsell , that for the future she shold live like a turtle during the remnant of her life , because it was impossible to find such another mate again among the whole masse of mankind ; wherto she answered , father , since you will have me to lead the life of a bird , why not of a sparrow as well as of another bird ? hinde . i shall confront your instances by two other examples , as memorable altogether , the first of zenebia , who wold have no carnall copulation with her husband , after she found her self once quick , but wold continue in an admired course of continence all the time of her pregnancy ; moreover the saint-like empresse bettrice , who in the verdant spring of her age after henry her husbands death , lived ever after like a turtle as you speak of , by immuring her self in a monastic cell , and burying her body alive as it were when he was gone ; but what an extraordinary rare example was that of queen artemisia , who living chast ever after her husband mausolus his death , got his ashes all put in urnes , wherof she wold take down a dramm every morning fasting , and next her heart , saying , that her body was the fittest place to be a sepulcher to her most dear husband , notwithstanding that she had erected another outward tomb for him , that continues to this day one of the wonders of the world : furthermore you know , i believe , better then i , sir , that at this day in many parts of the orientall world , such is the rare love of wifes to their dead husbands , that they throw themselfs alive into the funerall pile to accompany his body to the other life , though in the flower of their years . pererius . it is confessed that many of you have noble spirits , that marvellous rare affections lodge in you , and so you may be deservedly call'd the second part of mankind , in regard you are so necessary for the propagation thereof , and to peeple the world . hinde . yet you call us the weaker vessells , but as weak as we are , we are they in whom the whole masse of both sexes is moulded ; neverthelesse some use us as spice-bags , which when the spices are taken out are thrown away into som mouldy corner ; and though we have the mould within us wherin you are all cast , though we co-operat , and contribut our purest blood towards your generation , though we bring you forth into the world with such dolorous pangs and throwes , though you are nourished afterwards and nurs'd with our very bloods , yet our os-spring must bear onely your sirnames , as if we had no share at all in him , his memory living onely in you , though tumontia in this point be more noble than other countries , by giving the sirname of the maternall line oftentimes to som of the male children . notwithstanding all these indispensible necessities the world hath of women , yet ther is no other species of cretures wherin the female is held to be so much inferiour to the male as we are amongst you , who use to sleight , misprize , and tyrannize over us so much ; for ther is one huge race of men , i mean the volganian , who use to beat their wife 's once a week as duly as they go to bed to them . pererius . the reson of this is , because ther are so many of you either shrews , or light and loose in the hilts , and 't is a sad case when viri fama jacet inter uxoris fempora ; touching the first , ther 's an old proverb , that every one knowes how to tame a shrew but he who hath her , and though ther might be multitude of examples produced , yet i will instance but in a few , the first two shall be zappora and xantippe , the one married to moyses a holy man , the other to socrates a great philosopher , how cross-grain'd the one was , the sacred oracles wil tell , and for the other , her husband comming one day in when she was in an ill humour , she scolded him out of doors , and at his going out she whipp'd up into an upper room , and poured down a potfull of piss upon his sconce , which made the poor patient husband shake his head , and break forth into this speech , i thought that after so much thunder we should have rain . another damnable scold having revil'd and curs'd her husband a great while , all which time she had the devill often in her mouth , to whom she bann'd him , at last he said , hold thy toung wife , and threaten me no more with the devil , for i know he will do me no hurt , because i have married his kinswoman ; this made the epigrammatist to sing prettily , conjugis ingentes animos linguamque domare , herculis est decimus-tertius iste labor . hence grew that cautious proverb , honest men do marry , but wise men not . hinde . i , we use to be the common subject of your drolleries , and you would want matter for your wits to work upon were it not for us ; but , touching those humours you pointed at before which are incident to us somtimes , they proceed from the ill usage , and weaknes of the husbands , who know not how to manage a wife , which is one of the prime points of masculine prudence ; we say proverbially , that a good iack makes a good gill , a discreet husband makes a good wife , though being the weaker vessell , and having no other weapon than her toung she break out somtimes into humors ; what a sad thing is it for a woman to have a thing called a husband weaker than her self ? how fullsom wold such a fool be ? such silly coxcombs as are jealous upon every sleight occasion , and restrain them so barbarously as was spoken before , deserve to wear such branch'd horns , such spilters and trochings on their heads , as that goodly stagg bears which you see browsing among those trees , accompanied with those pretty fawns , prickets , sorrells , hemuses , and girls , wherof som are mine which i brought into the world without any pain or help of midwife , and quickly lost all care of them afterwards . pererius . well , let 's give over these impertinent altercations pro & con , and go to the main busines ; i told you that queen morphandra is willing , at my intercession , to restore you unto your former nature , and i have a lusty galeon in port to convey you to marcopolis , that renowned and rare city . hinde . 't is tru marcopolis is a most famous city , having continued a pure virgin from her infancy these twelve centuries of years and upwards , and 't is said she shall continue so still , according to the prophecy , untill her husband forsake her , viz. the sea , with whom her marriage is renewed every year ; but 't was observ'd when i liv'd there , that her husband began to forsake her , that the adrian sea did retire and grow shallower about her , which som interpret to be an ill omen , and portends the losse of her maidenhead : but , sir , touching my former nature , truly i wold desire nothing of it again but the faculty of speech that i might talk somtimes ; in all other things i prefer by many degrees this species wherin i am now invested by queen morphandra , which is far more chaste and temperat , far more healthfull and longer-liv'd : touching the first , ther 's no creture whose season of carnall copulation is shorter , for the rutting-time lasts but from the midst of september to the end of october , nor is there any other creture whose enjoyment of plesure is shorter in the act ; moreover when we are full , we never after keep company with the male for eight months ; concerning the second , viz. our temperatnes , we never use to overcharge or cloy nature with excesse , besides our food is simple , those green leafs and grasse you see are our nutriment , which our common mother the earth affords us so gently , we require no variety of viands , which makes that our breath is sweeter than the fairest ladies in marcopolis , and our fewmishes with what else comes from within us is nothing so unsavoury ; nor need we that monthly purgation which is so improperly called flowers , it being such rank poyson that it will crack a tru crystall glass ; nay 't is observed , that if a menstruous woman come near an alveary or hive of bees , they forsake their food all the while , finding the aire to be infected ; nor have we any gall within us , and herein we are like the dove among birds , and the dolphin among fish ; onely there 's a kind of acid humor that nature hath put in our singles , the smell wherof causeth our enemies , viz. the doggs , to fly from us ; moreover , we are not subject to abortions , and that curse which the creator inflicted upon woman-kind , that they shold bring forth their children with sorrow and pain , which we are free from ; and such is our love to mankind , that when we have brought forth our young ones , we trust them rather with them than with other beasts , by putting them near high-waies , or dwelling-houses for protection ; touching the third , which is healthfulnesse , it is far beyond that of women , as appears by our longaevity and extension of life , which is next to that of an elephant , ( whose youth begins not till he be threescore year old ) according to the tumontian proverb , a hedg lasteth three years , a dogg three hedges , a horse three doggs , a man three horses , a hart three men , an elephant three harts ; histories are full of admirable examples how long som of of us have liv'd , let one serve for all , when archesilaus dwelt in licosura , as the arcadian annalls relate , he took a hinde who wore a collar , wheron was engraven , i was a fawn when agapenor was taken in troy , which by the computation that then was made , was above three hundred years ; nor had aesculapius , that archiatros or god of physic , arrived to so fair an age , and to such a miraculous perfection in that art , had he not been nurs'd with hinde's milk ; for length of time brings experience , and wisdom with it along , and somtimes the gift of prophesie , as was that antient hinde of that great captain sertorius , whom 't was thought diana had inspir'd with a fatidicall spirit ; insomuch that sertorius never gave battle , or attempted any great designe without advising first with that hart : add hereunto , that when after so fair an age we come to die , ther 's nothing within and without our dead bodies but is usefull for mankind , how much are our very skins valued ? how medicinall is that kind of bone which is found in the left ventricle of a hart's heart against the hemerroids ? how excellent is our marrow against the gowt and consumptions ? how our blood fryed with oyle , and applyed to the inferiour parts , presently ste●●●eth the loosnes of the belly , and being drunk in wine is a rare antidote against poyson ? what exquisit vertues hath the hart's horn , with other parts of the body , as the naturalists observe ? wheras ther is nothing in the most noisom carcases of women that 's good for any thing , except their hair , which is either but an excrescence , or excrement rather , usefull onely to make fantastic foolish periwigs , and it hath bin found , that this hair being buried in som kind of dung turns to snakes ; therfore , under favor , ther 's none of sane judgment , considering the advantages i have by this present shape , will advise me to change it for that of a frail woman ; if i shold do so , i wold be more foolish then that stagg in the fable , who seeing a horse with rich trappings , and carrying a velvet saddle upon his back , repin'd at his happines , and wish'd he were such a creture ; the forester taking notice of it , put the velvet-saddle upon the stagg's back the next day , and having mounted him , he rid him divers heats up and down the launds , till the poor stagg began to faint , and sink under his burthen , and then he repented himself of that foolish and inconsiderat wish he had made . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the fifth section . discourses 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a mule , who in his manhood had bin a doctor of physic in tumontia , whom for som quacking tricks he had plaid , and for som other resons , morphandra turn'd to a mule ; in this section there be discourses of the art of physic , of the various complexions of mankind , and of the nomberlesse diseases that are incident unto human bodies , &c. morphandra , pererius , and a mule. morphandra . i took notice that you courted and complemented that female creture more then ordinary , but how have you prevail'd ? have you made her inclinable to a resumption of her former nature ? is she willing to go back to that syrenian city , that great mart of all female plesures , marcopolis , where she slept in the bosom of her first causes ? pererius . madame , we have a proverbiall saying among us soldiers , que la femme , & la forteresse qui commence a parlementer , est demy gaignée , the female and fortresse which begins to parly is half-gain'd ; but i do not find it so here , for this female wold have bin contented to have parlyed with me everlastingly if i had held her discourse , insomuch that she desires nothing of a woman again but onely the faculty of talking , onely a woman's toung , touching other parts , she is utterly alienated in her affection towards the whole sex , alledging the inequall value that useth to be put upon women in relation to man , who holds himself to be of a superiour creation : then she spoke of the domesticall kind of captivities and drudgeries that women are put unto , with many such good-morrows ; but , madame , in all humblenes i desire , that you wold vouchsafe to enlarge your princely favors towards me so far , that i may mingle speech with som more solid creture . morphandra . you shall presently be partaker of your desires , for i spy upon the brow of that hillock a mule nibling the grasse , he was by nativity a tumontian , and by his profession a doctor of physic , whom i transformed to that shape , not that he wanted understanding ( as the horse and mule are said to do ) for that nation hath generally a competent proportion of that , but partly because physitians there use to ride upon mules to visit their patients , as also because that nation in generall use to be tax'd for their slow pace and phlegmatic disposition , with their dilatory proceedings in their designs and counsells . pererius . 't is tru that the tumantian is tardy and slow in his counsells when he is moulding of a design , and therin he may be said to have a saturnian motion , but when his design is ripe , and ready to be put in action , then he is nimble enough and follows the motion of mercury ; add hereunto , that he is not onely slow , but wonderfull secret in his counsells , insomuch that his designs may be called mysteries while they are sur le tapis , while they are in the agitation of counsell , which makes them afterwards turn from mysteries to exploits . morphandra . but ther was another reson that induced me to transmute that tumontian physician to a mule , which was , that he oftentimes useth to retard the cure and sanation of his patients for drawing more fees from them , and letting them blood in the purse , as also for other empyricall and mountibankish quacking tricks he plaid , comming hither physitian to a carack ; therfore you may please to make your approaches to him accordingly . pererius . poor stupid animal , how camest thou to be thus so pitifully disguis'd and transform'd from thy first species , and so honourable a profession ? for among all other vocations of life , they say the physitian is to be honoured ; art thou desirous to be re-invested and setled in thy first nature and calling , in case queen morphandra condescend therunto ? for i have power from her to feel how thy pulse beats that way . mule. truly no , for i have an utter disaffection both to my first species , to my country , and calling , in regard i find far more contentment in this constitution of body , and course of life ; touching the first , i am , as i am now , free from those vexations of spirit , and perturbances of mind wherunto mankind is so miserably obnoxious , or rather inslav'd ; i feed here upon pure simples , such as the gentle earth produceth and puts out of her prolificall womb , my stomack is never overcharg'd with surfeits , nor my brain intoxicated with strong drink and the juyce of the grape , in every berry whereof ther lurks a kind of devill , for according to the modern proverb , from the berry of the grape , and grain of the barly , comes many a sore fray and hurli-burly . moreover , when i was a man , my head was distracted ever and anon with strange whimseys , and extravagant opinions , which now i am free from . pererius . 't is tru , that human brain is like a garden , wherin sundry sorts of herbs and flowers do grow , but touching your country-men , they are least subject of any peeple to such distractions and diversity of opinions , in regard of their exact obedience to their spirituall and civill governours : but what is the cause that you are so out of conceit with your country , where you received your first essence and existence ? mule. first , because of the immoderat heat therof , the sun being too lavish of his beams , which causeth such a sterility and barrennes , that in som places men live like beasts , feeding most of all upon grasse and sallets , onely they have haply a bottle of oyl , and another of vinegar in their houses to pour amongst them , they seldom see a loaf of bread or bit of meat , but when noon or night comes , they go abroad and gather the said grasse for their dinners and suppers , and if they chance to have a few toasted chesnuts 't is a great banquet ; which barrennes proceedeth not so much from the heat of the clime , as from the paucity and lazines of the inhabitants , who are so naturally given to ease and sloth , from cultivating the earth , and doing other parts of industry . pererius . it must be granted that tumontia , in point of fecundity , is inferiour to som regions , as also for nomber of men , for if she had enough of both , she wold make a hen of the cock , that is , she wold be too hard for her next neighbour artonia ; but touching the first , it carrieth som convenience with it , for it keeps the peeple more temperat , and able to endure hardship ; then the country is not so subject to be over-run by forren force , for in point of invasion , an army wold be hunger-starv'd there before they could march far : yet i have observed , that as much as ther is of any commodity in tumontia , it is better then what grows in other countries , their wines , their flesh , their fruits , their horses , their silks , their wool , &c. is better there than in other places , and let artonia her neighbour never vaunt so much of her plenty , yet the tumontian carrieth a better cloak on his back , he wears better shoos on his feet , he hath a better sword by his side , he drinks better wine , eats better fruit , and hath a better horse under him , &c. than the artonian ; and if riches consists in tresures , in plenty of gold and silver , tumontia goes far beyond all other countries in that particular . mule. 't is tru , that the tumontian king is master of the mines both of gold and silver , yet if you go to the common peeple , one may say , who goes worse shodd than the shoo-maker's wife ? for by mal administration , ther is little of that gold and silver that 's current among the inhabitants , either among merchant , yeoman , or artist , but all is a base copper-coin , which the king enhanceth or decries at plesure : that tresure you speak of is sent abroad to feed and foment wars in other countries , from which the timontian king is never free , his sword being alwaies out of the scabbard to secure or enlarge his territories , which makes the artonian say , that the tumontian ambition hath no horrizon , it is interminable and boundlesse . add hereunto that the tresure you mention is an exoticall commodity , 't is had from far , from another part of the world , where the tumonitan is said to be a buggerer of his common mother ( the earth ) more than any , for he fetches it out from her bowells somtimes fathom deep , where the poor slave that digs it sees neither sun , moon , nor stars once in a twelmonth , being chain'd to a kind of infernall darknesse under ground , and is as it were buried alive before nature hath out-run her due cours in him ; and it is a sad story to relate , how many millions of human cretures were made away in the discovery and conquest of that huge continent , what a world of blood was spilt , and innocent souls swept away ; insomuch that if the tresure which was got ever since , and the blood which was shed were put in counter-scales , the latter ( as one said ) wold outpoise the first . pererius . 't is tru , that the reduction of that vast piece of earth was somwhat tragicall , but it was impossible to perform the work otherwise , and secure the conquerors , in regard of that huge masse of peeple and swarms of men which were found there , who could not by fair means be brought to civility : now it is a dubious question to determin , whether those savages gain'd more by the tumontian , or the tumontian by them ; 't is tru , that he got by them gold , silver , and gemms , which 't is confessed are the most pretious productions of nature ; but what did they receive from the tumontian by way of exchange ? they recived religion and vertu , civility and knowledg , government and policy ; therfore the rest of the known world should vail to the tumontian for this mighty exploit , and happy discovery , which it seems the great god of nature had reserved for him as a benediction from the beginning ; and certainly a mighty blessing it was , if we enter into a due contemplation of the thing , and acknowledg it so , for therby ther was as much of the terrestriall globe found out , in point of extent and amplitude , as the geometricians give out , that did very near equall all the old world : but what a world of dangers and difficulties did the tumontian overcome in this achievment ? at first the incertitude of the businesse , the huge distance , the perills of the tnmbling ocean did offer themselfs ; on the other side , the expences of the expedition , and the despair of more provisions when the old stores were spent , as also being to take footing on a new earth , the inhabitants might prove stronger than the invaders &c. it cannot be denied , but such encumbrances as these might have distracted & deterrd the highest human nature from such an incertain attempt ; but at last the tumontian courage and magnanimity was such , that it broke through all these difficulties : and as the generous boar , being entangled in the toyls , doth try all possible ways , hee turns about and strugles how to get out , at last , when all will not serve the turn , he lies down 'twixt quietnes and despair , putting himself upon the mercy of the huntsman ; so the fortune of that great action being tied as it were to those apprehensions of fear and doubt which did possesse it , at last she doth prostrate her self at the feet of the tumontian valour and vertue , tying her self therunto by a perpetuall tribut ; she brings him afterwards mines and mountains of gold , yea rivers running with red oar , seas full of pearl , soiles full of aromatical spices , new species of useful cretures &c. all this did that new world afford tumontia as a gratefull return for such indefatigable labours , and constancy in poursuance of that glorious enterprize . mule. noble prince , truly tumontia is infinitely engaged unto you for these high elogiums you please to give of her , yet , under favor , ther is a strange fate , i am loath to say a curse , which attends that far fetch'd tresure you magnifie so much ; for observable it is , that not long after the conquest of those harmlesse peeple , whom god and nature had planted there from the first creation , the revolt of hydraulia and the confederat provinces hapned , which consum'd of that tresure you speak of above five and twenty hundred millions first and last , otherwise the tumontian kings might have pav'd their courts , and til'd their palaces ( as it was said else-where ) with gold and silver ; for as i told you before , the least part of this tresure remains in tumontia , and that is onely in monasteries and other religious houses , the common coyne is brasse and copper , wherin the hydraulian 't is thought hath don more mischief to tumontia than any other way , for copper and brasse being cheap with her , she is so dextrous in counterfeiting the tarmontian coyne , that whole sows of lead , and masts hollowed within have been found cramm'd with that coyne among her cargazons , when she came to the ports of tumontia to trade . pererius . well , let 's cut off these circumlocutions , and com again to the main point ; have you a disposition of returning to your primitive nature , to your country , and so learned a calling ? it is impossible for you to meet with a fairer opportunity , and let me tell you , opportunity is the best moment in the whole extension of time . mule. concerning my former nature , i gave you som touches formerly why i prefer my present condition before it , i had also som reflexes upon my country , i could say much more of her , but that i am disswaded by the proverb , that 't is a sorry bird that beraies his own nest : now sir , touching my former profession , which you applaud so much , 't is tru , ther is a kind of learning and lucre that does attend it , but withall ther is a great deal of sordidnes ; i will converse no more with ulcers , cankers , and impostumes ; i will pry no more into close-stools and urinalls , or rake gold out of excrements , as the poet tells us , aurum virgilius exstercore colligit ennî , fecit virgilius quod facit & medicus . no are the fees which belong to that profession in tumontia any thing considerable , where doctors of physic use to attend a patient , with their mules and foot-cloaths in a kind of state , yet they receive but two shillings for their fee for all their gravity and pains ; add hereunto , that ther are up and down the world so many poor empiricks of this trade , that it is nothing of that esteem as it was ; which makes the brittish epigrammatist sing wittily , qui modò venisti nostram mendicus in urbem , paulùm mutato nomine fis medicus ; pharmaca das aegroto , aurum tibi porrigit aeger , tu morbum curas illius , ille tuum . pererius . touching the first part of your speech , it shews the exact government of tumontia , where ther is an exact tax laid upon the fees both of physician & lawyer , which they dare not surpasse ; touching the other part , they are but clinches and passages of drollery , nor do physitians much value such gingling conceits all the while they finger our coyn , for all the world doth grant , that the study of physic is both learned and necessary , and 't is the chiefest kind of learning , for therby a man comes to know himself ; for the physitian can say more truly than any other , nosco meipsum . mule. though physitians know themselfs never so well and the constitution of their bodies , yet when they are sick they commonly take their receipts by prescription of others , being distrustfull of themselfs ; and whereas you say , the practise of physic is necessary , i remember to have read , that the point was debated before pope alexander the sixth , and canvased to and fro , som alledging that physitians were superfluous and not necessary for a common-wealth , because rome stood and flourished many hundred years before the use of physic was first introduc'd , during which time men never liv'd more healthfull and longer ; his holines opinion being desired at last , he said , he was for the affirmatif , and that he held physicians to be absolutely necessary for a common-wealth , in regard that were it not for physicians the world wold be so thick of peeple , that one could not live for another : intimating therby that the physitians help to make them away . pererius . yet your experience tells you , that the physicall art is noble , and one of the seven liberall sciences , consisting of undoubted and certain principles , containing a world of naturall knowledg . mule. ther is therapeutic or contemplative physic , ther is diagnostic or knowing , and ther is prognostic physic ; if we consider physic as she is a seience , she hath most tru and certain aphorisms , for she considers onely universalls , which are eternall and invariable , and breed certitudes in us , because she arrives to the knowledg of things by their causes , and so she may be called scientificall , and appertains to contemplation , whose onely scope is to discover tnuth singly of it self ; but if we consider physic as an art , which proceeds from experience and action , she is incertain and fallacious in her operations , in regard of the various constitutions of human bodies , for those drugs and receipts which do work kindly with som bodies , find crosse operations in others , and many times the tru symptoms of the disease is not known ; moreover we administer to others what we never take our selfs , which made a great aged physician , being asked how he came to live so long , to answer , i have liv'd so long because never any drug entred into my guts ; besides , when any pill or potion hath a kindly operation in the patient , it is as much by hap as by any good cunning ; what a nomber of remedies are ther for one onely disease ? whence may be inferred , that ther is not any one peculiar infallible remedy ; insomuch that when the physitian applies universalls to particulars , and administers any purgation , vomit , or electuary , it is requisit that both the physician and patient be fortunat , ther is a kind of happines required in the busines ; add hereunto , that the complexion of men and women are so diffring , their appetite so irregular and disordinat , that it makes all physicall operations to be so incertain ; now touching the species of us sensitive cretures , they are of so even & strong complexions , their appetites are so regular , their nutriments and food , their drinks are so simple , that they need not any physicall drugs ; wheras among mankind , they make ever and anon an apothecary's shop of their bellies , being still in a course of physic , which makes them so miserable , for it is a tru proverb , qui vivit medicè , vivit miserè ; therefore a kind of tragicall speech was that of alexander the great , when upon expiring his last , he cried out , being but then in the meridian of his age , pereo turbâ medicorum , i perish by too many physitians . pererius . it begets much wonder in me that you should thus traduce your own calling , and derogate from so learned and laudable a profession , a faculty that hath been always accounted to have a high kind of divinity in it , being founded by apollo himself . mule. in the shape i now wear , i cannot lye nor flatter , i can neither cogg , cageòle , nor complement , as i did when i was a man , when i used ever and anon to kiss those hands which i wish'd in my thoughts had been cut off , my heart and my toung lying now more levell and even , ther 's nearer relation betwixt them ; therfore what i told you before was truth , simple truth , wherin the brute animal goes beyond the rational , who is subject to innumerable errors , dissimulations , and the humor of lying . but to enlarge my self a little further upon the former subject of physic , which you call so learned an art , you know that every one is a fool or a physitian to himself naturally , after he hath passed the meridian of his years , therfore what great learning can ther be in this ? pererius . 't is much truth ; i have heard of divers irrational cretures that are learned this way , who by the meer instinct and conduct of nature , can direct themselfs to things that can cure them . mule. this cannot be denied , and therin many of them are more sagacious than men ; the serpent goes to fenell when he would clear his sight , or cast off his old scruffy skin to wear a new one ; the stagg , buck , or doe , when they are hurt have recourse to dittany ; the swallow when she finds her young ones have sore eyes , makes use of celandine , or swallow-wort ; the snail heals her self with hemlock ; the wesill , when she prepares to fight with the mole , useth to raise her spirits by eating rue ; the stork heals all his infirmities with origanum ; the wild boar with ivy ; the elephant fenceth himself from the poison of the camelion with olive leaves ; the bear makes use of mandragora against pismires ; the patridge and wild pidgeon do use to purge their superfluities with bay-leaves ; the dogg , when he feels himself indisposed in his stomack , runs to the green grasse a little bedewed , &c. but what need i detain you with more instances ? take any sensitive creture you please , and you will find , that nature hath taught him a remedy against all infirmities that are incident unto him , not onely to the species but to every individuall , and all this without any expence of time or tresure , without any study or labour , without any fee or reward , without any teaching or instructions from others ; whence 't is apparent , that nature is more carefull and indulgent of us than of ratinall cretures , who though they are subject to a thousand infirmities more , yet not one in a thousand knowes how to cure himself ; but he must have recourse to the physician , and so trusts him with his life , and if he chance to work a cure upon him , he useth to give his purse a purgation also , for though god heals , yet the physitian carries away the fees. pererius . 't is very fitting the labourer shold have his hite , and that every one shold live by his calling , but how can mony be better employed than for the recovery of health , which is the most precious of all jewells , without which we can neither serve god , man , or our selfs ? mule. it is very tru that physitians somtimes restore health , but they misse as often , how can they cure an ague , which is call'd opporbrium medicorum , the shame of physitians ? besides , ther 's an artonian proverb says , a la goutte le medecin ne voit goute , the gout makes the physitian blind ; yet they have this privilege , that the earth covers all their faults : now , what a world of distempers and maladies is mans body subject unto ? ther is a common saying that says , he hath as many diseases as a horse , but 't is false , for man hath many more ; besides , a horse hath few or no diseases at all , but what the cruelty of man , doth cause in him , either when he is over-ridden , and so becoms broken-winded , when gall'd backd , founder'd , or splinter'd by the carelesnes or cruelty of the rider , as i said before , wheras a good man should be mercifull to his beast ; but ther 's never a part of the human body , but it hath i cannot tell how many peculiar deseases belonging unto it ; go to the head , it hath the cephalagia , the hemicrania , or the migrain , it hath the scotomy or vertigo , the palsy , convulsion , epilepsy or falling-sicknesse , it hath the phrenitis , mania or phrenzy , catarrs , apoplexy , with many other ; go to the lungs , it hath the astma , pluritis , peripneumonia , empyema , ptisis , haemocrises , with sundry more ; go to the heart the fountain of life , it hath the syncope or swooning , palpitation , &c. go to the stomack , it hath inappetentia , fames canina or the wolf , it hath the pica , malacia , singultus or the hicock , spitting of blood , choler , abscess●s or impostumes , ulcers , &c. go to the liver , it hath obstruction , the jaundies , the dropsie , cirrhus , inflammation , ulcer , impostume , &c. go to the bowells , they have the colique , iliaca passio or voiding excrements at the mouth , astrictio alvi , lineteria , or smoothnes of the guts , caeliaca affectio or pappy stools , diarrhaea or thin scowring , dysenteria or the bloody-flix , tenesmus or sorenes of the fundament , fluxus hepaticus , lombrici or the worms , the hemerroids , fistula , &c. go to the spleen , ther is dolor lienis , obstructio , hypocondriacall melancholy or the mother , &c. go to the reins , bladder , and genitalls , ther is calculus or the stone , inflammatio , mictus fanguinis , diabete , when one voids more urine than he drinks , incontinentia urinae , ardor , iscuria , when the passage is quite stopped , the strangury , when one pisseth drop by drop , lues venerea , anthony's fire , the chancre , and botches , &c. go to the ioints , ther is arthritis , and sundry sorts of gouts , &c. go to the eye , ther is gutta serena , suffusio or a cataract with a film , ophthalmia , epiphola or hot rheum , aegilops , fistula lachrymalis , and above twenty more ; go to the ear , ther is surditas , sonitus , dolot aurium , &c. go to the nose , ther is ozana , ulcus , polypus or lump of flesh , faetor narium , hemoragia or excesse of bleeding , coryza or the pose , sternutatio , withdiversmore ; go to the toung , ther is paralysis , laesus , gustus inflammatio , ranula sub lingua , &c. go to the teeth , throat , and gums , ther is angina or the squinzy , ther is fluxus , uvulae relaxatio , with sundry more ; ther is also abundance of peculiar diseases that are incident to women , ther is chlorosis or the green-sicknesse , cancers in the breasts , suppressio mensium , fluor muliebris , fluor uterinus , histerica passio , inflammatio , ulcus uteri , cirrhus uteri , cancer uteri , gangraena uteri , hydrops uteri , clausura uteri , sterilitas , obortus , partus diffioilis , faetus mortuus , secundina retenta , proscidentia , with many more ; out of these premises the conclusion follows , that human bodies both male and female are nought else but frail vessells , or bottoms wherin are slowed all manner of perishable commodities ; but these which i have spoken of are corporeall , and most of them outward diseases that attend the body of mankind , wherof i have not enumerated the twentieth part ; but if you go to his rationall soul , she hath also her distempers , the indisposition of the inward man is greater , the anxieries and agonies of the mind , the racking torments of the thoughts are more violent , the enchanting passions of love transports him to frenzies . incertitudes of holy things , and fits of despair work somtimes so powerfully , that he becomes felo de se , making him to destroy himself , and cut off the threed of his life before lachesis hath wound it half up ; and were ther a physician that could cure the discomposures and sicknesses of the human soul , he wold be the rarest among mortalls ; and were i sure i could have a faculty to do that , i wold turn man and physician again . pererius . ther are other kind of physicians for those maladies , viz. the ghostly fathers of the church , acts and exercises of piety are the lenitifs for such distempers , and preservatifs against them ; for he who is in peace with heven , and useth to convers with his creator , is free from such discomposures , from all tumultuary confusions and perturbances of thoughts ; 't is confess'd , ther 's no human creture has his humors so evenly pois'd within him , that he is always the same , he is somtimes ioviall and merry , he is somtimes saturnin and melancholy , and it must be so while the starrs poure different influxes upon us , but especially while the humors within us have a symbolization with the four elements , who are in restles conflict among themselfs who shall have the mastery , as the humors do in us for predominancy ; insomuch that the humors or passions may be said to be to the soul as strings to a musicall instrument , which somtimes use to jarre , sometimes to go in a tru harmony ; and this the physitian who is natures student , hath more advantage to know than others : but let us spin out time no longer , for 't is a tru as well as a trite proverb , that spinning out of time never made good cloth ; at a word , will you embrace this comfortable proffer i make you from the gratious queen morphandra , and turn tumontian again ? mule. truly sir i have neither mind nor maw to it , for in the state wherin i am setled , i use to exercise the operations of nature with more freedom , and much lesse encumbrance , following onely the dictats of sense , and being solely guided therby . pererius . but what are the dictats of sense , compar'd with the intellectuall powers of the human soul ? what is the sense which trades alone with grosse bodies , and qualities emergent thence , compar'd with reson , a faculty wherby the soul converseth with blessed angels and immateriat beeings , and by metaphysicall and sublime notions wings her self up into the arms of him who breath'd her first into the body of man ? in the upper court of the soul's residence , we may compare the soul to an empresse , wisely restraining or giving freedom to the misguided affections , according to the exact rules of reson ; here we have man ruling in man , dressing and manuring man as another paradise , wherin is all possible variety , yet no confusion , no disorder , no unruly passions tyrannizing over reson , no disturbance of mind , no distemper of body , but a most admirable harmony of all things in the whole universe of man ; reson is that diadem wherby the soul doth rule and regulat the will , and the affections , the chancellor which doth moderat the motions of both ; reson is that rod wherwith the soul is kept in awe to obey , without any servile fear , her creator and chiefest good ; by reson the soul discerns ther is a god , deducing arguments from the creation of the fair fabric of the world , which had either existence from it self , or was produced by another ; but it could not give a first beeing to it self , in regard 't is repugnant to the principles of nature , that any thing should be the cause of it self ; therfore the inference is undeniable , that the world was made by another which was pre-existent , and such another that was the efficient cause therof , not produced by any other former efficient cause , but was of himself , and by himself from eternity , which can be no other than god ; another argument the soul drawes from the necessary dependance of a finit beeing upon an infinit , for all created natures are finit , both in respect of their essence , and operations ; now , every thing that is finit must necessarily be limited by another , seeing it is impossible that any thing shold give bounds to it self ; and ther being not in things finit a progresse to infinity , we must at length come to some certain independent beeing , which is not circumscrib'd or limited by another , but is of it self essentially and virtually infinit , which can be no other than god almighty ; a third argument is drawn from the necessary dependance of a secondary cause upon a first , for unlesse we do here also grant a progresse to infinity , which is absurd in mounting up the scale of subordination of causes , we must at length meet with one primary both efficient and finall cause , that hath no other cause superiour or precedent unto it , which is onely god : another argument the soul draweth , still by the ministry of reson , to prove a deity , is the constant cours of the starrs , those glorious luminaries , and the continued order of all things else in their first station , through all the vicissitudes of corruption and generation , which doth forcibly intimat an ubiquitary providence , a wise rector , governor , and commander , upon whose direction all things depend ; no sooner doth the soul by such reaches of reson throughly satisfie her self that ther is a god , but she mounts yet higher , endeavouring to know what god is ; but such is the transcendent refulgence of his majesty , that she finds it impossible to look god in the face , or to know him à priori ; yet though she is not able to behold his face , yet she hath leave granted to know him à posteriori , though she cannot define the incomprehensible deity , yet she may still , guided by light of reson , describe him by an aggregation of attributes ? to know god by his attributes is a near approach to his deity ; yet the rationall soul goes still nearer , first prying into his essence , then returning to her self , and contriving which way she should know more , at length she says within her self , operatio sequitur esse , action follows its being ; then she busies her self in the contemplation of gods actions , which she finds either immanent and inward , or transient and outward ; the immanent actions of god are such as are performed intrinsecally within himself , without any externall respect to the creture , wherby he is said to contemplat , to know , and love himself ; here the soul takes notice of a reflection of the deity upon it self , and so is heightned to the supposition of a trinity , the cardinall and abstrusest point , the highest pitch she can soar unto ; she proceeds to argue , that wheras god doth conceive and know himself , he doth beget a perfect image of himself , from which issueth a perfect love of himself , and a complacency ; now , seeing ther is nothing in god which is not god , both the image of god , and the love of god seem to be distinct subsistences of the same essence with him from whom they proceed , as when an eye doth see it self , ther is first the eye seeing , secondly , the eye seen , or at least the image of the eye seen , from which action of seeing her arises a desire of enjoyment ; this comparison doth in some sort adumbrat the blessed trinity ; first , ther is the eye ; secondly , ther is a reflection or image of the eye ; thirdly , ther is a love or complacency which proceeds from both ; the first is god the father , the second is god the son , and the third is god the holy ghost ; now , although these three subsistencies be all concentred in the deity , yet they are distinct each one from the other in their operations ad extra , though in immanent , or in actions ad intra , they are individuall : thus the human soul ascends to the knowledge of her eternall good , by the ministry and reaches of reson , therfore me-thinks you should have an ambition to be endued with that divine faculty again , and so return to your native soyl from this society of irrationall brute animals , and be a subject to so great a monarch as the tumontian king is , your naturall liege lord and prince , whose dominions are of such a vast expansion that they reach to the very antipodes , the other hemisphere of the world , whereby he may say , that the sun never sets , but shines upon som part or other of his territories every hour of the naturall day , all the while apollo fetches a carreer about the world . mule. touching the first part of this your last discours , wherin you so much magnifie the faculty of reson , and that therby you arrive to the notion of heavenly things , truly sir , i am of his opinion who held , that all the knowledg which man hath of his creator is but one degree above blindnesse ; what the eye of a batt is to the sun in its meridian , the same is the most perspicacious eye of man's understanding if he look upon his maker : in the state that now i live do not puzzle my brain with such presumptuous reserches and incertain speculations , but am contented with the doctrin and dictamens of sense onely , which are more infallible . concerning the last part of your speech , it cannot be denied but that the tumontian king is one of the greatest potentats that ever was upon earth , if his dominions were contiguous and united , but ther is such an unsociable distance between them , that the artonian will tell you , his monarchy is like a great cloak made up of patches ; moreover , i have no great comfort to be his subject now , because he hath gon down the wind for many years , having bin so shreudly shaken in the saddle , most of that country you spoke of which reacheth to the antipodes being revolted from him , and he hath very lately disgorged many a good bit to artonia : add hereunto , that his peeple in tumontia are grown miserably poor of late years by such insupportable taxes , and drainings of men for the warrs , insomuch that ther are scarce enough left to cultivat the earth : yet such is the rare obedience , and the phlegmatic humor of the tumontians , that they are still as awfull , they are as conformable and quiet , as if ther king were as vertuous , as victorious , and the least exacter the ever prince was ; but this they do for their own advantage , for if there were another governor set up , it wold inevitably hurl the whole country into civill tumults and combustion , & so the remedy wold be worse than the disease . pererius . they shew themselfs a prudent peeple in that , for it is in governments as it is in choice of wifes , seldom comes a better ; but the tumontian hath other commendable qualities , for besides his constant obedience to his prince , he is also constant to his religion , he is in perpetuall enmity with the common enemy of the crosse , moreover he never serves any prince in the warrs but his own , nor goes he to trade abroad into and country but to his own masters territories : and are not you desirous to be one of that brave nation again ? therfore let me advise you now once for all , to shake off that dull despicable shape , which useth , in naturall production to have no better mother then an asse . mule. truly sir , you may please ( as the proverb runs ) to keep your breath to cool your pattage , and spend it no longer upon me , for i am resolved to live and die in this shape ; but wheras you brand it with the term of despicable , i wold have you know , that our bodies have more vertues far in them than man's , and wherof man makes common use towards his health : our very foam drunk in warm wine is good against pursines ; som of our hairs mingled with those of an asse and dried , and so put to a perfume , are good against the epilepsie , the milt of one of us is good against the falling-evill , nay the very dust wherin one of us hath tumbled , is good to mitigate the ardors of love , being sprinkled upon the body ; but take heed how you anger us , for our bitings are poysonous : we have sundry other medicinall vertues , which i will here pretermit ; therefore whereas you call this species of ours despicable , we deserve rather more respect considering the said vertues ; insomuch that if i should exchange this shape for man's , i should prove a greater fool than that mule in the fable , who seeing a goodly barb'd horse going to the warrs , and saying within himself , it may be that gallant horse and i had the same mother , therfore why shold not i have so much courage and stoutnes in me ? i wold i had such a rider , such a great saddle , trappings and arms to try my courage ; but seeing the horse led back in the evening all bloody and wounded , he repented himself of his former foolish wish . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the sixth section . consisting of interchangeable discourses 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a fox , who had been a saturnian born , whom for his cunning dealings , and mountebankish wily tricks , she transform'd from a merchant to that species ; this section treats of divers things , and particularly how the art of tru policy is degenerated , and what poor sciolists or smatterers are cried up in that art of late years , &c. morphandra , pererius , and a fox . pererius . most admired queen , i render you my most humble acknowledgments for the continuance of your great favors towards me , which i am now in half-despair that i shall not be able to make use of for perfecting my designs upon these brute animals ; touching this last , i find in him also an aversnes both to his first constitution , to his country , and to his culling ; concerning the first , he complains of the nomberles diseases which are incident to every part of that microcosm of man , as also the various and violent distempers of the mind , with the stings of conscience , which brute animals are not subject unto , &c. touching the second , viz. his country , he inveighs against the craggy swellings of it , the excesse of heat , and consequently the sterilities of it , which is such , that ther is not a competency of bread ( which is the staff of life ) for the twentieth man that breaths in it , &c. touching the third , viz. his former calling , he complains of the incertainties , the sordidnesse , and a kind of atheism that it is subject unto , for while the physician tampers so much with second causes , it brings him to a forgetfulness of the first , &c. but , madame , i desire to try conclusions upon som nimbler and wittier creture than that lumpish mongrell mule. morphandra . you shall be partaker of your desires presently , for i espy a fox near that hedge who was a saturnian merchant , born in rugilia , whom for his cunningnes in negotiating , and for som hocos-pocos and mountebankish tricks i transformed to a fox , who you know is the most politic , the wittiest and wiliest of all quadrupedalls , wherof ther are multitudes of examples ; one time he cosen'd the crow , who having got a morsell of green cheese , and being perch'd upon the bough of an oak to eat it , a fox perceiving it went under the tree , and stood gazing upon the crow , saying , what a base lying thing is common fame , who saies that thou art a black ill-favour'd bird ? truly methinks thou art the fairest that ever i saw , and couldst thou but sing as others do , thou deserv'st to be queen of birds ; the crow being tickled with these praises fell a opening her beak , so down fell the cheese , and the fox made merry with it ; but he was more wily with the wolf , for a fox having got into a farmers yard , and skulking up and down in a moon-shine night , ther being a well in the yard he peep'd into it , and the reflex of the moon being in the water , he thought it was a new cheese , therupon he whip'd into one of the buckets , and down he went to feed upon it ; being in that plunge , it chanc'd that a wolf came also skulking therabouts for his prey , and looking into the well , the fox cries out , o brother wolf , her 's most dainty cheer , and ther 's enough for us both ; so the wolf leaping into the other bucket drew up the fox , who being got on the top , and he in the bottom of the well said , farewell brother wolf , and much good may the new cheese do unto you , so he got free , leaving another in his room ; he was also too hard for the lion , who as he is king of quadrupedalls , having put forth a proclamation , that all horned beasts shold give attendance at court on such a day to a great feast , ( though his plot was to prey on them ) the ass meeting with a fox said , come let 's go to court to see the great shew , for if ther shold be any danger we are free from it , in regard we have no horns , though sufficient ears ; i , quoth the fox , but if the lion saies that our ears be horns , they must be horns ; moreover i have observ'd the tracks of many beasts going into the lion's cave but none comming back : this was onely caution , but it was a trick of wit that the fox plaid with the eagle , who having got one of his young cubbs , and carried it to the top of a high tree where his nest was , to prey upon it , the fox got a brand or two of fire and put it to the trunck of the tree , which so scar'd the eagle , that he brought down the young cubb and laid it in the place he found it ; how commonly doth the fox cosen both huntsman and dogg , when being poursued he useth to get into a plowed field , and stretching himself all along in a furrow he often scapes , his skin and the earth being of a colour ; therfore you may make triall now upon a brute animal that hath some sagacity and wit , as well as activity . pererius . i will towards him ; signor fox , you need not stare so much nor startle , for i am com neither to hunt you , nor hurt you any way , rather i am com upon a busines that will tend hugely to your advantage ; but i desire first to be informd how you came to be transform'd or deform'd rather , from the noble shape of man to this grovling brutish figure . fox . i was once a rugilian merchant , and born in that proud city , ( for that 's her epithet above all other cities ) where , according to the proverb , ther are mountains without wood , seas without fish , men without faith , and women without shame ; where also the horned husbands are said to get their wife 's with child a hundred miles off ; and being com hither upon a gallant ship , with a cargazon of divers commodities , i was transmuted to this shape you behold , for my over-cunning and cautelous dealings . pererius . well , have you a disposition to be redintegrated into your first beeing , for queen morphandra hath bin pleased to promise me you shold be , if your will concur with my desire ; therfore tell me freely if you have a mind to see saturnia again , your native soyle , the mistresse of the world , the source of all civility , the nourse of tru noblenesse and vertu , the prime propagatresse of religion and learning ; where nature hath her chiefest magazins of silk , bacchus his inner-cellars of sweet wines , flora her prime garden of flowers , and pomona her principall orchard of fruits ; where pandora hath her choisest residence , policy hath her chiefest school , where arms and arts have their chiefest academy ; have you a desire to be transported to this your dainty and dear country , and put on the habit and habitudes of man again ? fox . truly no , for here i live in a better country , in a better condition , and in better company , then i did in saturnia . pererius . do not deceive your self , for you will never be able to prove that , though you had all the logic that ever athens taught . fox . touching the first , wheras you magnifie saturnia so much for her fertility , let me tell you , that to my knowledg ther be divers parts of her so barren and desolat , that you shall not meet with a house in twenty miles riding ; rugilia , that part wherin i came first into the world , may be call'd nothing else but a conventicle of rocks and craggs ; in som places you may see three marquisses on one tree gathering figgs to keep them from starving : they bragg of a river that hath junkets in her , som comfits , some plumms , som cinnamon , but these junkets are but white stones bearing the shape of all these ; ther 's no country hath more tempests , more tremblings and earthquakes , wherof ther have been very lately such formidable examples of utter desolation and subversion of twenty towns ; there is part of the country which is under a perpetual shadowy darknesse or adumbration , whence the whole province takes its denomination ; ther 's no clime under the convex of heven where meteors and fulgurations are more impetuous and violent . touching the second , which was my former condition , ther 's a thing called conscience which us'd to tyrannize and torture me when i was a man , i often found within me a gnawing worm , i often felt sore stings , sore pricks , and remorses of the said conscience , which the theologues call synteresis , that ever and anon did discompose the quietude of my thoughts , and disturb me in my gaining profession ; but in this state i am free from such perplexities , for now , though i suck the blood of twenty geese a day , and destroy whole roosts of hens , the thing call'd conscience never troubles me . moreover , besides this rack of conscience , ther is a vice call'd covetousnes that man is subject unto , and when all other vices grow old in him , this vice growes younger and younger . i remember i was slavishly addicted hereunto , i would have flayed a louse could i have made benefit of her skin , but now i am free from that fordid vice , from that kind of idolatry , for according to the saying , he is the worse idolater who adores gold , for he may be said therby to worship the devil , for pluto is the god of riches ; in the shape i bear , i covet no more but what wil satisfie nature only : ther is another cursed and cruciatory humor call'd iealousie which much afflicts mankind , and it reigns more amongst that nation i was once of than among any other ; jealousie among the thoughts is like batts among birds , it doth mightily discompose the whole inward man , and disturb the tranquillity of his mind , nay it hurls him often upon desperat and bloody attempts . touching the third , which is company , i have now far better , conversing with these innocuous and simple animals . the society of men is much more dangerous , specially of my quondam country-men , for upon any occasion of distast one is in danger of a saturnian figg , or to be poyson'd by the smoak of a candle , by the suavity of a flower , or by a glove or handkerchief ; for four or five duckets reward , one may be master of any man's life in som places of saturnia , for he will find a mercenary instrument to murther any body ; add hereunto , that my country-men are full of revenge , and vindicatif in the highest degree , they will seldom suffer one to do them a second wrong , but dispatch him away to the other world , which is the occasion of a saying , take heed of a slow foe in saturnia , and of a sudden friend in artonia ; i could give you many examples hereof , but i will produce onely two ; in marcopolis , the greatest mart of the western world , ( though two of her chiefest be but brittle commodities , viz. lasses and glasses ) ther were two rich merchants who had been partners a long time , it chanced that one of them knowing the other to be over familiar with his wife , he dissembled his passion a great while , till his thoughts had contriv'd and concluded a revenge upon him , so he solemnly invited his partner to a feast , and after dinner he led him to a garden that he had by the sea-side , being there alone together he brought him to an arbor , where among divers other rarities ther was a curious new large chari made with such artifice , that when one had put himself to sit in it , ther were certain gins and vices wold suddenly rise up and clasp in his body both arms and thighs ; his partner being thus lockt fast in the chair , he presently gaggs him , and having lockt the garden dore , he drew a great double-edg'd knife , and being upon the point of stabbing him , the partner said , oh be not so inhuman and barbarously cruell as to kill me before confession , therfore have som commiseration on my soul ; well , replied the murtherer , if thou wilt do one thing , i may spare thee thy life , which is , if thou wilt defie the holy trinity , and renounce all hopes of salvation in it , &c. the partner ( in hopes of future repentance to expiat his offence ) repeated those words three times , and the third time as soon as he had done repeating them , he stabb'd him in the breast , and cleft his heart in two , and so threw his body into the sea to make food for hadocks ; but a while after his body being retreev'd and taken up in a fisher-net just under that wall , the murther was discover'd , and the murtherer being put upon the strapado he confessed all , and going up the gibbe to be executed , he broke out into a great fit of laughter ; his ghostly father and confessor telling him , that he was now going to give account of that horrid murther he had committed before the great judge of the world , therfore that passion of laughter did not becom him ; oh , said he , whensoever i think upon that full revenge i had of that villain , my heart danceth within me for joy , for i was not onely reveng'd upon his body but also upon his soul , in which humor he breath'd his last . another was as bloody , if not more ; in the antient city of cerano , ther was a prince who left three sons behind him , conradus , caesar , and alexander ; conradus was us'd to come from his palace in the country to his castle in cerano , where he had appointed a governour , and a garrison of souldiers ; the governor having a comly lady to his wife , the young prince was struck in love with her , and at last enjoyed her ; the governour having knowledge therof did meditat upon a revenge , therupon he sent to conradus ( his lord and master ) that he had lately discover'd two or three wild boars in the forest of cerano , therfore if his highnesse would please to com thither together with his two brothers , ther wold be very princely sport for them , and he wold prepare all things ready for the game ; hereupon the young prince and his second brother comming thither expresly for that sport , it chanced that alexander the youngest brother was then out of the way ; so the governor of the castle having provided a plentifull supper for the two princes and their retinue , being both gone to bed , he calls his officers together , and told them , gentlemen , what does he deserve , who for many good services and hospitalities done unto him , doth in lieu of thanks abuse ones wife , and defiles his bed ? they all cried out , he deserves death ; truly gentlemen , thus hath prince conradus us'd me ; they cried out again , let him die , and we will stick unto you , and be faithfull ; so the governor taking som of those officers with him in the dead of night , they broke suddenly into the chamber where conradus was asleep , and heaving up the bed-cloaths , they first cut off his privy-members , then they chop'd off his head , then they quarter'd his body , and strewed them up and down the chamber ; so all was hush'd that night ; prince caesar comming to wait on his brother the next morning , the governor usher'd him in , and seeing his brother's head bleeding on the window , and his limbs scatter'd up and down the room , he said , oh! is this the wild boar you writ to him of ? yes , said the governour , and i remember i writ of two or three ; hereupon he was also knock'd down , and us'd in the same manner ? the tragedy being acted thus far , he takes his officers , and going upon the castle walls , he sent to speak with the syndic and burgesses of the town , unto whom he made a speech , that they had been a long time in servitude or a kind of slavery to conradus and that family , and now ther was a fair opportunity offered for them to redeem their liberties , for he had conradus and his brother in his custody , and the officers with the rest of the garrison were inclin'd to do them away , if the town wold joyn with them ; but the town shewing an aversnes , or rather a detestation of such disloyalty and treason , sent to prince alexander the youngest brother , and the citizens of cerano joyning with the forces he brought with him to expiat his brother's bloods , they beleaguer the castle round ; therupon the governor taking his wife and children with him to the top of the highest turret , he first threw down headlong his wife , then his three children , and last of all he precipitates himself , and so the tragedy ended . pererius . a tragedy indeed , and one of the direfullest that ever i heard of ; it must be granted , that the saturnian spirit is much bent upon revenges , he is in the extreams commonly , quod vult valde vult , quod odit valde odit ; vertues and vices are there in the superlative degree : but truly if the vertues and vices of that noble nation were weighed in a ballance , i am confident the first wold out-poise the second , for ther might be more instances of actions of high vertu produced , than of vice ; i will make mention of one , and that a very modern one , and no romance ; ther was in the antient amphitheatricall city of rovena a young marquis , who fell desperatly in love with a merchant's wife , he courted her a long time but could not prevail , at last , the merchant having a villa or country-house , whither he was gone a while for divertisment , the marquis went a hawking therabouts one day , and letting his hawk fly of purpose into the merchant's orchard , he and his men rid luring after her , and retreeved her in the orchard where the marquis himself was entred , having obtain'd leave before ; the hawk being found , the merchant invites the marquis to a treatment , where his wife was present , and very officious to please ; being departed , she asks her husband who he was ? he answer'd , 't is the marquis of such a place , one of the gallantest and most hopefull young noblemen in all saturnia , a person full of transcendent parts and high perfections , &c. these praises making deep impressions in his wife , and the marquis poursuing still his design , he at last prevailed , and being admitted to her chamber by a back garden-dore , he found her a bed , and in a fit posture to receive him ; so unbracing himself to go to her , and having put off his doublet , she told him smilingly , do you know whom you may thank most for this courtesie ? it is my husband , who ▪ after the late treatment you had , fell a long time into such high commendations of you , that i never heard him speak so nobly of any : the marquis being put to a sudden stand hereby , and struck with a kind of astonishment , put on his doublet again and his cloak , saying , shall i abuse so worthy a friend , and such noble affections ? no , i will die first ; so taking his leave of the lady in civill and thankfull posture , he departed the same way he was let in , and never attempted her again . fox . truly it cannot be denied , but this was a most signall example of continence , and no lesse of gratitude , to restrain himself so in the height of such a lust . pererius . well , will you conform your self to my advice , and turn man , and merchant , to converse again with such a noble nation , a nation that may prescribe rules of prudence and policy to all mankind ? fox . sir , you speak of policy , ther is no tru policy practised now adaies in the world , it is degenerated together with the nature of man into subtlety and craft ; if ther be any left 't is in marcopolis , where ther are the truest patriots and most public souls that i have known remaining amongst men , otherwise she had never been able to tugg so long with the huge tomanto empire , and other the greatest potentats , upon earth ; yet somtimes she hath us'd to sow such another tail as mine to her lions skin , and proceed by craft as well as by strength ; now , though policy and craft agree in their ends , yet they differ in the means conducing to their ends ; the one proceeds by honourable and gallant manly waies to attain her ends , the other by dishonourable and base subdolous ways , she cares not what oaths she swallows and breaks afterwards , she cares not what lies , fears , and jealousies she creates to amuse the silly vulgar , and therby to incite them to arms and rebellion , for tearing the bowells of their own country , and to loose all allegiance to their natural prince ; she makes no scruple or conscience to make religion her mantle to palliat all her designs , and by a horrid kind of prophanenes and blasphemy to make god almighty the author of all rebellions and sedition : as was lately practised in gheriona more then in any other country that ever was under the cope of heven ; and now ther 's a company of poor sir politic woodbies or wise-akers , that wold put a cats head upon a lions neck , they wold make a petty common-wealth such as that of hydraulia , of that antient spacious monarchy with the crowns thereunto annexed , kingdoms which have lasted thousands of years without any interregnums at all till now ; and observable it is , that among other benefits ( or plagues rather ) which gheriona hath received from hydraulia for raising her first to a common-wealth from obedience to her hereditary prince , one is , that she hath poysoned gheriona in her policy as well as in her religion ; for now she hath the fate to have such wise-askers in government that can see afar off no farther than to the tips of their noses ; they wold take down the royal saddle , and clap a pair of panniers on gheriona's back , never looking forward what will follow , viz. an everlasting warr ; nor do they fall to any account what a disparagement it will be , that so large and noble a kingdom shold be cast into so petty a mould as that of hydraulia , who is above thirty times inferiour to gheriona in extent of territory , and more then forty times in point of plenty . pererius . it is a clear truth what you affirm , that tru policy is much sophisticated in this latter age , and touching the hints you give of gheriona in point of government , and the present designes that are afoot to transverse it , i know to country full well ; it may be a feasable thing to turn the great city polihaima to a kind of common-wealth , for she hath smelt a great while of a hans in regard of her many corporations , which may be said to be petty republiques of themselfs ; but for gheriona her self , it will be a hard confused task to reduce her to such a government , it being incompatible both with the genius of the peeple , the posture of the country , and politicall constitutions established there for so many ages ; they who make inspections into the influxes and vertu of heavenly bodies , find , that mars is the planet predominant over gheriona , and 't is observed , that where he predominats , that clime and country is fit for no other government than monarchall ; whereas those countries where the moon is predominant , as marcopolis and others , are naturally fittest to be made republiques ; therefore let those men , who have now the vogue of power and counsell in gheriona , beat their brains never so much , let them scrue up their wits , and stretch all the policy they have as far as possibly they can , yet they will never be able to constitute a lasting durable government , or settle a firm and generall peace without a king , that kind of supream officer is congeniall with the nation it self , which will never be fixed till then ; therfore , as i said before , let those men who are now upon the stage of power , winde up their wits as high as they can , without this they will be still at a losse , their consultations will be like a skein of ravell'd silk , they will be in a labyrinth of confusions , and the end of one will be still the beginning of another . now , ther is no art so incertain , so subject to difficulties , as the art for man to rule man ; ther be many poor sciolists in gheriona , who of late years have shot at rovers in prescribing rules of government , they take the ashes of the iudaicall , the greek , and roman common-wealths to apply them to the present times , wheras those nations were of another temper , of other religions , and consequently of other kind of intellectualls , and diffring idaeas to the present age ; they shold rather produce examples from gheriona's own historians , which wold be far more suitable ; but go to the chiefest politians , antient or modern , that ever writ of governments , you will find all their opinions concenter in this point , that ther is no government which hath a nearer analogy with that of heven , that is more lasting upon earth , that is more regular , or that hath any certain principles , but monarchy ; that great chair-man or grandee among philosophers , aristotle , in his politiques , upon which ther is such a world of comments , speaks of sundry species of governments , as aristocracy , democracy , oligarchy , and stratocracy , but he puts no rules for any , onely he hath this assertion , that aristocracy or optimacy allows no artificer or mechanick to be a cittizen or counsellor ; much of his discourse is of the first founders of common-wealths , then he proceeds to correct the errors of common-wealths , before he tells us what a common-wealth is ; moreover , in handling the kinds of government in generall , he flies forward and backward in a disorderly way , but when he descends to particular forms , he is full , not onely of confusion , but contradictions and inconstancies to himself ; in som places he seems to deny any naturall right , much more any majesty to be in the people , whom he holds to be little inferiour to beasts ; wheras else-where he affordeth a liberty to every city to set up what government they please , either by force or craft , which in effect is to allow the peeple to do what they list , if they be able . now this high-reaching philosopher cannot much be censured for roving up and down in so incertain a subject , it being impossible for any human brain to prescribe any infallible universall rules for government , that may quadrat with the nature of all climes and seasons , and be appliable to the humors of all peeple ; other sciences have demonstrations , and undeniable principles , but the art of government hath no such maxims , in regard of a thousand sort of contingencies that attend human negotiations , as also for the various dispositions of peeple , som nations are so fiery mouth'd , that they must be ridd with a bitt , if not with a curb and martingale , but a small bridle will serve others , nor are the same constitutions fit for a continent that are proper for an iland , nor those of a maritim continent fit for a mediterranean country , who know not what salt-water is . fox . touching those modern smatterers in policy you speak of , the times abound with such , such that while they take upon them to give precepts for government , they amuse the reader with universalls , ( and commonly ther is deceit in universalls ) or rather they lead him to a labyrinth of distinctions , wherby they render the art of mastring man to be more difficult and distracted , then it is in its own nature ; but , under favour , the main cause that ther are such difficulties and incertitudes in prescribing generall rules to govern the human creture , is the perturbances of his mind , his variety of humors , his seditious disposition , his inconstancies , and an itching still after innovations ; and herein we irrationall animals are more obedient , more gentle and docile ; but touching the policy you mention , ther be som certain maxims that may extend to the whole masse of mankind in point of government ; one is , that the common peeple be kept still in such an awe , that they may not have any power to rise up in arms , or be sharers in the government , and so be their own caterers to chuse what laws they please ; secondly , that ther be a visible standing effectif military strength still in being , to keep them in such an awe , as well to curb them as to conserve them ; it being the greatest soloecism that can be in government to rely meerly upon the affections of the peeple , in regard there is not such a wavering windy thing , not such an humorsom crosse-grain'd animal as the common peeple , ther is not such a tyrant in the world if once he get on horse-back ; and all authors that have pretended any thing to policy , either old or new , affirm so much in their writings ; if the governour in chief hath not such a constant visible power , and moveable upon all occasions , the common peeple will use him as the froggs in the fable us'd the logg of wood whom iupiter , at their importunity , had dropt down among them for their king , to whom they stood a while in som awe and dread , but afterwards finding no motion in him , they leapt and skipt upon him in contempt and derision ; there is another certain principle of policy , that public traitors and rebells to their prince and country shold be dispatched to the other world without mercy , for if they be but half punished , they will like snakes get and cling together again , therfore 't is a good rule , and that may be a proverb hereafter , a rebell and mad dogg knock in the head , they will not bite when they are dead . pererius . had you not told me before , yet i shold have judg'd you a saturnian by the wisdom of your discours , your compatriots being accounted the prudentest men upon earth , for whereas others are said to be wise after the act , others in the act , you are said to be wise before , in , and after the act ; moreover , whereas the artonian is said to be wiser than he seems to be , the tumontian not to be so wise as he seems , the saturnian is wise , and seems to be so ; therfore will you return to that noble country , and becom man and merchant again ? of which profession ther are princes in your country , you well know . fox . ther are so , yet i enjoy my self more contentedly in this shape and species , i have now a more constant health , and if i find my self illish at any time , which is seldom , i eat a little of the gumm of that pine-tree and it cures me ; but i am nothing so subject to distempers of body or mind in this condition . touching the first , when nature hath finished her course in me , i will leave it for a legacy to my friends , for 't is good and medicinall for many uses , my brain is good against the falling-sicknesse ; my blood against the stone , and the cramp ; my gall instill'd with oyle takes away the pain in the ears ; my toung worn in a chain is good for all diseases in the eyes ; my fatt healeth the alopecia , or falling off of the hair ; my lights , liver , and genitalls are good against the spleen ; my very dung pounded with vinegar is a certain cure against the leprosie ; my milt is good against tumors ; and touching my skin , which is so much valued by the fairest beauties , i will bequeath it to the admired queen morphandra to make her a muff , as a small heriot for her protection of me under her dominion . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the seventh section . a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a boar , wherin ther are various discourses , and particularly of the rare sympatheticall powder that is lately found out , which works sudden and certain cures without any topicall application of medicines to the part affected , &c. morphandra , pererius , and a boar. morphandra . how came you off from that cunning merchant you dealt withall last ? hath he accepted of the bill of exchange you presented unto him ? pererius . truly , madame , i may say , according to the homely proverb , that i have received a flapp with a fox tail , he hath plaid the cunning sophister with me , he hath protested against that bill of exchange , nor will he upon any tearms resume his former shape , but retain that which he hath , alledging that he is now free from those stings of conscience , from those corroding black jealousies , from that vindicatif humor wherunto mankind is subject , specially those of his nation , with other molestations of mind ; he saith , that in this feature he is also more healthfull ; he braggs likewise how many medicinall vertues are in his body after its dissolution from the sensitive soul , and how much his skin is valued amongst the fairest ladies , which he intends to bequeath as a legacy to your majesty to make you muffs of when he hath payed nature the last debt ; and truly , madame , by his acute answers and replies , i found that he had the full use of the faculty of human reson , though appeering in that brutish shape , which makes me more and more admire your power . morphandra . this power the great architect of the world hath given me , i derive this prerogative meerly from him , not , as i intimated to you before , from any compact or consultation with ill spirits , although the flat and shallow-braind vulgar think i do it so , by magicall and negromantic means . pererius . i know full well , madame , the ignorance , or rather insulsity of the common peeple to be such , that when they find any extraordinary effects produc'd , transcending the ordinary course of nature , they are presently struck with such an admiration , that they think those effects to be done by the work of the devill , though they are operated by strength of art , and by connexion of naturall agents and patients properly apply'd , as of late years ther is found out a sympatheticall cure of wounds at a distance , without any reall application of medicines to the part affected , which kind of sanation they hold to be made by some diabolicall compact , though reverà 'tis performed by such ways that do truly agree with the due course of nature , by which she constantly works . morphandra . i pray be pleas'd to impart unto me the mode and manner of that kind of cure , for though it be not magicall , it must needs be a great mysterious thing . pererius . madame , i shall most willingly comply with your commands herein ; touching the sympatheticall powder or medicine it self , it is made of a zaphyrian azurd salt , calcind by solar fire into a lunar complexion , operating principally when the sun is in the two celestiall signes of leo and cancer ; but , madame , before i can make the thing truly understood , i must lay down som universall laws or maxims of nature ; first , it is tru without controul , that all actions and motions are performed by atoms or small invisible bodies , moving to and fro after a different manner proportionable to their severall figures , all naturall things operat thus , and not by i know not what qualities or accidents , which have onely a notionall subsistence , and no reall being but as they inhaere in the substance ; secondly , ther is a perpetuall constant expiration of such atoms from all naturall bodies , caus'd by a compression of other circumambient and neighbouring bodies , driving the parts closer together , or else by the motion of other atoms crowding into the foraminous parts of that body , interrupting as it were the quietude of the former inmates , and thrusting them out to wander in the air till they meet with som other body where they may get rest ; this effluvium or emanation of atoms by help of autopticall glasses , have bin sensibly discerned to flow from the load-stone and other bodies , whose pores are more plentifull , in form of a kind of mist ; in bodies that are actually hot this atomicall expiration is sensibly perceptible by the smell , specially to cretures of an acuter sense , for the atoms hovering in the circumambient air , or upon the ground , are sure guides to the grey-hound while he poursues the chace , as if the hunted creture were continually in his sight ; these expiring atoms are also as sensibly discover'd by weight , it being experimentally found , that those iockies who use to run horse-races can make themselfs lighter by many pounds weight in a day or two , which proceeds by this insensible emission of atoms ; secondly , it is to be observ'd , that these atomicall bodies are not of one figure , nor of one grossnesse or magnitude , som being so slender and subtle that they admit of no opposition , but continu their course through all mediums , and whatever may be seen to stop them in their journey cannot be discerned but by their effects , such are the contagious atoms of bodies infected with the pest , or other taking-diseases , which are not onely imparted to others by lurking in the visitant's cloths , but being scattered in the air are transported to remote places and persons , on whom they exercise their tyranny , not discover'd till they break out into open violence ; other atoms are grosser , and cannot so easily passe by , but are driven back , and forced from their intended voyage , and somtimes driven into the pory parts of other bodies against their wills ; such atoms are apprehended by our senses , as heat , cold , color , smells , putrefactions , &c. which use to move more slowly than others ; som are so corpulent and strong that they remove fix'd and solid bodies out of their stations , as the wind , and many others , that are driven to and fro by the impetuosity therof , and forced therby to change their places ; these atoms are in a manner so palpable , that we must needs confesse their reall beeing and activity ; thirdly , it is another undeniable truth , that all bodies desire rest , and wold still dwell in their own proper stations if they were not ejected by an intruder , for rest is the appetite of all naturall bodies , because 't is the mother of union ; now , ther are som places more fit than others for the receiving and retaining of the said atoms , wherin they may lodg more conveniently , and acquiesce a longer time , this proceeds from the fashion and form of the pores wherin they are intromitted , which are proportionable and more agreeing with the figures of the atoms which are of divers shapes , for som are angular , som cylindricall , som are branch'd , som smooth , others are sharp and rough ; ther are in most bodies pores agreeable to these various figures , insomuch that every naturall body is apt and ready to admit such atoms that are cognate and proportionable to their pores , and to exclude others ; now no atoms acquiesce any where but in such proportionat pores , they may be driven into other bodies , or they may accompany other atoms into pores that do not exactly quadrat with their figures , but cannot take any long repose there , being still extruded by those that do better fill the place , and correspond with the capacity and proportion of those pores , whence ariseth a naturall propension and tendency towards those bodies where such pores are found ; nor can those atoms which are not sutable to the pores wherein they are , stay there quietly , but they are still dislodg'd and sholder'd out , or pressed to give room to those atoms whose figures challenge a right to those pores ; insomuch that it may be said , ther is a kind of perpetuall warr 'twixt those atoms that are proportionat and proper to the pores they are lodg'd in , and those which usurp them ; for to have perfect rest in a place , and to claim a naturall right unto it , ther must be a cognation 'twixt the atom and the pore which may be call'd sympathy , such as are all magneticall and attractive motions ; fourthly , no distance hinders the motion of these atoms towards their naturall cognate places , towards which they are perpetually travelling , and the nearer they approach to their desired home , the swifter their motion is , and the lesse resistance they find in their journey . these prolegomena or generall notions being premis'd , i com now to the operative vertue of the sympatheticall powder , which , as i describ'd it before , is made of a zaphyrian salt , calcind by a celestiall fire , operating in leo and cancer into a lunar complexion ( as the learned doctor h. hath it , who discourseth like a tru phoilosopher of these notions ) the heat here of must be such , that it may draw out all adventitious moystur , leaving it intensly dry , and in this condition it must be kept , for if it chance to meet with any humidity it loseth its energy , and must to the aetnereall furnace again ; it must be also but a competent heat , for by excesse of heat all the volatile parts and finest atoms which onely work the cure , will be evaporated , and onely the grosser saline parts remain , which neither can be rays'd to accompany the atoms of the extravenated blood , nor if they could wold they cure , but by their sharper angles grate the orifices of the capillary veins , and so procure an efflux of blood , and not a consolidation of the wound . morphandra . noble prince , these are high philosophicall notions that you discourse of , but now that you have spoken of the substance of this rare medicament , how must it be apply'd ? pererius . the manner of applying it is in this manner , the blood or bloody matter being taken from the wound on a cloth , or remaining still on the wounding instrument , must be lightly covered over with this powder , kept very dry , and afterwards wrapp'd up close from the air , and so preserved in a temperat heat , it must also be kept clean , and clos'd up with neat linnen to fence it from cold , for cold hinders the expiration and breathing forth of the balsamicall atoms , which shold drain forth the superfluous humidity , and restrain the efflux of blood ; now , the greatest rarenes of this sympatheticall powder is , that by a virtuall contact it heals at a distance by the intercourse of the atoms proceeding from the extravenated blood of the patient , which atoms like so many little spirits glide through the aire , and never rest till they come to their desired home , where being gladly entertained , they find an easie entrance at the cognate parts , and proportionat pores of the wound ; being admitted there they fall to work , and first , they dilate the superfluous humid parts , and make them fit to be expell'd , then by their more then ordinary restrictive power they shrinck together the pores , and squeezing out that noxious corrupt humidity , glew together the disunited parts , and so cicatrize and cure : and truly , madame , i could produce diverse pregnant examples of those that were healed by the atomicall energy of this sympatheticall powder , but i desire one may serve for all ; ther was a knowing captain who made often use of it , and two of his officers having drawn blood one of another in a duell , he got their bloodied swords and applied his balsamicall powder , so in lesse then hours they were almost cur'd ; but the captain understanding that their animosities were such , that they were resolved to fight again , he hung the balsam'd bloodied swords out at his window all night , so comming the next morning to visit his patients , they told him that they were in cruell pain all night long ; and so you shall be still , quoth the captain , untill you be perfect friends , for i hear that you will fight again ; so having made them shake hands , and perfectly reconcil'd them , he cur'd both in a very short time . morphandra . i acknowledge it a singular favour , most gallant prince , that you have made me understand this great secret , and the naturall causes thereof , though the common peeple , who use to condemn all they understand not , and whereunto their short capacities cannot reach , for magicall . but , if you persist in your desires to convert any of these metamorphos'd animals , and proceed further in your attempts , i spy amongst those trees a boar who was once an aetonian count , whom for his deboshments and intemperancies i transmuted to that shape ; you may try what you can do upon him . pererius . i will , by the continuance of your noble favor , make towards him ; miserable metamorphos'd creture ! how much do i resent the condition you are now in in comparison of the former ! for i understand by queen morphandra that you were before not onely a man , but a personage of high account in aetonia , that masculine and generous brave country , which is so full of large flourishing provinces , of opulent fair cities and famous marts , so full of magnificent palaces , of mines of tresure , of fruitfull orchards , of fragrant gardens and fat fields , of navigable rivers ; so full of illustrious families that can extract their pedigrees thousands of years past ; so ful of great princes , wherwith aetonia may be said to shine as the firmament with coruscant starrs , and the septemvirat of caesarean electors are as the seven planets ; are you contented to return to so gallant a country , to resume the figure of that noble personage you represented when you were man , and live again under caesar the prince paramount of all others ? if you have a disposition to it , queen morphandra hath promised me to transmute you , and i have an accommodation for your transport ; therfore will you shake off that wild savage shape , and becom man again ? boar. savage ! truly , sir , i think man is far more savage and cruell , for the wildest of our species will not strike at man till man hath begun first with him , and wounded him , and all huntsmen will tell you so ; but i could produce many horrid examples of the cruelty and tru culency of man , and of my quondam conterraneans in particular , but let this serve for all ; it chanced ther was one that bore malice to a woman great with child , he watching his opportunity found her alone spinning in her house , he first cuts her throat , then ripps up her womb , takes out the embryo and carries it to the back-side where ther was a sow ready to farrow , he kills also the sow , rips up her belly , and taking out the pigs , puts the child of the murther'd woman in their room , then he took the piggs and puts them in the womans belly , and so sow'd it up , proh scelus . touching the high encomiums you give of aetonia , 't is tru , that she was in former times a gallant piece of the continent , but now she is pittifully impair'd and degenerated from what she was ; ther was a count there who prov'd most unfortunat , both to his own country and to himself , who aiming at a crown made warr against caesar , to whom he ow'd allegiance ; and to abett his cause he brought in forrein princes for his confederats , and so kindled a destructive lingring warr in the bowells of his own country , which for thirty years together did so harasse her , that to this day she is scarce come to her self ; among others , he introduc'd a hungry northern king who did her a world of mischief , whose successor keeps firm footing there still , and whiles the cuprinian hath an acre of land in aetonia , she will never be in a durable secure peace ; touching the multitude of illustrious families that are in aetonia , most of them may be said to be but mongrell princes , for in the forenoon they are ecclesiasticks , ( having rais'd themselfs out of the ruines of the church ) and in the afternoon they are laicks and seculars ; now , those variety of princes are rather a weaknesse then a strength to aetonia , as may be inferred out of that witty emblem which the tomanto emperor 's embassadors made , being present at the election of one of the aetonian caesars , who observing what great princes attended him that day , wherof he was told that som of them could raise an army of themselfs if need requir'd ; the ambassadour smilingly said , that he doubted not of the puissance of aetonia , but it might be said , that the minds , counsells , and actions of the aetonians were like a great beast with many heads and tails , who being in case of necessity to passe through a hedge , and every head seeking to find a severall hole to get thorough , they were a hinderance one to the other , every head drawing after his own fancy , and so hazarded the destruction of all the heads and tails ; but the tomanto empire was like a beast that had multitude of tails , but one head that govern'd all the body , which head being to get through any passage , all the tayls follow him in an exact obedience without any confusion of diffring fancies or clashing of opinions . touching that caesar you speak of , whom you wold make prince paramount of all others in point of majesty and might , it cannot be denied but that the imperiall eagle , when he was at the highest pitch of power , might be said to have spread his wings overall the then habitable earth , he fixed his talons upon the banks of euphrates eastward , upon the nile southward , and he had all the known western world within his pounces ; his annuall revenues were then computed at a hundred and fifty millions , wherof the salary of the legionary soldiers amounted to twenty millions ; but that glorious empire , that mighty giantesse , is now shrunck up and shrivell'd into a pigmey's skin , insomuch that the present caesar may be said to have onely one of the old eagle's feathers in his cap : he who was us'd to make the greatest potentats pay homage unto him , is now us'd to be baffled by every petty companion . pererius . such is the plesure of the all-ruling providence , with whom the greatest kingdoms upon earth are but as so many kettle-pins , which he tips down when he pleases , 't is he who transvolves empires , tumbles down monarchies , and cantonizeth them into petty common-wealths , whereunto the philosopher seem'd to allude , when being ask'd what iupiter did in heven , he answer'd , magnas ollas frangit , & ex frustis earum parvulas componit , he breaks great pots , and of their fragments makes little pitchers ; this shews the brittlenes , the lubricity , and unfixednes of all sublunary things , as well politicall as naturall , so that to find out a tru stability and permanence , we must travell beyond trismegistus's circle , and seek it in the other world : but let not this alienat your affections to visit again your own country in human shape , and return to your religion , wherby when this mortall life is ended you may gain eternity . boar. religion i truly ther 's scarce any left in aetonia , for since the time of therlu , who being fallen into a lustfull love with an abadesse , unfrock'd himself , and made religion his macarell to enjoy her ; i say , since that time , the artonian fancy was never so greedy after new fashions in apparell , as the aetonians high and low do daily thirst after new-fangled opinions in matters of religion , both in point of doctrine and discipline . add hereunto , that ther is a bosom peculiar vice aetonia is addicted unto , which is intemperance , wherwith she hath infected most of her neighbours ; the hydraulian can tell you , that the immoderat use of drink came tumbling down upon her from aetonia like a huge , and a furious rapid torrent , whence it found passage over with wind in poop to gheriona ( and her subordinat kingdoms ) which is as good at it being of an aetonian race originally , and therfore apt to imitat ; nay , as they say , as the gherionian is good inventis addere , to improve any new thing , so they go beyond the aetonians herein , for whereas they use to pelt the brain with small shot , the gherionian doth storm it with great cannons , and huge carowses , for he , when he is at it , doth not sip and drink by halfs , or demur upon it by pauses , as the aetonian doth , or by eating som salt quelque chose between , but he deals in sheer liquor , and is quickly at the bottom of his cup without any intervening talk ; yet the aetonian carrieth still the report to a proverb : hereupon they use to characterise the aetonian to be an animal that can drink more then he can carry , and who useth to barrell up more than he can broach in point of knowledg , because commonly he useth to have in him more than he can utter . pererius . it seems very strange to me that you shold thus vilifie your own country , and traduce so goodly and high-built a nation as the aetonian is . boar. 't is tru , they are bulky & built high enough , but it is observ'd , that tall men are like fabriques four or five stories high , where the garret or upper room is worst furnished , you may guesse at my meaning ; moreover , magnitude is not the measure of worth , if the aetonians wit and valour had been sutable to their outward bulks , the tomanto emperor had not carried away so many territories from them , which mighty emperour hath grown so powerfull by the divisions , and so fortunat by the vices of aetonia . pererius . come , come , shake off those hispid staring bristles , and fordid skin , that useth to tumble in sloughs and mire , and return to your own noble country , your kindred , and that high quality you were of formerly , for in the condition you now stand , you are , like our base misers , good for nothing till you are dead . boar. it is a great truth , and when we are dead ther 's nothing that 's bad in us but our excrements , which also though , in regard of the sharpnes therof , they be not good for compost to fertilize the earth , yet they are found good for divers sorts of trees , as the pomgranat and the almond trees , as also for divers sorts of apple trees to free them from worms : our blood being so full of fibres is excellent good against carbuncles , our brains are good against the biting of serpents ; our lard with wonderfull celerity makes firm broken bones ; the ashes of our cheek-bone are good against ulcers ; the liver of a boar is good against the biting of a mad dogg , and drowsines of spirit ; the gall of a boar mingled with rosin and hony , is passing good against ulcers , the testicles good against the falling-sicknes ; the hoofs of a boar made powder is good against the stopping of the urine ; a plaister made of boar's dung is good against all venomous bitings , as also against the pain in the spleen , or the sciatica ; the ankle of a boar worn about the neck is good against quartan agues : moreover 't is found tru by frequent experiments , that the milk of a sow in sweet wine is good to help women in travell , and restores milk in their paps , 't is good also against the bloody flix , and the tissick ; amber sodd in boar's grease receives nitor , and bewty : now , all these vertues proceed from our bodies , because we have not so much corruption within us as man ; our food also being more simple and fresh , and our appetites more regular ; so , sir , i bid you farewell , for i am going to herb it among that tuft of trees . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eighth section . a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a wolf , who had bin a cuprinian soldier , whom for his plunderings , rapines , and spoyles , she transfigur'd to that shape . morphandra , pererius , and a wolf. morphandra . how did you bear up with that boar ? could you not get him into the toyl , and make him turn man again ? pererius . truly no , he did in a manner grind his razers and tusks , and extreamly froam at his own country-men , taxing them of divers vices ; he prickt up his bristles like a porcupine , as if he would have darted them ; so i left him at a bay. morphandra . i spy another transmuted animal in that thicket , it is a wolf , who was once a soldier of fortune , and a cuprinian free-booter , you may try whether you can take him by the ears , for you will find him tame enough . pererius . i have leave from gracious queen morphandra to conferr with you , and know whether you have an inclination to return to your country and calling again ; if you have , she is ready to unlycanthropize you from this wolfish shape to your former condition . wolf. touching my country and calling they are both alike , they are both naught , therefore i have no affection to either ; for the first , 't is a pittifull cold and coorse country , being so remote from the sun , which made a generous queen lately to leave both crown and country ; touching the second , 't is a profession for the devill , to be hir'd for about three shillings a week to kill men ; i was once of that calling , and i with my camerades did a world of mischief to the poor boors up and down the country , therefore it was very just that queen morphandra should transform me to this shape . pererius . yet you know , that the profession of arms is noble , for every soldier is a gentleman by his profession ; and touching the coldness of your clime , it puts mettle and the more vigor in the combatant , for they say that a cuprinian fights best when he sees his own breath , which is in frosty weather ; you know also what great atchievments and exploits your two last kings have done , to their eternall glory , and the renown of your country . wolf. 't is tru , the last two kings have done some feats of chivalry , yet the world took them to be but usurpers ; touching the first , he was killd in the midst of his manhood , wherby caesar against whom he warr'd got a full revenge of him ; and for the present king , the world wonders that it was not sufficient for him to enjoy quietly the kingdom of cuprinia , which belongs by right to nopolia , but he must make warr against that king , to whom he shold de jure owe allegiance ; and had he conquer'd nopolia , his ambition had not terminated there , but he haply had visited saturnia , and so , as the goths and vandalls of old , he had troubled the repose of all the western world ; but as far as he hath gone , what miserable devastations hath he made ? how hath he ruined the flourishing trade of those countrys , which are so full of great mercantile towns both upon fresh and salt waters , so full of usefull and necessary commodities ? and had he compleated his zundanian designe , he had given law to all the occidentall princes , which hydraulia sagaciously smelt out , and so timely prevented him . pererius . and have not you a naturall desire rather to be again one of that warlick and adventurous nation , than to continu in this hatefull and rapacious nature ? wolf. truly i may be said to be of as rapacious a nature when i was a cuprinian , for he is us'd to pick any quarrell with those that are weaker than himself , of purpose to devour them ; as i remember to have read of the wolf in the fable , who finding a young lamb , and intending to devour him , fell a coining of reasons why he would do it , and so told him , that he and his generation had don him wrong from time to time : helas , said the lamb , how could that be ? for i am but newly com into the world ; i but , quoth the wolf , you eat up my grasse ; the lamb replyed , how can that be , sir ? for i have yet no teeth in my head ; i but you drink up my water , quoth the wolf again ; that cannot be neither , sir , said the lamb , for i never knew what water is hitherto , in regard i feed altogether upon my mothers milk ; 't is not your reasons , replied the wolf again , can confute my appetit , for i mean to sup plentifully this night , and so devour'd him . but the same fate may attend the cuprinian king as befell the wolf-fish , who living in a river where all the fish were lesser then himself , they all admir'd , honor'd , and fear'd him , as if he had bin their king ; he thinking to enlarge his dominions , thought to go to the sea to be king there , but meeting with the dolphin in his way he was presently devour'd ; or as aesop's dogg , passing by a river with a good piece of flesh in his mouth , and the shadow of the flesh appeering in the water , he snapt at it thinking it had been real flesh , and so lost that which he had in his mouth ; so the cuprinian king may hap to lose his own territories , while he thinks to devour others . pererius . well , well , will you shake off that ugly shape , and put on man again , and go along with me towards your own country ? wolf. truly no , for i have tryed both natures , and find this to be far better , for i have now no airy aspiring desires in me , no ambitious thoughts , or other perturbances and inquietudes of mind ; moreover , i find this shape of body to be far more healthfull , nor is this species lesse honourable ; a wolf was the crest of the first arms of rome , in regard the king who trac'd the foundation of that glorious city , and denominated her after his own name , was nurs'd up miraculously by a wolf ; ther have bin many famous men of that name , as lupus fulvius a roman poet , lupus servatus a memorable priest , and lupus de oliveto a saint-like monk ; ther is a kind of holines also in this species , for they never engender but in the twelve days of christmas ; ther is likewise a mysterious quality in this species ; for if a wolf sees a man first , the man grows hoarse ; if the tail of a wolf be hung in the cratch of oxen , they cannot eat ; if a horse treads in the foot-steps of a wolf , he cleaves fast as if he were frozen ; nay , if a mare big with foal tread in the place where a wolf had trodden , it causeth abortion , and will make her presently to cast her foal ; lastly , strings made of vvolfs guts have that predominance in music , that if they be put among other strings , ther wil never be any consort . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ninth section . a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a goat , consisting of many quaint discourses both naturall and metaphysicall , with other criticisms , &c. morphandra , pererius , and a goat . pererius . madame , i could not take that vvolf by the ears to lead him home to his own country , which he bitterly inveighs against ; and against the humor of the peeple , as also against his former profession of a souldier , tacitly intimating , that war is the chiefest seminary of theeves , according to the proverb , la guerre fait les larrons , & la paix les ameine au gibet , war makes the thief , and peace brings him to the gallows ; therfore he prefers rather to passe his life peaceably under your government , than to be in cuprinia , where of late years men are so press'd for the warrs to serve the ambition of their kings , that the whole country is so drain'd , that ther 's scarce any left but women , old men , and children ; therfore he is very well pleas'd with this lycanthropy . but , madame , i spy a bearded animal nibling upon the brow of that crag , i desire by your favour to have som discours with him , for by his long beard he shold have bin som philosopher , and so have more wit in him than other animals . morphandra . you shall very willingly , but i will tell you what he was before ; he was an orosian born , and i transform'd him to that shape for being a mountaineer , and for having aspiring thoughts , with other resons . pererius . i 'le go and accost him ; sir , will you please to come down hither into the plain , for i have very good news to impart unto you that will make you skip for joy . goat . i pray excuse me , it is against my nature to descend , if i did , i should haply prove more foolish than the goat in the fable , who being invited and perswaded by the fair speeches of the lion to come down and feed in the medow where he was , being come down the hungry lion devoured him presently . pererius . you need not apprehend any such fears here , but i will come to you ; queen morphandra tells me , that you were an orosian born , a very antient and noble nation ; have you a disposition to return thither , to resume the shape of man , and to be again the child of reson ? goat . what do you mean by reson ? i think the shape and species i now am in are capable of reson , for we can distinguish 'twixt good and bad , 'twixt what is noxious or profitable for us , we have also the same organs , the same cells and receptacles in the brain as man hath for to lodg reson , and the celestiall bodies pour the same influences upon us as they use to do upon the human creture . pererius . it cannot be denied but you have an instinct that acts according to reson , and it may be call'd instinctive reson ; but the reson that beasts have is limited to corporeall objects , to the necessities onely of life , to find out food and shelter , and bring up their young ones , it s onely direct reson that 's capable of singulars , it s restrain'd to an opinionative faculty , it s a meer shadow of ours , much like the objects that our fancy represents to us in sleep ; and this instinct in beasts is as much inferiour to reson in man , as reson in man is inferiour to intelligence and intuitions in the blessed angells . goat . yet , sir , it must be granted , that actions whose successes are so well ordered , actions which have so well regulated a progresse , and concatenation so exactly tying the mediums to the end , must needs be performed by the guidance and light of tru reson , and such actions you know sensitive cretures daily perform ; with what art do birds build their nests , the fox his hole , the badger his chamber , with what caution do they preserve their young ones , and fence them from the injury of the hevens ? how punctually do they keep their haunts ? but what do you think of pliny's elephant repeating his lesson at moon-shine , or of ptolomey's stagg that understood greek , of plutarch's dogg who could counterfeit the very convulsions of death , of the ape that could play at chesse , and another that had learnt som touches on the guittern ? what think you of caligula's horse who was made consul ? had not he reson in him ? what think you of the asse , who being us'd to carry burdens of salt over a foord was us'd to stumble and fall constantly in such a place , that therby the salt melting away into water his burden might be the lighter , but his master lading him with a tadd of wool , he fell at his usuall place , but being helped up again , and he feeling the pack of wool heavier in regard of the water that got in , he never stumbled any more in the foord after that time ; what think you of the crow , that in the time of a great drowth finding water in the bottom of a barrell , and being fearfull to go down , carried so many stones in her beak , that letting them fall down , they forc'd the water to rise upwards towards the top , and so she dranck safely and at ease ? i pray were not all these not onely instinctive but discoursive resons ? pererius . i confesse that he who denies a kind of reson and resoning also to brute animals , may be questiond whether he be master of reson himself , yet this reson and resoning looks upon present and particular notions onely ; but human reson extendeth to universall notions out of the reach of sense , which cannot be without abstractions , and som reflections it hath on it self , which beasts cannot attain ; this reson that is conversant with universalls is the tru specificall difference 'twixt man and beasts ; it is the portion and property of man alone , whereby he hath the soverainty over all over his fellow-cretures throughout all the elementary world ; ther is intuitive , ther is discoursive , and ther is instinctive reson , the first is proper to angels , the last to brute animals , and the second to man , who can contemplat and discourse of generalls and things absent ; and these three differ in excellency as the three degrees of comparison . goat . yet though you excell us as you say in this kind of reson , ther 's many of us that surpasse you in strength and quicknesse of sense , as the eagle in seeing , for he can look upon the sun in the meridian with full open eyes , and not be dazzled ; the hare can hear better , and the dogg goes far beyond you in smelling , as also the stagg , therefore when he is removed from one park to another , you use to muzzle him , and carry him in close carts that he may not smell the way back again ; and there be examples to admiration of this kind . pererius . though som beasts smelling be beyond ours in respect of celerity , and way of reception , yet in point of dijudication , & differencing the variety of smels which proceeds from the rationall soul , we surpasse them ; therfore though we cannot see as eagles , nor hear as hares , nor smel as well as doggs , yet hands , speech , and reson makes amends for all ; the composition also of the body being erect is advantagious , the caus of which erection ( after the beholding of heven ) is the exercise arts , which cannot be done in another figure ; mans body is likewise the most copious of organs , and though born naked , yet this nakednesse cuts out work for reson ; it abounds also more with animal spirits and heat , it hath long feet that the body might be more steedy , and his head is built upward like a castle or watch-tower in the upper region . goat . this faculty of discoursive reson you glory of , that man is endued withall , though in som respects it be a benefit unto him , and given as a recompence for his frailties , nakedness and weakness , yet in som kind it it may be said to be a disadvantage unto him , for it makes him subject to a thousand vexations of spirit , it fills him with inquisitive thoughts and scruples touching his salvation , it makes him a tyrant to himself by sundry sorts of perplexities and molestations of mind , for i have known it by experience , let the threed of a man's life be never so well spun , yet it cannot be without bracks and thrumbs : ther is no creture so troublesome to himself as man , for as rust adheres naturally to copper , so ill affections and obliquities adhere to human nature : moreover , you , like us , are but raggs of mortality , yet you are so vain in magnifying your own species , that you make man the epitome and complement of all created natures ; nay , som have prophanely affirmed , that if all the angells in heven had bin a thousand years a forming man , they could not have made him in greater perfection , and yet when i seriously oftentimes did contemplat man , and fell into a tru account of his imbecillities , and that world of weaknesses which use to attend his body and mind , i have often cryed out , eheu nos miseri quàm totus homuncio nil est ! what nomberles diseases is his frail body , which is the socket of his soul , subject unto ? how short are his plesures , and what black sudds commonly they leave behind them ? insomuch that they may be said to have wings and stings , for sadnes succeeds his joys as punctually as night follows the day . pererius . well , well , give over these satyricall excursions , and think on your dear country , the healthfullest country on earth . goat . it may well be said to be so , for of late years ther were cull'd out within three miles compasse ten men that were a thousand years between them , one supplying what the other wanted of a hundred years apiece , and they danc'd the morris divers hours together in the market-place , with a taborer before them years old , and a maid mariam . but orosia is much degenerated from what she was by the gherionian sectaries , who have infected the inhabitants with so many pseudodoxall and gingling opinions , which is the recompence she receives from gheriona for converting her first from an infidell to be a christian , yet she hath the impudence lately as to call her heathenish ; moreover , she twits her ever and anon with leeks and cheese , though both tend , the one to the commendation of the nation , the other of the country ; for wheras the orosian doth use to wear the first in his hat constantly upon such a day , it is to a commemorat the time that a famous battle was fought , wherein other nations that werein the army ran away , but the orosians stood to their ground , and got the day ; now , to signalize and distinguish themselfs from the fugitifs , they took leeks in their caps which grew in a garden hard by ; besides , 't is known how one of the acutest nations on earth ador'd the leek as one of his gods : touching the other , to have cheese enough is the mark of a fruitfull country , and good pasture ; this makes me tell you a facetious epigram , to make a pure orosian thirst for blisse , and daily say his prayers on his knees , is to perswade him that most certain 't is the moon is made of nothing but green cheese , and then he 'l ask of god no greter boon then place in heven to feed upon the moon . now , during the late combustions in gheriona , which were causd by a fatuous fire that took hold of som frantic spirits , 't is well known that the orosian stood firm both to his prince and principles , till he was o'repower'd by multitudes . pererius . well , will you put off that rammish and foetid carcase , and return to your first principles of nature , and i will safely conduct you towards your first home ? goat . rammish and foetid ! as rammish and foetid as we are , we are of a far more wholsom constitution than man , let the rare qualities which are in our bodies be judg ; 't is known by daily experience how our blood hath such an energy in it that it can dissolve diamonds , it also scowreth iron better then any file , and being fryed and drunck with wine it cures the bloody-flix ; the load-stone rub'd with garlick loseth its attractive vertu , but being dipt in goats milk it recovers : ther 's no creture hears more perfectly then a goat , for he hath not onely ears , but an acousticon organ also in the throat : our hair burnt driveth away serpents , and cureth decayed genitalls ; the marrow of a goat is singular good against aches ; the gall mixed with hony good to clear and fortifie the sight ; the very trindles drunck in wine are good against the jaundise , and to stay female-fluxes , as also gargariz'd good against old coughs ; the fatt sodden with goats dung is good if applied to the gout ; the butter of the fatt of a male goat is good for an old sore for kibes , the kings-evill , and fellons , or mixed with hony or oyl of brambles 't is good against deafnes ; the gall makes white hair grow on a horse ; goats milk is excellent against consumptions , and you know how the famous aegistus was nurs'd by that milk . to conclude , ther 's nothing within us or without us but it is cordiall or medicinall ; our entralls , livers , ashes , horns , milt , spleen , urine , fine hairs , marrow , hoofs , gall , dung , sewet , trindles , milk , and blood , &c. the tenth section . a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a soland-goose , a carboncian born , who was transmuted to that shape for his foolishnes in rebelling against his own conterranean king , and so by jugling himself into a slavery from that free government he was formerly under , &c. morphandra , pererius , a goose. morphandra . i saw you in hot discourse a good while with that bearded beast , how did you feel his pulse beat ? will he return to live among those mountains where he first breath'd air , and put on his primitive nature again ? pererius . madame , i find he hath no list or lust at all to either , one of his resons is , that the gherionian his confining neighbour hath so intoxicated his country-men with such fond fanatic opinions , & made them deviat from their tru service and allegiance , both to the king of heaven , and to his vicegerent their king upon earth ; he gave me also some acute resons , both morall and metaphysicall , why he wold not turn man again , alledging at last that the shape he now wears is farr more sound and healthfull , abounding more with naturall heat , which makes his body , and all the parts thereof within and without , to have such medicinall vertues in them , whereas human carcases , though they had bin tabernacles to a far nobler soul , are good for nothing when she parts with them but to feed and feast worms ; therfore truly , madame , i am in half despair of prevailing with any of these metamorphos'd animals , they live so peaceably under your dominions , and so contentedly in these shapes . morphandra . you have treated hitherto onely with terrestriall creturs , try what you can do upon that volatil , that sooty-clour'd soland-goose , who was by the first institution of nature a carboncian born , but had liv'd in great plenty and honor in the gherionian court , yet out of a crosse-grain'd foolish humor he kick'd against his own king and country-man , and so fell to be a slave to a new race of governours , from being a free-born subject before . pererius . poor goose , you need not gaggle , nor fear any thing , for i bring you good tydings , and the best that possibly can befall you ; queen morphandra by my mediation is pleased to retransfigure you to human shape , and let you go again to carboncia , your native soyl and dear country . goose. truly , sir , i have lost all affections to both , i am onely out of conceit with the one , but i abhor the other , i had rather turn cacodaemon than a carboncian again ; what a pittifull coors cold clime is carboncia ? it hath neither the warm sun nor gods blessing , it were a punishment for the worst peeple upon earth to be removed thither ; rather then i shold return to carboncia , my wishes shall be that of the poet , pone me pigris ubi nulla campis arbor aestiva recreatur aurâ , quod latus mundi , nebulae , malusque jupiter urget . let me to those black boggy heaths repair where tree was ne're refresht by vernall air , that side of earth where jove himself is bad , and with dark squalid clowds goes always clad . yet the clime is good enough for the inhabitants were it worse ; they brag of a hundred and odd kings , but of these kings above the one half came to violent deaths , judg you then of the disposition of the peeple ; and for their two last kings , they sold and sent away one to the fatall block , and made a sacrifice of him to the gherionian for a summ of mony ; and for the other , before they wold crown him their king , they propos'd that he shold acknowledg his father a tyrant , and his mother an idolatresse , a thing so abhorring to nature . pererius . i find you are extreamly incens'd against your own country , and your conterraneans , i pray what 's the reson of this strange and violent aversion ? goose. i told you partly before , but i will enlarge my self further , and deduce matter from their first rise ; carboncia and gheriona were in a sweet and sound peace , with affluences of all felicities , when som carboncian soldiers of fortune return'd from the cuprinian warrs richly laden with spoils , they came strutting into the gherionian court , the aetonian plunder shining upon their backs in gold and silver lace ; these military commanders expecting to receive som honors from the gherionian king for their services in aetonia , though none of them had received any commission from him , nor fought on his score ; others looking for som office at court , and missing their aim that way , som of them went to carboncia discontented , and fearing the stock they had got in the cuprinian warr wold quickly consume , and having no other trade but fighting , they fell to devise a way how to cast a bone 'twixt gheriona and carboncia , that they might have employment ; therfore they set on som prick-ear'd hot-pated preachmen ( who were in a kind of subjection unto them for their stipends ) to give out , that gheriona was on her way to antichrist again ; thus the pulpits did ring of invectives and calumnies against gheriona's church-government ; yet all this while there was not matter enough for an actuall insurrection , or to fire the beacons , till by wily artifices of som of the said discontented great ones gheriona's liturgy was sent among them to be put in practise ; this was cryed up to be the gretest idoll that ever came to their kirk , and so the common peeple in a furious unheard-of manner outrag'd those who read it ; the king having notice hereof , sent a gracious declaration , that wheras he had onely commended unto them , not commanded that public form of divine worship , wherin he himself did punctually and publickly twice a day perform his duty to heven , he did it out of a pious intention to beget an uniformity as well as an unanimity of public devotion in all his dominions , and as it was already practis'd in gheriona and hebrinia , so he desir'd it shold be us'd also in that his native country ; but since he understood it produc'd such tumultuous consequences , he was contented absolutely to revoke it , for it was never his intent to presse the practise therof upon any conscience , &c. therfore he requir'd that every one shold return to his former obedience , offring an amnestia for what had pass'd ; but this wold not serve the turn , for ther was a further designe in it , which was to destroy the hierarchy , and so make havock of the patrimony of the church ; hereupon the whole country put it self in arms , and so those soldiers of fortune spoken of before brought their work about , and got employment ; for soldiers in time of peace are like chimneys in summer ; they thought to rush into gheriona with an army , yet they gave it out to the world they came as petitioners ; so the carboncian shewed subjects the way to present petitions to their souverain upon the pikes point , to bring a supplication in one hand , and a sword in the other , or as one said , the bible in the left , and the blade in the other hand . pererius . this was an odious rebellion in the highest degree , for subjects to right themselfs by arms , and wage warr with their own souvrain prince ; it is very observable , that when god pleased to punish any of the kings of israel , he did not do it with the iews their own subjects , but with the philistines , and other forrain nations , whence it may be strongly inferr'd , that it was never allow'd by the laws of god or man , that subjects shold rise up in arms against their lawfull king. goose. yet the carboncian rush'd thrice into gheriona against their own native king ( having therby a greter share in him ) in the compasse of lesse then two years , and he was dismissed fidler-like , with meat , drink , and mony ; though in former times gheriona was us'd to dismis the carboncians ( whensoever they infested her borders ) with other kind of metalls , viz. with good steel and iron in lieu of gold and silver . pererius . these were strange and uncouth hateful traverses , that a nation shold prove so perfidious to their own prince , a prince born in the bowells of their own country , whose father , besides himself , had obliged and laden them with so many signall and singular favors ; therefore ther was here a complication of many ugly things , ther was rebellion , ther was ingratitude , and unnaturalnes , for had he bin born elsewhere , i shold not have so much wondred at it . goose. nay , i will tell you more , when their said king had made a long tedious journy of miles going and comming to visit them , he was so gracious , that they did but ask and have any thing ; he gave amongst them those antient demeans that went to maintain the mitre so many hundred years by the pious donation of progenitors ; he conferr'd honors abundantly upon them of all kinds , and did other wondrous acts of grace , for which the great councill in gheriona use to give a supply of tresure to their souvrain by way of an humble correspondence , but he did all this to the carboncian gratis ; yet they proved afterwards the gretest monsters of ingratitude that ever were , for they not onely sided with his gherionian insurrectors against him , but when by crosse successes and corrupt counsells he was brought to such an exigent , that he went away in a mean disguise to the carboncian army , they most basely for a sum of mony delivered him over to the plesure of his gherionian enemies , who tormented him afterwards beyond expression by hurrying him from prison to prison , and chopp'd off his head at last . pererius . one wold have thought , that the carboncians wold have valu'd it for a mighty honor , to have their own king in the heighth of his distreses to throw himself thus into their arms , and to put so rare a confidence in them ; but who were the chiefest instruments in doing all this ? goose. the unlucky kirk-men , who as if they had bin so many of the devills chaplains , preach'd nothing but warr , and against the receiving of the king in carboncia in this his extremity ; but ther were never so many quick and apparant judgments fell upon any nation as have tumbled one upon the neck of another in a few yeers upon this ; first , ther hapned an outragious plague in their chief city , which in one yeers compasse swep'd away the inhabitants by thousands ; what a huge nomber of witches have bin arraign'd and executed ? how many thousand carboncians were bought and sold for slaves to be hurried over to furnish forrain plantations ? what nombers of them were starv'd , and som tumbled into their graves alive ? how , while they thought to get into the upper-bed , they may be now said to lye upon hard matts on the flat ground , the truckle-bed they lay in afore being taken away from them ; and truly it is fit they shold still lie so low , it being the best policy gheriona can use to keep that cold northern dore bolted up , whence so many bleak hispid winds and tempests have broke out upon her . pererius . it is wholsome policy indeed , if it be so as you say , to keep under such a crosse-grain'd and stubborn inconstant peeple . goose. i will yet go further , this rebellion in carboncia caus'd another in hebrinia her neighbour , as one firebrand doth use to kindle another ; examples move , and make strong impressions upon the fancy , precepts are not so powerfull as precedents to work upon human nature ; the said example of the carboncians did wonderfully operat upon the imagination of the hebrinians , and fill'd them with thoughts of emulation , that they merited to have as good usage as the carboncian , their country being far more beneficiall , and consequently more importing the gherionians , wherof many thousands had made firm and plentifull fortunes in her ; add hereunto , that the hebrinians had far more grievances than the carboncians ( who really had none at all ) for they were threatned to be more pinch'd in the exercise of their religion ; there was new plantations intended to be made ther of carboncians and hydraulians ; there was every day a scrutiny made of conceal'd lands and dark defective titles ; there were new imposts laid upon them ; they remain'd incapable of any preferments in church and state , whereas the carboncians had advancements and offices every day in the gherionian court , and som of them admitted to sit at the council-table ; these motifs impell'd the hebrinians also to rise up in arms , hoping they might speed as well as the carboncian , who obtain'd what he pleas'd ; so they rise up to som purpose , for many cruentous and horrid massacres hapned on both sides , which took away hundreds of thousands ; now , all these things considered , will you have me return among the carboncians again ? pererius . my principall proposall unto you is to turn man again , and the globe of the earth is large , you may live in what country you please ; you may plant your self in gheriona , a cheerfull and plentifull country , and so be neerer the sun. goose. 't is tru , that gheriona abounds with all things that air , earth , or water can afford ; but it may be said , that all things are good in her except one , which is that creture who speaks ; it hath bin an antient saying all the world over , in nature of a proverb , that gheriona is a good country , but the peeple are bad , insomuch that her king hath bin call'd the king of devills ; if this hath bin said of her now , in former times , much more may it be said of her now , most of the nation being so much deprav'd and degenerated from what they were ; therfore if i were man again i wold be loth to go thither ; but to tell you truly , sir , i am grown a tru misanthropos , a hater of men , i had rather continu in this shape then be virbius again ; in this shape i have far more variety of plesure , i fish for my food in the water , i sleep on earth , and i solace my self in the hevens , in the airy region where i am now to fly . the eleventh section . consisting of a dialog 'twixt morphandra , pererius , and a hive of bees , who had bin once a monastery of nuns , and were transmuted to those small insects , because that after a yeers probation , and their own praevious free election , they murmur'd at that reclus'd claustrall life , and wish'd themselves uncloyster'd again , &c. morphandra , pererius , a bee. morphandra . i belive your perswasions could prevail little with that volatil creture , that soland-goose , in regard i observ'd how she took wing , and flutter'd away from you in a kind of hast . pererius . truly ; madame , i may say , that all this while according to the old proverb , i have bin shooing of goslings , i have spent my labor and breath to little purpose in order to my main designe , yet i cannot deny but that i have gain'd a great deal of rare knowledg by communicating with these transmuted animals , and truly they have made me better acquainted with my self , and with the state of mankind in generall ; but for this last transform'd thing , none of all the rest did brand his own country-men so bitterly : he lays to their charge originally all those fearfull calamities , those horrid confusions , those cataracts of blood which fell of late years both in hebrinia and gheriona ; and he said , that all that they have purchased therby , is , to have foold themselves into a perfect slavery , and to have brought themselfs under an iron rod in lieu of that golden scepter under which they liv'd formerly . and now , madame , i have no hopes to do any good , for hope is like butter , which the physicians say is gold in the morning , silver at noon , and lead at night , in relation to the stomack ; so i had golden hopes at first to redeem and carry along with me som of these transmuted animals , that are in such an unnaturall captivity , but my hopes are now turn'd perfect lead , i am in utter despair to prevail with any ; therfore , most admirable queen , now that the winds blow fair i must think of a departure , and touching those most princely civilities , & sublime inexpressible favours you have bin pleased to shew , since the happy fates brought me to take footing in this your rare island , i will make the whole world witnes of my gratitude , and to ring out morphandra's glory wheresoever i passe ; nay i will procure your most rare and transcendent vertues , which are beyond the power of mortalls , to be engraven with indelible characters of the most burnish'd gold in the temple of immortality . morphandra . most accomplish'd and heroick prince , those civilities and treatments you have received here were due unto you by the common laws of hositality , and you might therby have claim'd them as a right ; but truly i shold be very well contented if you were made partaker of your so laudable desires , as to have som of these metamorphos'd animals re-transmuted , that so you might carry with you som reall returns of your voyage ; therfore you may please to try one conclusion more , and i spy a fit subject for you to work upon , in yonder great hollow oak you shall meet with a swarm of bees , who have built up their cells there , wherof i will capacitat som with a perfect faculty of reson and ratiocination to interweave discourse with you ; they were formerly a cloyster of nuns , who though after a due probation , and their own spontaneous free choice , they undertook that austere , yet pious and plentifull train of life , yet they fell a murmuring and a humming at the solitude and hardships of that holy profession , and to think too often on man with inordinat desires to be discloysterd , and lead a more dissolut and free unbridled life ; yonder they are , therfore you may please to make towards them , and you cannot tell what successe you may have with those small airy insects . bee. what are you , sir , that dare approach this hive , this precious cell , and confectionary of nature ? pererius . gentle bees , i come hither for no hurt , but for your infinit advantage ; i understand by queen morphandra that you were once intellectuall cretures , and the children of reson ; nay , you were a degree above ordinary human happines , being in a contemplative and sweet sacred cours of life , wherin you had secluded your selfs from the world with the vanities therof , and espoused your selfs to your creator , by keeping the perpetuall pure fire of virginity . bee. 't is tru , we kept that ceremonious outward fire , but within us we felt too often such flamings , such furnaces or mongibells of fires , such violent affections and impetuous desires , that made us half mad for the time , the sense of our restraint making these fires far more raging and vehement , for though in externall appeerance and habits , we shew'd som symptoms of mortification , yet we could never extinguish the sparks of the concupiscible appetite , which is so naturally inherent in every body . pererius . i thought that by performance of so many penances , by your temperat diet , by your abstemious use and choice of meats , by your so frequent fastings , by your hard lodgings having matts for your beds , and stones for your pillows , by your early risings , by being always employ'd in somthing or other to avoid idlenes , which is the devills couch ; i say , by the practise of these austerities , i thought you had quench'd those concup iscentiall flames . bee. the operations of nature can hardly be quite suppress'd , but their motions are irresistible ; nor are these naturall motions given by the creator to our sex to be a torment unto us , but for delight , and being lawfully and moderatly us'd , they are destinated for the propagation of mankind : moreover ther is a saying , who fights against nature fights against god himself , she being his hand-maid . pererius . i cannot deny but that naturam sequi , est deo obseque , to follow nature is to obey god , yet as our gretest prudence is seen in the conduct of our naturall passions , so our gretest prowesse is seen in the conquest of them , when they grow exorbitant and rebellious ; we need not seek for enemies abroad to exercise our valour upon , we have too too many within dores , we have enough of domestic and inmate enemies to cope withall . bee. and will you have us to put on that nature again ? but , sir , besides what we spoke of before , ther was another thing that did torture us in that monastic life , it was the apprehension of our captivity , being sequester'd and cut off as it were from the society of mankind , & in a manner from the living , 'twixt whom and us ( in that state ) ther was this difference , that they were to die before buriall , but we were buried before death ; now , ther is nothing so tedious to all natures as imprisonment , which we shew'd when we slept in the bosom of our causes in our mothers wombs , whence we broke out to get liberty , and to be a nun is as it were to go into a kind of womb again . pererius . i , but ther you were in a kind of angelicall condition amongst those walls , you learnt there how to lead the life 's of angels upon earth , you were as so many fixed starrs which being the higher are more noble , and nearer the throne of the almighty , than the planets , which wandring up and down never keep the same distance betwixt them . bee. sir , under favor , we are not of that opinion ; for you know the sun and the moon are called the great luminaries in heven , therfore they must be the more noble , specially the sun , wherin god himself is said to have his habitation , or imperiall throne , whence he sees the motion of the universe , and over-looks all his cretures throughout the world ; now , these noble erratic starrs are in a perpetuall progresse , which the moon finisheth in twenty nine daies , mercury in four-score , venus nine months , the sun in a year , mars in two , iupiter in twelve , and saturn in thirty years . pererius . the fixed starrs have also a motion within their own orbs , and the convent wherein you were before might be called a constellation of fixed starrs , which i say do move within the circumference of their own spheres , as you did within the walls of your monastery amongst your selfs . bee. but by the condition wherin we are now stated , we may be said to have a larger beeing , for we have turn'd our convent to a common-wealth , or rather our monastery to a monarchy , wherin we have as exact an oeconomy , and politicall rules of government , as ever we had in our monastery ; we have a souvrain king , who although he hath no sting as all the rest have , yet he carrieth such a majesty that makes us all exactly obedient to his commands ; nor , though he bear no arms himself , was ther ever heard of any rebellion amongst us against our lawfull prince , as is so frequent amongst mankind ; it being a principle from the very instinct of nature amongst us , that it is both detestable and damnable for subjects to rise up against their supream governour , and go about to right themselfs by arms ; i say , that in this state we have a very regular government , we have a king , we have privy counsellors , we have commanders in the war , and gregarian soldiers ; we keep close in winter , and have then our centinells ; we go not abroad till beans do blossom , and then , if the weather permit , ther 's never a day passeth in idlenesse ; we first build our cells and combs , then make hony , and then engender ; we make our wax and hony of the freshest and most fragrant flowers , and abhor withered or stinking vegetalls ; when the flowers are spent in one place , we have our harbingers abroad to find out another ; being surprised by night in our expeditions , we sleep in a supine posture with our bellies upward , to preserve our wings from the falling dew ; betimes in the morning we are awakned by our drummer , who punctually performs his office that way ; then , if the day be mild , we fally forth in a great body , and we have an instinct to foresee winds , tempests , and rain , which makes us keep often within ; when we go abroad to work , every one hath his task , and the younger are put to the hardest , while the elder labour within dores ; we all feed together , and if we be surprised abroad with a sudden wind , we take up a stone 'twixt our feet to give weight to our bodies , that they may not be blown away ; ther is among us a censor of manners , and som officers that watch those which are slothfull , who are afterwards punish'd with death , and for the drones , which are a spurious kind of brood , we quite banish them ; ther 's not the least foulnes seen in our alvearies or hives , for we abhor all immundicities and sordidnes ; when 't is towards night , our hummings lessen by degrees , till an officer fly about and command silence and sleep , which is instantly done ; we first build houses for our workmen and plebeans , and then palaces for the nobles and the king ; we punish sloth without mercy ; we faithfully obey our king , being always about him like a guard , and he in the midst ; when the peeple are at work , he goes about and cherisheth them , he onely being exempt from labour ; he hath always his officers ready to punish delinquents ; when he goes forth , the whole swarm attends him , if he chance to be weary , we bear him upon our sholders ; whersoever he rests , there the generall randevous is ; wasps , hornets , and swallows are enemies to us ; we bury our dead with great solemnity ; at the kings death ther is a generall mourning and fasting , with a cessation from labour , and we use to go about his body with a sad murmur for many daies ; when we are sick we have attendants appointed us , and the symptoms when we be sick are infallible , according to the honest plain poet , if bees be sick ( for all that live must die ) that may be known by signes most certainly , their bodies are discoloured , and their face looks wan , which shews that death comes on apace ; they carry forth their dead , and do lament , hanging o' th' dore , or in their hives are pent : hunger and cold consumes them , you shall find they buzz as doth t'th ' woods the southern wind , or as the sea when as the waves return , or fire clos'd up in vaults with noise doth burn . nor are we profitable onely in our life 's unto mankind , by that pretious hony we confect for their use , which though for the rare vertues and sweetnes therof som held to be the gelly of the starrs , others the sweat of the hevens , others the quintessence of the air , though really it be but our chylus at the third digestion ; i say , that we are not onely in our lifes beneficiall to mankind , who receives the fruits of our labours , but after death also ; our bodies pounded and drunck with wine , or any other diareticall thing , cures the dropsie , stone , and strangury ; the hony scrapt off our dead bodies is extraordinary good against divers diseases ; moreover we have a kind of transmigration among us , one into the other ; out of our brains , marrow , and chine-bones , kings and nobles are bred , out of the rest of our bodies ordinary bees . pererius . gentle bee , you have spoken as much as can be for the advantage of your condition , yet nevertheles you are but fleshles poor sensitive insects onely , of a short and a kind of ephemeran subsistence ; you want that spark of immortality , the noble rational soul , wherby the human creture goes as far beyond you , as an angel goes beyond him . bee. i remember when i was a nun i heard many characters given of the rational soul , as were somwhat transcendent , if not presumptuous ; the theolog or divine call'd her , the image of god almighty ; the philosopher call'd her , the queen of forms ; and you call her now , a spark of immortality ; yet you know not how , nor where this spark enters into you , nor where it resides in any particular place above other souls , nor are you agreed whether she enters into you by divine infusion , or by traduction from the parentall seeds . pererius . i shall endeavour to satisfie you touching these particulars ; it must be consider'd , that man may be call'd the great amphybium of nature ; first , he is a confus'd lump of dead matter , lying as it were upon the lees in the womb , where the vegetable soul enters first , making it capable of extension and growth ; then the sensitive soul follows , who by the plasticall vertu falls a forming the members or the organs ; then comes the noblest of all the three , the rationall soul , who swayes o're the other two , and is — divinae particula aurae , she is breath'd from the creator himself , and which no other creture in heven or earth can say , she is capable of a spirituall regeneration afterwards , as the body is of a resurrection ; at last , when she hath shaken off the slough of flesh , she becomes a spirit either good or bad , she becomes a saint or a devill , and so receives eternall beatitude or torments ; by these degrees observable it is , that man hath potentially in himself all created natures , first or last , both in heven , earth , and hell ; all which may be compris'd in this poem , which , though short , containeth the whole story of mankind from first to last . man is that great amphybium in whom lye three distinct souls by way of trigony ; he runs through all creations by degrees , first , he is onely matter on the lees , whence he proceeds to be a vegetal , next sensitive , and so organical ; then by divine infusion a third soul , the rational doth the two first controul ; but when this soul comes in , and where she dwells distinct from others , no dissector tells , and ( which no creture else can say ) that state enables her to be regenerat : she then becomes a spirit , and at last a saint or devill , when that she hath cast the clogg of flesh , which yet she takes again , to perfect her beatitude or pain : thus man is first or last allied to all cretures in heven , in earth , or hells black hall. bee. whereas you alledg , that the intellectuall or rationall soul enters by divine infusion , i remember when i was a nun , that divers learned men were of opinion , that she was ( like the other two souls , viz. the vegetal and the sensitive ) propagated and traduc'd by the seed and sperm of the parents , and that this was done by the hereditary vertu of that gran universall benediction , pronounced by god himself to all his cretures , encrease and multiply ; then they proceeded to urge the common axiom , that like begets the like ; now , the great god of nature did constitut all other species perfect in their own kinds , with a procreative power to beget their like by a compleat generation ; and why shold man , in whom the ideas of all other created natures are collectively resplendent ? why shold he , i say , com short of this perfection and priviledge ? for without it he may be ranck'd among those mutilat defective cretures , who are destitut of power to procreat an individuum like themselfs . pererius . this shews the eminency of the human soul above others in point of extraction , for if she were made of such poor frail ingredients as the seeds of the parents , she wold be perishable with the body , wheras the is created to be heir of eternity . bee. i remember the reply to this , that the excellency of the human soul is not to be derived from her creation and first materialls , but from the fiat , or eternall decree , and particular blessing of the creator , who endowed her from the beginning with such a prerogative , out of his free will and plesure , to be capable of eternity : but wheras you aver , that the parentall feeds are too grosse ingredients to produce so noble a soul , i remember ther are great modern doctors and physitians who hold , that neither the seed of mother or father go to the impregnation , but that the female conceives onely by a virtuall contact , as the loadstone draws iron , and that she is made pregnant by conceiving the generall idaea without matter ; to make this new assertion good , they compare the womb to the brain , and that what the phantasma or appetit is in the brain , the same phantasma or its analogy is excited in the womb , for both of them are call'd conceptions . pererius . this is a wild extravagant opinion , for one may believe with more reson , that the tumontian mares are impregnated , and made to conceive by the south-west winds . bee. i remember another argument that was urged for the traducible generation of the human soul , which was , that the rationall soul begins to operat in the prolificall seed the very first moment of conception , as soon as the prolificall emissions of both sexes are blended by mutuall fermentation , for then the conformative and proper operations of the rational soul begin upon the embryo , who proceeds to majoration and augmentation accordingly ; and it is no lesse then an absurdity to think , that the infant after conception shold be majorated by the influence of any other soul then that from whom he received his formation ; now , that this formation begins instantly after the conception , appeers by the early activity of nature , which hath bin sensibly discover'd in abortive embryo's by autopicall observations , wherby it hath bin visibly found , that a septenary slip put into clear water , a subtle inspector through a magnifying glasse may discern all the rudiments of the organicall parts ; ther may be seen there the generall conformative faculty in the seed , wherin will visibly appeer three small bubling conglobations , which are the materialls of the noblest parts , viz. the brain , the heart , and the liver ; ther will appeer also two small black orbs , or atomicall points , which are the rudiments of the eyes : whence may be strongly inferred , that if organization , and the conformation of the infant begins in the very punctillio or first moment of the conception , that the rationall soul then works in the seed , as being the most vigorous part of it ; from hence it follows , that man doth absolutely procreat man , which could not be if the genitor did not communicat the human soul unto his issue ; for since man is compos'd of soul and body , if the parent cannot cannot impart both to his ofspring , he may be said to be inferiour to beasts , who have intrinsic active principles , and power in themselfs to propagat , and beget individiums of their own species , without the concurrence of extrinsecall causes . pererius . these are neotericall fancies , and derogatory to the noblenes of the rational soul , who hath a far more sublime and spirituall extraction . bee. but to let passe this quaere , how and when the rational soul informs and actuats the embryo , ther have bin great researches and indagations made , whether this soul being so distinct from the vegetal and sensitive in her operations , whether , i say , she hath any particular domicile or cell within the human body for her own residence . pererius . it was never found yet by any inspections which the naturalists and anatomisers have made , that the rationall soul hath any peculiar lodging , proper onely to her self , and differing from other animals ; but being indivisible , inextensive , and without parts , she is tota in toto & tota in qualibet parte , she is all in the whole , and whole in every part of the compositum , she is diffus'd up and down the whole masse or fabric of flesh , ther being no movement at all without her ; for as the beams or light of the sun displayeth it self every where through the whole hemisphere , yet hath it no particular mansion in any place more then another , so the rationall soul , which is a beam of immortality , diffuseth her self through the whole microcosm of man to quicken it , yet she hath no particular residence in any part ; 't is tru , that she is radically in the heart , and principally in the brain , which is as it were her capitol , and the seat of the animal-spirits ; thence she issueth forth her commands , and dividing her empire into a triarchy , she governs by three viceroys , the three faculties , who though they are absolutely distinct by their commissions , and keep their courts in severall regions , yet are they united by so indissoluble a league , and sympathetic alliance , that the prosperitie of one enlargeth the principalities of the other , and the detriment of each threatens the integrity of the whole ; the natural or vegetal faculty claims superiority of time in order of procreation , as being governesse of our minority , commanding the third part of our lises ; the vital hath preheminence in order of necessity , keeping her court chiefly in the heart , which is the first part that lives , and the last that dies ; thence she transmits a souvrain and conservatory influence through all the members , without which the whole man must in the fleetest article of time be but a cadaver ; the animal faculty challengeth supermacy in order of eminence , as regulating the sublimer actions , as sense and motion , togegether with the memory , understanding , and imagination , to which , as to their perfection , the two former are design'd . therefore , gentle bees , think speedily on the free proposall i have made , and of the fair opportunity you have offered you to be reinform'd with rational souls , and to return to the religious convent you came from , where being wean'd from the frail world , together with the cares and encumbrances therof ; where , by the constant practise of holy duties night and day , you may act the parts of angels upon earth , and afterwards of tru angels in the land of eternity : therfore shake off this despicable poor humming condition , and go again to sing hymns and halleluiahs to your creator . bee. know , sir , that we have also a religion , as well as so exact a government among us here ; our hummings you speak of are as so many hymns to the great god of nature ; and ther is a miraculous example in caesarius cisterniensis , how som of the holy eucharist being let fall in a medow by a priest , as he was returning from visiting a sick body , a swarm of bees being hard by took it up , and in a solemn kind of procession carried it to their hive , and there erected an altar of the purest wax for it , where it was found in that form , and untouch'd . but whereas you spoke of angels , how do the separated souls of good men , when they are exalted to heven , differ from the angels ? pererius . as they agree , so they differ in many things ; angels and separated souls agree , in that both of them are spirits ; both of them are intellectuall and eternall cretures ; they both behold the beatificall vision ; both of them are courtiers of heven , and act meerly by the understanding , &c. lastly , they both are parishioners of the church triumphant : now , as the blessed angels and souls separat do thus agree , so they differ in many things ; they differ in their essentialls , for the principles of angels are meerly metaphysicall , viz. essence and existence ; but a separated soul continues still part of that compositum which formerly consisted of matter and form , and is still apt to be reunited therunto ; till then , she is not absolutely completed , for all that while she changeth not her nature , but her state of life : moreover , they differ in the exercise of the understanding , and manner of knowledge , for a soul separat knows still by discours and ratiotination , which an angell doth not but by intuition ; they also differ in dignity of nature , for angels have larger illuminations , at the first instant of their creation they beheld the beatific vision , the summe of all happines , yet separated souls are capable to mount up to such a height of glory by degrees as to be like them in all things , both in point of vision , adhaesion , and fruition . bee. now , sir , that you speak of angels , what degrees are ther of them in the celestiall hierarchy ? pererius . they are divided into three hierarchies , and in every hierarchy ther are three orders ; the first consists of seraphims , the second of cherubims , the third of thrones ; the second consists of dominations , of vertues , and powers ; the third consists of principalities , of angells , and archangells ; now , those of the supremest hierarchy partake of divine illuminations in a greter mesure : and you were all born , gentle bees , to be members of any of these glorious hierarchies . bee. i remember when i was a nun , that som presumptuous spirits would preach , that angels were created for man , and that man was of so high a creation that he was little inferiour unto them , if not their equall , and that their chief ministeriall function was to guard him , &c. pererius . they were presumptuous indeed , and in a high degree of prophanenes , as you shall find in these stanza's of comparison , though som of them are familiar , and too low for so high a subject . . such as the meanest star in sky is to the sun in majesty ; what a monk's cell is to high noon , or a new cheese unto the moon ; no more is man , if one should dare unto an angel him compare . . what to the eagle is a gnat , or to leviathan a sprat ; what to the elephant a mouse , or shepherd's cott to caesar's house ; no more is man , if one should dare unto an angell him compare . . what to a pearl a peeble stone , or cobler's shop unto a throne ; what to the oak the basest shrub , or to noah's ark a brewer's tub ; no more is man , if one shold dare unto an angel him compare . . then let not man , half child of night , compare with any hevenly wight , he will appeer on that account a mole-hill to olympus mount ; yet let this still his comfort be , he hath a capability to be of heven himself , but on this score , if he doth not make earth his heven before . bee. noble prince , you pleas'd to give divers touches of the immortality of the human soul , i pray be pleas'd to illuminat and rectifie our understandings touching that point . pererius . concerning the immortality and incorruptiblenes of the rational soul in the world to com , not onely christian divines , but the best of pagan philosophers , poets , and orators , have done her that right , as is evident in their works ; moreover , the intellectuall human soul doth prove her self to be immortall , both by her desires , her apprehensions , and her operations ; touching the first , her desires are infinit we know , and never satisfied in this world ; now , it is a maxim among the school-men , that ther is no naturall passion given to any finit creture to be frustraneous ; secondly , her apprehensions or longings after eternall truths , which are her chiefest employments , and most adaequat objects , declare her immortall ; thirdly , from her operations , 't is known , that all corruption comes from matter , and from the clashing of contraries ; now , when the soul is sever'd from the body , she is elevated beyond the sphere of matter , therfore no causes of mortality can reach her , wherby her state and operations pronounce her immortall , which operations she doth exercise without the ministery of corporeall organs , for they were us'd to be a clog to her ; add hereunto , that she useth to spiritualize materiall things in the intellect , to abstract idaeas from individualls ; she can apprehend negations and privations , she can frame collective notions , all which actings conclude her immateriality , and as 't was pointed at before , where no matter is found ther 's no corruption , and where ther 's no corruption ther 's no mortality ; now , her prime operations being without the ministery of matter , she may be concluded immortall by that common principle , modus operandi , sequitur modum essendi , operations are according to the essence of every thing ; now , in the world to com , the soul shall be in a state of pure independent beeing , for ther will be neither action or passion in that state ; whence may be inferr'd , she shall never perish , in regard that all corruption comes from the action of another thing upon that which is corruptible , therfore that thing must be capable to be made better or worse ; now , if a separat soul be plac'd in her ultimat and utmost state , that she can be made neither , it follows , that she can never lose the beeing she hath ; besides , since the egress out of the body doth not alter her nature , but onely her condition , it must be granted , that she was of the same nature while she continued incorporated , though in that kind of imprisonment she was subject to be forg'd as it were by the hammer of materiall objects beating upon her , yet so , as she was still of her self what she was ; therefore when she goes out of the passible ore wherein she suffer'd , by reson of the foulnes and impurity of that ore , she immediately becomes impassible , and a fix'd subject of her own nature , viz. a simple pure beeing ; both which ( as a most noble knight sir. k. d. hath it ) may be illustrated in some mesure by what we find passeth in the coppilling of a fixed metall , which as long as any lead or drosse or any allay remains with it , continueth still melting , flowing , and in motion under the muffle ; but as soon as they are parted from it , and that 't is become pure , defaecated , without mixture , and single of it self , it contracts it self to a narrower room , and instantly ceaseth from all motion , it grows hard , permanent , and resistent to all force of fire , admitting no change or diminution in its substance by any externall violence ; in like manner it may be said , when the rational soul departs from the drossy ore of the body , and comes to be her single self , she is like exalted gold , and reduc'd to the utmost perfection ; she can be no more liable to any diminution , to action or passion , or any kind of alteration , but continues fix'd for ever in the full fruition of unconceivable blisse and glory . bee. excellent prince , these are high abstracted notions , transcending the reach of vulgar capacities ; but you were pleased to reflect somwhat upon the blisfulnes and joys of the human soul in the other world , i pray be pleas'd to enlarge your self upon this theme . pererius . these joys , as they are beyond expression , so they are beyond all imagination ; that vast ocean of felicity which the separat soul is capable to receive cannot flow into her , untill those banks of earth , viz. the corporeall walls of flesh be removed ; those infinit joys which the human soul shall be ravish'd withall in heven are unmeasurable , and beyond any mathematicall reaches ; they have length without points , breadth without lines , depth without surface ; they are even and uninterrupted joys , but to go about to expresse them in their perfection were the same task , as to go about to measure the ocean in cockle-shells , or compute the nomber of the sands with peeble stones ; touching these faint and fading plesures among the elements , we use to desire them when we need them , and when we have them , the desire presently languisheth in the fruition ; moreover , we use to love earthly things most when we want them , and lesse when we have them ; the daintiest meats and drinks nauseat after fulness ; carnall delights cause sadnes after the enjoyment ; all plesures breed not onely a satiety but a disgust , and the contentment terminats with the act : 't is otherwise with celestiall things , they are most lov'd when they are enjoy'd , and most coveted when they are had ; they are always full of what is desir'd , and the desire still lasteth , but it is a co-ordinat desire of complacency and continuance , not an appetit after more , because they are perfect of themselfs ; yet ther is still a desire , and a satiety , but the one finds no want , nor can the other breed a surfet ; the higher the plesure is , the more full and intense is the fruition , and the oftner 'tis repeted the more the appetit encreaseth ; whence this conclusion follows , that ther can be no proportion at all betwixt the joys of a separat soul , and those of a soul embodyed ; for the least dram of the spirituall joyes in heven is more than the whole ocean of fleshly contentments ; one drop of those abstracted , those pure , permanent ; & immarcescible delights is infinitly more sweet , than all those mix'd and muddy streams of corporeall and mundan plesures , then all those no other then utopian delights of this transitory world , were they all cast into a limbeck , and the very elixir of them distill'd into one vessell . bee. incomparable prince , you have conquer'd us with such strong herculean resons , you have raised our spirits with such high raptures , and so illuminated our understandings , that by the gracious fiat of the great god of nature , and the favour of queen morphandra his handmaid in this particular , we are willing to resume our first shapes , and so return to our dear country and cloysters , where the remembrance of this transfiguration , we hope , will turn to our advantage ; in the interim , we render you most humble and hearty thanks in the highest degree that can be imagin'd , for your flexanimous and hevenly perswasions , which we found so melting and sweet , that we may justly think bees sat upon your lips , as they did upon plato's , in your cradle , or that you might be nurs'd with hony in lieu of milk , as pindarus the prince of lyricks was ; and because poesie is the gretest light whereby the rational soul may be discerned to be a ray of divinity , we will conclude with som enthusiasms to blissfull heven and the hierarchies therof in this graduall hymn , beginning with our creator . natures great god , the cause of causes , be ador'd and prais'd to all eternity , that supream good , that quintessentiall light , which quickens all that 's hidden , or in sight ; who breaths in man the intellectuall soul , therby to rule all cretures , and controul what water , earth , or air ; &c. . o holy souls , o heavenly saints , who from corruption and the taints of flesh and blood , from pain and tears , from pining cares , and panting fears , and from all passions , except love ( which onely reigns with you above ) are now exempt , and made in endlesse blisse free denizons , and heirs of paradis . . o glorious angels who behold the lord of light from thrones of gold , yet do vouchsafe to look on man , to be his guide and guardian , praying always that he may be partner of your felicity ; o blisfull saints and angells , may yee still the court of heven with halleluiahs fill . . seraphick powers , cherubs , thrones , vertues and dominations , supernall principalities , glories , and intelligencies , who guide the cours of starrs in sky , and what in their vast concaves lye : may ye for ever great jehovah's will , and his commands throughout the world fulfill . . archangels who the most sublime degree do hold in the triumphant hierarchy , and can endure to see , and face alone the glorious beatific vision , a joy which all joys else transcends so far as doth a morning sun the meanest star. archangels , angels , saints , souls sever'd , may yee stil the empyrean court with halleluiahs fill . infantium cerebri sextus post quadraginta . gloria laùsque deo saeclorvm in saecvla sunto . a chronogrammaticall verse , which includes not onely this year . but hath numericall letters enow to reach above a thousand years further , untill the year . — heic terminus esto . an advertisement relating to ortography . ther is a saying , that hath gain'd the repute of a proverb , ( though it be also a kind of reproach ) that the french neither sings as he pricks , nor thinks as he speaks , nor speaks as he writes ; the first proceeds from abundance of spirits , and his volatil airy nature ; the second from his exces of complements ; the third , because he wold have his language retain still of the romand or latin toung ; therfore when he writes temps , corps , estoille , advocats , &c. which com from tempus , corpus stella , advocati , he pronounceth them , tan , cors , etoilis , avocà ; the english may be said to be as guilty hereof , for if the french writes , apres la tempeste vient le beau temps , and pronounceth , apre la tampete vien le bou tan , after a storm comes a calm ; if the french writes , les advocats bastissent leuers maisons de testes de fols , and pronounceth , les avocà batisset leur mesons de tete de fous , lawyers build their houses of fools heads , ( viz. clients ) the english comes not short of him , for wheras he writes , god give you good evening , he often saies , godi godin ; wheras he writes , much good may it do unto you , he often pronounceth , musgiditty : the french do labor daily to reform this , and to bring both writing and pronounciation to be consonant , by retrenching the superfluous letters , for wheras they were used to write , les epistres que les apostres ont escrit , they now write as they pronounce , les epitres que les apotres ont ecrit : it hath bin the aim of the author in this book ( and others ) to do the like , ( though the presse did not observe his ortography so punctually ) . now , strangers use to quarrel with our language , and throw away the book in a chase somtimes , because our writing and pronunciation are so differing ; for when a stranger meets with treasure , measure , feature , reader , weather , people , &c. he pronounceth tre-asure , me-asure , fe-ature , re-ader , we-ather , pe-ople ; when he meets with witnesse , sicknesse , wittie , prettie , pittie , starre , warre , &c. he pronounceth witness-e , sickness-e , witti-e , pretti-e , pitti-e , starr-e , warr-e , &c. wheras if we wold write them as wee pronounce them , viz. tresure , mesure , feture , reder , wether , peeple , witnes , sicknes , witty , pretty , pitty , star , war , &c. ( which gives altogether as full a prolation ) strangers wold not find such a difficulty and distast in learning our language ; it hath bin , and is still the endevor of the author to reform this , as also to bring those words which are derived from the latin toung to follow her ortography rather then the french , wherby divers letters are sav'd , as magic , tysic , colic , favor , lahor , &c. not magique , physique , cholique , favour , labour , &c. for as it is a principle in philosophy , encia non sunt frustra multiplicanda , entities are not to be multiplied in vain , so it may as well hold in ortography , that letters are not to he multiplied to no purpose ; add hereunto the topicall rule , ( as the author observes els-where ) frustra sit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora , more is waste , whe●… fewer will serve one turn . the index . a more particular account of the ingredients that went to the composition of this work. a fol. the art of governing man the most difficult . an asse's body medicinall for many things after death . ibid. the antipathy 'twixt an ape and a snail . aristotle , secretary of nature's cabinet-councell . ambition hath no horizon . aristotle held , that in the female there was no active principle of generation . confutation of the said opinion . ibid. apelles painted a good huswife standing upon a snail . aristotle inconstant to himself where he treats of policy . the affections of the peeple an imperfect security to a prince . of atoms . the activity of atoms . the application of the sympatheticall powder . aetonia characteriz'd . aetonia full of mongrell princes . the advantages of the human body . an asse cannot abide fennell . artonia a noun substantive that can stand by it self . ibid. the artonian peasan born in chains . of artonia with the plenty and beggery thereof . of the great artonian favorit . the austerities of nuns . b bees , how usefull after death . bees bodies pounded good against many diseases . ibid. the books of the dead enliven the living . in the epist. brute animals more easie to be govern'd than mankind . of the beast with many heads , viz. the common peeple . ibid. the brains of a fox good against the falling sicknes . the blood of a fox good against the stone and the cramp . ibid. a dead boar hath nothing bad in him but his excrements . the brains of a boar good against the bitting of serpents . ibid. the blood of a boar good against carbuncles . ibid. boar's liver good against the biting of a mad dogg . ibid. boar's lard good to make broken bones firm . ibid. boar's testicles good against the falling sicknesse . ibid. boar's dung good against all venomous bitings , as also against the pain of the spleen and sciatica . ibid. a boar being dead hath many vertues , and why ? ibid. how beasts go in many things beyond man. the carboncian sells his king. a bees hive , the chief confectionary of nature . c the conduct of the passions the greatest prudence , and the conquest of them the greatest prowesse . in the epist. children a certain care , but an incertain comfort . comparisons 'twixt the body politic and the natural . censures pro & con of tumontia . a rare comparison of the holy trinity . a city in saturnia where husbands use to get their wife 's with child a hundred miles off . a character of saturnia . of the gripes of conscience . of covetousnes . ibid. the common peeple a cross-grain'd animal . a comparison touching the tomanto empire . the character of an aetonian . of cuprinia . the cuprinian compar'd to a wolf. the cuprinian had vast designes . a carboncian turn'd to a soland-goose , and the resons why . carboncia a coors country . ibid. carboncia's brag of her kings . carboncia's late story . ib. carboncia found fidlers fare in gheriona . the country of gheriona good , but the peeple bad . a high complement . concupiscence not given to mankind for a torment , but for delight . ibid. f a description of the morning . a discours of woman-kind . a devill lurks in every berry of the grape . divers medicinall vertues in a dead deer . of the discovery of the new world. the doctor of physicks fee but two shillings in tumontia . a discours of physic , and the art thereof pro & con . diseases belonging to all the parts of human body . distempers of the mind more cruciatory than those of the body . a discours touching the sense and the soul. ibid. a discours of aetonia , and how she is impair'd , what nation is the gretest drunkard . a discours of the instinctive reson that beasts have . what a damnable thing it is for subjects to rise up in arms against their king. a discourse of nuns . a discourse whether the human soul be by infusion or traduction . the degrees of the celestiall hierarchy . a discourse of the immortality of the soul. e experience the touchstone of truth . of the english liturgy . examples pro & con touching the chastity of women . an emblem of a lavishing wife . ibid. every one knows how to tame a shrew but he who hath her . examples of notable scolds . ibid. examples of the rare longaevity of deer . the elephant begins his youth at threescore years . ibid. how pittifully the empire is decay'd . of aesop's dogg . the fearfull and sudden judgment which fell upon the carboncians for their rebellion . of the fixed starrs and the planets , touching their motion . exact obedience among bees . ibid. exact government among bees . ibid. an epitome of the late confusions in gheriona . an epitome of the confusions throughout the world for forty years . ibid. f fable of an ass. of a foolish naturalist , who wish'd ther were another way to propagat mankind than by women . the fable of the stagg . a facetious answer of a pope touching physitians . the foam of a mule drunk in warm wine good against pursines . the fable of the mule. ib. divers fables of the fox . the fable of the frogs . a fox toung carried in a chain good against sore eyes . fables 'twixt the wolf and the lamb applied . the fable of the goat and the lion. the fable of the horse and the ass. the fable of the ass and the spaniel . ibid. g god heals , but the physitian takes the fee. no government so wise that can fit all countries , and why ? the genitalls , lights , and liver of a fox , good against the spleen . the gum of a pine-tree eaten by the fox when he is ill . goat's blood dissolves diamonds , and scours better then any file . goat's milk recovers a load-stone , when being rub'd with garlick it hath lost its vertu . ibid. goat's marrow good against aches . ibid. goat's trindles drunk in wine good against the iaundies , &c. ibid. goat's liver , entralls , ashes , horns , milt , spleen , urine , marrow , hoofs , gall , dung , trindles , sewet , &c. all medicinall . ibid. gheriona censur'd . h a graduall hymn to god and his angels . if the humors were fix'd in man's body , he might live eternally . in the epist. history a profitable study . the horridnes of annihilation . honest men use to marry , wise men not . the hardship the tumontian endures . health , the most precious of iewels . the high prerogatives of reson . a horrid kind of revenge . another hellish revenge in saturnia . a late history of ten morris-dancers in orosia that made above a years betwixt them . the horrid ingratitude of the carboncian against their native king. the horrid insurrections in hebrinia took rise from carboncia . hope like butter , gold in the morning , silver at noon , and lead at night . i in som places of the indies the living wife throws her self into the pile with her husband . iealousie among thoughts like bats among birds . the insulsity of the common peeple to think any rare effect to be magicall . of instinctive reson . ill humors adhere to human nature as rust to copper . of the infirmities of mankind . ibid. idlenes the devils couch . k the highest knowledge a man hath of his creator but half blindnesse . a cruel horrid murder . the kirk-mens horrid ingratitude . the kings cheese goes away three parts in pairings in artonia . why the king of artonia keeps the common peeple so low . the king of artonia's huge taxes . the king of bees hath no sting . the king of bees hath a solemn funerall . l a lawyer like balaam's asse , he will not speak unlesse an angell appear . of lawyers . lawyers build fair houses of fool 's heads . of laughter . of the long age of deer . laughter a passion that hath the most variety of action . the laws of the kingdom of bees . m mirth and sadnes follow one another in human bodies as night succeeds day . the epist. magic the first philosophy . man paramount of all the sublunary cretures . man a tyrant to himself . ib. man's body compar'd to a ship . a mariner's life . man the most intractable of all cretures . of the great maiden-city marcopolis . man hath more diseases than a horse , or any other creture . of m●rchants . marther strangely discover'd . the marvellous continence of a saturnian . of monarchy . som generall maxims of policy may extend to all countries . the mode of raaking the sympatheticall powder . man more savage then any beast . of the method of providence . a miser and a hog good for nothing till after death . man tax'd of presumption . the miser like an ass , that carrieth gold but feeds on thistles . the motions of nature irresitible . mans gretest foes are within himself . ibid. man the gretest amphibyum of nature for having three souls . n of navigation . a notable proverb touching long life . the noble gratitude of a saturnian . not such a tyrant in the world as the common peeple . the naturall and politicall body compar'd . a notable fable of the ass and the horse applied . . nuns a degree higher the the ordinary cours of happines . nature abhors captivity . o of fading earthly joys . of hevenly joys . ibid. otter's stones good against the palsie . otter's liver reduced to powder good against the stone and cholic . ibid. of old age . of the perturbances of human brains . opportunity the best moment in the whole extention of time. of physitians . the odd life of a soldier . orosia vindicated . the orosian faithfull to his king. orosia corrupted by the gherionian sectaries . of the three souls in man. new opinions , that the seeds of the parents go not to impregnation , but the female conceives by virtuall contact . of the three faculties of the soul. p the prerogatives that man hath over other cretures . the partridge and pidgeon purge themselfs with bay-leafs . policy how degenerated of late days . the truest patriots are the marcopolits . policy and craft distinguished . ibid. the poor politicians of gheriona . a false policy that makes religion her mask . policy or the art of governing man the hardest . proverbs of severall nations . who preach war are the devil's chaplains . the best policy gheriona can use is to keep the carboncian low . ibid. the periodicall motions of the planets . potentially , man hath in him all created natures . a poem , containing the whole history of man. the prerogative of angels above man in a poem . q queen morphandra descended of a divine race . in the prolog . queen morphandra did perform all her transmutations , not by any magicall ways , but by the power and fiat of god. of queen artemesia , who rear'd a wonderfull monument for her husband mausolus , and besides made her own body his tomb , by taking a doss every morning of his ashes . r reson the specificall difference that distinguisheth man from beast . the high prerogatives of reson . ibid. of roundheads . rebells and mad doggs must be knock'd in the head . rebels but half punish'd , like snakes cut in few pieces they will cling again together . ib. a rare cure wrought by the sympatheticall powder . the reson that beasts have is onely direct , and capable of singulars . reson distinguished . the rational soul the image and breath of god almighty . the rational soul the queen of forms . ibid. the rational soul a spark of immortality . ibid. the rational soul hath no particular place of residence in man , but is diffusive through all parts . ibid. resons alledg'd , that the rational soul is traducible . a rare example of the devotion of bees . s of a sea-faring life . a strange horrid dream . of the servitude and ill usage of women . the serpent cures himself with fennel . of the sagacity of som beasts . ibid. the stagg cures himself with dittany . ibid. the snail heals her self with hemlock . ibid. the stork heals himself with origanum . ibid. spinning out of time never made good cloth. the sun never sets on the tumontian dominions . a strange story of two saturnian merchants . the saturnian in the extreams of love and hatred , of vertu and vices . the saturnians may prescribe rules of prudence to all mankind . of late smatterers in policy . of the sympatheticall powder , and the rare vertues thereof . the saturnian more subject to jealousie and revenge then other nations . strings made of wolf's guts spoil all music. strange things of the wolf. ibid. soldiers in peace like chimneys in summer . symptoms when bees are sick . some hold hony to be the sweat of the hevens , others the gelly of the starrs , others the quintessence of the air. ibid. how a swarm of bees built an altar . t the torments of hell. two notable sayings in disparagement of women . two famous examples of the gallantry of women . talk , one of the gretest delights of women . the tumontian in his councels follows the motion of saturn , in his actions of mercury . the tumontian excus'd for the blood he spilt in conquering the new world. the tumontian monarchy like a cloak made up of patches . the tumontian serves no prince but his own . ibid. the tumontian trades no where but into his own kings country . ibid. the tumontian in perpetuall feud with the common enemy . ibid. a town in saturnia where there are mountains without wood , sea without fish , men without faith , and women without shame . tall men like houses five stories high , the upper room worst furnished . a strange tale of an ass. a tale of a crow . ibid. though the threed of a man's life be never so well spun , yet it hath many bracks . till beans blossom , bees never go abroad . the difference 'twixt separated souls and angels , and how they agree . v of the vexations and perturbances of spirit that man is subject unto . the variety of labors that go to make bread. the vexation of spirit mankind is subject unto above other cretures . the volganians beat their wife 's duly once a week . the virtues of deer . when all vices grow old , covetousness grows young in man. of the vices in saturnia . of the vices of aetonia . iii the high vanities of man. a visionall dream . the various torments of hell. variety of new torments in hell. ibid. w the wisest of mortalls is he who controuls his humors . in the epist. warr a a fire struck in the devil's tinder-box . women of purer stuff then men. of rare women . of good and bad women . the woman and fortresse which begin to parly are half won . women held by som to be of an inferior creation , and not the same species . a woman can wash her hands so long in a bason of clear water that she cannot foul , man not . women praised and dispraised . the warrs with hydraulia cost the tumontian a hundred and twenty millions of tresure . the ways hydraulia found out to counterfeit the tumontian coyn. ibid. the vvild boar heals himself with ivy. vvhat the eye of a batt is to the sun , the understanding of man is to god. the great vvilines of a fox in sundry fables . of the vveaknesses and frailties of man. these severall books are printed , and are to be sould by william palmer at the palm-tree in fleet-street . . occult physick ; or , the principles in nature anatomized , by philosophicall operations , taken from experience , in three book ; by w. williams , in º . phil-anglus , some sober inspections made into the carriages and consults of the late long parliament ; by iam ▪ howell esq in º . metamorphosis anglorum ; or , reflections historicall and politicall upon the late change of government in england , from the death of oliver lord protector to this present time ; by s. d. gent. . that renowned piece , mr. howell's dodona's grove , translated into the new refined french by one of the prime wits in the academy of blaux esprits in paris , in º the art of stenography , or short-writing , with a schoolmaster to the art ; by iohn willis . and also there are to be had and sold all the pieces of dr. heylyns writing . parables reflecting upon the times howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm - this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set - ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or :e , no ) parables reflecting upon the times howell, james, ?- . p. [s.n.], printed at paris : . political allegory dealing with events between and . attributed to james howell. cf. nuc pre- . title page vignette. reproduction of original in huntington library and thomason collection, british library. eng allegories. great britain -- history -- early stuarts, - -- fiction. a r (wing h ). civilwar no parables, reflecting upon the times· howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - olivia bottum sampled and proofread - olivia bottum text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion parables , reflecting upon the times . printed at paris , mdcxliii . to the choicest of my noble friends , sir — d. knight . sir , amongst many other barbarismes which like an impetuous torrent have lately rush'd in upon us , the interception and opening of letters is none of the least , for it hath quite bereft all ingenious spirits of that correspondencie and sweet communication of fancie , which hath been alwayes esteemed the best fuell of affection , and the very marrow of friendship . and truely , in my judgement , this custom may be termed not onely a barbarisme , but the basest kind of burglary that can be , 't is worse then picking of a lock , or breaking into a roome by violence for he who doth so , robs us peradventur of some outward pelf or baggage offortune ; but he who breaks open ones private letter or seale , may be said to plunder his very brains , and rob him of his most precious meditations . we are reduced here to that servile condition , or rather to such a height of slavery , that we have nothing left which may entitle us free rationall creatures ; the thought it self cannot say 't is free , much lesse the tongue or pen . which makes me impart unto you the traverses of these turbulent times , under the following fables . i know you are an exquisite astronomer . i know the deep inspection you have in all parts of philosophy , i know you are a good herald , and i have found in your study sundry books of architecture , and comments upon vitruvius . the unfolding of these apologues will put you to it in all these , and will require your second , if not your third thoughts , and when you have concocted them well , i beleeve , ( else i am much deceived in your genius ) they will afford you some entertainment , and doe the arrand upon which they are sent , which is , to communicate unto you the most materiall passages of this long'd for parlement , & of these sad confusions , which have so unhing'd , distorted , transvers'd , tumbled and dislocated all things , that england may be termed now , in comparison of what it was , no other then an anagram of a kingdom . one thing i promise you , in the perusall of these parables , that you shall find no gingles in them , or any thing sordid or scurrilous , the common dialect and disease of these times . so i leave you to the gard and guidance of god and vertue , who doe still advance their votaries , maugre the frownes of chance . your constant servant , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} the great conjunction , or , parlement of stars . vpon a time , the stars complained to apollo , that he displayed his beames too much upon some malignant planets ; that the moone had too great a share of his influence , and that he was carryed away too much by her motion : they complained also , that the constellation of libra ( which holds the ballance of justice ) had but a dim light , and that the astrean court was grown altogether destructive , with divers other grievances . apollo hereupon , commanded mercury to summon a generall synod , where some out of every asterisme throughout the whole firmament were to meet ; apollo told them , i am placed here by the finger of the almighty , to be monarch of the skie , to be the measurer of time , and i goe upon his errand round about the world every foure and tweny houres : i am also the fountaine of heate and light , which , though i use to dispence and diffuse in equall proportions throughout the whole universe ; yet there is difference 'twixt objects : a castle hath more of my light then a cottage , and the cedar hath more of me then the shrub : but touching the moon , ( the second great luminary ) i would have you know , that she is dearest unto mee , therefore let none repine that i cherish her with my beames , and confer more light on her then any other . touching the malignant planets , or any other star , of what magnitude soever , that moves not in a regular motion , or hath run any excentrique exorbitant course , or that would have made me to move out of the zodiak , i put them over unto you , that upon due examination and proof , they may be unspher'd or extinguished . but i would have this done with moderation ; i would have you to keep as neer as you can betweene the tropiques and temperate zones : i would have things reduced to their true principles , reformed , not ruin'd ; i would have the spirit of malice and lying , the spirit of partiality and injustice , the spirit of tyranny and rigour , the base spirit of feare and jealousie to be farre from this glorious syderean synod ; i would have all private interests reflecting upon revenge or profit , to be utterly banished hence : moreover , i would not have you to make grievances , where no grievances are , or dangers , where no dangers are ; i would have no creation of dangers ; i would have you to husband time as parsimoniously as you can , lest by keeping too long together , and amusing the world with such tedious hopes of redresse of grievances , you prove your selfe the greatest grievance at last , and so from starres , become comets : lastly , i would have you be cautious how you tamper with my soveraigne power , and chop logicke with mee in that point ; you know what became of him , who once presumed to meddle with my chariot . hereupon the whole host of heaven being constellated thus into one great body , fell into a serious deliberation of things ; and apollo himselfe continued his presence , and sate amongst them in his full lustre , but in the meane time , whilest they were in the midst of their consultations , many odde aspects , oppositions , and conjunctions hapned betweene them : for some of the sporades , but specially those mongrel small vulgar stars , which make up the galaxia ( the milkie way in heaven ) gather in a tumultuous disorderly manner about the body of apollo , and commit many strange insolencies , which caused apollo ( taking young phosphorous the morning-star with him ) to retire himselfe , and in a just indignation to withdraw his light from the synod : so all began to be involv'd in a strange kind of confusion and obscurity ; they groaped in the dark , not knowing which way to move , or what course to take , all things went cancer-like retrograde , because the sunne detained his beames and irradiations from them . morall . such as the sunne is in the frmament , a monarch is in his kingdome : for , as the wisest of men saith ; in the light of the kings countenance there is life ; and i believe that to be the morall of this astrean fable . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} or , the great councell of birds . upon a time the birds met in councell , for redresse of some extravagancies that had flowne unto the volatill empire ; nor was it the first time that birds met thus ; for the phrygian fabler tells us of divers meetings of theirs : and after him we read that apollonius thyaneus , undertook the interpretation of their language , and to be their drogoman . they thus assembled in one great covie by the call of the eagle their unquestioned hereditary king , and by vertue of his royall authority , complaints were brought , that divers cormorants and harpies , with other birds of prey , had got in amongst them , who did much annoy and invade the publique liberty : sundry other birds were questioned , which caused some to take a timely flight into another ayre . as they were thus consulting for advancement of the common good , many rooks , horne-owles and sea-gulls flock'd together , and fluttered about the place they were assembled in , where they kept a hideous noyse , and committed many outrages , and nothing could satisfie them , but the griffons head , which was therefore chopt off , and offered up as a sacrifice to make them leave their chattering , and to appease their fury for the time . they fell foule afterwards upon the pies , who were used to be much reverenced , and to sit upon the highest pearch in that great assembly : they called them idolatrous and inauspitious birds , they hated their mixt colour , repined at their long traine , they tore their white feathers , and were ready to peck out their very eyes : they did what they could to put them in owles feathers ( as the poore sheep was in the woolfs skin ) to make them the more hated , and to be star'd and hooted at wheresoever they passed . the pies being thus scar'd , presented a petition to the royall eagle , and to this his great counsell , that they might be secured to repaire safely thither to sit and consult , according to the ancient lawes of the volatill empire continued so many ages without controllment or question : in which petition they inserted a protest or caveat , that no publique act should passe in the interim . this supplication , both for matter and form , was excepted against , and cryed up to be high treason , specially that indefinite protest they had made , that no act whatsoever should be of any validity without them , which was alledged to derogate from the high law-making power of that great counsell , and rended to retard and disturb the great affairs which were then in agitation : so the poore pies , as if by that petition they had like the black-bird voyded lime to catch themselves , for turdus cacat sibi malum , were suddenly hurried away into a cage , and after ten long moneths canvassing of the point , they were unpearch'd , and rendred for ever uncapable to be members of that court , they were struck dumb and voice-lesse , and suddenly blowne up away thence , though without any force of powder , as once was plotted against them . but this was done when a thin number of the adverse birds had kept still together , and stuck close against them , and after that the bill concerning them had been once ejected , which they humbly conceived by the ancient order of that court could not be re-admitted in the same session . they petitioned from the place they were cooped in , that for heavens sake , for the honour of that noble counsell , for truth and justice sake , they being as free-born denisons of the ayrie region , as any other volatills whatsoever , their charge might be perfected , that so they might be brought to a legall triall and not forced to languish in such captivitie . they pleaded to have done nothing but what they had precedents for : and touching the caveat they had inserted , it was a thing usuall in every inferiour court of judicature , and had they forborn to have done it , they had 〈◊〉 their own nest , and done wrong to their successors . it was affirmed they had been members of that body politique , long before those lower pearch'd birds , who now would cast them out ; and that they had been their best friends to introduce them to have any thing to doe in that generall counsell : they prayed they might not be so cruelly used , as the solan goose , and redshanke had used them , who were not content to braile and clip their wings onely , but to seare them so , that they should never grow again ; to handle them so unmercifully , was not the way to make their adversaries birds of paradice : in fine , they advised them to remember what the sick kite's mother answered him , when he desired her to pray to the gods for him , how canst thou , said she , expect any good from the gods , whose temples thou hast so violated ? at last , upon the importunity and pitifulnesse of their petitions , the accusation of treason , which kept such a noyse at first , being declined against them , they were released in the morning , but cooped up again before night : and after the revolution of foure full moones , they were restored again to a conditionall liberty , under which they remaine till this day . there wants not some , who affirm , that in that great counsell of birds , there were some decoyes ( and 't is well known where decoyes were first bred ) who called in , not onely these mongrill obstreperous birds from abroad to commit such outrages as were spoken of before , but drew after them also many of the greatest birds , who sate in that assembly , to follow them whither they listed : others , who were of a more generous extraction , disdained to be such buzzards , as to be carried away hood-wincked in that manner , to be birds of their feather . thus a visible faction was hatched in this great counsell , as if the said decoyes had disgorged and let fall some graines of hemlock seeds amongst them to distemper their braines . or , as if some spinturnix , that fatall incendiary bird , or some ill-boding scritch-owle , which as stories tell us appeared once at rome , in a famous , though unfortunate great councell ( when there was a schisme in the popedome ) had appeared likewise here . there wanted not also amongst them some amphibious birds , as the barnacle , which is neither fish nor fowle ; and the cunning batt , who sometimes professeth himself a bird , sometimes a mouse . i will not say there were any paphlagonian birds amongst them , who are known to have double hearts : but 't is certaine , that in this confusion there were some malevolent birds , and many of them so young , that they were scarce fledg'd , who like the waspe in the fable , conspired to fire the eagles nest , ( and a waspe may sometimes doe mischiefe to an eagle , as a mouse to an elephant . ) moreover , some of these light brained birds flew so high , that they seemed to arrogate to themselves , and exercise royall power , but foolishly ; for we know what became of the crow upon the ram's back , when she thought to imitate the eagle : and it was observed that they were most eager to attempt those high insolences against jove's bird , who had been stark naked , and as bare as cootes , unlesse he had feathered them ; so that the little ant was more gratefull to esops bird , then those birds were to the eagle , their liege lord . but the high-borne bird with the two golden wings , the noble faulcons , the martlets , the ravens , the swan , the chough , and all the ancient birds of the mountains remained faithfull and firme to the eagle , and scorned to be carried away by such decoyes ; as also the generous ostriches , who unlesse they had had an extraordinary stomach , could not have digested such yron pills as were offered them . amongst other great birds which banded against the eagle , the flying dragons , green and white , were busy , specially the white ; and for the green , considering he was an ancient bird of the mountains , and that his progenitors had been so renowned for their rare loyalty to the crown , every one wondred that he should be drawn so far by the foresayed decoyes , as to be the first of his race that should clap his wings against his soveraign liege lord . the foresaid destractions continued still , and increased more and more in that generall convolation of birds ; therefore the turtle would stay there no longer , there was so much gall amongst them : the pelican flew away , he saw piety so vilified ; the dove was weary of their company , she found no simplicity and plain dealing amongst them : and the kings-fisher , the halcyon , ( the embleme of peace ) quite forsook them , he found so much jarring , dissentions , and bandings on all sides ; the swallow also , who had so ancient and honourable a ranke amongst them , got into another ayre , he fore-saw the weather was like to be so foul : and lastly , philomela , the queen of volatills , who was partner of the eagle's nest , abandoned them quite , and put a sea 'twixt her and them ; nay , the eagle himself withdrew his royall presence from them ; so the decoyes afore-said carried all before them , and comported themselves by their orders in that hight , as if like the lapwing , every one had a crowne on his head ; they so inchanted in a manner , all the common sort of oppidan , rurall , and sea-birds , and infused such a credulity into them , that they believed them to have an inerring spirit , and what came from them , was as true as the pentateuch : moreover , it was shrewdly suspected , that there was a pernicious plot amongst them to let in the stork , who is never seen to stay long in any monarchie . morall . moderation is that golden rule whereby all great counsells should square their deliberations , and nothing can tend more to their honour or dishonour , in point of wisdome : moreover , in a successive hereditary monarchy , when subjects assume regall power , and barre the holy church of her rights , and that reverence which is due to her chief professors , it is the most compendious way to bring all things to confusion , and consequently to an inevitable ruine ; or some fatall change . and this i hold to be the chiefest morall of this apologue of birds . {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , the gathering together , or parlement of flowers . upon a time , the flowers assembled , and met in one generall counsell , by the authority and summons of the soveraign rose , their undoubted naturall king , who had taken the lilly for his royall spouse . the dew of heaven fell plentifully upon this happy conjunction , which made them to bourgeon , to propagate and prosper exceedingly , in so much , that the sweet fragrant odor which they did cast , diffused it self over all the earth . to this meeting came the violet , the gilliflower , rosemary , the tulyp , lavender and thyme , the cinquefoyle ( though of a forren growth ) had an honourable ranke amongst them , and as some observed got too much credit with the royall rose . the flowers of the field were admitted also to this great counsell ; the couslip , the honysuckle and daisie had their delegates there present , to consult of a reformation of certain abuses which had taken rooting in the common wealth of flowers , and being all under the rose , they had priviledge to speak all things with freedome ; complaints were made that much cockle and darnell , with other noxious herbs and tares were crept in amongst them , that the poppie did pullulat too much , with divers other grievances . the successe of this senat , this great bed or posie of living flowers , was like to prove very prosperous , but that the herb briony , wormwood , wolfebane , rue , and melampod ( the emblems of sedition , malice , feare , ambition and iealousie ) thrust in amongst them , and much distempered their proceedings : these brought in with them the burr , which exceedingly retarded and intangled all businesses ; and it was thought , that the thistle was too meddling amongst them , which made matters grow to that acrimony and confusion , as if the herb morsus diaboli had got in amongst them . amongst many other good-morrowes , they propounded to the rose , that he should part with his prickles , and transmit his strength that way to be disposed of by them ; the rose liked not this bold request of theirs , though couched in very smooth language , but answered , i have hitherto condescended to every thing you have propounded , much more then any of my predecessors ever did ; but touching these prickles , which god and nature hath given mee , and are inherent in me and my stock from the beginning , though they be but excressencies , yet you know they fortifie and arme me , armat spina rosam , and by them i protect you and your rights from violence , and what protection i pray can there be without strength ? therefore i will by no means part with them to enfeeble my regall power , but will retain them still , and bequeath them to my posterity , which i would be loth to betray in this point ; nor doe i much value what that silly insected animal , the king of bees tells me sometimes , when humming up and down my leaves , he would buzze this fond belief into me , how it added much to his majestie , that nature gives him no sting , as all other bees have because he should rely altogether upon the love and loyalty of his subjects . no ; i will take warning by the eagle , the king of volatills , and by the lyon , king of quadrupedals , who ( as the prince of moralists reports ) when by fayre insinuations the one had parted with his tallons , the other with his teeth and ongles , wherein their might , and consequently their majesty consisted , grew afterwards contemptible to all creatures , and quite lost that naturall alleaigeance and awe which was due unto the one from all birds , and to the other , from all beasts of field and forest . morall . every naturall borne monarch , hath an inherent inalienable strength in himselfe , which is the common militia of his kingdome ; for , though the peoples love ( which oftentimes is got by an apple , and lost by a peare ) be a good cittadell , yet there must be a concurrence of some visible settled force besides , which no earthly power may dispose of without his royall commands : and for him to transmit this strength to any other , is the only way to render him inglorious and despicable , both at home and abroad ▪ and thus you have the spirit of these flowers , and morall of the fabl . the assembly of architects there was an ancient goodly palace , composed of divers pieces , and partition'd into sundry chambers , halls and courts which were supported by mixt pillars , partly corinthian , partly ionique , but principally by the dorique , the king of columnes , having the firmest pedestall : some tooke exceptions , and alledged , that some of the said courts were too high , and some of the chambers in this structure were too wide . the lord of this palace call'd together the best masons and architects , to advise with him ( not without him ) for mending of those faults , the better contrivance of the roomes , and to reduce the building to a just proportion . they solemnely met , and falling to consultation hereof , they found that the chamber which was spangled with stars , and where his private councell of state did use to sit , were too wide ; they thought that the court erected on the north side , and that learned court where ecclesiasticall matters were scanned , was too high ; these , with that peculiar court which was erected for the support of honour , they went about in lieu of rectifying , to ruinate and raze to the very ground ; and some of these masons ( for indeed they were rather masons then true architects ) were so precise and over criticall , that they seem'd to find fault with the position of the chappell that belong'd to this palace , because , forsooth it stood east and west , which situation , only in regard it was ancient , they held to be a superstitious posture ; they seem'd to repine at the decencie , riches and ornaments of it ▪ with divers other frivolous exceptions . the lord of the palace said little to that , but touching the errors and disproportions in the foresaid courts and chambers , he was very willing they should be amended , and reduced to a true dimension and symmetrie ; and that all other roomes should be searched , and swept cleane : but hee would be loth to see those ancient pieces quite demolish'd , for that would hazard the fall of the maine fabrique , his princely hereditary patrimony ( descended upon him from so many wise oeconomists and royall progenitors ) in regard of the juncture and contignation those parts had with the whole frame . to mend a thing by demolishing it , is as curing a sicke body by knocking him in the head : he told them it was easier far to pull downe , then build up ; one may batter to pieces in one houre , that which cannot be built in age : that everlasting villaine , who burnt the ephesian temple , destroyed , as it were in a trice , what was a rearing up ten long olympiads : he wish'd them further to be very cautious how they meddled with the angulars and basis of that royall structure ; for so they might prove as wise as those architects , who tooke out some of the foundation stones , to repaire the roofe . lastly , he told them , that if they intended to pull downe any part of his now standing palace , they should be well advised before hand of the fashion whereof those new pieces should be , which they purposed to reare up in the roome of the old . morall . innovations are of dangerous consequence in all things , specially in a settled well temper'd state ; therefore there should be great heed taken , before any ancient court of judicature , erected as a pillar to support justice by the wisedome of our progenitors , be quite put downe ; for it may shake the whole frame of government , and introduce a change ; and changes in government are commonly fatall , for seldome comes a better . and this i hold to be the aime of this apologue . the insurrection of the winds . it fortuned , that the winds banded against eolus : and boreas ( the north-wind ) began to bluster first , and would blow where he listed , he grew so boisterous , that as he is call'd scopa viarum , the high-way beesome , he seem'd to sweep all before him southward , insomuch , that uniting all his strength into one body , hee made towards eolus in a hostile armed manner , and so obtained of him what he desired . after his example ( and an odde example it was ) the west-wind , his fellow subject rose up , alledging , that though he blew from the left-side of heaven , yet hee deserved to be as much favoured as boreas . in regard he drove a far richer trade , and blew upon a more fertile countrey , which brought in much more benefit to the rest of eolus his dominions ; therefore hee would have his liberties also assur'd him , which hee pretended were as ancient as the others : and he puft with such an impetuous violence , that his blasts brought with them ( god wot ) divers showres of blood , and whole cataracts of calamities ▪ and as it is observed in the course of naturall things , that one mischiefe seldome marcheth alone , but ushers in another , and hath alwayes its concomitants , so these north and western gusts , as one wave useth to drive on another , made all the winds in the compasse , both colaterall and cardinall , to rise up and rebell against eolus , even under that very clime , and in those horizons , where he kept his principall residence and royall court . and this popular wind ( for 't was no other , take it all joyntly in one puffe ) did rage with that vehemencie , that it turn'd every where into fearefull flames of fire , ( issuing out of a kind of ignis fatuus , which by its repercussions , and furious arietations , did a world of mischiefe , as if it had been that incendiary prester wind , or rather an haraucana , that indian gust , which alwayes brings the divell along with it ( as those savages believe ) had blowne here , for , surely god was not in this wind . yet some were so simple , to thinke that this wind proceeded from divine inspirations ; nay , they came to that height of prophanenesse , as to father it upon the holy ghost , though nothing could be more different to his sweet motions , nothing so directly opposite to his soft gentle breeses and eventilations ; for no holy consecrated thing could stand before this diabolicall wind , downe went all crosses it met withall ; it batter'd downe church and chappell windowes ( and i feare the walls and steeples will next to wracke ) it was so violent , that it overturn'd all stone tables that stood eastward ; it blew away all the decent vests and ornaments of the church ; the bishops mitre ▪ ( an order contemporary with christianity it selfe ) did quake like an aspen leafe before it ; nay , it shrewdly shooke the very imperiall scepter , and crowne which stood on eolus his head , so that he was like to become ludibrium ventorum . but the highest deity of heaven , he who walketh upon the wings of the wind , and makes weight for them , and gathereth them in his fist when he pleaseth , hating such an odious rebellion , rebuked these tumultuous winds , he caused a contagious ayre , to rush in and mingle with them , and infect them with new diseases ; besides whispers of jealousies , doubts and diffidence blew and buzz'd more and more amongst them , so that they could not trust one another , insomuch , that it made them to fall into confusion amongst themselves , which is the common fate of all rebellions . so eolus recovered his monarchy , and as they say , there is no wind but blowes some body good ; so this turn'd much to the advantage of eolus , for he grew ever after more firme and better establish'd in his regall power , because hee put a competent guard in those climes whence all these boistrous winds burst forth , and so secur'd himselfe ever after , that they could not blow where they listed . rebellion suppress'd , makes the prince the stronger : and so you have the principall morall all of this parable in briefe . postscript . sir , i long to receive your opinion of these rambling pieces of fancy , you may , peradventure , have more , when the times are open : surely the wind will not hold still in this unluckie hole , for it is too violent to last : it begins ( thanks be to god ) to sift already , and amongst those multitudes , who expect the change , i am one that lyeth at the cape of good hope , though a long time under hatches . howsoever , though all the winds in the compasse blow upon me , i am arm'd and resolv'd to beare the brunt , and to welcome the will of god . if you desire a further intimation of things , i referre you to a discourse , call'd the true informer , who will give you no vulgar satisfaction , so i am yours as at first inalterable . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- the prince finch , &c mechanick mariners . e. straff. bishops . scot . holland . m. hert. e. south . e. westm. e. worce . e. dover . wales . digbies . e. pemb. e. warw. arondelle . her majesty m. ham . cot . plut. the civil wars of spain in the beginning of the reign of charls [sic] the t, emperor of germanie and king of that nation written originally in the spanish-tongue by prudencio de sandoval ... ; never yet translated, now put into english by captain j.w. historia de la vida y hechos del emperador carlos v. english. selections sandoval, prudencio de, ca. - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing s estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the civil wars of spain in the beginning of the reign of charls [sic] the t, emperor of germanie and king of that nation written originally in the spanish-tongue by prudencio de sandoval ... ; never yet translated, now put into english by captain j.w. historia de la vida y hechos del emperador carlos v. english. selections sandoval, prudencio de, ca. - . wadsworth, james, - ? howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed by william du gard and are to bee sold by john holden ..., london : . frontispiece: port. of charles v. numerous errors in paging. from sandoval's historia de la vida y hechos del emperador carlos v. epistle dedicatory signed: james wadsworth; preface signed: james howell. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). 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limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng spain -- history -- charles i, - . spain -- politics and government -- - . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - sara gothard sampled and proofread - sara gothard text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the civil wars of spain , in the beginning of the reign of charls the t , emperor of germanie , and king of that nation . written originally in the spanish-tongue , by prudencio de sandoval , doctor of divinitie , and abbat of the monasterie of st isidro el real , in valladolid , of the order of st bennet , his●●●iograph●r 〈◊〉 ●hili● the third ; never yet translated , now put into english by captain j. w. deus : providebit ivstvs vivet fide r·y london , printed by william du gard ▪ and are to bee sold by iohn holden in the new exchange , . progenies divvm qvintvs sic carolvs ille imperii caesar lvmina et ora tvlit . aetat svae xxxi . ann. m.d. xxxi . impenum oceano : famam qui lerminat astris . ●ombart sculpt●●●●●● to the honorable , colonel herbert morley esquire ; one of the members of the high and honorable court of parlament , and of the council of state ; chief lievtenant of the countie of sussex . to thomas chaloner esquire ; a member of the high court of parlament , ●nd of the council of state , &c. and to iames chaloner esquire ; a member likewise of the said court of parlament , the supreme autoritie of the three nations . noble gentlemen ! i have long repined that my gratitude should bee limited within the narrow walls of my brest , when your favors that gave it beeing , have daily shewn themselvs in such fresh and frequent testimonies ; but it hath now got a little more elbow-room , and gladly take's occasion to tell the world as well as you , of my happiness in such a triumvirate of patrons ; yet in this i may rather seem to have studied a secure convenience , then an ingenuous acknowledgment , since this historie cannot shroud it self within a safer shelter , then what your acceptation and clear judgment is able to allow it ; but you want no candor , and therefore i no confidence that you will gently conserv the intentions and endeavors of your humble servant james vvadsvvorth . vpon this choice and remarkable piece of historie . among those various delights and advantages which accrew to a reader of historie , one is , that no modern accident can seem strange unto him , much less astonish him : hee scarce can wonder at any thing , in regard hee may remember to have read of the same , or much like the same , that happened in former times ; therefore hee doth not stand staring like a childe at every sudden spectacle , like that simple american , who , the first time hee saw a spaniard on horsback , thought the man and the beast to bee but one creature , and that the hors did chew the rings of his bit. now indeed , not to bee an historian , that is , not to know what forrein nations , and our fore-fathers did , hoc est semper esse puerum , as cicero saith , this is still to bee a childe , who gazeth at any thing ; whence may bee inferred , there is no knowledg that ripen's the judgment , and put 's one out of his nonage sooner then historie . if i had not formerly read the baron's wars in england , i had more admired that of the liguers in france . hee who read the near upon fourscore years wars in low germanie , never wondred at those thirtie two years late wars in high germanie . i had more wondred that richard of bourdeaux was knockd down with a halbard , had not i read formerly that edward of carnarvan died of a hot iron that was thrust up his fundament ; it was strange that murat the great ottoman emperor should bee lately strangled in his own court ; yet considering that osman his predecessor had been knock'd down by an ordinarie slave not many years before , it was not strange at all . the blazing star in virgo , years since , did not seem strange to him who had read of that which appeared in cassiopéa , and other constellations som years before , and how portentous they proved to poor mortals . hence may bee inferred , that among all other kindes of contemplations , historie may bee called the great looking glass , through which wee may see with ancestrall optiques , not onely the various actions of men , and odd accidents of time , but also discern the constitutions , the humors , and genius of nations . this faithful piece of storie will displaie the very intrinsecals of the castillian , ( who entitle's himself to bee the prime spaniard ) and make that opinion a meer paradox , whereby hee is cried up to bee so constant to his principles , so loial to his prince , and so conformable to government : for it will discover as much levitie and tumultuarie passions in him as in other people ; which may bee the reason why these annals were suppressed , and called in , in spain , yet procur'd by a gentleman of qualitie and of exquisite knowledg , and now made english , with much exactness and fidelitie ; therefore most worthie of the perusal , beeing a pure maiden-storie , never blown upon hitherto ; for to my knowledg shee never travell'd over the pyrenean hills , or cross'd the seas in any language till now . iames howell . to the reader . courteous reader ! if likeness breeds liking , and if in histories , as in humane bodies , may bee admitted any sympathetical operations , i cannot but promiss my self , that this narration will not bee unwelcom to your curious eies , in regard it doth punctually relate the no less strange , then ●rue transactions , betwixt charles the fift in his minoritie and his subjects in spain , which had so much similitude to divers late passages in this our nation , that had not those in castilla had the privilege of many years before us , wee might have been said to have been their pattern , although the successes are different . the autor was a man of no mean eminencie , neither for knowledge or extraction , and who ( though somwhat violent in his tearms against the commonaltie by reason of his dependance on the court of spain ) wrote so plainly , and with such impartialitie , that all his books were suppressed by especial command from the king , whose historiographer hee was , which rendereth the truth of the historie less questionable : herein , as in our troubles , you shall finde the clergie-men on both sides no less busie in distracting peoples mindes , then in fomenting and aggravating their unhappie dissentions : herein you shall see besides the policies , and subtile correspondencies betwixt the several cities of that countrie , the statutes and decrees enacted by the commissioners or substitutes of the commonalties assembled in parlament , after their king's departure into germanie , whither they were sent to bee ratified by him , his answer , and their proceedings afterwards . the names of places , as well as men , are left in spanish , becaus they cannot bee so well rendered in any other language , as in their own , and som terms likewise , whereof though our tongue admitteth not of a simple , and direct version , you shall finde them paraphrastically expounded in the margents , therefore i hope you will not impute this as a fault to the translator , and in case your more penetrating judgment should discover any other defects , my humble supplication is , that you will not bee a captious , but a cautious reader , and careful of the reputation of him , whose chief aim , in this labor , was to procure you both profit and pleasure , as beeing your affectionate servant j. w. the civil wars of spain . the first book . sect . i. in the year of our lord , which was ( according to the hebrew account ) five thousand four hundred sixtie and one years after the creation of the world : from the universal deluge , three thousand eight hundred and five : from the coming of tubal to inhabit , and people the ( then desolate ) countrie of spain , three thousand six hundred sixtie and three : from the conquest of cesar , one thousand five hundred thirtie and eight : from the entrie of the goths into spain , one thousand eightie and six : and lastly , from the dominion of the moors in that countrie , seven hundred eightie and six years , alexander the sixth then beeing pope of rome . the christian king don fernando and donnia isabel having reigned twentie seven years , converted the mezquitas , or moorish temples , into ch●istian churches , and purged the whole kingdom of paganism and jewish cerimonies , beeing also the year of iubilee at rome : for their comfort , and to drie up the tears which sorrowful spain ceased not to shed , for the decea● of t●eir prince , don iuan , or io●n , ( onely son to the cathol●●k king , and donnia isabel , his queen ) and ●he infanta donnia isabel , their eldest daughter , ( who was married to don iuan , or iohn the second , king of portugal ) in the citie of gant , upon the apostle ● t matthias his daie , beeing mundaie feb●uarie , was born charls the fift , emperor and king of spain , begotten by don philip , or philip , surnamed el hermoso , or the fair , arch-duke of austria ( on to the emperor maximilian the first , and donnia ma●ia , sole daughter and heir to charls duke of burgundie , who had for her por●ion , besides the said dutchie of burgundie , the dukedom of brabant , flanders , limbourg , haynaut ▪ h●lland , artois , zealand , and cueldres , with other places thereunto belonging ) and donnia iuana , second daughter to the fore-na●ed don fernando and isabel. the prince don miguel de la paz , son to don iuan of portugal , and don fernandos eldest daughter , isabel ( who by the right of his mother was to inherite the crown of castilla ) was yet living , when charls the fift came first into the world ; the news of whose birth , with the particulars of the place and time , beeing carried into spain , his grandmother donnia isabel ( i know not by what prophetick spirit ) presently said , cecidit sors super matt●iam , meaning , that the succession of those kingdoms should fall upon charls ( who was born upon that saint's daie ) as it did , and hee became the most potent prince of the christian world. for don miguel de la paz , dying in julie following , in the same year the inheritance of the crowns of spain descended to donnia iuana , mother to the fortunate prince don charls , or charls , then bearing the title of duke of luxembourg . sect . ii. in the year , the catholick queen , don●ia isabel , of castilia beeing fallen into a langu●shing diseas , and past hopes of ●ecoverie , shee desired to see don philip , and donnia iuana ( ●er daughter ) before her deceas . whereupon they took their waie through france , where they were received , and feasted in a princely manner , by king lewis the twelfth , who treated with them concerning the marriage of his daughter claudia , to their son charls . one of the articles was , that in case the said marriage should not bee consummated t●rough anie default of the said king of france , the emperor should invest and settle the dukedom of milan upon their son don carl●s duke of luxembourg : and it so happened afterwards , that the said match was broken off by t●e ●aid king lewis , which is a great plea for the crown of spain against the kings of france , in the pretention of milan . beeing arrived at toledo , where the catholick king and queen exspected them on sundaie , maie ( in the cathedral church ▪ they were s●orn princes of castilia and leon : ) don fernando ▪ and donnia isabel assisting at the ceremonie , with the cardinal don diego hurta●o de mendosa , don fray francisco de xmenez archb●shop of toledo ; don bernardino de valas●o lord h●gh constable of castilia and leon , the duke del infantad● , duke of alva , duke of bejar , duke of alburquerque , and a mul●itude of other noblemen : after which solemnitie the king went to saragosa , and the queen with her daughter , and don philip went to torisos , fuens●lida , cas● rubios , and the●ce to madrid ; from whence , after ●om time , donnia iuana went to alcala de hena●es , where shee was brought to bed of the infante don ferdinando , or ferdinand hee was baptized with exceeding great solemnitie , by the arch bishop of tol●do ; the duke of naxara and the earl of villena were his godfathers , and madame de luin his godmother . which ceremonie beeing past , and donnia iuana throughly recovered , shee and her husband ( whose presence was most earnestly desired in flanders ) repaired both thither , by the waie of france ; and beeing at the citie of lyons , hee concluded the peace betwixt his father maximilian the emperor , don fernando king of spain , and lewis the french king , who again moved him about marrying the duke of luxembourg with his daughter clavia , who was to inherit the dukedom of britanie , yet hee was the first occasion of breaking that agreement . sect . iii. in the year , a parlament beeing call'd at the citie of toro , in presence of the king don fernando , with all the grandees of the kingdom , and the commissioners or burgesses ( donnia isabel the queen beeing deceased at medina del campo ) the princess donnia iuana , then beeing in flanders , was decla●ed queen of castilia and leon , and her son don carles heir and successor after her to those kingdoms , which pacified divers turbulent ●pirits , and stopt the current of manie troubles and mischiefs , that was like to overflow that countrie . this news was brought to donnia iuana , then newly brought to bed of the infanta donnia maria , who was afterward married to the unfortunate king of bohemia , lewis son to uladislaus ; after whose death shee was governess of flanders for manie years , and proved nothing inferior to her brother in courage , and other princely endowments , onely shee was a woman : don philip remaining still in flanders with his queen , there grew such differences betwixt him and don fernando , that finding an advantage in their absence , don fernando sent don rodrigo manrique his embassador to the king of portugal , desiring him to give in marriage la excelente , otherwise called la v●ltraneja , thinking by virtue of her right , and his powerful assistance , to oppose don philip , and make himself king of castillia ( which argued no less weakness then ambition in the catholick king. ) but the king of portugal was so discreet , as not to satisfie his desires , a●d although hee had given his consent la veltraneja would never have condescended thereunto , for besides that shee was well stricken in years , shee was altogether given to her devotion , and valued not the vanitie of anie earthly crowns . having received this repuls , hee agreed with lewis king of france , that hee should make the match betwixt him and madam germana , daughter to gaston de foix , and to the said french king's sister , which was concluded upon this condition ; that king lewis , in stead of her dowrie , should grant and pass over to don fernando the right which hee pretended to the kingdom of naples , and that if the queen should die before him without issue , hee should succeed and inherit the same title ; but if shee should survive don fernando , that lewis should repossess the said claim : these articles beeing confirmed , they made a peace betwixt france and spain , for a hundred and one years , ( but it scarce continued so manie weeks ) and don iuan de silva earl of cifuentes , with the vice-chancellor of aragon went into france , to attend and conduct her majestie into castillia . sect ▪ iv. the castillians in mean time , beeing very desirous to have their natural sovereign amongst them , importuned by frequent messages and invitations , donnia iuana and her husband to return , and bring their children with them into spain . whereupon don philip having provided a fleet for the purpose , they departed flanders , leaving the prince don carles under the care and tuition of the emperor maximiliano and donnia margarita , widdow to the duke of savoye ; and at last ( though tossed with much storm and tempests by the waie ) they landed safe at the groyne in galicia . don fernando hearing of their arrival went to meet them , betwixt la puebla de sanabria and asturianos . this interview occasioned no small discontent betwixt these princes ; for kings will admit of no competitors , or companions ( no not of their own ch●ldren ) in matters of government and command . whereupon don fernando ( forsaken by all , but onely the duke of alva and the earl of altamira with som few others ) took his waie to villafafila , and tordesillas , and king philip with his queen to venauente , attended by all the nobles and flower of castillia , besides strangers , to the number of above two thousand hors . one caus of their discord was about the title and inscription of commissions , patents and other dispatches roial , which at last was determined , and agreed , that all things should pass in the names of don fernando , don philip , and donnia iuana : but this style was soon altered by the unexspected d●ath of don philip , which hapned at burges : hee had but seven daies of sickness ( which was thought to bee a surfeit ) and past from this life to the eternal on fridaie the fifth of september , anno●● ● ●● ● , beeing aged but twentie eight years , and having enjoied the kingdom of castillia a year and ten moneths , lacking one daie ; hee commanded that his heart should bee carried to bruxels , his bodie to granada , and his bowels to remain there . his death was much lamented by the emperor his father ; for , besides that hee was his onely son , hee was one of the handsomest men of his time , therefore hee was called philip the fair ; and the nobleness of his minde was answerable to the feature of his bodie . donnia iuana his queen was so sensible of his loss , that with the extremitie of sorrow , and her incessant weeping , shee became in a manner distracted . an old woman in galicia seeing him at his landing , and beeing told who hee was , said , that hee should bee a longer time , and travel more leagues in castillia , beeing dead then living ; which proved so ; for the queen carried his bodie with her , from place to place , and would not suffer it to bee buried for manie years after . hee left two sons , don carles , and don fernando , both emperors ; and three daughters , all mightie queens : donnia leonor first reigned in portugal , and afterwards was married to the king of france : donnia catalina was wife to don iohn the third , king of portugal , aunt , and mother-in-law to philip the second of spain : and donnia maria had for her husband lewis king of bohemia and hungaria . sect . v. in mean time don fernando , beeing married to the queen germana , and distasted in castillia , retired himself into aragon ; from thence beeing upon his ●ournie to naples , the castilli●ns gave him notice of don philip's death , and of the neces●itie that there was of his roial presence ; but hee refused to return , beeing incensed against som of them for their ingratitude to him . by the death of don philip , and the absence of king fernando , divers tumults and seditions arose in the kingdom , the people refusing to obeie the magistrates and officers of justice ; and the nobles wanted not factions and partialities amongst them to trouble and disquiet the countrie , and almost everie citie throughout the kingdom was infected with the same contagion : som crying up charls , or don carles ; others fernando ; no small number stood for maximiliano , but verie few made anie mention of donnia iuana , who , whether out of a sens of her own disabilitie , or overcom with melancholie for her husbands deceas , had retired her self at tordesillas , refusing to govern or trouble her head with state-affairs . whereupon , with the consent of most part of the peers and nobles of the realm , the cardinal ximenez don bernardino de velasso lord high constable , and don pedro manrique duke of naxara took upon them the administration of government for the present ; they made don alonso suarez bishop of iaen , president of their council , assisted by doctor tello , el licenciado polanco , and other learned lawyers . they called a parlament , wherein they ordered to send to don fernando , desiring him in the name of the queen and the whole kingdom to return , and undertake the government for his daughter and grandchilde . which hee , beeing more readie to accept then they to offer , did not refuse , but returned answer , that having setled the business which had called him to naples , hee would satisfie their desires : and after som time , leaving don iuan de aragon earl of ribagorsa , his vice-roy , hee embarqued himself for spain with his queen germana , don gonsalo fernandez de cordova , commonly called the gran capitan , and a great train of spanish gentlemen that attended him in his voiage . beeing arrived at valentia , the queen donnia iuana went to meet him , whom hee received with signs of much affection and fatherlie tenderness , which shee answered with all the honor and due obedience that could bee exspected from an observant daughter ; for although the excess of sorrow had weakned her intellectual faculties , yet shee never lost her respect to her father , but paied him with all humilitie and filial dutie ; neither was shee ever heard to utter anie mis becoming words , which is common to people tainted with her infirmitie . the eighth of october the king and queens came to arcos , where donnia iuana desiring to staie , don fernando went with his court to burges , leaving her a good number of noblemen and ladies , besides guards , suitable to the dignitie of her person . som years after , don fernando left the troubles of this transitorie life to enjoie the quietness and bliss of the eternal , in the sixtie fourth year of his age , having reigned and governed as king , fourtie two years compleat . som saie it was the dropsie that brought him to his end ; others report , that his young queen , to quicken his spirit , and thaw the ice that contracted the blood in his aged veins , gave him a certein provocative potion ; which , instead of raising a part , cast the whole bodie into the grave . after his death , arose manie differences amongst the grandees concerning the government . adriano ( dean of lovain , and tutor to don carles ) produced a commission , which the young prince had given him to succeed don fernando in the government , until his coming into spain ; this was opposed by cardinal ximenez , who alleged , that by virtue of his catholick majestie 's last will and testament , hee was to bee governor of the kingdom , until the prince should com himself , or give som special order to the contrarie ▪ that adriano's commission was dated long before don ferdinando's deceas , therefore not valeable ; besides , that hee was a foreigner , which was sufficient reason to bar his pretensions . but at last they agreed to govern both together , until they received further order from don carles . this joint-government continued a great while , during which time , several grandees of the kingdom were much discontented , and murmured , that a frier , and a stranger ( in a manner of the same stamp ) should bee raised to such a height above them , as to rule and command the whole kingdom , and them : they alleged that don fernando had no power to substitute , or appoint anie one to administer the government of that kingdom , in regard that since the catholick queen 's death , hee was not king , but onely governor thereof himself : and that considering donnia iuana would not undergo the trouble of the crown , according to the laws of that ●and , they agreed that the duke del infantado ▪ the lord high-counstable , and the earl of venavente should examine the cardinal , by what autoritie and power hee took upon him to bee governor of those kingdoms : whereunto hee boldly made them answer , by the power of his catholick majestie : and they replying , that the catholick king had no autoritie ●o to do , hee led them to a brest-work , which hee had made about the hous where hee then lodged , and shewed them a great rank of artillerie , commanding his servants to discharge them all ; which don , hee told them , this is the power by which i do , and will govern spain , until the prince our lord com to take charge of it himself : they were not very well satisfied with this answer , neither did that manner of discours bode anie good to the kingdom . notwithstanding the oppositions and murmurations of the grandees and others in castillia , the cardinal continued at the helm in despight of all , until his majestie 's coming into spain , which was anno . at which time , the cardinal finding himself indisposed , was retired into a monasterie of his own order at aquilera ; whither his majestie ( beeing received at valladolid ) sent him a letter , thanking him for his former services , and requiring him to repair with those of the council to mojados , where hee might consult with him concerning the present settling of his affairs ; after which hee should bee eased of the weightie burthen of that troublesom emploiment , and have libertie to solace and retire himself . this letter was said to bee penned by the bishop mota , who ( envious of the cardinal's power , and studying nothing more then which waie to eclips his greatness ) perswaded his majestie to write to him in those terms ; which his eminence having perused , it struck him into a high distemper ; and the violent passion of his minde , joined with the infirmitie of his bodie , increased his fever , in such manner , that hee rendred his soul into the creator's hands within eight daies after , and was buried at alcala de henares , in the college of st illefonso , whereof hee was founder . after whose death , the arch-bishoprick of toledo was given to guillermo de croüy , bishop of cambray , and nephew to monsieur de xeures , his majesties chief favorite , which bred no small discontent amongst the castillians , seeing the principal jewel of their kingdom bestowed upon a foreigner . yet the general report was , that the marquis of villena , with other grandees of castillia , desired and earnestly importuned his majestie so to do ; and that of himself hee had no such intention , neither did monsieur de xeures ever mention it : and , it is not to bee thought , that those noblemen tooke pleasure in seeing anie stranger advanced above them in their own countrie ; but they were induced hereunto , out of hopes to ingratiate themselvs thereby to the flemings , and chiefly to xeures , who had the king's ear above anie at that time . such is the force and power of over-swaying ambition , which so bastardiseth , and adulterate's the hearts even of noble-men , that they will descend , or stoop to anie thing , to currie favor with a prince's minion . don carles at that time , could not reckon above seventeen years and a half at most , from his nativitie , which was a verie tender age , to undergo so weightie a charge , as was that of ruling so manie , and so considerable countries ; especially , those of spain , where , according to their laws and customs , it never had been seen , that a youth so young , and one that had been born and bred in foreign parts should sit in their king's throne . hee understood no spanish , neither was hee acquainted with the inclinations , and dispositions of the people : therefore ( although hee was verie ingenuous , and of as excellent and sweet a nature , as could bee desired in a truly christian prince ) hee could do no less then suffer himself to bee advised , and guided by som of more mature years and experience . and having been bred and tutored from his infancie , by guillermo de croüy lord of xeures ( who was duke of sora , in the kingdom of naples , and afterwards duke of arschot in brabant , a man of ripe age , solid judgment , and eminent parts answerable to his birth , beeing descended of the illustrious stock of the kings of hungarie , and recommended to bee his governor , by his grandfather maximilian the emperor ) hee committed himself with the management of all state-affairs , wholly to his wisdom ; and xeures in matters concerning spain , ( beeing a stranger to that countrie ) was led by maestro mota , a native of burgos , bishop of badajos , and som other castillians , who were more ambitious then virtuous . sect . vi. after the reception of the prince don carles in valladolid , ( which was most splendid and magnificent ) all the procuradores del reyno , or the commissioners of the kingdom , were summoned to assemble in parlament ; wherein the castillians were highly distasted , becaus the lord chancellor ( a fleming ) assisted as president for his highness , and that other strangers were admitted to sit in parlament ; som of the commissioners took the oath of allegeance to his highness , as king ; others refused to acknowledg him to bee their king , as long as his mother donnia iuana was living , ( who was right heir to the crown ) and that hee first should swear to maintein and observ the fundamental laws and customs of the kingdom ; especially , that no offices , or places of benefit or trust , either ecclesiastical or temporal , should bee conferred upon anie , that were not natives of that countrie ; but at last , all beeing agreed , both the grandees and commissioners of the kingdom took the oath ; the cerimonie was in this manner : on sundaie the th of februarie , , the prince accompanied by all the embassadors , and nobles of his dominions , having heard mass in st paul's church at valladolid , was seated in a chair before the altar , and adriano , cardinal of tortosa , holding the evangelists in his hands , don garzia de padilla read with a loud voice the contents of the oath ; which don , the infante don fernando swore first upon the book , then went to kiss the king's hand ; but the king refusing to give his hand , embraced him , and laid his cheek to his brother's ; after that the infante took his sister donnia leoner by the hand , and led her to swear , and afterwards to kiss his majestie 's hand , but the king arose , and kissed her cheek , then they passed on the king's right hand , and don fernando stood close to his chair bare headed . immediately came the infante of granada , with the arch-bishop of santiago , the bishop of granado and other prelates to take the oath ; after them followed the grandees , and nobles there present , to whom the infante don fernando held the book : don garzia read the oath to the nobles , and likewise to the commissioners of the several cities ; who having sworn , went all to kiss his majestie 's hand . after all which , the king swore upon the same holy evangelists , to keep and fulfil all , and everie thing , and article , which hee had promissed , and agreed of with the commissioners . moreover was added , if at anie time it should pleas god to restore the queen donnia iuana , his mother , to her perfect health and abilitie , to rule her kingdom , that hee should desist from the government , and that onely shee should reign ; that in all writings , letters , commissions or publick acts whatsoëver , during the said donnia iuana's life , her name should bee set in the first place , and then his : and that hee should bee styled onely prince of spain . this don , te deum laudamus was sung with great solemnitie , and varietie of musical instruments . the commissioners of the kingdom , beeing all assembled in valladolid , made a very discreet speech to the king , in answer to that which the bishop of badajos , and don garzia de padilla had propounded in his majestie 's name , intimating , that amongst themselvs , they should seriously consider , and weigh those things which were important to the good preservation and increasing of those kingdoms . the commissioners desired with very valid and good reasons , that his majestie would put in execution the holie and catholick propositions , which hee had expressed in favor of his kingdom , and the subjects thereof . and that they might enjoie the fruit of his so virtuous and holie desires , they came to put him in minde , how , by a decree and express order from heaven hee was chosen , and called to bee king , whose office was to govern well , and to govern well was to administer iustice , giving to everie one that which is his ; and they desired that his chief ends and intention might tend thereunto ; for although kings do possess divers other qualities and things recommendable , as their linage , dignities , power , honor , riches , delights , estimation , &c. none of all these make a king according to right , but onely the administring of iustice ; and for this onely , and in the name thereof the holie ghost hath said , that kings do reign ; that iustice and the ruling therewith , do require , that when the subjects sleep , their kings should watch . and that it was his part so to do , for in effect hee was as an hireling to his subjects : for that caus did they give him part of their fruits and estates , and serv him with their persons , if ( need requiring ) it bee his pleasure to call them : that by a certain tacit contract the king is obliged to do iustice to his people ; which is a thing of such excellencie and dignitie , that god hath made it one of his own attributes , calling himself the iust iudg ; that god , beeing so great a friend , and lover of iustice , would likewise bee a friend to him that should bee careful in preserving and administring thereof . that the charge of him that is to judg , beeing of such high importance , hee whom god hath called to manage a scepter , hath need of som assistant ; therefore it is necessarie that the king should have som inferior ministers , that may bear a part of that weightie burthen and incessant cares , which accompanie the roial dignitie , the supream power still remaining in his own hands . that a good king ought to choos and seek out such men for his ministers , as moses did , when hee received a command from god to elect seventie and two men out of his people , who might assist him in the government , and eas him of a part of the care and troubles , wherewith hee was surchar●●d : those men were to bee wise , of mature years , fearing god , enemies to covetousness and all other passions , which may blinde and pervert the understanding . that although they doubted not to finde all these perfections in his highness , yet they humbly desired him to ratifie the ensuing articles . . that the queen donnia iuana , his mother , might have a court , and attendants suitable to the dignitie of her person , as beeing the queen and ladie proprietarie of those kingdoms : whereunto hee answered that hee thanked them , and assured them that hee had nothing in greater recommendation , then what concerned that particular , as they should finde by effects . . that hee would bee pleased to marrie with what convenient speed might bee , it beeing very requisite for the good of the kingdom , that hee should leav a prosperous issue to rule manie years over them : the king replyed , that hee would consider thereupon , and do that which shall bee most conducing to his honor , the benefit of his kingdoms , and the succession thereof . . that the infante don fernando might not go out of the kingdom , until hee were married , and had children : the king made answer , that hee was not more careful of anie thing in the world , then of the advancement of his brother , the infante , and that hee would order nothing to bee don concerning his person , but what should bee for his advantage , and the good of those kingdoms . . that hee would bee pleased to speak spanish ; for by practising hee would the sooner learn , and better understand his subjects , and bee understood by them . hee answered , that hee was well contented , and would strive so to do , and the rather , becaus they desired it in the name of the kingdoms : so , afterwards hee did speak spanish with them and others . . that hee would not alienate anie thing from the roial crown , and if anie should desire iustice of him for their grievances , that hee would give order to have it don them . hee answered , that hee would do therein according to his oath , and would redress all those that came to complain . . that whatsoêver the catholick king and don philip , his father , had given away by waie of dowrie or legacie , hee would command to bee fulfilled , for the repose and discharging of their consciences : hee answered that hee would ; provided , that it might bee don without prejudice to the roial patrimonie . sixtie seven more articles they propounded , which , becaus they are more at large specified hereafter , i shall forbear to trouble the reader with them in this place ; his majestie gave so gracious an answer to them all , ( thanking the com●issioners in a very courteous manner ) that they remained very well apayed and satisfied . the subsidie which they granted him in this first parlament ( according to fray antonio de guevara's relation ) was one hundred and fiftie millions of marauediz ; a●d pero-mexia saith , it was six hundred thousand du●kets , t● bee raised the three first years . the parlament beeing ended , there was celebrated a iust , or turnam●nt royal in the chief market place of valladolid , five and twentie against five and twentie ; som spaniards , and som flemish noblemen , who strove to out-view each other , aswell in the ric●ne●s of their habits and liv●ries , as in feats of arms ; seven of them were killed , and som hurt ; therefore it was commonly said , that for a combat in earnest the loss was not great , but , for a jest it was too much . after this solemnitie , which ●ontinued certain daies , the king having visited his mo●her , donnia iuana , and the queen germana , leaving all things in good order in castillia , departed ●ith his court for aragon , taking his sister , donnia leonor , and the queen germana with him . hee made the town of aranda in his waie , whither his brother , the infante don fernando , was returned with small contentment , becaus they made such haste to pack him out of spain . there the king remained som few daies , during which time , the infante was dispatched for fland●rs , as was before determined ; for the ki●g ( ●ot beeing yet arrived in castillia , som men of note about the in●ante's person , put thoughts into his head of succeeding his grandfather in the crown ; and it was greatly to bee fea●ed that the cas●illians w●uld have declared for him , to the prejudice of don carles , hee beeing of their countrie , and his brother a fleming : besides , his name , fernando was enough to gain him the affection and hearts of all spain , for his grandfat●ers sake , whose memorie was held in great honor and adoration amongst them ; but god disposed it otherwise for the good and quiet of those kingdoms . don fernando beeing fitted with attendants , and all necessaries for his voiage , the king continued his progress into aragon , hee was received in saragosa with very great solemnitie and joie , the of maie . the castillians expressed much discontent at the departure of the infante don fernando , and began to murmur every where , they beeing of opinion , that hee ought not to bee sent out of the kingdom , until his brother were married and had children . they were likewise distasted , and the aragoneses also , at the present government ; for they could not endure that strangers should bear so great swaie in their countrie , that all businesses must pass through the hands of xeures , and his friends , who had the name of beeing over-greedie , and covetous ; the same brand was laied upon the rest of the flemings that attended his majestie . but that was no wonder , for all prince's favorites ( bee they never so just and well deserving ) are generally envied , and abhorred by most people . they said moreover , that the king was wilful , untractable , disdainful , and gave small testimonies of affection to the spanish nation , with divers other such like discontented speeches , which are mentioned more at large hereafter . but to saie the truth , the king was no waie to bee blamed ; for hee was so young , that of necessitie hee must suffer himself to bee directed by those , who had bred him up from his infancie . time made the spaniards plainly see , when hee came to riper years , that hee loved , respected , and esteemed them above all other nations , which appeared by his placing them in offices of the greatest honor and trust , not onely in spain , but in italie , flanders , and germanie . sect . vii . the king having been som daies at saragosa , the parlament began , which continued so long , that hee was forc'd to remain there eight moneths ; there the grand chancellor dyed , not much lamented by the spaniards , who abhorred the verie memorie of him , and hee cared more for his gold then for their favor or displeasure . this monsieur de laxao left a very bad name behinde him ; in his place , by his majestie 's command , succeeded mercurino de gatinara , a man of singular wisdom and learning , a friend to iustice and equitie , and a great iurisconsult . the grandees of the kingdom of aragon beeing assembled in the arch-bishop's palace , who was unckle to the king , they desired him to let them understand his pleasure , for they were very willing and desirous to serv him , as they had don his predecessors , but conditionally , that they might enjoie the antient customs and privileges of the kingdom ; the king answered , they should ; but considering the indisposition of the queen , his mother , hee willed and required them to acknowlegd him their king , as those of castillia had don . whereunto the iurados , or iurates , in the name of the kingdom , replied , they would , though it was against the laws , his mother beeing yet living ; so that his highness would bee pleased to swear the infante don fernando prince of spain , the same daie , as they should swear him king ; not that the infante should remain prince , and heir to the crown , but onely until such time as hee should bee married and god should bless him with som hopeful issue to succeed him , whereunto , if his highness would not consent , they would swear him executor , and administrator of the queen , his mother's estate : and if hee would not condescend to this , they told him in plain terms , that they had no leav nor power to do otherwise , and although they had , they would not put it in execution ; for that would much prejudice , and damnifie their exemptions . the king was much displeased at their peremptoriness , and answered them not one syllable : the grandees of castillia beeing present , grew out of patience at the aragoneses sawciness , and the earl of venavente told the king openly , that , if his majestie would take his counsel , hee should make them com under the yoke , that hee would venter his life and fortune , to serv him in that design ; that his majestie 's onely waie was , to rais a powerful armie , and subdue that kingdom by force of arms , and so hee might impose upon them what laws hee pleased , not such as they desired and fancied . at which words , the earl of aranda answered the earl of venavente , in such harsh and bitter tearms , that all the palace , and the grandees of the court were com almost to daggers drawing : so that the king had much to do to pacifie them , commanding everie one of them to repair to their own houses , and not to stir abroad upon pain of death ; but his commands were not fully obeied that time ; for night beeing com , divers of both parties met in the streets , and manie of them were sore wounded , and questionless , the dispute had been more bloudie , if the arch-bishop had not left his supper , and com out with other noblemen to part them . the next daie , the king made the earls of venavente and aranda friends , which don , the aragoneses were brought to reason , and beeing willing to conform themselvs with the castillians , they took the same oath , and acknowleged the king to bee their king and lord , jointly with donnia iuana the queen , his mother , as had been don in castillia . sect . viii . in the beginning of the year , the parlament of aragon beeing ended , the king went to visite his dominions of barcelona , and would have don the like in the kingdom of valencia , if his occasions had permitted . beeing at barcelona , news was brought him that maximilian the ●mperor , his grandfather , died at belsis the th of januarie , whereat hee was not a little troubled ; all the court was forthwith put into mourning , and his obsequies celebrated with very great solemnitie , according to the honor and greatness of his person , who was one of the most virtuous , and wel-deserving emperors that ever had command in germanie : hee was of a most noble and generous disposition , pious and valiant . the ten first years of his age , hee could make no use at all of his tongue , insomuch that the emperor frederick , his father , thought hee would bee dumb , or a fool ; but coming to mature years , hee gave great evidences of very rich endowments of his soul. hee died of a flux , in the sixtie third year of his age , having governed the empire twentie five years , after his father 's deceas . francis , the first of france , stood in competition with don carles , for the succession to the imperial crown , and left no waie unattempted to corrupt the el●ctors , and make them of his partie . but the major part , after manie , long , and serious debates , thinking it more fit to continue that dignitie to the hous of austria ( who were natives of that countrie ) then to transfer it upon a strange prince , made the election in favor of don carles , king of spain , to the great contentment of all princes , and people of germamie . the electors of the sacred empire , at that time were , alberto archbishop of maguncia , or m●ntz , hertnao archbishop of colonia , ricardo archbishop of tr●ues , frederico duke of saxonia , lewis king of bohemia , and hungaria , ioachim marquis of brandeburg , lewis count palatine of the rhyne . the election beeing past in franckfort , and published all over germanie , the electors sent frederick duke of baviers into spain , to his majestie ; in mean time , they ordered all matters concerning the empire , and made casimire of brandeburg captain general of the imperial forces , until the new emperor should com to receiv his crown . whilst these things passed in germanie , the king celebrated in barcelona , the feast of the order of the golden fleece ; there the lord high counstable of castillia , don innigo de velasco , don iadrique de toledo duke of alva , don alvaro de zunniga duke of vejar , don fadrique enriquez lord admiral of castilla , don estavan alvarez cesorio marquis of astorga , received the order : but the earl of venavente refused it , saying , that hee was a right castillian , and cared not for anie badges of foreign honor , those of his own count●ie beeing as good , and in his opinion far better the duke of cordona in the kingdom of a●agon , and the prince of bis●●gnano , a neapolit●ne , stood not upon those nice tearms , but accepted the order as a particular favor from his majestie . about the same time , the queen germana ( finding more contentment in the companie of a husband , then in the solitarie condition of a widow , ) was married with great solemnitie , to the marquis of brandeburg , brother to the elector , who ( though of a very illustrious extraction ) was so incomparably inferior to the majestie and greatness of her former husband don fernando , that her judgment was much censured for her chois , and the courtiers thought so slightly of her , that divers would not give her the style of highness , until his majestie commanded it ( who assisted personally at the solemnitie , thinking thereby to endeer th● elector of brandenburg , the more to vote in his behalf . ) at the beginning of julie , in the same year , arrived at barcelona , frederick duke of baviers , brother to lewis duke of baviers , elector and count palatine , with the dispatches from the electors ; and having delivered his embassage , the chancellor mercurino de gatinara answered , that his majestie did receiv very willingly the ●lection of the empire , which the seven princes electors had conferred upon him , that hee would take that weightie and honorable care upon himself , out of the great affection which hee bore his native countrie , and that hee would endeavor with all convenient speed , to settle his affairs in spain , and make a voiage into germanie : thus the empire beeing setled upon don carles of spain , and the king of france deprived of all his hopes ( notwithstanding the vast summs of monie and presents , wherewith hee thought to purchase the elector's votes ) his envie and choler grew beyond the bounds of moderation , and hee resolved forthwith to act what mischief hee could , and interess the power of all other princes , his allies , against the emperor elect. sect . ix . whilest the king , or emperor elect was at barcelona , hee demanded the catalanes to receiv , and acknowledg him their king , which they refused for a while , neither would they consent , that hee should call anie parlamemt in their countrie ; but at last , they were perswaded to reason , and swore alleageance to him , as castillia and aragon had don . the emperor upon notice of his election , and solicitation of the princes of germanie for his going hither , had not the leisure to visit the kingdom of valencia , as hee intended ; therefore hee desired , that those of that kingdom would swear , and acknowledg him king , without obliging him to bee personally present , in regard it was imposslble for him to perform that journie , at that time , by reason of his new and unexspected occasions , which called him another waie . but they would not hearken to anie such motion , and scornfully made answer , that they were as good as aragoneses , or catalanes , and since , hee had spent two years time in those countries , why could not hee staie two moneths at valencia ? the emperor beeing readie , to depart from barcelona , sent cardinal adriano to valencia , to pacifie that kingdom , and gave commission to the infante don enrique , and the arch-bishop of saragosa ( both his unckles ) to call a parlament in his name , ordering that the monie which should bee granted him therein , by waie of subsedie , should bee all distributed amongst the aggrieved , and needie of the kingdom . don alonsa de cordona admiral of aragon , and the duke of gandia , with several other persons of account , gave their votes to acknowledg , and swear his majestie their king ▪ but the rest told the cardinal adriano , and wrote besides to the emperor , that they would lose their wives , children , and estates , rather then the liberties and privileges of their countrie ; whereat the cardinal much displeased , returned to court , leaving the citie of valencia in great distraction ; the out-rages and disorders whereof , shall bee hereafter more at large related . sect . x. it was agreed , and his majestie toke oath in the parlament , at valladolid , that no offices should bee given to strangers , nor the kingdom surcharged with new impositions , but should continue in the same manner , as was ordered by the catholick king , at a parlament , which hee called in burgos ; yet there was nothing less observed , or wors kept then these articles ; for the treasure of the kingdom was publickly exhausted , and offices were daily given to the flemings , who sold them to those that would give most monie , and likewise divers spiritual livings were so bestowed ; which the castillians seeing , and taking notice , how small account was made of the grandees , and nobles , natives of that countrie , they began to bee distasted , and muttered out manie things in a discontented manner , which ought not to bee rehearsed . these murmurings began from the time of his majestie 's departure , from valladolid to aragon , which was in march . and beeing in barcelona , som troubles arose about segovia , and avila , by reason of certain persons , that had farmed the customs , and roial revenues , which enhaunced the charges of the countrie ; whereat those cities much aggrieved , the contrarie having been promised by the emperor elect in parlament ; they acquainted the citie of toledo with their grievances , and desired , that all the cities of the kingdom should make a joint-complaint thereof to his majestie , and appoint their commissioners to importune him for a redress , desiring him to stand to the ordinances of parlament , made in valladolid , and to grant what hee then refused ; moreover , that hee would visit the whole kingdom before his departure into germanie . whereunto the lord chancellor , in his majestie 's name , made answer , that hee would very speedily send an express , to give the citie of toledo thanks for their expressions of fidelitie to him , and satisfie them more fully ▪ but the empire beeing without head , hee could not defer his going thither to receiv the crown , and settle the government ; which don , hee would make all convenient haste back again , into that kingdom of castillia , whose good hee tendered in a very particular manner . the commissioners beeing answered , the chapter of toledo ( as beeing the chief of the kingdom ) presented their grievances to his majestie , concerning the tenth , which the pope had granted to him , through all the churches of the kingdom , complaining that it was a new , heavie , and intolerable tax , and not onely grievous to the ecclesiasticks , but prejudicial to all his kingdoms ; that in former times , when the said kingdoms were over-run by moors and infidels , although there were manie , and bloudie wars , which continued until the blessed reigns of the catholick , king don fernando , and donnia isabel , of glorious memorie , his gr●ndfather and grandmother , who conquered the kingdom of granada , and extirpated the moorish race , which wars were very necessarie , and of extraordinarie expence ; yet there were no tenths raised , nor demanded ; it beeing an unheard of thing , and a request as unjust as insupportable , much less reason had his majestie to require anie such thing of the clergie , his case beeing far different , and his wars nothing so important . that hee should rather encourage the clergie , to praie for his good success , then diminish anie thing from their subsistence ; praiers beeing of more avail , then anie martial discipline , as appears by the holie scriptures ; wherein it is read , that the victorie is more certainly obteined by the praiers of devout priests , then by the force of horsmen and arms. but if his majestie 's temporal revenue was not sufficient to maintein a just war , in such case , hee might demand assistance of the church-men , as far forth as the present necessitie did require ; wherein they would willingly supplie his majestie , making levies amongst themselvs , and rather abate their own subsistence , then suffer him to bee disfurnished , which they should not bee able to do , if his majestie in the verie beginning would exact a tenth from them . divers other reasons they alleged in their petition to his majestie , whereunto there was no time to give answer . sect . xi . mean time the emperor maxmilian beeing dead , and charls the fift beeing long before hee went thither , to to take possession , the people of austria having lost all fear , and respect of autoritie , fell into the greatest disorder and mutinie that had been , within compass of the memorie of man , turning out , and discarding all antient officers of justice , and constituting others of their own combination : the like they did with ecclesiastical benefices . the loial partie ( which was the fewer in number ) durst not open their mouths , fearing the furie of the seditious vulgar ; who had possessed themselvs of all the arch-duke's revenues , and were grown to such a height of arrogancie , that they sent to the emperor , beeing at barcelona , to ratifie and confirm what they had don for the publick weal and good government ( as they termed it ) of that countrie , and to allow the new officers of iustice , whom they had constituted . but the emperor returned them such an answer , as made them understand that hee knew himself to bee arch-duke of austria , and not they . these distractions and perturbations continued in that countrie almost two years ; after which his majestie returning into germanie , pacified all those dissentions and factious spirits , setled the government , and received the imperial crown , as shall bee expressed hereafter . finis libri primi . the second book . sect . i. in this and the following books , i am to relate the the insurrections or rising of the people ( commonly called communidades , or communalties ) which continued in spain , from the year to . a subject , truly , very sad and unpleasant , and which i would willingly pass under silence , becaus som illustrious families , noble cities , and principal towns of the kingdom were interessed therein , which never had been disobedient to their kings , but alwaies esteemed for their loialtie . neither do i conceiv that they thought anie waie to disserv his majestie , but rather to releas him out of that oppression ( as i may term it ) in which his favorites held him . and , it is manifest , in that they so earnestly importuned and petitioned , that their king would not go out of the kingdom , that they desired , and delighted to see , and enjoie his roial presence ; which was no sign , that they intended to do him anie disservice : it will appear more evidently in the progress of this historie , and by the letters which passed between them , whereof som i have set down in the same manner , as they were written in the originals , becaus the particularitie of the historie doth require it , in a matter of such weight and danger . and since the loialtie of spain come's in question , who have alwaies had their princes in so high a reverence , that they honored and respected their verie statues and pictures , as if they had been their sovereign's , whom they represented : i will , before i go anie further ▪ declare the ground and reasons , upon which the castillians founded their complaints and grievances , as i have gathered them from those who were eie-witnesses , and have penn'd all the several passages , with much discretion , respect , fear of god , and with a minde free from partialitie . sect . ii. the familiaritie of monsieur de xeures with the king was so great , that hee rather seemed to bee the king , and the king his son , then to bee xeures his vassal and creature , as hee was . there was no access , nor speaking with the king , but when xeures pleased : if anie thing succceded well , xeures assumed the glorie to himself , giving out that hee had don it ; if ill , hee alwaies laid the fault upon the king , saying , the king would have it so . and , indeed , this was the first occasion that begat the innocent prince the ill will of his people . i have seen a memorial of these passages , which a gentleman ( one of the king 's domestick servants ) wrote , and averreth to have been an eie-witness of them . hee report's , that while the king was yet in his minoritie , and unacquainted with state-affairs , xeures would suffer no bodie to speak with him , unless hee were first informed of the business , that so hee might put into the king's mouth , what hee would have him to answer ; and if anie refused to impart their business to him , they were so far from having audience , that hee would not suffer them to enter into his majestie 's presence ; thus did hee deal with those that were sent from toledo , and divers other cities . indeed , at that time all the castillians were very much discountenanced , and not treated as their's and their predecessor's services had deserved . the flemings perceived the mindes of the spaniards disposed for all mischief ; much ambition , and little friendship beeing amongst them : for som devoted themsel●s particularly to king ferdinand the catholick , others to king philip the fair. these were kindes of factions , wherewith were possessed for som daies the mindes of manie people . mercurino gatinara lord high chancellor was second in the emperor's favor , and as the autoritie and familiaritie with princes admit of no competitor , xeures and this chancellor could not endure each other : they both presumed so much , that each of them would command alone , and ambitioned a power above the other ; these made themselvs the heads of those two factions , and added more poison to their malice and discontents . xeures favored those of ferdinando : and the chancellor sided with those of don philip's partie . and all was ill ( as the proverb saie's ) for the poor pitcher ; for the distressed countrie of spain had all the sufferings . xeures was so corrupt and covetous , that he sold all the king's favors , offices , bishopricks , honors , and whatsoëver hee conceived would yield him money . the chancellor did the like with all iustice-ships and other offices ; so that secluded iustice was enforc'd to give up her seat , and sword to the tyrannie of over-ruling avarice ; onely monie then bore the swaie ; no right , no equitie was able to counterpoiz the weight of gold ; all things and places ( as in the times of catiline at rome ) were then put to sale : the flemings were much encouraged with this fine gold , and ingots of pure silver , that came from the indies ; and the simple spaniards so blinde , in giving it for their pretensions , that it became as common , as a proverb , for a fleming to call a spaniard , my indian . and , indeed , it was not improper , for the indians never gave so much gold to the spaniards , as the spaniards did to the flemings : this in time grew to such a pass , that it was publickly sung along the streets , double pistol , it 's well for thee , that from xeures thou art free . it is reported that a certain pretendent , or petitioner who had presented xeures with a very handsom mule , and hee beeing asked by another gentleman , where hee had gotten that curious beast , answered , that hee knew not who had given it him ; beeing within hearing , and very much aggrieved to see himself so soon forgotten , and the business hee had communicated to xeures so neglected , give 's forthwith order to have his mule cried , declaring all his marks , and describing the furniture hee had bestowed on him ; which the same gentleman hearing of , went presently , and told xeures , that according to the marks , it must needs bee that this mule had been stolen ; thus the poor petitioner recovered what hee had given him , and lost not all , as most men do in such occurrences : for there is no memorie so weak , as that of a covetous man in power , who digest's gold with more facililitie , then estriches do iron . sect ▪ iii. there was no monie to bee got in the whole kingdom , but pieces of nine marauediz , which is three half-pence english , for all better coins xeures had transported ▪ what shall i saie ? besides that which was ship't for flanders from barcelona , beeing millions ; from the groyne , millions ; and from other parts , millions ; so that it exceeded the number of twentie five hundred millions ; which was enough to make him equal to the most powerful and richest king. but consider in what condition did poor castillia remain after such a dreining . besides all this , the flemings held the ●paniards in so mean esteem , that they insulted over them as if they had been their slaves , or rather beasts ; they would break open their houses at their pleasures , abuse their wives in their own presence , carrie away their goods , and no justice to bee had against them . it hapned that a castillian having killed a fleming at valladolid , took sanctuare in st marie magdalen's church ; som flemings violently breaking in upon him , and stabbing him in divers places , there made him a sad sacrifice to their revengeful furie ; which don , they went cleer away unchastiled , unquestioned ; that which bred the people's greatest dislike of their king , was , that they could not bee admitted into his presence , treat with him , nor ●o much as know him : for x●u●es would suffer no bodie to speak with him ; if at anie time hee did give audience , xeures would still bee at his elbow , and in regard hee did not throughly understand the spanish tongue , hee seemed as if hee had not been spoken to . this gave the rise of the people's general ill opinion of him : they presently spake him a man of a weak apprehension , and of an ill disposition , they call'd him dutchman , and an enemie to spaniards ; they said , hee wanted judgment as well as years , neither was hee of a talent fit to govern : by these prejudicial censures of their prince , which were for som time generally noised abroad amongst the people , likening him to his mother : som that never had seen him , said , it could not bee otherwise ; and that , for that respect onely , xeures would suffer no bodie els to confer with him , lest hee should too much discover his own imperfections . others that had been admitted to speak with him , much vindicated his honor in that particular , protesting , that they found him verie discreet , and of no mean capacitie ; that hee was no way guiltie of those pretended weaknesses , but his favorites infinitely to bee condemn'd ; neither was it to bee wondered at , if hee suffered himself to bee governed by them , in regard hee was but a youth , and unacquainted with the customs of that countrie , and the dispositions of the people . those that have near relations about the persons of kings , ought to bee verie careful and circumspect , how to avoid the occasions of murmurings and envie , considering , that kings are like that sun which diffuseth his light to all . sect . iiii. the whole countrie of castillia was imbrued with these factious discourses , before they ever thought of the departure of their king and emperor , as will appear by the letters , which were interchangeably sent from citie to citie . but when they heard of his resolution to bee gon , and that his calling of a parlament would en●reas their contributions and taxes , they out-stript the bounds of patience . the principal causses of their commotions were these three ensuing : first , to see the king go out of that kingdom , beeing alwaies accustomed to keep their courts in spain ; for when king alonso the wise deserted it , out of an ambitious covetousness of possessing th' imperial scepter , hee not onely lost that kingdom , but was incumbred with insurrections , not of the common people , but of kings and princes , th●t levied arms against him . their second grievance was , to see all offices , and places of honor , trust , or profit , conferred upon strangers . the third was an universal crying out , that the treasure of spain was all transported into foreign nations . and wee may add for a fourth reason , that in that verie occurrence , som evil star dispersed the malignitie of it's influence over all castillia , sardinia , sicilia and austria , which at one instant were all infected with the same poison , as if they had all conspired and agreed together . this they made the ground of their insurrections ; becaus their king left them to live in a strange countrie ; becaus their wealth was exhausted , and their countrie impoverished , to inrich foreigners ; and becaus the high treasurer-ship was given to xeures , and the arch-bishoprick of toledo to william de croy , his nephew , and all presentations to spiritual preferments , and other offices to strangers ; but that which they chiefly resented was the king's going to the empire , and had they really wished him ill in his own person , they would not have been so sensible of his departure . i cannot let pass with silence the audacitie of a certain gentleman of those parts , named , the martial don pedro , who refused to swear alleageance to charls , as king , alledging , that in regard hee was not born in spain , nor descended from the blood of the castillian kings , by the father's side , hee was not obliged to acknowledg him , but , like a true castillian , to keep strictly that oath , and loialtie to his countrie , and the precedent kings . upon which words hee was apprehended , his goods confiscate , and his person committed close prisoner in the castle of atienza . the emperor after this coming to valladolid , sent for him , and promised him , that if hee would yet take the oath , hee should not onely bee enlarged , but bee restored to the quiet possession of his whole estate , as formerly , which favor beeing refused , hee was thence carried to the castle of simancas , where hee ended his life through his own indiscreet obstinacie . som men through a desperate fool-hardiness think it a piece of courage and gallantrie to precipitate themselvs into the most eminent dangers . sect . v. the citie of toledo ( extremely discontented at these passages , especially , at the emperor's going away without beeing known or seen ) wrote to the other cities of castillia this ensuing letter . a letter from toledo to the cities of castillia . worshipful , noble , and most virtuous sirs ! in regard somtimes wee have written to you in particular , you may wonder why wee now write to you all in general : but considering the imminent necessitie that there is in this case , and the danger that may ensue by deferring anie longer ; wee shall rather bee condemn'd as beeing too slack for not doing it before , then thought importunate for doing it now . you know , and may remember , how vehemently king charls our soeverign lord's arrival in spain was desired of all , and how sudden is his departure from us ; his absence now is no less torment to us , then his presence at that time afforded us delight and comfort ; the long continuance of his roial person in the kingdom of aragon , and the small time hee hath vouchsafed to reside in this our kingdom of castillia , hath been a great occasion that the affairs of this kingdom are yet in so unsettled a condition : and if his majestie doth go away , as hee hath determined , the longer wee delaie , the wors our case will bee . therefore ( sirs ! ) our opinion is , if you think good , since the damage is universal , that 't were convenient , that wee should all meet and consult upon a remedie ; the business is of no small moment , besides , in manie other particular things ( sirs ! ) wee finde an extreme necessitie of your advise , and after your advise wee shall have as much need of your favor , and helping hands . wee finde three principal things that require our convening , that wee may advise upon som good cours for the expedition of them ; it will bee needful that wee dispatch som messengers to his majestie , humbly beseeching him , first not to depart spain ; secondly , that hee would by no means permit our treasure to bee transported hence ; thirdly , that no strangers may bear office in this kingdom . sirs , wee beg thus much favor of you , that having read our letter , you forthwith send us your answer ; for it is necessarie , that those who are to carrie our messages should go together , and make their propositions all at once ; for our demands beeing in the names of the whole kingdom , wee shall obtain a more significant and speedie answer . god keep his majestie , and preserv his noble person . from toledo this th november , . the contents of this short letter were much approved of by the readers ; but in that occurrence of time they were of dangerous consequence , for the ill managing of the affairs of castillia was generally much resented , and this letter bred no mean varietie of thoughts in the alreadie wounded hearts of the suffering people ; it did this mischief , that all men suspecting wors evils , unanimously said , since toledo lift's up the hand , som great disaster must befal this kingdom . they all returned their answers , although the citie of burgos disapproved their general meeting ; granada answered , that they should do better to exspect another opportunitie , and carrie a more specious form . salamanca and murcia were not backwards in their promises and fair offers , but they did not agree in that particular , touching the general assemblie , yet all wrote that they would send their burgesses , as agents , who in the parlament should bee conformable to the toledians . sevil answered neither yea , nor no. these answers puff'd up the spirits of the toledians , and hernando de avalos ( brother to don iohn de ribera , who was chosen for procurador , that is , burgess and commissioner ) associating himself with iohn de padilla , were the chief sticklers for that caus , and although the emperor wrote to them , no reason would satisfie , but they answered , that they understood in so doing , to do him service . sect ▪ vi. soon after was publisht through the whole kingdom , the emperor's determination to go into germanie , to receiv the imperial crown ; everie one lamented his departure , out of a presaging fear , that those so long contracted fogs of murmuring discontent , condensing more and more through the privation of his resplendent presence , might at last break forth into som furious storm of intestine commotions , to the ruine of their whole countrie ; which consideration meeting with the complaints , and general grievances of the whole kingdom , they began at length to mutter out their resentments in these following words . that the king shewed verie small affection to that countrie ; and despising it as too mean for him , would betake himself wholly to germanie . that xeures had robbed spain of all her treasure ; that the king beeing at burgos ( capital citie of castillia ) did not staie one week there . that xeures would not have the parlament to bee in valladolid , although all the grandees , and divers others of the kingdom had petitioned for it . that don pedro giron had given the king som unbeseeming language , which hee thought good to put up , becaus hee was not man enough to punish his temerarious audacitie . that xeures had called a parlament , but for no other end , then to charge the kingdom with a new cessment of four hundred thousand duckets . from these and such other seeds of discontents sown amongst the common people , grew suddenly a multitude of turbulent imaginations in their factious hearts ; and the seditious clergie , casting the oil of their , pretended , religious doctrine into the fire of the people's ill-grounded zeal , made the flame blaze the higher , pricking them daily forwards with their sacrilegious exhortations in the pulpits , in these or like words ▪ why do you , that are a free born nation , suffer such exorbitancies ? why do you suffer strangers to reap the fruits of your labors , in your own countrie ? you have not yet fully paid the cessment , that was granted to the king in the last parlament ; and yet hee will impose more taxes on you , till hee hath swept this kingdom clean , and quite beggar'd us , to inrich his germane nation ; and there 's xeures , who was but a private gentleman in flanders , hath made himself one of the richest men in the world , by the spoils of us castillians . sect . vii . the emperor beeing at valladolid , and the people's mindes much distracted with these several grievances , hee sent for the corregidores , regidores , and all other publick magistrates to his palace . upon their appearance hee told them that beeing then to go into germanie , to receiv the imperial crown , hee was in great distress for want of monies to defraie his charges , to which hee desired , they would not onely give their consents , but bee assistant in the raising of three hundred millions of marauediz , which might bee easily don in castillia , by waie of subsidie and pole-monie , everie town paying according to their qualitie and cessments ; presuming , that if those of valladolid subscribed , the other places of the kingdom , would not bee backwards to answer his exspectation ; and in case they did satisfie his desires therein ▪ hee promised to grant them all the favors their burgesses or commissioners should demand of him in parlament . there was present at this conference , the arch-bishop of santjago , the bishop mota , the earl of venavente , the marquis of astorga , and xeures who was never from the emperor's elbow . those of valladolid desired som time to give in their answer , but ( they said ) they could see no possibilitie of effecting what the emperor demanded of them . thence began tumultuous meetings in the streets , conventicles , and outragious murmurings , insomuch that they were even readie to rise in arms against the flemings . at last valladolid returned the emperor this answer , that they humbly desired his majestie would bee pleased to staie , and make his residence in their countrie , and that upon those terms hee should not onely command the three hundred millions hee desired , but they would furnish him with much more , and if need required , they would not stick to part with their lands and goods , but fell their children also to do him service . but , in their opinions , that hee should go away and deprive the kingdom of his roial person , besides , that vast summe monie which hee desired to carrie into forreign countries , seemed verie unreasonable , and they would sell nothing to further anie such designe , neither did they believ that god required they should paie him anie such obedience . upon this answer of valladolid , there were several meetings and consultations , but they prevailed nothing . but the emperor's favorites , ( against whom castillia was chiefly incensed ) viz. xeures , don garzia de padilla , and mota , bishop of badajos , went again to the magistrates , desiring them that they would consider well upon his majestie 's demands , since the performance thereof was so important to his present service , and so easie for them to accomplish : that the necessitie of his going to receiv the imperial crown was extremely urgent , and redounded not a little to the reputation and honor of that kingdom . that they should look upon what castillia had furnished to king alonso the wise , when hee went into germanie upon a pretended claim of the empire , and how much more reason they had to do the like now , ( which they might well do , the kingdom beeing in a far better condition . ) that the king undertook not that voiage , as don alonso did , upon a doubtful matter , his business was already most certainly concluded and agreed upon . this was closely followed , for during the three daies time which the emperor staied in valladolid , the gentrie , magistrates , and burgesses of the town , with bishop mota ( whom the emperor had sent , to entreat them to condescend to his desires ) did nothing els all daie and night , but go from the court to the town-hous , and back again ; the bishop of osma , don alonso enriques and som of the magistrates were of opinion , that they should do well to satisfie his majestie 's desires . others stood strongly to the contrarie , and turned their opponents out from their consultation , with manie reviling words , calling them disloial , disobedient , and other injurious names : this beeing known amongst the common people , inflamed amain their furie ; their boundless rage suddenly broke into an ocean of inconsiderate and bitter expressions . the third daie that his majestie was there , it beeing divulged to and fro in the citie , that the magistrates had consented to and subscribed the emperor's demands , the people cried out , that ought not to bee suffred . the emperor beeing informed of all these passages , was very much perplext , and gave order presently to prepare for his departure . it is r●ported that hee said , hee desired no more then that consentment , and those subscriptions which som of the magistrates had given in , as for the rest , who had refused , hee should take his time to bee even with them . so hee departed upon a sudden , though the towns-men thought hee would not have gon , in regard valladolid and divers other cities of castillia , had sent to beseech him with much humilitie and earnestness , that hee would bee pleased to forbear a while , and not leav them so soon , fearing the disasters which afterwards befel them . the emperor gave them a gracious answer , thanking them for their good wishes , but ( hee said ) it was expedient for him to depart without anie further delaie , for the good and advancement of that kingdom , and hee promissed them , that assoon as hee had received the imperial crown , hee would com back again , at the farthest within three years . this did not satisfie the gentrie of the kingdom , nor the cities , nor the commons of valladolid , who grew excessively out of temper . sect . viii . before wee pass anie farther , it will not bee improper to set down what was don at toledo in this interim . wee have seen the letter which they wrote the last year , to the other cities of the kingdom , they wrote another to valladolid , bearing date the th of june of this year . declaring ( to the same effect as in the former ) the great necessitie , into which the absence of their king would plunge the countrie , and the great inconveniences that were likely to proceed from that occasion . that it was expedient , that all the cities of the kingdom should make an assemblie , and consult what were best to bee don in a case of such high consequence ; that they would consider of the manner and place of meeting ; that they would conform themselvs to valladolid , and that valladolid should communicate the matter to the bordering towns and cities . that toledo would presently put it in execution , for they were and ever would bee at his majestie 's service , for the good of the kingdoms and their republicks . the fifteenth of june , valladolid returned this answer , that they would very willingly condescend to such an assemblie , if they thought they might justly and lawfully do it , and that they remained well assured of the zeal and good affection which toledo expressed to the king's service , and the publick good ; but such kinde of meetings ( they alleged ) were prohibited by the laws of the kingdom , without his majestie 's permission , and admit they were not forbidden , at that time however they were unlawful in regard his majestie was absent , and by reason of the scandal which might arise from thence , especially there beeing a governor for his majestie in the kingdom , and a person of such note and value , besides the lord president , and those of the council , with whom they and the other cities of the kingdom might communicate their necessities and grievances . and valladolid conclude's thus : so wee beseech your worships that you would pleas to let these assemblies ceas , becaus out of the desire wee have to do you service , it would griev us very much , that that citie should give anie occasion of scandal . becaus all that should proceed from thence , would bee imputed and laid to the charge of those , that were assistant at anie such iunta . and if you think that there is anie necessitie to provide for , or that you desire to remedie anie thing touching this kingdom or that citie , send your messengers or commissioners to the governor , and those of the council , and wee will procure them a free arrival hither , protect them while they staie here , and obtein them a safe conduct back again , to which wee doubt not but the governor will easily condescend , and wee will also join with them in all that is just and lawful . and becaus wee believ , according to your great prudence and virtue , you will receiv our intention with the same zeal and affection , as wee declare it , wee enlarge our selvs no further in this particular . so god keep you , &c. sect . ix . these private treaties increased daily the publick resentments , and the more in respect of the king's demands , and his so unexspected determination to leav that countrie . the principal of those that declared themselvs in toledo , with demonstrations of the greatest zeal to the common good , were iohn de padilla , don pedro lasso de la vega , son to don garzilasso de la vega chancellor of the order in the kingdom of leon , and hernando de avalos , all gentlemen of noble extraction , and allied to the chief nobles of spain . these gentlemen who were chief commissioners in the iuntas and assemblies , which were held in the citie , exclaim●d exceedingly against the ill government , that the king was carried away by strangers , not considering the miserable condition in which hee left that kingdom ; then they repeated all the contents of the letters , which toledo had sent to th' other cities , adding divers other things that had been produced upon new occasions , which they amplified and aggravated , with more bitterness then need required : and , that toledo , which for her greatness , had been the metropolitan citie of spain in time of the goths , was more then ordinarily obliged to seek out a remedie , and set a period to so great evils . they urged moreover that it was most expedidient , that forthwith letters should bee dispatched to all the cities of the kingdom ( that had vote in parlament ) to incite them to assemble in som place convenient for their treating upon the forementioned remedies . that there should immediately bee sent a petition to the king ; beseeching him not to depart the kingdom , but that hee would bee pleased to give som order for the remedying , and better managing of affairs . that , in case his majestie would not , the kingdom intended to indeavor it , and would more narrowly see into that which concerned the common good . these and divers such like things were that daie there propounded . and in ●egard they carried a specious apparence of the publick good , which was so generally desired , throughout the whole kingdom , the major part of the assemblie was of opinion , that it was most fi●ting and convenient so to do . but som dissented ( though they were the fewer in number ) fearing that if the affairs were carried on in that manner ( although under colour of the common good ) they would produce very sad consequents , neither were they satisfied of the lawfulness of the citie 's assembling such iunta's , without the king's licence and autoritie antonio alvares de toledo , an ancient gentleman of that citie , lord of cedillo , and som others , which leaned to his faction , were of this opininion , either out of desire to do the king service , or becaus they could not agree with the rest , ( for such kinde of sidings have produced a world of mischief in all places ) or that like prudent men and free from passion , they fore-saw with clearer eies , the danger that would ensue th'assembling of the cities without the king's autoritie ; they gave their votes against writing to the cities , declared against all publick , or particular meetings in that kinde , and said openly , that in case there were a necessitie of rectifying anie thing , they should in an honest and humble manner petition the emperor to take it into his consideration . whereto those of the contrarie judgment made several replies . after long debate and contention about this matter , at last those few , which were of the most safe and wholesom opinion , protested and required according to that which they had voted , that the corregidor and citie would take an especial care what they did , as for their parts they absolutely disapproved of iohn de padilla's and the other gentlemen's propositions . the governor don lewis porto carrero , earl of palma , beeing present adhered to this opinion , but was backwards in expressing himself , in regard h●e had married the sister of don pedro lasso , who was of the contrarie partie : neither did hee answer one syllable to the other 's protest or requests . yet the business was so imbroiled , that no resolution could bee given that daie . this difference and contention amongst the chief men of the citie beeing noised abroad , the people began to mutinie , and divide themselvs into parties and factions . but the major part inclined to the worst opinion , beeing allured and drawn on with the fair pretence of the comm●n good : those few , who prudently perceived the contrarie , gave the emperor forthwith notice of all these passages in the citie , and antonio alvarez de toledo in particular , who had great intimacie with the bishop of palencia mota . this advice came to the emperor's hands , just upon his departure from aragon to valladolid . but soon after at another meeting in toledo , the major part voted that they should write to the other cities of the kingdom , as formerly had been propounded , and that they should send to the emperor two regidores , and two iurados , or iurates of the citie , humbly to demand of him as shall bee set down hereafter . yet they were contradicted , and the contrarie required by the same men that had opposed them before , but to no purpose . whereupon the dispute grew so hot amongst them , that iohn de padilla , who stood for the commons , and antonio alvarez de toledo , who opposed and condemned his opinion as wicked and dangerous , drew their daggers at each other in the assemblie . don pedro lasso de la vega , don alonso suares , and two iurates were appointed to go from the citie to the emperor , who having put themselvs in equipage forthwith departed . letters were presently dispatcht and sent to the other cities , although the same distemper and factions were already brewing in divers of them before they were delivered . at that same time was brought to toledo from the emperor , a summons to assist in the parlament , which hee had call'd in galicia . and according to the custom of toledo , ( which is for the regidores and iurates , that are present , to draw lots , and one of each to go ( upon whomsoëver the lot fall's ) it was don iohn de silva's chance ( who afterwards was marquess of monte-mayor ) to go as regidor of toledo , and alonso de aguirre , as iurate . to whom ( becaus they held the opinion of the contrarie partie ) the citie would not give a full and general power , according to the emperor's commands , but an especial and limited one , to see and hear what the emperor desired , and with an injunction to give them advice thereof , to the end that from time to time the citie might order them what to do , and that in no case they should grant anie subsidies , or anie thing els . which power don iohn de silva would not accept , nor go to the parlament upon those tearms , exspecting they should give him the full and usual power , and that the emperor should send his command to that effect . there was such trouble and opposition in this business , that hee could never obtain that power , neither did they go to the parlament . sect . x. the emperor returned an answer to antonio alvarez de toledo , and the others , who had given him notice of the several passages , thanking them for their fidelitie , and acknowledging the good service they had don him therein , charging them moreover to persevere , but with rhe greatest wariness and discretion that might bee . to the corregidor don lewis de palma hee wrote likewise , reprehending him of his lukewarmeness and small resolution , and gave him order what to do thenceforwards : but hee did not punctually obeie his majestie 's orders , nor observ the manner which was most convenient , for hee was a man of too milde a disposition , which suit 's very ill with those who are to govern , especially in cases of that nature . whereupon som few daies after hee gave up his command , and the emperor sent don antonio de cordova the ( earl of cabra's brother ) to take his place , but hee came too late to applie anie remedie to those disorders . thus the affairs of toledo wax't wors and wors , and the audaciousness of the people was grown to such a height , that they made new assemblies everie daie in favor of that , which they called communaltie , by consent and order of iohn de padilla , and hernando de avalos , who were the chief incendiaries and favorers of these disturbances . toledo excepting against the fore-mentioned commissioners , agreed to constitute others with an especial power to present certain articles to the emperor ( which they had by waie of instruction from the citie ) touching the general good of the kingdom . don pedro lasso , and don alonso suares were appointed to go as regidores of the citie , and michael de hita and alonso ortiz , as iurates . the contents of their commission were these . that they should beseech the emperor not to depart the kingdom , representing unto him the inconveniences , which might arise by his absence , in regard the kingdom of castillia could not live without their king , beeing not accustomed to bee under anie particular man's government . that hee should not give anie office or charge in that kingdom to anie stranger , and that hee should take those away again which hee had so bestowed . that hee should not take anie monie out of the kingdom for anie person in the world , becaus they had already contributed so much , that the kingdom was reduced to great povertie . that in the parlament , which hee had now assembled , hee should not demand anie subsidies , especially , if hee continued in the resolution of departing the kingdom . that the parlament should bee adjourned , and held in castillia and not at santjago , nor in the kingdom of galicia . that the offices and governments should not bee vendible . that som good order should bee taken in the inquisition , which might tend to the service and glorie of god , and that no bodie should bee molested . that the grievances and wrongs of private persons of the kingdom , should bee righted and repaired . these were the principal heads of the demands , toledo then sent to his majestie , but the commotions increasing gave them the boldness to add new matter to their petition , as you shall see hereafter . sect . xi . i have declared already the combustions that were in valladolid , and the emperor's determination to depart thence , purposing to take his waie by tordesillas to visit the queen , his mother . which beeing known , and noised through the citie ( moreover that hee would carrie his mother out of the kingdom with him ) the citizens , and common people were so much troubled at it , that they vented divers as bitter exclamations as a furious passion could dictate to their disturbed mindes . but the chief burgesses , deputies and other officers met in consultation at the monasterie of st paul , to take order for investing their commissioners with a general power , to grant what the emperor should demand in parlament , to petition his majestie●om ●om things in their favor , and to kiss his hand before his departure . while they were thus assembled on mondaie morning , don pedro lasso with his companions , arriveing the same daie at valladolid , and beeing alighted went to visit them . but alonso ortiz , his fellow commissioner ( who resided in court ) said , in regard the emperor was gon to church to praie for his good journie to tordesillas , that hee thought it convenient for them to go first to the palace , for perchance his majestie beeing informed of their arrival , would vouchsafe to staie a little , and give them audience . in this interim som inhabitants of valladolid beeing told of the toledo-commissioner's coming , went to salute them , desiring that they would indevor to procure som remedie against those miseries and grievances under which the kingdom then so much groaned . hereupon , it was agreed amongst them that the towns-men should presently put themselvs in a readiness , to oppose and hinder the emperor from going out of the kingdom , or depart that citie ( in which attempt don pedro lasso offered to venture his fortune with them , if they would stand to him , ) and that they should seiz upon xeures , and som flemings of the chief of his majestie 's council , and bed-chamber , binding first those towns-men with a solemn oath , not to desert him in that enterprize . beeing pricked with this over-dilligent itch of putting in execution the orders and commands which their citie had imposed upon them , before they went to kiss the emperor's hands ( which had been the right waie ) beeing accompanied with a gang of common people , and som deputies of the wards ( who by this time were come in to them ) they went directly to the monasterie of st paul to salute , and communicate their design with the chief of the citie there assembled ; to whom they made a speech , signifying the causses of their comming , and what they intended to desire of his majestie in behalf of their citie , justifying their demands , and coloring them with the most specious pretences that could bee : and indeed , ( as at first their meaning was ) their affection and zeal to their prince were such , that their thoughts ( i believ ) differed nothing from their expressions , until things were brought unto such a pass , that there was no hopes of remedie , and that those that had the power , or the wisdom , made a breach through their miseries ; as did don pedro lasso and divers other gentlemen . and at the last they desired , that ( as they had written , and offered to the citie of toledo ) they would send their commissioners with them , to make a joint-demand of the same things , which salamanca and other cities desired : for a petition beeing countenanced by so manie cities , would bee much more available . their speech beeing thus ended , by the general consent of the assemblie , don hernando enriquez ( brother to the lord admiral ) returned them this answer ; that as yet they were not fully determined what to do , and for that caus they were there assembled , that they would resolv upon that , which should tend most to the king's service , and the good of the kingdom ; that they might do what they saw good . the commissioners of toledo perceiving valladolid otherwaies inclined , then they exspected , went forthwith to the palace , leaving them in consultation . sect . xii . they came to the emperor's chamber of presence , just as hee was risen from dinner . with his majestie were the marquis of villena , the earl of venavente , the earl of miranda , the duke of alburquerque the earl of haro , the earl of castro , the earl of palma , the marquis of brandenbourg , the archbishop of santjago , the bishop of palencia , monsieur de xeures , and don pedro giron , the earl of urenia's eldest son . it hapned as those commissioners came in , don pedro giron was talking with the king so loud , that everie one might hear him : hee said , that his majestie might remember , that beeing at barcelona , the first of march anno , hee did him the honor to give him a writing under his hand , wherein hee promissed , that at his arrival in castilla , hee would command the judges to examine , and determine according to law , the right which hee pretended and claimed to the estate of medina sidonia , as the portion and inheritance of the ladie mencia de gusman , his wife , daughter to the duke don iohn deceased , and that his majestie beeing since at burgos , hee had again refresh't his memorie by waie of petition , that hee had don the like there in valladolid , and yet his majestie was upon his departure , without giving anie order for the performance of that which hee had promised under his hand ; and hereupon hee fell into a vain of very presumptuous language , such as savored of too much sauciness and audacitie . amongst other things hee said , that since his majestie did not do him justice , hee intended to right himself with his own hand , and that for so great an injurie ( and without reason , so publick , and so known , as his majestie had made it to all the world , by suffering him to bee so abused against equitie or justice , and contrary to that which his majestie did owe to his own royal word , hee having so punctually performed all the duties that could bee required of his loialtie ) hee had now no more to saie or do , but onely to let his majestie understand , that for fault of the remedie which hee did not give him , and for the great injurie which hee now did him , hee could and would make use of all those provisions , which the laws of the kingdom of spain did ordain in favor , and for the redressing of oppressed and injured gentlemen , and to this effect it was sufficient to ask his majestie 's permission , as hee had alreadie begged it before as honorable persons , as those that were then present , but could not obtain it : speaking these words , hee fell upon his knees , and kissed his majestie 's hand . the emperor somwhat moved at don pedro's , more then bold , speeches , made this grave replie , don pedro you are a discreet man , i do not think that you would do anie thing , that shall oblige mee● to punish you , for if you should , my justice must answer your offence . don pedro replied , sir , in doing what i saie , i do nothing but what i ought , and what is just , if i do it not my self , your majestie will not see mee righted . those from whom i descended , never imbraced the thought of doing anie thing that ought not to be don , neither do i intend it . that which i said , sir , i would do , was to seek som remedie for my grievances , according to the laws instituted in this kingdom ; and if your meaning is , sir , to have me punished for doing what i ought , you will see ( if you do so ) what you ought to do to your self . the emperor presently answered , i think to do you justice , don pedro , as i told you , and i have performed my promise to you . you are my king sir , said don pedro , and i will not answer you : that which you promised mee is herein written under your own hand , and may soon bee seen , and what you concluded in your council yesterdaie , this daie is known sufficiently : that said , hee produced his paper for evidence . upon these words the marquis of villena bid don pedro forbear , and void the chamber , so don pedro went out , and the earl of venavente , and the lord high constable with him ( who came in after this discours began ) all the other gentlemen presently followed them , and gathering themselvs in a knot together in the anti-chamber , they descanted upon these passages , and don pedro giron continued still his fuming , with exp●essions of much discontent , and sens of injurie , becaus the king had not made good to him what hee had promised him with so much assurance . sect . xiii . don pedro giron was no sooner gon out of the presence , but don pedro lasso , & don alonso suarez advanced to speak to his majestie , beseeching hee would bee pleased to give them audience , for they had divers things to impart to his majestie , which did much conduce to his service . the emperor answered them , that hee was upon going , as they saw , and that hee had not then the time to hear them : they replied , but chiefly don pedro lasso : that it was of so much concernment to his majestie to hear them , that hee would not repent the deferring of his departure for a little while , especially the weather beeing ( as it was ) very rainie . for they would inform his majestie of manie things , wherein were interessed in an extraordinarie manner , both his service and the good of the kingdom . the emperor knowing alreadie the substance of what they came to ask , and nothing pleased with their manner of petitioning , answered , that there was no man in the world more careful , and desirous of that which might bee most expedient for the good of his kingdoms , then himself ; that they should meet him at the next town to tordesillas , in the waie to santjago , and there hee would hear them : so they departed his presence . the emperor ( beeing very angrie at the importunitie , and sauciness of the toledians , and don pedro giron ) sent presently to call som of his privie council , to advise touching the apprehending of don pedro giron ; the lord high constable beeing advertised of the emperor's pleasure , came presently to the palace , and with the rest of the nobles there beeing , hee sent to desire xeures , that hee would join with them , in taking som cours for the composing of the matter . while things were thus in agitation , a rumor began to spread amongst the people , that their magistrates had granted what the emperor did desire , that hee was going away , and that hee would carrie his mother out of the kingdom with him ; and as the people are apt to believ all they hear , this report much troubled them , and beeing drunk with passion , they ran madding through the streets ; and here and there making stands ( after that countrie fashion ) they assembled divers circuler consultations , saying , that it would bee fitting to petition the king not to depart ; beeing all up in this confusion without understanding each other's meaning , a certain rope-maker , by nation a portuguez , inhabitant of that citie , seeing that the king was readie to depart , and that no bodie would petition him to staie , hee got into the steeple of st michael ( which is a very ancient parish in that citie , where hung a great bell , commonly called the counsel-bell , which used to bee rung onely in times of war , uproars , or upon anie alarum ) this bell hee begin's to ring , with as much speed as hee could , which assoon as the people heard , without knowing or examining wherefore , all ( except those that were assembled in the monasterie of st paul ) presently took up arms , to the number of about five or six thousand common people . 't is said their determination was to kill xeures and all the flemings , and to hinder the emperor's departure . don alonso enriquez bishop of osma , gave xeures notice hereof , yet hee would not believ him , thinking that hee told him so , onely to ingratiate himself with him ; but soon after , hearing a great hurlieburlie , and the clashing of weapons , and asking what the matter was , don pedro porto carero told him , sir , it is now no time for you to sit in council , but indeavor to secure your person ; for the common crie of the people is , let charls the king live , but let his ill counsellors perish ; neither ought you to think it strange , if in their rage they murther you , since they consider you , as one that carrie's their king from them . the people seeing themselvs so numerous , manie of them ( as it appeared ) would have stop't the emperor's journie . and this disorder fell out just as the emperor was in consultation , about the apprehending of don pedro giron , but xeures and the flemings , beeing too well assured of the people's tumultuous furie , hastened the emperor ( all they could ) out of valladolid , so hee departed from his palace in the cruellest rain , and thickest skie , that had been seen in the memorie of man. which it seeme's was a presage and ill omen of the miseries and disasters , which were afterwards poured upon castillia and his other kingdoms . the emperor coming to the gate of the citie , found there som of the rabble ( they could not all bee so soon there , becaus of the extraordinarie foul weather ) . who having seiz'd upon the gates , began to shut them , and to barricado up the waie : but the emperor's guards made them suddenly quit their poste , and hee continued on his journie leaving valladolid full of disorder . som were troubled for what they had don , others perplexed that they had seen and suffered such insolencies to bee committed . and in regard there was no ground for this tumult , it was presently appeased , and the people were ashamed , and sorrie for the irreverence and disrespect they had shewn the emperor . the officers of justice of valladolid began to make diligent inquirie , who had rung the bell , or who gave order for the ringing of it . but the portuguez could not bee found , so others paied for him . som had their feet cut off ; som were whipped : som banished and their goods confiscate , som others had their houses pluck't down . there was whip't amongst others a goldsmith ( a man of good account , a citizen of the town ) becaus it was proved that hee had received som letters from the said portuguez : som other goldsmiths , and som officers of the town beeing also taken , were very much afraid that they should bee brought to the like publick shame and punishment . but the emperor beeing informed of the good intention of that citie towards him , and that what they had don was not out of malice , or anie premeditated design to do him anie injurie , hee sent an order for releasment of the prisoners , and commanded that there should bee no more said of it . the dean having apprehended , and clap't in prison three priests of st michael's church , the judges of the court in the emperor's name required him to deliver them the said priests , in regard they were accused to have given their consents to the ringing of the bell. they were accordingly delivered and carried upon three great mules , with irons upon their legs through the chief streets of the citie , until they came to fuen-saldania's fort , ( which then stood for the king , and was kept by the sons of don iohn de vivero viscount of altamira , becaus hee had unworthily made away his wife ) and there they remained manie daies until the emperor was satisfied of the truth . sect . xiv . the emperor came to tordesillas soundly wet and durtie , and no bodie with him but xeures , the rest could not keep pace with him , and having refreshed himself there one daie , hee continued on his journie to villalpando , where hee had appointed the commissioners of toledo to attend him . they beeing com thither before , met with the commissioners of salamanca , who were don pedro maldonado , ( who was afterwards beheaded ) and antonio fernandez , regidores of that citie ; with them were their messingers also , ( viz. iohn alvarez maldonado , and antonio enriquez ) who were chi●fly sent to underfeel , what instructions those of toledo had in all particulars , and had order to conform themselvs in all points to the messengers of that citie . at villalpando a town belonging to the lord high constable , did these commissioners and others exspect his majestie 's coming . upon sundaie after they had been at church , they went to the palace , to the end the emperor should give them audience ; while they were attending his majestie 's pleasure in the hall , came to them don garzia de padilla , and mōta bishop of palencia , who wished them in the emperor's name ( but they thought it was from xeures ) to tell them the message they had from their citie . don pedro lasso , and don alonso answered . that their citie had commanded them to speak to his majestie , and though they importuned them never so much , they would not declare unto them their business . thereupon the bishop and don garzia returned into the king's chamber , but after a little time came out again , and told these commissioners , that if they would not give them an account , wherefore they were com , before they kissed his majestie 's hand , they should not have audience . the commissioners seeing there was no remedie , con●ented to impart the substance of their message to them , which done , it was agreed that at two a clock in the afternoon , ( if they returned to the palace ) they should have audience . they suspected that this diligence and earnestness of the bishop's , and don garzia'● to know their business was , becaus the emperor at that time beeing very young , and not much versed in state-affairs , xeures ( who was verie discreet and politick ) had put them on to urge it before they were admitted , to the end hee might prepare the emperor to give them an answer . the commissioners returned at the hour , and delivered their message to the king , but would not consent that anie others should bee present , onely the bishop and don garzia , the substance of their discours was as ● have said . they insisted chiefly that his majestie ought not to go out of the kingdom , and conluded with this article , saying , however , if hee did resolv upon his departure , that hee would command such order to bee left for the government , that the cities of the kingdom might have their share therein ; and likewise that hee would bee pleased to demand no subsidies at all , and other things reasonable enough ; as wee sh●ll see hereafter . which indeed were so just , that a dore-keeper nam'd duranges wep't to hear them , considering the great reason the castillians had to complain ; but it availed them little at that time ; for they were then discountenanced , and not treated according as their's and their ancestor's good service had deserved . the emperor told them onely , that hee had heard them , and would give order for their answer . the same hee said to those of salamanca , ( who spake to him afterwards ) and in effect desired the same things as the toledians had , telling him moreover , that they had order from their citie to conform themselvs in everie thing with the commissioners of toledo . to whom the emperor sent word by the bishop mota and don garzia de padilla , that in regard his council was at venavente ( whither hee was to go within two daies ) they should not fail to meet him there , to receiv their answer , which they did accordingly . the emperor beeing arrived at venavente , don pedro lasso and his companion , presented themselvs for their answer . whereupon the emperor commanded his council of iustice and of state to assemble , who having considered the circumstances and manner of those commissioners , jointly gave their opinion , that they deserved rather to bee punished , then to receiv anie good answer or satisfaction to their demands ; wherefore the emperor sent for them into his chamber , and with a severely frowning countenance ( as don pedro lasso afterwards declared ) told them , that hee was not pleased with what they did , and that if hee did not consider from what parents they were descended , hee would have them punished according to their deserts , for medling with what they had undertaken , and that they should go to the president of his council , who would tell them further what they were to do . they began to excuse themselvs , but the emperor not willing to hear them , retired himself . then don garzia de padilla taking them aside , gave them a notable schooling , and reproved them sharply for what they had done , telling them that their boldness in insisting so much to the hinderance of a journie , which so deeply concerned not onely the honor and reputation of the emperor , but also the securitie and preservation of his estate , was beyond the thought of pardon . and that the things which they had done , had been the occasion of disaffecting and disquieting the mindes of other commissioners , and of the whole kingdom , by reason of the precedence and autoritie , which toledo had amongst all the cities of castilla , which they should do well to consider , and seriously to reflect upon . after this they went to the president of his majestie 's council ( who was the arch-bishop of granada ) as the emperor had commanded them . the president told them , that what hee had to give them for answer , was that his majestie was going to hold a parlament in the citie of santjago , where all the commissioners of the kingdom were to assemble , that toledo should send theirs thither , with a memorial of the things they desired , which beeing perused and examined , the emperor would give such orders as should bee most expedient for his service , and the general good of his kingdoms and subjects , moreover hee willed them to desist from medling anie further in those matters , but to return and deal with their citie , to send their commissioners , as the other cities of the kingdom did , and not to affect such innovations , as they had begun . whereunto they made answer , that indeed they were not imploied by the kingdom , but they desired however that those things might bee granted for the good of the kingdom , and refusing to follow his advice , but rather thinking it a point of honor to persist in what they had begun , they followed the emperor to santjago . sect . xv. the emperor passing through leon , astorga , and villa franca del vierso was in everie place petitioned , that hee would bee pleased to keep the parlament in castilla , but they availed nothing . and these commissioners of toledo , beeing arrived at santjago , sollicited very hard the commissioners of the other cities , that were likewise com thither , indeavoring to draw them to their opinion , pressing them to stand upon the same tearms toledo did , as their cities had offered . those from salamanca did the like , shewing themselvs much of the toledo faction . the emperor would by no persuasions bee brought to hold the parlament in castilla , but neer the sea-side , becaus xeures would have it so ; and the fleming desired it the rather , out of fear , that the people would murther him , for hee knew how ill hee was beloved amongst them , and hee perceived that if there were anie tumult or uproar , they would begin with him . besides , seeing himself verie rich , hee desired exceedingly to bee out of spain , and that if there should fall out anie mutinie , or disorder in parlament , beeing near the sea-side , hee could with more facilitie secure his person and goods . as for the emperor 's own particular , it concerned him no more to call a parlament at santjago , then at valladolid or burgos , or anie other citie of castilla . at last beeing arrived at santjago at the end of march , with manie grandees and nobles of spain , the parlament began on mundaie the first of april following , anno , whereof was president don hernando de vega commendador mayor de castilla ( father to don iohn de vega , who was vice-king of sicilia ) a person of great note ; don garcia de padilla and zapata were his assistants . the emperor sitting the first daie himself in parlament , commanded that the propositions should be made in his own hearing , which declared the just and great occasions , that pressed him to undertake the journie hee was then upon , the extraordinarie exspences it did require , and the vast charges hee had been at in coming into that kingdom , besides the great armies hee had raised , and maintained against the infidels , and the charges of sending the infante don fernando , his brother , out of that countrie , desiring them that they would assist him with the accustomed subsidies , and that in his absence they would keep the peace and fidelitie , as from such loial and good subjects might bee exspected . although som commissioners would have opposed the granting him anie such subsidie , they did not however discover their intention that daie , onely the forenamed of salamanca , who openly refused the solemnitie of the ordinarie oath , unless his maiestie would first grant them the things which they desired . which beeing condemned for a great unmannerliness and disrespect , they were forbidden to come anie more into the hous . then don pedro lasso said , that hee had brought a memorial and instructions from the citie of toledo , what hee was to do and grant in parlament , and that his majestie might see them , that hee could not go beyond his commission , but would perform and execute it in that manner , as should be most agreeable to his majestie ; otherwise hee would rather choose to bee cut in pieces , or have his head cut off , then to give his consent to a thing so prejudicial to his citie , and the whole kingdom . this answer was back't by the commissioners of sevilla , cordova , salamanca , toro , zamora , and sancho zimbron , commissioner of avila , from which they could not bee drawn . whereupon the parlament was adjourned for three or four daies , there beeing amongst them such jealousies and fears as usually proceed from discontented mindes . sect . xvi . the kingdom of galicia was much distasted at this parlament , becaus they had no commissioner allowed , and that zamora spake for them , notwithstanding galicia was one of the greatest and most ancient kingdoms of spain , and the source of the greatest nobilitie . the arch-bishop of of santjago , don alonso de fonseca ( who was afterwards arch-bishop of toledo ) the earl of venavente , and the earl of villalva don hernando de andrada , went all together to st francisco , where the parlament was kept , and having obtained entrance , they thus spake to the high chancellor ( who was president ) and the commissioners there present : it is not unknown that galicia is a distinct kingdom from castilla , that in former times they had their votes in the parlaments held in castilla , and that ( from a certain time only ) they were subject to the votes of the citie of zamora ( which was of the kingdom of castilla and leon ) which was a great grievance and prejudice to them ; therefore they did desire out of favor , of the commissioners there present , and ( if need were ) they would require them , that they would admit of the commissioners , which that kingdom of galicia should nominate , who should bee ready to obey whatsoever his majestie should command them . and in so doing they would oblige them very much : but in case they were refused , they protested , that they would not stand to anie thing , that the commissioners of zamora should denie or grant ; and of that they desired witness . hence grew som hurlie-burlie and tumult in the parlament . for one garci ruyz de la mota ( bishop mota's brother ) who was commissioner for burgos , took upon him to answer , and thwarted the earl of villalva , with language that was much displeasing . this was forthwith noised in the court ; whereupon the emperor sent presently the bishop mota to qualifie the matter . hee was hardly at the gate of the cloister , where the parlament was held , when hee met the arch-bishop and the earl coming forth . the bishop perceiving the earl of villalva much incensed , to pacifie his choller , accosted him with very smooth and civil language , expressing much sorrow , that his brother had so much forgotten himself . amongst other words that passed between the bishop and the earl , villalva chanced to let slip these , you have a prettie fellow to your brother , my lord bishop , and withall hee swore , that ( if they supported him ) hee would join with don pedro lasso . and in regard don pedro lasso was so fixed to the interest of the kingdom ( which was not very pleasing to xeures , and others that sate at the helm ) these words of the earl's were presently carried to the palace ; whereupon an alcalde de casa y corte ( that is , an officer in the nature of our judges of oyer and terminer ) commanded the ●arl to quit the court within one houre , and not to return to it without his majestie 's permission . at the houre 's end hee went from santjago to the groyne , where his hous and estate laie . but soon after the emperor going from santjago to the groyne , readmitted him into his presence and favor . sect ▪ xvii . in this occurrence som grandees of the kingdom , which followed the court , accused xeures highly to emperor , and bid him beware that the fleming did not counsel him for his own ends . hereupon there passed som angrie expressions betwixt xeures , the earl of venavente and the arch-bishop of santjago , and they began to breed factions in the court. this arch-bishop and som others began to make private meetings , and consult how they might provide themselvs with arms and men secretly . the emperor perceived it , and if hee had not remedied it in time , hee had found it troublesom enough . the earl of venavente and others left the court discontented ; the emperor knew the sidings and dissentions that had been in toledo , and how they had refused to give a full power to their commissioners ( don iohn de silva and aguirre ) which considered , the emperor and his council were of opinion , that it would not be amiss to send to som of the chief officers that opposed it , to come to court , and send others , his majestie 's servants , to supplie their places , for taking som out and supplying their places with others , they might do whatsoever his majestie commanded . to that effect were presently dispatched orders , whereby hernando de avalos iohn de padilla , iohn carrillo , gonzalo gaytan , don pedro de ayala and pedro de herrera ( all regidores and officers of the citie ) were commanded under great penalties , everie man of them to make his personal appearance at the court within such a time : and lope de guzman , rodrigo ninio , and martin de ayala , were commanded under the same penaltie , to go to supplie their places at toledo , to the end that these beeing gon thither , and the others com away , the citie might revoke the powers , which they had given to don pedro lasso and don alonso , and give others to don iohn de silva , and alonso de aguirre . these orders beeing signified to the above-named , they all excused themselvs , onely herrera , who in obedience to his majestie 's commands went to the court. these weeds of dissention increased daie by daie in toledo , and the other cities of castilla , and in the court it self manie bitter words were buzzed up and down , countenancing and approving these proceedings , and the demands of don pedro lasso and others , as tending to the general good of the kingdom . sect . xviii . the messingers and commissioners of toledo and salamanca , with other associates , made this request to the rest ; that in regard the commissioners , which toledo was to send particularly for that parlament , were not yet com , and those which were there from salamanca were not admitted , there should bee nothing granted , or determined until those of the one and of the other citie were present . if otherwise , they protested , that it should not bee anie prejudice to their cities . this beeing ingrossed verie fair , they carriyd it to st francisco where the parlament sate , taking a notarie with them called antonio rodriguez ( who was afterwards clerk of the iunta ) and they demanded audience . but , notwithstanding manie voted for them , those of toledo were refused , and forbidden to enter , in respect they were not commissioners appointed for that parlament . thereupon they made their acts and protests at the dore , saying , that the king's commissioners could not assemble in parlament without the commissioners of toledo , that their non-appearance proceeded from their own particular negligence , not anie fault of their citie 's , in regard they had their powers delivered them , that they beeing members of the said citie did require them not to assemble in parlament , until those commissioners of toledo were arrived , and against the contrarie they protested . and whatsoever should be enacted in anie such parlament without them , they declared to bee void and of none effect , and should bee no waies prejudicial to the citie of toledo , nor the whole kingdom . manie persons of note were witnesses to this protest , and it occasioned much scandal in the court. don pedro lasso and his companion slighted his majestie 's commands , which were signified to them by the secretarie covos . which beeing told the emperor , hee gave immediate command to banish them that verie daie ( beeing palm sundaie ) ; and accordingly in the evening his secretarie francisco de los covos , and iohn ramirez secretarie to the council of iustice , went to the lodging of those toledo-commissioners , and in the emperor's name signified to each of them severally his m●jestie's pleasure , commanding don alonso de suarez the next daie ( beeing mundaie ) to leav the court , and that within two moneths hee should go serv ●nd reside , where that companie of men laie whereof hee was captain , where hee should remain until further order from his majestie , under pain of forfeiting his goods , and the said captain's place . don pedro lasso was likewise commanded to absent from court , the same mundaie , and within fortie daies , to go and reside in the government of the fort of gibraltar ( which was his own inheritance ) and not to depart thence , without the emperor's leav , under penaltie of forfeiting that command , and all the rest of his estate whatsoever . the iurates were also commanded to leav the court immediately . and there was order given in their lodgings , that they should not entertein them anie longer . they demanded copies hereof , but were refused , so they went to iohn ramirez chamber , and by much importunitie they obteined one , but not signed . the toledians beeing extreamly troubled that they were banished the court with so much rigor , two hours within night , don pedro , and don alonso with the iurate ortiz went to the palace . ortiz went in to xeures , and acquainted him tha● such gentlemen were come to speak with him . xe●res bad him speak to his servants to set up lights in his chamber , and that they should stay there for him . xeures beeing come , they spent above two hours together , and the result of their conference was : that it seemed they took it verie ill to bee thus forbidden the court ; therefore it was agreed that in testimonie of their obedience , they should go onely four or five leagues from santjago , and should leav som bodie in their steads , to put him in minde to sollicite the emperor to revoke their banishment . the next daie , beeing tuesdaie , in the morning they went away , l●aving alonso de ortiz onely to sollicite xeures , and to put him in minde of what was agreed betwixt them , and to tell him that don pedro lasso and don alonso suarez were gon to padron ( four leagues from santjago ) in obedience to his majestie 's commands . alonso de ortiz returned to the palace , and meeting covos , hee desired him to help him to the speech of xeures . xeures beeing com forth , ortiz beseeched him to perform what hee had promised to those gentlemen . xeures told him , that hee had moved it alreadie to the emperor , but could not prevail : and that ( for ought hee saw ) there was no remedie , but that they must obeie the extremitie of his commands . ortiz replied , that they should have a care what they did therein , and that it would not redound to the emperor's service , not so much becaus those commissioners were of the chief gentrie of the kingdom , as that they were deputed and sent by the citie of toledo , who must take upon their accompt what trouble or injurie soever they suffered , in regard they had done nothing beyond , or contrarie to that which their citie had encharged them , for the good of the kingdom . xeures answere● , that they had not shewn the respect which they owe● to their king , and for that they deserved the punishmen● which hee had inflicted upon them , and much more . ortiz replied , that since hee had the greatest privacie and freedom with his majestie , hee was the more obliged to see to this matter , and to consider with attention , that the whole kingdom knew that toledo had sent those gentlemen to treat of that which concerned them all , and that seeing them thus banished the court , they would not think it was for anie disrespect to his majestie , ( for if any such thing were they deserved double punishment ) but that they were turned out of the court , that they might not solicite the kingdom 's good , and thereupon they would bee all scandalized , and such mischiefs would insue , as they would not bee able to remedy when they listed . whereto xeures very formally thus replied , what lightness is this of toledo , what lightness i say ? is the king no king ? why doth no body think of putting kings in and out at their pleasure ? alonso ortiz answered again , that hee wondred , hee should speak so much against toledo , it beeing of such consequence , that it was reputed the best and most considerable citie of the kingdom , and had the greatest priveleges and immunities , which the natives did enjoie , for the notable services they had don to the deceased kings . therefore it could not bee thought , that toledo treated or intended anie thing , but what might suit with his majestie 's service ; moreover , if hee pleased to look upon what gentlemen had gon into flanders , to serv his majestie against king fernando's will ( venturing there , not onely their own lives and fortunes , but their friend's and kindred's also ) hee would finde that the most of them were of toledo . and that those of that citie , were the cheif means of paying the subsidies to king phillip . and since that citie produced such gallant men , hee ought not to beleiv that it 's intention ever was other , then to do his majestie service . the secretary francisco de los covos heard all this discours . these and divers other means the toledian commissioners used by favor of som great one 's about the emperor , to obtain a revocation of their banishment , but nothing would do , for xeures and other castilians of the privie council , opposed it . don alonso suarez prudently considering that their business was foyled , and in danger of beeing utterly lost , performed what hee was commanded , and never after put himself into those troubles , neither did hee meddle during all the commotions of castilla , whereby hee lost nothing . don pedro lasso did the like ( though late ) not understanding sooner that hee disserved the king. thus ended the embassage of toledo , which was so boldly and couragiously performed by these gentlemen . before the emperor departed from santjago hee installed knight of the order the earl of santisteuan , the marquess of villena's son . the ceremony was celebrated with great sol●mnity at the great altar in santjago's church . sect ▪ xix . on tuesday in the holie week before easter , a post came from toledo with an express to recall their commissioners ; this post was dispatch't before there was any notice of their beeing banished from court. hee brought letters to his majestie , som from the assemblie of the citie , others from the chapter of their cathedral church , and from the monasteries and fryeries , humbly begging therein a favorable treatment of their commissioners , not as yet knowing what had passed . moreover they mentioned how don antonio de cordoua ( the earl of cabra's brother ) their governor , then beeing at toledo , had produced certain orders from his majestie to iohn de padilla , hernando de avalos , and gonsalo gaytan , whereby they were commanded to make their personal appearance at court , within a certain time , under penaltie for default . the reason that toledo gave , why these gentlemen did not obey , was , that they were emploied about som affairs concerning the publick good , and that their absence would bee prejudicial to the whole citie . and therefore they beseeched that his majestie would suspend his command for the present . the gentlemen that stayed at padron , sent this dispatch , with the instructions they had from toledo , to alonso ortiz , who remained at court. hee presently went to the monasterie of san salvador , half a league from the citie ( where the emperor had retired himself for the holie week ) and desired to enter to deliver the letters to his majestie , but hee found no admittance . meeting secretarie covos , hee acquainted him with his business , and told him that hee had letters to deliver to the emperor from toledo , covos told xeures this , who forthwith sent for ortiz , and bad him give him the letters . but ortiz desired to bee excused , for hee had order to deliver them into the emperor●s own hands , and to none els . xeures told him , that the emperor having received the sacrament that morning , was yet at his devotion , and hee could not speak with him . then they fell to discours again about those gentlemen's banishment , and grew so hot at it , that xeures went away distasted , and ortiz remained with small satisfaction . a little after covos came , and told ortiz that xeures called him . ortiz went , and xeures told him , that resolvedly hee could say nothing as touching their banishment , so without any more words hee went into another room . ortiz stayed behinde with don garcia de padilla , who blaming exceedingly the proceedings of toledo , said , if his counsel might bee taken , the emperor should go thither ( it would bee but ten daies work ) and inflict som exemplary punishment upon them , that were occasion of those troubles , whereby the rest might bee deterred and quieted . i wish to god hee would , said ortiz , for then his majestie would see the great damages they suffered , and give order for som redress . so they parted , and ortiz went that night to speak with the lord chancellor , for hee saw there was no possibilitie of delivering his letters to the emperor , nor of speaking with him . the chancellor and ortiz spent a great part of the night , without concluding anie thing to the purpose . the emperor remained at santjago , untill the thursday in easter week , and then departed for the groyn , where hee made his entrance on saturday following . thither repaired also the parlament-men and commissioners to conclude all their businesses . there were produced the testimonies , supplications and acts , which the regidores and council of toledo had made concerning the commanding them to appear at the court , and the power which the citie sent to alonso ortiz , charging him to do all the diligences therein expedient , which hee did , and presented himself to the secretary ramirez . and moreover were delivered the second orders for their appearance , with greater penalties , which had bin sent to toledo and notified to the gentlemen there . sect . xx. by this time toledo had notice of their commissioner's banishment , and of the ill success of their affairs in court , which , added to the distaste those orders had bred in them , so exasperated their mindes that their passions grew beyond the bounds of moderation . som were seazed with fear , others with vaporing speeches carried it very high , and set themselvs to excite the people against the iudges , and those that shewed themselvs desirous to advance their prince's service , possessing them that this was for the publick good , and that it was their interests and profit , that then was in agitation , especially hernando de avalos , iohn de padilla , and som others of their faction . it is true , at the beginning of these disorders , iohn de padilla was the onely bouttefeu , hernando de avalos and other gentlemen were his abettors and promoters , who added fewel to the fire , beeing persons of mature age and experience and had acquired the repute of wise men amongst the common people . iohn de padilla's fault was , that hee was young , not above thirtie years of age , and not verie readie witted either , but good natured , and easie to bee perswaded to any thing , they would put him upon : and hee wanted no instigation from these gentlemen and his wife donia maria pacheco , who was one of the kingdome 's firebrands . they possessed the vulgar with a thousand follies , and lies intermingled with som trueths . that the emperor , deserted the kingdome , that hee left strangers to govern , that his favorites and officers had robb'd the kingdom , leaving the countrie lean , poor and dismantled of all it's fruits and wealth : these things they caused to bee published in the pulpits , and to the end they might the better communicate their passion , and give everie one a dose of this infectious drug , they advised to assemble the people . in that citie there is a great congregation or fraternitie called the fraternitie of charitie , which used every year to make a solemn procession ; upon this occasion there was one ordained to go from st iusta's church to the cathedral . som ( especially don hernando de silva , antonio alvarez de toledo , and others of their opinion ) knowing to what end this solemnitie was ordayned , highlie opposed it , saying that , it was prejudicial to the king , and that it was onely a plot and cunning trick of those that were disaffected , and don hernando required the chief of the congregation not to make anie such tumultuous meetings ( under color of devotion ) to disturb the people to the king's prejudice and dishonor of justice , for if they did , hee with his friends and servants would hinder it . they valued not these words but rejoiced that don hernando de silva did appear in the business , for that would open them the way ( as they desired ) to augment the distemper of the people , and enkindle their indignation . and it fell out so , for the people resenting and condemning highly don hernando's request , looked on him as an enimie of the countrie , and as one that did not onely contradict and hinder the good of the common people ; but also the most sacred practices of devotion . to bee short , they did go in procession and in the letanie they praied that god would enlighten the understanding and direct the heart of the emperor well and piously to rule and govern those kingdoms . don hernando did not execute his intention , beeing advertised to the contrarie by the governor , to avoid further scandal . in the procession there were som things done , more then needed , in scorn and derision of those that did not follow that opinion , and much murmuring against them . wherewith the people generally thence forwards were so infected , and divers grew so audacious , that justice had no force nor respect among them . the disorder and confusion became excessive , and there was nothing in the citie done , for the most part , or concluded in council or without , but what was dictated or approved by hernando de avalos , and iohn de padilla . so don hernando de sylva resolved to leav toledo and go to the emperor . sect . xxi . the emperor knew all this , when alonso ortiz petitioned concerning the orders for the officers of toledo to appear in court , and commanded to bee delivered the second orders , that i mentioned , which were notified . iuan de padilla delt with two gentle-men ( his kinsmen ) one called pedro de acunia ( who married one of his sisters ) the other diego de merlo ( who married a cousin-german of his ) both powerful men in toledo : telling them , they knew that the emperor had sent for him and other gentlemen of the citie , to make their personal appearance at court. and that upon the first and second orders they had excused themselvs , but the third command beeing com , they could not bauk it . they had a thought , ( becaus they would not have their not obeying seem to bee their faults , but rather that they could not go ) that those gentlemen with their allies , abbettors , friends and servants , assembling together should make a kinde of mutinie in the citie , and apprehending them should detain them and by no means consent to their departure , whereof having certificate , they might send it to the court for their defence , and by that invention bee freed from the penalties mentioned in the orders . those two gentlemen pedro de acunia and diego de merlo ( who had bin bred at court ) prudently considering what iohn de padilla and the rest of his consorts demanded , told them , that proposition sounded not well in their ears , and they desired to bee excused for not ingaging in so rash and unadvised an enterprise . iohn de padilla and the rest , perceiving there was no hopes of bringing these men to their byas , went and agreed with the fryars of st augustin and those of st iuan de los reyes , that the general procession beeing com from the cathedral church to the augustines , and the people all assembled , those fryars should lay hands upon them ( whom his majestie had commanded to appear in court ) ( which they alleadged they might safely do , in regard men of their coat had nothing to loos , and were exempt besides from any punishment the king could iuflict upon them . ) this beeing agreed upon , it hapned that going in the procession hernando de avalos and don francisco de herrera , a canon of toledo and chaplain major of the king's chappel ( who was afterwards arch-bishop of granada ten daies onely ) fell to words ; which occasioned so great a nois and hurly-burly amongst the people , that to pacifie them the former agreement was forgotten , so their design took no effect . padilla and his consorts , seeing they could not accomplish their desires , that the emperor departed not the kingdom as yet , and that the prefixed time of their appearance at court was exspired , fearing least the governor of toledo should execute the penalties specified in the orders , or apprehend them and send them to court ▪ they resolved to accost certain mean fellows of scandalous and mutinous dispositions that led a shifting and discontented life about the citie , the chief whereof were one called xara , and a petifogging solliciter ) to whom they promised large rewards , giving them order , with the rest of their gang , to seiz upon them . these fellows knowing that hernando de avalos iohn de padilla , and the rest , were great sticklers for the good of the kingdom , and that particularly for the benefit of that citie they had exposed themselvs to so great danger , they thought themselvs obliged to countenance and assist them , and not to suffer them to go out of toledo , and were glad of the emploiment ; for besides that of their own disposition they were seditious , and na●urally affected novelties , the hope of recompence , and seeing what esteem and value those gentlemen set upon them , animated them with a desperate vain courage to doe , as followeth . sect . xxii . hernando de avalos and iohn de padilla , seeing their design goe forward to their own contentments , agreed to make a shew as if they intended to perform the emperror's commands , in appearing at court. so beeing fitted for the journey they took witnesses of their departure , the sixteenth of april : iohn de padilla was no sooner out of his hous , but a rabble of forty or fiftie men ( who had the watch-word ) met him in the street , and in a violent tumultuous manner laying hands on him , som cryed out , let us keep iohn de padilla here , let him not go to the court : others , let us never consent that hee or any of the other gentlemen should go out of toledo ; for that would bee the ruine of the common-people , and it were an exceeding crueltie and ingratitude to let them go to the court to suffer there . hereupon the people so flocked from all parts of the citie , that in very short time they exceeded the number of six thousand men ; most of them beeing armed , cryed out with loud voices , kill kill xeures and the flemings that have robb'd spain , and let hernando de avalos , and iohn de padilla ( the fathers and defenders of this republick ) live , let them live : with this tumultuous nois and hubbub they hurried away iohn de padilla prisoner , notwithstanding hee protested and required them ( with a cunningly framed dissimulation ) that they would let him go to fulfil the commands hee had received from his majestie . having put him into a chappel in a part of the cathedral church , called the bishop don pedro tenoma's cloister , they made him swear as hee was a gentlman , that hee would remain a prisoner in that chappel , and not offer to stir out of it without leav or order from them . then they fetched hernando de avalos , gonsalo gaytan , don pedro de ayala and the rest , and committing them all prisoners in the same chappel , they set guards upon them . these gentlemen made protest upon protest against that detaining of them , whereby they were disenabled to undertake their journie to c●urt , and perform what the emperor's orders imported , but they were very glad within themselvs of that invention so handsomly to prevent their going . sect . xxiii . this done , the same mutineers went to the governor don antonio de cordoua , and required him to recall and make void the notification of the emperor's orders , which hee had made to those gentlemen , and chiefly that hee would command them , under pain of death , not to obey that summons . the governor began to shew his courage , and commanded a proclamation to bee read in every street , that they should all retire to their dwellings and lay down their armes . but they slighted his autoritie and in stead of obeying , they began to cry out , som let us kill him , others let us turn him and all his officers out , and choos others for the communalty . seeing himself in this danger , and possessed with a panick fear , to pleas the people , hee did what they required , and sent immediately to the gentlemen prisoners an absolute command not to go out of the citie , but remain there , for so doing would bee more conducing to his majestie 's service . hereof they took certificates , which they sent to alonso ortiz , that hee might present them to his majestie in their defence , which hee did accordingly , and spake to som of the council about it , believing the matter had been really so , and urging for instance that his majestie did not see what was most expedient for the kingdome 's good , as they desired . som are of opinion that if the governor of toledo had punished that seditious tumult in stead of condescending to their desires ( which hee might then have don ) hee had prevented a world of miserie and mischief , that was occasioned by the succeeding war. for the beginners of that hubbub were not many , and of meanest of the people . and at that time there were divers gentlemen in toledo , who would have assisted him in the suppressing of them , especially don iohn de sylva with divers of his kindred and opinion , although som of them were drawn the other way . the governor's timiditie and want of resolution so much emboldned the people , that they seized on him and others that would have prosecuted against the first and chief instruments of this commotion . which had been otherwise carried if the governor had had so much spirit and courage as hee ought , but that was so little , that hee retired himself into his hous , where hee continued som few dayes without anie power or respect , after which hee left the citie for fear least the people should murther him . sect . xxiv . hernando de avalos and iohn de padilla perceiving that to avoid one mischief they had fallen into a greater , bethought themselvs that ( in respect the emperor was then ready to go out of the kingdom , to excuse and free themselvs from the punishment which the governor ( though hee deferred it ) was to inflict upon them ) it would bee most expedient for their purpose to incite the whole people to rise up in arms , and having possessed themselvs of the justice , the fort , and the bridges , to defend themselvs against whomsoever . to this effect they solicited som fryers and priests to declare with aggravation in their pulpits the damages and miseries the kingdom then suffered , that no offices nor benefices of value were bestowed upon the natives , but the flemings enjoied all ▪ that no places of trust or honor were conferred upon them , for either their's or their predecessor's merits or services , but must bee purchased with great sums of monie . thus began the priests to move the people's hearts , commending and applauding much what they had don , and urging that the kingdom was tyranised over : that the castilians were debased and vilified . that they should bee loaded with new taxes , that every head of cattle should pay such a rate , and every hous so much . and that in this respect whosoever would ingage himself in the defence of the kingdom , with the liberties and freedoms thereof , should purchase an eternall memorie . hereupon the fire grew so violent that those who discreetly would not ingage in these combustions , for fear of beeing murthered , were enforced either to flie from the citie , or confine themselvs to their own houses . and the most considerable , amongst whom were som regidores and iurates of the citie , took refuge in the fort with don iohn de rivera , or sylva , who kept it at his own charge , and was retired thither , with som of his kindred , children , and servants . thence hee sent to his tenants in several places to bring him in provisions , for the sodain and unexspected necessitie of his flying thither did not permit to furnish himself with what was needful . and those of the communalty ( as they already styled themselvs ) which was the rest of the citie , following them who took upon them to bee the most wise , set themselvs to fortifie and repair the wals and places of importance , fearing the damage they might receive from abroad ( for within they feared nothing ) and possessed themselvs of the gates and bridges which were under don iohn's command . sect . xxv . things beeing in this condition the earl of palma , don luis puerto carrero fearing the mischiefs this commotion might produce , sent an express to inform the emperor of the several passages in the citie , that h●e might sodainly provide som remedy . in this interim , don pedro lasso , don alonso suarez , miguel de hita and alonso ortiz were com again all to sant●ago , and although som gentlemen , their friends had counselled them to bee gon in order to his majestie 's commands , and not to stay any longer about the court , becaus the emperor ( beeing already incensed at the audaciousness of the toledians ) might perchance command them to bee punished , as believing them to bee the occasioners thereof . yet they still continued at sant●ago without fearing much what could befal them . the constable of castilla and garci lasso de la vega , don pedro lasso's brother , seeing this , earnestly desired the king's soliciter ( who was resident at toledo ) that hee would with all expedition go to sant●ago , and perswade them to depart thence , becaus don pedro lasso had but five dayes remaining of the forty which were limited him to retire to gibraltar . the soliciter presently took post for santjago , and communicated to them what the constable and garci lasso had injoined him , besides hee told them his own opinion and how rotten the hearts of the people were in toledo ▪ hee prevailed with don pedro lasso , that he should depart the next day ( which hee did ) . passing through zamora hee declared there what commands had bin layd upon him , which troubled and incensed the people , as you shall see hereafter . sect . xxvi . the common people of toledo beeing thus distempered , they determined to possess themselvs of the fort as well as of the gates and bridges of the citie . to this effect a nois was spread amongst them that don iohn de sylva was a traytor to the good of the communalty , and that it was fit to take the fort from him and turn him out of toledo . the multitude gathered together to assault it , and in regard during the reigns of the catholick kings there had bin so much peace and so little use of armes , all forts and places of strength were very ill repaired , and unprovided aswel of arms as victuals . don iohn perceiving the people's fury and malice ( as you have heard ) fortified himself the best hee could , taking into the fort with him divers gentlemen and others to the number of about four hundred , all resolved to defend themselvs against the people , if assailed by them . the multitude perceiving this , determined first to take the gates and bridges of the citie ; so they went forthwith to the gate of visagra , and to the port of cambron which they gained without resistance . one of the iurates called miguel de hita ( who the● was joint-commissioner with don pedro lasso and don alonso suarez ) was commander of the bridg of alcantara , in whose absence his lievtenant could not so wel defend the tower of the bridg but that in short time they were masters of it . thence they went to st martin's bridg , whereof was commander clement de aguayo a man of great courage , and hee had provided himself with som friends and servants to help him , they assaulted him desperately , and hee with no less resolution defended himself , until by meer strength they forced an entrance into the first tower of the bridg on that side towards the citie , for such infinites of common people and gentry flocked thither ( many thinking that rising to bee upon better grounds and with a better intention then afterwards it appeared ) and the boyes flowed in such multitudes thither , that with brick-bats and stones from an eminent place neer t●ey made them quit the top of the tower. the assault beeing thus hot from several parts , at last they made breaches and entred with such fury , that taking the commander they wounded him sorely in two places and threatned to hang him , if hee would not send to command the other tower of the bridg towards the fields to bee surrendred to them ; but hee couragiously putting his life to the venture would send no such order . hee beeing secured they fell desperately upon the other tower , but they within seeing the success of the former and their commander taken , had not the courage to stand out , but delivered it immediately to the citie , thus they got all the bridges and gates into their own hands . thence they marched in very great numbers ( all armed ) to the fort , resolving to take it by assault if it were not sodainly surrendred to them . som religious men grieving much at the mischiefs and death of divers persons which must needs ensue so violent an assayling , became mediators betwixt don iohn de sylva ( who defended the fort ) and the better sort of those that came against it : this treaty continued a good while ; at length don iohn seeing divers of his neer kinsmen against him , his friends and allies , and considering that hee wanted provisions to make anie long resistance , to avoid the damages his standing out might have occasioned , suffered himself to bee perswaded to deliver up the fort , upon condition that one of his own servants should remain as commander having first taken the oath of fealty . thus on saturday of april don iohn and his children with the other gentlemen and friends that were retired thither , came out of the fort , and went to a village of his four leagues thence , from which place hee wrote again to the emperor informing him how the people had taken the fort from him , and possessed themselvs of all the gates and bridges of the citie , which news incensed his majestie very much , yet hee did not resolve to send any souldiery thither , becaus every one told him that beeing a business of no foundation , it must needs fall again of it self . all this passed before the governor went out of the citie , or gave up his staff. so all the common people , conducted by their chiefs , went next unto his hous and made him swear that hee should hold his staff , or acknowledg his autoritie and office as from the communalty of toledo . hee beeing affrighted with this tumult , condescended to what they would have him do ; the people soon after broke out , and did what they listed , seeing him so helpless and so void of resolution . the citie thus wanting both governor and don iohn de sylva , those of the communaltie became freemen and lords of all , they constituted deputies , and began to settle a form of government at their own pleasures , saying they did it in the name of the king , queen and communaltie . in this manner began the great troubles and commotions of toledo . sect ▪ xxvii . don pedro lasso arrived at a village of his , called cueua , in his way to gibraltar , whither hee intended to go like a good and loial subject in obedience to his majestie 's command , although the fortie dayes ( hee was limited ) were expired . but toledo having notice of his beeing there , they sent to desire him to return to the citie . hee would have excused himself , saying that hee was to repair to gibraltar in order to that which the emperor had commanded . whereupon they ordered a party of hors to seiz upon him and bring him thither , hee not beeing able to withstand them , went ( though seemingly ) against his will , and got privately into his own hous , but could not keep himself long concealed , for the people gathering presently together went to his hous , and forcing him to com forth , carried him to the church . hee rode on horsback and the people went on foot by him with great acclamations of joie applauding and extolling the valor and resolution hee had shewen in their behalfs ( for indeed at that time hee was beloved and highly esteemed not onely of that people , but of the whole kingdom ) ▪ this favor and honor which everie one did him made him not reflect so soon upon his error . for don pedro was a very sweet dispositioned gentleman without malice , and , besides his good natur● , a great friend to justice and the weal of his country , and therefore hee ingaged so far in those first broils . whosoever knew what hee was , will acknowledg all this , for the noble bloud that ran in his veins would not suffer him to degenerate from his ancestor's generositie , who were of the grandees of spain , hee beeing son to don garci lasso de la vega , comendador mayor de leon , ( one of the most renowned gentlemen that were in the times of the catholick kings ) ; sa●cha de guzman ladie of batres , descended from that most illustrious familie of the guzmans of leon , was his mother . hee was nephew to don gomez xuarez de figueroa father to the first earl of feria , and to the lady eluina lasso de la vega , sister to the marquis of santillana , which two houses vega and mendosa , were of the most illustrious families of all spain . this was his extraction , and it is to bee expected that his thoughts and desires to serv his prince should bee correspondent , as the emperor and his son king philip had good experience of afterwards . who in times very troublesom ( when they had need of men of resolution and loialty ) sent garci lasso , don pedro lasso's son , their embassador to paul the fourth about businesses of very high consequence and great difficulty . i finde my self obliged to this digression for the honor of so noble a person , it beeing no less then my dutie not to suffer such eminent virtues to bee buried in oblivion , although it doth somwhat hinder the story . sect . xxviii . it was generally voted by the communalty of toledo ( which already gave themselvs the attribute of holie ) for further security of their place and persons , that it was expedient to turn the governor and all his officers out of the citie , notwithstanding hee had taken an oath to officiate for them . for the better effecting whereof they raised a mutinie pretending to kill him , and to take away the staves from him , his lievtenant and other officers , who presently delivered them for fear of their lives . the governor , the lord chief justice and the high sheriff , fled to don pedro lasso's hous for refuge , where hee secured them , and hernando de avalos with som other gentlemen : the tumult of the common people beeing appeased , they were conducted out of the citie on foot , then they took hors and rode to alcala de henares . whence the governor sent one of his officers , named don pedro del castillo , to inform the emperor of these passages in toledo . the citie set guards at all their gates and avenues , that no body should go out to give notice of their proceedings , nor anie one com in without beeing examined who hee was , whence hee came and what letters hee brought . all this was done by the general command and consent of all the gentlemen that assisted in this insurrection of the common people , and all the fryers and priests , excepting som few who absented and withdrew themselvs , though with danger of their lives . the order they kept to conform themselvs in these disorders , was , that every time they were to treat of anie business , the inhabitants of every perticular parish were to assemble , and two publick notaries with them , before whom every man , how mean soever , was to sit down and declare his opinion . sect . xxix . the th of maie in the same year was published at the groyn this rising of toledo , som were glad of it , others sorry , every one according as hee stood affected . som advised the emperor to take post and go to toledo , and inflict som exemplarie punishment upon the principal delinquents , which might bee a means to keep the whole kingdom in subjection . the emperor beeing young and full of spirit approved of that counsel , but monsieur de xeures disswaded him , fearing greater disorders if hee went thither , and knowing the strength and scituation of that citie , besides considering the heat of the people's fury , and that the mischief would bee greater , if they had the impudence to affront him in person , as it was probable they would , fearing to bee punished for what they had don already ; that their fury beeing most violent in the beginning ( which time alone could mitigate and appeas ) their first impetuosity would soon bee over , as most commonly it is observed in such commotions , which kindled with a little fire and without any grounds , are allayed again with as little water . besides all these allegations xeures had a longing desire to bee in his own country , verifying in that this saying , that wheresoever the treasure is , there is the heart also . moreover the emperor had a particular necessitie , for a thousand reasons which neerly concerned the reputat●on of his person , not to defer his departure , but rather to hasten it all hee could , beeing exceedingly urged by the princes electors , and that hee might not give his enemies anie time to hinder the election of the empire , the king of england beeing then likewise in expectation of som interest therein . and besides it was of no small consequence for him to bee gon , before the king of france was joined with the king of england , who were reported to meet the first of iune at calis . these considerations setled the emperor's determination of going into germanie , his council supposing that the business of toledo would go no further , no body imagining what afterwards did ensue . sect . xxx . things beeing in the condition i have declared , the commissioners of toledo never came to the parlament , which was concluded by them that were there , who granted his majestie the subsidie hee desired , which was two hundred millions of marauediz to bee payd in three years , whereunto som would not consent , and those that did had trouble and displeasure enough from their cities for it . salamanca , toro , madrid , murcia , cordoua , and toledo opposed , whose commi●sioners had no hand in the granting it , neither came they into the parlament-hous ; one of the commissioners of leon refused it , the other consented . of those that did allow it , som were induced thereto by their own particular interests , few out of zeal or affection to his majestie 's service . the emperor beeing ready to depart , onely staying for a winde , and his desire granted for matter of subsidie ( although som of his council were of opinion that hee should not receiv it , as don alonso telles , lord of la puebla de montalvan , bishop mota and francisco de vargas ) his majestie sent for those grandees of the kingdom that were then there , who were don diego lopez de pacheco marquis of villena , don inigo de velasco constable of castilla , the earl of venavente , the duke of alburquerque , the duke of medina celi , the marquis of astorga , the earl of lemos , the earl of monterrey , and the commissioners of the kingdom then present , to whom hee sayd hee was then ready to depart , beeing neerly concerned in the election of the empire , and that , god willing , hee would sodainly return , in mean time hee left governor of those kingdomes the cardinal adriano bishop of tortosa one of his council , who was a person eminent for his learning and good conscience , and hee required and commanded them to assist and favor him that his kingdomes might bee well governed . the major part of these gentlemen disliked this motion for som reasons , whereof one was that the cardinal was a stranger , but som approving it , the emperor took no notice of the opposers , neither did hee admit of any replies . sect . xxxi . the emperor being at the groyn divers requests were made to him in the kingdom●s name , as followeth , that his majestie would bee pleased to return speedily into those kingdomes and govern them in his own person , as his predecessors had done . for nothing that they could ask him would bee so satisfactor●e and acceptable to those kingdoms as his safe and speedy return , in regard spain was not accustomed to bee without their king , neither could they bee governed by any other with the peace and quiet which is necessary and expedient . that assoon as hee should com back hee would bee pleased to marry for the universal good of the kingdoms , that they might have the seed of his roial person to succeed him , in regard his age did require it . that the queen's court might bee put into such order as was suitable to the dignitie of her roial person and the honor of those kingdoms . that shee might have officers of trust about her , who should bee well treated and incouraged with good rewards . that at his return hee would bee pleased to bring with him no flemings , french , or other strangers , to have any office of importance in those kingdoms , but that hee would advance and employ the natives of that country who would serv him with much loyaltie and affection . that those kingdoms beeing at peace and under his majestie 's subjection , hee would not bring anie souldiers of forreign countries for defence thereof , or to bee guards of his own person . alleadging that in that countrie the people beeing very warlike and of courage enough to conquer other nations , what might they think could bee the reason , but his distrust of them , if hee should take strangers for his guard . that hee would govern and settle his hous in such order as the catholick kings his forefathers , and other kings his predecessors had done . that no wages or pensions should bee given to the wives or children of anie courtiers that were not in service , unless in acknowledgment and recompence of services done by the father deceased , hee would gratifie the surviving children . that in regard there were many superfluous offices added in the queen's houshould , which were not of former times , they should bee all taken away again , and no salaries allowed for them . that no grandee should have anie office in the king 's or queen's houshould as in relation to the exchequer or treasurie . that whilest his majestie was absent the salaries of his domesticks should bee payed out of his own revenue . that the governors they were to have during his absence might bee natives of either of those kingdomes of castilla or leon. that such governors might have pow●er to confer anie offices or dignities of the kingdom , except , bishopricks , lievtenantships , and commanderies of orders . that neither the king nor anie noblemen should give billets for lodging , and in case they did that the people should not bee obliged to reciev them unless they listed . but when his majestie goeth his progress , that there should bee lodgings and furniture provided for his familie and court gratis , so that hee make no longer stay then fifteen dayes in a place , if more , afterwards hee should pay ; and that his guard and souldiery bee lodged and quartered according to the usual manner . that there should bee one hundred lodgings and no more provided for his majestie 's familie at the charge of the place where hee shall stay . that there should bee no lodging allowed for those of the council , judges , nor anie such like officers . that the king should not give general or particular billets for the lodging of anie . that the taxes and impositions should bee reduced to a certain number , and the pole-monie set at a just and moderate rate , whereby the people might perceiv the grace and favor his majestie did them . that the subsidies granted by the commissioners at the groyn , should not bee received nor demanded , neither should there bee anie ●ew taxes or extraordinary tribute imposed upon the kingdome without som evident necessitie , and that it were thought requisite for the good of the kingdom and his majestie 's service . that the king should not ●end any instructions to the cities , or form of granting powers , nor nominate any particular men for officers : but that the cities and towns should have the freedom and libertie to bestow and confer their powers upon such men as they should finde zealous for the good of their republicks . that the commissioners in parlament should have the libertie to meet when and where they pleased , and to discours and confer freely with one another . that such commissioners during their emploiment , should not receiv of the king anie office , favor or gift whatsoever , for themselvs , their wives , children or kindred , under pain of death and confiscation of goods , and that those goods should bee employed for the publick reparations of the citie or town whereof they were commissioners , to the end that they should bee the more careful to do onely that which was most expedient for the glory of god , the service of his majestie and good of the kingdom . that everie commissioner or burgess should have a competent allowance from the place whose persons they represented . that the parlament beeing ended , the several commissioners should return within forty dayes to give account of what they had done under pain of losing their wages and emploiment . that no gold or silver , coyned or to bee coyned , should bee transported out of the kingdom under pain of death ; in regard the contrary having been done the kingdomes were impoverished and destroied . that there should bee monie coyned differing as well in value as stamp from that of the neighboring countries , and that it should bee of a base alloy two carats under the rate of the finest gold . that in weight and value it should bee answerable to the crowns of gold which are coyned in france : becaus that would bee a means that it should not bee transported . manie other artickles were given in touching gold and silver , the particular favors and rewards of the king , and other matters of justice : but that which they insisted most upon was , that the councils should bee strictly looked to . that the chancery and other courts in the kingdom should bee visited or reviewed from six to six years , and that all suits should bee dispatched in order , and determined whithin a certain time without any delay . that there should bee no appealing from court to court , but that each case should bee decided at it's own tribunal . that no counsellor or other whosoever should enjoie two offices , but should apply himself to one onely . these and manie other things the nobles and commissioners of the kingdom desired , but they fell into the hands of strangers , the king beeing young and full of thoughts of his voiage and possession of his empire ; so they remained . and in regard these and other such like propositions were slighted and layd aside ( though presented with much zeal and affection ) the whole kingdom burst out , and slipping in one , they fell into the precipice of manie inconveniences , ( as it is commonly seen ) . they desired one thing , verie holie , in the chapter concerning ecclesiastical dignities and pensions , that they should not bee conferred upon strangers , and that the acts of naturalization which had been made should bee revoked . that in the ecclesiastical courts there should bee no more duties payed , then in the secular , and that they should observ the same statute . ( which i would it were well seen unto in these times . ) there were likewise som complaints and petitions given in against pedrarias de avila , a gentleman of good note and quality ( brother to the earl of punio en rostro ) and who had done great services ; yet hee was accused by som of his enemies and charged for having put manie to death unjustly at the discoverie of the indies , and committed divers robberies and tyrannies . there were seaven consultations hereupon , and pedrarias was quitted by them all ; and the emperor himself ( taking particular notice of the services which hee had done at oran in africa , and the taking of buxia , besides other places in the indies ) freed him notwithstanding these fals and passionate accusations , and confirmed him in the government and charge which formerly had been conferred upon him , and gave him som rewards besides . but all this was not sufficient to stop the mouths of his enemies , who gave occasion to strangers not onely of speaking ill , but also of writing against this gentleman , who was valiant in his own person , and of antient extraction in this kingdom ; and others ( not knowing to the contrary ) have followed them in the prejudicial censure of this nation and the nobilitie thereof . sect ▪ xxxii . to the grief of those gentlemen who took ill cardinal adriano's beeing governor , by a general consent of the council , and don antonio de rojas arch-bishop of granada , then president , hee was confirmed governor of castilla and navarra jointly with those of his council , who were don alonso tellez lord of la-puebla de montalvan , hernando de vega chancellor of the order in castilla , don iohn de fonseca bishop of burgos , don antonio de rojas arch-bishop of granada and president of his majestie 's council of justice , and francisco de vargas treasurer general ; these were to reside at valladolid . antonio de fonseca lord of coca was appointed captain general of the kingdom , and don iohn , brother to the bishop of burgos , his treasurer . don iohn de la nuza was governor of aragon , don diego de mendoza , brother to the marquis of zenete , vice-roy of valencia . all being thus ordered for the government of the kingdom , and the winde coming faire , upon saturday the .th of may at sun-set , the emperor commanded to bee proclaimed , that all the mariners and his retinue should goe on board that night , for the next day in the morning hee would set saile . sunday the .th of may before day hee did his devotion and received the sacrament , after which hee tooke ship , don alonso de fonseca arch-bishop of santjago , don iuan de fonseca bishop of burgos , don inigo de velasco constable of castilla and leon , don diego lopez pacheco marquis of villena , don alonso pimentel earl of benavente , don iohn osorio marquis of astorga , and divers other persons of quality waited on him to the sea-side : those that imbarked with him were don fadrique de toledo duke of alva , the marquis of villa franca and his son , don hernando de andrade earl of andrade , don diego hurtado de mendoza , who did great services to the emperor , and monsieur de xeures with the rest of the flemings . so with a most harmonious noise of minstrels and trumpets they weighed ancker , and set saile with great acclamations of joy , leaving sad spaine over-charged with sorrow and misfortunes . they shaped their course directly for england , and the sixth day the whole fleet arrived at the downs . the same day ( being whitsunday ) the emperor landed with all his nobility and servants , where hee was received by the cardinal of england , favorite to king henry the eight , and by whom hee was much governed . the same night the king of england came by post thither , the expressions of affection and the great contentment which the king of england seemed to take in his majestie 's company , were beyond relation ; the next day the two king 's went to visite st tho : of canterburie's tomb , where queen katherine , wife to king henry and aunt to the emperor , attended them in a sumptuously adorned palace , wherein they spent the three dayes of whitsuntide with great jollity and feasting . the holy-daies being past , and the princes having treated sufficiently of what concerned them , and confirmed a peace with great testimonies of affection on both sides , the emperor took leave of his aunt and the king , and went to deal a harbour in the same island . and so imbarked again and sailed to flushing . his arrivall was incredibly welcom to the inhabitants of all those provinces , the same expressions of joy were all germany over ( assoon as they knew of his landing ) where hee was infinitely desired . hee went from holland into flanders without anie stay , but in all places where hee did pass , hee was most splendidly entertained , especially at gant , where margarita his aunt , and the infante don fernando his brother ( who was arch-duke of austria ) exspected his coming . thence hee went towards calis to visit again the king and queen of england , who mean time the emperor was at sea , met the king of france there , who endeavoured all hee could to possess the king of england ? with a disaffection of the emperor , whose power and greatnesse hee envied and repined at . having made this second visit the emperor returned to gant , where hee put himself in fit equipage to receiv the crown at aquisgran . where we will leave him for the present and return to relate the the miseries and troubles of spain . sect . xxxiii . the emperor's departure was diversly resented in spain , those that were honestly minded and of sober and quiet dispositions approved of it , esteeming it just and requisite , but feared much what after did ensue . but the factious and seditious party were otherwise affected , they rejoiced at it , and hugged themselvs in the fancie and vain hope of increasing their estates and reputation with these dissensions and alterations , delighting ( as the proverb saith ) to fish in troubled water . the emperor being gone from the groyn , all the nobilitie and gentrie which stayed behinde returned to their owne houses , and the commissioners or burgesses of parlament , repayred to their respective cities and towns with feare enough of their republicks . the cardinal and those of his council tooke their way towards valladolid , and before they arrived there , newes was brought them of the commotions of the cities of castilla . the emperor was very ill advised in not leaving the government of those kingdoms to some nobleman of that countrie ; as was desired of him in parlament , whom as a grandee of note and power they might feare , and love , honor and respect him as their countryman . or if they had done as ( when necessitie constrained them ) they did afterwards , all had been well ; the fault being laid upon xeures , hee sayed , that it was not so ordered , that his majestie thought there were no noblemen in castilla worthy of that honor , but because of the factions and partialities amongst them , the conferring it upon one should not disgust the others . sect . xxxiiii . the cardinal and his council being arrived at venavente , an express from don iohn de acunia governor of segovia came to them purposely to inform them of a notoriously haynous accident befallen in that citie , which was thus , one of the commissioners or burgesses that was sent thence to the parlament at santjago named iohn or antony de tordesillas , regidor and native of that citie , gave his consent to the granting the subsidies his majestie demanded . hee brought for the citie the pole-money to bee payed by way of excise and a gratuity of one hundred thousand maravediz for reparation of the walls , and for himself hee had procured a very good governement and received an office which the mint or coyning house had given for lost . it is a custome in segovia every tuesday in whitsonweek that the collectors meet to treat concerning the revenue of corpus christi church . it hapned that being all together one of them inconsiderately sayed , gentlemen ! you know that don iohn de acunia is governor of this citie , and that hee never set foot in it , and yet not satisfied to under value us , hee maintein's here certain officers to robb us , rather then to administer iustice. and i vow to god , if the former stole away our cloaks , these strip us to the very skins . moreover know that the governor hath put in here a deputy , more fool then valiant : hee is not satisfied with the injuries hee doth us by day , but hee leads a dog to catch men in the night . and my opinion is , that if any one hath done what hee ought not to doe , hee should apprehend him in his house like a christian , and not hunt him with doggs in the mountains like a moore ; for a man of any credit is more troubled at his being apprehended in the open street then at his imprisonment . a certain old man , called melon , chanced to bee present at these words , who had for many years executed the office of a sergeant or catch-pole ( as they call them ) ; and therefore was hated and abhorred by all the people . this poore man having heard the other out , and every body else holding their peaces , stood up and spake these words in favor of the justice . indeed ( gentlemen ! ) that which this man hath sayed seemeth to me not well , and mee thinks it is wors that men of such honor and credit ( as here are ) should give eare to such a man : for hee that will speak in publick of the ministers of iustice ought to have some respect and moderation in his tongue ; and in an officer of the king 's , hee ought not to look onely at his person , but to consider what his staff represent's , as touching the dog hee speak's of , that my master carrie's with him , i sweare by this cross , that , being a yong man , hee takes him with him more for his pleasure in the day time , then to catch men in the night ; and if it had been so you doe not , ( i hope ) take me to be so base , but that i should haue made it known to the people , for i am more beholding to my friends and neighbors then i am to strangers . if the officers doe any thing against law and iustice , ( which hitherto they have not done ) like christians and gentlemen wee are obliged to advise and reprove them in secret , and not defame them publickly ; and if this which i say now unto you , soundeth not well in your ears , perchance that which will result hereof will please you wors ; for ill words inconsiderately spoken somtimes are dearly repented . this speech was so ill taken by them all , that with shouting and great violence they seized on him , cast a rope about his neck , and with huge nois and exclamations they dragged him out of the citie , but they bruised him with so many stripes that hee was dead before hee came to the gallowes , yet they hung up his body upon it . as they returned from hanging this unfortunate melon , they met by the way a companion of his , called roque portalejo : to whom one of them said , as they came along , portalejo ! thy companion melon remember's him to thee , there hee hang's upon the gallows , and hee saies hee hopes thou wilt beare him company there to morrow , and t' were no great matter if wee made thee accept of his invitation , for since thou wast his companion in the fault , it is but reason thou shouldst beare a share of the punishment . portalejo replyed , god preserve the king my lord and his iustice , for one day you may repent you for what you haue done and segovia for permitting it . for the blood of the innocent , although men doe forget it , is alwaies crying out for vengeance before god. hereupon , and because they saw him with a pen and paper , one of them began to say , that hee tooke the names of those that had killed melon , upon which words they all cryed out kill him , kill him , so with the same fury in a disorderly rout , as they had done to melon , they layd hands on him , and dragged him to the gallows where they hang'd him by the feet , so the poore man dyed . they spent all that day in execution of those two ; the next day being wednesday the citie sat in counsell ; the regidor tordesillas went thither to give account of what hee had don in parlament although hee was advised to the contrary . the place of meeting was at st michael's church . the people beeing told , that tordesillas had granted the subsidie and that hee was at the council , a great number of carders ran in a tumultuous manner thither , and climing over the dores and breaking in at the windowes , they violently layed hands upon him and dragged him out of the church . antonio de tordesillas intreating them to forbeare , sayed , gentlemen ! heare me , i come to give you an account . see here the articles which i bring , bee pacified , and let us goe to some place where you may bee informed of the truth . but this satisfied not , the multitude of teazers was so outragious , some cryed , let us carry him to santa olalla ; and poor tordesillas said , whither you please gentlemen . others cryed , kill ●im , kill him , others sayed , tordesillas give us those articles . hee answered , since you will haue it so , there , take them ; then hee drew a paper out of his pocket , wherein was conteined all that hee had done in the parlament , which they tore in peeces without ever reading it . and with one voice they cryed out , to prison with him , there wee shall see his treason . then they set him upon a mule , beeing clad with a long cassock or gaberdine of crimson velvet . hee had not gone fa●r but some of them crying , art thou catched ? layed hands again upon him , and having knocked him off the mule , they hurried him into the prison , others cryed out , a rope , a rope , let ●im not stay in prison , let us have him strait to the gallowes . and presently with lowd exclamations they cryed out all together , let him die , let him die . and a rope beeing brought they put it about his neck , and plucked him down to the ground , then dragged him along the streets , punching him and giving him great blowes upon the head with the pummels of their swords , and although hee cryed out to them with grievous sighs and pitiful groans , saying , gentlemen ! heare me , why doe you kill mee ? it availed nothing . hee desired to confess , and they would not suffer him . the dean and canon● with their sacerdotal habits came forth to them , carrying the holy sacrament . and ( which was most grievous of all ) tordesilla's own brother , a franciscan fryer , a very grave man in his habit ready to say mass , and the holy sacrament in his hands , with all the rest of the fryers of st francis order came out , and kneeling all before this crew , they begged of them with tears to spare his life for christ iesu●s sake . but in regard all that rabble was of the common and baser sort of people , they made no reckoning of them , nor bore any respect or reverence to the church . then the fryers desired , if there was no remedy but that hee must die , that they would give him leav to make his confession , which they refused . and when they had brought him to the gallows , half choaked already with the rope , they tyed his feet and hung him with his head downwards , betwixt the two others they had hanged the day before . thus this poor gentleman ended his life , and doubtless his companion iohn vazquez had tasted of the same cup , had hee not absented himself , but hee escaped being advertised by this disaster . sect . xxxv . this done the common people of segovia elected their deputies of the commonalty , turned out all t●e king's officers of iustice and authorised others to officiate for them , then seized upon all the gates of the citie . about that time was come to segovia don hernando de bovadilla earl of chinchon , who had great power in the citie , having the command of the forts , gates and mint-hous ; which place was given his ancestors and him by the king for former services . the common people possessing themselvs of the gates , and a hous don hernando had within the citie , hee presently made all his servants and the officers of the gates retire into the forts , that , there might bee men enough to defend them , in case they should be assaulted , and leaving them to his brother don diego'● charge and care , hee went to a fortress of his own in the countrie and took out all the peeces of artillerie hee had there , which hee brought with more servants and other people , to reliev his brother , who was by that time besieged and streightned in those forts by the commons ; which siege lasted all the time of the troubles , and the warre was cruell on both sides , don diego defending himself with great dexterity and valor ; the generositie and loyaltie of these gentlemen was so great , that to defend the forts committed to their charge by the king , they disarmed their own , choosing rather to leave their own townes and holds openly exposed to bee destroied by the fury of the common people , then neglect or forsake that which conduced to the king's service . sect . xxxvi . this message which the post brought from segovia to the governors , declaring the crueltie done in that citie , possessed them with much trouble and care . these risings touched the cardinal to the heart , and hereupon hee entred into consultation with those gentlemen whom his majestie had appointed to assist him . after this the gentlemen and regidores of segovia sent another messinger to make their excuse to the governor , alledging , that they had nothing to doe in the death of tordesillas , nor the other two men , neither were they able to hinder it in regard of the mutinie of a great multitude of teazers of wooll , who made that scandalous uproar and outrage , men of strange places , vagabonds , and who were already dispersed and fled from the citie . that if it could bee proved that anie man of account or worth in the citie was amongst them , or but anie waie favoured , assisted , or so much as consented to their barbarous proceeding , they would willingly submit themselvs to anie punishment that could bee inflicted on them . the president of the council don antonio de rojas arch-bishop of granada grew so cholerick and furious , that through excess of passion hee gave the messengers ( whom the gentlemen regidores and citizens had sent to make their excuses ) such reproachful language and high threatnings , that it spoiled all . for returning to their citie much distasted with this answer , they were all scandaliz●d at it , and those that before were very quiet and peaceable began to incline to the mutiniers . the cardinal beeing arrived at valladolid the th of iune , the day before corpus christi eve , ( the arch-bishop beeing gon thither two daies before ) hee assembled all the council and asked their opinions , which were very different concerning this matter . and becaus they are of so much importance to the historie , i will set down som of the most remarkable which were then taken in writing . the first that spake was don antonio de rojas president of the council , who declared himself in these words . the opinion of don antonio de rojas concerning segovia . my lords ! wee , who are dedicated to the divine sacraments , have not the libertie to speak over boldly i● matters which concern humane rigors and chastisements , becaus our profession is to shed tears for those which transgress against the god of heaven , and not spill the blood of those who offend earthlie kings . you see , my lords ! if the dignitie of arch-bishop invite's me to clemencie , the office of president ( which is conferred upon mee ) constrain's me to iustice. this i say , my lords , that you m●y not bee scandalized if i declare my self in this my vote . i denie not that our lord god giveth a beginning to all things with his providence , but yet manie of them hee persu's and concludeth with his rigor and iustice. and this hee doth , that the good may bee incouraged to serv him , and the wicked refrain from displeasing him , according to this saying of the prophet , misericordiam & judicium cantabo tibi domine . to com to the purpose which now is in agitation , this action of segovia , for my particular i hold it so hainous and scandalous , that i cannot think of any punishment great enough for it . for where the offence is without weight , the penaltie ought to bee beyond measure . those of the citie of segovia have offended god in so barbarously putting to death a man , who better deserved to live then they. which wicked action is of no less consequence , then that it should wreak god's iudgments upon them , for the blood of his innocencie is no other then the crier , or proclaimer of vengeance . again , in my sense , they are guiltie of crimen laes●e majestatis , and it is very palpable ; for they did not murther tordesillas for any offence hee had done them , but for the service hee did the king in the parlament . and since for the king hee lost his life , the king is obliged to see him revenged : and in respect his majestie is gone out of castilla , to receiv the imperial crown in germanie , it will bee sufficient , if hee return in prosperitie , that hee reward his wife and children with some gratuity ; and wee are to proceed according to iustice , considering that the offence is as hainous , as if it had been done to his own person . for if i have served his majestie , beeing here present , in giving him good counsel , i shall serv him more now , my lords , in punishing misdeeds in his absence . moreover , since the king our sovereign took shipping at the groyn , this is the first act of disobedience in spain . wherefore i judge their crime the greater . for an offence committed in absence , alwaies argueth the more malice , and where the malice is so great , the punishment ought to bee correspondent . item , it is alleadged by those of segovia , that the citie in general is not guiltie of this fact , but only som particular men , carders , did hang tordesillas upon the gallows . i would fain know of them , what was the reason , why they did not punish those fellows , since they were but few ; for there is no such testimonie of innocence , as to execute iustice upon offenders . in my opinion the citie of segovia cannot plead non-guiltie in this case , for five thousand citizens ( if they had listed ) might easily have withstood the furious insolence of fiftie teazers , and those strangers too . but some secretly with their counsels , others publickly using violence , committed this insolent outrage . for if it bee a crime in wicked men to murther the good , it is no less crime in good men not to resist the wicked . you have seen , my lords , the peremptoriness of those of toledo , the king our lord beeing at his parlament in santjago and the groyn : which was so great and scandalous , that for my part i know not which was more to bee condemned their malic● in so doing , or xeures his negligence in not remedying it . wherefore i say , that if that which was done , hee being here , hath pas't unpunished , and this , which hath bin committed in his absence , be not remedyed , from henceforwards i give all castilla for lost and ruined . for this is a general maxime , if iustice once lose her force , presently start's up insulting tyrannie . item since his majestie 's departure out of this kingdom , this is the first scandal wherein it is requisite that the council make appeare their counsel and wisdom . and there is nothing that can give a greater evidence thereof , then in governing the people in such sort , that wee may gain the affections of the good , and bee no less feared by the evil . if the death of this regidor bee thus smothered , and the insolence of toledo dissembled , the carders of segovia will thinke , and the cap-makers of toledo will proclaime , that wee doe not let these things pass with our good wills , but that wee dare not punish them . and by this means iustice will bee defamed in that shee cover's feare , and which is worst of all , will lose the credite of being feared . in summ of all that i have spoken , i say , that my determinate will and opinion is , that an alcalde de corte , ( who is in n●ture of a iudge of oyer and terminer , here in england ) should goe to segovia , and what hee ought to doe in this ( although i know it ) my sacred orders doe not give me leav to express . i onely say thus much , that the iudge ought to do wors to them by iustice , then they did to tordesillas without iustice. let all that i have said in this consultation bee under your most reverend lordship's correction : and if these lords bee of any other opinion , i shall bee content to conform my self to them , for in matters of weight and moment , a man is not to defend his own opinion , but to follow that which is most expedient for the publick good . sect ▪ xxxvii . the second that was remarkeable in this consultation , was don alonso tellez giron , who in those times was esteemed a man of a good conscience , a vertuous life , of a generous ofspring , and chiefly in the opinion ( which hee delivered ) very circumspect , for hee would never give any counsel , unless hee had considered the matter throughly before hand . don antonio de rojas having ended his speech , don alonso tellez began , saying . the discreet opinion of don alonso tellez giron . it chanceth often-times amongst the most expert captains , that being upon the point of giving battle , they differ in the manner and order of their combate , and if such men take oath of their dissenting opinions , i say that kind of discord proceedeth not from any particular difference betwixt them , but that each one of them thinkes , that what hee sayes is the best and most secure way to gain the victorie that day . this i say , most reverend lord cardinal , in order to my lord arch-bishop and president his speech , which was very good and beseeming a prelate that is desirous of the publick good . but if hee and i doe differ in the meanes which is to bee used for the remedying of so great a scandal , wee shall not , i am confident , in our intentions be dissenting . i swear by the faith of a christian and a gentleman , and by this holy habit of santjago which i wear , that my soul desireth nothing at this present more , then that wee may hit upon the right way of rectifying and providing for segovia . for my mind giv's me , that if wee miss our aim in this first enterprise , we shall not bee powerful enough hereafter to execute justice . hee that is to give his sens in such occurrences , ought not only to see to the remedying of mischiefs , but to bee circumspect and warie lest the fulfilling of his vote should bee the occasion of a greater inconvenience . for it may bee already ( which god forbid ) thinking to tile segovia , wee have untiled it , and so bewetted all spain . vndoubtedly those of segovia offended god in destroying his creature , and the king in murthering him for his cause . they scandalized the republick by hanging him in that manner . and accordingly ( if it were of no further consequence ) nothing could bee more just , then that the more cruel and barbarous they have shewd themselvs in that murther , the less pitie wee should shew in chastising them . i would say in this case , that wee are able to punish segovia , or we are not able , and so likewise toledo of their rebellion : and to speak the truth , to my best sens to chastise segovia , or correct toledo is yet too soon . for being , as we are , but newly come to the government , we should grant som privileges and libertie to the people at first , to win their obedience ; and afterwards chastise them , that we may bee feared . put case wee are not powerful enough ( as i believ we are not ) to quell that high couraged stubborn people , ( if my iudgment fail me not ) i hold for most certain , that if segovia lose their respect to us , the like we shall find through all the cities of spain . moreover you know , my lords , that it hath been averred to us , that there was never a gentleman nor citizen at the murther of tordesillas , and that those teazers which had committed the fact , were fled already . the judge whom wee shall send thither , to seem that hee doth somthing , must rob the poor , chastise the innocent , disquiet the rich , defame the noble , and chiefly scandalize the bordering people , so that the untimely punishing of one man's death , may bee an occasion of destroying all . item you know , my lords , that the king , our lord , had the ill will of all his subjects for the ill government of his tutors , and certainly those of this kingdom desire to express their discontents . me think's , we should rather provide for and hinder the manifestation of the ill intentions of castilla , then to stand so much upon the rigorous chastising of the carders of segovia , for it is the part of wise men to dissemble and defer the punishment of faults already past , and forthwith apply a remedie to a present evil . item , segovia cryeth out and desire's , that if fifty or a hundred weavers committed that outrage , the whole citie should not lose its innocence . and in my judgment we should bee very injurious and unjust , if we should declare a whole citie traytors , when but few are guiltie , and i know the king hath manie faithful servants in segovia : therefore wee should commit a great offence therein . besides , it is as much the propertie of clement princes to pardon many wicked men , for the respect of som few good , as it is the practise of cruel tyrants to condemn many good , for a few evil . item , it is sufficiently known that toledo is in rebellion , and beeing ( as it is ) so powerful a citie , wee cannot exercise justice upon it . now , if wee doe chastise segovia , wee cannot do it so much dammage , as wee shall do favor to toledo thereby . for all those whom wee take now for enemies , wee make friends to toledo . and by this means there will bee manie favorers of their tyranie , and but few to assist our justice . item , it is to be considered that the citie of segovia and the town of medina del campo , by reason of the cloaths of the one , and the fairs of the other , those two people used alwaies to bee like brothers . my end in saying this is , becaus the best artillerie the king hath in castilla is at medina , and if the business were come to that , they would sooner give it segovia for their defence , then to us to punish them . and by this means segovia will get the artillerie , and wee shall lose medina . item , segovia hath not taken the fort as yet , nor disobeyed the justice , nor shut the gates , nor taken up armes ; and if a judge go thither to chastise them , perchance wee shall ( the guiltie beeing fled away for fear of punishment ) give occasion of fear to those that are innocent , and they put themselvs into a defensive posture thereupon . and this will bee the way to make those whom wee have as yet for subjects , declare themselvs our enemies , my lords , i will not extend my self any further in my discours , but only that for the reasons which i have alleged , and for others which i could produce , i doe not deny but segovia ought to bee chastised : but my vote is , that for the present , it should bee dissembled . for prolonging a punishment never did harm : and an over-hastie execution of justice never did good . the cardinal tak's and followe's the president 's advice , which was to chastise segovia . all those that were present approved of don alonso tellez his opinion , yet the cardinal agreed to do according to the vote of don antonio de rojas , president . for hee was a man so violently hastie and opiniative , that no body could perswade him to any thing , neither would hee bee contradicted . there were certain fryers , who did much harm in these commotions , som out of zeal , others beeing of turbulent spirits and too busie , and medling with secular affairs , which suite not with a religious life . sect . xxxviii . in one and the same day rose the cities of zamora & segovia . in zamora began the furie of the people against their commissioners , who had exceedingly incensed them , becaus when that citie had notice that toledo , gave limited powers to their commissioners , they would do the same . but their commissioners told them , they might not do so , and having received their orders , they made oath of fealty to the people , that they would not act any thing , without first giving them notice ; of which oath afterwards the commissioners desired the emperor to quit them , and they granted the subsidie . whereupon the people were so inraged , that they desired to have them burnt . they having som inklings hereof , fled to a monasterie a little day's journy from zamora ( called marta ) . the people in mean time went to their houses , and not finding them , they resolved to pluck down their houses , but did not , out of respect to the earl of alva , to whom all that citie ( as they had reason ) did bear particular honor and respect . his authoritie prevailed much , and hindred the common people from doing a thousand other mischiefs , but this it could not ; which was , the people not finding the commissioners , made statues , that resembled them , which they dragg'd about the streets with many reproachful exclamations against them , proclaiming them traitors and enemies to their countrie . after that they caused their pictures to bee set up in the consistorie , with a writing at the foot of each , to signifie who they were , and what they had done against that citie , and against the faith they had sworn to them . at length , hearing that they were retired into that monasterie , they sent to the friers to turn them out , if not , they would go and set fire to the hous . and although they desired libertie to com with saftie of their persons to the citie , and give them account of what they had done in parlament , the people would not grant it , but used means to kill them . in that citie there were two great factions , one for don diego enriques earl of alva , the other for the bishop don antonio de acunia , of whom i shall speak hereafter . sect . xxxix . the governor cardinal adriano desirous to go to valladolid , and to the end hee might make his entrance with the autoritie that was requisite for his person and dignitie , required the lord high constable , who was at villalpando , to accompanie him , which hee did ; and so they entered into valladolid on corpus christi eve , whence the constable returned presently . and if the president of the council had not gon thither before , and the cardinal soon after well attended , doubtless that citie had done no less then segovia and zamora . for their commissioners beeing returned ( who were francisco dela serna , and gabriell de santistevan ) the people knowing that they had granted the subsidie , and hearing how the other cities had welcomed their commissioners , they went in bands and clusters up and down the streets murmuring and grumbling amongst themselvs . wherefore the commissioners and the council of the citie agreed not to divulge the articles , until the cardinal and the council were arrived . and out of this feare they dispatched a post to the arch-bishop president of the council , desiring him to com speedily thither , and this was the reason that hee went before and stayed not for the cardinal . this was the occasion that valladolid refrained for som time from doing what afterwards it did . at last it broke out like the rest of the cities . sect ▪ xl. this fire most furiously and strangely spread it self through the other cities , as if they had agreed together and corresponded by watch-towers and beakons ( as they are wont to do in the frontiers and upon sea-coasts ) so manie places burst out into these commotions at one instant . i have read in a letter from leon picardo , a servant to the lord constable and his painter , that feeding his hawk at night in burgos , there was so grievous an earthquake that the dishes fell off the shelvs , the tiles off the houses , nay and som buildings were turned topsie-turvie , and his hawk dyed with the fright , as also som women with child . presently after which at the same beginning of iune , the people of burgos rose with great disorder , many of them armed and crying out very confusedly . the common people through the parishes and quarters assembled at the chappell of santa katherina del claustro nuevo in the great church ( as they used to do for the election of officers and other things . there they discoursed concerning the risings & commotions which were much noised in castilla , there was nothing resolved amongst them but great clamors & divers opinions , & going out with that hurly-burly and disorder as is usuall at such meetings . at last a great multitude of them being assembled at a middle row of houses close by the gate of sarmental , they agreed to rise also , which they did , & stood upon the same terms as the other cities had done ; they nominated two chiefs , anton cucbillero and bernal de la rixa , who with this rout went to seek don diego de osorio lord of abarca , a gentleman of great qualitie , inhabitant of the citie of burgos , but met him not until the evening ; having found him , they brought him by violence into the market-place with much nois and tumult , saying , th●t hee must bee their chief , and must govern them : they put a white staff of justice into his hand , and upon his left arm a target . don diego bid them be quiet , and tell him wherefore they brought him out of his hous , and put him in that equipage . they answered , that as a gentleman hee should protect them and free them from that slaverie wherein they lived . they would not hear him speak , but threatned him , if hee would not do as they required him : they continued pressing of him thus till night , and staied for his resolution till next daie . don diego at that time was governor of cordova , and came thither onely to see the ladie isabel de rojas his wife and his children , so hee presently got out of their hands , and that same night took his waie towards cordova , leaving his hous to the charge & care of don pedro de cartagena lord of olmillos ( who had married the ladie marie de rojas his daughter ) to the dean of burgos don pedro xuarez de velasco , and francisco sarmiento , who was his kinsman . these gentlemen repaired forthwith to don diego osorio's hous , where they found his wife and daughter very disconsolate for his absence , and fearing the people's threatnings , who hearing don diego was gone , assembled together and came with intent to break open the hous , plunder it and pluck it to the ground . but these gentlemen , beeing advertised of their design , stood all in the gate with their swords and daggers drawn , threatning to cut in pieces whosoëver durst attempt to break in , and vowing that they were resolved to lose their lives upon that account . this resolution of their's daunted the assailers , so that none offered to stir , but went all quietly away . don pedro xuarez de velasco went along with them , for bernal de la rixa the cutler , their captain , bore him much respect , becaus hee had received a son of his nam'd valoradico , to be a singing-boie in his church . xuarez's getting the good will of this cutler was of such importance , that by his means hee knew all the secret dealings and intentions of the communalty , and was admitted somtimes into their assemblies . they went by squadrons up and down the citie , committing manie outrages and insol●ncies , like men distracted and without judgment . an humor took them to burn down the carthusian's wood , and as they were going with this resolution , don pedro xuarez met them by the waie , and told them , that it would bee very well done of them , indeed , to set that wood on fire , but the world would bee so rosted with the heat , that it were better to keep the wood till winter , and not to burn it in the field to no purpose ; so hee turned them back again from st paul's bridg. they were so audacious as to assault the lord constable's hous , hee beeing chief of that citie , and having heard that the dutchess donia maria de tobar marquess of berlanga , a ladie of great worth , had threatned them , they came one daie in great number thither , and having environed the hous , they shot off a piece of ordnance , which beat down a corner of the tower , so they entred into the hous , & the dutchess was forc'd to hide her self in som secret by-place . they went also to garci ruiz de la mota his hous , ( who had been commissioner in that last parlament , brother to maestro mota bishop of badajos and palencia ) with intent to kill him , but not finding him ( for hee was fled ) they burned and pluck't down his hous , where were consumed great number of writings , as deeds and charters , and manie other papers concerning the king and kingdom , which hee had in keeping . that which they burned in mota's hous , was valued above three millions , when they carried it to the place where they made the bonfire , into which they cast all the moveables they could finde in the hous ; as pure linnen , rich tapistrie-hangings , cloaths , houshold-stuff , and manie chests or trunks full , all which they burned , without making benefit of anie thing ( which was a wonder , considering the condition of such mean people ) . in the like furie they went and pulled down the hous of one of the king's harbingers , named garci iofre , who , though hee was a frenchman born , had been a long time in the king of spain's service and the emperor's . hee was married , and had his dwelling in that citie : they were incensed against him for no other reason , but becaus the emperor had given him the command of the hous and castle of lara , which burgos pretended was theirs , and they demanded it of him , but becaus hee told them that hee had received that castle of the emperor , and that hee could not deliver it to anie but his majestie , they went to kill him ▪ neither stopped their furie there ; for poor iofre being unfortunately there that daie , ( beeing returned from france , whither hee went by the emperors command with the french embassador ) and seeing how they plucked his houses down , hee went to lara , saying , that hee hoped in god to bee revenged , and to build up his houses much better with those rascal's monie , then they were when they pulled them down , and that hee should make morter of their bones , and temper the chalk with their blood . this being known in the citie by the report of a collier ( to whom iofre spoke it by the waie ) they sent som men on hors-back privately after him , who overtook him in a little village called vivar del cid , three leagues from burgos , where drawing him out of the church , they apprehended him , & had cut him in pieces there , but for som gentlemen , who qualified them for the present ; yet they would not let him go out of their hands , but brought him to burgos back again and clapt him into prison , where with blows and thrusts they soon dispatched him , and beeing dead , they tied his feet together , and dragged him first to his own door , striking and pinking his bodie with their swords all the waie : then they drew him through all the streets , and at last hanged him with his head downwards . don inigo fernandez de velasco lord high constable , who was at villalpando , being informed hereof by a letter from the cardinal ( wherein hee desired him for the love of god to go speedily & set som remedie and order in that citie ) went presently to burgos , and out of affection in regard those of his familie for manie successions had been born in that citie , he took upon him the staff and office of governor , which the inhabitants most willingly embraced ; there hee continued som time , whose presence was the onely remedie and means to hinder the enraged people of that citie from committing a thousand other insolencies . what happened afterwards you shall hear hereafter . sect . xli . a certain judg nam'd hernan gomez de herrera , whose wife and familie was in madrid , took that occasion to go from valladolid thither ; but being arriv'd , the people began to mutinie , saying , that hee was com thither to take examinations against toledo ; at which nois manie people assembled presently together and went in a tumultuous manner to apprehend him in his hous ; but hee having notice thereof , used means forthwith to bee secretly conveied out of the citie ; so hee escaped with fear enough ; for if the common-people had light upon him , they would have given him hard measure . thence the disorderly multitude went to francisco de varas his hous , ( one of the council ) and took away all the arms they could finde ; as fowling-pieces arquebusses , cros-bows , arrows , pikes , four hundred corslets , and manie halberds , which they put into a strong place for their own defence when occasion should require : they set guards all the citie over , watching and going their rounds through all the streets and walls , to the great hinderance of commerce and destruction of the citie . in the same manner rose siguenca , guadalaxara , salamanca , murcia , and manie other places of importance , where were divers things committed , not unlike those which i have already declared , which would bee an endless business for mee to describe particularly . the seventh of iune , in this present year , the citie of leon was verie quiet , and stood much for the king's service : for it seemed that valladolid had written to them to know whether they had received anie letter from toledo concerning their business or not : whereto leon made answer , that as yet they had received nothing in particular from toledo touching that matter , and that the citie of leon was fully determined , not to do , or consent to anie thing , for the whole world , that might bee anie disservice to his cesarean majestie , or contrarie to the fidelitie they owed him , especially the most reverend cardinal remaining governor , with the lord president and the rest of the council , to whom that citie was so much obliged . ●t had been well for that citie if they had continued in that minde . sect . xlii . the of iune , , the emperor beeing at bruxels received information of all the passages in toledo and other places , and of the letter which toledo sent to valladolid , and their answer : whereupon hee wrote to valladolid , giving them a full relation of his voiage by sea , how hee was entertained by his uncle and aunt in england , and that they had confirmed a most sure league of peace and amitie together ; that thence hee intended about the middle of september to bee at aquisgran , to receiv his imperial crown , with manie other circumstances ; and at last , that he resolved , god willing , to return into that kingdom much sooner then hee had promised at the parlament , mean time hee incharged them peace , quietness , and obedience to the commands of the cardinal , his governor , president and council , &c. and if there should arise anie mutinies or commotion in anie other towns , that they , out of their antient and well approved fidelitie , would indeavor to pacifie and suppress them , for they knew the love and affection which hee bore that citie , which might sufficiently appear by the favors hee had granted them in former parlaments , according to the copie which hee sent with that letter . there was also a general letter to all the cities and towns of that kingdom , who had votes in parlament ; but passion had gained such a transscendence over the hearts of the major part , that they would not believ those letters to bee from the emperor , but said openly that they were counterfeited , neither did they anie waie abate their resentment of his so sudden departure out of that kingdom , leaving them ( by the counsel of his favorites ) involved in so great a fire , and with so much povertie and pain . sect . xliii . after this came news to the cardinal how the citie of guadalaxara was revolted in the same manner , and taking up arms like the other cities of the kingdom . they chose for their captain the earl of saldania , eldest son to don diego de vega y mendoça duke del infantado , and making use of his horses , they pursued diego de guzman , and luis de guzman , their commissioners in the late parlament , who , for fear of their lives , were fled from the citie ; but not being able to overtake them , they went to their houses , which they razed , and having plowed up the ground , they sowed it with salt , saying , that in regard they were traitor's houses , they must bee salted , lest they should infect the rest with their infidelitie . thence they went to the duke , beseeching him to favor and assist them ; if not , they would have him to know , that no grandee must staie within that citie , which hee and his son were enforced to grant to satisfie them : but the duke seeing the citie in so great disorder , and the kingdoms all over inflamed with such combustions , sent an express to the cardinal , desiring him ( since god and the king had constituted him in that office ) to use all possible diligence and care to stop the current of those exorbitances , and that without passion or affection hee would grant a general pardon ; for if hee suffered the sore to fester , hee would not bee able to cure it when hee pleased . that hee would take off the subsidie . that all tallages and impositions should bee reduced to the same estate as they were twentie five years past . that offices and benefices should be taken from strangers , and conferred upon the natives of the countrie : and that all this should suddenly bee performed . the cardinal was well contented with his letter , but durst not do otherwise then was ordered by the council , until hee received further commission from the emperor . sect . xliv . the order from the council was , that ronquillo ( a famous judg in those times ) should presently march to segovia with all the men hee could make , and punish the delinquents . they sent with him a thousand hors-men ( most of which were of the guards ) under the command of don luis de la cueua , and ruy diaz de rojas , who had orders in case the judg was not received into the citie , to batter and beat it down . but when his coming was known in segovia , those that were quiet and peaceable before , jealousies and fears distracting their ill-tempered mindes , rose and associated themselvs with the others , and in particular , one principal gentleman of the citie , called don hernando , who had written to the cardinal , that hee kept the citie , the fort and the great church for the king , and that hee had driven the commonaltie into the suburbs , and moreover , that there was great partialitie and difference amongst them ; upon whose advice and intimation the judg was sent directly thither : but when they heard in what manner hee came , don fernando & the common-people agreed so together , that the gates were shut against him , and the towns-men all up in arms. ronquillo perceiving their strength and resistance to bee great , retired himself to the town of arevalo , and the cardinal sent to him to return to valladolid , until the council should take further order therein . but the judg did otherwise , and from thence went to santa maria de nieva , five leagues from segovia , where hee made his requests and protests to those of the citie , & began by criers to publish acts and writs against them , requiring them to submit to justice , or to appear and give a reason why they would not . whereunto those of segovia ( 'mongst whom at first there was no person of credit or respect , but onely a furious and indiscreet rabble ) not onely not obeied nor answered , but after som daies spent in par●ying and treating ; without fear or wit they sallied out , to the number of four thousand men , almost all on foot , on purpose to meet ronquillo and fight with him , and in this manner they marched towards the place where hee was quartered . hee , with his captains , came presently to incounter them , and it is affirmed , that hee might easily have routed them ( for although they were more in number , they were but ordinarie people , and as disorderly as unskilful . but he was unwilling thereunto , out of respect that manie men's lives might have been lost in the conflict , or perchance being doubtful of the success . so there were onely som light skermishes , wherein ronquillo took som of their baggage , and divers of them prisoners ; whereof som he hang'd , others he punished otherwise . so that the segovians retreated with no s●al loss , and thenceforwards hee advanced his siege , and cut of their commerce and provisions , so that nothing could pass into or out of the citie ; yet hee used no extremitie towards them , becaus hee had still hopes of som accommodation . hereupon segovia mustered up their forces , which amounted to twelv thousand men , besides women and children who with an unspeakable courage took up arms to defend the citie against ronquillo . they made strong pallisadoes , deep ditches , and chained all their streets . the citie of avila assisted them , as if it had been their own interest , and both these cities made a joint-supplication to the cardinal , that hee would not proceed against them with so much rigor ; but receiving no satisfactorie answer , they said , since it must bee so , wee will remedie our selvs . at length segovia , finding themselvs streightned by the siege , wrote to the citie of toledo , declaring the occasion of their revolt , excusing themselvs of the death of tordesillas , and imputing it to the indiscreet furie of som carders and teazers , exclaiming against the rigor of the cardinal and council for sending ronquillo , not as an equitable judg to do them justice , but as a cruel tyrant to wage war against them ; and at last conjuring and imploring their succor and assistance to rais the siege , alleging that the punishment the cardinal and council intended to inflict upon segovia , was but the precursor of the destruction of toledo , in regard they were in the same predicament , and declared by the council for disobedient , as well as those of segovia , were condemned for traitors : in the close of all , they desired that citie to give credit to the relation of rodrigo de cieca , and albara de guadarrama ( the bearers of their letter ) who had instructions and orders to impart matters of higher consequence unto them , which they durst not commit to paper . other letters , to the same effect , they sent to the other cities of castilla , who all returned them great promisses and encouragement , and in effect they sent to the cardinal and council , desiring a pardon for segovia , all but toledo , who beeing less scrupulous , in stead of fair words , sent them men of arms to succor the citie , as shall appear hereafter . sect . xlv . toledo , upon receit of this letter , sent , to reliev segovia , four hundred musketiers , as manie halberdiers , and three hundred hors , well armed , which were joifully received , and gave them courage to sallie out again upon ronquillo . but first they sent to him , requiring that hee would let them alone , depart from santa maria de nieva ( where hee laie ) and that hee would meddle no more with the affairs of segovia , otherwise they would make him go away with a vengeance . but ronquillo thought to do what hee came for , that was , to enter into segovia , and punish severely the delinquents ; to which effect hee assembled the whole countrie thereabouts , yet could not accomplish his design ; for all the cities and towns that then were up , were wedded so unanimously to that same interest , that there was much to bee feared . ronquillo went from place to place , one night hee laie in one town , the next night in another , setting out spies , somtimes catching those that came out of segovia , and seeking all means possible to get into it . in the market-place of santa maria de la nieva hee made publick acts , proclamations and out-laws against the segovians ; but they scorned and laughed at them , and 't is reported that the common people set up a great high gallows , which they swept and watered everie daie , saying , that was to hang ronquillo upon , making shew of as much courage and resolution , as if they had had the whole world on their side ; this was when they saw how forward and ready toledo was to back them , and had furnished them with both men and monie . sect . xlvi . the cardinal seeing the ill success of this business , sent about three hundred and fiftie lanciers , and som foot souldiers , of those which were garrisoned in navarra , to ronquillo ; with whom hee scoured the confines of segovia . one daie hee went to zamarramala , where hee caused to bee set up certain papers against the segovians , proclaiming them traitors and rebels , and summoning them to appear before him within a certain time ; thence hee returned to nieva , where hee commanded a high scaffold to bee built , whereon hee caused to bee set other acts and writings to the same effect , then gave order to bee proclaimed in all the adjacent towns and villages , that no bodie should dare to carrie anie provisions whatsoëver to segovia under pain of death . segovia seeing ronquillo use them so hardly , keeping all provisions from them ; three thousand five hundred of them , very well provided with corslets , lances , halberds and swords made another sallie , one of the principal citizens , named peralta , was their commander in chief ; so with great nois and little order ( as common-people use to do ) they marched directly towards santa maria de nieva , but at two leagues distance from segovia they met ronquillo with his men ( who were better disciplined then they ) & made som shots at them , whereupon they soberly retreated towards their quarters . the segovians seeing that , and thinking that they ran away , pursued with great eagerness and in such disorder , that the others turning upon them , killed som of them , and took don diego peralta their captain prisoner , and they took an officer , and som of ronquillo's men . at last the combat grew so hot , that ronquillo quitted his quarters , and left the segovians ( beeing far more in number ) masters of the place , who presently set fire to the scaffold , and burned all the acts and proclamations hee had set up against them . upon this came a new supplie of three thousand men to them , which gave them fresh courage , and seeing themselvs so strong , they followed ronquillo , and made two great shots at him , which killed him two hors-men , and they took the paie-master of his forces , with two millions of maravediz ( whereof thirtie four make six-pence sterl . ) which hee carried to paie his men : this prize , with other prisoners , they sent to segovia . ronquillo still retreated in good order , and som of his hors perceiving a partie of about fortie men of the segovians scattered in a smal village near nieva , charged them , and having took som they brought them to ronquillo , whereof he presently hanged two , the rest he carried to coca , where he went to lodg . and the segovians having rescued their captain , returned joifully to their citie . sect . xlvii . the distempers of madrid ( for as i have said , that citie rose also ) were no less then those of the other commonalties of castillia . francisco de vargas a man of honor and approved fidelitie , mainteined the fort against the people , notwithstanding all the diligences they could make to turn him out , and possess themselvs of it . they required him oftentimes with manie threats , that if he would not deliver it up to them , they would hang as manie as they could light upon , of those that were within . francisco de vargas perceiving the streight hee was in for want of men , got secretly out one night and went to alcala ( six smal leagues from thence ) for som assistance . hee procured about fortie men , whom ( that they might get into the fort without beeing discovered ) hee ordered to enter by two and two on hors-back . this could not bee carried so close , but the citie had som intelligence thereof . whereupon the people beeing all alarmed , in great hast and furie , som on hors-back som on foot , ran out to intercept him , taking som gentlemen to bee their captains . beeing in the field they ranked themselvs in better order , and when the captain of the fort was readie to enter with his men , they fell upon him , who beeing but a smal number , were forced to seek their safetie by flight ; francisco de vargas beeing advantagiously mounted , with som others that were able to follow him , returned to alcala . the people after that , grew more careful , and kept spies out and guards in all the avenues of the citie , then they fell upon the fort with great furie , encompassing it round , but they durst not approach too near , for those that were within defended themselvs very stoutly , welcoming them with manie musket-bullets lets , cros-bow shot and stones . the fort beeing in this streight , diego de vera with his men approched , & faced madrid . hee had force enough to have relieved the fort with men and provisions , and ill treated the commoners of madrid . but hee was wearied with a tedious march , and discontented that hee had not received of a long time paie , neither for himself , nor his souldiers ; besides , at the same time letters were brought him from the citie of avila ( where hee was bo●● and had his estate and familie ) wishing him to let those of madrid alone , and no waie to molest them , for if hee did , they would pluck down his hous , and set fire on all his goods . out of this fear diego de vera , dissembling his design , would not enter into madrid , nor do anie thing to help the one partie , or prejudice the other . madrid finding themselvs but weak in men , and not very well provided with arms , sent to toledo for succor , who forthwith furnished them with five hundred men and thirtie lances , under the command of goncalo gaytan . having received this supplie , they resolved to undermine the fort in four places , which they within perceiving , shot still more and more fiercely , and killed som of their workmen , which made them leav mining by daie , & labor onely in the night , with blindes and engines , made like carts , which they might go safely under , and for their better securitie , at the front of all , they placed the children and nearest of kin to those that were within the fort , to make them refrain from shooting , for fear of killing them ; yet for all this , francisco de vargas his wife ( who was within ) was so ready to assist , and so wittily cunning to endeer and encourage her men to fight , ( lest her husband should bear anie blame ) that they still held out , and defended themselvs couragiously . the towns-men sent to require them to surrender the fort , if not , they threatned that none should go either in or out , but should bee either killed or taken ; whereunto shee made answer , that they troubled themselvs in vain , and shee would have them know , that although her husband was absent , neither shee , nor anie of the rest with her , were of such low and unworthie spirits , as , out of fear of their threatnings , to do an act so prejudicial to his majestie 's service , that they were all resolved rather to die in their own defence , then commit so high a treason ; for where shee was , her husband's honor should not suffer in the least . the people hearing this , broke into a furious rage , crying out with loud voices , let them die though wee all perish . ●o all beeing armed , they environed the fort on all sides , and planted their artillerie in order against it . those within stood stoutly in their defence , discharging all the great guns they had , which were manie and good , and put in a readiness their muskets and other arms , but they wanted men to plie their smal shot , the artillerie began to plaie on both sides . the fort battered down all the neighboring houses , and the gunners shewed much skill both within and without , yet did not so much mischief on either side , as they might have done . at last came som religious men to mediate a peaceable agreement . and as it was half concluded , a gentleman stept in and crossed all , saying with a loud voice , o you traitors , rogues , iews of madrid ! what have yee done ? what agreement is this you will make , so● prejudicial to the king and your citie ? you do it but out of cowardise . this and manie things more hee said , insomuch that the people mutinied , and grew rather more distempered then before ; som favored him , others were enraged to kill him , so there grew a great tumult , and a bloodie confusion , dealing blows and thrusts of swords and lances on all sides . but my gentleman was taken at last by the common people , whereof som would have killed him presently , others more discreet , thought fitter to keep him prisoner , until they knew what moved him to cast that seed of dissention amongst them , to hinder the agreement which was then concluding . the next daie , the people returned to assault the fort , and their gunner killed the gunner of the fort , and left them none to manage the artillerie . then they cut off their water , and their provision of victuals growing short , at last they were enforced to surrender the fort to the commander of those of the commonaltie . the people entred the fort , with great acclamations of joy and triumph . in it they found eight hundred compleat suits of armour , a thousand lances , a hundred , halberts , four fauconets , three pieces of cannon of one hundred pound bullet a peece ( according to the list ) three hundred bullets of iron cast , foure pieces of ordnance , which they took from mercado de fruslera , twentie thousand pikes , two thousand two hundred firelocks , two thousand head-pieces , gantlets and cros-bows , two whole cannons , seventeen hundred weight of powder , eight field-pieces , and five ●housand corslets . all which arms and ammunition had been laid there by the catholick kings , besides much more which was carried away to the battle of delos gelves . sect . xlviii . madrid beeing thus revolted , and in design of possessing themselvs of the aforesaid roial fort and magazine , they sent for succor to don iohn arias , lord of torrejon de velasco , one of the chief gentlemen of the kingdom of toledo , & of an antient and noble ●amilie . but hee beeing very dis●reet , & exceedingly valiant , answered them , that hee would have nothing to do with anie su●h broils , and that hee desired to live peaceably at home without ingaging on either side : yet upon better consideration , like a faithful servant to his king , having gathered one hundred and fiftie hors , with as manie foot , and a competent quantitie of artillerie , hee went to reliev the ●ort ; vvhich beeing known at toledo and alcala , by messengers from madrid , they sent multitudes of people , who joining all in one bodie , fell upon his town of torrejon de velasco , vvhilest hee vvas upon his march tovvards madrid : they sacked and burned it quite dovvn , and hurt divers of the inhabitants , som they killed . this nevvs beeing brought to arias , hee returned much troubled and incensed to torrejon , swearing that hee would bee revenged , and if hee could not get satisfaction from madrid , hee would not leave one town there-abouts undestroyed . som of his followers advised him to join with diego de vera who was come from gelves , with whose help and the good provision of artillerie which hee had , hee might besiege madrid , hereupon don iohn arias demanded don diego's assistance , but hee ex●used himself saying , that hee was tyred with his march , neither would hee fight against any of the king's towns. iohn arias did all the mischief hee could in the towns adjacent to madrid , and the people were so fearful of his souldiers , that they durst not leave their cattle abroad . it fell out one night , that the village of mostoles ( which was near torrejon ) having notice that io●n arias would fall upon them , they barricadoed their streets , and put themselvs in a posture of defence , but hee entred at another part , where the inhabitants suspected not , and sacked the town , and at their going away again , all loaden with plunder , the townsmen all at once fell upon them and took all from them again , but killed not a man. sect . xlix . don iohn arias de avila , afterwards seeing the inconstancie and fickleness of the common people , who neither kept oath nor promise , desiring to serve his king , and pacifie the tumults of toledo , went with som few servants to the town of illescas , where the chief promoters of those combustions were with divers men in arms , and coming thither to treat of composing the matter in a peaceable waie , hee expressed himself in such efficacious terms , and gave them such undeniable reasons , and friendly exhortations , representing unto them the dangers whereunto they exposed their lives and fortunes , by withdrawing themselvs from their obedience to their king , that somtimes hee prevailed so far with , them as to harken to an accommodation ( but they continued not long in that mind ) for the business depending of so many several people , that which was concluded one day , vvas quite broke off the next ; and at last they fell into such a popular madness , that throvving aside all respect , they vvould lay violent hands upon don iohn arias , peremptorily bidding him deliver up to them the places of strength , vvhich hee had under his command , and seeing hee would not do that , they demanded the artillerie vvhich vvas in them ; and becaus hee denyed that also , vvith great nois and tumult they gathered together in the hous vvhere the assemblie vvas kept , and made an order that iohn arias should presently deliver the artillerie , and in case of default , hee should suffer death as an enemie of the common good . this vvas intimated to him by a notary publick . but iohn arias vvith solid and good reasons ansvveared , that hee could not do it . the people of illescas hereupon vvent againe into the council , and ordred , that iohn arias should , vvithout replie , deliver the artillerie , or bee killed ; vvhereunto hee made ansvvere soberly and undauntedly , that the life hee yet injoyed vvas onely his ovvn , but the honor and good name descended from his ancestours , and should continue as an inheritance intailed upon his successors , that it vvas in their povvers to take avvay his life , but not his honor , for that hee could neither give nor lose , that if they did take his life , it would cost them many lives , that they had best take heed what they did , and that they could not take away the loyaltie which hee owed to his king though hee should lose a thousand lives , and that this should bee his resolution in despight of their cruiltie . the common people , seeing the resolute courage and constancie of iohn arias de avila , suspended for the present the mischief they intended against him , so hee tooke horse and rode with a stayed serious countenance through the town , attended onely with those few servants hee brought with him , and thence returned to torrejon , whereof the people of illescas presently repented themselvs , and condemned one another of unadvisedness , in that they had not killed , or at least , kept him prisoner ▪ but john arias mainteined stoutly three forts well provided of men and armes in the king's service against them , which were of great importance for the suppressing and hindering the outrages of toledo , and those neighbouring places , to the great hazard of his life and fortunes . and as soon as hee heard that the lord constable was vice-roy of castilla , hee sent him the seal of his hous and armes , offering himself wholie to accomplish the obligation hee had to his majestie 's service , for which the lord-constable returned him thanks promissing to acquaint the emperor with his loyaltie , and moreover recommended to his care the charge of those parts , which john arias performed with great diligence , skermishing often-times with the commoners . for this , and other services , and in consideration of his illustrious extraction , the emperor gave him the ti●●e of earl of punio en rostro , and vvrote him very favorable and gratious lettres , expressing the great esteem and account hee made of his services to his majestie . in a hundred small villages the people rose against the earl of chinchon , but hee suppress●d them quickly , and punished them severely . alcala was infected with the like disturbances and revolts , vvith divers other places of the kingdom , imitating their chief tovvn vvhich vvas the ring-leader of all those distempers . sect . l. cardinal adriano ( who was a saint-like man ) sought all means possible to remedie these disorders , with a sweetness and clemencie answerable to his charitie , and hearing of a gentleman that followed the court , who was a native and iurate of toledo , a discreet man , hee sent for him , and beeing come , hee asked him what cours ( in his opinion ) was fittest to bee taken for the pacifying of that citie , saying , that if hee could devise anie waie to do it , hee should bee exceeding glad to embrace it , and hee would procure his majestie 's approbation thereof . the gentleman thanked him in the citie 's behalf , as beeing a member of it , and said , hee did not certainly know their intention , but according to his judgment , the onely waie to cure those mischiefs , was to applie the same medicine which they desired , viz. that his majestie would bee pleased to grant to toledo what their commissioners had petitioned him in parlament ; that his eminence would command ronquillo , the judg , to rais his siege before segovia , and return with his men , in regard the citie was much scandalized at his coming in such an hostile manner , they having sent two prelates with their submission , and begging pardon of his eminence ; that hee knew how all the chief cities of the kingdom , beeing guiltie of the like commotions , every one would exspect the like punishment , and out of that fear , they would rather join all their forces to succor segovia , then bee liable to anie such rigorous sentence ; that he should be very careful in that point , for if the people once lost their respect , hee would not bee able to correct them : that for the present ( although there were tumults and commotions everie where ) yet there was no publick war declared , onely dissentions amongst the people . but if they joined and assisted one another , it would occasion great miserie and ruine to the kingdom , as it afterwards fell out . these and som other instances the gentleman pressed to the cardinal , who finding much reason and weight in them , bad him come again to him the next daie in the evening , in the mean time hee would call a council concerning those particulars . the gentleman punctually observing the time appointed , the cardinal told him , that hee had consulted about that business , but they were not all of his opinion , so that there could bee nothing done but what was formerly commanded . the iurate beseeched him to bee very warie and well advised ; for som of his council , hee told him , were men o're-swaied with passion , and more wedded to their private interests , then his majestie 's service , and that to his knowledg both toledo and madrid were raising men to send to reliev segovia , and if they went thither , hee might easily see what mischief would ensue . the cardinal thereupon said , hee would call a council again about it . sect ▪ li. toledo and madrid ( as beeing nearest ) fearing that if segovia were subdued , they should bee in danger , chose captains , and raised men to send to succor it . toledo pitched upon iohn de padilla , to whom they gave commission to rais a thousand foot , and a hundred light-horsmen ( whereof hernando de ayala was captain ) with som pieces of artillerie . madrid sent out four hundred foot , and fiftie hors. the toledians beeing joined with those of madrid , they marched together to a place called espinar , where john bravo captain of the segovians , came forth with his men to receiv them ; they made all together two thousand foot , and one hundred and fiftie horse ; after some conference , they agreed all three to go to santa maria de nieva , where ronquillo was quartered , and do as much mischief as they could , whil'st those of salamanca and other places might join , and come to the succor of segovia . but ronquillo and his captains , persevering in their design ( although they went out into the field , seeming to incounter the enemie ) would not ingage in battle , but marched soberly and in good order , another waie ; the cardinal hearing of the setting forth and joining of these captains , determined to increas the strength of his own forces , and make a formal camp , able to suppress and subdue the contrarie partie . to this effect hee sent to antonio de fonseca captain general of the kingdom , that vvith the king's standing forces , and with all the rest hee could make of foot and hors , hee should go help ronquillo , and of that artillerie which was at medina del campo , hee should take what hee thought fitting . moreover hee sent to command r●nquillo , that by no means hee should give those captains battle , but should first join with antonio de fonseca , for the better effecting thereof . fonseca's march could not bee kept so private , but valladolid ( where the order was made ) perceived it . whereupon ( although they were cried up for their loialtie ) they began to mutinie much more then before they had done , ( which was no slight matter neither ) for they made private meetings every daie . yet notwithstanding the commotions of valladolid , antonio de fonseca cunningly got out of the citie , and marched with all the hors and foot hee could rais to arevalo , where ronquillo and the captains that were with him , met him with theirs , and concluded of their journie to medina . segovia having notice of their march , and knowing their intention , which was to bring artillerie thence for their hurt and dammage , immediately dispatched an express to medina , with a letter to this effect . that by no means they should condescend to deliver the artillerie to fonseca , notwithstanding the persuasions of the bishop of burgos his brother , who had been long there solliciting and pressing them to it , alleging how unjust a thing it were , since segovia sent their clothes to inrich the fairs of medina , that medina should send cannons to batter and beat down the walls of segovia ; urging moreover , that if they did so , it would bee the utter ruine of segovia , and medina would suffer likewise in their fall. and in the close , they desired medina to hear and give full credit to their messenger , who should impart som things to them which they thought not fit to write . sect . lii . upon receit of this letter , those of medina resolved not to deliver the artillerie . antonio de fonseca with the best part of those men that were at arevalo , marched thence on tuesda●e morning the . of angust towards medina , with intention to take the artillerie away by force , in case they refused to deliver it , as already they had upon ronquillo's demand . they beeing advertised by the letter from segovia , and other parts , of these preparations against them , put on a resolution to stand out and not deliver the artillerie . antonio de fonseca having friends within the town ( besides the corregidor himself , gutiere quijada , beeing well inclined to the deliverie thereof ) began first to treat fairely with them , shewing them the orders and power hee had to that effect . but the towns-men replied , that they kept the artillerie for and in the name of the king , and that they saw no reason they had to deliver it , but rather to keep it in defence of their town and people . yet to do his majestie service , they were willing to deliver some of it , if need required , upon condition that they themselvs might go with it , and bring it back againe , from this contention they grew to higher language , thence to blows , and planting their ordnance at everie street's end , great multitudes of people presently flocked thither , all in armes . antonio de fonseca seeing this , commanded his men to storm the town ; the towns-men killed some of his men with cannon shott , and some of theirs were likewise killed , defending the entrance of the town . antonio de fonseca thought to catch them with a wile ( not intending any such mischief as fell out ) which was thus ; hee privately commanded certain fire-bals of pitch to bee made and flung into st francis street , thinking that the people would presently run all thither to quench the fire , and quit the gates , by which meanes hee might enter and seize upon the artillerie ; but it succeeded not according to his exspectation ; for the fire began to rage exceedingly , in so much that st francis street , and the linnen draperie was quite through of a flame , yet the inhabitants shewed so much courage that ( although their houses , goods and children were burning before their eyes ) they would not depart from the artillerie , fighting with antonio de fonseca and his men , until they had driven them quite from the town . fonseca was very angrie , and ashamed that hee could not effect his intention , and no less grieved for the great harm and damage the fire had done , which hee intended not . the monasterie of st francis was burnt to the ground with all the rich ornaments and librarie ; besides great store of monie , cloath , silks clothes of gold and silver , and other rich commodities , which divers genua , and segovia merchants had layed up there , all consumed to ashes . and nine hundred houses more , in wh●ch not so much as one bed was preserved . it was a lamentable thing to see how the poor people , women and children , went crying , and groaning up and down the streets , having no hous left to go into , nor any thing to cover thei● nakedness , calling upon god for justice against fonseca . in this sad condition remained medina , more inflamed with the fire of wrath in their hearts , then their houses were with the bals of pitch . the corregidor durst not stay , becaus hee had been with fonseca . whereupon the people began to call an assemblie of the commonaltie , and took the same form of government as the other cities did . they wrote forthwith to iohn de padilla , and the other captains , declaring their miseries , and imploring their assistance , to revenge their losses upon those that had sided with fonseca against them ; and their chiefest spleen was against the town of arevalo , becaus fonseca had carried his men thence . arevalo feared as much from those of segovia , and in it self there were partialities and sidings thereupon , som taking the commoners part , others the contrarie . medina wrote likewise to the other cities , imparting to them their calamities : segovia answered their letters , expressing manie thanks for their defending so couragiously the artillerie , and exceeding sorrow for the great losses they had susteined , sect . liii . adriano the cardinal of tortosa ( beeing a holie man ) was grieved to the soul at the disaster of medina , and in excuse of himself hee wrote a letter to them , expressing his sorrow in good and saint-like tearms . whereunto they returned an answer , giving his eminence thanks for his resentment of their miseries , and making a large relation of the cruelties of fonseca and his souldiers , besides the great losses they had susteined by fire , which they esteemed to bee of so high value , that they doubted the king's whole revenue , for som years , would not bee enough to make them reparation . and at last they desired his eminence would bee pleased to condemned and declare for traitors and disturbers of the kingdom antonio de fonseca , gutiere quijada , and that bloodie robber ( as they called him ) iohn de avila , and disband their men , with command that everie one should repair to their own home , and not burn the houses of his majestie 's faithful subjects , for under colour of serving the king , they did him great disservice therein . finis libri secundi . the civil wars of spain . the third book . sect . i. anger supported on the shouldiers of autoritie is like lightning from heaven . antonio de fonseca , captain general of the kingdom , was inraged beyond the measure of discretion against medina . hee burned like a flash of lightning , their houses and their goods , but hee incensed their hearts and wills much more ( like men in despair ) to commit a thousand absurdities . and to revenge the furie of his passion , all the people of the town took arms , dispersed letters of their grievances through the whole kingdom , desiring vengeance , and hee that could do most mischief was held the bravest fellow . amongst these broils and mischiefs , there was one particularly noted for his courage and boldness , a cloth-worker by trade , his name was bobadilla , a mean fellow , dull , but cruel of disposition ; hee was followed , as their captain , by divers that were undone , and therefore grown furiously passionate . first hee fell upon gil nieto ( who had been his master ) cutting and slashing till hee had killed him ; then hee killed a book-seller , called tellez ; next , a regidor of the town , called lope de vera. and so hee and his associats served all those whom they knew , or did but imagine , had anie hand in fonseca's coming to demand the artillerie , or had consented to the delivering of it . they pluckt down the houses which don rodrigo mexia had there , and committed divers other cru●lties and outrages . this active audaciousness of bobadilla got him very much credit and esteem amongst the people , and hee lorded it , and took so much upon him , that from that time forwards nothing was done but what h●e would ; so hee commanded and governed as head of the people . hee presently took a great hous , set porters at his gates , and gave himself the style of lord. such heads , as this cloth-worker was , had the commonalties in other places ; as villoria , a skinner in salamanca , and antonio casado in segovia , and others such like , who beeing bold , and without honor or shame , were followed and esteemed by the common and meaner sort ; and indeed divers gentlemen were to blame herein , who did very much harm , som by kindling and fomenting the fire secretly , others publickly , not with design to do the king anie disservice , but by reason of parties and factions amongst themselvs , som siding with the commonaltie , purposely to destroie others , so that it was more their particular factions and seditions , then their disobedience to his majestie , that occasioned all these disorders . medina , soon after this disaster , sent letters to valladolid , conteining a most pitiful relation of their unfortunate and deplorable condition , with high exclamations against the crueltie of antonio de fonseca and ronquillo . sect . ii. the emperor wrote to valladolid , giving them thanks that they had preserved peace and quietness in that citie , and for the good entertainment they had given , in his absence , to the cardinal , his governor , and those of his council . whereunto they returned an answer the th iulie , , with manie acknowledgments of his favor , praising god that hee had given them such a prince and emperor , who they hoped should conquer the holie land , and bee a great defendor of the church , as the emperors and kings , his forefathers , had been . and moreover they beseeched , with all humilitie , his sacred majestie , forasmuch as that citie had not onely shewed their loialtie , in serving , with their arms , the kings his ancestors ( as don alonso the eleventh , don john the second , and others ) but also in advising and counselling them what was most expedient for their roial services . and since it was apparent , that the granting of the subsidie in the parlament at the groyn , had been the onely occasion of so manie great commotions and troubles in the kingdom , that his majestie would bee pleased ( of his innate liberalitie and goodness ) graciously to remit and pardon all those that had opposed the levying thereof , and that it should bee no more demanded , which favor would be so acceptable to the whole kingdom , that at his return ( which they hoped would bee ●peedily ) they would do him such extraordinarie service , that hee should thank them for preferring him that petition , and know more clearly their desires to serv him. but the burning of medina del campo , caused so great scandal in castilla , that it revived and made the fire blase more fiercely out amongst the common people , and infected their spirits so , that manie other towns , whither the sore had not yet run , rose up in the like disorder . the next daie after medina was burnt ( as you have heard ) they sent letters with a particuler of the passages , to valladolid . with no less furie , then fonseca's firebals consumed the houses of medina , were inflamed the hearts of those of valladolid at the receipt of those dolorous tydings . and without respect to the cardinal , governor , the arch-bishop , president , council or other officers of justice , and forgetting the graces and favors the emperor had done them by his letters ; they rang out the bell of san miguel , whereupon all the people presently took arms , and ran from all parts of the citie to the great market-place , and all that the earl of venavente , and don alonso enriquez bishop of osma could do , or saie ( who came out to pacifie the people ) was to no purpose . and beeing thus gathered together , about five or six thousand men , they went to pedro de portillo's hous , about twy-light ( for at that time hee was chief burgess of the cittie ) willing him to go along with them to the president of the council , that hee might provide for certain things , which were necessarie for the citie . but pedro de portillo displeased them so with his answear , calling them mutiniers and theevs , that went about to robb and plunder , that in furious madness they broke open his dores and windowes , and hee had much adoe to get cleer of them by hiding himself ; seeing they could not find him , they took a rich cupboard of plate , that was set against supper , they searched his hous all over , plundred his shop and warehous , and took away manie rich cloaths and silks ( for hee was a merchant ) they made a great fire before his dore , in which they burned manie pieces of rich cloath of gold and silver , silks , wollen cloaths , tapistries , rich mantles , ermines and other things of great value ( for hee was a very rich man ) they left not so much as a hen , but they flung it in the fire or stole it away . and at the carrying away of their plunder , they fell out and fought with one another . this man's loss was esteemed above three millions of maravediz . not satisfied with all this , they began to pluck the hous down , and som boies that followed their fathers , set fire to a garret , where was great store of drie wood and bavins , which burned furiously , but fearing to burn the neighboring houses , they suddenly quenc●ed the fire again , which if they had not don , would have endangered a great part of the citie . this done , beeing inraged with that popular furie which the divel had sow●d in spain , with loud out-cries they ran to the hous of antonio de fonseca , who set fire on medina , and in revenge thereof , they burnt and pluckt it to the ground , not leaving a bit of timber , nor a tile that belonged to it , unconsumed . thence they went to alonso ninno de castro's hous ( who was chief judg of the citie ) and finding not him , they plundered it , and plucked down the ●ntrie . the like they did to divers of the principal men of the citie , which a certain autor , a native of valladolid , and an eie-witness of all these passages , saith , was a just judgment upon the regidores , and the rest , for their ambitions and disordinate desires of advancing their particular ends , without regard of the publick good , suffering their countrie to bee drained of all its treasure by strangers , to the sum of nine millions of gold , out of castilla onely , which was never converted to his majestie 's use , but was shared amongst the flemings ▪ this was the general complaint of that kingdom , which people of those times said , ought to bee registred in characte●s of blood ▪ after this , they made themselvs strong , keeping constant watch , and going the rounds with minstrels and drums , no less then fifteen hundred together at the first ▪ but this was so chargeable , that they reformed their rounds to twentie men at a time . som nights they found gunpowder mingled with pitch scattered in the streets , which they said , antonio de fonseca had commanded to bee done , for anger that his hous was burnt . after that they kept rounds and strong guards at the gates , and they were so affraid of fire and pitch , that they watered all their houses with vineger , thinking there was som design to burn vallado●●● as well as me●ina . they called an assemblie in the monasterie of the trinitie , where they chose new burgesses and deputies . then they sent for the gentlemen and citizens of the town , whom they made to swear and take the ingagement of the commonaltie , which for feare of death they durst not refuse to do . they made the infante of granada their captain general , which office hee was inforced to accept , or die . and they all swore to obey him , and to do nothing contrarie to his command ; which charge hee began to exercise with much discretion . but becaus they knew that don alonso enriquez bishop of osma , and brother to the lord admiral , did not like well of their proceedings , they turned him out of the citie , and divers other gentlemen likewise , becaus they could not trust them . which done , they presen●lie sent messengers to medina del campo , offering them succor . and to that effect they listed two thousand souldiers , and chose likewise six commissioners , to send to the iunta , or assemblie , held in avila , to which already the gave they attribute of holie . sect . iii. the cardinal and those of the council seeing all these passages , were so far from providing or ordering any thing in this case , that they durst not , neither did it seem possible for them to meet , and confer of what was to bee done . but as in a storm at sea , when there is neither sayles , marriners nor pilots ( all hope lost ) the ship is left to drive at the tempest's pleasure : so the cardinal and the arch-bishop of of granada , and those of the council ( having no means to resist ) thought best to let alone that people , who were hurried away with so violent a storm of inconsiderate furie . the cardinal made them a thousand congies , and excused himself saying , that hee never commanded medina to bee burned , nor had any hand in the other mischiefs : quite contrarie it grieved him to the very soul , to hear what fonseca had done . and beeing desired by the citie , and thinking it to bee convenient himself , hee commanded to bee proclaimed publickly , that all those that were with antonio de fonseca should leav him and return to their houses , and hee sent his express order to the same effect to antonio de fonseca , commanding him to disband his men , reserving onely what was necessarie for the guard of his own person , in regard it was not possible to maintein an army in those parts , having no means , nor place where to raise monie for their subsistance . fonseca was inforced to obey , conforming himself to the time so taking a partie of hors with him , hee went out of the kingdom ; for all in that countrie were his deadlie enemies , and hee had no mind to bee surprised by them in arevalo , or either of his towns of coca or alaejos , but leaving them well fortified , and his son don fernando in coca , hee passed into portugal , and thence by sea into flanders with the judge ronquillo . sect . iv. about this time caceres in estremadura , and the citie of iaen in andaluzia ( where as yet the diseas had not broke out ) began to cry up the commonaltie . so that don rodrigo mexia lord of santa eufemia , who had a great partie , beeing born in that citie , labored and used all means possible to hinder the people from the outrages and mischiefs , which were done in other cities , and not beeing able to bridle and restrain their furie otherwise , hee took upon himself the charge of the justice and commonaltie . manie other gentlemen made use of the like prudent dissimulation , not beeing able to do otherwise . badajoz also , beeing in the like distemper , was quieted by his good industrie , they of badajoz took a fort from him that kept it for the earl of feria . there is no reason why the andaluzians should bee held any better then the castillians , for in all places the dissentions were much alike , and their demeanors , as if the common people had agreed and contracted together som yeares before . sect . v. ubeda and baeza were divided into two parties between the venavides and the caravajales both noble and ancient families in castilla , don luis de la cueva , cozen german to the duke of alburquerque , was captain of the venavides . caravajal lord of todar ( which is a village two leagues from ubeda ) commanded the other partie . in these factions there was so much animositie , that one daie don luis de ubeda , coming in a litter ( for hee was an old man ) was set upon by caravajal lord of todar , attended by an hundred hors , who gave him so manie thrusts with his lance , that hee killed him in his litter . this done , hee was carried back to ubeda , where the manner of his death beeing related to his son don alonso , and their kindred , to revenge his father's death , they went to the village of todar , where they killed and cut the throats of all they could lay hands upon , and afterwards set fire to the village in manie places , that some that hid themselvs in their houses , were fain to leap out at the windows to avoid the fire . the destruction and crueltie was so great , that they reckoned of killed and burned , about two thousand persons , men , women , or children , and onely the ruines of some houses in the village remained . but indeed though these gentlemen were loyall like noble persons , yet it was so , that in this there was more of passion and particular grudge and hatred then anie matter of commonaltie . for neither the venavides , nor those of la cueva , ever were commoners , or pretended to disserv the king. but in these places , with the occasion of the kingdom 's beeing in a hurly-burly , they made use of the common interest to revenge their private passions . and it is apparent , that if these gentlemen did follow the commonaltie , as wishing it well , yet they were none of their captains . sect . vi. cuenca , in imitation of other cities , rose also and committed the like disorders ; in this citie was captain of the commonaltie , one calaborra , and with him a bridle-maker , whom the whole citie obeied as their lords . and there beeing a person of principal note and power in the kingdom , ( luis carrillo de albhornoz , lord of torralva and berreta ) they so much sl●ghted him , that hee was inforced to dissemble and sum●on all his reason and prudence to persuade his heart to brook it . their audaciousness grew to that pass , that hee riding upon his mule through the street , a rascal of the common sort struck him over the buttock , saying , in a scoffing manner , go thy waie luis carrillo ; hee was glad to let this pass , the times not permitting him to do otherwise . luis carrillo was married to donia inez varrientos de manrique , a ladie of a masculine courage , who desiring to revenge the injuries and affronts done to her husband , and to stop and take off the opprobrious taunts of the people , she invited the captains of the commonaltie to supper , and having well loaden their heads with wine , shee caused them to bee carried to sleep in several chambers , and beeing dead with sleep and the vapors of the wine , shee commanded her servants to cut their throats , and hang their bodies out at the windows next the street . sect . vii . avila was the seat where all the cities made their assemblie ▪ here they did such disorders , as the loyal citie of avila ought not to have permitted . the common people were the onely actors thereof , for the gentrie still persevered in the fidelitie of their ancestors . and becaus antonio ponce ( like a loial gentleman ) would not swear to follow the commonaltie , they began to pluck down his hous , but did not , beeing hindred by som other gentlemen . the rest , as in other cities , did swear and took the engagement of the commonaltie , som willingly , som becaus they did not rightly understand themselvs , and others out of fear . they would have pluckt down the hous of diego hernando de quiniones , becaus hee had granted the subsidie , beeing their commissioner in the last parlament , but som good men intervening , hindered the executing of their purpose . they had possessed themselvs of the fort , if don gonzalo chachon lord of cassarruvios , ( seeing the commotions in most parts of the kingdom , and that toledo had taken the fort from don iohn de silva , and segovia would have done the like to the earl of chinchon ) had not prudently and with dissimulation provided it ( hee beeing governor thereof ) with munition , arms and men , taking them in by night , and hiding them by daie . the fort beeing thus ammunitioned , when the common-people ple flocked thither to take it , they found greater resistance then they exspected . and the citie perceiving they might bee much damnified by the fort , and those of the fort likewise by the citie ; they treated of an agreement and cessation of arms , whereby they might live quietly , and not to do anie act of hostilitie to each other . don gonzalo chachon having informed the cardinal , governor , of this treatie , by his consent it was concluded , and articles on both sides were drawn in form , signed and delivered in presence of the publick notaries of the citie . so those of the fort lived quietly , leaving the towns-men to the confusion of their commonaltie . the nobleness of the gentrie ( in imitation of their ancestors , desirous to serv the king ) beeing as a firm bulwark and secure guard against their indiscreet furie . this made avila gain the renown of loial . sect . viii . not onely the fore-named cities were infected with this spirit of sedition , but divers other small towns and villages were tainted with the same contagion , where the diseas raged with such unnatural furie , that there was neither law nor respect betwixt fathers and the children , som being of one opinion , the others contrarie . in a certain village called medin● , near the palomera de avila , lived a byscainer priest , half a fool , who was so affectionated to iohn de padilla , that everie holie daie in the church hee used to saie , i recommend unto your praiers , brethren , the most holie commonaltie , desiring god to preserv and support it , that it may never fall . i recommend unto you likewise , his majestie the king , don john de padilla , that god may prosper him ; as also her highness the queen , our ladie donia maria pacheco , that god may powr down his blessings upon her ; for verily these are the true kings , the rest are all but tyrants . these praiers continued for three weeks together , after which iohn de padilla , with his souldiers , passing that waie , som of them were quartered in this priest's hous , who drank him up a little barrel of wine , killed his hens , and took away a young wench that he kept , with them . the sundaie following , beeing in the church , hee said to his parishioners , you know , brethren , how john de padilla passing here , his souldiers quartered in my hous , truly beloved , they have not left mee one hen , they have eaten up all my bacon , they have drunk mee a whole barrel of wine , and have taken my katherine away with them , therefore i charge you henceforwards not to praie god for him , but for our sovereign lord don carlos , and the queen donia juana , for they are our true kings . i do relate som of these fopperies , that you may see how foolish and blinde men were at that time , and indeed no better could then bee exspected ; for certainly som malign star had predominance for two years over those parts , which made men fall into such unheard of extravagancies . sect . ix . the citie of soria was ingaged in no less mischief then the other cities , by the rising of the common people . if i should undertake to particularize the riotous disorders of ev●rie several place , my work would never be at an end . in short , none of those that treated of commonalties , made anie bones of killing their neighbors , plucking down their houses , and committing a thousand exorb●tances ( like rash unadvised men , without sens or judgment ) as to discompose the form of government , displace the officers of justice , taking their staves from them , and naming other judges , without considering or reflecting upon the end that followeth such like disorders , nor how to bee preserved in them . the citie of toro and ciudad rodrigo took likewise the engagement of the commonaltie . they turned out the officers of justice established by the king , and put others in their places ; and those gentlemen that had most power , drove their antagonists out of the citie . which factious bandyings one against another , in revenge of particuler grudges and quarrels , were the chiefest occasion of kindling the people's furie , and it might justly bee said , that they were private seditions and tumults , not rebellion against their king , for there was no such word amongst the gentrie , nor the common people . sect . x. leon had done wisely if they had continued in the same good resolution , wherewith they answered valladolid concerning the treatie of an assemblie , which toledo desired . but ( as i have often said ) the factions and parcialities that were in everie citie , did more harm then anie thing els in these commotions . the guzmanes were so highly distasted at their beeing put out of don fernando , the infante , his service , that a little thing would have made them raise a commotion in that citie , where they were very powerfull , beeing of an ancient and noble extraction . they had some difference and spleen against the earl of luna , who was sent commissioner from that citie to the parlament , that was held at the groyne , who having consented to the subsidie , was not well received at his return ; and it is reported that ramiro nunn●z de guzman spoke thus to him ; they saie , you have granted the subsidie , and gon beyond your commission , if that bee true , you deserve to bee severely punished . the earl hereupon answered ramiro nunnez , i have done what i ought and what i was commanded to do , neither have i exceeded my commission one title . so from one thing to another at last they fell into a great passion , and ramiro nunnez said to the earl , i will make you know with this my sword against yours , how you are a traytor , and have committed treason against this citie . thereupon they both drew , and this unfortunate controversie , divided the citie into two factions . for these two families beeing the chief and most ancient of the citie , had each of them manie friends , kindred and abbettours ; but in regard the earl was out of favour with the people , and ramiro nunnez much beloved and followed by a great multitude , they fell upon the earl and his partie with such furie , that they killed thirteen of his men , there were manie on both sides wounded . the earl was beholding to the swiftness of his hors , or else hee had born his dead followers companie . this news was brought to valladolid , and the cardinall highly resented it , but knew not how to remedie it , seeing the fire so generally kindled throughout the kingdom , that of the eighteen towns of castilla which had votes in parlament , fifteen were risen for the commonaltie , and had chosen commissioners , or burgesses , to goe to the iunta , or , assemblie , then held in avila . the cardinall derived the fault of all this mischief upon monsieur de xeures , for giving the emperor so ill counsel , as to demand that subsidie , and the worst of all was , that hee never received it . the cardinal was out of heart , and perplext with continual fears , not thinking himself secure in valladolid , by reason of these troubles and heart-burnings of the people , which no fault of the king 's but the covetousness of his insatiable counsellers , had occasioned . i have alreadie told you , that one subsidie they desired was three hundred millions , and another time six hundred millions , in all nine hundred millions of maravediz ; therefore let no man marvel at the great difference of these sums , for in effect no bodie could rightly understand what they would have had ; yet they saie , the emperor desired no more then the ordinarie subsidie that his predecessors , the catholick kings had , ( which was two hundred millions everie year ) and that the over-plus they stole from him and the kingdom , contrarie to his will or knowledg . sect . xi . the affairs of spain were so imbroiled , and men so inconsiderately raving , that it seemed as it were a scourge from heaven , which threatned no less destruction to that countrie then that , during the reign of don rodrigo . they trusted in southsaier's prognostical judgments of the succeeding mischiefs . som divels invented , i know not what prophecies , which they father'd upon saint isidorus arch-bishop of sevilia , others upon frier iohn de roccacelsa , and one merlin , besides others , which they said , were of saint iohn damascenus , and other doctors ; that of saint isidorus was his complaints or lamentations over spain . i have read all those ill pres●ges of calamitie and destruction to spain , which so much affrighted and dismaied the people , and i find them onely idle things , which deserv not the setting down here , unless it were to make us wonder at the facilitie and weakness of men in those times , to give credit to anie such like fopperies . the ignorant people were particularly besotted with one which pourported , that there should reign over spain a prince called charles , who should destroie the kingdom , and make the cities desolate , but hee should bee overcom and driven out of the kingdom by an infante of portingal , and that the said infante should reign over all spain , and mee think's wee see the contrarie . such follies doth blinde passion , work in thoughts of ignorant and indiscreet people . sect . xii . toledo wrote to the other cities the last year , inviting them to assemble , and consult of what was most meet and expedient for them to supplicate the emperor before his departure out of the kingdom . and in regard that assemblie went not forwards , and that now things were in such disorder , that the breaking out was universal through the whole kingdom , yet they did not well understand , nor trust one another ; so for the begetting a better intelligence amongst them , and to the end they might the more firmly establish the commonaltie , which th●y called holie , toledo sent other letters to all the cities of castillia , pressing them with manie powerful arguments , to send , without delaie , their commissioners to the holie assemblie at avila , and not to return them anie such excuse , as formerly , becaus such kinde of congregations and assemblies were condemned by strangers ; for in that holie assemblie nothing was to bee debated , but what concerned the service of god. and that they might studie or invent remedies against the seven sins of spain , treating first , of their fidelitie to the king , their lord. secondly , the peace of the kingdom . thirdly , the remedie or settling of the roial patrimonie ▪ fourthly , the grievances of the natives . fifthly , the injustice done by strangers . sixtly , the tyrannies w th som of their own countrie-men had invented . seventhly , the intolerable impositions & taxes which that kingdom suffered . urging moreover , that they should not value what censure passed upon them amongst their enemies for so doing , in regard wicked persons are alwaies ready to blast with opprobrious tongues , all good and religious actions , which presupposed , although things should fall out contrarie to their exspectations or desires , and that they should bee in danger of their persons , thei● houses should be plucktdown , their goods taken away , and at last should lose their lives : in such case they were to esteem disgrace a favor , danger securitie , povertie riches , banishment a glorie , loss profit , persecution a crown , death life ; for nothing is so glorious for a man , as to spend his life in the defence of the republick . after all these , and divers other persuasive arguments , they desired each citie to give ful credence to their messenger , who had instructions to treat further with them . sect . xiii . the fifth of iulie , the lord deputie of murcia made a complaint to the cardinal and council , how the citie , beeing risen , had killed their governor , a judg , and one of the sheriffs , besides several other persons , and that the people were all in arms , and so disorderly , that becaus hee went about to pacifie and allaie their furie gently , and in a peaceable manner representing to them the foulness and enormitie of what they had don , they drove him out of the citie , and placed guards and rounds , which committed very great disorders . hereupon it was ordered by the council , that leguizama , a judg of oyer and terminer , should go thither with large powers , taking officers along with him , and that the neighboring towns should furnish him with men sufficient to bring them to reason . leguizama the judg , beeing arrived at murcia , entred peaceably into the citie . hee intimated his orders to the chief justice , gentlemen , council and assemblie of the citie , requiring their favor and assistance . which at first they did obey : and the judg began to make his privie search and examination , whereby hee found som guiltie , which hee gave order to apprehend . this pleased not the people , who began to think of turning him out of the citie . hee sentenced a shoomaker to bee whipp'd , who beeing brought through the streets , the beadles still whipping him , the people mutinied , and manie beeing armed , they rescued the prisoner with great nois and hubbub ; which done , they went into a hous to consult what they were to do . the judg perceiving that presently betook him to his heels , and fled into the marquess of velez his hous , who then was in the citie . the marquess hearing that the judg was gone to his hous , hee would not staie with him , but presently took hors and rode out of the town as fast as hee could to mula , a citie ten leagues from murcia . the judg made all haste possible after the marquess , and overtook him in the field a good waie from murcia , where hee shewed him his orders , charging him in the king's name , under pain of death and confiscation of all his estate , to go back again with him into the citie , and to aid and assist him to do justice . the marquess answered him very angerly , ( for hee had desired him before to bee very careful how hee proceeded , to consider the times , and not to be too rigorous , but he would not follow his counsel ) saying , iudg ! go , make these requests to such men as your self is , not to mee , for in respect i am very much a servant to his majestie , i give you this answer and no other . but to obey , and shew the reverence i bear to the roial crown ( in whose name you require mee to return with you ) let your notarie publick com after mee , and i will give him an answer to what you demand of mee ; with that hee turned the reins of his hors and rode on towards mula . the judg went back to murcia and set up his hors in the same lodging hee was at before . by this time the commonaltie was monstrousty distempered , and a multitude not onely of the towns-people , but also of the neighboring farms and cottages , ran thither with clamorous outcries , and a full resolution to burn him , and all that were in the hous , and they had executed their purpose but for diego de vera , who happily was then at murcia with his souldiers : and hearing they had such an intention , hee rode presently to the judge's lodging , which hee found encompassed with a number of people , crying out , let him die , let him die . yet at the instance and earnest request of captain diego de vera they forbore , who desired them not to commit anie such violence , but leave it to him , and hee would take such order , that the judg should go out of the citie , and meddle no more in that business . hee obteined at length , with much trouble and importunitie , a promise from them to do whatsoëver hee commanded , upon condition , that the processes made against anie of the inhabitants of that citie should be delivered to them , and that the judg should depart the citie within one hour ▪ diego de vera having promised their desires should bee performed , went into the judge's lodging , who presently delivered him the said processes , which hee gave to the people , making them promise him , that they would not in anie kinde molest the judg nor anie of his servants , but would let him go quietly and safely away , so hee departed without making anie longer staie in those parts , which was no small matter to obtein of such mutiniers : the autoritie and grey-hairs of diego de vera , besides the repute hee had of beeing a gallant souldier , was very useful at that time . having pacified the people , and persuaded them to return to their own homes , he conducted the judg , with his servants , out of the citie , and a league beyond , where they parted , and the judg went in a great chafe & fume to mula . there hee demanded men to return with him to murcia , which coming to the people's ear , they rose also against him , and having sounded an alarm with much furie , they presently gaue notice thereof to lorca , and so from village to village to murcia , and in very short time they were together in arms about eight thousand men with those of murcia , who marched a judgcatching directly to mula . but hee was too wise to wait for their coming , and flying night and daie hee never staied until hee got to valladolid . where hee remained but two daies , and on sundaie night he went to aldea mayor , three leagues thence , for hee durst not staie in valladolid , knowing they did not greatly love him for som things past , and there was but a kinde of counterfeited ●eace in that citie , hee was affraid they would kill him . sect . xiv . the citie of sevilla , or sevil , that all this while stood ( as it were ) looking on the rest , had likewise its disturber , who indeavoured to plunge it as deep as the other cities , in these unhappie commotions . the beginning was thus . don iohn de figueroa ( brother to don rodrigo ponze de leon , duke of arcos ) the duke beeing at his town of marchena , set himself to rais the people of the citie in favor of the commonaltie , with intent to bee captain and governor himself . to vvhich effect , having already moulded and vvorked them to his mind , and beeing agreed vvith those that vvere his complotters and confederates in this design , on sundaie of september , , after dinner time , hee and som gentlemen ( kinsmen and followers of the duke his brother ) went to the duke's hous in sevilla , where they assembled and gathered together above seven hundred men with arms , which done , hee and the rest of the gentlemen beeing on hors-back , and the people on foot , they took four pieces of ordnance out of the duke's hous with them , and so marched into the streets , crying out , god bless the king and commonaltie . thus they went as far as st francis place , and no bodie els stirred nor offred to join with them , but onely looked on as they passed . by the waie don iohn caused the staves to bee taken away from the king's officers of justice , and gave them to others in behalf half of the commonaltie . in this time the duke of medina sidonia , don alonzo perez de guzman , beeing very young , was yet under the guardianship & tuterage of donia leonor de suniga his mother . who being a ladie of an high spirit and courage , and seeing so dangerous a fire kindled in sevilla , assembled all their domesticks , with all the friends and welwishers to her son's partie ( that shee could so suddenly get together ) and sent them under the conduct of don valencia de venavides a valiant gentleman ( who had married the duke's sister ) against don iohn de figueroa . but beeing approached near each other , and ready to fight , som gentlemen of note , mediating betwixt them , composed their quarrel , insomuch that the duke of medina's men returned home again , and don iohn advanced to the gate of the fort roial , which finding shut , hee battered it down with his ordnance , and beeing entred with all his men , hee took the commander of it don iorge de portugal earl of gelves ; which done , becaus it was grown late , hee quarter'd there all night , thinking that all the people of sevilla would presently flock to him , applauding this exploit , and back him in his enterprise , but they were so far from countenancing his design , that the greatest part of those that followed him that daie , forsook him in the night , and returned to their own houses . the next daie , very early in the morning , the officers of justice , and the veynte y quatros ( by whom that citie is governed ) beeing assembled , they ordered , that immediately the king's standard should bee brought forth , and that by command of the citie , the people should all go in arms and assault the fort , which beeing re-taken , should forthwith bee delivered unto the charge of him who before commanded it for the king. don fernando de zuniga earl of venalcazar and divers other gentlemen fitted themselvs to assist the people in this enterprise . but before they were in a posture to put this design in execution , don valencia de venavides , by order and command express from the dutchesses , donia leonor de zuniga , and donia anna de aragon , and the duke of medina ( who was sick in bed ) having rallied and re-assembled the men that followed him the daie before with great courage and resolution marched to the fort , of which , after three hours hot dispute hee became master , took don iohn de figueroa prisoner , ( who was wounded in two places ) and re-delivered the fort to don iorge de portugal . so in less then hours this cloud was quite blown over , which threatned so furious a tempest . sect . xv. the citie of segovia sent to salamanca , desiring hors for their defens against ronquillo . the common people and so● gentlemen gave their votes to send them succor , but the greatest part of the gentrie opposed it , saying , it was a great diss●rvice to the king , and contrarie to justice . manie distastfull words passed amongst them , but at last the commons prevailed , and turned all those gentlemen out of salamanca . one stately hous , that belonged to the archbishop of santjago's steward , they burned down to the ground . neither did those gentlemen hold themselvs secure , until they were got into valladolid , where they gave a full account of all these passages . this was the beginning of the rising publickly in salamanca . after which they kept their rounds and guards in the citie , and sent hors to the relief of segovia , but before they departed , salamanca , with other cities , sent two men to the cardinal and council , beseeching them to forbear from chastising segovia , for if they did not , the citie of salamanca could not refrain from sending them succor . their chief captain in this uproar was don pedro maldonado , nephew to the doctor talavera , who drove the rest of the gentlemen , that were not of his faction , out of the citie , and made the corregidor go away also , leaving the administration of justice more out of fear then otherwise ; which done , the citie ordered the justice , and did what you shall see hereafter . sect . xvi . the cardinal , governor , seeing these troubles and disorders increas daily without anie hope of remedie , notwithstanding all the endeavors and gentle means hee , and those of the council , had used to procure it : the president and the rest agreed to give his majestie an exact account of all the commotions and particular exigencies of the kingdom of castillia , and in what danger they themselvs were by reason of the people's furie , desiring his majestie to take som speedie order for the rectifying of so great disorders . sect . xvii . the emperor had already received som intelligence of these troubles in spain , by means of flemish merchants , and other particular letters ; but when those from the cardinal and council came to his hands at lovain , hee was seized with unexpressible sadness . the necessitie of his going to bee crowned in germanie was very urgent , and his returning into spain seemed yet of more importance . the letter 's sad contents br●d divers discontents , and no less different opinions ( as the custom is ) amongst the courtiers of the nearest relation about the emperor . the flemings condemned the spaniards for raising these tumults ond commotions in their king's absence : the spaniards retorted the blame upon the flemings , saying , that their ill government had been the occasion of the ruine and loss of spain , and that they had robbed it ; and indeed to saie the truth , they were both in fault ; for the flemings were as short of discretion and prudence to govern , as they abounded with a too insatiable covetousness . and the spaniards , although they had som reason to complain , could not bee excused for rising up in arms. monsieur de xeures grew much discontented and ashamed upon the report of this breaking out of spain , partly becaus hee knew what opinion went of him in the court , but chiefly becaus hee thought ( as justly hee might ) the emperor would derive the fault upon him : who , whil'st hee was in spain , commanded with so absolute a power , that it was commonly said , the emperor don carlos is king by right , and monsieur de xeures in effect . the emperor beeing thus disquieted , called a council , and desiring to have their advices , hee propounded , that they would consider what means was to bee vsed , that hee might go into germanie , and receiv that crown which hee so much desired , and provide som remedie to settle the disturbances of spain , which was of no less importance to him , for his coronation could bee no longer suspended , and the remedying of spain ought not to bee differred . hee had of his council in this occurrence , germanes , flemings , italians , aragoneses and castillans ; and their opinions were as different as their nations . for the germanes urged , that it was repuisite his majestie should continue his journie into germanie . the italians said , it was necessarie that hee should make● a progress into italie . the flemings were very importunate for him to staie in their countrie . the aragoneses pleaded , that valencia was also risen up in arms. and the castillans used all means possible to persuade him to re●urn into castill● . the case beeing so general and nearly concerning so manie kingdoms , the emperor did wisely to take the advice of manie . but at last the resolution of the business was given by few ▪ as great princes use to do in like occurrences . the result of this consultation was , that the emperor should continue his journie into germanie , and having received the imperial crown , there to remain until hee had fully settled the affairs of that countrie , not being everie daie to return thither . it was likewise resolved , that his majestie should send amiable and gracious letters to all the cities and towns of castilla , requiring som of them to return unto themselvs and his service , and expressing his thankfulness to others for their good intentions towards him ; that hee should desire and encharge the nobles and gentrie to favor and assist those of his roial council ; promising to all upon the faith of his roial word , that with all possible expedition hee would return into castilla , ( for the thought of the emperor 's never returning into spain , bred in the common people the boldness to commit such outrages and exorbitances ) . moreover it was determined , that the emperor should write unto the president and council , condoling their troubles and persecution , commanding them withall , that in one place or other , six of them should alwaies bee about the cardinal and hold council : to the end they might serv as a refuge for the good people to appeal unto , and bee a terror to the evil : for if the council omitted the doing of justice , the roial autoritie must needs fall . and also , that the emperor should appoint two other governors to bee joined in commission with the cardinal , and those to bee men of noble extractions , well experienced , and advanced in years , of generous dispositions , powerful in estates , but chiefly natives of that kingdom . this advice seemed very sound and pertinent to the emperor , whereupon hee gave order it should bee put in execution accordingly , and those whom they voted to bee joined in commission with the cardinal were , don fadrique enriquez lord high admiral of castilla , and don inigo de velasco lord high constable , who were both antient gentlemen of great generositie and gallantrie . which election gave no small satisfaction to the castillan partie , for they had shewen themselvs in their commands not onely wise but valiant , and were alwaies fortunate in their undertakings . these noblemen governed with such valour and prudence , that the emperor in his letters to the lord high constable , give 's him thanks for his services , acknowledging that by his means hee was king of castilla . and indeed the emperor said but what was true . besides all this , his majestie sent an especial command , that the subsidie which was granted him at the groyn , should not bee exacted from those cities which continued in their obedience to him , nor from those which were willing to submit and bee reduced , for it was his will and pleasure graciously to forgive it them . this grace hee did likewise to the whole kingdom , that the roial revenue should bee allowed for the taxes , as during the reigns of other catholick kings , his ancestors . hee resolved also to abrogate the sale , farming and enhauncement of all taxes and impositions , ( which indeed were very great ) : and besides hee sent to offer and certifie , that no office in that kingdom should bee conferred upon anie whomsoëver , unless hee were a native ; which if hee had granted when hee was desired , these commotions had never happened . of all this were ingrossed his majestie 's patents and commissions of sufficient power . yet notwithstanding these three things were the principal grievances and most important reasons that toledo and the other cities alleged for excuse of their tumultuous risings : the granting all these demands was not available enough to quiet their commotions and reduce them to obedience ; for the contrivers and ring-leaders , who had seduced the people into those mischievous practices , finding profit in fishing in that troubled water , hindered all they could that these graces of his majestie might not com unto the people's knowledg , and when they were known , they gave out that they were vain promises , and onely fained or framed by the council , becaus they were not able to do any thing els untill they had divided the people , and then that they would fall upon them . sect . xviii . about this time letters were brought to toledo from all the cities , concerning their iunta or assemblie , and they all agreed it should bee as toledo desired . don pedro lasso ( whom toledo honored so much , since his return from the groyn , where hee shewed such obstinacie in his resolution , that they received him with great solemnitie , giving him the stile of the deliverer of that countrie ) . was appointed for the chief commissioner of that citie ; with him they sent don pedro de ayala , and two iurates , besides other deputies of the common-people . who resolved to take their iournie the same daie iohn de padilla went to the succor of segovia . the citie of avila was pitched upon for this assemblie , more particularly becaus it was situate in the middle of old castilla , and the kingdom of toledo . the cities which made this assemblie were , toledo , madrid , guadalaxara , soria , murci● , cuenca , segovia , avila , salamanca , toro , zamora , leon , valladolid , burgos , cuidad rodrigo . the commissioners of all these places beeing assembled , they chose their secretaries and other officers correspondent . the assemblie was held in the chapter of the cathedral church , don pedro lasso commissione● from toledo , and the dean of avila ( who was a native of segovia ) were chosen presidents . upon a table in the chapter laie a cross and the evangelists , whereon they made oath , everie one to live and die in the king's service , and in favor of the commonaltie . and those that refused to do this in avila , were not onely ill treated in words , but had their houses pulled down . but this fortune onely befell one gentleman , named , don antonio ponze knight of the order of sant jago , and son to the prince , don iohn , his nurs . the rest fearing the peoples furie , condescended and collogued with them , to save their lives , which were in no small danger . in the middle of the commissioners of this assemblie , was placed a little form , whereon did sit a certain cloath-worker , named pinilles , with a wand in his hand , and no gentleman commissioner or ecclesiastick durst offer to speak one word untill this cloath-worker had given him the sign , by pointing to him with his wand . so that those who took upon them to remedie the kingdom , were commanded by a mean inferior fellow , a cloath-worker . such was the violence and blindness of the common people's passion . the first thing they ordered , was , to take awaie the staff from the corregidor of avila , next they sent letters to the alcalde ronquillo charging him not to set foot in the land of segovia , and condemning him to great penalties if hee did the contrarie . sect . xix . having alreadie related the manner of the commotions of the cities and principall towns of the kingdom , with their general assemblie at avila , i will now tell you the successes of those unadvised and indiscreetly raised tumults . and in regard one of the most notorious actors in these tragicall disorders , was don antonio de acunna , bishop of zamora , who is famous to this very daie , for the strangeness of his disposition , and manner of the death hee suffred , which was not suitable to the dignitie of a prelate , ( but very answerable to his actions , since it was done with very great justification of the emperor , and by the autoritie of pope clement the th , as appear's upon record in the arches of simancas , which i have seen ) you shall briefly hear who this bishop was , and what his conditions . during the time of don iohn the second his raign in castilla , lived in that kingdom don luis osorio de acunia , a gentleman of eminent note and account , father to don diego osorio and this don antonio de acunia , to whom his father dying left the arch-deakonship of valpuesta , besides other meanes , in these times hee beeing in service to their catholick majestie 's was sent by them embassador into france , after which the bishoprick of zamora was conferred upon him . the king was not very well pleased with him , becaus hee was of a turbulent spirit , a lover of broils , impatient , adventurously bold , and one that did take more upon him , then his profession and degree required . hee was naturally inclined to arms , his ambition was to make himself lord and master of zamora , where the earl of alva de lista then lived , son in law to the duke of alva , a stout gallant gentleman and a great lover of honor . the bishop and the earl meeting about certain affairs betwixt them they grew to such odds , that very good mediators were not able to pacifie them . zamora beeing in rebellion , and paying no obedience but to the junta or assemblie , the bishop on one side and the earl on the other , used all means possible to draw the people to th●ir factions . the earl was better beloved , and bore the greater sway in the citie , so that the bishop was forced to leav it : it made him half madd to lose his hous , and so desperate seeing his enemie prevail so far against him , that hee presently went to tordesillas ( where the commissioners of the iunta were then assembled ) with whom hee joyned in confederacie , desiring them to assist him and furnish him with forces to beat the earl of alva out of zamora . they all received him with great respect and contentment , thinking it an honor to their caus , to have so eminent a prelate amongst them , they gave him men and artillerie , wherewith hee marched back towards zamora . the ●arl beeing informed of the manner of his enemie's advance , thought not fit to stay for him , but quitting the fort , went and associated himself with the cavaliers of the loyal partie , as you shall hear . thence forwards the bishop stuck close to the iunta , and the farl as eagerly followed the king's counsel , each of them so much favoring their partie , that there were not anie two more remarkable then they . the bishop was threescore years of age , but as vigorous and lively as if hee had been but five and and twentie . i was acquainted with one that knew him and received orders from him , who told me that hee was excellent at handling his arms . that hee had more then foure hundred priests under his command all well armed and valiant men , and that hee still charged at the head of them himself , saying , here my priests . the rest hereafter . sect . xx. i have told you in what manner segovia was fortified , the resolution of the inhabitants , the relief which they received from manie places , notwithstanding ronquillo's endeavors to hinder it ; how toledo incouraged them with promises both of men and monie , madrid , guadalaxara , and salamanca did the like , making their case their own . medina del campo secured them their trading , offering to bear what loss soëver they should sustein either of persons or goods . at last the citie of avila seeing what ronquillo did against segovia ; and the adjacent towns , that hee entred into the villages belonging to avila , taking , killing and executing justice in a severe manner , and that by order of the cardinal and the council , hee had taken from segovia all the places and towns under its jurisdiction , commanding them not to obey or bee anie waie subject to that citie , neither to furnish them with provisions anie more then if they were their enemies , under pain of death and confiscation of goods , giving them power and autoritie to keep justice amongst themselvs , as beeing a distinct jurisdiction , and other priviledges to the distruction of that citie : they assembled in council , and agreed to send a petition in the name and with the subscriptions of the officers of justice , the regidores , gentrie , religious persons , and of all the commonaltie , humbly beseeching the cardinal that hee would bee pleased to set a remedie to those disorders , and not proceed with so much rigor against segovia , for that citie would bee reduced sooner by fair means then by such severitie . that hee would command ronquillo to rais his siege , and that hee should not molest , nor use such crueltie against segovia . the cardinal and those of the council did not weigh much this petition of avila , which so incensed that citie , that thereupon they sent them word peremptorily , that since they would not rectifie those disorders , they were resolved to seek their own remedie . mean time ronquillo was at santa maria de nieva making what preparations hee could against segovia , making incursions into their territories , and laying ambuscado's for those that came out of the citie . it happened that two young men coming out of segovia , fell into the hands of ronquillo's guards , who asking them whence they were , and whither they went ? they answered , that they were of salamanca , that they came from segovia , and were returning to their own homes . at first the guards were in the minde to let them go , becaus they seemed to bee but poor fellows , yet afterwards they laid hands on them and brought them before ronquillo ; who asking them who they were , whither they went , and whence they came ? they said , they were carders , who seeing segovia streightned , and trading dead , they were upon their return to their ovvn houses . hee examined them severally concerning the manner of tordesillas his death , and they agreed not in their relation . ronquillo thereupon began to press them further , demanding more and more & more questions , till at last one of them confessed he fetched the rope vvherevvith they dragged tordesillas along the streets , and the other that hee plucked him by the hair . upon this confession hee condemned them both to death , one to bee dravvn and quartered , the other , vvho said , hee pluck't him by the hair , had first his hand cut off , and then vvas hanged . it seemed a dir●ct judgment of heaven to put those men into the hands of the justice , and that they should confess vvithout torture . sect . xxi . after this ronquillo met vvith one francisco peralta , a sufficient man , and vvell beloved in segovia , but not thinking fit to execute justice upon him presently , sent him prisoner upon on an ass , to a castle belonging to the bishop of palencia . but meeting by the waie a man , that was very z●alous for the caus of the commonaltie , and satisfying his curiositie by telling him the occasion of his imprisonment , through his means hee was rescued by the common people of duenias , and taken away from the alguazil , that had charge of him , ( who had so much a doe to escape with his life ) and peralta after courteous entertainment in the town , had a hors given him , vvhe●evvith hee went to burgos , which then was declared for the commonaltie . iohn de padilla , you have heard , marched out of toledo at the head of two thousand men well armed , and having passed the port de la tablada , hee came within sight of segovia , where in a plain , not far distant , hee pitch't his camp : the next daie hee sent a trumpetter to ronquillo with a peremptorie message to bid him get him gon , if not , that hee would forth with put in execution what the citie of toledo had commanded him . hereupon ronquillo retreated to antonio de fonseca at arevalo , and so they fled both together ▪ not beeing able to withstand iohn de padilla's forces . sect . xxii . the cardinal , president , and those of the council labored , all they could , to persuade the queen mother to signe certain orders ( which they would send throughout the kingdom ) against the disturbers of it ; becaus the greatest autoritie , which those of the junta pretended to have , was to saie , that whatsoever they did , was for the queen's service ( whose that kingdom was ) and other things to that purpose . the president therefore and some of the council , went to tordesillas , and spake publickly with the queen , who was very merrie with them , but complained , saying , that for fifteen years past shee could never know the truth of anie thing , then turning towards the marquis of denia , shee said , this marquis told mee the first lye . at which words hee fell upon his knees , and with tears in his eyes , hee said , it is true madam , i did tell you a lye , but it was to moderate the violence of your passions , and now i give you to understand that the king , your father , is dead , and i did bury him . shee answered , bishop , believ mee , all that i see or hear , mee thinks is but a dreame . the president answered , madam ! in your hands , under god , lyeth the remedie of this kingdom , and your highness will do a greater miracle in signing what wee demand , then ever did san francisco . shee bid them go to bed , and come againe next daie . the daie following , beeing sunday , they returned in the morning , much time was spent in controversie , whether they should kneel or sit before her , but the president telling her , that those of the council ought not to bee treated in that manner , shee commanded they should sit , but chairs beeing brought in , shee cryed out , no chaires , but bring a form , that was the custom in my mother's daies , onely give the bishop a chair . six hours they were with her in private , and the result of all was , that they should return to valladolid , and consult with the rest of the council , what orders they should issue out , which done , shee would sign them . they came to valladolid , and in the interim iohn de padilla arrived at tordesillas ( as you shall finde hereafter ) those of the council were presently afraid to bee taken , and some report , that hee sent a captain in persuite of those that came from tordesillas . sect ▪ xxiii . the same daie that valladolid rose up publickly in arms ( which was wednesday the th of august ) iohn de padilla , having beaten ronquillo from segovia , iohn bravo , and iohn zapata , with the men which they brought from toledo , segovia , and madrid , arrived at medina del campo . which the towns-men taking as a great favour , went out to receiv them with their flags and mourning colours , besides manie teares , which moved these captains to great compassion , especially when they saw the town reduced to ashes ; they comforted the people the best they could , and iohn de padilla took thereupon occasion to tell them , gentlemen , if you had reflected well upon the letter , which i sent you giving you notice that fo●seca was raising forces , with intent to fetch the artillerie thence , peradventure you had not been suff●rers in so high a nature . those of medina wondred that they never had heard of anie such letter , and after divers circumstances , it was found out that the regidor gil nieto had received and concealed it from the people : whereupon they grew to an excessive passion , and whilest this was yet in agitation , gil nieto unfortunatly came amongst them . some of whom discoursing of the town-affairs , said to him . if there were no traytors in medina , the miseries wee suffer never had befallen us . who are those traytors ? replyed gil nieto . at which words started up bobadilla , the cloth worker , and with a great oath answered , you are one of the traytors , then drawing his sword hee violently flew upon him , and with one blow separated his head from his shoulders , which done , and having found in his bosome iohn de padilla's letter , they flung him out at the windows of the regimiento , upon the souldiers pikes which stood below . hee was afterwards taken up and interred by his friends and kindrid . iohn de padilla remained five daies in medina , and the tovvn having given him tvvo great peeces of ordnance , hee departed thence vvith his men for tordesillas . hee pretended that hee went thither to kiss the queen's hands , and give her an account of what passed in castilla . others said , that hee went audaciously to seiz on her , and take her into his power . beeing arrived , hee drew up his armie in batalia , charged his ordnance , and remained in that order , until hee had given notice of his coming to her highness and the town . the queen presently gave order they should go forth to receiv him , which the town did in the best manner and with the greatest companie they could , and as they were even ready to meet , hee commanded his two guns to bee shot off with great showting and nois of trumpets . the salve being past , they took iohn de padilla in the midst of them , and so entred the town with the greatest applaus that might bee imagined , after hee had rested himself a while , hee went to the pallace , where the queen received him very graciously , gave him audience , and asked him who hee was . to which hee answered , that his name vvas iuan de padilla , son to pedro lopez de padilla , vvho had been captain general in castilla , and served the renovvned queen donia isabella her mother , and that also hee came to tender his service to her majestie , with the people of toledo ; that hee did give her to understand , that since the deceas of the catholick king , her father , there had been , and were in that kingdom great disorders , mischiefs and dissentions for want of a governor . although the mightie and illustrious don carlos , her son , had governed spain , yet by reason of his sudden departure , the kingdom was risen in such commotions and disordrous manner , that all spain was ready to bee destroied , and that now hee was com with a certain armie of toledians to serv her highness , whom hee desired to see , and know what commands shee had to laie upon him , for hee was ready to spend his life in her service . the queen was much astonished to hear such things , and said , shee never knew any thing of it before : for shee had been sixteen years shut up within a chamber , under the guard of the marquess of denia , and wondred to hear anie such stories , but if shee had known of her father's death , shee would have gon abroad and set som remedie to those mischiefs . so forgetful and void of judgment was the queen . then shee said to iohn de padilla , go you now , i command you , take the charge , and execute the office of captain general in the kingdom , and give you order for all things as need shall require , until i provide otherwise . this said , shee retired into her chamber ; and iohn de padilla returned to his quarters , well attended and very jocund for the favour the queen had done him , in giving him that commission . manie times after this , iohn de padilla had conference with the queen , and she seemed to give audience to him and others of the iunta , very willingly . they told her once , that the king her son , had done great damage to the kingdom , whereunto shee answered , that her son was not greatly in fault , for hee was but a youth , but the kingdom rather ought to bee condemned for suffering it . then shee commanded , that the assemblie of the kingdom should bee kept there , that shee would autorize it . hereupon an order was forthwith issued out , that proclamation should bee made in medina and other places , for all the commissioners that had assisted in parlament at the groyn to make their appearance and render an account at tor●esillas under pain of death . sect . xxiv . the iunta was yet held at avila , whither was sent an order from the queen , commanding them to remove to tordesillas , which they presently obeied , for it was their only waie so to do ; the queen understanding nothing what belonged to businesses . the antagonists of the junta gave out , that those dispatches which were produced and publshed in the queen's name were fals , and the testimonies likewise made by counterfeiting hands . the junta took a resolution to turn the marquess of denia out of the queen's service , for the ill opinion hee ( beeing a loial subject ) conceived of the commoners , alleging , that shee was not well pleased with him . and becaus they would bee informed how the marquess did serv the queen , they sent to maestro fray pablo a dominican frier , a grand commoner , commissioner of leon , and to the commendador almaraz , commissioner of salamanca , and el bachiller de guadalaxara : and from these men's relation ( which was never the holier for the frier 's having any part in it ) resulted a determination to turn the marquess and his ladie from the queen . whereupon they were not onely cast out of their hous , but driven out of tordesillas , with such strictness and precipitation , that they had not one hour's time to take away their goods and housholdstuff , and although they made their requests to the contrarie , they were no whit the more regarded . in their places were presently put donia catalina de figueroa , wife to quintanilla , and som other women of the town . and the marquess , with his ladie , was enforced to repair to a small village , and suffer with patience this tribulation for their prince's service . the iunta beeing set at tordesillas , they began to treat of the peaceable government and quiet of the kingdom . soon after , salamanca , avila , madrid , besides other places , sent manie companies of foot and hors , paid at the charge of the said cities , with their respective captains , who had orders to bee at the king and queen , his mother's service , and in favor of the junta . there was already so great a confluence of gentlemen and captai●s , that tordesillas was not able to contein them , although the common souldiers were quartered in the adjacent villages . the citie of vallad●lid sent a thousand chois men well armed , under the command of don diego de quiniones , a valiant and well-born gentleman . the commissioners , gentlemen , captains with many grave and learned friers , beeing assembled in the junta , there was a motion made , that they should send to valladolid , to seiz upon the president and the rest of the king's council , and to have them brought to tordesillas , or at least , to take such order , that the citie of valladolid should not back them or conceal them , but should give waie that the junta might apprehend and bring them away . to this ( the report is ) there wanted no votes , neither were the friers backwards in giving theirs , alleging , that the securing of those men was very necessary for the good of the kingdom . to this effect was dispatched a dominican frier ( who was a man of honor and great leaning ) with letters of credence to the commonaltie of valladolid , and to the infante of granada , their chief captain the frier having delived his letter and message to the infant● , hee thus answered , father , as far as it concern's mee ( as beeing captain of valladolid ) i do obeie the orders here sent from the junta , but it is convenient the whole commonaltie should bee assembled , that you may deliver your message to them all together , and receiv their answer . hereupon the deputies of the wards , jurates , common council-men and other officers , were all ordered to warn the inhabitants of their respe●tive quarters and parishes , to make their appearance the next morning by nine of the clock at the church of santa maria la mayor , which was done accordingly . the infante of granada , don pedro giron and other gentlemen , beeing there assembled , with the rest of the commonaltie , at the hour and place appointed , the frier went up into the pulpit , and with smooth fair language , hee told them the substance of his message , saying , that he came thither from the lords of the junta at tordesillas ( who were the greater part of the kingdom , and were there assembled for the remedying of the distractions and mischiefs which abounded in that kingdom , as appeared by the power & letters of credence ) which hee had already shewed to that very noble commonaltie of valladolid , and the infante their captain . yet becaus it was thought fit that a business of such weight ( as that wherewith hee was intrusted to impart to them ) should rather bee manifested to them all in that place , then communicated to any members in particular , and in regard they were then all assembled , hee again notified those letters unto them , giving them to understand that the lords of the junta , moved with a very holie zeal , and desire of procuring the kindom's good and his majestie 's service , had found it convenient ( to the end the intent of the junta might the better take effect ) that there should bee no council roial at all , but that the president and the rest should bee sent prisoners to tordesillas , and to shew that their intentions were holie , and tending onely to the service of god , and the king , in the name of the lords commissioners of the junta , hee did assure the lives of the council , but not their goods and estates . for they must know , that whosoëver of that council had offended , his estate was liable to confiscation , according to the qualitie of his delict , and that the monie which should accrue , should repair in part the dammages which they had occasioned . hereupon the frier extended himself into manie rhetorical expressions , to cog the peopl● into a consent , urging , that if they did otherwise , it might bee the occasion of bringing the whole kingdom to destruction : for if there was both a junta and council , the junta governing contrarie to the sens of the council , and the council abrogating what should bee enacted by the junta , what could bee exspected but confusion and utter ruine ? hereunto hee desired their speedie answer , becaus hee was to return to tordesillas . they forthwith replied , that it was a business of no small moment , and required great consultation , yet if hee would stay till night , hee should have their answer . they divided themselvs into several assemblies to consult hereupon , and they were generally of opinion , that it was a difficult and strange attempt for them to dissolv a council of so great autoritie , beeing constituted by their king , especially that citie having received , in particular , so manie immunities and other favors from them , and they ●eeing so good friends , that the council had , in a manner , entrusted them with their persons , it were an act of high inhumanitie and baseness to laie violent hands upon them . on the other side they thought , that they were bound in conscience not to leav undone the commands of the junta , in regard their commissioners were there , they had acknowledged their power , and had sworn to obey whatsoëver should there bee ordered or enacted . in the end , they agreed to give the frier this answer , that if the junta did desire to apprehend those of the council , they should send their own captains and souldiers to do it , for valladolid would have no hand in either helping or hindering them in that design , neither would they favor the one side , or oppose the other . the frier , and those captains , and other officers which came with him from tordesillas , beeing satisfied with this answer , the frier reckoned up those of the council whom the iunta demanded , which done , it was agreed , that everie deputie of a ward should take four or five of the said names in writing , and go with a notarie publick to their respectiv● houses , or lodgings , requiring them to meet the next daie in the cardinal●s hous , where hee should tell them what further they were to do . which beeing done accordingly , those of the council that could not escape ●as divers did ) failed not to com to the cardinal's pallace , where the f●ier , with his captains about him , notified and commanded them in the name of the iunta , to go with them to tordesillas , and to execute no more the offi●e of counsellors , that beeing there they should know further what they were to do , and that there was no fear of their lives , but their goods and estates he could not promise to secure . whereunto they made answer , that they held their offices and charge from his m●jestie's own hands , whom they had served and did serv , and that although they were taken , they would not go with them , unless they were carried away by force . this was the best answer the frier could get at that time , so hee returned to tordesillas , but was not long before hee came back again to valladolid , with other letters and orders as shall bee seen hereafter . sect . xxv . in this coniuncture arrived an express from flanders , vvit● dispatches from the emperor , letters for the cities of the kingdom , and his majestie 's commissions and orders to don inigo de velasco lord high constable of castilla and leon , and don fadrique enriquez lord admiral of castilla , auto●ising and commanding them , joyntly vvith the cardinal adriano , to undertake the charge and care of governing and managing the affaires of that kingdom untill his returne . in his letters , the emperor declared his exceeding sorrovv and discontent for the troubles and insurrections in that kingdom , notvvithstanding the great affection hee alvvaies expressed tovvards them . that his good vvill vvas so ill requited , and his favors no better accepted . that they had failed in that fidelitie vvherevvith ( like good and loyall subjects ) they had alvvaies served the kings , his predecessors . yet hee could not bee persuaded but some particular persons , for their private ●nterests , had been the occasion of all those disorders . and that in regard one of the principal things , at which the kingdom was aggreived , had been his conferring of the government upon a stranger ( although the prudence and uprightness of the most reverend cardinal of tortosa could not in all reason but give them satisfaction ) to stop the current of those disorders , which increased daily in that kingdom , and to provide for the good government thereof , and the peace of his subjects ; with great deliberation and advice ( during his absence , which should not bee long ) hee had ordered and appointed to rule joyntly with the cardinal , as vice-kings and governors of that kingdom , the lord admiral and lord high constable of castilla , beeing both persons indued with wisdom , and other parts requisite for so high a charge , and that they should take upon them all the care , trouble , &c. and that he had given them particular charge if the kingdom was anie waie aggriev'd , to send for the commissioners or burgesses of the cities , that they might demand redress before the governors ; and withall hee commanded the cities to bee obedient unto them . the emperor wrote also to the lord high constable , endeering him by the acknowledgment of his former services , to undertake and execute with like fidelitie , resolution and cheerfulness , the joynt charge , with the cardinal and the lord admirall , of pacifying the present tumults and insurrections , reducing his subjects to their former obedience , and the governing and managing the affairs of that kingdom until his return . dated in bruxels the th of september . sect . xxvi . if these noble-men had been made governors before the emperor's departure out of spain , questionless the commotions had never come to that height . but they were now too far gon beyond their recoverie , for although some were very well pleased with this election , others were not . the lord high constable ( as wee shall see ) was not very well beloved in burgos . the cardinal with the president and council were not onely not beloved , but extreamely hated and abhorred in manie cities . onely in valladolid the cardinal was much respected and honored , neither would they consent to his departure out of the citie , although hee often desired it , but they offered themselvs all to bee at his service , esteeming him ( as it were ) a saint ; and they kept guards at the gates of the citie , lest the cardinal , or anie of the council , or judges should goe away . yet for all their guards el licenciado zapata made his escape in a benedictan munk's habit , having shaved his crown and his beard , and divers others of the council likewise , who durst not attend the determination of the junta : perhaps their own ill consciences did accuse them , and filled their hearts with the apprehension of danger , which onely make the sinners flie , though no bodie doth pursue them . and indeed in offices and charges of that nature , some men are monstruously insufferable . sect . xxvii . few daies after the dominican frier was returned to the junta , and had given an account of his indeavors at valladolid , concerning the suspending of the council roial , and the apprehending of the counsellors . they sent another frier , alonso de medina , professor of divinitie , of the order of st francis , with second orders from the junta to valladolid . where beeing arrived , hee caused the commonaltie and officers of the citie to assemble at the monastrie of st francis , which beeing done accordingly , the frier went up into the pulpit , and shewed the letters of credence which hee brought from the iunta , in whose name hee told them , they were againe required to send those of the council-royall prisoners to tordesillas , and that those of the council of warre , who were fled and absented themselvs , should thenceforwards bee payed no salarie , nor enjoy any of their revenues ; but that they should all bee punished according to their severall deserts ; and that her highness , the queen's pleasure and absolute command was , it should bee ●o , in regard it was found expedient for the good of the kingdom . otherwise the offenders and wicked counsellors , the perpetrators of so manie evils in the kingdom , should escape unpunished , and the poor oppressed people remain without justice . many other reasons hee aleadged , which were not unpleasing to the people , who were filled with a desire of seeing the punishment ( hee mentioned ) inflicted . and having ended his discours , hee produced and read aloud to them a copie signed by three publick notaries , of what passed between the queen and the commissioners of all the cities and towns in the kingdom , that had votes in parlament . who beeing altogether in her presence , gave her to understand by the mouth of the doctor zuniga of salamanca , the grievances of the kingdom having been pilled and polled by strangers since her ●ather's death , and out of the sens of their opression , they desired that her highness would bee pleased to take upon her the command and government of the kingdom , making high protestations , that they would obey and serve her till death as their queen and naturall soveraign , and that shee should command as absolutely as the most powerfull queen in the world. whereunto shee answered to this effect , that shee loved that countrie and her subjects with so much tenderness , that it grieved her exceedingly to hear of any of their sufferings , but shee had been so long mued up there , and alwaies such bad people about her , who fed her with falsities and lies , insomuch that shee knew not of her father's death , nor of their opression , and that when shee was informed of those strangers coming into castilla , it troubled her very much , yet shee thought it might bee for her children's good , though , it seemed , it proved otherwise . but shee wondred much at them that they did not revenge themselvs , if any thing was don contrarie to justice . and forasmuch ( said shee ) as you intend to remedie the ill-government of the affairs of the kingdom , it doth rejoyce me , and if you do it not let it lye upon your own consciences , besides i command you so to do , and as far as lyeth in my power , i shall bee readie to do any thing for the good of the kingdom , here or wheresoëver i am . you need not come all to mee hereafter , it will bee more convenient , that you appoint four of the discreetest , and most knowing amongst you , who shall at any time have access to mee , and inform mee what cours is meetest to bee taken , i will heare them and do all that possiblie i can . then don pedro lasso desired , that her highness would bee pleased to nominate the four members , whom shee would have to confer with her concerning the government of the kingdom , shee answered that her will was , that the iunta should send whom they thought good , and shee would heare them whensoëver they came . sect . xxviii . this writing signed by three notaries in the presence of the infanta donia catalina , all the commissioners of the kingdom , divers eminent priests and friers , and manie other persons of qualitie , satisfied exceedingly the common people , who cried it up for a kinde of miracle , that the queen , after so many years of retirement , in so strict a manner , that no bodie could scarce have a sight of her , and so long discontiuance from anie knowledg of state-affairs , should now com forth , and shew her self in a time of so great necessitie , with so much knowledg and clear judgment in things concerning the government of the kingdom : they praised god for shewing his mercie in so high a measure unto spain : yet som there were , who did not stick to saie , that all those circumstances were fals , and forged by those of the iunta . that the queen had no judgment to meddle with anie such affairs , neither was shee in a condition to bee treated with . ( this was commonly noised not onely in valladolid , but divers other places also : pero mexia treating of this business , seemeth in his book to favor this opinion , i write what i had from one that was an eie witness of all these passages , and who neither was a commoner nor friend of that faction . ) after all this the frier told them , that there were souldiers without the citie , who , if they would give leav , should com in and carrie away those of the council prisoners . they all agreed , that two hundred should com in the next daie , who would bee sufficient to apprehend them , and carrie them away to tordesillas . whereupon the day following iohn de padilla , captain general of the iunta's forces , entred valladolid with three hundred lances of avila and salamanca , and eight hundred pikemen and musketiers , where hee had noble entertainment , and his souldiers had good quarters given them , with a large portion of all nec●ssaries . iohn de padilla forthwith seized upon all those of the council that could bee found in valladolid , who were doctor veltran , doctor tello , doctor cornejo , and el licenciado herrera , all alcaldes , whom hee confined to their houses that daie , under great penalties , having taken good securitie for them besides , and set guards upon every one ; hee took away likewise the staves from the alguaziles and other officers , whom hee commanded and ordered , under great penalties , to make their personal appearance at tordesillas . the next daie hee carried them away prisoners , with the respect and honor that every one deserved . hee took with him the books of the treasurie , and the broad seal wherewith the council sealed all their acts and orders ; for the better autorising of the matter , the junta desired the queen to confirm by her sign whatsoëver should bee agreed on by them , as persons of her council . which shee refusing to do , the commissioners there present , sent to their respective cities , to give them power to see to the government of the kingdom ( for fault of a governor ) and to constitute a council . som did ●end their powers to this effect , others disliked that proposition , holding it a thing needless , and of a dangerous consequence . divers gentlemen of toledo were much distasted hereat , and sorrie that iohn de padilla had been so forward , for which they sent him and their commissioners a notable check , refusing to give them any power concerning the govenment of the kingdom . sect . xxix . the iunta , for the better autorising and securing their persons and proceedings , used all means possible to seduce all the cities of the kingdom , and engage them in their quarrel . from palencia they had intelligence , that a small matter would make them rise . whereupon they presently dispatched thither an augustine frier , giving him orders first to sound the bishop , and afterward to address himself to the citie , telling them how they stood obliged to favor and assist the junta , in regard the chief end of their assembling , and their onely studie , since they were established , was for the general good of the kingdom . the frier went ( but it had been better for him to have staied in his cell ) and with much libertie and lavishness of words hee began to treat of his message , and having assembled the people , to preach sedition publickly in the pulpit . this continued som daies , until the cardinal , who then was at rioseco , with the council , sent to apprehend him , which was the easier done becaus there were divers loial and well-affected persons in the citie , who were scandalized at the ill example of this frier . hee was carried prisoner to medina , where after few daies , the fact beeing proved against him , hee was strangled . hee had his desert , and may all friers or priests meet with the like punishment , that imbark themselvs so far in secular affairs , not observing that retirement and modestie which their qualitie and profession doth require , which is to renounce the world with all its troubles and vanities . yet the ●eed which this factious frier sowed in palencia , took not so little root in the people's hearts , but that soon after almost the whole commonaltie of the citie , infected with his pernitious doctrine , rose in so tumultuous a manner , that the c●rregidor was forced to flie away , they took away the stav●s from the king's officers , and gave them to som of the commonaltie . they turned out of the citie the provisores d●l obispo or officers of the bishop's cou●t , they turned out the regidores , whom the bishop had constituted , and the commonaltie put others in their places . at the ringing of a bell the people all assembled , and most of them beeing armed , they ran furiously to villamuriel , ( which was a fort and the bishop's hous ) and pulled down a part of one of the towers thereof . the th sept. ● , they cut down the greatest part of a wood called santillana , which belonged to the bishop ; divers other strange disorders and mischiefs they did in and about the citie , as if they had been in an enemie's countrie : things indeed befitting the blinde and furious rage of the common people . sect ▪ xxx . the cardinal , governor of the kingdom , seeing the disturbed estate of things , and that in valladolid hee was not obeyed , as the dignitie of his person and place required , but rather in danger daiely to bee affronted , took a resolution to retire himself to a gentleman's hous out of the citie , where hee might bee secure . this was no sooner known in valladolid , but some of the citie-officers came to ●peake with him , desiring to know wherefore hee would go away from them . the holy man with much meekness , answered , that hee would willingly retire himself with the lord admiral at medina de rioseco . but those of valladolid , holding it their best waie to keep him there , would not let him go . they presently set guards at the gates of the citie , that none of the common people should go out , for they began already to feare , lest they should go joyn with the lord high constable , who was levying forces to resist and suppress those tumults , which were grown so excessive in the kingdom , to whom were repaired those of council , that escaped from valladolid , to the end that castilla , might not remain without justice . the next morning early the cardinal , beeing fully resolved to bee gon , departed from his hous with an hundred and fiftie men on horsback and on foot , besides divers of the principal persons of the citie , who guarded him on both sides . but coming to the bridg they would not let him pass , there hee stayed a good while , still commanding his people to bee quiet and offer no violence , for they would have broke down the gates and forced their way through . this beeing known in the citie , there was presently a great hubbub , and a crying out , the governor 's goeing away , the governor 's goeing away . hereupon one alonso de vera , a deputie of a ward , without any command or order from the captain generall of the commonaltie , ran in great hast to ring the council bell , which beeing heard the citie presently took the alarme , and in a trice there was such a hurly-burly and confusion of people in the stree●s , that it was wonderful , they all locked up their houses and shops and posted with their arms towards the bridg , ( as if the citie had been stormed by an enemie ) where in a moment's time ( in a manner ) was assembled a very numerous armie of compleat men , with new shining arms , but without order and without captain . the cardinal seeing this tumult , turned back againe towards the citie , and beeing half way ouer the bridg some of his servants said to him , my lord ! your eminence should do well to stand still there , untill you see what is the meaning of this boldness of the people . so hee did remain a while , having a strong guard before him . but the people came swarming to that place like emmets . whilest the cardinal was at this stand , came don pedro giron , to whom all the people bore as much respect , as if hee had been their lord. hee was mounted upon a stately ginnet , his body was covered with armor as bright as silver , his head with a richly guilded helmet , his hors proudly praunsing along the streets , made waie through the disorderly throng , untill hee came where the governor stood , to whom after salutation , hee thus spake . my lord ! i am sorry that your eminence would offer to go away thus without the consent of the citie and kingdom , if my counsel might prevail , you should return to your lodging , for if you stay longer here , it will not bee in the power of man to remedie or hinder the mischief , which your departure may produce . the cardinal's men not throughly understanding don pedro's speech , began to draw their swords ; which some of the people , that had crowded neer , seeing , cryed out , arm , arm commoners , help , help . hereupon grew such a noise and so great a tumult , that had not the president of the chancerie , don pedro giron , and other gentlemen been there to appease the furie of the people , they scarse had left one man alive of all those that were with the cardinal . but all beeing pacified , hee returned with his guards to his lodging , accompanied with other prelates and divers gentlemen of qualitie , and after all , followed his traine of bagage in the same order as they marched outwards . the common people went before him all armed , with sound of drums and trumpets conducting him to his lodging , with all due honor and reverence . by this time it was full twelve of the clock , so that they spent six hours at least in this contention . the infante of granada , captain of valladolid , was so much displeased that st michael's bell had been rung , and that the people had all taken arms in that manner without his order or knowledg , that hee threatned to leave his charge . thereupon strict order was given , that no man thenceforwards should dare , under a great penaltie , to ring the bell or to rise in arms , without their captains order . vera who rung the bell , to avoid the punishment which was intended , and his offence deserved , fled to tordesillas . after this , valladolid ordered that every five and twentie men should have a particular captain , that should command them upon occasion , having first received orders from the captain general . the newes beeing carried to tordesillas , how those of valladolid had opposed and detained the cardinal , besides the good order they kept for the guard and defens of their citie , the iunta sent an express with letters to give the people thanks in their names , extolling their valor to the skies , which puffed up the people's hearts with a kinde of vanitie , and incouraged them to commit greater exorbitancies another time . sect . xxxi . the cardinal seeing it was not possible for him to go publickly out of valladolid , and considering how much it behoved him to depart thence , where hee had no more then an honorable prison , resolved to steal away privately : which hee did one night all alone , beeing disguised , and hee had been gone ten daies before it was known in the citie , or his own guard of hors missed him . his foot guards went away the daie before by two and two . after which time hee sent to entreat the citie , to suffer his goods to bee brought unto him , assuring them that his going away should bee no waie prejudicial to them , that hee was in a manner enforced so to absent himself from them , both for respect of his majestie 's service , and that hee had not left him wherewithal to defraie his charges in the citie , but wheresoëver hee was , they might bee confident hee would do all that might be for their● and the whole kingdom 's good . valladolid , with much complement and civil expressions , sent him all his linnens and other houshold-stuff to the town of rioseco , whither hee was gone in exspectation of the lord admiral . about this time there were great differences betwixt those of the commonaltie , and their captain the infante of granada . they would have killed him , manie of them coming violently against him with their arms , and giving him very reproachful and abusive language . as hee advanced into the market place with above six hundred lances to apprehend alonso de vera , ( they saie ) it was a bridle-maker and som such like audacious fellows , that were the occasion of stirring the people to this insolent attempt . the iunta beeing much displeased ● ereat ordered that the infante of granada should leav the office of captain , becaus it was too great a charge to allow him everie month maradiz , alleging moreover , that none but a native of the citie , ought to execute that command . but the infante giving notice of his discontent , by command of the iunta this matter was put to votes , and hee having the major part on his side , it was ordered , that hee should bee confirmed in his office , but withal , that hee should pardon alonso de vera , with the rest that had offended him , and strict command was given , that the people should make no more meetings , nor demand any thing from thenceforward with arms in their hands , but by waie of justice and reason . that presently under pain of one hundred lashes , all those vagabands and fellows that had no professions , should avoid the citie . this was proclaimed in valladolid on st luke's daie . sect . xxxii . whil'st the commonaltie of valladolid was in consultation , whether the infante should continue in his charge or not , arrived a commissioner from the junta , desiring that citie in their names to agree , and bee all as one , and not to give waie to their particular passions , which might breed division among them , to the great weakning and disenabling of that citie , for they were now to consider that they had manie enemies , who had already begun one of the highest and greatest attempts in the world . that if their hearts were not united & stirred up therewith , they , with their wives and children , should bee reduced to most wretched slaverie . that with couragious mindes and upright desires , they ought to prosecute this matter , and bee assistant to those gentlemen who were already engaged therein , and boüy them up out of that gulf of miserie whereinto they were plunged . for the lords of the iunta considering that valladolid was the most noble & principal citie of all spain , and that it had been the principal autor of their good ( as in former times ) exposing and hazarding their lives and fortunes to many eminent dangers . they thought it great rea●on to give them an account of what they had done in the iunta . to whi●h effect they had sent to let them know , how that neither night nor daie they ceased laboring in the advancement of the service of god and the king and the publick good of the nation , neither eating nor drinking in quiet , but still watching with much care and studie , how god and the king might have their due respect and honor , and the kingdom bee preserved in libertie . renouncing all private affairs , leaving houses , goods , wives and children at random , to attend and applie themselvs with more fervencie to procure the people's good without interest . that before the iunta sate at tordesillas , they all took a solemn oath , that no man should procure for himself , wife , children , friends or kindred , anie lands , offices or benefits whatsoëver , to the end that they might loi●lly , and without interests , serv the publick . that every one of the iunta was a gentleman , and as free , as the king himself from all the tributes & taxes that were imposed upon the meaner subjects , & that neither for respect of what they might hope to gain , or to free themselvs of that which others did paie , they had exposed themselvs to so great hazard , beeing no more then fiftie , that did help or any waie advance this business , which so nearly concerned all . that without them the iunta could do little , the case b●eing weightie and dangerous . that they trusted in god within eight daies , the iunta would have taken such a cours , that castilla should enjoie as much peace , quietness , and plentie as formerly ; for they wanted nothing but the articles of the several cities of the kingdom , to extract the best out of them ; which should bee printed and and sent through the whole kingdom , that every one might see the good which proceeded from the iunta . the articles which were purged in the iunta , whereby they thought ( as they saie here ) to remedie and restore castilla to its former condition , shal bee punctually set down in the following book . in valladolid they much rejoiced at this discours , and were highly taken with the promises made them by the iunta , which filled them with a thousand good hopes , but within seven months they found them all fruitless . they offered willingly their estates and goods , and to expose their lives in the defens of the holie iunta as they called it . sect . xxxiii . the cardinal and those of the council , prudently desired first to proceed with mildness , and endeavor by fair persuasions to quench , or ( at least ) mitigate the furie of that unnatural ●ire ; to that effect they sent to entreat the iunta to assemble rather in valladolid , where the council then was , that there things should bee remedied to their liking and content . those of the iunta , having intelligence of this message , sent one to meet him that brought it , before hee could reach to avila , with command to charge him in their names , under pain of death not to com into the citie . the council , seeing that they could prevail nothing by fair means , sent to command and require the junta not to assemble at all , in regard it was a thing forbidden by the king and the laws of the kingdom , without their sovereign's leav . that if they had anie thing to desire , they should repair to the council at valladolid , and they would join with them in petition to the emperor for the obteining and fulfilling their demands . this also they refused to hear ; and sent the like message back to the council by the commendador hinestrosa , to whom they denied both audience and entrance into the citie . from that time forwards the junta called them of council tyrants , and those of the council termed them traitors . which beeing known in valladolid , a rumor was noised about , that the lords of the council had given order to apprehend those of the junta , for which caus el licenciado francisco de vargas , treasurer general , and el licenciado zapata , made their escapes in the night from the council : for they having born a great swaie , one in the treasurie , the other in matters of justice , were both grown odious in the eies of the common-wealth . sect . xxxiv . the several parties reviled , and fell into malicious expressions one against the other , not considering , that that was one of the poorest and vilest revenges upon earth , and which suit 's with none but rascal-like & unworthie dispositions . those that were enemies to the commonaltie , reported , that no gentlemen or persons of qualitie would have taken that side , but for private respects and ambition . that don antonio de acunia bishop of zamora ( whose storie wee are not yet com to ) would make himself arch-bishop of toledo . that don pedro giron was on fire for the estate of medina sidonia . the earl of salvatierra ambitioned certain territories of great value , called merindades . hernando de avalos for revenge of som injuries don ●im . iohn de padilla to bee master of santjago . don pedro lasso to bee lord of toledo . quintanilla to have the command of medina del campo . hernando de ulloa to drive his brother out of toro . don pedro pimentel to advance himself with salamanca . the abbat of compludo to be made bishop of zamora . el licenciado bernardino to bee judg in valladolid . ramiro nuniez that hee might possess himself of leon , and carlos de arellano bee lord of soria . thus their tongues went nimbler then their hands ( except when they were asleep ) breeding and brewing a world of mischiefs . and divers gentlemen found themselvs so far ingaged already in this disorder , that they could not with honor withdraw themselvs , neither could they tell whom to trust . sect . xxxv . before i proceed any further with the historie , of what was done by the commonalties in castilla , i wil here describe the particulars of the insurrection of the citie and kingdom of valencia , in regard it was the blindest and most pernicious of all spain , and although some have written very dolefull and lamentable memorials thereof , they do not mention half what there befell . several prodigious signs presaged this miserable dissention in valencia . in the yeare . the river which runneth by the citie of valencia , so shallow that somtimes there is scarse any water , on a sodain swelled , and overflowed the bankes in such manner , that it put those of valencia to the greatest shift and streight , that ever they had been reduced to in former ages . manie daies and nights , was seen running along the streets a furious great lyon , which made so hideous a roaring that the people ran trembling away from it , and if any had the courage to stay , and see what it would do , they could see nothing . other strange sights were likewise reported to have been observed there in the yeares , and . you have heard how the emperor , before his departure from the groyn , appointed for vice-roy of valencia don diego de mendosa , son to the cardinal don pedro gonsalez de mendosa , and brother to don rodrigo marquis of cenete . who executing his command and charge in valencia , whenas the people , already linked in a confederaoie , began to stand in a competition with the nobles , to molest and prosecute the gentrie , abusing their servants and vassals with great audacitie and disrespect : it hapned that two morisco's vvho belonged to don ramon de cardona , lord of castalla , passing along the street of nuestra seniora de gracia , which was in that part of the citie , where most of the meaner sort of people lived ; some trades-men , that were working at their dores , flouted and laughed at them as they used to do , but the morisco's answering them they presently rose in arms , and cut one of them so grievously that hee died ; and beeing about to kill the other also , who defended himself , a man by chance passing by ( whose name was diego pisador , by trade a salt-maker ) took compassion of the poor fellow , and did what hee could to defend him . whereat those towns-men were so incensed that leaving the other they ran after this diego pisador , following him quite through the citie to his own hous ( whither hee fled to save his life ) and fell a storming it in a furious manner about mid daie , the officers of justice not daring to gain-saie them . the priests of st nicholas church ( which was close by that hous ) came forth all with the holie sacrament , at the nois of this combustion , to pacifie the furie of the people , which their presence and intreaties did somwhat mitigate . but diego pisador , not holding himself secure in his hous , thought it a safer waie to take sanctuary in the church ; so beeing come down , the priest that carried the sacrament , took him next unto him , and ●o advanced towards the church ; which the people seeing , they violently ran again upon him , and killed him with their daggers . upon this , came amongst them one avendanio a cloath-worker , who was the autor and chief of this confedracie ( it vvas thought ) to hinder and keep them from doing mischief , but seeing that man so barbarosly killed , hee vvent presently into a hous , vvhere hee burst and died miserably ( som saie ) for anger and grief , to see such excessive disorder . these and manie other such like outrages vvere done by the people of valencia , before the ●mperor departed , whereof his majestie was advertised by the nobles and gentlemen of that citie ; and hee referred it to xeures , but hee beeing more sollicitous for the transporting of his treasure , then the remedying of the troubles in spain , neglected it . all that was ordered herein , was to remit the quelling and reducing that people to reason , to the care of the infante dou enrique , duke of sego●be , but the people beeing launched into the depth of mischief , slighted his autoritie ; which manifestly declared the rebellion and pernicious intentions of that confederacie . soon after , a man condemned for haynous crimes beeing led along to execution , the people came out with arms , and rescued him from the officers of justice , abusing and ill treating them in a horrid manner . no noblemen or gentlemen could pass through the streets , but those of the confederacie would deride and flout them with base reviling language . insomuch that a hat-maker's wife , dressing a hat at the door , with her children about her , as some gentlemen were going by , shee bid the children look at those men that passed there , and the boyes asking her why shee bid them look at them , shee answered , becaus when you are grown up to bee men , you may say , that you have seen gentlemen . this the woman said , becaus the common people were then in the minde to destroie all the gentrie of the whole kingdom root and branch . avendanio the cloth-worker beeing dead , the confederates chose another captain , one of the same trade as the former , his name was sorolla , a pestilent audacious villain , who amongst other wicked facts , went to the citie hall , when they were consulting about the election of iurates , and with a confident impudence told those of the regimiento , in the name of his confederacie , that if they did not admit them to bee of the regimiento , those stones should flow with blood . and his threats were accomplished ; for they made their election according to the rights and custom of the citie . whereat the people were so enraged , that they committed those outrages which shall bee set down hereafter . in this distemper and extravagant hare-brainedness , don diego de mendosa found the mindes of the people in valencia , when hee came to bee their governor . sorolla , vicente periz , one iohn caro , and other leading men of the confederacie , understanding that the vice-roy had been fully informed of their demeanors , and of the state of things , but yet dissembled the knowledg thereof out of fear , considering what power and credite their confederacie had with the people : they complotted that sorolla should hide himself in his own hous , and that the rest should go up and down the citie and acquaint all his friends and allies that the vice-roy had sent for sorolla , and that ( as they were informed ) hee either had already hanged him , or was then about it , and that for manie respects , they ought not to let such a man suffer , who was the defendor and mainteiner of the publick good . this report beeing thus cunningly spread through the whole citie , so incensed the people's mindes , that in an instant all was up in arms , drums beating , and colours flying , and in this manner they marched to the vice-roy's hous , crying out , let the vice-roy die , if hee deliver us not sorolla . the vice-roy , and som gentlemen that were in the hous at that time with him , besides his servants , defended the windows and doors , where the assault was hottest all daie long , and night beeing com ( as god would have it ) a good woman one of sorolla's neighbors , who having seen him in his hous , and hearing that the people were storming the vice-roy's ●alace for hanging sorolla , shee went to the bishop of segorbe , who lived close by , and told him that shee had seen sorolla safe and sound in his own hous but a little before . hereupon the bishop went presently to sorolla's hous , which hee caused to bee broken open , and finding where hee had hidden himself , hee chid him throughly for his mischievous villanie , but hee excusing himself , said , hee durst not go out of his doors . the bishop immediately gave order to saddle his mules , and riding upon one himself , and sorolla on the other , with manie halbards attending him , hee carried him quite through the citie to the vice-roy's hous , to the end the people might see - sorolla was neither dead nor a prisoner in the vice-roy's hous . the confederates seeing him alive , with much joie they raised their siege , which had continued all daie and almost all night . after this they rescued a man likewise , condemned to death for hainous crimes , whom , in regard hee had manie friends and kindred in the cite , the vice-roy had commanded to bee hanged assoon as he had confessed , lest his friends should petition for him before hee was dead . the thirteen sindicos and sorolla gave out , that this man was condemned , and to bee executed wrongfully , which the people hearing , went pre●ently ( all armed ) to the prison and released him . t●en beeing possessed that the vice roy was about raising men to subdue them , they environed his hous , and put him to his shifts , that hee was forced to send his ladie out of the citie , and hee not daring to staie long after her , with much ado escaped , riding behinde another gentleman upon a mule . hee having left the citie in this manner , all the nobles and gentrie followed him with their wives and children , retiring every one to their own houses . the vice-roy beeing of kin to the earl of cozentayna , carried the vice-queen to his hous . the other gentlemen having left their wives and children in secure places , with what arms , horses , and men they could get toget●er , repaired som to the vice-roy , others to the infante don enrique , and to the duke of segorbe don alonso , agreeing all unanimously to adhere to the emperor's service against the rebels . all these gentlemen's houses within the citie , the people plucked down or burned , and plundered their goods ; a thousand more abominable mischiefs they did , which i am ashamed to relate ( so cruel and unruly is that beast , the common people when it hath broke the bridle . ) they armed all the slaves , and received manie moriscos for souldiers . from cozentayna the vice-roy went to xativa ; the inhabitants of that citie desired him to give them leav to muster upon st bartholomew's daie , which hee denying , they marched out of the citie in despight and contempt of him , and mustered before his face . the vice-roy hereupon , fearing a second trick of valencia , retired into the fort , which those of xativa perceiving , they proclaimed , that no bodie , under pain of death , should furnish him with victuals , or anie provision whatsoëver . hereupon hee went from thence to denia , becaus if hee was pursued by land , hee might escape thence by sea . those of valencia , hearing that the vice-roy was fled to denia , after that xativa had rebelled against him , resolved to seiz upon all the king's revenues and customs : which to effect , they went to the custom houses and broke the records , took away the books , and spoke words which were wors then their deeds . those of valencia , seeing themselvs masters of the citie , the vice-roy and all the gentrie beeing gone , they ordered the government thereof . they appointed thirteen persons to govern and defend it , whom they call'd the thirteen of the confederacie . these thirteen chose for the general of their armie iohn caro , ( who was a sugar-baker ) and held intelligence with the whole kingdom : insomuch that assoon as the news was heard of the rebellion of valencia and xativa , and that the vice-roy was fled , presently the citie of oribuela & the marquisat of helche did the like , and at length there was no citie or town but rebelled also , in imitation of valencia , treating the gentrie and nobler citizens with the like dis-respect and tyrannie . and the gentrie , with their servants , arms , goods , and all they could get , joined together in their king's service . so that ( which is a thing worthie of note and esteem ) there was not one gentleman , nor person of any birth or qualitie through that whole kingdom that sided with that vile commonaltie , but valiantly and unanimously ventured their lives and fortunes in their prince's service , although hee was out of the kingdom ; they suffered patiently their houses to bee pulled down , their goods to bee burned , their towns destroied , and all to shew their fidelitie to their king. the citie of oribuela chose for their captain one palomares , who made himself so absolute lord of those people ( beeing but a poor serving-man ) that oftentimes hee drew out five thousand men into the field to fight , though hee paied dearly for it afterwards . the confederates , having lost their respect to the vice-roy , agreed to lose likewise the fear of god. they made a conspiracie amongst them , the result whereof was to rob and take away all the riches of the monasteries and churches . which beeing discovered , the loial partie desired don rodrigo de mendosa marquess of cenete , to take upon him the autoritie of the justice for the king , which hee did , and like a good resolute gentleman , hee hung up three or four of the chief conspirators , and so the robberie which they intended was prevented , and the citie quieted for certain daies . but soon after the confederates marched into the field towards denia , to drive the vice-roy out of the kingdom . ten thousand men in arms valencia furnished to that effect . the clergie with their hoods upon their heads , and crosses in their hands , stood all at the gate of san vicente , and as the confederates passed by them , the priests and friers said to them , sirs ! misericordia , misericordia ; and they answered , swearing , cuerpo de dios , iusticia , iusticia . and indeed god's justice did abundantly fall upon their heads ; for the greatest part of those that answered so , were either killed in battle , or executed by justice afterwards . iohn caro and sorolla were captains of this armie . the confederates having the sole power and command of valencia , iohn caro was sent with a sufficient force to besiege the castle of corbera , six leagues from valencia , which while hee was battering with some peeces of artillerie , don geronimo vique ( who at that time was at a monasterie of friers of the order of san geronimo , half a league from the castle ) desired to speak with him , who , overcom with his persuasions and powerful reasons , raised his siege . which the thirteen of the confederacie hearing , took t●e office of captain general from iohn caro , and conferred it upon sorolla . by this time the vice-roy , with some forces , which hee had raised , was came to gandia , to succor the castle of corbera ; and sorolla with his armie went seeking the vice-roy : as hee passed hee ruined and spoyled all the places , that belonged to don geronimo vique , becaus hee had persuaded iohn caro to leave the castle . at last coming to gandia , hee met with the vice-roy's armie and gave them battle , wherein manie were killed on both sides , but at length the confederates won the daie , and the vice-roy , with the earl of oliva , and divers other lords and gentlemen that remained alive , were inforced to retreat to denia , whither sorolla with his men still pu●sued them . and beeing arrived at a town called vergel ( one league short of denia ) mossen baltazar vives , lord of that place , refreshed them , and afterwards conveied them safe to denia , where hee imbarked for peniscola , whence they w●nt to the town of morella , where they raised more men . sorolla returned to valencia , where hee entered with his armie very joiful and content with his conquest . by this time the duke of segorbe don alonso de aragon was com into the field with above four thousand foot , and divers gentlemen with their servants and others on hors-back , to the number of one hundred and sixtie , whereof was captain don jayme ferrer , son to don luis ferrer , who was lord steward to the queen donia iuana , at tordesillas . and beeing quartered at almenara , a league and half from monviedro with intent to besiege it , which was the strongest and most considerable fort the confederates had , but four leagues from valencia ; notice was given him that the enemie appeared with no less then eight thousand foot and some hors , fleshed with their victorie over the vice-roy , and recruited with many fresh men from valencia . whereupon the duke sent don iayme with the hors to discover , and according to his advice , hee would follow as speedily as might bee with the foot. this was carried with so much discretion and valor , that the duke gave them an absolute rout , leaving above five thousand men dead upon the place , for which it is called to this daie , the field of slaughter . this victorie restored the kingdom , which if it had otherwise succeeded , the common people had become absolute masters without any contradiction . things beeing in this condition , the vice-roy returned with a fresh supplie , and incamped his armie about alcira and xativa ; the people were somwhat amazed , and startled at the rout the duke had given them . yet those of alcira and xativa marched out very strong to meet with the vice-roy , and finding him a league from the citie , they gave him battle , the conflict was so hot , and so well maintained on both sides , that it was hard to saie which had the advantage , the combate continued all daie , and at night both armies beeing very wearie , and great store of men hurt , they were both glad to retreat , seeking refreshment and medicaments to dress their wounded men . about this time the cities of oribuela and alicante , with all the towns and places under their jurisdiction , associated themselvs with the people of valencia . but all the gentrie and persons of qualitie followed their governor don pedro masa , who was inforced to quit those two cities , and the castle of oribuela , whereof hee was governor . but don iayme de puyg , a valorous gentleman ( who was lievtenant of the castle under the governor ) with fifteen or sixteen men defended himself gallantly against the furie of the common people , when in their violentest heat they killed , burned and sacked the gentlemen's houses . the marquis de los velez , don pedro faxardo , adelantado mayor ( that is lord deputie or lord lievtenant ) of the kingdom of murcia , having notice of the rising of oribuela , levied what force hee could , and marched to reliev the distressed gentrie , having order from the emperor , to assist the governor of oribuela upon all occasions . don pedro maca with his hors , beeing joyned with the marquis de los velez , the common people of oribuela , and the jurisdiction thereof , ( who were above eight thousand ) marched in pursuit of them to the top of a mountain , called rajolar , with intent to give them battle , their intilligence assuring them that they were far the greater number . the governor advised with the marquis about relieving the castle of oribuela , which was in great necessitie , every one of his troopers carrying in , a sack of provision behinde him , whilest the marquess amused the enemie with skirmishes , for hee doubted not to bee back with him time enough to discomfit them . this was don accordingly , and beeing drawn up in batalia , the marquis secured the waie to the castle , that the governor might go thither with his hors , and having put in his provisions , return to the battle , which was dexterously and successively effected , with the slaughter of above four thousand of the rebells : so the marquis cleared all the countrie about oribu●la . but seeing how infected the whole kingdom was , and what multitudes of people were com in to the commoners , encouraged by their victorie ( for it is the nature of the common people to follow the strongest partie ) he advanced higher into the countrie with his armie , which daily increased , insomuch that before hee could reach valencia , hee had above eleven thousand men and thirteen pieces of ordnance , wherewith hee encamped at a place called paterna , within sight of valencia , and sent the citie a summons , which beeing surrendred upon articles , and the vice-roy repossessed of his command , the marquis returned with his armie to murcia . after his departure , the articles beeing not well performed , the confederates retired themselvs to xativa , where they chose for their captain one vicente perez a fellow whose trade was to gather acorns . they assaulted and entred the fort , it beeing ill provided . besides the aforementioned , there were divers strange presages in valencia of these prodigious disorders ; amongst others , upon a tuesda●e the of maie in the evening , a thunder-bolt fell upon a church called el asseu de valencia , which threw down one of the pinnacles , and burst the clock in pieces . upon a fridaie morning in the same month , fell a sudden storm of hail , with most terrible thunder-claps , after which , in a ground betwixt the countie of oliva and dutchie of gandia , were found three stones ( which fell from the skie ) in colour and make like flints . fray antonio de guevara chronicler to his imperial majestie , and bishop of mondoniedo , reporteth , that hee saw one of them hung in a chain in santa maria church , a league from oliva , which weighed no less then five and twentie pounds . the passage which i am now about to relate is so remarkable , that men cannot but admire the blindness which possessed the miserable people that affected these novelties and insurrections . there was nothing more certainly known in spain , then that the prince don iohn ( onely issue male of his father and mother , the catholick kings , and immediate heir to these kingdoms ) died at salamanca , to the exceeding grief and resentment of his parents and all spain , and in those daies there was no further scruple or question thereof . but since in the time of these unhappie commotions , the confederates of valencia were so besotted , that a strange mean fellow of no accompt ( who came in a fugitive manner out of africa , and associated himself with them ) that they received him , and beleiving , or seeming to believ him , to bee the prince don iohn , they swore allegeance to him , as king , and hee commanded and ruled over them for two years , until hee met with the end hee deserved , as shall bee seen hereafter . in the year of our lord , a certain merchant of biscaya , named iuan de vilvao , or iohn of bilbo , went to trade at the citie of oran . in the ship which carried him and his commodities , hee light upon a passenger , who addressing himself to him , told him that hee could write and read in several languages , and that if hee pleased to give him any competent subsistence , hee would bee glad to serv him as his factor , and teach his children ; the merchant entertained him , and took him on board with him at cartagena , thinking himself the happiest man living , that hee had so luckily met with a man of such abilities to instruct his children and follow his business besides . this fellow was of a low stature , thin-faced , of a sallow complexion , hee had a terrible look , his eies beeing of a black and green color , little hair , and thin upon his head , his beard wors furnished ; hee was a man of verie few words , in his conversation somwhat too strict and austere , seemingly intemperate in his diet , a great eater , but drank little , hee spoke spanish , arabick , and hebrew . it never was known directly who his father was , onely hee confessed , while hee was under the lash , that hee was a jew's son , and that hee was circumcised , but never baptized , for his father carried him into barberie , in the same year the jews were driven out of castilla . hee remained in this merchant's hous until the year , which vvas four years : and to ingratiate himself the more vvith his master , hee told him , thenceforvvards hee vvould call himself by his name iuan de vilvao . but the merchant having occasion to absent himself often from his hous , leaving his wife , children , and goods , all in charge with this servant , one time at his return from castilla , hee was told by his neighbors that iuan de vilvao , his man , was a slepperie companion , and that in his absence hee was too familiar with his wife ; others said , hee had abused his daughter . hereupon without any further examination , hee turned him presently out of his hous , not declaring anie occasion , or reason hee had for so doing , becaus hee could not have his servant punished otherwise , without bringing his own honor in question . at that time there was a young man corregidor of oran , who not knowing wherefore the merchant had discarded his servant iuan de vilvao , entertained him to bee his steward . the corregidor having a handsom young wench , which hee kept privately in his hous , iuan de vilvao used all means possible to gain her acquaintance and affection , and withall to persuade her to learn witchcraft ; for amongst other good qualities , this wicked fellow was a great practitioner in negromancie . the young maid beeing little pleased with his sollicitations , resolved at last to acquaint the corregidor , how hee importuned her , and that hee would persuade her to learn witchcraft , but chiefly that hee had made her promise to give him poison , that so they two might with more freedom enjoie each other's affection . the corregidor was much startled and amazed hereat , for hee thought his hous and paramour as secure with iuan de vilvao , as if hee had committed her to the custodie of an eunuch , and therefore hee did not absolutely credit her accusation of him ; but afterwards observing with a more strict eie the carriage and demeanure of his ●teward , hee was confirmed and satisfied of the truth , especially when hee found the spells and poison which he was to use . hee committed him to the publick gaol , whence upon a market daie hee was fetch 't out , set upon an ass , with his sorceries about his neck , and whipped through all the principal streets of the citie . the people were all astonished that hee should bee so close a villain , for every bodie had a very good opinion of him ; after this , beeing banished oran , hee returned into spain , and dis-embarked upon the coast of valencia , just in the time of these disastrous troubles . hee , by his juggling inventions , begat himself a great esteem and credit first amongst the confederates of algecira . afterwards hee came to xativa , under the name of don henrique manrique de ribera , and beeing a subtil impostor , and the confederates simple , and besotted with passion , hee wrought so much upon their blinde credulitie , that they made him their general , and by little and little hee so inveagled them that they held him for their god , and their king. vicente periz ( who was captain general of the confederate rebels of valencia ) made great submissions to him , saying , that god had sent him to give them libertie , and that hee would procure them much monie and arms . those of xativa adored him as their redeemer , and called him el encubierto , or the man disguised , saying , god had sent him for the redressing of the oppressed people . hee made them believ that hee was the prince don iohn , son to the catholick king and queen deceased , and that for certain ●ecret causes and revelations of god's judgments , it was convenient for him not to bee publickly known in the world for long time past , but now since the kingdom 's were in so distressed a condition , and in so great necessitie of their naturall king , to own and defend them , and settle them in the same peaceable government , as they injoyed during his father's reign , hee desired to reveal himself unto them , and that it was god's will also . this those wretched confederates beleiving , followed and honored him , as if hee had been their god. thus having gained the affection and esteem of these rebels , hee conferred with divers of the citie of valencia , of la huerta , and other places thereabouts , inticing them to put in execution what that tyrant , vicente periz , had alreadie moved . hee dealt likewise with some places of aragon , and catalunia ( which were alreadie tottering and half , at least , inclining to commotion , ingaging them , that at the same instant ( if possible ) as hee should make his attempts upon valencia , they should all rise in arms , and secure those parts for him . within valencia hee had his intelligencers , and instruments , whom hee imployed to murder the marquis of cenete , then governor of the citie ; these were so faithful to him in this treacherous design , that hee wanted not assistants to convey him over the walls into the citie , whereby hee might the better contrive his plot , seeing the disposition of the place , and ( having a more free communication with the inhabitants ) allure and draw to his byas more complices , to strengthen his partie , and execute his wicked intention . this was so cunningly carried , that if god had not otherwise disposed it , the whole kingdom at that time ran a notable hazard of beeing absolutely destroied . the citie of valencia ( as i have told you ) beeing in so miserable a condition , the religious men , with other good and loial people , went to petition the marquis of cenete ( who then was in the camp ) to take upon him the government of that distressed citie . which hee did ( like a noble man as hee was ) . the people expressed so much contentment and comfort in his presence , that in all the monasteries and churches , they sung with great solemnitie , the te deum laudamus , and all the b●lls rung out in testimonie of an universal joie . the marquis was a man of such courage and resolution , that when , throughout the whole citie of valencia , no bodie durst so much as name god , king or iustice , hee took divers of the rebellious disturbers and hanged them . so that they began to bee affraid , and sculked in corners . soon after having notice of a band of these confederates , which were fled from valencia , hee marched out against them , and meeting them about monviedro , hee brought away their colors , having routed and put them all to flight . amongst divers great hazards which the marquis ran of losing his life , by the insolence or treacherie of these confederates , one i shall give in particular ; a monstrous disorderly multitude of these wretches beeing gathered together in valencia , fell like a furious storm upon the marquis his hous , with huge clamorous out-cries and ●lashing of weapons , not understanding each other's minde , nor knowing what they would have . the marquis hearing the nois , went down to quiet the tumult , beeing well provided and attended , but his ladie seeing him engaged amongst a throng of such vile respectless people , and fearing lest hee should bee murthered by them , took such a fright , that her weak constitution beeing not able to resist the violence of that sudden apprehension , shee presently expired . vicente periz captain of the rebells , with a numerous armie intrenched himself and planted his cannon within sight of valencia , where hee remained som time : in his camp hee had a bell , at the sound whereof a numberless gang of thievs , such as his armie was composed of , ran out of the citie to him : and had not the marquis been very circumspect , without question they had suprised the citie ; but finding little probabilitie of effecting their design upon valencia , they marched towards monviedro , thinking to make the vice-roy rais his siege thence , but within two daies after monviedro was surrendered to him ( which was of no small importance ) for thereby hee had an open and free passage to receiv succour out of castilla . the marquis hearing that the confederates were marched towards monviedro with their cannon , and having intelligence of their intentions , followed them ( but with no considerable force ) and meeting some of his own foot companies , which having been much galled by their cannon and small shot , were retreating towards valencia quite disheartned , hee strove to incourage them as well as hee could , representing to them the service of god and their king ; but prevailing not with them , howëver he● advanced and set upon the enemie , crying aloud , let the king live , and the traytors die , and without fear of their muskets or cannon , which played fiercely upon him , hee charged into the middest of them , god ( whose caus hee fought ) preserving him , and striking their baser hearts with fear , insomuch that hee had them all at his mercie . yet his nobleness and generositie was such ( though they deserved it not ) that hee commanded his men ( who were very busie in killing ) to forbear further execution , crying out , let them not die , let them not die : having thus quite routed these mutiniers , hee returned to valencia with the spoil , and all their artillerie , where hee was received with joy and tears . the vice-roy afterwards , beeing before xativa , with intent to reduce it to the emperor's subjection , the rebels dealt so cunningly with some of his souldiers ( who sowed the same dissention in his camp , as was within the town ) that by certain signs they understood each others intentions , and they agreed at one and the same time to fall upon the loyall partie , and murther them ; and having taken their artillerie , to storm valencia , sack it , and kill all that were for the emperor in it . this conspiracie was discovered , but there was no remedie to hinder it , neither in the vice-roy's camp , nor in valencia ; for the confederates were very numerous and the loyall p●●sons but a small partie ; the marquis , at the intreatie of the honest people of valencia , went to the vice-roy's camp before xativa , where hee found more disorder then was reported , and the infection less curable then hee imagined . the sign that these conspirators had agreed upon , was , that in the night at a certain hour those of the camp should cry out , paie , paie , mutinie , mutinie , and those within the citie should answer , paie , paie , mutinie , mutinie . the vice-roy and the gentlemen with him in the camp , desired the marquis to venter himself , and indeavor by going into the citie , and reasoning with the people , to defer the execution of this horrid treason : although it seemed an act of great timeritie ( as indeed it was ) for him to expose him●elf to the furie of a ●eople so mutinous , and bent upon mischief , yet the marquis valorously did as hee was required : and it was miraculous , how his presence and fair deportment pacified the inhabitants minds , and brought them to submit to reason . the adversaries beeing mad at the good success the marquis had wrought within xativa , conspired how vicente periz , their captain might secretly convey himself into the citie , and gathering as manie of the people , as hee could , together , apprehend the marquis . this was effected , and vicente periz with a multitude of well armed men went to assault the marquis , who beeing but slenderly provided , and weakly attended , and seeing a squadron of these thievs advance towards him , dissembled , and made as if hee knew them not , asking them thus , are you our friends ? do you com to serv the king ? to which they answered neither yea , nor no , but seemed to bee daunted at the very sight of the marquis . hereupon with much seeming affection hee spake aloud , nay then my boies , viva el rey ; viva el rey ; which said , hee fell upon them , and took away their arms. presently upon this the rest of the enemies discovered themselvs , and began to fight , discharging their cross-bows and musket-shots as thick as hail against the marquis and his men , which the marquis seeing , hee cried with a loud voice , o you traitors ! now force is requisite ; and flinging down his staff , hee took a pike , and saying , god preserv the king , and let the traitors die ; hee fell in amongst them , fighting so desperately , that before his men could com to second him , hee had made them turn their backs , but at last being over-powered and wounded in the left arm , hee was taken prisoner , and carried by the people into the castle , where at that time the duke of calabria was also prisoner , who received the marquis with much honor . the marquis was afterwards put into a dungeon under st george's tower , where they kept him close prisoner som time , thinking thereby to make the vice-roy , his brother , condescend to what they listed : but at last hee was released , and perceiving the countrie to bee infected beyond hope of remedie , hee retired to his own hous . those of valencia found a great miss of him , and seeing most of the people of the citie becom of the confederacie , vicente periz having possessed himself of la huerta , and other places thereabouts , the iurates , and chapter of the church called el asseu , sent to beseech him , that hee would bee pleased to condole the miserie of that citie , and bee tender of the king's service . the marquis was at ayora , a town of his , & upon receipt of this message , hee took his waie towards valencia . thursdaie februarie , , the tyrant vicente perez , trusting to the multitude of his partie within the citie , took the boldness to enter into valencia , with intention to plunder it , and kill all that should resist him , and having intrenched and fortified himself within the walls to that effect , it struck great terrour into the loial partie . but the marquis , well armed , came to a large place , called la placa del asseu , and caused to bee rung that bell , which they used to ring in uproars , to the end all those of the loial partie might repair thither to him ; where hee staied until noon , having used all fair means possible to pacifie without blood-shed the advers partie ; but seeing nothing could avail , hee took a view of his men , and what arms they had ; and finding his no competent force to encounter vicente periz , who had made himself very strong ; hee betook himself to his invention and policie , which succeeded so advantagiously , that vicente periz came short of his design , all his men beeing dis-banded , and returned to their own dwellings . this was a happie daie for valencia , for if periz his plot had taken , hee had been absolute master of the whole citie ; and ever after , that daie was called the thursdaie of vicente periz : yet staying within the citie hee rallied again , and what with those of valencia , what with the fresh supplies which were sent him from xativa , and algezira , by the disguised prince don iuan , or iuan de vilvao , who went thither to that purpose : hee was so strongly recruited , that hee gave the marquis battle in the streets of valencia , and had won the daie undoubtedly , if the marquis had not shewed as much policie as resolution . in the combate the marquis pursuing vicente periz ( who was glad to take his heels ) was knocked down by a great pot full of earth , which a woman flung from the top of a hous upon his head , which though it killed him not out-right , did stun and bruis him very sore : hee was presently taken up again by his servants , but his partie supposing him to bee dead , lost courage , and withal the advantage they had gained of the enem●e : which hee perceiving , assoon as hee was com again to himself , ran amongst them , saying , if the marquis bee dead , the king is alive . these words put new vigor into the hearts of his despairing men , who following the marquis , gave a fresh charge to the confederates , so hot , that they were glad to hous themselvs , which proved no sanctuarie , for there they were killed and taken , not beeing able to make resistance . vicente periz had his head presently struck off . this victorie quieted the citie of valencia , vvhich vvas so infected vvith the poison of rebellion , that in the very cloisters and monasteries , there was as much division and passion as elswhere ; insomuch that one part praied god to favor the confederates , the other to give the cavaliers the victorie . the disguised prince exspected a quite contrarie success , hoping by the death of the marquis , and the routing of his partie , to reign victoriously in valencia ; but god , who had otherwise decreed the event , made him likewise fall into the hands of the marquis the th of maie , , who commanded him to bee hanged , drawn and quartered , and his head to bee set upon the point of lance. and thus that villanous head was crowned , who of an infamous jew , and abominable sorcerer , would have made himself king of spain . after this grew several other commotions in that kingdom , but nothing near so dangerous ; which i shall omit now to particularize , in regard i am called away by those of castilla . sect . xxxvi . the earl of salvatierra , and other mountaniers , infected the people of the mountains of burgos , as far as alava and vitoria , with other places of la rioxa ; and burgos was very near revolting also . all which was opposed by the lord high constable , not becaus the emperor commanded him so to do ( for hee received no orders from his majestie to that effect till afterwards ) but moved with the magnanimitie of his own generous spirit , and the sens of loialtie , which was hereditarie to that noble familie . i do not finde that any of the grandees of castilla were very forward to break the ice in this undertaking , though afterwards , like honest men , they all set their helping hands . the lord high constable at first prudently feared the event , and was loth to engage himself in so perillous an enterprise , hazarding no less then his life and whole estate , in endeavouring to oppose so manie , especially without arms , monie , or order from the emperor . for the enemies were very manie and powerful , no less then thirteen of the most considerable cities of castilla , with divers other towns and villages , beeing declared for the commonaltie ; besides that many gentlemen of qualitie & great estates ( much animated against the emperor and his ministers ) had involved themselvs in the same interest . it vvas an attempt of so much consideration and danger , that the other grandees thought it the best vvay ( seeing they vvere not able to do otherwise ) to sit still and look on , and manie of them advised the lord high constable to do the like . but his ladie donia maria de tovar , onely daughter and heir to don luis de tovar , marquis of berlanga , beeing one of the discreetest and most magnanimous ladies in all spain of her time , was not of the opinion of those that gave her husband that counsel ; but she never ceased , representing to him the advancement of his majestie 's service , and that for the good of the kingdom , hee ought to resist and suppress the exorbitances of the insulting commoners , although hee put himself to the hazard of losing both life and fortune , in regard hee bare the office of lord high constable , captain general , and the second person of the kingdom next his majestie . the dutchess beeing at her own hous at haro , wrote to the lord high constable , her husband , this ensuing letter , which is worthie to bee chronicled . the dutchesse's letter to the lord high constable . your letter i received by pedro de velasco . and my opinion is , since his majestie from the place where hee is doth what hee can , to give you his power and revenue here , that you determine to preserv it . for if hee lose his right , no wonder if you , and all those , that have done what they were obliged to do , bee dispossest of your's ; but if you maintain his interest , you and his other servants will bee all secured . that which ( in my judgment ) your lordship and the lord admiral are now to do , is to raise men and monie with all possible expedition and trie your fortunes . i write to pedro de melgosa to use all means and shifts , that may bee , to procure you monie . the greater the danger , more glorious is the attempt . trust in our lord god , for since herein you doe both him and the king service , bee confident hee will bee favourable , and give a blessing to your indeavors . so , becaus i intend to write more at large to you by the treasurer , i rest , praying god to preserv your lordship's most illustrious person , with more tenderness then i wish to my self . from haro this th of june , . finis libri tertii . the civil wars of spain . the fourth book . sect . i. there is no republick , or change of government whatsoëver so barbarous , as to bee ignorant how important and necessarie a cement concord is to make it long subsist . wherefore those of the iunta dreading ( and not without caus ) the dange● wherein they stood , desired the citie of valladolid to agree and bee all of one heart : for the high consequence of the matter wherein they were ingaged , did require it , promising them that within fevv daies they should see the ordinances , which with incessant labor and watching , the holie iunta had agreed to publish and dispers through the whole kingdom , whereby they hoped to make that republick flourish , as one of the most happie and best governed in the whole world . the people were big with glorious hopes of injoying a second golden age ; and those of the iunta were so well pleased with the thanks and applaus of the people , that their ordinances beeing finished ; they resolved to send them to the emperor , by two gentlemen and a frier , not doubting but therefore his majestie would confer som honorable dignities upon them . but what these were , i will not mention , onely i may say , that hee was so incensed at their message , that they held it a great mercie they escaped with their lives . they wrote moreover a kinde of requisitorie letter for the cities and towns where their embassadors were to pass , and therein they inclosed their letters to the emperor , with the articles and ordinances , which in the name of the kingdom , they desired his majestie to confirm ; and though already i have declared the substance thereof , i will set them down in the same form they sent them ; that the curious and patient may read and see the pretensions of the commonalties , and what the kingdom demanded . let every one judg what reason they had , for my own part , i will neither excuse nor condemn them , but onely relate faithfully the truth , which is as much as can bee required of mee , considering my office . in their letters to the emperor , they give his maj●stie an account of all the troubles and insurrections of the kingdom , which they told him , proceeded from the evil counsel which his majestie entertained about his roial person , who , for their disordinate covetousness , private passions and interests , besides other sinister ends ( they said ) might more properly bee styled the deceivers , cheaters , and enemies of his majestie 's kingdoms , and the publick good thereof , then counsellors , such as they ought to bee . for they were the occasion that the kingdom of castilla , which abounded in riches , and all other things that could bee required of the most opulent and flourishing kingdoms of the world , was now beecom the poorest and most miserable of all the neighboring kingdoms : which did not onely concern the publick , but was also particularly prejudicial to his majestie 's roial patrimonie , and which was insufferable , that the desolation of his majestie 's kingdoms , and the exhausting of his treasure , to his own exceeding inconvenience , and the ruine of his subjects , was to no other purpose , then to enrich his evil counsellors , and divers other persons strangers , who bare no affection to his majestie , nor had any zeal to advance his service , or the publick good , but to build their own fortunes . next they complained that the commissioners of several cities ( who desired his majestie in the name of the kingdom , at santjago and the groyn , not to demand any subsidies ) were by his counsel sentenced rather worthie of punishment then audience , and order given , that they should not bee admitted to sit in parlament , but bee confined and banished , som of them to the remotest parts of the kingdom . that since his majestie 's departure out of the kingdom , the cardinal , with the president , and rest of the council , had given commissions to antonio de fonseca , and the alcalde ronquillo , to sack and make desolate the citie of segovia , notwithstanding they sent to excuse and submit themselvs to the council , and that becaus of their so rigorous proceeding , they sent to toledo , and other cities , for assistance , who before they raised any forces to succour them , desired the cardinal and council by waie of petition to deal more favorably with those of segovia , but receiving no satisfactorie answer , they sent an armie into the field . they aggravated the crueltie of antonio de fonseca in burning medina , whereby the town was endammaged above two millions of ducates , and which occasioned the rising of divers other places . they declared how the queen had commanded the iunta to remove from avila to tordesillas . that they had undertaken the care of the queen's person , and put the marquis of denia and his ladie from her , holding them destructive to the advancement of the publick good . they alleged reasons for dissolving the council , which his majestie had settled before his departure . and why they paied their armie out of his majestie●s revenues . at last they desired his majestie would bee pleased to grant and confirm all those articles , which their embassadors should present him from the kingdom , the intent and scope of them beeing meerly for his good , and the peaceable government , by regulating and repairing the miseries and great dammages that had been occasioned through the evil counsel of those , which thitherto had abused and mis-led his majest●e ; urging moreover , that for the benefit of the publick , and the improving of his roial patrimonie , it was necessarie and expedient , that until such time as his majestie should appoint other persons of better temper , and uprighter intentions to reside in his high council then the former were , his majestie should give power to those cities and towns , which had vote in parlament , to provide and see to the administration of justice , and other things wherein those of his council ought to have been more circumspect and moderate . and also , that hee would revoke the commissions and autoritie which hee had sent to the , then ruling , governors , becaus they were men whom the kingdom could not endure . besides this letter to the emperor , they sent another to those of the citie where hee then was , desiring them to join with them in supplication to his majestie , and procure his consent and approbation of all the kingdom 's desires , in regard they tended to his majestie 's service , the publick good of the kingdom , the increasing of his roial patrimonie , and were exceedingly conducing to a peaceable and quiet government . dated from tordesillas the th of october , . under the the letter was written , i , lope de pallares , secretarie of the parlament and iunta of the kingdom , caused this to bee written by their command . sect ▪ ii. articles of the kingdom . don carlos and donia iuana , &c. to our infantes , well-beloved children , brothers and dukes , greeting . know yee , that for the remedying and repairing the great dammages and exorbitancies , which have been and are in our kingdoms of castilla and leon , by reason of the former evil counsel and government of our said kingdoms , the commissioners or procuradores of those cities and towns that have vote in parlament , are assembled as becometh our loial subjects and servants , with zeal to our servic● and the publick good of our kingdoms , fulfilling that which the laws of our kingdoms oblige them to do ; and by special command from us , the queen , are com to tordesillas , to take care and provide for the reparation and remedie of the said dammages and exorbitancies ; to which effect they have made and ordeined certain articles , which are conducing and expedient for our service , the good government of the kingdom , and the increasing of the revenue and partrimonie roial . the tenor whereof is as followeth : most high and mightie catholick princes , queen and king our sovereigns , that which the cities , towns , villages , commonalties , and natives of your kingdom of castilla and leon , do desires your majesties will bee pleased to grant for a perpetual law , is here ensuing : that which concern's his maiesties roial person . first , these kingdoms humblie supplicate your majestie will bee pleased speedily to return into these kingdoms , and beeing com , to remain ruling and governing them . for staying here your majestie may give laws and command over the whole world , as your predecessors have done : and nothing of all that which they desire of your majestie will bee so pleasing to these kingdoms ( although you should grant them much more , for they hope your majestie will condescend to all these things ) then your speedie coming to them . for it is not the custom of castilla , to bee without their king , neither can they b●e governed by others in peace and quiet , which is very necessarie for your royal service . item , these kingdoms humbly beseech your majestie at your return , to bee pleased to marrie , it beeing necessarie for the universal good of these kingdoms , that there should bee some issue to succeed your royal person , as they desire , your majestie 's age now requiring it . and that you would bee pleased to take a wife according to the vote and good l●king of these your kingdoms , for so shee shall bee of some countrie in amitie with them , as is most convenient for your service and the contentment of your royal person . that which concern's the royal familie . that our ladie and sovereign the queen's royal hous bee put in such order and estate , as is becoming her royal person , and the honor of these kingdoms . that the officers about her bee persons of qualitie . that her hous bee sufficiently provided of all thing befitting her dignitie , for so her highn●ss will bee well pleased with these kingdoms , and they obliged . item , that his majestie would bee pleased at his return into these kingdoms , to bring neither flemings , french , nor other strangers whatsoëver , to bear any office in his royal familie . but that hee would confer all such offices upon natives of these kingdoms , there beeing multitudes of able and sufficient persons , who will serv his majestie with much affection and loyaltie , and that his heirs and successors for ever should continue the like order . item , that neither his majestie , nor his successors , bring in , or entertain any forreign souldiers for the guard of their persons or defens of their kingdoms , in regard there are war-like and courageous men enough amongst the natives , not onely to defend their own countrie , but to conquer others , as they had done heretofore . item , that his majestie beeing in these kingdoms , and having none but natives about him , would bee pleased to order his familie in all respects as don fernando , his grandfather , and donia isabel his queen , and the rest of the catholick king 's , his progenitors of glorious memorie , had done before him . for in so doing hee would save a number of unnecessarie expences which were made in his table and houshold ; and this would palpably appear , for his majestie will find that in the dishes for his own table , and those that are made for the f●vorites and great persons of his familie , is daiely spent one hundred and fiftie thousand maravediz , and that the table-expences of don fernando the king and donia isabel ( who were excellent and powerfull princes ) besides the prince don iohn ( whom god receiv in his glorie ) and the infantes , with a multitude of attendants , amounted to no more then twelv or fifteen thousand maravediz , per diem . and hence proceed's his majestie 's wants , and the impoverishing of the people and commonalties , by ●ubsidies and other taxes imposed upon them . item , in regard it hath been , and is a very excessive charge , to allow wages to such as are not domestick's , that hence-fo●wards there bee no salaries given to any courtier 's wives , or children , or any other persons whatsoëver , no● in immediate service , or shortly to bee entertained and admitted . but if any man should die in his majestie 's service , in satisfaction or equivalence thereof , hee might allow a pension or stipend to the wife or children of the deceased , although they bee not of age to serv. item , in regard after the most ●llustrious queen , our ladie donia isabel his majestie 's grandmother , was taken with the sickness , whereof shee died , divers superfluous offices were crept into the royal familie , which never were before , that whosoëver injoyed any such office or offices , might forthwith bee discarded , and bee allowed no salarie : and all such superfluous expences bee imployed for necessarie uses , more conducing to his majestie 's service . item , that in his majestie 's houshold no grandee might have any office concerning the revenue or royal patrimonie , and if any enjoy any such office at present , that it maie bee taken from them . for this is very inconvenient , and maie greatly impaire the said patrimonie and royal revenue . item , that during his majestie 's absence from these kingdoms his houshold officers , and other persons , who have relation or attendance upon his majestie , bee payed out of the royal revenue . concerning governors . that , in regard in his majestie 's absence it is requisite to have one or more governors in the kingdom , such governor or governors might bee natives of the kingdoms of castilla and leon , appointed and chosen with consent of the kingdoms , and that with their beeing natives may concur the other qualities , which by the law established by the king don alonso , called , ley de la partida , is required . that the said law may bee observed and fulfilled to perpetuitie ; as also the order of election and provision , with the conditions which dispose in what case a governor or governors are to bee chosen , as in respect of minoritie , absence , or whatsoëver other occasion . item , that the provisions , orders or commissions which his majestie had given in those kingdoms , contrarie to the above specified form , might be declared void , and that hee would command those and every of those governors , whom hee had autorized , to forbear the execution of that office . item , that the governor or governors , beeing constituted in the abovesaid manner and form , may bee invested with power to confer dignities , offices , administration of justice , and to redress grievances : and this not onely in the kingdoms of castilla , but also in the isles and firm land alreadie discovered , or to bee discovered , and that they provide them within ten daies . that they may present dignities and places vacant , and do as much therein , as the king himself in person , but not give any g●ft or gratuitie out of the royal patrimonie , nor any t●ing thereunto belonging . concerning billets . the lodging by billets ( which is practised no where neither amongst infidels nor christians , but in this kingdom ) beeing a thing most exorbitant , and whence have proceeded and do proceed inconveniences and dammages so excessive , that a small volume cannot contain them , and his majestie 's subjects suffer thereby not a little , aswell in their honors and lives , as in their estates , that for ever henceforth they may bee freed from so abominable and prejudicial a servitude . and that in these kingdoms no such billets bee given in any kinde , neither by the king 's themselvs , nor any lords , noblemen or prelates whatsoëver , and in case any should bee given , that the people may not bee obliged to accept of them , unless with their own con●ents , they paying for their lodgings , as shall bee agreed upon with the owners or inhabitants of the houses , whither such billets shall bee brought or directed . but in his majestie 's progresses , that lodging and linnen should bee allowed gratìs for those of his houshold and court , so that hee exceed not the term of six daies in one place , which expired , they should paie for their lodging according to the ordinarie rate and custom . likewise , that the souldiers of the guard should have free quarter after the usuall manner . item , that their majestie 's the king's , princes , and infantes , his predecessors , had given and allotted convenient lodgings for their royal persons and familie , and to the number of seventie , but no more , for the officers which were of necessitie to bee neer the palace were appointed in the same citie , or town where the court was , and in such houses as the council , iustice and regidores of the said place should finde convenient and suitable to the conditions and qualitie of the persons to bee lodged , and the said seventie lodgings to bee paid according as the said council , iustice and regidores should rate or tax them . and that for paiment hereof , all the cities , towns , villages , or burrougsh should contribute without ex●mption , according to the cessment made by the said council , iustice and regidores , without troubling or asking leav of his majestie , insomuch that under colour thereof , there should bee no more cessed or gathered , then what the rent of the said lodgings would amount to , under penaltie of the law. item , that these lodgings which are allowed for his majestie 's familie , are not intended for those of the council , for the alcaldes of his hous and court , nor the alguaziles , or other judges or officers whatsoëver , nor the high treasurers , or any such like , for these are to paie for their lodgings , by the order and form before mentioned . item , that his majestie , or the kings or princes his successors , might not give anie billets in general or particular , or other command whatsoëver , that the inhabitants of such cities , towns , or villages should furnish lodgings , contrarie to their own wills and consents : and that in case any such billet general , or particular , by waie of intreatie or command , should bee given , it might bee received with respect , but not fulfilled , neither the owners or inhabitants of the said houses bee obliged to accommodate the bearers thereof . co●cerning customs , taxes , the revenues roial , pole-monie , and fee farms . that the customs and thirds which belong to the crown , may bee reduced to the same number and quantitie as they were instituted by the catholick king don fernando and donia isabel , anno . that at the same rates and value all the cities , towns , villages , with their several lordships and leases of abbie-lands , may remain taxed for ever , and no higher : for they may not bee raised nor abated at anie time , since such was the pleasure of the most illustrious queen donia isabel , our ladie and sovereign , as appear's by her last will and testament . and it is better for the augment of the roial revenue , as well as the good of the kingdom ; for there was more gold and silver brought to his majestie 's exchequer by the simple penie-rents , then by these racking enhancements , considering the breaches and failings which have been , and are amongst those that farm the subsidies , neither is that burthensom to the kingdom . item , that the people may take in the said perpetual tax , the said customs and thirds , and be obliged to rent the situados that there was upon the said customs and thirds , restoring to their majesties the over-plus , having paid the situados and rights at the accustomed places and summons ▪ by this means their majestie 's servants and retainers would bee duly paied , and all those bribes and selling of librancas would bee saved , neither would there be any need of so many officers ; & their majesties might spare great sums of monie , much wages , and a multitude of discharges , or bills of receipt , which were given to officers more then needed . item , that the queen and king , our sovereigns , and their successors in these kingdoms , bee contented for ever to have and rais their customs , by and according to the fore-mentioned imposition , and no otherwise , in regard so they are certain , and not variable , neither will there bee anie thing diminished of the revenue , there still accruing to the crown other profitable rights , as fines , confiscations of goods , the salt-pit-rents , the mountain-tributes , subsidies , customerships , and puertos secos , besides currant monie , taxes , and ordinarie paiments of the kingdom , with the rents of maestrazgos . and that which com's from the indies , isles and firm-land amount's to so great a sum , that thereby his majestie may sufficiently maintein his state , without pressing the kingdom in parlament , and out of parlament , to grant any other extraordinarie subsidies , whereby the people is much aggrieved , and t●eir roial consciences can bee no less burthened with the oppression and great dammages of these kingdoms . item , that all the inhabitants of the cities , towns , villages , burroughs and lordships , may enjoie the said perpetual taxes in general , that none amongst them may rent or farm any particular part thereof at a higher rate then the said taxes , nor ●hat anie more sesments bee made amongst the inhabitants of the said places , then what shall bee necessarie for the recovering and gathering of the said taxes . item , that everie citie or town that is chief of the countie , do caus a chest to bee set in som secure place , wherein they may put or gather the roial revenue , and that they see to and provide , that which shall bee necessarie for the estate of the kingdom ; and chiefly to have a care that the queen , our sove●eign ●adie's familie , bee maintained and furnished with all things suitable to the dignitie of her royal person , and the honor of the kingdoms , next , to paie the searchers , counsels and chanceries , with other ordinarie offices of the kingdom , and beeing payed , that it remain stated in the offices of the puertos secos , mountain-tributes , and customerships , and ( in case any bee wanting ) in the hous of the contratacion of sevilla ; and the remainder of the revenue and royal patrimonie to bee kept in the treasure , and delivered to his majestie , when it shall pleas god that hee return into this kingdom , or to supplie his necessities , and those of the kingdom , if any real and urgent occasion doth require it . item , that the residue , or any thing that is unpaied of the revenue , after ten years , may not bee farmed or recovered . for by recovering debts of so long standing , may arise great extorsions and grievances on the natives of the kingdom , or their sureties , children and heirs , who after so many years can not , perchance , produce the discharges and acquittances that had been given . concerning commissioners or burgesses of parlament , subsidies . that the subsidie granted to his majestie by some commissioners at the parlament in the citie of the groyn , bee neither demanded nor received , nor any other imposed hereafter ; nor that any other impositions , or tributes , extraordinarie bee layed upon the kingdom by their majesties , or any of their successors . item , that when any burgesses or commissioners are to bee sent to parlament , the custom of each citie is to bee observed in the state of the regimiento ; moreover , one is to bee sent from the chapter or clergie , another from the state of the gentrie , a third from the state of the commonaltie , and every state to elect and nominate their commissioner severally in a distinct assembly ; which commissioners are to bee payed by their own citie or town , except the commissioner of the clergie , who is to bee maintained by the chapter . item , when any parlament is called , and the cities and towns , which have vote , bee summoned to send their commissioners , that their majesties , or any their successors , in these kingdoms , send not to the said commissioners any power , instruction , or command , in what manner and form their powers are to bee granted , nor appoint or nominate any particular persons to bee commissioners : but that such citie or towns may have free libertie to grant powers according to their own sence , and to such persons , as they shall think most convenient for the good of their republick . item , wheresoëver the parlament bee assembled , that the commissioners may have the freedom to meet , confer and discours with one another , as often as they shall think good , and that no president bee ordered to com amongst them ▪ for that would hinder them from attending to those things , which particularly concern the cities , and the good of the republick , which they represent . item , that during the time of the commissioners beeing at parlament , nor before or after their return to their hou●es , as having been , or beeing commissioners in the said parlament , they may not receiv directly or indirectly , under what colour or pretence soêver , any present or gratuitie from their majesties , or their successors , in these kingdoms , of what value or qualitie soëver , neither for themselvs , their wives , children or kindred , under pain of death , and confiscation of goods : which goods may bee emploied for the publick reparations of the citie or town , whereof any such delinquent was commissioner . for they beeing free from covetousness , and without hopes of receiving anie bribes in that nature , will bee more attentive and zealous for the service of god , the king , and the publick , and more careful to perform what was encharged them by their towns and cities . item , that the commissioners may onely have the bare stipend , which shall bee allowed them by their cities or towns , and that the said stipend or salarie bee competent , according to the condition and qualitie of the person , and the place from whence hee is emploied as commissioner ; and that this salarie bee paied out of the proper inhabitants revenue of each town , or citie , that doth send the said commissioner , according as they shall bee taxed by the council , iustice , and regidores of the said place . item , that the said commissioners may choos and entertain one or more lawyers beeing at parlament , as they see occasion , to whom the cities or towns are to paie a competent salarie , but may change them as often as they pleas . and that the said lawyer may not demand or receiv any gratuitie from their majesties , or other person , in their names ( as is above instructed and ordered for the commissioners ) neither may any lawyer at all bee entertained by the commissioners , but with the good liking and consent of the kingdom . item , that their majesties would revoke and declare to bee void all gratuities of what qualitie so●ver , which were given to the commissioners of the last parlament , held in the kingdom of galicia , and that neither they , nor their wives , children , heirs or successors , may injoie any part or parcel thereof , under penaltie of losing their goods , for the publick reparations of the citie , or town , whereof they were commissioners . item , that thenceforwards to perpetuitie , the cities and towns , that have vote in parlament , may meet and assemble every three years by their commissioners , who are to bee chosen out of the three states ( as is aforesaid ) . and that it may bee done in the absence , and without licence from their majesties , or the succeeding kings ; to the end , that beeing so assembled , they may procure and see , that the contents of these articles bee punctually observed ; and that they may discours of , and provide other things which may bee expedient for the service of the roial crown , and the publick good of the kingdoms . item , that the said parlament beeing ended , the said commissioners may bee obliged within fourtie daies , to return to their cities , or towns , and give an account of what they had done in the said parlament , under pain of losing their salarie , and beeing deprived of their office , which their majesties might dispose as vacant . concerning coin. that no monie bee transported out of these kingdoms , either gold or ●ilver , coined or to bee coined : since it is forbidden by the laws of the kingdom , under pain of death , confiscation of goods , and other penalties . for the contrarie having been done , especially since his majestie 's coming into these kingdoms , the countrie is impoverished and destroyed . item , that forthwith monie bee coined in these kingdoms , of a different rate and value , then that of the neighboring countries , and that it bee of a base alloy two caratts under the rate of the finest gold , which may countervail in weight and value the crowns of gold that are made in france ; by which means it will not bee carried out of the kingdom . alwaies provided , that whosoëver should bee indebted any quantitie of maravediz , before the time of publication of the new coined monie , might bee obliged to make paiment in the coin , which was then currant , or to make up the value thereof in monie of the later stamp . silver coined . that a mark of silver out of the mint may bee of the just value of two thousand two hundred and fiftie maravediz , and no more . copper monie . that new copper monie may bee coined , and in regard too much silver mixed with it is but lost , into everie mark should bee cast onely the quantitie of one of the new ryals . item , that the monie of silver mixt and copper , which is made in other countries , is much less worth then it passeth for in this kingdom , and the profit and gain thereof remaineth in forreign nations , who carrie away our gold for their base monie . that six months beeing expired after the coining of the said new monie , publick proclamation might bee made to prohibit the taking or receiving any of the said foreign mixt s●lver and copper monie . item , that the old monie which is now currant , in no wise may bee made away , given , or sold out of the mint-hous , directly or indirectly , at any higher rate then now it goe's , under penaltie that whosoëver shall bee defective herein , may lose his monie and third part of his estate , to the end that it may bee all coined , to make new monie . item , in regard before the new monie bee all coined , and especially in the beginning , those who make a trade of transporting monie out of the kingdom , may indeavor , and bee apt to convey much away , that new searchers may bee placed in all ports , by sea and land , and such as may applie their whole care and diligence to the well executing of this particular , and nothing els , provided , they bee persons of trust . and that whosoêver shall bee found guiltie of this fact , may bee punished and condemned to death ( if convinced ) without any further process , that there may bee no reclaiming or remission of this penaltie and punishment , but if those who are incharged therewith , bee slack or negligent in the execution of their office , that they may suffer the same punishment . and to the end this may bee the better effected , that whoso●ver shall declare , or discover it , may have the one half or moitie of the monie so seized . transportation of corn , leather , sheep , and woolls . that no corn , or the leather of sevilla , may bee transported out of the kingdom . that the mercedes , or gratuities and taxes ( which were given and imposed in some parts of these kingdoms ) of levying certain duties , for giving licence to transport corn out of the said kingdoms , and leather from the citie of sevilla , may bee revoked , and declared to bee void . for besides , that the said taxes bee unlawful , they are very hurtful and prejudicial to these kingdoms , and the citie of sevilla . and that their majesties may never hereafter give the said licence for monie , or for any imposition . item , that henceforwards no sheep or hogs alive or dead , or any other cattle may bee transported out of the kingdoms . for this hath been the caus that flesh , leather and tallow are raised to above double the price of what they were wont to yield , and if the said cattle bee not carried a way , these commodities will return to the same rate they were at formerly , which will bee a great benefit to the kingdoms . and if any bee found a delinquent herein , that the one half of his goods and estate may bee confiscate to their majesties , one fourth part given to the accuser , and the other fourth part imployed for reparations and publick uses of the citie , or town , whereof hee was inhabitant . item , that the merchants , clothiers , and other trades of the kingdoms , may take to work and spend therein one half of all woolls , bought by natives , or strangers , to send out of the kingdoms , paying the same price , as they had done , for them ; if they had given readie monie : and if they had taken them upon trust , giving securitie to paie at a certain daie , that the merchants , and others , might have them upon the same conditions , giving the like securitie . and that the officers of justice may take the said woolls from the shepherds , or buiers , and deliver them to such persons ( as is before-mentioned ) not suffering any fraud or contention to arise hereupon , but the truth beeing known , speedily to deliver them to the said merchants , and others , to be wrought in these kingdoms , paying in ready mony , or giving the said securitie ; and in case any officer neglect his dutie herein , that hee may lose one whole years salarie , and be obliged to make good the dammage and interest of the partie . concerning the council , courts , and iustices . that his majestie would bee pleased to dismiss those of the council , whom hitherto hee hath kept , in regard they have advised him to the great prejudice of his majestie 's roial crown , and the excessive dammage of the kingdoms . that they never bee admitted to bee of his privie council , the queen's council , or council of justice . that their majesties would select som of the natives of those kingdoms to bee of their roial councils , who were known to bee loial and zealous for their service , and which would set aside their particular interests for the people's good . item , that the president , council , judges , alcaldes , and officers of the courts and chanceries may bee visited every four years , according to the usual manner . that those who are found faultie , may bee punished , as the laws of the kingdom have ordered , according to the hainousness of their crime : and those who are found otherwise , may bee acknowledged to bee good men , and rewarded by his majestie . item , that the said offices , aswel of the council , as of his majestie 's familie , chanceries , and other courts , bee not given by favor , or procured by the petitions , or importunate sollicitations , of any grandees , or other persons , near about his majestie , but that they may bee bestowed upon able and deserving men : and that the provision may bee to offices , not to the persons , that enjoie them . and if any shall have , or procure them , contrarie to the tenour hereof , the kingdom may not acknowledg such as officers , but that they may bee disabled to keep or execute any the aforesaid , or other publick offices . item , that the said offices of the council roial , alcaldes de corte , chanceries , or other courts , may not bee provided or possessed by such as com but newly from their studies , but by persons ●ndued with qualities , and parts necessarie and fit for his majesties service , having been experienced and practised in the exercise of the office of counsellors at law and judges , for the contrarie having been don hitherto , hath been the occasion of great inconve●iences and dammages to these kingdoms . item , that the judges of the council roial , chanceries , and other courts , which voted in the first sentences , may not vote nor sentence anie processes upon review : but pass the view and votes of such suits by order to the judges of another court , as is usual in suits , which by reason of disco●d , are remitted from one court to another , for of the sentences pronounced by those of the council , and judges of the said courts , beeing reviewed by them , have proceeded and do proceed great inconveniencies . for they shew themselvs very passionate and desirous to confirm their sentences , defending them as if they were advocates for the partie in whose favor they formerly had given sentence . and that all suits may bee determined by two courts , without any inconvenience , that that those writs may bee useless , which , they that are in suit , procure in like cases to make their suits pass through all courts . item , that his majestie provide and appoint a superintendent to bee constant and resident in every one of the courts and chanceries , as was accustomed in the time of the catholick queen donia isabel our ladie , and that they bee persons of autoritie and good intention , who may provide that the ordinances bee observed , and see that the suites bee conformable thereunto ; that clients applying themselvs to them , may finde redress and help for their grievances , and that his majestie may bee informed by them of the state of his courts , and of the justice administred in them . item , that the said offices of the council , chancerie and alcaldias , bee not perpetual , in regard it is so expedient for his majestie 's service , and the good of the kingdoms . that the judges and alcaldes , may not hold themselvs lords of those offices , nor think it to bee an injurie to them to bee displaced , and others appointed to officiate . concerning the council and courts . that the offices of the privie council , in what concerns the kingdoms of castilla and leon , and judges , his majestie 's alcaldes de la casa e corte , chanceries , and all other offices of justice , may not bee given to any strangers , but to the inhabitants and natives of the said kingdoms ; and that for this respect no act or letters pattents of naturalization may bee given , and if any should bee given , that they may bee respectively received , but not fulfilled . that the number of the judges of the council of justice may bee twelve , neither more nor less , and those to bee of such qualities and parts as the laws of the kingdom do require . item , that suits bee determined in the council and chancerie in their order , and as they stand registred , and by the courts where they are depending without joyning of any others to them . that concerning this particular , his majestie may give no writs in derogation of ordinances . also that those which were to bee pleaded , and determined in chancerie , bee not kept still nor removed by wr●ts to the council . and that those judges that can take recognisance of suits , and causes , may not bee put by from hearing and determining the said suits by writ or order from his majestie . and in case the judges bee suspected , the parties may have the remedie of appeal . or if his majestie have given any such writs , that hee revoke and annul them . that henceforwards it may remain as a perpetual and inviolable law , that the judges of the council and chancerie , present or to com , may not obey the said writs , under pain of beeing deprived of their offices , and paying one hundred thousand maravediz each , for his majestie 's exchequer . and that the same may bee observed in the writs which shall bee given by his secretarie , the suites depending . item , that those of the council , judges of courts and chancerie , and alcaldes de corte , may not possess or hold more then one office . and in case they should have two , or more , that they may bee taken from them , and that they may receiv salarie for no more then one office . item , that matters of justice which may bee prejudicial to the parties henceforwards , may bee determined and dispatched by those of the council , and not by the privie chamber , for by this means , things will bee carried according to justice , and without grievances . item , that the secretaries appointed for the chamber , may not have vote in the council of justice , concerning those matters which depend on private writs or mandamus from their majesties ; to the end they may not defend in the council any writs which they had so signed , whereby the parties might bee aggrieved . item , that the said secretaries appointed for the chamber , may not receiv any thing besides the salarie , which his majestie is pleased to allow them , it beeing competent . for by experience it hath been seen they have demanded and adjudged divers unjust things concerning the taxes and impositions of the kingdom . and they keep intelligencers through the whole kingdom , to give them notice of what is vacant , and how they may charge new taxes and impositions . and this office beeing in their own hands , they may ask what they list , and it is granted them . but in case the said secretaries , or any of them , should demand any thing for themselvs , their children or friends , that for so doing , they may lose their offices , and not onely bee disabled to execute the said offices , but all others whatsoëver . item , that the diffinitive sentences pronounced by the alcaldes de casa e corte , and chanceries , in case of death , or mutilation of members , may have the libertie of appeal to those of the council and judges of the courts roial . and that t●e said alcaldes may bee obliged to grant the said appeals and supplications according to law. item , that the said alcaldes de casa e corte , and chancerie , or their notaries , may not exact or receiv either more or less duties or fees then the ordinarie alcaldes of the corregidores of cities and towns in this kingdom , where there is counsel and chancerie . item , that the alcaldes and other officers of the court called the hermandad ( which is properly for high-way-men ) may have a constant place of residence , when they leav their office , which those that succeed them may enjoie ; and that these may have power to question and execute their sentence against the said judges and officers , their predecessors . item , that the corregidores , alcaldes , officers of cities , towns , villages , burroughs , and other places of justice in these kingdoms , may not bee continued in the said offices above the space of one year after their donomination , although the cities , towns , and commonalties should desire it ; for the said offices having been continued for longer time , hath occasioned many inconveniencies and defects of justice to such cities and towns. item , that henceforwards no corregidores may bee provided or appointed for any cities or towns of these kingdoms , but when the said cities or towns shall require it , in regard it is so ordained by the laws of the land. and that the said cities and towns may place and provide their ordinarie . alcaldes , beeing men of abilities , that so the salaries of corregidores , their lievtenants and other officers may bee saved . that the cities and towns may appoint and allow moderate and reasonable salaries to the said ordinarie alcaldes out of the publick stock . and that the said stipendarie judges may bee tied to serv onely that town or citie which giveth them the salarie . item , that in cases wherein a judg inquisitor is required , those that are appointed for judges inquisitors may go with the limited salarie at the charge of the king's exchequer , and not at the charge of the delinquents , for to recover their salaries , they make innocent men delinquents ; and after that the said salaries and charges bee recovered of those who were condemned and declared guiltie by those of the council , or other judges , the said examinations may bee reviewed by waie of appeal , commission , or otherwise . item , that henceforwards no corregidor , or other judg of what qualitie soëver , may bee allowed to receiv his salarie , or any part thereof , or by waie of ayuda de costa ( which is to help bear his charge ) out of anie fines or forfeitures adjudged by them , but may return them to the exchequer , to the end hee may not bee thought to have pronounced an unjust sentence , out of covetousness thereof . and that whosoëver shall receiv anie monie in that kinde , may bee condemned to paie four times as much into his majestie 's exchequer , and bee made incapable of any office ever after . concerning encomiendas , or promotions to dignities , and council of the orders . that those of the council of the orders , as presidents , judges , and other officers bee visited in the same manner as is ordered for the council roial . item , that the treasurers and officers of the orders , and maestrazgos , or masterships , make their visitations from three to three years , that it may appear how they behave themselvs in their offices , and those that shall bee found guiltie may suffer punishment . item , that the encomiendas of the militarie orders of santjago , calatrava , alcantara , may not bee given or conferred upon any strangers , although they bee naturalized . but that herein may bee observed the same rule as in ecclesiastical offices , dignities , and benefices , whereby they may bee provided according as is constituted and ordeined in the statutes of the order . concerning bulls , cruzadas , and compositiones . that no bulls , cruzadas , or compositions , of what qualitie soëver bee suffered to bee preached in these kingdoms , unless upon som real and urgent occasion , debated and approved in parlament . that the monie which shall bee rai●ed t●ereby , may bee deposited in the collegial or cathedral church of the bishoprick , and not to bee taken out thence , spent or emploied otherwise , then in the same urgent occasion , for which the bull was granted . item , that in case there bee such necessitie of preaching the bulls , cruzadas , and compositiones , as above said , this manner and order may bee observed . that there bee care had to choos honest men , of good consciences , and learned , that they may know and understand what they preach . that they exceed not in their preaching the cases and things contained in the bulls . that they preach in none but the collegial , or cathedral churches . that in places where there are no collegial or cathedral churches , the bulls may bee sent to the curates or their vicars , to the end they may divulge and publish them to their parishioners ; that they advise and ●dmonish the people , but impose no penaltie , if they take them not , and that they might receiv them if they would . that there may bee no such exorbitance , as was usual heretofore , injoyning the people to com , and detaining them perforce in their sermons , not suffering them to follow their callings and occupations , unless they took their bulls , and other such ill demeanors . item , that whatsoëver was to bee recovered and gathered by virtue of the bulls thus received , may not bee recovered by waie of excommunication or interdict , but by demanding it before the secular justice of the citie , town , or village , where the bull had been received . that the alcaldes of the villages may have power herein , for the contrarie , having been done , hath much indangered the souls of laboring-men , priests , and other persons , and the people suffer very many and great oppressions in this manner of recovering it . item , that henceforwards for ever the commissaries of the cruzadas and compositiones may not levie or recover any thing of that which some cities , towns , villages , and corporations have expended in their own houses in feasting , bull-baitings , or acts of charitie , although they do it from an ancient custom , by vow , or what other waie soëver they can pretend . item , that the monies levyed by the cruzadas and compositiones , which were granted for the war against the moores ; costs and charges of the armies which had been or are to bee raised against the enemies of our catholick faith , and to releiv the kingdoms and cities of africa , may bee exp●nded and imployed to the same end , for which they were granted , and that they may not bee granted hereafter upon any other pretence whatsoëver , nor the said monie , or any part thereof , may bee given or bestowed as a merced or gratuitie upon any bodie , becaus , besides the publick dammage , men's souls are indangered by the not imploying it to the use , for which it was granted ; which if it were applyed to the proper and right intent , the royal revenues would remain free for the service and augmentation of the royal estate . item , that the mercedes and librancas of any monie of those said bulls , cruzadas and compositiones , which have been given to any particular persons , as well natives as strangers , may bee revoked and made void . concerning the indies , isles , and continent . that henceforwards for ever , no mercedes may bee made of indians , whereby the gold , or any other commodities may bee taken thence , to anie person or persons , of what qualitie soëver . that these which hitherto have been , may bee revoked ; for by that means their majestie 's roial patrimonie hath been , and will bee , much damnified , in stead of beeing advantaged , by reason of the great quantitie of gold exhausted thence : besides that , they are used more like infidels and slaves , then christians , as they are . item , that the hous of contratacion at sevilla , for the isles and continent of the indies , may remain for ever in the said citie , and not bee removed to anie other citie or place within this kingdom or without . in regard the said citie of sevilla is so famous and fit a place for it , and it would bee a great hinderance to these kingdoms , and a disservice to their majesties , if it should bee altered . concerning mercedes . that their majesties , or the succeeding kings , may not make anie merced of goods confiscated , or to bee confiscated , or of anie part or parcel thereof , to anie judg , or judges , who have given , or are to give sentence in the said causes . that the said judges , or anie of them , may not receiv anie such mercedes , either in paiment or lieu of their salaries , or for ayuda de costa , or in anie other kinde whatsoëver , directly or indirectly , either for themselvs , or their wives , children , friends or kindred ; for by this means they , beeing free from all covetousness and interests , may , with more equitie and justice , proceed and give their sentence . that whosoëver shall do the contrarie , may bee obliged to restore four times as much into his majesties exchequer , and that they may for ever remain incapable of enjoying the same , or anie other publick offices . item , that their majesties or their successors , may not give or make anie mercedes or librancas of goods and monie , which hath not been brought into their exchequer , or in their own hands ; for by this means they will know what they give , and how they endammage themselvs ; which not knowing , they easily grant the said librancas and mercedes , as their majesties had given away in that nature great quantities of pearls and monie , which ( if preserved ) had been sufficient to have mainteined their roial houshold , without making such shifts as they were driven to , by taking up monie at interest , or demanding subsidies of the subjects and natives of their kingdoms . item , that their majesties , or their successors , may not give or grant anie merced of goods , demanded in their majesties names , or of the roial crown of these kingdoms , concerning which there is anie suit depending , unless sentence bee first pronounced against the possessors thereof , and that they bee absolutely condemned . that whatsoëver hath been done to the contrarie heretofore , may bee revoked . otherwise it would hinder the free administration of justice according to right and equitie . and that whosoëver should receiv or procure anie such mercedes , may for ever bee held incapable and unworthie of receiving for themselvs , or others , anie merced from their majesties , or their successors , in these kingdoms . item , that their majesties may pleas to revoke all mercedes whatsoever , which had been made or granted since the death of the catholick queen donia isabel , as well by the kings don fernando , and don felipe , as by don carlos our present sovereign . and whatsoever confirmations have been made of anie towns , villages , vassals , jurisdictions , salt-pits , mines of gold and silver , copper , lead , tin , or allum . in regard besides , that they are contrarie to the laws of the land , the most illustrious and catholick queen donia isabel , our ladie , did absolutely prohibit and forbid them , when , by her last will and testament , shee left the government and rule of these kingdoms to the charge and care of the catholick king don fernando ; and that all this may bee applied to the proper use and benefit of the roial crown of these kingdoms , and that those persons who have obteined anie such mercedes , may make no further use of them hereafter . item , forasmuch as since the deceas of the queen donia isabel have been made divers mercedes , and manie patents and privileges of gentilitie given for monie to several persons , without anie just caus or consideration of services done to their majesties , that might deserv the said favour ; whereby the towns , commonalties , and those which paie the taxes , have been much damnified and injured . that their majesties may revoke all such patents , mercedes , and privileges whatsoever , and those to whom they were given , may not anie waies enjoie them . and that henceforward no such mercedes , patents , or privileges may ev●r bee granted , or bee in force , to benefit those to whom they were given . and that this may never bee derogated or abrogated with anie claus general or particular , or by anie ordinarie or absolute power . item , forasmuch as contrarie to equitie , and the tenour and fo●m of the laws of these kingdoms , have been granted and made , divers mercedes of the reversion of offices , benefices , dignities , and other things , in the hands of men yet living : that their majesties may revoke all of them , without exception , that hitherto have been made or granted , either by their majesties , or their predecessors . that nothing in this nature bee ever granted hereafter , and if anie should bee granted , that they may not bee fulfilled , nor take effect , notwithst●●ding any derogatorie clauses with penalties and confirmations whatsoever ; but to the end they may bee resisted and bee of no value , that they may bear no penal●ies at all ; and that whosoever shall procure anie such merced , may bee made incapable of anie place in court , or anie other publick office. item , that his majestie discard and put away the officers of his roial familie and kingdom , as treasurers , and their substitutes , and all others whosoëver have behaved themselvs amiss in their offices , to his majesties great disservice , & the universal dammage of these kingdoms ; who having ( as when they first entred into their offices ) little or nothing of their own patrimonies , and their profits much exceeding their expences , have raised themselvs vaste estates , to the prejudice aswel of the publick good of the kingdoms , and the natives thereof , as the impairing and diminishing of the roial patrimonie . item , that the offices of his majestie 's royal familie and the kingdom , those of the royal courts , and the alcaldes & fiscales , or attournies thereof , corregimientos , assistencias , alguazilagos , regimientos , veyntiquatrias , escrivanias of the audiencias , and council , and whatsoever other offices of the cities , towns , and places of the kingdoms , which are at their majesties , and their successors , disposal , now and from this time forwards , may never bee fold or given for monie , or bestowed , as mercedes , upon any , who beeing unfit to execute the said offices , may make sale of them , in regard the sale of them is very detestable , and forbidden by the common laws and rights of the kingdoms , for the great dammages and prejudices which have accrewed thereby to the good of the publick . and that the said offi●es may bee freely given and bestowed upon persons of sufficient parts and abilities to perform and execute them . item , t●at if the said offices or any of them , bee provided otherwise , or bestowed contrarie to the tenour and form mentioned in the precedent article , that they may bee held as vacant , and whosoever is so placed in them , may bee discarded . and their majest●e's and successors provide and bestow them as above said . item , that the officers which are to serv in the court , or in any the cities , or towns , of these kingdoms , aswell of the iuzgados as of the veintequarto escrivanias , and other such like offices , may not possess more then one office . and if they bee such as may bee supplied by substitutes , or ●ievtenants , that these may bee paied by the principal officers . and that their majesties or successors grant no stipend or salarie to the said substitutes , nor the principals consent thereunto , under pain of losing their offices , and others to bee put into their places . item , as touching the confirmations of the priviledges of the right or custom called , maravediz de iuro ; that no confirmation of the said priviledges may bee required , and that their majesties give command to the officers , who have raised great summs thereby , to restore the said monie to the persons of whom they received it , and that speedily and freely without any trouble or suit . item , that those of the offices roial , as well high treasurers , as those of the cruzadas , compositions , or the islands and continent of the indie● , may bee obliged to certifie and declare unto their majesties , and their successors , whatsoever debts remain conce●led and forgotten , and all other things in the said offices , appertaining to the roial patrimonie , but that they give no intelligence thereof to anie particular or private persons , lest they should beg them , under pain of paying twice as much into the exchequer or roial patrimonie , and of beeing deprived of the said offices , and made incapable not onely of them , but all others . item , that those who have had , or have anie office roial , or charge of the registers of the roial revenues , may not have the said remainders of the farming thereof , and in case anie have made use of them , that hee or they bee obliged to paie the double of what hee hath received thereof , into their majesties ●xchequer , and lose their offices , with the salaries and benefits thereunto belonging . item , that all those who have bought anie offices since the deceas of the catholick king don fernando , which could not bee sold according to t●e laws of the land , and the contents of the preceding articles , may not execute the said offices , under pain of death and loss of good , and their majesties may provide and dispose them to other able and sufficient persons . concerning residencia's . that all those officers who had charge of his majesties estate , in the time of the catholick king don fernando , his grandfather , may bee brought to an account for what they did in their offices and charges , concerning his majesties estate a●d the roial patrimonie , which passed through their hands , and that they produce these accounts before such persons as shall bee nominated and appointed by his majestie , and the kingdom . that his majestie appoint and nominate these said persons within thirtie daies after these articles and laws bee granted by their majesties , and in case his majestie doth not nominate anie within the said term of thirtie daies , that then those accounts may bee produced before such persons as the kingdoms shall appoint , who may receiv them for their majesties exchequer , and condemn and laie penalties upon those whom they finde guiltie , according to equitie and the laws of the kingdoms . item , that the like account bee also given by the treasurers , and other officers , whosoever have been encharged heretofore with the cruzadas , bulls , and compositions , or with the gold and pearls brought from the ●slands and continent of the indies ; and the same order to bee observed therein , as is above-specified . item , that those of the council , and the officers of his majesties familie and court , who have been , or are to bee dismissed , may make their residencia , or render their accounts before the persons mentioned in the preceding arcicles . item , that the said officers bee thus called to account , becaus they have given advise and notice of manie things which have been begged and given as mercedes , to the great prejudice of the roial patrimonie ; which advices and informations they gave , either to enjoie a share thereof themselvs , or to purchase them wholly , or to procure others to buie or farm them , by which means , for very small matters , they have gained vaste sums of monie . therefore in regard this hath been a great dammage and prejudice to the roial patrimonie , their majesties may ratifie and allow the above mentioned persons to take the said accounts and residencia's . and whatsoever shall bee thus discovered by them , that it may all accrew to their majesties exchequer ; for if they had rightly and truly performed their offices , they ought to have given their majesties those informations , and not to private persons . concerning prelates and other particulars . that the bishopricks , archbishopricks , dignities , canonicates , & other ecclesiastical preferments whatsoever , or the pensions thereof , may not bee conferred upon anie ●trangers , but upon the natives and inhabitants of these kingdoms . that if anie were disposed of contrarie to the tenour hereof , his majestie may bee pleased by apostolical autoritie , to order that they may bee resigned and conferred upon natives of these kingdoms , satisfaction beeing given to those that are dispossessed of them , to their full value in other rents in their own countries . item , in regard his majestie had given away the archbishoprick of toledo , before hee was received and sworn king in the parlament at valladolid . that his majestie may make a new presentation of the said archbishoprick , and confer it upon a native and inhabitant of the kingdom of castilla , who may deserv it , beeing a person of learning and conscience answerable , a divine or civil lawyer ; for the bestowing it on the nephew of monsieur de xeures , contrarie to the laws of the kingdom , hath been , and is , very prejudicial to the kingdom , and the said dignitie , hee beeing under age , and absent , ( and although hee were a native of the kingdom , it was not fit nor just to give it him ) . that the revenue of the said dignitie was transported out of the kingdom , wherewith if hee were a native , and resident in the said dignitie , hee might entertain manie nobles and gentlemen in his hous , as hath been the custom formerly . and if his ma●estie would bee pleased to gra●ifie the said nephew of monsieur de xeures with som other lands in his own countrie . it might very well bee done . item , that all letters of naturalization whatsoever , that have formerly been given , may bee revoked , and never anie granted hereafter . and if anie should bee granted , although with derogatorie clauses , and by an absolute power , that they may bee respectively received , but not fulfilled . that there may bee no penaltie for the non-performance of anie such supplication , and whosoever should bee strict therein , may bee apprehended and severely punished by the justices of the kingdom where hee was taken . item , that the judges , notaries , and other officers of the ecclesiastical courts , may not have or demand more fees then those of the secular courts , according to the ●tatutes of the kingdoms . and if , in anie case , the apostolical autoritie bee requisite , their majesties may bee pleased to send to their emb●ssador to procure it from his holiness , and send it . item , that the archbishops , b●shops , and prelates of the kingdoms , may reside in their own diocess the greatest part of t●e year , whereo● , if they fail , that they may lose proportionably a pa●t of their fruits , to bee emploied for the building or repairing of their churches ; for , by reason of their beeing absent , the divine service is not performed as it ought to bee . that his ma●estie send for a bull to this eff●ct from his holiness , within the space of one year . and if his majestie did not send for it within the said term , that the kingdom might have power to demand it , and take , by his autoritie , out of the fruits of the said dignities , as much as would diffraie the charges of the journie , and sollicitation to procure it . item , forasmuch as his holiness at his majesties r●quest had sent a licence to the archbishop of granada , purposing that whosoever should have his said power ( although secular persons ) might judg and give sentence in som cases against priests , in criminal matters . that his majestie would bee pleased to caus the said licence to bee enrolled within six months , and send a copie thereof into these kingdom , to excuse and avoid the scandals which arise thereby . concerning regidores . that henceforwards , their majesties , or their successors , never give or grant anie licence to the regidores , veyntiquatros , iurados , and other officers of the council of cities , towns or villages of these kingdoms , to live with , or have anie dependance upon noble-men . that all licences to this effect whatsoever , granted in former times , may bee revoked ; that the laws of the kingdoms may bee herein observed and executed . that whosoever shall procure , or make use of anie such licence , may bee deprived of his office . and that their majesties dispose thereof , as beeing vacant , but that hee or his children may never re-injoy it . item , that the regidores of the cities and towns of these kingdoms , who are lawyers , may not execute the office of advocates , nor plead in the said cities or towns , but for them and their commonalties . alienation of goods or lands from the royal crown . that his majestie command effectually to restore the towns , villages , forts , jurisdictions , revenues , and all other rights whatsoever , to the cities and towns of his royal crown , which they had formerly in their possession , and which the most illustrious queen donia ●sabel , our ladie , commanded in her will to bee restored . and to the end this may bee effected , and the wills of the catholick king don fernando and his queen donia isabel , may bee fulfilled , that executors may bee appointed with sufficient power to perform the same within six months without further delaie . item , to the end this may remedied henceforwards , that their majesties or successors , for no reason or caus , neither in paiment or satisfaction of services , or anie other waies whatsoever , may alienate anie thing from the royal crown or patrimonie , and in case anie alienation bee made , that it may bee restored . concerning forts and alcaydias , or governments . that the forts and alcaydias of the strong holds of these kingdoms , may not bee given to anie forreiners , but intrusted to the natives and inhabitants of these kingdoms , although they may produce letters of naturalization , and that the same order bee observed herein , as in the dignities and ecclesiastical preferments . item , that his majestie take away all command or governments whatsoever of castles and forts , possessed by strangers , or transferred by them for monie to anie natives of these kingdoms . item , that antonio de fonseca may bee dispossessed of the offices and command hee hath in these kingdoms , in regard of the great mischiefs and scandals which they suffer by his occasion . item , that the forts and alcaydias may not bee given to anie noble-men or persons of high birth and qualitie . and that the alcaydes or commanders thereof may take the oath of fealtie to his majestie , and give securitie to the cities and towns where they are , that , by or from the said forts , they shall receiv no dammage or prejudice . item , that his majestie give order forthwith , and every two years from this time forwards , to visite and repair , as occasion doth require , the forts and places of strength upon the frontiers of these kingdoms . concerning cloath . that the cloath that is imported from other countries may bee of the same size and goodness , as those which are wrought in these kingdoms , according as it is ordered by the statutes and act of parlament . that the said act may bee executed aswell upon forreign clothes , as those which are made in these kingdoms . that what deferring of the time of the act , or licences soëver have been granted to sell and disperse them in these kingdoms , may bee revoked and declared void . that hereafter no such licences bee granted , but in case there bee , that they may not bee fulfilled . and that , without stopping or arresting them , the justices may proceed according to the act , under pain of losing their offices , and paying one hundred thousand maravediz towards the reparations and charitable uses of the citie , town , or village , where their residence is . contribution . in regard it is ordeined by the laws of the land , that certain towns and villages ( which now are under the possession of som noblemen ) should proportionably ( as the rest of their neighboring cities and towns ) bear a share in the tributes and contributions , and taxes for hedges , bridges , fountains , watchmen , suits in law , defences , and enlargement of territories ; yet by the favor of noblemen and persons of great qualitie , ( to whom they belong ) they do not observ or fulfil his majesties commands herein . that henceforwards they may bee obliged to perform them , and in case of default to lose their offices , and all the salarie thereof ; and that the lords of the said places may not oppose or do any thing to the contrarie under pain of losing the lordship and proprietie of the said places , or towns , which afterwards shall bee as crown-lands never to bee alienated from the royal patrimonie . generals . forasmuch as his majestie , in the parlaments which hee called at valladolid and the groyn , did grant som things , which , for the profit and publick good of the kingdoms , ought to bee effected : that his majestie command all provisions and power necessarie for the performance thereof , to bee given to the cities , towns , and other places of the kingdoms . item , that his majestie give order to proceed rigorously against antonio de fonseca , alcalde ronquillo , gutiere quixada , el licenciado iuanes , and the rest , that had any hand in the bur●ing and destroying of the town of medina del campo ▪ and that his majestie approve and allow of what the kingdom shall do concerning the confiscation of their , or any of th●●● estates and goods . item , that their majesties approve the assemblie which the cities and towns of the kingdoms have made , and do make to the end they may repair and remedie the exorbitancies and grievances of the publick ; to make and ordain these articles , and all which they have done in order to the suspending of those of the council , and officers of their majesties familie and court , placing and displacing officers of justice , taking and demolishing of forts , pulling down of houses , killing of men , tumults and uproars , and judging and sentencing other matters of the kingdoms ; their endeavors in taking away all that might stop or hinder their proceedings herein , and any other excess whatsoever , as in the order and form of the premisses is conteined ▪ the assembling the people , raising of arms , and the punishment which certain cities and commonalties have inflicted upon the persons , houses , and goods of ●om men , whom they esteemed enemies to the publick good of the kingdoms . and that their majesties acknowledg to bee well emploied , all and every the sums of monie which they have taken out of the roial revenue , and other things , and disbursed in paiment of the said men , and armies , or otherwaies in prosecution of the above-said premisses : and whatsoever taxes they had imposed and recovered to that effect , or expended in any kinde . that their majesties would command all to bee remitted and absolutely pardoned , as also not onely their assemblies and councils of the cities and towns of the kingdoms , but likewise that every particular person or persons that had been active therein , might bee free from anie trouble or question therefore in anie courts , civil or criminal . that their majesties would revoke and declare void , all and everie information or informations , commands , sentences , and provisions which those of the council , or the alcalde ronquillo , or any other judg whatsoever , had made or given against any of the cities or towns of the kingdoms , or against any particular persons , and that for this caus they , nor any of them , might bee deprived of their privileges or offices , but might remain free and indemnified . in regard they were moved thereunto out of their respects to their majesties service , and the publick good of the kingdoms , and for the encreasing & preserving of the revenues and patrimonie roial , in order to the obligations and duties which they owed to their natural sovereigns , according as the laws of the kingdoms have ordeined . and that his majestie would grant , autorize , and confirm the said articles as a perpetual and inviolable law for ever , and that he would promise & swear , by god and his holie evangelists , never to revoke , or consent to the revoking or altering of them , or do , or suffer to bee done , any thing contrarie to their true intent and meaning in parlament , or out of parlament : and that hee would not demand of the pope or other prelate whatsoever any dispensation or absolution for the said oath and promise . sect ▪ iii. these articles were sent to flanders by those of the iunta , to bee delivered to the emperor . antonio vazquez de avila carried one copie of them , and maestro fray pablo ( a man of an exemplarie life and holie intentions , onely blinded with a zeal for his countrie , seeing the kingdom ruined ) another . they went several waies , but neither of them durst appear before the emperor , and som saie , they never came into flanders . antonio vazquez de avila arrived at length at worms in germanie , which the emperor hearing , commanded him to bee apprehended and imprisoned in a fort ; but after som time , beeing better informed , hee gave order to releas him . fray pablo , and sancho zimbron , who went together , hearing , before they came to the emperor , how antonio vazquez had been welcomed , went no further then bruxels . these articles were applauded and held for holie things amongst the commonaltie ; they said , the emperor must bee verie cruel if hee did not confirm them . that those of the iunta deserved an immortal crown , and a never-dying fame for their pains and care in making such excellent and holie ordinances , whereby their kingdoms should bee made the happiest , and most opulent in the world . sect . iv. the lord admiral , beeing desirous to compose these differences and disorders of the kingdoms , before they broke out anie further , resolved to go and convers with those of the iunta at tordesillas , and beeing at torrelobaton , hee sent to them , desiring , that they would give him the libertie and safe conduct to go to them . those of the iunta answered , that they knew very well , that his lordship came to speak with them concerning the commonalties of the kingdoms , but they desired him not to put himself to the trouble of coming thither , until he had dismissed those gentlemen , with their sou●diers , out of medina , and his own lands , & those of the council likewise , in regard they disserved his majestie , and hindred the good of the kingdom , which don , they should be very glad to serv him , and shew him all the respects due to his person . the admiral replied , that hee was well contented to discharge all those souldiers , and send away all those of the council , except the cardinal and the lord high constable of castilla , who were the governors and principal men of the kingdoms : those of the iunta would not bee satisfied , unless they were all sent away . whereupon they sent two heralds with a notarie publick , to require him with great protestations , that hee should not permit the mischiefs and dammages which might bee occasioned by the iunta , and the armies of the advers partie . they sent others also with trumpets , to require the lord high constable , and the earl of alva , not to levie anie souldiers , becaus that would bee prejudicial to the roial crown , and hurtful to the kingdoms . the lord high constable received those that brought him this message very courteously , and commanded a dinner to bee prepared for them ; after which , hee sent them to the earl of alva , with twelv of his own men on hors-back . the earl apprehended the chief man of them , commanding him to bee clapt in prison , and afterwards , they saie , hee caused him to bee strangled , and gave no other answer to the iunta : whereat they were very much displeas'd ; others said , the earl did like a worthie gentleman , for no law or word is to be observ'd or kept with traitors . the unfortunate man , whom the earl thus put to death , had been , not long before , preferred by those of the commonaltie , to the office of chamberlain to the queen donia iuana . in revenge of which crueltie ( as they termed it ) those of the iunta commanded the lord constable , and the earl of alva , to bee proclaimed , in manie cities and places of castilla , traitors , and capital enemies of the kingdom ; alledging , that they raised forces against the roial crown , and to the prejudice of the kingdom . that they had made a new broad-seal , contrarie to the laws of the kingdom , wherewith they did seal orders against his majesties subjects , and contrarie to all right and justice . that they did favor and uphold those of the evil counsel ; and that they had apprehended her majesties chamberlain , all which was in dis-respect or contempt of her majestie , and to the prejudice of the publick good . and therefore those of the iunta , in order to the service of god , and the kingdom , did finde themselvs obliged to declare them capital enemies , and accordingly , that their estates and land should bee seized and forfeited to the roial crown . sect . v. those of the iunta beeing possessed of tordesillas , and having the queen , with her familie , and the whole kingdom in their own hands , manie people believed that shee was recovered , and that shee was well-pleased with the proceedings of those of the iunta . the increasing of this opinion , and their credit with the people , raised their thoughts to things of higher consequence , and the novelties which everie daie did produce , were already swoln to so great a number , and spred into so manie parts that it is impossible to relate them so cleerly , fully , and distinctly as i would . the pretence of the iunta was so plausible , bearing the sugared name ( which they gave it ) of libertie , and exemption from unjust taxes and evil government , that divers other places , were likewise in arms for them ; and it was a miracle that anie place stood out : for they favored and countenanced them that followed their faction , and those of the contrarie partie were perpetually under the lash of their persecution . in palencia the people mutinied , and would have killed the brother to their bishop mota , with divers canons , and other priests of the citie , becaus they had given possession of the bishoprick to the said mota , whom they extreamly hated . in alcala de henares they turned the governor , and the vicar-general to the arch-bishop , out of the citie , becaus they hated the arch-bishop for beeing a kinsman to xeures , and a stranger . medina prepared to make open war against coca and alaejos , in revenge of the mischiefs and losses which they had susteined by antonio de fonseca . it would bee an endless task to undertake to give a particular relation of their outrages , what persecutions , robberies , and murthers , were committed in each place . those of segovia did not lie still either , but were perpetually making new attempts against the earl of chinchon , and the town of espinar , which they assaulted and sacked , as if they had been infidels , carrying away their wives and daughters , some of whose husbands following after the segovians , said , that if their wives went with them beyond a certain limit , they should keep them for ever . sect . vi. i mentioned in the rising of burgos , the prudence and courage which the lord high counstable , to detain and suppress the furie of that disorderly people , had shewed , in taking upon himself the autoritie and care of administring justice , to the great contentment and rejoicing of the citizens . but the inconstant vulgar , upon no occasion , lost the respect which was due to so honorable a person , never considering how advantageous it would have been for them to have suff●red themselvs to bee governed by him in such troublesom times . that which they pretended to bee the caus of their respectless audacitie was , that when medina del campo did besiege alaejos , segovia , salamanca , avila , and other cities , having assisted them with men to destroie that town , out of the exceeding hatred which they bore antonio de fonseca : burgos would do the like out of revenge of the merchandise which they lost in medina , by fonseca's burning it : but the lord high constable satisfied them otherwise ; and becaus his son offered himself to bee their captain , which the people imagined hee did onely out of subtiltie and cunning to amuse them or for som other by-respect , they began to bee jealous of him ; this suspicion ingendred a mortal hatred , insomuch that their furie grew beyond the bounds of moderation and obedience . the lord high counstable had privately conveyed into his hous four hundred lances : which beeing known in the citie , the regidores and gentlemen assembled , and sent two of their companie to summon him . hee excused himself , saying , hee was very ill , and could not go to them : but they told him , that they could not bee satisfied with that answer , hee must rise , and go with them . at last hee went , and was civilly received ; beeing com amongst them , two of the assemblie in the names of all the rest , rose up and thus bespake him ; wee are very sorrie and grieved that the honor and affection wherewith this citie hath alwaies served your lordship and your ancestors ( beeing persons of so great qualitie , natives , and in a maner , lords of all this citie , which is the chief of castilla ) should bee so ill requited , as that you should keep secretly in your hous four hundred lances , to destroie the people : wee require you forthwith to dismiss them , and reserv onely twentie servants about you , if not , the citie will take their remedie . this was not very pleasing to the lord constable , but it behoved him to satisfie their desires . yet notwithstanding hee condescended to their wills , the suspicions ceased not , neither were the people pacified . upon our ladie 's daie of september their furie broke out , and all the commonaltie rose up in arms against him , in such a raging manner that they had killed him , if hee had not retired to his hous , where almost two whole daies they kept him besieged , and don diego sarmiento the earl of salinas with the dutchess and the countess their wives . after this , seeing himself the object of the people's malice , and every hour in danger to lose his life ; hee conditioned with the people to let him go freely with all his familie out of the citie ; which beeing granted , hee went to a town of his called briviesca . this example of the people of burgos , made other places commit the like audacities against their lords ; as haro against the earl of haro , son to the lord high constable ; duenias against the earl of buendia ; and also naxara against the duke ; although that citie doth allege and prove that they rose not for the commonaltie , but for the king , whose subjects and tenants ( they saie ) they are . the lord high constable beeing at briviesca , very full of care and sorrow to see the kingdom in so great distempers , and so little probabilitie of any remedie ; about the middle of september arrived lope hurtado de mendoça with dispatches and orders from the emperor , importing that hee should bee governor of castilla and navarra joyntly with the cardinal and the admiral of castilla ; which having read , hee presently accepted the government of the kingdoms : but becaus the commission was for them all three , hee could not so suddenly execute the command . for the cardinal was as yet at valladolid , and the admiral in catalunia , in the countie of cabra , whither the dispatches were sent to him , who was of opinion to defer the acceptance of that charge , until his return into castilla , and to use som means in the interim to agree and accommodate the differences of the commonalties , as you have already heard . which difficultie beeing related to the emperor , beeing on the waie to aquisgran , where hee was crowned ; hee sent other letters dated the october following , with special command to the lord high constable , that having assembled som of the council , hee should , alone with them , execute the charge of governor of the kingdoms , & provide for the remedying of the present disorders , until such time as the cardinal , and the admiral could com to join with him ; which hee did , as shall appear hereafter . sect . vii . the lord high constable seeing the remedie of the kingdoms to lie upon his account ( although hee was much offended with those of burgos ) without seeking any reparation of honor , prudently endeavored by fair means and treatments full of courtesie , to appeas that people , and reduce them into the roial waie of doing their prince service ; for it was of no small importance for him , at the beginning of his government , to gain that citie , and settle himself in it , beeing the chief of castilla , and a place of such greatness and esteem . hee kept intelligence with som principal gentlemen of burgos , by whose industrie the citie was so well disposed and ordered , that within a short time after , hee became master of it ; this was the first symptom of the countrie 's health , and an antidote against the desperate poison which had so infected the whole kingdom . the lord high constable , together with the citie , committed to the charge of don diego lopez de castro , the government of the castle of lara , with the territories thereof , hee having first taken the oath of fealtie , as hee was a gentleman , according to the order and manner of castilla , to keep it for the emperor . from this time forwards burgos began to have an ill conceit of the iunta , disliking more and more their proceedings , especially their ill treating of the cardinal and those of the council , and sent to their commissioners to com away from tordesillas . after which they wrote to valladolid , in testimonie of their loialtie , encouraging and persuading those of that citie to do the like , in order to their due obedience to his majestie , and the pacification of the kingdoms . sect . viii . those of valladolid , beeing ill satisfied with the letters which they received from burgos , returned them no answer , esteeming them people of small resolution or constancie , and not fit to bee trusted . those of burgos sent letters likewise to those of the junta , telling them manie things by way of exhortation and advice , amongst the rest , that they should leav the queen in her free libertie , to do what shee pleased , and to let things remain in the same condition the emperor had left them , with other circumstances , which were contradicto●ie to what formerly they seemed to desire . whereby it appeared , that they declined the interest of the junta , and favored the lord high constable's partie . som other places of the kingdom also began to bee more moderate , by the letters and promises which they received from the cardinal , and other gentlemen of note . sect . ix . in the citie of valladolid the people were still divided by several factions , some transported with a blind zeal , pres●ed for obedience to those of the iunta , thinking whatsoever they ordained was good and holie ; others desired with no less earnestness that the lord high constable , with those of the council , might bee re-admitted into the citie , deeming whatsoever was enacted without them , to bee wicked and unjust : and hereupon they spoiled and murthered one another , like people without sense or reason . whereupon they wrote to the lord admiral ( who was their countrie-man and neer neighbor ) giving him account of the troubles of the kingdom , and especially of the mischiefs which they feared would befall that citie in particular . whereunto hee sent an answer with an extraordinarie sens of sorrow , to see the danger whereunto the whole kingdom was brought , counselling and admonishing them to have a care left they lost themselvs : moreover , in regard that citie had been noted particularly for their loyaltie to their king , and for the relation hee had to it by his birth , it grieved him to the soul to see it in such extream distraction , which hee feared would not bee so easily remedied ; with several other expressions of affection and tenderness for their welfare . but valladolid did not set much by his admonitions at that time : but afterwards ( though late ) they were better advised , and they found in the admiral the mercie which they did expect , as shall bee set down hereafter . sect . x. the letters from burgos , with the sedulous and prudent endeavors of the lord high constable , made those of valladolid to bethink themselvs a little , and with a kinde of remors for what was past , to begin to understand reason , although the greatest part ( but not the best ) stickled hard to keep the citie in obedience to the iunta , to the end they might compass their own ill designes . after this the lord high constable sent to notifie his commission to bee vice-roy and governor , together with the cardinal and lord admiral , to all the cities of the kingdom , where it might conveniently bee done , which beeing proclaimed , in most places was obeyed . whereupon hee sent to all his kindred and friends , ordering them to rais what forces they could possibly , and dispatched messengers to all the grandees , and gentlemen of note in the kingdom , encouraging and enjoyning them to assemble , and bee assistant to him . and he●ring that the president , with others of the council , were fled from valladolid in the manner before mentioned , hee sent for them to com to him , which the president , and some of them , did . afterwards the letter coming to his hands , wherein the emperor commanded ( until the lord admiral could joyn with them ) that hee and the cardinal should govern ; hee presently began to put his majestie 's orders in execution , using means to rais monie for the levying and paying of souldiers : for without the force of arms it seemed impossible to do any good ; and therefore hee sent to borrow fiftie thousand duckets of the king of portugal , which hee lent him freely . with which monie , and what hee had of his own , or could procure any other waie , hee raised some infantrie . which done hee wrote to the duke of naxara don antonio manrique vice-roy of navarra for more men , who sent him five hundred foot souldiers and some artillerie , which hee also desired very earnestly . hee sent likewise for those of the guards , who came from that expedition , which was called de les gelues ; some of which were readie to put themselvs in the king's service , others took up arms for the junta , by the persuasion and means of don pedro giron ( who was upon tearms of beeing their captain general ) and of the bishop don antonio de acunia , a great stickler for the commonaltie . also hee carried the business with those of burgos in such manner , that they all should bee ingaged in the emperor's service , promising them very fair conditions , and delivering into their hands don iuan de tovar marquis of berlanga , his second son , and don bernardino de velasco , his yongest son , as hostages , until such time as his majestie should allow and confirm his agreement vvith them . sect . xi . whilest the lord high constable was making all these diligences , the cardinal stole secretly out of valladolid ( as you heard already , upon the of october , with one single page , and thence hee went to rioseco ; whence hee gave notice to the lord high constable , and other grandees of the kingdom , desiring them to send him men , and to repair thither in his favor ; which they did . the first that came to him , were , the marquis of astorga , who brought with him the october , eight hundred cross-bow-men , two hundred musketiers , four hundred men armed with targets and head-pieces , two hundred lances , and one hundred light-horsmen . the earl of venaivente came , the next daie following , into medina , with two thousand five hundred foot , and two hundred and fiftie lances . the earl of lemos brought fifteen hundred men . the earl of valencia a thousand . all which noblemen , with some of the council , staied in rioseco with the cardinal , exspecting more forces . don hernando de vega , lord of grajal , brought three hundred and fiftie men ; and the admiral , lord of that town , wrote , hee would speedily bee there also . the lord high constable was very glad to hear of the cardinal's escape . and according to his agreement with those of burgos , hee entred into the citie the first daie of november , and notwithstanding some opposition , hee possessed himself of it . whence communicating by letters with the cardinal , and other nobles at rioseco , they concluded , since there was no other remedie , that they should carrie on their business by force of arms ; that the rande-vous should bee there at rioseco , that beeing the most convenient place , becaus nearest to tordesillas , where the iunta was likewise making their armie . hee resolved ( it beeing generally so agreed upon ) to staie at burgos , with such force as hee thought convenient , to oppose and suppress the merindades , which were risen , ( of whom the earl of salvatierra , with small discretion , had made himself captain ) and sent his son don pedro de velasco , earl of haro , as captain general of the souldiers and artillerie that were sent him out of navarra , and those hors & foot that were at medina de rioseco . the earl of haro departed from burgos about the middle of november , and went to melgar , eight leagues from thence ; where hee staied to gather more forces : don pedro veloz de guevaro , earl of oniate , don garcia manrique , earl of osorno , the martial of fromesta , don alonso de peralta , and other gentlemen , met him there , everie one bringing as many men as they could rais , thence they continued their march to rioseco , whither every daie came gentlemen with other forces . of all which , the lord high constable gave a particular relation to the emperor . sect . xii . from the very daie that those of the iunta were informed of the naming of the two governors , they thought it was time for them to provide more forces then what they yet had raised . to which effect they presently dispatched letters to all the cities of their league , advertising them of the great preparations the governors were making , and that they must furnish both men and monie . they wrote also to don manuel , king of portugal , thinking to gain him to their partie ; but what answer hee returned i could never learn. sect . xiii . those of the iunta , seeing so great a confluence of souldiers com daily to rioseco , they dispatch'd messengers presently to their several cities , desiring they would speedily send thither what forces they could make . salamanca , with the territories t●erof , furnished two hundred lances , and six thousand foot , which , with those from toledo , madrid , and segovia , made a reasonable good armie . thus both sides prepared what forces they could to destroie one another . those of valladolid , seeing themselvs in the middle of these two parties , and both very near them , beeing not determined which side to take , resolved to send to them both . their messengers , don pedro vaçan lord of van̄eça , doctor francisco de espinosa , pulgar and diego de zamora , batchellors at law , in the name of their citie said to those of the iunta , that if they did continue in doing that which was just and good for the commonalties , as they had begun , the citie of valladolid , with all their armie and power , would assist them , but if otherwise , they would decline their interest , and resist them . thence they went to rioseco , and said as much to the cardinal , and those of the council ; adding moreover , that they should not intermeddle , or hinder anie thing which the iunta had done in favor of the commonaltie of the kingdom , upon which condition they would obey them in all things , and ( if they pleased ) receiv them into their citie with honor and respect : and they did require them in the names and behalf of the infante , gentlemen and commonaltie of valladolid , that they would not rais any souldiers , nor make any scandals or offence to the countrie , by gathering together armies , otherwise , that they did protest against them . a brave resolution of those of valladolid to stand out against them both . sect . xiv . notwithstanding the different factions which divided valladolid , they were all generally well affected to the lord admiral , and desired hee should com amongst them , hoping his presence would conduce much to the remedying of those mischiefs , hee beeing a very noble gentleman , and no waie addicted to passion , or partialitie . the lord admiral , having intelligence of all that passed in valladolid , wrote them a letter , saying , that although hee did not desire to bee pestered with those troubles and confusions , yet his coming thither should not bee deferred much longer . that his intention was to do good to them all generally , being very much grieved for what had passed amongst them . that he could not choos but admire at the tumultuous risings of the kingdom . that if they had but written twice or thrice to his majestie , he would have remedied all those disorders , by granting what they desir'd . that their keeping guards , and going their rounds about the citie , tended to nothing but the consuming of their estates , destroying of their trade , the undoing of the husbandmen and common people , for which hee was very sorrie . that the whole world took notice heretofore of the nobleness and loialtie of these kingdoms : and now their inconstancie , divisions , and factious insurrections , afforded matter of discours to all other nations . that they should take notice that the great turk was com with a mightie armie against rodes , ravaging and spoiling christendom both by sea and land , and that by reason of these dissentions , animosities , and confusion amongst the people , it were no hard matter for him to gain footing in these kingdoms . therefore hee affectionately desired them all to bee pacified , and to believ , that his majestie was very much troubled and aggrieved at these sad occurrences : and that at his return hee would procure the good of the kingdoms . this letter beeing read in the publick assemblie of valladolid , did sufficiently startle som of them , but they hoped for a ●emedie from heaven . after this the lord admiral beeing at zerbera , wrote another letter to them in a manner to the same effect . which beeing heard and seen by those of valladolid , t●ey were astonished at the words and counsel wh●ch hee gave them therein , not knowing how to answer his reasons , nor to what they should attribute his counsels . som that were of opinion that the iunta was wicked and unlawful , would have it bee dissolved ; others extolling it to the skie● , urged , that every bodie ought to conform themselvs thereunto . the nobles and gentrie at rioseco were very desirous to re-unite and pacifie valladolid , it beeing so considerable a place , thinking besides , that if they were but masters thereof , they should with more facilitie compass their design upon the other cities : to this effect they used all the policie and subtil inventions possible , sending messengers , and holding private intelligence with those of the citie , who were well affected and desired the king's service . the citie was in this season more strictly watched then before , they making secret rounds , and placing strong guards at all the gates ; for the contrarie parti● ( which was the most powerful ) was jealous , and afraid of som double dealing . sect . xv. at the same time that valladolid received the lord admiral 's letters , others were brought to them from burgos , which were likewise read in the publick assemblie of the citie . the reader may imagine what various humors , what speeches , what factions , what passions were engendred , by the contents of those letters ; finally , what confusion they might breed in so noble and spatious a citie , ( the seat of the kings of spain ) and what judgments and censures might there-hence take their rise , and fill the malicious heads of the common people ; not knowing well which hand they had best to use , they resolved to plaie with both , and sent again to the cardinal , governor , and those of the junta also , their embassadors don pedro vaçan , and the others before mentioned , with certain articles which they thought were convenient for the pacification of the kingdoms , the cardinal with those of the council , gave them a fair reception , and a satisfactorie answer : those of the junta did no less , desiring to make them of their pack , and moreover , they wrote a letter to those of the commonaltie in valladolid , with some expressions of zeal and affection mingled with reprehensions for their luke-warmness and indifferencie . sect . xvi . on sundaie the eleventh of october , one al●nso de vera got up into the pulpit of the cathedral church of valladolid , and read to the people two letters , one from those of the iunta , wherein they desired , that valladolid would assist and stand to them , as they had promissed , and fulfil what they had commanded them . the other was from don pedro giron , in which hee offered them his service , desiring that as hee had alwaies shewed a particular affection to that citie , and been tender of their welfare , they would receiv him , in regard hee was captain general of the junta's forces , and desired nothing but the good of the kingdom , and his majestie 's service , neither would hee act any thing but with the good liking and consent of valladolid . the people were exceedingly taken with these letters , and said , they would do whatsoever therein was required , and that don pedro should bee welcom into the citie ; and the next daie hee made his entrie , all the people of valladolid going forth to receiv him with great applause . this war beeing betwixt kindred , friends , and countrie men , there was as much diligence used to gain places , and good wills , by letters , as by force of arms. the earl of venavente , and the lord admiral of castilla were in a manner natives and citizens of valladolid , their families from many generations , having had their principal mansions there , and the citie bare them great respect , as they had reason . these noble-men shewing their affection to valladolid , as their native soil , and seeing it so far plunged in these distractions , either out of hope to reduce it by fair means , or meerly out of their love and desire of its good and preservation , they both endeavored by letters to make them sensible of their errors . the lord admiral chiefly desired , that they would let him com into their citie , promising , that hee would bee as vigilant and careful of their general good , as of any particular persons ▪ that hee would imploy in their defens his own life , and fortune : if that could not bee granted , that they would send any three , whom they thought fittest , to meet and confer with him , two or three leagues thence , where they pleased . but valladolid would accept of none of these conditions , alledging that such enter-views would bee ill taken , and that people would bee apt thereupon to saie , burgos having articled and agreed with the lord high constable , that valladolid would do the lik● . so they returned the lord admiral no other answer , then that for the present they could not condescend to any of those things which his lordship desired . to the earl of venavente's letter they briefly thus replied , that since his lordship was so noble , as to offer them his own person , and men , they desired that hee would keep his promise , in letting them have the said men to send to tordesillas , in the iunta's service , and upon that condition , they should carrie the colours and arms of valladolid . these letters were dispatched in the name of the citie by the prior of the great church , who was a grand commoner . these answers beeing sent to the two noble-men , the citie gave order for the raising of more men to send to the iunta , becaus there were many wanting of the thousand which they had sent . moreover , command was given for the gathering of one hundred duckets out of every ward , which amounted to one thousand four hundred duckets . which was forthwith done , and the thousand men compleated . after this they caused a proclamation to bee made throughout the citie , commanding all and everie of the commonaltie to appear under pain of beeing accused for malignants , or ill-affected to the iunta . who beeing all assembled , they made them swear by the holie evangelists , and upon the cross in forma , that under pain of beeing infamous perjurers and faith-breakers , they should bee readie to serv , favor , and assist in whatsoever those of the iunta should do , in order to the service of god , the king , queen , and commonaltie of the citie of valladolid ; and that they should not do , or saie , directly or indirectly , any thing to the contrarie , or suffer anie thing to bee said or done by their children , servants , or housholds . and if they should know or hear any thing said or done to the contrarie , that they should forthwith inform the assemblie of the citie of valladolid thereof , to the end the offenders might receiv condigne punishment ; the oath beeing thus pronounced , they all cried with one voice , this wee swear . sect . xvii . i have already declared , how the citie of segovia was divided by several factions , insomuch that they seemed to bee in civil war amongst themselvs . the earl of chinchon defended the forts . within the citie there were several houses of strength , wherein som of the roial partie fortified themselvs , others did the like in the cathedral church . the fort beeing but slenderly mann'd , the earl of chinchon went to burgos , to desire succour from the lord high constable , who sent ten musketiers , valiant and resolute men , with order to get into the fort , ●s they could . they arrived at pedraça on fridaie morning , of november , where they took abou● one hundred weight of powder , and kept themselvs private until the evening ; night beeing com , they marched with a guide ( who led them by-waies ) to parral , where hee left them , and the moon beeing down , they went into the fort , without any one's taking notice of them ; which was the better effected , becaus that very daie those of segovia had assaulted the church , and were wearie , having found strong resistance . the next daie , it beeing noised in the citie , that the fort had received succour in the night , they were much scandalized , and troubled at it , thinking it more considerable then it was , and feared that they were sold by som within the citie . things beeing in the condition before-mentioned , disposed for an absolute breach , the cities of the league prepared arms and men with all expedition ; and those of the iunta sent certain instructions ( which their captains and souldiers were to observ ) to valladolid , where don pedro giron ( whom they all looked upon as captain general ) remained to make and order the armie , as shall bee more at large declared in the following book . finis libri quarti . the civil wars of spain . the fifth book . sect . i. the passions of the people in castilla grew to such mortal animosities , that pens and tongues beeing wearied , they fell to preparing arms and munition of war : as when an impostume fester's , no cure can bee exspected , but by the applying of hot burning iron . those gentlemen who were the chief sticklers for the commonalties , beeing lanch'd forth into the deepest of the sea of passion , knowing how ill a name they had acquired ( which exceedingly offended their presumption , ) were already grown so desperate , that they cared not to lose their countries , estates , wives , children , or their own lives , desiring to hazard all in the lotterie of arms , and make or destroie their fortunes in one battle ; wherein , if their designs had been crowned with success , doubtless , they would have changed their styles , and beeing victorious , remained with the glorious attribute of redeemers and defenders of their countrie : for humane judgments determine by the event , not by the middle or beginning of any enterprise . though it hath been the ordinarie defect of other commonalties to have but slender forces , this was so powerful , that had there been the least good conduct ●mongst them , and som experienced captains , don carlos hardly ever would have recovered the crown of spain . the common people were to blame , and the gentrie not to bee excused , for opposing and rising against their sovereign's ministers ; yet wee must of necessitie confess , that they were valiant . that there were divers exorbitancies , outrages , and insolencies committed , what wonder is it amongst the respectless and libertine people ? and that the gentlemen depended more upon them , then they upon the nobles , who assisted them . if wee see an armie well disciplined , the souldiers subject and obedient to their captains , shall wee saie absolutely all those in that armie are traitors ? for my part i would not ; neither is it any such great marvel that children rise up against their own fathers ; for if wee look back to som passages of our countrie of spain , what shall wee see , but the like unnatural actions ; the factions of princes , the sidings of grandees , and private gentlemen , who were so audacious , as to rise in arms , against their lawful kings ? and yet they are not so spotted and foul as som would make those of the latter times appear to bee . i do not saie this in justification of these commonalties , but onely to excuse , in what i may , my own nation , and the gentrie thereof . but to return to the purpose : nothing was left unattempted on either side , that might conduce to the increasing or securitie of their partie . you have seen in the precedent book , that the iunta sent their instructions to valladolid , where don pedro giron , and other captains of the commonaltie , were assembled . the time beeing com ( although the season was very sharp and unfit for an armie to keep the field , beeing almost in the depth of winter ) they all put themselvs in a readiness , and in the name of the iunta , they wrote fresh letters to the cities and towns of their combination , to send immediately all the forces they could possibly rais ; which they did . those of the iunta , according to agreement , voted don pedro giron captain general of their forces , and sent him a commission from the queen , and the kingdom , thinking that hee beeing a person of so noble extraction , and allied to so many grandees of castilla , would gain a great reputation to their partie ; and most men were of opinion , that don pedro giron accepted thereof , and wedded the interest of the commonaltie meerly for his own ends , and that by means of these troubles and commotions , hee might get possession of the dukedom of m●dina sidonia , which ( as hath been already said ) hee pretended was his right . this election did not digest well in padilla's stomach , who , till then , had executed the office of captain general , and presumed it should bee confirmed upon him , and for his sake , neither the commissioners of toledo , nor of madrid , would give their votes for don pedro. iohn de padilla beeing informed of all these passages , before that don pedro giron came to take his staff , pretending i know not what occasion , rode poste to toledo ; and his men , seeing their captain gone , would staie no longer in the armie , but the next daie took the same waie after him . notwithstanding all this , don pedro giron accepted the charge , and came to tordesillas with fourscore lances of his own , appointed a randevous for his armie , wherein hee was much assisted by the industrie and diligence of the bishop of zamora , who brought to the service of the iunta near five hundred men with arms , of the antient guards of the kingdom , ( for the rest were gone to the lord high constable ) hee brought moreover , seventie lances of his own , and almost a thousand foot , four hundred whereof were priests of his own bishoprick , besides the people of zamora , whom hee had at his devotion ; for by favor of the junta , hee had driven the earl of alva out of zamora , and made himself master thereof . every daie came fresh supplies from the other cities , both of hors and foot , all well armed , and with them som gentlemen and commanders . from salamanca came don pedro maldonado , with about a thousand foot : other cities appointed those who were their commissioners in the junta to bee their captains ; as leon chose gonsalo de guzman , son to ramiro nun̄ez ; and the citie of toro , don hernando de ulloa , who were their commissioners ; and so likewise did other places . thus those of the junta grew from daie to daie more powerful , beeing resolved to end the business by force of arms. their mouths were all filled with reproachful and threatning language , especially the common-people's , who called the grandees and gentrie of the countrie , traitors & enemies of the kingdom , saying , they had destroied & taken away their estates ; ( which availed them nothing ) but who can restrein a multitude ? amongst other impertinencies , they said , that the queen should do well to marrie the duke of calabria , don hernando de aragon , son to frederick last k. of naples , who , since the time of the catholick king , had been kept prisoner in xativa , in the kingdom of valencia ; i believ this was onely put upon those of the junta , and that they neither did , nor thought any such thing . but the truth is , their passion was grown to such an height , that they never so much as named the emperor in their proclamations , though they had sworn allegiance to him , as their king , but all passed in the names of the queen and kingdom : insomuch that the hatred and enmitie betwixt the two parties became implacable , and both made all preparations possible for a war. in short time those of the junta had put their forces in a readiness , and equipage to march unto the field , as was determined . sect . ii. 'mongst these occurrences arrived the lord admiral at medina de rioseco , where hee was met and received by all the noble-men and gentle-men , ( who were com thither to the cardinal ) with their souldiers all armed , and drawn up in battle-array . hee expressed much gladness to see so many gallant men , and persons of such eminent qualitie : y●t hee had no intention , to wade through blood to the accomplishment of his desires , but rather by fair means , if possible , to settle the disturbed state of the kingdoms ; which to effect , hee left no stone unturn'd , and at last hee obtained , that three or four of the commissioners of the iunta should give him a meeting at torrelobaton , where they consumed five or six daies in treating , but all his reasons , persuasions , and fair promisses could bring them to no reason : before they would harken to any proposition of his , they demanded that the lord high constable should renounce , and leav off the exercise of vice-roy and governor , which hee had begun to execute ; and whilest the lord admiral was thus treating with them , the iunta commanded a proclamation to bee made against the lord high constable , and the earl of alva de lista , as is before mentioned , and other noble-men : and don pedro giron , with the bishop of zamora , had orders to draw their armie into the field , which was seaventeen thousand foot , besides good store of hors , and much artillerie , which had been brought from medina del campo . whereupon the lord admiral despairing of any peace , protested against them , and returned to rioseco , beeing resolved to accept the government joyntly with the cardinal and the lord high constable , in regard those fair conditions of agreement , which hee offred , were slighted and rejected . don pedro giron , captain-general for the iunta , and the bishop of zamora● with his souldiers and band of priests , marched out the ●th daie of november , and quartered their armie that night in villabraxima , tordehumos , villagarzia , and other places about rioseco , with intent to starve or drive the cavaliers thence . and indeed , if the commoners had been men at that time , they might have done it . from their head-quarters at villabraxima , they wrote to the citie of valladolid , giving them an account of their advance , and that , before they fell upon rioseco , they would send a king at arms to require the lord admiral , and those of the town of rioseco , to cast out those thievs , and destroyers of the kingdom , ( as they called the cavaliers ) ; if not that they would use means to take them , and hinder the cardinal's government , it beeing a thing contrarie to the laws , and rights of the kingdom . sect . iii. after this , the armie of the iunta , by waie of justification , sent their heralds , or king 's at arms , to the lord admiral , with the other noble-men , and gentlemen , then beeing in rioseco , requiring them not onely to leav that place , but to go out of the countrie , and desiring those of the said town , to confirm themselvs to those of the commonaltie in favor of his majestie , but this message was so ill resented , that the heralds found but sorrie entertainment , being apprehended and disarmed by order from the earls of venavente , and of alva de lista ; which beeing known by the iunta's forces , they presently advanced towards rioseco , the bishop of zamora marched in the van with five thousand men , fully resolved to do all the mischief hee could to the cavaliers . hee was no sooner com to villabraxima , but the two hundred lances , which the marquis of astorga had placed there , took their heels , flying with such disorder and haste , that some of them lost their arms before they could reach rioseco , and left the place cleer for the bishop , who entering , said , let the king and commonaltie live , and evil counsel perish . the two hundred lanciers disorderly flight to medina , alarmed the cavaliers , who having put their armie in good order , marched into the field , with intent to rout the bishop with his five thousand men , but hee valued them not , though they were numerous , and men of eminent qualities , for hee knew don pedro giron was so neer with the rere-guard , and so vigilant , that hee would bee readie to back and assist him , if occasion should require it . thus the two armies faced one another , each watching an opportunitie to get the advantage of their enemies , and so they remained both drawn up in batalia one whole daie , after which , the cavaliers retreated to tordehumos , and the iunta's armie to villabraxima , both neer rioseco . the four hundred priests , which had left their altars , in imitation of the bishop of zamora , to sacrifice their bloods in this holie enterprise , remained at tordesillas , for the guard of the town and of the iunta , who out of respect to their sacerdotal dignities , would not permit them to march amongst the rabble of the common souldiers . besides these priests , remained two other companies of foot at tordesillas , and some hors commanded by hernando de porras , commissioner of zamora , gomez de avila , and others . three whole daies don pedro giron kept his armie in order , offering to give the cavaliers battle , but they would not ; and indeed it had been madness for them to ingage , beeing far inferior in num ber , and not so well armed , although they were better men , and of higher courages then the common people , yet they thought it their securest waie to exspect the earl of haro's coming , ( their captain-general ) who was reported to bee upon his march thither ; and besides they were in hopes t● obtain the victorie by some other means , without any loss of blood , the lord admiral having some overtures thereof by private intelligence , and dealing with don pedro giron , and som other gentlemen , who sided with the cōmoners , whom if hee could handsomly have taken off , it would have been no hard matter to have routed the vulgar pack of tailors , shoomakers , skinners , curriers , & such like ; whereof the rest of their armi● was compos'd . but the cōmoners perceiving themselvs much the stronger partie , infested the cavaliers with such skirmishes and hot alarms both night & daie , that they could take no rest all the while they staied at tordehumos ; and hearing that the earl of haro was exspected with more forces , they determined to force them to fight before his arrival , or at least , to gain the reputation of proffering them battle . to this effect , having m●de a general muster , they marched with all their artillerie in very good order towards rioseco . sanabria , commissioner of valladolid , rid before with light hors , to discover the field . don pedro lasso de la vega led the vantguard of cuirassiers , don pe●ro maldonado and francisco maldonado commanded the light horsmen . the bishop of zamora was captain of the vantguard of foot ; with him marched don iohn de mendoça , captain of valladolid , son to the cardinal don pedro goncalez de mendoça , don gonzalo de guzman , captain of leon , don hernando de ulloa , captain of toro , and others . in the bodie marched don pedro giron , called , duke of medina sidonia , with him divers other captains , and don iohn de figueroa , brother to the duke of arcos , who came that same daie to the armie from sevilla , besides other commanders . the rear-guard and the artillerie was committed to the charge of other officers . beeing arrived within culverine-shot of the town , they made an halt , commanding their heralds , in mean time , to approach so near unto the walls , that they might bee heard , and declare unto the admiral and earl of venavente , with the other grandees and gentlemen in medina , that the armie of their sovereign ladie , the queen , was com thither , to execute upon them , by her command , those penalties which they had incurred by governing the kingdom without her orde● or consent , and for raising and arming men in contempt , and to the disservice of her majestie ; and therefore they did offer them battle , and did exspect their coming into the field . having sent this message to the town , they remained in the same order almost until sun-set . but the cavaliers , although they were in arms , made no shew at all of battel or skirmish , but persevering in their former resolution , let them stand cooling their heels there . at last , don pedro giron , having commanded som of his cannon to bee discharged against the town , ( but the bullets never reach't the walls ) returned with his armie into his quarters , losing and neglecting that occasion , which proved very prejudicial to his partie . hee was no sooner gone , but the earl of haro arrived with his men , who had marched as fast as possibly they could , thinking to have com time enough to meet don pedro , for the earl had intelligence of his defying the cavaliers in medina , though hee had no great stomach to fight with them . all the nobles and gentlemen , with their souldiers , marched forth to receiv their captain general with great solemnitie , and militarie order . hee brought with him three hundred hors-men in compleat armor , four hundred light-hors-men , and two thousand five hundred foot , all choice men , and twelv or thirteen field-pieces . the same night came likewise to rioseco , don francisco de zun̄iga y avellaneda , earl of miranda , don veltran de la cueva , eldest son to the duke of alburquerque , don luys de la cueva his brother , don bernardo de sandoval y royas , marquis of denia , with his son don luys de sandoval , and don francisco de quin̄ones , earl of luna , with all the servants , tenants and souldiers they could get . this supplie encreased the cavaliers to above one and twentie hundred hors , and six thousand foot souldiers , besides a good companie of servants . insomuch that hereby they held themselvs stronger then their enemies ; not that they exceeded them in number , but in virtue and courage , besides the caus which they mainteined was more just , and warrantable , which add's much confidence and boldness to the hearts of men , and make's their souls insusceptible of any panick fears . sect . iv. those of the iunta seeing fresh forces com daily in to the cavaliers , endeavored to prepossess themselvs of all the towns and places of strength , and sent besides , to all those of their league , to rais , and have in a readiness , what men possibly they could , notwithstanding they were already much stronger then the other partie . hereupon in valladolid , by order from the iunta , was publickly proclaimed , that all the townsmen , from eighteen to threescore years of age , should bee trained , and bee readie with their arms , to march into the field , upon notice from the captain general of the armie . the president , and other judges of the chancerie in valladolid , who were persons of great respect and esteem in the citie , having never before meddled with either side , seeing the great disorder amongst the people , and fearing further confusion , moved with a good zeal and affection to their countries good , came with all expedition to rioseco , to treat with the lord admiral , and other noblemen , about some fair accommodation , whereby the kingdom might avoid the imminent perdition , which through that unnatural war , in all probabilitie , it was like to suffer . they found amongst the nobles very courteous entertainment , and expression of a desire to condescend to anie reasonable propositions , all the difficultie and obstacle laie in those of the iunta's partie , and especially in the bishop of zamora . from rioseco , the president , with the other judges , went to villabraxima , where the bishop , with his five thousand men , was quartered . the president beeing admitted , entreated him with great earnestness and humilitie , the tears standing in his eies , to consider , and leav off in time the evil and wrong cours they had taken , and no● to give waie to , much less to bee the occasion of so great mischiefs , murthers , and scandals , which inevitably must fall upon the kingdom , if they continued inexorable , alleging , that it would bee much more advantageous for their countrie 's good ( which they so much pretended ) to accept of an honorable peace , and accommodation , whereby ( with the help of god ) the kingdoms might bee preserved from the present ruine , and restored to their former flourishing condition : for admit the commoner meet with the success which they desire , vanquish the cavaliers , reduce his majestie to such streights , that hee will bee glad to grant them more immunities then formerly they did desire , yet they must live under him , and when hee find's an occasion , hee will put the yoke again about their necks , and load them with taxes at his pleasure . that these violent uproars and mutinies of the commonalties , in disrespect or disobedience to their princes , were fickle and very unsecure . that those gentlemen and commanders , which then engaged with them , if fortune gave them victorie over their enemies , would lord it over them no less insupportably , then the others : neither did those gentlemen ( defendors of the commonalties ) shew any great discretion , setting themselvs in opposition to all the grandees and nobles of the kingdom , especially in a matter of so much prejudice and disservice to his majestie . that it would bee an act of greater wisdom , to accept of any fair propositions of agreement , to remain in peace , with a due respect & obedience to their princes , whereby to gain their loves , and not to expose themselvs to the various & uncertain chance of war. the bishop answered , lord president ! since in the condition and estate our business now stand's , we have moved & advanced hitherto , i know what is convenientest for us to do , and therefore i will not flinch nor recede one step , but rather persevere in my enterprise , and pursue to destruction those wicked disturbers of the kingdoms . the president seeing the bishop would not hearken to what hee desired of him , hee required him in their majestie 's names , by virtue of the roial seal , which hee brought with him , not to stir from thence , until hee had been to confer about the same business with the lord admiral , and other noblemen , at rioseco ; but the bishop gave him no answer thereunto , neither did hee make any more account of him , then if hee had been his servant ( this was the perfection of this great prelate , successor of the apostles ) . so the president & the judges , leaving him , went to medina , where , by reason of the pervers cross-grainedness of those of the iunta , they could effect nothing to any purpose ; and the bishop's conscience was pricked with such remors at the president 's discours , and his tender heart so moved with his tears , that hee scarce had turned his back , but his reverend lordship called for his armor ( for the head-piece and pouldrons were the pontificial robes wherein hee most delighted ) : and having commanded his artillerie to bee secured in the rear-guard , hee marched forth with his men to encounter a great partie of foot , and th●ee hundred hors , which hee had notice , was advancing towards his quarters . but they , having intelligence that the bishop was com forth in quest of them , with a stronger partie , retreated to rioseco . by this time were com into the armie of the iunta three thousand souldiers more from the citie of leon , besides great numbers from valladolid , and other places ; but chiefly iohn de padilla was exspected with a supplie from toledo and madrid . sect . v. those of the council proceeded against those of the iunta , and all the cities of their league , according to law , and having erected a scaffold , they caused them publickly to bee proclaimed traitors and rebels to the roial crown ; whereat they were so incensed , that thenceforwards they fought not so much for the ●nterest of the kingdom , as for reputation , and to revenge particular quarrels ( the off-spring of those troubles and dissentions ) or for ancient grudges betwixt particular persons or places . the bishop swore that hee would keep the field with his men onely , until hee were either dead , or crowned with victorie . the cavaliers were as resolute on the other side ; insomuch that although the president of the chancerie insisted for peace , hee prevailed nothing . the cavaliers had manie skirmishes with the bishop's men . at last hee , and don pedro giron , seeing that the cavaliers would not com out to give them battle , they sent a trumpeter to them with this message , that they should meet them in the field , to the end they might in one battle set a period to all their contentions , which caused so great disturbances in the kingdom . that winter was coming on apace , and it was to no purpose to stand dallying in that manner , and ruine one another by delaies . that if they refused to fight , they would go to their towns and lordships , and having plundered them , burn their houses to the ground : but the lord admiral could not resolv to put all to so great a venture . in valladolid , besides the men which they sent to the armie , ( as is said ) having mustered again , they found seven thousand more cross-bow-men , pike-men , and musketiers , which they could well spare , leaving moreover , enough to guard the citie ; whereupon they sent to the iunta , that shortly they should receiv another supplie from them , and that if occasion served , they would go everie man in person with their general standard to serv them , for they esteemed the caus which they defended to bee just and holie . sect . vi. the countess of modica , wife to the lord admiral , beeing a very virtuous and devout ladie , was grieved at the soul to see these disorders , and miserable condition of the kingdoms , wherein so many innocent persons suffered , and desiring to compose the sad differences , shee spake to the lord admiral , her husband , and the earl of venavente , earnestly desiring them to stop the current of those miseries , which would proceed from that unnatural war. the good ladie prevailed so much , that the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , don pedro giron , ( who called himself duke of medina ) the bishop of zamora , and shee , had a meeting at villabraxima , one evening ; and having ordered and agreed upon certain articles in favor of the iunta , the earl of venavente said to the admiral ; my lord , though you desire to keep four or five licenciado's in your town , i hope you will not bring our estates in question , and give waie to so many mur●hers , and robberies , as must needs follow , if so , god forbid that i should have any thing to do with it , but to favor and assist the iunta , and the commonalties , since all that they desire is good and just , and i so acknowledge and approve it , and from this time forwards will justifie it : which said , hee set his hand to the said articles , the countess said as hee did ; and the admiral taking the paper in his hands , said to the earl , since you have signed this first , i 'le do the like : and hee having subscribed , they went all together to supper , very well contented . after supper they returned to medina , and presently gave a command , that the whole town should declare for the queen , the king her son , and the commonaltie . all this was done with a politick art and cunning , to make the armie of the commoners leav medina ; for if it had continued longer there , it would have very much streightned and incommodated the cavaliers , the commoners beeing already many more in number , and receiving every daie fresh supplies , and the cavaliers having little hopes of increasing their force , by reason that all the nobles and persons of honor in the kingdoms of toledo , andaluzia , and estremadura sat still , exspecting which waie the scale would turn , without declaring for king or commonaltie . sect . vii . upon the agreement between the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , and don pedro giron , the armie without knowing any reason wherefore , marched from tordehumos and villabraxima to villalpando , where , after some small resistance , they were received and quartered peaceably . don pedro giron took up his lodging , in his unkle , the lord high constable's hous . all were of opinion that don pedro juggled , and plaied legerdemain in this business , and so it appeared by his dislodging his armie , and leaving the enemie free , besides having nothing at all to do at villalpando . and indeed don pedro giron might well bee suspected herein , for the grandees , who were his neer kindred , wrought much upon him , as shall bee seen hereafter . the cavaliers seeing themselvs free from the incumbrance of that powerful armie , which blocked them up in a manner , and finding the waie cleer and secure from thence to tordesillas , marched all out of rioseco , seizing on all posts and travellers , that might give notice of their approach , making as if they had a design upon valladolid , but with as much speed as an armie could advance , they went directly to tordesillas ; those of the iunta , hearing of their coming , dispatched presently a post to valladolid , telling them , that the cavaliers were marching thither with all expedition , therefore they desired them to send them speedie succor . but valladolid having sent neer four thousand of their choisest men already to the armie , and hearing that the enemie was like to fall upon them , desired to bee excused , thinking they might better have relief from the armie , where were men enough . but they beeing in good quarters at villalpando , were not over-hastie to go to tordesillas , for the plot was so well laid , that no man knew the certaintie of the design , but that which don pedro did a little after , confirmed the suspition the world had conceived of him . one night the cavaliers stormed the town , having clapt a petar to the gates , but finding strong resistance , the earl of haro sent a trumpet , to tell them they came onely to kiss the queen's hands , and to set her at libertie , and required them to yeild ; whereunto they giving no satisfactorie answer , the earl resolved to force them , and encouraged his souldiers , promising them the pillage of the town . but what by the natural strength of the place , what through the courageous resistance of the besieged , the earl lost above men , before hee could make any breach . the priests , which the bishop of zamora left there , behaved themselvs very valorously in this holie caus : one amongst the rest was particularly observed to have given eleven men their viaticum with his musket , from behinde the battlements of the wall , where hee thought hee stood secure , and as he saw occasion sent his benediction amongst them , which seldom mist his man. but at last , some of the besiegers , with an unsanctified arrow , shot him quite through the head , with which hee presently fell down , and died , not having the time to saie so much as one miserere . at length an alferez , with some other cavaliers , having forced their entrie at a smal breach in the wall , and given the sign to their camarades , the whole armie gave a shout , and with sound of drums and trumpets , cried all out , victoria , victoria , which so animated the besiegers , that in the same , and in other parts of the town , they made fresh assaults , insomuch that the besieged were no longer able to resist . the cavalier-souldiers , beeing thus entred the town , used no violence to either man , woman , or childe , for that they were forbidden ; but neither houses , churches , nor monasteries escaped from plundering : so that no man had so much as a bed left to sleep upon , unless the souldiers , out of charitie , would let him have any ; which punishment they did deserv , for fighting and defending their goods no better , after they were engaged , and put themselvs into a posture of resistance . the grandees and gentlemen , beeing entred into tordesillas , went directly to the palace to kiss the queen's hands , and shew her their due respects , they found her with the infanta , her daughter , don̄a catalina , in her own chamber , whence don pedro de ayala , commissioner of toledo , had persuaded her to withdraw during the fight : som say , to the end , that from the wall , shee might have commanded the besiegers not to storm the town ; others think , it was with intent to conveie her thence , and carrie her by the bridg-waie to medina del campo ; but this escape that was intended for the queen , beeing attempted just upon the entrie of the enemie into the town , don pedro de ayala left her , and fled himself to medina del campo . shee shewed the gentlemen that came to kiss her hands very gracious countenance , though , by reason of her infirmitie and want of judgment , shee cared little how things went ; onely it is reported , that while they were battering the town , som of the commissioners beeing there , desired that shee would send a command to the besiegers to desist ; and shee answered , open you the gates , and let them in . the earl of haro staied at the gates , to see his artillerie and hors let in until midnight ; which done , hee went likewise to kiss her majestie 's hands , where hee found the rest of the nobles , who soon after , taking their leavs , went to take their rest ; but the earl of haro spent all the night in placing his guards , and taking order for securing of the place . nine or ten of the commissioners of the cities were taken and imprisoned ; the rest fled , som to medina , others to valladolid , where they arrived so mangled and stript , that 't was a pitie to see them . the doctor zun̄iga of salamanca , suero del aguila , and gomez de avila , commissioners of avila , were released , at the request of som grandees , who engaged for them . in this manner was taken the town of tordesillas ; but not the iunta , nor the good will of the revolted cities , whose furie was hereby more enflamed . amongst the dead in the field were found divers dangerously wounded , and som gentlemen , as don diego osorio , son to the marquis of astorga , who was shot through the arm , don francisco de la cueva hurt in the face with a stone , the earl of venavente wounded in the arm with an arrow , the earl of alva had his hors killed under him , and divers commanders , and other persons of account . the king's standard was shot and tattered with two musket bullets , the earl of cisuentes holding it in his hand . however , that daie's work was of exceeding great importance , and was the means of giving a glorious end to these miserable distempers , although not so suddenly ; for hereby the common people were disabused , the allegations and excuses , of those of the iunta , appearing to bee no less fals then malitious : for to give a more specious lustre to their forgeries , and gain credit with the people , they cunningly gave out , that the queen was perfectly well , and in her right senses , and that all they did , was by her order ( which was nothing so ) , whereby the blinde ignorant commonaltie ran themselvs headlong into the precipice of those disasters , which i have , and hereafter shall relate . the glorie of this memorable exploit was properly to bee attributed to the earl of haro's valor , who , contrarie to the votes of divers others , would assault tordesillas , in stead of following their armie , to seek satisfaction for having been out-dared by them to fight , and blocked up in rioseco , according to the others opinions and propositions . sect . viii . those of valladolid were in great fear , when they heard that tordesillas was taken , lest the enemie should fall next upon them , in regard they had disobliged the cardinal , the council , the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , and other nobles , in not admitting them , and favoring so much those of the iunta , that it was generally reported , that valladolid alone did maintain them . few men able to bear arms were left in the citie , for they had sent all to the armie in a manner , but those that were left , stood upon their guard . whilest valladolid was in this fright , came a post from don pedro giron , and the bishop of zamora , with letters , wherein they said , that they knew not , neither did they think that the cavaliers in rioseco would have attempted to take tordesillas , nor have offred that affront or disrespect to the queen , beeing there ; that they could have no intelligence of their design , becaus they had stopt , and taken all the messengers and travellers , that might give notice of their march thither , and that when they did know it , and were prepared to go succor the town , news was brought them , that the cavaliers were carrying the queen away to burgos , which made them turn towards valladolid , thinking that waie to intercept them : and that now beeing at villagarzia , they thought good to acquaint them with their motion , to the end they might receiv provision and orders thence , to prosecute their design ; promising , since that the cavaliers had taken tordesillas , and begun the war with fire and sword , that they would do the like , if valladolid was so contented . these letters confirmed the peoples jealousies of don pedro giron , insomuch that they cursed him in private and in publick , saying , hee was a traytor , and had sold them . moreover , they wrote to this effect to don pedro , that in regard hee had clouded his reputation by not succoring tordesillas , to vindicate his honor , hee should forth with go and laie siege to it , and shew himself what hee was ; that his armie on one side , and those of valladolid on the other , besides the rest of their associates , might joyntly take their full revenge for so insupportable an affront . they wrote in like manner to the bishop , and other captains , but don pedro took no great notice thereof , neither did hee make any other shew , then that hee would go to valladolid himself . divers disorderly captains , like sheep without a shepherd , with their companies , came and took up their quarters at villanubla , two leagues from valladolid : others went to valladolid with their plunder , 'mongst others , two horsmen brought in a thousand sheep , others fiftie , others two hundred mules , mares , and carts loaden with linnen , and all manner of housholdstuff , taken from the poor countrie-men , to the value of above three millions of maravediz , which they sold in the citie , for little or nothing ; a wether was sold for two ryalls , an ewe for one , and a cow for two duckets ; but the mischief was the greater , in that the poor shepherds and husbandmen , having ransomed their cattle and goods , before they had gon half a league , the souldiers would plunder them again , spoiling and robbing friend and foe , as much as they could . by which exorbitancies they began to see , how much better it would have been to have satisfied their king's demands , although the tax was somwhat heavie ; but so great acts of disobedience never passed long without such just punishments : their outrageous impudence grew to such a height , that without any reverence or respect , they robb'd and spoiled the very churches , as if they had been infidels ; women were not secure in their houses , nor men by the high waies . valladolid , to prevent further disorder in this kinde , commanded that those straggling souldiers , which were to the number of six hundred , should return to their colours at villanubla , where their captains were , and there they gave them ten daies paie more to endear them to go before tordesillas ; whither also marched , with all expedition , men from salamanca , toro , and zamora , in great numbers , thinking to catch the cavaliers in the climm . but they lost no time in fortifying themselvs , repairing the walls , ( as was but need ) scouring and clearing their ditches , and laying in provisions of victuals and ammunition . sect . ix . fame soon carried the taking of tordesillas through the whole kingdom , which was diversly resented according to the disposition and inclination of the hearers , as is usual amongst a divided people . assoon as notice thereof was brought to quintanilla , who commanded before alaejos , hee raised his siege , and returned in all haste , with his men , to medina del campo , fearing lest that might also bee surprised . the nobles in tordesillas sent for the cardinal , who remained in rioseco , with those of the garrison . don rodrigo de mendoça , earl of castro , who came to medina de rioseco with his men , too late for the expedition of tordesillas , attended upon the cardinal thither ; where , his eminence beeing arrived , the lord admiral solemnly accepted the joint-government of the kingdoms , with the cardinal , and the lord high constable , having first tried all means possible to reduce the people fairly to the obedience of his majestie ; for after the taking of tordesillas , hee sent gomez de avila , ( who was there made prisoner ) making him first swear to return , to treat with don pedro giron , and the rest of the iunta , offering them very honorable conditions , if they would laie down their arms and com in . but gomez beeing returned without concluding any thing , there was no apparent hope of any accommodation : besides , seeing that the iunta , and the forces of the commoners , were retired to valladolid , ( which was but five leagues from tordesillas ) and that it was no time of year to keep the field , or besiege any other citie , leaving the enemies to themselvs ; the governors , with consent of the rest of the nobles , put all their souldiers in garrison in the adjacent towns ; for divers of their men were gon away , having enriched themselvs with the plunder which they took at tordesillas . the earl of haro , with som chois companies , remained in tordesillas , for the guard of her majestie 's person , and defence of the town . don pedro velez , earl of on̄ate , with som hors and foot companies , was placed in simancas , though the government thereof belonged to don hernando de vega , but hee beeing of the emperor's ; council of state , it was thought more convenient hee should reside at tordesillas , yet hee went thither somtimes himself , as occasion served . in portillo ( a place of strength , belonging to the earl of venavente ) was put another garrison , under the command of don in̄igo de padilla , cosen-german to the earl of venavente . to torrelobaton ( a town of the lord admiral 's ) betwixt tordesillas and rioseco ( by which all their provisions were to pass ) were sent other companies of souldiers , besides those which don hernando enriquez , the lord admiral 's brother , had there ; in regard that was the waie to burgos , where the lord high constable was with the council , with whom they were to keep continual correspondence . betwixt the towns which were for the commoners , and those wherein were garrisons for his majestie , was such killing , robbing , and spoiling , as if they had been the most mortal enemies in the world , as shall bee declared hereafter . artificers could get no emploiment ; husbandmen could not till their grounds , merchants had no traffick , cities lost their correspondence with each other , becaus the waies were unsecure ; justice was quite out of date ; excise , tributes , levies , impositions increased daily , by reason of the excessive charges of the armie , the revenue of the roial crown ( which they had usurped ) not beeing sufficient to defraie them . these , and such like , were the fruits and profit which castilla reaped by their disobedience : and yet for all their miserable condition , they did not humble nor submit themselvs , neither would they accept of the honorable and advantageous conditions which were offered them : but everie daie they were sending fresh men to maintein and foment the war from valladolid , where those , who cast the kingdom into this precipice , had taken up their seat . although they were so jealous and displeased at their captain general don pedro giron , ( especially the common people ) that they did neither obey nor respect him , neither did hee hold himself secure amongst them , and therefore hee left them soon after , as you shall see . sect . ix . the bishop of zamora , and don pedro giron , thinking themselvs not secure in zaratan , ( which was but a smal open village ) marched with their armie to valladolid ( although their coming was not very acceptable to most of the citie ) . beeing there , they quartered themselvs in the houses of those that were affected to the king's partie , making abominable havock and spoil ; their souldiers pulled down t●e houses of francisco de la serna , and don alonso nin̄o de castro , they plundered the hous of the comendador santistevan , robb'd and spoiled all they could laie hands on in the earl of miranda's hous , and divers other mischiefs they did within the citie ; whereof the bishop beeing informed , hee caused many things to bee restored , and som souldiers to bee punished , whereby hee gained much good opinion and affection . two daies after their coming thither , they marched both hors and foot in goodly order out of the citie , with intent to go to break down the bridg of simancas , but hearing by the waie that the earl on̄ate , and those of the town , had saved them that labor , ( for the earl had intelligence , that they intended to surprise him there , and pass thence to tordesillas ) they wheeled about to take the fort of fuensaldan̄a , which they entred without any contradiction , and having left som souldiers with a commander in it , they returned to valladolid the same night , giving orders to their men to bee ready the next morning before daie ; which was obeied , and they gave out , they would gain the pass at simancas , proclaiming war with fire and sword against the cavaliers at tordesillas . but simancas , beeing scituate upon the descent of an hill , the river on one side , and a strong fort on the other , which the earl of on̄ate had been very careful and vigilant in poviding with all necessaries , they feared no attempts from those of valladolid . most of those that marched out of valladolid that time , were from salamanca , toro , and zamora ; many of them sillie ignorant fellows , and their captains not much more knowing in martial affairs , they were so long fitting themselvs , that they made it three a clock in the afternoon before they were all out of valladolid ( which was ten hours after the time appointed ) ; so that they were forced to quarter that night at laguna , one league from the citie , som in the monasterie of abrojo , others in the field with the artillerie . there fell such a difference betwixt don pedro giron and the bishop of zamora , that don pedro , with his lanciers , marched to tudela , but there hee was refused quarters ; so hee was enforced to go on to villavan̄ez . next 〈◊〉 the bishop gave orders to march to simancas , but som told him , that 't was better to return to valladolid , and there take further advice . the people of toro , zamora , and valladolid had likewise som bickerings amongst themselvs , insomuch that every one would carrie their artillerie home to their own cities ; but those of valladolid , beeing the strongest partie , carried it to their citie without any more ado , which bred much discontent and heart-burning : and all exclaimed against don pedro giron , saying all the ill their discontented mindes could imagine of him , for leaving them in that manner , which confirmed all the jealousies and suspicions which they had formerly conceived of him . one daie , twelv foot souldiers of valladolid went out upon a partie towards simancas , and about one league from valladolid , they met with fourscore hors of that garrison , which made them flie , to secure themselvs , into a little tower amongst the vineyards , where they defended themselvs until the alarm was given in valladolid , and the bishop of zamora came out with a partie of hors , and rescued them ; two of those of simancas were killed , and the rest , seeing more men com from valladolid , fled all away ; so the bishop returned with som hurt men , but lost not one : beeing night , the citie ( much satisfied with his courage in this exploit ) sent out many torches to receiv him . the next daie , becaus a brother of serna's had murmured somthing against the bishop , they commanded his hous to bee pull'd down : and in regard the people thronged thither , out of greediness to carrie away the timber , they heedlessly cut down the pillars and posts that supported it , whereby the four quarters of the hous fell amongst the people , killed fourteen or fifteen men , and hurt divers others . sect . x. the commissioners , who fled , at the taking of tordesillas , to medina del campo , came afterwards to valladolid , where they held their iunta general , concerning the affairs of the kingdom . the lord admiral , seeing his towns destroied , his tenants plundered of all their goods and cattle , since the ●●rdinal's departure from rioseco , sent them a letter to valladolid , pourporting ▪ that since it had been god's pleasure to laie his judgments upon the kingdom , and afflict them with the ●pirit of dissention , hee desired ( to the end there might bee no more spoiling nor murthering one another , ) that there might bee a ce●sation of arms , but upon this condition , that whatsoever dammage and prejudice , hee and the earl of venavente had sustained in their lands , by the robbing and violence of those of valladolid , should bee repaired , otherwise , that those arms which they had taken to offend them , they should take to defend themselvs . this letter beeing read in the iunta , it was voted that no answer should bee returned , nor any other letter received thenceforwards from any of the grandees . christmas beeing com , they made great preparations to go against tordesillas ; iohn de padilla beeing arrived with the men of toledo at medina del campo , it was moved that hee should besiege it on one side , and the bishop on the other , hereupon were every daie consultations amongst the commissioners , but they could not determine any thing . at last it was resolved , that iohn de padilla should bee sent for to valladolid , that they might take his advice . the commoners were far more in number then the cavaliers , but these were the better and more experienced men in matters of arms ▪ tordesillas they fortified daily , and furnished with all sorts of provisions . simancas likewise was in so good condition , that the hors of that garrison plagued those of valladolid in such manner , that no bodie could travel nor keep any cattle in the fields , or any thing els , but they would bee sure to snap it . by order of the iunta it was proclaimed in valladolid , with sound of trumpets and minstrels , that no souldiers , or others , should rob under pain of death , albeit they should meet with people coming from the enemies quarters , unless they bore arms on the other side , ( and in such case , they might do what they could ) to the end that people might pass to and fro securely , and trade not absolutely bee destroied . the like was proclaimed in tordesillas and simancas . by this means the waies began to bee somwhat secure , but not altogether , and the people desired there might bee one good battle , for either side falling , the dispute would bee ended . the spirit and courage of the bishop was remarkable : one night hee sallied out of valladolid , and went to palencia , took the corregidor , the alcaldes , and other officers of justice , and placed others in their steads , hee had an intent to apprehend don diego de castilla also , but hee fled . with the favor and assistance of the major part of the citie , hee called himself bishop of palencia , for which bishoprick hee was presently off●ed sixteen thousand duckets . thence hee went to carrion , and torquemad● , in each of which towns ( as in palencia ) hee left two thousand men to guard them , ( which the commonaltie had given him ) hee gave them strict orders to bee very watchful and vigilant , but to offer violence to none , except the the people of burgos , and other places belonging to the cavaliers , and from such , hee bid them take what they could , and paie themselvs with the plunder , and tell the people , that if they came a second time , they might thank god if they took not their lives away , as for their goods or cattle , they must exspect to have none left . this done , hee returned to vallad●lid , having made himself a king , and pope . sect . xi . iohn de padilla marched out of medina del campo towards valladolid , with ● great number of foot , paid for a long time , but onely threescore hors . and beeing arrived at the bridg of duero , hee commanded his artillerie to bee carried up the river to simancas ; at about half a league distance , hee caused four peeces of ordnance to bee shot at the town , whereupon the earl of on̄ate sallied forth with fourscore lances , with which hee laie in ambush , thinking to cut off iohn de padilla's train , but beeing discovered , iohn de padilla let flie four falconets at them , which made them soon turn their b●cks , and hee pursued them to the very gates of simancas . thence hee went to valladolid , where hee was solemnly received with the applaus and content of the whole citie , making as if hee were the father of them all , in whom they reposed all their trust and confidence . and there hee was made captain-general , although those of the iunta would have given that command to don pedro lasso de la vega , but the great credit and esteem which iohn de padilla had gotten amongst the souldierie , made them decline that resolution . the earl of haro , having intelligence of iohn de padilla's march to valladolid , had an intent to stop his waie , to which effect , hee sent for don geronimo de padilla to simancas , with those men hee had at portillo , but beeing upon his departure informed for certain , that some of tordesillas had given iohn de padilla notice of his design , and that they had agreed , assoon as the earl was gon with his men one waie , iohn de padilla shou●d com another , and fall upon tordesillas , where most of the inhabitants were for the commonaltie , and desired nothing more , then the effecting of this plo● ; hee c●anged his former determination , and staied to secure tordesillas . after this , they had intelligence that in a place called rodilana , betwixt medina del campo and valladolid , were quartered five hundred souldiers of salamanca , who beeing so neer medina , thought themselvs secure , and kept no guards , hereupon the lord admiral , and the ●arl , consulted how to beat up their quarters , and destroie them . don pedro de la cueva , brother to the duke of alburquerque , a valiant gentlemen , undertook the execution of this design , and with few more , then what the enemie was spoken to bee , hee marched one night to rodilana , and falling in suddenly upon them , hee killed and took most of them , the rest fled . five or six daies after this , the earl of haro , having received other intelligence , that in a small town called l● zarca , six leagues from tordesillas , where arrived seven or eight hundred souldiers from segovia ; hee incharged the same don pedro ( who was his cosen german ) becaus hee had been so successful before , to go and surprise the said souldiers , giving him two hundred hors and five hundred foot to that effect . don pedro , with those men , marched all night , and going a great league about to avoid medina del campo , hee set upon them unawares , & though the said souldiers retir'd fighting into a church , don pedro followed them so close , that entring perforce after them , hee killed and wounded many of them , and brought almost all the rest prisoners to tordesillas ; which was held an exploit of great valor , conduct , and importance . sect . xii . john de padilla , the bishop of zamora , and other captains of the commo●altie neglected no opportunities of advancing their interest , and infesting the advers partie . it was concluded amongst them , that iohn de padilla , with the two thousand five hundred men hee brought from toledo and madrid , should pitch his camp before cigales , ( a smal town belonging to the earl of venavente , two leagues from valladolid ) and if they did not receiv them willingly , that they should force their entrance , but those of cigales received them without making the least opposition , and lodged them in their houses , thinking no harm . at midnight ( which was a base unworthie action ) the souldiers gave the alarm through all the town , and beeing in arms , they took all their hosts , ( who had so freely given them quarters ) and all the rest of the town , and having manacled , and disarmed them , not leaving them so much as a sword or dagger , they put them all into the church , and set a strong guard upon them , saying , they did so to secure the place , becaus it belonged to an enemie . the third of ianuarie the bishop marched again out of valladolid at midnight , with som companies of souldiers , directly to pal●n●ia , his new bishoprick , where hee staied som time ; after which hee gave out , that hee would return to valladolid , but hee turned another waie ; and having sent his scouts before to moçon , the next morning , by break of daie , hee assaulted the fort of valdepero , whereof was commander andres de ribera , son in law to doctor tello ; who , after a long dispute , and several men killed on both sides , the bishop receiving fresh supplies from the beherrias , was enforced to surrender upon condition , onely to secure the lives of those that were within . the bishop took the persons of the governor , his wife , and doctor tello , her father , into his protection , but could not , or would not , hinder his men ●rom plundering all their goods . they found much very rich bootie within the fort , whereof the bishop demanded a fifth part , as beeing their captain , which they gave him , yet hee that had least amongst the souldiers , carried away fourtie duckets . the bishop grown glorious by this prize , dispatched a messenger to valladolid , requiring them to send him more men , that hee mig●t take the other forts about fu●ntes and palencia , and put ga●r●sons i● them for the commonaltie , which done , hee sent doctor tello , his son-in-law , a●d daughter , prisoners to valladolid , with a guard of thirtie hors. sect . xiii . the commanders of the iunta's forces used all possible diligence to bee revenged of those of simancas , from whom they received continual affronts and mischief , and therefore they sent for more me● to toro , zamora , salamanca , and avila , which they exspected daily ; for all those , and other cities , were possessed with so much disdain and wilfulness , that they asspired and studied nothing more , then the mainteining of that war , as if they thought that their onely means to salvation ; whereof certainly there was weak probabilitie , considering , that for eleven months , which those domestick or civil wars had reigned in spain , the divel had transported the hearts of men with this infernal furie . if any one ( though but of an ordinarie capacitie ) did se●iously consider , what destinie would befal those citi●s , sor denying their due obedience to their king , ( hee granting more then they desired ) and persevering in such extravag●nt misdemeanors and cruelties to themselvs , besides the of●ens to god ; what could hee think , but that they were quite bereaved of natural reason ? and that a bishop ( christ's vicar ) should make himself captain of such ungratious miscreants , o ●empora ! ô mores ! impudence and respectless audacitie were onely in esteem ; the vile inconsiderate multitude fought against the noble and virtuous . those that were of good extraction , or possessed any considerable fortune , durst not open their mouths , for if by chance they did let fall any word which sounded not well in the other's ears , presently their persons were committed to prisons , their goods and estates confiscate , and they proclaimed traitors . such was the confusion , such the corruption and reprobate estate of the castillians , in our grandfathers times , from the year , until ; in which year god brought his majestie back into these kingdoms : which returning to their obedience , and beeing acknowledged by their king , god raised them to the magnificence and glorie wherewith they flourished in former ages , and enjoie yet at this present . to the end the people may see what blessings hee bestow's upon subjects that are obedient to their princes , and how hee punisheth the contrarie ; for although the taxes which they impose upon them bee heavie , they heap upon themselvs grievances infinitely more insupportable , by rising in rebellion against them . though this strange historie of the commonalties seem opprobrious to this nation , and an indelible blot to the castillian honor , having broken their faith to their sovereign , for which they were so renowned in other ages : yet it is exceeding profitable in this respect , that kings may know how to govern their subjects without oppression , and the subjects learn to obey without reluctancie ; for the contrarie can but produce such sad effects as wee both have and shall see hereafter . but to return to our former relation , i must tell you , that the garrison of simancas , holding themselvs secure , by reason of the natural , as well as the artificial strength of the place , went almost every daie pekeering to the gates of valladolid , and not onely brought away all their goods and cattle they could meet withal , but abused and reviled them with most shameful language , calling them dogs , and infidels , bidding them turn christians again . in revenge whereof , those of valladolid so reaked their malice upon the lord admiral , and other noblemen , in this manner ; the daie of januarie , in the same year , by order , or at least , consent of the iunta , they made a proclamation , that no citizen , or inhabitant of valladolid , or jurisdiction thereof , should dare , under great penalties , to go to the fairs , or marts , of villalon , rioseco , or astorga , ( which towns belonged to the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , and marquis of astorga ) their envie and spight beeing so inveterate , that if they could but blemish any one of these noblemen's eies , they would not stick to have pull'd out their own . sect . xiv . don francisco de veamonte , by order of the lord high constable , surprised and possessed himself ( finding no great resistance ) of the town of ampudia , or fuent empudia , belonging to the earl of salvatierra , who was then playing the mad mutinier in the mountains of alava , and could by no means bee reduced to the lord high constable . the commoners to gain favor with the earl of salvatierra , determined to retake ampudia . to which effect one night in the said month of ianuarie , iohn de padilla , and the bishop , made an alarm in the citie of valladolid , causing proclamation to bee made , that every hous should furnish a souldier , to go with iohn de padilla as far as cabecon , for the expedition of ampudia , in regard they had intelligence that five companies of foot and hors were marched out of tordesillas and simancas , to take it from the earl of salvatierra , who was a great supporter of their caus . but the cavaliers for the better accomplishment of their design , sent ten scouts before to discover , and ride close to valladolid , whom those of the citie perceiving , presently sallied out , and gave not over the pursuit of them , until they had recovered simancas ▪ by which means the the rest went securely on to ampudia , without receiving the least hindrance from valladolid , who were diverted by those of simancas . iohn de padilla , with great store of men , one whole cannon , and three or four field-peeces , marched to cabecon and cigales , from whence he sent back again all the men of valladolid , onely two companies , with which , and the rest of his men , hee arrived in very good order at ampudia , where hee found the cavaliers , masters , both of the town , and fort. iohn de padilla's men , beeing mad of fighting , fell to storming the town , and having made two great breaches , in the old , and new wall , the cavaliers , retreated to the fort , whither they pursued them : but the cavaliers seeing they were but few , & the enemies manie , and stout-fighting men , they quitted the fort , leaving in it a governor , with hors , & som foot , & getting out at a private sallie-port , they fled to the tower of mormojon , one league distant from ampudia , whereof when john de padilla had notice , hee followed them with his whole armie , and beeing arrived at mormojon , hee found they had made themselvs strong within the castle , which was scituate upon the side of the mountain called toroços , towards the champain . john de padilla's souldiers were all so animated , and desirous to grapple with the cavaliers , that making a furious on-set , and burning down the gates , they were just entring the town , when all the people came out in procession , the priests with their robes , and crosses in their hands , and the women , and children bare-footed , fell upon their knees with tears , and humble supplications to john de padilla , that hee would not suffer them to bee sack'd or plundered : but his men cried out , no , no , let us sack the town . at which words john de padilla turned himself towards his souldiers , saying , take notice , gentlemen , our intention is not to ransack or destroie any people , especially those who are not culpable : by which , and other such like plaus●ble language , hee pacified the furious greediness of his souldiers , and persuaded them to do what hee pleased : which done , hee told the people upon his word , no man of his should offer them any violence , but they must bring a thousand duckets to content his armie , and swear to bee true to the commonaltie ; whereunto the poor townsmen , out of fear , suddenly condescended , and john de padilla quartered all his men there , but with express order , that they should paie for every thing , except provender for their horses , which the people were willing to give them . soon after , john de padilla commanding one half of his armie to lay close siege to the castle , and block up all the advenues , with the other half he returned to do the like to those within the fort of empudia , who would willingly have surrendred it , and those of mormojon likewise , if john de padilla would have secured them their lives onely , but hee refused it , and swore , if they stood out , hee would hang every man of them ; so hee assaulted them several times very furiously ; but seeing how courageously they defended themselvs , to the loss of no smal number of his men , hee was glad they would deliver it upon better conditions ; which were these , that they should resign the fort , vvith all things belonging thereunto , as munition , victuals , houshold-stuff , &c. and march freely out with all their own arms , horses , and baggage , which they did to the number of one hundred and threesco●e hors and foot. fray antonio de guevara , in his epistles , reporteth , that the bishop of zamora , encouraging his souldiers in this assault , said to them , so , my boyes , get up nimbly , fight and die couragiously , and let my soul go at a venture along with yours , since you die in so just and holie an enterprise . iohn de padilla would not suffer any dammage or havock to bee made of any thing within the fort , nor stand to batter it much without , becaus the earl of salvatierra had written to him , to take it with the least prejudice to him that might bee . those of the commonaltie were very well pleased at the taking of empudia , and iohn de padilla's armie increased daily , by the confluence of people to him from the beherri●s . the bishop of zamora departed from empudia , to monçon , thence to magaz , spoiling and doing all the mischief hee could to those of the cavaliers partie ; hee caused maçariegos , and other towns , to bee sacked , insomuch that hee was asmuch dreaded as fire , in places that were not able to resist him . but in valladolid they found great miss of him , to defend them from the incursions of those in garrison at simancas . sect . xv. the bishop of zamora , by letters , promises , and other private practises , sollicited , and egged on the people of burgos , asmuch as in him laie , to make another commotion in the citie . but the lord high constable was so vigilant and zealous to advance his majestie 's service , that hee did not onely keep those of burgos in good order and subjection , but endeavored by the same means the bishop used , to gain the people of valladolid ; the plot beeing discovered , or at least suspected , they cunningly returned an answer to the citie of burgos , inclosing therein a copie of the letter ( which they shrewdly imagined was of the lord high constable's own forging , and not from the citie ) to the end they might both bee read publickly , which occasioned such a tumult and mutinie among the people , that like hare-brained inconsiderate creatures , they presently rose in arms , and would have turned the lord high constable out of the citie . but hee , seeing fair words and gentleness prevailed nothing at all with them , determined to carrie it with an high hand , and make them to submit per force , having taken the command of the fort from them . to bring this resolution to effect , one daie hee drew up his souldiers and servants all in arms , in a broad place before his own hous ; thither repaired to him forthvvith don iohn de la cerda , duke of medina cely , don luis de la cerda , marquis of cogolludo , his son , don alonso de arellano earl of aguilar , don antonio de velasco earl of nieva , with his two sons , don hernando de bobadilla earl of chinchon , don bernardino de cardenas , marquis of elche , eldest son to the duke of maqueda , and son in law to the lord high constable , besides divers other persons of honor , with their kindred , and servants , who were all resolved to venture their lives with him in this design ; which the people perceiving , they all assembled likewise , intending to fight with these noblemen , and they were so near engaging , that som arrows were interchanged from each partie , and the bullets began to flie also ; but the chief of the citie , seeing the advantage the nobles had over the people , they speedily sent to require and command the commoners to bee quiet , and peaceably laying down their arms , to obey the commands of the lord high constable , as their vice-king and governor , which they did without much contestation , and followed , very submissively and quietly , the lord high constable , who went directly to the fort , requiring the governor to deliver it him presently , otherwise , hee protested , hee would enter it by force , and execute justice upon him , and all the rest with him ; som disputes and controversie there was thereupon , but before night it was surrendered ; and the lord high constable put in another governor for his majestie , placed a corregidor in the citie , and re-established the government in the same manner it had been formerly . thus burgos , not beeing able to resist , was pacified , and reduced to the obedience of his majestie , wherein that citie continued ever after . sect . xvi . this done , the lord high constable sent don iuan manrique , the duke of naxara's eldest son , to suppress those of the merindades ; and by reason hee was very young , martin ruiz de avendan̄● , and gomez de butron , gentlemen of great account in those parts , and in biscaya , were appointed to go along with him ; beeing arrived there , those gentlemen carried the business so discreetly , that there was a peace concluded betwixt the lord high constable , and those of the merindades ; but it lasted not long , for gonsalo de barabona , the abbat of rueda , garcia de arce , but chiefly don pedro de ayala , earl of salvatierra , infringed it , who was grown very powerful in those mountainous parts , and so besotted with that inconsiderate passion , that by his obstinacie , hee brought himself to a miserable end , to the utter ruine and destruction of one of the most honorable and most antient families of castilla , and the mountains . sect . xvii . at the time that most of the cities of castilla declared for the commonaltie , in the province of alava , and citie of vitoria , that opinion was not generally received nor allowed , although som did take the libertie to speak over lavishly , especially against those of the council . in this season was brought to the said province , and citie of vitoria , a letter from burgos , wherein that citie ( as the chief of castilla ) desired those of that province to send two persons ( whom they pleased ) to confer with them at burgos . at the same time , were brought other letters from the province of guipuzcoa , and the countie of biscaya , desiring that they might all unite together . the citie of naxara and town of haro desired , that they would assist them , against the lord high constable , and the duke of naxara , who , they said , did tyrannize too much over them ; vitoria returned civil answers to all , burgos onely excepted , to whom they would not write , becaus they made themselvs their superiors , in styling that the metropolitan citie of castilla , for the citie of vitoria did presume that they , and their province of alava , were absolute of themselvs , without any dependencie , or relation to burgos , as their head. but they sent iohn de alava ( who at that time was merino mayor , that is , chief judg of vitoria ) to let their embassadors understand , by word of mouth , the preheminence of that countrie , and that they could not condescend to the union which they desired , for they understood that burgos had shaken hands with their obedience to his majestie , and they would not bee participant of their disloialtie . this answer was no less unexpected then unwelcom to those of burgos . about the same time , some towns of the province of guipu●coa , infected with the common contagion , fell foul upon the citie of san sebastian , becaus they would not approve of their extravagant opinions , cutting down and spoiling their orchards , ( for they have no vineyards ) and doing them divers other mischiefs . but prevailing not there , they wrote , and held correspondence with divers other places , by means of pedro ochoa de santa maria de mondragon , ( a subtil fellow ) who was their mercurie . at length , vitoria tainted with the same diseas , had joyned in confederacie with them , but that diego martinez de alava , deputie-general of that province , with others , his allies and kinsmen , endeavored to restrain them from a design so wicked and prejudicial to his majestie . sect . xviii . the earl of salvatierra , beeing at difference with madama margarita , his ladie , insomuch that hee would not live with her , shee addressed her complaints to his majestie of her grievances , and of the indignities , which , through his cross and unworthie disposition , shee was enforced to suffer . whereupon it was ordered by his majestie , that the said countess , with her children , should remain in vitoria , and that the earl should allow them maintenance according to their qualities ; and an expr●ss command from his majestie was sent to diego martinez de alava , deputie general of that province , to see the said order punctually observed , who desiring to execute this command by the autoritie and means of the council , the earl thought to counterpois that power , by making the commonaltie of his side , who did him little good in this particular , although those of the iunta sent to that province , and to the citie of vitoria , a judg , called antonio gomez de ayala ( who afterwards was executed for a notorious commoner at valladolid ) with orders and power to give sentence in favor , or against any that should bee brought before him : his addresses were particularly to the earl of salvatierra , to the end that hee might assist and support him : the ea●l gave him fiftie men , who attended on him at his coming into vitoria ; which the deputie diego martinez de alava , and pedro martinez his brother , with others of their kindred , seeing , and knowing that hee brought particular orders against them from the iunta at tordesillas ( where the deputie , and his kinsmen , had been proclaimed traitors ) they thought it a thing much conducing to his majestie 's service , and their own securitie , to apprehend this judg , which to effect , the sons of don fernando de alava , governor of bernedo , and iohn de alava his cosen germane , with twentie men , besides other friends and servants , went to the judge's lodging , took him and his servants out of their beds , clap't irons upon them , and carried them to the fort of bernedo , and took away the orders which hee brought from the iunta , wherein they gave the charge of governor and captain general to don pedro de ayala , earl of salvatierra , from the citie of burgos to fuente ravia . the judg remained under safe custodie in the fort , in mean time the gentlemen , who carried him thither , returned to vitoria , where they found the people much distempered , and murmuring at those men's imprisonment . sect . xix . 'mongst these occurrences came an express from the lord high constable , with letters , notifying to those of vitoria , and the province of alava , the orders which his majestie had sent him , encharging him with the government of the kingdoms , and commanding all his subjects , to obey him as their vice-roy and governor . but those of alava , beeing much inclined to the earl of salvatierra , said , that they were upon a certain agreement with those of the province of guipuzcoa , which beeing concluded , they would obey as far as they were obliged . but the deputie diego martinez , and all his friends , received the said notification with due respect . the citie of vitoria returned an answer to the lord high constable , but would not give him the title of governor ; whereupon som words passed between iohn de alava , & the rest , who bade him , in scurvie terms , go out of the assemblie ; but he boldly answered , get you gon , like traitors and rebels : for which words , they caused him to bee apprehended . in this interim , a priest , from the earl of salvatierra , desired to have conference with those of the assemblie : which the deputie , diego martinez , knowing , privately stole out from the rest , and laid hands upon this priest , clapt him in prison , and having opened his packet , hee found several letters to friers , and other particular men , desiring them to induce the people to denie their obedience to the governors . this bred a main disorder , and libels were scattered about by the people : yet martinez , & pedro de alava , with all those of their kindred and alliance , resolutely determined to maintein his majestie 's interest , pressing and requiring all the rest to subscribe also to his commands ; if not , they protested against them , styling them no otherwise , then rebellious and disloial traitors . of all which proceedings , they sent information to the lord high constable , and hee to the council roial , ( who then resided at castroxeriz ) . those of vitoria , seeing their fidelitie brought into question , resolved to submit , and sent their letters to that effect , promising all obedience to the lord high constable , beseeching him to pardon their former extravagancies and inconsidtrateness , and that hee would give order to burn those informations , which diego martinez de alava had sent to him against them ; which hee did . so by the diligence and resolution of diego martinez de alava , and other gentlemen of his name and familie , the citie of vitoria was reduced , and continued afterwards their loialtie and obedience to his majestie . all these passages were in the year , and the beginning of ▪ the lord high constable , seeing that no reason would sati●fie the earl of salvatierra , endeavored to do him what mischief hee could . hee took from him the town and castle of empudia , and put a garrison of his own therein , who ( as you have heard ) were again forced to quit that , and other places , by iohn de padilla ; in which time the earl of salvatierra , having picked up a number of people out of the merindades , besides his own servants and souldiers , hee led them as far as the monasterie of san ●an salvador de on̄a , wit● intent to go recover empudia ; but beeing informed there , that the bishop of zamora had already taken it , hee changed his resolution , and turned his forces towards vitoria , threatning to burn it to the ground , if they did not renounce their obedience to the lord high constable , and deliver the deputie diego martinez , and his brother , into his hands . the citie , beeing not a little stagger'd and affrighted at these high menaces , sent messengers to the earl , with great submissions , which so much abated his furie , that all the month of ianuarie , , they remained unmolested . sect . xx. his majestie 's royal council beeing at briviesca , and hearing what notable service don pedro xuarez de velasco , lord of cuscurrita , and dean of burgos , had done his majestie in that citie , and how couragiously hee had behaved himself , they sent for him . don pedro not knowing what danger might befall , took about twentie gentlemen and servants on horsback with him , all well armed , with green coates over their armor , that no bodie could discern any thing , besides the hounds and hawks they carried with them , made no creature suspect any other , then that hee went out to take his pleasure . beeing arrived at briviesca , the council gave him order to subdue the seven merindades of old castilla , who were up in arms. whereof don pedro would have excused himself , saying , that it was not suitable with his coat to command souldiers ; ( for hee went in the habit of a priest , by reason of his deanry . ) but those of the council answered , that although hee were effectively a priest , ( much more having onely the habit of one ) hee ought to change his surplice into a suit of armor , especially in cases wherein the service of god , and the king , was so much concerned . don pedro , seeing it was in vain to expostulate any further , resolved to put their commands in execution , and considering hee was the lord high constable's son , discreetly valiant , and beloved of every bodie , many gentlemen , and persons of qualitie , offered themselvs to venture their fortunes with him . beeing arrived within a league of medina de pumar , ( which was hard by those commoners , whom hee went to suppress ) they had intelligence of his approach , and forthwith disposed themselvs to give him battle ; don pedro , though hee had nothing neer so many men , resolved however to conquer them , or die in the combat ; so having passed over a wooden bridg , hee gave them so hot and furious a charge , that they quickly shewed their backsides , and scattering themselvs in a disorderly manner , they sought their securitie amongst the craggie mountains , hee pursued them as far as hee could , and staid some time , thinking they might rallie , but hee heard no more of them . so hee returned victorious , and lost not one of his men . sect . xxi . in the month of march , of the same year , the lord high constable , seeing that they exceedingly wanted artillerie , in regard the commoners possessed all that which was in medina del campo hee gave order to fetch away that which the catholick kings had in store at fuente ravia . don sancho de velasco was presently dispatched thither , with commission to bring the munition over land , and the artillerie by sea to bilbao , thence to vitoria , and so to burgos . the iunta ( then at tordesillas ) having intelligence hereof , presently sent to advertise the earl of salvatierra , that hee might prepare forces and intercept the artillerie ; who used such diligence , that in short time , hee had raised , amongst his friends and tenants , above ten thousand men . and a gentleman named gonçalo de varahona , captain of the said earl's forces , went to the merindades , and of those men which don pedro xuarez de velasco had routed and dissipated , hee rallied so many as made up the number of almost fourteen thousand ( the like armie was never known to bee raised in those parts , in so short a time ) with these men hee took the munition that came by land ; and hearing that the artillerie ( which was seven great pieces of ordnance ) was coming from bilbao to vitoria , convoied by seventeen hundred men , whereof many were gentlemen of note of biscaya , besides the alcalde leguizama , and the corregidor of vitoria ; the third of march , hee marched with his whole armie nine leagues that daie , and night , the next morning by break of daie hee came into the vallie of arretia , where the artillerie was ▪ don sancho de velasco and his men , giving all for lost , dis-mounted their cannon , and taking away the carriages , and their mules , shifted for themselvs . the earl seized on the artillerie , but not beeing able to carrie it away , hee caused it to bee broke in pieces . this done , the earl returned with his armie to the vallie of ayala , having som intelligence , and encouragement from som of his friends within the citie , to fall upon vitoria , which was very pleasing to his captain gonçalo de varahona , and other officers . the report flying about , that hee intended to sack vitoria , made a number of rabbling people join , which swelled his armie to fifteen , or sixteen thousand , but most of them were ill armed , and wors disciplined . hee pitched his camp in the plain of arriaga , one quarter of a league from vitoria . sect . xxii . the abbat of santa pia , and fray diego de arna , a dominican frier , beeing persons , whom the earl particularly esteemed and effected , went to him in his camp , desiring and conjuring him not to enter into the citie . so falling upon a treatie of agreement , hee demanded , that they should denie their obedience to the lord high constable , and that they would deliver unto him the deputie diego martinez de alava , with his brother , and certain others of his kindred . the cit●zens believing that if those gentlemen were out of the citie , the earl's furie might bee the better appeased , earnestly desired them to absent themselvs , which they did , and carried their wives and families with them to trevin̄o , a town belonging to the duke of naxara , where they exspected don manrique , his son , with som forces from navarra . the citie beeing in this perplexitie , som who had relation to don alvaro de mendoça , lord of mendoça de arriva , ( who was an intimate friend with the earl of salvatierra ) beseeched him for alvaro's sake , not to use any violence to that citie . but hee briskly answered , that they had not performed their promises to him . at last , to satisfie him , they concluded , that hee should enter , with his colors flying , at the gate of arriaga , and march out again at the gate of santa clara. whil'st this was arguing , com's el licenciado aguirre , ( who was one of the council ) saying , that they ought not to open the gates to the earl of salvatierra , and that whosoever should do it , were traitors . those that were present gave him a very rude answer , and had laien violent hands on him , if lope de xuaço , and som others , had not suddenly conveied him out of the citie , from whence hee went to staie with diego martinez de alava , and the rest , at trevin̄o . the earl came not into vitoria himself , but sent his captain gonçalo de varahona , mean time hee went to a place called ondagoya , in the vallie of quartango . those of the iunta sent the earl of salvatierra thanks for the favor hee had done them , in taking that artillerie which the lord high constable ( they said ) intended to carrie against ●alencia , and afterwards join with the rest of the cavaliers . sect . xxiii . this earl of salvatierra , ( who was also earl of the vallies of ayala , quartango and san milan ) was a man of a monstrous hautie and terrible disposition . it happened , when those of the iunta sent to him , desiring him to wage war with the lord high constable , and intercept his artillerie , that hee then was with his armie before briviesca , and without returning any answer to their letters , hee presently raised his siege . the messengers of the iunta thought thereby , that hee had no intent to act according to the contents of the letters , which they delivered him , and were very angrie , saying , that hee did onely make a shew of favor and friendship to them , for now the common●ltie having need of him , hee would do nothing for them . these words were brought to his ears , whereupon hee wrote to the iunta , and to valladolid , expressing much distaste and anger , that they should harbor any such thought of him , saying , that hee came not of the race of any pedling mercenarie fellows , nor of traitors , but lineally was descended from the sto●k of the loyall nobilitie of the gottish king 's of spain . this murmuring against him , by those of the iunta , did so distemper him , that the blood gushed out at his nose and mouth for meer anger , and cast him into a sickness , which had like to have cost him his life . after this , hee sent to the iunta , and valladolid , desiring them to have a care that his town and castle of empudia , should not bee destroied , nor spoiled in the re-taking , although hee knew the king would not suffer him to enjoy it . sect . xxiv . the gentlemen of vitoria , who were retired at trevin̄o , sent to the lord high constable and duke of naxara for succor ; the lord high constable sent them four hundred foot souldiers , and one hundred hors . the same night they arrived at la puebla de argançon , the deputie diego martinez went with them to suppress the earl of salvatierra at andagoya , but hee having notice of their design , shewed them a pair of nimble heels . beeing entred into the town , they went presently to his hous , which having throughly ransacked , they burned to the ground ; which done , they returned to la puebla . the next daie arrived at trevin̄o , don manrique de lara , the duke of naxara's eldest son , with two thousand foot , and fourtie hors . hee , and the deputie , with the rest of the gentlemen there , resolved to go to vitoria , and inflict condigne punishment upon some of the factious , and encourage those of the loyal partie . the inhabitants of vitoria , beeing unwilling to receiv so many souldiers into the citie , sent messengers to trevin̄o , desiring don manrique not to bring his souldiers thither , but they could not prevail . so those men which don manrique brought , and the lord high constable's , entred all into vitoria , as also the deputie with all his kindred . the next daie , beeing fridaie , don manrique marched to the town of salvatierra , which was the earl's , and took it with the castle also , both which , hee gave the deputie diego martinez charge to keep for his majestie , leaving him two hundred souldiers ; with the which diego martinez marched from salvatierra , to a place called gauna , where the ●arl had another strong hous , which having burnt , hee returned to salvatierra , and don manrique the sundaie following , went back to vitoria . the earl seeing they had taken his town of salvatierra , and burnt his other houses , went to the valley of quartango , and raised four thousand eight hundred men with his servants . hurtado diez de mendoça , hearing this , came to vitoria , and advertised don manrique of all particulars ; whereupon hee presently marched with his men to quartango . the earl staied not to make him welcom , but fled with all his men to the mountains ; so don manrique's men pillaged all the valley , burned down the towers of andagoya , and morillas . thence hee marched towards the merindades , where hee did no great harm , the people submitting themselvs to him , onely hee burned some houses of gonçalo varahona's , thence hee went to burgos , where hee joyned his forces with the lord high constable , who was then preparing for the battle of villalar . gonçalo varahona , and one captain brizuela , after don manrique's departure out of the merindades , did a world of mischief in the houses of those , that had agreed and made their peace with the lord high constable , at the town of valpuesta , hee killed one salazar a batchellor at law , and burnt his hous , from thence hee went to the valley of ayala , where the earl of salvatierra was : where they remained until april next following , raising men , as fast as they could , to go against vitoria and salvatierra . whereof the citie beeing advertised , they put themselvs in a posture to resist him , got munition from the sea-side , made readie their ordnance , mustred their ●en ( which were but six hundred fit to bear arms , besides two hundred souldiers . ) the lord high constable sent them from his towns of haro , la puebla , and san vicente , two hundred and fiftie men more , besides two troops of light hors-men . hee sent moreover commissions of captains general of the mountains , and those parts , to martyn ruyz de avendan̄o y de gamboa , and to gomez gonçalez de butron y de mugica . upon receipt whereof martyn ruyz de avendan̄o came to vitoria , and with the men of the citie , and those that came from other places , resolved to give the earl battle . hereupon the deputie diego martinez de alava , repaired speedily to salvatierra , to defend that , in case the earl should make any attempt upon it . beeing arrived there , hee would have sent his son to the castle of bernedo , whereof hee was governor , but the towns-men would not suffer him , and offred to apprehend him , whereupon there arose great disorder , and hee was enforced to retire into the fort. divers of the towns-men , having relation to the earl , were very desirous that hee should repossess it , and therefore sent him intelligence privately , that diego martinez , and his sons , were in a manner prisoners , and that now was the onely time for him to fall upon the town . whereof hee beeing very well pleased , made all the haste he could from quartango to salvatierra , but was met in the waie by the hors of vitoria , who took some of his men prisoners , however hee marched on , and gonçalo varahona staied behïnde ; the next daie about midnight ●ee arrived at one of the gates of salvatierra , called san iuan , and his men cried ayala , ayala ; which the deputie's men ( who were upon the guard ) hearing , put themselvs in a posture of defence , and discharged some of their ordnance , which killed and hurt some of his souldiers . the earl himself , beeing very neer the gate , they flung down a great squar'd stone , which raked his shoulders as it fell , and quite spoiled his hors , that made him retreat further off till daie-break , by which time gonçalo varahona had brought the rest of his men , so they marched all in a bodie to a place called vicun̄a , where they burned five houses belonging to diego martinez de alava . and the earl having intelligence that the town of salvatierra , and the deputie , were reconciled , and stood upon the defensive , having no artillerie with him , nor finding any refreshment for his men , the people beeing all fled to the mountains , hee relinquished his design . but upon his retreat , a partie of hors with some foot , sallied out of vitoria , and took divers of his men at alegria , with whom returning to the citie , and giving notice of the order , or rather disorder , of the earl's armie , they concluded to fight them ; to which purpose all the hors and foot marched out , and captain ochoa de asua was sent before to hinder him from passing the bridg of durana ; but his hors beeing already passed , they made it good till the foot was all over , by which time the whole bodie of the vitorians was come up . the earl at first made as if hee would fight , but they plaied so hot upon him with their muskets , that seeing his men drop so fast , hee rod awaie with onely one page , which seeing his men began to follow him : gonçalo varahona valiantly staied behind , crying to his men to stand . captain valenzuela encountred him , and took him prisoner , who , with six hundred of his men , much pillage , and divers colours , were all carried to vitoria ; martin ruyz de avendan̄● , who was present at the sight , committed gonçalo varahona to pedro de alava's hous for the present , and few daies after , hee was beheaded in the great market place , whereof an express was sent to give the lord high constable notice , who was then upon going to villalar , where , a short time after , the battle was given , which was the ruine and break-neck of the commoners . sect . xxv . to relate all the troubles which the lord high constable had with those of burgos , and the earl of salvatierra , would fill whole volumes . i shall now onely cursarily mention , what was done in order to the conclusion of the treatie and articles , which the bishop of laodicea brought , concerning the reducing of don pedro lasso . four daies ortiz remained in tordesillas , exspecting until the lord admiral had consulted of those articles with the cardinal , and given him the result of their determination . but in daie time hee durst not go abroad , so that his negotiation was onely in the night , ( for there is no war so dangerous as that betwixt kindred , and people of the same nation and language ) . at last hee was dispatch't , but hee was fain to carrie their answer in his memorie , not daring to have any writing about him , ●o hee went coasting and crossing the countrie in the night , until hee came into the high-waie of medina del campo , to the end that if hee should meet any of the commoners , they might think hee came from medina , and was going to valladolid ; where , by break of daie , hee arrived , and the guards knowing him at the gates , let him in without difficultie ▪ he would not go to his own lodging , but alighted at a friend's hous , whence hee went directly to don pedro lasso , and gave him an exact account of what hee had done with the cardinal and the lord admiral at tordesillas . but in regard hee had not full satisfaction of all his demands ( which were , that they should procure his majestie 's approbation and allowance of the principal articles sent him by the iunta , for the good of the kingdoms ) . it was determined , that the bishop of laodicea should send a friar to tordesillas , who should correspond with him in their ordinarie cypher , and that ortiz should likewise return thither ; which hee did cunningly , without giving any susspition , and beeing dispatched , hee returned to valladolid in like manner as before . sect . xxvi . in this same year , the kingdom of toledo broke out into the like disorders and exorbitancies , as were committed in other parts of castilla . they report in toledo , of donia maria pacheco , wife to iohn de padilla , and daughter to the earl of tendilla , that shee was a woman of such a daring and resolute spirit , that shee was the greatest instrument to support the commonaltie of that citie . and ( if wee may believ fray antonio de guevara ) hee relate's , that shee beeing com into the vestrie of the great church in toledo , to take away the plate for paiment of her husband's souldiers , shee fell upon her knees , beat her brests with her hands , cried , sighed and sobbed , two torches standing lighted before her , and fell into a kinde of extasie , believing the deceit and conjuring of a morisca witch , who told her , that her husband should com to bee a king , or somwhat near it . hee saith manie other things of her , but let them pass , since afterwards she paied dear enough for her follie : and indeed what otherwise could bee exspected of a woman , that doth so far deviate from the rode of her natural emploiment , as to throw aside the distaff , and the needle , and busie her self with matters of state , and war. the towns of orgaz and ocan̄a , with the favor and support of those of toledo , declared likewise for the commonaltie , and did a thousand mischiefs and affronts to the inhabitants of almaguer , and other places ; for the remedying of which disorders , the governors of the kingdoms constituted and ordeined don antonio de zun̄iga to bee captain general of the kingdom of toledo ; who having rai●ed me● at consuegra , marched into the field to put their commands in execution , what success hee had , shall bee said hereafter . for the iunta , and the cavaliers call mee away . sect . xxvii . the citie of valladolid was grown so passionate in the prosecution , and supporting of the commonaltie's interests , slighting the emperor's graces to them , and beeing so malitiously bent against his council , the lord admiral , and the earl of venavente ( who out of particular relations did desire , and used all means possible to procure their good ) that all their affection was turned into hatred , and their favors into discourtesies . in this occurrence arrived at valladolid , a certain priest , with orders from the emperor , and the queen , to the president and judges of the chancerie there residing , wherein they were commanded , with the college and universitie , forthwith to depart that citie . this coming to the people's knowledg , they were exceedingly incensed therewith , seeing they should bee deprived of three main benefits they had ; which to prevent , they gave out that those orders were fals , and forged , or counterfeited by the pretended governors , who studied to do them all the mischief they could . and they determined to apprehend the priest that brought them ; but hee sheltered himself by the president 's advice in the chancerie . whereupon the people , all in arms , came thither in a tumultuous manner to demand the priest. the president not seeing any other remedie , to satisfie the multitude , delivered him to them ; they presently clap't him into the common gaol , where leaving him , they returned to the president , and in a furious peremptorie manner demanded , that hee would deliver them those orders which the priest brought him ; hee answered , that after hee had conferred with the judges thereupon , they should have them ; but they growing more insolent , told him , that if hee delivered them not without any further delaie , they would set fire on his hous . the president , seeing their mad resolution , thought it his best way to let them have their wills . those orders beeing brought , they forcibly entred into the chancerie , and took away the great seal also , which they delivered to persons of their own choosing . in the orders they found , how the emperor commanded the president , with the fore-named , within three daies to leav valladolid , and repair to the governors , under pain of beeing deprived of their offices , and that for the present they should go to the town of arevalo , where they should attend his further pleasure , in regard valladolid had declined his service , and adhered to those that were traitors to his roial crown . sect . xxviii . the cavaliers sent to valladolid , desiring a cessation for ten daies . the major part voted , that they should not consent thereunto , alledging that the cavaliers would break it , and besides that , they would never have demanded it , but to recrute themselvs with men and arms , which they wanted . at last they returned this answer , that each partie should deposite five thousand marcos de plata , or marks of silver , in some faithful and sure person's hands , and whosoever should break the peace in that time , should forfeit the monie , upon those tearms they would hearken to them , but not otherwise . the cavaliers refused this proposition , and the next daie following , they sent a trumpeter with a letter of defiance to those who called themselvs the commissioners of the kingdom , declaring open war with fire and sword against the commonalties , and valladolid , and required them to laie down their arms , disband their souldiers , to conform themselvs to those whom his majestie had appointed governors of the kingdoms , and obey their commands as they ought . otherwise they protested to hold them as traitors , and would do them all the spoil and mischief that in them laie . those of valladolid answered , that they feared them not , bade them do their worst , and they would serv them with the like sauce : and without any long delay they sent to those in simancas , charging them , both men , women , and children , presently to depart the town , or they should all suffer death without reserv . thus those of valladolid , and of the iunta , shewed their insulting pride and crueltie , which spake them rather men given over to despair , then capable of reason and judgment . notwithstanding all this , the lord admiral , much grieved at the obstinacie of valladolid , and out of the tender affection which hee bare to that citie , wrote them another letter , in his own , and the cardinal's name , inducing them by all fair means possible , with promises of satisfaction for their grievances , to return unto their due obedience to his majestie , dis-banding their a●mies , disclaiming the interests , and refusing to harbor or assist with their men , artillerie , or otherwaies any of the disturbers of the peace and repose of the kingdoms , assuring , that if they would do so , they should finde him alwaies ready to do them all the good offices that they could exspect or desire of him . and if not , hee protested , that according to his majestie 's command , and in order to his service , hee would proceed against them as delinquents , and disloial subjects ; and that hee would make som of them suffer such exemplarie punishments , as should deterre succeeding ages from committing any the like acts of disobedience . those of the iunta , and of valladolid , having read the lord admiral 's letter , made no great account of the persuasive part of it , neither were they any thing daunted at his threatnings ; but returned him an insolent mock-answer ; wherein they charged him , and those of the council , with disturbing of the kingdoms , and required them in the names of their majesties , and of the kingdoms , to return to their due obedience , leaving the queen , with the most illustrious infanta , to their free liberties ; to dis-band their forces , both of hors , and foot , and divers other things , which if they refused , or delaied to perform accordingly , they protested , in the names of their majesties , and kingdom , to proclaim war against them , and declare them delinquents , disloial and disobedient persons to their majesties , and that they would inflict such punishments upon them , as should make them examples to posteritie , for ever committing any such enormities , &c. sect . xxix . after these letters , the cavaliers wrote another to valladolid , which i could not procure : but i have seen the answer , which those of valladolid returned them . it seemed that the cavalier's letter to them was not so civil , and respectful , as they did exspect . therefore in their replie , they said , that they believed that their letter was ill addressed , for certainly it was not intended for them . then they fell upon the justification of their caus , imputing the fault of all the troubles and disturbances of the kingdom to the cavaliers , and making remonstrances of the common people's loyaltie , in what concerned his majestie 's service , beeing not wedded to their private interests , like the cavaliers , who alwaies regarded their own particular advancements and profit , to the diminution , and almost , consuming of the royal patrimonie . sect . xxx . the next daie after this letter was written , the iunta commanded one of every hous in valladolid to march out with iohn de padilla , to receiv iohn bravo , who came captain of those men , which were sent from segovia , salamanca , and avila . they were in all six thousand compleat foot and hors , besides thirtie carts loaden with munition , carriages , and other warlike utensils . they passed the bridg of duero , to the great grief and dread of those in garrison at simancas ( which was not far distant ) and so marched directly to valladolid . upon whose arrival , the iunta sent for the bishop of zamora , who was in the beherrias , burning and spoiling cavalier's lands . the bishop beeing returned , they sat in consultation upon what enterprise they should go next . those of valladolid spred a report , that they would fall upon simancas , in revenge of the damages which they daily received from that garrison . sect . xxxi . i mentioned cursorily before , how don pedro lasso began to wax wearie of the commonaltie , and bethink himself of the disservice hee had done his majestie : now you shall hear fur●her with what difficultie his reconcilement was accomplished . ortiz beeing returned to valladolid , related to don pedro lasso every particular passage ( to his best remembrance , for hee durst not bring any papers ) betwixt the lord admiral , the cardinal , and him , concerning the agreement . wherewith don pedro was not well satisfied , seeing they demanded more of him , then hee was able to perform , so hee remained unresolved . about the time that he was in this quandarie , arrived at valladolid , fray francisco de los angeles of the order of st francis , a man of a noble extraction and great learning , who afterwards was bishop of coria and a cardinal . hee went first to burgos with letters from the emperor to the lord high constable , and the articles which hee desired his majestie to sign for that citie : thence hee came to valladolid , where hee had conference with don pedro lasso ; but lest their too frequent conversation might breed suspition , don pedro agreed , that hee should communicate freely with alonso ortiz , whose breast hee found a secure receptacle of any secret . ortiz told fray francisco all the waies and means hee had used at tordesillas , and what treaties had passed betwixt him and the lord admiral ; that for his part hee came from toledo to valladolid ▪ meerly to trie if his endevors might contribute any thing to the remedying or composing of those unhappie differences . hereupon fray francisco took a resolution to go himself to tordesillas , to confer , with the cardinal and lord admiral ; and beeing there , they sent for ortiz , who went to them upon shrove-tuesdaie , anno , hee alighted at the monasterie of santa clara , where fray francisco lodged , and in regard it was past midnight , there was then no possibilitie of speaking with the lord admiral ; but the next morning , hee coming to hear mass in the same monasterie , went up into francisco's chamber , where ortiz hid himself ; all that morning until dinner time they spent in treating about the articles , in the afternoon they did the like ; and it was god's will , that before they parted , all was fully concluded , to the contentment and satisfaction of each partie , whereof were transcribed two copies , one signed and sealed by the cardinal and lord admiral , as governors , obliging themselvs punctually to perform all and every the articles therein conteined , and procure them to bee confirmed by his majestie , provided that don pedro lasso did make good what hee had promised . ortiz durst not carrie this writing to valladolid , fearing lest the guards should search him . so it was agreed , that fray francisco de los angeles should carrie it to abrojo , a monasterie of friers , a league short of valladolid , ( for hee durst not venture to go into the citie with that about him ) and that ortiz should send som trustie messenger thither for it . ortiz returned the same night ( half frozen ) to valladolid , and the guards let him in without touching him , hee telling them that hee came from medina del campo . beeing entred the citie , hee went immediately to don pedro lasso , whom hee informed fully of all the passages , and that fray francisco de los angeles was to bring the articles of agreement in writing , signed and sealed that same night to abrojo ; which hee did , the earl of on̄ate giving him a convoy of twentie hors from simancas , who put him safe within the gates of the said monasterie , don pedro and ortiz were in pain long time , how they should send with safetie for this writing , and at last they resolved one fray pedro de san hippolito ( of the monasterie del prado ( which was without the citie ) who was pedro's confessor ) should go for it . hee accepted the emploiment , and went to abrojo , and having received the writing of fray francisco de los angeles , hee returned ; but beeing com near to valladolid about sun-setting , hee met with certain souldiers which had been roving abroad , who seeing the frier in that rode , imagined that hee came from simancas , and thinking him to bee a spie ( or rather for greediness of his mule ) they laid hands on him , saying , hee was a traitor , and that hee came from simancas to give the cavaliers intelligence of what passed in valladolid . in this rude manner they led him into the citie , calling him traitor , and saying , that they wovld strip him , to see what letters hee brought to any particular persons ; so they brought him to an hous close by the gate , where they made him alight to bee stript . but it was god's great mercie to deliver don pedro , and the rest that were engaged with him out of this danger : for just as fray pedro was forced to alight from his mule , two franciscan friers came most happily thither , to whom fray pedro addressing himself , with a neat slight of hand , and a notable resolution , drew the papers out of his own sleev , and slipt them into one of theirs , beseeching him for god's sake to fling them into the fire , and let no bodie see them : thus hee deceived the eies of above five hundred people that were gathered together to strip him : vvhich they did , but finding no papers at all about him , they carried him before pedro de touar , one of the regidores , and captain of valladolid , vvho knovving him , commanded them presently to releas him . by this vvile hee saved the lives of all those that vvere concerned in that writing . sect . xxxii . the franciscan friers , having read these articles , did burn them , as fray pedro desired ; but they could not refrain from speaking thereof to som others , and they to others , so that at last it was the common town-talk , and it was carried to the iunta . don pedro lasso somwhat troubled , asked ortiz what they should do ; who bad him bee of a good courage , and if any question came of it , to saie , it was a trick of the cavaliers , to sow discord amongst them , and although they had begun with him , doubtless , ere long , they would do the like to others . it fell out ( as don pedro feared ) that hee was questioned in the iunta hereupon ; but hee was so well prepared to answer them , absolutely denying the charge , that with his smooth and resolute answers they were satisfied ; in regard there was no evidence , nor any ground of suspecting , but meerly from the bare words of the friers . this sore beeing well salved , ortiz wen again to fray pedro , desiring him to venture once more to tordesillas , and acquaint the lord admiral of what had passed , and beseech him to send another copie of the articles , like the former , which was lost ; which hee told him , hee might safely enough do in the night , there beeing a monasterie of his order just in the waie to tordesillas , whither hee would send another messenger to bring it to valladolid . the frier went , and beeing arrived at tordesillas , hee told the lord admiral the storie of his adventures , and how the former copie had miscarried , and therefore don pedro , and ortiz , desired him to send another . the lord admiral wondered at the frier 's strange relation , and thanked god with him for his deliverie , and gave him forthwith another copie verbatim like the first , wherewith hee returned in the night to his monasterie , whither ortiz sent one of his own servants , who brought it safe into valladolid . hereupon don pedro lasso began to undermine , & cunningly to confer with som gentlemen & comissioners of the junta , concerning the miseries of the times , persuading them to condescend to a peace , & to bee reduced to the good , and tranquillitie of the kingdoms , in regard that was the end of their assembling and rising up in arms . som thought this proposition but just and reasonable , others absolutely dis-approved it . all these passages were particularly related to the general of the dominican order , then beeing at tordesillas , who persuaded the grandees of the kingdom to send letters to those of the iunta general , and to the particular iunta of valladolid , to this effect ; that in regard both parties did fervently desire the good , and quiet of the kingdom , and that each in particular did pretend to advance it , yet they spoiled and butchered one another without sens or reason , beeing all natives of the same countrie , and their intentions ( though in a different waie ) steering the same cours . therefore for the better understanding of each other , if the gentlemen of the iunta would nominate any two of the commissioners , and send them to the monasterie of st thomas , which is without tordesillas , to treat with them , they would at the same time appoint two of their partie to go to the monasterie del prado , not far from valladolid , to confer with those of the iunta ; by which means they might com to som reasonable agreement , for the satisfaction and general good of the kingdoms , and that there might bee no more war or dissention amongst them , which had been the occasion of so much damage and miserie . those of the iunta ( divers of them beeing indifferently well inclined , and seeing don pedro lasso , who was one of the principal amongst them , lean that waie ) were so far from dissenting , that without further delay , they appointed him , and alonso de guadalaxara , commissioner of segovia , to go in their names to tordesillas , giving first notice to the cavaliers thereof , and wishing them to send their agents to prado , as was agreed , both giving securitie and pledges that their messengers should pass without danger or molestation . this was concluded on fridaie , march the th . on saturdaie night following arrived at valladolid , those whom the governors sent for pledges ; but those who were against this treatie , having consulted with iohn de padilla , who likewise did not relish it , gave order to those upon the guard , not to let any into the citie that came from tordesillas , but to take away their letters , and seiz upon their persons : insomuch that a messenger with a pass for them , beeing com to valladolid , the guards would have apprehended him , but hee was so circumspect , that hee got clear of them , and returned to tordesillas . this was not done by the general consent of the iunta , but onely by those which were against the treatie ; and the rest of the junta marvelled that the cavaliers did not keep their words , in sending their pass , or safe conduct for the commissioners , according to their own motion . sect . xxxiii . things beeing thus discomposed , the captains of the several cities , with the bishop of zamora , and iohn de padilla , agreed to draw all their forces into the field , to stop all correspondence betwixt valladolid and tordesillas , that the treatie might not go forwards , and to destroie and spoil all the towns or houses they could , th●t belonged to any of the gentrie in tordesillas . with this resolution the bishop of zamora , iohn de padilla with his toledians , iohn zapata with those from madrid , iohn bravo , captain of the segovians , and francisco maldonado , who commanded the men of avila and salamanca , went to the iunta , desiring that they would appoint a captain general over them all , and it is reported ( out of craft , thereby to render him more odious to the common people ) that they press'd to have that office conferred upon don pedro lasso , which plot was imputed to iohn de padilla , who never was don pedro's friend . the iunta , to satisfie them , did name don pedro , but hee desired som time to think upon it , before hee would accept it , and those that bare him no good will , began to divulge his beeing made general , in a disparaging manner , saying , it was more honor then hee deserved , in regard hee had given them so much reason to suspect his fidilitie , for holding correspondence with the governors to sell them , and that iohn de padilla was much more fit for that command . this was so much buzz'd amongst the people , that they began to murmur highly against don pedro. the mutinie growing to such an height , that don pedro , and his friends , not thinking themselvs secure , prepared to make resistance , in case they should assault them in their houses , as som gave out they would . and ( they saie ) the very school-boys , instructed by their masters so to do , ran crying up and down the streets , let iohn de padilla bee general , and not don pedro lasso . the bishop of zamora sent him word that his safest waie would bee to absent himself from the citie , or at least , to retire into some secret place , for the people were very jealous of him , and in their furie would bee apt to do him some displeasure , but this was onely a plot to entrap him . don pedro very resolutely returned the bishop this answer , that hee had done nothing that hee was ashamed of , or ought to run awaie for , and that hee would not stir out of his hous , if the people had any thing to saie to him , there they should finde him . the people's design upon don pedro lasso beeing publickly known , some principal persons of the citie came amongst them , and so handled the matter , that they all retired to their houses , and there was no harm done . sect . xxxiv . those of the junta , beeing in consultation about the ordering of their armie ( for there was no more thought of peace ) some said , that it was very requisite that they should have a captain general , and although iohn de padilla had executed the office ever since don pedro giron had left it , yet hee had not his commission from the junta , neither had the present armie ( which the several cities had raised ) acknowledged him . som stood for don pedro lasso de la vega ; but the major part of the junta , and all the common people voted for john de padilla . hee seeing that they would make him their captain general , out of a feigned modestie refused it , earnestly desiring them all to give their votes rather for don pedro lasso , who was more worthie and capable of so high a charge then hee , not that hee declined their service however , but hee would content himself with the command of the two thousand men which hee brought from toledo , with whom , and with his own person , hee would serv the commonaltie to the last breath . the people hearing that john de padilla was like to bee outed , they came crying in a tumultuous mannertothe junta , and pres●ing them to make john de padilla their general , for no man els should bee . and thinking that dom pedro lasso was the onely man that hindred the election of john de padilla , the multitude ran presently to apprehend him in his hous , laying to his charge that hee had used means to reduce them to his majestie 's service , that hee had been caus that the cavaliers had taken tordesillas , having been in the conspiracie with don pedro giron . but the bishop and john de padilla followed , and staied them in the great market place . assoon as ever the rabble saw the bishop and him , they flocked round about them crying out , let john de padilla live , let the bishop live , long may live john de padilla , who take's away the taxes of castilla . in this manner did the multitude carrie him up and down the market place , hooting and shooting as if they had been all mad ; insomuch that iohn de padilla could not speak to them , if hee would have said any thing , they kept so horrid a nois , saying , hee should bee their general , and no other . iohn de padilla , and the bishop , seeing this fond madness of the people , withdrew themselvs into a hous , out of a window , whereof iohn de padilla spake to them in this manner ; sirs ! you know how i came hither captain for the citie of toledo , in favor of the commonaltie● of this kingdom , to serv you ; you must know likewise , that toledo is not inferior to valladolid , but a f●iend to it , and all the other cities of the kingdom , who all agreed to send mee to assist you , and with the same affection and willingness i have performed my part , and whil'st i have breath , i will omit nothing wherein i may serv you ; and i thank you for your good wills to mee . but the lords of the iunta have determined to choos a captain general for thir expedition : believ mee ( sirs ! ) it is most fit that place should go by election , and i assure you that i was the first man that made that motion , for that is the best and safest waie ; moreover , those gentlemen know very well what they do . hee scars had uttered these words , but they all cried out , wee will have none but john de padilla , and the bishop . thus they continued for the space of a long hour , and more , iohn de padilla entreating them to give their consents , that don pedro lasso might execute that office , for nevertheless hee should bee readie to spend his father's and his own estate , besides the ventring of his life in that holie caus , for the service of the commonaltie . but no reason would stop their mouths , they still continued crying , hee and non els should bee their captain . which obstinacie of the people , beeing reported to those of the iunta , they voted iohn de padilla captain general of ●ll their forces . from that daie forwards , don pedro lasso began to relinquish the commonaltie , and divers of his friends did the like , seeing how blind and void of reason the people were , and how much prejudice they did themselvs , in following a people so overswaied with passion , and the greatest part of them too but men of mean and obscure extraction . sect . xxxv . fower hundred lanciers of the choisest men of those that c●me from the conquest of the gelves mutined and would have gon awaie becaus they did not receiv the paie , which was promised them from valladolid , and they demanded moreover paiement of their arreares ever since the death of the king don fernando , which amounting to fortie duckets a man at least made the summe of eight thousand duckets . the citie not having monie to satisfie their demands , yet loth to let them go , becaus they were stout , well disciplined souldiers , and wel armed , caused all their gates to bee shut , whilest they went to procur● them monie . in the first place they searched the cloister of the benedictans , where they found six thousand duckets , which som particular persons had deposited there , thinking it more secure then in their own hands . after which , they went to other religious houses & colledges in like manner ; insomuch that at last , with what they took up by waie of lone , they got enough to give them satisfaction . thus was that citie guiltie of their own torment and trouble , by maintaining a fire-brand ( for t●ey deserved no other name ) in their own bowels . but that which seemed most grievous to them , was , that they were daily so molested and affronted by that paultrie garrison of simancas : therefore they flatly told those of the iunta , that either they should go themselvs , or give them their men , for valladolid was resolved to unroost those harpyes . at length valladolid seeing themselvs reduced to so great want and povertie , for they had no way to gain a peny , all trading and commerce lost , the roads were so unsecure , that if they did but peep ( as it were ) out of their houses , they were in danger of beeing kill'd , taken ●risoners , or at least plundered ; and that their war was not in earnest to the purpose , neither had they any hopes of peace , they wrote a letter to the cavaliers in these terms : valladolid's letter to the cavaliers . illustrious sirs ! wee received a letter from you , whereby any man of the least judgment or understanding may plainly see , that your actions do absolu●ely contradict what you express in words . and for a further manifestation , that the peace which you publish is directly opposite to your actual proceedings ; you have introduced an abominable war in these kingdoms , under the notion of obedience to their majesties , battering and forcing the place where the queen resid●d , seizing on , and imprisoning ●er servants , and the commissioners of the kingdom , permitting her court to bee ransack't , the churches to bee robb'd , women violated , the high-waies stopped , the iustice of the kingdom ( which was the chancerie ) to bee taken away , and other horrid things , which never were seen or heard of before ; whereby experience sheweth us , that the offers of peace , which you have and do make us , are onely forms , and a policie to wearie out , divide and procure the utter destruction of the king●om . beeing sore aggrieved at , and for the disservices , dammages , and troubles which our sov●reign lord the king , & his kingdoms have , and do daily suffer , and s●eing that with this dissembled peace which you cunningly publish , may bee brought to ruine and perdition , wee are in the minde to persevere in that which wee have begun , and maintein the name of faithful and loial subjects , in discharging our duties to our sovereigns , and in executing what wee are obliged to perform to our selvs , and our countrie ; not forgetting what 's past , wee suffer with chearfulness all these troubles and afflictions , which are worthie of acknowledgment before god , and his majestie , our sovereign , since they pass as obligations which wee owe them . wee hope hence ●orwards , that all the oppressions and waies which you have used to divert and withdraw us from this holie purpose , shall not weaken or dis hearten us , but rather strengthen and encourage us the more to resist and fight against all those that hav● been the causers , and so detestable initiators of the miseries of these kingdoms . ●●d we trust in god that ●e wil speedily shew som heavie judgment upon the ●●●●ntors of such pervers actions , that they may alone suffer the punishment of ●heir crimes , not wee , nor those of the holie junta ; for whosoever will seriously and judiciously consider it , shall see , that there is no fear of blame ▪ where is faithfulness and truth , neither doth passion dare to presume , wher● the publick good is preferred before the particular ; nor ambition , wher● men without consideration of either honor , life or fort●nes , expose thems●lvs to divers hard censures and obloquies . but their actions rather ●mbolden and strengthen them to continue so just an undertaking , the obtei●ing whereof will procure us the perpetual peace which wee desire . yo● know , sirs , that the producer of peace is war ; if our forefathers had not fought and spilt their blood , wee should never have enjoied that happ●● peace which wee had during the time of the reign of king don fernando , and donia isabella of glorious memorie . that war is laudabl● , which tend's to the libertie of the king and kingdom ; and abominable i● that peace , whose end is subjection , oppression , and sl●verie : therefo●● our purpose and intention is , that our king may bee free , enjoie his kingdoms as our sovereign lord , not subject nor over swaied by any evil favorites , nor fals or cheating counsels . that his revenues and roial patrimonie may not bee usurped , or lavishly wasted , but preserved , or usefully expended for the good of his kingdoms , to the end hee may bee beloved , obeied , and faithfully served . and out of this love , obedience , and respect , wee wish , desire , and humbly beseech his majestie to seek a remedie for his roial crown , and his kingdoms ; that , under god , hee onely may bee ou● lord , our king , onely mightie , onely rich , his own and our onely helper an● redressor , whom onely we may fear , serv , ●onor , and obeie : to whom onely wee may asscribe the glorie , and render a due acknowledgment for our publick good , and to whom onely wee may address our complaints and grievan●●s : which if you would but seriously weigh and consider , you would not so condemn and oppose our holie proceedings , nor the sacred end at which we● aim . and since wee cannot accomplish our desire in a peaceable manner , it is but reason wee should endeavor to obtein them by war , in regard it is just and holie , our end beeing to finde everlasting peace . so it cannot bee said that the kingdom is caus of this war , but those disturbers , who hinder us from enjoying and procuring the universal good , which wee seek after ; for which they must render a strict account to god and their majesties , besides all the dammages , slaughters , extortions , and other grand mischiefs , which will all lie upon their score . the true peace is , that 〈◊〉 ▪ and the other grandees ceas from disturbing or hindering the universal 〈◊〉 , which wee labor with all our force and might to procure . for the effecting and settling of which peace , the truce which your lordships did desire was very requisite , if your actions had been answerable to your verbal expressions ; but that was not granted you , becaus it was demanded onely to amuse us , and to gain time to your selvs ; and if it were not so , neither is it just nor reasonable , that the kingdom should dis●band t●eir forces , which have cost so much trouble and charge the raising ; for the experience of former passages hath taught us , that your intent is to cosen and overcom us with such formal pretenses . but wee supplicate and require you , to give the kingdom leav to seek and finde the good which they pretend , and not to set your selvs in opposition and contradiction of our intentions ; for our drift and purpose is no other , then to advance our holie enterprise , and repel all those that shall withstand us . of whom our trust in god is , that ●re long wee shall obtein victorie . to whom wee make our heartie praiers , that hee will bee pleased to enlighten your illustrious understandings with the true knowledg of our caus. sect . xxxvi . although the cavaliers did treat of an accommodation , yet they ceased not to get what arms , and assemble what forces they could . the general letters signed by the cardinal , lord admiral , and earl of haro at tordesillas , with the date in blank , i have seen in the lord high constable's hands , with divers other originals . they demanded of avila eighteen hundred foot : of cordova , one thousand : of the citie of jaen , three hundred : of trugillo , one hundred and fiftie lances , and two hundred foot : of badajos , one hundred foot : of baeca , two hundred foot : of ecija , three hundred foot : of ubeda , two hundred foot. of xerez , one hundred and fiftie lances . of caceres , two hundred foot. of anduxar , one thousand foot. of ciudad-real , one hundred and twentie foot. of carmona , one hundred and fiftie foot. of the duke of arcos , sixtie lances . of the earl of vruen̄a , sixtie cross-bow-men on hors-back . of don fernando enriquez , twentie lances . of the earl of palma , twentie lances . of don rodrigo mexia , twentie lances . of the marquis of tarifa , fourscore lances . of the marquis of comares , thirtie lances . of the earl of ayamonte , thirtie lances . of the marquis of villanueva , twentie lances . of the earl of cabra , fiftie lances . of the duke of medina sidonia , one hundred lances . all these men they desired , and all paied for three months , promising to repaie the souldiers , and charges of levying and arming them out of his majestie 's revenue . at the same time , the lord high constable used the like diligence to rais men in the mountains , saying , hi● design was to resist the bishop of zamora , and the other traitors with him : also hee used means to intercept the arms which were coming from guipuzcoa to the commoners . sect . xxxvii . the commonalties , especially valladolid , were much displeased that those of the iunta , and the commanders of the armie did so prolong the war , for alreadie they were so exhausted , that they found themselvs not able to sustain it . and valladolid , who had so vast a charge of souldiers to maintain , and suffered exceedingly , by the continual assaults and incursions , which those of simancas made into their territories , was more sensible of the smart then any of the other cities , and never left praying and threatning in publick and in private , until they had persuaded or forced the captains to march out with their armie , and to end the dispute with the cavaliers in on battle . upon saturdaie night of the first week in lent the of february . iohn de padilla , with the greatest privacie that might bee , le●t his design should bee discovered , marched with his men out of valladolid to zaratan ( a village within a league of the citie ) where hee quartered that night . from whence hee went the same night with fourtie hors directly to simancas . beeing arrived at the watch-tower , which was upon a hill a little above the town , iohn de padilla asked the fellow which kept it , if hee had perceived any thing of the enemie ; the man thinking hee had been som of their garrison , said , yes ; i saw a great number of men march from valladolid to zaratan , which make's my heartake , for wee have but a few left in simancas . iohn de padilla presently laied hands on him , and carried him to his quarters , where having secured him , hee returned tow●rds simancas , by the waie hee lighted upon a partie of their hors , that had been scouring the countrie , those hee charged and chased into the very town , after which hee returned to zaratan , with a great prise of sheep , which hee took from them . three daies after this , came more men out of valladolid with the artilerie of medina . next daie after them , marched out those that came from los gelves , who were quartered in zaratan , arroyo , and other places about simancas , with them came the bishop of zamora , who although sick , would not staie behind the armie , saying , that in defence of the liberties of the kingdom , dead or alive , sick or in health , however hee would follow the camp , such was the courage and animositie of a prelate threescore years old at least . besides all these , came to joyn with him likewise iohn bravo and francisco maldonado , with all their forces and divers hors-men . some daies they remained in zaratan , pillaging and taking what they could from those of simancas and torrelobaton . some daies they took from the inhabitants of the enemie's quarters sheep per diem , and though it was lent , their bishop gave them leav to eat flesh , so they wanted for no good cheer . another time iohn de padilla marched out of his quarters with a great partie of hors , and met with some of simancas and torrelobaton's garrisons , and after an hot skirmish , wherein som on both sides were killed , iohn de padilla took fiftie cavaliers , horses and arms , for which hee might have had great sums of monie , if hee would have ransomed them , but hee refused it . sect . xxxviii . it beeing a holie time ( in lent ) and the war dangerous and prejudicial , divers good religious men interceded for an accomodation of these differences , and to procure an absolute peace , if possible . at aniago ( a monasterie of the carthusians , upon the river duero , three leagues from valladolid ) was the meeting place to treat . those of the commonaltie had very fair and advantagious conditions offered them , but their heads beeing possessed with prejudice , and their hearts infected with the poisonous vice of war , having the libertie to pillage and spoil as they listed , they would not hearken to any reason . indeed the lord high constable , and the lord admiral , are both worthie of immortal prais ; for out of a most christian zeal and affection to their countrie , they desired this peace , offering the commonalties all favorable and reasonable terms possible , and indented with the emperor , in a manner , that hee should grant and confirm whatsoever they agreed upon with them , and that hee should remit and pardon all the injuries they had done to his roial crown ; protesting moreover , that it grieved them to the souls that any man should die in that quarrel ; yet nothing would do . sect . xxxix . on thursdaie , the of februarie , iohn de padilla marched out of zaratan with his whole camp ( which consisted of seven thousand foot , and five hundred lances ) at two of the clock after midnight , going very silently in good order , and taking guides along with them to shew them the waie to torrelobaton , in the very suburbs whereof hee took up his quarters , robbing and plundering all they could lay hands on ; but the people had carried all their best goods into the town , which was very strong . the next daie iohn de padilla commanded his great ordnance to bee planted in convenient places , to batter ●he town , which hee did very smartly ; but all his shots were to little purpose , for the rampires were extraordinarie . after this hee gave them a brisk assault , with great clamors of men , and bouncing of guns , but hee got nothing by that , for the besieged defended themselvs with much resolution . in this conflict ( which lasted all daie ) were divers slain and hurt , but the most part were of iohn de padilla's men , who fought at disadvantage , having no defence nor rampires to shelter them ; so that seeing the great loss hee received , and the little good hee did , mos● of their ladders beeing too short , and those that ventured to mount up , were either knock'd down dead , or shrewdly wounded , hee thought it his best waie to fall off , and sound a retreat ; so the combate ceased for that time : all that night iohn de padilla labored to entrench himself , and rais a batterie in another place , that hee might give them another fresh assault the next daie . the lord admiral , and the others at tordesillas , beeing advertised of iohn de padilla's beeing advanced to torrelabaton , sent presently to draw the garrisons out of simancas , and portillo , with intent to reliev torrelobaton , if possible , although they were but weak in foot , and the enemie had great store , and very good . first they sent out two troops of hors to discover the order and strength of the enemie's camp , with whom they had som slight skirmishes . this daie iohn de padilla wasted in raising a new batterie , and planting his artillerie , but hee found that p●rt of the town no less strong then the former , so that hee could do no execution ; but on the morrow ( which was the third daie of his beeing there ) hee removed his ordnance to another part of the wall , which was weaker , where hee made som breaches , which those of valladolid and toledo spying , ran presently hurrying without order to enter ; the dispute continued very hot a great while ; but the besieged behaved themselvs so gallantly , that they were forced to retreat with no smal loss . the same daie the earl of haro , captain general , having left a sufficient guard in tordesillas , marched out to face the enemie , with a matter of a thousand lances , intending to give the alarm on one side of the town , whil'st the governor don francisco ossorio , lord of valdonquillo carried in a fresh suppli● of souldiers on the other . hee desired of the lord admiral that they might bee horsmen , but the earl of haro thought that not so convenient , hee having more need of the cavalrie for the field-battle : beeing com within sight of the town in the evening , they staied upon the top of a hill , whence the earl sent a partie of his hors to skirmish with som arcabusiers , ( who beeing betwixt the besieged , and the mud-walls , stood much to their advantage ) but seeing his men cruelly galled , and able to do no good there , hee commanded they should retreat to the bodie , which was still upon the hill expecting don francisco ossorio to put in execution their intended design : but whil'st they were thus staying , arrived a gentleman with a letter from the lord admiral , to the earl of haro , saying , that hee might return again , for hee had notice since , that there was no such need of putting any succor into torrelobaton , for there was already strength sufficient to defend it ; notwithstanding this countermand , divers gentlemen offered to go into the town ; but it could not bee attempted , the lord admiral having forbidden the ladders to bee brought , which were agreed upon . so it behoved the earl to go back again that night to tordesillas , without bringing his purpose to effect , to satisfie the lord admiral , who ( as it afterwards proved ) was very much over-seen therein : but som say , hee was angrie becaus the earl of haro did not follow his advice in the prosecution of that design . iohn de padilla beeing alarmed by these thousand hors , and finding that hee had not force enough for the offensive and defensive both , sent presently to valladolid for more . upon receipt of his letter , three thousand foot , and four hundred hors were ordered to march to the armie at torrelobaton , vvho vvent vvith as good a will to fight , as if they had gon to gain the iubilee . on saturday febr. they arrived in the suburbs , to the no less rejoicing and encouragement of the besiegers , then the dis-heartening and terror of the besieged ; who sent to the lord admiral , complaining very much of valladolid , saying , that onely that citie ●id them all the mischief . sunday , munday , and tuesday they battered incessantly with all their ordnance , and very many were killed on both sides : a man could not peep above the wall , but hee had presently a bullet , or an arrow in his head : yet the cavaliers stood out manfully ; but beeing not above four hundred foot , and som few hors , they were not able to defend themselvs , and w●thstand the continual assaults of the enemie , having no intermission nor time to take any rest , besides provisions began to fail them . iohn de padilla having raised several batteries against the town , at last one of them made a breach , where ( whil'st the besieged were defending themselvs in another part of the town ) those of valladolid entred with their colors ; they sacked the town with the greatest crueltie in the world : they killed the poor laboring men , becaus they could not give them what they demanded , spilled all their wines , breaking the tubs in pieces ; they plundered the churches , stript the altars , and broke open the tombs , thinking to finde som hidden treasure therein . finally they did such things , that the most savage bruits , who have not the use of reason , could not do wors , respecting neither humane things nor divine . next daie beeing wednesdaie , they fell to battering of the tower , which defended it self stoutly , but beeing full of women and children that had retired themselvs thither for securitie ( who feeling it shake at everie shot that hit it ) cried out , fearing it would fall upon their heads , and having nothing to eat , it was surrendered upon condition to secure all their lives , and half their goods . thus iohn d● padilla took torrelobaton , which was no inconsiderable piece of service ▪ hereby hee gained himself much reputation amongst the common-people , it beeing but three leagues from tordesillas , where the governors , with all their forces , were . the towns which stood for the commonaltie , made great shews of rejoicing for this victorie . the lord admiral , and those that were with him , were cruelly netled hereat , and beeing vexed more for their honor's sake , then for the importance of the place , they resolved to bee revenged . so they gave notice forthwith to the lord high constable of all passages , who commanded immediately four thousand men ( which hee had ready ) with four pieces of ordnance , to march by the waie of palencia to tordesillas , whereof don iohn de mendoça having intelligence , sallied out of valladolid with above four thousand foo● , and stopt their passage . t●e cavaliers seeing they could get no succor that waie , nor having men enough in tordesillas to encounter iohn de padilla , who was very strong , besides all the cities beeing their enemies , they sent to demand a truce for eight daies of iohn de padilla , which although he , and som of the commissioners that were with him , were not unwilling to grant , yet they durst not , without consulting with valladolid ; for in regard they stood in great need of that citie , and were very much favored and assisted by them , they bare them a singular respect , and would determine nothing without their privitie . this was communicated to all the people of valladolid , and discussed ; at length they all agreed to return this answer , that they should by no means grant them any truce , no , not for one hour , but proceed against them with all manner of rigor ; for it was most certain , that they demanded a truce for nothing els , but meerly to recruit themselvs of men and provisions , to the prejudice of the commonaltie ; and if they did grant them eight or fifteen daies libertie , by the ancient law of the kingdom they might renew their cessation still to ninetie and six daies , and so from ninetie six to ninetie six , until the year were out ; by which procrastinations , the commonalties would bee destroied and ruined , and the people lose their courage and good zeal , which at present did animate them to defend their liberties : yet notwithstanding valladolid sent this answer , the commissioners of the kingdom , and the commanders of the armie did grant the truce for eight daies , from sunday to sundaie . sect . xxxix . this cessation was demanded after the taking of torrelobaton , although that much displeased the lord admiral , and fray francisco de los angeles went to valladolid , in his and the cardinal's name , to treat thereof , whom alonso de vera a bridler and one of the worshipful citie officers , meeting at the gate del campo , treated very uncivilly , and would not suffer to enter into the citie . after this , alonso de ortiz , with danger enough of his life , ventured to return thither , with letters of credence to treat about the same business . who beeing entred into the citie , communicated his errand to don pedro de ayala , and don hernando de ulloa , ( whom hee found died in grain for his purpose ) and forth with they gave order , that the iunta should assemble to hear the message that alonso de ortiz brought from tordesillas . which beeing heard , and the articles and conditions of the truce being almost concluded , and the time for the continuance thereof limited ; it chanced that fray pablo and sancho zimbron ( who ●arried the articles of the kingdom into flanders , to get them granted and au●horized by his majestie , as hath been alreadie mentioned ) arrived at valladolid : and hearing that they were about a treatie of cessation of arms , fray pablo presently sent notice of his arrival to the iunta , desiring them that they would not conclude of either peace , or war , or truce ; until hee came to give them an account of the employment , upon which they had sent him into flanders . hereupon that business was suspended until the evening : and then the commissioners of the kingdom beeing set againe , fray pablo came and gave them an account of his journie , and what hee had done . amongst other relations , hee told them , that when hee came into flanders , the emperor was gon into germanie , whither hee and sancho zimbron intended to follow him ; but by the waie hee was informed that his majestie had given order ( if they came into germanie ) to have them hanged ; whereupon they went no further . moreover , that hee knew that his majestie was so displeased with those articles , and so incensed against those that had a●y hand in the making of them , or in raising those commotions in the kingdom , that at his return into spain , they should bee all severely punished , notwithstanding any engagement or promises the governors had made to the contrarie in his name . this information the frier gave the commissioners of the kingdoms , besides divers other particulars , which are too tedious to relate . in conclusion , hee told them that his advice was , that they should contract neither peace nor truce with the grandees , but stand firm and unanimously persevere in their former resolution . so that if his majestie would com again into their kingdom , 〈◊〉 might bee through their means , and not by the grandees . for that beeing done by a permissive will of the kingdom , they might make their own conditions , and have what securitie they pleased ; besides , they might so make their bargain , that if his majestie did not perform his agreement with them , the kingdom might remain united and agreed , that all the people should assemble whensoever occasion did require , and stick close one to the other in what concerned them for their defence , and have sufficent assurance that the agreement made with them should bee performed . wherefore his opinion was , that they ought not onely , not to grant the truce which was desired , but couragiously to persist in the war , until they had destroyed the grandees , and made the commissioners of the kingdom with the iunta , lords of the countrie . notwithstanding this discours of fray pablo , the commissioners commanded ortiz to continue the treatie . after all this , it hapned that the frier sitting next to ortiz , and taking him to bee a commissioner of som citie , that was com to the iunta since his departure , hee began to repeat som thing of his discours to the other commissioners , but chiefly harped upon the emperor's intent to punish the commoners , notwithstanding any pardon the governors should promise them in his behalf . whereupon , not well brooking his speeches , ortiz asked him how hee knew the emperor had any such thought : hee answered hee was told so . then ortiz could hold no longer , but with a voice that might bee heard by all in the room , said , that hee wondred that a man of his coat and gravitie , beeing a doctor of divinitie , who ought to give good example , should positively saie a thing of such importance ( as that which hee had verified to those gentlemen in these words , ( that notwithstanding any pardon the gavernors should grant , confirmed by his majestie , those who had raised the commotions in the kingdom , his majestie would punish at his return , as if they had been taken in the fact ) upon no other certaintie , but onely hear-saie ; in regard those words were enough to disturb and hinder the conclusion of the truce , which might produce a peace , and those of his dignitie and profession ought rather to endeavour to make peace , when other hopes failed , then to hinder and obstruct the means of procuring it . the frier hearing this , was very wrath , and asked who hee was ; it beeing told him that ortiz was the man that sollicited for the truce in behalf of the cavaliers , hee stole out of the iunta . ortiz staied still , treating with the commissioners about the conditions of the truce . in mean time fray pablo went to som of the citie , telling them that they had suffered a traitor to com in amongst them , whom the grandees had sent under the notion of treating a truce , to espie what was done in the citie , and to sound the people's inclinations : that in his opinion they ought to turn him out of the citie , or apprehend him , and make him confess the principal caus of his coming thither . presently the commoners , in whose heads hee had buzz'd these things , went along with him to the iunta , all armed , and boldly rushed into the chamber where they sate , asking them very peremptorily , why they suffered a traitor to com into the citie , to spie and make advantage of their proceedings ; requiring the commissioners forthwith to discharge him the ci●ie , otherwise they would apprehend him and make him give them an account of his business there ; other high language and threatnings they used , which put ortiz in a bodily fear . the co●missioners with smooth and flattering words pacified them in such sort , that they went quietly awaie . which done , ortiz thus spake unto them , gentlemen , if becaus i came hither upon your words and assurance to treat of the truce , this stir and combustion hath been rais●d , rather then the people shall turn mee out of the citie , i will depart : but if you pleas to treat further of the business , for which i have undertaken this journie , and will promiss as you are gentlemen to secure and defend mee , notwithstanding their menaces , i will staie until all bee concluded . those of the junta answered , that they were contented , and gave him their words , upon the faith of gentlemen , to defend him . so the treatie went on , and they stirr'd not from the place until the conditions were all concluded , whereof a copie was given to ortiz , inclosed with the conditions and articles , besides a particular dispatch from the iunta general , and the particular iunta of valladolid to their captains , then beeing at torrelobaton , giving them to understand , that they had agreed unto that truce , and commanding them to obeie it , and caus it to bee proclaimed in their armie , verbatim as it was there written . with these dispatches departed ortiz post from valladolid , after eleven of the clock in the night , and arrived at torrelobaton about one ; where hee found neither in the camp , nor in the town , any guard ; so hee entred into the suburbs with his servants , where two thousand men laie fast asleep about their fires , so careless , that two hundred men , falling upon them at that time , had been enough to have destroied the whole armie . ortiz lost no time , but forthwith hee notified to iohn de padilla , and other commanders , the orders for the truce . that same night , and next morning , they all assembled , and although there were som dissenting opinions amongst them , and difficulties of either accepting or keeping it , especially beeing contradicted highly by diego de guzman , commissioner of salamanca , who , by command of the iunta , came into the armie , under notion of beeing the general 's overseer . at length the truce was accepted and proclaimed in the armie ; whereof ortiz taking certificate , departed presently for tordesillas , where hee was joifully received by the lord admiral and the cardinal , with the rest of the grandees , who all were very glad of that truce , as thinking it the precursor of the so generally desired peace . the same night being assembled in the cardinal's chamber , the lord admiral , the earl of venavente , the marquis of astorga , the earl of miranda , the earl of alva de lista , the earl of villarrambla , the earl of cifuentes , and divers other private gentlemen , besides iuan rodriquez mausino , embassador from the king of portugal , el licenciado polanca of the council , and pedro de camaceli secretarie ; before them all ortiz related the troubles which hee had gon through , and produced the dispatches which hee brought concerning the truce , wherein those of the junta said , that they were contented to condescend to the truce , which was desired in the behalf of the governors of the kingdom , in order to the service of god , and becaus the king of portugal had so commanded it : the nobles were much distasted hereat , saying , they would not consent to the truce upon such terms ; that they were not so ill provided , as that the commoners should think they had any advantage of them : that they were ready to give them battle whensoever they would , and that the truce should not bee accepted nor proclaimed in their armie , unless those words were altered . hereupon were different opinions and votes ; at last it was resolved that ortiz should go back to valladolid , to treat thereupon . som daies were spent whil'st this was in agitation , during which time neither the truce was well observed , neither was there open war. whereupon the commonalties , especially valladolid , were highly discontented , and went muttering out their complaints in these or the like words , that their captains having raised themselvs to such high offices , did but dallie and grew negligent of the caus ; that the cav●liers did amuse them in trifling away the time in treaties , onely to recruit and strengthen themselvs , and fall upon them when they saw their advantage ; in which opinion they were not much mistaken . sect . xl. don pedro lasso , and alonso de guadalaxara 〈◊〉 ●●●sioner of segovia , were all this time at the mo●●●●● 〈…〉 dominicans , without tordesillas , treating of peace ●●th the ●●●dinal and lord admiral . but upon the taking and sacking of torrelobaton , the lord admiral beeing very much displeased , the treatie was broken off for a while ; yet out of the great desire hee had to see the kingdom settled , hee fell to treat again of the peace . and beeing agreed upon som articles , it was the general opinion of them , that the cessation would conduce much to the conclusion of the rest ; for the better and more speedy effecting whereof , divers prelates and good religious men came from several parts to ass●●t at the treatie . the governors and noblemen condescended to the greatest part , and most important of the articles , which the commonalties desired , and the peace was in a fair waie of beeing concluded ; but the commoners were so mistrustful , that they could not agree about the securitie : the governors and grandees offered to oblige their persons and estates to procure the emperor's approbation and confirmation of their agreement with the people , besides other very fair propositions which the king of portugal's embassador did much incite the commoners to accept : but they would have the grandees engage themselvs to demand it by force of arms , in case the emperor should denie to ratifie their conditions and promises to the people , delivering them som principal persons as hostages , and certain forts ( then in their hands ) as pledges of their performance thereof . insomuch that t●eir standing upon such terms , destroied absolutely all hopes and probabilitie of peace . yet hoping that time might produce som better effect , it was resolved before the truce was fully expired , to procure a prorogation or a renewing of it ; to vvhich effect the embassador of portugal , and don pedro lasso , taking som grave religious men vvith them , the last daie of the truce vvent to torrelobaton , and gave john de padilla , and the other captains , an account of all passages ; who , whether not willing , or not having the power to grant their desires , agreed ( although the truce was out ) to go to zaratan ; where those of the junta assembled to treat thereupon . but they were so high , and fearing thereby to lose their great offices , especially the commanders of the armie , that they could agree upon neither peace nor truce , although som of the iunta did give their votes for it , whereof don pedro lasso de la vega was the leading man , who from that time forwards left them , withdrawing himself from that assemblie , and went to the governors at tordesillas . thus the truce and treaties came to nothing , onely this benefit they produced , that in those eight daies time iohn de padilla lost a good part of his armie ; for those souldiers , who had gotten monie , or any good plunder at the sacking of torrelobaton , the passages beeing free and secure during the truce , went home to their own dwellings ; the like did divers of the hors of the antient guards of the kingdom , becaus they were not paied . after this there was another assemblie at bamba , whither iohn de padilla was sent for , who beeing com , they all agreed to sit at zaratan . thither repaired divers from valladolid on hors-back and on foot , to small purpose : the grandees demanded truce for eight daies more , or for three ; but the commoners would by no means give consent thereunto , alleging that they would deceiv them : then they went to dinner , but beeing ready to sit down , iohn de padilla had notice , that they had a design to murther him , whereupon , without staying to eat or drink , away went hee to torrelobaton , and the rest to tordesillas . sect . xli . by this time don antonio de zun̄iga had on foot a complete armie in the kingdom of toledo , in favor of his majesties loial servants , and to reduce ocan̄a , which with other places of the maestrazgo of santjago was risen up in arms : and beeing at almaguer , the gardian of st iuan de los reyes of toledo came to him with certain admonitions and treaties from that citie , and commonaltie thereof , insomuch that there was a kinde of truce betwixt them , and probabilities of a peaceable accommodation : but it fell out otherwise , and their difference grevv to an open war , the bishop of zamora beeing made captain for ocan̄a , and other revolted places , against don antoni . sect . xlii . in some papers which i have seen originals of fray antonio de guevaua , chronicler to his imperial majestie , concerning the commonalties , hee mention's that the town of duen̄as likewise rose up in arms , and misdemeaned themselvs exceedingly towards the earl and countess of buendia , who making resistance against their furie , the people sent to desire succor from those of the junta . and hee saie's that those of the junta and the commoners also did seem to bee sorrie that those of duen̄as had desobliged the earl , becaus neither hee nor his ladie had expressed any disaffection to the commonalties , and that of secret friends their miscarriage had now made them open enemies . yet seeing that it was of no small concernment to have the town of duen̄as at their devotion , the succor which they demanded , was forthwith sent them from valladolid , to wit , seven hundred foot , pikemen , muskettiers , and cross-bow-men , and all paid for a certain time . for which they returned thanks in a letter to valladolid , wherein they made large expressions and protestations of their firm resolution to serv the emperor , and the commonaltie , with divers other things . sect . xliii . the th of march . both the armies were in ill condition enough , and neither of them could boast of much advantage over the other , according to the information which don pedro luxan commendador mayor of castilla beeing in simancas , did give the emperor ; saying , that in that garrison they stood in want of men ; that john de padilla with the other captains for the commonaltie had taken torrelobaton ; that from tordesillas and other places thereabout , his foot had received some prejudice . that divers of his men had left the camp , as is usual when an armie lie's still without action . that the like was done by the foot in the loyal armie also , but of hors they had a sufficient quantitie . that the armie remaining in torrelobaton , was reported not to exceed two thousand foot , and three hundred hor● . that iohn de padilla and those with him were upon their departure thence , having a great desire to com to simancas , where they presumed at least a thousand more would com to them from valladolid , out of revenge and hatred to those of that garrison , and to secure themselvs from any further dammage . that monie began to grow scarce amongst the commoners , and that their souldiers were ill paid . that the same diseas was amongst the cavaliers , yet they had somwhat salved that sore by the sale of those noblemen's and gentlemen's plate that were in tordesillas , wherewith they had procured monie to give one months paie to the foot , and two to the hors viz. march and april , ( by which time the emperor had written that hee would bee back in flanders and readie to take shipping for spain . ) and that those old souldiers which came from los gelves , came every daie , by two and three at a time , into the cavaliers armie , and gave out that the rest would all go neer to follow them . finis libri quinti . the civil wars of spain . the sixth book . sect . i. the passions seated in the souls of men are in effect not unlike to the recoverie of a bodie out of some desperate sickness : for any the least excess cast's the affected partie into a relapse , and by an untimely precipitation hurrieth him into the sepulchre . the cavaliers and the commoners did not treat with that realtie as they ought : some made a fair shew , and seemed to desire a peace , though they were best contented with the war , for divers particular interests which they did receiv thereby . others dissembled ( though not altogether ) and the most part of those ( which were called commoners ) were prepossessed with a diffident and distrustful humor , holding for uncertain and onely pretences , all the conditions that were offred them on the behalf of his majestie and the cavaliers . whilest they were in a treatie during the eight daies of truce , two things hapned which destroyed all the impostume or poison wherewith their hearts were swoln , bursting out into the disorders which in this book shall bee related , and shall conclude this deplorable historie . insomuch that the clouds , which hung over castilla , threatning a cruel storm , were all dissipated in one short and not bloodie battle betwixt the cavaliers and the commoners , in the plain of villalar , the success whereof struck such remors of conscience into the people's hearts , and the cities acknowledging their errors , returned to their obedience unto him , whom god had given them for their king , serving and loving him , as shall bee ●een hereafter . during the fore-mentioned occurrences , francisco de mercado , corregidor of medina del campo , with twentie hors ( which in those daies were called esquiers ) and other persons , who by command of the iunta were coming to valladolid , at the pass over the river duero ( which is two leagues from valladolid and one from simancas ) they were encountred by a partie of one hundred and fiftie light-hors of the earl of on̄ate's , who were going to seek adventures : four of those of medina were killed upon the place ; francisco de mercado , the master of the ordnance , and two more were taken prisoners , and carried to simancas . notice hereof beeing given at valladolid , they sent out a strong partie to rescue them but it was too late ; and the corregidor of medina ( who was immediatly released again ) hindred them somwhat , for meeting with them hee told them , they might go back again , for the business was nothing ; but afterwards knowing the truth of the storie , they apprehended the corregidor of medina for a suspicious person , laying to his charge the loss of those men , and would have executed him presently , but upon more serious consideration they held it best to dissemble and forbear a while , lest they should thereby indanger the lives of those that were prisoners at simancas . so they sent first to demand them , making great complaints , that during the truce they should commit such acts of hostilitie , and break their words with them : but they found no amends . sect . ii. that which chiefly incensed the mindes of all the commonaltie was , that before the time of the truce was exspired , there was set up ( they knew not by whom ) in the market place of valladolid , a proclamation made and signed by the governors of the kingdom , wherein they named divers citizens of valladolid , toledo , salamanca , madrid , guadalaxara , murcia , segovia , toro , zamora , and all the rest of the commonalties , to the number of five hundred persons , and som gentlemen , declaring them traitors , violaters of their faith to god and their king , and calling the bishop , and iohn de padilla , and other officers of the commonaltie , treacherous enemies to his majestie . this was dispatched in burgos , and proclaimed with great solemnitie before anton gallo , chancellor and secretarie of his majestie 's council then at burgos , and divers other persons of note . the names of the parties mentioned beeing very many , and that importing little or nothing to the substance of the historie , i shall not trouble the reader therewith . sect . iii. valladolid , in revenge of this proclamation , set up against them , and the rest of the commonalties , the next daie after it was found in the market place , they pasted upon the door of santa maria church ( which is now the cathedral ) a paper , with a direction to the citie of valladolid , animating them to persevere in their holie purpose , and not to bee intimidated for any practices of the enemies , or bee troubled at their reviling them with such opprobrious terms , and encouraging all those of the commonaltie to make all forces possible , and march speedily into the field with so numerous an armie , that the sight of them onely should serv to overcom their enemies without fighting , by which means they should save the lives of many men , which would bee lost , if their armies met with equal strength , besides the hazard to which they should expose their caus. and if they were successful , the war would bee at an end , peace and plentie vvould encreas , the libertie and publick good of the kingdom ensue , and the name of traitors remain upon the conquerred , vvho never vvould dare to face them again : this , vvith som other things to the same effect , vvas the substance of that paper , vvhich the common people read vvith great content and applaus , crying it up exceedingly , and sending copies of it through the vvhole kingdom . sect . iv. padilla's staying so long at torrelobaton was very prejudicial to the commonalties ; for besides that hee lost many men , hee gave the cavaliers time to recruit and strengthen themselvs notably , whereas questionless if hee had fallen upon tordesillas assoon as hee had taken in torrelobaton , hee had driven them to extraordinarie straits . but he remained there hugging himself with that small victorie , and the applaus of the people , which hee had thereby procured : hee fell to repairing the walls which hee had battered down , as if hee intended to make that the seat and residence of his armie , which lasted not long after . the cities of toro and zamora sent him som fresh supplies , whereof the cavaliers having notice , they sent out a partie of seven hundred lances to cut off their waie , and their lives too , if they could ; near pedrosa they met , and after a prettie hot skirmish , the cavaliers forced them into the town , where they besieged them close ; but iohn de padilla having notice of his men's distress , soon came to reliev them with three thousand foot , and five hundred hors , leaving a sufficient guard in torrelobaton : whom when the cavaliers saw with so great force , they made their retreat good to tordesillas ; and iohn de padilla marched with his men to castromonte ( another town of the lord admiral 's ) and having taken it , left a garrison in it , and thence returned to torrelobaton , intending to exspect the succor for which hee had sent to the cities of his combination ; in the mean time hee repaired and fortified the town , ( as i said before ) lest the cavaliers of tordesillas should fall upon him before the forces hee exspected were com to him . there hee began to be sensible of his own ill government , and of the dammage which hee received by his too great confidence , which soon after hee more plainly saw , to the loss of his libertie and life . for it is a blindeness and imperfection of a man's intellect to thrust himself upon imploiments beyond the reach of his capacitie , and having undertaken them , to bee r●miss in the execution of them . to bee the occasion of any troubles or disturbance in a common-wealth is not justifiable , but beeing once ingaged , it is an act of prudence for a man to bee vigilant and active in the atchievment of his design . sect . v. it were unjust that the great zeal wherewith the lord high admiral of castilla was moved to reduce the people of that kingdom ( which were up in arms ) by fair means and without bloodshed , to peace and due obedience to his majestie , should pass without mentioning , for the eternal memorie of so noble a person , and the honor of his generous familie , who ( as it is well known ) was of the blood roial . having advertisment that don̄a maria pacheco mendoça , wife to iohn de padilla , had a great hand with her husband , and might contribute much to the withdrawing him from that imployment , nay , that hee had done the more by her instigation and spurring him on . and that pedro lopez de padilla , his father , was yet living in toledo , but very old and decrepit ; the lord admiral sent a gentleman , one of the emperor's servants to them , with instructions full of prudent and sage counsels and advice , and strong arguments to convince and persuade them to induce iohn de padilla to moderate his over-violent passion , and admit of a treatie with him , advising him not to bee so extreme careful and earnest in advancing the affairs of valladolid , as to forget his own , assuring him that if hee would ( as then it was in his power ) but contribute his consent to the concluding of a peace , hee would not onely procure a pardon from his majestie of all past-offencers , but set him highly in his esteem , and obtein divers favors and mercedes to bee confirmed upon him and his children . these , and divers other good remonstrances hee gave alonso de quin̄ones to urge at toledo , to the above-named persons ; but hee might gave saved that labor . sect . vi. those of the iunta , hearing of the great power which the earl of salvatierra had assembled in the mountains , wherewith hee had possessed himself of the artillerie , which was coming from navarra to the cavaliers , and of the forces which the bishop of zamora had in the kingdom of toledo , besides those which were with iohn de padilla , had their hearts at eas , thinking their game cock-sure . moreover , divers of the kingdom , who had look'd on till then , seeing the grandees so hard bestead , took up arms to make good the caus of the commonaltie . and had things been as those of the commonaltie could have wished , they would have had partakers and abettors enough . but there is no law in this life for the good , or the evil to overcom , or bee overcom ; for favorable , or an advers fortune . yet seeing themselvs in so good a condition , and highly resenting the proclamation which was published by the governors , against them and the cities , they resolved to paie them in the same coin . they fulminated a process as they pleased themselvs , and having commanded a great scaffold to bee erected in the chief market-place of valladolid , adorning it with hangings of rich cloth of gold and silk , and steps and seats placed in good order , on sundaie the of march , , all the commissioners of the iunta , and deputies , with a great number of attendants , and sound of trumpets , drums , and other musick , came and seated themselvs upon it : before them went the kings at arms , with the maces and coats of the kingdom , and beeing placed in their throne , their attornie general read with a loud voice . that they had made a process against the admiral and constable of castilla , the earl of venavente , earl of haro , earl of alva de lista , earl of salinas , ma●quis of astorga , the bishop of astorga , against the secretaries and other officers of the evil council ( for so they termed his majestie 's council ) and against the high treasurers , and under treasurers ; the merchants , and other inhabitants of burgos , tordesillas , ●imancas , and other places , declaring them traitors , and breakers of the truce , expressing divers reasons , especially the burning of medina del campo , with the cruel and inhumane sacking of tordesillas , wherein they alleged , the cavaliers shewed neither respect to god , nor his saints , nor the person of the queen , who was present ; and that two souldiers , without fear of god or their own consciences , broke into a church , and stript the image of our ladie , and cut off one of her arms , for greediness of som gold which there was upon it . that som others took away the custodia , whereof one eat up the consecrated hostia . they ripped up a thousand more such like things , which i shall now omit to rehears . thus our spaniards treat●d each other , beeing all of the same nation and language ; and yet all this was for their king's service , ( as they pretended ) and to free the kingdom from tyrants . sect . vii . after this , the war grew very hot , and their passions on both sides implacable , and no daie passed without some sallying out of the garrisons to robb and spoil each other . som companies of musketiers having notice of provisions and munition that was carrying to tordesillas , marched out of torrelobaton to intercept them . whereof the earl of haro beeing informed , took a stout partie of hors with him , and gave such a hot charge to iohn de padilla's men , that hee left divers of them dead upon the place , and took one hundred and fiftie prisoners , which so scared the rest , that they never durst quatch afterwards , nor make any incursions upon his territories , as when they came first thither they boasted they would do . those of medina del campo , roving in like manner on the other side , the earl of haro with all the nobles and gentrie in tordesillas ( except the lord admiral , whom in respect of his age and charge of governor , they desired to staie with the queen ) went one daie purposely to face it , and scour the whole countrie about it , at whose appearing , those of the town sallied forth and skermished with them , in which encounter some of them were sorely wounded , others taken prisoners , amongst whom was alonso luys de quintanilla their captain , son to don luys quintanilla , to whom ( as is alreadie said ) those of the iunta committed the charge of her majestie , when they took tordesillas . iohn de padilla having intelligence from some inhabitants of tordesillas , of the earl of haro's grand sallie . determined with his armie to assault it in his absence , and put the governors to a rout , and some report , that hee had a promiss from those inhabitants to make one of the gates for him : which beeing told the lord admiral , and that iohn de padilla was alreadie upon his march , hee sent word immediately to the earl of haro , who lost no time after this notice , but with all his gallant partie came thundring back to tordesillas ; which iohn de padilla perceiving , hee durst not prosecute his design , but wheeled back to his garrison of torrelobaton . after this , they remained some daies prettie quiet , without any encounter or action considerable . for , by reason of iohn de padilla's obstinate resolution of staying in torrelobaton , his armie was so diminished , that hee had not men enough left to make a sallie of any consequence . wherefore hee sent to salamanca , toro , zamora , and other cities , demanding fresh supplies . on the other side , the governors agreed to put in effect what they had discussed amongst themselvs , which was , that the lord high constable coming from burgos with his forces , they should all joyn in one bodie , and make up an armie sufficient to encounter iohn de padilla , in case hee should take the field , ( the succors which hee exspected beeing arrived ) or to besiege him where hee was : for beeing divided , they could not attempt either of those enterprises , without danger and a doubtfulness of the success , neither indeed had they strength enough to perform either design , considering they must leav a competent garrison in tordesillas . according to this resolution , the lord high constable , & other noblemen , with the forces they brought w th them to burgos , prepared themselvs for the journie . the duke of naxara , then vice-roy of navarra , sent him a thousand old souldiers , and som artillerie , which with his own men , and those other noblemen's with him , made three thousand choice foot , and five hundred gallant hors , well armed , besides som gentlemen , and light horsmen , and besides those which hee sent before with don diego de sarmiento earl of salinas , and those which his nephew don pedro xuarez de velasco carried to subdue the merindades . with these forces marched the lord high constable from burgos , leaving the citie under the government and guard of don antonio de velasco earl of nieva , with a competent number of men to that purpose . iohn de padilla , and the other captains of the commonaltie , having notice hereof , sent presently to the town of vezerril ( which is in campos ) where he was to pass , advertising and requiring don iohn de figueroa , brother to the duke of arcos , ( who still followed the commonaltie with som cuirassiers , and light horsmen , then beeing at vezerril ) to defend the pass , and do the lord high constable what disturbance and mischief hee could : but hee beeing arrived , commanded his men to storm the town , which was done , and hee entred without any great difficultie , it beeing a place of no considerable strength . don iohn de figueroa , and another gentleman with him , called don iohn de luna , were sent prisoners to the castle of burgos ; which done , the lord high constable continued on his march to rioseco , where hee arrived with four thousand foot , six hundred hors , three or four great pieces of ordnance , about five hundred gascones , and six hundred moors of the kingdom of aragon , vassals to the earl of almenara , wherewith hee served the cavaliers . sect . viii . the cavaliers had so plaied their cards in the kingdom of aragon , that two thousand souldiers were raised in the citie of saragosa , and paied at the kingdom 's charge ; who beeing mustered , and ready to depart , the common people of the citie hearing that they were levyed in favor of the cavaliers against the commonalties of castilla ; there was such a hubbub and uproar of a sudden in the citie , that all the people fell unawars upon those souldiers , disarmed and routed them quite , saying , that aragon had nothing to do to meddle or contradict any thing concerning the liberties of castilla . don pedro giron , who was retired to a town of his named pen̄afiel , gave intelligence of the raising of these men , to those of the commonaltie , and that a great part of them , after they were disarmed , marched to the lord high constable at burgos , whom upon this notice , they saie , the earl of salvatierra did cut off by the waie , which was a thing of no great difficultie , considering in what ill equipage and condition they then were . don pedro said moreover , that hee sent them this advertisement , meerly out of a desire to express his readiness to serv the commonalties , and the citie of valladolid , telling them , that it would not bee amiss to send their acknowledgments and thanks to saragosa , for doing them so great a favor without beeing desired . hee wrote another letter to valladolid immediately after hee had deserted them , and relinquished the office of captain general , vindicating himself of the suspitions and fault wherewith they charged him , offering to return unto his command , and desiring them to bee favorable in their censure , until they knew further : whereupon som gave their votes for his returning to his charge , alleging , that although hee had committed an error , and in probabilitie not unwillingly , in marching to villapando , and leaving the waie clear for the cavaliers to go from rioseco to tordesillas , the fault was chiefly to bee derived upon don pedro lasso . but iohn de padilla had gained so much repute amongst them , and the common people , that most of the iunta disliked that proposition : and it was better for don pedro giron they did so , for it was a stain to the greatness of his birth to bee captain of such people . sect . ix . before i com to relate the end which befell iohn de padilla and the iunta's armie , the several passages and exploits of the bishop of zamora present themselvs unto my pen. when hee marched from valladolid , by the iunta's order , hee gave out that hee went to take possession of the arch-bishoprick of of toledo , then vacant by the death of guillermo de crouij , nephew to monsieur de xeures . hee carried with him an hand●om armie of both foot and hors , with five field-pieces . in toledo hee was very well received , and the citie furnished him with more men and artillerie , from alcala de henares hee took six pieces more , so that hee had in all fifteen pieces of ordnance . don antonio de zun̄iga his adversarie was likewise very strong , having at least six thousand foot , and proportionable number of hors , besides divers gentlemen that were com to assist him . amongst whom don pedro de guzman , a valiant young gentleman ( whom his majestie made the first earl of olivares ) was chiefly taken notice of for his good service . i have already mentioned how the dutchess of medina sidonia , don̄a leonora de zun̄iga , by her masculine courage and resolution , appeased the disorders and insurrection which don iohn de figueroa attempted to rais in sevilla : since which , hearing of the commotions in the kingdom of toledo , and that her brother don antonio de zun̄iga , prior of san iuan , was engaged in the suppressing of them , shee pick'd out a thousand of her choicest foot , and an hundred hors , with six field-pieces , all at the duke , her eldest son's charges , and sent don pedro de guzman , her third son with them , to the end , in don antonio de zuniga , his unkle's companie , hee should give testimonie of his valor and fidelitie to the emperor , against those revolters . don diego de caravajal , lord of todar , and his brother don alonso , came likewise to assist don antonio in this expedition with a reasonable number of men . with all which forces the prior marched out of almaguer toward ocan̄a , thinking to reduce it to his majesties subjection either by force or composition . the bishop of zamora , who had no less forces with him , put his armie in a posture to encounter him , and both came into the field with a full determination to fight , which som devout religious men grieving for the loss that both parties were like to sustein , endeavored by many pious remonstrances and persuasions to divert , but all they could obtein was a truce for three daies . the event of these armies is diversly related by two several autors , whom i chiefly follow in this narration ; the one saith , that the bshop having put the prior to flight , and routed his armie , remained master of the field , but was sorely wounded in two places . the other , pero mexia , reporteth , that during the treatie , som scattering souldiers of antonio's armie beeing engaged with som of the bishop's , one of antonio's foot-captains seeing his men over-match't , without any order from the prior , charged the bishop's men with his whole companie , & so both parties seeking to favor and rescue their own men , at last the whole armies were both engaged , and had a furious battle , wherein divers were wounded and kill'd on both sides ; at last the bishop's men being worsted , began to shew their heels , and the execution had been much greater if the night had not separated them , leaving the victorie and glorie of the daie to antonio's men ; the darknes of the night befriended the bishop very much in his escape , and divers of his men , who fled to ocania : but hee made no long staie there , beeing informed that hee was pursued by don antonio , and that the town was upon terms of yielding to him ; so the bishop beeing gon to toledo , within three daies ocania was surrendred to don antonio for the emperor , upon conditions of pardon for their former disobedience , and they received him with great solemnitie and acts of submission . after which don antonio's armie increased daily with fresh supplies , which hee quartered in all the frontiers and towns adjacent to toledo , continuing the war against the toledians . don iohn de ribera did the like on the other side of the river tagus . sect . x. amongst other transactions in this war , the expedition of the town of mora was the most remarkable , and the most desastrous that yet hath been related : it was thus , the inhabitants of that town beeing inclined to the interest of the commonaltie , rose up in arms , and so continued a certain time ; but seeing the power and victorious proceedings of don antonio , they capitulated with him , and promised obedience to his majestie , ( yet so little constancie there is amongst the vulgar ) after their agreement , they revolted again , declaring for the commonaltie , as before : and not contented with this , seeing one of antonio's captains pass by the town , with som sheep and other cattle , which hee had taken in the confines of toledo , they sallied out to the number of three hundred men , and rescued the prize , forcing him to flie : whereupon , the next daie don diego de caravajal , who was quartered two leagues thence at almonacid , marching out with his hors , joined with don hernando de robledo , who had the command of som foot companies , whom don antonio , at the instance and persuasion of diego lopez de avalos , commendador of mora , had sent to keep them in aw , and make them stand to their conditions ; who advancing toge●her to the very walls of the town , ( which the inhabitants had made as strong as they could ) summoned them to deliver it for his majestie , and give them a peaceable entrance : but they sturdily refused , calling them traitors , and reviling them in base injurious terms , accompanied with many musket shots , and arrows . don hernando de robledo , and those with him , enraged at this uncivil treatment , entred the town by storm , and forced the inhabitants to retreat to the great church , wherein they had put all their wives and children , having fortified it , as they could , and dammed up all the doors but one , which , though open , was barrocadoed lustily , and in it they had planted two fawkenets , with som barrels of powder for their defens . don hernando beeing com thither with his men , required those that made good the church to submit ; whereunto they answered with a shot from one of their guns , which killed a corporal of h●s : whereat his souldiers growing desperate , without any order or command , presently fetched a great quantitie of sprey , or bavins , which they heaped against the other doors , and set fire to them , thinking when the doors were burned down , to enter into the church . but the fire coming to the barrels and the tubs wherewith the doors were barrocadoed on the inside , made such a blaze , that the timber of the church taking fire therewith , all was immediately of a flame ; and the poor people's having no waie out but through the fire , nor any breathing place within the church , were well-nigh all consumed ; at least three thousand persons lost their lives in that miserable manner , which was very much lamented all the kingdom over . sect . xi . the bishop of zamora was not idle all this while , hee had as great a fire , in a manner , as this , within himself . hee went to toledo disguised , and alone , having left his men two or three leagues off the citie , but beeing arrived , hee made himself known ; whereupon the people presently flocked to see him with great eagerness , by reason of the high value and esteem which hee had acquired amongst the commonalties . the citie made exceeding demonstrations of joie for his coming thither , and forthwith granted him the administration of the arch-bishoprick , according to his desire , as if they had been popes . in accomplishment whereof , they carried him with great solemnitie to t●e cathedral church , and placed him in the arch-bishop's seat : which act and form of taking possession beeing past , they gave him monie , and a good quantitie of church-plate , wherewith to paie his souldiers . this made him return merrily to his armie , and soon after hee went to reliev avila , which was besieged by don iohn de ribera , before mentioned : which hee did with the loss of manie men on both sides . that done , hee used all means possible to mischief and endammage don antonio's armie , but hee could do him no great harm , hee beeing grown very powerfull , by reason of fresh supplies that daily came in to his assistance , especially by the recruit which his nephew don pedro de guzman , brother to the duke of medina sidonia , brought him . sect . xii . at the same time that the bishop departed from valladolid to the kingdom of toledo , don iohn de mendoça , with seven hundred men , raised and paid by the citie of valladolid , marched to succor duen̄as against the lord high constable , whom they feared would laie siege to that town . but seeing there was no great need of him there , hee went to villacis ( which is a wall'd town and indifferent strong , one league from carrion ) which hee entred by storm and sacked . thus the confusion and ruine of the kingdom grew daily greater and greater , which much perplexed the governors , and grieved all those that were truly zealous for the publick good . yet there was no waie left unattempted to procure a peace , but nothing concluded . the more the cities of the kingdom suffred , the more their hearts were hardned , peremptorily resolving to stand to the rigorous arbitrement of war for the ending of their differences . and valladolid beeing the chief seat of the commonalties , and as it were , the sinewes of the war , all the other places of the kingdom made their addresses to that citie , extolling it to the skies , saying , that was the onely firm piller which supported their holie pretensions , whence they expected the benefi● of their libertie . amongst others , the citie of leon having levied some monies , in order to the iunta's command sent a letter to those of valladolid , highly magnifying the justice and holiness of their caus , thanking and commending them exceedingly for their care and vigilance in the mainteinance and prosecution thereof , and lastly excusing themselvs that they could procure no more monie to send them at that present , promising within short time to rais a more considerable summe for the furtherance of that holie design , and their treasure beeing exhausted , to engage their own persons , with all their friends and allyes in whatsoever they should pleas to command them . sect . xiii . palacios de meneses , a town not far from medina de rioseco , would needs enter into the same brawl with the commoners , and rise up in arms with them . don alonso enriquez bishop of osma , brother to the lord admiral , and the earl don hernando beeing at that time in medina , drew out three thousand foot and one hundred and fiftie hors , with which they marched directly to palacios de meneses , intending to storm and sack it in revenge of that which the commoners had don at torrelobaton . this design beeing discovered , iohn de padilla sent threescore hors into palacios , which otherwaies was not very ill provided , for having the enemie neer them , their continual fear made them the more careful and circumspect . there was within the town neer four hundred inhabitants able to bear arms , all well provided with cross-bows and other weapons : insomuch that when those of rioceco came thither , and required them to let them in , they answered , that their manner of coming was such , that they could not with safe●ie permit them entrance . thereupon the cavaliers bid them send any two of their towns-men to treat with them ; whi●● 〈◊〉 ●●d . but beeing com unto them , they stript them , 〈…〉 ●●em back in their shirts , with threatnings and comm●●●●●●liver the town presently , otherwise they would ●ansack 〈◊〉 ●●●●●oy them utterly . the town not valuing their mena●●●●●●od to their former resolution , and would not admi● them p●●●ing themselvs in a defensive posture , in case they should atte●●● to storm them . the assault was very furious , and the resistance of the assailed no less couragious , killing and wounding ●●ch other without pitie , four hours together : at last , those within beeing fewer in number then the assailers , were forced to quit the walls , which the enemie presently scaled , and placed two colors upon the top , and divers others were following them : but when those of palacios saw themselvs in that extremitie , three hundred cross-bow-men , and many with slings , charged them so thick with stones and arrows , that both the ensigns beeing killed , one fell with his colors within , the other on the out-side of the wall ; so that those of rioseco , seeing so resolute a resistance , were glad to make a fair retreat ; but they first set fire to the gates , which the towns people perceiving , the women brought presently above two hundred great pitchers of vinegar , and the bow-men sent such clouds of arrows amongst them , that they killed ten of their men , and wounded a great number . with this paiment they returned to rioseco , and those of palacios remained very well pleased and satisfied : hereof they presently gave intelligence to iohn de padilla , don iohn de mendoça , captain of the forces of valladolid , and to empudia , desiring ●uccor , les● the enemie , angrie at their ill success in that attempt , should surprise them another time . hereupon those of the iunta commanded don iohn de mendoça to go to palacios . the same night after the assault , came fiftie musketiers from empudia to palacios , so secretly , that they were not discovered by the enemie , who returned the next daie thither , thinking to carrie it , not knowing any thing of the succor which came to them of palacios over-night , which , though it was not much , proved of great importance . those of rioseco fell on de●perately , but the towns-men , with the help of those musketiers , defended themselvs very stoutly , and killed their men so fast , that they were fain to retire with loss : and those of palacios were cried up for gallant men , having repulsed so many enemies two several times , without the loss of one man , they beeing but an handful in comparison , and their town not strong . sect . xiv . thus the confusion and war daily grew more violent in the miserable kingdoms of castilla , toledo , the province of alava , and in the mountains of burgos . in the kingdom of valencia there was nothing but cutting of throats , and robbing one another : and valladolid , seeing the kingdom in so distracted a condition , began to murmure against those that sate at the helm , charging them with the ill managing of the affairs , and that they did nothing but trifle and delaie the time , without knowing when or how to set a period to their miseries : they desired to bring their differences to an end , but chiefly by the conquest of the cavaliers , that they might bee exempted and free'd from such great mischiefs . the fault of not concluding , either by a firm peace , or an open war , they imputed to the commissioners of the kingdom ; who to enrich themselvs , and becaus they would not bee brought to an account of one hundred and fiftie thousand duckets , which they had received , were glad to keep things from a conclusion ; of which valladolid having suffered the most of any place , and which had been at the greatest expences , was most sensible , and did exceedingly lament . to say the truth on both sides , as well of the cavaliers , as of the commonalties , there was trouble and hard measure enough . in montealegre the bishop of osma , and the earl don hernando , put a great number of the toledian souldiers to t●e rout , beeing there with their captains , swaggering and rioting , and never suspecting to bee surprised by the enemie . they killed som of them that made resistance , and carried near two hundred prisoners to rioseco . thus both parties studied to weaken & ruine each other , and betwixt them consumed the whole countrie . iohn de padilla kept his court in torrelobaton , like another annibal in capua . upon a mundaie , the of april , all the people of valladolid rose up in a tumultuous manner , beeing wearied out with those of the iunta , and discontented at their secret and long consultations , without concluding any thing . in this disorder they went seeking them from place to place , beeing fully resolved to turn them out of the citie , or know of them the reason of their delaies ; for the dammage which they daily receiv'd from those of simancas was insufferable . there was no trading at all , every thing grew so excessive dear , that a bushel of wheat was worth eight hundred maravediz . the people flocked in multitudes to the great church , where the deputies , with the captains of the citie , were assembled , with loud voices , and lamentable cries , beseeching them to seek som remedie , for their miserie was insupportable , desiring them moreover , to let them know the reason , why the war was so procrastinated , and urging , that fiftie daies were past without any action of war , neither could their imaginations reach to what they intended . the officers answered them , that the occasion of those demurres was , the often going to , and coming from tordesillas about the treatie of peace with the cavaliers , bidding them return quietly to their houses , and before night they should know particularly all the circumstances and passages of the business . whereupon the people praied them to consider well what they did , and not to let them suffer any further detriment , or bee burthened vvith any more expences , for vvithin less then seven months they had dis-bursed above one hundred thousand and five hundred duckets , besides other charges and losses , which they had sustained beyond number , yet they did grudg none of all this , if they could close up their miseries with peace , or revenge themselvs by war , and that they might bee permitted to fall upon simancas and tordesillas ; for nothing grieved them so much , as that they could not have their wills on them . towards the evening , the people of every ward beeing called together , they were shewed certain articles which two commissioners of the iunta had concluded with the governors , and brought from tordesillas ; the substance of them beeing according to the contents of the general articles of the kingdom , specified at large already , i shall spare to trouble the reader with a second relation . sect . xv. the people having perused these articles , would by no means approve of them , nor consent to any agreement , alleging , that what the cavalier promised therein was not sufficient , neither was it certain to bee performed , for they had no warrant from his majestie so especial , as a business of that consequence did require ; besides , they refused to give any pledges , or deliver any strong holds into the commonaltie's possession for their securitie . and since the conditions they offered them were neither good nor sure , they would have no peace , but war with them : in regard they found no securitie of their persons or lives without it . the commissioners and captains , seeing all the people fully determined and bent to give the cavaliers battle , and either live with libertie , or end their miseries with death , ( most of them beeing of the same opinion , deeming that to bee their onely safe way ) cherish'd them in that resolution , presently giving order to all the people of valladolid to bee in a readiness , all the artillerie to bee prepared and fitted to carrie into the field : the like was done through all the cities and towns of the commonaltie , every commissioner repairing to his own citie and town to that purpose : thus they intended in one daie to end all their troubles , and that this last bout should paie for all their delaies and triflings , whereby they had ruined themselvs , and given the cavaliers time to recruit and strengthen their partie . sect . xvi . one night , whilest these things were thus in agitation , iohn de padilla , by order of those of the iunta , came privately to valladolid , and after they had consulted with him concerning things necessarie for the present expedition , hee returned immediately to torrelobaton , to secure the artillerie which was there , having intelligence that the cavaliers in tordesillas had a design to surprise it . order was given to rais him two thousand foot well armed , with two hundred lances in valladolid , and two pieces of ordnance , for two purposes ; the one , to demol●sh torrelobaton , which hee did afterwards ; the other , to give the lord high constable battle , before hee could join his forces with the rest . for those from valladolid , with the two thousand which hee had in torrelobaton , and those which hee exspected hourly from salamanca , toro , and zamora , ( who were six thousand foot , and two hundred lances ) besides two thousand five hundred from palencia , fifteen hundred from duen̄as , four hundred from palacios , and others from the beherrias and merindades , would make him an armie of fourteen thousand . but those of valladolid were so long before they could bee in fit equipage to march , and the other tovvns and cities not sending in their supplies time enough , iohn de padilla could not execute his design against the lord high constable ; vvho ( as you have heard ) took vezerril , and marched into rioseco vvith four thousand foot , six hundred lances , three or four pieces of artillerie , &c. so that , through the vveakness and vvant of care of the commoners captains , hee soon after set a period to that so miserably contentious and destructive war. the cavaliers on the one partie , and the cities for the commonaltie on the other , raised all the force they could possibly for this expedition . the citie of palencia sent six hundred men and tvvo pieces of ordnance . duen̄as four hundred men and tvvo pieces of ordnance . baltanas de cerrato two hundred . those of segovia , avila , and leon came not ; salamanca made good the number before mentioned . all these were without any discipline or experience in martial affairs , and amongst their officers there was such emulations , every one standing so upon their punctillio's of honor , each captain would bee chief , scorning to receiv orders from any other : in a word , they were ill bred people , possessed with no less ignorance then unadvisedness ▪ the merchants , and other citizens of valladolid , seeing the ●●siness brought to the push , and the people resolved to decide ●●eir difference with the sword , fearing or doubting the event , ca●●ied all their goods and merchandises into monasteries , having shut up all their ware-houses and shops , and laid all other trading aside , onely for matter of arms , every one providing himself the best hee could . the poorer sort of people beeing ready to starv , made lamentable complaints in the streets , crying out to god for mercie , and to releas them out of those calamities , though it were with the loss of their lives . they feared the power of the cavaliers , who had an armie of two thousand lances , and seven thousand foot , of the choicest men in the kingdom , all well armed , and in good order , with stout and experienced officers , under the command of the earl of haro , who with great vigilancie , answerable to his courage , executed the place of captain general . sect . xvii . the lord high constable marched out of rioseco towards tordesillas , the th of april , , to join with the rest of the cavaliers , where hee was exceedingly desired . beeing com to pen̄aflor near torrelobaton , hee there took up quarters for his forces : wence hee went to tordesillas , where hee was received with extraordinarie expressions of joie . iohn de padilla was yet in torrelobaton , with eight thousand foot , five hundred lances , and the artille●ie of medina del campo , exspecting more supplies from the other cities , which , by their ill management and slackness , were not com to him ; and the thousand men from palencia and duen̄as were also hindered from joining with him , by reason of the lord high constable's beeing at pen̄aflor ; whereby hee plainly perceived his own , and the other captain 's unadvisedness and over-sight , in spinning out so much time there . the lord high constable , the lord admiral , and the other grandees concluded to make their rande-vous at pen̄aflor , leaving with the queen , and for guard of the town , the cardinal of tortosa , don bernardo de sandoval , marquis of denia , with his troop of hors , don diego de rojas , lord of santiago de la puebla with his , and as many companies of foot , which was sufficient , the walls of the town beeing in very good repair . they presently dispatched orders to those in garrison at portillo , to com to the rande-vous ; and to the earl of on̄ate to staie with his hors in simancas , to hinder valladolid from sending any succor to iohn de padilla . this done , the earl of haro having given command over-night to have his men in a readiness , the next morning they all marched to pen̄aflor , where they reposed that night , beeing sundaie . mundaie by break of daie , becaus they would lose no time , the governors , and the captain general drew all their forces into the field , which amounted to about seven thousand foot , and two thousand four hundred hors , besides som noblemen and gentlemen of the greatest qualitie in castilla . that daie they did nothing but muster their men , sending in mean time som light-horsmen to discover in what posture iohn de padilla was in torrelobaton ; for they were generally of opinion to besiege him so close , that hee might not go thence without giving them battle ; and they made no question of worsting him , their armie exceeding his , if not in number , in goodness and valor of the men . with this resolution they returned to their quarters . sect . xviii . john de padilla , and the other captains , understanding the advantage the cavaliers would have of them in the field , durst not encounter them , and fearing to bee besieged , they began , too late , to bee sensible of their own carelesness or imprudence , in staying so long at torrelobaton ; and thinking their safest cours would bee to march secretly thence , assoon as possibly they could , and make no staie until they arrived at toro , where they might remain securely until the succors came to them from zamora , leon , salamanca , and the other cities , ( whereof they were in daily exspectation ) or go from thence to salamanca , as they saw occasion ; they resolved so to do . whereupon a certain priest sitting at the table with him , thus said , s ir ! i have seen a prophecie in which is declared that the commonalties shall this daie bee vanquished , and the cavaliers remain victorious , therefore i beseech you s ir , depart not this daie from torr●lobaton . whereunto iohn de padilla made this answer , go , t●ust not in such foolish and vain predictions , but in god repose your confidence , to whom i shall willingly sacrifice this life , and my person , for the publick good of these kingdoms , and in regard it is now no time to flinch , i do resolv to die , and let him dispose of mee as shall bee most for his glorie ▪ this was on tuesdaie morning , whilest iohn de padilla was at break-fast . which done , his armie marched out with all silence possible , and in good order , the artillerie in the van , his foot divided into two squadrons , and hee bringing up the rear with the hors . the governors and their captain general soon had intelligence of iohn de padilla's march , and presently made after him three several waies , whom without any great difficultie they took prisoner , and routed all his armie . the manner of their fight is diversly reported by several authors , but one ( who saie's hee was a spectator thereof ) relate's it thus : that upon st george's daie , the cavaliers having notice of iohn de padilla's departure from torrelobaton towards toro , they sallied out upon him from three several places , those of tordesillas charged his armie in the van , those of medina de rioseco in the rear , and those of simancas falling desperately in upon the flanks , put all in disorder . the commoners marched until they came neer villalar , in very good order , and the cavaliers were of several opinions concerning the giving of them battle ▪ some said it was enough to make them flie , and lose their credits ; and that it was wisdom not to put a business of such importance to the hazard of one battle . that their foot was very numerous , and in appearance good : that those which the lord high constable brought , were but few and much harassed , besides if they miscarried in this enterprise , their hopes were all destroied with their forces . but the marquis of astorga , the earl of alva , & don diego de toledo insisted with much eagerness to charge them , & their voices carrying it against the more timorous partie , they did make after them : who having great store of excellent hors , & i. de padilla's men being ill disciplin'd , besides the waies being so deep that they could hardly march , & seeing the enemie advance towards them in great bodies several waies , their courage began to fail , yet their captains animated them all they could . the cavaliers follow'd them stil in this manner , their hors skirmishing now & then with them , until they came neer villalar , where , having got within shot of them , they let flie their ordnance amongst their ranks ( who march'd very close ) which kill'd them by heaps . this made their hearts fal to their heels , & for hast to get into the town , they ran one over the other , notwithstanding all their officer's endeavors to keep them in order , & for their further misfortune there fel so fierce a shower of rain , that the foot stuck fast , engaged in the mire to the very knees , neither could they make any use of their artillerie , partly by reason of the ill wether , & partly through the baseness of their gunners , the chief wherof nam'd saldan̄a , a native of toledo not wel understanding his office , fled awaie , & left the artillerie in a plowed field . although some have reported that don pedro maldonado dealt privatly with the gunners , so to engage the ordnance , that they should do no execution against the cavaliers , having so promised his uncle , the earl of venavente , who had made him sensible of his error . however it was , the cavaliers seized upon all their artillerie , and divers of padilla's men both hors and foot , saved themselvs by coming to them , having first changed their red crosses into white ones , which was the sign of the loial partie . iohn de padilla expressed a great deal of courage and valour in his own person , and seeing his game quite lost , hee , with five horsmen more , charged into the earl of venavente's troop , and beeing known to bee the general of the other partie by the richness of his armor , was presently encountred by don pedro baçan , lord of valduerna , native of valladolid . iohn de padilla was in complete armor , and bore in his hand a lance all plated with iron , wherewith meeting don pedro baçan ( who was a corpulent heavie man , and but slightly armed ) him hee gave so rude a salutation , that hee was soon unhors't : iohn de padilla still charged on , crying , santjago , libertad , ( which was the commoner's word , and the cavalier's word was , santa maria y carlos ) at last hee broke his lan●e to the cost of som of his enemies , after which don alonso de la cueva singled him out , and having wounded him , bade him deliver his arms , which hee did . beeing thus a prisoner , don iohn de ulloa , a gentleman of toro , came riding up , and asking who that was , som told him that 't was iohn de padilla , whereupon hee gave him a cut over the bever , and hurt his nose , but not much , for which hee was mightily condemned by all that saw or heard of that ungentleman-like action . so john de padilla was dismounted , and remained prisoner . john bravo , captain of the segovians ( who would also signalize himself ) was likewise taken : and francisco maldonado , captain of the salamanca forces , had the like destinie ; but his men having all forsaken him , hee was catch't running after them as hard as hee could . the cavaliers spent all the rest of that daie in wounding , killing , and taking , having the pursuit of their enemies two long leagues and a half . many dying men desired to make their confessions , but there was no bodie would assist them , nor take any compalsion of their condition , which was a lamentable spectacle , beeing all christians , friends , and kindred . the cavaliers beeing masters of the field , stript all both living and dead , sharing the spoil equally amongst themselvs . john de padilla vvould oft bemoan his sad misfortune , saying , if , after the taking of torrelobaton , hee had followed on his victorie , hee should never have been reduced to so deplorable a condition , vvhich vvas very true ; for by his staying tvvo months there , the cavaliers cunningly delaied the time vvith cessations , until they had so strengthened their partie , that they over-povvered him . but the all-seeing providence disposed it othervvise . at first , the commonalties hearing that their armie vvas routed , and john de padilla taken , gave out , that it vvas som plot or treacherie of his to lose the battle , laying many other things of this nature to his charge , but they vvere better satisfied of his realitie to their caus ▪ vvhen they savv hee lost his head for it . sect . xix . the next morning betimes , the governors commanded don pedro de la cueva to convoy the prisoners , iohn de padilla , don pedro maldonado , francisco maldonado , & iohn bravo to the castle of villalva . while they were preparing to go , iohn de padilla asked don pedro , whither hee was commanded to carrie them ; who answered him , that for the present they were to go to villalva , whither afterwards hee knew not . soon after they were sent for thence to villalar , and put into a hous , with a good guard upon them . the governors beeing infomed of their arrival there , gave order that iohn de padilla , iohn bravo , and don pedro maldonado should bee beheaded , and francisco maldonado carried to the castle of tordesillas : but as hee was on the waie thither , a messenger overtook him from the governors , who told malbaseda , lievtenant to don diego hurtado de mendoça , ( who had the charge of him ) that hee should bring francisco maldonado back again to execution , for the earl of venavente had desired them not to behead don pedro maldonado in his presence , beeing his nephew . and becaus it had been divulged , that don pedro maldonado should bee beheaded , which at the earl's entreatie was countermanded , the lords had voted that francisco maldonado should bee executed in his place . so hee beeing returned , the governors sent for the alcalde of the chancerie of valladolid , commanding him to execute justice upon the persons of iohn de padella , iohn bravo , and francisco maldonado . the alcalde presently went to the hous where they were prisoners , and bade them prepare themselvs , for the governors had given order for their executions . iohn de padilla desired him to send him a learned priest to confess him , and a notarie to make his will , and som witnesses . the alcalde replied , that in the place where they then were , hee could not exspect to finde any men of extraordinarie learning , yet hee would enquire , and if hee could finde one , hee would satisfie his desire therein : but as for a notarie to make his will , hee need not trouble himself , for all his goods and estate were confiscate . in the condemnation of these gentlemen , there was no process , nor formal proceeding made , as used to bee in other criminal causes , by reason of the evidence of the fact , and the qualitie of the offence . at last a priest was sent to them , and iohn de padilla beeing at confession , a franciscan frier came , who was thought an abler man , so iohn de padilla , and the rest , made use of him . their confessions beeing ended , they were brought forth and carried upon mules to the place of execution . before them went a crier , saying , this is the justice which his majestie , and the lord high constable , with the other governors , do command in his name to bee executed upon the persons of these gentl●men , their command is , that they shall bee beheaded as traitors , disturbers of the kingdom , and usurpers of the roial crown , &c. the said alcalde zarate , and the licenciado cornejo alcalde de corte went along with them to autorise the execution of the justice . john bravo hearing the crier saie that they were to suffer for beeing traitors , hee replied , hangman ! thou liest , and those that bid thee saie so , we are no traitors , but zealous for the publick good , and defendors of the kingdom 's liberties . hereupon the alcalde cornejo bid john bravo hold his peace ; whereunto john bravo answered , i know not what , and the alcalde gave him a punch in the breast with his staff , wishing him to consider his present condition , and not affect such vanities . and john de padilla said moreover to him , sen̄or john bravo , yesterday was the time to fight , and shew your self a valiant gentleman , this daie to die like a christian. so the crier continued his lesson until they came to the place of execution , where being arrived , they all alighted from their mules to receiv the fatal blow . john bravo beeing first called to execution , they bid him bend and settle himself in a fit posture ; hee replied , that they might force him , if they would , and so they did , seizing on him , and stretching him upon a carpet , which done , the hangman cut his throat , and would do no more , until the alcalde cornejo commanded him to cut his head quite off , saying , traitors were so to bee used , and their heads to bee set upon the gallows , which was done accordingly . the next beeing padilla's turn , hee very willingly prepared himself , and having taken of certain reliques , which hee wore about his neck , hee gave them to don enrique de sandoval y rojas , ( eldest son to the marquis of denia , who amongst other gentlemen men was standing with him ) praying him to wear them whil'st the war lasted , which beeing ended , hee desired him to send them to his wife don̄a maria pacheco . after which , as hee went to place himself conveniently for the executioner's hand , hee saw iohn bravo's bodie lying by , to which hee said onely thus , are you there good gentleman ? and presently his head was cut off like iohn bravo's . soon after , francisco maldonado beeing brought forth , was executed in the same manner , which done , their heads were set upon several nails over the place of execution , so the justice ceased for that time , and those gentlemen's cares were ended . a gentleman of the loyal partie , the daie before the battle , wrote a letter to one of the contrarie opinion , telling him , that now the business was brought to such a push , that there was nothing to bee thought on els , but everie one to stand upon his guard , for whosoever fell , should bee sure to bear the ignominious brand of traitor : as questionless it had been ; for wee see all the actions and exploits of this life are more esteemed , and censured by their successes and events , then any other waies . if cortes had not been fortunate in mexico , when hee took motezuma , wee should have said hee had been a rash fool-hardie fellow , but fortune having crowned his valiant enterprise with success , all men now applaud his gallantrie , giving him the attributes of couragious and prudent . sect . xx. to saie the truth , in all that i have read of iohn de padilla , i finde him a gallant valerous gentleman , though hee was engaged in that unfortunate business . it is reported , that one daie going to his hous , very melancholie and dejected , hee said to his wife , sitting on hors-back , and shee at the window : sen̄ora , what do you think now of the condition whereunto you have brough● mee ? at which words shee made answer , bee of good courage , for of a poor esquire i have made you half-king of castilla . but the common people are apt to saie manie things in such like occurrences , wherein there 's not one word of truth . in my judgment , if there had been any such passage betwixt him and his wife , hee would have expressed some discontent or anger in the letter , which hee wrote to her the same daie hee was beheaded : but there was no such thing mentioned in it , quite contrarie , hee expressed therein very much affection and tenderness to her , seeming to bee more sensible of her grief and sorrow for his sad fortune , then of his own suffering . besides his letter to his wife , hee wrote another to the citie of toledo . the contents vvere as follovveth . iohn de padilla's letter to his wife . sen̄ora ! if your pain did not more trouble mee , then the losing of my life , i should esteem my self entirely happie . for death beeing a thing so certain to all mortals , the almightie sheweth him a singular favor whom hee honor 's with such an one as mine , which , though lamented by manie , is doubtless acceptable in his sight . it would require more time , then what i have , to write you some things for your consolation , but that cannot bee allowed mee , neither do i desire to deferre the reception of that crown , which i hope to enjoy . you maie , like a discreet woman , bewail your own misfortune , but not my death , for beeing so just , it ought not to bee lamented by any : my soul , since nothing els is left me , i bequeath to you , desiring you to entertain it , as the thing which most affected you . i do not write to pedro lopez my father , becaus i dare not , for though i was his son in daring to lose my life , i was not heir to his good fortune . i will not extend my self any further , becaus i will not trouble the executioner to waite , nor give waie for any one to suspect , that to prolong my life i enlarge my letter . my servant sossa beeing an eie-witness of my end , and to whom i have communicated the secret of my intentions , shall tell you what cannot bee expressed herein , and so i rest , exspecting the instrument of your sorrow and my comfort . iohn de padilla's letter to the citie of toledo . to thee , the crown of spain , and glorie of the whole world , free since the time of the mightie goths ; to thee , who by the effusion of the blood of strangers , aswell as of thine own , hast recovered libertie for thy self and thy neighbouring cities : i john de padilla , thy legitimate son , now give thee an account how by the blood of my bodie , thy former victories are refreshed . if fortune hath not suffered my actions to bee chronicled amongst thy memorable exploits , the fault was in my destinie , not in my good will : which as a mother , i desire thee to accept , since god hath given mee nothing els to lose for thee , but what i have adventured . i am more aggrieved for thy resentment , then my own life . but thou must consider these are but the turns of fortune's wheel , which never standeth still . this is my contentment and consolation , that i , the meanest of thy children , do suffer death for thee ; and that thou hast nourished at thy brests such as may take satisfaction for my wrongs . many tongues , doubtless , will busie themselvs in the relation of my death , which as yet i know not my self , though it bee very neere : my end will give thee a testimonie of my desire . my soul i recommend to thee , as the patroness of christianitie , of my bodie i make no account , since it is no more mine , neither can i write any more , for at this very instant , i feel the knife at my throat , with a greater sens of thy displeasure , then apprehension of my pain . sect . xxi . the victorie beeing obteined at villalar , and the commoners armie quite routed , presently dispatches vvere sent post to the emperor , giving him account of this good fortune : and the earl of haro , as captain general , wrote a particular relation to the emperor of all the passages , vvhich hee receiving at bruxels , the eighth of julie , hee ansvvered , saying , that although by other letters , of the april , hee had intelligence of the vanquishing and punishing of those traitors , ( for so hee called them ) yet hee vvas better satisfied to receiv it from his hand , thanking him very much for all that hee had done in order to his service , and for the affection and zeal vvhich hee expressed tovvards him in that emploiment ; promising , at his return into that kingdom , to gratifie him according to the merit of his extraordinarie services ; hoping , that by his endeavors hee should finde means to settle the whole kingdom , which hee particularly encharged him to use all his vigilance and industrie to procure : and chiefly hee recommended to his care the war of navarra , which was of so great importance , and that hee would assure the grandees and gentlemen which had engaged in his service , that at his return hee would gratifie their loialties according to their qualities and deserts . the commoners forces beeing all discomfited as wee have seen , and their three principal captains executed , those of the iunta , who were in valladolid , fled away , and all was of a sudden blown up like smoke in the aër . within three daies after , the cavalier's whole armie marched to simancas , and quartered in towns all about valladolid , intending to fall upon that citie , and treat them as such open enemies did deserv . but first , beeing numerous enough , they possessed all the towns and villages thereabouts , and stopt up all the avenues , suffering no provisions to bee carried in to them . whereupon the most valiant and violent of all the people began to bee crest-fallen : others that had ( as much as they durst ) opposed those past commotions , seeing the governors victorious and powerful , declared themselvs . there was no captain nor commander left in the citie . whereupon to make short , and prevent a summons , they thought their onely way was , to yield themselvs upon good conditions , which they hoped the lord admiral ( though much offended ) out of compassion and affection to that citie , would grant them . in which resolution they sent som religious men , and persons of respect , with much submission and humble acknowledgment of their faults , to desire mercie and pardon of the lord admiral : who at first shewed himself very much displeased and unwilling to hearken to their desires , saying , hee ought , and would make an example aswel of the principal offendors , as of the common people . the souldiers , who exspected notable plunder , their fingers itching to measure out the silks and velvets with their pikes , ( as they bragg'd they would ) were mad becaus the word of command , to fall on and enter the citie , was so long a giving out ; which the inhabitants knowing , every one secured their commodities the best they could . but by god's help , and the indulgence of the governors , a peace and pardon was concluded and proclaimed in the market places and streets of valladolid , with great acclamations of joie , and sound of trumpets , drums , and other musical instruments : all the inhabitans beeing exempted from personal punishment , confiscation , or loss of offices , excepting twelv , whom the lord admiral should nominate , & appoint to bee left out of the articles , to bee disposed of as the governors should think fitting ; that they might all take notice , that they had a king and lord , to whom they ovved obedience and service ; and such a king as did not seek after vengeance , or desire the destruction of his subjects , but to pardon them with clemencie , and chastise them with mercie . sect . xxii . the citie of valladolid , which had shewn so much stubbornness and obstinacie not long before , proclaimed the pardon with great contentment ; and thought they had obteined no smal favor , to preserv their town from beeing sacked , the souldiers beeing so ready to make the on-set . the ●arl of venavente , and the bishop of osma were great instruments of hindring the destruction of that citie : and the lord high constable , with all the rest of the grandees , were very glad of it , esteeming that the pacification of the whole kingdom depended upon the surrendering of valladolid . the same daie , april , all the cavaliers entred in great state , with their squadrons in martial order , the hors all in armor , covered with rich scarlet coats : the first that marched in , were the earl of venavente , and earl of haro , captain general , the earl of castro , the earl of on̄ate with their troops , their armor was covered with scarlet , embroidered with gold . after them followed the lord admiral , with the adelantado , his brother , and the earl of osorno , all in green , with their troops in armor covered with the same liverie . next them , marched the captains and camp masters of the armie , with their colors flying , and the gentlemen all clad in cloth of silver and gold . then came the bishop of osma , with those of the council roial , the alcaldes and alguaziles ; and last of all , the lord high constable , with the earl of alva de lista , the earl of salinas , the earl of aguilar , and the marquis of astorga , with all their men splendidly accoutred , besides divers gentlemen , and foot souldiers , all in such stately manner , that valladolid was worth the seeing that daie : yet it was observed , that the people were so stomackful , that neither man nor woman did so much as look ou● , or open a window , as if they disdained or abhorred to see them , who , four daies before , were their mo●tal enemies . ( such are the comedies and tragedies of this life ) . how often did the cavaliers desire valladolid to make a ●eace ? what advantageous conditions they offered them ? how often did they slight their favors ? how many scornful answers did they return them ? and at last it came to this , that they were constreined , though with heavie hearts , and hanging down their h●ads , to receiv and treat in their houses thos● whom they so ill affected . and those of valladolid must a●knowledg a particular obligation to the nobilitie of castilla , ( whom they alwaies found ready to receiv them with open arms , and do them all the good offices and favor possible ) aswel for this daie's favor , as others , which by their mediation the kings of spain have granted them , notwithstanding so great uproars and disorders as have been committed in that citie . all the rigor that was don at this time in valladolid , was the executing of an alcalde , and an alquazil of the iunta , whom the governors commanded to bee hanged , the rest fled , though no bodie prosecuted them . sect . xxiii . the rout of the junta's armie at villalor , and the justice ●hat was executed upon the gentlemen there , with the surrendring of valladolid , and the favor which the governors shewed them , beeing noised through the kingdom , the other cities began to bee more submissive , who before carried their heads so high . duen̄as courted their earl again , whom they had forced to leav the town , rising up in arms against him . palencia opened their gates to the lord high constable . medina del campo did the same . but mota stood out a while upon the defensive , yet at last they were glad to make their peace . but the lord high constable , and the lord admiral were such worthie noblemen , that they used no acts of rigor in any place , and all those whom they reduced , found themselvs so well with their present condition , that they held themselvs as redeemed out of thraldom and oppression . onely those of toledo continued in their willfullness . the common people murthered two brothers , biscayners , named aguirres , onely upon vain surmises and suspitions which they conceived of them , yet they had both been captains under ioh● de padilla . notwithstanding that the prior of st iuan , don antonio de zun̄iga was with his armie in the confines of that citie ; the commoners with a great bodie and some pieces of ordnance , marched to a castle called almonacid , and continued battring it for two daies , the governor valorously defending it ; which the prior hearing , presently gave command to draw all his forces into the field , intending to give them battle . but they having intelligence thereof , soon railed their siege , and returned to toledo , for fear of beeing put to the worst . some daies after don alonso de caravajal , brother to don diego , beeing quartred with some light-hors-men at maxcareque , four leagues from toledo , six hundred foot , and fiftie hors sallied out of the citie , and taking by-waies that they might not bee discovered by the enemie's centinels , by break of day they fell upon the village , surprised don alonso and his men , and carried them all prisoners to toledo , before any of their partie could com to rescue them . they did several other such exploits , and on the other side the prior did them what mischief hee could . the governors were much troubled hereat , but could not pass with their armie to toledo , until they had quieted all the old castilla . but that which put them to the greatest plunge , was the news of the king of france his armie advancing into the kingdom of navarra . it was told them that padilla's wife , with all her kindred in toledo , mainteined and fomented chiefly this humor in the inhabitants , therefore they resolved to send thither , and use som means to get her out of the citie , believing , that if shee were gon thence , the rest might bee more easily reduced : to this effect they sent a captain , with a few men disguised , who offered himself to go to toledo , and carrie her out of the citie by fair means , or by foul . being arrived at toledo , hee went directly to the fort where don̄a maria was , desiring to speak with her ; but the people having some intelligence of his designe , presently made an alarme , and came in great multitudes to the castle , where finding the captain in discours with don̄a maria , they straight laid hands on him , and flung him out at the window , which beeing high , hee broke himself all to peeces with the fall ; after this they cut the throats of all those that came with him , insomuch that the citie was in greater disorder by this means then before . in the moneth of september . the french beeing beaten out of navarra , the governors were in the minde to march with all their forces into the kingdom of toledo , and subdue that citie , but they were again diverted by a second intelligence which was brought them , that the king of france was come to bayona vvith a very povverful armie . and don antonio de zun̄iga ( vvho had begun that enterprise ) beeing desirous to bring his design to perfection , drevv all his forces out of their garrisons , and pitcht his camp before the citie on the one side the river , and don iohn de ribera had his men quartred neer the citie on the other . don antonio had with him eight hundred lances , which scoured all the countrie about , and had daily smart skermishes with the toledians , vvherein divers fell on both sides . in this expedition vvas don pedro de guzman , third son ( as you have heard ) to the duke of medina sidonia , vvho beeing yong and full of mettle , and ambitious to shevv his valor , engaged himself too far amongst the enemies , by vvhom hee vvas taken close by the castle of san sernan , so desperately vvounded , that the toledians vvere enfor●'t to carrie him off the field upon a board , hee not beeing able to go any other vvaies . don̄a maria pacheco , beeing at a vvindovv in the fort , obs●rved vvith great attention all the passages of the fight , and distinguishing don ●ed●o from the rest , shee vvas much taken vvith him , seeing ●im b●have himself so gallantly ; and beeing brought to the fort , shee vvent out to receiv him , partly out of respect to pedro's noble birth , but chiefly out of a private inclination vvhich proceeded from the esteem shee made of his valor and animositie . shee treated him vvith much civility and demonstrations of affection , comme●ding highly his provvess vvhereof her eies vvere vvitnesses , and told him , that his generositie vvas vvorthie of an eternal m●morie , onely this was wanting him , that his valor was not emploied in the king's service , and in favor of the citie of toledo : ( for the commonalties pretended in all the cities , that whatsoever they did , was in order to his majesties service ) . don̄a maria would suffer none of pedro's retinue to staie with him , or any bodie els to visit him , neither would shee permit him to write to antonio's camp : but treating him with very great care and complements , shee spared nothing that was necessarie for his recoverie : his wounds beeing throughly cured , shee endeavored to win him to their side , promising , that if hee would renounce the other partie , they would make him general of the forces of toledo . but finding her time lost in persuading him , shee resolved to get him exchanged for other prisoners which don antonio had taken of the toledians , which was done ; for the better effecting whereof , those of toledo gave don pedro his parolle for eight daies , to go to his uncle's armie , having made him swear first , that hee would return again , in case hee procured not the libertie of those whom they demanded : amongst other exceptions which they made him renounce in the oath they administred to him , one was , th●t hee should not allege that those of toledo were traitors , and therefore hee was not obliged to make good his word or oath to them , which was fulfilled accordingly . the citie was very well provided for a long time , and they had broken down all the mills for twelv leag●es compass , that antonio's men might have no means ●o grinde their corn . they took all the plate of silver and gold out of the cathedral church , which beeing coined , did much enrich them , and made them so stout , that they said , they would never consent to peace , unless there were first a pardon general granted for the whole kingdom of spain , and that don pedro lasso de la vega were delivered into their hands , for ( they said ) hee was the principal caus of all those troubles , and the onely man that put them upon that insurrection . sect . xxiv . the marquis of villena beeing entred into toledo , by consent of the citie , began to bring them to a right understanding : whereupon hee wrote to the governors , that they might follow their business in navarra , as for the toledians hee would undertake to reduce them to their due obedience . the governors glad to bee eased of an affair of such care and trouble , emploied all their industrie and force to resist the incursions of the french ▪ as shal bee said hereafter . hernando de avalos , and som oth●r of the inhabitants , would gladly have received a pardon from the marquis of villena's hands ; therefore beeing sent to by them , hee came , accompanied with the earl of oropesa , and som hors and foot , but nothing could bee effected , for the contrarie partie mutinied in such a tumultuous manner , that the marquis was forced to go out of the citie , after hee had spent som daies time to procure a peace . the same effect had the endeavors of don diego de cardenas adelantado of granada , duke of maqueda , who , with the same intention , came to toledo , very well attended , and was driven out by the common people . such was the confusion of that citie which don̄a maria pacheco did uphold with as much courage , as if shee had been a captain long exercised in martial affairs , and therefore shee was generally call●d , la muger valerosa , the valiant woman : the report goe's , that shee made use of the crosses in stead of colors , and to excite the people to compassion , shee made her son to bee carried up and down the streets upon a mule , with a mourning hood and cloak on , and in a streamer , the picture of her husband iohn de padilla beheaded . divers other things were said of her , it may bee they were but feigned . amongst the rest , that shee had a fancie that shee should bee a queen , which was put into her head by som morisco witches at granada . at length her partie began to weaken and diminish , don estevan gabriel merino prevailing against her , who shewed himself a person of great conduct and prudence . this prelate ( who afterwards was cardinal of san vidal ) then governing the bishoprick of iaen , and beeing dean of toledo , assisted by the marshal payo de ribera , and other ●entlemen of that citie , having routed don̄a maria , and her adherents , turned them out of toledo ; and shee , having disguised herself in a countrie-woman's habit , and riding upon an ass , with som gees in her hands , escaped : otherwise shee had lost her head aswel as her husband . so shee spun out the rest of her daies in exsile . after this the citie was reduced , and enjoied the benefit of the general pardon , with other good conditions , which , by reason of the war of navarra , were granted them , and ( as they desired ) neither don iohn de ribera , nor any of his kindred , were permitted to com into the citie , until the king returned into spain ; they received don estevan gabriel merino , and doctor zumel , for their chief officers of justice . they pull'd down padilla's hous to the ground , which done , they ploughed it , and sowed it with salt , becaus the soil , where the captain of so great troubles and mischiefs had his birth and habitation , should not produce so much as grass or weeds , erecting there a pillar , with an inscription , declaring the manner of his life and deplorable end . sect . xxv . although the whole kingdom almost was reduced ( the fear of punishment exceeding the hopes they had of carrying on their design ) ; yet the fort of fermosel ( which was under the command , and properly belonging to the bishop of zamora ) stood peremptorily upon their defence . the governors hereupon sent the earl of alva de lista , with a competent number of men , to take it ; who requiring the governor to deliver it to the emperor , hee answered , that hee kept it in the bishop of zamora's name for his majestie , that if his majestie did com thither and bring the bishop with him ( whom the duke of naxara had taken prisoner ) hee would presently surrender it , otherwise not . the earl laid siege to it hereupon , but to small purpose , for it was very strong . the duke of naxara not long after sent to the governors , desiring them to command the siege to bee raised before ●ermosel , becaus it belonged to his son ; the bishop having ●xchanged it with him . the governors gave order forthwith that the earl of alva should give them truce for twentie daies , whilest they sent to the emperor to know his majesties pleasure . the taking of the bishop of zamora was in this manner . hee seeing all his partie routed , and that it was no boot for him to staie in spain , resolved to make france his refuge . but beeing in the confines of navarra at the same time the french king made his attempt upon that countrie , at a place called villamediana , a league from logron̄o ( although hee had disguised himself ) hee was discovered and taken prisoner by an alferez named perote . who carried him thence to navarrete a town two leagues from naxara , where hee delivered him to the duke don antonio , who kept him there , until the emperor commanded him to bee carried to the castle of simancas , where hee ended his daies , as you shall hear . sect . xxvi . the citie of valladolid wrote to the lord admiral , desiring him to stand their friend , as his ancestors had done in former times . whereunto hee returned a very kind answer , assuring them all the favor hee could do them , or procure them from his majestie , so that they continned their contrition and acknowledgment of their errors , and refrained from acting any thing misbecoming the obedience of loyal and faithful subjects ▪ and to conclude this tedious relation , i shall tell you onely that the emperor beeing retur●ed into spain , called a counsel in palencia , where hee consulted of and concluded a general pardon for the whole kingdom . but some of the commoners beeing brought to execution ( as shall bee hereafter mentioned ) the castillians not knovving what had past in his majesties counsels , began to bee possest with fears ; for the absolute distruction and banishing whereof , the emperor upon the th of october , caused a great scaffold to bee erected in the chief market place of valladolid , and covered with rich cloth of gold and silk , whereon his majestie cloathed with long robes , after the antient manner , all his grandees and council about him , beeing seated ; his attornie general with a rich herald's coat , and one of the clarks of the exchequer named gallo , having made a long narration of the troubles and insurrections of castilla , read with a distinct loud voice the general pardon which his majestie granted to the whole kingdom : wherein were excepted onely some threescore or fourscore persons ; whom , in regard the greatest part of them were but ordinarie people , some of them friers and others already punished , i shall not trouble my self to particularize , onely the execution of don pedro pimentel de talavera , ( who was taken at the battle of villalar ) and his head was cut off in the publick place of palencia . the commissioners of guadalaxara and segovia , with some others , beeing prisoners at la mota de medina del campo , the alcalde leguizama was sent thither to do justice upon them : beeing there arrived , hee commanded seven of them to bee brought out of the common gaol ( vvhere they were put ) with ropes about their necks and set upon asses until they came into the chief market place of medina , where all their heads were cut off . in the citie of vitoria , a skinner of salamanca , and two or three more of his complices , were executed on fridaie the th of august . that which was chiefly laid to the charge of the commissioners and other gentlemen , vvas their daring to take possession of the queen at tordesillas , turning avvaie the marquis of denia and his ladie , vvho had commands from his majestie to attend her person . and besides that some of them held correspondence vvith the king of france . sect . xxvii . the bishop of zamora beeing taken ( as is related ) vvas brought aftervvards prisoner to the fort of simancas , vvhere hee continued a good while . during which time with a brick which hee had cunningly put into a bag , wherein hee used to carrie his breviary , hee knockt out the governors brains , that had charge of him , beeing in discours with him by the fire side . so leaving the father dead , hee had made his escape , but that his son discovered him , and having brought him back , lock'd him into his chamber , without doing any thing els to him , for murthering his father which was held and commended for a peice of great wisdom and patience in the yong man. the emperor upon notice hereof , commanded the alcalde ronquillo to go thither , who having too much justice on his side , and bearing no great affection to the bishop , by vertue of a licence the emperor had from pope adrian , to punish the said bishop and other priests and friers for their exorbitances , bearing date the th of march . hee c●used him to bee strangled within the said fort ; and some report that hee hung him upon one of the pinacles of the tower , to the end hee might bee a spectacle to all that passed that waie . this was done contrarie to the emperor's knowledg , and it grieved him very much , although hee had reason and power enough to do it . this was done an● . sect . xxviii . the end whereunto don pedro de ayala , earl of salvatierra was brought , may serv for an example of the various vicissitudes of fortune in this life : after hee was taken hee was carried to burgos , where hee was kept prisoner in the earl of salinas his hous , where hee was let blood to death , anno , the emperor then beeing at burgos , after which hee was carried to his grave , his feet hanging bare over the bier , with irons upon them , exposed to the publick view of all . this unfo●tunate earl was reduced to so much povertie , beeing forsaken of all his friends in his imprisonment , that hee had nothing to eat but a poor mess of pottage , which leon picardo , a domestick servant and painter to the lord high constable , somtimes brought him . his son don athanasio de ayala , then page to the emperor , out of compassion and pietie , which a childe oweth to his father , sold a hors which hee had to buie the earl victuals : for which the master of the pages would have him punished , and complained of him to the emperor ; whereupon the emperor calling don athanasio to him , and asking him for his hors , hee presently answered , that hee had sold him to buie victuals for his father . the emperor was so far from beeing displeased at so pio●● an act , that hee forthwith commanded fortie thousand maravediz to bee given him . thus this great earl , who , as hee said of himself , was lineally descended from the mightie gothes , ended his daies by an untimely death . sect . xxix . the emperor beeing desirous to express the contentment which hee received by the pacification of his kingdoms , and that hee might shew himself a gracious prince to those that had offended his majestie in so high a measure , hee commanded that two daies after the general pardon was proclaimed , there should bee great feasts celebrated in valladolid , with great solemnitie , with tiltings , fighting on hors-back with bulls , and a turnament or just-royal . and the emperor himself beeing in compleat armor , and so disguised , that no bodie could know him , entered the list , and brake several lances with those that had gotten the greatest honor that daie , behaving himself with such dexteritie , courage , and gallantrie , that hee drew the eies of all the spectators upon him , and kindled a curiositie in their brests to know who hee was , which beeing discovered , their gusts increased with their admirations . light-winged fame having filled the world with the emperor 's good success , many princes and embassadors , from all parts , thereupon came flocking to his court. the king of england sent his embassadors , and don luis de silva , in the king of portugal his master's name , came to congratulate his majestie 's return , his reception of the imperial crown , and the pacification of the troubles in spain , desiring moreover , that hee would give order that the castillians might go no more into the moluccas , which his majestie remitted to bee determined by judicious and experienced men . sect . xxx . his majestie 's goodness and clemencie to his subjects , had it been in the antient greek's or latine's ages , should have been celebrated with a never dying memorie , since of so many offendors so few were excepted in the general pardon , and well near all those too obteined an exemption from all punishments , aswel of persons , as estate : and the nobles were restored to the same height of honor and esteem as they possessed formerly , the emperor shewing as much favor and liberalitie towards them and their children , as if they never had committed any offence against him . whosoever take's the pains to peruse the historie of these fore-related commotions will finde , that hernando de avalos , a gentleman of toledo , was one of the greatest sticklers for the commonalties , one of the chief ring-leaders of these disorders , and one that persevered in them with as great obstinacie and perversness as might bee ; for which hee was excepted , yet nothing was done to him . but whether out of fear , or otherwise , hee privately slunk away out of the kingdom ; for which the emperor ( as hee had reason ) was the more displeased at him . and having continued in this voluntarie exile some time , at last having disguised himself , as hee thought , sufficiently , hee took the boldness to return to the court and endeavor to procure his pardon , which coming to the knowledg of one that was neer his majesties person , hee thinking to do an acceptable piece of service , went presently and told the emperor , that hernando de avalos was in the court , and that , if his majestie was so pleased , hee would apprehend him , for hee knew where to finde him . the emperor took no great notice hereof at the first time . two or three daies after , the gentleman thinking his majestie had not well understood him , or els had forgotten what hee had told him , gave him a second advice of hernando's beeing there . whereunto the emperor with a countenance that express'd no great pleasure in any such like actions , answered ; thou should'st have done better to have advised hernando de avalos to leav the court , then to press mee to give command to have him apprehended . so the pick-thank remained ashamed and confounded , ( as all those which delight in such base unworthie offices for the most part are , when their malicious practises do not take effect ) . it is moreover reported , the testimonie of the goodness of this emperor , that beeing told hovv fevv had been executed of those offendors , hee replyed , it is enough , let there bee no more blood spilt . which vvas a saying indeed becoming the dignitie of so great a prince . sect . xxxi . the general pardon beeing known through all spain , the hearts of all the people were filled with no less rejoycing then affection to their prince , having such notable experience of his clemencie and valour , and thenceforwards the peace and quietness grew daily more and more in the kingdom . those of valencia hearing what his majestie had done at valladolid for the kingdom of castilla , presently sent their commissioners , humbly craving the same grace and favor from the emperor , and in particular they desired his majestie would bee pleased to remove thence their vice-roy don diego de mendoça , whom they abhorred exceedingly , deriving upon him all the fault of their past commotions , by reason of the many tyrannies and oppressions wherewith hee had overburthened the people . but those commissioners not coming in the name and with a general power from the whole kingdom , their desires were not granted at that time . whereupon the of november , anno , four other commissioners were sent with full power , from the kingdom of valencia , to tender , without reserv , into his majestie 's hands all their honors , lives , and fortunes , that hee might dispose of them at his will and pleasure , absolutely resigning themselvs to his clemencie , and desiring onely that hee would give them another vice-roy , for they could not endure don diego de mendoça , and that hee would change som other officers ; which the emperor , to satisfie them , did , placing in diego's stead , the queen germana , and making don iohn , marquis of brandeburg , her husband , captain general of the whole kingdom , who died in the same year . after which , the emperor considering the fidelitie and roial descent of don hernando de aragon , duke of calatria , ( who beeing a prisoner in the castle of xativa ) in the time of troubles the people would have set him at libertie , and made him their captain general , and married him to the queen , but hee discreetly refused their offer , saying , that hee would not go out of prison without the emperor's consent ) sent for him to valladolid , where hee did him great honor and respect , and having married him to the queen germana , ( who was second wife to the catholick king don fernando ) invested them in the government of the kingdom of valencia . sect . xxxii . whilest the governors of castilla , after this victorie at villalar , were reducing and settling segovia , and the other cities of that kingdom , with intent to pass with their armie to suppress and quiet the disorders of the toledians ; the duke of naxara came to them at segovia , informing them that a powerful armie of french under the command of monsieur de asparros , brother to monsieur de lautrech vice-roy of milan , was entred into navarra , had taken pamplona , stilla , and divers other places , and not content to have run all that countrie over ( to which they seemed at first onely to laie claim , and that not in king francis his name , but for don enrique de la brit , who pretended to bee right owner of the kingdom of navarra . at last they declared themselvs ( what reallie they were ) open enemies , and marched with all their forces to assault the citie of logron̄o , their word was vivat the king and flower de luce of france , and the commonaltie of castilla , which was a great argument that some of them held correspondence with the king of france , and gave him encouragement to send his armie thither ; but the valour and policie of those of logron̄o was such , that the french were enforc't to rais their siege , and go away from thence with no inconsiderable loss , and the governors beeing com to succor logron̄o , pursued them , and after divers skirmishes they joyned battle in the pyrenean mountain , wherein the french beeing absolutely routed and their general taken prisoner , the whole kingdom of navarra was presently reduced under the emperors subjection . who perceiving the animositie of the french king , and the means hee used to endammage him in several parts , as well in flanders as in spain , notwithstanding the conditions of peace made betwixt the two crowns at noyon ; resolved at last to paie him in the same coin , and take his full revenge of him in italie . to which effect , hee first sent embassadors to pope leon , desiring his friendship and assistance to drive the french out of lombardy , dispossess them of milan , and restore it to francisco sforza , son to lewis brother to maximilian , from whom the king of france had taken that countrie ; and to retake likewise parma and placentia , which belonged to the church . hereupon a yearly pension of ten thousand duckets out of the arch-bishoprick of toledo , and as much in lands in the kingdom of naples , was promised to the cardinal iulo de medicis for alexander de medicis base son to laurencio son to pedro de medicis , who was duke of vibino . the pope was so far from disliking the motion , that hee prepared monie and men to assist the emperor , making the marquis of pescara marquis of mantua his general ; who joyning with prospero colona , captain general of the imperial forces , they laid siege to the citie of parma , which after som daies resistance , they stormed and sacked . the citie and castle of milan they took also , after which the citie of pavia , and all the rest of the cities and towns belonging to the state of milan presently surrendered themselvs : this done , the imperialists ( notwithstanding their armie was much lessened , monie growing short , by reason of the pope's sudden death ) besieged and took the cities of como and alexandria upon the river ada in lombardie . about the same time the king of france advanced into flanders with a very powerful armie , to succor the citie of tornay ( which then was besieged by the emperors forces ) but beeing repulsed by henrie earl of nassau and don hugo de moncada , hee retreated , and the citie for want of relief was surrendred to the ●mperialists . in mean time francis the first of france , nothing dismaied at the crosness of his fortune , sent another numerous armie against spain , ( building much upon the absence of the emperor and the distractions in that kingdom ) which entring into navarra by puerto de ronces valles , took the forts of pen̄ol and maya , and encamp'd before fuente ravia , a strong place in the countrie of guipuzcoa , four leagues from bayona , which after ten or twelv daies siege , despairing of any succor , diego de vera the governor delivered , upon condition that the souldiers should all march freely out with bag and baggage , the inhabitants not to bee plundred , and have libertie to staie or go out of the town , as they pleased : for which hee was afterwards questioned in castilla . sect . xxxiii . henrie the eighth , king of england , ( whom the emperor , and king of france made arbitrator of their differences ) having concluded that the french king was the peace-breaker , sent the duke of suffolk ( who had married marie , sister to henrie the th , and widow to lewis king of france , with a considerable force , to join with the imperialists , under the command of florencio egmondio , earl of bura , at the siege of hesdin , in the frontiers of flanders , which after two moneths time they were compelled to rais , by sickness , and the over-flowing of the river , besides the unseasonableness of the weather , enforced them to repair into their winter-quarters . but the spring following , they took the field again , and marched near fortie thousand strong toward paris , spoiling and burning without mercie as they went , which put the parisians to a terrible fright . at the same time the lord high admiral of france entred into lombardie with an armie of above fiftie thousand combatants : but the venetians , beeing joined with the imperialists , recovered all the places which they had gotten , and drove them quite out of italie . not long after the king of france came himself into lombardie at the head of another mighty armie , thinking to carrie all before him , but before the citie of pavia ( where hee had pitched his camp ) his forces were all routed by the marquis of pescara , general of the imperialists , and hee taken prisoner , his hors beeing kill'd under him : the prince of navarra was likewise taken and committed prisoner to the castle of pavia , whence hee made his escape ; the prince of scotland was kill'd barbarously by a countrie-fellow , to whom hee had discovered himself , and promised a great reward to conduct him safe to vigeven , where his train and baggage was , which fellow coming to relate to the marquis his exploit , exspecting som recompence , hee commanded to give him a halter for his news , and hee was hanged presently . divers other noblemen and persons of qualitie were taken , and many killed in that expedition . the king , after som time , was carried into spain by don carlos de lanoy , vice-roy of naples , upon his earnest request , hoping to make his conditions the better with the emperor , if hee could speak with him himself . hee continued a prisoner a year and upwards , after which time , hee was released upon articles betwixt him and the emperor , whereof one principal was , that hee should marrie the emperor's sister , don̄a leonor , widow to don manuel king of portugal , and restore the dukedom of burgundie to the hous of austria , for performance of their agreement , his two eldest sons , viz francis the dolfin , and henrie duke of orleans were , at the same time as hee was set into france , delivered as pledges to the spaniards . but beeing in his own countrie , whether by persuasion of ill counsellors , or , thi●king the conditions too unreasonable , and hee not obliged to make good his promise , having been forced thereunto in his imprisonment , hee sent the arch-bishop of bourdeaux to the emperors court , requiring him ( in regard it was not in his power to give away any part of his countrie ) that hee would give his children their enlargement upon any reasonable ransom . which embassage the emperor , with great indignation , answered thus briefly ; that if the king of france could not perform the conditions ( as hee pretended ) yet desired to have his sons at libertie ; hee should com back and take their places , ( which was in his power to do , and hee had promised by oath ) otherwise , hee must not exspect to have his children so soon released . hereupon the french king giving waie to his vindicative passion , left no means unattempted to incite the other christian princes to wage war in his favor against the emperor . and after som time having drawn henrie the th of england to his partie ( who had som other pretences to quarrel with the emperor ) they both sent their kings a● arms with letters of defiance to him into spain , and gave order to their embassadors to return , and leav his court. whereupon their private animosities broke out into a publick war , which for a time continued more fierce and bloodie then the former : but at last their differences were composed , and an happie peace concluded between those two potent princes , by the no less ingenious then industrious endeavors of the most excellent princesses , don̄a margarita , arch-dutchess of austria , aunt to his imperial majestie , and madama luysa dutchess of angulema and anjou , widow to the duke of sav●y , and mother to the king of france . upon which agreement the young princes were released , after almost four years close imprisonment , their father sending for their ransom two millions of crowns of gold , which summe of monie was put into one boat , and they into another at fuente ravia , with the like diffidence and ceremonie as was used when the king , their father , was exchanged for them . at the same time don̄a leonor the emperor's sister passed into france , according to the articles , who was married by the cardinal of tournon to the french king , with great solemnitie and expressions of joie , anno . this peace continued not long , for francis king of france ( who in all other princely qualities and ornaments , was rather surpassing , then at all inferior to any of his cotemporaries ) beeing transported with an insatiable ambition , and envying the emperor's greatness , gave several meetings at boloigne , and calis to henrie king of england ( who having shook hands with conscience and religion , and repudiated queen katharine , charls the fifth's aunt , thinking the emperor would som waie express his discontent , and shew himself sensible of so great●an affront , resolved to give him further occasion of distaste ) ; and there they conspired to suscitate the lutherans in germanie , and rais new factions in italie against him , and under hand they encouraged the danes to rise up in arms against their king christian , whom ( pretending a truce , and a desire to make an accommodation with him ) they surprised , hee not suspecting their treacherie , and imprisoned him in the castle of sundiburgi in holsatia , where hee miserably ended his daies : the said princes had no other ground for this p●ece of malice , but onely in relation to the emperor , becaus christian was his friend and allie , having married his sister ysabella ; and not content herewith , at length finding fit opportunities , they again declared open war against him , the transactions and events whereof shal bee exactly represented in the succeeding book . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e the birth of the emperor charls the fift . his title beeing a child . anno . philip the 〈◊〉 ●w●rn p●i●ce of sp●in . the b●rth of ●he i●fante f●rdinand . anno . the death of isabel queen of spain . ferdinand's design to get the kingdom of castilia to himself . the death ●f phil●p the fair duke of burgu●die ▪ an● a●●●-duke of aust●i● . an old woman's prophecie of him . what children . hee left . the manner of king ferdinand's death . dispute about the government of the kingdom . resolute car●iage and answer of cardinal ximene● to the nobles o● spain . charls the fi●●'s coming into spain . c●rdinal xim●●es buried at alcala , anno . som were of opinion that hee was poisoned . charls the fift's age when hee was received into spain . his disposition . who xeures was . differe●ces about the acknowledging of cha●ls , king of spain . the form of swearing allegeance to him . the oath 〈◊〉 took . m●●auediz make d. a du●ket make's ● d. the infante's dis●on●e●tment . charls the fift received at saragosa . . the castillians and aragoneses distasted . gatinara made lord chancellor of spain . demands of the aragoneses before they would acknowledg charls their king. quarrel be-the castillians and aragoneses , about the receiving charls as king. anno ▪ the empe●or maximilian's dea●h in germanie . his conditions . the king of f●ance'● ambition to the imperial crow● . seven el●c●o●s o● the empire . c●a●ls the f●●●t elected emperor . h●ughti● h●militie of the ea●l v●n●v●n●● , in 〈◊〉 to bee m●de knight of the g●lden fle●ce . the catalanes make difficult●e of acknowledging charls king. those of valencia . re●use to a●knowledg him . their proud answer . troubles in germanie . notes for div a -e the martial don pedro refuseth the oath of al●g●ance . iohn de padilla was afterwards their general , a m●n of noble extraction , and a high spirit . di●●at●s in those o● va●ladolid . tol●do write's to vallad●lid . vall●dolid's answer to toledo . iohn de padilla , don pedro lasso , and hern●ndo de avalos , principal actors for the commons in toledo . corregidor is as our majors are in england . dissentions in ●he a●●emblie at toledo . here the autor mislook his ●carms , speaking like a flattering fri●r . r●gidores and iu●ados are in ●he nature of our aldermen and common-council men . parlament call'd in galicia . t●e autor ought rather to have said promoters of ●he people's good . v●lladolid's answer to the commissioners of toledo . bold speech of don pedro giron to the emperor . tumults in v●lladolid . the people stop the emperor at the gates of the citie . the emperor displeased with the toledians . the commissioners of salamanca refuse the oath in open parlament . dissentings in the parlament . the galician● distasted . emulations in the court. the toledians protest against the parlament at santjago . rather the chief instrument of the common good . the autor undervalue's iohn de padilla out of passion , for contrary to his discription hee was a man of singular wit , learning and mature judgment and his wife was a ladie nobly descended and the most masculine , heroick spirit that ever spain bred . this plot the fryer writ upon report . neither were these men such base fellows as hee make's them but persons of quality . tumults in toledo . their grounds were good and had su●●ceeded better if they had not bin betrayed by som of the nobility . extraction of don pedro l●ss● . cardinal adriano made governor during his m●jestie's absence . his council . the emperor imbark's for flanders . hee arrive's in england cardinal wolcey receive's him at his landing . his reception by the king and queen at canterburie . tumults in segovia . ant●nio de tordesillas r●gidor and commissioner of s●govia hanged by the people . commotions in the citie of zamora . earthquake in burgos . the common people of the c●tie rise up in arms. their design upon don diego de osorio's hous . up●oars in madrid . in siguenca , guadalaxara , salamanca , mu●cia . the people of guad●laxara rise up ag●inst their commissioner● . toledo and madrid succor segovia . iohn de padillae made cap●ain of the toledians . iohn bravo captain of the segovian forces ronquillo refuseth to ingage in battle . antonio de fonseca commanded by the cardinal to assist ronquillo . segovia write's to those of medina del campo not to deliver their artillerie to fonseca . antonio de fonseca advanceth with his forces to medina to demand the artillerie . they refuse to deliver the artilerie . fonseca storn . the town . is repulsed . the unfortunate burning of medina del campo by fonseca's men notes for div a -e bobadilla captain of the people in m●dina . medina complain's to valladolid of their misf●rtune● . valladolid's answer to the emperor's letter . tumul●s in v●lla●olid for the burning o● m●d●na . the c●rdinall disclaime's fonsec●'s burning of medin● and command's him to disband his men . commotions in caceres and iaen quieted by the discretion of don rodrigo mexia . factions in u●eda and b●●za . cuenca riset● for the commonaltiee . the autor b●ing a frier ▪ shewe● himself more a flatt●rer then the priest a fool , for the one praied simply ▪ the other writ colloguingly , taking all advantage , t● advance his interest i● court ▪ toro and ciudad roderigo declare for the commonaltie factions in ●he citie of leon. a ●roph●s●e . toledo invite's all the other cities to send their commissioners t● the assemblie at avila . leguizama the judg , by order from the council , goeth to punish the disorders in murcia . the people rescue the offendor , and mu●inie against leguiz●ma . the marquess of velez's answer to leguizama . leguizam● forced to leav the citie . hee flie's to mula . the people rise there also , and rais the countrie against him . don iohn de figuero● declar●th for the commonalti● in the citie of sevill● . the qu●tros●te ●te four and twentie chiefmen chosen by the citie for the managing of affairs . don iohn taken prisoner , and the citie quieted . salaman●● up in arm● . don pedro maldon●do captain in salamanc● ▪ here the autor flatter's ▪ the junta began in avilae . iuli● . . where they s●ayed not ●●ng before they went to t●●d●sillas . a wiser man then the author or els probablie bee never had rais●d himself from nothing to so great prefe●ment . h●re the a●thor would disgrace and undervalue if hee could the bravest wi●t that ever spain bred , the ho●or of his countrie whose in●entions were o●ely for the common-wealth's good , and had hee not been betrayed by some n●●le-men of his partie , h●e ●ad made it 〈◊〉 most gl●io●s common-weal●h in the world. hee is much lamented by manie persons of qualitie in spain yet 〈◊〉 this d●ie . alguazil is an officer of justice in spain . regimi●nto , or casa del regimiento , is ●he hous where the inhib●tants ●n everi● citie d●●ssemble about things concerning their poli●ical government ▪ padilla's speech to the queen at tordesellas . here the autor jeer's his own coat . the iunta or general assemblie s●ttled at tordesillas . the i●nta send'● to valladol●d to d●ssol● the k●●g'● counc●● . vall●dolid's answer . a name● junta , summo●'s ●hose of the king'● coun●il to app●a● be●ore them at tordesillas . their answer . the emperor sen●●'s commissions to the lord high constable and lord admiral of castilla making them joint-governors of spai● with the cardinal . som of the council escape out of vallad●●lid in disguise ▪ the iunta's request to the queen . john de padilla apprehendeth some of the co●ncil and ca●●i●th them prisone●s ●o tordesillas . how uncharitable the autor is to his brethren friers ? the cardinal indeavouring to go out of valladolid is stopped by the people . don pedro giron's speech to the cardinal , persuading him to return to his palace ▪ note that this mes●age was sent at the fir●t assembling of the iunta in avila . prodigious signs in v●lencia . the confed●rates of vale●cia . sindico's were officers wh●ch they had m●de amongst them●selvs . other prodi●ious signs in v●lencia . el encubiert● . the notable imposture of iuan de vilvao . iuan de vilvao , or the disguised prince executed by the ma●quis of c●nete in v●l●ncia . notes for div a -e librancas , are assignments of monie . p●ertos seco● , are customs paid at the going ▪ in or cut of everie several kingdom in spain by land. maestrazgos , are the places of the masters of the orders of knighthood in spain . writs of error . who was an exempted pe●son and reserved by the emperor to bee punished . commotions 〈◊〉 palencia . alcala de henares . burgos riseth up in arms against the lord high constable . the engagement of those of valladolid . the infant● of granada , having been put out of his office , with fourteen other officers of the citie , by the people of valladolid , who accused them of keeping correspondencie with the enemie . notes for div a -e their cap●a●ns were good enou●h , if ●hey had not h●d som ●●eache●rous great ones amongst them . here the autor con●●●leth in a manner the justnes , of the caus , and s●emeth himself to justifie it . here don pedro , and other gentlemen , begin to plaie the traitors . the president of valladolid's speech to the bishop of z●mora . a gallant and resolute answer of the bishop of zamor● to the lord president . an heroick and generous spirit in the bishop of zam●ra beeing a man indefatigable . don pedro and the bishop of zamora's mess●ge to the cavaliers . the earl spoke with much cunning & dissimulation , purposely to pl●as and blind the bishop , that h●e might not suspect w●at they had in private concluded with don pedro giron , by which conference it appear's plainly that they w●re betraied , & sol● , as ant●nio de gue●ara declareth at large in his epistles . no h●ng but the private treacherie of don pedro giron could have deluded the bishop and destroied ●heir a●mie . t●r●●sillas t●ken by the earl of haro , captain general of the cavalier forces . som of the commissioners of the iunta make their escapes . som are taken , and again released don pedro de giron's and the bishop of zamora's letter to valladolid . valladolid's answer to don pedro. the lord admirals letter to those of the iunta at valladolid . their vote concerning the letter . cou●agious expl●it of the bi●hop o● z●mora . o●her exploit of the bishop of zamora'● . the governor of vald●per●●aken ●aken , and the place plundred by the bishop'● m●n . here the autor g●ve●h kings a l●sson , ●dmonishing t●em not to oppres their subj●cts . mormojon taken by iohn de padilla . empudia taken by iohn de padill● ▪ and the bishop . the bis● . speech to hi● m●n in the assault . the lord high constabl●'● plot discovered . mutinie in the citie of burgos . the common people submit to the lord high constable . the fort is surrendered to him . troubles in the countrie of biscaya . first ground of salva●●erra's di●●a●ie against his majestie . diego martinez de al●va , and his allies , apprehend & imprison the judg , whom the iunta sent to vitoria . th● earl of s●lvatierra faceth vitoria with his armie . d●n pedro xuarez de velasco routeth those of the merindades . the earl of salvatierra , by order from the iunta , intercept's the artillerie which wa● going to the lord high constable , and causeth it to bee broken in pieces . the earl of salv●ti●rra's armie enter's into vitoria . dis●osition of don pedro de ayalae earl of salva●ierr● . his letter to the iunta , an ●he citie o● valladolid . the e●rl of salva●ierr● put to flight . his captain g●nsalo va●ahona taken prisoner by those of vito●ia , and be●●a●ed in the ma●ket place of th●ir citie . here don pedro lasso begin's to treat privately with the council , by means of alonso ortiz , who was a iurate of toledo , and his fellow commissioner in the parlament at santjago . a brave resolution of valladolid . the lord admiral 's letter to those of valladolid . the iunta's and valladolid's answer to the lord admiral . note that seldom hath there been any trea●herie committed , but a frier , or som clergie man , had a hand in it . p●dilla's speech to the commo● peopl● in vallado●id . here the au●or , though ● frier , expresseth more● spl●en and passion ●hen christian charitie to his br●thre● . here the autor ●xtend's himself as far in flatterie , as in other places in passionate railing . i●hn de pa●●lla besiegeth torrel●bation . john de padilla take'● torreloba●o● and the tower. wholsom counsel of the frier . alonso ortiz obtain's a truce f●om those of the junt● with the cavaliers . by order from the junta the truce is proclaimed in john de padilla's armie . the c●andee's exceptions against the truce . tho●e of valladolid disconten●ed against the com●anders of their armie , for yielding to a truce . the truce brok●n off again . notes for div a -e here the frier m●keth a digression , falling into his usual manner of flatterie . john de padilla was not so incapable as the frier make● him , th●ugh over-seen in this o●casion . here don pedro giron discover's himself to bee a traitor on both sides . another notorious traitor to the commons . here the frier flattereth again the familie of the girons . the relation of the first autor ( who in probabilitie was gueuara ) is ●he ●ather to be believed . two months hee staid there . a priest dissuade's iohn de padilla from encountering the cavaliers . his answer . a private plot of don pedro maldonad●'s with the earl of venavente , to betraie the artillerie . notable courage of io●n de padilla . iohn de padilla taken prisoner . don pedro m●ldonado was s●ved for be●raying the ar●●●●erie . resolute answer of j●hn bra●o . christian admonishment of john de padilla . here these three noble gentelmen died as gallantly as they had lived , beeing patriots of their countrie , whose memories deserv an everlasting same . the manner of the cavaliers entering into valladolid . the fre●ch advance into navarra . the f●enc● armie repulsed . the fre●ch enter into biscaya by b●yona . d●n p●d●o de guzman so●ely wounded and tak●n prisoner ●y the tol●dians . d●nia maria pacheco's escape out of toledo . som sai● sh●e died in portugal . they should rather have erected a statue , in memorie that he died a martyr for his countrie . the manner of the bishop of zamora's beeing t●●ken prisoner . they died gallantly as martyrs for their countrie . the b●shop of zamor●'● death . his majestie had great reason to g●●●● for the lo●s of the g●●●test prela●e th●t ever spain b●●d , b●eing so aged , and so resolu●e to the l●st , for the good of his countrie . thus died this brave earl , whom if the other nob●es had seconded , they had made spai● the most glorious re●ublic● of t●e wo●ld . nota●●● pie●ie of do● at●anasio d● ayala to his f●●ther , the earl of salvatierra , being ready to starv in prison . the french make it cursions into nava●ra . the french are forc●d to rais their siege before log●onio . th●ir armie routed in the pyrenean mountains , and navarra also reduced by the governors of castilla ▪ the emperor and the pope combine against the french king. their forces take the citie of pa●ma . milan . pavia . the french advance into flanders , and are repulsed . the french take fuente ravia . henrie . of england assists the emperor against the french. the venetians assist the emperor in lombardie . francis the first of france taken prisoner at pavia . francis the f●rst exchang'd for his two sons . the kings of england and france , sent letters of defiance to the emperor . pe●ce made between ●he emperor and king of france , by the archdutchess of austria , and the dutchess of angul●m● . his two sons ransomed for ● of crowns of gold. the emperor's sister l●onora married to the french king. a plot betw●xt hen. and f●an . king of f●ance , against the emperor . londinopolis an historicall discourse or perlustration of the city of london, the imperial chamber, and chief emporium of great britain : whereunto is added another of the city of westminster, with the courts of justice, antiquities, and new buildings thereunto belonging / by jam. howel esq. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) londinopolis an historicall discourse or perlustration of the city of london, the imperial chamber, and chief emporium of great britain : whereunto is added another of the city of westminster, with the courts of justice, antiquities, and new buildings thereunto belonging / by jam. howel esq. howell, james, ?- . [ ], , - , [ ] p., folded leaf of plates printed by j. streater, for henry twiford, george sawbridge, thomas dring, and john place ..., london : . "largely borrowed from stow." cf. dnb. index: p. [ ]-[ ] at end. "a catalogue of mr. howels works ...": p. [ ] at end. reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng london (england) -- description and travel -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - rina kor sampled and proofread - rina kor text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion londinopolis ; an historicall discourse or perlustration of the city of london , the imperial chamber , and chief emporium of great britain : whereunto is added another of the city of westminster , with the courts of justice , antiquities , and new buildings thereunto belonging . by iam howel esq senesco , non segnesco . london , printed by i. streater , for henry twiford , george sawbridge , thomas dring , and iohn place , and are to be sold at their shops , . de ponte londinensi ejusque stupendo situ & structurâ , ad instar celebris illius hexastichi poetae sannazarii de urbe veneta — viderat hadriacis — cum londinensem neptunus viderat urbem , vectus ibi propriis atque ; revectus aquis , dum densam penetrat syluam , lucosque ; ferentes pro ramis funes , pro foliisque ; cruces , cum superimpositum torrenti flumine pontem viderat , et rapido ponere jura freto , cum tantos muros , ferrumina , castra , tot arcus vidit , & haec tergo cuncta jacere suo , arcus , qui possent totidem formare rialtos metiri si quis summa vel ima cupit ; haec deus undarum aspiciens , fluxusque ; retrorsum tundere , & horrendos inde boare sonos , nunc mihi quanta velis terrae miracula pandas est primus mundi pons , ait , iste stupor . the same paraphrased in english. of london-bridg , and the stupendous site , and structure thereof . when neptune from his billows london spyde , brought proudly thither by a high spring-tyde ; as through a floating wood he steer'd along , and dancing castles cluster'd in a throng ; when he beheld a mighty bridg give law unto his surges , and their fury awe ; when such a shelf of cataracts did roar , as if the thames with nile had changed her shoar when he such massy walls , such towrs did eye , such posts , such irons upon his back to lye , when such vast arches he observ'd , that might nineteen * rialtos make for depth and height , when the cerulean god these things survayd , he shook his trident , and astonish'd said , let the whol earth now all her wonders count this bridg of wonders is the paramount . to the renowned city of london . to the right honourable , honourable , and all others , who owe their first birth or wellbeing to so noble a metropolis . it was a notable character , which cornelius tacitus , ( that famous register of time , who had lived here many years ) did give of london about fifteen hundred years agoe , londinum copiâ negotiatorum , & comeatu maximè celebre , london a most renowned mart for multitude of marchants , and commerce . if she deserved such a character in those dayes , what would she merit now ? who being compared to what she was then , may be said , in point of magnitude , to be as a large volume in folio , to a book in decimo sexto : and , in point of trade , as in an east indy carack , to a quinbourough oyster ketch . i have read of some , who have bin enamor'd of cities , as others use to be of mistresses : so charles the emperor , was struck with the love of florence , when among other expressions he said , that she was a fair lady , fit to be seen only on holidayes ; so a french baron was so taken with the city of paris , ( which is known to be none of the neatest ) that he said , could he live ever in paris , he would quit his right to paradise . and it is storied of tamberlain , that having got constantinople , the first complement he put upon her , was , that he had heard so much of her rare beauty , that he came from so far off to court her ; but answer was made , that it was the custom of thrace , to court fair ladies , not with trumpets and drums , but with dulcimers , and other melodious instruments . i may well affirm , that london is not inferior to any of these , as will appear in a parallel hereunto annexed : and having breath'd air , and slept in her bosom , now near upon forty years ( except the times that i was abroad upon forren employments , ) it is no wonder , if i be habitually in love with her ; nor have i bin wanting to express it many times by dedicating unto her the great french dictionary refin'd , and enrich'd with divers additionals ; then in giving her some warnings by the sad destiny of jerusalem , in an epitome that goes of josephus ; i shewed my self also very sensible of her case at that time , when i addressd unto her englands teares , and mercurius acheronticus . nor is it long since , that i made publick love to venice , and courted naples also , and i came off with no ill success ; i hope to do the like here . i know others ●ave treated already of the same subject , and given a laudible account of the city of london , but gold may be often told over without fouling the fingers . i have read near upon a dozen several survayes of rome and venice , with other cities , and i alwayes found new observations ; but it is now above thirty foure years agoe , ( which are near upon five ages in the law ) since any thing was written of london , and westminster her collateral sister ; which tract of time , affords variety of accidents , which the reader shall find in this new account : wherein as i have bin careful not to pre●ermit any thing that 's material , so my special caution hath bin not to thrust in any frivolous pedantick things , or superfluities , whereunto my nature hath bin alwayes averse ; moreover , i promise the reader , that he shall meet with many other observations here , which were never yet drawn off the presse , or exposed to publick light until now . i will conclude my epistle with this question , if it was esteemed an honour among the greeks , to be born in athens ; if among the italians , to be a roman ; if among the spaniards to be a toledano : why should it be lesse honour for an englishman to be born in london ? my hearty prayers to heaven are , for the incolumity , and welfare of this great city , for the aversion of all iudgements , and that she may still flourish with affluence of all earthly felicity ; by which prayer i subscribe my self , much honoured sirs , your humble , and ready servant , iam : howel . some advertisements to the reader . they who make researches into antiquity , may be said to passe often through many dark lobbies , and dusky places , before they come to aula lucis , the great hall of light ; they must repair to old archives , and peruse many mouldred and moth-eaten records , and so bring light as it were out of darkness , to inform the present world , what the former did , and make us see truth through our ancestors eyes . now , though we commonly term them that went before us our ancestors , yet if we have respect to the extent of time , and the age of the world , we who live now , may be called the more ancient ; for they lived , some of them in the non-age , some in the youth , some in the adolescence , some in the virility of the world , and we who now crawl up and down the earth , may be said to live in the declining and doting old decrepit age : therefore if relation be had to true longaevity , we may be rather called the older : insomuch , that a child born to day , as he is part of the universe , and the product of time , may be said to be more ancient then adam , which i conceive to be the meaning of that common saying among us , the younger brother is the ancienter gentleman . moreover , it is desired , that the discerning reader be advertized , that historians and antiquaries , may well be compared to architects , who in rearing up a fabrick , although the idaea , and design of the work , with the site , the contrivement of rooms , the contignation of parts and symmetry , be wholly in themselves ; yet in point of substance , they fetch their materials from else where ; so the historian and antiquary , though the method , the style , and compilement be his , yet he hath his matter from others , either from manuscripts , or printed records , except these modern passages that are synchronical with himself . furthermore , an historian may be compared to one walking in a garden , and making a posie of flowers , which he culs and plucks from divers beds and banks ; now , though the flowers be none of his , yet the choyce of them , and twisting them together , to give the fuller fragnancy , and not to thrust in any unsavory vegetal , is solely his own work . the lord bacon's henry the seventh , and my lord harbert's henry the eighth , though the composition , and digesting be theirs , whereby they denominate the books , yet , under favour , touching the main ingredients , they took them from others , who had written the life of those kings before : so , concerning this present treatise , although the trace , and form of the structure be mine own ; yet , i am so much the child of modesty , as to acknowledge to have fetch'd most of my materials from others , who preceded me in the same subject ; as from mr. stow , and those industrious persons , who have made additionals unto him : yet , as i gave a hint before in my epistle dedicatory , there be divers things inserted here , which are not found there , nor any where else ; besides those modern occurrences which have happened since , and are contemporary with myself . the chiefest materials that go to the compilement of this new peece . . a proeme . . the historical part of london touching her first rise and foundation , with her degrees of growth . . of the great and glorious temple of st. pauls , with its dimensions , and places annexed ; together , with the rest of the churches in city , or suburbs . . of the . several wards , precincts , or aldermanries of london , into which the whole city is divided . . of the political , and civil government of the city of london , as also of the spiritual . . of the walls , streets , gates , and towers of london ; with the prisons , and places of restraint . . of the inns of court and chancery , of the doctors commons , gresham , and sion colledge , with the publick schools . . of the twelve chief companies , whence the lord mayor is extracted , with other societies of marchant adventurers , and the . corporations . . of their several halls or guilds , dispersed up and down in convenient places . . of the great tower of london , the royal exchange , of guild-leaden● and bassings-hall , &c. . of the white , and black , the gray , cruchet , and austin fryers , with other religious houses , as nunneries and hospitalls . . of the famous , and great navigable river of thames , from the first source , till she dischargeth her self into the ocean . . of london-bridge , and her admired structure ; which nevertheless , would see better , had she fewer eyes , and that her nineteen arches were reduc'd to nine . . of the prerogative , and great trust , the lord mayor , and the city , have for the over-sight , and repair of the said bridge , with the conservancy of the said river . . of the city of westminster , and the abbey . . of the strand , the new exchange , the savoy , and all the great houses towards the water-side . . of the covent garden , saint giles , lincolns-inne-fields , saint martins , and drury-lane , with all the late new buildings . . of westminster-hall , and all the tribunals of iustice , there sedentary , . of the high court of parliament , and the admiralty , &c. . a parallel 'twixt london , and other great cities of the world , whereof divers are spoken of in the corollary . london london the glory ●f great britaines ile behold her lands●●ip here , and tru pourfile . st. paul white hall suffolke house yorke house savoy somerset house arundell house st clemens s. dunstane the temple s. brides s. andrew baynards castle queene hythe s. pulche●s three c●●nes the waterhouse the still●●●● bow churche guild hall s. michaels s lorentz poultney fishmongers hall● the old swan the bridge gray church , s dunstan in the east , belinsgate , cristome house the tower tower wharfe , s. catharins , s. olaffe , s. marie gveris , winchester house the globe , b●●r garden the swan , har●vwe on the hill. hamsted , hygate hackney po●●tney , ●ll ships , gally fuste , cool harbour , the proeme , or first entrance into the city of london . my purpose is to give as exact an account , as my enquiries can , of the renowned city of london , with her suburbs annexed ; and , to proceed herein the more regularly , the foundation of my discourse shall be layed with that of hers , beginning with her first rise or original ; then it shall grow up with her , according to those degrees of profection , that she is now arrived unto . from her foundation we will bring you to her walls , and so lead you in at her gates ; whence you shall walk along her streets , and visit her churches with other ancient religious houses , and publique edifices ; then we shall bring you to refresh your self at her conduits , and aquaeducts , her brooks , bourns , and wells ; afterwards , we shall gently lead you along over her bridges , and so bring you to solace your self upon the rare , and renowned river of thames , which we shall derive from her very source , and accompany her stream all along , till she comes to pay tribute to the ocean ; then we shall make a perambulation in her severall precincts , divisions , and wards . and because nothing displayes the prudence of a city more , then her political way , and method of government , we shall endeavour to satisfie you in that point , and speak of her magistracy , her priviledges , her well-moulded corporations and companies , whereby we shall take occasion to revive the memory of those famous patriots , and worthies , which she hath produc'd and bred , with their munificence , their merits , and publique monuments . we shall go on then to give the neerest conjecture we can make of her dimensions , in point of length and latitude , and of the number of humane souls , that usually dwell , and lodge within her ; nor shall we conceal some clowds that have hung over her , and ill-favour'd clashings she hath had with her soveraign princes . and lastly , there will be a short discourse by way of parallel , betwixt the city of london , and other the most populous great marts of the world. of the foundation , and first rise of the city of london . it is as difficult a task to finde out the original of some nations and citties , as it is to finde out the spring of the mysterious river of nile ; which tumbling down with a horrid noise of cataracts through so many huge rocks , above two thousand miles , comes punctually every summer solstice , to visit the gran cairo ; and then takes her leave of her , as punctually the autumnal equinox next following , having first impregnated the hot womb of egypt , with a wonderful prolificall vertue , for the generation of so many species of animalls , and vegetalls . but to finde out the original of the city of london , 't is not so hard a matter ; yet , there are variety of opinions hereof , which we will briefly examine ; ptolomy , tacitus , and antonine , call her sometimes londinium , and sometimes longidinium . ammianus marsellinus , calls her lundinum , and sometimes augusta , which is , the stately and magnificent city . there are some who call her troia nova , or troynovant ; which appellation , edward the first , in that famous long letter he writ to pope boniface , about the scots nation , seemes to assert : others call her caer lud , other dinas belin ; but that opinion which quadrats most with truth , is , that her first founders , and godfathers , were the ancient britains , ( whom we now call welsh ) who by confession of all antiquaries , both domestick and sorraign , were the aborigenes , and first inhabitants of this countrey , being contemporary , and as it were concreated with the iland her self ; there are three denominations , which are derived from the britans , viz. llhogdin ; llhwndian , and llhandian , which we shall endeavour to explane ; touching the first , the britans call a ship llhong , and dinan a town . insomuch , that llongdin is no other then shipton , or a town of ships ; and i have read of many cities , who derive their names from ships , as naupactum , nauplia , naualia augusti , nauctathmos ; but none of these hath more right to assume the title of shipton , or llhongdin ( according to the british ) as the city of london hath , in regard that she is situated , upon the gentle ascent , or flank of a hill hard by a dainty navigable river , which swelling at certain set houres with the ocean tides , she is able by her deep , and safe channel to entertain the greatest bottoms and ships , that can ride on neptunes back , which makes her so famous a mart , those ships bringing in all the rich commodities that the vvorld can afford ; whereunto alludes old robert of glocester , in the rimes of those dayes , which i thought worthy to insert here for the antiquity of the dialect . in the country of canterbury , most plenty of fish is ; and most chase of beasts about salsbury i wis , and london ships most , and wine at winchester , at hartford sheep and oxe , and fruit at worcester , soap about coventry , and iron at glocestor , metal , lead , and tin in the country of exceter , enorwick of fairest wood , lincoln of fairest men , cambridge and huntingdon most plenty of deep venne , ely of fairest place , of fairest sight rochester . touching the second british appellation llhwndian , caesar , and strabo , do mention , that the ancient britans called those woods or groves , which they had barrocadoed and fenc'd about with trees cast down , and plash'd , to prevent all inrodes and assaults , they call'd such a place i say llhwn , which is equivalent to a fenc'd town , or dwelling , as the poet sings of them . — their houses were the thicks , and bushy queaches hollow caves , and hardles made of sticks . and 't is more then probable , that in that place , where st. pauls church now stands , there was a wood or grove at first , in regard there was a fane or temple erected there to the honour of diana ; for historians observe , that whereas venus , mars , and vulcan were used to have their temples in the suburbs , iupiter and apollo within the city , the goddess diana was used to have her temples set up in woods , which might make the britains denominate that place llhwndian , which is as much as diana's grove or town . as this derivation carrieth a great semblance of truth with it , so the third , viz. llhandian carrieth as much , if not a greater verisimilitude , and weighs most with me ; the brittains to this day , call a church or temple llhan , whereof there be a great number in wales to this day , as llhangorse , llhansawel , llhandilo , &c. which signifieth the churches of such places ; and whereas by the current and consentient opinion of all antiquaries , there was a pagan temple , or fane erected to diana , in that place where now st. paul's stands , there being yet there a place called camera dianae , where oxe heads and bones are daily found , which were used to be offered her as victims and sacrifices , i say , 't is more then probable , that the britains were induc'd thereby to call the place nhandian , which is the temple of diana ; and so in tract of time , the word was contracted , and came to be called london . now , who was the first founder of london , is no where precisely found . but whosoever first founded her , they shewed much prudence in the choyce of scituation ; for the happy and fortunate estate of the city , hath given good proof , that built she was in a good houre , when some propitious starre was then the ascendent , and marked for long life and continuance , and that she is for antiquity very honourable ; ammianus marcellinus giveth us to understand , that she was called an ancient city in his time , which is above twelve hundred years agoe ; cornelius tacitus doth seem to do the like three hundred years before , who gives her this character , londinum copiâ negotiatorum , & commeatu valdè celebre for multitude of merchants , and commerce , london is very renowned : this only was wanting to the glory thereof , that she had not the name of free city , nor of colony ; neither indeed had it stood with the roman interest , if any city flourishing with trade , should have enjoyed the right of a free city ; and therefore it was , as may be well supposed , that they ordain'd her to be a prefecture , for so they term'd towns where marts were kept , and justice administred , yet so that they had no magistrates of their own , but rulers were sent every year to govern them , and for to execute law in publick matters , namely of tax , tribute , tolls , customs , warfare , &c. from the senate of rome ; hence it commeth , that tacitus the panegyrist , and marcellinus aforesaid , call her only a town ; but although she was not lostier in name , yet in wealth , riches , and prosperity , she flourished as much as any other , yea and continued alwayes the same , under the dominions of romans , saxons , and normans , seldom or never afflicted with any great calamities . in the raign of nero , when the britains had conspired to recover , and resume their liberty , under the conduct of baodicia , the londoncrs could not with all their vveepings hold suetonius paulinus , but that after he had leavied a power of the citizens to ayd him , he would needes dislodge , and remove from thence , leaving the city naked to the enemy , who forthwith surprized and slew some few , whom either weakness of sex , feeblenesse of age , or sweetness of the place had detained there : neither had she sustained lesse losse , and misery , at the hands of the gaules , if she had not suddenly , and beyond all expectation by gods providence bin relieved ; for when c. alectus had by a deceitful stratagem , made away cara●sius , who taking advantage of our rough seas , and of dioclesians dangerous warres in the east , and withall , presuming of the gauls , ( now french ) and most venturous marriners , and servitors at sea , withheld to himself the revenues of britain and holland , and born for the space of six years , the title of emperour augustus , as his coines here very oft do shew : when m. aurelius asclepiedotus had in a battail slain alectus in the third year now of his usurpation of the imperial purple and state , those french who remained alive after the battle hastening to london , would have sack'd the city , had not the thames , who never fai●'d to help the londoners , very opportunely brought in the roman legions , who by reason of a fog at sea , were severed from the navy : for they put the barbarians to the sword , all the city over , and thereby gave the citizens , not only safety by the slaughter of their enemies , but pleasure in beholding such a sight ; and then it was , as our chronicles record that lucius gallus was slain by a brook side , which ran almost through the middle of the city , and of him was called by the british nantgall , in english wallbrook ; which name remains yet in a street , under which there is a ●ewer within the ground , to rid away the filth , and ordures of the city , not far from london-stone , which i take to be a mile-mark or milliary , such as was in the market places at roms , from which were taken dimensions of all journies , every way , considering it is neer the midst of the city , as it lyeth in length . neither is it probable , she was yet wall'd about ; but a little after our stories report , that constantine the great , at the instance of his mother helena , did first fence her about with a wall made of rough stone , and british bricks , which took up in compasse , above three miles , so that it inclosed the model of the city almost four-square , but not equal on every side , considering , that from east to vvest , she is far longer then from south to north. that part of this wall which stood on the thames side , is by the continual flowing , and washings of the river fallen down and decayed ; yet there appear'd certain remains thereof in henry the seconds time , as fitzstephen , who then liv'd doth testifie . the rest now standing , is stronger towards the north , which not many years since , was reedified by the meanes of ioceline , lord mayor of london ; but towards east and vvest , although the barons in old time , during their warres , repaired and renewed it with the ruynes of the iewes houses then demolished , yet it grew quickly , all thorow , out of decay ; for londoners like to those old lacedemonians , laughed at strong walled towns , as cot-houses for women , thinking their own cities sufficiently fenc'd , when they are fortified with bones , and not with stones . this wall giveth entrance at seven principal double gates ; for i willingly omit the smaller , which as they have bin lately repaired , so they have also new names given them ; on the west side there be two , to wit , ludgate of king lud a britain ; or flud-gate , as leland is of opinion , of a little flud running beneath it , like as the gate fluentana in rome , built again from the foundation ; this gate was made a free prison , anno , bremer being major , which was confirm'd . by a common councel in the guild-hall , where 't was ordained , that all freemen of london should for debts , trespasses , accounts , and contempts , be imprisoned in ludgate , where at first for lodging and water , they did not pay any thing . we go next to newgate , the fairest of all the gates so call'd from the newness thereof , whereas before it was call'd chamberlane gate , which now is the publick gaol or prison for criminalls ; and also for civil actions , for the county of middlesex . and it hath bin so many ages , as appears by records in king iohns time ; as also in king henry the third , who ( as an old authour testifieth ) sent a command to the sheriffs of london , to repair the gaol of newgate . on the north side are four gates , viz. aldersgate , or oldersgate from the antiquity thereof , or as others would have it from aldrich a saxon ; the second is cripplegate of a spitle of cripples sometimes adjoyning thereunto ; the third is mooregate , call'd so of a moory ground hard by , which is now draind up , and made fair and firm , and turn'd into a field & delightful walks . which gate was first built by fal●oner lord mayor , in the year of our lord . then bishopsgate of a bishop the benefactor ; which gate the dutch marchants , or hans of the styliard were bound by covenant both to repair , and defend at all times of danger and extremity . on the east side there is aldgate , so named from the oldnesse , or elbegate as others terme it , which hath bin oft re-edified ; it is thought , that two gates more stood , besides the bridge gate , by the thames side , namely belmsgate , now a wharfe or a key for the scots trade ; and donregate or the watergate , commonly call'd dowgate . there be some posterns besides that may go for gates , as that of christs hospital , which was made in the reign of edward the sixth ; another was made out of the wall lately into moorfields . but the postern by the tower shews that it hath bin very ancient , and an arch'd gate of much trust ; for in times past there was alwaies a person of quality who was custos of that posterne . towards the rivers side , there are also many water gates for the better security of the city . where the wall endeth towards the river , there were two strong forts or bastions , of which the one eastward remaineth yet , usually called the tower of london , called in the old british bringwin , or tourgwin , which in english is , the white tower ; a most famous and goodly cittadel encompassed about with thick and strong walls , full of lofty , and stately turrets , fenc'd about with a broad and a deep ditch , furnish'd also with an armory or magazine of warlick munition , with other buildings besides , so that it resembleth a town of it self ; and one may well suppose , that those two castles which fitz-stephens recordeth to have bin on the east side of this city , went both to the making of this one : the other fort was on the west side of this city , where fleet a little riveret ran , whence fleetstreet took its name , and in time , it was able to bear vessels , as appears in some parliament rolls , which riveret dischargeth it self into the thames . fitz stephen calls this the palatin tower or castle ; and they write , that in the reign of william the conqueror , it was consumed by fire , out of the ruines whereof a great part of saint pauls church , was newly built ; and also on the very plot of ground where it stood , robert kilwarby archbishop of canterbury founded a religious house for the dominican fryars , whence we call the place black-fryars ; whereby a man may easily guess of what bigness it was ; howbeit , in that place , stood in the dayes of henry the second ( gervase of tilbury in his book call'd otia imperialia is my author ) two forts or ramparts , the one whereof belong'd to bainard , the other to the baron of monfichet by right of succession , but nothing remaineth of them to this day ; yet some think that pembroke house was a piece of them , which we term bainards castle , of bainard a noble man of dunmow , whose possession sometimes it was , & whose successors the fitz waters were in right of inheritance , who were ensign-bearers of the city of london , ( as shall be told hereafter ) and among them robert fitz water , had licence of k. edward the first , to sell the site of bainards castle to the forenamed archbishop kilwarby . neither was this city at that time wall'd only , but also when the flamins or pagan priests were taken away , and christian religion established under that good emperour constantine , a bishop was install'd in their room ▪ for it appeareth at the councel of arles , which in the year of grace was held under the said constantine the great , the bishop of london was present ; for he subscribed , as it is to be seen in the first tome of the councel in this manner . restitutus , bishop in the city of london out of the province of great britain ; which restitutus and his successors , had their seat and residence as some affirm , as saint peters in cornhil . from that time , london flourished in such honour , that she began to be call'd augusta , and by that name was famous under the emperour valentinian ; for ammianus marcellinus in his book writeth thus , and going forward to london an ancient town which posterity call'd augusta : and in the book , he went from augusta , which men of old time call'd london ; whence it came that after constantine's time , there was a mint appointed therein ; for we read in those pieces of money , which he caused to be stamp'd in honour of his father constantius , and in others ; this was the inscription , p. lon. s. that is pecunia londino signata , mony stamp'd in london . he who had the charge and overseeing thereof under the comes of sacrarum largitionum , is in the book of notice term'd , praepositus the saurorum augustensium in britannia , that is , provost of the treasury of augusta or london , in britany . for this name augusta was a name full of dignity and majesty ; and both founders and repairers of cities , when they hoped or wish'd , that such cities would become flourishing and powerful , gave them significant names of good fortune ; but among the most auspicious names that be , none is more magnificent , none more auspicate and glorious than augusta . for , this of augustus , the most gracious & mighty emperour octavianus took unto himself , not without the judgment of the best learned . sirnamed he was , saith dio , augustus as one of great majesty above the nature of man : for what things be most honourable and sacred , are called augusta : neither had london this name for so high an honour , without the licence of the roman emperours ; in regard that names could not be impos'd upon cities without authority , as virgil notes in that verse of his ; urbem appellabant , permisso nomine , acestam . the city , by permission , acesta they did name . but as continuance of time has outworne this so honorable a name of augusta : to it hath confirm'd that other most ancient name londinum . whiles it enjoy'd the foresaid name augusta , it scaped fair from destruction by a rebellious rout of ransakers ; but theodosius the father of theodosius the emperour did cut them in pieces whiles they were encombred with their spoils , & entred , as mareianus saith , with exceeding great joy in triumphant manner into the city distressed before , & overwhelm'd with grievous calamities ; and marching with his army from thence , he by his valour and prowesse , so freed britain from those intolerable calamities and dangers wherewith she was beset , that the romans , as witnesseth symmachus , honored him among other ancient worthies , and men of high renown with the statue of a man of arms. not long after , when the romans empire in britain was come to an end , in that publick destiny , and fatal defection of the whole state , it fell unto the english saxons , but in what sort , it is not well agreed on among authors ; it is most probable that vortigern to redeem himself , being taken prisoner , delivered it for his ransome unto hengist the saxon , considering that it did belong unto the east saxons , whose countrey also , as writers do record , vortigern upon that condition made over unto hengist . at which time the state of the church went also to wrack , and endured sore affliction ; the pastors were either slain , or forc'd to fly , their flocks worried , and havock made of all , as well church goods as others . theon the last bishop of london of the british blood , was fain to hide the holy relique of saints for a memorial , as my author saith , and not for any superstition . but although those daies of the english saxons were such , that a man might truly say , mars then brandished and shook his weapons , yet was london neverthelesse , as bede testifieth , a town of trade , and traffique , frequented by many nations resorting thither by sea and land ; but afterwards when a more gracious gale of peace breath'd favourably upon this wearied island , and the english saxon began to professe christianity , it also began to flourish afresh ; for ethelbert king of kent , under whom sebert raign'd in this tract , as it 〈◊〉 his vassal , and by courtesie , founded here a church , and did consecrate it to saint paul , which being soon reedified and repaired , became at last most stately and magnificent , it was endowed by degrees with fair revenues , & livings , wherewith were maintain'd a bishop , a dean , a chanter , a chancellour , a treasurer , fire archdeacons , thirty prebendaries , and divers other incumbents and officers , who might have a hansome subsistence thereby . the east part of this church seems to be the newer , and more curiously wrought , having under it a very fair large arch'd vault , which also is saint faiths church ; it was built out of the ruines of that castle palatine ( spoken of before ) by mauritius the bishop , about the year of our lord , whereas it had been formerly consum'd by a wofull accidental fire , whereof william of mamesbury writeth thus ; the beauty whereof is so magnificent , that it deserves to be numbred in the rank of the most excellent edifices , so large as that arck'd vault underneath , and the church above it of such capacity that it may seem sufficient to receive any multitudes of people whatsoever . because therefore bishop maurice carried a mind beyond all measure in this project , he transmitted the cost and charge of so laborious a piece of work unto those that came after : in the end , when b. richard his successor had made over all the revenues belonging unto the b●shoprick to the building of this cathedrall church ; sustaining himself and his family otherwise in the mean while , he seemed in a manner to have done just nothing , notwithstanding that he spent his whole substance thereabout , and yet small effects came thereof . the west part , as also the cross isle are very spacious , high built , and goodly to be seen by reason of such huge columns , and are marvellously beautified with an arch'd roo● of stone . where these four parts crosse one another & meet in one , there ariseth up a mighty large & lofty tower , upon which stood a spire steeple , cover'd with lead , mounting up to a wonderful altitude ; for it was no less than five hundred , and five and thirty foot high from the ground , which in the year , was set on fire by lightning , and burnt with a great part of the city , but being rebuilt , was afterwards fi'rd again with lightening about an hundred and fifty years ago , and was not perfectly repair'd ever since . the measure and proportion of this stately structure , shall be here set down out of an old authentick writer , who saith , that saint pauls church containeth in length foot , the breadth thereof is foot , the height of the west arch'd roof from the ground carrieth foot , and the new fabrique from the ground is foot high , &c. the ground belonging to this great temple , in nature of a coemitery or church yard was of vast expansion , for , it reach'd north , as far as st. nicholas market place ; west , almost as far as ludgate ; and south , near to baynards castle : now , as they say , that rome was not built in a day , no more was this great and glorious sanctuary , but a long tract of time , and some ages pass'd before it came to be entirely compleated , and made a perfect crosse , which is the exact shape of it . nor did there want many advantages , according to the genius of those times , to advance the work ▪ for persons of good rank , besides pecuniary contributions , did labour themselves therein , in their own persons , thinking to do god almighty good service , to have a hand in rearing up his temple ; besides , it was an ordinary thing , for the ghostly father to lay penances upon some penitentiaries , as masons , carpenters , bricklayers , playsterers , and others to work so many daies gratis in the building , before they could get an absolution ; insomuch , that it may be said , that as pauls church was partly ●ailt by the sinnes of the people , so it is now destroyed by the sins of the people . that there stood in old time , a fane or pagan temple to diana , in this place , ( as before was hinted ) some have more than only conjectur'd , for there are arguments to make this conjecture good ; certain old houses adjoyning are in the ancient records of the church call'd diana's chamber ; and in the church-yard , while edward the first raign'd , an incredible number of ox-heads were found , as we find in our annals , which the common sort at that time wondred at , as the sacrifices of the gentiles : and the learned know , that taurapolia were celebrated to the honour of diana . but ever since this temple was erected , it hath been the see of the bishops of london : and the first bishop it had under the english , some hundred years after theon the br●t●sh bishop , was melitus a roman , consecrated by austin archbishop of canterbury , in honour of which austin , ( though flat against the decree of pope gregory the great ) the ensigns of the archbishoprick , and the metropolitan see were translated from london to canterbury . within this grand cathedral , there lieth saint erkenwald , as also sebba king of the east saxons , who gave over his kingdom to serve christ : king etheldred , who was an oppresser rather than a ruler of this kingdom , cruel in the beginning , wretched in the middle , and shameful in his end ; so outragious he was in connivency to parricides , so infamous in his flight and effeminacy , and so disastrrous in his death ; henry lacy earl of lincoln , iohn of gaunt duke of lancaster , sir simon de burlie , a right noble knight of the garter , executed by encroch'd authority without the kings assent , sir iohn de beauchamp lord vvarden of the cinque-ports , iohn lord latimer , sir iohn mason knight , william harbert earl of pembrook , sir nicholas bacon lord keeper of the great seal of england , a man of a deep reach , and exquisite judgement ; sir philip sid●ey , sir francis walsingham , two famous knights ; sir christopher hatton lord chancellor of england ; and a great many worthies more , lodge there until the resurrection . besides this church , there is not any other work of the english saxons extant in london ; for why , they continued not long in perfect peace , considering that the vvest saxons subdued the east saxons , and london began to be tributary to the mercians ; scarcely were these civil wars hush'd , when a new tempest brake out of the north , i mean the danes , who pitiously tore in pieces this whole countrey , and shook this city very sore ; for the danes brought her under subjection , but alfred recover'd her out of their hands ; and after he had repair'd her , he gave her unto ethelred earl of the mercians , who had married his daughter ; yet those wastful depopulators , did what they could afterwards to win her by siege : but canutus , who specially by digging a new channel , attempted to turn away the thames from her , though the labour was lost , the citizens did still manfully repel the force of the enemy ; yet were they alarm'd and terrified ever and anon by them , until they lovingly receiv'd and admitted as their king vvilliam duke of normandy , whom god design'd to be born for the good of england against those so many spoilers ; presently whereupon , the winds were layed , the clouds dispell'd , and golden daies shone upon her : since which time she never sustain'd any signal calamity , but through the special favour , and indulgence of heaven , and bounty of princes , obtain'd very large and great immunities : for she began to be call'd the kings chamber , and so flourished anew with fresh trade , and concourse of marchants , that william of malmsbury who liv'd nere those times term'd it a noble and wealthy city , replenish'd with rich citizens , and frequented with the commerce of occupiers , and factors coming from all parts ; fitz-stephen living also in those daies hath left in writing , that london at that time counted parish churches , and thirteen convents or monasteries of religious orders ; moreover , he relates , that when a muster was made of able men to bear arms , they brought into the field under divers colours foot , and horsemen . london about this time began to display h●r wings , and spread her train very wide ; buildings did much increase , and the suburbs strerch'd forth from the gates a great way on every side , but westward especially , which may be said to be best peopled , and the civillest part . for there , all the twelve inns of court are situate for the students of the law ; whereof fower being very fait and large belong to the iudicial courts , the rest to the chancery : besides two inns more for the servientes ad legem , or the sargeants at law ; ●ere such a number of young gentlemen do so ply their studies in all kind of sciences , and other civilities , besides the law ; that for a choyse way of education and gallantry , sir iohn fortescue , in his treatise of the lawes of england , doth affirm , it is not inferior to any place of christendom : the said four principal houses are the inner temple , the middle temple , graies inne , and lincolns iune ; the two former stand in the very same place , where in times pass'd , during the raign of king henry the second , heraclius patriark of ierusalem , consecrated a church for the knight-templers , which they had newly built , according to the form of the temple , neer unto the sepulcher of our saviour at ierusalem , for at their first institution , about the yeer of our lord . they dwelt in part of the temple , hard by the holy sepulcher , whereof they were so named , and vow'd to defend christian religion , the holy land , and pilgrims going to visit the holy sepulcher , against all mahumetans and infidels , professing to live in chastity and obedience ; whereupon , all men voluntarily , and with candid christian hearts embrac'd and honor'd them : so that through the royal munificence of princes , and other devout people , having got very fair possessions , and exceeding great wealth they flourish'd in a high reputation for piety and devotion ; yea , out of an opinion of the holiness of the men , and of the place , king henry the third , and many noblemen desired much to be buried in their church among them , where some of their statues are to be seen crosse-legd to this day ; for so they were used to be buried in that age , having taken upon them the crosse to serve in the holy warres , and vow'd the same accordingly : among whom , was william marshall the elder , a powerful man in his time ; vvilliam and gilbert his sonnes marshals of england , and earls of pembroke . upon vvilliam the elder , there were in the upper part engraven these words , comes pembrochiae ; and upon one side this verse . miles eram martis , mars multos vicerat armis . but in process of time , when with insatiable greediness , they had hoarded up much wealth , by withdrawing tithes from many churches , and appropriating spiritual livings unto themselves ; and by other meanes , their riches turn●d to their ruine ; which may be one day the fortune of the jesuites , as i heard count gondamar once say . for thereby , their former innocence and piety began to be stifled , they sell a clashing with other religious orders , their professed obedience to the patriark of ierusalem was rejected ; they dr●w daily more envy upon themselves , and an ill repute ; insomuch-that in the yeer . this order was condemned of impiety & other hainous crimes , & all this by the popes authority ; but specially , by the instigation of the french king , they were utte●ly abolished . nevertheless , their possessions here , were by authority of parliament , assigned unto the knights hospitalers of st. iohn of ierusalem , lest that such lands given to religious and good uses , should be alienated against the pious donors wills. yet it appeares in ancient writings , that this place , after the expulsion of the templers , was the seat and habitation of thomas earl of lancaster , and sir hugh spencer , king edward the seconds minion , afterwards of sir aimer de valence , earl of pembrook , and in the end turned to two colleges or inns of court for the study of the lawes ; the other two great inns , were also the mansions of noble men , grayes inne of the lord grey of wilton , and the other of the earls of lincoln . neer unto this , henry the third erected between the two temples , a house for converts , as they call'd it , for the maintenance of those that were con●erted from iudaisme to christianity , which edward the third afterwards made an archive , to keep rolls and records in , and therefore 't is called to this day , the rolls . in the yeer . the rebels of essex and kent , among other places destroyed and pulled down the lodgings and houses of this temple , took out of the church the books and records , that were in hutches of the apprentices of the law , carried them out into the street , and burnt them . the house they spoiled , and burnt also , out of an hatred they bore to sir robert hales , lord prior of st. iohn of jerusalem , which was a place of so high a dignity , that the prior of st. john's , was accounted the first parliamentary peer of england ; but the said house at sundry times , was repaired again , and touching the gate-house of the middle temple , sir amias paulet did build it up , while he remained prisoner , having incur'd the indignation of cardinal wolsey , for an old grudge . the great hall in the middle temple was built about the yeer . in the raign of queen elizabeth . the temple-church had of old a master , and four stipendary priests , with a clerk for the ministration of divine service , who had allowance given them out of the revenues of st. john of jerusalem , and that hospital : but now by the revolution of time , and ecclesiastical alterations , they have but one minister to serve them . of fresh water rivers , aqueducts , conduits , and fountains that belong to the city of london . as , the principal thing that conduceth to the health of humane bodies , is the blood that runneth through their veins , so the chiefest thing that tends to the welfare of a city , is to have springs and conduits of fresh water run within her : therefore we will proceed now ; to give an account of those ancient and present rivers , brooks , boorns , pools , wells , conduits , and aqueducts , which serve to refresh the city of london . in former ages , until the conquerors time , and long after ; the city of london was watred ( besides the river of thames on the south part ) with the river of wells , as it was then call'd , and on the west with water call'd wallbrook , running through the midst of the city , to pay tribute unto the thames . there was another water or boorn , which run within the city through langborn ward , watring the east part ; in the west suburbs was also another great water call'd oldborn , which had its fall into the river of wells . then were there . principal fountains or wells in the other suburbs , to wit , holy well , clements well , and clarks well ; near unto this last named fountain , were divers other wells , viz. fags well , skinners well , tode well , loders well , and rad well . all which wells having the fall of their over-flowings into the said river , much encreased the stream , and in that place , gave it the name of well : in west-smithfield , there was a pool in records , called horse pool , and another in the parish of st. giles without cripplegate ; besides which , they had in every street , and lane of the city , divers fair wells , and fresh springs , after which manner , the city was then served with sweet and fresh waters , which being since decayed , other meanes have bin found to supply the want : but the prime and principal device was found out by that worthy briton , and citizen of london , sir hugh middleton , by whose wit , care , and cost , the new river of ware was brought from chadwel , and amwel , to water and refresh the heart , and bowels of the city ; the business was long in suspence , and under weighty deliberation , it receiv'd heat and cold a long time , being exposed to so many difficulties , and vast expence , able to terrifie the stoutest man. at last , courage and resolution , with a love to the publique good met in the breast of the adventurer , and spur'd him on to so glorious an enterprise , which hath proved so happily commodious , and of such infinite utility to the whole city , that had he lived under some other meridians , that i know , he should have had his statue erected in the eminentest place of the city , to eternize his name & transmit his memory , and keep it fresh ( like his waters ) to all future ages ; now as mr. stow speaks very ingeniously , if those enemies to all good actions , danger , difficulty detraction , contempt , scorn , & envy , could have prevail'd by their malevolent interposition , either before , at the beginning , and in the very birth of the attempt , and a good while after ; this work had never bin accomplished . 't is true , queen elizabeth gave way , by act of parliament , to her citizens of london , and power for cutting and conveying of a river from any part of middlesex or hartfordshire into the city of london , with a limitation of ten years time for the performance thereof ; but that enterprize expir'd with her life : king james her immediate successor , did grant the like , but without-date of time for the same effect ; and when the courage of others were quite quail'd and utterly refused the business , sir hugh middleton did undertake it , and ●o with infinite pains , and no lesse expence , he finish'd the work , by bringing a river of wholsom fine chearful water from chadwel and amwel , to the north side of london , near islington , where he built a large cistern to receive it , the work began the . day of february , anno dom. . and in the compa●s of five years was fully compleated . touching the aquaeduct , or the conveyance thereof to london , it hardly can be imagined , what difficulties and rubs there were in the way , by reason of the various qualities of grounds , through which the water was to passe ; some being ozie , ●oft , and muddy ; others again as stiffe , and craggy ; the depth of the trench in some places descended full thirty foot and more , whereas in other places , it required as much artifice , to mount it over a valley in troughs betwixt hills , and those troughs to be supported by woodden arches , some of them fix'd in the earth very deep , and rising in height above . foot . being brought to the foresaid great cestern , the water was not yet let in , till on michaelmas day , anno . being the day that sir thomas middleton , brother to the said sir hugh , was elected lord maior of london for the year ensuing . in the afternoon of the same day , sir john swinerton , then lord maior , accompanied with the said sir thomas , sir henry mountague , recorder of london , and many of the worthy aldermen , rode in a solemn manner , to see the great cestern , and first issuing of the strange river thereunto , which then was made free denizon of london , and the solemnity was thus . a troop of labourers to the number of threescore , or more , well apparell'd , and wearing green monmouth caps , after the british manner , all alike , carried spades , shovels , pickaxes , and such like instruments of laborious employment , and marching after drums , twice or thrice about the cistern , presented themselves before the mount , where the lord mayor and the aldermen were , where after a handsome speech , the flud-gates flew open , the stream ran chearfully into the cistern , the drums and trumpets sounding in triumphant manner , and a gallant peal of chambers gave a period to the entertainment . a noble achievement it was , as this reracted to sir hugh middleton , doth partly set forth , which never saw publique light until now . ad hugonem middleton equite●s auratum de stupenda hac aquarum operâ . compita qui fluvium per londinensia dūxti , ut jam quisque suis vicus abundet aquis , non aganippe tuas satis est depromere laudes , haec scaturigo nova quam tibi fundit aquae . of the famous , great navigable river of thames . vvee will go now from the new river to the old , the famous and ancient river of thames , and find out her source , bed , and streams . she hath her head or spring out of the flank of a hill in catswold downs , about a mile from tetbury , near unto the fosse , a high road , so call'd in ancient times , where it was heretofore call'd isis or the ouse , from hence it runs towards the east , not without some meanders and windings , and meets with the cirne or chiurne , a brook whereof cirncester town by which it runs takes the name ; from hence it hasteneth to creekelade , otherwise call'd crekanford , lechlade , ratcotebridg , newbridg , and ev●sham , receiving in her passage many other small rivelets , brooks , becks , and rundels ; and on this side the town , divideth her self into two streams , whereof one goeth streight to hincksey and botley , the other passeth by godstow ; this latter spreadeth it self for a while into divers small streams , which run not far before they meet again , and then embracing sundry fruitful medowes , she passeth at length by oxenford , who some imagine should rather be call'd ouseford of this river , where she joyns with the charwell , a little from whence the original branches do joyn , and keep company to abbandune or abington , call'd by some senshum , although at first no part of her did approach so near the town as now she doth , till a branch thereof was led thither by the main stream , through the industry of the monks , as 〈◊〉 by the decay of caerdoure , now call'd dorchester , sometimes the high road from wales , and the west countrey to london ; from hence she goeth to dorchester and so into tame , where contracting friendship with a river of the like name , she loseth the name of isis or ouse , whereof ousenny or osney at oxford is derived ; and from thence she assumes the name of thamesis all along as she glides ; from tame she passeth to wallingford , and so to rending , which in ages pass'd was call'd pontium in regard of the number of bridges ; there she receives the kenet which comes from the hills that lye about marleborough westward , and then the thetis , commonly call'd the tyde , that comes from thetisford . she hasteneth thence to sudlington otherwise call'd maydenhead , and so to windlestore or winsore , eton , and then to chertsey , where erkenwald bishop of london did erect a religious house or cell . from chertsey she directs her course to stanes ; and receiving another stream by the way call'd the cole ( whereupon colebrook stands ) she goes by kingstone , richmond , sheene , sion , & brentford or bregentford , where she meets with the brane or the bren● , another 〈◊〉 descending from edgworth . from brentford she visits morlach , 〈…〉 cheisoy , lambeth , westminster , and so to london . having accompanied our gentle , and smooth-gliding ri●●r now to london , she now makes great haste to meet with neptune her lovely husband ; the first water she greets is the brome , on kent side , west of greenwich ; whose spring is bromis in bromley parish , and so goeth thence to lewshant taking 〈◊〉 from the east : the next water she meets withal , is on essex side , almost against woolwich , and that is the lee ; and being pass'd that , the darwent also dischargeth her self into the thames on kent side , two miles and more beneath erith having its rising at tunbridge , or tanridge . the next river that disgorgeth her self into the thames , is west of the wam isles , a rill of no great note , or long course ; for rising about coringham it rune not many miles east and by south , till it falls into the mouth of this river ; last of all the thames takes acquaintance , and mingleth with medway a con●derable river watering all the south parts of kent . this noble navigable river flows , and fills all her channels twice ev'ry natural day , by the flux and reflux of the sea , which holdeth on for the space of miles within the main land ; the stream or tyde being highest at london ▪ when the moon doth exactly touch the norh-east , and south or west points or the heavens , whereof one is visible , the other underneath us : these rydes do also differ in their times , each one coming later than the other by so many m●nutes as passe ; yet the revolution and natural course of the heavens , do reduce and bring about the said planet to these her former places , whereby the common difference 'twixt one tyde and another , is sound to consist of minutes ▪ which wanteth but twelve of a whole hour in as experience doth confirm ; in like manner we daily find that each tyde is not of equal heighth and fulness ; for at the 〈◊〉 and the change of the moon , we have the highest ●●ouds , and such is their extraordinary course that as they diminish from their changes and fulls , unto their first and last quarters , so afterwards , they encrease again until they come to the fall and change ; sometimes they rise also ●o high , e●pecially if the wind be at the north or north-east , which brings in the water with more vehemency , because the tyde which fills the channel cometh northward , that the thames often inounds the bankes about london , which happeneth most frequently in ianuary and february , which makes the grounds , afterwards more ferti●e . neither do the tydes after a whit , unlesse some impetuous winds from the west or south-west , do keep back and check the stream , as the east and north-east do hasten the coming in thereof or else some other extraordinary occasion put by the course of the german seas , which do fill the river by their n●tural 〈◊〉 , and flowings ; and the probabiest reason why three or four tydes do chop in in one day is , because the winds blowing more strong than ordinarily north or north-east , make the sea to rush in with more speed , and abundance or water . the land streams or white waters , do oftentimes thicken the finenesse of the river , in so much that after a land floud , 't is usual to take up haddocks with ones h●nd beneath the bridge , as they float aloft on the water , their eyes being so blinded with the thicknesse of the water , that they cannot see whither they swimme ; and how to make shift for themselves before the poor crea●●re be surpriz'd , otherwise the thames water useth to be as clear and 〈◊〉 , as any such great river in the world . having gone along so fat with this great goodly river , even from her source until she di●●mboques , and payes tribute to nepume , and cast her self into his imbraces , it will be now expedient to go on further , and acquaint the reader with the jurisdiction , and prerogatives of the th●mes , with the extent thereof , which begins at a place call'd colnie ditch , a little above st●nes-bridge , we●●ward as far as london-bridge , and ●rom thence to a place call'd yendil , 〈…〉 and the waters or medmay , all which extent is under the jurisdiction and conservancy of the lord mayor , the comminalty , and citizens of london . true it is , that there have been some contests betwixt the lord mayor , and the lord high admiral of england , concerning the said jurisdiction and power , but after a fair and judicial tryal in open court , the controversie was decided in favour of the city ; and the lord mayor adjudged to be conservator of the thames . there were also some other controversial points about the rivers , of thames and medway , but all differences were absolutely concluded anno , sir iohn swinerton being then lord mayor , and mr. sparry being then his deputy , or respective bayliff for the execution of such a great trust repos'd in him . ever since , is well as in former times , the lord mayor of london hath been styl'd the conservator of the said river , within the forenamed limits and bounds , having plenary power to inflict punishments upon all transgressors relating to the said rivers ; the water-bayly of london being his substitute . and whereas there are a company of fishermen call'd tinckermen , frequenting the river of thames eastward , who in times pass'd have been reported , and found out to make an infinit destruction of the young brood or fry of fish , by using unlawful nets , and other engines feeding their hoggs with them ; by the singular care and cost of the lord mayor , and vigilance of the city , those prohibited engines and nets , are now quite suppress'd , and a true , and orderly manner of fishing brought into use , that such a havock may not be made of the young fry . moreover , there are a great number of other kind of fishermen , beside tinckermen belonging to the thames , call'd hebbermen , petermen , and trawlermen , that had lived in former times , by unlawful fishing on the said river , to the destruction of the young fish , as aforesaid ; but now they are restrain'd , and regulated to a more orderly way of fishing . there have bin other kind of abuses reformed herein , as upon complaint made to the lord mayor , concerning certain timbers standing in tilbury hope ; a matter not only dangerous to the passengers , but a cause also to destroy the young brood of fish , by the dammage those timbers did to the fishermens nets , in regard of their continual standing in the main course , and cur●ent of the river : that great grievance was speedily redressed , by the providence and prudence of the lord mayor , and the water-bayly . furthermore , there hath been care taken , to clear and cleanse the said noble river westward of seventy nine stops or hatches consisting of sundry great stakes and piles , purposely erected by fishermen for their private lucre , and standing illfavouredly for passengers near unto the fair deep ; but none of them remain now , but such as stand out of the passable high stream , and can be no prejudice to passers by ; yet some are permitted to be planted at the waters bottome , and so they serve as a great succour to the young brood of fish , being placed so remote on the river . nor is this provident care for security of passengers , and conservation of the young fry or fish , a new thing , for it appears that the like course was kept in the reign of henry the fourth , and after in henry the eighth , as records and chronicles do shew . moreover , there is a watchful eye , that no carren , or dead carkasses be thrown into the river to pollute , or infect the stream . to all these intents and purposes , the lord mayor , and the aldermen his brethren with the under officers , do use to meet eight times yearly , in the four counties of middlesex , surrey , kent , and essex , and have a judicial sitting for maintenance of the rivers rights , and priviledges , where they have power to empanel juries , to make inquisition after all offences committed upon the river within their extent ; and as the verdict given up by the jury make it appear , so they proceed to the punishment of the transgressors , according to the quality of the offence : and it is worthy the observation , to know the manner of their so solemn proceedings , whereof this instance shall be produced , extracted out of authentick records . sir iohn iolles knight and lord mayor of the city of london , and conservator of the river of thames , and waters of medway , assisted and accompanyed by the aldermen ▪ and two sheriffs then contemporary , and attended by the recorder ; and the sub-conservator , or water-bayly , with fifty officers and servants , took their barges at belmsgate the third of iuly , and within few hours arriv'd at gravesend in kent , where a session for the conservancy of the said river was kept before the said lord mayor , and his forenamed assistants ; at which time and place , a jury of the freeholders of the said county , being sworn to enquire of all offences committed in any part of the river whatsoever , within the said county , the common sergeant of the city ( the recorder being then absent upon extraordinary occasions ) deliver'd them a charge to this effect ; that , forasmuch as there had not been any session of conservancy in many years passed , kept by any lord mayor of london in that place , it was probable and evident they could not be well informed , neither of the lord mayors jurisdiction and power to reform annoyances and offences there , and to inflict due punishments upon the offendors ; nor of the nature of the service to be by them performed in the course of their enquiry ; therefore he thought it convenient to make it known unto them , both the one and the other . hereupon he shew'd them , the jurisdiction of the court of london in the river of thames , from stanes-bridge westward unto the points of the river next the sea eastward , appear'd to belong to the city in manner and form following . first , in point of right by praescription , as it appeareth by an ancient book call'd dunthorne , that , civitatis fundationis , aedificationis , & constructionis causa erat thamesis fluvius , quorum vero civitatis & fluminis gubernationem tam duces , majores , custodes , vicecomites , aldr. & magnates civitatis memoratae hucusque obtinuerunt & habuerunt ; whence he inferr'd , that the government of the river hath belong'd to the city , time out of mind . in . hen. . iorden coventry one of the sheriffs of the city , was sent by the mayor and aldermen , to remove certain kiddles that annoy'd the rivers of thames and medway , who ultra yenland versus mare , did take divers persons that were offendors , and imprison'd them ; whereupon , complaint being made to the king , he took the matter ill at the first , and sent for the lord mayor and citizens to kennington ; where , upon hearing of the matter before the said king ▪ the cityes jurisdiction over the said river , was set forth and allow'd , and the complainants convinc'd , and every one of them amerc'd at l. and the amercements adjudged to the city ; and afterward , their nets were burnt by judgement given by the lord mayor and aldermen in the hustings , moreover , . richardi secundi , writs were directed to the sheriffs of essex and kent reciting the cities title , with command , not to suffer the citizens of london to be molested contrary to the liberties formerly granted , and allowed unto them . secondly , in point of right by allowance in eire , the conservation of the thames belongs to the city : for it was produc'd that . rich. ● . before hugh bigot being justice itinerant , the sheriffs and citizens of london were call'd in question for their jurisdiction exercised on the thames , before whom it was found by a jury in southwark , quod nullus habeat aliquid juris in thamisia usque ad novum gurgitem nisi cives londonens . in the . of ed. . the constable of the tower , was indited by divers wards of london , before the justices in eire at the tower , de muneris et recep . cove . pro kidellis in thamisiis , et constabularius ad kidellas respondet quód iustic . non habent jurisdictionem extra london plitum , inde cognoscere cum predict . kidelli sunt in aliis comitatibus , et justic. dixerunt , aqua thamisiae pertinet ad civitatem london usque mart , & si velit respondeat , who then pleaded , not guilty . . he went further , that this jurisdiction belonged to the city by ancient charters , . r. . dominus ricardus rex , filius regis henrici secundi concessit , & firmiter praecepit , ut omnes kidelli qui sunt in thamisia amoveantur ubicunque fuerint in thamisia ; . ioh. rex . concessit , & firmiter praecepit , ut omnes kidelli qui sunt in thamisia vel in medway amoveantur , & ne caeteri kidelli alicubi ponantur in thamisia vel in medway super sort : x. li. sterlingorum . then he urg'd the famous charter of king henry the third , which ran thus . henry by the grace of god , king of england , lord of ireland , duke of normandy and aquitaine , and earl of anjou unto all archbishops , bishops abbots , priors earls , barons , justices sheriffs , stewards , ministers , and to all bayliffs , and to all his true men , greeting : woreth well , that we for the health of our soul , and the health of the soul of king john our fader , and the souls of all our ancestors ; and also for common profit of our city of london , and of all our realms , have granted , and steadfastly commanded ; that all the weares that be in thames , or in medway be done away ; and that from henceforth no weares be set in thames or medway , upon the forfeiture of . l. also we claim quit to our citizens of london all that , that our constable of our tower of london , was wont to take of the said weares . wherefore we will , and steadfastly command that no constable of the aforesaid tower , at any time from henceforth forward any thing ask , nor any grievance do , to any of the same city , by enchesen of the same weares ; it is to us known enough , and by true men , do us to understand , that most privacy , and most profit might fall into the same city , and to the whole realm by enchesen of the same weares ; which we make for ever firm and stable unto the same city , as the charter of our lord king john , our fader , which our barons of london , thereof have reasonably witnessed . witnesses , eustace of london , peter of winchester , &c. at westminster the . of february , the year of our reign eleven . besides these , he produced divers others in this kings raign . . this jurisdiction belongs to the city of london , by acts of parliament . w. . ca. . an. . no salmons to be taken , from the nativity of our lady , unto st. martins day in all points ; nor none to be taken in mill-pools , from the midst of april , until midsummer , . offence , burning of nets , and engines . . offence , imprisonment for a quarter of a yeer . . a whole year , . r. . confirms the restraint of taking salmons in many waters , from the midst of april , until midsommer , upon the same pain ; nor within that time to use any nets call'd stalkers , nor any other engine , whereby the fry may be destroyed . ● . eliz , none shall with any manner of net , wee le , butcaining , kepper , limecreele , rawfagnet , trolnet , trimnet , scalboat , weblister , sturlamet , or with any other device or engine , made of cheare , woolbine or canvas , or shall by any heeling nets , or trimbleboat , or any other device , engines , caut●lles , wayes or meanes soever , heretofore made or devised , or hereafter to be made or devised , take , or kill any young brood , spawn , or fry of eeles , salmon , pike , or pickrel , or of any other fish or flud-gate , pipe , or tail of any mill , weare , or in any streights , streams , brooks , rivers , salt or fresh . . none shall take or kill any salmon and trouts , not being in season , being kepper salmons , or kepper trouts , or shedder salmons , or shedder trouts , &c. the mayor of london , inter alia , shall have full power and authority by this act , to enquire of all offences committed contrary thereunto , by the othes of men or more , and to hear and determine all and every the same , and inflict punishments , and impose fines , accordingly . . then he proceeds to assert the cities right , to the conservation of the thames , and waters of medway , by way of inquisition , whereof there were two : the one taken at raynam in essex , the other at gravesend in kent , . hen. . before william grocer , then lord mayor of london ▪ where it was presented , that whereas by the ancient ordinances of london , the mesches of nets should be two inches in the forepart , and one inch in the hinder part ; and it being found , that the offences according to the said inquisitions are contra libertates & consuetudines civitatis , it was adjudged , that the nets should be burnt , according to the ancient custom in that behalf provided . . he goes on after , to prove that this right belongs to the city by decrees . in . hen. . the mayor and aldermen did exhibit their humble petition to the kings councel reciting ; that , time out of minde , they have had the conservation and correction of the river of thames , of all trinks , nets , and other engines whatsoever in the river of thames , and medway placed , and have used to make a sub-conservator under them ; and complaining , that alexander bonner , then sub-conservator , having discharg'd his duty , in removing kiddels , he was ill entreated by the owners , the same owners dwelling in erith , putriferry , barking , woolwich , and other places in the counties of kent , and essex : and upon hearing of the matter in camera stellata , they were sound guilty , and constrained to submit themselves to the lord mayor , and ordered to bring alwayes their nets unto him , before they should use them . and that the kiddles then taken , should be at the disposition of the lord mayor ; so the offendors made their submission accordingly . . he proceeds ; this right appertains to the city of london , by letters patents , which he proved by a grant made by edward the th , to the earl of pembroke , for setting up a weare in the river of thames : which grant was revok'd and annul'd , at the instance of the lord mayor , and the aldermen , upon shewing their right : therefore alledg'd , it was contrary to their ancient customs . at which time , the cities title to the conservacy of the thames , and medway , was at large set forth , and recited to have bin shewn to the lord chancellour , and to the said earl and his councel , which accordingly was allowed . . he reinforceth the right of the city by proclamations , whereof one was made by hen. . in . of his raign , wherein it is affirmed , that the lord mayor and his predecessors , have had by divers grants of the kings of england , and , by acts of parliament , enjoyed alwayes the conservacy of the thames , without impediments , or interruption ; by which proclamation , it was commanded that none should resist , deny , or impugne the lord mayor , or his deputy , in doing or executing any thing that might conduce to the conservacy of the river , and of the fish and fry within the same . . he produceth report ; for in a controversie 'twixt the lord admiral , and the lord mayor , for the measuring of coles , and other things upon the thames , it then fell into debate , to whom the conservacy of the river appertain'd ▪ which cause was referred by queen elizabeths councel of state , . to the atturney general , and solicitor , who joyntly certified among other things , that the conservacy and care of the river did , and ought to belong to the city of london , . by quo warranto , 't was proved , that the conservacy of the thames belongs to the city , for . jacob● ▪ a quo warranto , was brought against the city in the exchequer , to know by what title she claimed the conservacy of the river of thames , & the waters of medway : whereupon the city made her title good thereunto , by ancient prescription , and otherwise ; so judgement was given in her favour . . he goes on afterwards to confirm the right of the city , by proof of usage ; in regard the lord mayor and aldermen have time out of minde , made ordinances concerning the good government of the river of thames , as well for the seasons and manner of fishing beneath london bridge eastward , upon pain of penalties , as it appears from time to time , from the raign of hen. . and so downward : the lord mayor hath removed kiddels , weares , trinks , and other unlawful engines , and hath reformed the disorders of such as have offended besides , in the river of thames , and inflicted punishment , upon offendors accordingly . the right of the city appeares also by the writs and precepts under the teste of the lord mayor , to the sheriffs of kent and essex , for the returning of juries before him , to enquire of offences done in the river . the same right of the city , appeares also by commissions , whereof divers have bin directed to the lord mayor , to put in execution the acts of parliament , made for the conservancie of the thames and medway , and to enquire of all offences , made or done in the said waters , and to punish the delinquents accordingly . lastly , he makes good the right and title of the city , by the continual claim she made thereunto , as appears in those various contests she had with the lord admiral of england , wherein after divers debates and bandings , she kept still above water , and made her title good ; which moved king james , anno the d of his raign , to put a final determination to the business by the letters patents , he passed unto the city , wherein he saith , that ad omnem controversiam in hac parte temporibus tam presentibus quàm futuris tollendam , & omne dubium amovendum , that to cut off all controversies , as well of the present times , as of future , and to remove all doubts , he did confirm and ratifie the said right unto the city of london . thus was the title , prerogative , and right of the city of london stoutly , and strongly asserted by eleven pregnant , and convincing proofs , to the conservation of her dearly beloved minion , the river of thames , both by prescription ; by allowance in eire ; by ancient charters ; by acts of parliament ; by inquisitions ; by decrees coram ipso rege ; by letters patents ; by proclamations ; by report of the learned councel ; by a quo warranto ; and lastly , by ancient usage , custom , and continual claim . mr. stow in his survey of the city of london , hath more about this business , then here is inserted , which made the last king charles the first , to command sir john coke his secretary , to write to sir henry martin , judge of the admiralty , to this effect , that his majesty understanding , that a second edition of stowes survey of the city of london , was put new to sale , wherein there are some passages prejudicial to his majesties right in his admiralty , and derogatory to the just power belonging thereunto , his majesty did therefore require him , his iudge in that high court , to examine the said bo●k , and to cause the said passages inserted in prejudice of the admirals iurisdiction , and in support of any other pretence against the same , to be left out , or else to prohibite the publishing , and sale of the said book , &c. sir henry martin having received this letter , after the book was printed , and publiquely sold , all that he could do , was to have sir john cokes letter inserted in the last folio of stow , to stand there for a cautionary reserve , and record for the future . now , there be many things that concern the incumbency of the conservator of so noble a river , it being an office of no small extent . his first duty is to preserve the currency of the stream , and the banks on both sides . secondly , he must preserve the fish and fry within the same , he must prevent all encroachments upon the river , and the banks thereof ; as also he must enquire of all flud-gates , mill-dams , and such like annoyances ; and whether any do hurl in any soyl , dust , or rubbish , or other filth whatsoever to choak her . but for the strength , and safety of the river , against the invasion of an enemy , by block-houses , forts , bastions or castles , and the securing of the merchant , and navigation to and fro , that charge belongs to the soveraign prince , and not to the city . but indeed , touching the former charge , circumspection and care of the river of thames , it is most proper for the city of london , who lies perpetually by her beds side , and therefore in a fit posture to be watchful of her : for which vigilance the thames rewards her abundantly , by bringing her in the spices of the south , the jewels of the east , and treasure of the west ; insomuch , that it may be well said ▪ this office of conservatorship , or superintendency of so noble and useful a river , is as a fair flower , or rich jewel , in the cap of maintenance . this famous river , taking all her advantages together , surpassing all other whatsoever , that pay tribute to the ocean , if you regard the streightness of her course , the stilness of her stream , for her proportionable latitude ; as also her length , for she comes sporting along from her first source , above ninescore miles before she embosomes her self in the arms of neptune . add hereunto , the great store , and variety of fish she abounds withall ; the most delectable , and fertile soiles , on both sides ; and lastly the conveniency of her scituation being towards the center of england . and then in her entrance to the sea , she opens upon france and flanders , having them both in her eye ; besides , she hath another advantagious property , that to the knowing native , the entrance into the river is safe and easie , but difficult and hazardous to strangers , either to come in , or go out ; insomuch , that the thames may be said to be londons best friend , which puts me in minde of a passage of drollery , that happened in the time of king james who being displeased with the city , because she would not lend him such a sum of money , and the lord mayor and the aldermen attending him one day , being somewhat transported , he said , that he would remove his own court , with all the records of the tower , and the courts of westminster-hall , to another place , with further expressions of his indignation . the lord mayor calmly heard all and at last answered , your majesty hath power to do what you please , and your city of london will obey accordingly ; but she humbly desires , that when your majesty shall remove your courts , you would please to leave the thames behind you . of the great and admirable bridge in the city of london over the thames . having bin thus long upon water , and accompanied the thames to thetis lap , 't is time now to land , and take a view of her greatest bridge , which , if the stupendious site , and structure thereof be well considered , may be said to be one of the wonders of the world : though , as some think , it hath too many arches ; so that it may be said , if london bridge had fewer eyes , it would see far better . now as we ferch'd the thames from her spring , so we will fetch her bridge from its first foundation . at first there was but a ferry kept in the place where now the bridge is built , at length the ferriman and his wife deceasing , left the said ferry to their only daughter a mayden , who with other goods , left her by her parents , together with the profits arising from the said ferry , did build a holy house for nuns ; in place whereof , the east part of st. mary overies stands now above the quire , where she was buried : and unto that house of nuns , she bequeathed the over-sight and benefit of the ferry ; but afterwards , that house of nuns being converted into a house of priests , the priests did build a bridge of timber , and from time to time , kept the same in good reparation , till at length , considering the great charges which were bestowed in the frequent repair of the woodden bridge , there was at last , by the contributions of the citizens , and others , a bridge built of stone . the timber bridge had stood some ages before ; for the story saith , that when sweyn , king of denmark , had besieged the city of london , both by water and land in the year . the citizens manfully defended themselves under their king ethelred ; so that a great number of the enemies was slain in battel , and part of them were drown'd in the river of thames , because they could not recover the bridge : add hereunto , that in the year . can●tus the dane , with a great navy came up to london , and on the south of the thames caus'd a trench to be cast , through the which his ships were tow'd towards the west side of the bridge , and then with a deep trench , and streight siege , he encompassed the city about . moreover , . the earl godwin , with the like navy , taking his course up the river , and finding no resistance on the bridge , he sail'd up the south side . further , . william the conqueror in his charter to the church of st. peter in westminster , confirmed to the monks serving god there , a gate in london call'd buttolphs gate then , with a wharf which was at the head of london bridge . we read likewise , that anno . in the raign of henry . the river of thames was so dryed up , and the water grew so shallow , that between the tower of london and the bridge , not only with horse , but people might have passed over a foot . in the year , thomas arden gave to the monks at bermondsey the church of st. george in southwark , and five shillings yearly rent out of the land pertaining to london - bridge . there is also a remarkable charter of hen. . upon record , to this tenor . henry king of england , to ralph chichester , and all the ministers of sussex , sendeth greeting ; know ye , i command by my kingly authority , that the manor call'd alceston , which my father gave with other lands to the abbey of battle , be free , and quiet from shiers and hundreds , and all other customes of earthly servitude , as my father held the same most freely and quietly , and namely from the work of london-bridge , the work of the castle at pevensey : and this i command upon my forfaiture . witnesse william de pontdelarche at berry . the first year of king stephen , a fire began in the house of one a●lwards neer unto london-stone , which consum'd east unto ludgate , and west to st. erkenswald's shrine in st. pauls church . the bridge of timber upon the river of thames was also burnt , but afterwards repair'd . besides in the reign of the said king stephen , and of hen. . men stood in great numbers upon the bridge to see pastimes that were upon the river . in the year , that bridge was not only repair'd , but built all of new timber as before , by peter colechurch priest , and chaplain . this serves to shew , that there was a timber bridge a long tract of time over the thames , which was maintain'd partly by the proper lands thereof , partly by the legacies and liberality of divers persons , and partly by taxations in divers sheirs , at least years before the bridge of stone was erected . now , about the year the stone-bridge had its first foundation by the foresaid peter of cole-church , near unto the place of the timber bridge , but somewhat more west , for the chronicle saith , that buttolphes wharf was at the end of london-bridge ; the king not only countenanced , but assisted the great work , a cardinal being then here legate , and richard archbishop of canterbuty , gave marks towards the foundation . the course of the river for a time was turn'd another way about , by a trench cast up for that purpose , beginning east about radriff , and ending in the west about patricksey , now call'd battersay . this work to wit , the arches , chappel , and the stone bridge over the thames at london , having been years in building , was in the year finished , by the worthy citizens of london , viz. serle mercer , william almane , and benedict botewrite , being principal masters of that fabrique : for peter colechurch was dead four years before , and was as the principal benefactor buried in the chappel on the bridge . certain void places were given by king iohn to build upon about london , the profits whereof were assign'd to maintain the bridge . a mason , being master workman of the bridge , builded from the foundation the large chappel on that bridge upon his own charges , which chappel was then endow'd with two priests and four clerks , &c. besides chanteries ; after the finishing of this chappel , which the first building upon those arches , sundry mansion houses in tract of time were erected ; whereunto many charitable men gave lands , tenements , and sums of money towards the maintenance thereof ; all which was sometimes registred , and fairly written in a table for posterity , which was put up in the said chappel , till at last the said chappel was turn'd to a dwelling house , and then remov'd to the bridge-house : now , in hen. . time it stands upon record , that all the payments and allowances belonging to london-bridge , amounted to above l. by which account made then , may be partly guessed the great revenues , and incomes of the said bridge , and to what improvement , and encrease it may be come unto by this time . but this noble bridge , as other earthly things , hath suffer'd many disasters since : for four years after the finishing thereof , in the year , on the th , of iuly at night , the burrough of southwark on the south side of thames , as also the church of our lady of the canons there , being on fire , and an exceeding great multitude of people passing the bridge , either to extinguish and quench it , or to behold and gaze upon it , suddenly the north part by blowing of the south wind , was also set on fire , and the people which were then passing the bridge percei●ing the same , would have return'd , but were stopp'd by the fury of the fire : and it came to passe as they stayed all in a consternation , and protracted the time ; the other south end of the bridge , was also set on fire ; so that the people thronging themselves betwixt two raging fires , did nothing else but expect present death ; whereupon , there came to save them many ships and vessels into which the multitude so inadvisedly rush'd in , that the ships being thereby ●unk they all perished ; and it was found that above three thousand souls perished by this disastrous accident at that time , whose bodies were found half burnt , besides those who were turn'd to ashes . furthermore , in the year , through a great frost and deep snow , five arches of london bridge were born down , and destroyed : a little after , anno , the bridge was ●o sore decayed for want of reparations , that people were afrai● to pass thereon and a subsidy was granted towards the amendment thereof ; afterwards , sir iohn britain , being then custos of london anno , a great collection was made by all the clergy for the repair of london-bridge . in the year , on st. georges day was a great solemnity of justs and tournements upon london-bridge , between david earl of crawford of scotland , and the lord wells of england ; whereby one may infer , that the houses were not there so thick , at that time . the tower on london-bridge , at the north end of the draw-bridge ( which was then in a posture to be drawn up ) was built anno , in the majoralty of iohn rainwell . anno , a house call'd the common siege on london-bridge , tumbled down into the thames by death of diyers persons a little after . but in the year sixteen hundred thirty three , there happen'd a most raging dismal fire upon the north side of london-bridge , which by computation consum'd above the third part of the buildings thereof ; but by the commendable care of the city , there are other goodly structures rais'd up in some of their rooms , of a stronger and more stately way of building , and pity it is , that the work were not compleated there being no object ( after the church of st. pauls ) that can conduce more to the glory and ornament of this renowned city . besides , this bridge that may be call'd , the bridge of the world , there are other inferior bridges , which have still the names of bridges that belong to the city of london , the first is fleet-bridge in the west , fenc'd with iron pikes , on which towards the south there be certain lanthorns of stones , for lights to be placed in winter evenings , for commodity of passengers ; under this bridge runs a water sometimes call'd , the river wells , but since turn-hill brook , and now fleet dike , because it runs by the fleet under ground to the river of thames ; this bridge hath been far greater in times pass'd , but lessened as the water course hath been narrowed . over the sayd river of wells northerly stands oldenbridge , now holborn-bridge , so call'd of a boorn that sometimes ran down holborn hill into the river ; this bridge like fleet-bridge-serves for passage only . then comes cow-bridge more northerly over the same water near unto cow-lane , but this bridge being decayed , another of timber is made more north towards chicklane . there are some other small bridges over the town-ditch , viz. without eald-gate , without bishopsgat● , mooregate , the postern of cripplegate , as also without aldersgate , the postern of christs hospital , newgate , and ludgate , which are now paved eaven with the streets ; only there remains one of timber over the river of wels or fleet dike . there have 〈◊〉 informer ages divers bridges in sundry places over the course of wallbrook ; but 〈◊〉 they are made levell with the pa●ements of the streets , so that the water-course can now be hardly discover'd , being vaulted over with brick . of the chief fortresse or tower of london . and now that we are come so near the famous and great tower palatine , or cit●adel of london ; we will try whether we can get in thither , without paying fees , and take a view thereof as briefly as we can , it being an ill-favoured , and tedious thing to stay there long . i know it is the current vulgar opinion , that julius caesar , the first conquerour , or rather indeed discoverer of britain , was the original founder thereof , but there is ●ery litle probability of truth in that for two reasons ; the first is , the little stay he made here , during which he had other things to think on . the second is , that he himself who is so exact in his relations , specially if they conduce to his honour ; nor any other roman author , makes any mention of of such a work , or fabrique ; therefore , that opinion which approacheth truth the neerest , is , that william of normandy the conqueror , was the first tracer and erector of the tower of london , as edmond de hadenham , an old english antiquary affirms ; the first part that was built , was the great square and white tower , ( though black to some ) which was about the year , whereof gundulph bishop of rochester was principal superviser and surveyer , who was log'd then in the house of edmere a burgesse of london , as it stands upon latine record in the forenamed author . now it is to be considered , that at first the wall of the city was in many places furnish'd with sundry bastions and turrets in due distance one from the other , and divers stood on the waters side , where some of the said wall extended at first , but the thames with her ebbings and flowings , did as it were corrode , and subver● those buildings on the south side ; wherefore the conqueror ( for then the art of fortification was come to a greater perfection ) for defence of the city and river , pitch'd upon that place as most convenient , to erect a bu●wark in the east part of the wall. the white square tower ( as was formerly said ) was first erected , and finished in the conquerors time , but stood naked and single without other buildings a good while : and the story ●aith , that in william rufus time , it was by the injury of the heavens , and violence of tempest sore shaken , and some part tumbled down , which was repair'd by the said rufus and henry the first , who also caused a castle to be built under the said white tower , on the south side towards the thames , and he surrounded that also with a strong wall ; now , henry of huntindon relates , that vvill. rufus challeng'd the inve●●iture of prelates , and pill'd the people pitifully , to spend the treasure about the tower of london , and the great hall at vvestminster , whereof he was founder . the first keeper of the tower of london was call'd constable , ostowerus . acolinillus , otho , and geoffrey magnaville , were the first four constables of the tower of london by succession , all which held a portion of land that appertain'd to the priory of the holy trinity near algate , viz. east smithfield , as belonging to that office , making thereof a vineyard ; and would would not part with it till the second year of king stephen , when by judgment of the court , it was restored to the church . the foresaid geoffery magnaville , was at one time constable of the tower , sherif of london , middlesex , essex ▪ & hartfordshire , as the chronicles relate ; he also fortified the tower of london against king stephen , but the king took him at last at st. albanes , and would not free him till he had surrendred the tower of london , with the castles of vvalden and plashey in essex . richard de lucie was anno constable of the tower of london , and also of cas●le the of vvinsore . about the beginning of the raign of richard the first , william longshank bishop of ely , and chancellour of england , for some dissentions 'twixt him , and john the kings brother , who was in rebellion , enclos'd the tower of london with an outward wall of stone embattail'd , and also caused a deep ditch to be cast about the same , and thought to have environ'd it with the river of thames . the lion tower was built by edward the fourth & frederick the emperor , having sent for a present three leopards : they were first kept at woodstock ( which was the first park of england seven miles about ; to the destruction of some churches , and chappels adjacent by henry the third ) but afterwards , all such wild beasts , as lions ( which are call'd the beasts of the royall prerogative ) together with leopards , linxes , and propentines , have been kept in that part of the tower , which is called lions tower ; and we read , that edward the d . commanded the sheriff of london , to pay d . per diem , to the keeper o● the lions and leopards , for their sustenance ; and three half pence a day for the keeper's diet , out of the fee-farm of the city . in former times , there were persons of high quality that kept these beasts ( whereof the earl of oxford was one ) and they had a pension from the crown belonging to the office. mr. robert gill a very worthy gentleman hath the place now , and hath had it many years , no● was the tower ever better furnish'd with lions than it is now , there being six in all , young and old . edward the fourth fortified the tower of london , and enclosed with brick a certain enclosure of ground taken from tower-hill westward , now call'd the bullwark . his officers also set up upon the said hill a gallowes , and a scaffold , for the execution of offendors , whereupon the lord mayor complaining to the king , all the answer he had , was , that it was not done to the derogation of the city . in the year , the tower of london was delivered to lewis of france , by the barons of england , who banded against the king ; anno . the citizens of london , having made an uprore against the abbot of westminster , huber● de burgh chief justice of england came to the tower of london , and summoned before him the mayor and aldermen : of whom he enquired , and demanded the principal authors of that insurrection . among whom one constantine fitzaeluphe confess'd that he was the man , saying undauntedly that he was the man , and that he had done much lesse than he had thought to have done ; whereupon the justice passed him over to fulke de brent , who with a band of arm'd men , brought him to the gallowes where he was executed . anno . griffeth the eldest son to luellin prince of wales , being kept prisoner in the tower , devised means to escape , and having made a line of the sheets and hangings , he put himself down from the top of the tower , but in the sliding , the weight of his body , he being a corpulent man , brake the rope with his neck together . king hen. the d. imprisoned the sheriffs of london , anno . for the escape of a prisoner out of newgate . the same henry with his queen , to secure himself from rebelling barons , kept his court at the tower , & sent for the lords to hold a parliament ; and the next year his queen passing through london-bridge , the londoners did outrage her as she pass'd hurling stones and dirt at her , in so much that she was forc'd to return ; hereupon the mayor , aldermen , and sheriffs , were sent to divers prisons , and a custos was set over the city for the time ' viz. othon constable of the tower , until submission had bin made , and other satisfaction given . it is upon record , that edw. . allowed a knight d . per diem , and a squire a peny , for their diet , as long as they were prisoners in the tower upon his command : roger mortimer being prisoner in the tower , gave his watchmen a sleeping potion , and so escaped ; but afterwards , he was arraigned and condemned by his peers , without personal appearance , and so executed at the elmes , where he hung two dayes . the londoners in the year ● . seized upon the tower , wresting the keys out of the constables hands , they freed all the prisoners , and kept it in their hands for the use of queen isabel , and her son edward , both tower and city . the first gold that was coin'd in the tower , was in the raign of edward the third , and the peeces were call'd florences , of the value of s . d ; perceval de post being master of the mint at that time . all great sums before , were used to be payd by the weight , as so many pounds or marks of silver , or so many pounds or marks of gold ; but they bore no stamp , the lesser payments were in starlings , which was the only coin then current , and stamp'd , which were pence so call'd . and they had their antiquity no further , then from the raign of king henry the second . nevertheless , the saxon coines before the conquest , were pence of fine silver , somewhat weightier , and better then the latter starlings , and the probablest reason that is given , why it was starling money , was , because in the ring or border of the peny , there was a starre stamped . but to return to the tower of london : in the year . iohn the french king being prisoner in the tower , king edward the third , being newly returned victoriously from france , the first thing he did , was to visit his prisoner whose ransome was assessed afterwards at three millions of florences or nobles ; whereupon he was brought honourably to the sea side : anno . king richard kept his christmas in the tower , and the year after was clapt up prisoner there . in the year . there were justs and tournements in the tower , wherein the chief actor was the duke of somerset ; anno , henry the sixth , was brought prisoner to the tower , where he remained many years , of whom was given this character , that he was a good king , but born in an ill time : the mayor of london sir richard lee , and the aldermen , freed the said king henry once from his imprisonment ; but being sent thither again , he was pittifully murthered . anno . the duke of clarence was drowned in a but of malmsey within the tower : and . years after young edward the fifth , with his brother , were by the practices of richard the third , sti●●ed there betwixt two fetherbeds , as the current story goes . iohn earl of oxford , anno . was made constable of the tower , and he had also the keeping of the lions , and leopards , as the story makes mention . queen elizabeth , wife to henry the th , died in the tower , anno . in child-birth , and the year before there was running at tilt , and tourney there ; the chappel in the high white tower was burnt anno . queen anno bullein , was beheaded in the tower . and a little after , the lady katherine howard , both wifes to henry the eighth : anno . a strange accident happened in the tower : for one foxley , who was pot-maker for the mint , being fallen asleep , he could not be awakened by pinching , cramping , or burning for fourteen dayes , at which time he awak'd as fresh as at the first day he began to sleep . in henry the eighths time , the tower was e●er and anon full of prisoners , among others sir thomas more , lord chancellor of england , was clap'd there close prisoner : and at last they took away from him all his books , so he did shut up all his windows , and liv'd afterwards in obscurity , and being asked why , he answered , 't is time to shut up shop , when the ware is all gone : at his first entrance to the tower , the gentleman porter , ask'd for his fee , which is the upper garment , whereupon sir thomas pull'd off his cap to give him , but that not suff●●ing , he pull'd out a handful of angels , end gave him a good many , a knight that was in his company telling him , that he was glad to see him so full of angels ; yes , answered he , i love to carry my friends alwayes about me . the young lady iane , was beheaded there not long after , and upon the scaffold she made a most ingenious speech , and full of pity , that she came thither , to serve for an example to posterity , that innocence cannot be any protection against greatness ; and that she was come thither , not for aspiring to a crown , but for not refusing one , when it was offered her. queen elizabeth was brought up many years in that school of affliction , but afterwards she may be said to have gone from the scaffold to the throne ; for the truth is , that the scaffold had made an end of her , had not king philip her brother in law , strongly interceded for her . in her dayes , robert earl of essex lost his head in the tower , which he might have kept on many years longer , had he not bin betrayed by the lady walsingham ; to whom after the sentence of condemnation , he sent a ring , which the queen had given him as a token that she would stick to him in any danger : the lady delivered not this ring , and being a little after upon her death-bed she desired to speak with the queen , and having disburthened a great weight which lay upon her conscience for that act , the queen flung away in a fury , and never enjoyed her self perfectly after that time , but she would break out often into passion , and wring her hands , crying ▪ o essex-essex . and this earl was the last , who was executed within the walls of the tower. in king iames's time , for years , there was no blood spilt , in the tower , or upon tower-hill , only sir gervase elwayes was hanged there , when he was lieutenant : and one remarkable passage there was in his speech upon the ladder , that being in the low countries , and much addicted to gaming , he made a vow , that if ever he played more above such a value , he might be hanged ; but he did violate the oath , and so the just judgement of heaven did fall upon him , accordingly as he said . the earl of castlehaven was brought from the tower to be executed for horrid kinds of incontinencies in charles the first time ; afterwards , in the raign of the long parliament , and ever since , the tower of london hath had more number of prisoners , then it had in the compasse of a hundred years before . this stately tower of london , serves not only for a gaol to detain prisoners , but for many other uses , it is a strong fort , or cittadel , which secures both city and river , it serves not only to defend , but to command either , upon occasion ; it serves as a royal randezvouz for assemblies and treaties ; it is the treasury for the jewels and ornaments of the crown ; the great archive which conserves all the old records of the courts of justice at westminster ; it is the place for the royal mint , and coynage of gold and silver ; it is the chief magazin and armory , or ar●enal of the whole land , for martial engines , and provision . there only , is the brake or rack , usually call'd the duke of exceters daughter because he was t●e first inventer of it . and lastly , it is a great ornament , by the situation of it , both to the river and city . the city of london hath divers other inferior towers , as that on the north of the great bridge . at the south end over the gate , there is also another tower over london-bridge , which hath suffered many accidents of firing , and otherwise , and was still made up by the care and charge of the city , specially one time when it was under bastard fawconbridge , burnt by the marriners , and saylers of kent . the antiquaries speak of two castles that were in the west part of london , one call'd the castle of monfiquet , which was built by a baron of that name , who came over with the conqueror , which was afterwards demolished , and the black fryers risen up out of the ruines of it ; the second castle is baynards castle , by pauls wharf , built also by one baynard , who came over with the conqueror : who being ennobled , the honour of baynards castle succeeded from father to son , a long time , till it came to sir robert fitzwater , a valiant cavalier : who being fallen into the displeasure of king iohn , in the barons warres , was banished , and baynards castle destroyed ; but afterwards , being rest●red to the kings favour , by an exployt he did in france , he was re-invested in all his livings , and so repair'd baynards castle again : moreover , he was made chief banner-bearer of the city of london ▪ whereof he had a charter , which ran to this sense , that he said , robert fitzwater , and his heirs , ought to be , and are chief bannerers of london , in fee for the chastilary , which he and his ancestors had from baynards castle , and the said city . in time of war the said robert and his heires , ought to serve the city as followeth . the said robert ( he being the twentieth man of armes himself ) ought to come on horseback , covered with cloth or armor , under the great west door of st. paul , with his banner displayed before him ; and when he is come mounted to that door , and apparreld , as before is said , the maior ( with the aldermen and sheriffs ) in their arms , shall come out of the church of st. paul , unto the said west door , the maior bearing a banner in his hand , all on foot , which banner shall be gules , the image of st. paul gold , the face , hands , feet , and sword argent ; and as soon as the said robert shall see the maior , aldermen and sheriffs , come on foot out of the church , armed with such a banner , he shall alight off his horse , and salute the maior , and say to him , sir maior , i am come to do my service which i owe to the city : whereunto the maior , and aldermen shall answer , we give to you , as to our bannerer of fee in this city , the banner of this city , to beare , and govern to the honour and profit of this city to your power : and the said robert and his heires , shall receive the said banner in his hands , and shall go on foot out of the gate , with the banner in his hands , and the maior , aldermen , and sheriffs , shall follow to the door , and shall bring a horse to the said bannerer , worth twenty pounds , which horse shall be sadled with a saddle of the arms of the said bannerer , and shall be covered with ●indalls of the said arms. moreover , they shall present unto him , twenty pounds starling money , and deliver it to the chamberlain of the said bannerer , for his expences that day . then the said bannerer shall mount on horseback , with the banner in his hand , and as soon as he is up , he shall say to the lord maior , that he cause a marshal to be chosen for the host , one of the city ; which marshal being nam'd , the said bannerer shall command the maior and burgesses of the city , to warn the commons to assemble , and they shall all go under the banner of st. paul ; and the said bannerer shall bear it himself unto ealdgate ; and there the said bannerer and the maior , shall deliver the said banner from thence , to whom they shall assent and think good ; and in case they make any issue out of the city , then the said bannerer ought to choose two out of every ward , the most sage personages , to foresee and look to the safe keeping of the city , after they be gone forth ; and this councel shall be taken in the priory of the holy trinity , near unto aldgate ; and also before every town or castle , they shall besiege , if the siege continue a whole year , the said bannerer shall have for every siege one hundred shillings , and no more of the comminalty of london . these be the rights that the said bannerer shall have in time of war ; but the rights that belong unto the said bannerer sir rob ▪ fitzwater in time of peace are these , that is to say , the said robert hath a soke or ward in the city , that is to say , a wall of the canonry of st. paul unto the thames , & so to the side of the mill , which is in the water that cometh from fleet bridge , & so goeth by london walls betwixt the fryars preachers & ludgate , & so returneth back by the house of the said fryrs , unto the said walls , of the said canonry of st. pauls , viz. all the parish of st. andrews , which is in the gift of his ancestors by the said signority ; and so the said robert hath appendant unto the said soke , all these things under-written , & if any of the sokemanry be impleaded in guild-hall , of any thing that toucheth not the body of the lord mayor , or the sheriffs for the time being , it is not lawful for the sokeman of the sokmanry of the said robert to demand a court of the said robert ; and the mayor and the citizens of london ought to grant him a court , and in his court he ought to bring his judgments as it is assented and agreed upon in the guild-hall , that shall be given him . if any therefore be taken in his sokemanry , he ought to have his stocks and imprisonment in his soke , and he shall be brought thence to the guild-hall before the mayor , and there they shall provide him his judgement that ought to be given of him ; but his judgement shall not be publish'd till he come unto the court of the said robert , and in his liberty . and the judgement shall be such , that if he have deserved death for treason , he is to be tied to a post in the thames at a good wharf , where boats are fastened , two ebbings and two flowings of the water . and if he be condemn'd for a common thief , he ought to be led to the elmes , and there suffer his judgement as other thieves ; so the said robert and his heirs hath the honour , that he holdeth a great franchise within the city , that the mayor of the city , and the cittizens are bound to do him of right , viz. that when the mayor will hold a great councel , he ought to call the said robert and his heir to be with him in the councel of the said city ; and the said robert ought to be sworn of the councell of the said city , against all people ; saving the king , and his heirs . and when the said robert comes to the hustings in the guild-hall of the said city , the mayor or his livetenant , ought to rise and set him down to sit neer him ; and so long as he is in the guild-hall , all the judgements ought to be given by his mouth , according to the records of the recorders of the said guildhall ; and so many waifes as come while he he is there , he ought to give them to the bayliffs of the said town , or to whom he will by the councel of the city . these are the ancient franchises that belong to the bannerer of london , as they stand upon ancient authentick records ; but when this honor fell from the fitzwaters , and from baynards castle , 't is incertain ; now , that castle fell afterwards to the earl of march , who was crown'd there by the title of edward the fourth , to whom this city stuck very close ; but in the seventh year of king edward's reign , many of the greatest men of london were attach'd for treason , with divers aldermen , whereof though they were acquitted , yet they did forfeit their goods to the value of marks ; among whom sir thomas coke , sir iohn plummer , and humfrey howard , were of the number ; and the said coke lord mayor a little before was committed to the tower , with one hawkins ; nor could coke be acquitted until he had paied marks to the king. henry the seventh rode in majesty through the city with all the knights of st. george , from the tower to st. pauls church , where they heard vespers , and so the king lodg'd that night at baynards castle , which he had newly repair'd before . queen mary was also proclaim'd there , notwithstanding that the lady jane had been proclaim'd a little before . there was also another tower or castle , near adioyning unto baynards castle , which was call'd legates inne , but now there is no trace of it le●t . there was also another castle call'd the tower of monfiquet ( spoken of a little before ) upon the river of thames more westward , where afterwards a monastery of fryars was erected , call'd to this day the black fryars ; first built by kelwarby , archbishop of canterbury , to whom the mayor of london , gave two lanes or wayes adjoyning to baynards castle ; there was also another tower stood there , above years , which was demolished by iohn sha lord mayor of london anno , the king giving leave to do it . there was another tower or castle , that stood in the same place that bride-well now stands ; which being demolished , yet notwithstanding , there was a royal palace stood still where the kings of england kept their courts , and call'd parliaments : and among others , it stands upon good record , that king iohn summoned a parliament thither , where he exacted of the clergy in a parliament held at saint brides in london marks ; and besides this , the white monks were compelled to cancel their priviledges , and pay the king marks ; this house of saint brides of later time being left , and not used or inhabited , fell to ruine , yet the platform still remained among the filth and rubbish , together with a fair well . a great part of the house on the west side , was given to the bishop of salisbury , whence salisbury court derives its name to this day ; the other part towards the east remain'd wast , until henry the th , did build a stately palace there in a very short time , and call'd it bridewel , which he did for the entertainment of his nephew charles the fifth emperour and king of spain , who came hither anno , and was there entertain'd in a princely and magnificent manner . there was another tower call'd the tower royal in the parish of saint michael de pater noster , where king stephen was us'd to keep his court , which was call'd afterwards the queens wardrobe ; barbican was also another tower , besides , there was an ancient tower , in bucklersbury , called sernes tower , and the story saith , that edward the third kept his court there , appointing his exchange of moneys to be also there kept , which he gave afterwards to his free chappel of st. stephen in vvestminster , now call'd henry the sevenths chappel , who spent ls . in the building of it , and about the same time a great ship was built which cost just as much . of the publick places of sciences and literature which london hath . it is observed , that the english nation hath bin alwaies extraordinarily addicted to literature , and to the love of knowledge : which among other instances appears ; in that , of old times , there were three principal churches in london which had famous schools , wherein there were professors & doctors , which were famous for their know●edge in philosophy and the mathematicks ; the three churches which had these schools by priviledges , were the cathedral church of saint paul , for by general councel held in the year at rome in the patriarchy of saint lateran , it was decreed , that every cathedral church should have a school-master to teach poor schollers , and others . the second , was st. peters in westminster , whereof ingulphus abbot of crowland in the reign of william the conqueror writes thus ; i ingulphus an humble servant of god , born of english parents in the most beautiful city of london , for to attain to learning , was first put to westminster , and after to study a● oxford , &c. the third school , seemes to have bin in the monastery of st. savlour in bermondsey at southwark . there were other schools built afterwards , as that of st iohn by smithfield , and that of saint bartholmew , that of saint mary overies , and that of the holy trinity by ealdgate , with divers others ; but touching philosophy and other sciences , in regard that the colledges in oxford and cambridge did so much encrease ; the former meetings in london , and di putes in philosophy , that were used to be , did discontinue ; only of late years , that noble maecenas and patriot , sir thomas gresham , did erect to his eternal honour a colledge for all the sciences , in bishopsgate-street , as an attendant to his royall exchange . the chronicles teach us , that henry the fifth having suppressed the priori●s aliens , whereof there were some about london , namely , our lady of rounc●val by charing crosse , one other hospital in oldborn , now holborn , another without cripplegate , and the fourth without aldersgate , besides others that are worne long since out of memory , only that of rouncival continued till the reign of henry the eighth , being converted to a brotherhood ; but edward the sixth appointed by patent , that there should be in london more grammar schooles erected , to wit , one in st andrews in holborn , another in alhallows the great , another in st peters on cornhil , and another in the hospital of st. thomas of acon in west cheap ▪ the free-school of pauls was built of an old ruined house in ample manner , and richly endowed anno , by doctor colet dean of pauls , for poor mens children : for which there was a chief master , an usher , and chaplain ordained . moreover , in the year , after the erection of christs hospital , which risse out of the ruins of the grey fryers that stood there , a great number of poor children were taken in , and a fair school appointed at the charge of the city , though edward the sixth beat the name of patron . anno the marchant taylors of london , founded one notable school , in the parish of st. lawrence poultney . the house was sometimes the duke of buckinghams called , the mannor of the rose , which mr. richard hills master of the company , did purchase for l. and bestowed it for a free school . there was an old custome in london , that the school-masters should meet on festival daies , and their schollers should dispute in logick , as well as grammer questions , and principles , and the most common randezvouz , was saint bartholmews in smithfield , being a priory , where upon a bank boorded under a tree , they used to meet , and the best schollers were rewarded with bows and arrows of silver , which they carried away as prizes : but that laudable custome is grown obsole●e , and quite discontinued . a great emulation there was 'twixt pauls schollers , and those of st. anthonies ; the schollers of pauls would taunt , and term them , st. anthonies piggs ; and they would call st. pauls schollers , pigeons of pauls , and many feuds happen'd amongst them in the open streets : but st. anthonies school decaying , the quarrel also ceas'd . anno , a publick lecture of chirurgery was founded , to be read in the colledge of physitians in knight-rider-street twice every week ; the founder thereof was , the honourable baron the lord lumley , and richard chadwel doctor of physick ; and doctor foster was the first reader thereof . a mathematical lecture was also founded about the same time , to be read in a fair ancient chappel , built by simon eyre within leaden-hall ; but this chappel , being employ'd afterwards for stowage of goods taken out of a spanish carack , the said lecture ceas'd there , and was used to be read in mr. tho. smiths house in grass-street , . anno sir thomas gresham ( queen elizabeths royal marchant or agent , spoken of before ) gave the royal exchange , with all the buildings thereunto appertaining , viz. the one moity to the mayor and comminalty of london , and their successors , upon trust that they perform as shall be declared ; and the other moity to the mercers on the same confidence ; the maior & aldermen are to find four to read lectures of divinity , astronomy , musick , and geometry within that dwelling in bishopsgate-street , and to bestow the sum of l . viz. l . per annum to every reader . the mercers also are to find three readers in the same place , that is , the civil law , physick and rhetorick , and every reader was to have l. a year stipen'd , which great gift was confirm'd afterwards by act of parliament , and so to continue for ever . these lectures are to be read every day in the week in term time ( sundays excepted ) in the latine tongue in the morning , and the same in english in the same dayes afternoon , only the musick lecture , whereof doctor bull was the first lecturers was to be read only in english. moreover , there is in and about the city of london , a whole university , as it were of students , practisers , or pleaders , and judges of the lawes of england , not living of common salaries , as is used in other academies ; but of their private maintenance , as being supported , by their own means or practise , or exhibition from their friends ; in so much that most of them are sons & younger brothers to wealthy parents , where , besides the knowledge of the laws , they learn all other civilities and exercises besides . of these nurseries or societies there are fourteen , whereof nine do stand within the liberties of the city , and five without ; those that stand within the liberties are , sargeants inne in fleet-street , sargeants inne in chancery lane , the two temples , which are called , inns of court ; the other are , cliffords inne , thavies inne in holborn , furnevals inne , barnards inne , and staples inne , which are termd inns of chancery . without the liberties , there is grayes inne in holburn , lincolns inne , ( which are inns of court ) clements inne , new inne , and lions inne , which are houses of chancery . in former time , there was in scroops court in holborn an inne of sargeants also ; there was likewise where somerset house now stands chesters inne or strand inne , in the liberty of the dutchy of lancaster , which was pull'd down with many other buildings , to make room for somerset house , who had also his materials from st. john of ierusalem , which some held to be no better than sacr●●edge ; and therefore that fatal death , to be beheaded , befell the duke of somerset , who with his councel were , it seems , so infatuated , that they forgot to call for his clergy , whereby , by the lawes of england , he might have bin saved . justice fortescue makes mention also of a tenth house of chancery , but he names not the place . the choisest , gentliest & most ingenious wi●s of the land , are founds among these students of the inns of court ▪ having cōmonly bin graduates before , in one of the universities ; but the inns of chancery being as it were provinces subjected severally to the inns of court be chiefly made up of attorneys , sollicitors , and clerks that follow the courts of westminster hall ; yet many of them remove to one of the great inns of court , where continuing seven years , and frequenting readings , mootings , boltings , and other learned exercises , they improve themselves in the knowledge of the lawes : they are then by the consent of the benchers , who are most commonly of the grave and learned sort selected , & call'd to the degree of utter barristers , and so enabled to be practitioners in the law , both in their chamber , and at the barre in open court ▪ of these after they be call'd to a further step of preferment , . were used to be chosen every year to be readers , who make two readings every year out of some choise hard points in the law , one in lent , the other in august . out of these benchers and readers , sergeants at law are made , and of them the judges , unlesse it be that some by special favour of the prince are chosen otherwise ; but being made sergeants , they leave the inns of court and remove to one of the sergeants inns ; where they only , and the reverend judges are admitted . touching the two temples , they are discoursed of here in another place ; but concerning grayes inne and lincolns inne , they took their denominations from two noble lords , who had formerly palaces in those places where those two innes now stand ; the one is singular , for a curious chappel it hath ; the other for choise delicate walks , high and low , with a large delightful prospect that carrieth the optiques very far , where the choisest beauties both of city and suburbs use to resort in the summer , to solace themselves , and breath fresh aire . thus have we rambled through the city of london , and waded hitherto through universals ( wherein there is not alwaies plain-dealing ) we will now hunt dry foot after particulars , and find out the primitive mode , & method of government which london had , with the titles of her chief magistrates ; we will then muster her twelve prime companies , with all the rest of her corporations ; then , a perambulation shall be made through all her precincts , aldermanries and wards , as far as the point of the lord mayors sword doth reach ; then shall there be a parallel 'twixt london , and other the greatest cities in the world ; wherein it will appear to the impartial discerning reader , that , if consideration be had to the prerogatives and power of her chiefest magistrates , to their plenty , magnificence and hospitality , to the security of passengers up and down her streets at midnight , as well as at noon daies , the city of london admits no parallel . of the political government , and civil sway of the city of london . it is no incongruous allusion , that some polititians make , when they compare a city to a great ship , whereof government is the healm and rudder , which regulate , and guide her course ; good lawes and constitutions , are the cables and ligaments ; the main-mast is religion , and the standard , of the crosse ; the foremast is honour and renown ; the mise● mast is trade and wealth ; iudgement and prudence is the ballast ; authority and strength the artillery . this comparison may quadrat with london , as much as with any other city , on the surface of the earth . the lord maior is as the pilot and master ; the aldermen , his mates ; the recorder and sheriffs the chief gunners ; the scavengers , the swabbers ; other inferior officers are the mariners , to weigh anchors , to hoise and furle the sails , &c. touching the primitive government of london in the time of the britains , antiquity scarce affords us any light , whereby to discern what it was , caesar gives us most , when he writes , that mandrubacius was king of the londoners , or the trinobants , which last word extends also to some of the counties adjacent ; but it may be wondred , that iulius caesar should know so much , in regard that he never took firm footing in great britain , but , by way of exploration , did only d'scover her ; augustus and tiberius may be said to conceal her. caligula intending an invasion , was diverted by his warres with the germans . claudi●s caesar ( from whom glocester takes her name , being no other then castrum claud●● , the castle of claudius ) was the first that fixt here , and he sent over publius agriola for his lieutenant , who took great pains to civilize the nation : and as he was about the work , he sent notice to rome , that he preferred the british wits before the gallic . then was london made a praefectura , and the magistrate in chief , was called praefect ( as he of rome is called to this day ) this title continued all the time that the romans had dominion here , which was above years . afterwards , the romans having so many great irons in the fire by warres they had against divers nations , who had revolted from them , they drain'd this iland not only of great numbers of the british youth , to serve them in their warres abroad , but drew away at last their own legions ; whereupon , the iland being thus grown weak , much depopulated , and to a long de●uetude of arms , the saxons , who are now the english ( yet keep still their first denomination of saxons , both in the british and irish tongues to this day ) came over with a considerable strength , and having in a parly on salsbury plains , musiered most of the british nobility by a stratagem , and taken vortiger the king prisoner , he for his ransom was forc'd to give , not only london , but most part of the iland to the saxons . and the chief magistrate of london , they call'd portreve , which is a gardian or governour of a port , and that name is yet used in england , in some places . the saxons then changed their names into englishmen , yet they continued pagans a long time after , but at last , the britains converted them to christianity , and then the city of london flourished exceedingly for many ages , till there came over a swarm of danes , who proved more fatal to london , then any other nation ; for by fire and sword , they had almost utterly destroyed her , had not the londoners at last rowz'd up their spirits , who making vertue of necessity , did fall upon king swein the insulting enemy , with such a resolution , that by a mighty slaughter , and extraordinary prowesse , they utterly repel'd him ; the city having recovered her former lustre ( though 't was a good while first ) she continued under the english government , and the magistracy of a portreve , till the norman rush'd in ; yet the title was not alter'd a good while after , when at last he came to be call'd bayliffe , and sometimes provost : richard the first , for supporting the croy sada , and his warres in the holy land , got great contributions of monies , from the londoners ; in lieu whereof , he gave them leave to choose two bayliffs annually . king iohn after him chang'd their bayliffs into a maior , and two sheriffs : to these henry the third adds some aldermen , who though yeerly elegible at first , grew afterwards perpetual ; now , this word alderman , is consonant to senator , being both derived from old age and gravity . the first alderman we read of in england , was in the time of king edgar , about years agoe , whose name was ailwine , and was descended of the blood royal , as appeares by his epitaph in that goodly monastery , in the i le of ely , whereof he was founder himself , which epitaph runs thus . hic requiescit dom. ailwinus inclyti regis edgari cognatus , totius angliae aldermannus , & hujus sacri coenobii miraculosus fundator . here resteth the lord ailwine ( cousin to noble king edgar ) alderman of all england , which some interpret chief justice , & miraculous founder of this holy abbey , hence it may be infer'd , that the appellation of alderman , is not only venerable , but ancient , & honourable . and from this lord ailwine , it seemes the first maior of london descended , who was henry fitz-alwin , anno . who continued many years in the office , & lies buried in st. mary bothaw , near london-stone ; and the next maior to him was roger fitz-alwin , after whom he office grew annual . the city being thus , in tract of time , come to a fixed and setled government , she began to flourish exceedingly . and as she increased in men , manufactures , and merchandizing , so the kings did enlarge their royal favours unto her , anno . henry the third confirmed unto the citizens of london , free warren , or liberty to hunt about the city , and in the warren of stanes ; moreover , that the citizens of london , should passe toll-free , throughout all england , and that the keddles and weres in the rivers of thames and medway , should be plucked up and destroyed for ever , because navigation to london might be more free . roger renger was maior , when these patents were granted . a few years after the liberties , and franchises of london , were ratified by the same king , who granted , that either sheriff should have two clarks , and two sargeants , and that the citizens should have a common seal : a little after the same king granted that the maior elect , should be presented to the barons of the exchequer , and they should admit him . moreover , he gave way , that the city should be fortified with pos●s , and iron chains , drawn athwart over the streets . anno . edward the third much increased the immunities of the city , and the authority of the maior ; for he granted , that the maior should be iustice for the gaol delivery at newgate , and have power to reprieve prisoners . that the citizens of london should not be constrained to go out of the city of london , to any warre ; he granted also , that the liberties and franchises of the city , should not after that time be taken into the kings hands , as it had bin often before , when a custos was put in . moreover , he granted by letters patents , that there should be no other eschetor in the city , but the maior . anno . he granted , that the sargeants attending the maior and the sheriffs , should bear maces silver and gilt , with the royal arms engraven . anno . the same king ordained , that whereas the aldermen were used to be chang'd yeerly , they should not be removed without special cause for the future . then for the higher honour , and authority of the office , the sword was added with the cap of maintenance . thus in proce●s of time , the government of london , grew to be more and more established . anno . sir henry barton being maior , ordained lanthorns and lights to be hang'd out on the winter evenings , betwixt alhollontide and candlemas : sir iohn norman , being maior , was the first who went upon the river to westminster , having made a stately barge to that purpose , anno . and the rest of the companies followed that laudable example , with their barges also . anno . sir iohn tate being maior , the sheriffs of london were appointed each of them , to have sixteen serjeants , and every serjeant to have his yeoman ; moreover , they were to have six clerks , a secondary , a clark of the papers , with fower other clarks , besides the under sheriffs clark. anno . it happened , that there was successively one after the other , three mayors , and three sheriffs of london , in the compasse of one year ; by reason of the sweating sickness , which rag'd so extreamly . anno . sir john sha being maior , added some state to the office ; for it was ordered , that the aldermen his brethren should attend him on horseback , from guild-hall to the rivers side , when he took barge for westminster ; besides , he was the first who kept court in his own house , for redressing of such matters that came before him ; sir william capel being maior of london , caus'd cages to be set up in every ward , for the punishments of vagabends , and rogues . anno . sir thomas ossley being mayor , the night bel-man was first ordained . queen elizabeth did much favour the city of london ; and for the better government , thereof , gave way for a provost marshal to be appointed . thus have we observed , that the governours in chief of the city of london , have had from time to time , differing appellations . under the britains , they were call'd kings ; the romans stiled them , praefects . the saxons , portreves . the norman kings at their first comming , bayliffs , and sometimes provosts , then came the office to be established in the title of maior , which hath continued any time these . years , though it was interrupted sometimes by a custos ; which some of the kings , as henry the third , and edward the first , upon a displeasure against the city , were used to appoint . this great urban magistrate , the maior of london , useth to be chosen upon the feast of st. michael the archangel , every year out of the six and twenty aldermen , who are his brethren ; but he takes not his place , until the . of october next following . touching the state and authority of the lord maior of london , there is no oppidan magistrate in christendom , all things well considered , lives in a greater ; let us examine the particulars , and first go to his domestical attendance , and the officers thereunto belonging , which are , . a sword-bearer . . common hunt. . common cryer . and . water bayliffs , all esquires by their places . then is there the coroner of london , three sergeant carvers , . sargeants of the chamber ; sargeant of the channel , yeomen of the water side . the under water-bayliffe ; two yeomen of the chamber , three meal-weighets ; two yeomen of the wood-wharfs ; and most of these have their servants allowed them ; but the common huntsman and water-bayliffe have two a peece ; some of them have liveries from the lord maior , and the rest from the chamber of london . there be divers other great publick officers belong to the government of the city of london , as the two sherif●s , which , like the lord maior , are but annual ; the recorder , the chamberlain , the common sergeant , the town-clark , or common clark , the remembrancer , all esquires . the sheriffs are chosen upon midsummer day : they formerly were used to be elected out of the commonalty ; and sometimes they came to be aldermen , as many aldermen were made maiors , though not having bin sheriffs ; but of latter years , the sheriffs have bin aldermen before , or presently after their election ; and 't is remarkable , that nicolas faringdon was times maior of london , and yet never sheriff . now touching the election of these officers , we shall give a brief account , the prime magistrate , the lord maior and the aldermen , met at guild-hall at . in the morning , in their scarlet gowns , and their cloaks fur'd riding on horseback , and having bin a while in the councel chamber , they come forth into the orphans court , whence they go in their cloaks to the chappel , to hear service and sermon , where the lord maior , with some of the aldermen , take the communion , which being ended , and offrings delivered , they return to the councel chamber , and thence to the hustings , the highest court ; where the recorder makes a speech , touching the business in hand : then they go back to the lord maiors court , where they remain , the doors shut until the election be brought unto them ; then the common sargeant having the sheriffs on either side , and the sheriffs other officers about them , makes another speech , touching the custom of the city in this kind ; whereupon , they choose two , whose names are brought up to the lord maior and the aldermen , who by scrutiny , elect one of those two , whom the commons had nominated before . then the lord maior returns to the hustings , and he who is chosen , goeth upon his left hand , and sitteth next him ; then the recorder speaks again to the commons , nominating the person whom the lord maior , and the aldermen had admitted , and demands whether it be their free choyce ; the commons affirming it the sword-bearer goes to the lord maior , elect , and taketh off his tipper ( which he takes for his fee ) and puts on his chain ; whereupon , he making a short speech of gratitude , the lord maior , and the new elect , go to the eldest sheriffs house to dinner . after dinner , the lord elect taking the common hunt , and other officers to attend him , besides a company of aldermen , goeth to the lord keeper of the great seal of england , where five or six aldermen present him , wearing their violet gowns . the morrow after michaelmas day , the lord maior and the aldermen go with the two new sheriffs to the exchequer-chamber in westminster , where they are presented and sworn , and the old sheriffs are sworn also to their account . on simon and iudes day , the aldermen and sheriffs attend the old lord maior at his house , whence they come in their formalities to the hustings , where being sate , the common cryer commands silence : then the town-clark exhibites an oath to the lord maior elect , which being done , the former lord maior giveth place to the new ; which being done , the chamberlain delivers him the scepter , next the keyes of the common seal ; and lastly , the seal of the majoralty ; then the sword-bearer delivers him the sword. on the morrow after , all the aldermen and sheriffs solemnly meet at the new lord maiors house , by . in the morning , whence they go to the guild-hall , and thence to the vine-tree , where they take barge , and are rowed in state to westminster-hall , the rest of the chief companies attending in their several barges , with their arms , colours , and streamers , in a very gay manner ; being come to the hall , they go round about , and salute all the tribunals of justice : then they ascend to the exchequer chamber to the barons , where after the recorder hath made a speech , the oath is administer'd . then they come down to the hall , and go first to the kings bench , then to the common pleas , and so to westminster abbey , where having walk'd about the kings tombs , they return to their barge , and so to london again ; where , being landed , they go to the guild-hall , where a most plentifull dinner is prepared , which lasts many hours , being called , the lord mayors feast ; the lords of the privy councel , the judges , with other lords and ladies of the best quality , are thither invited ; after dinner , the lord mayor with all the companies attending , ride solemnly to saint pauls , to do their devotions ; and so the ceremony of that great day is concluded . touching the election of the sheriffs , the lord mayor and the aldermen meet at in the morning at guild-hall in their violet-colour'd gowns , and their cloaks of scarlet lin'd but without horses ; where from the counsel-chamber , they go to the orphans court , & so to the hustings , where the recorder having made a speech touching the present meeting , the mayor & aldermen go to the mayors court , the dores shut upon them , then the commons fall to the election of sheriffs , as also a chamberlain , two bridg-masters , the auditors of the city and bridg-house accounts , and the surveyors for beer and ale : which being done , the sheriffs with the other officers , the common cryer going before them with his mace , go up to the lord mayor and the aldermen , to cary up the report of what is done at the hustings , whither the lord mayor , and the aldermen descend again , and confirm the elections ; then the recorder making them a speech of thanks , the meeting ends . now touching the hustings , which we have mentioned so often , it is the ancient'st and highest court of the city of london ; touching the etymology of it , it is a pure saxon word , and is derived of house and dhing or thing , which among the saxons signified a cause or plea ; in so much that hustings is no other then the house of causes , or pleading ; and thingere was the ancient word for a lawyer or pleader ; this court preserves the laws , rights , franchises , customs and dignities of the city ; there be handled also there the intricat'st accounts , and pleas of the crowns , and of the whole kingdom ; which court hath for many ages , conserv'd inviolably its own prerogatives and customs . this court was anciently held every munday , but it was chang'd of late years into tuesday , because of the sheriffs intending the market , which being kept upon munday would hinder their sitting in the hustings . edward the confessors lawes refer much to this hustings court ; moreover , the cities o● york , winchester , lincoln , the isle of shepey , and other places , have had their hustings . there is also another court peculiar to london , which discovers as much of charity , as of policy : it is call'd the court of requests , or the court of conscience . it was first erected by an act of common-councel anno . henry . viz. that the lord mayor and aldermen for the time being should monthly assign two aldermen , and four discreet commoners , to sit twice a week to hear , and determine all matters brought before them ( betwixt free-men ) where the due debt , or dammage did not exceed s . afterwards the said number of commissioners was encreased to the number of twelve , which continued till the end of q. elizabeths reign ; but , primo iacobi , it was confirm'd by act of parliament , that the said commissioners should have power to exhibit an oath , and to commit to prison such as did not obey their summons , or perform the orders they made , betwixt plaintiff and defendant , debitor or creditor , touching any debt , not amounting to forty shillings ; but such hath been the unconscionablenesse and malice of some men of late times , that they have endeavour'd to overthrow the the said court , by cavilling at some doubtful words therein , & wresting them to a perver●e sense , the rich might have power thereby to oppresse the poorer sort , by bringing them to westminster hall to a further expence of time and trouble , there is then the court of the lord mayor , and the aldermen , which is a court of record ; the recorder and the two sheriffs ( being aldermen not else ) are members of this court , whose office it is , to redresse and correct the errors , defaults and misprisions which happen in the government of the city ; this court is kept tuesdays and thursdays throughout the year . then are the two courts of the sheriffs , one for every counter , whereof there are two lawyers as judges , well read in the customs of the city , as well as the common laws ; but if an erroneous judgment be given before the sheriffs , the party griev'd may sue a writ of error , and remove it to the hustings . then is the court of orphans ; for the mayor and aldermen , by custome , have the custody of the orphans within the city , and if they commit the custody of the orphans to another man , he shall have a ravishment of ward if the orphan be taken away ; it being enacted that the mayor and chamberlain of london for the time being , shall have the keeping of all the lands and goods of such orphans , as happen within the city ; saving to the king , and other lords , their rights of such as hold of them out of the same liberty ; now the chamberlain is a sole corporation to himself , and his successors for orphans ; and a recognizance made to him and his successors touching orphans , shall by custome go to his successor ; moreover , the government of orphans , is so invested in the mayor , that it any orphans sue in the ecclesiastical court , or else-where for a legacy , or duty due to them , by the custome , a prohibition doth lye . then is there the court of common councel , which hath some resemblance of the high court of parliament : for it consists of two houses , viz. the one of the mayor and aldermen ▪ and the other of the commoners of the city ; here they make constitutions and laws for advancement of trade , and regulation of other things which bind the whole city . there is then the court of the chamberlain for apprentices ; now , one may be free of london three manner of wayes , first , by service ; secondly , by birth-right , being sonne of a freeman ; and thirdly , by redemption by order of the court of aldermen . the chamberlain of london , is an officer very considerable in point of power : for without him no man can set up shop , or occupy his trade without being sworn before him ; no man can set-over an apprentice to another , but by his licence ; he may imprison any that disobeys his summons , or any apprenrice that mildemeans himself , or punish him otherwise . there are the courts of the coroner , and the escheator , which both belong to the lord mayor ; he being coroner , and escheator by vertue of his authority , and office. then is there a court for the conservation of the water & river of thames , which belongs to the lord mayor , from stanes-bridge unto the water of yendal and medway , as is amply spoken of before . then is there the court of the tower of london ; and this court is held within the verge of the city before the steward by prescription of debt , trespasse , and other actions ; now , part of the tower is within the city , and part in middlesex , viz. the east part , but the west in london , whereof there was a notable example in the person of sir thomas overbury , who being poyson'd in a chamber on the west part , the principal murtherers were tryed before commissioners of oyer and termin●r in london , and so was sir gervase elwayes the live●enant of the tower at that time . there is also a peculiar court , call'd the court of policies , and of assurances in london , to marchants that venture and traffique on the seas , where ships and goods are insur'd at so much in the hundred , where there is an officer of good quality who registers these assurances . then is the court of halmote , or hall court , for every company of london having a particular hall. they use to meet there to deliberate of matters belonging to the company . then is the court of the wardmote , or of the wardmote inquest , for the whole city being divided to wards , every ward hath such an inquest consisting of twelve or more , who inquire after abuses and disorders , and present them to be redressed . there is also a kind of court call'd the colledge of the president , censors , and commonalty or physicians , who have peculiar lawes of their own : and among other one is remarkable , that if one who is not of the mystery of a physician or chirurgion , take upon him the cure of a sick body , and he dieth of the potion or medicament , this is , as britton the great lawyer saith , covert felony . then is the●e the court of sessions , or monthly goal-delivery at the old-bayly , both for the city and middlesex for tryal of felons , whereof the lord mayor is the chief judge , and hath power of reprieving . touching the ecclesiastical government of the city of london . having thus in a cursory way run over , and taken in grosse as it were , a view of the civil government of the city of london ; we will now make some inspections into her spiritual way of government , which was alwaies episcopal from the beginning ; for there be records that may we i induce us to believe , that in the time of the britains there were bishops of london , whereof they ●ay thean was the first ; and in the reign of constantine , we read that restitutus , bishop of london , had his session in a councel he summoned at arles ; after that , 〈◊〉 saxons making twice an irruption into this island , and at last possessing the better part of it , and being not reduced a good while after , to christianity , there was a long interruption , and no bishop of london 〈◊〉 austin the monk came over , who was call'd the apost●e of the saxons or english , for he absolutely converted them ; he consecra●ed melitus bishop of london , from whom to doctor iuxon yet living , there are upon good record the names of bishops of london , who succeeded one another . in so much that the city of london was not without a bishop any time these thousand years till now : the prior of the holy t●inity at aldgate was a great man also in the ●●vernment of the city , for he used to ride with the mayor & the aldermen in 〈◊〉 but the chief administration of all ecclesiastical affairs was in the bishop 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of london hath oftentimes far'd the better for her bishops , who have done her many signal good services , upon some discomposures ; & stood as a skreen 'twixt the fury of the prince and her. when the norman came over , and was much incens'd against the city , william her bishop then , took off the edg of his fury , and introducing her to the conquerors favour , got ●er that famous charter which is worthy to be here inserted . william king greit william bishop , and godfregis posteron , and ●all the bourough , waren bynden london , franchiste , and engliste , and ickhyd eth that ick yill that grete be ealbra yearalaga die yegret , &c. which in intelligible english runs thus . william king , greets william bishop , and gode froy portreve , and all the burgesses within london , french or english , and i grant you , that i will t●at ye be all your law worth that ye were in edward is his dayes the king ; and i will , that ich child be his faders eyer , and i 〈◊〉 suffer that ony man you ony wrongys beed , and god you keep . the said bishop william , procured this charter , from the insulting conquerour , as appears by his epitaph ; and this saxon charter , was not only confirmed , but inlarged by henry the first in latine ; now as far soils are subject to produce rank weeds , so rich populous cities are alwayes subject to bring forth turbulent spirits , whereof there is a world of examples in all stories ; nor doth london want good store of them , who used to bandy against their soveraign prince , and we well know , how often she forfeited her charter that way . it stands upon record , how henry the third , edward the second , richard the d , with other kings , had her their fore enemies ; it is well known , how often she smarted for it , how often her posts & chains were taken away , how her maior & sheriffs wereclap'd in prison , and a custos appointed over her in the interim ; how rich. the first trounced her for murthering the iews how she suffered for the barbarous fray 'twixt the goldsmiths and taylors servants ; for the blood , shed 'twixt her and the men of westminster on st. iames's day ; for the brawl about the bakers loaf in salsbury court ; for the outrages done to st. martins sanctuary men ; for the ill may day ; and a little of late years for the murther of doctor lamb. but now that we are giving a touch of her church government , it is observable in history , how her bishops proved her best friends at a pinch , to pull her out of such plunges , and rectifie her again in the opinion of her soveraign , nay it stands upon good record , that she was no city , till she had a bishop ; for we well know , that a city must have of necessity , a cathedral church , with the seat and see of a bishop . of the several companies , and corporations of the city of london . with their originals , and arms. having made a short transcursion through the government of the city of london , in general ; we will now visit their severall companies , corporations , and societies , whereof the main part of the city may be said to be composed : who for their industry and arts , their inventions , and sundry wayes of manufactures , may be compared to so many hives of bees , the emblems of sedulity and diligence , and first , of the twelve chief companies , out of which the lord mayor is to be annually chosen . . the mercers have bin alwayes allowed the first place , who were incorporated into a society , & enabled to purchase lands , th richardi secundi , anno . for their arms they bear gules , a mayden-head proper crown'd , or wascot purple , issuing out of clowds proper , within a bordure nebulee , or , . the grocers , who at first were called pepperèrs , were incorporated , anno . in the twentieth year of edward the third . the arms a cheuron between nine cloves , sable with this motto , god grant grace ; supporters helm and crest granted by clarenceux , king of arms in the raign of hen. . . the drapers were incorporated in the year of henry the th , anno . the arms first granted by garter , crest , and helm by clarenceux ; the coat gules three triple crowns , or capt gules issuing out of clowds , resting upon sun-beams ▪ their motto , unto god only , be honour and glory . . the fishmongers were at first two companies , to wit , stock-fishmongers , and salt-fishmongers ; but . of hen. . they were imbodied into one company ; their arms azure , three dolphins in pale proper crown'd , or . betwixt lives , salterwayes argent , all crown'd , or on a chief gules , crosse-keyes , salterwayes , argent , the motto , all worship be to god only . . the goldsmiths were incorporated in the . year of richard the second , their arms quarterly gules and azure , two leopards heads , or fower golden cups , covered 'twixt two buckles , or , the motto , to god only be all glory . . the skinners are more ancient , having bin incorporated in the first year of edward the third , but made a perfect fraternity in the . of rich. the d , their arms , ermyn on a chief gules . ducal crowns , or , lind of the first , their motto the same with the goldsmiths , to god only be all glory . . the merchantaylors were compleatly incorporated by hen. th , anno . their arms , argent a tent . robes gules , on a chief azure , a lion passant regardant , or , with this motto , concordi● parvae res crescunt . . the haberdashers ( calld of old hurrers ) were incorporated a society of st. katherine hen. . anno . and they were confirmed . hen. . and named marchant-haberdashers : their coat nebulee argent , and azure , on a bend gules , a lyon passant , regardant , or , the crest and supporters , granted anno . with this motto , serve and obey . . the salters had the arms of a society given them the . of hen. . anno , the crest , and supporters by queen elizabeth . the coat party per cheuron azure & gules , . salts covered overflowing argent with this motto , sals●pit omnia . . the ironmongers were incorporated in the , year of edw. . anno . their coat argent , on a cheuron gules , lockets capted , or between steel gads a zure . . the vintners are more ancient , being incorporated by edw. . by the name of winetonners , and confirmed by hen. . their coat sable a cheuron , between three tuns argent . . the cloathworkers grew to be a company , of hen. . at which time , they had arms first granted them , which are , sable a cheuron ermyne in chief , two crabets argent in base a beazel , or , with supporters and crest ; and this motto ▪ my trust is in god alone . next to the twelve chief companies , the marchants by whole sale , may well claim room in point of dignity . . among marchants , those of the staple , may challenge the precedence , who were incorporated by edw. . in whose raign they had their staple of wooll at callis : they have a fair coat of arms , with this motto ▪ god be our friend . . the marchant-adventurers were incorporated in the raign of edw. . but their priviledges were much enlarged by queen elizabeth , they have also a fair coat , with the same motto as they of the staple , god be our friend . . the marchants of russia , were incorporated by edw. . and confirmed by queen elizabeth , they have also a fair coat with this motto , god be our good guide . . the marchants of elbing became incorporated by queen elizabeth . . the society of levant marchants , commonly called the turky marchants , being first incorporated by queen elizabeth , had their charter enlarged by king iames. . the company of spanish merchants were incorporated by queen elizabeth . . the company of east india marchants , were also first incorporated by queen elizabeth , . . a new company of french merchant-adventurers , had a coat and crest of arms granted them by garter , and clarencieux , kings of arms in the th of king james , with this motto , reddite cuique suum . . the merchants of virginia , the bermudus , & summer ilands , began also in queen eliz. raign ; but ●ince , they are mightily encreased , and planted in the charibbi ilands . having put this parenthesis between , viz. the noble company of marchant-adventurers , or traffiquers , we will now return to the rest of the home-corporations , and first of the dyers . . the dyers were first incorporated by a special charter of hen. . their coat a cheuron , engrail'd between three wooll-sacks argents . . the brewers had a charter of incorporation of hen. . and confirmed eliz. their coat gules , on a cheuron engrail●d , argent three tuns sable , 'twixt garbes salterwayes , or . . the company of lethersellers is ancient , for they were first incorporated in the th year of rich. . and for their arms , they have . bucks trippant regardant gules . . the pewterers were a society in the raign of edw. th , their arms azure , on a cheuron , or . roses gules between . . the barber-chirurgions were first incorporated by edw. the th . but confirmed by every king and queen ever since , their arms a crosse quartered gules , a lyon passant gardant , or , in the first quarter , a cheuron between . in the ●econd party , per pale argent & vert , a rose gules crown'd with an imperial crown , the first as the th , the second as the third . . the company of armorers , were incorporated at the beginning of hen. th , and the king himself made himself one of the society , their arms argent on a cheuron gules , a gantlet between three swords in saltire , on a chief sable , a buckler argent , charged with crosse gules , 'twixt two helmets of the first . . the company of white bakers are of great antiquity , as appears by many monuments in their hall. they were a company in the first year of edw. . their arms gules , . garbs , or , on a chief , an arm issuing out of the clowds proper holding a pair of scales , or , between . anchors of the first . . the company of wax-chandlers are also of an ancient standing , and of great doings in the time of the roman religion : their arms azure , on a cheuron between . lamps argent , as roses gules . the brother-hood of tallow-chandlers , is also of much antiquity ; yet they were first formally incorporated in edw. th : their arms a pale counter-changed argent , and azure between . doves argent volant , with olive branches verd . . the company of cutlers , were incorporated at the beginning of the raign of hen. th , their arms swords salterwayes , proper . . the girdlers are not inferior for antiquity to either of these , yet came they not to be incorporated , till the twentieth year of hen. th , their arms azure , or & a pale between . grid-irons azure . . the butchers came not to be incorporated , till the d year of king iames ; at which time , they were incorporated by the names of master , wardens , and comminalty of the art of mystery of butchers , yet the fraternity is ancient ; their arms azure , two axes salterwayes argent , between two roses argent , as many bulls heads cowped of the second attir'd , or a bores head gules 'twixt two garbs vert . . the society of sadlers must needs be of long antiquity , from the time of edw. the first ; their arms , a cheuron , between . saddles , or . . the company of carpenters were incorporated by letters patents of edw. th , by the name of master , warden , and comminalty of the mystery of freemen of the carpentry of the city of london ; their arms , azure , a cheuron engraild between . compasses argent . . the company of shoomakers , call'd cordwainners of old , were first incorporated . of hen. the th . and confirmed since by all kings ; their arms , azure a cheuron , or between . goats heads , drafed argent attir'd , or . . the company of painters having the addition of painters stainers , are of high antiquity ; yet were they not incorporated till . by queen eliz. their arms quarterly in the first azure , a cheuron between . heads , erected , or , in the second argent . escuchins azure , the third as the second , the fourth as the first . . the company of curriers , are also ancient , yet they were not reduc'd to a company , till the third of king iames , their arms azure , a crosse engrail'd , or between . sawes , salterwayes argent . . the company of masons , otherwise call'd free masons , were us'd to be a loving brother-hood for many ages ; yet were they not regulated to a society , till hen. . their arms sable , on a cheuron between . castles argent , a pair of compasses of the first . . the company of plumbers were erected to a corporation th jacobi . . the company of inholders came to be reduc'd to a corporation . hen. . their arms azure a cheuron quarterly or and gules counterchang'd between . garbs , or . . the company of founders were incorporated on the th of septemb. in the th year of king james ; their coat , gules , a spoonpot betwixt two candlesticks , or . . the company of embroiderers came to be a corporation th eliz. their arms barry of . argent , and azure on a fesse or , a cup argent , between as many lyons passant regardant . . the company of poulters became a corporation in the th of hen. th ; their arms are three swans of the first , as many herons of the second . . the company of cooks became a corporation in the th year of edw. th ; their arms are a cheuron sable , between three burray branches proper . . the company of coopers was reduced to a corporation , the th of the raign of hen. th , by the name of master , wardens , or keepers of the comminalty of the freemen of the mystery of coopers , and the suburbs thereof . their arms party per pale gules , and or , a cheuron between three hoops in a chief azure . . the company of tylers and brick-layers , though very ancient , yet were they not made a corporation , till the th of queen eliz. their arms , azure a cheuron , ●r between a flower-de-lice , or in chief , 'twixt two gads of steel of the second . . the company of bowyers , though of much antiquity , and honor to the english nation ; yet their incorporation was but in the . of king james : their arms , sable on a chief , . mallets of the first , between . sawes of the first . . the company of fletchers are also a corporation , their arms sable a cheuron , or between . arrowes argent . . the company of smiths , or black-smiths , a very ancient fraternity ; were first incorporated by queen eliz. th of her raign , their arms , sable , a cheuron between three hammers crown'd , or . . the company of joyners , or seelers , were incorporated by queen eliz. th of her raign , their arms , gules a cheuron , 'twixt two compasses and a globe argent , on a chief pale gules , charg'd with an escalop , or , between two roses of the first . . the company of playsterers were incorporated into one fraternity in the raign of hen. th . their arms , azure an escucheon , or , a rose between two flower-de-luces gules , two hammers , and a brush argent . . the company of weavers , were of very ancient note indeed , as having three several societies of themselves , viz. the woollen weavers , the arras weavers & the linnen weavers ; their arms azure , three leopards heads , with three shuttles in their mouthes , argent on a cheuron gules or between . . the company of the fruterers were incorporated d iacobi , their arms argent , the tree of paradice between adam and eve proper . . the company of scriveners became a corporation , th jacobi ; their arms , an eagle volant , holding in his mouth a penner , and an inkhorn . . as for bottle-makers and horners , though they may plead antiquity , yet are they no incorporation . . the company of stationers of great antiquity before printing was invented : their old dwelling was in paternoster row , and the adjoyning parts ; yet were they not incorporated till the third of philip and mary ; their arms , argent on a cheuron between . bibles , or a faulcon volant between two roses , the holy ghost in chief . . the company call'd the marblers , or sculpters , are in one fraternity with the masons , yet have they a differing coat , viz. a cheuron between two and a mallet argent . . there was a company of wooll-packers , in the time of the haunce , when the staple of wooll flourish'd , their coat , azure a wool-sack argent . . the company of farriers had their rise from henry de ferraris , a norman born , who was master of the horse to the conqueror , and had given him the honour of tutbury , which was the first preferment of the ferrars , their arms three horshooes azure . . the company of paviours are ancient , their coat argent , a cheuron between three rummers sable . . the company of lorinors , or loriners , have for their arms , gules on a cheuron argent , three horscombs 'twixt three roses argent . . the company of brown-bakers were incorporated th jacobi , their arms , gules , a hand issuing out of the clouds , a chief barry wavie , or , and azure on a cheuron gules . . the company of wood-mongers came to be incorporated d jacobi , their coat , argent a cheuron 'twixt . faggots sable . . the company of the upholsters , or upholders , give for their arms , sable three tents gules , on a cheuron , or . tents of the second . . the company of turners came to be incorporated d jacobi , their coat azure , a katherine wheel argent . . the company of glasiers give for their arms two crosiers salterwayes sable , sprigs on a chief gules , a lyon passant , gardant or . . the company of the clarks , commonly call'd parish-clarks , is ancient , having bin incorporated th hen. d , their arms azure , a flower-de-lice , or , on a chief gules , a leopards head , 'twixt two books , or . . the company of watermen have for their arms barry waive of six azure and argent , a lighter proper on a chief gules , a pair of oares salterwayes , 'twixt two cushions , or . . the company of silk-throwers were made a fellowship of this city , th jacobi , they were incorporated by the name of the master , wardens , assistants , and comminalty of the trade , art , or mystery of silkthrowers , of the city of london . . the company of the apothecaries having separated themselves from the ancient society of the grocers , grew so much in favour with king james , that he us'd to call them his company ; and therefore gave them a charter of incorporation , the th of his raign . thus have we visited all the publick societies , and corporations of this rich and renowned city , who may be called her best sorts of children , for increasing of her wealth , and advancement of trade . now every of these companies hath a handsome and well-furnish'd stately hall , with a clark , and other ministerial officers thereunto belonging , to attend them , when they meet there to consult , and inorder what may conduce to the better regulation of the society , and promoting of the publique good ; they also use to meet there frequently to rejoyce , and make plentiful feasts , for the increase of love and good neighbourhood among themselves ; and though there be some , who hold such corporations , and little body politiques , of this kind , to be prejudicial to monarchy ; yet they may be said to be one of the glories of london , and wherein she surpasseth all other cities . the perambulation of london , or , a progress made through the six and twenty particular wards , precincts , or aldermanries , whereinto the whole city is divided . great cities have commonly their divisions : and i could heartily wish , that the noble city of london , had not so many in one sense , i mean so many rents , factions , and feuds in the practice of holy duties , proceeding from such extravagant , heterodoxal , and fanatical opinions , or rather chymeras of unsetled brains ; but these are not the divisions that are here meant . those which i intend in this place , are only topical distributions , or districts , shewing the several position of parts , and differences of their locality , whereby the reader may have a kind of anatomy presented unto him , of all the members of this great populous city thus dissected . this general division consists of six and twenty parts , or precincts , which in the english dia●ect , are called wards , and are these that follow . the names of all the wards of the city of london . ward . . tower-street . . port-soken . . algate . . limestreet . . bishops-gate . . broad-street . . cornhill . . langhorn . . billingsgate . . bridge-ward within . . candlewick . . wallbrook . . dowgate . . vintry . . cordwainer . . cheape . . colemanstreet . . basings hall. . cripplegate . . aldersgate . . faringdon intra . . faringdon extra . . breadstreet . . queen hith . . castle bainard . . bridgewater without viz. the borough of southwark . whereof the greatest is the last , and bassings-hall the least . of the first ward or , aldermanry , called tower-street ward . out of an honour which is due to the tower of london , it being the prime fortresse and propugnacle of the city , both by water and land , the chief armory and archive of the whole island , &c. we will begin with tower-street ward , it being the first ward eastward within the wall , extending it self along the river from the tower almost to billinsgate ; one half of the tower , the ditch on the west side , and bulwarks adjoyning , do stand within that part where the wall of the city of old time went streight from the postern gate south to the river of thames , before that the tower was perfectly built . then was tower hill sometimes a clear large plot of ground , but now pester'd with encroachments of houses , built upon the banks of the ditch , much to the prejudice , and choaking up of the said ditch . this hill hath alwaies a scaffold , and gallowes erected for execution of traytors and others , which the city opposed at first . many clashings have been also 'twixt the lord mayor and the lieutenant of the tower about the extent of their liberties , and some priviledges touching prisoners the lievtenant claim'd , which were reconciled ; in queen elizabeths time at nonsuch . on the northside of tower-hill , there is lumly house ; then is tower-street , stretching from tower-hill to saint margaret pattens . at the end of this is the parish church called alhallows barking ; on the north side whereof was sometimes a fair chappel , built by richard the first ; and some say , that his heart ( which is call'd coeur de lion ) was buried there under the high altar ; it became afterward a little colledge of priests , and stood till edward the sixth . henry howard earl of surrey , being beheaded , was buried in barking church ; iohn fisher bishop of rochester , having layen naked upon the scaffold a long time , was at last carried thither , and buried in the churchyard ; there were divers other men of note buried there : and lately doctor land archbishop of canterbury , who was beheaded by the long parliament . by the west side of barking church lyeth sydon lane , commonly call●d sithing lane , wherein among other large buildings , there is walsingham house . then is there the parish church of saint olave , hard by hart-street , where there are some monuments of the noble family of the radcliffs earls of sussex . then is there mart-lane , part whereof lies in algate ward , where there are many fair houses , & rich marchants . then is there mincheon lane , so call'd , because of tenements there , sometimes pertaining to the minchuns , or nuns of st. helens in bishopsgate-street ; there dwelt in this lane divers strangers in times pass'd , and they were commonly call'd gallimen , because they brought up wines , and other commodities in gallies , which they landed in the thames street , in a place call'd galley key ; they brought also a coin with them call'd gally half pence , which was a ligurian coin ; but in the reign of henry the fourth , and henry the fifth , it was inordred , that whosoever should import that coin with suskins or dodkins , should be punished as a felon ; the clothwork●rs hall is in this lane. then have you the parish church of st. mary pattens , and bear lane hard by , reaching to thames street ; the next is spurrier lane , call'd so in times pass'd , but now named water lane ; then is there hart lane , call'd at first harp-lane , which likewise reaches to thames street . in this lane is the bakers hall. in tower street 'twixt hart-lane and church-lane , was in times pass'd a quadrant call'd galley-row , because galley men dwelt there : whence may be inferr'd ; that galleys was a kind of shipping , not unknown to england in times pass'd . then have you two lanes out of tower street , both call'd church lanes , then hard by , is there another call'd fowl-lane . afterwards you come to the parish church of s. dunstans in the east : it is a fair large church of an ancient building , with a spacious church-yard ; the chiefest salters & ironmongers were us'd to be thick there . there are many monuments of knights , and other persons of ranke in this church ; among others , that of sir iohn hawkins the great seaman . there are many keys in this parish , among others vvooll key , where was used to be the trouage of woolls ; then custome-house key , which part of the town was used to be call'd in times passd petty vvales . and some are of opinion , that the princes of wales , when they repair'd to the city , had a pallace there , the ruines whereof remain to this day of firm stone . there was in former times an hospital in the parish of barking , for the sustentation of poor priests , with other both men and women that were lunatick . and so much in brief for what concerns tower-street ward . of the second ward of london called portsoken ward . vve will now make a salley out of algate , and visit portsoken vvard ; this portsoken signifieth franchise , where there was sometimes a very ancient guild or particular society , which had its beginning in the reign of king edgar ; there were then knights , who desir'd to have a portion of land on the east part of the city , which for some signal services done in the wars , was granted them with the liberty of a guild ; the king condescended hereunto , pro●ided that each of them should victoriously perform three combats , one above ground , and another under ground , and the third in the water . they were to run in east smithfield with spears against all comers , which was us'd to be gloriously performed ; so that the king namd that place knighten guild , and so prescribed its bound● , which extended from algate to the place where now the barrs are eastward , on both sides of the street , and northward as far as bishopsgate ; and southward as far as the thames , and so far into the river that a horieman might ride at low water , and throw his spear ; these knights continued their ch●rter in the daies of edgar , ethelred , and canutus , which edward the confessor did not only ratifie but enlarge , which deed remain'd a long time fairly written in the saxon letter & tongue , in the book of the late house of the holy trinity ; after that vvilliam rufus confirm'd the said charter unto the heirs of those knights , as followeth ; william king of england , to maurice bishop , and godefroy de magun , and richard de parre , and to his faithful people of london , greeting . know ye me to have granted to the men of knighten guild , that belong'd to them , and the land that belong'd thereunto , with all customes as they were used to have the same in the time of my predecessors , &c. henry the first after him confirm'd the same ; but afterwards the church of the holy trinity , being founded by queen matilda within aldgate , such was the piety of those times , that this knighten guild , which was of such large extent that it reach'd unto the thames , was voluntarily given to the canons of that church ; and for better ratification of the grant they offer'd upon the altar , saint edwards charter with the rest which they had , and put the prior of the holy trinity , in possession and saisin thereof ; by the church of saint butolph , which was built thereon , being the head of the land ; all which , king henry confirm'd by that famous charter which runs thus . henry king of england to r. bishop of london , to the sheriffs , and provost , and all his barons , and faithful people , french and english of london and middlesex , greeting ; know ye me to have granted and confirm'd to the church & canons of the holy church of the trinity of london the soke of the english knighten guild , and the land which pertaineth thereunto ; and to the church of saint buttolph , as the men of the same guild have given , and granted unto them ; and i will & streightly command , that they hold the same well , and honourably and freely with sack and soke , toll and thea , infangthefe , and all customs belonging to it as the men of the same guild in the best sort had it in the time of king edward ; and as king william my father and brother did grant it to them by their writs , witnesse a. the queen , &c. the prior and canons of the holy trinity beind thus seiz'd of the said land , and soke of knighten guild , being not only a part of the suburbe without the wall , but also within the city , the prior was for him and his successors admitted as one of the aldermen of london ; and according to the customs of the city , he did sit in court , and rode● with the mayor and his brethren the aldermen , as one of them , in scarlet , or other livery as they then us'd : until the year , at which time , the said priory was surrendred to henry the eighth by act of parliament , who gave it to sir thomas audley lord chancelour of england , and he pull'd down the church , and dissolv'd the priory ; since which dissolution , the said ward of portsoken hath been govern'd by temporal men , one of the aldermen of london . thus much for the out-bound portsoken ward , or knighten guild , touching the antiquity and government thereof . now touching the parts thereof , it is to be observed , that the east part of the tower stands therein , then an hospital of saint katherine founded by the foresaid queen matilda , wife to king stephen , by licence of the prior , and convent of the holy trinity in london , on whose ground she built it ; queen elianor wife to edward the first , was a second foundresse there , and appointed one master , three brethren chaplains , and three sisters , ten poor women , with six poor clerks ; for the maintenance of whom , she gave the mannor of clarton in vviltshiere , and upchurch in kent , &c. queen philippa wife to edward the third , founded a chantry there , and contributed to that hospital ten pounds land a year ; the quiere there , was not much inferior to that of pauls , which by one doctor wilson being master there , was afterwards dissolv'd . on the east and by north of the tower lieth east smithfield and tower hill , two plots of ground so call'd without the walls of the city , where sometimes flood a monastery call'd new abbey , founded by edward the d. upon the occasion following ; that having escaped a great danger in a tempest at sea , he made a vow to build a monastery , in sign of gratitude to heaven , to the honor of god and our lady of grace , which he perform'd accordingly . but the said monastery , being afterwards pull'd down by sir arthur darcy of late time , in place thereof is built a large store-house for victual , with convenient ovens , for baking of bisket to serve the navy royal ; the rest of the ground is become into smal tenements . the company of marchant-taylors , have built thereabouts , hard by hog-street , divers fair alms-houses for poor women , and endow'd it with maintenance accordingly . westward hence from tower hill towards algate , there was a monastery of nunns of the order of santa clara , call'd the minories , founded by edmund earl of lancaster , brother to edward the first , anno , which was demolished in henry the eighths time , dame elizabeth savage being then abbesse : in the room of this nunnery , there are now store-houses for armour , and habillaments for war , with divers work-houses to that purpose ; and hard by , there is is a small church , called saint trinity for the inhabitants thereabouts . we come now to the church of saint b●ttolph , which the priors of the holy trinity did build , being patrons thereof ; in this church among others there lies buried , thomas lord darcy of the north , knight of the garter , who was beheaded anno . and also sir nicholas carew , of beddington in surrey , beheaded also anno . east from this parish church is hog-lane , that stretcheth towards st. mary spittle , which within these sixty years , had fair rows of elm-trees all along , which are turn'd now to houses on both sides , from houndsditch to vvhite-chappel . of the third ward , or aldermanry , called aldgate ward . we will still look eastward yet a good while , and go to the third ward within the walls , which is called ealdgate ward , or aldgate , as taking name of the same gate ; the principal street of this ward beginneth at ealdgate stretching west to sometime a fair well , where now a pump is placed ; from thence ( the way being divided into twain ) the first and principal street , ( called aldgate ) runneth on the south side to lime-street corner , and half that street down on the left hand is also of that ward . in the mid way on that south side , betwixt ealdgate and lime-street , is hart-horn alley , a way that goeth thorow into fen-church street , over against northumberland house ; then have ye bricklayers h●ll , and another alley called sprinkle alley , now named suger-loaf-alley , of the like si●n . then is there a fair house with divers tenements near adjoyning , sometimes belonging to a late dissol●ed priory , but since possessed by mr. cornwallies widdow , and her heirs by the gift of king henry the eighth , in reward of fine puddings ( as it was commonly said ) by her made , wherewith she had presented him ; such was the princely liberality of those times . of later time , sir nicholas throgmorton knight , was log'd there . then somewhat more west is belzetters lane , so called of the first builder and owner thereof : now corruptly called b●lliter lane ; betwixt this belzetters lane and lime-street , was ( of later time ) a frame of three fair houses , set up in the year , in place where before was a large garden-plot , enclosed from the high-street with a brick wall , which wall being taken down , and the ground digged deep for cellerage , there was found right under the said brick wall , another wall of stone with a gate arch'd of stone , and gates of timber , closed in the middest towards the street ; the timber of the gates was consumed , but the hinges of iron still remained on , and their staples on both the sides . moreover , in that wall were square windowes , with bars of iron on either side the gate ; this wall was under ground above two fathoms deep , as it was esteemed , and seemed to be the ruines of some house burned in the reign of king steven , when the fire began in the house of one aleward , neer london-stone , and consumed east to ealdgate , whereby it appeareth , how greatly the ground of this city hath been in that place raised . on the north side , this principall street stretcheth to the west corner of saint andrews church , and then the ward turneth towards the north , by s. mary street ; on the east side , to st. augustines church in the wall , and so by burryes markes again , or about by the wall to ealdgate . the second way from ealdgate , more towards the south from the pump aforesaid , is called fen-church-street , and is of ealdgate ward , till ye come to cullver alley , on the west side of ironmongers hall ; where sometimes was a lane , which went out of f●n-church-street , to the middest of lime-street , but this lane was stopped up , for suspicion of thieves that lurked there by night . again , to aldgate , ( out of the principal street , even by the gate and wall of the city , ) runneth a lane south to crossed or crouched-fryers , and then woodroof lane , to the tower hill ; and out of this lane west , a street called hart-street , which of that ward stretcheth to sydon-lane , by st. olaves church ; one other lane more west from algate , goeth by northumberland-house towards the crossed-fryars ; then have you on the same side , the north end of mart-lane , and blanch-axelton or chappleton , where that ward endeth . thus much for bounds . now for monuments , or places most anci●nt and notable ; i am first to begin with the late dissolved priory of the holy trinity , call'd christs-church , on the right hand within aldgate ; this priory was founded by matilda , queen and wife to henry the first , in the same place where siredus somtime began to erect a church in honour of that crosse , and of saint mary magdalen , of which the dean and chapter of waltham , were wont to receive thirty shillings , the queen was to acquit her church thereof ; and in exchange gave unto them a mi●● , king henry her husband confirmed her gift ; this church was given to norman , the first canon regular in all england . the said queen gave also unto the same church , and those that served god therein , the plot of aldgate , and the soke or tenements thereunto belonging , with all customs , so free as she had held the same , and l. blanks , which she had of the city of exeter , as appeareth by her deed , wherein she nameth the house of christs-church , and reporteth aldgate to be of her demains , which she granteth , with two parts of the rent of the city of excester . norman took on him to be prior of christs-church , in the year of christ , in the parishes of st. mary magdalen , st. michael , st. katherine , and the blessed trinity , and was ( in old time ) of the holy crosse , or holy r●●d parish . the priory was builded on a piece of ground in the parish of st. katherine , towards aldgate , which lyeth in length , betwixt the kings-street , by the which men go towards algate near to the chappel of st. michael towards the north , and containeth in ●ength eighty three ells , half quarter , and half quartern of the kings iron eln , and lieth in breadth , &c. the soke and ward of aldgate was then bounded , as i have before shewn . the queen was a men also , that the land and english knighten-gu●ld was given unto the prior norman , and the honorable man geffrey de clinton , was a great helper therein , and obtained , that the canons might enclose the way betwixt their church and the wall of the city , &c. this priory in processe of time , became a very fair and large church , rich in lands and ornaments , and passed all the priories in the city of london , or shire of middlesex . the prior whereof was an alderman of london , to wit , of portsoken ward . it is recorded , that eustacius the eighth prior , about the year , because he would not deal with temporal matters , instituted theobald fitz ivon●s alderman of the said portsoken ward under him ; and that vvilliam rising prior of christs church , was sworne alderman of the said portsoken ward , in the first of richard the second . these priors have sitten and ridden amongst the aldermen of london , in livery like unto them , faring that his habit was in shape of a spirituall person , at which time the prior kept a most bountiful house of meat and drink , both for rich and poor , as well within the house as at the gates , to all comers according to their estates and qualities . but to take leave of this priory : king henry the eighth minding to reward sir thomas audley speaker of the parliament against cardinal woolsey , as ye may read in the chronicle , sent for the prior , commending him for his hospitality , promised him preferment as a man worthy of a far greater dignity , ( which promise surely he performed ) and compounded with him , though in what sort i never heard ; so that the priory , with the appurtenances , was surrendred to the king , in the month of iuly , the of the said kings reign , the canons were sent to other houses of the same order : and the priory with the appurtenances , king henry gave to sir tho. audley newly knighted , and afterwards made lord chancelour . sir thomas audley offered the great church of this priory , with a ring of nine bells well tuned ( whereof four of the greatest were since sold to the parish of stebunbith , and the five lesser to the parish of st. katherine christs-church , in exchange for their small parish church , minding to have pulled it down , and to have builded there towards the steeet ; but the parishioners , having doubts in their heads of after-claps , refused the offer . then was the priory church and steeple , proffered to whomsoever would take it down , and carry it from the ground , but no man would undertake the offer ; whereupon , sir , thomas audley was fain to be at more charges than could be made of the stones , timber , lead , iron , &c. for the workmen , with great labour , beginning at the top , loosed stone from stone , and threw them down , whereby the most part of them were broken , and few remained whole , & those were sold very cheap ; for all the buildings then made about the city , were of brick & timber ; at that time any man in the city might have a cart-load of stone for paving brought to his door for d . or d . with the carriage . the said thomas , lord audley , builded and dwelt on this priory during his life , and dyed there in the year , since which time , the said priory came ( by marriage of the lord audley's daughter and heir ) unto thomas duke of norfolk , and was then called the dukes-place . at this time the inhabitants dwelling & abiding in the said dukes-place became utterly destitute of any parish church , for resorting to gods divine service , and the administration of the blessed sacraments ; which in the time of their former zeal , the demolished priory , not only serv'd their use , but infinite numbers besides , resorted thither . in which respect , the parish church of st. katherine being so near , and standing in the coemitery or church-yard of the late dissolved priory of the holy trinity , whereby it was called saint katherine christs-church , they resorted thither at the hours of divine service , and for the benefit of the blessed sacraments , whereby they became a burthen to the said parish , yet well enough borne withal , in regard of the benefit ensuing by them , so that they carried the respect of equal parishioners , exercising and accomplishing all duties there , even as if it had been their own proper parish . the long continuance of them in this kind , although some much misliked , and gladly would have compassed means for remedy thereof ; yet their power not stretching so far , nor the way ( as yet ) fitting for their purpose , they remained contented against their wills , till time would fit them with more convenient opportunity ; ground they wanted not , for raising a sufficient parish church to themselves , neither did any good will fail in them for the effecting their purpose ; but only were curbed by the lack of strength , how and which way to bring it about . at length perceiving their ground ( intended for so good a use to themselves ) aimed at for buildings to private mens benefits , that so they might be frustrate of any such help , when occasion should in better manner shine on them , some of the best advised among them , by petition solicited the lord archbishop of canterbury , to make their desire and intention known to the king , which he did . and the king , finding the case so truly honest and religious , for new erecting a church where such necessity required , and where superstition had so long time formerly been harboured , not only gave the lord archbishop and the suitors , both thanks and commendation , but also under his hand and broad seal , authorizable warrant for their proceeding . the lord mayor and senate of aldermen , having intelligence in the case , and perceiving what an honour would redound thereby , first to god who inspired them thereto ; next to the king , for so royally granting the suite ; and then to the city , for furthering it to effect , notwithstanding that divers oppositions were made by them , who would have things still continue , as formerly they did without benefit of a parish church of their own . it proceeded on with good & prosperous success , to the no mean honour , and commendation of the lord maior then being , sir ed. barkham by name , the court of aldermen , and state of this famous city by whose good meanes it is made a very beautiful and comely parish church , it being called in the time of re-edifying , trinity christs church , raised out of the long decayed ruines , of trinity priory in the dukes place . by this time , the work is grown to such fulness and perfection , as now nothing wanteth , but the windows glazing , which was performed in this manner , the main and great east light in the chancel , sir edward barkham himself undertook , and effected it at his own charge , as the expression testifieth in the same window . the other sideling by it ; but inclining more southerly . mr. george whitmore , and mr. nicholas rainton , performed . and the third , standing northerly in the same chancel , mr. walter leigh , who had bin a serjeant at arms , to the kings majesty , and then sword-bearer of london , did likewise at his own charge perform , the two western lights in the bottom of the church , being ( indeed ) very fair lights ; the company of drapers effected the one , and the wood-mongers society finished the other . beside , the two southerly windows , the one done at the charge of mr. cornelius fish , chamberlain of london ; and the other by mr. waldron , then marshal : so now ye have the church of st. iames compleat . the parish church of st. katherine , standeth in the caemitery of the dissolved priory of the holy trinity , and is therefore called st. katherine christs church . the church seemeth to be very old , since the building whereof , the high street hath bin so often raised by pavements , that now men are sain to descend into the said church , by divers steps , seven in number ; but the steeple , or bell tower thereof , hath bin lately builded , to wit , about the year . for sir iohn perceival marchant-tailor , then deceasing , gave money towards the building thereof . now concerning this parish church of st. katherine christs church , commonly cree-church , as formerly hath bin said , it had a descent down into it by seven steps or stayers ; but being now newly built , and made a very fair ch●●ch : the ascent into the church , is by four or five degrees . at the north-west corner of this ward , in the said high street , standeth the fair and beautiful parish church of st. andrew the apostle , with an addition , to be known from other churches of that name , of the knape , or undershaft and so called st. andrew undershaft : because that of old time , every year ( on may-day in the morning ) it was used , that an high or long shaft , or may-pole , was set up there , in the midst of the street , before the south door of the said church , which shaft or pole , when it was set on end , and fixed in the ground , was higher then the church steeple . jeffrey chawcer , writing of a vain boaster , hath these words , meaning of the said shaft . right well aloft , and high ye bear your head , the weather-cock , with flying , as ye would kill , when ye be stuffed , bet of wine , than bread , then look ye , when your wombe doth fill , as ye would bear the great shaft of corn-hill . lord so merrily , crowdeth then your croke , that all the street may bear your body cloke . this shaft was not raised any time since evil may-day ( so called of an insurrection made by prentices , and other young persons against aliens , in the year . ) but the said shaft was laid along over the doors , and under the pentises of one rowe of houses , and alley-gate , called of the shaft , shaft-alley , ( being of the possessions of rochester-bridge ) in the ward of limestreet . it was there i say , hanged on iron hooks many years , till the third of king edward the sixth that one sir steven , curate of st. katherine christs church , preaching at pauls crosse , said there , that this shaft was made an idoll , by naming the church of st. andrew , with the addition of under-shaft ; he perswaded therefore , that the names of churches might be altered : also , that the names of the dayes in the week , might be changed , the fish dayes to be kept any dayes , except friday and saturday ; and the lent any time , save only betwixt shrovetide and easter : this man forsaking the pulpit of his said parish church , would preach out of an high elm tree , in the midst of the church-yard , and then entring the church , forsaking the altar , to have sung his high masse in english ▪ upon a tomb of the dead , towards the north ; but his sermon at pauls crosse , took such effect , that in the afternoon of that present sunday , the neighbors and tenants to the said bridge , over whose doors , the said shaft had lain , after they had dined ( to make themselves strong ) gathered more help , and with great labor , raising the shaft from the hooks ( whereon it had rested two and thirty years ) they sawed it in pieces , every man taking for his share , so much as had lain over his door and stall , the length of his house ; and they of the alley divided amongst them , so much as had lain over their alley gate . thus was his idoll ( as he termed it ) mangled , and after burned . soon after , was there a commotion of the commons in norfolk , suffolk , essex , and other shires , by means whereof , streight orders being taken for the suppression of rumors , divers persons were apprehended , and executed by marshal law ; amongst the which , the bayliffe of rumford in essex , was one , a man very well beloved : he was early in the morning of mary magdalens day ( then kept holy-day ) brought by the sheriffs of london , and the knight-marshall , to the well within aldgate , there to be executed upon a gibbit , set up that morning , where being on the ladder , he had words to this effect ; ●ood people , i am come hither to die , but know not for what offence , except for words by me spoken yester night to sir stephen , curate and preacher of this parish , which were these , he asked me what newes in the country , i answered , hea●y newes ; why quoth he ? it is said , quoth i , that many men be up in essex ; but thanks be to god , all is in good quiet about us ; and this was all , as god be my iudge , &c. thus much , by the by. now again , to the parish church of st. andrew under shaft , for it still retaineth the name , which hath bin new builded by the parishioners , since the year . every man putting to his helping hand , some with their purses , others with their bodies . stephen iennings marchant-taylor , sometimes mayor of london , caused ( at his charges ) to be builded the whole north side of the great middle i le , both of the body and quire , as appeareth by his arms , over every pillar graven ; and also the north i le , which he roofed with timber , and seeled . also the whole south side of the church , was glazed , and the pewes in the south chappel made of his costs , as appeareth in every window , and upon the said pewes . he deceased in the year . and was buried in the grey fryers church . john kirby marchant-taylor , sometimes one of the sheriffs , john garland marchant-taylor , and nicholas levison mercer , executor to garland , were great benefactors to this work , which was finished ( to the glazing ) in the year . and fully finished . now in the second way from aldgate , more toward the south , from the well or pump aforesaid , sieth fenne-church street ; on the right hand whereof , somewhat west from the south end of belzetters lane , is ironmongers-hall , which company was incorporated in the third of edward the fourth , richard flemming was their first master , nicholas marshall , and richard cox , were custodes or wardens . and on the left hand , or south side , ( even by the gate and wall of the city ) runneth down a lane to the tower-hill : the south part whereof , is called woodroof-lane ; and out of this lane toward the west , a street called hart-street . in this street , at the south-east corner thereof ; sometime stood one house of crowched or ( crossed ) fryers , founded by ralph hosier , and william sabernes , about the year . stephen the tenth prior of the holy trinity in london , granted three tenements for s. d. by the year , unto the said ralph hosiar , and william saburnes , who afterwards became fryers of s. crosse. adam was the first prior of that house : these fryers founded their house in the place of certain tenements , purchased of rich. wimblush , the th prior of the holy trinity , in the year . which was confirmed by edward the third , the seventeenth of his raign , valued at l. s. d. surrendred the th of novemb , the . of henry the th . in place of this church , is now a carpenters yard , a tennis-court , and such like : the fryers hall was made a glasse-house , or house , wherein was made glasse of divers sorts to drink in : which house , in the year . on the fourth of september , burst out into a terrible fire , where all meanes possible being practised to quench it , notwithstanding , as the same house in a small time before , had consumed a great quantity of wood , by making of glasses ; now it self , having within it about billets of wood , was also consumed to the stone walls , which nevertheless , greatly , hindred the fire from spreading any further . adjoyning unto this fryers church , by the east end thereof in woodroffe lane , towards the tower-hill , are certain almes-houses , . in number , builded of brick and timber , founded by sir john milburn , draper , sometime maior , . wherein be placed . aged poor men , and their wives : these have their dwellings rent-free , and s. d. a peece , the first day of every moneth for ever . next to these alms-houses is the lord lumleys house , builded in the time of king henry the th , by sir thomas wiat the father , upon one plot of ground , of late pertaining to the aforesaid crossed fryers , where part of their house stood . and this is the farthest of aldgate vvard toward the south , and joyneth to the tower-hill ; the other side of that lane , over against the lord lumleys house , on the wall side of the city , is now for the most part ( or altogether ) builded , even to aldgate . then have ye on the south side of fenne-church-street , over against the wall or pump , amongst other fair and large builded houses , one that sometime belonged to the prior of monte joves , or monastarie cornute , a cell to monte joves beyond the seas ; in essex it was the priors inne , when he repaired to this city ; then a lane that leadeth down by northumberland house , towards the crossed fryers , as is afore shewed . this northumberland house in the parish of st. katherine coleman , belonging to henry percy , earl of northumberland , in the . of henrie the sixth ; but of late being left by the earls , the gardens thereof were made into bowling alleys , and other parts into dicing-houses , common to all commers , for their money , there to bowl & recreate themselves . but now of late , so many bowling alleys , and other houses for unlawful gaming , have been raised in other parts of the city and subburbs , that this which was used to be the ancientest , and only rendezvouz of sport , is left and forsaken of the gamesters , and therefore turned into a number of great rents , small cottages , for strangers and others . at the east end of this lane , in the way from aldgate , toward the crossed friers , of old time , were certain tenements , called the poor jurie , of jewes dwelling there . next unto this northumberland house , is the parish church of st. katherine , called coleman ; which addition of coleman , was taken of a great haw-yard , or garden , of old time called coleman haw , in the parish of the trinity , now called christs church . and in the parish of st. katherine , and all-saints , called coleman church . there are some handsome tombs in this church , and particularly of sir henry billingley knight , and lord mayor of london , who was a benefactor thereunto . then have ye blanch appleton , whereof we read in the th of edw. the first , that a lane behind the same blanch appleton , was granted by the king to be inclosed , and shut up ; this blanch appleton was a mannor belonging to sir thomas r●●os of hamelake , knight , the th of rich : the d , standing at the north-east corner of mart lane , so called , of a priviledge sometime enjoyed to keep a mart there , long since discontinued , and therefore forgotten : so as nothing remaineth for memory , but the name of mart lane , and now corruptly termed mark lane. of the fourth ward , or aldermanry of london , called limestreet ward . we will now give a visit to limestreet ward , which takes its denomination from the street , and the street from making lime there , in times passed . in limestreet are divers fair houses ; for marchants and others , there was sometime a mansion house of the kings , called the kings artirce , as it stands upon record , in the th of edward the first ; but now grown out of knowledge : we read also of another great house , in the west side of limestreet , having a chappel on the south , and a garden on the west , belonging to the lord nevill , which garden is now called green yard , of the leaden hall. this house in the th of rich. . pertained to sir simon burley , and sir john burley his brother : and of late , the said house was taken down , and the forefront thereof new builded of timber , by hugh offley , alderman . at the north-west corner of limestreet , was ( of old time ) one great mesuage , called benbridges inne ; raph holland , draper , about the year . gave it to john gill , master , and to the vvardens and fraternity of taylors , and linnen armourers of st. john baptist in london , and to their successors for ever . they did set up in places thereof , a fair large frame of timber , containing in the high street , one great house ; and before it , to the corner of limestreet three other tenements , the corner house being the largest ; and then down limestreet , divers handsome tenements : all which , the marchant-taylors , in the raign of edw. . sold to stephen kirton , marchant-taylor , and alderman , who gave with his daughter grisild , to nicholas woodroffe , the said great house , with two tenements before it , in lieu of an hundred pounds , and made it up in money , three hundred sixty six pounds , thirteen shillings four pence : this worthy man , and the gentlewoman his widow , after him , kept those houses down limestreet , in good reparations , never put out but one tenant , took no fines , nor raised rents for them , which was ten shillings the piece yearly ; but whether that favour did over-live her funeral , the tenants now can best declare the contrary . the next is leaden-hall , of which we read , that in the year . it belonged to sir hugh nevil , knight , and that the lady alice his wife , made a feoffment thereof , by the name of leaden hall , with the advousions of s. peter on cornhill , and other churches , to richard earl of arrundel , and surrey , . moreover , in the year . alice nevil , widow to sir iohn nevil , knight of essex , confirmed to thomas cogshall , and others , the said mannor of leaden-hall , and the advousions , &c. in the year . humphrey de bohun , earl of hereford , had the said mannor , and in the year . robert rikeden of essex , and margaret his wife , confirmed to richard whittington , and other citizens of london , the said mannor of leaden hall , with the appurtenances , the advousion of st. peters church , s. margaret pattens , &c. and in the year ● . the said whitington , and other , confirmed the same to the maior , and comminalty of london , whereby it came to the possession of the city . then in the year . the one and twenty of henry the sixth , iohn hatheyrley , maior , purchased licence of the said king , to take up . fodder of lead , for the building of water conduits , a common granary , and the crosse in west cheape , more richly , for the honour of the city . in the year next following , the parson and parish of st. dunstane , in the east of london , seeing the noble and mighty man ( for the words be in the grant ; cùm nobilis & potens vir . ) simon eyre , citizen of london , among other his works of piety , effectually determined to erect & build a certain granary , upon the soil of the same city at leaden hall , of his own charges , for the common utility of the said city , to the amplifying and inlarging of the said granary , granted to henry frowick , then maior , the aldermen and commonalty , and their successors for ever , all their tenements , with the appurtenances , sometime called the horse mill in grasse-street , for the annual rent of four pounds , &c. also , certain evidences of an alley , and tenements pertaining to the horse mill , adjoyning to the said leaden hall in grasse-street , given by vvilliam kingstone , fishmonger , unto the parish church of st. peter upon cornhill , do specifie the said granary , to be builded by the said honourable and famous marchant , simon eyre , sometime an upholster , and ●hen a draper , in the year . he builded it of squared stone , in form as now it sheweth , with a fair and large chappel in the east side of the quadrant ; over the porch of which , he caused to be written , dextra domini exaltavit me , the lords right hand exalted me . within the said church , on the north wall , was written , honorandus famosus mercator simon eyre , hujus operis , &c. in english thus , the honourable and famous marchant simon eyre , founder of this work , once maior of this city , citizen and draper of the same , departed out of this life , the th day of septemb. the year from the incarnation of christ , . and the . year of the raign of king henry the sixth : he was buried in the parish church of st. mary wolnoth , in lumbard street ; he gave by his testament , to be distributed to all prisons in london , or within a mile of that city , somewhat , to relieve them . more , he gave marks upon a condition , which not performed , was then to be distributed to maids marriages , and other deeds of charity : he also gave marks to the drapers , upon condition , that they should within one year after his decease , establish perpetually a master or warden , five secular priests , six clerks , and two queristers , to sing daily divine service , by note for ever , in this chappel of the leaden-hall ; also , one master with an usher for grammar , one master for writing , and the third for song , with houses there newly builded for them for ever ; the master to have for his salary , ten pounds , and every other priest , eight pounds ; every other clarke , five pounds six shillings eight pence ; and every other chorister , five marks ; and if the drapers refused this to do , within one year after his decease , then the three thousand marks to remain to the prior and covent of christs-church in london , with condition to establish things as aforesaid , within two years after his decease ; and if they refused , then the three thousand marks to be disposed by his executors , as they best could devise in works of charity . thus much for his testament , not performed by establishing of divine service in his chappel or free-school , and scholars ; neither was it known how the stock of three thousand marks ( or rather five thousand marks ) was employed by his executors , he left issue thomas , who had issue thomas , &c. true it is , that in the year , the third of edward the fourth , it was agreed by the mayor , aldermen , and commonalty of london , that notwithstanding the kings letters pattents , lately before granted unto them , touching the trouage or weighing of wares , to be held at leaden-hall ; yet suite should be made to the king , for new letters pattents , to be granted to the mayor of the staple , for the trouage of wools , to be holden there , and order to be taken by the discretion of thomas cooke , then mayor ; the councel of the city , geffrey filding , then mayor of the staple at westminster , and of the kings councel what should be paid to the mayor , and aldermen of the city , for the laying and housing of the wools there , that so they might be brought forth and weighed , &c. touching the chappel there , we find that in the year , by licence obtained of king edward the fourth , in the sixth of his reign , a fraternity of the trinity of priests ( besides other brethren and sisters ) in the same chappel , was founded by rouse , iohn risby , and thomas ashby priests : some of the which sixty priests , every market-day , in the fore-noon , did celebrate divine service there , to such market people as repaired to prayer , and once every year , they met altogether , and had solemn service , with procession of all the brethren , and sisters ; this foundation was in the year , by a common-councel confirmed to the sixty trinity priests , and to their successors , at the will of the mayor and commonalty . in the year a great fire happened upon leaden-hall , by what casualty it was not known , but much housing was there destroyed , with all the stocks for guns , and other provision belonging to the city , which was a great losse , and no lesse charge to be repaired by them . in the year . the eighteenth of henry the seventh , a request was made by the commons of the city , concerning the usage of the said leaden-hall , in form as followeth ; please it the lord mayor , aldermen , and common-councel , to enact , that all frenchmen bringing canvas , linnen cloth , and other wares to be sold , and all forreins bringing woolsteads , sayes , stamins , kiverings , nayles , iron work , or any other wares , and also all forreins , bringing lead to the city to be sold , shall bring all such their wares aforesaid , to the open market of the leaden-hall , and no where else to be shewed , sold and uttered , like as of old time it hath been used , upon pain of forfeiture of all the said wares , shewed or sold in any other place than aforesaid ; and the shew of the said wares to be made three daies in a week , that is to lay monday , tuesday , and wednesday ; it is also thought reasonable , that the common beam be kept from henceforth in the leaden-hall , & the farmer to pay therefore reasonable rent to the chamber , for better it is , that the chamber have advantage thereby , than a forreign person ; and also the said leaden-hall , which is more chargeable now by half than profitable , shall better bear out the charges thereof ; also the common beam for wool at leaden-hall may pay yearly a rent to the chamber of london , toward the supportation and charges of the same place : for reason it is , that a common office occupied upon a common ground , bear a charge to the use of the communalty ; also that forrains bringing wools , felts , or any other marchandizes or wares to leaden-hall , to be kept there for the sale and market , may pay more largely for keeping of their goods , than freemen . thus much for the request of the commons at that time . now to set down some proof , that the said hall hath been employed and used as a granary for corn and grain ( as the same was first appointed ) leaving all former examples , this one may suffice , roger achley mayor of london in the year , the third of henry the eighth , when the said mayor entred the majoralty , there was not found one hundred quarters of wheat in all the garners of this city , either within the liberties or near adjoyning , through the which scarcity , when the carts of stratford came laden with bread to the city ( as they had been accustomed ) there was such press about them , that one man was ready to destroy another , in striving to be served for their money ; but this scarcity lasted not long , for the mayor ( in short time ) made such provision for wheat that the bakers , both of london , and of stratford , were weary of taking it up , and were forced to take much more than they would , and for the rest the mayor laid out the money , and stored it up in leaden-hall , and other garners of the city ; this mayor also kept the market so well , that he would be at the leaden-hall , by four a clock in the summer mornings , and from thence he went to other markets to the great comfort of the citizens . we read also , that in the year , the twentieth of henry the eighth , surveyers were appointed to view the garners of the city , namely , the bridge-house and the leaden-hall , how they were stored of grain for the service of the city ; and because we have here before spoken of the bread-carts coming from stratford at the bow , ye shall understand , that of old time the bakers of bread at stratford , were allowed to bring daily ( except the sabbath and principal feasts ) divers long carts laden with bread , the same being two ounces in the penny wheaten loaf heavier than the penny wheaten loaf baked in the city , the same to be sold in cheap , three or four carts standing there 'tween g●therans lane , and fausters lane end , one cart on cornhil by the conduit , and one other in grasse-street ; and we may read , that in the fourth year of edward the second , richard reffeham , being mayor , a baker named iohn of stratford , for making bread lesser than the assize , was with a fools hood on his head , and loaves of bread about his neck , drawn on a hurdle through the streets of the city ▪ moreover , in the four and fortieth of edward the third , iohn chichester being mayor of london , as we may read in the visions of pierce plowman , a book so called as followeth ; there was a careful commune , when no cart came to town with basket bread from stratford tho gan beggars weep , and workmen were agast , a little this will be thought long in the date of our dirte , in a dry averel , a thousand and three hundred , twice thirty and ten , &c. we read also in the twentieth of henry the eighth , sir iames spencer being mayor , six bakers of stratford , were amerced in the guild-hall of london , for baking under the size appointed ; but these bakers of stratford left serving this city , i know not upon what occasion , above forty years since . in the year a petition was exhibited by the commons to the common-councel , and was by them allowed , concerning the leaden-hall , how they would have it used , viz. meekly beseeching , sheweth unto your good lordship , and masterships , divers citizens of this city , which ( under correction ) think , that the great place called the leaden-hall , should , nor ought not to be letten out to farme , to any person or persons and in special , to any fellowship or company incorporate , to have and hold the same hall for term of years ; for such conveniences as thereby may ensue , and come to the hurt of the common-weale of the said city in time to come , as somewhat more largely may appear in the articles following . first , if any assembly or hasty gathering of the commons of the said city , for suppressing or subduing of mi●ruled people within the said city , hereafter shall happen to be called or commanded by the mayor , aldermen , and other governours and councellors of the said city for the time being ; there is none so convenient , meet and necessary a place to assemble them in , within the said city , as the said leaden-hall , both for largenesse of room , and for their sure defence in time of their counselling together about the premises . also , in that place hath been used the artillery , guns , and other armors of the said city , to be safely kept in a readinesse , for the safegard , wealth , and defence of the said city to be had and occupied at times when need required . as also the store of timber , for the necessary reparations of the tenements belonging to the chamber of the said city , there commonly hath been kept . item , if any triumph or noblenesse were to be done , or shewed by the commonalty of the city , for the honour of our soveraign lord the king and realm , and for the worship of the said city , the said leaden-hall is the most meet and convenient place , to prepare and order the said triumph therein , and from thence to issue forth to the places thereof appointed . item , at any largesse or dole of any money , made unto the poore people of this city ; it hath been used to be done and given in the said leaden-hall , for that the said place is most meet therefore . item , the honourable father , that was maker of the said hall , had a speciall will , intent , and mind , that ( as it is commonly said ) the market men and women , that came to the city with victuals and other things , should have their free standing within the said leaden-hall in wet weather , to keep themselves & their wares dry , and thereby to encourage them , and all other , to have the better will and desire , the more plentiously to resort to the said city , to victual the same ; and if the said hall should be letten to farme , the will of the said honourable father , should never be fullfilled , nor take effect . item , if the said place , which is the chief fortresse , and most necessary place within all the city , for the tuition and safegard of the same , should be letten out to farme , out of the hands of the chief heads of the same city , and especially to any other body politick , it might at length ( by likelihood ) be an occasion of discord and debate , between the said bodies politick , which god defend . for these , and many other great and reasonable causes , which hereafter shall be shewed to this honourable court , your said beseechers think it much necessary , that the said hall be still in the hands of this city ; and to be surely kept by sad and discreet officers in such wise , that it might alwaies be ready to be used and occupied , for the common-weale of the said city , when need shall require , and in no wise to be letten to any body politick . thus much for the petition . about the year one thousand five hundred thirty four , great means was made about the leaden-hall , to have the same made a burse for the assembly of marchants , as they had been accustomed in lumbard-street ; many common-councels were called to that end , but in the year , iohn champneys being mayor , it was fully concluded , that the burse should remain in lumbard-street , as afore , and leaden-hall no more to be spoken of concerning that matter . the use of leaden-hall was us'd to be thus ; in a part of the north quadrant , on the east side of the north gate , were the common beams , for weighing of wooll and other wares , as had been accustomed ; on the west side of ▪ the gate was the scales to weigh meal : the other three sides were reserved ( for the most part ) to the making and resting of the pageants shewed at mid-summer in the watch : the remnant of the sides and quadrants , were employed for the stowage of wool-sacks , but not closed up : the lofts above were partly used by the painters , in working for the decking of pageants and other devices , for beautifying of the watch and watch-men : the residue of the lofts were letten out to marchants , the wooll-winders and packers therein , to winde and pack their wools. and thus much for leaden-hall may suffice . now on the north of limestreet ward , in the highstreet are divers fair houses for marchants , and proper tenements for artificers , with an alley also called shalt alley , of the shaft or may-pole , sometime resting over the gate thereof , as i have declared in aldgate ward . in the year . partly at the charges of the parish of st. andrew , and partly at the charges of the chamber of london , a water-pump , was raysed in the high street of lime-street ward , neer unto lime-street corner , for the placing of the which pump , having broken up the ground , they were forced to dig more than two fadome deep , before they came to any main ground , where they found a hearth made of britaine , or rather romane tyle , every tyle half yard square , and about two inches thick , they found coal lying there also ( for that lying whole will never consume ) then digging one fadome in the main , they found water sufficient , made their prall , and set up the pump , which pump , with oft repairing and great charges to the parish , continued not four and twenty years , but being rotted , was taken up , and a new one set in the place , in the year . thus much for the high-street . in saint mary street had ye ( of old time ) a parish church of saint mary a virgin , saint ursula , and the virgins , which church was commonly called saint mary at the axe , of the signe of an axe , over against the east end thereof , or saint mary pellipar , of a plot of ground lying on the north side thereof pertaining to the skinners in london ; this parish about the year . was united to the parish church of saint andrew under shaft , and so was saint mary at the axe suppressed , and letten out to be a ware-house for a marchant ; against the east end of this church , was sometime a fair well , now turned to a pump ; also against the north end of this saint mary street , was , sometime one other parish church of saint augustine , called saint augustine in the wall , for that it stood adjoyning to the wall of the city , and otherwise called saint augustines papey , or the poor , as i have read , in the reign of edward the third . about the year , in the reign of henry the sixth , the same church was allowed to the brethren of the papey , the house of poor priests , whereof i have spoken in aldgate ward , the parishioners of this church were appointed to the parish church of alhallowes in the wall , which is in broad street ward , and this brotherhood called papey , being suppressed , the church of saint augustine was pulled down , and in place thereof one grey apothecary , builded a stable , a hay-lost , &c. it is now a dwelling house , those two parish churches , both lying in the ward of lime-street ; being thus suppressed , there is not any one parish church or place for divine service in that ward , but the inhabitants thereof repair to saint peters in cornhill ward , saint andrew in aldgate ward , alhallows in the wall in broad-street ward , and some to saint denys in langbourne ward . now , because there hath been some question , to what ward this church of saint augustine papey should of right belong , for the same hath been challenged by them of aldgate ward , and ( without reason ) taken into bishops-gate ward , from lime-street ward , i am somewhat to touch it . about years since , the chamber of london , granted a lease of ground lying near london wall , in the ward of lime-street , from the west of the said church or chappel of saint augustine papey , towards bishops-gate &c. on the which plot of ground , the leasee builded three fair tenements , and placed tenants there , these were charged to bear scot and lot , and some of them to bea● office in lime street ward , all which they did willingly without grudging ; and when any suspected or disordered persons were by the landlord placed there , the officers of lime street ward , fetched them out of their houses , committed them to ward , procured their due punishments , and banished them from thence ; whereby in short time that place was reformed , and brought into good order , which thing being noted by them of aldgate ward , they moved their alderman , sir thomas offley , to call in those houses to be of his ward ; but mr. stow producing a fair ledgier book , sometime pertaining to the late dissolved priory of the holy trinity within aldgate , wherein were set down the just bounds of aldgate ward , before sir thomas offley , sir rowland hayward , the common-councel , and ward-mote inquest , of the said lime street ward , sir thomas offley gave over his challenge , and so that matter rested in good quiet , until the year . that sir richard pype ( being mayor , and alderman of bishops-gate ward ) challenged those houses to be of his ward , whereunto ( without reason shewed ) sir rowland hayward yeilded ; and thus is that side of the street from the north corner of saint mary street , almost to bishopsgate , ( wherein is one plot of ground , letten by the chamberlaine of london , to the parish of saint martins oteswich , to be a church-yard , or burying-place for the dead of that parish , &c. ) unjustly drawn and with-holden from the ward of lime-street , as master stow avoncheth . of the fifth ward , or aldermanry of london , called bishopsgate-ward . the ward next in order is bishopsgate-ward , whereof a part is without the gate ; and of the subburbs , from the barres by st. mary spittle , to bishopsgate , and a part of hounds-ditch , almost half thereof ; also without the wall of the same ward . then within the gate is bishopsgate-street , so called , of the gate , to a pump , were sometime was a fair well , with two buckets , by the east end of the parish church of st. martin oteswich , and then winding by the west corner of leaden-hall , down grasse-street , to the corner over against grasse-church ; and these are the bounds of that ward . monuments most to be noted , are these , the parish-church of st. buttolph without bishopsgate , in a fair church-yard adjoyning to the town-ditch , upon the very bank thereof ; but of old time , inclosed with a comely wall of brick , lately repaired by sir william allen , mayor , in the year , because he was born in that parish , where also he was buried . an anchoresse ( by bishopsgate ) received forty shillings the year , of the sheriffs of london . next unto the parish church of st. buttolph , was a fair inne , for receipt of travellers , then an hospital of st. mary of bethlem , founded by simon fitz mary , one of the sheriffs of london , in the year . he founded it to have been a priory of canons , with brethren and sisters ; and king edward the d , granted a protection , for the brethren called milites beatae mariae de bethlem ; within the city of london , the th year of his raign . it was an hospital for distracted people . stephen gennings , marchant-taylor , gave forty pounds toward purchase of the patronage , by his testament , . the mayor and commonalty purchased the patronage thereof , with all the lands and tenements thereunto belonging , in the year . now it shall not be amisse , to insert here that memorable ancient deed of gift , given to bethelem , or bedlam , by the foresaid simon , the son of mary , as followeth . to all the children of our mother holy church , to whom this present writing shall come , simon the sonne of mary , sendeth greeting in our lord , where among other things , and before other lands , the high altitude of the heavenly councels , marvellously wrought by some readier devotion , it ought to be more worshipped ; of which things the mortal sickness ( after the fall of our first father adam ) hath taken the beginning of this new repairing : therefore forsooth , it beseemeth worthy , that the place , in which the son of god is become man , and hath proceeded from the virgins womb , which is increaser , and beginning of mans redemption ; namely , ought to be with reverence worshipped , and with beneficial portions to be increased : therefore it is , that the said simon , son of mary , having special and singular devotion to the church , of the glorious virgin at bethelem , where the same virgin of her , brought forth our saviour incarnate , and lying in the cratch , and with her own milk nourished ; and where the same child to us there born , the chivalry of the heavenly company , sang the new hymne , gloria in excelsis deo. the same time , the increaser of our health , ( as a king , and his mother a queen ) willed to be worshipped of kings , a new starre going before them , as the honour and reverence of the same child , and his most meek mother : and to the exaltation of my most noble lord , henry king of england , whose wife and child the foresaid mother of god , and her only son , have in their keeping , and protection ; and to the manifold increase of this city of london , in which i was born . and also for the health of my soul , and the souls of my predecessors , and successors , my father , mother , and my friends . and specially for the souls of guy of marlow , iohn durant , ralph ashwye , maud , margaret , and dennis , women : have given , granted , and by this my present charter , here , have confirmed to god , and to the church of st. mary of bethelem , all my lands which i have in the parish of st. buttolph , without bishopsgate of london , that is to say , whatsoever i there now have , or had , or in time to come may have , in houses , gardens , pools , ponds , ditches and pits , and all their appurtenances , as they be closed in by their bounds ; which now extend in length , from the kings high street , east , to the great ditch in the west ; the which is called deep ditch ; and in breadth , to the lands of ralph downing , in the north ; and to the land of the church of st. buttolph in the south ; to have and to hold the aforesaid church of bethelem , in fre● and perpetual alms ; and also to make there a priory , and to ordain a prior , and canons ; brothers , and also sisters , when jesus christ shall enlarge his grace upon it . and in the same place , the rule and order of the said church of bethelem solemnly professing , which shall bear the token of a starre openly in their coapes and mantles of profession ; and for to say divine service there , for the souls aforesaid , and all christian souls ; and specially to receive there , the bishop of bethelem , canons , brothers , and messengers of the church of bethelem for evermore , as often as they shall come thither . and that a church or oratory there shall be builded , as soon as our lord shall enlarge his grace , under such form , that the order , institution of priors , canons , brothers , sisters , of the visitation , correction , and reformation of the said place , to the bishop of bethelem , and his successors , and to the charter of his church , and of his messengers , as often as they shall come thither , as shall seem them expedient ; no mans contradiction notwithstanding ; shall pertain for evermore : saving alway the services of the chief lords , as much as pertaineth to the said land. and to the more surety of this thing , i have put my self out of this land , and all mine . and lord godfrey , then chosen of the nobles of the city of rome , bishop of bethelem , and of the pope , confirmed then by his name in england , in his name , and of his successors , and of his chapter of his church of bethelem , into bodily possession , i have indented and given to his possession all the foresaid lands ; which possession he hath received , and entred in form abovesaid . and in token of subjection , and reverence , the said place in london , without bishopsgate , shall pay yearly in the said city , a mark sterling at easter , to the bishop of bethelem , his successors , or his messengers , in the name of a pension ; and if the faculties or goods of the said place ( our lord granting ) happen to grow more , the said place shall pay more , in the name of pension , at the said terme , to the mother church of bethelem . this ( forsooth ) gift and confirmation of my deed , and the putting to of my seal for me , and mine heires , i have steadfastly made strong , the year of our lord god , a thousand , two hundred , forty seven , the vvednesday after the feast of st. luke the evangelist , &c. king henry the th , gave this hospital unto the city , the church and chappel were taken down in the reign of queen elizabeth , and houses builded there , by the governours of christs hospital in london . in this place , people that be distraught in their wits , are now ( by the suit of their friends ) received and kept as before , but not without charges to their bringers in . then is there a fair house of late , builded by iohn powlet . next to that , a far more large and beautiful house , with gardens of pleasure , bowling allies , and such like , builded by iasper fisher , free of the goldsmiths , late one of the six-clarks of the chancery , and a justice of peace . it hath since ( for a time ) been the earl of oxfords place . the late queen elizabeth hath lodged there , it now belongeth to the earl of devonshire . this house being so large , and sumptuously builded , by a man of no great calling , possessions , or vvealth ; ( for he was indebted to many ) was mockingly called fishers folly , and a rithme was made of it , and other the like , in this manner . kirbyes castle , and fishers folly , spinilas pleasure , and megses glory . and so of other like buildings about the city , by citizens , men have not forborn to speak their pleasure . from fishers folly , up to the west end of berwards lane , of old time so called ; but now hogge-lane , because it meeteth with hogge-lane , which commeth from the barres without ealdgate , as is afore shewed , is a continual bnilding of tenements , with allies of cottages , pestered , &c. then is there a large close , called fazel close , sometime , for that there were zazels planted for the use of cloth-workers , since letten to the crosse-bow makers , wherein they used to shoot for games at the popingey . now the same being inclosed with a brick-wall , serveth to be an artillery-yard , or garden , whereunto the gunners of the tower , weekly do repair ; namely , every thursday , and their levelling certain b●asse-pieces of great artillery against a but of earth , made for that purpose ; they discharged them for their exercise , present use is made thereof by divers worthy citizens , gentlemen , and captains , using marshal discipline , and where they meet ( well-neere ) weekly , to their great commendation , in so worthy an exercise , whereof hereafter , i will speak more at large . then have ye the late dissolved priory and hospital , commonly called , saint mary spittle , founded by walter brune , and rosia his wife , for canons regular , vvalter , arch deacon of london , laid the first stone in the year . vvilliam of st. mary church , then bishop of london , dedicated it to the honour of jesus christ , and his mother , the perpetual virgin mary , by the name of domus de● , and beatae mariae , extra bishopsgate , in the parish of st. buttolph , the bounds whereof , as appeareth by composition between the parson , and prior of the said hospital ; concerning tithes , beginning at berwards line , towards the south , and extendeth in breadth to the parish of st. leonard of sores-ditch , towards the north ; and in length , from the kings street on the west , to the bishops of londons field , called lollesworth on the east . the prior of this st. mary spittle , for the immortising and propriation of the priory of bikenacar in essex , to his said house of st. mary spittle , gave to henry the th , four hundred pounds , in the two and twentieth of his raign . this hospital surrendred to henry the th , was valued to dispend four hundred seventy eight pounds per annu●s , wherein was found , besides ornaments of the church , and other goods pertaining to the hospital , one hundred eighty beds well furnished , for receipt of the poor ; for it was an hospital of great relief . sir henry plesington knight , was buried there , one thousand four hundred fifty and two . and here is to be noted , that time out of minde , it hath been a laudable custome , that on good friday in the after-noon , some especial learned man , by appointment of the prelates , should preach a sermon at pauls crosse , treating of christs passion ▪ and upon the three next easter holydayes , munday , tuesday , and wednesday , the like learned men , by the like appointment , have used to preach on the forenoons at the said spittle , to perswade the article of christs resurrection ; and then on low sunday , one other learned man at pauls crosse , to make rehearsal of those four former sermons , either commending , or reproving them , as to him ( by judgement of the learned divines ) was thought convenient ; and that done , he was to make a studied sermon of his own , which in all , were five sermons in one ; at these sermons so severally preached , the maior with his brethren the aldermen , were accustomed to be present in their violets at pauls , on good friday , and in their scarlets at the spittle , in the holydayes ( except vvednesday , in violet ) and the maior with his brethren on low sunday in scarlet , at pauls crosse. touching the antiquity of this custom , i finde , that in the year one thousand three hundred ninety eight , king richard having procured from rome , confirmation of such statutes , and ordinances , as were made in the parliament begun at vvestminster , and ended at shrewsbury ; he caused the same confirmation to be read , and pronounced at pauls crosse , and at st. mary spittle , in a sermon before all the people . philip malpas , one of the sheriffs , in the year , one thousand four hundred thirty nine , gave twenty shillings by the year , to the three preachers at the spittle . stephen foster maior , in the year , . gave l. to the preachers of pauls crosse and spittle . we find also , that the aforesaid house , wherein the maior , and aldermen do sit at the spittle , was builded ( for that purpose ) of the goods , and by the executors of richard rawson , alderman , and isabel his wife , in the year . in the year . this pulpit being old , was taken down , and a new one set up : the preachers face turned towards the south , which was before towards the west . also a large house ( on the east side of the said pulpit ) was then builded , for the governours and children of christs hospital to sit in ; and this was done of the goods of william elkin , alderman before deceased ; but within the first year , the same house decaying , and like to have fallen , was again ( with great cost ) repaired at the cities charge . on the east side of this church-yard , lyeth a large field , of old time called lolesworth , now spittle-field , which about the year , . was broken up , for clay to make brick : in the digging thereof , many earthen pots called urnae , were found full of ashes , with burnt bones of men , to wit , of the romans that inhabited here ; for it was the custom of the romans , to burn their dead , to put their ashes in an urn , and then bury the same with certain ceremonies , in some field appointed for that purpose near unto their city ; and commonly , there was another urn of fresh water , laid by the other , denoting the teares of their friends . every of these pots had in them ( with the ashes of the dead ) one piece of copper money , with the inscription of the emperor then reigning , some of them were of claudius , some of vespasian , some of nero , of antoninus pius , of trajanus , and others ; besides those urns , many other pots were found in the same place , made of a white earth , with long necks , and handles , like to our stone jugs : these were empty , but seemed to be buried full of some liquid matter , long since consumed , and soked through ; for there were found divers vials , and other fashioned glasses ; some most cunningly wrought , and some of crystal , all which had water in them ( which it seems were the teare-bottles ) nothing differing in clearness , tast , or savour from common spring water , whatsoever it was at the first ; some of these glasses had oyl in them very thick , and earthy in savour ; some were supposed to have balm in them , but had lost the vertue ; many of these pots and glasses were broken in cutting of the clay , so that few were taken up whole . there were also found divers dishes and cups , of a fine red coloured earth , which shewed outwardly such a shining smoothness , as if they had been of curtal ; those had ( in the bottoms ) roman letters printed : there were also lamps of white earth and red , artificially wrought with divers antiques about them , some three or four images , made of white earth , about a span long each of them ; one was of pallas . amongst divers of those antiquities , there was sound one urn , with ashes and bones , and one pot of white earth , very small , not exceeding the quantity of a quartern of a wine pint , made in shape of a hare squatted upon her leggs , and between her eares is the mouth of the pot. there hath also bin found ( in the same field ) divers coffins of stone , containing the bones of men ; these i suppose to be the burials of some special persons , in time of the britons , or saxons , after that the romans had left to govern here . morever , there were also found the sculls and bones of men , without coffins ; or rather , whose coffins ( being of timber ) were consumed ; divers great nails of iron were there sound , such as are used in the wheels of shod carts ; being each of them as big as a mans finger , and a quarter of a yard long ; the heads two inches over : those nayles were more wondred at , then the rest of the things there found ; and many opinions of men were there passed upon them ; namely , that the men there buried , were murthered by driving those nayles into their heads . but to set down what was observed , concerning this matter ; there were there , the bones of a man lying , the head north , the feet south , and round about him ( athwart his head ) along both his sides , and thwart his feet such nails were found ; wherefore it may be conjectured , they were the nayls of his coffin , which had bin a trough cut out of some great tree ; and the same covered with a plank of that thickness , fastened with such nayls , and found under the broad heads of some of those nayls , the old wood was found scant turned into earth ; but still retaining both the grain and proper colour . and thus much for that part of bishopsgate-ward ; now we will proceed to that part which lyeth within the gate . and first , to begin on the left hand of bishopsgate ; from the gate ye have certain tenements of old time , pertaining to a brother-hood of st. nicholas , granted to the parish clarks of london , for two chaplains to be kept in the chappel of st. mary magdalen , near unto the guild-hall of london , in the . of henry the sixth . the first of these houses towards the north , and against the wall of the city , was sometime a large inne or court , called the wrastlers of such a signe ; and the last in the high street , towards the south , was sometime also a fair inne , called the angel , of such a signe . amongst these said tenements was ( on the same street side ) a fair entry or court , to the common hall of the said parish-clarks , with proper alms-houses , seven in number adjoyning ; for parish-clarks , and their wives , and their widows , such as were in great years , not able to labour ; one of these by the said brother-hood of parish-clarks , was allowed sixteen pence the week : the other six had each of them nine pence the week , according to the patent granted to that effect . this brother-hood ( amongst other ) being suppressed , in the raign of edward the sixth : the said hall , with the other buildings there , was given to sir robert chester , a knight of cambridge-shire , against whom the parish-clarks commencing suit , in the raign of queen mary ; and being like to have prevailed , the said sir robert chester pulled down the hall , sold the timber , stone , and lead ; and thereupon the sui● was ended . the alms-houses remained in the queens hands , and people were there placed , such as could make best friends , some of them taking the pension appointed , and letting forth their houses at great rent , have given occasion to the p●rson of the parish , to challenge tithes of them , &c. next unto this is the small parish church of saint ethelburgh , virgin ; and from thence , some small distance is a large court , called little st. helens , because it pertained to the nuns of st. helens , and was their house : there were there seven alms-rooms , or houses for the poor , belonging to the company of leathersellers ; then somewhat more west , is another court , with a winding lane , which commeth out against the west end of st. andrew undershafts church . in this court standeth the fair church of st. helen , sometime a priory of black nuns ; and in the same the parish church of st. helen . this priory was founded before the raign of henry the third ; william ba●ing dean of pauls , was the first founder , and was there buried ; and william basing , one of the sheriffs of london , in the second year of edward the second , was holden also to be a founder , or rather an helper thereof : this priory being valued at l. s. d. was surrendred the five and twentieth of november , the thirtieth of henry the eighth : the whole church , the partition betwixt the nuns church ; and the parish church being taken down , remaineth now to the parish , and is a fair church , but wanteth such a steeple , as sir thomas gresham promised to have builded , in recompence of ground in that church , filled up with his monument . the nuns hall , and other housing thereto pertaining , was since purchased by the company of leather-sellers , and is their common hall ; which company , was incorporate , the one and twentieth year of richard the second . a young new-born child was taken up , between the great ware-house , and sir iohn spencers back-gate , being ( by a most unnatural mother ) there buried in a great dung-hill of sea-coal ashes , with the face upward ; yet found alive by richard atkinson , who used to make clean the passage there of the soyle , carrying it thence with his wheel-barrow . the child had not any ragg , or cloth about it , but was all bloodied , by reason that the navil string was untyed , and the body meerly crusted over with the seacoal-dust ; yet being made clean by the poor mans wife , it was found to be a most goodly man-child , strong and well-featured , without any blemish or harm upon it ; but strangled inwardly , by sucking in the noysome filth and ashes . he was christned , and named iob cinere extractus , iob taken out of the ashes , he lived three dayes , and lies buried in the church-yard , the fifth of september , . of the sixth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called broad-street ward . we will now proceed to make a perambulation in broad street ward , whereof part lies , contig●ous to bishopsgate ward : for it beginneth from the water conduit , westward on both sides of the street , by alhallows church , to an iron grate on the channel , which runneth into the water-course of wallbrook , before ye come to the postern called moregate , and this is the farthest west part of that ward ; then have ye broad street , where of the ward taketh name , which stretcheth out of the former street , from the east corner of alhallowes church-yard , somewhat south , to the parish church of saint peter the poor on both sides , and then by the south gate of the augustine fryars , west , down throgmorton street by the drapers hall , into loathbury , to another grate of iron on the channel there , whence the water runneth into the course of wallbrook , under the east end of st. margarets church ; certain posts of timber are there set up ; and this is also the furthest ▪ west part of this ward , in the said street , out of the which street it runneth up bartholomew lane , south , to the north side of the exchange , then more east out of the former street ; from over against the fryars augustines church south gate , runneth up another part of broad streete , south , to a pump , over against st. bennets church . then have ye one other street , called threed-needle street , beginning at the well with two buckets , by st. martins oteswich church wall ; this street runneth down on both sides to finkes-lane , now called finch lane , and half way up that lane , to a gate of a marchants house on the west side , but not so far on the east ; then the aforesaid street , from this finkes lane now finch lane , runneth down by the royal exchange to the stocks , and to a place commonly called , the scalding-house , or scalding wicke , but now scalding alley , by the west side whereof , under the parish church of st. mildred , runneth the course of vvallbrooke , and these be the bounds of this ward . here stands the parish church of alhallowes in the wall , so called of standing close to the wall of the city near moorfields , and over against winchester house , which was so vast and spacious a mansion , that it has been many years since cut , into divers habitations ; for the glasse-house stood in part of it , the spanish ambassadour had another part ; and now of late , the excise office hath bin kept in another part . on the other side of the street , among many proper houses ( possessed for the most part by curriers ) is the carpenters hall , which company was incorporated in the seventeenth year of edward the fourth . then east from the curriers row , is a long and high wall of stone in the foresaid winchester house , enclosing the north side of a large garden , adioyning to as large an house , builded in the reigns of king henry the eighth , and of edward the sixth , by sir william powlet , lord treasurer of england , thorow his garden , which ( of old time ) consisted of divers parts , now united , was sometimes a fair foot way , leading by the west end of the augustine fryars church straight north , and opened somewhat west from alhallowes church against london wall , towards mooregate , which foot-way had gates at either end , locked up every night , but now the same way ( being taken into those gardens ) the gates are closed up with stone , whereby the people are enforced to go about by saint peters church , and the east end of the said fryers church , and all the said great place and garden of sir william pawlet , to london wall , and so to moorgate . this great house adjoyning to the garden aforesaid , stretcheth , to the north corner of broad-street , and then turneth up broad-street all that side , to and beyond the east end of the said friers church ; it was builded by the said lord treasurer , in place of augustine fryers house , cloyster , and gardens , &c. the fryars church he pulled not down , but the west end thereof , enclosed from the steeple and quire , was in the year , granted to the dutch nation in london , to be their preaching place ; the other part , namely , the steeple , quire , and side iles to the quire adjoyning , he reserved to houshold uses , as for stowage of corn , coal , and other thing● : his son and heir , marquiss of vvinchester , sold the monuments of noble men ( there buried ) in great number , paving stone , and whatsoever , ( which cost many thousand pounds ) for one hundred pounds ; and in place thereof ; made fair s●abling for horses ; he caused the lead to be taken from the roofs , and laid tyle in place , which exchange proved not so profitable as he looked for , but rather to his disadvantage , for there have been some remarkable judgements upon that family since . on the east side of this broad street amongst other buildings , on the back part of gresham house , which is in bishopsgate street , there are placed eight alms-houses , builded of brick and timber , by sir thomas gresham knight , for eight almes-men , which be now there placed rent-free , and receive each of them by his gift , six pound thirteen shillings four pence yearly for ever . next unto pawlet house , is the parish church of saint peter the poor , so called for a difference from other of that name , sometime ( peradventure ) a poor parish , but at this present there be many fair houses , possessed by rich marchants , and others . in this little church there be some fair monuments , one of sir thomas lowe , and another of sir vvilliam garaway , with iohn lucas esquire of colchester . then next have ye the augustine fryers church , and church-yard , the entring thereunto by a south gate to the west porch , a large church having a most fine spired steeple , small , high , and streight , that there are few the like , founded by humphrey bohun , earl of hereford and essex , in the year one thousand two hundred fifty three . r●egnald cobham gave this messuage in london , to the enlarging thereof , in the year one thousand three hundred fourty four . humphrey bohun earl of hereford and essex , re-edified this church in the year , whose body was there buried in the quire. the small spired steeple of this church was overthrown by tempest of wind , in the year one thousand three hundred sixty two , but was raised of new , as still it might have stood , had not private benefit ( the only devourer of antiquity ) pull'd it down . both that goodly steeple , and all that east part of the church , hath lately been taken down , and houses ( for one mans commodity ) raised in the place , whereby london hath lost so goodly an ornament , and times hereafter may more talk of it . this house was valued at fifty seven pounds , and was surrendred the twelfth of november , the of henry the . there were many great monuments in this fryers church , one of edmond first son to ioan mother to richard the second , guy de meryke earl of saint paul , lucie countesse of kent , richard the great earl of arundel , surrey , & vvarren , sir francis atcourt earl of pembrooke , iohn vere earle of oxford , with aubery de vere his son , the lady of bedford , with edward duke of buckingham , and very many more persons of quality . on the south side , and at west end of this church , many fair houses are builded ; namely in throgmorton street , one very large and spacious , builded in the place of old and small tenements , by thomas cromwel , master of the kings jewel-house , after that , master of the rolls , then lord cromwell knight , lord privie seal , vicar general , earl of essex , high chamberlain of england , &c. this house being finished , and having some reasonable plot of ground left for a garden , he caused the pales of the gardens adjoyning to the north part thereof , on a sudden to be taken down , two and twe●ty foot to be measured forth-right into the north of every mans ground , a line there to be drawn , a trench to be cast , a foundation laid and an high brick wall to be builded ; and this was suddenly and no warning given , nor other answer , but ( when any spake to the surveyers of that work ) they said their master sir thomas commanded them so to do ; so that no man durst go to argue the matter , but each man lost his land ; thus the sudden rising of some men , causeth them to forget themselves . the company of drapers in london bought this house , and now the same is their common hall. this company obtained of king henry the sixth , in the seventeenth of his reign , to be incorporate . iohn gedney was chosen to be their first master , and the four wardens were , iohn vvotton , i. darby , robert breton , and t. cooke ; the armes granted to the said company by sir vvilliam bridges knight , first garter king at arms , in blazon are thus . three sun beams , issuing out of three clouds of flame , crowned with three crowns , imperials of gold , upon a shield azure . from this hall , on the same side , down to the grates and course of vvallbrooke , have ye divers fair houses for marchants and other , from the which grates back again on the other side in lotisbury ( so called in record of edward the third , the thirty eighth year , and now corruptly called lothbury ) are candlestick founders placed , till ye come to bartholmew lane , so called of saint bartholmew's church , at the south-east corner thereof . in this lane also are divers fair builded houses on both sides , and so likewise have ye in the other street , which stretcheth from the fryers augustines south gate , to the corner over against saint bennets church . in this street , amongst other fair buildings the most ancient was ( of old time ) an house pertaining to the abbot of saint albans ; iohn catcher alderman ( after ) dwelled there ; then is the free school , pertaining to the late dissolved hospital of saint anthony , whereof more shall be shewed in another place , and so up to thred-needle-street . on the south part of which street , beginning at the east , by the well with two buckets , now turned to a pump , is the parish church of saint martin called oteswitch , of martin de oteswitch , nicholas de oteswich , william oteswich , and iohn oteswich founders thereof , and all buried there , as appeareth by their monuments . there is also there a fair engraven stone , with a latine epitaph upon the lord iames fulkes treasurer of holland and ambassador for the states of the united provinces here in england . sir thomas row gave l. to perpetuity to this parish , to buy bread and coals for the poor . some small distance from thence is the merchant-taylors hall , pertaining to the guild and fraternity of saint iohn baptist , time out of mind called of taylors and linnen armorers of london ; for we find that king edward the first , in the eight and twentieth of his reign , confirmed this guild by the name of taylors and linnen armorers , and also gave to the brethren thereof , authority every year at mid-summer to hold a feast and to choose unto them a governour or master , with wardens ; whereupon , the same year , one thousand three hundred , on the feast day of the nativity of saint john baptist , they chose henry de ryall to be their p●lgrim ; for the master of this mystery ( as one that travelled for the whole company ) was then so called , untill the eleventh year of richard the second , and the four wardens were then called purveyers of alms , ( now called quartredge ) of the said fraternity . this merchant-taylors hall , sometime perteining to a worthy gentleman , named edmund crepin , dominus creep●ng after some record ; he , in the year of christ , the sixth of edward the third , for a certain sum of money to him paid , made this grant thereof , by the name of his principal messuage , in the wards of cornhill and broad-street , which sir oliver ingham knight , did then hold , to john of yakeley the kings pavilion-maker ; this was called the new hall , or taylors inne , for a difference from their old hall , which was about the back side of the red lion in basing lane , and in the ward of cordwayner street . the one and twentieth of edward the fourth , thomas holm , aliàs clarentiaux king of armes for the south part of england , granted by his pa●ents to the said fraternity and guild of saint john baptist of taylors and linnen armorers , to beat in a field silver , a pavilion between two mantles imperial , purple , garnished with gold , in a chief azure , a holy lamb , set within a sun , the crest upon the helm ; a pavilion purp●e , garnished with gold , &c. after this king henry the seventh , was himself a brother of this fraternity , or guild of s. iohn baptist , of taylors or linnen armorers , ( as divers others of his predecessors kings had been ) to wit r●ohard the third , edward the fourth , henry the sixth , henry the fifth , henry the fourth , and richard the second . and for that divers of that fraternity had ( time out of mi●e ) been great merchants , and had frequented all sorts of merchandizes into most parts of the world , to the honour of the kings realm , and to the great profit of his subjects , and of his progenitors , and the men of the said mystery , ( during the time aforesaid ) had exercised the buying and selling of all wares and merchandizes , especially , of woollen cloth , as well in grosse , as by retaile , throughout all this realm of england , and chiefly within the said city ; therefore ●e of his especial grace , did change , transfer , and translate , the guild aforesaid , and did incorporate them into the name of the master and wardens of the merchant-taylors , of the fraternity of s. john baptist in the city of london . some distance west from this merchant-taylors hall , is finkes lane , so called of robert finke , and robert finke his son , james finke and rosamond finke ; robert finke the elder new builded the parish church of saint bennet commonly called finke of the founder ; his tenements were both of st. benuets parish , and saint martins oteswich parish , the one half of this finke lane is of broad-street ward , to wit , on the west side , up to the great and principal house , wherein the said finke dwelled ; but on the other side , namely the east , not so much towards cornhil . then without this lane , in the aforesaid threed-needle street , is the said parish church of saint bennet a handsome church in which are sundry old monuments . there happened lately a great fire in threed-needle street , over against merchant-taylors hall , which rag●d as far as saint bennets church walls , and there the fury was s●opped , otherwi●e it might have destroyed all this city . the french reformers have their sermons in this church , and the exercise of calv●n● religion . on the north side of this street , from over against the east corner , of st. martins osteswich church , have ye divers fair and large houses , till you come to the hospital of st. anthony , sometime a cell of st. anthonies of vienna ; for we read , that king henry the third , granted to the brother-hood of st. anthony of vienna , a place amongst the jewes , which was sometime their synagogue , and had been builded by them , about the year . but the christians obtained of the king , that it should be dedicated to our blessed lady ; and since , an hospital being there builded , was called st. anthonies in london . it was founded in the parish of st. bennet finke , for a master , two priests , one school-master , and twelve poor men ; after which foundation , amongst other things , was given to this hospital , one messuage and garden , whereon was builded the fair large free-school , and one other parcel of ground , containing thirty seven foot in length , and eighteen foot in breadth , whereon were builded the alms-houses of hard stone and timber , in the reign of henry the sixth . which said henry the sixth , in the twentieth of his reign , gave unto iohn carpenter , dr. of divinity , and master of st. anthonies hospital , and to his brethren , and their successors for ever , his mannor of poinington , with the appurtenances , with certain pensions , and portions of milburn , burneworth , charleton , and up-wimburn , in the county of southhamton , towards the maintenance of five scholars in the university of oxford , to be brought up in the faculty of arts , after the rate of ten pence the week for every scholar ; so that the said scholars be first instructed in the rudiments of grammar , at the colledge of eaton , founded by the said king. in the year . edward the th granted to william say , batchelor of divinity , master of the said hospital , to have priests , clerks , scholars , poor men , and brethren of the same , clerks , or laymen , queristers , procters , messengers , servants in houshold , and other things whatsoever , like as the prior , and covent of st. anthonies of vienna , &c. he also annexed , united , and appropriated the said hospital , unto the collegiate of st. george in windsor . the protectors of this house , were to collect the benevolence of charitable persons , towards the building and supporting thereof . in the year . sir john tate , sometime alebrewer , then a mercer , caused his brewhouse , called the swan , near adjoyning to the said free chappel , college , or hospital of st. anthony , to be taken for the enlarging of the church , which was then newly builded ; toward the building whereof , the said tate gave great sums of money , and finished it in the year , sir john tate , deceased . and was there buried , under a fair monument by him prepared , dr. taylor master of the rolls , and other . walter champion , draper , one of the sheriffs of london , . was buried there , and gave to the beadmen twenty pounds , the lands by year of this hospital , were valued in the . of king henry the eighth , to be l . s. and . pence . one iohnson ( a schoolmaster of the famous free-school there ) became a prebend of windsor , and then ( by little and little ) followed the spoil of this hospital : he first dissolved the quire , conveyed away the plate and ornaments , then the bels ; and lastly , put out the alms men from their houses , appointing them portions of twelve pence the week to each ; but now i hear of no such matter performed ; for their houses , with other , be letten out for rent , and the church is a preaching place for the french nation , as was touched before . this school was commended in the reign of henry the sixth , and sithence commended above other ; but now decayed , and come to nothing , by taking that from it , which thereunto belonged . next is the parish church of st. bartholmew , at the end of bartholmew lane , thomas pike alderman , with the assistance of nicholas yoo , one of the shetiffs of london , about the year . new builded this church . west from this church , have ye scalding alley , of old time called scalding house , or scalding wick , because that ground ( for the most part ) was then imployed by poulterers , that dwelled in the high street , from the stocks market , to the great conduit . their poultry which they sold at their stalls , were scalded there : the street doth yet bear the name of the poultry , and the poulterers are but lately departed from thence , into other streets , as into grasse-street , and the ends of st. nicholas flesh-shambles . this scalding wick , is the farthest part of broadstreet-ward , and is ( by the water called wallbrook ) parted from cheap-ward . of the seventh ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called corn-hill ward . now cornhil ward comes to consideration , corruptly called cornwel by the vulgar ; it was called corn-hill of a corn-market , time out of mind there holden , and is a part of the principal high street , beginning at the west end of leaden-hall , stretching down west , on both the sides , by the south end of finkes lane , on the right hand , and by the north end of birchoven lane , on the left part : of which lanes , to wit , to the middle of them , is of this ward , and so down to the stocks market ; and this is the bounds . the upper or east part of this ward , and also a part of limestreet ward , hath been ( as i said ) a market-place , especially for corn , and since for all kind of victuals , as is partly shewed in limestreet ward . it appeareth by record , that in the year . the rippiers of rie and other places , sold their fresh fish in leaden-hall market upon cornhill ; but forraign butchers were not admitted there to sell flesh , till the year . and it was enacted , that butchers should sell their bief , not above a half peny the pound ; and mutton , half peny , half farthing : which act being devised , for the great commodity of the realm , ( as it was then thought ) hath since proved far otherwise ; for , before that time , a fat oxe was sold at london , for six and twenty shillings eight pence , at the most ; a far weather , for three shillings four pence ; a fat calf at the same price ; a fat lamb for twelve pence ; pieces of bief weighing , . pounds and a half at the least , yea , . pound or better for a peny , on every butchers stall in this city ; and of those pieces of bief , , or fourteen for twelve pence ; fat mutton for eight pence the quarter ; and one hundred weight of bief , for four shillings eight pence , at the dearest . what the price is now , i need not set down ; many men thought the same act to raise the price , by reason that grasier knew , or supposed what weight every their beasts contained : and so raising their price thereafter , the butcher could be no gainer , but by likewise raising his price : the number of butchers then in the city and suburbs , was accounted sixscore , of which every one killed six oxen a peece weekly , which is in forty six weeks , . oxen , or seven hundred and twenty oxen weekly . the forraign butchers ( for a long time ) stood in the high street of limestreet-ward , on the north side , twice every week , viz , wednesdayes and saturdayes , and wer● some gain to the tenants , before whose doors they stood , and into who●e houses they set their blocks and stalls ; but that advantage being e●pied , they were taken into leaden-hall , there to pay for their standing to the chamber of london . thus much for the market upon cornhill . the chief ornaments in cornhill-vvard , are these ; first , at the east end thereof , in the middle of the high street , and at the parting of four wayes , have ye a water-standard , placed in the year . in manner following ; a certain german , named peter morris , having made an artificial forcier for that purpose , conveyed thames-water in pipes of lead , over the steeple of st. magnus church , at the north end of london-bridge ; and from thence into divers mens houses in thames-street , new fish-street , and grasse-street , ( now gracious-street ) up to the north west corner of leaden-hall , the highest ground of all the city ; where the waste of the main pipe rising into this standard ( provided at the charges of the city ) with four spouts , did at every tyde run ( according to covenant ) four wayes , plentifully serving to the commodity of the inhabitants , near adjoyning in their houses ; and also cleansed the channels of the street , toward bishops-gate , aldgate , the bridge , and the stocks market ; but now no such matter , by what default i know not . then have ye a fair conduit , of sweet water , castellated in the midst of that ward ; this conduit was first builded of stone , in the year . by henry vvallis , maior of london , to be a prison for night-walkers , and other suspicious persons , and was called the tunne upon cornhill ; because the same was builded somewhat in fashion of a tunne , standing on the one end . to this prison , the night-watchers to this city , committed not only night-walkers , but also other persons , as well spiritual as temporal , whom they suspected of incontinency , and punished them according to the customs of this city ; but complaint therefore being made , about the year of christ , . king edward the first , writeth to the citizens thus . edward by the grace of god , &c. vvhereas richard gravesend ▪ bishop of london , hath shewed unto us , that by the great charter of england , the church hath a privilede , that no clark should be imprisoned by a lay-man , without our commandment , and breach of peace : which notwithstanding , some citizens of london , upon meer spight , do enter in their vvatches , into clarks chambers , and then ( ●ike felons ) carry them to the tunne , which henry le wallis , sometime maior , built for night-walkers ; wherefore we will , that this our commandment , be proclaimed in a full hustings , and that no vvatch hereafter enter into any clarks chamber , under the forfeit of thirty pounds . dated at carlile , the th of march , the . of our reign . more we read , that about the year of christ . the seven and twentieth of edward the first , certain principal citizens of london , to wit , t. romane , rich : gloucester , nicholas faringdon , adam helingbury , t. saly , iohn dunstable , richard ashwy , john wade , and william stortforde , brake up this prison , called the tunne , and took out certain prisoners ; for the which they were sharply punished , by long imprisonment , and great fines ; it cost the citizens ( as some have written ) more than marks , which they were amerced in , before william de march , treasurer of the kings exchequer , to purchase the kings favour , and the confirmation of their liberties . by the west side of the aforesaid prison , then called the tunne , was a fair well of spring water , curbed round with hard stone , but in the year . the said prison house called the tunne , was made a cestern for sweet water , conveyed by pipes of lead , from tyburne , and was from thenceforth called the conduit upon cornhil ; then was the well planked over , and a strong prison made of timber , called a cage , with a pair of stocks therein , set upon it ; and this was for night-walkers : on the top of which cage , was placed a pillory , for the punishment of bakers , offending in the assize of bread , for millers stealing of corn at the mill ; for bawds , scholds , and other offenders . as in the year . the seventh of edward , the fourth , divers persons , being common jurors , such as at assizes , were forsworn for rewards , or favour of parties , were judged to ride from newgate , to the pillory in corn-hill , with miters of paper on their heads , there to stand , and from thence again to newgate , and this judgement was given by the maior of london . on the north side of this street , from the east unto the west , have ye divers fair houses , for marchants and others ; amongst the which , one large house is called the wey-house , where marchandizes brought from beyond the seas , are to be weighed at the kings beame : this house hath a master , and under him four master-porters , with porters under them , they have a strong cart , and four great horses , to draw and carry the wates from the marchants houses to the beam , and back again ; sir thomas lovel , knight , builded this house , with a fair front of tenements , toward t●e street , all which he gave to the grocers of london , himself being free of the city , and a brother of that company . then have ye the said finks lane , the south end of which lane , on both sides , is in corn-hill ward . then next is the royal exchange , erected in the year . after this order , viz. certain houses upon corn-hill , and the like upon the part thereof , in the ward of broadstreet , with three allies ; the first called swan alley , opening into corn-hill ; the second , new alley , passing through out of corn-hill , into broadstreet ward , over against st. bartholomew-lane ; the third , st. christophers alley , opening into broadstreet-ward , and into st. christophers parish , containing many thick housholds , were first purchased by the citizens of london , for more than . pounds , and were sold for . pounds , to such persons as should take them down , and carry them thence ; also the ground , or plot was made plain , at the charges of the city , and then possession thereof was by certain aldermen ( in name of the whole citizens ) given to sir thomas gresham knight , sometimes agent to the queens higheness , thereupon to build a burse , or place for marchants to assemble in , at his own proper charges ; and he , on the seventh of june , laying the first stone of the foundation , being brick , accompanied with some aldermen , every of them laid a piece of gold , which the workmen took up ; and forthwith followed upon the same , such diligence , that by the moneth of november , in the year . the same was covered with slate , and shortly after fully finished . in the year . on the . of january , the queens majesty , attended with her nobility , came from her house at the strand , called sommerset-house , and entred the city by temple-barre , through fleet-street , cheape , and so by the north side of the burse , through thredneedle-street , to sir , thomas greshams house in bishopgate-street , where she dined : after dinner , her majesty returning through corn-hill , entred the burse on the south side ; and after she had viewed every part thereof above the ground , especially the pawne , which was richly furnished with all sorts of the finest wares in the city , she caused the same burse , by an haura●d and a trumpet , to be proclaimed at the royal exchange , and so to to be called from thenceforth , and not otherwise . next adjoyning to this royal exchange , remaineth one part of a large stone house , and is now called the castle , of such a sign at a tavern door ; there is a passage thorough out of cornhill , into threed-needle street ; the other part of the said stone house was taken down , for enlarging the royal exchange ; this stone house was said of some to have been a church , whereof it had no proportion ; of others , a jewes house , as though none but jewes had dwelt in stone houses , but that opinion is without warrant . for beside the strong building of stone houses , against 〈◊〉 of thieves in the night when no watches were kept , in the first year of richard the first , ( to prevent casualties of fire , which often had hapned in the city , when the h●uses were builded of timber , and covered with reed and straw , henry fitz allwine being mayor ) it was decreed , that from thenceforth , no man should build within the city but of some unto a certain height , and to cover the same building with slate , or burnt tyle ; this was the very cause of such stone buildings , whereof many have rem●ined until out time that for gaining of ground , they have been taken down , and in place of some of them being low , ( as but two stories above the ground ) many houses of four or five stories high are placed . from this stone house down to the stocks , are divers large houses , especially for height , ●or merchants and artificers . on the south side of this high-street , is the parish church of saint peter upon cornhill , which seemeth to be of an ancient building , but not so an●ient as fame reporteth ; for it hath been lately repaired , if not all new builded , except the steeple which is ancient . the roo● of this church and glazing , was finished in the reign of king edward the fourth , as appeareth by armes of noble men , and aldermen of london then living . there remaineth in this church a table , wherein it is written i know not by what authority , but of no late hand , that king lucius founded the same church , to be an archbishops see , metropolitan● , and chief church of his kingdom , and that it so continued the space of four hundred years , unto the coming of augustine the monk. now , because many may be curious to be further acquainted therewith , i have here inserted the same verbatim , as it is there recorded in the table . be it known unto all men , that the year of our lord god , lucius the first christian king of this land , then called britaine , sounded the first church in london , that is to say , the church of st. peter upon cornhill ; and he founded there an archbishops see , and made that church the metropolitan and chief church of this kingdom , and so endured the space of four hundred years , unto the coming of st. austin , the apostle of the english , the which was sent into this land by st. gregory the doctor of the church , in the time of king ethilbert ; and then was the archbishops see , and pall , removed from the foresaid church of st. peter upon cornhill , unto doreburniam that now is called canterbury , and there remaineth to this day . and millet the monk , which came into the land with s. austin , was made this first bishop of london , and his see was made in pauls church , and this king lucius was the first founder of st. peters church upon cornhill ; and he reigned in this land after brute , a thousand two hundred fourty five years , and the year of our lord god , a hundred twenty four , lucius was crowned king : and the years of his reign were seventy seven years , and he was ( a●ter some chronicle ) buried at london ; and ( after some chronicle ) he was buried at glocester , in that place where the order of st. francis standeth now . joceline of furn●is writeth , that thean or theon , the first arch bishop of london in the reign of lucius builded the said church , by the aid of c●ran chief butler to king lucius : and also that etv●nus the second archbishop builded a library to the same adjoyning , and con●erted many of the druydes learned men in the pagan law , to christianity . william harrison , discoursing hereon more at large , hath these very words , there is a controversy ( saith he ) moved among our historiographers , whether the church that 〈◊〉 built at london , stood at westminster , or in cornhill , for , there is some cause , why the metropolitane church should be thought to stand where st. peters now doth , by the space of four hundred and od years , before it was removed to canterbury by austin the monk , if a man would lean to one side without any conference of the asseverations of the other ; but herein there may lurk some scruple ; for , besides that st. peters church stood in the east end of the city , and that of apollo in the west ; the word cornhil , a denomination given of late ( so speak of ) to one street , may easily be mistaken for thorney . for as the word thorney , proceedeth from the saxons ; who called the west end of the city by that ●ame where westminster now standeth , because of the wildernesse and bushine●●e of the soile , so we do not read of any street in london , called cornhill , before the conquest of the normans : wherefore , i hold with them , which make westminster to be the place , where lucius builded his church , upon the ruines of that fane , years ( as malmsbury saith ) before the coming of the saxons , and four hundred and eleven before the arrival of augustine . read also his appendix in lib. fourth pontif. where he noteth the time of the saxons , in the of grace , and of augustine in of christ , which is a manifest account , though some copies have for the one , but not without-manifest corruption and error . and now to return where we left ; true it is , that a library there was , pertaining to this parish church , of old time builded of stone , and of late repaired with brick , by the executors of sir iohn crosby alderman , as his arms on the south end do witnesse . this library hath been ( of late time ) to wit within this seventy years , well furnished of books , iohn leyland viewed and commended them : but now those books are gone , and this place is occupied by a school-master , and his usher , for a number of scholers learning their grammer rules , &c. notwithstanding before that time , a grammar school had been kept in this parish , as appeareth in the year a thousand four hundred twenty five . we read , that john whitby was rector , and john steward school-master there ; and in the five and twentieth of henry the sixth , it was enacted by parliament , that four grammer schools in london , should be maintained , viz in the parishes of alhallowes in thames street , saint andrew in oldburn , saint peters upon cornhill , and saint thomas of acres . then have ye the parish church of st. michael the archangel : for the antiquity thereof , we find that alnothus the priest , gave it to the abbot and covent of covesham ; raynold the abbot and the covent there , did grant the same to sparling the priest , in all measures , as he and his predecessors before had held it : to the which sparling also , they granted all their lands which they there had , except certain lands which orgar le proud held of them , and paid two shillings yearly ; for the which grant , the said sparling should yearly pay one mark of rent to the said abbot of covesham , and find him his lodging , salt , water , and fire , when he came to london ; this was granted , a thousand one hundred thirty three , about the thirty four of henry the first . the fair new steeple or bell-tower of this church , was begun to be builded in the year , which being finished , and a fair ●ing of five bells therein placed , a sixth bell was added , and given by john vvhitwell , isabel his wife , and william rus , or rous alderman ; and goldsmith , about the year , which bell named rus , ( nightly at eight of the clock , and otherwise for knels , and in peals , rung by one man by the space of years ) of late over-haled by four or five at once , hath been thrice broken , and new cast , within the space of ten years , to the charges of that parish more than marks . and here note of this steeple : upon st. james night , certain men in the loft next under the bell● , ringing of a peal , a tempest of lightning and thunder did arise , and an ugly-shapen sight appeared to them , coming in at the south window , and lighted on the north , for fear whereof , they all fell down , and lay as dead for the time , letting the bells ring and cease of their own accord ; when the ringers came to themselves , they found certain stones o the north window to be raised , and scratched , as if they had been so much butter printed with a lions claw . the same stones were fastned there again , and so remain till this day ; they may be seen to this day , together with the holes where the claws had entred , three or four inches deep . at the same time , certain main timber posts at queen-hith , were scratched and cleft from top to the bottome ; and the pulpit-crosse in pauls church-yard , was likewise scratcht , cleft , and overturned ; one of the ringers lived in queen elizabeths time , who would verifie the same to be true to his knowledge . robert fabian alderman , and chronicler of england , lieth buried in this church , with divers others persons of note . this parish church hath on the south side thereof a handsome cloyster , and a fair church-yard , with a pulpit-cross , not much unlike to that in pauls church-yard ; sir john rudstone mayor , caused the same pulpit-crosse in his life time to be builded , the church-yard to be enlarged , by ground purchased of the next parish ; and also hansome houses to be raised , for lodging of quire men , such as at that time were assitants to divine service , then daily sung by note in that church . then have ye burchover lane , so called of burchover the first builder , and owner thereof , now corruptly called birchin lane ; the north half whereof , is the said cornhill ward , the other half is of langborn ward . this lane and the high-street neer adjoyning , hath been of old inhabited ( for the most part ) with wealthy drapers , in whose room now mercers and silkmen are come ; from birchover lane , on that side the street down to the stocks , in the reign of henry the sixth , had ye ( for the most part ) dwelling there , frippers or upholders , that sold apparrel and old houshold stuff . the popes-head taverne , with other houses adjoyning , strongly builded of stone , hath of old time been all in one , appertaining to some great estate , or rather to the king of this realm , as may be supposed , both by largenesse thereof , and by the armes , to wit , three leopards passant gardant , which was the whole arms of england , before the reign of edward the third , that quartered them with the armes of france , the three flower de luces . of the eighth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called langborn ward . vve are now by discourse , and degrees of observation , come to langbourn ward , so called of a long bourn of sweet water , which ( of old time ) breaking out into fenne church-street , ran down the same street , and lom●ard street to the west end of st. mary woolnoths church , where turning south , and breaking into small floares , rills , or streams , it gave the name of share-borne lane , or south-borne lane , ( as we read ) because it ran south to the river of of thames ; this ward beginneth at the west end of ealdgate ward in fen-church street , by the ironmongers hall , which is on the north side of that street , at a place called culver alley , where sometime was a lane , through which men went into lime-street , but that being long since stopped up , for suspition of theeves that lurked there by night , as is shewed in lime-street ward ; there is now in this said alley a tennis-court , &c. fen-church-street , took that name of fenny or moorish ground , so made by means of this bourne , which passed through it ; and therefore ( until this day ) in the guild-hall of this city , that ward is called by the name of langbourne , and fenny about , and not otherwise ; yet others be of opinion , that it took that name of faenum , that is , hay sold there , as grass-street took the name of grasse or herbs there sold. in the midst of this street standeth a small parish church called , s. gabriel fen-church , corruptly fan-church . helming legget esquire , by licence of edward the third , in the fourty ninth of his reign , gave one tenement , with a cur●elarge thereto belonging , and a garden with an entrey thereto leading , unto sir iohn hariot , parson of fen-church , and to his successors for ever , the house to be a parsonage house , the garden to be a church-yard or burying place for the parish . then have ye lombard street , so called of the longobards , and other merchants strangers of divers nations , assembling there twice every day : of what original , or continuance it hath been , ther 's no record , more than that edward the second , in the twelfth of his reign , confirmed a messuage sometime belonging to robert turk abutting on lombard street toward the south , and toward cornhill on the north , for the marchants of florence , which proveth that street to have had the name of of lombard street before the reign of edward the second ; the meeting of which merchants , and others there , continued until the th of december in the year , on the which day , the said merchants began to make their meetings at the burse , a place then new builded for that purpose , in the ward of cornhill ; and was since by her majesty , queen elizabeth , named the royal exchange . on the north side of this ward , is lime street , one half whereof ( on both sides ) is of this langbourne ward , and therein on the west side , is the pewterers hall , which company were admitted to be a brotherhood in the thirteenth of edward the fourth . at the south west corner of limestreet , standeth a fair parish church of st. dionys , called back-church , new builded in the reign of henry the sixth . john bugge esquire , was a great benefactor to that work , as appeareth by his arms , three water-budgets , and his crest a morions head , graven in the stone-work of the quire , at the upper and end on the north side , where he was buried . also john darby , alderman , added thereunto , a fair ile or chappel on the south side , and was there buried , about the year . he gave ( besides sundry ornaments ) his dwelling house , and others unto the said church ; the lady wich , sir edward osborn , sir james harvey , with divers other persons , and benefactors to that church , lie interred there . then by the four corners ( so called of fen-church-street in the east , bridge-street on the south , grasse-street on the north , and lumbard-street on the west ) in lumbard-street is one fair parish church , called alhallowes grasse-church in lumbard-street ; for so 't is read in evidences of record ; for that the grasse-market , went down that way , when that street was farre broader then now it is , being straightned by incroachments now . this church was new builded : john warner , armorer , and then grocer , sheriff . builded the south i le , his sonne robert warner , esquire , finished it , in the year . the pewterers were benefactors towards the north i le , &c. the steeple , or bel-tower thereof , was finished in the year . about the . of henry the th , the fair stone-porch of this church , was brought from the late dissolved priory of st. john of jerusalem , by smithfield , so was the frame of their bells ; but the bells being bought , were never brought thither , by reason that one old vvarner , draper of that parish deceasing , his sonne mark vvarner , would not perform what his father had begun and appointed , so that fair steeple hath but one bell , as fryers were wont to use , &c. next is a common ostery for travellers , called the george , of such a signe . this is said to have pertained to the earl ferrers , and was his london lodging in lumbardstreet . and that in the year . a brother of the said earl , being there privily slain in the night , was there thrown down into the dirty street . next is the parish church of st. edmond , the king and martyr , in lumbard-street , by the south corner of birchover lane. this church is also called st. edmond grasse-church , because the said grasse-market came down so low ; sir john m●lburn , and sir vvilliam chester , both lord maiors , with others , have monuments in this church . from this church down lombard-street , by birchovers lane , ( the one half of which lane is of this ward ) and so down , be divers fair houses ; namely , one with a fair fore-front towards the street , builded by sir martin bowes , goldsmith , since maior of london . and then one other , sometime belonging to william de la pole , earl of suffolk in the . of richard the second , and was his marchants house , and so down towards the stocks market , lacking but some three houses thereof . the south side of this ward beginneth in the east , at the chain to be drawn thwart mart-lane , up into fenchurch-street , and so west , by the north end of mincheon-lane , to st. margaret pattens street , or rood lane , and down that street to the mid-way , towards st. margarets church , then by philpot-lane , ( so called of sir john philpot that dwelled there , and was owner thereof ) and ▪ down that lane , some six or eight houses , on each side , is all of this ward . then by grasse-church corner , into lumbard-street , to st. clements l●ne , and down the same to st. clements church , then down st. nicholas lane , and down the same to st. nicholas church , and the same church is of this ward . then to abchurch lane , and down some small portion thereof ; then down sherborn-lane , a part thereof , and a part of bearbinder-lane , be of this ward , and then down lumbard-street , to the sign of the angel , almost to the corner over against the stocks market . on the south side of this ward , somewhat within mart-lane , have ye the parish church of alhallowes , commonly called stane-church , ( as may be supposed ) for a difference from other churches of that name in this city , which ( of old time ) were builded of timber , and since were builded of stone ; sir john test , knight of the holy sepulcher , hath here a monument with others . then is the parish church of st. nicholas acon , or hacon ( for so it is read in the records ) in lombardstreet . sir john bridges draper , maior . newly repaired this church , and imbattelled it , and was there buried . then is there ( in the high street ) a comely parish church of st. mary wolnoth , of the nativity ; the reason of which name , the annals make no mention ; this church is lately new builded , sir hugh price goldsmith , mayor in the first year of henry the th , keeper of the kings exchange at london , and one of the governours of the kings mint in the tower of london , under william lord hastings , the fifth of edward the fourth deceased , . he builded in this church a chappel , called the charnel ; as also part of the body of the church , and of the steeple , and gave money toward the finishing thereof , besides the stone that he had prepared ; he was buried in the body of the church , and guy brice or boys , was also buried there , with some other of note . simon eyre , . he gave the tavern , called the cardinals hat in lumbard-street , with a tenement annexed on the east part of the tavern , and a mansion behind the east tenement ; together , with an ally from lumbard-street to corn-hill , with the appurrenances ; all which were by him new builded , toward a brother-hood of our lady in st. mary wolnoths church : among others , sir martin bowes hath a monument there , who anno . gave certain lands for discharging langborn ward , of all fifteens granted by parliament . of the ninth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called billingsgate ward . we will now go south-east , and take a survey of billingsgate-ward , which beginneth at the west end of tower-street ward in thames-street , about smarts key , and runneth down along that street , on the south side , to st. magnus church , at the bridge foot , and on the north side of the said thames-street , from over against smarts key , till over against the north-west corner of st. magnus church aforesaid . on this north side of thames-street , is st. mary hill lane , up to st. margarets church , and then part of st. margarets pattens street , at the end of st. mary hills lane ; next out of thames-street , is lucas lane ; and then buttolph lane ; and at the north end thereof philpot lane , then is there rother lane , of old time so called ; and thwart the same lane is little east-cheape , and these be the bounds of billingsgate ward . touching the principal ornaments within this ward , on the south side of thamesstreet , beginning at the east end thereof ; there is first the said smarts key , so called , of one smart , sometime owner thereof . the next is billinsgate , whereof the whole ward taketh name , the which ( leaving out of the roman's faining it to be builded by king bel●nus , a britain , ●ong before the incarnation of christ ) is at this present , a large water-gate , port , or harbor for ships and boats , commonly arriving there with fish , both fresh and salt , shell-fishes , salt , oranges , onions , and other fruits and roo●s , wheat , rie , and grain of divers sorts , for service of the city , and the parts of this realm adjoyning . this gate is now more frequented , then of old time , when the queens hith was used , as being appointed by the kings of this realm , to be the special or only port , for taking up of all such kind of matchandizes , brought to this city by strangers and forraigners , because the draw-bridge of timbe● at london bridge , was then to be raised , and drawn up for passage of ships , with tops to the said queen hith . touching the ancient customs of billingsgate , in the reign of edward the third ; every great ship landing there , paid for standage , two pence , every little ship with orelocks , a peny : the lesser boat , called a battle , a half-peny ; of two quarters of corn measured , the king was to have one farthing ; of a combe of corn , a peny , of every weight going out of the city , a half peny , of two quarters of sea-coals measured , a farthing ; and of every tun of ale , going out of england , beyond the seas , by marchants strangers , four pence ; of every thousand herrings , a farthing , except the franchises , &c. next to this is , sommers key , which likewise took that name , of one sommer , dwelling there , as did lyon key , of one lyon , owner thereof , and since of the signe of the lyon. then is there a fair wharf or key , called buttolphs-gate , by that name so called , in the time of william the conqueror , and before him , of edward the confessor . next is the parish of st. buttolph , a comely church , and hath had many fair monuments therein , now much defaced and gone ; among others , there is william rainwel and his sonne , who gave a stone-house to be a vestry to that church ; with lands and tenements to discharge billingsgate , dowgate , and algate , of fifteens granted to the king , and other tolls : this was about the year . this parish of st. buttolph , is no great thing ; notwithstanding , divers strangers are there harboured , as may appear by a presentment , not many years since made , of strangers inhabitants in the ward of billingsgate , in these words . in billingsgate ward , were one and fifty housholds of strangers , whereof thirty of the●e housholders , inhabited in the parish of st. buttolph , in the chief and principal houses , where they give twenty pounds a year , for an house letten , used to be let before for four marks : the nearer they dwell to the water side ▪ the more they give for houses ; and within . years before , there was not in the whole ward above three nether landers ; at which time , there was within the said parish , levied for the help of the poor , seven and twenty pounds by the year ; but since they came so plentifully thither , there cannot be gathered above eleven pounds ; the strangers being exempted , to contribute to such charges as other citizens do , in regard they much advance the trade of the city . on the north side is bosse alley , so called of a bosse of spring-water , continually running , which standeth by billingsgate , against this alley ; and was sometimes made by the executors of richard whittington . then is st. mary hill ane which runneth up north from billingsgate , to the end of st. margaret patte●ns , commonly called rood-lane ; and the greatest half of that lane , is also of billingsgate ward . in this st. mary hill lane , is the 〈◊〉 parish church of st. mary on the hill , called so , because of the ascent from billingsgate . in the year . in the moneth of april , as labourers digged for the foundation of a wall , within the church of st. mary hill , near unto billingsgate , they found a coffin of rotten timber , and therein the corps of a woman , whole of skin , and of bones undissevered , with the joynts of her arms , plyable , without breaking of the skin , upon whose sepulcher this was engraven . here lie the bodies of richard hackney , fishmonger , and alice his wife ; the which richard , was sheriff , in the fifteenth of edward the second . her body was kept above ground three or four dayes , without noyance ; but then it waxed unsavory , and was again buried . this lane on both sides , is furnished with fair houses for marchants , and hath at the north end thereof , one other lane , called st. margaret pattens , because of old time , pattens were usually there made and sold ; but of latter time , this is called rood lane , of a rood there placed , in the church-yard of st. margaret , whilest the old church was taken down , and again new builded ; during which time , the oblations made to this rood , were imployed towards building of the church ; but in the year . about the . of may in the morning , the said rood was found to have been in the night preceding ( by people unknown ) broken all to pieces ; together , with the tabernacle , wherein it had bin placed . then have ye another lane , called rother lane , or red rose lane , of such a signe there , now commonly called pudding lane , because the butchers of east-cheape , have their scalding-house for hoggs there , & their puddings , with other fi●th of beasts , are voided down that way to their dung-boats on the thames : in this church you have the sepulchers of sundry worthy men , among other of mr. vandepute , a very worthy marchant , whose son mr. giles vandepute , was lately buried also there . then on the west side of st. mary hill church , is a lane called rope-lane of old , and after lucas-lane , but now love-lane ; then have you the parish of st. andrew hubbart in east-cheape ; then is there but●olph-lane , and afterwards the church of st. george buttolph-lane , which though small , hath divers monuments . of the tenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called bridg-ward within . we will direct our● pace downward now , and take a survey of bridge ward within , so called of london-bridge , which bridge is a principal part of that ward , and beginning at the stulps on the south end by southwark , runneth along the bridge , and north up bridge-street , commonly called ( of the fish market ) new fish-street , from fish-street hill up grass-street , to the north corner of grass-church . all the bridge is replenished on both the sides , with large , fait , and beautiful buildings , inhabitants for the most part rich marchants , and other wealthy citizens , mercers , and haberdasher● ▪ in new fish-street , be fishmongers and fair taverns ; on fish-street ●●ill , and grasse-street , men of divers trades , grocers , and haberdashers . in grass-street , have ye one fair conduit of sweet water , castellated with crest and vent , made by the appointment of thomas hill mayor , , who gave by his testament a hundred marks towards the conveyance of water to this place ; it was begun by his executors in the year , and finished of his goods , whatsoever it cost . on the east side of this bridge ward , have ye the fair parish church of saint magnus , in the which church have been buried many men of good repute , whose monuments are now for the most part defaced . among others sir richard morgan chief justice of the common-pleas , and morris griffith , bishop of rochester , both born in wales about the year . then is the parish church of st. margarets fish-shreet hill ; a proper church , but monument it hath none of any note . up higher on this hill , is the parish church of st. leonard milk-church , so termed of one vvilliam melker , an especial builder thereof , but commonly called saint leonards east-cheap , because it standeth at east-cheap co●ner . this church , and from thence into little east-cheap , to the east end of the said church , is of the bridge ward . then higher in grasse-street , is the parish church of st. bennet called grass-church , of the herbe market there kept ; this church also is of the bridge ward , and the farthest north end thereof . the customes of grasse-church market , in the reign of edward the third , as appears in a book of customes , were these : every forreign cart laden with corn , or malt , coming thither to be sold , was to pay one half penny ; every forreign cart bringing chee●e , two pence ; every cart of corn and chee●e together , ( if the cheese be more worth than the corn ) two pence ; and if the corn be more worth than the cheese , it was to pay a half-penny ; of two horses laden with corn o● malt , the bayliff had one farthing ; the carts of the franchi●e of the temple , and of saint mary le grand , paid afarching ; the carr of the hospitall of st. iohn of ierusalem , paid nothing of their proper goods , and if the corn were brought by merchants to sell again , the load paid a half penny , &c. on the west side of this ward , at the north end of london bridge , is a part of thames street , which is also of this ward , to wit , so much as of old time was called stock-fishmonger row , of the stock-fish-mongers dwelling t●ere , down west to a wa●er-gate , of old time called ebgate , since ebgate lane , and now the old swan , which is a common stair on the thames , but the passage is very ●arrow , by means of encroachments . on the south side of thames street , about the mid-way betwixt the bridge foot and ebgate lane , standeth the fishmongers hall , and divers other fair houses for merchants . these fishmongers were sometimes of two several companies , to wit , stock-fishmongers and salt-fishmongers . of who●e antiquity we read that by the name of fishmongers of london , they were for fore-stalling , &c. contrary to the laws and constitutions of the city , fined to the king at marks , the eighteenth of king edward the first ; moreover , that the said fishmongers hearing of the great victory obtained by the same king against the scots , in the six & twentieth of his reign , made a triumphant and solemn shew through the city , with divers pageants , and more than a thousand horsemen , &c. these two companies of stock-fishmongers and salt-fishmongers , of old time had their severall halls , to wit , in thames street twain , in new fish-street twai● , in old fish-street twain , in each place one for either company , in all six several halls ; the company was so great , that it lies upon records , that these fishmongers have been jolly citizens , and six mayors have been of their company in the space of four and twenty years , to wit , walter turk , john lofkin , john wreth , , john pechie , simon morden , and william wallworth . it followed , that in the year , through the counsel of john north hampton draper , then being mayor , vvilliam essex , john more mercer , and richard northbury the said fishmongers were greatly troubled , hindred of their liberties , and almost destroyed by combinations made against them , so that in a parliament at london , the controversie depending between the mayor and aldermen of london , and the fishmongers , nic. exton speaker for the fishmongers , prayeth the king to receive him and his company into his protection for fear of corporal hurt , whereupon it was commanded , either part to keep the peace , upon pain of losing all they had ; hereupon , a fishmonger starting up , replyed , that the complain brought against them by the movers , &c. was but matter of malice , for that the fishmongers , in the reign of edward the d. being chief officers of the city , had for their misdemeanors then done , committed the chief exhibitors of those petitions to prison . in this parliament the fishmongers ( by the kings charter patents ) were restored to their liberties ; notwithstanding , in the year next following , john cavendish fishmong●r , craveth the peace against the chancellour of england , which was granted , and he put in sureties , the earls of stafford and salisbury , and challengeth the chancellour for taking a bribe of ten pounds , for favour of cavendish case , which the chancellour by oath upon the sacrament avoideth . in further triall , it was found , that the chancellours man ( without his masters privity ) had taken it ; whereupon cavendish was judged to prison , and to pay the chancellour marks for slandering him . after this , many of the nobles assembled at reading , to supprese the seditious sheirs of the said john northampion , or combarton , late mayor , that had attempted great and hainous enterprises , of the which he was convict ; and when he stood mute nor would utter one word , it was decreed , that he should be committed to perpetual prison , his goods confiscate to the kings use , and that he should not come within a hundred miles of london , during his life ; he was therefore sent to the castle of fintegall in the confines of cornwall ; and in the mean space the kings servants spoiled his goods : john moore , richard northbury , and others were likewise there convict , and condemned to perpetual prison , and their good● confiscate , for certain congregations by them made against the fishmongers in the city of london , as is aforesaid , but they● obtained and had the kings pardon in the fourteenth of his reign , as appeareth upon record and thus were all these troubles appealed . those stock-fishmongers and salt-fishmongers were united in the year , the eight and twentieth of henry the eighth , their hall to be but one , in the house given unto them by sir iohn cornwall , lord fanhope , and of ampthull , in the parish of saint michael in crooked lane , in the reign of henry the sixth . thus much was thought remarkable to be spoken of the fishmongers , men ignorant of their antiquities , and not able to shew a reason why , or when they were in amity with the goldsmiths , do give part of their arms , &c. neither to say ought of sir william walworth ( the glory of their company ) more than that he slew jack straw , which some do question : for the said straw was after the overthrow of the rebels , taken , and by judgement of the mayor beheaded , whose confession at the gallows is extant in mr. stows annales , where also is set down the most valiant and praise-worthy act of sir william walworth , against the principal rebel wat tyler . on that south side of thames street , have ye drink-water wharf , and fish wharf , in the parish of saint magnus . on the north side of thames street is saint martins lane , a part of which lane is also of this ward , to wit , on the one side to a well of water , and on the other side as far up as against the said well . then is st. michaels lane part whereof is also of this ward , up to a well there &c. then at the upper end of new fish-street , is a lane turning towards st. michaels lane , and is called crooked-lane , of the crooked windings thereof ; above this lanes end , upon fish-street hill , is one great house for the most p●rt builded with stone , which pertained sometime to edward the black prince , sonne to edward the third , who was in his life time lodged there ; and 't was called the prince of vvales his court , which was afterward for a long time a common hostry , having the sign of the black bell. of the eleventh ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called candle-wick ward . we will now see what light antiquity can give us of candle-wick street , or candle-wright street ward . it beginneth at the east end of great east-cheap , it passeth west through east-cheap to candle-wright street , and thorough the same down to the north end of suffolk lane : on the south side , and down that lane by the west end of st. lawrence church-yard , which is the farthest west part of that ward ; the street of great east-cheap , is so called of the market there kept , in the east part of the city , as vvest-cheap is a market so called , being in the west . this east-cheap is now a flesh-market of butchers , there dwelling on both sides of the street : it had sometime also cooks mixed amongst the b●tchers , and such other as sold victuals ready dressed of all sorts ; for of old time , when friends did meet , and were disposed to be merry , they never went to dine and sup in taverns , but to the cooks , where they called for meat what them liked , 〈◊〉 they alwayes sound ready dressed , and at a reasonable rate ; for vintners 〈◊〉 ●old on●y wine . in the year . the eleventh of henry the fourth , upon the even of saint iohn baptist ▪ the kings sonnes , thomas and iohn , being in east-cheape at supper , ( or rather at break-fast ; for it was after the watch was broken up , betwixt two and three a clock after mid-night ) a great debate happened between their men , and other of the court , which lasted one houre , till the maior and sheriffs , with other citizens appea●●d the same ; for the which , afterwards , the said maior , aldermen and sheriffs , were called to answer before the king , his sons , and divers lords , being highly moved against the city ; at which time , william gascoign● , chief justice , required the maior and aldermen , for the citizens , to put them in the kings grace ; whereunto they answered , that they had not offended , but ( according to the law ) had done their best , in stinting debate and maintaining of the peace ; upon which answer , the king remitted all his ire , and dismissed them . and to prove this east-cheape to be a place replenished with cooks , it may appear by a song called london lick-penny , made by lidgate , a monk of bury , in the reign of henry the fifth , in the person of a country-man , comming to london , and travelling thorough the same . in west-cheape ( saith the song ) he was called on to buy fine lawn , paris thred , cotton umble , and other linnen clothes , and such like , ( he speaketh of no silk . ) in corn-hill , to buy old apparel , and houshold-stuffe , where he was forced to buy his own hood , which he had lost in westminster-hall . in candlewright-street , drapers pro●cred him cheap cloth. in east-cheape , the cooks cryed hot ribs of beef rosted , pies well baked , and other victuals . there was clattering of pewter-pots , harp , pipe and sawtry ; yea by cock , nay by cock , for greater oaths were spared , some sang of ienkin , and julian , &c. all which melody liked well the passenger , but he wanted money to abide by it ; and therefore gat him into gravesend-barge , and home into kent . candlewright ( so called in old records , of the guild-hall of st. mary overies , and other ) or candlewick-street , took that name ( as may be supposed ) either of chaundlers , or makers of candles , both of wax and tallow , for candle-wright is a maker of candles , and of wick , which is the cotton , or yarn thereof , or otherwise which is the place where they used to work them , as scalding wick by the stocks-market , was called of the poulterers dressing and scalding their poultry there . and in divers countries , dairy-houses , or cottages , wherein they make butter and cheese , are usually called wickes . there dwelled also of old time , divers weavers of woollen clothes , brought in by edward the d ; for i read that in the four and twentieth of his reign , the weavers , brought out of flanders , were appointed their meetings to be in the church-yard of st. lawrence poultney ; and the weavers of brabant , in the church-yard of st. mary sommerset : there were then in this city , weavers of divers sorts , to wit , of drapery or tapery , and nappery : these weavers of candlewicke street , being in short time worn out , their place is now possessed by rich drapers , sellers of woollen cloth , &c. on the northside of this ward , at the west end of east-cheape , have ye st. clements lane ; a part whereof , ( on both sides ) is of candlewicke street ward , to wit , somewhat north , beyond the parish church of st. clement in east-cheape . though this church be small , yet there are some comely monuments in it , among others of william chartney , and william overy , who founded a chantry there . next is st. nicholas lane , for the most part on both sides , of this ward , almost to st. nicholas church . then is abchurch lane , which is on both sides , almost wholly of this ward : the parish church there ( called of st. mary abchurch , apechurch , or upchurch , as i have read it ) standeth somewhat near unto the south end thereof , on a rising ground . it is a fair church , simon de winchcombe , sounded a chauntery there , the th of richard the littleton●ounded ●ounded another , and thomas hondon another . here are likewise some remarkable monuments , particularly of sir iames , and sir iohn branch , both lord mayors of london , about the year . on the south side of this ward , beginning again at the east , is st. michaels lane ; which lane is almost wholly of this ward , on both sides down towards thames street ; to a well or pump there ; on the east side of this lane is crooked lane aforesaid , by st. michaels church , towards new fishstreet . one of the most ancient houses in this lane , is called the leaden porch , and belonged sometime to sir john merston , knight , the first of edward the th ; it is now called the swan in crooked lane , possessed of strangers , and retailing of rhenish wine . the parish church of this st. michaels , was sometime but a small and homely thing , standing upon part of that ground , wherein now standeth the parsonage house , and the ground thereabout was a filthy plot , by reason of the butchers in east-cheape , who made the same their lay-stall . vv. de burgo , gave two messuages to that church in candlewick street , . john loveken , stock-fish monger , fout times maior , builded ( in the same ground ) this fair church of st. michael , and was there buried in the quire , under a fair tombe , with the images of him and his wise in alabaster : the said church hath bin since increased , with a new quire , and side chappels by sir w. walworth , stock-fishmonger , maior , sometime servant to the said john loveken ; also the tombe of loveken was removed , and a flat stone of gray marble , garnished with plates of copper , laid on him , as it yet remaineth in the body of the church . this william walworth is reported by some , to have slain jack straw ; but jack straw being afterward taken , was first adjudged by the said mayor , and then executed by the losse of his head in smithfield : true it is , that this william walworth , being a man wise , learned , and of an incomparable manhood , arrested wat tyler , a presumptuous rebel , upon whom no man durst lay hand , whereby he delivered the king and kingdom , from most wicked tyranny of traytors : the mayor arrested him on the head with a sound blow ; whereupon , wat tylar furiously stroke the mayor with his dagger , but hurt him not , by reason he was well armed , the maior having received his stroke drew his bas●●liard , and grievously wounded wat in the neck ; and withall , gave him a great blow on the head ; in the which conflict , an esquire of the kings house , called john cavendish , drew his sword , and wounded wat twice or thrice , even to the death , and wat spurring his horse , cryed to the commons to revenge him : the horse beats him about eighty foot from the place , and there he fell down half dead , and by and by , they which attended on the king , environed him about , so as he was not seen of his company ; many of them thrust him in , in divers places of his body , and drew him into the hospital of st. bartholomew ; from whence again the maior caused him to be drawn into smithfield , and there to be beheaded : in reward of his service , ( the people being dispersed ) the king commanded the maior to put a basenet on his head ; and the mayor requesting why he should so do , the king answered , he being much bound unto him , would make him knight ; the mayor answered , that he was neither worthy , nor able to take such an estate upon him ; for he was but a marchant , and had to live by his marchandize only : notwithstanding , the king made him to put on his basenet , and then with a sword in both his hands , he strongly struck him on the neck , as the manner was then , and the same day he made three other citizens knights ( for his sake ) to wit , john philpot , nicholas brember , and robert launde , aldermen . the king gave to the maior , a hundred pound land by year , and to each of the other forty pound land , yearly , to them and their-heires for ever . after this , in the same year , the said sir william walworth , founded in the said parish church of st. michael , a colledge , of a master and nine priests , or chaplains , and deceasing . was there buried in the north chappel by the quire ; but his monument being ( amongst other by bad people ) defaced in the reign of edward the sixth ; and again , since renewed by the fishmongers , for lack of knowledge , whatsoever before had been written in this epitaph , they followed a fabulous book , and wrote iack straw , instead of wat tylar . it hath also been , and is now grown to a common opinion , that in reward of this service done by the said william wallworth , against the rebel , that king richard added to the arms of this city ( which was argent , a plane crosse gules ) a sword , or dagger , ( for so they terme it ) whereof mr. iohn stow makes a doubt ; but to the contrary , he alledgeth , that in the fourth year of richard the second , in a full assembly made in the upper chamber of the guild-hall , summoned by this william walworth , then mayor , as well of aldermen , as of the common councel , in every ward , for certain affaires concerning the king , it was there by common consent agreed and ordained , that the old seal of the office of the majoralty of the city , being very small , old , unapt , and un●omely for the honour of the city , should be broken , and one other new should be had , which the said mayor commanded to be made artificially , and honourably for the exercise of the said office thereafter , in place of the other . in which new seal , besides the images of peter and paul , which of old were rudely engraven , there should be under the feet of the said images , a shield of the arms of the said city , perfectly graven with two lyons supporting the same , and two serjeants of arms ; in the other part , one , and two tabernacles ; in which , above , should stand two angels , between whom ( above the said images of peter and paul ) should be set the glorious virgin. this being done , the old seal of the office was delivered to richard odiham , chamberlain , who brake it , and in placethereof , was delivered the new seal to the said mayor , to use in his office of majoralty , as occasion should require . this new seal seemeth to be made before william walworth was knighted ; for he is not there intituled sir , as afterwards he was ; and certain it is , that the same new seal then made , is now in use , and none other in that office of the majoralty , which may suffice to answer the former supposition , without shewing of any evidence sealed with the old seal , which was the crosse , and sword of st. paul , and not the dagger of william walworth . in this church are sundry ancient monuments , of mayors and sheriffs of london . west from this st. michaels lane , is st. martins orgar lane , by candlewick-street , which lane is , on both sides down to a well , replenished with fair and large houses for marchants ; and it is of this ward . one of which houses was sometime called beauchamps inne , as pertaining unto them of that family . thomas arundel , arch bishop of canterbury commonly , for his time was lodged there . the parish church of st. martin orgar , is a small thing . william crowmer , maior , builded a proper chappel on the south side thereof , and was buried there in an ancient tombe . where are some others , of maiors and aldermen . then is there one other lane , called st. lawrence , of the parish church there . this lane , down to the south side of the church-yard , is of candlewick street vvard . the parish church of st. laurence , was increased with a chappel of jesus , by thomas cole , for a master and chaplain ; the which chappel and parish church , was made a colledge of iesus , and of corpus christi , for a master and seven chaplains , by iohn poultney maior , and was confirmed by edward the third , the twentieth of his raign ; of him was this church called st. laurence poultney in candlewick street ; which colledge was valued at seventy nine pounds , seventeen shillings eleven pence , and was surrendred in the reign of edward the sixth . in this church , robert and henry radcliffe , earls of sussex , lie buried . of the twelfth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called wallbrook ward . we will now proceed , and make a perambulation of walbrook vvard , which beginneth at the vvest end of candlewick street vvard , it runneth down candlewick street , vvest toward budge rowe ; it hath on the north side thereof , st. swithens lane , so called of st. swithens , a parish church by london-stone ; this lane is replenished ( on both the sides ) with fair builded houses , and is vvholly of vvallbrook vvard . the said parish church of st. sw●then , standeth at the south vvest corner of this lane ; licence vvas procured , to new build and increase the said church and steeple , in the year . sir iohn hend draper , and maior , was an especial benefactor thereunto , as appeareth by his arms in the glasse vvindows , even in the tops of them , which is in a field argent , a chief azure , a lyon passant argent , a cheueron azure , three escalops argent ; ralph ioceline , maior of london , among others , hath a monument in this church , having bin a benefactor to it . on the south side of this high street , near unto the channel , is pitched upright a great stone , called london stone , fixed in the ground very deep , fastned with barres of iron , and otherwise so strongly set , that if carts do run against it , through negligence , the vvheels be broken , and the stone it self unshaken . the cause vvhy this stone was there set , the time when , or other memory thereof is none , but that the same hath long continued there , is manifest , namely since ( or rather before ) the conquest ; for in the end of a fair written gospel book , given to christs church in canterbury , by ethelstane , king of the vvest saxons , mention is made of lands and rents in london , belonging to the said church , whereof one parcel is described to lie near unto london stone . of latter time we read , that in the year of christ . the first of king stephen , a fire , which began in the house of one ailward , near unto london , stone , consumed all east to ealdgate , in which fire the priory of the holy trinity was burnt , and vvest to st. erkenwalds shrine in pauls church , and these be the eldest notes that i read thereof . some have said , this stone to be set there , as a mark in the middle of the city within the wall , but in truth it standeth far nearer to the river of thames , than to the wall of the city . some others have said , the same to be set , for the tendering and making of payment by debtors to their creditors , at their appointed dayes and times , till of latter time , payments were more usually made at the font in ponts church , and now most commonly at the royal exchange ; some again have imagined , the same to be set up by iohn or thomas london-stone dwelling there against it ; but more likely it is , that such men have taken name of the stone , than the stone of them : as did john at noke , and thomas at stile , william at wall or at well &c. but the most probable opinion , is , that it was placed there by the romans for a milliare , as was observed elswhere in this discourse . down west from this parish church , and from london-stone , have ye wallbroke corner , from whence runneth up a street north to the stocks called walbrook ; because it standeth on the east side of the same brook by the bank thereof , and the whole ward taketh name of that street . on the east side of this street , and at the north corner thereof , is the stocks market , which had this beginning . about the year of christ , henry wallis mayor , caused divers houses in this city to be builded towards the maintenance of london-bridge , namely , in one void place neare unto the parish church called wooll-church ; on the north side thereof , where sometime ( the way being very large and broad ) had stood a pair of stocks for punishment of offenders ; this building took name of those stooks , and was appointed ( by him ) to be a market-place for fish & flesh , in the midst of the city : other houses be builded in other places , by patent of edward the first it doth appear , dated the tenth of his reign . after this , in the year , the seventeenth of edward the second , a decree was made by hamond chickwell mayor , that none should sell fish or flesh , out of the markets appointed , to wit , bridge-street , east-cheap , old fish-street , st. nicholas shambles , and the said stocks , on pain to forfeit such fish or flesh as were there sold , for the first time ; and the second time to lose their freedom : which act was made by commandment of the king , under his letters patents , dated at the tower the th of his reign , & then was this stocks let to farm for forty six pounds thirteen shillings four pence by year : this stocks market was again begun to be builded , in the year , in the eleaventh of henry the fourth , and was finished in the year next following . in the year , the same was rented fifty six pounds nineteen shillings ten pence ; and in the year , john cotes being mayor , there was in this stocks market , for fishmongers five and twenty boards or stalls , rented yearly to pounds , shillings . pence . there was for butchers boards or stalls rented at pounds , shillings pence , and there were also chambers above sixteen , rented at five pounds , thirteen shillings four pence , in all , eighty two pounds three shillings . next unto this stocks is the parish church of st. mary vvool-church , so called of a beam placed in the church-yard , which was thereof called wool-church haw , of the tronage or weighing of wooll there used , and to verifie this , we find amongst the customs of london written in french , in the reign of edward the second , a chapter intituled , les customes de vvooll-church haw , wherein is set down , what was there to be paid for every parcel of wooll weighed ; this tronage , or weighing of wooll , till the sixth of richard the second , was there continued : john church-man then builded the custome-house upon vvooll key , to serve for the said tonnage as is before shewed in tower-street ward . this church is reasonable fair and large , and was afterwards new builded , by licence granted in the twentieth of henry the sixth , with condition to be builded fifteen foot from the stocks market , for sparing of light to the said stocks , the parson of this parish is to have four marks the year , for tyth of the said stocks , paid him by the masters of the bridge-house , by a special decree , made the second of henry the seventh . in the year about , john vvingar lord mayor , gave two basons of silver to this church ; and richard shore sheriff of london made the porch at the west end : they lye both there entombed . from the stocks market , and this parish church east , up into lombard-street , some four or five houses on a side , and also on the south side of vvooll-church have ye bear-binder lane , a part whereof is of this vvallbrook ward . then down sower in the street called wallbrook , is one other fair church of st. stephen , builded new on the east side thereof ; for the old church stood on the west side , in place where now standeth the parsonage house , and therefore so much nearer to the brook , even on the bank. this church was finished in the year . the breadth thereof is sixty seven foot , and length one hundred twenty five foot , the church-yard ninty foot in length , and thirty seven in breadth , and more , robert vvhittingham ( made knight of the bath ) in the yeer , purchased the patronage of this church , from john duke of bedford , unkle to henry the sixth ; and edward the fourth , in the second of his reign , gave it to sir richard lee then mayor , who ileth there hansomely entomb'd , having bin twice lord maior , with divers others . lower down from this parish church , be ●ivers fair houses , namely one , wherein of late sir richard baker , a knight of kent was lodged ; and wherein also dwelled mr. thomas gore , a merchant famous for hospitality . on the west side of this vvalbrook street , over against the stocks market , is a part of the high street , called the poultry ; on the south side west , till over against saint mildreds church , and the scalding wike , is of this ward . then down again wallbrook street , some small distance , in buckles bury , a street so called of buckle , that sometime was owner thereof ; part of which street on both sides , three or four houses , to the course of the brook , is of this ward , and so down vvalbrook street , to the south corner , from whence west , down budge row , some small distance , to an alley , and thorow that al●ey south , by the west end of st. johns church upon vvalbrook , by the south side and east end of the same , again to vvalbrook corner . this parish church is called , st john upon vvalbrook , because the west end thereof is on the very bank of walbrook by horshooe bridge , in horshooe-bridge street . this church was also lately new builded : for about the year , licence was granted by the mayor and communalty , to the parson and parish , for the inlarging thereof , with a piece of ground on the north part of the quire , one and twenty foot in length , seventeen foot in breadth , and three inches ; and on the south side of the quite , one foot of the common soyle . on the south side of walbrook ward , from candle-wick street , in the mid-way between london-stone and walbrook corner , is a little lane with a turn-pike in the middest thereof , and in the same a hansome parish church , called s. mary bothaw , or boat-haw , by the erbar . this church being near unto downgate , on the river of thames , hath the addition of bothaw or boat-haw , of near adjoyning to an haw or yard , wherein ( of old time ) boats were made and landed from downgate to be mended , as may be supposed ; for other reason i find none , why it should be so called . this church hath one remarkable thing in it , viz. the monument of the first lord may or of london , sir henry fitz alwin ; his dwelling house remains yet in the parish , but divided to divers tenements ; mr. stow relates , that he was buried in the holy trinity within algate , but it is far more probable that he was buried here , because his arms● are both upon the gravestone and the windows . of the thirteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called dowgate ward . we will now , following the thred of our discourse , descend to downgate ward , which beginneth at the south end of wallbrook ward , over against the east corner of st. iohns church upon walbrook , and descendeth on both the sides to downgate or dowgate , on the thames , and is so called of that down going or descending thereunto , and of this downgate the ward taketh name ; this ward turneth into thames street westward , some ten hou●es on a side , to the course of walbrooke , but east in thames street ( on both sides ) to ebgate lane , or old swan , the land-side whereof hath many lanes turning up , as shall be shewed when we come to them . but first to begin with the high street called dowgate : at the upper end thereof , is a fair conduit of thames water , castellated , and made in the year , at the charges of the citizens , and is called , the conduit upon dowgate . the descent of this stre●t is such , that in the year , on the fourth of september in the afternoon , there fell a storm of rain , where-through the channels suddenly aro●e and ran with such a swift course towards the common-shores , that a lad of eighteen years old , minding to have leapt over the channel near unto the said conduit , was taken with the stream , and carried from thence towards the thames , with such a violence , that no man , with staves , or otherwise , could stay him till he came against a cart-wheele , that stood in the said water-gate ; before which time he was drowned and stark dead . on the west side of this street is tallow-chandlers hall , a hansome house , which company was incorporated in the second year of edward the fourth . somewhat lower standeth the skinners hall , a fair house , which was sometimes called copped hall by downgate , in the parish of st. john upon wallbrook . in the nineteenth year of edward the second , ralph cobham possessed it , with five shops , &c. this company of skinners in london , was incorporate by edward the third , in the first of his reign ; they had two brotherhoods of corpus christi viz. one at st. mary spittle , the other at st. mary bethlem without bishopsgate . richard the second , in the eighteenth of his reign , granted them to make their two brotherhoods one , by the name of the fraternity of corpus christi of skinners ; divers royal persons were named to be founders , and brethren of this fraternity , to wit , kings six , dukes nine , earls two , lords one ; k●ngs , edward the third , richard the second , henry the fifth , henry the sixth , and edward the fourth . this fraternity had also once every year on corpus christi day afternoon a a pro●ession , which passed through the principal streets of the city , wherein was borne more than one hundred torches of wax , ( costly garnished ) burning light , and above two hundred clerks and priests in surplesses and coaps , singing ; after the which , were the sheriffs servants , the clarks of the compters , chaplains for the sheriffs , the mayors sergeants , the councel of the city , the mayor and aldermen in scarlet and then the skinners in their best liveries . then lower , was a colledge of priests , called jesus commons , a house well furnished with brasse , pewter , napery , plate , &c. besides a fair library well stored with books ; all which of old time were given to a number of priests that should keep commons there ; and as one left his p●ace ( by death or otherwise ) another should be admitted into his room ; but this order within these . years , being discontinued , the said house was dissolved , and turned into tenements . down lower have ye elbowe lane , and at the corner thereof , was one great stone-house , called old-hall ; it is now taken down , and divers fair houses of timber placed there : this was sometimes pertaining to william de pont le arch , and by him given the priory of st. mary overy in southwark , in the reign o● henry the first . in this elbow-lane , is the inholders hall , and other fair houses : this lane runneth west , and suddenly turneth south , into thames-street , and therefore ( of that bending ) is called elbow-lane : on the east side of this downgate-street , is the great old house before spoken of , called the erbar , neere to the church of st. mary bothaw ; geffery scroop held it by the gift of edward the third , in the fourteenth of his reign : it belonged since , to iohn nevel , lord of raby ; then to richard nevel , earl of warwick ; nevel , earl of salisbury , was lodged there , . then it came to george duke of clarence , and his heires males , by the gift of edward the fourth , in the fourteenth yea● of his reign . it was lately builded by sir thomas pull●son maior , and was afterward inhabited by sir francis drake , that famous navigator ; next to this great house , is lane turning to bush-lane , ( of old time called carter-lane , of carts , and carmen having stables there ) and now called chequer-lane , or chequer-alley , of an inne called the chequer . in thamesstreet , on the thames side west from downgate , is greenwitch lane , of old time so called , and now fryer lane , of such a signe there set up . in this lane is the ioyners hall , and other fair houses . then is granthams lane , so called of iohn grantham , sometime maior , and owner thereof , whose house was very large and strong , builded of stone , as appeareth by gates arched yet remaining ; ralph dodmer , first a brewer , then a mercer , maior . dwelled there , and kept his majoralty in that house : it is now a brew-house , as it was before . then is down-gate , whereof is spoken in another place ; east from this downegate , is cosin lane , named of one vvilliam cosin , that dwelled there in the fourth of richard the second , as divers his predecessors , father , granfather , &c. had done before him ; vvilliam cosin was one of the sheriffs , in the year . that house standeth at the south end of the lane , having an old and artificial conveyance , of thames water into it ; and is now a dye-house , called lambards mess●age ; adjoyning to that house , there was lately erected an engine , to convey ● hames water unto downgate conduit aforesaid . next to this lane , on the east , is the steel-yard ( as they terme it ) a place for marchants of almain , that used to bring hither , as well wheat , rie , and other grain , as cables , ropes , masts , pitch , tarre , flax , hemp , linnen cloth ▪ wainscots , wax , steel , and other profitable marchandizes ; unto these marchan sin the year . henry the third , at the request of his brother richard , earl of cornwall , king of almain , granted , that all and singular the marchants ; having a house in the city of london , commonly called guilda aula the●●onicorum , should be maintained and upholden through the whole realm , by a●l such freedoms , and free usages or liberties ▪ as by the king and his noble progenitors time they had , and enjoyed , &c. edward the first renewed and confirmed that charter of liberties granted by his father ; and in the tenth year of the same edward , henry w●llis being mayor , a great controversie did arise between the said mayor , and the marchants of the haunce of almaine , about the reparations of bishops-gate , then likely to fall ; for that the said marchants enjoyed divers priviledges , in respect of maintaining the said gate , which they now denyed to repair ; for the appeasing of which controversie , the king sent his writ to the treasurer , and baron of his exchequer commanding that they should make inquisition thereof ; before whom the marchants being called , when they were not able to discharge themselves , s●●h they enjoyed the liberties to them granted for the same , a precept was sent to the maior and sheriffs , to distrain the said marchants to make reparations ; namely , gerard marhod , alderman of the haunce , ralph de cussarde a citizen of colen , ludero de denauar , a burgesse of trivar , iohn of aras a burgesse of trivon , bartram of hamburgh , godestalk of hundoudale , a burgesse of trivon , iohn de deal a burgesse of munster , then remaining in the said city of london , for themselves , and all other marchants of the haunce , and so they granted marks sterling , to the maior and citizens ; and undertook , that they and their successors , should ( from time to time ) repair the said gate , and bear the third part of the charges in money , and men to defend it , when need were . and for this agreement , the said maior and citizens , granted to the said marchants their liberties , which till of late they have enjoyed ; as namely , amongst other , that they might lay up their grain , which they brought into this realm , in inns , and sell it in their garners , by the space of forty dayes , after they had laid it up ; except by the mayor and citizens they were expresly forbidden , because of dearth , or other reasonable occasions . also they might have their aldermen , as they had bin accustomed ; provided alwayes , that he were of the city , and presented to the maior and aldermen of the city , so oft as any should be chosen , and should take an oath before them , to maintain justice in their courts , and to behave themselves in their office , according to law , and as it stood with the customs of the city . thus much for their priviledges , whereby it appeareth , that they were great marchants of corne , brought out of the east parts hither ; insomuch , that the occupiers of husbandry in this land , were en●orced to complain of them , for bringing in such abundance , when the corn of this realm was at an easie price ; whereupon it was ordained by parliament , that no person should bring into any part of this realm , by way of marchandize , wheat , rie , or barley , growing out of the said realm , when the quarter of wheat exceeded not the price of six shilling eight pence , rie four shillings the quarter , and barley three shillings the quarter , upon forfeiture one half to the king , the other half to the seisor thereof : these marchants of the hawnce , had their guild-hall in thames-street , in the place aforesaid by the said cosin-lane : their hall is large , builded of stone , with three arched gates towards the street ; the middlemost whereof , is far bigger than the other , and is seldom opened , the other two be mured up , the same is now called the old hall. in the th of richard the d , they hired one house next adjoyning to their old hall , which sometime belonged to richard lions , a famous lapidary , one of the sheriffs of london in the of edward the d ; and in the th of richard the d , by the rebels of kent , drawn out of that house , and beheaded in west-cheape : this also was a great house , with a large wharf on the thames ; and the way thereunto was called windgoose , or wildgoose-lane , which is now called windgoose-alley ; for that the same alley is ( for the most part ) builded on by the styliard marchants . the abbat of st. albans , had a messuage here , with a key given to him , . of henry the th . then is one other great house , which sometime pertained to iohn rainwel , stock-fishmonger , maior , and it was by him given to the maior and commonalty , to the end , that the profits thereof , should be disposed in deeds of piety ; which house , in the th of edward the th , was c●●firmed unto the said marchants , in manner following , viz. it is ordered by our soveraign lord , and his parliament , that the said marchants of a●main ▪ being of the company , called the guild-hall theutonicorum , ( or the flemish geld ) that now be , or hereafter shall be , shall have , hold , and enjoy to them and their successors for ever , the said place , called the steel-house , yielding to the maior and commonalty , an annual rent of threescore and ten pounds , three shillings , foure pence , &c. in the year , the th of edward the th , through complaint of the english marchants , the liberty of the steel-yard marchants , was seized into the kings hands , and so it resteth . then is church-lane , at the west end of alhollowes church , called alhollowds the more in thames-street , for a difference from alhollowes the lesse , in the same street ; it is also called alhollowes ad faenum in the ropery , because hay was sold near thereunto , at hay-wharf , and ropes of old time made and so●d in the high street : this is a fair church , with a large cloyster on the south side thereof about their church-yard , but fouly defaced and ruinated . dr. lichfield , a learned man , and an authour , who died . lieth here buried , with other benefactors . at the east end of this church goeth down a lane , called wharf-lane , now lately a great brew-house , builded there by one pot ; hen , compion , esq a beere-brewer , used it , & abraham his son , since possessed it : then was there one other lane , sometime called woolseys gate , now out of use , for the lower part thereof , upon the bank of thames , is builded by the late earl of shrewsbury ; & the other end is builded on , & stopped up by the chamberlain of london . i. butler , draper , one of the sheriffs , in the year . dwelled there ; he appointed his house to be sold , and the price thereof to be given to the poor ; it was of alhollowes parish the lesse . then is there the said parish-church of alhollowes called the lesse , and by some alhollowes on the cellars ; for it standeth on vau●ts , it is said to be builded by sir iohn poultney , sometimes mayor : the steeple and quire of this church , stand on an arched gate , being the entry to a great house , called cold harborough , the quire of late being fallen down , is now again at length , in the year . by the parishioners new builded . touching this cold harborough , i finde , that in thirteenth of edward the second , sir iohn abel , knight , demised , or let unto henry stow , draper , all that his capital messuage , called the cold harborough , in the parish of all saints ad fanum , & all the pu●tenances within the gate , with the key which rob. hartford citizen , son to w. hartford , had , & ought , & the foresaid rob. paid for it rent , . the year . this ro. hartford being owner thereof , as also of other lands in surrey , deceasing without issue male , left two daughters his co-heires , to wit , idonia , married to sir ralph biggot , and maude married to sir stephen cosenton knights , between whom the said house & lands were parted . after the which io. bigot sonne to the said sir ralph , & sir iohn cosent●n , did ●ell their moyeties of cold harborough unto iohn poultney , sonne of adam poultney , the th of edward the d. this sir john poultney dwelling in this house , and being four times mayor , the said house took the name of poultneys inne ; notwithstanding this , sir john poultney , the . of edward the d , by his charter gave and confirmed to humphrey de bohune , earl of hereford , and essex , his whole tenement , called cold harborough , with all the tenements and key adjoyning , and appurtenances sometime pertaining to robert de hereford , on the way called hay-wharf lane , &c. for one rose at midsommer , to him and his heires , for all services , if the same were demanded , this sir john poultney deceased . and left issue , by margaret his wife , william poultney , who dyed without issue ; and margaret his mother was married to sir nicholas lovel knight &c. philip st. cleare , gave two messuages , pertaining to this cold harbrough , in the ropery , towards the enlarging of the parish church , and church-yard of al-saints , called the lesse , in the . of richard the second . in the year . the . of richard the d . john holland , earl of huntington , was lodged there , and richard the second his brother , dined with him , it was then counted a right fair and stately house ; but in the next year following , i finde , that edmund , earl of cambridge , was there lodged , notwithstanding , the said house still retained the name of poul●neys inne , in the reign of henry the sixth , the of his reign . it belonged since to h. holland , duke of excester , and he was lodged there , in the year . in the year . richard the third , by his letters patents , granted and gave to john vvrith , alias garter , principal king of arms of english men , and to the rest of the kings heralds , and pursevants of arms , all that messuage , with the appurtenances called cold harber , in the parish of al-saints the little in london , and their successors for ever , dated at vvestminster , the second of march , anno regni sui primo , without fine or fee. how the said heraulds departed therewith , i have not read ; ●ut in the reign of henry the eighth , the bishop of durhams hous● neer charing crosse , being taken into the kings hand , cuthbert tunstall , bishop of durham , was lodged in this cold harber ; since the which time it hath belonged to the earls of shrewsbury , by composition , ( as is supposed ) from the said cuthbert tunstall . the last decea●ed ear● took it down , and in place thereof , builded a great number of ●mall tenements , now letten out for great rents , to people of all sorts . then is the dyers-hall , which company was made a brother-hood and a guild , in the fourth henry the sixth , and appointed to consist o● a gardian , or warden , and a communalty , the twelvth of edward the fourth . then be there divers large brew-houses , and others , till you come to ebgate lane , where that ward endeth in the east ; on the north side of thames-street , be divers lanes also , the first is at the south end of elbow lane , before spoken of , west from downgate , over against greenwich-lane , then be divers fair houses for marchants , and others all along that side ; the next lane east from down●gate , is called bush-lane , which turneth up to candlewick-street , and is of down-gate ward . next is suffolk , lane , likewise turning up to candlewick-street , in this lane is one notable grammar school , founded in the year . by the master , wardens , and assistants of the marchant-taylors , in the parish of st. lawrence poultney , richard hills , sometimes master of that company , having before given l. toward the purchase of an house , called the mannor of the rose , sometime belonging to the duke of buckingham , wherein the said school is kept . then is there one other lane , which turneth up to st. lawrence-hill , and to the south vvest corner of st. lawrence church-yard , then another lane , called poultney-lane , that goeth up of this ward to the south-east corner of st. lawrence church-yard , and so down again , and to the west corner of st. martin orgar lane , and over against ebgate-lane ; and this is all of downgate-vvard , the thirteenth in number , lying east from the water-course of vvallbrooke , and hat hnot any one house on the west side of the said brook. this dowgate vvard is more considerable then others , in divers things ; for it hath more halls then any other ; it hath also the great hans , or the teutonique guild , call'd now the stil-yard . mr. john robinson , who hath his house in milk-street , is lately made the alderman of this vvard , a generous , discreet , and worthy gentleman , being of the company of the turkie , or levantine marchants . of the fourteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called vintry ward . the wards spoken of hitherto may besaid to lye on the east . now i am to treat of the other ward● twelve in number , all lying on the west side of the course of wallbrook , and first of the vintry ward , so called of vintners , and of the vintry , a part of the bank of the river of thames , where the merchants of bourdeaux craned their wines out of lighters , and other vessels , and there landed and made sale of them , within forty daies after ; until the twenty eighth of edward the first , at which time the said merchants complained , that they could not fell their wines , paying poundage , neither hire houses or cellars to lay them in : and it was redressed by virtue of the kings writ , directed to the mayor and sheriffs of london , dated at carlaveroke or carlile , since the which time , many fair and large houses ( with vaults and cellars for stowage of wines and lodging of burdeaux merchants ) have been builded , in place where before time were cooks houses : ▪ for f●tz stephen , in the reign of henry the second , writeth , that upon the rivers side , between the wine in ships , and the wine to be sold in taverns , was a common cooks row , &c. as in another place i have set down . whereby it appears , that in those daies , ( and till of late times ) every man lived according to his own professed trade , not any one interrupting another ▪ the cooks dressed meat , and sold no wine ; and the taverner sold wine , but dressed ●o meat for sale , &c. this ward beginneth in the east , at the west end of downgate ward , at the water-course of walbrook , which parteth them , to wit , at granthams lane on the thames side , and at elbow-lane on the lands side , it runneth along in thames street west , some three houses beyond the old swan a brew-house ; and on the land side , some three houses west , beyond saint iames at garlick hithe . in breadth , this ward stretcheth from the vintry north , to the wall of the west gate of the tower royal , the other north part is of cordwainer-street ward . out of this royal street by the south gate of tower royal , runneth a small street east to st. iohns upon walbrook , which street is called horseshooe-bridge , of such a bridge sometime over the brook there , which is now vaulted over , and pav●d . then from the south gate west , runneth one other street , called knight-riders street , by saint thomas apostles church , on the north side , and wr●●gwren lare , by the said church , at the west end thereof , and to the east end of trinity church in the said knight-riders street , where this ward endeth , on that south side the street ; but on the north side it runneth no farther than the corner against the new builded taverne , and other houses , in a plot of ground where sometime stood ormond place ; yet have ye one other lane , lower down in royall-street , stretching forth from over against saint michaels church , to and by the north side of saint iames church by garlick hithe , this is called , kerion lane ; and thus much for the bounds of the vintry ward . now on the thames side , west from granthams lane , have ye herbert lane , or brickles lane , so called of iohn brickles , sometimes owner thereof . then is simpsons lane , of one simpson ; or emperours head lane , of such a sign : then the three cranes lane , so called , not only of a sign of three cranes at a taverne door , but rather of three strong cranes of timber placed on the vintry wharf , by the thames side , to crane up wines there as is aforesaid ; this lane wa● of old time , to wit , the ninth of richard the second , called the painted tavern lane , of the tavern being painted . then next over against st. martins church , is a large house builded of stone and timber , with vaults for the stowage of wines , and is called the vintry ; there dwelled john gisers vintner , mayor of london , and constable of the tower ; and then was henry picard , vintner , mayor ; in this house henry picard feasted four kings in one day , as is shewed before . then next is vanners lane , so called of vanner that was owner thereof ; it is now called church lane , of the coming up from st. martins church . next is proad-lane , for that the same is broader for the passage of carts from the vintry wharf , than be the other lanes . at the northwest corner of this lane , is the parish clarkes hall , by them purchased , since they lost their old hall in bishopsgate-street . next is spittle-lane , of old time so called , since stodies-lane , of the owner thereof named stodie ; sir john stodie , vintner and mayor in the year gave it , with all the quadrant wherein vintners hall now standeth , with the tenements round about , unto the vintners . the vintners builded for themselves a fair hall , and also thirteen alms-houses there , for thirteen poor people , which are kept of charity rent-free . the vintners in london , were ( of old time ) called marchant vintners of gascoyne , and so i read them in the records of edward the second , the eleventh year , a●d edward the third the ninth year ; they were as well english-men as strangers born beyond the seas , but then subjects to the king of england , great burdeaux merchants of gascoyne & french wines , divers of them were mayors of this city ; namely , john adrian vintner , reignold at conduit , john oxenford , henry picard that feasted the kings of england , france , scotl and , and cypres ; john stodie , that gave stodies lane to the vintners , which four last named , were mayors in the reign of edward the third , and yet gascoyne wines were then to be sold at london , not above fourpence , nor rhenish wines above six pence the gallon . i read of sweet wines , that in the fiftieth of edward the third , iohn peachie , fishmonger was accused of , for that he procured a license for the only sale of them in london , which he endeavoured to justifie by law , yet he was imprisoned and fined . more i read , that in the sixth of henry the sixth , the lombards corrupted their sweet wines ; when knowledge thereof came to iohn raynwel mayor of london , he ( in divers places of the city ) commanded the heads of the buts and other vessells in the open streets , to be broken , to the number of a hundred and fifty , so that the liquour running forth , passed through the city like a stream of rain water , in the sight of all the people , from whence there issued a most loathsome savour . i read in the reign of henry the seventh , that no sweet vvines were brought into this realm but malmsyes , by the longobards , paying to the king for his licence , six shillings eight pence of every butt , besides twelve pence for bottellage . in those daies malmsey was not to be sold above three half-pence the pint ; for proof whereof , it appeareth in the church of st. andrew under-shaft that in the year , i. g. and s. k. then church-wardens , for eighty pints of malmsey spent in the church , after one penny half penny the pint , paid at the years end for the same ten shillings . moreover , no sacks were sold , but rumney , & that for medicine more than fo r drink ; but now many kinds of sacks are known and used . and so much for wines . i read further that in the reign of henry the fourth , the young prince henry , t. duke of clarence , i. duke of bedford , and humphrey duke of glocester the kings sons , came to supper amongst the merchants of london , in the vintry● in the house of lewes iohn a briton . the successors of those vintners and wine-drawers , that retailed by the gallons , pottel , quart , and pint , were all incorporated by the name of wine-tunners , in the raign of edward the third , and confirmed the fifteenth of henry the sixth . next is palmers lane , now called , anchors lane , the plummers have their hall there , but are tenants to the vintners . then is worcester house , sometimes belonging to the earls of worcester , now divided into many tenaments ; the fruiterers have there hall there . on the land side , is the royal street , and pater noster lane , i think of old time called the arches , for i read , that robert de suffolk , gave to walter darford , his tenement with the apurtenance , in the lane called les arches , in the parish of saint michael de pater noster church , between the wall of the field called winchester field on the east , and the same lane on the west , &c. more , there was a stone house called stoda de winton , juxta stodum bridge , which in that lane was over walbrook water . then is the fair parish church of saint michael , called pater noster church , in the royal street ; this church was new builded , and made a colledge of s. spirit , and s. mary , founded by richard vvhittington , mercer , four times mayor , for a master , four fellows , masters of art , clerks , conducts , chorists , &c. and an alms-house , called gods house or hospital , for thirteen poor men , one of them to be tutor , and to have sixteen pence the week , the other twelve , each of them to have fourteen pence the week for ever , with other necessary provision , an hutch with three locks , with a common seal , &c. the licence for this foundation was granted by king henry the fourth , the eleventh of his reign , and in the twelfth of the same kings reign , the mayor and the communalty of london , granted to richard vvhittington , a vacant piece of ground thereon , to build his colledge in the royall ; all which was confirmed by henry the sixth the third of his reign , to iohn coventry , jenkin carpenter , and vvilliam grove , executors to to richard whittington . this foundation was again confirmed by parliament , the tenth of henry the sixth , and was suppressed by the statute of edward the sixth . the alms-houses , with the poor men , do remain , and are paid by the mercers . this richard vvhittington was ( in this church ) three times buried , first , by his executors , under a fair monument ; then , in the reign of edward the sixth , the parson of that church , thinking some great riches ( as he said ) to be buried with him , caused his monument to be broken , his body to be spoiled of his leaden sheet , and again the second time to be buried ; and in the reign of queen mary , the parishioners were forced to take him up , and lap him in lead , as afore , to bury him the third time , and to place his monuments , or the like , over him again , which remaineth still and so he rested . among others , sir thomas tanke knight of the garter born in almain , a great martial man , lieth buried there . at the upper end of this street , is the tower royall , whereof that street taketh name ; this tower & great place was so called , of pertaining to the kings of this realm , but by whom the same was first builded , or of what antiquity continued , it doth not appear , more than that in the reign of king edward the first , the second , fourth , and seventh year , it was the tenement of simon beawmes ; also that in the thirty sixt of edward the third the same was called the royal , in the parish of st. michael de pater noster , and that in the three and fortieth of his reign , he gave it by the name of his inne , called the royall , in his city of london , in value twenty pounds by year , unto his colledge of saint stephen at westminster : notwithstanding , in the reign of richard the second , it was called the queens wardrobe , as appeareth by this that followeth . king richard , having in smithfield overcome and dispersed the rebels , he , his lords , and all his company , entred the city of london with great joy , and went to the lady princesse his mother , who was then lodged in the tower called the queens wardrobe , where she had remained three daies and two nights much affrighted ; but when she saw the king her son , she was greatly rejoyced , ah son , what great sorrow have i suffered for you this day ? the king answered and said , certainly , madam , i know it well , but now rej●●ce , and thank god , for i have this day recovered mine heritage , and the realm of england , which i had near-hand lost . this tower seemeth to have been ( at that time ) of good defence ; for when the rebels had beset the tower of london , and got possession thereof , taking from thence whom they listed , the princesse being forced to fly , came to this tower-royall , where she was lodged , and remained safe , as ye have heard and it may be also supposed , that the king himself was at that time lodged there . i read , that in the year , lyon king of armony , being chased out of his rea●m , by the tartarians , received innumerable gifts of the king and of his nobles , the king then lying in the royall , where he also granted to the said king of armony , a charter of a thousand pounds by year during his life ; this for proof may suffice , that kings of england have been lodged in this tower , though the same ( afterwards ) hath been neglected , and turned into stabling for the kings horses , and now letten out to divers men and ●ivided into tenements . in horse-bridge-street , is the cutlers hall , richard de wilehale , , confirmed to paul butelar this house , and edifices , in the parish of saint michael pater noster church , and saint iohn upon walbrook , which sometime lawrence gisers , and his son peter gisers did possesse , and afterward hugonis de hingham , and lyeth between the tenement of the said richard towards the south ; and the lane called horse-shoe-bridge , towards the north , and between the way called pater noster church on the west , and the course of walbrooke on the east , paying yearly one clove of gilliflowers at easter , and to the poor and convent of saint mary overy , six shillings . this house sometime belonged to simon dolesly grocer , and mayor , they of this company had ( of old time ) three arts , or sorts of workmen , to wit , the first were smiths , forgers of blades , and therefore called bladers , and divers of them proved wealthy men , as namely , walter nele blader ; one of the sheriffs , the twelfth of edward the third , deceased , and was buried in saint iames garlicke hithe , he lest lands to the mending of high-wayes about london , betwixt newgate and wicombe , ealdgate and chelmesford , bishopsgate and ware , southwark and rochester , &c. the second were makers of hafts , and otherwise garnishers of blades . the third sort were sheath-makers for swords , daggers , and knives . in the tenth of henry the fourth , certain ordinances we●e made betwixt the bladers , and the other cutlers , and in the fourth of henry the sixth , they were all three companies drawn into one fraternity , or brotherhood , by the name of cutlers . then is knight-riders street , so called ( as is supposed ) of knights well armed ' and mounted at the tower-royall , riding from thence through the street west to creed-lane , and so out at ludgate , towards smithfield , when they were there to turney , just , or otherwise to shew activities before the king and states of the realm . in this street is the parish church of saint thomas apostles , by wring-wren lane a hansome church , and in the year , well repaired and fine●y garnished ; but monuments of antiquity , there are none beyond the reign of henry the eighth , except some arms in the windows , as also in the stone-work , which some suppose to be of john barnes mercer , mayor of london , in the year , a great builder thereof . h. causton merchant , was a benefactor and had a chantry there about , . t. roman mayor , had also a chantry there . fitz williams also a benefactor , had a chantry there . more , sir william littlesbury , aliàs horne , ( for king edward the fourth so named him ) because he was a most excellent winder of an horne ; he was a salter , and merchant of the staple , mayor of london in the year , and was buried in this church , having appointed ( by his testament ) the bells to be changed for four new bells of good tune and sound ; but that was not performed : he gave five hundred marks towards the repairing of high-waies , between london and cambridge ; his dwelling house , with a garden and appurtenances in the said parish , to be sold , and bestowed in charitable actions . his house called the george in bread-street he gave to the salters , they to find a priest in the said parish , to have six pounds , thirteen shillings , four pence the year ; to every preacher at pauls-crosse , and at the spittle , four pence for ever ; to the prisoners of newgate , ludgate , marshalsey , and kings-bench , in victuals , ten shillings at christmas , and ten shillings at easter for ever , which legacies were not performed . among others , ther 's one epitaph in greek in this church on the lady katherine killegree . then west from the said church on the same side , was one great messuage , sometime called ipres inne of william of ipres a flemming , the first builder thereof ; this william was called out of flanders , with a number of flemmings to the aid of king stephen , against maude the empress , in the the year , and grew in favour with the said king for his service , so far , that he builded this house near unto tower-royall , in the which tower it seemeth the king was then lodged , as in the heart of the city , for his more safety . robert earl of glocester , brother to the empresse , being taken , was committed to the custody of this vvilliam , to be kept in the castle of rochester , till king stephen was also taken , and then the one was delivered in exchange for the other , and both set free . this william of ipres gave edredes hith , now called queens hith , to the prior and canons of the holy trinity in london , he founded the abbey of borley in kent , &c. in the first of henry the second , the said william , withall the other flemmings ( fearing the indignation of the new king ) departed the land , but it seemeth that the said william was shortly called back again , and restored both to the kings favour , and to his old possessions here , so that the name and family continued long after in this realm . on the other side , i read of a messuage , called kinged hall : king henry the eighth , the thirty two of his reign , gave the same ( with four tenements adjoyning ) unto morgan phillip , aliàs wolfe , in the parish of saint thomas apostles in london , &c. over against ipres inne in knight-riders street , at the corner towards saint james garlick hith , was sometime a great house builded with stone , and called ormond place , for that it sometime belonged to the earls of ormond . king edward the fourth in the fifth of his reign , gave to elizabeth his wife , the mannor of greenwich with the tower and park , in the county of kent . he also gave this tenement called ormond place , with all the appurrenances to the same , scituate in the parish of saint trinity in knight-rider street in london . this house is now taken down , and divers fair tenements are builded there . then lower down in royall-street , is kerion lane , of one kerion sometime dwelling there . in this lane be divers fair houses for merchants , and amongst others is the glasiers hall. at the south corner of royall-street , is the fair parish church of saint martin , called , in the vintry , sometimes called st. martin de beremand church ; this church was new builded about the year , by the executors of matthew columbars , a stranger born , a burdeaux marchant of gascoine and french wines : his armes remain yet in the east window , and is a cheveron , between three colombins . sir iohn gisors mayor , with his brother , and his son , lye there buried ; he had a great mansion house called gisors hall , in st. mildreds parish in bread-street . there are sundry latin epiraphs in this church . then is the parish church of st. iames , called , at garlick hith , or garlick hive , for that ( of old time ) on the river of thames , near to this church garlick was usually sold ; this is a comely church , whereof richard rothing one of the sheriffs , is said to be the new builder , and lyeth buried in the same : so was walter nele blader , one of the sheriffs , iohn of oxenford , vintner , mayor . i read in the first of edward the third , that this iohn of oxenford gave to the priory of the holy trinity in london , two tofts of land , one mill , fifty acres of land , two acres of wood , with the appurtenances in kentish town , in value twenty shillings and three pence by year . the lady stanley , the countesse of hunting●on , and the lady harbert , lye buried in this church . of the fifteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called cordwayner ward . vve will passe now from the vintry to cordwainer-street ward , taking that name of cordwayners or shoomakers ; curriours , and workers of leather dwelling there ; for it appeareth in the records of henry the sixth , the ninth of his reign , that an order was taken then for cordwayners and curriours , in corney-street and sopers lane. this ward beginneth in the east , one the west side of walbrooke , and runneth west thorow budge-row , ( a street so called of budge furre , and of skinners dwelling there ) then up by saint anthen●es church , thorow atheling ( or noble-street ) as leyland termeth it , commonly called wathling-street , to the red-lion , a place so called , of a great lion of timber placed there , at a gate entring a large court , wherein are divers fair and large shops , well furnished with broad-cloths , and other draperies of all sorts to be sold , and this is the farthest west part of this ward . on the south side of this street from budge-row , lyeth a lane turning down by the west-gate of the tower royal , and to the south end of the stone wall beyond the said gate , which is of this ward , and is accounted a part of the royall-street . against this west gate of the tower-royall , is one other lane , that runneth west to cordwainer-street , and this is called turn base lane ; on the south side whereof is a piece of wring-wren-lane , to the north-west corner of saint thomas church the apostle . then again out of the high-street called wathling , is one other street , which runneth thwart the same , and this is cordwayner street , whereof the whole ward taketh name . this street beginneth by west-cheap , and saint mary bow church is the head thereof on the west side , and it runneth down south , thorow that part which of latter time was called hosier lane , now bow lane ; and then by the west end of aldermary church to the new builded houses , in place of ormond house , and so to garlick hill , or hith , to st. iames church . the upper part of this street towards cheap , was called hosier lane , of hosiers dwelling there in place of shoomakers ; but now those hosiers being worn out by men of other trades , ( as the hosiers had worn out the shoomakers ) the same is called bow-lane , of bow church . on the west side of cordwainer-street , is basing-lane , right over against turn-base-lane , this basing-lane , west to the back gate of the red lyon , in wathling-street , is of this cordwainer-street ward . now again on the north side of this high street , is budge-row : by the east end of st. anthonies church , have ye st. sithes lane , so called of st. sithes church , ( which standeth against the north end of that lane ) and this is wholly of cordwainer-street ward ; also the south side of needlers lane , which reacheth from the north end of st. sithes lane , then vvest from st. anthonies church , is the south end of sopers lane , which lane took that name , not of sope-making , as some have supposed , but of alen le sopar , in the ninth of edward the second ; nor can we read of sope-making in this city , till within this hundred and fifty years , that iohn lambe , dwelling in grasse-street , set up a boyling house ; for this city ( in former time ) was served of white sope in hard cakes ( called castle-soap , and other ) from beyond the seas , and of gray sope , speckled with white , very sweet and good , from bristow , sold here for a peny the pound , and never above peny farthing ; and black sope for an half-peny the pound . then in bow-lane ( as they now call it ) is goose-lane , by bow-church ; will●am essex , mercer , had tenements there , in the six and twentieth of edward the third . then from the south end of bow-lane , up wathling-street , till over against the red lyon , are the bounds of cordwainer-street ward . then is there a fair parish in budge-row , called st. anthonies at first , and now st. antlins . sir thomas knowles lord mayor of london , lyeth buried there , who repaired , and was a great benefactor to that church , upon whom is this epitaph , here lyeth graven under this stone , thomas knowles , both flesh and bone , &c. next on the south side of budge-row , by the west corner thereof , and on the east side of cordwainer-street , is one other fair church , called aldermary church , because the same was very old , and elder then any church of st. mary in the city ; till of late years , the foundation of a very fair new church , was laid there by henry keeble , grocer , and mayor , who deceased . and was ther buried in a vault , by him prepared , with a fair monument raised over him , on the north side of the q●ire , now destroyed and gone : he gave by his testament , a thousand pound toward the building up of that church ; and yet was not permitted a resting place for his bones there afterwards . richard chawcer vintner , thought to be the father of ieffrey chawcer the poet , was a great benefactor to this church . at the upper end of hosier-lane , toward vvest-cheape , is the fair parish church of st. mary bow ; this church in the reign of vvilliam the conqueror , being the first in this city , builded on arches of stone , was therefore called new mary church , of st. mary de arcubus , orle bow , in vvest cheaping ; as stratford bridge , being the first builded ( by matilda , the queen , vvife to henry the first ) with arches of stone was called stratfordle bow ; which names , to the said church and bridge , remain till this day ; the court of the arches is kept in this church , and taketh name of the place , not the place of the court ; but of what antiquity , or continuation that court hath there continued , 't is uncertain . this church is of cordwainer-street , and for divers accidents happening there , hath bin made more famous than any other parish church of the whole city , or suburbs . first we read , that in the year , and the third of vvilliam rufus , by tempest of vvin● , the roof of the church of st. mary bow in cheape , was overturned , wherewith some persons were slain , and four of the rafters of six and twenty foot in length , with such violence were pitched in the ground of the high street , that scantly four foot of them remained above ground , which were fain to be cut even with the ground , because they could not be plucked out ; for the city of london was not then paved , but a moorish ground . in the year . vvilliam fitz osbert , a seditious traytor , took the steeple of bow , and fortified it with munitions and victuals , but it was assaulted , and vvilllam with his complices , were taken ( though without blood-shed ) for he was forced by fire and smoak to forsake the church , and then being by the judges condemned , he was by the heels drawn to the elmes in smithfield , and there hanged with nine of his fellowes , where because his favourers came not to deliver him , he forsook maries son , ( as he termed christ our saviour ) and called upon the devil to help and deliver him : such was the end of this deceiver , a man of an evil life , a secret murtherer , a filthy fornicator , a keep●r o● concubines , and ( amongst other his detestable facts ) a false accuser of his elder brother , who had ( in his youth ) brought him up in learning , and done many things for his preferment . in the year . a great part of the church of bow fell down , and slew many people , men and women . in the year , the thirteenth of edward the first , lawrence ducket , goldsmith , having grievously wounded one ralph crepin in west cheap , fled into bow-church , into the which ( in the night time ) entred certain evil persons , friends unto the said ralph , and slew the said laurence , lying in the steeple , and then hanged him up , placing him so by the window , as if he had hanged himself , and so was it found by inquisition ; for the which fact , lawrence ducket being drawn by the feet , was buried in a ditch without the city ; but shortly after ( by relation of a boy , who lay with the said lawrence , at the time of his death , and had hid him there for fear ) the truth of the matter was disclosed ; for the which cause , iordan good-cheape , ralph crepin , gilbert clarke , and ieffrey clarke , were attainted , and a certain woman named alice , that was chief causer of the said mischief , was burned , and to the number of sixteen men , were drawn and hanged , besides others that , being richer , after long imprisonment , were hanged by the purse . the church was interdicted , the doors and windows were stopped up with thorns for a while , but lawrence was taken up , and honestly buried in the church-yard afterwards . the parish-church of st. mary bow , by meanes of incroachment , and building of houses , wanting room in their church-yard , for burial of the dead , iohn rotham , or rodham , citizen and taylor , by his testament dated the year . gave to the parson and church-wardens , a certain garden in hosier-lane , to be a church-yard , which so continued near a hundred years , but now is builded on , and is a private mans house . the old steeple of this church , was by little and little re-edified , and new builded up , at the least so much as was fallen down , many men giving sums of money to the furtherance thereof , so that at length , to wit , in the year , it was ordained by a common councel , that the bow bell should be nightly rung at nine of the clock . shortly after , iohn donne mercer , by his testament dated , according to the trust of reginald longdon , gave to the parson and church-wardens of st. mary bow two tenements , with the appurtenances , since made into one , in hosierlane , then so called , to the maintenance of bow bell , the same to be rung as aforesaid , and other things to be observed , as by the will appeareth . the arches or bowes thereupon with the lanthorns five in number , to wit , one at each corner , and one on the top in the middle upon the arches , were also afterward finished of stone , brought from cane in normandy , delivered at the customers key , for four shillings eight pence the tun , and , william copland being church-warden . it is said that this copland gave the great bell , which made the fifth in the ring , to be rung nightly at nine of the clock : this bell was first rung ( as a knell ) at the burial of the same copland ; it appeareth , that the lanthorns on the top of this steeple , were meant to have bin glazed , and lights in them placed nightly in the winter , whereby travellers to the city might have the better sight thereof , and not to misse of their wayes . in this parish also was a grammar-school , by commandment of king henry the sixth , which school was ( of old time ) kept in an house for that purpose prepared in the church-yard ; but that school being decayed , as others about this city , the school-house was let out for rent , in the reign of henry the th , for four shillings the year , a cellar for two shillings the year , and two vaults under the church , for s. both . there are monuments of divers citizens of note in this church , but most of them much defac'd , and mouldred away . without the north side of this church of st. mary bow , towards west-cheape , standeth one fair building of stone , called in record sildam , a shed which greatly darkneth the said church ; for by meanes thereof , all the windows and doors on that side , are stopped up ; king edward the third , upon occasion , as shall be shewed in the ward of cheap , caused this side or shed to be made , and strongly to be builded of stone for himself , the queen , and other states , to stand there to behold the justings , and other shewes at their pleasures ; and this house ( for long time after ) served to that use , namely , in the reign of edward the third , and richard the second ; but in the year . henry the fourth , in the twelfth of his reign , confirmed the said shed or building , to stephen spilman , william marchford , and john wattle , mercers , by the name of one new sildain , shed or building , with shops , cellars , and edifices , whatsoever appertaining , called crounsild , or tamersild , scituate in the mercety of west-cheape , and in the parish of st. mary de arcubus in london , &c. notwithstanding which grant , the kings of england , and other great estates , as well of forraign countries repairing to this realm , as inhabitants of the same , have usually repaired to this place , therein to behold the shewes of this city , passing through west-cheape ; namely , the great watches accustomed in the night , on the even of st. john baptist , and st. peter at midsommer ; the examples whereof were over-long to recite , wherefore let it suffice briefly to rouch one . in the year , on st. johns eve at night , king henry the eight , came to this place , then called the kings-head in cheape , in the livery of a yeoman of the gard , with an halberd on his shoulder , and there beholding the watch , departed privily , when the watch was done ; and was not known to any , but whom it pleased him ; but on saint peters night next following , he and the queen came royally riding to the said place , and there with their nobles , beheld the watch of the city , and return'd in the morning . of the sixteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called cheape-ward . we enter now into the center of the city , which is cheap-ward , taking name of the market there kept , called west cheaping ; which ward , as a river , as mr. stow saith , that hath three heads , and running along to the uttermost of his bounds , issueth out on the sides into little streams : so this ward , beginning on the course of wallbrook , and is not the meanest of the wards , ( if for no other cause , yet because it is nearest to the heart of the city ) hath his beginning on the east from three places . the high street of the poultrey , the lower end of buckles bury , and the nether part of the venell , or entry into scalding alley , & so running along , as far as unto the north-east corner of bow-lane on the south side , and from thence into bow-lane on the east side , until ye come to the channel over against the cellardoor under the church ; & then , on the north side of cheap up to the standard , stretching it self into divers lanes and peeces , on the right hand , and on the left hand , as it commeth along . first , for the high street of the poultrey ( which is the main body of this ward : ) on the south side thereof toward the east , this ward beginneth in the way going down to st. mary wooll-church . now for antiquities , and things worthy of memory in cheap-ward . first , in the main body of this ward , that is , the poultry , standeth the hansome little church , that beareth the name of st. mildred in the poultry the virgin , which name was given surely for distinction not for superstition ; for so was the custom of the kingdom ( & yet is ) in building their things for the service of god , that the founders called them by the name of some apostle , saint , martyr , or confessor , as best liked their own conceit , at the present time , to distinguish them from others . who this mildred was , whether she was the eldest daughter of merwaldus , king of the vvest-mercians , as some think , or that she was daughter of ethelbert , king of kent , one of the founders of pauls church , it is incertain : neither is it much material , but it is probable , that she was some holy and devout maid , which the people of that age held to be a saint afterward in heaven . in what years this church was first erected , or who was the first founder of it , we find not ; but it appeareth by some ancient evidences of the said church , that from the beginning it had not so much spare ground about it , as to make a church-yard of , until in the year of our lord god , and the th of king henry the fifth , thomas morsted esquire , and chirurgion to the kings , henry the fourth , henry the fifth , and henry the sixth . ( and afterward , in anno dom. . was sheriff and alderman of london ) gave unto the church a parcel of ground , lying between his dwelling-house and the said church ( and adjoyning unto the said church toward the north ) to make a church-yard of , for the burial of their dead , containing in length , from the course of vvallbrook , toward the west , forty five foot , and in breadth , from the church toward the north , thirty five foot . within short time after , some body , of religious and charitable disposition , erected upon the sides of the said church-yard , but upon posts and pillars , with cloysters underneath , toward the west , a parsonage house , or mansion , and free dwelling of the ministers and rectors of the said church , and toward the east four chambers , then called the priests chambers , now converted into a tenement or dwelling house , & demised for yearly rent ; but the church-yard is much abridged , and of late fouly defaced ; and the lights of the said parsonage hindered by additions of pieces , to the said ancient chambers , which ought not to be : in this ancient church , some citizens of note lie buried . some few houses west from this parish church of st. mildred , is a prison-house , pertaining to one of the sheriffs of london , and is called the counter in the poultry : this hath bin there kept , and continued time out of minde ; for i have not read of the original thereof : west from this counter , was a proper chappel , called of corpus christi , and st. mary , at cony-hope lane end , in the parish of the said mildred , founded by one named iorivirunnes , a citizen of london , in the raign of edward the third ; in which chappel was a guild , or fraternity , that might dispend in lands better then twenty pounds by year ; it was suppressed by henry the eighth , and purchased by one thomas hobson , haberdasher : he turned this chappel into a fair ware-house , and shops towards the street , with fair lodgings over them . then is cony-hope lane , of old time so called , of a signe of three coneys , which hung over a poulterers stall at the lanes end ; within this lane standeth the grocers hall , which company being of old time called pepperers , were first incorporated by the name of grocers , in the year , at which time , they elected for cus●os , or gardian of their fraternity , richard oswin , and lawrence hallwell , and twenty brethren were then taken in , to be of their society . in the year , the custos or gardian , and the brethren of this company , purchased of the lord robert fitzwaters , one plot of ground , with the building thereupon , in the said cony-hope lane , for three hundred twenty marks , and then laid their foundation of their new common-hall . about the year , the grocers had licence to purchase five hundred marks land ; since the which time , near adjoyning unto the grocers hall , the said company have builded seven proper houses , for seven aged poor , alms-people ; thomas knowles grocer and maior , gave his tenement in st. anthonies church-yard to the grocers , towards the relief of the poor brethren in that company : also henry keeble , grocer and maior , gave to the seven alms-people , six pence weekly for ever ; which pension is now increased by the masters , to some of them two shillings a peece weekly , and to some of them lesse , &c. henry ady grocer , , gave a thousand marks to the grocers to purchase lands , and sir henry pechy , knight banneret , free of that company , gave them five hundred pounds to certain uses : he builded alms-houses at luding stone in kent , and was there buried . west from this cony-hope lane , is the old iury , whereof some portion is of cheape ward ; at the south end of this lane , is the parish-church of st. mary cole-church , named of one cole , that builded it : this church is builded upon a vault above ground , so that men are forced to go to ascend up thereunto , by certain steps , i finde no monuments of this church more , than that henry the fourth granted licence to william marshal , and others , to found a brotherhood of saint katherine therein , because thomas becket and st. edmond , the arch bishop were baptized there . the old iury hath had alwayes citizens of quality , and fair large houses , as there is now gurney-house , where alderman friderique lives , a very worthy gentleman . there is also another ancient fair house of thomas bowyer , and another of mr. bonnel , worthy and wealthy brave marchants . we read of bordhangli-lane , to be of that parish ; and thus much for the north side of the poultry . the south side of the said poultry , beginning on the bank of the said brook , over against the parish-church of st. mildred passing , up to the great conduit , hath divers fair houses , which were sometimes inhabited by the poulterers , but now by grocers , haberdashers , and upholsters . concerning other antiquities there , first is bucklesbury , so called of a mannor , and tenements pertaining to one buckle who there dwelled , and kept his courts ; this mannor is supposed to be the great stone-building . yet in part remaining on the south side of the street , which of late time hath been called the old barge , of such a signe hanged out , near the garte thereof ; this mannor , or great house , hath of long time bin divided , and letten out into m●ny tenements ; and it hath bin a common speech , that when wallbrook did lie open , barges were rowed out of the thames , or towed up so far ; and therefore the place hath ever since bin called the old barge . also , on the north side of this street , directly over against the said bucklesbury , was one ancient and strong tower of stone ; the which tower , king edward the third , in the eighteenth of his reign , called by the name of the kings house , and cornet stoure in london , and ●id appoint his exchange of money , there to be kept : in the nine and twentieth , he granted it to fr●idus guynysane , and landus bardaile , marchants of luke , for twenty pound the year ; and in the three and twentieth , he gave the same tower to his colledge , or free chappel of st. stephen at vvestmister , by the name of cornet stoure , at bucklesbury in london . this whole street , called buckles bury , on both the sides throughout , is possessed of grocers , and apothecaries ; toward the west end thereof , on the south side , breaketh out one other short lane , called in records , peneritch-street , it reacheth but to st. sythes lane ; and st. sythes church , is the farthest part thereof ; for by the west end of the said church , beginneth needles lane , which reacheth to sopers lane , as is aforesaid . this small parish church of st. syth , hath also an addition of bennet shorne , ( or shrog , or shorehog ) for by all these names it hath bin called ; but the ancient is shorne , wherefore it seemeth to take that name of one benedict shorne , sometime a citizen and stock-fishmonger of london , a new builder , repairer , or benefactor thereof , in the year of edward the second , so that shorne is but corruptly called shrog , and more corruptly shorehog , here are divers monuments , and among other the tomb of sir raph v●arren , knight , alderman , twice lord maior of london , and marchant of the staple at callis , with his two wives , anno . then in needlers lane , have ye the parish church of st. pancrase , a proper small church , but divers rich parishioners therein , and hath had of old time , many liberal benefactors ; but of late , such as ( not regarding the order taken by queen elizabeth , ) the least bell in their church being broken , have rather sold the same for half the value , then put the parish to charge with new casting : late experience hath proved this to be true , besides the spoil of monuments there ; this little church hath also some handsome monuments . then is a part of sopers-lane , turning up to cheap . by the assent of stephen abunden , maior , the pepperers in sopers lane , were admitted sell all such spices , and other wares , as grocers now use to sell , retaining the old name of pepperers in sopers lane , till at length , in the reign of henry the sixth , the same sopers lane was inhabited by cordwayners and curriers , after that the pepperers or grocers had seated themselves in a more open street , to wit , in buckles bury , where they now remain : thus much for the south wing of cheap-ward . at the west end of this poultry , and also of bucklers bury , beginneth the large street of west cheaping , a market place so called , which street siretcheth west , till ye come to the little conduit by pauls gate , but not all of cheap ward . in the east part of this street standeth the great conduit , of sweet-water , conveyed by pipes of lead , under ground from paddington , for service of this city , castellated with stone , and cisterned in lead , about the year , and again new builded and enlarged by thomas ilam one of the sheriffs , . about the middest of this street is the standard in cheape : of what antiquity , the first foundation is , i have not read . but henry the sixth by his patent , dated at windsor the one and twentieth of his reign ( which patent , was confirmed by parliament , ) granted licence to thomas knolles , iohn chichle , and other executers to iohn wells , grocer , sometime maior of london , with his goods to make new the high-way , which leadeth from the city of london , towards the place of westminster , before and nigh the mannor of savoy , parcel of the dutchey of lancaster , a way then very ruinous , and the pavement broken , to the hurt and mischi●f of the subjects , which old pavement , then remaining in that way , within the length of five hundred foot , and all the breadth of the same . before and nigh the fire of the manner aforesaid , they were to break up , and with stone , gravel , and other stuffe , make one other good and sufficient way for the commodity of the subjects ; and further , that the standard in cheape , where divers executions of the law before time had bin performed ; which standard at that pre●ent was very ruinous with age ; in which there was a cond it , should be taken down , and another competent standard of stone ; together with a conduit in the same , of new , strongly to be builded , for the commodity and honour of the city , with the goods of their testator , without interruption &c. of executions at the standard in cheape , we read , that in the year . three men had their right hands smitten off there , for rescuing of a prisoner , arrested by an officer of the city . in the year , the burgesses of london , caused walter stapleton , bishop of exceter , treasurer to edward the second , and others , to be beheaded at the standard in cheap ( but this was by pauls gate . ) in the year , the six and twentieth of edward the third , two fishmongers were beheaded at the standard in cheap . , wat tylar beheaded , richard lyons , and others , there . in the year ● , henry the fourth , caused the blank charters , made by richard the ●econd , to be burnt there . in the year , iack cade , captain of the kentish rebels , beheaded the lord say there . in the year , iohn davy had his hand stricken off there , because he had stricken a man before the judges at westminster , &c. then next is the great crosse in vvest cheap , which crosse was there erected in the year , by edward the first ; upon occasion thus , queen elianor his wise , dyed at hardeby ( a town near unto the city of lincoln ) her body was brought from thence to vvestminster , and the king in memory of her , caused in every place , where her body rested by the way , a stately crosse of stone to be erecte● , with the queens image , and arms upon it , as at grantham , vvoborn , northampton , stony-stratford dunstable , st. albones , vvaltham , vvest-cheape , and at charing , from whence she was conveyed to vvestminster , and there buried . this crosse in vvest-cheape , being like to those other which remain to this day ; and being by length of time decayed , iohn hatherley , mayor of london , procured in the year , licence of king henry the sixth , to re-edifie the same in more beautiful manner , for the honour of the city ; and had licence also , to take up two hundred fodder of lead , for the building thereof , & of certain conduits , and a common granary . this crosse was then curiously wrought , at the charges of divers citizens ; iohn fisher mercer , gave six hundred marks towards it , the same was begun to be set up , and finished , the second of henry the seventh : it was , after , gilt over , in the year , against the comming in of charles the fifth , emperor . in the year , against the coronation of queen anne . new burnished against the coronation of edward the sixth ; and again new guilt , against the comming in of king philip. since which time , the said crosse having bin presented by divers juries , ( or quests of wardmote ) to stand in the high-way , to the let of carriages ( as they alledged ) but could not have it removed ; it followed , that in the year , the twenty one of iune , in the night , the lowest images round about the said crosse ( being of christ his resurrection , of the virgin mary , king edward the confessor , and such like ) were broken , and defaced : proclamation was made , that who so would discover the doers , should have forty crowns , but nothing came to light : the image of the blessed virgin , at that time was robbed of her son , and her arms broken , by which she stayed him on her knees ; her whole body was also haled with ropes , and left likely to fall ; but in the year . was again fastened and repaired ; and in the year next following , a new mis-shapen son , as born out of time , all naked , was laid in her arms ; the other images remaining , broke as afore . but on the east side of the same crosse , the steps being taken thence ; under the image of christs resurrection defaced , was set up a curious wrought tabernacle of gray marble , and in the same an alabaster image of diana , and water conveyed from the thames , prilling from her naked brest for a time , but now decayed . in the year , the timber of the crosse at the top , being rotted within the lead , the arms thereof bending , were feared to have fallen , to the harming of some people ; and therefore the whole body of the crosse , was seasfolded about , and the top thereof taken down , meaning in place thereof , to have set up a pyramis : but some of her majesties honourable councellors , directed their letters to sir nicholas mosley , then maior , by her highnesse express commandment concerning the crosse , forthwith to be repaired , and placed again as it formerly stood , &c. notwithstanding , the said crosse stood he adless more then a year after , whereupon the said councellors in great number , meaning not any longer to permit the continuance of such a contempt , wrote to william rider , then maior , requiring him , by vertue of her highness said former direction and commandement , without any further delay , to accomplish her majesties most princely care therein , respecting especially , the antiquity and continuance of that monument , and ancient ensign of christianity , &c. dared the four and twentieth of december , . after this , a crosse of timber was framed , set up , covered with lead , and gilded , the body of the crosse downward , cleansed of dust , the scaffold cartyed thence . about twelve nights following , the image of our lady was again defaced , by plucking off her crown , and almost her head , taking from her , her naked child , and stabbing her in the brest . but in the year , during the reign of the long parliament , the said crosse , by an ordinance thereof , was utterly demolished ; and while the thing was a doing , there was a noyse of trumpets blew all the while . upon the utter demolition of this so ancient and visible a monument , or ornament of the city of london as all forrainers esteemed it , it fortuned , that there was another new one , popp'd up in cheap-side , hard by the standard , viz. a high square table of stone , left in legacy by one russel a porter , and well-minded man , with this distichengraven , god blesse the porter who great pains doth take , rest here , and welcome when thy back doth ake . thus much for the crosse in west-cheape . then at the west end of west-cheap-street , was sometimes a crosse of stone called the old crosse. ralph higden in his polychronicon saith , that walter stapleton bishop of exceter , treasurer to edward the second , was by the burgesses of london beheaded at this crosse , then called the standard , without the north door of st. pauls church ; and so it is noted in other writers that then lived . this old crosse stood and remained at the east end of the parish church called st. michael in the corner by pauls gate , near to the north end of the old exchange , till the year , the thirteenth of richard the second , in place of which old crosse then taken down , the said church of st. michael was enlarged , and also a fair water-conduit builded , about the ninth of henry the sixth . in the reign of edward the third , divers justings were made in this street , betwixt sopers lane and the gre●● crosse , namely , one in the year , about the one and twentieth of september , as 't is obserted by divers writers of that time . in the middle of the city of london , ( say they ) in a street called cheap , the stone pa●ement , being covered with sand , that the horses might not slide , when they strongly set their feet to the ground , the king held a tournement three daies together with the nobility , valiant men of the realm , and others , some strange knights ; and to the end the beholders might with the better ease see the same , there was a wooden scaffold erected crosse the street , like unto a tower , wherein queen philip and many other ladies , richly attired , and assembled from all parts of the realm , did stand to behold the justs , but the higher frame in which the ladies were placed , brake in sunder , whereby they were ( with some shame ) forced to fall down , by reason whereof the knights , and such as were underneath , were grievously hurt ; wherefore the queen took great care to save the carpenters from punishment , and through her prayers ( which she made upon her knee● ) pacified the king and councel , and thereby purchased great love of the people . after which time , the king caused a shed to be strongly made of stone for himself , the queen , and other states to stand on , and there to behold the justings , and other shewes , at their pleasure , by the church of st. mary bow , as is shewed in cordwayner-street ward . thus much for the high street of cheap . now of the north side of cheap street and ward , beginning at the great conduit , and by st. mary cole church , where we left ; next thereunto westward , is the mercers chappel , sometime an hospital , entituled of st. thomas of acon , or acars , for a master and brethren . militia hospitalis &c , saith the record of edward the third , the fourteenth year , it was founded by thomas fitz theobald de heili , and agnes his wife , sister to thomas becket , in the reign of henry the second : they gave to the master and brethren the lands with the appurtenances , that sometimes were gilbert beckets , father to the said thomas , in the which he was born , there to make a church ; there was a charnel , and a chappel over it of st. nicholas and st. stephen ; this hospital was valued to dispend two hundred seventy seven pounds , three shillings four pence , surrendred the thirtieth of henry the eighth , the one and twentieth of october , and was since purchased by the mercers , by means of sir richard gresham , and was again set open on the eve of saint michael , the three and thirtieth of henry the eighth ; it is now called the mercers chappel , therein is kept a free grammer school , as of old time had been accustomed , commanded by parliament . in this chappel there is every sunday morning throughout the year a sermon in the italian tongue , beginning about ten a clock . here be many monuments remaining , but more have been defaced ; among others , there is iames butler earl of ormond , and dame ioane his countesse , . before this hospital towards the street , was builded a fair and beautiful chappel arched over with stone , and thereupon the mercers hall , a most curious piece of work , sir iohn allen mercer , being founder of that chappel , was there buried , but since his tombe is removed thence into the body of the hospital : church , and his body-room divided into shops , are letten our for rent ; these mercers were enabled to be a company , and to purchase lands to the value of twenty pound the year , the seventeenth of r●chard the second ; they had three messuages and shops in the parish of saint martins otesw●ch , in the ward of bishopsgate , for the sustentation of the poor , and a chantry , the two and twentieth of richard the second . henry the fourth in the twelfth of his reign , confirmed to stephen spilman , w. marchford and iohn watild mercers , by the name of one new sildam , shed , or building , with shops , cellars , and edifices whatsoever appertaining , called crownsildes scituate in the mercery in west-cheap , in the parish of st. mary de arcubus in london , &c. to be holden in burgage , as all the city of london is . next beyond the mercers chappel , and their hall , is ironmonger lane , so called of ironmongers dwelling there . in this lane , is the small parish church of st. martin , called pomary , upon what occasion i certainly know not ; it is supposed to be of apples growing , where now houses are lately builded . farther west , is st. lawrence lane , so called of st. lawrence church , which standeth directly over against the north end thereof . antiquities in this lane i finde none other , then that among many fair houses , there is one large inne for receipt of travellers , called blossomes inne , but corruptly bosomes inne , and hath to sign st. lawrence the deacon , in a border of blossoms or flowers . then near to the standard in cheap , is hony-lane , being very narrow , and somewhat dark . in this lane , is the small parish church called alhallowes in hony-lane ; there be no monuments in this church worth the noting . i find that iohn norman , draper , mayor , was buried there . he gave to the drapers his tenements on the north side the said church ; they to allow for the beam light and lamp , thirteen shillings four pence yearly , from this lane to the standard . and thus much for cheap ward , in the high-street of cheap , for it stretcheth no farther . now , for the north wing of cheap ward , have ye catte-street , corruptly called catteaten-street , which beginneth at the north end of ironmong●● lane , and runneth to the west end of saint lawrence-church , as is aforeshewed . on the north side of this street is the guild-hall , wherein the courts for the city are kept , namely , first the court of common-councel , second the court of the lord mayor and his brethren the aldermen , third the court of hustings , fourth the court of orphanes , fifth the two sheriffs●ixt ●ixt the court of the wardmote , seventh the court of hallmote , eight the court of requests , commonly called the court of conscience , nine the chamberlains court for prentices , & making them free ; this guild-hall , saith robert fabian , was began to be builded new , in the year , the twelfth of henry the fourth , by thomas knowles , then mayor , and his brethren the aldermen ; the same was made , of a little cottage , a large and great house , as now it standeth towards the charges whereof , the companies gave large benevolences ; also offences of men were pardoned for sums of money towards this work , extraordinary fees were raised , fines , amercements , and other things imployed , during seven years , with a continuation thereof , three years more , all to be employed to this building . the first year of henry the sixth , john coventry & john carpenter executors to richard whittington , gave towards the paving of this great hall twenty pounds and the next year fifteen pounds more to the said pavement , with hard stone of purb●ck ; they also glaz'd some vvindows thereof , and of the mayors court , on every which window , the arms of richard whittington are placed . the foundation of the mayors court was laid in the third year of the reign of henry the sixth , and of the porch on the south side of the mayors court , in the fourth of the said king. then was builded the mayors chamber , and the councel chamber , with other roomes above the staires . having here so just occasion , speaking of that former ancient councel chamber , which hath continued so ever since , i cannot but account it expedient ( as in no place better fitting ) to remember the fair and goodly new councel chamber , a worthy act , and an honour to the city . the said new councel chamber , with a fair room over the same , appointed for a treasury , wherein to preserve the books and records belonging to the city , and another room also underneath the same chamber , reserved for necessary use and employment , began to be builded the first week after easter , in the time of the majoralty of sir thomas middleton , knight , and alderman , in the year of our lord , it was fully finished shortly after michaelmas , at the la●ter end of the majoralty of sir thomas hayes , knight and alderman ; but the lord mayor , and the aldermen his brethren , kept their first court in the said new councel chamber , on the seventh day of november , in the year of our lord , sir iohn iolles knight and alderman , being then lord mayor ; by whose order and direction , the said building was performed , from the first beginning thereof , to the finall finishing of the same , amounting to the charge of l. than which , no money could be better bestowed , nor more to the cities credit and renown . last of all , a stately porch en●ring the great hall , was erected ; the front thereof towards the stouth , being beautified with images of srone . now for the chappel or colledge of our lady mary magdalene , and of all saints by guild-hall , called london colledge , we read , that the same was builded about the year , and that peter fanelore , adam francis , and henry frowick citizen , gave one messuage with the appurtenances , in the parish of st. foster , to william brampton custos of the chauntry , by them founded in the said chappel , with four chaplains ; and one other house in the parish of st. giles without creplegate , in the seven and twentieth of edward the third , was given to them . adjoyning to this chappel on the south side , was sometime a fair and large library , furnished with books pertaining to the guild-hall and colledge . these books ( as it is said ) were in the reign of edward the sixth , sent for by edward duke of somerset , lord protector , with promise to be restored shortly ; men laded from thence threescore carts with them , but they were never returned ; this library was builded by the executors of r. whittington , and by w. bury ; on the other side , it is now lofted through , and made a store-house for cloaths , south-west from this guild-hall , is the fair parish church of st. lawrence , called , in the iury , because ( of old time ) many jewes inhabited there about ; this church is fair and large , and hath divers monuments . in this church there was the shank-bone of a man , and also a tooth of a very great bigness , hanged up for shew , in chains of iron , upon a pillar of stone : the tooth ( being about the bigness of a mans fist ) is long since conveyed from thence ; the thigh or shank-bone , of five and twenty inches in length by the rule , remaineth yet fastned to a post of timber , and is not so much to be noted for the length , as for the thickness , hardness , and strength thereof ; for when it was hanged on the stone pillar , it fretted ( with moving ) the said pillar , and was not it self fretted , nor ( as seemeth ) is not yet lightned by remaining dry : but where or when this bone was first found or discovered , i have not heard . of the seventeenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called coleman-street ward . vve will now stear our course northward , and look towards london walls to find out another ward , and next to cheap ward on the north side thereof , is coleman-street ward , and beginneth also in the east , on the course of wallbrook , in lothbury , and runneth west , ( on the south side to the end of ironmongers lane , and on the north side , to the west corner of basing-hall street ; on the south side of lothbury , is the street called the old iewry ; the one half , and better , on both sides towards cheap , is of this ward . antiquities therein to be noted , are these , first , the street of lothbury , lathbery , or loadbay ; this street is possessed ( for the most part ) by founders , that cast candlesticks , chasing-dishes , spice●mortars , and such like copper or latin workes , and do after turn them with the foot , and not with the wheel , to make them smoth and bright , with turning and scrating , ( as some do term it ) making a loathsome noise to the by-passers , that have not been used to the like , and therefore by them disdainedly called lothbury . on the south side of this street amongst the founders be some fair houses and large , for merchants ; namely , one that of old time was the jews synagogue , which was defaced by the citizens of london , after that they had slain seven hundred jewes , and spoiled the re●due of their goods , in the year , the forty seventh of henry the third . and not long after , in the year , king edward the first banished the remnant of the jewes out of england , as is afore shewed . the synagogue being so suppressed , certain fryars got possession thereof ; for in the year , ( saith matthew paris ) there were seen in london a new order of fryars , called de poenitentia iesu , or fratres de sacco , because they were apparrelled in sackcloth , who had their house in london , near unto aldersgate , without the gate , and had licence of henry the third , in the four and twentieth of his reign , to remove from thence to any other place ; and in the fifty sixt , she gave unto them this iews synagogue . after which time elianor the queen , wife to edward the first , took into her protection , and warranted unto the prior and brethren de poenitentia jesu christi , of london , the said land and building in cole-church street , in the parish of saint olave in the jury and st. margaret in loathbury , by her granted , with consent of stephen de fulborn , under-warden of the bridge-house , and other brethren of that house , for threescore marks of silver , which they had received of the said prior and brethren of repentance , towards the building of the said bridge . this order of friers gathered many good schollars , and multiplyed in number exceedingly , untill the councel , of lyons ; by the which it was decreed , that ( from that time forth ) there should no more orders of begging fryers , be permitted , but only the four orders , to wit , the dominick or preachers , the minorites or gray fryers , and the augustines : and so from that time the begging fryers decreased and fell to nothing . now it fo●lowed , that in the year , robert fitzwalter , requested and obtained of the said king edward the first , that the same fryers of the sack , might assigne to the said robert , their chappel or church , of old time , called the synagogue of the iewes , near adjoyning to the then mansion house of the same robert , which was in place where now standeth the grocers hall , and the said synagogue was at the north corner of the old jury , robert large , mercer , mayor , in the year , kept his majoralty in this house , and dwelled there until his dying day . this house s●andeth , and is of two parishes , as opening into lothbury , of st. margarets parish , and opening into the old iewry , of st. olaves parish , the said robert large , gave liberally to both these parishes , but was buried at st. ol●ves . hugh clopton , mercet , maior , dwelled in this house , and kept his majoralty there : it is now a tavern , and hath to signe a wind-mill . and thus much for this house , sometimes the iews synagogue , since an house of fryers , then a noble mans house , after that , a marchants house , wherein majoralities have bin kept , and now a wine-tavern . then is the old jewry , a street so called of jews , sometime dwelling there , and near adjoyning in the parishes of st. olave , st. michael basing hall , st. martin ironmonger-lane , st. lawrence , called the jewry , and so west to wood-street . william duke of normandy , first brought them from roane to inhabit here . william rusus favoured them so far , that he sware by lukes face , his common oath , if they could overcome the christians , he would be one of their sect. henry the second , grievously punished them for corrupting his coyne . richard the first forbad jewes , and women to be present at his coronation , for fear of inchantments ; for breaking of which commandment , many jews were slain , who being ass●mbled , to present the king with some gift , one of them was ●●icken by a christian , which some unruly people perceiving , fell upon them , beat them to their houses , and brent them therein , or slew them at their comming out . also the jewes at norwich , st. edmonds bury , lincoln , stanford , and lyn , were robbed and spoyled ; and at york , to the number of five hundred , besides women and children , entred a tower of the castle , profered money to be in surety of their lives ; but the christians would not take it ; whereupon , they ●●t the throats of their own wives and children , and cast them over the walls on the christian● heads ; and then , entring the kings lodging , they burned both the house and themselves . king john in the th of his reign , commanded all the jews , both men and women , to be imprisoned , and grievously punished , because he would have all their money ; some of them gave all they had , and promised more , to escape so many kinds of torments ; for every one of them , had one of their eyes at the least plucked o●t . amongst whom there was one , which being tormented many wayes , would not ransome himself , till the king had caused ( every day ) one of his great teeth to be plucked out , by the space of seven dayes , and then he gave the king ten thousand marks of silver ; to the end , they should pull out no more , the said king at that time , spoyl●d the jews of sixty six thousand marks . the th of this king , the barons brake into the jews houses , rifled their coffers , and with the stone of their houses , repaired the gates and walls of london . king henry the third , in the th of his reign , granted to semaine , or ballaster , the house of benomie mittun the jew , in the parish of st. michael bassing-hanghe , in which the said benomy dwelt , with the fourth part of all his land in that parish , which vvilliam elie held of the fee of hugh nevel , and all the land in colemanstreet , belonging to the said benomy ; and the fourth part of the land , in the parish of st. lawrence , which was the fee of thomas buckerel , and were excheted to the king , for the murther which the said benomy committed in the city of london , to hold to the said semaine , and his heires , of the king , paying at easter , a pair of gilt spurs , and to do the servi●e thereof due unto the lords court. in the like manner , and for like services , the king granted to guso for his homage , the other part of the lands of the said benomye in st. michaels parish ; which law , the painter held , and was the kings excheter , and the lands of the said benomye , in the said parish , which vvalter turner held , and fifteen foot of land , which h●gh harman held , with fifteen iron ells of land , and an half , in the front of iron-monger-lane , in the parish of st. martin , which were the said benomyes , of the fee of the hospital of st. giles , and which adam the smith held , with two stone-houses , which were moses the jew of canterbury , in the parish of st. olave ; and which are of the fee of arnold de reus , and are the kings exchetes , as aforesaid . the th of the said henry , the jews in london , builded a synagogue , but the king commanded , it should be dedicated to our blessed lady , and after gave it to the brethren of st. anthonies of vienna , and so was it called st. anthonies hospital . this king henry founded a church and house for converted jews , in a new street by the temple , whereby it came to passe , that ( in short time ) there was gathered a great number of converts . the twentieth of this king henry , seven jews were brought from norwich , vvhich had stolen a christened child , had circumcised , and minded to have cruci●●ed him at easter , vvherefore their bodies and goods vvere at the kings pleasure : the six and twentieth , the jews vvere constrained to pay to the king , twenty thousand marks , at two termes in the year , or else to be kept in perpetual prison . the five and thirtieth , he taketh inestimable sums of money , of all rich men , namely , of aaron , a jew born at york , fourteen thousand marks for himself , and ten thousand marks for the queen ; and before , he had taken of the same jew as much , as in all , amounted to thirty thousand marks of silver , and two hund●red marks of gold to the queen . in the fortieth year , vvere brought up to vvestminster , two hundred jews from lincoln , for crucifying a child , named hugh ; eighteen of them were hang'd . the forty third , a jew at tewksbury fell into a privie on the saturday , and would not that day be taken out , for reverence of his sabbath ; wherefore richard clare , earl of gloucester , kept him there till monday , that he was dead . the forty seven , the barons slew of the jews at london , seven hundred ; the rest were spoiled , and thei●r synagogue defaced , because one jew would have forced a christian to have payd more than two shillings , for the lone of twenty shillings a week . the third of edward the first , in a parliament at london , usury was forbidden to the jews ; and that all usurers might be known , the king commanded that every usurer should weare a table on his brest , the breadth of a paveline , or else to avoid the realm . the sixth of the said king edward , a reformation was made for clipping of the kings coyn ; for which offence , two hundred sixty seven jews were drawn and hanged ; three were english christians , and other were english jews . the same year the jews crucified a child at northampton ; for the which fact , many jews at london were drawn at horses tayls , and hanged . the th of edward the first , iohn perkham , arch bishop of canterbury , commanded the bishop of london , to destroy all the jewes synagogues in his diocese . the th of the said edward , all the jews in england , were ( in one day ) apprehended by precept from the king , but they redeemed themselves for twelve thousand pounds of silver ; notwithstanding , in the nineteenth of his reign , he banished them all out of england giving them only to bear their charge , till they were out of this realm , the number of jews then expulsed , were fifteen thousand and sixty persons : the king made a mighty masse of money of their houses , which he sold , and yet the commons of england had granted , and gave him a fifteenth of all their goods , to banish them ; and thus much for the jewes . in this street called the old iewry , is a proper parish-church of st. olave upwell , so called in record , , john brian , parson of st. olave upwell , in the iewry , founded there a chauncery , and gave two messuages to that parish , the sixteenth of edward the second , and was by the said king confirmed . in this church to the commendations of the parsons and parishioners , the monuments , of the dead , remain lesse defaced than in many other . from this parish church of st. olave , to the north end of the old iewry , and from thence west to the north end of ironmonger-lane , almost to the parish church of st. martin , ( was of old time ) one large building of stone , very ancient , made in place of jews houses ; but of what antiquity , or by whom the same was builded , or for what use , is not known : more than that king henry ) the sixth , in the sixteenth of his reign , gave the office of being porter , or keeper thereof , unto john stent , for terme of his life , by the name of his principal pallace in the old jewry . this was called the old wardrobe , but of latter time , the outward strone-wall hath bin by little and little taken down , and divers fair houses builded thereupon , even round about . now or the north side of this lothbury , beginning again at the east end thereof , upon the water-course of wallbrook , have ye a proper parish church , called st. margaret , which was newly re-edified and builded , about the year . by the west end of this parish-church , have ye a fair warter-conduit , builded at the charges of the city , in the year , . next is the founders hall , a hansom house , and so to the south-west corner of basing-hall-street , have ye fair and large houses for marchants , namely , the corner-house , at the end of basings-hall-street , an old peece of work , builded of stone , sometime belonging to a certain jew , named mansere , the sonne of aaron , the sonne of coke the jew , the seventh of edward the first , since , to rahere sopers-lane , then , to simon francis. thomas bradbury , mercer , kept his majoralty there , deceased . part of this house hath bin lately imployed as a market-house for the sale of woollen bayes , watmoles , flanels , and such like . on this north side , against the old iewry , is colemanstreet , so called of coleman ▪ the first builder and owner thereof ; is also of cole-church , or coleman-church , against the great conduit in cheape : this is a fair and large street , on both sides builded with divers fair houses , besides allies with small tenements in great number , on the east side of this street , almost at the north end thereof , is the armorers-hall , which company of armorers , were made a fraternity of guild of st. george , with a chantry in the chappel of st. thomas , in pauls church , in the first of henry the sixth ; also on the same side is kings all●y , and love-lane , both containing many tenements , and on the west side , towards the south end , is the parish church of st. stephen , wherein the monuments are defaced . this church was sometime a synagogue of the jews , then a parish church , then a chappel to saint olaves in the jewry , until the seventh of edward the fourth , and was then incorporated , a parish church . of the eighteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called basings-hall-ward . the next adjoyning to coleman-street-ward , on the west side thereof , is bassings-hall-vvard , a small thing , and consisteth of one street , called basings-hall-street , of basings-hall , the most principal house , whereof the ward taketh name : it beginneth in the south , by the late spoken market house , called the bay hall , which is the last of coleman-street-vvard . this street runneth from thence north , down to london-wall , and some distance both east and west , against the said hall , and this is the bounds of basings-hall-vvard . amongst divers fair houses for marchants , have ye three halls of companies , namely , the masons hall for the first ; but of what antiquity that company is , i have not read . the next is the weavers hall , which company hath bin of great antiquity in this city , as appeareth by a charter of henry the second , in these words , rex omnibus ad quos , &c. to be englished thus . henry king of england , duke of normandy , and of guyan , earl of anjou , to the bishop , justices , sheriffs , barons , ministers , and all his true lieges of london , sendeth greeting : know ye , that we have granted to the weavers in london their guild , with all the freedoms , and customs that they had in the time of king henry my grandfather , so that they intermit none but within the city , of their craft , but he be of their guild ; neither in southwark , or other places pertaining to london , otherwise than it was done in the time of king henry my grand-father ; wherefore i will and straightly command , that over all lawfully they may treat , and have all aforesaid , as well in peace , free , worshipful , and wholly , as they had it ftreer , better , worshipfuller , and whollier than in the time of king henry my grand-father , so that they yield yearly to me , two marks of gold , at the feast of st. michael . and i forbid , that any man to them do any unright , or disease , upon pain of ten pound , &c. lower down , is the girdlers hall , and this is all touching the east side of this ward . on the west side , almost at the south end thereof is bakewell-hall , corruptly called blackwell-hall , concerning the original whereof , i have heard divers opinious , which i over-passe as fables , without colour of truth ; for though the same seemed a building of great antiquity , yet ( in mine opinion ) the foundation thereof was first laid , since the conquest of vvilliam , duke of normandy ; for the same was builded upon vaults of stone ; which stone was brought from cane in normandy : the like of that in pauls church , builded by mauritius and his successors , bishops of london ; but that this house hath bin a temple , or jewish synagogue ( as some have fantisied ) i allow not , seeing that it had no such form of roundness , or other likeness ; neither had it the form of a church , for the assembly of christians , which are builded east and west ; but contrariwise , the same was builded north and south , and in the form of a noblemans house , and therefore the best opinion ( in my judgement ) is , that it was ( of old time ) belonging to the family of the bassings , which was in this realm , a name of great antiquity and renown ; and that it beares also the name of that family , and was called therefore basings-haugh , or hall. now how bakewell-hall took that name , is another question , for which i read , that thomas bakewel dwelled in this house , in the . of edward the d , and that in the . of richard the d , the said king for the sum of . pounds , which the mayor and the communalty , had paid into the hanapar , granted licence , so much as was in him , to iohn frosh , william parker , and stephen spilman , ( citizens and mercers ) that they , the said messuage , called bakewell-hall , and one garden , with the appurtenances , in the parish of st. michael of bassings-haugh , and of st. lawrence , in the jewry of london , and one messuage , two shops , and one garden , in the said parish of st. michael , which they held of the king in burgage , might give and assign to the mayor and communalty for ever . this bakewell-hall thus established , hath bin long since imployed , as a weekly market-place for all sorts of woollen clothes , broad and narrow , brought from all parts of this realm , there to be sold. in the . of richard the second , richard whittington mayor ; and in the , drew barringtine being mayor , it was decreed , that no forraign or stranger , should sell any woollen-cloth ; but in bakewell-hall , upon pain of forfeiture thereof . this house ( of late years ) growing ruinous , and in danger of falling , richard may , merchant-taylor , at his decease , gave towards the new building of the outward part thereof , l . upon condition , that the same should be performed , within three years after his decease ; whereupon , the old bakewell-hall , was taken down , and in the moneth of february next following the foundation of a new , strong , and beautiful store-house being laid , the work thereof was so diligently applyed , that within the space of ten moneths after , to the charges of two thousand five hundred pounds , the same was finished , in the year . next beyond this house , are placed divers fair houses for marchants , and others , till ye come to the back gate of guild-hall ; which gate , and part of the building within the same , is of this ward : some small distance beyond this gate , the coopers have their common hall. then is the parish church of st. michael , called st. michael at bassings-hall , a proper church , lately re-edified or new builded . the nineteenth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called cripplegate ward . the next ward is called of cripplegate , and consisteth of divers streets and lanes , lying as well without the gate and wall of the city , as within . first , within the wall on the east part thereof , towards the north ; it runneth to the west-side of hall's ward , and towards the south , it joyneth to the ward of cheap ; it beginneth at the west end of the st. laurence church in the jury , on the north-side , and runeth west to a pumpe , where sometimes was a well with buckets , at the south corner of alderman-bury-street , which street runneth down north to gayspur lane , and to london wall , which street and lane are wholly ( on both sides ) of this ward , and so be some few houses ( on both sides ) from gayspur lane , by and against the wall of the city , east to the grates , made for the water-course of the channels , and west to the creplegate . now on the south side , from over against the west end of saint laurence church , to the pumpe , and up milke-street south unto cheap , which milke-street is wholly ( on both the sides ) of cripplegate ward , as also without the south end of milke-street , a part of west cheap , to wit , from the standard to the crosse , is all of cripplegate ward . then down great wood-street , which is wholly of this ward on both the sides thereof , so is little wood-street , which runneth down to creplegate . out of this wood-street be diver lanes , namely on the east side is lad lane , which runneth east to milke-street corner , down lower in woodstreet is love lane , which lieth by the south side of st. albans church in wood-street , and runneth down to the conduit in aldermanbury-street ; lower down in wood-street , is addle-street , out of the which runneth philip-lane , down to london wall. these be the lanes on the east-side . on the west side of wood-street , in huggen-lane , by the south side of st. michaels church & goeth thorow to gutherons lane ; then lower is maiden-lane , which runneth west to the north end of gutherons lane , and up the said lane on the east side thereof , till against kery lane , and back again , then the said maiden-lane , on the north side , goeth up to staining lane , & up a part thereof on the east side , to the farthest north part of haberdashers hall , and back again to wood-street , and there lower down is silver street , which is of this ward , till ye come to the east end of st. olaves church on the south side , and to monkes-well street , on the north side , then down the said monkes-well street on the east side thereof , and so to cripplegate , do make the bonds of this ward within the walls . of these more-feilds , you have formerly read , what a moorish rotten ground they were , unpassable , but for cawsways ; purposely made to that intent ; what they were also in our own nearer times of memory , even till sir leonard halliday was lord major of london , i am very well assured many do perfectly remember . and what they are now at this instant by the honourable cost and care of this city , and the industrious pains and diligence of that worthy citizen mr. nicolas leate , we all ( to our continuall comfort ) do evidently behold . then to turn back again , through the said posternlane to more lane , which more-lane , with all the allies and buildings there , is of this ward . after that is grub-street more rhen half thereof to the streightning of the street , next is white-crosse-street , up to the end of beech-lane , and then red-crosse-street , wholly with a part of golding-lane , even to the posts there placed , as a bounder . then is beech lane before spoken of ; the east side of the red-crosse , and the barbican-street , more than halfe thereof toward aldersgate-street . touching the antiquitie of this old aldermans-bury or court , i have not read other , then that richard kenery , one of the sheriffs of london ; in the first of richard the first , which was in the year of christ . gave to the church of saint mary at os●ey by oxford , certain grounds and rents in alderman-bury , of london , as appeareth by the register of that church , as as also entered into the hustings of the guild-hall in london . this old bery , court , or hall continued , and the courts of the major and aldermen were continually holden there , untill the new bery-court , or guild-hall that now is , was builded and finished , which hall was first begun to be founded in the year , and was not fully finished in twenty years after , the ruines of the old court hall in alderman-bury-street yet appear which of late hath bin imployed as a carpenters yard , &c. then is the parish church of st. m●ry aldermanbury , a fair church , with a church-yard and cloyster adjoyning . in the which cloyster is hanged and fastned a shanke-bone of a man ( as is said ) very great , and larger by three inches and a half , than that which hangeth in st. laurence church in the iury , for it is in length twenty eight inches and a half of assise , but not so hard and steely , like as the other ; for the same is leight , and somewhat pory and spongy . this bone is said to be found amongst the bones of men removed from the charnell house of pauls , or rather from the cloyster of pauls church . beneath this church have ye gayspur-lane , which runneth down to london wall , as is afore shewed . in this lane , at the north end thereof , was ( of old time ) a house of nuns , which house being in great decay william elsing , mercer , in the year of christ . the third of edward of the third , began in place thereof the foundation of an hospitall , for sustentation of one hundred blind men : towards the erection whereof , he gave his two houses in the parishes of st. alphage and our blessed lady in aldermanbury near cripplegate . this house was after called a priory or hospitall of st. mary the virgin , founded in the year . by w. elsing for canons regular , the which w. became the first prior there . in the same place where the aforesaid elsing spittle and priory , were formerly scituated , there is now newly erected a colledge for the clergy of london , and liberties thereof , called by the name of sion-colledge : and almes-houses for twenty poor people , ten men and ten women . this was done by the especiall care and paines of mr. iohn simson , rector of st. olaves hart-street london , one of the executors of the last will and testament of mr. thomas white , doctor in divinity , vicar of s. dunstans in the west , and one of the canons residentiary of s. pauls church london : which ore-named thomas white , ( besides sundry sums of money , and great yearly revenues given by him to pious and charitable uses in divers places ) gave three thousand pound to purchase and build the foresaid colledge for the use of the clergy , and almes-houses for the twenty poor people aforesaid . he gave also unto the said colledge , and almes-houses , a hundred sixty pound , per annum for ever ; whereof there is a hundred twenty pound yearly allowed for the maintenance of the poor almes-men and women : and forty pound yearly for four dinners for the clergy , who are to have four latine sermons in the year one every quarter , and upon these dayes are to dine together in the colledge . in the same colledge the forenamed iohn simson did in his life time , at his own proper costs and charges , build a very faire and spacious library , containing , a hundred twenty one foot in length , within the walls , and above twenty five foot in breadth . and hath furnished it with wainscot , stalls , desks , seats , and other necessary and usefull ornaments befitting the place . to this library there have been already divers bountifull , and well disposed benefactors , who have given large sums of money towards the furnishing of it with books . then is there the parish church of saint alphage ; the principall i le of this church towards the north , was pulled down , and a frame of four houses set up in the place : the other part , from the steeple upward , was converted into a parish church of s. alphage ; and the parish church which stood near unto the wall of the city by cripplegate , was pulled down ; the plot thereof made a carpenters yard , with saw-pits . the hospitall it self , the prior , and canons house , with other lodgings were made a dwelling house , the church-yard is a garden plot , and a faire gallery on the cloyster , the lodgins for the poor are translated into stabling for horses . now we will return to milk-street so call'd of milke sold there at the beginning . in this milk-street , is a small parish church of saint mary magdelen , which hath of late years been repaired . william brown , mayor . gave to this church fourty pounds , and was buried there . then next is wood-street , by what reason so called , i know not . true it is , that ( of old time ) according to a decree made in the reign of richard the first , the houses of london were builded of stone , for defence of fire , which kind of building was used for two hundred years or more , but of latter time , for the winning of ground , taken down ; and houses of timber were set up in their place . it seemeth therefore that this street hath been of the latter building , all of timber , ( for scarce one house of stone hath been known there ) and therefore called wood-street : otherwise it might take the name of some builder or owner thereof . on the east side of this street is one of the prison-houses , pertaining to the sheriffs of london , and is called the compter in wood-street , which was prepared to be a prison-house in the year . and on the eve of s. michael the archangell , the prisoners that lay in the compter in bread-street , were removed to this compter in wood-street . beneath this compter in lad-lane , or ladle hall , for so i find it of record , in the parish of saint michaell wood-street ; and beneath that is love lane , so called of wantons . by this lane is the ancient parish church of s. albans . one note of the great antiquity of it , is the name , by which it was at first dedicated to st. albanus , the first martyr of england . another character of the antiquity of it , is to be seen in the manner of the turning of the arches in the windows , and heads of the pillars . a third note , appears in the roman bricks , here and there here and there inlayed amongst the stones of the building . very probable it is , that this church is at least of as ancient a standing as king aldelstane the saxon , who , as the tradition sayes , had his house at the east end of this church . this kings house , having a door also into adel-street in this parish , gave name , as 't is thought , unto the said adel-street , which in all evidences to this day , is written king adel-street . one great square tower of this kings house seems yet remaining , to be seen at the north corner of love lane , as you come from alderman-bury ; which tower is of the very same stone and manner of building with s. albans church . there is also ( but without any outward monument ) the head of iames the fourth king of scots of that name , slain at flodden field , and buried here by this occasion : after the battell , the body of the said king being found , was closed in ●ead , and conveyed from thence to london , and so to the monastery of sheine in surrey , where it remained for a time , in what order i am not certain : but since the dissolution of that house , in the reign of edward the sixth , henry gray duke of suffolk , being lodged and keeping house there , the same body was to be shew'd , so lapped in lead , close to the head and body , thrown into a waste room amongst the old timber , lead , & other rubble ; since which time , the workmen there ( for their foolish pleasure ) hewed off his head ; and launcelot young , master glasier to queen elizabeth , feeling a sweet savour to come from thence , and seeing the same dried from all moisture , and yet the form remaining , with the hair of the head and beard red , brought it into london , to his house in woodstreet , where ( for a time ) he kept it for the sweetnesse ; but in the end , caused the sexton of that church , to bury it amongst other bones , taken out of their charnell , &c. there are divers records of a house in wood-street , then called black hall , but no man at this day can tell thereof . on the north side of this saint michaels church is maiden-lane , now so called , but ( of old time ) ingene-lane , or inglane . in this lane the wax-chaundlers have their common hall , on the the south side thereof ; and the haberdashers have their hall on the north side , at stayning-lane end . this company of the haberdashers , or hurrers , of old time so called , were incorporated a brotherhood of st. katherines , the twenty sixth of henry the sixth , and so confirmed by henry the seventh , the seventeenth of his reign ; the cappers and hat-merchants , or hurrers , being one company of haberdashers . down lower in vvood-street is silver-street ( i think , of silver-smiths dwelling there ) in which be divers fair houses . and on the north side thereof is monks-well street , so called , of a well , at the north end thereof , where the abbot of garendon had an house or cell , called saint iames in the wall by cripple-gate , and certain monks of their house were chaplains there ; wherefore the well ( belonging to that cell or hermitage ) was called monks-well , and the street of the well , monks-well street . the east side of this street down against london wall , and the south side thereof to cripple-gate , be of cripple-gate ward , as is afore-shewed . in this street , by the corner of monks-well street , is the bowyers hall. on the east side of monks-well street , be convenient alms-houses , twelve in number , founded by sir ambrose nicholas , salter , maior . . wherein he placed twelve poor and aged people rent-free , having each of them seven pence the week , and once the yeer each of them five sacks of charcoals , and one quartem of one hundred of faggots , of his gift for ever . on the north side of the way , turning towards cripple-gate , and even upon , or close to london wall , ( as it were ) are certain new erected almes-houses , six in number , of the cost and gift of mr. robert rogers , leather-seller , and very good maintenance allowed ( for ever ) to such people as are appointed to dwell in them . then , in little vvood-street , be seven proper chambers in an alley on the west side , founded for seven poor people , therein to dwell rent-free , by henry barton , skinner , maior , . now without the postern of cripple-gate , first is the parish church of saint giles , a very fair and large church , lately repaired , after that the same was burned , in the yeer , the thirty seventh of henry the eighth , by which mischance , the monuments of the dead in this church are very few . in vvhite crosse-street king henry the fifth builded a fair house , and founded there a brotherhood of s. giles to be kept , which house had sometime been an hospitall of the french order , by the name of saint giles without cripple-gate . in the reign of edward the first , the king having the jurisdiction , and pointing a custos thereof , for the precinct of the parish of saint giles , &c. which hospitall being suppressed , the lands were given to the brotherhood for relief of the poor . one alley , of divers tenements , over against the north wall of saint giles church-yard , was appointed to be alms-houses , for the poor , wherein they dwelled rent-free , and otherwise were releeved ; but the said brotherhood was suppressed by henry the eighth , since which time , sir iohn gresham , maior , purchased the lands , and gave part thereof to the maintenance of a free school , which he had founded at holt , a market-town in norfolk . in red crosse-street , on the west side from s. giles church-yard , up to the said crosse , be many fair houses builded outward , with divers alleys , turning into a large plot of ground , of old time called the iews garden , as being the only place appointed them in england , wherein to bury their dead , till the year , the twenty fourth of henry the second , that it was permitted them ( after long suit to the king and parliament at oxford ) to have a speciall place assigned them in every quarter where they dwelled . on the east side of this red crosse-street , be also divers fair houses , up to the crosse , and there is beech-lane , peradventure so called of nicholas de la beech , lievtenant of the tower of london , put out of that office in the thirteenth of edward the third . this lane stretcheth from red crosse-street to vvhite crosse-street , replenished not with beech trees , but with beautifull houses of stone , brick , and timber : amongst the which was ( of old time ) a great house pertaining to the abbot of ramsey , for his lodging , when he repaired to the city ; it is now called drewry house , of sir drew drewry , who dwelt there . on the north side of this beech-lane , towards vvhite crosse street , the drapers of london have lately builded eight alms-houses of brick and timber , for eight poor widows of their own company , whom they placed there rent-free . then is golding-lane : richard gallard of islington esquire , citizen and painter-stainer of london , founded thirteen alms-houses , for so many poor people placed in them rent-free . he gave to the poor of the same alms-houses , two pence the peece weekly , and a load of charcoals among them yeerly for ever : he left fair lands about islington , to maintain his foundation . t. hayes , sometime chamberlain of london , in the latter time of henry the eighth , married elizabeth , his daughter and heir , which hayes and elizabeth had a daughter named elizabeth , married to iohn ironmonger , of london mercer , who had the ordering of the alms-people . on the west side of red crosse-street , is a street called the barbican , because sometime there stood on the north side thereof a burghkenning or vvatch-tower of the city , called in some language a barbican , as a bikening is called beacon . this burgh-kenning , by the name of the mannour of base court , was given by edward the third , to robert ufford earl of suffolk , and was afterward pertaining , to peregrine barty , lord vvilloughby of ersby . next adjoyning to this , is one other great house , called garter place , sometime builded by sir thomas vvrithe , or vvrithesly , knight , aliàs garter , principall king of arms , second son of sir iohn vvrithe , knight , aliàs garter , and was uncle to the first thomas , earl of southampton , knight of the garter , and chancellor of england : he built this house , and in the top thereof a chappell , which he dedicated by the name of s. trinitatis in alto. of the twentieth ward , or aldermanry , of the city of london , call●d aldersgate ward . the next is aldersgate ward , taking name of that north gate of the city : this ward also consisteth o● divers streets and lanes , lying as well within the gate and wall , as without , and first , to speak of that part within the gate , thus it is , the east part thereof joyneth unto the west part of cripplegate ward , in engain lane , or maiden lane ; it beginneth on the north side of that lane , at staining lane end runneth up , from the haberdashers hall , to st. mary staining church , and by the church east , winding almost to wood street ; and west through oate lane ; and then by the south side of bacon house in noble-street , back again by lilipot lane , which is also of that ward , to maiden lane ; and so on that north side west to saint iohn zacharies church , and to foster lane . now on the south side of engain or maiden lane , is the west side of gutherons lane . to kery lane and kery lane it self ( which is of this ward ) and back again into engain lane , by the north side of the goldsmiths hall , to foster lane are almost wholly of this ward : which beginneth in the south toward cheap on the east side by the north side of saint fosters church , and runneth down north west by the east end of engain lane by lilipot lane , and oate lane , to noble-street , and through that by shelly house , ( of old time so called , as belonging to the shellies ) sir thomas shelley knight , was owner thereof in the first of henry the fourth . it is now called bacon-house , because the same was new builded by sir nicholas bacon , lord-keeper of the great seal ; down on that side by serjeant fleet-woods house , recorder of london , who also new builded it to saint olaves church in silver-street , which is by the north-west end of this noble-street . then have ye maine street of this ward , which is called saint martins lane , in cluding saint martin , on the east side thereof ; and so down on both the sides to aldersgate . and these be the bounds of this ward , within the wall and gate . without the gate , the main street called aldersgate-street , runneth up north on the east side to the west end of hounds-ditch or barbican-street ; a part of which street , is also of this ward ; and on the west side to long-lane , a part whereof is likewise of this ward . beyond the which aldersgate , is goswell street up to the barrs . and on the west side of hidersgate street , by saint buttolphs church , is briton-street which runneth west to a pumpe , and then north to the gate , which entreth the church-yard , sometimes pertaining to the priory of saint bartholomews on the east side & on the west side towards st. bartholomews spittle , to a paire of posts there fixed . and these be the bounds of this aldersgate ward without . the antiquities be these , first in stain●ng lane , of old time so called , as may be supposed of painter-stainers dwelling there . on the east side thereof , adjoyning to the aaberdashers hall , be ten almes-houses , pertaining to the haberdashers ; wherein be placed ten almes people of that company , every of them having eight pence the peece every friday for ever , by the gift of thomas huntlow , haberdasher , one of the sheriffs , in the year , . then is the small parish church of saint mary , called staining , because it standeth , at the north end of staining lane . then is engain lane , or maiden lane ; and , at the north-west corner thereof , the parish church of st. john zachary , a fair church , with the monuments well preserved , of thomas lichfield who founded a chancery there , in the fourteenth of edward the second . on the east side of this foster lane , at engane lane end , is goldsmiths hall , a proper house , but not large ; and therefore to say ▪ that bartholmew read goldsmith , mayor in the year kept such a feast in this hall , as some have fabuled , is far incredible , and altogether unpossible , considering the smallnesse of the hall , & number of the guests , which as they say , were more than one hundred persons of great estate ; but of late years the said goldsmiths hall is much enlarged and in a stately and sumptuous manner , in so much that it may compare with any other hall in london . then at the north end of noble-street , is the parish church of st. olave in silver-street , a small thing . on the west side of foster-lane , is the small parish church of st. leonards , for them of st. martins le grand . a number of tenements being lately builded in place of the great collegiate church of st. martin : that parish is mightily encreased . then in pope-lane , so called of one pope that was owner thereof ▪ on the north side is the parish church of saint anne in the willowes , so called , i know not upon what occasion , but some say , of willowes growing thereabouts , but now there is no such void place for willowes to grow , more than the church-yard , wherein do grow some high ash-trees to this day . then in st. martins lane was ( of old time ) a fair and large colledge , of a dean and secular canons or priests , and was called saint martins le grand , founded by ingelricus , and edwardus his brother , in the year of christ , and confirmed by william the conqueror , as appeareth by his charter , dated . this colledge claimed great priviledges of sanctuary , and otherwise , as appeareth in a book written by a notary of that house , about the year the nineteenth of henry the sixth : wherein , amongst other things , is set down and declared that on the first of september , in the year aforesaid , a souldier , prisoner in newgate , as he was led by an officer towards the guild-hall of london , there came out of panyer alley five of his fellowship , and took him from the officer , brought him into sanctuary , at the west door of st. martins church , and took grithe of that place ; but the same day philip malpas , & robert marshall , then sheriffs of london , with many other entred the said church , and forcibly took out with them the said five men thither fled , led them fettered to the counter , and from thence chained by the necks to newgate : of which violent taking , the dean and chapter in large manner complained to the king , and required him as their patron , to defend their priviledges , like as his predecessors had done , &c. all which complaint and suite , the citizens by their counsel markham serjeant at the law , iohn carpenter common clerk of the city , and others , learnedly answered , offering to prove , that the said place of st. martin had no such immunity or liberty , as was pretended . notwithstanding , after long debating of this controversie , by the kings commandment , & assent of his councel in the starr-chamber , the chancellour and treasurer , sent a writ unto the sheriffs of london , charging them to bring the said five persons , with the cause of their taking and withholding , afore the king in his chancery on the vigil of alhallowes : on which day , the said sheriffs , with the recorder and counsel of the city , brought and delivered them accordingly , afore the said lords ; where the chancellour , after he had declared the kings commandement , sent them to st. martins , there to abide freely , as in a place having franchises , whiles them liked , &c. without aldersgate on the east side of aldersgate-street , is the cookes hall , which cooks ( or pastlers ) were admitted to be a company , and to have a master and wardens , in the two and twentieth of edward the fourth ; from thence , along unto houndsditch , or barbican street , be many fair houses ; on the west side also , be the like fair buildings , till ye come to long-lane , and so to goswell street . in britaine street , which took that name of the duke of britain lodging there , is one proper parish church of st. buttolph ; in which church was sometime a brotherhood of st. fabian and sebastian , founded in the year , the fifty one of edward the third ; and confirmed by henry the fourth in the sixth of his reign . then henry the sixth in the twenty fourth of his reign , to the honour of the trinity , gave licence to dame joane astley , sometime his nurse , to r. cawood and t. smith , to found the same a fraternity perpetually , to have a master and two custos with brethren and sisters ; this brotherhood was endowed with lands , more than thirty pounds by the year , and was suppressed by edward the sixth . of the one and twentieth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called faringdon ward intra . on the south side of aldersgate ward , lyeth faringdon ward , called intra , or within , for a difference from another ward of that name , which lyeth without the walls of the city , and is therefore called farringdon extra . these two wards ( of old time ) were but one , and had also but one alderman ; the whole great ward of faringdon , both intra and extra took name of w. farrendon goldsmith , alderman of that ward , and one of the sheriffs of london , in the year , the ninth of edward the first ; he purchased the aldermanry of this ward , as by the abstract of deeds which are yet extant , may appear . at the south-west corner of wood-street , is the parish church of st , peter the apostle , by the said crosse : a proper church . john sha goldsmith , mayor , deceased , appointed by his testament , the said church and steeple to be new builded of his goods , with a flat roof . notwithstanding , tho. wood goldsmith , one of the sheriffs , is accounted a principal benefactor , because the roof of the middle isle is supported by images of woodmen , thought to be at his charge . the long shop , or shed encroaching on the high-street before this church wall , was licenced to be made in the year , yielding to the chamber of london three shillings four pence yearly for the time . also the same shop was letten by the parish , for three pounds at the most , many years since . then is guthuruns lane , so called of guthurun , sometime owner thereof , the inhabitants of this lane ( of old time ) were gold-beaters , as doth appear by records in the exchequer . for , the easterling money , was appointed to be made of fine silver , such as men made into foyle , and was commonly called silver of gu●hrons lane , &c. the imbroyderers hall is in this lane , iohn throwstone imbroyderer , then goldsmith , sheriff , deceasing . gave forty pound towards the purchase of this hall ; hugon lane on the east side , and key lane called of one kery on the west . then in the high street on the same north side , is the sadlers hall , and then foster-lane , so called , of saint fosters , a fair church , lately new builded . henry coote goldsmith , one of the sheriffs , deceased , builded st. dunstans chappel there . iohn throwstone , one of the sheriffs , gave to the building thereof one hundred pounds by his testament . john brown sergeant-painter alderman , deceased , was a great benefactor , and was there buried . william trist selerar to the king . john standelf goldsmiths , lye buried there . richard galder , agnes wife to william milbourne , chamberlain of london , . in this west side is the barber chirurgions hall ; this company was incorporated by means of thomas morestead , esquire , one of the sheriffs of london , a thousand four hund●ed thirty six ; chirurgion to the kings of england , henry the fourth , fifth , and sixth he deceased . then jaques fries , physitian to edward the fourth , and william hobbs , physician and chirurgion to the same kings body , continuing the suite the full terme of twenty years . edward the fourth in the second of his reign , and richard duke of glocester became founders of the same corporation , in the parish of saint cosme and damiane . the first assembling of that mystery was by roger strippe , william hobbs , thomas goddard , and richard kent , since the which time they builded their hall in that street , &c. at the north corner of this street , on the same side , was sometime an hermitage , or chappel of saint james called in the wall , near creplegate , it belonged to the abbey and covent of garadon , as appeareth by a record the seven and twentieth of edward the first ; and also the fiftieth of edward the third , william de lions was hermit there , and the abbot and convent of garadon found two chaplains cesterc●an monkes of their house , in this hermitage one of them , for aymor de valence earl of pembrooke , and mary de saint paul his countesse . of these monks , and of a well pertaining to them , the street took that name , and is called monkes-well street . this hermitage with the appurrenances , was in the reign of edward the sixth , purchased from the said king by w. lambe , one of the gentlemen of the kings chappel , citizen , and cloth-worker of london ; he deceased in the year , and then gave it to the cloth-workers of london , with other tenements to the value of fifty pounds the year , to the intent they shall hire a minister , to say divine service there . again , to the high street of cheap , from foster lane end , to st. martins , and by that lane to the shambles or flesh-mark●t , on the north side whereof is pentecost lane , containing divers slaughter-houses for the butchers . then was there of old time , a hansome parish church of saint nicholas , whereof the said flesh-market took the name , and was called saint nicholas shambles . this church with the tenements and ornaments , was by henry the eighth given to the mayor and communalty of the city , towards the maintenance of the new parish church , then to be erected in the late dissolved church of the gray fryers , so was this church dissolved and pulled down , in place whereof , and of the church-yard ; many fair houses are now builded , in a court with a well , in the middest whereof the church stood . then is stinking lane , formerly so called , or chick lane , at the east end of the gray fryers church , it is now kept clean , and free from annoyance , and called by the name of butchers hall lane , for there is the butchers hall. in the third of richard the second , motion was made , that no butcher should kill any flesh within london , but at knightsbridge , or such like distant place from the walls of the city . then is there the late dissolved church of gray fryars , the originall whereof was thus ; in the year , being the th year of the reign of king henry the d , there came out of italy nine fryers of the order of the franciscans , or frior minors ; five whereof were priests , and the other four lay-men ; the priests placed themselves at canterbury in kent , but the other four came to london , and were lodged ( for some short while ) among the preaching fryers , who lived then in oldburn , now holborne , afterwards , they obtained to be placed in cornhil london , man house belonging to one iohn travers , who was then one of the sheriffs of london , in the same year in which house they made themselves cells , and inhabited there for a certain time , till their number so encreased , and the citizens devotion grew to be so great , that ( within few years after ) they were thence removed , by the means of one iohn ewin mercet , who purchased a void plot of ground , near to st. nicholas shambles , where to erect an house for the said fryers . divers citizens seemed herein to joyn with the said iohn ewin , and erected there very beautiful buildings , upon the same ground so formerly purchased by john ewin , and a great part builded at his own charge , which he appropriated to the communalty of london , and then entred into the same order of friers , as a lay-brother himself . this whole church contained in length three hundred foot , of the feet of st. paul , in breadth eighty nine foot , and in heighth from the ground to the roof , sixty four foot , and two inches , &c. it was consecrated , and at the generall suppression , was valued at thirty two pound , nineteen shillings ; and surrendred the twelfth of november , the thirty of henry the eighth : the ornaments and goods being taken to the kings use , the church was shut up for a time ▪ and used as a store-house of goods taken prizes from the french , but in the year , on the third of january , it was again set open , on the which day preached at pauls crosse the bishop of rochester , where he declared the kings gift thereof to the city , for the relieving of the poor ; which gift was inroll'd by patents . st. bartholmews spittle in smithfield , lately valued at three hundred five pounds : six shillings , seven pence , and surrendred to the king , was of the said church of the gray fryars and of two parish churches the one of st. nicholas in the shambles , and the other of st. ewins in newgate-market ; they were to be made one parish church , in the said fryers church : in lands he gave for maintenance of the said church , with divine service , reparations , &c. five hundred marks by year for ever . the thirteenth of january , the thirty eighth of henry the eighth , an agreement was made betwixt the king and the mayor , and communalty of london , dated the twenty seven of december , by which the said gift of the gray fryers church , with all the edifices and ground , the fratrie , the library , the portar , and chapter house , the great cloistry and the lesser , tenements , gardens , and vacant grounds , lead , stone , iron , &c. the hospitall of st. bartholmew in west smithfield ▪ the church of the same , the lead , bells , and ornaments of the same hospitall , with all the messuages tenements and appurtenances . the parishes of saint nicholas and of saint ewin , and so much of saint sepulchres parish as is within newgate , were made one parish church in the grey fryers church , and called christs church , founded by king henry the eighth . in the year , began the repairing of the gray fryars house , for the poor fatherlesse children ; and in the month of november , the children were taken into the same , to the number of almost four hundred . on christmas day in the afternoon , while the lord mayor and aldermen rod to pauls , the children of christs hospital stood , from saint lawrence lane end in cheap towards pauls , all in one livery of russet cotton , three hundred and forty in number , and in the easter next they were in blue at the spittle , and so have continued ever since . for these sorts of poor , three several houses were provided . first , for the innocent and fatherlesse , which is the beggars child , they provided the house that was the late gray fryers in london , and called it by the name of christs hospitall , where poor children are trained up in the knowledge of god , and some vertuous exercises , to the overthrow of beggary . for the second degree , was provided , the hospitals of saint thomas in southwark , and saint bartholmew in west smithfield , where are continually , ( at least ) two hundred diseased persons , which are not only there lodged and cured , but also fed and nourished . for the third degree , they provided bridewell , where the vagabond and idle strumpet is chastised , and compelled to labour , to the overthrow of the vicious life of idlenesse . they provided also for the honest decayed housholder , that he should be relieved at home at his house , and in the parish where he dwelled , by weekly relief and pension ; and in like manner they provided for the lazer , to keep him out of the city , from clapping of dishes and ringing of bells , to the great trouble of the citizens , & also to the dangerous infection of many , that they should be relieved at home at their houses by several pensions . st. bartholmewes hospital is incorporated by the name of mayor , communalty , and citizens of the city of london , governours of the hospital for the poor , called little st. bartholmews , near to west smithfield , of the foundation of king henry the eighth . christs hospitall , bridewell , and saint thomas the apostle in southwarke , are incorporated , by the names of the mayor , communalty , and citizens of london , governours of the possessions , revenues , a●d goods of the hospitals of edward king of england the sixth , of christ , bridewell , and saint thomas the apostle , &c. this church was full of many great monuments , as of the lady margaret daughter to philip of france , and wife to edward the first . of queen isabel wife to edward the second . of joane queen of the scots , wife to david bruce . of isabel , daughter to edward the third . of eleanor dutchesse of britain . of the lady beatrix , dutchesse of britain , daughter to henry the third . of roger mortimer , earl of march. of john hastings earl of pembrook . of john duke of bourton , who had been taken prisoner at agencourt , with divers other great personages . there is lately erected there in the south end of the chancel and extraordinary hansome monument to the lady venetia stanley , wife to the noble knight sir kenelme digby . now for the south side of this ward , beginning again at the crosse in cheap , from thence to fryday-street , and down that street on the west side , till over against the north-west corner of saint matthewes church ; and on the west side , to the south corner of the said church , is wholly in the ward of faringdon . from this fryday-street west , to the old exchange , a street so called of kings exchange there kept , which was for the receipt of bullion , to be coyned . for henry the third , in the sixth year of his reign , wrote to the scahines , and men of ipre● that he and his councel had given prohibition , that no englishmen , or other should make change of plate , or other masse of silver , but only in his exchange at london , or at canterbury ; andrew bukerel , then had to ●arm the exchange of england & was maior of london ; in the reign of henry the third , iohn somercote , had the keeping of the kings exchange overall england . in the eighth of edward the first , gregory rock●ley , was keeper of the said exchange for the king● in the fi●th of edward the second , william hausted was keeper thereof ; and in the eighteenth , roger de frowick , &c. these received the old stamps , or coyning-irons , from time to time , as the same were worn , and delivered new to all the mints in england . this street beginneth by vvest-cheap in the north , and runneth down south , to knight-rider-street-that part thereof which is called old fish-street : but the very housing and office of the exchange and coynage , was about the midst thereof , south from the east gate , that entreth pauls church-yard , and on the west side , in baynards-castle ward . on the east side of this lane , betwixt west-cheap , and the church of st. augustine , henry vvalleis mayor , ( by licence of edward the first ) builded one row of houses , the profits rising of them to be imployed on london bridge . the parish-church of st. augustine , and one house next adjoyning , in vvathing-street , is of this ward called faringdon . then is the north church-yard of pauls , in the which standeth the cathedral church first founded by ethelbert , king of kent , about the year of christ . he gave lands thereunto , as appeareth , ethelbertus , rex , deo inspirante , pro animae suae remedio , dedit episcopo melito terram quae appellatur tillingeham , ad monasteris sui solatium ▪ scilicet , s. pauli , &c. ego rex ethelbertus ita firmiter concedo tibi praesuli melito potestatem ejus habendi & possidendi ut in perpetuum in monasterii utilitate permaneas , &c. athelstan , edgar , edward the confessor , and others also , gave lands thereunto . william the conqueror , gave to the church of st. paul , and to mauricius , then bishop , and his successors , the castle of stortford ▪ with the appurtenances , &c. he also confirmed the gifts of his predecessors , in these words , ut habeant quiet as in perpetuum , . hidas quas rex athelbert dedit s. paulo juxta murum london , &c. the charter of king william the conqueror , exemplified in the tower , englished thus . william , by the grace of god , king of englishmen , to all his well-beloved french and english people , greeting : know ye , that i do give unto god , and the church of st. paul of london , and to the rectors and servi●ors of the same , in all other lands which the church hath , or shall have , within borough , and without , sack and sock , thole and the , infangtheef , and grithbirche , and all free sh●ps by sea , and by land , on tide , and off-tide , and all the rights that unto them christendom by rad and more speak , and on buright hamed , and on buright work , afore all the bishopricks in mine land , and on each other mans land. for i will , that the church in all things , be as free , as i would my soul to be in the day of iudgement . in the year . this church of st. paul , was burnt with fire , and therewith the most part of the city ; which fire began at the entry of the west gate , and consumed the east gate . mauricius then bishop , began therefore the foundation of a new church of st. paul , a work , that men ( of that time ) judged ▪ would ne●er have bin finished , it was to them so wonderful for length and breadth ; and also the same was builded upon arches ( or vaults ) of stone , for defence of fire , which was a manner of work ( before that time ) unknown to the people of this nation , and then brought in by the french , and the stone was fetch'd from cane in normandy . the steeple of this church was builded and finished in the year . the crosse on the said steeple fell down , and a new was set up in the year . the new work of pauls ( so called ) at the east end abo●e the quite , wa● begun in the year . henry lacy , earl of lincoln , constable of chester , and custos of england , in his time was a great benefactor to this work , and was there buried , in the year . the first of february , in the year . about two of the clock in the after-noon , the steeple of pauls was fired by lightning , in the midst of the shaft , or spire , both on the west side , and on the south ; but by labour of many well dispo●ed people , the same was ( to appearance ) quenched with vineger . this steeple was repaired in the year . and the weather-cock again erected , robert goodwin winding it up , the rope brake , and he was destroyed on the pinacles , and the cock was sore bruised ; but b●rchwood ( the kings plummer ) set it up again ; since the which time , needing reparation , it was both taken down and set up in the year . at which time it was found to be of copper , gilt over , and the length from the bill to the tail , being four foot , and the breadth over the wings , three foot and a half , it weighed forty pounds , the crosse from the bole , to the eagle ( or cock ) was fifteen foot and six inches of assize ; the length thereof , overthwart , was five foot and ten inches , and the compass of the bole was nine foot and one inch . the inner body of this crosse was oak , the next cover was lead , and the outermost was of copper red varnished . the bole and eagle , or cock , were of copper , and gilt also . the height of the steeple was foot , whereof the stone-work was foot , and the spire was likewise foot. the length of the whole church is taylors yards , which make foot. the breadth thereof is foot , and the heighth of the body of that church , is foot. the colledge of petty cannons there , was founded by king richard the second , in honour of queen anne his wife , and of her progenitors , in the seventeenth of his reign . their hall and lands was then gi●en unto them , as appeareth by the patent , robert dokesworth , then being master thereof . in the year . the petty canons then building their colledge , the maior and communalty granted them their water-courses , and other easements . there was also one great cloyster , on the north side of this church , invironing a plot of ground of old time called pardon church-yard , whereof thomas moore , dean of pauls , was either the first builder , or a most special benefactor , and was buried there . about this cloyster , was artificially , and richly painted the dance of mochabray , or dance of death , commonly called the dance of pauls , the like whereof was painted about s. innocents cloyster , at paris in france ; the meeters or poesie of this dance , were translated out of french into english , by iohn lidgate , monk of berry , the picture of death leading all estates . in the midst of this pardon church-yard , was also a fair chappel , first founded by gilbert becket , portgrave , and principal magistrate of this city , in the reign of king stephen , who was there buried . there was also a chappel at the north door of pauls , founded by walter sherington , by licence of henry the sixth . there was furthermore , a fair chappel of the holy ghost , in pauls church , on the north side , ●ounded in the year , by roger holmes , chancellor , and prebendary of pauls . then under the quire of pauls , is a large chappel , first dedicated to the name of iesu , founded , or rather confirmed the . of henry the sixth , as appeareth by his parent thereof , dared at crowdown to this effect . many liege-men and christian people , having begun a fraternity and guild , to the honour of the most glorious name of jesu christ , our saviour , in a place called the crowds of the cathedral church of pauls in london , which hath continued long time peaceably , till now of late ; whereupon they have made request , and we have taken upon us , the name and charge of the foundation , to the laud of almighty god , the father , the son , and the holy ghost ; and especially , to the honour of jesu , in whose honour the fraternity was begun , &c. at the west end of this iesus chappel , under the quire of pauls , also was , and is , a parish-church of st. faith , commonly called st. faith under pauls , which served ( as still it doth ) for the stationers and others , dwelling in pauls church-yard ▪ pater noster rowe , and the places near adjoyning . the said chappel of jesus , being suppressed in the reign of edward the sixth , the parishioners of st. faiths church were removed into the same , as to a place more sufficient for largeness and lightsomness , in the year . and so it remaineth . in the east part of this church-yard standeth pauls school , lately new builded , and endowed in the year . by john collet , doctor of divinity , and dean of pauls , for a hundred fifty three poor mens children , to be taught free in the same school ; for which he appointed a master , a sub-master or usher , and a chaplain , with large stipends for ever , committing the over-sight thereof , to the masters , wardens , and assistants of the mercers in london , because he was son to henry collet , mercer , sometime maior . near unto this school , on the north side thereof , was ( of old time ) a great and high clochier , or bell-house , foure square , builded of stone , and in the same , a most strong frame of timber , with four bells , the greatest of england : these were called jesus bells , and belonging to jesus chappel : the same had a great spire of timber , covered with lead , with the image of st. paul , on the top , but was pulled down by sir miles partridge knight , in the reign of henry the eighth : the common speech then was , that he did set one hundred pounds , upon a cast at dice against it , & so won the said clochier and bells of the king , & then causing the bells to be broken as they hung , the rest was pulled down : this man was afterward executed on the tower-hill , for matters concerning the duke of summerset , the fifth of edward the sixth . in the year . the fourth of june , betwixt the houres of three and four of the clock in the afternoon , the great spire of the steeple of st. pauls church , was fired by lightening , which brake forth ( as it seemed ) two or three yards beneath the foot of the crosse , and from thence it burnt downward the spire to the battlements , stone-work , and bells , so furiously , that within the space of four houres , the same steeple , with all the roofs of the church , were consumed , to the great sorrow , and perpetual remembrance of the beholders ; after this mischance , the queen elizabeth directed her letters to the maior , willing him to take order for speedy repairing of the same ; and she , of her gracious disposition , for the furtherance thereof , did presently give , and deliver in gold , one thousand marks , with a warrant for a thousand loads of timber , to be taken out of her woods , or else-where . the citizens also gave first a great benevolence , and after that three fifteens to be speedily paid . the clergy of england , within the province of canterbury , granted the fortieth part of the value of their benefices , charged with first fruits , the thirtieth part of such as were not so charged ; but the clergy of london dioces , granted the thirtieth part of all that payd first fruits , and the twentieth part of such as had paid their fruits . six citizens of london , and two petty canons of pauls church , had charge to further and oversee the work , wherein such expedition was used , that within one moneth next following the burning thereof , the church was covered with boards and lead , in manner of a false roof , against the weather , and before the end of the said year , all the said iles of the church ▪ were framed out of new timber , covered with lead , and fully finished . pauls church was full of great monuments , the ancientest are of king sibba , and king ethelred , two saxon k●ngs : there are two ancient bishops of london , viz. erkenvald , and william norman , who being of the privy councel to william the conqueror , not only preserved , by his mediation , the old pri●iledges of london , but got them inlarged ; whereupon , it was the custom of the lord maior and aldermen , upon solemn dayes , when they came to pauls to walk to the graves stone , where this bishop lay ; and sir edward barkham , caused a table to be hung up there with verses thereupon , called the monument of gratitude . touching other remarkable peeces of antiquity , which belong to st. pauls church , i leave them to such a person of knowledge and industry , who may haply make it his sole task to preserve the memory of so stately a temple from the injury of time . without the north gate of pauls church , from the end of the old exchange , west up pater noster rowe , by the two lanes out of pauls church , the first out of the crosse isle of pauls , the other out of the body of the church , about the midst thereof , and so west to the golden lyon , be all of this ward , as is aforesaid : the houses in this street from the first north gate of pauls church-yard , unto the next gate , were first builded without the wall of the church-yard , by henry walleis mayor , in the year . the rest of those houses go to the maintenance of london-bridge . this street is now called pater noster rowe , because of stationers , or text-writers , that dwelled there , who wrote , and sold all sorts of books then in use , namely , a. b. c. with the pater noster , ave , creed , graces , &c. there dwelled also turners of beads , and they were called pater noster makers . at the end of this pater noster rowe , is ave-mary lane , so called upon the like occasion , of text-writers , and bead-makers then dwelling there . and at the end of that lane , is likewise creed-lane , lately so called , but sometime spurrier rowe , of spurriers dwelling there ; and amen-lane is added thereunto , betwixt the south end of warwick-lane , and the north end of ave mary lane. at the north end of ave mary lane , is one great house , builded of stone and timber , of old time pertaining to iohn duke of britain , earl of richmond , as appeareth by the records of edward the second ; since that , it was called pembrooks inne , near unto ludgate , as belonging to the earls of pembrooke , in the times of richard the second , the eighteenth year , and of henry the sixth , in the fourteenth year : it was after called aburgaveny house , and belonged to henry , late lord of aburgaveny ; but the company of stationers have since purchased it , and made it the hall for the meeting of their society , converting the stone-work into a new fair frame of timber , and applying it to such serviceable use , as themselves have thought convenient . betwixt the south end of ave mary lane , and the north end of creed-lane , is the comming out of pauls church-yard , on the east , and the high street on the west , towards ludgate , and this was called bowyer roue , of bowyers dwelling there in old time , now worn out by mercers and others . in this street , on the north side , is the parish church of st. martin , wherein there are divers hansom monuments , and epitaphs . on the south side of this street , is the turning into the black fryers , which order ( sometime ) had their houses in old-born , where they remained for the space of five and fifty years , and then , in the year . gregory rocksley , mayor , and the barons of this city , granted and gave to robert kilwarby , arch bishop of canterbury , two lanes or wayes next the street of baynards castle ; and also the tower of mount fitchet , to be destroyed ; in place of which , the said robert , builded the late new church of the black-fryers , and placed them therein ; king edward the first , and eleanor his wife , were great benefactors thereunto : this was a large church , and richly furnished with ornaments , wherein divers parliaments , and other great meetings have been holden ; namely , in the year ▪ the twenty eighth of henry the sixth , a parliament was begun at vvestminster , and adjourned to the black fryers in london , and from thence to leicester . in the year one thousand five hundred twenty two , the emperor charls the fifth , was lodged there . in the year one thousand five hundred twenty foure , the fifteenth of april , a parliament was begun at the black fryers , wherein was demanded a subsidy of . pounds , to be raised of goods and lands , four shillings in every pound ; and in the end , was granted two shillings of the pound , of their goods and lands , that were worth twenty pound , or might dispend twenty pounds by the year , and so upward , to be paid in two years . this parliament was adjourned to vvestminster , amongst the black monks , and ended in the kings palace there , the th of august , at nine of the clock in the night , and was therefore called the black parliament . the same year , in the moneth of october , began a parliament in the black fryers ; in the which , cardinal vvoolsey was condemned in the premunire : this house , valued at a hundred and four pound , fifteen shillings five pence , was surrendred the th of november , the th of henry the th . now to turn again to the black fryers , through bowyer rowe , ave mary lane , and pater noster rowe , to the church of st. michael ad bladum , or at the corn , ( corruptly , at the querne ) so called , because in place thereof , was sometime a corn-market , stretching up west to the shambles ; it seemeth , that this church was new builded , about the reign of edward the third , thomas newton , first parson there , was buried in the quire , in the year . at the east end of this church stood a crosse , called the old crosse , in west cheap , which was taken down in the year . since the which time , the said parish church was also taken down , but new builded , and enlarged in the year . the eighth of henry the sixth , vvilliam eastfield mayor , and the communalty , granted of the common ground of the city , three foot and an half in breadth , on the north part , and four foot in breadth toward the east , for the inlarging thereof . at the west end of this parish church , is a small passage for people on foot , thorow the same church , and west from the said church , some distance , is another passage out of pater noster rowe , and is called ( of such a signe ) panyer alley , which commeth out into the north , over against saint martins lane. next is ivy lane , so called of ivy , growing on the walls of the prebends houses ; but now the lane is replenished on both the sides , with fair houses , and di●ers offices have bin there kept , by registers , namely , for the prerogative court of the arch bishop of canterbury , the probate of wills , which is now removed into warwick lane ; and also for the lord treasurers remembrance of the exchequer , &c. this lane runneth north , to the westend of st. nicholas shambles : of old time there was one great house , sometimes belonging to the earls of brita●n ; since that , to the lovels , and was called lovels inne . then is eldenesse lane , which stretcheth north to the high street of newgate market , the same is now called warwick lane , of an ancient house there builded by an earl of warwick , and was since called warwick inne : it is in record , called a messuage in eldenesse lane ▪ in the parish of st. sepulchre : the twenty eighth of henry the sixth , cicilie , dutchesse of vvarwick possessed it . now again , from the conduit by pauls gate , on the north side , is a large street , running west to newgate ; the first part whereof , from the conduit to the shambles , ( of selling bladders there ) called bladder-street : then behind the butchers shops , be now divers slaughter-houses inward , and tipling-houses outward : this is called mount goddard-street , of the tipling-houses there , and the goddards mounting from the tap to the table , from the table to the mouth , and sometimes over the head. this street goeth up to the north end of ivy lane ; before this mount-goddard street , stall-boards were of old time set up by the butchers , to shew , and to sell their flesh meat upon , over the which stall-boards ; they first builded sheds , to keep off the weather ; but since that , ( incroaching by little and little ) they have made their stall-boards and sheds , fair houses , meet for the principal shambles . next is newgate market , first of corn and meale , and then of other victuals , which stretcheth almost to eldenese-lane , a fair new and strong frame of timber , covered with lead , was therefore set up at the charges of the city : near to the west corner of st. nicholas shambles , for the meal to be weighed , in the first of edward the sixth , sir iohn gresham being then mayor . on this side the north corner of eldenese lane , stood sometime a proper parish-church of st. ewine , as is before said , given by henry the eighth towards the erecting of christs church . it was taken down , and in place thereof , a fair strong frame of timber erected , wherein dwell men of divers trades , and from this frame to newgaete ▪ is all of this ward , and so an end thereof . of the two and twentieth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called bread-street ward . then is bread-street it self , so called , of bread in old time there sold , for it appeareth by records , that in the year , which was the thirty of edward the first the bakers of london were bounden to sell no bread in their shops or houses , but in the market , and that they should have four hall-motes in the year , at four several terms , to determine of enormities belonging to the said company . this street , giving the name to the whole ward , beginneth in west cheap , almost by the standard ; and runneth down south , through or thwart wathling-street , to knight riders-street aforesaid , where it endeth ; this bread-street is wholly on both sides of this ward , out of the which street , on the east side is basing lane , a piece whereof , to wit , to , and over against the back gate of the red lion in wathling-street , is of this bread-street ward . then is fryday-street beginning also in west cheap , and runneth down south through wathling-street , to knight-riders street , or old fishstreet . this fryday-street is of bread-street ward , on the east side , from over against the north-east corner of saint matthews church , and on the west side , from the south corner of the said church , down as aforesaid . in this fryday-street , on the west side thereof , is a lane , commonly called mayden lane , or distaffe lane , corruptly for distar lane , which runneth west into the old exchange , and in this lane is also one other lane , on the south side thereof ; likewise called distar lane , which runneth down to knight-rider street , or old fish-street and so be the bounds of this whole ward . monuments to be noted here , first at bread-street corner , the north-east end , , of thomas tmolioson , causing in the high street of cheap , a vault to be digged and made ; there was sound at fifteen foot deep , a fair payement , like unto that above ground , and at the further end , at the channel , was found a tree , sawed into five steps , which was to step over some brook , running out of the west , towards walbrooke , and upon the edge of the said brook as it seemeth , there were found lying along , the bodies of two great trees , the ends whereof were then sawed off , and firm timber , as at the first when they fell , part of the said trees remain yet in the ground undigged ; it was all forced ground , untill they went past the trees aforesaid , which was about seventeen foot deep , or better ; thus much hath the ground of this city ( in that place ) been raised from the main . next to be noted , the most beautiful frame of fair houses and shops , that be within the walls of london , or else where in england , commonly called goldsmiths row , betwixt bread-street end , and the crosse in cheap , but is within this bread-street ward . then for watheling-street , which leyland calleth atheling , or noble-street , but since he sheweth no reason why , i rather take it to be so named , of the great high-way of the same calling . true it is , that at this present the inhabitants thereof are wealthy drapers , retailers of wollen cloths , both broad and narrow , of all sorts , more than in any one street of this city . of the old exchange , i have noted in faringdon ward , wherefore i passe down to knight-riders street , whereof i have also spoken in cordwayner street ward ; but in this part of the said knight-riders street , is a fish-market kept , and therefore called old fish-street , for a difference from new fish-street . in this old fishstreet , is one row of small houses , placed along in the middest of knight-riders-street , which row is also of bread-street ward . these houses , now possessed by fishmongers , were at the first but moveable boards , or stalls , set out on market-daies , to shew their fish there to be sold , but procuring licence to set up sheds , they grew to shops , and by little and little , to tall houses of three or four stories in height , and now is called fish-street . walter turke , fishmonger , mayor , , had two shops in old fish-street , over against saint nicholas church , the one rented at five shillings the year , the other four shillings . bread-street , so called of bread sold there ( as i said ) is now wholly inhabited by rich marchants , and divers fair inns be there , for good receit of carriers , and other travellers to the city . on the east side of this street , at the corner of watheling street , is the comely church of alh●llowes in bread-street . on the same side is salters hall , with six alms-houses in number , builded for poor decayed brethren of that company ; this hall was burned in the year , and again re-edified . lower down , on the same side , is the parish church of saint mildred the virgin. out of this bread-street , on the same side , is basing lane , a part whereof ( as is afore shewed ) is of this ward , but how it took the name of basing , i have not read ; in the twentieth year of richard the second , the same was called the bake-house , whether meant of the kings bake-house , or of bakers dwelling there , and baking bread to serve the market in bread-street , where the bread was sold , i know not , but sure i am , i have not read of basing , or of gerrard the gyant , to have any thing there to do . on the south side of this lane , is one great house , of old time builded upon arched vaults , and with arched gates , of stone brought from cane in normandy , the same is now a common ostrey for receit of travellers , commonly and corruptly called gerrards hall , of a giant said to have dwelled there . in the high roofed hall of this house , sometime stood a large firr-pole , which reached to the roof thereof , and was said to be one of the sta●es that gerrard the gyant used in the wars to run withal , there stood also a ladder of the same length , which ( as they said ) served to ascend to the top of the staff . of later years this hall is altered in building , and divers rooms are made in it ; notwithstanding , the pole is removed to once corner of the hall , and the ladder hanged broken , upon a wall in the yard . now on the west side of breadstreet , amongst divers fair and large houses for marchants , and fair inns for passengers , had ye one prison-house pertaining to the sheriffs of london , called the compter in bread-street , but in the year , the prisoners were removed from thence , to one other new compter in wood-street , provided by the cities purchase , and builded for that purpose , the cause of which remove was this ; richard husband pasteler , keeper of this compter in breadstreet , being a willful and head-strong man , dealt ( for his own advantage ) hard with the prisoners under his charge , having also servants such as himself liked best for their bad usage , and would not for any complaint be reformed ; whereupon , in the year , sir rowland hill being mayor , by the assent of a court of aldermen , he was sent to the goal of newgate , for the cruel handling of his prisoners , and it was commanded to the keeper , to set those irons on his leggs which are called the widdows alms ; these he ware from thursday , till sunday in the afternoon , and being by a court of aldermen released on the tuesday , was bound in an hundred marks , to observe from thence forth an act made by the common councel , for the ordering of prisoners in the compters ; all which notwithstanding , he continued as afore : for being on a jury , to enquire against a sessions of goal delivery , in the year , it was found that the prisoners were still hardly dealt with all for their achates , and otherwise , as also that thieves and strumpets were there lodged for four pence the night , whereby they might be safe from searches that were made abroad , for the which enormities , and other not needfull to be recited , he was indicted at that session , but did rub it out , and could not be reformed , till this remove of the prisoners , for the house in bread-street was his own by lease , or otherwise , so that he could not be put from it . now in friday-street , so called of fishmongers dwelling there , and serving frydays market , on the east side is a small parish church commonly called saint john evangelist . the monuments therein be , of john dogget , merchant-taylor , one of the sheriffs in the year . then lower down , is another church of saint margaret moyses , so called ( as seemeth ) of one moyses , that was founder , or new builder thereof . in this distar lane , on the north side thereof is the cordwayners or shoomakers hall , which company were made a brotherhood or fraternity , in the eleventh of henry the fourth . of the twentie third ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called queen-hithe ward . next unto bread-street ward , on the south side thereof , is queen-hith ward , so called of a water-gate , or harborow for boats , lighters , and barges , and was ( of old time ) for ships : at what time , the timber bridge at london , was drawn up , for the passage of them to the said hith , as to a principal strand for landing and unlading against the middest and heart of the city ; this ward beginneth in the east , in knight-riders-street ; on the south side thereof , at the east end of the parish church called the holy trinity , and runneth west on the south side , to a lane called lambert hill , which is the length of the ward in knight-riders street , out of the which street are divers lanes , running south to thames street , and are of this ward ; the first is trinity lane , which runneth down by the west end of trinity church ; then is spuren lane , or spooners lane , now called huggen lane ; then bread-street hill , then saint mary mounthaunt , out of the which lane , on the east side thereof , is one other lane , turning east through st. nicholas olaves church-yard , to bread-street hill ; this lane is called finimore lane , or five foot lane , because it is but five foot in breadth ; at the west end , in the middest of this lane , runneth down one other lane broader , south to thames street , i think the same to be called desborne lane ; for we read of such a lane to have been in the parish of saint mary summerset in the twenty two of edward the third where there is said to ly between the tenement of edward de mountacute knight , on the east part , and the tenement sometime pertaining to william gladwine , on the west , one plot of ground , containing in length towards thames street , twenty five foot , &c. last of all have ye lambart hill , so called of one lambart owner thereof , and this is the farthest west part of this ward . first in knight-riders street is the small parish church of the holy trinity , lately very old , and in danger of down falling , collections were made for the repairing thereof ; but they would not stretch so far ; until a general means was made , as appeareth by a publick notice thereof , declared in the said church . towards the west end of knight-riders street , is the parish church of saint nicholas cold abbey , a proper church somewhat ancient , as appeareth by the waies raysed there about , so that men are forced to descend into the body of the church , it hath been called of many colden abbey , of some cold abbey or cold bay , and so have the most ancient writings ; as standing in a cold place , as cold harbor , and such like , the steeple or tall tower of this church , with the south i le , hath been of later building , to wit , the first of richard the second , when it was meant , that the whole old church should have been new builded , as appeareth by the arching begun on the east side the steeple , under the which , in the stone work , the armes of one buckland , esquire , and his wife , daughter to beaupere , are cut in stone , and also are in the glasse windows , whereby it appeareth , he was the builder thereof , and repairer of the residue . in trinity lane , on the west side thereof , is the painter stainers hall , for so of old time were they called , but now that workmanship of staining is departed and out of use in england . lower down in trinity lane , on the east side thereof , was sometime a great messuage pertaining unto iohn earl of cornwall , in the fourteenth of edward the third . on bread-street hill , down to the thames , on both sides , be divers fair houses , inhabited by fishmongers , cheesemongers , and merchants of divers trades ; on the west side whereof is the parish church of st. nicholas olave , a convenient church . the next is old fish-street hill , a passage so called , which also runneth down to thames street ; in this lane , on the east side thereof , is the one end of finimore or five foor lane. on the west side of this old fish-street hill , is the bishop of hereford's inne , or lodging , an ancient house , and large rooms , builded of stone and timber , which sometime belonged to the mounthaunts in norfolke . radulphus de mayden-stone , bishop of hereford about the year , one thousand two hundred thirty four , bought it of the mounthaunts , and gave it to the bishops of hereford , his successors . charles , both bishop of hereford , and chancellour of the marches , about the year repaired it , since the which time , the same is greatly ruined , and is now divided into many small tenements ; the hall , and principall rooms , are in house to make sugar-loaves , &c. next adjoyning is the parish church of saint mary de monte also , or mounthaunt ; this is a very small church , and at the first builded to be a chappel for the said house of the mounthaunts , and for tenements thereunto belonging . on the east side of this old fish-street hill , is one great house , now letten out for rent , which house sometime was one of the halls pertaining to the company of fishmongers , at such time as they had six hall-motes or meeting places , namely , twain in bridge-street , or new fish-street , twain in old fish-street , whereof this was one , and twain in stock-fishmonger row , or thames street , as appeareth by a record the twenty two of richard the second . next westward is one other lane , called lambart hill , the east side wherof is wholly of this ward , and but half the west side , to wit , from the north end of the black-smiths hall. then in thames street , of this ward , and on the north side over against the queens hith , is the parish church of saint michael a convenient church , but all the monuments therein are defaced . at the west end of that church , goeth up a lane , called pyel-lane ; on the same north side , at the south end of saint mary mounthaunt lane , is the parish church of saint summerset , over against the broken-wharfe . then is a small parish church of st. peter , called parva , or little , near unto pauls wharf . in this church no monuments do remain . at the west end thereof is a lane called saint peters hill ; but two houses up that lane , on the east side , is of this ward , and the rest is of castle baynards ward . on the south side of thames street , beginning again in the east among the cooks , the first in this ward , is the signe of david the king. then is towns-end lane , turning down to the thames . then is queen-hithe , a large receptacle for ships , lighters , barges , and such other vessels . touching the antiquity and use of this gate and hithe , first i find , that the same belonged to one named edred , and was then called edreds hith , which since falling into the hands of king stephen , it was by his charter confirmed to william de ypre , the farm thereof in fee and in heritage ; william de ypre , gave it unto the prior and covent of the holy trinity within ealdgate . this edreds hith , after the foresaid grant , came again to the kings hands , by what means i have not read , but it pertained unto the queen , and therefore was called ripa reginae , the queens bank , or queens-hith , and great profit thereof was made to her use , as may appear by this which followeth . king henry the third , in the ninth of his reign , commanded the constables of the tower of london , to arrest the ships of the cinque-ports on the river of thames , and to compell them to bring their corn to no other place , but to the queens hith only . in the eleaventh of his reign , he charged the said constable , to distrain all fish offered to be sold in any place of this city , but at the queens hith . moreover , in the eight and twentieth of his reign , an inquisition was made before william of yorke , and the provost of beverley , henry of bath , and hierome of caxton , justices itinerantes , sitting in the tower of london , touching the customs of queen-hith , observed in the year last before the wars between the king and his father , and the barons of england , and of old customs of other times , and what customs had been changed , at what time the tax and payment of all things coming thither , and between vvoore-path , and anede hith , were found and seized , according to the old order , as well corne and fish , as of other things ; all which customes were as well to be observed in the part of down-gate , as in queen-hith , for the kings use , when also it was found , that the corn arriving between the gate of guild-hall , of the merchants of colleyne , and the soke of the arch-bishop of canterbury , ( for he had a house near unto the black-fryers ) was not to be measured by any other quarter , than by that of the queens soke . next adjoyning to this queen-hith , on the west side thereof , is salt-wharf , named of salt taken up , measured , and sold there . the next is stew lane , of a stew , or hot-house there kept . after that is timber-hith , or timber street , so called , of timber , or boards , there taken up , and wharsed ; it is in the parish of saint mary sommers hith , as we read in the fifty six of henry the third , and in the ninth of edward the second . then is brookes wharfe , and broken wharfe , a water-gate or key , so called of being broken and fallen down into the thames . by this broken-vvharfe remaineth one large old building of stone , with arched gates ; which messuage , as we finde , in the reign of henry the third , the forty three year , pertained unto hugh de bigot , and in the eleaventh of edward the third , to thomas brotherton , the kings brother , earle of norfolke , marshall of england , in the eleventh of henry the sixth , to iohn mowbray duke of norfolk , &c. within the gate of this house ( now belonging to the city of london ) is lately , to wit , in the year . and , builded one large house , of great height , called an engine , made by bevis bulmar , gentleman , for the conveying and forcing of thames water , to serve in the middle and west parts of the city ; the ancient great hall of this messuage , is yet standing , and pertaining to a great brew-house for beere . west from this is trigge lane , going down to the thames . next is called bosse-lane of a bosse of water , like unto that of belingsgate , there placed by the executors of richard whittington . then is one great messuage , sometime belonging to the abbots of chartsey , in surrey , and was their inne , wherein they were lodged when they repaired to the city : it is now called sandie house , by what reason we have not heard ; some think the lord sands hath been lodged there . of the twentie fourth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called castle-baynard ward . then next is castle baynard ward , so named of an old castle there ; this ward beginneth in the east on the thames side , at an house called , huntington house , and runneth west by pauls wharfe , by baynards castle , puddle wharfe , and by the south side of black-fryers ; then turning by the east wall of the said fryers to the south-west end of creed lane ; then on the north side of thames street , over against huntington house , by st. peters church and lane , called peter hill , along till over against puddle wharfe , and then north up by the great wardrobe , to the west end of carter lane ; then up creed lane , ave mary lane , and a piece of pater noster row , to the sign of the golden lion , and back again up warwick lane , all the east side thereof , to the sign of the crown by newgate-market ; and this is the farthest north part of this ward . then out of thames street be lanes ascending north to knight-riders street ; the first is peters hill lane , all of that ward , ( two houses excepted , adjoyning to st. peters church ) the next is pauls wharfe hill , which thwarting knight-riders street , and carter lane , goeth up to the south chain of pauls church-yard . then is adle-street , over against the west part of baynards castle , going up by the west end of knight-riders street , and to carter lane. thus much for lanes out of thames street . the one half of the west side of lambert hill lane being of this ward , at the north-west end thereof , on the south side , and at the west end of st. mary magdalens church ; on the north side , beginneth knight-riders street to be of this ward , and runneth west on both sides , to the parish church of st. andrew by the wardrobe . then at the said east end of st. mary magdalens church , goeth up the old exchange , all the west side whereof , upto the south-east gate of pauls church-yard , and by st. austins church , is of this ward . about the midst of this old exchange , on the west side thereof , is carter lane , which runneth west to the east entry of the black-fryers , and the south end of creed-lane , out of the which carter lane descendeth a lane , called dolittle lane , and commeth into knight-riders street , by the boar-head tavern , and more west is sermon lane , by an inne called the powl-head . then out of carter lane , on the north side thereof , the south chain of pauls church-yard , and the church-yard it self , on that south side of pauls church , and the church of st. gregory , the bishops palace , and the deans lodging , be all of this ward and such be the bounds thereof . the ornaments in this ward , be parish churches four , of old time a castle ' divers noble-mens houses , halls of companies twain , and such others as shall be shewed . in thames street at the south-east end , is an ancient messuage , of old time called beaumonts inne , as belonging to that family of noble-men of this realm , in the fourth of edward the third . edward the fourth in the fifth of his reign , gave it to w. hastings , lord chamberlaine , master of his mints ; it is how called huntington house , as belonging to the earls of huntington . next is pauls wharfe a large landing place , with a common stayre upon the river of thames , at the end of a street called pauls wharf hill , which runneth down from pauls chain . next is a great messuage , called scroopes inne , sometime belonging to the scroopes , in the thirty one of henry the sixth . then is one other great messuage , sometime belonging to the abbey of fiscampe , beyond the sea , and by reason of the wars , it coming to the hands of king edward the third , the same was given to sir simon burley , knight of the gar●er , and therefore called burley house in thames street , between baynards castle and pauls wharfe . then have you baynards castle , whereof this whole ward taketh name ; this castle banketh on the river thames , and was callest baynards castle , of baynard a nobleman , that came in with william the conquerour , of the which castle and of baynard himself , we have spoken in another place . there was also another tower by baynards castle , builded by king edward the second . edward the third , in the second of his reign , gave it to william duke of hamelake , in the county of yorke , and his heirs , for one rose yearly to be paid for all service ; the same place ( as seemeth ) was since called legates inne , in the seventh of edward the fourth , where be now divers wood-wharfes in the place . then is there a great brew-house , and puddle-wharfe , a water-gate into the thames , where houses use to be watered , and therefore being filled with their trampling & made puddle-like , as also of one puddle dwelling there , it is call'd puddle wharfe . then is there a lane between the black fryars and the thames , called in the twenty six of edward the third , castle-lane . this ward ascendeth up by the east vvall of the black-fryers , to the south vvest end of creed lane where it endeth on that side . then to begin again on the north side of thames-street , over against huntington house , by st. peters church and lane , called peter hill , and so to st. bennet hude , ( or hithe ) over against pauls vvharfe , is a convenient parish church , which hath the monuments of sir vvilliam cheny knight , and margaret his vvife buried there . vvest from this church , by the south end of addle street , almost against puddle vvharfe , there is one ancient building of stone and timber , builded by the lords of barkley , and therefore called barkleys inne . this house is now all in ruine , and letten out in several tenements , yet the arms of the lord barkley remain in the stone-work of an arched gate , and is between a cheveron crosses ten , three , and four . richard beauchampe , earl of vvarwick , was lodged in this house , then called barkleys inne , in the parish of st. andrew , in the reign of henry the sixth ; then turning up towards the north ▪ is the parish church of st. andrew in the vvardrobe , a proper church , but few monuments hath it . iohn parnt hath founded a chauntrey there . then is the kings great vvardrobe , sir iohn beauchamp knight of the garter , constable of dover , warden of the cinqueports , ( son to guido de beauchamp earl of vvarwick ) builded this house , was lodged there , deceased in the year , and was buried on the south side of the middle i le of pauls church . his executors sold the house to king edward the third . touching la●es ascending out of thames street , to knight-riders , the first is peter hill , wherein i find no ma●ter of note more than certain alms-houses , lately founded on the west side thereof , by david smith embroyderer , for six poor widdows , whereof each to have twenty shillings by the year . at the upper end of this lane towards the north the corner houses there , be called peter key , but the reason thereof we have not heard . then is pauls vvharfe , on the east side whereof is vvoodmongers hall. and next adjoyning is darby-house , sometime belonging to the stanleys , for thomas stanley : first earl of darby , of that name , who married the lady margaret , countesse of richmond , mother to henry the seventh , in his time builded it . queen mary gave it to gilbert dethick , then garter , principal king of arms of english men ; thomas hauley , clarentieux , king of arms of the south parts ; vvilliam harvey aliàs norroy , king of armes of the north parts , and the other heralds and pursevants of arms , and their successors , all the capital messuage or house called darby house , with the appurtenances , situate in the parish of saint bennet , and saint peter , and then being in the tenure of sir richard sackvile knight , and lately parcel of the lands of edward earl of darby , &c. to the end , that the said kings of arms , heraulds , and pursevants of arms , and their successors might ( at their liking ) dwell together , and at meet times congregate , speak , confer , and agree among themselves , for the good government of their faculty , and their records might be more safely kept , &c. on the west side of this street is one other great house builded of stone , which belongeth to pauls church , and was sometime lette● to the blunts , lord mountjoy ; but of later time to a colledge in cambridge , and from them to the doctors of the civil law , and arches , who keep a commons there ; and many of them being lodged there , it is called the doctors commons . in lambard hill lane , on the west side thereof , is the black-smiths hall. over-against the north-west end of this lambard hill lane in knight-riders street , is the parish church of st. mary magdalen , a small church , having but few monuments . by the east end of st. mary magdalene church , runneth up the old exchange lane , by the west end of carter lane , to the south-east gate or chaine of pauls church-yard , as is before shewed ; and in this part was the exchange kept , and bullion was received for coynage , as is noted in faringdon ward within . in this parish church of st. mary magdalen , out of knight-riders street , up to carter lane , be two small lanes , the one of them called doo-little lane , as a place not inhabited by artificers , or open shop-keepers , but serving for a near passage from knight-riders street to carter-lane . the other corruptly called sermon lane , for sheremoniers lane ; for we find it by that name recorded in the fourteenth of edward the first ; and in that lane , a place to be called the black l●ft , ( of melting silver ) with four shops adjoyning . it may therefore be well supposed , that lane to take its name of shermonier● , such as cut and rounded the plates , to be coyned or stamped into estarling pence ; for the place of coyning was the old exchange . in knight-riders street , was the colledge of physicians , wherein was founded in the year , a publick lecture in surgery , to be read twice every week , &c. as is shewed else-where . towards the south , is called the lollards tower , and hath been used as the bishops prison , for such as were detected for opinions in religion , contrary to the faith of the church . adjoyning to this lowlards tower , is the parish church of st. gregory , appointed to the petty chanons of pauls . of the twentie fifth ward , or aldermanry of the city of london , called farringdon ward without , or extra . the farthest west-ward of this city , being the twenty fifth ward of london , but without the walls , is called farringdon without , and was of old time , part of the other faringdon within , until the seventeenth of richard the second , that it was devided and made twain , by the names of faringdon intra , and faringdon extra , as is afore shewed . touching ornaments and antiquities in this ward ; first , betwixt the said newgate , and the parish of st. sepulchres , is a way towards smithfield , called gilt-spur , or knight-riders street , of the knights and other riding that way into smithfield , replenished with buildings on both sides up to pye-corner , a place so called of such a sign , sometimes a fair inne , for receipt of travellers , but now divided into tenements , and over against the said pye-corner , lyeth cock-lane , which runneth down to oldburn conduit . beyond this pye-corner , lyeth vvest smithfield , compassed about with buildings : at first on the south side , following the right hand standeth the large hospital of st. bartholmews , founded by rahere , the first prior of saint bartholmewes thereto near adjoyning , in the year , . alfune , that had not long before builded the parish church of saint giles , without creplegate , became first hospitelar , or proctor for the poor of this house and went himself daily to the shambles and other markets , where he begged the charity of devout people for their relief , promising to the liberall givers , ( and that by alledging testimonies of the holy scripture ) reward at the hands of god. henry the third , granted to katherine late wife to vvilliam hardell , twenty foot of land in length and breadth in smithfield , next to the chappel of st. bartholomew , to build a recluse or ankorage , commanding the mayor and sheriffs of london , to assign the said twenty foot to the said katherine , the eleventh of henry the third , the foundation of this hospital for the poor and diseased , and their special sustentation , was confirmed by edward the third , the twenty sixth of his reign ; it was governed by a master , and eight brethren being priests , for the church , and four sisters to see the poor served . this hospitall was valued at the suppression , in the year , the thirty one of henry the eighth , to five and thirty pounds , six shillings , seven , pence yearly . the church remaineth a parish church to the tenents dwelling in the precinct of the hospital ; but in the year , on the thirteenth of ianuary , the bishop of rochester , preaching at pauls crosse , declared the gift of the said king to the citizens , for relieving of the poor , which contained the church of the grey fryers , the church of saint bartholomew , with the hospital , the messuages , and appurrenances in gilt-spur , aliàs knight-riders street , briton street , peter key , in the parish of saint mary magdalen , in old fish-street , and in the parish of saint bennet , huda , linie-hurst , or limehost , in the parish of stebunheth , &c. then also were orders devised for relief of the poor , the inhabitants were all called to their parish churches , where , by sir richard dobbs , then mayor , their several aldermen , or other grave citizens , they were by eloquent orations perswaded , how great , and how many commodities would ensue unto them , and their city , if the poor of divers sorts , which they named , were taken from out their streets , lanes , and alleys , and were bestowed and provided for in hospitals abroad , &c. therefore was every man moved , liberally to grant ( what they would impart ) towards the preparing and furnishing of such hospitals ; and also , what they would contribute weekly towards their maintenance for a time , which ( they said ) should not be past one year , or twain , until they were better furnished of endowment ; to make short , every man granted liberally , according to his ability . books were drawn of the relief in every ward of the city , towards the new hospitals , and were delivered by the major to the kings commissioners , on the seventeenth of february ; and order was taken therein , at the six and twenty of iuly . in the year , the repairing of the gray fryers house for poor fatherless children , was taken in hand ; and also , in the latter end of the same moneth , began the repairing of this hospitall of st. bartholmew , and was of new endowed , and furnished at the charges of the citizens . on the east side of this hospital lyeth duck-lane , which runneth out of smithfield south , to the north end of little britain street . on the east side of this duck-lane , and also of smithfield , lyeth the late dissolved priory of st. bartholmew , founded also by rahere , a pleasant witted gentleman , and therefore in his time called the kings minstrel , about the year of christ , . he founded it in a part of the before named moorish ground , which was therefore a common lay-stall of all filth , that was to be voided out of the city : he placed canons there , himself became their first prior , and so continued till his dying day , and was there buried in a fair monument , renewed afterwards by prior bolton . to this priory , king henry the second , granted the priviledge of a faire , to be kept yearly at bartholomew-tyde , for three dayes , to wit , the eve , the day , and the next morrow ; to the which , the clothiers of england , and drapers of london repaired , and had their boothes and standings within the church-yard of this prioty , closed in with walls and gates locked every night , and watched , for safety of mens goods and wares , a court of pipepowders was daily , during the faire holden , for debts and contracts . on the north side of this priory , is the lane truly called long , which reacheth from smithfield to aldersgate-street . this lane is now lately builded on both the sides , with tenements for brokers , tiplers , and such like ; the rest of smithfield , from long lane end , to the barres , is inclosed with inns , brew-houses , and large tenements . on the west side is chicken-lane , down to cow-bridge ; then be the pens or folds , so called of sheep there parted , and penned up to be sold on the market dayes . then is smithfield pond , which of ( old time ) in records , was called horse-poole , for that men watered horses there , and was a great water . in the sixth of henry the fifth , a new building was made in the west part of smithfield , betwixt the said pool and the river of the wells , or turnmill-brook , in a place then called the elmes , for that there grew many elm-trees , and this had bin the place of execution for offenders ; since the which time , the building there hath bin so increased , that now remaineth not one tree growing . amongst these new buildings is cow-bridge street , or cow-lane , which turneth toward holdbourn ; in vvhich lane , the prior of semperingham had his inne , or london lodging . the rest of that west side of smithfield , hath divers fair inns , and other comely buildings , up to hosier-lane , which also turneth down to houldbourn , till it meet with cowbridge-street , from this lane to cock-lane , over against pie-corner . in the year , the thirty sixth of edward the third , on the first five dayes of may , in smithfield , were justs holden , the king and queen being present , with the most part of the chivalry of england , and of france , and of other nation , to the which came spaniards , cyprians , and armenians , knightly requesting aid of the king of england , against the pagans that invaded their confines . the . of edward the third , dame alice perrers , or pierce , ( the kings concubine ) as lady of the sun , rode from the tower of london , through cheape , accompanied by many lords and ladies , every lady leading a lord by his horse bridle , till they came into west smithfield , and then began a great just , vvhich endured seven dayes after . in the year . the th of richard the second , certain lords of scotland , came into england , to get vvorship , by force of arms , the earl of marre chalenged the earl of nottingham , to just vvith him , and so they rode together certain courses , but not the full challenge , for the earl of marre was cast both horse and man , and two of his ribs broken vvith the fall , so that he vvas conveighed out of smithfield , and so towards scotland , but dyed by the vvay at york . sir vvilliam darel knight , the kings banner-bearer of scotland , challenged sir percey courtney knight , the kings banner-bearer of england , and vvhen they had run certain courses , gave over vvithout conclusion of victory : then cookborne , esquire of scotland , challenged sir nicholas hawberke knight , and rode five courses ; but cookborne vvas born over horse and man. now to return through gilt-spur-street by newgate , vvhere i first began , there standeth the fair parish church called st. sepulchers in the bayly , or by chamberlain gate , in a fair church-yard , though not so large as of old time ; for the same is letten out for buildings , and a garden plot . this church vvas newly re-edified , or builded , about the reign of henry the sixth , or of edward the fourth , one of the popham's , vvas a great builder there , and 't is lately also vvashed over , and furbish'd . next to this church , is a fair and large inne , for the receipt of travellers , and hath to signe the sarasens head , vvhere oxford men resort . there lyeth a street from newgate , west , to the end of turn again-lane , and winding north to oldbourne conduit ; but of late , a new conduit vvas there builded in place of the old , namely , in the year . by vvilliam lambe , sometime a gentleman of the chappel to king henry the eighth , and afterward a citizen and clothworker of london . from the west side of this conduit , is the high way , there called snow-hill , stretching out by oldbourne-bridge , over the oft-named water of turn-mill-brook , and so up to old-bourn-hill , all replenished with fair buildings . without ould-bourn-bridge , on the right hand , is gold-lane , as is before shewed , up higher on the hill , be certain inns , and other fair buildings ; amongst the which , ( of old time ) was a messuage called scroops inne , for so we finde the , same recorded in the . of henry the sixth . this house was sometime letten out to sergeants at the law , as appeareth , and was found by inquisition taken in the guild-hall of london , before william purchase mayor , and escheater for king henry the th , in the th of his reign . then is the bishop of elies inne , so called of , belonging and pertaining to the bishops of ely , will , de luda ▪ bishop of ely , deceased , and gave this house , by the name of his mannor , with the appurrenances in holdbourne , to his successors , with condition , that his next successor should pay a thousand marks , towards the finding of three chaglains , in the chappel there . the first in the year . the fourth of edward the fourth , in michaelmas terme , the sergeants at law , held their feast in this house ; to the which , amongst other estates , matthew philip , mayor of london , with the aldermen , sheriffs , and commons of divers crafts , being invited , did repair ; but when the mayor looked to keep the state in the hall , as it had bin used in all places within the city and liberties ( out of the kings presence ) the lord gray of ruthen , then lord treasurer of england , unwitting the sergeants , and against their wills ( as they said ) was first placed , whereupon , the mayor , aldermen , and commons , departed home , and the mayor made the aldermen to dine with him ; howbeit , he and all the citizens were wonderfully displeased that he was so dealt with , and the new sergeants and others , were right o●ry therefore , and had rather then much good ( as they said ) it had not so happened . next beyond this mannor of ely-house , is lither-lane , turning into the fields . then is furnivals inne , now an inne of chancery , but sometime belonging to sir william furnival knight , and thomasin his wife , who had in holdbourne two messuages , and thirteen shops , as appeareth by record of richard the second , in the sixth of his reign . now again from newgate , on the left hand , or south side , lyeth the old baylay , which runneth down by the wall , upon the ditch of the city , called houndsditch , to ludgate : we have not read how this street took that name ; but it is like to have risen of some court of old time there kept ; and we finde , that in the year . the thirty four of edward the third , the tenement and ground upon houndsditch , between ludgate on the south , and newgate on the north , was appointed to iohn cambridge , fishmonger , chamberlain of london , whereby it seemeth , that the chamberlains of london , have there kept their courts , as now they do in the guild-hall : and till this day , the mayor and justices of this city , keep their sessions in a part thereof , now called the sessions hall , both for the city of london , and shire of middlesex ; over again● the which house , on the right hand , turneth down st. georges lane , towards fleet lane. in this st. georges lane , on the north side thereof , remaineth yet an old wall of stone , inclosing a peece of ground up sea-cole-lane , wherein ( by report ) sometime stood an inne of chancery ; which house being greatly decayed ▪ and standing remote from other houses of that profession , the company removed to a common hostery , called of the signe , out lady inne , not far from clements inne , which they procured from sir iohn fineox , lord chief justice of the kings bench ; and since , have held it of the owners , by the name of the new inne , paying therefore six pounds rent , by the year , as tenants at their own will , for more ( as is said ) cannot be gotten of them , and much lesse , will they be put from it . beneath this saint georges lane , is the lane called fleet-lane , winding south by the prison of the fleet , into fleet-street , by fleet-bridge . next out of the high street , turneth down a lane , called the little bayly , which runneth down to the east end of st. georges lane. the next is sea-cole-lane , i think , called limeburners lane , of burning lime there with sea-cole ; for we read in record of such a lane , to have bin in the parish of st. sepulchre , and there yet remaineth in this lane , an alley , called lime-burners alley . near unto this sea-cole-lane , in the turning towards oldbourne-conduit , is turn-again-lane , or rather , as in a record of the fifth of edward the third , wind-again-lane , for that it goeth down west to fleet dike , from whence , men must turn again the same way they came , for there it is stopped . then the high street turneth down snow-hill , to holdbourne conduit , and from thence , to ouldbourn-bridge ; beyond the which bridge on the left hand , is shooe-lane , by the which , men passe from ouldbourne to fleet street , by the conduit there . in this shooe-lane , on the left hand , is one old house , called oldbourn-hall , it is now letten out into divers tenements . on the other side , at the very corner , standeth the parish church of saint andrew . from this church to st. andrew , up oldbourn-hill , be divers fair builded houses ; amongst the which , on the left hand , there standeth three inns of chancery , whereof the first , adjoyning unto crook-horn-alley , is called thavies inne , and standeth opposite to ely house . then is fewter-lane , which stretcheth south into fleet-street , by the east end of st. dunstanes church , and is so called of fewters ( or idle people ) lying there , as in a way leading to gardens ; but the same is now of later years , on both sides builded thorow with many fair houses : and in the wast grounds and gardens , betwixt shooe-lane and fewter-lane ; there are now many fair convenient houses , built by the company of the goldsmiths ; as also a street called new-street , betwixt aldersgate and redcrosse-street . beyond this fewters lane , is baynards inne , aliàs mackworths inne , which is of the chancery . then is staple-inne also of the chancery , but whereof so named , i am ignorant ; the same of late , is ( for a great part thereof ) fair builded , and not a little augmented ; and then at the barres endeth this ward , without newgate . without ludgate , on the right hand , or north side , from the said gate lyeth the old bayley , as i said , then the high street , called ludgate-hill , down to fleet-lane ; in which lane standeth the fleet , a prison-house , so called of the fleet , or water running by it , and sometime flowing about it , but now vaulted over . then also , against the south end of shooe-lane , standeth a fair water-conduit , whereof william east field , sometime mayor , was founder ; for the mayor and commonalty of london , being possessed of a conduit head , with divers springs of water gathered thereunto , in the parish of padington , and the water conveyed from thence , by pipes of lead , towards london unto teyborn , where it had lain by the space of six years , and more : the executors of sir will●am eastfield , obtained licence of the mayor and communalty , for them , in the year . with the goods of sir william , to convey the said water , first , in pipes of lead , into a pipe , begun to be laid besides the great conduit head at maribone , which stretcheth from thence unto a separall , late before made against the chappel of rounseval , by charing-crosse , and no further ; and then from thence , to convey the said water into the city , and there to make receit , or receits for the same , unto the common-weale of the commonalty ; to wit , the poor to drink , the rich to dresse their meats , which water was by them brought thus into fleet-street , to a standard which they had made and finished . from this conduit up to fewters lane , and further , is the parish church of st. dunstane , called in the west , ( for difference from saint dunstane in the east . ) next beyond this church , is cliffords inne , sometime belonging to robert clifford , by gift of edward the second . somewhat beyond this cliffords inne , is the south end of newstreet , ( or chancelor inne ) on the right hand whereof , is sergeants-inne , called , in chancery lane . and then next was sometime the house of the converted iews , founded by king henry the third , in place of a jews house to him forfeited , in the year . and the seventeenth of his reign ; who builded there for them , a fair church , now used , and called the chappel ; for the custody of rolles and records of chancery , it standeth not far from the old temple and the new ; in the which house , all such jews and infidels , as were converted to the christian faith , were ordained and appointed ( under an honest rule of life ) sufficient maintenance : whereby it came to passe , that in short time , there were gathered a great number of converts which were baptized instructed in the doctrine of christ , and there lived under a learned christian , appointed to govern them ; since the which time , to wit , in the year . all the jews in england , were banished out of the realm , whereby the number of converts in this place was decayed , and therefore in the year . this house was annexed by parent , to william burstall clark , custos rotulorum , or keeper of the ro●s of the chancery , by edward the third , in the fifty one year of his reign ; and this first master of the rolls was sworn in westminster-hall , at the i able of marble-stone ; since the which time , that house hath bin commonly called the rolls in chancery-lane . on the west side , sometime was an house , pertaining to the prior of necto● park , a house of canons in lincolnshire : this was commonly called hereflete inne and was a brew-house ▪ but now fair builded for the six clerks of the chancery , and standeth over against the said house , called the rolls , and near unto the lane , which now entreth fickets croft , or fickets field . then is shere-lane , opening also into fickets field , hard by the barres . next is bride-lane , and therein bridewell , of old time the kings house ; for the kings of this realm have bin there lodged , and till the ninth of henry the third , the courts were kept in the kings house , wheresoever he was lodged , as may appear by ancient records , whereof there are many ; and for example , have set forth one in the chapter , or towers and castles . king henry the eighth , builded there a stately and beautiful house of new , for receit of the emperor , charles the fifth , who in the year of christ . was lodged himself at the black-fryers ; but his nobles , in this new builded bridewell , a gallery being made out of the house over the water , and thorow the wall of the city , into the emperors lodging at the black-fryers : king henry himself often times lodged there also ; as namely , in the year . a parliament being then holden in the black-fryers , he created states of nobility there . in the year . the seventh of edward the sixth , the tenth of april , sir george barne , being mayor of this city , was sent for to the court at white-hall , and there at that time the king gave unto him , for the communalty and citizens , to be a work-house , for the poor and idle persons of the city , his house of bridewell : and seven hundred marks land , late of the possessions of the house of savoy , and all the bedding and other furniture of the said hospital of the savoy , towards the maintenance of the said work-house of bridewel , and the hospital of st. thomas in southwark . this gift , king edward confirmed by his charter , dated the . of iune , next following . and in the year . in the moneth of february , sir william gerrard mayor , and the aldermen , entred bridewel , and took possession thereof according to the gift of the said king edward , the same being confirmed by queen mary . the bishop of st. davids had his inne over against the north side of this bridewell , as i have said . then is the parish church of st. bridget , or bride , of old time a small thing , which now remaineth to be the quire ; but since , increased with a large body , and side iles , towards the west , at the charges of william vinor e●quire , warden of the fleet , about the year . all which he cau●ed to be wrought about in the stone , in the figure of a vine , with grapes and leaves , &c. the partition betwixt the old work and the new , sometime prepared as a screne , to be set up in the hall of the duke of summersets house at the strand , was bought for eightscore pounds , and set up in the year , one thousand five hundred fifty seven . the next is salisbury court , a place so called , for that it belonged to the bishops of salisbury , and was their inne , or london house , at such time as they were summoned to come to the parliam●nt , or came for other business : it hath of late time bin the dwelling , first of sir richard sackvile , and after , of sir thomas sackvile his sonne , baron of buckhurst , lord treasurer , who very greatly inlarged it with stately buildings . then is water-lane , running down by the west side of a house , called the hanging sword , to the thames . then was the white fryers church , called fratres beatae mariae de monte carmeli , first founded ( saith iohn bale ) by sir richard gray , knight , ancestor to the lord gray of codner , in the year . king edward the first , gave to the prior and brethren of that house , a plot of ground in fleet-street ; whereupon to build their house , which was since reedified , or new builded , by hugh courtney , earl of devonshire , about the year one thousand three hundred and fifty , the four and twentieth of edward the third . iohn lufken , mayor of london , and the commonalty of the city , granted a lane , called crockers-lane , reaching from fleetstreet to the thames , to build in the west end of that church . then is the sergeants inne , so called , for that divers iudges and sergeants at the law keep a commons , and are lodged there in terme time . next is the new temple , so called , because the templers , before the building of this house had their temple in oldbourn : this house was founded by the knights templers in england , in the reign of henry the second ▪ and the same was dedicated to god , and our blessed lady , by heraclius , patriark of the church , called the holy resurrection in jerusalem , in the year of christ , . many parliaments and great councels have been there kept , as may appear by our histories . in the year . all the templers in england , as also in other parts of christendom , were apprehended , and committed to divers prisons . anno . a provincial councel was holden at london , against the templets in england , upon heresie , and other articles , whereof they were accused ; but denyed all , except one or two of them ; notwithstanding , they all did confesse , that they could not purge themselves fully , as faultless , and so they were condemned to perpetual penance , in several monasteries , where they behaved themselves modestly . philip king of france , procured their over-throw throughout the whole world , and caused them to be condemned by a general councel to his advantage as he thought ; for he believed to have had all their lands in france , and therefore seizing the same in his hands , caused the templers , to the number of . or after fabian , threescore , to be burnt at paris . edward the second , in the year . gave unto aimer de la valence , earl of pembrook , the whole place & house , called the new temple at london , with the ground called fiquetes croft , and all the tenements and rents , with the appurtenances that belonged to the templers in the city of london , and suburbs th●reof . after aimer de valence ( saith some ) hugh spencer ( usurping the same ) held it during his life ; by whose death , it fell again to the hands of edward the third ; but in the mean time , to wit , . by a councel holden at vienna , all the lands of the templers ( lest the same should be put to prophane uses ) were given to the knights hospitalers , of the order of st. iohn baptist , called saint iohn of ierusalem ; which knights had put the turks out of the i le of rhodes , and after , wan upon the said turk , daily for a long time . in the reign of the same edward the third , was granted ( for a certain rent of ten pounds by the year ) the said temple , with the appurtenances thereunto adjoyning , to the students of the common lawes of england , in whose possession , the same hath ever sithence remained , and is now divided into two houses of several students , by the name of inns of court , to wit , the inner temple , and the middle temple , who keep two several halls ; but they resort all to the said temple-church , in the round walk whereof , ( which is the west part , without the quire ) there remain monuments of noblemen , buried to the number of eleven , eight of them are images of armed knights , five lying crosse-legged , as men vowed to the holy land , against the infidels , and unbelieving jews , the other three straight-legged . the rest are coaped stones , all of gray marble : the first of the crosse-legged , was william marshal the elder , earl of pembrooke , who died . william marshall his sonne , earl of pembrooke , was the second , he dyed . and gilbert marshall , his brother , earl of pembrooke , slain in a turnament at hartford , besides ware , in the year . of the twenty sixth , or the last ward of the city of london , called the bridge-ward without , containing the bourough of southwark . we have now almost finished the perambulation ; for having treated of wards in london , on the north side of the thames , ( in number five and twenty ) we are now to crosse over the said river , into the burough of southwark , which is also a ward of london without the walls , on the south side thereof , as is portsoken on the east , and faringdon extra on the west . but before we come to the particular description of this ward , it will not be impertinent to declare , when , and by what meanes the burough of southwark , now called bridge-ward without , was made one of the six and twenty wards , belonging to the city of london , which was in this manner . after the dissolution of the monasteries , abbeys , priories , and other religious houses , in this realm of england , the mayor , commonalty , and citizens of this city of london , taking into their considerations , how commodious , and convenient it would be unto the city , to have the burough of southwark annexed thereunto ; and that the same burough was in the kings hands wholly , they became humble suiters unto king henry the eighth , and unto the lords of his highness privy councel , for the obtaining of the same . which suit not being granted unto them ; after the decease of king henry the eighth , they renewed their suit unto his sonne and next successour , king edward the sixth , and to the lords of his privie councel for the obtaining of the same borough . at the length , after long suit , and much labour , it pleased king edward the fixth , by his letters parents , sealed with the great seal of england , bearing date at vvestminster the three and twentieth day of april , in the fourth year of his reign , as well in consideration of the sum of six hundred forty seven pounds , two shillings and a penny , of lawful money of england , paid to his highnesses use , by the mayor , communalty , and citizens of london , as for divers other considerations him thereunto moving , to give and grant unto the said mayor , and communalty , and citizens of london , divers messuages , lands and tenements , lying near the borough of southwark , in the said letters parents , particularly expressed , which were sometimes the lands of charles late duke of suffolk , and of whom king henry the eighth did buy and purchase the same . but there was excepted out of the said grant , and reserved unto the said king edward the sixth , his heirs and successors , and all that his capitall messuage , or mansion ho●se , called southwark place , late of the said duke of suffolke , and all gardens and land to the same adjoyning ; and all that his park in southwarke , and all that his messuage , and all edifices and ground , called the antelope there . and the said king edward the th , did by his said letters patents , give & grant to the said mayor , communalty , and citizens , and their successors , all that his lordship , and mannor of southwarke , with all and singular the rights , members , and appurtenances thereof , in the said county of surrey , then late belonging to the late monastery of bermondsey in the same county ; and also all that his mannor and borough of southwarke , with all , and singular the rights members , and appurtenances thereof , in the said county of surrey , then late parcel of the possessions of the arch-bishop and bishoprick of canterbury , together with divers yearly rents , issuing out of the divers messuages or tenements , in the said letters patents particularly expressed . but there was excepted and reserved out of the said grant , to the said king edward the sixth , his heirs , and successors , all his rights , jurisdictions , liberties , and franchises whatsoever within the walk , circuit , and precinct of his capital messuage , gardens , and park in southwarke ; and in all gardens , curtilages , and lands , to the said mansion house , gardens , and park belonging . also , there was excepted and reserved out of the said grant , the house , messuage , or lodging there , called the kings-bench , and the gardens to the same belonging so long as it should be used as a prison for prisoners , as it was then used . also , there was excepted and reserved out of the said grant , the house , messuage , or lodging there called , the marshalsey , and the gardens to the same belonging , so long as it should be used as a prison for prisoners , as it was then used . also , it was provided , that the said letters patents , should not be prejudicial to the offices of the great master or steward of the kings houshold , within the borough and precincts aforesaid , to be executed while the same borough and precincts should be within the verge ; nor to iohn gates knight , one of the gentlemen of the kings privy chamber , concerning any lands , tenements , offices , profits , franchises , or liberties to him granted during his life , by the said king edward the sixth , or by his father king henry the eighth . about the space of a month after the said borough of southwark was so granted by king edward the sixth , to the mayor communalty and citizens of london , and that they by force of the said letters patents , stood charged with the ordering , survey , and government of the same borough , and of all the kings subjects , inhabiting therein , and repairing thither . at a court holden before sir rowland hill knight , then lord mayor of london , and the aldermen of the same city , in the guild-hall of london , on tuesday the eight and twentieth of may , in the said fourth year of the reign of king edward the sixth , the said town or borough was named and called the ward , or bridge vvard without . not long after , it was enacted , that besides the then ancient accustomed number of five and twenty aldermen , there should be one alderman more elected , to have the rule , charge , and governance of the said borough and town . and that four discreet persons , or more , being freemen of london , and dwelling within the said city , or the borough of southwarke , or in other the liberties of the said city , should from thenceforth , as often as the case shall require , be from time to time nominated , appointed , and chosen by the inhabitants of the said borough for the time being , before the lord mayor of london for the time being ; and that the said lord mayor for the time being , should ( at the next court of aldermen , to be holden at the guild-hall of the said city , next after such election ) present the names and sirnames of all such persons , as to should be named before him , and put in the said election ; and that the said lord mayor and aldermen , for the time being , should of those four persons , or mo , so presented , elect and chuse one , by way of scrutinie ; to be an alderman of the said city , and to have the peculiar ordering , rule , and governance of the said borough and town of southwarke , and of the inhabitants thereof , and of all other the kings liege people , repairing to the same . this borough being in the county of surrey , consisteth of divers streets , waies , and winding lanes , all full of buildings inhabited ; and first , to begin at the west part thereof , over against the west suburbe of the city , on the bank of the river thames , there is now a continual building of tenements , about half a mile in length to the bridge . then south a continual street called long southwark , builded on both sides with divers lanes , and alleys up to st. georges church , and beyond it through blackman street , towards new town , ( or newington ) the liberties of which borough , extend almost to the parish church of new town aforesaid , distant one mile from london bridge , and also south-west a continual building , almost to lambeth , more than one mile from the said bridge . then from the bridge along by the thames east-ward , is st. olaves street , having continual building on both the sides , with lanes and alleys up to battle-bridge : to horse-down , and towards rother-hith also , some good half mile in length from london bridge , so that i account the whole continual buildings , on the bank of the said river , from the west towards the east to be more than a large mile in length . then have ye from the entring towards the said horse-down , one other continual street , called barmonds eye street , which stretcheth south , likewise furnished with buildings on both the sides , almost half a mile in length up to the late dissolved monastery of st. saviours , called bermondsey . and from thence is one long lane ( so called of the length ) turning west to st. georges church aforenamed , out of the which lane , mentioned long-lane , breaketh one other street towards the south and by east , and this is called kentvsh-street , for that it is the way leading into that county ; and so have ye the bounds of this borough . the antiquities most notable in this borough are these ; first , for ecclesiastical , there was bermondsey , an abbey of black monks ; st. mary overies , a priory of canons regular ; st. thomas , a colledge or hosp●tal for the poor ; and the loke , a lazar-house in kent-street . parish churches there have been six , whereof five do remain , ( viz. ) st. mary magdalen , in the priory of saint mary overy ; now the same st. mary overy is the parish church for the said mary magdalen , and for saint margaret on the hill , and is called saint saviour . saint margaret on the hill , being put down is now a court for justice ; st. thomas in the hospital serveth for a parish church as afore ; st george a parish church , as before it did ; so doth st , olave , and st. mary magdalen by the abby of bermondsey . there be also these five prisons , or goals , the clink on the bank , the compter in the late parish church of st. margaret , the marshalsey , the kings-bench , and the white-lyon , all in long southwarke . now to return to the west bank , there were two bear-gardens , the old and new , places wherein were kept bears , bulls , and other beasts , to be bated ; as also mastives , in se●eral kenels , nourished to baite them . these bears and other beasts are there baired in plots of ground , scaffolded about , for the beholders to stand safe ; but this kind of sport is now prohibited . next , on this bank , was sometime the bord●llo or stewes , a place so called of certain stew-houses , priviledged there , for the repair of incontinent men , to the like women , of the which priviledge we read thus . in a parliament holden at westminster , the eight of henry the second , it was ordained by the commons , and confirmed by the king and lords , that divers constitutions for ever should he kept in that lordship or franchise , according to the old customs , that had been there used time out of mind ; amongst the which , these following were some , viz. that no stew-holder , or his wife should let or stay any single woman to go and come freely at all times , when they listed . no stew-holder to keep any woman to board , but she to board abroad at her pleasure . to take no more for the womans chamber in the week than fourteen pence . not to keep open his doors upon the holy-daies . not to keep any single woman in his house on the holy-dayes ; but the bayliff to see them voided out of the lordship . no single woman to be kept against her will that would leave her sin . no stew-holder to receive any woman of religion , or any mans wife . no single woman to take mony to lye with any man , except she lie with him all night till the morrow . no man to be drawn or enticed into any stew-house . the constables , bayliffe , and others , every week to search every stew-house . no stew-holder to keep any woman , that hath the perilous infirmity of burning : nor to sell bread , ale , flesh , fish , wood , coale , or any victuals , &c. these allowed stew-houses had signs on their fronts , towards the thames , not hanged out , but painted on the walls , as a boars head , the crosse-keys , the gun , the castle , the craue , the cardinals hat , the bell , the swan , &c. ancient men of good credit do report , that these single women were forbidden the rights of the church so long as they continued that sinful life , and were excluded from christian burial , if they were not reconciled , before their death : and therefore there was a plot of ground called the single womans church-yard , appointed for them , far from the parish church . in the year of christ , one thousand five hundred forty six , the seven and thirtieth of henry the eighth , this row of stews in southwarke , was put down by the kings commandement , which was proclaimed by sound of trumpet , no more to be priviledg'd and used as a common brothel . then next is the clinke , a goale or prison for the trespassers in those parts , namely , in old time for such as should brabble , fray , or break the peace on the said bank , or in the brothel houses ; they were by the inhabitants thereabout , apprehended and committed to this gaole , where they were streightly imprisoned . next is the bishop of winchesters house , or lodging when he commeth to this city . adioyning to this on the south side thereof , is the bishop of rochesters inne , or lodging , by whom first erected , it is not upon record ; but 't is known well , the same of long time hath not been frequented by any bishop , and lieth ruinous for lack of reparations . the abbot of naverly had a house there . east from the bishop of winchesters house , directly over against it standeth a fair church , called st. mary , over the rie , or overy , that is , over the water ; this church , or some other in place thereof was ( of old time long before the conquest ) an house of sisters , founded by a maiden , named mary , unto the which house and sisters they left ( as was left to her by her parents ) the over-sight and profits of a crosse-ferry or traverse-ferry over the thames , there kept before that any bridge was builded ; this house of sisters was after by swithin , a noble lady , converted unto a colledge of priests who in place of the ferry , builded a bridge of timber , and from time to time kept the same in good reparations ; but lastly the same bridge was builded of stone , and then in the year , was this church again founded for canons regular , by vvilliam pont del l' arch , and vvilliam daunly knights normans . this peter de rupibus or de la roch , founded a large chappel of st. mary magdalen , in the church of st mary overy , which chappel was afterward appointed to be the parish church for the inhabitants near adjoyning . this church was again new builded in the reign of richard the second , and king henry the fourth . iohn gower esquire , a famous poet , was then an especial benefactor to that work , and was there buried on the north side of the said church , in the chappel of st. iohn , where he founded a chantry ; he lyeth under a tombe of stone , with his image also of stone over him ; the hair of his head auburne , long to his shoulders , but curling up and a small forked beard : on his head a chaplet , like a coronet of four roses , an habit of purple damasked down to his feet , a collar of esses of gold about his neck , under his feet the likenesse of three books , which he compiled . the first named speculum meditantis , written in french ; the second , vox clamantis , penned in latine ; the third , confessio amantis , written in english , and this last is printed ; vox clamantis , with his chronica tripartita , & other both in latine and french , were never printed . besides on the wall where he lyeth , there was painted three virgins crowned , one of the which was named charity , holding this device , en toy qui es fitz de dieu le pere sav●e soit , qui gist soubs cest pierre . in thee who art the son of god be sav'd who lyes under this clod . now passing through st. mary overies close ( once in possession of the lord montacute ) & pepper alley into long southwark ; on the right hand thereof the market hill , where the leather is sold , there stood the late named parish church of saint margaret , given to st. mary overies by henry the first , put down and joyned with the parish church of st. mary magdalen , and united to the late dissolved priory church of st. mary overy . a part of this parish church of st. margaret is now a court wherein the assizes and sessions be kept , and the court of admiralty is also there kept ; one other part of the same church is now a prison , called the compter in southwarke , &c. farther up on that side , almost directly over against st. georges church , was sometime a large and most sumptuous house , builded by charles brandon , duke of suffolke , in the reign of henry the eighth , which was called suffolk house , but coming afterwards into the kings hands , the same was called southwark place , and a mint of coynage was there kept for the king. queen mary give this house to nicholas heth , archbishop of york , and to his successors for ever , to be their inne or lodging for their repair to london , in recompence of york house near to westminster , which king henry her father had taken from cardinal woolsey , and from the see of york . then is the white lion , a goal so called , for that the same was a common hoftery for the receit of travellers by that sign . this ●ouse was first used as a goal within these hundred years last , since the which time the prisoners were once removed thence to an house in new-town , where they remained for a short time , and were returned again to the aforesaid white lion , there to remain as the appointed goal for the countey of surrey . next is the goal or prison of the kings-bench , but of what antiquity the same is , it appears not . we read , that the courts of the kings-bench and chancery , have oft times been removed from london to other places , and so hath likewise the other goals that serve those courts , as in the year , edward the first commanded the courts of kings-bench & the exchequer , which had remained seven years at york , to be removed to their old places at london . and in the year , the eleaventh of richard the second , robert trisilian chief justice , came to the city of coventry , and there sat by the space of a month , as justice of the kings bench , and caused to be indicted in that court about the number of persons of that country , &c. it seemeth therefore , that for that time the prison or goale of that court was not far off . also , in the year , the sixteenth of the same richard , the archbishop of york , being lord chancellor , for good will that he bare to his city , caused the kings bench and chancery to be removed from london to york , but ere long they were returned to london . then is the marshalsey another goal or prison , so called , as pertaining to the marshalls of england , of what continuance kept in southwark , it appears not ; but likely it is , that the same hath been removeable , at the pleasure of the marshalls . and then thieves lane by st. thomas hospital , first found by richard , prior of bermondsey , in the cellerers grounded , against the wall of the monastery , in the year , he named it the almery , or house of alms , for converts and poor children . in the year , the citizens of london , having the void suppressed hospital of st. thomas in southwark , in the month of iuly , began the reparations thereof , for poor , impotent , lame , and diseased people , so that in the month of november next following , the sick and poor people were taken in , ; and in the year , on the tenth of april , king edward the sixth in the seventh of his reign , gave to the mayor , communalty and citizens of london , to be a work-house for the poor , and idle persons of the city , his house of bridewell , and seven hundred marks lands of the savoy rents , which hospital he had suppressed , with all the beds , bedding , and other furniture belonging to the same , towards the maintenance of the said work-house of bridewell , and of this hospital of saint thomas in southwark . this gift , the king confirmed by his charter . the church of this hospital , which of old time served for the tenements neer adjoyning and pertaining to the said hospital , remaineth as a parish church . but now to come to st. olaves street : on the bank of the river of thames , is the parish church of st. olave , a fair and mee●ly large church , but a far larger parish , especially of aliens or strangers , and poor people . next is the bridge-house , so called , as being a store-house for stone , timber , or whatsoever pertaining to the building or repairing of london bridge . this house seemeth to have taken beginning with the first founding of the bridge , either of stone or timber ; it is a large plot of ground on the bank of the river of thames , containing divers large buildings , for stowage of things necessary , towards reparation of the said bridge . there are also divers garners , for laying up of wheat , and other granaries for service of the city , as need requireth . moreover , there be certain ovens builded , in number ten , of which six be very large the other four being but half so big : these were purposely made to bake out the bread corn of the said grayners , to the best advantage , for relief of the poor cittizens , when need should require . then is battaile bridge , so called of battaile abbey , for that it standeth on the ground & over a water-course , ( flowing out of thames ) pertaining to that abbey , and was therefore both builded and repaired by the abbots of that house , as being hard adjoyning to the abbots lodging . beyond this bridge is bermondsey street , turning south , in the south end whereof was sometime a priory or abby of st. saviour , called bermonds eye in southwarke , founded by ailwin , a citizen of london , in the year . in the year , deceased alwin , founder of this house . then william rufus gave to the monks , his mannor of bermondsey , with the appurtenances , and builded there for them a new great church . in the year . this abbey was valued to di●pend by the year , l. fourteen shillings four pence half penny , and was surrendred to henry the eighth , the one and thirtieth of his reign , the abbey church was then pulled down by sir thomas pope knight , and in place thereof , a goodly house builded of stone and timber , since pertaining to the earls of sussex . next unto this abbey church standeth a proper church of st. mary magdalen , builded by the priory of bermondsey , serving for resort of the inhabitants ( tenants to the priors or abbots near adjoyning ) there to have their divine service ; this church remaineth and serveth as afore , and is called a parish church . then in kent street , is a lazar house for leprous people , called the loke in southwark , the foundation whereof is incertain . this borough at a subsidy to the king , was used to yield about a thousand marks , or eight hundred pounds , which is more than any one city in england payeth except london ; and also , the muster of men in this borough doth likewi●e in number surpasse all other cities , except london . and thus much for the borough of southwarke , one of the six and twenty wards of london . having thus travers'd the whole body of this great city , and her severall wards , from the center to the circumference ; it is now to be observed , that every ward hath its particular alderman as an overseer , or guardian assign'd thereunto , who hath a greater latitude of power , than an ordinary justice of the peace . this alderman hath one deputy , and in some wards more . there are likewise a number of common-councel men , constables , men of the wardmote inquest , scavengers ▪ some more , some lesse , with beadles in every ward . th● last ward which is the borough of southwark , differs from the rest in this , that the alderman appointed there , hath three deputies and a bayliff , but no common councel men . of places adjacent , and contiguous to the city of london . having endeavoured already to di●●ect the city of london , so that all her members , and homogeneal parts may be discern'd : we will now passe on to her heterogeneal , or suburbian parts , which yet are contiguous , and make one entire continued peece : we will , as formerly , take our first aym eastward and begin with those parts that are without the postern by the tower of london . the second of henry the third , the forrest of middlesex , and the warren of stanes , were difafforested ; since which time , the suburbs also about london , in tract of time , and , as it were , by an insensible augmentation , have wonderfully increased in people and edifices . near the tower of london , is the hospital of st. katherine ( spoken of before ) founded by matilda , wife to king stephen , that renowned and most religious queen . from the liberties of st. katherine to wapping , the usual place of execution for pyrates , and sea-rovers , there to continue hanging till three tydes overflow and cover them ; i say , from st. katherines to wapping , 't is yet in the memory of man , there was never a house standing , but the gallowes which was further removed , in regard of the buildings . but now there is a continued street towards a mile long , from the tower , all along the river , almost as far as radcliffe , which proceeded from the encrease of navigation , mariners and trafique . the citizens of london , were the chief benefactors , towards the erecting of the new church at wapping , a chappel of ease to white-chappel : and upon a high beam , in the midst thereof , there is a memorable neat inscription , viz. this chappel was dedicated to almighty god , and consecrated to the honour and glory of his great and wonderful name , the seventh day of july , . by the right reverend father in god , john king , then bishop of london . north-east of the tower , lyeth east-smithfield , hoggs-street , and another tower-hill , near whereunto was an hermitage , in times passed , called the new abbey of grace , founded by edward the third , in gratitude to heaven , for his victorious successes in france ; which commendable custom , continueth still beyond the se●s , as lately there is a fair costly church , erected in venice , dedicated to st. lawrence , in remembrance of a signal victory she obtained against the common enemy the turk , about that saints day ; as philip the second did build the escurial for st. quinten victory . then is there radcliffe , much encreased also in buildings , and nightingale-lane ; from thence towards aldgate , were the minories , a famous abbey of n●ns , of the order of santa clara , founded by edmund earl of lancaster , leicester and darby , brother to edward the first , as hath bin formerly spoken . without algate there is a spacious huge suburb , about a mile long , as far as white chappel , and further : white chappel was as it were , a chappel of ease to stebunhith , now called by a strange contraction , stepney parish : the church of white chappel , was called st. mary marfelon , because a frenchman having served a rich widow hard by and murthered her for her wealth , the women and boyes stoned the felon to death , as he thought to fly away . from algate ▪ north-west to bishopsgate , lyeth houndsditch , a long street , then is the fair parish church of st. buttolph : then is the hospital of st. mary of bethlem , founded by a london citizen , as hath bin shewn before ; without which is norton-fallgate , a liberty belonging to st. pauls . thence up to the priory of st. iohn baptist , is holy well , where there was in ancient times , a nunnery , founded by stephen gravesend , bishop of london . in the high street from holy well , there is a continual building to sewers ditch , then is there shore-ditch , golding-lane , goswell-street , then hoxton , ( vulgarly called hogsdon ) which was once a prebend belonging to st. pauls . then is there in this suburb , the hospital of st. mary spittle , and a great palace , called fishers folly , built by the lord iohn powlet . in former times , there was in shoreditch , a row of small almshon●es , built there by the prior , which being suppressed , they were called the rotten rowe . then is there the parish church of st. leonard , in shoreditch , whereof the arch-deacon of pauls de jure , is alwayes parson ; we are come now to moor-fields , which in former times , was but a fenny quagge , or moore , and is now , by the industry and bounty of well disposed citizens , come to that perfection , and pleasantness , as now we behold it in , whereof mention is made before . we passe now to cripplegate , and st. giles church , built by one , alfune , first hospitaler of st. bartholomew in smithfield ; near unto this church , there was in former times , a fair pool of sweet water , where in anne of lodberry was drowned , as the story shewes . then is there forestreet , moore-lane , and grubstreet , white-crosse-street , which is of great extent , and reacheth to old street . from the west end of forestreet , lyeth redcrosse-street , and beech-lane , with golding-lane , full of small tenements . then is there barbican , anciently called houndsditch , all these populous places , are within the precincts of st. giles parish . aldersgate suburb is next , where the parish of st. buttolph stands , and little britain street on the one side ; then it stretcheth all along north , with very handsome edifices , and a large street , as far as barbican , on the one side , and long-lane on the other . this street resembleth an italian street , more then any other in london , by reason of the spaciousness & uniformity of buildings , and streightness thereof , with the convenient distance of the houses ; on both sides whereof , there are divers very fair ones , as peter-house , the palace now , and mansion of the most noble marquis of dorchester : then is there the earl of tenets house , with the moon and sun-tavern , very fair structures , then is there from about the middle of aldersgate-street , a handsome new street butted out , and fairly built by the company of goldsmiths , which reacheth athwart as far as redcrosse-street . at the furthest point of this suburb northward , there was a winde-mill in times past , which being blown down by a tempest , queen katherine of aragon , first wife to henry the th , erected there a chappel , and named it mount calvary , which was afterwards suppressed , and the place came to be called mount-mill , whereof the long-parliament made much use for their fortifications . we are going now to newgate , where towards smithfield , i meet with gilt-spur , and knight-riders-street : then is smithfield it self , which hath bin spoken of before , in faringdon ward . without smithfield barres , there is st. johns street ; on the right hand whereof , stood the charter-house , founded by sir walter manuy , knight of the garter to edward the third . hard by , is pardon church-yard , whereas the annales record , above fifty thousand souls were buried in one year , who had dyed of a raging great sweeping pestilence , in the reign of the foresaid edward the third . the chievalrou ▪ and most devo●t knight , first bui●t a chappel there , then a monastery of carthusian fryers , which are the ●evere●● one most rigid of all claustral societies : this monast●ery was called at first the salutation . in this charter-house , was the monument of the said sir walter m●nny , and above twenty knights more , besides ladies and other per●ons of high rank , and at the suppression of abbeys , this monastery had l. yearly rent , a mighty sum in those dayes . this demolish'd charter-house , came a while after , to the possession of thomas earl of suffolk , lord treasurer of england , in king james his raign , and the place being sweetly scituated , with accommodations of spacious walks , orchards , and gardens , with sundry dependencies of tenements , and lands thereunto belonging , gave occasion to that worthy and well disposed gentleman , mr. thomas sutton , of cast●e camps , in the county of cambridge esquire , but born at knayth in lincolnshire , to alter his resolution of erecting an hospital at hallingbury in essex , where he had first pitched his design , and to purchase this place of the earl , for l. first peny payd before the s●aling of the conveyance ; which charitable , great , and noble enterprize , was countenanced by king james , and his privy councel . so having in few years raised up that goodly fabrique , ( though it pleased god to take him to himself , before it was quite finish'd ) and endowed it with competent allowance , by passing away many goodly mannors , he had in lincoln , wiltshire , middlesex , cambridge and essex , with other goodly possessions , the work was compleated , and nominated the hospital of king james ; which hospital , consisted of a master , a governor , a preacher , a free school , with a master and usher , . poor people , and . schollers , maintained all by the revenues of the house , anno . on munday next , after michaelmas day , the captains , gentlemen , and officers , entred into this new hospital . now there were by letters pattents under the great seal of england , divers governors appointed of this hospital , whereof the arch bishop of canterbury was chief , the lord chancelor , and treasurer , the bishops of london and ely , the lord chief justice of the common pleas , the attorney general , the dean of pauls , the dean of westminster , and divers others ; but the late long parliament , inverting the order and will of the founder , did nominate others in their rooms . a little without the barres of west smithfield ▪ is charter-house lane ; but in the large yard before , there are many handsome palaces , as rutland house , and one where the venetian embassadors were used to lodge ; which yard hath lately bin conveniently raised , and made more neat and comely . then is there st. johns street , with turnmill-street , which stretcheth up west , to clarken-well , and it is vulgarly called turnball-street : there is another lane called st. peters lane , which turns from st. johns street , to cow-crosse . the dissolved priory of st. john of jerusalem , stood on the left hand , founded almost . years since , by jorden briset , a pious brave man , who had founded al●o a priory of nuns at clarken-well . the rebels and rabble of kent , did much mischief to this house . setting it on fire , and letting it burn seven dayes : at the suppression of abbeys , this house among the rest , felt the fury of fare ; yet it was not quite demolished , but employed as a store-house for the kings toyles and tents , as well for hunting ▪ as for the warres . but in edward the sixth's time , that goodly church for the most part , i mean the body and side iles , with the great bell-tower , a most curious peece of fabrick , being engraven , gilt , and enamel'd , to the great ornament of city and suburb , was barbarously undermined , and blown up with gunpowder : the stones whereof were carried to finish the then protectors house in the strand , viz. the duke of somerset , but strange judgements fell afterwards upon him , as is before mentioned . cardinal pool , in queen maries raign , closed up again part of the quire , and side walls on the west side , and made sir thomas tresham , prior thereof ; but thinking to bring the place to its first principles , it was suppressed again by queen elizabeth . a great number of knights of that order , had monuments in that church . north from the said house of st. john's , was the priory of clarken-well , which also was very ancient , being built anno . we must now go back to giltspur-street , where this suburb first begins , where hard by standeth a comely fair church , called st. sepulcher , in the baylie . hard by is turnagain-lane , hosier-lane . and cow-lane ; then you come down sore●hill ( now vulgarly called snow-hill ) to oldborne , now called holborn-bridge : then you go up by chick-lane , and lither-lane ; but before you come thither , you passe by the bishop of elies great palace , and hatton-house , and brook-house : beyond the barres , there is postpool-lane , and grayes inne lane. southward of this lane , there is a row of small houses , which is a mighty hindrance to holborn , in point of prospect , which if they were taken down , there would be from holborn conduit , to st. giles in the field , one of the fairest rising street in the world. from newgate on the left hand , lyeth the old bayley ; and so down by sea-cole and fleet-lane , we passe then over the common sewer , up to shooe-lane and so to fewter-lane , now vulgarly called fetter-lane ; but betwixt these two lanes , there is another new street , butted out by the company of goldsmiths , called newstreet , where there is a knot of very handsome buildings . above the barres , there was a house of the templers , but they removed thence to fleetstreet : there was also adjoyning thereunto , the bishop of lincolns house , which was very ancient ; for the records say , 't was built anno . but of late years , it hath belonged to the noble earls of southhampton ; and lately , it hath bin quite taken down , and turned to several private tenements , as durham house is in the strand . insomuch , that if one should ask , what god almighty doth now in london , he might ( as the pulse of the 〈◊〉 beats ) give the same answer that was given by the pagan philosopher , who being demanded what iupiter did in heaven , he said , magnas ollas rump●t , & ex frustis earum parvas componit , jupiter breaks great vessels , and makes small ones of their peeces . side long of this ancient house of the bishop of lincoln , is newstreet , for so it was called at first ; but now 't is called chancery-lane , where edward the third annexed the house of converted jews , to the office of custos rotulorum . here the cursitors office was built by sir nicholas bacon , lord keeper of the great seal . here also is the six clarks office , which is a fair convenient peece of stone and brick building newly erected , the old being consumed by a casual fire of late years . the bishop of chicester , ralph nevil , had much ground given him thereabouts , by henry the third , which now is become all tenements , thick built , and quite alienated . then is lincolns inne , very much encreased in building , it appertained sometimes to the said ralph nevil , bishop of chicester , lord chancellor of england , having bin before the house of the black-fryers : and after the decease of the said bishop nevil , henry lacy earl of lincoln , constable of chester ▪ and custos of england , added much building to this place ; and sir thomas lovel did also add much thereunto , in henry the eighth's time ; but now it is one of the foure inns of court , for the students in the law. behind lincolns inne westward , is a spacious field , where many fair houses , or rather palaces , are taken up by the gentry . then is there towards drewry lane , a new market , called clare market ; then is there a street , and palace of the same name , built by the earl of clare , who lives there in a princely manner , having a house , a street , and a market , both for flesh and fish , all bearing his name . there was something omitted which should have bin spoken of the church of st. giles of the field , which is , that being a very ancient church , and so decayed , that it could not be repaired , a new one was erected , partly out of the ruines of the old ; which work was begun and finished in two years ; and a while after , the fair brick wall that encompasseth it . there were divers well disposed persons , who contributed to so pious a work ; but specially the lady alice duddeley , according to that which is engraven upon the north door , in pure and ponderous latine , which i thought therefore worthy to be here inserted . quod faelix faustumque sit posteris , hoc templum loco veteris ex annosa vetustate collapsi , mole et splendore auctum multa paraecorum charitas restauravit . in quibus pientissimae heroinae , dom. aliciae duddeley munificentia gratum marmoris hujus meretur eloquium : huc etiam accessit aliorum pletas ; quibus provisae sunt grates in coelo . heus viator an effaetum est bon●s operibus hoc saeculum ? from the north end of chancery lane , is high holborn , which extends up to st. giles in the field , where the famous devout queen matilda did found an hospital , as she did eastward st. katherines beyond the tower. at this hospital the prisoners conveyed from london to tyborn , were used to be presented with a bowl of ale , for their last refreshment in this life , and it was commonly called st. giles's bowl : then is there a spacious fair street , called long acre , and then pickadilly , full of fair houses round about . thus have we as succinctly as we could , avoiding superfluities , and unnecessary trivial things , spoken of the skirts of london , and the places thereunto annexed , without the gates , and now , navige● hinc al●● jam mihi linter aqua . i mean , let us steer now to the city of vvestminster . of the savoy , the dutchy , and city of westminster , with the antiquities , the tribunals of iustice , and liberties thereunto belonging . having taken so fair a prospect , and finished the perlustration of london . it were a high incivility , and a soloecism in good manners ( or rather a piacle ) not to give vvestminster also a visit , being so near and contiguous a neighborr : it is true , that they were once above a mile asunder ; but by insen●●b●e coalition and recruit of people , they came at last to be united , and incorporated into one continued peece , in point of posture , though not of government . and the union with scotland , did not a little conduce , to make this union ●twixt london and vvestminster ▪ for the scots multiplying here mightily , neas●ed themse●ves about the court , so that the strand , from mud walls , and thatched houses , came to that perfection of buildings , as now we see . moreover , the city of vvestminster hath divers magnalia's , which may deserve as exact a view as any within london ; for if london of old had her temple of diana , vvestm●nster had one to a greater deity , which was apollo ; and since , ( in those very places ) ; is st. paul , hath his church in london : st. peter , the prince of the apostles , hath his in vvestminster , which was used to keep the regalia's and the crown . add hereunto , that if london hath her guild-hall , and the hustings . vvestminster hath the great praetorian , or common hall , where the chief courts , and general tribunals of justice , do make their sessions , though to her high pray●e be it spoken , london hath a far more expedite way of doing justice , and determination of cau●es then westminster hath ; besides , in point of safety and strength , if london hath her artillery garden , westminster hath her military : and in point of extent and government , if london hath her six and twenty wards , and so many aldermen ; westminster also hath her twelve burgesses , and so many distinct wards ; but for the quality of inhabitants , london mu●t vayl to her ; most of the nobility and gentry residing in , or about her precincts . moreover , in one particular , westminster may claim a great advantage of london in regard as the royal court once was , so the residence of the soveraign magistrate is still there : insomuch , that westminster may well glory of three things , that she hath the chiefest courts of justice , the chiefest court of the prince , and the chiefest court of the king of heaven ( for every temple is his hou●e and court. ) now the abbey of westminster , hath bin alwayes held the greatest sanctuary , and randevouze of devotion of the whole iland : w●ereunto , the scituation of the very place , seemes to contribute much , and to strike a holy kind of reverence and sweetness of melting piety in the hearts of the beho●ders . but before we steer our course to westminster , we must visit the dutchy o● lancaster , and the savoy , which are liberties of themselves , and lie ( as a parenthesis ) 'twixt london and westminster . without temple-barre westward , is a liberty pertaining to the dutchy of lancaster , which beginneth on the north side of the thames , and stretcheth west to ivy-bridge , where it terminates . and again , on the north side , some small distance without temple-barre , in the high street , there stretcheth one large middle row , or troop of small tenements , partly opening to the south , and partly towards the north , up west to a stone crosse , over against the strand ; and this is the bounds of the liberty , which first belonged to brian lisle , after to peter of savoy , and then to the house of lancaster . henry the third did grant to his uncle peter of savoy , all those houses upon the thames , which pertained to brian lisle , or de insula , in the way , or the street , called the strand , to hold to him and his heires , yielding three gilded arrowes , every year in the exchequer . this peter , earl of savoy and richmond , son to thomas earl of savoy , brother to boniface arch bishop of canterbury , and uncle unto eleanor wife to henry the third , was the first founder of the savoy , anno . which he gave afterwards to the fraternity of monjoy . queen eleanor did purchase it for edmund duke of lancaster , her son , of the fraternity ; which duke did much augment and improve the structure . iohn the french king was lodged there , being then the fairest mannor of england . anno . the rebels of kent and essex , did most barbarously burn this house , with many vessels of gold and silver , which they threw into the river ; all which they did out of a popular malice to iohn of gaunt , duke of lancaster . it came afterwards to the kings hands , and henry the seventh did re-edifie and raise it up again , but converted it to the hospital of st. iohn baptist ; yet was he content , that it should be still called the savoy , and bestowed lands , for maintenance of . poor men ; but afterwards , it was suppressed by his granchild , edward the sixth : the beds , and bedding , with other furniture , were given to the city of london ; together , with bridewell , to be a work-house for idle persons ; and some of savoy furniture was given also to furnish st. thomas hospital in southwark : but afterwards , the savoy hospital was refounded , and endowed with lands , by queen mary , who made one iackson , first master thereof ) and it is memorable , how the mayds of honour , and ladies of the court , in those times , did much contribute for storing it again with new beds , and furniture ; and so it hath continued ever since : the chappel of this hospital serving for a parish church , to the neighbors thereof near adjoyning , and others . now touching the prerogatives , and enfranchisements of the dutchy of lancaster , let the reader know , that henry the fourth , by his royal charter , and concurrence of parliament , did sever the possessions of the said dutchy from the crown , and that which iohn of gaunt held for term of life , was established to perpetuity , by the statutes of edward the fourth , and henry the seventh : which separation was made by henry the fourth , in regard he well knew , that he had the dutchy o lancaster ( par regno ) by sure and indefesble title , whereas his title to the crown was not so assured , because that after the death of richard the second , the royal right was in the heir of lionel , duke of clarence , second son of edward the third . and john of gaunt , who was father to henry the fourth , was the fourth son : therefore his policy was , to make it a distinct thing from the crown , for fear of after-claps . it was edward the third , who erected the county of lancaster to a county palatine , and honoured the duke of lancaster therewith , giving him jura regalia , having a particular court , the officers whereof , were the chancellor , the attorney , the receiver general , clark of the court , the auditors , surveyors , the messenger ; the seal of the dutchy of lancaster remains with the chancellor ; but the seal of the county palatine , remains alwayes in a chest , in the county palatine under the safe custody of a keeper . now , all grants and leases of lands , tenements , and offices in the county palatine of lancaster , should passe under that seal , and no other ; but all grants and leases out of the county palatine , and within the survey of the dutchy , should passe under the seal of the dutchy , and no other ; otherwise such grants are voyd , ipso facto . though this county palatine was a younger brother , yet it had more honours mannors , and lands annexed unto it , th●n any of the rest ; and all this by acts of parliament , whereby all the franchises , priviledges , immunities , quittances and freedoms , which the duke of lancaster had for himself and his men , and tenants , were confirmed . the liberty of the dutchy was used to be governed by the chancellor , who had under him a steward , that kept court le●t , with an attorney of the dutchy . there were also four burgesses , and four assistants , a bayliffe , who had others under him ▪ four constables , four wardens , that kept the stock for the poor , four wardens for high wayes , a jury of . ale-cunners , which looked to the assise of measures , four scavengers , and a beadle , and the common prison is newgate . and now we must make a step back towards temple-barre , and so by degrees , to westminster all along , we will begin with the right hand , or the northside , and so pas●e up west , through a back lane or street , wherein do stand ( as was touched before ) three inns of chancery ▪ the first called clements inne , in regard it is near st. clements church , and clements well . the second new inne , which was made of a common hostery , about the beginning of the reign of henry . the third is lions inne . this street stretcheth up unto drury lane , which lane extends northward towards st. giles in the field . but now we must go back , as was said before , towards temple-barre . and so by taking the strand , all along return by degrees to westminster it self , in a direct line . i have heard often of a british prophecy , which came from an old bard , viz. the church man was , the lawyer is , and the soul●ier shall be . true it is , that bishops lived in the equipage of princes , in former times ; and among other in●●ar●es , one is , the goodly palaces they had in and about london , and westminster ; for from dorset house in fleetstreet , as far as white-hall , all the great houses , which were built upon the banks of the thames , were all episcopal palaces , except the savoy and suffolk-house . the first for greatness was excester house ( now called essex ) whereof the chiefest founder was edward stapleton , bishop of that see , who was beheaded by the londoners in cheap-side , and his body was then brought , and buried in a heap of sand or rubbish , in his own house near temple-barre , in the raign of edward the second . bishop edmond l●ey , built the great hall in the raign of henry the sixth . the same was since called paget-house , being enlarged by william lord paget . then was it called leicester-house , of robert dudley , who was the great favorite to queen elizabeth , and then it came to be called essex-house , from robert earl of essex , who was also a favorite of queen elizabeth , and beheaded in the tower. opposite to this house , standeth the parish-church of saint clement danes , so called , because harold , a danish king , with other of that nation , were buried there . then was the bishop of baths inne , or city-house , builded by the lord thomas seamer , admiral of england : which house , came afterwards to be possessed by the earl of arundel , & so it beares the name of arundel-house : neer there adjoyning , there was once a parish-church , called the nativity of our lady , or the innocents of the strand , with a fair coemitery , or church-yard , wherein there was a brother-hood kept , called saint vrsula of the strand . near adjoyning to the said church , betwixt it and the thames , there was an inne of chancery , called chesters inne , because it belonged to the bishop of chester , and sometimes 't was called strand inne . then was there a house belonging to the bishop of landaff , which one of those bishops purchased of the duke of lancaster . then was there the bishop of chesters inne or palace , which was first built by walter langhton , treasurer of england , in the reign of edward the first . and not far from that was the bishop of worcesters inne or palace ; all which viz. the parish church called saint mary of the strand , strand inne , with the bishop of chester , and bishop of worcesters houses , with all the tenements adjoyning , were by commandement of edward duke of somerset , uncle to edward the sixth , & lord protector pull'd down , and laid level to the ground anno . in place whereof , he erected that large and goodly house , call'd now somerset house , which rose out of the ruines of the church ; therefore the roman catholiques observed , that an apparent judgement from heaven fell upon him afterwards , being beheaded a little after ; and he and his counsel were so infatuated , that he forgot to call for his clergy , which he might have claimed by the law , and so sav'd his life . then is there bedford house , which was sometimes the bishop of carliles inne . it stretched from the savoy to ivie bridge , where sir robert cecill earl of salisbury raysed a large and stately house of brick and timber ; worcester house lies sideling of it , and there being a great vvalnut tree there growing , which much hindred the prospect of salisbury house eastward , the earl bargained with one of the lord edward of vvorcesters servants , that if he could get leave of his lord to cut down that tree , he would give him li , the servanc told his lord of it , who bad him fell down the tree and take the money ; but the old earl ( there being no good correspondence 'twixt salisbury and him ) caused presently a new brick building to be there erected , where the tree stood . we come now to durham house , built by thomas hatfield bishop of that see , a very capacious edifice , on the north side whereof stood a row of thatch'd stables , which the earl of salisbury purchased , and pull'd down , and erected in place thereof , the new exchange , or britains burse ; which was built with wonderful celerity , for the first stone thereof was ●ayed on the tenth of iune , and it was fully finished the november next following . the earl did then invite king iames with the queen , to see his new house , where after a rich banquet the king named the place britains burse . next beyond durham house and this new building , is another great palace , belonging of old to the bishop of norwich , but afterwards it came to the archbishop of yorke , by this occasion . when cardinal woolsey , arch bishop of yorke , was indicted in a premunire , whereby the king was entitled to all his goods and possessions , he among other things , seazed upon the said cardinals house , where he then dwelled , commonly called york place , and changed the name thereof to white-hall . the arch-bishops of york , having then no house in london or westminster , queen mary gave unto nicholas heath then arch-bishop of yorke , suffolke house in southwark , lately built by charles brandon ; which house the said arch-bishop sold , and in lieu thereof he purchased the bishop of norwich's house , which ever since hath been called yorke house , though it came afterwards to the possession of the duke of buckingham george villers , who added much to the old edifice , and would have had it called buckingham house , which name is engraven upon the watergate in great letters . there was of old , an hospitall of st. mary rouncival ( an order which came from navarre in spain ) by charing-crosse , where a fraternity was founded in the fifteenth of edward the fourth , which was afterwards suppressed and turned to tenements . near unto this hospital was an hermitage with a chappel of st. katherine over against charing-crosse , which crosse was erected by edward the first to the honor of his queen ( as is spoken else-where ) eleanor , and it was a goodly monument , which was utterly destroyed by the fury of the long parl●ament . west of this crosse stood sometimes another hospital called st. iames , consisting of two hides of land in the parish of st. margaret in vvestminster , and 〈…〉 by the citizens of london , for sister-maidens that were lep●ous ; then were there added eight brethren , to minister divine service there . afterwards , there was a great addition of land made to this hospital , and edward the first granted a fair to be kept there every year . this hospital being surrendred to henry . the sisters were allowed pensions during their 〈◊〉 , and the king erected there a mannor house , with a park annexed-encompassed about with a brick wall. but before we advance further northward towards westminster , we must make a slep backward to saint martins church and lane , where on the west side there are many gentile fair houses in a row built by the same earl of salisbury who built britains burse , but somewhat before . then have we bedford berry , commonly called the coven ●arden , because there was a large convent , or monastery there in times pass'd , where there are many good structures , cloystered underneath some of them , with a large piazza or market place , and a church that bears the name of saint paul , which , though within the precincts of saint martins parish , yet by act of parliament , it is now exempted . the founder who was the earl of bedford , p●ying the minister l . per annum . on the left hand of charing-crosse , there are divers fair houses built of late yea●s , specially the most stately palace of suffolk or northampton house , built by henry of northampton son to the duke of norfolk , and lord pri●ie seal to king iames. then is there a large plot of ground enclosed with brick , called scotland yard where the kings of scotland were used to be lodg'd and margaret queen dowager of scotland , eldest sister to henry the th , kept her court there a●●er the king her husband had been kill'd in flodden field . and now we are come to white-hall , belonging of old to hubert de burgh , earl of kent ▪ and iusticier of england , who gave it to the black-fryers in holborne ; but being fallen to henry the . ordained it to be called an honor , and built there a huge long gallery , with two gate-houses thwart the street to st. iames park . from these gates we passe in a direct line to kings street ; on one side whereof passing through st. stephen alley is canon row , ( but now though very corruptly calld channel row ) to called because it belonged to the dean and canons of saint stephens chappel , who were lodg'd there , but now they are all turn'd to be temporal habitations . then we come to woolstaple now the common market place of westminster , in the reign of edward the first , we read that the staple being at westminster , the p●rishioners of saint margarets , and merchants of the staple bui●ded the said church of new . henry the sixth , had six wool-houses within the staple at westminster , which he granted to the dean and canons of saint stephens . bec●use we are not yet ready to speak of the abbey , we will passe by it to the gatehouse of westminster , and so to totehill and petty france . the gate-house is called so of two gates , the one out of the colledge court towards the north , on the eastside whereof was the bishop of londons prison for clerks convict ; the other gate-house is a goal or prison for felons , one walter warfield cellerer to the monastery of vvestminster , was founder of both these gates , in edward the third's reign . on the south side of these gates , henry the the seventh founded an alms-house for poor men ; one of them to be a priest , and above years old , the rest to be aged years without wives . near to this place , was of old , the chappel of st. anne , where the lady margaret henry the sevenths mother , erected an alms-house for poor women and it was called eleemosynary , and now almory , or ambry , because the alms of the abbey were there distributed to the poor : and there islp abbot of vvestminster set up the first press of book-printing that ever was in england , anno . and one caxton citizen of london , was the first who brought over that art. then is there totehill street , where there are of late years sundry fair houses on the back of st. iames park . the lady anne dacre built there an hosptall for twenty poor women , and so many children to be brought up under them . then is there petty france , where , upon a place called st. hermits hill , cornelius van dun a brabanter born , and yeoman of the guard to henry the th , edward the sixth , queen mary and queen elizabeth , built twenty houses for poor women to dwell rent-free . and near hereunto there was of old a chappel of st. mary magdalen which is now quite ruinated . there is of late years a new large chappel of brick erected there , at the entrance to totehil fields ; where mr. palmer , a well di●posed and reverend divine , hath also erected lately another new hospital , with a competent allowance to the poor that shall be admitted thereinto . and now we will return to the abbey of vvestminster , a place which was us'd to be of very high devotion ; it gives the denomination to the whole city , and certainly , that place cannot choose but be happy which hath gods house for its godfather , as munster a great and renowned city in germany , takes her name from the chief church . of westminster abbey . this church is famous , especially by reason of the inauguration and sepulture of the kings of england . sulcard writeth , that there stood sometimes a temple of apollo in that place , and that in the daies of antoninus pius , emperor of rome , it fell down with an earthquake ; out of the remains whereof , sebert king of the east-saxons , erected another to st. peter , which being by the danes overthrown , bishop dunstane re-edified , and granted it to some few monks . but afterwards king edward surnamed the confessour , with the tenth penny of all his revenues , built it a new for to be his own sepulture , and a monastery for benedictine monks , endowing it with livings and lands , lying dispersed in divers parts of england . but listen what an historian saith , who then lived . the devout king destined unto god that place , both for that it was near unto the famous and wealthy city of london , and also had a pleasant scituation amongst fruitful fields , and green grounds , lying round about it , with the principal river running hard by , bringing in from all parts of the world , great variety of wares ; and merchandize of all sorts to the city adjoyning ; but chiefly for the love of the chief apostle , whom he reverenced with a special and singular affection . he made choice to have a place there for his own sepulchre : and thereupon commanded , that of the tenths of all his rents , the work of a noble edifice should be taken in hand , such as might beseem the prince of the apostles : to the end ( as the annales have it ) that he might procure the propitious favour of the lord , after he should finish the course of this transitory life , both in regard of his devout piety , and also of his free oblation of lands and ornaments , wherewith he purposed to endow , and enrich the same . according therefore to the kings commandement the work was nobly began , and happily proceeded forward : neither the charges already disbursed , or to be disbursed , were weighed and regarded , so that it might be presented in the end unto god and saint peter , and made worth their acceptation . thus the words of the old record run . touching the form of that ancient building , we read in an old manuscript book , that the principal plot or ground-work of the building was supported with most lofty arches , cast round with a four square work , and semblable joynts . but the compasse of the whole , with a do●b●e arch of stone on both sides is enclosed with joyned-work , firmly knit and united together , every way . moreouer , the crosse of the church which was to compasse the mid quire of those that chaunted unto the lord , and with a twofold supportance , that it had on either side to uphold and bear the lofty top of the tower in the midst , simply riseth at first with a low and strong arch ; then mounteth it higher , with many winding stairs , artificially ascending with a number of steps : but afterward with a single wall it reacheth up to the roof of timber , well and surely covered with lead . but after an hundred and threescore years , king henry the third , subverted this fabrick of king edwards , and built from the very foundation a new church of very rare workmanship , supported with sundry rowes of marble pillars , and the roofe covered over with sheets of lead : a piece of work that cost fifty years labour in building ; which church the abbots enlarged very much toward the west end ; and king henry the seventh for the burial of himself and his children , adjoyned thereto , in the east end , a chappel of admirable artificial elegancy , the wonder of the worlde , as leland calleth it : for a man would say , that all the curious and exquisite work that can be devised , is there compacted ; wherein is to be seen , his own most stately magnificial monument , all of solid and mass●e copper . this church , when the monks were driven thence , from time to time , was altered to and fro with sundry changes . first of all , it had a dean and preb●ndaries : soon after one bishop and no more , namely t. thurlbey , who having wasted the church patrimony , surrendred it to the spoil of courtiers ; and shortly after were the monks with their abbot ●et in possession again by queen mary ; and when they also within a while after , were by authority of parliament cast out , queen elizabeth converted it into a collegiate church , or rather into a seminary and nurse-garden of the church , appointing twelve prebendaries there , and as many old souldiers past service , for alms-men , fourty schollars , who in their due time are preferred to the universities ; and from thence sent forth into the church and common-weale , &c. over these they placed d. b●ll dean , whose successor was gabriel goodman , a right good man indeed , and of singular integrity and an especial patron of literature . within this church are intombed ( that i may note them according to their dignity and time wherein they died ) sebert the first of that name , and first christian king of the east-saxons . harold the bastard son of canutus the dane king of england ; edward king and confessour , with his wife ed●th ; maud wife to king henry the first , the daughter of malcolme king of scots ; king henry the third , and his son ; king edward the first , with eleanor his wife daughter to ferdinando the first king of castile and of leon : king edward the third , and philippa of henault his wife ; king richard the second , and his wife anne , sister to vvencelaus the emperour ; king henry the fifth , with katherine his wife , daughter to charles the sixth king of france ; anne , wife to king richard the third , daughter to richard nevil earl of vvarwick ▪ king henry the seaventh , with his wife elizabeth , daughter to ki●g edward the fourth , and his mother margaret countesse of richmond ; king edward the sixth ; anne of cleave the fourth wife of king henry the eighth ; queen mary and queen elizabeth ; prince henry eldest son of king iames the sixth of scotland , and first of england , who lies there also interred with queen anne his wife ; and lastly , the first male born of charles the first , dying an infant . of dukes and earls degree , there lie here buried , edmund earl of lancaster , second son of king henry the third , and his wife aveline de fortibus countesse of albemarle ; william and audomar of valence of the family of lusignian , earls of pembrooke ; alphonsus iohn , and other children of king edward the first ; iohn of eltham earl of cornwall , son to king edward the second ; thomas of woodstock duke of glocester , the youngest son of king edward the third with other of his children ; eleanor , daughter and heir of humphrey bohun earl of hereford , and of essex , wife to thomas of vvoodstock ; the young daughter of edward the fourth , and king henry the seventh ; henry a child two months old , son o● king henry the eighth ; sophia the daughter of king iames who died , as it were , in the very first day-dawning of her age ; phill●ppa mohun , , dutches of yorke ; robert of hexault in right of his wife lord bourchier ; anne , the young daughter and heir of iohn mowbray duke of norfolk , promised in marriage unto richard duke of york , younger son to k. edward the th ; sir giles daubeny , lord chamberlain to king henry the th , and his wife of the house of the arundels in cornwal ; i. viscount vvells ; farnces brandon dutchess of suffolk , marry her daughter , margaret douglasse countesse of lennox , grandmother to iames king of great britain , with charles her sonne ; vvinifred bruges , marchionesse of v●inchestèr ; anne stanhope dutchess of sommerset , and iane her daughter ; anne cecill countesse of oxford , daughter to the lord burleigh , lord high treasure of england , with mildred burghley her mother ; elizabeth berkeley countesse of ormond ; ●frances sidney countess of sussex ; iames butler vicount thurles , son and heir to the earl of ormond . besides these , humphrey lord bourchier of cromwall ; sir humphrey bourchier son and heir to the lord bourchier of beruers , both slain at bernet field ; sir nicholas carew baronesse powisse , t. lord wentworth ; thomas lord wharton ; john lord russel ; sir t. bromley , lord chancellour of england ; douglas howard daughter and heir general of h. vicount howard of bindon , wife to sir arthur gorges ; elizabeth daughter and heir of edward earl of rutland , wife to william cecill ; sir john puckering lord keeper of the great seal of england ; francis howard countesse of hertford ; henry and george cary , the father and son , barons of hundsdon , both lords chamberlains to queen elizabeth ; the heart of anne sophia , the tender daughter of christopher harley ; count beaumont , embassador for the king of france in england , bestowed within a small gilt urne over a pyramid ; sir charles blunt earl of devonshire , lord livetenant general of ireland ; and ( whom in no wise we must forget ) the prince of english poets , geoffrey chaucer ; as also he that for pregnant wit , and an excellent gift in poetry , of all english poets came nearest unto him , edmund spencer , william cambden , clarencieux king of arms ; causabon the grea● french writer ; michael drayton . then there is george villers duke , marquiss and earl of buckingham , favorite to king james , and charles the first . the late earl of essex , with divers other during the reign of the long parliament . there was also another colledge or free-chappel hard by , consisting of a dean and twelve chanons , dedicated to st. stephen , which king edward the third in his princely magnificence repaired with curious workmanship , and endowed with fair possessions , so as he may seem to have built it new , the time as he had with his victories over-run and subdued all france , recalling to mind ( as we read the charter of the foundation ) and pondering in a due weighty devout consideration , the exceeding benefits of christ , whereby of his own sweet mercy and pitty , he preventeth us in all occasions , delivering us , although without desert , from sundry p●ills , and defending us gloriously with his powerful right hand , against the violent assaults of our adversaries , with victorious successes , and in other tribulations , and perplexities , wherein we have exceeding much bin encumbred , by comforting us , and by applying , and in powring remedies upon us beyond all hope and expectation . there was also adjoyning hereto a palace , the ancient habitation of the kings of england , from the time of king edward the confessor , which in the raign of king henry the eighth , was burnt by casual fire to the ground ; a very large , stately , and sumptuous palace this was , and in that age , for building incomparable , with a vawmure , and bulwarks for defence . the remains whereof , are the chamber wherein the king , the nobles , with the councellors , and , officers of state , do assemble at the high court of parliament ; and the next unto it , wherein anciently they were wont to begin the parliaments known by the name of st. edwards painted chamber , because the tradition holdeth , that the said king edward therein dyed . adjoyning unto this , is the white-hall , wherein at this day , the court of requests is kept ; beneath this is that hall , which of all other is the greatest , and the very praetorium , or hall of justice , for all england , in this , are the judicial courts ; namely , the kings bench , the common pleas , and the chancery ; and in places near thereabout , the star-chamber , the exchequer , court of wards , and court of the dutchy of lancaster , &c. in which at certain set times , ( we call them termes ) yearly causes are heard , and tryed : whereas before king henry the third his dayes , the court of common law , and principal justice , was unsetled , and alwayes followed the kings court ; but he in the magna charta , made a law in these words , let not the common pleas follow our court , but be holden in some certain place ; which notwithstanding , some expound thus , that the common pleas , from thenceforch be handled in a court of her own , by it self a part , and not in the kings bench , as before . this judgement-hall , which we now have , king richard the second , built out of the ground , as appeareth by his arms , engraven in the stone-work , and many arched beams , ( when he had plucked down the former old hall that king william rufus in the same place had built before ) and made it his own habitation ; for kings in those dayes , sate in judgement place , in their own persons , and they are indeed , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , judges , whose mouth ( as the royal writer saith ) shall not erre in judgement ; but the foresaid palace ▪ after it was burnt down , in the year of our lord , . lay desolate , and king henry the eighth , translated shortly after , the kings seat , from thence to an house not far off , which belonged but a while before , to cardinal woolsey , and is called white hall. this house is a princely thing , enclosed on the one side with a park , that reacheth also to another house of the kings , named saint james ( where anciently was a spittle for mayden lepers ) demolished by king henry the eighth , as is spoken else-where . hard by , near unto the mues , so called , for that it served to keep hawkes , and now is become a most fair stable for the court horses : there remaineth a monument in memorial of that most pious and kind queen eleanor , erected by king edward the first , her most dearly beloved husband ; and certainly , the memory of her conjugal love shall remain worthy , to be consecrated to eternity ; for she , the daughter of ferdinand the third , king of castile , being given in mariage to edward the first , king of england , accompanied him into the holy land , where , when as he was secretly fore-laid , and by a certain moor , wounded with an envenomed sword , and by all the remedies that physitians could devise , was not so much eased as afflicted , she took her to a strange cure , i must needs say , and never heard of before ; howbeit , full of love , care , and affection . for , her husbands wounds infected with the poyson , and which , by reason of the malignity thereof , could not be closed and healed , she day by day , licked with her tongue , and sucked out the venomous humor , which to her was a most sweet liquor , by the vigour and strength whereof , or to say more truly , by vertue of a wives s●ingular fidelity , she so drew unto her , all the substance of the poyson , that the wounds being closed , and cicatrized , he becam perfectly healed , and she caught no harm at all ; what then can be heard more ra●e , what admirable then this womans faithful more love ? that a wives tongue thus annoynted , as i may so say , with faith and love to her husband , should from her well beloved , draw those poysons , which by an approved physitian , could not be drawn ; and that which many , and those right exquisite medicines effected not , the love only , and piety of a wi●e performed : these are the words of the a●cient record . but we must not passe by the mewse so sleightly ; that place was called so of the kings faulcons there kept , which in former times , was an office of high esteem ; but henry the eighth , having his stablings at lomesberry , ( now called blomesberry ) which was then a m●nnor in holborn , it fortuned , that the same was consumed by ●ire , with hay and horses ; whereupon , the mewse was enlarged , and made fit for the kings stables , which hath continued ever since receiving divers additions from time to time . but now we are according to the method of our discourse , summoned to appear at westminster-hall ; but i had almost pretermitted one signal thing , which belongs to the great dome or temple of westminster abbey , which is the great priviledge of sanctuary it had within the precincts thereof , viz. the church , the church-yard , and the close , whereof there are two ; the little , and the great sanctuary , vulgarly now called centry ; from whence it was not lawful for the soveraign prince himself , much lesse , any other magistrate , to fetch out any that had fled thither , for any offence : which prerogative , was granted near upon a thousand years since , by king sebert , then seconded by king edgar , and afterwards confirmed by edward the confessor , whose charter i thought worthy the inserting here , the tenor whereof , runs thus , in the modern english. edward by the grace of god , king of englishmen , i make it to be known to all generations in the vvorld , after me , that by special commandment of our holy father pope leo , i have renewed , and honoured the holy church of the blessed apostle , st. peter of westminster ; and i order and establish for ever , that what person , of what estate or condition soever he be , and from whence soever he come , or for what offence , or cause it be , either for his refuge into the said holy place , he be assured of his life , liberty , and limbs . and over i forbid under pain of everlasting damnation , that no minister of mine , or any of my successors , intermeddle themselves with any the goods , lands , or possessions of the said persons , taking the said sanctuary ; for i have taken their goods and livelihoods into my special protection . and therefore i grant to every each of them ▪ in as much as my terrestrial power may suffice , all manner of freedom of joyous liberty ; and whosoever shall presume , or doth contrary to this my grant , i will , he lose his name , vvorship , dignity and power ; and that with the great traytor judas , that betrayed our saviour , he be in the everlasting fire of hell. and i will and ordain , that this my grant , endure as long as there remaineth in england , either love or dread of christian name . and this record may be ranked among the most ancient of the land. about what time , king edward the confessor , did renew it , he removed st. margarets church , which before was within the abbey , to the place where now it stands . of westminster-hall , and all the tribunalls of iustice , which have their motion therein ; and first of the high court of parliament . having visited god almighties house , we will now take a view of the chief praetorium of great britain , which is vvestminster-hall , and of the courts of judicature , which are thereunto annexed ; and first , of the court paramount , the high national court of parliament : vvhich great councel vvas used to be the bulwark of our liberties , the boundary and bank vvhich kept us from slavery , from the inundations of tyrannical encroachments , and unbounded vvill-government . and in this high court , there was used to be such a co-ordination of power , such a wholsome mixture 'twixt monarchy , optimacy , and democracy , i mean , 'twixt prince , peers , and commonalty , during the time of consultation , that of so many distinct parts , by a rare co-operation and unanimity , they made but one body politique ( like that sheaf of arrowes in the fable ; ) they made but one entire concentrical peece ; and the results of their deliberations , but as so many harmonious diapazons arising from the touch of different strings . and what greater mark of freedom can there be to a people , then to be lyable to no lawes , but what they make themselves ? to be subject to no contribution , assement , or pecuniary levies whatsoever ▪ but what they vote , and voluntarily yield unto themselves . for in this great compacted body politick , there be all degrees of people represented ; the yeoman , marchant , tradesman , and mechanick , have there their inclusive votes , as well as the gentry and freeholders , in the persons of their trustees , viz. their burgesses and knights . the clergy also , which make a considerable part of the common-wealth , were used to have their representatives there , not only in the persons of the bishops ( which at the first constitution , were the prime parliament , and continued so many ages ) but in the convocation which was an assesmbly of divines , fairly chosen to that purpose . nor is this soveraign super-intendent councel and epitome of this iland only ; but it may be said , to represent the whole universe , according to the primitive constitution . the soveraign prince was as the sun , the nobles the fixed starres , the itinerant iudges , and other officers , that were wont to go with messages 'twixt both houses , to the planets : the clergy ( when there was a convocation house , as was said before ) to the element of fire : the commons to the solid body of the earth , and the rest of the elements . he who hath bin conversant with the chronicles of this iland , will finde it hath bin her fare , to be four times conquered ; but the scot , never till now of late . these so many conquests , must needs bring with them , many tumblings and tossings , many disturbances and changes in government ; yet i have observed , that notwithstanding these various tumblings , england retained still the form of monarchy , and something there was alwayes , that held an analogy with the great assembly of parliament . the first conquest was made by claudius caesar , at which time it may be said , that the standard of the crosse came in together with the roman eagles ▪ 't is well known , how the ro●an governed . he had his comitia , which bore a resemblance with our convention in parliament , the place of meeting was called praetorium , and the lawes which were enacted , were called plebiscita . the saxon conquest succeeded next , in which were the english , and the saxons governed by parliament , though it was under other names , as michel gemote , michel sinoth , and vvitenage mote . there are records near upon a thousand years , of these parliaments , in the raigns of king ina , offa , ethelbert , and others . the third conquest was by the danes , and they governed also by such generall assemblies , in the raign of canutus and others . then came the norman , whose successors did revive , and ratifie the way of governing by parliament , witness magna charta , which was used to be called the foundation of the english liberty ; and it may be compared to divers outlandish graffs set upon one stock : for the choysest of the british , roman , saxon , danish , and norman lawes , being cull'd and pick'd out , and gathered as it were in one bundle , out of them the foresaid grand charter was extracted : the establishment whereof , was a work of a parliament : now by an ancient statute of edward the third , it was enacted , that all statutes are repealed , which are against magna charta , or charta de foresta . nor are the lawes of this iland only , and the immunities of the people conserved by parliament ; but all the best policed countries of europe have the like . the germans have their diets : the dane and swedes their rich-daghs . the spaniard , las cortes ; and the french , the assembly of the three estates , though it hath bin for many years discontinued . and touching england , the parliament was u●ed to be the principal fountain , whence the soveraign prince derived his happiness and safety . it was the great conduit-pipe , which conveighed unto him the peoples bounty and love . it was the truest looking-glasse , wherein he discerned their affections and allegiance . in parliament , the soveraign prince used to appear , like the sun in the meridian , in the altitude of his glory , in his highest royal state , as the law tells us . but we will go now more particularly to work , and treat of this great national conncel , according to the first constitution , and establishment thereof . this court consisteth of the kings majesty sitting there , as in his royal politick capacity , and of the three estates of the realm , viz. of the lords spiritual arch bishops and bishops , being in number twenty four , who sit there by succession in respect of their counties , or baronies parcel of their bishopricks , which they hold also in their politick capacity ; and every one of these , when any parliament is to be holden , ought , ex debito justitiae , to have a writ of summons . the lords temporal dukes , marquesses , earls , viscounts , and barons , who sit there , by reason of their dignities , which they hold by descent or creation ; and likewise , every one of these being of full age , ought to have a writ of summons , ex debito justitiae ; for they are called parliamentary barons . the third estate is the commons of the realm , whereof there be knights of shires , or counties , citizens of cities , and burghesses of burghes . all which are respectively elected by the shires or counties , cities and burghes , by force of the kings writ , ex debito justitiae , and none of them ought to be omitted ; and these represent all the commons of the whole realm , and trusted for them , and were used to be in number , near upon . now the king and these three estates , were the great corporation or body politick of the kingdom ; but they were to sit in two houses , viz. the king and lords in one house , called the lords house , and the knights , citizens and burgesses in another house , called the house of commons . the commons are in legal understanding , taken for the franck tenants , or freeholders of the counties . and whosoever is not a lord of parliament , and of the lords house , is of the house of the commons , either in person , or by representation , partly coaugmentative , and partly representative . of this court of parliament , the soveraign prince by the law is caput principium & finis , the head , beginning , and ending . and as in the natural body , when all the sinews , being joyned in the head , do unite their forces together , for the strengthening of the body , there is ultimum potentiae ; so , in the poli●ique body , when the king and the lords spiritual , and temporal , knights , citizens , and burgesses , are all by the kings command assembled and joyned together , under the head in consultation for the common good of the whole realm there is ultimum sapientiae . the third year of henry the sixth , it appears in a parliament roll , that the parliament being called , as hath bin said , commune consilium every member of the house being a counsellor , should have the three properties of the elephant ; which are first , that he hath no gall. secondly , that he be inflexible , and cannot bow . thirdly , that he is of a most ripe and perfect memory ; which properties , as there it is said , ought to be in every member of the great councel of parliament . first , to be without gall , that is , without malice , rancor , heat , and envie , in the elephant , melancholia transit in nutrimentum corporis , every gallish inclination ( if any were ) should tend to the good of the whole body , the common-wealth . secondly , that he be constant , inflexible , and not to be bowed , or turned from the right , either for fear , reward , or favour ; nor , in judgement , re●pect any person . thirdly , of a ripe memory ▪ that they remembring perils past , might prevent dangers to come , as in that roll of parliament it appeareth . the prince de advisamento consilii ( for so be the words of the writ of parliament ) resolving to have a parliament , doth out of the court of chancery , send out writs of summons , at the least forty dayes before the parliament begins : every lord of parliament , either spiritual , as arch bishops , and bishops ; or temporal , as dukes , marquisses , earls , viscounts , and barons , peers of the realm , and lords of parliament , were used to have several writs of summons . and all the judges of the the realm , barons of the exchequer of the coif , the kings learned cousnel , and the civilians masters of the chancery , are called to give their assistance and attendance , in the upper house of parliament ; but they have no voices in parliament , being only ministerial ; and their writs differ from the writs to the judges ; for their writs be , quòd intersitis nobiscum & cum caeteris de concilio nostro , ( & sometimes nobiscum only ) super praemissis tractaturi , vestrumque consilium impensuri ; but the writ to the barons is , quòd intersitis cum praelatis , magnatibus & proceribus , super dictis negotiis tractaturi , vestrumque consilium impensuri . moreover , in every writ to summons to the bishops , there is a clause requiring them to summon these persons to appear personally at the parliament , which is in these words , premonientes decanum & capitulum ecclesiae vestrae norwicensis , ac archidi●conos totumque clerum vestrae dioces , quod iidem decani & archi diaconi in propr●is persmiss suis , ac dictum capitulum per unum , idemque clerus per duos proeuratores idoneos plenam & sufficientem potestatem ab ipsis capitulo & clero divisim habentes predict ' die & loco personaliter intersint ad consenti●ndum hiis quae tunc ibidem de communi concilio dicti regni nostri divina favente clementia contigerit ordinari ; and the bishop under his seal makes certificate accordingly . and these are called procuratores cleri , and many times have appeared in parliament , as spiritual assistants , to consider , consult , and consent , ut supra ; but had never voyces there , because they were no lords of parliament ; and this assembly was called the convocation-house , which the last king continuing , ( after the dissolution of the parliament ) and the bishops comming amongst them to consult , and make canons , the next parliament protested against their proceedings as irregular , and prejudicial to the priviledges of parliament . observable it is , what difference there was in the writ , whereby the spiritual lords were summoned , and that whereby the temporal lords were called . the ecclesiastical barons were required by the kings writ to be present , in fide & dilectione quibus nobis tenemini , in the faith and love you are bound to us ; but the secular lords were summoned to appear , in fide & homagio , quibus nobis tenemini . in the faith and homage you are bound unto us ; now touching the commons , their writ or summons to the sheriff runs thus . the king to the vicount , or sheriff , greeting : whereas by the advice and assent of our councel for certain arduous and urgent affaires concerning us , the state , and defence of our kingdom of england , and the anglican church , we have ordained a certain parliament of ours , to be held at our city of the day of next ensuing , and there to have conference , and to treat with the prelates , great men and peers of our said kingdom , we command , and strictly enjoyn you , that making proclamation at our next county court , after the receipt of this our writ , to be holden the day and place aforesaid , you cause two knights girt with swords , the most fit and discreet of the county aforesaid , and of every city of that county two citizens ; of every borough two burgesses , of the discreetest and most sufficient , to be freely and indifferently chosen by them , who shall be present at such proclamation , according to the tenure of the statutes in that case made and provided ; and the names of the said knights , citizens and burgesses so chosen , to be inserted in certain indentures to be then made between you and those that shall be present at such election , whether the parties so elected be present or absent , and shall make them to come at the said day and place ; so that the said knights for themselves , and the county aforesaid , and the citizens , and the burgesses for themselves , and the commonalty of the said cities and beroughs , may have severally from them , full and sufficient power , to do , and to consent to those things , which then by the favour of god , shall happen to be ordained by the common councel of our said kingdom , concerning the businessse aforesaid , so that the business may not by any means remain undone for want of such power , or by reason of the unprovident election of the foresaid knights , burgesses and citizens ; but we will not , in any case that you , or any other sheriff of our said kingdom , shall be elected , and at the day and place aforesaid , the said election being made in a full county court , you shall certifie without delay unto us , in our chancery under your seal , and the seals of them who shall be present at the election , sending back unto us , the other part of the indenture aforesaid , affil'd to these presents , ogether with the writ . witness our self at westminster . this commission or writ , is the foundation , whereon the whole fabrick of the power , and duty of both houses of parliament is grounded . the first house is to parley , or have conference , and to treat and consult with the king , the other house is to do and consent only unto what the other shall ordain . this was the law and usage in former times ; but what is the power of the commons in these dayes now that the government is altred , and cast into another mould , ( the house of peers being dissolved ) it is not the intent of this discourse to determine . at the return of the writs aforesaid , the parliament could not begin , but by the royal presence of the king , either in per●on , or by representation ▪ by representation two wayes , either by a gardian of england , by letters patenrs under the great seal , when the king was in remotis , out of the realm ; or by commission , under the great seal , to certain lords of parliament , representing the person of the king , he being within the realm , but absent in respect of some infirmity . on the first day of the parliament , the king himself , or most commonly , the lord chancellor , or keeper , in the presence of the lords and commons , did shew the causes of the calling of high court of parliament ; but the king might have appointed any other to be his prolocutor , in this case . then the commons are to choose their speaker ; but in regard , that after their choyce , the king might refuse him ; for avoiding of time and contestation , the use was as in the congè deslire of a bishop , that the king doth recommend a discreet and learned man , whom the commons elect ; but without their election , no speaker can be appointed for them , because he is their mouth , and intrusted by them , and so necessary , that the house of commons cannot sit without him : therefore a grievous sickness is a good cause to remove him , as in henry the th raign , iohn chervy speaker , was for sickness discharged and sir iohn dorewoold chosen in his place ; but sickness is no cause to remove any knight , citizen or burgesse . the speaker being voted in the house , was presented to the king , where being allowed , he made a supplication consisting of three parts . first , that the commons in parliament might have free speech . secondly , that in any thing he should deliver in the name of the commons , if he should commit any error , no fault should be imputed to the commons . thirdly , that as often as necessity for his majesties service , and the good of the common-wealth shall require , he may by the directions of the house , have access to his royal person . any of the pee●s , by the kings leave , may absent himself , and make a proxy to another lord ; but a knight , citizen , or burgess , cannot make a proxy , because he is elected , and intrusted by multitudes of people . and it is to be observed , though one be chosen for one particular county or city , yet when he is returned , and sits in parliament , he serveth for the whole common-wealth . there belongs to parliament , a prorogation , or adjournment , which differ in this : a prorogation presupposeth a session , and then such bills as passed in either house , or by both houses , and had no royal assent unto them , must at the next assembly begin again ; for every session in parliament , is in law a several parliament ; but if it be but adjourned , then there is no session . when a parliament is called , and doth sit , and is dissolved without any act passed , or judgement given , it is no session of parliament , but a convention . touching the power and jurisdiction of parliament , for making of lawes in proceeding by bill , it is so transcendent , and absolute , as it cannot be confined within any bounds . no alien is capable to be chosen a parliament-man , nor can any of the judges of the kings bench , or common pleas , or barons of the exchequer , that have judicial places , or any church-man , that hath care of souls , be chosen a member of the house of parliament : for others , the king cannot grant a charter of exemption to any man , to be freed from election of knight or burgesse of the parliament , because the elections of them , ought to be free for the publique service . of the covrt of the kings-bench , the royallest court in the land ; now called , the upper bench. the lawes of england , presuppose the king to be the fountain and oracle of justice , and to have special inspirations from heaven to that purpose ; therefore all the tribunals of judicature , were used to be ambulatory with his court , and he was wont to sit in person in the upper bench , which is the supreme tribunal of the land. the justices in this court , are the soveraign justices of oyer and terminer , goal-delivery , conservation of the peace , &c. in the realm . in this court the kings of this realm have sat , as being the highest bench , and the judges of that court on the lower bench at his feet ; but judicature only belongeth to the judges of that court , and in his presence they answer all motions , &c. the justices of this court are the soveraign coroners of the land , and therefore , where the sheriffs and coroners may receive appeals by bill à fortiori , the justices of this court may do it : so high is the authority of this court , that when it comes and sits in any county , the justices of eire , of oier and terminer , coal-delivery , they which have conusance , &c. do cease without any writing to them ; but if any indictment of treason or felony in a forain county , be removed before certain commissioners of oier and terminer , in the county where this court sits , yet they may proceed , because this court ( for that this indictment , was not removed before them ) cannot proceed for that offence ; but if any indictment be taken in midd ▪ in the vacation , and after this court sit in the next term in the same county ( if this court be adjourned ) then may special commissioners of oier and terminer , &c. in the interim proceed upon that indictment ; but the more usual way is by special commission . and this was resolved by all the judges of england at winchester , anno ' iacobi regis , in the case of sir everard digby and others , and so had it been resolved , mich. and eliz. in the case of arden and somervile , for this kind of special commission of oier and terminer ; and herewith agreeth pl. com. in the earl of leic ' case , anno mar. reginae . and so supream is the jurisdiction of this court , that if any record be removed into this court , it cannot ( being as it were in his center ) be remanded back , unlesse it be by act of parliament ; and this appeareth by the judgment of the parliament , in anno . h. . but by the authority of that act , indictments of fellonies and murders , removed into the kings bench , may by the justices of that court be remanded , and this court may send down aswell the bodies of all felons and murderers , as their indictments , into the counties where the same murders of felonies were committed or done , &c. in such manner , &c. as if the indictments had not been brought into the kings bench. out of this court , are other courts derived , as from one fountain several springs and rivers , in repect of the multiplicity of causes , which have encreased . jurisdictio istius curiae est originalis seu ordinaria , & non delegata . the justices of this court have no commission , letters patents , or other means to hold pleas ▪ &c. but their power is original & ordinary . they were called ancienlty iusticiae , justiciarii , locum tenentes domini regis , &c. the chief justice , justicia angliae , justicia prima , iusticiarius angliae capitalis , and iusticiarius noster capitalis adplacita coram nobis terminand ' . to observe the changes of these names , and the reason and changes thereof is worthy of observation . before the reign of e. . the chief justice of this court was created by letters patents , and the form thereof , ( taking one example for all ) was in these words ; rex &c. archiepiscopis , episcopis , abbatibus , prioribus , comitibus , baronibus , vicecomitibus , forestariis , &c. & omnibus aliis fidelibus regni angliae , salutem . cum pro conservatione nostra , & tranquill●tatis regni nostri , & ad justiciam universis & sing●lis de rengo nostro exhibendam constituerimus dilectum et fidelem nostrum philippum basset iusticiarium angliae , quamdiu nobis placuerit , capit alem ; vobis mandamus in fide qua nobis tenemini firmiter insungentes , quatenus in omnibus quae ad officium justitiarii praedicti , nec non ad conservationem pacis nostrae et regni nos●ri eidem dum in officio praedicto steterit , pleniùs sitis intendentes . teste rege &c. the king &c. to all archbishops , bishops , abbots , priors , earls , barons , vicounts , foresters , &c. and to all other faithful to the kingdom of england , greeting . whereas for our conservation and the tranquillity of our kingdom , &c. for the exhibition of justice to all and every one of our kingdom , we ha●e constituted our beloved and faithful philip basset chief justice of england , as long as we shall please . we command you upon the faith you hold unto us , and firmly enjoyn you to all things that belong unto the office of chief justice aforesaid , for the conservation of our peace , and of our kingdom , and that you be very intentive , as long as you stand in the said office. witnesse the king , &c. this philip basset was the last of this kind of creation by any like letters patents , and he died chief justice near to the end of the reign of h. . king e. . being a wise and prudent prince , knowing that cui plus licet quam par est , plus vult quàm licet , ( as most of these summi iusticiarii did ) made three alterations , . by limitation of his authority . . by changing summus iusticiarius to capitalis iustic ▪ . by a new kind of creation , viz. by writ , lest if he had continued his former manner of creation , he might have had a desire of his former authority , which three do expresly appear by the writ yet in use , &c. rex &c. e. c. militi salutem . sciatis quod constituimus vos justiciarium nostrum capitalem ad placita coram nobis tenenda , durante beneplacito nostro , teste &c. the king &c. to e. c. greeting . know ye , that we have constituted you our capital ( or chief ) justice in pleas , held before us during our pleasure . witnesse &c. a short writ , but of large extent in point of authority . the rest of the judges of the kings bench , have their offices by letters patents , in these words , rex omnibus ad quos praesentes literae pervenerint , salutem , sciatis quod constituimus dilectum et fidelem johannem doderidge , militem , unum justiciariorum ad placita coram nobis tenenda durante beneplacito nostro , teste &c. these justices of the kings bench , are styled , . capitales . . generales . . perpetui . . majores à latere regis residentes ; but the chief justice is only by the king , capitalis justiciarius noster . they are called first capitales , in respect of their supream jurisdiction . . generales , in respect of their general jurisdiction throughout all england , &c. . perpetui , for that they ought not to be removed without just cause , . majores à latere regis residentes , for their honor and safety , that they should be protected by the king in administration of justice , for that they be à latere regis , that is , by the kings fide . and vvhereas . e. . it was holden by all the justices in the exchequer chamber , that a man cannot be justice by writ , but by patent , or commission , it is to be understood of all the judges , saving the chief justice of this court ; but both the chief justice , and the rest of the judges may be discharged by writ under the great seal . none can be a judge of this court , unlesse he be a serjeant of the degree of the coif ; and yet in the writ or patent to them made , they are not named sergeants . there have been for a long time , and still there are great complaints for multiplicity of suits in law , and it were a wholsome and happy thing , could it be prevented : but because a disease cannot be cured without knowledge of the cause , it is to be observed , that there be six causes of the increase of them , whereof two be general , the other four particular ; the general be peace , and plenty ; the particular , . the dissolution of so many monasteries , chan●eries , &c. and the dispersing of them into so many several hands . . the swarm of informers . . the number of concealors . . the multitude of atturneys . for the first general ; in the reign of e. . r. . h. . h. . and part of the reign of h. . in respect of the wars in france , &c. & in the residue of the reign of h. . & in the reign of e. . in respect of the bloody & intestine wars , & in almost continual alarms within the bowls of this kingdom , between the houses of lancaster & york , there could not be so many suits in law , as since this kingdom hath enjoyed peace , which is the first general cause . peace is the mother of plenty , ( which is the d general cause ) and plenty the nurse of suits . in particulars , by the dissolution of monasteries , chanteries , &c. and dispersing of them , &c. upon the statutes made concerning the same ( there being such a confluence of ecclesiastical possessions ) there aro●e many questions , and doubts , whereupon suits were greatly increased . . informers and relators raised many suits , by informations , writs , &c. in the kings courts at westminster , upon penai statutes , many whereof were obsolete , inconvenient , and not fit for those daies , and yet remained as snares upon the subject , so as the subject might justly say with tacitus , priùs vitiis laboravimus , nunc legibus . . concealers ; helluones that endeavoured to swallow up cathedral churches , and the ecclesiastical possessions of church-men , and the livings of many others of the kings subjects . lastly , the multitude of atturneys , more than is limited by law , is a great cause of encrease of suits . touching the jurisdiction of this court , which was used to be called the king bench , it is of a larger extent of power , and more incontroulable than any other tribunal : for the law presums , that the king is there still in person : he being the lord chief justice of england himself : as king james gave a check to one who call'd lord coke , lord chief justice of england , saying , that he was but chief justice of his bench , and that it was his own office to be chief justice of england ; yet it is observable , that though the king be chief justice of england , and that he personally sit upon the bench , yet he can passe no sentence of judgment , but by the mouths and mediation of his judges , who did use to sit there at his feet when he was present . of the court of chancery , or equity and conscience . it is taken pro confesso by all antiquaries , that both the brittish , and saxon kings , had their chancellors , and court of chancery , the only court out of which original and remedial writs do issue ; as taking some few examples before the conquest . edward the confessor had reinbald his chancelor ; this edward granted many mannors , lands , &c. and franchises to the abbot of westminster , and endeth his charter thus , adult●mum , cartam istam sigillari jussi , & ipse manu meâ propriâ signum crucis impressi , & idon●os testes annotari praecepi . and amongst those witnesse this you shall find , swardus notarius ad vicem reinbaldi regiae dignitatis chancellarii hanc cartam scripsi &c. subscripsi , he had also lefrick to his chancelor . king etheldred also had a worthy name , and a worthy man to his chancelor , rex etheldredus statuit atque concessit quatenus ecclesiam de elye ex tunc & semper in regis curia cancellariae ageret dignitatem , &c. this king began his reign anno domini , which albeit , it was void in law to grant the chancelorship of england in succession ; yet it proveth then there was a court of chancery . king edgar had adulph ; king edred had thurkettle , king edmond the same , king athelstane wolsine , their chancelors &c. in the chancery are two courts , one ordinary , coram domino rege in cancellaria , wherein the lord chancelor , or lord keeper of the great seal proceeds , according to the right line of the laws and statutes of the realm , secundum legem & consuetudinem angliae ; another extraordinary according to the rule of equity , secundum aquum & bonum ; and first of the former court. he hath power to hold plea of scire fac ' for repeal of the kings letters patents , of petitions , monstrans de droite , traverses of office , partitions in chancery , of scire fac ' upon recognizances in this court , writs of audita querela , and scire fac ' , in the nature of an audita querela , to avoid executions in this court , dowments in chancery , the writ de dote assignanda , upon offices found , executions upon the statute staple , or recognizance in nature of a stature staple , upon the act of . h. . but the execution upon a statute merchant is retornable , either into the kings bench , or into the common place , and all personall actions by or against any officer or minister of this court in respect of their service or attendance there ; in these if the parties descend to issue , this court cannot try it by jury , but the lord chancelor or the lord keeper , delivereth the record by his proper hands into the kings bench to be tried there , because for that purpose both courts are accounted but one ; and after trial had to be remanded into the chancery , and there judgment to be given . but if there be a demurrer in law , it shall be argued and adjuged in this court. nota , the legal proceedings of this court , be not inrolled in rolls , but remain in filaciis , being filed up in the office of the pe●y-bag : upon a judgement given in this court , a writ of error doth lye retornable into the kings bench. the style of the court of the kings bench is coram rege , ( as hath been said ) and the style of this court of chancery is coram domino rege in cancellaria , and additio probat minoritatem ; and in this court , the lord chancelor or the lord keeper is the sole judge , and in the kings bench there are four judges at the least . this court is officina justiciae , out of which all original writs , and all commissions which passe under the great seal go forth ; which great seal is clavis regni , and for those ends this court is ever open . and this court is the rather alwaies open , for that if a man be wrongfully imprisoned in the vacation , the lord chancellor may grant a habeas corpus , and do him justice according to law , where neither the kings bench nor common pleas , can grant that writ , but in the term time ; but this court may grant it either in term time or vacation : so likewise this court may grant prohibitions at any time , either in term or vacation : which writs of prohibition are not retornable , but if they be not obeyed , then may this court grant an attachment , upon the prohibition retornable , either in the kings bench or common place . the officers and ministers of this court of common law do principally attend , and do their service to the great seal , as the twelve masters of the chance●y , whereof the master of the rolls is the chief , who by their original institution , as it is proved before , should be expert in the common law , to see the forming and framing of original writs , according to law , which are not of course ; whereupon such are called in our ancient authors , brevia magistralia ; then you have the clerk of the crown , the clerk of the hamper , the sealer , the chafe wax , the controuler of the chancery , twenty four cursitors for making writs of course , or form'd writs according to the register of the chancery ; the clerk of the presentations , the clerk of the faculties , the clerk examiner of the patents , the clerks of the petty-bag , and the six attorneys . having spoken somewhat of this court 's ordinary jurisdiction , something shall be said of the extraordinary proceedings thereof , according to the rule of equity , secundum aquum et bonum , or according to the dictates of conscience ; for the lord chancelor , or keeper of the great seal of england , may be said to be keeper of the kings conscience , for mitigation of the rigour of the common law. yet this court of equity proceeding by english bill , is no court of record ; therefore it can bind but the person only , and neither the state of the defendants lands , nor property of his goods , and chattles ; therefore if the lord chancelor impose any fine , it is void in law , he having no power but on the person only . yet the lord chancelor or keeper , is sole judge both in this court of equity , and in the court concerning the common law ; but in cases of weight or difficulty , he doth assist himself with some of the judges : and no greater exception can be taken hereunto , than in case of the lord steward of england , being sole judge in tryal of the nobility , who also is assisted with some of the judges . touching this court of equity , the ancient rule is , that three things are to be considered in a court of conscience ; covin , accident , and breach of confidence ; all covins , collusions , frauds , and deceits , for which ther 's no remedy by the ordinary course of law. accident , as when the servant of an obligor or morgageor , is sent to pay the money on the day , and he is robb'd &c. then remedy is to be had in this court against the for●eiture ; the third is breach of tru't and confidence , whereof there are plentiful examples . the ancient custome was when one was made lord chancellor , for the king to hang the great seal about his neck . cardinal woolsey had the chancelorship by letters pat●ents during life , but it was held void because an ancien office must be granted as it was accustomed . henry the 〈◊〉 had two great seals , one of gold , which he delivered the bishop of durham ; and another oft silver , which he delivered the bishop of london . the chancellors oath consists of six parts . . that well and tr●ly he shall serve the king our soveraign lord , and his people in the office of chancellor , or lord keeper . . that ●e shall do right to all manner of people poor and rich , after the laws and usages of the realm . . that he shall truly counsel the king , and his counsel , he shall layne ( or conceal ) and keep . . that he shall not know , nor suffer the hurt or disheriting of the king , or that the rights of the crown be decreased , by any means as far as he may let it . . and in case he cannot let it , he shall make it clearly and expresly to be known to the king , with his true advice and counsel . . he shall do and purchase the kings profit in all that he reasonably may . there be in this court many officers , whereof mention is made before , the principal whereof is the master of the rolls , which is an ancient office , and grantable either for life or at will , according to the prince his pleasure . edward the third by letters patents , annex'd the house of the converted iews in chancery lane to this office , for keeping of the records of the chancery , viz. charters , letters patents , commissions , deeds , recognizances ▪ which before the reign of henry the seventh , were used to be transmitted to the tower of london , the master of the rolls used to have iure officii , the gift of the offices of the six clerks in the chancery ; and in the absence of the lord chancellor , he heareth causes , and giveth orders . of the covrt of common-pleas in westminster-hall . in times pass'd , the courts and benches , or banks of justices ( as was touched before ) followed the kings person wheresoever he went , as well since the conquest as before : which thing being found chargeable and cumbersome ; the ninth of henry the third , it was resolved , that there should be a standing place appointed , where matters should be heard and determined ; and the court of the common pleas was the first that was fix'd , wherein tenures of lands , and civil actions used to be pleaded ; and it is one of the statutes of magna charta , quod communia placita non sequantur curiam nostram sed teneantur loco certo , that the common pleas follow not our court , but be kept in a certain place . now , pleas are distinguished into pleas of the crown , as treason and felony , with misprision of treason and felony , ( which belong to the upper bench ) and to common or civil pleas , whereof this court takes cognizance . this court therefore is call'd , the lock and key of the common law of england , and the judges there sitting had need to be more knowing , and learned than any other ; for here all reall actions whereupon fi●es and recoveries , the common assurances of the land do passe , and all other reall actions by original writs , are to be determined , as also of all common 〈◊〉 mixt or personal , in divers of which the kings bench , & this court have a concurrent authority ; but regularly this court cannot hold common 〈◊〉 in any action , real , mix'd or personal , but by writ out of the chancery and returnable to this court ; yet this court in some cases may hold plea by bill without any writ in the chancery : as for , or against any officer , 〈◊〉 or priviledged person of this court. this court also , without any writ may upon a suggestion grant prohibitions , to keep temporal as well as ecclesiastical courts , within their bounds and jurisdictions , without any original , or plea depending ; for the common law , which in those cases is a prohibition of it self stands instead of an original . the chief justice of this court , is created by letters patents during the pleasure of the prince , and so are the rest of his associats , but none is capable to be constituted a judge here , unlesse he be a sargeant at law of the degree of the coif . the jurisdiction of this court is general & extendeth throughout england . the officers of this court are many , viz. custos brevium , three protonotaries , clerk of the warrants , clerk of the kings silver , four exigenters , fourteen filazers , clerk of the juries , clerk of the essoins , clerk of the outlaries , which belongeth to the attorney general , who doth exercise it by deputy . in former times great abuses have been by attorneys of this court , by suing out a judicial processe with any original , which when detected have been severely punished . of the covrt of the exchequer . the authority of this court is of original jurisdiction , without any commission . in the chief place of account for the revenues of the crown ; the hearers of the accounts have auditors under them , and they who are the chief for the accounts of the prince , are called barons of the exchequer , whereof one is called lord chief baron . the greatest officer of all is the lord treasurer . in this court are heard , those that are delators or informers in popular or penal actions , having thereby part of the profit assign'd unto them by the law. in this court , if any question be , 't is determined by the common law of england , by twelve men , and all subsidies , taxes , and customes by account ; for in this office the sheriffs of the countries do attend upon the execution of the commandements of the judges . if any fines or amercements be extracted out of any court or any arrearages of accounts of such things as is of customes , taxes , & subsidies , and other such like occasions , the same the sheriff of the country doth gather , and is answerable therefore to the exchequer . this court is divided into two parts , viz. iudicial accounts called , scaccarum computorum , and into the receit of the exchequer , the prime officer of this court , as was me●tioned before , is the lord high treasurer of england , who receives a white staff from the king ; but in former time he had this office by delivery of a golden key . then there is cancellarius scaccarii the chancelor of the exchequer , who keepeth the seal . then you have the chief baron , and his associates , whereof one , though he sits there , yet he hath no voice ; therefore he was used to be call'd by way of drollery , baron tell-clock ; yet he takes the same oath that others do , he hath a fee of marks per annum ; at daies of prefixions , he hath to do with the sheriffs accounts , he can take recognizances ; but he hath not the robes , nor any suffrage upon the bench in point of judicature ; and that nickname baron tellclock came up first in baron southertons time , who when he felt the chimes ring in his stomach towards dinner , he was us'd to tell chief baron tanfield , my lord 't is twelve a clock . then have you sundry other inferiour officers , more then in any other court , except the kings house . this court is called exchequer from a french word vne place quarree a four-square place , because the carpet that lay before the judges , is in the form of a chess-board , and of two colours : thence the name of exchequer was derived . now , it is to be observe'd , that albeit the barons are the sole judges of the exchequer court , yet the lord treasurer is joyn'd with them , in keeping of the records . the lord treasurer hath also granted him by parent under the great seal , thesaurarium scaccarii regis angliae , which of ancient time , as the lord coke hath it , was a distinct office by it self . then is there the pipe office , whereof the chancelor of the exchequer is contrarotulator or controuler . the original institution of the pipe office was taken from a conduit of water , which was conveyed by pipes into a cestern which lay in a court : for as water is derived from many fountains springs , by aquaeducts into a cestern house , and from thence into several offices of the same : so this golden and silver stream is drawn from sundry courts as fountains of justice , and other springs of revenue reduc'd and collected into one pipe , and thereby conveyed into the grand cestern of the princes receit , &c. therefore all accounts and debts to the crown are delivered and collected out of the offices of the kings remembrancer , and treasurers remembrancer , and so drawn , and p●t in charge in the pipe. there be five auditors of the revenue royal within the survey of this court , and their office is , to take accounts of the kings receivers , sheriffs , escheators , collectors , and customers , and to audite and perfect the account ; but an auditor cannot allow any licence or grant , in regard he knoweth not whether it be good , this belongs to the barons ; neither can the auditor put any thing in charge , his office being only to take and audite accounts . there is the auditor of the prests , whose office it is to take the accounts of the mint , ireland , and barwick , and of all other imprested or moneys advanc'd before hand . then is there the auditor of the receits , which is an office very considerable , and consisting of many parts ; for first , he is a kind of filazer , for he fileth the tellers bills , and entreth them . secondly , he is a remembrancer , for he gives the lord treasurer a certificate of the money received the week before . then he is an auditor , for he makes debenturs to every teller , before they pay any money , and takes and audites their accounts . besides all this , he keepeth the black book of receits , and the lord treasurers key of the treasury , and seeth every tellers money lock'd up in the new treasury . of those tellers there are four , and their office consists in four duties . first , to receive money due to the soveraign prince . secondly , to pay all persons moneys by warrant of the auditor of the receit . thirdly , to make yearly and weekly books of their receits and payments , which they deliver to the lord treasurer . and lastly , to give the clerk of the pell a bill of what moneys they receive , whereby he may be charged . now , touching clericus pellis the clerk of the pell ; his duty is , to enter every tellers bill into a roll call'd pellis receptorum ; his office also is , to enter ino another roll payments , call'd pellis exitus , signifying by what warrant the payment was made . concerning the kings remembrancer in the exchequer his office , consists in eight duties ; first , to write process against collectors of customs , subsidies , and fifteens . . he entreth in his office all recognizances before the barons , and taketh bond for any of the kings debts , for observing of order , for appearances , and his duty is to make out process upon every of them . . he maketh process upon informations upon penal statutes , all which informations are entred into his office. he maketh bills of composition upon informations upon penal statutes . . he taketh the stallment of debts , and entreth them . . the clerk of the star-chamber , was us'd to certifie into his office what fines were there set , whereof he maketh a record , and draweth them down in the pipe. . in this office ought to be kept all assurances , conveyances and evidences whereby any lands , tenements , herediraments , or other things are granted to the soveraign prince . . there is a court of equity holden in the exchequer chamber by english bill , whereof all the proceedings and bills are entred into this office. the lord treasurers remembrancer , is also an office of trust , and consequence , which consisteth of seven duties . first , to preserve the royal tenures , and to make out process for the revenues thereof . . he maketh process of fierifacias , to extend for debts due to the prince , either in the pipe or with the auditors . . he awards process against all sheriffs , escheators , receivers , and bayliffs , to bring them to account . . he is to make an entry of record , whereby it appears whether sheriffs , and other accountants pay their proffers due at easter and michaelmas . . he makes another entry of record , to the end that it may be known , whether sheriffs and other accounts keep their day of prefixion . . the green was is certified into this office , and by him delivered to the clerk of the estreats . . there ought to be brought into this office , all the accounts of customers , controulers , and all other , to make an entry of record in this office , to avoid delay and concealments . the oath of the barons of the exchequer , consists of ten parts . first , that he shall well , and truly serve in the office of baron . . that , truly he shall charge , and discharge all manner of people , as well poor as rich . . that for higness , nor for riches , nor for hatred , nor for any deed , gift , or promise of any person , which is made unto him , nor by craft engine , he shall let the kings right . . he shall not let , disturbe , or respite contrary to the lawes of the land the right of any other person . . he shall not put in respite the kings debts , where goodly they may be levied . . that he shall speed the kings need before others . . that neither for gift , wages , nor good deed , he shall layn , disturb , nor let the profit or reasonable advantage of the king , in the advantage of any other person , nor of himself . . that nothing he shall take of any person to do wrong or right , to delay , or deliver , or to delay the people that have to do before him , that as hastily as he may them goodly , to deliver without hurt of the king , &c. . where he may know any wrong or prejudice to be done to the king , he shall put and do all his power and diligence that to redresse . . the kings counsel he shall keep and layne in all things . in the exchequer chamber , all cases of difficulty , either in the kings bench , or the common pleas , were used to be debated , argued , and resolved by all the judges of england , and the exchequer barons . the treasurer of the kings chamber , and the keeper of the privy purse , with such domestick offices of the kings house , are not subject to this court of exchequer . this court was first erected for the particular profit and service of the soveraign prince ; and this profit is mediat or immediat ; immediat , as of lands , rents , franchises , hereditaments , debts , duties , accounts , goods , chatrels , and other profits , and benefits whatsoever due unto the soveraign prince . mediate , as the priviledge of the officers , and ministers of the court ; for two things do principally support the jurisdiction of a court ( as my lord coke hath it ) first the preservation of the dignity thereof , and then the due attendance of the officers and ministers of the same . the chief baron is created by letters patents , and the office is granted , quamdiu se bene gesserit , wherein he hath a more fixed estate , it being an estate of life , than the justices of other benches have , who are durante beneplacito ; and in like manner are the rest of the barons , constituted with the patents of the attorney general and solicitor . there is a court called the court of equity in the exchequer chamber . the iudges of this court are the lord treasurer , the chancelor of the exchequer , and the barons ; their jurisdiction is as large for matter of equity , as the barons of the exchequer have for the benefit of the king by the common law , but if in either court they hold any plea that doth not concern the profit of the king , there lieth a prohibition . to conclude , there are seven courts that belong to the exchequer . . the court of pleas or of the barons . . the court of accounts . . the court of receits . . the court of the exchequer chamber , being the assembly of all the iudges of england for matters in law. . the court of exchequer for errors in the court of exchequer . . a court in the exchequer chamber for errors in the kings bench. . the court of equity , spoken of a little before . but touching all the officers , either coordinate or inferior , that belong to the exchequer , and the revenues customes , & perquisits of the soveraign prince , they are very many , & far more in number than in any other court as was touched before ; yet nothing so numerous as those financiers , and swarm of other officers which belong to the revenues of france , which are so many that their fees being payed there comes not a quardecu in every crown clearly to the kings coffers , which is but the fourth part : but there is one publick advantage in it , that thousands of younger brothers , and others , have a handsome subsistance , to carry themselves hereby in the garbe and equipage of men . of the court of admiralty . having thus made some inspections into so many courts , we must not pretermit the court of admiralty ; for great britain being an island which makes the sea , and woodden castles , to be her chiefest conservators : the court of admiralty may be said to be more pertinent and necessary to her , then to divers other states : therefore the lord high admiral is by the law of england , one of the four officers of the crown , with the lord chancelor , the lord treasurer , and lord privy seal . some hold the etymology of admirall , to come from the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which signifieth salsugo maris , the saltness of the sea ; others derive it from ammir , an arabian word , which signifieth a king , or emperor ; and some would have it to come from the low dutch , aen-meer-all , which signifie , on the sea all , the reader , according as his own judgement leads him , may adhere to which he please ; for i know of none that have positively asserted , which is the truest . but to know the nature and jurisdiction of this court , it will conduce very much , if we insert here certain grievances which the lord admiral presented in the th year of k. iames , concerning prohibitions granted by the judges of the courts of westminster , against the jurisdiction and prerogatives of this court , with the answer which the judges returned to every point . . the first objection was , that whereas the cognizance of all contracts , and other things done upon the sea , belongeth to the admirals jurisdiction , the same are made tryable at the common law , as if they had bin done in cheapside and such places . the judges of westminster-hall answered , that by the lawes of the realm , the court of the admiral hath no cognizance , power , or jurisdiction of any manner of contract , plea , or querele , within any county of the realm , either upon the land or the water ; but every contract , plea , or querele , and all other things arising in any county of the realm , either upon the land , or the water ; and also wrecks of the sea , ought to be tryed , discussed , determined , and remedied by the common lawes of the land , and not before , or by , the admiral or his lieutenant , in any manner ; so that it is not material , whether the place be upon the water , intra fluxum & refluxum aqua , or whether it be upon any other water within the precincts of a county . but the said judges acknowledged , that of contracts , pleas , and quereles , made upon the sea , or any part thereof , which is not within any county , from whence no tryal can be had by twelve men , the admiral hath , and ought to have jurisdiction . and no president can be shewed , that any prohibition hath bin granted for any plea , contract , or querele , concerning any marine cause , made or done upon the sea , taking that only to be the sea , wherein the admiral hath his jurisdiction , which is before described by law to be out of any county . . the second objection was , that when actions are brought to the admiralty , upon bargains and contracts , made beyond the seas , wherein the common law cannot administer justice ; yet in these cases , prohibitions are awarded , in prejudice of the court of admiralty . the judges answer , that bargains and contracts made beyond the sea , wherein the common law cannot administer justice , do belong to the constable and marshal ; for the jurisdiction of the admiralty , is wholly confined to the sea , which is out of any county ; but if any indenture , bond , or other specialty , or any contract , be made beyond the seas , for doing of any act , or payment of any money , within this realm , or otherwise , wherein the common law can administer justice , and give ordinary redress : in these cases , neither the constable nor marshal , nor the court of admiralty , hath any jurisdiction : therefore when that court hath proceeding , in derogation of the common law , prohibitions have bin issued out , as by the law they ought . . the third objection was , that whereas time out of minde , the court of admiralty hath taken stipulations for appearance , and performance of the acts and judgements of the same court , it is now affirmed , by the judges of the common law , that the admirals court , is no court of record , and therefore not able to take such stipulations : hereupon , prohibitions are granted , to the utter overthrow of that jurisdiction . the judges answered , that the court of the admiralty , proceeding by the course of the civil law , is no court of record , and therefore cannot take any such a recognizance as a court of record may . and for taking recognizanses against the law of the realm , we finde , that prohibitions have bin granted . and if an erroneous sentence be given in that court , no writ of error , but an appeal before certain delegates do lye , which proves , 't is no court of record . . the fourth objection was , that charter parties , made only to be performed upon the seas , are daily withdrawn from that court by prohibitions . the judges answered , that if the charter party be made within any city , port-town , or county of this realm , although it be to be performed , either upon the seas , or beyond the seas , yet it is to be tryed and determined by the ordinary course of the common law , and not in the court of the admiralty , and therefore , when that court hath encroached upon the common law , in that case , the iudge of the admiralty , and party there suing , have bin prohibited , and oftentimes the party condemned , in great and grievous dammages , by the lawes of the realm . . the fifth objection was , that notwithstanding the clause of non obstante statuto , which hath foundation in his majesties prerogative , and is current in all other grants ; yet in the lord admirals patent , 't is said to be of no force , to warrant the determination of the causes , committed to him in his lordships patent , and so rejected by the iudges of the common law. the common lawyers answer , that without all question , the sundry statutes which declare the jurisdiction of the court of admiralty , and wherein all the subjects of the realm have interest , cannot be dispensed with , by any non obstante statuto ; and therefore not worthy of any answer ; but by colour thereof the court of admiralty hath , contrary to those acts of parliament , encroached upon the jurisdiction of the common law , to the intolerable grievance of subjects , which hath oftentimes urged them to complain , in his majesties ordinary courts of justice in westminster-hall , for their relief in that behalf . . the sixth objection was , that to the end that the admirals jurisdiction , might receive all manner of empeachment , and interruption , the rivers beneath the first bridges where it ebbeth and floweth , and all the creeks and ports are by the iudges of the common law , affirmed to be no part of the sea , nor within the admirals jurisdiction , and thereupon , prohibitions are ordinarily awarded upon actions depending in that court for contracts , and other things done in those places , notwithstanding , that by use and practise , time out of minde , the admirals court hath had jurisdiction , within such ports , creeks , and rivers . the judges answer was like to their first , and 't was further added , that for the death of a man , or mayhm in those two cases , only done in great ships , being and hovering in the main stream only , beneath the point of some rivers nigh unto the sea , and no other place of the same rivers , nor in other causes , but only in those two , the admiral hath cognizance . but for all contracts , pleas , and quereles , made or done upon a river , haven , or creek within any county of this realm , the admiral without question hath no jurisdiction ; for then he should hold plea of things , done within the body of the county , which are tryable by verdict of twelve men , and meerly determinable by the common law , and not within the court of the admiralty , according to the civil law ; for that were to change and alter the lawes of the realm in like cases , and make those contracts , pleas , and quereles , tryable by the common law of the realm , to be drawn off ad aliud examen , and to be sentenced by the iudges of the admiralty , according to the civil law. . the seventh objection was , that the agreement made anno . between the judges of the kings bench , and the court of the admiralty , for the more quiet and certain execution of admiral iurisdiction , is not observed as it ought to be . the iudges answered , that the supposed agreement , mentioned in the article , hath not as yet bin delivered them ; but having heard the same read before his majesty ; they answer'd , that for so much thereof , as differeth from these answers , it is against the lawes , and statutes of this realm : therefore the iudges of the kings bench , never assented thereunto , as was pretended . . the eighth objection was , that many other grievances there were , which in discussing of these former , would easily appear worthy of reformation . to this the judges answered , that this article was so general , as no particular answer can be made thereunto , only it appeareth , by that which hath bin said , that the lord admiral his officers and ministers principally by colour of that non obstante , and for want of learned advice , have injustly encroached upon the common lawes of this realm ; for which the marvel is the lesse , because that the lord admiral his lieutenants , officers , and ministers , have without all colour , intruded upon the right and prerogative due to the crown , in that they have seized and converted to their own use , goods and chattels , of infinite value taken at sea ; and other goods and chattels , which in no sort , appertain unto his lordship , by his letters patents , wherein the said non obstante is contained ; and for which , he and his officers , remain accountable to his majesty ; and they now wanting , in this time of peace , causes appertaining to their natural jurisdiction , do now encroach upon the jurisdiction of the common law , lest they should sit idle , and reap no profit . they added further , that touching their proceedings in granting of prohibitions concerning any of the said articles , two things were to be considered of , first the matter , then the manner ; touching the matter , nothing hath bin done therein , by the court of westminster , but by good warrant of law , and former judicial precedents ; and for the manner , they granted none in the vacation time , nor in their terme time , in any of their chambers , nor in the court in the terme-time , ex officio , but upon motion made in open court , by learned councel ; and after a day prefixed , and warning given to the adverse party , &c. hereupon they proceeded , to prove and confirm their answers , by three kind of authorities in law. first , by authority of high court of parliament . secondly , by judgement , and judicial precedents . thirdly , by book-cases . concerning the acts of parliament , they urged the statute of richard the second , viz. that the admiralls and their deputies , shall not meddle from henceforth , with any thing done within the realm of england , but only with things done upon the sea , according to that which hath been duly used in the time of the noble king edward , grandfather to richard the second . concerning the second proof by judgements , and iudicial precedents , and the third by book-cases , they alledged divers cases , which are to be seen in that great light , and laborious champion of the common law of england , the lord coke , in the third part of his institutes ; but , the result of all which the iudges of the common law driv ' at , was , that the court of admiralty , was to take no cognizance , nor had power to determine any thing that had happened , and should give occasion of plea , upon any waters , either fresh or salt , that were within the precincts of any county ; but it was tryable by the common law of england , and by the empanelment , and verdict of twelve men , which is not the way of tryal of the civil law , by which the admiralty is directed . by this notable clash , and contestation 'twixt the iudges of westminster-hall and the lord admiral , the reader may learn what the extent of the authority of that court is , and that the jurisdiction of the admiral is confined to the high sea. in times past , there were distinct admirals , in point of power , as we read in richard the seconds raign , the earl of northumberland was admiral of the north ; and the earl of devonshire , admiral of the west : who were to receive the subsidy of poundage and tonnage , for the garding of the seas . among other prerogatives , which belonged to the lord admiral of england , one was to erect beacons upon the maritim coasts ; which word , is derived from the old saxon , or dutch becnam , which signifieth , to give a signe , as we use the word , to becken at to this day . before the reign of edward the d , there were but stakes of wood , set upon high places , which were fired , upon the discovery of any enemies ; but in his time , pitched barrels were set up ; and by the law of the land , whosoever fired a beacon , commits felony , unless there were authority and just cause for it . in other countries they are called phares , which are no other then speculatory , or maritime monitory fires , which serve for two ends , as well to direct seafaring men , as to fore-warn the approach of an enemy ; which with such wonderful celerity , give the whole land an alarum , and so puts them in a posture of defence . but there are three main matters , whereof the lord admiral is to take cognizance , which are flotsan , ietsan , and lagan : whereof the first is , when a ship is sunk and perished , and the goods floating upon the waters : the second is ietsan , when in stresse of weather , or other occasions , the goods are thrown over-board . the third is , when goods are tyed to a cork , or cable , and may be found again ; but the court of admiralty , hath not to do with wrecks ; for then the goods are deposited in the custody of the officers of the next town , where , if the proprietor come within a twelve moneth and a day , he may claim them by law. henry the sixth did constitute by charter , iohn holland , duke of exceter , and henry his son , to be admirallos angliae : but the iudges of the common law , held that charter to be invalid ; and the reason they alledged , was , that that charter being of a iudicial office , it could not be granted to two . when the former contestation happened 'twixt the court of admiralty and westminster-hall , they were choyse powerful men at that time , who swayed as grandees of the common law , as sir edward coke , the lord bacon , iudge doddridge , and hubbard , which made them carry the bucklers from the civilians , at that time ; but there were some learned treatises published afterward , to vindicate the right of the civil law ; which , without controversie , hath more in it of natural equity , and reaches of pure reason , then any other : it is the product of that mighty monarchy of the romans , who though they conquered by the lance , yet they con●er●ed by their lawes , so many vast distant territories , and nations , which they had subdued , leading so many people captive by their policy , as much as by their prowesse ; and indeed , the civil law is fitted for the general affaires of mankind , and for all nations ; for though every particular state hath some few municipal lawes peculiar to it self : yet no where beyond the seas is there any profession or science of law , but of the civil ; nor are there any other studied in vniversities . only in england there are inns of court , which are equivalent to an academy , where lex terrae , or the common municipal law of the land is studied , and graduates proceed , and are made therein accordingly , which is no where else ; but the civil law extends to all man-kind . and , if regard be had to the university of humane reason , it is no where ●o narrowly discussed , and eventilated , and the judgement rectified by clear notions : moreover , there is nothing , of what nature soever it be but the civil law hath ordained a means to bring it to a tryal , either by giving a speciall action in the case , or a general one releeving by ordinary remedies ; or if those fail , by such as are extraordinary , helping the clyent , iure actionis , or officio iudicis . yet there was one notable example of one business , that not only caused a clash 'twixt the civilian , and common lawyer , but puzzel'd them both so that neither could try it . it was , that one peacock , struck lacy in alto mari , and the ship landing at scarborough , lacy dyed a little after , of the stroke that was given at sea : there was a great contestation , whether the court of admiralty , or the common lawyer , should try peacock ; but it was found , that the cognisance hereof belonged to neither , so the party escaped without condemnation . but now we will resume the thred of our survay of westminster , and add to that which hath bin already spoken of the great hall , which as it hath bin , and continueth still the usual place of pleadings , and ministration of justice ; so it was in former times , the principal seat , and palace of the kings of england , since the conquest ; for here the feasts of coronation , and other solemn feasts , as that of christmas were kept : it is recorded , that at the day of circumcision , henry the third commanded his treasurer , william de haverhull , to cause . poor people to be fed at westminster-hall , upon the kings account ; richard earl of cornwall , the kings brother , anno . being married to cincia , daughter to the countesse of provence , kept his bridall feast at westminster-hall , where , the story saith , there were three thousand dishes of meat , served in at dinner . rich. the second having repaired the great hall which had bin burnt by a pittiful fire , kept his christmas there , in a most sumptuous manner , with justings , and running at tilt , where there was such a huge confluence of people , that for divers dayes , there were spent . fat oxen , and sheep . the king himself wore a gown of cloth of gold , garnished with precious stones , which was valued at marks , a mighty sum in those dayes . henry the th keeping his christmas at westminster-hall , invited ralph austry , lord mayor of london , with all the aldermen , to a feast on twelf-day , the king , the queen , and some ambassadors , sate at the marble table , . knights and esquires , served in the kings meat , which consisted of . dishes , and the queen as many . the mayor was served with . where after sundry sort of disports , he supped also , and it was break of day , before he , and the aldermen returned by barges to london . parliaments also were used to be kept frequently at westminster-hall , and one was kept in richard the seconds time , which proved fatal unto him ; for he was deposed there , notwithstanding , that he had bin the greatest repairer of that hall , when it had bin destroyed by fire . for it hath bin the hard destiny of this great hall , to suffer many times the fury of fire ; but the last that happened , was in the beginning of henry the eighths raign , anno . at which time , a great part of the palace was consumed , which was never re-edified since ; so that the kings courts , have bin from that time , sometimes at baynards castle , then at bridewell , and since at white-hall , called before , york place , as hath bin said before . in this great palace at westminster , there was st. stephens chappel , which was built by king stephen himself ; it was repaired and enlarged by edward the third , and . persons were appointed there to serve god , viz. a dean , . secular canons , . vicars , . clarks , . chorists , a verger , and a keeper of the chappel , who had endowments , and houses built them near the thames : there were also , lodgings assigned them , 'twixt the clock-house , and the wooll-staple , called the weigh-house : he also built for their use , a strong clochard , in the little sanctuary , covered with lead , where there were three great bells , which usually rung at coronations , and funeralls of princes , which gave such a huge sound , that 't was commonly said they sowred all the drink in the town ; but now there 's scarce any marks left of that clochard . this chappel of st. stephens , at the suppression in henry the eights time , was valued to dispend one thousand eighty five pounds ; and in edward the sixths time it was made to serve as a parliament for the house of commons , who formerly were used to sit in the chapter-house of the abbot of westminster . before the great hall , there is a large court , called now the new palace , where there is a strong tower of stone , containing a clock , which striketh on a great bell every houre , to give notice to the judges , how the time passeth ; when the wind is south south-west , it may be heard into any part of london , and commonly , it presageth wet weather : the dean of st. stephens , was used to ha●e the keeping of this clock , having six pence every day out of the exchequer , for keeping the kings clock , or great tom of westminster . we must now make a step southward , before we leave westminster , and perform some further devotions to the old abbey , the prime sanctuary of the land ; whereunto belongs another very ancient priviledged place , and sanctuary of st. martin le grand , hard by aldersgate in london , whereas formerly was said , there was of old a fair and large colledge of a dean , and secular canons or priests , founded by ingelricus . and confirmed a little after by william the conqueror , as appeareth by that ample charter he gave thereunto , which in regard of the ancient saxon termes then used , i thought worthy the inserting here , and it runs thus . willimus conquester per chartam suam corroborat , & confirmat deo & ecclesiae beati martini intramuros london sitae , quod sit quieta ab ●mni exactione , & inquietudine episcoporum , archidiaconorum ; &c. et possessiones suas ab omni regali iurisdictione liberari , & ab exercitus expeditione , pontis restaurat●one , munitione , & castelli auxilio quietas habent , secuam , & toll , & team , & infangthese , blodwite , mundbrice , burghbrice , meskenning , seawing , alcesting ▪ frithsorn , fleamina , finnithe , welgerthofe , vthleap , forfeng , fyhfeng , firdwite , firthwit , weardite , hengwite , hamsokne , forsteal , & si quas alias libertates , & consuetudines aliqua ecclesiarum regni mei anglie meliores habeat : si quis vero hoc in aliud quam concessimus transferre presumserit cum iuda proditore deiluat poenas ; dat. anno dom. . annoque regni mei secundo , die natalis domini . et post modum in d'● pentecostes confirmo quando matilda conjux mea in basilica sancti petri westmonasterii in reginam divino nutu est consecrata . this priviledge of sanctuary , was confirmed , and strictly enjoyned by divers succeeding kings , under the same curse that the infringers thereof should be eternally damned , and suffer the like torments , as iudas the betrayer of god , &c. touching the hard saxons word of this charter , the reader is referred to those worthy persons , who made additionals to mr. stow , where he shall find them explain'd ; for many ages , this saint martin le grand , continued by it self a place of as great priviledges , as westminster , or beverlay , which were counted the chiefest in the whole land ; but henry the th annexed it at last , to the monastery of st. peter of westminster , which claims title ever since , to the free chappel , the priviledges , and sanctuary thereof , and hath enjoyed it , without controlement or question . and now before we bid a farewel to westminster , we will acquaint the reader in brief , with the modern civil government thereof ; now as london is divided into . wards , so westminster is partition'd to . for the which , the dean of the collegiat church , was wont with the high steward , to elect . burgesses , and as many assistants , viz. one burgesse , and one assistant , for every ward : out of which twelve , two are nominated yearly , upon thursday in easter week , for chief burgesses to continue for one entire year , who have authority to hear , examine , determine , and punish according to the lawes of the realm , and customs of the city , matters of incontinency , common scolds , inmates , with publique annoyances ; and likewise to commit such persons , as shall offend against the peace , giving notice thereof within . houres , to some justice of the peace , in the county of middlesex ; and this mode of government , westminster hath by vertue of an act of parliament , in the twenty seventh of queen elizabeth . a parallel , by way of corollary , betwixt london , and other great cities of the world. having hitherto rambled up and down the streets of london , and pryed into every corner thereof ; having endeavoured to fetch her from her very cradle , ( which may not be improperly said ; for we found her at first a grove of wood ) and so attended her all along , to that marvellous degree of perfection , she is now arrived unto , by insensible coalitions of people , improvement of trade , and encrease of structures : we will now , for the better illustration of things , and further enlightning of the reader , make a comparison or parallel 'twixt her , and other great cities of the world , which are accounted cities of the first magnitude ; for as the starres in heaven are distinguish'd by degrees of magnitude , so are cities on the earth : or , to descend lower , as there are ships of the first , second , and third rate ; so there are cities , now among those various wayes , which tend to convey knowledge to the understanding , & rectifie ones judgement , examples , comparisons , and parallels conduce much thereunto ; and plutarch was the first that prescrib'd this way , who , as t' was said of him , by giving life to so many noble greeks and romans , after their deaths , gave himself the longest life ; so it may be said , that by his parallels , he made himself parallel'd . the terrestial globe , which the great god of nature was pleased to entail upon man-kind for his mansion , and to hold it ( for himself and his heirs ) in capite , from him ; i say this masse of earth is compared by some , to a camels back , in regard of the bunchy unevenness of it ; by others , to a libbards skin , in regard of the sundry 〈◊〉 parts , and variety of habitations : by others , to a great piece of embrodery , enchas'd up and down , whereof the most bossie , and richest compacted parts are towns and cities , where people are linked in a nearer bond of love , and lead a more civil course of life ; for urbanity , and civility , derived their names first from thence . these comparisons are lesse wide , and more significant , then that which lucian makes , when , by way of drollery , he makes the greatest cities upon earth , to appear like so many birds neasts . it is a catholique truth , wherein all chronologers , & antiquaries , do unanimously concur , that in the non-age of the world , man-kind had no other habitation then woods , groves , and bushy queaches , which they fenc'd about with hardles made of twigs , and loose stone-walls , to defend them from the invasions of wild and ravenous beasts ; some lived in caves , and concavities of rocks , to shelter themselves from the inclemency , and rigor of the air : insomuch , that all men were troglodites at first , as there are many nations , who are housed so to this day , making themselves holes and hollowes , in rocks , and sandy dry grounds , as we find in this iland some of those troglodites , both in nottingham , and bridge-north . then by degrees , they made themselves small huts : from huts , they came to build houses , and so to cohabit in hamlets : and thence sprung up towns and cities . the first of any same , was that stupend , or city of babylon , founded by nimrod , the great hunter ; and enlarged by that notable virago , semiramis : which was girded about with walls , . foot high , and fifty broad , whereof the circuit was furlongs ; she had also . turrets upon the walls , which were of such a latitude , that chariots might go upon them ; and if old historians may oblige us to a belief , there were three hundred thousand men that were employed in the building thereof ; she continueth still , a vast and flourishing city , called by the turks bagdat ; asia being the most orientall countrey on this side the hemisphere , as it was first peopled , for adam was that countreyman ; so towns , cities , castles , altars , and other buildings , first began to be erected there ; and indeed , all other knowledge , besides architecture , came first from those parts , being next neighbors to the rising sun : the indian brachmans , or gymnosophists , were the first scientifical men , and students of philosophy ; the persian magi were her next students : then she cross'd the red sea , and came to memphis , among the aegyptians , whence she steered down the nile , and got over the aegean seas to corinth and athens among the greeks , whence she took wing to rome , and from thence she clammer'd ore the alps to france , germany , great britany , and other north-west climats . now as asia had the first cities , so she glories to have to this day the greatest : we will instance only in the city of quinzay , who arrogates to her self , the name of the celestial city , whereof divers modern authours do write portentous things ; and truly , he must have a strong faith , who will believe them : she is the chief city of the empire of china , lying under the same climate as venice doth , with whom she hath a great resemblance , being built upon the south side of a huge laque ; she hath in length about forty miles , in latitude thirty , and one hundred and twenty miles in circumference ; she hath above a thousand bridges , some whereof are so high , that ships under saile , may passe under them : her houses are of stone and earth ; the lowest whereof , is five stories high , of marvellous beauty and strength : she hath many magnificent temples , but one next the royal palace , of a stupendious structure , being of that altitude , that the ascent is threescore and fower marble stairs : there are an incredible number of fair palaces in her ; among which , after that of the emperour , those of the ten governours , are the stateliest , and among them that of the captain of the tartars . about the center of the city ; stands the imperial court , which is fenc'd about with seven walls , whereof every one is garded by ten thousand souldiers , the palace is ten miles in circuit , and hath fourscore great halls ; but that where the great councel sits is four square , and hath windows and gates looking towards the four parts of the heaven , east , west , north and south , where officers and others that have business , do enter , according to the scituation of the countrey , whence they come , there being above threescore several kingdoms , under the dominion of the emperor , and every one hath a particular hall and councel , where they deliberate , touching the government of every kingdom . 't is such a ravishing voluptuous place ; that there are objects to please and charm all the five senses , the eyes are fed in beholding the goodly structures , gardens , and trees which are up and down : the eares by hearing , the chirping of the birds , and sweet murmure of the waters ; the smell is feasted with odoriferous sent of flowers , and other rich perfumes ; the taste by most delicate fruits ; and the other sense , by most beautiful , and ravishing women ; which are able to tempt a stoick , having by their rowling large eyes , and other postures , extraordinary wayes of allurement . there was a computation made of above a million of houses within her , so that allowing ten to a family , there be ordinarily about ten millions of humane souls that breath within the city ; they are very rich in their habits , and there is not much difference in the clothes of male and female , only the women have more diversity of colours ; blew and red are the commonest , but black is never worn : there be birds there , of such a wonderful bigness , that they will take up a whole mutton alive , up into the air , and sometimes a man in armor . there are abundance of elephants , dromedaries , camels , and other huge beasts , that do their work ; and all animals , both volatil , and terrestrial , are there , of a bigger size and proportion , then any where else , by special influences of the heavens : it is incredible , what number of nations do resort thither for traffique and commerce , as all the indies , cathay , tartary , arabia , and persia ; they are rare artists ; for 't is thought , that guns and printing were there invented thousands of years agoe ; their characters , and way of reading , being not either from the left hand to the right , as the greeks and latines use ; or from the right hand to the left , as the hebrew , and all the dialect thereof , as the arabian , persian , and others , but perpendicular downward : there is one law amongst them , that conduceth much to make them such exquisite artisans , which is , that the sonnes are alwayes of their fathers trade , whereby they come to have a more natural dexterity , genius , and aptitude to the trade , and their parents train them therein more industriously , and discover unto them all the mysteries thereof . touching the rare china dishes and cups they make , the masse of earth , whereof they are moulded , useth to be buried in lumps , within the bowels of the earth , sometimes a hundred years before they fall to work upon it , and such a masse of aged earth is the common patrimony , that parents use to leave their children : in fine , they pretend to so much sagacity , wit , and industry , that 't is a saying among them , that they only have two eyes , the europaeans one , and all the rest of the world is blind . they have such a high opinion of their king , that they think he is descended of the race of some demy-god , and so adore him accordingly . they believe there is some divinity in his blood , insomuch , that he never marries any , but either his own sister , or daughter , or next a kin , for fear of staining the royal blood ; he is seldom seen openly , but he hath a private place , when his councel sits , whence he may hear whatsoever is agitated , and he signifieth his pleasure invisibly through certain hollow trunks , and he gives audience to ambassadors also in that manner . we will now over the red sea to afrique , and take a short transient survay of the gran cairo in egypt , a city also of a huge gigantique stature , being near upon forty miles compasse , having five and thirty thousand meskeetos , that is , churches and chappels : there are in her four and twenty thousand noted streets ; some whereof are two miles in length , every one is locked up in the night , with a dore and chains at each end : there is a huge number of horsmen , under the command of so many saniacks , which watch and gard the town all the year long , to the number of eight and twenty thousand men , for fear of the incursions of the wild arabs : the cause of the vastness of gran cairo is , that there are three cities incorporated into one , that is , old memphis , babylon , and elkhaire ; for there was another city hard by , called babylone , but by encrease of trade , and new concourse of people , the soldans and mammalucks reduc'd all three to one entire city : which would be a pittiful poor place , did not the river of nile give her a yearly visit from the mountains of the moon , about the sommer solstice , and retire again about eighty dayes after . we will now crosse the greek seas to europe , and take a quick view of most of those cities , which are of the first magnitude ; for indeed , this parallel aymes only at the europaean cities ; and it will be found by any impartial reader , that london needs not vail to any of them , if regard be had . . to conveniency of situation , and to salubrity of air . . to method of strict government . . to magnificence of the chief magistrates . . to regulation of trade . . to variety of artisans . . to a greater number of corporations and halls . . to plenty of all provision , that air , earth , or water can afford . . to springs , conduits , aqueducts , and other conveyances of fresh wholsome waters . . to the universality of trafick , and bravery of the adventurers . . to solidity , and richness of commodities . . to artillery , ammunition , docks , and a number of military stout well armed citizens . . to ( once ) a glorious temple . . to an admirable great bridge . . to a noble navigable river . . to a chearful and wholsome green circumjacent soyl. . to hospitality , and festival publique meetings of corporations , and other societies for encrease of love , and good intelligence between neighbors . . to number of coaches by land , and all sorts of boats by water , for the accommodation of passengers . . for sundry kind of reliefs for the poor , and indigent . . for various kinds of honest corporal recreations and pastimes . . and lastly , for the number of humane souls . many of these may be found severally in other cities , who may haply exceed london in some particulars ; but take them all together , she may vie with the best of them , and run no great hazard . but to proceed the more methodically in taking a view ▪ to this purpose , though short and cursory of the greatest cities in europe , we will begin eastward at constantinople , called of old bizantium , and now stambole by the turks , being the chief court or port , as they terme it , of the ottoman empire , the word being derived from faith and plenty : 't is true , she is plac'd in a fit , and advantageous posture , to be commandresse of the world , she was raised by a constantine , and lost by a constantine ( both of them , the sonnes of helens ) about a thousand years after ; but touching her site , she hath on the one side , the pontus , or black sea , and the marmora , or hellespont on the other : the mouthes of which seas are so narrow , that no passage can be forced against the castles , she is built upon the utmost levant point of europe , and hath all the vast continent of asia , before her from s●utari ; insomuch , that she stands almost in the center of the old world , and thereby , capable to send her commands more speedily to other countries ; yet since the discovery of america , the new world , some modern geographers balancing the parts of the old with the new , they find that rome stands more appositly to command the whole earth , because she is rather situated more towards the middle ; in some things 't is confessed , constantinople may claim the precedence of london , as first for the huge palace of the seraglio , which is about three miles compasse ; 't is thought also , she exceeds for number , of humane souls and houses ; yet in point of building , they are but low , and cottage-like , nothing comparable to those of london . and if you go to the quality of the inhabitants , constantinople may be called but a nest , or banner of slaves ; and herein , as in many other of the particulars pointed at , before london hath the start of her. we come now to italy , and first to rome , which though in circuit she be yet about as big as london ; yet in point of people , she may be called a wilderness , in comparison of her : she is also far inferior for traffique and wealth ; as also for temperature , and wholsomness of air , that of rome being not so healthy , which some impute to the burning of stubble , for fertilizing the bed of the earth ; others , to the ill-favour'd vapors that come from divers subterranean hollowes that remain up and down , out of the ruines of old rome ; for rome at present , may be called but a skeleton of the old ; or like a tall man , shrunk into the skin of a pygmey , being compared to that monstruous stature she was of , in vopiscus his time , who leaves it upon record , that she was fifty miles about , and had above four hundred thousand free citizens ; and consequently , about four millions of souls with in her bosome , as some infer ; she then made the ocean to do homage unto the tyber , she made asia , and afrique , feudetaries to europe ; but she who daunted the world , yielded to the lawes of time , who gives all great cities a space of growing , of subsistence , and of declination ; but a wonder it is , how so much of her is left , considering , that from brennus the britain , to the duke of bourbon , she was eight times sack'd , whence it may be inferr'd , that there is an extraordinary providence , that seems to watch over her . for as she subsisted before by the pike , the pen may be said now to support her , i mean her ecclesiastical courts , which causeth a great confluence of people to resort thither , from all corners of the earth : insomuch , that the number of strangers in rome , may be said to exceed the number of the natives , because she is accounted the communis patria , and chief randezvouze of all christians , in regard of the residence of the chief bishop , in whom every catholique claimes an interest : insomuch , that rome may be said to be more beholden to shepheards , then to any other profession ; for as a shepheard was her founder , so a shepheard is still her preserver . the next city of the first magnitude in italy , is milan , which of all other towns , may be said to have this singularity , as to have no suburbs ; 't is true , she may pretend much for her doure , her cittadel , and hospital , with number of excellent artisans ; yet who is well acquainted with both places , will find that london is not much inferior to her , in any of these fower things ; and for other particulars , as ubiquitary traffique , by sea as well as land , for multitude of people , and divers other things , pointed at before , milan comes short of london . touching the city of venice , 't is true , she hath many things to glory of , as her wonderful situation , that she was born a christian , that she hath continued a virgin , near upon thirteen hundred years , having been never ravish'd by the assaults of any enemy , ( though some out of malice would make her a concubine to the great turk ) . she may also glory of her great arsenal , and that she hath the sea for her husband ; yet if one go to multitude of inhabitants , to the magnitude of both cities , to number of corporations , with other particulars pointed at before , venice will not disdain to vail to london ; but touching the last thing she glorieth of , london may claim as much interest in the sea as she , if regard be had to maritime dominion and naval power . and lastly , while venice is steeping and pickling in salt-water , london sports her self upon the banks of a fresh stately river , which brings into her bosom , all the spices of the east indies , the treasure of the west , the gems of the south , and the rich furs of the north. naples 't is confess'd , is a populous great mercantile town , and hath three castles , with handsom buildings , and store of nobility ; but besides magnitude of places , and multitude of people , with other advantages which london hath of her , the sun , whiles he doth as it were broyl the neapolitan , doth with the gentle reverberations of his rayes , but guild the walls of london . genoa , though she be a proud city , yet she stands not upon her own legs , but she subsists most by the king of spains money , by being a seal to convey it by cambio to flanders ; and else-where , having little of her own to trade withall ; whereas london hath native substantial commodities of her own , and is far superior to her for bigness , and number of souls , with other advantages . touching florence , there is beauty enough to be seen there , but she may partly thank london , that she is so fair , by the trade she bears to ligorn , of late years . touching the rest of the cities of italy , though they be ranked among those of the first magnitude , yet they bear no proportion with london . touching sicily , there is palermo , the residence of the viceroy , a jolly neat city , which may glory of one thing , that neither london , nor any other city in christendom hath the like , which is a fair spacious uniform street , of above a mile long ; next to which , is that of edenburgh in scotland , extending it self in a direct line , from the royal palace to the castle . concerning spain , there are divers large cities of the first magnitude , as barcelona , the metropolis of catalonia ; saragossa the cape city of aragon ; valencia the chief of that kingdom ; pampelona the head of navarr ; burgos the chief of old castile , and toledo of the new ; murcia , granada , sevill , and lisbonne in portugal , which is the biggest of them all . the two last are best peopled ; but madrid where the catholique court is kept ( though a village ) hath more then any of them ; but all these come short of london , in point of greatness , and populousness , with divers advantages besides . vienna the imperial court is of an extraordinary bigness , being fenced about with english walls , which richard the first rear'd up for his ransome : it is also well peopled ; so is prague . which though the latter be made up of three cities , yet they both come short of the city of london in amplitude , and number of people , with divers other properties mentioned before . germany hath divers fair cities , that may take place amongst them of the first magnitude , as mentz , colen , frankfort , strasburg , norimburg , auspurg , magdenburg , and others , which though they beat a land trade , being mediterranean cities , and abound with wealth , and numbers of artisans , yet they are inferior to london , for many respects . touching the hans , and imperial towns , there are divers of them large , wealthy , and full of trade , as lubeck , danzick , and hamburgh the biggest of them , which owes much of her prosperity to the staple of the london marchant adventurers , who are there setled ; but there 's none of these cities , though they be threescore more in number , that will presume to compare with london , in any of those twenty properties before mentioned . touching copenhagen in denmark , and stockholm in swethland , they come far short ; nay , if you go more northward , upon the white sea , as far as the gran mosco the emperor of russias court , which is a huge woodden city , and inviron'd about with a treble wall to stop the incursions of the tartar , you will find it inferior to london , in every of those twenty particulars . touching low germany , or the netherlands , which is one of the greatest countries of commerce in christendom ; 't is true , there are there many noble cities . among others , the city of gant in flanders , which for bigness , bears the bell of all the cities of europe , being computed to be twenty miles in circuit , which makes the flemins twit the french , by saying nous auons un gant qui tiendra paris dedans , we have a glove ( meaning gant , which is a glove in french ) that will hold paris within it ; yet for number of humane souls , this great city is but a kind of desart , being compared to london . antwerp is a noble city , both for her cittadel , and fortifications , which are so vast , that two coaches may go abrest upon the walls ; she may compare with any other city , she was in former times , one of the greatest marts , this side the alps : insomuch , that guicciardin reports , that after the intercursus magnus was established betwixt england and the netherlands , the trade 'twixt london and antwerp , came to above twelve millions yearly ; but upon the revolt of the confederate provinces from the king of spain , when secretary walsingham told elizabeth , that he would give both the spaniard , and the french king such bones to gnaw , that might shake both their teeths in their heads ; meaning thereby , the revolt of the hollander from the one , and the kindling of the ligue in france . i say , when these tumults began , amsterdam may be said to have risen up out of the ruines of antwerp , which town is come , in lesse then fourscore years , and by a stupendous course of commerce and negotiation , to be one of the greatest marts of the world , being before , one of the meanest towns of the first magnitude in holland ; but she is swoln since , twice if not thrice as big as she was : insomuch , that she may be said to give the law to all the rest of the united provinces , and to smell rank of a hans town , or little common-wealth of her self . among other causes , this may be imputed to the trade of the east and west indies , which is appropriated unto her , and to a mixture with the jewes , who have there two synagogues : yet is this fresh great mercantile town , much inferior to london , almost in all things . first , in point of populousness , as may be conjectured out of her weekly bills of mortality , which at the utmost , come but to about threescore a week ; whence may be inferred , that london is five times more populous ; for the number that dies in her every week , comes commonly , to near upon three hundred . secondly , in point of wealth , amsterdam comes short of london ; for when sir ralph freeman was lord mayor , it was found out by more than a probable conjecture , that he , with the . aldermen , his brethren , might have bought the estates of one hundred of the richest bourgemasters in amsterdam . then , for sweetnesse of site , and salubrity of air , she is so far inferior to london , that her inhabitants may be said to draw in fogs , in lieu of free air , the countrey being all marsh and moorish about her ; so that amsterdam is built as it were in a bog , or quag ; for in their fabriques , they are forced to dig so deep for a firm foundation , by ramming in huge piles of wood , that the basis of a house , doth oftentimes cost more then the superstructure . moreover , amsterdam hath neither conduit , well , or fountain of fresh water within her , but it is brought to her by boats ; and they wash with rain water , which every house preserves in cisterns , to that purpose . touching the river of texel , that brings her in all commodities she is nothing comparable to the thames , in point of security of sayling , or sweetness of water : touching the first , they say there stood a forrest of wood in times past , where now the texel makes her bed , which could not be cut down so clean , but there are divers ill favoured trunks , and stubs of trees , still found under water , which is a great annoyance to ships . there are in the united provinces , many jolly towns besides , which may be ranked among them of the first magnitude , especially utrecht , which hath the face of an ancient stately town , & subsists more by her self : the rest grow great , and flourish in wealth , buildings , and people , by having some peculiar staple-commodity appropriated unto them , as amsterdam hath the trade of the east and west indies assigned her , ( as was formerly mentioned ) . rotterdam , hath the staple of english cloth ; dort , of the rhenish-wine , and corn that comes from germany ; haerlam hath a charter for weaving and knitting ; leyden is an university ; the hague subsists by the residence of the hoghen moghen , the councel of state ; middleburgh in zeland , by the staple of french wines ; trevere , by the scots commodities , &c. but none of these bear any proportion with the city of london , who trades in all these several commodities together , and hath particular corporations accordingly , with many more . we will now hoyse up sayl for france , which also hath divers cities of the first magnitude , as rouen in normandy , bourdeaux in gascogny , tholouse in languedock , with the other five courts of parliament ; as also amiens in picardy , and the city of lions , and marseilles : the one whereof , subsists by her bank ; the other , by being the chief arsenal of the french gallies ; but none of these will offer , i think , to compare with the city of london , nor any of those towns that stand upon the loire , whereof there are many gentile ones . paris i confess , may be capable of some comparisons with london , for which she hath many helps , as being a citè , vil●é & universitè , a city , a town , and an university ; as also the chief residence of the french kings , and the parliament . but le ts go a little to particulars . and first , to the populousness of both cities ; they say in paris , that the parishes of saint eustace , and saint innocent , have above one hundred thousand communicants in them alone : and that by the last cense that was made there , was near upon a million of humane souls , found in the city and suburbs of paris . it may be so , but we shall find in the ensuing discourse that london hath more . secondly , for magnitude : 't is true , that paris hath the advantage of an orbicular figure , and so is more capacious . but by the judgement of those mathematicians , who have observed both cities ; if london were cast into a circle , she would with all her dimensions , be altogether as big as paris . touching the loure , 't is true , that it is a vast fabrick , and the like is not found in london ; but it is the only court the french king hath in paris , whereas in london there are fower royal seates , with two parks annexed to one ; i hope the bastile will not offer to compare with the tower of london , nor the river of seine with the thames ; much lesse i believe , will paris offer to make any comparisons with london , in point of traffique , and societies of noble adventuring marchants , who trade on both the hemispheres ; nor of her provost with the lord mayor of london . i allow paris to have rich banquiers , but they are most of them strangers , and not natives . moreover , i think paris would be loth to compare with london for neatness of streets , or for sweetness of site ; for paris hath scarce any verdure about her , but the proclere ; whereas london hath most delightful fields round about her , of a deeper greene , not so fading as that of france : and touching streets , the dirt and crott of paris may be smelt ten miles off , and leaves such a tenacious oily stain , that it is indelible , and can never be washed off ; 't is confessed , that paris hath waters of a singular vertue , for the die of scarlets ; but 't is as well known to the world , what extraordinary vertues the thames water hath for many things . ask the hollander , and he will tell you , there is no such water to fatten eeles , and all sorts of fish. thames water beer bears the price of wine , in many places beyond the seas . and the portugalls have found of late , such vertue in that water , that they carry it away by whole tuns , to lisbon . i might enlarge my self further , in shewing what advantages the city of london hath of paris , but i will suspend my discourse till i proceed a little further , only i will conclude this paragraffe with this one objection , that london hath far better blood in her veins , then paris , i mean a greater number of wholsom springs , conduits , aqueducts , and sources of sweet waters , whereof paris hath not so many . and now there comes into my memory , a facetious passage , between henry the th , and the provost of paris , touching those waters ; which happened thus . the king had appointed the suisse ambassadors , whereof there were many in commission , to be lodged in the city , and that plenty of the best wines should be provided for them ; the ambassadors having lain long upon the parisians , and drunk daily very deep , and being at last dismissed . the provost made an humble remonstrance to the king , how the city had so long time win'd the suisse ambassadors , and their numerous retinue , which put her in some arreares , therefore he humbly prayed , in the name of the city , that his majesty would be pleased to give leave , that a small tax might be laid for a while upon the water-pipes and cesterns of fresh waters , for the discharge of those arrears for wine , &c. the king pleasantly answered , ventre de saint gris , there must be some other way found out to do this ; for 't was our saviour only , that could turn water into wine , therefore he would not presume to attempt it . having thus rambled up and down the world , and cast some few glances upon the most renowned cities ; and having pointed before , at twenty properties , wherein london may well compare with any of the greatest cities in europe , we will now more particularly , treat a little of those properties , and take them all single , as they are ranked . . the first is , conveniency of situation , and salubrity of air , wherein the wisdom of the old britains our ancestors , in point of election of the place , a●d the benignity of the heavens , in point of influences and temperature , have made london as happy as any other city under the vast canopy of the heavens ; some say , that that city is best situated , which resembleth a camels back , who hath protuberancies , and bunches , so a city should be seated upon rising grounds , or small hillocks ; it is the posture of london ; for she is builded upon the flanks , sides , and tops of divers small hillocks , lying near the banks of a noble river , and being encompassed about with delightful green medows , and fields on all sides ; and she is in so fair a distance from the sea , that no danger of forren invasion can surprize her , but she must have notice before : the nature of her soyl sandy , which is wholsomest for habitation , and conduceth much goodness of air , the barrenness whereof , is made prolifical by art . . touching the second property , which is a method of strict , and punctual government , ther 's no city goes beyond her , or indeed equalls her , take night and day together ; for there is not the least misdemeanor , or inconvenience that can be ; but there be officers in every corner of the city to pry into them , and find them out ; but especially , the wardmote inquest , which are to be men of repute , and known integrity ; they by vertue of their office inquire , if any man outlawed , or indited of treason , or felony , lurk within the ward ; they inquire if the publique peace be any way disturbed , or broken ; they enquire of all offences , and dammages done to the river of thames , and make a speedy presentment of them to be redressed ; they inquire after riotors , dissolute persons , and barrators , walking by nightertayle , without light at unseasonable houres . they inquire after those that play at unlawful games . they inquire after potours , panders , and bawds , common hazardors , champartors , maintainers of quarrels , or embracers of inquests . they inquire after witches , strumpets , common punks , and scolds . they inquire after hot houses , and sweating houses , whereunto any lewd women resort , or others of ill repute . they inquire after any inholder , taverner , brewer , or huckster , that hold open at unseasonable houres . they by vertue of their office , inquire if any manner of person , after rain , or any other time , cast or lay any dung , ordure , rubbish , sea-coal ashes , rushes , or any other thing of noisance in the river of thames , or the channels of the city . they inquire , whether any manner of persons , nourish hogs , oxen , kine , ducks , or any other living thing , that may cause unwholsomness , or any grievance . they inquire , if any false chevesancers , or extortioning usurers , dwell within their ward . they inquire , if any freeman against his oath made , doth conceal , cover , or colour the goods of forreiners against the franchises of the city . they inquire , if any forrainer buy and sell with any other forrainer , within they city or suburbs thereof , any marchandizes or goods , to the prejudice of the natives . they inquire , if every freeman which receiveth , or taketh benefit of the franchises of the city , but continually dwelling out of it , hath not , nor will not pay scot and lot after his oath made , nor be partner to the common charges of the city , when he is required . they inquire , if any conceal the goods of orphans , whose ward and mariage belong to the lord mayor and aldermen . they inquire , if any officer , by colour of his authority , do extortion to any man , or be a promoter , or maintainer of quarrels against right , or take carriage , and arrest victual unduly . they inquire , if any boat-man , or ferriman take more then is due for his boat-hire . they are to inquire , if any pourprestures be made upon the common ground of the city by land , or water , as in walls , pales , stoops , grieces , doores , or cellars ; or if any porch , pent-house , or jetty be too low , in letting of passengers that ride , or carts : they are to inquire , that pentises , and jetties , be at least the heighth of nine feet , and that the stalls be not but of two foot and a half in breadth , and to be flexible , and moveable , viz. to hang by jewmews or garnets , so that they may be taken up , and let down . they are to inquire , if any common course of water be forclos'd , or letted to the noyance of the city . they are to inquire , if any pavement be defective , or too high in one place , and too low in another , to the disturbance of the riders , goers , and carts that passe along . they are to inquire after regrators , or forestallers of victuals , or of any other marchandizes which should come to the city to be publiquely and fairly sold. they are to inquire , if any butcher , fishmonger , poulter , vintner , hostler , cook , or seller of victuals , do sell at unreasonable prizes . they are to inquire , if any retaylor do sell unwholsome victuals , or dearer then is proclaimed by the lord mayor . they are to inquire , whether any vintner , inholder , alehouse-keeper , or any other person whatsoever , do use , or keep any cans , stone-pots , or other measures which are unseal'd , and are lesse then due measure , and whether they sell any beer or ale above a peny a quart , and small ale above a half peny . they are to inquire in shops and houses of chandlers , and others which fell by weight , that all their scales be right , and according to the standard ; as also , that all yards and ells , be of their just length , and that none do sell by venice weights . they are to inquire , if any inholder do bake bread to sell within his own house ; and if any baker of sowre bread , bake white bread to sell , and take more for the baking then three pence in a bushel . they are to inquire , if any house be covered , otherwise then with tile , stone , or lead , for peril of fire . they are to inquire , if any leper , faitor , or mighty begger reside in the ward . they are to inquire , if any baker or brewer , bake or brew with straw , or any other fewel , which may indanger fyring . they are to inquire , if any go with painted vi●age . they are to inquire , if any neglecteth to hang a lanthorn at his door , with a ●●ndle therein burning , after the usage at the season of the year appointed . they are to inquire , whether any bring to be sold , or sell and offer , or put to sale any tall-wood , billets , fagots , or other fire-wood , not being of the full assize . they are also to inquire after them , who go to the countrey , and ingrosse any billet , tall-wood , fagot , tosard , or other fire-wood , and so keep it , till they may sell it at excessive prizes , and above the prizes set by the lord mayor . they are also , to inquire after ingrossers of butter and cheese , in great quantities , in going into the countrey to buy it , and after , convey it by water , or otherwise to the city , to be sold at excessive rates . they are to inquire , whether any use the priviledge of freemen , being none ; and to that purpose , they shall demand a sight from those whom they suspect , of a copy of their freedom , under the seal of the office of the chamberlain . they shall inquire after all such as melt tallow , contrary to an act of the common councel in that case made and provided . they shall inquire after such who use any fire-presses within the city , and liberties for pressing , or dressing of netherstocks , wollen clothes , or other things . they shall inquire of all armorers , and other artificers , using to work in metals , which have or use any reardorses , or any other places dangerous for fire . they shall inquire , if any who have undertaken to be appraysers of the goods of any freeman deceased , leaving behind him any orphan or orphans ; and the said appraysers not having bin sworn before the lord mayor , or the alderman of the ward . they are to inquire if any freeman buy any wares or marchandizes unweighed , which ought to be weighed at the kings beam , of any stranger or forrainer free of the city of london . they are to inquire if any buy or sell any cloth or clothes in the shop , ware-house , or other place of any cloth-worker ; or if any cloth-worker do receive , or harbor any cloth , before the same be brought to blackwell-hall . they are to inquire , if any carman take for carriage of any commodity , above the rates ordained . they are to inquire , if any make , or cause to be made , any new buildings , or divide , or cause to be divided , any house , or houses , or receive any inmate , or inmates , contrary to the kings majesties proclamation , or to law , or any statute of the land. they are to inquire after hawkers , which go up and down the streets , and from house to house , to sell any wares , contrary to an act made in that behalf . they are to inquire , if any have fraudulently , or unduly obtained the freedom of the city . they are to inquire after women-brokers , such as use to resort to mens houses , to suborn young maydens with promise to help them to better service . they are to inquire , if any have , or use any common privy , having issue into any common sewer of the city . they are to inquire , if any constable , beadle , or other officer ▪ be negligent , and remisse , in discharging their duties , touching the execution of the statute made for punishment of rogues , vagabonds , and sturdy beggars , &c. they are to inquire , if those to whom the execution of the statute for the relief of the poor , doth appertain , be remisse in discharging their duties that way . they are to inquire , if any executor , or others , keep in their hands any legacy , sum of money , or other thing , given to charitable uses . they are to inquire , if any that keep horses in their houses , do lay their stable dung , or such kind of noysome filth , in any streets , or lanes of the city , and do not cause the dung-cart to be led to the stable door . the ward-mote inquest , by vertue of their office , are bound to search into all these enormities , and to meet once a moneth , or oftner , if need require to that purpose . and whosoever doth judiciously observe these several heads , will find , there 's nothing wanting to preserve a city , or the people thereof in the wayes of neatness , safety , and industry , or for the advancement of vertue , and suppression of vice. by these particulars , with what hath bin spoken of formerly , in the body of this book , the reader may observe , how exact the city of london is in her urban government . . now touching the magnificence , gravity , and state of the chief magistrate : neither the pretor of rome , or the prefect of milan ; neither the proctors of saint mark in venice , or their podestas in other cities ; neither the provost of paris , the markgrave of antwerp , can compare with the lord mayor and sheriffs of london : if one go to the variety of their robes , sometimes scarlet richly fur'd , sometimes purple , sometimes violet , and puke . what a goodly spectacle it is to behold the lord mayor , and the companies attending him in so many dainty barges , when he goes to be sworn in westminster-hall ; and what brave shews there are attending him by land , at his return ? what a plentiful sumptuous dinner , consisting of so many huge tables , is provided for him ? what a variety of domestick officers wait upon him perpetually , whereof , with the remembrancer , there are five of them esquires by their places , as was hinted before ? what a comely sight it is to see the lord mayor , sheriffs , and aldermen , going in their robes upon festivals to the cathedral church of saint pauls , though they who stand not so well affected to the present government , say , that he goeth in now at the wrong end of the church : what a goodly sight it is , when he goeth upon easter holidayes , to the spittle , with the sword , and cap of maintenance going before him ? how his robes are fitted for the season , as from michaelmas to whitsontide , he weares violet fur'd ; from whitsontide to michaelmas , scarlet lined : and for distinction among the aldermen , they who have bin lord mayors , have their cloaks lined with changeable taffata ; but those that have not , with green taffata ; what great places of trust are committed to the lord mayor , as the keeping of the great bridge in repair , which hath such large revenues belonging unto it , with a particular stately seal , which of old , had the effigies of thomas of becket , ( a londoner born ) upon it , with this inscription in the name of the city . me quae te peperi , ne cesses , thoma , tueri ; but the seal was altered in henry the eighths raign : what a great trust is it for the lord mayor to have the conservation of the noble river of thames , from stanes bridge , till she disgorgeth her self into the sea ? how stately is he attended , when he goes to take a view of the river , or a swan-hopping ? and lately , what a noble addition was it for the lord mayor to have a park of deer of his own so near the city , to find him sport , and furnish him with venison ? what an honour is it for the lord mayor to be accounted the first man of england , upon the death of the soveraign prince . as when king iames was invited to come , and take the crown of england ; robert lee , lord mayor of london , was the first man who subscribed , and then the officers of the crown , with the chief noblemen after him . the recorder of london also , is primus consiliarius angliae , and is priviledged to plead within the barre . the lord mayors of london have bin called sometime , to sit at the councel table , as sir iohn allen was in henry the eighths time , with others , ( which allen , gave that rich collar of gold , which the lord mayors use to wear ) and the aldermen his brethren , were used to be called barons . . we are come now to regulation of trade , wherein london is not inferior to any city whatsoever , witness ( among others ) what prudential lawes , restraints and cautions the marchant adventurers , who trade in the golden fleece of england , viz. in woollen manufactures , have propos'd to themselves , as likewise all other corporations in like manner , for the improvement of that particular trade , and preserving it from confusion . . touching variety of artisans , london yields to no other , 't is true , that mingling with forreiners , hath much advantag'd her in this kind ; but 't is observed , and confessed by all nations , that though the londoners be not so apt to invent ; yet when they have got the invention , they use alwayes to improve it , and bring it to a greater perfection . . touching corporations , halls , fraternities , guilds , and societies , london hath not her fellow : witness the twelve honourable companies ; out of one of which , the lord mayor is yearly chosen . the several societies of those , who venter abroad in all parts of the habitable earth , as far as the antipodes . and threescore companies of citizens besides ; whereunto the new company of coachmen , is lately added , who have their halls , their regular orders , and officers accordingly ; and touching all sorts of artificers , and variety of industrious wayes to improve all kind of manufactures , and thereby gain an honest livelihood , and so enrich the place . london may be called a hive of bees , ( as formerly was touched ) or a hill of ants , which have bin alwayes made the emblems of industry , and providence . . touching plenty , and abundance of all kinds of provision , as flesh , fish , fowle , fruits , fuel , variety of drinks , and wines , with any other commodity , that conduceth to pleasure and delight , as well as necessity , london may glory to be as well served , as any city under heaven . a knowing spaniard said , that he thought eastcheape shambles alone , vends more flesh in the year , then all the court of spain . gascon wines drink better in london , then in bourdeaux , and so do all other , provided they be not sophisticated . nor doth london abound with all things so plentifully , for the belly alone , but also for the back , either to keep it warm , or make it gay ; what varieties of woollen stuffs there are in every shop , with broad cloth equal to the price of silk , being come to that heighth of perfection , that some hath bin made of ten pounds a yard in price ; but the hollanders and others , have now got the art of making our stuffs and cloths , by those foolish giddy headed puritans that pretended to fly for persecution of their consciences , whereby they have done their own countrey no little mischief in this particular , as in many things besides . but in point of plenty , it may be well avouch'd , that no oppidan magistrates on earth , go beyond the lord mayor of london , and the two sheriffs , for constant hospitality all the year long : the time was , that the lord mayor of london feasted four kings at once . insomuch , that of all other places in the iland , those verses of michael , the cornish poet , may be most verified of london . nobilis anglia , pocula , prandia donat , &c. . concerning wholsom , clear waters , as 't was said before that london hath good blood in her veins , by those many aqueducts , conduits , and conveyances of fresh waters , to serve for all uses , so she hath good veins in her body , by those rivulets , springs , and sources she hath within and about her ▪ what an herculean work was that , to bring the river of ware , to run through her streets , and refresh all her houses . and what an ingenious fabrick is lately rear'd up in the thames , to furnish the strand , drury lane , the convent garden , and all the new houses thereabouts , with convenient proportions of fresh water . . for universality of trade , there is no countrey upon the surface of the earth , no seas that any of the winds blow upon from the artick to the antartick pole , from the rising to the setting sun , but london by her navigations , findes them out , and so barters , and brings all kind of commodities ; what goodly vessels doth she send forth , to crosse the line to the east indies , to italy , and the bottom of the streights , the turks dominions : as also to the baltick sea , how she flyes ore the vast white ocean , to moscovy , and to hunt the great leviathan in groenland . how her marchants and factors are more reputed , and have greater priviledges every where , then any other , particularly in the huge hause city of hamburgh , and rotterdam , &c. . in point of solid and useful wares she hath of her own , what a substantial commodity , and of what high esteem , all the world over is her cloth , her kersies , and divers other kinds of woollen manufactures ; together with her lead and tin , how she turns the first to silk , and cloth of tissue , the last to gold and silver ; what rich returns she makes of her fish , from all the catholick countries ? what large ware-house , and spacious fair shops she hath of all mercantile commodities ? and touching her royal exchange , those of antwerp and amsterdam , have but baubling pedlery wares , in comparison of hers . insomuch , that a wager was offered once to be laid , that crashawes shop alone , was able to buy all those in the busse at amsterdam . . for strength defensive and offensive , for arms of all sorts , for artillery , ammunition , for arsenals and docks on both sides the river , for castles and block-houses , &c. london is not inferior to any ; she hath twelve thousand trained-band-citizens , perpetually in a readiness , excellently armed ; which when count gondamar saw in a muster one day in saint iames's fields , and the king asking him what he thought of his citizens of london ; he answered , that he never saw a company of stouter men , and better arms in all his life-time ; but he had a sting in the tayl of his discourse ; for he told the king , that although his majesty was well pleased with that sight at present , he feared , that those men handling their arms so well , might do him one day a mischief , which proved true ; for in the unlucky warres with the long parliament , the london firelocks did him most mischief . in times passed , the city of london hath sent out strong fleets to scoure , and secure the four seas from depredations , and pyracy . and if in the year . she was able to set forth a fleet of ninety five ships , as it stands upon record , what would she be able to do now , if she were permitted ? moreover , if in king stephens raign , as another record hath it , she raised . foot , and . horse for land service , how many more were she able to do now in case of necessity , that being compared to what she was then , were to compare a gyant to a dwarf ? but besides these several kind of strengths , and arms , there 's no place so well furnish'd with amonition de bouche , as the frenchman hath it , with munition for the mouth , viz. with magazines of corn , and arms against famine , a● london is ; for besides that at leaden-hall , and the bridge-house , how many halls have store-houses of this kind ? there 's no place also better armed against the fury of the fire ; for besides the pitched buckets that hang in churches and halls , there are divers new engines for that purpose . but it had bin wished , that the proclamations of the two last kings for building with brick , had bin observed by london , for besides that , it had made her lesse subject to casual fyrings , it had conduced much to the beauty of her streets , and uniformity of structure . . for healthful corporal recreations , and harmless passe-times , london may go in the van , to any place that i ever saw yet . go and walk in her fields , you shall see some shooting at long marks , some at buts ; some bowling upon dainty pleasant greens , some upon bares ; some wrestling , some throwing the barre , some the stone , some jumping , some running , some with their dogs at ducking ponds ; some riding upon nags , some in coaches to take the fresh air , some at nine-pins , some at stool-ball , though that stradling kind of tomboy sport be not so handsome for mayds , as forreiners observe , who hold ▪ that dansing in a ring , or otherwise , is a far more comely exercise for them . within the city , what variety of bowling allies there are , some open , some covered ? there are tennis courts , shuffle-boards , playing at cudgels , cock-fightings , a sport peculiar to the english ; and so is bear , & bull-baytings , there being not such generous dogs , and cocks any where else . go to the river , what a pleasure it is to go thereon , in the summer time , in boat or barge ? or to go a floundring among the fishermen ? there was in former times a sport used upon the thames , which is now discontinued : it was for two wherries to row , and run one against the other , with staves in their hands ; flat at the fore-end ; which kind of recreation , is much practised among the gondolas of venice . the time was , that stage-playes , and fencing , were much used in london : the history speaks of a play , anno . performed by the parish clarks of london , at the skinners well , besides smithfield , which continued three several dayes : the king , queen , and the court being present . and of another , in the year . which lasted eight dayes , the subject was touching the creation of the world , whereunto the court , and nobility were invited : but those ●ind of stage-playes , were turned after to tragedies , comedies , histories , and enterludes ; for representing whereof , there were more theaters in london , then any where else ; and it was a true observation , that those comical , and tragical histories , did much improve , and enrich the english language , they taught young men witty complements , and how to carry their bodies in a handsome posture : add hereunto , that they instructed them in the stories of divers things , which being so lively represented to the eye , made firmer impressions in the memory . lastly , they reclaimed many from vice and vanity ; for though a comedy be never so wanton , yet it ends with vertue , and the punishment of vice . . for a stately cathedral temple , and dome of devotion , the time was , that london did not yield to any city under the sun in this particular ; saint pauls church being esteemed by all nations , to be one of the eminentest , and visiblest temple , one of the most glorious piles of stones under heaven ; taking all the dimensions , together with the chearful conspicuous site thereof , being near the center of the city , and upon a rising ground ; being also founded upon faith's , by having a large church of that name truckling , as one may say , under her chancel ; add hereunto , what a comfortable object it was , to behold above twenty miles distance , round about , this goodly structure , raysing it self above the rest , and serving as it were for a crest to the whole city ; but now this famous fabrick , which was accounted the greatest glory of london , is become her greatest shame ; for many fortainers , ( who are none of those that place any inherent sanctity in senseless inanimat stones ) have bin overheard to say , that pauls church in that posture she now is , is the saddest sight , and most ruthful spectacle upon the surface of the whole earth ; nay , some have bin heard to say , that whereas a stable became once a temple in palestine , a temple among us hath bin made a stable ; nay , they went further , not sticking to say , that as christ was born in a stable , so antichrist is like to be born in a stable in england . the time was , that london was used to have a greater care of this temple , when a solemn act of the lord mayors , and common councel passed , which stands yet upon good record , to this effect , and stands still in force . forasmuch as the material temples of god were first ordained for the lawfull and devout assembly of people , there to lift their hearts , and lawd and prayse almighty god , and to hear his divine service , and his holy word , and gospel , sincerely said , sung , and taught , and not to be used as markets , and other prophane places , or thorow faires , by carriage of things : and for that of late years , many of the inhabitants of the city of london , and other people repairing thither , do commonly use , and accustom themselves very unseemly , and unreverently ( the more the pitty ) to make their common carriage of great vessels ●ll of ale and beere , great baskets full of bread , fish , flesh , and fruit , ●●d such other things , fardels of stuffe , and other grosse wares , and things , through the cathedrall church of saint pauls , and some in leading moyles , horses , and other beasts , through the same unreverently , to the great dishonour , and displeasure of almighty god , and the great grief also , and offence of all good people , be it therefore for remedy and reformation thereof , ●dained , enacted , and established , &c. that no person , either fi●e or forren , of what estate or condition soever , do at any time from henceforth , carry or convey , or cause to be carried , and conveyed through the said cathedrall , any manner of great vessel , or basket with bread , ale , beer , fish , flesh , or any other like thing or things , upon pain of forfeiture , or loosing , for every such his or their offence , three shillings four pence ; for the second , six shillings eight pence ; for the third , ten shillings ; and for every other offence , after such third time , to forfeit ten shillings , and to suffer two dayes and two nights imprisonment , without bayl or mainprize , the one moyety of all which pains and penalties , shall be to christs hospital within newgate , and the other half , to him that will sue for the same , in any court of record within the city , by bill , original complaint , or information , to be commenc'd , or sued in the name of the chamberlain of the said city for the time being , wherein no essoyne , or wager of law , for the defendant shall be admitted , or allowed , &c. such was the reverence , that london shewed her cathedral church , not long agoe , which may be said , to look now like the hulk of a great weather beaten ship , that had cross'd the line eight times , forward and backward , to the east indies , and lies rotting upon the carine : such is the condition of this stately church , which is like to be buried shortly in her own ruines , and so become a heap of rubbish ; and then how b●ld london will look , let them judge , who have taken a judicious prospect of her. moreover , there 's another reason , that may induce london to prevent this ; for if pauls were down , she forfeits the name of a city ; for all lawyers concur in this opinion , that there can be no city , without a cathedral church ; t' is but a village without one , or a town at most : therefore london hath great cause to wish , that those unlucky scismaticks had never bin born , who first brought pauls church to this pittiful passe ; for it may well be said , that all those casual fires which she suffered , ( whereof there were many ) did not do her as much mischief , as the faruous fires of some fanatical zelots have done ; as one said also of the house of peers , that the long parliament was more destructive unto it , then the powder-plot had bin , if it had taken effect . touching particular appropriated places for the service of god. we know there were such from the beginning . as soon as noah got footing on dry ground , he erected an altar , which was in liue of a church , the patriarks had theirs ; then from altars , they came to have arks , and ambulatory tabernacles ; and we read , what a conceit of holiness was carried towards them : then salomon , by instructions from heaven , did build a fix'd , and standing material temple ; and we well know , how highly our saviour himself was incensed against the money changers , and others , who prophan'd that place ; and what sharp reprehensions his apostle gave afterwards to those , who used to eat and drink in those places which were appointed for devotion . that hyper●● or room , where our saviour did please to celebrate the passe-over , and institute his last supper , may well be thought to have more sanctity in it , then an ordinary chamber , considering how many holy things were done there afterwards ; for our saviour appeared in that very place , twice after his resurrection ; the holy ghost came down in cloven tongues in that place . iames was created bishop of hierusalem , and seven deacons were elected in that place , which in regard of so many holy transactions , was enlarged , and made afterwards a goodly church , long before constantine : whosoever is versed with the primitive fathers , knowes well how often they speak of peculiar places , set apart to celebrate divine service ; as also of set times , and that the posture must be eastward ; among the primitive christians , those places were called by some , basilica ; by others , dominica , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence the german word kerk , was derived ; by others , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by some they were termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by others , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. all which were but synonyma's to churches , or holy oratories . one of the first fathers saith positively , that churches were in the apostles time . another saith , they continued from the apostles time , to constantine , with whom the roman empire came to be christian first . and in all the ten persecutions , which happened by intermissions , we may read , how that by the edicts of the emperors , the oratories or churches of the christians , were to be in some places burnt , in others , demolished . and in the last persecution under dioclesian , the history saith , that a great number of ancient edifices , and churches of the christians were destroyed ; and observable it is , that one of those primitive fathers , compares the churches on the shore , to safe harbors in the sea , which surely must be interpreted , to relate to the places , and not to the persons only . histories also speak plainly , how in the first and second century after christ , in the persecution that was in persia , many goodly oratories and churches of the christians were destroyed . by these short disquisitions into the ages of the world and history , it appears , that among the patriarks , there were holy places that had an analogy with churches , which continues among the iewes ever since : and touching christians , there were oratories , and appropriate sacred places , from the very infancy of the gospel , which served as a general rendezvouz to celebrate divine service all along from the apostles time , through the three centuries of the primitive church : therefore they must be possessed with a strange spirit of contradiction , and prophaness , who make no account of those peculiar houses , which pious devout souls have appropriated , rea'rd up , and dedicated to the sole service of almighty god , but hold all places promiscuous , and indifferently proper for that use . it may justly be doubted , whether such sordid poor narrow souls , who so malign the beauty , the holiness , and decencies of gods house here in the church militant , will ever be admitted to behold the glory of the church triumphant . and now , having presumed to speak so much of londons great temple ( than which there is not a more conspicuous object upon earth , except the mount olympus , which is said to bear up heaven ) ; and having with a true sense of sorrow set forth the sad condition thereof ; my prayers are , that it would please god to put it into the hearts , and move the spirits of those worthy patriots , who are now assembled to mend all breaches in the common-wealth , to propose some way for preserving this ancient great visible ornament from tumbling down : and there is a fair opportunity offered to this purpose ; for if those irregular new buildings be questioned ( whereof there are by computation , above a hundred thousand pop'd up within these forty years ) , it would , most humbly under favour , be very proper to employ part of the tax upon those houses , to repair gods house . . touching a noble bridge , and a navigable river , spoken of before , london is not inferior to any other city whatsoever : concerning the first , what a large rent hath it to preserve it self ? what a vast magazine of corn is there alwayes in the bridge-house , against a dearth ? what a number of officers , that look to the reparations thereof , are handsomly maintained thereby , and some of them persons of good quality ? touching the second , the river of thames hath not her fellow , if regard be had to the straightness and length of her course running from east to west , without many meanders , her convenient distance from the sea , to prevent surprizals , the chearfulness of the soyl on both sides , the wholsomness of her water , which makes the best beer in the world , & is transported by forrein nations for other uses ; the variety of her fish , the fatness of her mud ; if regard be had also to those forrests of masts , which are perpetually upon her , the variety of smaller woodden bottoms plying up and down , the stately palaces that are built on both sides of her banks so thick , which made divers forrein ambassadors affirm , that the most glorious sight in the world ( take water and land together ) was to come upon a high tide from gravesend , and shoot the bridge to westminster . . for number of humane souls , breathing in city and suburbs ; london may compare with any in europe , in point of populousness : the last cense that was made in paris , came under a million ; but in the year . king charles sending to the lord mayor , to make a scrutiny , what number of roman catholiques and strangers , there were in the city , he took occasion thereby , to make a cense of all the people ; and there were of men , women , and children , above seven hundred thousand that lived within the barres of his jurisdiction alone ; and this being one and twenty years passed , 't is thought , by all probable computation , that london hath more by the third part now , then she had then . now , for westminster , and petty france , the strand , bedford berry , st. martins lane , long acre , drury lane , st. giles of the field , high holborn , grayes inne lane , st. iones , and st. georges street , clarken well , the out-lets of red and whitecrosse-street , the out-lets beyond the barres of bishopsgate , aldersgate , and southwark barres , beyond the tower , &c. take all these places , with divers more , which are contiguous , and one entire peece with london her self , i say , take all these buildings together , there will be found by all probable conjecture , as many inhabitants at least , as were found before within that compass , where the point of the lord mayors sword reacheth , which may amount in all , to a million and a half of humane souls : now , one way to know the populousness of a great city is , to observe the bills of mortality , and nativities every week . i think , there is no such custom in paris ; but for amsterdam , which is a very populous mercantile place , the ordinary number there , of those that go weekly out of the world , is but fifty , or thereabouts , and about so many come into the world every week ; but in london , the common weekly bills come to near upon . that come in , and about so many that go out of the world , though the last years general bill made twice as many to go out , as came in ; for it gives account of fourteen thousand and odd that dyed , and but seven thousand christened ; but this may be imputed ( the more 's the pitty ) to the confusion of sectaries , which swarm since the long parliament , as anabaptists , and others who use not to christen their children , a sad story to tell , so that there were many thousands born , which were not baptized , and whereof the bill speaks not . touching the form and shape of london , it may be aptly compared to a lawrel leaf , which is far more long then broad ; and were london round , as paris and other cities are , she would appear more populous , by a more often encounter of the passengers . concerning the length of london , take all buildings that are contiguous one to another from east to west , from the utmost point of westminster , to the utmost point beyond the tower , she may be well thought to be near upon five italian miles in longitude , and about half so much in latitude , and in circuit , above twelve miles . 't is true , that the suburbs of london are larger then the body of the city , which make some compare her to a iesuites hat , whose brims are far larger then the block , which made count gondamar the spanish ambassador to say , as the queen of spain was discoursing with him , upon his return from england , of the city of london . madam , i believe there will be no city left shortly ; for all will run out at the gates to the suburbs ; and for the men , i think they are gone by this time into the country , for i left them all booted and spur'd when i came away . but touching the amplitude , and largeness of london , whereas charles the emperor , to put a complement upon paris , said , that she might be called a province , rather then a city , this term may better befit london , who is a county of her self . . from proportions and quantity , we will now go to the quality of the persons she hath produced from time to time : whereof there have been great numbers of most gallant and generous , most wealthy and worthy , most eminent and munificent brave men , who had souls as large as their substance , i mean such that received , either their first being , or well being from her. charles the quint was used to glory , that he was a citizen of ghent , having bin born there . henry the great , in answer to a letter of the king of spains , wherein he had enumerated above a score of soveraign titles , stiled himself only henry , roy de france , & bourgeois de paris . henry king of france , and burgesse of paris . but london hath greater cause to glory in this point , for constantine , the first christian emperor , a britain born , was her child . and a foul mistake it was in him , who writ the book of martyrs , when in his epistle dedicatory he saith , that constantine was the son of helena , an english woman , ( being pure british ) ; for the name of english was not then in the world , nor did the saxons , whence the english are derived , take footing in great britain , but a long time after . maud the empress was also a londoner born , with divers other great kings and princes . thomas becket , a man very famous in all the catholick countries , and held one of the highest saints , was born in london ; he was first one of the sheriffs clarks , then he was parson of st. mary hil● then he went to bologna in italy , to study the law ; and at his return , he was made chancellor of england , and arch bishop of canterbury . innumerable other great clarks , and eminent bishops , were born in london ; and of late times , bishop lancelot andrews , who for his vast stock of learning , might be called , the universal bishop . there are now living , two great luminaries of the church , doctor wren , and doctor warner , born both in london , the one bishop of ely , the other bishop of rochester , a person of most acute intellectuals , and of rare excellent knowledge . fabian the famous chronologer was sheriff of london , and born there ; what a number of most munificent benefactors hath london had among her own natives , besides those whom she bred ; what a noble useful structure is leaden-hall , built at the sole charge of sir simon eyre draper , and lord mayor of london ? what a worthy foundation is st. iohns colledge in oxford , built by sir thomas white , lord mayor of london , who was benefactor also to bristoll , reading , and above twenty towns besides ? what a bountiful benefactor was mr. william lambe , free of the company of clothworkers ? what a world of charitable deeds , did he do in town and countrey ? what a noble soul had sir thomas gresham mercer , and marchant , who built the royal exchange , gresham colledge , with another great countrey palace in middlesex ; what a notable benefactor , was mr. thomas howel , bred in his youth in spain , and afterwards in london , who was one of the greatest benefactors of the company of drapers , and , besides many other large acts of charity , he hath left such means to drapers hall , that if any mayden can derive her self from the right linage of howel in wales , the said hall is to give her l. towards her portion ; and this to continue for ever ; what a free large soul had mr. william iones , marchant , and free of the haberdashers , who in monmouth , the countrey where he was born , did build a fair free school , with very large allowance to the masters ; he was benefactor also to hamborough , stoad , and divers other places at home and abroad . to these two britains , we will add a third , which is sir hugh middleton , goldsmith ; what a hazardous , expenceful mighty work , did he perform , in bringing ware-river to run through the streets of london ? what an infinite universal benefit doth accrue thereby , to the whole city and suburbs ? how often did this great design take heat and cold , what faintings and fears , what oppositions did it break through , before it was perfectly finished ? what a large noble soul had sir baptist hicks , lord vicount campden ? what a number of worthy things did he in his life , and at his death , both for the advancement of religion and iustice ? at campden , in the county of glocester , he repaired , and adorned god almighties house , and reard another for the poor , before he built any for himself ; he founded also there , a very commodious market-house , and having done many things more for the publick good in that place , he erected afterwards , a stately palace for his posterity , though the hard fate of the times , and the fury of the warre hath half destroyed it : he was also a great benefactor to the churches , and the poor of hamsted , and kensinton , to st. bartholomewes , and christ-church hospitals in london , to all the prisons ; as also to st. laurence church in the old iury : he purchased divers impropriations , and bestowed them upon the church in divers counties ; he was at the charge of erecting a convenient session-house , for the justices of middlesex to meet , in the middest of st. iohn's street , which is called hicks hall , and will so be called to all posterity . all these great lights he carried before him , and at his death he gave a world of legacies , and divers pensions to pious ministers and others , and bequeathed a great sum to be distributed among all his servants . to speak of all those noble londoners , who have done glorious things , both for church and state , in point of piety , stately structures of divers natures , for the publick good , and deeds of charity , would make a large volume of it self . i will conclude for the present , with a late worthy man , one mr. iohn walter , who was clark of drapers hall , who , having resolved with himself , when he had attained a competent subsistence for himself and his children , to employ the rest every year , for charitable uses , which he did constantly for many years : he built two hospitals near london , and it was a great while before the founder of them was known . he used to send a proportion of bread to be distributed among the poor , to divers churches ; and it was not known , who sent it , till he was dead , and that he was missing . it is thought by a computation that was made , that he had employed above ten thousand pounds to charitable uses of all sorts , private and publick , and he was so free from vain-glory , that his greatest care was to do them in such a manner , that his left hand should not know what his right hand did ; and in his study after his death , there was a bag of l. in gold , with a label in paper upon it , this is none of mine , but the poor's . lastly , for prerogatives , enfranchisements , immunities , charters , and liberties , for hospitality , and plentiful treatments ; as also for antiquity , the city of london comes not in the arrears to any . touching the last , 't is true , there are some cities in the east , that have the start of her in point of time , yet london was built years before rome , which is a fair age. touching the second , some call london , a lick-peny , ( as paris is called by some , a pick-purse ) because of feastings , with other occasions of expence and allurements , which cause so many unthrifts among countrey gentlemen , and others , who flock into her , in such excessive multitudes ; but this must be imputed not to the place , but to the persons ; for one may live in london as frugally , if he hath wit to make use of it , as in any other city whatsoever . t' is true , that the prizes of all things use to be enhanc'd by confluences , and swarms of people , which a judicious forreiner observing in london , said , that she bore no proportion with the iland , but might serve a kingdom thrice as big , and that england may be rather said , to be in london , then london in england , which made some compare her to the spleen , whose over-swelling , make the rest of the body languish ; but it might be answered , that london is rather like the stomack , which digests the wealth of the land , and after a good concoction , disperseth it again in wholsom nutriment to all parts . touching the third , viz. freedom and immunities , there 's no city hath more . in the raign of richard the second , it was enacted , that the citizens of london were to enjoy their priviledges , and franchises , licet usi non fuerint , vel abusi fuerint , whether they were not us'd or abus'd , notwithstanding any statute to the contrary , as the lord coke hath it in his institutes . in the lawes of the land , london is called sometimes camera regis , reipublicae cor , & totius regni epitome , the kings chamber , the heart of the common-wealth , and compendium of the whole kingdom ; sometimes she is called caput regum & legum , the head of kings , and of lawes ; nay , some of the roman emperors in their edicts , called her augusta , which is a name alwayes of magnificence and state. and now will i take leave of the noble augusta , or city of london , concluding with this hearty wish , couch'd in these two hexameters , and relating to her proportion , or shape , which is a laurel leaf , as formerly was said . londinum lauri folio non impare formâ , flore at urbs , sicut laurus , semperque virescat : london is like a laurel leaf , may she , be verdant still , and flourish like the tree . finis . an index pointing at the chief passage throughout the whole book . a. fol. augusta , a name given by the roman emperors to london . . appellations which forrain authors give of london . . of algate . . of amwel river brought to london , . the lord ailwine first alderman in england , anno . . of the authority and state of the lord mayor of london . . his attendants and officers , with divers prerogatives . . of the ancient court of the hustings . . austin the monk , the englishmens apostle . . the arms of all the companies and corporations of london blazon'd . . the antiquity of all the companies of london . . of allhallowes barking . . of algate ward . . of st. andrew undershaft . . of augustine fryers . . st. albanes , a very ancient church in london . . of aldersgate ward . . of the ancient great monuments in christs church . . the antiquities of southwark . . an alderman alotted to every ward . . the abbey of westminster , ● the greatest sanctuary . . of the court of admiralty . . a contest 'twixt the court of admiralty , and westminster hall. . of amsterdam . . of auspurg . . b. fol. the britains concreated with this iland . . the british etymologies of london . . the britains were first founders and god-fathers of london . . of bainards castle . . of the chief banner-bearer of the city of london . . the black fryers built of the ruines of the tower of monsiquet . . bishops have bin good friends to london . . of barking church . . the bayliff of rumford strangely executed . . the common burse at first in lombard-street . of bishopsgate ward . of bethlem , now called bedlam , and the notable deed of gift that was made thereof . of broad-street ward . of billingsgate ward . of billingsgate some things remarkable . of the bridge-ward within . of backles-berry . of basings-hall ward . of backwell-hall . the history of the black-fryers . of breadstreet ward . of bridewell . of st. brides . of the bridge-house . a british prophecy , lately verified . bishop of chesters inne . of bedford , york , salisbury , worcester-house , with others . of bedford berry . of babylon , c. fol , cornelius tacitus lived seven years in britain . the epist. the character which tacitus gives of london . constantine the great , first builder of london walls . contests 'twixt the lord admiral , and lord mayor about the thames . the conservancy of the thames , belongs de jure to the lord mayor . the character of london bridg in latine and english verse a city compared to a ship. of the several courts belonging to the city of london . ceremonies used in the election of the lord mayor and the sheriffs . the clashes 'twixt the city of london , and divers kings . no city without a cathedral church , and a bishops see. of the several companies and corporations belonging to the city of london . corporations prejudicial to monarchy . the custom-house key called in former times , petty wales . of the crouched fryers . of cornhill-ward . of candlewick-ward . the charter of the styliard . of cordwainers-ward . of cheap-ward . of the great crosse in cheap . of colemanstreet-ward . of cripplegate-ward . of the chappel of jesus , hard by pauls . the counter removed from bread-street , to vvood-street . of castle-baynard-ward . a clash 'twixt the lord mayor and the lawyers . d. of diana's chamber hard by pauls . a description of pauls . the duty of the lord mayor to conserve the thames . divers small bridges in former times in london . of drapers-hall . of dowgate-ward . dowgate-ward hath many things considerable . of the dance of death , painted at pauls . the difference 'twixt southark and london , in point of government . of the dutchy of lancaster and savoy , with the liberties thereof . of dorham-house . e. the english converted to christianity by the britains . the emperor charles lodged in the black-fryers . of the elms , the place of common execution in times passed . edward the consessors charter to vvestminster . of the exchequer court. of the court of equity , or chancery . an encomium of the civil law. of the city of florence . an extravagant saying of a french baron . in the epist. of the eminent citizens of london . f. the foundation and first rise of the city of london . fitstephen reports of london . of the fresh water rivers that were in london . . a factious saying of the lord mayors to king james . fearful fires on london-bridg . of the four inns of court. of the present factions in london . of fishers folly hard by bishops-gate . of fenchurch . of the fishmongers company . of faringdon intra ward . of faringdon ward extra . of bartholomew-fair , of fewter or fetter-lane . g. of the gates of london . of the great famous river of thames . of grayes inne . of gr●tham colledge . the government of london . of knighten guild . of grasse-street , vulgarly called gracious-street . of grocers-hall . of the guild-hall . of st. giles by cripplegate . of golding-lane . ibid. the history of the gray fryers , by newgate market . of the great wardrobe . of st. giles of the field . of the gran cayro . of genoa . a guesse at the number of humane souls breathing in london . of the general trade of london . of the gravity , and state of the lord mayor , and the aldermen . h. of sir hugh middleton , and ware river . the history of london bridge , from its beginning . the history of the great tower of london . the history of the saxons , or englishmen . of the hustings court. of the holy trinity by algate , a famous priory , with the great prerogatives thereof . of st. helens church , sometimes a nunnery . of the haunce of almain , or the styliard . henry the eighth came in habit of a yeoman to see the watch. the history of cheap-side-crosse . the history of the guild hall. the history of the jews in england . the history of moorfields . the history of sion colledg . the history of pauls church . of houndsditch . of hamburg and the hans towns. fol. of the inns of court. iusts and tournments in former times upon london-bridg . of the inns of chancery . julius caesar only a discoverer of great britain , 〈◊〉 claudius caesar the conqueror . the ill may-day . of jack straw . the jews banish'd out of england . where the jews had their synagogue in london . jews murthered by the londoners . of the jew that fell into a iakes at tewksbury . of james the fourth , king of scots . of st. james hospital , or the charter-house . of st. james's house and park . l. fol. of london-stone . of ludgate . london bridg hath two many eyes . london much beholden to her bishops . london like a hive of bees . london a lick-peny . of lumley-house . of limestreet ward . of leaden-hall , and the foundation thereof . a laudable custom at st. mary spittle , for rehearsal of sermons . of loseworth or spittle-field , and strange monuments that were found there . of langborn ward of lombard-street . of lothberry . of lollards tower. of lincolns inne . the length of london . the latitude of london . m. fol. the method of the work . of moorgate . the lord mayors of london had divers appellations . of the lord mayor , and manner of his election . of mart-lane , and minchinlane . of the minories . of st. mary spittle . of marchantaylors-hall . of st. michael in corn-hill . . of mercers chappel . of melitus bishop of london . of the ancient monuments in pauls church . of the monuments in the temple church . of the marshalsey . the chief monuments of westminster . of the mewse . n. fol. a notable saying of count gundamar , touching the iesuites . of northumberland-house . a new monument of a porter in cheape-side . of newgate , and the market thereof . of the new market in st. clements field . of the city of naples . o. fol. otia imperialia , an ancient book of gervase of tilberry . of the officers attending the lord mayor of london . of the old jury . of the old exchange . of old fishstreet-hill . of the heralds office. of old burn , or holburn . of the old baylie . of the clink . of st. mary overy . of st. olaves . p. the proeme . the parallel . of the posterns about london . of pauls church . pauls church built partly at first , and now destroyed , by the sins of the people . the passage of the thames from her first spring . the pittiful speech of queen jane when beheaded . divers priviledges given to the lord mayor of london . provost marshal given the city by queen elizabeth . the prior of the holy trinity at aldgate , once a great man in the government of the city of london . paris a pick-purse . of portsoken-ward . the famous priory of the holy trinity , built by queen matilda . the prior of the holy trinity , alwayes an alderman of london . of pawlet , or winchester house in broad-street . of st. peter upon corn-hill , and of the ancient table that hangs there . of the priory of st. bartholomew . of the priviledges of london . the popes-head-tavern a kings palace in times passed . of the priviledges of the styliard . pauls steeple and church-fired . parliament kept in black fryers . of puddle-wharf . a purchase made of much lands in southwark by the city , of edward the sixth . of the prisons in southwark . of the high court of parliament . of the common pleas. of palermo . of paris . q. of queen hith . of the pious queen matilda . of the most pious queen eleanor . of the city of quinzay , call'd the celestial city . r. restitutus bishop of london , s●te at the councel of arles , in constantines time . of the royal exchange , and the name given unto it by queen elizabeth , with the ceremonyes us'd . of robert fabian the chronicler . of the rolls and six clerks office . of rome . rome eight times sack'd . of the city of roven . s. of the publick schools in london . of the sheriffs of london , and their election . the several courts belonging to the city of london . of the spiritual government of london . of sydon lane , vulgarly sithinglane . of the shaft of st. andrew . a strange accident happened in st. michaels church in corn-hill . a strange tomb found in st. mary hill church . of the stock , and salt fishmongers , and their antiquity . of the stocks . of the steelyard , or guilda aula teutonicorum . of sweet wines . of the standard in cheap . a shank-bone and tooth of a marvellous bigness in st. laurence church . of sion colledge . of st. martin le grand , and the great priviledges it had . of smithfield . of southwark ward . of the stew-houses allowed in times pass'd . of the suburbs of london . of suttons hospital . the strange iudgements fallen upon the duke of somerset for sacriledge . of the savoy . of the shape of london . t. of the tower of london . of the lyon tower. ibid. the tower of london delivered to lewis of france . the on the britain , first bishop of london . of tower-street ward . the prerogatives of the tower. of the tun , a prison in cornhill in times passed , now a conduit . of the tower royal. the tragical end of william fitzosbert . great tryumph in smithfield in times pass'd . the templer knight arraigned in london . twenty particulars , wherein the city of london may compare with any other city . v of the vintry ward . the vintners of old , called marchant-vintners of gascogne . the lady venetia stanley , hath a fair monument in christ-church . of the upper bench court. of venice . of vienna . w. william the conquerors charter to the city of london . the wardmore-inquest a wholsome constitution . of the six and twenty several wards of london . westminster first called thorney . of wat tylar . of sir william walworth , and the manner of his knighting . of wallbrook ward . whittington four times lord mayor , and thrice buried . the weavers ancient charter . of watling-street . of winchester-house . of wapping . westminster and london compared . of westminster-abbey , with the history thereof . of white-hall . a witty speech of henry the th of france . a witty saying of charles the emperor . in epist. of the wardmote l●quest . a witty passage of henry the great , of france . a witty saying of count gandamar of london . a catalogue of mr. howels works , in several volumes . printed by mr. humphrey mosely . . mr. howels history of lewis the thirteenth , king of france , with the life of his cardinal de richelieu . fol. . mr. howels epistolae hoelianae , familiar letters , domestick and forreign , in six sections , partly historical , political , philosaphical , the first volume with additions , octavo . . mr. howels new volume of familiar letters , partly historical , political , philosophical ; the second volume with many additions , octavo . . mr. howels third volume of additional letters , of a fresher date , never before published , octavo . . mr. howels dodona's grove , or the vocall forrest , in folio ; together , with the second part in folio , never printed before . . mr. howels englands teares , for the present warres . . mr. howels pre-eminence and pedigree of parliament , in duodecimo in an answer to mr. pryn. . mr. howels instructions and directions for forrain travels , in twelves , with divers additions for travelling into turky , and the levant parts . . mr. howels votes , or a poem-royal , presented to his majesty , in quarto . . mr. howels angliae suspiria , and lachrymae in twelves , tumulus thalamus , two counter-poems ; the first an elegy upon edward earl of dorset ; the second , an epithalamium to the lord m. of dorchester . parallels reflecting on the times . a german dyet , or the ballance of europe , wherein the power and weakness , glory and reproach , vertues and vices , plenty and wants , advantages and defects , antiquity and modernness , of all the kingdoms and states of christendom , are impartially poiz'd , by iames howel esq fol. parthenopoeta , or the history of the most noble and renowned kingdom of naples , with the lists of all their kings ; the first part translated out of the italian , by mr. samson lennard ; the second part continued to the present times , . by iames howel esq more of mr. howels works , printed by other men . the great french dictionary refined and augmented , in a large folio . a survey of the signiory of venice , in folio . a dialogue 'twixt the soul and the body . the first part of the late revolutions in naples . the second part of the said revolutions . the warre of the jews epitomiz'd . sir robert cottons works , which he was desired to publish . saint pauls progresse upon earth . some sober inspections made into the cariage and consults of the late long parliament . a venetian looking-glasse . a winter dream . the trance , or mercurius acheronticus . a dialogue 'twixt patricius and peregrin . an inquisition after blood . the instruments of a king. the late kings declaration in latine , french , and english. bella scoto anglica , or the travers●s of warr , 'twixt england and scotland . mercurius hibernicus . the process and pleadings in the court of spain , for the death of mr. ascham , in folio . londinopolis , or a new prospect of the city of london and westminster . three of all which books are translations , the rest his own compositions . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * the prime bridge in venice . mercurius hibernicus, or, a discourse of the late insurrection in ireland displaying ( ) the true causes of it ..., ( ) the course that was taken to suppresse it, ( ) the reasons that drew on a cessation of arms, and other compliances since : as also, touching those auxiliaries which are transported thence to serve in the present warre. howell, james, ?- . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing h ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or :e , no ) mercurius hibernicus, or, a discourse of the late insurrection in ireland displaying ( ) the true causes of it ..., ( ) the course that was taken to suppresse it, ( ) the reasons that drew on a cessation of arms, and other compliances since : as also, touching those auxiliaries which are transported thence to serve in the present warre. howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. [s.n.], printed at bristoll : . written by j. howell. cf. halkett & laing ( nd ed.) dedication signed: philerenus [i.e., james howell]. different ed. of mercurius hibernicus, or, a discourse of the late insurrection in ireland on reel : . reproduction of original in huntington library, and thomason collection, british library. eng ireland -- history -- rebellion of . a r (wing h ). civilwar no mercurius hibernicus: or, a discourse of the late insurrection in ireland, displaying, . the true causes of it (till now not so fully disco howell, james c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion mercurius hibernicus : or , a discourse of the late insurrection in ireland , displaying , . the true causes of it ( till now not so fully discovered . ) . the course that was taken to suppresse it . . the reasons that drew on a cessation of arms , and other compliances since . as also touching those auxiliaries which are transported thence to serve in the present warre . — patremque mercurium blandae quis negat esse lyrae . printed at bristoll , . mercurius hibernicus , his advertisement to the wel-temperd reader . there is a mongrell race of mercuries lately sprung up , but i claime no acquaintance with them , much lesse any kinred . they have commonly but one weeks time for their conception and birth ; and then are they but like those ephemeran creatures , which pliny speakes of , that are borne in the morning , grow up till noon , and perish the same night : i hope to be longer liv'd then so , because i was longer a getting , there was more time and matter went to my generation . there is a tale how the true mercury indeed , descended once in a disguise , to see how he was esteem'd on earth ; and entring one day into a painters shop , he found there divers pictures of apollo , jupiter , mars , with others , and spying his owne hanging in a corner hard by he asked what the price of that pourtrait might be , the painter answered , that if he bought any of the rest , he would give him that into the bargaine for nothing : mercury hereupon shaking his white caducean , flung out in indignation , and flew up to heaven . should mercury chance to descend now from his spheare ▪ i think he would be much more offended to find himself personated by every petty impertinent pamphleter ; yet i beleeve he would not take it ill that aulicus assumes his shape , nor that the harp , who owes her first invention to him , should be made now his crest . to my honourable friend master e. p. sir , if you please to cast your eyes upon the following discourse , i beleeve it will afford you some satisfaction , and enlighten you more in the irish affaires . the alleagiance i owe to truth , was the midwife that brought it forth , and i make bold to make choyce of you for my gossip , because i am your true servant philerenus . mercurius hibernicus . there is not any thing since these wars begun , whereof there hath been more advantage made , to traduce and blemish his majesties actions , to alienate and imbitter the affections of his people , to incite them to armes , and enharden them in the quarrell , than of the irish affaires ; whether one cast his eyes upon the beginning and procedure of that warre ( which some by a most mōstrous impudence would patronize upon their majesties ) or upon the late cessation , and the transport of auxiliaries since from thence . there are some that in broken peeces have written of all three , but not in one entire discourse , as this is : nor hath any hitherto hit upon those reasons and inferences that shall be displayed herein . but he who adventures to judge of affaires of state , specially of traverses of warre , as of pacifications , of truces , suspensions of armes , parlies , and such like , must well observe the quality of the times , the successe and circumstance of matters past , the posture and pressure of things present ( and upon the place ) the inducement or enforcement of causes , the gaining of time , the necessity of preventing greater mischiefes ( whereunto true policy prometheus like hath alwayes an eye ) with other advantages . the late cessation of armes in ireland was an affaire of this nature ; a true act of state , and of as high a consequence as could be : which cessation is now become the common subject of every mans discourse , or rather the discourse of every common subject all the three kingdomes over : and not onely the subject of their discourse , but of their censure also ; nor of their censure onely , but of their reproach and obloquy . for the world is come now to that passe , that the foot must judge the head , the very cobler must pry into the cabinet counsels of his king ; nay , the distaffe is ready ever and anon to arraigne the scepter ; spinstresses are become states-women , and every peasan turned politician ; such a fond irregular humour reignes generally of late yeeres amongst the english nation . now the designe of this small discourse , though the subject require a farre greater volume , is , to vindicate his majesties most pious intentions in condescending to this late suspension of arms in his kingdome of ireland ; and to make it appeare to any rationall ingenious capacity , ( not pre-occupied or purblinded with passion ) that there was more of honour and necessity , more of prudence and piety in the said cessation , than there was either in the pacification or peace that was made with the scot . but to proceed herein the more methodically , i will lay downe , first , the reall and true radicall causes of the late two-yeers irish insurrection . secondly , the course his majesty used to suppresse it . lastly , those indispensable impulsive reasons and invincible necessity which enforced his majesty to condescend to a cessation . touching the grounds of the said insurrection , we may remember when his majesty out of a pious designe ( as his late majesty also had ) to settle an uniformity of serving god in all his three kingdomes , sent our liturgie to his subjects of scotland ; some of that nation made such an advantage hereof , that though it was a thing onely recommended , not commanded or pressed upon them , and so cald in suddenly againe by a most gracious proclamation , accompanied with a generall pardon : yet they would not rest there , but they would take the opportunity hereby to demolish bishops , and the whole hierarchy of the church ( which was no grievance at all till then ) to which end , they put themselves in actuall arms , and obtained at last what they listed ; which they had not dared to have done , had they not been sure to have as good friends in england as they had in scotland ( as lesley himselfe confessed to sir william berkley at newcastle ) for some of the chiefest inconformists here , had not onely intelligence with them , but had been of their cabinet-counsels in moulding the plot : though some would east this war upon the french cardinall , to vindicate the invasiō we made upon his masters dominions in the iste of rets ; as also for some advātage the english use to do the spaniard in transporting his treasure to dunkerk , with other offices . others would cast it upō the jesuit , that he should project it first , to force his majesty to have recourse to his roman catholick subjects for ayd , that so they might , by such supererogatory service ingratiate thēselves the more into his favour . the irish hearing how well their next neighbours had sped by way of arms , it filled them full of thoughts & apprehensiōs of feare & jealousie , that the scot would prove more powerfull hereby , and consequently more able to do them hurt , and to attempt wayes to restrain them of that connivency , which they were allowed in poynt of religion : now there is no nation upon earth that the irish hate in that perfectiō , & with a greater antipathy , than the scot , or from whom they conceive greater danger : for whereas they have an old prophesie amongst them , which one shall heare up and downe in every mouth , that the day will come when the irish shall weep upon english mens graves , they feare that this prophesie will be verified and fulfilled in the scot , above any other nation . moreover , the irish entred into consideration , that they also had sundry grievances and grounds of complaint , both touching their estates and consciences , which they pretended to be farre greater than those of the scots . for they fell to think , that if the scot was suffered to introduce a new religion , it was reason they should not be so pinched in the exercise of their old , which they glory never to have altered . and for temporall matters ( wherein the scot had no grievance at all to speak of ) the new plantations which had been lately afoot , to be made in conaught and other places ; the concealed lands and defective titles which were daily found out ; the new customes which were imposed , and the incapacity they had to any preferment or office in church and state ( with o●her things ) they cōceived these to be grievances of a farre greater nature , and that deserved redresse much more than any the scot had . to this end , they sent over commissioners to attend this parliament in england , with certaine propositions , but those commissioners were dismissed hence with a short and unsavoury answer , which bred worse blood in the nation than was formerly gathered ; and this , with that leading case of the scot , may be said to be the first incitements that made them rise . in the course of humane actions , we daily find it to be a true rule , exempla movent , examples move , and make strong impressions upon the fancy ; precepts are not so powerfull as precedents . the said example of scotland , wrought wonderfully upon the imagination of the irish , and filled them ( as i touched before ) with thoughts of emulation , that they deserved altogether to have as good usage as the scot , their country being farre more beneficiall , and consequently , more importing the english nation . but these were but confused imperfect notions , which began to receive more vigour and forme after the death of the earle of strafford , who had kept them under so exact an obedience , though some censure him to have screwed up the strings of the harp too high ; insomuch that the taking off of the earl of straffords head , may be said to be the second incitement to the heads of that insurrection to stirre . adde hereunto , that the irish understanding with what acrimony the roman catholicks in england were proceeded against since the sitting of our parliament , and what further designes were afoot against them , and not onely against them , but for ranversing the protestant religion it selfe , as it is now practised ( which some shallow-braind scismaticks doe throw into the same scales with popery . ) they thought it was high time for them to forecast what should become of them , & how they should be handled in poynt of conscience , when a new deputy of the parliaments election ( approbation at least ) should come over . therefore they fell to consult of some meanes of timely prevention : and this was another motive ( and it was a shrewd one ) which pusht on the irish to take up armes . lastly , that army of . men , which the earle of strafford had raised to be transported to england for suppressing the scot , being by the advice of our parliament here , disbanded ; the country was annoyed by some of those stragling souldiers , as not one in twenty of the irish , will from the sword to the spade , or from the pike to the plough againe . therefore the two marquesses that were ambassadours here , then for spaine , having propounded to have some numbers of those disbanded forces , for the service of their master ; his majesty by the mature advice of his privy counsell , to occurre the mischiefs that might arise to his kingdom of ireland by those loose casheered souldiers , yeelded to the ambassadours motion , who sent notice here of to spaine accordingly , and so provided shipping for their transport , and impressed mony to advance the businesse ; but as they were in the heat of that work , his majesty being then in scotland , there was a suddē stop made of those promised troops , who had depended long upon the spaniards service , as the spaniard had done on theirs . and this was the last , though not the least fatall cause of that horrid insurrection : all which particulars well considered , it had been no hard matter to have been a prophet , and standing upon the top of holy-head , to have foreseen those black clouds engendring in the irish aire , which broke out afterwards into such fearfull tempests of blood . out of these premises , it is easie for any common understanding , not transported with passion and private interest , to draw this conclusion . that they who complied with the scot in his insurrection ; they who dismissed the irish commissioners with such a short unpolitick answer , they who took off the earle of straffords head , and delayed afterwards the dispatching of the earle of leicester ; they who hindered those disbanded troops in ireland to goe for spaine , may be justly said to have bin the true causes of the late insurrection of the irish ; and consequently , it is easie to know upon the account of whose soules must be laid the blood of those hundred and odde thousands poore christians , who perished in that war ; so that had it been possible to have brought over their bodies unputrified to england , and to have cast them at the doores , and in the presence of some men i beleeve they would have gushed out afresh into blood , for discovery of the true murtherers . the grounds of this insurrection being thus discovered , let us examine what meanes his majesty used for the suppression of it . he made his addresse presently to his great counsell , the english parliament then assembled , which queen elizabeth and her progenitors did seldome use to doe , but onely to their privy counsell in such cases , who had the discussing and transacting of all forreigne affaires ; for in mannaging matters of state , specially those of war , which must be carried with all the secrecy that may be , trop grand nombre , est encombre , as the frenchman saith , too great a number of counsellours may be an incumber , and expose their results and resolutions to discovery and other disadvantages , whereas in military proceedings the work should be afoot before the counsels be blazed abroad . well , his majesty transmitted this businesse to the parliament of england , who totally undertaking it , and wedding as it were the quarrell ( as i remember they did that of the palatinate a little before by solemne vote ; the like was done by the parliament of scotland also , by a publike joynt declaration , which in regard there came nothing of it , tended little to the honour of either nation abroad ) his majesty gave his royall assent to any propositions or acts for raising of men , mony and armes to performe the work . but hereby no man is so simple as to think his majesty should absolutely give over his own personall care and protection of that his kingdome , it being a rule , that a king can no more desert the protection of his owne people , then they their subjection to him . in all his declarations there was nothing that he endeard and inculcated more often , and with greater aggravation and earnestnesse unto them , then the care of his poore subjects their fellow-protestants in ireland : nay , he resented their condition so f●rre , and took the businesse so to heart , that he offered to passe over in person for their reliefe : and who can deny but this was a magnanimous and king-like resolution ? which the scots by publike act of counsell , did highly approve of , and declared it to be an argument of care and courage in his majesty . and questionlesse it had done infinite good in the opinion of them that have felt the pulse of the irish people , who are daily ore-heard to groan , how they have bin any time these . yeeres under the english . crowne , and yet never saw but two of their kings all the while upō irish ground , though there be but a salt ditch of a few hours sail to passe over . and much more welcome should his majesty , now regnant , be amongst them , who , by generall tradition , they confesse and hold to come on the paternall side from fergus ( by legall and lineall descent ) who was an irish prince , and after king of scotland , whereas the title of all our former kings and queens was stumbled at alwayes by the vulger . his majesty finding that this royall proffer of engaging his owne person , was rejected with a kind of scorn , coucht in smooth language , though the m●ine businesse concerned himselfe neerest , and indeed solely himselfe , that kingdome being his owne hereditary right . understanding also , what base sinister use there was made of this insurrection by some trayterous malevolent persons , who , to cast aspersions upon his majesty , and to poyson the hearts of his people , besides publike infamous reports , counterfeited certaine commissions in his majesties name to authorize the businesse , as if he were privy to it , though i dare pawn my soul his ( or her majesty ) knew no more of it then the great mogor did . finding also that the commissioners imployed hence for the managing and composing matters in that kingdome , though nominated by the parliament , and by their recommendation authorized by his majesty , did not observe their instructions , and yet were connived at . understanding also , what an inhumane designe there was between them and the scot , in lieu of suppressing an insurrection to eradicat and extinguish a whole nation to make booty of their l●nds , ( which hopes the london adventurers did hugge , and began to divide the beares skin before he was taken , as his majesty told them ) an attempt the spaniard not any other christian state ever intended against the worst of savages ; the conceit whereof infused such a desperate courage , eagernesse and valour into the irish , that it made them turn necessity into a kind of vertue . moreover , his majesty taking notice that those royall subsidies , with other vast contributions whereunto he had given way , with the sums of particular adventurers ( amongst whom some aliens ( hollanders ) were taken in , besides the scot , to share the country ) were misapplyed , being visibly imployed , rather to feed and english rebelliō then to suppresse an irish : nay , understanding that those charitable collections which were made for the reliefe of those distressed protestants , who being stripped of all their livelihood in ireland , were forced to fly over to england , were converted to other uses , and the charity not dispensed according to the givers intention . hearing also that those . men which had been levyed and assigned to goe under the lord wharton , the lord of kerry , sir faithfull fortescue and others were diverted from going to the west of ireland , and imployed to make up the earl of essex army : and having notice besides that the earl of warwicke had stayd certaine ships going thither with supplies , and that there was an attempt to send for over to england some of those scottish forces which were in vlster , without his privity . lastly , his majesty finding himself unfitted , and indeed disabled to reach those his distressed subjects , his owne royall arme ▪ all his navall strength , revenues and magazines being out of his hands ; and having as hard a game to play still with the scot , and as pernicious a fire to quench in england , as any of his progenitors ever had : receiving intelligence also daily from his protestant nobility and gentry thence , in what a desperate case the whole kingdome stood , together with the report of the committee that attended his majesty from them expresly for that service , who amongst other deplorable passages in their petition , represented , that all means by which comfort and life should be conveyed unto that gasping kingdome , seemed to be totally obstructed , and that unlesse timely reliefe were afforded , his loyall subjects there must yeeld their fortunes for a prey , their lives for a sacrifice , and their religion for a scorne to the mercilesse rebels . his majesty ( as it was high time for him ) taking into his princely thoughts those wofull complaints and cryes of his poore subjects , condescended at last to appoint some persons of honour to heare what the irish could say for themselves , as they had often petitioned ; and god forbid but the king of ireland should receive his subjects petitions , as well as the king of scotland . but his majesty being unsatisfied with what they propounded then , the lord marquesse of ormond marched with cōsiderable forces against them , and though he came off with honour , yet no reliefe at all cōming thither for many moneths after from the parliament here , who had undertaken the businesse , and had received all the summes and subsidies , with other unknown contributions to that end , matters grew daily worse and worse . to sum up all , his majesty receiving expresse and positive advice from his lord justices and counsell of state there , that the whole kingdome was upon poynt of utter perdition , which was co-intimated the same time to the parliament here , by a speciall letter to the speaker ; i say his majesty finding that he had neither power of himselfe , it being transmitted to others ; and that those trustees did misapply that power and trust he had invested in them ( for the time ) to make good their undertaking for preservation of that his fruitfull kingdome ; being impelled by all these forcible reasons , his majesty sent a commission to the lord marquesse of ormond his lieutenant generall ( a most known sincere protestant ) to hearken to a treaty according to their petition ; and if any thing was amisse in that treaty in poynt of honour ( as it shall appeare by comparing it with others , there was none ) we know whom to thank . for out of these premises also , doth result this second conclusion . that they who misapplied those moneys , and mis-imployed those men which were levyed with his majesties royall assent for the reduction of ireland : they who set afoot that most sanguinary designe of extirpating , at least of enslaving a whole ancient nation , who were planted there by the hand of providence from the beginning : they who hindred his majesties transfretation thither to take cognizance of his own affairs and expose the countenance of his own royall person for composing of things : they , they may be said to be the true causes of that unavoidable necessity ( and as the heathen poet sings , the gods themselves cannot resist necessity ) which enforced his majesty to capitulate with the irish , and assent to a cessation . it was the saying of one of the bravest roman emperours , and it was often used by henry the great of france , her majesties father , that he had rather save the life of one loyall subject then kill a hundred enemies : it may well be thought that one of the prevalentst inducements that moved his majesty ( besides those formerly mentioned ) to condescend to this irish cessation , was a sense he had of the effusion of his owne poor subjects blood , the hazard of the utter extirpation of the protestants there , and a totall irrecoverable losse of that kingdome , as was advertised both in the petition of the protestants themselves , the relation of the committee imployed thither to that purpose , and the expresse letters of the lord justices and counsell there . to prove now , that this cessation of arms in ireland was more honourable and fuller of piety , prudence and necessity , then either the pacification or peace with the scot . i hope , these few ensuing arguments ( above divers others which cannot be inserted here , in regard of the fore intended brevity of this discourse ) will serve the turne . . imprimis , when the pacification was made with scotland , his majesty was there personally present , attended on by the floure of his english nobility , gentry and servants , and the enemy was hard by ready to face him . at the concluding of the irish cessation , his majesty was not there personally present , but it was agitated and agreed on by his commissioner , and it hath been held alwayes lesse dishonourable for a king to capitulate in this kind with his owne subjects by his deputy , then in his owne person , for the further off he is , the lesse reflects upon him . . upon the pacification and peace with scotland , there was an amnestia , a generall pardon , and an abolition of all by-passed offences published , there were honours and offices conferred upon the chiefest sticklers in the war . at the cessation in ireland there was no such thing . . when the pacification and peace was made with the scots , there was mony given unto them , as it is too well knowne . but upon the setling of this cessation , the irish gave his majesty a considerable summe as an argument of their submission and gratitude , besides the maintainance of some of his garrisons in the interim ; and so much partly in poynt of honour . . at the concluding of the pacification and peace with scotland , there was a vigorous fresh , unfoiled english army afoot , and in perfect equipage ; there wanted neither ammunition , armes , money , cloaths , victuals or any thing that might put heart into the souldier and elevate his spirits . but the protestant army in ireland had not any of all these in any competent proportion , but were ready to perish , though there had been no other enemy then hunger and cold : and this implies a farre greater necessity for the said cessation . . in ireland there was imminent danger of an instant losse of the whole kingdome , and consequently , the utter subversion of the protestant religion there , as was certified both to king & parliament by sundry letters & petitions which stand upon record : there was no such danger in the affairs of scotland , either in respect of religion or kingdome ; therefore there was more piety shown in preserving the one , and prudence in preserving the other in ireland , by plucking both ( as it were ) out of the very jawes of destruction by the said cessation . we know that in the medley of mundane casualties , of two evils , the least is to be chosen , and a small inconvenience is to be borne withall , to prevent a greater . if one make research into the french story , he will find , that many kinds of pacifications and suspensions of armes were covenanted twixt that king and some of his subjects , trenching farre more upon regall dignity then this in ireland . the spaniard was forced to declare the hollanders free-states , before they could be brought to treat of a truce : and now the catalans screw him up almost to as high conditions . but what need i rove abroad so far ? it is well known , nor is it out of the memory of man , that in ireland it selfe there have been cessations , all circumstances well weighed , more prejudiciall to majesty then this . but that which i heare murmured at most as the effect of this cessation , is the transport of some of those souldiers to england for recruting his majesties armies , though the greatest number of them be perfect and rigid protestants , and were those whom our parliament it selfe imployed against the irish . but put case they were all papists , must his majesty therefore be held a favourer of popery ? the late king of france might have been said as well to have been a favourer of protestants , because in all his wars he imployed them most of any in places of greatest trust , against the house of austria ; whereas all the world knows , that he perfectly hated them in the generall , and one of the reaches of policy he had , was to spend and waste them in the warres . was it ever knowne but a soveraigne prince might use the bodies & strength of his own naturall-born subjects , and liege men for his owne defence ? when his person hath been sought and aimed at in open field by small and great shot , and all other engines of hostility and violence : when he is in danger to be surprized or besieged in that place where he keeps his court : when all the flowers of his crowne ( his royall prerogatives which are descended upō him from so many successive progenitors ) are like to be plucked off and trampled under foot : when there is a visible plot to alter and overturn that religion he was born , baptized & bred in : when he is in danger to be forced to infringe that solemn sacramentall oath he took at his coronation to maintain the said religion , with the rights & rites of the holy anglican church , which some brain-sick scismaticks would transform to a kirk and her discipline , to some chimericall forme of government they know not what . francis the first , and other christian princes , made use of the turke upon lesse occasions ; and if one may make use of a horse , or any other bruit animall , or any inanimat engine or instrument for his owne defence against man , much more may man be used against man , much more may one rationall creature be usd against another though for destructive ends in a good cause , specially when they are cōmanded by a soveraigne head , which is the maine thing that goes to justifie a warre . now touching the roman catholicks , whether english , welsh , irish , or scottish , which repair to his majesties armies either for service or security , he looks not upon them as papists , but as his subjects , not upō their religion , but their alleagiance , and in that quality he entertaines them : nor can the papist be denied the character of a good subject , all the while he conformes himselfe to the lawes in generall , & to those lawes also that are particularly enacted against him , & so keeps himself within the bounds of his civil obedience : as long as he continues so , he may challenge protection from his prince by way of right , and if his prince by some accident be not in case to protect him , he is to give him leave to defend himselfe the best he can , for the law of nature allowes every one to defend himselfe , and there is no positive law of man can annull the law of nature . now if the subject may thus claime protection from his prince , it followeth , the prince by way of reciprocation may require assistance , service and supplies from the subject upon all publike occasions , as to suppresse at this time a new race of recusants , which have done more hurt then ever the old did , and are like to prove more dangerous to his crowne and regall authority then any forraigne enemy . but whosoever will truly observe the genious , and trace the actions of this fatall faction which now swayes with that boundlesse , exorbitant , arbitrary and antinomian power , will find , that it is one of their prime peeces of policy , to traduce and falsifie any thing that is not conducible to their owne ends : yet what comes from them must be so magisteriall , it must be so unquestionably and incontroulably true and lawfull , that it must be beleeved with an implicite faith , as proceeding from an in-erring oracle ( as if these zealots were above the common condition of mankind , to whom errour is as heriditary as any other infirmity ) though the thing it selfe encroach never so grosly both upon the common liberty , the states and soules of men . but if any thing beare the stamp of royall authority , be it never so just and tending to peace and the publike good , yea , though it be indifferent to either side , it is presently countermanded , cryed down , and stifled ; or it is calumniated and aspersed with obloquies , false glosses and misprisions ; and this is become now the common theam wherewith their pulpits ring . which makes me think , that these upstart politicians have not long to reigne ; for , as the common proverb saith , fraud and frost end foule , and are short lived , so that policy , those counsels which are grounded upon scandals , reproaches and lyes , will quickly moulder & totter away , and bring their authors at last to deserved infamy and shame , and make them find a tombe in their owne ruines . adde hereunto as further badges of their nature , that black irreconcilable malice and desire of revenge which rageth in them , the aversnesse they have to any sweetnesse of conformity and union , the violent thirst they have of blood , which makes me think on that distique of prudentius , who seemed to be a prophet as well as poet ( a true vates ) in displaying the humours of these fiery dogmatists , this all-confounding faction which now hath the vogue , to the punishment , i will not say yet , the perdition of this poore island . sic mores produnt animum , & mihi credite , junctus semper cum falso est dogmatè coedis amor . thus in english : manners betray the mind , and credit me , ther 's alwayes thirst of blood with heresie . finis . a discours of dunkirk, with some reflexes upon the late surrender therof, &c. and other additions by a knowing and very worthy person. howell, james, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a discours of dunkirk, with some reflexes upon the late surrender therof, &c. and other additions by a knowing and very worthy person. howell, james, ?- . [ ], p. printed by j.c. for samuel speed, london : . signed: jam. howell. reproduction of original in bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng dunkerque (france) -- history. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a discours of dunkirk , with some reflexes upon the late surrender therof , &c. and other additions , by a knowing and very worthy person . london : printed by j. c. for samuel speed , at the rainbow in fleetstreet . . a discours of dunkirk . it can hardly be parallelld in story , that any place of such defence , as dunkirk pretends to be , had more various turns of fortune , and change of masters in so short a revolution of time ; for this is the fift new-master that dunkirk hath had in less then the compass of xx yeers , wherof fower of them got her by force ; which makes the world much question the strength and tenableness therof . the late surrender that england made of this town to the french , though it was a pure act of state , ( therfore not disputable by any ) yet being a business of that general concernment , and so open to the eye of the world , it hath ministred matter of much talk , and banding of opinions among the critiques of the times , as well forreners as others . the dessein of this small tract is to set down the arguments pro and contra , relating to this great action : for according to the rule of the schools , contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt ; contraries put cross grow more cleer . and as out of the collision of flint and steel , ther issues forth fire , so by confrontation , and clash of argument , truth comes to appear more perspicuous . the affirmatif arguments for detaining of dunkirk . . it stood convenient to invade flanders , france , and some territories of the hollanders . . it might have served for a nursery of training up soldiers . . it had secured navigation , and the traffic of his majesties subjects . . it might have bin brought to have bin a porto franco , a free port , and so have advancd trade . . it had bin a repute for england to have kept it , and a disparagement to part with it . this i beleeve is all that can be said for the affirmatif part . before arguments be producd to the contrary , t is expedient that this distinction should precede , viz. that there are forren possessions or places of two sorts . . ther are some that are got by the discovery of the marchant , where finding the clime temperat , the soyle healthful , and proper , by the help of industry , to produce some staple commodities that may feed trade , and be fit for sale or barter , he takes firm footing , puts in his spade , and plants . such transmarin possessions carry many advantages with them ; they increase shipping and seamen ; they disburden the kingdome of superfluous peeple ; they nourish and improve mutual commerce , and all this while consume nothing of the publique tresure , but are able to subsist of themselfs , the souverain prince giving only his royal protection , encouragement and countenance , with fit governors therunto : virginia , maryland , the bermudas , barbados , with others of the caribbe islands , and divers more in the indies , are places of this nature , as jamayca , &c. and ther are great hopes that in afric tanger will prove so , with other extraordinary advantages besides . . but there are other forren possessions which cannot support themselfs either by benefit of trade , or contributions of the adjacent country , but are meerly maintained by praesidial forces or garison , and by the exported tresure of the possessing prince . england in ages passd hath had divers forren places of this quality , but t was dayly found , that they still exhausted her tresure and armories ; they encreasd her cares and trouble ; they begot jelousies in her neighbours ; they disturbd her repose and quietude at home , england slept best when she was without any such . and in the procedure of this discourse , i beleeve dunkirk will appeer to be a place of that nature . this distinction going before , we will now take the affirmatif arguments for keeping of dunkirk in their order . touching the first three , t is tru that dunkirk by the site therof , stands for a convenient inlet into flanders , and the territories annexd ; but for france and the united provinces , ther is another prince's country interposd before an army can enter any of them , but may be interrupted , unless leave be granted ; and to force a passage would be an infringement of the peace by the one party ; and to permit a passage may be a breach of article by the other part , being in friendship with both . but touching the foresaid nations , ther be choice of other places , and bold coasts far cheaper for england , and more accessible , and easie to be made use of for an invasion in case of a war , without keeping such a costly key as dunkirk , yet not knowing when we shold have occasion to make use of it , in regard his majesty is at present in good terms with the said nations , and like to continue so for the future , his inclinations propending naturally rather to peace then war , according to the genius of his two blessed immediat predecessors . now the keeping still of dunkirk wold have inevitably drawn a war upon us , and perchance from all the three . and let this surlice for an answer in part to the first three arguments , till we proceed further . touching the other argument , viz. that dunkirk might have served for a seminary of soldiers which england might have made use of in time of need ; to this t is answerd , that the hundred and thirty thousand pounds sterling that went yeerly to maintain those soldiers in dunkirk , ( and towards the fortifying therof ) which exported mony may be said to be like the soul of judas , which never came back again , as the italian hath it ; i say , that huge sum wold be far better spent at home within the land to maintain a military actual strength for security of prince and peeple against any civil insurrection , by constant regiments of horse and foot ashore , and a squadron of iusty men of war at sea , both which the moneys that were transported weekly to dunkirk , will be able to keep in constant pay . touching the fift argument , viz. that the keeping of dunkirk wold have securd navigation and traffic ; t is answered , that the next yeer after that england had a garison and governour in dunkirk , the town of ostend & those of biscay did us more mischief far then dunkirk ever had done in so short a time : for the dunkirk-men of war going to those places , ther were ships of ours of greater bulks , and richer burdens taken then before ; the strength and soule of dunkirk passing as it were by a kind of transmigration into those places . moreover , observable it is , that when queen elizabeth was advisd by the hollanders to take dunkirk , the matter being referrd to her privy council , after much deliberation it was resolved , that england was better without dunkirk then with it , and that for divers reasons of state ; one whereof was , that it wold be a means that english ships of a greater burden wold be built , and cause her marchant-men to go better armd abroad , and with stouter vessels , which in case of necessity might serve the public . touching security of trade ; t is well known that england hath ports and castles of her own , to make her seas narrow enough for her , to check and give law to any that shall sayle in her channels , and consequently to defend her marchants and others without the help of dunkirk : but touching trade it self , now that dunkirk is in other hands , it will be much more advantagious unto england in point of trade ; for while we kept it , ther was scarce any commerce at all in that town , or the country about it ; and far less now since the french have had it . touching the making of dunkirk a free-port ( or a kind of sound as that in the baltik ) t is but a sandy conceit , for the nations round about being but ill inclind unto us in this particular , we shold not have bin able to have beaten any considerable trade into the inland countries unless we had forcd it , which could not have bin done without a violation of the peace . besides , how much this wold have prejudicd our so long settled staples in dort , and hamborough , let any man judge : but the truth is , dunkirk is not a place proper for a free port , because t is made a port rather by chance then by nature ; for t is observd that the harbour which goes from mardike to dunkirk , together with the splinter , is accidentally causd by the great scowre that proceeds from the check , or reverberations and eadies which the stream receaves that runs from the west twixt dover and callis , by the cliffs which jett out from the english shore ; and the shore on that side being all sand , was easily in tract of time worn into a harbour . but such harbours have bin known to alter as the points of the cliffs did wear out and vary , or as the sands did fill , or were washd away : wherof divers examples may be producd , as the port of stavere● in friseland , which was once a town of much traffik , but now is become a poor place , the haven being choakd up with sand . adde hereunto , that scarce any boat can come to dunkirk upon low water , but the keele will be grating upon the sands all along ; nor can any ship of any great burden come near her but upon a spring-tyde . t is also a wild kind of harbor lying open to the sea , without any windings or high-land shelter : so that let the wind blow from what point of the compass it will , the ships riding there are exposd to the fury of it , and upon the dragging of an anchor , wrecks do commonly follow upon the adjoyning strand . touching the punctilios of honor that england may hazard in parting with dunkirk , t is answerd , that t was nothing dishonorable for england to give away that which she never got : for indeed t was the french king who got it ; he had a royal army of effectif men both horse and foot to beleager it ; t was his musket that kill'd marquiss de leda the brave governor ; ther was only a brigade of english auxiliaries , who , t is tru , performed their parts very gallantly , and did contribute much to the service : but t was the french king with whom the town did capitulat ; t was to him she opend her gates , and gave up her keys ; t was he who did ride conquerer into the place , where he put up his standard , causd te deum to be sung , and so took full possession of it . t is tru , a little after , according to private articles with cromwel , he left there an english garison , and a scotch governor , who had then dependence of service upon him , as having bin bred in his court ; now , the gallican civilians say , that cromwel to whom the article was made being dead , and the government of england quite alterd , ( from a kind of commonwealth to a kingdom ) the french king was not obliged to perform it longer , for in some cases , pactum moritur cum persona . moreover , touching point of honor , it had bin ( under favour ) rather a kind of dishonour that england shold still hold dunkirk : for first , it had been to continue the fame of an infamous rebel , in regard the world held dunkirk to be an acquest of his. adde herunto that the honor of england among the wisest nations began to be questiond both in point of prudence and providence , for her to export and expend such a vast tresure to hold so dry a place , ( the benefit wherof made such poor returns ) and not to accept of thousand pounds sterling en argent comptant , specially now that there is such a general complaint of scarcity of coyn in england ; wheras hen. . though a high boysterous prince , had not much above the third part of such a sum for tournay and terwyn , and that to be paid in twelve yeers by the french. furthermore , by the opinion of the knowingst commanders who had sometimes servd in flanders , & having bin quarterd a long time in dunkirk , knew evry inch of the unsortifiable and sandy loose instable soyl about it ; i say , by the positive opinion of old experienced english officers , dunkirk was not a place tenable , she was not leager-proof ; for if she had bin so , she would not have changd masters so often in years ; i say , dunkirk was not tenable in case a numerous storming resolut army had stood before it , ( unless such another numerous army had bin in the town to oppose it ) but that half that mony which was given for it might have servd to have regaind it , and a private sudden league might have bin struck to that effect twixt the french , spaniard & hollander , or any two of them , who wold have concurred in hot tertio : for they did all malign us that we kept such footing in flanders . nor could ther ever have bin a perfect cordial peace twixt us , and any of the said three nations while we kept dunkirk , but it wold have still ministred matter of jelousy , of quarrels about contributions , of plottings ever and anon how to make us weary of holding it ; which made one say , that the english settling in dunkirk , was like the mouse who made her neast in the cats ear . adde herunto that t is well known ( though not by all ) that in the late treary and transactions of peace twixt france and spain , ther was a private article relating to dunkirk , which bound both the kings in reciprocal ties , to the prejudice of england in this particular . we know that england hath had from time to time divers extraneous possessions of this nature ; yet they were but as fethers in her cap , never any did quit cost , or by any real advantages countervail her trouble , expences , and hazards in keeping them . now among all such , the town of callis bears the nearest analogy and similitude with dunkirk : but first we will give a touch only at the other in order of time . the first forren thing that england ever had , was normandy , which came to be her inheritance ; a rich and copious country , yet we could never make that country subsist of it self , but our mony , men , and arms went still over to secure it . william the conqueror , though her native duke , did ( as an authentique historian hath it ) angliam deglubere , he did shear england to keep it ; rufus his son did angliam excoriare , he did fley england to preserve it ; his granchild did angliam emulgere usque ad sanguinem , he did milk england till the blood came forth to defend normandy , being forcd to raise castles to protect it against the incursions of the confining french ; insomuch that when the duke of york was regent , a computation being made of the charge in keeping normandy , t was found in the chamber of accounts , that the expences from the beginning in keeping that province exceeded the revenues thereof three hundred forty and eight thousand pounds , which was a prodigious sum in those days . the next forren country that came to truckle under england , was aquitane , guyen , and gascony , the most exuberant and fertillst provinces of all france , yet they could never countervail the cost , but they still draind moneys , and multitudes of men out of england , who at their returns in steed of spoils and wealth , brought nothing but poverty , and so increasd the number of beggers and thiefs . the town of bourdeaux her self , though a rich mercantile city , did hardly defray the salary of the english praesidiary forces that were in it ; and fronsack castle alone did cost l. per ann . as the record hath it ; as also , that it was deliverd in parlement ric. . that gascony with other places we held then in france , stood england in above the revenues therof , l. a yeer . the benefit we receavd by taking footing in armorica , or little britaine , may appeer by a few examples ; for t was declard in parlement hen. . that ad defensionem britanniae non sufficiebat the saurus totius angliae . the town and castle of brest alone cost ric. , marks a yeer , and the of his raign it stood in l. s. d. as the record hath it . touching tournay ( and terwya ) hen. . spent most of that mighty tresure his parsimonious father left him , in getting and keeping it : but finding the charge so excessive , he sold it to the french for a far smaller sum then was had for dunkirk : for he had but l. for it , and that to be paid in twelve yeers , wherof some part is not paid to this day . and touching the town of bulloigne , his son edw. . sold it , not many yeers after , but for l. we are now come to callis , which notwithstanding the contributory territories about it be far more large then those adjoyning to dunkirk , and that the transfretation thence to england be shorter half in half , yet it stands upon good record , that from edw. . who first got it , to the of queen mary who lost it , it cost england l. s. l. concerning ireland , which comes in the rank of forren acquests , though it be a fruitful felf-sufficient country , and as one said , a good fat goose to pluck , yet the revenues therof never counter-balancd the charge till the earl of staffords time , who maybe said to be the first which made ireland a nown substantif to stand by it self , without any support of tresure from england . nor could queen eliz. though cryed up for a great housewife , bring it to subsist of it self , no not in time of peace , but still moneys were sent over from the exchequer in westminster , which may be seen upon exact record : but in time of war , the example of sir john perrot may serve for all , who in his two years government there , spent england l. the last forren places which england had , were the cautionary towns of flushing , brill , and the ramakins ; but when the l. for which they were hypothequd or pawnd was paid king james , t was found that almost the whole sum had bin drunk up in paying the english garisons all the while . from these premises this conclusion may be deducd , that no outlandish or transmarin possessions ( except those lately in the indies pointed at before , which are supported by the merchant ) did ever make england thrive , but they were a cause of perpetual issues of tresure , which is the great artery of any country , wherby england may be said to have spent her very blood and vital spirits upon them from time to time . now , the reason may well be , that such excentrique possessions did not prosper with england , in regard that by the primitive institution of god and nature , the i le of great britain is a compleat distinct mass of earth , and an empire of it self ; she may be said to be as the spaniard saith of her , comola tortuga en su concha , like a tortoise in her shell , who is so prodigiously armd , ( but for defence only ) and the divine providence accordingly hath made great britain more apposit and proper to defend , then to extend her self further . and to that defensive end she hath those two properties which the philosopher requires in a strong self-preserving country , viz. an easie egress for the natives who know her shallows and shelfs of sands , her flats and rocks , &c. and a hard ingress for the stranger who knows them not . moreover , great britain hath the advantage of having the best shipping of any other for her own defence ; for no country hath such tough oke as she hath for k●ee-timber , and for other naval uses : her peeple also have a natural dexterity and aptitude to navigation , with a courage extraordinary that way . adde herunto , that the position of her seas , with the straightness therof in point of distance from her neighbours , is such , and her ports upon those seas are so advantagiously situated , that none can pass or repass through her sleeve or channels , but she may controul them without the help of dunkirk , or any other coadjuvant place on her opposit coasts , specially at such a monstrous rate : for according to the cautious old saying , a man may buy gold too dear . to conclude : wheras some do insist much on point of honor by parting with dunkirk , in the judgment of the most serious and well-weighd men , it had bin taken rather as a dishonor for a king of great britain to distrust his strength so much , as not to be able to gard his own seas and subjects as his royal progenitors did , without the adventitious help of a forren place got by so notorious a regicide , with an aim & intent to enable him the more to have still kept him out . and it may be well remembred , that his present majesty of england appeerd then against the taking of it ; to which purpose the dukes of york and glocester were actually in arms in the field for opposing it ; and it was the duke of york who gave the first charge , and did notable execution . lastly , it may well stand with the reach of tru policy , and the interest of england , to leave the town of dunkirk like a bone twixt france and spain , as very probably t is like to prove in time . moreover , this so neer approach of the french begins alredy to make some impressions of jelousie in the hollanders , being awakend by the old proverb , ayez le francois pour ton amy , non pas pour ton voisin ; have the french for thy frend , not for thy neighbor if thou canst chuse . thus have we twisted this great business upon a small bottome , for the satisfaction of evry true childe of reason , and confutation of those who , being transported by aery conceits , cry it down for an unpolitik act of state. jam. howell . nevv additions concerning the harbour at dunkirk . the sea retreats upon every ebb and low water at the least one english mile back from the harbour , so that the harbour is all dry , and a man may go along the deepest part of the said harbour with his shooes dry a mile towards the sea. and at the highest spring-tyde there is no deeper water at the coming in , or at the going out of the habour at the utmost , but english foot . insomuch , that no ships or vessels can go out , or come into the said harbour , which go deeper then or foot ; and when the ships or vessels which go deep or foot , that must be just at the highest spring-tyde , within an hours time before the water begins to ebb or fall , and that the weather and sea be smooth and calm , otherwise if the sea be rough and tumbling , the ships or vessels by the cappling of the sea will strike to the ground , and break themselves in an hundred pieces , as very often is seen , if they take not great heed . the ground within and without the harbour is hard all over , and the ships or vessels within must lie at every ebb of the water upon the hard ground , in danger to crack and break themselves by their own weight , with that of their ordnance and lading . and every frigat , ship or vessel of about or tun in burthen , with their cargos , and ordnance , and provision in it , goes at the least or foot deep : insomuch that dunkirk is onely a harbour for small vessels and boats , such as their first and former trade of fishing and drying of herrings was ; and nothing at all fit for any men of war , or ships of consequence . the splinter or schourtien of mardike , which is a creek along the sea there , about an english mile in length , accidentally occasioned by the current of the sea all along the shore , or coast , is of a much deeper water , and of more consequence then the harbour of dunkirk but it lies so open to the sea , that by hard winds and stress of weather no ships can possibly ride there in winter but are in danger to break their cables , and be cast upon the shore by any westerly winds . the splinter or schourtien goes not to the harbour of dunkirk , but is by one mile or more short of the harbour : but if any ships will go from thence to dunkirk , they must pass over a hard s●ndy bank , where no ships can go over which goe deeper then or foot at the highest spring-tyde ; and that must be with a calm water , or smooth sea. and for to gain two foot deeper , all ships that are of any considerable burthen , must go round about , and backwards by the sea to come into dunkirk at the highest spring-tyde , over the sand-banks , which are a great many , all about , two or three leagues broad near the said harbour and sea-shore , and very moveable , and altering upon every stress of weather , so that most great ships or men of war going from thence are put to the trouble to provide themselves with an extraordinary pilot , or costerer , as they call him , by reason of the said shelfs and banks of sands , between which the hollands men of war were used to lie at anchor , but in summer only . captain cadde and others have made several sea-maps of the said sandy banks for their better information , which are printed , and may be had for or d. apiece . dunkirk is not worth the tenth part of the charges which a garison must needs cost to keep the said town , if the king of england , the king of france , or the states of holland should possess it . and indeed it is not fitting for any to hold , excepting it be for the king of spain , whose country lies round about it , being a fit port for his subjects , & their in ward commerce , and commodity of trading , because the king of spain needs not have any greater garison therein then two , three or four companies of foot-souldiers to keep the inhabitants in obedience . moreover , dunkirk is inclosed , bounded and confined between graveling , bourborgh , linken , wynox-bergen , honscatey , furne and newport : so that the garisons in dunkirk can go no further , nor have any contribution beyond it out of any friends or enemies country ; being so narrowly encompassed , that it is not possible to maintain and nourish the tenth part of the garison with victuals , if they be not supplyed from abroad ever and anon . now , if dunkirk should have a bold and ventrous enemy coming from or along the sea-shore , the said enemy may lodge himself the first night between the fort rouge and the harbour , and be master of the said harbour the first night , so that no vessel can go out , nor come in , or subsist in the said harbour , but may be be battered in pieces : whereby 't is no hard matter to destroy also the brick-wall between the town and the harbour level to the ground , and so take the town that way by a ship-bridge over the said harbour , or at low water , in spight of all their fortifications round about it . but to think to make there a kind of sound , as that in the baltik sea between elsenore and elsenborg , which are but one league distance the one from the other , is but a shallow imagination : for england could not do it when she had calis by reason of the great distance the one from the other , which is seven leagues from dover ; and much less likely is such a thing to be done between dover and dunkirk , being twelve leagues distant the one from the other : besides , the impeachment of the many shallows , and ill-favoured banks under water in the sea , & the contrary courses of the streams , occasioned by the said banks , make commonly the passage more confused and incertain by many hours difference in sayling . j. haes donke . finis . there is lately published , a most excellent discourse concerning the precedency of kings ; wherein the reasons and arguments of the three greatest monarchs of christendome , who claim a several right thereunto , are faithfully collected and rendred . whereunto is adjoyned a distinct treatise of ambassadors . fol. price s. the conduct and character of count nicholas serini , protestant generalissimo of the auxiliaries in hungary , the most prudent and resolved champion of christendome . price one shilling . pharamond : an excellent new romance , written by the author of cassandra and cleopatra . fol. price s. the villain , a tragedy , by t. porter , esq price s. the ungrateful favourite , a comedy , by a person of honour . price one shilling . parsons law , or a view of advowson's . . bibles in latine in . genealogies of the bible in all volumes . holdsworth's sermons , . purchas of bees , . wise-mans crown , or the glory of the rosie-cross , by j. heydon , . painting of the ancients , . white on the sabbath , . buchanus body of divinity , . greenbill on ezekiel , second part , . holiokes doctrine of life , . oughtred of proportions , . henry the fourth of france his life , by the bishop of rodez , . these , with variety of all sorts of books , are to be sold by samuel speed , at the rainbow in fleetstreet . finis .